Eight Today…

By Joanna Billigmeier | April 28, 2011 |

Little M has been home for eight months today. She has changed SO much over the past eight months! She seemed so frail and little when we first got her. Now she is full of life and action. She wants to run everywhere, and says she is “fack”(fast).

She was like a baby in China, and when we first brought her home, but she is changing. She is becoming leaner, and the baby fat is slowly disappearing. She has become a little girl. A sweet, wild, beautiful little girl.

We knew a fun, lively personality was in there, but it was often hidden under fear. She was afraid to try new things, afraid to play with other kids or new toys, deeply afraid of the unknown.

Now, we are beginning to see less fear, and more daring. Less timidity and more overcoming her fears.

And, as she slowly overcomes those fears, we see more happiness and peace in her.

She is so proud of herself when she does something she was previously afraid of, and I am proud for her.

I had so many expectations when we were going into adoption. I had expectations for bonding and attachment, and expectations for development. I had expectations for health, and expectations for language.

I fully believed that little M would be speaking in sentences by Christmas. So many other families reported that their children learned english this quickly, and I believed that it would only be a few months before we would be communicating with our little girl.

When that didn’t happen, I thought surely, by her birthday she’ll be able to tell us what gifts she wants.

I have learned to let go of all expectations, and I am trying to celebrate each new milestone instead of counting up all of the milestones she has yet to reach.

God knew what He was doing when he brought little M into our lives. Even though I had expectations and goals set up for little M, and those expectations were not met, in so many other ways I have been shown how perfect little M is for our family.

Little M is loving and affectionate with us, and will come to me for hugs many times throughout the day. She loves to dance and play. She loves to sing and to be read and sung to.

I love how far he has come, and I can’t wait to see what the next few months hold for her, and for us.

Happy eight months, little M!

Posted in Adopting