We're Home
December 2, 2007  |  December 18, 2007  |  June 5, 2008

June 5, 2008 Oh my goodness…where does the time go? We have been a family of four for six months now (ok, six months and some extra weeks). Simply put, time DOES fly when you’re having fun! The girls are growing in leaps and bounds every single day. It’s actually quite overwhelming. I have tried to write this post several times, but how do you actually put into words the emotions we experience every day? How can I recount all of the joys and challenges we have been blessed to experience so far? Well, I can’t. But I want to at least try because the girls deserve to have their story told. So, here goes…but get a tub of popcorn, it’s long! On our last update, we talked about the many “firsts” the girls had experienced. The list has grown! They have had their first trip to the zoo, the children’s museum, and the mall. They experienced major holidays with a family for the first time! We had a fun Christmas where the girls enjoyed playing with all of their newly purchased BOXES! The toys were an afterthought! We celebrated their “first” birthday, where they turned TWO! That was BIG fun! Their cake sported monster trucks because that was the only thing they could easily identify at that point. They also got extra lovin’ on Valentine’s Day, and a pinch or two on St. Patty’s Day. Easter brought on their first egg hunts and Easter baskets. They totally got into this holiday. Easter and Christmas were also celebrated with our families at church. The girls have been learning about Jesus and won’t let us go “nite-night” or eat without first praying and thanking Jesus. Actually, Abby always initiates the prayer, and Laney wraps us up with a hearty AMEN! On that note, the girls were also dedicated at church by our pastor. They were such good girls. Pastor Dave attempted to hold Abby, but that lasted for two seconds. She wanted her Mama! But both girls prayed alongside Dave in front of the congregation, and Laney only peeked once! They won our church family over! It was neat to hear them call each other by their American names for the first time. It was also amazing to hear them say “I love you” totally on their own. That, is an experience I’ll never forget. Their souls are so tender. They have experienced their first tastes of ice cream and s’mores (among MANY other random tastes), first bonfires, first children’s church, first band-aids, first trip to Mama’s school and Baba’s work, first times swinging and sliding, first touch of grass between their toes, and first rides in Bulah, the Nova wagon. (Which, they LOVE! They prefer to ride in Bulah even before Mama’s Jeep!) Their first experience in snow was a riot! Laney was none-to-fond of it, and cried when we put her down. Abby, on the other hand, took hold of her Baba’s hand and trudged through like the brave girl that she is. Once Laney saw that it didn’t hurt Abby, she decided she’d try it too. Neither girl was crazy about snow, but saw that sledding could be big fun! Beyond the thousands of firsts we have had in the past six months, the girls have also developed into their own little persons. For two little girls who are sisters and twins, they couldn’t be more vastly different. Regardless of their differences, they both insist on each other being included. One sister cannot enjoy a cookie without ensuring her sister has one as well. Mind you, they’ll fight over one bear, but as soon as one wins it, she makes sure the other sister has an equally good toy. A bit about their personalities…

Abby --LOVES, loves, loves to sing. She can carry a tune and remembers the rhythm like no other. She might not nail every word you say, but she can remember the basics of the song and will sing out whenever given the opportunity. --She’s our snuggler and our sleeper. When she’s getting tired, she makes this adorable little “sleepy face”. She doesn’t hesitate to climb up in your lap and bury her face in you to fall asleep. She also seeks us out often while playing for a quick hug or snuggle. We eat this up! --Abby is on the move constantly. She’s our hands-on girl. As long as her hands and feet are busy, she’s happy. If not, expect her to switch gears and look for something to get into. --She LOVES to perform. She’ll sing any song you request or imitate an animal at the drop of a hat. If it will get giggles and/or praise from you, she’s all about it! --Abby is a Baba’s girl. She often does what we call the Mouseketeer roll-call. She wants to know where everyone is, but she really wants to know where Baba is. She certainly loves us all, but she’s a daddy’s girl. --She’s pretty laid back…an overall happy girl. --Abby could live on veggies and fruit. If vegetables, meat, and a desert were all offered to her on one plate, nine times out of ten she’ll choose the vegetable! That’s my girl! --She’s a speed demon on her tricycle! Laney --Both girls love to read, but this is Laney’s favorite activity. She is happiest when you’re sitting with her and reading. A few of her current faves are: Guess How Much I Love You, Zoo’s Who, and Elmo’s ABC’s. Honestly, she’d sit with you if you read aloud from the New York Times. She just loves to read and listen. --She’s our spitfire. She often leads the way when it comes to games and free play. By lead the way, I mean, she’s the BOSS…or so she thinks! --One of Laney’s best traits is that she is so stubborn! I say best because this will be an asset when she gets older. For example, if Laney does not want to try the new veggie you’re offering, she will set her jaw and refuse to eat. If you tell her she just needs to try it, then she can finish her other food, she’ll dig in her heels and stop eating. It’s only after she realizes we’re not giving in that she’ll relent and try a bite. She usually likes it too! --Laney is our carb-queen. If the food item has the word potato in it, she’s all about it. Top choice-fries. She is a fry junkie. And she’s no snob! Fries at home or in a fancy restaurant will do. If fries aren’t available, “circle potatoes” (tater tots) are just fine! --She’s pretty independent. She likes to observe people or a situation before jumping in. If you’re at our house, you’re probably ok in her eyes, so she’ll probably warm up to you quicker. However, if we’re out and about, she’ll say “Hi” immediately, but don’t go reaching for her! She’ll shake her head “No” and look for you to back up. --Laney analyzes and thinks things through. She’ll probably keep Abby out of trouble for years to come! (Unless she continues to enjoy telling on her sister!) --We’re so proud of Laney’s language ability. She repeats everything we say, and does so with inflection. What’s remarkable is that she can recall it easily! She is speaking in complete sentences and uses a variety of words! Her cutest phrase to-date is, “Mei-mei (that’s Laney) a good girl! Abby is trouble!” HA! --Although Abby is a Baba’s girl, Laney is definitely a Mama’s girl! We’re both SO lucky! ------------------------------ Both girls just wow us with everything. They can identify “A” (for Abby) and “L” (for Mei-Mei) and even sometimes “B” for Baba! They can also count to ten, and it’s adorable to see them manipulate their fingers to represent the numbers. They LOVE to sing their ABC’s and are getting better at it every day! One of our favorite activities is when the girls wake up in the morning. They both want to snuggle in bed with us. If one of us is out of bed, you can hear them asking for us and wanting us all to be together. It is a special time for all of us to reconnect before we start our day. They also love it if we give them ample time to wrestle and jump on the bed periodically. They laugh hysterically and roll on top of each of us. It warms our heart to see their carefree faces and bodies just enjoying life. We’re so lucky we get to be a part of that. As you can tell, we’re crazy sick in love with these girls. They make us laugh every single day. They melt our hearts and raise our blood pressure. They have crept their ways into our souls and touch the hearts of every person they meet. (Even the Meijer greeter!) To say we are blessed to be their parents is an understatement. We still have to pinch ourselves to be sure we aren’t dreaming. Life, couldn’t be any sweeter. Thank you God, for giving us two of the smartest, most beautiful and confident daughters in the world. We’ll forever be grateful.   Abby and Laney, We have cherished every moment of the past six months. We cannot wait to see what our future together holds. We promise to be the best parents we possibly can. We love you so much. Forever, Mama and Baba

Website by myadoptionwebsite.com