From the Iphone--NJ and Such

I found cute photos from the last few weeks on the iPhone. There are some of Savannah playing, visiting with our friends, from TN, some photos of playdates and birthday parties and from NJ last weekend. Enjoy! We are in Boston now and Rich took Seth to the conference with him so Savannah and I could have a Mommy and Me day. It is just too difficult to have two young children in a hotel with no resources or extra hands and a toddler who screams and cries everytime Seth cries. I was ready to blow my head off after just two hours yesterday.

Savannah and I visited the Co-op nursery school on Tuesday and we both loved it. Savannah did not want to leave and I loved the teachers and the environment. It is very much like Montesorri. It is child centered and play based. She would make 11 children in the class and it is evenly split between boys and girls. It is a 2 day a week program, which is what I really wanted. Now we have to make the decision if we want to switch her now, in the new year or just have her finish where she is and send her there next year. The Co-op is run by the parents and you have to do a lot of work for the school, but you also are very proactive and involved in your child's education. Savannah swinging She loves the "big girl" swing now

Whee!

Cute baby boy

Ready to drive

Playing at our friend's house with the best playroom

Savannah and Seth playing with Arianna

Arianna really liked Seth. Her baby brother is 2 months younger than Seth

Savannah likes to go on Daddy's treadmill and she says, "Go uphill" and "Faster.

Some light reading on the potty

At our friend's joint birthday party for their children. Maggie turned four and Sam 2. They are like us. Their children have close birthdays, just several years apart.

Our friend Stacy at Mohegan Sun with Seth. They matched!

Baby boy in the stroller at Mohegan Sun

Fast asleep--belly boy

Savannah and Noah playing when they were in visiting from TN. We miss them living in CT.

How sweet. Three children playing so nicely.

Loved hanging out with my friend Kim. Miss you!

Seth and Ellie playing together.

Warm day in CT in October

Just chillin' in Kim's mom's backyard

Now I am sliding

Food please! I am ready.

Is this the best art table or what? At the Learning Express in NJ. Seth just watching his big sister.

Savannah could play at the Learning Express all day.

They had these out at Costco and she had to try every one.

She found Pooh at Babies R Us.

Gorgeous girl at Callandra's restaurant in NJ

Seth eating in the high chair at Callandra's in NJ

Seth on his new giraffe toy/rug/playmat

Mommy and her sweeties at Callandra's restaurant in NJ

Seth sleeping through Grandma Rhoda's Birthday lunch. Very unusual for him to sleep in his car seat.

Pretty Savannah celebrating Grandma's birthday

Grandpa Marty and Seth

Papa giving Seth his bottle.

Out of PGN 3 Years!

Three years ago just the size of this little munchkin and now a great big sister. What a gorgeous girl!

3 years ago!

The day we found out we were out of PGN! October 12, 2006

The happiest Mommy on Earth! I love you my forever girl!

On October 11th 2006, our paperwork was signed and approved at the court level in Guatemala, which meant we were officially Savannah's parents in Guatemala and onto the US Embassy for final approval. She was coming home and so was mommy who was with her for 88 days in total in Guatemala. We got the e-mail on the 12th with the good news. Daddy came to Guatemala 2 weeks later and 5 1/2 weeks from our release from PGN we were home with the newest US citizen--Savannah. It was a day we will never forget. The joy and relief. It was the most amazing feeling and we will never forget it. It is a milestone day that will always be special. We celebrate our forever family day though as the day we were approved for her visa and took the oath as her parents at the US Embassy in Guatemala which is November 14, 2006. We love you always and forever our beautiful princess and BEST girl!

Sensational Seven Month Seth!

Going for our first run together with Daddy. We did great! Seth was having yogurt, so Savannah had to have yogurt too.

Who is that gorgeous baby in the mirror?

I taught him to do fish face (he imitated me) and then he made the kiss sound and laughed out loud. So cute!

I had a mouth full of yogurt and I grabbed this off my exersaucer and look at my smile!

This flower/mirror with a dab of yogurt is delicious

More yogurt please

Truly a berry face

I see food

Fire prevention day at school. She got this hat when the firefighters visited and she got to go on the fire truck.

Super sensational Seth is SEVEN months today. Hard to believe that 7 months ago this gorgeous baby boy was born continents away and now he is here and ours and fills our lives and hearts with more joy and love than words can express. He is such a wonderful baby and son and brother and grandson and nephew and cousin and everything wrapped into one. He is doing so much and growing up so fast. This is such a fun time to watch him develop and interact.

Seven Seth Stats

1. He has no teeth, but would love to eat anything he can get his hands on. He loves table food and chunky food. His new favorite is Yo Baby Yogurt with cereal.

2. He loves his big sister. If she is near, all crying stops, whatever he is doing he turns his attention to her and laughs.

3. He has realized the cats exist and things they are pretty funny too. Especially our younger one, Pumpkin who darts and jumps.

4. He is kind of bored in his exersaucer now. He had figured it out. He likes to stand and would love to walk, but can't yet. He is very close to crawling though. He has the motions, but just has not quite put it together yet. It is coming though.

5. He now sleeps by himself in his crib and can self-soothe pretty well. He can turn his crib toys on.

6. He can almost hold his own bottle, especially when he has drank it down a bit.

7. He is still a mama's boy, cuddle bunny, and loves to be bounced.

Darling Dancer

Unfortunately, they canceled the only convenient time for us to take Savannah to dance, but we will go back...eventually. Here is our darling dancing daughter. She did love the one class she went to. I found tumbling for her that begins the end of October, so hopefully that will suffice for now.

I am researching different preschools for Savannah. I am just not comfortable with the one she is in, even though she likes it. If she did not like it, it would be a slam dunk decision. However, I am not happy with the communication or the program, but Savannah says she likes it and her teacher and wants to go. I really want her to go to a Co-op so I can be involved, but that is going to take a lot of time and I have another child, so I don't know if it is possible and I have to be realistic. It is hard because I want her to go to Montesorri in a town that is over a half an hour away and I know that is going to be difficult to get her there and back. So, I don't think that is possible at this time, even though it is the best place for her. So, I need to find the next best thing, whatever that may be. I guess somehow it will all work out. I just have to know what to do before I pay the next installment at her current school on November 15th, because if I pay and then pull her out, I am sure it won't be easy to get my money back. I visited a school today and was not impressed. The class was way too large and I did not care for the assistant teacher. The kids were sweet though and there was a good ratio of boys to girls (which we don't have now--there are only 2 girls in her class and she is one of them). We are visiting two more schools next week and I will see how I feel about those.

Pumpkintown U.S.A.

They have this great place by us where they make a town all out of pumpkins and give them names and themes. It is so cute. We went on a Tuesday when my aunt was here and it was so uncrowded and fun. Savannah picked out painted pumpkins for both herself and Seth and got to put her head in all the figures and would say, "I'm a cat, I'm a scarecrow, I'm a pumpkin, etc." She love the hay maze. She rode in the wagon and had a great time. I am holding Seth in the sling so there are no pictures of us. Everytime I gave the camera to my aunt, Savannah walked away or wouldn't look. Just take my word for it that Seth had fun too. Auntie I and Savannah at Pumpkintown In the wagon with the Dora pumpkin, but then she noticed the paint was chipped and switched to Kai Lan since there were no more Dora pumpkins

Looking in the mirror

Picking the pumpkins for her and Seth

In the wagon and ready to go

I'm a scarecrow

I'm a cat

I'm a pumpkin

Visiting with a pumpkin friend

Savannah in the hay maze

Which way should I go?

Got back to Auntie I

Very dark photo at Pumpkin town

Savannah joining the pumpkins at the wedding.

Looking at the pumpkin baby

Visiting a pumpkin friend in an unfortunate situation

Playing with the pumpkin kids

Fun on the tube playground

Coming down the pumpkin firehouse pole. They made this one like a haunted house and my aunt had to explain to her that the voices and noises were from speakers in the ceiling and were not real. It took a lot of coaxing to get her to try it.

Trying to Catch Up

Here are just a few to catch up. I have tons more from Pumpkintown U.S.A with my aunt and from the last few weeks. Computer time is very limited. Between Savannah's preschool and Seth getting mobile and needing 100% of my attention and my mother's helper quiting without any notice, I get just about no time to blog or do anything on the computer for that matter. But, it is ok. I love my children and they are my first priority. We are having fun and I hope to have Savannah in a new preschool soon. I hope to find one more suited to her personality and to meet her needs a bit better.

Got to run but thanks for stopping by and I hope to upload a bunch more photos very soon. My happy, smiling, smart boy! Love this little one!

The three of us at Mohegan Sun. Thanks for taking this cute picture Daddy

Munching on frozen banana. His fav!

My mesh feeder with frozen banana makes me happy

Savannah with her new wheels

Big girl on her new balance beam. She is loving it.

Careful walking

She has great balance

Ta-da