The DiMedio Family

We started this journey as a family a few years ago in search of a daughter, and a sister for our boys. Our hearts led us to the China adoption program, and we had that dossier well underway when the allure of Nepal became too great. We switched programs for what amounted to lots of paperwork and stress driven headaches. Finally, we listened to that little voice inside; it was leading us back to China. Little did we know at the time, that it was all part of the bigger plan. That plan which brought us to just the right place, at just the right time to meet our Anna. Anna Mei who was just waiting to meet her brother's Christopher, Alex, and Wil...who have been waiting not so patiently to meet her!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Over four months home...


Where does the time go?
Anna Mei turns into an American toddler...

Yes, she is walking, running, climbing, throwing little temper tantrums (still kind of cute to watch), AND ...is eating solid food!  Yes, a few weeks ago she refused to take even one more bite of yogurt off of mommy's spoon.  She switched completely to feeding herself.  Her favorites are peas, corn, pasta, chicken and ham salad!  She drinks lots of pediasure, and we're looking to pack on a few pounds down the road!



Speaking of road, we DiMedio's don't slow down much.  Anna has already been to Aruba and back with us this summer, and did fantastic on a car trip out to Pittsburgh to see her uncles & cousins!  She handled the traveling like a champ, and is VERY fond of all water...ocean, pools, and especially any spraying water!  Sand was fine, and she felt it very appropriate to eat many fistfuls.  She watched as her brother Christopher got his braces, and soon will watch as her brother Alex has his taken off.  We all said goodbye as our dear friend's the Kersey's packed up and moved to Kansas City. Someone told us that is the city with the most fountains outside of Rome?  We're thinking our

kid's will be seeing KC sometime before they ever see Rome :-).  We lost a dear friend in the neighborhood this summer, the dad of one of Alex's good buddies.  So, it has been a good summer, and a difficult one all the same.

And Anna Mei keeps trucking... she loves her "My Gym" class, and is seeing early intervention therapists to catch up on all she missed out on those first few years.  She is playing with her blocks, throwing a ball, climbing over everything, playing peek-a-boo, row, row, row your boat, ring around the rosie, and generally wrestling a lot with her brothers.  They are so good with taking her to her favorite place...the swing.  She said Dada last night for the first time, and uses Mama, up, yes and no.  She's learning some sign language and generally learning to imitate and figure out how to take turns in conversation.  We are so proud of her progress, and amazed as we realize it really has only been a bit over four months since we all met.

We had to have two surgeries to have the ear tubes take in her ears, and then went in for a sedated hearing test to check to see if all the infections caused any damage.  We got fantastic news.  She has good hearing! So, Anna is set to enter a few more preschool-like classes WITH her mommy this fall while her brothers are at school.  It should be a fun fall, and who knows what lies ahead for her next!

Check our our photo gallery at http://gallery.me.com/cdimedio/100005