10 Months

We just passed the 10 month mark of when Isabelle was placed in our arms.  The time has gone fast and the changes are amazing.  Today is also the 1 year anniversary of the day my FB friend met Isabelle when she was getting her daughter.  Below is the picture I posted on FB.  What a difference a year makes!  It's all because of God and the journey He sent us on.  I don't even like to think about what her life may have been like had she not become ours.  At 3 years 2 months, Izzy didn't crawl, walk, talk, or eat anything other than thickened milk.  She preferred to be in a crib and rocking on all fours.  She didn't want to be snuggled or rocked.  She was such a quiet, compliant child.  I think she was left on her own most of the time because she wasn't demanding attention.  She knew how to self-sooth and they left her alone.

Just a couple of weeks before we left for China, the orphanage sent a letter stating she was very delayed and that we should consider a different child.  I knew she was ours, but I let doubt creep in.  Could I care for a severely delayed child?  I visited with my FB friend who had met Izzy almost 2 months earlier and also been down the adoption path twice.  She was such an encouragement and reminded me Who was in control of it all.  She also told me Isabelle needed her family to go get her and love her, and that too, would make a huge difference in her life.  Boy was she right!

The child that we call Isabelle is not the child we brought home 10 months ago.  There is a slight resemblance in the pictures, but oh how thankful we are that the differences are huge!  The one area she is still delayed is with her speech.  She does not speak clearly and chooses only to use her words when she's mimicking one of us.  BUT, she is making progress, each and every day, and it is only a matter of time before the sentences coming pouring out and we'd wish she'd be quiet:)  I cannot wait for the day.  I will be posting the very first day puts together a complete sentence.

In the meantime we are enjoying the journey.  She received a bike for her birthday (early).  We are in Costa Rica for the time being and wanted her to have it for as much time as possible.  I don't think it'll be making the trip home due to its size.  She is making it go with her feet and it's just a matter of time before she learns to pedal.

In just 10 short days she will celebrate her 4th birthday.  She even looks like she's about 4!  She's a tad on the short side, but hey, remember where she was born.  She's doing her best to make up for lost time.  Even her feet have finally started to grow!  When we are stateside in April I need to shop for her.  She's outgrown almost all of her 4T shirts she received for Christmas.  She was wear 18 mo/2T when we brought her home.  He waist is still 18 months size, but her sister was the same way when she was 4.

While living in Costa Rica, Isabelle is attending school for 16 hours a week.  Half of the time she has another little girl in her class and the other half of the time she's alone with the teacher.  They do all sorts of preschool stuff as well as learn to speak Spanish.  It isn't clear, either, but she's mimicking her teacher and trying.  We're very proud of her!

Our little peanut never ceases to amaze us.  We're so blessed to be her family.  We're also ready to start the process again, but until we get "settled" again, it's on hold.  For some reason they won't allow people without jobs or houses to adopt children.  Why would that be?  I'm sure there are several more adoptions in our future but we need to be patient.  I'm trying, really I am!

Please continue to pray.  Pray for people in the process of adopting, for children being adopted, and especially that more people adopt.  God's heart is for the widow and the orphan.  We can help in so many ways.  Pray.  Give.  Adopt.  There are so many kids needing a home, what can you do to help?