Just Blind...

I love Elli with all my heart. Early this year at an IEP, it really hit me that far more than her blindness, it was her cognitive deficits that were challenging to deal with. As we considered adopting Lexi, the fact that she was "just blind" made it a more feasible possibility to bring her into our home. As we have gone through our adoption journey his year, I have often wondered what it would be like to have a child that was "just blind."

It is wonderful! I can't tell you how exciting it is to work with our little Lexi and see her grasp concepts and ideas so quickly. Prior to this, my only real experience with a blind person was with Elli, and so my expectations with Lexi were somewhat tied to what Elli has been able to do. But our sweet little Lexi is so capable! It is fun to see her learn new things. I get the impression that while she was in China a lot of things were done FOR her. She can go to the bathroom, get dressed, wash her hands, and do lots of things with some help. But I think she is going to learn to be more independent very quickly. As we have worked with her, it is easy to see that she is a very intelligent girl with the ability to pick up on things. Just little things like getting dressed all by herself or holding a PB&J sandwich the right way and being able to take a drink in between bites if she wants to. It is such a ioyous experience to see her progress so quickly. I look forward to seeing how her beautiful spirit blossoms and grows over the next several years. I love you Lexi!

Love,

Dad