Four week Annie-versary!

Wow! It is hard to believe that we have had our sweet girl for FOUR whole weeks! I can not even begin to describe how much she has changed or how much we have changed as her parents. We have fallen into a routine that appears to be working but like all routines needs tweaking here and there.

We took Annie over to my Dad's for the first time for a short visit. Annie did pretty well considering it was late and she was terrified of Macey, my sister's very sweet lab. All in all it was a very nice visit. She stayed close to Mommy for a bit and eventually warmed up, smiled, and giggled. She is definitely a Daddy's girl and at the sight of her Daddy she just beams this gorgeous smile that warms my heart.

I am still feeling very protective of her and limit the amount of people she is around at one time. We stay close to home and when we go walking we go to the same places. In the mornings we walk and she naps and that works. No matter where we are she passes out within minutes of our arrival for the most part. Last night we attempted to walk in the evening, at the mall, and well it was obvious to me that it was just too overwhelming for her. First, she was awake, there were a lot of people, lots of talking, noise, etc. The walk ended early and that was okay.

If there is one thing that I have learned is to watch and observe my girl. She will let you know that things are not okay for her. It is up to me to ensure that when she sends those signals that I respect them and do what is needed to make her more comfortable and secure. I am still using the carrier and Annie feels most secure and happy when she is close to me, especially when she is fussing or tired.

In four short weeks, Annie can now...

roll over and over and over again

hold herself up when lying on her tummy

stand flatfooted while holding onto Mommy or Daddy's fingers

take a few steps with help and support

eat a variety of foods

drink a variety of drinks

hold her juice bottle on her own

occassionally get a piece of bread or bagel into her mouth

sleep thru the night most nights

share her toys with Mommy

wave Hi

say Ma-ma, Da-da, BaBa and so many more totally unintelligible words :)

In four short weeks she has gained weight and with that fuller, darker hair and eyebrows, longer nails, a little Buddha belly, bigger cheeks, and yet still has the ability to look right into your soul.

We are drawing close to our one month Annie-versary and with that we will be going private with our blog. After much discussion we decided that Annie's story from this point needs to be her story to share with who she wants.

We have been very fortunate to have had the support of so many friends and family. We are truly grateful to you all.

On a personal note, for me, I don't know that I could have survived this wait if I had not had the opportunity to follow the blogs of all those families before me. It meant so much to see that dreams really do come true. It also meant alot to be able to share the ups and downs, laughs, frustrations, and tears.

I started this blog to chronicle the journey and it became so much more than that. Four years of my life until Annie are wrapped up and tied together for all to see.

Now it is time to let Annie's story evolve on its own, in its own sweet time.

For those of you who wish to continue to follow us, let me know and I will send you an invite.

Happy Sunday!