Update #4: Grace

Oh, little Miss Grace. As we head up our Gotcha day at the beginning of August, it becomes necessary to catch up with the little diva.

And, oh, what a diva she is! She is the most opinionated, most stubborn, spiciest thing around! She is one tough cookie. She doesn't care (one bit!) about getting in trouble, and I swear she gives me the finger from time to time. She melts down, screams, kicks, claws. She isn't the easiest child to parent.

But, she sure is the easiest child to love. She is so smart, so loving, and so full of energy (not to mention--she's just too cute).

Here are some things that she's doing or things I find endearing:

1. She talks all the time. She has moved well beyond the word and the phrase category into full blown sentences. Some of the words still have a "China-twang," but many of them are crystal clear. It's amazing to me that in ten months she has learned so much--how amazing. Grace talks more than most two-year-olds, and she spent the first 14 months of her life listening to Mandarin! My favorite thing she said recently (upon putting her in her crib for her nap): "I need some help in here." Makes sense: she had just dropped her mouse. Just today as she was "helping" me clean my office, she said, "Can I take this home?" while holding a toy from my desk. My favorite (but not really) is when she says, "What the heck?" I guess she's heard that a time or two from Mommy's mouth. She might not be quite as verbal as her brother, but she holds her own. Just recently she started saying "I need _(fill in blank with wanted item)______ more." It's so cute to hear "I need peanut butter more." She makes me laugh.

2. Grant never had an attachment to anything: not a blanket, not a stuffed animal. But our little Grace has some serious attachments. First off, she has dubbed a blanket officially hers. Problem is, it's huge--like a parent-sized throw blanket. Needless to say, if I knew she was going to develop an attachment for one blanket, I would have found a little, baby-sized one. At least, we have convinced her that the blanket does not need to leave the house! In addition to the blanket, she has a fondness for a particular Mickey Mouse plushie that once belonged to her brother. Let's be clear: it no longer belongs to her brother. If he tried to claim rights now, he'd have a fight on his hands. And let's be clear, again: she'd win. (Vacation Update since I started this post before vacation: Mouse was lost on vacation. I don't know if she dropped him out the van door by accident, but I think Mouse is somewhere in South Carolina. We bought Grace a new puppy, and she transitioned better than I thought she would).

3. She loves to "mother." She mothers babies. She mothers all variety of stuffed animals. If there's a need (real or imagined) or a cry (real or imagined), Grace is the girl for the job--ready to dish out kisses or bottles (real or imagined) to help. She can be so sweet. I don't think she'll be the jealous one if and when we bring home baby #3. I can say that now...

4. Grace finally decided she was "all in" with our family in the last few months. She was holding out a little, struggling to attach wholly. But, she's finally decided this is all "for keeps," and now, she is much more willing to be independent, much more willing to laugh and to show her personality. She's funny. She loves to laugh.

5. The girl has no interest in books or tv. Grant is addicted to books and to tv. Hmmm...

More on Grace later... these are just a few of the things to tell.