APRIL 2008
There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always
enough time to do the most important thing. ~Brian Tracy
How did two months fly by since my last update? I can’t believe
how fast time is going-our six month “Gotcha Day” anniversary is
right around the corner. Our family is so busy right now with
school, music, sports and scouts. As a mom, I am enjoying every
minute of it. Nothing better than watching your kids doing what
they love.
As usual, Ella continues to be the center of attention in our
family. I actually think she is getting more attention than ever
before. We are so in love with this little girl that we can’t
get enough of her. She is progressing so well-everyday is a new
milestone. She is learning so quickly that I am in amazement
with what she understands. Everyone around her can understand
what she is saying and she comprehends everything you tell her
to do. Her little brain is a sponge and she soaks it all in.
Ella has developed many friendships with girls her own age and
enjoys the Wednesday morning playgroup she belongs to. Ella
continues to thrive in preschool and loves to go. Ella is always
especially proud of her art projects. She has brought home an
array of animals-her favorite being a bunny at Easter. One week
in preschool, Ella’s class went “around the world” and the first
place they stopped was China. The other kids in her preschool
got a glimpse into where Ella came from and of course, Ella
loved all the attention. Ella’s body is getting healthier
everyday. Her leg muscles are getting stronger and her ligaments
are loosening up. She is becoming more coordinated-she hasn’t
fallen out of the bed in two months! Ella walks, run, and climbs
stairs almost like a four year old should. She is even learning
to ride her bike, although the coordination of pedaling was a
little tricky for her. I am hoping that after a summer of
playing in the pool that she will be physically caught up for
her age. We also got some great news about Ella’s lead levels in
her blood-they have dropped so low that she does not need any
more blood tests. As a mom, I am shouting Yippee! Ella still has
her contagious laugh and a sense of humor. She makes us laugh
everyday. Ella has learned how to play with her toys, which to
some might sound strange, but Ella really did not know what to
do with all her toys. We have had to teach her how to play and
now Ella’s favorite thing to do is play “princess dress-up.”
Play-Doh, puzzles and art projects come in a close second. She
loves to draw and is becoming a good little artist. When we
first brought her home, Ella could barely draw a straight line.
She now draws our family and tells everyone who is who. Ella can
spell her name, count past 20; she sings the alphabet (although
she misses a few letters sometimes.) She can name colors and
shapes. Ella continues to be a wonderful helper around our
house…she can fold a kitchen towel that the military would be
proud of. Ella loves to have books read to her. My favorite time
of the day is when I get to read to Ella. Ella loves to add her
comments about the story as we are reading along. Her favorite
book right now is Ballet Kitty. Ella has the book memorized and
tells me what is going to happen. She loves to point out the
Ballet Kitty has a pillow-just like Ella and Ballet Kitty has a
bed-just like Ella. She makes comparisons in the books we read
to her own life. Ella loves to play board games and plays a mean
game of Memory. She remembers everything…whenever I think I am
getting back some of the brain cells I have burnt off raising
kids, I sit down and play memory with Ella and realize there is
no hope for me at all. Ella loves to have her picture taken and
will model at will…in front of a camera, video recorder, cell
phone-you name it and she will strike a pose. Ella also loves
her hair-bows…I need to find out how to make them (or buy them
cheap) because she always wants a “pity bow.” We are patiently
waiting for her hair to get longer so we can add more pretty
bows to it. Ella still attends Mandarin classes every Saturday.
She does not speak much Mandarin anymore, but whenever we go to
class she loves it. And last but not least is Ella’s love for Ni
Hao Kai-lan. She loves this show so much-it is the only show she
watches. The show has actually taught her so much, especially
about emotions. She asks to go visit Kai-lan’s house, she knows
all the characters, and she calls her Grandpa “YeYe.” She has
perfect pronunciation of the Chinese words they teach on the
show. She would watch Kai-lan all day if I would let her. Love
the show.
There are days I still can’t believe that she is here-in our
home-the most perfect little girl for our family. We are so
blessed-I know that I keep saying that, but I tell everyone that
Ella has blessed our family in so many ways. I am so amazed by
this adoption process-such a divine plan, guided by quite
whisperings of the Spirit telling us that our daughter was a
half a world away waiting for us. I am deeply grateful for that
guidance. I keep thinking that life can’t get better than this,
but life always surprises me and it just keeps getting better.
View our blog
here. |
Posing As Usual
Waiting For Bear To Take His “bath”
Ella’s Favorite-Bear
Hanging Out At My Brothers Baseball Game
Posing Again
A Princess Always Needs A Carriage |
