Some favorite photos of our happy little toddler.

This is one of my favorite photos of Helaina - at the park, wind in her hair, tongue sticking out, cutest little profile ever. Sheer toddler joy!

Making her way through the mesh tunnel.


She has mastered all the slides - even the big curvy ones.


Falling asleep in the carseat on the way home from the park has become routine!


Here's Helaina before we left for the park trying to tie my sneakers. She is a perfect example of "monkey see, monkey do" lately. She imitates just about anything that anyone does, which means we have to be very careful with what we do and say in front of her!


On Helaina's 2nd birthday this past February (while we were waiting for our LOA), we celebrated her birthday by going out to dinner at a Chinese restaurant and then having "ladybug" cake. We froze the piece with her name on it and saved it for her. Here she is enjoying the candles. She knew just what to do and started blowing at them the second we lit them!

Dora the Explorer sunglasses are sooooo cool,

especially when Heidi wears them.


Pink strawberry milk is the best, especially when it matches your shirt and pants.

Here's Helaina with one of her prized posessions. Her ladybug broom is her latest favorite. I swear she would have slept with it at night if we had let her. Notice she's brushing her hair. You must look good at all times, even when doing housework.

Helaina's first 2 years at the orphanage.

On our "gotcha" day, Helaina's caregiver gave us a CD and told us it had photos of Helaina on it. We assumed there would be just a few pictures, but we recently (finally) looked at the CD and there are 65 pictures of Helaina ranging in time from when she was found at the orphanage gate in March 2006 until just before we picked her up this past March. We are thrilled to have these photos and are so thankful that the orphanage took the time to make the CD for us. We now have a glimpse into Helaina's first 2 years of life at the orphanage - and it doesn't look too bad! Here are just a few of my favorites.

Looks like she was gripping that bottle for dear life! 10/06, just over 7 months old.


Her 1st birthday party. Talk about lots of frosting! 2/27/07


Love the clown-like outfit! 3/07, 13 months.


Looking through the leaves, too cute. I'll bet she tried to climb it next. 5/07, 15 months.


Not a happy face, even though she loves the water now. 6/07, 16 months.


Ahhhh, our beautiful little fairy princess. 7/07, 17 months.


Now this is more like it - a big pool. 8/07, 18 months.

Must have been dress-up day at the orphanage! What is that thing she's holding? A doggie-snake?! 12/07, 22 months.

Wait until she sees Central New York snow with snow banks taller than her! 1/08, 23 months.

Mother's Day - Being Helaina's Momma is the best!

Helaina selected the perfect card for her Momma and it even had a ladybug on it. Of course she "signed" it herself - it's a true keepsake!

A picture frame that says "I Love My Mommy" - what more could I ask for?

Helaina knows I like hippos, so the photo album with the purple hippo on the cover was my favorite gift.

On Mother's Day we had only been home from the hospital for 2 days with Helaina, so it was sort of a "take it easy" day for everyone. She was still in a lot of pain and completely off any schedule she was on prior to her surgery. Daddy and Momma were still exhausted from the trauma and stress of her surgery and our lack of sleep during her hospital stay, so it was nice to just hang around the house and try to recover a bit!

The doctor said "soft foods" for several weeks after surgery - thank goodness donuts are soft!!!

Over 100 stitches.......

Helaina had surgery to repair her palate on May 6. It's been one heck of a traumatic experience for Helaina and Mommy & Daddy. Glad to report that after a 4-day hospital stay she's home and getting better every day, but those first days in the hospital were brutal. Our little darling's face was swollen beyond belief right after surgery and she had puffy, chapped, cracked lips that were bigger than Angelina Jolie's! She looked like she went 10 rounds with with Rocky Balboa! Above picture was taken about 24 hours after the surgery. She would sleep a little, then cry a lot, sleep a little, cry a lot - repeat, repeat, repeat!!! She didn't like any hospital staff coming near her (understandably), even if it was just to take her temperature and blood pressure. Helaina was on ear drops, nasal sprays and a variety of IV meds, fun fun fun. When they switched her to oral pain meds the fun really began. It was a nightmare, with Jim and I holding her arms, legs and head while the nurse attempted to squirt the syringe full of medication into her mouth. Helaina was quite good at spitting out the medication, pushing it out with her tongue, blowing bubbles to get it out, clamping her teeth down - my gosh, she earned quite the reputation in the hospital as being "strong and feisty". That's not a bad thing, is it?!

Playing in the kid's room at the hospital. Even though the room had more toys than Toys R Us, the discomfort she felt kept her from really enjoying the playtimes. Look at the corners of her mouth - they were raw, poor little baby.

Doing a little cooking in the play room with Daddy (who loved sitting in the little wooden chairs).

"No no, Helaina - don't pick at your mouth." Surprisingly enough, she didn't try to put her fingers into her mouth to get at the sutures. The main problem was her picking at her dried, cracked lips - usually until they bled. Even now at 9 days post-op, the corners of her mouth remain cracked and still bleed.


I swear I was asleep in this picture!


This is what all the stylin' toddlers are wearing now - a "tired little tiger" hosptial gown and sneaks!

It's always best to cover a "big bad IV boo boo" with a Curious George bandaid. The nurses were amazed that the IV stayed in Helaina's arm the entire time she was in the hospital. Helaina tried her best to rip it out of her arm, and was almost successful more than once. They would have never gotten that back in without sedating her!

Watering anything is fun.

When the flowers have enough water, you may as well water the sidewalk - just in case it needs it.