Two Months

It's hard to believe that today is the two months mark.   It seems as though Charlie has been in our lives for so much longer than just a mere 60 days.  

How can it be only 60 days? 

She has come so, so far.

Scared little girl on Gotcha Day.  Timid.  Shy.  Unable to see.  Biting her lip.  Trying to figure out what was happening to her life as she knew it....

Orphanage (survival) behaviors with every beat of her heart. 

A plane flew her halfway around the world.  And deposited her in an unfamiliar world.  Scary new sights.  New sounds.  New smells.  So many new people.   What did it all mean?

A month later tentative skills start to emerge - fears are being faced.  She's such a brave little girl.

And one from month from that, we start to see a whole new little girl.  A little girl who is starting to learn what a home is.  What family is.  That there is enough food to eat.  That someone kisses boo-boos and gives hugs.  Starting to learn what love is.   Two months.  Such a short time.  But she's come oh. so. far.

Happy 2 month anniversary Charlotte Meifang

She took so many great pictures in today's photo shoot.  That I just can't resist but post them all as we describe what and where our Little Miss is today.

And let's face it- she is adorably cute.... and all together, as Sarah says, squeezable!!!

Little Miss has grown an inch and gained 5 pounds since she's been place in our arms.  That has her solidly on the growth charts at 20%.  Yhea.

Her hair has grown enough to put in a small pony or two tiny pig tails.  We try to make sure we put a bow in.  She reaches up to see if there is indeed 'a bow'. 

She got glasses & it's a whole new world.  Things to see and discover.....

Although we still get this face a lot... it's the "what the heck is this?" face...

It is usually accompanied by a 'huh?'

Speaking of words.  Oh, her words are expanding.....  She absolutely understands a lot.  For instance I told her today as she was reading her magazine upside down "Turn your magazine around".  She promptly turned her magazine around.   OK then.  

Let me see if I can remember all her words that she uses correctly in context (not just repeating). I want to try to keep a record of expansion 1. dog, 2. sleep, 3. night night, 4. Charlie, 5. Mama, 6. Daddy, 7. Sarah, 8. Leaf, 9. Pumpkin, 10. water, 11. splish slash, 12. eat, 13. napkin, 14. fork, 15. uh oh, 16. sit down, 17. come on, 18. potty, 19. shoes on, 20. shoes off, 21. car, 22. feet, 23. book, 24. NO, 25. color, 26. circle, 27. Minnie Mouse, 28. yes, 29. up, 30. down, 31. let's go, 32. zebra, 33. lights, 34. cheese, 35. garbage, 36. again, 37. all done, 38. all gone, 39. hop, 40. slide, 41. swing, 42. fish, 43. more, 44. flower, 45. candy

I'm sure there are more & I just can't remember what they are right now.

Using family names appropriatly.  Well, we are still working on this- but we are getting somewhere.  I do think she realizes who Mama, Daddy, Sarah & Becca are.  She still doesn't address us by them as in a manner to get our attention.  "Mom!".  Although today for the first time I did hear her use Sarah's name in that way.  So we will get there.   This, along with eye contact, are still major areas of work we need to do to work on attachment.

Potty training.  Well, she's pretty much fully potty trained.  Nary an accident since that first week over a month ago.  And she's woken up dry for the last 3 weeks.  As soon as the current pull ups are done, will be stopping them all together- even for night!

Food- for the most part- this has gotten much better.  Actually, she is showing one of the first signs of trust that is necessary for attachement and that is pickiness.  She is refusing foods of all sorts.  This is actually GOOD news for us on the attachment front.  It means she is trusting us enough to realize there will be more food for her in the future.  (not so good for nutrition).

Her favorite foods.  Well, carbs my friends.  Although she refused noodles today.  She doesn't like fruits except bananas.  She doesn't like any veggies that I can find.  She loved meat- until she refused chicken today.   Still LOOOOOVES her pasta. 

She drinks from a sippy- but no dairy.  Except cheese.  She loves cheese.

Bedtime.  Well it got better.  Then it got worse.  Then it got better.  You never know.  We do have a pretty established routine going to bed that she enjoys.  Getting warm jammies on (since she REFUSES blankets- she's terrified of them at night- but will use them in the day), brushing our teeth, reading a book (her favorite is 10 Little Ladybugs) & then cuddling to music before I lay her down and hold her hand till she falls asleep.

She still wakes at night- sometimes several times.

Her favorite things to do.... well - be outside.  Oh how she loves to be outside.  And she loves fall- with the leaves & the pumpkins.  Both things she loves to collect.

She loves walks.  She loves baths.   She loves to color.  She loves to slide (oh yes, she is going down the slide), she loves to swing, she loves to carry paper around! Yes, she still loves her treasures of trash.  But she is getting SO much better with this.

We still have far to go on attachment.  People find this hard to believe- but yet- the very fact that she's engaging to them & going to them is proof that she is not attached.  We need to regress her to almost infant state where she learns to run/depend on mom and dad first.. .and always look to us first.  This is imparative to her ability to have any healthy relationship in the future.  

We'll get there.  We are already so much farther than we were just a month ago. 

And the girl is getting comfortable.  Just this week- she is learning to say "no" to directions and commands that she does not wish to follow.  HUGE step as well with trust.  Before she was terrified and would almost go shell shock if a voice was raised.   She got this look I call 'China look'.  It's a checked out look.

Tonight, she was happy playing in the bath.  ANd I said "Are you ready to get out?" A question I have asked many times in the past (as well as many other questions, none which were answered).  Tonight she said very clearly to me "NO"  And then giggled.  I couldn't help but giggle too!  And I had to ask her 3 more times before I didn't get a NO. 

She's finding her place here.  Language is becoming familiar.  She's coming out of her shell- discovering her world & learning what it means to be a child.

A child of laughter.   A child of joy.  A child of love.  Our child.

Our little Charlie.
We love you.  Happy 2 month Gotcha!

Go get that world!  It's yours to discover!