SO IN LOVE WITH HALAINAH

We have spent the last 10 days enjoying our little Lainey Bug. I still feel as though it is not real. That she isn't really ours. Almost as though I am going to wake up from this amazing incredible dream and she will be gone. Tony and I will sit for hours staring at her while she is sleeping and repeat over and over...she is ours...she is ours forever. We pray that we will make her as happy as she has made us. Our entire family has fallen in love with her...with her spirit...with her charm. She emits a glow to all those she's around. She has won the hearts of all of our family. We have spent the last 10 days with our family members so that Halainah can get used to everyone. In the first few days when we arrived back home she was withdrawn struggling with jet lag and the confusion of her journey home. But by day 5 she was back to her happy sparkling self. Here is a list of things that Halainah has learned since being in our lives:

• blows kisses
• gives kisses (mostly to mommy and daddy but working on family)
• says mama and dada (not sure if she knows what it means but still cute)
• shakes her head yes and no
• blows raspberries
• makes a funny face (mommy taught her this one)
• rolls her tongue while talking (too cute)
• claps her hands
  
• starting to stand flat foot instead of tippy toes
• pulls herself from a laying down position to sitting
  

Halainah had her first doctors visit on Friday. It went very well. She commented on how well Halainah looks and sounds health wise. She certainly was taken care of in the orphanage and she has hit the US charts at 50% for height and weight. Which is really good considering that she is from an orphanage and generally Chinese babies are on the smaller side compared to the US. Halainah is currently 20.8 pounds. I'm not sure where the confusion was in China...they claimed
she was 25 pounds but I don't think she lost weight. I say that because she eats EVERYTHING. She is such a good eater. We have given her almost everything except for peanut butter and chocolate...which she will not get for a long time. She is behind motor skill wise. But the doctor can see how far she has come in the last 10 days that she feels she will catch up in no time. She had to have 2 vaccines which she screamed for. I felt so bad for her. We have to review her immunizations with a specialist that deals with adoption from China to see what else she needs. But the best part of the entire visit was that our pediatrician said that she does not hear the heart murmur and believes the hole most likely closed. We are scheduled for an ultrasound of the heart by a pediatric cardiologist so we will await those results. But everything is looking really good.

Let's see...Halainah goes to bed at 9 pm. She usually falls asleep drinking her bottle but if she doesn't, we simply put her into her crib with the lights out, rub her back for a few minutes and she's off to sleep. And she wakes between 9 - 10 AM. How great is that? I just hope it lasts. She naps lightly in the afternoon, maybe 1 or 2, 1 hour naps. But I'll take sleeping 12 - 13 hours through the night and no naps...that's fine with me.

My Aunt Ann, Uncle Klause, cousins...Sultana, Tyler and Sasha came for a visit on Saturday to meet Halainah. It was an awesome day as we don't get to see them that often. They fell in love with Halainah within minutes. She went to each of them easily. She had us all laughing. Tyler who is 2 1/2 enjoyed playing with Halainah and I think Halainah was loving having someone little to play with. We went to a Chinese buffet for dinner and they were all shocked by how much little Lainey bug can eat. She just kept shoveling it in...tons of noodles, rice, chicken, vegetables and fruit. She was still eating when we were all done. She got to eat for free and I think she ate more than all of us.

Aunt Bonnie stopped by on Saturday to bring Halainah Elmo Live. Yup Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Mario spoil her that's for sure. Let me tell you that Halainah loves Elmo. I think she was a little scared at first that Elmo was talking to her. But soon enough she was laughing and clapping and talking to him. And Elmo blows kisses which Halainah knows how to do thanks to mama. So when Elmo blows kisses, Halainah blows them right back....way too cute.

Unfortunately Tony has to return to work tomorrow. Halainah and I are really sad that daddy won't be able to spend the days with us as we were loving this last week as a family of 3. I guess life needs to go back to normal. But we will miss him. And Halainah who is a complete daddy's girl is going to go through withdrawals. I am sure daddy will call at least 10 times tomorrow to see how we are doing.

Life is awesome and God is good. Halainah is a pure joy, a treasure, and a miracle from God, we thank God for her everyday.

Halainah meets Elmo Live...thank you Aunt Bonnie
She is so fascinated that Elmo talks to her.
She loves to touch his mouth while Elmo talks to her.

Halainah clapping for Elmo while he told her a story...way too cute.
Halainah fell asleep in her jumpy...it's so rough being a 1 year old.

Halainah in her crib that Grandma and Grandpa bought for her.

Halainah and her cousin Tyler...isn't he handsome?
Halainah and Uncle Klause...this photo is my favorite and must be framed :)