Addelyn getting bigger- updated photos

Here are two updated photos we were emailed of our little Addie- who is getting so much bigger!! She will turn 1 next thursday OCt 28th- and we were so hoping to be with her on that day but looks like its not going to happen.... sad. She looks good though- she has thinned out a little and they have given her quite a hair chop. In china they like to shave heads when the kids are younger- they think it makes hair grow in better and fuller and also its tough for girls in orphanages to have long hair - a lot of work for aiyis to have to comb and brush out the tangles. But this mama here can't wait to brush out her tangles!! She is standing in the picture- they tell us she can stand but not yet walk. (Oh I hope she waits until we get there- I want to see her learn to walk).

Also that little butterfly toy she is holding is from the care package we sent her so we are so happy to see that she got it. Now we just need to get to Jiangxi!! Please pray our paperwork would move quickly- I gotta go get my baby girl!!

More Summer Pics

More pics from this summer. This is the Grandma and Grandpa Baker edition. :) Every morning we were at the Bakers Will started his morning with a homemade smoothie from his grandma and his choice of video. He loooved it :) as you can see from the smile on his face.

Playing grocery store at the children's museum (such a cool place) with Grandma Baker.

We also went to a place called Tweetsie Railroad- I had never heard of this place but it was so cute. And set in the mountains- really pretty to us city folk living in a big kinda dirty city.

Tweetsie had lots of rides andWill definitely loves rides now- though not so much on his own- he likes riding with someone. Is there anything better than seeing that little face of glee as he goes round and round?

Driving the cars with Daddy

Though it may not look like it- Will loved the ferris wheel- he still says every once in a while "Lets go on ferris wheel today" as if they are just down the street or so easy to get to :)

And the big draw of Tweetsie Railroad- the thomas- like steam engine. Will loved the train but didn't love (a big understatement) the gun show that you watched as you traveled along. But getting his picture taken with a thomas- like train- ranks way up there for him :) Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Baker!
Reading before bed- I love will stealing a glance to the camera here :)

Summer Pics #1

So its almost October and here are the updates on us from the summer (better late than never). I am trying to promise myself I will be better at blogging for Addelyn's sake (I don't want her to the un documented second child- I will do my best!!) I will update in a few installments- we had a GREAT time with family this summer. Here is our beach trip we took with my parents to Myrtle Beach- it was so much fun- when you live in a mega city its so nice to be out in wide open spaces where no-one is bumping into you. Thanks mom and dad for a great vacation!

Family photo- soon there will be another little cutie in our family pics.
My cute parents- don't they look great!
Digging in the sand- Will didn't love getting sand on him (which is a problem when playing in the sand)
Will is into doing the opposite of what you ask him to do- so here is one of the faces we get when we say "Smile Will!"
And another.....
And Another.

Look! The grandparents caught a Will! Will had so much fun with his Grandma and Grandpa Rowe- who basically never said "no" ha ha

Meet Addie

Introducing : Addelyn (Addie) Elizabeth ManShi Baker

We would like to introduce you to the littlest Baker- our precious and adorable daughter Addie! We were matched with her this summer but were waiting to get some official papers from China before we posted her pictures. But not we have them and are waiting on US immigration and visa center services for the next step. Addie is about 5 months old in these picture but she is almost 11 months old now! Her birthday is Oct 28th and we are just praying we could go get her before her first birthday. She is from Jiangxi province which is about an hour plane ride from us. She has a congenital heart defect- a small ASD- which means she has a little hole in her heart. Once we are able to go get her we will take her to a cardiologist to see what we need to do. Like I said we still have some paperwork that needs to be processed before we go get her- so please pray it would move quickly.

Will is very excited to be a big brother and we talk of Addie often. One day I was out shopping and when I came back he asked me what I had been doing. I told him that I was shopping- he said "Were you buying toys for me and baby Addie???"- I love that he is already putting him and Addie together- that's his little sister that he is going to be looking out for!

Ok I'll be better about posting updates on our process!

Daniel and Jessica Visit

Better late than never.. here are some pictures from Dennis' brother, Daniel, and his wife Jessica's trip to China. It was SOOOO Awesome to have them here- and they were real troopers and very adventurous- definitely a good attitude to have when you come here :)

Below are pics from our trip to Beijing with them- we took the overnight train there! Will absolutely loved it, Daniel and Jessica well.... I think that may be a once in a lifetime experience for them. :)


At the Temple of Heaven
Going up in a cable car to the Great Wall

And sliding down from the top- Will's favorite part

"I play soccer myself"

You have know idea what a big deal that statement is "I play soccer myself".  See we decided to start Will in a little 3-5 year old soccer league. He hasn't started school yet but we thought it would be good for him and he would enjoy a new activity.  Well we show up the first time and there are lots of tears - poor guy that big field and a coach and lots of little ones running around playing a game I have never bothered to introduce to him was a little too chaotic for him.  For the next three weeks we continued to go and there was usually some tears and resulted in either Den or I holding his hand and running around the field doing all the drills and playing the soccer game.  (I feel bad cause I mowed down a couple of 3 year olds while Will and I were hand in hand playing the game one week).  By week 4 he told us "I want play soccer myself"- and he actually began to do the drills without holding our hand but us nearby (like 2 feet away) cheering him on. Hand in hand still at the games but by week 5 he played everything by himself- the drills and the game.  I cannot tell you how PROUD I was of him! And it made him feel so good about himself that he had conquered that fear. Oh my heart melted when we said confidently "I play soccer myself".  Now he doesn't quite understand the sense of urgency in the game of soccer- he is content to just run around wave at us and run over for hugs... but that's ok I like it and truthfully I'm not ready for him to be too independent yet. Here are some pics taken post week 5 :) The season is over and he is already anticipating the start of the next season. :)

A few more shots of our little soccer player- so cute! And below the official Team picture :) and our after soccer picnic in the field.  We decided it is easy to stay and have dinner there in the field since soccer ends at 5:30pm- Will loves the picnics- (I do too)- but that does mean PB &J once a week for dinner.