Favorite Foto Friday #10

Flashback to 2004... before I was a mom of three. Here is a picture of my first two monkeys at the zoo... gosh, how they have changed!!! I don't think they would even pose together these days.




Be sure to comment if you would like me to add your link to your FFF. Here are some of our FFF friends this week:
Laurie & Mindy
Kerri & Ruby
Farrah & Madisyn
Lisa & Frankie the birthday boy
Amy & Jonathan
Becca & Ella
Robyn & Gabriella
Krystal & Jennifer's Sara
Becky & Juliana
Stephanie & Maya
Katie, Arianna & Brayden
Sabra & Sofia
Sarah, Micah, Zech, Alec & Aidan
Deb & Little Bug
Many Blessings & Jellybean
Christina & Aiden
Rachel, Angel & Aya
Corey and Luke
Candy & Kya
Alleen & Gabriella
Andrea & K
Kelly & Karson
Nikki & Gabi
Marlene, Rylee & Wyatt

To Sleep or Not To Sleep...

That is the big question around here. For about two months now, Bug has outlawed sleeping in her crib and we have been co-sleeping. Imagine this... a big king size bed, a tiny two year old girl, a five foot pillow named Lumpy (who has acted as my back propper since I was preggo with Morgan) and a mom... guess how much bed I get to sleep on? Yep... about 12 inches.. I am ready to evict my littlest bed partner. However, she refuses to sleep anywhere else... an all out revolt! I can even try to sneak her into her crib at 2 in the morning while she is dead asleep... as soon as her little body touches down on that other mattress... she is WIDE awake! Don't even get me started that I have to lay down with her now to even get her to sleep and many nights, I find myself snoozing off with her... and I can't... too much to do in the evenings and it is my only time for myself (with my pals... the washer, dryer, diet Coke, bills and my TV shows).

So... we have been discussing a big girl bed and Sophie has been somewhat receptive to it. I ordered a beautiful bed that I can't wait to come in:


In the meantime, I kept thinking that it would be too big for her to get in and out of and thought a toddler bed would be a good short term solution. So, on Craigslist this week, I found this adorable Little Tikes Cottage toddler bed at a great price and thought we would give it a try.



She was excited at first and had a great time playing on it, look at this little poser!





Then came time for jammies and bedtime... still a few smiles and she was all excited gathering up all her blankets and toys...






Then, I said it was time for ni ni and this is what I got...


So... back to mommy's bed we go... sigh

Anybody else dealing with this and how do you get them to sleep in their own beds again? I never had this with my older two kids who slept in their own cribs and beds always. I know I made a mistake by letting her sleep with me to begin with, but it was just easier at the time as a sleep deprived mommy is not a happy mommy and those middle of the night wake up episodes had me looking like a zombie the next morning for work.

As much as I am not quite ready to put away that baby crib for the last time, it is time for my little bug to sleep on her own in her own room. Is it time to call in Nanny 911? I won't even mention the whining and crying and tears, oh my...

Calgon, take me away!!!

Wacky Wednesday

OK... I am sneaking this in even though Wednesday has passed... but, it was just too funny not to post! My little bow girl LOVES her bows! She had me put these on her just to be silly! I love my wacky Bug!

Favorite Foto Friday #9

Better late than never!! And, you know me... can never post just one!

The first one is a blast from the past... remember Inch Worm? I had one as a kid and loved it. Unfortunately, this is the toddler version and after I brought it home and put it together, realized that Radio Flyer came out with an exact bigger version... may have to get that one too!! This one fits her little body perfectly though!



And this is her face tonight after thoroughly enjoying her orange frosted Pumpkin Cookie from WW Cousins! I can just kiss all over that delicious little face!



Sorry so late tonight, but I will link your FFF posts through the weekend!!
Katie, Arianna & Brayden
Kerri & Ruby
Krystal & Brayden
Robyn & Gabriella
Kelly & Kemry
Amy & Jonathan
Tricia & Sofia
Tracy
Nancy, Danny & Victoria
Marlene & Wyatt
Lisa & Katelyn
Corey, Luke & Sarah

Portrait of my Bug

I found an amazing portrait artist a few weeks ago, amazingly on Craigslist. This artist does pencil drawings from a photograph that she comes out to take. I had portraits like these done for Morgan and Grant when they were 4 and 2 and wanted to have one of Sophie~Bug too. I could not locate the artist who did theirs again, but when I stumbled across this artist's ad on the website, her style looked much like my other portraits hanging in the living room.

So, a couple weeks ago, she came out to take pictures of Sophie. We had both fallen asleep for a little nap when she came to the door. Luckily, it was at the tail end of Sophie's nap, so I just pulled her out of her crib and had Grant try to get her to smile. Her eyes were a little squinty from just waking up and being placed in the sun. And, of course, I did not have time to re-do her hair... but the portrait came out great. This is a photograph of the portrait that she sent to me before she delivered it.



I love that she is laughing at her brother in this picture... and I am amazed at the talent it takes to draw so well.

Guatoberfest 2007

Oh, what fun we had in Georgia at the first ever Guatoberfest! Special thank yous to Julia and Kerry for organizing this awesome event! Old friends were finally able to meet in person and many new friends were made! And the children are even more gorgeous in person if that is even possible! It was so awesome to meet all the mommies and hear the voices behind all the posts. The weather was perfect, the hotel was awesome, the itinerary was just enough to pull everybody together to mingle, yet allowed everybody a chance to do other things (especially SHOP!).

Enough about the details... I know you want to see the pictures!



Sophie~Bug had a great time together with her friend, Bryce, who she calls "Mice". She is the daughter of Marcy and we connected back when we were in process to bring our girls home in 2005. These girls looked so much alike as infants and are just 6 weeks apart in age. It was fun watching them play together as if they have been friends forever!

My great fried Alma made the trip with me. Please keep her in your prayers as she is waiting the referral of her daughter (to be named Natalia) from Guatemala. With all that is going on in Guatemala as far as adoptions are concerned, she is in for a bumpy ride, but just know that Natalia will be worth the wait.

Also noticed that my Blogmeter reached 20,000 visits today... wow, I am amazed at the connections and friendships that this blog has created. Thank you for continuing to stop by to check in on my family.

Love and FROG,

Sarah

Favorite Foto Friday #8 & Happy Two Year Forever Family Anniversary!

This week, I am again posting multiple photos for my Favorite Foto Friday as October 5th marks the 2nd year anniversary of my precious Sophia Lane Elisabeth being placed in my arms for forever in the Marriott lobby in Guatemala City. Wow, how those two years have flown by and my love for my little bug has grown exponentially!!

Here is my precious little ladybug in the garden this week...







And here she was two years ago today being placed in my arms after what seemed like an eternal wait (and of course, I now feel so lucky to have brought her home so soon).



There are no words to describe just exactly what I felt when I held her that day... but I can tell you that it was so surreal and every bit as miraculous as the moment my newborns were placed in my arms after their births. This child grew not in my womb, but in my heart and the labor pains were every bit as painful each time and the joy every bit as momentous!

Today, I think so much of her birthmother and wonder if she is thinking of her tiny baby and wondering if she is loved and cherished and cared for. I know somewhere in the back of my mind that she absolutely knows that our daughter is greatly loved and is someone special to so many. A thread will always connect us all... and I pray that Sophie will grow up knowing that her birthmother gave her the gift of life and her mommy received the gift of watching her grow up and helping her become all that her mothers dreamed of.

I LOVE YOU, MY BABY SOPHIE~BUG!!! I am so happy that we are together for FOREVER!!

We are spending this special anniversary traveling to Atlanta for Guatoberfest. I will not be able to link your FFF pictures here until my return Sunday night. I promise to take tons of pictures and share them when I get back.

Corey, Luke, Sarah, Gabe & Lily
Holly, Gia & Nino
The Cash Crew
Tricia & Sofia (shout out to Guatoberfest)
Katie, Arianna & Brayden
Lisa, Katelyn & Frankie
Becky, Juliana, Isabella & Dylan
Kerri & Ruby
Amy & Jonathan
Robyn & Gabriella