Insurance & SS #

Getting ready to free Bella!

Why I need gymnastic foam tiles on my floor!

Ready for lunch with friends!

Getting out of my chair by myself!

Hmmmm.....reckon I can crawl up this thing?

Well, we're on to a couple of more steps to complete C's U.S. official citizen "status"! I went this morning to file for her U.S. Social Security Number! It should arrive by mail within just 2 weeks. We also faxed our insurance company with her new birth certificate information/copy so they will change her name on the insurance card to her American name. It is all just "official" business, but it feels great to be completing it! She is growing and changing like crazy...just this morning she added the sign "eat" to her growing "signing vocabulary". She pointed at the bananas on the bar & signed it herself without prompting from me...it's great to know what she wants. She crawls in & out of her rocking chair and stands up in it if you're not watching ;). Now, if I can just get her to quit having a little fit if she doesn't get what she wants! LOL! Here are a couple of pictures of the little one....oh, she's learned how to let Bella out of her crate now too & she doesn't like it when I put her in, so she always goes over to let her out!

Blake's New Smile

Blake got braces on the top teeth on Monday. He has a new smile! Still as cute as ever! My 'funny boy"!!

Caleigh's Playroom

Trying to get up on the couch via a toy "stool"

...and how does she find the one Lego the boys missed while cleaning?

Sporting a shiner thanks to a fall on the window-sill.

The "TV Room" Converted to C's Playroom (need to find a place for the dog crate!)

Think I need more tiles! She like to lay like this to watch her TV.

Well, the "TV Room" off of the kitchen has formally become Caleigh's Playroom over the weekend. She always wants to play in there anyway because the boys are usually at the bar playing & this is also their TV room. It's good because I can see her from the kitchen which is where I always seem to be these days! Since I would rather her not fall on the tile & bust her head open while playing, we opted for the very cushioned puzzle mat...not too fashionable, but it does the trick! I may actually add a little bit more since she has a funny way she likes to lay on the couch...She played in there all night last night after we were done & this morning after we got back from taking the boys to school. I think I'll rotate toys out every few days so there's always something new for her to play with. This room used to hold the boys' toys & huge Thomas the Train Table, so I guess we have come full circle again & it's once again "the Toy Room" as the boys always called it!

15 Months: 17.9 Pounds & 30 Inches....

Hey...I like sitting at this table!

Yes, I am still slobbery & I have a spot of Syrup on my pants from breakfast!

I'm also really wiggly; mom may have to rig up a seat belt!

My little "peanut" (& my mom's little "doodle-bug") had her 15 month check-up today. She is doing great & is meeting all of her milestones. She weighs 17. 9 pounds & grew over 1 1/2" since her 12 month visit on Oct. 15th. She is now 30 inches long! All of her 6-12 month clothes have been packed away & she's in 12-18 month clothing now. The 18 months tops fit fine, but 18 month pants are too long still....maybe by Spring! Here are a few pictures I took before the doctor's visit....she's been asleep since we got in the car to come home! She's just now big enough to sit in the vintage high-chair I refinished 2 summers ago. She likes to sit at "the big table".

Bryce Less a Big Tooth!

Bryce less a tooth! Still cute as ever!

Bryce had to have a big tooth pulled last week....it had a cavity that absessed really quickly before the dentist could fill it. He was so brave (he has never had to have a tooth pulled & had heard horror stories from his brother!) Only shed a single tear right when the dentist pulled it & then said "Is it over?"! I am having them brush 3 times a day now to try to avoid the pediatric dentist for a while (even though he's really nice).

Hangin' out with the Grandparents...

Blake Just Chillin' Out...

Bryce playing...

Caleigh in her Great-Great Grandfather's Rocking Chair with "That Face!"

Playing at the tub...I like this one; it shows how steady she's getting standing up!

Caleigh & Her Grandmama looking at something outside....

We spent Monday at my parents' house in Longview since the kids had yet another day off from school! Wait until they have another 5-day week...they are going to be so bummed! I'm fighting a raging diaper rash on C...she's never had one before; I think it may have been the oranges I let her have yesterday. Any home-remedies anyone? I'm lathering her with ButtPaste & Powder.

Just Playing Outside...

Blake

Bryce

The Boys' Tire Swing

The neglected fort...

Caleigh's favorite swing...

C was sleeping & the boys were BMX-ing it out back, so I thought I would get a few shots in.....these are all taken in our back-yard. I was playing around with different features on my camera.

We May be in trouble....

I like my FP House ...

I like to flip it over .....

...and sit on it!

Can't QUITE reach it...

...oh! I forgot I can stand up now! COOL!

Now that she has learned to stand...she's a little go-getter & into even more!

Blessed Be...

'He gives & takes away, He gives & takes away, My heart will choose to say...Lord blessed be Your name!'
Thanks be to God that His gifts are always greater than what the world takes away....may I never forget....

We heard about this little angel girl one year ago. One year ago, in an e-mail from our adoption agency and now she is here....sleeping peacefully in her bed cuddled up with her blankets (which must come out with her now). She is settled; no more thumb-sucking for months now...just rocking in the chair with mommy & sweet kisses & she's off to dreamland. She is the sweetest thing ever & I just cannot believe it has been a whole year since we first heard about our little Anh!

Birth Certificate!

Caleigh's Texas Birth Certificate came in the mail today!!! I'm super excited! Now we can file for her US SS#!!! We are one step closer to paperwork completion!

What I don't like about being a parent....

I'm sure there are probably several things I don't really like about being "the parent"...however, the one that sticks out at the moment is "The Dentist". Personally, I HATE going to the dentist, so for me to put on a brave face & take my kids, knowing it will not be pleasant...well, I just don't like it. You can probably tell that I spent yet another whole morning with a child in the office....cavity filled & a molar that was rotten at the root pulled. (This time it was Bryce) JOY....He did great! I, on the other hand, was filled with anxiety for him & sweating while trying to corral the 15 month old crawling all over the place. So, the tooth fairy is making another visit tonight! She's been busy at our house & I'm hoping she'll go on vacation very soon. Blake gets braces next Thursday....so, another fun day for the mommy...I'm sure he'll be just fine; now that he knows he can choose the color of his braces, black & red, he's all gung ho!

Tae Kwon Do

It looks like Tae Kwon Do is a hit (If I can just get the boys to pronounce it correctly, we'll be in for sure!!!) They do great, really pay attention & are very proud of themselves when their lesson is over. We went yesterday; I can't go into the studio with Caleigh, so I took some pics before they went in; I'll try to go without her soon & get some action shots!

15 Months Old Today & Standing

Pulling Up onto the recliner

15 Months Old Today! She LOVES these blocks!

Watching Oswald.

She had just pulled up & was holding onto my knee for dear life!

Standing up to see Duke...still holding on tight!

Caleigh turns 15 months old today! She pulled up into a standing position all by herself this morning & has been doing it ever since. She thinks it's pretty cool! Her knees are still a little wobbly, but she doesn't fall down (until she decides to plop down on her tushy).

She also watched her very first TV Show today: Oswald...she sat on the couch & watched & just laughed! It was cute; she usually doesn't pay the television any attention....I turned it on while she was munching on Cheerios in her high chair & she wanted to keep watching when she was through.

She is saying more 'words'...mama, dada, ball, Bella, & signs "more", "come here". She can point to her hair, head, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth, tummy, shoes and tongue when you ask her. She likes to close doors, turn off light switches and pick out her own shoes for the day! The girl likes her shoes & always wants shoes on...she even naps in them! It's probably good because our tile is cool in the winter. She is cutting her 1 year molars...ack! Not too comfy.

I hope you don't get bored of all of the photos, but I swear, this new camera cannot take a bad pic!!! I'm hauling it to Tae Kwon Do this afternoon & am going to try for some pics of the boys if Caleigh will let me!

Random thoughts...

Despite all of the toys, this cup is her favorite thing in the bath.

She wanted to play in B & B's room with their cap on! She was proud she climbed up the steps!

Figuring out her first puzzle.

Bath-time is still her favorite time of day!

I should have trained to be a tree-trimmer/pruner. We had our front trees pruned & the mistletoe removed this morning (it was bad y'all!) ....let's just say that I could have bought a lot of cute clothes for my kiddos with that little chunk of change. Oh well, it looks MUCH better & maybe our trees won't die now; that's good right?

Blake & Bryce start Tae-Kwon-Do tomorrow. They are SO Excited & we hope that they really like it. For reasons not necessarily important, we have chosen to stay away from team sports at this age. They are ready to be involved in an after school activity though, so we're going to try it! They can go as many days a week as they like for a flat fee & uniform included that is reasonable & it's close to home.....Can't wait to see how it goes! It seems pretty disciplined & I think that will be good too.

Caleigh is climbing up & down off of everything the past few days..in & out of her little bathtub even. She is so proud of herself. It is funny to watch her expressions when she accomplishes something.

She had more immunizations today. We go for her 15 month check up next Friday & will have 2 more; that will almost catch her up! Hooray! I know she is tired of getting shots & I just dread taking her because I know it hurts OUCH!

James & I have our 15 Year Anniversary in May....I want to plan something fun...any good ideas??? I thought about Vegas?!? I've never been but I know he likes it....

Caleigh in My Baby Dress....

This one is my favorite of her peeking over the chair!

My mom recently gave me several of my baby dresses & outfits. This one fits Caleigh right now & I thought I would get a couple of pictures of her in it for my mom & dad. A couple turned out really sweet.....She'll be modeling another vintage outfit soon! She's so much fun!

Who's Protecting Who?

This was the scene at our house on New Year's Eve....Fireworks a-blasting (not at our house by the way) & the Bella boxer was NOT happy. She decided Caleigh needed protecting I think...or maybe Caleigh was protecting Bella...either way, she has never laid across C like this before & I found it cute & kinda pitiful at the same time as she was shaking so....

Pictures in Her Vietnamese Dress

Not too happy in the beginning....

Well, this isn't so bad....

Quite content for the last shots....I just wish I would've made the straps tighter; it bothers me!

We purchased this cute little dress in HCMC for Caleigh. It is a size 1 & will be too small soon, so I had her pictures made in it last month....we also bought her hat in VN. They turned out pretty cute, but as you can see in the first photo, she wasn't too happy to be there. Thankfully the next setting went well because Blake & Bryce were there too! I'm supposed to get those pictures back this week. These are scanned, so the quality may not be great....I have an Aoi Dai for her 2nd year pictures; maybe she'll be happier!