One month as a family - doctors appointments - developmental evaluations

So we have spent one month as a family and many things have changed.  Polina no longer rocks herself to sleep, she lets us rock her.  She goes up and down stairs without help.  She loves her dad!! And she no longer goes up to random strangers for hugs.  Polina has had the most amazing transition.  We kept her home for about a week and she was doing so well we started venturing out here and there and she has done awesome.  Last week we went to my moms work, the holiday luncheon at Brett's school, Jaxon's Christmas program, and the Holiday sing-a-long at Brett school.  She has been a rock star everywhere we go.  She dances and claps her hands when she hears music.  She went out to recess with Brett and his friends and acted like she owned the place.  On Sunday we went to Brett's basketball game and afterwards we stopped at the mall.  I took her to Stride Rite to get fitted for shoes.  She picked out some silver sparkling tennis shoes with pink flowers on the toe.  When the lady put them on her, she just pranced around the store so proud.  There was no way I could leave there without those shoes.  Polina has wonderful eye contact.  She takes a bottle at nap time and night time.  She loves to explore our faces when we are giving her her bottle.  She can say about 10 words so far.

Last Friday we had our doctors appointment at the International Adoption Medical Clinic.  Everything went great.  As far as they can tell Polina is healthy and has had all of her immunizations.  She is small but that didn't seem to concern him.  I think she is small because she is such a picky eater.  Couple that with being in the orphanage and that seems like a recipe for a small child.  Anyway, I was so happy that everything looked good.

Today we had 2 ladies come over to evaluate her development.  They had absolutely no concerns with her development at all aside from speech.  They want me to give her about 4 months to learn the language and they will come back and see how she is doing.  I was so proud of Polina when I was answering their questions about her development.  They said, had I not told them she was adopted, they would never have guessed.

Suffice to say that this has been one of the most amazing months of my life.  We love being with her.  She is so happy and loving and dramatic and entertaining.  I just smile as I write this.  I love hearing "eww" with big eyes when she sees something new.  And I love hear those big laughs when we play with her.  Here's to a wonderful Christmas and a very special new year.

Polina loves to pretend to talk on the phone.  She goes crazy with hand gestures.  I laugh so hard.

This is my first attempt to get a bow in her hair that stayed!  Don't you love the outfit?  Her dad bought that at Babies R Us.

Polina has worn the boys out!

Polina dancing while waiting for Brett at the holiday luncheon at the elementary school.