Our Little Pumpkin

Saturday was my birthday... my first as a mom!  It goes without saying that I already have the best gift I could ever ask for or get, but I got some other cool things, too.  Mark skipped cutting the grass at church, at my request (plus it was raining) and stayed home and cooked a big, yummy breakfast of pancakes and eggs and waffles.  I was presented with a card "signed" by Anna Kathryn to her mommy (a squiggle) with some help from Daddy.  This is what I overheard as they worked on the card: "No... don't eat the pen... or the card... good job, Anna Kathryn!"

Mark went out later on for a haircut while I stayed home with Little Miss Sunshine to do some things around the house, put her down for a nap, and get a shower.  When Mark came home, he had more goodies:  a gift certificate for a spa afternoon (massage, facial, and manicure) and for a new Vera Bradley pocketbook.  Mine is starting to shred, so I was very excited about that gift. Can't wait for the massage, either-- I still can't seem to get rid of the neck ache I developed in China.  A day of pampering is always a perfect gift!  Mark always does a fantastic job on the gift front.  

Lots of cards and well-wishes came in the mail, on the phone, and via Facebook from friends and family.  Allison gave me this book and I am pleased to say that it is maybe a little trashy, but fun.  I feel so loved... thanks, everyone!!

In the late afternoon the sun finally peeked out, everyone got up from their naps, and we headed out to a local farm to visit the pumpkin patch, go on the hayride, and visit the petting zoo with Allison, David, and Maggie.  Lots of fun, and Anna Kathryn helped pick out 2 cute little pumpkins after we visited the animals in the barn.  She didn't mind the smells and sounds at all.  In fact, Mark caught her chewing a little on the metal gate to the cow pen ((shudder)).  

Anna Kathryn has learned how to clap and everything is worthy of applause-- especially an outing to the pumpkin patch!

Mark thought Anna Kathryn needed to get up close and personal with the pigs.  

Anna Kathryn and Daddy meet-- and pet-- the goats.  

Our little pumpkin... waving "bye-bye" (she can almost say it, too!)

 Why are Allison and I the only ones smiling in this picture?

Skipping along with "March"

Our family, October 2008

Anna Kathryn was so tuckered out from all the fresh air and family fun that she conked out on the way to dinner, and continued to snooze in my arms as we waited for a table (I managed to sip my drink without spilling it on her...or me... there's some mom multi-tasking for you!).  We had a long and totally indulgent dinner at Firebirds.  I had a pomegranate martini (so so good), homemade potato chips with blue cheese, a filet with parmesan mashed potatoes, and creme brulee cheesecake.  There are no calories in food on one's birthday!  

Then Allison and I decided we needed to go to Old Navy, so we dragged the kids and guys there. We bought new yoga pants.  In black-- a winter wardrobe workhorse.  My old ones are dead and have paint splattered on them.  We both needed new ones, plus there was no way I was going to try anything else on with such a full belly!  They had some kind of pre-Halloween promotion going, so I got 31% off the pants-- yay!  Always nice to get an unexpected bargain.  The guys were thankful to get out of the store fairly quickly and really cheaply.  After that, home to bed, dreaming of pumpkins and cheesecake.  

 It really was the happiest birthday I have had in a long, long time.  

An American Girl

Yesterday we got Anna Kathryn's Certificate of Citizenship from USCIS in the mail.  We knew that she became a U.S. Citizen the moment our plane touched down on American soil the night of September 27, but somehow this makes it seem more real.  Now we have the piece of paper to prove it.  She also got a lovely form letter from President Bush congratulating her on her new status as an American.  All adopted children travel home on a passport from their country of origin and on an immigration visa from the U.S., because their citizenship papers have to be hand delivered to the immigration officials at the airport.  I think that it is pretty cool that Anna Kathryn departed from China in the capital city, Beijing, and landed in her new home's capital city, Washington, D.C.  

After two accordion files worth of paperwork, many hoops to jump, and the frequent frustrations of a predictable but unpredictable process, it's nice to see the end in sight.  Now I can apply for her Social Security number and, well, do more paperwork.  Our first post-placement report is due to AWAA next week, since the 27th marks one month since we returned.  It's hard to believe that our first month at home together is almost over already... time really does go by so quickly.   

Are you ready to have children?

I would have found this to be funny 2 months ago, but now I totally get it.

A Welcome Home Party

On Saturday, our friends from Parkwood Middle threw a "Welcome Home, Anna Kathryn" party at a local park.  It was a chilly but seasonal fall day, and the hostesses (Allison S., Linda, Randi, and Allison M.) did a great job with the whole bash.  

The food was yummy (fried chicken, Paula Deen's macaroni and cheese, salads galore, homemade black bean salsa) and the company excited to meet, at long last, our darling daughter.   She worked the crowd like a pro.   I enjoyed having plenty of time to visit with friends we just do not get to see enough now that Mark and I both teach elsewhere.  The little kids ran around a lot and Anna Kathryn really wanted to be off running with them.  She settled for snitching ball caps off of several of the guys' heads and romping with daddy.  She also got to indulge in cake icing 2 whole weeks before her birthday party!

The cake was dee-lish.  Buttercream frosting and chocolate mousse filling.  

Out of all of the shots of our family, we never did get one where we were all smiling.  Sigh.  Anna Kathryn had a great time, despite this weird expression on her face. 

Mark and the girls

After a busy day, a bath was a must.  Mark, Chief Bather, opted for a rednecky bath in the kitchen sink this night.  Anna Kathryn splashed to her heart's content!  My sink was real clean and shiny afterward, too.

The Sweetest Thing

Bedtime for Anna Kathryn with Nana.

Asleep in Pop-Pop's arms.

Anna Kathryn's first trip to Sonny's.  Aunt Hillary was so proud of her BBQ eating efforts!

Playing peekaboo with daddy at dinnertime.

Go Panthers!! (Mark picked out the cheerleader outfit)

One month and one day ago Anna Kathryn was placed into my arms in the doorway of a hotel room in Nanchang, China.  Mark took a bunch of pictures, and then it was his turn to hold her.  

Four and a half hours later, we had completed the adoption proceedings.  Anna Kathryn was ours forever!  The long wait for her was finally over.

And my life changed forever.  

I love love love being Anna Kathryn's mom!!

So much, that I've really enjoyed being unplugged from the computer for the past few weeks... to an extent.  I do check my Google Reader and e-mail daily.  Gotta stay in touch with the outside world, ya know.  But, I honestly was focused on our family, and adjusting to life at home with a baby, and just didn't feel like blogging.  

Right now, I'm on maternity leave from my job until December 1.  I get to spend my days with my baby, and so far I cannot even bring myself to think about "Black Monday."  It's not always easy being at home with her, but it is always good.  We have settled into a bit of a routine, and I enjoy our quiet mornings, lots of playtime, and a daily outing (to the library for storytime or to lunch with a friend or mochas with Allison and Maggie (highlight of the week) or --of course- Target.  We go at least twice a week.).  

Her naptimes are getting easier, although she tends to go down during a "window" of time rather than a set time, and the length is unpredictable.  In the grand tradition of moms everywhere, I am always conflicted as to what to do during naptime:  should I tackle the to-do list, or enjoy some R & R?  I try to do a little of both.  She is sleeping through the night again (hallelujah!!) so I get plenty of sleep, for which I am truly grateful.  (Maybe God knew I just wouldn't do so well with the whole newborn sleep deprivation thing.  Definitely an advantage to adopting a 10 month old!!)

Anna Kathryn is so playful; her favorites are peek-a-boo, tickle monster, sliding down the side of the bed into our arms, and looking at herself in the mirror.  She continues to add new skills almost daily.  This week she figured out how to roll form her tummy into a sitting position, pull herself up into a standing position, and she is becoming a pretty speedy crawler.  She crawls really well with some motivation set in front of her, like the remote, a magazine, or one of the cats.  

Life is really, really good.  It's been a long time coming, too.  Mark used to pray that one day, when we had our baby, that our house would again be filled with laughter and singing.  And it is.  Every day.  Although the singing is rather off-key.   

I never did post about our last 2 days in China-- we were too busy.  Here's a little recap.  The next to last day (Thursday) was a little rough-- I was in a weird mood and got all stressed out trying to complete our shopping list on Shamian Island.  We ate dinner at a restaurant with good food but a loud atmosphere, and honestly, I was just done for the day.  

Our last full day, Friday,  we met the other families in our travel group for a photo session.  Then, Mark, Anna Kathryn and I headed back to Shamian Island on our own to complete our shopping.  We had a really fun time shopping, found some lovely things for family and AK, I got a Starbucks mocha (bliss), and I even captured some cool shots of bridal couples posing for their portraits and models at a shoot (lots of ads and commercials are shot on the Island because it has a very European feel, having once been the site for most of the Consulates).  In the afternoon, we trucked over to the consulate for the swearing in ceremony, where we swore that all of the info we put in our paperwork was true.  That was it.  Hard to believe all the build-up was for that.  Plus we got the all-important brown envelope with AK's immigration and citizenship documents.  That night we went out to the Chinese Restaurant in our hotel for dinner with three other families.  It was a bit of a circus, but lots of fun.  We had some language barrier challenges with ordering, but the food we ended up getting was delicious.  My favorite was a dish of sauteed green beans with pork.  SO good.  My mouth waters just thinking of it.  One of the guys, Tim, ordered something with a name like "Essence of Frog with Snow Crab."  It looked like tapioca pudding mixed with white jello.  I sampled it, and the taste wasn't bad, but the texture... ew.  Guess who loved it though?? Go here to find out!  (This is my first attempt at using Flickr, so the pictures are out of order.  Frog Jello pics are on page 3).

So, I'm back in the bloggy world now.  It's good to be back!  But better to be home with Little Miss Sunshine.