Giselle is Seven Months Old

Dear Giselle,

Our littlest love. My are you precious and oh so sweet. You are filled with love and snuggles and boy do you love your mommy time. Every where I go, you want to go to and if you can't, you follow me with your beautiful blue eyes. Your personality is really starting to shine and you are one silly giggly girl!

Here's a peek into your world at 7 months old:

• Once you learned to sit, you worked long and hard to figure out how to go from sitting to your tummy and it wasn't long after a few play sessions on the floor and your desire you reach a toy that you mastered both going from tummy to sitting and sitting to tummy. Just one more way you are able to reach anything you want!
• You are babbling pretty constantly now and your current favorite baby gibberish is 'babababa'. You can also say, 'hi' and 'hey'. One day I said 'hey' to you and you mimicked me perfectly. I though it was just a fluke and turns out you can really say it! Of course never on command, because well, you are you. Nothing happens on command!
• You love standing holding on to something or mommy and daddy supporting you as you do so. I think a new skill is brewing...
• This month, we also decided (or rather you decided), you were ready for a big girl car seat.  You love it and are so much happier riding around in the car.  
• You've really become ticklish these days.  Your current tickle spots are around your collar bone and inside those sweet chunky thighs of yours.  I can't stop tickling you because I just love that deep belly giggle of yours. 
• We are still making our way through all the veggies you can eat.  We have tried sweet potatoes, avocado, cauliflower, peas, carrots, broccoli, butternut squash and squash.  So far, you love them all except those pesky avocados.  You have also eaten bananas, all berries and tried those infamous puffs that every baby loves.  
• You eat solids twice a day now and take 4 - 8 oz bottles. 
• Bath time starts around 7:30 pm and we play for a while, then get you ready for bed, then play some more, read you a story or two and soon after, you are off to dreamland by 8:00 pm.  
• You sleep for a solid 11 hours and are up by 7:00 am -7:30 am. 
• You are finally a good napper! You take a 1.5 hour nap 2 hours after you wake up, a 1 hour nap around 1 pm and a 1 hour nap around 4 pm. 
• This month, you got your first teeth. I'm so glad you got them a bit later in life, but 2 teeth at once - yikes! No teething medicine worked. The only solution was you on my chest. I was happy to forgo sleep just to make you comfortable. At first I was sad to see that gummy smile of yours go, but I have to say, you are even cuter with your two bottom teeth. Smiley, that smile of yours melts me and way I get it. 
• This month, we also went on your very first trip to the beach to celebrate your sister's 3rd birthday. We had tons of fun, but the waves and the heat put you right to sleep and you slept through all the fun! Next year you will be right in the mix!

Gosh Giselle, your babyhood is passing me by like no other time in my life. I want to savor every second I have with squishy kissable little you. You are the sweetest, happiest little baby and I never want to forget anything about this season of my life. It's tough. Oh so tough with two babies 3 and under, but I as your mommy am very blessed to have two amazing little princesses whom I treasure with all my heart. You are perfect to me in every single way and I love you way way more than you will ever know. 

You are our sunshine,

Mommy, Daddy and Emeline

(and Oskar and George too)

Giselle is Six Months Old

Dear Giselle, 

Happy 6 months to our little sunshine! You are the bright shining light in all of our lives. Giselle, your face lights up with just a look in your direction, you have the absolute best belly laugh and who can resist those rolls. You are a momma's girl, you love your food and you love your sister even more. We have one smart, beautiful and full of personality little baby on our hands. We couldn't be more blessed by you our little angel. 

Here's a peek into your world at 6 months old:

• Your biggest milestone this month is that you are able to sit on your own now. When you accomplish something new, your face lights up and you smile the biggest smile. You are so proud of yourself and we as your parents are even more proud of you. 
• You can now hold your own bottle and feed yourself finger foods. You have gone from a little helpless baby to an independent baby in a blink of an eye. Although, you would always rather mommy or daddy's help than to do it yourself. I can live with that. 
• You have started to fuss a bit when your sister takes away a toy from you. She's generally a good sharer, but she's a toddler... Don't blame her just yet.
• You are really discovering your voice this month. It made my heart so happy to hear you say 'ma-ma' the other day when you were fussing a bit. You have done it several times since. You can also say, 'ba-ba', 'da-da', 'ah-goo' and 'ah-boo'. You also love to squeal in excitement to see how loud you can get. 
• You still love to stand and are getting really good at standing with less and less support. 
• You are a bit spoiled my love and still love for mommy to carry you everywhere. We are both happy heart-to-heart when I carry you in the ergo. I think you could stay there for hours on end. 
• Crawling is soon. When we lay you down on the floor, you can scoot around forward and backward and side-side to get whatever toy may be out of your reach. 
• Speaking of reach, your reach must be 3ft. Nothing can be anywhere in the vicinity of little you because you will find a way to reach it. Silly girl. Your hand-eye coordination is sharp!
• You have also started reaching for mommy to pick you up and each time, my heart just melts. 
• Emeline is your absolute best friend. She can do anything for you and you giggle your best deepest giggle. You idolize her and she you. Nothing makes me happier than to see the connection you two have already. 
• You take 3 naps a day and the length always varies (30 min - 1.5 hours), but you seem to take your longest nap in the morning exactly 2 hours from when you wake up.  All your naps are exactly 2 hours after you wake up from the last. 
• Your bath is full of toys and bubbles to make it more fun and more of a sensory experience for you.  You love both, but still just really love to splash about by kicking your feet with your sister.
• Bedtime is at 8:30 sharp these days and our bedtime routine is much the same with family story time in Emeline's bed before we kiss your sweet lips goodnight. 
• Weight - 19 lbs Height - 27 in
• You are in size 12-18 month clothes already! Where did my little baby go?! 
• You have also really started to get hair this month. It is the most beautiful shade of auburn. Giselle my beauty, you are going to be a knockout with those blue eyes and auburn hair. 
• Your personality is the sweetest. You are loving, bubbly, sweet, shy, a bit sensitive, determined and silly. 

6 months ago today, we were blessed with the absolute greatest gift. Everyday, I'm so honored and thankful your birth-mom chose us to raise you baby girl. You are our entire world. Happy 1/2 Birthday my little buttercup.  It's been the best 6 months of my life. 

We love you to the ends of the earth and back,

Mommy, Daddy and Emeline

(and Oskar and George, too!)

Giselle is Five Months Old

Dear Giselle, 

I knew this time would pass quickly, but really I had no idea how truly fast it would fly by with two sweet babies. I'm a busy mommy of two and the days are just passing me by so quickly I can hardly blink.  I have savored each moment we spend together and each stage, but somehow I just can't get enough of you.  You and your sister are my world.  And I am yours. 

Here's a peek into your world at 5 months old:

• You are now either a side sleeper or a tummy sleeper.  When I lay you down in your crib for 'night night time', you immediately roll over and start sucking your wubbanub (you are addicted to that thing!) and soon after, you are fast asleep.  The first time I found you sleeping on your tummy, my heart skipped a beat and I quickly rolled you over onto your back.  Immediately, you rolled right back onto your tummy and I realized that you are alright, you are safe and it's okay for you to roll about in your crib as you please.  You do sleep more soundly this way.  
• You are a little spoiled my dear.  You love to be carried and I carry you around or wear you in the baby carrier everywhere I go.  You are most content with me.   
• When we lay you down on the floor to play with your toys, you have learned to scoot forward or backward and turn side to side.  By scooting, you can get to where you want to go and grab that toy that was just out of reach. 
• Your hand eye coordination has really drastically improved this month.  You are into everything already.  Reaching and grabbing for anything in my hands, anything in close reach and anything you may want to reach for.  I had forgotten how quickly you babies reach this stage. 
• You found your piggies at 4 months and now at 5 months, you just can't stop sucking on those sweet toes of yours.  Changing your diaper is quite the challenge these days when I have to steal your legs to put your diaper back on.  
• You live for your routine.  Mimi has watched you a couple of times now and really there is no need for me to write down your routine for her.  You eat and nap at basically the same time every day.  You are such an easy baby, albeit a little fussy when not being held, but we are truly blessed. 
• You are eating 4-5  8 oz bottles a day.  
• And at 5 1/2 months, we started you on homemade pureed foods. It was time to drop a bottle and the formula was just not cutting it. You were one hungry growing girl! We, along with Dr. S decided it's best if we skip rice or oat cereal (both cause constipation and you don't need them anyway) and we decided to move straight veggies. We started with avocado and got some really great faces out of you when the avocado got stuck at the roof of your month. We all got a good laugh out of it! 
• You take 3 naps a day and the length always varies (30 min - 1.5 hours), but you seem to take your longest nap in the morning exactly 2 hours from when you wake up.  All your naps are exactly 2 hours after you wake up from the last. 
• Our bath routine is much the same except I added toys and bubbles to make it more fun and more of a sensory experience for you.  You love both, but still just really love to splash about!
• Bedtime is at 7:30 sharp these days and our bedtime routine is much the same with family story time before we kiss your sweet lips goodnight. 

My sweet love, I so enjoy our quiet time together when I can soak up your sweet cuddles and breath in your baby scent. Oh how I wish I could bottle that scent up forever - your scent, plus lotion, plus formula and a little tee-tee is heaven sent to any momma. You'll get it someday. 

You are our world,

Mommy, Daddy and Emeline

(and Oskar and George too)

Giselle is Four Months Old

Dear Giselle, 

Each month, we've watched you grow and learn and we've watched that beautiful face of yours just get brighter and brighter. You beam happiness and when that sweet face of yours lights up, it's contagious. Really it brings tears to my eyes as your mommy because I know how truly loved and happy you are. Your sweetness and your giggle was just what the walls of this home needed to hear and what my heart needed to hold on to forever. We love you with out measure Giselle. 

The world is at your finger tips (literally these days!) and you spend your days touching, feeling and taking in the world around you. I think you may be a 'take the bull by the horns' kind of girl when you grown up. 

Here's a peek into your world at 4 months old:

• You are a very social baby - cooing, mimicking our sounds and giggling all the time.  And you have the best deep little giggle!  The sounds you starting making this month are more complex and you are really trying to mimic the sounds we make when talking to you. 
• You are such a smart little baby girl. We introduced your exersaucer to you this month and instead of using it as a jumper, you would rather spin around and discover how all of your toys work. You do so with such intent.
• You've been 'standing' since you were 4 weeks old and you can only imagine how sturdy you are now.  You can also push off of anything and stand up on your own as I grasp your hands for sturdiness. It's pretty amazing how strong your are already.  
• You now have a really good grasp of all your toys and you can even move one towards you or out of your way.  And you can pick and choose which one you want to play with. Of course, you do have favorites - Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle and Lamaze My Friend Emily (baby that hooks onto your carseat).  We take them everywhere we go!  
• You love to be read to and touch each page as I read to you and your sister. It's actually one of my favorite times of day. 
• These days you reach for everything - especially everything in my hands.  If mommy likes it; Giselle wants it! And everything you do get your hands in, goes straight to your mouth!  Most of the time though, you are sucking on your two fingers, thumb or even both hands when they are grasped together. 
• You are now eating 5 8oz bottles a day.  You can pull my hand closer and push the nipple in your mouth and sometimes, you even hold the bottle on your own as it gets less full and less heavy.  
• Naps are all over the board. You take 3-4 naps a day - a morning, afternoon and early evening nap and every nap is about 30 minutes. I don't think you will ever be a good napper, but I'm thankful you still sleep through the night! You know and rely on your eat, play, sleep routine these days and that makes my job so much easier.  When it is nap time, we go in your room, I read you a story and rock you in our your rocker and you go down without a fuss (usually!). 
• Bath time is still such a special time for you and Emeline. I put you in your seat, Emeline hops in to your bubble filled bath, picks a color for the water (usually pink!) and you two play princesses and splash about. Both of you girls love the bath and it's such a happy time that I treasure. 
• After bath is of course story time.  We get you and Emeline all snugly and fresh and we all go into Emeline's bed.  It's family time, with Emeline, Daddy, me, Oskar and George all snuggled on her bed to read you two a story or two or five before we kiss you goodnight and wish you both sweet sweet dreams.  
• Bedtime is at 9 pm and you sleep soundly through the night until about 8 am.  You have always been such a good sleeper at night and Daddy and I are so grateful.  4 month stats:

16 lbs 13 oz - 89%

26 inches - 94%

16.9 inches - 95%

You are the answer to our prayers and our hearts overflow with love for you. I hope you always know how very much you are loved and treasured and how completely happy you have made Mommy, Daddy and your sister. We are living out the best days of our life and that's all because of you Giselle. 

We love you the most,

Mommy, Daddy, Emeline

(Oskar and George too!)

Giselle is Three Months Old

Dear Giselle, 

Today marks 3 months since you entered our world and turned this life of ours into the most beautiful of places. We are forever grateful your birth mom choose us to be your parents and we vow to cherish you always and to be the very best parents we know how to be. I promise you are showered with love and laughter every single day. You know nothing but happiness and I hope you always will. You and Emeline are our whole world. To us, you are complete happiness. A dream realized. And we are unimaginably happy with our little family. 

You my love, are pure bliss. You are such an easy baby (dare I say it!). You eat regularly, sleep through the night and are so sincerely happy. All you have to do is look at you and you give us a deep belly giggle. Gosh I love you so. 

Here is a peek into her world at 3 months:

• You have mastered tummy time, but that's not new news. You are now rolling over (December 20th to be exact) from tummy to back. You do it right after I place you on your tummy. 
• You are really starting to drool now and blow bubbles. We definitely need bibs theses days!
• For a minute there, you were a thumb sucker. I think you may have been mimicking your sister. I was hopeful you would be able to self soothe if and when you needed it, but you my dear love that paci. 
• You are really starting to discover your voice and squeal in delight. You also coo a ton! If we talk to you, you talk right back as if we are having a conversation. You have 'a-goo' down perfectly. You actually have for some time. I know you will be an early talker as you starting cooing at a week old. You are trying to grow up way before your time!
• You really have your grip down and love to grab my hair and squeeze me when we cuddle - you are a great cuddler! You can grab your paci, blanket and even toys if are interested, but so far, you mostly just want to cuddle.
• You are an incredibly strong baby too with your ability to 'stand' when we hold you up, and you attempt to sit up when we are holding you upright in our laps.
• You are a mommy's girl. You love to be held and in fact fuss most of the time when I put you down. I guess I spoiled you already! So, unless we are playing on the floor or snuggling, you are in the bjorn close to my chest just as you should be. I really wouldn't have it any other way. I've learned to do so much with a baby attached to me.
• You and Emeline continue to have such a strong bond. The love between you two continues to amaze me everyday. The other night Emeline asked if you could take a bath with her even though it wasn't your bath night and how could I say no to that. This is one of her favorite times of the day - taking a bath with you. You love the bath too and you are really starting to kick and splash about. 
• Emeline was also the first person to get you to giggle. In fact it was one night when we were watching Emeline play in the bath (January 4th). Now all we have to do is look at you, talk to you or tickle you around your neck or under your chin. It's the sweetest sound to my ears. 
• You are eating 8 oz every 3-4 hours, sleeping 12 hours a night, is in size 3-6 or 6-12 month clothes and you continue to be growing like a weed. You are so soft and squishy with sweet baby rolls that are to die for. Ah, I could just eat you up.

We love you our sweet Giselle. Always will.

Love you to the moon and back,

Mommy, Daddy and Emeline

(and Oskar and George, too!)

Fourth of July 2014

Happy Birthday America!
"The American flag does not fly because the wind moves past it. The American flag flies from the last breath of each military member who has died protecting it. American soldiers don't fight because they hate what's in front of them...they fight because they love what's behind them."

Birth Mother Visit

Our small family of 3 spent this past Saturday with Emeline's birth mother. She continues to amaze us and we feel eternally grateful to her for the difficult decision she made 2 years ago. While we had a great time at the zoo and plenty of laughs, I have no doubt it was a very emotional and tough day for her.

The hardest part of these periodic visits for us is when I stop to think about what she must be thinking as we hug and go home - us with the most amazing gift we have ever received, and Emeline's birth mother with pictures and a days worth of memories. I tell myself that us continuously showering Emeline with love, life experiences and support are the best way to "pay back the gift" and I sincerely hope she feels the same. Nonetheless I feel for her for what she must be thinking and experiencing as she makes the drive home.

Adoption has been and continues to be a new learning experience for me, but I'm so proud and happy to have gone through this process and can't help but think its helped me to try and always put myself in others' shoes. I went into the adoption process ignorantly with negative views of how a woman could ever place her child for adoption; I now see the adoption process for what it really is - an incredible relationship between two sets of people with different capabilities and one unwavering desire for the best life for an unborn child. My hope is that I can share that knowledge and thinking with others unfamiliar to adoption.

~Kris

P.S. We are respecting Emeline's birth mother's privacy by not posting pictures of her.