A girl down the road has a new poodle puppy. We fell in love with the mom of this pup two years ago, and this pup won our hearts as well. This is the kind of puppy our family wants, especially Sophia. I always thought poodles were wimpy dogs, but affection has grown in my heart for some very practical reasons: They are really smart, and they don't shed hair. And this one, that we pretty much baby sat for the day, was too cute. Even Gabrielle liked her.
Have I blogged this? This was an iphone moment as they held hands and started skipping along. I had them reenact it for the photo. The kids carpool with AB, I take and K picks up, it works out pretty well.
Our old helper, and dear friend was expecting her first baby right after we arrived back from the States. She didn't call us a ton because she knew we were still getting settled. But our whole family did go see her in the hospital, and then right before she returned to her village I went and saw her one more time. What a precious boy!
I was so glad I went, she hadn't nursed the baby yet because he was in another part of the hospital because of some lung issues. He was fine. I showed up as she was checking out of the hospital but needing to nurse. I dropped everything, sat down next to her and acted like all the Thai nurses that helped me nurse all my babies. I man handled him a bit, showed her it was all okay, and helped him latch. She had on about 3 layers of thick sweaters (with it about 90 degrees out, but it is their custom, lots of clothes), once we got the baby close to her, things went better. Her mom and others were trying to rush her to go home, but I told her this was REALLY important, and it would take awhile. She made it home okay, and called me about a week later saying his bottom was really red. I had given her a LOT of baby stuff. And some of it was bottles of things I had not used including baby lotion and diaper cream, all in English. I told her to put the thick stuff on his bottom! He is a real cutie!
Speaking of cutie....Gabrielle is showing much personality these days, mimicking our sounds, laughing, getting animated, and not showing signs of really wanting to walk, though she does plant her feet and then push to her hands with her bottom in the air, she is just not stable enough to go any further.
Bella REALLY wanted us to take her training wheels off of her brand new bike. And we knew it was time. We told her she would fall but it would be worth it in the end. Sophia encouraged her by telling her the story of her learning and her falling on top of her bike and daddy falling on top of them both. She also happened to have just fallen on this black area that was really slick because it had rained. I said: 'see, Sophia can ride her bike and she still falls'.
We went to a nearby school area but the grass was so overgrown in some parts, and the gravel was packed and slick.
Tobin chose the outer concrete.
First couple of runs....this is so hard on the adult low back and hamstrings.
My turn, and I never lasted more than two rounds and about bit the dust myself.
David did start to let go and she would do well for a few feet. We cheered and cheered, but then she started to perform a little, ignoring everything we were saying....a fall or two did happen. But she was not discouraged.
Today they went back for about thirty minutes and David said she is doing well and almost has it....a couple more days of it!
