Longing for Lucie

July 25, 2009 - 19 Months Old and Rituals

2010-07-18T21:41:00.006-04:00

Today Lucie is 19 months old and we have been together almost 9 months. The time has flown by! Lucie is now 30 inches tall and weighs 19 1/2 pounds. She is a small girl and I guess always will be. Lucie loves talking on the phone and she would be happy doing this for hours. Not sure where she gets this from :) We visited Grandmommie and Papa today and they had a surprise for Lucie. They've always had jeeps for their grandkids, but the jeep they have doesn't work anymore so Grandmommie and Papa got Lucie some new wheels to play with when she is at their house. She doesn't quite know what to do with it yet. Papa and Lucie have certain rituals they go through every time Lucie is at their house. They go out to the garden, on the way they check the rain gauge and empty it if it has water in it, check the garden, pick a tomato or whatever is growing at the time, knock on Grandmommie and Papa's bedroom window to get Grandmommie to come look outside, and then touch the woodpile. I know Lucie will always treasure the memories she is making with her Grandmommie and Papa.

July 11 - 24, 2009

2010-07-18T21:29:00.002-04:00

Asleep with Baby Lily, we love polka dots, fun with Elmo and Curious George, new favorite shoes, eating yogurt.

July 6, 2009 - Clowning Around

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July 4, 2009 - Boom, Boom, Pop, Pop, Pop

2010-07-18T21:15:00.004-04:00

Lucie's first 4th of July. Life doesn't get any better than this - fireworks, comfy chair and a nice bottle of milk! The fireworks were grand. Lucie alternately loved them and was afraid of them. She would watch them and then bury herself into me and peak out with one eye. It was a fun fun night!

July 3, 2009 - Playing House & Riding Bikes

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July 1st & 2nd, 2009 - All American Girl

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June 28, 2009

2010-07-18T08:51:00.001-04:00

June 27, 2009 - Picking Tomatoes with Papa

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June 21, 2009 - Happy Father's Day Papa!

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June 20, 2009 - Visit From CJ

2010-07-18T08:21:00.004-04:00

Matching shirts from a seminar I went to.

The one picture our friend CJ let me take!

June 14, 2009 - Wearing Papa's Socks

2010-07-18T08:18:00.001-04:00

June 6, 2009 - Family Reunion

2010-07-18T08:06:00.003-04:00

Today we had a family reunion at our house with my mom's side of the family. It isn't often that we are able to get together, and it was Lucie's first time meeting this aunt, uncle and a bunch of cousins. I thought I had more pictures, but must have been having too much fun with everyone!

June 1 & June 5, 2009 - Hanging Around at Home

2010-07-18T07:54:00.003-04:00

June 1st

June 5th

May 30, 2009 - Cousins

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May 26, 2009 - Eating Popcycles

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May 25, 2009 - 17 Months Old Today !!!

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May 17 - 24, 2009 -- Road Trip to West Point, New York

2010-07-17T14:45:00.014-04:00

Lucie's cousin K graduated from West Point. We are all so proud of her! Grandmommie, Papa, Lucie and I drove up to West Point, taking several days and stopping to see friends along the way.

Our first stop was in North Carolina where we stayed with our very good friends P & M, and their two daughters. It was so great to see our friends, and the girls had such a good time playing together.

Our second night on the road we spent with K, one of my best friends from my senior year in high school and her family in Alexandria, Virginia. They have two beautiful children that Lucie loved playing with.

That night A, another best friend from 9th-11th grades in Virginia, came to visit with us and to meet Lucie.

The third day we arrived at our hotel on the beautiful Hudson River. Lucie's cousin who was graduating from West Point had other family up for the graduation too - her parents (my brother and sil) and brother flew up, as did her other grandparents. We all stayed at the same hotel. Lucie got sick the day we arrived, with a fever that went up to 105.8. We spent many hours at

the local ER. We never had a firm diagnosis, but think she had Roseola. It was a little scary having her temp go that high and not knowing what was going on. We were able to join in on some of the graduation activities, but mostly Lucie and I hung out in our hotel room.

The Long Grey Line.

Parachute demonstration.

Lucie with Papa and trading hats with cousin K.

Celebration dinner on graduation night. Lucie with her aunt and cousin K, the new Army Lieutenant!

The new Lieutenant kissing her Papa.

On our drive back to Georgia we stopped in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania where we lived when I was a senior in high school. This is the house we lived in. Many good times were had in this house!

May 13, 2009 - Ready for Rain

2010-07-17T14:22:00.003-04:00

May 10, 2009 - My First Mother's Day

2010-07-17T13:44:00.005-04:00

We're Back

2010-07-17T13:25:00.005-04:00

It has been a long long long time since I've posted to Lucie's blog. I'm disappointed in myself for not keeping up with it. I meant for this to be my journal about life with Lucie. So, I'm going to see if I can catch up and then see if I can keep somewhat current. Catching up will be fun, to relive the last year of life with Lucie. Here goes - Lucie's story, continued....

Pretty in Pink

2009-07-26T23:07:00.001-04:00

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Gardening

2009-07-26T22:55:00.004-04:00

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Lucie is quite the little helper! She helped plant and water, and was covered up with dirt by the time we finished.

Happy Days

2009-07-26T22:53:00.001-04:00

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

16 Months Old Today

2009-07-26T22:33:00.003-04:00

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Today Lucie is 16 months old. We spent the day at the Inman Park Festival with a friend, where Lucie watched the entire hour long parade, clapping and laughing the whole time. She was fascinated by all the booths and all the people. We had a great day.

My Little Silly Girl

2009-07-26T22:31:00.000-04:00

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Sunday Dress

2009-07-26T22:23:00.001-04:00

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Just Hanging Out

2009-07-26T22:19:00.001-04:00

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Crashed on the Sofa

2009-07-26T22:17:00.001-04:00

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Little Red Wagon

2009-07-26T22:13:00.002-04:00

Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Lucie loves to go for rides in her red wagon. This is the way I get my outdoor potted plants watered - with her riding along.

Happy Easter!

2009-07-26T21:30:00.011-04:00

Sunday, April 12, 2009 - Part 2

After seeing what the Easter Bunny left for the girls, we all went to the early church service on the town square. It was freezing cold, and Lucie refused to be quiet :) so she and I spent the entire service walking around the square. Other than the cold it was a beautiful morning. After having Easter lunch at Grandmommie and Papa's we had our traditional annual Easter egg hunt. We started out with a basket too big for Lucie and had to switch to a smaller one. She seemed to understand what to do other than constantly dumping her eggs out, by mistake I think. Next year she will certainly have the hang of it. Lucie's first Easter celebration was wonderful.

The Easter Bunny Came!

2009-07-26T14:28:00.006-04:00

Sunday, April 12, 2009 - Part 1

Lucie and I spent the night with Grandmommie and Papa, along with my sister and her daughter. The Easter Bunny found us there!

Riding Tricycles

2009-07-26T14:22:00.001-04:00

Thursday, April 9, 2009
Lucie likes to sit on the tricycle but can't figure out what to do with it yet. Her cousin M is showing her how it's done.

Riding Zebras

2009-07-26T14:17:00.002-04:00

Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Lucie likes to ride her zebra and she can finally get on it by herself, but for some reason she can only get on backwards. I still have to help her get on the right way.

Impromptu Visit

2009-07-26T14:14:00.001-04:00

Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Lucie loves our friend S.

Happy Birthday Grandmommie!

2009-07-26T14:11:00.000-04:00

Monday, April 6, 2009

We Love Polka Dots!

2009-07-26T14:04:00.004-04:00

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Saturday Visit and Chasing Shadows

2009-07-26T13:52:00.005-04:00

Saturday, April 4, 2009
Today we had a visit from our good friend D, who really got down on the floor and played - whew, that was fun! Then we played in the front yard and learned how to run while we chased our shadows.

Stairs and More Visiting

2009-07-26T00:08:00.002-04:00

Saturday, March 28, 2009
Today I discovered that a baby gate on the stairs is not enough to keep litte Lu from climbing them! She can squeeze between the rails and climbs up onto the 2nd step. I knew she was a climber, but I see that I will have to be extra vigilent!
Tonight our friends G and R came for dinner. Sorry G, for some reason I didn't get pictures of you tonight but in the picture with R, even though Lucie loves him, you can see that she is reaching for you :)

Mail Call

2009-07-26T00:00:00.003-04:00

Thursday, March 26, 2009
Today Lucie got a letter and picture from her special friend E. She is so excited to see her friend E that she gives her picture a big kiss!

15 Months Old

2009-07-25T23:56:00.002-04:00

March 25, 2009

Getting Ready to Leave for the Day

2009-07-25T23:51:00.001-04:00

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Meeting More of Mommie's Friends

2009-07-25T23:41:00.002-04:00

Saturday, March 21, 2009 - Part 2
We had a busy day today. After our playdate this morning and yummy Mexican lunch, we went to visit one of Mommie's friends who was in town to see her sister. Lucie loved Mommie's friend A and her son. We hope to see them again soon!

Play Date

2009-07-25T23:19:00.005-04:00

Saturday, March 21, 2009
Lucie had her first official playdate today with her friend Z. We went to the park and played and played. Lucie loved the slide, and chasing the pigeons. After we played we went to Mommie's favorite Mexican restaurant. Lucie was so tired she just could not stay awake, so she took a little nap before eating.

Delicious

2009-04-06T00:09:00.001-04:00

Thursday, March 19th, 2009

Little Bo Peep

2009-04-06T00:08:00.002-04:00

Wednesday, March 18th, 2009

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

2009-04-06T00:02:00.003-04:00

Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

My Little Sweetie

2009-04-05T23:58:00.000-04:00

Sunday, March 15th, 2009
New word of the day - "again"

Too Cold To Go Outside

2009-04-05T23:51:00.002-04:00

Saturday, March 14th, 2009

BathTime

2009-04-05T23:44:00.002-04:00

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

Irish Jammies

2009-04-05T23:39:00.002-04:00

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

An Early Easter Bunny

2009-04-05T23:35:00.001-04:00

Monday, March 9th, 2009
Lucie got an early Easter surprise today - her first bunny rabbit. It is so cute and soft and Lucie loves it!

Lucie Goes to a Thrashers Game

2009-04-05T23:27:00.003-04:00

Sunday, March 8th, 2009
Today Lucie and I met some friends at a Thrashers game. I told my friends we would probably have to leave before the 1st period ended, but Lucie loved it so we stayed the entire game! She was very interested in watching the game, loved the big screen and the big Thrasher that breathed fire every time we scored, and enjoyed flirting with everyone sitting around us. And to top it all off, we won!

Slumber Party

2009-04-05T23:19:00.004-04:00

Friday/Saturday, March 7th/8th, 2009
Yesterday when I left work I went and picked up my niece M, and brought her down to Grandmommie and Papa's house, where we all spent the night and had a Girls' Night. You should have heard Lucie squeal with excitement when she saw her cousin M come in the door. I wish I had my movie camera going. They played all night until bed time, and then all day Saturday.

Lucie with her cousin.

See the tree that fell down during the snow storm earlier this week.

Snow Day

2009-04-05T23:12:00.003-04:00

Monday, March 2nd, 2009
Lucie's school was closed today, due to the poor conditions on the roads. The roads from our house to Grandmommie's and Papa's house this morning were pretty bad and it took us a long time to get there. It snowed so fast and so long yesterday that there are trees down everywhere. They just could not hold up under all that wet heavy snow. After a day of somewhat warmer weather and lots of traffic on the road, the roads were no problem at all tonight.
Lucie's new words of the day - airplane and car. She also counts off on her fingers - 1,2,3,4,5 - but it sounds like "huh, huh, huh, huh, huh" over and over and over!

Lucie admires Grandmommie's china - a girl after my own heart:)

Lucie's BFF - Curious George

Lucie's First Snow !!

2009-04-05T22:58:00.005-04:00

Sunday, March 1st, 2009
Today we were all at Grandmommie and Papa's house for a family birthday party when it started snowing. They ended up getting 6 inches, which is fairly unusual for this part of Georgia. Exciting! I took Lucie out in their backyard - she was just mesmerized by it. I wish I had a waterproofed snow suit for her to get out in it and play. Next time it snows I hope to be prepared for it :)

In Grandmommie's and Papa's back yard.

Driving home in what felt like a blizzard.

Lucie's and my back yard.

Happy 14 Month Birthday Lucie!

2009-02-26T21:28:00.004-05:00

Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Today Lucie is 14 months old, and we have been together for a few days less than 4 months. In some ways the past 4 months feel like they have passed in the blink of an eye and in other ways it feels like Lucie and I have been together forever. I really don't remember what my life was like before Lucie! One pre-Lucie thing that I do miss is being able to take a long leisurely hot bath. Not that I did it all that often pre-Lucie, maybe once every few months. But right now it sure would feel good!
Lucie is developing and adjusting well. She is learning lots of new things all the time. Healthwise we've had some bumps in the road, but we are on the right road now and I am certainly counting our blessings. She hasn't gained any weight in a while, but she was pretty sick for a while there and was not eating well. Also she has gotten a little taller so it may be that her weight has to catch up to that. I'm trying not to worry about the weight and she looks healthy to me and even has some little fat rolls on her arms and legs. She stills mostly wears 6-9 month clothes. My mom says she is just going to be a petite girl.
Lucie continues to love her books and reads a lot by herself as well as asks Grandmommie or Papa or me to read to her. She "asks" by getting a book and physically putting it in our hand, and then looking up at us expectantly, and then how can you resist that face? Lucie can now identify eyes, nose, mouth, tongue, ears, head, hands and feet - on herself, on you, on Curious George, etc. Grandmommie taught her this and it is one of her newest things so we do it over and over and over - even when we get in bed for the night. I've had my eye poked many times now.... This morning something funny happened to us while I was driving Lucie to Grandmommie and Papa's house for the day. We were in our car, stopped at a red light. I looked over to my right and there were two young men in a van, maybe painters. They were smiling and waving and I thought, are those guys flirting with me? Then I looked in my rear view mirror and Lucie was in her seat laughing and waving just as hard as she could to those guys. I don't know who started it - probably Lucie. Such a silly little flirt!

Walking and Walking and Walking !

2009-02-25T22:35:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Today Lucie spent the day showing Grandmommie and Papa her new walking skills. Oh what fun we are all having now!

She's Walking !!

2009-02-25T22:15:00.006-05:00

Monday, February 23, 2009

Tonight Lucie decided she was ready and off she went. She is walking from one end of a room to the other end - all by herself. The look of pure joy on her face is just awesome! I'm so proud of you baby girl!

Just Hanging Out

2009-02-25T22:01:00.004-05:00

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Lucie and I have been laying low for a while now. Our pediatrician has been concerned that she is picking up every bug that comes around and has asked me to be a little more careful about where I'm taking her and what I'm exposing her to. So, today was just a quiet day around the house. Lucie seems so close to walking. She has been taking solo steps for over two months now and I keep thinking she's going to take off walking any minute. She has started standing unassisted for long periods of time so we think the walking really is close now. She loves to walk with her mower. These pictures are all things from Lucie's cousin M - the mower, Lucie's purple overalls and the rocking chair - all things Lucie loves. Lucie also loves to play with my empty diet coke bottles. I promise I didn't let her drink any of it!

Life is Good!

2009-02-25T21:55:00.003-05:00

Thursday, February 19, 2009
What could be better than eating, playing, taking fun baths and sleeping? Life is good right now! Check out her little Buddha belly. It amazes me how much food this little girl can eat and how her stomach just keeps stretching out to hold it all. And look at the way she is sitting - I can't remember at what age I was able to sit that way. She sits this way all the time. It makes my knees hurt just to watch her.

Quack Quack Quack

2009-02-25T21:42:00.004-05:00

Monday, February 16, 2009
Lucie started acting a little skittish in the bathtub - I'm not sure why. I wondered if it was because I had splashed her too much or because she got water her in her eyes - who knows. She loves ducks and I saw this duck at Walmart one day. You squeeze its beak and it makes loud Quack Quack Quack noises. We went through the entire store doing our shopping, squeezing the duck's beak and Lucie laughing hysterically. It is times like that when I wish I always carried my camera. So, I thought Little Lu would just love taking baths in this duck. The first time we tried it she was absolutely terrified and would not get near it. She kept trying to crawl all the way up me to get away from it. We took some dry runs in it without water a few weeks later (I posted some pictures from that a while back). Tonight was the first time we tried it again with water. Lucie is almost too big for it and especially with all her toys it is crowded. But at least she likes it now, and loves the quack quack quack sound. The funny things is that when Lucie has had enough she stands up and trys to crawl out of the bathtub. It does not matter if I am in the middle of washing her hair and it's covered with soap, when she is done she wants to get out - immediately! She can hike one leg up over the top of the tub but can't quite pull herself over. Have to watch that girl every second......

Happy Valentine's Day !

2009-02-14T23:37:00.004-05:00

Today is the first Valentine's Day Lucie and I have celebrated together, and is most likely the first one she has ever celebrated since I doubt they celebrated in the Vietnamese orphanage where she was this time a year ago. Papa got her some flowers - he wanted to make sure that on her "first" Valentine's Day that she got flowers from the man in her life. Isn't that sweet? Tonight we went to my brother's house for a cookout. Lucie enjoyed seeing her Aunt and Uncle and cousins and of course she always enjoys seeing Grandmommie and Papa.
Lucie Girl, or as my brother calls her, Little Lu, I love you very much! You are the love of my life! Happy Valentine's Day my sweet baby girl.

2009-02-14T23:18:00.004-05:00

Thursday, February 12, 2009
Lucie absolutely loves her Grandmommie and Papa. When I leave her at their house in the morning, she can't get out of my arms and into Grandmommie's arms fast enough. I know they have a fun time together and there are so many things to do there! This is Lucie's first time in a swing - I didn't get to see it but apparently she loved it. She also loved the grass. This is the first time she has experienced grass - isn't that funny? While I was on leave it was just too cold and rained most of the time, so we never got out and played in the grass. In the last pictures, she is loving on her polar bear and yes, she is still wearing Christmas pj's - these are some of her most comfortable pj's so she will continue wearing them as long as they fit :)

Phone Home

2009-02-14T23:06:00.003-05:00

Saturday, February 7, 2009
Lucie and I are both sick - AGAIN! Lucie has been sick with something ever since I got her - ear infections, colds, bronchitis, upper respiratory infections, flu, sinus infection..... I have been close behind her with my colds and sinus infections. She has a terrible cough now, and a horribly clogged up nose. It is difficult to keep her nose clean, as you can see in these pictures. Lucie LOVES anything electronic - tv remote control, telephone, cell phone, camera, computer keyboard, etc. I bought her this play phone hoping it would keep her happy so that she wouldn't always want my cell phone. I used to let her play with my phone until she called several people - oops! On her phone, she punches the buttons, holds it to her ear, talks up a storm and then hands it to me to talk, and then we repeat over and over and over.....

Happy for the Weekend!

2009-02-14T22:59:00.003-05:00

Friday, February 6, 2009
Whew - I made it through my first week at work! It felt odd to be back, but good to see everyone and to start getting back into my work routine. There is so much to catch up on. Everyone at work was super nice this week, which made it easier for me. I had my ups and downs emotionally, and a few other moms told me that although it will get easier I will always miss Lucie. I missed her terribly, but knowing that she was with Grandmommie and Papa every day and with Miss Mimi at church school on Wednesday made it easier for me to focus on work.

Pretty

2009-02-14T22:55:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

One of Papa's Favorite Things To Do With Lucie

2009-02-14T22:51:00.005-05:00

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Mommie Goes to Work

2009-02-02T22:27:00.003-05:00

Today was my first day back to work after being on leave for three months. Tonight when I was driving home the thought crossed my mind - did I ever leave work? Ha! I really did have a good day. My team at work is great - they were really awesome to pull together and work hard so that I could take this time off with Lucie. I appreciate them so much. So - I had a plan for this morning, and knew I would have to be flexible. I got up a half hour later than planned, and left the house an hour later than planned. We'll have to work on that. Lucie was supposed to go to church school this morning, but is still congested and has a bad cough so she went to Grandmommie and Papa's house. These pictures are at their house, as I was dropping her off. Before I left of course I had to give her a zillion hugs and kisses. And of course all she was interested in was the pink car! I missed her terribly all day today.

No More Lucie 24/7

2009-02-01T23:40:00.008-05:00

We had a nice Sunday together. Our last full day together until next Saturday. Whew - how am I ever going to make it through the week without 24/7 Lucie? Lucie is feeling better, but still not completely well. She had a slight fever today, is still very congested and had another bloody nose today - ugh. But definitely better than last week and it is so good to see her feeling happy again. Lucie's words of the day - baby (sounds like beh beh), pancakes (caacay), and touchdown (she even did the hand motions for this, until I pulled out the camera and then she wouldn't do it again).

Oh my!!

Lucie loves ducks so I got this thinking she would have fun at bath time. It quacks when you press its bill. Lucie has been deathly afraid of it in the bathtub, so I thought we would try it on dry land.

A "new" (very old) bed in Lucie's room, which I sleep on and Lucie usually joins me in the wee hours of the night. The other bed had rails and I was nervous about her choking on them.

Singing in the microphone.

Can you see the glasses and cups all over the kitchen?

Eating pancakes for the very first time...

...and throwing pancakes all over the kitchen

- or perhaps trying to feed the bear?

Yes momma I'm "this big".

Why do you keep asking me???

My name is Lucie and I am one!

The weather was beautiful this afternoon and we went for a walk.

Lucie didn't much want to go.

Feeling a little better because Momma is doing silly tricks to try and make me laugh.

Oh my!!

Baabaa

2009-02-01T01:48:00.003-05:00

January 31, 2009
Lucie is doing better. Tonight she even ate some spaghettio's for dinner. Yippee - she finally ate a good meal. It has been days since she has and I've been getting worried.
No pics today, but I do have a couple of cute stories. Earlier this week Lucie was watching Curious George on tv. We were in the living room. Lucie crawled into the kitchen, got her stuffed Curious George and crawled back to the living room so that they could watch Curious George on tv together. I should have gotten a picture of them watching together. I guess I need to start carrying my camera around with me at all times.
Lucie has been taking naps this week I guess because she has been so sick. I hope the idea of naps continues even after she is completely well. Today, after the two of us took a nice long two hour nap (heaven!) I gave her a snack of jello, a biter biscuit and a bottle. I had her in her high chair but didn't have the tray on, so I set her bottle on the kitchen bar, behind her high chair. Lucie was saying what I thought was Papa, and I kept telling her that Papa was not here, Papa was at his house. After several attempts at trying to get me to understand what she was saying, she threw her hand in the air and pointed up over her head and behind her to where her bottle was and said Baabaa. So of course I immediately gave her her Baabaa and could tell that is what she wanted. I guess those biter biscuits are kind of dry aren't they?
Lucie does point at things, but now if she wants you to look at something she will take her hand and pull your face to the direction she wants you to look. Sometimes it is one hand, sometimes both hands on either side of your face. It is funny and I always end up laughing at her when she does it to me over and over - and over! I tried to do it to her once and she got mad at me.
Two new words today - "more" and something that sounds like "banana". I can't remember now exactly how she said it but it was while I was trying to get her to eat some banana for breakfast.
It's time for some new pictures, isn't it? Maybe I'll get some on Sunday....

What I Did On My Leave

2009-01-31T20:48:00.010-05:00

February 1, 2009
It seems like I've had Lucie a lifetime already, but my leave has passed in the blink of an eye. I've been off for three months now, and it is time to go back to work tomorrow (oops - today already). I am so grateful that I work for a company with such great benefits - I was able to take adoption leave and tack on unused vacation days for a total of three months off. I needed this time. We needed this time. It has been a time of recovering from jet lag, adjusting to each other, dealing with medical issues, dealing with administrative issues, and most importantly just getting to know each other and loving each other. This time off was a once in a lifetime event. In the beginning it seemed like it was the longest time ever, and I had grand plans of all that I was going to do. I was going to get this baby, finish some renovation work on my house that I worked on for the past year, keep up with work, keep a perfect house, blah, blah, blah. What a joke. So now I sit here and wonder -what did I do while I was on leave for three months????

Got Lucie! Spent almost two weeks in Viet Nam and traveling there and back.

Diapers Changed - 500+

Bottles of Formula Fixed - 100+

Trash Collected - A large bag every day, excluding diapers. I still can't figure this one out. Where did/does all the trash come from? Baby food does not take up all that much room.

Meals - At least 270 hours. Every meal takes a good hour. This has been a challenge for me as I am used to doing everything quickly.

Rocking Lucie in Glider - Probably well over 100 hours.

Weight Gained - Lucie gained almost 2 pounds. She weighed 15 pounds at her first doctor visit, and now weighs 16 pounds 13 ounces. Mommie lost 10 pounds, and then gained it all back.

Inches Gained - Lucie grew 1/4 of an inch. From 27 1/2 inches long to 27 3/4 inches. This doesn't seem like much, but I can tell the difference in her clothes. Mommie got shorter by 1/2 of an inch. OK, I can't figure this one out either. I'm too young to be shrinking already.

Doctor & Dentist Visits - 21!! Lucie had 14 - checkups, immunizations, ear infections, ear tubes, etc. Mommie had 7 - dentist, dermatology (folks wear your sun screen and hats - I'm already being treated for pre-cancerous stuff on my ears and my nose), physical.

Shopping for Baby Stuff - things I realized I needed after I got home, baby food, diapers, etc. - ???? hours. By the way, Lucie LOVES to go shopping. Uh oh.....

Legal Stuff - Added Lucie to my benefits; got Lucie's social security number; filed request for legal name change with my local courthouse.

Hugs and Kisses - Too many to count!!

This is Lucie's referral photo - the first picture I saw of her in June 2008, when I found out who my baby was!

Lucie Today!

Bitten By the Bug

2009-01-30T21:31:00.005-05:00

January 28 - 30, 2009

If you've followed this blog at all you will know that I have gotten woefully behind. The last time I was up-to-date was on Christmas Day! My card reader broke, and then somehow I just couldn't seem to find the time. With Lucie not taking naps during the day, middle of the night is the only time I can get anything done.

When I first created this blog it was for those at home to follow our journey to Viet Nam to get Lucie. Since then I've decided to try and keep it up, as a journal. This is Lucie's story and hopefully someday she will enjoy reading it. So, does this mean I am really a blogger now? I think I've been bitten by the blogging bug. I just need to do a better job of keeping up with my posts.

So, Tuesday night I stayed up until around 3am trying to catch up on a month's worth of updates. I am sleeping in Lucie's room in a double bed next to her crib. When I decided to call it quits on the blogging for the night and go to bed, this is how I found Lucie. She often wakes up in the wee hours and wants to get in bed with me, and then she sleeps soundly through the rest of the night. I figured that she had waked up and when she saw that I was not in bed, she just fell asleep in the corner closest to the bed. She looks so pitiful. Anyhow, just two hours later she woke me up and she was burning up. She had a temp of 103.5. It continued to rise throughout the day and around 24 hours later reached a peak of 104.8. I was scared to death. My mom came up to help me - we had Lucie in the bathtub a couple of times, and did a lot of walking and rocking. On Thursday at the pediatrician's office Lucie was confirmed with Influenza Type A. So in the picture, was she just missing me or was it that she had been bitten by the flu bug? She is doing better today, but still not eating and not drinking too much. Today she did eat some yogurt and some ice cream - two of her favorite things. She has just been miserable - I hate seeing her this way. We are over the worst of it and I hope she continues to improve quickly!

Lucie's Tupperware Drawer

2009-01-30T11:31:00.002-05:00

January 27, 2008

I didn't get a picture of the entire mess she made here. This is before she pulled out half the contents of the tupperware drawer. At this point she was pulling a blue cup out and putting it back in - out, in, out, in. I thought that was pretty good. Next came removing the entire drawer's contents.

My sister-in-law's father came out from Arkansas for my nephew's basketball games. We were happy he could come visit us while he was here.

School and Feeding the Animals

2009-01-30T11:17:00.003-05:00

January 26, 2009

Our church has a mommy's morning out program on Monday and Wednesday mornings. Lucie started going earlier this month, so we could start transitioning both of us from being away from each other :) There is one other little boy in her class and a wonderful teacher. This morning was her 4th time attending, I think, and things have been getting easier until this morning. I left her screaming, which breaks my heart. Going back to work is going to be so hard on both of us. Ok, who am I kidding. It's going to be hard on me :) I think little Lu will be just fine.

I've been trying to teach Lucie how to use her eating utensils. Sometimes I let her play with them during her meals. This morning she started feeding Curious George and her polar bear. Now if she can just do as well for herself as she did feeding them!

13 Months Old Today

2009-01-28T02:39:00.008-05:00

January 25, 2009

Lucie is 13 months old today - and she has finally figured out how to get into the kitchen cabinets. She has been playing with the doors/drawers ever since we got home, but hadn't quite figured out how to open them wide. Oh what fun we are having now! I have safety latches on them, but had not been keeping them latched since she hadn't figured out how to open them. Those days are gone....

I've been thinking about what changes have occurred in the past three months. I got Lucie when she was a few days older than 10 months and today she is 13 months old. She was just a tiny ball when I got her, and she clung to me like she was never going to let go. She has certainly blossomed in three months.

What Lucie is Saying:

Mama
Papa
Grandmommie
Uh Oh (when she drops something, but more often when she throws it down)
Jungle
Pretty
Thank You (sounds like Hey Hoo, but always said at very appropriate times so she knows what she is saying)
Bye Bye
God
Hi (over and over again - this is too cute)
Baa (for bottle)
Ho Ho (what Santa says)
Oof Oof (what the doggie says)
Mooo, or sometimes just Mmmm (what the cow says)
Cack Cack (what the duck says - this is the first word she said after Mama)
Ooooww (what the kitty cat says)
Various Family and Friends' Names
Aaahhh (to open her mouth to let me see that she has swallowed what she is eating)

13 Things I Love About Lucie:

I love the way she smells.
I love the silky feel of her hair.
I love the way she snuggles up to me when we sleep together.
I love the way she hugs me, and puts her cheek on mine.
I love her deep belly laugh when she gets tickled about something.
I love the pure look of joy on her face when she has done something new and she knows it.
I love it when she does the hulk.
I love her pretty little lips and fingers and hands - she's like a doll.
I love the way her eyes sparkle and the way they crinkle up when she is laughing - or about to let out a big wail.
I love it when she comes to wherever I am and wraps her arms around my legs.
I love watching her sing karaoke in her microphone.
I love watching her read her books, flipping the pages and really looking like she is reading (even if the book is upside down :).
I love the way she squirms with happiness when I pick her up.

Drinking Through Straws

2009-01-28T02:25:00.003-05:00

January 24, 2009
We had a very busy day today. We drove a couple of hours south of here with Grandmommie and Papa to visit a cousin who is sick. After we visited with our cousin, we went to lunch with Aunt J to celebrate her birthday. After lunch we drove back home. Papa decided to stay home but Grandmommie, Lucie and I went to see my nephew play basketball. I never get to see him play, and since this game was on a Saturday and was at 5pm, it was an ideal game to attend. After the game we had dinner at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. Lucie ate some of my refried beans, Mexican rice and beef burrito - she really likes Mexican food. She also drank through a straw for the first time. I think it surprised her, and then when she realized what she was doing I couldn't pry the straw from her mouth. Fun!

Lucie Goes to the Dentist

2009-01-28T02:02:00.002-05:00

January 22, 2009

I've heard some horror stories about the teeth problems some Vietnamese kids adopted from orphanages have had, so I wanted to get Lucie checked out and started out with the proper care. Lucie's dentist has a really cool office - it's painted with a jungle theme and there's a video that shows a dentist cleaning a monkey's teeth. Lucie loved it. And she didn't mind the dentist so much until he wanted to look into her mouth, and then it was a totally different story. Lucie now has 9 teeth - the four upper and lower front teeth, and one molar in the back. Her 7th tooth came out Christmas day. The 8th tooth started erupting a couple of weeks ago and is still coming out. I did not even know the molar in the back had erupted because Lucie won't let me look in her mouth. She also has at least a couple of other molars that are just under the skin and look like they will be popping out at any time. Whew. The kid's mouth must really be hurting her. It stays red and swollen most of the time. The dentist says everything looks really good, and that we should be brushing and flossing Lucie's teeth every day. Good luck with that, huh?

Mommie Takes a Shower

2009-01-28T01:56:00.002-05:00

January 21, 2009
My cousin J gave me the best advice - make sure you take a shower every day. It doesn't matter what time it is, even if you take it late at night. She was oh so right. The first week in our house I did not take a shower and I felt terrible (honestly, there was a lot of adjusting going on that first week at home, not just lack of showers). I still remember that first Saturday night after I had been at our house with Lucie by myself for a week. My brother and his family came over and I said please watch her, I have to take a shower!
My sister told me to put the exersaucer in the bathroom so Lucie can have something safe to do and she can see me while I take a shower. What a lifesaver! And I've had a shower every day since then....

Panda Lovers

2009-01-28T01:52:00.002-05:00

January 18, 2009
A visit from a fellow panda-loving friend!

Old Family Friends and Webkins

2009-01-28T01:42:00.002-05:00

January 13, 2009
Today Lucie, Grandmommie and I had lunch with a dear family friend who has been just like family to us for many years, in fact back to the generation before us. We got some good pictures with Grandmommie, but in the pics with me and with our family friend we both have our eyes closed - oh well. Lucie got her first webkin today - exciting! I don't really know what they are, I just know they tie in to the computer somehow and all the kids have them. I need to get up to speed on this kind of stuff! Our lunch was yummy - taco soup, cream cheese sandwiches (with the crust cut off), overnight salad and rum cake with ice cream for dessert. Lucie ate some of everything, and actually did quite well with the taco soup and sandwiches. She seems to like spicy food, which is good since I do too.

Pretty !

2009-01-28T01:27:00.003-05:00

January 11, 2009
Today we were visited by a special friend from work and her three daughters. Lucie loved playing with them and hopes to see them again soon! Lucie touched one of the girls and said "pretty." She was also able to say two of the girls' names, but the third was a little more challenging and she didn't say that one - maybe next visit :)

Just Doing Normal Stuff at Home

2009-01-28T01:20:00.001-05:00

January 10, 2009
Loving on Curious George and mowing the floor.

Tubes

2009-01-28T00:57:00.002-05:00

January 9, 2009
Lucie has had nothing but ear infections and fluid in her ears the entire time I've had her. We saw a pediatric ENT specialist who advised us that Lucie was a good candidate for ear tubes. Due to her tiny ears and the angle of her eustrachian tubes, any fluid that gets in her ears cannot properly drain, which results in constant infection. So, today Lucie had ear tubes inserted. We were the first surgery of the day - we had to be at the hospital by 6am so we were up very early this morning. I am very impressed with the hospital and the entire procedure. It was outpatient surgery, and they have individual rooms for the patients and family to wait in until surgery, and for the families to wait in while the surgery is happening. Very nice. I was of course very worried about my little Lucie being put under general anesthesia and thought I might lose it. My mother came with us, and then my brother showed up at the hospital unexpectedly. I think because he was there I did not break down like I thought I would. In our private waiting room, Lucie was dressed in a tiny surgical gown (that broke my heart seeing her in that little gown) and she was given a drug to help loosen her up and make her sleepy. She was allowed to take Curious George and her blankie with her to the OR. Curious George came back with a surgical hair cap on - too cute. I wish I had gotten a picture of that, but somehow I didn't - I guess my mind was on other things :) In the OR they put her under a light general anesthesia and laughing gas to do the surgery. Dr. T said the surgery went well, and that the fluid that came out of Lucie's ears was like motor oil. You would think Lucie would have immediate relief just having that removed from her ears. Poor thing. After the surgery Lucie was in the recovery room for around 20 minutes or so until she woke up and then they brought her back to our private room. I held her until she woke up enough to drink some juice. Then Grandmommie held her and she slept a little more. After they took her vital signs and everything checked out OK we were allowed to leave. I think we were at the hospital a total of around 3 hours - not long at all. Lucie was so funny all day - very talkative and lively, I guess from all the meds she was on.

Stylin'

2009-01-28T00:47:00.001-05:00

January 7, 2009
A beautiful sweater for Lucie made by our friend E.

Eating Eggs and Mowing the Kitchen Floor

2009-01-28T00:32:00.005-05:00

January 6, 2009

Lucie is in a bit of a transition with her eating now. When I got her in Viet Nam, she had only been eating formula and rice water. We started her on cereal and baby food right away. Now she wants to eat whatever I am eating, but the problem is that she still has trouble chewing and swallowing. Sometimes I let her lick whatever I am eating so she can get a taste of it. I've started breaking my food into little pieces to see if she can eat them. This morning I decided to scramble some eggs and let Lucie try them to see if she likes them. I've also been letting her play with a spoon while I am feeding her, so she can get used to handling it herself. Sometimes I'll put a little food on her spoon to see if she can feed herself with the spoon. Let's just say she's got some work to do on that...

Today I was on a work phone call and lo and behold Lucie stood up behind her push mower and started mowing the kitchen floor. I about dropped the phone I was so excited. I interrupted the person I was on a call with to tell her what my wonderfully smart baby was doing. Hee hee. I got a movie of her mowing and as soon as I figure out how to post a movie clip you can see her in action for yourself :)

Here is Lucie with her spoon and her eggs. Most of the eggs ended up on the floor and I'm always amazed at how far from the chair food can get thrown. We are working on table manners now...

A Fun Visit

2009-01-28T00:12:00.005-05:00

January 4, 2009
I need to figure out how to upload clips from my movie camera. Lucie has been playing with the microphone on one of her toys, but yesterday she actually started singing in it. She would sing in it, hold it away from her mouth and sing without it, and then put it back to her mouth and sing into it. I guess she was interested in how her voice sounded with and without the microphone. Sometimes she just seems to be so analytical that way - I don't know if I'm making things up or if she really is. I wish I knew what was going on in that little mind of hers.
Today we had a visit from some fun friends! Lucie loves having visitors - and going visiting too. She just really likes being around people. In one of these pictures Lucie is doing "the hulk" - can you guess which one?

Visiting with Grandmommie and Papa

2009-01-28T00:05:00.004-05:00

January 2, 2009
Lucie is so happy to have her Grandmommie and Papa back - she loves them so!
Today Lucie said two new words - God, and her cousin M's name. She also did something new that I got a kick out of. I sing her the alphabet song pretty much every day. Sometimes she just looks at me and sometimes she bounces along with me while I sing. Today she sang along with me. She was not saying anything intelligible, but I'm excited that she just la la la'd along with me.

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-27T23:32:00.006-05:00

January 1, 2009
Today is the start of the new year, and the beginning of Lucie's and my first full year together. Exciting! Our family returned from Germany today - they all spent Christmas and New Year's Eve in Garmisch, truly a winter wonderland. This trip has been planned for a year - to go over and meet my brother there, where he would fly up from Iraq. I originally thought Lucie and I would go too, but since we just got back from Viet Nam in November and we had such a hard time on our trip home from Viet Nam we decided it was best for us to stay at home. Anyhow, we are very excited that our family is home now - we missed them so much. We went to the airport to see everyone, and to drive Grandmommie and Papa to their house. Lucie was so excited to see everyone.

New Year's Eve

2009-01-27T23:11:00.005-05:00

December 31, 2008
Lucie and I went to our friends' house for dinner on New Year's Eve. We had fondue - and it was SO MUCH FUN! We had steak, chicken and little franks with various dipping sauces, and strawberries and bananas with chocolate - yummy! I ate until I thought I was going to pop. I have a fondue pot somewhere in my house. I need to pull it out and use it. Our friends have a daughter that Lucie loves to play with. I wish I had my movie camera, as G had Lucie laughing and laughing - doing her deep belly laugh.

Before we left our house for the New Year's Eve fondue bash...
Lucie loves Curious George. She either loves on him or wrestles with him. Lucie also loves my cookbooks. She thinks they are her books and for some reason it is great fun to pull them off the shelf. You can see her determined look as she makes a beeline for the bookshelf.

Lucie's One Year Check Up

2009-01-27T22:54:00.003-05:00

December 30, 2008
Since Lucie turned one on Christmas Day we could not get her one year check up until today. This is a picture of us with our favorite pediatrician "Dr. L". She is just the best pediatrician - so gentle with Lucie, and she takes the time to explain everything to me - she is very patient with me when I pull out my list of questions, which I do every single time we go see her. Lucie is on track developmentally which is really great when you think about where she spent the first ten months of her life. I am in awe of this child, and how quickly she is adapting and learning - she is a sponge. It is so fun for me to watch her development - it is just fascinating to me. Her ears are still an issue. They have been in bad shape since I got her. It is time for us to visit a pediatric ENT specialist.

Dum Ditty Dum Ditty Dum Dum Dum

2009-01-27T22:42:00.004-05:00

December 27, 2008
My college roommate and her hubby and daughter came over for dinner with Lucie and me tonight. My roommate wrote one of my personal reference letters that I had to get as part of my adoption home study - thank you J! I've been excited about Lucie meeting them and Lucie playing with their daughter L. Lucie and L had great fun tonight. One of Lucie's favorite books is a book called "Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb" and it is about monkeys drumming on drums. "Hand Hand Fingers Thumb; One thumb, one thumb, drumming on a drum; One hand Two hands Drumming on a drum; Dum ditty Dum ditty Dum dum dum." I sing this song all day long. I go to bed singing this song. I'm singing this song right now. Anyhow, Lucie can make toys out of anything. This box makes an awesome drum. Dum ditty dum ditty dum dum dum.

Boxing Day

2009-01-27T22:25:00.006-05:00

December 26, 2008

Today our friends from Virginia left to go home. They have been the best friends ever to come and spend Christmas with us. We miss them terribly already, and hope they will come again soon! Lucie can't say our friend R's name yet, but calls her "Rah Rah". It's very cute.

Lucie is certainly experiencing lots of new things. Today we went to a friend's Boxing Day party. Our friend is Canadian and they celebrate Boxing Day the day after Christmas, just as the British do. He had a lot of great food and great company, and Lucie and I had so much fun.

Happy 1st Birthday Lucie!

2009-01-27T21:32:00.007-05:00

December 25, 2008 - Part 2

Today was a busy day - Santa Claus, opening presents, Christmas dinner, and then celebrating Lucie's first birthday. Our good friends from Virginia are here and have made the day so very special! On top of all this excitement, Lucie got her 7th tooth today! She now has her 4 top front teeth and 3 bottom front teeth.

Today I can't help but think about Lucie's birth parents and especially her birth mother. I have so many emotions and I don't know how to express them. I am sad that Lucie's birth parents were not in a position to raise her and grateful that I was chosen for this honor. Every day I thank God for this beautiful precious baby - I have certainly been blessed.

Happy Birthday to my sweet little Lucie girl. I love you so much and already can't imagine my life without you in it. Here's to many years of adventure together!

Lucie's First Christmas

2008-12-30T22:09:00.005-05:00

December 25, 2008 Part I - Lucie's First Christmas (Part II is Lucie's First Birthday - I'm having trouble with my camera card reader and haven't been able to download those pics yet).

Technically I guess this is not Lucie's first Christmas, as she was born on Christmas Day a year ago. But, this is her first full Christmas, and her first Christmas with me so I am counting it as her first Christmas. We had a really busy day. Santa came during the night and left Lucie some fun things in her stocking (a duck - quack quack, or as Lucie says "cack cack"), some books, a popcorn popper and some rubber blocks. We had a leisurely breakfast complete with eggs and bacon - yum! After breakfast we played with the things Santa brought, and then everyone opened their Christmas gifts, and then we played with all the gifts. Fun! Lucie almost never takes naps, unless she falls asleep in her car seat when we are going somewhere. Today Lucie took a 2 1/2 hour nap! I think she would have slept even longer than that, but we went into her room to check on her and then she woke up. I guess all this fun just wore her out. In the afternoon we took a long walk in the neighborhood and then started fixing Christmas dinner and Lucie's birthday party.

I'm one today!!! No more practicing - it's for real!

Yea!!!!

Christmas Week With Special Friends

2008-12-29T00:23:00.004-05:00

December 23-24, 2008
Our Virginia friends stayed through Christmas, but I will do a separate post for Christmas Day. In the days before Christmas we had so much fun. We went to the Atlanta Aquarium. I tried to take pictures but I'm not good enough with my camera to get good pictures in that lighting. I wondered how Lucie would do, and she loved it. She waved at the fish in their tanks. I really do think she enjoyed herself. It has made me think about other things we could be doing, that I thought we needed to wait until she is a little older like Disney World ? - hee hee. We also took long walks through our neighborhood, drove around and looked at Christmas decorations and lights, ate Mexican (yum) and went to Christmas Eve service at our church. Lucie sat through the hour long service and did just beautifully - I was so proud of her, no Hulk this time but she did want one of the candles for herself. Lucie loves our Virginia friends and wants them to come back soon! They played and played. Lucie also said some new words - jungle, uh oh (sometimes when she accidently drops something but mostly when she intentionally throws it down), ho ho ho (but usually it is just ho, ho), papa, grandmommie (pronunciation still isn't great on this one, but you can tell it is what she is saying), and I know I must be forgetting something for sure as she continues to say and do new things constantly now. It is just so much fun.

Waiting For Friends From Virginia

2008-12-29T00:16:00.002-05:00

December 22, 2008
Today we are waiting for our dear special friends who are driving down from Virginia to spend Christmas with us. While we are waiting, Lucie plays with a local friend.

Lucie Takes Her First Solo Steps!!

2008-12-29T00:00:00.003-05:00

December 21, 2008

This morning we went to church and I was able to leave Lucie in the nursery for the first time so I could go to the church service. Hopefully this is a trend that will continue. This afternoon we had a nice long visit from our friends S and C and her son M. Lucie loved M! They played and played and M made Lucie do her belly laugh for quite some time. C taped the laughing - I've got to get a copy and will try to post it if I can. It is too funny. So, the big news is that during this visit Lucie walked for the first time. She did it several times - walking back and forth between M and me. She did it with confidence and of course we were all thrilled to see her take her first steps. It took me so by surprise that I did not get any pictures. (A side note from today, Dec 29th - I haven't been able to get her to repeat this. Not sure what she is waiting for :).

Big Trip to Atlanta

2008-12-28T23:39:00.003-05:00

December 19, 2008
Today we took Grandmommie and Papa to the airport so we stayed in town and met our friends G and K for dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Yumm!

A Thorough Check Up

2008-12-28T23:29:00.003-05:00

December 18, 2008
Today I took Lucie back to the doctor as she has been running a fever off and on, and it seems to be higher than it should just from teething. Her ears are still red and we are worried that she is getting another ear infection. Our pediatrician says we might have to get ear tubes. We also drew blood to do a battery of tests. Boy was that fun. I was holding her body down, one nurse was holding her arm and the second nurse was drawing the blood. Of course Lucie was screaming through the whole process, which was drawn out because they had to get blood from several locations (arm, hand, foot - ugh). I was crying the whole time, but I was also talking to Lucie trying to get her to calm down. I asked her what the duck says and in the midst off her screaming she did the hand motion for the duck's quack. We both survived. Since then we've gotten results from all the tests and almost everything has come back negative or good, which is really awesome news. Her platelets are low and I'm not exactly sure what that means, but apparently it can happen when you are sick so I'm hoping it is because of the ear infections Lucie has had for so long. So, we have to go back for more blood in a few weeks. Not looking forward to that.

Busy Day

2008-12-28T23:16:00.002-05:00

December 17, 2008
Today was a very busy day. We went to the Social Security Office to apply for Lucie's social security number. We will have to go through this process a second time after I get her name legally changed, but we had to go ahead and do it now for tax purposes. All I can say is I dread having to go through the process again. Then we dropped in on Grandmommie and Papa and had lunch with them. After we got back home our dear friend J came for a visit. She delivered a gift from another friend-you can see Lucie playing with her musical tower. She absolutely loves this toy. She stands at it and bounces with the music. I need to get a movie of it. Then my sister-in-law stopped by with dinner and to bring Christmas gifts for Lucie and me since she is heading out of town. Lucie is starting to get the hang of opening gifts now. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures this time.