Broadway bound, for sure!

Audrey has been singing more and more these days, and was willing to share a little bit with us tonight.  On her terms, of course! :)  This is a medley of her current top hits, with the family favorite being "Kwinkle, Kwinkle Wittle Tar"....

One year ago today....

..... we saw this beautiful face for the very first time.  What an exciting day October 12, 2009 was!  Our waiting was finally over, and we finally knew who Audrey Anne Fangying was.  I can remember the details of the day so clearly, and recalling all of those details today has been fun, but also emotional.  What an exciting year we have had, but what a really overwhelming year Audrey has had - both loss and new life for her.  Sometimes it is hard for me to think about all that she has gone through in her life already.  She has changed so much since these first precious pictures!  We think she is quite special every day, but especially today - October 12, 2010.

 

A special visit

I was going to include these pictures as part of a 'June wrap-up' post, but they deserve their own special spot on the blog!  We had the privilege of visiting with our China travelmates Lisa and Lucy last month, at their home, just a couple of hours north of us.  I tear up when I think about these two little girls, spending the first 17 1/2 months of their lives in a room of 10 babies, sleeping in cribs next to each other, on the other side of the world.  Now, they are living two hours apart in Illinois, each one adored and the delight of her own family.  God is good!

Audrey was a little shy with Lucy at first, but then warmed up and was very happy to be the boss of share Lucy's toys. :)  The girls enjoyed a little pre-lunch snack together, and then we headed to a great restaurant for lunch.  (Lisa, can we go to Juicy-O every time we visit?  We loved it!)  There was a very high cute factor when they held hands walking into the restaurant.  Audrey and Lucy did seem genuinely happy to be around each other, and we were all tickled to just watch them be together.  So fun. 

We have Lucy's picture on our fridge, where Audrey can see it from her high chair.  She still calls Lucy "Shu Shu," even though we tell her "Lucy" every day.  I wish I knew what she is thinking - does she remember hearing Lucy called Shu Shu every day from China?  Or is she just saying that to say the opposite of what I tell her? :)  I kind of think it's from hearing it in China, but who knows?!

Audrey and Lucy have both changed so much since December.  They have grown taller, gained weight, and have so much more hair! :)  Besides the physical changes, the change in the girls' demeanor is obvious, as well.  They are happy, funny, and just so comfortable in their surroundings.  They have come a long, long way in six months! 

We are so thankful that we can visit frequently, and look forward to being together the next time! :)  What a special bond for these two little girls! 

6 Months as a Family of 5

I took this sweet picture of Audrey yesterday, our 6-month anniversary of being her family. Wow - half of a year already! I feel like I say the same thing over and over, but we just can't believe how blessed we are to be the parents of this precious girl. She brightens each day, makes us laugh each day, and is growing up so fast.

Our June has been filled with travels, baseball, and a special visit with our dear China travelmates Lisa and Lucy. All of that will be in a June recap - coming soon!

Home 5 months today...

...and Audrey got to celebrate by spending the evening at her big brother's baseball game.  She is a very good spectator, and even knows when we turn on to the street leading to the ballfield that we are going to "bay-ball!  Iam!"

I Scream, You Scream...

To set the scene... the only thing Audrey saw when she looked over her shoulder was Ian standing at the freezer.  She knew she had seen good things come out of that freezer before! :)

Busy, busy May

For those of us with school-age kids, the month of May is traditionally a crazy one.  Multiple band, jazz band, and orchestra concerts, piano recitals, baseball games, homework, projects, finals, etc., etc., etc.  We are experiencing and enjoying all of that with Erica and Ian this year, and have had the pleasure of sharing some of it with family visitors.  Mark's mom and dad were here for a week, and his brother here for a weekend, both meeting Audrey for the first time.  She warmed up to all of them very nicely, and we had a great time together!

Audrey also continues to be busy, busy.  She is a girl on the move, but has also started to sit and 'read' for longer periods of time.  She loves her books, and reads each page aloud.  We are not understanding what she's reading, but she has lots to say! :)  Her vocabulary is exploding, and she is putting more words into phrases.  Mark is the lucky recipient of, "Hi, Daddy!" multiple times each morning, and she tells every little child she sees, "Hi, baby!" whether that child is a baby or not.  She will also tell Erica and Ian, "I get you!" as she runs after them.

Ian finishes school tomorrow, and Erica has about a week and a half left.  I can't wait to have all three kids home for the summer, and enjoy some down time together.  We are all excited about the idea of taking Audrey swimming, and hopefully she will love it!  Stay tuned! :)

Audrey at 22 months

Audrey is 22 months old today, and I wanted to share a little bit about her at this stage.

Audrey likes..

• ice cream.  This would be a love, actually.  She has been known to ask for it at breakfast, but was not successful with that request.
• her brother and sister, who adore her in return.  They play with her with great patience, are gentle with her (ahem - most of the time - Ian!), and they all crack each other up.
• to swing very high on the swings.  Her initial fear of the swings is gone, and she prefers them to the slide now.
• to go outside.  She stands at the sliding door and yells, "Side! Side!" hoping that someone will be willing to accompany her outside
• books.  In the last couple of days, we have watched her sit on her own, and 'read' out loud to herself.  So cute! :)
• to say 'hi' and 'bye' to people, and to blow them kisses.
• her blankie and Purple Bear.  No matter where we lay her down in her crib, she collects these two necessities, shoves them in the same corner every time, and plops herself down on them, face first.  She is very willing to go "Night, night" each naptime and bedtime.  Yay!
• to eat.  She is very opinionated about what she will consume, but she does like to eat.  She still likes the toddler regulars of fruit, cheese, yogurt, goldfish crackers, Cheerios, chicken, etc.  She is less enthusiastic about vegetables than she has been, and she really loves garlic bread, chips, cookies, and granola bars.  That's our girl! :)
• playing in the bathtub.
• talking.  The developmental assessment team told us she should be saying at least 50 words by her birthday in July.  She is at 55 now. :)
• Elmo!  She likes watching Elmo, as well as pushing her little toy Elmo around in the toy stroller.  She gives him a hug each and every time she picks him up.
• anything electronic, especially if it has buttons.  Loves the remote, cell phones, the Wii controllers, etc. 
• Scamper, the cat.  She tells him, "Hi, Kitty!" every single time she sees him, and likes to pet him as well.  Her sensory aversion to him from our early days home is gone.
• stealing Ian's seat in the family room, no matter where he has been sitting.  If Ian gets up to leave the room, and Audrey is around, she makes a beeline for where he has been sitting.  She is sneaky! :)
• music and dancing.  Fortunately, she lives in a home with music being practiced most every day, so she is in luck!
• watching Ian and Erica participate in their sports and band activities.  She is a good little spectator, and loves to yell, "Yay, Iam!" or "Yay, Erica!"
• to imitate people.  She imitates facial expressions, vocal inflections, activities, etc.  And she is good at it! :)
• seeing dogs.  She say, "Woof, woof!" every single time she sees a dog being walked outside.  And there are LOT of dogs being walked these days! :)  When given the chance to pet a dog, she is a little less enthusiastic.

Audrey dislikes...

• the 'getting clean' portion of her bath.  It results in screaming most every time.  We won't be sad when she grows out of this phase!
• getting her teeth brushed. Same reaction as getting washed up in the tub! 
• lima beans.  I don't think she has actually swallowed one since she's been home, though we've tried many times.  We'll keep working on those. :)
• being contained or held when she really wants to get down and go!  She's strong (and strong-willed! :)) and just likes to do what she wants to do.
• getting in and out of the car too many times in a day.  I try to limit our errand-running, so that she has plenty of play time at home or outside.  She will definitely let me know if she has reached her limit.

I'm sure there are many little details I've forgotten, but this gives a pretty good picture of Audrey at the moment.  There are many, many more happy moments with her than frustrating ones.  She is just so much fun, and so funny.  We are still amazed that God has given us the privilege of being Audrey's family.  Lucky us!

Baking Cookies

Audrey is an excellent helper in the kitchen! This was our first experience baking together, one which I know will be repeated many, many times in the years to come. She was thrilled to dump the flour and sugar in the bowl, and clapped for herself and said, "Yay!" after each item was poured in. She was also happy to sample her work after dinner! :)

4 Months Today....We've Come a Long, Long Way

We met a scared, sad little Fangying 4 months ago today. We are so blessed that she is now a part of our family. She brings joy to each day! She is happy, healthy, funny, sweet, spunky, and is now also a good sleeper! We love you, Audrey!

Easter 2010