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!

Four Years Old

How is that even possible? Viktoria turned Four today. Four! I pray so much that she is happy and loved and hugged and kissed and had a very special day today.

Happy fourth birthday sweet, precious girl. I hope you had a delicious birthday treat today!

p.s. This morning in church, I opened up C's burpie cloth and there inside was a red thread! Of course I immediately stuck it on my shirt right over my heart. It just really struck me that there in C's cloth was Vika's red thread. I'll never again see a red thread that I don't think of her.

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!

Let's Help Misha STAY Home!

Misha has come to the US for corrective surgery and his host family wants to adopt him. Time and Money are both hindering this family. Misha will turn 16 in May. According to Russian law, a child is no longer considered eligible for International Adoption once they pass the age of 16. Please share this video with as many people as you can!


Watch Help Misha in Family Videos and Faith Videos  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Misha and his family need our help. We can ALL spare SOME AMOUNT, can't we??
Here is a link to their blog where you can read much more of their story and also where you can contribute to help bring Misha home by clicking on their Chip-In account or a way to traditionally send a Tax-Deductible donation.

Can you believe I am 5 months old?

Hi everyone, this is C. I haven't written in a long time, I think it was when I was about 2 weeks old actually.



I am 5 months old now - boy time flies! I am a slobber boy who loves to stand up and I'm trying to sit up by myself too. I'm 1/2 way there, I do some good crunches! I learned to roll over last month, so that's old news.

My hair started falling out a month or so ago and it just fell out all over the place except right on top. So I still have my same hair up there that I always did and it's getting really long and floppy. Then I just have some fuzzy hair everywhere else, kind of like a baby duck or chick or something. So, I don't have the most stylish hair right now. But it doesn't bother me too much if it doesn't bother you.



I had fun at Christmas time. I laughed a lot and learned a new squaking sound. I usually do my squak when I'm happy, but I decided to try it on Mommy last night when I was mad. She let me get away with it a couple of times, but then she decided that was a "NO Sir!" and so far I haven't tried it anymore today. She clapped her hands loud at me when I did it mad - I think that will put a stop to me trying that again (ya think?)



I'm sleeping really good. You oughta see me! I take about 4 naps each day and sleep all night from about 8:30 at night till 7:30 or 8 in the morning. I like my sleep. I fit right in perfectly with my family.


I still haven't started eating food yet, just Similac Sensitive. But I think I'm getting ready to try food. I am really interested in watching my family eat food, it intrigues me. Plus I've started learning to make chewing motions, I look like a cow chewing the cud! The doctor told Mommy and Daddy to hold off on starting food with me since I am a preemie. I really should be a month younger than I am (if that even makes sense!) so I guess I'll have to wait a little longer. I heard Mommy and Daddy talking, though, and I think they're going to start giving me some rice cereal soon! I still spit up a lot, so I'll bet that's going to be gross - hee hee hee hee!



Well I've got to go back to sleep, a growing boy needs his rest you know! Talk to you soon.

Oh, here's a new picture of me. I'm pretty cute, huh? Look at my little foot sticking up there! I LOVE those guys!

2008 - Now that's a great year!

2008 has been kind to us as a family. I'll be sad to say goodbye to this year. I haven't been able to say that in several years.

IN THE YEAR 2008:

We saw the completion of our new home.

We were able to take a wonderful trip as a family and with 94 of our church family and friends on a cruise to Alaska.

Our agency finally got accreditation (although we'd most definitely still be waiting for a referral if we were still in the Russian Program)

Baby C surprised all of us by entering the world with his Mommy looking on!!


I suppose the only thing that really didn't go our way in 2008 was the Presidential election, but we will just pray for the man who got the job and have faith that God will guide his steps.

2008 was such a great year that I'm almost afraid for 2009 to take its place. How could it get any better???

I pray that each of you has a blessed and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

D! Our Televised Artist!!

Tonight as D and Hubby were flipping channels on TV, she said, "hey, that was my picture." Her Daddy didn't understand what she meant. She said, "that was my drawing on TV" (very matter of factly - as though all children have their artwork televised on National TV!)

A few weeks ago, she drew a picture online and it was shown on Noggin tonight!

(Discomom(m)y is the name she uses to play Webkinz since her first Webkin is named Disco, a pink pony with sparkly feet that look like disco balls, and she is Disco's mommy - get it?)

The most wonderful time of the year

Family Photo Christmas 2008 (with my new super dark hair)

"Glory to God in the Highest and on earth, peace to men

on whom His favor rests." Luke 2:14

Mommy and D in our matching jammies

ready for bed Christmas eve.

D's gingerbread house, she made it with her

aunt and Grandma.

D with her Christmas bounty!

C with his baby sized stash!

"Jolly ol' Saint Nicholas, lean your ear this way.

Don't you tell a single soul, what I'm going to say . . ."

D and Grandpa playing baseball on the Wii!

We were on the news this morning!

We were at Bass Pro Shop for C & D to see Santa on Tuesday night and the news was filming a segment! Here is a clip from the news. You only see us in the background in this clip where he's interviewing the Stroops. I've got on my black coat, hubby has on a black sweater and khaki pants, D has on a red and black dress. I hope you can view it! Click full screen to see D and C's cuteness the best :O)
http://www.ktbs.com/player/player.cfm?video_id=14820&video_zone=11,1

There was another segment on the real news where they show D coloring and writing her letter to Santa and they get real up close. I wish that was the one you could see online.

Replying about some comments

Penny brought to my attention that C's name would be known now by seeing the stocking. My main thing is that it's not spelled out in writing on the blog in order to be googled.

Same with D. I know most of the people who regularly read my blog know her name as well, but I try not to ever type it out. It's not AS big a deal now that we're done with Russian adoption. But still, better safe than sorry.

Gina, I have been saying to Hubby for a few weeks now that I think C looks like the Gerber baby! They have the little face printed inside the onesies and jammies and I'll hold it up to C's face and say, "see, it's him!" Adoption is nice that way, we can totally agree, and not feel bragadocious when someone says our children are beautiful because we had NO part in making them that way :O)

A little more Christmassing

I like this picture because you can really see his eyes here, they're so pretty!

This is my nephew's and his wife's baby who was born just 2 1/2 weeks after C.

We had the idea really early on that we wanted to put them in stockings at Christmas

and take their picture together.

Here is D with her Christmas countdown chain. She takes a loop off every night before going to bed and the last loop comes off on Christmas Eve!

Tag - I'm it!

I've been tagged by Kris to do the "4" tag.

What you do is ...

1. Open the 4th picture folder your computer.

2. Choose the 4th picture and post it on your blog.

3. Explain the picture.

4. Tag 4 people to do the same

This is D backstage before her dance recital in June of 2006. She is 5 years old here :O)

Ok, I tag Jessy, Amy, Lisa and Stephanie

Precious Memory

Today C was playing on his blanket in front of the Christmas tree and he fell asleep there. He started just laughing up a storm in his sleep, it was so sweet!