(note - this isn't how we feed her...it was an experience in getting comfortable with texture and practicing using a spoon...food got everywhere, of course)
I teeter between saying "its been a month?" and "it's only been a month?". We have had one of the crazier
months of our life. The first week of January we got the call we waited nearly four years to get. We were parents for a second time. In just eight days, we would leave for Taiwan as a family of three and come home a family of four. Nine days later we returned after an exhausting 27 hour flight. Bella did great...she slept through the two longest legs of the flights. Ruby, on the other hand, fought sleeping and in doing so wrestled her new mama for a good 20 hours of the trip.
We continued to have eating and drinking issues at home along with terrible jet lag for everyone. Three days later, we would be admitted to the children's hospital for dehydration. Our ped said he was convinced before we came in that he would not do that to a child so new to us and so new to coming home but the risk was too great when we had no history on what got her to this point or how long it had been going on. We have since, with the help of our ped, put together the likely situation with Ruby's feeding and drinking issues over the last six months or so.
The good news is that despite everything, she is at a good weight despite her weight loss and continued feeding limitations. It will come in time. She is otherwise healthy and currently growing teeth and hair like they are going out of style. She crawls and cruises everywhere but buckles when we try to get her to stand. I would guess it is going to be awhile yet before she feels confident in walking.
For fun, the last day in the hospital we closed on house and moved the next day. Despite everything, both girls were troopers and here we sit enjoying each new day.
On top of everything, Ruby has learned the following:
Sign language - more, eat and all done. (what else does a girl need other than shopping?)
She "says" a few consistent tones that seem to be doggie, Bella and bye bye
One word you can easily understand is DaDa...and girl knows how to use it....just today I got a couple of MaMas...first time since before our hospital trip
She is getting better at knowing her own name and looks when called
She makes kiss noises all day and has started leaning in for a smooch....she has started blowing kisses
She thinks it is hilarious when she sneezes and mimicks a sneeze sound when someone else sneezes
She loves to be applauded for her triumphs and loves to clap with you
She wants to be her big sister's shadow....who doesn't?
She is still very leery of strangers. It took her some time to come around to T so I am not surprised. Interestingly, she has been okay for a few minutes in the arms of our good friend Sharon and a few Asian friends....with anyone else, she goes and then lounges back to me. She adores Bella and her friends. Men, in general, are her least favorite creature...
She is starting to love bath...washing that head of hair is not her favorite time of the day
She is doing better in the car and figuring out how to deal with the sun from various sides of the car
She is funny and strong and so musical....we thought Bella was musical....that was nothing like this...Ruby makes everything into a reason to make a beat or dance
She loves the dogs...I think we could leave and she would be happy if they raised her....she loves them and doggie is the word you hear most each day
So far, food favs...keep in mind, eating issues....we have to focus on calories more than nutrition until we have some more trust with food established....so here it goes....yogurt, cheddar potato soup and zucchini bread...followed by cinnamon animal crackers
She is working on using a spoon and a sippy cup
I hope that someday when she is a teenager and my sheer existence is making her mad, that she remembers how I sat with her up to two hours a meal patiently trying all sorts of foods, textures, tastes, delivery methods and applauded every bite that was successful...anything to make sure she got enough calories and some nutrition...and the daily calculation of how many ounces of liquid she may have had.....most babies down a bottle....not our girl....she milks a bottle all day
A little more than two months into our new family...like any good second child, we are terrible at keeping up with pictures and development. It doesn't help that we moved and are juggling selling one house and getting another one set up and maintaining two careers. 
