It has already been a month!

Can you believe it? One month ago today, we held this precious bundle of joy in our arms for the first time. She has grown so much in so many ways. She is little Miss Personality. She is attaching - she knows who her Mommy and Daddy are and her brothers. She wants to be with one of her immediate family members at all times and sometimes only Mommy or Daddy will do.

I have started trying to do some baby sign language with her. She is so smart and I can tell she has so much to share with us, I didn't want to have to wait until she can talk. The research on baby sign language is incredible. It really allows children an avenue for communication before the words are available. I do not think any of it has "clicked" yet, but I know it will. Signing has been shown to help children speak earlier as well. I figure that with 10 months of hearing only Chinese, she needs something to accelerate her English. She seems to understand so much already. Most importantly it helps with bonding because she will be able to communicate basic needs to us even if she doesn't have words.

On Monday I took her to see Dr. Mont Berry for an ear and audiology check. The International Adoption Clinic recommends having an ear and eye screening. The hearing check was inconclusive. It was great for her left ear, but the earphone kept falling out of her right ear and she had quite a bit of ear stuff in her ear. Dr. Berry cleaned it out and we will have her rechecked in two weeks. The stuff in her ear was very dry. My friend Sarah told me about Asian ear wax and that it is extremely dry. (Check out http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/060129_ear_wax.html - it says that 80-95 percent of East Asians have dry ear wax whereas 97-100 percent of those with African or European ancestry have wet wax. Ryan has wet wax. We are always learning something new!) We are going to start putting a drop or two of mineral oil in her ears from time to time.

My friend Sarah also told me about a pediatric opthamologist in Memphis. We will probably take Hannah Ruth for an eye screening as well.

Hannah Ruth's forehead has been broken out for awhile and nothing seemed to help. Dr. Berry also gave us some medicine for that and it seems to be clearing up.

Tonight I went to small group and Rick stayed home with Hannah Ruth. He fed her a big supper - bananas and yogurt mixed with rice cereal and applesauce - it was a big bowl! He then bathed her and washed her hair. I returned home just in time to put her to bed. I love spending those last quiet moments of the day with her.

Well, I need to get to bed. Hannah Ruth has been getting up once each night and crying out a few times. This is good. It means she is attaching and her brain is waking her up to make sure we are still there. I imagine when she is fully attached, she will begin to sleep through the night once again. I know that I am fully attached. Our family was great before, but now it just seems complete somehow.

Blessings to all. Please continue to pray that our house will sell so that we can move to the house on St. Andrews. Thanks for the comments and good wishes.

Good night!