The Bubble Burst

Well, I hate to inform everyone, but Mamie is truly a real toddler. The stealing toys. The screaming when she can't have what she wants. The finicky eating. One week in and she has arrived. We laugh that just a few weeks ago, she was in an orphanage, with no choices or freedom, and all it takes is 2.5 weeks with family and you would never know her from any other almost 2 year old around.
But we wouldn't have it any other way. That's what life is supposed to look like at 20 months!

Here is her progress report (for the good and the bad) in just 1 week home:
- She is starting to babble words- the first being banana, then mama, maybe baba (daddy in Mandarin), ma (maybe Maxwell?)
- She can violently shake her head when she DOESN'T want something. Better than screaming, right?
- She's learning how to play on the swingset and loves the swings. And she LOVES being outside.
- She's basically sleeping through the night! After jet lag wore off, she just whines here and there, I put my hand on her, and she goes right back to sleep. Having her sleep in our bed helps out in this department (non-adoptive moms don't judge here... adopt and you will get it ;) )
- On the other hand, naps are becoming more difficult. This is her grieving time apparently and it takes her a long time to settle down for nap. She would prefer none at all. Me, not so much. She's taking a nap.
- She is very affectionate- kissing and hugging me. And sometimes Maxwell. Definitely not Elliott, and usually not Charles either ;)
- She will take a bath!! This is huge! Some friends gave her a bathtoy that WORKED. Lured her right in and now 2 baths under our belt, we are feeling like pros.
- Lucky us, she is scared of stairs. It's actually pretty funny. She won't even walk past them. She just sits on the floor and won't move until I carry her past them. Or if at the bottom of the steps, she will sit on the first one and yell for someone to carry her up.
- She got a haircut by me. Oh my. Hair dresser I am not. However, the mullet was just too much for me and it's probably a little early to take her for a real haircut.  Maybe in a few weeks, a professional can do the job right and she will look like a girl again. But for now, she just looks like a little girl with a bad haircut- however, without a mullet or sideburns.


Lots of you have asked about her leg. She is walking all over this house and doing great! But we go to the doctor May 7, and we will have lots more answers from there. But she is amazing and it doesn't stop her from doing anything she wants. You can join us in praying God's healing over her. That we aren't looking down the road of many surgeries. But that His mighty hand would touch her leg and restore it to full health. For she was made in His image. And she is fearfully and wonderfully made.

And this morning we had a little playdate with her China friends. Well, more like a "let's look at each other and eat snacks" date. Whatever works for the mommas!

I think that just about sums up our week!

  Charles reading to all 3, thought it was hilarious

 Best we could get so far

 Let the eating begin

 And eating

 And eating

Not a whole lot of playing yet. It will come in due time :)