I know, I know, it's been way too long since we have blogged. We are doing very well, despite Jade's recent ear infection, and now what appears to be a cold. She is such a happy baby, even when she doesn't feel well. And her strong will...well, suffice it to say that we have recently purchased James Dobsons book, "The New Strong Willed Child." We are just so happy to have this little girl for our daughter. She is wonderful and loving and sweet. I tell ya, I'm in love with her!

Jade began to crawl about 2 weeks ago, and can make it across the room so fast that we can't leave her for a second anymore. She is walking while holding our hands with great steadiness, and last week took about 4 steps by herself to Jeff, then back & forth between us about 10 times. Then, because of our excitement, she got so excited that she wanted to jump to me instead of walk. She was so cute! I think she forgot about it, because she's only done it once since then. I predicted that she'd be walking by herself by the end of August, but I was wrong.

So, Jade had a hard night due to her cold (and as a result, so did I), and she felt bad enough this morning that I stayed home from church with her. Now that she's had a little medicine and is finally able to nap, I thought I'd post some pictures so you can see how far she has come. Remember how she weighed 15 lbs. when we got home from China? Well yesterday she weighed 20 lbs! Woo hoo!!!

Jade has received her first party invitation from Mia, one of the children adopted in our group. Another couple in our group will be there, so we'll have a little reunion with part of our group. I'm so glad. We've shared the most important event in our lives with them, and I want to see them again. I wish everyone in our group lived closer so we could see them, too. I would especially love to see Patrick, Lianne, and Charissa. They are wonderful Christians, and prayed for us during our frightening nights in China. Patrick is the lung cancer doctor who was part of our "divinely appointed medical team," and he & Lianne are the Chinese couple who translated the medicine so Jade could have a shot instead of another IV in her head.

I'd better get the pictures posted before she awakens. Let us hear from you! We love you all & wish that we lived closer so you could share all of our wonderful little moments with Jade.

I can't get the pictures to load, so I'm just going to post this anyway...months after typing it!

Love,
Trisa

To My Little Jadie Girl From Mommy

"I love you so very much I don't even mind that life made me wait so long to find you. The waiting only made the finding sweeter."
- Ronald Reagan

I hope to post more pictures of our trip to China, our arrival home, and others since coming home if I ever get enough time, but right now I thought I'd post a few recent photos while Jade is napping.

We went to Rochester, Vermont for our nephew Casey's high school graduation 2 weeks ago (what a fun time!). Our last day there, our other nephew Aidan, along with Jacob and Marissa were playing cards. Jade wanted to sit on the floor with them, and they gave her some cards to hold. I love the one that looks like she is actually discarding! You can see Anne's dog, Elbie, in the background. She is the first dog Jade has ever seen. Jade loved her!






Jade's first picnic at Hilltop Park at the mouth of Great Bay, Dover, NH. It was a spontaneous picnic last Saturday. One of those fun times when you stop at the grocery store, pick up some stuff & drive to a park. She loved the water!


After church last Sunday, Daddy got Jade out of the car while Mommy went ahead into the house to fix lunch. Daddy & Jade came in with Jade's first flower for Mommy! I couldn't even get the camera before she had torn off all the petals, so here you can see the stem in her hand! She is one pretty little girl, isn't she?