it's been clear to me since the afternoon we were all six inside our home, that her heart had been prepared for God for this.

to fit right in.

to become one of us.

to be where she belongs.

i've said in a chapter before that kavita was given our family photo book in january 2014 and would look at it every morning. then she would tuck it away in her school backpack. though she couldn't read our words or our names, she knew our faces very well. 18 months well.

i thank God so much for this. that she had access to our pictures while we had access to hers. we were memorizing each other long before we could touch each other.

i call her my fragile superwoman.

extremely strong and empowered to go where she's never gone before.

confident to climb high and go around the block again.

happy to get her feet wet and wipe the water off her face.

but to be handled with care and sensitivity.

a delicate heart that has old walls of protection built up.

a cuddler on the big chair in the mornings.

a jumper into daddy's arms.

a girl. {that's a new one for us! just being a girl and all the fragility that can bring!}

so many firsts as fragile superwoman:

first drinking water fountain experience {used her hands}

outing in the van in our pajamas to look at fireworks on july 4th {thought it was quite silly to wear pjs outside the house}

frozen soundtrack and movie {nothing more to say}

washing machine {she absolutely loves it! she did her own laundry, so this is quite a win}

prayer {she's the first to clasps her hands together}

seat belt {buckle as she calls it}

a play kitchen {oh the joy on her face at a nearby play space}

sidewalk chalk {to write on the ground and not just on her school slate}

ordering something and it coming to the door in a bag!

another first that we've waited for...

seeing her friends from the orphanage that have been out of there for 18 months. friends we have met while kavita was in the orphanage and we were fighting for her.

bashful at first, then they were soon introducing their stuffed bears to each other and making silly faces!

then my favorite. ajay showed us his room and one of his favorite books. kavita was happy to show him the same book we read each night.

then just the other night in the van coming home from the park, she tried to engage in conversation with us rather than just listening. it's great to see her point to herself and say, "you" rather than "me!" and then today she brought a notebook and pencil with her and was writing down words she saw while we drove across town. superwoman.

i'm so ready to know her like i know my boys. to know what hurts when she cries and what that smile is really saying. i want to know the treasure chests of thoughts and ideas and dreams and pain she has locked up for now. fragile.

and some days it feels like we have been a family of 6 for 3 months with all that we've discovered together, but it's really just been a short time. so i will let her keep being the fragile superwoman she is. because she's showing me her confident spirit behind the mask and i've waited 3 years to take care and hold such a sensitive and sweet girl of mine.