Time flies...

On Good Friday, we had our six-month post-placement visit with a social worker from the home study agency. Wow. Can you believe that we've been home for six months already? It seems like we've only been home about a month, but it also seems as if our trip to China was years ago. Last night we saw a family whose log-in-date (the date their dossier reached China) was similar to ours. They are going through the traditional program, and still have several years to wait for a referral. Anyway, they met Abigail about two weeks after we came home from China, and hadn't seen us since then. They were astonished with how much Abigail has grown and changed in five months. As for our little family, Frances is learning to interact more calmly (and successfully) with Abigail, and is starting to laugh at Abby's antics, instead of getting jealous. Abigail, of course, still adores Frances. The first thing Abby says in the morning when I lift her from the crib is "JieJie?" She wants to see her big sister as soon as she wakes up!

Abigail is finally starting to really play with toys. She has always loved shoes (just like Frances) but didn't seem to understand what to do with toys. She sometimes carried them around, but was never interested in them for more than a moment or two. Now, she is doing all kinds of pretending with dolls, feeding them, putting them to bed, pushing them in a shopping cart. She is suddenly infatuated with Elmo (although "Elmo" means anything associated with Sesame Street), and she is playing with stacking rings, with the Little People van, with the shape sorter. We had to make a quick run to the gas station this afternoon, and she brought along a small talking Cookie Monster (a.k.a. Elmo) and played with it the entire time. She "talks" on her toy phones, and loves to dance. She even bops around and "rocks out" to the soothing tunes of her Glow Worm in her crib! She dances better while sitting down, as she is still learning the finer point of balance and stability. When she stands up and dances, she falls over! Abigail is walking well, climbing, trying to run, and starting to jump/bounce.

My girls bring me so much joy! I am so thankful that God has blessed me with them, and so grateful to their birthmothers for making a very difficult choice. I can hardly wait to see what God has planned for their lives... they are very special children!

A sunny Sunday afternoon

Although rain was predicted for this weekend, it never materialized. Today was bright and sunny, and Frances asked if she could play in the sprinkler.

I knew from past experience that Abigail would whine and complain and have a miserable time unless she was wearing shoes, because she still does not like the feel of grass. Luckily, she has a pair of crocs, so she wore those and had a great time playing in the water with her JieJie.

They played in the water for about thirty minutes, and had a really good time. Abigail was trying to copy everything that Frances did, including putting her head in the sprinkler! Abby looks very cute with her "Shrek-baby" ponytails. As soon as there was enough hair to scrape into ponytails, you can bet that I was putting them in her hair. I was tired of everyone thinking she is a boy! She calls them "hats," like everything that can go on your head (hoods, hats, sunglasses, scrunchies, etc.) and is very proud of them.

While the girls played in the water, I pulled weeds. Lucky me! The weeds that create burrs (those tiny, prickly velcro-like balls that adhere to your clothing) are overtaking the sideyard, but I am determined to keep the main front yard safe for my girls' tender feet! So I was sitting out on the grass, pulling weeds with my gloveless fingers. I felt like my dad! I have childhood memories of watching my dad as he sat on the grass, pulling weeds. My hands are a little itchy and raw from pulling out all of those burr plants by their roots, but it'll be worth it the next time we play in the sprinklers! And I'm certain there will be more of them by then...


Today, Abigail discovered her reflection in the side of the car! We got out of the car, and Abby started waving and saying "hi" to the baby. Then, when I told her that it was her, she started figuring it out, moving her body and arms, and watching her reflection very carefully.
Today, she came out with her first two-word sentence: "Moh meewk." (More milk.)

We got together last night with two other families who used/are using the same adoption agency. One family adopted their daughter from China eight years ago, and the other family is in the waiting process (their dossier went into China the same month/year as mine, but because I went through the waiting child program, Abigail is already home). Of course, Abigail charmed the socks off of everyone! The mom with the nine-year-old told me that Abigail is like the poster child for happy endings!

Feedback, please!

Okay, you guys, if you are reading the blog, can you please leave comments? I feel like I am the only one viewing my blog, so it seems a little pointless to keep it up... give me some "reinforcers!"

A blessed (and tired) Easter

As has become our tradition, we went to Grandma & Grandpa Hunter's on Good Friday to color eggs. Frances dyed nearly a dozen eggs, and they were beautiful!

Grandma Hunter has a new bunny that sings and hops, and Abigail watched it again and again. She learned how to activate it, and even danced and bounced along!








Easter morning, Fran and I were tired from our previous late night at the concert, and Abby was tired from having a sitter, but we were up a little before 7 in the morning. Frances was so cute - although she found most of the eggs, when she realized that Abby was just starting to figure out how an egg hunt worked, Frances went back and hid many of the eggs she'd found, in really easy-to-spot locations, then helped her little sister to find them. Gotta love Abby's wild looking bed-head...





After church, we went to the Hunters' for lunch and another egg hunt.

Finally, at about 3 o'clock, all of the Bushnell girls laid down for a nap! However, Abigail would not stop talking, so none of us slept! She fits right in to this family...

Oy, vey!

My little Chinese daughter loves bagels with cream cheese! Her consumption technique needs some fine tuning, but, boy, does she enjoy them.

Frances goes to her first concert!

We had heard about the "United" tour (Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith) on the radio, and Frances had excitedly asked, "Can we go?" I had told her that it was just too expensive. But then, the grant foundation (Shaohannah's Hope, which helped us finance Abby's adoption) sent out an email asking for volunteers, to staff the tables/booths during intermission. We were able to go to the concert for free! We even managed to find two empty seats on an aisle. The concert opened with both singers on stage, doing worship songs that we knew from church and from the radio. Then, SCC had his set. Frances knew some of the songs, and I knew them all. Frances did fall asleep during the first half of the concert... oops! She worked like a pro during the intermission, checking forms to be sure that people had completed them correctly, then giving people their receipt, along with the free CD and DVD. During the second half, we didn't go into the theater. I could hear the music from the lobby, and Frances discovered that it was a great place to practice gymnastics. Lots of room to do cartwheels, and an appreciative audience (ushers and a few other volunteers!). We got home at midnight... yawn...

Who doesn't just adore puppies?

Frances has been asking for a dog forever, and we are not getting one! But our friends in Yucaipa have a dog, and she has had her second batch of puppies - only 5 this time (last time I think there were eight!). We went out to visit them one Sunday after church. Of course, Frances was thrilled. Abigail was quite interested, and "puppy" has been added to her ever-increasing vocabulary.