Beautiful Story

Apparantly, this was on Dateline the other night and I missed it. It's about a family who adopted twins from Russia. While they were there, they were told that the twins had 2 sibling sets (2 sets of twins). How could you not go back for them?


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13546439/

Picture Problems

I didn't realize that the links to my pictures of our PA visit wasn't showing up in my posts. So here are the long links until I figure out what's going on.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=17wbi2vy.3i1rmoem&x=0&y=-h8v7gh

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=17wbi2vy.a25dn2ry&x=0&y=-7qgt74

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=fv4uf6a.5o9c2dem&x=0&y=-2ml3s3

More pictures

Eliana watches sports just like her Pap does (eyes closed)

First trip with 2 children

It went well. Eliana did great on both flights. She cried on both flights for just a few minutes but only because she was tired. As soon as she fell asleep, she stayed asleep. I got "the look" both times (from a man of course) but just gave "the look" right back to them. I'm sure you know as well as I do that it's the mother's fault when a baby is screaming at the top of her lungs. You also must know that the mother is enjoying having the baby scream as much as she is enjoying not being able to get up out of her seat to walk around with the baby. And, mothers certainly don't care that their baby must be disturbing many other passengers.

Lions and Tigers and....

....snakes! Oh my!

I found this snakeskin in our backyard last week. It was longer than Sasha. Just normal Florida wildlife. I guess I should be happy that it was only a skin.

As I jumped every time I walked by the snakeskin, I started thinking.

Don't you wish you could just shed your skin sometimes?

It's Official!

We went to court this morning to finalize Eliana's adoption. We were never really worried that anything would happen but I have to admit that it is nice to have that piece of paper. The judgewas late but we expected that. Sasha, being Sasha, was pretty much bouncing off the walls by the time they brought us back. Eliana ate right before we went in and slept through the entire hearing which wasn't very long. The judge and our lawyer asked easy questions. "Do you love her as though she were born from you?" Uh, yes. "By legalizing the adoption, are you aware that she is an inheritant?" Um, ok. At one point the lawyer asked us if we were aware that by adopting Eliana, all birthparent rights and responsibilities would be terminated. That's when I got a little teary eyed. Thank you R. We love you.

Adoption is so bittersweet.

More pictures here (including some lovelies taken by Miss Sasha)

It's time

Eliana's new medication is working great. In fact, it's working so well that she's a hungry little monster most of the time. She is no longer sleeping through the night. Her doctor told us that if we notice the medicine is working, we could start her on cereal. I tried this morning and I couldn't stop laughing. I think she swallowed 3 bites but the last one was only because I had to give her a bottle. She was crying so hard because she was hungry.

Sasha's Social Life Wears me out!

Eliana was waiting for everyone to get ready for Sasha's show. She lasted as long as she could! I have to say though, that she was soooo good during the show. It was about 2 hours long and other than a little fussiness for a bottle, she may have been the best behaved child there. Actually, she was even better behaved than some of the parents there!

The VERY LONG End of the Year Show

Pictures of her end of the year show for cheerleading and gymnastics.

We have now started the obligatory acuccumulation of trophies (i.e. dust collectors).

FYI: The blurry pictures were taken by Matt! ;)

Video to come later

Pomp and Pre-Schoolers!

Sasha's pre-k graduation was Friday night. I would write more but there is a baby on my lap trying to eat my hands!
More pictures here

Hey Now!

Eliana's laughs have gotten more and more animated lately. I can tell that she is really finding something funny and not only smiling just to amuse me.

We were at the mall yesterday and she was lounging in her stroller as I was trying on clothes. She was watching us in the mirror, just smiling away. All of a sudden, she let out this loud, hearty laugh.

I had just put on a bathing suit.

We're working on her coordination.

But doesn't she look good?

Just a quick funny

On our way to school today, I actually had time to stop and get coffee. Barnies is kind of on the way but it's a little tricky to get out of the parking lot at that time in the morning and I usually have to do a u-turn. So, I did my little trick and we passed right by the coffee shop again and Sasha said, "Hey we were just there!" I said, "Yep, I just did a u-turn". She said, "No, Mommy I didn't turn."


Get it.....u-turn ----> YOU-turn. Ha ha.

Bittersweet

Mother's Day was a little bittersweet for me this year. I kept thinking of Eliana's birthmother and wondering how she was feeling today. I thought about lighting a candle for Sasha's and Eliana's birthmother but I didn't think Sasha would really understand it. So, instead, I decided to send them some loving thoughts.

Thank you for these beautiful girls.

My 2nd Mother's Day

My 2nd child. Oh! I'm so excited for my 3rd Mother's Day.

I had a very nice, relaxing day. Matt did the best he could to handle two children but he did just admit to his mom, "I am not a mother." Well, Mommy had a nice hour and half nap today so whatever you did was just fine with me!

Champion Roller

With a little help from Murray, rolling isn't so bad.

"Come on, Eliana. You can do it!"

Ok, that's enough for me.

In just 2 days Eliana has become the Champion Rolling Baby! The other night, I had her laying on her play mat while I was making dinner. When I peeked over to check on her, she was on her stomach, FACING THE OTHER DIRECTION! I first asked Sasha if she had moved her, knowing full well that she was in a zone watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. So, I rolled Eliana onto her back and she immediately rolled right back over. Great.

I wasn't quite ready for this so soon. She had been practicing a lot but just-couldn't-get-that-leg-all-the-way-over. This morning when she woke up, she was fussing. Matt went over to check on her and she was on her stomach. She was on her stomach and was still swaddled. Great.

The only way she sleeps really well, is when we swaddle her. We have always just swaddled her arms and left her legs free. I guess now, we won't be swaddling anything. Great.

I guess I should go to bed now. I have a feeling I won't be sleeping much for one of two reasons: 1. Ellie will have trouble sleeping.

2. I will be worried that she'll roll onto her tummy and not be able to breathe.

No title necessary

She would only sleep on Mommy's lap.

Damn Patrol

Yesterday, as we were leaving school, she was having trouble putting on her sandals.

"Damn!"

Mommy was not so nice about this time and I hope she learned her lesson.


Today, on the way home from school, she said, "Mommy, I didn't say 'damn' today." Hmmm....well, I'll take it.

It's a Miracle!

For the first time since we brought Eliana home, my inbox is EMPTY. Now what do I do?

So Sweet and Innocent!

Today we went to the grocery store. I decided to go at 4 pm which as we all know, is a busy time. As we pulled into the parking lot with a bunch of other cars, I heard a very loud and passionate "DAMN!" coming from the back seat. Let me clarify, this profanity came from the back seat of MY CAR. Damn.

As I was trying very hard not to laugh, I calmly said, "Sasha what did you just say?" She said, "I said 'damn'". I was still trying not to laugh and thinking I was going to give her the benefit of the doubt. I thought maybe, just maybe, she didn't really know what she was saying. "Sasha, why did you say 'damn'?" She responded, "I said it because there are a lot of cars in this parking lot now."

We don't swear in front of our kids. Being the good mommy that I am, I explained to her that damn is a bad word and only a word that grown-ups can use. She said that her friend R at school says it all the time. Damn. Good thing there are only 2 weeks left of school. I gave her some suggestions of what she should say instead.

Oh, and here's the best part. At the grocery store, we were in the water section and it was pretty empty. Sasha, good, sweet, innocent Sasha looks at the empty shelves and quietly says, "Damn".

We have to give her credit for using the word in the right context don't you agree?

He's getting closer

I was shocked to turn around and see Dudley this close to Eliana. Of course, he was afraid of the terrible screeching (she was playing) that Sasha was doing in the bathtub but still, he got close!

More Babywearing pictures

She's a little low in this one but she was finally asleep after about an hour of the crankies!

I just can't help it. I'm so excited about my new carriers.

This is my new favorite Ring Sling. It is a BB-Slen wrap that someone had made into a Ring Sling.

Oh yes she did!

Eliana said, "Mum" twice! She did! She was crying and wanted me to pick her up and she said, "wwwaaaahahhhhhhhhhh.....Mum. Mum".

A little more babywearing for you

She was sound asleep in these pictures....
...and a little bit crooked but, still, she was sleeping!

I finally got pictures today. This is my FAVORITE carrier right now. It is called a mei tai and the brand is Sachi. It's really easy to use and very comfortable. It's reversible and the back is solid black.

This is another mei tai. It is from Mei Tai Carrier. The reverse side is stripes. The body of this Mei Tai is slightly larger than the Sachi.

And, she was asleep 3 minutes later.

4 Month Check Up

Eliana had her 4 month check-up today and all is well. Dr. A has upped Eliana's dosage of zantac and added a medicine called Regulan to the mix. Part of the reason Eliana is having feeding issues is because her stomach is slow to empty. So, the Regulan should speed up the process. This makes me think I'm in for some MAJOR diapers soon. If the Regulan/Zantac combo seems to increase her appetite, then we can start her on cereal.

She weighs 14 lbs., 10 oz. and is 25 1/4 inches long. She is in the 75%ile for weight and the 75-90%ile for height so we have nothing to be concerned about.

The only bad news is that our beloved pediatrician is leaving and moving to a different state. She has been soooo wonderful with our girls. She had been referred to us by our social worker because she also has children through international adoption. In fact, she has 7 children! If I remember correctly, 6 of them are hers through adoption. She most recently brought home 3 siblings from Russia. She's a wonderful doctor and will be missed.

Some Babywearing Education

This is a Gypsy Mama Baby Bali Stretch wrap and a bad picture! The print was gorgeous and it was oh so soft! It almost felt like cotton jersey knit. It was also oh so hot and I would start sweating just wearing it around the house! I sold this (it sold in a matter of minutes because they are so popular). I have since traded a homemade diaper bag for a homemade GAUZE wrap (no pictures right now), a much lighter material. It's much cooler but takes too long to tie up. Wraps are very comfy, but you have to take the time to get them just right. I think I'm going to sell this one too.

FYI: I hate this picture of me but it's the only one I have in this carrier. This is a pouch and yes, that's Eliana in there. Pouches are made to fit and are not, usually, adjustable. I wasn't very comfortable with this one and ended up donating it to a teenage mother's center. I have won a few naming contests for a different type of pouch so as soon as she releases her new colors, I will order another and try again.
This is a ring sling. It's hard to see in this picture and I'll try to get a better one. I have 2 Pretty Momma Slings and a BB-slen RS (a wrap made of really soft material turned into a Ring sling) on the way. Right now, ring slings are my favorites. They are adjustable, easy on and off. You can do many different carries in them. And the reason why I have 3 is....because I do!
This is my Loopi. I wish I would have had this when we first brought Eliana home. It was so easy to use and so soft and warm. It looks like a wrap but was actually made of 2 loops of material and 1 support piece (not wearing the support in this picture). Eliana let me wear her in it a few times but then cried every time after that so I, unfortunately, had to sell this one too.

This was the very first carrier I ever bought. It is a Mei Tai and it was absolutely GORGEOUS! But, it was a little too big for both mine and Eliana's petite-ness at the time so I sold it. I think I'd probably be able to make it work now but, sigh, it's gone.

I actually have a runner up for favorite carrier, another Mei Tai and 2 more on the way! I will post pictures of them soon.

Before I had children, I probably would have thought this was crazy. I mean what are strollers for anyway? After doing EXTENSIVE research on "babywearing", I became obsessed!

My main reason for wanting to "wear" Eliana was to bond with her. I didn't have the opportunity to bond with her for 9 months before she arrived. When we brought her home, I wanted to have that closeness. I wanted her to be close to me to learn my smell and my voice. It turns out she was just a little nugget so I was very good at carrying her around the house one handed!

Phew! It seems like I spent a lot of money on these but there were only a few that I bought brand new. I used the paypal that I earned from selling the ones I didn't like to buy new ones. Actually, one of the carriers that is on the way is a tester model. Someone is trying a new style and needs some mommas to try them out so I got it very cheap!

www.thebabywearer.com has excellent information.

Your 4-month-old: Week 1

NO NO NO NO NO!!!!

Say it isn't so!!!!!!!!

Another Sashaism

I have to come up with a word for her statments. They just keep getting funnier and funnier.

This evening, her hair was in her mouth because she wanted to wear it down today. Matt asked her to push it behind her ears and she said, "When I was little I wanted to be a boy when I grew up. I wanted to have little hairs like you."

My 2nd Mother's Day Luncheon

Sasha's class had a Fiesta Luncheon for the mommies today.
Videos Here

These are the 2 cards Sasha made for me. No, I don't know why my face is green. This is what it says:

My Mom is 41 years old. Hey, I'll take that. One of the boys said his mom was 72!

My Mom likes to play games, wash the dishes and pet the dogs. Really? What mom likes to wash dishes? Not me!

I like to give my mom flowers.

I like when my mom cooks eggs. I don't like eggs. I can't stand to touch them and I don't even know how to cook them.

My mom has the prettiest necklace. Hmmmm....the last time I wore a necklace was....ummmm...I can't even remember.

I know my mom loves me because she gives me a little flower heart. Maybe you can tell me what this 'little flower heart' is because I sure don't know.

My Mom wears many Hats...

I don't really think Sasha understood the meaning of this one because inside, she said:

Brown hats, little hats, Cinderella hat. She wears lots of hats when she gets her haircut. Ok.

Don't Mess!

DO NOT MESS WITH ME WHEN I AM EATING CORN ON THE COB!!!

I'm sure you can see the pure joy/desperation/determination on her face and can tell how much she loves corn on the cob.

Class of 2020

We had her Kindergarten orientation today. The school she will be attending is very nice. It's only 4 years old and there are a lot of teachers working there from where I used to teach. I have my spies. Sasha has no idea what she's up against being the child of a former teacher. Poor kid.

We took a tour of the school and then went back to the cafeteria for questions. A lot of parents asked very good questions and all of a sudden, Sasha raised her hand. The principal pointed to her and said, "Yes Ma'm."

Sasha asked, "How do you make sandwiches?"

I wonder if they have any idea of what they are in for...

Happy Birthday Sasha!

I can't believe I didn't post on her birthday. Well, yes I can, I was exhausted and didn't even think about posting!

So Sasha turned 5 yesterday. Crazy, huh? We heard her coming downstairs in the morning because she screamed, "I'm 5 today!" Then on the way to school, she was falling asleep in her carseat and said to me, "Mommy, 5 girls can do this because they get tired." So I'm hoping that means that she'll start taking naps again! Yeah right...dream on.

Birthday Pictures Here