199 days

September 29, 2012 marked 6 months since Kemeri Abigail landed on American soil.  Since I was otherwise engaged that day, let's talk about today.  Today marks 199 days since Kemeri landed in my arms.


Oh, my goodness, how much this little one has been through.  I know it sounds cliche, but there are days I can't believe she's already been here this long, & other times that it seems she's been here forever.  She truly is one of the bravest people I know.  Just two months after having her world turned upside down, she went in for major surgery to detether her spinal cord & remove a fatty mass...Tough stuff.  We were there for a week.

That surgery seems to have made a world of difference in her walking.  She no longer trips every other step (& when I say trip, she was full out face-planting on many occasions).  We will be going soon for her follow-up MRI to see what it's looking like in there.  She has had many appointments, but she just keeps on smiling & is loved by her specialists.

Her fear of Ella is gone.  At any given moment you can find her with her arms wrapped around her neck or *ahem* sharing her dinner off of her fork.  Yep, they are tight.

She LOVES her siblings.  All of them.  But I love how she plays with her sisters & is game for trying new things, like helping make pizza.  Have I mentioned that she loves food?  I don't think I've found anything yet that she truly despises.  She definitely has favorites, but she's open to trying most things.

Just the other night, Kearsten & I decided to try some Thai peanut noodles from a local restaurant.  They were spicey...like make your nose run spicey!  But guess who had three helpings without batting an eye?  This girl loves her some spicey food!!

I am thankful to be at this milestone.  As any adoptive parents know, it's not always easy.  It's a process of getting to know one another & earning her trust.  I can honestly say that in spite of everything (including potty training) in such a short time, her attachment seems to be coming right along with the whole family.  Her body is becoming healthy, her beautiful hair is growing, & her smile & giggle are contagious!  I can't wait to see what the next 199 days bring. :o)