Celebrating one Year Home!

Oh, My! It's really been a year since I walked in the door to my house with Gabriella Kate Landis in my arms! My sister was kind enough to come and stay with me the first night just in case it was a long horrible night. It wasn't. She did very well. I thought I would start out right by putting her right in the crib but that didn't happen. She cried so pitifully that even my sis said to take her to bed with me. Which is what I did - for the next 6 - 8 weeks. There she slept very well, sorry to say I can't say the same thing about me. The flying arms and legs got worse and worse till at the end I was going to sleep on the sofa after she fell asleep. Eventually she did transition to her crib. She has always done pretty well going to sleep, once she gets to sleep. Even now, it usually takes her an hour to wind down and fall asleep.

On Wednesday we celebrated Family Day, our first day together in Perm, Russia. G's friend Zander came with his mommy and we went swimming! They both loved that! Then take out chinese and an evening of playing. The last time we did that together was in January. I found old pictures and they still looked like babies!! Here is the difference 10 mo makes! (G somehow changed my cell phone camera settings so the pics got horrible!!)

But, bad pictures are better than none.

Today, Oct 20 is our Home Forever Day!
We celebrated by spending the evening at home together and baking chocolate chip banana muffins together. I stuck one candle in for one year home. SHe loved it.

Celebrating Fall!  

This was one of her family day gifts. A Matryashka doll bank. Good place to put change that makes my purse heavy.




















The first night home I took a pic of her standing in the doorway to her bedroom. At 5 month home I did again and tonight I did again. She grew!! She is wearing the same PJs each time and the first time we had a hard time keeping them on cause they were so big. THey are now a bit small but, still fit on.

Speach

Learning a language you never heard before and then are suddenly totally immersed in - not something I think would be that fun! Well, G did amazing with picking it up. I think she did a lot with visual cues too. We used some sign language at first too.
The last few month she adds words every day and it's amazing to watch! The following conversation is probably very normal for most moms, but for me, it's over the top! Hearing her put sentences together still thrills me!

Playing doctor w G

Hang on hang on almost done
Hang on hang on no more laughing
Be quiet
U got boo boo in ear
Lots of dirt in ear!
Almost done, soon clean!
This knife very sharp! See ouch!! As she pushes a dull play knife into my cheek.
Trip t trash to throw away the bug and dirt she found in my ear! (Pretend!!))
Hang on hang on, me check
A variety of instruments get pushed in my ear as she declares I have a belly ache.
At some point she insists she needs paper. Finds a book and consults it, nods her head importantly and slams it shut. Puts her hands on her hips and surveys me skeptically with squinty eyes and declares me all better!

Welcome

Welcome to the blog about daily life with me and my little girl. I used a blog when I was in the process of adopting her from Russia called "prayers for my baby." I kept it locked down tight because I did not want it to hinder the adoption in any way. Now G has been home a year and I love reading others blogs and decided to start a new one and keep it open so anyone can follow.

I am first and foremost a Christian. I don't think I could have ever done what I did in the past 2 years with out God's power and miracles helping me through it. It is NOT an easy process!

I am a single MOM and carry the title with happiness! I adopted my little girl from Russia one year ago, Oct 2012. It was the best thing I ever did! It was also the hardest. Kids who have dealt with trauma, as most kids from other countries have, are more emotionally fragile than most kids. They need more understanding, more time to heal, more attention than you think is possible for any one person to give to another and more love than we can know. God has led me to, through and from the adoption and continues to do so. He is her father after all, as he is to all children.

I am not a perfect mom. Not even close. But I want and try to do my very best for my precious little girl.

I am single, so therefor I do work - outside the home. I wish some days that I could stay home with her always. Other days I'm glad to have a break and have some room to breath.
I am a graphic Designer and love my work! I can make my own schedule somewhat and that helps a lot!!  She is with a wonderful babysitter with three preschoolers of her own and also three school children and G LOVES going there!! It makes it a lot easier taking her, but there are still some days that I drop her off and cry on the way to work.

So, all around, I'm pretty typical. Ok, maybe not.

Little G. I think God blessed me with an exceptionally beautiful little girl. But then, doesn't every mom think that?!?

Here is a timeline with pictures showing what love and nutrition do for a child. She grew so much in the year she has been home!

She gained 10 lbs! She went from size 18mo clothes being a bit big on her, to size 3T and some 4T!

She went from size 4 shoe to size 7/8