Before & After

BEFORE

coming home to their FOREVER FAMILIES

Maya and Abel at Hannah's Hope in January 2008

AFTER

Home Forever and EVER May 2008

Tracie and I were talking the other day and we remembered back to saying "can u imagine if they were in the same room" then realized Maya was probably in the girls room and Abel was in the boys but as it turns out Maya WAS in Abel's room!

How amazing is that...

Maya's First Swim

So, Maya and I went to the pool with Tracie and her family. Maya loved the pool. She loved the float. She was in a major fussy mood besides that though...not sure whats going...teething maybe? We are going to try again tomorrow. My little girl is getting bigger! She is eating more and drinking more ounces of her bottle. She is doing great. :)

I also figured out why I couldnt add new people to my blog roll and won't go into the details of what i was doing wrong. So all the people that i have been stalking for the last few weeks are now on my blog roll finally!

Memorial Day Weekend

So, we went to my friend's Lake House last weekend. We had a great time. Maya went on their boat for the first time and LOVED it. Courtney and Michael have a son Baylor who is 16 months. The kids LOVED the boat. It rocked them to sleep. We had a great time, their boat is AMAZING...Josh was there with me but there is no pic of him! :(

My friend Courtney and Baylor on their boat.


Michael driving the boat with Baylor on his lap...so cute!

Maya and Sammy

This is Sammy KISSING Maya! So cute. Anya tried to take that pic many times.

This is a little new clip I have been putting in Maya's hair. Its so cute and holds her little curls back. The best product ever by the way is Curlz coconut dream conditioner. LOVE IT! (Thanks Stacey Hernandez)

Christy and I sitting together...Thats not her baby though! :) Here he is! Isaiah! How cute is he!!

Isaiah and Sammy

Maya LOVES swinging! The first time we put her in the swing she LOVED it. She was hysterical laughing the whole time!

Here are pics from Lily's first Birthday Party!

Love the flower headband.

Quite the contrast between Lily and Maya's skin!

NEW LAPTOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, I finally finally got my new laptop. My laptop has been broken since we left for Ethiopia and thats why my pics and posts and COMMENTS (amy b, tracie and suzi) have lacked. I had to be more of a blog stalked then participater but I am back! Pics are coming if i can ever find my camera NOW! I am a mess! :)

Aunt Ju

We have the best babysitter in the world. Not only is she one of my right hand girls at obligato but now she watches Maya two days a week at my house! Its wonderful...Maya is CRAZY about Julia. Thanks Julia we LOVE you.
P.S. Amy Bottomly, I KNOW i owe u a call...see Maya sporting the awesome headband you got her. I need a bunch more. Where did u get them!!!!!!!!!! Miss u!

STILL CANT FIGURE OUT WHY I CANT ADD NEW BLOGS!

DID U EVER!

So we are going to Charlston with my family on June 15th and I thought Maya has to have some bathingsuits to take with us...
This is what we found! :) Okay this is the cutest little bikini I have ever seen!

Maya's new thing is she sleeps on her tummy. She never did this. One morning I walk into her room and see this...totally turned around and on her tummy!

Today Maya had her check up. She weighs 15.15 and is in the 15th percentile for weight and 50 for height (she is 26.5 inches)...we are THRILLED! The doctor said she is doing great! What a relief! She also had to get some shots...I stayed in the room this time and it was SO sad. But no reactions or fever so thats good.

Last week Tracie and I met and went to dinner with the two Ethiopians...It must have been an odd sight b/c everyone stopped us to see why there were two brown babies in our carseats...

This is me trying to get a pic of Abels first tooth!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is poking thru and the cutest thing I have ever felt but I dont think u can see it on the camera...Hes the CUTEST husband ever.

QUESTION

So, I am trying to add all the new well not new but new referral AGCI people to my blog roll and every time I try to add the add link button will not let me add anyone else? Its like when u click on it it isn't an option to add...any thoughts why this is happening?

The Greshams and Simmons and Mastrella Family came home Friday from Ethiopia with their GORGEOUS kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WELCOME HOME.

Today is mine and Josh's 6 YEAR anniversary! Can't believe its been 6 years. So many things make this anniversary special but the BEST number one thing is MAYA ANNABELLE. Its amazing to watch Josh become such a great dad. His love for Maya is amazing and I LOVE watching him with her. I am so thankful for him and our marriage and our baby...

In his card he wrote maybe this time next year we can start the adoption process again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh another Ethiopian baby....oh i would LOVE the thought. Lets start now I think to myself. Pace yourself Jul pace yourself...RIGHT!

Well, to my husband who asked me the other day why he is NEVER on the blog....Here's to 6 years with you. I love you more then I could put into words. Happy Anniversary Baby!

(side note...I know all of my pics are from Ethiopia and that is b.c my computer is STILL broken and now I have a new one on order where current pics can be downloaded...that will happen soon. For now sorry for the same boring pics)

Maya Today!

Here are some pics of Maya TODAY. I thought I would post pics of her right now! Today she felt warm so I stayed home from work with her. Yeah to the NEW referrals from AGCI! How exciting! And to the next group traveling! Dee Dee! SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy for u!

Auntie Tal, HOW CUTE is my onsie! Melissa K do u see my hair!!

Our Maya Annabelle Hana

This is the most recent pic I have with Maya and her boyfriend. This was 2 weekends ago...Her hair is really growing! AND its curly!

Maya is 7 MONTHS OLD!!

I am on my sisters computer, in my bed just like the old days when I was able to keep up with all my blog friends...its harder without my laptop (which is on order)...anyway MY BABY GIRL IS 7 MONTHS OLD! What an angel she is...I am going to copy Tracie and list 7 things about my girl...





1. She can be laying down flat and if you hold her hands and barely pull she pulls herself up to a standing position. I KNOW I AM A FIRST TIME MOMMY SO ALL OF THIS IS SOOOOO EXCITING!





2. Maya hates cereal (rice, oatmeal all of it) she gags on it...thats a problem I am trying to fix. Not a big eater like her mommy :)





3. When I come home from work to see her she laughs HYSTERICALLY! I have never seen a little girl LAUGH so much! She can be laughing one instant and then go straight into a serious face. Its so funny. She also fake laughs so if its just not funny you won't get a good laugh. Maybe a he he but not a hysterical laugh.





4. She seems to wave bye bye at herself. So cute to see the backwards bye bye.





5. Maya LOVES Miss Spiders Sunny Patch! (actually MOMMY loves it, Maya likes it)...all of a sudden I will be putting my make up on in the bathroom and she is on my bed and I hear hysterical laughing from her! The girl likes TV!





6. Maya KISSES so well! When u go in for a smooch Maya sticks out her tongue...but also embraces you, like she is really giving you a kiss!





#7....Maya is an absolute blessing to our lives. I never thought i could be SO in love with a baby in all my life. AND I THOUGHT i LOVED MY DOG! Which I still do but Maya has my heart (and her Daddy's BIG TIME)...





I know I can't believe I am posting without a pic but I will put one up tomorrow!





PLEASE be praying for the situation in Guatemala. The Guat Gov is supposedly putting adoptions on hold for 30 days. Please Please pray for all of the people who are in the middle of this very difficult situation.





Love


Jul