And now the real adventures begins…

So much has happened since my last post on July 10, the day we arrived back in the States. Suffering from jetlag, we all went to sleep early that night and when we awoke the next morning something amazing happened. With the dawn of the new day in a country half way around the world from where this little girl’s journey began… Chloe must have sensed she was truly home. The morning started with the usual routine of Ted getting her up and ready for the day. Shortly thereafter Chloe was sitting on floor and as I approached she raised her arms in the air towards me as if to say “pick me up”. I happily obliged. Believe it or not, that was the end of her grieving. I still to this day cannot believe it happened so quickly, so matter-of-fact. Not only that, but the same morning she accepted me as her mom, she also lovingly accepted her big sister, her grandfather and her great-grandmother. From that moment on she readily came to me as if it was something she has done every day of her life.

It has only gotten better from there. Chloe is a fabulous, happy little girl with an incredible personality. When I pick her up the first thing she does is pucker her lips and lean in for a kiss. She does the same for her daddy and her big sister. Unfortunately, she also puckers her lips for the dog, but we are working on that one. She has learned how to blow kisses, how to wave “good bye”, and how to say “ah oh”. She is in aw of her big sister, who she follows around to the best of her ability. She loves to play with any toy that makes music so she can bop to the beat. At times she will be scooting across the floor (she doesn’t crawl) and singing a precious little song as only she could do. Her favorite items in the world are her pink blankets and her purple koala. She likes when people talk to her because it’s an opportunity for her to show off that huge smile and nose crinkle to everyone she meets. She likes to lay her head on my chest and suck her thumb when she snuggles. She loves to splash in the tub. She has mastered pulling herself up on just about anything (including the dog) so she can stand. She loves to giggle and laugh out loud.

I could go on and on. Can you tell how in love we are with this child? Skylar and Chloe are the loves of our lives. I couldn’t write a story with this spectacular outcome… it would seem too unrealistic even for a fairytale. Now the real adventures begins… the adventures of our forever family.

I wanted to thank everyone that has followed along on this adventure. Your love and support has been overwhelming. Chloe (and even Skylar) has received gifts and well wishes from family, friends, neighbors, coworkers and even casual acquaintances on the soccer field. Aunt Laura and Uncle Alan went out of their way to throw our family a wonderful “Welcome Home Chloe” party. (We love you guys!) Thank you everyone!