Tagged

Lucia, who is a great writer, cool person and a mom to two kids close in age to mine, tagged me--my first tagging experience! I am going to just follow the rules partially and respond but not tag others. Hopefully I won't be struck down by lightning or hit by a car because of it.

So, here are eight random facts about Amy:

1) I have been working for the same magazine for eight years. I started there as an intern (Ryan and I moved to Colorado for my internship in the summer of 1999), then got hired on as assistant editor, then associate editor, and finally editor. It is funny to me and most of my nearest and dearest that I have been doing basically the same job since I was 23.

2) Ryan and I have been together for more than nine years (married for six), and the only time we have taken a traditional vacation was when we'd been dating for two months. (We went to Mexico after he graduated from college.)

3) My parents were never married. They separated when I was 2 and remained good friends, even spending holidays together, until my dad's death last year. He even lived with my mom for the last 1 1/2 years of his life and passed away at her house.

4) Ryan and I unsuccesfully attempted in vitro fertilization at Stanford in 2002. When I first had to give myself shots with the fertility drugs, I literally couldn't do it. I sat there with a needle in my fist trying to work up the courage to jab it into my thigh, and my brain was saying "why would you jab a needle into your thigh?" and not letting my arm move. It was the strangest feeling!

5) I won a "Best in Class" award for poetry at the Santa Cruz County Fair when I was in sixth grade and a red ribbon (second place) for table setting.

6) I threw up on the plane to Taiwan when we were landing and had to use one of those barf bags for the first time ever. It was the smell of the "Chinese-style" breakfast--I still have the menu, it was "Stir-Fried Napa Cabbage with Dried Shrimp" and "Savory Porridge with Baby Seafood"--the man next to me was eating that finally did me in.

7) We kept our adoption paperwork in China (LID 8/1/06) while we made sure all went well with Lauren's adoption. I recently had to write a letter withdrawing the paperwork and it was way, way harder than I expected. I think two children is the right number for us, but still...

8) Growing up, we did not have a television until I was around 10 or so. Consequently, I don't get a lot of the TV references that people often make.

Thanks, Lucia! That was fun.

Some New Pictures

Just a quick update...the magazine I edit is going to press so I've been really busy, but I've been feeling guilty for not updating in so long! These pictures are all from around the beginning of the month. We went to Roseburg for a wedding this past weekend, and the kids were a hit. Aidan rocked the dance floor solo in his little Guatemalan shirt, and Lauren got tons of attention in her adorable cherry dress that was handed down from our neighbors. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures at the wedding. My wonderful friend Jessica arrives tomorrow (along with her two girls, ages 4 years and 18 months) for a weekend of fun and craziness. I'll try to post some pictures next week. Hope everyone is great! Congratulations to Karin and Rob, who just arrived home from Taiwan with their cutie pie baby Ryan.



Aidan wearing his pajamas from Taiwan at a party on the 4th of July.



Our family, even though I look totally goofy.



Running Aidan through a sprinkler on a walk through the university to downtown, when our friends David and Molly were visiting for the day from Austin.



Lauren loves facing out in the Bjorn!

She fell asleep in the back-carry position of the Ergo carrier for the first time--so funny with her head falling back so far! (Don't worry, we took her out right away.)

Birthday Girl

Our little Lauren turned 1 today...amazing! We had a fun birthday dinner with family friends on Friday, and then had a small party this evening with cupcakes, strawberries and peach-raspberry cobbler. She had a great day and we're so proud of her. She crawls fast, stands for a few moments without support, cruises all around, waves, claps, kisses, and says mama, dada, ge ge (older brother in Mandarin), kitty, thank you, uh oh, and hi. She has more energy than we can even explain. We are so lucky to get to be her parents and watch her grow up! Lots of love to Lauren's birthmom today, as this must have been such a difficult day for her.

Checking out the frosting...

Post-cupcake face. Standing in her highchair is one of Lauren's favorite things to do. We actually just switched her to Aidan's old booster so she can sit at the table with us and be strapped in.

Our adorable neighbor Grace with the birthday girl.

Lauren giving me one of her famous open-mouth smooches.

Another favorite pasttime--handing things to people. Here she is giving Ryan her binky. If you are holding her, she will often just pop her drooly binky right in your mouth.