I'm Not Ready

We made a trip to my parents' house last week. It was fun. Everything, but the sleeping. Let's just say that Jo doesn't like the pack 'n play. She did not want to be in it at all, so she climbed out. This meant that each night I would stay in the room with her until she went to sleep. That's the edited version.

I've noticed in the past, and a friend reminded me, that it seems like whenever I take the kids somewhere for an extended period of time they really progress by leaps and bounds during that time. Maybe it's being around different stimuli and people. Who knows?

Josie started chattering a lot more, she looks like she's had a growth spurt (which wouldn't surprise me, Paw paw), and she decided that it was just as easy to climb out of her crib at home as it was to climb out of the pack 'n play. Since the drop from climbing out of the crib is about 3 feet, we've had to ...


Those pictures show a mess, but we were in the middle of making the conversion. So yep, she's in a toddler bed now. At first I was stressing over her getting out of bed. I was really tired though. The "getting out of bed" was really a problem when that involved a 3 foot fall. She can't get out of her room and her room is Josie-proofed. Now, as my friend put it, her whole room is her crib.

For her nap today, she got into her bed and lay down. We read a couple of books and then I left her. I heard her playing and running around her room for a little while, but then she got quiet. I couldn't resist and had to go see if she actually got back into bed and went to sleep. She didn't, but she was asleep ... in her rocking chair. I would have taken a picture, but I didn't want to wake her.

Happy Birthday Phoebe!!!

Today is Phoebe's birthday. I can't believe she's 7!!


Here's a picture from yesterday, her last day as a 6 year old...


And here she is today, her first day as a 7 year old. See the difference?

We had a fabulous day. Allen took the day off from work and we all went to Six Flags. P finished school on May 12, and most other schools don't get out until June, so it was a light day at the park. We parked really close to the gate.

Here she is, ready to take on the roller coasters. She's 48 inches tall, which doesn't get her on many more rides that last summer when she was 43 inches tall, but it did get her on the Tony Hawk Big Spin. Sweet. Even though she rode the Shock Wave twice last summer, she did not care to ride it today.

She and Allen rode the Aquaman ride, cause it's the best way to cool down.

Still looking like a rock star, soaking wet. I LOVE those sunglasses. P does too. Jo does too and held them today...and broke them in half....Let us never speak of it again. I hope Libby Lu still has them.

Jo did pretty well. There were several times that she really wanted out of her stroller. We finally let her out to run around in a kids' play area with misters. She loved it.

After running around, cooling off, and getting a dry diaper, she was happy to get back in the stroller.

As I said, we had a great day. No visit to Six Flags would be complete without a Pink Thing.

We bought season tickets, so we will definitely be visiting again soon.

Guess What We Did Today!

Here's a clue...
If you said, "Went to court to register Josie's adoption in Texas", you'd be right. This is something that isn't really legally necessary, but since it will allow Jo to have a Texas birth certificate, it does come in handy when we need a birth certificate for school. This is something that can't be done until the adopted child has lived in Texas for six months, so we aren't THAT far behind. What actually makes the timing perfect is the fact that one year ago today, our adoption of Josie became official and was recognized by the Chinese government.

I realize that my head is turned in the picture above, but there were only two pics and no one looks that great in the second one, including me. Since Jo didn't get to wear her red qi pao for Chinese New Year, we decided today was a good time for her to wear it.

And since everyone was dressed up...

Just look at my girls!

Jo and her Dada.


As much as I love that rose bush...

...it's just a backdrop.

One Year Later

Here are a few pictures of Jo from yesterday as we marked our 1 year as a family.


Well, first, I had to post this picture of a miracle in progress. P ASKED to mop! She mopped the entire downstairs. I told her she could mop once a week if she wanted to.


Here's our girl.

Riding her zebra - doesn't everyone have a zebra?


Dancing! I love that face!

Dancing some more.

Smile for mama. Look! No scratches on her nose or forehead! There are few pics like this.

I could look at this all day.


And last but not least...

...our rocker girl!

Happy Adoption Day, baby!


EDITED TO ADD: I should say thanks to Jo's fab Godmother for the hat (and the other 3). Jo loves them!

One Year in Our Lives

This is a never before seen video...


So many thoughts going through my head remembering the day. Every bit of it. The room was warm and humid, the windows were open, crying babies, crying parents. Sweet little Meaghan walked out of the room where the babies were into her mommy's outstretched arms. One baby girl was wearing pj pants that said, "I'm the big brother!" on them. Trying to learn from orphanage staff just how hot those bottles had to be. So much emotion in the room on all sides.

Jo slept about 13 hours that night. We woke up before her and just stared at her watching her sleep.

How About That!

I saw this today when I was closing the blinds on the windows in our playroom. I may have been more excited than Phoebe, but that's OK. Those are tiny eggs. The fact that they are "robin's egg blue", makes me think they may be robin eggs. Well, that and the fact that when I see them I think, "Mmmmm. Malted milk balls."

The nest is in this vine that's growing up the side of our house. It's in the second window from the right. I guess they're safe from the roaming neighborhood cats up there.
I ripped this vine down last year, but I didn't dig it up. When it came back this year I was only slightly annoyed. It does have lovely yellow flowers like one day a year. I was planning to go rip it down again. I guess I won't do that.

Now, if only the storms we're expecting tonight don't rip it down.

Happy Mother's Day!

My first Mother's Day as officially a mother of two. I'm a little teary thinking about last year at this time.

On this DATE last year, we were in Beijing getting ready to fly to Guangzhou.

On the DAY last year, Mother's Day, we were one day away from meeting our dear Jojo. I can't believe it's been a year.

I'm not sure how we will celebrate on Wednesday, the date she was given to us, but we will celebrate. Maybe I'll manage to get some pictures taken and posted.

I know this post is a bit boring, but I have so many things going through my head right now and I'm a tiny bit emotional.

Here's hoping that our second year with Jo will be even better than the first. The first flew by and I felt like I was just hanging on for dear life. NOW, I feel like I can actually start living.

Who Likes Free Stuff?

Head on over to Alyson's. They are having lots of fun over there. And you can even win stuff.

Random Cuteness

I was just looking at a book my mom gave me. She printed out all of my blog entries from the beginning of the blog up to Halloween last year and put them into a book for me. I was just looking at it and had the realization that I started this blog the day after Josie was born. Oooooh. Do you have a few chills? I guess I knew it was time to start.

Now, let the cuteness begin:


Phoebe all dressed for a party on Saturday. She looks so grown up.

Jo this morning giving her baby some love.

I took these pictures because I just love seeing her forehead. I know. I'm strange.

Phoebe finishing up another day of homeschool. Only 3 more left this school year. Yep. She gets out almost a month earlier than public school. Wheee.

Because It's Been a While

I figured I should take some pictures of the girls, so you'd remember what they look like.

Jo loves her bike! She'll ride it inside or out.

I actually managed to get her to look at me for a picture!

Phoebe obliged when I asked if I could take a picture of her next to the giant rose bush in our backyard. It's a "knockout rose" and it is made for me! You stick it in the ground and walk away. It was just a wee little thing two years ago when I planted it. I forgot to prune it in February, so it's kinda gone nuts.

Phoebe's getting kinda tall herself.

And just to get all artsy on you...

Scenes

The last weekend in March, Allen and I went to NYC. It was our first time to leave Jo overnight. I had no worries, though. She loves my parents, who came to watch the girls, and has my dad wrapped around her dainty little finger. (You know it's true, Dad). While I was going through pictures for this post, Jo kept reaching for the computer saying, "Ba-ba, Ba-ba, Ba-ba" over and over. She loves her Paw-paw.

Everyone had a blast and everything was fine. They even got P to her 8:00 soccer game Saturday morning (the only one of the season -- sorry).


Here was our view during the weekend.
Looking down on Times Square.

The Hudson River is in the distance.

The Empire State peaking out from behind another building.

The Chrysler Building sticking up in the middle (and reflecting in the building). Did you know you can open the window and stick your hand and camera outside on the 52nd floor?


Here was their view during the weekend.





I'm realize that I'm not posting a lot of pictures of P, but she was probably in constant motion, playing with neighborhood friends and her cousins on her bike and scooter.