Father's Day

Jim awoke to a full, manly breakfast this special day...we wanted photo evidence that the man was treated well...
He was given cards and gifts. The gifts were a fan for his car and a football to play at the beach with. We tried it out today and it does indeed work well. Another football to add to the vast collection.
Marie playing in her water table. She loves it so much. This is before her last hair cut. Now it is short short and we refer to her as the "shorn sheep." But she isn't sweating as much as she used to...it can grow long in the winter.
post haircut...After a long, hard day, you just got to watch a little Baby Einstein and relax in your chair...

daddy

Oh daddy...I do love him. He takes me to the park, pushes me on the swing and takes me to the beach. We go swimming together and he doesn't mind if I splash him. I barely recall the days when I wouldn't let him hold me...what was I thinking??
Plus...look closely at my little finger....see how I have him wrapped around it?

Bathing Beaut

Every night Marie has the same routine...bath, bottle, books, prayers, song, bed. We usually start at 7ish and lights out within a half hour. Last night we went for a walk around the sub at 6. Jim and I were having a heated discussion about what to do if she should wake up in the middle of the night. Being a strict type-A person, I had to really chew on this and "make a plan." (I know I won't keep the plan...I realize this. I will go in and get involved when I hear her screech and second guess him...he knows it too but theoretically, we have a plan). Anwyays, as we wrapped it up, Jim notices that Marie has fallen asleep, sitting up, holding her sippy cup, while we were planning. We wake her when we get back home and then begin "the routine." Her she is enjoying her bath.

Oranges are Awesome!

This is a little out of order but still pretty cute! This is Marie enjoying an orange on the weekend of Mother's Day. (You can hear my mom in the background). Our weekend was very nice. We were going to take advantage of the free babysitting but Jim had stained the deck all day and was a little tired. We watched a Globetrekker video of China so Mom could see what the different parts of the country were like. For about one minute, they showed a statue that we saw in Nanchang, it was commenmorating the beginning of the People's Liberation Army. Did we tour it? Take photos by it? Noooo...we drove by it on our way to Wal-Mart...it was just down the block! Anyways, on Sunday we went over to my cousin Becky's house and had a great dinner. Always awesome to have a cook-out with the family.
So there are 4 days left of school...then 2 days where I work for the intermediate school district. Add in one week at a workshop and that is my work schedule this summer! Can't wait to be home with Marie!

For John...

Little Miss Yogurt Head

Beach Babe

These are from Memorial Day weekend. We had wonderful company with our friends Jacqui (my friend from wayyyy back) and her John. We spent morning at our house, drinking coffee and watching Marie. Ventured out for afternoons. We hit the beach one day, went for a hike another and Jacqui and John babysat Marie one day so Jim and I could go to the symphony. It was pretty awesome to sit and do nothing but listen to music for an hour or so. Thank you, you two!!!
Anyways, we did make it to the beach. I work very hard to go in the water when I am convinced it is just too cold; I usually end up having so much fun - after the body is numb. This weekend, though, nah-uh. It was cold...really cold. North Atlantic cold. So Daddy took her in and played with her along the shore. She has a blast with her shovel, pail and watering can. Jim and I became adults again when we had to make her come sit down and warm up...remember when your parents did that to you? (You were having a great time in the water and they, for no good reason, make you come in and sit down out of the water.) I had a hat on her, suntan lotion and made her sit under the umbrella; then I realized it was 4pm and she was likely fine. But its good to start thinking about those things!
We also had dinner at a friend's house. Marie swung in the hammock with her buddy Hannah. Hannah was very sweet, taking her hand and swinging with her. We look forward to babysitting her this summer for a few days!!

Brighton Visit

Marie has discovered the joy of desserts! Her first true dessert love was a malt that she shared with Jim. Then she moved on to popsicles. This one, while its technically fruit, was a joy for her! She shared it with her daddy on her Uncle Rob and Aunt Sandra's porch when we went downstate for Jim's Uncle Nino's funeral. She takes such small, ladylike bites, doesn't she? On that same porch is Marie with her cousins Jake and Jimmy. Marie was fascinated with 10 year old Jimmy. She wanted to hold his hand and sit in his lap. He was not so fond of these overtures from her.
Last, I just had to post a picture of this belly. She is truly a thin child, we really struggle to get calories into her but this picture just is spectacular.

Spring Fun!

I just know there were more cookies!!!!

Marie is trying on her new jewelry in anticipation of summer. This necklace goes with everthing. PJ'. Cookies. Everything.

Marie loves sharing the flowers with Mama.

I'm taking a swing at the blog, it may be rough at first, but I'll get better over time. :-)

Now that the warmer weather is here, we are getting out more. Marie loves to play in her new car that she got from her Chicago cousins. Half the fun is opening and closing door. I'll find a picture of that to add later.

Marie is also getting us plenty of exercise. She loves to walk up and down the driveway. Often she will take one of Juleen's fingers in one hand, and one of mine in the other so we can all walk together.

Spring Break

While my best friends were in Europe, Marie and I spent a great week at home during Spring Break (the week before Easter). Needless to say, we stayed in most days. Jim and I had big plans to go out for dinner one night. These got cancelled due to the storm; the babysitter couldn't get through with the roads being so bad...

New Trick

Daddy is so proud. Look what he taught Marie.

Quick Easter Pix

Here are some photos from Easter. We went to Sunday night mass, which works out well for naps. we have more recent photos too but just wanted to get some up. Anyways, Marie is walking nonstop. All she wants to do is climb on furniture, walk and scramble up the stairs. She is a busy girl who is on the move. She doesn't want to take time to eat . The best way to get her to eat right now is to put the food on my plate and eat it; then it is irresistable to her.

No bib
No utensils
No rules when daddy does dinner

Playing Outside

After a few 60 degree days, we are back to cold! Just in time for Spring Break too. Marie has enjoyed the warm weather and being outside though. So she still goes out. Here she is today with Jim going up and down our driveway.

Walking Around on a Saturday Afternoon

Marie treated us to some short walks today around the living room. Nana Whall visited us for lunch with her friend John. Marie sat in her high chair and played with Nana making faces over lunch at each other. Afterwards, she did some short walks of 3 or 4 steps around the living room. They had a great visit together. Today she was all Daddy's girl. She would walk into Jim's outstretched arms and plant a big kiss on his lips. For me, nada. Oh well, I have the entire week with her for Spring Break. Perhaps I will get a few too.

It's a Date

I forgot to post these earlier. On Valentine's Day, I had book club. Now don't fear for my marriage as I preferred going out with 9 women that night and discussing another man (we had read Barack Obama's autobio); things are fine! Bookclub is always the 2nd Wednesday which was Feb 14th this year. So, before I left for the nicest restaurant in TC, I made dinner for Daddy and Baby Girl and left them to enjoy it together. I don't think Jim minded the replacement date at all!

Happy Year of the Golden Pig

We went to China Fair on Sunday to celebrate CNY. Marie wore one of the outfits we had made for her in Nanchang. We love how she just leaves the hat on! She very much enjoyed the noodles. In fact, we haven't seen her eat anything with such enthusiasm for a while. It was like she was saying, "THIS is how it is supposed to taste!" She also liked the soup, dumplings and asparagus...oh, and cheesecake. I don't think that is original to China although we tried some from the hotel buffet when we were there. But, like most American food we tried in China, it looked right but didn't taste right at all.

Marie was fascinated with the owner and the waitress - they were both Chinese. They wanted to know where she was from and they politely corrected our pronunciation. Marie's eyes didn't leave the waitress whenever she was around. Jim noticed that there were a few other families there with their daughters too. I am sure we will meet people when we get more involved with the adoptive community up here.

Happy New Year!

Wintertime

Our neighbors took pity on us when we put Marie in a laundry basket and hauled her around the driveway and they lent us their baby sled for the winter. She loves it, especially when we run (which of course, is easy to do in snowboots). Grandparents, we always check her hands and feet when we go back in and they have never felt cold yet!

She is changing so quickly right now. Pulling herself up and cruising furniture, crawling all the way up the stairs and then sliding down, using a spoon and sippy cup regularly. She also can say mama, dada and kittycat - or her version of it. She can sign more, all done, milk and bear. Jim says that the other night she was yelling at him as she kept signing milk to him over and over as he got her in her PJ's.

Daycare is going better and tomorrow starts our regular back-to-work schedule. ugh

About 75 school days till summer!

First Flowers and First Hair Cut

Daddy sent Mommy and Marie flowers today. Marie liked the big bow; Mommy cried. Then she had to hide the roses in the bathroom as it was time to leave for the haircut and Thumbs was trying to eat them.
Before. During. After.

Early Chinese New Year

We celebrated this year when it was convenient. We were quite lucky that Aunt Abigail was with us and we put her to work! She assembled 50 dumplings and helped to decorate. Decorations consisted of lanterns, an ancestor table and lots of red and coins for good luck. I can get into a holiday that goes on for 15 days! We made a great beef soup, pork dumplings and chicken satay with peanut sauce. We sent out for spring rolls and pad thai (yes, I know, but it's good) - thank you Labontes. Chopsticks were the utensil of choice and chinese good luck characters decorated the entryway. Madame Kelly made almond cookies that were fantastic - even after the 10th one. Marie had her first cold from her day care visit the previous day and didn't enjoy it too much. You can see that Hannah and Hailey did have fun though! We had sparklers planned for the girls but when it is zero degrees out you kind-of dismiss those extras!

Chinese New Year is actually next weekend but with Momma going back to work the following week, we thought we'd celebrate it early.

odds and ends

Marie, helping herself to Cheerios...she is so shy when it comes to food.

Pleased with herself for using a spoon.

And playing with Thomas the Train....she crawls after it.

She is getting big!