Are We On To Something?

My...don't the two of you look all bright-eyed and bushy tailed this morning!

I'm almost afraid to post this but I just have to share...Lily has slept through the night...in her own crib...for the past 3 nights!!! This is the first time this has happened since we've been home. Of course, we've had full nights of sleep here and there but never 3 nights in a row.

Lily has been sleeping much better for the past few months. However, most nights Lily still wakes up one time somewhere between 12:00 am - 2:00 am. Once Lily is awake it is very hard to get her back into her crib. Yes, we have tried not taking her out of the crib...and yes, I know we're the adults and she's the toddler but...trust me...Lily gets really worked up and it can literally take hours to settle her down.

We bring Lily into bed with us and then she's back to sleep in a matter of minutes and so are her Mom and Dad! This is not a habit Tony and I really wanted to start and one we understand can be quite tough to break. We are fairly confident, however, that Lily wont be coming home from her Senior Prom (that is if Tony lets her go) and climbing into bed between the two of us!

Trust me, I've read countless books on how to get your baby to sleep through the night and I've received untold numbers of suggestions from other parents. The truth is Tony and I are not willing to let Lily cry "it" out. What is "it" anyway...her fear that we're not there...her fear of another big upheaval in her life...what exactly is "it"? Since we don't know the answer to that...and since to us it feels like the right thing to do...Tony and I will respond to Lily when she cries and do our best to comfort her.

The great mystery is what are we doing differently that is making Lily suddenly sleep through the night? The answer is...Nothing! We've done the same exact bedtime routine forever...maybe now it's just paying off.

Ahhh, sleep....glorious sleep! Please pray it continues.

Lily And The Tramp

Let's meet in the middle.

Daddy, do you want a spaghetti smooch?

Our friends (and Lily's Godparents), Laura and Rich, were up visiting for Thanksgiving and we were able to spend some time with them and their boys this weekend.

Thanks for sharing your spaghetti with me Uncle Rich!

Saturday afternoon Laura, Rich, Sam, Adam, and Ben came over and spent some time playing with Lily. It was obvious Lily loved having them over as much as we did. Later, we all went out for dinner. Normally, when we go out for Italian I share my baked ziti with Lily and she gobbles it up. Not Saturday night. Don't get me wrong...Lily put a pretty good size dent in my baked ziti...but only until until Uncle Rich shared his spaghetti with her. Then it was...Move over baked ziti and keep that spaghetti coming Uncle Rich!

Do you guys like my party hat?

It is no secret that Laura, Rich, and the boys are some of my favorite people and this weekend I was reminded again why.

Lily's First Boo Boo

Since this is as close as I've come to putting a Baby Book together for Lily I would be remiss if I didn't mention Lily got her first official boo boo on Thanksgiving Day.

I would've taken a picture to post...but my camera doesn't have a strong enough zoom! Honestly, we're talking a very minor scrape on her right knee. No tears and no band-aid required.

Little did we know that every diaper change and tubby time since then would center around this little scrape and require lots of smooches and reassurances. Lily can't quite manage to get her knee to her mouth so she kisses her fingertips and then pats her knee. Of course, Daddy and I have to administer some healing kisses, too!

Nanook Of The North

The weather on Thanksgiving Day was beautiful...a touch of Indian Summer. The nice temps didn't last long and overnight the temperature must have dropped 30 degrees!

This gave us the first opportunity to bundle Lily up like the Michelin Man. In Tony's favorite referral picture of Lily she is dressed in a pink snowsuit. We dubbed that picture the Michelin Man photo (for obvious reasons). Checkout our Then and Now Michelin Man Cutie. Lily's not in a snowsuit in the Now picture...but boy is it fun to see how much she's grown!

Then

Now

Lily LOVED her hat and did not want to take it off when we came back inside. The little boy next door called it Lily's "party hat". I like that name...I think it will stick.

Lily also had a lot of fun playing in the piles of leaves Tony worked so hard to gather!

Um, where did my legs go?

Sorry I messed up your neat little piles, Daddy!

So Thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I love Thanksgiving...and this year...even more than I usually do! It was so wonderful to spend our first Thanksgiving with Lily.

This morning we went to church with Suzy and Sheila. Emmanuel Baptist is not our regular church but the folks there are always so warm and welcoming. It was so nice to share part of the day with them and to take some time to thank God for all of our many blessings!

As is our normal tradition we had Thanksgiving dinner at Mary Beth and Ed's. As always, everything was wonderful and I am so happy that Lily will grow up with the special traditions that Mary Beth has put in place.

Each year Mary Beth has some different way for all of us to share what we are most thankful for. We tease her unmercifully about this...but honestly, it would not be Thanksgiving without this tradition. It is fun to take a minute to think about what you are thankful for and to share it with other people. As you sit and listen to other people's offerings it helps you to remember even more of your blessings.

Mary Beth also always has some fun type of place cards. Again, we tease her about this...but I never want to go to her house and see a table set without some unique, crafty place cards!

For as long as I can remember Mary Beth and I have gotten together the day before Thanksgiving and cooked all day. We weren't able to do that this year and I missed it even more than I thought I would! Hopefully next year we'll pick up this tradition again.

Here is a short list of what I am thankful for this year:

• For our sweet daughter, Lily, who is the answer to so many prayers.
• For my thoughtful husband, Tony, who makes my dreams come true.
• For my extended family for all the happy memories we have made together and for all the happy memories yet to come.
• For a wonderful day spent with family and friends.
• For my health and my home and all the simple pleasures that I so often take for granted.

On a very sad note, Frances, my brother-in-law Dave's mother had a heart attack last night. Frances had angioplasty and a stint inserted and will have a pacemaker implanted tomorrow. Frances has lived with Patti and Dave for the past 7 years and will be celebrating her 88th birthday in just a few weeks. Please pray for all of them.

Silly Lily

Our little Lily has quite the sense of humor and is starting to enjoy playing little games.

For quite a while now Lily has been having fun by "hiding" things and then signing 'Where'. Of course, we make a big production out of trying to find what is normally hidden in plain sight and Lily laughs and laughs while we search. One of Lily's favorite things to hide is her hand (inside her sleeve). She will then use her other hand to sign 'Where'. She just loves this game.

At breakfast on Sunday mornings Dad Dad hides Lily's treats in his hand and then either Dad Dad or Lily will sign 'Where'. Lily then proceeds to pry Dad Dad's fingers open to see what he has in his hand. Sometimes it's a snack but every once in a while it's nothing. You should see the look on Lily's face when Dad Dad has tricked her. She just loves playing and laughing with her granddad!

Lily also loves to pile everyone's hands together on top of each other. Picture what people do in a huddle and you'll know what I mean. Lily wants everyone to participate...even if they are sitting at the other end of the table! The funny thing is with all the hands stacked together you will feel Lily's little index finger moving back and forth signing 'Where' and then she pulls her hands out and laughs and laughs.

I know I've mentioned this before but Lily just LOVES her feet and thinks everyone else should, too. When Lily takes her shoes and socks off (which she does 1,000 times a day!) she gives each of her feet a loud smooch. Lily also kisses her feet and says "goodbye" when we put her socks and shoes on. If we happen to be at the right place at the right time Lily will hold her feet up and expects Daddy and I to kiss them, too! Lily really is quite the little actress and all it takes is to laugh at one of her antics once for it to become part of her normal repertoire.

Lily has also mastered the fine art of laying flat as a pancake. When she and Tony are playing and he is chasing her she will stop and lay down flat on the floor. We think Lily believes then Tony can't see her. Lily will also do this at the end of Tubby Time Spectacular. Lily lays her cute little nudie patootie self on the bottom of the tub and goes all limp like a noodle. When Tony tries to pick her up she has a little giggle fit. Lily has the greatest laugh and once she starts Tony and I can't help but join in!

Lily also loves to be Mommy's resting post. When I change Lily's diaper sometimes I will make a big production of straightening Lily's legs out so that they are pointing straight up. I then flatten out her feet and rest my cheek on the bottom of her feet. I then pretend to fall asleep and snore like a lumberjack. Lily waits a few seconds and then lets her legs drop so that my head will fall. She gets the biggest belly laugh out of this and wants me to do it again and again!

Lily is so much fun and it is a blast to see her silly, playful personality emerging more each day.

Life With Lily

Today is the 7 month anniversary of us being united with our sweet Lily and what a great 7 months it has been!

Lily is happy and healthy and really what more could we ask for? Absolutely Nothing! Tony and I are constantly amazed by the joy loving Lily has brought us. Each day is better than the day before and we are so humbled and thankful to be Lily's parents.

It is incredible to watch as Lily grows and changes every day. Lily now 'gets' that stacking cups...stack...and that the shape sorter...sorts shapes. We have so much fun watching Lily play with the same toys she's had for months but now plays with in a new way. When Lily fits one of the shapes through the sorter or stacks the cups on top of each other you should see the look of pride on her face!

Lily loves to pretend...or as our social worker, Rick, called it "imaginative play". Rick was surprised that at Lily's age she was already taking sips out of her stacking cups and then bringing them over for Tony and I to have a sip, too. I think Rick was probably more surprised by Lily's loud lip-smacking and "Ahhh!" after each sip. Lily's Dad Dad taught her how to do that!

At this point I think Lily will grow up to be a film director. Our little miss is quite bossy and likes to direct her Daddy and I when we play with her. Lily likes to tell us where to sit...or in her words...seat. If you move from your appointed place she will catch you and put you back in position. She really is quite funny!

Each day Lily and I take a walk together. Recently, Lily is not at all interested in being in her stroller. There's just too much for her to see and do! Some days our 'walk' might not be any farther than to a big pile of leaves or to a mound of acorns. I love to watch Lily go through the leaves and acorns to find the ones she wants and then watch her try to decide what to do when she wants to pick up more then her little hands can hold. Honestly, it's almost like you can see her thinking, "Should I put some of these down? Nah. I'll hold a few between my chin and chest, some in both my hands, maybe Mom can carry some...there's always my pockets....well, maybe this one isn't so special after all...I'll put that one down...but wait...look at that one...." Life really does look different when you see it through the eyes of an almost 17 month old.

I sneaked in tonight and took a picture of Princess Tubby. I think you'll agree it's a far cry from how Lily looked 7 months ago...when you probably could of heard her crying from afar.

Cheese!

As much as I wanted to find a fast-forward button for my life while we were waiting to bring Lily home...I wish I could find a pause or at least a slow-down-a-little button for our life right now! I just don't want to miss a thing!

Our Little Parrot

Our little Miss Parrott has turned into quite the little parrot! Lily repeats *everything* she hears (and a lot of what she sees)! I better clean up my act....and fast! In the back of my mind I keep hearing my mother's voice saying, "Your father and I didn't spend all that money on a Catholic education for you so that you could end up talking like a sailor!" I sure don't want to hear an ugly word coming out of Lily's pretty mouth!

Mommy, did you tell them I know how to say "Cheese!"?

When you talk to Lily she repeats back part of whatever you say. Here's how a conversation goes with Lily right now:

Tony: "How's my little sunshine?"

Lily: "Sunshine!"

Me: "Lily, do you want to go outside?"

Lily: "Outside!"

Over the last several weeks Lily's vocabulary has absolutely exploded! Tony and I are amazed at all the words she is now using. Yesterday when I put Lily's breakfast down in front of her she said, "oapmeal". This morning as I was cutting up some strawberries and bananas for Lily she said, "nanas, strawbees". Both of these things occurred without any prompting. It's like something has clicked inside Lily and now she gets that all these sounds and signs she's been hearing and seeing mean something...and she wants to use them all!

I just LOVE to talk!

I've actually had a few small two-sided conversations with Lily recently, too. The other morning Tony left for work before Lily woke up. Normally Lily is awake when Tony leaves for the day and she is used to Daddy's morning routine. Anyway, when Lily woke up she signed to me, "Daddy where?". I signed back "Daddy's working". Lily voiced, "No. Shower." I was shocked.

Now, let me warn you, if you spend time with Lily you might think Tony and I are crazy and that she really doesn't say a thing. Lily can be quiet as a mouse when she wants to be...and more so when she's not comfortable. But, spend a little time with Lily and let her get to know you and you'll see what a little chatterbox our sweetie has become!

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Last night the Seattle Seahawks were on Monday Night Football...that's darn close to a high holiday in our household! Lily is in bed by 7:30 so she wasn't able to watch the Seahawks beat the 49ers but she did join in some of the pre-game fun.

Lily got "suited up" for the big game in her Seahawks cheerleader uniform and looked absolutely precious! Since Lily wore her uniform during the last Seahawks televised game and they won Tony thought maybe she should sleep in her uniform to bring the team good luck. Calmer heads prevailed and Lily got to sleep in her regular pj's...and the Seahawks won anyway!

Birthday Dinner

Tonight, Tony, Lily, and I went to Little Italy for dinner to celebrate my birthday. We had a wonderful time. While it is true we eat out A LOT this was the first time we've taken Lily to a "white table cloth" restaurant. Let's just say the table cloth didn't stay white very long! Thank God they put white butcher's paper down on top of the table cloth!

We ordered Lily the children's portion of spaghetti and meatballs. Mistake! We should have ordered the hungry man's portion! I tell you that little cutie can eat. Much to her vegetarian mother's delight Lily wouldn't touch the meatballs...but she gobbled down every last bit of the spaghetti...that is every bit she wasn't wearing!

After dinner we went to Vaccaro's so I could get a cream puff for dessert...even though we had dessert at the restaurant. Apparently the waiter was "eavesdropping" and heard Tony and I talking about what a wonderful first birthday as a mother I was having. The waiter surprised us by bringing out a HUGE dessert. Of course, there was no way the waiter could have known I don't like chocolate! It was very sweet of him and Tony said it was delicious!

While we were at Vaccaro's we ordered Lily a sugar cookie. People tease us about not feeding Lily sweets but the truth is so far she really just doesn't seem to like them. When the cookie came it looked beautiful...pink sprinkles and all. Lily took one bite of it and made the worst face! She tried a few more bites but never actually swallowed anything. So far Lily just doesn't seem to have a sweet tooth! Normally, I don't have much of a sweet tooth either...but tonight I gobbled up that cream puff like I hadn't seen food in weeks!

Lily was as good as gold the entire night and I tell you that little lady is by far the best gift I have ever received!

Chirish Festival

The family picnic - the first time I wore my shamrock, ladybug, and lilies of the valley dress.

Today Lily attended her first Chirish Festival (aka Irish Festival). We had a lot of fun and Lily loved seeing her Dad Dad and listening to the Irish music!

While we were waiting to bring Lily home I bought a dress made out of shamrock, ladybug, and lilies of the valley fabric. I bought the dress from a friend of a friend who was making and selling dresses as a way to help fund the adoption of their daughter. When my friend, Jane, sent me a picture of the fabric I couldn't resist. Ladybugs are a symbol of Chinese international adoption and shamrocks and lilies of the valley have obvious significance to us. So, really the dress was perfect! I had the dress (actually dresses...I bought it in two sizes!) for such a long time before Lily came home. Let me tell you how sweet it is to see Lily running around with it on!

When we were in China we dressed Lily in shamrock and ladybug pajamas that her Aunt Mary Beth gave her. She looked so sweet and Tony commented that Lily is Chirish (Chinese and Irish). I loved that term and it has stuck. Our Irish heritage has always been so important to my family. Lily's Chinese heritage is extremely important to us, too. I think we will have a lot of fun exploring and celebrating both!

My First Birthday As A Mother...My Best Birthday Ever

Yesterday marked my 42nd year on this planet...and my best birthday by far. There is just something about your beautiful little girl handing you a birthday card that just can't be beat!

I can't begin to tell you how incredible the past 6 months have been. When I think back over the first 35 + years of my life when I truly felt I wasn't meant to be a mother I can't begin to tell you how glad I am I had a change of heart. Honestly, I had a very happy life before I became a mother and I loved my life with Tony. We were very, very happy and had a lot of fun. There's just something about being a mother...being parents...that I can't put into words. All I know is that I can't imagine my life without our sweet Lily!

Last night Patti had everyone over for dinner. Don, Dad, and I celebrated our birthdays and Patti had something for everyone. She served a regular meat lasagna, a veggie lasagna, and a gluten-free lasagna. With our family's dietary issues hosting a dinner party is no small task! Patti also had an assortment of yummy desserts. There was a chocolate cake with icing and Sadie made a delicious apple pie for her favorite aunt (just kidding Mary Beth!). We also had some gluten-free banana bread for dessert, too.

On the way to Patti's house Lily decided it was about time to start calling her extended family by name. Here's what it sounded like:

Dad Dad - Dad Dad (Lily's been saying this for some time)
Aunt Mary Beth - BaBa (seems like all little people convert Mary Beth into BaBa)
Uncle Ed - Egg (again seems like all little people convert Ed into Egg)
Katie - KiKi
Aunt Patti - Pappy
Uncle Dave - Day
Sadie - Sassy
Christina - Tina or Nina
Uncle Don - Don (Lily says this as clear as a bell)
Maggie - GiGi
Charlie - Cha Chi (this was the hardest name for Lily to say)

Even though Ryan and Jamie are away at school Lily was working on their names, too.

Ryan - Ry
Jamie - Jay Meee

It was so sweet to hear Lily calling everyone by name...even if it did take a little prompting!

Wow...Wee!

About a month ago Lily began eating with a spoon and fork and she took to it like a fish to water. Now, Lily thinks she must eat EVERYTHING with a spoon or fork. The other day I put some cut up grapes on Lily's highchair tray and she didn't touch them. Strange...Lily loves grapes. Stranger still was the look she was giving me...it seemed to say, "Mommy, aren't you forgetting something?". Sure enough I put the grapes in a bowl and handed Lily a spoon and she gobbled them right down.

Finally, a fork and spoon....

This morning I gave Lily cereal for the first time for breakfast. She's eaten dry cereal for months I have just never given it to her in a bowl with milk. Well, you would've thought I gave her the keys to the kingdom. She was spooning that stuff in hand over fist and she kept saying, "Wow Wee!" over and over again like it was the most exciting thing that has ever happened to her! She's fed herself yogurt, oatmeal, eggs, etc. and none of them matched the excitement of some plain organic whole grain O's in a bowl with a little milk. Imagine how she would have reacted if there were Fruit Loops or Cocoa Puffs in that bowl!

...I was beginning to think these people were completely uncivilized!

Damsel In Distress

Me and my Daddy

More days than not Lily and I spend at least a little time at one of the playgrounds in our area. It is so much fun to see how confident and curious Lily has become....that is until the weekend rolls around. When Tony joins us at the playground it is so funny to see how Lily's behavior changes. Let me tell you we have quite the little actress on our hands! Suddenly Lily needs help climbing the stairs and wont go down even the smallest slide without holding Daddy's hand. It absolutely cracks me up!

In the future when Lily wins her first Academy Award Tony and I can only hope she mentions us during her acceptance speech!

Boy, can I keep Daddy busy!

Happy Birthday Don!

Today is my big brother Don's 44th birthday!!

That must mean my 42nd birthday is right around the corner...yikes! Growing up Donald and I always shared our birthday celebrations...more times than not Dad's birthday was thrown in, too.

Don, for all the times you had to have apple pie for your birthday "cake" because I detest icing and for 1,000 other reasons...I love you...Happy Birthday!!!

A picture of Uncle Don's Birthday Cake!

Happy Birthday Uncle Don! I love you!!