My second Mother's Day! Wow! How time has flown! We have a beautiful, playful, intelligent little girl who we met just 13 short months ago. Today she has beautiful black hair that blows in the wind (instead of the short "peach fuzz" she had then). She's grown 6" and gained 6 pounds! She LOVES balls and will probably play soccer someday. She loves music and dancing so she'll probably be on stage someday in some capacity. She's also quite a monkey so she'll probably be in gymnastics someday. Whatever she ends up doing, I want to make sure she enjoys it and isn't doing it just to make me/us happy.
I look at her (sometimes I can't help staring!) and am amazed at her every day. We are completely (and wonderfully) oblivious to what she SHOULD be doing at her age so we have been able to "meet her where she is." The one thing we wish she were doing now is talking. We realize that she hasn't heard English her whole life but she understands almost everything we say or ask her to do. We are told she's not behind in talking "'cause my son/nephew/cousin's kid didn't talk till they were 3." Every child is different so she'll talk when she's ready -- and she'll "talk in paragraphs" as her speech therapist says!
Being a mom has changed my life in so many ways. I've had to get used to a new schedule -- sometimes with no particular goal for the day! That was kind of difficult for me since I've had to go to work every day for how many years? I remember the first Monday after we came home. We were still dealing with jet lag. Tony went to work. I got up and got ready, got Meighan up, gave her breakfast, dressed her and set her down in the living room. Then I thought, "Now what?" We had a few toys but we'd only known her for less than two weeks! What did she want to do? I don't remember what we did -- other than take a nap! -- that day, but I guess we figured it out!
Now, she likes books, Elmo, Yo Gabba Gabba, dancing, running, being tickled, being outside, blowing bubbles, balls of all kinds, music, lasagna, ice cream, chocolate (like Mama like daughter), laughing, climbing anything, drinking from a straw and sleeping in her "new" Big Girl bed since this past Friday night. We are working on other "big girl" things, too.
She's moving into 18-month sized clothes. She has wonderful fine motor skills. She jumps, balances on one foot, stands on top of her "bike" seat and balances, kicks and throws balls pretty darn accurately, does somersaults and doesn't miss much of what we do.
I have enjoyed seeing her learn new things. Recently, I taught her:
"Here is the church,
Here is the steeple,
Open the doors
And see all the people."
Then I wiggled my fingers (and so did she) and then I added "DANCING!" It's pretty cute. She tries to copy the "hand jive." Someday (soon?) it will be cool to see her do it full speed! She also likes to fold her hands, bow her head, close her eyes and help us say grace at mealtime.
My, how she has blossomed and changed and grown in the 13 months since we met her! I was watching videos of those first few days a while back and can't believe the changes!
I wonder what the next year will bring for her. I wonder...
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