Little Signs She's Adjusting Well

When we chose to adopt M, we accepted the fact that there may very likely be things that might always be "issues." Because so many orphans have little stimulation as infants, they can struggle with emotional issues, sensory issues, perception issues, etc. When we first met M, it was obvious that there were things she either had not encountered or had not had a pleasant experience with. We've tried to take things slow...not easy for us first-born parents! This week, I've been pondering how many "little" things have been changing.

M used to HATE having lotion put on her body. Her little skin gets so dry that we had to do it nightly anyway. Every night we would give her a bath and slowly massage lotion onto her skin, trying to make it a touch therapy kind of thing. She no longer freaks out about it. In fact, this week, she's been taking MY lotion and putting it all over herself!

M used to obsess about clean hands. Yes, clean hands are important. But she was REALLY concerned about them - to the point that it was hard for her to play outside because she was afraid to get anything on them. Now she likes to be clean, but can play freely and make it through a meal without wiping her fingers thousands of times.

M had never walked in grass. When I first stood her in our yard, she was mesmerized with the color, texture, everything about it. She was unsure how to walk in it. She looked a lot like someone testing a pool before getting in. She stuck a toe out, then a foot, then touched it with her hand. When she fell, she'd sit in it looking at it and then try to wipe every bit of her body off that might have touched the grass. Now she can lay in the grass and snuggle with me. She even walked without her shoes in it this week!

M didn't seem to know how to snuggle (or didn't want to?). Every morning, M must take a chelation medicine half an hour before eating. We've made it a ritual to bring her into bed with us and cuddle with her while drinking it and then while we wait for breakfast time. What a difference in 6 months! She now nestles sweetly in our arms, strokes our hair, and gives kisses. What an amazing feeling!

M didn't have much fresh fruit in her orphanage. Her diet consisted mostly of rice and meat (not all the kids had this - just her because it was their treatment for her medical condition). She warmed up quickly to a few staples - apples and bananas and oranges. But she was NOT going to eat berries. NO WAY. She made gagging sounds. About BERRIES! We just laughed and assured her that they were delicious. This week...you guessed it. Guess who decided she loves strawberries? Good thing, too! Have you ever noticed how many girls' clothes have strawberries on them?! You can guess which jammies are now one of her favorites! :-)

We're so thankful to God for slowly touching our little girl's life, giving her hope and confidence to try new things. And we're so thankful for our family and friends who are so patient with her, never pushing her to go faster than she's ready to go. You guys are great!