New Pictures

New Pantry

Obviously I haven't filled it yet, thinking a trip to Costco is in order!

New Office

Anna enjoyed running the Jog-a-thon with big brother

Its been awhile since I posted so I thought I would just share a few adorable pictures. I'm not sure what all we've been doing lately but I've felt very busy and very tired. Anna is doing great and even grew an inch in a month so I was thrilled about that. Our home project is just wrapping up so I'll be happy to have my house back to myself again and not always wondering if workers are going to show up. Now hopefully I'll start using the treadmill in the new office regularly. River season is just around the corner and I'm so not ready. Dylan has his spring break this next week and about all we have planned is a Disney day, but I have a 60th birthday party at our house next weekend so I know I'll be busy getting everything ready for that.

I know I've turned into a horrible blogger. I still read eveyone's blog, but find it hard to comment. Most days the right words just seem to escape me.......in more ways than one.

"Gotcha" 6 months!!!!

Well, it was actually yesterday. On the hand it just seems like Anna has just gotten home, and yet it feels like she's been a part of our family forever. Everything honestly is going pretty amazing lately. She is one happy, energetic, independent, stubborn, loveable, adorable little girl! We are going to Gymboree once a week and still have her infant teacher coming to the house twice a week. Her eyes seem like they are doing well, but at times I do seem to notice her one possibly turns in just a tad. Scheduling another follow up eye appt is on my to do list (along with just a 100 other things!) I did schedule a private speech evalution appt for Monday. I know she is making huge strides in the last month, but it is still often quite hard to understand what she is saying, although I think she's getting better all the time.

I don't have any new Disneyland pictures to post as its been freezing and raining here in sunny southern California! I'm not loving this. Tomorrow's low is 34 degrees....? Thats insane for us. Looks like next week is supposed to warm up some so maybe just me and Anna can sneak off the our happy place. Its harder now with Dylan's little league starting but I'll make it happen somehow.

Yesterday I got to meet some wonderful ladies in my aunt's office who've been following our journey via my blog and was able to show off Anna. Stacey, thank you for the Minnie Mouse....she loves it! Its fun to have them already "know" us without ever meeting us. Isn't our little blogging community just full of amazing people? This has just been the best outlet and form of support for me....I'm so grateful!

Don't you love the last picture? Guess thats what happens when I feed her lunch too late when naptime is overdue!

~Chelsea Kay~ 3 years ago today

Happy 3rd Birthday my sleeping angel. In the wee hours of the morning you entered this world too soon. I remember you today with extreme gratitude and love for it was you who ultimately brought us to our Anna Natalia. 3 years ago another woman in Russia continued to grow a tiny baby who we did not know about as I was holding our tiny baby. While this is not the path I would have chosen to bring us to our daughter, I am thankful all the same that this road brought us together with the sweetest little girl. Today I will remember both my sleeping angels as my precious Anna wakes up and says "morning mommy"....and "i wuv ooo mommy".

What a personality!

Anna and cousin Trent had a great time together, and kept walking around hand in hand....adorable!!!

Wow, I LOVE this girl! I mean, I do feel we bonded from the start, but I was just so overcome with worry that I think some of it got clouded. Now, I just think daily I attach even more to her and am truly grateful she is in our lives. Sometimes the worry still creeps in and I wonder if we'll have future challeges, but she is just really blossoming and talking more and more and is just thrilled with life and so am I! I took her to her first Gymboree class and we both had a ball. She needs some improvement with circle time but who can blame her for not wanting to sit still with all this new fun equipment around? Hopefully that will improve over time.

Here is our latest project...our new office. Anna kinda got the room I wanted to move our office into so this is our solution and I'm very excited about it. We are converting our 3rd car garage into the office. Our office is now in basically our kitchen and it just feels very stressful as it is definitely a working office since I do all the paperwork for our business from home. Steve comes home and piles invoices and plans on the desk, faxes come thru while we're eating dinner, I always have some form of paperwork mess going on and I'd love to be able to just shut the door to it all and have some relaxing family time. Since Steve basically has a separate 2-car in the backyard for all his boy toys, and since we will still lave a 2-car garage attached to the house as well, he was fine with losing a bit of his garage space. If you know my husband, you know this is a big deal! Another BIG plus....the space that is now our office will become a big walk-in pantry...woo hoo! Now it will be easier to buy in bulk at Costco and the addition of a wine cooler will help mommy out as well :o) Stay tuned and I'll post more pictures as the project progresses.

"First" haircut

So I am calling this Anna's first haircut. I'm hoping this will help grow out and even up her short hair cut she was given in Russia. She really enjoyed the cut. I had Dylan go first in case she was scared at all, but no worries. She couldn't wait for her turn and did great. She has really fine, wispy hair. I was debating about growning out her bangs, but for now I think I'll wait on that. We're just growing out her sides that were really really short. I never get tired of hearing how much she looks likes me. I never get that with Dylan!

Of course I couldn't pass up posting some pajama cuteness.

Anna is doing great lately in her speech and just in the last few weeks and been putting 2 and 3 words together more and more. One of her new words that is driving me crazy but is completely adorable is "WHY?" Every time I tell her to stop doing something she says WHY? over and over.....like don't bang that on that cabinets? Why? because it will hurt them WHY? Don't scratch your brother WHY? because it gives him owies WHY? and on and on. I love because she is using the word appropriately but BOY does it get old! Any time she accidentally kicks or hits you with anything she stops and kisses the boo boo and says Sorry. Its just cute as can be! She'll even do it if I hit myself on something. I worked really hard on soothing and kissing owies and now I love that she does it in return!

So now at 2 1/2 yrs old the doctors finally said she's "on the charts" at about the 0-3%, weighing in at just 24 lbs....BUT that was with shoes and jeans on. I've never gotten her to weigh that much at home, more like only 23 lbs, but it was still nice to hear that she was on the charts.