Back to work and in a routine!

Well, I have nearly forgotten about my blog with all the hustle and bustle of getting settled in to our new lives as a "table for 5, please", and finding daycare for Katie and getting back in the swing of things with work after 3 months of being on "maternity leave".  The 3 months went by so fast, but I so enjoyed my time getting to know my newest little love.  The transformation that this child has undergone in the past 3 months, has been truly amazing.  From a terrified little girl who would cover her face in the presence of new adults who now runs up to them and happily gives them high-fives.  She is still not big on being picked up and held by anyone other than mommy and daddy, but really.....what two year old does like being held by people they still don't know well? 
With every passing week, Patrick and I learn new things about Katie and see a new dimension to her marvelous little personality.  She loves to peak around the door frame of our office, and when she makes eye contact she will squeal and run with her floppy little self and jump into our arms grinning ear to ear.  She smells so yummy after bath time and loves to be wrapped up in her big pink towel with the cat ears and cat tail and then climb into my arms while I hold her tight and rock her as she warms up. 
Katie went from virtually hoarding food to now showing a bit of a picky side, which to me is a wonderful milestone.  To me it says that she is no longer scared that she will not have enough food, and that she feels safe enough to turn away food because she is confident there will be more the minute she tells me she is hungry. 
Now language with Katie has not quite developed the way we thought it would have by now.  She is almost 27 months and at her speech therapy assessment they said she is at the level of a 4 month old.  She does not experiment with sounds or consenents and only has one sound that she makes when she is happy or frustrated.  The difference is in the inflection (as well as how LOUD she says it!) which gets her point across.  We are also using sign language and she communicates quite well with me through signing.  We will begin sign language in the next few weeks which will be interesting to see if we denote some progress.

We have been through the battery of medical appointment with her pediatrician, the adoption medicine clinic, the audiologist (hearing is perfect!), the cardiologist (has a murmur, but harmless), the neuro surgeon and the neurologist at the end of January.  We believe she might be having small siezures which seem to come and go depending on her level of rest, stress, etc.  She will undergo a stress EEG which we are hoping to get some good results from.

All of that aside, it feels like Katie has been part of our family for forever.  She seemlessly fit into this family as if she was picked by the hand of God himself for the perfect match.  Oh wait.........he did pick her for us, and us for her!  What a guy!
And her siblings have embraced her with open arms and love her so unconditionally and passionately that it makes my heart burst with pride.  I did not know that my children possessed such capacity for compassion and boundless love.  When I speak firmly with Katie because she has just ripped up something (say, my "Night Before Christmas" book)  Brooke will run to her crying sister and hold her so tight, stroking her head and kissing her so gently, whispering "It's okay, Katie.  I love you."  And then the Ice Queen's heart just melts and I have to scoop them both up into my arms and have a little love-in.  And Austin still loves to feed her and change her diaper......... yes, you heard me correctly, he LOVES to change her diaper, as long as it's not poopy.  He wrestles with her and has tickle fights with her which are hysterical to watch because Katie has no idea how to tickle so she flails her arms all over his belly and he fake-laughs so hard that she just erupts into laughter, which then get's everyone giggling.
Katie just feels so "normal" to me.  I know that when we visit the doctor and they say "possible neurological damage" and "tremors in her hands" or "siezures", it all sounds so horrible and scary, but the minute we leave their office and I look her in the eyes I know that she is one healthy, happy little girl and that is all that matters to me right now.  The rest will all work itself out in time. 
What a blessing Patrick and I have been given in Katie, as well as our Brooke and Austin! 
How sweet life IS!