One Year Ago Today...(With Video!)

...this little angel was placed in our arms.

We became a family that day. Thinking about it still takes my breath away.

Here is our happy family today.

And finally...the Briana Day video!

I hope this video brings back wonderful memories for those of you that already have your beautiful children home. And to those who are still waiting, I hope it will show you how magical the day will be when your children are finally placed in your arms. I know it is taking a really long time for all of you waiting, but it will happen and when it finally does happen - well, there really are no words. Let me just say that you have so much to look forward to, and I couldn't be happier for you.

Here is the link - gotchadayvideo.com. Doug set up the website for me - isn't he just awesome? You may have to download Quicktime if you don't already have it (you can download it from the website if you need to). You can choose your bandwidth: low, medium or high. High bandwidth will take forever and a day to buffer - medium bandwidth is your best bet. Click on "Click to learn our story". If it doesn't start automatically, click on the play button. Enjoy the 23 minute video (can't wait to hear what you all think)!

*I have had a couple people ask me how I put the video together - I used Doug's Mac (I-Movie). Poor Doug kept getting kicked off his computer as I worked on it!

Love This Pic

First, I want to say "Happy Birthday!" to my father - it is a very special birthday today! Love you!

My family got together on Saturday night to celebrate (I'll post pics soon), and before we headed out to dinner, Briana sat on my dad's lap and read a book. I snapped a few pictures and I love this one. It took some time for Briana to warm up to my dad after we got home from China, but as you can see, she is now "Grandpa's girl".

I just love this picture!

3 Words

Here are my three words. This is what I worked on most of this week. Actually, I have been working on Bri's Gotcha video for a while now, but this past week I have been tweaking it. When Briana took a nap and went to bed, I fine tuned it - music, transitions, etc. Unfortunately, I am a perfectionist. Every time I would watch it, I would find something else that I decided that I needed to change. I literally drive myself crazy with little details - to the point of ridiculous sometimes. So, it is done. That's it. No more tweaking. No more changes. It is finished - even if my little perfectionist self finds something else that I think should be tweaked. I think I am going to take a nap now...

China Bound - One Year Ago Today

One year ago today...Doug and I boarded a plane to China to bring our daughter home. It was one of the best (and scariest) days of my life. Definitely a day I will never forget.

And "The Journey to Briana" video is done! It will be "premiering" on Wednesday, July 30, 2008 - our Briana Day anniversary. I think it turned out really well (if I do say so myself)! It is 23 minutes long. I don't know how I managed to narrow 17 days in China plus referral pictures into 23 minutes of video, but I did it somehow. Not an easy task. I really can't wait to share it with you all.

Finding Her Voice

Well, Miss Briana has definitely found her voice. She is talking all the time - some things she says clearly, other things not so much. I feel really bad sometimes when she is talking and I can't understand what she is saying, but I try hard to catch as much as I can. One of her favorite things to say now is "OH NO!" I guess I do say that a lot. I am always dropping things or bumping into things. I have to admit that I am a little klutzy.

Anyway, Briana is starting to sing a lot too. She makes up her own little songs. I managed to catch a couple on camera. You'll hear at the end of her piano solo, she says "stuck" - that is another word she loves to say. That's because she is always getting "stuck" in things somehow.

(And Briana and I went to story time today. Briana actually sat and listened to the librarian read the stories and watched the movie. I swear. Amy was a witness. I know that Angela probably won't believe it!)

3 Words

It has been a tough week. Briana is teething and got the sniffles on top of it. We have had a few "battle of the wills" this week. Briana gets moody when she is teething, and I really can't say I blame her. I am just ready for these teeth to be in - I am sure she is too.

And when Briana is teething, she becomes...

Bash 2008 Video

Here is the video for the GA Bloggy Bash 2008. Sea Star did an AMAZING job with it. You go girl! And thanks again to PM for inviting me and Bri.

And I have to thank all of the girls for the treats that were in Briana's goody bag. Oh my gosh - so amazing! Thank you, thank you!


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Some Bullets

I have some random tidbits to talk about, so bullets are always good...

* See...Briana can sit and be very quiet when we are at home alone together. She likes to read and she is starting to play well by herself. It is when we leave the house that she becomes (as Amy V. stated yesterday) a "social butterfly." I like that. Sounds better than "crazed" and "overexcited".

* I love that Briana smiles when I ask her too now. She is so stinkin' cute. This is her on her way to story time yesterday.

* I finally bought some Play-Doh for Bri. She LOVES playing with it. Thanks for the suggestion Deb.

We had a great group at story time at the library yesterday. Angela did a great post on it. Here is a picture of me with Bri and Laney (pic compliments of Angela).

* And my friend Amy is on her way to China today to bring home her daughter Mary Lin. I want to wish her all the best of luck. Can't wait until you come home with your little one!

*Lastly, I am feverishly working on our China travel video. My eyes are blurring from all the pictures and video I am going through. I would love to have it ready in time for Briana's Gotcha Day Anniversary, but I am not sure if it will be done by then. I am trying to go through 17 days of travel footage, so I am thinking the video will be about 20 minutes or so. Not sure yet. So far, I am pretty proud of it. Can't wait to show you all...

DAC Kids - Part Deux (With Videos!)

As I mentioned in my 3 Word Sunday post, Briana and I went to DAC Kids last Tuesday with Kathy and Chani, Deb and Li Li and Amy and Emily Grace. The girls had a blast! I am posting a slide show and two short videos at the bottom of this post for your viewing pleasure. One of them shows Briana going through the inflatable tube without even hesitating. I told you she is fearless. Let's look at a few pics of the cuties in attendance first...

Miss Briana

Miss Chani

Miss Li Li

Miss Emily Grace

It was so great seeing Amy and Emily Grace - it had been a while since Bri and I had seen them!

Here is a slide show and a few videos of the day...

Last Visit

We had our last (one year) visit with our social worker Gloria. I can't believe we are done with social worker visits. How can it be possible that a year has gone by? Gloria is a wonderful social worker (and is unfortunately retiring) and an amazing person, and we are so appreciative that she was a part of our journey to Miss Briana.

Me, Briana and Gloria

And to celebrate, we gave Briana an early birthday present - a new playhouse. She absolutely loves it! It didn't take long for Doug to put together, and it looks so great!

Briana waving in her new house.

I love my new house!

Talking on the play phone and opening and shutting the door. She always "answers" the phone "Hewo" (her "L's" sound like "W's - so cute).

Bloggy Bash 2008

This is seriously the only picture I took the whole time at the bash. It is hard to pull out the camera and swim with a very excited two year old at the same time. The bash lasted the whole weekend, but Briana and I only were able to make the festivities on Saturday afternoon. Briana loved swimming and meeting everyone, but unfortunately, we had to exit the party early this year because Briana was overtired and slightly cranky due to a short nap and (I noticed just last night) her top molar starting to poke through on the right side of her mouth. Her nose ran like a faucet yesterday. I was so sad to leave early, but I want to thank Pug Mama for her wonderful hospitality.

To get the total package of the bash, check out Lisa's blog - she has links to all the gals who attended.

3 Words

...and it's a double edge sword. I love that she is so outgoing - ready to go out and conquer situations. We went to DAC Kids the other day and I had no idea she could climb a ladder. But she went right up without blinking - and she isn't even two. She is nervous around certain people sometimes, but she really isn't in situations. She isn't intimidated by crowds really and if kids are in a room at all, she is off like a shot - ready to go have fun. My problem is my little fearless girl thinks that she can do things that she is not ready for yet. This causes falls and bumps and getting stuck sometimes. I need to watch her like a hawk - and I honestly do because when I do turn my head for a second, she usually gets into trouble. And Briana really doesn't like when I tell her she can't do something, because in her mind, she most definitely can. So, I watch Briana like a hawk - and it's hard. I get tired and worn out. She doesn't leave me much time for relaxation. She is really a good girl. She is so loving and happy. It's just that she wants to conquer the world and unfortunately, she is a little too young for that yet.

They're Coming...

They're coming and I can't wait! Look at the fun last year - I was only four short days away from going to China. Briana gets to join in the fun this year!

A Few "Firsts"

Briana has had a few more "firsts" the last couple of weeks. She went to her first story time at our local library two weeks ago, and now we meet Angela and Laney at story time on Wednesday mornings.

Let me give you a little back story...I have read Angela's blog since she got her referral for Laney last May. We ran into each other at the end of last year at the grocery store and said hello because we recognized each other from our blogs. Then we realized we lived pretty close to each other. Over the months, we kept running into each other at different places. Then a couple of weeks ago, my friend Amy told me about story time at the library. Since music class is done for the summer, we needed something new to do, so Bri and I went. Guess who goes to story time on Wednesdays too? Yep - Angela and Laney. We also met Angela's friend Eva and her daughter Sara. I think the universe was telling us Briana and Laney were supposed to have an ongoing play date! After story time, Angela and Eva usually head over to Chick-Fil-A for lunch and they have invited Briana and me to join them. It is so sweet of them to include us!

So some more firsts...Briana slid on the big slide by herself at the Chick-Fil-A for the first time (she can go up and down the slide over and over and over). She also did the "Hokey Pokey" for the first time at story time.

And she was kissed by a boy for the first time...

Yes - that is what I said. During story time, the librarian reads stories, sings songs, plays a short film on the wall and then the kids do a craft at the end. When the lights go out for the film, the kids like to run to the wall and put their hands up in the light. As Briana was doing this, there was a little boy (maybe two and a half) that kept trying to get in front of her face. I couldn't tell what he was doing at first because it was dark, but then I realized that he was trying to kiss her! She ran from him a few times and then she let him kiss her once on the mouth and she laughed (oh help me). His mom came up to me after story time and apologized. She said that he had never done anything like that before and that he was "smitten." So I guess Briana had her first suitor too. I had a glimpse into her teenage years - and I am NOT ready for it!

And last Wednesday was the first day Briana went without a nap. Usually if Bri skips her nap (which is rare), she gets so tired that she falls asleep in her little chair or on the couch for about 20 minutes or so at 4:30 or 5 (which I hate because it messes up her bedtime). But Wednesday, she was up all day until 7:45PM. She of course crashed the minute she was put down in the crib. That was a LONG day for mommy.

Here are a few pics! Here is story time...

Briana's craft...

Laney coming down the slide at Chick-Fil-A...

Briana coming off the slide - and Laney coming out bottom first!

The Aquarium - Part Deux

A couple of Saturdays ago, Doug, Briana and I went to the aquarium for Briana's second visit. Briana loved it once again and this time she kept saying "Hi fish, bye fish" when the fish swam by. So cute! The mascot was also there that day to say hi to the kids. This was the first time Briana encountered someone dressed in a costume and I wanted to see how she would do. She walked right up and waved and couldn't keep the smile off her face! She wasn't scared one bit and actually didn't want to walk away. I guess that was a test run for Disney World one day - she passed with flying colors!

Here are a few pics...

Fourth of July

My parents came over for lunch on July 4th and they came bearing gifts for Briana. She thought her hat and necklace and the little spin light thingy were the coolest! Doug grilled hot dogs and Vidalia onions and we ended the meal with watermelon and angel food cake with strawberries. Mmmm. So good.

Doug, Briana and I had a quiet night and decided not to go out and see fireworks. Briana goes to sleep around 8 and we knew she wouldn't be able to go see fireworks this year. So after she went to bed, Doug and I watched the fireworks on TV. I think we may attempt to go see them next year when she is a little older.

Hope you all had a wonderful 4th!