Life at the Fairy Palace: September 2006

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Uh Oh! Mixed Blessings of Advancements

Shaela can officially walk without assistance. Yesterday, Shaela demonstrated how she can stand from sitting and then proceed to walk around the house. She was elated. It was the first time she didn't look back as she walked down the hall 15 feet away from us (she would have gone further if I didn't go to her). Justin and I were amazed.

On a side note, I have always dreamed of having a husband who I could share and enjoy these tender moments with; I feel so blessed to have Justin there by my side.

Today we will see if we need to go buy more gates or if we can manage the new developments. Shaela is also starting to sign "lights" which is handy because in the past she cried if she woke up and we didn't put the lights on, to signify the start of a new day. She also has mimicked "Uh oh!" which is so cute. But the best is she is starting to make kissing sounds with puckered lips (but she won't do it on request). Iwill miss her big open mouthed kisses when she learns how to do it the conventional way.

Mini Me
Sometimes it is uncanny the similarities that she has with me, while knowing she definitely is her own person. Here are a few:

Her short hair is like mine when I was her age.
She'll wake up with a few random scratches on her body, not knowing how they got there.
She loves good food and will show her appreciation of it.
Dry scaley shins better with shea butter (her favorite item to play with after a bath)
Often she is torn by what is in front of her and the new possibilities that lie ahead, going back and forth.
Bumps her head and not fully aware of her body (I too was and occassionally still am, accident prone)
Gets grouchy when not fed and hungry
Occassional itchy right ear, better with shaking a finger on it
Laughs a lot
Loves animals
Gets restless if standing still (if she is in the backpack, she will "gettyup" w. her legs
As she is mastering things, she is extremely diligent and perservering. When she has fallen in the past she will immediately get up and go back to where she was and try to do it again without falling.
She gets pen marks on her body (I have no excuses)
She loves to show her appreciation and love

Many Blessings to you all,
Debbie, Justin, Shaela, Kobi and Tara

Friday, September 22, 2006

Too Little Time

I have not had time to write a post on being a mom, so now as Shaela sleeps, I will highlight a few things:

receiving her from her orphanage nanny was one of the golden moments on our trip to China. Our union felt like a reunion, it was so immediate and right. I loved that she cradelled into my neck and I was able to kiss her neck so freely.
No one talks about how mom's go to the bathroom with a little one, especially if they can't be put down. It is difficult to begin with, but in China with the squatty toilets, you have to have extreme balance! Skirts and shorts with elastic waistbands are a must!
I was wondering in the beginning (when Shaela would scream bloody murder if I put her down or gave her to Justin and I was completely sleep deprived) if all those parents who were asked "is it worth it?" and they replied affirmatively, if they were lying and just telling themselves or deluding themselves with their choices. Now I can truly say it is worth it, without any delusions. Shaela is amazing and I am having so much fun!
When we first received her, and after we got home, I had this strange feeling that I could not do anything but be there for her, it was a helplessness that created an inertia. I had to tell myself that I could hold her and do things at the same time, that I didn't need Justin to do everything else. I guess having a 20 lb baby all of a sudden is kind of strange. Also, when we first received her, she had a tendency to flop backward or sideways and could hurt herself easily. Thank goodness that is over.
She is at this beautiful stage right now where she can walk, but doesn't choose to by herself (still a little unsteady), so she can be left for very short bouts (me running to put something away in the other room), which is tremendously freeing for someone who has been by her side non-stop for so long. And she isn't so secure that she is running about freely and wreaking havoc.
I have started to go back to work very very slowly and it feels good. I feel so much more balanced working a little and being there for Shaela, Justin, Kobi and Tara. I actually have more energy.
My mind does not do so well if I am in baby playing mode. It would rather sleep sometimes. I was told that I have beta wave dominated brain (which is alert and active) and not enough alpha waves (more on stand by). So I love being active with Shaela, bringing her to the pool, hiking, reading books, playing instruments, singing to her, etc. The walking in circles and slow playing are hard for me.
I have complete respect for parents and utter awe about single parents and how they do it!
I will never judge a parent for having kids who have snot coming out of their noses, kids who make a complete mess when eating and for kids with temper tantrums. Bless all parents!
I am appreciative of all my family and friends who have blessed us with their love and encouragement.
Building a new house while being a new mommy are quite a juggling act, but we thank God for Doug McDowell, our contractor, who has made it so easy and given us such peace of mind (which is no small feat for me!)
The things I have been procrastinating on, are life insurance and wills etc. Boy talk about a depressing subject. Hopefully I will get to it soon!

Blessings to You All!
Love and Light,
Debbie

Mama (Shaela) Mia!

Shaela said “mama” a week ago for the first time. I had no idea what an impact such a thing would have on me. I was never concerned that she couldn’t say “mama” and never insisted she do so. But to hear her say those words, brought tears to my eyes and somehow initiated me truly into motherhood. Now, I felt like a “mama.”

Three days ago she started saying “DaDa” and motioning to Justin. This also filled me up with such joy. She is showing so much affection and love for Justin. She is reaching for him and is also now starting to kiss him. He hugged her the other day and she signed “more”! How blessed this all is!

We feel so blessed to be witnessing all her developmental stages. I love to see the joy in her eyes as she accomplishes new feats. Some recent developments are the following:

Took the spoon and tried to feed herself
Dipping fingers into food and feeding me and Daddy
Climbing up and down steeper and steeper drops (with assistance)
Walked approx 30 steps in a carpeted toy store by herself
Using furniture to walk from place to place
Her hair is long enough to wear barrettes
She has grown tall enough and reaches higher so that I don’t have to bend over when holding her hands (Justin still does)
She is a great little drummer
She often wakes up from naps and is sitting up in her crib
She has different types of laughs and a noise that sounds like Frankenstein groaning
Her dexterity is amazing and continues to improve
She knew where the “kitty cats” were in the picture of Goodnight Moon
She prefers drinking out of our cups over her sippy cups and she doesn’t spill much at all
She points to things and makes a noise when she wants something
She can sign “no more” and “more”
She is trying to say words like “bubbles” and “doggie”
She kissed my boo boos when I fell today.
After spending time with Aunt Michelle, Uncle Tom, cousins Sophia and Patrick, she is more sure footed than ever and will spend some time playing by herself.
She had her first extended and noncrying (sorry Nonna and Zia Rosa) babysitting with Uncle Tom, Sophia and Patrick (Hooray!)
She shook her head "yes" when I picked the right toy.

Some other not so fun developments

She doesn’t like sitting in her highchair and will kick her legs when you are putting her in.
She is squirming a lot when you change her diapers (thank goodness Justin and I were both here when she had a poopy diaper that was flowing over and she was in a squirming mood!
She got her first cold last Sunday and had a very snotty and congested nose and was quite cranky on her 6 ½ hour car ride back from Denver.
She has begun pulling Kobi and Tara’s hair instead of just petting them.

Who is Shaela?

As I try to observe Shaela as a beautiful being in her own right this is what I see:

She wants to see and know the world and is a good traveller
She likes to understand how things work. She has to study everything at different angles and look at the bottoms of things.
She goes headstrong into things and is usually fearless.
Loves to play the drums
Loves music and is moved by it
Loves and kisses Kobi ,Tara, Daddy and me!
Her “blankie” is a red Chinese silk scarf and our comforter also made of the same material, everytime she sees them she kisses and makes a sweet noise of “aahhh!”
She loves certain fabrics, like my batik Indonesian pants and my Hawaiin shirt and her Chinese pajamas with little chicks or things on them
She loves letters and characters
She likes touching wooden engraved things and molding and wires with writing on it.
She enjoys hearing bells and chimes
Her favorite toys are her wooden farm animal puzzle from Aunt Melissa (especially the chickie), the soft blocks from Aunt Nancy (especially the rabbit and elephant) and the table with moving pieces that you can also put down a hole from Aunt Peichi, Uncle Pong, Audrey and Madeline. In the car she plays with manic monkey from Uncle James and Doug and Benjamin, and likes to be read books.
She likes to try out different instruments and for me to play the harmonica.
She also loves fishies and these small squirt animals that Aunt Michelle had given her.
She has her own ideas and will not be a follower.
She doesn’t do anything on demand. She will intentionally not look at you if you are taking her picture.
When we go for walks, she doesn’t follow us, she’ll stop and wait until I follow her. But inevitably, she wants to go into the street and I will have to pick her up.
She has an incredible sense of humor.
She likes barrettes in her hair now.
Her biggest love is water. She loves to be in the water. It was hard at the zoo seeing the animals like the penguins and the hippos and trying to restrain her from jumping the fence and joining them. She loves to swim so we have brought her to the pool often. She also likes to splash in the wheelbarrow that collects rainwater. She now has a cute pair of golashes that she can stomp in puddles with. Unfortunately, this morning she did her first face plant in a huge puddle in front of the house we are building.
When she is moved by something, she gets so excited, her feet start dancing and she starts to shake.
She loves being part of our family.