Update on my Girls

Yes, that's girls, plural.

Anyone who has adopted a child knows how excrutiatingly painful and frustrating the waiting can be. With Isabel, we were lucky to be able to visit so many times during the process (seven times to be exact), so we saw her, held her and knew from personal experience that she was thriving. It also helped that we knew the foster family with whom she stayed. Though it was devastating to leave her each time we had to return to the States, we knew she was loved and extremely well cared for, and that certainly provided some comfort while we waited to bring her home.

With Madeleine, of course, it's a completely different story. We have no idea what the orphanage is like. We are clueless as to whether or not she is close to her nannies and the other children. The medical reports we have gotten are outdated and sketchy, and any other information about her is basically nonexistent. Thank goodness there are organizations out there who will send care packages to children like we did this winter, and thank goodness there are folks, who for a minimal fee, will contact the orphanages and try to glean some updated information while parents wait. We just got an email this morning from one such person, and just the little bit of information we received was truly a blessing and a relief.

So without further ado, here's an update on our Maddie. Because her deficient lower leg is unable to support her weight, Maddie is not walking. That does not mean she is not quite mobile, however. The director of the orphanage says she gets around quite readily by walking on her knees. It doesn't sound very comfortable, but with small children, where there is a will, there is a way. What it tells us is that we want to pursue medical interventions just as soon as we can, so that we can improve her mobility and get her off those knees. Maddie is very close to two of her nannies, and there are four children with whom she is good friends. Her favorite foods are noodles, fish, eggs, milk, and fruit, and she especially likes to play with stuffed animals and ride a rocking horse. She is a good sleeper, and her personality is described as "lively, energetic, and at times, self-willed." Pretty typical for a toddler. The most heart warming thing we learned is that the nannies are showing our pictures to her regularly (we included a photo album in the care package we sent this winter), and the director says she loves to look at our pictures, and each time she views them, she kisses Mommy, Daddy, and Sister. Well, that little gem brought tears to my eyes. It truly made my day when I got the email that contained these updates.

As for Isabel, she continues to amaze us on a daily basis. Her language is still developing at break neck speed. She is even beginning to understand some of the subtleties of polite conversation. For example, she says "thank you" without being prompted (most of the time), and now she has begun to say "welcome" when we tell her thank you. If we ask her what her name is, she says, "Ibby," and when we ask her how old she is, she will say very clearly "two." It's a little premature, but we figured it would take longer to teach it to her. During the day, we like to talk about our friends and family. When asked where Daddy is, she will say "work." She also likes to talk about Grandma Sandy, Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Pat, Uncle Bob, and Jake. Erin isn't too clear yet, and I'm not sure she understands the difference between Erin and Erik yet. She is not showing any signs of readiness for potty training, but we have begun to discuss it. She loves her Once Upon a Potty book, and she is quite intrigued by the Elmo Potty DVD. When we are counting, she will supply the two, six, and nine. She's starting to add in three, seven, and ten. She is also quite intrigued with the alphabet. She has an alphabet puzzle she loves to play with, and she greatly enjoys watching the Signing Time ABC DVD. She especially likes the letters B, D, H, K, and Z.

Typical mom, I could go on and on about my kids, but I'll leave it at that for now. Thanks for indulging me!