First June Bib!

This bib is gorgeous, and soft ... and RED! Thank you so much, Jennifer. I really love it and the color should look great on Nora!

Lifebook and Baby Book

I ordered these gorgeous silk albums from Chinese Adoption Document Organizers and More (www.cadoam.com). The red one is a 12x12 scrapbook-style album that I plan to use for Nora's lifebook and the pink one is her baby book. It came with pages customized for China adoptions (shown inset). The pages are fill-in-the-blank style, like your typical baby book, but include all the information that is unique to adoption, such as agency information, social worker name, etc.

Let the Sewing Commence!

I have an early birthday present - a new sewing machine! I am so excited, because this means that I can start on Nora's crib bedding and her one hundred good wishes quilt. Of course I need some practice first and my "How to use your sewing machine" classes don't start until June 22, so I'm inventing some smaller, low-impact projects to get some sewing experience.

Since my Mom and Dad are sending my old doll bed (which my Dad built for me when I was a little girl) for Nora, I decided that I would make some doll bedding that would match Nora's crib bedding. Nora's basic bedding - sheets and bedskirt - are Company Kids hot pink gingham and I found a lady bug quilt pattern (shown in second photo) that I plan to make for her in hot pink and apple green. The crib bedding will be a scaled-down and slightly modified version of that. The photo shows the ladybug bodies in progress in the five hot pink fabrics that I selected for the doll's quilt. I think it will be really cute. Of course I'll post a photo when it's finished.

P.S. If you are interested in the ladybug quilt pattern, it is "Ladybug, Ladybug..." by Teri Christopherson. I ordered it online from The Winding River Quilt Shop http://www.windingriverquiltshop.com/

Nora's Second Personalized Item!

This is truly amazing. Manette from the January DTC group made us each a personalized quilt square with the group's logo and our baby's name (I blanked out our last name in this photo). As if that wasn't enough, it is on a beautiful tone on tone heart fabric. The photo doesn't do it justice, it is absolutely beautiful and so special to us. I am going to make it into a decorative pillow for Nora's room. Thank you so much, Manette, you have outdone yourself.

Nora's First Personalized Item!

We came home from our Mother's Day weekend roadtrip today and found a package waiting for us on the porch. It was our May bib (and matching burb cloth) from Kara and it is personalized with Nora's name!! It is the very first thing she has gotten with her name on it. It is so special -- and at at Mother's Day no less! Thank you so much Kara - we love it!

May Showers Bring ... Pretty New Bibs!!

It is a dreary, cold, rainy day here today and I was starting to feel a little down ... but then I got the MAIL!! Thank you so much, Alyson, for the pretty pink butterfly bibs. They are so sweet and girly. I love them!

My Very FIRST First Mother's Day Gift!

What a momentous occasion this is - my very first ever Mother's Day gift! My Jan DTC Secret Pal gift for May arrived today. This month's theme was Happy Mother's Day - Something for Mom. My Secret Pal sent a beautiful first Mother's Day card, a Willow Tree figurine of an angel holding a baby, a Burt's Bees baby skin care kit, an "I Love You Like Crazy Cakes" board book and a pad of flower-and-ladybug sticky notes with my name on them.

Thank you so much, Secret Pal, for making this first Mother's Day special for me. I loved what you wrote in the card, also. It is an incredible thought that this time next year Nora will be here in my arms.

Gorgeous Children's Book

Tonight was the Dec DTC Children's Book Cybershower. It was really fun! Our gift came from Kim in Iowa. It is a really neat Chinese-themed alphabet book called "D is for Dragon Dance". It's really bright and colorful and the illustrations are just beautiful.

Thank you so much Kim! I'm really lucky to have a cyberpal who is a teacher and a librarian!

January DTC Cybershower

Tonight was the first cybershower for the January DTC group. Kathy was our cyber-shopper and she sent the most amazing, generous gift - two outfits, a snuggly pink velour blanket, a butterfly dish, a stuffed bear in a ladybug suit, a package of outlet covers (much needed - we have many more outlets than any normal house and not a single outlet cover!) and an "I Love My Mommy" bib. I think that I'm going to need to go get some "I Love My Daddy" stuff for Rob's Father's Day gift! :)

Be sure to take a close look at the green gingham dress on the left - it has ladybug appliques and BLOOMERS! It's just precious!

Thank you again, Kathy! You're such a sweetheart. And Maddie wants me to thank you for the tasty tissue paper.