A Few More Halloween Pics...

Happy Halloween

I FOUND OUR CAMERA!!!!

Our camera has been missing for the past couple of weeks so I haven't had much to post lately. I finally found it and went a little crazy on the pics and videos today... :) Enjoy!

Priya loves to get out of our little apartment and explore the dorm. She has tons of free space to roam about and play. She has recently become a big fan of stair climbing. She makes a beeline for the stairwell and loves to climb up to the 3rd floor without any help from Mommy or Daddy. She is also THRILLED whenever the students walk by and consistently greets them with an enthusiastic "HI!".





Below Priya shows off her budding conversational, dancing and, yes, her kissing skills!

Stirring Mom's Group Harvest Party

Today I finally did something that I've been excited about for some time now - I attended my first Stirring Mom's group event! I've been wanting to join a mom's group since Priya was born and heard about this particular group when Ashish and I started attending a church called The Stirring over summer (http://www.thestirring.org/). I've had all sorts of reasons in the past why I haven't been able to attend - work, Priya's naps, Priya being sick, more work... But I decided to do everything in my power today and take the little munchkin with me and finally join this group. It was great and Priya and I both had a really nice time.

They had a Harvest Party this morning so all of the kids were dressed up in cute Halloween costumes. Priya had a wonderful time cruising around in her little flower costume and thoroughly enjoyed all of the people. Our little social butterfly just gets more and more social every day it seems! Everywhere we go she perks up whenever she sees a person and enthusiastically calls out a cheery "HI!" to anyone who will listen.

Thanks to Rosetta for the pics!! :)

Priya's 1st Golf Cart Ride

Ashish recently made some big changes in his life. In August he went back to school to pursue a nursing career. He loves being back in school and is learning so much! He is currently working on some prerequisites and is also taking an ESL writing class to improve his grammar and writing skills. I've seen a big change already and am so proud of him for all of the hard work that he is putting into this.

Ashish has also shifted his job status and has taken a job at Simpson as a Campus Safety Officer. It's been wonderful for both of us to work at the same place and now neither of us have to commute to work! Definitely something to be thankful for as gas prices just seem to get higher and higher... The hours have been perfect and have helped to make taking care of Priya and working much more manageable for both of us!

Above Ashish takes Priya for a little spin on the Campus Safety Cart. She loved it! :)

More Walking

Priya continues to improve her walking skills on a daily basis. She has also become quite the stair climber - climbing 2 flights of stairs without a 2nd thought. We just stand very close behind her so that if she decides to turn around she doesn't go tumbling down. She hasn't figured out how to go back down the stairs yet. Below is a video of her progression in walking. She was heading towards the stairs in the dorm, but the hallway became too dark for good filming. So we'll have to wait on those stairs videos for another time...

Priya is learning new things on a daily basis it seems! Her favorite word these days is BABY. She also responds when you say DANCE by shaking side to side and doing her own little baby dance. If you ask her where her nose is (or anyone else's for that matter) she points to it. And last but not least, Priya has mastered the HIGH FIVE. If you put your hand up she'll give you an enthusiastic High Five. Adorable? Yes, we think so! :)

Random Fun

A sure sign that Priya is ready for a nap - she tilts her head to the side and rests her cheek on the tray of her high chair before even beginning her meal!

Below Priya got into a box of old clothes that were near her crib one night. I came in to check on her and found 6 articles of clothing in bed with her. Silly girl!

Priya enjoys climbing on anything she can find these days. The dishwasher is one of her favorites. Eek! Good thing those dishes were clean!

Sporting a fun new hairdo...

Peek-a-boo!

Priya is also mastering new words all the time. Her current vocabulary includes "mama, dada, duh (for duck), baby, bye-bye, bah-bah (for bottle), hi (this is her current favorite as you will see below).

A Fun-Filled Day

Priya and I enjoyed an entire day together today. It was wonderful to have so much time to devote to her!

Below are some photos/videos of how our day began (at a birthday party for some of Priya's friends at the park) and how it ended (playing in her crib before going to sleep)...

Priya Turns 1 - and shows off her newly developing walking skills!

Priya officially turned 1 today! Oh how the year flew by! She celebrated her special day with many of her Simpson friends...







Priya also decided to show off her newly developing walking skills. Tonight was by far the most she has ever walked and she seemed thrilled by her new accomplishment. We were pretty proud of her too... :)

Priya's First Steps!

Priya hit another big milestone today!  She took her first steps!!!!!!  

Priya's Party

Priya's Birthday Party

Today is the beginning of our birthday celebration for Priya. In India, 1st birthdays are a very big deal, so we are honoring that tradition and throwing Priya 2 parties! Today will be her 1st. This party is for friends and family and will take place at my parents' home. The 2nd party will take place on her actual birthday (Fri, Sept 19) and will be for the students I work with. I am the RD of 2 dorms this year so it will also provide an opportunity for the two groups of students to get to know each other a bit.

Ashish's parents are actually throwing a party in India as well!!! They are getting a 5 ft. cutout of Priya that they'll hang on the wall and are inviting 100+ people to a meal at their home! If only this were a time Priya could actually remember... :)

Sliding Fun

Priya took on the slide at the mall's play area today while having some fun playing with Grammy & Grandpa. She managed to climb her way to the top several times! She is also standing on her own very well. She is getting really close to walking! It's amazing to see her growing so quickly!

Our camera seems to be having some issues. No, there is nothing wrong with your computer! There's just a portion of this video that went a little crazy.

Below Priya models another Indian dress that she received from her aunt and uncle in India.

Toga Party

Priya and I dressed up in matching togas tonight for Simpson's annual Toga Party. I found a satin sheet set at a very cheap price at Ross and used the sheet for my toga and the pillow case for Priya's. We had a blast! We even walked the toga fashion show together at the end of the evening. What fun! Priya seems to be thorougly enjoying all of the new students as they shower her with attention everywhere she goes. RD life has a whole new flavor with Priya in tow!

Below Priya enjoys bath time in her ducky tub. She is in the phase where she loves to take things out and throw them down - or across the room. The bottom video provides a small glimpse of this exciting new skill.