Rah! Rah! Sis boom bah!

Of course she's a Terps fan.

A little bit of attitude!

And we're so happy to see it. We were at Animal Kingdom yesterday and I had just bought a bottle of water. Sasha reached up and said, "I want some." My hands were still filled with change, my wallet, and the bottle wasn't even open yet so I said, "Just a minute." Can you believe she actually stomped her feet and started a little bit of sassiness? I was shocked. Matt and I made her wait until we sat down on a bench and then told her to ask for it using her manners, which she did.

It's so nice to see that despite all she's been through, Sasha is turning into a "normal" 3-year-old.

Animal Kingdom pictures here: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=fv4uf6a.9oe5qb8y&x=0&y=-uq1vhr

What are you thankful for?

I am thankful for:

* Hearing the cutest little girl in the world call me "Mommy", Having the chance, finally, to be a mommy, and the woman who gave birth to Sasha

* My family and friends

* My furry, funny, fantastic doggies

* My Thanksgiving day memories: Waking up to the smell of turkey cooking and all the times I watched the Thanksgiving Day parade with my dad and sister while my mom was making a delicious breakfast. (Mom, can you fedex leftovers?)

* And, now watching the parade, excuse me--trying to watch the parade with Sasha. (Next year, Pap, you can make her watch it with you!)

* Our friends, Robyn and Jason for inviting us to be a part of their family today.

* The beautiful Florida weather (Just wanted to let all you Northerners know that it's supposed to be 78 and sunny today!)

When I asked what she was thankful for, Sasha said, "Bananas".

What are you thankful for?

When did it happen?

When I was laying in bed the other night, I was wondering why I didn't feel any different now that Sasha is in my life. I am very happy that she is our daughter but I guess I thought I'd see "MOM" written on my forehead?

Then I realized that I must have become a mom a long time ago. Was it long, long ago when I became the neighborhood babysitter? I was in high demand until I went away to college.

Was it driving as fast as could at 2:00 in the morning so I could be there when my first nephew, Jakob, was born? I know that's when my biological clock started ticking.

Was it being able to rock my 2nd nephew, Kristopher, right after he was born? It was such a wonderful feeling to hear him grunt his little baby noises.

Was it when I became a teacher? I know there was some point in my teaching career when I became more than just my student's teacher, I became their mom away from mom. That's when I became more nuturing.

Maybe it was when I got my doggies. They were a lot of work but now they are a part of our family. Even when Sasha talks about her family, she talks about Murray and Dudley.

Did all the trouble we had trying to have a child make me a mom? I was obsessed with getting pregnant. Then, when we decided to adopt, I was obsessed with completing the paperwork and bringing our child(ren) home.

Just when did I become a mom? I don't think you have to have children to be a mom, it just happens. I don't know when it happened because there were no fireworks or headline news stories but at some point "MOM" was written on my heart.

Butterfly Encounter

Sasha, Mommy and Daddy went to Lukas nursery (plants, flowers, etc.) today. This place is so fantastic. They recently opened a "Butterfly Encounter". They have a small building filled with butterfly/catepillar attracting plants. The room is just filled with butterflies flitting about everywhere. There is a separate room where you can actually hold the butterflies. You dip your finger in juice and then lift the butterfly just like you are lifting a parakeet. I don't know who was more amazed, mommy or Sasha! As you can see, she wasn't comfortable with the larger butterflies.

There was a small charge (children under 3 are free, adults $7) but it was so worth it. I highly recommend it to those of you in the area. It was a great experience and I know I can't wait to go back.

Number sense

It seems as though Sasha is developing a healthy number sense (yes, that's teacher talk). This morning when Matt was getting ready to leave, she said, "Daddy's going to work. Not 5 work, just 2 work."


I had my first mommy dream about Sasha the other night. It was just a family dream where we were all out doing something together. I know my friends who have had children have always said it was a strange feeling to be parents, almost surreal. Now I know exactly what they mean. It's starting to feel more like she's really our daughter and not like we're just babysitting! Of course, we still love her like crazy no matter how we feel!

What's yours is mine

Dudley's tea party. He was very disappointed to find that nothing was in the cup or the plate.



It was only a matter of time before Murray found a new place to sleep. The Barbie tent is so inviting.

She's not so bad.

As you can see, Murray and Dudley have really warmed up to Sasha. They have decided that she's not so bad afterall. Even though they've been stepped on occasionally, they are still very excited when she wakes up. They also love the extra belly rubs.

Didi

Didi and Sasha really bonded. We all cried when she left today but we know we'll see her soon. We love you Didi.

Is this what you had in mind?

Great Nanny, is this what you had in mind when you bought the hats for Sasha?

Obviously, Daddy loves being a daddy and is very in touch with his inner child.

Family

Boy, it's been wonderful having my Mommy here! How else do you think I'd be able to add 3 new posts to my blog? Sasha is cooking with Didi. Together, they made what Sasha keeps calling a "big cookie" but what really is an apple pie. Now, they are making dinner.

Great Nanny also came to stay for a night and worked hard teaching Sasha to recognize her ABC's and Numbers.

Mommy DOES have a good voice

One of Sasha's gifts at the Princess Party was a microphone that she can record songs on (Thanks Miss Stephanie!). Well, Mommy was showing her how to do it and recorded herself singing "If You're Happy and You Know It". While playing back my song, Sasha ran over, took the microphone from me and quickly turned it off. I guess she was just overwhelmed by my beautiful voice.

A Princess Party

My friends had a "Princess Party" for Sasha this weekend. It was much better then having a shower for mommy because Sasha was the center of attention! She enjoyed every minute of it but opening presents was her favorite part. I had warned her before we went in that there was going to be a lot of presents but we weren't going to open them right away. Can you believe this 3 1/2 year old waited until I said it was ok? She's such a good little girl.

More pictures here: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=fv4uf6a.2bdztney&x=0&y=4h9kbf

Oh and good news: It was much easier to shop for a party outfit for Sasha than it was to find one for mommy.

I've also decided that I would like to have a Princess Party for myself. Maybe, at a spa?

What's in a name?

Didi took Sasha to make her first Build-A-Bear. Sasha chose the frog. When we went to dress the frog, there were so many cute little skirts to choose from. For some reason, Sasha picked the leather skirt! Then, it was time to name the frog. The name Sasha chose....Bear.

Finally!

Finally, Saha's grandmother, mommy's mommy, came to visit! Didi (Her first grandchild, Jakob, confused--we think-- the names Kristi and Grammy and she became Didi.) got here yesterday and Sasha has been having a great time with her. Mommy wishes she lived closer to her family. Unfortunately, Pap and Aunt Kerri couldn't come but we'll see them sometime in December! We wish you were here.

International Adoption Doctor Visit

We drove to Tampa (about 2 hours) yesterday to meet with an International Adoption Doctor. He is the one that helped us with the medical records for I and E.

The best part is that Sasha did EXCELLENT in the car ride. We only had to stop once on the way down for a potty break and the rest of the time she played with her toys. On the way home, she fell asleep for about 1/2 the way and played the rest of the time. Matt didn't have to say, "If you don't stop, I'm going to turn this car around." or "Don't make me stop this car!"

Anyway, the nurse and doctor both fell in love with Sasha's charm. The doc said her growth rate is normal and she seems healthy, although she may always be skinny (lucky girl). She's slightly behind in gross motor skills but pretty close to target with everything else.

So that's it. It's what we expected. She's a perfect, skinny, charming little girl!

Watching your daughter laugh out loud....

....priceless.

We went to a local carnival last night and Sasha had the time of her life. She just loved the rides and the faster they were, the harder she screamed. She got bored on most of the kiddie rides but was just too short for the faster rides. (This ride was like the Tower of Terror.) More pictures are here: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=fv4uf6a.40x14lcq&x=0&y=jd8tym

Shampoo

Sasha and I went to Sea World today. She enjoyed everything and even surprised me when she sat patiently to wait 20 minutes for the dolphin show. We had to sit in the "Splash Zone"! She loved the show and was even clapping when no one else was. It was cute.

Then we played a game. Sasha vs. Mommy. Sasha won (well, not really but she doesn't know the difference). She chose a stuffed Shamu. We walked over to look at the Shamus swimming when I realized that she was calling them "Shampoo". Close enough!

As we were walking toward the exit, we heard music. As soon as we stopped to watch the men play the accordian and the guitar, Sasha jumped out of the stroller and started dancing. The men loved her (she was the only one around actually enjoying them).

"Ouch"

We went to the doctor yesterday to discuss blood work and an immunization schedule. The nurse had Sasha lay down on the table to do the TB test. She was practically laying on top of Sasha and told me to hold her head still. She stuck the needle in and Sasha said, "Ow." She barely budged.

Then we had to go to the lab for bloodwork. They had me put Sasha in my lap with my legs crossed over hers. They told me to hold her arm down and hold tight. The nurse stuck the needle in and Sasha said, "Ouch." No screaming, no wiggling. In fact, she then watched as they took 5 vials of blood.

We went to the dentist today. She climbed up on the chair, laid back and said "Ahhhhhhh.....".

I hope she stays this way. She's a much better patient than her Daddy!

Next Year's Costume

I have a bin filled with our costumes over the years. I had it out because a neighbor needed a wig. When I was on the computer yesterday, Sasha started going through it. She was making a big mess but when I turned around to look at her, I couldn't help but let her continue. 2 different shoes (70's and 80's), a 70's purse and a pink boa.