JACK

Laney was in her crib today (she was supposed to be napping) she was talking and who did she keep talking about..........................Jack. Do we know a Jack in "real" life..............NO. We try not to let Laney watch to much TV but she loves Jack's Big Music Show. She sings, dances, claps, taps, spins, laughs, smiles, hugs, kisses and the list goes on when Jack is on. Obviously she loves him and his show since she is talking about Jack in her crib. Ohhh silly silly girl.
I love many things about this show:

• nominated for an Emmy - Outstanding pre-school television series.
• The show centers around the love of music (which is so Laney).
• Each episode is without commericals.
• a variety of puppets, human musicians and music videos by children's musical artists.
• The mission of the show is to expose and foster an appreciation of music. Music and musical instruments help children expand their universe and develop memory, language, literacy and reasoning skills as well as cognitive, social and motor skills that are helpful to excel in school.

Sweet dreams Laney and Jack (LOL).

21 Months

Amazing that today our little baby girl is 21 months old. Precious! Enjoy!

Daily babblings of Laney

Laney is a little chatter box. Sweet hubby of mine tried to let me sleep in the other morning and I found myself realizing this even more as I listened to her chatter away. Thought we would document what the daily chatter of little Miss Laney is like at approx. 8 months home and approx. 21 months old. Someday we will read back on this and laugh.
in no particular order and I am sure I am forgetting some but this should be a good sampling.

• ham, egg, cracker, chip, nana (ie:banana), malk (ie: milk), wa wa (ie: water), cup, top, spoon, fork (ok so eating is one of her favorite things to talk about),Mama, Dada, Poppy, Maui, Tiki, Laney, dog (she loves her family and right back at you Laney - heart and soul, more than words), thank you, please (we adore her manners), come, sit (this is hysterical, she tells everyone to come sit but honestly it is kind of like she is talking to her dogs with the tone she says it in - Oh my this girl keeps us in stitches), drop (Laney first learned this word when Tiki & Maui had one of her stuffed ducks and I said "drop it". Well now she found another meaning for this word and it took us a bit to figure it out but we got it now. She says DROP when she wants to be tickled. You tickle her she drops to the ground and laughs and laughs gets up and says drop again), dance (this word is every morning, every afternoon, every night it is her constant desire), tar (ie: guitar), drum, boo boo (her stuffed monkey had a small hole and I was sewing it and she said boo boo and kissed him (melt our heart), ouch (a word she learned from me as I stubbed my toe (I thought worse but thankfully that is all that came out - LOL), back (Laney wants to put everything "back" which I love because I often am asking her to help with clean up of her toys etc. and put things "back" right now she is listening extremely well, hope it keeps up). boo, walk, more (for this word she says it but still does sign language for at the same time, cute). happy (after the countdown to 7 o'clock New Year's Eve party she throws her hands up in the air and yells HAPPY - soooo cute), ut oh (Daddy was getting ready to put saline solution in her nose, she saw the bottle and said UT OH) still laughing about this one, cheese (whenever she see a camera or wants a camera moment), ho ho (anytime she sees a picture Santa), car (must admit we have a car association "issue". She wants to eat the entire time she is in the car) well she also wants to dance but only after she eats, coat, boot, shoes, socks, hat, bow, book, clock, pen, good girl (speaking of herself of course - Laney good girl she says), block, on, off, up, down, hello, hi, bye bye, goodbye, ni ni (ie: nite nite), ove ou (ie: love you - Oh such music to our ears), baby, baba (every baby doll she sees she tells me the baby needs a baba. Oh she is such a little mommy), pee pee, belly, pocket (loves to put her hands in the pockets of her clothes), pocket boo (ie: pocketbook) she adores them and fills them will all sorts of goodies, shhhh, no no, two, ten (this is what she tells you when you ask her how many toes she says or how many fingers she has), money, draw, row row (ie: row row row your boat), happy boo (ie:happy birthday to you), tap tap tap (your feet), bath, pooh (she has a winnie the pooh stuffed bear and adores him, she got him at the airport as she arrived home), panda (she has panda pj's with panda's on her feet and she kisses her feet and says panda, she has a panda pocketbook and kisses and says panda), hug (she thankfully loves to hug and it is a pure pleasure of our day, many times a day). She also sees a frog, any frog a stuffed frog, a frog in story book she says "hug". It is so funny - so does our daughter love frogs, not sure? hot, bubble, eye, elbow (this started as we tried everyday to teach her to cover when she coughed or sneezed, cover with her elbow) well this has become her favorite body part and everyday she talks about her elbow, she shows me her baby dolls elbows and in the bath she always wants to wash her elbows over and over. eye, quack quack (anytime she sees a duck), baaaa (like a sheep), neigh (like a horse), mooo (like a cow), big big (this what she thinks she is and she tells us...Laney big big). As well if you say something and ask her to repeat it she will (so don't hit your funny bone and let a swear word slip out- lol) well I am sure I forgot tons but this should give us some good memories for someday.

bed, laughs and dogs?

Laney loves to cuddle (we are so lucky). Lately she wants up in our bed in the morning and she wants to be on the pillow, under the covers and than she giggles and says more (you can see her doing her "more" sign language in the 3rd picture). She then usually loudly yells "come Tiki, come Maui" *note the dogs are not allowed on our bed normally* but when Laney calls they come running and up they jump. She laughs so loud I am finding it hard to not laugh right along with her.

Indiana "Laney" Jones (8 months)

On the 24th 8 months ago you changed our lives. Wow! 8 months since we first held you in our arms. AMAZING! wo ai ni (I love you in mandarin Chinese)

Snaps ,Zippers and More

Unfortunately Laney knows how to undo snaps and how to unzip zippers. You fellow Mama's know where this is going don't you............ Picture this: Those warm and fuzzy adorable feet pajamas that zip up and have the snap across the top to prevent little ones from unzipping. Well yup little miss Laney decided she knew how to unsnap that snap, unzip that zipper and take those pajamas right off. This is where the "more" comes in............She decided to go for it all and say I know how to undo adhesive too. So off with my diaper (thankfully this was not a full diaper moment). I will save those pictures for our memory books and not the blog (we did take tons of pictures and video so we can someday all crack up over this - silly silly girl).

• Note # 1 - I think potty training is in our very near future.
• Note # 2- All that waiting to be a mama reading came in handy because I recalled reading about putting the diaper on backwards to prevent her from being able to take it off (which I have to say is not an easy task).
• Note # 3- Better than note # 2 is to retire the feet PJ's and use the no feet ones and put those on backwards. (hopefully her little toes will stay warm and it is not uncomfortable for her to have PJ's on backwards)?

Ordinary Day

I saw this on another adoptive mama's blog (thank you 3 peanuts) and WOW it really moved me so I wanted to share for those who may also be moved and for myself to always remember.....The Gift of an Ordinary Day! (by Katrina Kenison) click on the link below or paste in your browser (oh and have your volume turned on).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V36HvqgSm9M

Combinations that are just .....WRONG

In no particular order:

1. Winter coats AND Car seats! - I mean seriously with all the winter layers and than a big huge wool coat or a big huge snow suit coat than making sure all is snug and safe I am sweating bullets by the time I am done I can only image how she feels. See what I mean a combination that is just.............WRONG!
2. Cribs AND Crib sheets! - I mean really come on it is truly a battle and I never seem to win. I know snug and safe but those things are crazy. It is always a broken nail, more sweating bullets and often.............a loud yell that sounds something like this "honey help". See what I mean a combination that is just..........WRONG!
3. Mama AND sickness! - I mean you know what I am saying, let's be honest Mama's do do do and when Mama's are sick all I can say is oh no a combination that is just............WRONG!

HAT

Laney loves to say "HAT" she puts them on all her babies and she loves to wear them herself. Her hat, Mama's hat & Poppy's hat she loves them all.

Winter playground fun #2

Winter playground fun #1

Sledding

First time sledding. I have to say Poppy was so excited I really felt like I had two children with me (hee hee). We did mostly video so only have a few pictures.

SS

Waiting and more paperwork but check another thing off the list (After a day of sledding last week it was to the SS office).

Snow Globe Dance

Tiki Love

Laney loves her dog Tiki. Tiki gives the love right back too. Ohhh a girl and her dog(s).

Maui Love

Laney loves her dog Maui. Maui wants to be in every room Laney is in. She makes herself right at home everywhere as you see.