Fate or Random Chance?

That was a question put to me recently on a forum. Do I think that Katie's referral to our family was fate or random chance?

We started looking at agencies in February 2005 - before I turned 29.

We chose our agency without contacting any of the references, we went with where our hearts were pulling us. The agency that we felt God wanted us to go with. There really was not any rhyme or reason as to why we chose it, other than it was the one that felt right.

We applied to our agency in November 18, 2005, when I was 29.5 years old. We had all intents and purposes of being DTC the day after my 30th birthday. If you are at all interested in what happened there, go read some of the archives here. If you still want to know more, email me.

We were DTC on August 18, 2006. Notice, that is EXACTLY 9 months from application to agency. We didn't make DTC by my 30th birthday.

We got our 171h approval on August 1, 2006. We got the email from our agency that we were approved for SN on August 1, 2006. :)

We changed our "maybe" to a "yes" for heart defect in September 2006 (I think it was early September). I remember we did so after finding out in mid-August that we were comfortable with the heart defects listed in a few SN children referred but we were never asked to review their files because we had it as a maybe. After getting clarification on what Yes meant and what Maybe meant, we changed that one answer as we truly were comfortable with heart defect.

At church, during Mission Friends, Samuel was given a map of China to color. He drew a smiley face on the map. I kept it thinking "wouldn't it be cool if Katie was from that province where the smiley face is." He did this in late August 2006 or early September 2006 as it was the first country studied in Mission friends that year.

Katie was born on August 1, 2006 (the day we got 171h approval and the email saying we were accepted in the SN program with our agency). Which means she was conceived in November 2005 around the time we applied to the agency. Was February 2005 important in her parents' lives in some way? I wish I knew.

She was from the Yunnan province, which is where Samuel had drawn the smiley face in late August or early September 2006. The same time frame she was taken to the orphanage (or declared abandoned). It would have been this time frame that the orphanage made the decision to place her for international adoption.

She entered the orphanage and was diagnosed as having a heart condition around the same time frame we updated our SN application to say YES to heart defect.

Late September 2006 our church hosted a Worldcrafts Village craft sale. I bought some of the crafts from China. They were all from the Yunnan province.

Katie is 3 years and 10 months younger than Samuel who is 3 years and 10 months younger than JM.

Katie has a birth mark on her foot, and the doctor had not seen one before (looks almost like a stuck splinter of wood). I have the exact same mark on the bottom of my foot.

I wake up grumpy in the morning, as do the boys. Since Dh is the one always waking us up, I am not sure how he is upon waking. Katie is possibly grumpier than I am...if you can believe that.

I love chocolate. Adore it. Crave it. So does Katie. Her reaction to seeing the jar with the M&Ms is just too cute (note to self, get it on video soon!).

Fate? or Random Chance?

Keeping Family Happy

She wants to play Wii so badly. Since she still tries to eat the controllers or use them as a phone, we don't let her just yet.




Seems I hear from my family and friends when I've not posted photos of Katie in a few days. So, I'm just doing my duty here...keeping family happy.

I was in a black and white mood today.

A DARE!

10 things I have done that most have not.

Is that most females? Or most people in general?

10. I have been to Disney World...umm...lets see...10 times so far.
9. Played a solo during our high school band's halftime show my Senior year, and managed to only fall during the last ever marching competition (yes it's caught on video).
8. Took 9 years of piano lessons, if you count those last few years as really taking or not (I refuse to video me playing).
7. Lived 28 years without mowing a single blade of grass (note I'm over 30 now and mourn the fact that I did learn to how to start the mower)
6. Went to 4 different colleges/universities to complete my degree in 4.5 years and 145 credit hours for a 120 credit hour curriculum...and I'm not in a military family.
5. Had my first child 2 weeks before I graduated college. I did not walk across the stage.
4. Homeschool my kids AND run a home business (I don't sleep much and I have a wonderful Dh)
3. Lived under a budget for over 7 years.
2. Quit work to stay at home with the kids
1. Followed my dreams.

I dare you, post your own 10 things on your blog (or in the comments here if you don't have a blog). :)

We got the COC!!

Katie is officially a Citizen of the US (well she has been since Dec 19th), but we have the documents to prove it...prove it enough to get her Social Security Card now! So, we can claim her on taxes, get her a passport, and then we'll readopt her and get a US birth certificate.

Came with a nice form letter congratulating her on her citizenship from Pres Bush.

the photo though...man she looks sad, sick, and mad. Yeah, that about sums up how she was in China.

Katie has an opinion already!

I went shopping for some clothes for next winter for Katie, and a few outfits for the spring/summer. Shocking, I know. I bought quite a bit with the knowledge that I would return some of it. I showed each piece to Katie for her opinion. The pink dress she smiled and clapped for. I showed her the hot pink jeans outfit, she squealed in delight. I showed her (with the same enthusiasm) a lime green sweater with jeans outfit. She gave me this look like "You've got to be kidding me." I showed her the Hot Pink Jeans outfit again, more squeals. The lime green continued to get evil looks. I excitedly held up this blue sweater with a snowman on it (with jeans of course). She blew me a raspberry. I showed her the pink coat - happy claps. I showed her the silver/pink shoes (Stride Rite tennis shoes in a matte silver)...happy squeals and claps. Held up a ladybug outfit - with sparkly ladybugs. It's RED and white...and elicited frowns. If this wasn't enough to convince me...while in Strasburg store (huge clearance sale....), I held up a pink dress and a purple dress. Both gorgeous, both would look great on her ...she picked the pink. Of course she picked the pink one.

Now, most of the time she wears whatever I buy or whatever I pick out. She'll wear it happily, even if it is blue. ;) However, if you give her the choice she wants pink. Or a dress. Or sparkly.

But don't forget, she picked the ball over the tiara. LOL

Giving Challenge

I completely lifted this from a fellow blogger/adopting Mom's blog...but she wrote it out so well that I couldn't help myself.

The Case Foundation, in partnership with Facebook, will be awarding $750,000 to inspire millions of people to take the CHALLENGE and learn how simple technology can be a force for good and giving.

Love Without Boundaries is a volunteer organization providing medical care, foster care, education, and nutrition to orphaned children in China. In 2006, their overhead was under 3% as they work without salaries in order to get every penny possible to the children. In 2006 they helped over 400 children have life changing surgery, had foster care programs in over a dozen cities in China, helped hundreds of children attend school, and provided nutrition to orphanages around China. Donating to LWB truly brings hope to those children who live as orphans. You can be a part of changing lives forever. The $50,000 prize can SAVE THE LIVES of ten innocent babies born with heart disease who are struggling to survive.

All it takes from you is $10, donated through your Facebook account. The challenge ends on February 1 at noon PST.

Did you know that Love Without Boundaries provides Heart Ultrasounds to babies in orphanages, and then provides heart surgeries for those that need it. Katie was most likely one of the babies to get a heart ultrasound. They also sponser foster care. While Katie's foster care village/orphanage was not listed on the the ones that they support for foster care, other Yunnan orphanages are.

Playing in her room

Hmmm...I think I'll play with this toy!


First I turn the arms to make them go click-click-click


Then I push the head down...


The arms going click-click-click are more fun...


The head going down is interesting afterall.


...and all the way down....


POP! The head comes back up!!


hmm...I need a slight break, soothing myself is another favorite activity


Hmmm...I'm trying to figure out if this is something I need to be scared of or not. I wasn't sure when it made noise but with it being quiet...well, I need to investigate closer.

Katie-Bug and the Boys

Because I don't want to forget...

*Katie sings...LOUDLY..."Daaaa daaaaa...dadadadada....daaaaaaaaa" We call it the Daddy Song.

*When I went into her room this evening because she was making noises, I found her bent over with her head in the corner of her crib and her feet inching closer to her head. It was like she was trying to stand on her head. I laughed and scared her to death.

*This morning, laying in bed with me, she smiled big and patted me on the chest and said "My Momma." yes, I melted. Into a huge puddle of goo. It wasn't pretty. ;)

*Samuel and Katie will play with each other in the van. They blow raspberries back and forth. LOUDLY. The spittle flies. Doesn't that make you want to ride with us?

*The boys love to announce the obvious. "Mom, Katie's crying again." In the van.

*Samuel popped the bottom of the baby gate at the top of our stairs out and announced, "It's like a doggy door! I can just crawl through." He's my "baby gate jumping" challenged child. Poor thing just can't get over them.

*Katie was not wanting to go to bed (what else is new), and we did the signs for eat and drink asking if she wanted food or a bottle. She laughingly tilted her face up and did a combined sign. Guess she wanted both.

*Katie was given money by my Great Aunt for Christmas. We took her to Tar-jay to spend it. She first fell in love with some Care Bear figures. Then we found Princess Tiaras. Then Princess Wands. Then a Princess tea set. Then a Princess Cell phone. The Cell Phone was "it" until we went down the baby doll aisle. She loved the little dolls that are motion activated and cry and move their heads. I held firm to those big eyes (not to mention those dolls kind of creeped me out). Then the next aisle, Katie got all excited. She saw a ball. A pink ball with Princesses on it. She threw that cell phone into the back of the cart and kicked her feet, squealed, and clapped her hands. She wanted that ball. Since it was actually in the "money budget" she had, she got her ball! :) I avoided that creepy moving doll.

*The boys gathered up all their money, and bought a new Wii game. It's a Beijing 2008 olympics one. Pretty cool.

*Getting the kids to bed is more interesting now. Samuel has a chapter book he's being read to, Katie gets a bottle, snuggle/cuddle, music and put to bed...again and again and again...JM reads while Samuel is being read to, then he and Dad "bond" over a television show. We're raising a Trekkie you'll be happy to know. Ensuring future geekdom for our eldest. Like he had a chance!

*In the van today, listening to Raffi because apparently adult songs are out of my life for the next 5 years or so, I was singing along..."...there were 5 little speckled frogs, sitting on a *something* log, eating the most delicious bugs...YUM! YUM!..." when I hear a cute little voice sing "YUMMMMM YUMMMMMMMMMM!" at the top of her lungs.

*Later on the Raffi CD, I was singing along to the Old MacDonald has a BAND song, and that same little LOUD voice sings "EEEEEEE I, EEEEEEEE I, EEEEEEEEEEEEEE, OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"

*Samuel, not to be outdone, while walking through Lowes, starts singing our State Song. He's got the first verse down (well sort of), then he hums the tune. Excitedly he exclaims, "MOM! I just hummed the 2nd verse to the state song!" Yeah, ummm, doesn't that mean he hummed the first verse and since the 2nd verse would sound just like the first...LOL I did praise him.

*Looking at cabinet door hardware (Oh honey, I want to go to Lowes and look at that soon with you), Samuel picked out the BLUE straight handles for his room. They are $8 (not sure if that is apiece or a set of 3). I did find some knobs for Katie's drawers that need replaced...47cents each. They're pink. Katie agreed that they would look good. ;) She clapped for them.

Since I've gotten so many emails...

Photo of Katie today. She was refusing to look at the camera, but she was fine with looking at the TV. LOL She was being silly, trying to show me just how uncooperative she could be.

Hope you enjoy this cute little face!

(in PIGTAILS!)

Almost a week?!

I'm so sorry! I've been busy following China blogs, seeing new families together...and dealing with our own life.

We set up the pack and play in our bedroom, and I am now getting a shower regularly. Katie is finally at the point where she will play for about 10 minutes by herself in it. Give me enough time to shower! Yippee!!!!!

We went to visit my parents this past weekend, and my sister came in with her two boys. Katie did wonderfully, and I think my youngest nephew and Katie are going to be trouble together in years to come. I walked in on them standing in Grandma's kitchen once. Katie was pointing at the cabinet where she could clearly see M&Ms through the door. My nephew (who is 3.5 months older than Katie...so almost 2) was standing there looking at it as well. They jabbered back and forth, and I could see Katie encouraging him to get that chocolate out! They followed each other around, and managed to get into different things...did I mention TROUBLE?! LOL

We were worried about how Katie would react to traveling, and she did very well. Slept great. Actually was happy in Grandma's arms, and did not get upset when Dh and I left the house to load the van with our things. She happily stayed with Grandma. Of course that might have been the cookies or the M&Ms. Katie did okay in the van/carseat. She got really upset about halfway through the trip, so when we make longer trips we will definitely have to build in "play times" for Katie. I'm sure the boys won't mind. ;)

I'll get new photos up soon. I know that is what you are wanting.

Families are in China!

After coming home, I get the excitement those who are home already feel when people they know are leaving for China. It's the memory of your own excitement, of reliving your own trip, and you truly are excited for them.

With that in mind....

Zoey has her family on the way. They are wonderful people too, and I know that one day Katie will get to meet Zoey and I hope they will one day become friends.

Then there is Caroline. Her family has been waiting so long to get their daughter...a very very long wait for LOA. She was referred the same day we got Katie's referral. THAT long. They should be almost to China by now. I'm so incredibly happy for them.

There are others from my agency traveling as well...so many I've gotten to know. As I don't have their links up on my blog, I'll not link to them.

An Award?!

Carla (at Baseballs and Ballerinas) nominated me, and I got this huge warm fuzzy feeling. I've never gotten an award here. *all together say awwwww*

But really, do I have a purpose here? This blog was created as a way to write about our journey to China to get Katie. It was a way to share photos easily with all our family members. It was a way to write out my feelings as we waited for each piece of paperwork. So, to me, it does serve a purpose. It's a personal one. It's not a purpose others would see easily. I hope people enjoy reading about our family, I hope that someone reading this blog might think about adopting a child, I hope that our extended family gets plenty of good information and the all important photos of the kids. ;)


Here are the guidelines -

AWARD GUIDELINES:
1. Awarded parties must nominate five people who have not received the award.
2. The blogs that receive the award must serve some purpose.
3. In their post about the award they need to link back to the original entry.
4. Awarded parties must post the award banner on their site. The banner must remain linked to site.
Eric Novak's

Here are my nominations:

umm...I dislike nominating people. So, if your link is on the right hand side over there? You HAVE a purpose!!! You enrich my life, you share your lives with little old me, and you give me something to read or see on the days I need contact with the outside world.

I nominate you, that is if you were not already nominated! ;)

Dinner tonight...my wild haired child

Katie pulled her bows out and I just didn't put them back in this evening. Thus...wild hair. ;)


Hey...the black box is back! Time to pull out my cheese grin...



Ha, you just think you can get me to smile a real smile...I'll show you!


You will put that down eventually and give me one of those cookies...right? Just checking because these Chicken bites are getting a little old and I need that sweet cookie soon.


Okay, purse those lips, look cute and perhaps she'll grab that box I see behind her...the one with the yummy cookies in it. (notice piece of pasta in the hair? that's why the bows were not replaced)


Yeah, that's the box with my cookies! Give me one!!!!


I found the secret to my little girl's heart. Cookies. :) Just wait until those Girl Scout cookies come in, she's going to be in heaven with the Trefoils.

She's a resilient little girl

Today has been MUCH better. She's either forgotten about the blood draws or she's forgiven me. Either way, while we still aren't 100% back to normal, we're very close to it. Of course my definition of normal may not be what you had in mind.

I even managed to get laundry done today! Hooray for clean clothes. We had a calm day finally, after almost a full week of hectic schedules. Tomorrow promises to be calm as well. I think all of us needed that right now.

While doing laundry I typically save the sock sorting for last. I really do not like sorting socks, and despite my best attempts to pass that chore off to the boys I still end up doing it. Katie decided to "help" today by moving socks from one clean basket to the next clean basket...or the floor. It was really cute.

She's currently walking around holding, hugging, and playing with a baby washcloth. I'm not taking it away. It's almost as cute as her loving on her baby doll. Almost. Baby Einstein video is almost over, so my brief interlude of computer time is up.

Sorry, no photos today of Katie-bug. Or the boys. LOL Just too busy trying to clean and take care of my family!

3 week step back

I don't often write about our struggles here, but I need to. Adoption isn't all roses, there is a lot of hard work involved in helping your new child attach and bond with you. There are struggles that you face that parents of newborns do not, but many of them are the same.

For one thing, we've been lucky that Katie has been sleeping through the night. It seems most of the kids go through some sleep issues and wake up a lot. Unlike when you have a biological child, we can not let Katie cry it out. It's not healthy for her because she does not know that we will always be there for her. She needs us to go in and pick her up, to love on her, to help her get back to sleep. While we don't have issues with Katie staying asleep, getting her to go to sleep has been rough lately. She just doesn't want to go to sleep. It takes a good 30 minutes or so to get her to the point we can lay her down. We learned, quickly, that if she falls asleep prior to being laid down in the crib she will wake up and cry. If we lay her down still awake but almost asleep, then if she wakes up in the middle of the night she doesn't cry and will go back to sleep.

Today? She's started having nightmares. We think, due in part to a rather traumatic experience yesterday at the doctor's office. It took 3 tries to get the blood drawn for various tests. I was holding her (on the doctor's recommendation after seeing us together and how attached Katie was to me). We are comforting her, but it feels like we've taken multiple steps back.

Another thing that has been very hard is how clingy Katie has been since right after Christmas. Dh went to work, and she was not sure what was going on. Things changed. She did start attaching to me, but she was anxiously attached. Which means I had to hold her as long as she was awake. This puts a great damper on going to the bathroom. It means no showers. It makes fixing dinner harder. I do have an Ergo carrier which helps, but there are times I need to be able to put her down. There was a time it had been over 3 days since I had a shower. Why? Because I couldn't leave Katie in her crib to take one in the morning (I don't get up before her and Dh is already gone for work when she wakes up...and NO I am not getting up with him). ;) Remember the Cry It Out? Can't do that...so no crib. Same reason we can't do the pack and play...although it could be in our room (just not close enough to the shower for her to be able to SEE me). Our bathroom is too small to put it in there...or anything like a supersaucer. That adjustment was tough on me, but Katie didn't seem to mind. ;)

Juggling 3 kids' schedules has been harder than I imagined it would be. Doctor's appointments (and we had orthodontist appointments, dentist appointments, etc. in this time period as well), extracurricular activities, birthday parties, school stuff, and church (we're with Katie there all the time as well). It's just a struggle to figure out enough time to clean the house, do the laundry, cook, and actually get to a grocery store!

So, today, after our traumatic experience yesterday, Katie decided that she was mad at me. She pushed me away, she refused to look at me, she refused to cuddle and snuggle, she refused to let me hold her, she didn't want me feeding her, and most of all she did not want Dh leaving after he came home. There were moments when she played with me, when she smiled at me, but if she thought about it she remembered she was angry with me and pushed me away. It's like we have taken a 3 week step back. We will work through it, and I doubt it takes 3 more weeks to get back to where we were, but it's hard emotionally to go back to that phase now. I'm taking it as an opportunity to work more on the bonding activities...to cement them in her brain.

I did not attempt to take photos of her today. But I can leave you with the photo I took on Sunday - with her cute bows that Beth made for her! :)

Do you need bows?

I think Katie needs more! ;) I know many of you make bows to help raise some money for your adoption, but I have a friend...she's actually one of my best friends forever from all the way back to Elementary School (and no I won't embarrass both of us by posting a photo from back then...although I might pull out that middle school winter dance photo! LOL).

She is a wonderful mom to twin 2 year olds and a 1 year old. Did I mention she is a WONDERFUL Mom?! She started making these bows when her daughter was a baby with barely any hair (she's 2 now and has lots of hair). Beth was so excited for us to be adopting a little girl that she started giving me bows BEFORE I had a referral. When I got Katie's referral and we saw the hair, I was given so many wonderful bows. I need more though. ;) I'm addicted to putting bows in Katie's hair now.

Beth just opened her ETSY store, and while she only has 6 bows listed, she can and does make any color combination, ornamentation, style, and what not you could ever want! Just ask, she'll make them for you. Trust me on this as I keep asking specifics for clothes. She's great too at matching Gymboree lines (and I think her bow money funds her Gymboree clothing fund).

Laney Bug Bows

That's a link to her store, and I'm going to add it to my sidebar as well. If you know of any other great home businesses I will be happy to check them out (product wise and then link up). :)

For those of you who saw Katie in her Valentine's Outfit last Sunday night at church, Katie was sporting pink and red corkers like the UT Orange and White bows (Beth calls them "corkers" when talking to me...guess it means corkscrew ribbons?).

Photos from the Portrait Shoot

I prefer outdoors or less formal shots, but these had to match what I have of the boys (or at least blend in) and they had formal portraits taken at 1 year. Yes, JM was in overalls in one, but the style was more formal.

I bought this dress around the time we decided to adopt from China. I chose a 12 month size because we were thinking NSN and knew our daughter would most likely be less than 12 months old when we got her. I thought we'd be traveling to get her in the summer of 2007 at the latest as well...thus sleeveless white dress. Not to mention it was on big time sale at Children's Place when I did get it! LOL

1 year portraits - a little late

With the boys we had their portraits taken on their 1st birthday (or very close to it), and then did a collage in a frame of them. One "good" shot and 4 personality shots. Each morning for the past month we've thought "We need to get Katie's done!"

Today was the day. We tried it. She's so mobile though it was like an aerobics workout. Up down turn around....dance dance dance....up down...fly like an airplane...up down...sit down...crawl...up down up down, and that was just US the adults. It was a long experience, and I'm not sure we got anything. We'll see though. I'm sure a few will turn out cute, might be the screaming her head off ones though.

Out-takes are good for a few laughs though...well more than a few laughs!

At the end, when it was dinner time and Katie was beyond done, we attempted all 3 kids together. That series of out-takes had us rolling in the floor laughing so hard! Samuel made these faces the entire time (well other than a couple shots), and there were a few where Samuel's faces rubbed off on JM...and then Katie. I might just have to show those.

Grandparents, yes, this means you should be getting photos of Katie in time for Valentine's Day! :)

Sweet!

While the boys were at Friday classes, I had Katie alone and I tried to get some portraits done. I have a few, but to say she only wanted to cooperate on her terms is an understatement. This was when we were all done, and one of the only smiles I got. :)

She's so sweet though that even the non-smiling images are cute!

1 month with us

Everyone asks how Katie is doing when we talk to them. She's really doing well. We all have moments here and there, but for the most part she's amazing. She has now been with us for 1 month (a little over 4 weeks). We've been home for 3 weeks.

Katie babbles constantly. We suspect she was speaking Chinese. She is saying a few words (those listed previously). Only now we are more convinced she knows what they mean. At least she pats me and says "momma" and when the cat meows, she says "MOW?" She says "uh-oh" when she drops something (on purpose mind you). She falls down, or "crashes" a toy on a table and says "Ka-boom!"

Katie is truly walking now. Before we said she was taking steps. She has started walking across the room, and is getting much faster. In fact she is almost running. It's not super great as she is super curious as well. We're having to relearn how to keep a curious active toddler out of things.

Katie is eating very well these days and trying to feed herself. She's only eating Gerber Stage 3 stuff (thickened with rice) but gobbles down the food. She's also finally started letting us know in some way she is thirsty or hungry (mainly she points and whines...particularly at the kitchen). It was tough there in the beginning when she did not give us clues that she wanted a bottle or some food. We had to guess.

She is laying her head on both of us, more so on Dh than myself. She runs to us and squeals when she sees us. She cries if one of use leaves the house (no longer when we leave the room unless we are the only one in the room with her...she still doesn't like being left alone). She will be okay if JM is in the room and pays her attention (hey I can finally go to the bathroom!).

When we meet new people, she no longer buries her head. She no longer flaps the hand at them that means "Go away." She smiles at them from our arms. If we put her down to walk, she laughs and giggles (but stays near us). She will give anyone "five." She will not go to anyone but Dh and I though (with the exception of a special person at Dh's work who spoke Chinese to her which she liked). If someone tries to hold her, she will turn in toward us (of if on the floor run and hug our leg and lift the arms up to be picked up).

Sleeping? Why is this the first question asked from everyone? LOL Katie has settled into a pretty good routine. She wants to nap around 2pm. She'll sleep for 2-3 hours. Getting her INTO bed at bedtime is hard these days (cries at being left alone...in the darkened room). But once asleep she does not wake up until the next morning (or at least she hasn't for about a week). She sleeps until 8-9am. We try for 12 hours of sleep at night, and 2 during the day. Daytime naps are easy to get her to go down for. We bought the Crib CD thingy and it's helping. I play lullaby music at night (same one nightly), and during nap she gets her Chinese CD or Little People CD, or another if I can find some more. :)

She does voice her displeasure at being disciplined. She likes to playfully hit me (at least I hope it's playfully). I catch her hands, hold them, look her in the eye and say "NO HITTING!" rather sternly. She cries. One night she hit hard, and I was a little more stern. She melted in my arms and cried her little heart out and CLUNG to me. I patted her, hugged her, and told her I still loved her but I did not like being hit.

I can not believe it has already been a month!

Wow, that's a lot of pink!

Tonight Dh was helping me with some laundry (well, he was standing there as I was putting the load in to be washed). As I was putting handfuls of PINK items in the washing maching, he commented, "Wow, that's a lot of PINK! I don't think we've had that much pink total in our washing machine in the 11 years we've been married."

I think he was exaggerating a wee bit, but I do admit that it IS a lot of pink. But in our defense, we had 2 boys. That's a LOT of blue and green. Katie looks really good in pink. She does not, however, look good in green or yellow or orange or peach or coral which are other "typical" girl colors. So, we are limited to pink, purple, and red clothes for the most part.

Of course I'm not complaining!

Now if I could only stay off that big auction site. I'm resisting so far on buying items, but it's been close a few times (been outbid). I've fallen in love with 2 outfits in particular...both shipped would be just over $50. I'm resisting greatly. It's going to be a contest though between my will power to NOT buy anything and Dh's willpower to NOT eat out. Who do you think will give in first?

Katie LOVES her brothers

Oh look it's my brothers! I just LOOOOVE my brothers.


OH MY GOODNESS!!! They are coming over to play with me! They are going to pay me attention!!! Wonder what they are going to do?


*GIGGLE* Oh JM's tickling me! Make him stop!!! *GIGGLE* Oh I love when he tickles me, I just laugh and giggle. When he does stop I grunt and whine until he tickles me again.

No, this is the BEST news!!

Tonight, holding Katie getting her ready for bed, she patted me on the stomach and said "Momma" and then she patted my arm and said "momma" and then she blew me a raspberry.

Cardiology Appointment News

Okay, the rest of the family has been told...I think. If not, it's all Dh's fault! I felt like I needed to tell them in person Katie's good news. :)

The doctor did the ??? and looked at the heart:

#1 - NO tricuspid valve regurgitation
#2 - the PFO really did close as per the 8 month ultrasound that was done
#3 - the PDA is still "barely" there. It is so itty bitty tiny that there is nothing that they can do for it at this point. Likely she'll have it the rest of her life, but it might still close (doubtful though).
#4 - No other abnormalities found

I asked what this meant. The doctor said that we should consider her as having a normal heart. I asked about restrictions. He said none. Thinking this was almost too good to be true, I asked specifically about going to Disney (priorities you know). ;) He told us that the signs on the rides that say "Do not ride this ride if you have a heart condition" do NOT apply to Katie.

He wants to see her again in 3 years just to check and make sure the PDA is not any larger (he doesn't expect it to be).

Isn't that the best news?!

and she's OFF!

Katie is really walking around these days. She's almost running as well.



Who else has this ability? I sure don't!

rejects for 366 challenge

It was rather nice today, and we were able to finally take down the lights that were up outside. Christmas is gone until November 2008. Katie enjoyed getting outside and playing in the grass. I would stand her up, she'd sit back down and explore the grass. Oh well. She had fun. Looked really cute in that bunny rabbit hat as well. ;)



After lunch we took the boys to ride bikes, and put Katie in the stroller. I think she enjoyed it. At least she didn't cry at all, she even giggled and smiled some (especially when I ran with the stroller).





Why yes I do have other children!!! See, JM is still alive. :)

more of Katie from the challenge

this was my 2nd choice for the 366 challenge tonight...well Saturday. ;)

She's telling me off in her head, I know she is. She wants a bottle and wants it NOW. Not to mention she's on the floor and I'm holding the camera. In her mind, that camera should be put down and she should be picked up! ;)

So I went to the Post Office...

and I shipped 3 packages and bought a sheet of Disney stamps (have you seen them? oh so cute)

and then I thought, I'm right here by Wally-world, why don't I go check to see if they have that Crib CD thing. They did not, but they did have socks for Katie, Dh's diet cola drinks, Luvs diapers, Goodnights, and that Baby Einstein Mirror book. They also had extremely LOOOOOOONG check out lines. 2 express checkouts were open, with about 20 carts each.

30 minutes later, I was walking out of Wally-world.

and then I though, I bet giant baby store has that crib CD thing. So I drove across town to giant baby store. I bypassed getting a cart because I was ONLY getting the crib CD thing.

and then I saw a red balloon. Huh? What's with the red balloon? Extra 30% off of clearance prices? Making this DRESS $8.75?! Okay, size 24 months for next Christmas for Katie.

and then...3 more balloons? Really? A pooh sweatsuit for $4.80? OH this pretty outfit for $4.80? and this ONE? Pretty soon I had 20 outfits in my hands.

and then, you know, I really need a cart. So I head to the front of the store to get a cart. I pass by a table with pacifiers on it. STRAIGHT nipple pacifiers. Only in blue though. Hm...perhaps if I go look over there with the other baby supplies. I pick up the blue pack just in case, get my cart, and head to the baby supplies. I find a pink set. Perfect.

and then, OH YEAH, the crib CD thing. So I walk to the back of the store and look around the cribs. No CD player thing. I walk to the toys. No crib CD player thing. I walk to the special gift area. No crib CD player thing. I walk by the "Red Balloons" again, and OH look that's a cute outfit....and another and another....oh...ummm...crib CD thing.

I head back to baby supplies (the only place other than the car seat aisles) that I had not checked. I look down through the monitors. No luck, but there is a new Deluxe Angel Care baby monitor. If we ever have another newborn, then that is the one I would want. Next aisle was bath toys. Then diaper pails (and I wonder if we need one or not). Last aisle and I'm giving up hope when I spy...

a PRINCESS bib!!! Katie doesn't have any real "toddler" style bibs. I debate on the plasticized cloth ones or the white terry cloth one that has PRINCESS embroidered on it. I go with the one that says Princess.

and then I remember my quest for a crib CD thingy. So I look on the other side of the aisle and find a "I-crib" thingy. It's on clearance for $20. Not included in the extra 30% off as that only applied to clothes and shoes. But it needs us to have an MP3 player or an I-pod.

seriously, we don't OWN any.

and then, I spy, right next to it, the crib CD thingy!!!! It's $40. Has a night light a timer...and attaches to the crib. Oh joy joy joy!!!! I can go back to the clothes. Priorities you know. I walk to red balloons, park the cart, and pull out my only calculator - my cell phone.

and then I enter in all the clothes (well half) and make a mistake and accidently clear the screen. I re-enter all the numbers and am about to press equals...the phone rings. It's Dh. He wants to know where I am and if I'm okay. Because I was going to the Post Office and it's now been about 2 hours. I tell him all of the above.

and then I remember he has access to a calculator so I ask him what is 70% of $12.50? of $6.90? of $5.50? Then I start trying to figure out which outfits I truly LOVE, which I like, and which I can live without. I'm down to 3 outfits.

and then I spy some sweatsuits and outfits on clearance but without a red balloon! They are included, just the red balloon was taken off. Sneaky people. I'm back up to 6 outfits now. I swear to myself that I am leaving. I really am....but I spy Valentine's outfits. I find a cute shirt for Katie for this year. I'm really leaving this time.

and then I see it...a perfect outfit for next fall - Disney Princess windsuit! It's 3T though. I want 2t. So I chase down the sales clerks, and ask "Where did this come from because I've been all over the store and I can't find it's rack and I really want a 2t so do you have anymore somewhere?" It's from giant toy store affliate. So I buy it anyway and pledge to go to giant toy store affliate to find the 2t and exchange.

and then....yes THEN I head home. Where I feed Katie dinner, tell Dh I want to go to giant toy store and I need C batteries for crib cd thing. So we go out to eat, drive to giant toy store - I find 2t outfit and exchange, we drive to computer store closing down to get laptop bag...we remember C batteries...there are none there...and drive to Red bullseye store, where I get batteries and container for receipts....

and then, yes THEN I'm headed home for the night.

What did I do?

She is a little anxiously attached these days, and if you put her down for second she cries. It only lasts a few seconds, but these huge crocodile tears well up in her eyes and she looks at you like you just killed her best friend. Yes, I'm a wimp, I will give her a big hug and typically pick her back up.

I give it a few more months then I will start working on my strength to resist those tears.

(I'm doing a 366 challenge - you take a photo a day for a year, this was today's)

Can I have a do-over?

It started BRIGHT and early this morning, like at 6am. Katie had her cardiology appointment at 7:45am. Getting us all up, out the door, and find this new doctor's office was a chore. We were about 5 minutes late.

Report from this appointment will be forthcoming! :)

We got home around 8:30am (yes really quick appointment, being first does have it's advantages). The boys did some schoolwork, Samuel took a nap, Katie and I took a nap...I burned some rice. I fed the boys and Katie lunch. Called my Mom.

12:30 and I remembered Karate! Yelled at the boys to find their Gis, tried not to laugh at Samuel wearing JM's gi pants from his old gi. Found the new ones. Got everyone in the van. We got to Karate about 5 minutes late.

Sat and visited with the other Karate Moms. Talked to one mom there at the end of class and remembered...the RICE. I forgot to turn off the boiling pot of rice. Begged my friend to bring the boys home, raced home (with Katie) to find my rice was well and truly burnt. ;)

Put Katie down for a nap (it was 2pm after all). Had Samuel work on school work. Had JM study his spelling words. Tried to stay awake. Katie woke up at 4:15pm. I realized it was past time to make it to JM's birthday party (luckily only 5 minutes up the road). On the way I remember that I forgot pizza, drinks, plates, party favors....good thing Dh was picking up the cupcakes that I had only ordered the night before.

Get to the party and I remember I forgot the Lunchable Pizza for my friend's little boy who is allergic to eggs and tomatoes. I felt TERRIBLE. The party location had "favors" I could buy, we ordered Pizza and drinks as well. We're at the party, visiting with friends and someone is using my camera to take photos of all the kids! YEAH!!!

I forgot the CF cards for the camera.

Luckily I had the point and shoot in the diaper bag, but all those first good images were not on any memory card.

I hope tomorrow is a better day. LOL

Katie's Words

I've been asked if Katie is talking yet. Well she babbles. However she has said a few things.

My-Mom (this is what she said over and over in China, and we think it refers to her Foster Mom)

No-no-no-no (this means No)

Momma (not sure if she means me, or just babbling. She might mean Dh though)

mow - she says everytime she sees a cat, yes a cat says "meow" :)

and I swear today, when she saw our cat she said "Kitty" and visions of Monsters Inc. popped in my head. LOL