Home for 3 Months!

At times it seems like just yesterday that we arrived home with HG and at other times, it seems so long ago. Yesterday marked our 3 month family anniversary with HG. No, we didn't celebrate but perhaps we should?? Just a few thoughts, in no particular order, regarding our last 3 months:

• It's not always easy. I'm guessing that most of you have figured that out by my lack of posting on here. I'm delighted, don't get me wrong, to have HG home. But it's work. She is happy most of the time, but her lack of communication skills and her desire to be in control give her "reasons" to have some tantrums. Her preference is to be with me and me only, meaning she can have my undivided attention.
• She is attending preschool and is doing well there. Her teacher says that each week she gets more into the "school groove" and I can tell a difference in her school work too. She LOVES going to school, asking me every night and morning if she will see her teacher tomorrow. Her preschool, by the way, is in English.
• She also loves her gymnastics class. It too is in English but she is able to follow the example of the other kids and does well.
• She is learning to complete a series of events such as take your pajamas to your room and then put on your clothes, do this gymnastics skill and then move onto a different station, returning to the skill later. This is helping her tremendously in so many aspects.
• She is working with an occupational therapist who thinks that she is doing great! She is able to focus more, paying attention to completing a task. This is huge as HG likes to wander from one activity to another. Her therapist is bilingual and said that she feels like HG is understanding more English each week.
• She has had her speech assessment but the therapy has not started as of yet. We're waiting for the good ol' insurance approval and then we'll be ready to go. Her therapist will be bilingual.
• Her need to be in control is often rather subtle. We might put the dinner plate down and then she will move it, only about 1 cm, just so that it will be where SHE put it. We require the girls to drink all of their milk at dinner. HG will leave just enough in the cup to barely cover the bottom and then she will try to give it back to you. Nope, you gotta drink it all. She'll put it up to her lips and do it again, not drinking anything. Ah, that girl! She is learning, little by little, that J and I ARE in control here. She is learning that we will provide and protect her and that she no longer has to do it herself. She really does the control thing with J much more than with me.
• She will now kiss me on the lips without wiping it off. In fact, she will often pucker up, asking me for a kiss! This is HUGE considering that at one point she could not even stand to drink out of a cup because she didn't want the liquid to touch her mouth/lips. Lots of lip gloss applications have helped with the mouth desensitization.
• She has learned many things, even if they are small. She has learned that she doesn't have to be the first one in the car because everyone WILL get to go. She has learned that she doesn't have to be served her meal first because everyone WILL get something to eat. She has learned where to put her dirty clothes, her eye glasses, and her night-time diaper (she's potty trained but not at night). She has learned that Mommy WILL return when I take her to school or if I have to work late/early. She has learned how to make her bed in the morning and where to put her stuffed animal, Donkey, so that she can find him for sleeping again. She has learned to take a bath, including washing her hair, without screaming (at least not too much screaming!). She is learning that Mommy does not hurt the children. She is learning that wresting/rough-housing is fun. She has learned to make the letter H which is pretty important, you know. :)

I could go on and on in the "what she has learned" category, but I'll leave it with these things for today. My sweetie is evolving, changing, blossoming. I always knew that she was "in there," and I'm starting to see that sweet child on the outside. Beautiful!