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Friday, October 31, 2008
Potty Training
Mary has not really posted this update yet. Yes, Anant is really beginning to understand the concept.
He will use his
potty a few times a day now for number one or two. He is please with all the accolades he gets when he does #1 or #2.
I
am so glad we did not force the issue, and he is doing it when he was ready.
About a month ago, he began to say his butt
hurts or say he has a poo poo when he was about to go. I was quick one night and ran up to his potty and had him sit. He sat
a few minutes and eventually did number 2. He was all pleased once he found out we were excited about it, and proceeded to
sit longer and do more in the potty.
Ever since then he has mentioned the potty and will usually sit on it if asked. Right
now he only has one set time, before bed.
And get this, he has even used an adult potty with his parents assistance holding
him on two occasions.
It just is all coming together, he is such a smart little boy.
Rob
12:52 pm est
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Doctor Blake
Today was community worker dress up day at Anant's nursery school. I dressed him up like a doctor. He looked so cute!
Dr. Ransom (Gracie) and Dr. Blake were in my back seat today (Amy and I had no clue that we were both going to dress our children
up as MD's today-funny). I got a cute pic of both of them.
We also had snow today and wind like you wouldn't believe (or you would because you live near us). Huge flakes of snow.
Anant wanted to go outside in it but when he got really cold and wet, he cried, I mean really cried. Took some pics before
it got too bad. Well, got his boots off and wet pants and dressed him in something dry and warm. Then it was off to a nap.
The past day he has been really cranky. I suspect he is not getting a decent nap. Today he has been asleep 2 hours! 2 hours!
Rarely happens for me, just for Rob or on weekends. I know he needed it. Hopefully he will wake up chipper.
Anant has recently started to say he loves someone. I think I prompted it. I think I aked him one day if he loved Reina
because he was crying when he had to leave her. Now he says he loves people. Like Sammy, "loveher" he says. Then I tell him
it is correctly said "lovehim". Momma is "loveher". Seems to be getting it. We get the picture though sweetie. Oh, that's
another thing. I've started calling him sweetie too. He tries to say it and says seewie. Adorable.
Anant has really liked going to Sammy's house and Sophie's house. He gets really excited. He also gets excited about
going to school or church. You think he's an extrovert? Anyway, it helps me to know that he is not suffering and is actually
enjoying the company of the friends who care for him when I'm at work. I don't question the decision to enroll him in nursery
school. Rob and I both agree that it has really broadened his horizons and increased his learning and relating to others.
He loves LouAnn his teacher. He says "loveher". He will often tell us what has happened at school by mentioning things. At
one point a little girl must have been giving him trouble and he was saying that she was pushing him, poking him in the eye
and hitting him in the head. I had to confirm with the teacher, and, sure enough, she does these kinds of things. I wasn't
upset just thought it was interesting that he would talk about it. Of course he talks about a lot of things. He has an incredible
memory to remember events and even shoes. Sammy gave him a pair of loafers and he looked at them and said "like Nana's". Sure
enough I do recall when we were with Nana last she did have a pair of loafers. Wow, who notices things like that? I think
I'll be whispering to him soon "what's that ladies name over there?" "Mommy doesn't remember". He remembers names easily too.
Doesn't get it from me I'm afraid.
He sings "My God is so Big" and at the end where you say "for you, and you and you" and point to everyone in the room,
he says "for you Mommy and you Daddy". He reminds me that God is big and there is nothing He can't do for us. Again, the evengelist.
Well, better go, I hear rustling up there.
Mary
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Yay God
Anant does so many cute things these days. Today was the tops though. He and I walked to a friends house in the dark
around 6:30 tonight. We looked up at the stars. Anant said "Anant made that". I told him that God made the stars. Anant said
"yay God" and clapped for Him. I loved it. This boy evangelizes his Mom daily. Yesterday at the childcare for our women's
Bible study he must have sang the song "Read your Bible pray every day...and you'll grow, grow, grow". On the way home he
is singing "Read your Bible pray every day" and then would say "Momma sing that". I was at a loss. I tried though and later
Rob filled in the gaps for me.
Lately he has been saying "God made____" about people, animals and things. Its really cute.
Tonght though was the best when he clapped for God, it really brought tears to my eyes to hear it. He gets it better
than I do.
He's really good with remembering people's names. He often asks nowadays what so and so's Momma's name is, then their
Dadda's name. And he actually remembers. He melted my heart when I told him my name and now he says "Baby boy's Momma name
Mary" (more like Mawee).
He often sees someing leaving in their car or walking and says "Home Momma". I guess meaning he thinks they are going
home to their Momma. I guess the mailman could be going home to his Momma?????
Anant has realized that there are words on many things. Or ABC's on them. The other night we were driving and he said
"ABC on there". He'll look at a milk container and say the same. Really cool.
My dog wants my spot on the couch and I'm going to get ready for work tomorrow.
Mary
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Trip
We took a trip to Virginia this past weekend to meet the Sizemore side of the family. It was good to see everyone. Anant
took the trip very well. Napped and was fairly happy. Did seem that he was a little off yesterday, tired. He enjoyed meeting
all the family and they loved him too.
Mary
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Wow, its been a while again.
Recently we went to the Roslyn Car Show that is on one of our main streets here and Anant go to meet a fire woman (Elantra).
He ate cotton candy for the first time. Of course wanted to hold it himself like everything else. We hear "Anant do it" "Anant
hold it" constantly. Typical independence. But this boy is definately very competent as well. What a helper he continues to
be. At nursery school we are told he is the shoe gatherer. The teachers have a hard time keeping all the children's shoes
on but Anant gathers them up and gives them back to the other kids at the end of school. Last night he was telling us what
kinds of shoes the other children and teachers wear. Wonder if it is accurate but I do think it could be. They are either
flip flops, crocks, or sneakers. I'll have to check this out.
He is able to help me carry things and even will get another roll of TP out of the closet when I get "stuck" without
it-LOL. I was so happy yesterday when he noticed how dirty the living room floor was and needed to be vaccumed. So, we did
it! He "helped" push it some. So nice to get some work done together. I love doing things with him. He is always with me and
it is a great feeling.
We have made Sambar and Idlly twice. Again last night. So good and so healthy. Lentils and vegetables and all kinds of
spices. Can you do better than that??? Getting the curry leaves is the hard part. Everything else is fairly shelf stable and
easy to keep without having to run to the Indian grocery all the time. Oh, and there is a great recipe for Kulfi (Indian pistachio
ice cream-my favorite Indian dessert). Unfortunately I feel the need to eat it for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner :-(. Won't
be making that too often!!
Anant and Rob caught colds the past week and I caught another the past few days as well. Arg! So frustrating to get through
one and then get another.
Anant has favorite clothes and shoes. He loves his flip flops. The brown leather ones we bought for him this past spring.
They are really too small and its really too cold for him to wear them so he is pretty upset with me about this often. #2
shoes are the crocks. Which, again, too cold now and then they are not good for much activity like running (in my opinion).
I make him wear sneakers to go out to play or go to school. But I do let him choose from the ones he has (which are many thanks
to good friends-Miska, Nancy) so at least he does have some control. I did let him wear the filp flops once to the park and
he hated all the mulch and dirt getting in them (the same issue with crocks). He picks out his jacket and always wants to
wear the gymboree one that someone gave us (who??). He also wants to wear his Beetle green outfit Nana gave him this summer
but it is too cool now to wear it :-( When I ask him what he wants to wear he says "Beetle". So cute.
We've had some BM (or lack thereof this week) issues to deal with (the past few days). He's been screaming and crying.
We think maybe a backlash from some loose BM that he had a few days ago. Hope I don't see much more of this again. Its horrible
to see him screaming and crying about 5 times a day. This crying takes me back to the days of grieving. The same heart-breaking
cry. I guess someday Anant will kill me for writing about this issue.
Anant has started to know the days of the week (not in any order). This comes from nursery school. He also has been
singing Happy Birthday to everyone since one of the children had a B-Day a week ago. He notices letters on papers and books
and says "A-B-C-D" and starts to sing the song. We're not reading yet. He has also liked the phonics letter contraption on
the refrigerator. Where you put a letter in and the recording says "M says MMMM, M says MMMM every letter makes a sound M
says MMMM". Not sure if he knows what he is doing or what this means yet. He knows that people have names and asks me all
the time who his friends parents names are if he doesn't know their names yet. He'll say "Baby Aiden Momma name??" "Baby Aiden
Dadda name?". I taught him my name and I just loved hearing him say my name. He got a lot of kisses for that. So he said it
over and over knowing he had done a good thing. He still wants us to sing "Jesus loves all the _____" whoever he meets on
the street or wherever. His light is not under a bushel and neither is ours with having to sing these songs in public or explaining
what our son is saying after he meets someone. He will look at people and want to know thier names. He says something like
"HMMM Duh?" which means what is his/her name?
He has hated for me to leave him to go to work or drop him at school. But usually will get over it fairly quickly though
which is good. I wasn't used to him fussing and being sad when I leave him. So that is hard sometimes but since it doesn't
last long it seems to be ok. I think it was since there was so much change at one time. Being with me most of the time then
leaving me 3 times a week. Going to friends houses after school when I work. Going to a new room at church etc. Yesterday
was the first day I dropped him at shcool that he didn't cry. But his teacher told me he missed me and said so a few times.
Just whinned "Momma". I guess its good his misses me.
Anant met many of Nana's co-workers on Thursday this week and handled it so well. He did say "go...go...go" a few times.
But really dealt with so many people looking at him and smiling well. He really didn't want me to put him down much. I still
carry him around a good bit.
Well, better go. Just thought I'd catch you all up a bit.
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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