Audra's new look

This weekend we finally did it...

It was time for Audra to lose her "feathered" hair look.  She had so many different layers in her hair...shorter on the sides...and longest in the very back.  I was only keeping her long-layered-locks so that she could have her hair put up...all fancy...for the wedding.  So, now that the wedding is done I took her to my hairdresser, who has been doing my hair since I was in high school.  She is the one who gave Riley, Aidan and Maura their first haircuts as well. 

 

First cut...she wasn't too sure about what was happening

 She settled in quickly and did very well. 

She sat up in the hairdresser's chair all by herself.

The new look...

I LOVE the long bobbed cut on her.  But it does make her look older....I don't love that. 
All day she had people telling her how pretty she looks.

Now everyday won't have to be a "pig-tails day".  She will actually be able to wear her hair down without it getting in her eyes and mouth.

Charlotte has a bit of a new look too...

She was sooo excited to get her ears pierced!!!

The start of our party weekend...

We have been anticipating my sister's wedding for quite some time.  Friday night was finally "the night"!  She had always wanted Maura to be her flower girl.  And before we even brought Audra home she told us she wanted to include her as well.  We weren't sure how comfortable Audra would be with her new family and home after only three months...so we had no idea if she would be comfortable being a flower girl.  Before we traveled to China I ordered Maura's dress...and one for Audra too, just in case! 

 

Well, our girl does love being the center of attention, but we were a bit surprised how well she did.  She walked down the aisle while holding big brother, Aidan's hand...he was the ring bearer.  She didn't drop any of the petals from her basket but she was so adorable no one even noticed!  Once they made it to the end of the aisle she stood right next to me and held my hand during the ceremony.  My parents were sitting in the first row directly across from us and about 10 minute into the ceremony they were whispering to me that she was falling asleep.  Yep...falling asleep standing up, in her big frilly dress.  I could feel her leaning in close to me and every so often her knees would buckle a bit and that would wake her up.  I sure hope the photographer captured that moment!

 

My sweet Audra...

 

 My beautiful big girl, Maura...

 

 My girls with my mom...

 

 Loving each other...

 

Pretty as princesses...

 

 The flower girls with big brother Aidan, the ring bearer...

 

Maura kissing the bride!  Her Auntie Kristy...

 

 Our family...

 

 Charlotte had the time of her life, and danced the night away!

 

 Audra being the center of attention...and loving it!

 

Happily ever after...the end!

3 months

Today is our 3 month "Familyversary"!!!

91 days...
3 months...
1/4 of a year!

How can it possibly be...say it isn't so!  Where has the time gone already?  If I could, I would slow time down...I want to savor every.single.moment.  Maybe it's because we didn't get to experience Audra's first 5 years with her...so I feel the need to take in every moment of every minute of every day.  I want to cherish every "first" she has with us. 

It is so amazing...amazing that 3 months ago we were strangers to her (and she to us) and now it is as if we have always known each other...always been family.  But I suppose we HAVE always been family...always destined to be a part of each others lives.  Even if we didn't know it all along...we have always been connected by a red thread.  Blessed beyond belief!  Sometimes I have to pinch myself...really!

In other (somewhat unrelated) news...I confess:

I'm a photo-aholic....I fully admit it.  But I am never going to change.

Yes, I am that mom, the one who follows her kids with a camera in tow at each and every sporting event, activity, party and holiday... desperately seeking to capture each and every precious memory on still image...to have for a lifetime.  Yes, I take pictures incessantly at times...but 20 years from now I will have no regrets.  Instead I will smile incessantly as I look through oodles of pictures of my beautiful children at every stage of life. 

I am also a portrait snob.  Yes, those are my kids that you see at the portrait studio just about every month having their pictures taken...birthdays, holidays, seasonal...or maybe for no particular reason at all...expect to capture their sweet little faces.  This past Saturday we took Audra and Charlotte for their first portraits.  I wasn't sure how they would react to the studio, props, lighting and camera.  So I went in prepared to hopefully get just one decent picture of the two of them together that I could use my $7.99 coupon for.  Both girls in the same shot, both looking in the direction of the camera, and maybe...just maybe both would smile at the same time!

But then I saw these...and how could I say no to any of them:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lucky me...I'll be able to look at these sweet faces forever and ever...and I will never tire of it!

First 4th

Happy Birthday America!

The Fourth of July has always been such a fun holiday, a favorite of mine...BBQ's, carnivals, fireworks!  But never before has it been so sentimental for me.  I suppose, for me, being born in the "Land of the Free and Home of the Brave", maybe I didn't always fully appreciate all that I was blessed to have.  Freedoms and rights entitled to me by merely being born in the USA. 

But my eyes have been opened this year...

My sweet Audra, born over five years ago in a land halfway around the world, in a country without the blessings of freedom as we know it...is now, by the miracle of adoption, a U.S. citizen.  The simple act of walking off a plane in NYC and having her precious little feet touch U.S. soil bestowed upon her all the freedoms and rights I may have, at times, under-appreciated.  But no longer!  And no longer can I listen to the words of our National Anthem without getting a lump in my throat, and feeling my heart race a bit as it swells with pride. 

I am proud...and I am blessed! 



 



 

 Nap time after her mini portrait session!

 

We decided to spend some family-time at the community pool. 

Tim, Dawn, Daniel and Charlotte joined us. 

Some improvising was needed once I put Audra's size 18 month bathing suit on...

the bottoms fell right down to her ankle. 

I always keep safety pins on hand these days!



 

I don't think she has had much (if any!) swimming pool experience.  She was not very happy to be in the water.  She would go in as long as I held on to her...tightly. 

 

She did actually smile with Charlotte in the kiddie pool where she could stand...but she stood completely still, and didn't move one little step!

 

Audra much preferred snack time over water time!

 

 

p.s.  I have learned to watch what I wish for!  Audra was off antibiotics for a whole 7 days when I took her in for her weight check earlier this week.  She had a bit of a cold (runny nose, cough, etc) for 2 days before that.  Well, turns out she had an ear infection!  Poor girl...that's why she is having a hard time falling asleep at night...she probably didn't want to lay down because it hurt.  Silly me thought she didn't want to lay down because she was actually feeling better these days...so she was starting to test boundaries a little more.  So, infection/antibiotics means she got out of getting some of her catch up vaccinations this week.  We'll try again in two weeks.  I really want her to have her vaccinations caught up before school starts in the fall.  

 

All about Audra

It's been a little while since I've posted.  We've been busy living life!  Here are some recent photos to prove:

 My beautiful girl!

 Lunch at Five Guys...a step up from McDonalds

and for a little variety!

Wish all these burgers were actually putting some weight on her!

 

 Wearing mommy's glasses

 Putting on make up like mommy

 Loving Philly soft pretzels :)

Audra likes:
Having her hair done
Wearing hair bows
Folding or rolling paper...especially newspaper
Imitating our gestures...it's hysterical!
Looking at pictures...especially pictures of herself :)
Looking at herself in the mirror
Going down the slide
Taking her medicine (even in her sleep)
Peanut butter...by the spoonful
Eating, in general...but especially ice cream
Scratching daddy's back
Giving high-five's
Having daddy kiss the back of each of her hands like she's royalty

Audra dislikes:
Brushing her teeth
Baths (and getting wet in general)
Swings
Pizza (the only food she has ever pushed away)
When someone takes a bite of HER food
Using a fork
Walking barefoot in grass
Animals, especially dogs
Characters (people in costume)
When mama grabs her keys and purse...she knows it means I am going somewhere

Words she knows in sign language:
More
Please
Thank you
Eat
Potty
All done
Stop

Words she can say:
Mama
Baba (daddy)
Pop-Pop
Bye bye
Ball
Stop
Potty
Bubble
"Woo-woo" (for woof-woof when she sees a dog)

She is starting to learn the names of body parts and colors.  She really is so smart, considering she has only been hearing the English language for 12 weeks  (did I just type that?!...tomorrow will be twelve weeks that she has been with us!!)  She can follow many commands with no gestures from us at all...so she understands most of what we say to her:
put on your shoes
get dressed
time to eat, set the table
put that in the trash
pick up the toy
let's go outside
time for a bath
brush your teeth
it's bedtime

She still speaks to us in Cantonese all day long.  Lucky for us, she doesn't seem to be upset by the fact that we have no idea what she is saying to us.  I keep taking video clips of her chattering, I don't ever want to forget the adorable sound of her talking in Cantonese.  Someday it will be gone, and I will miss it. 

It is still very difficult for her to settle down and fall asleep.  She does not like to be touched when she is trying to fall asleep, so no cuddling.  (Although, she does love to cuddle, snuggle and be held during the day)  She will roll all around for a long time until she finally gives in to her exhaustion.  She seems to need the room completely dark and silent, she will fall asleep much faster that way.  But the long summer days are not helping since it is still light outside until at least 8:30pm...which means her long bedtime routine can't start before then. 

As for a medical update: 
Last week Audra's bloodwork showed normal inflammatory markers (**yeah**) for the first time in two months!  This is very good news :)  She also had another ultrasound which showed no change in the abscesses from two weeks prior.  So they are still there, but they are small.  So, because they are small and her bloodwork was normal the Infectious Disease doctor said she could stop the antibiotics.  Secretly, I was kinda hoping we could just keep her on the antibiotics until she is, like, 18 years old...since she has been feeling so good while on them.  But, obviously that is not an option, so now we will wait and see how she does off them, hoping that the abscesses will eventually go away on their own over time.  We were told that ANY fever she has needs to be evaluated by her pediatrician right away, and she will need to have a urine culture and bloodwork done. 

So for now...just loving life antibiotic free!  Which her belly really appreciates :)

firsts...and doubles



Wow...we've been home for 2 months! 

 

Okay, maybe we haven't been at HOME the whole 2 months...but we came home from China 2 months ago today!  And we all know what a crazy 2 months it has been...but it's also been filled with lots of joy, wonder and amazement as we have watched Audra discover this new world of hers. 

 

Here are just of few of my *favorite* firsts that Audra has experienced since coming HOME!

 

First time at the park

(with Maura and Charlotte, of course!)

 

She loved the slide :)

 

 

 

She did NOT like the swing. 

She seemed terrified and held on for dear life. 

I don't think she's done this before.

I took her right out after only one (little) push.

 

First trip to Dairy Queen...and it won't be the last! 

 

First attempt at feeding the ducks...

who weren't interested in being fed?!
That has NEVER happened to us before.

 

Special time with Uncle Tim

 

 "I'm not letting go of my ice cream cone...never, ever!"

 

1st trip to Target...a MUST go place for every girl! 

At first I don't think she had any idea what this huge building with aisles and aisles of things was all about.  But as soon as we got to the little girls dresses she figured out pretty quickly how to put things into the cart!

1st trip to the grocery store:

WOW, was she in awe at the sight of so much food in one place at one time.

The dinner table and the refrigerator used to be her favorite places of all time...

but I think she has a new favorite!  

 Right away she spotted the bananas and just HAD to get her hands on some!

She held them the entire time we were in the store, AND the whole car ride home.

 She couldn't resist the urge to have one (or two) as soon as we got home.

Actually, I am surprised that she didn't help herself during the ride home!

 

 

This week Audra achieved something great....she broke double digits for her weight in kilograms!!!  At her weight check on Wednesday she weighed 10 kilograms exactly.  Good-bye single digits weights :)  10 kilograms converts to 22 pounds (double 2's to go along with the "double" theme of the week!)  Audra came home from China weighing just over 10 kilograms, so now she has finally gained back the weight she lost when she was sick. 

 

And in keeping with the double digit trend...her last hemoglobin check was 10.something!  All good numbers this week :)

 

On Monday she will have bloodwork to check her inflammatory marker levels and another ultrasound to see if the abscesses have *hopefully* gone away.  Tuesday she has an appointment with the Infectious Disease doctor at CHOP who will tell us the plan...which I am hoping will be that she can stop taking the antibiotics.