Winter

I hate winter. This makes living in the Midwest so much fun! But, the snow actually makes the cold so much more fun for the boys. Between the snow and cold that has been so unrelenting it looks like Narnia around here. Here's a few pictures. The boys love the snow and will play outside for hours. They particularly like the cool things the ice does. These are things I would never even notice if it weren't for them. Chloe is still an indoor baby. I'll let her out next winter.

Happy Valentine's Day

How cute is this little strawberry outfit. She was the hit at school. Below are all three kids. I know Chloe and Wyatt have their eyes closed, but I thought it was good to see how she compares to them in height. I'm sure she's grown but she is still a little peanut. The boys were happy with the red t-shirts I found them. Wyatt was slightly appalled when I told him I used to make him where a red shirt that says, "My Mommy Loves Me."
We went out to eat at Max and Ermas. At one point the boys walked over to look at something and Chloe did not want them to leave so she started calling for Wyatt and worked up to the loudest yell we have ever heard from her. It was a screechy little, "Wyyyyyaaaaat." She wants them with her at all times. If we're all sitting on the couch and one of them goes to play o the floor she'll call them back over and then pat the couch for them to sit back down next to her. It is very cute.
Chloe was afraid of this statue that the boys insisted on being photographed with. Jake's exact request was, "Mommy, take our picture with the naked indian."

Snow Day - 3 Months since Adoption Day

Most years we don't have any snow days or maybe just one. Today is our second snow day of the year. These are added back on to the end of the year. This is annoying to me because now two days of my leave have been days off and I'll have two more days to leave Chloe in daycare at the end of the year. I'm completely stressing about going back to work a week from today.

Here's Chloe in her, "My Dad Rocks" shirt. Thanks Dave and Kristen!

What do you do when you live in the midwest and have restless kids in the winter? Hang swings and monkey bars in the basement! Here's Chloe in the newest addition to the crazy basement.

Welcome Home Daddy

We were all so happy to have Justin home. The kids were just excited to see him but I was falling on the floor thankful to have my partner in this whole parenting thing return. I could never do this alone. Not working doesn't even help that much because the really hard part starts when the boys get home and the homework, dinner, bath and bedtime is here. Even when Justin's working a lot he comes home to help with bath and bed and then goes back to work. I know lots of women who have 3 or more kids and their husbands travel a lot. I have a whole knew respect for them. They are heroes and I'm a big baby because I was soooooo glad he was back.

Yesterday marked 12 weeks since Chloe came home. This week she will go to the baby sitters for an hour on Tuesday, 2 hours on Wednesday and 3 hours on Thursday so I can get my hair done for the first time since before we left to get Chloe. I'm not sure if I put this in my last post, but she went for one hour this past week and id great. She has changed so much and is really talking like crazy. She's has at least 30 - 35 words and I'm losing track. I thought I'd keep track until she was at 100 words, but I don't know how I'll do that when I'm back at work. She's putting 2 words together quite a bot now, "No, doggie, hi baby, that's Daddy."

Oh Mo-eeee

When you read about my last 24 hours you'll know why Daddy didn't get more pictures. The boys both had friends over after school and it was just like you'd imagine it would be with four 6-7 year old boys in the house. After they left we scrambled around finishing homework and getting everyone to bed. I collapsed and went to sleep. Chloe woke up at 12:30 yelling, "Mo-eee." She leaves out the middle /m/ sound. So I patted her back to sleep and then she woke again at 2:30 yelling, "oh, oh, oh." This is how she says no and was shaking her head to go along with it. I rocked her back to sleep even though she was very annoyed that I said the milk was gone when she started pointing to the place I set it. Then Wyatt woke up at 3:30 and was scared so I layed with him unti he fell back asleep. The boys woke me up at 6:30 when my alarm didn't go off.

So, I thought I was all readty for the day. I was very proud that I remembered that today was pajama day and I have the boys jammies all ready for them. I was still in my own jammies when I woke Chloe up and we went to take the boys into school. As they walked in I noticed no one else was wearing pajamas. So, I called the office and found out that pajama day is next Thursday. Ahhhhh! They were in school in Superman Jammies! I quickly called Jake's teacher and asked her to send him back out to the car. I couldn't go in and get them because I also had may pajamas on. She said he was crounched in the hall covering his pajamas with his coat and she would send him out. I didn't even have to call Wyatt's teacher as he was back at the door in second with a scowl on his face and yelled to the car, "Mommy, it's not pajama day." So they both got back in the car and we raced home and they quickly changed. Jake asked, "Could this day get any worse." I (still in my pajamas) drove back to school and dropped Jake off at the back door and he got in fine. I took Wyatt to his classroom door to find out the class was gone. Now, I had to drive to the front to get Wyatt into school. I sneak up with him while looking out to see whose going to see me bringing him late in my pajamas. I saw a PTO mom and asked if she could walk him down to find his class. She says she's there taking pictures of the teachers with clown hair and noses for the family dance (it'a a circus theme) and she'll take Wyatt down but first I have to pose with the hair and the nose for a picture. I'm thinking I look ridiculous enough and who needs the clown nose, but whatever. I throw it on and pose quickly and she walks him down. Did I mention that my pajamas consist of Justin's t-shirt and some capri jogging pants with open heeled gym shoes and no socks.

Let's hope the day gets less interesting.

For Daddy

Poor Justin is on Florida on business this week being forced to enjoy the sunshine, eating at restaurants and hanging with his work friends. But, since I'm not at all bitter about that and am in fact happy to be here left to shovel in sub-zero weather, I'm going to post some pictures of the kiddos for him. The boys both insisted in sleeping with Daddy's t-shirts last night and Chloe keeps taking her picture of Daddy and holding it to her cheek and saying, "Awww, Da-eee, awwww." It is too precious. Above is Chloe who insisted on getting in the cradle and then having every doll put in with her. He he.

Here's yesterday:

On the way to school:

Back Home:

Ready for bed:

Home 11 weeks - Adventures in tooth brushing

So, Chloe's done exploring the regular toys and activities we have to offer and like all good toddlers has moved onto more interesting things like chair climbing and toilets.

Yesterday, we caught Chloe with her Little Bear toddler toothpaste in one hand and her little pink toothbrush in the other. She was carefully swirling it in the toilet to get it wet before she brushed her teeth. We were steps away while she was getting this all ready, but she was very quiet about it. So, needless to say, the bathroom doors now must stay shut. I have to say, she was being very careful about keeping her hand and shirt dry. She just needed a little water on her tooth brush. Here's a cute picture of all 3 kids. Wyatt is purposely showing the food in his mouth. But, with one or the other of them trying to be gross 75% of the time, I really can't avoid it showing up in pictures.

Oh, the other day at the doctor (for an ear check) they weighed Chloe and with her clothes and shoes she was 22 pounds. Now I doubt her little ensemble weighed more than a few ounces, so she is gaining. I can tell by how clothes fit her that she's getting taller as well. Here's Chloe and I taking pictures of ourselves. I was trying to take her picture, but she insisted and sitting in my lap. :)
I'm going to try to post some video clips later and I have a couple posts I've been working on about the boys. Having Chloe has made me remember so much about their babyhood. I plan to do a post for each year and then as I remember funny stories, I'll go back and add them. I feel like I've forgotten so much already and I want to get as much down in writing as I can.

Oh... notice the little bangs. I couldn't help myself. I think they look very cute. It's just a few and now she doesn't have to have a clip or anything in her hair and her bangs stay out of her eyes.

Is Yucky

Just a quick post, a few pics and a funny story. Last night at dinner Chloe pushed her food away and said, "Is Yucky." We all cracked up and Wyatt told her that he agreed that it was yucky. Wondering what we were feeding them? Could it be poached salmon? Oysters on the half shell? No, the yucky dinner was pizza. Ha! When Chloe doesn't want to eat she tells us it's either yucky or hot. I think the boys have been teaching her their fussy eater excuses. Luckily, they've prepared Justin and I for Chloe's picky eating and we don't worry about it or give it any reaction. The best advice I was ever given was don't act like you care one way or the other if your toddler eats. If they know they can make you sad or happy by eating or not eating, they will have a powerful little tool. The boys used to let me sticks bites of food in their mouths when they were playing or watching TV. Chloe will have no part of that. If I try that she does this thing where she shuts her eyes and turns her head to the side. The boys also think this is hilarious. She has taken to doing several clowning things while eating because it makes the boys laugh.

Here are a few silly little pictures that are soooo Chloe. She spends all day lately climbing into chairs and almost always brings a book or a stuffed dog with her. She is obsessed with dogs. It's, "Goggy, goggy, goggy" all day. Then she says, "Ohhhh, awwww goggy, awwww." She talks to them the way I talk to her. It is so unbelievably cute.

Home 10 weeks

Home ten weeks. It seems like so much longer. I know I keep saying that, but it really, really does. Chloe loves her bath as you can see. She's getting a little more brave about moving around and playing. She loves her bathtub crayons that Grandma gave her. She loves to draw and color. When she came home she couldn't figure out how to hold the crayon or put pressure on it. But, she has amazed me and now holds the crayon correctly and can scribble away. She will color the whole time the boys are doing homework. She is still a good sleeper at night but also still cries out at least three times a week, but only about once a week actually wakes up and wants to be held. The rest are just cries in her sleep. Her naps are sometimes two hours but mostly 1 – 1 ½ hours long. Here she is with her brothers this morning. They helped her get up onto the chair because she was whining and then they joined her. It is so cute to watch them together.

She is eating a little better than she had been and picks one thing at each meal she’ll eat. This week she ate scrambled eggs, chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, potato pancakes, ham, mac-n-cheese, French fries, tater tots, whole wheat pasta with spaghetti sauce, chicken noodle soup. So far she like oranges and no veggies. We’ll keep trying. Here she is helping Daddy make scrambled eggs. She insists on being right there the entire time I'm cooking. She loves to watch what we're doing.
Here is her complete list of words that Chloe uses I think. If I Think of more I’ll add them later.
Chloe’s words as of January 26, 2007
10 weeks home – 19 months old
Mommy, Daddy, Jakey, Wyatt, Chili, doggie, yucky, baby, hot, cold, hi, bye, eyes, cheese, uh oh, water, yeah, no, car, shoes,socks, wow, cool. It also sound like she says, "Don't want it." and "What's that." But we're not sure. There are other things she says that we can't understand. If we say, "What?" she'll repeat it, but we still can't tell. Last week I just couldn't stand it anymore and I trimmed the back of her hair. She had a full on mullet going. It looks cute even though it's not quite even, thank God for curls. Here's the back now.

Going to Password Protected

Hi There,
I will soon be changing this blog to a password protected blog. I will send invitations to my friends and family. If there is anyone else who would like to be able to continue checking just send me an email at anniebucy@yahoo.com

This way I can write more about the boys and post some video, etc. and not feel like I'm sending all of our personal information out to the entire world. Ya know?

:)A

8 Weeks Home - 2 Months Since Adoption Day

Welcome 2007. Last year I was so glad when 2006 came because I was sure that would be the year we brought home our daughter. I thought about it when I put away the Christmas decorations last year. I knew that the next time I saw them we would have a little girl in the house. I thought about that all again this year and how incredibly lucky and blessed were were to bring her home. Not a day goes by that I don't think about how fortunate we are to have these 3 great kids.

Wow! 2 months! My time at home with Chloe is going so fast. Chloe had a fever for 4 days this week and is on a second antibiotic for her ear infection. The first didn't get rid of it. She's been very clingy and does not want me to put her down when she's sick so I've become the expert at one handed meal preparation. Clean up is a little harder so the house often looks like it was hit by a hurricane. Here's a picture of sick Chloe. She still tries to smile and be happy.

Chloe's been talking up a storm. Daddy now sounds like Daddy, Mommy is Bobby and she'll point to me is pictures and say, "Bobby." She is also using the new words "doggy, yucky, uh oh and bye." Here's Chloe while she was helping me put away Christmas decorations:

We visited daycare this week and Chloe got to spend a little time with her new friends. There are just a few and they range in age from a couple months older that Chloe to 3 years. The one other little girl is about 6 months older which will be great for Chloe. We also had a play date with another little boys from baby home #3 in St. Petersburg. He is about 6 months older and was adopted last March. We asked if they remembered each other but they didn't say. It was so cute to see them together. Here's Chloe all ready for that play date.

Here's one last picture of the little sweetie pie. I put her hair in pig tails. I had to have Justin holding a candy cane for her to lick while he also made funny faces in order for her to sit still for me to do it and then I quickly took the picture before she started pulling them out. But for those 5 minutes they were darn cute little pig tails.

Six Weeks Home

I honestly can't believe it's only been 6 weeks. It really seems like much longer. In some ways I can't believe Chloe hasn't always been with us. It just feels like she's always been here. Here's a quick run down on how she's doing:

Bonding with Family
Chloe still wants me if she is upset or hurt or scared, but man is she into her daddy. His name is the one she really uses. When he comes home she gets all excited and squeals, "Dada, Dada!" She hugs, kisses and pats him. SHe still really likes her brothers, but if they get too close or try to take her stuff, she is not adverse to biting them. She is much more patient with other kids. I think this means she know they are hers. When we go get them at school, she is not interested in the other kids, but scans the room for her brothers and then gets all excited and says, "Hiiiii." She has managed lots and lots of extended family visits and has really done very well. She is stand offish at first, slowly warms up and then likes to be friendly and playful. But, she is never quite the same with everyone else as she is with us. I really think she knows we're are her immediate family.
Language
Wow, has this taken off. She seems to understand everything we say and is constantly listening. I jokingly said, "Oh, Chloe hits sometimes too." when another child hit and she immediately smacked Justin in the face. It wasn't very hard, but I was so amazed that she totally understood and was listening so closely. I asked Justin if he thought her teeth hurt and she immediately started touching her teeth. She can say all our names and tries to repeat most things we ask her to say. The main words she uses are, "hi, Dada, and what's that (sounds like wasat.)
Food
After a couple weeks of eating well, she decided she's a bird and a couple bites will do it. She also has an ear infection and this may have been brewing for awhile and messing up her appetite. But, I try not to let it stress me. The boys used to be so picky and barely eat and now they'll eat most things and eat normal amounts for the most part. She was weighed at the doctor 2 days after coming home and then again yesterday and she gained 10 ounces. I'm not sure if I should be hoping for more, but at least the peanut's moving in the right direction. She likes scrambled eggs, yogurt, mashed potatoes and fruit. After meals I give her milk with Carnation to try and beef up the calories and nutrients a little. She's also taking a multivitamin. Her hair has grown soooo much and her skin has gotten pinker so I cam tell she is getting healthier.
Sleep
Chloe continues to be a great sleeper. For the last week or so she will cry in the night but not need to get up. This got worse along with an icky cold that wasn't budging. She seemed not quite right and sure enough she had a double ear infection so this may have been making sleep difficult as well. She is not quite as easy to put down as she was because she has decided that she wants a little more rocking, cuddling and singing than before. But, I am happy to oblige. She wakes up very slowly and is very sad at first. I wonder if this is adjustment related or just how she wakes up. I wonder that about a lot of things but I guess only time will tell.

Here are some family pictures from a few of our Christmas get togethers:

One Month Since Chloe's Adoption Day

This is a special Wednesday edition of sallyfoo.blospot.

One month ago today on November 13, 12006 we stood in a court room in St. Petersburg, Russia and nervously answered questions and affirmed our commitment to be Chloe's parents. People choose different days in the adoption process to celebrate. Some celebrate the day they physically "got" their child, others celebrate the homecoming. For us the decision was easy. The 13th has been a lucky number for us since one of our sons was born on the 13th, it was the 13th that we made our decision to adopt and then the day we found out about Chloe was also the 13th. So, when our court date was on the 13th, it just seemed like fate.

I can't even describe how amazingly incredible, adorable, smart and funny our little girl is. Also remarkable is how amazing her brothers are. They have wanted nothing but her love from day one. They laugh with us at the funny things she does and they give her their undivided attention constantly. She knows that her big brothers will get her to the places she can't reach, help her when she falls and laugh at her when she's being funny. At first she was a bit jealous of attention they got. But she seems to realize now that they are just two more people who love her. She goes to them and snuggles, hugs and kisses them. It makes me tear up watching them. I know that these are the days that will be cherished and remembered not only by Justin and I, but by these 3 siblings. I love watching their relationships grow and the closeness that the boys have spread out and include their new sister. The openness and sweetness of their hearts is a wonder to me. I just sit and watch them in awe.

On Sunday we went to see Santa and waited in line for at least an hour and a half. The three of them were amazingly well behaved. Chloe was distracted by the boys and they were distracted from their usual monkey-like antics by the excitement of their new sister. Here is Daddy and Chloe getting out of the car. Isn't this the cutest coat ever! Thanks, Debbie!

Here are a couple waiting pictures.


Near the end of the line there was a Happy Feet disco of sorts and all three were shakin' their stuff.

I was sure Chloe was going to cry when Justin put her in Santa's lap, but he was smart and put her in her brother's lap.

Here's the final picture the photographer got. Chloe is smiling at and reaching for her daddy. She is really getting into her poppa lately.