Six months ago I was handed this precious gift. I remember, at the time, thinking "I can't believe they just gave her to me." Anyone who has adopted from China knows about the incredible amount of paperwork needed to complete a dossier, then the LOA, then the care plan, etc. I can't even remember the whole time line of paperwork past that; I think I've blocked it from my mind. Then you get to China for Gotcha Day and there is more paperwork to fill out prior to receiving your child. All of that mountain of paperwork melted away the moment I held Cara in my arms. I just kept thinking, "I can't believe they just gave her to me!" It just felt like she was so special and so wonderful and so perfect that there HAD to be something else I needed to do to prove myself worthy to be her mom. She was sweaty and nervous when we met her, but still cute and funny and willing to go to us. When we headed down the hallway to get in the elevator to leave, she saw one of the nannies from the orphanage further down the hall and started to cry. She can tell us now that she was really scared at the time. I can only imagine! I would be terrified to leave everything I've ever known and go halfway around the world with strangers who looked different and spoke a different language and I'm almost 40 years old.
She has done amazingly well. She is up to 10-12 word sentences and can communicate quite well with everyone. She loves to play outside and is no longer afraid of any of the animals. Or grass. Or dirt. She loves shoes, clothes, fingernail polish, stick-on earrings, lipgloss and bows; you will never meet a "girlier" girl. She is affectionate and sweet and has unbelievable manners (she came with those). We are still working on two major issues: hugging, kissing, and allowing others to pick her up that are not immediate family and potty training. It's a process and we will continue to work on it. She has been wanting a tutu and we told her that if she was potty trained she could have one. Today was the first day she went to daycare in panties and didn't have an accident, so she got her tutu when she came home. She wore it to jump on the trampoline, because when you have a twirly tutu, a girl needs to jump!
Happy six month "gotcha"versary, Cara. You are SO LOVED!
A ladybug box of candy! If there's a ladybug involved, Cara's all about it.
Dad, what could this be?
Oh, my gosh, a new necklace! She let Daddy put it on.
She thinks she's all that with her new necklace and basket full of candy.
After church we went to my mom and dad's for breakfast and an Easter egg hunt with the cousins.
A went with her bf to Tri-Cities, so I only got an Easter picture of two of my little loves. They are both so sweet.
This tutu was the final item that sealed the deal on potty training. If I would have known that a pink tutu would've done it, I could have gotten one six months ago! ;) So this was the fun, Easter egg hunting outfit.
Time to go through her loot with Dad.
