9 Month Update.... Happy 3rd Birthday Maddie!

Hi Everyone!

It has been awhile since I updated so I thought I would post something. We have had the best summer. Madison has made so many new friends. This summer she learned how to swim, ride her tricycle, went boating with her friend Emma on her grandma's boat and started dance classes. We also had her first real birthday party. Madison turned 3 on Sept. 15th and we had a party at our local zoo for 14 of her friends and then a party at our home after that. What a great day. Maddie learned quickly what presents are, that the birthday cake was for her and that this was her special day. Now she asks everyday if this is her "birdday".

She continues to amaze me everyday. She is such a happy, social, independent, inquisitive, stubborn, affectionate and intelligent child. Madison is learning many new words and is practicing her alphabet and numbers. We are working on potty training now so she can go to pre-school. She has developed many skills and can do anything other children her age can do. I am so thankful to the people at the Maonan orphanage for the love and care they gave her. She is happy, healthy and loves people and keeping busy. Her doctor and dentist say she is very healthy and must have been given wonderful care for the first 2 1/4 years of her life. At 36 months, she is tall (36 inches) and weighs 28 pounds. She wears size 18 months pants and 24 months for dresses and other clothes. I have heard that Maonan girls are tall and thin, so she is doing well.

Now that we have more time with fall approaching, I will post more and put more pictures up to show others waiting for their children to come home that the children receive good care over there and develop very quickly when given love, attention and good nourishment when they get home.

I took a chance on the Waiting Children list and Madison was found to be perfectly healthy and to have no special needs when we got home, so I would encourage others to consider this wonderful program.

Her favorite things are: eating corn, drinking apple juice, playing with her best friend Emma, picking on our 3 cats, playing with all of her friends, hugging her mom, using her tap-dance shoes and watching her Disney movies. She is such a happy child, what a wonderful year this has been.

I hope all of you out there have the same experience as we have had. It is worth the long wait!