Forever a Family

Coming Soon - Big News!!

2010-11-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

The Motherhood Blessing...

"No matter how motherhood comes to you, it is a blessing."

Maeve's Fashion Style

2010-09-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Around November of 2009, Maeve decided she could dress herself all by herself in the morning and did not need any "advice" from Mommy. This decision prompted some interesting clothing choices. Usually she dressed herself in some variation of pink and "Dora", but sometimes her mood took her elsewhere and we ended up with some very creative dressing options, such as the one to the left.

This look to the left was composed of her shorts & shirt, knee high Valentines Day socks and her water shoes. Needless to say, we turned

a few heads while we were out and about that day, but who am I to stifle the artist within. :)

Other days we end up with more normal looking outfits, such as the one to the right.

But a clear favorite and worn many times throughout the month of November was her Halloween costume. Here she accessorized with eyeshadow, just like Mommy (as she told me...hmm, maybe it's time for a makeover.)

We did wash off the make up before we left for our Saturday errands and my little fairy and I had a wonderful day.

Time to get up to date on this...

2010-09-24T06:06:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile and so much has happened in the past year, so here are some of the highlights. I'll start with October 2009...

- Vacation in Michigan for the big Hayride party at our cousin's house. We also had plenty of quality time with Grandma & Grandpa and lots of play time with all the cousins.

Of course...still "Tooning" with Grandpa.

Grandpa's "Hayride". They loved it!

Grandpa and his grandkids.

Spending time with Grandma doing something they both love...reading.

All the cousins at the Hay Ride Party.

Who are Grandpa's girls??? I know. ;)

Then back home and on to all the other activities planned for October.

Lots of fun at the company picnic...

Later in the month, we went to the "Movie in the Park" showing. Can you guess which movie? :

Halloween at last! Maeve was a fairy with a really nice costume from "The Children's Place". She loved it!

We spent Halloween with some old friends...

and some new friends. :)

Webster's Definition of "Spoiled"

2009-08-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

According to www.merriam-webster.com, the definition for "spoil" or the inflected form "spoiled" is as follows,

a : to impair the disposition or character of by overindulgence or excessive praise b : to pamper excessively

Let's see if this definition fits Maeve...

This past Sunday, I woke up at 7:30am to a three year old poking me and hollering, "Wake Up MOMMY!" in my ear. (My little angel had actually let me sleep in a hour past my normal wake up of 6:30am. No spoiling there, just a generosity of soul that recognized Mommy needed a little extra sleep that morning.) Next, after a quick breakfast, a certain small person convinced me a trip to the pool was just what we needed. Something about asking the same question, "Mommy, go swim?", fifty different ways has a certain persuasive aspect to it. Off we went for the next hour or so. (With my best interests still at heart, my little angel realized I might need a little refreshing and the ice cold water was just the trick.) Then it was back home, where the little general graciously allowed me time to do the yard work and a few household chores. (My angelic cherub even grudgingly picked up almost half the mess she had made with her toys in the living room.) Shortly into the afternoon, my little angel, decided she didn't have time for a nap, when the world was desperately in need of a princess and in her big pink foo-foo dress, complete with crown she certainly fit the bill. So, sans the nap, but with global peace and an environmental campaign to save the rain forest in mind, Maeve headed off to the local grocery store with me.

At the store, Maeve became a little cranky (now who can blame her, after all saving the rain forest can cause some stress in a three year old), so Mommy resorted to her tried and true method of offering her a treat to eat while in the store. "Do you want some cake?" I asked, meaning a plain cake donut that has satisfied her during past trips. But this trip to the store didn't include regular Maeve, this was mighty Princess Maeve who was on a quest for global peace and rain forest restoration. This Maeve quickly located and insisted on having a 1/4 chocolate sheet cake decorated with various flowers and trim. A cake that was not complete until three ballerinas and a fanciful "Maeve" was added to it.

Now, I could have said "No", but it wasn't truly spoiling. After all, Maeve did recognize that Mommy was a little tired and what better to fix that, then a quick sugar fix. Plus Maeve knows Mommy loves chocolate too. Besides, who can say "No" to the mighty Princess Maeve, promoter of world peace and champion of the rain forest!

PS - Maeve has been singing "Happy Birthday" all day today and telling me that this is her (or mine) birthday cake. :)

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-07-28T22:29:00.000-07:00

It was a busy & exciting day today. I took the day off from work and Maeve and I headed off to Court first thing this morning for an 8:30am court appearance. Now before anyone thinks Maeve has busted me out & they are sending me to the big house for forcing her to go to swim lessons, think again. I simply finally filed for her re-adoption in our state and today they finalized it...again. I say again, because the adoption was finalized and legally recognized two and a half years ago when Maeve first came home, but every state differs in how the parents obtain a modified birth certificate. It is not necessary (I have the Chinese one), but it is convenient and a nice thing to have later in life when it is needed (signing up for Little League, etc.) Now, while some states just require you to turn in copies of the finalized adoption paperwork & presto bingo, the new birth certificate is mailed to you automatically, my state requires that I go through the "re-adoption" process. Basically, a whole lot of paperwork, $20 fee and a court date.

So off to court we went this morning. My choice of attire was dictated by my desire to look least like a felon (not that my wardrobe has any items that resemble that I hope, but my initial trip to the court house to file the needed documents had exposed me to the wide variety of clothing choices that people make when they appear in court. I now see why judges lose patience and the jails are full.) Maeve, I dressed for maximum cuteness, pink dress, high pony tails, huge flower hair pretties. This was deliberate on my part, not for the picture I wanted when we were done, but for the mayhem my very active child was bound to cause. We arrived in plenty of time and waited with the rest of the folks outside the court room. There were three adoption cases, including ours, and a bunch of misdemeanor cases. Maeve & I were first and headed back to the judges chambers. Maeve greeted the solemnity of the proceedings by jumping up and down on two of the judge's very plush chairs, then moving to the sofa for more bouncing enjoyment. Meanwhile, I'm trying to answer the questions, keep her under control and pray silently that he doesn't kick us out. I thought I was in for it, when Maeve hid behind me and kept jumping out and hollering, "Peek-A-Boo" at the top of her lungs at the judge. I was picturing contempt proceedings and I don't even know what contempt proceedings truly are, but the judge & his clerk just smiled and were actually completely amused and entertained by her antics. (Maximum cuteness dressing strategy pays off again. I use it for the airport too.)

After all that, we got our picture (now Maeve played shy) and headed back into court to wait for the paperwork to be finalized by one of the clerks. Meanwhile the judge came out and started to hear cases. Thankfully, he turned a deaf ear to the ruckus that Maeve was causing (where are those nice rooms, like they have at church when you need them.) I did feel very fortunate, because while waiting I watched both of the other adoption requests go south. Both were family adoptions (someone within the family was trying to adopt the child out of foster care), but not all the requirements had been met and each petition was denied at that point. Even though the judge handled it very nicely, it was heart breaking to watch. Also hard to watch was when the court officer explained to all the misdemeanor folks their options on paying their fines. It didn't really catch my attention, until he came to the part where he told them that if they couldn't afford to pay the fine (out of work, etc.) they could do the jail time. The officer was very nice about this, not an ounce of judgement in his tone, just explaining the options. Glancing around, I realized by the looks in a few faces that jail time was a real option for some. That was very sad. Needless to say, I was happy & relieved to leave. I always knew that Maeve & I were fortunate & blessed, but sometimes it really drives home.

After that, what was a good Mom to do on her birthday, but drop Maeve off at the babysitter and head out to see a movie on her own. Yeeesssss!!! A movie without animation, 3D glasses, six trips to the bathroom (4 of them false alarms), and I could eat all of my own popcorn. Such heaven is normally only dreamed of, never actually experienced. :) But that's not the end of it, then I went shopping, leisurely shopping (no rushing around to get everything done before a toddler's patience wears thin) and even took in a class at my beloved Apple store.

It was heaven, but then it was over and time to go home to take Maeve to swimming lessons. Still continues to be the longest 30 minutes of my life, but we are making headway and I'll update more in a later post. The funniest part of the day happened after swim class, while Maeve was splashing around in the baby pool. She had met a little girl, her own age and they were having a great time playing and splashing with each other. I was sitting next to her Mother and the Dad with the brother was nearby too. Just so you have the complete picture, there is me, completely freckled caucasian, my asian daughter, her new hispanic friend, and the hispanic parents all at the baby pool. A woman and her son walk up and the little boy joins in the fun with the girls. I caught the woman closely observing the girls and glancing up at me. I knew something was coming, but wasn't ready for when she asked me, "Are they twins??". I don't know what surprised me more, the question of twins or the assumption that I was the Mom of both and not the other gal. I'm also not sure who was more surprised, me or the other Mom. I just stated that they were not and pointed to the other Mom...right next to me. Just the right funny ending to top off a really good day.

Below, I have scanned in the birthday card my parents sent to me. Dad handcrafts all of our cards on one of his programs, but you can always count on Mom to add her own personal touch.

Maeve's Revenge

2009-07-27T07:42:00.001-07:00

Meany Mommy has been making Maeve go swim lessons. Even worse, I have already signed us up for the August session. What's a toddler to do you ask? Silly question. Plot revenge of course!

First patiently wait for the perfect opportunity. Yes, Sunday night is presenting nicely as the time Mommy is at her weakest. Poor Mommy spent all day doing yard work, laundry and assorted chores, while playing with Maeve and even taking her to the pool in the afternoon (the kiddy pool nearby, no swim lessons.) Maeve, making secret observations, notes that Mommy is pretty tired, well, actually exhausted is more the word by the time 8pm rolls around. Next step is to go to bed with minimal fuss. Must set herself up as sweet angel child. Then simply lie in wait, biding her time, she waits for the perfect moment to strike.

She hears Mommy complete some more chores and finish her prep for the coming week. Then she hears Mommy go to bed. Even though, she knows Mommy probably fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, she waits a hour to make sure Mommy has hit the deepest point of sleep possible....then she STRIKES!

Maeve (poking Mommy's face): "Mommy, Wake UP!!!"

Mommy (very groggily): "Huh? What's wrong? Why are you up?"

Maeve (wide awake with a big smile): "Mommy, Go downstairs?"

Mommy: "No, go back to bed."

Maeve: "Mommy, I hungry. I have snack?"

Mommy: "No, go back to bed."

Maeve: "Juice?"

Mommy: "No, please go back to bed."

Maeve: "Milk?"

Mommy: "Maeve, in the morning. Now you have to go back to bed."

Maeve: "Water?"

Now, groggy Mommy realizes that a game is afoot. She had made sure that Maeve had a full sippy of water prior to going to bed. Meanwhile, Maeve climbs up in Mommy's bed and proceeds to roll over her, ensuring every elbow and knee is well placed.

Maeve (grinning like a mad woman): "Hi Mommy! Read book?"

Well, you can see where this is going. Maeve kept me up, on and off, for at least two hours. If I happened to doze off, there was the helpful poking in the face until I woke back up. If I put her in her room, a small tantrum ensued (which I ignored), only to result in her coming back into my room when I dozed off. Needless to say, I am heading off to work completely exhausted, while "you know who" is peacefully sleeping, catching up on all her beauty sleep.

Has Mommy learned her lesson? Hmm...I don't know, but I've heard swim lessons have been extended into September.

Ni Hao!!

2009-07-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update...have go to work.

Here is a picture of one sleepy Maeve (just up from her nap) with her new Kai-Lan doll, cell phone, Dora sippy & Dora shoes. The doll is new and she loves it. Yesterday's constant chant was "Ni Hao! Ni Hao!" (chinese for Hello), because after all it is Kai Lan from "Ni Hao Kai Lan" on Nick Jr. I saw the Target ad for all the Kai Lan items and showed it to Maeve. She literally freaked out when I asked her if she wanted to get a Kai Lan dolly. "Yes Yes Yes!!!" So, off to Target we went and one short trip later, we ended up with a Kai Lan doll, a Kai Lan game & a new toy cell phone, that she picked up and chatted on the whole time we were in Target...I couldn't resist getting it.

The doll also came with a Kai Lan necklace. She doesn't have it on in the picture, but it is a favorite too and she wore it most of the day.

Go Run?!

2009-07-17T06:23:00.000-07:00

That's how Maeve greeted me at the door last night. Wearing a cute little sundress and her new Nike sneakers, the first words out of her mouth were, "Mommy, go run?!" Then it went something like this.

Mommy: "Well, what about swimming? Do you want to go swimming?"
Maeve: "Swim in the baby pool?" (she used to beg to swim in the big pool.)
Mommy: "No swim with Mandy & Michelle in the big pool."
Maeve (shouting): "No! No big pool! No swim! We go run! I run!!"

This was the first time ever she has turned down an opportunity to go swimming. This conversation repeated itself in various forms for the next 15 minutes while we changed into our bathing suits. While Maeve did willing put on her bathing suit, she kept insisting on swimming in the baby pool and even put her Nike sneakers back on...just in case I changed my mind about running. She even made a last ditch effort as we were leaving, trying to insist that we take the stroller and not the car. (There are two pools. Swim lessons are to far and we drive, but there is a closer pool that doesn't offer swimming lessons that we regularly walk to with the stroller.) Ignoring her stroller requests/orders, I put her in the car and then listened to a rather angry & insistent Maeve for the five minute ride over, "Mommy, no big pool! I swim baby pool!! No Mandy & Michelle! NO!!". This continued for the two minute stroll from the parking lot to the pool gate. In the pool area, Maeve trailed about 10 feet behind me with the same angry chant...quite entertaining for all those around us. I continued to ignore and sat her down to take her shoes off. At this point, Maeve tells me, "Mommy, no you go swim. I sit here!" Oh boy...another loooonnnngggg 30 minutes.

I walked her over and sat on the steps with her and, yes, when it was her turn I made her go out. Both instructors, Mandy & Michelle were highly supportive and tried to help out, encouraging her and pointing to me, saying, "There's your Mommy." anytime she became upset out on the water. But no smiles, no happy Maeve, just a "I'm gritting my teeth to get thru this" little girl. Still, I high fived her after every turn in the pool and smiled and waved like a mad woman every time she was out in the pool and turned, looking for me.

Then the Turning Point!

Michelle asked who wanted to jump in the pool? That is how they end the lessons, letting the kids jump into the pool and they catch them (heads do not go underwater unless the kids are ready.) Michelle asked the question and Maeve shrieked! My immediate thought was that it completely freaked her out and she was scared, but No! She was so happy, and doing a little dance because she could hardly wait. I walked around with her to the side of the pool where they jump from and stood next to her. Maeve turned and pushed me away and I mean pushed. Heaven forbid I cut in front of her. Off she went and jumped four times into the waiting arms of Mandy and Michelle. All smiles and completely happy, she even high fived Mandy & Michelle at the end of class before we went to swim in the little (baby) pool. Less than a hour later, while driving home after splashing in the baby pool for awhile, I asked Maeve if she had fun. "Yes!!" was the answer. Pushing my luck, I asked if she liked Mandy & Michelle. Again, a loud "Yes!!" came from the back seat. Then, really pushing my luck, I asked if she wanted to go swimming again on Tuesday with Mandy & Michelle. "Yes Mommy! I go swimming with Mandy & Michelle!!" was the swift reply. Now, I am not claiming complete victory yet. A lot can happen between now and then to make Maeve change her mind, but it was nice to hear that I hadn't put my child through a complete torture session.

As we were going home, I told Maeve, "I'm so proud of you!". Maeve looked at me and said, "I proud of you too Mommy!"

Not so high hopes on Swim Lessons tonight...how about some cute pictures instead?!

2009-07-16T06:04:00.000-07:00

I don't have any illusions on how Swim class is going to go tonight. Unfortunately for Maeve, she has a Mommy that has decided that learning to swim is very important (& more importantly safety around water.) So, like it or not we will continue to go.

So, how about a few cute picture to take my mind off the loooonnnngg 30 minutes ahead of me tonight? :)

Just like every child out there, Maeve loves to hide & "Pop Out" of boxes, hampers, baskets, etc. These two pictures are from Sunday when I was doing laundry and had emptied the hamper.

Talk about a perfect opportunity...Maeve couldn't wait to get in the hamper when I dumped it out. Of course, I had to help her in and out, so it wouldn't tip over. Just one more reason why I was so exhausted Sunday night, but on the upside I do get my workout and as she gets bigger, I am progressing up in weight lifting. My favorite picture from this past Tuesday was actually one I took before we left for Maeve's swim lessons. After she put her bathing suit on, I asked her to put her shoes on. Normally, she goes for her sandals (her favorites), but since Sunday the sandals have a new rival...her Dora sneakers. She loves them. Heck, if they had them in adult sizes, I would have bought a pair for me. They are awfully cute.

Swim Lessons...the story continues

2009-07-15T01:50:00.000-07:00

The picture says it all. We just finished our 3rd lesson and Maeve whimpered through half the class. Today I sat at the edge of the pool and let the swim instructors take her out on her turn. The first couple of times, Maeve cried almost the entire time, but then she settled for just an extremely unhappy look. I feel bad "forcing" her to do this, but I do know, despite herself, she is enjoying it at some level. At the end of class, I asked her to jump into the pool (into the waiting instructor's arms) just once when it was her turn and she did. Maeve then proceeded to line up twice more to jump again, so I know she liked that part. When I asked her if she had a good time, she said "Yes", but when I asked her if she wanted to go again on Thursday, Maeve said, "No Mommy. I have to say No."

It wasn't all bad. After swim class, we happily splashed around in the kiddie pool for another 30 minutes before calling it a night.

"Mommy, I so proud of you!"

2009-07-12T20:44:00.000-07:00

First we woke up at 5:30am...make that I woke up at 5:30am and dragged a sleepy Maeve along for the ride. We headed off to the registration event of a local running group. (I have been threatening for a year or two now to get back into running, so finally decided to do it.) Earlier this week, I checked to see if it was okay to have one adult and one child in a jogging stroller as part of the program, so no problem there.

Maeve might have been a little groggy in the car, but by the time we hit the track it was a different story. Today, I had to run a mile (2x around the track) to establish my pace group. My plan was to push Maeve in the jogging stroller, but Maeve had a completely different idea in mind...she was determined to run it right along with me. Maeve almost ran the whole mile. She only stopped to ride in the stroller for a little bit, and that was just to suck down her sippy cup. We had the only jogging stroller on the track and definitely stood out from the crowd. Here's how it went for most of the run.

Mommy: Panting, breathing hard, trying to keep a pace.

Maeve: "Run Mommy! Run! Corre Mommy! Corre!" (Corre is Spanish for Run.)

Mommy: Panting, breathing hard, still trying to keep a pace.

Maeve: "This is fun!! Mommy, say Wheeee!! Say it Mommy! Say Wheee!!"

Mommy & Maeve together: "Wheeeeee!!" (yes, I heard laughing around us)

Maeve: (as other runners passed us) "Wow Mommy! They are super fast!!" or "Mommy, they really good runner!"

Mommy: Still panting, breathing hard, trying to keep the pace that Maeve has set.

Maeve made quite a few new friends with her "super fast" & "good runner" compliments. I think everyone thought she was quite cute. One thing to note...we did not finish last. Yes, some of the newer runners now have quiet mental goals to beat a three year old. Me? Luckily, I managed to keep pace with her. It would have been difficult if we had ended up in two different pace groups. ;) I do know, I definitely have to up my game plan if I have any hopes to keep up with her when she is four.

Finally, the mile was over and we were given a pace group assignment. I started to head to the exit, but Maeve goes, "Mommy, go run!" and took off. We had to do another lap around the track.

After dragging Maeve from the track, we were off. Grudgedly accepting that "running" was done for the day, her next words were, "Go Swim?!" Maeve chanted this the rest of the way home and I'm not sure if I truly agreed or it was the effects of the brain washing, I thought it was a good idea too. First though, we made time to call Grandma & Grandpa (& also talked to Aunt Darcy.) Maeve was in a talkative mood and even sang "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" for each of them. Now, if she can remember to hold the phone up directly to her mouth when talking, it will be even better. But Grandma & Grandpa (& Aunt Darcy) all got their fair share of Maeve today, including a few "I love Yous!". Knowing I had avoided being disowned once again (it's so not about me anymore), we headed down to the pool, where she happily splashed around for a hour or so. There were a few other kids there, which was bonus for her...more pool toys to play with and argue over.

We had a good time there and even practiced some of our swim lessons moves (I have a good feeling about Tuesday). Then it was back to the house where I insisted Maeve take a nap. It wasn't so much for her as it was for me. Mommy was tired. Very, very tired.

After our nap, we worked around the house for a bit, each doing our part. Maeve making the mess and Mommy cleaning it up and then we drove off to run some errands. I had realized that morning that "Miss Constantly Growing" just barely fit into her size 7 Nikes and needed a bigger size. We ended up with two new pairs of size 8 running shoes. One absolutely adorable pair of Dora running shoes (which she refused to take off the rest of the day) and a new pair of Nikes (no laces, Velcro just like Grandpa.) After a couple more errands, we stopped off at the grocery store. Now it was hot and time to eat, so "Miss Sunshine" was more on the "Miss Cranky" side by then. Luckily, the grocery store had recently brought in racing car grocery carts. Maeve can sit in front and drive the car while Mommy wields the cart behind her. She loves this car and I am eternally grateful to the person who thought of it! A big Thank You to this mystery person! I hope you made millions from it!

Finally, we made it home and Maeve immediately demands her "Juice". This girl is addicted to Orange Juice and I had run out the day before. She really didn't freak out too much when we ran out, but when I pulled out the new gallon jug, she went beserk. This girl has an issue and I am seriously considering rehab. She sucked down three big sippies of this orange stuff one after another. Luckily I had thought this might be a possibility, so I iced them down and made sure the cups were 1/2 water too.

What a day! Now, relaxing on the couch, watching a little Nick Jr (the "General" has the remote afterall), Maeve plops down next to me, looks me in the eye and says, "Mommy, I so proud of you!"

That's my girl! I'm proud of her too!

Baby Got A Boo-Boo

2009-07-11T07:23:00.000-07:00

"Poor Baby!" That's what Maeve keeps saying. That and, "Baby got a boo-boo."

Poor dog indeed. Baby developed a small skin lesion that the Vet said was cancerous, so she went in for surgery to have it removed last Friday. Good news is they got it all and all the lab work came back that it had not spread further. Upon picking her up, they warned me that she might be a little lethargic (have they met my dog....she sleeps 99% of the day, any more lethargic, she would be in a coma.) Also, the Vet told me not to be alarmed on the size of the incision. Even though the original lesion was the size of a quarter, she has a 7 inch scar. The Vet took out extra skin on all sides and went down a fat layer or two to get it all out and make sure it had not spread. I told him not to worry. Baby, my very tubby dog, would have been fine to lose several fat layers. Now when people see the stitches and asked what happen, I simply say, "liposuction".

High Hopes - Swim Lesson Update #2

2009-07-10T05:22:00.000-07:00

Our first swim lesson on Tuesday, while not a complete disaster, did not go quite as well as I had hoped. So, the strategy on Wednesday was to talk constantly about how wonderful Michelle & Mandy were and generally convince Maeve that they were her new two best friends in the world. Yea right. Why do I ever think I can fool Maeve? She just gave me that look of hers... a mixture of "Are you nuts?!" and "You are going to have to do a whole lot better than that!".

So Thursday, the day of our next lesson, arrives and I tell Maeve that we are going swimming. I now have one happy, excited little girl. After trying on three bathing suits, we settle on the one above...a little to small but she was determined to wear it. We gathered our gear and I told her, "Okay, let's go to our swimming lessons." Mini Sherlock Holmes caught the "lesson" in that sentence and announced, "No!". "No wimming esson Mommy." The ride over consisted of me trying to convince her that she would have a fun time.

Me: "Swimming lessons are so much fun!"
Maeve: "No!"
Me: "I like Mandy, She is really nice. Do you like Mandy?"
Maeve: "No."
Me: "What about Michelle? She is really nice too. Do you like Michelle?"
Maeve: "No."
Me: "Don't you want to go swimming in the big pool?" (she usually begs to go in the big pool)
Maeve: "No. Ittle pool Mommy."
Me: "Swimming lessons are fun. Don't you want to take swimming lessons?"

This was my favorite part. She really said it just like this.

Maeve: "Mommy, I have to say No."

This conversation continued the five minute ride over and then for another 30 minutes while we played in the little pool waiting for our lesson to start at the big pool. I managed to drag her over a few minutes prior to the lesson starting, but she insisted on sitting wrapped in her towel next to me for the first few minutes of the lesson. She was watching the instructors (Mandy & Michelle) and the other little girls (three this time as another joined the class) intently, checking for any sign of distress, sharks and electric eels. Finally, I insisted that she "unwrap" herself from the towel and sit with me on the steps. Maeve did, but whimpered any time the girls came close. About half way through class (another looonnnnggg thirty minutes), it seemed a little better. I motioned to Mandy that I was going to hand Maeve over to her and she got ready. The look on Maeve's face as I picked her up and gave her to the alleged enemy was priceless, but at least she wasn't screaming like she did on Tuesday. She made it through the "ordeal" of Mandy walking her the length of the pool practicing her kicks and swirling her around (she almost smiled here). Still slightly terror stricken when she got back to the steps, she did nod her head that she was having a good time and she stayed in the pool. When it was her turn, Mandy took her out again and she did even better this time...hardly a single whimper. Still by the end of class, Maeve was ready to go and while the other kids are begging to stay, we were off...Maeve on a mission to make the parking lot in five seconds flat.

Still there is hope...On the drive home, Maeve is happily babbling about the ice cream I promised her when we get home, when out of the blue she says, "Mommy. I like Michelle and Andy." Tuesday is looking better already.

Swim Lesson Update

2009-07-07T23:31:00.000-07:00

Oh boy!

It all started well. (I know, it's an ominous way to begin the story.)

We arrived early and spent about a 1/2 hour in the kiddie pool waiting for the lesson in the "big pool" to start. Maeve happily splashed around and played with the other little kids. Then it was time to go to the "big pool". As soon as I said, "Let's go over to the big pool", Maeve made a dash for it, completely happy and excited to try out the steps at the big pool.

So far, so good...but then Mandy & Michelle entered the picture. The swimming instructors.

Although they were both perfectly sweet and ever so ready to make a good impression, Maeve wants nothing to do with them. This is a class for 3&4 year olds, nonswimmers only. The other two little girls in the class today could not wait for their turns with Mandy & Michelle. They took them out in the water and practiced kicking, blowing bubbles and all sorts of fun things in the pool. Not Maeve, she eyed them like they were international terrorists, watching closely to ensure they didn't make any sudden movements. Mandy assured me that this was standard behavior and it would pass if I let her take Maeve for a lap or two to practice kicking. So I tried that....Hmmm....Let's just say now everyone in the general vicinity of 2+ miles now knows that Maeve does not like to go swimming without her Mommy. So enduring the slight disdain of two teenage swim instructors and returning a few knowing grins from a couple of other Mommys in the area, I jumped in the pool and appointed myself the third swim instructor, just for Maeve.

Thirty minutes took a looonnng time to go by today. Maeve was happier with me in the pool, but the "Mandy" incident left her wary and she had her guard up the rest of the time. Heaven forbid I get to close to one of the girls or she started to whimper again. I asked her a few times if she like Mandy & Michelle and she nodded her head "Yes", but when I asked if she wanted to go swimming with them, she shook her head "No" so hard I thought she would give herself a concussion. So, that is how swim lessons proceeded, until right before the end of class. The other two girls are begging to stay and Maeve is insisting we leave...NOW! She wanted out of there and quick. So, I thanked the girls and packed Maeve up and off we went.

By the time we hit the parking lot, Maeve was happily babbling to me about the trees and the flowers around us (that wonderful short term memory lapse of hers was kicking in strong.) Five minutes later, driving home, Maeve shouts out to me from the back seat, "Mommy, Go Swim?!?"

Swim Lessons start today

2009-07-07T05:51:00.000-07:00

Maeve's loves to go to the pool. It is her "most favorite" thing to do. In the summer, every conversation ends up talking about the pool, or going swimming or her bathing suits. Here are a couple of examples.

The obvious...

"Mommy, Go Swim???" (chant this incessantly for 15 minutes or 48 hours)

The sneak attack...

Me: "Maeve, what do you want to wear today?"

Maeve: "Swimsuit. Look, Mommy, swimsuit. Go Swim????" (whine and throw fit when Mommy insists you wear something else...up to 30 minutes)

The subtle change of conversation...

Me: "Do you like your juice?"

Maeve" "Yes, I like juice. I like milk. I like water. Go Swim??? I go get bathing suit???" (repeat with conviction 20, 30, 400 times as appropriate)

Luckily we live very close to the neighborhood pool and go quite often. Right now we spend most of our time in the kiddy pool, with Maeve usually asking to go to the big pool to play on the steps after we have been there a bit. Our community has several swimming programs and I have signed us up for lessons on Tuesday & Thursday night.

Is it time???

2009-07-05T10:48:00.001-07:00

Quick & TRUE story about my parents. Here is what happened....

I called the morning of the "4th" to chat with everyone. Mom mentions that she showed Melissa (my SIL) the Easter video on my blog, but then goes on to say she is going to try to get my brother to show her how to make it bigger, because it is so small. She also asks me when am I going to send a new video. The rest of the conversation goes something like this...

Me: "Why do that? I sent you a link so you can view the video full size."

Mom: "You did? When did you do that?"

Me: "Right after I sent you the link to the Memorial Day video I made of Maeve."

Mom: "What?! I never saw the Memorial Day video. I never knew about that."

Me: "I sent it to Dad. Didn't he show it to you."

Mom: "To your Dad?!...(slightly muffled as she calls to Dad) Tttttooonnnny! Did Laura send you a video of Maeve for Memorial Day"

Dad: "(slightly muffled) I remember nothing. I don't know what you two are talking about. I have the right to remain silent. I don't remember."

Mom: "(talking to me now) Laura, you know your father. He doesn't remember. Here, you talk to him and give him heck."

Me: "(now talking to Dad) Dad, how could you not show Mom the video??? I don't know about this memory of yours....a little drool and it's off to the old folks home."

Dad: "I don't know what you are talking about. I am sticking to my story."

Me: "Okay Dad. I'm resending the link so you can show it to Mom. I'll call back later today to see if you received it."

Dad: "Great, because Tony (my brother) is fixing the video hook up and we can talk with video so we can see Maeve (sooooo not about me anymore.)

Later I resent the link, but something seemed fishy so I checked my old emails as well. Guess what I found from Dad on June 9th...

Laura,

I had no truoble downloading or playing your file, it was great. Send more. I am sure that with your imagination and talent "which you get from your father" you will just get better and better.

Love

Your Dad

I kept looking and found this from Mom the same day...

Laura:

You are GOOOOOOOD. I loved the video. I'm so jealous of Vern. I should be the one having fun with Maeve. Oh well, I'll just have to wait until Labor Day.

Love, Mom

Proof positive that both had seen the video (Vern is our neighbor and I have a shot of him playing with Maeve in the Memorial Day video). So, later in the day I call back for the video call armed with this new information. Everyone was laughing over this one, and I and my brothers are now questioning when it will be "time". :)

Of course, Mom with a big smile just said. "See what you have to look forward to Laura."

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-05T10:40:00.001-07:00

Maeve & I had such a good time on the 4th! We went to the pool, ran a few errands and then headed off to our neighbors for a nice "4th of July" picnic. Maeve had a blast, and thanks to a mid afternoon three hour nap, was ready for more. We watched the fireworks, or as Maeve calls them, "the sparklies", from our own backyard. Maeve finally konked out about 10pm at night and I think I made it to 10:01pm. ;)

Baby's Revenge

2009-07-03T05:40:00.000-07:00

Here's the back story:

As you know, Smudge (one of our dogs) passed away in May. Smudge was Maeve's biggest playmate and buddy. Those two would play for hours, usually with Maeve chasing Smudge around with a big funnoodle. When Smudge would finally tire out (& I have to point out it was always Smudge that tired out first), she would just go to her spot and lay down. Baby, our other dog, normally was laying somewhere like a lump through out all the ruckus, oblivious to it all. To say Baby is a bit on the "sedate" side is putting it mildly.

Now fast forward to present day, without Smudge, Maeve looks to Baby and tries to get her to play...all the time. Baby on the other hand, is still her normal "do I need to get a mirror to prove she is breathing" self and not much interested in rough housing with Maeve. This is okay with Maeve, because this makes Baby a sitting target. Maeve jumps on her, tries to ride her, and generally puts her through the wringer of love & doggy adoration.

I am working with Maeve on this ("Yes sweetie, I know you love Baby, but let's not break her in two to show it.) But it appears Baby in her own passive manner found an opportunity for revenge the other night....

I tucked Maeve in at 8:30pm Wednesday night, with Baby already asleep in her room (despite the "abuse" Maeve is the favorite). About 10:30pm I hear Maeve crying in the hallway. Walking out I see the problem. My daughter is half asleep and had gotten up to use the bathroom, but at some point, Baby left Maeve's room and laid down to sleep in the hallway. Or should I say sprawled out in the hallway from wall to wall (she is a big dog). A wide awake Maeve would have climbed right over her, but a half a sleep and "I gotta go" Maeve didn't know what to do and started crying...and peeing on my carpet. I quickly swooped up Maeve, jumped over the dog (who still hadn't moved), headed towards the bathroom. After cleaning her up and changing her PJs, I put Maeve back to bed. Baby then decided to get up and moved back to her spot in Maeve's room to go to sleep...but not before getting a lecture from me.

Hair Pretties!!

2009-06-30T06:01:00.000-07:00

I owe a big Thanks to Christy of "The Chrysanthemom" blogspot. Her June 20th entry showed how easy (& inexpensive) it was to make these flower hair pretties. Check out Christy's blog (the link is on the side under Other Blogs to check out.) She also makes jewelry and sells it online at etsy.com. This is a site that specializes in hand made items by individual sellers. They have everything from paper crafts, jewelry to clothing and toys. Mom, check it out and show it the girls too. You could sell your jewelry there if you wanted. (Christy's blog posted with permission.)

(Quick note - do wait until the glue has completely dried before letting your daughter actually put them on her head...no matter how hard she begs. You will avoid gluing the hair pretty to her head...I admit nothing.)

Here are a few more pictures of a very happy Maeve showing off her favorite new hair pretties.

Smile for the camera. Maeve is happiest in motion.

Here she is posing for Mommy...

Close up time...

"Jacket" forever. I still have to sneak her jacket away to wash it. It goes everywhere with her.

Smudge (2004-2009)...In Loving Memory

2009-06-28T23:29:00.000-07:00

"Desert Winds Smudgalicious"

Smudge

Born on March 24, 2004

Passed Away on May 10, 2009

The first "Baby" in the house, she willingly and easily ceded her title as "Princess" to Maeve when she came home. Always gentle, always sweet, she routinely checked on Maeve anytime she fussed, Smudge was trained as a Therapy dog and specialized working with children. Her devotion to Maeve & myself was complete and we were devoted to her. She was loved and is now sorely missed.

When we talk about Smudge, Maeve usually tells me, "Mommy, Smudge playing with the other doggies in heaven. She okay." Maeve is right.

Poor Baby...

2009-06-28T23:11:00.000-07:00

Here is Baby & Maeve crashed out on the floor. It was a long day of fun and games for Maeve and another long day of "Maeve" for Baby.

Unfortunately for Baby, Maeve looovvvveees her. I say "unfortunately", because Maeve shows her devotion by...

- using her as a handy "step-stool". Why climb up, when Baby provides such a nice step next to the sofa, chair, etc.
- jumping up and down on her. Who needs a trampoline when you have an ever patient 130+ lb happy hippo to jump on.
- constantly ordering her around. "The General" is still alive and kicking with poor Baby bearing the brunt of most of Maeve's commands.
- horsey back ride anyone? Well she is as big as a small pony.

Now, for the record, I do not allow any of the above and have had several talks with Maeve on proper ways to show Baby how much she loves her. Except for ordering her around all the time, Maeve is getting much better at treating poor Baby in a more appropriate manner. For Baby's part, she is as gentle as she is huge & adores Maeve. She puts up with everything and comes back for more, constantly following Maeve around (when she is not napping.)

Don't be fooled by her slightly droopy looks, Baby has a sense of humor with the situation. More than once Maeve has gone sliding down Baby's back when a "horsey back ride" abruptly ended when Baby sat down. My favorite was the "bounce back". This is when Baby was standing by the counter & Maeve smacked into Baby when she came running around the counter at full steam. Baby didn't move, but the force of the collision caused Maeve to bounce back at least a foot. It was the funniest thing, with Maeve all upset and Baby acting completely innocent.

The Weekend

2009-06-22T22:50:00.000-07:00

We had a fun weekend. Maeve was a good sport while Mommy did some shopping, so we hit the playground and the pool each day. Tons of fun, but most of the laughs were from our shopping trip. Or should I say, Maeve was quite entertaining to all around us. Oh, where to begin...

- First there was the exclamation from Maeve at one store, "Look Mommy! I made a seven!!". And indeed she had. She had licked a number "7" onto one of the full length mirrors. (Licking is a new favorite past time...It could be worse.)

- Then there was the to be expected, "Mommy! I gotta go POTTY!!!". Of course this happened when we were in a dressing room and I was half dressed. Did I mention that I had asked her 10 minutes prior. Hmmm.

- My favorite was when she tripped and landed on her little tushy. (You know where this is going.) I asked her if she was okay. Maeve replied, "I okay Mommy. I hurt my tushy. Mommy, kiss it. Kiss my tushy!". Then I had a three year old following me, shouting loudly, "Mommy, kiss my tushy!!". She finally settled for a kiss on the head, but not before half the store was in stiches.

Life is never boring with Maeve around.

Maeve Update

2009-06-02T23:19:00.000-07:00

Tonight, Maeve offered me the moon...

We were sitting out on the patio in the early evening. Still light, but the evening sky was beginning to show. Maeve happily pointed out the moon to me way up in the sky. Stretching her arms out, standing on tip toe, she made several attempts to "reach" it. This is her normal routine when she sees the moon, and tonight was no different. She kept trying to grab the silly moon. "I can't reach Mommy! I can't reach!!", she told me. "Stretch higher, you can do it", I replied, envisioning a future NASA astronaut. Then she stretched up so high, straining on her tip toes and brought her hands together, gently cradling an invisible moon. Walking over to me, she said, "Here you go Mommy. The moon" and handed it over. Some moments I will treasure forever and this is one of them. We spent a half hour throwing it back into the sky and catching it again. Who knew the Moon was on a "catch & release" program.

This past Saturday, Maeve offered me a moon of a different kind. ;) Saturday night, Maeve had been in a bed for awhile and I was just dosing off, when I heard Maeve get up and go to the bathroom. So far, so good. About three minutes later, I hear the distinct sound of....humming. Loud. very loud, tuneless, little girl humming. I ignore for a minute or two, then wondering that all consuming question that typical parents of toddlers have at any given hour of the day, "What the heck is she doing in there?", I got up and opened my door to see what was up. And what do I see??? There's Maeve. Standing square in front of the toilet, with a hand on each side of the toilet, peering intently into the bowl, her pants were still down. She is loudly humming her tuneless tune while she is patiently waiting for me. The following conversation then ensued.

Mommy: "Maeve, what are you doing?"
Maeve: "Oh, Hi Mommy" with a hint of surprise, like imagine seeing you here.
Maeve: "Look Mommy" (pointing into the toilet) "There's a lot of poop in there!"

Then with a big grin, Maeve immediately turns around and presents me with a bare tushy for wiping. She had been patiently waiting for me to show up for my part in the potty routine. Just one of the many things they don't put in those nice official baby books. :)

Note: Those goggles in the picture. We were no where near the water, but one of my friends offered them to Maeve that day and she wore them the rest of the day. Goggles, after all, provide a polished finished to all toddler looks.

"I reading!"

2009-04-24T00:42:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken on January 4, 2009.

Maeve, my little chatterbox, was unusually quiet. The norm is that I can tell from the volume level where she is at any given time. She is a bit of a chatterbox...just like her Mom. This afternoon was different. The conversation went something like this:

Mommy, calling out from the other room: "Maeve, what are you doing?"
Maeve, hollering back: "I reading."
Mommy, questioning, still from the other room: "What?"
Maeve, hollering back again: "I reading!"
Mommy, this time poking her head into the room: "You're what?"
Maeve, losing patience: "Mommy! I reading!!"
Mommy, seeing very cute picture opportunity: "Don't move!!"

PS - Mom, that is the book that you gave me at Maeve's baby shower.

"That was fun!"

2009-04-17T22:23:00.000-07:00

Today, we went to Maeve's 3 year check up. As per our tradition with Doctor visits, Maeve cried through most of it and really screamed when she received two shots. But...the funny part came as we were leaving. Her face still red & puffy from crying, the nurse offered her a sticker and a lollypop. After careful consideration, she made her selections. A elephant sticker and a pink lollypop. Before leaving the office, I dutifully unwrapped the lollypop and stuck the elephant sticker on her shirt. As we are heading towards the door, Maeve turns to me, big smile on her tear stained face, and says....

"Mommy, that was fun!" Then, happily trotted out to the car with me and we went home.

Mental Note: At Maeve's next check up, make inquiries about short term memory loss symptoms. ;)

Easter 2009

2009-04-16T00:03:00.000-07:00

My first attempt at making a movie with my updated IMovie. It's not quite how I would like it, but not too bad considering this is the first time I have used the program. :)

FBI's Most Wanted!

2008-12-30T02:36:00.000-08:00

Obviously, the business of crime fighting must be getting a bit slow (a good thing) and the G-Men (or G-People to be more politically correct) are expanding their search parameters just a bit. Not sure what I mean?? Maeve and I just returned from our Christmas vacation visiting family in the Midwest and guess WHO was "randomly" selected for search at the checkpoints in the airport, both on our departing & return flights.

My reaction was, "Are you kidding me???". Evidently not. So you wonder, what does a potential fugitive and causer of mayhem look like...

Now I was curious, what might have tipped the authorities off on this suspected troublemaker? I've put together a few items of interest that might explain it.

The Addictions
- Orange Juice (also known as juice & juicy). Any child guzzling down such copious amounts of the orange stuff is subject to suspicion, especially after knocking off a hefty sippy cup in seconds flat, comes the incessant chant of "More, more, more, more, more..."
- Dora. Although innocent enough at first glance, the glazed, hypnotic trance it produces when played should be the first tip off. The extreme & unhappy reaction when the battery to my laptop gave out mid flight...mid Dora show, should be the second.

The Escape Attempts
- Sometimes the temptation of the wide open spaces of an airport and an overloaded Mommy can be too much of a temptation. My favorite part was after rounding her up for the umpteenth and delivering a stern scolding, I could hear other parents use Maeve as an example of what not to do in the airport with their children. Can we say "Timeout" and a sobbing child? Yes, we can.
Note - Mommy wised up and turned on Dora at this point...dilemma resolved.

The Alias
- She was wearing her "Cinderella" necklace, that when the button is pushed spouts out "I'm Cinderella". Maybe they took her a bit too seriously or someone went a little loco after hearing it for the 245th time. (Not me, that's what they make Ipods for...guaranteed to drown out all mention of Cinderella within a 10 foot radius).

The outfit
Now this one I question, because I picked out her outfit that day. So, none of her crazy concoctions of colors, materials and headbands as accessories that day, but looking back...I wonder. I did have her "Pirates Loot" t-shirt on her. That combined with all the "Bling" she was sporting (multiple hair pretties, huge Cinderella necklace, multiple Cinderella bracelets & rings) might have tipped them off. Maeve played with all her "jewelry" all day, taking it on & off, storing it in her pockets. It might have been mistaken for her "Loot".

I do want to note, that in each case they did end up exempting her from any additional searches.

PS - The holiday trip was fantastic. I'll have more details in a later post.

A Toddler's Fashion Sense - Maeve's Style

2008-12-03T22:32:00.000-08:00

Fashion Styling Rules according to Maeve....

STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD...NEVER BLEND IN!

1) A girl can never have enough shoes nor have enough occasions to wear them. Sparkly purple shoes that fit over footsie pajamas are a bonus! (Still likes to suck her two middle fingers and you can see the old pink jacket in the corner of the picture. New twist is has to sleep with MY pillow. )

2) Snow boots are for everyday wear and notice the hair pretty...only on one side, rarely on both. Maeve loves those boots and she insists on multiple hair pretties, but prefers them all on one side.

3) Hats are in! Lately she has been all about the "hat" and loves to try all her hats & baby bonnets on. Notice the red around her neck. That is a headband. She never lets me use them in her hair, rather she wears them as necklaces and usually about 3 or 4 at once. Another favorite pair of shoes.

4) On our historic election day, Maeve actually let me pick out her outfit, all except the socks & shoes. 9 times out of 10 she will pull out those tomato red socks no matter what she is wearing. It is all about bold fashion choices after all.

5) Chicken Little for Halloween. Nothing to crazy here, but for those who know this is one of the costumes that I bought for her last year. This year I had found matching penguin costumes for us. I was so excited because Maeve loves penguins and seemed to like the idea, until four days before Halloween. Then it was, "No Way Mommy! No Penguin!!" Hence, Chicken Little was resurrected from the depths of the closet. Of course, the outfit would not be complete without her favorite Dora shoes.

6) I call this her 'Superhero' phase, although I'm not sure why she started to do this. For a solid 3 weeks, she insisted on wearing her bib backwards and inside out.

7) Just like Mommy! Here my budding fashionista has discovered eye makeup and boy did she have a ball. This takes you to the number one rule for Moms...If it is quiet, there's trouble! (Another headband.)

A Tradition Continues...

2008-12-02T03:12:00.000-08:00

Everyone remembers last year's picture with Santa? Right??

The screaming child struggling to get away from the "grit your teeth smile, rolling eyes and gripping my daughter for dear life to keep her in his lap for the picture" Santa? The picture that made such an impression that it graced the Christmas card cover of her adoring Grandparents?

So, this year was going to be different. I had it all planned out. Maeve & I have been talking about Santa for over a month. She has a Santa toy that she loves to give hugs and kisses too. Every time we see a Santa picture, I make sure I point it out and say how wonderful he is. Maeve regularly tells me she "loves Santa" and is excited to see a new picture or display. So, overall a perfect plan geared to procure the perfect picture.

Here is how it went down.

The day in question was a typical lazy Sunday. After treating Maeve to all her favorites that morning at the local coffee shop, we set off. Planning our arrival the the Christmas village, I ensured that we arrived ahead of the opening time, so Maeve could check it out and get comfortable. Maeve was wearing a dress that she loves and her noisy shoes. (We have been watching "Happy Feet" lately and she loves to 'tap dance' like the penguins.) So off she went to explore the play area, stopping to pose for pictures for me in front of Santa's house. Giggling and happily chattering away in that toddler mix of understandable & gibberish words, Maeve was so excited to talk about Santa. We had our Santa hats, our Santa toys and other little children were showing up to see Santa too, so plenty of company for the short wait.

We missed the actual arrival of Santa due to a well timed poopy diaper on Maeve's part, but we quickly took care of that and resumed our place in line. Looking back, I should have seen that as the omen it was, cut my losses and taken off. Instead, we waited in line with all the other children. Maeve was happy and care free, smiling at the other parents and making friends with some of the kids her size. As we drew closer, we could actually peep into the Santa's window and we saw Santa a scant four feet away, sitting in his chair talking to a little boy. I was worried about Maeve's reaction, but she leaned right into the window and waved at Santa, turning to me saying "Santa! Mommy, Santa!!". Santa waved back and Maeve had a grin ear to ear on her face. As we turned the corner to Santa's door, Maeve let go of my hand and joined all the kids hanging out in the doorway, literally pushing her way to the front to get a closer look at Santa. Still all smiles, still excited, still happy.

Then, suddenly, as the parents behind us pulled back their children & those in front of us finished with their pictures, Maeve found herself alone in the doorway staring a big guy in a red suit. We were next and the realization appeared to hit her like a ton of bricks. "Maeve, do you want to go sit in Santa's lap like the other kids?", I asked. Her smile fell, her eyes welled, her arms reached out and a huge "NOOOOOOOO!" sounded out her as if she was predicting the end of the world. So, I did what every good parent does in this type of situation. Picking her up, I turned to the Santa & the photographer and said, "Tell me when you are ready." ;)

A few of my favorite things

2008-09-23T23:58:00.000-07:00

We have quite a few new stories to share...

1) Earlier, I posted our Mother's Day picture of Maeve & I sporting our "Me" & "Mini Me" shirts. We are in that phase where she copies everything that I do. If I cross my legs, she crosses her legs. If I sit on the couch, she sits on the couch. It's a riot to watch.

2) We are quickly memorizing the entire dialogue for "Madagascar" ( Zebra as Maeve calls it), "Finding Nemo" (Nemo), "Toy Story" (Toy), "Monsters Inc" (Monster) and of course "Elmo goes to Grouchland". I'm sure this will prove vitally useful at some point in my life.

3) Maeve loves those movies and has her favorite parts in each of them. In Madagascar, she loves when the lion and the zebra sing "New York, New York". She insists on putting our faces cheek to cheek like the characters and we sing "New York, New York" right along with them. She also likes to go "Surprise" along with the lion at the beginning of the movie, complete with goofy look and hands up in the air. :) In Toy Story, she always grabs the microphone from our video game player and participates in the staff meeting that Woody gives to the other toys. In Monsters, Inc., she pretends to be scared at the beginning. Somehow, she has figured out that she should be scared, so as soon as the movie starts, the movie that she insisted on watching, she will hightail it out of the room and peek around the corner during the first scene. Then she comes back laughing.

4) Bedtime is going very well now...although we went through a very, very, very, very (did I say very) rough spell there. We are down from 2-3 hours of Maeve & I struggling over her bedtime, to 8:30pm sharp, we have our routine and off to bed she goes. Sunday, she was so tired and cranky that I asked her if she wanted to go to bed at 7:15pm and she said Yes (I almost fell over). So upstairs we went and off to bed without a single fuss.

5) She loves her dresses, especially one in particular. I have to hide it sometimes, or she would wear it everyday along with her pink sandals with the flowers. I swear people think I have nothing else for her to wear. When she isn't wearing her dress, she likes to pick out her clothes. She has come up with some pretty interesting combinations, but what can I say, she is a fashion forward trend setter, just like her Mommy...that's what I say when I don't match. :)

6) Who knew the sound "Ugh" could have so many inflections and meanings...and who knew that I could understand them all.

7) Maeve still carries around her 12 month pink jacket religiously. It is her "blankie" and I am careful to always have it nearby. I finally did convince her that it is too small to wear. She reluctantly agreed to wear a bigger jacket, so now we tote around two jackets everywhere.

8) Maeve has excellent eye sight. She can spot a M&M 4.2 miles away.

It's been awhile...

2008-09-15T21:25:00.001-07:00

Between work, connecting with SKYPE with the folks and Maeve's new found dislike for bedtime...it has been a struggle to find time to update our blog. Work is still crazy, but the 2-3 hours it was taking to put Maeve to bed seems to be finally over. She only got out of bed once tonight and went right back when I asked her too. YEAH!!

Here are a few pictures to catch up from April...

Sure!

2008-04-16T02:40:00.000-07:00

Maeve's new things.

- "Sure!" or "Sure, Mommy!" That is her typical response when I ask her to do something. She says it in such an agreeable tone of voice, it is just the cutest thing. We still have our moments where "No" and occasional "deafness" occur when I ask her to do something, but most of the time she is completely happy to go along with the flow. Of course, when she has a popsicle in her hand, her favorite word is "Mine!".

- Bedtime is the new playtime. :) It took her a little bit, but Maeve loves the fact that I converted her crib to a toddler bed and she can now get in and out at will (which she does!). Now, after I put her down at night, she usually gets back up and plays in her room for a little bit. I can hear her on the monitor cruising around. Most nights, she is quite the conversationalist, talking (although I don't know to who), humming and singing up a storm. She evens picks up after herself! In the morning, she is always sound asleep in her bed with all of her toys put away, even the ones that were left out from the previous day. Now...I just have to teach her how to load the dishwasher. ;)

A Lazy Sunday...

2008-04-13T23:00:00.001-07:00

The weather was very agreeable today. After the excitement of Saturday, we were both ready for a nice relaxing day. Did I mention she slept in to 7am this morning. Of course, I am now programmed to wake up at 5am, but the early morning quiet was a pleasant surprise.

It was so nice, that when Maeve did wake up, we both dressed in shorts and t-shirts. The clothes are size 2T and fit her for the most part, but a few brands run a bit large as we found out today. Walking the dogs through the park, Maeve was running along side of me. Then, all of a sudden, she came to a complete stop and hollered out, "Mommy! Wait!!!" Looking back, I see Maeve, about 8 feet back, with her shorts falling down around her ankles. :)

"Mommy! My Pants! My Pants!", she is very indignantly shouting at me. I am trying not to smile, and just tell her to hoist them back up. Which she does, with a painstaking grimace that only a two year old can manage. Then I hear, "Mommy, I coming!", as she hurries to catch up .

Now this scene repeated about four times before we made it out of the park (& I folded over her waistline to try and keep them up). If anyone had a video camera, I'm sure they would have made it big on "America's Funniest Home Videos".

Party Animal

2008-04-12T19:32:00.000-07:00

It was a busy day today.

In the morning, we had our usual walk and stopped off at the coffee shop to read the paper. (Well, I read the paper, and Maeve colored it purple.) After that, we stopped at the store to grab some wrapping paper for our gift for the birthday party we were going to that afternoon. Looking back, that is where the trouble began. :)

Normally, we eat in a very healthy manner, but today I decided Maeve could splurge a bit. So, I let her have some M&Ms. The result was a small child (25 lbs soaking wet) chasing a large bullmastiff (100+ lbs dog completely dry) around the couch, madly waving the roll of wrapping paper and shouting "Go! Go! Go!" Both were having a great time with this new "game" and it went on for about 20 minutes or so. The dog tired out before the child. ;) Then it was time for the "CLOSET". That is where Mommy has many of her shoes. Maeve took out most of them and spent the rest of the morning clomping around in them. She was a good sport and put them back afterwards...not exactly as neatly as I had them lined up before, but at least they were in the closet. Finally, it was time for a nap. A good thing, because Mommy needed one too. After a quick nap, it was off to the party. We didn't have time to eat before we left and Maeve was such a good sport about it...that Mommy indulged her again. So, she dug right into the chili dog (fully loaded), Mac & Cheese, a little potato salad, and plenty of chips and cheetos. Maeve is not a big eater, but she loves to sample. After washing it all down with some juice, it was time to play. Her first experience with a Jumper (the big inflatables that the kids all jump around in) was a huge success. Maeve loved it and all the other games that were out too. She even took turns with the other kids swinging at the pinata, although she didn't know what to do with the candy that came out of it (probably a good thing as you will figure out soon enough.) After the pinata, it was time for ice cream & cake, with the tropical floats (sherbert & 7-Up) as the big treat. Maeve only had a couple of bites of her cake, but downed her float in record time. Still ready to go, she grabbed a handful of Cheetos and headed inside with me to watch the birthday boy open his gifts. This is where it gets really fun. Looking down, I see Maeve with a Cheeto in each hand and a funny look on her face. The funny look didn't last long...it was quickly replaced by a full view of all the things she had eaten during the day, not necessarily in chronological order. OHHHH NOOOO!!! Luckily we were in the kitchen, which is much easier to clean up and few noticed, so we didn't take away from the moment, but I'm thinking, my poor Baby, she must feel horrible.......Not really.

"Champion Partier" that she is, Maeve took it all in stride. Looking up at me, with a look on her face that said "You don't think I'm going to clean this up, do ya?", she calmly stuck one of the Cheetos in her mouth. Quickly grabbing a couple of wet wipes and paper towels, a friend helped and we had her cleaned up in no time. At which point, she ate the other Cheeto and took off for the Jumper again. After I chased her out of that, Maeve snagged a cup of jellybeans on the way out and was merrily chomping away on those while I was saying my goodbyes (the party was over) and profusely apologizing about the rug. Driving home, I kept checking on Maeve, but she was fine. She was perfectly content to drink her water and read her new "Elmo" book (a party favor.) We even ran a couple of errands on the way home. Then true to nature, as soon as we arrived home, Maeve turns to me and says "Eat?!" I played a little safer this time and stuck to Chicken & Rice. ;)

A Few Mysteries Solved!!

2008-04-08T23:19:00.000-07:00

1) Why I can never find my shoes...

2) Why my water bill is so high...

3) How to dry your hands...

First, wave them around.
Then use cheeks to wipe off excess water.
Be sure to intently watch "Little Einsteins" throughout the whole procedure.
As a back-up, keep dog handy for petting to speed up drying process.

4) The most comfortable spot in the house to relax...

5) The proper way to sit in a chair...

A Lazy Day...

2008-04-07T19:22:00.000-07:00

Here is "The General" spending a lazy afternoon watching "The Little Einsteins".

First, it is very important to wear your green, fuzzy, "don't know what it was exactly, but on sale for St Pat's Day" headband. Next, snuggle up on the couch, after jumping up and down repeatedly to ensure said couch is at maximum snuggleness!

When tired of the couch, go get one of Mommy's good pillows and plop on the floor for a perfect headrest. Sit back, relax and enjoy!

Hi Mommy!!

My GIFTED child!

2008-04-06T19:45:00.001-07:00

Here's proof! Maeve will dazzle you with her skills handling not just one cup, but TWO cups!!

(If you want to turn off the music, just click the little speaker icon above the "rockyou" emblem.)

This one is for Grandpa!

2008-04-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

Here you go Dad. I found this and thought you would like it.

You can either "click and drag" the penny to "scratch" off the picture or you can just wait and it will "scratch" on it's own.

Happy Birthday Day Maeve - The Big "TWO"!!

2008-03-23T22:14:00.000-07:00

Maeve's Birthday was today, March 23. She is now officially "TWO", although she has been breaking me in on the "Terrible Twos" for a bit now. It was a busy weekend, complete with her birthday party on Saturday and then Easter and her first visit from the Easter Bunny on Sunday.

Saturday's party was a simple affair and a complete blast. The theme was an eclectic mix of holiday and toddler favorites - meaning Mommy shopped Target sale ads and the dollar section. :)) So, we had a combination of Elmo, Spring Festival, Easter Bunny, Balloons & Leprechaun theme happening. The weather was perfect and we had plenty of cake & ice cream, games and treats for all the kids. Overall it was a huge success.

Easter Sunday was an excellent excuse for Maeve and I to get all dressed up. We stopped off at the Coffee shop first and she received so many compliments on how cute she looked and then off to Mass. I forgot that on the holidays, due to the crowds that they split up the Spanish and English services and we ended up at the Spanish Mass. That was okay. After all, we are both learning Spanish, so we just took it all in.

Adventures in Motherhood - The Saga Continues...

2008-03-17T06:50:00.000-07:00

Cute as a button and ready for bed. Seems like it would be easy doesn't it?

When Maeve first came home, she was very much a self-soother, in that she was able to calm herself down when she was upset. She was so used to having to do it herself, she had no idea what a "Mommy" was for. Well, that has changed. "Mommy" is good for all sorts of things, including comforting you when you are sad or upset or just don't want to go to sleep.

Bedtime goes pretty smoothly. We have our little "rituals" that we have settled into. When it is bedtime, she gets into her pajamas and we brush her teeth (which she loves to do). Then it is off to watch the "Ni Hao, Kai Lan" episode that I downloaded from Itunes for the millionth time. Twenty three minutes later, she presses the button to her sound machine and climbs into her crib after a hug and kiss from me. Then we play peek-a-boo three times with her blanket, before I tuck her all in and wish her good night. It usually goes pretty smoothly.

Usually, until her first, full flung temper tantrum last night at bed time. Oh my goodness! It was almost funny to watch her seethe and then scream at increasingly high decibel levels at the indignity of going to bed before 8pm. It would have been funnier if I had not lost hearing in at least one ear. I did not know a child could scream "Mommy" so loudly, so angrily, so indignantly and so often in less than two minutes. Finally, after five minutes...."Mommy" caved and we watched "Ni Hao, Kai-Lan" again. Then off to bed she went, not too happy, but decidedly less noisier (notice I didn't say quiet) than the first attempt. :)

Here is my little angel at a Baby Shower that we recently attended. She had such a good time, unfortunately every time I pulled the camera out, she instantly became more serious and refused to smile. The flower "pretty" in her hair was a gift from the hostess. She is very talented and makes a variety of hair "pretties". Maeve loved her new flower.

Just a few photos with a little commentary...

2008-03-09T21:54:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos taken over the last month...

I'm not spoiled...I just like having everything my way!

Every modern girl can work a little Yoga into the busiest of schedules. And it's a nice way to wind down before a nap!

How to rule the world in 5 easy steps!

1) First understand the dilemna. "Hmmm, I am not the supreme ruler of the world yet...I do not like this."

2) Next, take careful notes and make a plan.

3) Double check to make sure you didn't forget anything.

4) Give instructions to your faithful minion, that is Mommy. "Okay Mommy, we are at the dog park and we will take control. When I say Go, you get that dog and I'll get the other one. Got it??!!?? Good!"

5) Grrrr...Charge!!!!

Just make sure you don't get distracted. "Oh look! A picnic table for me to climb on. Yeah!!"

The crazy lady with the really small feet.

2008-02-21T22:08:00.000-08:00

Shopping with a toddler is always an adventure. One that will surely land me in the looney bin one of these days. It is not Maeve. She is a good shopper, especially if shoes are involved. No, it is the Mommy that is in question and normally under constant surveillance. I'm on the lookout for the big white van with the nice men and the white coat with extra long arms. :)

Still not sure what I am talking about? Let me describe a couple of our typical outings.
- This past weekend at the grocery store. Me talking to Maeve, "Let's get some BLUUUUE BERRRIEES! WE LOOOOVVEE BLUUUE BEERRIES!! They are right over there, so let's go get them! YEAH!!! BLUEEE BERRRRIIIIES!!!" Maeve is jumping up and down with a huge, ear to ear grin, because she loves her blue berries. Now look at the same situation from the point of view of the five other people in the fruit and vegetable area of the store. Did I mention they can't see Maeve. Mini-me is below eye level behind the fruit stand. So, it's just some crazy lady talking about blue berries. Loudly and in a sing-song voice.
- Target, two weeks ago. Maeve is doubled over pushing the cart. She loves to push the cart and insists on doing so at every opportunity. Mini-me can not reach the handle, so she bends over and holds the bar at the bottom. Did I mention, no one can see her, especially with a Target cart in front of her. Again the crazy lady is talking, "GOOD PUSHING!! Oh my goodness!! Great Job!! You are the BEST PUSHER EVER!!" Meanwhile, Maeve is going full throttle and if I'm not careful will take out anything in her path. So not only is the Crazy Lady congratulating herself on what a good job she is doing, but she is blazing through the store like it is the Indy 500! One woman finally approached me laughing, saying that until she was finally close enough to see Maeve, she just thought I was some crazy person with really tiny feet. (The only part of Maeve that she could see.)

Oh well...I am resigned. People think I am crazy and I'm okay with that. After all, who wants to be predictable??

Here are a couple of pictures after our last trip to Target. I found a purse and cute hair accessories for Maeve. She insisted on carrying the purse and wearing the headband throughout the store. Of course, all the sales tags were still there and the headband was still attached to the cardboard holder, but that didn't phase Miss Fashion Statement. Truly, "The General" can pull any look off! Did I mention that we spent a hour in Barnes & Noble after that with the same fashion statement? I can only imagine what people were saying. :))

The General Returns!

2008-02-19T20:37:00.000-08:00

Sorry everyone! Between major computer issues and all the hoopla of starting a new job, my blogging has lapsed considerably. The good news is that the dust has settled well from the job switch and my computer is back home after major repairs. There is plenty to update everyone on, especially our Christmas holiday, but I'll just do a quick post tonight to put a few pictures up.

By the way, my new nickname for Maeve is "The General", as she can bark orders out with the best of them.

Case in point...what is a bored toddler to do when her Mommy is taking too long in the shower??? Wait quietly? Not Maeve. Cry or throw a tantrum?? Oh No, not my Maeve. Wait patiently, while amusing herself with the many toys Mommy has left out for her??? What?! Are you living in Fantasy Land?!?

Not "The General"! When Mommy forgets her place in the pecking order and interferes with the stated order of the day (Eat, Park, Eat, Watch Einsteins, Eat, Play, etc.), "The General" quickly re-establishes order to the impending chaos! Stomping over to the bathroom door with every ounce of her 24 lbs in each step, her miniature Mary Jane shoes make an impressive squeak as she nears her objective. Then with a decisive swoosh, "The General" pulls back the shower curtain with one sweep, barking out in a surprisingly deep voice, "MOMMY! AAAH DON!!!!". Just in case the angry look is missed, "The General" pulls down the bath towel and throws that into the tub for good measure. (Seriously she did all of this!) Private Mommy is once again reminded of her rank within the household and order is restored.

Here she is calling Grandma & Grandpa to tell them all about it.

More news....
Smudge had 8 puppies!!!

Our friend, Doug, actually had three sets of litters including Smudges', for a total of 27 puppies. Maeve loved them all!

Here she is with Niki's puppies.

"The General" had a great time, until all the puppies decided she was a big puppy toy. :) Don't worry, prior to leaving she had re-established control of the situation. ;)

The "Competition"

2007-12-19T01:09:00.000-08:00

Who does Maeve really and I mean REALLY Love???

Going by the amount of Hugs & Kisses doled out on a daily basis, let's list the competition.

1) Coming in at an uncontested first place.............Elmo!

Maeve LOVES Elmo! She hugs him. She kisses him. She sings, whispers, shouts and repeats his name over and over and over. Maeve can spot a picture of Elmo at fifty yards. The funny thing is that we do not watch Sesame Street. It is almost exclusively Disney Channel. Where this infatuation started, I'm not sure, but whoever heads the Marketing department over at Sesame Street deserves a huge raise!

2) A close second place belongs to Smudge & Baby, or as Maeve calls them......Baby & Baby (can't quite pronounce Smudge yet.)

Each morning she comes down the stairs waving at the dogs and saying "Hi Baby". Then they usually get kisses and hugs. I can't complain too much here, because the dogs do earn their adulation. As they usually get roughly petted (as only a toddler can) sat on, bounced on and generally pushed around throughout the day. But the rewards are worth it, Maeve regularly stops by and gives them hugs and kisses, feeds them snacks and generally just loves on them.

3) We can't forget "Food" in general as a category. Her first word every morning is "Eat" along with the sign for "Eat". If I don't hustle her right down to get her breakfast, her next word is "WAAAAAAHHHHH". My little snacker can and does say "Eat" all day long. Maeve is always looking to try new things, hence the picture of the dog food.

Keeping her away from the dog food is turning into a game of strategy at which she is determined to win. Maeve looks at it and things, bite size, crunchy, handy container just my height...what's not to love. Mommy looks at it and thinks...NOOOOO, my daughter does not eat dog food!!!! I thought I had convinced her not to snack from the dog's dish. Then one day as she is sitting on the couch eating raisins from her "Snack Trap" bowl that she is crunching. Last I checked, raisins do not crunch. Seems my little genius has taken to filling up her "Snack Trap" bowl with dog food when I'm not looking. This way she can enjoy her favorite snack whenever she likes. She is a smart one!

4) Last, but not least on the Hugs and Kisses totem pole is Mommy. Just wait, next month I'm going to make her responsible for the mortgage payment and you will see how quickly I soar to the top of the list. :))

Seriously, Maeve and I had an absolutely sweet moment the other day. While helping me clean out my files (ie adding two hours of work for Mommy to do), Maeve found an extra passport photo of me. She beamed a huge smile at it and then at me. Patting her chest, she said "MaMa" several times and it finally dawned on me. Every time I ask Maeve "who is her Mama" or "where is her Mama", she always smiles, pats her chest and says Mama. I thought she was calling herself Mama, but she was really saying, "My Mama", meaning I'm HER Mama. So for the next fifteen minutes, Maeve hugged and kissed the picture over and over. I was so happy, until I thought...."Hey, I'm right here." After a while, grinning ear to ear, Maeve walked over and plopped a big soggy kiss followed by a sticky toddler hug on me.

She's right. I belong to her!!

I know, I know...it's been awhile

2007-12-15T23:16:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since my last post, but I have been at odds with two different things lately and it has prevented me from posting. I was even tagged and I haven't had a chance to do that either.

1) Those of you who know what I do for a living must realize that this is the season that I put an incredible amount of hours in at work. I can't wait for Christmas, but for a completely different reason the rest of the population...after Christmas, my work/home life becomes much more balanced.

2) Now for those who are telling me 14 hour days are not an excuse to post pictures of my little Maeve...(Dad), here is the second excuse.

I want the camera!!! Give me the camera!! I NNEEEEEDDD the CAMERA!!

You don't love me...you have never loved me...why oh why do you deny me the camera!?! (See those crocodile tears. A truly masterful work of art. My daughter is gifted!)

Now see what you have done?!? I want the camera so much that I have a pain in my side!

Maeve certainly has a flair for the dramatics. She can turn the waterworks on and off in seconds flat. Of course, as soon as I give the camera she is perfectly fine and swings it around, squinting and "taking" pictures. I tried to give her an old one that I never used, but she figured that out pretty darn quick and was quite peeved with me for not letting her have the "real" one. Oh, well...maybe by age four, or probably more realistically fourteen, we will have this "The Camera is MINE" complex worked out.

Ooooh NOOO! Santa Claus!!

2007-11-24T23:27:00.000-08:00

It had to be done. The traditional picture with Santa. Ideally, this is a picture of a child beaming with joy after informing jolly old Santa of their most heart felt wishes for Christmas day. Or in our case, a screaming child, writhing & squirming to get loose from the crazy old guy with the odd red jogging suit. In other words, it was a typical picture day for us, that went something like this.

Maeve & I were having a good time at the Mall shopping for gifts. We had spent some time playing at the new and very cool playground, complete with just about every gadget ever designed to please a 20 month old toddler. Then headed over to the snack area and ate a boat load of greasy, extremely unhealthy, but ever so tasty french fries. Basically, a toddler's dream of heaven on earth. Then it happened...

Walking around, still in a dizzy, happy state of greasy euphoria from the french fries, we chanced upon Santa's house and noticed only a couple of families in line. Instantly, I began the extreme probability calculations of how long the happy, babbling toddler tagging along next to me would remain in said state...there was a camera involved afterall. Was I pushing my luck and subjecting my child to unknown horrors, or was it possible that I could get the dream shot that every mother hungers after! Dare I dream?!? It was a long shot, but I was feeling lucky, so we proceeded to the end of the line, one of us boldly and one, as of yet, blind to the horror that was about to commence.

Maeve giggled in line, making eyes and smiling at the little boy in front of us (no surprise there). She even watched happily while he had his "smiling" picture taken with Santa.

THEN IT WAS OUR TURN....

Santa turned expectantly towards us and Maeve paused...

The photographer took one look at us and knew the drill immediately. She gave me a knowing wink. "Wait until I'm ready", she said, "then calmly place her on Santa's lap and step back quickly." The old guy in red visibly cringed, knowing what was next. I waited, trying to appear complacent. Maeve looked around, somewhat pensively, beginning to get a sense of the impending doom that was about to take place.

Then I heard the signal. "I'm ready...GO!!", the photographer called. Three quick steps over and I placed Maeve in the big red guy's arm to meet her fate, then took a big step backwards. A quick "click" and "I've got it!" later, I pulled a sobbing Maeve out of the evil grasp of the big red guy and quickly accepted the blue & cream sucker offered for consolation. Plopping the sucker in her mouth, the sobs immediately abated as Maeve realized the complete messy potential of this wonderful gift. Seeing that she was now fine, I asked the photographer if we should try for another one. She looked me dead in the eye and said, "I've got a shot of her crying, leaning forward. Were you hoping for something else?" Taking one quick look at my now happy, babbling Maeve with blue cream sucker smeared all over her face, I said, "Nope" and walked over to the booth to pay for my pictures.

Mission Completed!

The dream still lives on. Next stop...the EASTER BUNNY!

Update Time

2007-11-19T19:47:00.000-08:00

Here is an update on the adventures of Maeve Fu Dai...

- She's very close to getting her driver's license (at least in her mind.) My mistake was to let her sit in my lap and "drive" the car while I backed it up 10 feet from the garage to the driveway so we could wash the car. She also helped "drive" it back into the garage. That is all it took. No longer satisfied with driving backseat shotgun, she tries to sneak into the front seat all the time. Our new thing is that she likes me to open the back hatch of the car and then she walks over and first tries to get into the front, but then will climb into her car seat and wait for me to fasten her in. Hmmm....who is to really blame for starting this "driving" fascination...let's think back to this past summer. That's right! It was Grandpa!! Driving the pontoon all the time with Maeve steering...now I see the master plot behind it all. Train the kid how to drive and she will just cruise back to visit her Grandparents anytime they want. I see it all now.

- Shoes. This is my daughter...she loves shoes just as much as her Mama!! Recently, she wants to get her shoes and try them all on, even the ones that are too little. We do this every morning when she is getting dressed. Her favorite pair are her new black MaryJanes that I just bought for her. They are a little too big for her, but that doesn't stop her from wanting to wear them as much as possible. In the morning she generally picks out her shoes and usually her socks too. So this morning, to go with the khaki pants and orange T-shirt that I picked out, Maeve chose yellow socks and red squeaky sandals. A fashionista in the making.

- Picking Up & the garbage. Maeve is quite the housekeeper now a day. She picks up everything she can get her hands on. The problem is that she doesn't differentiate where it ends up. The current choices, a toy bin, the playpen or the garbage can. Her favorite is the trashcan. I let her play with a set of measuring cups the other day while I was cleaning. It wasn't until later that I went looking for them that I realized she had "put them away". Of course this was after I had tossed the trash into the main garbage can. How else to spend a fun Saturday afternoon, but trolling through your trash can.

- "Mine", she picked up this little gem in daycare and she knows what it means. She will pick something up and look me dead in the eye and announce "Mine". Normally, this is cute unless we are at a play date and she wants something someone else wants. Oh the joys of teaching "sharing" to a 20 month old. I wonder who spoiled her so badly. :)

- Talking. Although she does have quite a vocabulary, Maeve only says a few words on a regular basis. "Eat", "Shoes" and "Mine". I love how she says "shoes", she draws it out, saying, "shooooes". It sounds like she is just enchanted with them, which she is. Maeve loves to go through her word books, and recognizes too many to count now. I know she gets it (just doesn't memorize the page) when she points at something in our house and says the name.

- Her last doctor's visit at 19 months, she came in at the 55th percentile for height and the 25th percentile for weight. (These are the American charts to measure growth in children.) Maeve has always tracked around the 50th to 55th percentile for height. Her weight is where the real improvement is...going from not even on the chart when she first came home, to the 3rd, then progressing to her current standing at the 25th percentile. Yeah!! For those not familiar with these charts, it is just an indicator as to where your child compares to all the other children. In Maeve's case, she is taller than 55% of the other kids in the US on average. The goal is not to get to 100%.

Halloween Memories Part II

2007-11-17T20:23:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, I had to work late and was not able to take Maeve on her 1st Halloween....But that didn't stop her from going out and having fun with some of her very good friends that night. At least one of us had fun. :)

So here she is...my very own little "Pot of Hunney" with some of her favorite people on Halloween 2007. The big question of the night was, "Which costume?" I had bought her two (the chicken and the Pot of Hunney). In the end, it wasn't even a close vote..Pot of Hunney won hands down. My favorite picture is the last one...All Tuckered Out.

"Pot of Hunny" & other Halloween Memories

2007-11-16T12:27:00.001-08:00

These are our formal JC Penney Portrait Studio pictures taken about a week prior to Halloween. Now, while other families have a hard time picking what pictures they wish to purchase, it is easy for me. I simply pick the pictures that Maeve looks the least miserable in. Yes, we are still having a hard time at the picture studio. Typical picture day goes as follows,
- Wake Up: Maeve is happy and smiling.
- All Morning: Maeve is happy and smiling.
- Test Run & try on costumes: Maeve is delighted. She giggles and runs around in her costume having a ball of a time.
- Pack her up in the car: Maeve is happy and smiling.
- Walk into JC Penneys and back to picture studio: Maeve is happy and smiling.
- Watch other people have their picture taken: Maeve is happy and smiling.
- Our turn, walk into the little studio: Maeve is happy and smiling.
- Start to take pictures: Maeve is WWWWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH HYSTERICAL!!
- Try bribing with candy, promises of Hawaiian vacation, anything: Maeve is WWWWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH HYSTERICAL!!
- Decide only to take pictures when Maeve stops to take a breath and get a few pictures taken.
- Walk out of the little studio and over to the computer to select pictures to purchase: Maeve is still WWWWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH HYSTERICAL!!
- Select pictures, pay and walk out into the main JC Penney store: Like turning off a faucet, Maeve immediately stops crying as soon as we leave and now wants down so she can play and run around in the store.
- Walk through JC Penneys for a little shopping: Maeve is happy and smiling.

Did I mention that when we went to pick up the pictures she started crying as soon as we walked in the studio and didn't stop until we walked out. Hmmmm....I think I am going to Sears Picture Studio next time.

Just a Day in the Life...

2007-11-08T22:19:00.000-08:00

It is important to be comfortable when watching TV. Good thing Maeve had two 100+ lbs furry pillows (otherwise known as Bullmastiffs) to position just so for maximum loungability.

Helping Mommy take the perfect picture. No, No Mommy...move the camera this way. There I think you have it now. Baby (the dog) is checking out the "treat" potential of the situation.

Can we say "Cheese"?! Or make that "Cheesy"!!

You wouldn't look so thrilled either if your Mommy color coordinated you with the couch...but dig my pigtails!

Yo Doggy! Nice ears!!

A very suspenseful moment on Disney's "Little Einsteins". Will Rocket overcome Big Jet's efforts to sabotage him?!? The dogs are not so concerned.

They call them "Firecracker" pigtails. If they get much bigger, I am going to start loaning them out to the local High School band as back-up trumpets.

Ever wondered what a Chinese Irish American Princess looks like? Well wonder no more...
Maeve Fu Dai

M&Ms, Elmo & a Chicken...

2007-10-27T22:17:00.001-07:00

Today we went to JC Penneys for our Halloween pictures. As usual, Maeve walked in with a huge smile and promptly charmed everyone there...then she saw the camera and promptly started crying, and crying and crying. I ordered a couple of poses that she only looked somewhat miserable in. I am going to try one more time Monday to see if we can't get a cute and smiling Mom & Daughter shot.

BUT...I did pull out the camera when we finally made it back home (stopped off at the Toys R Us for a new Elmo doll first.) Then she was more than happy to pose for a few pictures. Now here is a happy baby!

Hayride Heaven

2007-10-13T19:18:00.001-07:00

Maeve had a great weekend last week visiting family & friends back in the Midwest. The highlight of the weekend was our cousin's annual "Hayride" party. With plenty of cousins to play with, a huge yard to roam around in, children's play area galore, not to mention the craft table and every snack known to humankind available...Maeve was in heaven! Here she is with her Uncle Tony scoping out her next activity.

She quickly zeroed in on a particularly tasty cookie. The fact that someone else had it didn't slow her down in the slightest. After several failed attempts to take a bite of the other baby's cookie (much to the hysterics of everyone around us) I broke down and brought her a cookie of her own. Problem solved.

Then it was off for a hayride with Mommy, Uncle Tony, Aunt Melissa, Aunt Mary Ann and her cousins. Don't forget the driver...cousin Kevin!

After a long day, it was crash time.

The Queen & her loyal subjects...

2007-10-04T09:18:00.000-07:00

Some little girls are born to be Queen. :)

After a trip to Chucky Cheese with her daycare friends, Maeve came home with a crown of her own.
So here is the Queen enjoying a nice lunch of grapes, bagel with bologna & cheese sandwich and a little milk to wash it all down. The Queen is still learning to take smaller bites, hence the bulging cheeks. ;)

No Queen would be caught dead without her loyal subjects nearby, and here they are...loyal until the last crumb disappears, then they will probably take a nap.

Lazy Sunday...

2007-09-30T11:59:00.001-07:00

Just hanging out watching the neighbors walk by thinking, "My doggies are way bigger than your doggies!"

Wait a minute! What do I see!!! Mommy has the camera out and I'm sure she is going to let me play with it this time!!! YEAH!!

"WAAAAAHHHHH" Why can't I play with the camera?! I want to play with the camera! I need to play with the camera! I am REALLY upset here!! Don't you even care?!?

There is only one thing to do in this situation! I'm calling Grandma and telling on you!!!

Grandma says you have to give me the camera now! It is my turn. Don't you believe me?!?

Maybe if I pretend I'm calling Uncle Eddie now and sort of reach over and grab the camera really quick...a sneak attack. That's the ticket...a sneak attack.

How about a stare down. Ever competed in a stare down with a toddler chickee...well you are in for it!!

Hey no fair!! No tickling the tummy! This might be cause legal litigation here...hey, I told you no tickling the tummy...okay, okay, you can do a little tummy tickling. Silly Mommy.

You might think you have won, but this is just part of a larger plot of mine to take over the world! Oh Yes!!

Update Time

2007-09-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

Maeve is growing so fast...it is unbelievable at times.

Here is a picture from last week. We had just purchased...NEW SHOES!! These are size 6 and Nike, just like Mommy! She just fits her size 5 shoes, but these size 6 with socks fit her beautifully.

If I listed all the things that she can do now, I would be on blogger all day, so I'll give a quick summary.

- She is starting to talk, just one or two words, but it is there. As of last week, her favorite word is (of course)..."No!". Just so everyone knows, I have firmly explained to her that as she is only 18 months old, that for her to jump ahead to a 2 year olds behavior is completely unacceptable. I think that lecture took hold and I'm sure that she will promptly start behaving herself...any day/year now. :)

- She is starting to pick up after herself and me and the dogs too. Everything on the floor gets put into the toy basket, including shoes & dog toys. I can not take credit for this, rather we have "pick up" time at her "My Gym" class. Thank you "My Gym"!!

- Motor skills & more Motor skills. She can hang with the best of them and I think is actually more advanced than many of the kids her age. This is especially evident at her "My Gym" class. We learn new skills every week and there are so many things for her to play with and on. I love this place, because everything they have out is for a different skill level and I can easily see how much she has progressed by what she tackles that week. This past week, she was starting to try the rock climbing wall. Maeve doesn't quite have it, but I can see she is very interested in it.

- Bonding. Every day I think there is no way I could love her more and every day I prove myself wrong! Maeve is not a huggy/kissy baby with me (the dogs on the other hand gets hugs and kisses galore), but she is such a cuddler & snuggler. Again, I love my baby wrap, because she loves it too. Sometimes she hangs out and just looks around, other times she snuggles right into me. Maeve loves to sit right next to me if not on me and usually has some sort of contact with me. She now will let me out of the room and her eyesight, but only if she knows where I'm at all times.

- "They call her Ms. Flirt" - OMG, this girl can flirt. All of the sudden this has started up. I know she likes the attention and she is quite adept at figuring out what will get her the most attention. Last week at Barnes & Noble, while waiting to buy our books, she starts flirting with the guy behind us in line. First it is the really quiet "Hi's", followed by the coy head tilt and shy smiles. By then he was completely smitten, but she completely wowed him with her one handed peek-a-boo. The next thing I know she is trying to shake his hand and (I think) get a phone number. He was a cutie pie though. :)

- Eating. What eating worries did I ever have?!? Now, I just wonder what she will not eat.

- Our first Urgent Care visit. Oh No!! Last weekend I was convinced she was gravely ill, so off we went as quick as I legally could to the nearest Urgent Care which is only five minutes away. Of course, by the time we arrived, her symptoms had mostly disappeared, although her stomach was still upset. Still in we went, Mother & Daughter, both pretty much in tears. The doctors and nurses were great. Because of her age, they prioritized us and we pretty much walked right in. The doctor did a very thorough check (I think mainly to appease me versus her thinking anything was wrong with Maeve) and she was pronounced healthy, but with an upset stomach. When we arrived home, she went straight to bed and slept through to the next morning, upon which she awoke smiling and full of energy again. I thought would get a couple of snickers about the "new Mommy" panic when I told some friends about our ordeal, but everyone had their own story to share. Personally, I could care less...$20 & a hour in Urgent Care was well worth the peace of mind.

Overall, Maeve is doing great. She has a total of 12 teeth now and is growing so quickly. At a year old, her 9 month outfits hung on her, now at 18 months old, her most of her 18 month outfits actually fit her. While still slender, she now sports a cute little pot belly which she likes to flash at everyone.

I should have some really cute pictures next week. We are going back to visit Grandma & Grandpa and all the rest of the family for the weekend. While there we will be attending our cousin's world famous hay ride and we are very excited for that. Also, Grandpa will be taking us for one more pontoon ride on the lake. It will be the last one of the season.

And before I forget...I can't wait for Halloween...the costumes I ordered have arrived!! Wait until you see Maeve in her new costume...

Big Mouth Billy Bass - A Toddler's Dream

2007-09-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

The phenomenon that swept the nation...well at least parts of the Midwest, (although it did make it to an episode of the "Sopranos") is back. Big Mouth Billy Bass is still delighting millions of children with his cheerful singing and driving adults insane wondering how many times can a toddler press that button to start him up again.

As of yet, the answer to the final question is still unknown, as they keep pressing the button. And at Grandma & Grandpa's house the fish in question continues to delight all the grandchildren, especially Maeve. She must have played that song a million times. She could not get enough of it.

Maeve was quite the dancer when the fish was singing, bouncing, twirling & jumping all around the place. Of course, she toned it down a bit when I pulled out my camera. Here is a really quick clip, only five seconds, but you get the idea. If you look closely, you can see the dog looking on from the background. He has that "been there, done that" look going on, as he has witnessed all the grandkid's "discovery" of Big Mouth Billy. :)

Maeve's Summer Vacation...Part 2

2007-09-12T08:31:00.002-07:00

Vacation is a good time to DANCE!! And if you are a 17 month old toddler, the "Big Mouth Billy Bass" fish has the perfect tunes to groove down with...oh yeah! Here she is pushing the button for at least the millionth time and showing off some of her moves.

After a long day of dancing, it is nice to unwind on a nice pontoon ride with Grandma...

Then find a seat of her own and share a few fish stories. "No, really, the fish sings and he is really good at it. Really, I'll show you when we get home."

Finally, it is time to help Grandpa steer the pontoon. Someone has to be in charge afterall!

Maeve's Summer Vacation...Part 1

2007-09-10T23:26:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun on our vacation. Maeve was on the move and ready to party. Here are a few pictures to show what she was up too.

Swimming at her cousin's new house. Thanks Uncle Tony & Aunt Melissa for having us!

One of many eating pictures. She gives new meaning to gaining weight on vacation. Maeve was an eating machine.

Caught in the act! I think she was after the remotes again. She loves things with buttons and now she has figured out that they do things (like turn the TV on and off.)

Playing with Grandma & Grandpa's dog. Poor Nieko, Maeve loves him. I think he received more kisses than any of us that week.

Vacation Time

2007-09-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

Well, we just came back from vacation. We visited Maeve's grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins over the holiday. We both had a lot of fun, but it is good to be back home and not living out of a suitcase again. Maeve was a trooper throughout it all. She is fast earning her stripes as a road warrier! Flying out, she was a perfect charmer to those around us. We only had one tough moment. Right after we landed while waiting to get off the plane, she had a complete, and I mean complete in every sense of the word, meltdown. It lasted only a minute or two, but if I had a picture of the people sitting around us it would be priceless. It varied from complete surprise (as she was so good throughout the flight) to complete astonishment (that so much noise could come out of such a little person.) Once we were off the plane and heading towards G'ma & G'pa, she was fine again. Of course, she recognized them both and greeted them with huge smiles.

Then we were off to spend the night at Grandma & Grandpa's house, only to get up the next morning and drive down (along with Maeve's grandparents and two of her cousins) to her Aunt & Uncle's new house three and a half hours away. Maeve did pretty good on the drive, although at one point my Mom turned around and asked if this is what I called a "meltdown". Not even close, just a little cranky. ;) Once we arrived, all the kids had a blast playing with their cousin, exploring the new house and swimming in the pool. Maeve did her best to keep up with her three cousins and they were all great sports about including her in the play. Maeve laughed and giggled the whole time, well most of the time. The next day once the kids woke up, the fun repeated itself...more games, fun and swimming in the pool. In the afternoon we said goodbye and headed back home, my parents, myself and the three grandchildren. On the way home, we stopped at McDonalds and Maeve wowed everyone with her ability to stuff several french fries into her mouth at once. Matter of fact, everyone was happy to see her eating so much (last time we visited, she was still only taking the bottle with very little solid food.) That day, not including dinner, she had eaten two bananas, a hotdog, two granola bars, three pieces of watermelon, countless french fries, several McNuggets, milk, water and I know I'm forgetting some things. She was constantly signing "eat" and chowing on everything in sight.

Once back at her Grandparent's house, she rather grumpily settled in for the night. I think she was a bit thrown by another new bed, but after walking her a little bit she was ready to go to sleep. After that it was smooth sailing at Grandma & Grandpa's house. She ate, played, ate, visited her cousins, ate, took boat rides and ate some more all week long. Did I mention she ate? My little skinny mini has turned into quite the chow hound. Normally, she signs and says eat and I make her something. Not at Grandma & Grandpa's house...oh no. Now she wasn't content with what I put out, it had to be exactly what she wanted. In the end, I just took her to the refrigerator and let her point at what she wanted. She tried it all, especially loving corn on the cob, brats, bananas and beef stroganoff. What is it about the grandparent's house that children know their every whim will be catered too?!

I have several pictures to post, but I'll just put the following up for now. Here is Maeve and her grandparents right before we left for the airport to go home. She knows she is leaving and is not happy about it. Would you be, if you had to leave a house where you were the PRINCESS! :)

Bye Grandma & Grandpa!! See you at Christmas!!

Then & Now (April & September 2007)

2007-09-08T19:45:00.000-07:00

This morning started off a little chilly, so I dressed Maeve in long sleeves and long pants for the first time all summer. Looking at her I realized that I had pictures of her in the same outfit from April, shortly after we arrived back home. Her clothes are sized 12-18 mos, but she was swimming in them in April...now look at her.

April 2007 - Miss "Skinny Mini" with her pants falling off of her. The onsie was huge on her too.

September 2007 - I should have taken a side angle picture of her. Then everyone would see the onsie strettcched over her little pot belly. Pants are still a little long, but fitting nicely now. She is even wearing a size larger shoe now too (and about to go up to the next size.)

The face of an angel. An angel about to take her hair pretty out that is. :))

My Dad Said...Post Pictures Now!!!

2007-08-20T23:22:00.000-07:00

So here they are...

Here is Maeve at a play party at our local "My Gym" (8/3/07).
She loves this place and played on all of her favorites...

The toddler stairs were placed by the mirror today, so two favorites for the price of one. Yeah!!

Then, of course, we had to climb up more things...

So, we could slide down the slide.

Then back to the stairs (her all time favorite).

Only to head off to the mini-trampoline a little bit later.

After all that play time, she took a 2.5 hour nap! Yeah!! Mommy was so happy, because she took a hour nap too! :)

These are from August 4th. First playing with the headband that Mommy is trying to convince her to wear. Much funner to try to eat actually.

Now, Mommy is asking who made the big mess in the living room...again???

Mess?! What mess? Me make a mess? No, No...must have been the dog.

This past Sunday, Maeve was laughing and giggling, so cute all dressed for Church, that I had to snap a few pictures...

Then I wouldn't give her the camera, even though she desperately wanted it! She just had to have it.

After a brief crying jag, still snuffling, she walked away, just glancing back to see if I had changed my mind. Poor baby.

It's been awhile...

2007-07-28T23:23:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since my last post. Now that I'm back to work, the time truly flies by.
Here is a quick update.

- Maeve loves daycare! We definitely had a rocky start. Picture screaming, turning purple child at the hand-off for the first week and a half - not a pretty sight, and hard on everyone. Luckily, Tonia (she runs the daycare) is wonderful and took it all in stride. She proceeded to "razzle dazzle" Maeve (as she calls it), showering her with attention and affection. She had prepared the other children in her care for Maeve's arrival as well. Thanks to Tonia, they were all so excited to finally meet her and help out in the "razzle dazzle". Now Maeve is fine at the hand-off, even "knocks" on the door when we arrive and is full of smiles for everyone when we go inside. Of course, I have three young girls all arguing over who gets to hold her first and then she is promptly swooped (don't think that is a word, but that is what happens) out of my arms and carried into the play area. The transition was tough at first for Maeve, but I could tell she liked Tonia and the rest of the children there the first day after I picked her up. After that just the hand-off was tough for a week or so, while Maeve learned to trust that I was coming back for her.

- With childcare and work, our schedule has changed and I'm just going with the flow. I originally didn't think we would have any changes, but that was when I was home and she was going to bed no later than 8pm. Now I work evenings and pick up Maeve around 10:30pm. Did I mention that she waits up for me? :) The first few days I just thought were a fluke, but she does her best to stay up and I usually arrive to pick up a wide awake baby. Tonia has tried, but she will not go to sleep, so we just let her stay up now. Besides, when she comes running, laughing and smiling at me, when I arrive, how can you say "No". It actually is working out for now. She goes to bed as soon as we get home, I still have an opportunity to read her a quick story and tuck her in (something I thought I would miss out on) and we just sleep in a little later in the morning. We had to quit our exercise class, but I joined the l local gym so it is all the same.

- Eating is progressing. She was actually down to 1, maybe 2 bottles a day (small ones) and eating all meals with me (& a very balanced diet), but of course one step forward, two or three backwards. The change to going to daycare really threw her for a loop the first couple of weeks and she started refusing to eat solids and was back to almost all bottles each day. Slowly, but surely we have been working to change that (again Tonia is proving so helpful and valuable here). Maeve still loves her bottle, but now about half her meals are solid foods. And she is starting to eat with a spoon. First she learned to feed the dogs her food on the spoon (tons of fun), then she learned that she could actually use the spoon to feed herself (yes, I changed out the spoon from the "dog" spoon). While she still prefers her hands, she likes to have her spoon handy.

- Talking, or should I say babbling. Maeve says a couple of words like Mama, Oggie (doggie), Hi & Bye. She signs for "book" and "eat" (that's my girl), and she babbles non-stop. She can have a full conversation with you, complete with appropriate pauses and looks in different spots. I swear she is waiting patiently for me to learn her language. I just chat back to her and she is happy. Maeve even "hums" at times. It is so cute. One day, we were walking the dogs and I realized that she was sort of humming some tune in her stroller as we stolled along. She'll do it in the car and I've caught her doing it while sitting in her little chair looking at her books.

Of course there is so much more, but I would be up all night typing it in. I'll just leave you with one last milestone...PIGTAILS!!

Yes, she is finally letting me put her hair up and keeping the pigtails in. This is a picture from the first day that she didn't take them out two seconds after I put them in. Now, in my defense, I really didn't think she would keep them in and wasn't going for style and/or neatness that day. :)) I had just been putting them in each day, hoping she would get used to them. Now, her pigtails are perfect every morning and she is pretty patient for a 16 month old while I put them in. Yeah!!

I've been TAGGED!!

2007-07-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

Kris, from "This Angel Child of Mine" blog, has tagged me to tell eight things about myself. Kris is a single "Mom-to-be", waiting for her own little angel from China. Her LID was February 8, 2007. I'm hoping that the referral times speed up so she and her daughter can finally meet sooner rather than later. My fingers are double crossed for you!! :)

So now for eight things about me.

1) I was in the Army. I qualified for the Army College Fund which went a long way towards financing my degree. My main reason for joining was the college fund, but I really enjoyed the experience and do not regret a second of it.
2) I love to travel, domestically and internationally. Internationally, I have been to England, Spain, Italy, Germany (before and after the wall came down), Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, China (not just my adoption trip) and a few other miscellaneous places. Ireland (yes I'm Irish) is my next destination when Maeve is a little older.
3) My favorite cousin (by a smidge) and I share the same name, not to mention that we were born in the same town about a month apart. My family tends to be challenged when it comes to picking new baby names. :)
4) I volunteer my time. I have been involved in several programs over the years, such as Junior Achievement, Adult Literacy, and my latest, Therapy Dogs. Both of my dogs are involved in Therapy dog programs for children at the local hospital. When Maeve is older I would like to join in on Habitat for Humanity project or take a "volunteer" vacation with her.
5) I have lived in each of the time zones of the continental US. (Kris - I was in Wisconsin for about a year, between Milwaukee & Madison - loved the area.)
6) I mowed my lawn for the first time ever about three weeks ago. Having always had brothers, condos or a lawn service it was never a necessity before. Now no lawn service, so I am a mowing machine.
7) I love to read and collect books. I could easily stock a small library (time for a garage sale or donation I think).
8) Before Maeve, I swore never to feed her junk food, sweets or other "bad" things. So much for that. I serve her a very balanced diet, but we have snuck a few of the "bad" things in from time to time (not to mention her Grandpa introducing her to the wonders of Barbeque potato chips - Uggh).

Now my turn to tag.

Jenny - Abby's Adoption Story (with a LID of 12/7/05 she is almost there. I can't wait to finally see Jenny's referral pictures)
http://waiting4abby.blogspot.com/
Christi - Cherry Blossom Baby (we actually started with the same agency at the same time. She brought home her wonderful daughter, Abbey, late last Fall)
http://www.cherryblossombaby.blogspot.com/

I'll leave a message on their blogs for them to share eight things too.

More shots today...

2007-06-28T18:03:00.000-07:00

Poor Maeve! It was time for her 15 month check-up and more shots. The appointment was today and all in all it went pretty well, at least my eardrums survived again. My little girl has quite the memory and what I really admire is she is able to break it down and know what she likes and what she doesn't like. Here is how the appointment went.

- Walked into the waiting room. Big smile on Maeve's face as she remembered she likes playing in this area and there are lots of old magazines to try and rip up.
- Our name is called and she walked behind me into the examination room without a fuss. Smiling as she went by the nurse's station where they always smile and praise her for being such a big girl.
- Door shuts behind us in the exam room, still she is smiling as she remembers I usually read to her the children's books in there. I did and she was intent on our reading.
- Nurse comes in to take her vital statistics and the crying begins. This was "The Nurse", the one who gave her shots last time. No shots yet, only the basics taken and crying immediately stops upon her leaving.
- Doctor walks in and he actually gets a small smile. That is until my little Mensa candidate realizes that although he doesn't administer the shots, somehow he is the brains behind this organization and gives the orders. Crying reaches piercing new heights when he trys to listen to her heart, check her ears and other routine exam procedures. My reminding Maeve that we just saw this on the Wiggles this morning, when Anthony wasn't feeling good and the other Wiggles called Dr. VeryGood falls onto deaf ears. Actually, she heard me, but by this point she was a pretty shade of purple and not willing to listen to reason. Desperate mother resorts to singing "Wheels on the Bus" much to the Dr.'s amusement. Dr walks out and calm resumes, punctuated by deep, hiccupy breaths every few seconds.
- Then "The Nurse" is back....with the shots! Oh No!!! Frantic baby scrambles to get away, dig a tunnel, learn to fly, anything to escape her doom. Too late, it was over before she realized it.
- After "The Nurse" (who is actually really nice) leaves, sobs while I dress her again and get ready to go. Sobs on the way out, until she spots the one thing in this universe that can bring a smile to her face again...the sucker bowl. She remembered that and was intent on getting one as soon as she saw them. Doctor and shots were a thing of the past. Now she was happy and focused on her cherry sucker, the only evidence of the whole horrific ordeal was a still tear stained face.
- Still smiling because she knows what is next. A stop at McDonalds for some french fries for the trip home. Yeah!!

The doctor's visit was a success. She continues to average slightly above the 50 percentile for height and at her new weight of 19 something lbs, she is actually on the chart this time. The doctor was very pleased with her progress and her weight gain. My only question was regarding what type of milk to keep her on. Right now she drinks whole milk and I drink fat free. I was hoping to switch her over, but found out it is recommended to keep her whole milk until at least two. Turns out the extra fat in whole milk encourages brain development during the crucial first two years. I feel better about those french fries now. With the number she scarfed down today, we may be looking at the next "Einstein"! :)

We're Back!

2007-06-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

After two weeks of fun in the Midwest, Maeve & I are back home again. We had a great time and Maeve was able to see her Grandparents again and meet her the rest of her new extended family...Aunts, Uncles and cousins by the dozens. I'm also happy to report that Maeve did extremely well on both plane rides, she actually enjoyed them and oohed and aahed the surrounding passengers...she is learning to love an audience. :)

I already knew that Maeve liked the water (aside from bath time), but she nows looovvvveees the water. Not only did she love splashing around in the shallows of the lake, but she is a natural born "Tooner", that is she appreciates a slow pontoon ride with her Grandpa around the lake. Here she is on one of her almost nightly "Toon" rides.

After a full day of playing nonstop with her cousins, a "Toon" ride mellowed her right out and she went straight to bed afterwards. And her cousins, Maeve loves her cousins! She had so much fun playing with them, especially my 7 year old niece. She made it very clear from the start that she wanted to spend all her time playing with Maeve. At first Maeve was a bit shy, but by the third day, she would literally shriek with delight and try to jump out of my arms when she heard her cousin come in the house. Here they both are with Grandma.

Maeve also had another exciting day on vacation...she was baptized. :)
Steps to baptism, according to Maeve.

#1 First refuse to wear a bow in your hair and then pack up your purse for church, being careful not to forget your keys.

#2 Figure out being baptized involves water, worse water on your head, that sounds too much like a bath. All this occurs while new godparents are holding her. One word...WAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!

#3 Hold grudge after said head wetting ordeal and cry until we leave the church. Evil and uncaring Mother still insists on taking pictures. ;)

Aside from a little bit of a meltdown at her Christening, Maeve had a blast during her first vacation. She was a complete trooper, attending graduation parties, visiting so many new people, attending a birthday party, hosting an overdue impromptu 1st B-Day for Maeve, not to mention all the new experiences of a different environment. Although a little shy of the adults at first, Maeve loved all the children and joined in the fun right from the start. She even warmed to all the adults, still checking for me or walking back to me on a regular basis...she is a Mommy's girl afterall. During the entire two weeks, there was rarely a time when there wasn't smiling or giggling. She can't wait for our next trip now. :)

Update Time

2007-06-11T23:03:00.001-07:00

Well it is official...little green martians are inhabiting my child again. In short she has a slight cold that has her nose running a mile a minute. The tissues are out by the dozens, but to no avail. Maeve takes delight in rubbing her nose and smearing all her nose's runny stuff all around. Did I mention, she usually likes to get her hands dirty first. I wash, wipe and scrub, but it is an uphill battle. The good news is that she is having a great time. Here are a few other tidbits.

- The poor dogs. Maeve is breaking every rule of "No-No" in the doggy world. Every chance she gets she jumps on them or is climbing over one or the other. She has taken to eating their food when possible (I don't leave it down for long) and likes to walk up to them and steal their chewy treats. It's not all bad news for the dogs, they have discovered that if they sit near enough to her while she is eating she will dump her food onto the floor so as to enjoy the entertainment of two dogs frantically licking the floor clean.

- Maeve has discovered the joys of toilet paper. No, we have not begun potty training, rather she knows how much fun it is to unroll the roll and then rip everything to shreds. She also likes to rip other random pieces of paper to shreds as well. The good news is that if my paper shredder ever goes on the blink, I can just give everything to Maeve to tear up.

- In typical newly walking toddler fashion, Maeve tends to watch her feet and look down when she is walking. This leads to some occasional "Mommy" mix-ups when she approaches the wrong person who happens to be wearing similar pants or shorts as me. Today, in our exercise class it happened again. One of the other women and I had almost identical capris on, Maeve had walked off a few feet then came back, but went to Katie instead. She was hugging her legs until she finally looked up. I wish I had a camera for the look on her face. :) Maeve quickly regrouped looked around, found me and high tailed it back over.

- Stairs and climbing are her favorite activities right now. I have to keep a close eye on her because she is always trying to figure out how she can get to a higher elevation. The fact that her balance isn't that great doesn't bother her in the slightest. Although I have gates up at all stairs, she is bound and determined to find a way up.

- Besides eating the dog food, hair ties & barrettes are high up on the list of favorites. If I put something in her hair, it is just a matter of time before it is in her mouth. Doesn't stop me from trying. :)

- Her comprehension is definitely there. She only says a couple of words, but I can tell that she knows more than she is letting on. She is starting to bring me her books to read to her and especially loves her word book. Maeve mimics me, especially the sounds I make on a regular basis and she knows the songs that I sing to her. Many of the songs have actions involved and she anticipates them. For example, part of "Wheels on the Bus", talks about the people on the bus going up and down. She has started bouncing up and down when I get to that part. I used to bounce her myself, but now she is doing it on her own. I can mix up the lyrics and put them out of sequence, but she recognizes that part and responds. It is so much fun to watch her soak up more new things each day.

- She is sleeping in to almost 7am now. I thought I would be happy to lose the 6am rise and shine call, but it is actually throwing my schedule off a bit. I need to regroup and reorganize now. She is also taking two naps a day. A short one in the morning, and then about two hours in the afternoon. Maeve is usually pooped around 7:30-8pm and out she goes.

There is more, but it is time to finish packing for our big trip back to the midwest to meet the entire family. Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and a ton of cousins are all eagerly awaiting our arrival! We leave tomorrow for a nice vacation.

Success

2007-06-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

A few days ago we tried JC Penny's photography studio again, and...

SUCCESS!! Well, at least no major meltdowns. The photographer missed the few real smiles that Maeve flashed, but we did have a few cute poses. Although I wish the photographer would take more pictures to catch more smiles, I think JC Pennys does a nice job overall. That and they are one of the few places that their "initial" baby coupons apply to Maeve & me. Most studios have coupons based on the baby's age for the first year. Pennys (& I think Sears too) coupons are based on the inital visits, not age of child. The "Picture People" were recommended by one of my friends, so I'm going there next, but I'll continue to go to Pennys. You just can not beat their prices. :)

Maeve & I

Maeve holding my hands (& her Sunshine toy).

Mommy & Maeve Feet

A Day in the Life...

2007-06-05T22:34:00.000-07:00

Yogurt...not just a food, but a face mask!

Now that I have my own "Dora" cellphone, I'm ready to face the world.

If I could just figure out how to get out of this place...

Don't worry Smudge, I'm taking you with me as soon as I figure out how to open this door!

Poor Baby, she has had a tough day. Better give her a little back rub so she is all set for the next time I want to bounce up and down on her head.

I'm sure that Mommy left these out for me to climb on. I'm climbing just like they showed me on the Disney channel.

The dogs may weigh 5x more than Maeve each, but she can sure tire them out!

I was giggling until Mommy busted me doing something I'm not supposed to do. Maybe this crying face will do the trick and get me out of trouble.

A girl on the go needs a little snack. I don't know why Mommy doesn't want me eating this...My doggies love it and it is in this handy container that is just my size.

Update on Maeve

2007-06-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since my last post. Maeve has been keeping me busy, especially since now she is walking...everywhere. Here is what's happening in our lives.

- Not only is she walking, but she is trying to run. At this point, these short bursts of speed end up in her taking a tumble, but for the most part she gets up, shakes it off and starts again.
- She is growing so fast. Our next doctor's appointment is not until next month, but I can tell. The shoes I bought for her a few weeks ago were a size "4" and on the big side, now they fit perfectly, maybe even a bit snug. When we first met, the 12 mos clothes hung on her. She easily fit into the 9 mos clothing with room to spare. Now, some of the 12 mos are starting to appear small. I've brought out a few of the 18 mos clothes from the closet and encorporated these into her wardrobe.
- She is eating!! Not everything, and her favorite game is still to spit out all new things (and some of the old things), but the variety of food that she will eat grows daily. I've weaned her down to one formula bottle a day, usually in the morning during our exercise class. At this point, Maeve doesn't feed herself, except for cheerios and crackers. She still refuses to hold the bottle as well, although I know she can do it as she has done this in her carseat. I've never seen a 10 year old that is still hand fed by his parents, so I know that she will come around. It will just take time. What is nice right now, is that she eats with me. So whatever I'm making for myself, I make a child size, mashed up serving for her. Aside from the occasional french fry, we are both eating a very healthy diet.
- While still very shy of adults (she takes awhile to warm up to someone), Maeve blossoms around other children. She is approaching other kids and trying to communicate with them. Today, she and another little girl shared some cheerios. It was so cute.
- Her exploring is getting a little dangerous. She has learned to climb and a climb she will, everywhere, whenever possible. I have to keep a close eye to make sure that she doesn't go head first off something.
- Maeve is loving all the little classes that we are participating in. Our swim class just ended, but now we are in a gym class for her age group and she loves it. We are also attending 2-4 playdates with the different Mommy groups I belong to each week.
- I joined a Stroller Stride class and love it! It is an excercise group of Moms with their kids. I thought it would be easy, but it is atually pretty tough. But the best part is that Maeve is right there with me. During the cardio, she is in the stoller with me pushing, but at some of the stops I take her out and she stays right next to me while I work out. She loves the end when I'm doing crunches as she jumps right on my stomach and bounces nonstop. :) She finds my grunts of pain highly amusing.
- She isn't speaking actual words yet, but her grasp of what is going on around her is excellent. She know what I mean when I ask her to come to me, or if she wants up, is hungry, etc. She has started actively mimicking me, whether a sound that I'm making, my expression or an action, so I feel the words will start flowing soon.

These are just a few things that I see on a daily basis. She continues to amaze me with her antics and how quick she catches on to something new. I'll try to do one more post tonight a little later with some of the more current pictures.

Just remembering...

2007-05-26T21:02:00.000-07:00

I finally organized all of my pictures. I have almost 500 in my computer photo album and about 450 are from China or of Maeve since then. I kept everything, blurry shots, off center shots, even the accidental pictures taken in the hotel room of the TV. Today I thought I would post a few pictures from the China trip and then later in the weekend I plan on posting more current pictures of Maeve.

Waiting in the airport for the long flight to China. Excited, thrilled and terrified barely describe how I felt at the time.

Sound advice on the Great Wall of China. :)

Walking into my room in Chongqing it all becomes real.

The bus ride over to the Civil Affairs office. Less than a hour before I become a MOM!!

Mom & Dad are just as excited on the bus as me. They are about to become grandparents for the 6th time. Yeah!!

I see her for the first time! I know it is her immediately!! (Maeve is in the pink in the middle with her back to the camera. The nanny with the red stripes is holding her.)

Love at first sight on my part, not so much on hers.

We are so happy, she is so not. :(

Grandma gets to hold her for the first time, while I put on my baby carrier.

One last picture at the Civil Affairs Office then it is time to go. A family at last!
"Wish you have a happy life in future."

The Weekend

2007-05-23T21:58:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update with some pictures from this past weekend.

Saturday, we attended an event with one of our Mommy groups. All the local police and fire departments were out and giving presentations to the kids. It was a huge hit, as all the kids were able to check out police cars and fire trucks up close, not to mention the many picture taking opportunities. Maeve did pretty good overall, just a few tears when I tried to put her on a police motorcycle. It was a very cool event.

One thing new this week. Maeve's new thing is crawling under and through things. She gets the biggest kick out of it. Mostly that means crawling through my legs and anyone I am talking to at the moment. But the poor dogs are getting it too. If they are standing, Maeve will try to crawl underneath them. Both are being good sports about it. Baby is the hardest hit, as Maeve has suddenly decided that she is her new jungle gym. So picture poor Baby, laying in the living room minding her own business. Maeve walks over and crawls on top of her. I'm in the kitchen and can see it, but it takes me a couple of seconds to walk out there to intervene. Meanwhile, Maeve plants her bottom on Baby's head and starts bouncing up and down. I pick Maeve up telling her she needs to leave Baby alone, while Baby follows us...seems she likes Maeve bouncing up and down on her head and was ready for more. Silly dog. Don't worry, I really don't let Maeve bother/abuse the dogs or vice versa. They still get more kisses than me and both dogs have definitely come to expect them too. :)

Picture Day

2007-05-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

Maeve has been doing so well that I decided it was time to try to have her photograph taken professionally. I have checked out all the local photography shops and just fallen in love with all of the special backgrounds, shots and just really neat things they do with baby pictures. So, today at 3:40pm, we had an appointment for pictures. This is how it went (note there are no pictures on this posting should give you a hint.)

- Scheduled appointment for Maeve during a normal "happy" time for her. We have gone places before at this time and she has been wonderful.
- Prior to appointment, feed and change Maeve with no problem. Dress her up in her pretty dress and load a happy, smiley baby into the car.
- Drive happy, smiley baby to the photographer's studio and arrrive without a hitch.
- Arrive 20 minutes early just so Maeve can adjust and get used to everything. She settles happily in at the play table and smile and babbles at everyone that goes by.
- The photographer introduces herself and Maeve smiles and babbles to her while I fill out a form, no problem.
- It's our turn, so in I go with a happy, smiley baby. Realize that the flower on Maeve's dress is missing.
- Run back out to car and retrace our steps until we find it (thank goodness). Meanwhile Maeve is still smiling and the photographer is being incredibly understanding.
- Reattach flower and walk into studio for pictures with happy & smiling baby.
- Photographer positions us (I'm in the first pose with Maeve) and Maeve is happy and smiling.
- Photographer gets her camera and makes a funny face at Maeve which causes Maeve to flash the biggest smile ever.
- Photographer raises camera to capture moment and Maeve bunches up her face, turns red, opens up her mouth and screams.
- Longest 15 minutes of my life now commence as Maeve continues to scream, big crocodile tears streaming down her face. No amount of consoling or toys (I brought plenty and the studio had tons) would do. Photographer was really great, trying every trick known to humankind, but to no avail. Finally we give up and agree to reschedule. I walk out of the studio with my crying baby.
- On way to car, all tears magically evaporate and Maeve smiles.
- On way home, still red & puffy in the face from her crying jag, Maeve smiles and giggles the whole way.
- Once home, Maeve is ready to play, smiling the whole time.
- Realize Mommy needs a nap badly, wonder how early is acceptable to put your child to bed. Oh boy, what a day.

A Milestone Day

2007-05-15T22:28:00.000-07:00

Shortly after returning from China, Maeve took her first steps, three in total. Since then she has steadily progressed and by last week she was cruising furniture on a regular basis and taking short (eightish steps at a time) walks on her own mainly in our living room. I knew she was ready to make a huge leap forward, so I bought her a pair of shoes (and a cute pair of sandals) last week. Still she was only comfortable walking in the house and mainly the living room. If she fell too hard, she would cry for me to come pick her up. If I walked into the kitchen (it is an open floor plan so she can still see me) she would cry until I came back, but not make any attempt to follow me into the kitchen.

All of her behavior is normal for her age. Maeve's comfort zone is me, so as she experiences new things she has one eye on me at all times. To help her through this, I have been encouraging her to get back up and to walk/crawl to me when she is upset versus me going to her. Most of the time she is crying because she is unsure, not because she is hurt or truly upset. With a little (okay alot of - you would think she won an Olympic gold medal from the applause in my house when she picks herself up after a little tumble) encouragement, Maeve is gradually expanding her comfort zone and becoming more and more independant (in a toddler fashion, not quite ready for her first apartment yet.) :)

Today, I could really see this. Midday she started walking nonstop. No more crying when I left the room, she simply followed me. My snuggler became a wiggle worm today as she did not want to be up in my arms at all, but down on the ground walking away and away and away. Needless to say, I was in chase mode for most of the day. She still waddles a bit like a drunken sailor and the slight decline at the bottom of the driveway had her working on her balance, but she appears to be a "walker" now. Wow! From first steps less than four weeks ago (not to mention barely crawling less than six weeks ago) to walking nonstop. This is what people mean when they say, "children grow up so fast". She isn't even 14 months old yet and I can see this.

Everyday I wake up with a smile and remember how lucky I am to have her in my life. Maeve continues to amaze me daily with everything she does, whether it is the way she reaches for me with her beautiful smile when I take her out of the carseat, finding her cute ticklish spot under her chin or the crazy, contortionist ways this little girl likes to take a nap. Each day with Maeve is full of new discoveries. And each night I go to sleep dreaming of what the next day will bring.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

2007-05-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers out there and a special wish for a speedy referral for all those who are waiting!!

Here are some pictures from our first Mother's Day together.

Big poofy dresses and car seats do not mix, but we managed. :)

Update Time

2007-05-12T03:43:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update on Maeve and her antics...

We started a couple new classes this week including "Mommy & Baby" swim classes & Gym-minis at the YMCA. Maeve had a good time at all of her classes, although the first few minutes tend to be a bit iffy. When I take her somewhere that is somewhat chaotic, with children and parents all over, she clings to me with an iron grip and whimpers a little bit. I wonder if she was comparing it too the last time we were in such a chaotic environment with nannies, crying babies and new parents? She knows I'm her Mom, but she is still working on the trust that I will never let her go. Once we settle into class and she realizes that I'm not going anywhere or handing her off to anyone, she has a great time. She even let me take her underwater three times at her swimming class. :) Maeve is still in and loving Baby Sign. She hasn't signed anything yet, but I can tell she recognizes the signs I make for her bottle, eat and crackers. Hopefully she will be signing up a storm within a few weeks. Overall, our schedule includes one to two activities a day now. Maeve loves our outings, especially when there are other children involved. She is starting to go up to the other kids and smile at them now.

We are still working on her eating habits. Lately, Maeve's favorite foods include, anything in her bottle, any type of crunchy crackers, the dog's food and various pieces of dirt and stuff on the floor. :) Oh well, we are working on it. Right now, I'm encouraging her to eat more solid foods, using positive reinforcement. We are eating together so she can watch me eat and I usually make her a little of whatever I'm eating so she can try it. Today, I tried a new recipe for "eggy toast" and she actually ate some of that, then threw the rest on the floor for the dogs. That, by the way, is her new game to play at mealtime. Throw the food on the floor and watch the dogs run for it. Now the dogs are outside while we eat. The good news is she is gaining weight and will drink down just about anything in her bottle, so thanks to a great suggestion from another Mommy (Thanks Michelle), I make "smoothies" for her. Basically a jar of baby food and milk mixed together. She drinks a couple of day, so I try to do one fruit and one vegetable. Who knew she would like a "green bean smoothie" ?!

My doctor called with the results of all of her testing and I am happy to say she is a very healthy little girl. Not looking forward to our next round of shots in a few weeks, but we will jump that hurdle when we get there. Overall, Maeve is doing really well. Any delays she experienced from basically being in a crib for the first 12 months of her life have mostly disappeared. Verbally she is doing well too. Right now she only says "MaMa", but she talks up a storm in baby babble. We carry on entire conversations that way. :) With all the baby babble happening, I think her first new words will happen soon.

When I first brought Maeve home, she was doing well, but you could see the difference in skill sets when you put her next to a baby the same age. Now, I'm happy to say she is catching up quickly. She blends right in with the crowd (of babies of course). One mother I met when I first brought her home and hadn't seen for a few weeks told me she could not believe how much she had progressed when we saw each other again a few days ago. I agree. My little Maeve is strong, resilient and able to overcome so much in her life so far. She continues to amaze me everyday.

New Shoes

2007-05-12T03:29:00.000-07:00

Now that Maeve is officially walking (well, eight steps, fall down, eight more steps, fall down type of thing), I bought her some new shoes. One minor meltdown later, she loves them. Maeve was so funny when I first put them on her (aside from the meltdown.) She stomped her feet, wiggled them around and just stared at the them. Of course she wanted to taste them too. After a bit she was laughing and stomping around, clearly enjoying her shoes.

Here are some pictures. It was really hard to take a nonblurry picture. This child is in constant motion. :)

Hats-o-rama!

2007-05-06T21:07:00.000-07:00

Maeve kindly posed for a few photos to model just a few of her many, many hats.

Of course Maeve insisted on first things first! Negotiation of the terms. I'm surprised she did not insist on legal representation, but it appears that as long as I kept the crackers a coming that she was happy to be my modeling Diva.

Then, it was down to business. A little raspberry anyone?

Here she is in her beach hat. She wore this later when we went swimming. Actually, it was more like, I put it on, she took it off, I put it on, she took it off. Overall, a very fun game to play with Mommy. :)

Then she did a little modeling of her cute little green cap with the bumble bee on it. Uh Oh, I think the crackers are running out.

One more quick one in a cute tweed hat that is waaay to big for her, but Mommy just had to have.

No crackers, no pictures. Off she goes to play with her toys under the watchful gaze of her doggie, Smudge.

Of course there are more pictures of her antics today. I'll post again in a day or two the rest.

Pictures & a quick update

2007-05-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

Maeve is better, but still recovering from all of her vaccinations. My little trooper has been in a pretty good mood considering that she has been running a fever on and off and is tired most of the day. We are taking several mini-naps to keep our spirits up. I love mini-naps. :)

I say she is a trooper, because, of course, this is the week that I'm checking out childcare places. Today, I found a winner! I still have an appointment tomorrow that I will check out, but this woman was great and I loved her place and overall attitude. Now the hard part, figuring how I am going to leave Maeve with her. Of course, I still have a few weeks on my leave, but still this is not a fun thing to think about. :(

Well, enough of all that. Here are a few pictures that I snapped of Maeve over the weekend when she was in better spirits. I am trying to get her to wear hats, so I can do a fashion show shoot with her this weekend. We'll see...

Rebounding from a bad day

2007-04-30T21:03:00.000-07:00

It was definitely an "all day in the baby carrier" day today for my little Maeve. :(

First she woke up a little early needing a diaper change. She was still tired, but not enough to lie back down so up she stayed. Did I mention she is teething as well? Then it was time to walk the dogs and she wailed in the stroller. So the baby carrier it was, although I did take the stroller along just in case she changed her mind. She didn't. Maeve did manage to nap during the walk and drank her bottle and her fruit smoothie (Thanks to Michelle for the idea!) down when we arrived back home. Talk about a little potbelly. :) This cheered her up a bit, so she was a happy camper in Baby Signs Class.

Unfortunately, this did not last long, because we had a Dr's appt scheduled for the afternoon. The dreaded "blood tests" and "vaccinations" visit. After a quick nap, we were off - one cranky, tired baby and one "I know I'm in for it" Mom. Everything was fine until we saw the Doctor. He is the nicest, gentlest man, but Maeve was having nothing to do with him. Let the screaming begin...and there wasn't even a needle in sight yet. So after a few minutes of raising our voices to be heard over Maeve to discuss her health and progress (all excellent), our Doctor wrote up the lab work request and arranged to have the vaccinations completed. Did I mention, that she screamed continuously while the doctor was there? I thought this was bad, but it was nothing compared to what was coming.

After quieting down briefly when everyone left the room, the nurse came in with the shots...all four of them, two for each little leg. She was as sweet as can be and completed them as quickly as possible, but I do believe both of our ear drums are still ringing. Still crying it was off to cross the waiting room to the lab to draw the blood. Of course, all eyes were on us crossing the room. Maeve's tear stained, red, blotchy face gave them a hint of the horrors she had experienced. Still, I thought it couldn't be worse...I was WRONG!!

Poor Maeve had to have three vials of blood drawn. One man drew the blood, another held her arm still and I held the rest of her as still as possible. I have never heard her scream like that. She hit new highs and her face turned a color of mottled red/purple. Let's just say I was just as happy as she was when it was over. I put her back in the baby carrier and she snuffled on our way out. I wish I had brought my camera for a picture of the folks in the waiting room on that last walk out. Everyone had a look of genuine concern mixed with slight alarm (fearing they were next) wondering what horrible experiments they had just subjected my daughter too. I have to say the doctor and nurses were really great about it all. I know they are used to it, but still they were wonderful. Two of the nurses even asked about my baby carrier when they saw how Maeve settled right down in it and snuggled into me. I promised to bring a picture of Maeve smiling with me next time, just to prove that it does happen.

After all that I treated Maeve to her current favorite...McDonald's French Fries. She earned a little grease today! What truly amazes me is her capacity to forgive and forget. Although tired and a little clingy (we spent most of the day walking in the baby carrier), she rebounded quite well and was laughing and playing for most of the day. Overall, she handled it much better than I did. I'm still a wreck and not looking forward to the next round of vaccinations in two months.

Maeve vs. Camera

2007-04-29T22:58:00.000-07:00

The Assignment of the Day - Take cute pictures of Maeve to post on Blog. Sounds simple doesn't it? After all, she is a cutie-pie. What could be more simple?!? Here is how it went...

Maeve, sweetie, sit down there and let Mommie take a picture of you. No sweetie, stay there, stay sitting so I can take your picture...
I know the camera is very interesting, but please sit down for just a minute.

Yes, I love you too. Now sit down so I can take your picture. Okay, you can stand, but stay there so I can take your picture. No no, don't come over to Mommy.

Yes, yes it is tons of fun to grab at Mommy's camera. Lots of fun, but now staying still and smiling is even more fun. Really!! Please, please believe me. Just try it. Just try staying still for Mommy.

You seem to doubt me. Do you doubt Mommy? It is really a lot of fun to stay still to have your picture taken. Really! I mean Really!! Just try it sweetie-pie.

Nevermind. You are right, absolutely right. After 30 minutes and a million blurry pictures, in your face, close ups while child is grabbing at your camera is the way to go.

Mommie loves you too!!

Nap Time

2007-04-25T14:30:00.000-07:00

It's always good to take a nap with a pal. Of course one settles down for a two hour nap while the other basically naps 23 hours a day. Can you guess which is which? :)

Magical Moments

2007-04-25T14:25:00.000-07:00

- The first time she says "MaMa" and means YOU!
- Her first step on her own towards you.
- The absolute trust she has in you, falling into your arms over and over, knowing you will catch her everytime.
- Her first smile, her first giggle, her first chortle and her first gut busting laugh.
- The first time, after you have been away, that you come home and her face just completely "lights up" when she sees you.
- That first slobbery kiss.
- How she stops crying and reaches for you in the morning when she wakes up.
- Her calm contentment as she stares at you while drinking her bottle.
- Watching her expand her comfort zone and venture a little further from you each day, always looking back and checking to see that you are near.
- Realizing that your comfort zone is to have her as near as possible.

And the list goes on and on and on and on ...

Not Physics, but Babhysics...

2007-04-24T10:42:00.001-07:00

As a new Mom, I continue to learn more and more each day.

- Bedtime and Wakeup time
Beware! Letting a baby stay up past their bedtime does not increase the amount of time you can sleep in the next morning. It is actually the opposite. For example, let a baby stay up 1/2 hour past bedtime, guarantees they will rise with loud vigorous cries almost to the minute 1/2 hour earlier than their normal wake-up.

- The reappearing stain/spot.
It is a given. It doesn't matter how often you change their outfit, wash their clothes, whatever, within 10 minutes a stain and/or spot will appear. Usually in a very noticeable place leading your friends and neighbors to think you never wash their clothes. Note - same thing goes for bathtime.

- Crumbs
Immediately upon entering the new home, a baby acts as a catalyst in the until this point dormant reproduction properties of every cookie & cracker in your home. Once the baby is on the premises, said items will instantly multiply and shed crumbs everywhere, places that had never seen a cookie before will now be filled with crumbs. This leaves the new parent with a constant dumbfounded look on their face and a dustbuster in hand, until acceptance finally sets in.

- Cranky time and visitors.
Your normally happy, smiley baby will instantly turn into a crying, snarling beast whenever company comes round. Personally, I feel this is a ploy/blackmail plot on the part of your baby for compensation for displaying their sunny and charming behavior. Don't panic, simply learn the lesson from the toy/baby food manufacturers and give your child 3 month old cheerios. This should do the trick, until age two when expensive, electronic gizmos that break five minutes after the box is opened become the next popular choice.

- Disaster Zone.
As a warning, any baby under two will turn approximately 600-700 square feet of your house into a disaster zone. (I understand from BTDT parents that this area increases & can even spread to the outdoor spaces as the child ages.) Note: I actually read in a helpful tip section of some book that sometimes it is just easier to put the highchair in the shower and wash it down. This was before I had baby and I laughed thinking it was a joke...I'm not laughing anymore.

- Baby Exercise
How do you not lose weight when you have a baby? No time to eat and all the exercise you get. Remember smirking when those crazy speed walkers go by with their 5lb weights? Now I rush about feeding, changing diapers, walking to settle a fussy baby and all carrying an 18 lb weight almost all the time. Talk about weighted squats, not to mention the additional squats 50x a day to pick up all her toys and put them away.

- The Hair Dryer (Arch Villain of all Babies Everywhere)
Without fail, no matter how short or long the length of time it takes to shower and wash my hair, no matter the time or day or night, when I go to blow dry my hair Maeve cries for some attention. It might be that she just woke up, has a wet diaper, is hungry or maybe a simpler reason...she is determined that I wear a ponytail until she goes away to college.

Pictures (At last!)

2007-04-22T23:08:00.000-07:00

Time for a little snack. I like things crunchy!!

Clean-up crew at the ready.

Equally cute from the front and back view. Look at that smile!

Hi Mommy! I'm coming to get you.

Did you see a big dog around here somewhere?

I did! I did! I did see a big dog!

And finally...
"Come on girlie! Hand over the camera. Don't make me sic my new friend, "Baby", on ya!"

Miracles do happen!

2007-04-22T04:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, the title is slightly tongue in cheek, but last night was very surprising.

We had a very full day yesterday. In the morning we joined a crowd of hikers/walkers in the inaugural walk of a local trail that just opened. It was an easy four miles (although one of us slept for two miles). After that we spent most of the day at home catching up on some chores (again one of us took a two hour nap). Even with the day's activiities, Maeve & I decided to join the local astronomy club in some star gazing in the evening (open to the public function.) After which we still had time to stop at Target and grab a bite to eat. Needless to say, I arrived home 30 minutes past Maeve's bedtime with a wide awake baby. (Bad Mommy!)

At this point I feared the worst. Bedtime is bedtime, so I proceeded withour bedtime ritual and 15 minutes later was gently placing her in her crib. I was steeled for the crying and screaming...when it happened! Maeve had been fine throughout everything, softly cooing and playing with anything near while I changed her and put her PJs on, now she looked at me, smiled and rolled over to go to sleep...just like that. No tears, no sobs, no muss and no fuss. I am still in shock, thankful, but in shock.

Mysteries Revealed

2007-04-18T12:43:00.000-07:00

On this new journey of motherhood, I have discovered the truth behind many mysteries that have puzzled humankind for generations, here are just a few.

1) How can one tiny baby produce 2.5x his/her weight daily of green, gooey mucus?
The answer I have deduced is that tiny Martians set up green gooey mucus factories within the baby him/herself. Although very gross to humankind, this green gooey stuff is later extracted from the multitude of tissues used to clean it up and exported back to Mars where it plays an important role in keeping the Martian ecosystem well and thriving.

2) Why do Grandmas always carry extra tissue? I rarely carry it and have always wondered why Grandmas seem to buy the stuff in mass production quantities from Costco.
The answer is they were once mothers of small infants/toddlers and coconspirators with the Martians in their babies. Due to the intensive brainwashing of the Martians and the copious amounts of green gooey mucus Grandmas (formerly Mothers of infants/toddlers) learned to carry large quantities of tissues with them at all times. This habit was never broken and to this day, all Grandmas manage to carry a tissue for every small child within a 5 mile radius. (I'm currently being subjected to these brainwashing activities and have recently purchased a large pack of mini-disposable packages of kleenex.)

3) Why will babies refuse to try the twenty varieties of baby food that a parent has just purchased, then happily chomp down the cheerios that have been in the cupboard for the last three months?
This is actually a marketing ploy brought upon by the baby food manufacturers. Unbeknownst to the parents, babies are recruited by said companies either directly or by other pint sized undercover babies (& you thought it was just a play group). Lured in with the promise of huge rewards, babies are told to look slightly interested in as many as possible baby food types & flavors at the store, and then refuse them at home. Overall, a very successful campaign for the manufacturers, but the babies end up losing out. You would think with all the money they should be making, their college funds would be well stocked, but alas babies are not that fiscally responsible and take their payment in three month old cheerios. Some try for more, but the baby food manufacturers refuse to negotiate their contracts which results in horrible frustration for the babies. What some see as colic, is actually a baby crying for/demanding his lawyer after being cheated by said companies.

4) After spending $100s of dollars on new toys, why do babies decide the wrapper or box top is so much more fun to play with, completely ignoring the new toys?
For the answer, please refer to question & answer #3, but substitute the toy manufacturers. You would think the babies would learn, but alas this doesn't happen until approximately age 8-12, sometimes later. (After the purchase of your next large appliance, leave the box out for your older kids and see what I mean. Please note, large appliance manufacturers are not part of this conspiracy.)

There is more, but I'll limit it to this for now.

Baby Sign Class

2007-04-16T23:30:00.000-07:00

Today was a very good day! After a quick trip to introduce her to some of my friends, we headed off to our first Baby Sign class. What a success! Although Maeve completely ignored the signing going on around her, she had a blast in class. The instructor had brought and dumped out so many toys that I lost count, then there was the fact that two of the other babies are the same age as her, not to mention all the singing and music in the class. Maeve played, bobbed with the music and constantly checked the other kids out, eventually going over to one of the other little girls and sitting next to her. She even played with some of the kid's spoons that were laying out (temporarily forgetting they are her archenemy within this universe.) Maeve had so much fun that we can not wait for our next class next week.

We also stopped by the local YMCA to check out what they had to offer. Starting next month they have "Mommy & Baby" swimming and also Baby Gymtime. I will probably sign up for one or both of these courses as well, depending on how she is progressing.

Later in the day we went out for a walk in our stroller with Grandma. That was fun too, although in the picture Maeve is giving me the eye because I do not have her in the baby carrier (her preference.) She is making strides sleeping through the night, still waking up, but for shorter and shorter periods. Tonight I had to go into work for a late meeting and left her with Grandma with strict instructions that bedtime was 9pm. Well...at 10:30pm when I walked in the door guess who was still up and wide awake?! Grandma determined since it was her last night with her for awhile (they fly home tomorrow) that she was using "Grandma's perogative" and keeping her up. How could I be mad when I saw the look of pure happiness light up Maeve's face when she turned and saw me come through the kitchen? Grandma & Mom were both happy. Although, Maeve wasn't happy for long when I put her to bed 10 minutes later. ;)

The Wee Hours of the Morning

2007-04-16T00:37:00.000-07:00

What happened to my sleep through the night 10 straight hours baby?

It is probably just the transition and her intolerance of a wet/dirty diaper, but Maeve is waking up every night between Midnight and 2am. Luckily, I have discovered that she just needs a diaper change and can be tucked pretty easily back into bed. She does cry for a few minutes, but then settles down to sleep. Good thing for late night showings of "Law & Order". :)

Maeve is doing fine. Her cold is pretty much under a control, and should be a thing of the past in a couple of days. She still prefers a bottle to solid food, but she is eating more and more solids each day. It is a big experiment to see what she will eat. The latest conquest is "Chef Boyardee", Grandma's muffin and gumming pretzel sticks. The amusing thing is that I can feed her by hand, but she refuses the same items when I try to feed her with a spoon. Maeve dispises the spoon and lets me know it at every attempt. I'm giving up the spoon for now and contenting myself with hand feeding her for now. She is still perfecting her pincher grip and getting food into her own mouth. She can do it, but more often than not it ends up all over her, me and whatever other object is nearby. I am planning on giving her the spoons to play with, hopefully this will soften her disposition to them. For now my goal is to fatten her up prior to our next doctor's appointment in two weeks.

As for me, I'm doing fine as well. I've determined messy hair pulled into a hasty pony tail or hair clip, dark circles under the eyes and assorted food stains that appear seconds after clean clothes are pulled from the dryer really are a sexy and attractive look for me. Why I didn't think of it earlier I do not know. Of course, when I have Maeve in my arms and I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I realize I have never looked better and wouldn't trade a moment of the past two weeks for all the eye concealer in the world. :)

Monday will be an exciting day. I'm taking Maeve in for a brief visit to friends and then to our first Baby Sign class at a local baby store. The class is more for me to learn so I can teach her, but Maeve loves other babies and should enjoy it too. As she becomes more accustomed to everything, I'm looking forward to signing up for Mommy & Baby swim classes (should help with her learning to like bathtime), joining the local babywearing group and one or two other activities that sound interesting. Now if I could only find a Mommy & Baby yoga class. :)

BIG NEWS - She WALKS!

2007-04-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

AND THE BIG NEWS!!!
She walked by herself for the first time today. 3 steps from the couch to me, but 3 steps all on her own. We knew it was just a matter of time as she could stand up by herself and toddles around the furniture holding on as she goes. It was just that she was in a crib most of the time and didn't have an opportunity to walk before this. Now, on the flipside, she has room and plenty of encouragement to roam around.

More news about how she is getting along with the dogs. I'm happy to report that Maeve and Baby & Smudge are all fast friends now. Smudge even received a kiss today. :) Please note, I did not get a kiss, but the dog had one. Hmmm, plan on working on this one. :))

All in all it was a very good day, with high hopes of it being a good night as well. Maeve slept in until 10am this morning after waking up from 2-3am last night. After that she seemed back on schedule and went down with barely a peep at 9pm (her normal bedtime) tonight. Time will tell if she sleeps the whole night, but I am hoping. Her jet lag is less every day and her cold has greatly improved as well. Today we had a couple of short trips and she goes into her car seat with barely a cry now, not to mention she likes her stroller, honking the play horn as we go along. She even sat in her highchair without crying and took her nap in her playard (play pen) pretty easily. Now if she would just warm up to bath time, we would be in fine shape. :)

Well enough of the update, here are some pictures...

Comments

2007-04-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

I've had a couple questions on comments, so here is a quick note.

I've just changed the settings to allow everyone the ability to leave comments. Prior to this, you had to be a registered user of blogger to do so. Initially I thought this the best way to go, but I've had requests to change this to accomodate the non bloggers of the world. Careful now, it is addictive. After reading several blogs you will have the overwhelming urge to start your own blog. :)

Dogs Day Afternoon

2007-04-13T02:39:00.000-07:00

Well today was the big day...the dogs came home. So, how does one 17lb baby react to two 100lb dogs?

Very calmly at first...I was shocked. It wasn't until Baby came over and licked her foot (I was holding Maeve in my arms) that she decided she had had enough of that and started to cry. Even then it wasn't too bad. Maeve doesn't want the dogs near her, but is fine if they are on the other side of the room. As the evening progressed, she was actually fine if they walked by her, just cried if they looked at her. The dogs, Smudge & Baby, took to Maeve without a problem. Both are trained as therapy dogs and they specialize in children, so this wasn't any big deal to them. They were more stressed to realize that with Grandma & Grandpa in the house, that the couch wasn't big enough for everyone. They are actually using their dog beds tonight...shocker!

Big news on the Maeve front. Our doctor's appointment today was a success. Well, she wailed, but she is very healthy. She is above the 50th percentile for height, but only at the 3rd percentile for weight. My pediatrician is not worried on the weight and reassured me that she is fine. She has only been bottle fed to this point, and he feels as she moves to solid foods she will plump right out. She is slim, but not skinny and not malnourished at all, so she will be fine in that regard. After discussing it with the doctor, we decided to wait two weeks to do her bloodwork and all the other standard tests. She is still adjusting and since she looks so good, we decided it wasn't worth stressing her out anymore at this point.

More big news. She definitely loves her Grandma & Grandpa. After a cranky day and a half suffering from jet lag and a slight cold, she woke up from a long afternoon nap feeling like a brand new baby. Playing and giggling with Grandma & Grandpa. Then going to Grandma and letting Grandma hold her without crying while I was in the room in plain sight. Another first!! Grandpa introduced her to the wonders of Tollhouse crackers and soon they looked just like twins, both sitting on the couch watching TV with a bunch of cracker crumbs all over them. I can't wait for her to meet her Uncles & Aunts!

No pictures today. Maeve so upset & cranky with jet lag & transition, not to mention the faucet her nose has turned into, there hasn't been a good time. Maeve is recovering quickly from her cold, so I'll pull out the camera and take pictures again tomorrow.

Our First Day Home

2007-04-11T10:24:00.000-07:00

I awoke early this morning with a list of things to accomplish prior to Maeve waking up.
1) Add Maeve to my insurance
2) Make Doctor's appt (wouldn't let me do prior to her being on my insurance)
3) Ensure all necessities unpacked
4) Blow dry hair :)

The last item I haven't been able to do since she arrived as she wakes up whenever I even head over in the direction of the blow dryer. But I am happy to say, all items were completed prior to Maeve's 6am wake-up. After a bottle she was a happy little camper. We even took a walk to the local coffee shop to pick up some sweet rolls for her Grandpa. Of course everyone "oohed & aahed" over her and I was very excited to start introducing my new daughter to some of my neighbors that were out and about. I did keep it brief as I don't want to overwhelm her too much. She already has a lot to take in. This morning after she woke up, we played in her room for a bit. She kept looking around the room, not knowing what to fix her attention on first. I think she realizes it is all for her and she is just amazed. So for the next few days, I plan on keeping it low key. No visits, limited trips out of the house, aside from the doctor, store and a morning walk when it is nice and quiet outside. Later I'll introduce more things into her daily routine as she becomes more accustomed to everything.

I started this post earlier this morning and am just getting back to finish it. Maeve is working through her jet lag. It has been a struggle to keep her awake and active today to help her through it. I did let her take a morning and afternoon nap, but woke her up after a hour or so each time. She is adjusting, but it will take awhile before her internal clock is completely reset. Here are some pictures from the trip. I had Maeve in the baby carrier so much that Dad has named most of the pictures, "Laura and the back of Maeve's head". :) The last picture is of her sleeping at home in her crib.

We Are HOME!

2007-04-10T23:35:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lapse in my daily blogs while in China. I wanted to let everyone know that everyone (grandparents, Mom & Maeve) all made it back just fine. The first two to three hours of the flight were tough as it was Maeve's bedtime and she was tired...only problem is that she likes to be laying down on her stomach when she sleeps. So the question is, "How many times can Mommy walk up and down the airplane aisle with her upset little girl?". The answer is, "Many, many times. " :) She finally crashed out splayed across my Dad's and mine laps. It was adorable.

Now that is just a memory and Maeve is zonked out in her new room and enjoying life again. Just to bring everyone up to date. Guangzhou was very nice. Maeve really opened up, not just with me, but Grandma & Grandpa too. She smiles, laughs, giggles and plays. She still grieves a little bit, but now she looks to me for comfort and is comforted. Such a huge step for such a short time span.

Just to catch everyone up. We arrived late on Friday night in Guangzhou and checked in to the very lovely White Swan Hotel. This is the last leg of the adoption trip for everyone, so we saw all the other GWCA families with their newly adopted children from other provinces. It was a real treat to see all the new and expanded families. While there we finalized our paperwork for the American Consulate to obtain our daughter's Visas allowing them to come into the US and become citizens. So we tromped off for passport photos and then the doctor's exam. All went fine, except Maeve cried whenever I had to hand her to anyone. Of course, about half the babies did this too, so we were not alone. After that, we were pretty much done and just waiting for the Consulate to process our paperwork and issue the Visas. We did some sightseeing and, of course, some shopping. I had a lot of fun bargaining the prices lower - I was in my element! Maeve had a great time seeing the sights, visiting the White Swan play room and hanging out with Grandma & Grandpa. We did have one scare! Our last stop on Tuesday was a visit to the US Consulate to take our oath and pick up our Visas, then straight to the airport. We arrived to discover that the computers were down and they only had processed half of the Visas, so some families would not be able to leave (their babies did not have legal status to enter the US without the Visa). That was a heart stopper, luckily we were in the group that made it and were able to travel on time. Unfortunately, I know some of the families that did not get their Visas and will possibly be delayed. Our guide was on the phone the entire trip to the airport and walking us through our check in process working with the US Consulate on this. He told me before we left that the computers were back up and everyone else would have their Visas first thing in the morning. I will say the US Consulate was great about this problem. They really took it seriously and had escalated the problem stateside. There wasn't anyway they could issue the Visas, but they expanded their hours and dedicated themselves to resolving this issue. They were there to answer any question and/or concern and really did their best to take care of the families that were without their Visas.

I promise I will download pictures and post them tomorrow.

A Good Day

2007-04-05T17:07:00.000-07:00

After receiving our babies, we have had one activity or tour planned each day. Wednesday was a trip to Walmart to stock up on formula, diapers and other baby goodies. Thursday was a trip to a historic area of Chongqing, full of shops and odds & ends to see. After the trip to the historic area some of the families went out to a local Chinese restaurant for lunch. It amazes me how cheap it is to eat in China! This was a nice restaurant and they brought out dish after dish after dish, placing them all on a lazy susan in the middle of the table for us to share. At the end of the meal we split the bill. Including tip, it was about $7 a person. It is more expensive to eat at McDonalds at home!

In the afternoon, some of the families had requested to go to the zoo and see the pandas. I had originally wanted to do this, but after the excitement of the morning, Maeve was all tuckered out and napping too nicely to go. So Mom & Dad went and had a nice time. When they came back, they saw a completely different Maeve! She woke up from her nap, had a bottle, looked around and decided she liked me after all. :) We played all afternoon and she never cried once. Even better...she laughed. Yes, she was laughing and smiling all afternoon. Now that will beat those big stinky pandas any day of the week! :))

Maeve is definitely attached to me and she is getting used to Grandma & Grandpa too. Grandma even got to give her a kiss last night without a bit of fuss. This morning, Grandpa held her while I ate breakfast. She wasn't too happy at first, but then she settled in and enjoyed her little walk with Grandpa.

I have to say that I personally believe my baby carrier (I have a Mei Tei style carrier, specifically a Babyhawk Mei Tei) is the best invention since the wheel. Maeve loves it! If she starts to fuss or become upset, in she goes, we walk a little bit and she calms right down. She just snuggles in it as close to me as possible and is just is content as can be. I'm so glad I brought it with me and didn't wait until I came home to try it out.

Here are some pictures. Enjoy!

Our First Full Day

2007-04-04T14:45:00.000-07:00

Our first day together went very well. Maeve was much calmer and definitely attached to me. My poor little girl is still greiving and will be for some time. She calls for her nanny anytime she gets upset. I'm so sad that I can't produce her nanny for her, but I know that in time that attachment will transfer to me. I'm already working my way up there.

Maeve doesn't appear ever to have had solid foods, so we are sticking to the bottle. I'm trying to introduce some easy stuff like rice, congee and bits of fruit. She likes to watch me eat, so when she grabs at that I give her a little. She did manage to figure out how to get ALL the cheerios out of the snack trap. She didn't eat them, but was fascinated by all the "new" toys she had to play with. :)

Most of the day went well. I think she only thought about her nanny when she was fussy because of hunger or needed her diaper changed. Then she was looking for the person who normally did this, missed her and was so sad. I did get some smiles and chuckles from her by the end of the day and she reaches for me if I don't have her in my arms already. Last night while walking the hallways in our new nightly routine, she was snuggled in as close as possible to me and just as content as could be. It is a slow process, but we will make it just fine.

Yesterday, I finally looked around at all the other babies and it amazes me the different personalities each of them have. All are about the same age and many from the same orphanage, but that is where the similarities end. Some are timid, barely willing to look up at their new parents, others are shreiking with laughter already. Some are little barrels, eating anything in sight and others are the finickiest of eaters. All are just amazing!

Here are some pictures. Dad has most of the day's pictures on his camera, so this is just of mine. "Baby behind Bars". :) Actually, these are the pictures I took when I layed her down for her nap and later at night when I layed her down to go to bed. She likes to play with her toys for a few minutes first, then settle in.

She's Here!

2007-04-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

My group met at 9:30am to fill out paperwork and had an unexpected surprise...an updated photo!
Then at 2pm it was time to leave to go get Maeve. After a short drive to the Civil Affairs Office and a quick trip on the elevator to the 14th floor, we were there. The place was organized bedlam, as there were several groups of families there completing their paperwork. Everyone else had their babies, so it was easy to spot the nannies with our babies. They were in a separate room. The walls were glass so of course we all flocked over and stared. I picked Maeve out right away!
Now it was time. One at a time they called the families to meet their new children. Dad was videoing and Mom took pictures of it all. And here she is...

Some of the babies never even cried, not my daughter, she has a set of lungs and knows how to use them. Don't worry, it is a good sign! After spending some time on the last bit of paperwork, we were able to speak to the nannies. Maeve's favorite nanny answered all of my questions and it was obvious she was very well loved while in the orphanage. I am happy to say she is healthy, not even a runny nose and completely beautiful. All the girls from Xiu Shan Orphanage had the same cute little outfit on and all looked wonderful! After all this excitement, it was time to go back to the hotel. Maeve took it in stride only crying a little along the way. She was starting to stare at me when she thought I wasn't looking, but looked away as soon as I looked at her. I had put her in her baby carrier and that really helped calm her down. She loves her baby carrier (Thank you Aunt MaryAnn!!)

When we got back to the hotel, we met with our guide to go over Maeve's schedule for feeding and sleeping that the nannies had given us. It was in Chinese so Michael interpreted for us. Then it was time for a diaper change and a new set of clothes. Although Maeve wasn't happy about either of these things, it allowed me to get a close look at her and check to make sure she was healthy. She is and a good weight too. She is a year old, and is fitting into the 9 month sizes that I brought along. Later, she took a little bottle, but not much. She was still looking around and getting use to her new surroundings, but now she didn't look away when I looked at her. She was definitely clinging onto me at this point. So, what's a new family to do? Off to dinner of course. :)

We went to the hotel restaurant and Maeve took it all in. She watched as I ate and tried a little rice and a bit of the congee I ordered for her, but she still wasn't that interested. She did start to babble and I think I almost saw a smile (or at least she thought about it) when we were playing with her keys. After dinner, we hung out with Mom & Dad for awhile, while Dad downloaded all of his pictures for me. Then it was time to walk the hallways. :) Maeve was tired, but not interested in sleeping just yet. I know they play music at her orphanage, so we walked and sang a lullaby. She loved that and stared at me the whole time I was singing. The nannies also said she liked cartoons, so later we sat on the bed and watched Chinese cartoons and played with her toys. She still cried every once in awhile, but just short little bursts and then she was done. At 9pm it was time to put her down for the night. I was a bit nervous on this one. Sure enough, she wailed when I set her down, but just for a minute. She then flipped over, looked around and literally just sprawled out to go to sleep. The funny part was when she suddenly jumped up and hurridly looked around the room until she saw me. It was like she was thinking, "That's right. I must stare at her still for awhile." I gave her her keys and she proceeded to go all around her crib, alternating playing with her keys and staring at me. She had quite the day!

Currently, she is sound asleep and I can already tell a difference in her from this afternoon to this evening in her disposition and how she is getting along. She went from utterly terrified to calm, from not even wanting to look at me to staring right back at me, to pushing away any new toy given her to playing. She was starting to babble before I put her down and definitely likes to be held (again thank goodness for the baby carrier.) By the way, she doesn't suck her thumb, but the two middle fingers of her hand. It is so cute.

6 Hours to Maeve

2007-04-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

Everyone in the group is all ready! We meet with our guide this morning to fill out paperwork and then this afternoon we board the bus to go to the Civil Affairs Office. Babies at 2:30pm this afternoon. Dad is trained and ready on the camcorder. Mom has her tissues ready and my backpack of goodies is all set!

Still One Day to Maeve

2007-04-02T03:38:00.000-07:00

Talk about an exciting day. :)

Besides all the excitement of the false alarm for Maeve's arrival we had another fun filled day. The weather cooled down and it rained over night. Still drizzling this morning, I half expected not to really enjoy the days outings. I was wrong...we had a great time! The group started the day with a trip to E'Ling Park. This is situated very high over the city and has a wonderful panoramic view of all of Chongqing. It was a pleasant drive there and well worth the short hike up a steep path to the view point. Also situated in the park was the old museum (there is a newer more modern version now) of the Three Gorges Dam project. We had a guided tour of the museum and the museum guide did a wonderful job explaining everything to us about the dam and the areas it affects. In the museum was a very nice gift shop (of course) that specialized in local art. Both Dad & I purchased Dam memorabilia and I also found a beautiful piece of art painted onto a leaf, a specialty of this area.

After the museum, the group headed down to a Tea House and was treated to a delightful presentation on tea preparation and encouraged to taste several varieties. Everyone really enjoyed this and it showed with all the bags of purchases that we were all carrying on our way back to the bus. I especially liked the sales girl. Every tea I asked a question about, she carefully explained it to me while taking it and putting it into a bag for me to purchase. I asked a lot of questions, so I might be looking to buy an extra suitcase here. :)

After this, our guide had arranged a very nice lunch in a restaurant specializing in the local favorite - Hot Pot. Here, they have a cauldron of seasoned boilig water in the middle of the table. Ours was separated in to two sections, one for Hot and another for Mild. The waitress brings over a variety of vegetables, meats, noodles, etc. and puts them in the Hot Pot to cook. When they are finished, she ladles them out into a small bowl by your plate. Each person, placed vinegar, garlic and sesame oil to their taste in the bowl to further season the food and then you eat. The food just kept coming and we kept eating. It was a real treat. Some even tried the Hot variety, which was extremely spicy and hot.

Then it was back to the hotel, where Mom, Dad & I joined Michael & Candace (one of the other adoping couples) in the hotel bar to chat for awhile. We sampled one of the local beers and it was really good. I read somewhere that the German influence in China made for good beer. Not sure on my history of the German influence, but I will vouch for the good beer. :)

Later in the evening, we had our "Baby False Alarm" that I described in an earlier post. After that excitement we all met for cake to celebrate our babies a day early. On my way to the party, guess what I saw. Not our babies, but a group of babies on their way to their new parents. That will be me tomorrow!

FALSE ALARM!!!!

2007-04-02T03:15:00.000-07:00

"Laura, I need you to bring your camera or camcorder down to the lobby right now!" This is what Michael (our guide) told me after calling me in my room about a hour ago. It didn't click as to why, so I asked, "Why is that?". "The babies are coming directly to the hotel. They are on their way and will be here very soon!!" was the response.

Talk about flying into action. After slamming down the phone, ringing my parents to wake them up and get them going, I tore around the room grabbing things that I had wanted to take with me. Of course I couldn't remember/find most of it, so I settled for a blankie, my camcorder & her picture. Ran over to Mom & Dad's room to get them and headed to the elevators. Meanwhile some folks were just returning from the store and didn't even know yet, so the ones that did were spreading the news. Turns out that Michael thought the five babies from the Xiu Shan orphanage were on their way over. Just picture five anxious families hovering in the lobby, watching every taxi, van and bus that approached the hotel. Many of the other families were there too, waiting with cameras in hand ready to help us video and photograph our moment.

Unfortunately...
It turned out to be a mistake. Not Michael's fault, rather the babies in question were going to another group at another hotel and somebody had confused the two groups and contacted Michael by mistake. After an anxious half hour of lobby pacing, they contacted our guide and informed him of the mistake. Poor Michael felt horrible, but everyone took it in stride (just another up/down in the adoption roller coaster). We are still on for tomorrow. One nice thing about this is one family's parents are not in yet (their flight was delayed.) Although we didn't get our babies tonight, at least everyone will be there tomorrow when we do.

PS - One quick note. When the "baby drill" went off, Mom was ready to go right when I went to their door. On the other hand, Dad was checking batteries and took a little longer. Hmmm....Mom & I are going to have to have a long talk with him tonight about being fully prepared at all times to make sure he is ready for tomorrow. :) He wasn't alone. On the elevator down, all the Moms were there, but no Dads. :))