Baby Proofing. HA!

Before we were even close to bringing Anslee home, we had to have our house completely baby proofed - locks on cabinets, door knob covers, gates in the doorways, etc. We were more baby proofed before Anslee came home than we ever were with Andrew. Andrew never tried to get into cabinets or drawers or scale gates.

The first couple of weeks Anslee was home our baby proofing was perfect. She would try to open a cabinet door and when it just opened an inch or so, she left it alone. Gates kept her in the rooms we wanted her in and off the stairs.

Now she is like Houdini. She is getting things out of the tiny crack when she is trying to open the cabinet doors and getting over the gates and onto the stairs. If I walk over and see her with something that she managed to get out of a cabinet, she first looks startled and then she holds it up to me like she was getting it for me. She is really good at getting up and down the stairs but we'd rather she just do it with us!

I need to research better baby proofing solutions...

Happy Birthday Uncle Jeff!

We celebrated his birthday last weekend.

Andrew and Anslee playing with their cousins.

I had to add these two cute pictures.

Easter Egg Hunt

Yesterday we went with Nana to her company's annual Easter Egg Hunt. Andrew looks forward to this every year.

Anslee loved the animals. She was so gentle with them and was content to just stand and pet them.

Andrew riding on "Skittles" the pony.

Sitting on the Easter Bunny. Anslee thought he was so funny!

Spring is here, now we just need warmer temperatures!

T

How quickly time goes by!!

This picture was taken Dec. 11,2005 on Gotcha Day.

Anslee turned 14 months old yesterday. She's been home with us about 3 1/2 months. It seems like she has always been here. I wonder if she thinks about the orphanage at all or if it is totally buried in her mind. There are a few times when she'll wake up distraught after a nap (this never happens when she wakes up in the morning) and when I lift her out of the crib she just clings to me and sobs for about 5 minutes. It seems as if she's worried we aren't here anymore.

I went away on a girls trip last weekend and she barely ate while I was gone. That's a BIG deal as anyone who has seen Anslee at mealtimes knows. Keith didn't tell me until I was on my way home Sunday. I'm glad because I would've either been consumed with guilt all weekend or made everyone cut the trip short and come home. As soon as I got home she ate normally again.

She is LOVING Andrew right now. Yesterday she kept wanting him to hold her and she would lay her head on his shoulder. It is hilarious to watch because she is huge compared to him. The entire time he is holding her you can tell it is taking every ounce of strength he has but he doesn't want to put her down.

I remember having to make a concious effort to enjoy each day when Andrew was a baby and not wish away the time (since he was a preemie I just wanted him older). Now with two children time is flying by no matter how I try to slow it down.

Terri

Bikes in China

I loved seeing all the different bikes in China. It seemed like they started out as either two wheel or three wheel bikes and then the owner modified them. I saw a guy carrying 4 big tv's on his bike, someone had about 10 live chickens on his bike, a mom was peddling her bike while holding a baby in her arms and her 4 year old son was on the seat behind her. I wasn't quick enough with my camera to get pictures of them all.

This guy likes the bikes in China too:

http://homepage.mac.com/johngoodman/Pages/Bikes/bikes.html
Terri

Are we fit parents??

Before you are able to adopt you have to have a home study. A licensed social worker comes to your house and interviews your family and inspects your house. When this person comes your adoption is usually about 12 months away. But the social worker makes sure your house is baby proofed already! They also want the baby's room set up.

After the adoption we have to fill out an information sheet about Anslee and send four pictures every month. At the six month mark the social worker comes back out to the house and interviews everyone again and meets our daughter and looks through our house again.

Even though I know Keith is a wonderful father, I'm a good mother and Andrew is the most incredible big brother, I had a sense of unease as we waited for our case worker to arrive yesterday having the realization that someone could take our precious baby away from us. Although it is the 6 months check up, they have to do it this early so our agency can translate it to chinese and have it apostilled.

She was supposed to be here at 4:30. She was late and got here at almost 5. At about 5 after 5, friend of ours came to pick up Andrew for t-ball. Then some friends picked Keith up for the Thrashers game at 5:30. So she got to talk with them for a short time and watch them interact with Anslee before they both left. I was worried that it wouldn't be enough time for her to observe them but luckily she said it was fine. The rest of the time she talked with me while Anslee played and then she looked at the house. Luckily we were deemed a fit family -at this time anyway :-).

She will come see us for the next three years. So we'll just try to be a normal dysfunctional family until her 12 month visit :-)

Terri

Are you wearing green today?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

This has to be one of Andrew's most favorite days. That Leprechaun is such a crazy little guy. When Andrew woke up this morning there was green string strung all over his room. It looked like a spider web. There were tons of shamrocks all over his floor. He loves traditions. Two years ago, the little leprechaun left a trail of gold coins for Andrew to follow to find a treat. Last year he did nothing and Andrew was so sad.

An Old Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

and rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

My great helper!

Andrew loves helping with Anslee. I was feeding her the other day and Andrew came over and said "Mom why don't you let me feed Anslee and you can go relax." So far the only times he has been annoyed with her has been when she destroys his lego creations. I'm getting better at keeping his bedroom door shut so she can't get to them.

T

First TBall game this year

Andrew loves playing t-ball. He got to choose between this and spring soccer. His coaches this year are great. As opposed to last year, these coaches are keeping it fun.

Andrew just got a first base hit in this picture.

After the game kisses.

Jack-o-lantern Smiles

Andrew lost his third tooth. It is his left front one. The first two teeth he lost weren't very noticeable because his grown up teeth were already growing in before he lost them. I've noticed the tooth fairy isn't consistant around here. Some of Andrew's friends have received $25.00 per tooth and others receive $1.00 per tooth. The tooth fairy leaves Andrew a 2$ bill and a 1$ bill for each tooth.

Some of Andrew's friends get a Sacagawea gold dollar coin from the tooth fairy. I don't think she knew about these when she started leaving money under Andrew's pillow, which is too bad because I like that idea!

Some friends of ours (Jack and Claire) also just lost teeth. Jack lost FOUR teeth the day before. Claire lost one. It is so funny to see all of the children this age with their jack-o-lantern smiles!

Blankets and dolls for Anslee's orphanage in Fuling

Another parent who adopted from the Fuling SWI sent this website of a company that makes hospital scrubs. With all the left over fabric they make blankets and dolls and send them to Fuling. The article is great and if you scroll down to the bottom you'll see pictures of the orphanage.

http://www.sassyscrubs.com/store.asp?pid=8219&catid=19621



I love that!
T

Good morning!

When Anslee wakes up in the morning it is always a race to get her up. There is just something wonderful about picking her up after she wakes up. She's all warm and toasty, her eyes are still sleepy looking and best of all, that is when she'll cuddle with you for a few minutes!

If Andrew is the first one in, he loves to throw all her stuffed animals in the crib and then to climb in and play with her. If Keith or I stay out of her room she'll play with Andrew for a while but if we walk in she wants out!

Hey! What are you doing in my crib?!

LOOK! No one is helping me!

Anslee has learned to stand without help. She's been trying to do this for about a week and yesterday she did it!! She is so proud of herself (as are mom, dad and big brother). When she is standing we clap for her. Now as soon as she stands she starts clapping but that makes her loose her balance so she falls. She also took her first steps last night. I bet she'll be walking within the next two weeks.

Don't spit in Beijing!

Everywhere we went in China you had to avoid stepping in spit. I had to jump back several times to avoid being spit on!!

Beijing clamps down on spitting
By Rupert Wingfield-Hayes BBC News, Beijing

With the Beijing Olympics now only two years away, the authorities have launched a campaign against one of the city's least pleasant habits: spitting.
The local government says it is part of a campaign to raise the ethical and cultural standards of the city ahead of the 2008 Games.
Foreign visitors to Beijing are often astonished by its citizens' capacity for expelling mucus.
Spitting is not just confined to the open air.
The floors of shops and restaurants are often peppered with phlegm.
But Beijingers are now being told they must abandon this cherished tradition.
The Beijing Capital Ethics Development Office has declared spitting the city's number one bad habit.
Special bags
Police have been ordered out on to the streets to track down offenders. Closed circuit television cameras will be used to catch them in the act.
"This year we will intensify our law enforcement efforts in this field," Zhang Huiguang, director of Beijing's Capital Ethics Development Office, told a news conference.
"We will require law enforcement officials to step up the frequency of fines."
For those who simply cannot kick the habit, there is an alternative. Hundreds of uniformed "mucus monitors" will patrol the streets handing out free spitting bags.
"You have to spit into a tissue or a bag, then place it in a dustbin to complete the process," Ms Zhang said.
She said that there would also be a renewed crackdown against the city's second biggest headache - littering.

Happy Baby!

Anslee is always smiling and laughing but when I get the camera out she stops. I want pictures of her smiling so now I keep the camera with me and quickly take a picture before she realizes what's happening. Isn't she the cutest?!

Having fun!

Anslee loves it when Andrew has a friend over to play. The great thing is that they are all so good with her and don't mind her "playing" with them (for a little while at least). She is also so entertained just watching them play ~ because usually the are wrestling, jumping around or just generally acting crazy!

See the space ship that Andrew is in? A friend of his had a Star Wars birthday party last summer. The dad made a space ship for every child with R2D2 on top! They were made out of boxes and R2 was a decorated cool whip container. Andrew and his friends still play with them. The children were also all given jedi robes and they all brought their light sabers. It was a fantastic party!

T

Pictures ~ playing with Maddy

Playing at Barnes and Noble

Eating at Chick-fil-a. Maddy ate her food without making a mess. Anslee on the other hand, makes the hugest mess and stuffs her food into her mouth as fast as she can!

No one is safe eating beside Anslee. She started taking food away from Maddy when she ran out of food. She won't stop eating even when she's full. She really fits perfectly in our family!

T

The temperature is in the 70's here but it looks like this in Beijing today...


Two Chinese walk along a shore covered by heavy snow in a park in Beijing February 28, 2006. CHINA OUT REUTERS/China Daily

I'm so thankful for Tina!!

I returned to teaching my preschool class today. It was so wonderful seeing all the children and they seemed really excited that I was back. The teacher who took over for me has such an incredible personality and is so lovable that I was a little concerned that the children would not be as excited to see me as I was them. Many people have asked me why I am going back this year since after paying for childcare the money I bring home is almost nothing. I am teaching because I love it.

Keith laughed the other day when I told him I just love the smell of Andrew's elementary school. I love the smells of the sweaty children, the yucky cafeteria food, and the paint, markers, crayons all mixed together. Hopefully when Anslee is in kindergarten I'll resume teaching kindergarten or first grade.

I was really nervous this morning as I was getting ready to go. A lady named Tina is keeping Anslee at her house with a couple of other children. Tina has taken care of several children I know and they and their parents adore her! So I wasn't nervous about the care Anslee would get, I just didn't want her to be sad while I was gone.

When I took Anslee this morning I hugged and kissed her and then slipped out when she wasn't looking. I am leaving her from 8:15-1:15 on Wednesdays and Thursdays and from 8:15-12:15 on Mondays and Tuesdays. I only called once during the day (aren't you proud of me?!) and Tina said Anslee was doing great.
As soon as I arrived to pick her up, Anslee started crawling towards me as fast as she could. I held her and loved on her and then she wanted down to play some more. She had a blast!!

Now she'll probably be bored with Andrew and me over the summer!
T