One Year Check Up

A friend from church knitted this hat for Elizabeth. She was funny when we put it on her. Denise - you did a beautiful job! Thanks!


A game of "peek-a-boo" during dinner??????



We have a thriving little girl! Praise God. She is now 19.5 pounds and 27 1/2 inches long. For the first time, I think the weight was correct. She has been packing on the pounds! We visited her doctor yesterday. He gave her a clean bill of health. I finally recieved all the labwork information and it was all great. She is slightly low in iron, but nothing to be concerned about. She does need to repeat the entire polio series, but all the other vacinations were good. I was thrilled to know that and very glad that we did not just repeat everything! We did discover that she has giardia, a parasite that effects the intestines. As I was keeping up to date with others from her orphanage, I saw that 5 babies that were tested for giardia came back positive. Because of that and because she had been acting like her belly bothered her, I decided to have her stool tested. Sure enough, she has it too. She is now taking medicine that she absolutely hates!!!!! Did I express that clear enough? I doubt it! Hate might be a mild description. But, being the trooper that she is........she lays in my arms and fights me with all she has and spits out whatever she can and swallows only when she has too. We are trusting that enough meds are getting in her to fight the infection.

She has one tooth so far. She can crawl up the stairs and practically race to wherever she would like to go now. She walks anywhere as long as she can hold onto your fingertips. I noticed yesterday that she is starting to get a little brave and let go of things for half of a second (if that).... but that is progress. She sleeps pretty well. She is ready for bed by 7:30 but with our schedule, she often does not get that luxury until 8:30-9:00. She then sleeps until 1:30-2:00 and wakes for a bottle. Then she is up around 6:00 for the day. Naps? Now that is a funny word. I don't think Elizabeth knows that word just yet!

Speaking of words... Well, the delay they often speak of in the transition is true for our little one. She really does not say any word clear enough for me to say she knows any. For about a week, I think she associated "mama" with me. At the same time, she was saying "dada" for Daddy. But, I don't see that anymore. I am confident that she has said Jacob. That is probably the clearest attempt of any word. She makes a sound that might be deciphered as "dog or Chuck or Ty" whenever she sees the dogs. One time I have heard her say something that sounded like "Sam" when she saw Sam, but not since. She liked to mimic the word "uh-oh". That one was very clear but it only lasted for about a week, she doesn't do it anymore.

Though she can not say any words, she does understand some words. She can say "Please" in sign language. It is adorable. She also can wave to anyone who asks her too as well as wave just because she sees someone or is leaving. So she does know "hi". She loves to play a game like peek-a-boo. Whenever you say "Where's Elizabeth?", she covers her face with both hands and closes her eyes. THen she removes her hands and everyone says "there she is". Sometimes she will even say "there". The spagetti face picture above is her playing "peek-a-boo" for Erin. One of her favorite things to do is clap. She will clap when others are clapping or if you just say "yeah". Her latest accomplishment is learning to blow kisses.

One of her favorite things is music! That will often calm her down when she is crying. We were given a wonderful DVD called "Praise Baby". She LOVES to watch it and often moves to the music. It is very sweet. On Sunday, January 22nd, she was dedicated at church. It was a precious day. We dedicated her to the Lord (though we had done that long ago) and committed in front of the church to raise her in the Lord. During the praise and worship music, she rocked back in forth with all of her might. She was praising God already!

Well, that is the latest update. We are loving every moment.