Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Letter to Frances

Dear Frances,
I am not sure when it happened but I recently realized that I no longer feel like an imposture. I feel like your Mom. When you reach out, you reach for me. When you cry, you cry for me. It is amazing to have your love and for you to receive mine. It is a beautiful gift. I loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you. Your photos we received were treasured. But knowing you and loving you is tenfold. It is like we opened a little box and so much… goodness is spilling out that it fills up everything. I was told your Vietnamese name means “Scent of Heaven”, but surely you were heaven sent.

In no particular order here are some things that amaze and entertain me:





  • I did not know you had a bottom lip! I know now that you tuck it in when you are sleepy.


  • I love that you are still my “Velcro baby” and are happiest when stuck to me.


  • Your perfect little baby body sprawled out when you sleep.


  • That you say Ma, Mom, or Mom-mom-mom when you are sad- And that you are talking to me!


  • Oh, and that you say na-na-na with your scrunched up angry face that you make when you are mad


  • Your funny faces that you make with me and at me like when you scrunch up your nose.


  • When I “meow” like a cat you copy me…and your meow is more of a “mew” and the face you create when doing it is so not pretty, it cracks me up!

  • The sweet way that you will lay your head on my shoulder and pet my arm or pat my face.


  • That you feed me cheerios and sometimes pretend you are going to feed me a cheerio, but than snatch it away.


  • That you laugh all the time, especially when Papa and I pretend to laugh.


  • That you wave hello and goodbye sometimes with both hands instead of one.


You are learning and growing so fast. Everyday you show me a new funny face, make a new sound and crawl faster. I don’t want to blink.



Love Mom



Wednesday, July 18, 2007

For Karen who asked, "Why am I not blogging like Grouch's Family?"

Now that we are home, I have been on hiatus.
Frances is doing great. We are great.
I am not sure if we I will continue the blog or not? I do know that I would like to post more information about our trip for other families that will travel soon. So I will be working on that "report" first. And then I will have to see how it goes.
I can tell you that I still have to pinch myself sometimes. It is wonderful and she is amazing. And cute too!

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

At PDX Monday July 2nd 8:15pm


WELCOME HOME!


Feel free to call if you are awake, Tuesday morning 12:55AM, Because we are Home!

We're Home!
It is 12:36 AM and Frances is WIDE awake...
but that's okay, so are we!

What is the first thing we did?
1. Said Hello to Julie and her mom Sue at the airline gate!
2. Picked up most of our bags...minus one. A very small one with nothing but purses inside. Seriously. A suitcase full of purses.
3. Were picked up by a very gracious person!
4. Drove 1.5 hrs home...
and on the way stopped to order a large pizza with no surprises. (No fish or yoghurt cream sauce)
5.Popped on over to a grocery store for: bread, milk, pop, and last but not least, FORMULA
...because we being the very new parents did a very bad thing. Ran out of formula the morning we left Hanoi! We had to buy another brand in the HongKong airport.
Her tummy is handling the three brands okay...for now.
6.Now all our tummies are full and we are all very happy to be home. Frances is rocking out on a borrowed exersaucer from Danica. She loves it, and lets out a random happy scream.
7.So what to do next? I would love to call everyone right now, but I guess I will wait until the morning
...

Don't lists usually end in 10? I have got to go, because I am feeling dizzy. 20+hrs on a plane have given me air legs? Does that exist?
Wow, I have lost my mind. Sorry about the pointless ramble.
Yeah, We are home!

She Stands!

She Stands!
Same dress, New picture May 1st 2007