Our little ladybug!

Seriously... could Lauryn be any cuter! This is Lauryn in her Halloween costume. Lovingly made by Grandma T! xo

Trial run - nursery school!

What a day. First day in a long time that I had to set my alarm.
Lauryn had her trial run at nursery school today! Our day started at 7:00, she was awake when I went into her room, all snugly and warm and still playing with her hair and sucking her lip (the most adorable thing EVER)! She looked so small! So little! We had breakfast and got ready for school! Took some pictures outside with her new Tinkerbell bag. awww.
The drive to school was far to quick and I wasn't ready! It was only going to be an hour... but still!
Got her coat off and inside shoes on. Went over our paperwork and said a very short goodbye. She cried for a bit, no tears, just whined... I left quickly and she was easily distracted!
I went to a near by grocery store to pick up some stuff for dinner. I was hurrying through the cash register got back to the car and I had been gone 18 mins... okay... now what. Got a tea, drove around for what seemed like FOREVER and arrived back at school (5 mins. early) to pick up Lauryn.
The toddler group was playing outside. Lauryn was happy to see me...she gave me a quick hug and then wanted down to play some more. I told her it was time to go home and she LOST her mind... she wanted to stay and play! What a kid.
She absolutely, without a doubt loved every minute of her trial run. 1/2 days on Tuesday and Thursday will be wonderful for Lauryn.
What a kid!

School Daze!

I can't believe it! We toured a nursery school yesterday and Lauryn loved every minute of it! So, we are in the process of another huge step for our little Lauryn. Lauryn will start school next week! OMG! She will go Tuesdays from 8:30-12:00 and Thursdays from 8:30-11:30.
The school is really awesome. Its a happy, warm, fun place! There was music playing when we got there. About 8 kids in the toddler room. They were playing and signing. There are a couple of other children with speech trouble in the class. This is going to be so good for Lauryn!
Lauryn hit it off right away with another little girl. Kyle sat down and Lauryn's new friend brought over a book for Kyle to read. This little girl was obsessed with Kyles shirt and kept touching the sleeves and rubbing his arm! Everytime she did, Lauryn would very calmly remove her hand from Daddy and give her a look. You know the look! LOL! I was busy filling out paperwork. Kyle said it was so funny.
We were there for about 45 mins. I actually got all teary eyed explaining our journey to Lauryn with the ladies who took me on the tour! LOL!
We left just as lunch was being served. They have a cook on staff who makes wonderful meals for the kids. It smelled so good!
We then went to Tim Hortons to celebrate this milestone!
Lauryn will go for an hour again on Friday and then Tuesday will start officially!
I am so excited for her. I know that this is an important part of her growing and can't wait to see her thrive with her/our new schedule!
First day of school! WOW!

Before I know it... Lauryn will be in college!

I simply can't believe how fast Lauryn is growing up. She is a little girl who grows in leaps and bounds daily. I left her with my Mom and Dad OVERNIGHT for the first time. I can't believe I actually made it through the night. It was funny! I was looking forward to the break and being able to hang out without Mickey Mouse clubhouse in the background. Had dinner with my cousin and then it hit me. I missed her. I mean REALLY missed her. I called home to get the update from Nana and Grampa and all was well. Truth is, she doesn't miss mommy at all when she is there. I was the same with my nana! Well at Nana's she drank from a straw, got her bangs trimmed and learned a new song! OMG! I was totally impressed!
Thanks Nana and Grampa!
Kyle, Lauryn and I are looking at a nursery school tomorrow! The speach therapist recommended that Lauryn be socialized with other children. What we are thinking is two half days a week. 8:30 - 11:30 one day and then again another day a week, but the second day she will stay for lunch. I am so excited about this. I really believe that this will open up a whole new world for Lauryn and she will continue to thrive.
Awww, my little girl... our little angel going off to school. I know it's only 6.5 hours a week... but still it's huge! Kyle and I are so excited, but at the same time... I often wonder where I can buy a bubble to keep her in!
I started her Christmas stocking. I found a kit on ebay and it's ballerina bears! Super cute! I hope my version looks as nice as the one on the front of the package.
lol!
Hope all is well with you and yours.
Wish us luck on the school tour tomorrow!
Keep Happy!
xo

Such a proud mommy!

That's me! Today Lauryn did all her flashcards. She recognized all the animals (all but the pig!) and made the right animal sound! Amazing!
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend.
xo

What are you Thankful for?

Wow, just read my post from last year's thanksgiving...
This year I am most thankful for the love and support of my wonderful family. Kyle and I have always been surrounded by support. Through our entire adoption journey, we have been so fortunate for the support of our families.
I hope everyone finds the one thing that they are most thankful for this year, and that you are lucky enough to surround yourself with whatever makes you happiest.
I can't wait to see a highchair at our thanksgiving table.
Hang on Baby Lauryn...not long now.
I am also thankful for my dreams... each night, I see my sweet daughters face. I picture her snuggled down, in footie pj's after a bath between Kyle and I in our bed. Johnson and Peanut at the foot of our bed (clearly, we will need a bigger bed when this becomes reality!) and we all get cozy and tickle her tummy, tell her how much we love her, and how we've waited for these nights!
I truly wonder what the next year might bring.
I can't believe it! Everything that we were hoping for has come true. There are so many nights that Lauryn is running around in her footie pj's and Kyle and I watch in aww at our daughter. Our dream come true!
There will be a highchair at our thanksgiving table this year. This chair will hold the world's most precious little angel. This little angel will be surrounded with love and people who care so much for her. She is fitting right into everything that I have grown up with.
This year I am most thankful for the health of our daughter. I am thankful that she is home. She is happy and healthy and has completed our family. I am thankful for my family and friends who have been there and continue to be there.
Again, my hope for all of you is that this holiday weekend finds you surrounded with the love of your family and friends and your children. If your children aren't home yet. Hang in there. There will be. I can promise you that.
We are blessed beyond measure to have our Baby Lauryn home with us.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
xo

Life in the fast lane!

To say that we've been busy in an understatement. Our lives are filled with so much that the blog has taken a total back seat. I am not happy about this. I think it's important for Lauryn to have something to read that's all about her, and how she came to be and what her firsts were and what, as a family we have to look forward to! So, I promise to be more diligent.

August in review:
My uncle passed away on August 10. He was far to young and it was a very sad time. His death was sudden, and it made me realize many worries that mothers face with a young child. Not only did I have to coordinate a sitter for Johnson, but we had a child to worry about. Kyle was on a business trip, and there was a bunch of things that all needed to fall into place!
I felt it much to early for Lauryn to attend a funeral. Thankfully, a very good friend of the family was able to watch her with her cousin Reid and I don't even think she realized that Mommy was gone!
At the end of August, Lauryn had her cleft palate repaired. She came through with flying colours. We stayed in the hospital two nights. Since then, every day is a little better. That was the big news in August! Lauryn had arm splints for three weeks. She was a trooper. She figured out how to play, eat and totally didn't let the arm splints get in her way. She is a pretty amazing kid! She was also restricted to a diet of pureed food. We are counting the days until she can have a unrestricted diet!

September in review:
September was spent helping Lauryn recover. She is a determined little girl. We spent some time at the park and Lauryn loves to climb and swing! Her aggression is coming to an end. She sometimes (very rarely) will bite. She sometimes hits, but is quick to follow with a kiss better. Her sleeping habits have improved, but still are not consistant. I took Lauryn to my office to meet the friends who are more like family. We had a great time. She loved the Go train and everybody was so happy to meet her. It is amazing the reaction that Lauryn gets. She's a beauty who loves an audience! We went to my Aunts house and she had a ton of fun playing with Sierrah who is three. They kind of played together, but kind of played around each other. Lauryn is a total copy cat and loves to imitate! She was pretty jealous of the time that I spent with Sierrah and didn't like to share her mommy. We worked through it and I now realize the importance of Lauryn spending time with other kids. It's crucial for her! She learns so quickly from other children. With Lauryn in arm splints for most of September, we really established our home time routine. It was nice to be with her at home and get a regular schedule!

Lauryn had her first speech therapy session yesterday! The Therapist, Melissa was impressed with Lauryns understanding. The way that she can follow direction. We can speak to Lauryn in sentences. Things like - Sit on your bum, take your shoes off and put them away. Lauryn will happily do the tasks. What we need to work on is her communication. She will readily immitate anything, we now need for her to vocalize this. We have been teaching Lauryn sign language. Very basic. Kyle and I are by no means fluent! However, the words that Lauryn can sign, help her communicate her needs. Now we need to introduce the words to make sure that Lauryn is also verbalizing these things. Its an important step in her development and one that I am trying my best to find overwhelming! Kyle and I both want so badly to give Lauryn everything. What parents don't! However, Lauryn will learn at her own pace with us providing a consistant routine that will allow her to reach her own potential! Right? lol!
So... there you have it. This is what we've been up to!
I still find it hard to believe that she is ours. The love that we feel in watching her grow and how our family dynamics have changed is pretty incredible.
A blogging friend of mine and her husband leave tomorrow for China! Wishing them all the love and luck in the world. It's an incredible journey! Safe travels.

Keep Happy!
xo