Family Reunion

This weekend we had our annual family reunion. Isa B had met many of the family members at a wedding just a few weeks after coming home, but that was a long time ago. She was a bit less exuberant than normal with all the new faces but I think she had a good time. And even with her very limited napping, she stayed in a fairly good mood.

Here is Isa playing with her cousin Caroline who is exactly 1 week older than she is:

The girls had an epic wrestling match on an air mattress, which was HYSTERICAL to watch. At one point Isa flung herself head-first off the side. Rather than bursting into tears, as I expected, given her faceplant in the carpet, she was laughing like crazy. They also spent a fair bit of time during the weekend talking to each other. I have really fond memories of playing with my cousins at the picnic every year and I'm glad she's going to get the same experience.

The reunion takes place right on a lake, so I was hoping we'd get to do some swimming, which Isa loves. We took a tiny dip on Saturday, just to see how she'd do but the weather didn't really cooperate. Sunday was supposed to be rainy, gray, and colder than Sunday. So, I didn't even pack our suits. What happens!?!? Sunshine, of course. All afternoon.

To make up for the lack of swimming, Isa and I went out on the boat when the big kids were tubing. She thought the life vest was super funny. Because she's so short, the vest went all the way up to her cheeks and she had to keep her head at a bit of an upward angle. Doesn't she look stylish?? (Note our beloved pacifier is still readily available!)

On an entirely unrelated note, tonight (as I typed this entry) is the first time that Isa has fussed herself to sleep. Normally, if she doesn't fall asleep right after I leave, she fusses. The fussing has always escalated to real crying, which is when I go in and try to calm her. I kept hoping that someday she'd figure out to just stop fussing and go to sleep. I guess someday is today. :)

Fav Foto Friday

Turns out, Fav Foto Friday actually has its origins on this blog. And there's a weekly theme!

This week's theme is FRIENDS. Which is perfect because that's exactly what I was planning to blog about anyhow.

Today we met the wonderful Rebekke and her darling little one Solly, who is 9 months old and also from Ethiopia. Rebekke lives fairly close by and arrived in Addis to meet Solly right as I was leaving with Isa. We've been in contact since before either of us had referrals and finally got to meet IRL. We met at the zoo (after a harrowing 40 minute drive around the parking lot desperate to find a spot-blech) and had an amazing time hanging out. Isa B showed off all her tricks to charm the group, which included Solly's grandma "Gam" and for a bit, dad Brad.

So far we are 2 for 2 when it comes to meeting online friends!!!

Here is Isa holding hands with her newest boyfriend

And here are a few other friends:

Isa & Cassidy

Isa & Evan (who just turned 1 year old!)

Isa & Evan's big brother Adam

And last, but certainly not least, another photo of Isa & Elsa

(as they both enjoy a tasty snack of "shoe"... mmmmmm...)

Cheese, cheese, and more cheese

I just posted a photo of Isa B's recent "cheesy" grin. Tonight I kept her busy as I was cooking dinner by feeding her pieces of cheese which she loves. And in response, she pulled out her super-duper-deluxe ham routine. Lucky for me (and you happy blog-readers), she actually repeated it when I pulled the camera out.

How did she learn this goofy face? Who knows. But, obviously, it gets a laugh so she keeps doing it.

It's an all-out cheese fest, people. Beware.

And, yes, that is me actually sneezing on the tape not pretending. Yes, Mollie, I know that holding in sneezes kills brain cells. I'm not holding them in, they're just teeny-tiny.

Oh, and someday I'll figure out how to rotate videos. Or learn to film them "right side up." Maybe.....

Pictures, just for fun

Nothing new to blab about, but here are some pics:

Isa's new "cheesy" grin which comes out whenever the camera does.

Frog legs. Tasty.

Naked is fun!

(While Papaw snoozes in the background and Grandma pokes her ala Pillsbury Dough Boy...)

Hi, Mama. :)

Sometimes the best toys aren't toys at all.

In her left hand- a sock. In her right hand- a "rattle" made from an empty pill bottle (childproof, of course) and an earring that lost it's mate.

11 months old today

Somehow (without my consent I may add) Isa B has turned 11 months old!

Isa remains a happy, happy girl most of the time. I think she's starting to move into the separation anxiety phase because some days I MUST be sitting on the floor with her. In the same room isn't good enough and God forbid I actually have to leave the room!

She's learned a ton of new tricks in the last month. She continues to commando crawl and just refuses to stay on her knees for any length of time. She's trying to pull up, but, as you can imagine, it's very difficult from her tummy. She has figured out how to get from lying down to sitting up on her own, though.

Isa waves both hi and bye. She claps. She says several "words" now: "diddy" (kitty), "duck-duck", "mama". I'm not 100% sure that she knows she's saying my name when she says Mama but she definitely knows it gets my attention. And if anyone asks her "where's Mama?" she does look in my direction. So, I'm choosing to believe that she knows what she's saying! Occasionally she'll mimic "bye-bye" or something very close to "doggy" but that isn't consistent. She is super adept at flirting. Not just cute baby smiling... no- she's full on flirts.

This morning we were reading "Barnyard Dance" (highly recommended to those of you with babies- quite amusing). The last page has all the animals in a line. I asked her "where is the duck-duck?" and darn if she didn't point right at it! She did it again this afternoon, so it wasn't just a fluke.

She's still waking up once a night for a bottle, but I think that's primarily because she's such a dainty eater during the day. She eats an unbelievably wide variety of food but just not a lot of it. So, she still needs those middle of the night calories. Today I left the tray off her highchair and fed her that way. She ate more than usual (without crying) and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will continue to work.

But, I must say the best "trick" she's learned this month is putting herself to sleep. As long as she's tired when I put her in her crib, she'll fall asleep on her own. That buys me at least 15 extra minutes at nap time, which is wonderful. Tonight she squawked after being down for about 3 hours. Usually that means I have to go in and put her pacifier back in (happens maybe once a night). Tonight, when I went in there, her eyes were still closed and she was putting the pacifier back in herself! Woo-ha!!!!

(Sorry that there is no picture- my camera batteries died today and are currently charging....)

Itty-bitty thought for the day

When life hands you lemons......

...stick 'em in your bra. Couldn't hurt, might help!


(Thanks to my friend Missy for that little gem. She put that on a card for me during college when things were rough and I always think of it when I need a little pick-me-up.)

Waist deep in the Big Muddy

Ever feel that way to you?? I'm getting pretty tired of always having to slog through the muck...

It seems that everytime I feel like my life is falling into place and things are running reasonably smoothly, Life decides to knock me on my backside. Yesterday I came home to a letter that one of my contracts is being terminated August 12th. This contract provides over 1/3 of my income and I'm pretty much panicking. I know that contract work is, by its very nature, tenuous but I guess that could be said of most jobs nowadays. I'm not sure I can get another contract in a month and while I have a small cushion built up, it won't last for more than a couple months. (Funny how an adoption and then raising a child will deplete your meager savings!)

I know that I can always work part or full time at the registries that I currently do per diem work at. But, then I have to figure out childcare, which in Seattle is GROSSLY expensive. For part time work, I'd likely spend most of my paycheck on it. And, selfishly, I want to be home with Isa. It may be exhausting to work from home once she's gone to bed, but it's worth so much more to get to spend my days with her.

So, if anyone has a spare income lying around that they'd like to donate, I would happily accept it! Otherwise, say a little prayer to the employment pixies for me.

To balance that out, here's a little GOOD news: Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you want to look at it), that afternoon I'd bought my plane tickets to go down to the big Blog Union in CA in a few weeks. Had I gotten the letter first, I wouldn't have been able to justify spending the money. And I'm super excited to get to meet so many online friends in person!