Thank you Aunt Susan and Uncle Brian for the Little People Farm House

Natalie received a great Little People Farm House set from Susan and Brian Chase. She was amused by all the animal sounds and played with them for a while. It appears she was most intrigued by the Cow's Moo.

Meeting Mark and Laura, our friendly neighbors

Saturday night, Natalie met Mark and Laura, our friends from down the street. Mark and Laura were very nice and kept an eye on our house while we were in China - they also gave Natalie a cute new dress and a great book. Of course, Natalie was most interested in Mark's watch, Laura's cell phone and Rayban sunglasses. She enjoyed having dinner and watching a movie with Mark and Laura too. Overall, a fun evening. The first picture is Natalie wearing her new dress.

Fun with Bubbles

Natalie's newest fascination is with bubbles. Here she is trying to catch some of the bubbles that Matt is blowing for her.

Thank you Collis family

Steve, Toni, Mikaila and Olivia visited Natalie on Saturday, soon after her afternoon nap. They were very kind and gave Natalie a big basket full of gifts, which included plenty of books, coloring pens, a piggy bank, a DVD, a big stuffed dog and most importantly, a bubble maker. Natalie thoroughly enjoyed playing with Mikaila and Olivia - they had a lot of fun and Natalie was sad to see them go.

Thank you Winslow Family

Thanks for sending Natalie her Musical Tea Set and Lulu's ABC's. The tea set was a big hit - here's Natalie playing with Lulu as well as serving tea to her favorite stuffed animals.

Kimberly visited Natalie after work

Thanks Gigi for entertaining me at GAF

Jan Ouellet (a.k.a.Gigi) did a great job connecting with Natalie when she visited GAF. She got Natalie stuffed toys, played with balloons and even walked with Natalie.

Visit to GAF

Natalie visited GAF on Friday afternoon. At first, she seemed a little overwhelmed by the experience - there were so many new people to meet. However, after a little while, Natalie settled down and started to enjoy herself. The turning point was probably when she discovered the big bowl of potato chips. One of the highlights was spending some time in Mommy's office, working side-by-side with her. We want to thank everyone at GAF for being so friendly and welcoming.

Musical Instruments are always a Hit

Musical instruments are always a hit with Natalie. Here you see her with a xylophone, a drum, a piano and a rattle. Sometimes, she even plays with two or more of these musical toys at once. Even when we're just playing the radio or when some music comes on over the TV, Natalie will always start swaying to the music and bobbing her head to the beat. We wonder if she'll continue this interest and want to play an instrument some day.

Visit to see Dr. Dibs at Children's Hospital

Today, Natalie went for her first full medical exam since we returned to the US.

We were introduced to Dr. Dibs by our Social Worker Beverley. Dr. Dibs reviewed all of Natalie's paperwork before we went to China. Now that we're back, it was time for Natalie to get her first checkup. Dr. Dibs reviewed all of Natalie's information and gave her a complete physical, which included having a Psychologist evaluate her as well. Here's Natalie with Dr. Dibs.



The exam started with the typical height and weight, which Natalie continues to do well with. Even on the US charts, she's at the 50th percentile for weight and head circumference - she's at the 25th percentile for height. Here's Natalie being weighed.



Finally, they took a lot of Natalie's blood to test. We get to collect urine and stool samples. Overall, Natalie handled the whole experience very well and slept during the car trip back.

Countdown of my Top 3 Favorite Things to do

#1.... Learning to eat with a spoon







#2... Tearing Paper








#3.. Playing with my Diaper Changing Kit

Thank you Danilewitz Family

We want to thank the Danilewitz family for Natalie's new purple dress and shoes. We also want to thank you for the great books that you gave us right before we went to China - they have been (and will continue to be) a great resource for us as we watch Natalie develop and grow.