Ethan

Ethan was one of the babies that caught my eye when I was at Starfish. He was around a year old and had a more serious cleft lip. He was an early riser and was always awake by 5 a.m. He and Elise had a lot of games of pass the ball with me. While we were there we helped take pictures for his adoption dossier. Even though I don't have one picture from my trip of him smiling he does smile and laugh a lot. If you started to tickle him he would start giggling and then every time you would go past him that day he would look at you and start giggling again. It was super cute.

He just had a surgery after I left. Here is a picture of him from Halloween. 

It's amazing how they can fix something like that. 

I can't wait to see him and the other babies that have changed in so many ways since I last saw them.

China

I just mailed off my visa application today. After realizing that I leave in 47 days, I'm really hoping that they get it back to me in time. The fate of my trip relies on them. This little boy is Tristan and he just got adopted about a week or two ago. His new name is Peter and he will live somewhere in the middle of America (Colorado?). Today we made 12 changing pad covers at mutual and we're now up to 22. More than halfway done! My Starfish stuff is starting to pile up on Oreo's kennel since we don't have any more empty bins. :) I'm so excited to leave!

Another thing I'm excited for is that I'll be spending my birthday in China! I'll get there on the 14th so 2 days later I get to spend my birthday holding cute babies. After seeing this super awesome cake to celebrate 3 of the babies' birthday I decided that I really wanted one. They're super cute and yummy. So many things to look forward too...

Christmas package

We got a awesome christmas package from my amazing Aunt Lia, all the way in Maryland. 

 We got 2 super cute blankets for the Starfish babies

And some books to add to my little board book library that is now up to 147 books. :)

Thanks, Aunt Lia! You rock!

Good news...

My passport came in the mail just two weeks after I applied for it! It was supposed to come by the 2nd week of January so I'm pretty happy. Now I'm working on getting my visa application ready to mail off when my Grandma comes. It's amazing to think that in 2 months I'll be in China! One super awesome thing: I just counted all of the burp clothes that we've been making and we're up to 106! Now onto the sheets and changing pad covers!

What I do while I count down {60 more days!}

I made this video that goes through the babies from when I was at Starfish. Enjoy!

Adoption #71 for Starfish

Isabel just got adopted yesterday. She was only 13 months old, so the youngest one adopted. She was a brand new Starfish when I got there. She has a adorable smile and I didn't get to have Isabel time a lot because everyone else was hogging her. :) She is going to be in Quebec and speak french which will be super cute, of course. Just bummed out that I'll miss seeing her again. Not that I would anyways because one of the volunteers, Sophia, is sort of her "mom". Isabel got treated like a daughter in their family. 

 Isabel and Sophia: Sophia bought these goggles for Isabel (style?).

Isabel in her Beatles onesie: notice the red bracelet on her. We think that her mom might have put those on her, since red is a sign of good luck, so Amanda wouldn't let anyone cut them off until she grew out of them. Seems like every baby that is abandoned has some red scarf or something on them...

Santa's a little early this year...

Instead of having Santa come on Christmas this year we decided to have him come on St. Nicolas Day which meant early presents. Last night we got our tree (9 1/2 feet: we had to settle for something smaller this year) and then I rushed off to basketball and after that we had mutual. Santa didn't get cookies this year as a result. In fact, he got no treats. But we still got some so it's all good. :) Elise, Lilly, and Hannah got these cute Disney Animation dolls. So now Belle, Rapunzel, and Jasmine have joined their doll collection. They all have pretty long hair which is great for them since they really like messing with hair. I would have to say Elise's favorite present was a little make-up kit that she is only allowed to use at home. Autumn got Parcheesi. Chloe got the slippers she's been asking for ever since Autumn got hers. I got Paul Cardall sheet music. It's all primary music and it's really fun to play even thought most of the songs have 4 or 5 flats. I also got a CTR ring to replace the one that hasn't fit me for the last 3 years. It's been an awesome St. Nicolas Day.

69 more days!!!

As you might have guessed we bought my tickets to China!! Now we're praying that my passport and visa get back to me in time. Feb. 13 we leave and we'll arrive at Starfish the night of the 14th. Then a whole month and a week of baby-holding and I come back in the middle of March. I'm so excited to go with my Grandma. And I have some very special people that I can't wait to see again. :)

 Charlotte: I've been talking to the family that's adopting Charlotte and they live in WA so not so far away. She'll get adopted in late Spring, so I'm hoping that she'll come out of her shell and I get tons of time with her.

Elise: Elise and I paid for this sweetie's surgery so I can't wait to see how great she looks in person. I was there when she started standing and on her first birthday so this girl is important to my family.
Elise (my sister) is already planning all this stuff that I have to bring for Baby Elise and Lilly fights with her saying that it is all for Baby Anna. :) They've come to an agreement that they'll share.

Family Pictures 2011: introducing our new family clown :)

So... we went and took some family pictures for our christmas card yesterday. Pretty interesting experience. Between Hannah, Elise and Lilly we had a few entertaining photos. 

Some turned out better like this one...

 This became Lilly's new favorite face during our photos, 

when she wasn't rolling her eyes or sticking out her tongue.

Chloe

 Lilly

 Elise

 Hannah

Autumn

Yep... I decided that my pictures need a bit more editing before I put them on my blog. Since I'm the oldest my pictures come last. By then I'm freezing-my nose is red and I look cold. I might forget to put them up. :)

 Here's one of Autumn and I. We haven't had a picture of just us two for a while so we had a little fun. :)

Change of subject: I just got my passport papers in, so I'll have my passport by January and then it's visa time! Can't wait to get some baby-holding time. Especially Miss Robyn. :)