Couple of things to note...

Well, we've finished up our part of our 6 mo. post-placement report. I can't believe we're working on that already! We just need our home visit for it all to be complete I think. Incredible that Hope has officially been our daughter for that long! I was looking at some of our photos from China last week and absolutely can't believe how Hope has changed. She looked so tiny and vulnerable in those pictures. When we were in the moment, standing there embracing our new little daughter, we of course knew she was terrified and tried to respect her anxieties. But now, looking back, it is SO CLEAR that she was sad, grieving, and scared to her very core. We have tried to be good parents and hope that she is truly adjusting as well as we believe she is. Adoption is nothing short of a miracle! We believe that with our whole hearts and we hope that we are honoring God's plan in our lives through Hope. She is incredible! We can't wait to celebrate the 6 month milestone with her on Dec. 4. We are so blessed.

Other fun developements...LANGUAGE! Hope is signing more than ever and sometimes now without prompting. We get lots of "please" and "thank you." We're so proud! And, tonight for the first time we heard her say "help" clear as day!!!...when she dropped her fork on the floor during dinner. She is also saying "Grandma" and "Grandpa" now too. She has such a cute voice. I'd love to get some video, but she doesn't often say things just because we tell her to. Most often her language is used on her own terms. HMMM...could we have a toddler on our hands? :)

Now for the not so fun. I'm writing this here as my journal, not because I'm particularly proud of our evening yesterday. So, here goes. We had our worst parenting moment since we've been home. Hope's cries took us back to China and her 2 weeks of tears when we first met her. These are the kinds of cries that just rip at your heartstrings. These are cries of pain. Not cries of anger because she wants her snack. Not cries of frustration because she isn't quite strong enough to pull her blanket out from under the dog. Not cries of fatigue because she missed her nap. We're talking genuine pain. Our daughter doesn't cry when she falls or bumps her head on the table. She's a tough girl. So, last night when she cried for an hour and half when she twisted (or popped somehow?) her wrist playing with Ron we were scared. I was so ready to go for x-rays. But, we waited. I'm happy to report that after a little Culver's custard (and a good night's sleep) Hope is fine, but it sure was a hard night. She's using her hand, playing, eating, etc. normally today. She is showing no signs of being tentative about pushing her hand through sleeves to get dressed or get her coat on. Really, she's fine. But, HOLY COW did we suffer last night.

Sorry for the post without photos tonight. I'm having trouble linking to our other computer to pull them up. Maybe another night this week? We'll see what the evenings bring. Have a good week everyone.

Beth (& Ron & Hope, too)