Parent-Tot Swim Class

Last night, Grandma ("Bouma") and Grandpa came to watch Samedh in his swim class. They took plenty of photos, and Daddy came too with the video camera. Samedh loves the water, but gets chilly pretty quickly when he gets out of the pool. Tonight is our last class, and I'm sure Samedh will miss swimming with the other kids as he has for the past two weeks. But for the rest of the summer, there's always open swim at the pool. I hope to take Samedh there at least once a week. Then he can watch all the "big boys" do their fancy jumps and dives off the diving board. It's his favorite part of going to the pool, and some day he'll be jumping and diving with the rest of them!

A Happy 4th!

Here are a few photos from our July 4th celebration. We spent the afternoon at my parents' cottage, and enjoyed a few fireworks of our own at home that evening. Our favorite fountains were called Purple Rain and Mini Me. Samedh wasn't too sure of the ones that "screamed", but he certainly enjoyed the colorful sparks. We also lit several sparklers, but Samedh wasn't too impressed with those either. We also set aside a number of fountains and sparklers for when we celebrate Diwali in November.

Busy at the Beach

Our second visit to Holland State Park was much cooler!
Check out Samedh's new dune buggy...

Here we are enjoying the evening sun and sand at Tunnel Park in Holland.

Samedh could spend hours just digging and sifting the sand!

Another beautiful Lake Michigan sunset.
One of the many reasons we love living on this side of the state.

What We've Been Up To...

Fun on the playground at Helder Park.

Samedh & his cousin had fun creating a butterfly at the Farmer's Market.
Every Wednesday, the Farmer's Market features special activities and story time for children.

Samedh enjoying his first ice cream bar.

He likes them best when he can eat them his OWN way!

Father's Day

This Father's Day was special for Pankaj because he and Samedh got to wear the Big Guy/Little Guy t-shirts I bought for them LAST YEAR. (On Father's Day last year, Samedh was still living at Bal Vikas in Mumbai.) We ended up celebrating at my parents' house instead of their cottage because it was way too hot. As you can see from one of the photos, it rained really hard for some time, but quickly dried up and became hot again. After a delicious meal, I had Grandpa and Samedh pose for a photo by Grandpa's new vine. And Samedh and I posed for a photo as well, since I hadn't had our photo taken together on Mother's Day this year.

Watching My Garden Grow

In 2004, Pankaj and I began landscaping the backyard. We started with a couple of lilies, ornamental grasses, and two blue spruce trees. The spruce trees were a special addition, and were planted in memory of the Raja embryoes that were created during our IVF treatments that spring.

Each year I like to add a new perennial or two, and our island garden has really grown into a haven for birds and butterflies. Every item in the garden has special significance to me. There are three white birch tree stumps from my parents cottage (I've always been fond of birch trees), a sedum from Indian friends in Illinois, a third spruce tree from my Uncle Bernie (which was planted in 2005 on the birthday which three of my grandparents shared), the alliums I've always admired, and a star gazer lily that was given to our family when my Grandma Schultz died in 1999. The list of my favorites could go on and on...

The end result is to make our backyard more beautiful and private. Less grass to mow is a plus too! Our chain-link fence certainly helps keep Samedh from escaping the yard, but it's not very pleasing to the eye. In time though, our six arborvitaes, Rose of Sharon, and spruce trees will grow thick and tall and create the beautiful backdrop we've always desired.

The Beeps

Here are my favorite photos from our trip to Holland State Park last week Friday. Since our visit, Samedh cannot stop talking about the "beeps" (beach). We hope to go again very soon, and this would be the perfect opportunity for Samedh to try out the toy dune buggy I bought for him.

17lbs 4oz!

We had a quick weight check at the doctor's office this morning, and have wonderful news to report. Even though Samedh hasn't been eating that many solid foods, he still managed to gain a pound since last month's check. He is now a whopping 17lbs 4oz! I was so proud this morning, as well as shocked. I even had the nurse write it down for me so I would have proof.

Samedh's doctor also wants him to start drinking only Pediasure or toddler formula mixed with water from now on. No more "milk with extra bubbles" (whole milk, Carnation Instant Breakfast powder, and formula cocktail). We'll start this new drink as soon as he wakes from his nap. We may even try chocolate flavored Pediasure for fun.

After the weight check, we drove to Wyoming to visit Grandpa for an early Father's Day gift presentation. Grandma was on her way to work, but we got to say a quick hello. Samedh gave Grandpa his gift early because it needs to be planted. We got him a yellow mandevilla vine, and Samedh is so proud because he picked it out at Jonker's Garden the other day. Samedh likes flowering vines, so we bought two for our backyard as well. He especially likes the wisteria vine that grows on our fence from the yard next door. Actually, I think he likes the word "vine" more than the flowers, though. He likes to say "vine" all the time.

We also saw Aunt Dena ("Donna") at Grandpa's. She had the day off and was waiting to pick up the girls from vacation bible school at SJV. We visited with Aunt Dena and Grandpa for a couple hours, but didn't stay past noon because it got too hot. It was near 90 degrees when we left, and it was 79 degrees in the house. After some begging, Grandpa put the air conditioning on, but it was taking too long to cool off the house. We just had to leave. I found it hard to breathe and Samedh was sweating bullets. We blasted the AC on the drive back to Holland and Samedh quickly fell asleep. Once we got home, he went straight to bed and has been napping ever since. When it gets this hot outside, we NEED the AC. Especially during allergy season. On Sunday, our entire family is going to my parents' cottage up north, and it's supposed to be another hot day. There is no AC there, and the yard is mostly sunny in the afternoon. We'll have to see how everyone does. Maybe we can cool off in the lake. I'm NOT a "lake person", but if the weather is hot enough, I just might be converted!

Keeping Our Cool

Samedh and I spent the afternoon in the pool, which sounds much more grand than it actually was. First of all, our only pool is an inflatable baby pool. There is no room for me, but Samedh always asks for me to join him:) Second, our only afternoon shady spot is in the front yard where all the neighbors can see when they drive home from work. It's about 90 degrees today, so I gladly stuck my feet in. We spent about a half hour outside, and it was very pleasant in the shade. Being in the direct sun is another story. It's supposed to be hot and sunny like this for the rest of the week. Tomorrow, Pankaj and I will be taking Samedh to Lake Michigan for the first time this summer. We've been talking about the beach all week, and Samedh is getting very excited to finally use his shovel, pail, and other sand toys. He calls the beach, "beeps" and reminds me that there are boats and "han" (pani, or water) at the beach. We'll be taking the camera along for sure.

Six Months Ago Today

This photo was taken at my parents' house on December 7, 2006 (six months ago today). Pankaj, Samedh, and I had just returned from our long trip back from India. All of us were extremely tired, Samedh and I were sick, and Samedh was trying to get familiar with yet another new environment. I may appear a little thin in the photo (a whopping 120lbs at that time), but don't worry, it didn't take long to put the weight back on. I'm about 15lbs heavier these days...

In the last six months, our family has experienced so much and we are so blessed. We've heard Samedh say his first word (Hi), seen him take his first steps, and have seen the addition of 8 new teeth (he currently has 12). He's put on weight and lost some, and then put it on again. He's grown 2 inches taller and his feet have gone from size 3 to 4 in no time at all.

In six months, the greatest development for Samedh has been his language. He is familiar with a few Hindi words (pani, topi, bindi), but we have chosen to teach him English first. To date, he has a vocabulary of 64 words and a few 2-word phrases that he's proud to show off. And he's not affraid to attempt words like "unbelieveable" and "cement". The pronounciation may be "his own" on some of these more difficult words, but based on the context I know exactly what he's taking about.

Now six months after arriving home in Michigan, the only concern we are seeing with Samedh is with food. Once solid foods were introduced, he gave up all Gerber baby stuff. Even one month ago, he was enjoying chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, peas, 3/4 of a grilled cheese sandwhich, even 3/4 of a kiwi fruit. Now for the past couple weeks, he's dwindled down to nothing but milk and occasional Yo Baby Yogurt and grapes. His milk is full of calories, with a full packet of Carnation Instant Breakfast powder (French Vanilla) and 2 scoops of formula. We figure he's taking in roughly 1300 calories per day with liquids alone. But having no interest in food at all and showing no signs of hunger are very disturbing.

Although Samedh's doctor doesn't seem too concerned (afterall, toddlers are picky eaters), he has agreed to refer us to the Feeding Program at Mary Free Bed Hospital in Grand Rapids. All of the paperwork was faxed to Mary Free Bed yesterday and we hope to hear from them soon about an evaluation appointment. We've considered the fact that Samedh may have food allergies or hypersensitivity of the mouth (he does tend to gag himself after meals), so any evaluation by specialists would be welcome at this point. We just want to give our little guy the best possible start in life, and good nutrition and healthy eating habits are key at his young age.

But we'll get through the food issue, so enough about that...

One of the best things about today is that we are now clear to have the court finalize Samedh's adoption in Michigan. We had to wait 6 months from the time we returned home, and also had to complete 3 social worker visits/post-placement reports before finalization could be recommended. Our final social worker visit was on May 21 and she was going to recommend finalization with the court after June 7. Today is that magic day. Now we just have to wait to hear from the court to see when we can schedule a hearing. Our preference is to finalize in court, rather than via mail, but that just depends on the court's schedule. We hope to know that answer within the coming weeks. We'll be sure to keep you all posted.

Well, thanks for checking in and reading my post today. They are certainly getting few and far between, and I rarely get a chance to play around on the computer these days. My hope is to ger more photos posted soon, and to Samedh's blog as well. In the meantime, I've been keeping excellent notes in my journal. And if I ever get a spare moment, I hope to share more...

Samedh's First Parade

On Monday, Pankaj and I took Samedh to his very first parade. Sure, it was only small-town Zeeland's Memorial Day Parade, but it still had all the bells and whistles that I promised would be there. There were tons of people, both in and watching the parade. Residents of the entire city and surrounding townships must have been present. And there were plenty of tractors, trucks and cars, which Samedh really enjoyed. Much more tractors than I expected, though. And Pankaj wasn't too thrilled with all the fumes.

This parade was exactly the same as I remember as a child. Even the same candy, and the same greedy little children pushing and shoving their way to the candy! The only difference was the use of cell phones, which obviously weren't around in the early 1980's. Everyone around us was on the phone - - either sending or receiving calls. Maybe they were just trying to communicate to friends on the other end of the parade route...

Anniversary of "The Phone Call"

Our family is celebrating so many big anniversaries this year. First was my my sister Dena and her husband Eric, who celebrated 10 years of marriage in February. Pankaj's parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary last week, and my parents will also be celebrating 40 years of marriage in September.

When someone mentions the word "anniversary", a wedding anniversary typically comes to mind. But since we started our adoption journey, I've discovered so many other "anniversaries" to celebrate along the way. Today happens to be the anniversary of "the phone call" from our placing agency. This was the phone call that changed everything for us. It came unexpectedly...out of the blue...

After an 11 month wait for a referral, we had been matched with a baby boy named Samedh. Our son was 8 months old. He was born September 15, 2005 in Mumbai, India. All we knew about him was his name, birth date, and that he was a healthy infant living at Bal Vikas. But that's all we needed to know. He was our son, and 6 months from the time we first met him on paper, he was placed in our arms forever. Our "forever family". And when you take a closer look at Samedh's birth date, you'll find a special anniversary connection which is very dear to me: Samedh was born just two weeks after Pankaj and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary!

Welcome Maya Meena

Maya = Illusion, Goddess Lakshmi

Meena = Precious stone, Fish

~~~~~

One week ago today, our new friend Maya Meena was born. What a beautiful name! Her proud parents are our good friends Jay & Judy. Samedh and I just viewed a few photos of Baby Maya this morning, and he was just so thrilled. He loves babies. Samedh talks about Maya all the time, and pronounces her name perfectly. We are so anxious to make a trip to Portland so we can meet Maya, but we'll hold off until Mom and Dad get settled into their new routine. Like us, Jay & Judy are first time parents. We hope to make a trip out that way sometime later this year.

And even MORE Tulips!

My favorites of the day....

More Tulips

Our Very Own Silsila

Pankaj's brother and his family visited us during the May 5-6 weekend. We spent all of Sunday touring the Tulip Time hot spots such as Windmill Island and Veldeer Tulip Farm. The tulip farm was by far the best, and the rows of colorful tulips were just like in the 1981 Hindi film Silsila. I'd say that 60% or more of the visitors at the farm that day were of Indian origin. Pankaj called it "Desi Dutch". Everywhere you looked, there were women dressed in brightly colored sarees and salwar kameez among the equally colorful tulips. It was absolutely beautiful. Our own personal Silsila...

Tulip Farm Gardens

Windmill Island

Windmill Island

Tulip Time

We took Samedh out tonight for a photo shoot among the tulips. We borrowed a Dutch costume from a local family, and added my own pair of hand carved wooden shoes for the final touch. It was difficult to get Samedh to pose for photos. He was too busy waving at passing cars and at other people who stopped at the park to see the tulips.

Holland's annual Tulip Festival starts this weekend, and we plan to take Samedh to the tulip farm and also Windmill Island. And yes, we'll be taking the Dutch costume and wooden shoes along in our bag. You never know when you'll come upon a great photo opportunity. We are also expecting Pankaj's brother and his family to visit us this weekend from Chicago. Samedh has not met them yet, and is looking forward to getting to know yet another aunt and uncle and two more cousins! The weather is supposed to be perfect this weekend, and we all look forward to celebrating Tulip Time together.

Bal Vikas Buddies

On Saturday, we drove to East Lansing to meet two other Michigan families who have adopted from Bal Vikas. Two previous meetings were cancelled due to blizzards and bad colds, so we were so happy to finally get together! After a delicious Indian buffet lunch, we headed over to a local park so the kids could play before the drive home. Pictured above are Samedh with his BV buddies Mari and Anish. Us moms also posed for a photo. We'd spent so many hours on the phone or email with each other over the past several months, and it was so nice to meet again in person.

Our Trip to Dallas

Photos at the Kennedy Memorial and downtown Dallas


Budgie Bonanza at the Fort Worth Zoo


Other miscellaneous pictures from within the zoo


Photos with friends at home. Samedh loved the boys!