Just woke up

This is how Laney was when I went into her room one morning (Be Still My Heart). Then she said "Book Mama". So I handed her a book and she sat and read to her stuffed friends. ohhhhh! (these pictures are from 10/23/09)

Let's go saw down my 1st Christmas Tree

It was SO much fun as we took Laney to saw down her 1st Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. We have never gotten a tree this early but our excitement to finally do this with our baby girl had us on the edge of our seats and got us out picking out our tree early this year. Actually the past several years have been so difficult waiting and waiting for our daughter that we skipped getting a tree for many years. HAPPY HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AND THIS DAY ROCKED! p.s. It was very cold and it started to rain so hats on for all.

1st Mittens

So MAMA how do I eat my snacks with these things on my hands (Laney is not to sure if she likes her 1st time in mittens).

19 months old

19 months old!! WOW!

Happy Thanksgiving 2009

We have so much to be thankful for! After so many Thanksgiving Days dreaming of building our family FINALLY 2009 was our year!! Happy Thanksgiving from our FOREVER FAMILY!

Music to his ears

In China we were fortunate enough to have Laney bond to us both. During our 20 days in China she called us Mama & Dada, it just rolled off her tongue with ease and it thrilled us to hear the words we longed for. She definitely knew what she was saying. As she pointed out the window at him mowing the lawn it was Dada Dada. As she crawled, than walked to him as he came home from work with excitement it was Dada Dada. During our long wait to build a family we always referred to ourselves as Mama & Poppy and it grew into habit for us (hey that was a long wait). Well tonight the greatest man in both of our lives heard music to his ears as the new little lady in his life opened her arms ran (yes she literally runs now) across the room and yelled Poppy! Laney adores her Poppy (smart little lady, her Mama agrees 110%)!

6 Months

Wow! 6 months ago the little lady in our lives was placed in our arms and we became a Forever Family - WOW! #1 photo taken 6 months ago (5/24/09) in China. #2 photo was taken just this past week (11/16/09) at home drinking her milk. Wow what a difference 6 months makes!

Love my chair

One of Laney's favorite things is her chair. She is constantly asking to sit in it. I guess it would be easier just to go buy more chairs instead of carrying the one and only we have from her bedroom into the other rooms she wants to sit and use it in (oh no more shopping). This is her still sleepy and relaxing with her milk after waking up from a nice 2 hour nap.

6 month post placement visit celebration lunch

Today we had to meet with our adoption social worker to have our 6 month post placement visit. WOW #1 how can it almost be 6 months since we first held our long awaited daughter in our arms? #2 WOW could Laney have been anymore well behaved and just gosh darn adorable?
Laney did great, she was at ease, used all her manners, lots of please & thank you's. She played, talked up a storm, blew kisses, gave high fives, smiled and showed off some of her animal noises and I know my body parts skills. So cute! Our social worker had fun with Laney and the visit was easy and painless. We shared the required pictures (which I gotta tell ya was hard to pick which ones to share, we just love them all) we laughed, smiled, talked and even sang (twinkle twinkle of course). The only picture we took was at lunch afterwards (again just enjoying the moments and forgetting to whip out the camera). We took Laney to our favorite Chinese Restaurant where the staff just adores her and crowd around our table to play with her. The food is delicious too (OK not as good as the food in China but as close as we can get in the USA).

blowing kisses to the judge

Today we went to meet the judge to apply for Laney's USA birth certificate (poppy is taking the photo so he is not in it). Laney was cute she was blowing kisses to the judge.

Updated Growth Chart

Today was Laney's 18 (actually 18 1/2) month check up so I updated the growth chart on the left hand side of the blog. Many ask how much she weighs (those chubby cheeks & thighs) and how tall she is (she really is sprouting up). Check it out.

Adoption Recognition and Citizenship Ceremony

We received an invite to the lobby of our State Capitol building for a Special Children's Oath Ceremony. There were about 20 adopted children and their families there. I had tears in my eyes several times. I was just moved by the fact that Laney is actually home in the USA! We had photos taken with Uncle Sam, with local dignitaries and on the steps of the State Capitol. Laney looked so so so so beautiful! Our Governor proclaimed November 16, 2009 as ADOPTION RECOGNITION DAY! We received a program for the Adoption Recognition and Citizenship Ceremony and it all was so so so moving! Laney walked right up to a little girl also adopted from China and just laid a kiss on her - ohhhhhhhh that was the sweet kind of day we had.

Hmmm which bow to wear today

Mama's little helper

Laney loves to help clean. Give her a paper towel and she will wipe anything & everything clean. She helps push the vacuum & just loves to help. So when she saw Mama with the swifter mop the other day she got very excited (I know our floors need more than a swifter mop, they really need to be refinished but..... I know your looking at Laney not the floors, right :)

Hi

so big - so small

Doesn't she look so small and the playground look so big! I joke with Poppy "If you build it they will come" LOL - He really did an amazing job making our backyard into a playground of fun for Laney. Can you see her? (she is sitting on the grass). If you enlarge the photo scroll to the right to see more.

We Are Back

We were away meeting family & friends but now we are back. Unpacking - Yuck! More on our travels to come.

Phone, carriage, doll, moo, laugh and boo

Fall Family Photo