What a fun weekend!

Elizabeth had a great and busy weekend. Saturday we had a nice visit with Patrick's brother, Tim and his 3 kids-Maddux-age 12, Calen-age 9 and Delanie age 8. Their dad had met Elizabeth but this was the first time the kids had the opportunity to meet her. Delanie was a natural with her cousin and played very nicely and sweetly with her. And of course, Elizabeth turned on all her charm for them. She even walked a couple of steps while they were here! Here is a great picture of the cousins all together on the swing-

Here is a good one of Elizabeth with Calen-

Then after the fun on Saturday, we had a nice gathering to celebrate Moon Festival with our local Families with Chinese Children group. We met at a small local Chinese restaurant and basically took the place over. We live in a small community half way between Daytona Beach and Orlando and just in this small area comprised of 4 small towns we have about 20 families that have adopted from China. It was so nice to talk to other adoptive families and Elizabeth just loves seeing the other "asian" faces. She was smiling and babbling and really enjoying herself. There was one other family there that has a daughter adopted from Hunan, and they say she is "spicy" just like our girl. Here is a photo of Elizabeth enjoying her Gerber puffs at the gathering and then the group photo of all the girls that attended today. ( I know I don't look too Asian in that photo but she wouldn't stand up on her own with the group so I had to hold her)

Last but not least, I had to throw in a pic of her taking a few steps. We didn't have the camera ready for the "real" first steps she took earlier in the week, but I just so happened to catch these couple with the still camera today. I still have not been able to get her on video when she decides to walk a few steps! Also notice Elizabeth's trusty companion had to get in the shot as well!!!

Until next time...................................

Back to work week and we survived

Here is me and my girl as I am off to work!

Well, as you all know I have returned to work this week. It was bittersweet that is for sure, but everyone at work and at the hospital and dialysis unit were so excited to see me and hear all about Elizabeth. That in and of itself made work bearable. Who wouldn't love to go to work and just talk about your baby and show off pictures all day!!!! I did enjoy getting to use the other part of my brain and get parts moving again that had been dormant for the last 10 or 11 weeks. I have been a nurse practitioner for so long it is just second nature now and I really feel at home in my office and at the local hospitals. So walking into that familiarity made this week not so bad. I only cried Sunday nite and Monday morning as I walked out the door. I really didn't sleep Sunday nite, just thinking about how our life and little routine we had established was going to change forever now. And when I kissed Elizabeth goodbye and put my purse on my shoulder the tears started to fall. At that exact moment my phone went off and it was the physician assistant in our group sending me a text welcoming me back and wishing me a good day. I am so thankful for the good friends that I have in my life.

Patrick will have to comment on his week since he became stay at home daddy, or as he refers to it-the van dad, this week. I think they had good days, but I am sure he doesn't tell me a lot of the not so pleasant things so I won't worry too much. Elizabeth does not cry when I leave and apparently doesn't really cry during the day. But when I come home from work she is clingy and doesn't want to be far away from me at all. Really only one big issue and that was Monday when she had a huge poopy diaper that went all over her, her clothes, Patrick's clothes when he picked her up and then he didn't remember which drawer of clothes were the ones she can wear right now. So he had to call me about where to find another outfit to put on her, but that was really our only issue. I now leave an extra outfit laid out on her dresser when I leave in the morning for the "just in case" scenario! Overall a pretty smooth transition, I think.

Tonite we decided to order take out from our favorite local Chinese place. I had told them we were adopting the last time we were in there, so tonite when we went to pick up our food, of course, we took Elizabeth to show her off. The owners were so excited and asked all kinds of questions about her. They even said that some Chinese people were too closed minded to know that girl babies are just as special as boy babies. And they said over and over to Elizabeth-lucky baby, lucky baby. The owners were speaking to her in Mandarin and her face just lit up and she moved her lips like she was trying to speak just like them. She also squealed a lot and kept pointing at them. In a way it made me sad for a couple of different reasons. Number 1-I feel terrible I don't know more Mandarin to speak to Elizabeth. She clearly recognized it and was very excited to hear them speak. She concentrated so hard on what they were saying to her. Number 2-it made me miss China all over again. To hear the language just brought back such great memories of our trip. I am not sure I will ever have another travel experience that has touched me like our China trip has done for me. I know a big part of that excitement and the reason for such wonderful memories was because of receiving Elizabeth. But also, I have to say I just truly enjoyed the culture, the sights, the people, the food, just everything. I think part of the draw is it is so vastly different from the United States and I find that intriguing. It is something I never expected to enjoy, it is also something I never would have decided to travel to on my own. It seemed to "foreign", too third world, and many other things that I now know were just misconceptions and false.

I am looking forward to the weekend of having 2 days back to spend with my girl. She is such a joy. I am sorry that I miss all the cute little things she does during the day. I just don't want to do anything else once I get home but play with her and watch her. I don't want to miss anything!

By the way, as I was leaving for work one morning this week Elizabeth was leaning on the dog and chattering away at him. Well he walked away from her and guess what-yep-she took 3 steps after him! I was sooooooo glad I had not walked out that door yet! We have been anxiously awaiting the next few steps but so far she has maybe taken one other step but is now standing in the floor and is able to clap her hands and dance, and try to take her shirt off-all without falling down. It is just a matter of days I am sure before her walking starts in earnest.

Anyway, hope you all have a great week. I will continue to post here but the reality is now since I am back to work that I probably will only get the chance to post once or twice a week.

Until next time................................

I don't think the grandparents are going to like this!

I don't think the grandparents are going to like this but Elizabeth and her buddy sure did!

Lisa came to visit

Lisa & Elizabeth-Sept 16, 2009

One of my best friends in the entire world came for a visit today to see Elizabeth. Her name is Lisa and she is currently living in Brooklyn, New York going to medical school. Her family is from our area and she was here for a quick visit and will be returning to New York to finish up her last 8 weeks of school and will then be back in Florida for at least the next 6-7 months if not longer! YEAH!! I have missed her terribly since she left for med school but am so proud of her drive to be a physician (and she will be a great one) and really respect what she is doing with her life and career.

Elizabeth just loved her and she came bearing gifts of books, so that is always good! And her books came in a trick or treat bag as well-what more could a girl ask for! We had a nice chat and catch up session and she got to see Elizabeth in her glory! Elizabeth is not shy and has really been great around all the visitors and family over the last 8 weeks and she didn't disappoint today. I have attached a great picture of Lisa and Elizabeth.

The other pic is Elizabeth with our dog, Grady. They have become fast friends and Elizabeth really loves him and chatters at him constantly during the day. She loves to point at him and then turn and tell us, "dog." I think she thinks we don't know that Grady is a dog! Grady was having a rest on his bed this morning and Elizabeth decided to join him. Don't be fooled-she is NOT sleeping-she does not sleep during the day much at all! She was just laying down next to him, petting him and talking to him. I couldn't resist the picture.

Until next time........................................

A week of first's

Elizabeth had an exciting week of first time experiences. Here are a couple of photos to show you what she experienced:

The first two photos are of her at the beach. We weren't sure how much she would like the beach as she hasn't been too much of a fan of the pool unless someone else is in the pool splashing and entertaining her. But the beach was a different story! She sat right down in the sand and immediately picked up a handful and was running it through her hands. Then the water was coming up gently to her legs and she loved that. She was pointing and squealing for more and more water. I took her out a little deeper-like knee depth on me-and she loved that too. She did not seem scared at all and was soooo cute in her little bathing suit and sunglasses. She never touched her sunglasses once to try and take them off. It was like she knew she was at the beach and you were supposed to wear them!

The second set of photos is her having her first "haircut." Really it was just a little bang trimming and some slight trimming to even up some edges, but in my opinion, that counts as a haircut. Please ignore my hair as I was having some color strategically placed, if you know what I mean. Elizabeth was so good for her haircut, sat very still in my lap and just looked up at April, our stylist. She now has bangs which will hopefully grow a little and then we shaped the rest to grow into a bob. Her hair has grown so much since we got her. I look back at the pictures from the first few days and it is just amazing how much it has grown and how much thicker it has become. Overall she is such a different baby than the one that was handed to us on July 20th.

This one I just had to throw in-she is standing over the vacuum cleaner having her hair blown and she loves it!!! I call it her Marilyn Monroe shot

I am enjoying my last week at home with our precious baby girl. So sad to go back to work, but not quite as tearful as I have been since the reality of the situation is-I am going back to work (unless we win the lottery on Wednesday or Saturday) period and the sooner I accept it the better it will be. She will be with Patrick during the day, so at least daycare is avoided for now and he is a great dad. I think he is definitely more patient than I am! I have just told myself to enjoy this last week as I have enjoyed the last 9 weeks. Life has changed so much for the better. Our schedules may be different now but our lives are so much more enriched and filled with laughter and joy with our little girl. She is just too cute for words!

Until next time....................................

How much is that Daddy in the window?

Here is a video of Elizabeth doing one of her favorite things-looking out the window in her room for Daddy! When he is out doing yard work she LOVES to look out her window for him. I caught this video on Saturday when he was out and stopped by her window on the way to the front yard. It is just precious! I don't know if you will be able to hear her or not but for alot of the time she was standing at the window she was saying very softly "da da, da da, da da." Patrick is such a great dad-

Until next time...........................................

Just some random things

The video is me giving my mom and dad the "business." I was doing this ALOT on Monday and it even continued after I got out of my highchair. I had something to say and they better listen, or else!!!!

I like Pringles, do you???

I am trying out my walking legs-but sometimes I get distracted by the fun things to do on the front of the walker