Airport Welcome Party and Misc. Pictures

Enjoy the new pictures from Daddy/Daughter night at a TU football game, Eli Sang's airport welcome party (home forever from Vietnam), and a couple other misc. pictures.

A new normal

A year ago we became 1st time parents, nearly 8 months later we became parents for the 2nd time, and now 5 months after that we are..............................finally starting to feel like we are living a normal life. (Were you nervous that I was going to announce something else?) Granted, it's a normal we have never experienced before. But, it is a small feeling of sanity and we will gladly take it! On the 17th Drew turned 5 months old and we feel like we are over the hump, or close to it. Most of the colic symptoms are gone, we are all sleeping longer (those 12 hour nights didn't last, though), we can tell that he feels better, and he is just coming alive. As a 5 month old, Drew is able to entertain himself a little bit better with toys and interact more with people. My favorite new thing is that Andrew is becoming more of a cuddle and snuggle bug. This is very important to a mother! This week Andrew started eating baby food. I can't believe that it is already time! Since we have already been putting rice cereal in his bottles, I decided that it wouldn't make sense to have that be his first spoon-fed food. So, he has been eating carrots. And, he's eating like a pro. Is he not adorable?

Sarah is at a very fun age, albeit, challenging. Oh, the wonder of being two! It truly is a foreshadowing of adolescence. One minute she's laughing and the next she is on the verge of an emotional crisis. She actually enjoys her timeout chair and sending her to the chair is almost like pressing the re-start button on her. She is back to calm and happy after timeout. Sometimes, if I have the baby in my arms and I can't physically put Sarah in timeout, I'll just tell her to go to timeout. Sarah will actually go and get her little chair, face it towards the corner, and sit down. Sometimes I even find her "playing" timeout. She'll go back to the spot where she got in trouble, shake her head no, then go to timeout. Then, she does the "all done" sign with her hands and gets down from the chair. Oh, but Sarah is a stubborn thing. As all two year olds do, she has selective hearing and obeys in slow motion (or, not at all).

Both the kids are going to an early learning center this school year the 3 days a week that I work. I was really nervous after I went to the open house for Sarah's class. Most of the kids in her class were a head taller and more verbal. Also, the kids eat sitting in a regular chair at a table and take a short nap laying on a mat. I don't consider myself to be overprotective, but I was pretty worried that it would be too much for her. After all, she still eats in a highchair, sleeps in a crib, naps for 1.5 to 2 hours, and has fewer words than a lot of 2 year olds. But, my worries were completely unfounded. Sarah has done beautifully in school and her vocabulary is growing so fast that I can't keep up with it anymore.

We have very slowly started to introduce the potty to Sarah. She is very intrigued and usually asks to go sit on the potty right after she goes in her diaper. So, we're working on a timing issue. She has a little Dora potty ring that sits on the toilet. She loves it so, so much. So much, that half the time she is wearing it on her head. That might be our other problem with the potty training - lol!

Sometime, when the night is younger, I'll have to share two funny Sarah stories that friends have encouraged me to post. I'll call one Swiper, No Swiping and the other Soggy Dreams.

Random-ness

I appologize for the quality of these photos, or lack thereof. I obviously didn't have my settings right on the camera.

Sarah celebrating her FFD with her BFFs - We took the kids to Ri Le's for Vietnamese food

Two peas in a Vietnamese pod - Sarah and Lukas

Drew....not so ready for bed....

Sarah's ready for NYC's Fashion Week :)

Old men fall asleep in recliners, babies fall asleep in Bumbos

Drew's reaction to how I look in the mornings - lol

She's learned to multi task at a very young age...

And, last but not least, the kids have started playing together....a little bit.

From there to here....

Michael and me on the day we became parents - Sept. 7, 2006 in Ninh Thuan, Vietnam

Sarah's orphanage the way it looked on 9-7-06

Sarah being held by one of the young girls next to her crib at the orphanage 9-6-06

A final goodbye from one of the sweet nannies on 9-7-06

A loving goodbye kiss from her favorite nanny on 9-7-06

It's so hard to say goodbye - we never doubted the love the children received while under their care.

The paperwork is signed and Sarah is officially our daughter on 9-7-06

Sarah home - happy, healthy, and full of life - September 2007


Happy 1st Forever Family Day, Sarah Elizabeth Tam! We stand in awe of our awesome God for choosing us to have the privilege of raising you.

"Adoption is the highest privilege that the Gospel offers....Closeness, affection, and generosity are at the heart of this relationship."
J. I. Packer

Please feel free to leave a comment for Sarah, if you wish, and it will be included in her Adoption Life Book.

So excited!

Very early tomorrow morning our dear friends, Chuck and Jean Anne, leave for Vietnam to adopt the most adorable 3.5 year old boy, Elijah Song Tran. I can hardly wait until they are back and we get to see Eli in person. Of course, I'll be excited to see Chuck and Jean Anne again, because I'll miss them while they are away. ;) Please keep them in your prayers....and Eli, too, as he transitions into his new family. Make sure to check out their blog- "A Child from Vietnam" (link is also on the sidebar).