No time...

It seems like I can never find enough time for my blog...between doctor's appointments for Charu, the flu (Allie's had it twice since we've been home, Cory had it once, and it was Charu's turn this past weekend), strep (Cory), social worker visits, stool samples, tests, x-rays, blood work and more blood work for Charu, and to top it off it's Cory's busiest time of the year up until now!  Hopefully I will get back on track soon and I can begin blogging...until then I hope you enjoy picture updates!!!

28 months old...

Two weeks ago we went to the University of Minnesota International Adoption Clinic to discuss Charu's health, development, and attachment.  Overall, they were amazed by Charu's language skills and her growth which was great to hear since those were the two areas that she struggled with the most in India.  Her gross motor skills are right on target and her fine motor skills are where we are going to spend the most time working on at home to catch her up with where they'd like to see her.

Here are a few things about Charu at 28 months old...
Height- 34 inches tall
Weight- just short of 24 pounds

Charu continue to amaze us everyday at how well Charu already fits into our family!  Her personality is a lot like Allie's in a sense that she's high energy, passionate about the things she wants, and yet is very loving and cuddly at the same time.  We have been slowly adding more people into Charu's world and she's beginning to do much better when people come or when we are out.  We try to keep our outings and people coming over limited and short so that Charu continues to see that this is her new normal and so she's not overstimulated.

Favorites:
Songs/Nursery Rhymes:

• Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
• Bringing Home a Baby Bumble Bee
• ABC's
• The Itsy, Bitsy Spider
• Ba Ba Black Sheep
• Patty Cake
• This Old Man
• Ring Around the Rosy
• Where is Thumbkin?

Activities:

• Playing with babies
• Running around anywhere!
• Sensory table activities
• Loves being carried/dancing around while in the Moby Wrap
• Bath time
• Play dough
• Playing with Allie
• Pestering the dog
• Coloring & playing with stickers
• Reading books & listening to kids music

Foods/Drink

• Lettuce salads
• Noodles
• Bananas
• Watermelon
• Yogurt
• Special K Cereal
• Pizza
• Peanut Butter
• Toast/Bread
• Water (LOVES IT!)
• Cheerios
• Pancakes
• Waffles
• Ham
• Cheese
• Soups
• Alfredo

Fun with moon sand!

I've been trying to do at least one fun and different activity each day with the girls.  Last week we worked on sorting, cutting, coloring, and nursery rhymes.  This week we are working on making tubs of fun, sensory activities for the girls to play with.  So far, we've made a rice and lima bean sensory tub and today we made homemade moon sand with flour and baby oil...however I probably shouldn't have given the girls a bath right before making our moon sand!!!  They LOVED the moon sand and surprisingly they didn't too big of a mess!

(Notice the Keurig coffee pot in the back...my most amazing sister swapped with me my Cricut for her Keurig...so now each morning I have one STOP.THE.WORLD.AMAZING cup of coffee before I start my day with my two favorite girls in the world!  Thanks sis!)

Sledding sisters...

We finally have snow in southwest Minnesota and the girls couldn't wait to get out in it and play!!  Charu was apprehensive about the snow pants, but once she saw Allie was going outside with them on she couldn't get them on fast enough and DIDN'T want to go inside when we were finished!

I'm listening to...

Right now I'm listening to Charu sing, "inkle, inkle ittle ar..." and Allie is cheering her on saying, "Good job Charu!"  "Mom, did you hear Charu sing Twinkle, Twinkle?!  I taught her that!"

We are blessed beyond belief and I am so thankful to be able to watch these two wonderful miracles grow up!  

Allieisms...

Cory being Cory said something while we were making breakfast last week slightly inappropriate about my chest (if you know Cory you know that he speaks before he thinks 99% of the time) to which I replied my usual, "Cory John Paulzine!"  Without missing a beat Allie pipes in, "Yeah Daddy, you really shouldn't talk like that in front of Charu!"  She cracks us up!!!

Sweetheart

Every time Charu falls or bumps into anything, she dramatizes it and walks over to me with her hand on her head saying "owie."  I kiss it and she quick smiles and says, "all better!"  Talk about melting mamma's heart!!!