Well Hello Strangers . . .

It's been quite some time since we've sent out an update . . . and A LOT has transpired since then. First off, sorry about the delay. The last several months have been quite hectic in the Puranik household. Due to a number of reasons, I decided to hang up my stethescope here in Warsaw, IN. I've left my former group and am now in the the process of setting up my own private clinic. While the transition has been quite an ordeal, things are moving along quite nicely at this point. The clinic is going to be in La Porte, IN which is in the northwestern corner of the state. I'll be my own boss, we'll be closer to Chicago, and the long-term potential should be worth the short-term inconvenience . . .

Since our last update, Nyah's been to Italy, celebrated her first birthday, learned to walk/give hugs/give kisses, and trick-or-treated for the first time. She clearly understands much of what we say to her, but still has little to no vocabulary - Ma and Da - that's about it. She's very independent and wants to do everything without assistance . . . this becomes quite the issue during mealtime. Her personality is becoming more well-defined everyday - I would describe it as finicky, playful, affectionate and outgoing. What a fun age - we can't wait for her to talk and start having conversations with us . . .

********** Don't forget to click on the pictures to enlarge them ************

She's about 16 months now, and looks totally different than she did as a baby . . . slimmer, more defined features, and hair that 's totally out of control:







She's been running around and getting into everything. She goes from one no-no to another (her favorites are the fridge and the lazy susan) . . . all day long . . . and as quickly as her little legs will take her. In spite of needing constant attention to make sure she doesn't kill herself, she's an absolute angel. She's a very happy child and has a playful, silly personality.








Back in April, she enjoyed her first trip abroad as we spent a week in Italy. She travelled very well . . .



hanging out as we dined . . .



sleeping as we strolled . . .



and playing with her cousins . . .



A couple months later, we celebrated her first birthday with a back-yard-bash at grandma and grandpa's . . .







Here she is as Tinkerbell. She picked up the idea of trick-or-treating pretty quickly - only in her version, she actually goes INTO everyone's house . . .



On a final note, Nyah will have to enjoy the last few precious months as an only child as Charlie is now 12 weeks pregnant with our second!!



She's doing well so far. A bit nauseous and tired, as she was with Nyah, but seemingly more manageable this time. Wish us luck for the next several months . . . by the time our next update is sent out, my new practice will be well under way.

Until then . . . .

Hi everyone:

Hope all is well. We've had a long winter here in Indiana. Lots of snow . . . lots of sub-zero temperatures . . . lots of colds and flus . . . but we're hanging in there. It seems like Nyah's been sick for three months straight. Just as we think she's turning the corner, she gets another bug. I think we're finally out of the woods though . The whole family has been healthy for the past couple of weeks, and we're very much looking forward to the spring and summer.

Nyah's really developed a lot since our last blog entry in December. She started crawling about a month ago!! Here's our video of her "first steps" (click the play button - bottom left):



It took her a couple of weeks to really master it, but now she's cruisin'. Just like that, she requires so much attention. We can't just sit her in front of a bunch of toys and leave her alone for an hour. Nyah and I learned that the hard way. I was working on the computer a few days ago and Nyah was hanging out with me in the office. Before I knew it, she crawled into the foyer and went head first, down the stairs to the basement (never mind that we have a baby gate that I left wide open)!! I think I'm out of the running for Father of the Year. She recovered and doesn't seem to be holding a grudge. I can't say the same for Mommy . . .

Aside from such growing pains, Nyah's doing great. She's become quite interactive and very talkative:



Following are some recent pictures for your viewing pleasure - don't forget to click on the picture to view the full size version:

Chillin' in her sit-and-play:



Taking a bath:





Swimming lessons:





Simply hanging out:





On one of her sick days:



Developing a fetish for bags, like her mom:



Put a sock in it!!



Sitting naked with Grandma:




That's it for now. We're off to Italy for 10 days in April!! Nyah will be returning to the motherland- that's where she was conceived. TMI for some, I know - for those interested however, we plan on going as three and coming back as three and a half!! Upon our return, we have a number of weekend trips to visit family and friends. When things start to settle down again, we'll send out another update.

Until then, ciao bella!!