Has It Been Six Months Already??

The six month anniversary of our gotcha came and went without fanfare. Since I missed that day to update, today is the 6 month anniversary of arrival back in the US and her becoming a citizenship so I thought today would be appropriate. I will say that my beloved Elizabeth is certainly not the little girl I was expecting to have at home 6 months ago. When you look back at that time in Hefei, I can now see what a frightened, traumatized little girl that she was. Today it seems hard to believe that just 6 short months ago she would go 5 days without moving under her own volition. Now, we are hard pressed to keep her in one place for even a few minutes. Our little girl who we clapped wildly for in the lobby of the Novotel hotel when she took her first step for us now runs and jumps (with 2 feet clearing bout 6 inches from the ground. Climbing is still hard but with the spring coming, I think that will be quickly conquered. Our little girl who had trouble feeding herself cheerios now eats independently doing super with a spoon and fork! Bottles are long gone and sippy cups and straws are the order of the day. Drinking straight from a cup is still a bit off. My dear Elizabeth has not missed an hour of sleep since we recovered from our jetlag. Everyday it is in bed between 7 and 8 and up in the morning between 7 and 8. A two hour nap thrown in for good measure and we have a happy girl! Sam no longer needs to sit with her until she falls asleep, he gets her settled, turns on the music and then leaves her room. She is doing great in school. The only crying we really have now is when it is time to come and she is still playing. She loves her teachers and is interacting so much better with her classmates. She is still very much attached to mommy and cries something awful if I leave her. When we are out though, after about 15 minutes she will venture away from me, if I stay seated. Once I move, she becomes very clingy again. Getting better but still our biggest obstacle. We have had about one hour without her being with at least one of us thanks to Grammy, Pop and Auntie Katy, since we have been home. We look forward to the day when a babysitter is not a traumatic event. Her health continues to be good. She has gotten caught up on all of her immunizations and we have recovered from the Giardia that she came home with She did have a bout of pneumonia this month and has seen the dentist. She has to have major work done this summer, mostly due to the extended malnutrition that she experienced ~ my poor baby, I wish I could have had you sooner in your little life. Her language is slowly improving. She understands just about everything but has few words in her expressive vocab although that it steadily changing. This week we have started to hear 2 word sentences for the first time like "me walk" "me down" "Seeya morrow" Her chatter in Chinese though is almost non-stop. Some days we are looking for the off botton. We laugh so hard when she starts to get really serious with her tone and hand motions. Most importantly, that little girl who had the vacant look in her eye, who spoke so little, who self-stimed, who had no idea what to do with a toy is sooooooooo happy today. It is wonderful to watch to the glimmer in her eye, to listen to her deep belly laughs and chatter as if there is no off button, and to experience watching her personality unfold and change weekly. Everyday we tell her how much we love her and that we will love her more tomorrow. We absolutely, positively, with out a doubt, love her like crazy cakes!!! I can't not wait to see what the next six months will bring for our family!

Elizabeth with her 2 cribmates in Huainan Social Welfare Institute. If they could see her now!

Just a few minutes after holding her for the first time. I am sorry that the happiest moment in my life was her scariest.

Mommy loves you like crazy cakes!!
Six months has been filled with meeting new family and friends like Grammy and Pop

and Cousin Domi

and Rocky and Peyton

and the whole Rooney clan

and Auntie Katy who gets me to show my big belly laugh. This is such a small list of our wonderful family and friends who have come into Elizabeth's life in the last six months. I think they were as excited about her arrival as we were. We are lucky and grateful!

The big smile and belly life that we couldn't live without. You have come so far my baby!!