Happy 14 Month Birthday Lucie!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Today Lucie is 14 months old, and we have been together for a few days less than 4 months. In some ways the past 4 months feel like they have passed in the blink of an eye and in other ways it feels like Lucie and I have been together forever. I really don't remember what my life was like before Lucie! One pre-Lucie thing that I do miss is being able to take a long leisurely hot bath. Not that I did it all that often pre-Lucie, maybe once every few months. But right now it sure would feel good!
Lucie is developing and adjusting well. She is learning lots of new things all the time. Healthwise we've had some bumps in the road, but we are on the right road now and I am certainly counting our blessings. She hasn't gained any weight in a while, but she was pretty sick for a while there and was not eating well. Also she has gotten a little taller so it may be that her weight has to catch up to that. I'm trying not to worry about the weight and she looks healthy to me and even has some little fat rolls on her arms and legs. She stills mostly wears 6-9 month clothes. My mom says she is just going to be a petite girl.
Lucie continues to love her books and reads a lot by herself as well as asks Grandmommie or Papa or me to read to her. She "asks" by getting a book and physically putting it in our hand, and then looking up at us expectantly, and then how can you resist that face? Lucie can now identify eyes, nose, mouth, tongue, ears, head, hands and feet - on herself, on you, on Curious George, etc. Grandmommie taught her this and it is one of her newest things so we do it over and over and over - even when we get in bed for the night. I've had my eye poked many times now.... This morning something funny happened to us while I was driving Lucie to Grandmommie and Papa's house for the day. We were in our car, stopped at a red light. I looked over to my right and there were two young men in a van, maybe painters. They were smiling and waving and I thought, are those guys flirting with me? Then I looked in my rear view mirror and Lucie was in her seat laughing and waving just as hard as she could to those guys. I don't know who started it - probably Lucie. Such a silly little flirt!

Walking and Walking and Walking !

Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Today Lucie spent the day showing Grandmommie and Papa her new walking skills. Oh what fun we are all having now!

She's Walking !!

Monday, February 23, 2009

Tonight Lucie decided she was ready and off she went. She is walking from one end of a room to the other end - all by herself. The look of pure joy on her face is just awesome! I'm so proud of you baby girl!

Just Hanging Out

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Lucie and I have been laying low for a while now. Our pediatrician has been concerned that she is picking up every bug that comes around and has asked me to be a little more careful about where I'm taking her and what I'm exposing her to. So, today was just a quiet day around the house. Lucie seems so close to walking. She has been taking solo steps for over two months now and I keep thinking she's going to take off walking any minute. She has started standing unassisted for long periods of time so we think the walking really is close now. She loves to walk with her mower. These pictures are all things from Lucie's cousin M - the mower, Lucie's purple overalls and the rocking chair - all things Lucie loves. Lucie also loves to play with my empty diet coke bottles. I promise I didn't let her drink any of it!

Life is Good!

Thursday, February 19, 2009
What could be better than eating, playing, taking fun baths and sleeping? Life is good right now! Check out her little Buddha belly. It amazes me how much food this little girl can eat and how her stomach just keeps stretching out to hold it all. And look at the way she is sitting - I can't remember at what age I was able to sit that way. She sits this way all the time. It makes my knees hurt just to watch her.

Quack Quack Quack

Monday, February 16, 2009
Lucie started acting a little skittish in the bathtub - I'm not sure why. I wondered if it was because I had splashed her too much or because she got water her in her eyes - who knows. She loves ducks and I saw this duck at Walmart one day. You squeeze its beak and it makes loud Quack Quack Quack noises. We went through the entire store doing our shopping, squeezing the duck's beak and Lucie laughing hysterically. It is times like that when I wish I always carried my camera. So, I thought Little Lu would just love taking baths in this duck. The first time we tried it she was absolutely terrified and would not get near it. She kept trying to crawl all the way up me to get away from it. We took some dry runs in it without water a few weeks later (I posted some pictures from that a while back). Tonight was the first time we tried it again with water. Lucie is almost too big for it and especially with all her toys it is crowded. But at least she likes it now, and loves the quack quack quack sound. The funny things is that when Lucie has had enough she stands up and trys to crawl out of the bathtub. It does not matter if I am in the middle of washing her hair and it's covered with soap, when she is done she wants to get out - immediately! She can hike one leg up over the top of the tub but can't quite pull herself over. Have to watch that girl every second......

Happy Valentine's Day !

Today is the first Valentine's Day Lucie and I have celebrated together, and is most likely the first one she has ever celebrated since I doubt they celebrated in the Vietnamese orphanage where she was this time a year ago. Papa got her some flowers - he wanted to make sure that on her "first" Valentine's Day that she got flowers from the man in her life. Isn't that sweet? Tonight we went to my brother's house for a cookout. Lucie enjoyed seeing her Aunt and Uncle and cousins and of course she always enjoys seeing Grandmommie and Papa.
Lucie Girl, or as my brother calls her, Little Lu, I love you very much! You are the love of my life! Happy Valentine's Day my sweet baby girl.

Thursday, February 12, 2009
Lucie absolutely loves her Grandmommie and Papa. When I leave her at their house in the morning, she can't get out of my arms and into Grandmommie's arms fast enough. I know they have a fun time together and there are so many things to do there! This is Lucie's first time in a swing - I didn't get to see it but apparently she loved it. She also loved the grass. This is the first time she has experienced grass - isn't that funny? While I was on leave it was just too cold and rained most of the time, so we never got out and played in the grass. In the last pictures, she is loving on her polar bear and yes, she is still wearing Christmas pj's - these are some of her most comfortable pj's so she will continue wearing them as long as they fit :)

Phone Home

Saturday, February 7, 2009
Lucie and I are both sick - AGAIN! Lucie has been sick with something ever since I got her - ear infections, colds, bronchitis, upper respiratory infections, flu, sinus infection..... I have been close behind her with my colds and sinus infections. She has a terrible cough now, and a horribly clogged up nose. It is difficult to keep her nose clean, as you can see in these pictures. Lucie LOVES anything electronic - tv remote control, telephone, cell phone, camera, computer keyboard, etc. I bought her this play phone hoping it would keep her happy so that she wouldn't always want my cell phone. I used to let her play with my phone until she called several people - oops! On her phone, she punches the buttons, holds it to her ear, talks up a storm and then hands it to me to talk, and then we repeat over and over and over.....

Happy for the Weekend!

Friday, February 6, 2009
Whew - I made it through my first week at work! It felt odd to be back, but good to see everyone and to start getting back into my work routine. There is so much to catch up on. Everyone at work was super nice this week, which made it easier for me. I had my ups and downs emotionally, and a few other moms told me that although it will get easier I will always miss Lucie. I missed her terribly, but knowing that she was with Grandmommie and Papa every day and with Miss Mimi at church school on Wednesday made it easier for me to focus on work.

Pretty

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

One of Papa's Favorite Things To Do With Lucie

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Mommie Goes to Work

Today was my first day back to work after being on leave for three months. Tonight when I was driving home the thought crossed my mind - did I ever leave work? Ha! I really did have a good day. My team at work is great - they were really awesome to pull together and work hard so that I could take this time off with Lucie. I appreciate them so much. So - I had a plan for this morning, and knew I would have to be flexible. I got up a half hour later than planned, and left the house an hour later than planned. We'll have to work on that. Lucie was supposed to go to church school this morning, but is still congested and has a bad cough so she went to Grandmommie and Papa's house. These pictures are at their house, as I was dropping her off. Before I left of course I had to give her a zillion hugs and kisses. And of course all she was interested in was the pink car! I missed her terribly all day today.

No More Lucie 24/7

We had a nice Sunday together. Our last full day together until next Saturday. Whew - how am I ever going to make it through the week without 24/7 Lucie? Lucie is feeling better, but still not completely well. She had a slight fever today, is still very congested and had another bloody nose today - ugh. But definitely better than last week and it is so good to see her feeling happy again. Lucie's words of the day - baby (sounds like beh beh), pancakes (caacay), and touchdown (she even did the hand motions for this, until I pulled out the camera and then she wouldn't do it again).

Oh my!!













Lucie loves ducks so I got this thinking she would have fun at bath time. It quacks when you press its bill. Lucie has been deathly afraid of it in the bathtub, so I thought we would try it on dry land.













A "new" (very old) bed in Lucie's room, which I sleep on and Lucie usually joins me in the wee hours of the night. The other bed had rails and I was nervous about her choking on them.


























Singing in the microphone.













Can you see the glasses and cups all over the kitchen?













Eating pancakes for the very first time...

...and throwing pancakes all over the kitchen

- or perhaps trying to feed the bear?

Yes momma I'm "this big".

Why do you keep asking me???

My name is Lucie and I am one!

The weather was beautiful this afternoon and we went for a walk.

Lucie didn't much want to go.

Feeling a little better because Momma is doing silly tricks to try and make me laugh.

Oh my!!