Yesterday was 6 months to the day that we met Aviannah for the first time. 6 months ago she was this tiny thing hooked up to wires. I remember tears filling my eyes as I looked upon her face for the first time. I remember the nurse scooping her up and placing her in my arms and her feeling so so tiny. I remember asking John to take a picture because I wanted that moment captured forever. Now I'm sitting on the couch with the laptop on my lap and she's sitting beside me, all by herself, playing with her toys and smiling at me. I don't know how it's already been 6 months and I don't know how it's only been 6 months. Part of me feels like she just got home and part of me feels like I've known her forever!
In case you didn't know, Aviannah's adoption was not finalized while we were in Las Vegas. Our agency required that we have 6 post-placement visits with our home study practitioner, one a month, and if those all went well then we would be able to finalize. We've had 5 visits so far and our last one is booked for December 6th. This week I talked to our lawyer's secretary in Nevada and she sent us the adoption order for us to sign and send back to them. Once they've received the report from our last visit, our lawyer will appear in court on our behalf and the judge will (hopefully!) make us legally Aviannah's parents. I'm so glad that we don't have to travel for this last part and that we can send important documents back and forth via email and fax. I like the 21st century. Oh yes, and of course there's another fee. It's only another $1000. Funny how when you pay a gigantic sum of money like $35,000, $1,000 doesn't seem like anything at all. Money has been tight for us lately, but we'll find a way to pay it of course. There's no turning back now!
Each time we've had a visit, she always writes up a report and sends it to me to edit it before she sends it to our agency. Each time I read them I'm always so humbled by the wonderful things she says about us. She makes us sound really good. I don't always feel really good. In fact, most times I feel like it's all I can do to make it though the day. I lose my patience with Cassidy. I let her watch too much TV. I forget to bath them. I just want to be alone sometimes. But I do love them. I love them with an intensity that scares me sometimes. And I guess this comes across because she seems to get that part right.
I can't wait until this is all done and legal. It already feels done. We've been Aviannah's parents for half a year already. A piece of paper isn't going to change that. Sure, it'll change her name and it'll change who has permanent custody of her, but it doesn't change who we are to her and who she is to us. Still though, it's the final FINAL step in her adoption journey. The icing on the cake. And the icing is my favorite part, don't you know!
I get this question alot "Are you going to adopt again?" I usually answer with this "Right now I don't want to, but give me a couple years." I would love more children, I really would. As I've said before, I dread the idea of adopting again now, but I think it's because it's all so fresh. Once we've had a couple years to get used to the idea again, I wouldn't be at all surprised to be found blogging about adoption #3. Of course, everything is up to God. Maybe we'll adopt again in a few years, maybe we'll adopt again next year, maybe we'll never adopt again, who knows? Right now I'm praying about it. I'm praying that God will prepare us for whatever He has in store and that we would be obedient to His voice. I'm looking forward to what's next, but also just really enjoying what's now. God is good, all the time.
Thursday, 20 November 2014
Wednesday, 12 November 2014
8 Months Old
Another month has FLOWN by. Our little turkey is now 8 months old!
She's changed more over this past month then any other month, in my opinion. I love love love this stage. She's so interactive and fun to be around, her little personality is starting to develop and she's not quite as needy. She's one month shy of the age Cassidy was when we adopted her. It'll be fun to compare how she is compared to her sister. Obviously she won't be quite as advanced but I bet I'll see quite a few similarities.
As of 5 days ago Aviannah was 13 lbs 5 oz and 26 inches long. I can't believe how much she has shot up in length. Her weight gain has stayed around the same percentile this whole time, but in the past 2 months she went from not even being on the charts for length to being in the 20th percentile. Crazy! She might be a tall girl!
At 8 months old Aviannah can:
-sit for short periods on her own (not enough that I can go to far. I made that mistake today and she was quite upset when she fell backwards on her head, even though it was on very soft carpet)
-roll everywhere (and she's getting pretty good at scooching around too)
-eat solids. She eats twice a day now and likes most things we try with her. Her favorites are rice cereal mixed with her formula, yogurt and apples
-wave (sometimes)
-recognize words. She responds to her name and "baba" (bottle) to name a few.
She still has no teeth, even though she's been working on them for quite a while. Her bottom two are both so close. I'm thinking it's going to be any day now. Everything goes in the mouth so I can tell they are bothering her.
Aviannah is still such a happy girl. She has discovered her voice and delights in making very shrill, high pitched screams as a result. Always when she's happy, though. She never cries, except when she gets hurt or startled. Even if she's fussing, she just makes sad, complaining noises but never all out cries. I thought we lucked out with Cassidy, but it seems we've won the baby lottery two times over. I can tell she's got a temper on her though. She could be a difficult toddler, but I keep telling John her attitude can't be worse then Cassidy's (can it??)
Health wise, she's also doing fantastic. We saw her pediatrician last week and she is very pleased at how she is doing. I'm truly amazed at all she has overcome, but like someone told me once "It's amazing what a little love can do." And we're giving her a lot of love, so I'm sure that has something to do with it!
This next month should be very exciting, for two reasons. 1. Christmas is coming 2. Aviannah's adoption is getting finalized! Our lawyer sent us an email asking us to call so we can get things rolling. He is hoping to have it finalized by the end of the year! That would be the best Christmas present!! For now, we're thankful for another month with our little sweetheart. She brings us so much joy!
She's changed more over this past month then any other month, in my opinion. I love love love this stage. She's so interactive and fun to be around, her little personality is starting to develop and she's not quite as needy. She's one month shy of the age Cassidy was when we adopted her. It'll be fun to compare how she is compared to her sister. Obviously she won't be quite as advanced but I bet I'll see quite a few similarities.
As of 5 days ago Aviannah was 13 lbs 5 oz and 26 inches long. I can't believe how much she has shot up in length. Her weight gain has stayed around the same percentile this whole time, but in the past 2 months she went from not even being on the charts for length to being in the 20th percentile. Crazy! She might be a tall girl!
At 8 months old Aviannah can:
-sit for short periods on her own (not enough that I can go to far. I made that mistake today and she was quite upset when she fell backwards on her head, even though it was on very soft carpet)
-roll everywhere (and she's getting pretty good at scooching around too)
-eat solids. She eats twice a day now and likes most things we try with her. Her favorites are rice cereal mixed with her formula, yogurt and apples
-wave (sometimes)
-recognize words. She responds to her name and "baba" (bottle) to name a few.
She still has no teeth, even though she's been working on them for quite a while. Her bottom two are both so close. I'm thinking it's going to be any day now. Everything goes in the mouth so I can tell they are bothering her.
Aviannah is still such a happy girl. She has discovered her voice and delights in making very shrill, high pitched screams as a result. Always when she's happy, though. She never cries, except when she gets hurt or startled. Even if she's fussing, she just makes sad, complaining noises but never all out cries. I thought we lucked out with Cassidy, but it seems we've won the baby lottery two times over. I can tell she's got a temper on her though. She could be a difficult toddler, but I keep telling John her attitude can't be worse then Cassidy's (can it??)
Health wise, she's also doing fantastic. We saw her pediatrician last week and she is very pleased at how she is doing. I'm truly amazed at all she has overcome, but like someone told me once "It's amazing what a little love can do." And we're giving her a lot of love, so I'm sure that has something to do with it!
This next month should be very exciting, for two reasons. 1. Christmas is coming 2. Aviannah's adoption is getting finalized! Our lawyer sent us an email asking us to call so we can get things rolling. He is hoping to have it finalized by the end of the year! That would be the best Christmas present!! For now, we're thankful for another month with our little sweetheart. She brings us so much joy!
Friday, 31 October 2014
Why We're Celebrating Halloween
Halloween is my least favorite holiday. Growing up, we never made a big deal out of Halloween. We were allowed to wear costumes to school but that was the extent of it. We usually went to an alternative fun night at either our church or one of the other churches in town. John was also raised to not celebrate Halloween. I know many Christians avoid this holiday because even though it originated as a Christian holiday, it was become a holiday of darkness and evil. It's frustrating to see all the scary decorations on houses (our street is especially bad), the horror movies on TV and other things that are associated with darkness.
My mindset as an adult was to just ignore Halloween and wait for it to pass so I could get on with celebrating Christmas. Now that we have kids, however, my thinking is a bit different. As Cassidy is getting older John and I have had many discussions about how we are going to handle different things that will come up in her childhood. One of these things is Halloween.
Lately I've been earnestly praying for more opportunities to live out my faith and to spread the gospel. I've been praying for eyes to see people as Jesus sees them and to not just be open to opportunities to share my faith, but to actively seek out ways to show Jesus' love to people. We are called to go and make disciples (Matt. 28) and be a light to the world (Matt 5). John and I want our girls to have this mindset, to be ready to make the most of every opportunity and to always be looking for ways to show Jesus' love to their friends and to anyone they meet. This is why we're choosing to celebrate Halloween. What better time to be a light then on a day of darkness?
John ordered some special Halloween tracts from Christain Book.com. They have a few activities for kids to do and they clearly explain the gospel in kid-friendly terms. We spent one evening this week taping them to full size chocolate bars. When the kids start coming trick or treating, the girls are going to dress up in their tiger costumes and help hand out candy (well, Cassidy will!) After we hopefully get rid of our load, we're going to head over to Valley Christian Academy for Fun Night and spend the rest of the evening there. We are not participating in trick or treating (for one thing, the girls are too young anyway. We haven't discussed what this will look like in future years) or involving ourselves in anything to do with scary creatures or darkness. We are choosing to be a house of light. This morning we spent some time praying over the kids that will be coming to our door and receiving our treats. Our prayer is that God will use these tracts to plant seeds, spark discussions and hopefully lead some to salvation.
Instead of trying to ignore Halloween and shut the lights off and hide out in the basement, we are taking advantage of this holiday to be a light. To show the world that Christians can have fun and to show our girls how to take advantage of any situation and use it as a chance to spread God's love. I realize that this is just a small thing, but I know from experience that it's often small things that God uses to bring great glory to His name. We are called to be a light, every day. This is why and how we're choosing to celebrate Halloween.
Jesus said "I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark."
My mindset as an adult was to just ignore Halloween and wait for it to pass so I could get on with celebrating Christmas. Now that we have kids, however, my thinking is a bit different. As Cassidy is getting older John and I have had many discussions about how we are going to handle different things that will come up in her childhood. One of these things is Halloween.
Lately I've been earnestly praying for more opportunities to live out my faith and to spread the gospel. I've been praying for eyes to see people as Jesus sees them and to not just be open to opportunities to share my faith, but to actively seek out ways to show Jesus' love to people. We are called to go and make disciples (Matt. 28) and be a light to the world (Matt 5). John and I want our girls to have this mindset, to be ready to make the most of every opportunity and to always be looking for ways to show Jesus' love to their friends and to anyone they meet. This is why we're choosing to celebrate Halloween. What better time to be a light then on a day of darkness?
John ordered some special Halloween tracts from Christain Book.com. They have a few activities for kids to do and they clearly explain the gospel in kid-friendly terms. We spent one evening this week taping them to full size chocolate bars. When the kids start coming trick or treating, the girls are going to dress up in their tiger costumes and help hand out candy (well, Cassidy will!) After we hopefully get rid of our load, we're going to head over to Valley Christian Academy for Fun Night and spend the rest of the evening there. We are not participating in trick or treating (for one thing, the girls are too young anyway. We haven't discussed what this will look like in future years) or involving ourselves in anything to do with scary creatures or darkness. We are choosing to be a house of light. This morning we spent some time praying over the kids that will be coming to our door and receiving our treats. Our prayer is that God will use these tracts to plant seeds, spark discussions and hopefully lead some to salvation.
Instead of trying to ignore Halloween and shut the lights off and hide out in the basement, we are taking advantage of this holiday to be a light. To show the world that Christians can have fun and to show our girls how to take advantage of any situation and use it as a chance to spread God's love. I realize that this is just a small thing, but I know from experience that it's often small things that God uses to bring great glory to His name. We are called to be a light, every day. This is why and how we're choosing to celebrate Halloween.
Jesus said "I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark."
Wednesday, 15 October 2014
Thankful Thoughts
I think that, living in a first world country, we take alot of things for granted. Running water, food, a warm bed at night, cars to take us places, and the list goes on and on. I try to remember to be mindful and thankful for all we have here in Canada, but it often goes forgotten until something happens that changes things, like last year when we were under a water advisory in Warman and had to boil all our water for a week. That was an eye opener! It made me realize how lucky we were to have access to water at all. Boiling it seemed like a pain, but at least it was there!
This week I've been thinking about something else we have in Canada that I often take for granted- healthcare. I and my family have always been blessed by good health. We've had the occasional time where we've needed to go to the walk-in to get antibiotics but nothing beyond that, until now. As most of you know, Aviannah has some health issues that seem very minor, but are still things that need to be followed up on. So far we've seen (or will be seeing) a pediatrician, neurologist, ophthalmologist, physical therapist and occupational therapist. That's quite the list of specialists! I've gotten a small taste of what these visits would be costing if we didn't have coverage and it is kind of ridiculous. We just got her health card 2 weeks ago so up until then we've had to pay for all our visits, but we will be getting everything reimbursed. Never before have I been so thankful for health care. When we met with our agency, they mentioned how lucky we were to not have to worry about the costs. They said a child who requires lots of specialists is often a deal breaker for adoptive parents because they can't afford it, but in Canada that's not even an issue. We spent the afternoon at the Kinsmen Children's Centre yesterday and I was thrilled with the people there and how closely they'll be following up on Aviannah. Right now they don't see any problems, but she is at risk for developmental delays so they want to keep seeing her to watch for any future problems. They also put in a referral for her to a program called Early Childhood Intervention which sounds fantastic. Again, they said she might not even need it, but they want to give us that option just in case. If it wasn't for our healthcare system, we might not have been able to utilize these resources. Of course, I hope that we won't need to down the road, but if we do, they are there and I am so thankful for that!
Now if only we could find a way to keep it warm here all year round...then Canada would be just about perfect!
This week I've been thinking about something else we have in Canada that I often take for granted- healthcare. I and my family have always been blessed by good health. We've had the occasional time where we've needed to go to the walk-in to get antibiotics but nothing beyond that, until now. As most of you know, Aviannah has some health issues that seem very minor, but are still things that need to be followed up on. So far we've seen (or will be seeing) a pediatrician, neurologist, ophthalmologist, physical therapist and occupational therapist. That's quite the list of specialists! I've gotten a small taste of what these visits would be costing if we didn't have coverage and it is kind of ridiculous. We just got her health card 2 weeks ago so up until then we've had to pay for all our visits, but we will be getting everything reimbursed. Never before have I been so thankful for health care. When we met with our agency, they mentioned how lucky we were to not have to worry about the costs. They said a child who requires lots of specialists is often a deal breaker for adoptive parents because they can't afford it, but in Canada that's not even an issue. We spent the afternoon at the Kinsmen Children's Centre yesterday and I was thrilled with the people there and how closely they'll be following up on Aviannah. Right now they don't see any problems, but she is at risk for developmental delays so they want to keep seeing her to watch for any future problems. They also put in a referral for her to a program called Early Childhood Intervention which sounds fantastic. Again, they said she might not even need it, but they want to give us that option just in case. If it wasn't for our healthcare system, we might not have been able to utilize these resources. Of course, I hope that we won't need to down the road, but if we do, they are there and I am so thankful for that!
Now if only we could find a way to keep it warm here all year round...then Canada would be just about perfect!
Sunday, 12 October 2014
Being Thankful and my 7 Month Old
It's Thanksgiving, and so of course I, like everyone else, am taking time to think of things I am thankful for, and I don't have to think very hard. We had a sharing time in church this morning and I shared how thankful I was for Aviannah and for our church family and their vital role in getting her home. I just wanted to extend that sentiment out to the rest of you who read this blog and have prayed and paid our baby home. She wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. So from the bottom of my very full heart, thank you. It's amazing to see how many people love her and take interest in her. She is one lucky little girl.
And today she hits another month milestone. Each month seems to come up faster then the one before. Happy 7 months Aviannah!
So far, this month has been the roughest yet. We had gotten into such a nice routine with Avi. She was sleeping through the night, on a good nap schedule and eating bigger amounts and going longer stretches between feeds. Then her teeth decided it was a good time to start causing havoc and all routine flew out the window. Her appetite went down, she started eating smaller amounts more often and waking up at night to eat, she had trouble napping due to fussiness and she's had diarrhea, a bad diaper rash and a cold. It's been so not fun, but it seems there is a lull in the teething. For the last three nights she's slept all night and her happy disposition is back. No teeth have made an appearance, however. I sure hopes she pops 1 or 5 soon!
Other then all of that, she's still doing great! She's rolling both ways and I never find her in the same spot I left her any more. She has decided that she LOVES to talk. Yesterday at my parents house she shrieked and squealed on the floor as we all stuffed ourselves full of Thanksgiving food and today in church she shrieked her way through Sunday school and the service. It's hilarious how vocal she is. Looks like she's going to take after her sister in that regard!
We started on solids this month, and so far she's not a fan. We've tried rice cereal, sweet potatoes and applesauce. Lately it's been going in and staying in but the faces she makes are priceless! We'll keep trying different things and hopefully find something that she likes eventually. I'm having fun with it! She is SO close to sitting on her own. On my lap she can sit for quite a while without help, but she has more trouble on the floor. I'm thinking sometime this next month she'll get the hang out if. She loves toys and grabs on to anything in her reach and immediately sticks it in her mouth.
She sure keeps us on our toes. Just when we think we have something figured out, she throws us for a loop. It's a good thing she's so cute! I can't believe she's only 5 months away from a year. This week marks 5 months since we met her, and those months have FLOWN by so I'm sure before I know it we'll be throwing her a birthday party.
Blessing to you all as you celebrate Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for.
And today she hits another month milestone. Each month seems to come up faster then the one before. Happy 7 months Aviannah!
So far, this month has been the roughest yet. We had gotten into such a nice routine with Avi. She was sleeping through the night, on a good nap schedule and eating bigger amounts and going longer stretches between feeds. Then her teeth decided it was a good time to start causing havoc and all routine flew out the window. Her appetite went down, she started eating smaller amounts more often and waking up at night to eat, she had trouble napping due to fussiness and she's had diarrhea, a bad diaper rash and a cold. It's been so not fun, but it seems there is a lull in the teething. For the last three nights she's slept all night and her happy disposition is back. No teeth have made an appearance, however. I sure hopes she pops 1 or 5 soon!
Other then all of that, she's still doing great! She's rolling both ways and I never find her in the same spot I left her any more. She has decided that she LOVES to talk. Yesterday at my parents house she shrieked and squealed on the floor as we all stuffed ourselves full of Thanksgiving food and today in church she shrieked her way through Sunday school and the service. It's hilarious how vocal she is. Looks like she's going to take after her sister in that regard!
We started on solids this month, and so far she's not a fan. We've tried rice cereal, sweet potatoes and applesauce. Lately it's been going in and staying in but the faces she makes are priceless! We'll keep trying different things and hopefully find something that she likes eventually. I'm having fun with it! She is SO close to sitting on her own. On my lap she can sit for quite a while without help, but she has more trouble on the floor. I'm thinking sometime this next month she'll get the hang out if. She loves toys and grabs on to anything in her reach and immediately sticks it in her mouth.
She sure keeps us on our toes. Just when we think we have something figured out, she throws us for a loop. It's a good thing she's so cute! I can't believe she's only 5 months away from a year. This week marks 5 months since we met her, and those months have FLOWN by so I'm sure before I know it we'll be throwing her a birthday party.
Blessing to you all as you celebrate Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for.
Wednesday, 17 September 2014
You're an Overcomer
If you're friends with me on Facebook, you saw that yesterday I posted that we were going to see a neurologist for Aviannah. I don't think I've ever gone into detail about Aviannah's health issues so I figured I'd take the time to explain about some of things that we are presently dealing with and may be dealing with in the future.
Due to being born early, one of the membranes in Avi's brain did not completely form all the way. When she was first born, they thought the entire membrane was missing but after an MRI they discovered that it was only partially missing. This is called Absent Septum Pellucidum (it took me a long time to get that right!) This meant that instead of being severely special needs, she was just at risk for some developmental delays. Of course, it's so hard to tell with an infant how severe the delays might be but they figured it was a pretty mild case. We received all of this information in her referral pacakge and it was a little scary, I have to admit. Even though we already knew we were saying yes to this baby, the fear of the unknown had me worried. They told us that we would need to follow up with a neurologist once we got back to Canada. We met our paediatrician last month and she was very pleased with Aviannah. She said she was doing extremely well and she wasn't expecting, based on her charts, to see such a healthy baby. We already knew she was doing well, but it was nice to get that reassurance from a professional. She put in a referral for us to the neurologist.
I was nervous going into yesterday's appointment. I know that Aviannah is doing great and I haven't seen any signs of delays. She is not doing all the things a normal 6 month old would be doing but she is at 4 months corrected age and they say preemies take at least 2 years or more to catch up. Even with all that, she still seems to be reaching milestones fairly on par! She also seems super smart to me. She responds to her name and to voices of people she knows. My mom talked to her on the phone the other day and she immediately starting babbling when she heard her voice. I could tell she recognized it! She mimics sounds and actions and has no problem grasping toys and putting them in her mouth.
Even with all that, I was scared there was still going to be something wrong. The neurologist asked lots of questions about her development and did an exam, moving her arms and legs and checking if she was using both sides of her body equally (meaning both sides of the brain are working together and at the same pace). He said typically they do an MRI and he was fully expecting to have to do one with her based on her charts from Las Vegas but after doing the exam he said that she was in no need of one. He said this was not the baby he was expecting to see at all. He said she seems right on par with her corrected age and maybe even a bit advanced. He also said that normally he would see her in 3 months, but since we were following up with our paediatrician, there was no need to see her again unless problems arose.
This was amazing news and I almost started crying right there in his office. I often think back to that tiny, fragile 4 lb baby we met in the NICU, with a nasal canula and wires attached to her. I remember how they told us she would likely need to go home on oxygen and possibly be on oxygen until she was up to 8 years old. I look at her now, a strong, happy 12 lb 6 month old who has no breathing problems whatsoever and I am amazed at what she has overcome. I don't know what lies ahead for her but I know who holds her future. Whatever we face, I know we're not alone. God doesn't make mistakes. It wasn't mistake that she was born early, or that her brain didn't fully form like it was supposed to. He's got an amazing plan for her life and I'm thankful I get to watch it all unfold. She's our perfect little miracle.
Friday, 12 September 2014
6 Months
Today Miss Aviannah is 6 months old. Half a year old.
WHAT? Excuse me while I go in the corner and weep.
Ok, I'm back. I've actually discovered something about having a preemie- I get the rare gift of having a baby longer. Kids seem to grow up way too fast, and the baby stage especially seems to absolutely whiz by. I only got baby Cassidy for 3 months, if that, and that was not enough. At first when we brought Avi home I found myself obsessed with her growth and wanting her to catch up. It was hard to see babies younger then her that were bigger then her. I just wanted to her to catch up as quickly as possible. Now though, I look at it differently. I get a baby longer. And honestly, that is a huge answer to prayer! The number one reason we adopted from the States is because I wanted a baby. I think God understood just how badly I wanted a baby, and how I missed out on so much of Cassidy's baby years, and in His great wisdom He saw fit to bless me with a preemie, knowing that she would stay a baby longer. I may be totally off my rocker, but that's how I like to look at it! Because when it comes right down to it, she's healthy and growing and that's all that matters. She has the rest of her life to be a kid and then an adult. So I'll take my tiny 12 lb 6 month old, thank you very much!
Still though, I can't believe she's already 6 months old. We've known her for almost 4 months already. The memories of our trip are all still so fresh in my mind that it feels like yesterday. How can we be here already?
Aviannah is just the most fantastic baby. I can't even believe how she's blessed us already. She is SO happy, except when she's not, which is not all that often. But when she's happy, she's HAPPY. She's not a serious baby at all. If anyone even looks in her directions, she gives them the biggest smile you've ever seen. I love watching people's reactions to her smile. She knows she's cute, that girl!
She started rolling over from tummy to back a couple of months ago and hasn't yet figured out back to tummy but she is so close. She hates tummy time now and if I put her on her tummy, she either immediately flips to her back or throws her head down and cries until I take pity on her and roll her back over. What a drama queen!
This past month has been my favorite so far because she started sleeping through the night! GLORY HALLELUJAH AMEN. She has been consistently doing 9-10 hours for a few weeks now. We are all happier because of it. She's put herself on a nice daytime schedule as well. She usually wakes to eat at 6 or 7, goes back to sleep till 10, naps at noon for a good 2 hours or more, naps again around suppertime and then goes to bed at 9. I didn't force a schedule on her at all, she just fell into one all by herself.
She is eating 3-4oz every 3 hours and is still on a high calorie formula until she starts getting "too fat" (doctor's words). She is definitely not fat yet, although her leg rolls are coming along nicely and she's got cute little indents on her wrists :) The doctor said to wait one more month before starting her on solids, as her adjusted age is a month behind her actual age. I am so excited for that! She just started wearing 3-6 month clothes and is in stage 2 diapers. I packed away her 0-3 month stuff and it was harder then I thought! Mostly because she had some super cute stuff she only wore once. That's how it goes I guess!
Her hair is also starting to come in! It's funny, because looking back on her hospital pictures she actually had a decent amount of hair, but it somehow fell all out and it's just now coming back in again very blonde. The top of her head is fuzzy and I can even make some hairs stand up!
Things Avi likes: bathtime (she squeals with joy the entire time), watching Cassidy, sleeping on Mommy or Daddy, any kind of attention, the jolly jumper, chewing on her hands, being naked (with a diaper on, of course).
Things Avi dislikes: her carseat, a non-moving vehicle, having to wait for her bottle, tummy time, her swing (she used to love it, but not anymore), anything on her head, loud noises
One really sweet thing she does that I want to remember is every time I feed her, she grabs onto one of my fingers and holds it the entire time. If I pull my hand away for any reason,
she stops eating, searches for my finger and won't start eating again until she's got it firm in her little hand. It's so sweet, although she may never learn to hold her own bottle!
She also knows how to wave, kind of. If we wave at her she either waves her arm wildly back at us or does a little finger wave. She is at risk for developmental delays but I don't see any of that now. We see the neurologist next week so it will be interesting to see what he has to say!
Happy 6 months baby girl! We sure do love you!
WHAT? Excuse me while I go in the corner and weep.
Ok, I'm back. I've actually discovered something about having a preemie- I get the rare gift of having a baby longer. Kids seem to grow up way too fast, and the baby stage especially seems to absolutely whiz by. I only got baby Cassidy for 3 months, if that, and that was not enough. At first when we brought Avi home I found myself obsessed with her growth and wanting her to catch up. It was hard to see babies younger then her that were bigger then her. I just wanted to her to catch up as quickly as possible. Now though, I look at it differently. I get a baby longer. And honestly, that is a huge answer to prayer! The number one reason we adopted from the States is because I wanted a baby. I think God understood just how badly I wanted a baby, and how I missed out on so much of Cassidy's baby years, and in His great wisdom He saw fit to bless me with a preemie, knowing that she would stay a baby longer. I may be totally off my rocker, but that's how I like to look at it! Because when it comes right down to it, she's healthy and growing and that's all that matters. She has the rest of her life to be a kid and then an adult. So I'll take my tiny 12 lb 6 month old, thank you very much!
Still though, I can't believe she's already 6 months old. We've known her for almost 4 months already. The memories of our trip are all still so fresh in my mind that it feels like yesterday. How can we be here already?
Aviannah is just the most fantastic baby. I can't even believe how she's blessed us already. She is SO happy, except when she's not, which is not all that often. But when she's happy, she's HAPPY. She's not a serious baby at all. If anyone even looks in her directions, she gives them the biggest smile you've ever seen. I love watching people's reactions to her smile. She knows she's cute, that girl!
She started rolling over from tummy to back a couple of months ago and hasn't yet figured out back to tummy but she is so close. She hates tummy time now and if I put her on her tummy, she either immediately flips to her back or throws her head down and cries until I take pity on her and roll her back over. What a drama queen!
This past month has been my favorite so far because she started sleeping through the night! GLORY HALLELUJAH AMEN. She has been consistently doing 9-10 hours for a few weeks now. We are all happier because of it. She's put herself on a nice daytime schedule as well. She usually wakes to eat at 6 or 7, goes back to sleep till 10, naps at noon for a good 2 hours or more, naps again around suppertime and then goes to bed at 9. I didn't force a schedule on her at all, she just fell into one all by herself.
She is eating 3-4oz every 3 hours and is still on a high calorie formula until she starts getting "too fat" (doctor's words). She is definitely not fat yet, although her leg rolls are coming along nicely and she's got cute little indents on her wrists :) The doctor said to wait one more month before starting her on solids, as her adjusted age is a month behind her actual age. I am so excited for that! She just started wearing 3-6 month clothes and is in stage 2 diapers. I packed away her 0-3 month stuff and it was harder then I thought! Mostly because she had some super cute stuff she only wore once. That's how it goes I guess!
Her hair is also starting to come in! It's funny, because looking back on her hospital pictures she actually had a decent amount of hair, but it somehow fell all out and it's just now coming back in again very blonde. The top of her head is fuzzy and I can even make some hairs stand up!
Things Avi likes: bathtime (she squeals with joy the entire time), watching Cassidy, sleeping on Mommy or Daddy, any kind of attention, the jolly jumper, chewing on her hands, being naked (with a diaper on, of course).
Things Avi dislikes: her carseat, a non-moving vehicle, having to wait for her bottle, tummy time, her swing (she used to love it, but not anymore), anything on her head, loud noises
One really sweet thing she does that I want to remember is every time I feed her, she grabs onto one of my fingers and holds it the entire time. If I pull my hand away for any reason,
she stops eating, searches for my finger and won't start eating again until she's got it firm in her little hand. It's so sweet, although she may never learn to hold her own bottle!
She also knows how to wave, kind of. If we wave at her she either waves her arm wildly back at us or does a little finger wave. She is at risk for developmental delays but I don't see any of that now. We see the neurologist next week so it will be interesting to see what he has to say!
Happy 6 months baby girl! We sure do love you!
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