4 months!

Well, exactly four months ago today I "got" my little Elizabeth. Happy anniversary, sweetie pie!!

Sippy cups and tubby time!

Elizabeth is learning drink from a sippy cup. She started out great...




Here, not so much...




Luckily, it was bathtime right afterward!

Scary thoughts

I don't talk about this much in my blog, but the whole adoption process is kind of stressful to me. Especially because we have such a long, long way to go before Elizabeth is legally mine. Emotionally, of course, she is my daughter, but I'd just as soon have it be legal, too. I sometimes feel like she could be taken from me at any minute, like I have no rights (which, actually, I don't, as her "foster mom"). I reassure myself by thinking, of course she will stay with me, where else is she going to go? Her birth parents aren't able to raise her, so she won't be going with them. Her extended birth family has been ruled out as caregivers, for various reasons. So she won't be going with them. Is there anyone else who could pop out of the woodwork and take her? I don't really think so, but what if?? What if? I don't know what I'd do. It would just be unthinkable. I don't know why the county has to be so s-l-o-w with this process. The longer it takes, the more anxious I get. I feel like every extra day is a day that something could potentially go wrong. Not a fun way to live, and I hope I'm not projecting that on to Elizabeth. I just want her to have a secure, happy babyhood. This "concurrent placement" stuff is kinda stressful. I just want the county to step it up a notch, and not take so long. But there is nothing I can do about that. I guess all I can do is just continue to raise my beautiful little girl, and try not to dwell on the legal stuff. I know in the end it will all work out and the judge will stamp those adoption papers.

Miss Elizabeth-the movie

Post holiday excercises

After eating her first bit of cake yesterday, Elizabeth decided she better do some leg lifts this morning to make up for it...

More Easter pics

We had a great Easter. This morning we went to Julie's for a delicious brunch, where Elizabeth tried a little bit of cake for the first time, and of course loved it.

In the afternoon we went to Carol's house and then to MaryAnn's for dinner.

Happy Easter!

Cheer up Elizabeth!!

Seriously, this little girl is just about always happy. Do you think there's something wrong with her?

Elizabeth has two teeth now (on the bottom). She is growing bigger by the minute. She is very active and I just hope to be able to keep up with her once she is walking!! I sometimes (ok, lots of times) just stare at her and wonder how I ever got so lucky.

Day Care dilemma

Well, I'm in sort of a quandry with Elizabeth's Day Care. A while back I had gotten on a waiting list to recieve financial assistance for Day Care. Finally, an agency picked up our case and is most likely going to pay for all of Elizabeth's Day Care. The problem is that our current Day Care provider (the wonderful Ms. G) is not on the agency's provider list, which means if I want funding, I have to switch Day Cares. I hate to do that, especially since Elizabeth is so used to Ms. G, and is happy there. I'm interviewing one of the agency's providers today, we'll see how that goes. This place is also a lot closer to my work than Ms. G's. Still, I hate the thought of putting Elizabeth through another big change. It sure would help to have Day Care costs covered, but obviously I'll only send her to a new place if I feel comfortable with it, no matter what. Unfortunately, the agency is not taking on new providers, so it's not like Ms. G could get on their list. We'll see how the interview goes today, part of me hopes I don't like the place so I won't have to switch Elizabeth.
On another note, Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

Just some Elizabeth cuteness to start your week

She looks quite grown up to me in these pictures. You can't tell, but she has two teeth now!!

One last snuggle with Grandma. Grandma and Grandpa left this morning to go back home to MA. Elizabeth and I miss them!!

Happy eight month birthday, Elizabeth!

Today my little girl is 8 months old, wow!!!!



She can:

-clap her hands and play pat-a-cake (especially with her Grandma)

-bang toys together

-wave hello and bye-bye

-say "da da da da da" -no "ma ma ma ma" yet, I keep working on that though :)

-understand "no" (and basically laughs at me)

-get upset if I take a "toy" from her (especially my keys or cell phone)

-stand holding on to something if I prop her up

-lift her arms to be picked up

-sleep through the night (thank you Lord!!)



And...tonight I felt her first tooth!!!

Elizabeth came to me on 11/30/07, when she was 4.5 months old. Since that day, I've just fallen more and more in love with this little munchkin. At the risk of sounding very sappy, I just have to say, she is truly the light of my life.

Her adoption is still far from being final, but it's all going in the right direction. She is my daughter, as much as if I'd given birth to her myself. I'll just be glad when all the legal stuff is done. In the meantime, my little girl continues to thrive, and amaze me with all the new things she does every day. I feel SO proud that I get to be her mom.

The one where Elizabeth's doll disappears

MISSING

Beloved Baby Doll “Baby”
(there was a pic of Baby here, but Blogger wouldn't upload it)

Last Seen: Sunday 3/9/08
in Carlsbad, CA near Vera Cruz Fish House on Carlsbad Village Drive



Yes, it's true. Elizabeth's doll "Baby" that her Auntie Heidi made for her is officially missing!! We went out to dinner last night with my parents and Aunt and Uncle, and took Baby with us (because Elizabeth LOVES this doll, she shrieks with happiness when I give it to her in the mornings). After we got back to my parents' rental, I realized Baby was missing. So we all went back to the restaurant, no Baby. My mother retraced our steps back from the restaurant, STILL no Baby. We looked in the rental, we looked in my car. STILL NO "BABY"!! But I haven't given up. I'm keeping hope alive that Baby will turn up soon.

A HUGE thank you Jason, Max and Heidi for making the above "missing" sign! Does Julia know??

More family pics *updated*

* I just added a few more pics and a video clip from my parents' and sister's visit. Thanks for sending, Betsy! 3/27/08

"I love my Grandma. She plays Pat-a-cake with me!"

I have been having the best time this past week introducing Elizabeth to our family. Here she is in Carlsbad with her Grandma, Grandpa, Great Uncle Lois and Great Aunt Frannie.

Fun with Aunt Betsy!!

Last night I enjoyed a night out at my cousin's wedding (the reason for all the extended family members being around over the past week). Auntie Julie babysat Elizabeth and did great. Thank you Julie!!!! :)

Fun with Grandma and Grandpa

Elizabeth and I had a great long week-end with my parents. They are visiting here from New England for 2 weeks! They are staying at a rental in Carlsbad, right near the beach :) Elizabeth and I spent the last two nights there with them. It was so fun, and Elizabeth adores her grandparents already!! Luckily, the weather was beautiful, so we were able to enjoy the beach some, too. Elizabeth had never been to the beach before, and wasn't too sure what to think. She kept trying to eat the sand, and didn't like when her grandma and I kept stopping her!