Recent Photos

Summer News

I don't have much time for blogging lately, but wanted to catch up all up--at least those of you who read this blog and don't Facebook with me!  Here are a few bullet points for our latest happenings:

--The girls finished up the school year on May 20th and are hanging out with me every day.  We try and make it to the gym and then spend the rest of the day doing something fun.

--I turned the Big 40 on May 23rd, so we rented a princess jumpy castle for the weekend.  The whole street came over for a cook out and some jumpy time.

--We are going to New Braunfels, TX for our adoption reunion.  Can't wait to see everyone and catch up with all the babies!  It will be awesome to see the difference a year plus has made with these children.  Some families are already adopting again--soooo amazing.

--Ava will be getting tubes put in her ears on June 23rd.  We hope this will help with her speech and balance.  She will turn 3 on June 25th.  Can't believe it--she still only weighs 25 lbs.--little bitty thing.

--The girls are swimming, swimming, swimming--they both love it!  Emma is all over the pool like a pro.  Mommy still can't let her go too far with out freaking out.  She can handle it, mommy cannot!

I will post photos next.  I have been having problems, so we will see what happens.  Hope you are all having a wonderful summer so far.

Easter 2009

Happy Easter everyone!  We knew the weather was going to be rough on Easter, so we hunted eggs on Saturday.  The Easter Bunny left a few surprises for the girls on the front porch on Easter morning.  Here are a few photos of the fun.  

Snow and Ice Storm Fun!

Mommy wasn't happy about the blizzard that came through on Friday and Saturday, but we decided to join the fun!  Hopefully now Spring can show up for good--HOPEFULLY!!!

Happy Anniversary Ava! We Love You Mei Mei!

Ava Le Bei one year later!

Where Ava used to sleep, eat, and play one year ago.

Now she chases her big sister around and even dresses like her!

Our first meeting with Ava and the day she joined our family--Gotcha Day!

Today we celebrate the first day we met Ava and the day we call Gotcha Day.  Ava was late arriving to the civil affairs building so we actually got to ride with her and the nannies on the elevator.  We couldn't hold her, but the nannies told her that we were her family, her Mama, Baba, and Jie Jie.  She was so scared and just snuggled into her nannies shoulder and looked at us with confusion.  She was so withdrawn with no emotion for the first 24 hours.  After that, it was game on and her outgoing personality began to show in little pieces.  We brought Ava home at 21 months old.  She had lived at the orphanage since she was found at one day old.  She didn't speak or understand any English so communication was frustrating for us all.  

Over the past year, Ava has endured leaving her nannies and caretakers, moving from an orphanage in Southern China to a hotel for 2 1/2 weeks with perfect strangers, getting on an airplane with these strangers and moving to New Mexico for 3 months, then packing up and moving to Kansas.  Ava has proven that she is a survivor and adapts amazingly well to change.   She now understands 99% of what we say to her and can communicate great considering her age and what she's been exposed to.  Ava is also a social butterfly.  She loves to wave and say hello to everyone.  She loves playing with the big girls and boys--I think she's 2 1/2 going on 10!

As I put Ava to bed tonight, I thought about the first night she slept in her crib beside our bed in the hotel in Guangzhou.  She went right to sleep and slept all night--she must have been exhausted from the fear of the unknown.  I was so scared about what the future would hold for our family with our newest member.  How would things work out with Ava and the bonding process and would she eventually love us as her Forever Family?  How would Emma adapt as the big sister and with no longer getting all the attention?  

I still remember the first time Ava called me Mama--of course, now she says it 500 times a day! She now says "I love You" and it makes me tear up every time she says it.  Emma is an amazing big sister and LOVES Ava so much.  She still doesn't like Ava to get into her big girl stuff in her bedroom, but shares anything and everything with her Mei Mei.  Thank you Emma for being the wonderful young girl and awesome big sister that you have become.  We are so proud of you.  

Thanks for an amazing year Ava.  You have lived up to your nannies nickname of a "naughty baby", but we love your curiosity and mischief.  You have changed our lives for the better and taught us that we can all endure what ever is thrown our way.

Ready for Spring!

The Thatcher Family is ready for SPRING!  Daddy made it home from his deployment!!!  Ava's collar bone is healing nicely and she is back to normal.  Emma is doing great in school and looking forward to her dance recital and summer!  Enjoy some new photos.

All Thrust and No Vector Ava

Well, the inevitable finally happened.  My little wild girl broke her collar bone yesterday at the gym day care.  She decided to be Super Girl and dive off of the ramp that goes into the little play castle.  We rushed to the doctor and got the x-rays and the bone was completely cracked into.  She refuses to wear the sling, but doesn't want to use her right arm much anyway because of the pain.  She has to have it checked in 3 weeks to see if it's healing okay.  This is the most common bone broken in the human body and you can't really do anything for it but let it heal.   She is in a lot of pain, so we are pumping the Motrin and Tylenol every 2 hours.  Gotta go, she crying again--poor baby.