It's Official!!!

In the eyes of the law, we are now Essie's mommy and daddy. Our hearing this morning went very smoothly; the judge came in, talked for a few minutes and granted the adoption petition. We will have a new birth certificate in a few weeks. After the hearing, we all went to lunch. Here are a few pictures from the day. The first one is of the judge giving Essie all kinds of kisses :-) I love the last one of Essie and Uncle Benny playing in the mirror!

If we placed an ad in the classifieds.....

It would read:

"Frustrated parents seeking advice - beautiful 6 month old trying to assert her independence by rolling over and crawling away during diaper changes (yes, while on the changing table). Often leads to excessive screaming and crying, crooked diapers, and the need to wash the changing pad cover because the baby mentioned above peed on it while diaper-less."

AAAAGGGGHHHHH!!! Tonight, I put her bedtime diaper on while she was on her belly - still screaming mind you, because I wouldn't let her crawl forward and hang her head over the edge of the changing table! I guess we'll see if I have to change her sheets in the morning....

So parents....any suggestions???

So grown up

Essie will be 6 months old tomorrow! And, one week from tomorrow, the adoption will be finalized!

Essie continues to enjoy her fruits. We have been trying carrots the last few days. I can get her to eat them if I mix them with apples :-) Even then, she won't eat more than about 8-10 bites. She has this cool little mesh bag on a ring to put food in so she can nibble on it without choking on anything. I put a banana in it yesterday. I can't believe how much she loved it! And, see how big she looks sitting in her high chair gnawing on a banana!!!!



Here she is chillin' in a chair on the screened in porch. She wouldn't look at me for the picture....she was busy watching her kitty play on top of the hot tub!



Essie's Great Grandma had a birthday Friday. Today, the whole family gathered at her house to celebrate. I don't think Grandma noticed the rest of us, she was too busy rocking her first great-grandbaby :)

Trying new things....

Essie is exploring everything - mostly by putting things in her mouth! The other day, she discovered she could make silly faces by scrunching up her nose and squinting her eyes - daddy says she looks like she's in pain, but she's really just being a ham!



She's doing a great job eating food now! And, mommy has discovered the fun in making our own baby food - and the cost savings!!!! Essie loves applesauce! We'll try pears in a couple days, then perhaps some carrots next week. We bought her a high chair a couple weeks ago. She's doing a great job sitting up and keeping her balance in the chair.



Essie went for her first motorcycle ride a few nights ago....Just kidding :-) Mommy saw a cute photo op when Uncle Eric came to visit!

Good thing I'm not a vegetarian!

I remember when my parents bought their minivan. It was just before I turned 16. I remember learning to drive in it. I remember how much I hated it. I told my parents over and over again how I would never drive a minivan. You couldn't pay me to do it.

My mom keeps telling me to be careful about saying I'll never do something. Becoming a parent can have a profound impact on your attitude and belief about certain things. Apparently I'm going to end up doing and saying a lot of things I swore I would never do or say.

So, I've officially eaten my first helping of crow. We bought a minivan last night. We didn't set out to buy a new vehicle yesterday; we just wanted to test drive a couple and see what might work for us in a few months. For those of you who know Nick well, you know how he is about getting the best deal possible on something. Well, we found a deal he couldn't refuse.....

I guess crow doesn't taste so bad.

One month to go

Our finalization hearing is one month away. Today was our last visit with the social worker. I'm sure we'll continue to see Gail, just not in as our social worker....well, until we decide to go through this process again to make Essie a big sister.

This weekend is the Dayton Air Show. It's really close to our house and we get to see some of the shows without leaving our yard. Today, the pilots are practicing their routines. I love to watch the airplanes, so I thought Essie might like it, too........She didn't. They are really, really loud when they fly over our house. The noise frightened her - the cute little bottom lip came out and she just cried. Maybe she'll like it next year....

Wild baby!!

Essie LOVES her exersaucer now. She goes nuts when she sits in it!