Memorial Day Weekend

What a wonderful weekend this was! We were going to grill out on Friday night, but in making sure the drill worked, we ran out of propane... so the grilling was postponed until Saturday night. I think we had something like cereal for dinner Fridday night...

The weather was great all weekend. Sunday, we went to our friend Anna's house and had a great cookout with her sister and her parents, as well as her little boy who is 5. It was great to get together and show off Maia. We had a great time and even got to play with the very elusive Wii... I don't know how everyone else can get them... I can't seem to find one to save my life. Matthew and I played boxing, and I knocked him out!! It's a little weird boxing with your kid... maybe this is good anger management?? I DO know it is GOOD exercise. We were both out of breath after our 3 round game, pretty sad. (He had just played a game before playing me though... so he was up to 6 rounds.) Still, we were beat!

The pictures of Maia and the bowl are when I served her strawberries in a bowl and some meat on a separate plate. Suffice it to say, she didn't touch the meat, but you can see the results of her and the strawberries... Instead of teaching any manners however, I took the opportunity to take some pictures....

Today we went to the pool. We just stayed in the kiddie pool the whole time, and even THAT water was like arctic temps... but the weather was pleasant, so once we went numb, it was fun. I loved Maia in her little bathing suit!! So adorable! She climbed in and out of the pool 1,000 times, and had a great time doing it. We only stayed 1.5 hours, but it was lunchtime, and more importantly, naptime, so we had to go.

I hope you all had as wonderful a weekend as we did. It was weird not to be at the beach, we are always at the beach on Memorial Day!! We missed the Pungo Strawberry Festival and everything! But, it was also nice to be home and enjoy the 3 days here for a change and not be battling traffic. Until soon....

I am having a terrible time posting pics, so more are coming, but for now, hopefully this will post.

7.5 weeks and a trip to the beach

OK, I'm going to lose track of how long we've been home - so I may stop counting weeks soon! The last couple of weeks have been awesome!! She is changing every day.

Instead of walking around the house exploring and seeing what she SHOULDN'T touch or get in to, (plugs, toilets, anything at all on the floor from the tiniest spec of dirt from a plant to Matthew's GameBoy that he left out...), now she is content to play with her toys in the living room. She is amazing to watch and see how her brain is working and learning! She is definitely a climber and will position anything near a larger object so that it can assist her in getting up on it. She now can get on and off her little Car without help and knows how to swing her leg over it.

She is even saying a few words!! Socks and shoes, YES!, she violently shake her head for NO, Hi. I think those are the clear words, and in her own way, she has words for Matthew, (Ya-ya), Grandma and Grandpa. She understands 99.9% of what we are saying, and can follow multi-step directions! It is such a joy to watch her grow and learn, it is amazing!!

We went to visit my mom and dad last week at their newly renovated beach house (where they live full time now). It is GORGEOUS!! Wow, it is better than I expected it would be for some reason, I was blown away! Matthew, Maia and I all had a wonderful time there. The weather was quite pleasant, the food was good and the company was excellent. In fact, I had a good bit of time to myself since Maia was so intrigued with Grandma and Grandpa, and I took full advantage of that! We took her to the beach on Sunday and I got lots of pictures of her being held, and a few with her little feet actually touching the sand. She was none too sure about that... but we're hoping in time, she'll understand how awesome the beach is! She definitley didn't like the water, we couldn't even get too close because it was too LOUD for her (the crashing waves).... So, with more trips to the beach, hopefully she'll come around.

Time is short, so I'll leave you with some pictures now and will have to update more later!! Enjoy!

Home for 6 weeks already

It is amazing that we have been home for 6 weeks and it seems like forever, yet this is less time than I was in Kazakhstan! It is just amazing how with each passing day, it seems more and more like Maia has been here forever. It's weird, I know I say that each time I post, and it becomes more true each time I write it.

Although she never seemed to have an adjustment period - she seems more and more settled each and every day. She is signing more and walking faster, almost starting to run! She understands 90% or more of what we are saying now (still not always listening to everything we say, though!)

She has become a pickier eater than she was at first, but still has a pretty good appetite. She still picks up and puts in her mouth as much as humanly possible. This week, I thought she swallowed something, so I took her to the doctor. (She was breathing fine but had other 'symptoms'). Well, the doctor thought something wasn't right too, so she sent me to the ER to get an x-ray. (8 weeks with Maia and we're at the ER.... in 12.5 years with Matthew we've never been to the ER!! Go figure!) It was a relatively fast process, and it turns out, nothing was stuck (although I'm not convinced she didn't swallow anything!) We did have a few bad nights this week, which was a first, so that's made it interesting (and made me tired!) I can't complain though, I thought it would be more like that all the time, so a couple nights once in a while is ok!! I still think she may be vegetarian... but she eats protein in other ways, so I'm not too concerned. She is a happy little thing though and really makes us all smile!

We got tons of rain this past week. Between Thursday and Sunday we got almost 8 inches. There was flooding in our county, as well as sinkholes, landslides, tornadoes, potholes, and basements flooded. Luckily, I was unaffected, besides some really dreary days... but I was getting nervous about some side affects! We are expecting another inch or more tonight, so the flood warnings are back up. Ugh! Enough already with the rain. We are headed to the beach this weekend to see my parents renovated house, so I hope the weather is at least decent!!

Mother's Day was VERY rainy (about 7 inches of rain just that day!) but we enjoyed time together. Mom and Dad were here, and my brother visited and I had both my kids here with me!! What a joy! Mom and Dad overdid it in getting me things from my kids - but it was very nice and I love everything they got me.

We went to church Saturday night (first time with Maia here - since we attend an extremely large church, it is also broadcast live on the internet, so I've been attending church on the computer!) Anyway, it was going to be her first time in the nursery... Well, as we were pulling in the turn lane to turn in to the church, I realized I couldn't steer! So, as soon as I got to the top level of the parking garage, I pulled to an area without others to check, and YUP, I had a flat tire! Dad and I got the tired out and the tools, but Dad couldn't get the screws off the tire (he's still recovering and couldn't overdo it) so I called AAA. Dad and Matthew went in to church, I took Maia to the nursery while Mom waited with the car... Then when I returned, a good samaritan came and helped us change the tire. As he was finishing, the AAA lady arrived and tightened the bolts on the newly changed tire and added air to the spare tire. Now there was only about 10 minutes left in the service, so Mom and I went in and watched the end of the service on the huge TV's they have in the lobby (since I was too embarrassed to go in 50 minutes or more in to the service!) I watched it again on Sunday on the internet since basically missed it Saturday night... What an adventure that was. How lucky to get a flat as you are pulling in to a church parking lot and not on the Beltway somewhere?

One exciting tidbit - I found a new job!! I am so glad to be out of the mortgage business and moving on to a new company!! I start on May 27th and I can't wait! The mortgage industry is just in such dire straits that I can not even imagine how much longer the company will be open - so it's best to move on!! Maia has visited her new daycare which she will start on June 23rd and she loves it!! She had a great time and cried when I made her leave!! LOL. Until then, she'll be with friends and family after I begin working again. I will have spent almost 4 months with her since meeting her then and it's awesome. A lot longer than I got to spend with Matthew when he was born, so I'm happy about that. Yeah on a new job!! I'm so excited!

As for pictures, I've been lax and not taken any recently - I'm sure i'll take some this weekend at the beach and post some then.

Maia finally came around with my dad this past weekend as she asked him to pick her up!! She gave him books for him to read to her and then let him hold her while she drank a bottle!! It was awesome - she finally turned that corner with him. Yeah!!

First video

OK, I'm trying my hand at this and hope it works!!

This (should!) be a video of Matthew going to get Maia after she woke up from and nap... Do you think she's excited to see him??

Then, they proceed to have a sneezing contest. After that, Matthew takes her for an airplane ride.

Enjoy!!

Various pictures

How sweet is this? Grandpa, Matthew and Maia going for a walk outside our house.

Grandma reading to Maia. Maia has come a long way since the day we met her and her not even looking at a book then! Now, she'll bring them to us and sit for at least a few pages, if not the whole book. Sometimes, we even re-read the same book twice in a row.

Matthew getting some good snuggle time with Maia. She loves her big brother!

Wow, I have creative and talented friends and family. After getting the wonderful afghan from my brother for Christmas, my friend Kristy knitted this beauty for Maia. It is the perfect crib sized blanket (that I have 'stolen' so far and displayed in my living room!).

Yesterday Maia was introduced to Peanut Butter and Jelly! She actually seemed to love it, but made a couple of funny faces when it seemed the peanut butter was 'thick' in her mouth. (I only have her a rather thin layer so as not to have her get it stuck in her mouth!)

I just love this picture of them together! So cute. I also love Maia in that sweater.

April - Sweet April

We've been home for 4 weeks and 2 days (we came home April 2)now and with each passing day - it seems more unbelievable that we've been home that long AND that she hasn't always been with us. There are times when it seems like we are still getting to learn her, but most of the time, she just fits in as if she's always been here and we know so much about her. It is really awesome.

I'm trying to think about what is new in the past week. Nothing too new - let me think... I am looking for a new job and have been interviewing a lot recently to take advantage of the time I am at home before having to head back to work. I had three interviews this week and will have another one on Monday. It's great to have so many, and I'm feeling pretty good about a couple of them, but at the same time, I hate that I am missing so much time with Maia!! She has been staying with a friend of mine, Abi on Wednesday and Thursday. She has two kids, Sarah and Jeremiah. Sarah is 2.5 and Jeremiah is going to be 1 on Tuesday. Sarah is certainly enjoying playing with them, and I hope they have enjoyed it too! Today, Maia went and stayed at Stephanie's and played with Evan. For those of you who don't know who that is, that is my ex-husband's 2nd wife, and their child. Evan and Maia are only 4 days apart in age and had fun together as well. It was great that they played together - I hope they will play together again soon.

Today was a gorgeous day! The perfect weather day. Not too hot (I don't even have my air on, and if you know me, you know that's pretty unreal!) The only problem is the blasted pollen that hasn't ended yet, but that has to end soon - everything is almost totally green.

Matthew is growing up! He mowed the lawn tonight and it looks so good. He did the front, we'll have to do the sides and back tomorrow, but at least the front looks good! Also, we bought him new sneakers this week. He is in a size 9 mens! 9!! How is that possible already? Good grief! Maia loves her big brother and he does so well with her!! He got her dressed this a.m. and although he put her overalls on backwards, he helped me out by just getting them on her - so that was great! It is hard to tell the front from the back on these since the shoulder sling part thing doesn't open on these (since the legs are all snaps... you just put them over your head.) So, in his defense too, it is hard to tell front from back.

Maia is signing like crazy. She does 'more', 'please' and 'milk'. She's been doing more for a week or two, and the second she gets up (from a nap or whatever, she is signing that she wants more...) Now though we're starting with the please and what she might want more of, Milk for instance. Otherwise, you have no idea what she wants more of when she says it out of the blue. Also, she's SO proud when she signs a new sign. I make a big deal of it of course, and it makes her so happy!!

She is still sleeping well at night. Her naps are iffy. If she takes a cat nap in the car it's almost impossible to get her to sleep again in the afternoon. Also, even though she has allergies (or perhaps a little cold) this week, she was taking 1 to MAYBE 2 hour naps - not her normal 2 to more likely 3 hour naps. Also, for a day or two, as she breathed in her sleep, she sounded like Darth Vader... Can you say, Benadryl?

I did get my new laptop and will be taking and posting some pictures soon. I'm still catching up from having such limited access to a computer for so long, so I need to catch up and then post some pics!

Alright, I'm falling asleep, so I'll end now and post again when I can download the pictures to the new computer. Happy May!