2 Months

This Wednesday marks 2 months since we arrived home. What a difference 2 months makes! At the one month mark I didn't even do a blog about it because I was still reeling from what we had experienced. She still felt like a stranger in my house, and I still spent most of my days wondering if life would ever feel normal again. In the last month we have been able to slowly come up for air and have begun to see light at the end of the tunnel.

For starters, I am blown away at the fears this child has conquered in 2 months. Guess what she is doing now? Riding in her stroller! After we took her out of the orphanage she would scream at the top of her lungs and literally try to claw herself out of the stroller. She was so incredibly scared. She had NO idea where she was and feared that we would leave her so she had to be literally ON us and with both of us in sight at all times. We weren't even allowed to sit. Now she happily plays in her stroller while we take walks or go to the store and the other day she went to her first restaurant!!!!! In Ukraine we mistakenly thought we would take her to eat and the second our behinds hit the chair she lost it so we learned quickly that "to go" would be the only way we would be eating out for a long time. This weekend, with some trepidation, we went to a local pizzeria with some friends and she was an angel. I couldn't believe it was the same child.

Her English is coming along well but we still have a long way to go in this area. She was speech delayed in her native language and I am definitely seeing that in English as well. We have her speech evaluation scheduled for Wednesday. Still, her progress has been good and we definitely have a good start to communication and it is reducing some frustration in all of us. The other day a man came to our door and she said "BIG MAN!......Gimme five!" Luckily he thought she was adorable!

Of course I can't forget to mention that this wild girl is walking like crazy. She blows us away. Even if we can tell she is getting tired she will keep going. It's a new lease on life! I really thought she would fight the leg braces and the walker but she has not once complained. Right now she is wearing her braces 1-2 hours a day and we are slowly working our way to increasing that so she is wearing them most of her waking hours. She went to church Sunday with her walker and had a great time walking all over. She even found a class having their music time and walked herself right in to check it out! It's been interesting watching other kids stare at her. Everyone has been kind to her but they are definitely interested in that girl with the walker. I guess that is something we will all have to become accustomed to.

Along with all of that...as if that wasn't enough...she is also doing great with her colors and now knows the basic colors well, she is feeding herself more and more, she is showing increased signs of attachment and trust, and she is just overall a happier child than she was 2 months ago. Please don't get me wrong, there is still a long journey to walk with Oksana, and the damage done to her over 5 years isn't disappearing in 2 months but the change is evident and for that we are thankful.

Here are a few pictures and another video of her walking:

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