Getting to Know You. Getting to Know All About You.

It’s hard to believe, but next week I’ll celebrate 1 month since I’ve had Libby Doodle Doo placed in my arms for the first time. My how time flies. I was feeding the Libster today and thinking about what a complex, intriguing creature she is. Here are a few of my observations.

She is a gourmand

Like many babies adopted from China, Libby Doodle Doo likes to eat. Her appetite seems insatiable sometimes. But I’ve noticed that she’s not just eating for nutritional sake, she let’s you know when she’s really enjoying a particular offering. She smiles. She kicks her feet. She smacks her lips. She reaches for the spoon to get more.

She also has made it clear when she thinks a food item is below her standards. She doesn’t like bland food and she doesn’t like food with no textual mouth feel. She has now rejected all jar baby food for those reasons. She wouldn’t take scrambled eggs until I added some cheese and herbs to the mixture. She only has eaten tofu that is coated with some savory spices.

She is a fashionista.

Libby Doodle Doo is already obsessed with clothes. She loves when I dress her up and stand her before my full length mirror. She giggles. She dances. She cranes her neck to get the best angle. Clothes are this baby’s friend.

Hats, unfortunately, are not. She won’t leave anything on her head for more than 10 seconds. It’s a shame too, because she look’s good in hats, clips, and bows. Zo Peep was the same way – I still have trouble keeping clips in her hair for more than 30 minutes. But I’m determined to train Libby Doodle Doo to keep them on. I need to get some expert advice from someone like the mommy of the Tolman Twins – those girls are NEVER without hair bows. If she could do it with twins, I should be able to do it with one little baby.

And Shoes seem hopeless. Libby Doodle Doo is passionately in love with her feet and toes. I think she never got to see them very often in the orphanage and now she can’t get enough of them. The only shoes I can keep on her feet are Robeez – but she’s already successfully removed one of those just last night (so even they may not be safe). I have her in Baby Merrell’s (very cute) today. Let’s see how that goes.

She is a Social Butterfly

At my brother’s party on Saturday, Libby Doodle Doo was very interested in meeting all the new people there. (Honestly, I probably let more people hold her than I should have). She giggled and flirted and laughed with all the guests. Everyone was enchanted with her spirit and energy.

Like all adoptive moms, I look for clues about attachment issues. With all of this socializing I was happy to see that whenever she saw me she insisted on returning to Mama Hen. Once in my arms she’d stay for a cuddle and a little reassurance and then was ready to go back out into the party scene.

All night long people told me what a lovely, happy child she was. I think Libby Doodle Doo has such a joie de vivre. Her enthusiasm is infectious. I think she make peoples’ hearts smile and their souls sing.

She is an Engineer

I’m amazed at how much Libby Doodle Doo wants to investigate her surroundings and figure out how things work. She loves to interact and manipulate toys. She loves to play with any gadget she sees.

Libby Doodle Doo is a “hands on” baby – she’s a doer; not a watcher. She is fascinated by television and videos, but no interest in watching them. She’s interested in playing with the remote to change the channel or freeze the picture or turn up the volume or turn it off.

I realize it’s only been a little over 3 weeks, but I am amazed at how her fully formed personality is beginning to emerge each and every day. Libby Doodle Doo is a very special baby and one I am proud to call her my own.

(P.S. We’ve had TWO – count ‘em 2 – consecutive nights of a full night sleep for the entire Hens and Chicks chicken coop. Libby Doodle Doo is waking up about 4 to 6 times a night, but she has been able to comfort herself and fall back to sleep. The last 2 nights have been heaven. I’m finally starting to feel alive again.)