10 months ago today... we met this little girl:
Honestly, I look back at those pictures & see this shell of a little scared girl- a baby...really... who doesn't even resemble the girl who's getting so big in front of me today...
Oh little girl- how you are growing!!! And how your personality is blooming......
What a gift it is for us to be the ones who get to discover it along with you.
Truly this girl brings smiles and laughs and joy into every room she walks in. This tough little girl, who endured more than any of us could ever imagine is the one spreading happiness where she goes. From the clerks that work the YMCA front desk where she goes to school (she bursts in every morning with a great big GOOD MORNING at the top of her lungs to them- without fail), the big "Hi Charlie" she says as she rushes up to her favorite teacher Ms. Nancy (she says Hi Charlie as her standard greeting. We are working on it...........). To the neighbors we meet as we take our walks to the hugs, cuddles & giggles we get in our nightly routine. This girl radiates joy. Even when she's whining - it passes quickly..and smiles are soon back.
Today we wore our Cubs shirt for our picture shoot. It was actually dirty and we dug it out of the hamper. This is because this is Charlie's FAVORITE shirt. If it's clean and in her drawer, she's wearing it. She loves it even more when Mommy and Daddy wear their Cub shirts with her. If you see her in it, make sure you comment about it. Because she loves to talk about her Cubs shirt as well. Cubs rule & she knows it..
Speaking of clothes- every single night before bed she must be the one in charge of picking out her outfit. Remember that girl who never spoke a word of opinion because she didn't know what one was? Not anymore!!! No way. Every night.. "Pick a what I wear tomowow" (that's how she says it). She likes her skirts. And her favorite shirts- which are Cubs, Rainbow & Nemo currently. She doesn't like socks (NO SOCKIES) and would wear flip flops every second of every day if we let her.
As summer has approached, she is finding a new love. The outdoor swimming pool. Oh, this girl LOVES to swim. "I go baby pool, okay?" She likes the baby pool where she can stand. Fine with momma. I just plop my rear right next to her in the shallow water that is most likely filled with a lot of pee water. Woo. Love baby pools. :)
She definitely likes to boss. If we tell her she can't do something, she makes SURE that her sisters are not doing it either. And will tell them to stop. This goes for ANYTHING. Wearing flip flops, drinking juice boxes, being quiet. Anything. Fairness must abound.
(This is her squinty eye "I'm not really sure what this is" look).
Speaking of fairness. Girl has learned the art of getting her sister in trouble. Things like screaming "Sissy stop" like she's being hurt only sissy is NOWHERE near her. Yup, she's learning what it's like to be baby sister & how to make it work. Middle sissy isn't so happy with these happenings. "Why won't no one believe me, I wasn't even near her.. it's not FAIR just because she's cute............."
Baby girl is cute, isn't she? Cutest China born girl out there (Totally objective, I know.. no offense to mama's of Chinese born girls). :)
Big happenings this month? Well the one that is sticking out to me is she started singing randomly songs. Like Rain Rain Go Away. Or Fall Out Boys songs. You know, she doesn't discriminate music taste. The fact that these songs are being retained in her brain is GOOD- it means her flight/fight/freeze response that was ever present is lessening and she's learning to relax & let her brain grow.......... And there is NOTHING cuter than hearing a little bit of "rain rain go away" mixed with "Light it up..up..up... Light it up..up..up" being sung in the back seat............
Vocab continues to expand. Proper use of language is growing. Sentences are getting longer. We are getting there... slow and stead wins the race, right?
Play is still fragmented. We've had a bit more of imaginative play. Pet shops playing with each other. A wax dino from the Field Museum came roaring up to me today several times and tried to bite me..... followed by adorably cute giggles as momma said... "Oh no, he got me". She went to her first big movie in summer camp. Teachers said she did ok. She watched a Shark 3D movie (don't judge) and made some appropriate comments while watching it...
When we go out, she's learning more & being part of where we are, instead of just 'surviving'. She's interacting with her world. And soaking it up. And loving it. She loves, loves, loves, loves to be outside.
Oh, don't get me wrong- we still have stuff to work on. She had four years of neglect and trauma. It doesn't heal overnight. Eye contact is still not great. She physically gets tense with too much forced closeness. I try to sing to her at night while cradling her & she's stiff as a board. Still. She still rocks at night with night terrors. She still prefers to self-sooth the majority of the time instead of looking/reaching for us. (although she's getting SO MUCH BETTER about telling us things hurt or crying when she hurts herself). She still darts her eyes & grinds her teeth & fidgets all around. She can't stand to be talked to in a stern voice. It really upsets her. She has problems with impulse touch like touching things as she says "No touching".... this is a problem with things like hot soup bowls, ect.... She still likes papers & hoarding & baggies.... Attachment is still being worked on. She likes to triangulate now (very common in orphanage children).
But really, these things that used to dominate our lives- are almost glossed over when they happen because so much good happens too! The pendulum has shifted..........
I love this picture. Why? Oh, because it shows she's CLEARLY from my side of the family. Genetics, schmenetics..... you can be born in China and still have the family belly & double chin!!! Love it. :)
She's so super doper excited for her birthday- she can barely stand it. It's a daily discussion at our house. "Soon, Charlie's birthday" "A Princess Party" "Brown" (she likes the color brown). "With Baggies" (yes, she wants a brown princess party with baggies.. so what? like you never wanted that?) She has informed us it will be a big party "Mama, Big party.. Soon. With baggies".
10 months. Girl continues to grow, as do her parents..... we love spending the summer with her as we unfold new adventures (she went camping last week, climbed some sand dunes (not a fan of sand), went on her first boat ride, & had Italian Ice (No like it- she declared!)) So does everything with trust and gusto. This, the little girl who was scared of grass 10 months ago. I love it. She's so brave & awesome.. and so darn CUTE.
We are so lucky.
Happy 10 months Char-Char..
(cutest piggy tails ever? yes, I think so!)
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