Baby Book

We received this book shortly after coming home from China and it is a wonderful treasure. The book was written by a single mom who adopted from China. It is written for young children, therefore, easy to read and beautifully illustrated. I read it to Alisha a few times when we received it but she was just not interested.

In the past month, she has fallen in LOVE with this book. She asks for the "Baby Book" over and over and over. It is already getting worn, but that is the sign of a much loved book. Sometimes she will sit and look at the book herself, other times she wants us to read it to her. When we do read it, she sits quietly in our laps and listens to the story (and points out the baby). Could she really understand that this story is similar to HER story?

One Year Ago

One year ago we held our beautiful girl in our arms for the first time. She was scared and not quite sure of what was happening. She kept staring (crying) at the these 2 new faces, trying to figure it all out. It has been a long road, but she hung in there and the 3 of us found our path together. She has grown into a beautiful (almost) 2 year old full of happiness and laughter. She has a sweet personality and she continues to show more and more of it each day. She learns from us but more importantly we are learning from her.

Alisha, this has been the best year of our lives! You are our angel and we are so blessed to call you our Daughter!

THANKFUL

I want to take a moment to be truly thankful for all that we have in our lives. This year has been a big one and we are extremely blessed to have Alisha in our lives. We are also thankful to have such a wonderful family and many special friends that have been so good to us in the past year. We look forward to sharing years and years of Thanksgivings with each of you.

A special thanks to Grandma Joan for putting together another Great Thanksgiving dinner. We had a fun day!

First Haircut

Before

Enjoying her Haircut (and Lollipop)

Oh No! The hairdryer!

Don't I look PRETTY!!!

UPDATE: Alisha does not usually get Lollipops, however whenever she sees a picture of one in her books or play cards, she always points to her hair and says "Haircut". She still can't say Lollipop but knows when she got her first Lollipop!

FUN WITH THE LEAVES

What's Fall without a ton of leaves. Jerry and Alisha had a great time playing with them the other day!

A few days later, Alisha enjoyed the puddles and the leaves. Who knew I would have such an "outdoor" girl.

Happy Halloween

Alisha had a great time on Halloween. She LOVED her Minnie Mouse costume! Unfortunately, her ears kept falling off as we were walking, but she kept trying to put them back on. TOO CUTE!!

We went out Trick or Treating with Brian, Dawn and Jack (as Buzz Lightyear). We weren't sure that Alisha would actually go up to each of the doors but she did GREAT! She walked right up and took the candy. She still wasn't able to say Happy Halloween or Trick or Treat (even after working on it for several days) but she made sure she said Good-bye to all our neighbors.

By the end of the night, she could barely walk because her Pumpkin basket was weighing her down. But there was no way she was giving up the basket. We finally had to carry her the last couple of houses.


Back to our house to relieve Grandma Pat (who came by to see Alisha for Halloween) who stayed at our house to give our candy so Jerry, Alisha and I could all go out together. Thanks Grandma, it was great that you could celebrate this day with us.

FALL FUN

We took Alisha to the local farm this weekend to enjoy the fall festivities. First we went on a Hay ride and honestly, I think she enjoyed the pumpkin bread more than the ride. Afterwards we took a walk in the pumpkin patch for Alisha to pick out her special pumpkin. She was curious but she let her Daddy find her the perfect pumpkin!

Our First Look

One year ago today, we saw the face of our little girl for the first time. Isn't she beautiful!






Then we saw this picture...







Then finally this picture! Well at least we knew what we were getting ourselves into.






We fell in love with her instantly and a year later words can not describe how lucky we feel. She has filled our life with tons of joy and happiness. We look forward to sharing the rest of our life with our little angel.

Summer's Over

We snuck in one last trip to the beach before the summer ended and introduced Aisha to Dewey Beach! She had a great time, playing on the beach, eating Grottos pizza, going to the Rehobeth Boardwalk.

Always takes Miss Cautious a bit of time getting use to things and the rides on the Boardwalk was no different. We had to at least try the Carousel. She wasn't too happy and couldn't wait to get off. Well.... there is always next year.

Check out Alisha doing her latest move... TOUCHDOWN! Wonder who taught her that!

Grandma's Birthday

Alisha and I went to visit Grandma for her Birthday. Cathy and Mitchell had the family over for a fun evening BBQ. Alisha had the BEST time hanging with everyone. Thanks a bunch for a great day!



Grandma had an extra special birthday present and spent a few hours alone with Alisha the next morning. Not sure who enjoyed the time more, Grandma or Mommy getting the extra sleep.

This picture is my new fav of my little girl. Thanks Dani... you did a great job taking pics!

She's a Toddler

Over our TV set are several pictures of Alisha taken our first few weeks with her. I am amazed when I look at those pictures and see the little baby we brought home and look over at the toddler she has become. Some changes have been alot more fun than others. Check out the newest Alisha update:

• Alisha loves dancing or her version of dancing, stomping her feet and swinging her arms. She has no interest in the TV until music comes on then she stops what she is doing to dance along. It makes me laugh everytime.


• Alisha has started a new phase called Temper Tantrums. Not a mini version.... no not my girl.... she goes all out. It starts with a squat and a scream, then tears, then tears and screams. After trying all the techniques that people say work, talk quietly, make suggestions, change rooms, it usually ends with me putting her in her crib with her "binks" for about 10 minutes. When I come in to get her and ask her if she wants to come out, she says YES and gives me a kiss and a laugh. Wish I thought the episode was as much fun as she did. Hope this phase ends quickly.


• Alisha loves her baby doll. She constantly talks about BABY, picks up BABY then after a hug or kiss, throws baby on the floor to be forgotten until she spots her again.... and we start all over. Sometimes the scenario changes, if Alisha has a snack handy.... then we must feed baby, hug Baby, kiss baby and then throw her on the floor. She LOVES her BABY, she just doesn't understand that its not "sweet" to throw her on the floor. She also loves her baby stroller and pushes it around the house constantly (good tool to improve her walking). Lately, she also thinks that she fits in the stroller and is always trying to have a seat. Its pretty funny, because little Miss Cautious has a hard getting seated when the stroller keeps moving. But in the end she always figures it out!


• Alisha BFF is our neighbor, Jack. Jack is 3 and a wonderful little boy. He is so patient with Alisha. Always sharing his toys and explaining to her how to play with them. Alisha calls any little boy with blond hair ACK but keeps the happy scream for our special friend across the street. ACKKKKKKKK!


• Walking is still not a priority to our little girl. We try to have her walk as much as possible but she prefers to be held or to go on walks in her buggy. Forget about running, she is SLOWWWWW and steady. Her personality is cautious in general and when it comes to walking, she doesn't rush it for anything. She still falls alot.... but walking improves each and every day.
  
• Alisha's 3 favorite games are (1) to be chased, "I'm gonna get ya", (2) tickle her or (3) "Where's Alisha". She could do each of them over and over and over again. The chasing game has gotten quite comically, because, you don't even need to chase her anymore, just say the magic words "I'm gonna get ya" and she is off on a trot (see above, no running) ... then she will turn around and trot back to you and fall into your arms then throw her up in the air or tickle her. She loves it. At night before bed, we sit on the couch and try to do "quiet time". Quiet time now consists of tickling Alisha on and off for a 1/2 hour. In fact, she will sign "more" to keep the tickles coming. Who can resist the sweet giggle! Alisha loves to hide. She mostly hides by putting her hands over her face like you can't see her. Also, if you start hiding from her, she will copy whatever technique you are using, squatting, a pillow or going behind the wall. She LOVES all of her little games... who needs expensive toys!


• Alisha is a child who thrives on schedules and doing things in a particular order. We especially see this during our preparation for bed: Bath, lotion, diaper, jammies, clothes placed in the hamper, brush the teeth and clean the ears. She will remind you if we missed anything or if it is out of order. TOO FUNNY!


• Alisha loves to say Hello and Good-Bye to everyone including the cars coming up and down our street. We can be in restaurants, stores or on walks and she says hello to everyone in this very soft voice and sometimes does her wave. I feel bad that people don't always answer, but she either says it in such a low voice or says after they have gone by her. Recently, Bye has also included her wanting to leave somewhere. You can tell the difference because she says it more as a question Bbyyeeeeee? Bbyeeeee? This all started on vacation but has continued since we have been home. She is just like her Dad, always wants to be on the go!


• Alisha is picking up more words each day. Its so much fun to see what her next word will be. Her latest is WOO! and uses it instead of "UH OH". She still uses her version of words and has not really changed them. Anything round is a ball or Ba. Everyone's glass is a baba. And your glass is always more fun to drink out of then her sippy cup. Up and Down are new favs. When she is sitting, she always wants to get DOWN... when she is walking or sitting, she always wants UP. Typical girl for ya.
  
• Alisha continues to enjoy daycare. Jerry experienced this first hand the other day when he dropped her off. After carrying her into daycare, he put her down and she went over to the toy bin. After talking with Melanie for a few minutes, Jerry called out Good-by Alisha and instead of turning around, saying good-bye and blowing kisses, all he got was a backward wave as she continued to look for the toy she wanted to play with. We are so happy that Alisha likes daycare, however, can we at least get kisses blown to us when we are leaving? Luckily, I get pick up duty most days and she is so excited to see me I get the scream and squeel of MAMAMAMAMAMAMA!!


• I am so excited that Alisha's hair is finally long enough to play with. I had it in ponytail but she looks much cuter in pigtails. I told Jerry he is going to have to start doing something with her hair in the morning. He didn't seem all that happy about it. but then again, Alisha doesn't like having you do anything with her hair. But we can't have the girl leaving the house with "bad" hair.

I am sure there is more to tell, but I think this post is long enough.

Beach Vacation

It's always sad when vacation is over but the memories of this one will last a lifetime. Jerry and I had such a great vacation with Alisha. This was our first family vacation since our trip to China. We spent leisurely afternoons at the beach playing in the sand and water, enjoying the playground and ice-cream at night. Alisha is a true beach bunny, she LOVES the sand and water. It was so much fun having that special time with her. We look forward to our next trip together!

Happy July

I can't believe it's already July. Alisha is keeping us so busy... the days are just flying by. We've hit a few milestones this past month. First, we've been a family of 3 for 6 months. Hard to believe. In some ways it feels like we were just in China meeting our little girl and then you look at her and realize how much she has grown since that day. AMAZING! We also celebrated our baby's birthday. She is 18 months old. She's getting to be such a big girl!

Some new things....

• Alisha is really picking up more and more words. Grandma was especially happy during her visit in June when she kept trying to say grandma (narma). Her fav words are BABA, MA (Max) - ruff ruff, Ack (Jack), Baby, Ba (ball) and Down.


• Her walking is improving everyday and she loves just walking and pushing her toys (or her beach chair) around the house or our new patio.


• Her favorite toys are the "popper", dishes, balls and cars. She also loves the phone (play or real) and loves to clean things. She walks around the kitchen with a paper towel wiping all the appliances.
• Summertime has been great for outside activities. We recently got Alisha a baby pool and sandbox. She also loves to take walks in her buggy, especially when she gets a snack to go. Lately, we have been playing ball and she is getting good at playing catch and is learning to kick the ball.

We had 2 big appointments this past week. We had her 18 month check up and Alisha is now 21lbs and 32 inches. The doctor is really happy with her gains. Unfortunately, the appointment ended in tears with Alisha receiving 4 more vaccines. YIKES....so much for such a little one.

We also had our re-evaluation for early intervention. Alisha really showed off and they indicated that she is right on target for her cognitive skills and above average for her speech. It was great knowing all the hard work has been paying off.

We're having a great summer and am really enjoying our new backyard.

HAPPY DADDY'S DAY

Jerry and Alisha had a special bond from the very beginning. She knew right away that she could always count on him. She no longer is scared but they still have a VERY special bond. I love watching the 2 of them together. There always are a ton of giggles and laughs. She is Daddy's Little Girl!

Jerry is a wonderful husband and father and Alisha and I wanted him to have a special 1st Father's Day. First, we let him sleep in (which never happens anymore since the munchkin joined us). A true present! After breakfast and opening his gift from Alisha and I, we went to visit Pete and Annie to meet their new addition, Gunther. He is SO SO Cute! After a trip to Toys R Us and a few hours of adult time while Alisha was napping, we took Jerry to Harry's for a nice steak. All in all a WONDERFUL DAY!

Jerry, thanks so much for being an amazing Dad and Husband. Alisha and i are very lucky girls and we love you tons and tons!!!

We LOVE the Beach

Alisha and I went to visit Lauren at the beach for Memorial Day weekend. We had a great time! Saturday was too windy for the beach, so we walked the OC Boardwalk. We had a nice afternoon enjoying the sunshine! On Sunday, we joined Lauren, Kelly and friends on the beach. Alisha loved the sand. She played with her sand toys but mostly just wanted to sit in it (or lay in it) and move it around. Luckily, Kelly's friends set up a water tub for the kids to play since the ocean was freezing. Alisha love playing (and drinking) with the water.

Thanks again Lauren for having us down. We had a GREAT weekend!!

She's 17 months Old

It's hard to believe ....Alisha is 17 months old! It's amazing to watch her each day! She is growing and learning so much and continues to get prettier and prettier. She takes my breath away!! She is an amazing little girl! Everyday, I see more and more of her personality. She is really coming out of her shell. Although she is still rather shy, she gives out smiles to all of our friends and waves Hi to everyone we see on our walks or in restaurants.

Few Notes on Alisha….:

Walking: Alisha is making great strides in her walking. She will walk around the house by herself and she is getting better and better every day. She does revert back to crawling (it’s faster for her) but when you ask her to walk, she gets up and starts walking. Outside she prefers to walk holding your hand. It’s harder for her on the uneven pavement or grass
FAVS: Alisha's favorite toys are her dishes, Learning House and Bubbles. She is even learning how to blow bubbles herself. She also loves Max’s doggy bed and will roll and bounce all over it. Her other favorite is taking out and putting things into a bag.
Sleeping: She mostly sleeps through the nights and in the morning she no longer screams for us. She starts talking to let us know she’s up. Luckily, when she does wake up during the night, she turns her music on and goes back to sleep.
Daycare: Alisha is very happy at daycare. She starts smiling when we pull in the driveway and she no longer has to be held when we drop her off. We just put her down and she is off to find a toy to play with. It great knowing we found the right place for her.
Finger Update: We went to the doctor last week and he was very happy with her progress. He said her finger is still a bit bent, but has improved SIGNIFICANTLY. He wants her to keep the splint on for another 6 months. Looks like we won’t need surgery. Keep your fingers crossed.
Talking: She is talking up a storm. Unfortunately, we still don’t know what she is saying most of the time. Her favorite words are “keys”, “Carly (a friend from daycare), ‘baba” (bottle) and “Max”. Lately, she’s been calling Jerry “mama”. He is quick to remind her that he is “dada”.

EVENTS

Alisha went to Matty's 2nd birthday party a few weeks ago. She had a great time and especially loved Matty's birthday cake.

Alisha celebrated her first Passover. She did great during the service and loved all the food. In fact, we couldn't get her to stop eating. Must be all of Mom's good cooking!

Jerry and I took Alisha to her first Point to Point (Steeple chase race). It was a perfect day for tailgating and we all had a great time.

Weekend Away: We had our first weekend away from Alisha. Jerry and I went down to the beach for Kelly and Anthony's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding and we were so happy to share this special day with both of them! We stayed overnight in Dewey and my Mom stayed at our house with Alisha. Alisha and Grandma had a great time together and so I heard every time I called them. Can you imagine …. She survived without me! It was wonderful that the three of us were able to spend some time together on Mother’s Day! Three generations together and I forgot to get Jerry to take a picture. It’s on my to-do list for next year.