Sippy Cup

Starting to LIKE my sippy cup, sometimes!

Naptime's Over!

Ladybug Sighting!

Her little red bow is from A Crystal Garden!! Check it out for the CUTEST ever hair accessories and more!

Yesterday

G just hanging out in one of her 6-9 month outfits. Can't believe the small sizes that she is still wearing!

Just a close up of the pigtails!

She's a girl after my own heart...admiring my front plate! Pirate's rock. (Legendary ones not real ones)

What would I do?

Joanna B asks..."Do you have any tips on what you would do different during the wait, or what you wish you would have done more of? Also, where do you get G's adorable clothes?"

what you would do different during the wait? I can't say I would do anything different really. I felt I was amazingly productive during the wait. I had so many things to fill up my time that I didn't have much time to sit around and mope. However, I wished I had gotten in shape and lifted weights. I thought a 18lb baby would be easy to carry all the time. NOT. I also thought people exaggerated about the great wall being hard to walk up. THEY WEREN'T!

what you wish you would have done more of? MORE home improvement things, more decluttering.

where do you get G's adorable clothes? I shopped yard sales and resales for the three years that I waited. I also got lots of beautiful clothes from friends and family. Here is a link to one of blogs that I had dedicated to lots of the yard sale things I've purchased...

http://www.giorgiasenchantedgarden.blogspot.com/

Question I want to add...What was I GRATEFUL that I did during the wait? That list is probably long but I share with you.

I am grateful that when I decided to adopt I:

• Found the price of daycare, daipers and formula for a week and put that into savings each week
• Paid off my car
• Researched my butt off on everything
• Got my packing list blog and stuff done way before referral (mostly)
• Had lots of clothes for G when we got home
• Had lots of diapers and wipes ready
• Carseat installed
• Joined China Lifebooks and had a base drafted before referral
• Joined China Digital Scrapbooks
• Learned how to Digiscrap and built up my library of elements etc.
• Researched every step of the paperwork before I actually had to do it.
• Read LOTS of books on bonding & attachment
• Started my blog/blogs
• Joined lots of yahoo groups related to China Adoption
• Got most of my care package ready before referral & used Red Thread China too.
• Had a diaper bag packed before I left for China for when I got home.
• Bought my SWI gifts after Christmas when everything was 75% off
• Put up the baby gates (except top of stairs...regret not doing that)
• Had a Learn to speak Mandarin in my car and listen to occassionaly
• Installed Skype on my computer and practiced before China
• Designed my Thank You Cards (you'll need a million but you can buy them)
• Bought Lots of stamps (by FOREVER stamps) I didn't...stamp $ went up. :(
• Decide on luggage you already have or buy luggage when goes on sale like me.

Okay, I could really go one forever but these are some of the mail things I AM VERY GRATEFUL THAT I DID!

Adjusting...(long)

I've been told by many that my blog is no longer filled with words, only beautiful photos. True. I'm not good with words or very articulate, except when I am pissed. I then am incrediblely articulate. lol. I guess the real reason is where to start? The answer is somewhere between "good" and something that goes on forever. Maybe I'll attempt to make this post somewhere in between.

We are doing good! There have been way too many times, (I'm going to jinx myself) that I felt this all has been just way to easy. I went into this process thinking the worst and hoping for the best. Kind of my motto for the past three years. It's never failed me in the past and it still seems to be working for me brilliantly.

When G was placed into my arms she was neither happy or sad. I expected very sad so this was easier on my heart at the moment. It did worry me that she "could care less" and I thought that at any moment she would reject me. She didn't. We played an unspoken game in China...I give her what she wanted and she went along with our schedule. She would speak up in the form of a cry when I did something "wrong" or "not to her liking". I was eager to please so I spent the trip jumping through every hoop! Our first night she slept through the entire night and she pooped the very next morning. Okay, the two "hardest" milestones I had read about were these two and we got through it!! She wanted IN the stroller and wanted to see everywhere we were going and eventually napping every time. There was nothing in China about G that was hard. Now, new routines and responsibilites on mama were at times hard. That ever so coveted freedom was gone forever. I knew this and I was fine with it...it was just the logistics of it all and the timing. ALL NEW TERRITORY!

The hardest part of the trip was the flight home. I NEVER ANTICIPATED HER BEING AWAKE FOR ALL BUT 40 MINUTES OF A 14 HOURS FLIGHT! She wasn't screaming bloody murder or anything but not happy and EXTREMELY active! I about lost my mind and my best friend saw me on the verge of my first mom meltdown. I didn't though...but I was teatering on the edge! We all survived so I guess that's all that matters.

Once home life was falling into place. I really didn't have much in the way of jet lag and we got G out everyday. Don't get me wrong, when she slept I couldn't keep my eyes open. There were minutes of shear exhaustion but nothing that was more than I expected or even close to what I would consider jetlag. G seemed to go with the flow too.

We had only about three nights with sleep issues and I thought...okay, now we are getting into the rough stuff! I posted online and got lots of great suggestions and I made a game plan for us and that very night she slept through the night and has ever since. We get 11-12 hours of sleep everynight! (again, hope I am not jinxing myself!)

She was eating well, too well, sleeping well, too well, pooping regularily, and seemily looking for my approval and love more each day. (still thinking this is way to easy)

We then had a scare that she most likely had a major heart condition. This lasted a month. This was my DRAMA. Let's just skip to a month later and find out that her heart is perfectly healthy and there is NOTHING wrong. This was my "hard part" of IA.

Next milestone is daycare. Wow, this would be hard. Nope. She loved daycare on day one and I loved work on day one. I say this with all the love I have but I think we were overdue for a break from each other! Daycare gave her that added stimulation that she needed and the other kids to be around and my job made my mommy brain stop hurting and a gave me a renewed sense of freedom. My mornings at work are GREAT and I spend my afternoons counting down the minutes til I pick her up. Wow, if only I could be a part-time employee!!!

We still have our battles at home. Her bottle is her "SURVIVAL TOOL" and needs it to LIVE. Mama does not comfort her, her BOTTLE does. We struggle for control with this one. She wants to hold her bottle. She will give constant eye contact but she wants to hold. When I hold and she finishes her bottle, I take it away and she flips out. Like I am taking away her life force or something. Now, if at the end of the bottle I let her hold it, she finishes, she kindly hands over the empty bottle. So, we kind of battle with the BOTTLE! This has been going on since she came home in January.

Our other battle is FOOD. I MUST FEED HER WHENEVER SHE ASKS AND AS MUCH AS SHE WANTS! Oh, and DON'T make her wait. Yes, I am jumping through hoops with this one. I'm trying to build that trust right now. This is my second BATTLE.

Other then those two major battles...life is good. She's starting to say words, understand more, listen more (shocking) and smile more. She willingly takes medicine, brushes her teeth and even brings me the boogie sucker when her nose is stopped up! When I ask if her diaper needs to be changed she goes and gets a diaper and comes back and lays on the floor. It's really hysterical. She get a itty bit happier each day.

I must say that this past week we have had two major break throughs. First, while I was at a friends for dinner, I picked up her daughter to give her a hug and G started flipping out. This is the first time I caught an earful of jealousy. G then kept putting her arms up for me to pick her up instead. This was a first. Now she's clinging to me in public. Still not a velcro baby but we are working on it.

Secondly, she said her "first" word. Well, she's said words in the past but they were prompted by me and she didn't really know what she was saying. Plus they were "sort of" understandable. Friends tell me that she say mama clearly when I walk out of earshot but I've only heard her say mamamama bable or mamam when repeating after me. Okay, I'm not really being tough, I was just waiting for the perfectly pronounced, non prompted, perfectly intented word to come out of her mouth. Well, I wait no longer, I got it. The word is shocking, lol. She had her sippy cup with juice and her bottle both on her highchair. I said, "you want your sippy cup?" G shook her head no. I said, "you going to drink your bottle?" She turned her head, paused, gave me the slow uplook and slowly and firmly said "NNN-OOO! Okay then! NNNOOO it is! Heard THAT LOUD AND CLEAR. Am I shocked that her first word to me was NO, not really. Guess she doesn't know that the more she says no the more mama says no. LOL.

Okay, so as far as adjusting I think we are doing really well. I always worry if it's an "attachement" thing or normal toddler behavior when we are having a moment. I think all us IA parents do this. I read another single mamas blog where her daughter is going through some very intense issues right now in regards to attaching and bonding. I have followed this mama's blog since before her referral and I see us in their family. G is very much like her daughter at least on the surface. She is a wealth of knowledge and I am blessed that she posts her struggles and how they are both working to get through them. I hope that I am doing all that I should regarding this and I applaud all those that post the hard times! It's helping me to be a better mom!

So, that's a lot of words. You all wanted words! LOL. You didn't say anything about grammar, whew! G and I say thanks for taking the time to read our blog! Love.

East Meets West Conference

There was an East Meets West Conference this past weekend in Baltimore. I found out that the guest speaker was Director Huang from my daughters SWI. How cool is that! He flew all the way from China to speak at this conference...how could we not go! G was fairly good while he was speaking, she kept me very busy.

We (Director Huang and I) spoke briefly before the conference and he got to see G again. We did not have a translator so I did my best to communicate. During the Q & A part of the conference no one was really asking any questions so I raised my hand and said that I just wanted to say Thank You and introduce G who had just come home in January and to vouch for everything that was said...my girl was very well taken care of and I just wanted to Thank him. Snow Wu translated and we got the most endearing smile. A smile that needs no translation. I'm glad I went!

G and I also got to meet Kelly, her husband and one of her daughters Katie! She is just the cutest. It was a glimpse of G in 4 years. I tell you, all these YD girls sort of look a like and of course, they are all B*E*A*U*T*I*F*U*L! We also met so many waiting parents!! Seem they all needed a baby fix and G was just the girl to do it. I was glad to finally be on the "other" side of IA this time. I wish I had more time to chat with everyone! I have to say it's funny/great/crazy that I had more people come up to me and were like "Hi Stephe, I read your blog!" The best was when I happen to glance over at a table behind me and a woman waved and then lifted up her notebook for me to read... "I READ YOUR BLOG"!!! LOL, classic, that was GREAT! (now if you are reading this, you MUST comment!!) Gotta love the blog world. Anybody waiting feel free to email me if you have any questions. I can't promise you my way is the right way but it's what works for us!!! Plus it will give me something to blog about other than just posting photos. Yeah, kind of in a rut...just mesmerized by my daughters beauty I guess. LOL.

HELP - Fabric!!!

I NEED HELP finding this FABRIC. Please, if anyone know where I can find this online I will be forever GRATEFUL. I only need approx. 1 yard!!

***I have no idea who the manufacturer is. A seller on ebay had made an outfit with this material on it but it is no longer on ebay. I have been searching words like pucci inspired, funky hot pink fabric and michael miller fabrics (it sort of looks like his style)...I've been unsuccessful. The itty bitty photo above is all I have to go on! :(

CLASSIC!!!

I LOVE IT!! (G, NOT SO MUCH)

First Egg Deposit

After 2 unsuccessful Easter Egg hunts G finally gets it. This is her FIRST Egg Deposit in her Hello Kitty Basket!

My Monitor

This post is for Catherine. Still LOVING my Monitor. It's the Summer Infant Complete Coverage Color Video Monitor Set by Summer Infant, Inc. But the fact is, you really don't need all this. (I still love it though) Anyway, I was dead set on having a color monitor and ironically the only time she sleeps in her crib it's dark/low light and when night vision kicks on and it's black and white. This morning was the first morning she actually slept in and I could reap the benifits of a color monitor. I guess it would be different if she napped in her crib but she doesn't. I hope to use it in the future when she is older and playing up in her room by herself and I am downstairs. (oh, and FYI, my friend has this same monitor and one night they intercepted another homeowners monitor! Caught them doing some Xrated stuff...no baby in sight but the crib was close by! I have found no interception issues with mine. lol)

Happy Easter

Hope everyone has a GREAT Easter!

This is one of my digital scrapbooking designs with the help of the kit "Birthday Dreams" found at Oscraps, a few internet bunnies and my Princess Giorgia!

My Bad Girl

Stepmom

“Stepmom” with Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon. Have you seen this movie? It was on tonight. The most touching and heart breaking moment of the movie just happened and I can’t seem to stop my tears. Do you realize that this is a moment that all of us are going to share? I know that we won't be a stepmom, but go with the concept...

Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon are having a conversation about Anna’s wedding day and that Julia feels that when she is looking at this most beautiful woman about to get married, that Anna will be thinking, “I wish my mom was here.” Susan’s biggest fear is that she “won’t be thinking that.” Susan says that is one thing that Anna will never have to do is chose between her mom and stepmom. Susan has her past and Julia has her future.
I know I am Giorgia’s mom, but she will have a birthmother. Circumstances beyond my control will result in my daughter never knowing her birthmother. I will never make her chose; I will find a way for her to honor her birthmother. I don’t know how yet, but I never want her to feel as though in her heart, she has to make a choice. There is room for both of us.

Amazing Video

Must See TV

Princess Shoes

My girl's got some Princess Shoes!!! To bad one fell off on the playground and got her sock all dirty. :(

She DOES smile...

It's just hard to capture it on film...