Jump!

Abby started gymnastics today. She was adorable and had the best time. Like I have said before she loves to jump and literally jumps all day long no matter where she is. We live in a condo second floor and I just know the people beneath us probably hate us. I try and get her to stop or only jump in her room but she forgets. It's constant and there is no way I am going to discipline her for being happy and jumping. So I thought the class might get some of the jumping out of her system. She loved the class. They really don't like you to take pictures but I will try and get some next week with my Mom's little point and shoot. Abby was so happy and literally jumping out of her skin to try each new station. It's a Mommy and me (or Daddy) so I participate with her which will be good for me. There really are not a whole lot of toddler activities around here so I'm glad we found this one :) Below is just a picci I snapped of my girl before we left this morning :)


As an added bonus we get to take gymnastics with Ava. It's been a while since the girls have been together but they warmed up quickly. Little Ava is such a cutie! It's going to be fun to see them every Saturday :)

The girls were kind enough to indulge the parents with a mini photo shoot:) They were so sweet together holding hands.

I love how they are checking each other out here :)

Little sweeties :)

Look how they just keep holding hands. So sweet :)

So precious :)

Love this one too. They look like they are having a serious catchup :)

The girls had just finished hugging when I snapped this one. We need a play date Amy :)

Happy New Year!

Gung Hay Fat Choy or Happy Chinese New Year!! The Year of the OX! It seems I am continuing my roll of fabulous picture taking skills (NOT!). I honor of the New Year I decided to do a little photo shoot of Abby in one of the many outfits that I bought while in China. Good thing cuz she was about busting out of this one :)


She was totally watching TV here.

A quick "Cheese for me".

Wheres Abba???

Tired little girl :)

Silly little girl :)

Happy little girl :)

BYE BYE.......

Ellie Fix Anyone :)

Shannon and I (after at least two years of waiting and dreaming) finally with both of our girls home had a play date :) Have to say that Miss Ellie didn't disappoint either. What a little cutie she is. And a little peanut too. Unfortunately my picture taking skills seemed to have been lacking today though cuz most were to blurry to post. Hopefully Shannon caught some nicer ones.


We met up in the play area of a local mall in Norfolk. Abby loved it. Lots of slides and things to climb. Right up her alley. Wish our Mall had one. Anyways with out further ado I give you Miss Ellie. Isn't she adorable? That's K behind her kinda hidden by her hair. Funny pretty much most of my pictures today were less than perfect. Oh well, next time :)

Ellie is so alert and just like her Mama said she is a busy little bee. She doesn't miss a thing.

So a blurry one and one with my girls eyes closed :) Isn't her hair getting long though?

More Ellie :) There were some wild young uns in the play area but Miss Ellie held her own just fine.

Wow trying to get a shot of all three of them together was like herding kittens. It just wasn't going to happen.

Cousin K and little Ellie :)

After some playtime we decided to grab some lunch at Chili*s. Check out Miss E double fisting her lunch :)

K decided she didn't want her corn after all so my Abba took care of it for her :)

Corn on the cob is serious business for my girl.

And last of all I give you the aftermath. Yep the white stuff is opened packs of sugar and sweet n low packets spread out every where. Messy yes but it kept them quiet/busy. No it wasn't pretty. Actually our table was classic for the ones that I used to dread back in my waitress days at ChiChi's :)

So we had a good time and it was fun to trade notes with another single Mama. There are some things that only another single Mama can relate to. Thanks for meeting us out Shannon, Ellie and K. Hope to do it again soon :)

For Meema

She loves her Puppy :)

And yes siree. My gamble paid off yesterday. We had maybe 3 flakes of snow. I'm still hoping for a good one though on a weekend. :)

Cr#p

That would be us right in the middle of the low. Don't get me wrong. I love snow but I would much rather have it come on the weekends. The weather forecast has been changing all day. At last check we have the potential to get 1 to 3 inches of snow. I know that isn't much to all of you northerners but around here everyone freaks out when we even get a dusting.

Now that I have Abba things are different. It seems that as of this year when the city schools close so does Abby's daycare. (They used to close on a case by case basis) Once I saw that the weather was looking a little iffy (SP?) I called to see what they thought might happen tomorrow. Yikes! I could easily be up a creek if they close. I can't miss work for sure. I debated on what to do. We could spend the night at Mom's and I could just leave her there if this storm actually happens or I could wait and see how it is in the morning. 9 times out of 10 the forecast ends up being much to do about nothing. So fingers crossed things don't get too ugly tomorrow cuz we are staying put tonight. If the forecast turns out to be correct then I will be driving her over to Mom's tomorrow and I will be bummen cuz I really would love to play with her in the snow.

Coming home

Time continues to zoom on by. There never seems to be enough time to post. Abby and I have been sick with the crud. She missed 2 days of school and I missed 2 days of work last week. Thanks to antibiotics were both on the mend now. Here is a belated post that I meant to post on January 16Th. That was the day Abby became an American citizen. First I wanted to show the wonderful Gotcha Day gift given to Abby and I by Da. He surprised us last weekend with these to boxes.


Matching jade necklaces. He bought these and a third for my Mom's birthday while in China at one of the shops in the White Swan. I can't remember exactly what he said their meaning was but it was something about Abby and I and the love that goes round and round through eternity. Anyhoo they are very special to us and we will treasure them forever. Thank you DA we love you :)




Back to citizen day for Abby. I don't have many pictures of Abby and I in the airports but here are a few. Sorry they are out of focus. Don't think any of were even able to see straight by that time.

Making It official :) First touch down at Chicago Ohare. Not sure why little Missie is barefoot there???? Chalk it up to being delirious I guess.

And last of all. A look back to around this time last year. Check out little miss in her nightie then

And now :) She has grown. She is up to 25.6 pounds as of last week when we were at the doctors office. The love I have for her is just so enormous. I can't explain it. My heart is full and it's like the love keeps coming and brimming over. I just love my little girl. Sorry to be away so long. I will post a 411 on Abby soon!

One year a family!

One Year ago today I received the greatest gift. My daughter. One year ago today I became a Mama and the luckiest (in my eyes) person on earth. She has exceeded all of my expectations. She has touched and become a part of my family in so many wonderful ways.

It still floors me when I look at the strong independent little person that she has become. The things that she has lived through and experienced in such a short time and still she shines.

I took her out of an environment that she was used to. In a moments time she was in a strangers arms who looked, talked, smelled different. That stranger took her away from all that she had known. I can't begin to imagine how scared she must have been. How defenseless she must have felt at the mercy of someone she had never seen before. Yes she cried but she was strong and still she shines.

That first moment, the day after we became Mama and Daughter, when she first awoke and looked around and saw where she was and who she was with she cried the most pitiful cry. I scooped her up quickly though and she stopped soon after. We went about our day and she hung in there. Probably so confused and wondering but yet she went on. She is strong and a fighter. And she shines.

When we left China I actually felt guilty. She was so wonderful. Diddn't they know what they were missing? I don't feel guilty any more. She is my daughter and she is right where she is supposed to be and now I shine because of her. I will be forever grateful to China and for the gift that they have given me.

First glimpse. I think this was one of the head nanny's at her orphanage?


The little card Abby is holding had her name and picture on it. She hung on to that card for hours after I got her. I still have it.

Finally! In my arms at last! That is our guide Sissy in the back round. She was great!!

Wonderful!

I love how C and I are smiling at each other here. C and M named their daughter Abby as well.

So tiny and scared.

It breaks my heart to think of all of the emotions she faced that day.

I love this picture. We are on our way back to the hotel. She wasn't sleeping. We were both quiet just looking out the window.

First bottle. She got it the second we got back in our room.

I kept her original shirt on her overnight for comfort.

My sweet baby.

So tiny!

So tired. We got our daughters around 6:00 PM. we were at the Civil Affairs office for a couple of hours after.

Gotcha day outfit. (minus the shirt I kept on her) The bear was the one that I had enclosed in her care package.

This one is out of order. After we first got back and the babies had their bottles we went down for a quick bite of dinner. The two Abby's really loosened up fast. Both did well with table food too.

In our room at the Gloria Hotel in Nanchang. Look how tiny she was.

Sleeping in her carrier.

Asleep in her crib at the White Swan.

In the plane bassinet. Going home!!!

Sleepy girl.

Snug as a bug in a rug ")

And look at my abba now! So Big and doing great. We are weaning her paci so no flames please. Some of you thanked me in my last post for keeping on with my blog. I feel like it is the right thing to do for right now. I know it helped me to read other peoples experiences while I waited. Now with the wait getting longer, it seems like the blogs are starting to dwindle. No we are not that exciting but at least I can save these blog entrys for Abba to read some day.

Finally, we put a candle in Abby's bedroom window tonight in honor of her birth Mother. I will never know the hows and whys of Abby's story but she was found in a place where she was sure to be found. I hope that where ever Abby's birth mother is she has found peace with what she felt she had to do.