Look What a 2 Can Do!

Illness and a book recommendation

Anju and I have been under the weather the past few days with a fever/snot/cough virus (no Swine Flu yet!) but are now on the upward swing (I hope!) and are trying to get back into the groove of things. The upside of Anju's cold is that she is actually napping again for longer than 20 minutes so I can get a few things done although I really should be napping---anyway---the downside is much more clinginess again and regression in Anju's ability to be independent if only for a few minutes.  Same old "kid is sick baby-regression" with an adoption adjustment twist.

I got a stack of books from the library on child development that I'm trying to glean advice/insight from since Anju's recent evaluations placed her in the "borderline" area.  I've also got about 7 loads of laundry to do along with numerous other household chores in addition to responsibilities of my job as city clerk.   And---- the kids and I are trekking back down to the cities on Friday so we can attend the Festival of Nations, an annual tradition, with my parents on Saturday.  So, same old Mom stuff--bon bons and soap operas.

Anju is very into the finger plays, songs, rhymes, etc. she learns at the library and in her illness has enjoyed hearing "Open, Shut Them" and "5 Little Ducks" likely 10 million times each.  She can do most of the actions and it is just the most precious thing to watch her play along.

While at the library, I found the book, "The Waiting Child" by Cindy Champnella, and took it home and read it in one sitting late at night.  I would highly recommend that everyone with a heart for adoption read this book.  It is written by the mother of a girl adopted at age 4 from China.  Not only is it an inspiring story of the love of this girl for another child in her orphanage and how her persistence helps bring this boy home, but it is very eye-opening as to what older child adoption is like.  The insight into what growing up in an institution does to a child is invaluable for parents of older adoptees to have.  I have done extensive reading on the subject, and even I was taken back by the impact living in this orphanage had on this child and her view of the world.  I especially liked hearing the adoption story both from the child's p.o.v. and the mom's.   A portion of the book also addresses issues all int'l or cross-racial adoptive families face, like maintaining the child's birth culture (esp. when the child is trying to be American) and talking to them about their birth families.  If you are able to purchase the book, the jacket says all of the author's proceeds will be donated to charity to benefit Chinese orphans.  Oh, and it'd be a good idea to buy some Kleenex too.

Anju meets Edna

Singing "Happy Birthday"!

A pup-pup saves the day!

Anju did well today getting casts made for her orthotics.  This isn't something 2-year-olds enjoy, but the man at the medical accessories office brought her a stuffed puppy to distract her while he put casts on both of her feet, waited for them to dry, and then cut them off.  Right away, she was skeptical of this gift and although the "pup-pup" was cute and soft, she still was paying attention to what this stranger was doing to her feet.

However, it turns out that this stuffed dog knows the same finger plays that Anju does at the library!  Fancy that!  So Anju got involved with helping the puppy move his paws appropriately with the little rhymes and tickled him or had him clap when appropriate.  The fact that this dog had her mama's voice didn't seem to matter.  THANK YOU so much to Merit Care Medical Accessories for the gift of the stuffed animal which helped make this casting process a nearly tearless experience for Anju.

We will go back in about 10 days to get the insert--we will then have to buy a shoe that will support it, likely a size bigger than Anju's current size.

(Shawn) The 2nd and 3rd Legs of the Trip: On Our Way to Another Birthday Party!

After the day of appointments, we were all rather tired as we made our way to Alexandria, where we had reservations to stay at the AmericInn.  Since Solveig and Jonah were so patient and well-behaved during Anju's marathon appointment, we rewarded them by letting them pick out toys at Fleet Farm.  Going there was a treat for all of us, since the nearest one to Lengby is over 80 miles away.  While shopping, we ran into Mel, the manager of Goodwill in Bemidji, who immediately recognized us since we are frequent donaters.  She was quite different in appearance from the last we had dropped stuff off at GW, with a different hair color and dressed in biker clothes.  How funny to run into someone from our home area, away from home a couple hundred miles!  We also let the kids eat at McDonalds and get Monsters vs. Aliens toys.  Daddy had just taken them to that movie the week before.

The kids enjoyed swimming again in the motel pool.  It was not as deep and much warmer than the one in Moorhead.  Anju was excited to be back in the water, but didn't stay in the pool as long as the night before.  She went back to the room with mama, while dad stayed for some time with the older kids until the pool area got over-populated.  The next day started fairly early, and dad took the kids to breakfast, allowing Amy to get in the shower without it bothering Anju.  The breakfast was awesome- eggs, sausage, make-your-own-waffles, a variety of cereal, and bakery and pastry items.  

After checking out, we got back on 94 toward St. Cloud.  We stopped for a while at the St. Cloud Goodwill, and then made our way to Pine Island, to celebrate Great Grandma (Solveig, Jonah, and Anju's Great-Great Grandma) Edna Stafford's 100th birthday.  This was also grandpa Dave's first introduction to Anju.  

When we got to Pine Island, we walked with mom (Grandma Darlene) over to Grandpa and Grandma Arnold and Ann Stafford's, Shawn's grandparents.  They were glad to meet Anju.  She was not used to them yet, but was happy to visit.  When we got back, we ate grilled burgers.  We're not used to grilling out in Northern MN until almost June.  Anju got to open more presents!  Solveig and Jonah got to stay overnight with grandpa and grandma, while Shawn, Amy, and Anju stayed at an inexpensive motel in Rochester.

On Sunday, we enjoyed a hearty McDonald's Deluxe breakfast, and went to mom and dad's church, Christ our Rock Lutheran Church in Rochester.   We spoke with friends we went to Bethany College with after the service and introduced them to Anju.  Then we had lunch at Wendy's.  Anju got a very cool toddler toy plastic piano, which she played happily.

We went back to mom and dad's and awaited the arrival of sister Sara's boyfriend Sathish who was coming down from the Cities, where he was visiting friends.  He was born in the same town as Anju, Bangalore.  His family now resides in Chennai, formerly known as Madras.  He is an electronic engineer and is currently working at IBM in Rochester and completing his Master's Degree.  Sara is in Africa, doing medical work in the bush in Namibia.  It was nice of Sathish to stop over and meet us.  

A little after 2, we all went to Great-(Great-) Grandma Edna's birthday party at St. Paul Lutheran in Pine Island.  The social hall was packed with relatives and friends.  The most thoroughly represented family was that of grandma's late daughter Alice from Washington.  It was especially great to visit our Washington relatives, whom we have seen only once since moving from Oregon back to Minnesota 9 years ago.  My (Shawn's) mom's mother, Grandma Sammy also attended the party with her sister Carol.  How awesome that they got to meet Anju too on this trip.  Dad's brothers and their wives and some of my first cousins were also at the party and were introduced to Anju as well.  The party was a little too much for great-grandma Edna, though, who had trouble putting all the people with the right names.  She knows everything about all our family, but in her advanced age sometimes doesn't know whom she's talking to.  As a child, I lived across the street from her for 16 years, and so I am very glad my children get to know her.  She has been a big influence on my life.  When I brought Anju to her and placed her in her lap, she said, "Here's the one I've been wanting to see."  

When we left the party, soon it was supper time.  Dad grilled chicken drumsticks this time, and also put carrots on the grill.  They were excellent.  We also visited longer with Sathish.  At the end of the visit, Anju gave grandpa and grandma several hugs and kisses.   Before going back to the motel, this time with our whole crew, we stopped to get some snacks and fruit at a convenience store.  True to form, Solveig had forgotten her backpack at mom and dad's, but through the miracle of modern technology, the cell phone, mom and dad were able to catch us before we got out of town to tell us to come back and pick it up.  

On Monday morning, we all got to enjoy a couple McDonald's Deluxe Breakfasts family-style.  We then headed back toward Lengby.  We stopped at Goodwill at Maple Grove.  Then we shopped at a nearby Indian grocery store called Curry Up.  Amy had been there before, but this was Shawn's first visit there.  It was quite similar to a store we shopped at in Delhi.  In addition to food items, the store also had a CD and movie section, featuring Bollywood's latest.  Since it was Monday, the restaurant part of Curry Up was closed.  

We went in search of a restaurant, and soon found Kabob's, rated the best Indian restaurant in The Twin Cities in 2008.  Amy and I and Anju got the buffet, while Solveig and Jonah  played it safe with rice, fries, and Mango Lassi (a yogurt shake).  The buffet was spectacular, featuring a soup, idli, dal, goat and chicken curries, naan (flat bread) and other tasty items with traditional Indian sweets for dessert.  Some were even spicy for Anju, which rarely is the case for anything we eat in Northern Minnesota.  The waiter was from Bangalore.  He maintains a home there, while for the last 19 years he lives part of the year in the US and a few months in India.  The cashier was from Hyderabad.  This is a town where our church body conducts mission work.  The food was very excellent and the staff friendly.  This was an unexpected cultural experience that rounded out our road trip.

After lunch, we headed to St. Cloud, where we again stopped to see if there were any new deals at Goodwill, which there were.  Then we made our normal trek back to Northern MN, as we've been doing now for nine years.  We drove through for supper in Park Rapids and arrived home around 8.  It was time to bathe the kids and put them to bed, so Solveig and Jonah could get up for school at 6:10 on Tuesday.  Anju also had to go to Bemidji to be fitted for inserts to assist her in walking straighter and on the right part of her feet.  Dad also would be gone for the day for a pastors' meeting in Ulen.

Anju's never-ending doctor's appointment

We're home!  Here's the details of Anju's medical appointments in Fargo last Friday:

First of all, the nurse was very shocked to see Anju in the waiting room.  The child described in the medical information we had from the orphanage (MRI results, surgical details, etc) was expected to be much less physically capable than our little one.  She couldn't believe that Anju was the little girl she was there to get.  

Anju saw a pediatrician first, who did a general exam.  He determined that because of excellent muscle control, Anju should have no problems with potty training and regular functions of the "lower" part of her digestive tract.  This is great news, as bowel/bladder issues are so prevalent with spina bifida, and are a deficit we had expected Anju may have.  She still will need to maintain a high-fiber diet to regulate this system which is still at a disadvantage. 

The other tidbit we got from him was that her dimple on her back is an unusual one, not commonly seen.  I hadn't seen any online like that, so it was good to hear that she has a unique dimple and not some other issue.  

In addition, she saw a physical therapist, occupational therapist, nutritionist, medical social worker, opthamologist, urologist, orthopedist, and had an ultrasound of her bladder and kidneys done.  We were in appointments solid (maybe 2 minutes between specialists) from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with no time off for lunch.  

Final results of everything will be coming in the mail, but this is what we know now of what is to come.  She will need to go back to this clinic every 6 months to yearly as she grows.  The orthopedist is having her get UCBL inserts for bracing now, to correct her gait.  She is walking on the insides of her feet, which causes her feet to turn out.  We are going to Bemidji tomorrow to have molds made of her feet, and will return to have them fitted when they are ready.  She will need to see him in about 4 months to see how that is working.  This is about as minimal a brace a kid with sb could have, and for that we are very thankful.  The insert will be fully contained inside an athletic shoe, so other than the fact that she will need to wear shoes and socks all of the time, other kids won't know she has them on.

She is also having an MRI and CT scan done in mid-May of her entire head and spine.  This will require her to be sedated, have a medical exam done here the day before, and we'll have to be in Fargo early in the morning again.  She will have this done on the pediatric floor of the hospital.  I'm not sure if they are doing the urodynamic testing at the same time or not, but I hope so, as she will also need sedation for that.  Follow the link and you will see why.  It was a long day, and I had 3 cranky, hungry, bored kids on my hands so in the flurry of conversation the details have now escaped me.  

The PT and OT ladies thought that Anju was borderline for needing help, and recommended Early Intervention.  They also suggested speech therapy.  She ranged from testing at a 15-month-old level to a 22-month level on gross and fine motor skills and cognitive development.  This is not taking into account Anju's history of living in an institution, her size relative to other 2-year-olds, her recent acclimation to English, the fact that it has been winter ever since she arrived in America and had parents, and has not had the advantage of developing gross motor skills outside and likely a number of other factors.  She is expected to walk up and down stairs by herself without help.  The stairs at the hospital came up to her thighs.  Of course she's going to crawl---she's the size of some 9-month old babies!  Anyway, they will recommend this therapy officially, but felt that they would give me 6 months at home to work with her on the things she is behind in and see if she has caught up in 6 months.  If she is still too far behind, than they will STRONGLY recommend professional help.  

So, bottom line, she is doing much better in all of these areas than expected.   We are so happy for Anju that at the current time, her sb is not going to affect her much.  Following the MRI/CT scan, the drs will be able to make a more definitive plan for future surgeries, etc.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and support regarding Anju's medical condition.  We are reminded daily about the providence and grace of God as we see our little one grow and progress in her skills and abilities.  What a blessing she is!

We got home around 8 tonight, bathed and got the kids in bed, and I'm beat---- so you'll have to wait until tomorrow to hear about the rest of our trip.  

Birthday report

Anju is now in bed, yet not asleep when I left the room. I can't get the wi fi to connect, so I'm down in the Travelodge lobby instead. Anju still has no clue what a birthday is. She also does not know what to think of a swimming pool. I could just see the gears going---so you put on a weird nappie, put on a funny outfit and go to a huge, cold bathtub----hmmmmm. She was cold, but mostly curious about the big pool. She would have Shawn take her from the shallow step of the pool to the shallow step of the hot tub back and forth trying to figure it out. She liked splashing, and telling the other kids where to go swim. Eventually, she had the most fun "swimming" in the bathtub in the room while the older kids enjoyed dad's attention in the pool.

She must have developed good gift opening skills at Christmas, because she knew right away to open the packages that contained good things inside. She liked the pointy Sesame Street birthday hats the kids were wearing and the Elmo plates we ate our Pizza Hut pizza off of.

The concept of the birthday cake, however, was not there. We sang to her, and she tried to touch the lit candle. When we got done singing, Shawn told her to blow out the candle, showing her how to blow, and she did it. But then, she claimed the entire cake for herself. If anyone tried to take a cupcake or piece of cake from the plate, she screamed and wanted it back. The entire cake was hers. The number "2" candle on the cake was also hers and should not be removed. So, we all now know that she really is 2 if there was any doubt before.

It was wonderful, however, to make the trip with her facing forward! I declared today, at 20 pounds on our home scale to be the perfect day to switch her car seat around so she could see the world while riding in the car and not the back of the seat. She seemed really happy about this change, although the drive still had its challenges--sibling rivalry at a new peak it seems.

All in all, not a bad "first" birthday celebation. Next year maybe we'll buy 5 cakes??

The big day!

 Today is Anju's big day!  We are hectically packing, washing, organizing and repacking what Anju unpacks for our trip.  We will pick up the kids at school in 3 hours, and then we're off to Moorhead to spend the night at a hotel with a pool and celebrate the transition from one to two with our Sweeti (she'll always be my sweetie).  

Today I am reminded of our trip to the airport in Bangalore as we were leaving the city.......How I thought about Bangalore as Anju's hometown, and that somewhere out there she was leaving her first family's presence.  I pray that her birth family, and especially birth mother, has peace this week, as they remember Anju's birth and the difficult decision to make an adoption plan for her by bringing her to the nuns five days from now.  I pray that they know that this child is a beloved daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, cousin and friend to many, and that she is deeply loved and wanted.

I am somewhat apprehensive about her long medical appointment tomorrow with multiple doctors, but trust that God will direct us as we learn more about her condition and make the necessary plans for whatever tests or surgeries may be in store.  

We are also excited to be celebrating Anju's great-great grandma's 100th birthday this weekend.  How wonderful to have the birthdays of a brand-new Stafford and a very established one the same week!

We are hoping to have internet access on the trip, so stay tuned!

Pine cones and popcorn & trees and cheese

Anju had a blast picking up pine cones in the yard today with me and putting them in a tiny, toddler-sized wheelbarrow that she couldn't figure out how to maneuver.  She loves pine cones.  She kept pointing to them and wanting to know what they were, and I kept saying, "pine cones".  Finally she made the sign for "popcorn" and got excited.  But alas, although the name is close, they were not popcorn.  She was very defensive of her pine cone stash, and scolded the cat whenever he got near her wheelbarrow.

Then we were working on other words for outside things.  We heard ducks and I showed her what the ducks in her books look like in real life.  She made the sign for "duck" as soon as she heard the word.  She also identified "rocks" and "water" and "snow" (yes, there is still a bit of that stuff around).  I showed her the sign for "trees", showed her some of our trees, and helped her make the sign.   Her eyes lit up.  I thought she sure must love trees or something.  No.  She made the sign for "cheese" and I said, "Not cheese, TREES!" but she was ready to go in and have a cup of cheddar for snack time.

I guess her sense of hearing is fine, and her reading comprehension translates well into real life comprehension.  And she distrusts cats.  And she really loves popcorn and cheese.  A lot.  

Stafford Family on Easter

Thanks Luverne and Kitty for the pictures!

Anju's first Easter

Anju's first Easter has come and gone.  

She got to go to church Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and visited both of our churches on Easter (one for breakfast, one for church).  She got to go on an Easter egg hunt in Bagley, where some kids were wearing snowsuits, and found one egg in the "little kid" area (nursing home lawn).  She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do with it, and was lucky she claimed the one egg at her pace before the hunt was over.  Her sister found 7- I think- in the "big kid" area (golf course), mostly the ones that were on the piles of snow.  

She went to see "Race to Witch Mountain" with her family and learned the sign for "pop" and the drink that goes along with that sign.  She discovered Milk Duds---or at least her shirt discovered melted chocolate spit dribbles that her mom didn't see until the lights went back on.  Her mom discovered Tide.

She got to color on boiled eggs with a clear crayon and try to figure out why she couldn't see her scribbles.  She sampled the colored "drink" that the other kids were putting their eggs in and it must have tasted good, because she attempted a second helping before she was stopped.  She put 20 stickers on one egg and didn't put any on any of the others.

She had her sister show her where the Easter bunny had hidden her basket, and she giggled with delight at shaking the eggs filled with jellybeans, and completely ignored the doll, Little People girl and books he had left for her until others wanted to touch them.   She ate her chocolate chick in one sitting.

She tried jello and immediately spit it out.  (What kind of Lutheran is this???)

She played soccer outside with her siblings and dad, and went for a bike ride too.  She splashed in puddles and watched a pair of geese nest.  She even watched part of "The Ten Commandments" with us.  

All in all, a full long weekend---with another full long one ahead with the big birthdays (hers and her great-great grandmother's 100th) and the trips to Fargo (medical appt) and Pine Island (Grandma's birthday).

"Abrahamson" Episode 1: Mrs. Abrahamson gets her own post

Thanks for the comment Mary!  (See last post.)  Your deep analysis of a "fun" picture with an unusual perspective made me think.  You're making the assertion that in the traditional photograph some of my kids are "truly right with the world"?  I actually find the disoriented one to be more accurate of my children the way I see them.  I never have all 3 of them going in the same direction!  If one is right-side-up, the other 2 are out of whack.  I can get 2 almost reconciled to heading one way, but then the 3rd is totally headed the opposite direction.   I'm sure you have NO idea what I'm talking about (for those of you who don't know, my friend Mary has 10 kids).

Enjoy your traditional portrait with your Sierra Springs and sanitized toothbrush.  Wishing you a wonderful upright day!  :-)

Happy Easter!

Good Friday

Last night, my husband/pastor talked about each of the 7 words Christ spoke on the cross.  This year, one of these words hit me like a ton of bricks.

John 19:26  When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son,"  and to the disciple, "Here is your mother."  from that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

There is Jesus, bearing the sins of humanity on the cross and undergoing suffering like no other, and he thinks of his earthly mother.  Knowing the pain she is experiencing, and that she must be provided for in his absence, he makes an ADOPTION PLAN for her from the cross.  And John, writing this account, adds that he did comply with this plan.  He did make Mary his mother from that moment on and likely cared for her until the day of her death.  

Jonah is trying to hype Anju up for her first Easter.  He keeps telling her that tonight "while you are going night-night a bunny will come and give you candy".  However, she just gets the "night-night" part of it and wants no part of it, so Jonah gets frustrated trying to explain it again.  Today we will dye the eggs I boiled yesterday, and tonight I will likely be cleaning up a multi-colored dining room.  Happy Easter!

Prayer request for good friends

Anju is very happy today-----if she is on my lap.   Did you every try to put away laundry with a toddler on your lap??  Or make lunch??  Or, after resigning yourself to give up on the idea of accomplishing even the smallest task, even just read your own grown-up book while she reads a board book you've already read to her 10 times??  Not good.  So, we're still in the recovery mode of the "great Anju abandonment of 2009" on Tuesday.  The kids have off tomorrow for Good Friday, so hopefully a long weekend of activities with siblings will be a good cure for her.  

While I'm talking about Easter weekend--I have a question.  Do any of you mothers know if the Easter Bunny leaves baskets of coal for naughty kids???  I've got a child that needs to know the answer to that one.  :-)

Happy Birthday to our Indian Princess friend in Illinois!!!

Please keep my childhood neighbors, Chet and Marianne Richardson in your prayers.  They were helping Chet's sister and brother-in-law move yesterday, when the house exploded, likely due to natural gas.  Chet was protected by a mattress he was moving, but Marianne is suffering from serious burns and injuries and is hospitalized.  

Chet and Marianne have always been wonderful neighbors, helping my parents out whenever they could, getting the mail when my family was out of town---all the good neighbor stuff that doesn't happen much anymore in this day and age.  They even attended my wedding in Mankato.

For pictures of the home, click here.

*******************Update- interview with Chet**********************

Lessons learned today

Anju's mental notebook:

An onion is not an apple.  If you beg and beg and beg for it because you think it is an apple, and your mama gives you a chunk, you will not like it.  You will need to run and find your sippy cup of milk while your eyes water. 

If I reach through the slats of my crib and put my arm all the way through to my armpit, I can reach the doorknob.  I can open the door and scream out that I don't want to take a nap.  However,  Mama knows how to push the crib away from the doorknob, and I still have to take a nap.

Baby koala

I had city council Monday night, so Anju went to sleep without me.  Then, yesterday, I had a meeting and left her in her father's care for about 6 hours.  Today, she is clinging to me like a baby koala.  She needs to be held at all times including while I make breakfast and go to the bathroom.  I read her 25 books before 8 a.m., and she knocked on the door and wailed while I showered.  I guess she's not sure anymore that I'm not going to leave.  Poor girl.  Poor mama.

Merit Care clinic called this morning to finalize details for Anju's appointment in Fargo next week.  The Red River is expected to crest the 16th-18th, and her appointment is the 17th.  I guess we leave all that in the Lord's capable hands, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned.  We haven't made hotel reservations yet, as we want to make sure the hotel we stay at has some dry rooms---so I have no idea when I'm going to move on that.

Finally, news that has been troubling me and my adoption friends lately: WACAP (the first agency we tried because of their wonderful reputation for low cost waiting child adoptions) is discontinuing their adoption subsidy program, presumably because of lack of funding.  They have not been forthcoming with the details of this change, and we await this information.  Children with special needs whom previously had all their fees covered by a generous donor (like our pal in Illinois) now carry the burden of all the same fees as a healthy child adopted through the regular adoption process.  Please pray for all the children and families affected by this change.  There are many families whose adoption plans must now change who had already attached to a child in need, and many children who have already been waiting for families so long who now may wait much longer, or may never know the joy of a family.  

We especially keep our friend, Jennifer, in our prayers who was beginning the process of adopting one of these waiting children whom she met at Ashraya when she picked up her daughter in November.  We pray for guidance for her and her husband as they decide how to make their next move, and thank God for allowing them to have the gift of their beautiful new daughter through the use of the adoption subsidy program while it still existed.  

Newton was a genius!

This morning I awoke to little hands pulling at the quilt and, "Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom....."  I scooped up the tiny "tottle" and she laid in bed with me for awhile until Daddy enticed her to breakfast so I could shower.  She laid face-down on my chest, and snuggled in closely to my neck, her arms holding tight around my shoulders.  Her soft curly mop landed on my cheeks and once in a while she would look at me and smile, then put her head down again and sigh.

These are the moments you cling to when you're having a bad day.  When she's angry because she can't watch Elmo 24/7.  When she's upset you don't have a block of cheddar in your purse during church.  When she only wants to be held while you are standing up, not sitting down.  When you've given your all and she needs more and you just don't know how you can do it.  

"For each action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."  I think of Newton's wisdom often, which not only applies to physical laws of nature, but I believe the interpersonal laws also.  How wonderful that we have reached the point where for each of Anju's not-so-pleasant actions, there is another opposite one to balance it out.  I know I'm interpreting Newton very loosely (hope no Aspies are reading) but it comforts me, so deal with it!  (One could also then say, that the degree of my reaction to her action is equal in intensity to the original action, which is probably true, but not my point here.)

Can you tell I'm a hard science dropout and a social science major??

Communication

The social worker was able to make it yesterday for our second post-placement visit after canceling Wednesday due to a winter storm.  She is our 3rd social worker from LSS due to their rearranging and lay-offs, so it was nice to finally meet her.  She said that they really had a down time due to the bad economy, with people backing out of the adoption process, but that now their starting classes/meetings are full with people starting again.  Either people's finances are looking rosier, or they are just prioritizing expanding their families.  Good news.

Anju is speaking more and more, but it sometimes takes awhile for us to realize what she is saying.  I just figured out yesterday that "ga" means socks.  She's likely said that for awhile, but the context has to be right for the "dumb" mom to pick up on it.  Also, she is making the sign for "cookie" for her Indian biscuits, but does something else I didn't teach her to get a cookie.  She also does the "cookie" sign sideways to get cheese, similar to the sign I taught her, I guess, but it took me awhile to figure that out too.  She says a one-syllable non-verbal nasal noise when she signs for cheese, so that's how I tell that request apart from the one for a biscuit.  She makes the "candy" sign for "apple" (one has a straight finger, one a bent finger) but it always means "apple", since I didn't teach her the other one.

So, long story short, when people ask how many words she can say, I'm not sure what to answer.  "Mama" and "Dad-n" are about the only recognizable ones, but she sure has a way to communicate more than that through a combination of consonant sounds, signs and nasal/gutteral grunts.  Right now she is communicating through wailing, pulling on my leg and slapping me that she doesn't want me to be paying attention to the computer.  I get the message.  L8r everyone!