6 months with Grace Ning Si Qi

I truly can't believe 6 months have passed, since we first laid eyes on our beautiful Grace.  September 12 was our 6 month anniversary of that day, those first moments together, and so very much has changed.  I'm moving quick these days as a working wife and mother of two, so I'll follow suit with this blog entry.  Just the most important updates.  I've lost track of my blogging mojo over the past year, but I received an email from someone wondering if we were ok.  If Grace had settled in well, and realized that there are some blog followers out there that have supported and encouraged us, that deserve to know that all is well.  Better than ok, and actually pretty amazing!

Our sweet baby girl had her cleft palate repaired just 2 weeks after we returned home from China.  This was a huge blessing.  We expected to wait about 5-6 months, but a cancellation opened up a surgery spot & we grabbed it.  It was a rough couple of weeks, but Grace is tough & she plowed through the liquid diet and sore mouth that follows the surgical procedure.  Her palate was beautifully repaired & she is now eating & drinking everything with ease, as well as progressing verbally- amazing!

Grace learned to crawl and walk quickly.  We worked very hard and she responded.  She walked much sooner than we anticipated and so we still have Grace on a 30 minute per day crawl mat program at home.  This exercise serves to strengthen both her body and her brain, as we are big believers in the physical benefits AND the neuro-developmental benefits of crawling. 

Grace's lead levels have been tested twice (you may remember that lead is a BIG and ongoing- for 10+ years- issue at Grace's orphanage).  Her levels are consistently going down & she is due to be tested again in just a few weeks.  We anticipate the level will have dropped again.  We have seen no evidence of any type of issue related to Grace's "lead poisoning"/elevated lead level in her blood.  Praise God!

Grace's genetic testing results came back NORMAL!  No syndromes associated with her cleft palate!  She was seen by an orthopedist, who said he didn't need to see us again, she's doing great.  Grace was seen by a Physical Therapist who said "She's precious & I'd love to have her, but she does not need organized physical therapy.  Keep doing what you're doing at home."  Her eyesight is good, no need for glasses!  Emotionally she's doing very well.  Her attachment to her Daddy & to me is so good & she loves her big sister.  For this we are most thankful, especially since Grace was 21 months when we brought her home.

She is full of spunk and personality!  Everything Grace thinks and feels is communicated and expressed in a BIG way!  Big happy, big sad, big mad!  Big joy, big giggles, big cries.  So much personality & so many opinions in one tiny little body and she wants to share them all with us.  Again, we are thankful.  She feels safe enough to be sad, safe enough to be mad, safe enough to let us know when she's frustrated.  But our girl is 99% joy!  She is just such a happy baby.  Our house is full of laughs, giggles & silliness.  I am in awe of her energy, her tenacity, her drive, her strength- both emotional & physical.  She is loving & offers us kisses so sweetly with a big dramatic pucker & "muah!" sound.  She hugs and holds.  She pats & caresses.  She wants to do everything her big sister does & this, I'm sure is building into her rapid progress.  

Having two is harder.  It takes more energy, more emotion, more patience.....more TIME.  But the joy of seeing my girls together.  The joy of two giggling girls, two kissing girls, two hugging girls is more than double the joy.  It's really quite indescribable this new life of ours.  I can't believe we're here.  Six months on the other side of our trek to China.  Six months into our bonding, into Grace's new routine, new growth, new everything.  It's amazing what takes place in this first half year home, and it fills my heart in a way I can't put into words.  Words aren't enough.  

I'm closing with a video of our two little loves. One that seems to capture the spirit of joy that keeps us going when we're tired, sleep deprived, running out of juice. This is the good, good stuff...and my husband and I are soaking it all in. I'm not sure when I'll be back here.  Back to this place that used to be my therapy. The place where I poured my heart out.  Every moment seems full right now. And that's all right by me.