Oh my gosh...I'm such a blog slacker. I just looked and the last post was May. Yikes.
Well...it's been a nutty summer and an even crazier Fall.
Alina turn 2 years old back in April. Which of course all my faithful followers read about. She's now 40 inches tall and 36 pounds. Instead of worry about malnutrition, I'm having to find 3T and 4T clothes that can fit my little amazon. Fortunately, her growth spurts seem to be finally slowing down. She went through 4 shoes sizes since Christmas, but only one shoe size over summer. I've been reading that Toddler time they tend to slow down. She's still a full head taller than every kid in her class.
When she turned 2 years old I kept expecting the terrible twos to start appearing. I didn't appear. Two months pass, and she's still the same sweet little girl....THEN!! Nothing....until...suddenly about 3 weeks ago Miss Independent had a full blown fit in the grocery store. I'd never seen anything like that out of her. We changed from her same daycare class about 3 weeks ago and that's when the fun began. I'm sure the messed up schedule and restructured class had part of it. But now she has several other kids to learn nasty techniques from. Oh joy!
We're starting all over again. I've done more time outs in the last few weeks than the entire previous year. So frustrating.
But! With that is the trade off of how much fun she is. She's so inquisitive and smart. She's learning routines, conversation, songs, and her personality is sparkling. Such a Ham!
We've added more nicknames...we play 'What is your name today?'...she tells us what to call her. She loves that game :)
We went on three mini-vacations this summer visiting the Georgia Aquarium with friends and to the zoo here in Birmingham. The great part of these trips was we hooked up with some other couples we met in russia who adopted kids from the same orphanage as us. Their kids are doing great too and its so neat to see the children blossoming so much.
Well, much love. I'll try to be more consistent...but work and miss thing keep us on our toes.
Much love to all.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Birthdays and Mothers Days
Well, Alina turned two on April 30th...it's like that momentous date has started the next phase in officiating her toddlerhood. Until lately she has still been so babish even if she is the size of a 3 year old. But just in the last week I ask her, how old are you 'TWO' she happily and proudly announces at the top of her lungs. We have established the use of please and thank you.
Miss thing will now no longer allow me to help her into her car seat. She climbs in and then regally allows me to buckle her in. Her favorite phrase right now is 'I did it' or 'I got it'. She so proud of herself and she should be. She's such an awesome little kid. She's her Daddy's delight and her Momma joy.
Mothers Day this Sunday she would not take a nap so we spent the whole day with a loopy crazy little girl. But she's such a hoot and silly when she gets that way. By bedtime she's stumbling around. The bath immediately gets her into bedtime book and snuggle mode.
Someone told me a year ago that it would take about 12 months to really really get her connected with us. They weren't lying. For every month in the orphanage it takes two months to recover. She was there 10 months of her little life and we're 1/2 of the way. If she's still got another 12 months to overcome any residuals from being in an orphanage I can't wait to see who this little girl is going to be. She's so amazing.
I got a present from Andy for Mother's Day, but that little energetic bundle on my lap that made it. Mothers day before 2009 meant I was sending my Mom flowers or doing something for my mother-in-law. Now, its a celebration of the life of my family which is a living breathing whole and the center for me.
Happy Mothers Day to all the Moms and Mom's to Be out there. You can be a Mother to someone in need everyday that needs one. Adoptions is AWESOME!
Miss thing will now no longer allow me to help her into her car seat. She climbs in and then regally allows me to buckle her in. Her favorite phrase right now is 'I did it' or 'I got it'. She so proud of herself and she should be. She's such an awesome little kid. She's her Daddy's delight and her Momma joy.
Mothers Day this Sunday she would not take a nap so we spent the whole day with a loopy crazy little girl. But she's such a hoot and silly when she gets that way. By bedtime she's stumbling around. The bath immediately gets her into bedtime book and snuggle mode.
Someone told me a year ago that it would take about 12 months to really really get her connected with us. They weren't lying. For every month in the orphanage it takes two months to recover. She was there 10 months of her little life and we're 1/2 of the way. If she's still got another 12 months to overcome any residuals from being in an orphanage I can't wait to see who this little girl is going to be. She's so amazing.
I got a present from Andy for Mother's Day, but that little energetic bundle on my lap that made it. Mothers day before 2009 meant I was sending my Mom flowers or doing something for my mother-in-law. Now, its a celebration of the life of my family which is a living breathing whole and the center for me.
Happy Mothers Day to all the Moms and Mom's to Be out there. You can be a Mother to someone in need everyday that needs one. Adoptions is AWESOME!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
2 years old
Well Alina turns 2 years old next week. I can't beleive my baby is going to be so grown up.
She's talking a lot more these days. Kind of a little parrot. She doesn't do sentences, but she comments in two word responses sometimes. She's really good at saying 'No, Daddy'.
We started swim lessons 2 weeks ago so she will be ready for the summer and going to the beach a few times. She has learned climb out of the pool with help, kick, stick her face in the water...but she REALLY loves to jump in. So funny. She comes up smiling and sputtering water. We swim and practice bubbles too. She's not so good at that yet, but coming along. The days we do swim lessons she is very worn out and she sleeps like a log.
I've been looking for the Terrible Twos signs, and there have been a few, and they are just now showing up. If we use the No word, she fusses and cries sometimes. She's also getting into the 'Must have Mommy' mode and doing the leg leech. I get ready to go in the morning and she waits until my arms are full and wants to be picked up. But I love her inquisitivness which is showing so strongly.
She's interested in everything. Ever since Easter, she has been egg obsessed. She will still carry her basket around and put all her plastic eggs on the floor and then put them all back. She can spend 20 minutes with one egg, open close..open close. Such a funny bunny.
Sorry I haven't posted in so long. Hope you are all well.
She's talking a lot more these days. Kind of a little parrot. She doesn't do sentences, but she comments in two word responses sometimes. She's really good at saying 'No, Daddy'.
We started swim lessons 2 weeks ago so she will be ready for the summer and going to the beach a few times. She has learned climb out of the pool with help, kick, stick her face in the water...but she REALLY loves to jump in. So funny. She comes up smiling and sputtering water. We swim and practice bubbles too. She's not so good at that yet, but coming along. The days we do swim lessons she is very worn out and she sleeps like a log.
I've been looking for the Terrible Twos signs, and there have been a few, and they are just now showing up. If we use the No word, she fusses and cries sometimes. She's also getting into the 'Must have Mommy' mode and doing the leg leech. I get ready to go in the morning and she waits until my arms are full and wants to be picked up. But I love her inquisitivness which is showing so strongly.
She's interested in everything. Ever since Easter, she has been egg obsessed. She will still carry her basket around and put all her plastic eggs on the floor and then put them all back. She can spend 20 minutes with one egg, open close..open close. Such a funny bunny.
Sorry I haven't posted in so long. Hope you are all well.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Jabber, Jabber, Jabber
We now have a talker. Okay, still not clear...but within the last few weeks we have gone from a 5 word vocabulary to 30 words on a regular basis. "Gotta go" in the mornings, 'Night Night', Ball/Book/Elmo/Cookie Monster (monter)/Baaah for sheep/Love You/ and much much more. Startling becuase we went from nonsense and suddenly there's something coming out of that you can recognize.
Alina has figured out who she is and says 'Nina' talking about herself. She points to herself.
This past month has been so great because her personality is starting to really emerge. She's such a happy and smart little lady.
She loves daycare and playing with the other little kids, but she loves being with Mommy and Daddy too. She's getting more and more demonstrative with hugs and kisses.
For attachment issues, we had continued her milk bottle for 9 extra months. Now we're trying to get away from it. It's her morning coffee. So the days we don't do it...we have a cranky baby with tantrum tendencies. The sweet goes out the window....but we love her crank highness anyway.
She's the highlight of our lives and much loved.
Hope you are having a good year.
Alina has figured out who she is and says 'Nina' talking about herself. She points to herself.
This past month has been so great because her personality is starting to really emerge. She's such a happy and smart little lady.
She loves daycare and playing with the other little kids, but she loves being with Mommy and Daddy too. She's getting more and more demonstrative with hugs and kisses.
For attachment issues, we had continued her milk bottle for 9 extra months. Now we're trying to get away from it. It's her morning coffee. So the days we don't do it...we have a cranky baby with tantrum tendencies. The sweet goes out the window....but we love her crank highness anyway.
She's the highlight of our lives and much loved.
Hope you are having a good year.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
1st Anniversary
Tommorrow is the 1st anniversary of meeting our daughter! I was looking at the calendar and had to go back and reference my blog. Knew it was the week I was there, but it was such a shock to think that its been that long. Just seems like yesterday but also like forever ago.
This has been a most awesome time with Alina. She has evolved from a quiet, reserved little baby. Now she's a rambuncious pistol who loves to hug, run, holler at the top of her lungs when she sees her Mommy and Daddy. She constantly brings us books. Splashes in the tub (she used to be afraid of the tub some). She understands what we say to her and is starting to speak different words like 'Cracker,Nite-Nite, and Look Daddy!'. She will climb up and go down the slide by herself. She knows all the names of her grandparents and can mostly say them ... Nana, Mimi (Memaw), Judy (Juju), and Pop (Bop).
There are so many little things and so many big things...can't begin to list them all. So much of a blessing. I thank the Lord every day for her, even when she is saying 'NO!'.
I haven't blogged much the last few months but I will periodically still come on. Not too much extra to say as we just go about our day to day. Each day we go to work/daycare and each day we come home and eat dinner, play, read, take baths, read more books, sing songs, and then go to bed. Thats Monday through Friday. Weekends we clean house (if Munchkin lets us). Fight to get her to nap. Play, read, love, and live life. I think that's the best testiment to the state of our family. We are just that, a family.
Much love to all. Hope you have a wonderful New Year.
This has been a most awesome time with Alina. She has evolved from a quiet, reserved little baby. Now she's a rambuncious pistol who loves to hug, run, holler at the top of her lungs when she sees her Mommy and Daddy. She constantly brings us books. Splashes in the tub (she used to be afraid of the tub some). She understands what we say to her and is starting to speak different words like 'Cracker,Nite-Nite, and Look Daddy!'. She will climb up and go down the slide by herself. She knows all the names of her grandparents and can mostly say them ... Nana, Mimi (Memaw), Judy (Juju), and Pop (Bop).
There are so many little things and so many big things...can't begin to list them all. So much of a blessing. I thank the Lord every day for her, even when she is saying 'NO!'.
I haven't blogged much the last few months but I will periodically still come on. Not too much extra to say as we just go about our day to day. Each day we go to work/daycare and each day we come home and eat dinner, play, read, take baths, read more books, sing songs, and then go to bed. Thats Monday through Friday. Weekends we clean house (if Munchkin lets us). Fight to get her to nap. Play, read, love, and live life. I think that's the best testiment to the state of our family. We are just that, a family.
Much love to all. Hope you have a wonderful New Year.
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