FROM THE BEDROOM...

...upstairs and through the baby monitor, I hear this:

"Daddy?" Asha says.

"Yes Asha?" Says Daddy.

Then she says, "Asha wants to see Mama."

"How come?"  Daddy says.

And it is here that Asha completely melts my heart.  She says so sweetly and in such a matter of fact way, "Cause I love her."

She made my entire week!

MY BABY IS NO LONGER A BABY - IT'S OFFICIAL!!!

Today made me happy and sad all at the same time.  Happy because Asha is growing into such a smart, independent and charming little girl, but sad because she is no longer a baby. 

It seems like as soon as she turned two, a lot of the characteristics that made her my "baby" went out instantly like the candles on her cake (cheesy I know).  And although I am absolutely thrilled of the wonderful little person she is becoming, I don't want her to grow up... I am selfish I guess and I want her to stay a baby forever (minus the terrible two part of course).  

We have decided that Asha will be our only babe and so it's difficult to think I will not get to see each of these stages again.  I often feel like she is growing up TOO fast and that I cannot keep up.

So I take her down stairs for her nap today.  And you really have to get a sense of what the usual nap time routine is like for Asha.  Normally I warm her up a "magic bag" in the microwave; the bag consists of grains and scents that calm her and make her all warm and cozy.  We get her special blanket and I warm up her bottle (she calls it tea-tea which is a St. Vincent thing).  Then I take her to her room, turn on some soft lullaby music, cuddle her on my lap while I give her tea-tea and then put her in her bed.  I then sing the wheels on the bus, pat or rub her back a little, say goodnight and I love you's, leave and blow a kiss from outside of her room.  Then I close the door and she goes to sleep.  The whole routine usually takes about 15 minutes.  But... this is what it was like today:

I warmed up her magic bag, got her blanket and her bottle, took her down stairs and turned on the music.  Then when I went to sit by her bed to give her bottle, she threw her blanket down onto the bed with her warm bag and covered herself up with a blanket.  I then tried to give Asha her bottle and she said, "No Mama, Asha's a big girl, no tea-tea."  So I went to rub her back and say my goodnight's, sweet dreams and I love you's and she said, "Bye Mom".  Yep, that's what she said!  Bye Mom.  Guess I'm going to have to come to terms with this sooner than later. 

See, I told you all.  My baby is no longer a baby - it's official!!!     

THANK HEAVEN FOR LITTLE GIRLS...

This picture couldn't have captured Asha more perfectly.  Not to mention she is holding her favourite thing in the whole wide world - her blanket - which reads, "thank heaven for little girls." 

ASHA'S 2ND BIRTHDAY!!!

Asha turned two on August 2nd!  Can you believe it?  As Asha's Mama, it is so difficult to believe that she is already two!  Where does the time go?  It makes me really realize how precious each moment is that I spend with her.  And although I rejoice that we are a family, a cute family of three, it also saddens me that my baby girl is growing up.  And growing up to be such a strong willed, kind, caring, generous, independent and loving little person. 

Posing for a picture

Asha may only be two but she has such a big heart and so much love, and would really do whatever she could to make you happy and smile.  She is amazing and amazes me each and every day.  And the best part of all is that... I can say that she is my daughter.

And although these two-year-old-tantrums-and-fits-and-crying-and-whining-and-complaining, really does try to get the best of me on some days, I would never ever ever ever never trade it for the world!

Candy!!!

FAMILY REUNION...

This weekend was very special to me because a lot of family on my Dad's side would be meeting Asha for the very first time.  The three of us traveled to Manitou which is a lake front town about an hour and a half away from Saskatoon for a family reunion.

Many came from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and BC.  We sang, ate, golfed, laughed, worshiped together, cried and danced. 

It took Asha Friday and most of Saturday to finally feel comfortable and to warm up to all the new people and faces.  But when she did, she had a blast.  Especially with her new cousin Asia (who is also adopted).

FIVE MONTHS...WHERE DID THE TIME GO?

I can tell you the answer!  We've been busy running after an extremely active toddler!  Just watching her makes me tired...

When I first began this blog, it was for us to be able to keep our family and friends updated with our journey to create our forever family.  Since we've become the forever family, my blogging has slowed down or maybe I should say, has become non-existent.  I am here to tell you all that I AM BACK!  Blogging is an awesome way to keep connected with people in our lives who love and care so much for our little family of three.  Not only that, but it will be nice for Asha to look back on this blog as she becomes older (although Asha getting older does depress me a little because I want her to be my baby forever).

So here I am.  Lots has happened over the last few months, but most exciting of all is that Miss Asha is now two!!!  Hooray!  And she is growing like crazy. 

Thanks for sticking around.  I promise I will update you all soon with whats been happening with Our Little Vincy.

HOPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

Santa Claus didn't go over so well at Christmas and left Asha in tears and afraid for her life, so we assumed that the Easter Bunny would be much of the same but it so wasn't!  She absolutely loved him.  So much so, that she sat on his knee, left to come and see us and then ran back for more cuddles and tickles.  It was so adorable.

 

After the cuddle time with the Easter Bunny, we went to see some traditional Easter animals at the mall.  Asha loved seeing all the animals and especially loved seeing the little chicks.  She actually picked up a two day old chick and squeezed it so hard we thought it wouldn't survive.  She didn't mean any harm, just got so excited!

Asha had a blast with her cousins Keely and Kassidy in their hot tub!  They simply adore her and she adores them! 

On Easter morning, we started with an Easter egg hunt.  The Easter Bunny left little goodies hidden throughout the house.  Asha looked high and low until she had found them all.  She was so proud of her bowl full of chocolate eggs.  But what made her really excited was her Easter basket and the Elmo stuffed animal, book and bunny ears that were inside.  Too cute!

 

Asha loves to be outside, so we took a walk by the river and let her run around.  We hadn't had a family picture with the three of us for quite a while.  It was such a nice and sunny morning and was a beautiful start to our Easter Sunday.  

Easter couldn't have been more perfect.  Not only because we got to spend it with family, but because we had our little girl home with us.

A LITTLE TERRIFYING!

Asha is absolutely loving her swimming lessons.  She is getting so comfortable with her front and back float and with being dunked under the water.  She is growing a little more with each passing day, and although she is still a baby in my eyes it makes me sad to think that she isn't going to be this small forever.  With growing comes having to constantly pack away small clothes and buy bigger ones.  And her bathing suit is no exception. 

I was working the other day and figured that Daddy and Asha would need something to do, so I sent them to shop for a new bathing suit.  So I talk to Scott on my break and I ask him what did he end up picking out?  Was it something cute?  And he says to me nonchalantly, "Well I didn't pick it out, Asha did."  WHAT? Asha picked out her own bathing suit?  Lovely, I thought.  I'm probably going to see this crazy suit and need to return it now.  But that was not the case.  Asha picked the cutest one of all.  And she looks so adorable in it too! 

 

OUR SNOW ANGEL...

IS SHE CARIBBEAN?  YES. 


BUT SHE'S ALSO DEFINITELY CANADIAN!

IS OUR ASHA GOING TO BECOME A HAIR DRESSER?

I've mentioned before how much darked skinned people take pride in their hair - so using the same clips and styling her hair same all the time would not be right or acceptable in the Caribbean.  It is important for us now (and will be for Asha when she's a little older) to have different colored and shaped clips.  These funky clips cannot be found anywhere here - we have actually order them online.

Friends of ours recently came back from a mission's trip to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.  And they were kind enough to do some shopping for us.  They flew back with a variety of clips for Asha and her marvelous "potato buds" or as Asha's Grandma calls them, "Squiggles".  Of course, it wouldn't be right if Mama didn't try out these new barrettes as well.