Where did the time go?

I can hardly belive that a whole year has gone by since we received Rachel's referral. I remember the day like it was yesterday. I was on the phone with Debbie another Guat mom to be when I rec'd an email from carol saying that I needed to call her ASAP. Of course I thought it was bad news, b/c there was an Oct. referral deadline looming over everyone's head & at this point we didnt have our I171h approval nor had we had our fingerprints done.

I couldnt have been more wrong, Carol said that she had a referral of a baby girl named Marjorie & that she would send the pictures & medical in a few minutes, she was driving her granddaughter to a school play. In the meantime I ran downstairs to tell sam that we got a referral, I was so crazy excited & he had no idea what was going on, When she called me back a few minutes later I asked her.. Is the baby healthy? & does she had a lot of hair?

Then I waited for the email, & there she was, my daughter the peanut(wow how things change in a year) LOL. I couldnt believe how small she was, I just wondered if she was healthy, thats the only thing that mattered to me.

I called my mom who of course came running back over to see her granddaughter. After I just looked & looked at her pics a thousand times I made a few phone calls to my close friends & family & sent them the pics so they could see my rachel.. I sent the pics to Kristi who had dial up internet, it took about 2 hours for the pics to download.. she even made her kids stay up late than usual to see the pics of Rachel. Needless to say I was on the phone & the computer half the night.

This past year has been truly agonzing at times due to all of the uncertainty regarding the completion of our adoption.. some days seemed to linger on so bad that days felt like weeks. make no mistake adoption is a grueling heart wreching experience but I wouldnt change it for the world. I cant imagine Rachel not in our lives (even as she screaming her head off right now b/c she doesnt want to sleep) LOL.

On the other hand this past year has flown by, I feel like it was yesterday that we were in Guatemala picking Rachel up. Its been 5 months already that shes home & boy time has really flown by.....



Look at me then...

& Look at me now!!

more pics

Rachel on her birthday with a 104.1 fever



Rachel wearing the Dress that Elli sent her

Rachel loving her cake

Jill & brian

Dom & Rose

Rachel's Party

Yesterday was Rachel's birthday party.. Poor Rachel was MISERABLE to say the least.. We were at the doctor's office in the morning for a rash that she broke out with on Friday night. The doctor I spoke to on Friday night thought that she was allergic to pennicilin (thank god she's not). It turned out to be rosieola.. In the doc's office she was fever, ear, throat infection free, well that didnt last long. After we got home she had a 101.5 fever. So needless to say Rachel really didnt enjoy her party, I felt so sorry for her.. she was very clingy, she wanted me sam or grandma.

It looked like rain all day but thank god the ran held off.. I would have been S.O.L. if it rained, 50 people in my house NOT!!!! We had a few tents in the yard.. I ordered pizza, & my mother & mother in law did some cooking.. all real easy, got knows I'm sooooooooo not the entertainer, my idea id to have a party out..

By the end of the night Rachel was feeling better especially after she dug into her cake, she LOVED that.. I called Telma (rachels FM) in Guatemala to say hello & she how she was doing.. It was nice to get to talk to her again.

Rachel fell asleep in my arms, she was exhausted but all in all it wasa great day of celebrating with my family & friends.

Here are a few pics..my camera is among the missing at the moment...






Lights out!!!







Dave, Jess & sam

Maria, Katelyn & Melissa

Vikki, Victor & Mackenzie

My mother in law, Siter in law Diane & nephew Thomas

Tracey & Jonathan

Aunt Mar & family


Aunt Mariann

My brother John, & his wife michelle.=. me, sam & my parents

My partner in crime Maria & her boys.. Tyler & Kyle

Rachel's Godmother Donna... Fran & Rick

My niece & nephews, Brittany Georgie & Dylan

Fred, Kate, Rob & young

My mom & her sisters Mariann & Franny

Rachel's cake which I love

a not so happy Rachel

Rachel & sams mom

singing happy birthday

My baby girl is 1 today

I can hardly believe that my baby girl is 1 today.. I remember like it was yesterday when carol called & sent me her birth pictures.. what a peanut she was, well not anymore thats for sure. During the process of bringing Rachel home I wasnt even sure that she would be home for this day & holy cow shes been home for 4+ months.

For the past few weeks Ive been say "it's your birthday soon" & she'd clap away, my plan was to have a little cake tonite with us & my parents but thats not happening.. Rachel is so sick... We took her to the doctor yesterday & she had a 104.0 fever, double ear infection & a throat infection. I thought there was a rule that you cant be sick on your birthday. As sick as she is shes not even crying. I took a few pictures that are truely pathetic, I'll post them later b/c I'm at work....

Its still so hard to beieve that a year has gone by & I am so lucky that Rachel is home with us to celebrate.

Rachel's First Word ...

&it's not Mama... it's Dora.. yep Dora..She says Dada & Daddy but I dont think shes knows that Sam is Dada. Now Dora on the other hand.. she certaintly knows who that is.. This all happened on Sept 2nd. I'm amazed that I remembered to document the day, you think I would have been doing this all along but I'm ashamed to say that I havent. I know around when Rachel did this or that but not exact dates.

In other Rachel news, shes really on the go.. for about all of July & half of August she did the army crawl & boy was she fast... about the middle of August, she got the hang of it.. Shes been pulling herself up & walking along the table & couchees since late july.. The steps are her favorite of course. She just got the hand of going from crawling to sitting about 2 weeks ago, that came last.

Party news... well her birthday is Wednesday & we;ll have a cake for her but her party that I wasnt having in on Sat the 13th, we are having about 50 people & I put onthe invitation "No Gifts Please" so we'll see how that works out.. I just had 170 people at her christening & I dont want my family & friends to think that I'm having a birthday party just for the gifts.. I am glad that we will be celebrating my baby's big day with family & close friends.. Of course there will be loads of pics from her party