You light up my life

We spent our early evening outside tonight walking around and enjoying the cool weather. At dusk I pulled out a few glowsticks as a treat. Ladybug was intrigued by the glow and I practiced taking a few photos in the dark.

She was delightfully content to sit with the container pulling the sticks out one by one only to stick them back inside...one by one.

Scrap Happy

I was able to spend all day Saturday catching up on Ladybug's scrapbook at a wonderful retreat. All in all I completed 14 pages and my Pool mini album!! Here's a few of my favorites:

At 19 Months

We hit a huge milestone for this past month. Ladybug is walking! She's improving every day as she practices and I watch her balance and walking a little bit straighter every day too.

She claps at anything and everything. If she hears people clapping on TV then she starts clapping. My favorite is when she does something that makes her happy she will clap for herself.

The only new word that she's learned is Coco. There are words that she's saying that I haven't figured out what she means yet. This morning before I went upstairs to get her up I heard her on the monitor saying something like, "oh chit." Well, we don't say THAT word so it has to be something else. Hopefully we'll figure it out soon.

Ladybug's still wearing size 12 months clothes although I'm now buying 18 months. Those tiny feet grew out of her pretty sandals, she's now a size 3 shoe and since it's fall there's no sandals to be found. Her little butt is still in those 2-3 diapers! We haven't weighed her lately and I was told that she might lose weight when she starts walking so I'm not sure I want to know and have that worry. Again, there's not much difference in her size from this month to last! She's still cute as a bug.





p.s. I'm away and unplugged this weekend at a Scrapbooking Retreat with 12 other ladies. I hope to get quite a few pages completed.

p.s.s I'm already missing Bug.

Special Night Out

We went to our first Gladney China Families Event with Ladybug tonight. We had attended a few pre-adoption events but this was our first with her in tow. There were so many families there and several representatives from the CCAA and other provincial adoption officials. (They loved taking pictures of the babies and I felt like we were swarmed right when we walked in!)

Becky and Becky were also there with Abby (she's in the red). They were in our travel group when we went to China and in spite of us all being the DFW area, this was our first get-together since the China trip.

We had a great time! The girls are one month apart and just about the same size. Aren't they cute?

Have you noticed?

In almost every picture that I've taken lately Ladybug is wearing a bracelet. It's not really a bracelet...it's her baby doll's headband. It comes off easily and she's decided that she wants to wear it on her wrist all the time.

T took her walking yesterday and caught this video of her going down the sidewalk steps by herself. She sees Gizmo though (our next door neighbor's doggy) and decides to beeline over to him yelling "puppy!"





I noticed that yet again...she's wearing the "bracelet."

Hair fountain

Ladybug's hair has finally grown enough for a sweet little ponytail.

She's as happy about that as I am!

There she goes

She's flying solo with a cute little crooked trot and all she needed was a little push in the right direction.

It seems like it happened overnight!

Yay!

But uhhh, now she wants to walk everywhere and run away from me!


This video is longer and it's just us talking and being silly:

14 Years

Happy Anniversary to my sweet husband!

It's been 14 fast years...

and fun years...

and full of happy times,

and quiet times,

and sometimes stressful times.

We've been together through it all and I wouldn't change a thing.

I've enjoyed every year and I'm thankful every day to have you in my life.

Much love,
Deana

Happy Weekend

T's parents came up for the weekend and we've had a great visit. Today was the first UNT home game and T had to work...and of course, I am always working on Saturdays.

Mimi and Papa kept Ladybug all day by themselves!

I wasn't worried, not worried one bit. Ok, just a little bit.

She did great! Both of them.







Then I jacked Mimi's camera and found these cute pictures. I love how Papa took her walking so she could practice!

Happy Grandparents Day to all the Grands!

Much love,
Deana

A couple of pictures from Ladybug's weekend at the Grands. She was excited to ride G-dad's tractor!!

Solo Stepping

Ladybug's finally on the move and taking those first steps!

Staying outside the lines

One of our happy moments today after church and lunch together was sitting at the table with a coloring page and markers. It kept her attention for a only short while...much to my dismay. I could have sat there and crafted all afternoon but she didn't want to be confined.

Ladybug's little personality has been shining fiercely as of late. Our little sweet, easy-going baby is growing into a more attitude laden toddler. Perhaps some of the fussiness is from teething, at last count she was up to twelve total poking through the gums. I see a lot of it as when she wants something, she wants it now and the redirects are working less and less. Yes, that small little girly package has a ferociously loud wail complete with crocodile tears when she doesn't get exactly what she wants. I don't want to be the mother that gives in to the temper tantrums but I also don't want to be the mother that experiences this in public under the scrutiny of others.

From what I've read so far, having a little temper spell is a sign that she's feeling safe and confident with the love that she's being given. She feels free to "let her hair down" so to speak. I felt good reading that knowing that's been one of the most important goals for us as parents of an adopted child.

I'm certain that we're going to be giving her everything she needs while growing up, it's just going to be on our timetable, not hers. Do you know of any 18 month olds with cell phones? I didn't think so. It's staying out of sight from now on.

Random Thursday

*Couldn't pass up a photo booth that drew pictures. T had to walk 2 blocks to get change for it though, he's so sweet.

*It's kind of hard juggling schedules when you have a child...I'm just now feeling the pain.

*We went grocery shopping last night after dinner and Ladybug would randomly scream in the middle of the aisles. Do I shush her or do I laugh? It was pretty funny actually.

*I'm excited about being able to go to a scrapbooking weekend retreat at the end of September. I'm already working on packing the projects and supplies.

*It's rained here for the last couple of days, a very nice change from the hot, hot sun.

*Ladybug learned the word hot this week AND she knows what it means! Coco put her in the carseat and she said, "hot."

*I cooked salmon for dinner tonight but no one was here to enjoy it.

Huggles,
Deana