Breakthrough

It is amazing what a couple of days can do to change attitudes and mindsets. I am proud and happy to report that I am a father to a happily giggling, animated and most important – huggy 9 month old. It is Friday and Maya has found us. Courtney picked her up out of the crib and she grabbed on to her as if to say “Wow, you are still here.” From that point on that day was really special. We could play with her and make her laugh and she was babbling uncontrollably. She even said her first word though it was in Chinese:

Maya: Gabagabagoo
Chinese to English dictionary: Pan-Asian military dynasty from the 3rd century or alternate meaning, slang for crapped oneself

So things have been well in China going into the weekend. We saw an academy from 1000 years ago and we had some more great food, but most importantly, my daughter smiled at me. I have formula dried up on my clothes, I have cleaned waste out of folds where I never knew people’s skin could ruffle and I have watered down my vocabulary to Blah Blahs, goo goos and da das, but for the one instance that there was actually recognition and acceptance in my daughter’s eyes, it was all worth it. It is amazing how a 9-month-old girl can reduce you to a literal babbling mess. I have known this kid for less than a week but she has become weaved into the fabric of my soul like I never though possible.

I step on toys in the shower, I freely share and describe the consistency, smell and weight of her bowel movements with other parents. Maya had a poopsplosion that almost ran over her diaper and it was a cause of celebration. What the hell is happening to me? Courtney and I now go to be at 9PM at night and tiptoe around this little person. We share a glass of beer in the bathroom so as not to disturb our little princess. It’s like she is the presidential nuclear football and we are constantly keeping her out of harm’s way.

When she is tired and cranky, she tends to revert back to the orphanage ways as a built-in self-defense mechanism, but al-in-all she has been rebounding tremendously. She has been releasing toys after a few seconds-dropping them on the floor (lucky me) and she has been screaming and laughing when she sees herself in the mirror. We still have a way to go with her. She is bonding with C more than me, which is to be expected, but we are taking it slowly.

Courtney has learned one word in Chinese that she has been repeating with abandon – SHOES or chiezen (hell I can’t pronounce it; don’t expect me to spell it). Maya has already had 4 pairs purchased for her. We are buying 18 presents for her to celebrate the coming anniversaries of our becoming a family. These gifts range from pearls to chopsticks to T-shirts and toys.

I wanted to provide an update of how we are doing. Tomorrow I will try and upload some video of Courtney getting mobbed by Chinese tourists at the academy wondering what the hell a whitey is doing with one of their nation’s daughters. All in all, we are doing much better and progressing quicker than I ever imagined. We wanted to thank you all for the great wishes, it means a lot to us that you have enjoyed our journey. The response has been so great that I am considering keeping this blog around so you can watch our little family grow.

(Well, blogger.com is being bitchy and not allowing me to upload pictures from here. I will try and add them tomorrow.)