Princesses Katie and Li Li

Dodger and His 2nd Grade Teacher, Mrs. Gatlin

Doesn't she look like a GREAT teacher???

No One Will Read This

But I just have to post. I spent $$ to have my jaw numbed today. It was the quickest two hundred $ I have ever spent, but I just had to try it. I'm posting, mainly to remind myself my trial of going to a liquid diet. I have a juicer and a blender so there isn't anything I can't have. And as long as I mash beans, I can even pretend to have Mexican food. The beans are the best part of the meal anyway. It is just something that I've had to look in the mirror about and realize that my jaw isn't getting any better and I need all the help I can get. As much discipline as this will require, it is a pretty simple solution. I wonder what juiced broccoli tastes like? And I wonder if that word is really a two c word or if it has two l's. I will probably get more nutrition and off my sugar addiction unless I don't boot the coke. I've been having one a day every afternoon, justifying the energy boost that it gives me for 1/2 an hour.

Our Girl

Li Li is ONE!

This is why I don't blog...

Hey there howdy. This is Lemon. She is much larger now than in this photo, but she loves Li Li and her toys so I thought you should see this pic. And...Li Li has grown too, so I'll post a picture of her next. I can't leave Dodger out either, since he's now the big "7". He had a park party yesterday - almost a month after his big day but Spring Break was no picnic with all of us sick and Troy in Thailand so we've barely recovered. Good timing - a well family and 73 degree weather. I still don't want to take lots of time writing, even though I do want to, I really need to get some laundry done. There's no way to keep up with it all, but I'm gonna try to atleast make progress. I'll post the newer photos - don't know if anyone checks this site anymore, but maybe I'll be surprised. I'm tempted to send out an e-mail so all this typing isn't in vain. J/K. Someday Dodger and Li Li might want to read it.

Doesn't she look like mama? What is up with the light colored hair? She has very little, so if I get any bows for her they will have to be glued on. Sweet Hayley asked for more pictures. I know, I know.... I need to spend more time on this! Happy first Friday of 2008!

Happy New Year!

The days have blurred themselves together. On Saturday, we took Jubilee to the walk-in clinic. No, I took her. We had to tag team now that we're home and I didn't have a posse. I was a little offended, but it made sense that Dodger was spared from the waiting room during sickness season. Li Li has ear infections, and is on her first antibiotic (that I know of). Today, she was FINALLY (what we know to be atleast) herself. Funny, laughing, ga ga-ing. So, the meds are working. Troy's been a little under the weather but went back to work today. Since my sister took D and Troy went to work, Li Li and I had a whole day to ourselves! I was not wanting to be alone, but had some wonderful visitors - Masako, Liho and Deanna. I tried to make it over to the Contich residence, but thought we were having poo poo problems again. She has now gone twice since then. :) I would have to say we have the best, most blessed baby! Every minute is pure joy. If I had more energy, I'd blog about the tale end of the trip, but I really need to get the pics off the laptop first. I am really not that tired. Just lazy. And we're working on our first photo book of Beijing and the Great Wall to be printed asap. I will have to say, the close of 2007 will be etched in my memory - especially now here in print. It was cold - windy - and Dodger wanted me to play football with him outside. He was so wonderful. Troy held Li Li inside at the window while Dodger and I threw his new Nurf football. He kept showing me the sidelines and the point where we were "out of balance" instead of bounds. Then, very often, we would take 5 minute breaks per his request (usually when I scored a touchdown) and he would say "just tell me when it's five minutes". I could have said it in 1 or in 100 minutes, he played with his slingshot until I said it was time. We have loved our PJ days, yummy meals brought by friends, and hanging out just a bit more before the activities begin. No need to go out tomorrow, it will be a whopping 13 degrees if we are lucky! Li Li fits right in. THIS SHOULD BE THE HEADER: LI LI LOVES AVOCADO AND TRIANGLE PASTA. SHE IS A VEST AFTER ALL!!!! xoxxoamy

Promised Pictures

I planned on getting a bunch more online, but with the sun down and need for sleep, I want to keep to my promise to post pics. Details coming. Promise. We're a little distracted with ear infections right now. At first I was beginning to think she was allergic to airplanes b/c the first flight to Guangzhou was the time we discovered little LuZi had a fever. And I stayed home from a festival that Troy told me he knew was too loud for me. :) I'm going to bed, but posting a few before midnight to keep my promise.....so much more to tell. so much more. i feel like eating lunch. better go to sleep instead. xoxoamy

In the dark, anyone?

Okay... I fear no one will read this, now that we're home. We arrived tonight at 6:15. It was a hellacious trip. I'm not even kidding. The first two weeks were easy peasy and this past 28 hr travel from Guangzhou to Tokyo to Minneapolis to Nashville really put my humanity to the test. Actually, probably more accurately - my spirituality. :) This is a quick note to say that I was doing too much shopping and eating to blog, and if anyone wants to follow this at all, I promise to post pictures soon! Like, tomorrow! AND.... If you have happened upon this blog, you've wondered where I went. I was in the dark, too b/c I couldn't see any of our comments....Baby girl has a fever and is hot and sweaty. Pictures tomorrow. xoxoamy

Christmas Eve Gift

Ha. Gotcha this year. Every year my family wakes up early, calls one another and says"Christmas Eve gift" which means you owe me one early. I never win. It's past noon here in China, so I've made the rounds and am one up on the fam. They insist that it's not Christmas Eve yet, but it is legit. Sooo....I haven't typed in a few days. We are here now at the White Swan, located on a beautiful river. I feel like we're at Opryland Hotel in China with the windows, waterfalls, shops, etc. We have our beds turned down each night and we're no longer sleeping family style. I may have mentioned that. The craziest thing is that there is a concierge on each floor, so you can't roam different levels. And before you need an elevator, she has it waiting for you. We got the infamous world-renown limited Barbie. She's blonde (go figure) holding a Chinese baby. I wish I looked like her. But instead, my lack of Pilates+rice-routine=Buddha belly. For dinner the first night Troy ate escargot and caviar while I fed the baby and shared a burger with Dodger - I already mentioned that it was $18. We went to a whole sale mall yesterday and Troy gifted me with a strand of pearls. Now I'm aching to go back for other things. They have 2 towers of shops with jewelry and clothing and pretty much anything you can imagine. We had a little bit of an incident last night, though. After our cab ride back and laundry pick-up, Li Li started tooting and making a red face. Then she cried like I have never heard before and stuck out her bottom lip. It was so sad. Come to find out (very quickly by the smell) that she needed to "make a poo poo" and was constipated. I'm glad we have been around this block before and I didn't wait to get help. We tried to put her on the potty the Chinese way by holding up her legs and grunting but it just didn't work. So we went to the clinic (is this too much info?) and the doctor (an older Chinese man with a big smile and white lab coat) and younger nurse gave her an enema and quickly fixed the problem.. We were so anxious to get her back in a diaper after the emptying process that the doctor stepped in the bed pan of poo while on his way back over to the bed. The one thing that really amazed me in the process was that our guide, Dennis is a single guy of 30 and he was more involved in the process than I was. What single guy do we know that would do this? We love him and are trying to tempt him into coming to the US and visiting...or settling down. Today we had to go to the WHO clinic for Li Li's medical evaluation. Seems like they would have done this BEFORE we adopted her? Like what are we going to do if she doesn't pass... stay here with her? It was a packed room and the last place I wanted to be on Christmas Eve but we now know she is 16.6 lbs and 72. 5 something long. Don't know what that means in inches, but I have a converter on the laptop. In about 30 minutes we are going to the zoo but I'm wanting to shop. The thing is, it's a sunny day and it rained yesterday, so the group doesn't want to take their chances on tomorrow. I just want to shop til I drop. Did I say that? The plan for Christmas is to eat Thai and ride on a river boat. Not sure if they are simultaneous events or separate. And I need to figure out how to get some Santa gifts and stash them before tomorrow morning. Dodger is with me every time we go out, so it's hard to be secretive. I'm about the blow my cover but he's only six. Have any advice? Gotta run. Li Li needs me. xoxoamy