Two Months

Two months......just like last time it feels like she has been with us so much longer. Hattie has fallen into place in our family like we've always been saving this place for her, which we have. This time around is definitely different in ways, a few the same. While giving birth falls into the miracle of life category, as a family that adopts we experience a different kind of miracle. To watch Hattie's transition in these past two months has been nothing short of that. To watch a toddler who has no idea what a family is, never spoken a word of English, always had rice with pureed vegetables, and never left an orphanage except for medical care, is amazing and hard work. She's went from this scared, sad, quiet girl.

To a laughing, joyful, mischievous girl today.

We've had the privilege of watching Hattie discover her personality and who she is over the past two months. Even though she didn't understand what a family was, she innately knew how to draw out her ability to love and enjoy life. I have no idea what she was like at the orphanage, but their descriptions of her are not the child we have seen. 

Language is amazing to watch. To see a toddler catch up from minimal language skills to understanding all kinds of phrases and beginning to talk in a matter of weeks, is pretty cool. Hattie is constantly pointing at everything wondering what it is. Mispronouncing tons of words, sometimes making them sound like American curse words. She has at least

50-100 vocabulary words she can use appropriately, and of course some she can't. If you see her she will ask, "how are you." But don't expect her to care to understand your response.

Hattie didn't love affection the first week or so we had her. We've seen her come to understand it and that she can safely seek us out for it, that we aren't going away.She wants hugs when we come home from being away on an errand or Adam from work. She's learned how to be hurt or sad. Which may sound strange, but when we first met her she cried maybe a few times the whole first 10 days. She ran into a plate glass shower door and fell dozens of times with barely any response. And I don't think she was trying to play it cool. Those glass doors are tricky if you've never seen one. Now she readily will cry, she knows someone will always respond and care for her. Not that she was in any way neglected that we know of, but having so few caregivers for so many kids in her orphanage didn't allow them to tend to every crying child. 

Hattie loves books, can recognize a few letters and numbers, currently tolerates being bossed around by her big sister. Her hair is reaching the awkward phase where it's constantly bordering on being a mullet. She loves clothes with animals on them, shockingly loves to feed Baxter now. She is an awesome sleeper, loves singing/ dancing, doesn't like wearing pants after 7pm, and is successfully developing her sweet tooth. Hattie is very social, loves screaming. It's apparently contagious amongst 2-3 year old girls. Loves playing tea party and another shocker, anything water related now.

It's National Adoption Month and the miracle of adoption is so real, and one few people get to experience or consider. From the day we made the decision to build our family this way, I can honestly say I never looked back. It was a very conscious leap of faith that has been beyond what we ever thought it would be. Happy National Adoption Month!