kate update

I need to do a "Kate" update, because, really, this blog all started as our journey to Kate Xiaomei!! She has been taking off lately and is such a joy!

She is going to be having her big "dental surgery" on Monday the 9th of January. As much as my heart hurts for her, I also know it is a necessary surgery. She will be having caps on all of her molars and then white caps on her front teeth.

I knew as soon as we got her in China her teeth were going to be an issue....just not really to the extent they are.

Kate went to the doctor yesterday for a check up to clear her for her surgery. She had to see a different doctor in our practice, because ours is out (still) for the holiday. It actually worked out fine...mainly because she asked me a GAZILLION questions and then said at the end she would agree that Kate's weight AND her teeth would confirm her being a premature baby.

Then, later in the day our county called about a post adoptive health service I am attempting to get to help pay for the surgery, and the woman also asked if Kate was a preemie. I said I believed she was. The woman asked if I knew if she had been hospitalized at birth, because an infant being put on oxygen would damage the teeth.

So...almost 2 years home and twice in one day confirmation of what I keep saying (over and over and over......) The kid is NOT the right age!!!

Another score for yesterday....she came to me and said "more please."

That was after the time before she had come to me I made her say "I want a cracker." (please)

Yay!!! I was so excited. No pointing and yelling. Actual words...and more than one. She has tons and tons of words, we just get them on HER terms!

We have been encouraging her to speak in sentences (because we know she CAN and WON'T.)

Then at (and UNGODLY) hour this morning I brought her in bed with me. I was rubbing her back and she kept saying "it tickles." I said, "really? does it feel good? I am rubbing your back." She would keep coming over for me to rub her back. The she rolled over for me to rub her stomach. I said, "Oh, that's your belly, that WILL tickle, you rub a puppy's belly, not Kate's belly!" So then she barked! LOL goofball!!! Finally developing a sense of humor...or something. Then it became a game and we had to end the whole co-sleeping thing. The puppy had to go to her bed!!


Kate is 34 inches tall now. She is 24 pounds (although that might be off, she wasn't being cooperative.) She is wearing size 24 month clothes (pretty much) and size 4.5-5 shoes.