Physical development: Ava has made some great improvements since coming home. For lack of a better term, she was very floppy when we first met her. She ran floppy, walked a little floppy, and would fall over constantly. Ava now runs much better and does her best to keep up with Adam and Jacob. She does not quite have their stamina yet, but she is improving daily. When Ava first came home, she could not even climb onto the couch. Now, we have to watch her and Jacob to make sure they do not jump off of the couch. She also likes to climb onto the coffee table.
English: Ava picks up new words and phrases every day. She seems to understand most of what we say. Her favorite things to say are: "my turn," "stop it," "Elsa," and "chocolate." Ava also loves music and tries to sing along even if she doesn't know the words.
Attachment: When we first met, Ava was very angry at me for replacing her nanny... her nanny who she called Mama. What helped our particular situation is that Ava did not suffer from lack of love, and she craves affection. She slowly learned that I will give her affection when she is sweet, when she is sad, when she is angry, and when she is naughty. I always love her. The second thing that helped was meeting Adam and Jacob. She immediately recognized them from pictures we had sent to her at the orphanage and bonded right away with them. She knows they are her people, so that must make Todd and me her people, too. I take Ava with me almost everywhere including to drop off and pick up Adam and Jacob from school or Summer Fun programs. I want her to see that I always come back. We still have our moments where she wails this primal, guttural scream that sounds something like a wounded animal that has been cornered. Thankfully, this rarely happens, but when it does it is both heart breaking and frustrating. I wish she could tell us what all she is thinking and feeling.
Food: Ava is slowly adding new foods to her diet. In addition to eggs, rice, and noodles, she now enjoys watermelon, cereal, goldfish crackers, chocolate, rice crispy treats, and French fries. Oh, and sweet tea! I do believe this girl is southern.
Sleep: Ava has been sleeping in our room, but she slept in Jacob's room for the first time last night. She seemed to sleep much better in his room; i.e. she didn't fall out of bed. However, it took her a long time to fall asleep. She and Jacob are currently napping together in their room. Whew.
Personality: We are still learning who Ava is and what makes her tick. As she grows more and more comfortable with us, her silly side has emerged. She loves to pretend to want a high five only to fake us out. She will also offer us a bite of food only to pop it into her own mouth while giggling hysterically. She loves to help and to show affection. She helps me fold clothes, wipe up spills, and gives the best spontaneous hugs and tickles. Her newest thing is to whisper "I love you" in my ear like it is a special secret. I wish I could bottle it and save it forever. She is still exploring her independence: sometimes she acts helpless and other times wants to do everything herself. We tend to follow her lead and offer encouragement to build up her confidence. She loves to swim, sing, and chase her brothers.
How are we doing? Amazing and bad and everywhere in between. I am taking each day one minute at a time. One minute is how fast things can change. Everyone will be happy and sharing and playing. The next minute, I have three kids melting down because there is only one spool of ribbon to drag around or because Adam is playing with Minecraft Steve and Jacob needs the diamond sword and Ava screams and cries because everyone else is screaming and crying. Adam taught Jacob to say "dumb" so to counteract that I taught Jacob "smart." He hurls, "you're smart" at Adam like an insult. It's pretty awesome. Todd and I finally had our first date night since meeting Ava. We ate dinner at our favorite local restaurant and did what every parent does when they are away from their kids...talked about the kids. Todd is still adjusting to being outnumbered by the kids and helps me during my meltdowns. I have been too busy to dwell on the fact that my house is a disaster and that I yell more than I would like. Unfortunately (or dare I say fortunately?), I am never too busy to think of the approximate 143 million orphans in the world. Ava changed my world in the best possible way.
"It sounds beautiful, adventurous, even romantic in ways, right? It is beautiful. And the crazy thing is, it is so simple. Don’t misunderstand; it is not easy. But it is simple in that each and every one of us was ultimately created to do the same thing. It will not look the same. It may take place in a foreign land or it may take place in your backyard, but I believe that we were each created to change the world for someone. To serve someone. To love someone the way Christ first loved us, to spread”
― Katie J. Davis, Kisses from Katie
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