Makena's Dedication

Makena was dedicated today at Westover Church. Our wonderful friends gave us rock solid support and braved Red Robin with us after the service! We are truly blessed to have the Stone family in our lives!

We love Westover. It is our home church, and although it's hard to comprehend, we've been attending for almost five years! It was important for us to have Makena dedicated and while she wasn't completely thrilled with being on stage, she did a great job. Charlie and I feel that we've witnessed God's grace through Makena and it was wonderful to share that with our church.

We chose Jeremiah 29:11 for her verse:
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Rwanda and Makena's baby sister...we're getting closer!

We are finally making good progress on our Rwandan adoption. Our paperwork is officially complete and we are getting fingerprinted this week (hopefully for the last time?). That means that if all goes as planned , which never happens in int'l adoption, we will be in line for a referral in July and travel in September. Woohoo! We are just thrilled to be that much closer...finally! We started this process on March 31, 2009...and now we're ready to start picking names...

A few updates on Makena...

Makena is growing so fast...it's true that time sure flies when you are having fun! We are enjoying each day and each new stage that accompanies it. We are bracing ourselves for the terrible twos, but I think that we are already in the mix! Makena still loves to eat, but is starting to be a bit more picky. She is good about trying everything though. Water remains her drink of choice, followed by apple juice and milkshakes (actually, it's more milk and frozen fruit blended...yummy and healthy at the same time!). Watermelon, guacamole, and dried mango are her favorite snacks, although not together. We've moved into a bigger car seat and she is able to now walk half way through the neighborhood before she wants to be carried. Makena is participating in soccer more every class and she is Miss Independent in gymnastics. In fact, she loves The Little Gym so much that we booked her birthday party for there! There are lots of little girls in her circle of friends...and her new favorite activity is collecting sticks. We are SO happy that it is finally warm outside - we spend almost the whole day outdoors! She loves to ride in the jogging stroller (yay for me!) and kick her soccer ball around the backyard. A lot more laundry is being done now that we're playing outside (and we're potty training), but I wouldn't change her love of nature and all things dirty for anything! Her one little quirk is that while her entire person can be filthy, she HATES to have dirty hands! Go figure...

Makena's Schedule

Two weeks into 2010, and we are already scheduled to the end of June! Makena is doing great in her gymnastics class and loves going each week. She doesn't always show her enthusiasm when her awesome instructor wants to help her with something, but overall she does a great job. The strides that she has made in her class from the very first time she went are amazing. We are constantly in awe of her progress. Soccer will start toward the end of this month and Charlie is convinced that Makena is going to rock their world! She LOVES to kick a ball around the house and we are proud to say that she can kick it with both feet. In general, Makena loves any organized activity (although she doesn't always decide to cooperate) and I know that she will love soccer. And before you say anything...it is Soccer Tots. They don't make the kids play a game; they teach them about running through cones and racing across the field and kicking the ball...you know, kid stuff! I committed to Makena that we would go to story time every week also. She is getting more accustomed to sitting through a book now (at least when she sees other kids doing that), and our library does an absolutely fantastic job at making story time interesting for everyone. We just joined a playgroup as well and look forward to hanging out with Makena's new buddies on Thursdays. Our children's museum has a great program for toddlers on Mondays, and we tried it out for the first time this week. They had to stop the activities a few times so that I could get Makena OFF the parachute, but all in all, it was a great time. We plan on going each week to help Makena continue to grow as a book lover and it's great to hang with other kids. That's our five days a week! Story time, activity hour, play group, gymnastics, and soccer! One lesson I have learned (sometimes the hard way), is that one big activity a day is enough for her. However, if we just hang around the house (even when we have lots of playtime) she doesn't sleep as well and starts to show her temperamental side. While Makena is still too young to really play with other kids, she definitely likes to be around them and does parallel play...especially if it is a little boy! She will just follow them around...haha! She's starting young.

Happy 2010!

I realize that we have not posted anything since September...we've been busy being a family! The last few months flew by and Makena is growing like a weed! She is learning new things every day and we are happy to report that she passed her last hearing test! Yay for Kena! Her improved hearing has made all of the difference in the world with her understanding and verbal abilities. She is saying a LOT of words now, some other folks can understand, others we only know because they get said so many times a day. She's grown about five inches in the last six months and is in need of a haircut! We are using the Chinese New Year tradition of getting your haircut right before the holiday for her first time! Not sure exactly where we will go, but my stylist is great and would be super accommodating. There just aren't any cute kid things there!

Holidays that have passed...
Halloween was incredible. It sure adds a new dimension to the holidays with a little one! Makena was a Vikings cheerleader for her main costume, but we went as an "Iron Chef Family" to our family party! Makena was too cute in her chef hat and apron...she wielded those spoons around the Tower house like she owned the place...and she almost ate all of their fruit kabobs!




Thanksgiving was relaxing. We spent much of the weekend at home, catching up and enjoying each other's company, as Charlie's travel schedule was a bit crazy. Our good friend, Phillip, had us over for Makena's first American Thanksgiving dinner! Makena and I had made the Williams-Sonoma sweet potato casserole to take, and it ended up being one of her favorite foods (possibly of all time). She entertained all of the guests and didn't throw too much food on the floor during dinner! Black Friday found us at Target and all of the other crazy places...we'll do that again - so much fun!

Christmas was simply incredible. We had NO plans. It was just the three (okay, five...we had a lot of fun with Boo and Scout) of us and we took our time, all the while trying to establish some new Brown family traditions. We went to church on Christmas Eve and only stayed for the music, as is our usual habit (Makena gets noisy...and it makes Charlie nervous). We had a nice dinner and then Makena got to open one present before we got Santa's cookies and cider ready! Christmas morning we opened our gifts, one by one, and Makena enjoyed each thing before she moved on to the next. Her favorite gift? The Learning Tower that we got her (and gave to her over Thanksgiving...why let it sit when she could enjoy it?). It is the greatest invention, and I bet that she spends a good two or three hours in it each day! Still! We rounded out the day with a trip to a dear friend's house for a wonderful Italian Christmas dinner! It was delectable...thank you Karen and Russ!













We are enjoying 2010 so far and look forward to growing as parents while Makena grows into a beautiful little girl!

Charlie's Birthday

Makena, Scout, Boo, and I bought Charlie the NFL Ticket from DirecTV for his birthday...and got Makena a Minnesota Vikings cheerleader outfit so she could hang with dad on the weekends. We got her picture taken this week in her outfit (which will also be her Halloween costume BTW). She was not a fan of the backgrounds, but they did manage to get a few cute ones!

A few photos...

Makena is simply amazing. We are in awe of her and love how she is growing into a very independent and funny little girl. Somebody asked how the baby was today and I had to respond that she just wasn't a baby anymore! She is a crazy walker who is starting to play with others and is acclimating well in her Little Gym class! We've got a busy and fun week coming up (it starts with a DirecTV install and ends with a grandparents visit!), so we'll be sure to get some photos. Here are a few from this weekend...starting with the exhausted Jack Russells!

Scout and Boo are TIRED after playing with Makena!

Makena watches Ni Hao, Kai Lan on occasion and LOVES Kai Lan! She saw this shirt in Target and wouldn't let go of it...

Makena and I went car shopping...notice how close she is to the $120+k vehicle...much to Charlie's chagrin, we did NOT buy that one! haha

Makena LOVES to eat. This photo is from Red Robin - she had a balloon and macaroni and could not have been happier!

Makena was all ready for our morning run! We just splurged and bought a jogging stroller. It was possibly the best money we've spent on baby stuff so far! My sanity is returning and Makena falls asleep in the first 15 minutes of her ride!

Happy Birthday, Scout (and what happens when Makena eats sugar...)

Today Scout turned three! Wow, I won't say that it seems like just yesterday that she was a little pup, but it is crazy to think that it has been almost three years since we brought her home! The Brown family is not one to normally celebrate dog birthdays, but this year was an exception. Makena got invited to a real birthday party in a week and we are trying to make sure that she is ready for new experiences before she enters a crowd (and this party will be awesome and over-the-top, so we wanted her to at least know what was going on). So...we threw Scout a mini-party, complete with balloons, a present, cake, guests, and party hats (it was quite a party for only $12)! Makena did great and really warmed up to Linda and Kenneth by the end of the party. We sang the birthday song and enjoyed our mini-cake (after all...any excuse to have cake, right?). It was the first time I've really witnessed Makena on a sugar high. Watch out world! Her squeals of delight went up at least a decibel as she dragged me by my finger around the house at breakneck speed! It was adorable and she spent so much energy running around and screaming that she collapsed almost exactly 30 minutes later!


Scout with her birthday hat - she sure didn't like me for doing that to her (Boo got off scott free with this one too!)

Balloons are one of Makena's favorite things - she calls them "abbas" and was so amazed that we spent 30 minutes blowing them up!


Our great neighbors, "Grammy" Linda and "Papa" Kenneth stopped by to help celebrate! They are the best!

Mama and Makena in our party hats holding Scout's present... she LOVED the cake!


Boo....we'll have a party for you too! Don't worry...

Too Cool for School

Our Rock & Roll girl showing off her cool shirt and new jeans (it was chilly this morning!)...and trying to decide if she wants to walk across the room...

Nope...she decided on crawling.

I ventured out today to the park. The real, honest-to-goodness, public park. Complete with stroller (I had to empty the entire Prius trunk for it to fit in) and two Jack Russells! We got a lot of looks and smiles - all three did great! We are still working on Boo's barking, but overall we had a very successful trip!

Makena likes to relax with her feet up. Can you tell that someone might be ready for a nap?
Walking the krewe...(as Charlie calls them! Someday we'll get back to NOLA, babe!)

Supergirl!

She is simply amazing! She can...surprise everyone with her appetite...(almost) walk alone...run circles around Scout and Boo...recognize herself, Mama, and Dada in pictures...pick out her own clothes...hide food in her highchair...(almost) walk the entire neighborhood holding Mama's hand...sleep for five minutes and act like she had a two hour nap...not sleep for more than an hour or two in a row and still wake up refreshed in the morning...charm the pants off of total strangers...clap her hands to the beat of a song...say hello and bye bye...use sign language for basic items...shake her head to mean no (and yes...she's a bit confused sometimes)...sit in the tub for as long as you let her...ride in her stroller and wait patiently for Scout and Boo...throw a ball...put away her books...melt her daddy's heart when she gives him a hug...kiss you if you ask (be careful...she's an open mouth kisser!)...giggle and light up a room...after all, she's SUPERGIRL!

Charlie thought that this shirt was perfect... Supergirl!

Just looking out my window...

Look, Mama, no hands!

Gotta have Shades

Today was a super good day. Charlie got home from a business trip and everyone (mama most I think) was super glad to see him. I can tell that I switched my philosophy once we hit the one-month mark of being back in the States. I used to be anti-television for kids. I still am, but decided that allowing her to watch a show while I was cleaning the kitchen for 15 minutes was better and more productive than her screaming every time I put her down. We watch Ni Hao, Kai Lan, which is a cartoon by Nickelodeon that is about the cutest little girl and her friends. They say things in Chinese and she says that everything is "super...fill in the blank". I find that I am saying that we are super happy or everything is super good or that something is super yummy...I originally heard that on the Legally Blond movies, but now I am repeating it because there is a little cartoon kid saying it in my house every morning! Makena really does respond to the Chinese though and (for those of you who are interested) the new Kai Lan's Great Trip to China episode is really great and talks all about things that kids would be interested in about China.

Anyway, Makena and I have our first playdate tomorrow with a mom and daughter that we met through the adoption community. We can't wait (and really hope that they will understand why our house is not quite as organized as we would like!)...

Just showing off her new tooth...boy, that was sure fun!

Just chilling in my cool ride...walking Scout and Boo!

My shades might not be Dior, but they stay on!

Fun Day

We are on day three of Charlie's out-of-town business trip and decided that we should get out and do something fun! Makena did not have the best night sleep (super fun...ugh!) and she consequently fell asleep on our morning dog walk. She was back up and ready to go about 9:30am. I am bound and determined to find all of the fun local activities for kids. Today was our second attempt (the first was The Little Gym - great fun, and we are planning to enroll in the fall semester). We headed to the Children's Museum. It was terrific and the tot play area was just what the doctor ordered. After about 20 minutes of not wanting to leave my side, Makena ventured out on her own! There was a ball toy, lots of tunnels, puzzles, legos, cars and scooters, and a bunch more that were the perfect size for the 2 and under crowd! After mama's knees needed a break, we walked around through the bigger kid stuff and know that we will spend many years going to the museum. There was a real fire engine, police car, airplane cockpit, train, nascar car, and postal truck - and that is just the vehicles! They also have a media room where the kids can pretend to be a newscaster and a creative room where they can finger paint. It isn't perfect, but everything in the place allows for learning and creativity! The only drawback? I forgot the camera...I know, I know...shame on me.


After spending two hours zooming around the museum and eating a big lunch, Makena crashed. When she got up her hair was crazy, so we put it in one of those little ponytails on top of her head...too cute! She won't let us put a bow in her hair, but didn't seem to notice the ponytail! That will be a regular hair style for her as her hair grows out. She walked a LOT tonight too...she is so proud and is just adorable as she wobbles across the floor.

We haven't planned anything exciting for tomorrow yet and this is one of those typical thunderstorm weeks, so we'll have to stick to inside fun. I need to check out Kindermusik - maybe we'll give them a call!

Just because...

...there is nothing quite like a kid in overalls.

Our 2 "Oldest"

Scout and Boo had a big day today...grooming! Really it is just a bath, but we like to glam it up a bit and call it their spa day. They came out of the vet with their bandanas and big smiles to see mama and Makena. Simply adorable! We are still "in love" with both of them and our lives would not be as full if they hadn't joined our family. I cannot say enough about how proud we are of our pups...especially, Scout. Their patience with Makena and with us as we grow as first-time parents continues to amaze me. Scout will not jump up on Makena; Scout will let Makena pet her; Scout will sit and wait for Makena to throw her toy (about three inches!) and then "chase" it and drop it back for Mak to throw again! Boo is dealing with a helmet on her head because of some odd allergic reaction, but is otherwise doing well. Boo is still a loaner, but she is pretty patient with Mak and is definitely getting used to having a little human in the house! Scout's 3rd birthday is next week...I see a big treat in her future! BooBoo will be sure to get something special too!

The view from the table during dinner time...they both sit and patiently wait for food playtime to begin!

Scout with some pretty creepy camera eyes...

Boo showing her bashful side...

Cool Kicks...

Every girl needs to have cool kicks. Makena tried on (or Mama put them on...whichever way you want to view it) real kid shoes today. She wears a pair of walking sandals from Stride Rite every day, but today we threw caution to the wind and tried on a pair of high tops...I think she liked them!

You can also get a glimpse into our half finished playroom! Complete with awesome toys from a bunch of awesome friends and our new toy bins (now child safe thanks to Charlie!)...

Lessons Learned - Part 1

We've learned so much in the last (almost) two months that it is simply crazy. At the beginning of June we were a rather naive couple getting packed for China. While we had purchased the recommended formula, we didn't know how to actually make it (that might sound ridiculous, but it is very true!). I am going to try and remember some of the things we've learned during our journey...

1. Now I know why people buy the giant packages of paper towels! You can never have too many!
2. If you put half of the water in the formula bottle first, then the formula, then stir, then add the rest, it will be much better than if you add the powder first. Also...while we didn't do it, never shake the bottle if you can help it. We ended up using the swizzle stick from the hotel bar to stir the formula.
3. American diapers far out perform Chinese diapers, but neither make a baby smell "fresh" if they are not! Also, pooping is an event to be celebrated...no matter where we are :)!
4. She will inevitably fall asleep right as we arrive to our destination - today, we headed on a 5-minute car ride to Target and she fell asleep while we were parking (but this afternoon I drove around for 30 minutes trying to get her to sleep and she screamed the whole time!).
5. Toddlers are involved eaters. They haven't enjoyed their food until it completely engulfs them and covers their hair, face, hands, and sometimes even their feet.
6. If your daughter isn't dressed in head to toe pink, everyone assumes that she is a boy (we don't care, but it is really funny when they look closer and realize that she has on a dress).
7. Sleep is fleeting. Take it when you can get it and remember...patience when you wake up for the 15th time of the night (and no, I am NOT exaggerating) is a virtue!
8. Running the dishwasher on a schedule really makes a difference in my life! It might sound silly, but if I run it after her last bottle of the night everything is clean when we wake up for breakfast.
9. Our playroom is a lifesaver. Anyone who wants to stop by and play with some great 1-year-old toys, we would love the company!
10. Taking a ton of pictures, which we do, doesn't do anyone good if you don't share them! We are working to be better about posting them...

Boating

We made it to the boat (finally, as Charlie might add) and Mak did a great job! There wasn't even the hint of a tantrum until we changed her out of her wet swim clothes, and frankly, I don't like that much myself! We will definitely be going out again soon.

Our best purchased, gifted, and borrowed items

Somebody asked me the other day what were some good products that we could recommend. Below are a bunch of the ones that we LOVE.

First and foremost...a day/night video monitor...we cannot say enough good things about it!

A really nice stroller...we bought the Quinny Buzz stroller for walking around the neighborhood and the local parks. It has real tires and is the best ride for Makena. It's easy to push and goes over the nature trails. We've got tons of hills too, so this was definitely a good buy!

Two booster chairs...we bought the Fisher-Price Healthy Booster chair for her to eat in at the table. I'm not a big fan of the huge high chairs and our kitchen table is gathering height so the traditional ones wouldn't work. We ended up buying another one (primarily to have an extra tray for the house), and are able to use it in restaurants. She is so used to the chair that there isn't the usual going-out trauma that we experience if we don't bring it. And...they are inexpensive!

A great lullaby mix...our friends gifted us a copy of the mix that they made when their son was little. It is the greatest mix of lullaby music, and it isn't the usual baby stuff. I find myself getting sleepy while I'm trying to put her to bed if I have the CD on. Thanks, Miss Marne and Mr. Jason (and Max!)!

The Baby Bjorn Travel Crib...is the greatest invention in the world of pack and plays. Not only is it super portable, but she can't hurt herself if she falls. There is no metal that she can hit and it isn't some obnoxious color palette or character theme! Thanks, Grandpapa and Grandmama!

A rubber duck bathtub...we "invested" in the $10 blow-up duck tub and found that Makena is in love with her tub! Even after we empty the water out she will stay in the tub until she is shivering. Even the bottom is full of air, making it (apparently) very comfortable on her little tush. It also doesn't use that much water. Awesome...

The Toddler 411 book...for those of us parents who start with a one-year-old, this book was a lifesaver! We struggled a bit in the beginning, but got a lot of knowledge from that book once we got home.

I know that there are a BUNCH more things, but I need to get some things done before she wakes up from her nap. Charlie is on a business trip, and I'm so proud that I was able to vacuum the house while holding Makena and fending off two Jack Russells that aren't big fans of the vacuum!

Fun at the Brown house!

Makena is walking a few steps now, and combined with Scout and Boo fighting over a stuffed dinosaur, you can see what a day is like at the Brown house!

Catching up

We are working to catch up with friends and family right now...someday we'll get adoption announcements out (hopefully before she turns two!). We spent July 4th at our friend's beautiful pool...and took a family portrait! It was a great time (although we left way before fireworks).

Some things we've learned about our little girl...she loves guacamole more than her previously favorite food of watermelon...she does not like any girly things in her hair...she loves the dogs and they usually love her (although Boo is a bit moody right now)...she is a swimmer at heart...she loves to kick a soccer ball around the house (and uses both legs! Yay!)...she is learning how to use a fork and spoon, but is more adept at eating off of chopsticks...she can pinch like no other...she loves looking at trees out the car window...she claps along to the radio...her screams of joy could crack glass...she recognizes herself in pictures...her favorite book is Eight Little Monkeys (thanks, Lauren!)...she just learned how to walk in circles (holding our finger) and will do that for hours...her favorite toy is a play cell phone that we bought in China...she loves taking a bath so much that she will stay in the tub until the water is gone and she's shivering - I'll still have to deal with protests!...there is so much more but it's definitely past my bedtime. She usually wakes up about 10:30pm (she's not the best in the sleep department!), so I better get ready! Love to you all...