Merry Christmas 2010!

Olivia's 2nd Christmas! Oh what a difference a year can make!


Someone opened her own gifts this year (almost) all by herself.



I think the pink convertible was her favorite - and daddy picked it out!



She was pretty pleased with this one, too - a gift from her great-grandma.



There were a few gifts she liked so much - she simply wasn't interested in the next package.






Love those toes!

Signing Off...

Friday we went in to our agency's office to sign our "Letter of Seeking Confirmation" for Cora. It was a beautiful document. I wish they would have sent an extra copy for us to keep! We also completed additional paperwork for immigration, and we hope to receive approval for it soon! (And by "soon" I mean sooner than the anticipated 1 month wait! In fact, I think that would make a very nice Christmas gift. Don't you?)

Of course we're anxious to move on to the next set of approvals, but receiving our LOA is a huge milestone, and I'm so grateful that we've reached this point in the process. Just a few more steps to go!



Brendan was thrilled that I brought the camera to document this.

LOA! LOA!

It's official. We received our LOA today. We are so excited - what else can we say? One big step closer to bringing this cutie-pie home!

she's ready...

Olivia's passport is here.



Now where are the rest of those official documents?

Meet Cora Abigail Barrette!

Our newest daughter. A little Barrette! We are thrilled to see the face we have been waiting so long to see.

So who is this little one?
We know she's one year old. We know she's quiet. We know she patiently waits for food while other children eat. We know she's beautiful. (Don't you agree?) We know that we can't wait to meet her!

Bad Blogger

Oh my. Olivia is 19 months old now, and I could just kick myself for not blogging past her first 2 months. I switched to a photo-sharing site then, which made it easier to upload pictures (and we do have some great pictures!) but I'm sad that I don't have much else "journaled" about her. So here goes...

She was an awesome baby - the best! Hardly fussed (at least not in public), just sat there and smiled. She got her first tooth the day after her 4 month "birthday." She had her first taste of "real food" at 7 months (if you consider cereal "real food") and has been a big fan ever since. She had the biggest, roundest, most adorable cheeks a baby could ever have. She crawled a little bit later than other children, but that was probably more my fault, because I didn't want to put her on the dirty floor. She took her first steps at 14 1/2 months old, and up until that time she was a very timid baby. Nothing stops her nor slows her down now! She does an excellent job of using her utensils. (The kids loves to eat! Especially milkshakes and cheese dip.) Her first word was "Mommy" and she was particular to pronounce it correctly. She squeals and dances whenever Daddy comes home - she adores him. She likes to help put on makeup, and learned pretty quickly how to unscrew the lids. (Yep - we've had several messes!)

She's beautiful - beyond words - and amazes me every day. I still cannot believe she's mine.

One Month


Two Months


Three Months


Four Months


Five Months


Six Months


Seven Months


Eight Months


Nine Months




Ten Months


Eleven Months


Twelve Months (Almost!)


Cute Baby














Adorable Toddler

















Precious girl. You are so loved.