I’m always meaning to write sooner, but life happens, and then there’s more to write about. Glory is growing, developing and changing. It is an amazing thing to watch! She had her 2 year appointment on Monday, and she has gained over 3 lbs since coming home. She’s up to 19 lbs 3 oz. What makes this even more incredible is that she weighed just 16 lbs 9 oz when we were at the adoption clinic on Feb. 1. The girl gained over 2 lbs in 11 days! I ran into a friend visiting Columbus from Wuhan who saw Glory before we came home, and she went on and on about how good she looks, so it isn’t just me that sees this miraculous transformation!
As she gains weight, she becomes more ticklish, which delights me, as I consider tickling children a favorite hobby. She has this hoarse little laugh she struggles to stifle by putting the back of her hand or her arm over her mouth, but if I persist in tickling her, it bursts out joyfully. And she no longer lays still for tickles, she flops around like a little fish out of water, squirming because she loves it. At least, that’s what I tell myself 
In addition to growing more ticklish, she is growing in mobility. Two weeks ago Glory began ‘inch-worming,’ where she props herself up on her elbows and then throws them forward, then pulls her self forward back up onto her elbows. This week she added a little leg motion, is moving quicker, and able to get herself into trouble with her new mobility (she pulled a wooden puzzle off the coffee table this week, and it left its mark under her right eye). This week she also figured out how to go from a seated position to her tummy, without getting a bonk on the head. Today I saw how she does it- she walks forward on her hands, spreads her legs out into the splits, kicks them backwards, and ends up on her tummy with whatever she was reaching for in her hands. She spends most of her play time on her tummy now, and will choose to move toward a stack of books over a basket of toys. That’s my girl!
Glory can now stand when she is leaned up against a table or chair, and will kneel to play for a short time. She will pick up her feet and ‘walk’ with assistance, and she claps for all her little accomplishments, as well as those of her sister.
While she says neither “Mommy” nor “Daddy,” she imitates the sounds and rhythm of “light on,” because this little girl loves light! The brighter a room is, the better. Praise God, she’s not afraid of the dark and sleeps well without even a night light, but once she’s awake, she wants it bright. And it’s even better if she’s the one that gets to flip the switch.
In other health news, Glory no longer seems to need the breathing treatments she was receiving as a result of her RSV and hospital stay in early January. This frees up untold amounts of time! She is drinking two bottles of formula during the day, so that takes up a bit of this time, but I’d rather be feeding her than holding her still enough for the treatment. The thickened formula is probably most responsible for Glory’s wight gain, but she is also doing a better job of chewing so she’s taking in more food. She’s still not fond of veggies, so I’m supposed to try fruit and veggie smoothies, but I’m just not sure how to fit yet another food prep and clean up into our day.
We’re headed to the craniofacial clinic at Riley Children’s Hospital on the 25th, and looking forward to meeting with that team. The appointment will take all morning and we should leave with an appointment to have her lip repaired. It’s funny, I forget that she even has a cleft. She’s been drinking well with a valveless cup, only spilling when she wants to, which she often does. And her smile is just so precious, I will miss it as it is now. She’s such a beautiful girl!
I feel like it is more difficult to know who a child really is and what they struggle with until they are mobile. Maybe that’s just because I’ve never had to wait very long for my kids to become mobile. But mobility gives us the opportunity to see if a child will stop when she is told to, or where she will go and what choices will she make while she’s there. With Glory’s increased mobility and strength, we are seeing greater determination in her. When she’s mad, she’s no longer the silent-crying, still, wounded little girl she was. Now, she storms when she has been offended! She can cry longer and louder than before, and uses her whole body to thrash when she’s angry. And while that isn’t behavior we encourage, we are encouraged by this evidence of her growing strength.
Another development in her character and attachment are that she wants me sometimes now. Don’t get me wrong, Daddy is still very much the best, but at church last Sunday while I was walking with Saige in the back of the sanctuary, Glory was watching me, looking for me, and keeping her eye out for me. And one night this week, Jesse was taking her to bed, and she leaned out for me, wanting me to put her to bed instead of Daddy. It was a momentous first.
It blows me away that we are just a week away from her 2nd birthday (the 24th), two weeks away from her 3 month as a Magnuson mark, and just a few more weeks away from the anniversary of the date we first came across the picture of our then daughter-to-be. To say we feel blessed is an understatement. Glory is a great gift.
Your love for your children is a joy to read about. God has truly blessed your family.
Ditto!
WEerae thrilled with God’s blessings.