It's been a while since I have updated the blog. So many changes to report. I am back at work full time now. That means Nathan is in daycare full time. During June and July Nathan was in daycare 2 days a week. In August and Sept I changed it to 3 days a week. As of last week it was full time. He goes to a home daycare. Nathan loves it. He has several friends there and has learned so much as a result. I grew up with a stay at home mom so I have always been apprehensive about daycare. But seeing how Nathan has flourished, I have to be a big fan of daycare. It has helped him speak more and behave better. Although I tout all the benefits of daycare, my friend Katherine pointed out that I am carrying a tremendous amount of guilt about not staying home with Nathan. I love being a mom, but being a stay at home mom not my thing. I wish it were. As a result, I have heightened sensitivity when anyone makes comments about how I should be handling my son or my time. Is it really wrong of me to take a nap or go shopping for an hour?
Nathan is saying so much more these days. Not fully talking yet but speaking lots of sentences. I'm amazed how he knows what to say. This morning he was talking baby talk and Keyoor told him we couldn't understand him. So Nathan responds "never mind" and walks away. Here's another cute story. Whenever Nathan wants more food, he says the word more and signs the word more. Yesterday Nathan was walking around with his security blanket and left it in the hall when I took him to change his clothes. Suddenly he says and signs "more." I was confused since he wasn't eating then, so I asked him "more what?" Nathan says, "more blanket."
As of last month, Nathan is now sleeping in a toddler bed. I'm glad we got a convertible crib since he was not in there too long. My little boy is growing up. When we first got him, Nathan was a 9 month clothes size and a size 3 shoe. Now he is 18 months clothes size and size 6 shoe. His food tastes are changing and things he liked before he no longer likes and vice versa. His favorite snacks are figs and fruit roll ups. Frozen peas and blueberries are another favorite. I'm already having a tough time getting him to eat indian food. He always wants hot dogs. He no longer drinks warm strawberry milk. Cold plain milk it is. He loves juice and lemonade but we found that keeps him up at night, so I don't allow it except for weekend mornings.
My birthday was a few days ago, what did my son get me for my birthday? Just the best present ever, he started calling me "mommy." I have been waiting my entire life to hear that and how perfect it was that he started calling me mommy on my birthday. Up until then he called me by a random nickname he created, "Ty". Not sure where he got that. Needless to say, all weekend it was "mommy, mommy, mommy." I love it.
9/28/09
Spring 2009
Now that I finally figured out how to link pictures, here are pictures from our time with Nathan in India and the first month we were home. Or as I like to refer to this period - When Nathan was new. I hope someday Nathan can see these pictures as they bring tears to my eyes knowing how he was and how he has blossomed. For now, these pictures bring tremendous anxiety to Nathan. We showed them to him and he freaked out for days, nonstop crying. I think seeing pictures of the orphanage and his earlier baby pictures from that time, are a period of his life he wants to forgot. Nathan is a child who embraces life, he never wants to look back to what was. He loves his mommy and daddy and his home. Everyday he wants to do family hugs and everyday he gives us kisses. How lucky we are.
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| May 2009 |
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| April 2009 |
Summer 2009
Here are pictures of Nathan from this summer. As you can see he is a very happy child. Loving life. Growing every day. Love does that to you.
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| August 2009 |
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| July 2009 |
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| June 2009 |
9/2/09
Grouchy Kid Contest - Vote for Nathan - Contestant #6
http://www.mix1065.net/Sesame-Street-Live-2/5126295
My sister Rina entered Nathan in a grouchy kid contest. He already made it to the top 10 and won 4 tickets to Sesame Street Live. The winner gets front row seats to the show. The show is in the Baltimore and we will not be flying out for it. But we are donating the tickets to charity. So some very deserving child will be able to attend the show. Please vote.
And to address concerns, Nathan is not a grouchy kid. He is a very happy child with tremendous acting ability. He loves to pose.
Nathan is Contestant #6
My sister Rina entered Nathan in a grouchy kid contest. He already made it to the top 10 and won 4 tickets to Sesame Street Live. The winner gets front row seats to the show. The show is in the Baltimore and we will not be flying out for it. But we are donating the tickets to charity. So some very deserving child will be able to attend the show. Please vote.
And to address concerns, Nathan is not a grouchy kid. He is a very happy child with tremendous acting ability. He loves to pose.
Nathan is Contestant #6
7/27/09
Finally Settled
After being home for a few months now I feel safe in saying that Nathan is settled. Yesterday was such a great day. He woke up smiling, played with us, behaved when we went out for lunch,took his nap on time, played some more, ate and ate, and slept on time. For the past 3 weeks, Nathan has been sleeping through the night with the occasional getting up for milk once during the night and back to sleep. He is going to sleep on time. It took us many months to get to this point. Happy happy family we are.
For the past month we have been trying to provide a steady environment for Nathan so that he does not feel anxiety. We stopped going out to unknown places unless we were accompanied by known companions, like Nathan's Uncle Gary and Aunt Katherine. We made sure we were home in time for bedtime and we took no road trips. All of this helped him settle down.
Nathan is starting to speak more. His vocabulary has increased but he is not yet speaking fluently or consistently. The few things he is saying are in English but I think only Keyoor and I can understand them. He says daddy, mom, look, light, bathroom, more, and a few sentences like "I want to go", "It's not dirty (re: diaper)", "How are you."
Funny incident which occurred the day after he learned to say "mom." Nathan was talking on his toy cell phone, yelling into it. He sounded like a teenager yelling on the phone, sorta like she did this and she said that. I asked him, "Nathan, who are you complaining about, who are you mad at?" He turned around and gave his stink eye look and yelled "MOM,MOM, MOM". I laughed so hard. Needless to say he didn't appreciate the laughter.
Let me share the Walgreens story. I found out how impressive Nathan's motor skills were when we went to Walgreens. Nathan did not want to sit in the cart and insisted on pushing it by himself. I of course had to hold him up so he could reach the cart but I was not allowed to touch the cart unless I wanted to be subject to screaming. Enter the terrible twos six months earlier. Anyway, he pushed the cart down the aisle, rounded the corners to next aisle, maneuvered around people and boxes. I was amazed at his motor skills. 18 month old and can push a shopping cart in a straight line.
Nathan's food tastes are changing. He now likes foods he previously didn't. He now drinks lemonade and eats carrots. Homemade Indian food remains his favorite but hot dogs, french fries, and chicken nuggets are close favorites. Grapes are his favorite snack. We buy 2 boxes of red grapes at Trader Joes every week and Nathan devours them. The other day I was drinking tea with honey and Nathan wanted to try it. I thought whats the harm, he won't like it. Well he gulped it down. Note to myself, don't let him try beer.
New activities learned recently: climbing. Nathan now knows how to climb stairs, play on the slide by himself,climb onto the coffee table and climb onto the dining chairs. He attempts to climb everything and doesn't realize that not everything is climbable.
Nathan loves to give hugs and kisses. He is stingy with his hugs and kisses and they are usually just reserved for mommy and daddy. He feels left out if Keyoor and I hug so we started the family hug. It's where the three of us huddle together. Nathan loves it and insists we do a family hug a few times a day. How can I resist, hugging my two favorite boys at the same time.
For the past month we have been trying to provide a steady environment for Nathan so that he does not feel anxiety. We stopped going out to unknown places unless we were accompanied by known companions, like Nathan's Uncle Gary and Aunt Katherine. We made sure we were home in time for bedtime and we took no road trips. All of this helped him settle down.
Nathan is starting to speak more. His vocabulary has increased but he is not yet speaking fluently or consistently. The few things he is saying are in English but I think only Keyoor and I can understand them. He says daddy, mom, look, light, bathroom, more, and a few sentences like "I want to go", "It's not dirty (re: diaper)", "How are you."
Funny incident which occurred the day after he learned to say "mom." Nathan was talking on his toy cell phone, yelling into it. He sounded like a teenager yelling on the phone, sorta like she did this and she said that. I asked him, "Nathan, who are you complaining about, who are you mad at?" He turned around and gave his stink eye look and yelled "MOM,MOM, MOM". I laughed so hard. Needless to say he didn't appreciate the laughter.
Let me share the Walgreens story. I found out how impressive Nathan's motor skills were when we went to Walgreens. Nathan did not want to sit in the cart and insisted on pushing it by himself. I of course had to hold him up so he could reach the cart but I was not allowed to touch the cart unless I wanted to be subject to screaming. Enter the terrible twos six months earlier. Anyway, he pushed the cart down the aisle, rounded the corners to next aisle, maneuvered around people and boxes. I was amazed at his motor skills. 18 month old and can push a shopping cart in a straight line.
Nathan's food tastes are changing. He now likes foods he previously didn't. He now drinks lemonade and eats carrots. Homemade Indian food remains his favorite but hot dogs, french fries, and chicken nuggets are close favorites. Grapes are his favorite snack. We buy 2 boxes of red grapes at Trader Joes every week and Nathan devours them. The other day I was drinking tea with honey and Nathan wanted to try it. I thought whats the harm, he won't like it. Well he gulped it down. Note to myself, don't let him try beer.
New activities learned recently: climbing. Nathan now knows how to climb stairs, play on the slide by himself,climb onto the coffee table and climb onto the dining chairs. He attempts to climb everything and doesn't realize that not everything is climbable.
Nathan loves to give hugs and kisses. He is stingy with his hugs and kisses and they are usually just reserved for mommy and daddy. He feels left out if Keyoor and I hug so we started the family hug. It's where the three of us huddle together. Nathan loves it and insists we do a family hug a few times a day. How can I resist, hugging my two favorite boys at the same time.
7/21/09
A few thoughts before I move on to present day
Sorry I haven't written in awhile. I intended to update everyone with blogs of happenings from our India trip but in wanting to do so I haven't had updates on what Nathan is up to. And so this is a quick list of things I wanted to say about our India trip but never got around to it. All future blogs will be about the present or near present.
Here is a reflection on our India trip.
The First Day
I never got to blog about this the way I wanted. This day deserves it's own entry but I have to face the fact that I lack the time to give it justice. The first day was April 14, 2009. This is the day we first met Nathan and he became ours to hold. The day began with Rajeev, our agency India coordinator, meeting us in the hotel lobby at 9am. Over breakfast he filled us in on what to expect. The most important advice he gave was that when we first meet Nathan to grab hold of him and give him a big bear hug and not let go. He said that will make Nathan feel secure.
We arrived at the orphanage with our suitcase filled with donations. The orphanage was smaller than I imagined. It was a 2 story building which was open and airy. As they gave us a tour of the place we walked into one room and someone came up to me and said here he is and handed me Nathan. No warning, no prep, totally unexpected. I thought I was getting a tour and suddenly my child is in my arms. In the shock of it all I remembered Rajeev's advice and grabbed him and gave him a big bear hug. I hugged him for the longest time. Our initial impression of Nathan was that he looked nothing like his pictures. He was much smaller and much darker than we had anticipated. Boy was he lovable. Our hearts melted as we held him. What a beautiful child and he was ours. We stayed at the orphanage a few hours and met the other children, took pictures, gave out donations ( we had taken a suitcase full), and gave the gifts the other families sent for their kids. At the end of it all, the orphanage held a goodbye ceremony. This was a religious ceremony in which all the kids and orphanage caretakers and administrators participated. The hardest part of this was seeing the children. They wanted to know where there parents were. They wanted to know why the baby was going home but they were not. The orphanage director explained to them that they had parents who would come for them soon and soon they would have their own goodbye ceremony. For the most part this is true.
Nathan fell asleep in Keyoor's arms at the orphanage. He woke up on the car ride back to the hotel. He watched in amazement out the car window at the world that was so new to him. At the hotel, Keyoor and I felt like we were in a dream. Here was the beautiful little boy that was our son and was finally with us. Thank you God.
Some Other Random Thoughts
1. I'm glad Nathan got to spend time with his cousins and his paternal grandparents. He loved his new family and they loved being with him.
2. Being in India was tough, the hot weather, the constant change of environment, the many plane rides, and life with a toddler.
3. Rajeev was our agency's India coordinator. Thank goodness he was there to help us. He is a wonderful man who makes sure the children find good homes. He also started his orphanage in Nepal for which he is always in need of donations. Let me know if you ever want to donate any supplies to India or Nepal orphanages. The need is great.
4. I wanted to write about the religious aspect of the adoption, how this all came to be. In a simple sentence, God led us to our child, and helped us bring him home.
5. It's been a long journey and one that does not end until the adoption is finalized. The road to finalizing the adoption in California is long and of course involves more paperwork and more money. It will take many months. I wish something in this process was easy. Actually the most important thing has been, loving Nathan and Nathan loving us.
Here is a reflection on our India trip.
The First Day
I never got to blog about this the way I wanted. This day deserves it's own entry but I have to face the fact that I lack the time to give it justice. The first day was April 14, 2009. This is the day we first met Nathan and he became ours to hold. The day began with Rajeev, our agency India coordinator, meeting us in the hotel lobby at 9am. Over breakfast he filled us in on what to expect. The most important advice he gave was that when we first meet Nathan to grab hold of him and give him a big bear hug and not let go. He said that will make Nathan feel secure.
We arrived at the orphanage with our suitcase filled with donations. The orphanage was smaller than I imagined. It was a 2 story building which was open and airy. As they gave us a tour of the place we walked into one room and someone came up to me and said here he is and handed me Nathan. No warning, no prep, totally unexpected. I thought I was getting a tour and suddenly my child is in my arms. In the shock of it all I remembered Rajeev's advice and grabbed him and gave him a big bear hug. I hugged him for the longest time. Our initial impression of Nathan was that he looked nothing like his pictures. He was much smaller and much darker than we had anticipated. Boy was he lovable. Our hearts melted as we held him. What a beautiful child and he was ours. We stayed at the orphanage a few hours and met the other children, took pictures, gave out donations ( we had taken a suitcase full), and gave the gifts the other families sent for their kids. At the end of it all, the orphanage held a goodbye ceremony. This was a religious ceremony in which all the kids and orphanage caretakers and administrators participated. The hardest part of this was seeing the children. They wanted to know where there parents were. They wanted to know why the baby was going home but they were not. The orphanage director explained to them that they had parents who would come for them soon and soon they would have their own goodbye ceremony. For the most part this is true.
Nathan fell asleep in Keyoor's arms at the orphanage. He woke up on the car ride back to the hotel. He watched in amazement out the car window at the world that was so new to him. At the hotel, Keyoor and I felt like we were in a dream. Here was the beautiful little boy that was our son and was finally with us. Thank you God.
Some Other Random Thoughts
1. I'm glad Nathan got to spend time with his cousins and his paternal grandparents. He loved his new family and they loved being with him.
2. Being in India was tough, the hot weather, the constant change of environment, the many plane rides, and life with a toddler.
3. Rajeev was our agency's India coordinator. Thank goodness he was there to help us. He is a wonderful man who makes sure the children find good homes. He also started his orphanage in Nepal for which he is always in need of donations. Let me know if you ever want to donate any supplies to India or Nepal orphanages. The need is great.
4. I wanted to write about the religious aspect of the adoption, how this all came to be. In a simple sentence, God led us to our child, and helped us bring him home.
5. It's been a long journey and one that does not end until the adoption is finalized. The road to finalizing the adoption in California is long and of course involves more paperwork and more money. It will take many months. I wish something in this process was easy. Actually the most important thing has been, loving Nathan and Nathan loving us.
6/2/09
What's in a name?
Every now and then we get asked why we gave our son an American name. Actually people in India asked why did we give him a Christian name. People here ask why did we not give him an Indian name. So here is the story.
Keyoor and I were looking for a name that was easy to pronounce and easily recognizable. Since we both have difficult names we wanted a simple name for our child. There are two indian boy names that are also american boy names. I didn't care for either of those names although liked one of them. We set a deadline and if we didn't have a name by said date we would pick one of the two known names. Since I was determined to find a different name, I got out my Hindu name book and read every name starting at the beginning with the letter A. I bought the Hindu name book when Keyoor and I took our first trip to India as a married couple back in 1998. Finally I got to use it.
It wasn't just the name that mattered to us, I also wanted a good meaning, a religious meaning. So when I came across the name NATHAN, I knew it was perfect. As soon as I said it Keyoor and I knew it was THE NAME. I never looked at names after that.
The Hindu meaning for Nathan is Lord Krishna. The American meaning is Given by God. We truly feel Nathan is our gift from God so the name is so perfect.
Keyoor and I were looking for a name that was easy to pronounce and easily recognizable. Since we both have difficult names we wanted a simple name for our child. There are two indian boy names that are also american boy names. I didn't care for either of those names although liked one of them. We set a deadline and if we didn't have a name by said date we would pick one of the two known names. Since I was determined to find a different name, I got out my Hindu name book and read every name starting at the beginning with the letter A. I bought the Hindu name book when Keyoor and I took our first trip to India as a married couple back in 1998. Finally I got to use it.
It wasn't just the name that mattered to us, I also wanted a good meaning, a religious meaning. So when I came across the name NATHAN, I knew it was perfect. As soon as I said it Keyoor and I knew it was THE NAME. I never looked at names after that.
The Hindu meaning for Nathan is Lord Krishna. The American meaning is Given by God. We truly feel Nathan is our gift from God so the name is so perfect.
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