Gracie...

I'm feeling much better today..physically. I am the kind of person who doesn't "allow" herself to be sick. Lucie said last night, "Mommy, you WILL be all better in the morning, I promise!!" She was right!! I think knowing my husband will be here tomorrow has sped up my recovery.

I know that last night I introduced you all to Gracie Martita Grimes but I wanted to give you some details about who she is and who she is becoming. I know from past blogs, you have an idea of who she is but this time with her has given me the chance to REALLY know who she is becoming. It has been extremely challenging for me but also - a treasure! I have had the opportunity to see her at her worst and at her best. I want to share some of those details with you.

Our Gracie is very strong willed. If she wants to go somewhere, it is difficult to keep her from doing so...If she wants to do something and can't, she makes an extremely ugly face at you and when you look away...she escapes!! When it's time for a nap or time for bed, she will again, give the "ugly look" and then take a LONG time to fall asleep. She hates having her teeth brushed and never wants to miss out on what's going on. She has a difficult time focusing on anything if there is something going on around her. She has, at times, been completely defiant and not listen... testing me to an extreme I have never had to handle as a parent before.

When Gracie wakes up in the morning, she is so happy. She smiles and hugs me and says "good morning Momma"!! She LOVES her sisters and wants to do whatever they do. She watches movies with them, colors with them, swims with them - she ALWAYS wants to be with them - no matter what they are doing. If we go somewhere and the girls are not with us, Gracie gets very upset and keeps asking "Donde esta Lucie?" (where is Lucie?) and she does not want to proceed without them.

She is a people pleaser. She is the happiest when she makes US happy. When we praise her, she actually BEAMS!! She has a beautiful smile and is easily pleased. She is quick to say "I love you" and to hug anyone who is in need. She is very friendly and says "hello" to everyone she meets, including people standing in line at the grocery store!! Everyone is her friend. ;) She LOVES clothes and shoes (fits right in with Scarlett and I) and anything that is for her... makes her feel special.

I think you all have a pretty good idea of who our girl is...what's so amazing about Grace - is how she has changed. The first time I met her, she didn't speak at all. She would only yell, point at what she wanted and cry if she didn't get it. She looked terrible, she had bald spots on her head, bug bites all over her body and was mal-nutritioned. I will always remember that moment when I was holding her and I knew how much she needed me. How much she needed a family and how strong of a connection I felt with her.

With God's grace and love, our girl will soon be ours. I sometimes forget, with all the challenges and struggles here, that we are here for one purpose only....to bring our girl home. We have traveled an extremely long, difficult and incredible journey since that first day that we met her. She is a treasure, a blessing and I am so happy to have met her that first day. To have known that she was my child. So often we pray and we ask God for what we need. Many times, we don't hear His voice, don't hear His answer...well, what I am most thankful for is that I heard God's voice that day and he has blessed our family with our sweet Gracie!! I know that there will be more challenges in the future...some I can't even imagine today. But knowing the person Gracie is, the love she has, makes me feel that it will all be fine in the end.