We've had our fair share of challenges in the last 3 years... would we trade it in for anything else? NO WAY. These challenges have not only shaped her, but have taught us so much. It's hard to even picture life without her... I've said it before, and I'll say it again... she was meant to be a "Davis" through and through.
SO many changes since we met her 3 years ago...
- Her hair must have grown crazy amounts of inches... I still remember how brittle and short her hair was the day we met her.
- Glasses, and hearing aids... items that she literally cannot live without, but did for so long, before she was ours.
- 12 out of 20 baby teeth were removed when she first became ours... we've watched her learn to chew steak and eat mostly everything with minimal teeth... even learned how to speak. Now we get to watch as those empty spaces are filling up with beautiful... healthy... teeth.
- She went from 18 lbs (people, that's how much Marley weighed at her 9 month check up), to a whopping 40.2 lbs. So healthy... so strong.
- She went from 18 lbs (people, that's how much Marley weighed at her 9 month check up), to a whopping 40.2 lbs. So healthy... so strong.
- She grew many many inches... those legs are a mile long, and will be our doom when she's older and the boys come around.
- Developmentally has grown leaps and bounds... They say, for every year that a child is institutionalized to add another 6+ months to their time frame for "normalization" aka, to catch up to age appropriate behavior... For Charlotte, that would be nearly an additional 2 years of "work" to get her to where she should be... and I'd say, she's there.
- Developmentally has grown leaps and bounds... They say, for every year that a child is institutionalized to add another 6+ months to their time frame for "normalization" aka, to catch up to age appropriate behavior... For Charlotte, that would be nearly an additional 2 years of "work" to get her to where she should be... and I'd say, she's there.
But above all the changes... she's remained Charlotte, the sweet bundle of compassion and encouragement, the one that knows no stranger, but rather... loves on all. A light... who above all fixes her eyes on Him.
"Love like I'm not scared
Give when it's not fair
Live life for another
Take time for a brother
Fight for the weak ones
Speak out for freedom
Find faith in the battle
Stand tall but above it all
Fix my eyes on you
I fix my eyes on you
I fix my eyes on you..." - Fix My Eyes, for King and Country
You all have done so well! That sweet girl rocks and I am thankful she has you and Jason as her parents! Great song too :).
ReplyDeleteI have read along with your blog since you went to get Charlotte, and these always make me get teary! Such a precious girl, and she has grown so much, in so many ways!!
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