Happy 6 month "Gotcha Day" Tizita Desta

FYI-I wrote this entry on Sunday the 8th as you can tell by the date and I uploaded it Sunday as well even though the actual "Gotcha Date" is Thursday, September 12.

It was six months ago today, September 12, 2008 that our precious little Tizita Desta came home to Oshkosh, so I wanted to take this time to send out a special blog on this memorable day.
In ways it seems like Tizu has been here forever. She has become such a part of our lives that we cannot even remember life without her. In other ways that night of September 12 seems like only yesterday. The memory of seeing her walk off that plane with her mama and papa are forever etched in my mind. What a day that was! At that time we knew very little about her except her name and birthdate. We had two pictures of her, but that was it. We just didn't know what to expect, but she has surpassed our wildest hopes and dreams. We just love her to pieces and are just so darned tickled to be her grandma and grandpa.
I wanted to take a few minutes to document all the things that she has accomplished since she has come home.

• Tizita has learned who her mama and papa are, no mistake about that. She has bonded much better than any of the books led us to believe she would. She is secure in their love and knows they will always be there for her.
• Tizita is learning her colors. As a preschool teacher it is very important to me that she learn these early and she is doing that. I think she knows most of them now, but I know she is especially good at yellow and green.
• She has wonderful fine motor control. She holds a crayon correctly and is learning to cut.
• She has a great sense of humor. She understands how to make us laugh with her silly antics and often exhibits humor which is beyond her years.
• Tizu loves all music and has a great voice and sense of rhythm. She sings to me on the phone and there is nothing sweeter than that voice of hers.
• Tizu has learned about Jesus and she has learned to pray. She can tell you Bible stories and sing Jesus songs. She is very good in church.
• She is starting to string words together to make sentences.
  
• She is very kind and caring. I love watching her take care of her mimi (doll). She shows so much compassion.
• She knows many, many animals and their sounds.
• She loves "I spy" books and can often find the objects faster than I can.
• She has grown taller and gained weight. She is a healthy little girl.
  
• She has gotten to know all the relatives and calls us all by name. I wasn't sure I wanted to be a grandma at first. I thought maybe a mimi or a nana or a shishi, but when she learned to say grandma I was sold on that title.
• We have successfully babysat for Tizita a number of times and we have taken her places by ourselves without mom or dad. These are the sweet moments of grandparenting that I was looking forward to the most.
  
• Tizita knows what she wants and just how to ask for it. She is persistent and even if I don't understand her at first she will patiently wait for me to get it.
• She already knows some letters and numbers.
• She is a good natured girl who seldom has any outbursts. When she does get a bit ornery, Courtney just takes her in her arms and whispers gently to her and before you know it, Tizu is happy and cooperative again.
• Tizu is well on the way to being potty trained.
  

The best part of all is that she knows this is where she belongs. She knows that we are her family and that we all love her unconditionally. She has touched out lives in ways we never imagined. There is no doubt that God matched us up with the perfect little lady and for this we thank him daily. So, Happy Gotcha Day little Tizita Desta!