Good luck Matt & Suzanne!

Matt & Suzanne Ruley are en route to Ust, Kazakhstan! The Ruleys have been longtime supporters of Noelle and I, and we wish them the very best luck in their journey to find the little boy or girl they've dubbed "Eyeball"! (Hopefully they'll change their mind about that one :))

Noelle's 1st Easter

Happy Easter, everyone.

Noelle enjoyed her first Easter immensely. As you can see, fashion played a big role in the day's activities, but don't be fooled by the pictures-- she didn't just wear two outfits today, she wore three! :) The weather was a little chilly when the day started, so I was starting to look for alternatives to Noelle's cute little Easter dress, so we tried on an outfit my aunt had given her-- only to discover she couldn't crawl in it! So, since you can't keep this little girl down for long, she first made it into a cute outfit we brought back from Kaz and when the sun finally did its job-- into the Easter dress. Noelle, my nephew, my sister and I all went to a friend's neighborhood for a multi-family Easter egg hunt. Noelle didn't have any idea what was going on, but she was plenty amused by all the big kids running around like lunatics. Next year, she's going to be one of them!

First steps, first words (maybe) and everyday pleasures

Hey, all. I know it has been a while since I have posted an update on Noelle-- but there is just so much to do now, and so little time! :) Noelle is doing very well, and settling into her role as an little Long Island girl quite nicely-- whatever did she do before she had a remote and a phone to play with??! And you can see from the pictures above that she is a good eater-- who knew egg noodles were so much fun!! Despite all of the food she eats, Noelle has only gained a pound and one inch since she's been home (not a good return on my grocery investment, if you ask me), but the IA doc says she is healthy. She is a little delayed in speech and gross motor skills, but I am not worried-- everyday she picks up something new!

Which brings me to the real news: Noelle has started to walk and, according to some sources, she has said her first words! The walking thing is for real, as I have seen it with my own eyes. She is still using her knees as her primary method of travel (it's faster :)), but she can takes steps on her own and we practice every day. As for her first word(s), the jury is still out on that one. A couple of weeks ago, Noelle was spending time at my sister's house, and Noelle was babbling as usual when she allegedly said "dog". Now, my sister's dog, Beans, has been known to inspire some words, but usually they are curses! But not only did my sister hear it, my nephew did too-- he was playing nearby (probably keeping Noelle away from his toys), and he whipped around and exclaimed "did she just say dog?" So the consensus is that dog was her first word. Unless you talk to her babysitter, that is. When I told Jane the "dog" story, she said she could swear that Noelle had said the word "duck" the day before. There is a lake outside my apartment, with a ton of geese and ducks, and Noelle loves to check them out-- and apparently talk about them. So there it is-- Noelle's first word was dog.. Or duck.. Or something that starts with a "d"..

Good luck Karen & Bob!!

Tomorrow Karen & Bob depart for Uralsk, Kazakhstan, to find their heart's desire. Noelle and I will be thinking of you!

Noelle is a big reader!

Or a big mess maker, depending on how you look at it!! She is getting more precious day by day.

Finally-- some bath time fun!!

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. It took a couple of tries, but Noelle not only doesn't scream when bathed-- she actually likes it. And she is getting darn good at the splashing-- I never stay dry during a good bath!

"The stickers only stick if you let them"

Have you guys heard of the book "You Are Special"? It is by a man named Max Lucado, and literally it makes me cry every time I read it to Noelle. EVERY SINGLE TIME. Actually I might even cry right now just talking about it. It is a touching story about having faith in one's self, and finding self worth through the love of a "creator." The story goes that the creator is a woodcarver named Eli-- but when I read it, I am the creator and it is Noelle who will find herself in my love. Add it to your library-- you'll cry too.