Stella!!

This one featuring the late golden retriever Bernstein is short but sweet!

Lucy's zoo adventure

A recent trip to the zoo with the munchkin.

Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID): Clinton

OMG.

Dance of the Clownfish

A friend of ours recently gave Lucy this tutu, and over the weekend another friend gave her this goldfish hat...naturally she decided to combine the two for maximum fun.
Actually she really has just started dance class at school, and she loves it. Today we peeked in via the two-way mirror to watch her. Those little kids cracked us up.

She's a little bit country...

It's Lucy's last day in her room at preschool before the fall term starts and she moves to a new class next week. To mark the day, the kids are at school in cowboy/girl outfits. Last night when we put Lucy's new pink boots on, we taught her the Nancy Sinatra "These Boots are made for Walking" song. She was diggin' it.


Lucy will give Nancy a run for her money

FTIA reunion

Lucy was proud after her face-painting


We're in Indianapolis, where the annual reunion of our adoption agency, Families Thru International Adoption, happened yesterday. It was a humid, gray day, but no rain, so everyone had a great time. It was the first time we had seen any of the families in our travel group. Since they came from various parts of the country, not everyone was able to make it but we saw about half a dozen members of our group and their children.

All the kids had grown so much, and it was great to see everyone. It was just like we were in China again (especially with the humidity)! A couple families have already started the process for a second adoption. Made me wish we could. It's taking much longer now, though, and we don't want to be so old we can't pick her up!

Lucy with Kristina, our FTIA coordinator,
whose voice we still have a recording of telling
us on Jan. 25, 2006 that she had some
"super-exciting news" for us -- she was calling
to tell us we finally had Lucy...

Just a couple photos...

Important Update: Lucy got a new bathing suit!

We look like the Beverly Hillbillies in our little "cement pond" out back. I can't believe it's already July!

Just wanted to play catch-up and say hey to everyone. And if you have an idea on how to remove the ugliest swing frame in the world (see background of water splash photo), please let us know.

-M.A.

Catching up!

Lucy was a true Beatles fan at "Abbey Road on the River" today

We have been awful, and we apologize.
We have no excuse other than our own laziness for not keeping up the blog. Really, this is all about photos of Lucy (even if it bores the world maybe it'll be fun for her to see!), and we have been bad!!!
So, in reverse order, here's what's been going on in the world of our fast-growing baby lately....!


She's always been a bubbly girl. We were hanging out today at the Beatles fest!


Last week of regular semester preschool included a "wear-something-of-Dad's" day


Proud mom and her girl on Mother's Day 2007 (no kidney stones this year, thank you, Dad!)


Our little Easter angel holding her pig Wilbur


Clowning outside Lynn's Paradise Cafe before brunch...


Do we have a future Martha Stewart?

What a difference a year makes

April 3, 2006, moments after we met Lucy in Guangdong Province, China


April 3, 2007, moments before heading to Chuck E. Cheese in America

WOW. How much Lucy has changed, how much we have changed as a family, as individuals. One year past the "gotcha day" on April 3 and her little personality has really emerged. What a sweet, smart little girl, the best child on the planet! ;)

Reflections on a very happy new year...

A goodbye hug for Lyla from Lucy


Lyla and Lucy in Lyla's big-girl room!


Lyla helps her "baby" up the stairs


From left: Pals from Yangjiang to Louisville (far right)

Ni Hao to everyone!
We are celebrating the Chinese New Year right now (it's the year of the pig if you haven't heard), and yesterday we went to the home of Lucy's "big sister" from Yangjiang orphanage in China for a CNY celebration.
It's been awhile since they've seen each other, so it was nice to have them reunited. Lucy ran around all day saying, "Lyla, Lyla, Lyla." Whether Lucy remembers her from China or not we can't be sure, be we do think Lucy loves Lyla now.

There'll be a big Chinese New Year party on Saturday, put on by our local FCC (Families with Children from China) chapter here, so we'll have more pics soon!!

I am behind in posting some fun pics, so I promise to be a better poster in the new year -- both American and Chinese!

---Mary Ann

Happy Valentine's Day

Lucy is ready to go to preschool, complete with her mother's 60's/70's-inspired foil-covered shoebox we decorated last night. She's armed with her Hello Kitty Valentines, ready to hand out to all her friends.
So happy V-Day to everyone, & sorry we've taken so long to post something new!

--Update: Joe reported on drop-off of Lucy that the 2-year-olds ooohed and aaahed over the shiny foil shoebox. She was the only one who had one. Thank goodness toddlers aren't easily embarrassed, and I got away with one there (she doesn't yet realize I'm an old Mama)!

;)

Merry Christmas!

From Santa's little helper ;)

Shop...or get off the pot!

Yes, folks...time is running out on you last-minute holiday shoppers. As you can see, our little one believes in using every available minute to scour the newspaper for good deals.

In between Joe's great snotball referred to in the last entry, I found out I had pneumonia. The fever's gone, antibiotics taken, but the cough is lingering and is pretty nasty at times, especially at night. Someone has been sick in our home since Thanksgiving!

Enough whining, I have tons of presents still to wrap. Hurry, Santa!

--M.A.

That Snot Normal

OK, you'll be glad there are no images of this, but we found out last night what has been making Joe so sick -- a very large snotball.

After a doctor initially said it was strep, but when antibiotics didn't knock the sore throat out, a second doc said the initial diagnosis was wrong and it was a severe viral infection of some sort.

We now think Joe's body identified a big snot ball as a virus.

He blew it out last night and yes, he made me look at it, and if I'd had the measuring tape handy it would have been around a foot in diameter. Actually, it was shaped a bit like a fig and was a bit larger than one. We suspect it had been growing with layer after layer of mucous for a few weeks now.

Painful coming out but, boy, did it feel good.

About 10 minutes after the expulsion he was running around the house like a kid he felt so much better.

Life is so strange sometimes.

Strepping on the feedbag

"Ahh-men!" she said on her first Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.


It wasn't much of a meal, but it tasted sooo good!


The products of the day, every day, at Chez Germ.

*****

What is it about holidays, illness and Joe.

On Mothers Day, it was kidney stones that kept him in the hospital for several days. And now, on Thanksgiving? Strep throat.

That’s right, when people throughout the United States were celebrating the holiday with roasted turkey, stuffing, cranberries and football, Joe was holed up in the guest bedroom so he didn’t spread the disease to Mary Ann and Lucy.

And Mary Ann was spending her second straight day watching Lucy alone. Don’t get me wrong, we both love watching Lucy, but if you have other things to get done, at Lucy’s age, it’s virtually impossible unless you can tag-team her.

This wasn’t going to be a big deal Thanksgiving, anyway. We’ve had lots of things going on of late and decided we would play it low-key. We were going to go over to Joe’s mom’s house where she’s recovering from abdominal surgery.

We were just going to pick up turkey dinners from Shoney’s or Cracker Barrel or some place like that, spend a few hours over there then head home for a leisurely evening. But those plans were obviously scratched – last thing Joe’s mom needs is someone with strep throat infectng her house.

So, Mary Ann swung by the Krogers, picked up a frozen turkey platter, some Stovetop stuffing and we had our first thanksgiving as a family.

We said grace with Lucy punctuating it with, “Ahh-men.”

Lucy gobbled up her Stovetop stuffing, and seemed to enjoy her Banquet turkey well enough.

Joe, who doesn’t have much of an appetite with the fever and all, choked down about a half plate of turkey and stuffing. Mary Ann didn’t even try the turkey.

And she cried. It was our first Thanksgiving with Lucy.

And it was the best Thanksgiving dinner ever.

Happy Halloween!

You can see the "TVLand" influence in Lucy's costume for her first Halloween party as she got dolled up as the title character in "I Dream of Jeannie" today for her daycare's party.

There were so many adorable kids there -- Spiderman, Batman, princesses, Scooby Doo, Bob the Builder -- even a little kid dressed like a piece of candy corn! Happy to say that Lucy was the one and only genie there. Also happy that Lucy doing the arm cross, head bob thing like Jeannie was finally caught by Mom on videotape with Lucy in full costume.


Genie with a bottle


Lucy and a gal pal who came dressed as a rag doll


Must be a sugar high from the candy


The headpiece off, it's time to eat candy with Dad!

We don't know what to do about her shyness...

Yeah, here's Miss Lucy modeling her t-shirt from Angela. She really liked the shirt. Maybe she knew what it said. ;)

Pajama Day!

Hi, y'all. Just a couple photos of Lucy all ready for preschool this morning.
Today is pizza and PJ day. Kids come in their jammies, get fed pizza for lunch, and watch movies and eat popcorn.
I cannot tell you how good this sounds to Lucy's mommy and daddy right about now!

Living vicariously through our daughter,
Joe & Mary Ann

Lucy turns 2!!!

We had a blast. Her big day was Sept. 24, sandwiched in between Dad's (22nd) and Mom's (28th). We had a fairly low-key night at paternal grandma's house.

Enjoy the photos! More will be coming in a more timely manner, I promise. We've shut down our adoption blog and will be posting here exclusively! More soon.



Cake all over!


The princess castle Bundt cake!


Birthday girl


Mother's little helper


Lucy, Mom & Dad

Baptism, sketti and pedicures

Lucy on Baptism day


Here we are during Mass


Lucy was a little scared by the baptism itself, but she wound up high-fiving the priest later...

Yes, all three have been a big part of Lucy's life lately.
Sunday she was baptized into the Catholic Church. It was a beautiful day, and we were so proud to be her parents. Happily, both of Lucy's grandmothers were there, and her godmother was her aunt, Nancy, Joe's sister. Her godfather was Joe's cousin Tyler.
Lucy, who normally loves water, found herself taken a bit by surprise when Father poured the water on her, so she cried a bit but then forgave him for scaring her by clapping for herself when he presented her to the church.


Here Lucy raises the roof with her godfather, Tyler, back at the house


With Aunt Nancy, her godmother


Lucy's cake from the party at home


(See more photos at our adoption journey website in the "Baptism Day" entry)

**************************************


It's no fun unless they have to hose you down after supper!

Eating: Unbelievable. Eats everything in sight now. And, of course, food's no good unless you get it all over yourself, as you can see with the great spaghetti incident of '06.


**************************************


On her toes...

Lucy, in her "rich-princess robe," as her Daddy calls it, watched me sand my feet this morning then decided to borrow the file (or whatever it's called) and give herself a little pedicure. Ahhh, the good life.