A welcome new year... now with pictures!

Making Christmas cookies for the piano recital.

I have been meaning to write for so long but when the holidays happen with three children, one being a newly adopted baby, blogging takes a back seat.

Cub scout taking M for a ride.

Playing in the hallway.

Kevin took the kids (yes, all three) up to see his parents this morning and I have the WHOLE day to myself. I started with a half hour of piano playing, cleaned up the breakfast dishes, and now I'm transferring files to my new Christmas present!! Oh yes, I am so very spoiled. Kevin bought me a new MacBook Pro for Christmas... the new 15". It's sooooo fine. I talked him into it because he can now test the Netflix movie player with its Intel processor. The kids aren't allowed to touch it. And that only lasted about an hour.

M and Dad selecting a Christmas tree.

Because I had no idea (no, none at all) this was going to be my Christmas gift I went and bought myself an HP Photosmart C7280 printer to go with it. The photo printing quality of this new printer shames my old g85. I am very happy with my new technology.

So my next task is to set about updating my blog with a post while my files are transferring. Got my hot cup of coffee on the table and music playing louder than usual. Logs on the fire. All those little things you can't really enjoy when the house is full.

K making the tree look pretty, just by standing next to it.

So, what's up with M? She's doing very well. Thanksgiving was her first holiday with the family and she was a trooper. She was a bit overwhelmed being surrounded by all her cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents, but she was curious and attentive. She had smiles for everyone when she wasn't sucking her thumb. After two days of parties and outings with the family and two molars working their way through her inflamed gums, she needed some rest. After a Monday of general crankiness and no sleeping (her AND me) on Tuesday emerged a child with a new tooth, a new outlook on life, and the ability to walk all over the house. M had figured out how to lift her knees when she walked and no longer was she tripping on her toes. What a proud moment for her. She started digging in her toy basket with and walking all over the house with more confidence than I had ever seen.


The whole tree ensemble this year. M didn't really take an interest in the tree until after Christmas when she would grab at the ornaments or shake the limbs until some needles came off to snack on.

I remember those leaps and bounds the twins would make after being together with their cousins. They would be fascinated and overwhelmed all at the same time with the older children. There would then be a day of processing everything that happened. They would more often than not get sick with whatever was passed around during the get-together. And then they would make developmental leaps and bounds that would astound me. It is the same with M.

C working on his Lego train that runs under the Christmas tree. M left it alone, for the most part.

Then I went a did something I probably shouldn't have done. I planned a holiday cookie exchange party for all my friends and their kids. It was so much fun (we had almost 50 people here, with more than 2/3 being kids) and I would probably do it again, but it wasn't the best thing for M. In the days I spent preparing for the party, the time I spent with her was reduced and it showed. She knew me as a busy person buzzing around her and she would only light up when either the kids or Kev were home. The party was a huge success but for M's sake I was happy when it was over. It took a couple of weeks for me to realize that we were making progress with attachment again.

Dressed up for the Christmas picture.

Christmas Eve we always spend with Kevin's family at his parents' house. M seemed much more comfortable this time with her cousins and kept trying to chew on the presents. But toward the end of the night when we were trying to get her into her sleeper for the two hour ride home she FREAKED out. Hysterics. I wondered if she thought we were going to leave her there. (It was probably just about time for a new caregiver change... 4 months?) After wrestling her into her jammies I picked her up and held her close and she inserted her thumb into her mouth and with a last whimper was comforted. Kevin wasn't able to comfort her at all.

She had to have me.

Since then she has been following me all over the house. She almost runs to me and gives my leg a hug and an open-mouthed kiss. (We all fear that she will bite us... she's got the teeth of a beaver. Very apropos that my friend, Garnet, sent her an OSU Beaver sweatshirt. We love it!)

Tasting the presents.

I've since been able to calm her hysterics during bath-time too. I was really worried that she was developing a water phobia. We can't have that in this family. All of our vacations are somehow centered around water. She HAS to be able to swim. I think she was afraid of hot water and soap in her eyes. We're doing much better now in the bath. With lukewarm water she comes out a little cool but she's happy. She runs a little hot, anyway.

M with her dog from Grandma and Grandpa. It doesn't shed!

M's babbling has increased and we think we are starting to hear the beginnings of words. We can't really be sure yet, but we think we've heard 'all done', 'da da' and I know I've heard 'ma ma mwahhhhhh'. She has recently been vocalizing loudly like she wants to tell us something, or be part of the conversation. I believe she is starting to recognize some English now and perhaps is making some mental connections between the heard word and the spoken word.

M in my ERGObaby pack. This thing is the BOMB! I can carry her on my back, front or side. She loves being so close to me. It also helps her fall asleep when she's fussy. Go out and get one right now!


A few days ago I heard M have her first belly laugh. It was a moment of pure joy for her. And then when she saw me laughing with her she became self-conscious and started sucking her thumb!

My aunt came to visit us for a few days after Christmas and we were all so happy to see her! She finally was able to meet M and M was quite responsive and happy with her. I made a turkey on Sunday so we could all enjoy a holiday meal together. Today I'm going to eat the last bit of dressing and gravy. I have no one to share it with. What a shame.

Our turkey dinner for Carole and our friend Jolanda.

So each day we continue to learn more about M, and she continues to become more confident, loving and happy. I've been reading "Toddler Adoption, the Weaver's Craft" by Mary Hopkins-Best. It has helped me through the tougher times when I feel like I have not had enough patience to be kind and loving to M. (i.e. middle of the night, when teething, overstimulation and congestion all mess with M's usually wonderful sleep patterns.) Reading has always helped me through tough times with the kids... not by changing the kids' behavior, but by changing my perspective. I suppose it's always like that.

With an adopted child it's difficult because you don't know what it was that they experienced before they came to you. With M's outlook on life, her flexibility and happy demeaner, her reaching out and showing us love and affection, I know something good must have happened in those first 11 months. And I am thankful.


Carole with her nieces and nephew at Natural Bridges State Park.

C and K are both doing well. I have been so happy to have them home for the past two weeks. It will be sad when they have to start back to school on Monday. I'm not looking forward to it. We have been having a lot of fun playing games together and reading books. Sometimes I can even get one to take a hike with me around the neighborhood.

Now, on to Christmas (or, um, holiday cards) cards, post-placement and readoption paperwork, and hopefully some exercise.

May the new year keep you in health, happiness and with no worries.
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