Week 2

None of us want to bore you with day-by-day blow-by-blow details of Kassie’s second week home. It is safe to say (as everyone did), things get better everyday! We have settled into a routine, which is good for all of us. Kassie’s gets up between 7:15am and 7:45am everyday. We go to the bathroom and she has not gone in her pull-up in over a week. Then we go to our bedroom and watch some cartoons and have a little snuggle time. She is not into Little Einsteins but seems to like Curious Buddies, Back in the Barnyard, and Ni-Hao Kai Lan is still a favorite. (Thank goodness for Cartoons - In Demand.) Breakfast is easy….some sort of fruit, a bread product (waffle, toast, PB&J, cereal). Some days I can even sneak in an egg with some cheddar cheese in it. Water to drink (which has her fluoride) and two chewable vitamins finish breakfast.

Then we play for a while. The living room has turned into the playroom. That’s fine – there is more room for us to spread out. She is now discovering more of the toys she has and bounces from one item to another more like a toddler. Each day she is discovering another toy, which is fun. Currently her Sit 'n Spin is a favorite (Thanks Aneli!)

We then go upstairs and get dressed for the day. Last week she decided she wanted to stay in her pull-up and undershirt. Mom won that argument and she was dressed in a sweater and cords. Kassie pitched a fit about being dressed so I sat her on my bedroom floor and walked away. Fifteen minutes later she walked down the stairs and was playing with the leapfrog toy on the fridge – all better. The tantrums now really come more when she does not get her way or when she is tired, which is no different than any other three year old. These are to be expected. The fits directed towards me that I would link to attachment issues have seemed to really stop.

Lunch is usually close to noon. Sometimes this is leftover pasta, sometimes mac ‘n cheese, a hot dog, PB&J, fruit and water. Some days we go for a drive and go shopping or visit friends, other days we stay home and played until Daddy comes home around 3:15pm.

We try and eat dinner between 5:15pm - 5:30pm. That will change when Mommy goes back to work but, for now, it’s fine. She is easy to try items and likes more than she dislikes. Everyday we try something new. One day this week, she ate pasta with meat sauce and loved it. Another night she had grilled chicken and some homemade mac ‘n cheese (Thanks Betty!!) and half an apple. Last night she ate steak again with a side of mashed potatoes and broccoli together (Thanks Great-Grandma C – I am sure you are looking down from heaven and smiling SO BIG!!) Tonight she tried MeMa’s pot roast and it was a smashing success. The surprise of the evening was she liked the yellow squash and onions. For MeMa’s dessert, Daddy made Grandma’s special Gugelohf and now we add that to her list of “Yum-Yum” foods. (Great-Grandma E is now also looking down from heaven very happy!)

We had a fabulous play date with her cousins Liam and Fiona last week. We ate at McDonald’s and then came back to the house and played with ALL the toys. Surprisingly, the kids moved around each other amazingly well and there was no fighting and no issues. Liam attempted to teach the girls how to do jumping jacks. Liam is amazingly well coordinated and really good at them. Fiona is a great jumper…up and down a million times. Kassie tried, but just laughed. We got it on film so I’m sure it will make the calendar. MeMa and PaPa came over and we ALL enjoyed a pizza dinner together.

Tonight we all got together for MeMa’s belated birthday dinner. Everyone ate and had fun. MeMa, Mommy, Kassie, Fiona, and Liam had a rousing rendition of “Old McDonald” in the family room. After a while, we were substituting raspberries for animal noises. Now to a 2,3, and 5 years old, there is NOTHING funnier than raspberries…can you see the picture in your head?? This is just shades of what Christmas will be: tons of presents, fun galore, Hershey kiss rappers thrown in the tree, crepes for breakfast…"Oh what fun!" None of us can wait!

The surprise turn of events for week 4 is that Mommy is now Kassie’s security blanket. Yup – the most pinched and bitten disliked one of all has turned the corner and is now the one she snuggles with. After dinner – when she is through with her meal – all she wants to do is crawl into Mommy’s lap and cuddle and sing songs and climb up Mommy like a Monkey (hence the nickname – “Monkey Monkey” – which she says and laughs). The good thing is this gets Mommy out of cleaning up meals – the bad thing is now Daddy cleans up after meals. Mommy feels bad but also knows this will change and soon Daddy will be the cuddler or she will find other entertainment to occupy this time but for now….MOMMY IS LOVING IT!!!!!!

Unbelievably, tomorrow, Monday, Nov. 24th is exactly four weeks since we picked her up in Changsha. It is mind blowing how much she has picked up. How much she has adapted to her new world and is thriving. She is so good in her car seat and loves to go for rides. When we go into the garage and I open the garage door she exclaims….”YEAH!” She seems so happy and there is a glimmer in her eyes. Mommy loves mornings now (which for any of you who know Mommy – this has NEVER been the case). Mommy only loves them because Kassie is a morning person (like her Daddy). She wakes up smiling, yelling for “Puppy-Hey”, and laughing. Today, she looked me in the eye while we were snuggling on the chair in her room and said, “No Way”. Every day she surprises me. What an unbelievable joy. We are so blessed.