See how she's grown!

Children grow up so quickly, but when I see just how fast Eden has grown and changed over the last two years, I'm truly amazed.

This was the first picture we got of her.  July 2, 2009.  So tiny.  So sweet.  So sad.

And a close up.  I barely recognize her now.  I remember looking at these pictures thinking she looked healthy and well fed...

...and then we went to see her a couple of months later.  September 2009.  Even after she had gained a few pounds in the care center, I remember picking her up and being shocked that she was so tiny.  She wasn't much bigger than Kai who is 2 years younger.

This was shortly after she was brought from the care center to the hotel I was staying in.    February 2010.  I told Matt that if I hadn't seen her in September, I'd have never believed she was so small at the time of referral.  She gained about 15 pounds in 6 months!

When I compare this picture to the first, I see that her face is so full.  So much healthier!  February 2010.

She continued to grow very quickly!  Instead of gaining so much weight (she is still a solid brick!), she started getting a lot taller.  Vera used to have about 8 inches on her.  Now there's only about an inch difference between the girls.  Eden's 4th birthday, August 31, 2010.

When Vera was born I was wearing this shirt.  On her first birthday we started the tradition that we'd take pictures of each of the kids on their birthday wearing this shirt.  It gives us some perspective on how they are growing and changing.  This was Eden on her 4th birthday.

And this one was taken the morning of her 5th birthday.  The biggest change I notice over the last year is just how much her face has matured.  She's also grown a lot, but over the last 4 months has finally stopped growing at record speeds.  Shortly after she was brought to the care center a little over 2 years ago, a mom visited and said that she was wearing size 18 month clothing and size 5 shoes.  She came home wearing size 3 clothing and size 7 shoes.  A year and a half later (about 2 years from entering the orphanage), she wears size 6-7 clothing and size 12 shoes!  Seriously???  About FOUR clothing sizes and SEVEN shoe sizes in 2 years.  Wow!

On her birthday we were sitting in a taxi together.  I asked her to let me see her teeth.  She has a loose tooth and maybe even two are loose!  Kind of a fun discovery for a birthday!

Tomorrow we will have her birthday party with friends at McDonald's.  It's our first time having a birthday party with Chinese friends, so hopefully I don't make have any cultural Uh-Oh's!  We love this kid!  She is so funny, and such a joy to be around!  She lives life to it's fullest and has an incredible attitude when things don't go as planned.  I think that has helped her adjust to life with a new family, in a new country, and speaking new languages.  I'm always amazed that she walked into our family like she had always been there and has never looked back.