Viva Fiesta!

Last Friday we took Olivia to her first parade. Every year San Antonio celebrates Fiesta. On the Friday of Fiesta week the schools are closed and many people celebrate the Battle of Flowers by going to the Battle of Flowers parade. That's where we row on the 7th row of the military bleachers, right under the overpasses where two highways intersect. It was a great day! We all had a great time. Olivia waved at all of the passing floats and people. She made friends with two little kids sitting near us and was very well behaved--even after 4.5 hours!

Mommy and baby in matching Fiesta dresses.

Olivia in her daddy pack.

Why aren't you watching the parade?

A few hours into the day...

All of the balloons had to be lowered to get under the over passes.

The Dallas Cowboy's cheerleaders.

The Queen and her U.T. boots!

The back of her dress, with the capital building. Lovely!

Of course there are lots more pictures but we didn't want to bore you with all of them. It was a day that we will not soon forget! Happy Fiesta everyone!

How Did She Get Over There?

Okay, now that I have found the video thing on the camera I might be dangerous. Olivia is at that stage of trying to move around. She crawls/scoots a lot and tries to stand up. We were having some floor time this morning and as I was blogging, somehow she got about 10 feet away over by the kitchen table and was sitting up. She wouldn't come back for me, but it was too funny. I had to get it on camera. Next time I will turn the TV down. We were having a Grumpy/Grumpier Old Men film festival this morning.

After that mysterious trip this morning, I blocked her in with pillows from the couch. She looks like she is up to something!

Olivia and the Bluebonnets

Olivia and the Bluebonnets.

What a nice girl!

My two favorite people!

Okay, if you are from Texas then you know that every year parents drive from all over the state to find Bluebonnets. One of the best fields in the state used to be on the property of a church Granny White served. This year the Bluebonnets have been kind of sad because of lack of rain at the right time. We have been meaning to take a drive to find some Bluebonnets some where and just haven't had the time. Then we saw this little clump of them right here at the apartments where we walk the dogs. So, we sat Miss Olivia down next to them and got our Bluebonnet picture. It's not the picture I have been dreaming of, but it will do.

I also accidentally took a short video. I thought I would post it just for the heck of it. Enjoy!

Olivia Goes to the Zoo!

On Tuesday we finally went to the zoo. The last time we went we met 5 school buses full of kids there. Well, there were at least that many there this time, but we decided to go anyway. The ticket lady said there were 1100 Catholic school kids there. I had forgotten just how big the San Antonio zoo is and we hardly ran into any of them. It was a beautiful day, sunny and cool. We had a great time and got lots of exercise walking around and around. Olivia loved every minute of it!

Olivia and Dad pet a goat in the petting zoo.

Neither Olivia or the goat knew what to make of each other.

Baby goats...

It was such a nice day that all of the animals were out. Some of the even posed for us or came right next to the fences were we were standing. It was really great!

Mr. Grizzly sat up and posed!

Olivia and the flamingos, our favorite!

Well, you know who that is.

Nothing like being in pecking range of an ostrich.

A Sumatran elephant, they are small.

The zoo has two American Bald Eagles that can no longer fly because they have lost part of their wings. It was really special to be able to see these great birds, but sad to know they cannot fly.

Our Aussie cousins...napping!

As you can see it was really a fun day. Now we wish we had invested our entrance fee towards a family pass. It was such a peaceful place to be we felt as if we could go back once a week and never get tired of it. If nothing else it is great exercise!

Olivia is doing really well. She is growing! She sits up and tries to take off and crawl. She seems to be within seconds of either crawling all over or standing up. She can't make up her mind and often when she tries to crawl ends up trying to stand up. We got her a ball last night that lights up and makes noises, hoping to encourage her to sit-up and play with it or to chase it crawling. We'll see.

We also invested in some BPA free bottles. That is a very long story and something we have been considering for quite some time. If you haven't read about BPA, it has been on the news of late, it is really scary. Although it has not been "officially" labeled dangerous, it has been suggested not to use plastic baby bottles with BPA or to heat food or liquids in BPA plastic as it leaches into the contents. It has been linked to cancer, endocrine problems, and even type II diabetes in lab tests.

Well, Olivia is getting tired of her sing-a-long DVD and is ready for some more breakfast. Have a happy Thursday!

Olivia is Eight Months Old

Hmmm...they look like they are up to something!

Oh, it's okay. Olivia is just eating my cell phone.

Sleeping baby

She is really growing!

A girl needs a teddy.

Now Granny comes over to give me a bath!

Just give me some tupperware and I am happy!

Well, Olivia is just growing by leaps and bounds. She has had her intro appointment with her new pedi and we just loved her. She is an award winning doctor who was recommended by Aunt Lee Ann. Olivia is doing well. She is average height and a little slim, but next month will we switch from formula to Pediasure which will add some extra calories to her diet. We also found out today that her bladder infection is finally gone, so we are antibiotic free for the first time in almost two months! Yay! Of course, the Dr. confirmed what we (as all parents do) already know, Olivia is advanced for her age and very smart.

Tomorrow (April 9) at 10 am we have our home study update for the new baby. It is not nearly as nerve racking as it was the first time. Things are moving along as planned. We saw Olivia's birth mother yesterday. She has gotten a new job and managed to stay in her apartment, but she is looking for a better job. We took her over to University UMC where Mom used to work and she applied for a job. This would be a great step forward for her because they have a large staff and like to promote from within. They also have a day school where she might be able enroll her son.

Andy is doing well with school and is getting ready to speak at the Bishop's Evangelism Fiesta this Saturday. There are almost 50 people signed up to take his seminar. He is also busy helping Mom this week as she has lost her voice again as we all continue to share this chest/throat cold this Spring. I was in bed with it last week and now Granny is suffering again.

Please continue to pray for us as we get ready to become parents again. Pray for adoption process and for Christina, the birth mother. Also, please be in prayer for our time here in San Antonio that it will be fruitful and a blessing to God.

And the New Adoption Process Begins

It's funny isn't how we plan and plan in life and just when we think we have everything worked out, something else happens and we have to adjust. I am sure you have all seen that sign that says "We plan, God laughs." Well, if you have the kind of life where everything goes smoothly and there are no major ups and downs, I suggest you pray for patience and then you will receive the opportunity to learn patience. I am.

Since early November Andy and I have been involved in this "call" process for his new church in New Zealand. It was both an easy and a hard process--if that makes any sense at all. It was easy because we were content where we were and not really looking for a change, and hard because when it became clear that God was leading us in that direction we knew it would mean a lot of change for all of us. But through it all we simply trusted God and believed that if He had in deed led us to find the ad for the job and to develop such a friendly and open relationship with the church, etc.--then He would cause it all to work out. And He has.

Then this month we experienced the surprise news that Olivia is going to have a little brother or sister. Wow! That was totally unexpected, totally not planned for, and totally something we had to do. Because we love our daughter so much and because we totally trust God to provide, we had to do this for Olivia.

So, we have signed the agreement and submitted our $1000 application fee (thanks to Olivia's godmother, Susan). God has already provided a $10,000 scholarship from the Methodist Mission Home when we were told there would be none, as well as, the gift from Susan. Other gifts have been promised, our tax refund will be here shortly and then the tax rebate we are all expecting in May--that leaves us with only $5000 left to pay. What a miracle!

The hardest part will be waiting for the baby to come, being separated from Andy when he goes ahead to New Zealand, and of course finding the strength to be loving and supportive to Christina through it all (especially the first 48 hours in the hospital). This adoption brings a new element which is a birth father who actually knows about the baby. I wonder if he will want to see him or her after the birth.

Please keep us in your prayers as this new process begins. We continue to leave it all in God's hands, but need your prayers and support as well.

Busy Week

My brother Martin, his wife Lisa, and my nephew Matthew have come for a visit to San Antonio. Andy drove 90 miles up to Austin on Tuesday to pick them up. We haven't seen them since last summer, right before Olivia was born. So it was very nice to have them meet their niece. Thanks to Uncle Martin and Aunt Lisa Olivia got a big girl car seat (now the new baby can have her baby car seat), a box of diapers, a new pop-up toy which she has already figured out! We went out to eat on Wednesday for lunch and had a great visit.

Matthew, Martin, and Granny White
(in our apartment)

Wednesday afternoon our niece Colleen came over to spend a couple of nights while her mother and sisters are at a debate tournament and her Dad was working the grave yard shift. We had a great time watching movies, eating ice cream, talking (and talking), and going down town. Olivia and Colleen have become great friends! Colleen was a big help.

On Thursday we started out to the zoo, but happened to arrive at the same time as about 500 elementary school kids on a field trip. So we went downtown instead to the Children's Museum, followed by lunch at Hard Rock Cafe, and ending up at Ripley's. We went through the haunted portion (Colleen's idea). Olivia was the only one who didn't scream (she was covered up in her stroller with a blanket and didn't see a thing). Then Colleen and Andy rode the Ripley's Laura Croft Tomb Raider ride.

Colleen at the Children's Museum

Andy and Colleen dig for buried treasure at the museum

A San Antonio fresco at the museum

The Alamo

Colleen & Andy in front of the Alamo

Olivia in her big girl stroller

A long day in the stroller and still smiling

We ended the afternoon with a trip to the Social Security office to get Olivia's card. That was two hours of pure fun! Later that night Uncle Martin, Aunt Lisa, Matthew and Granny came for a visit. Sadly, Colleen had to go home this morning. Her Dad is off for the weekend and her Mom and sisters will be home tomorrow night. Kelsey and Mary Kate (Colleen's sisters) won their debate rounds and are going on to nationals. Yay!

All in all, it has been a busy week, but a happy one! Olivia is a delight. She continues to grow and change. We are just enjoying every minute of our life with her.