Pink Toes and Pink Potties!

See my PINK TOES?

Sweet pedicured feet!

Eating her prized chocolate chips after going on the potty!

She was so proud of herself!

Trying potty again before bathtime (with no luck) but isn't her pink potty cute?

On Sunday after Church, I was clipping AnnaClaire's toenails and I was thinking about nailpolish. I realized AnnaClaire has never had her nails painted! So afterwards, I let her pick a color (she picked hot pink) and I painted her little toes. She was so excited and just kept admiring them. When Mom got home from the grocery store, AnnaClaire ran over and stuck her feet out, one at a time, to show Mom. She has been showing everyone she sees her "pink toes!" (Like I mean, she has made me take off her tights so she could show some of my friends at school yesterday!) I think they are a big hit. I'll have to paint them for her more often! In other news, she used the potty again. Well first of all I want you to know that she is not potty trained. I've had a few comments of people saying stuff about her being potty trained. She's not. We're working on it, but she is very stubborn and it's definitely taking time. The last time she went on the potty was like 3 weeks ago and she has wanted nothing to do with it since. Yesterday we were talking about it and naming all kinds of people, and her friends, who are using their potties. She decided she wanted to use hers and after a few minutes, she went! She got chocolate chips and got to pick out panties (pink) and got to wear them the rest of the day! We were very proud of her! Of course, now she's back to wanting nothing to do with the potty. Yesterday and today she has kept her diaper dry from when Mom changes her in the morning until she goes down for her nap (8:30ish-1:30ish) She just doesn't want her potty. Speaking of which, we got a potty for upstairs and it's PINK! How cute!

Fingerpaint and other Thursday fun!

2 finger painting pictures!

Mommy got the finger paint out, put my smock on and took my clothes off. However, I was still very careful in my painting, because I don't like to get dirty. Mommy had to show me how to use my whole hand (or two) instead of just one finger!

Sissy always says this is my "infamous" cheesy smile. Don't I look so much older now?

I heard Daddy's car open, so I ran to open the door for him! I always love greeting my Daddy when he comes home from work!

I am a very smiley girl. In fact, this is what I look like most of the time anyone sees me. I just love to smile!

Sissy showed me how to fold the napkins so I would be able to do it all by myself! I got very good at it!

I folded it all by myself!

I am such a big help. Sissy never wants to set the table, so atleast Mommy has me because I love setting the table

Sissy thought this one was really cute. This is me reaching up to set my place, too!

I made the brownies, so I got to have one with a little ice cream on top! What a treat! (Notice I'm eating it with my fork!)

State Champs!!!

Here's the picture I promised... more soon!

Five Day Weekend

First of all, sorry for the few and short posts lately... Let my tell you about my weekend and maybe you'll understand my lack of posting...

Firs of all, we had a five day weekend. On Wednesday after school I went home with my friend, went straight to youth group, then a few of us went home with my friend Leah and had a sleepover. Thursday morning (Valentines Day) I had school swim practice and was home enough to clean my room before going to the mall with a couple friends for my friend, Ellie's birthday party. That was really fun! We slept over and I was at her house all day Friday. I got home right before dinner and Mom wasn't feeling great, so Dad, AC, and I ate at Qdoba and ran a few errands. We got home and put AnnaClaire to bed and just stayed home all night. The next morning (Saturday) I got up early and went to my old swim club to meet a few friends and we went out to breakfast and walked around our big shopping center before going to my friend, Gillian's house for the day. We watched lots of good movies, and just had fun together. I hadn't seen most of my "swim" friends in quite a few months, so it was really fun and nice to finally see them again! I was home most of Sunday working on all the makeup work I missed while being sick. I also had a missions trip meeting (I'll get into that in a minute) and straight from there I went to a school swimming states team dinner. I went to bed early that night and woke up at 5:30 on Monday and our states team headed to Raleigh for states! We had an awesome time and did great! Both our girls and boys teams won! That was really exciting!!!!!!! We all did really well and had a great time both cheering and swimming. Our girls team won by 5 points, so it was really close. Our guys won by about 30, so they crushed. It was really exciting and a great way to end our season! We didn't get home until after 8! Today it was back to reality and once again back to school. It seemed to go by really slowly. Swimming is over, we have our last team dinner tomorrow. Track started today and that should be fun!

Did I mention I'm going to Romania? That's what the missions trip meeting was all about. In July, a team of highschoolers from our church will be going to Romania for 2 and a half weeks! I am so excited. We are going to run a camp for orphans and other Romanian kids.

Other than that everything is great. AnnaClaire is doing well and feeling much better. She still has a few sniffles, a little cough, a hoarse voice, etc, but she is feeling MUCH better and is MUCH more herself. Thank you for all you prayers on her behalf!

A new favorite song is the "I Love You Song" (You know... the one from Barney?) She absolutely loves singing it (although she's never seen Barney!) She's so cute when she sings it and always raises her hand up for a hug at the "great big hug" part and saying, "AND A GREAT BIG KISS, TOO!" She's so cute.

On another note, today is our TWO month LID-versary for Kate! (It's kinda nice finding out so late, because it had already been close to 2 months!) Although this really doesn't mean much since we are going SN, it is still exciting. For those who asked, we honestly have no idea when to even expect a referral. We requested a baby girl, 0-12 months, so we could be waiting awhile. Many people have switched to SN because of the long wait, so we really have no idea when our referral may come. We are just praying soon, because we are all ready! We've been on the IF list since September. We are really hoping to travel sometime this year, or early next year, but at this point have no idea. For now, we pray and wait. We pray for Kate, born or unborn, for her birth parents, her nannies, and her heart to be prepared for us, whenever the time comes. Please pray along with us!

No pictures for now, as I haven't really taken many. I will post a picture of our states team with our trophies when I get some, which will hopefully be tomorrow!

LID!!!

December 19!!

Happy Valentines Day!

Hope everyone had a great Valentines Day! We did! AnnaClaire was very excited to get a new shape toy, a really soft/cute bunny puppet which she calls "Bunny Rabbit", and a 5 dollar bill! Plus lots of valentines. She is so cute with her "Bunny Rabbit". She carried it to bed with her and made her two bunnies kiss... she's too funny! Enjoy the pictures! She's feeling more herself... finally!

Getting Well!

Our friends stopped by and brought AnnaClaire a Get Well balloon the other day! It's really cute. It has a little pom pom nose and AC loves that. Also, thank you Lauren and family for the cards and pictures you sent. I'm happy to say AnnaClaire is feeling much better. We just found out that she has an ear infection... her first. She had told Mom her ear hurt, and when they went to the dr for like a check on how she was doing, the dr discovered an ear infection. So, we're still on the road to recovery... she has a majorly runny nose, but other than that and her ear, she's doing much better. Sleep is still an issue, but vicks vapor rub on her feet is definitely helping! She is much more herself, just really tired. But, atleast she will stand and not just cry to be held all the time! Thanks for all the prayers, we definitely felt them this past week!

First Tattoo!

AnnaClaire got a valentine from her friend, Lucy, the other day. A little butterfly tattoo came with it. We put it on and I thought I'd take a picture. These are from Wednesday... she wasn't feeling very well and didn't really want to take pictures, but these two came out pretty cute. You can see the tattoo on her hand in the first one. Thanks, Lucy! We love you!

Continue your prayers

She's back home, feeling a little better. She didn't sleep last night or the night before and hasn't napped. She's slept on and off throughout the afternoon but nothing real because she wakes up everytime she coughs. So.. she's extremely tired and on top of that is having major nosebleeds (her one orphanage trait- banging head- which gave her a terrible nosebleed and now it's sensitive and bleeds if it's touched.) She's breathing great and her fever is gone. She still has quite the cough.

Sleepless+nosebleeds+sick=AnnaClaire

Just continue praying for her... she's having a really rough few days and is really crummy.

Thanks for all your prayers and comments. They mean so much. Thank you so very much!

Ambulance Ride (hospital, and the croup)

First of all, AnnaClaire is fine and is sound asleep... at the hospital. Please know that she is fine and everything is okay.

Okay. Now that you know that I will go on with my story. Last night was awful. I don't even know if AnnaClaire slept. She was breathing bad, fever, threw up, terrible cough... all night. Mom and Dad tried everything. They debated whether going to the ER, but decided against it. This morning she wasn't doing much better so Mom called the dr and got her in. She and AC were 15 minutes early, but AnnaClaire was gasping for air so they were taken right back. AnnaClaire had a breathing treatment and got a really painful shot. Little Anna Bu has the croup. After more gasping for air, the dr told Mom that she needed to go to the hospital. So Miss AnnaClaire experienced her first ambulance ride. That was a huge hit. Have I mentioned she LOVES ambulances? They got there and were taken to a room right away where the rest of the day was spent, sleepless and miserable, on AnnaClaire's part. She got to play a little in the play room but had to leave for xrays (they thought she might have choked over a toy or something) and it was closed when they got back. Dad had since come home to get some stuff and so he and I went to the hospital (I had just gotten home from school.) I brought AnnaClaire some markers and paper and we colored for a bit and then walked the halls. Then a very nice nurse offered to sit in the play room so AnnaClaire could play. She played a little, watched some Dora and had a poopy diaper. She refused to leave to get it changed (I think she was scared the room would close again), but finally I made a deal with her and we went to Mom for a diaper change. We all went back to the room and AC was just miserable. She wanted to play, but didn't. She discovered the drawing thing where you can erase it... whatever those are called. That held her attention for the longest time. She absolutely loved it. She was still tired and feeling aboslutely crumy, though. After awhile and a little more playing, we went back in her room and got her in jammies and ready for bed. She took a bottle and was "plugged into" her machine. (They wanted to moniter her breathing, which is the reason she's there.) Earlier she was at 91 (it's supposed to be atleast 92). I talked to dad right after we left and she was at 97 breathing rate, which is very good. So she's doing better. She has been awoken a few times... Dad coughed, she had to get her temp taken... it's going to be a long night. Keep AnnaClaire in your prayers! As you can see from the pictures (which are totally out of order), she is really pretty sick and tired... so just pray for her tonight!

God bless you

Despite how sick our precious is, she never misses saying, "God bless you" when someone coughs. Now we get to say it to her! She's been so sweet all day. I just hate seeing her like this. She is good when her medicine is totally kicked in, but the minute it starts wearing off, her fever comes back and she just cries and cries. She has been so snuggly. She was actually really playful before dinner and we played "teeter totter" (on my legs). She ate a good dinner and we read her Chinese New Year book over and over. She was very chilled and shaking so we read a few books and then Mom put her to bed (it wasn't medicine time yet, though). She was crying so we got her out and she snuggled with Mom, took more medicine, and now shes back in her crib. She did take a short nap in her crib and fell asleep on Dad later for a little. We ran to Blockbuster and she got to pick out a video. She choose Thomas the Train and was so excited. she clutched the DVD all the way around the store, on the way home, and while watching it! She's starting to loose her poor little voice... =[[

Just keep our precious girl in your prayers. Mom thinks she has the croup. She definitely has a croupy cough.

Oh and that picture... she's trying so hard to look happy, but she just looks so sick. Poor little thing! I just love her!

Poor AnnaClaire

I was amazed my sweet girl was able to stay healthy despite Will being sick last week, Dad and I this week, and 2 trips to the very crowded doctor. Well, that changed today. She woke up in hysterics last night, poor thing was burning up with a terrible fever and didn't sleep so well the rest of the night. She is miserable. She snuggled lots this morning, and her fever had gone down a little to 99.2. Mom said it was much higher last night, but she didn't take her temperature. She just said, "hurt, hurt" all morning. She got to snuggle on the rocking chair with Dad and watch Thomas the Train. She liked that. We ran to the doctor this morning (and were in and out within 30 minutes.. how nice!) They checked for flu and it was negative. She was feeling a little better after her medicine kicked in. I feel so bad. I hate to see my precious mei mei this sad and sick. She has been sooooooo sweet though. She just wants to cuddle and be held and snuggle with Bunny. Poor little thing. She has never been sick. She's had a few colds (some worse than others) and her chicken pox (which were a very minor thing and she was never really "sick" with them.) So this is a new thing for her. She's been very good about taking her medicine and actually likes taking it and asks for it! I'm really sad that we won't be able to go to the CNY thing we were going to go to this afternoon. She had a bad cold last CNY, so we didn't really celebrate, either. Sigh. Next year for sure!

No pictures of our sick princess, but enjoy this one from China. I was looking at our pictures from China yesterday and I forget how little she was... and cute.

A not-so typical Saturday

Watching Bunny go round and round in the washer

Bunny getting all clean!

I discovered thin mints today!

I think I like them. A lot.

We spent our whole mid morning at the doctor. Got there at 11:00. Finally got called back at 12:30. Left at 1:30. We ate at Qdoba on the way (we met a sweet grandmother and her daughter, Irene, who was a month older than AnnaClaire and adorable!!) By the time we got home it was 2:30. Oh and yes, we went to the doctor on Thursday... well I still haven't gotten any better so we went back. What do I have? A flu-like virus that's not the flu. Did I mention that it lasts TWO WEEKS? Ugh. Dad has it, too. Not fun. AnnaClaire was so good. I kinda felt like the envy of everyone. We were sitting in the waiting room and AC was sitting happily on the chair, eating goldfish and pointing at pictures in various magazines. All the other kids are screaming, fighting, and being wild throughout the packed waiting room. I sometimes feel like I'm the one who is thinking, "Uhh. Why won't AnnaClaire just be still like that girl over there?" But not today... we couldn't have asked for more from her this trip to the doctor! When we got home Bunny was all clean and she was so excited to retrieve her from the dryer. She grabbed her out and just smelled her, hugged her, and kissed her. It was the cutest thing. She definitely missed her Bunny during out morning activities (if you would call them that.) She napped decently and after she woke up she ran to the park with Mom. This was decided on the car ride to the dr. It went something like this...

"Mall please, Mommy."
"No, we have to take Sissy to the doctor so we can't go to the mall now."
"Please Mommy, mall!"
(Mom had been planning on going in the morning but when she had to take me to the dr, she decided to go during naptime and take AnnaClaire to the park afterwards.)
"Okay. Well you can pick either the mall or the park."
"Hmmm. PARK!"
"Okay. We will go to the park after naptime."

10 minutes later.

"PLEASEEEEEEEE Mommy, mall!"
"I thought you wanted to go to the park!"
"No. Mall."
"Okay, we'll go to the mall."
"PARK!"

She ended up going to the park.

She came home and colored quietly until dinner. She went off to bed with kisses and hugs for all.

Oh and even an "I love you!" to Sissy! :)

P.S. I realized the pictures weren't showing up on my "Everybody loves you" post a few posts down. I went back and fixed that so they work now. Be sure to check them out, they're really cute!

A special little girl is turning TWO today!

A very special little cutie is celebrating her second birthday today!

Happy birthday, sweet Elizabeth! We love you and can't wait to meet you some day soon! Your present is on the way so be on the lookout!
Love, AnnaClaire and family

Chopsticks!

For dinner we got Chinese take-out. We are there pretty much every Friday, so they know us and LOVE AnnaClaire. Tonight they gave her a pair of plastic yellow chopsticks with little bunnies on them! AnnaClaire was SO excited and ran around the house all night with them saying, "CHOP-STICKS!". She also ate her Chinese (upstairs... it's a tradition.) with them. She's a natural!

also: having been home all week, I've had [[too much]] computer time and have been able to get all caught up on tons of blogs... some which I hadn't been on in months. I lost my favorites list (and can't quite figure out bloglines or whatever it's called) so I rebuilt my favorites list and enjoyed reading all these blogs. I was amazed by how big some of the kids are getting...

"Everybody loves you!"

Jumping on the bed

Blurry but cute

Happy girl with her Bunny

I WON'T smile for the camera!

Okay. Fine.

With my music clock

Making it sing

Cooking breakfast

Me and Bunny eating the breakfast I cooked at the table

Sending off the present with a kiss

First of all I'm going to have to say that I've enjoyed a week home. I HAVEN'T enjoyed being sick at all, but it's been nice having some time with AnnaClaire (although I've had to kinda stay away from her so she won't get sick). She knows she can't kiss me, so every day she asks if I'm "All better, Sissy?" when I say, "no", she says, "Get all done sick!" and instead of a kiss, she will hug my legs and give them a kiss and then blow me a kiss. This morning, when she got up she ran in my room and was talking to me and I asked her if she wanted to get on my bed with me. So she asked if I was all better. I told her not quite but that I was feeling a lot better. So she got on the bed with me and we looked at her friends on the computer. We were looking at Maddy and she was eating noodles and AnnaClaire goes, "Maddy eating NOODLES!" Then she started jumping on the bed. She would count to ten (skipping six and seven) and then go JUMP and jump. She just completely cracked herself up. Mom came in and AC showed Mom and then she got dressed. Mom had her dress laid out on the bed and AnnaClaire noticed a heart on it. She pointed to the heart and said, "Jesus loves you! Heart!" Of course that made her want to sing the "Jesus song". Oh my goodness, she just melts my heart when she sings Jesus Loves Me. I got a video of her doing it for your viewing pleasure.

We then went downstairs for breakfast. She wanted to cook breakfast for Mom, Bunny, and us. So she did. She set the table and put Bunny in a chair and pushed our chairs in and made us noodles and cookies. After we enjoys our breakfast from AnnaClaire, Mom asked her if she wanted cereal and applesauce. She did, so she ran in the pantry and grabbed her apple sauce and rice cereal which she enjoyed. She helped me wrap a present, sealed it with a kiss, and left with Mom to run something by school. She was so excited to go to school. She requested that she, "Get out school and see everyone!" Mom told her that she could because, "Everyone wants to see AnnaClaire!" AnnaClaire's response was too funny... "EVERYBODY LOVES YOU!" (you as in her.) when Mom and I started laughing, she once again says, "EVERYBODY LOVES YOU!"

I think you're right, baby.. Everybody loves you!