Back in Cebu - This week's progress

We returned from Manila on Friday evening. We've had a full and fun weekend. I sat down to write some of the positive things we've observed over the past week and am amazed at how much there is to report and be thankful for. 

• I exercised for the first time in a month during Michella's nap time today. I've never been so excited to exercise. It felt great and am happy that my month off didn't make me too weak for my Jillian Michaels' workout. I was surprised at how finding time for a 20 minute workout felt like a huge feat, which made it feel that much greater that I accomplished it.

• We've got the grandparents lined up. Andrey's parents booked tickets to come see us end of next month. They'll be here just before American Thanksgiving till just before Christmas. And my Mom booked her ticket to come in February. Yay!

• Michella continues to warm up to Andrey in small ways. She had a few playful interactions with him over the past few days. She has even sought his attention on a few occasions. She'd look at him till he'd look at her. She'd smile, then hide her face in my chest, only to do it again. She seems fine with this as long as it's from a distance. Today at a friend's birthday party she watched Andrey closely as he played with another child around her age. I can't wait till she starts claiming him as her daddy!

• I discovered an activity that occupied Michella for nearly an hour while I cooked dinner tonight. Sounds like such a simple thing but for her to be occupied this long and me completely hands-free was really something special. Thanks to a newsletter we are receiving called Growing Child gifted to us from Andrey's parents, I got the tip that 2-year-olds really enjoy and learn a lot from time spent pouring water and sand (not together). I pulled a chair up to the sink, gave her several different containers, turned the water on to a dribble (and periodically turned it off so as to not waste as much water. I know I'm a water-waster but dinner-making without a 2-year-old on my hip is necessary for our survival as a family and my sanity), and let her at it. She had a blast!

• We attended two birthday parties for friends' kids this weekend and after taking some time to warm up, and as long as there weren't any adults trying to interact with her, Michella played with (or next to) some of the other kids and had fun.

• Andrey and I watched a TV show together in bed after Ella went to sleep the other night for the first time. Flight of the Concords. Laughed out loud. This felt significant to get to hang out with Andrey, enjoy something together and laugh. Feels like a little bit of normal life (our new normal) is setting in.

• Michella and I have seen a real improvement in the sleep department. She has had regular nap times and bed times (I hold her against her will till she falls asleep, which she always does). At night we have gone from screaming fits, to wimpering, to fake crying - to three nights in a row with none of the above, just a little playfulness to try to distract mommy from the bed time routine, which is really, really cute and difficult to ignore. I usually give in for a few short bits of giggling (as she tries to tickle me and put her fingers up my nose to get me to laugh) before I close my eyes and act like I'm sleeping. Eventually she gives up and goes right to sleep. We still have a few wake up times in the night but I'm getting used to that and now know how to handle them without it being too stressful for either of us. Hallelujah!

• Both Andrey and I have noticed an increase in Michella's overall level of happiness.

• Michella's cold (snot river) is finally gone!

• Almost all lice are gone - I sacrificed mommy-time (nap time) for a few days and spent the time manually picking nits out of her hair. She certainly wouldn't allow this during any waking hour. That, combined with a few vinegar washes, tea tree oil in our shampoo, conditioner and combing with a substandard comb seem to be doing something. I'm not sure which one thing is effective or if it's a combination of things. Now I have to look for a while to find nits in her hair and I still can't find any in mine.

• Ella used her big girl chair a few times for eating. It was so nice for me to get to see her face while she eats and is a welcome break from the usual. She's still sitting on my lap for most meals but is willing to use this chair usually about once a day for either a meal or a snack. It's more fun interacting with her this way while she's eating and it's better for eye contact but I don't mind her sitting on my lap till she gets more comfortable with eating this way. 

• Our helper brought her five-year-old son to work one day last week and Ella smiled and played with him a little bit. This is the first time we've seen her warm up to anyone else besides me or the cats.

• Ella continues to talk more, especially to me and she is beginning to talk to me even with Andrey in the room, whereas she used to never say a word if he was near. I learned that when she says "Bee" she means, "Please." And when she says "two," she means "thank you." I've also noticed her counting one-two-three sometimes. Although she skips one and says "do...free"

• Ella loves to travel! She did not seem anxious at all about getting on an airplane to and from Manila. During any and all taxi rides she's sits up straight and observes whatever she can and looks on with curiosity. She particularly likes men on motorbikes although we have no idea why. She has smiled and waived at a few in traffic. Andrey feels slighted when this happens. :-(

• Ella appears to be really comfortable in her home. Coming back from Manila it was great to see her obvious joy in being back at home. She often says, "Yay!" when we arrive home or when we go into a room she likes. 

• One funny thing is that Ella loves to go to the public restroom and usually always converts from a shy and silent girl on my hip to an energetic girl as soon as we go into the stall together and I close the door. She says "Yay!" and proceeds with smiles and unintelligible chatter. She loves pushing the button or pulling the lever to flush if she can and really gets a kick out of watching the water (and other stuff) go down the toilet. It is likely she did not have automatic flush toilets at the children's home but a bucket of water for flushing. Not as fun, I guess. I think because it is an enclosed space with just me she knows she can be herself. I figure this is the 'self' that must be waiting to burst out but isn't comfortable while we are in a public place, and that's why it bubbles forth so quickly while in the CR with just Mommy.

• In our three+ weeks together, we've discovered some of the foods Ella enjoys (favorites in caps): So far... RICE, bread, oatmeal, corn flakes, WHOLE WHEAT CRACKERS, soba noodles, spaghetti, pineapple, apples, mangoes, BANANAS, papaya, pumpkin (sometimes), malunggay (local green leafy veg), MILK, mango yogurt, any cured pork product, CHICKEN, fried FISH, eggs, tofu, miso soup, any kind of soup broth, CASHEWS, chili (she especially enjoyed the kidney beans and black beans), and anything with chocolate. She is so fun to watch eat! I hope to slowly increase her repertoire of acceptable vegetables, which is the food group she is the least interested in. Exposure exposure exposure is my tactic. She rejected carrots three times before she ate them and seemed to enjoy?tolerate? them tonight. :-)

So here are some of the best photos I have from the past week. And a video. I just think our daughter is the cutest thing ever! I can say that because I can't take any credit for her good looks. ;-)

With a pair of Daddy's underwear

Singing

Checking out Manila

This girl LOVES any and all electronics - cell phones, remotes, ipod, camera...

With the air con remote and her new friend, Percy the Penguin

With Mommy's cell phone, and notice our matching bracelets, made for us by a co-worker of Andrey

On the move... I got so many photos that day because I thought she looked so adorable in this dress. It has apples on it.

Busy girl - on the phone and taking care of "baby"

Showing me her "baby"

She loves to climb our stairs and no she doesn't want any help! There is something about that look in her eye that tells me I need to keep an eye on her.

Hopefully soon we'll have some photos of her with her Daddy!