6 month checkup

It has been a long while since I posted anything, and they have changed the interface for blogging since then.  Good grief!  It has only been 3 months...

But they have been amazing 3 months.  Sofie has learned to say s, f, p, b, r, sh, and more sounds.  She is a big singer.  She still is so graceful and dances with a fluidity I wish that I had myself.

She is headstrong, charming, independent, and amazing.  There are times I laugh or exchange knowing looks with Dad when she does something especially precocious.  She received a singing necklace from a happy meal (I know, I know...) that she loves and she does this little head/shimmy/hip twist thing every time she hears it.  I love it.  Her face gets a funny, happy, sly look on it every time she hears the song.  I giggle to myself every time because I love it.

She has toys that are starting to live and grow with her.  She has burned herself on her tea set (HOT tea), made hotdogs and bananas, and her baby plays soccer & blows bubbles.  Hello Kitty plays prominently in her life as does Kailan.  They are both active fixtures in our imagination.

There are other times when she knows she is being naughty and can't quite figure out how to get out of her temper tantrum... and I give her an out by giving her a big hug and a kiss.

We also have the special times where she is possessed by some unknown spirit and is on a rampage with unknown origins.  It could be related to communication.  It could be related to having a 3 year old.  We still don't quite know how to handle those situations effectively, but they are few and far between.

The time is rushing by so quickly.  We had our 6 month checkup with the social worker yesterday, and it boggles the mind that I have been back to work for so long.  For those of you who don't know, I started a new job and it is pretty intense.  It also involves traveling ... although my manager said it absolutely wouldn't... and it is the way it is.  I took my first trip (4.5 days) a couple weeks ago to the UK, and we have still been adjustment since then.  We had some slippage on the security front but she is finally recovering.  We have entered the world of night terrors since I came home and those are pretty scary.  We are trying to manage it mostly through scheduling and extra love, but wow.  I didn't expect that.

We are so lucky to have our darling girl in our life. I know the transition was a tough one - especially since it felt like we took her away unexpectedly from her life (her complete lack of being prepared for this change).  It wasn't the way I would choose to do again, but all we can do is love one another and grow forward, together.  I sent another update to her foster family in China who loved her all those years today because I figured they would be missing her on her birthday.  All we need is love.

Ok.  Kiddo is home. Gotta go.  Will try to update more often.  Lots of love & hugs.