A Year Old. . .

On February 8th, Little Miss Adri Ann turned a year old!! I knew the day was coming and I just couldn't believe it. The day passed and I still can't believe it. In fact, she's already almost 13 months! This little Schrag is a fireball! She keeps me on my toes pretty much all day long! It seems like she went from rolling, sitting, and crawling to walking, running, and climbing all in a matter of a month!! She has such a bold personality!! She seems to know what she wants and she'll work for it. She loves to know where the action is and makes herself a part of (if not all of) it! When Kevin walks in the door from work, she runs to the hallway and says, "Hiiiiiii!" in the sweetest, highest voice. She waves goodbye when we're leaving someplace or when someone else leaves us. She loves to be surprised and loves to play peek-a-boo. Her giggle is so genuine and fun. Her eyes are such a deep blue and her blond hair is finally starting to grow. There's the tiniest bit of red in it, but nothing like Emma's. Everyone who meets Adri comments on how tiny she is. When Emma was a baby, people said the same thing and I had rude replies in my head that never came out of my mouth. The girls are healthy; that's what matters. Now I just smile and tell people Adri's personality makes up for her size!

She was pretty excited about her new balls from Grandma and Grandpa. It took her several minutes to realize that she couldn't hold more than two at a time. Every time she tried to pick up a third ball, she dropped one of the two she was holding. Quite entertaining.

I love this skirt. One of my sisters gave it to her when she was born and I wondered if it would ever fit her! Oh, how she has grown!

She and Emma have the exact same blue eyes and pale complexion.

Below is a face I see often. Usually it's when she's wanting something.

Emma taught Adri how to play with her new blocks.

Just an example of her boldness: she's not afraid to tackle her big sister to get what she wants!! Emma is so much more timid so doesn't really fight back. It's an interesting interaction to watch.

Emma never like babies, so I wasn't sure if this little one was a good choice for a gift or not. I was so shocked to see her expression! I was also amazed at what she did right afterward. . . she held the baby to her shoulder and hugged and patted its back! How does a 12-month old know how to do that?!

New books. . .

I now have to check the trash can and recycling bin for toys. She's in the stage where she loves to put things into a container and then pull them out. Unfortunately, she's found the trash cans and toilets to be "fun" containers!!

Birthday girl with Mama. . .

Birthday girl with Daddy. . .

I have to admit, it's been a long year. There's such a long story behind that comment. Suffice it to say, I'm so glad we're past the first year. It's amazing to me that a year ago, Adri was delivered (almost totally by her daddy) in a hospital in rural southern Brazil. She lived the first 4 1/2 months in Horizontina before the QC became her home. She's growing to be such a fun little girl. Her personality is coming out more and more and she has her own little place in our family. We're so thankful for her. I love her huge smile that makes her eyes almost disappear. I'm looking forward to her second year of life and to seeing what God has for her in the future. Happy Birthday Sweet Adri Ann!!