Small Things are Big Milestones

Each day Uma seems to be getting more secure and more adjusted to her life here. She still has tremendous anxiety about being left somewhere, but it has improved as compared to the beginning.

To me, one of the most significant signs that she was beginning to feel safer is that now, if she falls asleep in the car, and it is time for actual sleep (naptime or bedtime) she will sleep on my shoulder when I carry her up, and stay asleep when I put her in bed. It used to be that if she fell asleep. The moment the car had stopped, she would be wide awake to see where she was and she would not go to sleep again on my shoulder. It was as if she wanted to make sure where she was being taken and hypervigilant about not being left somewhere. Now she trusts enough to stay asleep, and that, to me is a big deal!

She also has finally started to attach to the security blanket I got for her to attach to. It is a little satin doggie/blanket and has two flat rubber paws that she can bite on (which she likes to do). It is small enough to carry and soft, though not especially "little girlish" but definitely fits the bill. I bought several because I found I was having trouble remembering to bring the doggie and often had to go all the way back up to the house to get it. So now we have one for my mom's, and one for the car, which I also put in the stroller. Uma used to totally ignore it, then she would discard it. Now she holds it and tonight, when we were leaving the car, she pointed to it (the car version) to remind me to take it. When she went to bed, she was hugging itin one hand, and holding my hand in the other, while falling asleep.

Uma also now will allow me to stoke her back or her chest as she falls asleep, and she like me to sing to her. Initially, she would push me away if I did this, and cover my mouth when I sang. I would stop for that night, but then the next night and day for nap, I would persist. Now, she will actually place my hand on her chest, and touch my mouth to tell me to rub her and sing. I sing the song, "Edleweiss" from Sound of Music. I really need to learn a new one, though she seems to like it. She used to rock her head back and forth to put herself to sleep. Now, she no longer does this, but has replaced it with my stroking and singing. I guess this is a good thing except it takes me alot longer to get her to sleep than when she did it herself with her head rocking!

For the most part, she sleeps totally through the night soundly now, without even moving much. Occasionally, like tonight, she seems to have bad dreams, and will cry in her sleep, or crawl into my arms. I was typing this when I heard her crying. I went into the bedroom and she was still asleep, but in the spot where I sleep. I rubbed her back and held her, and then she leaned back to go to sleep in her bed.

Pizza is another milestone in my book! This little girl would not eat any American food at all, and initally, I had given her pizza and she would not eat it. Now, pizza is her all time favorite food. She could probablly eat a whole pizza on her own if I would let her! I literally have to limit how much of it she eats! We went to Govinda's the other day, which has both Indian food (the rice and dal that she is used to) and pizza. I offered her first the rice and dal, but she was eyeing her cousin Jaredan's pizza, and she turned down the rice and dal. I gave her some pizza, and that was it! She would probably eat pizza breakfast, lunch and dinner if I would let her! She still will not eat a hamburger, but we will work her up to that! :)