First Steps!

I just wanted to share M's first steps with you- she's been so close for such a long time, thus the long delay in posting. I was sure she was going to take her first steps any day and it finally happened yesterday!

Jared continues in school and is doing well- his first three classes he has gotten a B+ or higher. One of them he actually scored perfectly in! I am so glad he is enjoying his classes this time around. It makes all his study time worth it.

I am busy with the Activity Days girls (8-11) on every other tuesday. We have a good group of about 15+ girls that come to my house. They are very sweet and full of energy. G loves having all the girls over- he started crying big crocodile tears last time they left.

G continues to be super active all the time. His cardiologist is pleased with his activity level, but we are continuing to be watchful, as his heart is feeling the strain from his valve defect. In the meantime, he is learning lots of new things. His favorite things right now are shapes. He loves the Baby einstein Discovering Shapes DVD. In fact, he and his cousin watched it so many times while I was in North Carolina, they wore it out and Jared and I had to buy a new one :o)! He can spot circles, squares, ovals, triangles and rectangles just about everywhere.

Baby M is still the happiest baby ever. We've had to go to the doctor a couple of times for ear infections or illnesses, but once we get there, she breaks into a big smile and no one believes that she's sick. Fortunately red eardrums are hard to hide. One of the grandmas at church watches her and will tell me, "I saw her almost cry today!"

Hope you all are looking forward to a great summer. Hopefully I can keep up with the news a little better :o)

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Here Comes Trouble

Baby June bug learned to crawl yesterday, so I quick grabbed the camera and threw down a few cheerios to get her to do it again and this is the result. Today she didn't need any more incentive to crawl across the kitchen besides the siren song of the dog water bowl. She's already trying to pull herself up on things, so I'm sure walking will happen faster than we want it to :-)

Christmas Letter 2009

If you look closely at this card, you may see the frostbite forming on our fingers and noses. We had our holiday pics taken on the coldest day possible in December. I know I've turned into a pansy, but it was only in the 30's that day. Since then temps have gone back up to the 50's and low 60's. That's more like it.

This year has been quite an exciting one. We started out in January trying to get approved to adopt again as soon as possible. After G's finalization and sealing in May of last year, I knew that we needed to be ready to adopt again, because there was another child coming to our family. I have to admit, I've always thought it was a little hokey when I'd hear of people that said they felt there was someone missing in their family, but that's exactly what it feels like. So, we were ready at the start of the year, but God had other plans. It seemed like every road block possible came up while we were trying to get approved. Finally in mid March, our case worker called us and let us know everything was ready and our profile would be available online for expectant parents looking for an adoptive family. She asked us first to make a paper copy of our profile that she could show to someone the next day that was coming into the office. So I scrambled to put pictures together and make them look nice and I took it over to their office. And then we waited, but not very long.

On April first our caseworker gave me the best early birthday gift I've ever gotten. She brought a birth announcement and letter from our daughter's birthmother. That night put us into motion for the next couple of months. We were so lucky to be able to get to know her and her family before the birth. They have been such a blessing in our lives.

Our daughter was born in June and she turned poor G's world upside down. He hardly knew what to think of her, but at least he was so busy doing and going and growing, that he didn't have time to be jealous of the new usurper in momma's lap. He's growing so fast. The beginning of the year, he was just newly walking and now he just runs everywhere. He has such a sweet disposition, he loves to be with friends and he now loves his little sister. When she is sad, he shares his woobie (blanket) with her and he helps her play her musical toys to keep her entertained. I love to watch him play with other children his age because he loves to share although I'm not sure where he got that from :)

Jared and I are so thankful this year to be surrounded by family and friends who we love. We hope that you feel the love of the Savior in your life as we have this year.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

3 Months Old

Our sweet baby girl is 3 months old now. She is growing so fast and learning every day. Her latest and greatest achievements include smiling and cooing, sitting up with support, sucking on her fingers and thumb and just this week she moved in with her brother.

These pics were taken in the Bimbo (with it cleverly hidden). I love it that I can take pics of her while she is sitting up now. And you can see her double chin, too- bonus!

G was amusing himself with the contents of the junk drawer while I was taking pics of June bug. If you click on the pic, you may be able to see the half inch cut at the end of his eyebrow. He and a friend were running around the front room and he sliced himself open on a pot that is supposed to go back to my stepmom. It seems to be healing well, which is good, because we wanted to avoid a second expensive ER visit this year (Jared's face is fine, now, thank you). G is just too fast for his own good.

Hits or Kisses

I went back to work 1 1/2 weeks ago and it went pretty well- I only cried once I got there and I only cried when I was by myself, so at least I avoided making a show of myself. Fortunately also I didn't have the sickest baby in the unit like I did my first night back after we got G. It would have been nice to take another month and a half off, but family finances being what they are, my paycheck is needed. I really do enjoy my work, so that is a good thing, and it seems I have been hogging our June bug all to myself, because it took me leaving for her to really get her daddy wrapped around her little finger.

Baby girl was looking so cute the other day, I thought I'd take some pics. She is more awake now and has started cooing and smiling which just melts my heart.

G man has a difficult time sometimes deciding what to do with her. He is really good for the most part. I think he steals her binky when I'm not looking. He doesn't get to have his, so why should she get one? It is hard to tell though, because she still spits it out quite a bit on her own. He doesn't hit her often, only when he's mad at me. Most of the time he just tries to kiss her. It's very cute. I wish you could see it, but G just gets interested in the camera when he hears it turn on, so once the camera turns on, the kissing stops. Here is what I did get, though.

I hope they will grow up to be the best of friends (as all parents do :o)).

One Small Step for G-man

G-man took his first step today!  Then he fell.  But I have witnessed at least one step forward without his holding onto anything.  He took his first step towards my friend Kim's little boy, who is about 6 1/2 months old (he's the other boy in the picture).  I took a picture after the fact and I have a few others of him cruising around the furniture upstairs.  One step today, a whole lifetime of steps to go...