1 Year and a week or so:)

I missed the one year mark by about 10 days.  I can't say that it's because life is so crazy, I've just been procrastinating.  Oh, I'll do that tomorrow, etc., and now it has been 10 days!  Wow.

The past year has been an amazing journey.  Isabelle has grown and changed so much and I'm truly grateful.  Her speech is the only area I "thought" we'd have gained more ground, but it's all a process.  I look at the things she's learned in 1 year: to walk, to use a potty, to eat solid food, not to mention just the height and weight she's gained.  Her body has been very busy.  Throw in a palate surgery and moving to a third country, and I think she's doing awesome!

One of the best things for her in CR, has been attending "preschool" of sorts.  It's really the best of everything, because she's in the classroom right next to her dad and across from me.  Every time she has to go to the bathroom she walks right past her daddy's room and she knows he's there.  Mid-morning we have break and she has a snack with us.  Then, it's back to class for a little more time with her teacher and the other student who comes part time.  Her teacher is fabulous and spends a lot of time playing with her, trying to get her to mimic words, and doing crafts.  I'm not sure how much of the "craft" she actually does on her own, but weekly she brings home something fun.  She also has homework each night, some which she can do and some which one of us ends up doing.  Right now she understands a lot of Spanish, but doesn't really say any words clearly.  She's said "mama" ever since the day she came to us, but that's been it.  Once in a while she'll mimic a word, but it isn't clear enough for anyone to understand.  The big news this week from her teacher is that they've been working on "papa" and she's started saying it.  Not just once, many times.  I think this just might be the beginning of the breach in the language dam.  We're ready.  Life has to get a tad easier once she can communicate better with us.

Here are a few pictures from the past year:

The final update from China and our first smile:) (April 2013)

Gotcha Day, Tanjing (May 13, 2013)

Hanging out in our hotel, Guangzhou (May 2013)

 

Adoption Shower (July 2013)

 

Ready for palate surgery (August 2013)

 

3.5 Birthday Party (September 2013)

 

Chillin' on the table (February 2014)

 

Loving Manzanillo Beach with her daddy's sunglasses  (March 2014)

One Year Gotcha Day Anniversary (May 13, 2014)

Half-dressed in traditional Tican attire. (May 22, 2014)

(Her friend in the back has the full outfit on, but Izzy's skirt was too big!)