Two Years With Malia

Two years ago we finally met the little child I had been dreaming about for many, many years.  About 13 years ago I began to feel we should adopt.  We pursued domestic adoption for a time, with a specific child in mind and when that fell through we were disappointed to say the least.  Martin was crushed and vowed his life would never be invaded in such a way again. 

Alex and then Morgun arrived and we couldn't have been happier.  Life was perfect! However, I still felt God calling us to adopt.  Finally in 2006, shortly after Dad passed away, Martin agreed to adopt.  Martin was fairly close to my Dad and his passing at an age where we thought he was still healthy and way too young, gave us a new perspective on the meaning of life.  This new perspective is what gave Martin the courage to pursue adoption once again.

We prepared, as best as we could, to meet our newest addition.  We were prepared for the worst, but for some reason we got the best.  Malia adjusted amazingly well, with only minor issues.  She was insecure and stayed close to me for the first few months.  She ate huge amounts of  any food placed in front of her, but soon learned there was a limit.  She played well alone and loved all the new toys.  Malia spent many hours sitting on the couch listening to music and singing.  Martin and I often looked at each other and wondered when the "honeymoon phase" would end.

As the months turned into a year, we realized Malia was simply one sweet child, with some issues, but not the issues we had thought she would have.  We also knew there was a reason we were blessed with Malia.  It allowed us to be ready to adopt again within a year.

July 19, 2009....I will never forget how excited we all were...and how VERY sad Malia was.  It still breaks my heart!



Today, Malia has more issues than 2 years ago.  These issues came to the forefront after we brought Raina home.  Malia continues to be insecure in certain areas.  She easily feels pressured when it comes to academics...so much so, that we simply allow her to learn numbers, letters, etc in everyday life.  I do not spend time teaching her through workbooks in the same way I taught the boys.  She is easily confused with opposites...bigger/smaller, etc, and still does not understand all words and phrases.  She tends to lie, just to give us the answer she knows we want and so that she will not be in trouble.  She is manipulative and loves to get on the boys' nerves.  She will bug them, watch them get angry, and then smirk. 
Malia LOVES school and can hardly wait to begin Kindergarten.  She loves to play with her dolls and dress up.  She is a girly girl and loves anything pink!  She loves to be the center of attention and be silly and giggle.  She still sings ALL the time. (especially when she is nervous/stressed).  Malia loves to help and is insulted if there is nothing for her to do.  She loves to pick raspberries from the garden and play in the sandbox.  She is an AMAZING girl and makes my heart sing!