We Got You!

It is amazing to me we have arrived at Kate's 3 year Gotcha Day!!!!! I cannot even believe she has been home with us for 3 years!!! I ask (often) did we appreciate her baby time??? She was so little....did we appreciate it?

She did not sleep for the first year.....it was horrible. Was I in a fog??

Then we decided to adopt Quinn. Was I distracted??

Or did I savor her?? I hope I did. I think I did.

Our family ADORES Kate. We all do. I *love* to covertly observe my children caring for the babies (really toddlers/preschoolers.) They are so, so fantastic with them. And...they make me feel like maybe (just maybe) I am not ruining all of them with their 24/7 of being with me!!!

I have agonized over Kate and her beginnings. We do not know much about Kate at all, and I have had to tell myself lots of times that I would just need to come to peace with the "unknowns."

Kate was a special needs adoption. She was poly-dactyl, which meant she had an extra bone in her left thumb. That was pretty easy. She had surgery, and will actually have another surgery when she is older.

HOWEVER. What was not really disclosed....clearly, was her prematurity. That was just a little line in her referral papers, which we have had to kind of play detective with.

Last week I received THE most amazing gift. Albeit just adding to our confusion and mystery! Another adoptive mother from her orphanage posted pictures on a facebook group of her visit to the orphanage on September 30, 2009. Kate would be just short of SEVEN MONTHS OLD.

Here is one picture.

Kate is the baby being held by the nanny!!!!!

Now, first I was shocked, and filled with disbelief. However, being on lists for New Day, and Little Flowers, and No Hands But Ours.....I have been watching the babies come into these orphanages.

Yes....she could be born in March and be this little in September.

I emailed our doctor. He said the same thing.

This is Kate.

And now we know.

We know why Kate is not your "typical" 4 year old.

She's not 4!!!!!  She may be chronologically, but not really....not yet.

I get why she is terrified of everything. Why she is slow to do things. Why she sat in one place and didn't move when we got her.

I *get* it.

I wish....so much...that it had been disclosed. I have no idea why it wasn't. I have no idea how premature she was. I have no idea how she was cared for. Where did she go when she was born?

I do know when I got her she was chunky, she was happy, and she had been loved. She did absolutely no catch up growth, and she has steadily grown since we brought her home.

Dioxian did an excellent job.

And now I can lay off feeling bad about my baby dragging behind and just let her come along at her pace!

I am SO THANKFUL for the amazing gift of that picture! I was so sad to not have anything of Kate from when she was little. I have lots of pictures of Quinn. To see Kate....I just want to reach in and grab her!!

I'm so glad we got her just 6 months later, and we have now had her for double the amount of time she was in the orphanage.

Kate is sleeping much better now. Although her sleep is always a toss up. We keep her on a pretty regular schedule. She is now asking to keep her bedroom door open, and my bedroom door open at night, and she calls for me if she wakes up. Those are huge steps for her.

She is getting better about hitting, biting and pushing. I can usually tell when it is going to happen and diffuse it. She does it if she's tired, overwhelmed, hungry, or not being understood.

Her speech is improving by the week. Every once in awhile she will totally amaze us.

We are having her evaluated by the school district for speech and some occupational therapy. By the time we finally get that going it will be summer break, so I am not sure how that will work out. 

Her favorite things are her blankets, disney princesses, the ipad and looking at books.

She likes to eat noodles (a lot) apples, lettuce and spaghetti.

She is 26 pounds, wears a size 3T clothing, size 7 shoe, and is about 35 inches tall (yes, Quinn IS catching up!!)