Anju update...

Before the month of May flies away I wanted to write a post on Anjali's progress and lessons we have learnt as she explores her new world. She has taken huge leaps forward in the last few weeks and a few steps back. We also got perspective on how she handles changes in her home with my in-laws visiting.

• Anju and her daddy are a team! Though Anju doesn't cry when he leaves for work in the morning, her sheer glee on seeing J during lunch and when he returns home in the evening shows how much she misses him. Anju adores her 'nana' (daddy in Telugu). Though she calls him 'mama' pretty often (which I find hilarious), J has cemented a permanent place in Anju's heart. She is a daddy's girl through and through.
• Anju has been seeing her 'anna' (big brother Dhruv) as competition since my in-laws arrived in town. Dhruv continues to adore Anju and when we are outside runs behind her with his arms open to protect her from other people or from getting hurt. Anju has been possessive of her daddy and grandparents and has been swatting Dhruv away a lot. I am hoping that this is just a phase as they used to play with each other quite a bit. Anju shows a lot of compassion though when Dhruv gets hurt and even gently rubs his wounds and wipes away his tears. 
• Health-wise Anju is thriving. She has gained close to 4 lbs and grown quite a bit (close to an inch or more). I am thrilled to announce that she has outgrown 12 month clothes and 18 month clothes fit her well now. The outfits I had bought were so loose when she first joined us. She actually has cute chunky arms now and even has some baby muscles!! Dhruv has coined the nickname 'chubby cheeks' for her. Her body strength is impressive and she is able to pull herself onto our couch now. Of course, this is a little scary for me as fewer things are becoming off limits to her. 
• Anjali has gone back to wanting to jump off her high chair during meals. She prefers eating food on the go to sitting at the table. I had worked pretty hard to get her to stay and eat a full meal but with so many distractions and changes at home, she has reverted to her old habits. I guess I have to start over on this front! I introduced one of my favorite snacks as a child - plain yoghurt and sugar to Anju's diet and she seems to love it as much as I did. 
• Anjulilypot is quite a talker now with more words joining her vocabulary. She tries so hard to communicate using words. Ever since she picked up the word 'ow' for 'owie' she has been using it a lot. It is really cute as a lot of owies are pure pretense but we know that this back and forth is going to bring us closer in the long run so she gets lots of rubs and kisses on them. She also says 'arm' when she wants to be carried (she is still trying to say 'carry') and I find this adorable as she comes to me at 6 p.m. sharp as I am cooking dinner and wants me to carry her while I cook. This is huge for me as she seeks my arms despite dad being at home. 
• A true social butterfly has emerged. Anjali is not afraid of new people and says hi to most folks she comes across. When my in-laws came home, she went to them without hesitation. I think at some level she understands their love and fondness for her as she doesn't usually allow other adults to carry her. She runs into their arms for affection and cuddles (especially if J or I discipline her). I am so happy that she is really enjoying her grandparents. As we have taken Anjali out into the real world, we have discovered that she does not do well in surroundings where there are a lot of people. At friend's homes where there are fewer people she does okay though she gets a little more mischievous. But, when we go to a crowded park or birthday party in an outside venue, she gets overstimulated. To an outsider, she appears to be having a crazy amount of fun but Janardhan and I both know she is actually overwhelmed. She just stops connecting with us and gets hyper. We will be curbing her outings to smaller gatherings and to public places with fewer people as we want her to enjoy the experience.
• Anju is the Queen of mischief. I have not seen a more curious and fearless child. Of course, I only have Dhruv to compare her to and he was a very reserved, cautious child. Anjali keeps us on our toes at home and outside. We joke that she has to enter 'electronics anonymous' as there is no cell phone, remote, computer, tablet or battery operated object that she can resist. She has gone from happily surfing our phones (at 3a.m. believe it or not)  to bringing them to us lest we lose sight of them. :) 
• Last of course is Anju and me. We are very similar: both are fiesty and independent yet easily pleased. I stick to our daily routine with Anju no matter what. We sing, read and play a lot. When Janardhan comes home she still only wants him and while I just want to snuggle up with her and kiss her soft chubby cheeks, I still work on letting go of her and focusing on Dhruv during those hours. After years of waiting for our baby, I can't seem to get enough of her.