So Grown Up

Today we had Gracie's pictures taken.  I usually have them done twice a year, once at Christmas and once around her birthday and Easter.  Today I was nervous because she had a sleepover with her cousins and decided to get up at 4:30a.m.  In hind sight, I shouldn't have scheduled that for the night before the pictures but you live and learn.  She was in a great mood but fell asleep as I was doing her hair. Once I was done she slept on me for 30 minutes and that was enough of a power nap to get her through it.  That, along with the promise of a trip to the play place if she had great behavior.  She did really great and she was incredibly agreeable.  I had so many to choose from but here's a smattering of my favorites.  

The yellow dress is her newest dress from Ethiopia.  We are lucky that a new Ethiopian store called Lallibella recently opened in our area.  I was thrilled to find it driving home one day as Grace had just grown out of the last dress I bought in Ethiopia.  I really wish I had bought ten times what I came home with.  Anyway, we went in and since they had just opened five days before, they had limited stock but we did end up with this beautiful dress that I think looks stunning on her.  It's a little big but that's fine since i hope she will wear it for a while.  I did find out today that the V-neck in the front is a little deeper than I realized so we'll have to keep an eye on that for future wearings.  The purple and cream dress is her Easter dress that she loves because "it really, really spins good".  She is a 100% girly girl.  

Overall things are going really great.  She's growing up so fast and I am going to miss some of the adorable things she says,  When she wants toast for breakfast she will say "mom, I please have bread with toast and butter?" A couple of weeks ago she couldn't think of the word for slippers so she asked if she could wear her "cozy shoes with Minnie Mouse on them".  When I ask her where she would like to go to eat she'll sometimes say "Ummm, I choose you can choose mom!" 

I would say on the whole her behavior is getting much better and the tantrums have begun to slow way down,  We still have some issues.  Yesterday we were out doing errands and I went to Toys R Us to buy kites for her cousins for an Easter present.  She asked for one and I told her not today, but maybe the Easter Bunny would bring her one.  Well, cue the crocodile tears and the tantrum.  As we paid for the items we had she sobbed, "I need a kite, that's not fair!"  She sobbed all the way home and sat in her room for 25 minutes screaming and yelling.  After she calmed down I went in and asked if she was finished with her fit and she said "yes".  The I asked if she was ready to apologize and she said "yes".  So we sat down on the couch and I said, tell mommy what you're sorry for.  She looked at me with tear filled eyes and said, "I sorry, you don't buy me a kite!" It took everything I had not to burst out laughing.  It certainly wasn't the answer I was looking for.  She did apologize for throwing a fit but it's amazing to see how the mind of a three year old works.  Later on we went back out to the grocery store and as we walked into the store she said "don't worry, I'm gonna be super great. No throwing a fit." 

Happy Spring!

Hair Cut

Today I took Gracie to have her hair trimmed. Last week she went with me to have my hair cut.  When I told her last night that we were going today to have hers cut she said "Hair cuts don't hurt".  If only she thought of that when I had her hair braided last summer and she howled like I was having her scalp cut off  and that was before the stylist touched her head.  She can be dramatic but I can see that the drama is starting to settle down with age.  When she had her hair cut in September she was certainly better than the hair braiding trauma of 2011.  She was nervous and clingy and sat in my lap but she didn't cry.  But today was totally different.  We walked into the salon and she took off her coat and waited for her turn.  When they called us over she walked right to the lady and and I lifted her up and she sat on a booster seat.  It was like she did this everyday.  No screaming, no squirming, just occasionally glancing over to make sure I was still there.  I'm always fascinated when she has her hair cut.  First of all, they said she probably only needs a trim every 5-6 months.  It really only needs to be trimmed when the ends get really hard to comb through.  And they cut it dry which actually makes since because they need to worry a lot about the shape since it's so curly. They didn't take off nearly as much this time but the curls have really snapped back into shape.  She was very pleased with her hair cut and when we finished she said "You so proud of me mom! I didn't cry! I super great girl!"  She was really delighted with herself and so was I. 

About two weeks before the hair cut

 

Tonight after the haircut and a bath



Fun With Cousins

Today we had a really fun day.  My niece Meghan is turning 8 at the end of the month and she asked that for her birthday that Gracie and I take her to lunch at American Girl Place. To say that both girls were excited is an under statement.  Gracie asked every morning for a week if this was the day we were going with Meggie. The last time we went was two years ago when Meghan was 6 and Grace 1.

They wore matching outfits that Auntie Amy had made for them and everyone thought they were sisters.  Meghan really wanted them to match again this year so we went out Thursday night and chose coordinating outfits.  So this morning they put on their outfits and got Meghan's bitty twins ready and we headed out the door. 

We got there right when the store opened and headed up to have lunch.  As soon as we walked in the door Grace said "OOOOOOHHHHH, I love dis store!"  I told our server that we were doing an early celebration of Meghan's birthday and she added that we would also be celebrating her cousin Grace's birthday. Both girl's were excited when their dessert came out with candles on it and the whole restaurant sang to them.

After a great lunch we headed off to shop. Meghan picked out a bunch of books for her present and I made an impulse buy for Grace that I was not planning on.  We came home with this.

A bitty baby. It's the smaller, less expensive version (in comparison to the big dolls) of the bigger doll, meant for little ones. When I told Gracie I was buying her a baby and she could pick one out she ran up to this one and said "hey, mom, she look like me! She sooooooooo beautiful! I bring her to my home?" I said yes and then she jumped up and down and yelled "Woohooo!" The salesperson said I couldn't have gotten a happier reaction if I tried.  Her new baby is named Bella (Meggie helped her choose a name) and she is delighted by her.  She spent the afternoon showing her everything in our house and where she would sleep.

It was a great afternoon with my two special girls. We'll have to plan our next visit for when Cousin Sarah is visiting.

Growing Up

I'm amazed at how fast time is passing. One minute I had this tiny baby and now I have a big, almost 3 year old.  It seems like if I blink she changes.  It's really remarkable to look back on where she was and how far she has come.  This time two years ago I was just beginning to realize what a long road we had ahead of us in terms of her weight.  Of all the things I planned for, researched and worried about, Gracie gaining weight was not one of them.  I heard so many stories of how most kids come home and really pack on the weight once they start getting the nutrition they were lacking.  Before I left to go to Ethiopia I assumed we would come home, she would have a couple of parasites and once they were gone the weight would come.  Except in Grace's case that didn't happen.  There were no parasites (and yes, of course I was happy about that since I know how much havoc they can reek).  Then there was the feeding tube.  I knew she had been on one prior to traveling but when I arrived I learned she had been on one for longer and more frequently than I thought.  But again, we'll get home, she'll get what she needs and she'll put on the weight.  And she did gain, but it was much slower than I ever anticipated.  She had to learn that eating can be a fun experience, especially if it's coming through your mouth and not your nose. I still see some effects from the feeding tube.  If I have to suction her nose out, she fights me like crazy because she is terrified whatever is going in her nose won't come out without her fighting.  Sr. Tirhaus, the nurse at horizon house told me she fought them like crazy when they put the tube in and they had to restrain her arms (gently) because she pulled it out several times a day.  Even at 8 months and 11 pounds she was feisty! And man, that hasn't changed.  And let me be clear, I have no criticism for the feeding tube being put in.  In fact, I'm so grateful that she was able to have that kind of care when she clearly needed it.  I just had no clue what a long process it would be.

Grace had more doctor appointments in the first 6 months of being home than I had in the last 15 years and that's no joke.  Every appointment caused huge anxiety for her.  Even a simple process like being weighed and measured was traumatic and taking blood required me criss-crossing my arms over her chest and arms and two nurses to draw the blood.  And then when a doctor actually examined her, well that was full body shaking and sobbing.  It was awful and it happened every appointment for the first 18 months.  Then it slowly started to improve.  Last week I had a doctor appointment and had to have blood drawn.  I took Gracie with me.  I told her that mommy goes to the doctor too and sometimes it seems scary but it isn't.  I explained everything that was happening and so did the very nice lab technician.  After my blood was drawn and they put a band aid on she said "mommy, you hurt? You have big owie?" I said no, it was a little pinch and  a little owie.  Then she said "you didn't cry." I said yes, mommy was brave and didn't cry.  Fast forward to yesterday.  We went to see our new GI doctor who I love, love, love!  I explained before we got there what was happening like I do every visit, thought most days it doesn't help.  We talked about how she would stand on the big kid scale and they would measure her too.  Then the doctor would listen to her belly but it wouldn't hurt and he just wanted to help us keep her nice and strong and healthy.  I do this every doctors appointment, and they usually all end with her screaming and hysterical.  But not yesterday.  Yesterday she sat on the floor next to the scale and took off her boots like she was asked to.  Then she was asked to step on the scale.  She looked at me for a second and I could see she was shaking a bit but she stood right on that scale.  And then she stood still to be measured just like she was asked.  Then she stepped off the scale and said "mommy, no hurt! I brave too!" I nearly burst into tears I was so proud.  Then we sat in the exam room and we talked about the doctor listening to her belly and what her belly would say.  She said "my belly gonna say, gurgle, gurgle, gurgle, HELLO!" The doctor came in and we talked for a bit and he got up to speed on her case and when it came time to check her belly she let out a tiny little whimper and let him listen with no crying, screaming or wiggling.  It was mesmerizing to see all of this kick in for her.  It was like she was finally at ease enough to be able to listen to what we'd been talking about and now she's able to comprehend it.  She had blood taken and it only took me holding her and one nurse to get the 4 vials of blood.  She cried a little bit and when it was done she said "mom, I cry. I not brave?" I said oh Gracie, you are SOOOOO Brave! Crying a little bit is OK because it pinches.  On the way to the car she said "mom, that not scary. The doctor nice".  As we drove off to get a celebratory hot dog I couldn't help but think about how brave she's been all along.  Even when you adopt an infant, they have things to process. They have emotions to work through and she has been brave this entire time.  Except now she knows it.  She's extraordinary.

Yesterday, after almost 27 months of being home, she made the US growth chart.  She's slightly above the 3rd percentile.  I spent so much time and energy worrying about her weight, especially in the first year.  I used to go into every appointment praying that this would be the one where she was finally on the charts.  But about two months ago I stopped worrying about it so much.  I think it's because I have seen her appetite really improve.  She asks to eat rather than me constantly asking.  She realizes when she's hungry and if she is, she eats.  If she's full, she stops.  So yesterday, I never even thought about being on the charts.  Until the doctor told me he was really pleased with her gain and she's on the charts.  I was surprised and happy, but really, it's not as important as I thought it was.  She's healthy.  She's super smart.  She's funny, she's musical, she's impish and she is so, so brave.

Happy Valentine's Day!

A Real Update

I can't even count the number of times I have started to write a real update on Grace and then either said forget it and gave up or just posted a picture.  I'm pretty sure that my sister and maybe 1 friend are the only ones who read the blog still but I like having a place to write down milestones and events etc.  It's kind of like a virtual journal, even if it's not as detailed as I would like. 

So, overall, things are going really well for us.  We were having a rough go of it several weeks back and I think a lot of it had to do with Grace not having enough time with me.  So after a lot of soul searching and a long talk with co-workers and my very supportive boss, I switched to a new work schedule.  I am still full time but I am now working 4 extended days and I have Thursdays off.  I started the new schedule three weeks ago and I think it's working out great.  Grace seems to do fine Monday through Wednesday, but come Thursday and Friday we had more tantrums, more clinginess when I bring her to my sisters and more sobbing and holding onto my leg for dear life.  She's generally fine within 15-20 minutes of my leaving but when I got home she was even more clingy and wouldn't let me out of her sight.  When I was figuring out what day to take, Thursday worked out best work wise but I also thought it might be a nice break in the week.  So far it's worked like a charm but we'll hope it keeps up.  I signed us up for a music class at the local boys club and it's been great. She loved it and was dancing and singing and clapping.  The teacher started singing Old MacDonald and she looked at me and said, "mom, he knows dis song. I know it too!" 

It's amazing how fast she's growing up. She is really playing well independently and it's so fun to watch her.  A couple of days ago she received her first two barbie dolls from a dear friend of mine.  She got Princess Tianna and an African Disney Fairy, whose name I don't recall because I forgot to look again before I threw out the box.  She will sit on the coach and play with them and come up with this little dialog.  She loves those barbies.  The fairy came with butterfly wings and she when she saw that she said, "hey mom, I never my whole life have a barbie with butterfly wings.  This soooo Awesome!"

We're really looking forward to Christmas.  I am off from today until January 3rd so I am really looking forward to the extra time together.  She has really enjoyed just about everything involved with the Christmas season.  Our tree has been up since Thanksgiving but every time I turn on the tree lights she says, "oh, mom, that's soooo amazing!" She is excited for Santa to bring toys but if you ask if Santa is coming to her house she says "Oh nonono! Him no come my house!" I guess she figures he'll just leave the toys at the door.  Everything is just so much more fun with her.  It's really fun to look at things again from a two year old perspective.  Snow globes can be magical, decorating Christmas cookies with cousins is funny and messy and a treat, every Christmas light display is met with wonder and amazement, no matter how many times we see them.

 I leave you with some recent holiday pictures that we took. She was in a great mood and we got some fantastic photos.


Gracie and I wish you and your families a very merry Christmas and a wonderful new year!