One month home: all about Nora

We are settling into a routine and finally getting a bit of a clue as to being parents. Sleep is still an issue, but the last two nights she has woken up at around 2:30 for a diaper change and again at 5 wanting to be held and rocked for a while. Considering where we were a couple weeks ago, I will gladly take it! Since she refused to sleep in her crib and our bed is a queen, we decided to try modifying our crib by removing the front, strapping it to the side of the bed and raising the mattress to be where ours is. Sidecar crib is a huge success since it allows her to have her kicky legs without them ending up in one of our necks/sides/backs/stomachs/faces and still makes for a quick soothing when she needs it.

There are many things I want to remember about this first month home and about our silly, sweet, naughty little girl. So in no particular order, here are the things that make me smile.

I showed Nora the diaper I finished, she immediately put it on her head

-Nora knew "byebye" from the Ayis, but didn't use it much until about week two. Then she learned it meant adventures or that Daddy was leaving, but would be back. Each morning after breakfast she will grab a pair of shoes, bring them to me and start saying "byebye."
-Her first English word that she learned here is "doggy", which for a week sounded like "daddy" which made some people a bit confused.
-She can spot a dog on the street, in a picture, or on the tv from a far distance. I find myself saying, "No, there's no d-- oh wait, you're right, there is one."
-Her first word each morning is usually a whispered "doggy?" wondering where our dogs are.
-She has a cute kiss game that she made up where she likes to point to where she wants to kiss you and wait for you to say ok.

-She is still as active as ever, with the addition of climbing. She is freakishly strong and can pull herself up onto just about everything.
-When she is trying to stay awake she gets very giggley and will do some yoga. Her preferred stance is an extreme "downward dog" where she will have her legs extended, bend forward, and put her head on the ground. She's a bendy one.
-She still calls Kevin "baba" and we don't really intend to change this anytime soon. It's pretty adorable, especially when he comes home from work and she walks to the stairs and starts shouting "BABA! BABA!"
-She loves her daddy, but mama is still who she wants late at night or when she isn't feeling well.
-She is a huge charmer. She will wave, smile and blow kisses at just about everyone.
-She appears to be a girlie girl. Each day she has to pick out a "pretty" for her hair, leans forward for me to put it in and then immediately must be taken to the mirror to see that she looks good. If she approves, she will kiss the pretty baby. Our mirrors are gross now.
-She also loves shoes. When we go in a store, few aisles are met with more reaching and wanting as the shoe aisle. Since I have like 4 pairs of shoes total, she can't have gotten this from me.
- Her hair is growing in and getting long in the back, but in kind of a rat-tail sort of fashion. It is cute and ridiculous at the same time.
- After singing itsy bitsy spider for her exactly one time with the hand motions, the next day she started putting her fingers together and asking for "ge" (song).
-She learned the sign for "more" in about 5 minutes, and when asked if she wants more, will make the sign while nodding and smiling very big, unless she doesn't want more, in which case she will smack whatever it is out of you hand.
-The only ones that get kisses with absolutely no hesitancy and only one request are the dogs.
- About two weeks ago while sitting on the ground with her, she gave me my first ever unsolicited hug. It was amazing.
- She is understanding quite a bit of English and responds to XiaoNora as readily as YinCi.
-She is a tough little nut who doesn't cry easily when she gets hurt, and recovers very quickly.
-Her favorite toy in the whole world is a ball. Any size, any kind. She will run around the house carrying one and saying "ba" over and over.
-She will also kick the ball and out of nowhere started making a "kuh" sound each time she kicked it.
- Words she says: mama (only rarely, little stinker), baba (daddy), mao (cat), doggy, ball, done, byebye, ge (song), gege (brother)
-She loves baths like crazy! Each night when the water is running she fussing at me for not getting her undressed and in the tub fast enough.
- She started playing Peek-A-Boo the other day. I have no idea who taught it to her, but she loves it.
-She is ticklish on her tummy, neck, and feet and will give a loud gurgley laugh each time we find the tickle spot.
- After giving a kiss she will kick her legs and breath all silly.
- She thinks tooth brushes are super cool, but doesn't quite get the "brushing" part.
- She, much like a cat, needs to cram herself into boxes that are too small for her, then act surprised when she falls out of them.

How she chose to watch her show the other day

- She loves dancing, which consists of taking her hands as she flails her head back and forth and shifts her weight from foot to foot. I will try to get video of her dance parties.
- She will put her head down and glare at you, but this actually means she wants to bonk foreheads with you, not that she thinks your opinions are without merit.
- She humors you by nodding to what you say. This was especially funny at her appointment with the cl/cp team where she nodded away as the doctor explained to me her prognosis over the next few years (which is pretty much nothing until she is 5-6).
- She loves having her toes counted, especially in Mandarin and will count along with you (though it sounds more like "ah, ee, ay"). Cuter still, she will go up to Tikka and begin counting doggy toes.

I'm sure there is more, but that's all I can think of right now. It hasn't been a perfect month and there have been lots of highs and lows, but we are slowly coming to understand each other and realize that this might turn out ok in the end.

We also had our 1 month visit with our social worker, who said that it seems like the attachment is progressing well and that we are doing the right things regarding her sleeping and the no holding rule. Based on her behaviors, she is not ready to be held by others just yet, but probably in a month or two.

For those who wonder, she did great at the doctor's and they feel that her repair is great, her speech is progressing fine, and she will only really need to come in for a bone graft surgery at 5-6 to repair her gum line. 5 separate doctors and specialists have now told me that we "couldn't ask for a better case scenario than this girl." We are extremely blessed, is all I can say. She is such a perfect addition to our family and is such a joy to be around. Of course, she is down for her nap right now, so I am a bit biased. Ask me again when she's up and throwing her shoes over the side of the stairs.

Sleeping babies are the best babies.