8 Months

I did just write 8 months, didn't I?  Wow!  What an amazing time it has been.  We are so blessed to be her parents.  I say that almost every time I write, but it's so true!

Our "baby" we brought home is a beautiful preschooler.  Watching her grow is like watching something in fast forward.  Our other kids took years to accomplish all she has in a short amount of time.  That sounds like I'm speaking negatively of my other kids, I'm not.  They developed at a normal, healthy pace.  Isabelle didn't have a "normal" first 3 years of her life.  Because of that, she has a lot of ground to cover and she has chosen to cover it as quickly as possible.

She is on almost all accounts, a little girl on target for her age.  She loves to play with her stuffed kitties, her baby, and her computer.  That is actually a huge accomplishment.  For the first many months she was home, she didn't know how to play with toys.  We had to sit her by the toys and encourage her to play.  She didn't know what to do with them.  So now, to watch her snuggle her baby or play with her picnic basket, it's awesome.

One of her other favorite activities is playing hand games with her sister.  She is so cute.  She can't quite keep up, but she tries!  She has also started copying sound patterns we tell her.  Two of her favorites are: "Hubba hubba," (she actually says, "Humma Humma," and "Uh-oh."  She tries to say other "useful" words, but they aren't clear yet.  We still rely on signing to understand what she needs.  The words are coming!

Isabelle has grown at around 4-6 inches (depending on who measures her) and has gained 7 pounds.  We've been looking at Gotcha Day pictures and cannot hardly believe it's the same child.

Here are two pictures to give show you what I mean.  I need to upload more pictures and I will do so soon.

Taken right before Christmas 2013

Gotcha Day - May 13, 2013