Potty Princess??

Blogging on my lunch break...I love to upload at school because it's so quick! I actually started this layout on Monday before I realized how sick Lexi was. This picture was taken last weekend while Geoff was on the computer in the study. There was a potty in the accumulated mess there that we bought for Lexi this summer. I hate it! It's not nearly as nice as the boxed picture looked and it's too tall for her to sit on it comfortably so I've just tossed it in the study. Well, Lexi went in there and sat on it in her pj's and proceeded to go "shewwwwww". She told Geoff by saying "shhheewwwww". I walked by to find her and Geoff said, "she's stinky". She sure was!

Later in the weekend, she did it again but his time it was on her new potty that we bought at Toys R Us. We really didn't intend to potty train her until Spring or at least when she can pull her own pants down and clearly tell us she needs to go but at the same time, she is showing signs of "getting it". She even comes to us and tells us when she is wet and has had several nights of waking up dry or at least mostly dry. So we are going to start slowly with mostly putting her on the potty before her bath. Honestly though, I'm NOT ready for my baby to reach this milestone yet! We've only had her 9 months!

2nd Dr. Visit

I had to take Lj back to the dr. yesterday. Her fever went away but her other symptoms got worse. I'll never understand why it is so hard for doctors to go ahead give some antibotics these days. She had to take them when Sable accidently collided heads with her and cut Lexi's lip with her tooth but yet when I brought her in with fever, coughing, sneezing, running nose, and diahrea I was told to let it run its course. Just two days later, we had all of the above still just no fever but we had a blistered hiney and red ears and throat. Had we waited through the weekend, she would have been in bad shape! This time we got antibotics and she is already showing signs of getting better! The waiting just caused 2 co-pays and Lexi a lot of discomfort.

Today we were going to take our little Bumble Bee out to downtown and go trick or treating at an event down there and then head to the church fall festival but seeing how she is only beginning to feel better, I don't think we will spend much time outdoors at all. We will probably spend a little time during daylight hours downtown and then head home. I don't want her out in the damp night air even if it is still 85 degrees here! As far as going trick or treating with Brennen and Christopher on Saturday, we shall see how it goes.

I've totally neglected my computer at night this week which is why there are no pictures. I've been so worn down by Lj that I go to bed after she goes to bed. So hopefully, I can get some cuteness posted again soon.

I'm blogging and Lj is awake!

And why is that significant? Well, she's been sick since Monday (the first time since we got her 9 months ago). I took her to Mom's with a cough on Monday morning. I had heard her cough a few times during the night and my mommy instincts kicked in. So on the way out I grabbed the ear thermometer, Tylenol, and Zyrtec. When I got there I was showing mom how to take her temperature with the new fanged technology and found she had a 99 degree temp. Of course, I wanted to turn right back around and take her home but I knew she was in good hands. I called and checked on her. The fever was gone, she was eating, and all seemed fine. Then Mom called about 1:00. Her fever was up to 100.

So long story short... I've been home with her yesterday and today. We went to the dr. yesterday to make sure it wasn't the dreaded flu! (Thank heaven it wasn't!) But we have had one little miserable pitiful little girl on our hands. Her fever never went over 102 but it still worried her daddy like crazy. On Monday night when it was so high he couldn't stay out of her room making sure she was breathing. At one point she woke up while he was in there and then he had to do the whole walk to her sleep routine again. I was almost to the point of putting her in bed with us but I knew the way she sleeps none of us would rest.

We really didn't know what to expect from our little precious girl during sickness. We know now... she's just like ME. Pity the day Geoff has to stay home with the both of us sick. She would not let us rock her to sleep. It had to be walking. She wouldn't sit on your lap to play, read, or do anything. We had to be in the floor or walking. Let me just say it is exhausting! So even though she still has a slight fever that comes and goes today, she is doing better and is acting like herself again. She had a respiratory viral infection so there was nothing to give her but at least it's running its course and she is getting better. There's nothing worse than seeing your child in pain and not being able to do anything to help.

Last night after an afternoon of walking the floors holding her I welcomed her daddy to come help. He brought home chicken from Kroger and I fixed a few things to go with it. After dinner I was emptying the dishwasher and putting away ALL the dishes from the day since I could not do anything but help Lexi. Geoff had her in the living room and very kindly asked if I wanted him to do the dishes. I burst out laughing... NOT A CHANCE BUSTER! LOL! Normally, I hate emptying the dishwasher... but my back needed a Lj break!

Now I'm off to see if I can get the little sweetie to nap. Wonder if it will be walking or rocking???

21 Month Cupcake Fun

I don't know who had more fun last night... Lexi blowing out the candles and eating her first chocolate icing cupcake or US watching her and laughing our heads off!

These cupcakes are fabulous! Geoff gets them from Mabel Francis Potter's Cupcake Emporium in downtown Savannah. They are so delicious. My favorite so far is the Key Lime. Their cupcakes are the real deal!

21 months old!

Gosh... time is flying! Wasn't it just yesterday that we were at 20 months and practicing blowing out candles??? (We did that tonight again... more details later!) Today when I picked up Lj my sis was there with new black rubber boots for Lj. Her little pink suede ones are adorable but not practical for puddle jumping and running in wet grass with Papa T. The only ones anyone has been able to find in her size are black ones... so black it is! She LOVES them!!! Carolyn is going to add some decorations to them to make them more girly but you know ... our girl is a good mix of girly-girl and tom-boy! This picture demonstrates it perfectly... black boots... capri jeans with just the right amount of girly girl... Elmo shirt that could pass for boy or girl... complete with pink girly girl sunglasses and girly hat worn silly! She was a sight to behold! I should have video taped that little munchkin running to her Daddy's truck as he came home from work!

We had a lot of "birthday" fun tonight. I can't wait to scrapbook some of her funny cupcake pictures! She was even more fun this month! And for now we think "chocolate icing" is the favorite! Let's just say.... cupcake + candle = bath!

So is this our "quirky girl" or a glimpse of her teenage rebellious years??? LOL! Right now it's pretty darn cute!

Cool Tool!

(Click on the image to get it full screen and for printing your own.)
I found this website today and played around using Lj as my subject. This is something fun I could do in the lab with my students! There were lots of cool things to do with pictures on this site.

Our Visit to Poppell's Pumpkin Patch

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I've waited for this moment...

when Lexi and Brennen would be best friends. At first Lexi didn't want to share us at all and actually neither did Brennen. It was hard to be in this position when we first got home. Once they figured out that they could "share" us, they mostly played "around" each other but not with each other. However finally they love to play together! This past weekend we had to take 2 cars to get the kids to the Pumpkin Patch and Brennen road with us. On the way home, I turned around to check on them and this is what I saw! They held hands almost the whole way home. I teared up with joy. (I know I'm a big crybaby!) It's true what they say about the little things in life matter the most.

Tiny Ballerina

Remember this post? While searching through the boxes of clothes we have for Lexi last Sunday in search of long sleeve pj's for our cooler weather (short lived!), I came across these pj's that we bought in Las Vegas. Here it is almost 3 full years later and she is finally is here to wear them! They are a little big but our girl is certainly growing! She certainly was a beauty to see! And it IS just like everyone said it would be... the wait just melts away with your heart as you fall in love with your baby!

Fall Fun Teaser...

We've been having so much Fall Fun! I just haven't had time or the energy to keep up with it. I am going to have to resort to making some slide shows of all the fun pictures I've taken lately. Then I'll pick some favorites and scrapbook them. These were taken at the Pumpkin Patch. I quickly through this layout together at lunch today. So... more to come as time permits!

Blankie

The washclothes that were Lexi's fav in China were replaced with bibs soon after we returned home. The beloved bibs have gone to the wayside and now we are fixated on blankets. She loves this brown polka dot one but she also has a pink one that she likes. This morning when I picked her up out of bed, she never let go of the blanket.

Her new thing is eating my breakfast. Everyone morning, Geoff fries me an egg or makes me an egg sandwich and I'll eat it on the way to work. Sometimes I break off a piece and give it to Lexi. Usually she is still so sleepy she just holds it until she gets to Mom's. Well this morning, before Geoff even got in sight of her as he was helping me get packed and on my way Lexi said "ah-uuummm" (that's her yum). She didn't even know for sure he had anything in his hand but I guess she knows we are creatures of habit and she has the routine down pat!

This is WHY I can work worry-free...

I do enjoy my job ALOT. I am a teacher at heart and a life-long learner however, without knowing Lexi is in good hands would I be any good at work. My Mom is doing an awesome job with Lexi. Every now and then she does something new and Geoff and I get puzzled and then agree "Nana's been at it again"!

Polka-dot Princess

Budding Photographer?

Aren't piggy tails so cute?? We took these this weekend. Believe me getting shots of Lj these days take extra special talent only given to Mommies! She had her 2nd hair cut today but I have no pictures unfortunately. She did do extra-great today though! We are working on evening up her hair all over. She sat very still in my lap and did a fantastic job! Let's see how the next haircut goes! In the meantime... enjoy those little piggy-tails! Nothing is cutier than a little piggy tail Asian beauty!

Girly-Girly in Red!

Our girl is such a girly-girly tom-boy mix! She can hold her own with Brennen but yet is just smitten so easily over clothes, shoes, hats, and even socks! In the picture above, I brought this little dress home that was a hand-me-down from Aubrey. As soon as Lexi saw it, she was like "ohHHoooooo!". So the day she did wear it a few weeks ago, I put on her socks that someone gave us during the wait for one of our themed exchanges. The socks had little ladybugs on them. I'll tell you those socks fascinated her for a very long time! I'll have to say I think red is one of Lexi's colors! I know she's mine but she is the most precious thing! Every morning when I wake up, I now turn on the video monitor and just watch her as I wake up. I can't think of a better way to start the day!

Fhoto Flashback

I took this picture of us on the beach at Amelia Island this summer. I've got so many pictures to scrapbook and just not enough time.

And I forgot...

someone actually asked me Lexi's name this week and when I told them they said "oh, that fits her perfect!!".... we think so too!

Furlough Days 2 and 3

You would THINK that with two furlough days I could find a few minutes to post some pictures of our darling but no... it's been too busy despite all the rain! Yesterday we had planned to go to have lunch with Geoff and do some shopping but got up to rain! Lots of rain! Geoff said he would make it easy on us if we decided to come in and meet us at the mall instead of us going Downtown and then heading shopping. This of course would mean that Lj would not get to see anyone at his office but we felt it would be best for her. We met him at the mall, had some lunch and looked for Lj some shoes. We really didn't have any luck for her (but I found some for me really cheap!) so on the way home I stopped at Target. We did buy two pairs there. Almost all Lexi's shoes have been from Stride Rite since the very first week we returned home. We felt she needed the stability their shoes provide and only bought one pair of sandals otherwise for looks only. Well, yesterday, I bought her a pair for church with a cute little lady bug on them and a pair of light pink boots to wear outside. I also bought her a red Elmo shirt, new socks, new bows, and an Elmo to LEAVE at Nana's. So we come home and immediately she had to try on both pairs of shoes again! And then the shirt and while we were at it, we tried to see if we could make pigtails. So by the time Geoff came home his cute little girl dressed in one of the cutest Gymboree outfits that we bought to take to China (blue jean skirt with daisies around the bottom with matching yellow shirt with daisy buttons, and daisy leggins with matching socks!) had transformed into little Asian girl with pigtails that stick straight up with pink boots, red Elmo shirt, blue jean skirt and daisy leggins. When she RAN out of the house to greet Daddy she was a sight to see and certainly surprised her Daddy! Even last night as we were going to bed he told me again how surprised he was to find little quirky pig-tail Asian beauty greeting him at the car. In my mind, it was purely precious and just a glimpse at her personality yet to surface!

So today we got up and my plans were to lay low and do some blogging during her nap complete with pictures. But we got up and headed over to possibly her first daycare (we're looking at two times a week half days). Lexi dressed for the occasion to charm in her little blue jean skirt (this one 3-6 months Gymboree with flowers that we bought at the consignment store) and a Gymboree Pink Panda Shirt (12-18 months that we bought a LONG time ago during the wait) along with her new pink boots and ONE ponytail with bow. She was adorable! No, she was stinkin' cute! I called Geoff and described her and told him that if you could look up "stinkin' cute" in the dictionary it would show a picture of Lj! She charmed them at the daycare... blowing kisses... laughing, playing... just making them WANT her to be a regular. So afterwards, we decided since she was so "stinkin' cute" she and I would go have lunch with Dad. She STILL did not get to meet the only male partner at the office but as usual did some good charming of Gail and blew her kisses! Everywhere we went Lexi just drew attention. She has a way of doing that with her cute little self. We ate lunch and Lexi had an onion ring with a LOT of honey mustard (did you catch the ONE onion ring?).

Once we got home, we went to Mom's so that we could let Lexi see Nana and Papa in preparation for the adjustment tomorrow (agh.... I got to go back to work!). Well, Lexi immediately latched onto Daddy and they fed the fish, fed the fish, fed the fish, fed the fish and then played outside and she basically had her way with him while Mom and I talked. After awhile I took her home and rocked her until she fell asleep for a nap. She didn't stay asleep long though. She has been "itching" lately especially on her head and we just can't figure out what is going on with her. I did give her some Benadryl and it finally helped after a bath but if this continues I will be calling the dr. I rocked her until she was relaxed tonight and then put her down without her crying and then began to get things ready for her to go to Mom's tomorrow. As I searched for the camera from the restaurant today, I discovered.... the half of a HOTDOG that I had put in her diaper bag IN CASE she would eat it on the way home (what was I thinking in the first place... this is the child who so easily gets car sick and rarely eats or drinks in the car??). Thankfully, I decided to do this blog post even without pictures otherwise just imagine what that hotdog would be like in a few days! The last two furlough days make me wish I had more time with her every week. I just wish I could still have the PAY to go with the time off!

The last few days have been so much fun! I only wish we were this much adjusted when we first brought her home but good things take time and this is one of them. Just this morning I was thinking of how I can now take a shower and let her roam the house and not fear for her or have to lock her in the room with me only to discover her cradled on the blanket I laid down trying to make herself go to sleep because she is in so much fear. Today, I look back on those days and just wish I had at the time just not showered. I know she needed to get into our routine and learn her "new life" but oh my! I really hope and pray that I did not add any trauma to her so young life. The little LJ we know now is so more confident and secure and I do feel that we have overcome so much!

So now tomorrow I have to go back to work... I never for one second doubt that she is in the best hands ever with my Mom and Dad. I don't look forward to handing her over for even just 2 half days a week to a daycare because they do such a wonderful job with her. And I don't look forward to going to work myself because I miss time with her. She is not just the definition of "stinkin' cute' but also "precious". I know there are TONS of "stinkin' cute and precious" kids out there. Sara is one of them as well is my grandsons, I guess it's just time in my life to realize how wonderful little ones can really be.

Pumpkin or Apple??

Yesterday was a busy day. We kept Brennen for Sara and just let me say, they love each other! She sure can keep up with him even though he towers over her! We played around the house and then took off for a pumpkin sale in Richmond Hill. We got there about an hour before they closed so by the time we got there most of the nice pumpkins were gone. (Lexi still thinks they are apples!) But Bren and Lj enjoyed seeing the ducks at the park. I tried to get pictures of both of them sitting on the bales of hay but oh, no! Neither of them were all that interested in anything going on around them. I think they were in shock of all the people around. So we left and headed to McDonalds. Talk about perfect timing! We drove up to find Ronald McDonald out front autographing pumpkins and giving out Halloween candy. So we headed over. Lexi got the last pumpkin and charmed Ronald by blowing him kisses. Brennen on the other hand was freaked out by the guy! Geoff had to walk off with him. Once we got in the restaurant, we settled in and were waiting for Geoff to bring lunch. By this time Ronald came in and was doing magic tricks around the restaurant. That freaked both of them out. They both stood in the booth just horrified at the thought that he might come over. Thankfully, he had sense enough to know that the little guy that had just freaked out over him in the parking lot was Brennen.

After this we headed to the flea market where Sara was selling some of her baby items. She had told us it would be okay to bring him up and leave him but once we got there, we knew that was a bad idea. Brennen is not one to be contained in one spot and we were afraid he would wander off. So we took him home with us and both of them took a long nap. Lexi and Brennen are like two peas in a pod. I keep telling people that she is a female Brennen but I don't think anyone believes it until they see it. I tried to get some video of them playing but this was the best I could do. It was wild at our house for sure!

And a few minutes later... they got wilder! Needless to say that play telephone suddenly disappeared the second they were not looking!

Shoes

I know I take spells of posting and to tell the truth, I'm probably not done for today. I love recording Lexi's life. I just don't have enough time (and sometimes the energy) to do it like I would hope. These pictures were taken earlier in the week one night after bathtime. Lexi decided she needed to put on her shoes for us. She is so funny about how she goes about it. She does not sit down but instead twists her feet until she gets them in. It takes twice as long this way but she does it!

We were so tickled to see that her pj's finally fit! These were some we bought her during the wait. She was so cute when we put them on her and said "baa, baa". It's so cute. Our girl can finally wear some clothes that are over 12 months! She is growing every day! Just last night after we put her to bed, we were talking about how much she has brought to our lives and how thankful we are to have her. Life is just so much better with her in it!

I think she is really bonding and attaching to us more and more everyday. She now asks to be rocked whereas before she really didn't want it. She used to be content to be put to bed and left alone. Now we have a routine at night where we watch the Pajanimals on Sprout and sing bedtime songs and then we read books. She likes to tell everyone's picture on the mantle "night, night" and then we rock awhile. She always wants a blanket and if you don't have one, she will ask for it. If you don't sing to her, she will start humming to remind you to sing to her. We try to put her down relaxed without completely putting her to sleep as we don't want her to lose the ability to self soothe and go to sleep on her own. She is precious!

Adorable Lexi

I just can't help it. I ADORE Lexi. We don't get to post everyday but I rarely miss a day without taking at least one picture of her. She has brought so much joy to our life! We could not ask for more!