What an amazing Christmas it was to be with my family and finally have my daughter home with us. Last Christmas at church (as I saw cute little girls in beautiful dresses) I thought of Christmas 2011 and how I would have Jaida. Some times thoughout the year I began to have doubts so it bought tears to my eyes on Christmas Eve holding my beautul daughter during mass.
Jason surprised me with the most beautiful and perfect gift - white gold necklace with a pendant with our childrens birthstones as well as mine. I have always wanted one but never felt my family was complete so never asked for one. I now know my family is complete (which is a great feeling) but wasn`t expecting one so soon. Usually I have to give lots of hints before I can expect it, and leave out flyers and sometimes buy things myself and give to him to wrap. My husband is so amazing, I really should tell him more often. He doesn`t even read my blog so he still won`t know I am saying nice things about him-haha
It was nice to have my parents visit us for the special holiday. This is the first Christmas we spent completely together. They have visited us before but didn`t stay at our place so it was nice to have them here Christmas morning and have the fun of Santa coming and filling all of our stockings. The boys had a great Christmas and got everything they wanted. Hayden is already thinking of what he wants for next Christmas so I will have to work on him and remind him of the importance of Christmas a little better. Jaida had fun but didn`t keep up with the boys for unwrapping presents, she was still unwrapping on Boxing Day. Tristan thought this was a good idea and has plans to keep some of his presents for Boxing Day next year. If he does I am sure he will keep all the soft ones (clothes) for that day.
I took Jaida to the dr and occupational therapist. Some of the things she was checking for Jaida wasn`t able to do so I can`t believe what a difference two weeks can make: she is going up the stairs as fast as I can and deciding if she wants to go back down, she is standing all the time and claps (with one hand in a fist) as she is so proud of herself, crawling everywhere, reaching, kneeling, wants me to walk with her, loves her rocking horse and goes so fast it is scary, offering me food all the time, and bothering the dogs lots (poor dogs).
Jaida`s sleeping through the night has gotten much better(I bought her the Fisher Price aquarium and that seems to really soothe and/or mesmerize her, it eats the batteries but extra sleep is priceless so we just keep buying batteries). I still sleep in her room but on the few occasions I had to sleep in my bed to get up with an alarm she did pretty well, I just had to go in and turn the aquarium on a few times. Jaida has very little naps-basically falls asleep in my arms exhausted and sleeps about 20 minutes in her crib ( I think when she wakes up and sees I am not there gets scared, cries) and then she is awake for the rest of the day. She sometimes goes to bed around 10pm but has gone to bed as early as 8pm and some nights is up until 11pm. I keep wanting to put her to bed earlier but she is at her best in the evening and I just want to enjoy it and lose track of time. I was reading an article the other day http://www.adoptmed.org/topics/sleep-and-adoption.html and it discussed adopted children and sleep issues, I knew some of it but I found it interesting how it touched on overstimulated children and how they can have the Disneyland syndrome. I think this explains Jaida because she is so tired around 6pm and I think there is no way she will make it to 8 or 9pm, then she gets a second or third wind and is happy and still awake at 11pm. It isn`t really a bad thing since she is happy but I will have to work to keep her life more routine and calm later in the evening. She does seem to be doing better, yesterday she actually had a 2hr nap and the last two nights she has gone to bed and I can hear her wake up but she doesn`t cry and soothes herself back to sleep. Tonight was the cutest-I rocked her and put her to bed awake (she gets restless in my arms sometimes and won`t stay still). She was moving around, couldn`t settle; so I layed in the bed and put my hand in the crib and called her to come up to it-she then crawled to my hand, layed her head on my hand and held it with both hands, then fell asleep. So wish I could have picture to capture the moment.
As wonderful as my Christmas was it was also filled with sadness. Somebody I love very much is going through personal heartache. My heart breaks for her and hopes she never doubts what an amazing person she is (and I would be so lucky to have even some of her great qualities) It just doesn`t seem fair, I can be so happy and have everything and those I love around me don`t have the same. It also makes me weary for the future-a lot of times I think of how happy I am and that my life can`t be this perfect forever so I do kind of wait for the bad but embrace the happiness while I have it.
The other saddness of this Christmas is my grandmother passed away 23 December. She was 95 years old and I have been amazed for years how active she was (bowled when she was 90 yrs old, went to church everyday, volunteered, and went out every night to play cards) She was an amazing women who will be missed but I really think her funeral should be a celebration of life if ever there was one. She lived an amazing life, she was so healthy and on the day she died she had her hair done, walked to the ambulance telling the man walking her down the stairs she wasn`t feeling too bad, and then passed away in the ambulance. She lived alone in her home but two of her daughters were visiting her at the time. My Grandmother celebrated Christmas with her family early since everyone was traveling to visit other family so even though it is hard to lose someone special during the holidays she already had her special Christmas. This year Alyson (my cousin) come up with a great idea for all the grandchildren to give a gift together to donate books and music to a school to honour her legacy of a great teacher and a great grandmother. Wendy (another cousin) presented it to her and videotaped it for us that live far away to enjoy. Again amazed how things happen for a reason and so thankful to Alyson and Wendy for what they did to give us a wonderful lasting memory and a special moment for Grammy.
I wish Jaida could have met her great-grandmother like her brothers did and my grandmother could have met her. My Grammy did see pictures of her, read my blog, sent a wish for her quilt and send a special porcelain doll (which I will keep up high so the doll isn't bald in 2 weeks) for her at Christmas so even though they did not meet they will have a connection. My Grandmother had 12 great-grandsons until this year she became a great-grammy to two beautiful girls.
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