Oh the difference a year makes!!!

Some people wanted to see how different Olivia looked b/t a year ago on Gotcha Day and our year anniversary on Gotcha day...man is it different!!! She gets more and more beautiful every day!



August 20, 2007

August 20, 2008

Stats on Olivia!

Okay, this page is just to update those of you who want to know what Olivia is doing.

Talking.
Noooeee (don't know why she says it like this, but she does..so funny) (and her favorite word!! UUGGHH)

All three boys names and mommy and daddy.
Mama when she wants something.
outside
thank you
Dawsey (our dog)
please (not much though haha)
mommy owww (when she's hurt)
night-night
bath
bye-bye
put me down (once, but she said it)
help me bubbie (once but it was so sweet)
MeMe, Nana and Papaw.
Lana
Headea (Heather)
RO-RO (Roman)
Jasen
Russ (tonight)
baby


Doing.
shakes head yes (and used to do no, but now just says it)
climbing on EVERYTHING
can climb down stairs well
running everywhere
changing the TV with the remote
playing in the toilet...oh she loves this!!! YUCK!!!
LOVES to play X-box, well she thinks she's playing.
Plays the drums and AIR GUITAR!!!
Loves to dance with daddy!
puts her shoes on by herself...almost everytime on the right foot too!!
tells you she's sorry by rubbing your head?????
BUSY!!! BUSY!!!! BUSY!!!!
goes in the nursery at church now without crying
throws balls
LOVES GOING OUTSIDE
sings all the time! Very musical!
gently plays the piano..well messes with the keys!
VERY STUBBORN AND INDEPENDENT!!!
has pottied once on the potty. we will get there!
Still adores and has to have her pony (baby)
sleeps from 8:30pm to 8:30am
started being shy and holding on to my legs
now hugs our legs if she just wants to or telling us bye or night-night
copies, copies, copies!!
Fake laughing if everyone else is laughing...HILARIOUS!!
slowing down eating real food, mostly snacking.
Using a fork and spoon VERY well!

She is really getting big. She does pitch fits, and says NO ALOT!!! We are working on her "anger" and starting to test the waters with disobedience!! She's not getting very far though!! :) She's really a great little girl. Listens well and remembers EVERYTHING. VERY SMART. I hear from alot of people how smart she is! Oh and did I mention, or have to mention, just the most beautiful little girl ever!!! I am a little biased though. We are all in love with her...everyone that knows her. She has such a beautiful smile and personality. She makes you laugh and she loves that too. Again, we are truly blessed to have her in our lives and can't wait to see what the future holds!!

Size 18 mts some 24
Size 5 shoe (barely, really a 4.5 but they don't make that size)
weighs 23.8 pounds (she has lost a little for some reason)
We think she's atleast 35 inches tall. Haven't measured her in a while, but she's tall.
Still has light brown...pretty curly or wavy hair.
not really that dark..not as dark as Chase!!!
Beautiful black eyes!!

Thank you for taking the time to read this. She's growing fast. She will be 2 Nov. 20th!!!

I will post more pics as I get them!!

The end of the great day!!

Having fun with mommy
Aunt Heather had to get some love in on this day too!
Night, night! This is the bedding my mom got me for my birthday last year that I wanted for Olivia! It's pretty huh?
Time to go to bed..he hair was up so it sticks up for a while afterwards. She is drinking her chocolate milk and actually asked to go to bed!! She's had a busy, but wonderful Gotcha Day anniversary! We love you baby girl!!!

Gotcha Day spent at church..wow!!

I am so glad to be able to say that on Gotcha Day anniversary, we were at church. The reason is bc I know that Olivia wouldn't have been allowed to go to church in China and that's one of the reasons I feel she is blessed to be here...she can learn about our Savior Jesus! We have a WONDERFUL church family that loves her like she is their's and she loves them. She loves to run around the church and play the piano. She says hey to everyone as she runs past them too!! I can't wait to see her make a decison to accept Christ in the future!! All three of our boys have, so it's just a matter of her growing, the Holy Spirit working and her following...Praise the Lord she's here bc she will get that opportunity!!!
Just another pic of the three of us. Chase got a little close and my face looks really big in this one, but I love the way she looks so...
About to give daddy kisses like on Gotcha Day!
AT CHURCH!! She loves these steps so I asked her if I could take a pic. of her on the steps and she sat down and posed like this!!
Awww lovin on daddy
This is one of the ladies that watches her in the nursery on Wed. and Sun..Mrs. Joyce...we love Mrs. Joyce (and Mrs. Cindy)

Anniversary lunch!

Well, after our nap..we took Olivia out to lunch at TGI Friday's. Yes, she specifically asked for this place!! HAHA So, she had the spaghetti, fries and ALOT of daddy's salad!
Sweet smile!!
Daddy was playing peek-a-boo behind me and she was looking at the side he was about to pop out of!!
Telling us she is "1" year old!!
Okay, Anthony say this, but this is the last part of the word Kitchen, but where we were sitting you couldn't see the Kit...well as we all know, he "last" name was Chen in China, so we thought that it was pretty awesome!!!
This is a similiar pose of the very first pose we took in China. The main differences, I have short hair...we don't look like we have been in a race sweating and all that wonderful stuff, there isn't a clock behind us, we are in Memphis, TN, she had ALOT more hair and can you figure out the main difference??? Yes, she is LOVING on us. When we went to take the picture she immediately put her arms around us..pulled us in and looked at the camera! My...how fast they know love and give it back!!!

ONE YEAR SINCE GOTCHA DAY!!

I don't even know where to begin with this day. We cannot believe that today, one year ago, we held our baby girl for the first time all the way in China!! I mean...where the Olympics are this year!!! How crazy is that? I can still feel the feelings and remember the emotions of this day almost hour to hour! There are many days that are super important to us, and this one goes down as one of those days. The birth of our boys and the first time we held our little girl! It was such an amazing journey and I have NO regrets for the decision to start this process! Yes, it took 2 years, yes I wanted to quit at times, yes I was scared out of my mind to leave my boys for 2 weeks and fly for the first time ALL THE WAY TO CHINA, but if I get the chance to do it again...I will and I would do it all over again. Olivia has brought such joy into our family. She's sooo funny. The boys ADORE her and she them! All I have to say is thank you GOD for allowing us to experience this! It is only bc of HIM that it all fell into place. We know that HE had Olivia picked out for us from the foundation of the world and knew all along she would be ours. How awesome is that? So...Thank you God for our Olivia..thank you for the priviledge to be parents to my boys and now my little girl. I don't know what the future holds...more little ones or not, but for right now...thank you for my children and what they mean to me and Anthony! They are all truly a blessing from YOU!!
So, she woke up this morning about 8:40. Here she is in her bed with her "baby!"
Decided to eat some cereal..she had already been snacking so this is all she wanted. :) Hmmm she was already snacking?? How unusual!! HAHA
Then she decided she wanted to watch The Wiggles...the ONLY show she will sit through in it's entirety!!
Now she is up dancing to the song.
I guess she got tired bc I walked in on her holding a brush (not unusual either) and sitting on the couch watching Wiggles.

A day at the park with my little girl!

Monday was such a beautiful day. It was only 89 and there was a breeze so I decided to take Olivia to the park. It's been so hot that we haven't been outside much during the day so I thought it would be great. I also just wanted some time with Olivia away from the house so..we went to the park, Wal-Mart (of course) and to lunch. Then we came home, took a nap and got on the bus to do my route. It was a good day! BTW, her eye is swollen bc a mosquito bit her and she is allergic, so she swells BAD!! I know it looks like we've had her in a boxing match, but this really hurts our feelings. Can't do much about it...can't put sunscreen on her eyes and that's where they go. They love her eyes too!!
I asked her if I could take a picture and this is what she did!! HAHA
I LOVE this one. She called me and wanted to me take a picture of her. She goes all the way up to this slide and down by herself!!!
My little wrestler!! Really she's looking through a grate..she thought this was funny too!!
Feeding the mean, hissing, biting geese!! HAHA They didn't bite, but they did seem mean!!
She handed this one some bread, but he almost took her finger off so she threw the rest of them!! HAHA Brave little girl!!

Some of my favorites!

more cute pics

Olivia and mommy!!

She's telling me she's one!
She loves to be kissed on the chin/cheek
I love this one.

More of Olivia

Olivia and Roman. They are the exact age difference that Cameron and Chase are apart..14 months! I think that's neat. They are going to be buddies.
Her with her My Little Pony tin that we got her! She LOVES her My Little Pony stuff and REALLY loves this purse.
Pictures of her walking are just so cute to me!
Funny girl!

Olivia's 1 1/2 year pictures!

Can't get much more beautiful than this!
She really didn't like the grass on her legs.
For those of you who didn't know...this is a VERY special picture. Olivia is standing the same way I do now. My mom did it alot when I was younger and I guess I just started doing it too....well when I am washing dishes or just standing alot of time, when it's okay to stand this way, I am just more comfortable bc of my scoliosis, I think, to stand this way. This just shows how things are copied from others. But how neat to see that my mom, then me, and now my daughter all stand the same way???? IT'S A GOD THING!!
Soo beatutiful!!
Getting big!

Cameron and Olivia

Is this not the sweetest picture? He is telling her something and she's listening. Look at how she is touching his shirt and he other hand around his neck!! I think she likes him!! :)

This is Cameron and Roman, my best friends little boy. Cameron is such a big help with any baby and he LOVES to be around them!
Helping Olivia up the stairs..I would have been if he wasn't there!! HAHA
Okay, by now he's TIRED of taking pictures! He was like, "Is this the last one??"