Olyvia Adalet Miller

2008-10-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

I stole this idea from our friend Eva. Thank God for photoshop. It kept me from actually having to clean the grout between the tile. : )

Incidentally, this next photo is for Danielle the devil woman. While driving through Germany last Spring, we met up with a very old and dear friend of mine, along with her husband and children. Danielle, you can pucker up. And tell Shaun about it. This is Jill (formerly) Brown who is now living and serving with her husband as missionaries in Germany.

park life

2008-09-18T12:43:00.000-07:00

French, Vendee Coast

2008-08-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

Sienna, Italy

2008-04-22T03:40:00.000-07:00

English Channel

2008-04-22T03:37:00.000-07:00

The Park

2008-02-20T12:54:00.000-08:00

Those are all "live" trees behind her. : )

Neal's Yard

2008-02-20T12:52:00.000-08:00

2008-02-18T00:37:00.000-08:00

The Terracotta Soldiers

2008-02-18T00:33:00.000-08:00

After making reservations six months ago, we finally got to see the terracotta soldiers exhibit at the British Museum last week! Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos inside the exhibit but trust us, it was amazing and well worth the see if you ever get the chance!

the many uses of the word "snug"

2007-11-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

my dad has just taught me the word snug. he uses it when we get under the blanket together on the sofa. sometimes he tries to watch football, but i usually ask for diego or peter pan. but i have decided its such a great word that we should use it more ways. the other day he was under a blanket on the sofa and i crawled in with him. i said "dada snug...and lyvi snug...2 snugs". i think it makes a great noun. before that we were under the blanket together and i said "we're snugging." see, it also works as a verb.

i hope you are all snug!

Swimming...er...even better...SLIDING!!!

2007-10-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

Autumn

2007-10-07T12:54:00.000-07:00

Birthday Girl is 2 Years Old!

2007-10-07T12:23:00.000-07:00

i say the darnedest things

2007-09-06T22:40:00.000-07:00

the thing is, i don't really know that i am being funny. and that seems to make the grown ups around me find me even more funny. here is a short list of the funny things i have said recently

"thank you god for juice" -my usual list is gideon (ghea), kate, rich (witch), grandma, pap, map (a character off dora the explorer which mom always reminds me is not a real person), dada, momma, and becca. sometimes i add in my friends mischa and ethan (eat-eat) just to mix it up a little.

"merci beaucoup, thank you very much" (i was a big hit in france with that one, but i say it in both languages like its one word)

"hello this is jamie" (while holding daddy's mobile up to my ear after spending the morning at work with momma)

(and, in preparation for the christmas trip home, last week)
momma: lyvi, say oklahoma
lyvi: poh-poh-momma

(and this week)
momma: lyvi, say oklahoma
lyvi: pokey-momma

i talk about anything on "go diego go" at almost any time, but some of my most common recurring themes are...
tapir
maned wolf
rhea
...evidently these aren't animals that many other one year olds talk about.

also, anything and everything can, at any time, be lying down or sad and crying (those two always go together)... stuffed animals, crayons, juice cups, broccoli...pretty much anything.

my current favorite song is 'i'm a little teapot' but i really just like the 'tip me over' part. a couple weeks ago i went through a 'jesus loves me' phase, and i am so over 'itsy bitsy spider'. but i am always up for pretty much any song from the wizard of oz, although 'we're off to see the wizard' is what i request. i also love songs from boz, diego, and dora (we did it). and if its got a good beat, i just have to get up and dance.

i have also learned 'scared'. so sometimes i talk about being scared of the goose when we went to the farm, or the wind in the trees, the hoover or blender, or if the birds suddenly fly out of the trees. i am now learning happy and that it goes with smile.

Vendee Coast

2007-08-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

2007-08-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

beach

2007-08-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

crazy hair, beautiful girl

2007-08-10T01:06:00.000-07:00

self portrait

2007-08-10T01:03:00.000-07:00

This was the result of Olyvia getting a hold of my camera phone while I wasn't looking.

New Bike!

2007-07-10T11:16:00.001-07:00

Playground Pics

2007-07-07T11:40:00.001-07:00

Roma!

2007-04-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

Couldn't be more excited about the Coliseum.

Inside the Vatican. Lyvie decided that "Keep Off the Grass" did not apply to her.

Daddy and Lyvie and the Italian countryside.

Cheesy tourist photo.

Just plain cheese!

Me and the fam!

2007-03-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

Friends From Afar...

2007-03-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

This week mommy and daddy had some friends visit from Oklahoma who just happened to have a little girl too! We had fun playing together all week even though our parents spent the entire time trying to pressure us into learning what the other one was good at. Thanks for visiting Isabella, it was fun!

2007-03-12T05:15:00.000-07:00

New Bike Seat!

2007-02-26T10:39:00.000-08:00

Blues Clues

2007-02-26T10:33:00.000-08:00

so much to learn

2007-02-22T14:24:00.000-08:00

sorry it's been awhile since i have written, but i have been really busy. i've been working on mathematics, literature, and dance pretty hard.

i can count 1 and 2. i can't quite get my thumb down for 2, but i know i'm supposed to. i recognize the numbers, but the letter s looks alot like 2, especially if it is capitalized, so sometimes that still throws me off. i can also do 5 (i mean, come on, it's so easy, just open your hand). i watch when mom, dad, or bec, do 3 and 4, but i'm still just thinking about it.

reading is amazing. i had no idea how many fascinating stories were out there. i love having someone read the same book over and over, especially if they have animals, because then i get to make the noises. my mom swears that i can recognize the letter b, but that is yet to be confirmed, although she is convincing bec.

i have added a new squat dance move to my swaying. mom says its good for my leg muscles. but the big news is that i can do all the motions to itsy bitsy spider. mom and dad are trying to get some video footage to post, but everytime the camera comes out i stop everything and go for the lens cap dangling from the camcorder. i hope it won't be too long before dad lets me have a go at using the camera. he and bec are pretty greedy with the cameras.

my vocabulary is taking off. my words don't sound all that different sometimes (for example, "gah" means flower and car), but somehow i make myself understood. i love talking...loud and alot.

mom and i have started working on learning stairs (don't worry, there are impenetrable gates at the top and bottom now). she keeps lecturing me on how heavy i am getting and has started taking the bus when it's just the two of us as much as possible. (easier on/off than lugging me in my buggy down the steps at the tube station). there are a couple stations that don't have stairs, those are her favourites.

i pretty much spend all day every day pointing to things and going "mmm". that means, what is that? and i want to know what everything is. over and over again. sometimes it seems to exhaust the grown ups, but there is so much to learn.

i can't believe my dad posted pics of me in my bathing suit...how embarrassing.

peace.

First Haircut

2007-02-18T06:02:00.000-08:00

Fun in the sun!!!...for about five seconds.

2007-02-18T05:48:00.000-08:00

2007-02-11T05:53:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Girl

2006-11-09T04:18:00.000-08:00

You're in trouble young lady!

2006-11-07T04:09:00.000-08:00

This morning we awoke to find that somebody had left lotion near Lyvie's crib. Rookie mistake.

Sadly these photos don't do the situation justice!

walking, one, and wonderful

2006-10-14T01:27:00.000-07:00

well, i did it. i survived a whole year of life ex-utero. i feel so old. i can't believe how big the kids are getting. everytime i see gideon and molly at church it reminds of the good old days before solid food and...walking.

yeah, i walk now. no biggie. i love doing laps around the living room. i kinda like walking outside, like at the park, but there is so much cool stuff to check out on the ground that i usually only take a couple steps before i see something i feel compelled to try and put in my mouth. mom says the finger sweep is getting old, and painful with all my teeth. even grandma and becca are getting in on the action.

i love having all these people around. there is always someone to entertain me, i don't have to do anything on my own. the slightest whimper and it is just the excuse someone was waiting on to come and spoil me. i love entertaining others. i sing, i dance, i talk, i give empassioned speeches, i run when chased. i really like playing ball, i'm pretty good at rolling it to someone else, and blowing on the ball to make a fart sound. overall, i must say i am rather engaging.

so, have you caught blues clues yet? it is awesome. i only get to watch it some days, but wait till i figure out how to work the remote. as my new friend becca says "it'll be on like donkey kong" (no, i don't know what it means either, but its fun to say).

so, becca is awesome. she is way cool and is teaching me how to be cool. i love how she is so laid back. a nice break from my neurotic mother. does anyone else have one of those or is it just me? she is teaching me colours and cool words like "socks". up til now i mostly just use "buh" for ball, book, bath, bottle, bye-bye. i have lots of b words in my life. anyway, i really like hanging out with her and don't really even notice if mom or dad are around. hanging out with parents is so over. only babies who aren't yet one do that. becca and i both love to read, although she doesn't seem to be very good at sharing her books with me. what's up with that? i totally share with her. whatever.

sorry its been so long since addressing my adoring public. mom and dad haven't been to focused on letting me get on the computer to post cute pics or witty comments. we have been really busy settling into our new house, working, getting ready for becca and grams. things are starting to settle down now, so that's good. anyway, i'll try to keep my blog more updated.

peace.

2006-09-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

Listening to music at Covent Garden

2006-06-13T17:36:00.000-07:00

Westminster Abbey

2006-06-13T17:35:00.000-07:00

A New Friend

2006-06-13T17:30:00.000-07:00

how 'bout those birds?

2006-06-04T09:39:00.000-07:00

today i was walking with mama in the park and we saw the most amazing thing. there were these quick, little things flapping around in a puddle of water. every now and then onew would jump up. they walked really close to my buggy. mom said they were birds. i watched them for about 5 minutes.

an aploogy shout out to all my fans. mama, daddy, and i have been really busy lately, so mama and i haven't been too good about keeping up with our blogs. plus we have been sleeping really well lately, which is a good thing. but, our friend neil pointed out that we only blog at like 5:00 in the morning. so...no blogs.

the quick update: i had a cold last week, one of my top teeth is getting ready to come through, i don't crawl yet, but i do a 180 on my belly, mostly to try to get the remote or computer cord. i dance by rocking back and forth when i'm sitting. i really like material girl by madonna. i like to pull the bumper in my cot. i like to sleep with my feet hanging out between the bars. butternut squash is my favorite veg, apple is my favorite fruit. i still don't like having my mouth wiped or when mom pulls something out of my reach. she can be a real party pooper.

latest news: today i went over for a cook out at my friend mischa's house. she is a couple months older than me, but we are about the same size. i'll try to get my dad to post some pics. we looked cute! i had a good time with her. her sisters blew bubbles...we loved that.

Sunbathing

2006-05-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

the park

2006-04-18T06:19:00.000-07:00

2006-04-16T05:24:00.000-07:00

2006-04-03T15:35:00.000-07:00

nice hat

2006-03-25T09:23:00.000-08:00

trying out my chair...this is just a trial run.

2006-03-25T09:21:00.000-08:00

i've been really sick

2006-03-06T23:45:00.000-08:00

well, it happened. i had my first time of being sick. it was kinda weird the way it all happened.

i had a couple rough nights last week, but we think it's my teeth growing. one evening my mama finally just layed me on her bed and laid down with me while i whined. nothing made me feel better. she tried to explain to me that one of the things i have to learn in life is how to hurt. she said she wished she could keep me from hurting...ever. but that life doesn't work like that. often when parents try to keep their babies from hurting at all, that the babies don't grow into adults that know how to deal with hurt. so, she said she would stay with me while i hurt. so, i thought we had learned a little bit of that lesson that would last us awhile.

then it really hit!

saturday night mama saw i had thrown up in my sleep about midnight. so, she changed my sheets and fed me...and i threw up on her. so i went to sleep with an empty stomach. i slept through the rest of the night and was pretty happy when i woke up, so she fed me...and i threw up on her. i had a temperature and diarrhea, too. that was how we spent sunday. daddy went to the chemist and got me some medicine, and we called this medical hotline type thing (nhs direct). my fever broke late into sunday night, and i was much better yesterday. i slept alot and am back to eating small amounts often...like when i was little. :)

i don't like when my teeth hurt or being sick. and my parents don't like not being able to fix whatever is wrong. but hopefully we will all continue to get better at me hurting!

Learning to let go

2006-02-19T21:47:00.000-08:00

well, i have learned how to take my dummy out of my mouth very well. i like grabbing onto it, pulling it out of my mouth, looking at it, turning it over in my hands. it's kinda like a toy. i am starting to learn to put it back in. but what i haven't figured out is how to let go of it so i'm not just sticking it in and pulling it out over and over. when i get frustrated my mom and dad help me, but i really want to learn to do it on my own soon.

i have several new things to share. i no longer ride in my car seat in my buggy. now i ride in the big part...and face forward. mom and i both have had to get used to that the last couple days. i like being able to see. turns out there is more to the world than i knew! plus even more people stop to smile at me and talk to me. i can sit up when i feel like it, or mom can lay me back if i need a sleep. mom has lost some storage space, but says the buggy is lighter now.

well, i survived more shots. i did really well. i cried and pouted for about 2 minutes total, one for each leg! i didn't get weighed, we have to go to the clinic for that, they don't do that at the doctors office. mom said she knows where that is, but it's only open specific days and times, so she's not sure when we'll make it down. she told me not to worry though, i look healthy and am very happy and that is the important thing. she says there is plenty of time to worry about my weight. i think she likes not knowing, its one less thing for her to be neurotic about!

her latest worry is sleep. she thought i was doing great, but then she read her stupid baby book. it says i should be getting 14 1/2 hours of sleep a day. so now she has started keeping track. i wish she would give me a break. i know when i am tired and i tell her, then she and dad help me go to sleep if i need it. really, do we need more drama, mom?

i'm a junior floaty! okay, well not officially, but mom will sign me up for my first swim class this week. it doesn't start till march 11 though. i have a swim suit (actually 2!) and mom just got me special swimming nappies. we are so excited. i am sad that dad will be out of town for the big first class, but grandma donna will be here, so that makes me happy.

i have a new trick. i turn my tongue up out of my mouth and suck my upper lip. it sounds kinda gross when i explain it, but it is really cute. my dad just saw me do it today for the first time and he confirmed it is cute, but mom and i already knew that.

dad has been kinda sick this week. his allergies/sinus gunk have been bothering him so he hasn't been sleeping well, either. plus he had a retreat to lead a couple days last week. i hope he feels better soon. he hasn't be snuggling with me, in case he could get me sick with his germs. being sick doesn't look fun so i think i'm going to try to not get sick. i sure do miss his cuddles though, they are the bomb!

by the way, i have seen my mom and dad's blogs...how come no one ever comments on my blog?

life at 4 months

2006-02-05T13:00:00.000-08:00

i can't believe i have to go to bed before my first superbowl even starts. dad says it is very special that it is my first superbowl and the steelers are in it. he says i am good luck for the guys! i guess i am about the closest thing to a cheerleader the black and gold have. mom likes that about the steelers and says she is happy for me to be a cheerleader for them as long as i keep my clothes on and don't shake it like a hoochie-mama. i don't really know what she is talking about...now or most of the time.

i have started giving "hugs". really what i do is turn my forehead right into mommy or daddys face while they are holding me. i close my eyes and rub my forehead back and forth. i guess its not an actual hug, but its me being cuddly. as far as kisses go, i still just open my mouth if you kiss me on it.

i have decided i love having my nappy changed. i start kicking my legs, open my eyes real big, and get my serious look. then, once i am flapping in the breeze, after being wiped i start chatting up a storm...and keep my legs kicking...through the whole thing. it feels so good to be fresh and clean!

we have a big week this week. i have to go to the doctor again and get more shots. mom keeps trying to explain to me that even though it hurts for a little bit that it helps keep me healthy...but i'm pretty clueless. i guess i'll figure it out when i actually get the shot. we are also going to talk to the doctor about starting on real food. i turned four months yesterday and that is when my friend isabella started. maybe it's time for me to start eating chicken wings too. they sound delicious. okay, maybe i won't start with chicken wings...

i am getting really good at holding myself up when i am on my belly. i haven't rolled over, but get pretty close sometimes when i am on my back. i guess this is not the way most babies do it, but i really like stretching and wiggling on my back more than my stomach.

i have been playing with my mat isabella gave me alot. i love batting around the different animals. i can't decide if i like the part that plays music, and i pretty much haven't discovered the mirror or pictures yet. but i am sure i will figure it out soon.

as for eating, i am still doing very well. i am up to 7 oz. now. i don't need the little baby tips any more...even when i'm tired. i have started recognizing my bottle. when i see it or when my mom or dad put my bib on i start getting really whiny. i don't realize i am hungry until then, but once i figure out its time to eat it's the only thing i can think about!

i go to bed at 8:00 almost every night. some nights i sleep better than others, and some nights i need my dummy more than others. but i can usually be persuaded to sleep until 8-10 in the morning. not bad for my age!

my drool problem seems to be getting worse. i am sticking more and more things in my mouth and like chewing on pretty much anything. i don't like it when i can't get my toys into my mouth, so my parents hang them down real low off my car seat and play mat.

today at church i smiled a lot at peter. my mom really likes him. he's a little older than me and moves around alot, so that's interesting. i really like watching most of the bigger kids. i can't wait until i can run around and play with them. mom says by the time i am their size they will be bigger, but that there are some other babies close to my age (and yet to be born) that i will be able to run around with.

My first Superbowl!

2006-02-05T11:42:00.000-08:00

Me and daddy dressed in black and gold!

2006-02-05T07:42:00.000-08:00

2006-01-29T11:47:00.000-08:00

2006-01-22T09:31:00.000-08:00

2006-01-22T09:29:00.000-08:00

my trip home

2006-01-14T21:01:00.000-08:00

for those of you wondering, my trip home was great. mom and dad fed me before we got on the plane in oklahoma city. i whined a little when we first got on the plane, but dad settled me down...and that's it! it helped a lot that we had virtually no layover in chicago, just enough time to change my nappy, mom and dad picked up a couple sandwiches, and get to the gate...not even time for them to eat the sandwiches, but they said they preferred it that way. i still don't get eating. once we settled into our big flight, they put me in this collapsable ziploc kind of bed on the floor in between them. i slept great, but only 5 hours. i slept more when we got settled into our taxi on the way home. mom and dad said it was the shortest travel time yet for a trip between london and oklahoma city.

on friday i pooped out at 7:30 that night. i slept until 11:30 saturday morning, that's 16 hours. well, i woke up enought to eat a couple times, but that's it. saturday i only took a couple half hour naps, and konked out at 7:30 again. my parents hope to push that back to about 9:00 within the next couple days, but i am doing way better than them. they are out of control. for some reason they seem to be having a hard time taking care of me on my "schedule" and getting on one of their own. they are really whiny and cranky right now.

so, as usual, i am doing great, but i am not so sure about my parents...i hope they get it together soon.

2006-01-06T09:33:00.000-08:00

i am overwhelmed

2006-01-01T20:04:00.000-08:00

it's hard to believe that just a few short weeks ago the only life i knew was so simple. hanging out with my mom all day (mostly listening to cheesy pop music on the radio), chillin with my dad in the evenings and on weekends (we love to watch MASH and american football together).

next thing i know my ears are killing me (actually i did better on the flights than either of my parents) and we have landed in some alternate reality.

oklahoma is a land of more grandparents then i could ever have imagined! the sun is so bright here and the weather feels like summer (it shouldn't, but global warming is a good thing right now!). i have met many friends who have been waiting for me for years. american football is on television all the time. i have "ridden" a tractor at papa guinn's. okay, does this christmas thing happen everywhere or what? if not, you guys are really missing out.

this week my parents are taking me to a magical place called "broken bow". they thought i might stay with one of my grandmas but they can't stand the thought of being away from me. come on guys, cut the cord already! anyway, they seem to think it will be a lot of fun. i have already been to such exotic places as shawnee, norman,...and slaughterville (for real, that's the name).

everyone wants to hold me and take my picture. the picture thing is cool, as long as they work around me. i'm kinda getting the hang of looking at the camera, but my favorite pics are the ones where i am looking at a person (see "smiley pic"). as for the holding, i'm just not used to it. i mean, my mom holds me and all, but she's got stuff to do like laundry, cooking, cleaning...she's a busy woman at home. and when we get back she'll add work. it's the same with dad. so, being passed from person to person for several hours in a row is a bit much for a little girl to take. so, here's my disclaimer. if you try to hold me and i cry, don't take it personally, it's probably not you. i'm probably just what my mom calls "overstimulated" and need a break. i still have a long way to go in my social skill development!

i also want to send a thank you shout out to all of my new friends and family who have given me all the great stuff! you guys rock!

my first smiley photo!

2005-12-17T19:23:00.000-08:00

i made it!!

2005-12-14T16:44:00.000-08:00

what in the world is going on? my crazy parents kept me up for like 16 hours straight last friday! well, okay, i took a few naps, but didn't go down for my big sleep at my normal time. actually, i am pretty confused about what my normal time is.

i now have a passport, am officially a united states citizen, have a social security number...and have made my first trans-atltantic flight. who's a big girl now!?! i did really well on my flight. we had great seats, a whole row of five seats in the middle just for our family...after the stewardess moved this stubborn lady. i only really cried once...when we were landing. what is up with the ears...crazy stuff. i would fuss a little, but my parents played with me, fed me, changed me in the worlds smallest bathroom...then we landed in chicago. we were in chicago a really long time. our flight was delayed...and delayed...and delayed. it's a good thing i was there, my mom and dad really started getting tired, frustrated, and impatient. we almost got a hotel room instead of waiting on the flight, but it all worked out. i slept from before we got on the plane through to the next morning...even through meeting grandma barbara and pap for the first time...i was tired!!

i have met a ton of people. we went to 2 different churches on sunday...the first time i've ever been to church twice in one day...it was alot to take in! but i was friendly to everyone, and didn't complain.

monday night i went out with the girls from our church in shawnee. it was fun, they all held me and passed me around. tuesday i got to know our friends the goss family. olivia (who i was named after), maris, and bizzy were all so nice to me. i got this great blanket for christmas, i can't wait to show my friends back in london. today we slowed down a little, i have had 3 big days in a row...so have mom and dad. they are still pretty tired from the jet lag, and are trying to relax into vacation mode.

i'm not very homesick yet, it's a lot of fun exploring new things here. i have spent more time in the car than i ever have. i think i like it. i fall asleep alot, but i only whine when i lose my dummy.

i'm starting to grab onto things, like the edge of blankets and shirts. last saturday i was sitting in my chair at grandma and paps and finally noticed that there were these fun animals hanging right in front of me! i did that while my mom and dad left me for the first time. they went to some place i have never heard of, called wal-mart. i don't get it, but they were really excited.

this place is alot different, but i'm having fun so far. these grandparent people are great, i am so glad i have them.

i have hands

2005-11-25T23:43:00.000-08:00

yesterday i found these things that seem to be attached to me. they are good to suck and chew on...and i think i may even have some effect on what they do...but i'm not sure. i hold them really close to my face and wiggle them around. it makes me look crosseyed, but i am working hard to figure this one out!

my parents and i have been working hard to learn some other stuff, too. they have been trying to help me learn to go to sleep at midnight. some nights i am ready to go to sleep and some i am not, but i am trying to at least chill in my bed on my own until i am ready to fall asleep. if i can keep my pacifier/dummy in, it's okay. but when it falls out, i don't like the falling asleep so much. i have been sleeping for about 5 1/2 hours in a row every night. the last couple mornings i wake up, eat, am up for maybe 15 minutes then i fall back asleep for another 3-4 hours. i have also been learning to fall asleep on my own for my naps during the day. i do pretty well if i'm in my special chair, i'll try to get daddy to take my picture while i'm in it so you can see it. i really like it, but i sometimes fall to the side so my dad rolled up these little blankets to keep me from falling over...he takes good care of me.

i've been happier since my parents finally figured out i need more to eat! it took them a couple days, but eventually they figured it out. so, between getting better sleep and more food, i am doing great!

after i wake up from my nap, have my nappy/diaper changed, and eat, then i work out. my mom and dad have been helping me to work on my standing. i'm getting pretty good. they say strong leg muscles are important...plus they make it fun. they haven't quite figured out how to help me make my arms strong...but they'll probably come up with something. they seem to be doing okay at learning how to help me grow!

my dad has lost his mind and started talking gibberish to me. he says something like "popobobo" alot. he thinks he is talking my language, but i have no idea what he's saying. but at least it's fun to watch. last night he said the word "Miagi". as in, "mr. miagi died today" and when he said miagi, i smiled really big. so he keeps saying it, thinking i'll smile at him. if my mom or dad smile at me, i like smiling back most of the time.

after my workout and smiling, then talking and smiling...i am exhausted! sometimes i start telling my mom and dad that i am tired and want to go to sleep by whining and sometimes i just fall asleep. then i wake up and start all over again...that's pretty much my day!

last sunday i was awake at church and lots of people came to say hi to me and look at my open eyes! i only made it through about half the service before i fell asleep...my dad said it's okay, he understands. on wednesday we went to the american embassy to get my passport and social security number. i don't know what either of those are or why i need them! mom said we had to go so that we can go home in a few weeks, but i don't know what she's talking about...she's crazy! mom and i had to take the tube by ourselves (because dad had to work), but nice people helped her carry the stroller/push chair up and down the stairs. she was really nervous about how we were going to do that, but it was fine. she had to get up really early, because we had the first appointment of the day. i just woke up at my regular time, then fell asleep while when i got in my push chair.

i have to go to the doctor on tuesday for some more shots/injections. i don't think i'll like it too much, but hopefully it won't last long. mom and dad say they will help me stay healthy.

me and mommy

2005-11-20T09:01:00.000-08:00

hand

2005-11-20T08:59:00.000-08:00

another big week....

2005-11-16T02:20:00.000-08:00

well, i had another big week last week. i had a 6-week check up. i weighed in at 10 lbs. 4 oz. i knew i was getting bigger because some of my clothes don't fit anymore! when he tried to bend my legs to check my hips, the doctor also commented on how strong my legs are! i have been working out a little, mostly doing squats on my mom and dad's laps, i gotta start getting ready to walk! my gums have been bothering me a little, i don't think i'm teething yet, but the midwife said that my gums can start bothering me pretty early because the teeth are starting to grow and come up in my gums. this growing up is pretty tough sometimes.

i work out my arms by trying to put my hands in my mouth at the same time my mom or dad are trying to feed me. it's surprising how strong i can be! i'm not just trying to hold my head up, but trying to move it from side to side,too. occasionally i accidntally head butt my mom when she is burping me, it shocks us both!

my parents finally took me to church this past sunday! i guess it was good...i slept through the whole thing. my mom said they introduced me during the announcements and everything! another baby had her first day at church, too, but she is only 2 weeks old! my parents are really slow!

we didn't take any big trips in london last week, but we did go to the park on saturday. these pictures with the leaves are from then. my dad makes such a mess! it's hard to tell from the picture, but my hair is changing too. it's thinned out a little, has turned a little lighter, and is getting long. last night my daddy was even talking about my needing a trim! it grows fast! but it still gets curly just after its washed, like in the picture of me having my bath.

i am starting to "talk" more. my mom says that my cooing is starting to sound more like talk, she thinks i am starting to mimic actual speaking intonation more...and sound a little less like a character from star wars! i still make a fake cry like noise when i want mom or dad and sound like a horse when i yawn, but i'm adding to my vocabulary.

my sleeping is getting better. some nights i sleep for 6 hours in a row! plus i am going to sleep a little bit earlier on some nights. i don't do it all the time, sometimes i still like to keep daddy up late and wake momma up in the middle of the night. but who can blame me, they are great! :) and i love spending time with them.

i am really starting to be able to focus my eyes. i'm not just looking at the obvious stuff, like the brown shelves and pictures on our white walls. i'm looking at everything...including the people next to us on the bus! my favorite thing to look at are the dragon fly lights my dad hung in my room. they are awesome...i love looking at those guys!

mom and dad keep talking about "coming home" in a few weeks. i don't really know what that means, but i am starting to get excited because they are. next week mom and i are going to the embassy so i can get a passport. i have to get passport photos and everything! that will be an adventure!

2005-11-12T12:25:00.000-08:00

tommy boy

2005-11-12T12:24:00.000-08:00

pouty lip

2005-11-12T12:22:00.000-08:00

not so cute...

2005-11-12T11:58:00.000-08:00

I'm one month old!

2005-11-03T08:56:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I am one month old. it seems only yesterday i lived in the idyllic world of the womb...no hunger, no thirst, no nappies (diapers in american), just floatin' around...those were the days! but i am learning to adjust to this strange world i've been born into.

the biggest news is this, i weigh 9lbs. 13oz. that is almost a pound more than the health visitor expected. my mom says she thinks i inherited good weight gaining genes! anyway, right now it means i am healthy! i already knew i was doing okay, but it seemed to relieve my mom...she's so neurotic!

mom and dad have started letting me do some big girl stuff. last week i learned about shopping! mom took me for a girls afternoon out to wood green high street. we rode the bus, looked in shops, and even had lunch at Quiznos. a few days later mom and dad took me to a cool place called Covent Garden. i've posted some pics of our day, it was great. the weather was perfect. that day i rode the tube, that was a really big deal! you should have seen my mom and dad trying to get my push chair (stroller) onto the tube!

i overheard mom and dad talking about going to another shopping place called Camden. mom says they have funky stuff and it's a great open air market. if the weather is good, maybe we'll go there this weekend. they really like taking me out for the afternoon. i sleep through almost the whole thing. give me a break, i'm only one month old!

i am starting to grow up though. i am chubbier now, you can see it in my cheeks and chin area, plus my thighs the most, but i'm pretty much filling out everywhere! i fit in my skin now, no more sagging! i recognize my bottle sometimes once it gets really close to my face, but i still think i can fit my fist in my mouth along with the bottle. i don't cry when mom and dad change my nappy, i jerk a little when the wipie touches me, but come on, it's cold! i like my bath now, just not getting out and drying off. ahhh, just letting the cares of the world melt away in a bubble bath. there is so much to learn, that sometimes i just need to chill out and de-stress! i have gone up a half size in my nappies, no more little baby newborn for me, we big girls need a little more than that!

oh, and more big news! the last two nights i have slept for seven hours straight! no waking up! now last night that was 4:30am-11:30am after almost driving my dad crazy, but 7 hours is a long time for me! i don't know if i will sleep 7 hours straight from now on the rest of my life, but i can do it!

so, that's a lot of what i have learned this first month. there have been ups and downs, goods and bads, but i think i am getting used to being here.

bath time!

2005-11-02T15:02:00.000-08:00

1st pic with eyes OPEN!

2005-10-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

covent garden

2005-10-27T16:05:00.000-07:00

2005-10-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

Steelers 27, Bengals 13

2005-10-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

me watching the Steelers game!

first pics

2005-10-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

10 minutes old