January Update

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my dear God.--Philippians 1:3

Alayna is continuing to do so well.  What a sweetheart she is!  On January 2nd she turned 6 months old.  We are so grateful that she was able to come home at such a young age.  She is a very content little girl with an easy smile.  She is happy to just observe her surroundings and doesn’t seem to mind her big sister getting “in her face”.  Amelia thinks she needs to be nose to nose when talking to Alayna.  She always talks to her in a sing-song voice at a high pitch.  Yikes! 

Alayna is getting more and more used to tummy time and has started to roll over.  She loves toys that make noise and is happy in her Einstein saucer and her swing.  Towards the end of the month she started sitting up, but is still wobbly.   She likes all her fruits and veggies, but still won’t eat cereal.  We “hide” it in her other baby food, and she is good to go!  She is up from a 4 oz to 6 oz bottle with food at every meal. 

Our only “issue” with our newest princess is she doesn’t sleep through the night.  That internal clock is set to eat every four hours, and she’s not giving it up!  It sure would be nice if we could all have a good night's sleep.  The only consolation is that she wakes up and is so smiley.  It almost makes it worth it…almost.

With the holidays over, it was finally time to work out some sort of routine.  We have not had one since Alayna came home, and it was time.  A couple of events forced our hands.  Mommy had to go back to work, and Amelia started pre-school on January 5th.  Amelia goes to school for 2.5 hours each afternoon, so I take her, go to work, and then pick her up a few hours later.  Grandma picks Amelia up one day a week, and Nick helps out also if I need to a little extra time in the office.  Alayna has done well with Patti and doesn’t seem to miss me too much, although her smile is priceless when I get home.  It is so nice having Patti and peace of mind when leaving the girls to go to work.  Amelia “loves her Patti,” and I’m sure Alayna does too.

As for Amelia, school and a rigid sleep schedule have helped tremendously.  She still has some “3” issues, but her behavior is continuing to improve at home.  School, on the other hand, is a struggle. She is attending Montessori of Our Lady. (Aunt Chrissy went there when she was young…just a few years ago!) While I love the Montessori philosophy, it is a huge adjustment for a child with Amelia’s “free-spirit”.  She is a young three and started half way through the year, so we’re hoping after an adjustment period she’ll be fine.  For right now, we are working with her on her listening skills, focusing on the task at hand and how to interact with other children.  Either way, she cheerfully goes to school and comes home a happy girl. 

Nick turned 17 on the 8th and started his second semester junior year.  Time flies!  Grades were excellent first semester, I’m sure second semester will go equally as well.  He is starting to evaluate colleges and look into scholarships.  It is such a big process compared to when Tom and I were younger.  Other than school, Nick is keeping himself busy working out at the gym and doing a lot of writing. 

 

Alayna loves to swing!

 

It's Amelia's first day at pre-school. Can you see how she is cooperating for a picture? That's our Amelia!

 

All smiles at Target picking out her backpack and new hair bows.

Montessori of Our Lady. A beautiful, old building.

 

All Smiles

 

All Smiles

 

Hey, sitting in this pink chair isn't so bad.

 

Mommy, kiss my fingers.

 

Fun in the Tub

 

Fun in the Tub

 

Amelia Still Loves Bath Time

 

 Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Finally, Chinese New Year began on January 26th this year.  We left the year of the rat (Alayna is a rat) and began the year of the ox.  We did our traditional get together with family and a few friends.  Good food, good drink, and good company makes for a fun evening.  The kids had a great time as usual.  This year Casey brought a fun and yummy project for them.  The kiddos dipped the end of fortune cookies in chocolate and then rolled them in sprinkles.  Thanks Casey for coming through with another creative idea…and it involved chocolate.  What more could we ask for?

We are looking forward to the weather breaking a bit so we can get Alayna and Amelia out for some fresh air.  After living in the mild climate of Taiwan, Alayna must miss sunny days and the out of doors.  I know this is Michigan, but we have been in a deep freeze for much of the month with temps below zero and wind chills of 20+ below. It has been one cold and snow filled winter. 

Until next month, blessings to all…

 

Amelia's school is very diverse and they were more than happy to let me send in some books and treats to celebrate Chinese New Year. Amelia wore a vest we bought in Taiwan. Alayna has a matching one but it was unfortunately too big.

 

Amelia wearing her dress for our family CNY party.

 

Making Cookies at Our Party

 

Making Cookies at Our Party

 

Handsome Big Brother

 

Alayna and Grandma

 

Alayna and Paige, Such Beauties!

 

I love my big brother!

 

This page hosted by