Today is Savannah's first birthday. This day last year was was Thanksgiving Day. We don't know for sure if she was born on this day, but that is what they estimated her birth to be. Four days later she was left at a gate at the entrance of an Institute across the street from the orphanage that later became her home. What a blessing to be able to celebrate her first year even though she has only been with us for a few months. She has been in our hearts for 3 1/2 years.
So, here's an update on her birthday and how things have been going. We had a family birthday party a few weekends ago to celebrate Savannah and her two cousins who share a November birthday. My family has a lot of children, so we have to group them together. Otherwise, we would be celebrating every weekend.
Savannah has been feeling off the last two weeks. She wasn't a happy camper for her birthday party. For the first time, she wouldn't let me leave her sight. She just whined and cried for me. The sound of my voice even upset her. She was not content with Daddy. This is a big time first because Daddy is her #1. She's better, but waking up screaming around 3 and wanting to hang out. Not what we want to do at 3 am. I think we are back on the teething track. We'll see how tonight goes.
Otherwise, we are all adjusting well. Savannah continues to get heavier and heavier. Meal times are still challenging at times, but much better. She's all over the house. We are constantly, closing doors and finding way to keep her out. Today, she kept sitting on the dishwasher while daddy was trying to load it. The kitchen is where she wants to be. She's always picking up little things off the floor and keeping them in her fist. She doesn't have a clue how to feed herself or put anything in her mouth. I try to put her hand to her mouth, but she doesn't open her hand to put the food in. She has figured out how to put her fingers in get the food out of her mouth. She's smarter than she lets on to be.
Aiden and Shelby still adore her. The honeymoon period has not ended yet. They still want to actively participate in mothering her. Aiden wants to almost as much as Shelby. On many occassions, Aiden has asked If I would leave Savannah at home with him and Daddy so they can watch her. He doesn't think I should always have to take her with me. It is very cute that he wants her to himself.
I better close and tend to bedtime. Have a blessed Thanksgiving this week! We have many things to be Thankful for. I can finally say that I'm thankful to have my baby girl home from China.
God Bless,
Jennifer
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Late Photos of Mike's Birthday dinner.
These photos are totally out of order with all my posts. Mike's birthday was in early October. Yeah, I'm totally lagging. Blogging or just dealing with my photos has been a challeng. I'm one of those that leaves tons of photos on the memory stick and then eventually dumps them in a folder to deal with later. Blogging forces me to deal with my photos much sooner than I'm used to. I still have yet to print any of them.
Anyways, this is Mike's birthday. We had a great time and was able to use some gift cards we got before we left for China. Enjoy!!
This is my FAVORITE!!! Savannah has a special bond with her daddy!
Anyways, this is Mike's birthday. We had a great time and was able to use some gift cards we got before we left for China. Enjoy!!
This is my FAVORITE!!! Savannah has a special bond with her daddy!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Bye Bye Baby Food!!
Well, many of you know my challenges with feeding Savannah. When we arrived home with her she was taking 6 bottles a day. I started to introduce her to baby foods one at a time and progresses to stage 3 baby foods. During this process she protested, screamed, tightening her teeth and lips and started spitting.
Meal times were the worst time of the day. Those meals became very emotional for both of us. She would finish her meal crying and screaming and I would be ANGRY. It was causing a barrier in the bonding process. Soon, a light bulb went off and I decided that we needed to change our whole approach. She liked the Gerber puffs that her Dr. recommended, so I went with that. We started feeding her real food that she could chew rather than filling her mouth with all that messy baby food that she would spit out or let sit in her mouth. The change has been amazing!! Our meal times are clean and happy. She lets me fill her mouth and she just keeps eating. She's a bottom less pit. She eats, chicken, carrots, peas, avocado, peaches, apples, vienna sausages, noodles, scrambled eggs and waffles.
Next, she needs to figure out how to put it in her mouth herself. For now, I'm just happy she is eating and we are all happy while doing it.
Meal times were the worst time of the day. Those meals became very emotional for both of us. She would finish her meal crying and screaming and I would be ANGRY. It was causing a barrier in the bonding process. Soon, a light bulb went off and I decided that we needed to change our whole approach. She liked the Gerber puffs that her Dr. recommended, so I went with that. We started feeding her real food that she could chew rather than filling her mouth with all that messy baby food that she would spit out or let sit in her mouth. The change has been amazing!! Our meal times are clean and happy. She lets me fill her mouth and she just keeps eating. She's a bottom less pit. She eats, chicken, carrots, peas, avocado, peaches, apples, vienna sausages, noodles, scrambled eggs and waffles.
Next, she needs to figure out how to put it in her mouth herself. For now, I'm just happy she is eating and we are all happy while doing it.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Wow, it will be 2 months!!!
This week will be two months since we have been home. So much has happened since that plane landed. The school year had started with Shelby in kindergarten and we started another homeschool year with Aiden in 2nd grade. Shelby had her 5th birthday, followed by our 11 year anniversary. Just a week and a half later, Mike had his birthday. Life did not stop for us while we were in China. As soon as we got home, we picked up where we left off.
Savannah has been a trooper with our hectic life. I feel like all I do is drive around back and forth dropping off and picking up kids. It is crazy!! It is amazing to me to see how well Savannah has adjusted to us. It just reminds that God hand picked her for us and prepared her for us. I was soo concerned about who she was and what we were going to get. It is so easy for us to want to do things our own way, but there is only one way. God's Way!! Praise God for that! I would have really messed things up if I did it my way. She has taken to the kids really well. They all adore each other. They have made the transition for her so much easier.
We had a 1 month check up a few weeks ago. She grew from the 6th percentile to the 10th in just one month. The Dr. was impressed. We now see a tummy to match those chunky thighs and cheeks. She has been eating really well. We still have our challenges, but considering where she was two months we are doing great. She's eating solids 3 times a day and now eating stage 3 baby foods. Today, she ate chicken from my plate and did not spit it out. She loves the Gerber puffs. She opens her mouth like a little bird trying to get her food. It is really cute. She will not put it in her mouth herself or hold her bottle. She still doesn't put anything in her mouth. She will pick up tiny little things off the carpet and carry them around with her. She's been crawling, standing and will walk along the couch. It she wants something bad enough, she will find away to get it. She is obsessed with the cat, midnight. He's such a patient cat. I don't know why he doesn't just run when he sees her.
She has a been a wonderful addition to our family. All the kids have really taken to her. She has really taken to all the men. She likes to smile at her uncle Mike and loves her grandpa. Not typical for babies that are used to women in the orphanages.
We went to have Chinese tonight and were celebrities at the restraunt. Lots of people looking at us. The manager kept talking to me about her and asked when she got her teeth. We think we asked so that I would have to tell him the real story about her. It was obvious I would not know. This was the first time since we got home that we got attention. Nobody really pays attention to us. Last week, the cashier at Trader Joes asked if the kids had different father's. That was the first time I had someone question the kids. I was taken back at first, but answered no and stated that she was adopted. My mother in law was in town this weekend and she took the older 2 kids to the park that was primarily asian and Aiden work his GE GE t-shirt, which is big brother in Chinese. The baby was not with her and this Chinese woman kept talking to her in Chinese and pointing to the baby in her stroller. We have no idea what she was saying, but she was excited about Aiden's shirt. Next time we will have to bring Savannah with us to see what she would say or do.
I better get back to the craziness of life! I'll try to get some new photos posted soon and Savannah will be one year old in just one month. WOW!!
Have a Blessed Week!!
Jennifer
Savannah has been a trooper with our hectic life. I feel like all I do is drive around back and forth dropping off and picking up kids. It is crazy!! It is amazing to me to see how well Savannah has adjusted to us. It just reminds that God hand picked her for us and prepared her for us. I was soo concerned about who she was and what we were going to get. It is so easy for us to want to do things our own way, but there is only one way. God's Way!! Praise God for that! I would have really messed things up if I did it my way. She has taken to the kids really well. They all adore each other. They have made the transition for her so much easier.
We had a 1 month check up a few weeks ago. She grew from the 6th percentile to the 10th in just one month. The Dr. was impressed. We now see a tummy to match those chunky thighs and cheeks. She has been eating really well. We still have our challenges, but considering where she was two months we are doing great. She's eating solids 3 times a day and now eating stage 3 baby foods. Today, she ate chicken from my plate and did not spit it out. She loves the Gerber puffs. She opens her mouth like a little bird trying to get her food. It is really cute. She will not put it in her mouth herself or hold her bottle. She still doesn't put anything in her mouth. She will pick up tiny little things off the carpet and carry them around with her. She's been crawling, standing and will walk along the couch. It she wants something bad enough, she will find away to get it. She is obsessed with the cat, midnight. He's such a patient cat. I don't know why he doesn't just run when he sees her.
She has a been a wonderful addition to our family. All the kids have really taken to her. She has really taken to all the men. She likes to smile at her uncle Mike and loves her grandpa. Not typical for babies that are used to women in the orphanages.
We went to have Chinese tonight and were celebrities at the restraunt. Lots of people looking at us. The manager kept talking to me about her and asked when she got her teeth. We think we asked so that I would have to tell him the real story about her. It was obvious I would not know. This was the first time since we got home that we got attention. Nobody really pays attention to us. Last week, the cashier at Trader Joes asked if the kids had different father's. That was the first time I had someone question the kids. I was taken back at first, but answered no and stated that she was adopted. My mother in law was in town this weekend and she took the older 2 kids to the park that was primarily asian and Aiden work his GE GE t-shirt, which is big brother in Chinese. The baby was not with her and this Chinese woman kept talking to her in Chinese and pointing to the baby in her stroller. We have no idea what she was saying, but she was excited about Aiden's shirt. Next time we will have to bring Savannah with us to see what she would say or do.
I better get back to the craziness of life! I'll try to get some new photos posted soon and Savannah will be one year old in just one month. WOW!!
Have a Blessed Week!!
Jennifer
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
I'm a US Citizen!!
We received Savannah's US Citizenship Certificate. It is official! She became a US citizen when the plane landed on US soil. This is the documention we have been waiting for. It was issued on Shelby's birthday. We have soo many dates that are easy to remember. The day she was put into our arms was also my little sister, Grace's birthday. God must know that I can't remember anything anymore.
Now we have start more paperwork to get her a birth certificate and social security number. I'm not looking forward to dealing with that. I tell you it is never ending.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Labs are in!
I got a call from Savannah's Dr. and she said that nothing showed up in her labwork that would be of concern. She's going to send me the results. So, for now there's nothing to worry about. Who knows how much Melamine she could have possibly gotten on the formula, so we will just move on and continue to trust in the Lord.
gotta go, Shelbys changing a poopy diaper.
gotta go, Shelbys changing a poopy diaper.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Ok, it has been 3 weeks!
So much has changed since we've gotten home. We are ALL finally sleeping. It was musical beds the first two weeks. We are still picking up hitch hikers in the evening. If you wonder what that means, it means the Shelby sneaks into our bed each night. Since Savannah has been home, we are back in the habit. Tonight she was instructed to stay in her bed. Mike is tired of ending up on her double bed, bunked with Aiden. She is sooo cute sleeping next to me. Until I get kicked in the head. Sometimes I wake up and she has her arm wrapped around me. It is so cute!!
As for Savannah's sleeping, she's doing great. There are no more nights of us listening to her scream. It was really hard letting her scream, but it has paid off. Tonight we put her down and not a word. Each morning she waits patiently for us to get her up. She will stay quiet even if she see's me get up. It is so sweet of her! She is in a crib in our room for those of you that are wondering.
On to Savannah's eating habbits. She is eating wonderfully!! I feed her baby food three times a day and she has 3 bottles. I can't believe how far we have come since the first feeding. It was torture to watch her cry as I continued to put baby food in her mouth.
She has transitioned to US formula just fine. She was on the Chinese formula that has been in the news lately. I don't have her test results yet, but she is in God's hands. We did our lab work last Thursday. I put it off since I was not looking forward to having a screaming baby when they try to draw blood. I was shocked when not a word came out of her mouth as she filled four tubes of blood. She was about to start crying, but they started singing and talking to her. I was amazed!!
My sister just told me that there are 53,000 babies that were affected by the tainted milk with melamine in it. The number keeps increasing each day. There isn't really information about the longterm effects of melamine and Babies. We just praise God that she is finally here. We trust that he will protect her body from whatever harm it may have caused her.
School is moving along. This week was a challenging week with Aiden. I'm hoping to regroup this week and start a new track next week. Aiden goes to school 2 days a week, so I'm very grateful on those days. I don't know what I'd do without the break. Being mom and teacher is very difficult for both of us. Shelby is doing great in her kindergarten class and I love it.
On another note, thanks to all of you who have been checking out my blog. I'm glad that so many of you enjoyed it while we were in China. I had no idea how addicted some of you got. Sorry it has been awhile since our last update. Thanks are kinda hectic these days.
Have a great night!
God Bless!
Jennifer
As for Savannah's sleeping, she's doing great. There are no more nights of us listening to her scream. It was really hard letting her scream, but it has paid off. Tonight we put her down and not a word. Each morning she waits patiently for us to get her up. She will stay quiet even if she see's me get up. It is so sweet of her! She is in a crib in our room for those of you that are wondering.
On to Savannah's eating habbits. She is eating wonderfully!! I feed her baby food three times a day and she has 3 bottles. I can't believe how far we have come since the first feeding. It was torture to watch her cry as I continued to put baby food in her mouth.
She has transitioned to US formula just fine. She was on the Chinese formula that has been in the news lately. I don't have her test results yet, but she is in God's hands. We did our lab work last Thursday. I put it off since I was not looking forward to having a screaming baby when they try to draw blood. I was shocked when not a word came out of her mouth as she filled four tubes of blood. She was about to start crying, but they started singing and talking to her. I was amazed!!
My sister just told me that there are 53,000 babies that were affected by the tainted milk with melamine in it. The number keeps increasing each day. There isn't really information about the longterm effects of melamine and Babies. We just praise God that she is finally here. We trust that he will protect her body from whatever harm it may have caused her.
School is moving along. This week was a challenging week with Aiden. I'm hoping to regroup this week and start a new track next week. Aiden goes to school 2 days a week, so I'm very grateful on those days. I don't know what I'd do without the break. Being mom and teacher is very difficult for both of us. Shelby is doing great in her kindergarten class and I love it.
On another note, thanks to all of you who have been checking out my blog. I'm glad that so many of you enjoyed it while we were in China. I had no idea how addicted some of you got. Sorry it has been awhile since our last update. Thanks are kinda hectic these days.
Have a great night!
God Bless!
Jennifer
Sunday, September 14, 2008
The Princess Ball
Last weekend was the Princess Ball at our Church. It is a wonderful event focused on the relationship that a daughter has with her Dad. The night starts with dinner with their daughter and then off the church. They have an evening filled with dancing, desserts, fun games, photos and wonderful memories of their evening with their prince charming.
It was perfect timming for Mike & Shelby. It was great for them to spend the evening together without the attention of Savannah. Here are a few photos of our Princess and her Prince.
It was perfect timming for Mike & Shelby. It was great for them to spend the evening together without the attention of Savannah. Here are a few photos of our Princess and her Prince.
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