Monday, November 29, 2010

It's Finally Here - ADOPTION DAY!

So it's been a very long time since my last post. Mostly because I went back to work and have been pretty busy. There is so much to update on! Perhaps the best news we have is that on December 1st, Bela will officially and legally be our daughter! We are so excited!

So what's happened since the last post you ask?

(September) Bela started a new private pre-school. Her Kindercare program served it's purpose and we knew that it was time to put her into a school with some structured learning. The caveat was that the new school required that she be  potty trained. WOW - if anything came close to breaking me - it was potty training! Bela's will power and full control of her bodily functions clearly made her the winner of any battle of the wills when it came to potty training. She would literally use it against me whenever she didn't get her way by having accidents on cue! What I have learned from the whole process is what you resist - persists! My good friend Stephanie C told me to DROP THAT ROPE! Yes, she will always win the tug-a-war. So I just took it in stride and just when I thought she had it - she completely reverted back to pre-potty training days. So the 2nd lesson is - just when you think you have it down - the 3 year old will find a way to throw a money wrench into things - nothing is predictable - especially during potty training!

(October) - well this year has certainly been all about Bela's firsts! It was Bela's 3rd birthday but the first we celebrated together. She had a blast with her friends and family and we can definitely say that she is truly loved (i.e. spoiled). We also had our first Halloween where she was mini-mouse. She loved the outfit so much that she wore it 3 different times!  Bela also went to Disneyland for the first time but both Daddy and Bela pooped about by mid-afternoon. She did have a blast though.

(November) - Bela had her first Thanksgiving this year. She had an absolute blast! She celebrated Thanksgiving with Ryan's family and with my sister-in-law's family. She had an absolute blast eating and playing with all of our cousins. She LOVED her new ruffly princess skirt she wore.  Today she actually started to role play for the first time - she became Dr. Bela and took a stethoscope to check our lungs and our heart. She gave us a shot and even checked our ears. She even wrote prescriptions for grandma and grandpa. She put on her sunglasses, packed her bag with all of her Dr. Tools and proceeded to her Dr. office in the living room (the front door was locked thank goodness as she started to head out to work through the front office).  Ryan and I also had our first day away from her - where she spent the night with her grandparents. We also have been going out on more date nights which has been great.
So her personality has truly come out - she is definitely confident, assertive and knows what she wants. She is so sensitive and absolutely adores babies. She could sit through the entire Babies movie from beginning to end without flinching. She loves sports - is always playing basketball with her cousin Ayden. She is the popular girl in school - all the kids and teachers just adore her. She is amazingly brave - rarely cries for her shot and has to climb the tallest slides and ladders at the park She loves to play with dolls and her train sets/trucks but is partial to anything she can wear that looks like a princess. She is definitely super smart if I say so myself  as she already mastered her alphabet and her numbers - which is amazing since she has only been speaking English for about 6 months.

All in all, we couldn't be happier. Bela has been an absolutely light in our life. She has brought so much joy and happiness that we couldn't ever imagine life without her. We truly have been blessed and in a few short days she will be legally our daughter. It's hard to imagine this beautiful child has only been with us for 10 months now - it feels like she has always been our daughter and in a way, I believe she has always been my daughter - we just had help raising her for the first two years of her life. :)