One week home

In some ways, it's hard to believe our little Haitian Sensation has been home for a week. In other ways, it seems like she's been here forever. I am completely amazed at how she has grown and adapted to our family in just 7 days. Children are so routine oriented and part of the cocooning process is teaching her to follow our routine. I know she was in a very strict routine at GLA. One thing we've found is that the bath time routine must lead directly to bed. She is really enjoying baths now and loves to pour the water on the rubber duckies and splash around. But, immediately after bath, she loves her lotion time, puts on her PJs, tells everyone "Bon Nweet" (good night) and jumps straight in bed. There are never tears at bedtime. Thank you, LORD! I always stay with her til she falls asleep, and sometimes it takes a while, but she's very calm and relaxed. Naptime, however, is another story. She MUST still have a nap (she sleeps for 2 hours) but she fights it hard. 

As Daddy went back to work this week, I have been challenged by her each day. One thing we already knew about Grace: she's a fighter. In the beginning of her life, she had to fight to survive. By the NICU nurse's account, her little body didn't have much fight left when she was brought to GLA. The strong-willed fighter in her has helped her survive in an orphanage for almost 3 years. Now we must teach her that you don't have to fight to survive in our family. As exhausting as it is to teach her this, it saddens my heart so much to have a glimpse of her background. First of all, she's LOUD. She will just scream---ear piercing screams---to hear herself. Luke has invented the "Scream-o-Meter" to rate them. Thank you, Luke. I'm sure that in a community of 40+ kids, you had to be loud to get your needs/wants met. I'm also sure that there was fighting amongst the kids to get your own way, too. On a daily basis, we have spitting/hitting/defiance showdowns. She knows the stove is hot. I tell her it's hot in Kreyole. She smiles at me, tells me it's cold, and walks right up to touch it. So, I pick her up and try to redirect her. Sometimes, there's no amount of redirecting that can be done to make her forget this idea and she'll constantly keep going back, smiling at me, and moving toward the stove. Just an example. Other times, she'll throw toys at me. It's always with a smile and if I react with an "OW!" she laughs. More redirecting begins. Redirecting usually involves a major meltdown of crying, screaming, and flailing about because she's no longer getting her way. This is so hard and so exhausting. Every day is getting better, though. There are less frequent battles each day. 

So, there you go. If you've made it this far, you are seeing the "realness" of adoption. That's why Jen Hatmaker's "After the Airport" post is so meaningful. The Airport Party is what I dreamed of for so long---the joy of finally bringing Grace into our family---but this is the real part we signed up for, too. All of the adoption books we've read and the conferences we attended are coming to life now. Thank you, LORD, for equipping us with the knowledge of what she needs. I have no doubt that our unconditional love will continue to soften her little heart and help her to understand what it's like to live in a family. 

Ok, I just went back and reread this post and realized I started with the "blech" and didn't mention any joys. OH, the joys!!!! The joys DAILY triumph the challenges. Miss Grace has the biggest personality and best sense of humor. She makes the silliest faces and keeps us all laughing. She loves her Daddy, too, and asks him to hold her hands while she jumps on our mini-trampoline. She's a girly girl, too. We painted her fingernails and toenails this week and she was so excited and showed everyone how our nails match. :) If there's music on, she's dancing. Her dancing is hilarious and involves silly faces, too. She has so much joy in her heart and we are having a blast learning her little personality! :) 

Grace loves to write/color and has a GREAT pencil grip for a 2 year old. This was a Sonic receipt that she found. Then, she found the pencil, and sat down for some serious writing. Resourceful, this kid.

Sittin' on top of the world!