Feeling more like family

  We have been home for 4 months now! I can't believe it's only been that long. I feel like Kannika has been a part of our family forever and somehow at the same time it feels like she just got here. We are so in love with our little girl and thank God every day for placing her in our family.
  The girls fight less now and Makayla is learning to kind to her little sister. However, now Kannika is learning to cry every time Makayla gets something that she wants. It's frustrating and fun to watch them interact. Gavin has been home for Christmas break this week and it has been fun to watch the 3 of them play together. I honestly just love seeing the 3 of them together. I smile a lot seeing them together. Kannika is definitely attaching well to mom and dad. She will often come up to me and put her arms up and say "mama". I LOVE it. She is seeing herself as "ours" now instead of separate from us. I have been watching her transition from a little girl observing a family to just being herself in our family. It's really been the last 2 weeks that I have noticed the change in  her.
  On the medical side of things still more waiting. We saw a geneticist last month. She confirmed what I already thought that she did not have but wants to do a lot more blood tests to see if there is a genetic condition that she does have or if she just has 2 very rare genetic conditions in the same little body. I am realizing it's a slow process and am just hoping she has surgery within the next year but it may be even longer. She's a tough little girl though and has adapted really well. She still isn't talking much but she gets her needs and wants across very well. She clearly says "no", "poo", "pee", "mama", and "da". She imitates a lot of words but doesn't say much on her own. She understands almost everything we say she just can't articulate it for herself yet.
  Christmas was such a fun time. There is nothing like watching children at Christmas. They are so full of wonder and amazement. Watching a toddler who has never experienced Christmas before is even better. Everything from the twinkly lights on the tree to the Christmas show at our church brought huge smiles to her face. She helped to remind me to be amazed. Take the time to stop and stare at the tree. She reminded me to be amazed at the Christmas story. She was excited every time she saw a picture of baby Jesus. My 4 year old daughter is the same way. She loves the story of Mary and Joseph and Jesus being born. It's so refreshing to see the true Christmas story through a small child's eyes. I feel so blessed to be given a chance to glimpse this season through my children's eyes.
Now for some pictures. :) The goofy sibling picture is first

This picture sums up her feelings about Christmas... lots of sitting and staring. Meeting Santa for the1st time even went well.