Winter in Indiana!

It is definitely Winter in Indiana, and Kimi and Elizabeth have really been enjoying the snow!  It has been in the single digits here in central Indiana and freeeeezing cold.  But they don't seem to mind at all!  Latest "Kimi" developments include:

• For the first time, she will now choose between two items (before, if asked, she would repeat the question word-for-word, and not make a choice).
• She is verbalizing all her requests in up to three-word sentences. She can say every consonant and vowel sound individually, but still leaves the end sounds off most words.  Her vocabulary is somewhere around 200 words.
• She is getting steadier with her walking - only falling when she gets in too big of a hurry.
• She can actually jump up - with her feet actually leaving the ground about an inch - without holding onto anything and maintaining her balance.
• She can squat down and stand back up - again, without holding onto anything.
• She can eat an entire cheeseburger, likes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and loves to eat pancakes (pam-pay) with LOTS of syrup!
• She dresses and undresses herself - even her AFOs!
• She can color fairly well within the lines, but still often scribbles with crayons.
• She can do the first step in tying her shoes; but gets impatient and quits before going further.
• She loves to watch me cook and "pretend cooks" in her little kitchen.
• If she sees me hugging Elizabeth, she quickly comes over and says, "Hud, Mama! Hud!" (translation, "Hug, Mama! Hug!")
• She is definitely, a "Mama's girl"... at least for now.

Her developmental progress is still slow, but steady, and that's the important thing.  Her therapists believe she will eventually "catch up"; but it will be a slow process.  According to her speech therapist yesterday, she has advanced from no language, to about a 30-month level, since we brought her home 22 months ago.  A year ago, Kimi could verbalize less than 10 words and she was still on stage 2 and 3 baby foods.

Our current plan is to have Kimi tested in the Spring, so the Avon School system can create an IEP (Individualized Education Program) for her, allowing her to begin school this Fall. 

Incidentally, in November, I read that "Half The Sky" (http://www.halfthesky.org/en) had been training caregivers in Jiangsu Province, where Kimi lived.  I wrote them and asked if they happened to include Huai'an SWI (Kimi's orphange) staff.  They responded, ""Regarding your question, the Huai'an SWI has started participating in the Rainbow Program. We provided primary training for some of the caregivers this year, but are planning to do a second training next year and at that time hope to reach all 20 caregivers.  We know change won't come quickly, especially in orphanages that need the most change. But we have seen progress at some of the orphanages where we have provided two trainings and I do hope Huai'an caregivers take the training to heart. It sounds as if change can't come fast enough.  We will do our best to inspire change."

I can hardly wait for the day that I can tell Kimi (so that she understands), that the reasons for her developmental delays (severe neglect) are now being addressed by philanthropic organizations like Half the Sky (HTS) and Love Without Boundaries (LWB), providing training to caregivers, warm clothing, and volunteers to help with the children there.  LWB informed me they didn't even know about Huai'an SWI until I told them about Kimi.  I want her to know that her time spent there was not totally in vain - that other children are being helped as a direct result.