It's been 1 year!

One year ago we met you.. and our lives would never be the same.  

Our first meeting.

Coming to Mommy.

Meeting Daddy.

Our first family photo.

Our family today.

You have grown and changed into a brilliant, beautiful little girl who brightens our each and every day.

Sydney at one month old...

three months old...

six months old...

 nine months old...

 twelve months old...

fifteen months old...

eighteen months old...

                      

Today :)

It is truly a blessing to be "momma" and "dada" to this amazing girl.  Here are some shots from the last month.

Eating my first popsicle...

It's not quite the same as a freezer pop!

Having some labor day fun running through the sprinklers.

Visiting Gunston Hall, home to George Mason.

Playing with my new "kitchen".   

Please Vote for Sydney

I submitted this photo of Sydney to the Gerber Generation photo contest.  If you have a minute click on this link to vote for our beautiful baby!  The winners of this contest really depend on votes.    http://www.gerber.com/photo/?entryid=89015&/#/detail/  You can vote once a day.
We will have another photo available for voting next month.  Thanks!

Dog Days of Summer

We have been having a VERY hot summer and it looks like the high temperatures may stay through the fall.  We do try to get out and enjoy it when we can, but it really is too hot sometimes, especially with Sydney possibly having reactive airway disorder. I don't like to take her out for too long on days when the air quality is bad because it does affect her.

This weekend we got Sydney's pool set up again.  It was quite a difference from the first time we put her in her paddling pool.  She was much more timid this time and Erich had to get in with her before she really began to enjoy it.

Before...

After...

We went out the National Zoo again and visited some of the animal houses this time.  Sydney really enjoyed the reptile house and seeing the Orangutans.  She was able to get up close to quite a few of the animals.

Sydney and a Cayman

Sydney and a Red Panda

Petting a cow

Visiting the Giant Panda (he is on top of the rock)

Walking through the fog and mist maker

We got to see an Orangutan make a wig for herself...

And played with Daddy under the trees.

Thank goodness for cameras because I get to see what happens when Mommy has to work and Daddy has a free afternoon with the kiddo...

Hey, at least she had fun and I didn't have to clean up puddles when I got home because she was probably dry before she got in the house (it was that hot this week).  

Sydney's favorite game is "hide from Mommy".  She loves to do this and go "sh, sh" while hiding.   So far she only hides in the same places and luckily doesn't realize I can see her feet :)

The talking is coming along.  She is still mostly saying "B" words: book, bubble, bath, bye, ball, blue.  But she also says Daddy, Mama, hi, kitty cat, pizza and, of course, cookie (usually with her signs) pretty regularly!  And then there is that whole conversation thing we have going on where I have no idea what she is saying, but as long as she knows what she is saying, I pretend I understand, too.  

At the end of the month we have a photo session with a professional photographer we located through Celebrating Adoption.  It is a group of photographers who donate their services to adoptive families for a professional photo shoot.  We are very excited to celebrate our 1 year anniversary as a family with this special gift.  If anyone is interested in learning more, here is the website:  www.celebratingadoption.org. 

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Wow!  We have been experiencing some big changes around here.  First, last weekend I found Sydney trying to climb out of her crib twice, so we knew it was time to get a toddler bed.  We hadn't planned on it and didn't really want to get her one yet, but I didn't want her to get hurt.  Sooo, now we are going through an adjustment period.  She has not taken a great liking to it and will gets up to play several times before finally getting in bed and staying in bed.  She understands she is supposed to be in the bed but, of course, does what she wants :)  Oh, and we have officially ditched the paci.  It has been about two weeks and I can tell she really misses it so, of course, there are the frequent water works.  But it is getting better.

Sydney's new bed

We are also going through big developmental changes too.  Sydney's language development has really taken off.  She is saying a new word every day and talks in this really cute pseudo language.  I will upload a video of it soon.  We are still working on sign language and she continues to use it and learn new signs as well.  She is really running pretty well.  She loves to chase and kick balls (I think we may have a soccer player in a few years!)   She is kissing and hugging regularly and doing all the normal toddler things she is supposed to do.  She has become a bit of a picky eater though and I worry she doesn't get enough to eat sometimes, but as long she doesn't start losing weight I guess she is ok.  

I know I say it a lot, but it is so great watching Sydney grow and change.  She has so endeared herself to us that it is hard to imagine what our life would be like without her in it.  She has really become the center of our lives and we would not want it any other way.  

Getting ready to go to work (because playing is work for kids :))

Dancing Queen..this girl loves to boogie!

We continued our tour of Maryland/Virginia historical homes with a visit to Homewood Mansion in Baltimore and the home of  Charles Carroll Jr, son of one of our Founding Fathers.  The home was on the Johns Hopkins University campus so we took the time to walk around and enjoy the weather.   

The MAINE Event! :D

We arrived home from our trip to Maine this weekend.  We visited Erich's hometown Auburn, Caribou and Freeport.  We had a wonderful time visiting with Erich's family.  Sydney got to meet her Great Grandma and spend quality time with Nana and Grandpa.  She also had a ton of fun playing with her cousins.  She did really well on the car ride both ways, considering we were in the car for 4-5 hours at a time.  We look forward to going back soon.  Here are some photos:

Visiting the Maine Wildlife Park

Ducks!!

Peek-A-Boo!

Talking together...

Visiting the Mt. Katahdin Viewpoint on the way up to Caribou

Playing at Great Grandma's house in Caribou with cousins

The girls and Great Grandma Gloria

Our last visit with Great Grandma before leaving Caribou

We had to buy an air mattress for Sydney in Caribou because they didn't have cribs at the hotel!

Sydney in her car seat

Our last day in Maine. Sydney is blowing kisses!

It's July already??

        I hope everyone had a great 4th of July this year!  Unfortunately, we don't have any photos of our 4th of July. We spent the day with Erich's sister and her family in Virginia and forgot our camera.  Ce la vie!  But we had a great time and made some wonderful memories.  We did get some family photos today and will post a few of those at the end of the post.
        It seems time is moving so fast.  We are almost halfway through July!  The end of this month marks our 10 month anniversary of bringing Sydney home.  We are almost to that milestone where she has been with us longer than she was at St. Lucy's.  It is not only hard to believe it has 10 months already, but that she hasn't always been with us.
        She continues to be such a blessing to us every day.  Her kind and sweet spirit are evident in her interactions with others.  Her smiles and her ability to make people laugh and feel good are extraordinary.   She is highly intelligent and so stubborn!  She loves to laugh and dance and explore, but goes cautiously and observantly into new situations.  She knows about 20-25 signs but doesn't say more than 2-3 words verbally.  (She communicates effectively with her signs and she understands so much, so I am not sure why she doesn't speak more.  I will try not worry too much. If she isn't progressing by her 2nd birthday the doctor said that at that point they will evaluate her.)
        We are going on vacation to Maine soon to see Erich's family.  I probably won't post anything until after we return so check back sometime in August to see photos of our trip.
Here are some photos from our session:

I had bought this dress for the 4th and she didn't get to wear it so, darn it, I was going to get some use out of it! :)  She isn't smiling, but I thought she looked so pretty.

I was really glad to get some pictures of daddy and daughter.  

The Keough Family