Eva and the cats

We have two indoor kitties, a little black one named Enoch and an orange and white fluffy cat named Ginger. Eva has a strange sort of sibling relationship with these animals. She has opinions on where they should sleep, what they should eat, what they should play with and who should pet them. With Enoch, she has a favorite game where she wakes him up to give him one of her toys to play with and then when he starts playing with it, taking it away from him. This is highly amusing, to Eva not Enoch. He is not allowed to sleep in his favorite places and I am not allowed to hold or pet him in Eva's presence. Also, he is suppose to be at her disposal for hugging, distraction and to finish off her sippy cups of milk. Seriously, how a cat is suppose to drink out of a sippy cup, I have no idea, but Eva believes he can. With Ginger, she gets highly frustrated that her fur comes out when she is petted. Also, Ginger hisses a lot, so my imitating daughter, Eva, hisses back. This offends Ginger who gets all high and mighty, to which Eva responds by hugging her. Ginger doesn't know what to make of her and has spent a lot of time outside this summer. I find it amusing, because I know that in Eva's mind only those cats are hers not ours. It is sweet though, she pets them and says, "nice." She says their names, as well as "kitty cat" and "meow." Those cats are a big part of her life and I have used them many times to distract her from crying... it never fails. I know there will come a day that I will see Enoch in a pink doll's dress and Ginger with a bow in her hair... if only they knew what was in store for them.

More fun with Eva...

Fun with Eva

Eva update

Eva went to the Doctor again yesterday. She really hates the Doctor and his nurse. Personally, I like them both, but Eva definitely does not agree. She becomes very angry that I allow them to mess with her in any way, and how dare I think she would want someone to poke her with a needle. David came with us this time, but according to Eva, that was not enough comfort to offset the vist. In any case, she now weighs 25lb 7oz, which means that she has gained just under 2lbs since I took her to the Doctor in July. Also, she has grown an inch and is now 32 1/2 inches tall. She is thriving. I did find out, however, that she has alergies. She's had a runny nose for a long while now that makes her cough at night, she's got some exzema and occasionally has diarea after eating food for the first time. Her Doctor wasn't too worried about her as she isn't wheezing and doesn't show signs of asthma... he thinks she will probably grow out of the allergies as she gets older. It may be because she has been exposed to so many different foods so quickly. In any case, we got some creme for her exzema and some medicine to dry her nose out. Also, Eva got the last 3 immunization shots she needs until she's 4 years old...yippee for all of us.

On the home front, Eva is doing very well. We're all enjoying the fact that she says no to every question we ask her. Needless to say, she gets asked lots of really strange questions just so we can watch her shake her head and say "no." She has told us that she never wants a cookie again in her entire life, she doesn't like candy, she never has a dirty diaper and she hasn't liked a single famous person that we've asked her about to date.

Here's Eva...

Growing up

This past Tuesday was the 3 month anniversary of Eva's adoption day. It is incredibly hard to countenance that fact... we've only had her for 3 months! No... it feels like she's always been here and when I think of time before her it is like a different life. In 3 months, my baby who was on the cusp of toddlerhood has transversed that invisible boundary and is definitely a toddler.

Not only can Eva safely, easily and quickly climb the stairs, she now is just as good going down the stairs. She will throw away trash if you tell her, "Eva... go put this in the trash." She has given up bottles and is using sippy cups only. This week, David asked her to find her horsey... she looked all over the room, searched the toy box until she found and brought him her horsey. She sees the chickens in the yard and immediatly goes "bawk, bawk..." Her vocabulary has grown to include so many words I can't even list them all. Anything we say, she repeats it. She talks constantly and doesn't cry anymore when I have to go to work. She understands everything we say (potentially a scarry thought) and mimics whatever she can. She dances and sings and tries to put her shoes on herself. If I open the chicken house to let them out, she insists she accompany me. In addition, she insists I let her help unload the dishwasher and unpack the grocery bags. She carries things all over the house and believes herself to be an interior decorator... apparantly she doesn't like all the locations that David and I have chosen to put things. She finds great amusement in making grand entrances and will walk just out of our view so that she can come into the room and hear accolades in her honor... my daughter is behaving like a diva. I really hate that expression and have tried very hard never to apply it to her. However, it does fit. She will do anything if it earns her applause. And, yet in all this, she still has yet to climb out of that crib. Yes, I have begun giving her lessons on how to do it. I believe it will break free the hold the crib has on her that keeps her imprisoned to have control over when she can get out of it.

Eva is a delight and joy in my life... she teases and laughs and our house finally feels alive. Here's to the next three months...

Impossible to stay frustrated

Before I skip out of here for the weekend, I did want to post something that happened today before I forget about it.

Last night, Eva woke herself up coughing... she's teething and has an associated runny nose. When she lays on her back, it drips on her throat and she coughs. Well, my daughter gets very upset, irrationally upset, when she is woken up out of a sleep, even when she wakes herself up. Needless to say, she got very angry last night when after only an hour of sleep she woke herself up and then couldn't fall back to sleep. She was absolutely unconsolable. She didn't want held, she didn't want put down, she didn't want to be near me, she didn't want to be away from me, she didn't want to be distracted, she didn't want to not be distracted. Yeah, it's frustrating. Finally at 12:30 this morning, I got her calmed down enough to go back to sleep, and I got to bed. So, tired and rather crabby myself this morning, I get up to get ready for work. I've been taking baths with Eva's bath toys for several weeks now, so that Eva will watch and get used to the bath to get over her fear of water. Well, she now thinks she's suppose to come and play over the side of the tub when I take a bath, even though she has now gotten over that fear. This morning, she took it a step further and just suddenly got into the tub with me. It was absolutely darling and adorable and all my frustration was instantly washed away. I keep thinking that in 10 years from now she would be so mortified to actually get into the tub with her mom. Today she was delighted by splashing me and playing with my shampoo and by simply being next to her mama. I simply can't stay frustrated with her...

Party Girl

Transitions...

Classes started last Monday, and I am back to work full time. I must admit that making the adjustment to being a full time working mother is harder than I thought it would be. I feel like I am not doing either of my jobs to the best of my ability... that I am not spending enough time with my students nor with my daughter. Also, I haven't yet got the routine worked out and well... things will get better I hope.

Last Tuesday, Eva and I had lunch with my friend who speaks Chinese. Eva was fascinated with her and watched her very closely. At first, she didn't seem to respond to the Chinese, but after about half an hour she started to respond clearly to what was spoken to her. It seems she hasn't forgotten her Chinese yet, which I was happy to realize.

This week, on the other hand, has had some amazing breakthroughs. For the first time, Eva has started walking on her own outside our home. On Friday, she actually put her arms out to Mrs. J when I dropped her off at daycare and didn't even cry when I left. When she took her bath this weekend, she tried to get into her little duck tub herself, discovered the delights of splashing water, laughed so hard she shook her entire little body and then didn't want to get out of the tub when the bath was over. She also has experienced a noticable change in how she views the house... it is like she has taken ownership of our home. She's walking over 90% of the time now, and has started exploring everything and everywhere. I have learned that my baby-proofing is incomplete and also that Eva does respond to boundaries if I am consistent with enforcing them. She also seeems to have gotten even cuter, if that were possible. Granny thinks its because her hair has gotten longer. I'll have to post some pictures this week so you can see for yourself.

Meanwhile, I am here at work on Labor Day trying to get ahead for the week so that I don't have to spend any extra time at work during the week and can devote it to Eva. David is watching her today... he still doesn't have confidence in himself fully when it comes to watching her on his own. I understand why... it has a lot to do with non-stop crying and Eva yelling "ma ma" incessantly. I keep thinking the only way for it to get better is for David to watch her more, but it is emotionally exhausting for all of us. Eva has definitely decided to glue herself to me. I understand that when she forms a full and healthy attachment to me this will get better... in the meantime, it is tiring.