FIVE Months (and 5 days)!!

Eva continues to grow and change with each month, and day, that passes!  There have been many highlights over the past month:

I think it safe to say that Eva LOVED her first Thanksgiving...for her it was all about the food!!  We had lunch with my parents and then dinner with David's family.  Eva oohed and aahed over the lavish assortment of eats at her fingertips...she was quite a happy girl!!

She had her 3 month follow-up appointment with the pediatric opthamologist where we were thrilled to learn that her eyes are reacting equally, her vision appears fine, and we don't have to start considering surgical intervention until next summer at the earliest.  However, due to the extent of the procedure required on her lower lids, the physician we have been seeing will not be taking her on as a surgical patient.  So, we begin the search for a new pediatric opthamologist.   With time on our side we will do our research and ask God to guide us to the surgeon that would be best suited for Eva's condition.

As we all know, Eva loves to eat and now she wants to feed herself!  She's been self-feeding by picking things up off her tray, but now she wants the spoon!  As you can see from the photos, she's not doing too bad and does actually get more in her mouth than around it!

Second to her love of eating, is the love of her babies!  She is so good at pretend play.  As I watch her feed, kiss and hold the babies I can't help but wonder if someone modeled this behavior for her?  Is this nuturing something that girls are just born with or was she blessed to have this kind of example early in her life??



This past week, Eva has begun to assume her identity...she points to herself and says "Eva"; or holds her sippy cup and says "Eva's juice"; when getting dressed we put on "Eva's shoes", etc.  She seems to really be getting comfortable with who she is now.

She has also become much more affectionate!  The definite highlight of the past month happened just yesterday at gymnastics.  While she was playing on the trampoline and I was sitting off to the side, she just ran over, threw her arms around me, kissed me and said "I Love You" then ran back off to play.  Talk about melt a mommy's heart and bring tears to my eyes!!

Eva has also become more of a typical two year old; the words "mine" and "share" (meaning only she should play with the toy!) are starting to be a part of her vocabulary.  Even this we are embracing as a positve step in her adjustment. 

She has regressed a little in her sleep.  It took us 6 weeks after getting home to get her to bed without crying, etc. and over the past two weeks she has suddenly begun to not like nap or bedtime; even starting to cry while in the bathtub because she knew what was coming.  She seems more content to sleep in the middle of

our living room floor than in her bed!

We've been happy to give her more hugs and love her through this.  It has gotten better and now she goes to bed easily again, as long as one of us sits in the room with her until she's asleep.  I'm making good use of that time by doing things like updating our blog!!



Overall, Eva is doing better than we ever dreamed.  I have to thank God and everyone who has bathed our

family in prayer.  It continues to be an honor and privilege to watch her bloom each and every day!