Milestones…

Little M has been home for ten months today. She has been through so much, and she is the bravest person I know. She has grown so much…she has grown bigger, but she has also grown into a family.

Ten months ago, little M was a very scared, very sick little girl, who’s life had just been turned upside down. She has changed so much, and she she is learning to trust and love.

She knows that the husband and I are hers, and she does not like to share us.

She is starting to understand family (“fanimy,” according to M), and she knows that we are her family, and she loves to talk about “fanimy”

She is still quite far behind, for someone who is almost three-and-a-half. But we celebrate every little milestone that we see her meet. I believe that even though it is slow going, she is going to catch up. Sometimes, I look back at pictures and videos, just to remind myself how very far she has really come.

And she has. She has come so far. Even just eight months ago, little M could say maybe 6- 10 words, and some of those words were Chinese. And most of them were not clear. Now she has over 300 words, and those get clearer every day.

Just ten months she been home, that’s a milestone in itself, and yet, it’s really not so long…

Just months ago, little M was still zoning out, or shutting down when things got too overwhelming. Now, we haven’t seen that glazed look in her eyes in so long. She is better at using her words, and dealing with big feelings.

She is getting better at calming herself down, and knows what to do when I tell her to calm down. She takes deep breaths. Sometimes she will raise her arms up and down, or sway side to side, but she is getting so good at it. She is also better at not getting worked up and out-of-control to begin with. She definitely gets excited…she’s three. But she had some big, scary feelings to deal with, and no words to express herself…I am so proud when she starts to get worked up, and instead will raise her arms up and down and take deep breaths, calming herself.

Happy ten months home, little girl! We love you, and we are proud to be your “fanimy!”