I think our Phebe girl has met her match with Halloween!
She hadn't the slightest idea what all the fuss was about, with her big sister running around squealing with excitement, but there is one thing for sure about our new daughter... she will NOT be outdone when it comes to excitement, or anything else really!
So first of all she was supposed to be a Superhero, because Lilah wanted to be 'twins' and being a Superhero was Lilah's choice. well, that was until Halloween morning arrived and then there was a huge change of heart around this house. Lucky enough we have a closet full of little costumes and hats and whatnot... so our Lilah girl decided to go with a bunny rabbit mask and tail. And Phebe, well, I gave her a choice of the Superhero outfit and the Tinkerbell dress. I'm secretly thrilled she chose the dress... my poor baby girl gets enough boy comments, because of her lack of hair and there is no doubt she would have gotten a few more if she'd worn that Superhero costume! Speaking of hair, it is growing rapidly, it can just about hold a clip!
So Lilah's change of heart was a blessing in disguise!
And did she ever keep up with her big sister, while out trick or treating! Man those little legs were flying! She had so much fun. And when I said she met her match in Halloween, it was everything to do with the treats she received. I just let them eat as much candy as they could, because tomorrow, they'll disappear!
What Lilah could eat in candy in a week, Phebe can definitely eat in a day, maybe even an hour! She is definitely our sweet tooth in the family!
Love my little Tinkerbell.
It started out like this - this picture was taking a couple of weeks ago.
(See what I mean about the 'boy comments'!) ...sorry Phebe!
*************************************************************************************
Then Lilah popped this hat on her head last Sunday and she seem to be channelling the whole witch theme!
She even made us a brew! Just tea, no worries!
*************************************************************************************
And finally the beautiful Tinkerbell emerged in all her glory.
*************************************************************************************
Her favourite part... the eating of the collected loot!
*************************************************************************************
And finally, waiting for all those trick or treaters to come to our home!
[ the flickr set is here ]
We find delight in the beauty and happiness of children that makes the heart too big for the body.
~Ralph Emerson
I can hardly stop photographing everything and anything about the Fall!
The colours are breathtaking and every single time I step out the door, I kinda wish I'd brought along my camera!
I took these pictures last week. I'd been planning on getting some family photos during this beautiful season, however, I'm not too sure if that is going to happen this year. So, when I spotted this gorgeous yellow tree one day last week, I figured it would be a nice backdrop to a few pictures of my girls, together, having fun. It was a last minute decision, but sometimes they are the best decisions!
Today was Phebe's first appointment at the Adoption Clinic in CHEO (Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario).
Phebe did great. As far as cognitively, this girl is way ahead of the game! Gross motor skills, fine motor skills, developmentally - everything seems great.
Her height and head circumference is around the 50th percentile. Her weight is low, something like 10th percentile. We're not 100% sure, but that could be to do with her heart condition, because believe me, our Phebe girl can eat! There is a chance that her heart is working harder because of the VSD, which is keeping her weight low. Her VSD is definitely there - as we were told by the Doctor in Beijing. In fact, we are still waiting for a referral for a cardiologist at CHEO, but after Dr. MacDonnell listened to her heart today, she said she would take a walk over to the Cardiology Department and have a chat with them to see if she could hurry things along a little.
Phebe is not 'at risk' and outwardly she has no signs of having a heart condition, but you can feel the rasping when you put your hand on her chest and there is a swooshing noise (blood flowing through the chamber of her heart, where the hole is) when listening with the stethoscope. She will probably need surgery - although we will have to consult with the Cardiologist to know for sure. We are hoping that the surgery and patching of the hole can be done via keyhole surgery.
Just thinking about my little girl undergoing surgery drains me a little, I feel anxious about the idea of it. But I knew when we accepted Phebe's referral that I would do anything for her. I remember our co-ordinator asking us if we needed time to consult with a doctor to find our how bad her heart condition was. I just remember thinking that it didn't matter, we'd do anything for this child... we were totally smitten and our love was unconditional from the moment we saw her little face.
And here we are. We are MORE than smitten. We are truly in love! She has a way about her that I can't exactly say what, but it just makes you fall in love with her, over and over again, in so many different little ways.
Chasing Mama through the neighbourhood, with a big stick... is pretty entertaining, to a 2 year old!
My sweet funny girl likes to see her Mama run and hear her Mama squeal!
Phebe finds Lilah's bedroom really tempting.
There's nothing much special in it, so I'm not sure what the attraction is, however she regularly disappears in there... mostly when Lilah is at school and isn't around to "defend it", as her private property! A week or more ago, after changing a pretty stinky diaper and bagging it, Phebe likes to take it off me and carry it around for a bit before disposing of it, usually in the garbage, but on this particular day she threw her little bomb right under Lilah's bed! And ran away giggling.
Oh my. That Phebe Jayne has a wicked sense of humor!
She was back in there today, mostly checking out the mirror and tonight as Lilah was lying in bed, just before bedtime prayers, she suddenly asked me: "Why has my mirror got lots of sticky handprints on it?"
Eeks! BUSTED!
The good part in all this, is that Lilah's room is full of natural light and today as Phebe was waddling around, I managed to run downstairs, grab my camera and get a handful of pictures of my beautiful girl!
<< note to self - don't forget to clean the mirrors - daily >>
This past week we've been taking Phebe out for spins on her birthday present - a Radio Flyer tricycle - that I don't have to bend over, plus I can also steer it with the handle. Oh yeah! I love it! And so does Phebe!
She now understands my requests for: "Hold on tight!" and "Put your feet up!" Most of the time she works with me, but then there's the other times that she drags the toes of her shoes on the footpath and turns around and just grins at me, as if to say... "Yeah yeah yeah, whatever Mama!"
The girl is all rascal! Honestly, every single time I say the word 'come', she runs the other way, usually to a corner somewhere, giggling her head off. She thinks it's a game! I'm usually wrestling her to put on her shoes, coat, hat... anything really! She's so wiggly and giggly. It's definitely a whole new parenting experience for me! Today we dropped by a local clothing store, I took my eyes off her for half a second (because the lady that owns the store said something to me) and when I turned around, there she was, she'd climbed up the 2 steps and was standing in the middle of the window display! She is comical in everything she does. I'm never entirely sure if I should be laughing or telling her 'no'!
The weather is chilly but beautiful here. I love the Fall weather and since my girly likes to be outdoors, well, we try to be out there as much as possible. She loves getting knee deep in leaves and running through them! Winter is getting close... I'm trying to prepare myself for it. Today we walked up to the library and I signed us up for Thursday morning 'Toddlertime', because we're definitely going to need some indoor activities when the weather turns colder!
It's so nice to be getting into a routine now. My hubby returns to work on Monday, it's been wonderful having him with us throughout the past 6 weeks. He's hoping to work short weeks, right up to Christmas and we couldn't be happier!
"Gobble Gobble" - We did a lot of that today!
Hope you have much to be thankful for today, and every day.
Turkey Headband - created by Lilah and modeled by Phebe!
Just a few short posts ago, I was writing about attachment and how little Phebe was having a hard time opening her heart to me.
There was a fear in her eyes. I knew she was connecting me with something from her past and I knew it wasn't easy for her to let another Mama into her life. I'd read books and articles and blogs on the subject. I understood the theory and why this was happening. But it was still a hard pill to swallow. Rejection is hard. Especially when you love that little person so very much.
I can hardly believe in the two short weeks we've been home from China, that things changed so quickly for us. We spent a lot of alone time together and now she plays, hugs, kisses and has opened her heart, to trust me and to receive the love I have for her. Which is huge. Especially for a little two year old that has been taken away from everything. And the only lady she ever knew, to be her Mama.
On this Thanksgiving weekend I can't help but think about the rejection our Lord Jesus faces on a daily basis, from this world. Even though His love for us is huge, so huge that He died for us. He died for ME. He bore MY sin. The rejection of my new daughter was a tough lesson for me... but looking back, I do honestly feel blessed in a way that I never thought possible. Blessed that the Lord has opened my eyes and given me a little insight into His love for us, the children he created, even in the face of rejection.
1 John 4:
10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
16) And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
19) We love Him, because He first loved us.
Thank you Lord for the many lessons on this path that you've lead us. I wouldn't change a single minute of this incredible journey.
copy cat [kop-ee-kat]
a person or thing that copies, imitates, mimics, or follows the lead of another
When I said Phebe loves to copy her sister, I wasn't joking!
Phebe is really getting into our routine now.
Every morning we get dressed, have breakfast and then we walk Lilah to school. When we were bouncing our bums down the stairs this morning, to get our shoes on... Phebe was singing her heart out. I love to hear her sing, because I know how happy and comfortable she is when she's singing. After we drop Lilah off at school, Phebe and I usually head out somewhere: shopping, appointments, etc... you name it, we get out and do it. This girl loves to get out and about.
Today, instead of getting out and about right away, we came into the house for a while and Miss Phebe wasn't long at bringing over my shoes and dropping them at my feet! My girl doesn't always needs words for what she wants! Funny girl!
Phebe and I also started a 'Mommy and Me' playgroup in our area this week. I can tell she has a longing to play with the other kiddies, it's obvious when we drop Lilah off at school, she never wants to leave! So we joined a Tuesday playgroup and she really enjoyed her first day there, this past Tuesday. The sand table was a big hit for her and the singing, oh wow... she really enjoyed doing all the actions, clapping her hands and her knees, twirling her arms around. She is such a sweetie - she has such a outgoing little personality.
I have a feeling that music is something she is going to excel in.
One of my favourite things right now is how she kisses and hugs us, and blows kisses too. We are putty in her hands, and she knows it!
Don't think I mentioned this before, but at the start she wouldn't let us put a hat on her. And now, she won't let us take the hat off her, without a bit of squalking! She has even been known to nap with her hat on!
Well, first of all, Phebe started sleeping all through the night... it took us 5 days! By Saturday night we were all on Eastern Standard Time and we could not have been happier! Ahhhh! Life is good! I think I've mentioned what a great sleeper Phebe is, she sleeps 11-12 hours at night and on Sunday morning, I woke to the sound of her lying in the crib clapping her hands and chattering away to herself. What a happy girl! (Oh yes, and she also naps for 1-2 hours during the day too!)
She is SUCH a smart girl. She can follow simple directions now - like brushing her teeth, come to me, let's go, get a new diaper, dirty clothes (she knows they go in the washing machine). She can say lots of new English words and basically repeats everything we tell her - especially everything Lilah says! She understands the meaning of and can say: shoes, bus, ears, hi, bye-bye, hat, Lilah, Baba, Mama, Phebe (she says Bebe!!), go-go-go, apple, nom-nom (food), bib, dirty, pee-pee, bath, two (her age!) etc... I can't even think of them all right now. She has little funny expressions too - every animal, including pictures in books and the owls on her bib, when she sees them, she makes a little high pitch bark... it's so cute. When she drops something, she puts her hand on her forehead and says "Oh nooooooooo!" - it makes me laugh every.single.time. She makes a brrm brrm sounds for any moving vehicle. She points her (peter pointer) finger, shakes it and says in a high pitch voice "NO-NO-NO!"
Simply put - she cracks us up! In fact, in everything she does... she basically tries to make us laugh! She is a real little funny woman! It's hard to believe that she has only been part of our family for 3 weeks.
She loves to eat and she eats anything and everything! The only thing we notice she is having difficulty with, is anything that is straight out of the fridge. She isn't used to the cool temperatures. Like yogurt for example, we have to leave it out of the fridge for a while, so she can eat it. And ice-cream, well that has also taken a while to get used to, but I think we have her sold! The only thing that worries us right now is the milk situation. She will take milk/cream in her porridge and any other type of meal that I cook with cream. However, she will not touch a bottle of milk. We were told that she took a bottle at morning and night when she lived in the SWI and we even bought the formula in China to mix, but she won't take it unfortunately.
And now, the best part of this post... Our relationship! Phebe and I have made huge strides in the last week as far as attachment goes. Each day we would go off together: we did grocery shopping, went to the park, the coffee shop, walked Lilah to school, played together, etc, etc. And I am happy to report that she is giggling and smiling and coming to me now... without the screaming and fear and hesitation that she did in the past. And my of my, this Mama's heart is SUPER happy.
Oh, and she plays peek-a-boo with me too. Have I mentioned she's unbelievably cute? She has captured my heart in a HUGE way.
One of my prayers, after we received Phebe's referral in March, was to have our girly home for her 2nd birthday.
And here we are, home as a family, celebrating with our baby girl.
Feeling SO thankful today.
Happy Birthday to our beautiful 2 year old. We couldn't be more proud of you.
And later that evening, after Lilah got home from school, we had cake.
She was a bit confused about the whole thing!
