Hello....is anybody home????

Hi! I know we've been missing in action lately, but rest assured, we're still here!

Our summer has finally calmed down a bit, I have settled back in at work, all is great in the Raab household, and as I look at the upcoming month ahead, we are booked with things to do! This weekend we are visiting with friends and next weekend we're making our last family trip to the shore for the year. The weekend after that, Ursula's new friends from Pottstown are coming to visit and we'll be playing and trekking to ZooAmerica at Hersheypark. Then we're already heading into Labor Day weekend, and before you know it, another month is gone. Where does the time go?
I've started thinking about how we want to celebrate some upcoming events...Monday will be the 1 year mark since I first saw Ursula's picture on the website photo listing and knew that she would become our daughter. When we are at the beach next weekend, we will celebrate the 1 year mark of Ursula being "placed" with our family, and November 9th will be 1 year since we met our daughter for the first time! Most people call this "Gotcha Day", but I think we're going to call it our "Family Day". It was the moment we became a family and since it is also our wedding anniversary, I think that name is very fitting. It's not official yet, so I'm open to suggestions....
I've also started to think about our first Christmas together, I can't wait to share and experience everything with her, she is really starting to take an interest in her surroundings and enjoys discovering new things. As much as I am sooo not a snow person, I wouldn't mind maybe 1 snowfall so I can marvel in it with her :)
So, onto your Ursi update....I believe she is getting a little taller, but, I still don't think she has gained much , if any, weight since she's been home. She is very healthy and strong and eats a ton, but still has a teeny tiny little waist! I wish I could say the same :) She has some favorite foods that include, fruit (pretty much anything ending in berry, rasp and blue being her 1st choices), cheese, flavored applesauce, pasta, bread and YoBaby yogurt. We don't go to the pediatrician for another month yet, so I won't have any stats until then. Her hair is definitely getting longer, and we are able to do more things with it. I'm having a good time, but I can't speak for Ursi, and since she can't tell you herself that she doesn't enjoy it, I'm going to say she does :)
She is saying a few more things...her latest random words include, hi (said sometimes in a cute two syllable manor, sometimes in a shorter Southern version sounding like "Ha"), boo, and she has her own version of A B C. The newest signs we've been working on are help and where. She can point to her feet, toes, legs and shoes, so now we have the top and bottom, we just have to learn the mid section! She can bring a specific toy to me when I ask her to, even if it's in another room. Her newest interest is the stairs...she can go up them on her hands and knees, but insists on coming down standing up (with our help of course!) I'd feel better though, if I could get her to go down on her bottom or even backwards. She has started exploring around the house (see pics below) and loves to climb on things, anything.
Our newest accomplishment started just last night...we have eliminated her bedtime bottle, with no objections from her (ok, I have to give her Daddy credit for that one...). So now we're down to one small bottle at naptime only and I'm hoping to get rid of that after she gets more used to going to Gammie's house, maybe a couple more weeks or so.
Well, enough for now....I will try to update more often and actually get some video to post!

Here a couple pics from our nature walk...
This is how Urs keeps Mommy busy...playing "Where's Ursula?"

Is she under the dining table? Yep!
Is she hiding in the corner beside the cabinet? Found ya!
What about under the crib? There she is!