15 months!

Sweet S,

So much has happened since I last wrote! You’ve been with us now for 15 months and you turned 22 months old!

Christmas came! You had a wonderful Christmas doing many of the same things we did together last year. We love that we are getting to have some traditions with you. Mawmaw and Poppy came from Alabama to be here and we spent lots of time together. We all went to church together on Christmas Eve and you and J stayed in the service with us. You loved the singing and even chimed in when Mr. Scott was talking. I think it was just because you were excited about Jesus being born! When we prayed you folded your hands and bowed your head and said “Amen” loudly before Mr. Scott was finished. We were delighted to have you in worship with us and to celebrate together Jesus being born!

After church our whole family and the Robinsons came to our house for dinner. We had lots of good food together and had a good time. You got several presents that night that you really liked. Some of the presents included clothes and you felt like you needed to try all of them on right away and all at one time. You were so funny!

You got to wear several of my old Christmas dresses this year and that was really special!

On Christmas Day we had breakfast at Maemae and Steve’s with lots of family and that’s where Santa came! You got some wonderful things from Santa, me and Bubbie, and lots of other people. Santa brought you a nice baby doll that you’re still loving to carry and feed and one of the best things Mawmaw and Poppy got you was a baby stroller. It is so fancy!

Later on Christmas Day we went to Grandmama’s house with lots of family. You had a good time opening presents and playing with the baby Jesus from her nativity set. Maggie and Jar gave you some super cool blocks and Aunt Beck painted a lap desk for you. She also found you some pink converses that fit over the braces for your feet!

Later on Christmas night the four of us went with Jar and Maggie to look at Christmas Lights at the Ludy’s. You loved the lights and the music! We also went to Waffle House after and ate together. Memories!

You might notice you have a black eye in many of the pictures from this month. You sustained this injury when your toes met the end of a dust pan and the handle of the dust pan popped up and hit your eye. We were helping Maemae and Steve put ornaments on their tree when it happened. It didn’t seem to bother you too much – although you did try to wipe off the bruise almost every time you saw it in a mirror.

For New Years we had a special treat. Bubbie, J, you and me went to Jacksonville to see Suzanah and her family. She had other friends there with older boys that you loved playing with. You had trouble playing with Henry and remembering to be sweet but we had adventures anyway. We went to St Augustine to see some pretty Christmas lights all over downtown and we got to go to Disney World!

We didn’t we were going until about 12 hours before we went. We didn’t have the right clothes to wear because it was so hot and we didn’t have a plan – but we had a blast. We walked around all day and you loved the people and the music. You also loved the rides! Your favorite seemed to be Dumbo. I am so glad we got to ride together. 

We saw two parades while we were there and lots of fireworks. You loved it all!

My favorite part of the day was being in a magical place with real friends. Henry and his grandmother had to ride Dumbo after we did and so we stood with Suzanah to watch them ride. Something seemed to be wrong with the elephant they were in and it was very funny. We laughed like I haven’t laughed in a long time at something that was quite silly! Good friends matter Sweet Girl. You’re going to need them in all the phases of your life. I hope I am a good model for you of how to be a good friend and how to have good friends. Disney World was a wonderful place to think about all kinds of things!

We stayed up past ALL of our bedtimes and watched the last parade. We were very late getting to our car and back to the hotel. We ended up taking a wrong turn and being on a toll road with no cash to pay a toll. It is funny now – but wasn’t then.  Mimi always told me to keep a $20 bill in the car – and I wish I had taken her advice that night!

This month you’ve gotten a new case worker. We were sorry to see Ms. L go and wish her well in her new position. We met Ms. C and she seems to have knowledge and a background that will hopefully help us move forward with your adoption.

You’ve started using the potty some this month and that’s been exciting. You’re still eating and sleeping like a champ. We do have to put on your footie pajamas backwards because you were taking them and your diaper off at night and making a mess in the bed! You have gotten reacquainted with the time-out stool and this makes me sad. I know you’re just trying to figure out how to be in the world and I respect that. You’ll figure out soon that words are better at communicating than using your hands to hit and that will be a life-lesson that will serve you for a long time.

You are ALWAYS moving. You are so busy and determined to get things done - even if no one else knows what you're working on. Occasionally you'll sit still and its usually for Steve to read to you or rock. 

You still really love your brother J. I think you had as much fun riding with him in this cart and the grocery store as you did at Disney World!

Life with you is never dull and we wouldn't have it any other way! Good things are coming Sweet Girl!

Love,

Meggie