"Gotcha" 6 months!!!!

Well, it was actually yesterday. On the hand it just seems like Anna has just gotten home, and yet it feels like she's been a part of our family forever. Everything honestly is going pretty amazing lately. She is one happy, energetic, independent, stubborn, loveable, adorable little girl! We are going to Gymboree once a week and still have her infant teacher coming to the house twice a week. Her eyes seem like they are doing well, but at times I do seem to notice her one possibly turns in just a tad. Scheduling another follow up eye appt is on my to do list (along with just a 100 other things!) I did schedule a private speech evalution appt for Monday. I know she is making huge strides in the last month, but it is still often quite hard to understand what she is saying, although I think she's getting better all the time.

I don't have any new Disneyland pictures to post as its been freezing and raining here in sunny southern California! I'm not loving this. Tomorrow's low is 34 degrees....? Thats insane for us. Looks like next week is supposed to warm up some so maybe just me and Anna can sneak off the our happy place. Its harder now with Dylan's little league starting but I'll make it happen somehow.

Yesterday I got to meet some wonderful ladies in my aunt's office who've been following our journey via my blog and was able to show off Anna. Stacey, thank you for the Minnie Mouse....she loves it! Its fun to have them already "know" us without ever meeting us. Isn't our little blogging community just full of amazing people? This has just been the best outlet and form of support for me....I'm so grateful!

Don't you love the last picture? Guess thats what happens when I feed her lunch too late when naptime is overdue!

~Chelsea Kay~ 3 years ago today

Happy 3rd Birthday my sleeping angel. In the wee hours of the morning you entered this world too soon. I remember you today with extreme gratitude and love for it was you who ultimately brought us to our Anna Natalia. 3 years ago another woman in Russia continued to grow a tiny baby who we did not know about as I was holding our tiny baby. While this is not the path I would have chosen to bring us to our daughter, I am thankful all the same that this road brought us together with the sweetest little girl. Today I will remember both my sleeping angels as my precious Anna wakes up and says "morning mommy"....and "i wuv ooo mommy".

What a personality!

Anna and cousin Trent had a great time together, and kept walking around hand in hand....adorable!!!

Wow, I LOVE this girl! I mean, I do feel we bonded from the start, but I was just so overcome with worry that I think some of it got clouded. Now, I just think daily I attach even more to her and am truly grateful she is in our lives. Sometimes the worry still creeps in and I wonder if we'll have future challeges, but she is just really blossoming and talking more and more and is just thrilled with life and so am I! I took her to her first Gymboree class and we both had a ball. She needs some improvement with circle time but who can blame her for not wanting to sit still with all this new fun equipment around? Hopefully that will improve over time.

Here is our latest project...our new office. Anna kinda got the room I wanted to move our office into so this is our solution and I'm very excited about it. We are converting our 3rd car garage into the office. Our office is now in basically our kitchen and it just feels very stressful as it is definitely a working office since I do all the paperwork for our business from home. Steve comes home and piles invoices and plans on the desk, faxes come thru while we're eating dinner, I always have some form of paperwork mess going on and I'd love to be able to just shut the door to it all and have some relaxing family time. Since Steve basically has a separate 2-car in the backyard for all his boy toys, and since we will still lave a 2-car garage attached to the house as well, he was fine with losing a bit of his garage space. If you know my husband, you know this is a big deal! Another BIG plus....the space that is now our office will become a big walk-in pantry...woo hoo! Now it will be easier to buy in bulk at Costco and the addition of a wine cooler will help mommy out as well :o) Stay tuned and I'll post more pictures as the project progresses.