2007 What a year!

I have to admit I am a bit emotional as 2007 is coming to an end. This has been the best year of my life. We found out Gabbie was out of PGN on 1/18/07. Gabbie was placed in our arms forever on 2/5/07 and we returned home with our daughter on 2/8/07.

I have learned so much this past year. Being a mother is the most difficult, wonderful, amazing thing in the world. I now understand my own mother so much more and what she went through with me (sorry mom!) Watching my mother turn into an amazing grandma has been one of the greatest things. She loves Gabbie's so much and Gabbie really loves her too. I really feel my mom and I are now closer than ever and I love this.

Watching my husband become a wonderful daddy to our baby girl has been incredible. I love watching them together. She really loves her daddy and he loves her more than anything. I do believe this has made me love my husband even more.

Gabbie has brought me more joy than I ever thought I could have. I truly love this child with every bit of my heart. It is so hard to believe just two years ago we started looking at International Adoption and here we are today. There is no doubt that she was meant to be our baby. God's plan is much bigger than ours!

Although I am kind of sad to see 2007 go, I must admit I am really excited to see what 2008 holds for us.

Happy New Year!

First trip to Chuck e Cheese

We took Gabbie to Chuck e Cheese for the first time last week. I remember being a child going all of the time with my parents. I think she had a lot of fun. Chuck e Cheese has changed a bit since I have been there but it was still fun watching her experience new things.

Riding on some freaky teletubbies ride.


The verdict is in. I think she liked it!


She watched me put the token in 1 time. When that ride was finished she was reaching for another token because she wanted to keep riding. My mom was with me when I handed Gabbie a token thinking she would have no clue what to do with it, but boy was I wrong. She took that thing and put it right in the slot and started the ride up. We laughed so hard. I had 8 tokens and one by one she would put them in when the ride was done. I think we stood there for 20 minutes watching her ride this. Every day I am amazed at how smart this child is! She is constantly learning new words and things.

Riding some freaky looking thing. We didn't think she was too thrilled about this.

Check out her hair in this pic. It is not the greatest picture but when her hair is wet it is to the middle of her back. We are talking about a first haircut this spring because it is really uncontrollable.

Pulling a Britney Spears driving with her baby on her lap

Our baby girl starting to look like a little girl. I don't think we could love her anymore than what we do now.

After Chuck e Cheese at home. Gabbie for some reason likes to stand in the seat on this car she got from Santa.

Christmas

End of Christmas night at Grandma's house


Gabbie opening presents from Santa Christmas morning

Cheesing for the camera

Gabbie with her purse and baba looking like a little girl.

Christmas morning with her TMX Cookie from Boom Boom and Papa

Gabbie and her Papa

Cousin Peyton and Gabbie

Grandma and Gabbie

I cannot believe Gabbie's first Christmas home has come and gone. I do believe she had a wonderful time but is now officially pooped. I have never seen one child get so many gifts and go non stop like she has the past 3 days. Some of her favorite gifts include a tent/tunnel playland from Grandma that is literally taking up our whole living room, her cabbage patch kid and bottle from Jenn which she carries with her everywhere, her pink sparkly purse from grandma, her Dora car from Santa, her little white dog from Boom Boom and Papa, her Dora Sit n Spin from GG which she doesn't sit on but instead hits the button so the music plays over and over again, a basketball hoop that daddy alleges he wanted for Gabbie but it is becoming obvious by daddys constant playing, it was really for him, and this is just to name a few. This child seriously got around 40 presents for Christmas and I mean nice presents too. And I thought I was spoiled as a child!!! She also got a folding table and chair set which we have to exchange because the table is dented, but I can guarantee she will adore.

So we have now made the decision to take the TV/entertainment center out of the computer room and now it will house Gabbie's toys and the computer only. We have so many toys scattered throughout the house and with only 3 bedrooms this is the only way to get some organization. I remember having a toy room as a child so I am kind of excited for Gabbie that she will have the same!


Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

What a difference a year makes!

A friend wrote that on a Christmas card she sent with her daughter Sabrina on it. We were actually in Guatemala together a little over a year ago visiting our babies so to see a picture of her now and see that written next to it made me chuckle. Seriously where has the time gone?

As I sit here two nights before Christmas I am amazed at the twists and turns my life has taken to get me to where I am today. Two years ago tonight I had no clue that the idea of adoption would enter into my mind. Seriously if you would have told me two years ago that I would be the mommy of an amazing 15 month old daughter from Guatemala I would have never believed it. I am so blessed!!!!

Here are some pictures from last night. Gabbie got her very first Cabbage Patch Kid from Jennifer. We got our first Cabbage Patch Kids together back in the 80's so she wanted to get one for Gabbie. Gabbie's CPK is named Melody. Melody came with a bottle and Gabbie loves to give it to her. She is so serious when she does it too. I think my baby is turning into a little girl already:(

What a difference a year makes!!!

Christmas and Blackmail Photo

Has it really been over a week since my last post? I am amazed how the days are flying by now that Gabbie is home. She is almost 16 months old and has been home nearly 11 months.

We did her Christmas shopping last weekend and wow was that fun! I seriously could have spent thousands and thousands of dollars if I had the money. We also decorated the tree. Christmas is just so different now that she is home. I have so much Christmas spirit it is scary!

Anyway, here is a photo I took of her last week that cracks me up! She loves these headphones. I can't wait to show it to her boyfriend one day (when she is 35 of course).

Growling

Gabbie was in rare form tonight which is actually turning out to be a normal thing with her. She has started something entirely new. She is now growling. It is quite the devilish growl. If I knew how to post videos I would put it on here. She growls while she laughs, when she is serious, and sometimes when she is mad. When I talked to Jennifer (Gabbie's sitter) today she said Gabbie was cracking her up with this new laugh. Come to find out the new laugh is actually the growl laugh. Anyway, here are some pictures from tonight for grandma since she couldn't make it out. The first one is of her growl in action and the second is of her looking sweet and innocent.

Pictures with Santa

Yesterday we took Gabbie to get pictures with Santa. We went with my best friend who is also Gabbie's sitter and Godmother and her two children Jacob and Jack. Let's just say she didn't like Santa too much. After Santa she was much happier.

More Pictures

More Pictures

Pictures

Here are some pictures of Gabbie with family and friends taken over the last 10 months. What an amazing 10 months it has been!