Kate Emerson's Announcement

This is Kate Emerson's arrival announcement.

Thank you to my friend, Elissa for taking this picture!

Special Friends Day at School

Friday was "special friends and grandparents day" at the boys school. Since, grandma could not make it this time, Kate was the "special friend" for the day. I must admit that it was challenging to get any good photos with the crowds and my big camera and the kids. However, it was a very nice day with the boys and the wonderful community of people at their school so I thought I'd share what I have.

Harry's class sang songs in the chapel. They sang Jesus loves the little children, He's got the whole world in His hands, cum-bay-ya, Jesus loves me this I know and others such as these. It was so sweet.

Will's class challenged the friends and grandparents to a game of "Are you smarter than a 3rd grader?" Will earned two points for his team and I earned one for ours (the capital of Washington State). I think the teacher ended the game when the children were ahead by one. Then, we had a nice lunch with the boys.

As Kate and I strolled the halls, teachers, staff and parents stopped us to meet Kate and fuss over her. I was overwhelmed with how many people have been praying for Kate Emerson this year. Harry's incredible teacher is in a prayer group and many of the teachers have been praying for Kate all year. It was so nice for them to finally meet her and for me to meet them too. I appreciate each and every prayer and I know that is why this transition has been so easy for our family. Thank you.

The next day

The day after the big photo shoot a friend of ours from California (who is adopting a baby from China) came to visit. We were hanging out on the back deck and Kate decided that today she felt like America's Next Top Model. I quickly grabbed my camera and got some of her poses.

I am kind of using this blog as a baby book since I have not had time to get one or write much down for Kate so ignore the minute details if you wish. They are really for me so that I don't forget all of her firsts. Yesterday, we went to Richmond to find the perfect dress for Kate's Baptism. She is being baptized on her first birthday so it is a dual celebration.

Kate was such a delight while shopping. She tried on 7 or 8 different dresses (three styles but various sizes) and she did not complain once. In fact, I think she enjoyed it. Each time she saw herself in the mirror she smiled with animation. She looked gorgeous in each dress so it was a very hard decision. There were silk ones, taffeta dresses and cotton dresses with seed pearls. I chose the one that she looked most like a sweet baby in. Some of the dresses were so beautiful but she looked too grown up in them. Since I missed most of her first year...I don't want to rush things.

After choosing the perfect dress (and a few others) we had our first "girls" lunch at Nordstrom's with Elissa and Devyn. The little girls were so well behaved and they received many admiring glances from other diners. I love having a daughter!

The First Big Photo Shoot

My friend, Elissa is a very talented photographer. We have talked for months (if not years) about how wonderful it will be when she can finally take Kate's picture. So, I asked her to come take some photos for Kate's arrival announcements. It was Kate's nap time and she still had a touch of a goopy eye. Let's just say Miss Kate was not very cooperative. We did finally get a few great ones (due to Elissa's immense talent) but here are some that did not make the cut for the announcement. Thank you SO much Elissa!

Okay, what are these silly ladies doing to me? I need to spice this up.

Hmmm...I know just how to get out of this whole thing.

First, I'll eat my dress. Mom will not like that at all.

Then, I'll make a sour puss face.

And some kissy lips...

Wow, are you guys ever gonna give up?

I need my nap!

Jumparoo

So I needed to make dinner and Will and I decided to put Kate in a jumpy thing that someone loaned us. Will had one when he was a baby and he LOVED it.


Kate looked at it and wasn't so sure.



Will gave her a little bounce...

and another....

She was smitten.

She played.

And laughed.

But then we realized her feet don't touch the ground. Our ceilings and doorways are too high. As much as Kate loved this, we couldn't just let her dangle. So we had to take her out. We can use it upstairs though.

Thanks Dooney!

We finally got these beautiful letters hung above Kate Emerson's crib! My sister, Dawn (aka Aunt Dooney) gave them to us at Kate's shower. They had ribbons but we liked how they hung better without the ribbons. They have a pink floral background which looks great with the damask print painted on the walls. Thanks again Aunt Dooney, Uncle Moon and Ashton:)

Kate's Favorite Place

Yes, the high chair is Miss Kate's favorite place to be because her favorite pastime is eating. This little girl LOVES food. In the two weeks she has been home she has eaten enchiladas, chicken tetrazini, chili, pizza crust, black beans, red beans and rice, beef stew, french toast, couscous with spring vegetables, sweet potatoes, carrots, oatmeal, tilapia, salmon, green beans and broccoli. I could go on and on and on. She does not eat any baby food. She simply eats whatever we eat. I am so thankful that she likes to eat the food we like to eat.

On another note, Kate slept through the night last night! Although she slept well in China, since Kate came home she was waking up every hour or so crying all night long. It was getting very tough. It did not seem to matter whether she slept in our bed, in her crib or in a bed in her room with us...she just cried. Well, last night she slept all night and only fussed for a minute or two at 12:30 a.m. I have been praying that she feels peace and comfort in her heart in her new home and that she sleep with this peace. I think my prayers are being answered. The whole world looks better with some sleep.

Kate has a cold and pink eye right now...so I don't have any new pictures of her (the goopy green eye is not her best look). Check back soon though.

Kate's First Haircut (and a few other firsts)

It was a big day for Miss Kate Emerson! First, this morning as Harry was playing with Kate before school, she said, "Will." Now she has said, "Wi" before but this time she said "Will." I know she said it to Harry but he does look a lot like Will. I am very impressed with her verbal skills.

Then, I had to run something to the boys' school, so we had an impromptu visit to Harry's kindergarten class. She was quite the hit. She laughed and played with the kids and Harry was very proud of his little sister. Kate especially liked Miss Kristi and Mrs. Bear. She reached out for both of them to hold her but we aren't letting go of her just yet so she doesn't get confused about who Mom is. She played with Miss Kristi's face quite a bit though. We did not have time to visit Will's class today because we had to get a haircut, but we'll visit soon.

So, yes, then we went for a last minute haircut for Kate. She had these straggly pieces of "Donald Trump/Old Lady" hair that just needed to be trimmed. Dave was asking me everyday when I was going to get her hair trimmed! My salon is rather particular about children being there at all. So, we opted for the quick trip to the Hair Cuttery. I thought Kate would scream but she did very well.

Kate snuggled in my lap for the haircut.

She did do one little wimper.


They did a great job!

First time at Church

Kate and Mommy just before we left to go to Church for the first time. It has been cold and rainy here and Miss Kate Emerson does not really have cool weather clothes. It had better warm up soon so she can wear all of those beautiful dresses!

As we sat in Mass for the first time with Kate I thought of all of the years of Sundays I sat there and prayed for our daughter, prayed for her birth parents, her caregivers. I prayed for orphans and the families waiting to adopt them all over the world. I literally would state these intentions in front of our whole parish some weeks (sometimes embarrassing my kids and husband). My prayers have been answered. It was incredible to be holding her in Church this Sunday. I cannot tell you how many Sundays over the years I wondered if it would ever really happen. It has finally happened and it is wonderful. She was so sweet during the whole Mass. It was extra long because of a special choir and she had missed her morning nap, but she flirted with the young college men behind us and took it all in. She is an angel. We are so blessed.

A few long days...

Okay, so the last few days have been a little rough. Kate is doing well and is very happy (as you will see in these pictures below). However, she does wake up a lot in the middle of the night to make sure we are still here. Thus, we are all a little sleep deprived. Also, we found out that her lead levels are a bit high and her iron is low. So, we are keeping an eye on it and will need to re-test soon. Any prayers or advice on these fronts are greatly appreciated.

Also, this week was Spring Break for Will and Harry. Their break literally began the day Kate arrived home. Needless to say, we had not really done much with them and I was starting to feel guilty. So, I suggested to Dave that on Friday (the 13th-- which I did not know at the time) we have our first whole family outing since Kate has been home. I decided that we should go to Maymont Park. It has a petting zoo, koi pond, trails and tons of other things to see and do. Well, as we were enjoying our beautiful day at the park joy turned to terror and fear.

Will and Harry observed some kids going through a bamboo trail that was adjacent to the regular path we were on. They asked if they could go into the bamboo. Dave and I saw where we thought the trail ended so we told them to stick together and meet us at the end. We did not go through the bamboo because the stroller could not go (it was steep and rocky). I thought to myself.... Will is almost 10 and Harry is 6, they'll be fine and we are right here. I was wrong! We waited at the end of the trail and they never came out. After a few minutes, Dave said, "I better go look for them." I replied, "Oh they're probably picking up bamboo sticks. They are fine." Then a few minutes later (when there was still no sign of them) Dave said, "I'm going in!" He searched the entire bamboo trail and they were nowhere to be found.

He decided to hike up the hill and look for them and try to find a park employee. The plan was for me to stay by the trail with Kate in case they came back. By this time about 20 minutes had passed and we were really staring to worry. To make a long story short...the boys came out of the trail at a different point and when they did not see us, they went to the children's zoo where we entered the park, found the office and told the employees they were lost. The employees gave Will and Harry the grand tour, let them feed the animals and go inside the fences with them! When Dave reported them missing, the park employee directed him to them but no one told me they were found! This is a HUGE park and it took Dave a long time to get to the boys.

Meanwhile....back at the bamboo trail..I am crying , calling 911 and asking everyone I see to help me find the boys. When the 911 operator asked me how tall the boys were I didn't know! I was so panicked. Everyone was searching the park looking for them. They were gone from me for almost and hour and a half before I knew they were okay. It was the worst afternoon of my entire life!!! I cannot even tell you the images that went through my mind but I tried mostly to pray and picture our reunion. We have all lost sight of a child for a few seconds but after an hour, I began to think they were not lost but gone.

So, my great idea for a day of family fun took about 30 years off my life! We did go out for BBQ after that and Kate had her first meal out (aside from Easter brunch). What a day! I am so grateful to all of the helpful strangers who went through the bamboo searching. One Mom even hugged me when we found out they were okay and she was a complete stranger.

Speaking of days...below is a snapshot of a day at home with Kate (we have had her home over a week now).

Some friends came over to play (Devyn, Peyton, Kate and Harry).

We wrestled.

We kissed.

They brought pizza (Kate's first--just the crust).

I started getting tired.

So, it was bath time!

A week ago, I hated this. Now, I love it!

Drying off in my hooded towel.

After my baby massage, pj's and bottle, I got a shoulder ride up to bed from Dad.

Kiss me Kate

Little Miss Kate Emerson is very fond of giving kisses to her brothers (this is Will) and Mommy and Daddy. Oops...once she bit Harry's cheek by mistake. It was just so yummy!

She is studies every toy so intently.
This is her new accomplishment of the day--pushing up on her arms.

We're working on crawling.

The doc told us we need lots of tummy time to catch up.

Today we took Kate Emerson in to the pediatrician for a total check-up. It went well. She weighs 20 lbs. 10 ounces. She is 29" long. Her weight, length and head measurements have her in the 75th percentile on the American growth charts. This is amazing for a Chinese adopted baby! She is very healthy. She seems developmentally on target in most areas (sitting, talking, game playing and social interactions). But she is a little behind on things like scooting, crawling and muscle strength. We need to play a lot with her on the floor and she will get much stronger. It is obvious to us that Kate Emerson was well cared for in China. Her foster Mother was kind enough to take a lot of pictures of her life there. I am not sure yet if I will post them or not.

Amazingly, Kate called me "Mama" today with intention and meaning. She doesn't really want to sleep in her crib yet but she was playing in there today and I was on the bed watching her. She rolled over, pushed up on her arms, looked me squarely in the eyes and said, "Mama!" I melted.

Kate's First Easter

Kate, Mom and Will. We are just leaving for Easter Brunch. Harry was in a mood so he did not get in the pictures. Hello Easter Bunny!

Mmmmm.. I like this brunch thing.

Kate and Harry with some friends at brunch. Finley (left) was adopted from China about a year and 1/2 ago. Kate is very taken with her. Ann Riley (right) is Finley's big sister and a sweetie.

Dave, Kate and Will.

Big brother, Will. Enlarge to see the bunnies on Kate's dress and in her hair!

The Easter bunny brought bath toys for Miss Kate Emerson and books, playmobil, Pokemon cards and a little candy for the boys.


I am rather sleep deprived. Will and Harry are on Spring Break and it is a little crazy around here. So, these pictures are probably poorly labeled and ordered. We are having fun with Kate!