Nine Months

Dear Leah:

You are now nine months old, and have spent as much time in the world as you spent preparing to make your debut.  Every day now we have had you a little bit longer than you birthmother did, and we think of her a lot and with gratitude for the wonderful little gift she gave us: you.

What a month you have had!  You have been extremely busy.  Each day I wake up and I think, “I wonder what Leah will learn today?” and you never fail to surprise me.  You said your first words this month, “Mama” and “Papa” and seemed to know exactly what you were talking about with each of them.  The random babbling has at least two elements that are special and mean us!  What joy that brought to us.

You also started to crawl this month.  You are getting stronger and better at it every day, and I have to control the impulse to still pick you up and put you next to whatever it is you are indicating that you want.  You know very well how to get there on your own, even if it is sometimes easier just to scream while we try to figure it out.

You also grew 3 new teeth!  WOW!  And they all came in at once.  You have two on the top and four on the bottom now.  It’s amazing.  For a while we thought maybe you’d just have 3 teeth forever, but now you’ve doubled the number!  It was rough going, but you managed.

This month also marked your first Christmas.  You had lots of visitors and lots of presents and made the time a lot of fun.  Thanks to your Cioci, we were able to make prints of your feet, so we will always be able to look back on how small you were, even though right now you seem to be growing like a weed!  Some of your favorite Christmas presents were the sound stage (you gaze at yourself adoringly in the mirror, it’s so cute!), the xylophone, and all your pretty new clothes.  You also received a special ornament from Nana, the first in what will be a collection.  It is hard to imagine that someday you will leave us to have your own Christmas celebrations, but you will be able to take your ornaments with you for your own tree and each one will be a special memory.

You also got a taste of the snow this past month when we had a big blizzard.  We were trapped in the house for 2 days, but you were a constant source of entertainment.  We strapped you into your snowsuit and put you out in the snow to see what you’d do, but you didn’t appear to like it!  Then we took you around with us to see all the neighbors and give out Christmas treats.  You loved absolutely everyone, playing with adults and kids alike, and so many people since have told us what a good little angel you are.  We know, but it’s sure nice to hear it from other people!

We’ve also let you try lots of different foods this month and you are certainly very adventurous when it comes to eating.  Your current favorites seem to be pickles and celery, although you are also fond of lemons.  Jarred food is OK, although you get mad because I won’t let you play in it up to your elbows.  You still love sweet potatoes and applesauce, but have started trying some meat and like beef and turkey just fine.  You still hate green beans.  You are also not terribly fond of the pasta blends.  It’s OK, you take after your father in that regard!

Leah, I wish I could put into words how much we love you.  There are days we look at you and our eyes just well with tears about how fortunate we are to have you in our lives.  You are a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day, a true joy to all who know you, our every hope and wish come true.  I wish I could hold you forever in my arms, sweet girl, you are exactly the child we dreamed of when we decided to adopt.  You are growing so fast, it’s impossible to believe how quickly all this growing is taking place!  Looking back on old photos, I can’t believe that baby is now the baby in front of me.  We’re with you every step of the way, from here to forever.

All our love,

Mama and Papa

Finalization Party

We will be celebrating the finalization of Leah’s adoption this Saturday, December 12th at 6:00pm at the Roma Restaurant, 203 Lansdowne Road in Fredericksburg.  We invite everyone to join us to celebrate that our beautiful daughter is recognized officially by the courts as ours and only ours. 

To celebrate, we had a family portrait done on December 4th, the day we found out Leah is all ours.  Enjoy!

Eight Months!

Dear Angel Doll,

                Here we are again, another month has gone by and you continue to amaze Mom and I with your growth and development.  This month you have started eating real food quite a bit, adjusted to a new sleep schedule, and overall become more “nosey” with everything – not that you weren’t nosey before, but your favorite pastime is to look around your environment.  You have continued to play a lot with Cousin Dottie when she comes down, pulling her hair and taking her toys, but that’s OK, that’s how little babies like you learn.  Mommy has started to really work on your hair quite a bit, and it is looking better and better every day.  You still haven’t gotten any more teeth, although we think that you might have a couple ready to pop out of your sweet little mouth any day now.  You hold your arms up when you want to be picked up and are shaking your toys in your hands just like when Mommy shows you “All done!”  We know you don’t want to play with those toys any more!  You are so smart!  You have also started eating on your own—Uncle Lucas and Cioci showed you how to hold your own bottle and now you don’t need any help.  Of course, sometimes Mommy and Daddy just want some snuggle time, so we hold you and feed you anyway.  We don’t want you to grow up too fast!

                You’ve seen a lot of people this month, you’ve been very good with Colleen on Wednesdays when mommy goes for her appointments, you were very good when Grandma and Grandpa came down from Rhode Island to see you, and you were even good when Cathy and Peter came over from the Free Lance-Star to talk to Daddy.  Mommy and Daddy took you to Richmond to a potluck for adopted families and you were perfect the whole time, not even letting out a peep.  Auntie Beth showed you off and of course you were the HEAD Little Baby at the event.  You also went to see the folks at Dr. Leonard’s and had 2 shots and didn’t let out a peep, instead looking at the nurse as if to say “is that it?”  You went with Mommy and Daddy to the hearing aid place and to the dentist, where of course everybody was loving you, and you even screamed for Daddy while Mommy went to the bathroom.  And of course, there was the infamous trip to Ruby Tuesday’s recently where by the end of the meal, you had 6 waiters and waitresses standing around you admiring you!  Overall you have continued to be a very very good baby when momy and daddy are in public or when we have company.

                There are a couple of problem areas that we are trying to work on with you.  You are very attached to Mommy, to the point that if she leaves the room you start to cry/yell.  This is hard for Mommy, since she has to give you her undivided attention at all times and doesn’t get many breaks.  You also are still having trouble getting used to daddy, and lately have not been eating for him, making this harder for us.  But we know that these little things are just temporary and that you will grow out of them.  You have been EXCELLENT in the car lately, and Mommy and Daddy are very proud of you for that.  You continue to play a lot with your toys, and are getting more sleep which is good for your development.  We have started to let you cry things out more, and we are helping you to learn that it is OK if Mommy is in the other room or Daddy can’t pick you up all of the time, and it will get better.

                On November 30, the final adoption order was signed by the county court and we received it on December 4 in the mail.  Mommy and I have received the best gift of all: the gift of a child, Leah Katherine, you are now ours.  You are now a Kosior, nobody will be coming around questioning what mommy and daddy are doing, no more visits to Richmond, and no more expensive legal costs.  We knew at 3:56AM on April 8 that we had the most precious gift, Daddy knows it and feels it every time he holds you, and Mommy sees it in your eyes when you smile and make faces at her.  Nobody can question anything anymore, it is final.  On Saturday, Mommy and Daddy are going to get together with some friends to celebrate the news, although we always knew in our hearts that it would happen and that you were meant to be our wonderful daughter.  Leah Katherine Kosior, we will always love you, and your gift in our lives is one that we will carry with us and treasure forever.

Love,

Daddy and Mommy

Seven Month Sweetheart

Sweet Baby Leah,

It is hard to believe another month has come and gone in the first wonderful year of your life. I look at you and I can’t believe the time has flown by so quickly. It has been another adventurous month, and you have made it through with flying colors, literally!

This month, you took your first airplane ride as we went to visit Nana in Florida. Everyone on the planes absolutely loved you, and you had no problems with going up or coming down—your ears were just fine and you didn’t let out so much as a peep either way. You were charming and got your first pair of wings from the flight attendants and let our seatmates hold you and enjoy your company. Once we got to Florida, the challenge began. It was VERY hot and you had a hard time sleeping. It was a sad time for all of us with your Papa John being sick, but it was especially tough on you because you decided to have two teeth come in while we were there! Your little teeth are so sweet, and quite sharp, and you show them with pride.

Still, we had a lot of fun and when we got home, we were still off and running. You had a doctor’s appointment right away and you weighed in at 16 pounds 4 ounces and 26 inches in height. Mama was able to make a notation on your growth chart finally, you reach! You also went with Mama to the dentist and all the hygienists came running in from their various rooms just to see you. You are such a sweet baby with so much magnetism!

You are talking almost constantly when you are awake, and you are so nosy and inquisitive and happy. You love to laugh and are so silly. You have a snorting little giggle that is so cute. You love to play with toys, and pretty much anything is a toy to you now. If you can grab it and stuff it in your mouth, it’s fair game! This includes other people’s feet and hair.

You are on a new sleep schedule this month as we try to make sure you get enough sleep for your growing development. You have taken to the new schedule very well and seem to greet your bed with a new level of respect—and this helps Mom and Dad feel better too. The whole family is running like a much more well oiled machine.

You are sitting up beautifully now. It is rare that we bring your car seat in with us to restaurants and stores—you would rather sit in a high chair or in the grocery cart. The cart makes Mama nervous, so we will get you a cart seat cover that is soft so you can enjoy it more. The high chair is fantastic, you can be nosy and look around at the people around us and have fun. You also get great enjoyment out of your high chair at home and sit there for meals now instead of in your baby swing. You also sit in the stroller without the car seat any more. Who said you could be such a big girl? Where is that squishy little newborn we brought home who just cuddled and slept all day?

You are also starting to tolerate other people better. As long as Mama isn’t around and you can’t see her or hear her voice, you are calming down and enjoying time with other people a bit more. It is still a slow go, but we are getting there. This has made it easier to leave you with the babysitter or with Daddy for a while and for Mama to have some time to get things done. You’ve also been up to visit your birthmother and sister and did very well with Tanya pulling on your hair—you didn’t make a squeak, but I could see the wheels turning in your head, plotting your revenge. You also had great fun on Halloween, dressing up as Princess Leia and helping us hand out candy to all the kids who came to the door. You and Cousin Dottie were so cute and seem to be getting along better now that you can hold your own.

You are eating like a champion. You still do not love rice cereal, but you are a great fan of applesauce, sweet potatoes, pears, carrots, and of course the new love of your culinary life, bread. Any type of bread hits the spot with you, and a morning isn’t complete until you’ve mangled half a mini bagel. You aren’t too crazy about other solid foods like puffs or teething biscuits, but you love some bread! Your face lights up just to see it.

We had our last appointment with Beth the Social Worker as part of your adoption, and pretty soon, you will be ours forever. The paperwork and courts will grind their way together and then we will be signed, sealed, and delivered YOURS.

You are such a joy to us, and we are so proud to be your parents. You have been the greatest gift and treasure to us and we hope that we can be the parents you deserve every day. We love you, Leah Katherine.

Mama & Daddy

Last Post-Placement Today!

Today we traveled to Richmond for our final post-placement adoption meeting with our marvelous social worker, Beth Johnston. It went very well, and we took care of all the last payments to JFS (Thank you, credit card, for arriving!). Apparently the interlocutory order will expire next Saturday and then Beth can submit our paperwork to the courts recommending that our adoption be finalized.

We got home and dropped a quick email to our attorney, Colleen, and she is ready for action on her end. We will hear from her paralegal soon about some other paperwork and then get a court date!!!

In all, it took from July 31, 2008 to November 6, 2009 to get from our first homestudy visit to our final post-placement appointment. Not too bad at all :-) We went from zero to family in just over a year.

Six Months (Better Late than Never!)

Dear Putch Putch,

Well, your mom and I can't believe it, but you are already 6 months old! The time has gone by so fast, yet it has been the best 6 months of our life. You continue to amaze us every day with what you are learning,doing, and trying all by yourself.

In the last month you've developed quite a bit. You've managed to do considerably better in the car, crying only a little bit to let us know that you don't like it back there and we understand that. You've started to sit up, with mommy and I helping you, and have also been playing a lot in your exersaucer. You continue to giggle when mommy and I make noises for you, and you've continued to put that great smile on most of the time. You have really started to eat "normal" food, mainly apple sauce and pears, and you seem to do very well in the high chair when mommy and daddy are eating. In general, you are becoming more aware of your surroundings and like to look around a lot.

In terms of activities this month, you continue to go with mommy on her walks with Lisa and Daniel, you met Colleen, our babysitter for the first time and were crabby for her, and you even got to go to the Pentagon and watch Cioci and Uncle Lucas run in the Army ten-miler. Uncle Mike and Auntie Lesley came up from Atlanta once again to spoil you rotten, and right now you are in Florida with Nana and Aunt Estell. This month you've also added yet another mode of transportation to your travels: the airplane, where you were fantastic the entire time. You went up to Baltimore with us and Mike and Lesley to get some books and have lunch, and you also went to the national book festival in Washington, where you were admired and loved by Judy Blume and Marilynne Robinson. You also got to go with mom to get her hair done, and were the hit of the show and all of the ladies adored you and were talking about what to do with all of your hair. Finally, you also went up to Quantico 2 times to meet daddy for lunch, and even let him hold you, which was the highlight of his day. Another thing you did this month was to eat a piece of bread at the Pines of Florence restaurant when we went out with Cioci and her friends from work, that bread was all over the place and you loved it!

You are still sleeping well for the most part, although you have continued to move around a lot and wake yourself up during the night. Mommy has started leaving you by yourself in your room and closing the door so that she can sleep, after feeding and changing you, in order to help you fall asleep on your own. You still are very very crabby with daddy, even crabbing for him all night on October 05, but daddy knows that you were just tired and are not used to him. Every day you will have an hour with daddy after he gets home from work so that you will get used to him, and so far it's working out very well. You are still as adorable as ever and very good when everyone wants to hold you and love you.

Six months of happiness is just the beginning to a wonderful family life that we are looking forward to having with you. On October 01, Daddy took care of you and played music for you until you went to sleep. By the time he put you to bed, he was crying thinking of how much he loved you and how lucky we were to have you. Mommy and daddy are so proud when we go out places and everyone adores you and loves you, making us feel even better about our decision to have you as our daughter. In the first 6 months of your life, you have been to 15 states, traveled 5 different modes of transportation (including the Washington and Boston subways), and had so many parties that we can't even count. Above all, you continue to develop into a wonderful little girl, and we are very excited about the months and years ahead of watching you grow into a Kosior.

Love,
Daddy and Mommy

Five Month Old Baby!

Sweet Leah,

We can hardly believe it has been 5 months since the first moment we saw you and held you. The time has flown by, but this past month in particular has been an absolute whirlwind. You have been so patient with all the changes we underwent, far more patient than I (your mother) was during much of the time.

The month started out in New York, where we visited your grandfather while he was recovering from his heart attack. You made a million friends on the train ride up there, and a million more while we were home in Oswegatchie. It was very special for me to walk you through the rooms of the house where I grew up and introduce you to the people who meant so much to me.

You also got to test out two new modes of transportation: Greyhound buses and city rail. We took the bus from New York to Boston and traveled the city by T. You made many friends on the bus as well, and I think you enjoyed the trip around Boston. You barely made a squeak as we walked the Freedom Trail, and you seem to enjoy sitting in your car seat in the stroller where you can watch me as I push you all over the place. You had lots of fun at Daddy's Norries convention where you screamed during Mommy's speech and it took four women to finally settle you down after more than 30 minutes! You have, in general, become a little bit less happy to be around people you don't know--you cried a lot this month visiting friends and family. This has been a little bit hard not only on Mommy (who would welcome a rest for her arms!) but also on everyone who wants to love and hug you. Towards the end of this month, you seem to be getting better, but you are certainly very selective about who you want to spend time with. You even went to spend an afternoon with Wendy and the boys, and seemed to enjoy yourself very much, although you slept your head off when you got home! Towards the end of the month, you started getting along better with Daddy too--yesterday you sat with him for nearly 3 hours without so much as a peep! This makes him very happy, as he has been very patient but has had a hard time with your apparent distaste for him.

After the trip to Boston, you got to go back to Rhode Island and visit Daddy's parents. There was a big party for you there and people came to visit from 3 states just to see you! It was very special for you to meet Mommy's friend Lynn who is also adopted and Mommy and Daddy's friend Denise who would like to adopt. We were happy that you accepted cuddling from both of them! The entire community there spoiled you absolutely rotten--you received many wonderful gifts! You also got to know your cousin Ethan better.

By the time we came home, we'd been away for 20 days and we were all exhausted. Daddy and I sat down and figured out that in your short life, you have visited 11 different states already! (New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Virginia) We are planning only one more trip, this one in October, and it will cover 4 more states. Then you are finished travel, we promise! Mommy for one is totally over it! But you are so patient and such a good baby that you take the worry and burden off it for us.

As soon as we got home, you had to go to the doctor and survive another round of booster shots. Still, you are over it almost as quickly as you get upset! You weighed over 15 pounds and were 23 1/2 inches long. We are waiting for you to hit the magical 2 feet mark, but I bet you are there by now! We can see a couple little white bumps in your sweet little mouth and we suspect you might well be developing some teeth! You are drooling unbelievably, so it wouldn't surprise us in the least if that were the case.

This has been a big month in your development, too! You are starting to sit up on your own for 5-10 seconds at a time before tipping over. You have relaxed your fists, and now are grabbing things with your hands and putting them in your mouth. You grab some things we would rather you didn't, like Mommy's drinks and the tissues that have an entertaining way of continuing to pop out of the box. You have started to eat solid foods. You have a new exersaucer and you play with all the toys now, making them play music or attempting to chew on them. It is a new favorite in addition to the busy chair and the monkey mat!

You are eating real food now and while you do not like bananas (good girl!) or rice cereal, you seem fine with applesauce and squash! We can't give you 6 ounces of formula yet as you have a tendency to spit up if you eat that much, but it doesn't stop you from wanting it. You have graduated away from the newborn nipples on your bottle and are using bigger bottles now than before. You still like to hold them when you think of it, but nothing replaces snuggle time with Mommy.

You are making new sounds, most especially your "Pteradactyl scream" which you will do until you cough, and then you giggle at how loud you can get. Your laugh is the best laugh in the whole world. You also are babbling and chatting up a storm, which is fun. You love when we make silly sounds to you!

Watching you grow and change is so rewarding. Your personality is developing into a total ray of sunshine. We are still stopped by people in restaurants who interrupt our dinner just to tell us how sweet and cute you are. We know we have the most precious gift of all--the gift of you and we treasure you every day in every way. We couldn't have chosen a better daughter. We love you.

Mama and Daddy