One Year Today Since We Got Keira

Wow. I can't believe that time has passed so quickly. This time last year, we were in China, touring Beijing for 2 days and then on a plane to Changsha to pick up our little one. Every time I think of that day, it brings tears to my eyes. It brings tears to my eyes today to think that one year has passed since we picked up our little one.

We are so lucky. I thank God every day for this beautiful gift that he has given us...even though she can be a butthead from time to time. :) Keira has brought not only such joy into our lives,but pushed me to become a person that I never thought I was capable of becoming.

I've had to learn patience and to be patient. There have been times that she has stretched me to my limits, but I still perservere because I love her so much and she is our child. In the beginning of our relationship, I gave unrequitable love, not knowing if it would ever be reciprocated. I used to live a life that was very much focused on ME and now I've switched the focus to Keira -- I don't do it with regret. I happily do it in order to ensure that she feels happy, safe and loved.

What a grown up little girl Keira has become since we picked her up in China. She is multi-cultural and she is multi-lingual..although she is starting to say only a few words now, she understands English, Chinese and Norwegian. She has traveled from China, to Norway, to the U.S., to Spain and to Germany. She has lived in two countries. She loves to be outside and play in the snow and look for the birds. She enjoys "reading" books -- at least she likes to look at the pictures. She is able to point to different objects when asked where they are in the book. She is potty trained. Keira assimilated into the daycare system quickly and loves every single moment that she spends there. I think she must be "the boss" of her little posse of 5 at the daycare. She can eat with a fork and with a spoon..although now I think she's picking up the bad habit of eating with her hands from her little friends at daycare. She loves fruit of all kinds...cantaloupe, grapes, honeydew, mango, and bananas. She enjoys watching Backyardigans, Little Einsteins, Dora the Explorer, Sesame Street and Barney. Wow. This little girl of ours has changed so much.

It will be so exciting to see how the next years pan out. She will take the world by storm.