Where does the time go?

Today I mailed out the birthday party invitations for RP's third birthday. I can't believe that I am already getting ready for her to turn three as it seems like only yesterday I was bringing her home, getting settled, and completely amazed over the fact that she was turning two.

The last year has brought on a LOT of changes:

- RP has gained several pounds and grown FIVE inches!
- While quite not where she needs to be developmentally, RP has gone from speaking zero English to being able to communicate very well.
- Food favorites are developing: anything chocolate, pizza, macaroni and cheese, fish sticks, and pasta are the current favorites! Not so much the favorites are: meat (of almost any sort, although she will eat it), milk (I can only get her to drink the drinkable yogurts with some milk mixed in - give her plain milk and she gags and tells you that it's "ackey!"), and most cooked vegetables.
- RP loves anything artsy (coloring, painting, drawing, singing, and playing music), anything physical (dancing, jumping, and what appears to be her own version of gymnastics), and anything that allows her to talk, talk, talk.

The best change, however, is her attachment to me. I was afraid from the beginning, as I am sure most adoptive parents pursuing international adoption are, that there would be issues with attachment and bonding. I was almost compulsive about cocooning with RP from the moment she came home, and can count on one hand the number of people she was regularly exposed to in the 10 weeks I was home with her, preferring to spend most of our time together working on attachment and building our family. Today I am no longer afraid that when she wants to be held by someone else or play with someone other than me that it means she hasn't bonded to me as her Mommy. She has become affectionate and loving, still wanting to hold Mommy's hand when she walks up the stairs with me, even though we both know she has done it by herself hundreds of times. She regularly requests additional " 'nuggles" at night before settling down to bed, and on Monday I received the greatest gift from her to-date, when she came up to me, patted my shoulder and cheek, and said "I wuv you Mommy."

For as much as I wished time away during the adoption process, I now find myself willing it to slow down so that I can soak up and enjoy this time with RP. In looking through old pictures recently it dawned on me that not only is she getting bigger in terms of size, but over the last few months she has truly lost a lot of the "baby" look she had when she came home and has transformed into a true toddler. I wish I could keep her little forever, but since I can't, I am working on really enjoying this time with her, knowing how fleeting it truly is.