Aitugan's First "word"!!



For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of Baby Sign Language, Aitugan has seen us make a number of signs to actions and things such as more, kiss, mommy, daddy, thank you, all done, eat, and drink.

Today was the first time that she actively used a sign in a meaningful context - the two hands coming together fingertips to fingertips representing more. Once again I must give credit to KJ for being so diligent and insisting that Aitugan understands more than we think. I think that the video shows she has been correct.

As it says in the video, today marks the passing of 3 months since we arrived home on Christmas day. Difficult to believe that it has been just that long. Perhaps we have miscounted! Ah of course - it's a leap year.



Well there is clearly no lack of appetite in our little one. Here she is laying into a bowl of KJ's homemade Sweet Potato/Squash goodness.

As you can see, we allow her a certain amount of liberty while she eats at home. With dogs as an environmentally friendly substitute to paper towels, everyone seems to benefit.



We thought it was time to introduce Tougy to her future sailing partner 'Violet Grayce'. Named after two of Tougy's Great Grandmothers, Violet Grayce is a 32 foot, 45 year-old mahogany on oak sloop built in Sweden.

As you can see, she is undergoing an extensive rebuild, and should be back in the water in 2009. Before then, we hope to have our 18 foot, 64 year-old Rhodes 18 'Kazmosis' back in the water this summer.











Easter Sunday was a beautiful day here in Midcoast Maine, though it was deceptively cold and windy. All the same, we thought it was a great time introduce Tougy to lighthouses and tide pools. She seemed fascinated by both.





Not even 34 degree weather can keep a child away from a tide pool. The allure is simply too great.





While Aitugan likes to say she is "So Big", she is in fact still quite a tiny (though mysteriously capable) thing. Hovering somewhere just the low side of 30 inches overall, her bow-legged stance and low-slung diaper give her legs a slightly comical and out of proportion appearance. It makes me think of the 18" Stonehenge from Spinal Tap. Maybe it is just me!





Take Care.

I know I posted this over a week ago and left it without any commentary - sorry!

Perhaps as many children do, Tougy likes to think that anything with buttons is like that thing that mom and dad hold up to their ears and talk in to. She is simply captivated by things with buttons to push, especially if they light up and or make noise when you push them.

We have found an old out of commissioned cell phone that we can keep charged and she seems to love it, and we enjoy that it won't actually call anyone accidentally.

Here she improvises with the TV remote.



The dogs have all been so wonderful with her, and with adapting to the presence of a life that has supplanted them to some degree.

Here Midou tolerantly has the inner workings of his ear investigated.



Midou looking the part of regal statesman.



Bokar keeps a watchful gaze on any activity that may result in free snacks.



Adorable Daouda...



his tongue is simply too big for his mouth.



Tougy joins Bokar for a quick nap on the office floor.



Stairs have long fascinated our little angel - though now her agility is approaching the point at which we are becoming truly scared.



This fascination I feel certain is universal. What child has never tested to see for just how long that magic thing on the bathroom wall can continue to make more.



These are the moments we all dream of as we fill out form upon form, repeatedly accost feckless notaries public, and wade through the mire that is adoption. Worth every effort!



You'd have to look hard to notice, but Tougy has new teeth in this photo. It was in fact a busy week for her mouth.

In the nearly 5 months that we had known her, Tougy has had but the two lower teeth she had when first we met. Now within the span of 6 days, four upper teeth all popped through. Of course this made for some crankiness and irritability, though I may have suspected it would be worse. She is such a trooper!





How can you not smile and laugh at this. No Tougy - we are laughing with you not at you. She is so adorably "healthy".