The Amazing Darya

I love my baby girl so much. Poor baby has double ear infections again! This makes for the 8th set of ear infections since November. Surgery is scheduled but may end up being pushed back due to us having to travel back to country to finalize everything. I'm keeping my fingers crossed things will work out for her to get tubes, though. We have an extra prescription of antibiotics to take with us just in case.

But, despite her ears hurting so much yesterday (she moaned, groaned, and grumped all day she felt so bad) and yet still showed me how amazing she is!

She has recently started showing me the "yay" sign for when we go outside. I wasn't sure if she was really doing this and I'm still not sure if it means "outside" "swing" or "yay" b/c she's happy we're going out. But yesterday I told her we needed to go get dressed. She apparently took this to me we were going out b/c she ran to the patio door signing "yay" and making her "yay" sound. I had to burst her bubble that we were going to the doctor. After hitting the door with her hand a couple of times and giving it a quick kick, she finally left the patio door and came to get dressed with me.

She has also started signing "happy" when we sing "If your happy and you know it" and when we sing the Barney song and say the word happy. She also claps on the "happy/know it" song. Of course, its still random when she does both but she definitely knows the sign. She will take my arms and place them on my chest when she wants me to sing the Barney song, place them in the air facing her when she wants "Twinkle Twinkle" and place them up to clap when she wants "happy/know it." She is getting her wants known and has someone that cares about what she wants!

I have also been showing her the signs for "milk" and "thank you" but have not been working really hard on teaching her the sign yet. Just simply showing it to her and occassionally showing her how to sign it with her hands. One day a week or so ago (I may have wrote about this) she was drinking milk and started signing "milk" after I had. Well, last night she wanted something to drink but not what was in the cup (when its not what she wants she dramatically backs up). So I asked her if she wanted milk and started rinsing her cup out. When I turned around, Darya was signing milk. I hadn't even signed it at all that time! And with thank you, I gave her some drink (yesterday or the day before or so, can't really remember) and had her look at me while I said and signed "thank you." She did thank you while making her noise that mimics the syllables (kinda like a ga ga sound).

And then my most favorite! We had been working on mama for a long time. She would occassionally copy me signing it but mostly just look at me. She has never signed it on her own. Well, recently we have been working more on the sounds of mama. She can actually make the sound but she is not saying mama. Its just one of her noises. But she has been trying to copy me saying mama. Nothing's really coming out yet but she is trying to figure my mouth out and do it. Its funny b/c what she does is nothing like the mama sound she already makes. But we were on our way to the doctor and I was handing her a teddy graham. I was saying "cookie" and then "thank you, mama" after I would give her one. Then started with the mama sound again trying to get her copy. When I looked in the rear view, she was signing "mama!" All on her own! I wasn't signing it at all!

I'm so proud of my baby girl. She is truly amazing!

Adoption approved!

Sorry for the delay but its been a busy week!

I left Saturday to go to Brigita's country. With the travel and time changes, it was Sunday when I arrived. I got to walk around some that afternoon and revisit some of the capital. Its such a beautiful country. I will post pictures of her country after everything is finalized and I can fully disclose where she was from, etc. I would definitely recommend this country to visit and also to adopt.

On Monday, February 25th, we drove 3 1/2 hours to the city where she resided at the institution. During our first visit, orphan court is held based on where the child was born. However, the final order re: the adoption is based on guardianship residency. So, that's why we went here. I was so very nervous. Its definitely intimidating being involved in something as serious as court when you don't understand what they are saying and you are having to pay attention to the person speaking as well as the translator. But everything went well. Everyone was in full support of the adoption. And with that, the judge ruled that the adoption was approved, as well as her name change!

The judge then proceeded to say he wanted to personally thank me for adopting a child like Brigita, with severe special needs, and giving her the opportunity to be in a family and to be a daughter. He wished me good luck, endurance, and good health.

Then it was all over. There is a 20 day appeal period and then Brigita and I travel back to country to get the final orders, her birth certificate, passport, and Visa. After court, we drove the long ride back to the capital. It was early evening when we arrived. So I went out and walked around a bit, got some dinner, and then came back to the hotel to pack and go home. I left Tuesday am around 4:30am and traveled for 22 hours until I was reunited with my ladybug. Aunt Liz brought her to the airport to meet me and I was so glad to see my beautiful baby. She did amazingly well with the changes. She even spent the night with grandma one night and did well. She has been very sweet and loving. The first night, she would snuggle with me, pull back to look at me, then laugh and start snuggling again.

I didn't know it was possible, but I love her more now than I did before I went to her country. She is so amazing. She is beautiful. She is funny. She is smart. She is resilient. She has her own little sense of humor. And she is my daughter!

Introducing:

Darya Amber Etheridge