12 months...PURE LOVE!

Off to San Diego

We are off to San Diego next week for my brother Theo's wedding to his high school sweetheart Mishel, who we just ADORE!!!!! She has been in our lives for 10 years and has grown from a sweet teenagers to an OUTSTANDING woman. Theo is the BEST brother a girl could ask for! We are excited to see them UNITED!

We are also excited because we are going to see one of Eliza's Hunan sisters and her AWESOME mommy and daddy. Cindy, Andy and little Nicole. We have kept in touch but we have not seen any of our travel mates since we have been back. We are excited to meet up with them and see how much Nicole has grown.

We also will be visitng my college friend Nadin and she is newly engaged so I hope to meet the lucky man. This will be a fun and busy trip!!!! Pictures to come... I promise!

Happy 1st Birthday Sweet Baby Eliza!

We had in lots of famiy and friends from Michigan and North Carolina. Many of them from Chuck's side of the family. Chuck was so excited to see so many of his family members here and I think that he really enjoys being a Grandpa (or as he signs the card Yi Yi... Chinese pingjiang for Grandpa). People started to arrive on Thursday evening and on Friday we had people over for drins and light appetizers on Friday evening. ON Saturday we surprised everyone with a dedication ceremony given by a minister to dedicate Eliza to our family. Our God parents were Cathy and Allen and Bill and Abbie. We were delighted and honored that they were willing and accepted the task of helping her to be an outstanding human being. In fact, the minister during the ceremony asked if they would tell us when we were not raising Eliza in the correct fashion. Well, during the ceremony I gave Eliza a flower to play with and she started to eat it and Abbie corrected me. That's when I knew we picked the BEST God parents for Eliza to nurture and help us sustain her.

Eliza's Daddy planned her party and it was catered by a wonderful new BBQ joint in town and we had Maryland crabs. Yum... Richard had crab mallets made to use for the crabs engraved with Eliza's 1st birthday, M and M's with her picture and first birthday on them and wind made with her picture on it. She had a lady bug birthday party for Good Luck for her Chinese hertiage and family also in Chinese characters inscripted on the crab mallets. He served many drinks but also got special ordered Chinese beer to go along with the crabs and of course a yummy vanilla and fresh strawberry cake from Julie Bakes. She made a AWESOME cake for Eliza's birthday. Star gazer lilly's lined the vases as a special flower that R and I had on our wedding day and we hope to also share this flower with Eliza. She wore on old fashion lady bug outfit... professional pictures will be posted once we recieve then and the permission to post them and after the cake she wore a dress then one of my dear freinds gave he that her adopted daughter wore that I someday hope to pass on to a friend who I know dreams will come true.

Eliza Hayden Li, Daddy and I are the LUCKY ones and our truly blessed to have you in our lives. Thank you for loving us!

Today Eliza is 28 and 3/4 inches long and 18 and 1/4 pounds. Your sixth month homestudy was AMAZING and you have caught up to your peers and the pediatrician says you look fantastic and now the gene's will take over for your height and weight. I love you little Eliza Hayden Li!

May days and Meeting Uncle Jason

People who do not believe in LOVE at first sight, have not adopted the LOVE of their LIFE! I love you little Eliza Hayden-Li!!!! Corny, I know but I do love my little spicy Hunan girl!

Eliza and Uncle Jason getting to know each other on Daddy's tractor.

Eliza telling Uncle Jason how to work the tractor while he is home from medical school.

Getting the two of them to smile at the same time is harder then putting an entire group of kids together. Eliza did love him and it was great that he got to meet her while she was still little. It was a good May visit.

Grass cutting and grass eating? It goes hand in hand for a ten month old.

Crawling at ten months!

Her first two bottom teeth now she has many more.

A Dear Friend

I have a dear friend whom we have been freinds for over six years. We have never met in person but ....we are of kindred spirit. She is going through extreme pain and if you can find it in your heart to help her, I urge you too. Her blog is: waitingformagpie.blogspot.com. The best way to help is to send an email to your senator or representative. She has a sample letter that you can copy and paste and add in a few inserts. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping out this dear friend!

Thanks for the all the 1st Mother's Day wishes!

Thank you to everyone who has thought of me this Mother's Day! I have to admit that I am enjoying this day or (should I saythese day's) even more than my birthday! Birthday's, in my opinion, are really for mother's, a day to reflect on the birth of their child and to celebrate a milestone in their child's life, what they have accomplished and their wishes and hopes for the upcoming year. Mother's Day, however, I have waited so very long for this day and everyone has made it so very special for me and started so very early. From the little sweet comments in the hall at work, "Wishing you a happy 1st Mother's day...to "How is the Mama doing?" It does make me feel special and proud of little Eliza. To the beautiful flowers from Eliza's Grammie and Granddad, the cake that Eliza and her Omi made me, to the flowers that Eliza and her daddy sent me, and the cards from Eliza's two uncles and aunt. So much thought went into making this Mother's Day special for me and I THANK each one of you for making this important day to me so VERY SPECIAL.

In the past, Mother's Day has been bittersweet for me and this year, I am able to reframe my thought process and celebrate this special day with my daughter! Yup, those words just came out of my mouth! My loving, caring, kind hearted sweetest little pea you will ever meet... DAUGHTER! (After four months I still pinch myself and catch myself calling Richard over to look at the sweetness, I am holding in my arms.)

I pondered this tonight about Mother's Day...

Is Mother Day celebrated in China? Does Eliza's birth mom realize what a GIFT she has given to Richard and myself? So, on this day I will tell my little girl about a mommy that she had in China that had the courage to choose life for her. Her China mommy made a decision whether by herself or forced to abandon but there was a GREATER plan for her. The plan was for me to be her earthly mom. To guide her, love her and support her. So on this mother's day and henceforth, we will thank Eliza's birth mom for the joy she has brought into our home! Mommy and Daddy love you little ELIZA HAYDEN-LI!!!

100 Days

Eliza's 100th day is this week. We have had the opportunity to celebrate three months of "month birthdays" with her. She is OUR LIFE. My brother asked me the other day, what is the best part about being a mom? My answer.... "EVERYTHING!" My brother next question me on what is the worst part about being a mom... I said, "Honestly, Jason I can not think of anything." He asked again.... "Really, Jason if you are going to make me pick something then ,I would have to say sleep and not being able to get everything done." But... even that really does not bother me. I know that these times are so precious and that she will grow up so fast that I am trying to LIVE. IN. THE. MOMENT. Previously, I have had a hard time doing living in the moment but I really think that I am not looking ahead or behind but, truly, taking it all in.

Today I tried to compile a list of everything that ELiza has learned in the first 100 days with us but ,I know that this is by far not everything, but there goes a short list. This way I know what to tell her when she grows up and wants me to answer these types of questions: She knows my voice. She knows tha t I will comfort her and love her. She has learned to "ask" for what she wants. She shakes her head no and yes (in that order) she learned no first and recently this week she has started to shake her head yes. She loves to crawl. Last week, Opi taught her to lean back but this week she "melts" to try to be Ms. independant and get down." Her favorite songs are "Itsey Bitsy Spider" and " Five little monkeys jumping on the bed." She loves to dance. She sticks out her leg and I call it her ballerina. Eliza loves the television show "DWTS." She watches them dance and many times bops up and down to the music. Elixa loves to study items and tries to repeat them. She is starting to really enjoy books and loves to put together puzzles. At ten months she is 19 pounds and wearing nine to twelve month clothing.

My 100 day letter to my daughter...

Dear Eliza,

Mommy loves when you smile, you know, that smile with those gorgeous almond eyes that are so brown that I can see your soul and my reflection loving you in them. I love the fact that you are funny and have a sense of humor but you are serious also. You do a great job communicating your needs to your daddy and I. At ten months old, you have captured our heart!

You are a sweet little girl that is friendly with strangers yet inquizative. Yesterday, a Chinese woman tried to talk to you and you sweetly nuzzled into my shoulder as if to say, Mommy I love you. Please protect me. That made me feel special. All I wanted to do was comfort you and tell you that it is O.K. You already knew because I was giving you your wings to explore but, I was there as your safety net for you to check in. You love to watch people, you not only capture people by your unique beauty but also they see straight to your loving heart.

I am so lucky to have spent our first 100 days together but I am also looking for the next hundred and the next hundred and again and again and again.

I love you my sweet baby girl!!!

Love,
Mommy

10 Months

Eliza was ten months old yesterday. She spent the day with her Omi and got to meet one of her Uncle's. Now, I think she has officially met the entire nucleus family, though we still have some extended family members to go. Eliza is a SHEAR joy! She wakes up happy. She loves to be held. She is drinking out a sippy cup with a soft nipple (transition nine month cup). She pulls herself up to a stand position. She transfers from one person to another or from one piece of furniture to another. She is only waking up two times a night. Yesterday, when she was off to her Omi's she waived bye to me. Her little hand was turned facing her and she opened and closed her hand. She loves to give kisses, open mouth slobber ones are her speciality. She is learning new developmentally appropriate "things" everyday and soon I think that she will be caught up. Her first word was "Up!" and "No!" The funny thing is that Richard and I made an agreement that we were not going to use the word, "No" with Eliza. We would divert her attention, say a phrase like "Not for Eliza" etc. but she shakes her head and definately nows the word "No," So much for the terrible twos we are not even to one yet!!!! My girl crawls. She is a speed demon. She also crawls the two steps to the kitchen foward and yes, folks, as of last weekend backwards.

Our lives have not been the same since we recieved her and we are LOVIN' every stinkin' moment(literally she gives us at least four to five surprises a day..you know the smelly diaper changin' kind) .

Shannon (GiGi's mom)

I miss you Shannon, Rob and GiGi... how can I be invited to view your blog? My pm is crabbykt@aol.com. Please contact me so I can follow your journey also! Hope all is well!

Eliza's 1st beach trip

One of my favorite pics to date!!!! PURE SIMPLE LOVE!!!!

Yeah, that's my Daddy holding me!

The love of my life!

Jumping the tidal waves...O.K. the after wave rumble. I am only 9 months, you know!

Am I a beach catapiller or what?

Standing on the seashore, waiting for a wave.

Daddy dug a hole so that I could feel like how it is to stand on my own, but Mommy still helped.

Pure goodness!

Simple fun!

This sand stuff is AMAZING!

Sand taste like chicken!

Mommy loves my long eye lashes!

"Toes in the sand, couldn't feel much hotter." ~Kenny Chesney

Yup, those look like fun waves.

Mommy, is that the beach that you been telling me about and reading me stories about?

Yum, I like the taste of sand... I wonder what my diaper for Oma and Opa will look like tomorrow!

Today was a family day!!!! I loved it! Richard changed his day off from work and it was perfect. We went to the beach! It was AMAZING! She loved it. She ate the sand. Crawled across the sand. Her Daddy bought her sand toys and she played with them in the sand. She learned to drink from a straw. She is definately a Mommy's girl, lovin' the beach!

Now for pictures of pure sweetness!