Calgon take me away!!

O.K. , so you need to hear about my week!! I ended up at the doctors with both of the girls on Tuesday. Sophia had started with the congested cough and sore throat also. While we were there, they didn't like the sound of Alena's lingering cough and her breathing. She ended up with a breathing treatment and three new Rx's!! Sophia, luckily is only taking one.

So, back at home that evening, Sophia is laying on the couch hacking her brains out, Alena is in her walker coughing up a lung and I discover a leak under the kitchen sink. Fred is out, so I start to clean everything out from under the sink while listening to the chorus of coughing! A horrible smell tells me that Alena needs to be changed-as I go to pick her up, she vomits all over from coughing. I then proceed to step in it as I walk away with her. I just had to laugh with tears in my eyes! I didn't know what the hell to do first!!

Anyway, everyone got cleaned up and Fred came home to fix the leak.

Yesterday, Alena was playing with the phone. She usually pushes a couple of buttons and then I clear it. Well, I turned my back and I heard someone say "Hello", so I quick hit the off button. I had just been talking to mom and figured she had hit the redial button. Two seconds later, Fred is yelling into my Nextel wanting to know what is wrong! I was like "What? Nothing!". He said there was just a 9-1-1 call from our address!! I was mortified!! Miss Alena had called 9-1-1, so there I stood by the front door in my slippers as the police pulled up!! This kid is too much!! Can you see the future?.....

Aside from that, things have been pretty quiet!!

Got some cute pics of her the other night right before bath time.

Love,

Jenni

Amazing

The love that we have for Alena is just overwhelming. It's so hard to describe. Her and Sophia are both napping right now (everyone ended up with a cold/cough) and I just sat here thinking a bit! You know the feeling you have when you give birth and they place the baby on your chest? That's the same feeling I had when her nannie placed her in my arms. I feel like she was born to us.When I held her for that first moment, it felt like I already knew her and I kissed her on her sweet little lips.It's just amazing how you're willing to eat the Cheerios that they've just taken out of their mouth and offered to you the day they become part of your family. She is definetely our baby and I just don't see how she could have fit so perfect with any other family.

We had a very nice weekend. George took us three girls out to dinner Saturday night. Mom was waiting for a new couch to be delivered and Fred had been out running all day and just stayed home to relax. Alena was as nosey as she usually is when we go out to eat. She turns around in her highchair and stares at everyone! Too funny. She was gaining a lot of attention!

Jeff & Kirstyn and the kids visited on Sunday. The kids are getting so big and are just too cute. Sophia always enjoys seeing Averey. Then we were off to Aunt Chrissy's for Aunt K's birthday! We love Chris & Joe's new house and had a very nice time. Sophia took advantage of the family gathering to sell Girl Scout cookies!! : ) Thanks everyone!

Well, they should be awake soon and Sophia wants to go get her haircut!
Love,

Jenni

One month ago today....

Alena was placed in my arms sound asleep. I was petrified that when she woke up she would be so scared and beside herself. She showed me that all she needed was her daddy and she was just fine.

She has continued to amaze us everyday since. She is such a little smarty with the funniest personality. She has been sick this week, but refuses to let it get her down. Our first inclination that she may be coming down with something happened while we were having dinner at a Chinese restaurant Monday night. She coughed and her rice went flying acrossed the table! Thank God Fred was the one sitting acrossed from her! : ) She's got a pretty bad cold & cough with a fever that doesn't want to quit, but her lungs and ears are clear. Right now she's fighting to take a nap!

Not much else new. She has discovered the kitchen cabinets and drawers and tries her best to get into as many as possible while in her walker.

Love to all!

Jenni

New pics from the past couple of days!

Alena spent a few hours with Aunt Denise and Uncle Rich on Friday night. They say she did great and from the beautiful pics they took, I believe them! They got the cutest pics of her playing peak-a-boo and of her and Denise checking eachother out!

She has mastered the whole crawling thing as you can see in one of the pics and she's doing great with pulling herself up on the furniture. She doesn't "love" being told "don't touch" as witnessed in the pic above of her standing at the end table WANTING the remote!! :)

Mom and George visited Saturday and brought pizza. Alena spent some time sitting with papa and didn't fuss at all. She is doing so well with adjusting and going to other people.

In the picture of her and nannie, you can see the pillow that Fred had made for her in Guangzhou. When you lay her down to sleep she hugs it, grabs a corner of it and sticks it in her mouth!

She enjoys sitting with her books and loves it even more if she's stripped down!!
Lastly, you can see that my hair could really use some attention, ahhh....those were the days!! She's worth every minute of it!!

With love,

Jenni

So cute!

Alena just cracks us up every day. She is so comical and babbles more and more as the time goes by. Today she was especially talkative.

Denise and I took her to Woodbury Commons to do some shopping. We were very excited. Alena on the other hand, has a lot to learn. She not only slept the entire way there, but she slept through a shopping spree in the Gap, Skechers and Tommy Hilfiger!

She "talked" to us the whole way home though as she continously stuffed Cheerios and Gerber puffs in her sweet little mouth!

Speaking of Cheerios~ our house is covered with them! They are on her highchair tray and her walker tray. Everytime she is lifted out of them, they are stuck to her butt, therefore they end up falling off here and there! Grace has learned to sniff all over the house for Cheerio snacks and Alena has learned that if she offers them to Grace while in the walker, she will follow her around the house!!

Besides training the dog to follow her around, Alena enjoys waving to everyone as well as sticking her tongue out at everyone and then expecting the gesture in return. She thinks this is hysterical. She blows great raspberries, loves to clap and just has the most infectuous smile ever!! She says "da da", "ma ma" , "yeah" and nods her head "yes". She knows what "legs up" and "switch hands" means when she being changed too! She has also learned to love bath time now, which is so nice. In China she screamed! Now, when I turn the shower on for Sophia, she tries to get in! She has tought me that not only can you use your toothbrush to brush your teeth, but you can stir things in a bowl and style your hair with it too!

Sophia is the best big sister ever. We are so proud of her. She can make Alena laugh just by walking in the room and she is a tremendous help. She's such a great kid.

Posted some pics from today and yesterday of the little stinker and one of Sophia and I on the Great Wall from Fred's file.

With love,

Jenni

Happy 1st Birthday Alena Mei!!

Miss Alena had a wonderful 1st birthday today with a few friends and relatives. I didn't want it to be too overwhelming for her and she did great. She had a good time with the tissue paper from her gifts and enjoyed her Hello Kitty birthday cake!
She let Aunt Denise do quite a bit with her, played around with Bernie, Tracy & CJ a lot and let a couple of people hold her.
I got a bit emotional this morning as I started to think about Alena's birth parents and the emotions that they may be experiencing on the 1st anniversary of her birth. I can't begin to imagine the what they felt when she was born, the day they left her for someone else to care for and the days after.
We are thankful for her creation and that we were blessed with her to love and nurture forever. She is amazing.
Love,
Jenni
P.S.~ Enjoy the pics! "Charlie" figures if Alena's not going to spend much time in the playpen he will!

DONNA~ The picture of Kevin holding Alena is just for you!! LOL~we'll be over soon to visit! It may not look like it in that pic, but she was having a ball playing around with him! Such a tease!

Ha!! A new post already!!

Just some new pics! The little bugger is doing pretty well. She dazzled them at her first pediatrician appointment two days ago. She was all smiles, waving , clapping, very entertaining. They just loved her.
She got two shots, wimpered for about two seconds, looked down and ripped the band-aids off of her legs!! Too funny. The doctor was cracking up!
Enjoy the pics~ the big girls first birthday is on Sunday!!
Love,
Jenni

Playpen? What?!!

Well, we are gradually settling in.

Miss Alena is eating VERY well and getting used to being put down!! : 0

The first time I put her in her playpen she looked at it as if to say "Ummm, what is this and why are you putting me in it?"!! Now she starts the screaming as you are setting her in it. She'll get used to it over time.

I mastered using the restroom while wearing her in the Snuggly while in China, but I refuse to wear her all day long here!! LOL

She definetely is active and stubborn, but she is so darn cute too! My favorite time with her is around 5AM when she has been getting up. We lay on the couch together for about an hour and snuggle. She smiles, coos, blows raspberries at me, plays peek-a-boo, etc.. Too cute!

She absolutely adores her big sister. When she comes into the room, Alena goes crazy!

Sophia and Fred went back to work and school yesterday and I go back to work the first week in February. Today we visit the pediatrician for the first time. Lord help me, I know the shots are coming and they will hear Alena in the next town over! Poor girl.

Thankyou for all of the beautiful Christmas cards. It was so fun to come home to all of them. I ordered ours with pics of the girls on them as soon as we got home and they will be in next week. I haven't forgotten all of you!

Love to all and I'll try to keep up!!

Happy New Year to everyone!!

Jenni