Our Journey with Allie Grace

How I love this crew!

2011-12-09T12:28:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe my kids are this big. Time goes by incredibly fast. Kiss and hug your babies today because before you know it they will be out the door!

Fun day

2011-12-04T18:19:00.003-05:00

Allie and I enjoyed our pre-parade lunch at the Carriage Tea House. She loves hot tea and hot soup...Imagine that. Merry Christmas everyone!

Summer Fun

2011-09-04T22:34:00.002-04:00

Just enjoying the last few days of summer. I'm a summer girl but am ready for some cooler temps!

Princess Cruise on the Spirit of Norfolk

2011-08-14T17:10:00.002-04:00

2 Years have flown by!

2011-06-22T20:44:00.003-04:00

This time two years ago I was about to bust with pride and emotion!! We had just received our picture of Allie. After all of the years of dreaming what she would look like this is what I saw. She is such a sweet, caring little girl with a touch of tom boy in her spirit. We can't imagine life without our sweet baby girl. We love you Allie!!

Our little fisher!

2011-06-06T14:07:00.002-04:00

Fun at the zoo

2011-05-16T19:11:00.004-04:00

Leave it to Brian to try and eat the animals! Silly Boy

Sorry it's been so long but I have tried many times with no luck to update. I could get no pictures to upload. It was so frustrating to write on my blog and then no pictures uploaded! GRRR.
Anyway, Miss A is doing great. 95% potty trained and talking my head off. She loves her brothers and has taken a special interest in Brian. I think it's because he plays with her a lot more than Dalton. She had a blast at the zoo except for the fall she took while running up to see the tigers. Nasty knee boo boo.
I post a lot of pictures on my facebook so if you follow my blog and want to see more Allie pics, you can send a friend request. Just let me know you follow my blog so I will know who you are.

2011-03-12T09:10:00.002-05:00

Allie is getting one of many guitar lessons from big brother. Both the boys are in the school band and love to share their knowledge with their baby sister. Dalton plays the trumpet but really enjoys the guitar and Brian really knows how to rock that snare drum!! She is loving all of this attention!

Nothing like licking the cake beaters!

2011-02-14T18:46:00.003-05:00

Couldn't help but grab a few shots of Allie licking the beaters after we made a lemon cake. We fixed the kids cake balls for Valentines Day and she had to copy her brothers.

Yummy

Fun with brother and Mrs. Patsy

2011-02-02T19:14:00.003-05:00

BAD HAIR DAY!
Allie had a fun day with the boys at an indoor slide park close to my house. It amazes me how much the boys love Allie and how much they are willing to do for her. Allie also loves my best friend. This past weekend I took Allie to Patsy's parents house for lunch. She ate more than we did! Patsy's parents really enjoyed having her over and are excited about her coming back.

Tea Party Fun!!

2011-01-12T17:00:00.004-05:00

Christmas is in the air

2010-12-11T09:02:00.002-05:00

The gang all dressed up and headed to Dalton and Brian's band concert. It was really cool to see both the boys on stage playing their instruments!

It was freezing cold and snowing at the parade but soooo worth it!

Dalton with the marching Pirates

Allie has fallen for Fall!

2010-11-24T19:26:00.003-05:00

Thought I would head outside today and grab a few shots of Allie playing in the leaves. She absolutely loves being outside and exploring every corner of our yard. I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Love goes out to my travel buddies. Miss you guys!!

I told her to give me a big smile and this is what I got! So funny.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T21:52:00.002-04:00

Dorothy and Toto enjoying Halloween

Dorothy and Scarecrow

This is Allie one year ago, my how she has changed

Happy Birthday Girls!

2010-10-13T16:12:00.002-04:00

She hasn't got the go/stop thing down but she is working on it!

Our two beautiful birthday girls!

Let's get the birthday weekend started!!

2010-10-08T16:29:00.004-04:00

This weekend we will be celebrating Allie's 2nd birthday. We started today by joining her buddy at the Elmo show in Norfolk. The girls really enjoyed the show and afterwards we went to the mall for lunch and play time. Saturday we will being heading over for J's birthday party and Sunday the gang will come over for Allie's party. WOW, a lot of partying ahead of us!

Nature walk and Football

2010-09-26T13:20:00.003-04:00

She didn't like the bear at first but once she saw Dalton and Brian near it she wanted her picture made with it.

I'm ready for some football Mom.

So here is what the gang has been up to lately. Brian is staying busy with football, Dalton with band and Allie...well she has been busy with being our princess. Here are a few shots from Brian's football game yesterday and a few from our nature walk that we went on today.

Allie Update

2010-09-12T21:14:00.006-04:00

Enjoying my friend's birthday cake!

And chips!

And mints

But enjoying my big brothers beats it all!

Sleepy Head

I know I have bed head, but I sure did sleep well. I love my "new" bed.

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted. Since school has started I hardly have time to do anything that involves sitting down. My morning usually starts around 6 and ends around 1030. Between band practice, football practice, helping with homework and doing my own homework, blogging was put on the back burner. Not to mention reading what feels like 50 books a night to Miss Allie.

She has recently started having issues sleeping in her crib. She would go into a panic when I would put her down. This is not the sweet loving A that never had any problems going to bed. I was convinced that it was just more than her being stubborn. She also started to not like the stroller, shopping cart or anything that would strap her down. Luckily, I had a twin bed already set up in her room. So yep, she is now sleeping wonderfully in the twin bed. I will ask her if she want to get in the crib and she will give me an adamant "NO" and point to her twin bed and say "Allie's bed". As long as she is sleeping and is safe, she can sleep where ever she wants.

We have birthday number two coming up. I plan on having a little get together for her at the house. I also plan on taking Allie to see Elmo with her best buddy Julianna. The girls should have a great time together.

Kings Dominion

2010-08-07T18:30:00.004-04:00

I'm ready to ride mommy!

She could barely see over the truck.

We decided to take the day off yesterday and take the kids to a huge theme park about 3 hours away. We left Thursday night and drove outside of Richmond and stayed the night. We were up bright an early and had a wonderful pancake breakfast. We headed over to the park around 10 and stayed until 8pm last night. Allie had a blast and was able to ride a lot of rides. She did take a long nap in the "deluxe" stroller so she was in a great mood the entire day. The boys were so helpful with her. It finally cooled off around 6 so we got our second wind and rode more rides.
We a wonderful family day.

One Year Ago

2010-08-02T10:58:00.006-04:00

On August 2, 2009 a very scared and sick little girl was placed in my arms. She was hungry and was running a fever. I was overwhelmed with emotions. I was sad for this little girl who had been taken from everything she has known and was happy because I knew we finally had our Allie. I knew that the love we could give this little girl was unmeasurable. Her two big brothers were so happy to finally see the baby that we had talked about for the last four years.

Once we were back in our room, we fed Allie a warm bottle of milk. She drank every drop and wanted more. She cried for about 15 minutes after the bottle and then she started to relax. By the end of the night we had her laughing and she was very curious about us. I decided it was OK to change her so I gave her a quick bath and put clean clothes on her. This picture was taken that first night. I love the look she is giving me!!

Today Allie is full of personality and is very happy. She loves her big brothers and her daddy. The two of us share a very special bond. I can't even describe the feeling I have for this little girl. She makes me feel complete. Thank you God for Guo Dan Ju. She is a true blessing and a miracle!

Fantastic Reunion

2010-07-26T08:28:00.003-04:00

Allie and Julianna

Miss Priss

My future fire fighter at the Children's Museum.

What a wonderful time we had at our first reunion for our beautiful daughters. It's hard to believe we have been home almost a year and even harder to believe how much the girls have grown and changed. So many happy faces on the girls and their families. These little girls hold a very special place in my heart and I love them all dearly. Thanks again to Georgette for pulling this all together. You rock!!

Who's ready to smile!

2010-07-10T16:12:00.002-04:00

Allie and her best buddy Julianna were able to hang out today and play. They gave each other a big hug when they first saw each other.

Delaine and I were all smiles watching our girls play.

Big brother and big sister

Allie's favorite activity READING!

2010-07-07T21:20:00.002-04:00

I love this little smirk!

She would let me read to her all day if we could.

Our beautiful baby is such a blessing!

What a wonderful year!

2010-06-22T20:08:00.002-04:00

What a sad look in her eyes

Not any more! One year ago I saw our beautiful daughter for the first time. I immediately fell in love with her and each day our bond grows stronger. Thank you God for such a beautiful blessing.

Summer Fun Pics

2010-06-17T22:06:00.003-04:00

This is a 4 week old racoon my sister is hand raising...So cute!

My silly girl! She loves hugs!

Fun at Disney

2010-06-10T11:52:00.002-04:00

Her favorite part of Disney is splashing in any puddle of water she could find.

She wasn't sure about Mickey and enjoyed him more when he was at a distance.

My little niece was able to go with us and she is having a ball!

Reunion with Friends

2010-05-23T18:17:00.003-04:00

Our beautiful girls! This is our "Tan Couch" photo!

Jaden, Allie and Julianna chowing down.

I was in heaven playing with the girls.

We had such a wonderful time seeing our friends today. We were able to reunite with our travel buddies Delaine and Georgette and finally get to meet our friend Beth and her absolutely beautiful daughter. She actually travelled to China about a week after we left.

The girls played, laughed, ate and had a great time. It was nice to share stories of our trip and share stories on what the girls had been up to and how they were adjusting. It is so wonderful to have a connection to these families and be able to see them and see the girls.

Summer Fun

2010-05-16T07:52:00.003-04:00

The kids were watching a Coast Guard rescue mission at the Potato Festival

The kids with their cousins.

I'm hot mommy!

We had a really good time yesterday at the Potato Festival. This is a local event in the downtown waterfront area that offers a potato peeling contest, vendors, bands and entertainment for kids. It was really hot though. Allie did well and was only interested in drinking her Gatorade. The Coast Guard demonstrated a water rescue and that was really interesting. The best part of that demonstration was the cool spray they were creating. All I could think was that in a few weeks I would be out in the hot humid weather for a week when we go to Disney....not looking forward to that at all!

Hard days at work.

2010-05-12T12:03:00.003-04:00

I often find myself thinking of my baby throughout my work day. I wonder if she is crying, laughing, sleeping, eating or missing me at day care. She is so excited when I pick her up in the afternoon that she literally shakes with excitement. I remember when the boys were little and how I missed them each day I went to work but this is very different. I think it's being an experienced mother and knowing that this precious time doesn't last long. And just like with the boys, she too will grow up and have her own interest and friends. On several occasions I have left work early just to go pick her up and give her a hug and kiss. Allie is very affectionate and I couldn't be happier. I feel so complete when I am home and I see the boys playing with her and making her laugh. Motherhood is the best job in the world. I love my children deeply and passionately but this little girl has really showed me what that means.

I even find that I am more patient with the boys. They have turned into such great big brothers and I am so impressed at their "nurturing" abilities. Just the other day, Allie fell over something in the playroom and started to cry. Brian immediately scooped her up and he started to cry as well. He was so upset that she was hurt over his toys being in her way.

I thank God everyday for all he has blessed me with.

Ice cream after school.

2010-04-24T21:23:00.005-04:00

I picked Miss Allie up from school early on Friday and decided to treat her to my favorite treat...Nu Quality Ice Cream. She looked so cute enjoying her ice cream that I couldn't help but snap a few shots. The only thing Allie could say after each bite was MMMMMMM!!!

First Aquarium Visit

2010-04-10T18:34:00.004-04:00

Mom is loving this!

I've had enough mom.

First Aquarium Visit

2010-04-10T18:13:00.003-04:00

Todd and Dalton went to Kings Dominion today so I decided to take Brian and Allie to the Aquarium. She loved looking at all of the fish and turtles. She didn't cry the first time. She enjoyed being outside watching the birds and ducks. She worked up quiet an appetite by the time we were done. I love watching this little girl grow and experience so many new things. She is such a blessing. Thank goodness I had my helper, Brian, with me today. I love having two built in baby sitters!!

Easter day with our children

2010-04-05T14:50:00.003-04:00

What a wonderful day we had! Dalton got to sing in church yesterday and I was so proud of him. He sang Above All You can click the link to see his performance. The video is terrible because I had to use my camera but you can still here him!

2010-04-03T17:48:00.002-04:00

The boys had fun hiding eggs for Allie. They only stopped for a second for me to get this picture.

Notice the Jack o lantern in the background....Yep, that was her basket for today.

Our newest baby

2010-03-26T16:05:00.002-04:00

Last Sunday morning I unfortunately found a dead kitten in my front yard. We were all sadden because we knew that our Shepard had gotten a hold of it. Later on in the morning the boys came in a said that Rocket had another kitten in his mouth. They were able to get the kitten from Rocket just in time. At first I thought it was really hurt because it wasn't moving. Well I warmed the kitten and she started to come around. I knew she was young because her eyes weren't even open. Well I made a trip to the vet and bought a bottle and some kitten milk. I had little hope for this baby because she was so young. I would guess 4 or 5 day old at the most. Well this baby started to eat and hasn't slowed down. She shows no signs of being sick or injured. We have had her almost a week and she is doing great. Eats great and sleeps even better! We have to still help her with "potty" needs but she is starting to do that on her own too. I will take her to the vet in the next few weeks to get checked out. Her eyes are now starting to open and she crawls all over the place! The best is when we hear her purr when we are feeding and snuggling with her.

She loves to eat! She is eating a tablespoon every 4 hours or so.

Her little eyes are starting to open.

Trying to escape!

Trip to Mississippi

2010-03-17T17:50:00.002-04:00

Allie and Aunt Brenda

My favorite pic of Allie and Todd

Allie and Great Grandma

Her first trip to the beach

Todd and I flew down to Mississippi to see my family for a few days. Allie did ok on the plane. I had to hold her the entire trip so I am glad I didn't pay for her a seat. My family fell in love and she enjoyed being the center of attention!

Chinese New Year Celebration

2010-02-21T21:37:00.003-05:00

What a wonderful time we had with our friends!!

Miss Allie and her huge pink bow.

The beautiful Julianna

Such wonderful big brothers and sister.

The girls had a wonderful time at their 1st Chinese New Year Celebration.

2010-02-09T12:57:00.003-05:00

Our little Colts fan eating her BBQ and potato salad.

Allie munching down on a rib! What's a pig pickin' if you can't pick every bit of meat off the bone.

She had to have her face painted too!

Fun Day in the Snow!!

2010-02-01T11:30:00.002-05:00

So in love with this baby!!

The boys are loving the snow and destroying the yard.

Miss Allie really had fun playing in the snow. She loves being outside no matter the weather conditions!

Someone's hair is growing!!

2010-01-25T21:25:00.003-05:00

Allie hair was cut the day before we met her. I was shocked to see how short it was!

This is almost 6 months later! My how she has changed! Now, that's hair I can put a bow in!! Yay!!

Miss Allie showing off some mad skills.

2010-01-14T19:26:00.003-05:00

Allie loves using her baby fork to eat. She is so funny because she has learn to "stab" the food in order for it stick to the fork. Too cute.
She had a great report at the doctor yesterday. She is 22lbs and is 30 inches tall. The doctor said her head is growing well and her ears and throat look great. I was a little worried because she had a runny nose and a little cough. She ask about her bonding with me and could tell that Allie was securely attached. She did have to get 3 shots but stop crying as soon as i picked her up. Daycare continues to go well. She did have a bite mark on her arm the other day and I was alarmed because I didn't receive a call from her teacher. They weren't aware of it and I was happy the skin wasn't broken. She still crys when I drop her off and that still pulls at my heart strings. She loves playing outside with Dalton and Brian. They really make an effort every day to play with her and teach her "boy" stuff. She plays rough with them and even rougher with me!!
For those of you who follow my blog I would like you to consider sending a small donation to the Red Cross or some organization that would send help to Haiti. These people are in dire need of our help. I ask that you say a special prayer for the people there and for those traveling there in the relief efforts.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas

2009-12-27T19:58:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas with the boys and Miss Allie. She has been under the weather and it is really starting to show in the last picture. She loves sliding down her slide and scooting around in her hot pink car!! As with most babies, she was more interested in the wrapping paper and boxes after we were done. We can't wait to share many more Christmas's with our children!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-18T10:20:00.002-05:00

Allie did great with Santa. She was all smiles when they took her picture. She is quite the poser when it's time to have her picture taken.

We wanted to wish everyone one a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

2009-12-03T17:06:00.002-05:00

The boys coming home from the Thanksgiving morning hunt....empty handed!

Getting ready to chow down!

Allie really enjoying her turkey

This baby loves a camera...hmmm...wonder where she gets that from?

Our beautiful angel!! Ya, I took this photo in the garage so nevermind the huge ladder in the background. Miss Allie is now in high gear and walking everywhere. She eats great, sleeps great and is talking up a storm. Her favorite saying is..who's that? I guess she learned that because I was always saying it to her when Dalton and Brian would be in front of her. She can say Jessie, here, and thank you. I wanted to send a special Happy Holidays out to my travel peeps...you know who you are...we miss you guys and love seeing the updates on the babies so keep 'em coming!

My new do.

2009-11-22T17:30:00.004-05:00

Before cutting 6 inches off of my hair.

After!! This will take some getting use to but it was time! It is so much to get myself ready and with 3 kiddos I need all the help I can get. Allie didn't seem to notice so I'm glad I didn't totally freak my baby out.
I'm so excited that Thanksgiving is next week. I will be off work Thursday-Sunday and I am ready to spend some quality time with my kids. It's really hard to be away from Allie 8 hours a day. She is only awake a few hours before putting her down for bed.

Our little princess.

2009-11-09T12:47:00.000-05:00

Day Care=Happy Baby but Sad Mommy

2009-11-03T13:49:00.003-05:00

Allie is doing great in day care. We will drop her off around 730-8 and pick her up about 315. She has a young lady for a teacher and she tells me everyday how much she loves Allie and how well she is doing. She gets lots of attention from everyone. I think about her all day at work and smother her with hugs and kisses when I pick her up. She is such a sweet baby. She is walking a little and now calls me momma. She will reach for me and say ma ma!! I love it!!! I think she will have the walking thing perfected by Thanksgiving! Wanted to send a shout out to baby Mia. We are thinking of you!!

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

2009-10-24T17:40:00.003-04:00

That's right eat the pretty apple Snow White...lol

We all know who's the fairest of them all!!

Mom and the boys

Our beautiful baby
We had a Halloween/Birthday party for Allie and Brian last night. We had such a wonderful time with all of our friends and family. We even had a bon-fire back in the "haunted woods". Allie was wonderful as usual and enjoyed all of the attention. Brian turned 11 and had a ball. At the end of the night he was so tired but very thankful for what we had done. I go back to work Monday so this was a nice way to end my time at home with my family. I love you all so much.

Busch Gardens Trip and 1st Birthday

2009-10-19T14:44:00.006-04:00

Brian, Dalton, Tatum and Amber

This is how she stayed warm at Busch Gardens

Fun day at Chuck E Cheese

2009-10-09T16:08:00.002-04:00

Julianna and Allie cruising in the Fire Truck

Our two babies having lunch

What a fun day at Chuck E Cheese. Delaine and I met today for lunch and a play date. This was the first time the girls got to see one another since leaving China. They had such a fun time and we had an even better time seeing our two precious babies together again. Delaine and I teared up a little when we put the girls together at the table. They would reach out and touch each others hand. It was so sweet and precious. We are so fortunate that we live so close together so that the girls can forever stay in touch. For those of you who don't know, Allie and Julianna were together everyday for the first 9 months of their lives!! Our girls are definately growing and bonding very well. What a blessing to witness.

2009-10-04T10:40:00.002-04:00

Allie loved the pumpkins!

Fun at the Chowan County Fair

My beautiful kids in their "fair" attire!!

Loving my baby.

2009-09-28T18:23:00.001-04:00

I can honestly say that I am not ready to go back to work. I am so in love with this little girl and I enjoy every moment with her. She is totally a momma's girl and I love it. She is happy just to be touching my arm or face. She plays freely on her own but I can't go to far our of her sight. I love how happy she becomes when I come back into the room. I wouldn't trade this for anything!!

Gearing up for fall

2009-09-21T11:24:00.002-04:00

I just love this time of year! Football and band!! Allie continues to do well and is really fitting right in with this family on the move. She has no problem with her car seat and she knows that when she is in it that it is time to sleep!! I have 5 weeks until I return to work so this week is search for daycare week. Thanks goes out to my mom for staying with me and helping with the house work and with Allie!! I love you!

Dalton singing in Perquimans Idol

2009-09-16T19:19:00.002-04:00

Congrats to my son Dalton for winning first place in Perquimans Idol-Middle School Division. I know the audio is bad but you can certainly feel the passion he has for singing. What a blessing he is...thank you God.

Our video

2009-09-11T17:10:00.002-04:00

Here is the video I put together from our trip. It's some of the same pictures but the music added gives them a new dimension. Hope you enjoy!
Our little Allie is doing wonderful. And I'm not surprised by this but I think I have a little tomboy on my hands. She doesn't like anything in her hair and doesn't want shoes on. She loves being outside with the boys and loves riding on the four wheeler with them (yes they go super slow). She is rough when she plays and knows how to really throw that head back. Oh well, maybe she will come to like the 500 bows I have for her...boo hoo....Tara

Enjoying the nice cool temps

2009-09-01T19:43:00.007-04:00

Allie trying to figure out Rocket or is it Rocket trying to figure out Allie!

Look I can do the splits

Mom go inside and get me some more of that sweet tea!!

Allie and I really had a fun day today. We were able to get outside and enjoy the weather. I was able to get my two miles in and that made me happy. Don't laugh I know 2 miles is not a lot but pushing around a 19lbs baby will make you break a sweat. Sorry the video is so dark. Listen to Allie laugh at the end...it is sooo cute.

First football game, first birthday party and first day at church

2009-08-30T19:14:00.005-04:00

Well little Miss Allie had a lot of first this week. Friday night she attended the high school football game and did great. I had her decked out in the school colors and of course forgot to get a pic. Since big brother is in the marching band she had better get use to this Friday night football thing.
Saturday she was invited to a birthday party and again did amazing. We had really good birthday food and birthday cake! She loved the Winnie the Poo ears.
Today I thought is was safe to go back to church. She sat in the sanctuary with me the entire service. I just kept filling her mouth with Capt. Crunch to keep her quiet. She did great and didn't make a peep.
Tomorrow she will have her first doctors appointment. I'm praying that things will go well and there is not drama. I think I will also go to the Clerk of Court to start on the birth certificate stuff. I can guarantee that our Clerk of Court here where I live will not have a clue what paper work I need to bring them. Enjoy the pics.

So many changes

2009-08-25T11:19:00.003-04:00

This little girl is a completely different baby. She is sleeping wonderfully and will even let me put her down and walk away. She is not quiet use to the car seat but that will come in time. She will wake up around 645 and take a nap around 1030 and another nap around 3. I put her down for bed between 830 and 9 and she sleeps all night. I hope this continues!!
The boys started school today and I really miss them. They are the kind of kids you want to have around you. They are so helpful and will do anything I ask of them. Just the other day I ask Dalton to cut the grass and he said "No problem Mom. He went right out and got it done and Brian went right behind him and swept the yard. Such awesome boys!!

Already wanting to surf the net!!

2009-08-22T12:38:00.002-04:00

Our Allie is so sweet. She is warming up to the family beautifully. My mom stayed over last night and was thrilled that Allie let her hold her. It was only for a moment but at least she was willing.
We will go visit Todd's family today and have some yummy home cooked food. I'm sure Granny will have a "baby" menu for Allie.
Can you believe I was on Continental.com this morning looking for plane tickets to Orlando. Somebody shoot me!! But for real, we are going to Orlando in June and Continental sent us a 125.00 voucher for our next flight. Guess what? No flight directly to Orlando unless we go to Newark first...ha ha...forget that sh*t, I will just drive.
Hello to my sweet friends. I love looking at your new pics of the baby so keep posting.
Tara

Lovin' being home

2009-08-19T08:54:00.003-04:00

Allie is doing very well. She has not warmed up to daddy yet but is letting Dalton hold her more. That gives me a much needed break to do things. We did take her up to the fire dept and the guys were really sweet to her! I had lunch with my sister and Allie did great! That was the best Taco salad I think I have ever had. The boys are getting over their jet lag. With football practice and band practice everyday I guess they have no other choice!!

So good to be home

2009-08-17T06:37:00.002-04:00

Well we have been home for two days now and things are going ok. Allie did well Saturday night but last night was a little tougher. She woke up around 4 and was soaking wet. Even the crib was wet. I changed her and she slept another hour but tossed and turned the entire time. I finally gave up sleep and took her upstairs and we watched Elmo together. This girl loves to eat!! She is eating more than I am!! I will post new pics once my head is on sraight. I miss my travel buddies and I am glad to see everyone has made it home. Todd is headed to Hardees to get me a much needed chicken biscuit!!

We are headed home!

2009-08-13T18:22:00.003-04:00

After an amazing two weeks in China we are headed home. Sorry I haven't been able to blog. I tried just about everyday to send but a lot were returned. Allie is officially ours!!! We took our oath yesterday at the US Consulate with 28 or so other families. Everyone remained healthy for the most part. All of us have a little cold and Brian did get sick a couple of times. Nanchang was the hardest city to stay in. There wasn't much to do and not much to pick from as far as food. Guangzhou had a Starbucks near our hotel (The Victory) so I was pretty happy with that. Hong Kong was my favorite place though. We were only there a short while but it was very Western. This is an amazing journey and for all of you out there still waiting I would encourage you to be strong and stick it out. I promise you once you meet that little boy or girl you will totally melt and be in love. Our daughter is perfect in every way. Enjoy the pics!

2009-08-05T19:10:00.001-04:00

A few pics for you!

Get back to school stuff for them and cashback for you. Try BingT now.

2009-08-04T01:30:00.001-04:00

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We're here!

2009-08-01T06:46:00.004-04:00

After a very long flight we are finally in Hong Kong. We arrived at 2am Saturday morning (Hong Kong time)(2pm NC time) Our flight from Newark was delayed 7 hours so that put us getting in really late. We got to the hotel showered and slept until 11am then met Delaine and Gary downstairs. We exchanged money and bought Disney tickets right in the lobby. Our hotel even had a shuttle for Disney so it made the day really easy. This Disney was a lot smaller than the Florida but still fun. The space mountain ride went extremely fast. Once I was off that ride I was done for the day! We are headed out to dinner in a little while. Todd and the boys are sleeping and I'm wide awake. We saw an Outback Steakhouse on our block so we may end up there. We leave tomorrow morning bright and early for Nanchang. We will get Allie that afternoon. Hopefully my next post will have pics of our new baby!!

Our final post from home!!

2009-07-29T21:03:00.002-04:00

In just a few short hours we will be on our way to the airport. We are nervous, excited and anxious all rolled into one. This wait has been long and hard but once we saw Allie's face the last three years were forgotten. I feel so connected to this little girl and I can't wait for the moment that she is in my arms. I have dreamed of her so often and I am more than ready to be her mom. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We will update as soon as we can!!

2009-07-26T07:27:00.000-04:00

Just a little longer my sweet Allie. In just a few more days we will be there my sweet baby.

Our itinerary

2009-07-24T08:41:00.003-04:00

July 30 Leave Norfolk for Hong Kong
July 31 Arrive in Hong Kong
Aug 1 Hong Kong Disney
Aug 2 Leave Hong Kong for Nanchang. We will get Allie today!
Aug 3 Adoption registration/apply for Allie's passport
Aug 4 Rest day or city tour
Aug 5 Waiting for paperwork to be completed
Aug 6 Recieve notarized adoption documents
Aug 7 Receive Allie's registration certificate and passport
Aug 8 Leave Nanchang for Guangzhou
Aug 9 Rest day
Aug 10 Visa physical for Allie and her passport photo today
Aug 11 Meet with reps to prepare paperwork for Consulate appointment
Aug 12 Consulate appointment
Aug 13 Oath ceremony, leave directly afterward for train ride back to Hong Kong
Aug 14 Leave Hong Kong for Newark then on to Norfolk, arrive at 835 pm!!

2009-07-23T20:35:00.001-04:00

Ok, This is a test to see if I can email to my blog

Windows Live™ Hotmail®: Celebrate the moment with your favorite sports pics. Check it out.

Just a few more days!!

2009-07-22T07:07:00.002-04:00

Just a few more days until we meet our sweet baby. We will leave next Thursday and will return home on August 14th. I have most of Allie's stuff packed and now I am working on mine. I will work on getting Dalton and Brians clothes this weekend. I will certainly have to monitor Todd's packing because he always over packs!! We should receive our in China arrangements today. It has been really hard to sleep with so much going on in my mind. (Better get use to that huh?) Hopefully I will be able to figure out how to email to this blog and keep it updated in China. If any readers know how to do that please leave a comment. 5 more days at work!!

We have travel dates!!

2009-07-20T13:34:00.002-04:00

We finally know when we are leaving!! We have to be in Hong Kong on July 31st so we will leave Norfolk on July 30th. We can leave Hong Kong on August 14th after 1130 am. So we will be arriving home on August 14th. Time to get packing!!

TRAVEL APPROVAL'S ARE IN

2009-07-17T21:35:00.002-04:00

YES!!! Just one more step to take before we can book our flights. We hope to know our travel dates by Wednesday or Thursday of next week. The plan is for us to leave the last week of July. (Sorry about band camp Dalton) I cant wait to meet all of my travel buddies!! It's finally happening guys so hang in there. Have fun tomorrow Delaine!!

Visa's are in!!

2009-07-10T20:31:00.002-04:00

Boy I'm glad our passports are back in our hands. They are officially China ready!! Carol at Dependable Courier Service is the bomb!!

We can't wait to have our baby home!

2009-07-08T20:21:00.002-04:00

The last two weeks have really flown by. I just hope the next two weeks goes just as fast. The boys will be in camp all of next week so I'm gonna get this house in tip top shape. After cleaning I will pull out the luggage and start to figure out how to pack and stay under 44 lbs. I know for certain if I leave all of my lotions, make-up and hair products home I will be under weight for certain!! We will post again when we receive travel approval!

We got the CALL, READ DISCRIPTION!!!

2009-06-30T10:16:00.001-04:00

Updated pic

2009-06-29T10:29:00.003-04:00

This pic was taken 6-23-09. Ann at Red Thread is awesome!! Allie now has one tooth and weighs 18lbs! Our girl is really growing!!

The last few days

2009-06-28T19:23:00.003-04:00

Here are a few pics of the last few days. It has been a whirlwind and we still have lots to do. We have to get a lot of papers notarized tomorrow and start working on our Visa's to China. Thanks goodness we have connected with some of our travel buddies and we are able to share and bounce ideas off one another. You guys are the greatest.

Allie's Care package. We will send this off tomorrow.

Signing our acceptance letter

The stork "delivering our baby"

2009-06-26T08:06:00.003-04:00

This is where Miss Allie is currently staying. It's called the Guixi Social Welfare Institue and is located in the Jiangxi Province of China. It's almost certain that we will fly into Hong Kong. We should be in Hong Kong a few days so that we will get use to the time change and to do some touring. Then we should travel close to where Allie is staying and receive her in a day or two after arriving. It looks as if we should be traveling at the end of July or first part of August. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as the four of us prepare to travel.
Tara

MORE PICS!!

2009-06-23T15:37:00.004-04:00

Isn't she a cutie pie. Todd and I are getting ready to sign her acceptance letter and head to town to Fed Ex it back to our agency!! Thanks for all the wonderful wishes and comments.
Tara

WE HAVE OUR BABY!!!!!

2009-06-22T12:34:00.004-04:00

Introducing Miss Allie Grace
8 months old Born 10-12-08
Jiangxi Baby!!

WAITING!!

2009-06-19T08:24:00.003-04:00

We are expecting our agency to receive referrals late today. They will translate the information and then contact us with Allie's Chinese name, DOB, measurements and where she is located. Then they will overnight her picture to us. We can expect to hear something Monday or Tuesday!!! My birthday is Sunday along with fathers day and I can't think of a more perfect gift for the both of us. We are on cloud nine and can't wait to meet our baby girl.

WE HAVE BEEN MATCHED!! NOW WHEN WILL WE HEAR SOMETHING!!

2009-06-18T14:17:00.003-04:00

We have learned that we have indeed been matched with a baby. The question now is when will we receive our call letting us know who she is???!!!! I told the boys yesterday the news and they were super excited. As soon as we receive our information we will pass it along.

Awesome beach trip!!

2009-06-15T11:10:00.002-04:00

We had a wonderful time with our family hanging out at the beach! Dalton and Brian had their first "hooters" visit and didn't seem impressed. Personally I think they were hiding their excitment/embarressment. We fished on the pier and Brian caught his share of Pin fish and Todd and the guys slayed the Blue fish. I was able to get in a little R&R in the sun. Ok ok now for baby news....rumor has it that we may not hear anything for another 2 weeks!!! This is truly torture. As soon as we here something we will pass it along.

Headed to the Beach!!

2009-06-08T09:31:00.001-04:00

Just a little vacation before the big trip! We heard a rumor this morning that matching may be complete for the rest of March families. Hopefully this week we will receive our call and finally meet Miss Allie Grace!!

HOW OLD WILL OUR BABY BE??

2009-05-29T09:10:00.002-04:00

To my friends and family who are curious,
When we submitted our application we requested a baby girl 0-12 months or as young as possible. China considers "infants" 0-24 months old. That being said we could receive a referral for a baby from 6-24 months old. It is very rare that babies are under six months old. We just know that which ever baby was selected for us we will love her no matter what her age is. So, hang on a little longer and you will know what size to start looking for...(That goes out to my mom specifically)ha ha. Our agency posted (CCAI) that they expect to hear something about the next group of matches in a week or two!!

CUT OFF MARCH 14TH WE ARE NEXT!!!!!!!

2009-05-21T13:39:00.002-04:00

It's official,the cut off for May is March 14th so we will be up next for our referral! There is a rumor that another group of babies will be mailed out in 2 weeks! We shall see.

Damn Pigs!

2009-05-15T11:28:00.002-04:00

Well it looks as if we have yet another hurdle to get through. China is restricting adoptive parents into the country and it seems as if referrals are being held up as well!! Typical of my luck.

MAYBE THE 15th THIS MONTH

2009-05-07T20:20:00.002-04:00

Early rumors coming in from a few of my 3/15 buddies that their agencies are reporting March 15th being included in this months referrals!! Everyone hold on for this one. If we are not in this month then maybe next month!!

What an awesome weekend!!

2009-04-26T19:32:00.003-04:00

What an awesome weekend we had. Todd and I went down for bike week at the Outer Banks. We were able to hang out at the beach with my brother and sister while they were fishing. The weather was beautiful and we had a blast! Saw some really interesting bikes and biker people!!

Look what my Mom won!

2009-04-18T20:24:00.002-04:00

She was so excited that she won this for her little granddaughter!

CUT OFF MARCH 8TH 2006

2009-04-04T19:43:00.004-04:00

Who knows when we will get our baby? We are staying busy at home with projects. The boys were painting the back porch today. I planted bulbs in the flower bed, planted 2 tomatoe plants and 1 squash plant. I still need my cucumber and green pepper plant and my garden will be complete. Happy April!

Allie's Nursery

2009-03-22T14:33:00.000-04:00

2009-03-03T14:21:00.001-05:00

It looks like the cut off is March 6th for this month. Who knows when this wait will end. I have started to collect little things for our trip like medicine, plastic bags...things like that. Happy March everyone!

Happy Chinese New Year

2009-01-26T21:52:00.002-05:00

We celebrated Chinese New Year with my mom and step dad. We ordered chinese take out and got chop sticks for everyone. Todd was the only one too afraid to try them out. He told me I better make sure we take forks for him to use in China...whatever! So the cut off this month was March 2. Yep, only two days. I've got to think positive and be strong. We are almost there and I can't get discouraged now. Oh mom and I went to Babys R Us and she took a picture of everything I said I liked. I thought that was sooo sweet. She said she didn't want to forget what I had showed her....I love my mom!!

Cut off Feb 28 2006

2008-12-29T11:54:00.003-05:00

I can't believe we are into March!! We will hopefully see our baby's face in a few more months. We had an awesome Christmas. We took the boys to Washington DC to tour the museums and to see the Redskins play the Eagles. It was freezing cold but really fun. We are wishing everyone a Happy New Year!!

2008-12-12T08:00:00.002-05:00

Congrats to my hubby for making Fire Fighter of the year!! I'm so proud of you. The cut off date for this month is Feb 23. That means we have 20 days worth of families in front of us. The latest guess is we will get our referral in March!!

2008-12-07T17:48:00.003-05:00

Our 3rd homestudy was completed today. Our social worker said she felt in her bones that we would be in China in the spring! Referrals should be coming out soon so I will post a cut off date soon!

2008-11-02T12:42:00.002-05:00

What a fun 2 nights worth of Halloween! We started Friday night out by meeting the family at KFC and filled up on Chicken before heading out. We got tons of candy. Then Saturday night we had our annual hallowscream event at the house. This year we enclosed the front porch and had all kinds of scenes set up. We had the mad butcher and dracula and even had Michael Myers. It was fun. Glad its all done cause that will wear you out!

The "Allie" car seat

2008-10-24T11:04:00.002-04:00

I fell in love with this car seat when I first saw it. Then my eyes popped out when I saw that the name of this car seat was "Allie". Its from Britax and a really good quality car seat. No word on the cut off date for this match of referrals. I will post that as soon as I hear something! Better head on over to EBAY and bid on this car seat!! Take care!
Tara

Fair Fun/Cut off Feb 15, 2006

2008-10-01T08:40:00.002-04:00

What a fun night at the Chowan County Fair. We ate tons of junk food and yes I got sick on one of the rides but I didn't let that spoil my fun!! Happy Fall everyone!