Big girl

I had to go to the mall to get some new tennis shoes for Tyler the other day and on the way out we passed a Claire's Boutique.  I went in looking for any new headbands...of course...and suddenly got the urge to get Olivia's ear's pierced.  I knew Jay wouldn't mind so I did it.  I actually ended up going somewhere else because I thought they were too expensive....I think I might just be cheap....but I just didn't want to spend $50 for her to get them done.   Tyler and Timmy were with me and they were making me feel so guilty for wanting to do that.  They just thought she was going to cry and it would hurt too much. 

I know, probably not the best way to bond with her....holding her head while they punch holes in her ears....but honestly, she cried for less than a minute and that was it.  We got a mirror and she was smiling at them. 

Now, she points to her ears and shows everyone. 

Sooo cute.

We got home and I wanted to see how long it would take Jay to notice.  He picked her up and saw them right away.  He really liked them.  I think he was glad he wasn't with to see her get upset like that. 

So, I would have pictures, but I got there and took about 2 pictures before the battery died.  I knew it was really low, but I hadn't charged it since I hadn't planned on needing it for anything that night. 

Oh well, I have a before picture.......

                                       .....and an after.  Pretty girl. 

Sunday Snapshot: Piano, Ice Cream, and Playtime

 I just continued to be so amazed at how Olivia is doing since we've been home.  She is just thriving better and quicker than we could have imagined. 

She is doing so many new things every day and she is experiencing new things on a regular basis.

These have been some of her favorites.....

We have a piano in the living room that she loves to pound on.  Tyler has fun showing her some songs to play.

 We went to a friend's house the other night and Livi was amazed by the fish they had.  I'm sure she's never seen a real fish.  She loved it and she even got to help feed them a bit. 

 That same night, we were celebrating a birthday so we got to have some birthday cake and ice cream.  She was diggin' in for a bit, but only had a little.  That's pretty good for her, she's eating different things every day.

 Today, we went to McD's after church with Jay's mom.  She had so much fun!  There she was....all decked out in her Sunday dress and tights.....having a blast. 

 I even managed to get a few pics of the boys......though getting all 6 of them to look and smile at the same time proved to be nearly impossible. 

Hey, as long as they were having fun!

Say what?!

Poor Olivia has had some major diaper issues since we got her 3 weeks ago. Let's just say, she has either been constipated or just the opposite....never just in between.
Today, I was changing her and she was a total mess!
I mean, mess!
Like...lay her on a garbage bag so the floor is protected....kinda mess.
Tanner was standing there at one point and plugging his nose, saying 'ewww' when he said to me..
"Is that what China poop looks like?"
Oh my Lord....where do my kids come up with this stuff?!

Monday Snapshot: Changes

After watching our China videos yesterday, I was reminded just how far our new little peanut has come in such a short time. It was 3 weeks ago today that we first met her, first held her, and could first finally call her ours.

This is what I know.....

Three weeks ago....



~She was physically shaking for almost 2 straight days
~She would rock back and forth when we sat her down, she had learned to self sooth.
~She would hold her bottle because it was all she ever knew
~She didn't make any sound. No babbling, talking, laughing
~She would only eat noodles and congee
~If she wanted something, she didn't know how to tell us
~She had never been in a car, train, or plane
~She lived in 2 rooms at her orphanage where her daily scenery never changed
~She never saw TV or movies
~She turned her head away when we tried to take pictures
~She slept in a hard crib
~She was so scared and her face showed it
~She didn't really get tucked in or rocked at night
~She didn't know the love and protection of a big brother
~She didn't know what it was like to have a mom and dad that would love her no matter what
~She was an orphan

Today....only 3 short weeks later.....


~She is no longer shaking or rocking back and forth because she knows she doesn't have to sooth herself, she has us
~She doesn't hold her bottle anymore because she's learned that she doesn't have to
~She is saying words like "Uh-oh" and "Hi" and lots more that we think are probably Chinese
~She is eating things like applesauce, cheese, meatloaf, and bananas
~when she needs something, she taps our arm and points to what she wants....she manages to let us know exactly what she needs
~She has been on a train, 2 planes, and many car rides and done great
~She now has a house with many rooms and play areas for her to discover and call home
~She loves Barney and Toy Story and when we took her to see her first theater movie (Yogi Bear) this weekend, she kept pointing to the screen and saying "Hi" to the characters.
~She loves getting her picture taken and will pose by putting her arm around us and smiling for the camera
~She sleeps in her own soft bed decked out in pink just for her
~She doesn't look scared anymore, she looks happy
~She gets rocked every night before bed and tucked in warm. I just put her down for a nap and she kept puckering up for me to give her a kiss...it was adorable. When I turn to go, she waves and says "hi". For now, that also means "bye".
~She has 5 big brothers who totally dote on her and she's eating it up every day
~She has a mom and dad and is very affectionate with both of us. She gives out hugs and kisses every chance she gets, it's the cutest thing. She has bonded with us so quickly and it's been amazing to see the transformation every day.
~Today, she is no longer an orphan.
She is a child of God and a child of ours.

Welcome Home Olivia

I know so many of you are curious to know how she's doing at home with the boys. Well, let's just say that if I could have prayed for the perfect scenario, this would be it. Honestly, it has gone better than Jason and I could have ever dreamed. I had no doubts about the affections of my boys towards their new sister.....but had no idea how she would take to them at first.
It's been amazing to watch. They are completely enamoured with her and she is soaking in all the attention with a giddy heart.
We had showed her pictures of the boys the whole time we were in China and we talked to them on Skype with her on our laps. I really think there is some recognition there and for some reason...she just seems to know. She just knows that these guys are here to stay and that they love her.
By the first 20 minutes we were in our home....her new home....she was upstairs playing in her new room with her 5 new brothers. Everything new and yet, comfortable to her to her little spirit. Only God can make that happen.

How precious is that....

She smiled and played and interacted with them as though she'd known them her whole life.
We had only a few people over that night and then it was time for bed after such a long day of travelling. She slept in her own bed for the first time. It was so sweet to see her there finally after seeing it empty for all those months. Surreal, actually.

The next morning, she was all over her toys like it was Christmas morning. Which for her....is not so far from the truth. She's never had so many things at her disposal, all for her.

We spent the day as a family on Saturday and then had the whole family, cousins and all, to the house on Sunday after church.
With 5 brothers, 8 cousins, 3 uncles, 4 aunts, and 3 grandparents there...she didn't even flinch. Her records had told us she liked noisy and busy places, and they were not kidding. I don't think much phases this peanut. I even took her to lunchroom duty that I do every Monday at the boys' school and she was loving it.
She had fun opening gifts from everyone too. I wonder how many presents she's ever gotten. She got the hang of it real quick.


All the attention didn't slow her down one bit. She even played Legos with Uncle Pat.


The cutest thing was on Saturday afternoon....a mere 20 hours after first meeting her brothers.....she was sitting by me at the table and Timmy came up with a camera to take a picture. As soon as he lifted it, she put one arm around my shoulder, looked at the camera, and smiled. She posed. Seriously? She's posing for pics already? This little thing is a dream. The boys thought that was just too darn cute to not get a piece of it, so they sat by her to see if she'd do the same with them. Much to their surprise...and mine...she did. Only this time, I had the camera and she has a bro on each side so she lifted 2 arms around their shoulders and, once again, posed. It was absolutely priceless. Any concerns I may have had at how she'd feel around all these crazy boys just melted away. She was home and she knew it.

Home Sweet Home - Part 2

We arrived home to a very nice welcome.

The driveway had been artfully coated in chalk drawings welcoming us all home....(I asked Timmy to get a picture of it for me and this is what I got...not exactly what I was thinking, but you get the idea)

There was a balloon tied to a "It's a girl" sign in the yard.

When we got inside, there was more balloons and crepe paper...pink, of course....

The boys and all our nieces and nephews had made great welcome home signs.

One of the best parts was seeing a huge area of the wall covered in pictures of the boys and all the things they did while we were gone. My mother in law and Jason's aunt, who helped watch them for us, had made it. It had pictures of walks outside, their wrestling matches, Tyler's spelling Bee, playing board games at home, and doing some craft projects. Then they had all written nice side notes around all of it. It was soo nice to see all of that, I still haven't taken it down.

I took a much needed shower and we had some cake.

This was after I had emptied my suitcase to show everyone all the fun stuff we bought while we were there. I had bought a silk scarf for my mom, Jay's mom, his aunt, and his grandma. We got my dad a great hat and a t-shirt with the Chinese character for grandpa.

It was fun to tell some of the stories that didn't make it to my blog, like how crazy the driving is over there and how Jason said "si" to a taxi driver one night. Ya know, "Si".....as in Spanish for yes. It just spilled out as we got out of the cab. I looked at him as the driver took off and said...."did you just say "Si" to him? He just said it before thinking. Um...Jay....it's China, not Mexico. Whoops. Oh my gosh, I laughed so hard that night.....good stuff.

P.S.

I forgot to mention the funniest part of our airport homecoming. In the midst of all the excitement and happy tears, Trae.....who has obviously heard us talk about saving up for the expense of this adoption just one time too many....looks up at me and says, "so.....are we pretty much broke now?"
Oh my gosh, do you want me to pee my pants in the middle of the airport?? HAHAHA!!!!!!!!