6 Months a Serna!

It's hard to believe that 6 months have past since our time in China! 

Faith loves bubbles, Elmo, Curious George and her siblings this month. 

This month's big thing is re-learning how to walk. For the first week after the casts came off she scooted and crawled everywhere. Slowly she went from pulling up and standing, to cruising, to taking a few steps at a time. Then all of a sudden, on Thursday, she started walking all over the place!! 

Jen Hatmaker, on her blog, talks about the different post-adoption stages. She describes the first month as a Honeymoon Stage (I don't think Faith's lasted that long, though), months 2 - 4 as the Spaz Out Stage. In this stage the child is grieving, lashing out, having frequent tantrums and you as the parent are constantly redirecting and trying to help them learn good behavior. The house is a mess, your new normal doesn't exist yet, you are completely exhausted and you start wondering - what in the world did you do, and if you have ruined your life, your adopted child's life and your bio kids life all at the same time. 

Jen then calls the next stage the Triage Stage and it happens around 6 months! This is where we are!!! Tantrums happen a lot less frequently and "evidence of her preciousness keeps peeking out". You are starting to see her real self more as she is trusting and loving more completely. By the grace of God, she is healing and it is evident! The house is getting organized, chores are getting done, and your family has settled into a new normal! We have seen all of this so clearly. It is amazing that God can take a perfect little stranger from the other side of the world and fit her so snuggly in your family. It is so hard to imagine life before her, and impossible to imagine life without her! 

I know God will continue to heal Faith both physically and emotionally. I am just amazed again that we get to watch His incredible work in her life!