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.

Mother's Day

I can’t believe I celebrated my first Mother's Day. Each and every day with Alisha is amazing.... but Mother’s Day was extra special. I am so very blessed to have such a special little one to call me Mama. Alisha is my BIGGEST BLESSING and I am so lucky to be her Mom!!

Jerry and Alisha really made the day very special for me. They gave me a bouquet of beautiful flowers, a new necklace (with the Chinese symbols for Mother and Daughter) and Alisha was wearing a special shirt (GO YANKS!!). Thanks Jerry for being such a wonderful husband and father. Alisha and I are two very lucky ladies!!

I think of Alisha's birth mother and foster mom often but I felt especially thoughtful of them on Mother’s Day. Alisha is very blessed that both of these women loved her so much...her birth mother for making the hardest decision of her life not to be her parent and her wonderful foster mother who took such amazing care of her for a year. I am truly grateful for all these women did for our little girl. My wish is that they should know how much we love Alisha and that she has found her forever family.

I found this poem several months ago when I was still waiting for Alisha. I thought this would be a good occasion to share it with everyone.

Legacy of An Adopted Child
Author unknown

Once there were two women who never knew each other.
One you do not remember, the other you call Mother.

Two different lives shaped to make you one.
One became your guiding star, the other became your sun.

The first one gave you life and the second taught you to live it.
The first gave you a need for love, the second was there to give it.

One gave you a nationality; the other gave you a name.
One gave you a talent, the other gave you aim.

One gave you emotion; the other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile, the other dried your tears.

One made an adoption plan that was all that she could do.
The other prayed for a child, and God led her straight to you.

Now, which of these two women, Are you the product of?

Both my darling, BOTH
Just two different types of LOVE.