My Journey

London Bridge

2010-05-05T16:41:00.004-04:00

Still editing pics from last December. A song to tide you over about Dominic's "first lady"...

Updates in progress......

2010-04-23T20:20:00.004-04:00

Rounding up the photos from the last few months of our lives so I can update the blog....

Enjoying life....

2010-02-20T13:34:00.004-05:00

and oreos.

Does this count as my catch up post? :)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T06:19:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-24T23:26:00.000-05:00

This year Dominic has moved on from mashed potatoes to turkey and "fruits" (cranberries).

Enjoying chocolate pie with"white" (whip cream).

Decorating cookies.

Adrian's Soccer Game

2009-12-24T22:54:00.000-05:00

Disney on Ice

2009-12-13T08:26:00.000-05:00

October - at the park

2009-12-11T13:47:00.000-05:00

Halloween

2009-12-09T23:27:00.000-05:00

Pumpkin Farm and Corn Maze

2009-12-07T23:25:00.000-05:00

Guatoberfest 2009!

2009-12-04T15:25:00.001-05:00

Monday morning we continued our time at the pool and beach until it was time to head for the ship....

We boarded around noon and I quickly discovered that buffet style dining as a single mom with a 2 year old will make me lose my cool. By the end of the week we had a system, but it makes me reconsider the whole "kid-on-a-leash" gizmo.

After lunch we headed to our room to check it out -

Exploring around the ship -

I usually avoid the "sail away" party. But with Dominic, we were front and center, dancing away. On stage for the electric slide, in the conga line, etc. Having a blast!

Mandatory safety drill -

Our room steward was wonderful and had a great time with Dominic. Each evening Dominic was excited to find the towel animal he had left on our bed!

Day 2: Key West.

It was hot. But Dominic had a great time riding the "train" -

We ended our train ride in the main square and had an awesome lime slush!

We got dressed up for dinner in the evening. Dominic said, "Mommy look-a like-a princess. Dominic the prince." So, so sweet -

Dominic and some friends took the stage for karaoke. A few were singing. Dominic thought jumping off the stage was more entertaining.

And then back to the room for the evening.

Day 3: Cozumel

We headed to the beach with some friends. Dominic loved swimming in the ocean. And continued his theme of "I do it" in the water -

We headed back for some food and a change of clothes before shopping. Dominic did not have a nap while we were at the beach and this is how he spent his time while I shopped a bit. This is around 6pm - he slept until 7 the next morning.

Day 4: At Sea

We walked around a bit in the evening and took some sunset pictures. The wind on the top deck was so strong that it literally blew Dominic over at one point. He thought it was hilarious.

That morning we met up with our group for some pictures.

Sharing molten chocolate cake for dessert with our friends that evening. It was on the buffet EVER night!

Day 5: Heading home -

We had a wonderful time. This type of trip was a bit challenging with just the 2 of us, but I wouldn't trade our experience for anything.

Looking forward to going again when Dominic is old enough to snorkel! Maybe next year? :)

Guatoberfest - Miami

2009-11-30T20:20:00.001-05:00

We were fortunate enough to be able to join the Guatoberfest group this year on a cruise out of Miami! Dominic and I went down a day early and stayed in Miami Beach. Our hotel was right on the water and we spent the day moving between the beach, swimming pool and room service.

Summer picnic

2009-11-29T18:00:00.000-05:00

The look I got as we were leaving. He loves hanging out here and didn't want to go home.

Reunion - Part 3

2009-11-28T16:29:00.000-05:00

Back at the hotel was another group of families - some from our agency and some that we've just met online. We took over a restaurant down the street and they were very accommodating for such a large group. The little ones took over an area of the restaurant after dinner and made it into a dance floor. We had a great time visiting with everyone!

Walking back to the hotel with E's family -

The hotel had an indoor waterpark. Dominic had a blast!

Before heading home we stopped to do some shopping and discovered a mall with a great play area.

A wonderful weekend. Can't wait to see everyone at the reunion again next year!

Reunion - Part 2

2009-11-28T16:01:00.000-05:00

Saturday afternoon we met up with the folks from our adoption agency for their annual reunion. It was amazing to see the 100s of families there.

Dominic enjoyed playing in the sand with his friends.

This photo sequence with our friend J makes me wonder if this is what his relationships will be like in the years to come -

We posed for a pic in front of the picnic area for the Guatemalan families -

Made a quick visit to the train museum at the park -

in the mail car -

And headed back to the playground for a bit

before passing out at the hotel.

Reunion - Part 1

2009-11-28T06:57:00.001-05:00

This summer we spent a weekend in Indianapolis with a number of adoption friends. Before joining the group, we went to the art museum. Dominic had a great time hanging out in the garden.

Dominic serving me breakfast in bed -

When you least expect it...

2009-11-25T05:49:00.003-05:00

About a week after writing my last post, our lives took an unexpected and wonderful turn as I began to fall head over heels in love with a dear friend. We've shared a friendship and mutual respect for years. It never crossed our minds that in the right circumstances it would ever be more. But things in our lives changed and there we were....

I won't spend too much time gushing here, though I could go on all day. He is a wonderful addition to our lives - kind, generous, intelligent, witty and most of all an amazing father to 3 brilliant kids. Just as I feel with Dominic, I could never have imagined that I would have someone in my life that is such a perfect match.

Our lives got a bit more complicated these past few months and there are many challenges ahead, but as we sat last night with a portion of our combined families at the very restaurant that marks all important family dinners, all I can see is a bright future ahead for all of us.

As I catch up on 4 months of blogging this weekend, here are some pics of Dominic performing a mic check as we took a peek at our venue for our upcoming event in January.

Summer Lovin'

2009-07-31T12:55:00.000-04:00

We've had a great summer! I can't believe it's almost over! The days continue to go by way too fast... Here's some of the things we've been up to.

We've had some fun in the sprinkler -

Watched Adrian graduate 6th grade -

Harvested our first zucchini and cucumber (still waiting on the green peppers, tomatoes and pumpkin) -

and got our first ugly face wound at school. Racing with his friends. He didn't win...

Played in our pool -

Six Flags with Nanny, PaPa, Adrian and Jacob -

Lots of visits to the park -

A trip to St Louis with Nanny, PaPa, Adrian and Jacob. Visiting the arch,

the Children's Museum,

the St Louis Zoo,

and finally Uncle Buddy's football game.

Dominic made friends with the mascot of the home team.

But the highlight of the evening - going on the field and taking home a game ball. When we got home from St Louis he put it in his bed and slept with it for a week. "Night Night Buddy Football".

Dominic discovered the joy of ice while waiting for a parade on a hot summer day -

Another trip to our zoo. He enjoys the animals, but he LOVES the train, tram and Merry-go-round or the "round and round".

He has grown so much over the last six months. His language has exploded and he has a memory that often astonishes me. He dug out his Easter basket this week and said "Candy all gone". How does he remember that had candy in it? When I mention the zoo he asks if we're going to visit "Mommy's Zebra" because that was the animal I rode on the carousel on one of our visits.

In an act of protest, I tried to put his size 8 foot in a size 6 sandal a few weeks ago. That didn't last long -

before he had his own choice of footwear on....

Above all, he is expressing his independence. And for the most part, I'm reluctantly allowing him. But I miss my baby already...

Stay tuned for pics of our reunion picnic!

4th of July Weekend

2009-07-30T22:24:00.002-04:00

First ride in PaPa's boat

Florida

2009-07-29T21:00:00.001-04:00

We went down to Tampa for a long weekend in the beginning of summer. This was Dominic's first airplane ride since we came home from Guatemala, so I wasn't sure how he would do.

Waiting for the plane. So excited to see the airplanes!

The perfect passenger on the way down.

He LOVED the escalators in the airport!

And he LOVES to swim!

We had a blast with our friends that weekend. They became very good friends very quickly. Dominic still asks for them 2 months later every time we go swimming.

He did well at the beach this year. He enjoyed the waves and though he didn't seem to mind when the sand got in his mouth, he wasn't eating it by the handful either....

The most beautiful sunsets...

2 Year Portraits

2009-07-28T21:33:00.003-04:00

ABC

2009-07-01T22:37:00.002-04:00

Dominic's bday

2009-06-27T12:16:00.001-04:00

Here's how we spent Dominic's bday...

Taking donuts to his friends for a birthday breakfast.

The card they made for him at school.

Our first trip to the zoo.

Feeding the giraffes.

Celebrating with ice cream.

And a ride on the train!Asleep before we made it to the highway.

A quick stop at home and some time on his birthday present my nanny and papaw.

And we ended the evening at Chuck E Cheese!

Dominic's bday party

2009-06-20T11:33:00.000-04:00

Mother's Day

2009-06-10T11:47:00.004-04:00

Dominic made me a card at school for Mother's Day:

We spent the day together at a local festival and joined some friends for a cookout that evening...

Happy Birthday, Dominic!

2009-05-21T23:46:00.002-04:00

2 years ago....

2009-05-20T22:17:00.002-04:00

2 years ago tonight, I started this blog.

2 years ago tonight, the most amazing little boy was getting ready to make his grand entrance...

Elmo

2009-04-25T19:18:00.004-04:00

We went with some friends this weekend to see Elmo. Dominic took off once we cleared the parking lot to check out Elmo's truck.

Getting ready for the show... We had great seats and the new arena is very nice.

Dominic cried through the first 15 minutes or so. He was TERRIFIED. Since the place was full of kids and he wasn't the only screaming child, I decided to stick it out until at least intermission. At some point when a song finished he paused the crying, looked up at me and then burst into tears again crying for "MORE. More music. More Elmo." Sad, cute and funny all rolled up in one... :) From that point on he loved it!

Animal Sounds

2009-04-23T22:40:00.004-04:00

The elephant cracks me up!

Primping for Picture Day at School

2009-04-22T12:57:00.001-04:00

Dominic's first "hike"

2009-04-17T22:08:00.005-04:00

We checked out one of the nature trails in a park across the river this evening...

Dominic was excited at first and kept saying "Come on"

Every step had to be coordinated with "1,2,3!"

Picking up rocks

and sticks.

When we got near the end, Dominic decided he was done and sat in the middle of the trail.

Running to catch up...

We played in the park after our walk. Dominic loves the park, but leaving means about 20 minutes of screaming and crying "Bye-bye, park".

Boxing and a little yoga...

2009-04-15T23:03:00.002-04:00

Easter 2009

2009-04-13T12:33:00.006-04:00

Easter at Nanny and Papa's....

Coloring eggs -

Easter basket -

Candy for breakfast -

Playing the Wii with Adrian and Jacob -

Getting ready to begin the egg hunt in the basement -

Dominic dropped his basket and ran straight for Papa's boat -

Dominic loves him some Beyonce

2009-04-08T12:19:00.000-04:00

Bubble Beard

2009-04-05T15:05:00.002-04:00

Counting

2009-04-01T22:15:00.002-04:00

5,7,6.... 5,6,7. Pretty close! :)

Cereal

2009-03-31T12:10:00.001-04:00

Obama

2009-03-26T22:48:00.003-04:00

It always cracks me up that Dominic recognizes Obama. He thinks the TV is for one of 3 things - Obama, Mickey Mouse or football....

My little Muffin Man!

2009-03-22T21:30:00.002-04:00

What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday morning! No place to be and time for making muffins... :)

Happy St Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T22:20:00.002-04:00

From the parade this past weekend:

Such a big boy!

2009-03-16T22:55:00.007-04:00

Exciting news in our house over the last few weeks!

Dominic has finally come to terms with eating from a plate. I'm not sure why this was such a big issue, but he REFUSED to eat unless his food was placed directly on the table (yogurt, applesauce, didn't matter...) He still occasionally picks his food up with his mouth and "shows mommy how the piggies eat." I know it should require some discipline, but I'm usually too busy trying not to crack up.

Dominic's showing some interest in using the potty. He's too cool to even think it's a big deal though. We'll see where it goes. I'm not pushing it at this point. I'll spare you the pictures on this one, but, yes, they exist. :)

He is learning to appreciate tv. :)

Dominic is doing wonderful in his new class at school. He is an expert at identifying circles, stars and hearts, knows most of his colors when asked to identify them and is "counting" though not quite getting all the numbers right. He continues to love to sing and dance and is repeating EVERYTHING I say. This could be a problem.

I had to go out of town for work last week, so we've had quite a bit of separation anxiety at school this week. He does the full kola bear tactic and just hangs off my neck. It's so sad.

There was a video of him throwing a ball a few months ago and let me tell you, that skill has vastly improved. It's not just balls he's throwing now.... everything flies through the air with great accuracy, especially when he doesn't get his way. He can also "dribble" one of his balls like a basketball and kick his soccer ball. Although soccer usually ends in another game with the net...

We also completed our 1 year post-placement social worker visit last week. I can't believe we're all done! Appplication to final post-placement was right at 2 years! So forunate to have such a smooth process!

Asleep at the wheel...

2009-03-14T09:04:00.001-04:00

We've been running on auto-pilot the last few weeks. Catching up on blogging this weekend.

Stay tuned...

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T15:19:00.005-05:00

Dominic made me a Valentine card at school -

A few pictures of us getting ready to celebrate with our bag of kisses...

Dominic and Jack

2009-02-12T12:01:00.000-05:00

Dominic has taken a greater interest in the cat over the last few months. Normally they don't pay much attention to each other since each believes they run the house...

Dominic brought the cat breakfast in bed (after dumping the water all over the kitchen) -

And was determined to give him a kiss, sound effects and all.... MUAH!

Work hard. Play hard.

2009-02-05T20:54:00.003-05:00

Is it October yet? :)

2009-02-05T18:15:00.000-05:00

So excited that we're going to be able to make it to Guatoberfest this year! Looking forward to spending time with our online friends and it will be the perfect 1st cruise for Dominic! Now he's just got to get a job to help cover the expense. :)

Who else is going?

Our First Family Day

2009-02-03T22:48:00.004-05:00

2/3/08

2/3/09

One year ago today, Dominic and I were reunited forever. While the trip didn't exactly begin as planned, all ended well and I wouldn't trade our extended time in Guatemala for anything. Dominic has grown and changed so much over the last year, but on occasion I get a glimpse of the little boy I met on my early trips to Guatemala and I am reminded once again about the early moments I was fortunate enough to share with him and not so much about the moments I missed...

Our celebration plans today were foiled by a busy day at work and more snow.... We ended up having dinner at home and "celebrating" with some leftover Krispy Kremes and one of the gifts I collected for Dominic while we were in Guatemala.

Dominic showing me that this is not simply a backpack or a "man purse", but a place to keep his tools....

I am still in awe of this amazing little boy. And just when I think it isn't possible, I love him even more!

Getting back on track...

2009-02-02T20:58:00.007-05:00

We're still here.... This video from our recent trip to Chicago sums up our life the last few weeks...

We get a little momentum and then we end up face first. :) We'll be back on track soon.

A few random catch up pictures...

2009-01-07T21:02:00.006-05:00

Before the holidays Dominic and I spent a Saturday snowed in. It was a perfect day - we got lots done around the house and spent the whole day in our jammies just hanging out and playing. I wish every Saturday could be like that...

Dominic lasted about 3 minutes in the snow before he was ready to go in.

Note to self for next year: wrapping presents with a toddler is counter-productive. He sang into the tubes, unwrapped several presents and even wrapped himself up in a roll of paper!

Dominic loved candy canes. A neighbor brought some over and he quickly removed them from the tree and chewed through the plastic!

Some random Sunday in December, I heard a fire truck coming down on our street - sirens, lights, the works. No trouble in the neighborhood - only Santa making the rounds throwing candy to the kids! Dominic stood at the window for the next 30 minutes waiting for him to return...

We went to our first Fiesta with our Guate friends this year and had a great time. Santa called each child by name to sit on his lap and delivered a special gift.

We also spent the weekend before Christmas with my parents. Dominic loves to play at their house,

viewing all the family photos

and supervised while my mom and I made cookies.

While there, we had one last visit with Santa before the big day.

After Christmas, we had some pretty warm weather and Dominic and Papa got to spend some time outside.

Dominic's favorite part of the holiday - playing with his cousins! The deflating of the air mattress is always a popular activity and Dominic was thrilled to be a part of it!

And finally..... Happy New Year!

A few more photos

2008-12-29T13:06:00.001-05:00

This would have been appropriate for our cards this year since Dominic's favorite expression is to roll his eyes. Honestly, I can't imagine where he gets it from... :)

Here's a few other shots from the day that didn't make the cards -

And some of my sister and the kids -

Our first Christmas at home...

2008-12-26T23:58:00.006-05:00

On Christmas Eve we had a great visit with our friends and a wonderful call with Dominic's foster family. Our family tradition for Christmas Eve includes eating dinner out:

And then heading home to watch A Christmas Story. Although the movie runs continuously for 24 hours, we have to watch the first one. Anyone caught napping will be forced to watch the next showing beginning to end. Reciting the movie and A Christmas Story trivia is encouraged! :)

This year, in addition to my mom's cookies as our after dinner treat, I made Guatemalan ponche. Dominic's foster family was so excited to hear I was making it for the holiday, since it's tradition for the family hosting on Christmas Eve to prepare the drink for their guests.

We had a great time making it

and even Dominic helped out (and ate some of the ingredients).

It simmered for about an hour and had the whole house smelling of cinnamon and fruit.

Dominic helped Papa stir and preferred to eat all the apples instead of drinking from his cup.

Dominic fell into the coffee table, so there was some drama near the end of the evening and we forgot to leave cookies and milk for Santa......

but he still stopped by!

Mommy and Dominic Christmas morning:

Dominic was excited and after a few weeks of "No, that's not for you" wasn't sure what to do with the gifts! He began handing them out and helped everyone unwrap theirs.

He loved his play food for his kitchen:

but his favorite gift - his own cell phone!

We headed out to my sister's for dinner (and a nice nap!) and Dominic got to practice his unwrapping skills a bit more!

He loved all of his gifts! But his favorite part of the day? Hanging out with his cousins! :)

It was a wonderful Christmas and I couldn't have asked for more! :)

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-19T23:21:00.004-05:00

Our Christmas card this year....

The last few weeks have been filled with many "this-time-last-year" memories, and making every attempt to try to capture every second of our first year together. It's hard to believe that we've been home almost a year and at the same time hard to believe that I've ever been without him...

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday!

Santa - 2nd visit

2008-12-17T21:13:00.006-05:00

We'll definitely be back to visit Santa at Macy's next year. He is wonderful and great with the kids! Dominic has 2 more visits scheduled with Santa before Christmas - he's been so good this year, he has a really long list...

Oh Christmas Tree

2008-12-16T20:19:00.000-05:00

Our first attempt at Santa photos

2008-12-07T13:08:00.002-05:00

While shopping over Thanksgiving, we came across free Santa photos with no line, so we gave it a shot. Dominic recognizes Santa and will even say "Ho, Ho, Ho" (he won't open his mouth so it actually sounds like "Hmm, Hmm, Hmm"), but was not excited to sit on his lap.

We have another visit planned with Santa over the next few weeks, so we'll give it another try then.

Man of the House

2008-12-06T11:04:00.000-05:00

This shirt says it all!

Counting down the days...

2008-12-05T22:59:00.003-05:00

A friend got Dominic his first Advent calendar. Adrian and Jacob love these and Dominic is quickly discovering how great they are too!

I now have to hide it until after dinner or all he wants is his sliver of chocolate!

Thanksgiving Pictures

2008-12-01T22:26:00.000-05:00

Preparing the feast -

After all that hard work, Dominic decided to take a break in Nanny's pantry -

Playing in Nanny's toybox -

Adrian took a few pictures before dinner -

Dominic doesn't like much meat and turkey was no exception. He stuck with mashed potatoes, biscuits and yogurt.

Checking out Papa putting up the decorations and lights in the yard -

And seeing the tree at night -

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T22:35:00.004-05:00

Just a quick post tonight, more tomorrow...

Dominic trying mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving Day last year at Pollo Campero in Guatemala -

Eating mashed potatoes this year on Thanksgiving -

So much to be thankful for this year, but especially our friends and family, both here and in Guatemala...

2008-11-26T22:01:00.005-05:00

About a month or so ago when I had a few too many of "those days", I decided to cash in my accumulated skymiles and hotel points and book a trip just for me. That's what I did in my pre-Dominic days - whenever I had enough, I would just book a last minute solo vacation and all was well again...

So while I went away last weekend, Dominic spent some time with Nanny and Papa! Here he is taking his luggage out to be loaded in the car.

He worked on his exploration and harmonica skills at Nanny's.

While I hung out here

and spent a day with these guys.

The weather was a little chilly, but it was still beautiful. And me? Well.... I was miserable. Miserable in paradise. The trip sounded like a great idea when I booked it, but not so much when the time came to leave him. I talked to him every day and he had a great time with my parents, but I'll be looking for new ways to decompress in the future.

Solo travel has never been lonely before, but it's completely different when I have someone who I miss dearly when I'm away.

Otterville

2008-11-20T00:01:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago we met some friends at Otterville. There were so many areas to play, but Dominic's favorites by far were the kitchen area and the water table.

This was as close as he got to the ball pit. I think it was a little intimidating. Maybe next time...

Dinner Guest

2008-11-19T07:19:00.000-05:00

Dominic insisted on inviting his ball to dinner last week and periodically made sure it was still wedged between his chair and the table.

Love Ew

2008-11-15T01:37:00.002-05:00

Another few days at Children's hospital.... Dominic had his stitches removed from his eye yesterday and then this morning we found ourselves back there in the ER after he fell at school and put his tooth through his lip.

4 hours later we were on our way home with a dose of neosporin. Yep, we waited 4 hours through lunch and naptime for neosporin. They decided not to put stitches in, which really is good news. Just made for a long day...

I did however, get my first un-solicited "Love Ew" from Dominic tonight. So that made the whole chaotic day much better. :) Pictures tomorrow.

"Can I help you?"

2008-11-12T11:58:00.000-05:00

"What mess? I don't see a mess."

I think I'm going to need some help with this one...

2008-11-09T20:30:00.005-05:00

I don't see baseball in our immediate future...

Swiffing

2008-11-08T22:55:00.000-05:00

I'm guessing his eagerness to clean is only a short lived phase...

Fall Photo Shoot - Part 2

2008-11-07T12:46:00.000-05:00

A few more photos from last week...

Passport

2008-11-06T22:04:00.002-05:00

Dominic received his U.S. passport this week! It only took about 1 week to process.

Here he is in February with his Guate passport. We received this the day before we came home...

Time for us to start making some travel plans... :)

Football and Family Weekend

2008-11-05T17:02:00.000-05:00

We took a road trip to PA this weekend to visit family and catch one of my brother's football games. Let's just say that Dominic enjoys football about as much as I do...

He was really good all weekend. His favorite part was exploring the hotel room!

Trick-or-Treat

2008-11-04T22:35:00.008-05:00

Here's our pics from Halloween!

A little yard work, while getting ready...

Holding down our stash...

Going out with Nanny and Papa...

Dominic made it to a few houses. He tried to give the candy back at each stop. He was more into running up and down the driveway and having someone chase him.

We went out to visit Dominic's cousins near the end of the evening before heading out on our weekend road trip.

Checking out Jacob's loot:

Fall Photo Shoot

2008-10-31T15:35:00.000-04:00

We enjoyed the leaves at a local park this week. Dominic wasn't too into the leaves, but loved running around.

Our 1st Pumpkin

2008-10-30T21:56:00.005-04:00

I'm sure we did pumpkins when I was a kid, but this is the first time I've actually cut one myself. To minimize the damage (namely pumpkin guts and blood) I locked us both in the bathroom with our pumpkin that Dominic painted a few weeks ago. The pumpkin guts ended up in his mouth, on the walls, toilet and bathtub, but no blood was shed and Dominic loves his "DunkDin"! All in all, a success for our first time!

He didn't like the way it felt, so he decided to stir instead:

And he tried eating a bit. This doesn't capture it, but the face he made was priceless! That didn't stop him from trying a few more times before he decided he really didn't like it.

His favorite part - putting the lid back on and making sure it was lined up just right. Repeatedly.

Admiring our work:

And poking his eyes out!

Happy Halloween!! We've got a full weekend, so tune in next week for our trick-or-treat pics....

Downtown...

2008-10-26T21:43:00.003-04:00

I miss living downtown, so after some errands this afternoon, Dominic and I stopped by for some dinner and a quick splash in the fountain. It was getting cold outside, but Dominic was having a blast climbing up and and down the steps and just checking the place out.

Cookie monster

2008-10-20T22:37:00.003-04:00

My friend sent me home from work with a cookie for Dominic today and as you can see, he loved it! That's his sign for "more" towards the end. :)

Don't all skeletons have black eyes?

2008-10-19T20:39:00.004-04:00

Still doing well. Back to school and work for us tomorrow...

Recovering...

2008-10-16T22:41:00.003-04:00

The bandage came off today and Dominic has been feeling much better.

The other surgery site looks similar, but I won't be posting pictures of that... ;)

We're home from the hospital and recovering well...

2008-10-15T20:07:00.001-04:00

Dominic had his surgery this morning. The cyst on his brow was removed and he had a little "manly" work done downstairs.

On our way to the hospital early this morning:

Waiting for the doctors:

He kept going to the door of our room saying "Bye":

I was worried about him not having his "bob-bob" in the morning since that's the first thing he asks for, but he was ok. He discovered the drinks in our bag while we were waiting for the doctors:

He did well in recovery and was eating and drinking as soon as we came home.

Since they performed both surgeries at the same time he was under anesthesia for about 2 hours. He's had a rough day recovering from the surgery and is in pain, but seems to be feeling better as the day goes on...

Slide

2008-10-14T12:05:00.001-04:00

We now have a slide in the living room! Not that Dominic is spoiled or anything of the sort... ;) Shouldn't every kid have an indoor slide? I was dropping off his winter coat from last year at the consignment store and couldn't pass this up! It will be perfect for the basement this winter.

Halloween Party

2008-10-13T07:06:00.001-04:00

We joined our local group this weekend for some Halloween festivities. Dominic showing off his "I Love My Mummy" shirt before we left:

Dominic checking out the pumpkins and the playground before the activities:

Painting his pumpkin:

Getting into costume for "trunk-r-treating". His favorite animal sound is "Quack-Quack" and he says it everytime he sees his costume!

A group shot of all the little ones in costume:

Dominic stayed with me and passed out candy. He did make it to one car, but ended up returning the candy! He wasn't sure what to do with it.

Favorite Foto Friday - Octoberfest

2008-10-10T20:06:00.002-04:00

The theme this week is Octoberfest!

Last week we were invited to speak at an informational session for prospective families for our agency. It was in the same neighborhood as a pumpkin farm that is a yearly tradition for my niece and nephew, so I decided to stop. We've been going there for years so it was so cool to be there with Dominic!

The first few moments he just stood there in awe taking it all in.

The pumpkins were a hit until he discovered that there were displays that he could play in.

Getting ready to enter the Aladdin castle:

He didn't want much to do with the pumpkins or posing after he knew there were other fun things to do.

So back to playing...

I'll have my people call your people....

2008-10-08T22:45:00.001-04:00

Goggles

2008-10-01T19:03:00.001-04:00

This weekend I was unpacking a few random boxes and Dominic discovered some goggles!

Mobile Napping Unit

2008-09-30T22:03:00.003-04:00

We had a long day of head-to-toe dr appts, literally - opthamology to urology, that started out pretty rough. Dominic had a major meltdown when they went to get his weight and length, but he was wonderful for the rest of the poking, prodding, examining and blood drawing.

The day didn't allow for a nap, so when he fell asleep in the car on the way home, I didn't want to wake him. He got to finish his nap and I got to catch up on my blog reading all from the garage...

Happy Birthday, Adrian!

2008-09-29T21:57:00.003-04:00

We celebrated with Adrian this weekend! She is so good with Dominic and he loves to spend time with his cousins!

She's started Tae Kwon Do and we got to see the end of her session tonight. She's a smart, strong girl and I think this is going to be a great activity for her!

We love you, Adrian!

Dominic and his PaPa

2008-09-26T20:05:00.000-04:00

My mom got this for Dominic recently and now he enjoys pounding EVERYTHING on the glass coffee table... I think I'm being paid back for all my years of loud/messy/battery-eating/dangerous toys that I've gifted to my nieces and nephews.

He loves his PaPa and the next morning after they played with the hammer and pegs, Dominic sweet talked PaPa into at least 4 wagon rides up and down the street.

And a few pictures from vacation this year -

These are 2 of my favorites...

What will 32" get you?

2008-09-25T21:19:00.000-04:00

Access to the light switch in the dinning room!

Dominic's been working on this for awhile, but is finally able to turn the lights on in the dinning room and on the patio. He has always been fascinated with lights and ceiling fans - even during my first visit trip when he was 2.5 months old I remember that he was mesmerized by the mirrored ceiling and lights in the elevators at the Westin. He's still working on opening door knobs. He knows exactly how they work and stands on his toes to try to reach them, but can't quite make it. Once he has that mastered, I'm in big trouble...

32 inches, 22 pounds at our last dr visit.

Dominic's First Car

2008-09-24T20:13:00.001-04:00

Dominic got his first used car this weekend! She was quite dirty so we gave her a bath.

Soccer: Adrian vs. Hurricane Ike

2008-09-24T06:53:00.001-04:00

We were at the soccer field when the winds started last week...

Dominic could barely stand up without being blown over.

We spent most of the game getting hit in the head with flying tree branches.

Dominic wasn't too interested in taking a photo before we left, but we had to get one of all 3 kids in their soccer shirts!

And what's your excuse?

2008-09-23T21:49:00.006-04:00

My dog didn't eat my homework, but I do have an excuse for not blogging....

2 weeks ago Dominic ran a miserable fever of about 103.5 every day after school for no apparent reason. We were on roseola (baby measles) watch, but he never got the rash. I paid my dr $55 to tell me it was nothing. Don't get me wrong - I love our dr, but frustrated that she wasn't able to ease his misery. She seems to think it could be his teeth. Although most kids don't run a fever this high while teething, it seems to be a pattern with Dominic. His molars finally are all the way in this week and he was back to his usual self after a few days.

As we recovered from the fever, we were hit by Hurricane Ike here in Ohio. The most bizarre weather I have ever seen - 50 - 70 mph winds with sunshine the whole time. The damage took out 90% of the power in our city and lasted for several days (a week for some). This means that I was working some crazy hours and with no power here at the house, Dominic spent 2 nights with my parents. I missed him terribly and if I hadn't been working around the clock, I would have been a total wreck. I knew he was having a great time and that Nanny and PaPa were getting some much needed one-on-one time with him.

And if that's not a good excuse, here's an example of the kind of activity that keeps me away from the computer these days -

Dominic chasing the cat into the bathtub...

And if anyone other than my mother is still reading this neglected blog, stay tuned this week. I promise daily posts with lots of catch up pictures.

Yes or No?

2008-09-13T09:50:00.002-04:00

Extracuricular activites...

2008-09-08T20:51:00.000-04:00

Maybe soccer is in our future?

We went to visit my niece and nephew at soccer practice last week. The idea of being at the soccer field multiple nights each week and most of the weekend is not very appealing to me. I suggested to my sister that I would prefer Dominic pick up an activity that was more conducive to our schedule - perhaps some sort of computer geek like his mom? That sounds more convenient from a scheduling perspective.....

We're practicing wearing the soccer uniform just in case the geek thing doesn't pan out. Maybe his love for his tractor means he's a Future Farmer of America?

I bought the Gautemala soccer jersey in a couple of sizes on our pickup trip and couldn't imagine him ever being big enough to even wear the smallest one. Which makes me start thinking about how long we've been home... We've officially been together 7 months now. It's amazing how fast these 7 months have passed compared to the 9 months prior to that. Soon we'll be celebrating that important milestone in the adoption world - being together longer than we've been apart...

Football season

2008-09-07T15:15:00.001-04:00

Getting ready for bed last night. Practicing his center moves...

Fresh from a bath and ready for some football...

I LOVE football season. Don't get me wrong - I could really care less about the actual game, but Sunday afternoon naps on couch with football in the background are some of the best kind of naps. We're both of to "enjoy" the game. ;)

Birthday Playdate

2008-09-07T15:13:00.003-04:00

We had a birthday playdate with some friends this weekend to celebrate Bug's 3rd birthday. Dominic had a great time and enjoyed seeing his friends!

Brusha, Brusha, Brusha

2008-09-04T21:49:00.003-04:00

Dominic's really enjoying the whole tooth brushing experience. As with everything else these days, he will only cooperate if he can do it all on his own.

His 1 year molars are making a very slow appearance...

Stranger-Friends

2008-09-03T21:56:00.005-04:00

We got to hang out with some of our blog buddies this past weekend. It was a great time and was so nice to meet in person. I always find these relationships interesting. It was the first time we had spent any time together, but it was like we were all old friends. We've shared so much over the last year - things about the process and about our life that I often don't even share with my real-life friends... things that only they can understand. I'm so grateful for their friendship.

For the occasion I blew up Dominic's pool and got out all our outside toys. The kids had a great time!

Dominic wasn't too interested in the pool, but loved to play in the wagon.

His favorite activity in the pool, was climbing in and out.

Anika was so cute giving all the boys hugs and kisses.

By the end of the night, we were all ready to crash.... Can't wait to get together again!

He's on the move

2008-08-22T00:41:00.002-04:00

How does this happen so fast?? He knows he's on to something... :)

Bad Blogger

2008-08-16T22:21:00.006-04:00

I always intend to update the blog after I put Dominic to bed, but I've been unpacking or crawling into bed, myself...

Anyway, all is well! We're slowly unpacking and getting settled. Here are a few pics from the last 2 weeks.

Dominic unpacking in his new room -

He didn't quite get the whole eating dinner on the moving boxes thing...

But he thought mommy's temporary blow-up bed was really cool and by the end of the week, he figured out how to climb up on it.

Enjoying our new yard -

Our first dinner in the new house - chicken on the grill and mashed potatoes (which Dominic decided were better with his hands than with a spoon).

And most of our time has been spent explorer, settling and adjusting to our new place

even Kitty Jack... :)

And back to our regularly scheduled programming...

2008-08-04T12:48:00.002-04:00

All is well with the house. It doesn't look like there is any long-term damage with the water. We got a lot of the stuff moved in this weekend. Dominic is still adjusting. He was up at 6am this morning unsure of his surroundings and ended up sleeping in the blow-em-up with me. Daycare drop off was rough, but we're settling in and looking forward to enjoying our new yard tonight... :)

Home, Sweet Home...

2008-08-01T16:08:00.008-04:00

We interrupt the beach pictures for photos of our new home!

I picked Dominic up after the closing process and running a few errands. These pics were taken the first moments inside the house and before we discovered the huge mess....

The water service was turned on to the house with the bathtub faucet in the on position. Of course there is lots of finger pointing going on at this point as to who is responsible, but the bottom line is that I cleaned up a flooded bathroom, bedroom and basement (that's right - the water ran ALL THE WAY THROUGH) when we should have been celebrating in our new house...

I knew there was a reason I really enjoyed renting...

Only 2 days back and I'm ready to return...

2008-07-30T00:57:00.002-04:00