A Few More Pictures . . .

Our amazing attorney for the adoption represented us for free and took it upon himself to take pictures of the finalization! I'm very grateful on both accounts.

It's Official!

We had an exciting and somewhat tense morning in court today to finalize our adoption. Our particular adoption had some additional legal complications, so the head of the adoption agency also showed up to testify. I thought some of the questions the lawyer had to ask me were a little strange, such as "Are you more than 10 years older than this child?" The judge was friendly, but rather grave and serious and didn't crack a smile until the whole procedure was through. He asked a few questions about the birth father and we were concerned that he would want to reschedule the hearing in order to have more time to review our file. Afterwards, he let us come up to the stand to take pictures with him. Persephone was excited throughout most of the procedure and kept squealing and growling. Towards the end she was screaming and thoroughly ready for a nap. When we got to the car she immediately fell asleep, which allowed Gabe and I to enjoy a celebratory breakfast at a favorite cafe near Liberty Park. We're are so happy to be an "official" family now!

Just For Fun

Weekend Getaway

Persephone and I spent a long weekend down in St. George with my parents and grandmother. It was nice to have slightly warmer temperatures and to escape the winter smog that was so terrible in Salt Lake City last week. Persephone had a lot of fun hanging out with her grandparents and swimming at the pool.


Persy discovered great grandma's Ernie doll and made a new "friend."

The highlight of Persy's trip was her first time swimming in the pool. She loved jumping up and down in the water and kept kicking her legs in excitement.


I've been going to my grandma's condo since I was about six years old, and it still smells ands looks the same. Every time I enter, I have rich memories come to mind.

7 Months Strong

Persephone is 7 months this week and gains more personality by the day. I am so happy to have this little girl.


Likes:
Jumping
Being held
Books about babies
Stacking cups
Biting things
Daddy's watch
Her beach ball
Growling during church
Peaches with oatmeal


Dislikes
Lying on her back
Getting dressed
Having her nose wiped
Playing by herself
Getting strapped into her car seat
Peas

P.S. Thank you for all your comments on the "Winter Blahs." This post is especially for that grandma that suggested I could beat the cold by spending more time uploading photos of her grand daughter on the blog! :) Much Love!

What is Your Vote?

I am thinking of entering Persy's picture into a Beautiful Baby Contest. The picture has to be one that was taken in the last month, here are my two favorites. Which would you choose? The traditional smiley shot, or the wind blown beach shot?

Beating the Winter Blahs . . . .

Let's face it. Winter is NOT my favorite season and come October, I begin to dread the 5 months of cold weather and ice that inevitably leave me with the winter blahs. Whenever I begin to feel like Anne Frank trapped in "The Annex," then I know it is time to get proactive about staying cheery during this coldest of seasons. Here is my plan:

Get Outside, No Matter What: If the weather is warm enough to keep us from getting frost bite, we go outside! It makes a difference not only in how I feel, but also in how Persephone feels. When we spend at least 10 minutes outdoors she seems like a happier baby throughout the day. I also try to plan a little "field trip" each week to visit someplace interesting. This week I am going to a Book Baby program that the library offers with one of my good friends.

Exercise: At least 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week does a body good.

Socialize: Being a mom can sometimes feel a little isolating. I really try to plan a week filled with at least a few social activities to look forward to. Being around friends and family really energizes me. I e-mail, facebook, book club, play group, etc. to feel like I am connected with others.

Set Goals, Work on Projects, Plan the Day the Night Before: I love to-do lists! When I have goals and to-do lists I feel like my day has structure and purpose.

Remember that after Winter comes Spring: Every year I dramatically declare to Gabe, "This is the LONGEST winter of my life!!!" He just laughs and reminds me that at least we no longer live in the frozen tundra known as Syracuse, New York. When worse comes to worse, I just plan what I want to do when it becomes Spring and Summer again. Winter never lasts forever, (not even in Narnia! :)

So, what do you do to avoid the winter blahs? I would love your ideas!