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WE'RE HOME
November 1, 2006
| December
2, 2006 |
January 27, 2007 |
March 18, 2007
| September
3, 2007
Saturday,
December 2, 2006
It hardly seems possible that it has been a month since I
welcomed Malia into my life as her forever Mother! We have
traveled many a mile together via stroller, plane, car,
knees…and now on feet! It amazes me how much life has changed
and I’m sure will continue to change…all for the good of course!
I wondered those first few days if I would ever see Malia smile
and now she “pretty” much smiles all the time! Her shyness
continues but that too - is not as intense as those first few
days and weeks! I have spent very little - ok hardly any time
away from her for the last month. It is a little hard to
remember life without her (Tanner is quick to remind me there
was life pre-Malia). I don’t know that I knew what to expect - I
certainly tried to imagine - yet I’m not sure life with Malia
could have ever been truly imagined?
I think and hope that I’m not jinxing myself ~ Malia is an easy
child ~ Well, she certainly is easy to love and adore at this
point! “Girls just want to have fun” must have been written in
her honor. Truly, there is very little she doesn’t seem to enjoy
(well, she could do without those darn diapers - and then there
is anything or anyone vaguely resembling the medical side of
life she could easily do without!) Other than that - she loves
to go, see, experience. Trying to convince her that she needs
her rest to experience life tomorrow =is sometimes a challenge.
Waking up in the morning is still the highlight of my day - as
she stands in her crib and now whimpers out Mama..she sees me
and smiles…arches her little body back and then when I pick her
up she just hugs me tightly! Does it get any better than this?
She has had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful friends (
and strangers) ~ in so many different settings! We still have a
rather full agenda of folks waiting patiently to meet Malia. I
am grateful that she finds church a safe place where she can
fully utilize her singing gifts - definitely not bashful when it
comes to music! She has already started or resumed her aquatic
training at the “Y”. And, her walking will soon be running!
We have had the opportunity to be “feast” with two of Malia’s
orphanage mates: Maya who now hails from South Bend, Indiana and
Ella ( whose parents are transplant Hoosiers and who faithfully
dress Ella in a Peyton Manning jersey the day of any Colts game
even in China) stopped for dinner on their way from Ft. Wayne
home to TN.
Malia’s Baby Dedication was held on November 26th and we were
blessed to have Uncle Ed and Aunt Lynn from Florida, a dear
colleague and friend - Sharon DeGeorge and her partner Mike from
NW Indiana, Cynthia and Ian McCrae from Kansas City, friends
from Downey, traveling Mate Extraordinaire Dee and her husband
Jim, and Malia‘s Godparents Jeff and Brooke along with their
children. It was a special day and Malia even let Pastor Linda
hold her without crying!
I wonder many things about Malia’s future - the kind of natural
and God given gifts she has been bestowed ? The genetics of her
birth parents that will hopefully lend her a positive boost in
her physical evolution? I pray that as the years unfold, she
will hold a special place in her heart for her birth parents who
brought her into this world. They loved her so much that they
made her finding place one that assured the best care possible
from day one of her life!
As I experience Malia’s joy and wonder of everything - I know
she was deeply blessed the first 14 ½ months by caregivers who
had to have loved her and hugged her frequently or she would not
be the confident and special child that she is…I continue to be
grateful that Malia and her orphanage sisters were all Half the
Sky children/www.halfthesky.org.
We are blessed to have pictures and yet to be translated
journaling about her development while in the orphanage. |
Malia and South Bend Sister Maya enjoying lunch
Go Colts - Dinner with TN Sister Ella and former crib next door
neighbor
I'm going to enjoy these leaves while I can with PJ - before I
have to learn how to rake!
I really do know how to open gifts but one will always yield to
Italian Friend Gicacomo's help and hugs!
Is it ok to share this piece with Tanner?
First Home Study with Bethany Social Worker Susan - "I think
they are going to let me stay with my Mama!" |
Now, she enters the world of Barbara ~who hopes , prays,
believes - that Life’s greatest blessings will totally envelope
her daughter. Most if not all of these blessings will be
cultivated in the spirit of Love by people who share her
Mother’s vision for Shalom. A vision that is deeply grounded in
values worth working for, struggling for and in some cases -
putting your life on the line for! The world that Malia is
growing up in - is very different than the world I grew up in
the 60’s and 70’s. Every generation has their
challenges and yet some of those challenges seem to never
change!
Malia could not walk when we were in China. It is amazing to
me how quickly she has “caught on” and now, pretty much
“squeaks” herself anywhere she can - why don’t Americans have
squeaky shoes?
We look forward to our first journey through Advent together
with all the joy and mystery this time of year brings. The
blessings of friendship and family continue to flood our home
with goodness. The journey continues with a lot of anticipation
and hopefulness.
So until our next update ~ stay tuned as the journey continues….
Best of Blessings to you and yours,
Barb, Malia and Tanner |
Web site by
myadoptionwebsite.com
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