The First Family Vacation--Fredericksburg

And when I say family, I mean five Yourees instead of the three. We've learned if we mention babysitting to the grandparents, they take the bait. So, the Youree crew crammed into our new vehicle and drove south to Fredericksburg, Texas. 

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To celebrate our fourth anniversary, we stayed at the same wonderful bed and breakfast we visited for our first anniversary--Palo Alto Creek Farm. Since our party was a bit larger this go around, we nestled into the Itz House and not the Barn this time. It was superb. The breakfast is always stellar--and abundant. The space was comfortable and cozy (love the period decor). And my favorite part is being on a working farm with the livestock and the wild animals, especially the deer. Anna was fond of watching the kitties.

Kisses by the huge tree! Anna was so well-behaved, but thoroughly spoiled by her grandparents. (We're home now mending her ways--ha!)

Daddy was being silly and put Anna's pants on her head. And then it was time for a shoulder ride, which, as you can see, she loves just about better than anything.

Bath time with Mimi and Daddy-Pa while we celebrated our anniversary on a special date. We ate a yummo meal at Navajo Grill. Those snazzy shades are a Mimi purchase. Of course, Anna is a fan . . . and a cutie!

Here, Anna is bonding with nature. 

Mimi and Anna enjoying time outside. (Don't you just LOVE Mimi's new haircut, thanks to Aunt Andrea?)

It's Super Anna . . . dun da dun . . . . She really likes "light" rough housing now. The old tricks I used--kissing her neck and cheek really fast--don't get the same giggles anymore. She's like, "Mom, please, I'm so over that. Toss me around on your shoulders, please."

What a fun vacation! When do we go again???

Baby Goodies: The Top 10

My dear friend just gave birth to the sweet, super-good-sleeper Oliver Blake. We've been chatting about baby items and schedules--what we like, what we hate. So, here's my top 10. Love it or lump it, these are the baby goodies that have hit a homebrun in the Youree household.

10. Dr. Smith's Diaper Ointment. By far, this is the BEST diaper rash cream. A little goes a long way, and it is super effective. Three cheers for Dr. Smith's.

9. The Soothie Pacifier is the only one Anna will allow in her mouth; it's her drug of choice. They are great to clean . . . no spit or goo collecting near a plastic handle, ect.

8. Shout out a big "yay" for the Bright Starts "Start Your Senses" Giraffe. In the car, in the walker, on the floor, this is a great toy that Anna never tires of. The variety of rings, mirrors, and such help Anna's motor skills.

7. Gas drops are our best friend. They remedy common tummy pain for baby.

6. After using our regular stroller for walks around the neighborhood for a few weeks, it was obvious that stroller wasn't made for the "off road," i.e. anything except store floors. :-) So, we brought home this stroller. It has turned out to be a perfect vehicle for our fun trips around the block.

5. Jesus . . . not our God, but the stuffed lamb that plays "Jesus Loves You." For whatever reason, it has always soothed Anna quickly. And we just started calling it Jesus because it plays that song. She also hugs it now--too cute.

4. To tackle Anna's dry skin, Aquaphor is our best weapon. We cake it on before she snuggles up for bedtime. Because this lotion doesn't have much of a smell, we use Aveeno Calming lotion during the daytime.

3. As far as name brand goes, Pampers are the best fit for us. However, we use the Target Up & Up brand the most. When Anna is home, we are big fans of the BumGenius 4.0 (with snaps). And if you use cloth diapers, the BumGenius sprayer is a must.

2. For hair care, we've discovered California Baby Calendula conditioner and shampoo. Her hair immediately looks healthier when we use it--so soft and shiny.

1. SOPHIE is our #1 toy. Anna loooooves it. She gnaws it. She makes it squeak. She shakes it. She loves it.

Adoption Day in Pictures

While this pic below isn't of the adoption day, it is her photo shoot from the day before . . . thanks to Daddypa. Mimi informed us that Anna was not a fan of sitting on the grass.

Bath time the night before the big day!

Lotions with Daddy!

Good morning--I'm ready to meet the judge!

Mimi and Anna just before we left before court.

Um, Anna decided to do a little trick in her diaper while we were on the way to the courthouse. Thankfully, we arrived with enough time to changer-roo.

Standing before the judge!

The adoption is final!!!!

The "official" Youree clan.

With our caseworker, Amy.

Yay--she's our baby!

Finally, Forever Family

September 30, 2011--Adoption Day!

Yesterday we woke up two hours earlier than usual; well, I should say, I woke up two hours earlier. Anna woke up one hour earlier, and Bryan slept in nearly two hours. :-) But we were all getting ready for a very important day.

At 7:30 a.m. we caravan-ed to Dallas with grandparents in tow. (I warned Anna this better be the ONLY time we go to juvenile/family court with her--ha.) Up to the third floor to find a hallway full of people. Apparently, we were not the only one on the docket. :-) Our lawyer informed us we were #20 on the list--yikes. Thankfully, though, for whatever reason, we were moved to #2.

We all waited in the galley until our name was called. "Youree, please come forward." The whole gang--me, Bryan, Anna, Mimi, Daddypa, the lawyer, and Amy, our caseworker--came forward to stand before the judge.

After permission from the judge, the lawyer began his "presentation," and then asked Bryan some questions under oath. I was doing great the whole time--all smiles and hugs--until the lawyer asked Bryan something to the effect of "Do you love this little girl and want to take care of her?" Lawd, lawd, I started to sniffle. Mimi was crying. Bryan's voice cracked when he answered, "yes."

And then it was my turn. Praise God, I was only asked if I would answer the same as Bryan. But I wasn't out of the woods. The lawyer ended by asking, "Do you love this girl and want to provide for her education and well-being?" Tears. Tears. Tears. But "YES!" And then there was no stopping the stream. I cried when the caseworker stated Hope Cottage deemed us acceptable parents and supported the adoption. And then, the words I will NEVER forget:

"The Court finds that all prerequisites and requirements for adoption have been met and that the adoption is in the best interest of this child.

"It is further decreed that the child, the subject of this suit, shall henceforth have the legal name of Anna Zane Youree.

"It is decreed that the adoption of the above described child, the subject of this suit, by Petitioners, be and is hereby granted and that the parent-child relationship shall henceforth exist between the child and the Petitioners."

Hallelujah!

The judge gave Anna a little stuffed teddy-bear. Cute.

In retrospect, the whole event--from how I felt in the morning to the giddiness that followed me the rest of the day--can only be compared in emotion and excitement to my wedding day. The morning of I was nervous and focused, trying to be patient until the time of the event. Standing in the courtroom before an official, stating our desire to love and care for Anna . . . and the pure joy that cascaded once those wonderful words were said . . . . The judge might as well said, "I now pronounce you parents and child." Family. Forever. Amen.

Yay! Happy Adoption Day!

This Week's a Wash

It's only Saturday night, and I'm already dreaming of Friday. This time it's not because of the lure of another weekend. Bright and early on Friday morning, the Youree three will gather at a court house in Dallas for Anna Zane's finalization hearing; and the adoption process will be final and complete. Our sweet, sweet girl will be legally ours forever and ever.

So, Sunday-Thursday, who cares? Friday, come quick!

She May Be 7 Months . . .

But these are her six-month pictures:

Talents and Tricks of a Five-Month-Old

While it sounds so cliche, I'll still say it: Anna is changing fast. It is twilight-zone-amazing how quickly she is growing up. These last four weeks have been full of "firsts." This mama can hardly keep up.

Most every time she sneezes, she smiles now. I think it's funny that she thinks it funny.

Just this weekend, Anna started screaming. Oh no, not to be upset or throw a fit. Just screaming like talking. It's startling, and I cannot believe she hasn't lost her voice yet.

A not-so-fun favorite was the fever situation. Just a couple weeks back, she ran a temperature for three days. The doc wanted to see her to rule out an ear infection. Thankfully, she was clear of that. Who knows? The doc said it was, wait for it . . . . "viral unspecified."

But my favorite is just to watch her growing in happiness and contentment. Now, that's not to say she was once unhappy and content. It's just that as she gets older, she's more demonstrative with her emotions, etc. And it is a blessing to me to see her completely relaxed and happy playing at home. There's no other place she'd rather be or anything she'd rather do than play with mama and daddy.

Look who can roll over BOTH ways now!

Playing in her walker is a new fun activity. Just over the weekend, she started scooting around. Watch out, she'll be jetting around the family room before long!

But her FAVORITE place to play is the excersaucer. And she still loves the mirror. :-)

Her first fashion pig tails moment. It's a good look for her; don't you think?

In other Youree news, poor Bryan has been working, working, working. Thankfully, this is the last week of the awful stretch. He'll actually get two weekends off in a row--a miracle!

And praise the Lord, we got rain!!!! While my plants are beyond saving, I am soooo happy for the rain. Now, only 15 more inches to go and we'll be outta this drought.