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Saturday, September 20, 2008
Progress
I guess its been 2+ weeks since I've talked to you all. Anant has moved up in his Sunday School classes and started nursery
school. It has been an adjustment. We both got sick more than a week ago with colds too. Still trying to get over them.
The lawyer sent me some documents to complete so it seems the documents should be filed in court soon. We got our criminal
and child abuse clearances done again on his recommendation. The thing that is hard for the lawyer is not having info on Anant's
parents. We are not allowed to have names. I sent him some info from Holts India guidebook on this concern. Termination of
parental rights is an important part of the adoption. Under Indian law, the termination of the parental rights was part of
the court action with guardianship. Not sure if the court will have the same issue as the lawyer though. We will see. Others
have done it so I can't imagine that there could be trouble.
We have gotten our final documentation from Holt. Our recommendation for finalization came yesterday in the mail. This
means that we have completed the necessary reports and work to be able to file in the court and adopt Anant. It would seem
that everything is lined up now. I'll ask Rob to fax this to the lawyer on Monday.
Anant has been officially discharged from early intervention from all the services this week. Occupational Therapy and
the Teacher. He really didn't need it anymore so I'm just as happy not to have these appointments with the other scheduling
issues we have to work around with my schedule.
With Anant in nursery school 3 days a week I am able to work from 5:30 am on a Monday or a Friday until 2:30. He is only
in school from 9:30-12 but I have two friends who are helping me by picking him up and watching him for a few hours. Amy and
Nancy-thank you so much. Work is still going pretty well. I'm still learning a lot and able to impact my patient's health
positively which I am grateful to God for the opportunity and the ability. I still have so much to learn. The patients are
really nice too. A lot of new ones lately. I guess that is good. They like the census to be up. Still working from home as
well on some projects for a friend.
You'll see some pictures of Anant's first day in Sunday School age 2 class and his first day at nursery school with his
teacher Lou Ann. He says her name when we talk about school. Seems like he likes her. He does crafts, painting and coloring
so this is good. They take them out to the playground as well which is good. I think this is a good thing as hard as it was
for me to take him there the first day. I think its good for both of us. Lou Ann did say that yesterday he was quieter than
usual and whined for me a few times. Not sure what that is about. I would have thought he would have done that more when he
started with the cold last week. Now that he is better ??? Who knows.
Today Rob said that he will probably put together the sandbox that we FINALLY got in the mail this week. I ordered it
6/25 and have had a war with the company all summer trying to get it since they had the money. That's another story that I'll
tell to the BBB soon.
Anant still loves playing with the neighborhood children. He comes out of the house and looks to the left and says "hi
Reina" in the afternoons. Sometimes she is there and sometimes I think he is hoping that she is there.
Anant continues to grow in his language and understanding. He is quickly catching on to colors. At first, as his Speech
Therapist said he would, everything was one color, yellow. Now, he is getting more accurate with his colors on the first try.
He looked at Nanny June's shirt yesterday and said "pink" and looked at his own and said "yellow". He was dead on. He can
say when something is too big for him. I had a 2T outfit on him a few days ago and the jacket was big, so were the pants.
He had a different jacket on yesterday and said "jacket home, too big, this one better now". Wow, that's just one example
of his communication which is getting more and more sophisticated. It is so fun to watch. He says "Momma comere!" like last
night when I'm making Dinner. He talks about his friends so often. He looks at the pack and play that baby Catharine used
a few weeks ago and says "baby Catharine ew york" (she lives in New York). He is reminded of certain friends seeing specific
items. He said thank you to Nathaniel yesterday when he put on the sandals that we got from Nathaniel.
He continues to be an affectionate, sweet boy. Giving me 3 unsolicited kisses last night here when we had community group
children watching a video. He constantly says "Momma hold you". Loves for me to carry him everywhere. Especially when cooking.
I think that is because he likes to see.
We now have the aparatus to make idli. A bread like food that is made from a small white lentil, typically eaten
in the southern parts of India. So, my hope is to make sambar (a spicy soup-like food with lentils) and idli this
weekend. You eat them together. Anant seems to like this as we have the frozen one too that we enjoy. We had some Indian Chickpeas,
Basmati Rice and Samosas last night for Dinner. Anant put yogurt all over his Samosa since it was spicy, even for his Mom-LOL.
But he did like it.
Anant's favorite foods right now: applesauce, mangoes, jelly, syrup, ice cream. Anything sweet! He does enjoy Indian
food which I'm happy for.
He is growing taller and taller. Another centimeter in the past month. His clothes from March/April do not fit. All too
short (the 12 month old stuff). We are now figuring out what size he is able to wear. Some 18 month, 24 month. But many 2T
are too big. This could be challenging. This in-between size.
Well, better get going. He'll be awake soon.
Mary
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Sent the last of the paperwork to Holt before leaving for the shore on Tuesday night. The CARA photo album, Physician
form (saying he isn't abused and has had health screening), a personal note and pictures for BSSK, and 6 post placement photos.
WHEW! I am happy to have fed ex'ed these items before going away and just in general to have sent them and being done (I think)
with paperwork other than CARA reports. Which I'm working on another one of them now. He's grown about 2 inches since coming
home about 6 months ago. Now he is getting his canine teeth (the top two on either side of the front four, I think that is
what you call them).
Anant has decided that he does not need to take a nap this week. Much to the chagrin of his Mother who had a lot to do
with going away. He went 2 days without a nap???? Not sure what's up with that.
We enjoyed the shore with the Bowers. We have been friends for so long and it was great to be with them and talk with
them and enjoy their company. You'll see many nice pictures from the shore. Oh, my, I'm on the internet in my bathing suit!!!
Sammy gave Anant another pair of shoes, cute little crocks.
Monday we had a labor day picnic with Prabhu and Juliana, Serge, Jennifer, Premila and Joey. It was very nice. Joey and
Anant had some male bonding time. There are some really sweet pics of them.
Tonight Nancy and I went to Nancy M's viewing right from the shore. Nancy is going back now. It was nice to talk on the
way. Good to see the Macha family and see that Nancy is definately not here on this earth suffering anymore. She is with Jesus
and whole. Tomorrow is the funeral. I'll be reading a passage and I know Nancy is ok if I cry (so is Dan, he told me so).
Nancy told me in church a while back when I did a testemony that its ok if I cry. She was always like that. Telling you that
what you feel is what you feel and to feel it and its ok. Comforting. I'm reading a part of Romans 8: 31-39.
Well, better go.
Mary
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Our Adoption Process of Anant
- April 9, 2006 Anant is born in Aurangabad, India
- Spring?, 2006 Mom and Dad meet with a social worker about India adoption and become discouraged that
the road can be long and difficult
- March 15-30, 2007 Mom and Dad visit India
- April 23, 2007 Dad inquires of Holt about India adoption
- May 10, 2007 application for home study (report by local social worker with all kinds of
personal information about us-basically a report about our family) started
- July 27, 2007 joined waiting child program with Holt
- August 9, 2007 Home Study approved by Holt International Childrens Services in Eugene, OR
- August 27, 2007 New Waiting Child listing sent out with guess who in it
- September 8, 2007 fingerprinted in Center City Philadelphia for filing of I600A (US approval for us
to adopt-finalized in India)
- September 13, 2007 Waiting Child Committee accepts us as Anant's parents!
- September 22, 2007 completed Dossier (Stack of official papers about us that go to India) sent
to Holt--Whew!
- September 26, 2007 I600A approval from US Gov-fingerprints cleared.
- September 27, 2007 Anant's acceptance papers sent to Holt
- October 12, 2007 Paperwork sent to BSSK (the childcare agency in India where Anant lives) for India process to begin!
- October 20, 2007 BSSK has looked over our papers and filed for No Objection Status with the Indian government
- December 3, 2007 Holt called to tell us we have our No Objection Certificate (actually dated 11/27/07-see post regarding
the importance of this date on 12/9/07). This will now be filed in the local (Pune, Maharastra) court for guardianship.
- December 6, 2007 Received word that our I600A approval has indeed reached New Delhi (this is needed in order to bring
Anant home. The other part of this is showing up with him at the US Embassy in New Delhi to do the I600 and complete his visa
with a medical evaluation! Now it will be legal for us to bring him home.
- January 18,2008 We are notified of receiving Verbal Gaurdianship of Anant.
- January 30, 2008 We receive Written Gaurdianship of Anant Blake. It also happens to be Rob's Father's
birthday.
- February 22, 2008 leave for India
- February 25, 2008 meet and take home Thomas Anant Blake (This happens to be Mary's Dad's Birthday)
- February 29, 2008 leave India
- March 1, 2008 home!!! YAY.
- April 29, 2008 Alien Registration Card Received
- August 1, 2008 Applied for SS#/Card (should have done this sooner)
- August 8, 2008 SS#/Card Received
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Anant's words: pretty much said in this order
Momma
Bye
Hi
Ball
Up
Down
Uh Oh
Amen
Ball
All Done
Eeew
Wow
Yay
Bible
Out (referring to Derby to get out of the kitchen and stop eating his food! You can tell we say this a lot)
Ow
Hot (means hot and cold and blows on the food whether hot or cold)
Apple
Anant (pronounced Ana)
More
Egg
Water
Banana
Head
Hide
Peek
Makes a car sound
Makes a dog sound (I'm told by the speech therapist that these count! So I'm counting them)
elbow (4/23/08)
Bowl(4/24/08)
Orange
Strawberry (Pronounced Sraugh-not sure whether to count this or not?)
Waffle
Hello (4/25/07)
Eye
Cup
Mouth (sounds like mou)
House 4/26/08
Please Momma 4/28/08
Cracker
Choo choo (train sound)
Makes a monkey noise
Tea 4/30/08
5/08: Sock, Shoe, Derby, Dog, Bath, Bag, Door, Fork, Spoon, Bath, Reina, Dance, Cry, Deep, Wide, Bubbles, Bird, Nana,
Bus, Eat, Milk, Bus, Nana, Door, Nathaniel (pronounced Nuh), Chop (chop Derby's food), Ear, Open, Hand, Off, On, Cheese, Girl,
Fish, Josh, chair, teeth, know (song), car, bucket, Gritts, Moon, J.J. (our neighbor's name), Sooby (as in Scooby-Doo, sounds
like scoo), Cold, Wet, Broccoli, Close, Happy, Poo-Poo, Pee Pee, Plane, Come, Cut, Church, Natalie (sounds like Na), Melon,
1,2,5 (yes, in that order), Spoon, Fork, Scoop
6/08: Vacuum, Peas, Bib, Lid, Sky, Star, Big, Money, Baby, Nana, Pool. Too many words to keep up with now.
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