She's walking!!

She went from only a few steps around Christmas to this! We're having so much fun...Please don't take this the wrong way, but I feel like a little girl who finally got that puppy she's always wanted...I just love her SOOOOO much!



Normally, she must be the one to throw the diaper away, flip the lever, and close the door...guess she was camera shy.

Much love,

Some favorites from Christmas

Is this another relative???


Uncle Robby and Aunt Krissy


Jamie, Jacalyn, and Christopher


Jack talking to Frosty...then asking Bada if he can use the microphone...We thought we had him fooled...


Still for the moment..


Sophie tries so hard to keep up with CJ


Alyssa helping me learn to walk


Logan is so good with Sophie


I have a Superhero in my family


OK, what just happened to Frosty??

Love to all,

Meeting new family..

Here's a few pics from our first days home..


We're HOME ! !


Another Nana...Nana Rose


And .... It's Papa!


My big brother, Corey.


And my big sis, Jamie.


And...my nephew, CJ (wait, he's 4 months older than me!)...we'll call 'em cousins!


More cousins...


Aunt Kelley will teach me all about flowers...and how to accessorize!

Love to all,

We're HOME ! ! !

Here's some pics from the airport. Sorry for the delay in posting...I'm learning this whole Mom thing...when I'm not holding, loving, kissing, feeding, bathing, changing, playing with, reading to, and just plain staring at Sophie, I'm trying to dust, vacuum, clean bathrooms - yikes!, scoop poop - we have a kitty, pay bills, check e-mails, send e-mails, separate the laundry, actually put the laundry IN the washing machine - yes, I've washed a few loads of water, put the laundry in the dryer, get the laudry out with less than 3 restarts to avoid wrinkles, actually put away the laundry, make phone calls, etc. etc....

Very special thanks to those at the airport! As Barry said, "it's our delivery room" and it meant so much to us that you were there to welcome Sophie to the family. We'll never forget that day!


Katelyn, the youngest addition to the family.


The Clan...


Aunt Vicki, with Tristan and Gracie (4 years old the day we came home).


Rilyn, Ryan, Mandy (Thanks for the pics!), Mike, and Kelly.


Nana, Aunt Rhonda, Nana...she has lots of Nana's!!


Jack and Ava and ... The wait is over...


Barry and I put on our chinese shirts and put Sophie in Red, White, and Blue!


Flags everywhere!


I think Jack talked about Sophie coming home as much as I did.


Ava was very cautious and gentle.


The first grins were for Uncle Eric.


Aunt Tracey and cousin Jeni.


Nana...Mommy's Mom.


Another Nana...Daddy's Mom.


Papa...yep, she's got a couple of those, too!


Nana's and Aunt Kim.


Aunt Tracey...may not let her go!


First car seat...she screamed for 15 minutes - I'm deaf in my right ear now.


Aunt Kim gives her the first bath at home!

Please check back soon for updates and video...She's walking!!

Love to all,

Last days in China

Our last post was Monday,12/10. After that we were unable to access the blog..then we got home and well, all the visiting and visitors, being sick, and then our glorious Christmas just put me behind on posting. To try and catch you up, the last two days in China were great in one way - we got to spend a lot of mellow time with Sophie, but really tough in another...seems I caught some kind of stomach bug and brought it home.

The flight home was MUCH better than the flight to China...other than my tummy issues. No crazy happenings...but about 20 minutes into our first flight, though, Sophie did a "number" and my fabulous husband, feeling sorry for me, volunteered to do the diaper change. He had not changed one poopy diaper, then had to do it in an airplane bathroom. I felt so bad for him...only for a few seconds, though :) Out of about 20 hours of flying time, Sophie had about 3 rough hours. She made lots of friends!

I'll never forget this trip and will tell Sophie about it often. She comes from a very beautiful country, with a very rich history.


Our last group picture.


Sophie suddenly becomes a "cling on" baby.


But we had to get the famous Red Couch picture.


Ahhh, I have my mommy again. All is good!


Can we remove the hair accessory now???


I love my family!!


Feeling brave...no one around except for mommy and daddy.




Our gorgeous daughter...we are so in love with her.


Hope to see you again soon, Gemma!


Hmmm, tell me more about Christmas....




Building renovation next to our hotel.


The scaffolding is made of bamboo and twine...Can you say OSHA violation??


Sand worms available at the restaurant around the corner...if only my stomach had been feeling better, I would have tried some...sure, yeah, I would have..


Which one did you want for dinner? This one? No, that one...I never did figure out how they resolved that situation...


The inner cities are dense with high rise apartment buildings.


Big girl riding a bus home after the American side of the adoption is final.


Not so big girl wanting to know "How much longer??"


My last bath in China.

All is going well at home. Sophie is having a time getting used to sleeping in a room alone. I spend a lot of time in the rocking chair with her in her room. She did sleep with us twice and it was wonderful, but we feel it's best for her to feel comfortable in her own room. Say a prayer for her...and for me, it's tough hearing this baby I've waited so long for cry...

Will give another update soon. Love to all...