Joy to the World – Our Daily Routine

I finally found a spot of time to sneak a moment to share a glimpse of daily life with our new daughter, Rachel Lian.

Every morning she hops up into my bed and skims across the covers like a Dragonfly crosses a pond, always smiling, and giving me a “fist bump”, we call this GIRL POWER!

Next, it’s downstairs to breakfast where she always eats all of her food and giggles out a Thank You. She helps me find Olivia’s shoes and waits as I get everyone ready and off to school.

As soon as the screen door slams she is in high gear to get dressed for the day, repeating Car get YE YE eat” You see most days of the week we find great pleasure in the company of my wonderful Father In Law, Coy Sr. He has been so helpful with Rachel Lian adjusting to other people and really entertaining along the way! She loves him and looks forward to teasing him daily. When we say Ye Ye she instantly laughs. It is so cute.

Ye Ye has lunch with us and tells her stories just as if she can understand what he is saying. I am always surprised when she gives the correct response back to him...she understands way more than we thought she could.

Next, we do our daily shopping. This is our favorite adventure! She likes to ride in the shopping cart and wave with a “Hey” to all that we meet. She is so excited in the fruit department that she kisses each fruit item I place in the cart! Some days she has to eat a banana before we leave the store. As always she makes me put the cart back when we are done just as we found it. She is still surprised to see our car in the parking lot waiting for us, this makes her very happy! I have to really watch her when we carry the groceries in she will pick up items that are too heavy for her.

All of our children help out in their own way when asked to do so, however, Rachel Lian follows me around and watches to see how she can help. I roll up the laundry in a towel so that I can carry it to the washer and here she comes dragging it for me, she loves to push the start button! I just packed up the winter clothes and was dragging a heavy bag of items to place in the attic when all of a sudden it got easier, Rachel Lian left her playing to help me carry the load all on her own!

All day long she waits to get Olivia from school. She repeats, “Car Bolivia” I explain to her it’s not time and we will go get Olivia. She accepts this till she starts to miss her again. When Olivia jumps in the car the two act as if they have been apart for months, the hugging, kissing, jabbering, good grief it’s only been eight hours!

I am very proud of Olivia and the way she has accepted Rachel Lian into the family. I thought that we might have a problem since she had been the baby for six years. Olivia has turned over her entire room to her sister (NOT THE DSI) and that’s ok, she needs her own things and space too. The two act like....sisters! Learning together, fighting together, and playing together. I thought it was cute when Olivia asked to bring her sister to school and show her off.

Dinner is one of Rachel Lian’s favorite events. She is the only person at our table of six that will eat everything. She still acts fast if anything should drop off her plate. I have to remind her at restaurants not to clean the floor! She likes dinner at home the best with everyone at the table. She told the Doctor at the Asian Adoption Clinic that her Ma Ma cooks! The Doctor seemed surprised at how many times she referred to us as MA MA and BA BA. I’m still not sure why this was a surprise?

Finally, it’s bath and bed time. She loves them both. Every night she smiles and lets us know she likes her bed. She will tell me, “Ma Ma Ba Ba sleep car get Ye Ye eat”, this is her way of explaining what our schedule will be tomorrow. The next morning my little Dragonfly will skim across the covers and give me Girl Power to start my day! How blessed can I get?

She has let her guard down and is in full swing of teaching us all about her. I called myself having a language lesson with her the other day and she pointed out and repeated home, book, music, the members of our family, cat, swing, shoes, wind, flower, tree, car, peanut, color, eat and brush. So far these are the words she has mastered! Then she looked at me firm and repeated a string of her own language, threw her hands in the air, swung her hair back and I just know she said to me, Can you say that? She thought it was funny whatever it was...

We have not seen any fits or violent behavior only a tiny little girl with a big heart that wants to love and be loved. She will put her hand on her hip and whip out a few of her words at times but she just has a way of getting tickled at herself...I am amazed at how she understands us. Her receptive language skills are great. She will follow directions! HOW DOES SHE KNOW WHAT WE ARE SAYING! Her expressive language skills are growing each day!

Anyone who thinks that you do not bond with your adopted child as you would your birth children are completely off track! At this very moment I feel as I did with my infants. Loving their smell, watching their eyes spark when they grasp a concept, hearing them speak their first words, hurting when they get a boo boo, clapping when they learn a new task, melting when you can FEEL their love for you....It does not get better than this.

My husband, Coy deserves to be bragged on and here it goes....From the first time he found Rachel Lian’s picture on the waiting child list he bonded with her. He followed his heart and the spirit that lead us to her. Never giving up on the paper chase and making the funds to reach her without a doubt in his heart.

From the first sight she held onto him tightly as if she knew him already. Through crowded airports and on long almost never ending flights she was not afraid and did not cry as long as she held his hand. To this day she yells yea HOME when we pull up to our driveway.

Love can and will break all obstacles that are standing in the way. We have the proof.

If you are reading this and pondering over adopting a child let me encourage you to follow your heart, trust God, and GET GOING, DON’T LOOK BACK!

Check out the special needs waiting child list too. Rachel Lian was on this list. Her special need was love and a new pair of GLASSES!

Thank you for all of your prayers. Please continue, things are sooo good. Keep it up!

Till I steal the computer from Coy again,
Joy :)