Happy New Year! We welcome 2013!

Happy 2013! We are so Happy to welcome the new year!  We have had changes...good and bad in
2012.  Stella is thriving! Her speech is coming along well.  We have just been accepted into Texas

 Childrens for once a week Speech Therapy.  It seems like Stella drops constanants on a lot of words.  She also can't say F or W.  They are still just saying delay which makes me happy.  Stella also attends St. Mary's preschool and has made a lot of friends, along with her Mommy!  Great bunch of people and teachers too!

 The downside of 2012 was loosing my precious, sweet Mom.  She was so healthy and vibrant in 2011 and at the beginning of the 2012 her Kidney's failed and she just was never the same.  Her little body just couldn't handle the dialysis.  In six months time, I had to say goodbye to the most wonderful Mom a person could have.  I will never get over this loss but I know that my Mom is where the sun always shines, the beach is always warm and she always has a smile on her face. Miss you so so much Mom.  I was blessed to be able to spend most every morning and Wednesdays with Mom in those last 6 months.

 The above picture is of Mom and her girls taken just a bit before she passed away. Below is a picture of Mom and Stella from November 2010. She loved Stella and all her grandkids and great grandkids so much! Stella was lucky 7.

 Mom left us in May and I moved within the same town just a month later.  Got my little white house with a white picket fence and I am able to walk Stella to school on most days.  Downtown Bellville is just a short walk also. Oh and a park just across the street!  We love it!

 Here is just another picture of Stella (before we moved).  Like I said...Thriving.... and is such a sweet, loving little girl. Such a character too. Still loves her clothes and shoes.  Very tiny. Can wear a 12 mo waist but has just shot up height wise.

Thanks for reading after all this time away.  I feel so blessed to have Stella.  Kazakhstan closed their adoptions shortly after I brought Stella home in October 2010.  I can't even imagine my life without this little toot!

stella valentine 2012

Whoo Loves You Valentine's Card

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Time flys!!

Here it is over a year since Stella came home...wow, I am just amazed. Stella continues to grow and overcome so many of her delays. She is walking...or should I say running...like a fiend! It's a struggle to keep her in my shopping cart at the market because the girl just wants to run! Go Stella! Just slow down enough so that Mommy can catch you! Working with ECI has really helped. Through their eyes and expertise I have seen her go from this wobbly walk (22 months) to a sure footed gate. Sometimes I have to look back and compare to when she came home. She was such a baby at 16 months. No muscle tone, pale, eating only pureed food, only knew a bottle. NOW? I have a self confident, strong willed, loving, sweet little lady. Stella didn't really know how to show affection at first. Her hugs were putting her thumb in her mouth and folding her arms in. Now I get sweet hugs, still the finger in the mouth, but head on my shoulder sweet hugs and kisses. Sometimes you feel this sweet little pat on your back too. Not saying that she can't be a toot! When tired or excited she has been know to slap...but thank goodness those moments are few and far between.

Stella is 28 months now. I was worried a bit about her talking but now her words are starting to come. Mostly the basics...Car, ball, no, go, dog, cat.......Sometimes I swear she says a sentence but I am not sure.

Halloween was a blast this year. We went to a flight attendant costume party and Stella practically ran up to the front door! Stella finally got to meet so many people that went through the years of the process with me. Seems like ages ago. I miss my CAL family...I am just working one trip a month so it gets lonely at times. I do miss my AMS and FRA layovers. One a month is just not enough! Trick or treating was fun too....my little bumble bee "got" the concept this year and wanted to eat her candy in front of the people who gave it to her. Now isn't that polite?? Ha ha! In sign she would say thank you. Now she points to her bucket and says "D"? She is addicted I do believe!

ECI is coming over next week to reevaluate Missy. I am thinking we may be done with them? I am kind of sad...it's been nice to have feedback from them on what and how she is doing. They also persuaded me to put Stella in two days of "play school" and I think that it will help her a lot. She just recently got moved up from the 18 mo old class to the 2 and 3 year old class. She loves them and there are several mother hens in the class that Stella loves.

This is the best but hardest thing I have ever done. I can't even say how our lives have changed. I sometimes wonder if Stella remembers her life as Sabrina. On vacation there was a Russian family who mostly spoke Russian....Stella paid no attention and didn't seem to recognize the language. She has seen pictures of the BH director and she calls out Baba...russian for Grandmother. I am not sure if she called her that or not. So there must be some memory. For months after Stella came home...I would lay her down and pat her back and walk away. Now it's a little more complicated.....books, mood lighting, crying, rocking and holding! I cherish those moments that we rock and she lays her head on my shoulder. The girl has stolen my heart. Love you baby girl! Shine on Stella!

summer fun!

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She's my daughter!

It just dawned on me.......I have been Stella's Mommy officially since August 17th, 2010. For me it felt more real when I got her home. That was in October, so it has been over 5 months. It hit me like a brick that I have been her Mommy for longer then her birth mother was with her. I don't know all of the circumstances of her life before me but I do know that she was with her BM for 3 months.....a hospital for 2 months then the Baby House for 11 months before I whisked her away to Texas. Oh how I love my daughter! It's taken me awhile to be able to say that word...daughter. I don't know why....It just didn't seem real somehow.

Enough about the adoption now on to my Stella Bella! She is growing in leaps and bounds! Her little size 2 infant shoes no longer fit and her clothes seem to be getting smaller and smaller. Stella came home weighing 15 pounds at 16 months and now at 21 months is weighing about 19.5 pounds. She is eating big people food but still gets a bottle for the vitamins and nutrients that she missed. She is saying lots of words like Chichen (chicken), bath, car, cracker, bye bye and her favorite is ball! She is not so much into toys but she can spot a ball a mile away!

Now that she is home we have had all the doctors appointments to determine that she is 100 percent healthy! Her eyes that we worried were "lazy" are totally normal. Nothing wrong with this little girl!! Such a huge relief! Oh, one thing that I should mention is that she did test positive for TB...apparently normal for some of these Kaz kids. At birth they are given an inoculation with the dead TB virus in it so she will ALWAYS show positive and they will have to do a chest x-ray to determine that she doesn't have TB when a TB test is required.

My little Stella is one of the most stubborn little critters that I have ever met. Stella is also funny and demands attention from everyone! Stella wasn't a favorite at her Baby House and was very quiet....now......when I have take her to day care...once a week...the older kids come running up yelling "Stella"! Her caregiver there said "Yes...they all know Miss Stella"! Ha ha! My little toot. Okay on to the pictures. We took her to Padre Island last weekend and we have another Kaz water baby. No fear! And about a month ago she rode a pony, funniest thing....she had one hand on the sadle horn and the other resting on her knee like a real pro! Must be in the blood! Enjoy my favorite pictures of my favorite daughter!

Happy 18 months!

Today is Stella's 18 month birthday! On her first birthday she was still at Baby House #1 and I was back home, so we didn't get to celebrate. Tonight we will have a piece of the special pink cake that we had for her back in June. It's been in the freezer just waiting for Stella!

This past summer I finally got to meet Lou Ann and Lexie. I can honestly say that I have not met a couple of girls that I like more then these two! I feel like I have known Lou Ann for years. More then the 3 years that she has been there for me through the times with CHI and every aspect of the adoption. I know that I can ask Lou Ann anything and she will give me her honest opinion. She and I have so much in common. Both military brats of pilots, attended the same University at the same time, Her major theater, mine art. Both lived in LA to persue careers in motion pictures and television (she was successful....I was an extra ; ) ) Both single Kaz mamas.

Finally yesterday we got the two Kazakh princesses together. A fast friendship was created and I know it will be a forever one. These girls even had the same color on. Stella loves Lexie and I see a new light in her that I didn't see yesterday!




On Sunday we got into the holiday spirit and Stella, Tina and I went out to the winery and enjoyed the sunset, which you can't see but we really had a nice time.

My sweet star Stella

Stella's first photo shoot...our sneak peak

Stellabration!



Every thing I want to say here sounds so cliche' but Stella and I are really settling in famously! It was a huge adjustment for both of us in the beginning...just getting out to the grocery store or cleaning the house even! We seem to have our routine down pretty well now. Stella sleeps until about 8:30 or 9 and takes 2 naps a day. Now that I have a monitor I see that she actually plays a lot on her naps, she sings and loves on her stuffed animals. Precious.

We have already had two doctors appointments and in the 6 weeks in between Stella gained 2 pounds! The doc said that she is doing awesome and to keep it up. Oh...and she is perfectly healthy!! No anemia, no scabies, no TB!! We have also had several visits from the ECI folks. Early Childhood Intervention. They are working with Stella where she needs it most to catch her up. Mostly in the areas of walking and talking. The Therapist said that she is a flower just ready to blossom!

We've also made an appointment to have Stella's eyes checked but can't get in until February. Hoping it's just something simple. It seems like it's just her right eye that goes in at times. Maybe a lazy eye or could be one crossed eye?

Every day she says or does something that really surprises me. Yesterday I was talking about going out to eat with a friend and she did the sign for eat. Later she did all done (had that one down early), then later it was the sign for more. I was talking about her baby puppy and she signed baby and said puppy!

On November 20th we had an adoption celebration/party/shower for Miss Stella. It was so wonderful! I had new friends, my high school friends and my Continental work family all represented. Stella got some wonderful things and was very gracious in meeting everyone.

We also had a photo shoot for Stella last week...the pictures turned out just wonderful...better then I had hoped! I am still amazed that this is the same little girl that I met back in June. She really is blossoming!

Paka for now......

coming home forever

I think we were a little overwhelmed upon arriving into Houston. My little Kazakh cutie became a US citizen, and then we quietly collected our lugguge. Most of my family was out of town so we didn't expect much fanfare. As we walked through the arrival gates I heard someone yell...Aunt Lisa...look over here! It was my sweet niece Paige! I couldn't have been more surprised! Paige brought a sweet puppy and ballons fit for a princess, Paige helped us out with our luggage and we were met out in the arrivals area by my bestest friend Tina. How wonderful to have such great friends and family!

The following week is a blur. I brought home a stomach bug, ate something I shouldn't have or was just exhausted but sick! Tina stayed over and almost completely tended to the needs of my sweet Stella. A fast bond was created between the two of them. About a week later I woke up and was like....where have I been?? My little love forgave me and it has been a wonderful mix of family and friends meeting Stella and welcoming her to our family and our small town. I never thought that there would be so much love for this little sweet baby. I felt so alone at times in Kaz and am just so happy that everything has worked out so well. I will always tell Stella about her wonderful country of Kazakhstan. The people where so kind and they helped me bring her into a life of so much love. I love you Stella Bella....welcome home!

leaving Almaty

Our KLM flight was scheduled for 8:20 am, so I woke at 4 and quietly packed all of our belongings in the dark. Nothing more important to me then the sleeping beauty in the bed. She is my everything. We got to the airport and thankfully got two seats together, I took a big chance and booked staff travel tickets, so we were on stand by. As we waited in the boarding area I had a moment of shear joy and I cried. I was trying to be quiet about it but the hiccups kept escaping from my mouth. I was actually going to get on this plane with this sweet little girl. Simply surreal.Stella did so wonderful on the flight, I had oatmeal and apple juice and formula to get us through.

We arrived in AMS at about noon. I thought I had all my bases covered and a friend had booked the Sheraton for us, just off the airport through the transit area. I stopped at the customs area to get a temporary transit visa for Stella. DENIED!! Apparently they haven't given those in 4 years. Previously to the trip, I had called the Mercure which is a hotel in the transit area and tried to book a room there, just in case something like this happened, they said they were booked. Meanwhile...my luggage is going round and round along with my stroller. I called my friend Tina in the states and she immedietly got on the phone and called the Mercure....thank goodness they had a room available. BUT my luggage. I spoke with KLM and then had to walk all the way to the other side of the airport and have Continental work with KLM in locating my luggage. I couldn't check in with Continental until my luggage was found. After an hour or so, everything was located and we made our way mid airport to the Mercure. Stella and I fell into bed at 4 pm and both woke wide awake at midnight. At this point I am running out of food for my STella Bella. On the otherside of the transit area there is a wonderful grocery store called Albert Hein....not much for a baby on the side I was on. My formula had also turned mushy. I made an emergancy call to a dutch friend who called my wonderful flight attentdant friend who was laying over and she got Oatmeal and fruit puree to give to us inflight. We just had to make due with what we had for the time being. Stella being a trooper the whole time. so at about 3 in the morning in AMS...Stella and I walk the airport....even on this side there are fun shops and such.
Stella at the Mercure...ready for our next flight.....
I have to say that my 23 years with Continental paid off all in that day. We got to the gate pretty early and my concierge friend was there to greet us...she said there were only 4 or 5 seats available for that flight but they were trying to block us two of those seats together on the 11 hour flight. the gate agents who I have know for years of coming and going through AMS where so wonderful to us. They came to us first, tore my tickets and said that I could go on first. WOW....such treatment! Once on the plane of course the flight attentdants absolutely made a huge deal over Stella. My friend Sylvia made us so comfortable and we had such a nice flight. As familiar as I am with this flight...this was the longest 11 hour flight of my life. Stella was a dream. She didn't sleep much but she never cried and I always had a bottle of juice ready for take off and landing. She was a trooper! Here is Sylvia and Stella.
Sweet little landing outfit from Auntie Sylvia.