One Year Ago Today…

Mom, Dad, Norma and I boarded a plane first for Vancouver and then for BEIJING!  We were going to China and were just days away from meeting Hannah XiaoFen!!!

Truly, I cannot believe an entire year has passed.  How did that happen?

We left Toronto bright and early that Thursday morning and our hearts were soaring higher than the plane!

I vividly remember the wonderful feelings of anticipation, giddiness, excitement, a little uncertainty yet more than anything I remember God’s peace covering me like a blanket.  In the past, unknown adventures ahead had led to anxiety and fear but this time peace.  Sweet, sweet peace.  A peace that only He could provide.

The plane that flew us to China!!!

I had to keep pinching myself.  I was on the way to China to meet Hannah!!!

This was one of our first glimpses of Beijing.  I was immediately struck by the sheer density of the population as we looked down upon row after row of apartment buildings.  (We were later told by our guide that there are no single homes in Beijing, all are apartment style buildings!)

When we landed in Beijing it was one day later, Friday, October 30th, late in the afternoon.  We had been up for a while as the flights had been 5 and 11 hours long but you can tell that sleep was not on my agenda.  I was now standing in the very same country that my daughter was living!!!

I think in this picture I think I’m asking our wonderful guide Sarah if she knows when we’ll be meeting our babies?  And….she did!  Less than 72 hours after this picture was taken, Hannah would be placed in my arms!!!

We settled into our rooms and while mom and dad went downstairs to the hotel restaurant to find some supper, Norma and I ventured out into the night to see what we could find.  The adventure had begun!   Mmm…cake.

Hmmm…last I checked we didn’t have Seaweed or BBQ Steak Pringles at our local grocery store.   

We were less adventuresome deciding on plain Pringles, coke and apples for supper but we sure did enjoy them.

I will be forever grateful to Mom, Dad and Norma for going on this trip of a lifetime with me!  It wouldn’t have been the same if even one of them had been missing.  We were a great team and I love them all SO much!  Thank you again!!!  Love to each of you….xoxoxo

This was the picture I was holding tight too.  Mommy was coming XiaoFen.  Mommy was coming!

Hide and Seek ~ Hannah Style

Today Hannah and I had an unexpected day together as she woke with a fever and wanted nothing but cuddles and snuggles with mommy.  She’d had a rough night which is unlike her, with a couple of periods of crying where I just couldn’t settle her.  Normally she goes down well and wakes once or twice in the evening and then once Mommy goes to bed too and she snuggles close and is gone for the night.  Last night’s sessions were my first hints that something was up.

Thankfully she reacted well to the Infant Tylenol and Advil I gave her and by the afternoon she was her happy self.  Please ignore the dirty jammies.  They were fresh in the morning but a day of not feeling well = extra treats if it means she would eat something.

Here she is playing Hannah style of Hide and Seek.  Absolutely adorable!!  I love how she hides the stuff herself but still pretends she can’t find it.  She made this game up herself while we were playing in our room.  So cute!

I also found out this past weekend that our cable company is now carrying Playhouse Disney 24/7.  Yay!!!  It was nice to have this as an option at 3:30 this morning and she was totally inconsolable.  After more than half an hour of crying I turned it on and within a minute she’d stopped crying and within 5 was back to sleep.  I totally get this as sometimes in the middle of the night when things are going around in my head I just need a couple of minutes of TV to distract my thoughts.  Like mother, like daughter.

What an unexpected treat it was to spend today with my daughter!

My Most Thankful Thanksgiving Ever!!!

Earlier this month we celebrated Thanksgiving and this year I did so with Hannah in my arms!!!  Truly she is the one I am most thankful for and even though we’ve been together for almost a year I still pinch myself to believe that she’s truly here!  Hannah is the most delightful, happy, easy going, fun-loving, independent, active, inquisitive, excitable, loving baby girl ever! (Yes, I’m biased as I know you think this about your kiddos too.)   I love everything about her amazing personality and just cannot express in words how she makes me feel.  On a daily basis people at work ask my how Hannah is an my response is always ‘AMAZING’ and truly she is!  I still light up at the sheer mention of her name and can’t hurry home fast enough to spend time with her each evening.  I am thankful for a job I love with great co-workers and Hannah wiggles each morning to get out of my arms to play with her friends at daycare.  I am so thankful for Ange and her wonderful care of Hannah.  Truly I don’t have a thing to worry about when I’m at work and I am so thankful for this.  The evenings are time for Hannah and I to be together and it’s a treat to spend time with her. 

Heh….got a bit off topic there which is pretty common when I’m writing a post but most often I just go with it as I did there.  Now, back to Thanksgiving.

The entire family was able to be there with the exception of 3 of Hannah’s cousins.  Hopefully we’ll all be together at Christmas.

Preparing to enjoy the yummy turkey dinner

After dinner some of us headed outside to enjoy the beautiful fall day and play in the leaves.  What fun to see all the cousins enjoying their playtime together.

Running through the leaves

On this day it was fun to watch Hannah play with her cousins.  Until this day she was a baby who kinda did her own thing but now she’s was old enough and big enough to actually interact with the other kids and play their games.  So cool!  She had her own set of rules but her older cousins we so good with her!

Playing Hide ‘n Seek

 

Yes, it was the very best Thanksgiving I’d ever had!  HANNAH IS HOME!!!

Swinging and Spinning with Grandma and Grandpa

The past couple of weekends have been absolutely glorious so after church on the Sundays we’ve met up with Grandma and Grandpa for lunch and headed to some local parks for fun, fun, fun!  This particular day my nephew Noah was there to enjoy it with us.  Normally by this time of the year we’re bundled into warm coats and park attendance has begun to wane but not this year.  The temps have been a balmy 70ish degrees and we’ve taken full advantage of it.  Here we took a drive to a small town that has a lake on the waterfront and enjoyed our afternoon together.

Higher Bampa, higher!!

My adventuresome girl loves rides and spinning ones seem to be no trouble at all.  I can see lots of big amusement park rides in our future!

Noah navigating the swinging pendulums.  Way to go little man!

Ready to bounce!

Slide fun! 

It’s hard to believe that when we first started going to parks in the spring Hannah wasn’t even walking.  Now she’s running, jumping, climbing and sliding all on her own!  It only takes 3 of us to keep up with her!!  (Love her little chatter in this one.  I am blessed to hear this all day long and it is the sweetest song!)

What better way to top off an afternoon at the park then a yummy ice cream cone?

Wheeee! 

Sure to Become an Annual Tradition…Visiting the Pumpkin Patch!

Saturday was a bright, glorious, warm fall day and Hannah and I were excited to go to a local pumpkin farm with Uncle Dave, Aunt Trish and Makenna.  From the moment we arrived the fun began and the picture opportunities were endless!!

‘Hurry Mama!  I see more fun ahead!’

Jumping in the hay

‘Look Makenna!  These are just our size!’

I love how she’s enjoying more independence these days but still checking for Mommy.

‘I think we should get this one Mommy!’

Nothing but beautiful, bright pumpkins as far as they eye could see!

Beautiful fall trees

Yeah!  A pony ride!

Check out her excited face!

 

Oh Mommy!  What a fun day we’ve had together!!

We sure did baby girl!  We sure did!

The Day Dawned Bright, Sunny and Warm So In No Way Was I Prepared For….

Hurricane Hannah!! 

Don’t let this innocent look smile fool you friends, my sweetie is able to wreak havoc in a matter of minutes!

Saturday morning I just had to laugh as I followed Hannah throughout the main level as she dumped and emptied every toy bin she could find.  They’re her toys so I really didn’t mind as it’s much easier tidying toys than keeping my climbing monkey off the counters and tables!

 

Even the floor mats were no match for HH!

After the toy room she made her way to the front hall first ripping apart the newspapers mommy had forgotten on the floor

and then ending her romp with the box of cardboard that was ready for recycling. 

I was hoping her phone call was to Molly Maid but alas, no.  She was just deciding which of her peeps to call and chat with while Mommy started the clean-up process.  So thankful that she thinks tidying is fun right now….even if she loses interest in a matter of seconds.

What a wonderful, fun age Hannah is at!  19 months rocks!!