Snapshots and Lyrics: Six Months & Counting

Blog posts have been few and far between as of late. I knew when we were in the adoption process - with all our complaints and concerns and all that time on our hands - that the true challenges would begin when Lainey came home. I was right. The difference is, the rewards for these challenges are so many more and so much deeper!

Our sweet little baby we brought home is a full blown toddler now. She walks and runs like a toddler, talks like one, demands like one and charms like one. Wow, the charm she can put on!

The milestones she is reaching astound me daily. I'm sure she's "just" an average eighteen month old, but at the same time I'm pretty positive she's the smartest, cutest, cleverest eighteen month old. Of course, we're new to this parenting thing so we have no one to compare her to.

Lainey has all kinds of words and it seems as though I name something once and she tucks it away until it can be used next time. Most recently, the word "pumpkin." Ty brought a mini one home for her. I named it for her and added it to my fall decorations. Later, we were reading a color book and on the orange page was a pumpkin. Again, I named it for her. Yesterday we went to Patterson's Market, a local market with a small pumpkin patch. You know what I'm going to say - she pointed to the pumpkins and said, "puh-kin." I wish I were keeping a running record of her words, but now it seems to late to start because the list is growing so quickly. I'm most thrilled she is learning to put three or four words together - when we prompt her. "Love you, Daddy" is my favorite.

She knows who her favorite people are and I never tire of hearing her ramble them off as she falls asleep or gets bored during a walk in her stroller. "Mama, Daddy, Boone, Tim [Kim], Yyler [Tyler], Opa, Gehmah [Grandma], Gehpa [Grandpa Aaron], Audrey." And all over again.

And here's a crazy story. One of the words she came home from Ethiopia knowing was "caca." Yes, it means what you think it means, but she knew it to mean anything icky. Lainey's Grandma Marsha calls her poo, "yuckies." Today, I was changing her diaper and Lainey called out, "Yuckies. Caca." She hasn't heard that word for six months. No kidding. I was surprised, and I wondered what else she remembers from her time in Ethiopia. This was a great wake up call to me: as her mother, I need to continue learning and teaching Lainey about Ethiopian heritage. If I don't, who will?

Other Favorites: Running. "One two three GO!" Light switches. "On. Off. On. Off. On....." ELMO! I was honestly hoping we could skip the Elmo stage, so naturally he is her favorite. (Yep, I allow screen time before 2 years old.) Slides and climbing. Loves them. Jumping. This little one will hardly walk anywhere anymore; everywhere we go she tries to jump. Cars. When we go on walks she tries to open any car door we pass. Outside. Probably the word she uses (demands) most often is "Outside!" Much to my dismay, she knows how to open most doors and is working on locks as well.

And wow, is she independent. Hurts this mama's feelings sometimes when she no longer lets me help her walk up stairs or snuggle her when she hurts herself.

I took Lainey out into the rain yesterday. It was pouring and she LOVED it! Ran through the puddles, reached her hands out to catch raindrops and everything. Truly, it was a bit surreal. I didn't have my camera, but for once I can't wait until the rain dumps on us again so I can take her out again...this time with my camera!

It's been an amazing, crazy, difficult, unpredictable, wild, exciting, frustrating, surprising, trying, unique, humorous, perplexing, wondrous six months. I'm pretty sure that about sums it up.