PONY TAILS WITH ATTITUDE....

What the heck are these???


Okay, momma, I won't touch....


I know, I know I am tooooo cute!

DISCIPLINING MESA.....

"NO MESA, no more food!!! Now leave me alone!"

"momma, I took care of the Mesa food mooch problem"

"I am talking nicely to Mesa. Momma, this is not fair!"

"How 'bout I try charming you instead?"

TATE TODAY....

BULLET TIME....

• My girl is teething... at least she is acting like it. She is eleven months old and only two little teeth on the bottom. For weeks now I have been waiting for some pearly whites to erupt from her swollen top gums... All evidence is pointing to this happening. WHERE ARE THOSE TEETH???
• Tate is learning where her nose is.... and where Momma's nose is. I usually do this during face to face in the high chair feeding time. This is kind of how this time plays out. "Where is Tate's nose?" she points with with such concentration with her sweet finger. Then I ask "where is Momma's nose?" and lean in for her to touch my nose. After a few times of this I end up kissing her. Funny thing, now she thinks that a kiss is in order each time I ask where our noses are.
• I have started to say NO to my girl. She hears nose instead of NO and will point to her nose with a big smile. How can I say NO to such a cute sweetie?
• Tate is sharing.... she will play with something and then hand it to me so I can have some fun. Back and forth this will go. She does this with food offerings to Mesa or me. Sometimes she shares something right out of her mouth. Me??? I decline this offering. Mesa??? Takes it with gusto.
• She has gained in five weeks 1/2 inch and almost a pound.
• Sadly, she has started her vaccinations. She had four, two in each thigh. Man did she cry so hard. There was only one nurse doing all four. Next time I will DEMAND there be at least two nurses both shooting at the same time.... QUICKLY.
• Man of man, I love it when she reaches her arms out for me.
• Tate's MD gave her the go ahead to eat whatever she can gum. New taste for Tate this week is small tastes of refried beans, guacamole and soft tortillas (Mexican food at party), tiny piece of raw broccoli, tastes of ice cream, string cheese. "People" (who will be nameless) gave her a small taste of chocolate. Funny thing, why I say "PEOPLE" is because I have been told by a few "people" that they have given her a tiny taste of chocolate. Keep in mind before flaming me, Tate comes from a long line of chocolate crazy family... who can blame them?
• Why do they have to make little girl clothes SOOOOOOOOOOO cute???

BONUS

FUN AT CHERRY HILL WITH FAMILY

Matching colors and chillin' with Twinkle Toes. Tate wants to know when she gets her own iPod.

Waving with Gramps as the family floats on by on the lazy river.

Sparkle and my Love

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!!!

VIDEO FUN AT MEAL TIME....

TATE TEASING MESA....

AFTERMATH OF THE TEASE

INTRODUCING...

EMMA YU!!!! She is so beautiful.... such kissy lips... huge round eyes...breathtakingly BEAUTIFUL!!!

The most amazing secret pal in the world Kim and Mike had a real shocker today!!! They thought their LID was March 29... They hope to be traveling before Christmas.... Here is the most joyous shocker ever!!! Kim and Mike's LID was really March 21st!!! They got the call today... that special call they were expected to get in October....

Well Kim, you will be home and all settled in before Christmas... THIS WILL BE THE BEST HOLIDAY SEASON EVER!!!!!

I am so excited for these new parents I can hardly contain my joy.....

FAN CLUB...

For FOUR years my nieces and nephews have been waiting for Tate... she is so adored by all. What is SHOCKING is the way the "COOL" teenagers act around her. Just cracks me up!!!

This is the way most of our family gatherings look. Most of the time there are fights who gets to hold and play with Tate...

Even Gramps and the new puppy Jasmine can't seem to get enough of her....

Actually, I think the pup Jasmine is just waiting for food to fall. Mesa has clued her in on this one I am sure!

EXPLOSION

In these past three days, there has been an explosion of personality and physical skill in Tate! Where has my sweet funny easy going girl gone??? She has always been very active while awake. Nothing would get by her gaze. She would wiggle and kick her legs, but was content to watch. The sounds coming from her were sweet little coos, giggles and and babbles. She actually cried twice when Solomon (her 6 month old buddy) screamed and squealed. That was the old Tate.... new things are happening minute by minute here.

Tate rolled over next to Mesa, plopped her thumb in her mouth and snuggled...

• I have been concerned with the stiffness in Tate's legs and back. There was an effort on my part to get her to bend her legs for dressing and sitting. A wise momma (Hi Tiffany) showed me a few exercises to do with my girl. After a few days of doing this, Tate is like a noodle.... will practically do the Chinese (ha ha) splits while sitting, will roll around and scoot on her tush towards things. She does this with a HUGE SMILE ON HER FACE FOR HER MOMMA.



• Yesterday Tate demonstrated against being put in her car seat. She has been stiffening up so I cannot buckle her....



• Saying NO to her just makes her laugh.



• She is understanding so much language now!



• She now squeals... LOUDLY! She loves my reactions which will fuel even more happy LOUD sounds. I of course am fueled by her. This is one LOUD crazy time.



• Feeding her has become a challenge. She used to be soooo easy to spoon food into her mouth. Tate has always been discriminating with food and will eat only when hungry. Now she is TOOOOOO busy to eat. She will suck down 4 ounces of formula just to satisfy her hunger but will stop because Mesa has entered the room.



• She LOVES Mesa. Mesa LOVES her.



• I do notice at the end of her active day, she will be ready to suck down her bottle. At these times, she will eat about 10 ounces. She will be all snuggled in her PJ's, tummy full of warm formula and content in my arms. This is the time I love. She will look at me with such satisfaction with the sweetest smile on her face. TATE has a MOMMA!



• Oh man oh man, I love my girl.



• So far she only has her two bottom teeth. Still chewing on things, but have not seen the arrival of any more of her pearly whites.



• She loves music. If we are in the car, she makes this certain sound that means, "Hey momma, turn on the tunes, would ya please?" She loves Madonna's old stuff, HATES Cher.



• I've got a dancing fool on my hand. She loves it when I hold her and dance around the room. She will rock back and forth, moving her shoulders side by side if in her car seat or high chair.

EACH DAY IS A WHOLE NEW DAY WITH MY GIRL....

TANTALIZING TATE

These are just a few of my favorites so far of Tate....


This photo is similar to the photo shoot I had a week earlier. Although I love this one, my all time favorite picture of Tate in her TUTU is the one I posted for her 11 month old picture.


I won't use this for the large canvas, but I loved how funny her expression is here. She was so ready to "be done" with the shoot, but indulged the photographer for the shoots of the hats and the flowers. The photographer LOVED Tate and will be using some of her pictures in the future.


HATS......

ME AND MY GIRL

I received as a gift a full-on two hour photo shoot with me and my girl, Tate. I have never experienced such a session. Heck, I felt like one of those super models. You know "play with the baby" pose, pose, play. CLICK CLICK CLICK! The gift includes a 16x20 inch gallery wrapped canvas. After 240 pictures, I have to narrow it down. These are just a few of the ones of me and my girl.... Which one should I chose???

ELEVEN MONTHS OLD!!

I love this picture of Tate! I love that the reason for that gazing smile is she is smiling at me... I get butterflies in my stomach when I think of her. My heart skips a beat when I see her sweet being. She is beyond anything I have dreamt of. My heart is eleven months old today.

picture by Gale at piccadilly photo

FEW PICTURES ONLY

Running around having fun... Tate is one party animal!!! Just like her momma! We had a visit from Julie and Tess..... We all hung around with Tiffany, Eliza and Solomon. Laurel, Kenzie and Maylin.....


Tutu girls.... Tate and Tess



FEET in Laurel's stream... Tess, Tate, Kenzie, Maylin.



Three cute girls... Eliza, me and Tate.



More to follow when we can stop and post.

HAPPY 4th of JULY!!!

This will be Tate's first family holiday.... we are just hanging out low-key-like... I cannot wait to see her reaction to the fireworks!!!

HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE HOLIDAY ....y'all!!!

FIRST PIGGIES....

Complements of Auntie Tiffany, who has given first piggies to so many of our China girls.

BLISS

This is total Bliss for Tate. Snuggled in her bed with her thumb in place ready for her afternoon nap.....

Picture is taken by my friend's mom.... check out her blog.... she is an amazing photographer.....
http://piccadillyphoto.blogspot.com/

Another favorite who's work I just love is Tara Whitney... http://tarawhitney.com/justbeblogged/

APPLESAUCE AND CEREAL, OH MY!!!

SHE WAS SQUEALING AND BEING SO CUTE.... UNTIL I PULLED OUT THE VIDEO CAMERA..... SHE DID BLOW KISSES, THOUGH.

SLEEPING BEAUTY

I look at my sleeping girl and just want to cry from how amazingly wonderful she is.... So so sweet!







I am doing all I can from not waking her... I crave her... She is the breath in my life.

LIFE WITH TATE ONE MONTH......

WOW.... Time with my girl is ticking by oh so quickly.

PERSONALITY.....

• blows kisses when saying bye-bye.
• Claps her two hands together ALL THE TIME. She will do it to initiate play, get attention and when I say YEAH!!!! Which is all the time since I say it EVERY TIME she does anything spectacular.... Which really is ALL THE TIME!
• Plays peek-a-boo. Will use anything to cover eyes to hide..... blanket, teething ring, stuffed animal, sheets on my bed.... Will use her hands to cover eyes but will usually not get the eyes mostly her ears....
• She is hilarious... a real comedian. Will make the funniest faces for reaction.
• Tate is getting over being a little sick... which includes a sweet cough. I guess I am reacting with "oh my" and "are you OK?" often. She is now faking coughs to get my reaction.
• Snuggles and kisses all the time. Sometimes she will be facing me and suddenly I have an open mouth planted on my face. She is all smiles when she is kissed on the neck and lips.
  
• Is fascinated by Baby Einstein DVDs.


• lays on back in the tub for hair washing. LOVES when I swish her around. Likes laying on her tummy in tub and is starting to put her face in the water.


• she is always happy.... Wakes up gooing and babbling.


• loves visitors, especially other children.
  

DAY TO DAY TATE.....

• For 18 days Tate has been home in the USA... her days consist of sleep, eat, nap, eat, nap, eat, bath, sleep. Or sooooooo it seems since I am wanting to spend time with my girl. I am letting her dictate her schedule right now for the first month. I feel she is processing all the changes in her mind while sleeping.
• Everyday we head out on an adventure.... it can be as simple as a walk, shopping, errand in car. OR as much fun as visiting friends and family, feeding ducks, zoo, swimming, farm.
• I try to give Tate at least one to two twenty minute session on her tummy for struggle time.
• We watch one Baby Einstein DVD a day.
• Needs to have a little musical serenade from me while eating.... Wheels on the bus is a HUGE hit around here.
• While driving in car will make a sweet sing-y sound which means "let's turn the radio on"... She also HATES Cher!
• Our bedtime ritual is this.... bottle, snuggling, chat about our day, read a book and then off to her crib. She will grab a taggy or blanket, stick her thumb in her mouth and turn to her side. She will occasionally whimper for 10 seconds. Then she will sleep for 12 hrs.

My concerns right now is her lack of MOBILITY.....

• During our tummy time, she is not motivated to do anything but lay and play on her tummy. No struggle to reach for a toy or flip onto her back.... I have been working on flipping from back to front and front to back. So far she just giggles and thinks it is all a game.


• She is not motivated to move on her own, but she has such strength now in sitting up and standing. If she reaches for something out of her reach, she topples over and whines for me.... Mamamama.... too cute.

Language

• Tate used to babble and squeal in China, A LOT. In the last two weeks she has stopped babbling constantly, but will listen intently to me talking to her. She studies my lips. I have a degree in Speech Pathology, I know that she is just taking it all in and processing this strange language. I know this is just temporary. I do miss all the sweet cute frequent chatter and squeals coming from my girl.
• The other day I was at a church gathering and was introducing Tate. Someone asked me if she speaks English.... My response, "as well as any 10 month old speaks English"... People can be so duhhhhhhhhh!

Today she had her blood drawn.... she had to have a huge vial of blood drawn for all her tests. She was a real sweetheart and hardly cried. I on the other hand cried for the both of us. We are now collecting a urine sample (bag is in place during this nap time), and three more stool samples for giardia and parasites.... Oh the joy!

SPLISH SPLASH....

LOVES HER BATH!!!!











Burrito baby with Twinkle Toes

ONE MONTH A FAMILY!!!

I was reminded that today was exactly ONE MONTH or four weeks since Tate was placed in my arms and changed the world as I knew it!!! What a wonderful world it is with TATE!!! I have been working (in my mind) on a post on the update of life with Tate. I will get to putting it to blog tomorrow night. Just wanted to commemorate this spectacular occasion of the one month family day anniversary

TOO CUTE

Not to post on Tate's blog....

Just a little dress-up fun.... this was a clearance Halloween costume from Children's Place.... will be toooooo small by October so decided to have some fun today!





Tate has learned to blow raspberries (thank you Jason) and will do this "trick" at all times.... including while eating.... HAHAHA.



She is quite a little character... just look at those sweet soft feet and heels.

SWINGIN' GOOD TIME VIDEO

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Originally uploaded by Lisa Mesa and Tate

SWINGIN'

Tate's first flight in a swing....

What is momma doing to me in this blue chair?



WHOAAAAAAAAAA NOW, not tooooo sure of this...



WOW!!! This is tummy tickling good time! How 'bout pushing me some more, momma!

DAY AT THE FARM

Momma and Tate had our first play date at Wheeler Farm!!!! We brought lunch, momma had a sandwich, Tate chopped on a biter biscott which she is wearing on her face. We joined Yvette, Charlee and Natalee and Tiffany, Eliza and Solomon. So so soooooo much fun! Tate watched the big girls run and play. I know she is wishing she could run with the big girls too! Soon my sweet Tate!