Lotus is Walking!!!!!!!!!!

LOTUS IS ACTUALLY WALKING!!!!!!!!!! She started today when we got home from Christmas shopping. It is not the 5-10 steps and fall down. She is actually walking and turning around and walking. Still falls a little but gets back up and continues walking. Yesterday she was walking in the living room but kind of practicing, alot of falling on her little butt. Today was like she has been walking for weeks, lol. Boy are we in trouble now! When we were Christmas shopping she got a bit tired of being in the stroller, so I let her out, and she walked a little bit holding my fingers. I was just so shocked when we got home, at first it didn't hit me and then all of a sudden I was like "She's Walking !!!!!!!" I will post video to here (if it is not too many MB's) and to U-tube so you can all check it out. Once I watched her walking around, she seemed so much older to me, my little girl is growing up. She is babbling more and more and the faces she makes are so funny, she is such a HAM! Lotus and Ella (from our travel group) would be double trouble she was a ham too and always had us laughing with her excitement and belly laughs.

Looks like Lotus is catching up real quick, now if we could only get her to like a spoon or food or anything near her mouth. Once you get the food past the mouth , she actually likes it. We continue to work with her on this, so it is only a matter of time.

Check back for the video.

Love,

Deb, Kevin, & Lotus

We Have been home 30 days!

I find it hard to believe that yesterday we have been home for 30 days with Lotus and she turned 15 months yesterday too! Lotus has changed so much since the very first day we met her in Guangzhou on Nov 5th. Her personality is starting to form and she is such a ham! The faces she makes and the laughing. She cracks me up and makes me smile, even when she has woken me up a few times that night. She definitely knows who her da da da is, when she sees him for the first time each day she gets this huge grin on her face. She babbles dadadadaa, bababababa, and maamamamammmm, and some other indistinguishable words. She makes the clicking sound with her tongue and kissies (but will only kiss her stuffed animals), raspberries and other mouth related noises(big improvement, hoping this will help with her hand/mouth aversion eating issue).
She has been listening to music and songs, loves Old McDonald and All the Colors of the Rainbow. She dances to songs her little learning puppy sings and hugs her puppy too. It is too cute, she moves her shoulders up and down. She can sit in her big girl chair and likes to look outside. She has been warming up to visitors alot quicker, not so shy anymore. She is understanding more words, helps me undress and dress herself. I could go on and on..........

I will miss our special morning time when I go back to work, when she wakes up we lay on the floor and she will snuggle with me and lay her head on my tummy and look up at me and give me the eyes with a big smile. It melts my heart, makes being a mommy all so worth it. I know there will come a time when she is too old for that, but I will take it for as long as I can get it! She also loves to pull her shoes out of the closet, into her shoes like her mommy. I will most likely be in big trouble when she is a teenager! Lol.

Lotus was definitely meant to be a part of our family. She fits in so perfectly. Enjoy the pics below!

Love,
Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Almost a month since Gotcha Day

Cannot believe it has been almost a month since Gotcha Day. Lotus has changed alot since the first day we were united. Last Wednesday we went to CHOP to have Lotus evaulated, she is at about an 11 mos level, with some skills between 8-10 mos. They were impressed with her attachment/bonding, the whole time she was playing with the OT specialist she kept checking back to see me and touch me for reassurance. I do have to call EI for help with eating and her fine motor skills. She should catch up in no time. The Dr thought she was doing very well for being in an orphanage for 14 mos.

Since we have been home Lotus has started to hold her own bottle, starting to get on a sleep schedule (for the most part), she has blown raspberries, starting taking many steps while holding your hands (or fingers), she is babbling alot more (alot of dadadaddada and she loves to growl at you), she does shake her head NO alot, trying to teach her to shake her head YES, lol. She loves her baths and showers. We also have been playing with pudding, yogurt, and baby food on her highchair tray. One night she got very messy with the yogurt. I have been able to feed her a little bit of baby food on a spoon. I am sure she will be eating food in no time.

I will leave you with some photos;