Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men--Luke 2:14
Our baby girl turned 17 months on December 2nd. A few days later on the 8th, we celebrated Alayna’s first “Forever Family Day.” Just a year ago we were in Taiwan meeting this precious angel who was to become our daughter. Tom and I are so blessed to have three such wonderful children!
As Alayna approaches her 18th month I thought I’d jot down a little list of facts:
1. She is still petite--other than the belly! She is 30 inches tall and about 20 lbs. She fits nicely into 12 month closes right now, although some pants are still a little long.
2. Alayna has a mouth full of teeth and is getting better about letting us brush them.
3. Still not happy about the doctor’s office; although this month her and Amelia were there for the H1N1 vaccine, so who can blame her. We also took her back to the ophthalmologist who dilated her eyes. She wasn’t happy about that either.
4. Baby girl loves to get her groove on. When she hears music the head starts bobbing and the buns start wiggling. So cute!
5. Alayna loves to babble; the words just aren’t coming yet. She has, however, picked up a few new words this month including bye-bye, night-night, and Nick. The words might not be flowing but her finger points OFTEN. She also bangs on the fridge if she wants fruit, the freezer for ice, and the appropriate cupboard for cereal and snacks. She definitely can communicate her needs. She’ll even bring me a diaper and wipes if she poops.
6. She is becoming pickier with her eating but still loves her fruit and yogurt. We have learned that she will eat a lot more variety if she can feed herself. The downside is that if she doesn’t like it, she’s pretty quick about throwing the whole bowl on the floor. A “no-no” brings the bottom lip to a quiver, eyes well up, and then the drama starts!
7. Alayna is a snuggler. She will crawl up on your lap and just snuggle right in, often falling asleep is she is the least bit tired. Her big brother was like this when he was a baby. Amelia, on the other hand, was generally much too busy. All three kids will sit right on top of you if they are reading a book (both girls love story time) or watching television. Personal space, what’s that?
8. Alayna loves bath time, and it must include her sister in the tub. The two of them have figured out that splash time is more fun together! Amelia is much better about not dumping cups of water over her sister’s head, and Alayna has learned that the water really doesn’t hurt anyway.
9. I am a little concerned about Nick going to college with his lack of “domestic” skills. Alayna has him beat. She loves to take a cloth and dust the table; she will help put wet clothes in the dryer and is not all that bad at folding. Hand her a washcloth or two and she will work on folding while I get to the rest of the basket. The dishwasher is a problem because she can get the door down and then climbs on it. Little does she know that if she breaks it, I am moving the high chair over to the sink, and she will wash by hand! Hmmm, she would probably like that.
10. Finally, she is a lover. She loves a big hug and squeeze and will run to the door to get it, squealing all the way. She is not great at puckering for kisses but will give you a big wet one. Who doesn’t love that!
December happenings:
Early in the month we celebrated Alayna’s one year “Forever Family Day”. Grandma Dee had gone to Taiwan with us and wanted to make sure she could spend some time with Alayna. The 8th is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, so the girls and I met Grandma and Carolyn at church. Amelia was then dropped at school, and Grandma took Alayna and I to lunch and the play area at the mall. Fun time! That evening we had a nice family dinner and gave Alayna her charm bracelet to match Amelia’s. Each year we will add a meaningful charm on this day. At 17 months she was clueless about the day’s significance, but she did have a happy day and isn’t that what it’s all about? I do want to point out that both girls “Family Days” are full of mixed emotions. (While we are thrilled they are part of our family, we know that there are two women in Asia that gave us the most precious gift. I pray they have a peace in their hearts and somehow know that their daughters are loved and taken care of. Alayna’s birth mother knows she is in the States, and I will continue to send her updates and photos annually. I hope she finds some comfort in them.)
We were able to do many fun Christmas activities. Early in the month Grandma and Grandpa joined us at Catholic Central for mass and breakfast with Santa. It went about as expected: Tom had to take Amelia out of the chapel during mass, and Alayna wanted nothing to do with Santa. Breakfast was a hit, as they had all kinds of fruit to make Alayna happy and lots of bacon for Amelia. This is a nice event that we will miss now that Nick is a senior. I don’t think CC will miss us quite as much!
Amelia had a wonderful Christmas pageant at school. The kids were so cute all dressed up singing their songs. Amelia did a great job but was a little nervous. She wasn’t smiling quite as readily as she does at home when she was practicing. We had a nice lunch before Santa made his appearance….again setting Alayna off. Amelia was very sweet and made sure to ask for a gift bag for her sister as well.
A local park has a light display that is about 5 miles long. We didn’t plan for a line up and waited almost an hour to get in. Both girls were asleep by that point and had to be wakened. Let’s just say they didn’t appreciate our effort in getting them there.
When Christmas finally arrived Amelia was super excited and Alayna was not sure what to make of it. We split the gift giving up a bit this year with Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa’s. It was quieter than usual as, sadly, the Memphis and Reno gangs didn’t join us. That was the only downside to the season--they were all missed, and I have to admit, Christmas just isn’t the same without the chaos. On Christmas Day we opened our gifts, had a nice breakfast, and then went to church. The kids (Nick included) had an afternoon nap and then Grandma, Grandpa and Carolyn came over for dinner. It was a nice couple of days.
And finally, one of our gifts was to take Amelia downtown to the Detroit Opera House to see a Chinese dance troop perform. The show was artistic, colorful and well performed. It really was a wonderful cultural event, but it was 2 ½ hours long. Amelia held up amazingly well, but by the last half hour….
Amelia tidbits….
This little girl is truly special. She is smart and laugh-out-loud funny. Sometimes maddening, sometimes moody, often times naughty, but then turns it all around and is just stinkin’ loveable. She has the ability to bring a smile to friends and strangers alike.
One of the best parts of our journey this past year has been watching Amelia grow into a wonderful big sister. We had hoped bringing her to Taiwan would ease the transition for both girls. Honestly, it didn’t seem to help. The first few months were a little difficult with jealously and aggressiveness towards Alayna. We have come a long way. Amelia loves her sister, tells her often, hugs and kisses her throughout the day (often to the point of tears) and makes sure her every need is known (could be why Alayna isn’t talking). When we go to the bakery she always asks for a cookie for her sister too, checks the cart for blueberries at the supermarket, and asks for two suckers at the dry cleaners. This has been a fun relationship to watch develop.
Nicholas tidbits…
Nick is doing great his senior year, which is halfway done already. He started high school an only child and will graduate a big brother to two wonderful little girls from halfway around the world. He is so good with both of them. I know the girls are going to have a hard time when he leaves in September, and it will be rough on him also.
Other than keeping busy with academics, he has a job at Godiva Chocolates (I love his perks!) and is busy with drama club. We are also proud of the community service work he does. In January he will join some of the young men from school and travel to Washington, DC, to participate in the Right to Life march. Lest you think too much work will make him a dull boy, somehow Nick manages to find time for a pretty active social life as well. I’m glad he’s enjoying his senior year.
Nick, an awesome big brother, wrote the following letter to his sister:
Dear Alayna,
It has been over a year now since we brought you home. I remember waiting at the airport for you. I was more excited than I could ever describe with words. Mom and Dad carried you off the plane and that was the first time I saw you and the first time I got to say “I love you.”
You came home shy, a tad whiny, and very active at night. It wouldn’t be long, however, that you dropped your shyness and fit right into the family. Your smile is the first thing that comes to mind when I picture you, and you wear it often. I love to play games with you: I push you down and you laugh, I hit you with a pillow and you laugh, I tickle you until you almost pee, which in turn makes you laugh (and pee). The trend here is that you are the happiest child in the world, and your smile brightens all of my days.
I can’t wait to see where the future brings us, and to see you grow. In the words of Amelia; “I’m proud of my sister.” I love you very very much, and I always will.
Your big brother,
Nick
Happy New Year--2010…
This year will bring some pretty significant changes to our family. Nick will graduate in May and then be off to college in September. He is really pushing to go to DePaul in Chicago, and right now the scholarship money looks pretty good. We’ll continue to look at programs versus costs and make a decision in the next couple of months. Either way, his leaving will make the house a little lonelier. He will be missed.
Isabella will make her First Communion in Memphis in April. Other than hoping to share in her special day, I would love to make the trip just to see Isabella in a beautiful dress! (I also need Amelia to stop asking me when she gets to see Sophie and Isabella; not seeing you at Christmas was incomprehensible to her.)
Uncle Eric and Shannon will be married this June in Tahoe. We couldn’t be happier to welcome Shannon and her boys to the family. She and Eric are great together and we know they will share a lifetime of happiness. We hope to make the trip out West to celebrate with them.
Finally, another baby from China will know the love of a forever family. Sandy and Doug have waited such a long time to be parents and are only a few months away from bringing their precious baby TaoTao home. TaoTao is a beautiful one year old baby BOY who just needs a mommy and daddy to love him always. I somehow need to get to Denver to kiss on this little angel myself.
We hope you have enjoyed Alayna’s journey as much as we’ve liked sharing it. God has blessed us beyond our wildest dreams. Tom and I are honored to be her parents and are excited about the endless possibilities that are now her future. God Bless you Alayna Pei-Shan, we love you to pieces sweet girl!
I asked God, "How much time do I have before I die?"
He replied, "Enough to make a difference".
Amelia enjoing Santa at CC breakfast.
Alayna, not enjoying it quite so much
Santa and Family
Not wanted to leave. Go figure.
Pretty!
Are you touching the tree?
Ready for bed.
Alayna and Grandma celebrating "Forever Family Day"
 Gotcha! (play area at the mall) |
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 Pretty smile, Amelia. |
Love the Santa hat!
Sisters waiting for Christmas.
Christmas Blessings from our family to yours!
