Hanging with PawPaw

It seems that Nana (my mother) has been in most of the pictures with Sophie since we have been home, and we have had none of Pawpaw (my father) and Sophie. So as to not slight Pawpaw, here is post just for him!

Sophie showing Pawpaw how all of these new toys work!

Sophie's New Friend, Hannah Grace

Sophie had her first appointment at the International Adoption Clinic on Monday, so we drove up on Sunday afternoon. Sunday night, we met our friends, Mike, Rhonda, and Hannah Grace for dinner. We all met through the adoption process, while we were still waiting to find out who our children were going to be. We both happened to be on the same adoption Yahoo group and met only after Rhonda sent me an email telling me she was from Alabama. We decided to meet one weekend and have been friends ever since!

Mike,Rhonda and Hannah Grace had not met Sophie since her adoption, so it was the perfect time for us all to get together. The girls were so sweet together. They ran, played, and had the best time. Hannah Grace even wanted to go to the doctor with Sophie, just so she could see her and play with her. How SWEET is that?

Though the get together was short, we are going to make it a point to get together when we are in their area, which will be very frequent.

Mike, Rhonda, and Hannah Grace, we had a great time seeing you all and can't wait until we can get together again!

Meeting More Family and Playmates

While on our way to Birmingham Sunday, we stopped off for Sophie to meet big brother, Lee, and his family. It was a beautiful day and found everyone outside when we arrived. We quickly noticed just how much everyone has grown. Tyler and Brianne are getting so tall, and Wyatt and Bailey are growing bigger and stronger everytime we see them. Wyatt ways over 11 pounds, and Bailey weighs over 10 pounds. In the bottom picture you will notice that Granddaddy is going to need a bigger lap very soon!

Sophie meeting Lee and Bailey

Granddaddy(a.k.a. Baba, Pawpaw Bo) needs a bigger lap!

Nick's T-Ball Game

Last Thursday night, we went to watch Nick play t-ball for the first time. We love to watch the little ones play because they have a really good time digging in the dirt and jumping around, and they play a little t-ball in between.

Sophie really had a good time because she LOVES being outside, and she got to spend some time with Merril and Anna Kay. She ran and ran, and Aunt Brenda chased her all over the place. I don't know who was more tired at the end of the game, Aunt Brenda or Sophie.

Nick, Bebe, Pawpaw Bo, and Sophie loved watching you play t-ball, and plan to watch you play again before the end of the season!

Welcome Home!! Part 2.......

I just realized that I forgot to post about all of the "Welcome Home" signs and decorations that were waiting for us when we got home. We were so surprised and thrilled to see them when we got home. Thanks to everyone who made posters and helped decorate. It was great!!

One Week Home

I can't believe that we have been home a week already. Time goes by so fast, and Sophie is changing and learning new things everyday. She can now say Mama, Baba, Nana, PawPaw, Nala(our cat, whom she is VERY afraid of), no-no(she hears this a good bit), and shoes. She has transitioned from sleeping in the Pack 'n Play in our bedroom to sleeping in her bed in her room.

We are still trying to get her adjusted to our time, but everyday gets a little better. Sophie is eating like a champ, and we certainly hope it continues!

Sophie is meeting lots of family and has had several visitors in the past week. She has met two of her brothers and their families, with the exception of Jessica, who was directing a wedding on Saturday. She has met 5 of her Baba's 10 siblings, all of her aunts and uncles on my side of the family, and her great-great-great aunt, Jeannie, who is in her 90's! Needless to say, she's been getting a whole lot of attention, and I think she knows it! We are looking forward to her getting to meet the rest of her family very soon!

With big brother, Tim

With big brother, Tim and his family

With big brother, Mike and Merrill

Merrill and Sophie

With Aunt Emily and Uncle JW

With Uncle James

With Uncle Mickey

With Aunt Margaret

With BJ and Larry

With Great-Great-Great Aunt Jeanie

Trying To Adjust To Central Time

Since getting home, we have been trying to help Sophie adjust to central time. When it is nap time here, it is night-night sleep time in China. Needless to say, it has been very difficult for her to wake up after napping for an hour and a half. In an effort to wake her and keep her awake, we have been playing outside. The weather has been beautiful, and it has given me an opportunity to get some great pictures of her.

Oatmeal and the Backyardigans

Sophie loves to dance to music. Tonight the special music was provided by the Backyardigans. Enjoy!

We Made It Home!

After 30 LONG hours, we finally made it home! Sophie did great on the flights and was welcomed by a wonderful group of family and friends, who are like family. There were poster sized pictures of all of us that Aunt Renee did, and posters welcoming us home that other family members made. It was so special!! Sophie seemed to take it all in and then realized that this was all for her, and she just smiled and laughed, just as the center of attention should!

After the 1 1/2 hour drive home from the airport and the 7 hour sleep that Sophie took on one of the flights, we were afraid that she would not sleep Saturday night, but to our surprise, she did! I woke her up at 8am on Sunday to try to keep her somewhat on a schedule. She ate and played well that first day home, and has done so since. With the exception of trying to make the switch to our time, she has taken everything in stride. We are working on the sleep schedule and are sure we will have it worked out very sooon.

I apologize that I'm so late making this post. It's been up on my computer for 3 days now, and I've just gotten the chance to post it. There will definitely be more posts to come, so be watching for them!

Thanks to Aunt Johnnye for the photos!