Girly Girls

Ok this is my most self indulgent photo shoot ever! Please forgive me for sounding like a proud momma and aunt but I think these little girls are just beautiful! My sister Melanie and I decided that the girls were in need of some updated pictures so we loaded up the car and went to one of my favorite locations to shoot. Annabelle gets the good girl of the day award! She posed so perfectly and patiently for Aunt Sessie! Little Chloe was in her own little 18 month old world so we basically just followed her around and tried to get a few good ones! Myah was also not so patient but when we put the tutu on, her inner princess emerged and she even started dancing to her own music! These beauties are God's gift to our family through adoption, three little miracles, who against all odds, found there way into our lives and our hearts.

Mother's Day

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”
Elizabeth Stone
This morning I woke up to the sound of our doorbell ringing, it was Mark, he had forgot to take his house key to work! This is his weekend to work and he doesn't get home till about 7:45 am. He walked in the door with a beautiful hydrangea plant, one of my favorite flowers. He said this one was special because it is Chinese. I have a huge obsession with flowers and everyone I plant has to have meaning to me. It was very thoughful of him to take that into consideration. We then tucked daddy into bed for the day and he informed me that after he sleeps we have reservations at my favorite restaurant TW and Friends. We had a great dinner, they had a wonderful Mother's Day buffet and gorgeous desserts. I wanted to take some pictures with the kids and Myah just wouldn't have it. We did get a few as you can see. I can't help but let my mind wander today, I feel so spoiled to have two wonderful children in this world who call me their mother. However, I can't help but think about Myah's birth mother today. I pray that God places comfort in her heart today. Comfort that only a mother can explain, knowing that your child is safe, fed, warm, loved and content. When I see little Myah giggling so hard that she can hardly breathe, I have to believe that she is happy here. As far as loved, there is no question there, I love her so deeply that sometimes I forget that I didn't give birth to her. I wish there was a way that I could personally thank the woman who brought her into the world. I know that it is impossible. I have taken her place, an honor that I will never take for granted. This song I chose to play on here today is called Thanks Again. Mark and I played this at our wedding reception while we danced with our parents. We heard it for the first time very early in our courtship (remember, we started dating when I was 15) and saved it for that special moment in our lives. I will never forget seeing the tears stream down the faces of our loved ones after hearing this song. At the time all of the words didn't necessarily apply but they sure do now and 14 years later, this song still makes me cry. So to all of those wonderful mommies to be, mommy's,mother-in-laws, grandma's, great grandmas, step moms, nana's, and sisters..... thanks again.

Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head

I took advantage of the many rainy days we had here to let Myah play in the puddles. She kept saying "splashy splash"!

Shoeston We Have a Problem

As I was cleaning out Myah's closet, I noticed an area that was getting a little bit out of control. The accessory department. Mainly shoes and bows! While we were waiting for Myah to join our family there were only a few items in her wardrobe that I could justify purchasing due to the fact that I didn't know how old or how big she would be. Sooooo I started collecting hair bows, headbands, flowers, scrunchies etc. It was probably a good thing, especially after seeing her picture for the first time, our first comment was about all of her hair. It seems to be everyone's first comment. Let's face it, the girl has got good hair! She has become obsessed with putting bows in her hair, if it accidently falls out she immediately starts yelling, "bow, bow, bow" until I put it back in. Onto the shoes..... I really didn't expect to collect shoes but it sure seems that way. My first stop in Target is as the baby shoe section. Their shoes are so cute and yet so affordable. And as every woman knows, a few pairs just won't work. You need dressy, casual, sandals, play, boots, slippers. Where does it stop? I have really pared down all of our wardrobes lately, and yet I still have several pairs of shoes for all of us. I have let myself just embrace the fact that everyone has to have a shoe collection. Even Mark, who by the way would live in his sneakers, has a collection of shoes. I think I have a problem, here is the evidence, you be the judge!

Twenty Three Months Old

This was a super month for our family! We had a wonderful vacation to Florida. We were so excited to play with Myah in the sunshine after this long and cold Michigan winter. It was our first vacation as a family of 4 and we will never forget all of the firsts that took place while we were there. She definately likes the hot weather, remember, she is from one of the "three furnaces of China", Hubei.This little girl has quite the personality. She is always cracking us up with things that she will say and do. We are also learning about her adventurous side, we will find her climbing up on things, undoing her car seat straps, squealing when we chase her around the house and doing sommersalts! We also are discovering the side to Myah that isn't very easy going, you know the phrase, if Myah ain't happy, aint nobody happy, well I think she invented it. She is very strong willed! We still work on certain "over-stimulation" issues with her. If we have been somewhere that there were alot of people interacting with her she will have a very restless night (so will we). Speaking of nights, Mark is back on nights again this month so Myah's new high pitched squeals should really be soothing to Mark while he sleeps during the day. Before I forget, I have to let you in on a great book that I read while on vacation. I picked it up at Target before we left and I honestly could not put it down until I finished it. It is called Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa Lee. Highly recommend it to anyone but especially to anyone who has Chinese daughters or relatives, it is a fiction book but it is based on real life events in ancient China explaining why the girls were such a low priority. It really answered alot of questions that I have had. I guarantee you will be amazed. We were asked to speak at an information meeting for parents looking into adoption at AAI. It was so nice to see so many faces eager to adopt. I remember that look, I honestly am still amazed that our little Myah is a reality after so many years of wondering if another child would ever enter our family. Adoption is such a wonderful thing! Many people ask if she understands that we are her family. I have to say absolutely without a doubt. I have had times in the middle of the night where she is crying and not awake, I will lift her up and she says "mommy" and pats me on the back. She knows. One of the best changes over the past few months is her love for Dayton. She will run to him, put her arms up for him and put her head on his shoulder, even if she is upset. The jealousy is still there a little bit but she is understanding that mommy has enough love for the both of them. For so many months, she would be so aggressive towards him and I kept telling him to hold on, she will come around. I can't believe that she will be 2 in less than a month. She is starting to look less and less like a baby and more like a little girl. On Dayton's birthday this week, she loved the singing, the candles and the cake, oh my gosh did she love the cake. I can't wait to give her a party, she has never had a birthday party before, she sure deserves it. Now that the weather is nice, we are looking forward to breaking in our new boat, Myah loves going fast and hitting the waves! She has been talking so much lately, I am sure by the end of the summer she will be talking in sentences, she has already said 4 word sentences to us, yesterday it was "I want down mommy" or " I want cookie mommy", she is a little parrot, repeating everything she hears. She also is in love with Finding Nemo, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, her toy lawnmower, her bicycle helmet and bags of any sort. We just love her to pieces and are having fun experiencing all of these firsts again through her eyes.