Treasure

Since we've been home with Eva for the past week, I have all these little stories that we find delightful, but really aren't all that interesting or amazing to the rest of the world. For example, the other night when David was putting Eva to bed he asked her a series of questions, "Do you want to go to bed?" She replied, "No." David asked her, "Are you tired?" She rubbed her eyes and said, "No." Then David asked her, "Are you being petulent?" She looked up at him and said, "Yes." Then on Wednesday, I asked Eva, "Has anyone told you that you're cute today?" She replied, "Yea." I asked, "Who told you that you're cute?" She responded "Granny did." It's true Granny did... I was just amazed at her conversation skill and how much of the world around her that she totally gets. She is constantly using new words (not just repeating ones she's just heard us use), and using them correctly. Just this week, Eva has started a new behavior. She walks into the kitchen, opens the refridgerator door and shouts "more!" Apparantly, this is how she has decided to inform us that she wants something she sees in there. She is very good at communicating what she wants.

Today I completed a mission of stealth... I finally got all of Eva's fingernails and toenails clipped without a single utterance of fuss. Yes, I did it while she took her nap. It worked really well.

Eva really is amazing and beautiful, and she just keeps getting cuter. I wonder if China knows that they allowed us to adopt and remove from their country a National Treasure?

Holiday fun

Please note in the following pictures, Eva's glittery pink shoes which she picked out herself and is always delighted to wear.

The big Two-Oh

Yes, Eva turns 20 months old today. David and I can see signs of the two year old coming. Ah...

So, last Thursday I took Eva Christmas shopping with me, and learned an important lesson which I thought I'd share. We went to the mall only briefly, and since they were really cute, thought it'd be fun to get Eva one of the mall-buggies to ride around in. They're lime-green glorified strollers that look like little cars with a steering wheel and everything. Every time Eva turned the wheel, I turned the cart for her in that direction. I think she really believed she was driving. We wobbled and weaved our way around the mall for about half an hour then went to leave. I returned the cart, and told Eva it was time to go now. She said, "NO." I picked her up anyway. She arched her back, kicked her feet and screamed at the top of her lungs, "NO, NO, Down, NO, NO!" Yes, her very first, full-blown, no holding back, temper tantrum. There was nothing I could do, we had to leave. So, I carried a screaming toddler as fast as I could out of the mall, all the time thinking in the back of my head... "Is someone going to think I'm kidnapping this little girl?" It was a scary thought, and one I never anticipated when I began the process of adopting an interacial child, yet there it was. I still haven't processed this thought completely. In any case, my lesson was this: If you don't have time to spend 4 hours in the mall, walk right by the mall buggies and distract your soon-to-be two year old while you're doing it.

Eva had a fantastic Christmas. She got a band set from Granny, lots of clothing and accessories, a leap-frog toy and a brand new play kitchen, complete with a big "little tykes" kitchen, a table and chairs and over 200 pieces of play food and cookery items. I have been told my entire life that children prefer to play with the boxes over the toys... this I anticipated going into my first ever Christmas with a child. In turns out that my daughter--whom the orphanage workers said liked to play with toys, and whom from the first day we've had her has been delighted over toys--could care less about boxes. Yes, Eva liked the toys. She has played with all of them... this morning she fed me a hot dog with strawberry jam on it from her kitchen, has played an entire song on her drum for daddy and has pranced around carrying her new pink purse, from Aunt Kori, slung over her forearm to the delight of all. One point of note, it upsets my daughter when the wrapping paper tears. Yes, she is one of those who have to very neatly disrobe a present without any paper loss in the process. Again, this is not learned from her environment.

On the development front, both of Eva's top eye teeth have poked their way through the surface of her gums. She also, obviously, sees herself as boss of the cats. Yes, Eva makes them get off of chairs, disciplines them for scratching on walls and tells them where they are suppose to sleep and what they are suppose to play with. It's too bad that the cats don't recognize her as boss... at least too bad for Eva.

Simply beautiful...

Personality and vocabulary

I'm tired of whining in my house. So, I reasoned that if Eva could say what she wants, then she won't whine as much and I will be happier. So a few weeks ago, David and I started teaching her how to use her words. We taught her "up." That one was easy. Every time she says up, we immediately pick her up... great reward system for all of us. Then we taught her "out" and "off." She uses them interchangeably and when she uses them we immediately respond and let our out of the crib, or off the bed. I did not anticipate that we would be hearing "out" shouted at us when she's riding in the car seat, but it's at least maneagable... she eventually figured out that she wasn't going to be let out of the car seat and quit shouting. Anyway, lately we have been teaching her the word "want." Yesterday, Eva gained mastery over this word. She used it successfully to earn herself three pieces of candy, one spoon, an important paper of mamas, a bottle of water and the remote. Not only can she say "want" but she can say "I want that." At least it isn't whining.

Another term Eva has taken to using frequently is "owey." To be fair, Granny gets a lot of credit for this one. Eva has learned that an owey earns her a kiss and a hug. Granny thinks it's great getting to give all these extra kisses and hugs. Eva, on the other hand, has developed an exponential number of oweys. She is definitely playing that card... even Mrs. J. at daycare has noticed. At least she hasn't quite connected the wonderful and magical bandaid to the word "owey" yet... so David and I are safe a while longer from having to take out a second on the house.

Eva is cutting her eye teeth. She woke up at 2:00 a.m. this morning crying and in obvious pain. She gets irrationally upset when she is woken up, even when she wakes herself up... so she was very angry about being woken up at 2:00 a.m. because her gums hurt. Personally, I completely understood, but then since I'm the mom, I didn't get to cry and wail and have someone tell me I'm great just because I was woken up in the middle of the night. Ah... seriously, maybe we all need someone to tell us we're great once in a while. Anyway, she was still a little upset when I gave her medicine for her teeth, which of course meant that she threw it up all over me. I cleaned myself off and Eva, got her calmed down... and was thinking things were becoming under control when I hear the highest pitched, hysterical scream coming from my sweet little girl. I look over to see Eva pointing at her right foot and trying to scooch herself backwards to escape from it... her own foot. Yes, there was one drop of throw-up that I missed on the tip of her big toe, and Eva was definitely grossed out about it. If you could see my face as I write this, you would know exactly what I think of this particular re-affirmation of the prissy side of my daughter's personality. The other day she found a bug on one of her toys (a ladybug, I think). She exclaims "yucky" and then hands it to Granny. I thought it was funny that she thought Granny would want something yucky, but really, this is not learned behavior... not from me anyway.

Despite what I say, I can not wait to go home and discover more of Eva's personality...even if she is more in touch with her feminine side than I am. She is amazing, delightful and the heartbeat of our home.

Eva topics

So, Eva now uses both words "no" and "yes" about evenly. Most the time she even uses them appropriately... listens to what you say, thinks about it and then answers with the appropriate answer. Well, David and Eva have had a nightly game/struggle about going to sleep. (You can decide for yourself which one views it as a game and which one views it as a struggle.) Eva wants to stay awake, which means thrashing and kicking. David doesn't want to be bruised or go to work with a shiner, so he tells her, "Hold still, it's time to go to sleep." Half an hour later, it's progressed to "Baba said to hold still, you're being naughty. Now be a good girl and go to sleep." Eventually David gets through to her and she stops kicking, which means she has to hold still and then she falls asleep. David sighs in exasperation and claims that the next night she won't kick anymore. Last night as we were going to bed, David asked Eva "Are you going to be a good girl tonight?" She listened to him, thought about it and said emphatically, "no." David replied, "What, you're going to be naughty?" Again, Eva listened to him, thought about it and said "yes." Now, tell me, how are you ever suppose to be mad at someone who is simultaneously that honest and cute?

This morning, I was picking up the house... people coming over tonight. And so I wasn't giving Eva a lot of structured attention. She didn't mind (very different from 6 months ago), in fact she very compentently entertained herself. After not hearing any sound from her for a few minutes I went to check on her, just to find that she had taken apart the picture frames in her room and was enjoying trying to figure out how to put them back together. I helped her, and gave her some attention, then left her to her own devices again. A few minutes later, it got quiet, again. I went to find her, only to discover that she had carried the tied trash bag that I had put in the corner of the kitchen into the dark spare bedroom and was working hard on getting that knot undone. Apparently she knew there was something good in that bag. What was funny was the look she gave me... she was sure I wouldn't find her in the spare room and she knew I was going to take that bag away from her when I did find her. Her expression spoke volumes. That little girl is busy!

holiday season begins

Eva time...

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Pictures from Thanksgiving

Shopping

This weekend was a lot of fun with Eva. We took her down to Fargo to go shopping on Saturday. We spent the morning playing with her and giving her attention, then left for Fargo at about her nap time. She slept for the entire 2 hour trip and woke up just in time to go out for lunch. She got an entire little cheese pizza for lunch and ate the whole thing. She was in a very good mood when we went shopping after lunch. She giggled, laughed and danced to the Christmas music.

We took her to a children's clothing store in the mall. To David's amusement, we have learned that we are raising a power-shopper. She walks into the store and picks out something she likes by the hanger, looks at it and then drapes it over her arm... she continues with clothing from the shelves, picking out whatever grabs her interest. I didn't notice... was busy picking out items and looking at them, when I hear David laughing hysterically in my ear. I look up to see Eva trucking all over the store carrying a large load of clothing she can barely see over. I catch her and put all the clothes back, and return to looking at things. Apparently, while I was doing that, Eva found the shoe display and a pair of hot pick, glittery $16 shoes caught her attention. They look like the red ruby slippers from Wizard of Oz, only they're hot pink. So, when it's time to pay, I go up to the counter and put the clothing I've picked out for her down and then look down next to me to see my daughter putting a pair of very "girly" shoes on the counter with the clothes. It seems that Eva has figured out how things work in a store... you go and get what you want and take it to the counter. They put it in a bag and you leave the store. Well... I told David to put her shoes back, because seriously, what 1 1/2 year old needs a pair of $16 shoes that she will outgrow in a couple of months, especially "girly" ones. David tells me that he has chased Eva all over the store trying to get those shoes out of her hands (this seems to have occured while I was finishing my shoping, and was accompanied with much giggling from Eva) and that since she wants them that badly, he will buy them for her. I wonder how long it will take Eva to learn that she gets a lot more when she takes Daddy shopping with her.

After shopping, we went and visited some friends in Fargo and then went out for Thai food for dinner. Eva enjoyed all of it, as expected. She even had some of mommy's Jasmine tea. I don't know many toddlers that drink and like hot, un-sweetened green teas... Eva does.

She had the best day. I was delighted because every time a strange woman came up to talk to her and spent any amount of time with her, she hid in my skirt. I love the level of attachment she has reached with me, and she is progressing through all of the appropriate stages of development. Maybe not at the appropriate age, but I am thrilled, nonetheless. She obviously trusts me to keep her safe and take care of her. Now, with men she has no issues at all. In fact, on Sunday, she fell asleep on the lap of one of her adopted grandpas. When I came to get her she cried... she was comfortable and wanted to stay. I thought it was sweet.

Eva is fianally sleeping again. I really don't know why she wasn't for the last couple of weeks, but last night she slept her normal 12 hours. She is so much happier when she gets sleep, and when she's fed and gets a lot of attention. Now, I just have to work on her taste in shoes...

Eva's first pony

More about Eva... really is there anything else to talk about?!

This morning Eva woke up around 2:00 a.m.and joined David and I in the big bed. She wanted more nei-nei (milk) and after having some went back to sleep. Sometime ater 7:00 a.m. I woke up and just laid in bed watching her sleep... finally she opens her eyes and when she sees my face, hers lights up and she smiles at me, followed by the biggest hug. I am so completely in love with my little girl and am still a little in amazement that she feels the same for me. Today she pointed at me and said "mine... my mommy." I agreed with her.

Well, Eva is no longer afraid of her crib. No...now she cries when she can't get into it. It turns out that she views her crib as one big trampoline and can't wait to get in there and jump. Yes... it may shock you to know, we let her. We do draw the line with jumping on the couch... she might fall off and hurt herself. We enjoy the trampoline giggles too much to stop that particular enjoyment.

At church this weekend, Eva saw a big tote on one of the tables and wanted to know what was in it, so she reached up and pulled it down, in the process dumping legos all over the place. I saw it happen, and said, "Eva... what did you do?" I wasn't mad at her, but in response she gave me such a bewildered look and said, "sorry." Then, she helped me pick them all up. She must have learned "sorry" at daycare, but I thought it was precious. Really, she can say anything. I am in awe of her vocabulary.

Okay, I'm just in awe of my daughter. The reason I post on here about her is because I love telling stories and talking about her, but really don't want to become one of those mothers that irritate everyone with their non-stop children stories. This way I get it out of my system, and people who don't really want to know them don't have to read it.

In the meantime...
I think Eva is allergic to strawberries also... but not 100% sure of that one.
She has taken to wanting cookies all the time and gets so mad at me when I limit them... it doesn't bother me to have her mad at me, which I think frustrates her even more.
She is fascinated with trying on my and David's shoes, and if she can't get them to stay on her tiny feet, will put them on her arms and walk around the house that way.
Eva loves to play the 'blanket over the head' game and will dish out lots of kisses and nose rubs if you join her under the blanket.

So, in 5 days it will be the 6 month anniversary of our adoption day. It's been less than 6 months that Eva has lived with us, but to imagine life without her, it feels like I have to break off a piece of me. We are blessed.

Having fun