Finally A Family of Four!!!

My Soccer Boy

2009-11-11T19:12:00.000-08:00

Just a few pics of Grant during his last soccer game.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T18:41:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics of Halloween 2009. As you can see we all had a wonderful time.

Many Faces of Lily

2009-11-01T18:37:00.000-08:00

Lily celebrated her 3rd birthday on October 10. I just can't believe my baby girl is 3. Check out her pics and see how much she has changed.

What a Difference 2 Years Make

2009-08-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

Lily and I have become sooo close in the past year, she is truly my baby girl. We have our routine down, evry morning I say "morning Lily bug" and she says "morning mama bug" and giggles. We both pick out her outfit for the day and her hairstyle as well. She will either say "piggies" or "pony" which means pigtails or ponytail. As hard as the first year with her was, she has truly come into her own. She no longer cries when people come over, she does not bite out of frustration anymore and she is learning to be my Target shopping buddy.
The relationship between Lily and Grant is so very special. Although they do aggravate each other, like any typical brother and sister, they do love each other. There are days when Lily is in daycare and Grant is home with me and by lunch time he is begging me to bring her home. When we go shopping he likes to look at toys for her and will try to talk me into getting it for her. Grant will swing her on the swingset in the backyard, he will kick the soccer ball to her and pitch a baseball to her and let her hit it with his bat.
Doug and Lily have a sweet relationship as well. If Doug is not at home she will say "Call daddy" so I will call him at work so she can say "Hello" to him. I think she likes to hear his voice. When she hears the garage door open she runs from whereever she is screaming "DADDY" and will run in his arms.
I am so proud of Lily and all the milestones she has reached. I love you Lily, Thank you for letting me be your mother.

Our 2nd Gotch day

2009-08-05T20:42:00.001-07:00

Todayy we celebrated our second Gotcha Day, celebrating Lily's adoption. It was a great day.

A Day at the Botanical Gardens

2009-05-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

About 2 weeks ago the 4 of us, plus my mom and Doug's mom went to the Botanical Gardens for the annual Chinese festival. The day was perfect, the weather was awesome and the kiddos were so well behaved. Enjoy the pics.

Easter Egg Hunting

2009-04-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

Just a quick pic of Lily and Grant on thier hunt.

My Fine Cooking Skills

2009-04-05T16:07:00.001-07:00

I admit it, I am not the best of cooks. As a matter of fact, I am awful. Tonight after working at the hospital I decided to make a grill cheese for dinner with some soup. As you can see, I had a problem with the grill part, I burnt the bread so bad that the exhaust fan came on and we had to open windows to let the brunt smell out.
Here is a picture of my burnt masterpiece and the other pic is Doug explaining to Lily what happened. I need Rachel Ray.

Catching Up With Good Friends.

2009-03-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

Saturday night my friend Marsha and her family had my family and Lisa's family over for dinner. The 3 of us, meaning Lisa, Marsha and I used to work together at Christian Northeast Hospital about 10 years ago, not only were we co-workers we were also the best of friends. We had so much fun at work, laughing all the time, and then after work we would usually go to a happy hour or do something fun. During the last 10 years we have watched Marsha get married and have a daughter, Lisa have 2 sweet little girls and of course witness Grant being born and the adoption of Lily. The other hospital staff used to call us " Charlies Angels" because we did everything together.
Thank you Marsha for cooking such an awesome dinner and hosting such a wonderful get together!!!!

Super Heros

2009-03-11T17:54:00.001-07:00

I was not sure if I should title this Super Heros or Super Freaks.

Early Morning Fun

2009-03-04T07:02:00.000-08:00

This morning after getting Grant on the bus, Lily and I decided to play out back. Although the weather was a little on the chilly side we are trying to give Sydney a lot of attention and play time. Poor Sydney Dog misses Ringo so much. I think Sydney, Doug and Grant are really missing him. I also miss him however, I don't miss him being miserable, depressed and suffering. I hope I don't sound heartless, but those last 2 weeks were very hard on me watching his health decline.
I am so ready for spring, I know everyone in the St. Louis area is.

Missing My Grandpa

2009-02-27T21:30:00.001-08:00

A week ago Thursday I lost one of the most important and influential men in my life, my grandpa. My grandpa died at the age of 95 from advanced age and severe fluid retention. His name was Anthony Bracht, however he went by the name Tony. Although Grandpa Bracht was not formerly educated he was the smartest man around. He was such a hard worker, the strong silent type. He retired from Shell Oil in 1975 and spent his time gardening, fishing and most of all enjoying his grandchildren, all 10 of them. Grandpa Bracht was a true class act and he will be missed by the whole family. I like to think that God called Grandpa home to be with his wife. My Grandma Bracht died in August 2007, approximately 2 weeks after Doug and I returned from China. Grandpa really missed her, they had been married for 65 years before her passing and he would talk about her often.
I will miss you Grandpa, however I am not saying "Goodbye", I am saying "See you later"

Saying Goodbye to Ringo

2009-02-25T10:48:00.000-08:00

On Weds, Feb 25 I had the dreadful task of putting our Border Collie, Ringo to sleep. He was in so much pain, suffering from herniated lumbar discs and severe arthritis that he could barely walk. He could no longer climb up or down stairs and needed help just to get to a standing position. He was so depressed and the look in his eyes was lifeless. I could not let him suffer any longer.
Ringo was such a good dog and he will be so missed. During his younger years Ringo could catch a Frisbee like a champ, he lived for that job and would catch Frisbee for hours if we continued to throw it to him. He was always very found of Grant from the day we brought him home from the hospital. When I look at pictures of Grant as a baby, Ringo was right there. When Grant started playing in the backyard as a little tike and I would be making dinner, Ringo would alert me if there was anyone at the fence or if Grant needed me. This was one sweet and smart canine.
The pictures above were taken the day before he passed away. I can see the sadness in his eyes.
Grant is doing pretty well with the situation. My friend Lisa, bought a book called Dog Heaven. It is so sweet and I highly recommend it for anyone.

After Lunch Laughs

2009-02-18T12:27:00.000-08:00

Right after Lily and I ate a scrumptious lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and whatever grub I came up with I sent her to the family room to play so I could clean up the kitchen. I knew she was up to something, so when she came up to me with her backpack on, her keys and cell phone saying "Bye Bye Mama" I just cracked up. I also got a big kick when I looked in her backpack, books, lipstick and a comb. She is so my kid.

Cool School Project

2009-02-18T12:21:00.001-08:00

Grant attends an elementary school in the Parkway school district. His teacher is Mrs. Major and she is awesome, she is always coming up with cool projects for the kids to do. In honor of presidents day the class did a project using paper plates and cotton balls to make a George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. I thought it turned out good and just had to share it.

2009-02-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

Just a couple pictures of Doug and I with Grant and Lily.

Road Trippin !!!!!!!!

2009-02-17T12:03:00.000-08:00

This past weekend the Sattazahn family decided to take a road trip to the Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City, Kansas. A three day getaway to just hang out as our little family of four to celebrate Valentines Day and reconnect.
The Great Wolf Lodge is a resort type of establishment that has a indoor and outdoor water park, a video arcade and a place called the Cub Club where kiddos can go and play games, play with toys and make crafts. Needless to say, Grant and Lily had a wonderful time swimming, playing and making crafts. Doug and I had a nice time also, however we came home exhausted. Now we need an adult vacation with no kids, no crafts and no video arcades. I am thinking of late nights, sleeping in late, taking in a good movie and lots and lots of adult beverages.
The pictures shown are of Grant and Lily, plus Flat Stanley just before leaving. The kids playing in the pool and playing bingo. The last one is of course, a big bear that people can sit in.

A Big THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

2009-02-09T13:09:00.000-08:00

Although this is the first time I have blogged about her or posted her picture, I have to give a Big Shout Out to my niece Jessica. I am so proud of her and all of her accomplishments as of lately. When I first met Jessica she was about 7 years old and 9 years old when I married Doug. I have had the privilege to watch her grow up, graduate high school and college, land her first professional job and blossom into an incredible, dependant, kind and caring woman.
Jessica is always there to help out Doug and I with babysitting or dog sitting. The best part is that she doesn't just do it to help us, Jessica truly enjoys spending time with Grant and Lily. She will take her youngest cousins to the mall or the Zoo or even to the park. This past Sunday, Jessica and her grandma Mary Jane (Doug's mom) came over to the house at 6:45am to hang out with the kiddos so I could work my shift at the hospital. John, Grants super hero, joined in the fun around 9:00am and they all went to the Science Center. They had a wonderful time, but boy did they look exhausted. I just can't thank Jess enough for being the wonderful person that she is. I also want to add that she will do crafts with the kids and helped Grant put together a scrap book of pictures and activities that he did while Doug and I were in China adopting Lily. I don't think she knows how much that book means to Grant and I. As a matter of fact, we look at it once a week so he can tell me all the stories behind the pictures.
Happy Birthday Jess----we all Love you

Going To The Bus Stop

2009-02-06T19:57:00.000-08:00

No matter what time we wake in the morning it seems as though we are always in a mad rush to get to the bus stop on time. Grant takes his time to get his coat and backpack on. Plus, the lunch menu needs to be gone over and evaluated. However, the real hold-up is my little Hot Pot Lily. Every morning after we put her shoes, coat, hat and gloves on, lily insist that we take a baby doll or her stuffed panda to the bus stop. Although this process can be a pain in the rump, watching her put her baby in the stroller and push it up the street makes me smile. Plus, not only does she take baby, she takes a purse with her coca cola chap stick. Enjoy the pics, they really tell the story. Make sure that you notice the 3rd picture. Lily could not get the stroller thru the snow, so she did what any good little mama would do---she picked up the stroller.

Salad for Dinner???

2009-02-06T19:50:00.001-08:00

How many 6 year old say, "mom I want salad for dinner"? I asked him if he wanted anything else and he just said "No, just a salad-- I want to be healthy." That boy amazes me. However, he did indulge in some fresh baked brownies later that evening. When you look at the pictures make sure you notice his black right eye. Grant fell off the back of a chair while trying to hide from his sister. Crazy kids.

Armed and Dangerous

2009-02-03T10:43:00.000-08:00

Take a look at Grant and his cousin Clayton. Both boys received Nerf guns for Christmas and are really enjoying them. I think these pictures make them look like a couple of bad a**es, like they should be in a show called Kindergarten Sopranos. However both Grant and Clayton are very good kids, and still mama's boys.

Old Habits are Hard to Break

2009-02-03T10:07:00.001-08:00

Yep, that's right, my girl is eating an All-American french fry with Chinese chop sticks. The People's Republic of China would most likely be shaking their heads right now.
This past Saturday we celebrated Chinese New Year with our good friends John and Lisa and their 2 girls. We ended up going to a all you can eat buffet and boy did we eat.
The pictures also show Lily and her friend Olivia enjoying themselves. Lily has chocolate all over her face from the chocolate fountain.

Fun In The Tub

2009-02-01T10:50:00.001-08:00

My girl is so wild and will do anything. I thought most kiddos are afraid of water at this age, but NO not Lily. She will put her face in the water, try to swim and lay down on her back with water all around her.

HELP !!!!!!!!

2009-01-31T20:17:00.000-08:00

My blog is such a hot mess that I don't even want to blog anymore. I tried to add a new background and it just looks horrible. I have new pictures that I want to put as a heading and I can't figure out how to do that.
I am thinking about just dropping the whole blog anyway, besides I don't think anyone looks at it anymore.

Have a great Sunday.

Go Cardinal football --- Go Kurt Warner

Heading Out

2008-12-26T20:52:00.000-08:00

Just a cute picture of the kidlets before heading out to visit family on Christmas Day.

Christmas Morning

2008-12-26T20:37:00.000-08:00

This Christmas was so busy and so much fun. Lily really enjoyed opening presents and playing with all her new toys. Grant loved it as well and received many cool items. The big Santa gifts were a kitchen for Lily and a Wii for Grant.
I posted some pics of Christmas morning, the first one shows Lily checking out her new kitchen, the second picture is a Sonya Lee doll from the Little People collection. Sonya Lee is Chinese and as soon as Lily ripped off the wrapping paper she looked at it and said "Lily, Lily Mama" I guess she though it was a doll version of her. The last pic is of Grant and his big stuffed Pokemon Picachu. I don't get the big fascination that boys have with Pokemon, but that is OK.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-26T16:11:00.000-08:00

Saturday Night Fun !?!?

2008-11-29T20:20:00.000-08:00

Saturday night Grant went over to his fiend's house for a sleep over. I didn't really feel like leaving the house so Lily and I did the dishes and deep cleaned the refridgerator. I know it sounds crazy but we actually had fun. Lily really enjoys helping me do things around the house, as a matter of fact she is more likely to rinse dishes instead of watching a dvd. Sometimes it is fun, but sometimes it can be kind of cumbersome, especially when I just need to get things done. I hope everyone who reads this blog had a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving. We had a great time with family and ate a lot of yummy food.

Lily in The Leaves

2008-11-18T11:23:00.000-08:00

I hate raking leaves, absolutley hate it. But, when I watch Lily have such a great time running, jumping and playing in the leaves it makes the job more bearable.

Does This Doll Remind You of Anyone??????

2008-11-18T11:16:00.000-08:00

I bought this doll at Halloween because it reminds me so much of Lily. When you squeeze the doll it screams bloody murder, which is exactly what Lily does when she is in one of her moods or is not getting her way. Besides it has a round face and 2 black pigtails and is very cute.

Halloween Princess or Witch

2008-11-04T08:03:00.000-08:00

I was planning on dressing Lily as a Ladybug for Halloween however, she wanted nothing to do with the costume. Luckily, I had this costume on standby and was able to get her into the witch costume. She loved wearing it and would twirl around when I asked her. Unfortunetly I had trouble taking some good pics, so I think I might try to dress her up again and get better ones.

My Scarey Skeleton

2008-11-04T07:47:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned before Grant is all about horror and this costume is no exception. When Lily saw him she was so scared she shook with sheer fright. Both Doug and I had to calm her down and reassure her that it was her brother and not some psycho skeleton. Needless to say Grant had a wonderful time at Halloween. I have to give John Sharky a big shout out and Thank You for coming over and handing out candy. John is the one dressed up like a cowboy or a member of the Village People. Having John over allowed the four us to go door to door with the kids and mingle with the other neighbors.

Pumpkin Master Pieces

2008-11-04T07:35:00.001-08:00

Halloween is a huge deal around the Sattazahn household. All of us enjoy decorating the outside of our house for the event. I don't really decorate inside because Lily will either rip it down or be very scared. Now if it was up to Grant our house would be full on ghoul and very scary complete with fake blood, coffins and skeletons flying around. However, Lily is still gets scared so we try to keep it friendly and as innocent as possible.

What a Difference a Year Makes

2008-10-10T14:45:00.000-07:00

Guess Who is 2 !?!?

2008-10-10T14:22:00.000-07:00

That's right, my baby girl turned 2 years old today. I still can't believe it!! Time flies! After Grant left for school Doug, Lily and I went to a pumpkin patch and then we went out to eat. Lily was such a good girl although she missed her nap.
Doug is leaving for China tomorrow in the early morning. No, he is not going back to get another baby, this is a business trip. He will only be gone for 6 days, however the kiddos and I are going to miss him very much. I pray for a safe flight and a uneventful return.

Flowers Anyone???

2008-10-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

Grant, Lily and thier friends Caroline and Audrey like to hang out in the backyard and play all kinds of games. They will play everything from baseball to pirates to soccer. However, this past week they decided to play florist. Caroline (redhead) was the flower shop boss, Lily and Audrey (brunette) were the arrangers and Grant was the delivery boy. Grant did manage to design a floral arrangment that a boy would like.

Toddler Morning Out

2008-10-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

The school district in our area has an amazing early childhood program. When Grant was a baby I took him to every event possible and I intend to do the same with lily. This morning was an event called Toddler's morning out an it was perfect weather. The pictures show Lily scooping and shoveling bird seed, playing at the water table and of course playing with the bubbles. We had a wonderful morning just hanging out and enjoying each other,

LILY ENJOYING HER BROTHERS GAME

2008-10-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

Grant is still playing fall baseball and his games usually fall on Sunday mornings. Enjoying the game with a toddler can be challenging however I have learned to bring a few tricks to keep Lily occupied. These items are usually colors, coloring books, stickers and snacks. I just wanted to post some pics of Lily cheering on her big brother.

Lovin Rick Springfield

2008-10-06T21:05:00.001-07:00

Friday night my girlfriend Lisa and I went to see Rick Springfield in concert. I happen to be a huge Rick fan and have seen him in concert about 10 times, I have all of his Cd's and vinyl albums plus a huge scrapbook. I have been a true groupie at times and followed his tour schedule around the surrounding Missouri states. I no longer groupie Rick, however I still will catch him in concert when he is in the St. Louis area. Anyway, the show was great and i had a wonderful time hanging out with Lisa.

Lily and Olivia

2008-09-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

Two little girls hanging out and having fun. So sweet.

Soccer Boy

2008-09-12T13:36:00.001-07:00

I just had to post a picture of Grant and his new soccer ball. Is it just me or does he look much older than a kindergartner??

Lily's Gift

2008-09-10T21:37:00.000-07:00

Doug returned from a week long buisness trip in Brazil today and of course he came bearing gifts. I was given some bath gel and body lotion, Grant was given a Nike Brazilian soccer ball and Lily received this doll. She is a chinese doll dressed in a lady bug outfit and she is adorable. However Lily is a little freaked out by her. She won't hold her or even sit next to her so I can take a picture of the 2 sitting by each other. I decided to put the doll up in the closet for awhile untill Lily is a little older.

Lily Gets A Trim

2008-09-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

I know long time no blog. What can I say we have been busy here at the Sattazahn house. Today I took Lily to get her hair trimmed although I am letting it grow long. This past June I had my hairstylist Kim cut it into a bob because Lily would not keep any bows or pigtails in her hair. Needless to say the bob made her look like a Chinese Dora. Lily now likes to have bows and pigtails in her hair and every morning she picks out the bow of the day. Lily also watches me put on makeup and fix my hair in the morning and she insist on doing the same. She is such a little character.

First Day of School

2008-08-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

Today was Grant's first day of school. He was so excited about going he was giddy all last night and this morning. I was excited for him as well, he is growing up so fast. I think Lily is going to miss her brother being around all day, however I am looking forward to spending more one on one time with her.

A Special Day!!!

2008-08-05T21:15:00.001-07:00

Today is the one year anniversary of "Gotcha Day". This day is so important and so special that I will do a separate post at a latter time. However right now I am too tired and have so much to do.
Tomorrow my mother, Grant, Lily and I are driving to Chicago to see my good friend Noel and do some shopping at IKEA. I am looking forward to the visit and hanging out with my mother Mary. I will post pictures of the Chicago trip and Branson trip over the weekend.
On a side note I want to send my love to Denise and Sarah, we became mothers to our China blessings at the same time last year in Chongquing. Although Denise is in Arizona and Sarah is in Washington we remain close and try to talk as often as we can. I hope they can make it to St. Louis next year for the CHI reunion picnic. Happy Gotcha Day, to Nate and Gracie. We miss all of you so much.

Flower Child

2008-07-07T18:59:00.001-07:00

Taking time to smell the roses.

Lily Enjoying Herself

2008-07-06T20:47:00.001-07:00

Our Newest Favorite Park

2008-07-06T20:41:00.001-07:00

Today Grant and Doug went to see the newest Pixar movie called Wall-E and Lily and I went to a new park.
The park is called Tilles park and it was amazing. St. Louis Childrens Hospital designed and funded the park so all the equipment is wheelchair and handicapped accessible. The area also has a water park in which Lily absolutely enjoyed.

Recovering Nicely

2008-06-26T12:01:00.001-07:00

The amazing healing powers of a coca cola slushy.

Surgery Day

2008-06-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

At 8:00am Grant had his tonsils, adenoids and a tube in his right ear removed. I am happy to report that he is doing well and has already drank a slushy and ate 2 pieces of butter bread. Grant is being a trooper and I am so proud of him. The reason of the surgery was recurrent strep throat, sleep apnea and to help with speech improvement. Hopefully he will have a quick road to full recovery.

A Big Thank You!

2008-06-25T15:57:00.001-07:00

A big shout out to John for taking time out of his busy day to watch and hang out with Grant, while I ran an errand today. Lily was sleeping during the time I was gone, otherwise it would have been and hour of screaming and I like John too much to put him Through all that. I guess what I am trying to say is that Lily still has a hard time with some people that she does not see on a regular basis. I hope in time she will be more accepting however I will continue to be patient and let her come around in due time.
In case your wondering, Grant is not drinking beer as it appears in the picture. We have rules about drinking around here and I think that 6 is a little young to be consuming alcohol. However his mother has been known to have a cocktail or two on the patio.

Summer in St. Louis

2008-06-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. I just love lazy summer days and hanging out with Grant, Lily, Sydney and Ringo.
Please take note of the hose in Grant's trunks, he is always doing crazy things. Plus, notice and admire Lily's bikini. Only a 21 month old baby girl can get away with wearing a bikini with her tummy hanging out. I don't think a 38 year old can get away with it (Ha Ha)! Thank you Stacey (Harper's mom) for all the bikini swimsuits, I just love putting them on her and making her walk a cat walk.

Happy 6TH Birthday to Grant !!!!!

2008-06-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Grant!!
It is so hard to believe that 6 years ago my miracle child was born!! I look at him everyday with amazment and thanks that he is here and he is my son. I love you Grant!!

Happy Birthday Matt !!!!!!!!

2008-06-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

Happy 20th Birthday Matt!!! This is Matt, I call him Grant's superhero cousin. Grant adores Matt and looks up to everything he does. I must say that I really adore Matt also, because he is so good to Grant. We are really lucky to have such a good role model for our son.

A Very Special Relationship

2008-06-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

This is Doug's mom Mary Jane, she is a wonderful grandmother to all 8 of her grandchildren. I always say that Grant and Mary Jane are very close for 2 reasons; she reminds him of her Doug and also the timing for Grant's birth came at a perfect time for both of them. Mary Jane had lost her husband ( Doug's dad) in 2000 and she retired from her job around that time also. When Grant was born in 2002 Mary Jane had more time on her hands to spend with her grandchildren. From the time Grant was 8 weeks old he would spend one day a week with his grandma, she is a big help to Doug and I as well. Whenever Doug is out of town and I have to work Mary Jane will always take both kids so I can work as well. She is truly an amazing lady.

Happy Birthday Katie !!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-06-21T13:12:00.001-07:00

This is our niece Katie, she is celebrating her 20Th birthday today. I just can't believe how fast all of our nieces and nephews are growing up. Katie was just a year old when Doug and I starting dating. I remember her as a baby with big blue eyes and wavy blonde hair, she was so adorable. Today, she is a beautiful young lady with a heart of gold. We hope nothing but the best for Katie.

1 Year Referral Anniversary!!!

2008-06-13T13:04:00.000-07:00

June 6 2008 was the one year anniversary of "The Call" , meaning that is has been 1 year since we first laid eyes on our baby girl. I remember that day like yesterday and can tell you every detail of it. However, I will just stick to the basics by saying that it was a Wednesday morning when Christina our social worker called and told me the information on my new baby girl and then I asked her to call Doug at work and give him the details. Christina said that we could come to the agency after 2:oopm to get the pictures and all the information. Grant and I met Doug at the adoption agency around 3:30 and we were greeted with balloons, cake and the entire China team. I was so nervous, excited and scared to see the pictures, I don't know why was so emotional but I was. When I finally saw Qian Li Tong's pictures all I could do was scream and jump up and down and cry. This was the baby that I had prayed for, dreamed about and planned for. She was perfect!!! Chubby cheeks, thick black hair and sweet kissable lips. I am even starting to get emotional just typing all this!!!
Stay tuned, because Aug 5 is the one year "Gotcha Day"

Lily-Fun in the Sun

2008-06-13T12:42:00.001-07:00

Grant--Fun in the Sun

2008-06-13T12:38:00.000-07:00

Still Sucking those Fingers!!!

2008-05-08T10:35:00.000-07:00

First Baseball Game in the 2008 Season

2008-05-07T07:09:00.001-07:00

Enjoying First Popsicle

2008-05-07T07:03:00.000-07:00

Teething for Lily has not been easy at all. I have tried everything to sooth her from Tylenol, teething tablets, frozen bagels and so on. Now that the weather has started to warm up I decided to give her fruit Popsicles to help with the teething pain. At first Lily wasn't so sure about them but now she loves them. Enjoy the pictures.

Lunching Outside

2008-05-07T07:00:00.001-07:00

As you can see, Lily is happiest when food is involved.

St Louis Cardinals Newest Fan

2008-04-16T09:24:00.001-07:00

The Girl Loves to Eat

2008-04-13T17:54:00.001-07:00

My girl is just like her mama, in the fact that she loves to eat. Whenever she hears the refrigerator door open or the pantry open she will run to see what kind of food is being served. Lily is not a picky eater and enjoys everything from peas to tuna noodle casserole.
Notice the fork she is using, she refuses to eat with a toddler fork and spoon simply because her brother Grant eats with silverware.

Already Chatting on the Phone

2008-04-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

Lily loves phones, it doesn't matter if it is a cordless phone, cell phone or even a play phone. If grandma calls the house and she sees Grant chat on the phone, she has to get on the phone. Doug says it is because she sees me on the phone all the time.

Easter Egg Foo Young Hunt

2008-03-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

This morning Children's Hope Adoption agency had a Easter party and egg hunt. I was on the fence about going because Lily was not in a very good mood this am and we were all kinda tired from such a busy week. However, at the last minute I decided to go ahead and take Grant and Lily and hope that we would manage to be in better moods and see some friends. I am so glad that we went, the kids had a wonderful time and really enjoyed hunting for eggs and I was able to see my friends.
The picture posted is the sign in front of the agency, it was the only pic I could get of the two of them together.

Snow Filled Day in St Louis

2008-03-04T17:04:00.001-08:00

While Doug is on a "Business trip" in the Bahamas, the kiddos and I were able to enjoy another St Louis snow storm. This was a true blizzard and we received about 8 to 10 inches of white snow.
Personally, I am sick of snow and wish that spring would arrive for once and for all.

Dancing Siblings

2008-03-04T17:01:00.001-08:00

Grant and Lily dancing to Kidz Bopp Cd.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

2008-03-04T16:40:00.000-08:00

This week many schools are celebrating the Cat in the Hats Birthday and the childcare center that Grant and Lily attend is no exception. On Monday Lily attended daycare while Grant stayed home to deal with the flu. While she was there the cooks served Green Eggs and Ham casserole plus green jello for desert. Let me just say that the dirty diapers I have been changing are absolutely, insanely disgusting. Lily has had 3 to 4 blowouts since this morning, they are so bad that i had to change her clothes as well as her diaper. So, in honor of Dr Seuss and the cat in the hat here is my saying;

I like to change poopy diapers you see.
Poopy diapers are fun to me.

I change them, change them everyday.
You too, would like to change them I say.

I like to change diapers filled with green eggs and ham.
These diapers would even nauseate Sam I Am

Tonka Truck Girl

2008-03-03T20:45:00.001-08:00

If a picture tells a story then these series of pictures are like a short movie.
Sunday in St. Louis the weather was absolutely gorgeous, so therefore we spent a lot of time outdoors. Lily discovered Grant's Tonka dump truck and likes to sit in the back of it. Most of the time I will gently push it across the patio because she loves to ride in it. However our Dog Sydney is tennis ball obsessed and nobody can be in the backyard without Sydney insisting in her sweet Border Collie way that somebody better throw the darn ball. Poor Lily all she wanted to do was chill out in the dump truck and Sydney would not give up on the tennis ball being thrown. As you can see in the pictures Lily gets frustrated to the point of tears.

Gung Hay Fat Choy!!!

2008-03-03T20:32:00.000-08:00

February 7 marked the beginning of Chinese New Year, the year of the Rat.
It was Lily's first Chinese New Year celebration with us and we decided to attend a party given by the FCC organization. FCC stands for Families with Children from China. The party was wonderful, the food was delicious and the entertainment was awesome.
However, our little China girl wasn't as thrilled with the celebration as we were. As a matter of fact she clung onto me for dear life, as you can see in the picture. I am sure in years to come she will learn to appreciate this important cultural event.

Thinking About Life!

2008-03-03T20:29:00.001-08:00

A Boy and His Dog and His Sister

2008-01-23T06:59:00.000-08:00

Grant adores many things in life, such as spider man, dinosaurs, going to the Zoo, hanging out with his family and many more. However, I just love the way he is with his little sister and his dogs. Grant is so caring and protective over them, it is so sweet.
Now don't get me wrong, he is not a perfect angel!!! He does get tired of his sister trying to play with his toys or knocking down his latest Lego masterpiece. Sometimes if he is feeling a little mean he will do things to aggravate her such as take away Annie or not let her play with him. All in all Grant is a great big brother and wonderful dog owner.

Lily's Chair and Anna

2008-01-22T14:03:00.001-08:00

I have been posting more pictures simply because of latley I have been taking more pictures. This upcoming week our social worker from the adoption agency will be coming over to do a six month adoption follow up. She needs 3 to 4 pictures to send back to China for their update. So I have been following Lily around the house with my trusty camera trying to capture her happiest times.
The first picture shows Lily with her lovey. The bunny's name is Anna, we named her after the girl who gave it to her as a welcome home gift. Actually her name is Hannah and she babysits from time to time, however I decided to shorten the name to Anna. The second picture is Lily in her activity chair, she loves this chair. Lily will sit in it and watch Baby Einstein, eat her snack and play with all the bells and whistles that it comes with.

Saturday Sickness

2008-01-19T19:38:00.000-08:00

My poor baby girl has a respiratory infection. Lily woke up in the middle of the night coughing and breathing hard and heavy. I took her temp., gave her some Tylenol and just held and rocked her for about 1 hour. I considering taking her to the emergency room, however Doug is out of town and I would have had to get Grant up and out of bed or called my mother and get her up and out of bed. Lily seemed to be doing better and fell back asleep. When we woke up this morning I just knew that she needed to be seen by our ped. and it was a good thing that we went. The ped office said that if i did not bring her in today that we would definitely have been in the ER this evening. Needless to say, Lily was prescribed nebulizer treatments to take Xopenex with. I already have noticed an improvement in her breathing, coughing and her general personality.
My mother came by this afternoon to bring some homemade vegetable soup and visit with the kids since we are home bound. We are not just home bound because of sickness, it only reached 12 degrees here in St. Louis today.
I had my mother take a picture of Lily receiving her breathing treatments. Lily is not a big fan of the oxygen mask, however Grant does a good job at distracting her and entertaining her. He is such an awesome big brother.

Long Time No Blog

2008-01-18T09:02:00.000-08:00

Hello Everybody!!
I hope everyone who reads this had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!
I know that I have not been very good at updating this blog, life was a little crazy around the holidays, but I promise to be better about posting pictures.
Grant had good holiday, santa was very good to him. I think his favorite gifts were his Lincoln Logs, remote control dinosaur, his light up light saber and his cd player. Grant loves to listen to music and will play his Kidzz Bopp cd daily. I already have to tell him to turn the volume down. He is also getting really excited to start kindergarten in the fall. He will be going all day from 8:45 to 3:15. I am excited yet a little emotional for him to be starting elementary school. It seems loike only yesterday that he was born and now I am sending him off to school. Time is just flying.
My little Lily Jane is doing wonderful!! She is walking all over the place, blowing kissses, saying a few words, looking at books. She copys everything somebody does, smiles all the time and laughs out loud. She is a true blessing! Lily did great over the Holiday and did not get to overwhelmed. Her favorite gifts were, and activity chair, a play piggy bank, and her scooter. This should be a great summer because she loves the outdoors and just walking around and exploring.
Doug is doing good, still working a ton of hours. However he takes care of his children on Weds and Thurs evenings when I work so he does spend a good amount of alone time with them.
I am doing good as well, just trying to keep up with 2 kiddos, keep some what clean house and work at St joes is very trying. I just do my best to keep my priorities staright.
So keep checking in and I will keep posting pictures.

Bob, This One is For You!!

2007-12-10T18:46:00.001-08:00

Here is a picture of Lily fresh from a bubble bath and just hanging out playing with her toys. I love the PJ's for kids with the footie's and this particular one that Lily is wearing is my favorite.

A Few of My Favorite Things

2007-12-08T11:22:00.001-08:00

I thought that I would take a few minutes to post my favorite ornaments for Christmas 2007. The first set speaks for themselves. I ordered the ornamnet "Waiting for Lily" in Novemeber 2005, I thought for sure that I would have ordered the follow up ornament in November 2006. However Lily was not ready for us then and we had to order the First Christmas Home 2007.
The second set are Grants favorites this year, Spongebob, abonible Snowman and one with his name on it. They are true Grant style ornaments.
Sorry for the lame post, however I did want to show off my favs.

CHI Christmas Party

2007-12-06T21:58:00.001-08:00

This is my friend Debbie and her daughter Ellie. Debbie and her husband Jeff adopted Ellie at the same time we adopted Lily. Ellie is about 1 month older than Lily and from the Guangdong Province.
This past Saturday was the adoption agency's Christmas party. It was so fun to see some of our travel group and friends that we have made along the adoption journey. I think Lily enjoyed seeing some babies and children that looked like her.

The Shirt Says it All

2007-12-06T21:45:00.001-08:00

I bought this shirt about 3 weeks ago at Old Navy. As soon as I saw it, I just had to have it because the statement is so true.
This past week has been a great Lily week for 2 reasons. The first reason is because Lily has been sitting on my lap more and really snuggling into my body and getting comfortable. Before Lily would sit in my lap for maybe 2 to 3 minutes and then want to get down and play, unless of course if I was feeding her a bottle. Lately she really likes to just snuggle and relax, which is just fine with me. The second reason is that Lily has started carry around 2 different stuffed animals (a lovey). The first animal is a little lamb that we named Chloe, I love that name and the second animal is a bunny that was given by my neighbor Hannah so we call her Anna. The fact that she is started to do these things is wonderful because it shows that she is attaching well and bonding.
Please notice the barrets in one of the pics. I love doing hair, when do you think I can bust out the hot rollers

Pirates and Ponytails

2007-11-29T13:47:00.001-08:00

Grant is very proud of the pirate hat he made in school. He is a big Pirates of the Carribean fan.
I am happy to say that I was finnaly able to get Lily's hair in a tiny little pebbles style pig tail on top of her head. It was no easy job, she moves and moves, I don't remember my Barbie head moving as all. Make sure you check out her boo boo on her face. She fell while practicing her walking.

Catching Up With A Old Freind

2007-11-29T13:34:00.000-08:00

This is my friend Stacey and her daughter Morgan. Two days ago they both came by for a visit and a play date and it went very well between the two little girls. I used to work with Stacey at a local hospital and she was a blast. Stacey reminds me of Amy Poehler from Saturday Night Live, her comebacks are witty as can be, she is always in the know when it comes to Hollywood gossip and she can remember any lyric to any given song that was done in the 80s or 90s. When we worked together our productivity went down slightly due to constantly laughing and chit chatting. I really miss those days however I am sur my employer does not.

Time To Rake The Leaves

2007-11-26T18:57:00.001-08:00

I thought that I would take the time this Monday night to post some new pics. These were taken about a week ago when the weather was still nice. Lily was not sure what to think about all the leaves and playing in the pile that was raked up, however she did manage a giggle or two.

Playing On The Slide

2007-11-11T21:45:00.001-08:00

The weather in St Louis was perfect over the weekend. Lily enjoyed being outside most of the day. Her latest thing is sliding down the slide, she absolutley loves it and Doug and I take turns sliding her down.

Enjoying Our Saturday

2007-11-10T18:18:00.000-08:00

We are a family who enjoys to be outdoors, especially this time of the year. This morning all four of us were outside by 9:00am raking leaves, throwing the baseball to Grant and pushing Lily in the swing. It was a great morning!!
Here is a picture of the kids and I at break time. They are enjoying graham crackers and milk while I enjoy a good ol cup of coffee.

Asian Loves Italian

2007-11-10T18:12:00.001-08:00

Spaghetti is a staple in this house, it is quick, easy and a family favorite.
Lily loves ramen noodles so I figured she would like spaghetti just as much and I was right. However, cleaning up after this meal is no fun.

Halloween 2007 part2

2007-10-31T18:25:00.000-07:00

Check out Grant he was a Power Ranger during the day and a Ninja for the night! What a day, Grant, Lily and I are absolutely exhausted. This has been one busy halloween, but a fun one. Doug came home around 5:00pm from work and started to get Grant dressed for trick or treating. Lily did not have a very good nap and I was feeling to good so we just stayed home and handed out candy with nana (my mother)
Grant an dDoug made the rounds in the neighborhood and now I have candy coming out my ears. Looks like I will be taking a lot of candy to work tomorrw.

Sweet Olivia or Flounder

2007-10-31T10:02:00.001-07:00

Check out my God daughter Olivia!! She is dressed up as flounder from Little Mermaid while her big sister is Ariel. Olivia is 17 months old and is a true sweetheart. I bought her a pair of squecky shoes while in China and she loves to walk around in them and listen to the squeck.

more pics

2007-10-31T09:33:00.000-07:00

The first picture is our friend Harper, she was adopted from China in 2005. While I was waiting for my referral I would get my Chinese baby fix by visiting and hugging on Harper. I became good friends with her mother Stacy and she has been a great support for me.
The second picture is of Grant and his best buddy Gus (the storm tropper) They always seem to have fun together and get along wonderfully,
The last picture is at the end of the trick or treating and poor Lily is exhausted. As a matter of fact she is still sleeping while I blog.

Halloween 2007 part 1

2007-10-31T09:21:00.001-07:00

Halloween is a big deal here at the Sattazahn house! Today we have 2 parties to attend plus trick or treating tonight.
Both Grant and Lily attend Lakeside Childcare center 2 days a week so that I can work. Grant has been going there for 3 years and Lily is on her third week. Doug and I very happy with the childcare they recieve plus, Grant loves the parties that are planned for each holiday.
This morning the 4 and 5 year old children marched in a parade and then went trick or treating at the nearby nursing homes. Lily and I followed to help out with any straggling children at the end of the line, let me just say that those kiddos made out with a loot of candy.

First Haircut

2007-10-30T19:59:00.000-07:00

For the last 2 weeks both my husband and mother have been after me to get Lily a haircut. I have been putting it off because I really want her hair to grow long and because I did not want to change her appearance to much. However today I looked at her sweet face and realized that her bangs were starting to cover her eyes and thought, It is time for a haircut. I took Grant to school at 11:00am and then we headed over to the Hairy Elephant for Lilys first official haircut.
When we arrived Lily was sleeping but she woke up as soon as the snip snip of the scissors started however we did manage to get thru the first haircut with ease.

Bath Time

2007-10-14T18:12:00.001-07:00

Bath time is a fun time for everyone, including the dog, Sydney!!

Cake Time

2007-10-14T18:07:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture of Lily enjoying her 1st birthday cake!

Happy 1st Birthday Lily

2007-10-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to our sweet Lily. We feel so blessed and honored to be sharing this day with our precious daughter.

Finally a Picture of Our Family of Four

2007-10-08T16:23:00.001-07:00

Lily joined our family 2 months ago and yesterday we finally has someone take a picture of the four of us!! Finally!

Lunching With Friends

2007-10-05T20:00:00.001-07:00

Today was a wonderful day! Lily and I met our dear friends Dena and her daughter Lindley at a delicious Chinese restaurant called Happy China. The food is wonderful, the best buffet in St Louis.
Doug and I met Dena and her husband Jim in October of 2005 during a parenting class that is required by our adoption agency. Needless to say, we hit it off immediately and became good friends. During the long wait we would call each other to offer support and cheering up.
Jim and Dena traveled in March 2006 to China to pick up their daughter. Lindley is truly the apple of their eye and with good reason. She is an absolute sweetheart!
I hope we cab get together more often.

2007-09-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

Lily loves Ramen noodles, her favorite flavors are chicken and oriental seasoning. Imagine that!!

Silly Pictures

2007-09-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

Brother and sister acting silly by the dishwasher

The Duke Boys

2007-09-30T17:59:00.001-07:00

This is Grant and his cousin Clayton, we call them Bo and Luke Duke after the 80's show The Dukes of Hazzard. They earned that name because they are cousin whom are always up to no good, they fight and 5 minutes later they are best friends. Plus, one is a blonde and the other a brunette, just like the stars of the show. I beleive their name was John Schneider and Tom Wopat. Doug calls them Hall and Oates though.