Honestly ...

Honestly ... things REALLY are going SO well!!!
Our new SWEET SWEET little girl is doing AMAZING!!!
During the last few days I have noticed even more of her SWEET, FUN, & SPUNKY little personality coming out!!! She makes "silly silly" faces at me ... and then laughs & laughs! She truly has the BEST laugh ... which she sometimes saves just for her forever family as she can be very quiet with people outside of the family! She also is talking (and talking and talking) more and more with us ... it is amazing the vocabulary she has already soaked up!
She is constantly watching me ... especially watching how I interact with Kody (but also with our other jewels)!! I think she has learned to continue to trust me by watching me with them, & she is also learning that no one is exempt from discipline (time ins or time outs) ... even sweet her ... all of which she is really responding well to - her sad little face during her time (in or out) lighting right back up again with a hug :) The other day she said to me (while we were playing), "mommy got Kody & mommy got me" AND then she came over and gave me a great big hug! I would have to say that COMPLETELY melted this mom's heart!!
She still will eat (or at least try) just about any food -although sometimes she says she likes something when really she doesn't!! In comparison to our adoption 2 kids ago, we are not picking the food battle with Ella ... which truly has been wonderful for ALL of us!
She often tells me that she has "lots" of clothes & "lots" of toys & "lots" of food! It is a good reminder to me!! The WIDE EYED look on her face when she first saw her closet full of clothes is a picture in my head I will never forget! She could NOT believe those were all of her clothes!!
We are really "trying" to make sure that her bank is full (to speak the connected child language) in terms of what we expect from her!!! This we don't do perfectly but we are trying and it is really making a difference (in comparison to our past attachment journey)!! We are also using this approach with our Faith - and WOW it has been transformational ... TRULY!!!
Ella now will take a nap (she FOUGHT this HUGELY the first couple of weeks) ... although I have moved her nap spot to the couch (versus her room) which has worked great (yep, she falls asleep & will take a good little nap)!!
She still is initiating attachment, I still gets lots of spontaneous hugs & kisses from her throughout the day and she slows to steal my lap so to speak when it is not occupied! Although Kody - if he WANTS my lap it does not matter to him who is in it, he will pull & push them out!! It really is the CUTEST things ... and did I mention that he is the CUTEST BABY around!! Seriously :) OH MY heart ... no bias here! He is the HAPPIEST & SWEETEST little guy and to think a year ago my heart was BREAKING because he was not home - all a DISTANT memory but also a BLESSING (as he was completely LOVED in by his foster family)!!!
Ella today told me that we should "go to Africa to get her sister" ... who she is talking about I don't know (probably not a biological sibling) and how she thinks we could possibly have ANY more room for ANY more kids is beyond me :)
We PRAISE God for our new daughter - whose spirit truly melts my heart & BLESSES it! What an HONOR that I get to be her FOREVER mommy!!!!!!!!!!!
(We had spent the day picnicing & exploring with wonderful friends at one of the most wonderfullest places in the world ... in my humble opinion :) )