What we used to see---
A frightened, lifeless, lethargic child with no facial expressions.
A child who would barely eat or walk in the first week we met her; yet, would want to hold a food item in each hand when given the opportunity or would hold food in her mouth after meals.
A child who did not know who we were and why we were suddenly there in her world.
A child who could not comprehend who was holding her on this special day for us, yet oh so very difficult day in her life.
A child who didn't speak our language and we didn't speak hers.
A child who had hardly seen outside the walls of her orphanage and who had not seen much of or ever experienced the "outside world" that the rest of us live in daily.
A child who had never experienced the noisy, polluted, and crowded streets of her hometown in China.
A child who had never experienced multiple vehicle rides or a plane ride.
A child who had never experienced the true beauty of music and rhythm.
A child who was often dressed in layers of worn boy's clothing.
A child who never smiled in any of her referral photos or updates.
A child who had never experienced riding in a car seat.
A child who had limited exposure to stimulating things and very few, if any, toys and would sit on our bed and just play with her hands.
A child who had never experienced a variety of foods or as much food as she could want to eat.
A child who most likely had never attended a party thrown in her honor.
Fast Forward one month in a family. What do we now see? We see---
A beautiful little girl who has now transformed into a child full of bubbling personality.
A little girl who would only drink formula and mainly only eat rice congee while in China and who now loves to eat bananas, oatmeal, yogurt, apple sauce, and avocados- just to name a few!
A little girl who loves to wear bright clothing and headbands and princess slippers her Grammy gave her.
A little girl who crinkles her nose just like her mom and flashes a mischievous grin more than several times a day.
A little girl who dances to music every time she hears a beat and who has already learned a line of one song (even if it's just animal noises- she knows exactly when it's coming up in the song and when to do it- lol)
A little girl who already recognizes Jesus Loves Me when she hears it and tries to say "The Bible tells me so".
A little girl who mimics anything or any face that her mommy and daddy make or do.
A little girl who loves running from daddy when he chases her to tickle her and then explodes into laughter.
A little girl whose big smiles and giggles light up a room.
A little girl who just recently experienced her first snow.
A little girl who can now identify a momma and daddy and point to them in a room.
Brielle- We've watched you observe the smallest of details and then immediately copy it perfectly on the next try. We've watched you observe us taking lotion from a bottle, rubbing it in between our hands and then putting it on you and you now can mimic these steps perfectly. We've watched you fall in love with the cartoon Ni Hao Kai Lan and already recognize the theme song and imitate some words in Chinese and a few in English. We've watched you try to learn new words and even though it's a struggle, we see you try every now and then. We saw you take your first tumble in the snow even when you weren't quite sure what that cold stuff was. You've tried every food we've given you and thus far you've liked pretty much everything you've tried since being home. We've watched you make a new face practically every day. We've watched you imitate us "cleaning" and you seem to like things clean just like your mom and dad and you like helping mommy sweep the floor. You are learning how to feed yourself and have been practicing using a fork and spoon. You don't like food all over your hands and face and will make it clear when we need to clean you off. You're still not a fan of whole milk yet, but are doing much better drinking water and using a sippy cup. You still love your bottle and we don't mind cuddling with you to give it to you. You still have some trouble with sleep and definitely fight those naps! We've nicknamed you "crouching tiger" because you have a little crouching position you love to sit in and you love to make a tiger sound. You went from not being sure about this whole "American bath thing" in China to loving to take a bath and now loving to play in the bath. You even find your reflection in the chrome in the bathtub every day and giggle at yourself.
You know what a remote control does and could mimic that after watching it demonstrated only once. You're in love with cell phones and will have the funniest conversations with yourself when you have one in your hand and if you don't have one in hand, you'll turn any object into one. Amazing how quickly you've learned what cell phones can do! There are still so many things you are intrigued by and have never seen or tried yet, but you will.
You will eventually meet your wonderful church family and take your first trip to a grocery store, Target or a mall. You will try ice cream (it's your mom and dad's favorite) and pizza and I'm sure many other things that, in time, you'll be ready for. You'll have your first appointments with the international adoption clinic and specialists next week and we know you'll do great. There is still oh so much for you to explore, little one, and everything right now is such a world of curiosity and wonder for you.
We know you were given amazing care in your Care Center at your orphanage in China and had wonderful nannies that loved you dearly; however, even as great as that is, we know that God designed you and each of us for the love of a family and we are so blessed to see the results of one on one nurturing just exploding forth in you now that you are home. We also know that this is also the result of the prayers of so many.
Brielle- we've loved every minute we've shared with you in the last month and can't wait to see what the next month holds for our family! You've already been a blessing to us and your extended family and I'm sure the lives of others both in China and at home. So thankful for a faithful God who chose us to be your parents.
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