We are heading to China!

Okay, so I have been a REALLY bad blogger lately. I am so glad I have written record of Eliana's first year home with our family and her adoption process. One of the reason's I have been too busy to blog is that we are adopting again! In 24 hours we will be on our first plane ride on our journey to bring home our new addition, 8 year old Maya Mei Cohn, to join our family. You can read all about it on our second blog site, Mei Mei in the Middle. I am not sure which blog site I will post to after coming home, so check both places!
Hugs, Laura Beth

Happy Citizenship Day, Eliana!

One year ago tonight, we were landing at JFK airport in Queens, New York on fabulous Cathay Pacific Airlines, nonstop from Hong Kong (and Disneyland)! We were quickly processed through US Customs and Immigration and - like magic - Eliana became a US Citizen! We spent the night near the airport before heading home to Virginia the next day. Can you believe it? Eliana has been an American citizen for one WHOLE YEAR!

I really do have pictures to post - I swear, I do! My class finals and project due dates are next week, then I will get a break for about 4 weeks before starting up one summer class. I hope to be able to catch up!

Here is a random assortment of pics as a teaser!...

A couple from Chinese New Year - Year of the Ox

Our little gymnast...

Loving my big brother

Greeting Cousin Drew when he came to visit us for spring break. Eliana apparently thinks he now lives in our backyard. Every time she wants to go outside, she asks if Drew will be there. Too cute!
Hugs, Laura Beth

One year anniversary - You've come a LONG way, baby!

One year ago today in Guangzhou China, we met our sweet Eliana ZuGuo face to face for the very first time. What a long way she has come in so many ways! One year, almost 9,000 miles and 2 surgeries later we can not imagine our lives without our little girl in our family. I will try to post more pictures over the next week. Here are a few photos from April 7th last year and over the past few weeks to show just how much she has grown and changed over the past year - WOW!

Today, April 7, 2009, in her "Gotcha" day outfit from one year ago for comparison.

She has had a 30% increase in body weight and 13% increase in height over the past year. She now weighs 25 pounds and is 34" tall.


She still loves lollipops and can still be bribed with them! After the Purim Carnival, March 8, 2009

Ben and Eliana April 7, 2008 - they both look so little to me now.

Ben's and Eliana March 29, 2009 at Ben's piano recital - they have BOTH changed a lot in a year!

It is a big deal that she can now make this "O" shape with her lips!

Waiting for Ben so we can go home.

Ben and Eliana - Mount Vernon, March 2009. Eliana's height = Ben's inseam!

With a special friend (thanks for the sweater, glad you got a new one too)! Hope is 3 months older and a full head taller than Eliana!

Eliana can often be found performing - singing, dancing, or being generally entertaining.

Eliana in her Purim puppy mask (made at preschool), March 2009

Cutting a rug at the preschool Purim Party, March 2009 (Queen Esther disguised as Princess Jasmine from the Aladdin movie - as close to Persian as I could get) !

Our princess, dressed for the temple Purim carnival, March 2009

My friend and fellow adoptive mom, Monica, lives in California and hand knit this cap for Eliana and mailed it to us. Eliana loves it - she often just wears it around the house! (By the way, I got a great cap, too - thanks Monica)!

Bundled up for first big snow day, March 2, 2009. Her favorite knit cap is under the fleece hat which is under hood. She is also wearing two pairs of socks, two pairs of pants, two shirts, a snow bib and a coat!

Eliana's crazy balloon static hair, with cousin Drew at Red Robin on April 4, 2009

We are now potty training - thus the panties and no pants. (Did I mention that she loves her cap?) I know she is not supposed to sit like this, but she does it no matter how many times I rearrange her legs.

Looking back to one year ago today:

First family photo - April 7, 2008 with Director Tang of Qingyuan SWi & an Ayi (auntie/nanny)

First night with us - putting her to sleep in the Ergo carrier, April 7, 2008

One year with our family! Today - April 7, 2009

We are so happy to have Eliana in our family! She makes us laugh each and every day. She is so full of personality and has a great sense of humor. Her determination and persistance (stubborness, even?) will serve her well. She can sometimes be a challenge to parent, but she is always a joy and keeps us on our toes for sure!

This is just the beginning of many happy years together!

Love, Laura Beth and the Cohns