...whether the update pictures of QiuQiu have sent us into a renewed frenzy of nesting...
THE ANSWER IS YES!!!!
Mike spent his "weekend" sanding and re-shingling her playstructure (which was in need of shingles when we moved in, and is now in need of a good sanding followed by a new coat of stain). It's a wonderful thing to watch a new father working on things for his daughter. Working day....
...and night, just to make her world a more beautiful place. Sigh.
Even our gardens seem to be working overtime to welcome Flynn QiuQiu. These funny things (don't know what they're called) had about four blooms per plant when I planted them last summer. This year, they came back in spades! You can also see the edge of my beloved thyme in this picture, which also has come back in spades. Colorado is a good climate for thyme.
And as for me, I was very excited today when my series of sign language flashcards came in.
I've got my work cut out for me! I will spend the next few months practicing my signs and burning through the reading material that is still left on my nightstand. I got through a great deal of material on China, its culture, religions, philosophy and history, during the first year of the wait. Last week, I read through most of The Happiest Baby on the Block (recommended highly by Hayley, among others). And a few days ago our neighbor Deirdre (who brought home her beautiful son Sidamo this past year from Ethiopia), loaned me a few of her favorite books on toddler adoption and attachment. So, don't you worry about me, folks! I've got plenty to keep me busy between now and Travel Approval!
(And, I can see from this picture that my other resolution - weightlifting to prepare for the rigors of toting a 12-month-old - is starting to pay off! My puny arms are beginning to show some muscle. OK, it's scrawny, weakling-muscle, but muscle nonetheless! Lucky for me, although my arms are naturally wiry, they do put on muscle without a great deal of sweat and pain. So even though I only make it to the gym about three times a week, I may actually be in shape for baby-wrangling by the time fall rolls around!)
Here I am signing one of the handful of words I retained from our one and only sign language class: "Mama"!
(In case you're wondering, the other words that I retained were "macaroni-and-cheese", "shark", "cookie", "rain", and the perhaps less than useful "octopus").
11 comments:
You are looking fantastic and your arms show. Heather loaned me a book on signing and it has helped a lot. It really does work. I love the bedding. Where did you get it? Etsy? That poster on the back that you have frame is beautiful too.
Now, for that man, I hope you are preparing the best Father's Day present because he totally deserves it.
Oh by the way, those flowers, I think, are mini carnations.
It's a great idea to teach her sign! I used some with YaYa and it was amazing, particularly the first time she signed "Grandpa" as he was nowhere in sight and it was so magical so see into her mind! She learned them very quickly and so it was an easy process. I know octopus may seem obscure, but I couldn't believe how many times "duck" showed up in our lives, so it may turn out to be equally useful. Looks like you've got lots of great things to keep you busy until the fall. I bought fabric for a quilt in case the wait really went too long, but it's still sitting there on her shelf. Maybe for her big girl bed...
Aren't you lucky to have a handy husband?! I am very impressed! Have a great weekend!
Ooops, I read that you knew the sign for "snark" and I was surprised that there IS a sign for that and that you would be using something so abstract with your little girl. Shark makes much more sense - well, it's more concrete anyway!
Glad to hear you know the sign for Octopus... that would come in more handy then the word duck... hehehe... do you mind if I steal your Mike for a while... I need a few house repairs and in return my Mike (he has been in business for 15 years) can teach him business tips... hehehe... take care and happy nesting...
We are into super nesting too. It will be a wild weekend at our house. Thank goodness it is a long weekend so we can get more things done. There is nothing like TA to send you into overdrive and make you realize how much there is left to do!
You look amazing and the hard work at the gym is showing. Can I give you some advice? Get a baby carrier (helps wth bonding), and put the aproximate weight of Flynn in it (we carried our pooch around the house). You will know immediately which back/shoulder muscles will need strengthening too!
I love the sign for Mama! We had no idea, but Kerri was using sign language when we brought her home. She made the sign for "feed me/hungry" and the chinese sign for "xie xie/thank you" among others. It took awhile for us to figure it out!
M is a cool Dad! Please post a picture of the finished play structure!
Exciting!!! When you work out, make sure you are targeting your wrists, too. That is the area I've had the most pain in adjusting to the daily lifting of a big ol' baby boy!
...I don't even make it to the gym three times a YEAR, girl!
You are wise to weight lift! Sydney was 24 pounds when she was placed in our arms (at 15 months) and my arms and wrists ached for weeks! It looks like things are falling into place for Flynn's arrival. Speaking of arrival, one box is on its way to you and the second one will soon follow (I could only carry one at a time).
On the sign language, you definitely need to learn "milk," "water," and "more" (as in "more octopus.")
Yeah but I bet octopus was one of the coolest signs, right? :O)
GO Dad on his nesting- so wish I lived next door so I could just sit back and watch you 2 continue to bloom into parenthood!
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