Trying on new shoes from Grandma!!! I'm a size eight!!!
Time to show my artistic abilities to mommy
Time to SHINE!!
Loving my bear!!
Play time...
...and loving mom...
...and tickle time
Playing with the camera
Say, "CHEESE!!"
Had a great time with mom...tight squeeze!
Loads of smiles with mom!
Great visit with lil' V. Can't wait to finally bring her home. If you are awake at 2 am, please pray for me...I'll be in court, fighting for lil' V! Much love! Rach
This morning was the last day with my baby girl, until I return for court, in a few months. It was a sad day for me, but I have lots of memories and a full heart! I had an hour and half with my girl this morning and then I went and had my acceptance of Lil' V's referral submitted to the committee, which means as of 3 pm, I have legally committed to adopting my daughter!!!!! WOOT WOOT!!
Lil' V's passport picture!!!! Isn't she a doll!?!?!
I will post more upon my return to the states after I process more of the last three days. Thanks so much for all the prayers as today was, by far, the most difficult. I miss my baby girl and can't imagine life without her. She stole my heart, with the first smile!!!
~She is a serious lil’ girl who sits back and takes everything in.
~She makes AMAZING eye contact.
~She acknowledges me as her Mama (by pointing to and coming to me when asked about her ‘Mama’).
~She stays close to me, but reminds me of my sis…one who would rather self-entertain than be surrounded by her peers.
~Her growth is on target. She currently wears a 3T.
~Her fine motor skills are great…she enjoys playing with play doh (a first for her) and enjoys dressing and undressing baby dolls.
~She is currently in Speech Therapy. She has been in an orphanage environment since birth and I have ‘heard’ that institutionalized children lose 1 month of development for every 3 months spent in an institution. She is currently 45.5 months old, which would be equivalent to a 15 month delay, so I will be evaluating her developmental progress according to a 30 month old child. I am unsure this figure is true for her speech/language (we shall see), and I feel her other areas of development are on target with actual age. I believe that learning a new language will put her further behind temporarily, but of course I will be working with her daily on speech/language and I will also incorporate speech therapy, if necessary. I have no concerns she will pick up English very quickly. She is sooooo smart!
~She is quiet.
~She loves music and dancing.
~She resembles me in some ways.
~She doesn’t give out smiles indiscriminately – but once she’s comfortable, I have found I don’t have to work for these anymore. She gives them to me freely!!
~I have only heard her laugh once, which was today, when a swung her around in a circle—so I find I’m going to have to work hard for this. However, hearing her laugh makes my efforts more than worth it.
Today’s visit was a time of READING…
PLAYING WITH PLAY DOH…
PLAYING WITH DOLLS (undressing, bathing and re-dressing them)
SHARING LOTS OF KISSES WITH MOMMA
HER KISSING MOMMA!!!!
Today I will see my daughter for the last time until I return to St. Pe*t for court in approx 3 months. I don’t know how I will wait that long. Saying that I will miss her very much, doesn’t even come close to how gut wrenching it is to think that I will not be able to see for nearly 90 days or 2,160 hours. I understand children this young struggle with the concept of time, but my baby girl understands I’m her momma and that I will come and see her again…
On my first visit, when the caregiver said, “time’s up” and tried to take lil’ V she stood hand in hand with me, and would not let go. Her eyes got glossy as she stared intensely into my eyes. As they took her, and walked her away from me, she teared up, turning around the whole time they walked down the hallway with her doll her Aunt Stephie made her. It was too precious…but also melted my heart that after only a 45 minute visit, she was sad to be taken away from me. As I said, I think prior to my arrival lil’ V has had her heart guarded and God has been protecting her from much pain.
However, today, when it was time to go, she walked out with me, hand in hand, and gave me a kiss good-bye. When the caregiver took her, she quickly glanced back as they headed down the hall, and waved “good-bye” to her momma. When the caregiver returned, she informed me that the transition was easier for lil’ V this time…and said, that lil’ V declared, “I know my momma is coming back to see me. She’s going to take me away.” Awwww, how precious is that??? It melted my heart, but also broke it…this baby girl knows I’m coming back and that she will no longer be an orphan. But does she realize it will be a long three months with more mommas taking more children away, while her momma seems to have disappeared? My fear is that she will think I forgot or abandon her. I am praying that the caregivers allow her to keep her doll, Llama (that she’s played wit during my visits, but that I have taken back each day to sleep with) and photo album of pictures to help her remember me.
My heart is aching for her but most of all for all the other orphans that don't have anyone coming for them. Each one is precious, not only to me, but to our Heavenly Father! What if we ALL saw them as He sees them? I’ll tell you what would happen…there would be ORPHANS NO MORE!!!
