1st Day of Playschool!!!

Well I had started a post about how busy August was and all the many things that we did, but this is breaking news of today!  My baby started Playschool today!  This is completely her doing.  I told her last week that the boys would be going back to school in a few days and she said, "my school" in which I replied, "you want to go to school?"  She said yes and got very excited.  This momma wasn't quite sure, but thought I should encourage her excitement, since the boys have always had a love/hate relationship with school.(More like hate!)

So today was the day and............

 As you can see she is pretty pumped!

 Cooperating nicely for mommy

 Eating her Nutri Grain bar on the go!(She had oatmeal earlier, don't freak out)

 Off she goes! :(

 Standing by her hook with her name tag.

 1st thing she went to in the room.

 Keely and Molly

 Not even looking up while mommy was leaving.

This went much better than I had ever dealt with the boys, so I was very relieved.  On the other hand questioned, why she wasn't clinging to me?  Is she not attached enough to care or is she secure in our attachment that this separation is OK?  Any adoption experts out there that have this answer?  I am hoping it is Option Two!!
When it was pick up time, I could see her outside on the playground in a little playhouse with her little friend.  When she saw the car, I could see her pointing to it and talking.(If I could only hear what she was saying!) When I got out, she smiled, waved, and hollered "There's my mommy!"  Phew, she was actually glad to see me! :0)
The teachers said it took her a little bit to warm up and talk to them, but after awhile she was talking away. Yay!  We said Goodbye, went in and got her picture she painted and away we went to take Wowa for his haircut!  That was easy! Day 1 of Playschool a success, now we will see if we can get Noah and Isaiah off to Gr.9 and 6 as easy!

1st Gotcha Day Anniversary - Part 2

I had imagined this day many times over this last year and really can't believe it is here.  

I really wanted to plan a special get together with Family and Friends, watch the movies from our trip, BBQ, eat cake and just celebrate our Year Anniversary, but sometimes life is just too darn busy to pull those things off.  Chris had to be away for meetings and we had a baseball game at 6, so this meant none of my plan were going to work out.  So we made the best of it and I took the boys and little Miss out for lunch.

When we were in China, we bought little souvenirs that we could give her over the next few years on her Gotcha Day Anniversary.  This year I chose to give her the Panda Nesting Dolls and I think I made the right choice because this girl loves pandas. 

She didn't have a whole lot of time to play with them because we were headed to the boys last ball game of the season.  She took along her Princess ball and glove that Noah got her for her Birthday and lets just say was pretty popular with some of the little boys who also wanted to play.

After the game, we headed home and she had a little bit of time to play with her pandas before bed.

 She is showing me Dada, Mama, Woawa, Zaiah and Tt!

 We hadn't realized when we got them that there were 5 Pandas!  (What a coincidence!)

Mommy panda may of just happen to mention, well if there had of been 6, then that may have meant we were to start making plans to go to China again. :)  Daddy Panda quickly stated that there were only 5 for a reason and TT was the last baby panda for this family!  OK, fine! (For now!) ;)

Anyway, though the day wasn't what I imagined, it turned out to be a pretty great day.  We are so glad you are here and can't imagine our lives without your infectious giggles, your sweet little voice saying, "up pees" (continually!), the way you call your bathing suit your bb soup, your gentle kisses you give mommy when I say I have a headache and how you hold my head and kiss my forehead to make it all better.  I love how you say your prayers at night and how you repeat Bepe(Grampy) and Duke over and over until I make you aware that we pray for God to bless others too. lol

HAPPY 1ST GOTCHA DAY BABY GIRL!

1st Gotcha Day Anniversary - Part 1

Wow, where did this year go??  It feels like this little girl has always been here!

Looking at this picture, I see the sadness in your eyes, but thankfully it didn't take too long that we caught a glimpse of your beautiful smile.

Now that we are celebrating our 1st year as a forever family, I look back over the year in complete awe of you and sometimes can't believe that you are actually here.  

You have learned to trust and love your family, speak another language, how to be gentle with animals, you quickly learned that Grandparents let you do more than mommy, you learned to scream GOAL during a hockey game, and you grew to adore your daddy. 

Even though there were times in this journey that were tough for all of us, we have come through it all closer and more in love with you than we ever could have imagined. 

More BDay Photos

This was her invitation.

The Mermaids and Fish went swimming.

I'm not really sure if she even knew what it was yet, but I love her expression!

Adoption books friends gave her.  Very special.

She loved her Ariel cake.

Momma and her Birthday Girl!

She had a very wonderful, fun filled day.  Thanks to all who came and helped make her 1st Birthday home a Special one.

Happy 3rd Birthday Sweet Girl!

This day fills me with so many emotions:
  I am so overjoyed that you are home with us to celebrate your Birthday.
  I am thankful that you were chosen to be our daughter.
  I am heartbroken for the mom who obviously loved you so very much, but had no other choice but to give you up!  She took so much care and thought as to where to place you so that you would be found quickly. I pray that she has the God given peace to know that you are loved and taken care of.

 I am happy that you have two brothers who love you and will always be there for you.

So on this your 3rd Birthday I made you this little video that represents your First 3 years.  What a journey you have been on little one and I pray that you continue to find happiness amidst life's adventures!  We love you so very much!

HAPPY 1st CANADA DAY KEELY

OH MY! DOES THIS MEAN I AM GETTING OLD??

My first born, Noah just celebrated his 14th Birthday on June 23rd.  He also just passed Gr.8 which means he is headed into High School!!  Oh Dear God Help Me Now!!  I really don't think I am prepared for the changes that take place in High School, but so far we have been very blessed with a pretty easy going 13 now 14 year old who likes to be home, likes to still hang out and watch movies with us, enjoys having his dad coaching him and was really happy that his dad was able to go on his Gr.8 Ottawa trip.  So far so good!

Here's hoping the next 4 years go as well!  We love you Noah and are so thankful for you! 

HAPPY 14TH BIRTHDAY!

Noah at Parliament in Ottawa, May 23, 2012!



1st Dentist Appt.

Today Keely had her first dentist appt. and she did awesome.  I knew she was pretty excited when we went into Home Hardware and she was showing her teeth off as if it were the dentist.  I said, "No honey this isn't the dentist yet." lol

When my boys were little; anywhere we went, either if it were to the dentist or Dr.; there were always tears involved.  Not this girl!  She faces everything full force with much anticipation and interest.  She is so funny and nothing seems to faze her.  (I think this is a good thing, so far anyways!??)

So in we went and had to wait a bit and read some books.  She was a very good girl!

Then it was her turn and in we went.  She sat on mommy's lap while they checked her teeth and showed her how to brush.  She was very interested in all they had to say and then she was able to pick her toothbrush.  She picked an Ariel one.  I just can't get over how easy going this child is with these appointments and she does whatever they need her to do.  Such a good little girl! (Most of the time!) 

 

1st Baseball Game of the Season!

 Watching the boys for a second, literally!!

 With the coach (aka Daddy)

 Keeping her brother energized with crackers!

 Giving the umpire some pointers!

 Hmm, how many do I have left?

 Now to the real fun of a baseball game that is played by the park!

P.S.  I got a message last Thursday from the IWK saying they had a cancellation and could take Keely in for her surgery June 15, yes this Friday!  So I called the next morning to let them know that she hadn't been called for her CT Scan yet and if that would matter and thankfully it did, so they would have to put her back on the list. PHEW!!!

Not that it wouldn't be great to have it over and done with, but for the rest of June and the whole month of July she would be in pain and in a cast.  Do you know what kind of summer that would be?  NOT FUN! NO BEACH, NO SWIMMING, NO PLAYGROUNDS, ETC.ETC!   This girl loves the water, the beach and playgrounds so I am relieved that we dodged that bullet for at least a couple more months!

IWK Visit

Last Monday, I got a call from the IWK, with an appointment for Keely on Thursday May 31!  Nothing like last minute. There wasn't a lot we could do but to plan on going, since Orthopedics in Saint John had sent the referral in December.  My poor husband had just got home Sunday night from Noah's Gr. 8 Ottawa trip, had to be away for meetings on Wed. and then we had to travel to Halifax Thurs.  We got home Friday at 3 and left again Sat. morning for more meetings in Fredericton (while I shopped).  He also had spent a frew hours Friday night doing the Relay for Life.  Can you say extremely busy????

Anyway, back to Miss K's appt.  We got to the IWK around 1:30 and her appt. wasn't until 2:30, but it worked out because they sent us for Xrays before our initial meeting anyway and we were done those just in time for her appt.  It took them a bit to figure out what was going on, he stretched, poked and prodded at Keely's leg and knee and she didn't make a peep.  In fact, she enjoyed every minute of it.  This is the little girl who wouldn't go near men especially Chris for a good month and a half after we were home and she was completely comfortable with this Dr. and even walked holding his hand down the hall.  Go figure?

Finally after another Xray of her other leg, they concluded that she has a rare condition called; Congenital Dislocation of the Patella.  Which in other words is her kneecap is on the side of her leg.  Her ligaments and muscles are pulled so tight that is has pulled her little kneecap to the side.  This could be genetic or just a fluke, so he advised to have genetic testing done.  This will require her to have an extensive surgery at the IWK to release that tension and to put her kneecap back in the right spot, sounds wonderful! :(  After this she will be in a cast for 6 weeks and then will need Physio 2 or 3 days a week.  There is a waiting list of 4 to 6 months before she will get in to have the surgery and we have to have a CT scan in Saint John in the meantime so he can get a better picture of the knee.

So we are really not looking forward to her going through this, but we know that it is needed and will help her in the future. 

This weekend was my first night away from Keely.  Saturday night Chris had a Hockey NB banquet in Fredericton and I went  with him for the night.  So Chris's parents stayed here with the kids.  Of course she made out perfectly fine since grandparents are aloud to spoil and give in when mommy's don't. :)

I also, can confidently say that she is potty trained (except at night).  She has been doing number 2 in the toilet since October, but I haven`t tried too hard with number 1.  She would go off and on but I wasn`t consistent until the last little bit.  So there you have it, this is as good as it gets folks!