Fun Times...

The past few days have been busy, but a ton of fun!

Julia stayed with us overnight, which meant huge amounts of excitement for Maelyn. We weren't even out of the car to pick her up at school and Maelyn was already calling out for her Julia. The two of them giggled and danced to the music all the way home.

After homework, making Julia's lunch, dinner, and then bathing, the girls were ready for a night of fun!

Paul, Julia and Maelyn played flashlight hide and seek...I have no idea how that game is played -- I was at Zumba class and Paul apparently invented the game. When I got home, we put the girls to bed. Maelyn desperately wanted to stay with Julia and tried her best to convince us that she could stay with her -- even pretending that she was asleep!

Today, after we dropped Julia off at school, Maelyn and I tackled a baking project together. I wanted to make some apple desserts to use up some of the apples we had picked.

 Maelyn grabbed the apple I had peeled and started munching...

Helping Mama clean up...

 Ready to be baked...

 Okay -- I set off the alarm....apparently these muffins are BIG ones...ooops!!

Oh well....they were still pretty tasty!

Once we were done baking and tidying, Maelyn found her bin of winter wear and decided to try on every single thing....and then chose a hat to wear during lunch...

What a great way to spend the past few days -- with friends and a little one I love dearly.

Giving Thanks

I have been really excited about the holiday season starting -- Thanksgiving, Halloween and Christmas! This year is especially exciting as it is our first holiday season in our new home and as a family of three.

Anyone who really knows me knows how much I LOVE any kind of holiday and the traditions that go along with it -- including the decorating. The only problem with wanting to go all out this year is not having the budget to support it -- being off on adoption leave is a delicate balance between wants and needs. So...I kept the decorating for Thanksgiving low-key. I love the way in which the forest behind our house drops beautiful leaves on the ground and adds to the fall look around our house -- all for free! :)

This year Paul and I hosted my Mom's side of the family for Thanksgiving dinner -- our first big holiday gathering. We planned out the meal ahead of time and felt completely on top of things -- but didn't realize how difficult it would be to look after Maelyn and cook at the same time. Thankfully, my sister and brother-in-law were there to make sure that she was entertained and fed. Even more importantly, they made sure that she was comfortable in the crowd of people we had over.

Normally the 'kids' are relegated to the smaller table, but this year the 'kids' outnumbered the parents -- the balance of power has shifted!

Spending quality time with siblings and cousins...

Although we try to take the time to appreciate how lucky we are, this year we are especially thankful for the people in our lives. Our family and friends have shown us a tremendous amount of love and support over the past year -- the likes of which we could have never imagined. You all need to know how much we love you and are grateful for your presence in our lives.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just because....

Pretend Play

Paul and I have had the privilege of watching our little girl grow and change daily. It has honestly been one of the most rewarding aspects of parenthood -- watching Maelyn learn new skills and blossom in her interactions with her doting parents, family and friends.

One of the biggest changes has happened over the past week. Maelyn has started to engage in 'pretend play.' It is fascinating to watch Maelyn play out her knowledge of how the world works. It started with pushing the grocery cart that she received from Lianne and the girls all around the house. In the cart she discovered a small tea pot and cup and promptly made us a thousand cups of the best tea Paul and I had ever sampled. Maelyn enjoys playing tea party so much that she will take us by the hand and pat the ground beside her to tell us that she wants us to sit down and serve us her tea specialties.

Maelyn has also really taken to dolls and teddy bears, making them take on human characteristics. She now puts her stuffed animals in the cart, just as she sits in the cart while Mama shops. Maelyn even makes the teddy bears wave and say hello to us while they pass us in the hallway.

While in the bathtub, Maelyn likes to have me put my arm over the side of the tub and douses it in water. She then rubs her hands together and rubs my arm -- just like when we put lotion on her each evening. It was an experience that reminded me so very much of playing beauty salon and house with Brya and Cassidy. You couldn't have peeled the smile off my face if you tried!

Maelyn has also started making Paul and I carry out some of her pretend play -- by grabbing our hands and/or arms and making us do things like hug her teddy bears, turn pages in books, etc. We have a routine at bedtime of hugging as a family, Paul and I kissing each other and then kissing Maelyn. Last night when we started to hug, Maelyn put her hand at the back of my head and started pushing me towards Paul -- she wanted us to kiss! She then proceeded to kiss us over and over again. I felt chocked up and so grateful for my family.

AM told me shortly after we came home from our adoption experience that we would find ourselves loving Maelyn more and more deeply as time went on -- without realizing that a deeper love was even possible. As always, she was so right! I find myself catching my breath when I steal a glance at her and watch her develop and learn daily -- what an amazing privilege it is to be the Mama of such a special little girl.

It is a gift to have friends who we can relate to as parents -- especially as adoptive parents. When we met Leanne and Joad a year ago, we hoped that we would be able to go on this journey together. We knew that it would help to be able to relate to another couple going through the same thing at the same time -- not to mention the joy of having the girls grow up together.

We have been able to get together a few times since we have returned from China. What a blast it has been to see the girls play together and to listen to their giggles.

Leanne and I loved watching the girls run around together on the couch -- their laughter was infectious!

We are so happy to have them in our lives and we are looking forward to years of getting together and watching our daughters and our families grow.

A visit with Maelyn's jie jie's

About six weeks after we got home from China, we were finally able to visit with friends that are more like family - Lianne and my girls. :)

Lianne has been right by our sides throughout our entire adoption process, always taking calls and helping us through any situations we come across, talking on the phone and emailing, often. When summer vacations and plans meant that we didn't get to talk very often for the first six weeks we were home, it made it that much sweeter to be able to visit with Lianne and the girls in person.

The absolute best part of the day was being able to see the three girls together -- and the love that Lianne and her girls give Maelyn so freely is one of the best feelings in the world! It is wonderful to know that our little girl has people who care about her as much as we do -- I think that support system is so very important.

Brya and Cassidy were absolutely fabulous with Maelyn. They played with her and kept her occupied throughout the entire visit -- they didn't tire of her at all!

Even Auntie Lianne got in on the action...

After dinner we went for a walk and headed to the park. Maelyn now loves the park and we had a fabulous time exploring the park together.

On our way to the park, we spotted some ducks at the edge of the pond. The girls fed the ducks and were showing them to Maelyn.

We had a fabulous visit! For me, it was an amazing opportunity to chat with a great friend -- something that I had been in need of very badly! Lianne put up with my non-stop chatter and by the end of the evening, I felt like I had had a wonderful break and the adult interaction I had been needing. :)

We are looking forward to years of wonderful memories with the god-sisters -- we love you all very much!

Happy Birthday!!

Today Maelyn turns two years old. Her first birthday that we have celebrated as a family.

Today is a day of happiness and also a day of reflection. We are thinking of our little girl's birth parents, as I am sure they are thinking of her on this special day. We feel a love for them that is hard to describe. They brought our little one into the world, which then helped to create our family. We wish that we could thank them in person, but we speak to them from our hearts and hope that somewhere in China, they hear our whispers.

Lighting candles...one for Maelyn and one for each of her birth parents

Today is also a  day of joy as we help Maelyn celebrate the milestone of turning two years old. We decided to keep the day low-key, having a get-together with my parents, sister and brother-in-law, and Auntie April. What I can't believe is how excited I was for this day. Celebrations and traditions are very important to me and this is the first time that we got to create our traditions as a family.

We measured Maelyn's height and recorded it on the wall in her closet. Then, we made her hand print and footprint in plaster.

Preparing to make her footprint...

Getting ready for the party...

Opening gifts for the first time....and loving it!

Singing Happy Birthday -- Maelyn loved the candles!

Not certain about the cake at first....only dipping in one finger...

Getting into it -- in goes the entire hand!

Both hands and all over the face...

Looking at herself in the mirror afterwards...

We had a fabulous time celebrating with family and we know that our little girl is so very loved. Happy Birthday, Maelyn!

A long week...

I had always dreaded the moment when Maelyn would get her first cold or flue. I hate seeing others suffer through illness and really didn't want to deal with watching my child feeling sick. What I hadn't bargained for was that all three of us would end up getting sick at the same time.

How do you veteran parents handle the entire family getting sick?!

I have been sick with a bad head and chest cold for about a week now -- but I am finally starting to feel better. I found it really hard to take care of Maelyn all day when all I really want to do was crawl into bed. Then, a few days later, Maelyn caught my cold and the fun really began.

The coughing and sneezing, which was not a pretty sight, was non-stop in this house. Maelyn was quite miserable, ending up with a fever as well. She wanted to be held almost all day long, not accepting a cuddle on the couch in the slightest. I just couldn't hold her all day long, so I pulled out the toddler carrier that I had brought to China. It was the best thing I could have done -- it worked so well! She was very content to be resting and sleeping again me, her head snuggled into me and going with me wherever I went.

I would count down the hours until Paul could come home and help out -- but she always seemed to do better in the late afternoon and evenings, after having had a nap. Sleeping during the night, however, did not go so smoothly. I have been up with Maelyn at night A LOT and I can't wait to get back into our regular sleep routine -- we have been so spoiled with her ability to sleep for twelve hours at a time.

Now it is Paul's turn -- poor guy feels terrible. I cannot wait until we are all healthy again!

A few pics to share...

Helping Daddy take out the trash...

Notice the yogourt spread into her hair??