Love Internationale

Sophie had her first taste of water outside the bath tub today.

The verdict…water is very cool!

We splashed….

And splashed…. (that’s the dog’s swimming pool in the background)

And splashed.

Can’t wait to get her into the BIG swimming pool at grandpa’s house!

Later on, inside on the yoga mats. Oh yeah, we’re ready for summer.

Today Sophie is 11 months old and we’ve had her for TWO WHOLE months. Time flies when you’re having fun (and you have the Elmo theme song stuck in your head for days on end).

Next month she’ll be a year old!!

Sophie on 5/26

Sophie on 4/26

Sophie on 3/26

I am friendly type person and I started (and keep) this blog for waiting families as much as I keep it for family and friends. I know the pain of the wait all too well. While we waited, other people’s blogs got me through.

If you ever have any questions about the process in China or anything, leave it in the comments and I’ll address it best I can. Just opening the door.

…while Sophie rolls around in her crib next to me.

I’m putting her down for her first nap. She rolls and rolls and then suddenly…Zzzzzzzzzzzzz. She usually sleeps until 8am, but this morning she woke me up at 6. It’s a good thing she’s cute! Especially since I didn’t go to sleep until 2am (I’m a writer by profession. That means a few late nights once in a while, eh?)

She’s sitting up all the time now and can do it from any position. These days she rarely falls over. She’s starting to get up on her hands and knees and rock, but she hasn’t figured out the crawling thing yet. ALTHOUGH I think sometimes she’s trying to stand (insert look of terror here). The ped thinks she might go straight to standing because she’s so late to be learning to crawl. We’ll see. I’m not pushing her. When she wants to get somewhere, she wiggles and rolls and such.

This next Wednesday we’re having her assessed for development. Honestly, I’m more curious than worried. I think she’s doing fine.

The solid food is a go. She’s not up to Cheerios or anything hard like that yet, but she will take the chunky Nature’s Best (I think that’s the name of it) organic baby food fine and she’ll eat the baby food I make her that’s kinda chunky. I can’t get her to drink water or juice for anything. Can’t get her to take a sippy cup at all.

Oh, god, I can’t get her to let me brush her teeth! Eiiiiyeeeee! It’s like I’m trying to kill her.  LOL. She has a bunch of teeth now, btw.
Sleeping is good most nights. She goes down easily (most nights) and sleeps straight through.

She lika the Cookie Monster! Cooookie! Not so much Elmo, but Cookie Monster is a hit. She dances whenever he sings the Cookie Song.

She babbles up a storm and she’s almost saying mama! Yay! She says Mammm mammm mammmm and once in a while there’ll be a mama. Hee! Not sure she knows what she’s saying, but she’s saying it.

And we have Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Quick! I have to go take a shower!

Sometimes I still can’t believe the Universe saw fit to give us this angel to be our daughter. Sometimes I’m amazed at the amount of love my heart can hold. It feels like bursting when I look at her or I hold her. I can’t imagine having any other daughter but her. Not biological, not adopted. No one but her. The Universe wove its web and caught us up, spun us out just fine…eventually.

The Universe did well.

This year I get to celebrate mother’s day for the first time. Last year I doubted I’d ever be able to celebrate that day. Last year on mother’s day I was depressed, impatient and frustrated.

I know that’s how many will feel this mother’s day–depressed, impatient, frustrated–and, for that, I’m sorry.

I won’t say, “Once you have your daughter or son, the pain of the wait disappears,” because I hated it when people told me that during our wait. Also, it’s not true…not completely. I will always remember the awful years we waited for Sophie, though the pain has eased.

I will say that if we hadn’t submitted our application right when we did, if the wait hadn’t been as long as it was, if, if, if…we wouldn’t have Sophie Fu Duo. The Universe, in this way, worked perfectly for us. We would’ve waited much longer than we did voluntarily if we’d known we were waiting for Sophie.

But you don’t see any of that when you have a decorated, empty nursery in your home and you have empty arms to go with it. You also don’t see–even though it’s true–that you’re already a mother. You’re already planning, worrying, feeling, dreaming…for your child, even if you haven’t met him or her yet.

So even if you’re still waiting this year on mother’s day, if you can, celebrate. Your daughter or son will be with you soon. The Universe is just weaving its web right now and you’re all caught up it in.

Today Sophie finally noticed this V Day balloon that’s been floating around our ceiling. I fished it down and she had a good time with it. Cuteness ahoy.

This is what greeted us on adoption day. Two couches filled with little baby girls in pink snowsuits. It’s the image from our trip that stays with me the sharpest. Sophie is fourth from the left, the one with all the hair. When I get a chance, (er, not sure when that’s going to be), I plan to make a China video.

We went to our second ped exam yesterday. She has had blood work, ect done — everything is good. She may have a thyroid condition, but we have to recheck it because the doc thinks the results may be been skewed by stress. Otherwise, she’s in good health and has gained a pound in a month (I feel that pound in my back, let me tell you).

The state of Sophie at 10 months….

• She can sit up for prolonged periods, but can’t push up into sitting position on her own yet.
• Can stand with help.
• Doesn’t crawl, but rolls to whereever she wants to go.
• Doesn’t speak, but is starting to respond to ‘Sophie’ and responds to the words ‘kitty kat’ and ‘doggie’ (knows what they are)
• Can pick up small objects using thumb and forefinger
• Understands cause and effect — (if you push this button, there are lights and music)
• Does much better with solid foods. She’s still picky, but she’s eating everything I give her pretty well.
• Has gone from not wanting to touch anything to grabbing EVERYTHING.

We are going to have a litte outside help on development. She will soon have some physical therapy to help her catch up.

She continues to be an exceptionally good natured child. Sometimes she has meltdowns at bedtime and fights sleep. Oh, she’s stubborn too. Those meltdowns can carry on for a good two hours sometimes. I’m pretty sure this is just because she doesn’t want the party to end, not because she needs anything. Sometimes she wakes up in the wee morning hours. Ugh. Uuuugh. It could be worse, though. As sleep problems go, we’re fortunate compared to some other families. And luckily I’m able to function on a lack of sleep. *yawn* Mostly.

I *think* she’s attaching to us pretty well. It’s hard to tell. I can’t leave the room or she cries. She tends to want me close when she’s with daddy too, but she’s getting better about this one. She’s ceased doing the “charming, smiling baby” survival thing for strangers. I count this as a good sign.

All in all, I thank the Universe every day that we have her. I can’t imagine having any other daughter than Sophie Fu Duo. She’s a pure blessing and the love we feel for her is overwhelming. Isn’t it funny how these things work out?