Catching Up...

A hug from Daddy before he went to work


I don't get much free time to check emails or work on my blog these days, so here's my attempt to catch up with what's been going on in our lives...

Birthday Weekend
Last weekend was very busy for us. On Friday we saw the butterflies at Meijer Gardens, went out to lunch, and then later had an evening snack at Coldstone Creamery in Downtown Holland. Then on Saturday we had dinner with two other families, one of which met Samedh for the first time. Samedh had a blast with all the kids, even though the youngest ones were about 6 years older than him. I have several photos on a CD from that visit, and will post them on Samedh's blog once I get a chance (mymasti.blogspot.com). The next day my family came over to our house to celebrate my birthday. My three nieces were here, and they were as active as ever. We've found that whenever my family comes to visit, Samedh's entire routine gets thrown out the window. Especially nap time. It's just too loud in the house and he can't settle down. Plus, I think he wants to be part of the action.

So after that busy weekend, we discovered something new about Samedh: He can get over-stimulated quite easily. Two nights in a row he woke up around 11:30 just screaming and crying, as if he had a bad dream. It took two of us and several minutes to console him and get him back to sleep. Thankfully, it hasn't happened since then, so we believe Samedh just had too much activity those couple of days. He handles new people and activity very well at that time, but it might be too much for him to process at night when he's trying to sleep.

Pankaj and I have decided to try limiting Samedh's exposure to major family events to just one day per weekend. I'm sure this will help greatly. The next big weekend is coming up April 7-8. Saturday the 7th is my niece Kaleia's birthday party, and Sunday is Easter at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Easter won out, so we'll try to get together with Kaleia on her birthday which is actually April 5th. I think there would be way too much stimulation at my sister's house on Saturday with all of her in-laws and extended family and friends. Samedh will meet them all soon enough.

One Step Closer to Finalization
On Thursday, we met with our social worker for Samedh's second post-placement visit. We had a very good meeting, and she was happy to see that Samedh has adjusted and attached so well. We updated her on his development, new words and skills, and submitted 9 new photos to be included with her next report. Once written, she will send the report and photos to SAI, our placing agency in Kansas. They, in turn, will send copies to India (for the orphanage and court). A copy of the report will also be sent to our local probate court. Our third and final post-placement report (must also be written and submitted by our social worker) should be completed by early June. At that time, Mary Beth will make a recommendation to the court that Samedh's adoption be finalized. We have the option of finalizing via mail or court hearing, and are obviously leaning toward the court hearing. There will be some added expense in doing so, but it will be such a special occasion for our family...how could we NOT do it? The court has told us that we can invite family and friends, decorate with balloons, and have the event video taped. Not your typical courtroom atmosphere, so I'm sure it's an exciting event for the court and judge as well. We have no idea what day we'll be asked to appear for our hearing, but we will certainly keep everyone posted.

Big Plans for April
April looks like it will be a busy month for us as well. Next Tuesday, a friend and former D&W co-worker is coming to visit and meet Samedh for the first time. She has two children and I'm sure Samedh will have lots of fun time with them. And because of Spring Break, my sister and her girls will have some time off later in the week. Samedh and I hope to join them at the Holland Aquatic Center for some fun in the Splash Zone pool. We also hope to fly to Dallas around mid-April to visit friends who recently had a baby boy. They also have a 4-year old son whom I'm sure Samedh will enjoy playing with. Hopefully, we'll have some idea of confirmed dates and tickets this weekend??? Our goal is to make this trip before our friend's mother flies back to New Delhi on April 22. Our final big trip for the month will be to meet a couple of India adoptive families in Lansing; possibly on April 21. We've already postponed our meeting twice due to blizzards and bad colds, so we're hoping that April will bring us better luck.

Summer Fun on a Spring Day

(Click on collage to view larger photos)

These photos were taken last Sunday when my family came over to celebrate my birthday. It was a high of 82 degrees in Zeeland that day, and we spent a lot of time outside. We also had to run the air conditioning to keep everyone comfortable.

Now, with spring break and Easter approaching, we are expecting much cooler weather and possibly wet snowflakes later next week. That's how it goes in West Michigan. Today was near 70, so Samedh and I had an Easter egg hunt in the backyard (we also had one yesterday). I figure we better look for plastic eggs now while it's warm and dry because we probably won't get the chance to do it outside on Easter Sunday. Good thing Grandma hides eggs inside the house!

This afternoon, Samedh and I also went shopping at Kohl's. We saw my friend Barb which was a nice surprise (Hi, Barb!). I finally found the perfect swim suit to wear while swimming with Samedh (he loves to pull at necklines and straps:)! I also bought Samedh tons of summer wear for around $6 to $6.50 a piece. He's still in a size 12 months, but boy are they cute. Will post photos of him in his new clothes soon enough...

Butterflies for My Birthday!

These photos were taken on March 23. Pankaj took the day off and he, Samedh, and I went to Meijer Gardens to see the butterfly exhibit for my birthday. Our new camera came in handy to capture these little guys up close!

Outdoor Discovery Center

On Saturday, we took Samedh to the Outdoor Discovery Center south of Holland. It was way too cold to walk on the nature trails, so we spent some time inside the center looking at various animals and displays. Samedh enjoyed the turtles, and "meowed" at a stuffed fox.

Samedh also learned a new word: Owl. The center actually had an owl inside a cage, and we discovered him by accident. There were two large cages that were dark inside and appeared to be empty. On top of one of the cages were displays of various birds. I reached up to point out a downy woodpecker to Samedh. As I did, something "clicked" loudly at us several times. I jumped and looked around. Inside a dark corner of the cage in front of us sat the little owl. He was only about 10-12 inches tall. His eyes were very large and "mechanical looking", especially when he blinked. We observed him for a few minutes, and then I explained to Samedh that we should let him go back to sleep. All the way home, Samedh kept smiling and proudly repeated his new word, "Owl", "Owl", "Owl," over and over again.

Celebrating 18 Months!

Samedh had his 18 month physical today. He weighed in at 15lbs 15oz and is now 29.5 inches tall. His pediatrician reviewed the growth chart with us and indicated that Samedh is following an upward curve, though it is slow and gradual. As long as he continues to grow at his own pace, there should be no concerns. Samedh still has a small perforation in his right ear as a result of the recent ear infections. We inquired about a hearing test, just as a precaution. The doctor's office referred us to a local ENT, and Samedh's hearing test will be on Thursday, March 22. He seems to hear just fine, but we would like to know if he is hearing 100% out of both ears.

Samedh has also started learning new words, and seems to add new ones almost every day. The following words are a regular part of his vocabulary:
"uhmm" = milk
"I do"
"door"
"up"
"na" (sounds like "nuh") = no (short for nahin)
"ball"
"Bob" (he has a toy called Farmer Bob)
"Oh-oh"
"egg"
"hi" (his first word)
"bye"
"ya" = yes
"hot"
"Mamma" (we're still trying to teach him to say "Daddy")

Samedh has been walking for well over a month now, and has even started running. He can climb up stairs, but going down is still puzzling. He loves to read books and enjoys sitting on my lap while reading. Some of his favorite books include Curious George Rides, Goodnight Moon, A Mother for Choco, and Daddy Loves Me.

Samedh likes to have his teeth brushed, and seems to be getting new teeth all the time. He currently has 6 front teeth (4 top, 2 bottom) and three molars. One top molar is almost all the way in. He does a great job chewing foods and isn't as bothered with textures as he was in the past. At least not for now. That could change at any time. Right now his favorite foods include chicken, mashed potatoes, mashed egg yolk, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, any kind of cheese, Yo Baby Yogurt, grilled cheese sandwich dipped in Prego sauce, and red or green grapes. We're still working on sneaking in the veggies (he hasn't caught on to me hiding carrots in his mashed potatoes yet:).

All in all, Samedh has made some amazing progress during his few months at home. He is full of energy, and quite the entertainer. He is very interested in movement and how things work. He'll tip his trucks and cars over on the side just to spin the wheels and watch them move. He also loves to watch the weather forecasts on TV, and is mesmerized by maps and doplar radar. Most of all though, Samedh has bonded with us beautifully. He is truly an amazing little boy, and we are so happy that he is a part of our family.

Go Griffins!

Tonight was Samedh's first Grand Rapids Griffins hockey game. The bank had tickets for the suite, and Pankaj invited one of his clients and a group of his employees. I figured the best way to introduce Samedh to an arena event was in the comfort of a suite, where he could move about more freely.

Samedh wore the Detroit Red Wings sweat suit that Aunt Dena and Uncle Eric bought for Christmas. He really enjoyed the spot lights and the music, and cheered right along with the fans. His favorite form of entertainment during the evening was watching Grif the mascot working the crowd. Samedh would spot Grif instantly from across the arena and say, "Hi" and wave. He must have an eye for spotting these characters because it often took me several minutes to figure out where Grif was!

Sunny and 69 Degrees!

Well, we finally reached the upper 60's here, and Samedh and I took full advantage of the beautiful weather. He and I took our first walk around the neighborhood and also visited with some neighbors. As an added bonus, Daddy came home from work a little earlier so we could all go to the park. Samedh enjoyed the swings and being out in the fresh air without having to wear his coat and topi (hat). After leaving the park, we drove out to the lake to catch another beautiful sunset. It was a lot colder at the lake (around 40 degrees), so we stayed inside the car. Besides, Samedh had fallen asleep and we figured it was best not to disturb him.

A Trip to the Zoo

Today we took Samedh to the zoo for the very first time. There was still plenty of snow on the ground, but it was warm and sunny (low 5o's). So many other families had the same idea, and Samedh loved being outside in the presence of other little children. Though he wasn't too sure about the animals, Samedh certainly enjoyed himself. We'd been cooped up in the house most of the winter, so we were happy to be able to go outside and experience a little bit of nature.

At the end of our visit, another family offered to take our photo in front of the John Ball statue. I first tried sitting Samedh ON the statue (as I had done as a child), but he wanted no part of it. I think he thought the "people" were real. He got really scared and started crying, so I took him down immediately. I'm sure in a few short years, he'll be climbing up on the statue just like all the other kids have done over the years.

Lake Michigan Sunset

These photos were taken last Wednesday evening at Holland State Park. It was bitter cold and we got out of the car only to take the photos. In just a few short months, we plan to return to have some fun in the sun with Samedh. I can hardly wait!

After our beach visit, we stopped by G&L for some Greek chili dogs. Samedh said "Hi" to our waitress at least 20 times, and also enjoyed his first ice cream shake (mint flavor) through a straw. We had tried to get him to suck through a straw a few times in the past, but he never got the hang of it. Now that he knows what to do with a straw, I have a feeling he'll be demanding sips of our shakes more often.

Was it a Pick or a Scratch?

Unlike Jerry in the famous Seinfeld episode, this was definitely a pick. Samedh was laying quietly in my lap while we were watching the evening news. Now and then he'd say, "Uhmm", and ask for a sip of milk ("Uhmm" is his word for milk). Everything was sweet, quiet and peaceful, and I was really enjoying this tender moment with my son. Then Samedh looked up at me and said, "Uh," to get my attention. I gazed down at him, and noticed he was sucking his thumb as usual, but this time his pointer finger was up his nose. Samedh just looked at me and kept digging. No smile. No laugh. He was serious, and I believe a bit proud to have found something new about himself. I didn't make a big deal about it, as it is only a natural thing for a child to do. I knew it would happen sooner or later. Now I just have to find a way to make sure he doesn't show off his "new talent" in public.

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By the way, for you Seinfeld fans out there, I just found a website with all the episode scripts. Yes, the "pick or scratch" episode is there too. You can find the scripts at seinfeldscripts.com.

It Was Only A Matter Of Time...

I couldn't resist taking these photos yesterday...

Now I have to keep a chair in front of the entertainment center!

She Came Back!

Samedh's dove did come back for dinner last evening, and he was so excited! And first thing this morning, he checked for more doves, and found a young pair munching and crunching on our tray.

Feeding Our Feathered Friends

We had a lot of bird activity out on our deck this morning, and Samedh would point and shout whenever a new bird arrived looking for seeds. He is especially fond of the mourning doves who come for a drink from our heated bird bath. He often looks at the dove and then over to Cosmo, as if to compare the two types of birds.

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With all the feathered visitors coming and going, I decided to put a tray of seeds out for them. There's already plenty of nyjer seed in the finch feeder, but sparrows can't get to it easily. So I got an old party tray out and put together a feast of black oil sunflower seeds, more nyjer seed, and some of Cosmo's discarded seeds (the white millet mix). I set the tray on top of the snow on our deck, and also filled fresh water in the bird bath. Then we waited. And waited. No more visitors. Samedh wasn't too happy, so I tried to explain that the birds were probably perched in the trees taking their naps. They'll be back eventually. At least I hope so. I'll bet that as soon as Samedh wakes from his own nap he'll be right there at the window looking for them.

Where is the little Lunesta butterfuly when you need it?

Or how about Abe Lincoln, and the groundhog and astronaut from the Rozerem commercial? "We've been waiting for you," they say on TV. I'm sure they are, but I just can't get back to sleep to meet them for a game of chess. I've been up this morning since 3am. I went out to the couch because Pankaj's snoring was bothering me, but I couldn't sleep out there either. This has become a regular routine for me, going on close to a year already. I fall asleep just fine, but after about 5 hours of slumber, that's it...I'm wide awake for 2 hours or so before I can sleep again.

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Well, now that I've been up for a couple hours already, I guess it may be time to go back to sleep again. And this time, maybe Honest Abe and the groundhog WILL be waiting for me.

Samedh's New Friends

This evening we had some very special visitors over for dessert. My friend Holly and her family met Samedh for the first time. We tried meeting earlier in the year, but our visit got postponed due to Samedh's pneumonia. Samedh got along well with Holly's daughters, Allison and Brooke. He even recognized them from their family photo that we have hanging on our "friends wall" (photos of family and friends saved from Christmas cards, etc.). Samedh looked at the photo and then looked at the girls with great big eyes, as if to say, "It's really them!"

Samedh's Smiles

Just a few new photos of Samedh,

taken recently with a disposable camera.

Now that I have my new camera,

I hope to be sharing even more photos of our little guy!

Happy March!

The first day of March always reminds me of spring. Today especially, since we are having thunderstorms. We woke up this morning to lightning flashes and rumbles of thunder, which is very weird considering that we still have close to a foot of snow on the ground.

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Today is also the opening of the Butterflies Are Blooming exhibit at Frederick Meijer Gardens. We plan to take Samedh there later this month, possibly on the 23rd (my birthday). Pankaj has agreed to take that day off of work to spend the day with us. Pankaj also suggested that he may be taking a half-day TODAY, but obviously that didn't work out because it's now close to 5pm and there's no sign of him. Just so you all know, there is no such thing as "banker's hours", and Pankaj will likely be home around his usual time of 7:30pm.

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At the present time, both Samedh and Cosmo are napping. The house is quiet and peaceful. And now that I finally have the time to sit and post to my blog, I really don't have much to say. Maybe that's a good thing. We did buy a new digital camera last weekend, and I practiced with it a little yesterday. I got a cute photo of a sparrow peeking out of the birdhouse in the tree in our backyard. Love the powerful zoom!