Lily Hope Jiatong- Home 6 months!!

6 months ago today...

I held my Lily Hopers and brought her home to the U.S.

She was one scared, but PRECIOUS little girl!!




6 months later....
She is full of LIFE, LOVE, and JOY!!!
Lily Hope Jiatong, I'd choose you again...

And Again...
Again....

And Again!

Here are the girls on their first stroller ride together shortly after returning home from China. They weren't sure about each other...one minute they were fine...the other minute Lily was kicking Lola and vice versa.

Here they are today!!! (NO KICKING and a WHOLE LOTTA LOVE!)

Little Miss Lily has made AMAZING strides in the last 6 months. As I think back to our first moments with her, I am simply amazed and so thankful for the progress that has been made. Lily was SUPER QUIET...I'm talkin' barely EVER made ANY sounds...no babbles, no coos...NOTHING...for a while. And today, she is repeating everything we say. (Is it clear enough for everyone to understand...BY NO MEANS!) Lily receives speech therapy once a week. We partner her words with signs. All 6 of us are learning to sign together...and we love it! Lily had her cleft palate repaired in November, but developed another hole in the roof of her mouth. She will have another surgery to repair this, but our surgeon would like to wait until she is three years old. He says we will be able to do a full speech and language eval at this time and see if she'll have to have this other surgery...so he'd rather do them both at the same time to save her from another traumatic surgery. We're totally fine with that as well. Lily has truly blossomed and is the silliest little one in our house. She now has a ready smile. She says mmm mmm and squeezes us to hug (this didn't happen in the beginning! She didn't want or really know how to be held, hugged, rocked, etc.) She says "Luh Muh" for LOVE YOU...but I know what she means!!! It means the WORLD to hear these to words come outta her sweet little mouth!!! Lily is a great eater. She loves to read books and play with her big sis. Their new thing is to hold hands and sing" ring around the rosies". LOVE IT!!! In the morning when I walk into Lily's room she says a quiet..."hi!". All I can say is, I am SOOOO thankful for my sweet, long awaited Lily Hope.I am so proud of her for learning to trust...to hug...to snuggle...to love and be loved!
Praise be the God for His INDESCRIBABLE gift!! We LOVE YOU Lily HOPE!!!

Love you FOREVER!!!