Wow! - Followed by the what's new...

We are just now getting all of the pictures off of our camera from since we've been back. Hope you enjoy all of Amari's cute and funny faces.

I just figured out this last week that Amari's birthday is right around, if not the day, that our paperwork hit the embassy in Ethiopia. Her conception would then be December 23rd (or right around)a year prior to our court date - which was December 23rd 2009. Wow. If she was born a month later none of those dates would match up. I remember calling the agency to double check that our paperwork was in Ethiopia. That was such a big milestone for us and little did we know...WOW! And the adoption in Ethiopia became final at a year after her conception. WOW!

We are having a ball and just can't stop laughing and are just loving every minute with Amari. Even the ones at 3 AM and 4 and 5! She has changed so much over the last few months.

Amari is healthy and happy. She was malnourished when she came to the agencies house to be referred to us. They did a great job with her and she was catching up when we got her. She was still very out of proportion weight to height though. I can't believe how much bigger she is - she weighs 5 pounds more than when we got back! Not to worry she has slowed down on her intake of formula and eats normal amounts of solids. Her pediatrician is an international adoption expert and is pleased as punch with her growth and development up to now. She is finally evening out.

She is not sleeping well at night but is still a happy little pumpkin during the day. She is now crawling, pulling up, standing, she says da da da da, la la la, na na na and various other regular sounds. She has really good fine motor skills and coordination. She seems really bright, is very determined, and funny. She's added solid foods to her diet and that is messy but fun. She's started on a sippy cup and that's the same!

Bonding and attaching is going well. I figured out that when we were in Ethiopia the reason she pitched a fit when we changed her diapers and clothes wasn't that she didn't like that done (not that she always loves it now but often its pretty giggly) like we thought. No it was just what we were taught but that didn't click till now. She wanted her nanny then. She didn't know us from Adam and was outraged that these total strangers were there. I can see it now in the difference with how she is when I change her and when Mark changes her. I have done so many more diaper changes and she's come around. She is settling in with Mark doing that more slowly but it's coming along nicely.

This is why we were told to make sure that we were the ones to feed her, change her, hold her when she's fussy, put her to sleep etc. She has to see that we will be there, we will meet her needs, we will take care of her. Trust. now we are working on her fear that when we go away from her sight - we won't come back and that's more than just learning object permanence for her. Again it's trust. We have to prove ourselves over and over 'till it settles in to her. She's getting there but it's really amazing to see how useful all of the adoptive parenting classes our agency (they are THE BEST) required us to take really are. We are so thankful at how hard they worked to prepare us for everything and how supportive they are now.

She says DA DA and waves when Mark comes home and leans out of my arms to have him hold her. How perfect is that!