fired and rehired x2 and a day off

Bella and I had this conversation the other morning.
Bella: Mom where's my favorite pants? (we have this conversation on a frequent basis)
Me: I don't know. Probably in the laundry (did I mention she wears these pants every other day) or in the stack of clean laundry I need to put away.
Bella: If I can't find my pants, you are fired.
Me: Oh good. Then you can start with getting your own breakfast this morning. Don't forget to pack your lunch for school. And I guess you'll have to walk to school this morning.
Bella: All right, I won't fire you today but when I'm a mom and you have grandkids then I'll fire you.
Me: Ok. That means I won't have to do all the things your grandma does for you. Things like cook for you, watch you after school, help with the laundry, make snacks, and let you spend the night with her.
Bella: All right, I won't fire you but I'll have one day where you can't see your grandkids at all.
Me: Ok honey. Now go get ready for school.
(But I'm thinking to myself, did she just give me the day off? Does this mean in about 20 years (give or take) I'll have earned a day off!!!! And all because of a pair of pants I might or might not have washed...)

cake face

one year old

She's 1!! We've heard lots of comments like "it sure has gone by fast." Well sure it has when you start in the middle. It seems like we just brought her home a few months ago, but wait, we did just bring her home a few months ago. I have some surprising feelings about this day. In the beginning when we knew there would be a good chance we'd not know our baby's true birth date, I said that wouldn't matter to me. And that's true, for the most part. But there is a part of me that wonders. All month I've thought about it and wondered "Is today really her birthday?" In the great scheme of things it doesn't matter but I find myself on Bella and Parker's birthdays remembering what I was doing on the day they were born. I think about their first moments and what I was thinking when I first saw them. So of course I wonder about Eden too. What was the first thing she saw? Where was she? And that leads to thoughts about her parents. I wonder where they are today. I wonder what their first thoughts were when they saw her? I realize wondering will get me nowhere as there are not answers for my questions. But it does give me pause and a moment to reflect on what I would tell Eden's momma if I could see her today.

I'd tell her how amazing her baby girl is. How she has adapted to our family so perfectly. I'd tell her how she was shy when she came home and didn't always let us know what she needed. But that has all changed, she has a scream that could wake the deaf. She likes to babble and her newest word is "Uh-oh." She yells at Bella and Parker when they push her around too much, she's not afraid to stand up for her rights. Even though they are bossy there isn't anything her brother and sister wouldn't do for her. Bella even learned to change diapers. Parker loves to make her laugh. She loves to crawl and she's pretty fast too. She has a fierce desire to get up on her legs and walk. She hates to have her hair done but she looks so cute with 2 little pony tails. I love how her soft curls wind around my finger. Her favorite toy is her daddy who she yells at until he gives her the attention she craves. My favorite thing is when she puts her head on my shoulder when she's shy or tired. So I would tell Eden's momma that her unselfish sacrifice has been our greatest blessing!

a few pictures

"Is he touching my head? Cause I'm gonna drool on him."-Eden

"Keeping this kid out of trouble is exhausting."-Parker

Another pretty face.

New short haircut. It took a couple years to convince her to try it and now I've been notified that it isn't short enough :)

"Let me pinch your cheek, cowboy."

and she's off....

Off and crawling that is. As of Sunday she is mobile. Yes, I know, life as we know it is officially over. This stage of babyhood is always so interesting to me. As much as I want her to learn new things and develop herself there is also a part of me that wants her to just sit there forever. I know for her that isn't good quality of life and she has been pretty clear about that the last couple of weeks. She would get so fustrated watching people pass her by. They get to her daddy quicker, they can go get a hug or comforting touch anytime, and they get to all the coolest toys first. And all because they are mobile. She knew she was close. She had figured out how to get in position but just couldn't make those legs and arms work together. So she did the only thing she could do about it, vocalize her fustration in screams and cries and general grouchiness. But now, watch out people, here she comes. She has such a pleased expression on her face and a smile of satisfaction when she gets where she wants to go all by herself. And so yes, I am happy for her and excited in her new skills. But once again, one of my babies is learning how to walk away from their dependence on us. It seems from the moment they are born they start that journey. I once heard a quote that having a child is like having your heart walk around outside your body. So true, but I would add that as my kids grow older they find new ways to walk farther away with my heart. Of course they come back for the safety of mom from time to time but more and more they rely on their own strengths and abilities. I know there's still lots of time before they are adults so I'll try not to worry too much right now. I'll enjoy this moment and all the joy it brings my daughter and maybe I'll just get down on the floor with her and we can crawl together :)

torticollis

Last week we went to Children's Hospital in Denver to their International Adoption Clinic. I have been waiting since we got home for this appointment. They do a complete exam of any child adopted internationally. The exam includes, PT, OT, a Developmental Screening, and a Medical exam. And not only that but one of our super cool neighbors works there. All along we have thought Eden has been making progress and except for a few things she is about where she should be developmentally. Our appointment was about 2 hours long by the time we got out of there but they were so thorough and helpful. And the results are in...developmentally she is right on track for a 10 month old (this also helps affirm that they were pretty close with her birthdate) and medically she is also very healthy. But her physical development is lagging a little. They were encouraged to hear about the progress she's made since coming home. She is now sitting on her own like a pro and loves to stand supported. She should be crawling and is pretty close. The other really interesting they found is that she has mild torticollis. I had suspected this while we were in Ethiopia, in fact, I told Duane on the first day that we would probably need some physical therapy. She had a flat spot on the back of her head more on one side than the other. It was bad enough that her face was asymetrical. But when I took her to our family doc they said it wasn't anything to worry about and to just make sure she wasn't laying on that side all the time. Over the last few months it has significantly improved to the point it isn't very noticable, to the untrained eye. But the PT picked up on it at her exam and also pointed out that she has more range of motion with her neck on one side and she prefers to get onto her belly from one side. Torticollis has many causes but it basically means that some of her neck muscles are tighter than others so they won't allow her to have full range of motion in her neck. I've seen a couple babies in the clinic with it and it is usually correctable with physical therapy. For Eden, she could have been born with it or it could have developed from laying in the same position in the transitional home or a host of other causes we will not be able to pinpoint. So she'll start some PT next week. Fortunately it isn't severe so with a little work we can get her back on track. But the lesson for the day is to, "Always trust a momma's instinct."

blessed

Bella is styling Eden's new onsie. We have been blessed with amazing friends and family. This shirt says it all. This is a post of gratitude to all of you who have helped us welcome our sweet Eden this summer. You are all so generous in with your love and open arms for our family. This last weekend we had a special party for Eden with our church family. We felt so loved and most of all blessed to be part of a community. We weren't meant to journey alone and over the last few years we are learning what it means to be in community. That story is a whole other post and today I just want to be grateful. So thanks to all of you who patiently waited with us over the last few years, those who gave generously to help us bring her home, those who prayed over us, those with just the right words at the right times, the party planners, you have all blessed our lives and we hope that you are as blessed by Eden in your life as we are.