We did it!

Wow! Our first experience putting barrettes in Sabrina's hair. Thanks so much to Heidi our consultant and fellow adoptive mom! Twists didn't work so well, so they are just little ponytails with barrettes. Noelle joined in to help Sabrina sit still. So much fun!

Sabrina's favorite

Sabrina pretty much only likes to watch basketball on TV, really! Our DVD of the African Children's Choir is the only other thing that holds her attention during those times when I just need a minute.

Three months!

I cannot believe we have had Sabrina home with us for three months! I mailed our first post placement report today. So nice to actually check something off the to-do list. I must admit I have been struggling a little the last few days. First, Scott was out of town (with Jake). Second, things are still pretty middle school angst with Noelle. No details, or I am sure she will never speak to me again, right Noelle? Third, I know there are much older moms of toddlers or supposed to be toddlers but...my 42 year old body gets really tired some days. I am not sure if it will be better or worse when she can walk. Speaking of which, I am pursuing physical therapy for Sabrina to make sure that we are doing all that we can to help increase the strength in her legs. I had a little pity party on Sunday thinking about the old days of being able to do what I wanted, when I wanted. Missing actually being able to complete a task without having to clean up another mess that happened while I was trying to do the first task. Then I thought how silly all these things were compared to that little girl and her amazing smile. Some days I wonder if she would make me more tired if she weren't so darn cute!!

Happy 20 months, Sabrina!

A little sunshine!

My parents spend about 8 weeks in Florida each winter. So I decided to take the girls (I love saying that!) for a quick visit. Unfortunately, the visit was delayed when our plane had mechanical problems and we had to spend the night in Moline, Illinois. So we arrived in Fort Meyers, Tuesday, just in time to see Air Force One and wait for our luggage because crews were not allowed to unload planes while the President was leaving the airport. We had a great time. Both of the girls loved the "bath", as Sabrina says. By the way, isn't the resemblance stunning?

That was fast!

Wow! I feel so famous. We are on the front page of our local paper. I actually haven't seen it yet, I have only read the article on line. And now you can too, www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2009/02/16/news/local/11022042.txt . There's only one thing that made into the article that's a little scary. That's the part about us possibly adopting again. I hadn't actually discussed that with Scott yet. Oops!

Oh, so smart!

Probably because Scott, Noelle and I wear glasses everyday, Sabrina loves glasses. These are a pair of Build-A-Bear glasses that fit her perfectly! I can't believe how big her hands look in these pictures, they were sooo tiny when we picked her up.

I never updated her vital stats from our last checkup! She is still under 3%, but her weight is 19.o3 pounds and her height is 29.13 inches. She has a big whopping head, 25%! It's all those amazing brains.

Bad mommy

We gave away our dog yesterday. And despite the fact that there were many reasons why, I am really struggling. It is going to be really hard when I hear that little voice say, "puppy?" We have had Sam for two and a half years. He has destroyed our carpet, our couch, and our chair. I basically had stopped entertaining because of the state of our living room, his favorite room. (Urine stains everywhere, chewed furniture and carpet) Our yard is not fenced in and it was increasingly hard to let him out with Sabrina in sub zero temperatures. He doesn't come when I call him. Like, he is down the street or in the neighbors garage and I have to set Sabrina by the window and go get him. (Sabrina doesn't move much yet, please don't judge!) He had growled at Sabrina a few times. He has never hurt anyone, but what if he did? Like I said, she is not very mobile and his mouth is about where her face is.

But...he is adorable. Before we had Sabrina, he and I hung out together all day. He is a big snuggler. He would often sleep with us or our son. I love that silly dog. Someone tell me, we aren't that cruel??

Fame, no fortune

Guess what? Our family, along with our good friends the Gerdes', was interviewed to be in our local paper. They are covering the story of Sabrina and Anna's adoptions. Please pray that the article would be honoring to God and that it might encourage someone in the adoption process. We would love to inspire someone in their adoption journey! God used two adoption stories that ran in the paper to encourage me during our journey. I will be sure and update when I find out when the article will run.