Happy Halloween!

During the day we had a lovely lunch celebration with 6 other families.

Then we came home and got ready for trick-or-treating.


It was supposed to be Pooh with Tigger and the bee with the bear, but Pooh had other plans.

And we're off!

They cried briefly at the first house but by the third they were holding out their buckets in anticipation.


They each chose their first candy (a few licks of a purple sucker)

Sugar high?

Ready, set, go!

Peek-a-boo!

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A year of growing

One year after the referral photo was taken:

(One year and one day to be honest - it took over 24 hours to get an in-focus photo where they are both looking. This is also their first time having whole apples)

Happy 15-month Birthday!

Now when people ask "How old?" we can answer, "One and a quarter."

Walking & Dancing

Things no-one will tell you about motherhood...

There are many widely known truths about motherhood - joy, bliss, lack of sleep/ time/ money, deepest love ever etc.,all of which are true.

There are also many, many facts that you will be left to discover on your own. In my never ending quest to be helpful I will share what I can.

Of course, these are not my experiences, just what I have observed in others. Ahem.

You will accidentally hurt your baby at least once.*
You will blame every cry, runny nose, bad mood, fever, and bowel issue on "teething".*
The baby's father will annoy you.*
The baby's grandparents will annoy you.
Your baby will say his first word. You think.*
You will throw elaborate birthday parties for a baby who doesn't get the concept.*
You will consider lying about your baby's age to make him look more advanced.
Play-group will become your salvation.
You will no longer have a hand free to put on shoes. Buy clogs.
You will understand insanity.
You will find it increasingly difficult to write, speak, or even think as your vocabulary decreases to single syllables.
Everything will start to smell like pee.

(*adapted from Rebecca Eckler)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Tet Trung Thu!

Click here for more information on this Vietnamese holiday.

Click here for all October photos.

Standing Max

... and walking Vanh.


(Max took his first steps earlier today!)

Standing Vanh

Here he is after 10 days of practice:


Not only can he stand, but you can see from the beginning of this clip that he immediately realizes from the way I say "Vanh" that he is going to be asked to perform like a trained seal, I mean demonstrate one of his skills...

If my "Wow!" sounds a little overdone it's because I was genuinely surprised - it was the first time he stood up "on cue" like that.

Max is happy too!


(Update: Vanh took his first 2 steps the next day...)

Max's first word

Before I forget

10 days away from 14 months:

Both boys are 10.5 kilos, 72cm, head circumference 48cm

Max consistently stacks blocks (and everything else); Vanh knocks them down.

Yesterday Vanh stood up from sitting a few times without any supports. He was so proud and happy! He also said "Dada" to Daddy.

More music

Happy September!

For more September photos click here

Rock, roll, & bite

New experiences

Their thirteenth month has held a lot of firsts for Max and Vanh.

The first overnight cottage trip, and the first time sleeping in the same room as Mommy and Daddy (and Shadow!) How sweet it was to wake up together.

First timbit, first ribs, first steak, hummus, and peanut butter.

First happy meal (thanks grandma and grandpa) quickly followed by first upchuck (Max - Vanh's is yet to come).

First time up the stairs - and today Max climbed on top of the ottoman. So much for our child-proof home.

First sign language - they touch their mouths for "hungry", put their hands together for "more", and wave for "hi" and "bye". Oh, and when Max does something impressive, like stack 3 blocks, he will look at you and clap, which means "applause please".

First band:

6 months a family

Max likes to stack different kinds and sizes of blocks, and yesterday, on his 13-month birthday, he started building towers by connecting megablocks. They both love bouncing and chasing balls around. Vanh eats everything, unless it has even the tiniest speck of medication hidden in it, in which cas he refuses to taste it. Max is a much pickier eater (although has no problem with meds). They had ribs, hummus, and a timbit for their celebration (for photos click the link for August photos below).

More later - I had to post this unfinished for now as it's already tomorrow.

For Marijke

We got an Oma for our birthday!
We dance with her...

...and sleep on her...

...and she bought us these outfits.

Look! Shoes from Holland!

For more August photos click here

9 months

On November 12, 2008 we found out about you and saw your photo for the first time.

Not flesh of our flesh
Nor bone of our bone
But somehow, miraculously
Our own

Never forget
For a single minute
You didn't grow under my heart
But in it

Babies Don't Keep

3 months old

5 months old

7 months (Adoption day)

8 months




9 months



10 months

11 months


12 months



Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

- Ruth Hulbert Hamilton