Time flies...

On Good Friday, we had our six-month post-placement visit with a social worker from the home study agency. Wow. Can you believe that we've been home for six months already? It seems like we've only been home about a month, but it also seems as if our trip to China was years ago. Last night we saw a family whose log-in-date (the date their dossier reached China) was similar to ours. They are going through the traditional program, and still have several years to wait for a referral. Anyway, they met Abigail about two weeks after we came home from China, and hadn't seen us since then. They were astonished with how much Abigail has grown and changed in five months. As for our little family, Frances is learning to interact more calmly (and successfully) with Abigail, and is starting to laugh at Abby's antics, instead of getting jealous. Abigail, of course, still adores Frances. The first thing Abby says in the morning when I lift her from the crib is "JieJie?" She wants to see her big sister as soon as she wakes up!

Abigail is finally starting to really play with toys. She has always loved shoes (just like Frances) but didn't seem to understand what to do with toys. She sometimes carried them around, but was never interested in them for more than a moment or two. Now, she is doing all kinds of pretending with dolls, feeding them, putting them to bed, pushing them in a shopping cart. She is suddenly infatuated with Elmo (although "Elmo" means anything associated with Sesame Street), and she is playing with stacking rings, with the Little People van, with the shape sorter. We had to make a quick run to the gas station this afternoon, and she brought along a small talking Cookie Monster (a.k.a. Elmo) and played with it the entire time. She "talks" on her toy phones, and loves to dance. She even bops around and "rocks out" to the soothing tunes of her Glow Worm in her crib! She dances better while sitting down, as she is still learning the finer point of balance and stability. When she stands up and dances, she falls over! Abigail is walking well, climbing, trying to run, and starting to jump/bounce.

My girls bring me so much joy! I am so thankful that God has blessed me with them, and so grateful to their birthmothers for making a very difficult choice. I can hardly wait to see what God has planned for their lives... they are very special children!