Now that we’ve returned to the States, she asks to look at the pictures and the videos we made during our stay all the while calling out the names of the people in those pictures.

I think most of all, being a little older and better able to recognize and remember faces means that now she has a connection with her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousin. Those connections will be further strengthened as she gets to communicate with her family in India on the phone and webcam.

Cheers

Riana, has something that comforts her equally when she seeks it out, but her thing is not a stuffed animal or a blanket, but rather a tag. Any tag. Tags on her burp clothes, tags on her onsies, tags on her pants, and anything else imaginable.

Her fascination with tags and buttons began very early and was quite prolific. At a much younger age we imagined she was fascinated by tags because of their feel and/or look. Buttons are fascinating just for their shape and for the fact that they are always readily available on virtually all clothing as a convenient play thing.

Riana’s fascination with these 2 items was so great by the time she approached her first birthday that we procured 2 cakes from the local bakery. One shaped as a tag and the other as a button.

Since those early days, the fascination with buttons seems to have subsided, but the one with the tags persists. This fascination is especially hilarious when she realized that most of the pants she wears have tags in them. So should a burp cloth or blanket not be readily available, she’s found that she can usually hunt for and find the tag in her pants and hold onto it until a suitable replacement is found.

Her seeking of the tags though usually coincides with times when she’s hungry or sleepy, much like any other child would clutch their stuffed animal or blanket. The tagged item usually accompanies her to bed and is available for company should she wake early in the morning before anyone can get to her.

With all the stuffed animals and other things that could serve as a comfort item, it’s interesting to see the littlest of things serve that purpose for Riana.

Cheers