EIGHT months home....

January 11 marked 8 months since Florie arrived HOME from China.  She continues to grow and learn
everyday.  She is a big imitator and copies everything that we all do....she loves to play with her brothers, and is very quick to snatch up any special toy they might accidentally leave on the ground/table/chair.  She knows the difference between right and wrong, and we have learned to decipher her real cry from her manipulation cry.  (Actually, William could do this first. I am a big fat sucker so it took me a bit longer, but thank goodness for him!).  She will cry HYSTERICALLY when I take Alex to school, but once William carries her back inside, she immediately stops and is ready to play.  She goes to "school, aka bible study once a week and just loves it.  It does help that the same two ladies are there every week in her class.  Familiarity goes such a long way with her.  We continue to work on giving her voice.  For kids to have VOICE means that they are IMPORTANT enough for someone to listen to....in most orphanages, the babies will just stop crying after 30 days of not having a response.  The babies just GIVE UP.  It breaks my heart.  Florie has a VOICE.  Sometimes we have to remind her to use her WORDS, or even give her the words she is trying to express.  She speaks in 3-4 word sentences now....but as a two year old, it is about 60% comprehendable.  (I can get about 95% :)).  She will play "alone" in the same room with someone but does not like me to leave the room still.  We are trying to make a big deal out of me actually leaving the HOUSE so she knows the difference between leaving the room and the HOUSE, but something still makes her upset.  She is OFF the BOTTLE!  She stopped cold turkey and no big deal!  She loves to potty in the toilet, but I am waiting till April for THAT...

Last Bottle

At the dentist

Riding in the stroller while Momma runs

Her SLEEP is good.  William puts her to bed a lot which really helps with their bonding.  He also plays and does tickle tortures which she LOVES and asks for ALL DAY LONG!  She continues to be a "good helper," and helps make coffee...like at night when I prepare the coffee for the next day and am cleaning up something else, she will push the ON button on the coffee machine.  Helping Moma make coffee...at night :)  She also unloads the utensils in the dishwasher.  Clean OR DIRTY.  Helper :)

Helping in the pantry

8 month LIKES:

Orange Juice

Lovey/Soft Blanket

Her necklace Daddy gave her for Christmas

Going bye bye---we are staying home more to work on this!

Backpacks/Purses

Haircuts

Dresses

My high heeled shoes

Reading Books

Putting US to bed...she does the whole routine!

Coloring/Cutting

Helping William make pancakes

Oranges

Tickles

Playing on the Wii

Tofu

Turkey/Ham

Peeled Apples

Exercise with Momma...p90x

DISLIKES:

Someone walking out of a room without her

Unsalted almonds

Marinara sauce

Sandwiches

Leaving the house in PJs

Wearing a coat in her car seat

Door being closed to her room...so it is wide open :)

Running out of orange juice

It has been a fast and amazing 8 months.  She has come so far. We look at pictures of her orphanage, and her nanny, and her friends a lot.  We talk about China, and coming home on the airplane with us.  We talk about adoption. I am not sure how much she "gets," but I want the words to be familiar to us both when the time does come for her to GET it.  We treasure and love this little one.  She is precious!

Loves her new outfit from Grandad

In Alabama visiting her GREAT grandad...with the boys

Florie and Big B

Before Alex goes to school, with Izzy getting some love too

A little reading before middle school

SNOW DAY!

Headed to church in her sweater and hat made with love from her MAW