Christmas Eve: No Words Needed...

Santa Clause: The Sequel!

For the past three years we have taken E up to J's work to see Santa. The same Santa each year. He's gotten a complex because of how scared E is of the Jolly Old Man!

Well, this year was a SUCCESS! She was still scared and did not sit in his lap, but due to a bribe of a candy cane, she did stand in front of him.

Gaining weight...or not!

For the past two years, gaining weight has been a big deal in this house. Not for me (I've never had a problem gaining weight before) but for little E. She eats a lot - A LOT! But, she also runs around like a crazy kid so the calories just burn themselves off. When you get her dressed, and can see her little ribs sticking out, you can't help but want to give her an oreo or something.

I've been trying to find high calorie, but healthy foods for her to eat. She eats a lot of organic chicken nuggets, beef (no nitrate) hot dogs, mac n cheese, etc but will also eat anything we eat. Last night we discovered she has a love for frito chili pie! Gotta love our little Texan!

So, it should not have come as a surprise that during the one time in my life that I SHOULD be gaining weight, I can't. I'm four months pg and should have gained five pounds by now. All I've done is lose 10 pounds. I can't gain weight for anything. I am showing and the baby has a healthy heartbeat and I do eat, but no weight gain.

The doctor was a little concerned, but when I explained I went from eating the not so healthiest of diets to a much better one, he understood. I have a family history of no weight gain during pregnancies, but it doesn't seem normal. What also isn't normal is my inability to eat anything sweet. I'm normally a chocoholic and can't even stand the smell of chocolate right now!

Happy Holidays everyone!

My next post will include SUCCESSFUL photos of E with Santa. Way better than the last two years!

PS Sorry the photo is so blurry. J took it and isn't that great at photography! This picture is two weeks old, but I don't look much different.

Second trimester!

Today I am officially 14 weeks. That means I'm leaving that pesky first trimester behind (and hopefully most of the sickness) and on to the second trimester. I had a doctor's appt yesterday and while listening to the heartbeat, the baby kicked. I didn't feel it, but you could tell the baby put a lot of effort into it!

Yes, I think we have another soccer player on our hands - just like Daddy.

E is excited and now is asking Santa for a baby brother or sister. Unfortunately, she'll have to wait six month after Christmas for her gift, so hopefully she won't be too dissapointed. She also wants a baby doll, so she'll get one of those instead!!!

Oh, and here's a photo of E from her grandparents day last month. I love her little glasses and how crooked they are!

So, it's been a while.

I know it's been a while since I posted but I have a very good reason why. I've been pretty sick for the past three months. It all started October 2nd, when I got the phone call I'd been hoping to receive. I was picking E up from preschool when my dr called to tell me that the tests did show a positive.

Positive what you ask? Well, E is going to be a big sister. The baby is due June 10, 2009. I feel comfortable enough to announce this because we're finally at the 13 week mark and my doctor feels that we are as out of the "clear" of anything bad happening as we will be throughout the rest of the pregnancy. I know anything can happen, but the chances are small and don't change from now until 40 weeks.

We are over the moon happy and all E wants to talk about is a baby brother or baby sister! We know it'll be a challenge with a 3 year old and an infant, but we can't wait. We know how blessed we are and are appreciating every moment of this precious gift that has been given to us.

For those wondering, yes we are still in line to adopt from China. The wait is so long that we don't anticipate this child affecting our adoption at all. We do, however, anticipate stopping at three children. Well, J does...I'm not so sure - but shhh, don't tell him!

Anyway, this news has filled our house with joy, but it's been tempered by the knowledge that so many of my friends are still waiting for their child from China. My heart aches for everyone out there waiting to see their beautiful little one. Hugs to you all.

Two years ago today...

Two years ago today we left our house knowing that the next time we were home our lives would be completely changed.

Armed with two very packed suitcases, we were nervous, excited and very ready to leave for our trip to China. We had half a dozen pictures of the one person who had become the focus of our lives for months and months. We were about to become parents. It was a very long hard journey, so much so that it seemed like a little 27 hour trip wouldn't be that big of a deal at all.

I have such a hard time believing it's been two years and at the same time it feels like she's been a part of our family for a lifetime. She is the most special little girl in the world and I know how blessed I am to be her mama.

It's beginning to look a lot like...fall???

We spent the morning at a Pumpkin Patch even though it got close to 90 degrees outside today. E loved every second of it!

I played with the pictures so I'll post the straight out of the camera shots and the photoshopped result.

And another...

I have lots more, but I'll stick with these for now!

Hats, hats and more hats!

I'm noticing a trend in a lot of the pictures I've been taking lately.

The Big Girl Bed

Need I say more?

I hope we're raising our daughter this well...

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2008/08/30/the_point_of_return/?page=1

I hope and pray that one day our daughter will want to give back as well. She doesn't have to volunteer in an orphanage, but I do want her to give back to the community. Her Daddy and I try to do our part and I hope we're teaching her to do the same.

Their parents must be so proud. I know I would be.

An anniversary and a beginning...

Two years ago today, J and I sat in our living room awaiting the most important phone call of our lives. Every time the phone rang we'd jump. Finally, after lunch, the call came.

We were parents. To a daughter.

I'll never forget the anxiousness I felt awaiting that phone call. Horrible thoughts were running through my head. Maybe something was wrong and China didn't send our referral. Maybe we were wrong about our LID date. Maybe this, maybe that. I think somewhere in the back of my mind I was convinced we'd never be parents.

But the call came and we were/are parents. Parents to an amazing little girl.

An amazing little girl who started school today.

She started 2 year old preschool and did a great job. She already loves her teacher and talks about her a lot. There were tears this morning, but not from our baby, just her baby of a momma. I couldn't help it - she's growing up way too fast. It hit me on the way that this is just the first step of many.

Splish Splash, I was taking a bath!

It's been a while since I've taken any bathtub shots of E. I took about 50 pictures, and these were my favorites!!! I was also experimenting with my new flash. I was adjusting where the light was pointing and trying to soften the light.

08.08.08

Are you going to watch?

The Olympics for me are bittersweet. Many moons ago when we were getting our dossier ready my "plan" was to go back to China for a second adoption around the time of the Olympics. If things had held steady at the time, that was a very realistic timeline. Of course, things changed.

Some people think it's the Olympics that have caused the slowdown. I believe we will know by the end of this year if it's true. I honestly think things will stay the same for quite some time.

These are pictures we took while in China to meet E. Back in 2006 the Olympic symbols were everywhere. I can't imagine what it looks like now.

A new book: Silent Tears

An American woman who volunteered in an orphanage in China has written a book about her time spent in China.

I have not read this book, so I can't comment on the contents. However, I have heard over and over that it is a realistic and eyes open wide view of orphanage life for children in China.

I'm about to order the book and hope to read it soon. I'm not good at reading these books, and I'm guessing E is going to get many extra hugs and kisses while I'm getting through it. It's hard to be thankful that I have one child home knowing that I'm waiting on another. It feels like we're only halfway there.

http://www.kaybratt.blogspot.com/

Love Without Boundaries Foundation has set a goal to raise $5,000 by August 27

Goal: $1 challenge to save a child's life!

LWB is launching a $1 challenge to kick off our new Unity Fund for impoverished, rural families in China. So many times over the years, we have met families who have had to make the painful decision to abandon their child in the hopes of getting them the medical care they need. It has been a dream of ours for many years to begin such a fund, so that when we learn of families in true crisis, we can provide their children with the surgeries they need so that such a painful decision does not have to be made.

We have met so many of these families in person, and they love their children completely, but they simply could never afford a $5000 heart surgery to save their child's life when their family is living on less than $50 per month. Our Unity Fund was created to keep these families united and to give a second chance of a healthy life to at-risk children living in poverty. Join with us on this dream, and actually help prevent children from being orphaned. We challenge everyone to send just ONE DOLLAR during this challenge period to LWB's Unity Fund. Is it possible to find 5000 people to donate $1? With your help, we believe it is. If we meet that goal, then together we can impact a child's life forever.

Pass on this message to everyone you know! Pop just $1 in the mail to Love Without Boundaries and help change the world, one child at a time.

Love Without Boundaries
P.O. Box 25016
Oklahoma City, OK 73125-0016
or donate $1 online at www.lovewithoutboundaries.com or donate through Facebook by clicking "donate" and then choosing "other" and putting in $1.

Together we can continue our work of bringing hope to those truly in need!

Hey, I didn't even notice!

Back in 2005, every day we waited for our daughter was another tickmark. You see, when we began the process it was a six month wait. In fact, it was still a six month wait three months into the wait. And then boom goes the dynamite.

So, Saturday would have been a milestone if we were still in 2005. We have been LID for our second child for a month. Woohoo. One down, 48 - infinity left to go.

Learning new stuff *updated

Here's a picture I loved, but J's legs were very prominent in the back. By doing a quick edge burn I was able to soften the legs and focus on E's face...where it should be!!!

Whatcha think???

I added a second picture from the same parade. E had a blast and so did we!

My Yankee Doodle Sweetheart!

And I thought I liked the picture then...

So, as I'm learning my new camera, I'm also really trying to learn Photoshop Elements. I decided to go back to that picture I liked so much of E and her Daddy. What I found is that it only got better! What do you think? Here's the old picture:

And here is the one I created today with PSE:

Any thoughts?

Can our family handle TWO photographers?

Lately when I want to take pictures of E she isn't cooperative unless she has a camera as well. I pulled out my Powershot this afternoon because it was quick and available. Not too shabby on either of our parts, huh?

I think the funniest part of these two pictures is how we both hold the camera. Think she's seen me do this a few times?

June 19, 2008

It was a good day. So good that our lives will revolve around that little day for quite some time. That is the day CCAA logged us in for a sister for little E. One day, she'll learn to share her Mommy and Daddy. It's going to be hard because the sun rises and sets with that little girl.

YEAH!

Fun with photography at the zoo

I can't think of a better place to practice my new hobby than the zoo. I also can't think of a place that brings a faster smile to my daughter's face than the zoo, so we were all happy. My hubby was just happy that we were happy!

So, we saw lots and lots of animals and I took lots and lots of pictures. There is a stingray exhibit at the zoo right now and after paying six or seven dollars to see them, my daughter decided she was petrified and wouldn't touch the fish! This is the kid who LOVES all animals.

Well, here are three pictures I took. I think they turned out well. The only thing that bothers me is you can see a bit of the flash off the glass in the penguin picture. I'll have to get my photography teacher to teach me how to avoid that in the future.

"She chose me" ***update

I just watched an interview with Cindy McCain talking about the adoption of her daughter. She was volunteering in an orphanage and said she'd be with her in the morning and at the end of the day. Something was just there. "She chose me."

I love stories about forever families. It really doesn't matter what side of the political aisle anyone is to a baby, they just need love.

She also said that it is only $286 to perform a surgery through Operation Smile. So...if you can swing it - go make a kid smile, okay? http://www.operationsmile.org/

per request - here's a link to the video http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=5200823 It's three minutes into the video and the last 45 seconds.

We interrupt the photography talk to announce...

That our dossier is in the hands of CCAA. We should have our LID soon and LIDs are taking a day or so after receipt. I am very, very ready to just get in that massively long line.

Okay, back to photograpy.

Mini photo shoot!

So, the only time a little one in our house is still is when she's strapped into her booster seat and eating. I gave her some Pirate's Booty and proceeded to snap some pictures. I really liked two out of the 111 I took. Hooray for digital cameras!!!



Tell me what you think. The lighting could have been better, but I think these turned out great.

Pictures of a completely uninteresting subject...

So, I wanted to see the difference in colors between my point and shoot and my new Nikon. Since baby is sleeping - and getting her to do the same thing while I change cameras is impossible - I threw a pillow onto the rug and took some pictures. I left them both on the manual setting, so this is pretty basic, but the Nikon shows truer color.

Not a huge difference, but something fun to compare and play with. In case you can't figure it out, the first photo is taken with the Nikon and the second is with my point and shoot.

A side note, I am in awe of how fast this takes pictures.

I have a camera!!!!

I am now the very, very proud owner of a Nikon D60. I went to the store and played with all of them and really liked the way the Nikon D60 and Canon Rebel XSi felt in my hands (the more powerful cameras were too big) but the Nikon was WAY cheaper than the Canon. I'm also more impressed with the more powerful Nikon's than Canon's so once I'm ready to upgrade (many, many years from now) I can still use any lenses I buy for my baby Nikon.

I am also going to take lessons from a photography friend (who reads the blog - hi!) and she's already sending me tips on ways to get started.

As soon as the battery charges fully and my daughter wakes up from her nap I'll snap some pictures and post. I can't WAIT!!!

Camera choices

So...I have lots of camera options but I thought I'd throw out a question for all you out in Blog land. If you own a DSLR camera, can you post a little something to tell me what you love and or hate about your camera? I'm especially interested in the Nikon D300, Canon Rebel XSi or the XTi.

Just throw out your thoughts. I'd also love to hear anything you have to say about lenses. I'm trying to learn about everything, but I'm still not even 100% knowledgeable about my Canon PowerShot. The good thing is the PowerShot is it is DSLR like, except (obviously) the lenses, so if I learn one, I'm hoping it'll translate.

And I've added a gratuitous photo of little E from this weekend!

I'm anxiously awaiting a new book!!!

It comes out on June 19th...of course it will be several more years (if ever) before I can read it without crying. Poor little E, she'll have to read these books to me one day because I'm still having a hard time reading them to her!!!

http://themommyorphanage.com/

I guess she'll have to read them to her sister too!

I completely forgot to mention one other FD gift...

Our dossier went into translation today. Fingers crossed that either at the end of this week or beginning of next our dossier will be mailed to China. The wait is so long that we really try not to talk about it, but it feels a little more real. And you never know what will happen in the world of International Adoption!

The picture I added is a "Red Couch Photo" taken our last day in China. We left later that evening to head towards Los Angeles. We spent the night in LA and headed home and landed in Texas November 4, 2006. There was nothing posed about those smiles, we were the happiest people on the planet! Can't you tell???

Father's Day gift

I ordered this photo blown up to an 11x17 and will have it matted and framed for DH for Father's Day. I'm going to also buy a coffee mug for DH from baby because she OFTEN talks about "Daddy's Coffee"!

I think what I love most about this picture is how turning it to b/w hides so many problems. Here it is in color: