CAROLINE HAS LEARNED HOW TO DRIVE

Caroline after spending the weekend with Grandpa and learning to drive.

Caroline spent the weekend with Grandpa because Junior and I had a wedding and wanted to get some things done around the house. Caroline and Grandpa spent most of the weekend at the Lake. Grandpa has a dune buggy/go cart type of thing and Caroline loves to ride in it. That is all she wants to do when they are at the lake. So dad told me that she likes to stear, turn the key and shift for him while they are tooling around. Basically he is telling me that he is teaching my 1 1/2 year old daughter to drive.

I picked her up this morning and meet Amy and Grandma at Destination Maternity because I can't wear any of my pre-pregnancy clothes. While we were getting the car loaded I let her sit in the front seat so that I could get all her stuff in the car. She immediately jumped over to the driver's side (don't worry, Aunt Amy was right there with her), put on my sunglasses and pretended to drive. She kept reaching over to the stereo and turning up the radio almost as load as it would go. We would quickly turn it back down and she would reach those little fingers back over and turn it up (she gets that from her daddy, he loves to listen to music way to loud for my taste). So while she was "driving" she danced to the music and then grabbed my cell phone and put it up to her ear. I tell ya, you can't do anything around this one. Anything she sees she immediatly does. She is a very quick learner - it is a little scary. Aunt Amy caught this picture with her camera so I had to share. It was so much funnier in person - Amy and Grandma were laughing so hard they were about to wet their pants.

We are so in trouble with this one and to think, she will probably teach her baby sister EVERYTHING she knows just like Amy did with me. God help us!

PUMPKIN PATCH AT SCHNEPF FARMS

Yummy Kettle Korn - my new favorite - daddy and I shared a whole bag

The (soon to be) Silverio family at the pumpkin patch

Caroline and Nana

I want this pumpkin mom

She tried lifting all the pumpkins - she is pretty strong but couldn't quite get them off the ground

Come look at this one daddy

Last year at the pumpkin patch - Caroline's first week home

Last year her hair matched the pumpkins - it has grown in beautifully

We enjoyed our first cool, somewhat fall day yesterday by going to Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek to get in the fall spirit. Grandma went with us and we had a great time. It was a cloudy, rainy day and it really felt like fall. Caroline loved running around the farm and playing in the pumpkin patch. Mostly she loved running from all of us and having us chase her - that is her new favorite game.

Here are some pictures of our day. I'll also include a few from last year at the pumpkin patch the week that she came home so that you can see how much she has changed. She is truly a toddler - 100% - attitude and everything. I think the terrible two's have started a little early for us. She keeps us on our toes. Before we know it we will have another one and things will really be crazy.

We love every second of it.

XOXO

1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY - GOTCHA DAY

Going into the orphanage - I was so nervous!

Mommy and daughter

Hello, I'm Caroline

So in love!

Today is a very special day for us. One year ago today, October 1st I went to the Baby House to meet my beautiful Caroline and bring her into my loving arms forever. I can't believe it. Some days it is hard to believe it has been a year and then other days I feel like we have been together forever. The trip was such a journey and I can remember how nervous I was entering the orphanage.

We aren't really doing anything special today - maybe frozen yogurt this afternoon with Grandma but on the 11th we are having a little get together at our house to celebrate. Oct 10th is actually the day that we arrived home to Phoenix and Caroline meet her whole family.

She is doing great though we had a rough night last night. She still is not a good sleeper. Rarely does she sleep through the night. She was up for about 3 hours last night which is hard on all of us.

I love her more and more each day and am so blessed to be her mother.

I thank her birthmother today for the wonderful gift that she has given me.

Here are some pictures from our very first meeting - it's been awhile since these were posted on the blog.

XOXO

CAROLINE WEARS MOMMY'S CLOTHES

The dress that Caroline is wearing in these pictures was mine when I was her age - 17 months old. My mom and dad got this for me on a trip to Hawaii in 1973. It is absolutely adorable and I love having my daughter wear it. It is made so well and has lated 35 years. My cousins daughter Ava also wore this dress when she was little. It has been passed around the family.

Before I know it the new baby will be wearing this dress. If the last ultra sound is correct and it is a girl we are almost positive that we will name her Gabriella Grace Silverio. Grace is Junior's sisters name and I have always loved that name. We will call her Gabby for short. I think it is a beautiful name. Once Junior and I have been married for 1 year than he can legally adopt Caroline so she will then be a Silverio too. Poor thing - once she gets married some day she will have had 4 different names during her lifetime - her birth name, Caroline Nagima Zick, Caroline Nagima Silverio and then her married name.

50 days to the wedding and counting down :)!

CUTE NEW PICS

I can feed myself!

Caroline the princess.

All she wanted to do was look at the rings on her finger.

Cute pigtails.

So cute - wish she would have left them in. We will keep trying.

Here are some cute new pics from the last week. Caroline is changing so much and is so smart. It is amazing the things she is understanding. She has a few new words in the last week - wawa (water), bubba (bubbles) and of course the old standby's mommy, daddy, doggie, baba bye bye, baby. I cannot wait for her to actually start talking - she will be hilarious.

Here are few cute pics. She got some new dress up stuff, grandma put pigtails in her hair (they didn't stay in there long) and she loves to feed herself. We stand closeby with a wipe to clean her up as quickly as possible.

Everything going good with the pregnancy. I'm into my 14th week. Clothes are getting tighter but I'm feeling good and all is well. Baby and my belly are both growing.

CAROLINE IS GOING TO BE A BIG SISTER!

We are pregnant and VERY excited. I am just finishing up my 12th week and everything has been great so far. I am feeling great, except for a day here and there and the baby is growing and thriving. I had an ultra sound yesterday and the baby looks perfect. Junior wasn't able to go to the ultra-sound because of work (believe me there will be many, many more) so Amy went with me. The nurse put a note in a sealed envelope with the baby's sex written on it. As soon as Junior walked in the door we opened it. 70% a girl! We will have 2 beautiful girls. The Silverio family was in desperate need of a little boy (this baby will be the 8th girl - no boys) but it is God's plan. Junior's mom about fell over when we told her it was a girl.

I think about the wonderful relationship that I have with both of my sisters and I am so happy that Caroline will have this. Having no brothers I don't know any different. My dad said he was glad, he wouldn't even know what to do with a boy - he loves his little girls. Caroline has been at Grandpa's 2 nights this week - he can't take more than a few days without her. She is so lucky and I know that she will be an amazing big sister. The baby is due March 27th and Caroline's 2nd birthday is April 17th - they will be the best of friends. I'm sure I will be a little stressed with a newborn and a 2 year old wild toddler but we will make it through.

I'm praying that the rest of the pregnancy goes as smooth as the first trimester. I've already been warned that I will be at the doctor once, sometimes twice a week being monitored because of my diabetes and my age - two high risk concerns for me. I'm doing everything I'm supposed to - the baby and my health is most important. We will watch the babies growth and it is likely that she will be born early if she starts to get too big because of my diabetes.

Junior and I feel very blessed and he is very excited about his two girls. He has created such a bond with Caroline - she loves her daddy. He has visions about days out with his girls. He had a dream about 9 months ago that we had a baby girl who had beautiful blond curly hair and his dark skin - I can't wait to see her. We are debating about names right now but I am going to let him name the baby, probably a Spanish name.

I'll try to keep this "Caroline's" blog but I'm sure you will see many new baby updates as the time passes. Then maybe they will have to share a blog when the baby comes.

Caroline has almost been in my arms for 1 year - amazing. Our Gotcha Day is October 1st and our arrival to Phoenix anniversary is October 10th. It is crazy to think how much has changed in 1 year. Makes me believe that hard times will always pass and there is so much happiness to follow - I couldn't be happier. All my dreams are coming true. The love of my life and a beautiful family in the making.

XOXO

2 WEEK POSTING UPDATE

Cat Woman - Caroline and Daddy disappeared into the bathroom tonight and when they came out this is what she looked like. So cute. Maybe she should be a cat for Halloween.
She loves these boots but has a hard time walking in them - especially when she is also trying to brush her teeth at the same time. My little wild child.

Minneapolis - Family Reunion at my counsin Bruce's.

Caroline and her cousin Bo.

Caroline and Bo with my Aunt Maryann.

Bo learning from cousin Bruce.

Running Wild. Daddy chased her around all afternoon. This driveway was very long and she loved running up and down it being chased by anyone who was willing.

With Daddy at the Minneapolis farmers market.

The Tangeman's at the market - my sister Julie, brother in law Tom and nephew Bo.

Caroline at the Splash Pad. This was the hit of the trip. She LOVED this place. We could have left her there all day. She did not even care where I was while she was there. As you can see she is hanging on tight to her cups. A little boy "borrowed" her waterning can and she flipped - she chased him down the park. He was about 6 years old but that sure did not stop her - she was determined to get it back. With a little help from daddy she finally did.

This is so much fun!

Caroline and Bo having so much fun at the Splash Pad.

Mom, I love this place. Can we stay all day?

Wild children jumping in Bo's crib.

Our engagement night - Caroline loved the rose petals

Caroline and her friend Rylie. Rylie is from Kazakhzstan and the girls are about 3 weeks apart in age. We meet them through an Arizona Adoptive Families Group. We really enjoy their company and hope the girls can grow to be life long friends. They can share so much.

Swimming at Rylie's house.

I'm so behind on posting. Here are some pics and updates from the last few weeks. We went to Minneapolis 2 weekends ago to visit family and had a wonderful time. We stayed with my sister Julie, Tom and Bo. We also saw plenty of other family - most of them had never meet Caroline or Junior. It was so great to show off my family. My cousin Bruce and his wife Kari had a small reunion while we were all in town - it was so nice of them to have us all over. They have a new 4 month old baby Finn and he is adorable.

I'll try to get back into posting more regularly. Sorry for the mass post.