Friday, March 2, 2012

Happy 3rd Birthday, Janie!

I guess late is better than never, right? Well, I have FINALLY gotten around to posting some pics from Janie's 3rd birthday....did I just type that? Is my sweetie already 3 years old? How did that happen??

I remember every second of the wait to bring her home, to meet my daughter. I remember the pull God was giving me to begin the adoption process. I remember the lost referral, country closures, paperwork delays, etc. It all took around 3 years and those were the LONGEST 3 years of my life...now these past 3 years have flown by. All parents say that happens--and boy are they right!!


Presents, presents, presents



Opening a present!

Lexie got a few presents too :)


What's next?


Janie loves her binoculars!

Opening her sweet pillow case. Has her name and a sweet prayer on it.

Lexie got one too!




Janie and her Leap Frog--she is all about anything Leap Frog!!

Another fun computer toy!



Her favorite present....the princess castle tent!




Now time to head to the Pizza party with her friends!!

Janie and Charlie (her best friend-she says it all the time). I seriously think these 2 are

going to get married....they already act like an old married couple!

Friends Wylie and Kelson

Playing in the children's area while waiting for food!


Lexie wanted to climb the foose ball table!

The cake!


Time to blow out the candle!




Janie and Charlie (side by side again)

Lexie liked the cake too!

Sweet baby Josie!


Present time!



Charlie calls Janie his "princess". He told his mom he wanted to get Janie a princess cake. He had this princess cup-cake made for her...Janie loved it. She just kept lovingly staring at it. She wouldn't eat it though..it was too pretty. The next day, I finally had to take the sugar princess of the top to get her to eat the cupcake!




Can't believe my girls are 2 and 3 years old!! Love them so much!!







Monday, February 27, 2012

2 & 3 year check ups

Had the girls' 2 year and 3 year check ups today! Both are doing great, growing steadily, on track (and ahead in many areas) developmentally!! YAY! And the most exciting news...both are finally in a percentile on the growth chart....ha-ha!!

Janie weighed in at 25.5 pounds putting her in the 4%....and measured a height of 35.5 inches putting her in the 14%.


Lexie weighed in at 21.5 pounds putting her in the 1%....and measured a height of 32 inches putting her in the 6%.


So blessed that God has built our sweet family!

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Polar Opposites

Been thinking about the girls' personalities a lot lately...and wanted to share. Be prepared..this is a long post--but pretty funny!!

Janie and Lexie are so alike in so many ways. Of course we all know they look so much alike. I really wish I had a dime for everytime I am asked "Are they twins". I cannot go anywhere without having to answer it at least 4-5 times per store. Sometimes I even hear people walk by and say things like "oh look at those cute twins". I just smile and often don't correct them...The girls love to play, play, play (and also fight, fight, fight)...there is no shortage of sibling rivalry around here these days. A gazillion toys in the house and they ALWAYS seem to want the exact same one! But I guess that is normal. I am an only child so I never had to "share" toys...it is fun playing referee sometimes :):)

However, Janie and Lexie are also SO DIFFERENT in so many ways! I remember getting email updates from Taiwan about the girls.

Janie:
The updates from Janie always mentioned how "particular" she was. She was a baby who wanted it her way and only her way. She was described as stubborn and often very difficult (but in a good way). She liked things her way and only her way. When she came home, I began to see what they meant. She is a wonderful baby (now little girl) but she does like all things a very specific way. One email even joked that I should travel to Taiwan a few days early so I could learn all about her quirks and what works/doesn't work for her :)

See Janie is very neat. Actually, the word "neat" really isn't strong enough...she hates messiness! She does not like to get dirty. She is extremely girly..she wants dresses, bows, etc. She is obsessed with clothes. One of the first things she asks every morning is "What I gonna wear today?" She always wants a napkin and is constantly wiping her face during meal times. She wants order. She hates all things "messy". She loves to follow all directions. She loves to "tattle" on others that are not following the rules, etc. She literally WILL NOT GO TO SLEEP until everything in her room is in the exact correct spot. One day she found a bowl in her toy box that holds all her doll house stuff--she held it up and said "Hey, this don't go here-this not my doll house" and immediately took it to her play kitchen. I think she has a little OCD going on. But I love my little quirky neat freak!

Janie is also very serious. She does have a funny/silly side too...but for the most part, she is always thinking about something and asking very deep questions....

Lexie:
All the updates I got on her kept saying she was so easy going..nothing like her sister. All I read about was how "sweet" she was. She loved to snuggle and be held. She was constantly described as laid back, easy going, and sweet. They are sooooo right. Lexie is one sweet, silly, funny, goofy girl! She cracks me up...she is the EXACT opposite of Janie when it comes to order and mess! She loves to get dirty, she loves danger, she would rather throw things all around and make a disaster out of anything she can. She is not afraid of anything! She will jump off something without even looking or hesitating (scares me so much--and keeps me on high alert). She will eat anything, she will touch anything--she will give me lots of gray hair I am sure!

I always say "Janie hates to be near dirt and Lexie loves to eat the dirt".

She is going to be voted class clown-I just know it. I have a feeling this child will create lots of parent/teacher conferences to discuss her wild/crazy behavior in class! She will just be standing there and do some crazy movement/dance/shout/etc...it is so funny to just sit and watch her.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that they are so different from each other. They are constantly compared to each other (by they way they look). I love that God has given them each thier own unique personality!!

Here they are both enjoying playing in a crib!


Now for how they are so different:

When I tell Janie to pick an outfit, this is what she usually chooses. Notice the perfectly matched dress/bow. That is my "girly" girl.

Lexie will pick something like this. An outfit with a stain and for fun, let's put a pull-up on over the clothes!
When decorating cupcakes, Janie's has all the sprinkes neatly placed on top of the cupcake:


Lexie will dump all the sprinkles out on the table:


When eating bread sticks (to dip in cheese) Janie will keep it neat and clean:


While Lexie will stick them up her nose :):)


Lexie also LOVES to "bug" Janie. She knows what to do to make Janie scream. She loves Janie so much and Janie loves her too....but, Janie HATES to be sat on! So what does Lexie do...well, she is always laying on top of Janie--just so she can hear her scream!!

Of course Mommy thinks it is so funny....she grabs the camera!!




But..........................................

Maybe they are rubbing off on each other. Janie is starting to make Lexie a little more clean and "girly". On this day, Lexie wanted me to spread the blanket on the floor so we wouldn't get her new outfit dirty.........

And......................

Lexie is making Janie a little more silly. Janie wanted to pick her own clothes and she came running down the hall one Saturday morning in this outfit:



Oh my precious girls!! I am so blessed!!!!!




























Happy 2nd Birthday Lexie!!!

Happy Birthday sweet Lexie girl!! It is so hard to believe that you are 2 years old!! Your special day went like this!!


You woke up to find balloons all over the house!




When it was time to get dressed, you decided the balloons needed to come to mommy's room too! So you and Janie brought all the balloons to the bedrooms!



Then you put all the balloons on the bed!




Mommy had to go to work, so you went to Miss Gaye's house...you had a great time playing with the balloons and your friends there!



Then we came home and Mimi & Gramps came over to celebrate your special day. Yummy dinner, cake, and of course PRESENTS!!



Here you are after dinner waiting for your cake!




Look at that big happy smile!!





Janie enjoyed the cake too! (Janie kept asking if it was her birthday)



After cake, you went to the restroom to get cleaned up. When you came back to the living room, you saw all your presents! Look how excited you are!! (Janie looks pretty thrilled too)



Oooh, lots of great things to open!!










You are very into baby dolls right now.



Look at this great rocking chair that Mimi got you to feed your new baby her bottle!!





Time to put your baby in your new crib!



This is how I found you the next morning...sound asleep in mommy's bed!


I think you must have had lots of fun!!

Happy Birthday precious girl!



Mommy loves you so much!!




*************************************************************************
NEW CLOTHES!!!!!



So those of you that know Mimi, know that she loves a good sale! Well, she found one!! A great clearance sale on ADORABLE children clothes!! Check out 2 of the new outfits she got for the girls...........




Now look at all the others!!!!!!!!


These 2 are my favorite!!!




Here is video of Lexie blowing out her birthday cake!!!

So sweet!!