1st Gotcha Day!

Callie has been home officially for one year. It has been a year of many changes. She came home not knowing the language and leaving behind everything familiar. Now, Callie talks more than most kids her age. It has been a tough but very rewarding year. There were times that I doubted our decision to adopt. Oh how time changes things! Callie is finally past most of her extreme trust issues. She no longer cries when the babysitter shows up or when I drop her off at daycare. She believes me when I tell her that I will come back for her. She still has some dislike for new people. Callie loves Abby Cadabby, Elmo, Yo Gabba Gabba, Diego and Dora. She loves to sing and dance. She is a true drama queen. She loves to dress up with necklaces and fancy shoes. She knows her ABCs and can count to ten. Callie is smart and loving. We are so grateful for her!

Easter and Jam

We had a very interesting Easter weekend. Travis had his 20 year class reunion. The girls stayed with my mother for the night. We had Easter lunch at my parents' home and hunted eggs out there. This was Callie's first Easter egg hunt with us. She loved it! She kept walking around with a hand out (see pic) saying "Where eggs?" It was super cute. However, we concluded that she could have hunted eggs in the same circle all day. As she would run, the eggs she had found would fall out without her noticing. After picking up a new egg, she would turn around in total amazement at the eggs behind her. This was a never ending cycle. Jenny was not as happy about Easter egg hunting due to the wet grass. She did not like having to walk in or touch the wet grass. We survived all the storms without any damage or danger. We were lucky enough to spend one of the worst nights in our friends' safe room. I was glad for the storms to pass as four adults and four children 4 and under in a safe room can become very tiring! I also tried my hand at making Strawberry Jam. The first round didn't firm, so it tastes good, but runs alot. The second round came out perfect. I think I might try to make some more and branch out and can some Salsa!

Callie's 2nd Birthday

I am terribly late in posting about Callie's 2nd birthday. We did a small party at our house with an Abby Cadabby theme. I've attached pictures of the adorable cake that Wendy's Whimsies did. She was not in the best humor which I would later discover was due to an ear infection. She officially turned 2 on Tuesday April 12th, but we celebrated on the Saturday before and then with just us on her actual birthday. She was not in the best mood the whole party and really didn't enjoy it. We hope that next year she will be feeling well and can have fun! So the week of her birthday, she had an ear infection and her sister, Jenny, got strep throat. It was a long week at the Ragland house! Attached are a few pics from the 1st and 2nd b-day events.

Love doesn't need words

As I have mentioned before, our oldest daughter, Jenny, has a genetic disorder, Cri-du-Chat. One of the effects for Jenny of the missing genetic material is a lack of speech. When she cries, she sounds like a kitten. In fact, her cry and low birth weight were two of the main things that tipped Dr. Harrison off to Jenny's disorder. With all that being said, Jenny can communicate with us completely without words if needed. She can sign a little, use a communication board and say a few things that only few people understand. Jenny is the most gentle spirit. She loves without condition or reserve. I cannot express what a joy she is in my life and how she makes me a better person. Jenny has never told me she loves me in words, but I know she does and I don't need the words. She is love!

21 months old!

Callie is 21 months old today. She can count to three and say more words than I can list. She is very head strong and stubborn. She is entering the terrible twos which means lots of temper fits. I just keep thinking that this will pass. Callie is a wonderful child (most of the time)! We couldn't love her more. Please enjoy the pictures of her and a few of Jenny. We got a nice snow fall and a few snow days. We didn't stay out long, but the girls had fun nonetheless.

Merry Christmas

We have had a good holiday season. The girls enjoyed helping make cookies. Callie loved Christmas morning. Jenny on the other hand woke up with a fever and what we would later learn was the flu. She had her shot, but her poor immune system was just not strong enough to hold it off. Thankfully she appears to be on the mend.

Callie's Adoption

We are officially a legal family of four. We adopted Callie on December 17, 2010 at 8:45 a.m. in Judge David Clark's court. The adoption went well even with me doing it pro se. I was terrified that I was mess the whole process up and the Judge would be upset. The whole thing went great and all the paperwork is filed. Now we are on to the last step of filing for Certificate of Citizenship for our youngest daughter. Attached are a few pictures from the event.