What my baby thinks about Sand:

Will Somebody PLEASE GET ME OUTTA THIS STUFF?!?!?!?

Jelly-Fishin'

Well, when there's jelly-fish about, if you're almost 8 years old, your daddy buys you a net & you go jelly-fishin'! The girls just kinda hang out....

My Beach Babies

We made it to the beach yesterday....it's beautiful. The jellyfish are out in full force because of the hurricane in the gulf evidently, so we haven't been 'swimming' in the ocean yet. We did make 3 trips to play & walk the beach hunting sea-shells. Here are all of my beach babies.....hope you are all enjoying your summer....school starts in one month! Geez...not ready!

It's Official!

Caleigh's United States Certificate of Citizenship came today! She's officially a citizen of the United States!

Home 3 Weeks, The Beach & A Babbling Baby

We have been home 3 weeks today with Caleigh. It is hard to believe that just 4 weeks ago she was living in an orphanage in Vietnam. It seems as though she has always been here. What a blessing....

We are headed to the beach for a week. We will either drive overnight on Friday or leave early Saturday morning. We are going to Fort Walton Beach Florida. So, our home away from home will look like this: We went here every summer when we lived in Alabama as is was only a 3 hour drive. The beach is definately our favorite family vacation spot & everyone is excited!
Caleigh started "baby babbling" yesterday. She is just "talking" up a storm all of the sudden. It is hilarious. She mostly says "dadadadada", of course! James came home last night & couldn't believe it! She has found her voice. Well, it's almost 9 am & I hear the little one stirring about....seriously, I should have never worried about her sleeping during the jet-lag week....this girl can snooze!

What you get....

What you get when you give 2 boys $1 each at The Dollar Tree Store: 2 FBI Men solving crimes all afternoon....It was 102 degrees here yesterday....indoor play was a must! I think they're pretty cool!
What you get when you give a baby girl a cracker: Excitement! She does have a little wild side to her! I'm going to try to keep this blog up....so far it's easy, as little one is still asleep and it is 8:20 am. I wish my boys would take some tips from her; they were up by 7! They have always been early risers....

A Few Things About Me!

My daddy with Caleigh this weekend.
I like it "This Much!"

All about me: My mommy & daddy & brothers are learning more about me every day! Here's a few things.....
* I like to eat! I like Gerber Stage 1 Bananas, Applesauce, Sweet Potatos, Banana/Apple Dessert, bread, mashed potatos, Gerber Toast & Cookies...and anything my mommy will let me have! So far, my tummy likes it all :)
* I like to sleep now that I've gotten over my jet-lag. I sleep from 8 or 8:30 pm until 7 or 8 am! I slept until 8:15 this morning! I take a 2 or 2 1/2 hr. nap each day...this has been my schedule for 5 nights now, so we're hoping it sticks.
* If my mommy doesn't feed me fast enough, I screech!
* I am cutting my first tooth! It broke through the skin this morning in Mommy & Daddy's Sunday School class while I was 'gumming' a piece of ice!
* I Love to take a bath in my blow up tub (Thanks Jessica!)
* I really like to go for stroller rides.
* I fall asleep if I'm in my car-seat for more than 10 minutes.
* I'm going on my first beach-trip next weekend...pray for my family...it's a 10 hr. drive.
* I like it when my brothers play with me. I like all of their cool toys!
* I still like to sleep in my crib. Every day for naps & at night too. My mommy is sleeping in her own bed again & she likes it too! :)
* I'm very easy-going. I cry when I'm tired or hungry; so I'm pretty easy to figure out.
* For some unknown reason, I do not like to have my pajamas put on after my bath! I can have my clothes changed 3 times a day, but pj time is BAD!
* I love my bottle & still suck my thumb. I take a 5 ounce bottle every 4 hours....I sleep through the night...sometimes a bottle about 5 am half awake, then I go back to sleep.
* I'm so glad to be home!

Home 2 Weeks

We've been home with Caleigh 2 weeks today! She's doing great & the rest of us are too! She's gained almost 2 pounds in the 4 weeks that she's been our daughter! She loves to give her smiles away...especially to her Daddy! She now sleeps from 8 PM until 7:30 am waking some nights around 4 am for a bottle...half awake...then right back to sleep. It's hard to get a good nap schedule going because I'm running the boys back & forth to Tennis/Swim camp this week.... She likes Ritz crackers and strolling the Mall & Parks. She had her first shopping excursion with Mommy this morning & got some really cute shoes that actually fit her tiny feet!! A size 1 no doubt! We got her acceptance letter to Scottish Rite Hospital For Children today....good news! We'll have her evaluation appointment soon & I will let you know the results. (Our appointment is Wed. August the 6th)

2 Blogger Friends are Traveling!

Two of my Dillon Blogger Friends are traveling soon for their children!!! Their links are to the right...it is a huge celebration because they have each been waiting over 9 months since their referral before getting this great news! Jill's little girl is almost 8 and Nadra's little boy just turned 1. It will be a wonderful union for both families. Please pray for them as they get ready to travel. Their giving & receiving ceremony date is July 31st. We hope more waiting families get the good news soon as well! :)

10 Years Ago....

If you would have told me 10 years ago that we would be the parents of 3 children....that I would be someone's mother, I would have called you crazy. 10 years ago I was hopped up on my farm~house kitchen counter each night while my poor husband gave me shots of fertility drugs in my legs, stomache & arms. 10 years ago I cried daily as I drove back & forth to Dallas to monitor my hormones which were going crazy. 10 years ago I cried as each dear friend & family member called to say they were pregnant....years passed & I was not. I always knew and believed that God had a plan for us. Whether we were to be parents or not was unknown then. As I look back on those days, I can still cry at the drop of a pin for that 20 something girl who was so desperate to be a mom. 10 years later, my new normal is overwhelming at times...the thought that we have been blessed with not 1 child which we prayed daily for, but 3! God is in the miracle business every day. Some days, the miracles are hard to see. For me, yesterday at the park it was like God was yelling at me, "Look what I did! Isn't this amazing!!!" It is amazing....

Happy 9 Months Birthday Caleigh!

Playing is very hard work!

Caleigh is 9 months old today She's got a cold with sneezes, runny nose & the whole bit, so she's not too happy today! If she feels better this weekend we'll have to celebrate! All of her tests came back negative from the blood-work on Tuesday....I had everything re-tested for my peace of mind. So, despite a nasty cold or allergy going on, we have a healthy little girl!

Is it possible to take too many pictures?

Big Brother Bryce...
Big Brother Blake....
I like my bed....
Hi Y'all! I can sit up now!!! Just two weeks ago, if mom & dad propped me up, I fell flat on my face! What a difference 2 weeks can make....I still need a prop tho! :)

Is it possible to take too many pictures? Am I going to blind my children with the flash??? Seriously, my boys are just about over having their pic taken all of the time! Caleigh, well, she's bound to have eye problems after 2 weeks of flashes!!! We've been home a week! Yeah! Life is starting to feel normal again....running here & there....the boys are big helpers & always run to check on her if she makes a peep....I swear they aged a year & grew an inch in the two weeks we were away. Here are a couple of pics from Tuesday, their first day of golf camp & a few more of Caleigh. And don't get on to me...LOL...I know all of the adoption books say Co-Sleep, but the girl won't have it...she likes her bed & loves to sprawl out! I can tell now when she's getting tired; I just lay her down & she rolls over with her blanket & thumb in mouth and ZZZZZZZ.......If I prop her a bit with a pillow, she can sit up and play....2 weeks ago she would fall promptly straight down onto her face.....muscle tone just was not there....what a difference 2 weeks can make!

Re. Dr. Appt....

Just a quick note to let you know the doctor's visit went just fine. Caleigh started her immunizations (4) yesterday followed by fever & yuckiness since...poor girl. She also had her blood drawn to run the battery of tests....woo...hard on the mama & the baby! Seems that she can "hyper-extend" all of her joints, elbows, knees, hips...the makings of a great gymnast so I hear. No hip displasia...he did 3 seperate tests for that..no clicking, everything's symmetrical, so I'll stop worrying about that now. Little feet go to Scottish Rite Children's in Dallas...worked on the paperwork today; the dr. already did his part. About to wake her up from her nap...joy...she will not be pleased...still on VN time, but getting better...the whole shots/feeling cruddy messed her up last night. The boys are doing great!!! Golf camp is each morning this week & they are having fun! They have Tennis & Swim camp next week.... It's good for them to be out & about & It has forced me to get up & moving each morning...Blake wants to wake her up...it's like Christmas around here...hope it lasts! LOL!

Doctor's Appt. Tomorrow...

Chillin' with my toys....
Oh I really want to touch you!
Where my boxer wants to be....she was promptly scooted off after I took the pic! :)

Just added Caleigh to our Medical Insurance & she has her first doctor's appointment tomorrow at 2:00. Please keep us in your prayers...hopefully the doctor will have some insight as to what will need to be done to correct her little feet. I am also a little concerned about her flexibility & low muscle tone...her little legs can go way out like the splits & she can literally touch her toes to her face without bending her leg! It's just a little way overboard flexible, and I think she is at the least double jointed. Maybe a little hip displasic? We'll see....anywho, she's as cute as can be & the coffee shop is going to love me until she's sleeping through the nights again! Couldn't resist trying pigtails since she was blessed with the "CanTho Hair".....Our boxer loves her. We're trying to teach Bella to stay off whatever Caleigh is playing on, but it's hard....as you can see she wants to be right beside her. Caleigh loves her, but I'm not all about the dog licking the baby & such, although I love my puppies, they just lick icky things! The doberman thinks she's just fine, but whenever Caleigh cries he goes straight to the back door....like "I don't want to listen to that please!" It's funny!

Yes, We're up at 3:00 AM~You?

A Little Blake Time...
A little Bryce Time....
A Little Bouncy Time.....
Some more brother time.....
A little nap time....

Well, if you have a baby on Vietnam time, you're up & happy at 3:00 am! :) She did sleep from 8:30 to 3:00 straight, so I really have zero complaints! She's so happy when she wakes up & she has figured out how to turn on her Fisher Price Aquarium in her crib with her feet all by herself, so she actually played music for almost an hour before calling for me....which I was in the bed right beside her, but she didn't know it....A bottle & playtime! So, I'm downing a D~Pepsi to stay awake because I really must make a grocery run this morning...teething tablets are in order! One of my friends told me about them yesterday (thanks Julie!) She absolutely hates the Ambusol...she has no teeth yet, but is teething like crazy! Here are a few cute pics from yesterday. She loves her brothers & her puppy dogs...she wasn't scared of either at all! All smiles & she looks back and forth at Blake & Bryce like "hey, what's going on here? do you know you look just alike!?!" It's hilarious! She has her daddy wrapped around her little finger already....this is gonna be bad! :)

We're Home...

Well, the risk paid off & we made our flights home! We got into DFW at 5:35 AM this morning. Woo Hoo!! So glad to be home. We're all beat...probably won't get much sleep tonight as little one slept from 11:00 - 4:00 & is now back asleep at 5:20! Oh well....it will eventually work itself out. Thanks for following our trip & for all of your encouraging words. There is an end to our journey & our new journey as a family of 5 is just beginning!!! The boys think their little sister is "very little & she can't talk"...so they really like her, but she can't do much at this point so they're jumping on the trampoline! Pictures soon.....

Hopefully the last post from Vietnam!

Saying good-bye to my crib in CanTho.
Dinner Out...celebrating our G & R !

We've really enjoyed our time in Vietnam with Caleigh. I am hopeful that this will be our last post though! Some people have not been impressed with The Somerset in Hanoi. I must say for us it has been fine. It was the same price as the Rex in HCMC & you get two rooms, a kitchen, a living room with TV & a washer dryer that works fine once you figure it out! You can get a huge bottle of water (dispenser) in your kitchen for $6 which has lasted 3 days & I'm sure would last at least 3 more. It has been great & kept us from buying bottles of water every time we turn around. It's nice to have the shopping just downstairs & room service & a decent restaurant for breakfast...it's not free, but averages just $4 per person, so it may as well be. Going to finish packing up & getting ready for the day. Would like to do a little last minute shopping too! I still have a few inches of space in the suitcase (the extra one we bought in HCMC for all of our purchases! LOL)

One more thing, I would really suggest bringing your own crib linens for your baby. There are many babies in & out of here using these cribs...some that are here now with other agencies have been ill. The extra layers between the mattress they provide & your baby may help....

Dinner & Tickets Home

We had a great dinner last night at Al Fresco's in Hanoi. Their onion rings & garlic bread are awesome! They had great Mexican food as well. I'm going to try & post a couple of pictures of dinner with our travel buddies....Kelly O & Katharine with her son & mom and Marvin & Christina with Hadassah.

This morning we will go to the Cathay Pacific office to confirm our new flight schedule & get seat assignments. As of now, we fly out at 7:10 pm tomorrow (Thursday) night & arrive on Friday morning at 5:45 AM July 4th. ( No welcome party necessary LOL! That's EARLY!!!!) We'll see you all in the next week or two I'm sure! Just pray little girl does well on the flights & is able to get some sleep on the long 13 hour flight from Hong Kong to LA.

For those of you waiting on pictures of your little ones in CanTho, I have sent everything to Mary Anne (last night), so you should be getting them soon. They're all so precious!

Have Tickets! Hope to Travel!!! Well, we have changed our flights & have our new tickets in hand for Thursday night. Hopefully the U.S. Embassy will issue our Visa for Caleigh tomorrow afternoon right after our interview & we will make our flight...If you don't hear from us for a couple of days, you'll know we made it. If I'm posting tomorrow, that's not a good sign!

In Hanoi!

Oh, these eyes get me every time!
Hey! What's up everybody?
My Smile! :)

Hi! We're in Hanoi...we flew in last night & got settled in around 9:00 pm. Caleigh slept on the plane for most of the 2 hour flight. She seemed to do really well...she just kinda goes with the flow for the most part. The Somerset is nice but pricey....We have a Visa Interview scheduled for 1:30 on Thursday afternoon. Our guide here in Hanoi with Dillon Staff said they usually issue the Visa the same day unless their machine is broken...yikes! So, hoping the machine is working & we have e-mailed our travel agent to work on flights out for Thursday night or Friday. We'll see what he comes up with. Hoping to be home soon. All of the children are doing great...very healthy & loving. They have all adjusted really well to all of these changes being sent their way. I'm so impressed! Here are a few pictures from yesterday morning while we were waiting to fly out to Hanoi & a couple from right before dinner out.

Free Day....

Silkworm Wine at a Dress Shop in the Mall
A man sitting across the street from the Rex with his 2 pet rabbits.
Caleigh studying a toy.
Thank you for my bracelet Julie! It fits perfectly!

We've had a free day today. Did some local shopping & checked out the Kentucky Fried Chicken in the Mall across the street...the french fries were to die for! The ladies at the mall went GaGa over Caleigh....James & Marvin bought a gazillion DVD movies there for like 88 cents each! It was crazy! I haven't found any shops that hand-make dresses yet, but I'm going to look in Hanoi. Anyone remember one in Hanoi??? We should have 2 free days there waiting for our Visa Appt. unless we get lucky & get in quickly for our interview.... Here are a few pictures from today.....Caleigh's great. She slept all night last night from 8:30 until 6:30!

Just a to few things & some pics....

We are all doing great! Caleigh is doing great & pretty much goes with the flow. She cries if she's hungry or tired & that's about it....Wanted to tell you future travelers before I forget a few things. The White Horse Saloon is a great restaurant. They have excellent steak (U.S.D.A. Certified), french fries, baked potatos, grilled fish to die for & hot apple pie with ice-cream that is so yummy!!! I had been living on garlic bread, pastry, fried rice with veggies up until today....it was so nice to EAT!!!! Shopping is excellent all around the Rex. Beautiful things & many are in nice air-conditioned malls.

We fly out at 4 PM on Monday for Hanoi to file the paperwork for Caleigh's Visa into the U.S. Please pray that the U.S. Embassy processes our paperwork quickly & that we don't get delayed due to the 4th of July Holiday coming up. That could mean we will be in country at least an additional 5 days. We are so ready to come home to see Blake & Bryce. They're doing great....but Mommy's ready to see them!!

Here are a few pictures from the last few days...Caleigh in her GNR Outfit the nannies dressed her in...all new clothes...so sweet. Her sleeping in the crib the first night, and after we gave her a bath for the first time. Also playing on the bed which she enjoys most. Until next time.....