Emilija's Baptism - September 6, 2009

I am so thrilled that Emilija is baptized. I had been MIA preparing for the big event. When you are coordinating from out of town, it takes more time than you think.

Emilija was baptized at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Carmel, Indiana. It's the parish that my family belongs to. It is also likely the parish that we will join when we move back and we're hoping that with a little help, we can get Eriks into the private school there as well.

The weather was not very cooperative that day. It rained in the morning. But I take it as being showered with blessings :-)
My sister, Edite is Emilija's godmother and my cousin, Robert (only 3 weeks to the day younger than me and like a brother) is Emi's godfather. We really couldn't have asked for better godparents for Emi. She is so very lucky to have both of them in her life. And I know they will be awesome guides in her life.

The drawback about baptisms, at least for us is that Emi's happened during her naptime so she cried the whole time. Eriks was during an earlier mass when he was baptized and he was 5 months old, not almost 19 months. From the anointing with oils to the actual pouring of water over her head, she was not a happy camper. Now that I think about it, crying is putting it mildly. She screamed out of pure exhaustion.

In the photo above you can see how unhappy she really was.

However, at her reception, it was a completely different story. This is probably one of my favorite photos of Emi yet. Her facial expression just makes me smile.
We had her reception at a banquet hall since we don't live there and because I couldn't expect my parents to host 50 people in their house. Ironically, we had Emi's reception at the same place we had Eriks.

The food was fabulous as always. Thank you to all those who came up to Lane and me and complimented profusely on how great the food and reception was.

In the above photo is my dad's side of the family. At least part of us. There were actually 14 or so family members missing. They just couldn't make it.

My mom's side of the family. Also there were about 14 or so of her family missing. I have big families on both my mom & dad's side.

Unfortunately, for some reason, no one grabbed my camera when we were taking photos of the Tuttle side and there were quite a few of them there as well. I'm hoping my in-laws will email me a good portion of the photos they took with their camera that I didn't take with mine because I was too busy entertaining guests and keeping track of my children.

After Emi's baptism, there were a fair number of us that went back to my parents house for more food, alcohol, conversation and gift opening. I think the party finally ended right around 10 pm or so.

Returning back to Georgia on Tuesday was not easy. As much as I really like my friends here, Indiana is home. Eriks has reminded me every day this week that he wants to go back to Indiana to be with his Omi & Opi (my parents).

I am still planning on ending this blog shortly and beginning a new one since our journey to Emi is over. I'm hoping in the next few weeks I'll have it up and running. Expect at least 1 or 2 more posts before I say goodbye to this blog. Still trying to figure out where I can get it turned into a book. If anyone has any info, please let me know!

It's also really hard to believe that Emi came home 2 months ago yesterday. It's amazing!

Life in a Nutshell Right Now/Three Word Sunday

It is absolutely CRAZY around here! Emilija is being baptized in IN next weekend. I'm trying to finish my class for school. We're dealing with the ENT/Craniofacial team here in ATL and trying to figure out when her surgery is going to be. If it's not one thing it's something else.

Be back soon!

Three Word Sunday - 3rd Weekend August

I'm finally getting back in on the Three Word Sunday videos. I almost forgot again this week.
These 2 very cute kids no matter how rotten they may be some days, they truly are the best gifts!!

Quick Post

I know, I'm a slacker. It's just a bad time of year. Eriks starts school on Monday so I'm doing last minute stuff getting him ready including buying him expensive shoes per uniform requirements that he'll only wear once a week. Hopefully this means they'll last the whole year. And Emi has outgrown the sandals that I bought her and go figure, no one has any left in the size she needs. I'm going to have to hit some kids consignment shops to see if I can find any since we'll probably be wearing sandals here until October and I just can't let those cute little piggies hang out of her shoes.

We're also getting back into our busy schedule. Eriks started gymnastics again last week and got the same teacher as he had this Spring who was thrilled to have him back. He has told us on several occasions that Eriks is very athletically inclined and can easily learn what he's taught. Thumbs up from me on that! So we're going to be juggling school/school activities, gymnastics and karate.

Although I am still trying to figure out where the heck the summer went and very sad I didn't make it up north this year, I'm also happy about it. Eriks is way ready for school. We've been trying to encourage him to learn to read. A lot of it is because we're tired of being asked, "What does that say?" So on Saturday after a fabulous birthday party we went to Sams.Club and happened upon the Bob book series. These books came highly recommended by my SIL, Dzin who used them to teach my oldest niece to read. Well, since Saturday, Eriks has flown through the books and now I need to go back to Sams.Club and get the next set of books. Lane and I are just floored at how quickly he's doing it. Eriks also is doing more math than before because his Aunt Marla bought him a Star.Wars game for his L.eapster. I hope he doesn't get bored in kindergarten.

Eriks did lose his 1st tooth while Grandma and Grandpa were here about 2 weeks ago. The tooth fairy was very generous with the 1st tooth. Eriks is about to lose a 2nd one. He's trying to eat hard fruits like apples to get it to come out. I'll have to post a toothless photo.

We have family coming into town again tomorrow night. Eriks gets to see his cousins again. He hasn't seen them since after Christmas. When we went home to Indiana in May, they were on vacation in the Black Hills. He's very excited and they are all very excited about meeting Emilija.

I'm working really hard to start back up with 3 Word Sunday posts too since PM started doing the videos again. She's been doing it again for 2 weeks and I've been busy enough I've let it slip my mind. Ugh!!!

Past my bedtime and about a million things to do tomorrow including watching the very 1st Colts pre-season game. YIPPIE for football season!!!

1 Month Ago

One month ago today this beautiful girl came home.
It's been a month already?
It doesn't feel like it. Granted it also doesn't feel at all like she's ever not been in our lives. It feels like she's always been with us. I guess in our hearts she always has been :-)

She is so beautiful and has changed so much in the month since she's been home. She has made so many strides in such a short amount of time.

This is what she's learned to do in the month since she first arrived home:

• Walk really fast. As I said in a previous post she was this wobbly unsure little girl. She'll chase you if you let her now!
• She no longer drinks from a bottle and can even hold her own sippy cup.
  
• She can get herself from a laying position to a sitting position. AND from a sitting position to a standing position.
• She has learned some baby signs to communicate with us.
• She blows kisses.
• She loves to give her forehead for kisses and hugs a lot! (Still no real kisses yet but we've come a long way!)
• She says "Mama" and means it. Sometimes she still babbles it because it's a noise but when she wants me she says it.

We can't wait to watch her change and grow. I'm so thankful her hair is starting to grow too. Her hair is starting to flip and curl a bit. It's funny and cute.

Food

Emi loves food!!! I took these last Sunday while she was eating lunch. I love these shots of her. They're just so natural and in the moment.

We are doing well. Grandparents were here until Thursday. They left and then last night Lane's sister came into town and has been spoiling her niece and nephew and she's only been here for about 18 hrs. She'll be here until Wednesday and then we have about a 10 day lull until Lane's brother arrives with his wife and crew.

Time to get back to company.

Life is Crazy at the Moment

We're all doing OK. Just busy. My in-laws have been in town since Sunday and are heading home tomorrow. But then on Friday, Lane's sister is coming in for a visit. Between visitors, karate, play groups, and other little things, I'm lucky enough to find time to sleep. Not that I'm complaining but it's a reason for my lack of blogging.

Took some great photos this past Sunday after church of me and the kids and then of the kids without me. I'm posting some of them here.

So what's been happening with us in between the chaos (especially Emi).

• Emilija could barely walk when she came home. She was wobbly and clung on to fingers for dear life to keep herself steady and moving forward. Since then she pushes our fingers away most of the time, she's walking BACKWARDS and very close to running!

• She "talks" all the time now. About the only time she's quiet is when she's sleeping. And even the sounds she makes are changing. She's finally picking up on the baby signs we're teaching her and understands some of our language. And the funny part is that she either smiles or laughs when we tell her "No". It's very much a, "yeah right".
  

• She's gaining weight. Not a lot but since coming home 3 weeks ago she's put about a pound on her tiny little frame. That is very good. We're hoping that her size 12 mos clothes will fit her better soon. Tops and dresses are fine, bottoms on the other hand are a different story. Her waist is so tiny!!
  

• She does this little food dance. Especially with sweet stuff. It's so funny and hopefully we'll get it on video soon to post. There are other things we have gotten on video that I need to show on the blog.

• Emi thinks the cat his hilarious. Not sure why. He's afraid of her as much as he is of Eriks. Might have something to do with the night he went into her room, stood up on his hind legs to get a view and a sniff inside her crib and she kicked him. I don't think George is ever going to like kids. As long as he loves me, I don't care!

• This weekend or sooner we will have to lower the crib mattress. Emi has learned how to pull herself up into a sitting position in her crib and could easily pull herself to her feet. She hasn't yet, but if she does, she could tumble out and that would be a very bad thing. I so did not expect this yet.
  

• Emi sees the ENT team on the 21st of August. Hopefully then we'll have a good plan of action concerning surgeries, etc. I'm sure she would love to have that hole in her mouth closed so that she can eat more and start talking the way she should be.

• Speaking of Dr's, we decided to switch pediatricians. After exchanging a few emails with a pediatric nurse who was in our travel group, as well as other people we know, they all felt that the tests that our pediatrician wanted Emi to have were on the extreme side and bordering overboard. A gal I met recently adopted her SN daughter at the time last year from China and it is her pediatrician we are seeing. He has been very good with her daughter and son. I'm glad I stuck to my guns and was reassured that I was not crazy in thinking what the pediatrician wanted her to go through was extreme.
  

• Eriks is about to lose a tooth. He went to the dentist almost 2 weeks ago and the hygienist pointed out that he had a few loose ones on the bottom. Where does the time go? And can anyone give me some advice on the going rate for the Tooth.Fairy these days? Growing up I got anywhere from $1-$5 for my teeth depending on how many there were under the pillow. I think I got the $5 for 2 teeth. I still can't believe that he'll be starting kindergarten in just over 2 weeks and turning 6 in December.
  

Last but not least, this beautiful little girl entered our family. My brother and his girlfriend welcomed their 1st child, Laila on Sunday. She is the spitting image of her father. It is amazing how much she looks like my brother did as a baby.