And.....Her Very First School Portraits Have Arrived!

She certainly is looking more like a toddler than a baby now. And kudos to that photographer for getting her to sit still and by herself long enough to get the shot - while also keeping a semi-smile on her face!!!!!!

We're Finally Posting Our Easter Pictures!

We spent Easter weekend visiting Adam's family in Memphis. Mei-Ling had already met Mimi (Rachel) and Poppy (David), but had yet to meet Grandma and Jim, or Adam's stepsister Kim and Buck and their kids Will and Jack.

Mei-Ling enjoyed meeting everyone, but especially her cousins Will and Jack. She also attended her first Easter egg hunt, but considering the very unseasonably cold weather, it was a very brief hunt.

We had a great weekend.

April 9th Was Our Six-Month Anniversary Of Being United With Mei-Ling

Who would have ever imagined that in six months you could fall so deeply and utterly in love with your child? On October 9th, 2006, we first met Mei-Ling in Chongqing, China. And how our lives have changed! From those first moments living out of a hotel room, you charmed us with your smile, your wit, your beauty and your charm. You have added a dimension of joy to our lives beyond what we dreamed of. We love you, Mei-Ling!

Happy Birthday Mama!

On April 2, my mother Sylvia turned 72 years old! Two days prior, we celebrated at the botanical gardens and had a great time. And Mei-Ling is not just walking - she's practically running!

Happy birthday, Mama! We love you.

Mei-Ling Enjoys The Botanical Gardens

Spring has definitely arrived in Athens, and to celebrate the beauty of the season, we visited the State of Georgia Botanical Gardens today. We definitely wanted to go there before the onset of sweltering hot weather, and we are glad we went NOW. It was 86 degrees today, March 24th!

Mei-Ling enjoyed seeing lots of beautiful trees, flowers, ponds, a stream and much more. She also experienced putting her feet into a cool, refreshing stream for the first time. That was definitely Mommy's favorite part.

We also really appreciated the netting on her stroller during the times we were coming close to interfering with bumblebees eating their lunch. :)

We have lots of pictures from today, but these are the very best ones. Oh, and thank you cousin Debbie in Columbia for the beautiful dress featured in today's pictures! It was perfect for our visit to the gardens!

Meeting The Rest Of The Family Soon!

Well, we are excited to report that we will be spending Easter weekend with Mei-Ling's Mimi and Poppy, Aunt Kim and Uncle Buck and cousins Will and Jack!!! Mei-Ling has never met her aunt, uncle and cousins. And Xavier will be traveling with us as well.

What a wonderful way to spend Easter! We can't wait. :)

Oh, and here are a couple of additional shots of us with Mei-Ling that we wanted to share. These were from her first visit to Starbucks. Baba was craving a chai tea latte, and Mama had her favorite pomegranite soda. Mei-Ling was very well-behaved! I'm sure the students who were studying and saw us coming in with a baby were very relieved. Of course, who REALLY goes to a Starbucks to study? ;)

Wow, Look How I've Grown!

Ok, so we don't post on this blog as often as we should, because we are still keeping up our site at: www.myadoptionwebsite.com/meiling

However, we do intend to start posting here more. As we have said on our other blog, Mei-Ling is doing fabulous! She is growing taller (though not much bigger around - still a 6-month size waist), speaking many more words, eating everything in sight, and really enjoying her school. She is taking a few hesitant steps here and there.

She is still one of the most joyful babies we've ever seen. What a blessing she is in our lives! Mama and Baba couldn't be happier, nor could the grandparents, Aunt Doe, etc. We can't wait to take advantage of the up-and-coming warm weather and get some great shots of her outside.

We'll post more soon! Also - Gung Hay Fat Choy - or Happy Chinese New Year (belated). Welcome to the Year of the Pig!