Growing Up! And Fast!

Spring is arriving and the snow that has been on the ground since our arrival from China in Oct is now surely melting! AnnaLeisa is enjoying her new boots and loves to stomp in the big puddles, the mud, the slush and the remaining snow. It is a hardy challenge as she needs to find new legs on the rough terrain each step. She loves to run up and down little hills but is wary of falling as the few times she has are big surprises!
My girl is growing soooo fast. I look at her lying in bed and am surprised each time by how long her legs are.....not such a baby anymore.

She has many words now including bra! Ball, bird, Mom, up, dog, woof, toe, and ohoh. She is very proud of all of her accomplishments and beams smiles with each new achievement. Just now she has climbed up the chair next to me and then back down. Such a smile!

She is also now taking off all of her clothes and then attempting to put them on. Hard for me to keep my girl warm. It is interesting to see the arrangements she orchestrates with her attempts. One foot in a pantleg and then the other trying to go in the bottom of the other leg. She gets tangled and frustrated but perseveres regardless.

We are still not sleeping well ..... AnnaLeisa wakes every 2-3 hours so a night with one spell beyond 3 hours is a reason to celebrate. She starts in her crib then joins me at some point and we toss..... and cuddle. What to do?!

The photos here are during one of our many walks..... we still love the ravine and watching me push the stroller up the ravine slush hills with AnnaLeisa and two dogs in toe must be a sight.
Here is one of the first times AnnaLeisa touched a tree..... she loves the pine trees and insists on me picking a small sprig for her to hold during our walks. Even not minding the prickles.


This is AnnaLeisa in a friend's coat and boots. All are free for attempts at mastering dressing up!

And soon we will be out on the sidewalk with various "wheels". She loves this toy and of course those hot boots.

Well.... off to playgroup. Have a great week-end.
Karla and AnnaLeisa

Chinese New Year 2007 at the Noodle Noodle Dim Sum

For the last two years I have attended the Chinese New Year event at the Noodle Noodle restaurant dreaming.....! I loved seeing the girls and meeting all the parents but it was all in anticipation of meeting my own daughter. Well this Chinese New Year was soooo full for me ..... AnnaLeisa and I were there together and I was beaming with love and joy. To have her home and with all of the other little girls was rich. She had a great time eating Chinese Dim Sum and sat next to her orphanage friend in a high chair. (They lived together at Leizhou and probably played together). At one point we looked over and they were holding hands.

It was nice to see old friends and to encourage and support those waiting.

The Dragon did dance into the restaurant with very very loud drums and that frightened AnnaLeisa so we missed the parade and made our way home for a needed nap. Satiated and full on many levels.