Hot Stuff

C likes hot stuff. The last several times we've eaten at Mexican Food Restaurants he has wanted to dip his chips in the salsa. Then he started drinking it! He just picks his little dip cup up and guzzles it down! Tough little dude! His Grandaddy will be proud!

Sick?

Well, we're home this morning with Mr. C having the yucky nose/cough sickies. He's still going and playing, but we can't go to church nursery like this and I really do not think he'd make it through the church service in my arms at this active, noisey age!

Anyhow, this is what Mr. C was up to this morning:

p.s. Pictures of sister coming later. We tried taking some this morning in her pretty dress before Sunday School, but the sun was too bright.

Silly Boy

Last night while cleaning in D's room, D and I were busy doing something and I looked over and saw C! I whispered to D to run and get me the camera fast . . . here is what he was doing-

Riding on D's Barbie VW Bug!

Guess Who??!!

Did you think I'd fallen off the face of the earth??

I thought I'd better get on here and get some new pictures up for the g-parents!

Hunting eggs in our yard, after church on Easter.

This is the best we could do this year of getting D and C's picture together on Easter. C would NOT sit still.

C at the family Easter Egg hunt.

C with his first egg dying experience.

Here is D with Boots, her new bunny rabbit. Boots was nervous, so her ears are laying back. She has one white paw.

First Art Work

After lunch today, I decided to give C a piece of paper and a couple of crayons and see what he would do. I was really surprised, he picked right up on what he was supposed to do. I guess I've been under estimating him!

Crayons make good drum-sticks too!

Hmmm, I think blue tastes better than orange. Yes, he did try a bite or

two that Mommy had to fish out of his mouth.

The first of many masterpieces to be displayed on the fridge by the famous artist known as C!

Still pretty rough

C is still having a bit of pain and ouchie, does it look like it must hurt! I was hoping he'd be further along than this by now but hopefully by Monday . . .

Poor mommy broke into tears this morning because there is nothing I can do to help him other than give him medicine and try and keep him comfy. He'll toddle around & play a minute, cry to be held, cry because he wants down, cry to come up again, so on and so on.

My sweet friend brought lunch (& gifts) over today and thankfully C slept mostly through it so we could visit.

Surgery and Such

C had surgery Monday morning and although Mommy was so scared about them putting him to sleep he did really well. He had some boy stuff surgery done. He was pretty out of it Monday afternoon and evening but by about mid morning yesterday he was acting pretty ok with just occasional bouts of fussiness (I'd be fussy too - probaby fussier!) He keeps waking and going back to sleep this morning, so here I am on the computer. I'll hear him on the monitor and get up and by the time I get back to him he's asleep again.

So here are some pictures of his surgery day:

^Hanging out in the holding room, not having a clue what's coming up!

^He fell asleep waiting. We'd all been awake since 3-ish a.m.!

^After his dose of goofy juice.

^The nurse came to get him to take him to surgery. I was surprise he didn't complain at all about her taking him, I guess the goofy juice did its job. They just carried him around, to the surgery and when we went back to recovery afterward they were holding him at the nurses station. He was the tiniest patient of the day.



^After the surgery in the recovery room. Poor little guy! Mommy was trying to make him feel better.

One year ago today - our miracle!

I can't describe the gamut of emotions I've had today. I'm sad to see the day nearly passed. I want to hang on to every moment of this, my baby boy's first birthday. It truly is a miracle the way he came to be ours and I admit I often take it for granted (especially after I've said "no-no" for the thousandth time that day.) But today I've really remembered to be thankful for the miracle that he is. I've prayed on and off all through out the day for his birth family.

The year has really flown by. Some of the days were long, but the year as a whole has zoomed past.

Of course C didn't realize what was going on today and I'm sure he wondered why Mommy was singing "Happy Birthday" while we rocked instead of his usual "Dinah, won't you blow."

He is such a precious, funny, happy, beautiful boy.

Happy Birthday my little Cashew!

This is a picture of the first time I got to really hold him. I got to hold him about an hour after he was born for about 1 minute, then I had to wait three more days before I could really hold him.

Here he was today, waiting for his cake! He didn't know what to make of all the people and activity. I don't have many smiley pictures from his party because he was just "taking it all in."

This is when we were singing happy birthday to him. D blew out his candle for him.

I snuck into his room at 3:20 this afternoon, which is the time he was born a year ago, and took his picture. He was sound asleep, I didn't wake him.

He didn't really get into digging into his own little "smash cake" that I made him. He'd already done it twice this past weekend - once at Grandma & Grandpa's and then at Grandaddy and Granny's and he did it up big those two times! Plus he was tired and I think was pretty full. That's ok, it stresses Daddy out to see him dig in the cake!

Some C Cuteness - just because.

I think Grandparents are having withdrawals from seeing C, so here are some day to day pix. He's growing and changing so fast!

I had to pull the pack-n-play into the kitchen so I could get the dishwasher loaded. He is just into everything and he is so strong he can totally lift the bottom rack out of the dishwasher and remove it! He didn't love having to get into the pack-n-play, but he got over it and soon started playing and "reading."
Here he is toddling away after getting his diaper changed (into his racecar diaper that I made!) This was about a week 1/2 ago, he isn't holding his hands up like that anymore. He's zooming now!

C's first time swimming in a big pool. He really liked it and knew how to kick his legs naturally.

I'll have to take some new pictures, I've been falling down on the job lately! I'll try to keep up better.

OUTSIDE

C loves to be outside in the sunshine.

But he still isn't sure if he loves the grass or not???

Final Court Hearing!!

We went to court yesterday, April 2, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. CT and finalized the adoption of our sweet baby son!

We are FINISHED!!!!

Waking up yesterday morning, getting ready for court, hubby and I both noticed that we weren't nervous at all. The day we went to court in Russia for D was probably one of the most nervous days of both our lives! We've been to this judge twice already for D's re-adoption in 2005 (in order to get a Texas birth certificate for her) and for the first hearing on September 11 for C's adoption.

We were so surprised that 20 friends from our church were at the court house to support us. My sister is here visiting this week, so she was able to be there too. The judge said usually he takes adoption cases in his chambers, but his chambers weren't big enough for this group, so he allowed everyone to come stand behind us as we stood before him.

When it was time for us to raise our right hands and swear everything, even C raised his hand and D raised her left hand (she's left handed ;o) The judge asked D a few questions of her own, it was really sweet. After she answered her questions he gave her some candy.

Our attorney is a friend of ours and when he was presenting the criminal history section to the judge he added that luckily we were both all clear with no criminal records since it would be a little embarrassing if we had a record and all these people would learn about it!

The whole thing took only about 10-15 minutes and we were done!

I am so glad to have it signed, sealed and delivered and to be fully and wholly C's mommy forever and ever AMEN!

BY MY BEST GUESS, C IS 7 MONTHS OLD

Ok, this is a toughie when you're born on the 29th! When is C really 7 months old since there IS NO February 29, at least not this year?

I figured I'd take the half way point between Feb. 28 and Mar. 1 which by my best foggy brained figuring was 12 noon today. So I GUESS C turned 7 months old at 12 noon today??

Hubby thinks I'm nuts, but this has really been bothering me! I count these month birthdays very seriously!

p.s. Were you wondering where I've been lately?? C has been very, very sick and is finally getting better. It was a harrowing 10 days of very sick baby and VERY tired Mama. He had a really bad upper respiratory thing. He's still not wanting to eat much, so I hope that comes back soon. He's lost a bit of weight, I'd guess at least a pound.



Here's a pic of Mr. Sicky trying to eat - it's hard to eat when you can't breathe!

SIX MONTHS OLD TODAY!!

And look how I celebrated!!

Sweet potatoes anyone?

I'll Share.

Mommy and I went to the doctor this morning for my 6 month check up. Don't I look just so precious in my little hat! (I don't like it, though. I scream whenever Mommy puts it on me.)

The doctor said I'm doing GREAT! She's so proud of me. I weigh 16 pounds (even). I am 25 1/2 inches tall. She said I'm in the 10th percentile on the regular growth chart (whatever that means). She said sometimes preemies like me aren't even showing up on the regular growth chart yet.

Well, I need to head to Sleepytown, I'm feeling a little tired. I got 5 shots (and me and Mommy cried) and I had to drink some weird stuff. Plus on top of that Mommy gave me some Tylenol so I'm feeling a little goofy.

Nitey Nite!

Happy half-a-birthday to me!!

Got Teeth??

I DO!

Photo Shoot

Thought I'd share a dose of sweet baby with you. Enjoy!

Thankful Thursday

I was grumbly about doing laundry this morning. Laundry is by far NOT my favorite chore. But I decided to be thankful instead that I have all this pink and blue laundry to BE DONE! I begged God for years to have children to dirty those clothes (and mine!) and so I choose to be thankful for laundry today.

Here's a picture of some of the "baby laundry" I did today - isn't it cute!