3 Months!

Hello! So many of you have been asking how Nina-Li is doing and shared with us how you followed our blog. It is such a blessing to know that so many care. Not only for us and specifically Nina-Li. But that so many are so supportive of the adoption process.
If Bill and I went to China, interviewed, played and hung-out with every child in the orphanage could we have chosen a better child to fit into our family than Nina-Li? She is truly a gift from heaven. Not only for us, but for those of you who are in our lives and have met her. She is a gift of joy and happiness. Reminding us to simply laugh at life and not take things so seriously. Which is easy for Bill and I to do right now.
The descriptions we received of Nina-Li always emphasized how quiet she was. That she didn't talk much and stayed to herself. It's as if she arrived and said "I can finally live the life I have dreamt of!" Everyday is filled with giggles of joy. There's no other way to describe it.

She adores her brothers. She loves running,chasing, hiding, climbing and tickling with them. She can be just as loud as they. Nina probably has the hardest time being separate from them if they leave. However, we have seen great improvements in that area. Last weekend, Dakota spent the night at a friends. She understood he was leaving, when he was coming back, and where he was going. It went very well. Nina-Li really likes to know where everyone is if someone is gone, or even in another room. However, she doesn't obsess over it. This is very common for adopted children.



Christmas was a dream come true for her. A few days before Christmas, Dakota told her Santa was coming. She was astonished! She couldn't believe that Santa was really coming this year, and that he was going to bring her something. Seeing Christmas for the first time through a 7 year olds eyes is magical.
Nina-Li is doing great with her language development. There are some sounds that are difficult to make. However, I couldn't be more pleased with her communication skills. And she understands us probably 90% of the time. My neighbor, Donna, got her the Leap Frog Letter Factory video. With many of the letters she knows their sounds before the name of the actually letter. So, that will help her tremendously with reading.


Nina has loved the snow. She'll go out there for hours with the kids and play. The day after the first really big snow she was outside for 3 hours! Loved it!
Many of you have asked how she likes her room. Well, she is just now noticing it. I know that sounds strange. However, it has been in the past couple of weeks she'll sit in bed at night and tell me what she likes about her room and how pretty it is. I told her that her daddy worked really hard to make it just for her. I told her what he built and painted. What I made for her. And she got it. It made her feel really good.
As far as school she is doing well. I am educating her as if she were in pre-k. Because no matter what she knew in China, she has to relearn it all in English. Her biggest struggle is with fine motor skills. However, she has come a long way. Her coloring, cutting, writing 3 months ago was that of a 2 year old. She can cut, draw simple shapes, & color very well (in the lines mostly). However, what I think is fun is her coloring style. Last week she was coloring an elephant. Well, her elephant was a striped elephant. Very impressive indeed! Nina is getting simple math concepts very well. Once she is able to identify numbers we will begin simple addition and subtraction.

I'm trying to remember all the questions people ask, so that I don't leave a stoned unturned. Food she is great with. I believe her diet mostly consisted of rice, fish and fresh fruits. I haven't given her much fish. Well, we could tell that because of her hair. When we first got her and I would give her baths, it was as if her hair wouldn't absorb water. It was so shiny and beautiful. Well, I'm not seafoods biggest fan, and it's isn't as easy to come by here as it was in China along the southern coast where she's from. Her hair is still beautiful black. However, not as shiny. So, I decided I needed to get her back on fish. I made it the other night and she loved it. Yeah! She really loves meat. There hasn't been much she turns down. Her favorite food is Gingaby. Oh, you don't know what gingaby is? Why french fries of course. No, you don't say french fries in Chinese that way. It is her own little word that she created trying to say 'french fries'. The 'f' sound is difficult for her to pronounce.
Nina is making friends and loves getting out. We went to Coco Key last week and she had a great time. It helped that a few of our friends were there that she knew. She gets a little nervous in crowds, but she just clings a little more than anything.
We are planning on participating in a couple of the Chinese New Year activities here in Kansas City. She doesn't know it, but I am going to let her wear a Chinese dress we bought. It is beautiful. She's been begging me to let her wear it. And next Friday she is going to a daddy/daughter dance and gets to wear it again. She loves dressing up.
We have also found a few of her friends from the orphanage and know how to stay in contact with them. Her best friend we found too. Once she returns from a vacation we hope the girls can skype each other.
Thank you so much for your prayers, support, kind words and deeds. We are all grateful!