Priceless

Collins' orphanage -- Zhuhai SWI -- blessed us with a number of wonderful gifts ... little things that represent her first nine months of life and where she came from ... but the most priceless of all was a collection of 500 photos of her from the time she came into the orphanage to the time she left. FIVE HUNDRED photos (and even some video). We have less than 20 photos of sweet Lia Kate and her first 16 months. I have never even heard of an adoptive family getting so many photos. I am not sure if this is something they do regularly, but I sent a flash drive to the orphanage through Ann at Red Thread asking them to put all the photos they had of her on it. It was kind of a shot in the dark, but they did it! I just never imagined I would get 500 precious photos of her sweet little life. 

February 2012

LOVE!!! My newborn Collins.

One of the earliest pictures of Collins.

March 2012

May 2012

June 2012

This photo was taken on the day my brother passed away. 

July 2012

Practicing sitting up at 5 months.

I love these pictures of Collins with this older girl from the orphanage. 

You can tell it was a sweet relationship.

August 2012

Starting to crawl at 6 months.

Celebrating Bailee's 1st birthday!

There were a lot of pictures of Collins in this position ... arms and legs all up. Talk about core strength?! I think it was her "trick" and the nannies liked to capture it in pictures. She does this same thing when we lift her over our heads or toss her in the air. Perhaps a future yogi?

September 2012

Holding her own bottle. So glad she lets me do this for her now.

October 2012

Pulling up and cruising the crib at 8 months.

LOVE this face!

In her crib with the photo pillow we sent through Gretchen & Lillian. 

This pillow stayed in her crib until we came to China for her.

November 2012

Her favorite toy since we've been home is the ring stacker. Now I know why. 

Sweet little munchkin.

Playing with the musical bunny we sent. Love these nannies who let her play with the things we sent.

Playing on the rocking horse on the patio.

With her beautiful nanny Lisa.

Evidently this was not a good day.

Just a few days before we met her!

This might be my favorite picture.

Climbing!

She does the same thing with her blankies here. Grabs it in her hand while she sucks her thumb. 

Love that we have a picture of her doing it with orphanage blankets.

She also does this with the strings on my jackets or a necklace I'm wearing.

Outta my way, dude. Prep for having a big brother?

She loves to "play the drums" on any surface.

Sweet nanny Lisa. You can tell she loved her so much.

Taken just three days before we met her in the red silk they gave us as a gift.