Tribute to Liliana

This is Liliana's birthday week (we celebrate for a full week in our family). Last night, we went to Dave and Buster's to kick off the celebration. Here's Liliana with the prize pony she chose at the end of game time. Big surprise--it's pink--perfect for her new bedroom in Mississippi.

As soon as we got home, she jumped on Bubble Gum (it's new name) as started riding around. All of the sudden, she jumped off, grabbed her yellow hard hat from the toy basket and put it on her head. She climbed back on the pony and started swinging the hat around, yelling, "Yeeeee-haw! Yeeee-haw!"



























Not only does Liliana have serious equestrian skills, but she has also become quite the little artist. Above is a drawing of "Miss Shelly," our Parents As Teachers specialist, who came to visit earlier that morning. Notice the curly hair and earrings. Miss Shelly will be so proud! Even at almost four years old, Liliana is still ambidextrous. She writes and plays equally well with both hands. It's actually very cool to see. I hope she will continue down this road. The opponents won't know what hit 'em when she bats or dribbles with her south paw! And, she so active that she's bound to break a hand at some point!



Speaking of which, watch our little monkey in action on the elliptical machine. She uses it for exercise, climbing and gymnastics!

Who Needs A Pool?

Liliana is hilarious. Every day, she has us laughing out loud at her silly antics. A couple days ago, I was on the sofa feeding Leila, while listening to Liliana play on the deck. When it got quiet, I quickly got up to check on her. This is what I found: princess Liliana seated on a plastic throne in the middle of her sandbox, which was filled with rainwater and toys.

She looked so pleased with her perch as she poured water all over her legs and arms (dispite Mommy's one request that she NOT get her dress wet). So much for that! You'll see her tough, independent side in the video that follows. I love parenthood!

Two Months

One of the things we often hear is how Leila Madeline fits right in with our family, and how she resembles Liliana as a baby. Here's Liliana when she was Leila's age. Although Liliana refused to show her sweet dimples, it's clear to see the similarity between the girls. One major difference: Liliana had a three-pound head start!

Yesterday was Leila's 2-month well-baby visit. Our pumpkin weighed in at 10 lbs., 13 oz., despite the recent increase in projectile vomiting. Due to a concern that Leila may have pyloric stenosis, the doc ordered an ultrasound at St. John's Mercy. Just three hours after her exam (and four painful shots), poor Leila had to undergo another round of poking and prodding.

Suffice it to say that there was a great deal of crying and screaming. And that was just my part! Seriously, though, Leila raged so hard at the hospital that we almost took her to the ER. After an hour of trying every soothing trick in the book, she finally calmed down enough to take her home. Sweet girl was so exhausted...and so were we!

Throughout the rest of the evening, Liliana held Leila's hand and kissed her on the head while saying, "It's alright, baby Leila. You'll feel better soon." Oh, they're so adorable together! I think they're going to be the best of friends!

I digress. So, a day of drama to determine that Leila has severe acid reflux and a spasming pylorus (no stenosis, praise the Lord). We had the opportunity to watch her organs function as the doc performed the ultrasound...which was pretty cool, but not worth a moment of our sweetie's suffering. We are now waiting to hear from the pediatrician to discuss how to proceed with Leila's treatment. We're praying for an effective strategy to alleviate all pain and discomfort.

Well, that's our Monday. Hope your week is terrific!
Blessings,

Leila at Two Months

Leila is two months old! She smiles all of the time, and she is an absolute delight! Now, if only her acid reflux would disappear--the symptoms increased dramatically this week, and (despite the changes we've made to help decrease it) the poor baby has been throwing up after almost every meal. We're praying that the doctor can give us a solution Monday morning.

Here's Leila Madeline in all her glory. She is so very loved!

Smiling Faces

Today was Liliana's 2nd day of school. And, yes, I did get her to school on time (thank you very much). She loves her teacher and her classmates, and I'm so thankful. Today I picked her up as the students were lining up to leave. As she walked away from the group, I heard at least seven little voices yell, "Bye, Liliana!" That was the highlight of my day.

The rest of our day was meltdown city. Chalk it up to adjustment. After all, this is her first week of school.

Yesterday I met with Leila's birthmother at Bethany's office. It was wonderful to spend some time with her, and it seemed like she enjoyed spending time with Leila & me. Leila showed off her superb eating and pooping skills. Two of the nastiest diapers ever. At least she was true to form!

Leila Madeline has been smiling at me A TON today. She's been alert and interactive for two-hour stretches, which makes life more interesting.

Here are some photos from earlier today. Enjoy!

Wedding Belle

Liliana is always beautiful to me, but she especially melted my heart Friday night. Here is my darling as we added the final touches for the wedding. We both agreed that she looked just like a princess.

The wedding ceremony and reception took place at the Butterfly House in Chesterfield. What a gorgeous setting for the event. We were so thankful for great (but humid) weather, instead of the thunderstorms that were predicted. Left: Liliana gazes at the lily pads on the pond.

This is one of my favorite photos of Liliana. Although she's probably thinking about creepy, crawly bugs or climbing on the playground, I prefer to think she's pondering how much she loves her mommy. Oh, she's gorgeous!

Liliana walks down the brick path, preparing for her big debut. She was so enamored with her surroundings that we didn't need toys to entertain her between photo sessions and the main event.

My little flower girl. Beneath this girly exterior is a well-rounded child who loves digging in the dirt as much as playing with dolls. Throughout the evening, she took a dozen adults by the hand and said "I have to show you something." At some point during each conversation she said, "Look! You cannot believe your eyes..."

When it was time to shine, Liliana knew exactly what to do...until the father of the bride handed her a crisp one dollar bill. Suddenly, the flower girl abandoned the plan and became the "dollar girl." She left the ring bearer and ran down the aisle (forgetting to sprinkle rose petals), saying, "Mommy, mommy! Look at my dollar!"

During the ceremony, Liliana was handsomely rewarded with Skittles (which were also a strategic move to keep her quiet for the nuptials). After the wedding, Liliana smiled through yet another photo session, and then she was free to eat, drink and be merry. Here we are with Cindy as we danced the night away.

Above, Liliana holds Kristen's train for a professional photo. As soon as the photographer was distracted, Mommy snapped one, too.

The event wasn't complete until we got our beloved family photo.

Congratulations, Kristen and Steven!

My Growing Girls

Okay, who's injecting my children with growth hormones? Kids are supposed to "grow like weeds," but this is insane!

Leila had a well-baby visit today. She's 5.5 weeks old and already weighs 9 lbs. 6 oz. (2 ounces less than Liliana was a birth)! Since little Leila started at only 6 lbs. 14 oz., I'd say she is growing by leaps and bounds.

Leila was so good for the doctor, who indicated that she's a perfectly healthy baby. Next visit, shots!

Liliana is, as usual, off the charts for height and weight. In addition, her shoe size increased from a 10 to a 12.5 over the summer. So much for the size 11 spring styles I bought on clearance last year. Looks like Liliana and I will be sharing shoes by the time she's in the 3rd grade (and I'm a size 10). Unbelievable!

What am I going to do with these girls? Gymnastics is out. Swimming and soccer are definitely in. Maybe basketball, too.

The Moods of Leila Madeline

Pure happiness. (My fave)

Sheer contentment.

Rare laughter.

All-too-common crying.

Shhh...Baby Sleeping

The only thing better than a peaceful, sleeping baby is a smiling baby! Here's Leila Madeline snoozing away. I have yet to capture that elusive smile on film, but yesterday I experienced one that lasted for 12 full seconds! Where's the camera when you need it?!

Our Little Hot Rod

From a very early age, we knew Liliana would be a daredevil. It started with climbing tall structures and jumping on beds and then quickly progressed to making obstacle courses and riding her bike (or a neighbor's scooter or skateboard) at mind-boggling speeds. Now, much to my chagrin, a friend gave us two motorized vehicles...and Daddy was only too happy to accept.

Here's Liliana on her hot rod (which she named "Orange"). Don't you just love the girly-girl on a tough lookin' roadster? Oh, the irony. Next she's going to be jumping out of airplanes. Please pray for us!

Have a looksie at Liliana's 2nd ride on her Hawg...

Sisterhood of the Shared Pillow

Today has been very special for us. Leila and I started with a pleasant (yippee) early morning feeding while I got my Fox & Friends fix. When Liliana woke up, I opened her door and held Leila so it looked like she was greeting her sister alone in the doorway. Liliana got a kick out of the antic.



















Then the two sweethearts shared a pillow for a few moments of especially memorable bonding. I love the first image, because the girls are gazing into one another's eyes. So precious! The second has obvious appeal--they're both visibly happy.




















Later, Leila experienced her first full bath (her umbilical cord finally came off to reveal a darling "innie"). Liliana gently bathed her, and Leila enjoyed every warm, sudsy moment.



















Here is a precious moment. Liliana washed Leila's tummy and called her "sweet pumpkin," while little wet baby looked directly at her.





















What adorable features, and what a sweet girl! It's remarkable how much Leila looks like Liliana did at that age, especially when she smiles. My next mission is to capture the gigantic smile that shows off Leila's dimples. She has begun smiling and cooing when she sees my face & hears my voice. So cool! Thank you, God, for this beautiful blessing!

Dauphin Island Vacation

We just returned from a dreamy vacation on Dauphin Island, where we stayed with Wade's family in a lovely beach house. All 14 of us made wonderful memories together as we lounged in the cottage, played on the beach, frolicked in the water, sailed and fished the ocean, dined on the daily catch and relaxed with loved ones. This was Leila's grand introduction to our family and her first vacation (in only her second week of life).

Here's Liliana in her new flip flops and wrap-around sunglasses... ready for the beach. She poses on the large deck that stretches behind the house and overlooks the bay and a small pond that draws pelicans and other water birds. Plenty of seashells and hermit crabs lined the beachfront and provided entertainment for the cousins.

On the gulf side of our house was a gorgeous beach with fine white sand and very few tourists. We spent many days hanging out in the sand, collecting shells and watching dolphins (stingrays and a jellyfish, too) while the children played. Here's Liliana, who enjoyed a brief moment buried in the sand (thanks to Daddy). She couldn't get enough of the beach!

Below, the cousins (minus sleeping Leila Madeline) pose during a breathtaking sunset. The final photo shows the entire family together on our last day of the vacation.

Our Girls...

Liliana Meets Leila

Yesterday Liliana had an opportunity to meet Leila and give her a bottle. We've been spending as much time with her as we can, while also respecting the birthmother's time. Last night I held Leila for three hours in a private nursery, and it was such a beautiful experience.

Leila sleeps for hours, then is alert for about 30 minutes before it's time to eat. She calmly looks around, makes adorable faces and doesn't cry until it's about one minute 'til bottle time. She is absolutely precious, and I'm so thankful to have so much bonding time in the hospital. Praise the Lord for this adoption!

Introducing Leila Madeline

We are delighted to announce that Leila Madeline was born this morning at 4:48am, weighing 6 lbs. 14 oz. and measuring 20 inches. She is a beautiful and healthy little angel, and we couldn't be happier to welcome her into our family. God willing, she will come home to us Wednesday morning. We praise God for this little miracle and pray that He will continue to bless the adoption process!

Fighting Fires and Carseats

After a brutal brawl with a viral infection, Liliana is officially on the mend. Here she is at Valley Park Fire District open house, where she fought "fires," drove the giant fire engine and posed for photo ops with mommy.

Our main mission was to have the infant car seats installed by a professional (thanks, Kyle), and we serendipitously discovered a world of fun with our local firefighters.

After witnessing two strong and thoroughly trained professionals (80, yes 80 hours of practice) push and pull for 30 minutes to properly install car seat bases in our vehicles, I have just question: Why should we be surprised that 85% of car seats are incorrectly installed by parents?

At least I can check one more thing off of my To Do list!