Saturday, December 31, 2011

A BIG Year -- Goodbye 2011!

Soooooo BIG

5 New Years came and went while we impatiently waited for Miss E to join our family.  6 was the charm! 

Friday, December 16, 2011

Random moments...

I apologize.  I haven't been so great about blogging lately.  I have had less time and less big moments and many more small ones that I should be recording (and regretting I am not getting them down somewhere).  Eliza has turned into a little person.  I don't know that I recognized  this as a moment in time with Jackson, I think it kind of crept up on us slowly -- but with Eliza it happened in a 24 hour window when Robert and I both realized - she is a tiny person.  It probably all relates to her cognitive abilities and not only reacting but understanding the world around her.  It makes everything so much more fun.

Eliza and Jackson are also interacting in a whole new way.  Playing.  Laughing.  Engaging each other.  They are minutes away from the joke being on us.  I see it coming.







Monday, December 5, 2011

J + E

These pictures are the gift of a very generous and patient friend who spent her time playing & photographing Jackson and Eliza.  She is a wonderful photographer and took some beautiful shots of the kids despite the challenging light, height difference, and cookie sugar rush.  Thanks, M.





Thursday, December 1, 2011

Some Thanksgiving Pics

Don't take your eyes off this girl or you may find her climbing into a chair not quite her size...
Ha!  Got your superhero, Jackson!

Airport fun

My plane trip (hugging Sissy, my doll-y)

My cousins' room

Yes, I have their phone

The gym

JFK with the M & M man

The Park in Peekskill, NY

I love a campana

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Thankful

Eliza's first Thanksgiving started with her first airplane trip since our journey home from China -- and since she started walking. She doesn't like to sit still for very long so I wasn't sure how it would go but she was a rockstar. She has been surrounded by family and friends and loves all the new faces and attention. She especially loved a holiday that mostly involved eating. I think she ate more turkey and sides than I did. We went to the thanksgiving day parade which she didn't really get but she seemed to enjoy being back in a city (her first time since Nanchang). We are so thankful for our little family - the 4 of us + pups, and our patient, generous and loving extended family who are hosting our East coast adventure. Pics to come. Can't post from my iPad.

Oh, one more thing - and how I know we really are an L.A. family...my Mom made a delicious cornbread as part of our thanksgiving dinner. Jackson was asking for seconds and said "can I please have more tamale?"

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Mia

Last night, when Eliza was getting ready for bed I showed her some recent videos that were posted of Mia (one of the other little girls who was adopted from the same orphanage in our travel group to China).  She got so excited and started to point and say "ba-by."  Then she started to kiss the screen of the computer over and over again.  Unlike Jackson at her age, Eliza has been exposed to some television and the computer because it is difficult to keep her separate from Jackson and what he is watching.  Her reaction was really surprising because she's shown no interest in tv shows or videos -- just Mia.  What does she know? What does she feel?  Does she sense a connection? Instinctively she's responding to Mia in a different way than the other babies she sees.  Fascinating.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Our Day in Ojai with Michelle and Quan








Thank you Michelle for the beautiful storytelling of our day through your photos -- and thank you both for the great company.  Come up anytime!  

Monday, October 31, 2011

To Infinity and....Beyond

Happy Halloween everyone!  We had a very successful parade at Jackson's preschool, & then we went to a fantastic party our friends throw every Halloween that ends with all the kids going out to trick or treat.  Some highlights -- Jackson wouldn't eat all day unless someone helped him because he would not remove his Buzz gloves.  He napped with his entire costume on.  He finally "got" trick or treating and couldn't get over the fact people were handing him candy.  And now he's holding onto his bucket of candy like it was a pot of gold.  It's in his bed.  And everybody was going crazy for our cuter than cute strawberry.  She enjoyed all the attention and was loved and adored all day.  And to quote Jackson -- both kids had the "best day ever."