Making Progress

Hey, I just wanted to post a quick update about Nandini. I posted the first update this morning and it's now 8:00 at night on Tuesday - and Nandini is slowly starting to emerge.

She slept through the night and had a good breakfast. She was still really shy and mechanical with us through the morning. We ordered pizza for lunch (can you believe the best Pizza Hut I've ever tasted is in India??) and she ate a bit. She seems to love anything made with bread. Anyway, she has a terrible cough and fever, so we gave her some medicine and we tried to put her down for a nap. She didn't really sleep, but in a strange way, I think she sort of bonded with us over being sick. We were taking care of her and stroking her hair and rubbing her back - and I think she just started to let go a bit.

She's really picking up on things. I sat in front of her and she played "Beauty Shop" with my hair and combed it and tried putting it in a ponytail. She also colored a bit and played with some toys.

This afternoon we went to Pune Central, which is like Dillards and we did some shopping. (Who, us? Shopping?). Let me tell you, Nandini is going to be one frilly little girl. Deep down inside of her is a beauty pageant queen just waiting to get out. She kept grabbing at all the sparky bangles and ankle bracelets. We looked at some kurtis and asked her which ones she liked and she picked the loudest and gaudiest ones in the whole store. She is attracted to the sparkle. If anyone has a bedazzler for sale, let me know. :-)

She really loved getting out of the hotel. She's so curious and loves to ride in the car. She LOVED the mall. She's 3.... startin' out young, isn't she?

When we got home, we played her most favorite game....it's called Lets-Dress-Nandini-Up-In-Pretty-Clothes-and-Let-Her-Admire-Her-Sweet-Self-In-The-Mirror. Mom was in the other room and I dressed Nandini up in her new choli. It's GORGEOUS. It was $26. If anyone is headed to New Delhi, I'll give the address. They have the best cholis and for a really great price. Anyway, I put on her new bangles and a new bindi - and she walked out to the living room to surprise Mom. When Mom saw her, she was so excited and told Nandini how pretty she looked. Well, Nandini got the biggest grin on her face and ran into mom's arms. It was amazing.

She is really starting to take to us. She kissed me today and hugged me a few times. She's smiled about 5 times and has said "didi" 2x. She's still silent and sometimes we catch her holding herself back. It's as if she realizes that she's getting too close, so she starts to pull away. But things have been really good this evening.

I think she just honestly needs to feel loved and feel special. She is so happy with her new pretty clothes. And then she just admires herself. She's a princess. She knows she's a princess and she just walks around in amazement at everything that's happening to her.

Anyway, I just wanted to update everyone. We leave for Delhi tomorrow morning. We have to go the embassy to file our I-600 and then take Nandini for her medical screening.

Thank you everyone for your prayers. We can really feel them. The transformation just from this morning to this evening is amazing. It's so evident that there are many of you out there who are thinking of us.

Will try to write again tomorrow.

Noah's Mom