We're DTC!!!

Today, our dossier is on its way to China! (DTC stands for Dossier To China). This means that the long wait can now begin to bring home our second daughter and sister for Maya. At this point in time, the projected waiting period is about 16 months. Good thing that time passes quickly around here chasing after a 2 year old.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Tonight, we celebrated the Chinese New Year with some local families who have all adopted children from China. Maya had an absolute blast. She ran wild with the kids, ate great food, and played in the huge indoor play area with tunnels and slides. This is the first time that she really played on her own with the "big" kids without looking back to find mommy or daddy. Our little girl is growing up so fast.

Princess Maya

Maya loves dressing up like a princess and in her mind, more is always better. This means that she needs to put on every necklace, bracelet, and crown that she can find. She then looks through her many pairs of dress-up shoes to find the pair that best accessorizes her outfit. She is definately a girly girl and already has more fashion sense then her mommy.

A Sledding We Will Go!

With at least a foot of snow on the ground and up to 3 foot drifts surrounding us, we can now enjoy our winter wonderland. Today, we played in the snow and actually went sledding for the first time. Maya reminds me of the little boy in the movie "A Christmas Story". She is so bundled up that when she falls over or loses her balance, she just lies in the snow laughing, unable to move or stand up. Hunter was also funny today when he made a running leap into an area of drifted snow and found himself buried up to his neck.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Just wanted to wish all of you a very happy Valentine's Day. DeeDee (Maya's grandma) made her a Valentine's smock which Maya couldn't wait to wear. She loves placing her hands in the front pockets.

Winter Storm Hits with a Bang!

With winds reaching between 40 and 60 miles per hour, we had near blizzard conditions yesterady. The plows would clear the roads and not 15 minutes later, the roads would be buried below deep drifts of snow. Our local schools were closed yesterday and will be again today. Dominic got stuck many times as he tried to drive through our driveway early this morning. Here is a picture of our driveway taken last night. Maya helped me shovel the driveway yesterday. We only lasted outside for about 15 minutes and had to go inside for some hot chocolate.

Winter Wonderland

The winter storm has arrived in full force. At 10:00 this morning, our streets looked like this. The snow has been falling since early this morning and isn't expected to stop until late tonight. It's not very fun to drive in, but sure is pretty to watch.

Maya's Crazy Time!

Most nights after dinner, Maya loves to dance with her Mommy and Daddy to the 80's greatest hits. She first has to put on her "exercise" pants, then her boots, then a headband of her choice, and last but not least, her sunglasses. Dancing really is an expression of true personality!

Maya's "Step-stool" to Independence

Who would have thought that a 12 dollar stepstool would bring so much independence to a 2 year old. Well, for Maya it did just that. She is so proud of her "stepppp" as she calls it and is now able to maneuver the step stool around the bathroom to turn on the lights, sit on the toilet seat, wash her hands, and brush her teeth...all completely independently. She actually asks us to "move" and sometimes even close the door while she is busy doing these things. We're so proud of our "not so little" girl!

Nanny Visits Indiana!

On January 30th, during the coldest week of the year (coldest here in 6 years), Nanny came to visit. We're trying to talk her into moving away from sunny Miami to beautiful Northwest Indiana. It wasn't supposed to be subzero weather while she was here. Anyway, despite the extreme temperatures, we had a great time. Maya, Nanny, and I went to St. Joe Michigan on Thursday to visit the Curious Kids Museum. Afterwards, Maya made a Panda in a Build-a Bear-like store and named him "Pa". Nanny and Maya had a great time making Valentine's Day cookies together.

Maya's First Haircut!

I thought I'd catch up on some past news. On January 18th, Maya went to "Locks of Fun" for her very first big girl haircut. She chose to sit in the Dora jeep fully equipped with steering wheel and all. Of course, she chose the Wiggles to watch on the flat screen TV that hung on the wall in front of her. She was so mesmerized by the Wiggles that I don't even think she realized her hair was being cut. Afterwards, she was treated with a bag of popcorn, a juice box, a certificate with her picture and lock of hair, and plenty of time on the indoor play structure. The first thing she said as we left the salon was "more". I know where we'll be going for her next haircut!

Back to China!

We finally finished our paperchase for our second adoption. We just received our final document from INS over the weekend and it is being authenticated at the DC Chinese consulate as we speak. Unfortunately, the waiting time from this point until we travel to China has lengthened greatly since we adopted Maya. We're hoping to travel to China by next summer...if we're lucky. Maya is looking forward to having a sister!

Our new family blog!

I finally decided to set up a family blog spot. This way, anybody who so desires can visit us anytime for updates, news, and good 'ole rambling messages.
We look forward to sharing our news with you!