Diary of Elena's First Christmas
What can we say but WOW. It has been an amazing eight months of discovery and change! Elena is hardly the same child we brought home from Russia in April. She is walking, babbling, and basically being a groovy 18 month old. She is super-curious and loves to get into EVERYTHING, of course. She loves to mimic (her latest is dragging my bra around the house and trying to put it on) and she also loves the cat. She calls him "Doo-Doo" for some reason, and walks around the house screeching, "HI DOO-DOO!". The cat has mapped out all of the good hiding spaces in the house, and is never more than a few steps away from one. When Elena is giving out love, she can be a little over-enthusiastic. :)
This Christmas was so surreal for us. It seems like just yesterday that it was LAST Christmas and we were filled with so much anxiety and hope, waiting for a referral. We didn't think it would ever happen. And here we are with our hearts in our throats this holiday season, filled with so much love and joy for this miraculous little person. The Universe works in mysterious ways--but I'm learning that if you are able to think outside of the box in this lifetime, amazing things will open up to you. Elena is my daily reminder. We have been given a gift that no words can describe. When she put her head on my shoulder and said "I yove oo baybee" (I love you baby) on Christmas Eve, I just closed my eyes and said to myself, "Yup, this is what it's all about" (Meanwhile my mother and aunt were yelling "Did you hear that??" and hugging each other, but I digress...).
We hope that you enjoy the pics--we can't believe how much she has changed. No more little baby! She's a true toddler now.
Love, light and peace to all. We hope you had a wonderful holiday!
Tom, Donna, and Elena Grace