We're Still Here, What a Fantastic Ride the Last 9 Months Have Been

I'm so sorry everyone, it's probably ridiculous for me to even post after so long, but I know some of you still come around and check on us, so I had to give a quick update. I quess I'm really not much of a blogger, but I do still keep up with all of yours. My how things have changed in a year. All your babies are just precious. Anyway, it's been crazy busy, but oh so fun. Nicole has grown and changed so much. She is one of the happiest little girls I've ever seen. She smiles with her whole face with pure joy and excitement. She is so loving, she gives hugs all the time. When the boys come home from school and Eddie comes home from work the first thing she does is run to them and give them a big hug. She's also started to say, "I love you too" after we say I love you. It's so sweet. She has the cutest little voice. I thank God for her every day. She loves her big brothers, playing outside, and dancing. She's a little dancing queen, whenever she hears music, that boody starts shaking. She loves to listen to music in the car and the only thing she'll watch on TV are live concerts. She is so precious to watch, she makes us all laugh when she starts dancing. American Idol is going to be so fun to watch with her this year. Who would believe she was just crawling a year ago. She has made so many huge milestones in her 9 months home. When we arrived home with her, she was 16 months old and crawling. We started her in physical and occupational therapy right away. They evaluated her at 16 months old as being developmentally that of an 11 month old on their charts. By 18 months, she had jumped developmentally to that of a 16 month old and by 19 months she hit all the markers of a 19 month old and continues to be right on track. She's been running around ever since. (Keep in mind, she was very premature, so this is super exciting for us.) She is also so smart, she picks up on things so quickly. Can you tell I'm a proud Mama. She goes to mother's day out 2 times a week and the rest of the days it's mostly me and her. It's so fun. It seems like she's always been here. I can't imagine her not being our daughter. Here are a few pictures of how she's grown over the past few months and that big beautiful smile, and yes those beautiful curls are natural, man am I jealous. She has the best hair, she's just perfect in every way possible. The pics start with the the kids fall picture and ends with a few pictures of Nicole back in May, her announcement pics. It's kind of a journey back in time. I haven't even loaded my Christmas pics into the computer yet, so those might be a while, but hopefully I'll get them up before Easter.

Tyler's PreK Graduation and Program

I can't believe my baby boy graduated from PreK yesterday. He is an official kindergartener now he says. Today we're going to cut off his long cute bowl hair cut and get him a big boy hair cut. He's been begging me forever to get his hair cut like Austin's and I said he could when he became a kindergartener and his teacher's told him yesterday that he was now, so off we go. I'm attaching some video's and pictures from his program. He had the longest line in the whole show, he said," Sit back in your seats, we're ready to go. Strike up the band, get on with the show." He did such a great job. I'm so proud of him and the sweet boy that he is. He is my little sunshine, always smiling and trying to make everyboday laugh. If he can be on stage and making people smile, then he's happy. Congratulations sweet TyTy, you fill Mommy's heart with joy.
His Best Friend

His Pictures on the Program Slideshow

His Precious Teachers

Getting his PreK Diploma

His Laua Party

I Love the Mornings

I love the mornings, and I definintely did not use to be a morning person, but this is what I get to wake up to every day. These smiling precious faces are the joy of my life and I thank God for them. Austin is always the first one up. Getting him up and ready for school has never been a problem. He wakes up in the happiest mood every day, refreshed and ready to go. His spirit gets me up and going. Tyler is my sleeper. He doesn't start school until 9am so some mornings he's still asleep after Austin's already gone. He's the one I do have to wake up, but when I do he opens his eyes with the sweetest softest smile and quiet "good morning Mommy." And my sweet baby girl Nicole wakes up with such joy. When I walk in the room she smiles the biggest smile and sometimes laughs with excitement. When I walk to her crib, she lifts her sweet arms and kicks her legs with joy when I pick her up. She is another little Austin, waking up in the best mood. Good sleep must help, she sleeps from 8pm to 7am. And, thank goodness for the baby monitor. She hardly makes a peep when she wakes up. She just plays with her lovey or fingers until I come in. When the boys were little they didn't have the video ones just the audio, but they would talk and talk. She's so quiet, I'd never know she was awake if I didn't have the video. Baby things get cooler, every year.

Mother's Day 2010 - A Dream Fulfilled

Two years ago, Mother's Day 2008, Eddie gave me the most thoughtful Mother's Day gift. He knew I had wanted to adopt for a while and through that time he was praying about it and searching within himself if that was something he really wanted to do. I collect Willow Tree figurines and on that Mother's Day he gave me a figurine with a Mommy, Daddy and little girl and told me that day that he too felt as strongly as I did about adding a child to our family through adoption and that he was ready to get started on the process. I will never forget the tears of joy I cried that day. Fast foward two years and that figurine has come to life. I use to always say things like, "It would be so great if she were home for Christmas or maybe she'll be home by Easter" but having her home for Mother's Day couldn't have been more perfect. It's full circle from where we started. I'm so thankful God opened our hearts to this journey. I absolutely can not imagine our life without her, she has added such joy and love to our family. It's been so fun to see Tyler as a big brother and Austin as such a sweetheart with a little sister. And Eddie, oh my, what a little precious girl can do to such a big strong man. He is a big marshmellow when it comes to his little girl. I love what she has brought out in him. He was the most amazing Dad before, but seeing him with her, I can hardly put into words. People use to always tell us that we were doing such a wonderful thing adopting and giving a child a life and home. It couldn't be more opposite, she has already given us so much more and we're only four weeks in. We still have a lifetime of blessings to come. Thank you God for this wonderful Mother's Day and for our little angel that could have only been sent directly from You.