I have FEET!

There is something that I keep grabbing....

Every time I grab them my Mommy says "feet"!

I think I like my feet!

For the past couple of weeks Peyton has been reaching and grabbing her feet, usually when she is in her bed, or just after her bath when she is getting lotion massaged on her tummy, legs, arms, and FEET - she reaches for them....we first noticed it one day when she had on her bunny pjs, she was sitting and she kept leaning forward trying to eat the bunnies, now she grabs her feet pretty regularly.

Some people eat rabbit stew...not Mommy or Daddy but maybe me? If it tastes as good as these bunnies,

I say .... "Yummy"!

The bunnies have ears!

It is so cute to watch her grow and blossom, albeit sad that she is growing SO fast!

Piggies "in a" Blankie

Mimi's

This morning we had breakfast at Mimis Cafe. Mimis will always be a special place for our family, lots of great things happened at Mimis.

• Mimis Cafe is where we had our final Home Study visit with Ralph back in September.


• Miya (aka: Mimi) was the first baby brought home from Japan with ATWA (our adoption agency).


• Mimis Cafe is where Dean and I were (having breakfast after a Dr. appt. before we headed back to work) when we got THE call from Taz that we had a baby girl!

Kind of funny how things like that happened to us during the whole adoption process....so many things!

Bath Time Fun...

Just enough hair for a "faux-hawk"......

Happy Baby

Hands are Y-U-M-M-Y!

Daddy is F-U-N-N-Y!

I did my weekly visit to work yesterday and when we were leaving Heather was chatting with Peyton and she was cracking up *she had been very stingy with smiles (with Heather), but I think maybe made up for it with laughing and laughing. Then it was time to say Goodbye to Zack, while he was chatting with Peyton she again laughed and laughed - it was SO cute.

Unfortunately I didn't have the camera with me to capture all of the giggles she was giving when we left, but last night Dean had just finished exercising, Peyton was freshly bathed and ready for bed...and was still in a great mood, laughing at Daddy, so I grabbed the camera!

I love my Daddy!

Shopping with Mommy

Look who is ALMOST big enough for the shopping cart....

Peyton HATES her car seat, so I try and minimize her time there.

Normally I juggle pushing the cart and balancing her - not an easy task since she is 15 pounds now, or I take the stroller, not easy when you're grocery shopping and getting more than a couple things - or Dean has to come with us...he's not the best shopper :)

So I decided to try our grocery cart cover, which works pretty well - Peyton isn't "sitting" up yet, so I have to prop her with a blanket on either side, the other day it was a cantalope on one side, and my purse on the other, she's fine with that :)

My very first few seconds in the shopping cart!

I am going to see if my Mother Inlaw will sew us another one, in pretty fabric - this one doesn't fit the grocery store cart very well...so I bought a pattern and I'm on a quest for the perfect fabric, not easy here in Yuma - when I really WANT/NEED Japanese fabric! ARGH!!!

For now this one works...and as you can see below, Peyton kind of likes it!

I know, I know...I chopped off her head...but you can still see her smile :)

OK - to answer a couple of questions from our Comments (yes I read every comment):

Question: Why do I split up her shots?

Answer: I have chosen to split them up at the recommendation of our Japan Coordinator - she stated that in Japan they don't give babies all of their immunizations (3 in one appt., plus the polio drops) because they feel that it is hard on such young babies to go through it all at once, they split them up. Since I think Taz knows everything there is to know (afterall she is who am I indebted to forever for finding our daughter), I have chosen to follow her recommendation. LOL - really I do think Taz has the best interest of the babies at all times, and I don't think that she would give us any advice that she didn't follow herself.

No really, I figured it made perfect sense to split them up and have it less traumatic on Peyton - as much as I HATE shots, the thought of her having three all at one time just seemed cruel - many years of infertility injections SUCKED (having multiple shots at once), I think I'd rather have one (maybe two) at a time myself.

Question 2: How do you get her to leave her sunglasses on?

Answer: PURE luck - she hasn't ever grabbed for them, although that might change since she now grabs and reaches for everything in sight...but so far, I think she is just plain used to Mommy putting crap on her ;o)

Have a question...just ask :o)

Our yummy Sukiyaki that I made for dinner last night - I LOVE Sukiyaki...

Sitting in her high chair while we ate (watching us eat dinner)


Playmat time - Yes Everything now goes in her mouth!

And this morning........

Peyton sleeping this morning, after rolling over from her tummy (it was nap time), I thought she looked SO cute with her little hand up.

Poor Little Girl...

Rough day in the life of Peyton Sakura.

We went for the second half of her four month shots, so she got her polio drops, then a nice stick in the leg with her Hep B shot (she was crying even before she began - Nurse Abby said that Peyton knows what is going to happen since she's been there a few times, my friend Heather said that it's my fault because I make her go twice as often by splitting up her shots.....). Then we leave the Doctor's office and head to the hospital for her Newborn Genetic Screening - another stick, this time in the foot - poor little Princess P didn't have a very good day.

Finally napping....

Looks like they were mining for gold with this stick.

And finally at the end of the day,

Daddy makes it all okay....

Sleeping on Daddy....

Happy Father's Day!

What Makes a Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,

The majesty of a tree,

The warmth of a summer sun,

The calm of a quiet sea,

The generous soul of nature,

The comforting arm of night,

The wisdom of the ages,

The power of the eagle's flight,

The joy of a morning in spring,

The faith of a mustard seed,

The patience of eternity,

The depth of a family need,

Then God combined these qualities,

When there was nothing more to add,

He knew His masterpiece was complete,

And so,

He called it ... Dad

~Author Unknown

Spending the day doing what Daddy likes....has to include a ride on the golf cart with all of the kids!

By the end of our ride...someone was fast asleep.........

We had a wonderful Father's Day!


Our day consisted of doing what Daddy likes best - pretty much nothing :) Daddy loves taking the puppies on the golf cart, so we did that early, since it has been hot - then watched lots of sports, then a BBQ (and Mommy burned everything...should have gone out for a nice Father's Day dinner). Dean had picked out his Father's Day gift when we went to the Dosokai, so he didn't really have any surprises, but that works best - Dean is particular about his 'collection' of pens, we added to his collection with a very pretty new pen.

Daddy's new pen

Happy Father's Day!

The first man a girl falls in love with is her Dad ~ Author Unknown

Look how big!

Our little angel...

Today was another unfortunate day - poor little Peyton Sakura has been to three funerals - all at 4 1/2 months old. While we were listening to the service, which was very good, I found myself thinking about my friend (now a widow), their children and grandchildren, and the grandchildren he will never know (although I'm very sure he will be watching them from above). This service was packed with people, it truly was a testament as to what this family has done for our community, touching so many people in different ways.

As we were getting dressed this morning, I decided that Peyton would wear her special dress that Daddy had chosen for her Embassy appointment - it still fits (it was big when she wore it to the Embassy). I couldn't help but take a few pictures of her this morning before we left (as if I had waited, the linen would have been a total wrinkled up mess...Like I said, Daddy chose this dress).

Peyton looked like an angel, which seemed appropriate.

Peyton Sakura 6 weeks old

Peyton Sakura 4 1/2 months old

Do you think she's grown?

Rice Cereal....

First bite!

Today was our first try at eating from a spoon...and eating something other than formula - time for a little Rice Cereal!

Mommy what are you giving me?

And then smearing on my face? Am I supposed to eat this stuff or wear it?

Not so bad.....

I don't think much really was ingested, but Peyton certainly didn't dislike it or spit it out, she just kind of watched us and felt it.

I still think I prefer Lily over Rice Cereal...

Such a Big Smile...

Peyton is VERY selective on when and who she smiles at (she smiles a lot, but she doesn't give them up for just anyone)...she is generally very happy/smiling in the morning-this week was no exception-here are some big toothless grins for all of you.

What do you think?

Do you think she is ready for 'food'?

Dr. Amon said that Peyton could start having "solid" food (aka: rice cereal) once she started watching us eat, and either making noise (like I want some) or opening her mouth....So, do you think she is watching her Daddy here?

Needless to say, her high chair will be getting some use very soon!

Soooo cute!

Making funny faces is fun!

and it makes me have lots of "chuba".....

I make my Mommy laugh!

Sakura has been cracking me up with these funny little faces that she makes. I had Daddy take a small little video of her making noise (at the bottom of this post) - that's the only time she makes this funny face, this is something new that started maybe a week ago.

Peyton also attended her very first birthday party on Saturday. It was my friend Heather's daughter Sierra's 3rd birthday party - Pool Party, Here is Peyton in her swimming suit ready to go. Unfortunately Daddy was working, so we didn't get any pictures of her in the pool...

Ready to go to Sierra's birthday party!

Playing in her Bouce-A-Bout - have I mentioned how much she LOVES this thing?!

Tasting her Hello Kitty from Ryan and Jill

Ignore The Simpsons in the background...it was Sunday night and that's what Daddy watches EVERY Sunday night?! Argh!

4 Months Old!

Look who is 4 months old today!

Our smiling little angel

Always very happy in the morning (and most of the day too!)

Time to hold my own bottle? Mommy says NOT YET!


Watching Baby Einstein



Smiling (actually laughing) for Mommy

Today we went to see Dr. Amon for Peyton's 4 month Well Check (and unfortunately shots!), and she now weighs 14.9 lbs (I thought 15 lbs, and I was pretty close!), and she is 23 1/2 inches long!
Growing WAAAY too fast for me, but we enjoy every single minute with our Angel.

Sweet little face!

Tasting her teether - this was the first time she had the frozen teether, and she loved it!

Just Happy in her Bounce-A-Bout!

At 4 months old, Peyton smiles, laughs out loud (or giggles), rolls from her back to her tummy, reaches and grabs for objects (including Mommy's hair), stares at her hands/fingers and then chews on them, watches the dogs and 'talks' to them often voices her displeasure when she has had enough kisses (and they aren't done), she loves her bath (non-doggy kind), "pats" Mommy (I pat her to burp her, and get her to sleep, she loves being patted), Peyton drinks 5 oz. of formula every 4 hours during the day, sleeps from around 9 p.m. until 6 a.m., with many naps during the day, loves her Bounce-A-Bout activity center, loves people and goes to everyone, until she is tired then she only wants her Mommy or Daddy.

Peyton is quite the talker and she does a mean dolphin impression.

Words cannot express how much we love our little Angel. Having Peyton Sakura-chan as our daughter is absolutely PRICELESS!