How quickly things change!

As my wife noted in her recent post, Caroline has been home for a month.  As I look back, I am astounded at how much she's changed in such a short time:

--- We're both convinced that she's gotten noticably taller.  We shall find out "officially" at her upcoming checkup.  I have also started marking her height on a corner in the kitchen, though this is not easy with such a wiggler!

--- She has more hair, enough that I suggested today that it was time for a trim.  My wife pointed out that Caroline is a girl (I HAD noticed that...), that having hair over her ears is not a bad thing, that she will most certainly not be getting whitewalls, and that I can take AR670-1 and shove it up... um... I can forget about it

--- She walks with more confidence each day.  This is, of course, a mixed blessing as this makes it harder to keep track of her, what she's doing and what she's putting in her mouth.  Is paper REALLY that tasty???

--- While she still eats a good bit with her fingers and still makes something of a mess at table, her skill with fork and spoon is pretty good.  No more oatmeal facials like a month ago.  Good heavens, I recall having to give her by hand almost every bite of food and every drop of liquid!  Was that really only last month???

--- She increasingly "understands" toys: give her a push button and you may be confident that it will be pushed, especially if noise results

--- She is learning to get out of her car seat.  For whatever reason, this has been so remarkable to me.  A week ago, she would sit immobile after I unbuckled her.  A few days ago, she started playing with the buckle as if trying to figure it out.  Now, she pushes the straps off her shoulders after I unlock everything and is starting to climb out on her own.  Amazing!

--- She babbles almost constantly.  When she finally learns to form words, I think we're going to have quite the little chatterbox on our hands

--- While she doesn't dress herself, she's getting increasingly helpful, i.e. she understands how to pull a shirt down over her head and push her hands into sleeves and feet into (usually one each) legs

--- She laughs a lot, either at us or at some joke in her head.  I recall my wife remarking while we were in China that Caroline had "old" eyes.  I'm thinking that this was less "old eyes" than simply confusion and grief over the loss of her foster family.  Now, she generally looks happy and playful (I say "generally" as she most certainly DOESN'T when it's time for a nap or a bath)

Then

 

Now

--- She seems to recognize herself in photos now.  I recall wondering in China whether she was self-aware: did she recognize the reflection in a mirror as herself or simply as some other child?

I wonder what she makes of her new life.  Does she remember China and her foster family?  Or is all of that - her first eighteen months - like a dream to her, one that she remembers less and less each day?

I confess that, when I stop to think about it, the whole thing is incredible.  This little girl, born on the other side of the world, is my daughter, my beautiful, giggly, active, bright, charming daughter.  Had she climbed out of a crashed spacecraft, the story could hardly be more unbelievable.  I don't expect her to lift the back of my truck... er... my Subaru, I meant to say, or to fly or run at 100mph, but I think she's pretty super.  As do her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  And we are so, so, SO lucky.