525,600 minutes of Annie Kate!

              525,600 minutes! 
                  525,600 moments in time! 
             How do you measure, measure a year?

            We have measured this past year in terms of Annie Kate moments. The smiles, the tears, the laughter, the hugs and kisses, the bedtime stories, the snuggles, the little voice that refuses to be silent. The metamorphous of this little soul has been unbelievable.  The amazement and wonder in her eyes and the look on her face each day as she has experienced for the first time all her that new life with her adoring family has exposed her to.
              To say she has come a long way baby is the understatement of the year! She has not only thrived but she has flourished and blossomed beyond our wildest expectations.

XinTian (Annie Kate) Dec 2011







               



Annie Kate (XinTian)
   Dec. 2012

                                                                                                         
                       



One year ago Annie Kate responded to the name XinTian. She could only speak in Mandarin and had never heard a word of English. She was a scared, confused and sometimes sad tiny little girl who was ripped from the only environment and people she had ever known at the tender age of 3 years 7.5 months old. Wearing her clear plastic backpack containing all her possessions, which consisted of the pillow, stuff panda and book we had sent her,  she was lead into a room and handed over to people who looked , smelled and spoke differently than she had ever experienced. My heart aches as I think what those first minutes must have been like for her. What was she thinking? How many minutes, hours, days did it take before she realized she was not going back. How long before she realized and accepted that we loved her and would always take care of her, we were her forever family? Family... when did she understand the meaning of that word?
                   525,600 minutes ago she walked into our home. We can never forget how she looked around, smiling with a look on her sweet face as if to say: "This is my home...I'm home...yes this is where I belong." It has been full steam ahead since that moment. Each day full of minute by minute transformational changes in her.
                  525,600 minutes later Annie Kate smiles all day long, is fluent in English, sings Adele and Taylor Swift songs at the top of her lungs and embraces each new experience she encounters with  infectious wonderment and enthusiasm. She is the happiest, brightest, sweetest, funniest, loving child who astonishes us each day. She has grown 3 inches and gained 3 lbs. Annie Kate ( knock on wood) has never ever been sick. She has not so much as had a cold or even a running nose. She has not made one trip to the Doctors for a sick visit. She loves every food she has ever tried including clams. muscles, onions, and her favorite... "icy keem" She has no trouble expressing her thoughts and feelings including, " I be berry fuss-traded wiff yours right now." and "peas, yours gots to use yours manors."
               Yesterday while trying to get my attention to ask for some of the M & M's in the candy dish she said to me: "Mama, look atta my nose and focus peas." About 6 months ago out of the blue she said: "Member when I's was in China and yours comes to getta me?" I replied, yes I do remember. To which Annie shocked me by saying: "Ya I's was yittle bit scared, but yours singed me dat song...den I feeled better."
                Now she will often say: " I's is so happy yours dopted me."
                   Today Annie Kate, unusually, woke at 5:50am. She announced she wanted to watch her Dora "kissmiss" movie. As a technologically challenged person, I replied I wasn't sure how to work the DVD player.
                 Annie Kate assured me, " I cans dude it for yours, common I showed yours but yours need to be berry patient and yis-en to what me telled yours, ok? Common we dude dis togetter." And of course she taught me.
                 As we approach the season of giving, the season of wonder and miracles there is no doubt we have a living example right in front of us, in her pink fuzzy robe and bunny slippers sitting here trying to teach us Spanish words from her Dora video.
                We have been blessed as we witnessed 525,600 minutes of  a living, breathing, walking, talking miracle. How are we worthy to be part of such joy and absolute goodness?
                I can't wait for each new minute.
     Happy Coming Home Day to our dear sweet Annie Kate!