My blog book has finally arrived and to say that I am thrilled with it is an understatement. When I opened the box and unwrapped the bubble wrap I literally gasped because it is that fabulous.
It has had to be done in two parts because apparently it is rather large. I only have part one now and I am really impatient for part two to arrive. I wanted the first book but since I didn't know what I was missing the wait was fine, a little long towards the end but nothing I couldn't cope with. But now, I want my book and I want it now. Sorry Amy!
If any of you are thinking about having your blog turned into a book, do it and use, Book my Blog because Amy and Kristen are really rather incredible and they are nice as well. You never get those 2 things together anymore.
Having my blog in book form is fantastic I can lie in bed and read it and all of my favourite people are bound forever in print in this truly special book. Lily loves it and calls it her story, which it really is because even though it chronicles the wait for Rosie part one is all about her. The quality is first rate and I just can't say enough good things about it.
Here, judge for yourself: (a little disclaimer: my camera is on the fritz, actually I think it is on it's last legs, so the photos are not that good.)
The Back Cover. (yes, we know there is a big ole' typo smack in the middle of it. It is nothing that cannot be fixed and it is my fault NOT their fault.)
We have just got back from another fun filled trip to Naples. Maybe we should move over there considering how many times a year we go and how much we love it there. Some things about the place make my brain itch but for the most part it is really lovely. One thing that we really love and the main reason we go is for the beach. The beaches there are fabulous and there aren't ever that many people on them. Here you barely have enough room to put down your towel without hitting the towel of the person next to you.
We took the kidlets down to the beach after dinner the first night we arrived with the intention of going for a walk. Hmmm, kidlets cannot just walk on a beach they need to be in the water, well ours do at least. So they stripped off their dresses and dove in.
I love these photos of the girls.
Rosie running along the pier,trying to catch up with Lily.
After an evening on the beach the girls required an ice cream. Of course it was Lily that decided it was a requirement and Rose just goes along with whatever Lily says cos she would follow her to the moon.
More fun planned for the next few days cos we want summer to end with a bang. School starts on Monday and then Andie arrives for a week and we can't wait.
Did you see the opening ceremony for the Olympics last night? It was just amazing, thoroughly amazing. I sat on the couch mesmerised. I still can't believe that they managed to pull it off because when we were there at the end of February the Olympic village was no where near finished. The Birds Nest was complete but some of the other stadiums were not and for miles around it was a huge construction site.
I have never had such an interest in the Olympics in my life. It is funny because all of a sudden my whole family is rooting for China. Up until this point we have always had world war three during the games because I always root for England and Jacob always roots for the US. It is hard rooting for a country than than the one you are in because the broadcasters never give the others the time of day. Shouts of "CHINA, CHINA" fill the air here and it is great fun. Even Lily is filled with the spirit. Whilst we were there we bought all of the mascots and each has a different name and together they say, Beijing welcomes you, rather cool stuff.
I just hope that everyone behaves themselves and no political wars break out. Too many babies are still waiting for their families and in order for that to happen we need to see smoothe sailing.
Yesterday was a day that Lily had been eagerly anticipating for nearly a week. She was going on her first ever sleep over. To say that she was excited is an understatement. The night before I was awoken by a little voice just after 4am., asking if she could have a snuggle cos she was just too excited to sleep, I obliged as I found it all to be utterly adorable.
Yesterday morning she woke up and yelled, "I can't believe that today is the day". We had breakfast put Rosie down for an early nap and then headed off to a water park to meet with Hollis and the girls. All 5 of the girls had a wonderful time and finally it was time to head over to Hollis' house to do the drop off.
I have to add here that Lily has never been left with a babysitter. When we go home I often say good bye to her as she toddles off somewhere with Nannis, Grandpa, Andie, Uncle Mike or a handful of other family members but that is it. I never think twice about it. When we were in China she went out with just Andie and I left her with Andie when she was so sick....it means nothing to me. I love and trust these people and know Schnoog is having a fabulous time. But here? Well, we don't leave her ever! She goes out with Goo Goo and that is about it. So yesterday was a huge step for all of us. I can't imagine a safer place for Lily to be than at Hollis' house and we love her family and hold them close to her heart so I didn't give it much thought.
So after dinner Rosie and I packed up our things and headed to the car cos I couldn't stand hearing Lily ask me one more time when I was leaving!!! Talk about, don't let the door hit you on your behind when you leave! We hugged her goodbye and kissed all the girlies and left. Once in the car Rosie stared at Lily's car seat as if to say, "Mama, aren't you forgetting something" but after about 2 minutes she was fast asleep. When we got home she woke up long enough to change into pajamas and have a bottle and then she was gone. After I put her to bed I walked into Lily's room and my stomach just flipped. That funny sort of flip that you get when you are excited yet nervous at the same time.
This was the first time in 5 years that she hasn't been home with us. It was a peculiar feeling that I can't quite put into words but suffice to say I missed her terribly. I started cleaning and all of a sudden it was passed midnight. I went to bed but could not fall asleep even though I had spoken to Hollis twice and new that she was having a fine time and was fast asleep. I knew that we would not receive the middle of the night phone call that is so common with first sleepovers, there was no way she would need to come home.
At 8.30 this morning Hollis rang to say they were all playing together and that she was going to take then bowling and why didn't I arrive late afternoon to get her. Late afternoon? Oh boy, I was going out of my mind but I did what was suggested and when we arrived I was welcomed by a little girl who looked at me and said, Oh Mummy, can't I stay just one more night?" She was exhausted and she wasn't happy about the thought of going home so I cajoled her a bit and we left. In the car she fell asleep and when she woke up she was happy Lily again and couldn't stop talking about her night and day.
I am thrilled for her, thrilled that she is so comfortable that she can stay with friends and not worry. Thrilled that her long awaited sleepover was everything that she imagined and more. Tonight in the bath she was calling Anlei, her best friend but also added, so is Joie. Anlei is just one month older than her and Joie is 8. Trevi is the baby and she is 4. When the girls play together they all play. They don't bicker at all they just float along doing things together. Sometimes it is Lily and Anlei and sometimes Lily and Joie but there is never any friction. As for Trevi, well she usually just sticks to Jacob and calls him her Daddy. I foolishly asked her, even thought last night I promised myself I would not do this, if she missed me. She looked at me shyly and said, "No mummy, actually I forgot about you because I was having such a good time." I joked with her about it but I know that means she truly did have fun and I am so thankful to Hollis, Grace and the three girls. She did say that she thinks she missed Rosie because she accidentally called Trevi, Rosie, twice.
At bedtime tonight she was so tired that all she wanted to do was snuggle and I really made the most of it, it felt so good. She is very affectionate and I missed that, actually I just missed her. Jacob said he just felt odd not having her around, not squealing and laughing and telling Rose, No!
I think we learnt a lesson yesterday in letting go.
Rosie has now been home with us for 6 months. It is the same old cliche that you hear every day: sometimes it feels like just yesterday and sometimes it feels like she has been with us forever. The one thing we know for sure is that she is changing in leaps and bounds. She was so very fragile to begin with and had such a hard time dealing with the loss of her former home but she slowly turned it all around and has become our daughter and she is now so very affectionate towards us. The biggest changes have happened in the last couple of weeks.
She turned 18 months yesterday and is right on target with other children of her age developmentally but still lags behind in her size. We had a big day last week when I went through her closets and had to get rid of all her 9 month old clothes cos they just don't fit. The tops still fit but the bottoms looked as if she was waiting for a flood.
I trimmed her hair because her scraggy fringe was in her eyes and now she actually looks a bit older. I also trimmed the back so that it was even and now hopefully it will grow enough so that it can be styled by a hairdresser. (Jenna, are you coming down for a visit anytime soon?)
Although she doesn't say an awful lot in English she makes herself understood. Her vocabulary consists of the usual first words and the funniest thing that she has started to do is call everybody Mummy. I mean everybody! She knows that it gets attention so she just yells, MUM. She used to call Jacob Dada but now he is Mum as well, ditto Lily. Even our friend Hollis was Mummy yesterday.
We are working very hard with her to stop her from hitting and biting Lily and I think (fingers crossed, pay the Rabbi, send a cheque to Uncle Howard, and salt over my shoulder) we are winning the war. I really told her off the other day and sat her in the naughty corner and explained the whole deal to her and hopefully she will think twice before doing it again.
She has a stubborn streak that is mind blowing but she has met her match with us cos as a child I was the Queen of stubborn. Her clever little mind picks up on everything and when she sets her mind to do something she does it. She loves to read books, even if they are upside down and jabbers away to herself making up the story. If you put the television on she will turn it off and if it isn't on she will turn it on. She sleeps like a champion and wakes up every morning with a smile.
She truly is a wonderful little girl and we love her so very much. It is hard to imagine back to life without her. If I had a penny for every time that Lily says she loves her baby sister I would be a millionaire but instead I get the warm fuzzy's and they in themselves are worth millions.
The other day Lily left the stair gate open and Rosie noticed it immediately and made a bee-line for it. I was watching her and I have never seen her climb the stairs quite so fast. She giggled all the way to the top. If any doors are left open she will say, uh oh and shut them. She is so helpful. She still likes to unroll the toilet paper and unload the cupboards.
She is a thumb sucker and I thought that since she did that she wouldn't need anything else but I was wrong. She has her thumb, her bunny, and 2 blankets that she drags about with her. Quite frankly she looks like a homeless woman who is dragging her life around with her. For Christmas I will have to buy her a little shopping trolley so that she can really play the part.
She makes us laugh endlessly with her antics and she knows only to well that she is funny. Her and Lily conspire against us and have a ball doing it.
Rosie still doesn't like strangers and clings to us when we are out and about. On occasion she will say hi to people but usually she gets rather bothered when people come to close to her. She needs a t-shirt that says, get out of my space.
This was out little sweet girl 6 months ago. Poor little soul was scared to death and heart broken. It still hurts me to see these pictures but I know now that she is fine.
This month holds a lot of doctors appointments for her and she isn't going to like it one bit. She has her 18month old check up with the pediatrician and then we also have to go back to Miami Children's Hospital for an EKG an Echo and this time she will have chest xrays as well. Hopefully if she has to have the surgery it will get scheduled and we can put it behind us and move on and if she doesn't have to have because by some small miracle it has healed itself then we will just start marching forwards from that moment. Since her heart is improving we are really hoping it has fixed itself.
Today the girls went to a party to celebrate our good friend Ebby turning 4. They had a really great time because it was at Chuck * Cheese. Now seriously, I don't know one adult that likes that place but lordy the kids all seem to love it and that is what counts. Lily had the best time showing her sister the ropes. Rosie just walked along beside me clutching her tokens and every now and again she would randomly put the tokens in a machine. She was the ticket grabber and she did a fine job.
Lily loves any character and Chuck e is no different.
