Maria

I've been meaning to write this post for over a month now!  So here goes:

One year and a month ago, on February 23, 2010, our long wait was over and we got to hold our Maria in our arms for the first time!  For me it felt like the most natural and meant to be thing in the world.  It felt surreal and wonderful and beautiful.  She was PRECIOUS (and still is)!  Our prayers were answered many times over with Maria becoming part of our family! 

She has changed quite a bit in a year!  A few examples: When we first met her, she was shy (of course) and seemed so fragile; now she is LOUD and rambunctious!  She is very curious, determined, fun-loving, and persistant.  She was two years and four months old and wasn't saying any words yet; now, as she continues in speech therapy, her vocabulary is a couple hundred words and she is able to express her wants and needs:  "I need up peas.  I not reach it."  "I sit down mama's lap." "Daddy fix it down stairs."  "My brush my teeth more."  "Arlo not do that!"  For those first few months, she didn't understand or enjoy reading books for more than a minute; now she requests to read books as she carries a huge pile in her arms and stacks them next to us.  (Yeah!) 

She enjoys doing puzzles, building with blocks, playing with cars, pushing anything with buttons, coloring, and doing anything Carlos is doing!  She loves riding her bike!  She is learning her colors and enjoys counting to ten.  She likes listening to music, and she loves when we sing songs.  Her favorites are Wheels on the Bus and Praise Ye the Lord. :) 

She is a gift from God and it is a blessing to be her mama!

(I'll post current photos of the kids once I locate the camera and take the three months of photos off of it!)