"What you watchin'?"

Vera has been quite a handful lately. It's like she suddenly entered "the terrible twos". One area that she's really been testing us is bedtime. It's easy to get frustrated, but the things she says sure make it hard not to laugh. A few examples from the last few nights...

Moments after turning the TV on:
V: (coming out of her room well after we put her down) I have a bruise on my knee.
Us: Vera, go back to bed.
V: (on the way back) What you watchin'?

Another night, again just moments after turning the TV on:
V: (again, coming out of her room) Look, Mommy, I found it! (a toy)
Us: Vera, go back to bed.
V: (looking back) What you watchin'?

Last night, about two hours AFTER she went to bed, and again, just after turning the TV on:
V: (finger sticking up) I have a booger!
Us: (handing her a tissue) Vera, go back to bed.
V: What you watchin'?

Tonight, just before bedtime:
Us: Vera, tonight you need to stay in bed. Don't get out of bed after we tuck you in.
V: Don't watch TV.

If we had any doubts about why she was getting up, that statement settled it for us!

As for everything else, things are going pretty well. For now we are all back into the normal routine--Matt working, Vera going to school in the morning, Michelle going to the orphanage most mornings, mommy and Vera hanging out at home in the afternoons. The baby seems to be doing very well. He is growing and kicking. Vera likes to put her hand on my belly and say, "Wow. He's moving." I don't think she's ever felt the baby move, but she sure pretends to. She likes to rub my belly, put her head on it, and poke at my "outie" belly button. I know she's going to have a hard time when the baby is here and starts getting my attention, but I also know she's going to love having a little brother around.

Here are a few pictures from the last couple of weeks. I have TONS more to go through. Hopefully it won't be a month and a half before I get more posted. :)


















Helping Daddy with some shopping. Notice V's fan club in the background.

















Our little doggy.

















Yes, he's even in China!

I know, I know!

So I know the blog is in DESPERATE need of an update. After a trip to the States, I'm having a hard time finding the motivation to sit down, sort through pictures, and write an update. I will very, very soon. I promise!

We are all doing very well and can't believe that in less than three months we'll grow from a family of three to a family of four!

It's a boy!

We had an ultrasound done earlier this week and found out that little Baby Bo is a baby boy! We opted for the 3D ultrasound and got some pretty cool pictures of the little guy. It's amazing that he seems so perfectly formed but still has 17 weeks until the due date.

We're Back!

We just got back last night from vacation. After leaving the beach in southern Thailand, we flew north to the mountains of Chiang Mai. We had a wonderful time and hope our conference is held there again next year. I wanted to post a few more pictures from our last day. It was my birthday, and I thought the best way to celebrate was do something that kept Vera happy. It's funny how that happens once you have kids. We went to the zoo. Vera LOVED the zoo, and Matt and I really enjoyed it too. It was HUGE! We literally HAD to take transportation around it. It was way to large to walk around it on our own. If you ever find yourself in Chiang Mai, Thailand, we highly recommend a trip to the zoo!

More Beach Pictures

Here are a few more pictures from the beach today. First, it took Vera about five minutes to make her new friend for the day. She called him "Papa" until she learned his name was John. He even built a sandcastle with her. He and his wife are from England and spending three weeks in Phuket before heading to Bali for a couple of weeks.
















Matt captured this action shot of Vera and I this afternoon.
















And, last, this is not a flattering photo, but because I've had multiple requests for a "belly pic", here it is.

Hello from Phuket!

As promised, I've posted some pics below from our vacation. We are really enjoying our time here in Phuket. Vera loves the beach! I think she'll be disappointed with the last part of our trip when we'll be up north in the mountains. At least the weather will still be nice. We have over a week left before heading back to China, but I'm already dreading leaving these warm temperatures.

Vera Feeds an Elephant