Happy belated 10 Months Addi-boo!

Take 2. . .I started this on the 22nd, and here I am, still trying to get this post posted. . .

So with each passing day, I think to myself, blogger has post options. . .I can surely back date this so I wouldn't appear to be a slacker mom and miss Addi's first year of monthly posts. And then I realize, this is life. I'm allowing myself some grace. Just wait. . .there's apparently some seriously long grace periods on posting about your summer vacation. If I don't hurry up this little one will be running right past me!

1. Good-bye baby food, Hello pancakes, spaghetti, carrots, cheerios, mac n cheese and grilled cheese. (Don't lecture me - I have three kids age 5 and under, I don't cook, and if it's good enough for her older siblings, well, a little artificial coloring aint gonna hurt her.)

2. Good-bye army crawl, Hello crawl-master!

3. Good-bye "someone please carry me" - Hello, I'll just meet you guys in a minute -

4. Good-bye dust balls, Hello new stick vac for Mom so she can pretend to be that lady on TV who cooks, does laundry, bakes, and throws cookies up in the air to be caught with no crumbs by her offspring. Oh, and the clothes hang themselves up too. . .Reality check - Mommy sometimes has to vaccuum multiple times a day before I shove dog hair, or leftover crumbs from my brother and sister in my mouth. Did I mention I'm quick?

5. Good-bye beloved soft quilt and gumball machine, Hello PLAY ROOM - Thanks for creating a corral for me mom. Now you won't have to buy Peyt a horse or a goat. Oh, and I'm a pretty good fan cheering him on as he performs for me. Shhh, he thinks he's a REAL rock star.

6. Good-bye baby buth tub, Hello shower, or kitchen sink, depending on Mom's ability to hold my squirmy, sudsy body mood.

7. Good-bye lolli-pop reflection, Hello proportioned and petite. Watch out Gracyn, I'm wearing your clothes Mom brought to Taiwan for you when you were 2!

8. Good-bye restaurants, Hello I can SCREAM! Loudly.

9. Good-bye infant confinement exersaucer, Hello PARK with a swing just for me?

10. Good-bye blogging time for Mommy, Hello can you catch me?

Addi is quite the copycat. She has learned to wave, clap, "sing", and do some motions to Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. She loves her stroller, and falls asleep readily when being toted around from place to place. She hates to be left behind, or to have an empty tray in front of her. She loves carrots, is enjoying pasta, and gets excited if Mommy has a cup of ice cold water in hand. She "talks" in her own language. Knocks on the tray for more food. Squeezes her hands like ASL for milk but for more food, and kicks her feet if she wants to eat. . .wait a minute, do see a pattern here? She is growing more attached to her paci, less interested in her bottle, likes to climb on the slide, and play with balls and blocks. She makes up her own games. She'll find something in her crib, grab it, drop it over the top, and then pull it out through the slats. I know, you're wondering why we have such a large and expensive shape sorter. Not to fear. It also serves as a nightstand for me and my laptop. Oh, and a guard rail in case I get up for a late night snack. Addi knows kung fu, I kid you not. I'll have to try to get that on video. (Thanks Gong-Gong. Mom says next time we should work on our ABC's.) She loves bath time, hates being handed off to anyone by Mom, and prefers to sleep on or at least next to another human being. The musical seahorse is cute, but isn't quite cutting it yet. I invested in Sophie the giraffe because she mouths everything. Everything except for Sophie. Maybe I shouldn't take those reviews on Amaz*n so seriously.

Addi - You are such a sweet baby. You smile and kick with such joy when you see someone you love. You laugh at your big brother who has composed many songs for you in your short life! Your sister babbles right back at ya, as if you two have a secret language. You're starting to grow some hair, but not a lot sweetie pie. And we must find some more of those thin and really soft headbands so you stop pulling them off! People say you don't look as much like your big brother as you used to. You enjoy eating, and you'll sit long enough for mommy and daddy to finish a meal too! You already cry if someone takes away a toy dangerous item, or if you are told "no, no" - You seem to have shrunk around your mid-section, and are back into those 3-6 mos pants! What happened to the baby fat? You're not even 1 yet! You are such the cuddle bug and recently started resting your head down on my shoulder, on my chest, on my leg, and well, anywhere you feel like it to get comfy. Shhh, mommy loves it. You can cuddle wherever, and however you want. I am so blessed to be your Mommy. . .If I don't hit "publish post" now, I'm afraid you'll be walking. And acutally, you're starting to stir because I'm not in bed but at the table a whole 10 feet away from you. . .see, no more proofreading, spell-checking, I'm just going to hit the orange button now.

p.s.
Sorry I haven't posted your cowgirl pictures, or your first dip in the pool. I've videotaped you trying to crawl. . . Well, way back when I also got you rolling over, but now you're really crawling, and really fast, and well, you just don't really give me much time to blog anymore! Let alone upload anything to YouT*be. It doesn't mean I love you any less. I know your brother and sister have more posts, more pictures, more videos, more "comments" from our wonderful bloggy pals to keep and read when you're all grown up, but I swear, I don't love you any less. Forgive me! Love you Addi-boo. . .this might become your new name - it's starting to catch on. Now your cousins call you Addi-boo too. . .

 

 

Oh my. . .I had to go to Post Options to change the date to today, which is the 26th? Really, it's the 26th??? Already? Had to check my e-mail to confirm that one. And if I don't hurry it will soon be the 27th.

Following in my footsteps. . .

When I first started this blog it was with the intention of documenting our adoption journey to Gracyn. About 2 years ago, we were still waiting for First Decree, and I was a stress ball. I had yet to learn how to lay it before His feet, and carried so much burden on my shoulders. We had received very few updates, very few photos, watched other families receive referrals, travel and return home while we still waited.

I googl*d Ping Tung, the city where Gracyn was living. I would find as many photos of Ping Tung and match the style of home and furniture with the few photos of her foster family's home. I would study the photos over and over again try to imagine what Gracyn looked like (we had old pictures), what her voice would sound like, and wondered how big she had grown since our referral which was back in the Fall of 2008. I actually figured out where she lived and had believed at that time that I knew what tribe her foster family originated from, and it turned out that I was correct. I knew in my heart I was, which is why before I met her I picked up jewelry for her specific to the family's Paiwan tribe.

On Gotcha Day, When I began to start asking questions through the translator I quickly learned that God had answered my prayers. Gracyn had been with a Christian family her whole life. She knew Him, she knew church, and once home she so comfortably would raise her hand up to Him during worship. For those of you who have followed along since we first started this blog, do you remember all of those photos of her looking up at the sky? Some looked like she was praising God. I didn't know what she was doing exactly, but now I believe she was in fact praising God, and praying for her heart to heal from the grief of losing the only family that she knew.

We never believed those who said the transition period could take the same amount of time as the time she was apart from us, which meant two years. Well, we're nearing the two year mark, and things are really settling in. Sure, we're still dealing with some tantrum issues, and some minor sensory issues, but my "girlfriend" has come a long way. When she first came home, I would find myself staring at her trying to figure out who she took after. Who she got her beautiful eyes from, her clumsiness quirky gait, her love of music, and her love of dancing. One of the few happy moments we shared in Taiwan was after I listened to music that warmed my heart just in time for that first kiss. Remember this post?

Today, I can't say that I really ever think about where her likes and dislikes come from. She's His child, and He chose me to be her Mommy, and well, she's following in MY footsteps and making my heart melt. She's still learning how to use full sentences, but after she saw her big brother take Kinderdance, she said to me, "Mommy, tap shoes?" - Heck YES girlfriend!

Me: "Mommy buy you tap shoes!"
Gracyn: "Mommy you buy me tap shoes?"
Me: "You learn how to go pee pee on the potty, and Mommy buy you tap shoes."
Gracyn: Sitting on the toilet, "You buy me tap shoes?"

QUESTION: Do you know how many times a child pees while potty training?! Especially when they're really tiny with small bladders and love to drink juice? And do you know how persistent she is? And how well her little memory works?

 

ANSWER:
Way too many times. I confess that she still isn't fully potty trained, but since she not only got my love for dancing, but she also got my persistence and memory - well, there's no point in that battle. . .I know. Trust me. She's still talking about her tap shoes almost daily and has only had 2 lessons. . .

 

As a girl who spent most of her young life in a dance studio, this makes me want to dance. . .

 

But seriously, do you see how interested she is in these ballet shoes?!

 

Sweet, sweet girl. . .

 

I love this one. . .

 

So curious. . .

 

And seriously, who could say no to these eyes?!

 

Gracyn, you may have been grown in my heart, and a gift from God, but girlfriend, you are following in my footsteps being my girly girl. Now if you'd just stop hiding from the camera, we'd be set! I can't believe how much you've grown. You've grown into yourself, into our home, into our family. I pray that you will be content with the life He has given you. You are so silly, you love chocolate more than me, and yes, I will buy you M&M pj's to match mine if I can ever find any. You love to play with dolls now (which your report from Taiwan said you were afraid of) and you love to play "Mommy" and wash your baby Josie (formerly Gracie May). Love you baby girl. . .And yes, I am your "friend" but I'm also MOMMY, okay? You'll have lots of friends before you know it. Who could resist your smile?

Shhh. . .I didn't really buy the tap shoes. They were hand-me-downs from her cousin who only wore them a few times about 8 years ago. I found them in the give away pile and held on to them until now. . .Cost savings warranted buying her a ballet skirt that she also sucked me convinced into buying. You can't possibly believe that last line, right? I need no convincing to buy ballet skirts, tap shoes, hair bows, or any accessory for that matter.

Did I mention she also likes to shop? And has grasped the concept of putting clothes into the cart at Targ*t???

Oh geez - this got really long didn't it??? Lisa - you're rubbing off on me!