2 month mark

Her Dad pointed out to me the other night that this weeks marks is the 2 month anniversary of getting Sofie.  Her Dad was talking about it on the 17th in the context of ... "We had no idea what was in store for us when we got on the plane to China"...  He has been reminiscing about what life used to be like...
...I used to be able to golf whenever I wanted to...
   ... I used to be able to go out to dinner when/where I wanted to...
      ... We used to be able to go to non-kid friendly places...
        ...  I used to be able to sleep in until I wanted to...
           ... I used to be able to sleep 7-8 hours in a row... LOL.

I do miss going out for Tex Mex at my favorite restaurant (not really kid friendly), but Sofie is everything I expected plus more (most of the time, except for when she is naughty and having day-long temper tantrums - these are epic events, and no one can prepare for them mentally ahead of time. Wow.).

I also miss going on dates with Dad. We have only been out once in 2 months due to sickness, and we need to prioritize this more.  Babysitters are welcome to contact us any time with interest.  *hint hint hint*

I want to commemorate the 2 month anniversary of our family day on the 21st by looking at it from a high level on where we are  in such a short period of time.  Sure, 2 months sounds short to the average layman, but 2 months seems like it has been an eternity.

• We got Sofie!  This was HUGE!  It was 2.5 years of adoption process coming to fruition.
• We bonded with Sofie.  The social worker did her first evaluation of us last week, and she was really pleased with Sofie's progress.  She called Sofie "a doll", "a good girl", "very sweet", and "obviously happy".  This is HUGE.  I am relieved that Sofie has bonded with both of us. She is working on becoming a Daddy's girl really quickly.
• She bonded with the cats (major win because she was TERRIFIED of them).
• She is thriving & growing!  She has grown an INCH in 2 months.
• She occasionally sleeps through the night & sleeps in her own bed every night!  (Very exciting when sleeping through the night happens!  She did it 2 nights in a row this week!!!)
• We have started her immunizations (there are lots).  
• We are meeting with her cleft palate team next week to put in a plan of action for her.
• We made an appointment with the Early Childhood Intervention team to get her started on speech therapy in February.  This will be great because she will start learning to use consonants.  
• She is a natural mimic in both physical & speech aspects.  It is good we are keeping her active outside, and she is constantly learning new things (like blowing bubbles & playing a recorder).  She can say lots of English words.  She also is a confident bull-shitter ("Yes Mama, I understand" nods when she is asked if she understands).  I hoped she would be fluent by 2 months, but that was unrealistic.  It takes a normal baby 15-18 months to start talking.  Sofie is doing pretty well.
• She has met some of her extended family & bonded with them very quickly.  She remembers them & talks about them all the time.  There is a plan for her to meet almost everyone which is also significant since we are talking about 2 continents.
• Oh, and we discovered she likes a lot of things that Dad and I like such as music, singing, dancing, walking, soccer & the beach.  We have rediscovered old loves like bubbles, running (ok, chasing after her, but it is running after all), playing tag, the zoo, tickling, science museums, and kites.  I also get to help her play princess dress-up (love, love, love) AND play with baby dolls.  It is also an excuse to sing weird, random songs at the top of my lungs - girl scout songs if you must know - and pretend to be a dog or a cat... or a tickle monster and be the coolest mom in the world.

So, on the eve of our 2-month anniversary, I say... We have come a long way, Baby!