Oct 19 2010 - dalia's pumpkin, video then and now

Last weekend, I looked over all of the photos that I've taken of Dalia since we met her in China. It was astounding to me just how much she has grown and changed. I know, it's obvious. When people see her after a month or so, they always comment, "she looks great!" or "she's getting so tall!". But seeing those photos from March compared to being with her now really made the change apparent.

And then there's her lip and palate. Wow. I've attached 3 video clips from my camera -- one from last March, before her first surgery for her cleft lip and hard palate, and two from last Saturday. In one, we're listening to the Beach Boys, and Dalia is looking a photo of herself taken in China. The last is of her sitting on a chair, talking to herself and talking to her bunny. NOTE - am having trouble uploading video... will try again soon!

Today, we went to see Dr. Laub (again). She'll have to have another surgery #4 in January to try to repair her fistula (hole in her palate). She's doing fine; the concern is that she is developing speech habits that will be hard to break if we wait longer to repair it. And then there's the little problem of food and liquids that come out of her nose... which cannot be comfortable for her! Though she has always known this.

She has worn her mudboots (thanks, Mia and Freeman!) for 5 days straight. She will probably wear them until she grows out of them... which will be soon.

When I picked her up at Playlab today, it was almost naptime. She was in a small room with Howdy, and classmates Charles and Mark. Howdy was reading, and the kids were on their mats. As I picked Dalia up, she said, "bye Howdy, bye Izzy..." So cute to see her talk to her little friends!

beautiful fall day with Dalia

We had such a good time with Grandma Patty! Grandma left early Monday morning. Dalia still says every day, "Grandma!" Or, "Grandma, home." Last night it was, "Miss Grandma" (as I've been saying, "I miss Grandma"). Dalia does not forget people. She hadn't seen our good friend, and her "Aiyi" (auntie) Renee in 2 months -- and when Renee visited her, she remembered her instantly. Her vocabulary is stretching and bursting like a large, plump balloon. When I put her in her carseat to take my Mom to the airport, it was still dark. She said, "Mama! Moon up there." We've been reading "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see?" She can say it by herself. She also says, "bunny, bunny, what do you see?... panda, panda what do you see?"

Alisa, her speech therapist visited last week after not seeing her for a month or more. Within minutes, she said, "It's happening, I'm falling in love all over again." She is very impressed with Dalia's pronunciation. We need to work on B and P sounds. She was sick the week before last, fever and impetigo - again. Also took her up to see Dr. Laub, her surgeon, and got confirmation that she still has a fistula (hole) in her soft palate. Ugh. More surgery. Hopefully not any time soon as I cannot imagine putting her through another surgery, another hospital stay, another two weeks of stage two baby foods (liquids/soft foods). But, we will see what he says in a few weeks.

She loves Playlab (day care). She is known and loved there. She has four core teachers, Howdy, Hayley, Marcie and Sara. She also has the benefit of many of the Parent Child Center staff who rotate in and out during the weeks -- bringing the food for breakfasts, lunches and snacks, which is home made and prepared at the Center down the road. Monday afternoons she goes to the Center while the staff is in a meeting - so she plays more with Peggy and Ruth. This is extra meaningful for me as I am on the board of the PCC -- and now have another reason to appreciate this place and its people. I was so sad to have to call in every morning to tell them that Dalia wouldn't be coming in again because of her fever.

Friends, colleagues, and Middlebury College people (parents, alums, students) are interested in her, want to meet her and play with her. Today, after going to the cider squeeze at Jill and Ebens, we went to the College football game. Packed stadium, gorgeous clear blue sky fall day -- leaves in peak color, views of the mountains around. So fun to share her with new and old friends.

She has grown out of many of the wonderful hand me downs that we received... the khaki padded jacket from Ruby, the blue corduroy dress with the kitties on it from Vivian... and the pink Pumas (also from Ruby). Most days she only wants to wear nothing -- or a bathing suit, like the 45 degree rainy day that she refused to wear anything but her bathing suit when I needed to take her to the doctor's office and then go into my office to pick up my computer. Everyone had a good laugh seeing her run down the hall in her blue bathing suit with the hearts on it while we were all freezing our butts off. Fortunately, we have bigger girl hand me downs from Lily, and a new batch of winter hand me downs from the Pratt-Calahans and the Cady-McCrellishes (NBS community).

I've been behind on the blog but will get back to writing and posting photos of our beautiful girl.