A Living Dream

Hello Blogger Friends.

There is just no time to blog anymore.....and that makes me sad. Before we had our babies, all we did was blog and live on the computer looking up this and that about country, adoption, childcare. Now we are living the dream!!


Sophie - a.k.a. Little Mighty

This is Sophie today.....4 months home. She has grown 4 inches, gone up from 6 month clothing to 9 and 12 month clothing. Gone up 3 shoe sizes to a size 4 and almost a 5. She has not gained any weight though.....like 2 pounds. But doc feels there was water loss in extended tummy due to malnutrition because she is looks more filled out and has lost most of the extended tummy. Plus it's been redistributed with the additional height. But I keep pumping this Southern cooking into her and a nightly bottle of PediaSure.

She's a really great eater. Eats a great breakfast every morning.....which she wants the minute she wakes up. I have learned to cook the oatmeal BEFORE getting her out of bed. She has not waivered from the morning oatmeal. I have tried grits, sausages, bacon, pancakes, biscuits, cereal, etc. She will nibble on it all, but WANTS THAT OATMEAL. So, no problem. Easy to make and it comes in various flavors. She is starting to show little interest in lunch. She doesn't eat much, but usually eats a good dinner. She's not very picky, but really doesn't like regular milk, cheese, salad or fresh fruits. Her favorites are oatmeal, mashed potatos, yogurt, meatballs, green beans, rice, beets, and shrimp. She likes the weirdest stuff sometimes though.....like Collard Greens, goat's milk and organic breads and cookies....you know, the kind that taste like cardboard. She's not big on sweets, but loves, loves, loves my jellybean jar in the kitchen.

The Big Easy with Cassie, Katherine, Neill & Carlos

We recently took our first vacation together....to New Orleans with some of the theatre kids. I didn't want to get too far from home or put her on an airplane again yet. I took my mom with me too.....well, cause we're theatre people and we had to see theatre at night!! Oh and the casino!!

Sophie learning to count cards

Walking around the fountain

Tossing a penny into the fountain

Aquarium in NOLA...Not too happy this morning

Happier at lunch time!!

Lovin on mama

Our only real issue is speech delay, a minor thyroid problem and lack of weight gain. We are working with a Speech Therapist and a Play Therapist. Seeing a specialist about the thyroid and giving her some time on the weight gain. She really isn't talking much....says Mama, Bye-Bye, Night-Night, Hi, John Thomas (her cousins name, which comes out JaTaTa), and Big Truck (random). I can tell she is trying to say down and outside, but comes out as babytalk. She does alot of babbling. She does understand us, our commands.....like sit down, come here, etc. She's doing well with drawing, stacking, etc. I think she's bright, but I'm her mama. Only time will tell if she has any learning disabilities. We'll just select our education course accordingly.

She has been a great sleeper since the day she came home. She sleeps 10-12 hours each night and takes a 2-3 hour nap everyday.....leaning more towards 2 hours now. She finally lets me rock her and cuddle her at night. But she likes to fall asleep on her own......unless she's super tired. We have our little nightly routine that I love so much.

I can't tell yet if she's going to be a girly-girl or a tomboy. Maybe a little of both. She is very flexible though, so she will start in gymnastics and ballet at age 3 or 4 and see how that goes. I'm still at home with her since my summer work load is light. In September, she'll start going to Mother's Morning Out 2 days a week and stay with my mother those afternoons while I go to work, I'll stay home with her 2 days and she'll go to work with me on Fridays. She goes to Sunday School every Sunday and loves the other kids. She doesn't mind me leaving her AT ALL. But, is squealing with excitement when I pick her up. Does a mama's heart good.

I love her so much. I should have done this years ago. Sophie and I fit like a glove. We are so much alike in personality.


Night-Night baby girl

Well, that's all I can think of for now. I've scheduled my first post-placement report with my home study agency. Guess I better go scrub all the baby gunk and clean up. Take care everyone. Happy Summer.