Sunday, January 23, 2011

All about the princess!

! Anyone that knows how to make a header using pictures and images, please email me. I usually pay to have it done, and have no idea how to do it!

Our princess Arina has been home for a little over two months now, and I thought I would update how she is doing.
First off though, I have fallen in love again. I really need to stay off Reece's Rainbow right now! This is beautiful Lilly. She makes me so sad. Her sad eyes, and her signature bump on her head from banging on crib rails. You can tell just by looking at her that she has unrepaired heart defects, which it says in her profile. I want her! It makes me crazy when they are in dire need of heart surgery and can't get it. Unfortunately Arina's adoption has drained us dry, and we need to replenish before we do it one more time. But she doesn't have time! She is also in a region that is a little more expensive than Arina's region, and we aren't familiar with the area like we would be with another Ukrainian child.
But I want her! (click on her picture to read her profile)

Ok, on to our own princess. She is doing fantastic!! You can see that her hair is growing like crazy! Of course thats a good thing for me!
She is 16 months old, and just under 16 lbs. She where's 6-9 month clothes, She is itty bitty! She isn't even on the DS scale yet, especially for her height. She is just good, old fashioned short!

She explores more and more every day. She still is very easily startled. If a dog barks, or even my newborn niece crying, scares her and makes her cry!
The kitty is her new favorite toy. She grabs her fur and tries to kiss her. Luckily the kitty is very easy going!

One area that Arina excels in is eating. She doesn't have any of the feeding problems typical with DS kids, like textures and solids. This girl will eat anything. My ped told me not to give her table food until she can pick food up with her fingers. But of course we cheat, and she eats them just fine! No choking there either. I think her aspirating is not as bad, because she doesn't sound like she's choking anymore when she eats. She still is on oxygen at night because of her apnea, and her tonsils and adnoids come out Feb. 3, along with an ABR hearing test.

She is one strong little bugger! She will be on her belly, and push up onto her feet and hands, like a spider walk. Although she can't move like that. She had a hold of Jax oxygen tubing the other day, and I had to use both hands to pry her hand off! She is now starting to push herself up to sitting from laying down. She gets on her hands and knee's, but can't figure out how to move herself. So she gets around by pulling with her hands and pushing with her toes. She also will stand against stuff, but again, she doesn't have the coordination yet to move her feet.

So this is usually what happens!

Oops, that was quite traumatic!

One thing she is really lacking in is fine motor skills. Because she spent her life in an orphanage, she doesn't do pattycake, wave bye bye, or any of those things. She won't pick up food and put it in her mouth, although she is now putting toys in her mouth, so I assume food is next up.
I want to buy her some signing time videos and get started with those with her. The other day I put her hands up to hold her bottle, and she did it! Now I'd like to start with cups, to get her off the bottle. So any advice in that area would be appreciated! She won't suck through a straw. She did the first week we had her home, she actually was able to suck juice up out of my straw. Now she won't even attempt it. She doesn't like the straw in her mouth.

Of course the biggest thing is how much joy she has brought to us and especially her big brothers. And I know we have brought joy to her, and saved her from a life inside an institution. Oh how we love our princess Arina!

26 comments:

Alison said...

So lovely to see her blossoming under your care!!

Ashley said...

She is so gorgeous! <3

Stephanie said...

Ooooo, she is so stinkin cute!!! love her standing with the stroller!!! Don't love her crying!
Are you having fun doing her hair?? the ribbons are cute.

Holly W said...

look at her standing! what a big girl she is...and I love her hair! I can't wait until Brooke's grows out more, since little miss diva Hope won't allow more than a side braid in hers...

Adam, Jaci, Grant, Grace and Amelia said...

I love seeing pictures of her! She is doing great! Give her hugs and kisses for me!

Rochelle said...

OOO and we love your little princess too. Oh my I think she gets cuter by the post! =)

Rachel said...

I do know how to do a header on my computer. I either use elements from Scrapblog or use a blog background from Cutest Blog on the Block and grab a matching background and then add the pictures. I can probably do a combination of both. If you would like, email me the pictures, blog title, and color suggestions and I would love to play around with them and see what I can come up with!
My email is butterflygirl82@gmail.com

Rachel
adventuresinthephilippines.blogspot.com
findingmissingpieces.blogspot.com
afamilyforanastasiya.blogspot.com

Kristin said...

She is coming along amazingly well. Max didn't hold his own bottle until he was almost 19 months old. And he's still not soley drinking from a sippy. You can read back on my sippy cup/feeding eval recommendations from last August at... http://twodogsandafish.blogspot.com/2010/08/feeding-eval.html
The therapist said don't worry about the straw yet. And a few weeks ago, I forgot his bottle & sippy when we were out to eat so I offered a straw - and he drank just fine (ok - a little spillage, but he got it!). If you want to try the honey bear approach from talk tools, I have one you can have - I hadn't been using it & now I guess I don't need to :)

Kristin said...

One more thing... header templates that you can just pop in your pictures are here:
http://www.thecoffeeshopblog.com/p/coffeeshop-storyboard-templates-and.html

Kele said...

Your post left a big lump in my throat. Oh Lacey, look at that angel, and to think of the life she did have, potentially could of had forever?? Gosh, it just makes my heart ache, then jump for joy...
I am thanking God tonight for families like you.
Kiss your angel, she is beyond lovely (and lucky!)

Helene said...

I recommend the infatrainer cup. You can adjust the flow and it has an automatic "stop" for tongue thrust problems.

It comes in a variery(now) of sizes and colours too.

The VW's said...

What a sweetie! I am in love with her too! She is doing so great....and it's all because she got the chance to grow up in a loving family! You are all so blessed! Hugs!!!

Scrappy quilter said...

I love watching her blossom. She is so cute!! When M was learning to walk, he used a doll buggie with C sitting in it (they are both the same age). I'm wondering if you put a little bit of weight in that stroller that she might stand a bit longer on her feet. Just a thought. M ate everything too...never had a problem. Still at 21 loves food!! Hugs

Becca said...

That little girl is doing so AMAZINGLY well!! I love this update, and got lost in her blue eyes for a minute... Sammi used to startle really badly (quivering bottom lip going to all-out bawling), too, but outgrew *most* of it. She still has a few issues here and there...

Anonymous said...

Love the pictures of Arina with the kitty - mutual love, from the looks of things!

She is really blossoming and exploring her little (but greatly increased) world - so exciting and fulfilling to see her rapid progress. All she needed was a chance - and love. You and your family are amply providing both, so look out, world! Here come Arina!

Best wishes,
Susan in Ky

Kendra said...

She's beautiful Lacey! What great pics!

Scrappy quilter said...

Sent you an e-mail. Hugs and much love

kecia said...

she is SO adorable!

Colleen said...

She wears the cutest hair bows! I can't get enough of those beautiful pictures.

suelmayer said...

Oh, Lacey. She is just the cutest!! You are both blessed to have each other!!

Tina said...

She is just so cute and getting cuter by the day. She's doing so wonderfully and I am sure you can see the small changes everyday. I love that picture of her standing with the stroller love her chubby little legs!! She is so lucky as all of your are as well to have her in your family, she will continue to bring you so much joy and happiness. Keep at it with the straws even though she might not like them too much, it will help with her tongue retraction in the long run. Hugs to your princess and to your little prince as well.

Mama Mason-Mann said...

Truly amazing!

Christine said...

She is so beautiful and you can see how happy she is!

Melissa said...

First of all, Lily is beautiful. I wish hubby would get on board because I would be adopting from RR today!

Second, I LOVE those bows in Arina's hair. Too cute!

Third, I just love Arina. All the pics are great! She'll be crawling before you know it! Claire is 17 lbs and still in her 6-9 clothes too.

Shelly Turpin said...

She is absolutely beautiful. A tribute to the wonder and love of a family.

Bethany said...

I can make you a header if you want ... shoot me an email.