Update: Sofia (8.5 months home!)

Let's talk about THIS child....shall we? :)

The adoptive mama who met Sofia first says it best when she said, "I've just never met anyone quite like her." And there couldn't be more truth to that statement! 

She is forever finding ways to get herself into predicaments....

She has those eyes that smile even without looking at the actual mouth-smile! 

She has such a sense of wonder and exploration...

She's got some crazy funny faces too! 

 I'm ALWAYS finding her in new places...

"What mom? Why do you sound surprised about this?"

Sofia spends a lot of time HERE, because it is SAFE! (and she loves it) :) 

She leaves a path of destruction behind her wherever she goes...like a tiny tornado!

Her beautiful strawberry blonde curly locks fit her wild personality perfectly!

I love hearing her feet going quicker and quicker day by day! 

  

 I love how she finds JOY in everything and nothing! 

She is well known for her fake sneezes! 

And also for her monkey moves! 

Her larger-than-life personality....

Lots of people who meet Sofia comment on her mischievous face :) 

She is forever chasing the dog! 

And she's not exactly the most gentle child around....

But she's learning :) 

WWF-couch style is one of her favorite activities! 

She is such a fiery, beautiful soul! 

She has this contagious "in-the-moment-zest-for-life"

This is the face of a child who has been redeemed.....who is figuring out she is loved and valued! 

She is also very bendy and enjoys speeding around in the shopping cart with her daddy! 

Dukes of Hazzard Style! I fear the day this child ever gets behind the wheel of a REAL car! 

Sofia had a special 1-1 date with mama....I love her proud look here....it's as if she's finally realizing she's worth more to her mama than all the earthly treasures of this world! 

This is one of Sofia's favorite hiding places....to hide herself AND lots of toys, clothes, and drink cups! 

I almost forget the struggles with food we had with her for so long. She finally knows she will never go hungry here. Looking back to our food struggles, I wasn't sure we'd ever get to this point with her. God is good, He redeems! 

Sofia's absolute favorite thing to do is push this little chair all around the house! 

I think she looks like a cute little old lady. Her physical therapist says it's good for hip strengthening, so I go with it! 

She is always getting into things. I thought I child proofed for the other two, Sofia taught me I didn't know ANYTHING about childproofing! 

Keep Smilin' Sofia Joy....Life is Good! 

Sofia has made SO much progress since coming home! The biggest area of progress has been an -elimination of her food-seeking and food-obsessive behaviors. We are SO HAPPY to be at this point with her. Along with an elimination of food anxiety comes trust building. Sofia is such the "do-it-yourself-independent-sassy-I-don't-need-you" spirit, that bonding has been a little more challenging. This very same spirit is what kept her alive and well in the orphanage, so we didn't expect her to just drop it when we brought her home. Nearly 9 months later, we're still striving daily to show her that she NEEDS us...and little by little we're chipping away at that tough outer shell that she hid inside for so long. We're seeing more and more moments of vulnerability and trust. She feels safe and protected with us. She seeks attention from us when she's feeling sad or upset, or when she gets hurt. I can see, in her eyes, that she is still trying to fully let go and fully believe that this life is real and that she deserves it! For such an outgoing, wild, mischievous child, you'd be surprised to see the vulnerability that we're finally uncovering! Emotionally, she's made a lot of progress recently, and we're excited to continue to watch her bloom into the child God created her to be! 

Tonight, the night before her 2nd birthday, I think about the loss her first mother suffered, and likely continues to suffer, when she signed the papers to relinquish her rights. We cannot begin to guess any of the details surrounding her circumstances, but I do know this much, I'm so grateful to her. Sometimes I feel guilty because I know that we've been able to experience so much joy with our girls, but at the cost of someone else's loss. If I could tell Sofia's birth mom one thing, tonight-the night before her 2nd birthday-it'd be, without a doubt, "thank you for this precious gift." 

Sofia Joy, 

you bring so much happiness and comic relief to us daily. You remind me not to take everything so seriously and have more fun in life! I look forward to this next year. I look forward to every future snuggle, every kiss, and every deep soul-searching gaze exchanged. I promise to love you deeper than I thought possible, to celebrate you as the gift you are, and to thank the Lord daily for allowing me to be your mama. I'm so excited to celebrate your second (first) birthday tomorrow!