ella was 8 weeks old on friday. isn't that amazing? in 8 short weeks... life has changed so utterly. (for neela, udderly... hahaha)
today ella went to a playgroup. i know, she's too little for a playgroup - she's too little to play. that's okay. it was a very special playgroup - for lesbian and gay parents and their kids. it was really nice to see so many lesbian couples, and a few gay couples too. many of the kids were 5 and under. there were several babies too - ella being youngest for now. that's great because, if we continue to go, she'll have lots of wonderful friends who have 2 mommies or 2 daddies, and she'll know that it isn't so weird or uncommon.
one of the amazing things was we met a couple whose baby was born exactly one week before ella. they couldn't bring the baby since he is still in the hospital - apparently born very prematurely and still cannot pass the carseat test. poor thing. anyway, one of his moms is from uruguay! and, they are planning to send him to the same spanish immersion school that we plan to send ella to! so, if the playgroup thing works out - she'll actually not only know another kid at school already - she'll know another kid with 2 mommies! how great is that!?
also, there was a couple there who have two beautiful daughters adopted from china. it was nice to talk to them about their experiences of international adoption, since that is the plan for ella's little brother or sister!
update on ella's amazing development: she has started to say something that sounds remarkably like "mummmmummmuuumm" and the other day was kicking and shouting and being cute and suddenly said something that really sounded like "help!"... if "help" turns out to be her first word, social services will be a-knockin' at our door!
speaking of social services, we got a letter from julie (our lawyer) saying that they (soc. ser.) are waiving their opportunity to interview and "assess" me in the case of my adoption of ell. so, that's one more obstacle cleared. soon i'll be verified as her legal parent and we can send away for her birth certificate and all that stuff! we're going to have an adoption party. i think.