Frogs, Snails, & Puppy Dog Tails

Re:7

2011-12-23T10:23:00.001-05:00

...Hi! Friends asked me to invite you to our site! http://graphique-com.fr/december.site.php?utID=73ew0

Relocating

2010-04-07T22:47:00.002-04:00

Our blog is moving. The new blog is located at http://roots-branches-and-wings.blogspot.com/

If you would like to get updates, you can click the button on the left to become a follower.

Reflecting on 2009

2009-12-28T11:45:00.007-05:00

Wow! I cannot believe that the end of 2009 is here. It has been a very busy year. It has been full of ups and down, but mostly ups.

We were able to celebrate Michael's first birthday home this year. He turned 3 in July. He has 3 parties to match his age, one at our church with family and friends, one at daycare, and one at Gamma and Papa's house in New Hampshire.

Michael made many advancements this year in every area. At the beginning of the year he was still only saying one or two words at a time. He had surgery in August to completely close his palate. After this, he began to start saying more phrases. Now, he is making complete sentences and asking for things he want. He knows his color and shapes and can count into the double digits. He loves to read, color, sing, and play. He enjoys playing with his trains for hours on end. This year his personality has blossomed. He is a fun loving child who has more energy that the Energizer Bunny. He is a comedian and loves to make people laugh.

After Michael's surgery, we were given information on a foundation that helps parents with the medical bills of special needs children who have been adopted internationally called the

Laila Rose Foundation, http://lailarosefoundation.com/. After contacting them and applying for aid, they were able to help us with Michael's medical bills.

We met with our social worker Kristin in January (6 month follow-up) and July (1 year follow-up) to update her on how our life with Michael was going. We also filed for readoption here in Virginia. This makes the adoption legal in all states of the U.S. and allows us to get a birth certificate for Michael here in Virginia. When the readoption was finalized, our agency closed our case. Everything is done!

Bill and I both celebrated our 34th birthdays this year. In April, we celebrated 5 years of marriage.

I have been at my job for almost 9 years now. I made it through two rounds of lay offs at work this year. However, Bill was not as lucky. After working for his company for 12 years, he was laid off in September. Fortunately, he went out the next day with resumes in hand and was able to find a new job in a matter of hours. We think that in the long run the new company will be a much better fit for him. One other low point we had in our year was the passing of Bill's grandmother. She lived next door to us and was a wonderful woman. He health had been declining over the past few years and quickly deteriorated after a hospital stay in August.

We traveled a little less this year than last. We didn't go half way around this world this year. We spent time at Easter with Gamma, Papa, and Mamaw & Papaw Ryan. We showed them a few sites in Richmond and then toured D.C. for a day. We ended the weekend by visiting Aunt Carrie in Charlottesville for brunch. In July, we took a vacation to New Hampshire to visit Gamma and Papa. Most of the time we were there it rained. However, it allowed us to have a very low key week. Since then, Michael and I have traveled to Alabama to attend my aunt's funeral. Gamma and Papa moved to South Carolina in November. Michael and I drove to visit them just before Christmas. He is down there visiting them again for almost a whole week. Our house is going to be very quiet...... too quiet.

As I look back on this year, there is so much to be thankful for....... our friends, our family, our faith, our health, all of the doctors, nurses, and medical staff that help with Michael's surgeries and routine care, the Laila Rose Foundation, and so on.

As we go into 2010, I am hopeful and look forward to all that is to come. Have a happy and safe New Year!

Technical difficulties

2009-11-11T18:50:00.002-05:00

It seems that I am having technical difficulties with the blog. I will be working on it and hope to have it looking right soon.

Family Pictures

2009-11-09T20:01:00.005-05:00

I will be updating a little bit more soon. However, I wanted to post this tonight. We had our family photos made on Saturday. Michael did very well and posed like the photographer asked. She was very good with him. Here are some of the pictures we ended up with:

This & That....

2009-10-05T20:49:00.011-04:00

Okay, I admit it. I am slacking off on the blog. It has been over a month since I posted and I have been told that I must post more pictures of Michael.

It seems like time gets away from me these days. We are staying very busy and are all doing well. Michael has healed from his surgery and is able to eat anything he wants. His speech has really taken off in the last month or so. His vocabulary grows everyday.

He is also almost potty trained. He his very proud and enjoys announcing to the world.... okay maybe not the world but all of Wal-mart or any other public place that we happen to be in.... "I PEEEEEEEEED!!!!!"

Over the last month, we kept very busy. We enjoyed a trip to the zoo and celebrated the Autumn Moon Festival with Families of the China Moon at a local park. Michael also got his first big boy haircut.

Here are some pictures from the last month.

Feeding the Giraffe

(one of my favorite pics)

New Friends

They liked the animals.

But.... They loved to climb!

Here we go!

This is fun!

Mohawk

All Done

Big Boy

Michael & His Arch Nemesis at Peace

He loves to swing!

I bet that made you smile!

Sliding

Being Crafty

Michael's First Driving Lesson
He drove from Nana's driveway to ours.
(with a little help)

Surgery and more

2009-08-30T10:46:00.004-04:00

Michael had surgery this past Tuesday. It was an adventure. He came through surgery with flying colors. However, we were in the recovery room for 9 hours, because they were unable to find a room for him. Finally, at 9:30 p.m. we were in a room. After a long day on Wednesday, we were able to go home at 5 p.m.

Since coming home, Michael has been doing very well. He is back to his rambunctious, playful self. He is eating like an NFL linebacker.

I have found a site to upload our adoption video to. If you click on this link, you will be able to view it. http://blip.tv/file/2533075

Here are a few pictures from the hospital:

Talking, Potty Training, and More

2009-08-18T20:21:00.009-04:00

The last month has been a blur. Michael's vocabulary has taken off. He has started putting words together in small sentences. Just a couple of weeks ago, he pronounced his name for the first time. We were in the van and I said, "I'm Mommy." To my surprise, he answered with "I'm Mi-al." He has also been working on his counting and his colors. He recognizes many colors and can count by himself to 5 and sometimes higher.

Michael had pink eye, but luckily we did not get it. His nosebleeds have continued. However, we have been told that they should stop after his next surgery. He is breathing through his mouth when he sleeps, because his cleft is still partly open it is trying out his nasal passages. This is causing the nosebleeds.

We have started potty training, too. He is about 95% potty trained at home. He really enjoys wearing his big boy "unwearwear."

This past Saturday, we took Michael to Busch Gardens. We all had so much fun. Michael rode his first roller coaster, met Elmo & his friends, rode the choo choo train, drove a ladybug car, and surprised me by doing the Chicken Dance with a huge group of kids at one of the performances.

Next Tuesday (August 24), Michael has his second surgery. They will finish closing his palate, do some rhinoplasty, and insert new tubes in his ears. He will be staying in the hospital overnight again. We will update everyone as soon as we can as to how he is recovering.

Here are some pictures from the last month:

Biker

Pink Eye

Wacky Tacky Day

First Roller Coaster Ride

He Loved It!

Michael & Mommy

Michael & Elmo

Michael & Zoe

Driving

Playing int the Treehouse with Baba

Having Fun on the Slide

The Chicken Dance

Resting Before the Trip Home

Our Little Superman

Rest Well All..... Michael is on the job.

Catching up...

2009-07-20T20:47:00.003-04:00

We have had a very hectic few weeks. I have not been able to post an update that includes pictures from out New Hampshire trip. However, you can catch all of the events of our vacation on my mom's blog at http://dryanramblings.blogspot.com/.

On July 8, Michael and I flew to Alabama. My aunt Jimmie's funeral was on July 9. While we were there, we were also able to spend time with family. Michael got spoiled rotten as usual. My best friend Gennifer and her little girl MG stopped by for a visit while we were there. My birthday was July 11 and I was able to celebrate with my mom, dad, grandparents, 3 of my uncles, and some of my cousins. I cannot remember the last time I was in Alabama for my birthday. We returned home on July 12. One of Michael's favorite parts of the trip was riding the planes. Everyday since then he has told me "clouds mommy! Up Up Plane!"

Since coming home, we have been busy with work and school. This past weekend we decided to convert Michael's crib into a big boy bed. While Bill worked on that, I took Michael to the Children's Museum to meet Spiderman. At first, he wasn't quite sure of the red arachnid like creature standing on two legs. After a couple of minutes, he warmed up to him enough to get a quick picture. When we got home, we had lunch. Then, we surprised Michael with his "big boy" bed and rug. He giggled and grinned. He just loved it! We ended the day at a friend's pool. Michael is fearless and will go down the waterslide or jump off the edge. You have to keep your eye on him! That evening we had dinner and Michael was happy to go to sleep in his "big boy" bed.

Here are some new pictures:

One Year Ago...

2009-07-14T05:45:00.002-04:00

One Year Ago

(Our First Smile)

After One Year as a Family

(1,000s of smiles later)

One year ago today, we held Michael in our arms for the first time. If anyone ever wondered if God knew what he was doing, all they need to do is look at our family and see that He has a perfect plan.

Raising Michael is an exciting adventure. He has been the perfect addition to our family. This has been a wonderful year that has really flown by.

Michael has learned and done many things this year. Michael has...

traveled 1/2 way around the world.

been in 7 different airports.

flown on 14 planes.

gained 11 pounds and grown 7 inches.

seen many doctors.

had palate surgery and ear tubes put in.

taken speech therapy once a week.

learned to count to 5.

learned to identify many of his colors.

started saying 100s of words.

been to the beach.

taken trolley tours of Boston and Washington, D.C.

been to Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.

taken a trip to the National Zoo.

celebrated his 3rd birthday with 3 parties.

learned to do the Tomahawk Chop. Go Braves!

learned to say "ROLL TIDE."

learned many cute phrases, like "AWWWW MAN!"

made it hard to go out to dinner incognito. We get told how cute he is or he stands up and gives a big "HELLO!" to the entire restaurant. We wouldn't have it any other way!

had many people fall in love with him.

We have learned many things about Michael, too. Michael...

is fearless. He will jump off and on almost anything. I am just waiting for the words, "Hey mom! Watch this!"

loves to eat!

loves music, both playing and singing.

is all boy! He loves trucks, trains, planes, tractors, and construction equipment.

never stops, unless he is asleep. He is like the Energizer Bunny!

is a very happy, easygoing little boy whose smile can light up a room.

loves to joke and laugh. His laughter is contagious.

likes to figure out how things work. He will even take the keys off of your laptop if you don't watch him close enough. Just ask Papaw!

enjoys dancing and turning in circles.

likes to watch cartoons and other shows on the Disney Channel.

likes watching "moomies" (movies) on the tv, such as Cars, Thomas the Train, Monsters Inc., and Nemo.

has a favorite store. "WAL-MAR!!!"

loves day care, but loves being picked up in the afternoon, too.

will sleep in the buff if you do not put shorts over his diaper.

enjoys being outside.

loves to take a bath but does not like the shower.

has an arm! Watch for flying objects!

likes to cuddle and give hugs and kisses.

loves playing demolition derby with his cousin "WoWo" (Joseph).

knows what the word "home" means.

most of all has learned that he has a family and many friends that love him more than words can explain.

There are so many other things I could list, but I will stop with these. Over the last year, Michael has not only stolen our hearts, but the hearts of so many other people. Thank you all for praying for our family, showing us your love, and being a part of Michael's first year with us and his life.

Today, we celebrate our "Familyversary."

Thanks for celebrating with us!

Birthday Celebrations

2009-07-06T19:54:00.007-04:00

Although Michael's birthday was not until July 1, we had a couple of early parties for him. We would be on vacation for the actual day of his birthday.

On June 20th, we had a Cars birthday party for Michael at the pavilion at church. It was a very hot day (the hottest day of the year), but we all had a lot of fun. It was all worth it to see Michael's face when he finally figured out that the party was for him.

On June 26th, we had an "upake" party for him at daycare. Mommy did not think about how messy red and blue cupcakes would be until after they were all over the kids faces, hands, arms, etc.

Please check back in a few days for an update on our trip to New Hampshire and Michael's birthday celebration there.

Here are pictures from his Cars party and his "upake" party:

On Vacation

2009-07-01T00:08:00.002-04:00

I haven't had a chance to update the blog lately. We are on vacation in New Hampshire. Check out my mom's blog for the most recent update. It is dryanramblings.blogspot.com.

I hope to update this weekend after we get home. Have a great 4th of July.

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T20:56:00.003-04:00

We have had a very busy weekend. I hope to post pictures of Michael's birthday party later this week.

Today, we would like to wish a very Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful men in our life.

Napping with Baba

Making "Scrunchy" Faces with Papa

Playing with Grandpa

Hanging out with Papaw

The National Zoo (Washington, D.C.)

2009-06-14T21:04:00.005-04:00

We took a trip to Washington, D.C. this weekend. We drove up on Friday. When we got to the hotel, we checked in and then went to a little diner for dinner. Afterwards, we went to the pool. It was a lot of fun. We decided to leave when the 50 teenagers started pouring in.

On Saturday, we met Jonathan, Jennifer, and Elijah at the National Zoo. We all had a lot of fun. The boys (ages almost 3, almost 5, and getting close to 9) had a great time together. Joseph and Michael had never met Elijah, but you would have never guessed it. They had so much fun together! Michael received and early birthday present. It was a bulldozer. (He loved it! He has hardly put it down since he got it.)

The day passed by quickly. After our time at the zoo was over, we all headed to the Metro. We were headed the same way. We had to depart the train before Jonathan, Jennifer, and Elijah, so we said our goodbyes and headed to our hotel. We ordered pizza in and then went swimming.

On Sunday, we slept in. (Michael slept until 8:30!!) Then, we packed our bags, went to breakfast, and headed home. It was a wonderful much needed weekend away.

Below are pictures from the trip.

Pictures from Our Day

2009-05-23T18:46:00.003-04:00

Here are a few fun pictures from our day out running errands. We didn't have the camera, so we used the one on the cell phone.

Watching Dirt Bike Racing on the Big Screen

Hola! Donde es la fiesta??

Watching the fishies in his favorite store....... "WALMART!!!"

Lifebook

2009-05-23T06:28:00.007-04:00

Our week has been pretty low key. It has been filled with the regular work and daycare. Michael did decide one night that he wanted to be a nudist. After he went to sleep, I went to check on him and he was laying on his knees and stomach totally naked. I now have blackmail pictures for when he is a teenager! It was very cute, but I do not think I will post those photos.

I have been working on Michael's lifebook a lot in the past two weeks. It is a big project. What is a lifebook? It is the story of an Michael's life that contains pictures and text to tell him about his life before adoption, where he came from, and how we became a family. It is written to he age level. It will also be his very own. He can keep it to himself or share it with whomever he would like. It will be his decision as to who he shares his story with.

Before I go, there is one thing I will share about the lifebook. Here is a picture of the cover:

What y'all have been waiting for...

2009-05-12T20:15:00.000-04:00

I know that you all have been waiting for an update, so here it goes. Since our last update, we have had a lot happen. Michael has continued with speech therapy. He is saying new words everyday. He is also saying new phrase and is able to let us know what he wants. One Sunday, I was in the kitchen and Michael looked at me from the living room. He said, "high chair, bye bye, please." The only time we say high chair is in a restaurant, so the translation of this is, "I want to go out to eat for breakfast please."

On Tuesday April 14, I received a call from Michael's daycare. When they went to wake him up, he had a bloody nose. There was so much blood that they compared it to a CSI crime scene. I picked him up and took him to our family doctor. He could not find anything wrong and gave us some suggestions to keep it from happening again. We followed his directions, but Michael had two more nose bleeds during the next week. These were at night. (I will have to warn you not to get on my bad side, because I have become very good and getting blood out of and off of things.) We became regulars at our doctors office. I must admit that I was starting to think that Michael just had a crush on Ms. Carolyn (the nurse that we go to church with) and wanted to see her as much as possible or that he was trying to play hooky from school. On our last visit to the doctor Michael was diagnosed with a sinus infection. He showed no signs of the infection until over a week after the first nose bleed. He started antibiotics and seemed fine after that.

On April 25, we went to Joseph's baseball game. Joseph has become a very good ball player. It is a lot of fun to watch him. After the ballgame Baba, Uncle Wo (Joe), and Wo Wo (Joseph), went fishing while Michael and I attended Ms. Lilly's birthday party. She goes to daycare with him and was turning 3. There were about 7 kids in attendance. This was the first birthday party that Michael had been invited to. He had a great time playing with everyone and singing "Happy Cupcake" (this is what he says instead of happy birthday) to Lilly.

The week of April 27th was pretty low key. The biggest thing to note is that Uncle Wo's birthday was on April 29.

On May 2nd, we took Michael to Chesterfield Berry Farm for the Strawberry Festival. We all had a lot of fun. He rode the barrel train, rode a horsie, fed the animals, and so on. We also learned that even though he does not seem to care for the strawberry that he LOVES the strawberry milkshake. That evening Gamma and Papa stopped for a short visit on their way to Alabama. They stayed in Alabama for a week and then came back through the next weekend. There will be more on that in a bit.

May 4th was a big day. It was a long day, but a good day. We went to the cleft clinic at VCU to meet with the team of doctors. Michael saw a psychologist, an ENT, a speech pathologist, an audiologist, a pediatric dentist, an orthodontist, and the surgeon who is the head of the clinic. He weighed in at 41 pounds and was 36.5" tall. However, he was wiggling so much that I think he was a little taller than that. The ENT found that one of Michael's ear tubes has come out and that he was starting to get an ear infection. Therefore, he had to go back on antibiotics. All of the other doctors were very happy with his development. We were told that we got the "gold star for parenting" which made us feel good. We also found out that Michael will have surgery this year. During the surgery, they will do multiple procedures. This will keep him from having to get anesthesia multiple times. They will do a uvula repair to finish closing his cleft. They will touch up his nose where it is a little flat to help him breath better. They will also replace the ear tube that has come out. He will have to stay in the hospital overnight again. We are praying that he comprehends what is going on more this time and is able to process it better. Last time we were in the hospital he stayed upset the whole time he was awake. For those of you who know him, it takes a lot for this kid be like that. The surgery will be sometime between the end of August and the end of September. Once we know the date, we will let everyone know.

The rest of that week was pretty calm. Gamma and Papa stayed at the house again on May 8th on their trip back to New Hampshire. This time they did not only have their dog Chloe with them. They had a puppy with them. His name is Thibodeaux (tib-a-doe). It was so cute to see Michael play with the puppy and say "hib-a-oe." On Saturday, we all went to Joseph's baseball game. Then, Gamma and Papa packed up and headed to Aunt Carrie's house for a short visit.

Sunday was my first Mother's Day. It was a wonderful day and there are more posts below about that.

Enjoy these pictures from the last few weeks:

My Very Special Day

2009-05-10T12:35:00.006-04:00

Today has been a very special day for me. I got to sleep in. Then, I was awakened by the sounds of Michael giggling and stabbing me in the face with a card. It was a beautiful card from him and Baba. He even signed it himself. By the signature, I think he will be a doctor when he grows up. After my shower, I had breakfast waiting on me. Bill had made a very tasty meal. It was nice to have breakfast with my two favorite guys. We got ready and headed to church. When we got there, I was met by Joseph. He told me to close my eyes and then made me count to three. When I opened my eyes, he gave me a card that he had made at school. For those of you who know our back story, you will know how special this is. He is a lot like a son to me. It made me cry.... tears of joy. He is such a wonderful kid.

The rest of our day is going to be quiet. Bill is going to clean out the van and change the oil. This is a great present. Do you know how messy a van can get when you have a 2 year old??

I could not have asked for a better first Mother's Day.

Below is a picture of my card from Joseph:

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T08:40:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day! This is for all the mother's who have children in their home, out of the nest, in their tummies, and in their hearts. We know that with adoption the "pregnancy" just takes a little longer.

Today, I get to celebrate my first official Mother's Day. It is hard to believe that this time last year we were waiting to find out when we would go to China to get Michael. Life has changed a lot since then. We were happy before, but it is amazing how much more joy we have in our life now.

After church today, we will do what we do each Mother's Day. We will put flowers on Bill's mom's grave in her memory. There have been so many strong women in our lives. Some are still here with us and some are in heaven looking down on us. Below are pictures of the women who are still with us and have had an impact on each of us.

Gamma (my mom)

Mamaw Kadle (Gamma's mother)

Mamaw Ryan (my dad's mother)

Nana (Bill's dad's mother)

Birthmother's Day

2009-05-09T08:42:00.000-04:00

Many of you may not know this, but today (the Saturday before Mother’s Day) is Birthmother’s Day. As I sit here and think about it, there are so many things I wish I could let Michael’s birthmother (and his birthfather for that matter) know. It could not have been easy for her to let go of this precious little boy, but living in China it may have been the only choice that she had. I imagine that she couldn't afford either the fee for a second child or the medical care that was necessary.

I wish I could tell her that he is safe and has a good home. He has a mother and a father, a large family, and many friends who love him dearly. He takes on the world with a handsome smile and a laugh that warms the heart. He is bright, funny, inquisitive, mischievous, fearless, and rambunctious. He is one of the bravest kids that I know. She would be so proud of him.

However, what I really wish I could tell her is that she did the right thing; she gave him life. By her giving him up, he was able to get the medical attention he needed. By her giving him up, he now has a future full of endless possibilities. By her giving him up, we have a son. For that, I will always be grateful. For that reason, today will be a day that we remember her.

Under Construction

2009-05-07T22:43:00.002-04:00

Please bare with me. I am going to be making changes to the layout of the blog. It may take a little while to get it exactly the way I want it. Thanks!

What a difference 6 months makes....

2009-05-07T19:27:00.004-04:00

I plan to post an update in a few days, but wanted to quickly post these two pictures. We went to the Strawberry Festival at Chesterfield Berry Farm this past weekend. Michael loves to ride the barrel train. He also rode it when we were there in October 2008 at the Pumpkin Festival. It looks like he rode in the same car each time. It is amazing how much he has changed and how much he has grown in the past six months.

Here are the pictures from both of those days.

May 2, 2009

October 4, 2008

Family, Tours, & Easter

2009-04-15T19:41:00.003-04:00

We had a busy, but good week last week. Gamma drove from New Hampshire on Monday. On Tuesday, Michael went to school. Then, I took him to get tested for allergies. We thought that some of his stuffiness might be seasonal allergies, but were wrong. They tested him for allergies to pollens, dust, foods, and animals. Thankfully, he is not allergic to anything. On Wednesday, Michael went with Gamma to visit Aunt Carrie in Charlottesville.

At the end of the week, the rest of our family arrived from out of town. Midday on Thursday, I picked Papa up from the airport. On Friday, Mamaw & Papaw Ryan arrived at the house midday.

Bill, Papa, Joe, and Big Bill went to play golf on Friday. After Papaw and Mamaw arrived, we (Gamma, Michael, Joseph, Papaw, Mamaw, and myself) all loaded into the van for a driving tour of Richmond. After our tour, we went to lunch and then returned home.

On Saturday, we loaded into the two vans and headed to Washington, D.C. We parked in Springfield and rode the Metro into DC. While in DC, we went to the National Air & Space Museum. I think Papaw really enjoyed it. It was very crowded though. After a while, Michael started raising his voice and telling all the people to "O AWAY!!" I really didn't blame him. After the museum, we hopped on a trolley and toured the rest of DC. We had lunch in Union Station before heading back to the Metro and home.

On Sunday morning, Michael found an Easter basket that was left by the Easter "RABBIT!" He enjoyed reading his new book with Papa. However, he really didn't care for the candy. We all got ready and headed to Charlottesville to have brunch with Carrie and Patrick. Michael was really excited to see Aunt Carrie again. When I asked him if he wanted to go see her, he said "YAY!!!!!" We waited for our table for a bit and tried to occupy Michael. There were 9 of us so it took just a little while for them to get our table ready. However, the wait was worth it. The food was very good. After brunch, we headed back to Carrie's where we all went our separate ways. Mamaw & Papaw started on their trip back to Alabama. Bill, Michael, and I came home. Gamma and Papa stayed in Charlottesville and left the next morning to drive back to New Hampshire.

We had a very good visit with everyone. However, the time together always seems so short. We miss them all already.

Here are some pictures of our time with everyone:

Day Care & Easter Eggs

2009-04-05T17:27:00.003-04:00

I have a few new pictures below. The first is one of Michael's day care pictures. The slide show is from our Easter egg hunt at church. Once Michael figured out what to do, he looked like a pro. We will be pretty busy for the next week. We hope that everyone has a very happy Easter.

Our Silly Boy!

2009-04-01T17:52:00.004-04:00

The past couple of weeks have been full of work, daycare, errands, church and more. The weather has been crazy here. It is in the 70s one day and freezing the next. As soon as we are almost dried out from days of rain, it starts pouring again. We are ready for warm, sunny days.

Michael's little personality is starting to develop more and more. He is the silliest, cutest, smartest little boy we know. (We are not at all biased. Can you tell?) He does things just to make people laugh. He makes the silliest faces. He just starts laughing for no reason at all, which makes us laugh in return. He surprises us everyday with the new things he can do and say. His vocabulary is growing every day. He is also starting to say more phrases. I am not sure what this says about us. However, he calls every store we go in "walllll marrrrr." That is Michael for Walmart.

The best thing we have seen over the past couple of months is that he is starting to form stronger relationships and bonds with other family members and friends. He has always enjoyed being around certain people, but now you can just see his eyes light up when he sees them. He is always asking to call Gamma & Papa on the "computer phone" via Skype. He loves looking at pictures and repeating everyone's names. He gets a huge smile on his face when he sees his Aunt "Arweeeee" (Carrie) in the pictures and in person. He loves his Grandpa, Uncle "Wo" (Joe), and "Wo Wo" (Joseph). He jumps into Grandpa's arms. He wanted "Wo" to rock him to sleep the other night. He loves playing with Joseph. He runs to Uncle David when he sees him to get a hug and he always has to find "Ronnnnnnnnn" at church. He adores his teachers at daycare. I could go on and on.

Next week will be very busy. We have visitors coming from the south and from the north. Gamma is driving from New Hampshire on Monday. Then, Papa is flying in on Thursday. On Friday, Mamaw and Papaw Ryan will arrive from Alabama. We are looking forward to seeing and spending time with everyone. This will be Michael's first Easter. We are excited that he will get to spend it with a lot of our family. We plan on going to see Aunt Carrie on Easter Sunday.

Below are some pictures from last couple of weeks.

Licking the Bowl After Making Cupcakes

Michael got very mad at Mama, because she put them in the oven.

This is Serious Business

It was 70 degrees outside and Michael decided to put on his winter hat.
Can you tell he put it on himself?

Our Fashionable Trend Setter
Wearing Your Hat Backwards and Crooked - New Spring Fashion for '09

Sunday Afternoon Nap

Country

Blues

Rock & Roll!!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T18:55:00.004-04:00

Our Lucky Little Leprechaun

Another month has passed

2009-03-15T11:59:00.007-04:00

It is amazing to me how fast the time flies. We have had a very busy month. First, the weather has been crazy. We had 12" of snow and a week later the temperature was 80 degrees. The temperature here has been on a roller coaster ride.

It started to snow on Sunday March 1st and did not quit until Monday. We ended up with about 12" of snow. On Monday morning at 4 a.m., our power went out. We bundled up and waited around the house hoping it would come back on. At around 4 p.m., we loaded up our things and headed to David and Anne's house. They had a house full. Since we live beside Nana, Joseph, and Joe, Nana and Joe were their, too. Joseph stayed with a friend. We had dinner and Michael and I stayed the night. Bill came home to take care of the animals. The power company said at 10 p.m. that our power was back on. However, it was not. It stayed out until Tuesday afternoon. We are very grateful to Anne, David, and the girls for their hospitality. They fed us and gave us a warm place to stay.

Last Sunday, Aunt Carrie surprised us by showing up on our door step. She drove from Charlottesville to visit. We didn't know she was coming until she knocked on the door. It was a short, but good visit. Hopefully, she will come back soon.

This week we broke down and traded Bill's little green truck in for a minivan. The little truck was not the best vehicle for Bill to drive Michael around in. It didn't have a backseat and you could not turn the passenger's side airbag off. Also, my Escape was starting to get very crowded. A lot of times when we go places, it is myself, Michael, Bill, Joe, and Joseph. Joseph is getting taller and taller. With the car seat and the addition of Joe and Joseph to the backseat, there wasn't much room for anyone to move. It was close quarters. We have alleviated these problems. We bought a used 2008 Chrysler Town & Country. It had under 14,000 miles on it. Michael and Joseph both love it.

It looks like posting to this blog may be a monthly thing. I will try to do better, but cannot promise that there will be more.

Chinese New Year Pics

2009-02-15T16:51:00.007-05:00

Michael is doing well. He says more words every day. We do not have a lot new to report. Since the holidays, we have gotten back into our daily routine of work and daycare. We have speech therapy on Mondays. On the weekends, we run our errands and just spend time together. We also bought a membership the the Children’s Museum. Michael really likes going there to play.

There is one question that we are continually asked about Michael. It is, “Is he always this happy?” The answer is always, “Yes.” He is a very happy boy. He loves to laugh, play, dance, etc. One of the few times that I can think of that he is not happy is when he thinks we are not getting his food ready fast enough for him. Have you figured out by now that this boy loves to eat???

Over the past few weeks, we have taken Michael and Joseph to two Chinese New Year celebrations. The first one was at the Children’s Museum on January 31. The second one was on February 7th at Godwin HS. At the second one, they had a parade. Joseph was asked to carry a balloon in the parade.

Below are pictures from the past couple of weeks:

First time ever I saw your face

2009-02-13T12:52:00.010-05:00

A year ago today was the first time we saw a picture of Michael. We reviewed his file and files for a few other children on our agency's Children of Promise list. We made the request to be matched with either of a few different children. We would not know until February 21, 2007 that we were matched with Dang Anwei, our son Michael. Here are pictures from his referral and pictures taken in the last couple of weeks.

Also, I will be updating the blog with updates and pictures from our Chinese New Year celebrations as soon as possible.

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

2009-01-26T20:16:00.006-05:00

Happy Chinese New Year! 2009 is the year of the Ox. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year

To celebrate Chinese New Year, we had Chinese food for dinner. When Bill and Michael stopped to pick it up on their way home from speech therapy, the girl behind the counter asked if Michael was from China. Bill told her that he was. She went in the back and came out with a red envelope. We opened it when he got home. There was a dollar bill in it. Children in China receive red envelopes with lucky money to celebrate the new year. We will be saving it for him and putting it in a scrapbook for when he gets older.

The past few couple of weeks have been busy as usual. For about a week, we had to fill out an accident report at school every other day for Michael. He fell and got rug burn on his forehead. They were playing limbo and another kid fell into him which caused him to fall into a book case. He ended up with a huge goose egg on the side of his head. Finally, he ended up with a scratch under his eye. Besides the injuries at school, he has had many bumps and bruises at home from being fearless and one from the cat. Boys will be boys!

Michael is talking up a storm. There are so many new words that we are having a hard time keeping up. The newest phrase is one we are trying to break him of. We are guessing that he learned it at daycare. When he first said it, we laughed because it was to the cat. Now, he says it to people and we are having to tell him that it is not nice. At first, he said, "O away at." That meant "Go away cat." Now, he is telling other people to "o away." It is hard explaining to a 2 year old that even though he is wants someone to leave him alone it is not nice to tell them to go away.

Michael is also growing very fast as most kids do. His feet are extra wide, so there are only a few places that I can find shoes for him. Plus, they are not the cheapest shoes in the world. On Friday, we went to a store that I buy his shoes at. The mall is an outdoor mall. Since it was a nice evening, we decided to walk around. Michael was in his stroller when we were approached by the elderly mall security guard. Michael had waved and said hi to him, so he talked to Michael. He said hi and told him how cute he was. He proceeded to ask Michael where he got his looks from, his mommy or his daddy. He then said bye and we all went on our way. It was funny because he never looked at us and didn't realize what he had asked. We get a lot of looks and are noticed for our differences. It was nice because he just saw us as another family out for a stroll around the mall.

Here are a couple of pictures:

Trying to fill Baba's shoes

One of his boo-boos

Doing what he loves
Eating and laughing
(see the bandage on his cheek)

Progress

2009-01-10T21:13:00.005-05:00

It is really hard to believe that Michael has been with us for 6 months this coming Wednesday. He is such a happy boy. He loves to do things to make us all laugh. He wants to call Gamma and Papa everyday whether we use the phone or the webcam. He enjoys playing with his cousin Joseph. For now, he likes to help pick up his toys and put away his dirty clothes. He can't wait to take his bath and brush his teeth in the evenings. He loves to give hugs and kisses. He is just the sweetest little boy.

Also, He has made so much progress and has really grown. He has gained 7 lbs and grown 5 inches since we brought him home. He has wowed us and all of the doctors/therapists with his progress. 6 months ago this little boy was living in an orphanage and had never heard a word of English. In no time, he bonded with the two of us which amazed everyone. Also, he understands almost everything that we tell him. He has adjusted to life with us and going to daycare during the week beautifully. He also is eating all table food now. He LOVES to eat.

Over the past two weeks Michael has started saying new words and phrases almost daily. The words are not all perfect or exact, but we can tell what he is saying. Here are the things that he can say right now..... Mama (first word), Baba, hi, hike, hey, bye bye, yea, yay, Papa, Gamma, moo, milk, Manny (he loves the cartoon Handy Manny), home (which is our favorite word), up, out, eat, help, Elmo, baby, ow, woah, hat, ball, hair, car, Erica (one of his teachers), uhoh, more, hi Mama, hi Baba, more milk, uhoh Mama (his first phrase), and come here (he wiggles his finger at you when he says this one). I may be missing some, but we are trying to keep up as much as we can.

He has been through so much and is so resilient. There are days that I look at him and think about how much he has been through in 2 1/2 years and how he has handled it. It is just amazing. He is one of my heroes.

Below are 3 pictures. The first was taken on July 14th. This was the day we got to hold Michael for the first time. The second is from one of his Christmas pictures. The third is from Christmas day.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-07T20:37:00.015-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. On Christmas Day, we woke up and Santa had visited. He brought a lot of toys for Michael and filled all of our stockings with goodies. Michael got really good at ripping the paper off the presents. After the last present, he was giving us the sign for "more." Fortunately, there for one more big present waiting for him outside. We bundled him up and found a yellow Hummer outside our door with a big red bow on it. It has a working radio. he loves driving it and listening to his music.

After opening presents and getting ready, we headed to Bill's family get together. We enjoyed spending time with his family, eating, and chasing Michael around. He has so much energy! Afterwards, we came home and made sure we were packed for our early morning.

The day after Christmas we woke up at 3 a.m. (UGH!) We got ready and made sure our luggage, the car seat and stroller were all by the door. Bill's aunt Anne and his cousins Maggie and Kelly picked us up just before 4 a.m. We headed to the airport where we boarded a plane to Boston. Gamma and Papa met us at the airport. After gathering our luggage, we headed to New Hampshire. We had a big breakfast and then went to the "Shire house" in Rye. We had our second Christmas there. Michael enjoyed pulling bows and name tags off the gifts the most.

We had a great time visiting with Gamma and Papa. While we were there, we enjoyed a heat wave in the 50s that melted the 2 feet of snow they had received the weekend before. We did get to sled before that round of snow melted. Michael did not care for that one bit. We took a trip to Maine where we saw the Bush residence in Kennebunkport. We also went to the HUGE L.L. Bean store and the Cabela's in Maine. That Tuesday we headed to Boston and retrieved Aunt Carrie and Patrick from the airport. From the airport, we went to the New England Aquarium. I think everyone in New England had the same idea. After the aquarium, we had a nice dinner at a restaurant that looks like a ship. I can't remember the name right now. On Wednesday, we were able to enjoy trekking out in the pouring snow and blistering wind. We got 10" of snow that day and night and had wind chill factors of -20. Yep that is right! Negative 20!

New Years Eve was fun. We were able to enjoy our family tradition of having a bunch of tasty munchies and just staying in. It would have been to cold to be out anyway. On New Years Day, we played in the new snow and on Jan. 2nd Bill, Michael, and I flew home.

Now that we are home, we are trying to get back in our routine of going back to work and daycare. It has been a challenge after being on vacation for two weeks.

Enjoy the pictures. Check back in a few days. I should have another update up soon.

After Santa Visited Our House

Opening Presents

Hmmm... how does this thing work?

Cruisin' Along in My Automobile

Dancing to the Music

Riding on the Scooter from Grandpa

Michael & Grandpa

4 Generations of Halls

(Michael, Grandpa, Baba, & Nana)

Papa Pulling Michael on the Sled

Michael Trying to Defy Gravity

Sledding... he did not care for it

Baba Sledding

Gamma Sledding

Kite Boarder.... BRRRRRRR!!!!

Surfer! Can you say crazy!?!?

It might have been 20 degrees out.

The Bush Residence

Kennebunkport, Maine

Silly Face

New England Aquarium

(I love the reflection)

Waving at the Fishies

Jellyfish

Penguins

New Snow

Down the Driveway

Mama Making a Snow Angel

"I can't put my arms down!"

Snow Wrestling

(Carrie & Patrick)

Professional Taste Tester

Playing with Baba

Michael & Papa

Christmas Decor

Prepping for New Year's Eve

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-18T20:06:00.005-05:00

It is not quite Christmas yet. However, Bill and I are so thankful for the gifts we have already received. We have a wonderful family and many wonderful friends near and far. There are no words to show the appreciation we feel for the love and support you have given us this year.

The best gift we received this year was Michael. We are very blessed to have him in our lives. He is such an amazing, loving, and happy little boy. He has a way to bring a smile to your face. It is also really incredible how well he fits in our family. Although our wait was long, it proves that God's timing is perfect.

I will more than likely not be posting until after the New Year. Bill, Michael, and I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Getting ready for Christmas

2008-12-17T20:57:00.004-05:00

The past few weeks we have been doing a lot to get ready for our first Christmas with Michael. We made and decorated gingerbread houses at church. We have also decorated the inside of our house and put our tree up. We decided to put a small tree on a table this year for two reasons. First, we thought it would be safer for our rambunctious little boy. Second, we will be headed to New Hampshire to visit Gamma and Papa after Christmas, so the tree will not take much time to take down when we get home.

This past Saturday we had breakfast with Santa at Michael's day care. We were not sure what Michael would think of the jolly old elf. However, we were pleasantly surprised. We let him approach old St. Nick on his own terms. We put him down and he walked right up to him and held his arms out for Santa to pick him up. He sat on his lap and babbled to him a bit. He made the sign for cookie (his favorite sign). We are guessing that he asked Santa for lots of cookies. Then, he smiled really big for his photo op.

We are really looking forward to Michael's first Christmas with us. Here are a few pictures. Check back in a few days for his Christmas pictures and his picture with Santa.

Our Gingerbread House

Decorating Our Tree

Hanging Ornaments with Baba

"Oooooooo" (said with a high pitched squeal of joy)

A Christmas Kiss for Mama

(no mistletoe required)

Our Tree Before the Finishing Touches

Thanksgiving Trip

2008-12-01T20:12:00.009-05:00

We took Michael to Alabama for a long Thanksgiving week. The Friday before Thanksgiving, we stopped at Karl & Kim's (Bill's cousin) house for a couple of nights. We had a lot of fun with them. Michael really enjoyed playing the banjo with Karl.

We headed to Alabama on Sunday. While in Alabama, Michael got to meet his great grandparents and his many aunts, uncles, and cousins. He also got to meet a few of his Mama's friend from home including his Aunt Gennifer (Mama's lifelong friend).

Michael enjoyed most of his trip, excluding the 12 hour car ride home strapped in a car seat. Who could blame him?? While in Alabama, we successfully weaned him from the bottle. He is now on a diet of "real" (solid) foods. He has not had baby food or the bottle for over a week. YAY!! It is amazing how much this little boy can eat! To say the least, he had a wonderful appetite while we were gone.

Michael also loved riding the tractor, staying up late, and being spoiled rotten.

Here are a few pictures from our trip:

First Thanksgiving

I really like this eating thing.

Riding the tractor with Papa

Driving a tractor is very serious business

Michael's new buddy.... Papaw

Playing the banjo with Karl Michael & Uncle Doyle

Taking Pictures with Aunt Mary

Papaw, Mamaw, Gamma, Papa, Mama, & Michael

(4 generations)

Matt & Michael

Swinging with Uncle Tim & Aunt Mimi

Rainbow, a sick week, and plans

2008-11-13T20:08:00.006-05:00

Just over a week ago I came home and there was a bright rainbow over our house. Bill went inside to get the camera and we took some pictures. We took pictures of both the rainbow, the fall foliage, and Michael.

This past Saturday Michael started getting sick. We ended up taking him to the "doc-in-a-box" because they were the only ones open except for the emergency room. He had a 103 degree temp. They misdiagnosed him with a sinus infection and ear infection. Bill ended up taking our sick little emperor to our family doctor on Monday. Michael was very miserable. He had hand, foot, and mouth disease. The doctor told us not to let him go back to day care until next Monday, so Bill and I have been taking turns staying home with him and trying to get him to eat and drink. As of today, we seem to be on the downhill side of this. Michael is talking, eating, and drinking. These are things he tried not to do for the past few days. Also, as you can tell by the picture, his sense of humor is back, too.

We leave for Alabama soon to see all of our family and friends that we haven't seen in years. We are looking forward to it, but are wondering how Michael will do on an 11 hour car ride. Since he is a seasoned world traveler, we are sure he will do fine.

Here are a few pictures:

Yep! He is feeling better.

The picture says it all.

Playing in the leaves

Down our road

Tree in front of our house

Rainbow over our house

Fall & Halloween

2008-11-02T19:07:00.006-05:00

Over the past week, we have had a lot to do. We carved pumpkins on Thursday night. We took Michael, Joseph, and Joseph's friend Justin trick or treating on Friday night. Michael caught on really fast and really liked people giving him candy. However, some made the mistake of letting him reach in the bowl and take what he wanted. He didn't want to stop. He also tried to go into some people's houses. However, all in all we all had a good time.

We took Michael to a fall carnival at his day care on Saturday. Then, we went to the carnival at church tonight. He had fun at both.

Also, tonight Michael said a new word while we were at church. When he was ready to leave, he said, "home."

Earlier in the week, it was time for Michael to go to bed. I told him to go get his blankie. Bill tried to hand him the blankie he uses in his bed. However, he passed right by Bill and without missing a beat started dragging my Alabama blanket to his room which is a big chore for a little boy. He has been sleeping with it ever since.

Here are a few pictures from this week:

I love fall!

Our little monster

Isn't he adorable?!?

Our jack-o-lantern

Playing at the church carnival

What have they done to me??

Roll Tide to all and to all a goodnight!

2008-10-26T20:00:00.006-04:00

There isn't a whole lot to update you with. I have started back to work full time and Michael is in day care. He seems to really like it. His teachers are very happy with how fast he has caught on to everything. He is also getting used to me dropping him off in the morning. This week he didn't cry and he waved good bye when I left. One day, he even pointed his finger towards the door as to say, "You go now!"

Last weekend, Michael and I both had colds so we stayed inside most of the time. Bill now is recovering from the same stuff we had. Yesterday, we had pajama day and didn't leave the house. We watched a lot of football. I am very happy that my team is still undefeated! Roll Tide Roll!

We are in the process of weaning Michael from the bottle. He has started to self feed using a spoon. Since he had his surgery, he has learned how to suck. He had no suction before because of his cleft. Now, he is able to use a regular sippy cup. He has started to eat more solid foods and is more open to trying new foods. I think day care has really helped Michael with these things.

I am posting a few pictures. They are of him just after church today and the others are of him eating mashed potatoes. As you can tell, he loves them!

Gamma rattles on...

2008-10-09T12:14:00.022-04:00

The week of Sept. 28 th Felice had to return to work...half days the first week..so given the excuse that Michael's surgeon had not yet released him to start to Day Care the Gamma asked the Papa if he thought he could do his own cooking,washing & cleaning and oh, by the way could he also tend to the cats for around 2 weeks... Papa agreed that the Gamma could venture south, back into the land of warmth, for awhile and take on the ever so big burden of tending ( hugging, kissing, feeding, rocking, dancing with, hiding with, laughing with, & plain just loving on) Michael..YEAH!!! So , the bags were packed, the puppy bed loaded up..and Gamma and Chloe headed south, across Mass.,Conn, through NYC, across the New Jersey Turnpike, across the Delaware River bridge..(makes you wonder why George Washington stood in that tiny boat ) ,through the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, though our great capital..Washington, D.C. and finally into Virginia...all just to get to Michael!

Started out Mama (a.k.a.Felice) was still a little sick and had to return to the doctor for her own follow up on Monday..she had blood drawn and was on the receiving end of yet another shot of antibiotics...Bless her heart! We accompanied her to lend our moral support..Michael and I did a very good job...we looked at everything in their office..(almost) touched most of it and played demolition derby with a mayo stand and the walls of the exam room..when that seemed to be getting on Mamas nerve..we decided that the roll of paper under the bed..(stretcher) would make great art paper and worked on our penmanship for a short time...

Tuesday, Mama went back to work and after breakfast, a short round of "Sesame Street" ,Michael and Gamma went to the church and played on the playground...Michael loves to swing!

Thursday, "Mama" and I accompanied Michael to see Dr. Rhodes, @ VCU, for his post-op follow up..She was very tickled with our young gentleman ,as was everyone that he shared his winning smile with.Michael was given the "go ahead" to eat whatever he wants..and permission to start attending "school" ..now, if we could just get him to "want" more than his bottle and BANANA PUDDING....(just between you and me...I think he could be very close to turning into a "banana pudding cup"! Ha!!)

For a family outing Baba (a.k.a. Bill), Mama , Michael and I went to the "Chesterfield Berry Farm" ..There were all kind of things for the children to play on..Michael's favorite turned out to be a long train compiled of 50 gal. drums turned sideways, with wheels attached and hooked behind a tractor...he rode this 2 times..I believe he would have stayed all day , given the chance..most of the other things like the "bouncy" rooms..where not to his liking at this time..he will more than likely enjoy them next year...They had animals to look at and feed..he liked the rabbits ..however the big old tom turkey caused him some concern he was watching it very closely when it picked the most opportune time to let loose with a very LOUD "gobble,gobble"..Michael, swiftly became his mamas third leg, no, old Tom was definitely not a favorite.... A large sippy cup of pumpkin milk shake seemed to smooth over any traumatic turkey business..

Young Joseph comes over to play and it tickles Michael to death! He loves playing cars and ball with him!! What a neat guy to have as a Big cousin and just next door!

With his doctors say so Monday morning Michael was up,dressed and fed before the crack of dawn! And off for his first day at school!..I was lonesome..no young fellow to kiss on and sing to..however, the Gamma had instructions to check him out at 10:00..(hey, that's long enough for anybody on their first day!) It was reported that Michael had fun playing with the other children..but wanted nothing to do with their food...actually threw some rice at his teacher..(don't worry each day has gotten better)I picked him up & off we went to visit Aunt Carrie in Charlottesville on her day off..What a day we had!! First to the apple orchard ..where a wagon ride was had..and a sippy cup of apple cider slushy! YUM! Then to the "swirly" park ,afterwards to eat at the "Nook"..4 little slivers of carrot , 2 tiny nibbles of grilled cheese and maybe a bite of french fries..and a whole sippy cup of milk...he was a very big flirt with his Aunt Carrie... blowing kisses and waving...We had a wonderful time! Thanks Aunt Carrie!

School came around again the next day and each day he has stayed longer and is doing better... he has found out he also likes graham crackers..and there has been no more food throwing...that we know of..His Cousin Maggie works at his school and has helped keep a check on him..he tries to leave with her....he even takes his nap on a mat without bars..imagine that!

Papa is flying in to spend the week-end . Sunday, Chloe , the Gamma and the Papa will return to the "shire" and watch the blog and listen out for the web cam and telephone in case the "little emperor wishes to call..

I guess this old Gamma has rattled way to long and now for the pictures....I hope you enjoy them 1/2 as much as I do...I could not decide which ones to leave out..so I put most of them in...

Oh, Boy..Banana Pudding!!!

Gamma & Aunt Mary say I am a true southerner.. 'cause I "LOVE" banana pudding

Aawh..all gone...

Chesterfield Berry Farm

A big red bucket with a seat belt...?
I have a steering wheel..
It's a train!!! This train driving is very "serious business" I like trains!!! Look...Baba..they have animals!
"My Buddy...My Baba"

I love it when Joseph comes over to play!!

Who is cute in their Elmo house shoes?
I like playing crash cars with Joseph
It makes me laugh & laugh!!

When the air is crisp and the leaves are just starting to change..you can smell the faint smell of a neighbors grill...and in the afternoon just before the sun goes down..Baba & Uncle Joe get home from work, Joseph joins them in the yard and I don't think my Mama can get my shoes on me fast enough because I can tell our male minds , young and old, are in tune with one another...and just like a urgent whisper in our ears we can all hear the thought...
FOOTBALL!!!!

"HIKE"

I am playing with the big boys now! Touchdown!! And football would not be complete without

the Saturday SEC games on t.v.

The Crimson Tide rolling over the Georgia Bulldogs..
And Gamma dresses me to root for
The Auburn Tigers!!! A growing boy needs a good breakfast
before his first day of school... "Hey, Mama did you realize its still dark out here?"

"What do you mean?
I have to hang up my coat and you are leaving!"

Aunt Carrie

& the "swirly park"

now thats fun!

Aunt Carrie and Gamma

took me to the apple orchard

by Monticello I really liked the wagon!! "Bye now!"

Recovery

2008-09-24T12:07:00.005-04:00

Michael had surgery for his cleft palate last Thursday. He is recovering well. He hated the hospital (who doesn't?) and would not drink for them. We almost had to stay a second night. However, we consulted with the surgeon and all decided that he would probably do better at home. We arrived home on Friday night at 9 p.m. On Saturday, Michael started drinking like he needed to.

The surgeon did tell us a cute story. Michael was given some goofy juice. Then he drove to the operating room in a car that looked like an alligator. After Michael "drove" into the operating room, they were getting him out of the car and he stood up on the seat. While he was standing there, he danced and shook his booty for them. She said it was really funny and that everyone was laughing.

It has been almost a week now and Michael is back to his old self. He is giggling, playing peek-a-boo, kissing, hugging, and dancing.

Here are pictures from before and after the surgery:

Waiting for surgery with Baba
Waiting with Mama
His ride to the operating room
After surgery
Watching cartoons in the wagon Two days post-op
End of day two
Three days post-op

Beach, New Hampshire, and Surgery

2008-09-15T20:49:00.006-04:00

After leaving our beach vacation in NH, things have been a little hectic. Last Tuesday, Michael and I flew to NH to visit Gamma and Papa for a few days. We left Baba on his own for the first time since we returned home from China. If anyone was wondering, he did survive without us with a little help from Joe, Joseph, and a few video games.

Michael and I had a great trip to New Hampshire. We did a little site seeing, visited Papa on the job, and did a little shopping. Mama, Gamma, and Papa all got their daily exercise keeping Michael from falling down and up the many stairs in the house that baby gates would not fit in. Michael and I returned home on Saturday.

Today, we went to the pre-op appointment with Michael's surgeon. He will have surgery on Thursday. The surgery is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. We have to be there early for them to get him ready. He will be in the hospital overnight for observation and we will return home on Friday. I will try to update the blog as soon as I can when we get home.

Here are some pictures from the beach and New Hampshire:

I win!

Ferry Ride

All dressed up for a day in town

Riding the horsie

Thanks Uncle Chris and Aunt Brina!

Sitting in Papa's chair

Sitting with Papa

Just hanging out

Chalk! Amazing!

Just another day at the office

Papa and Michael ready for work

Michael and Mama at the beach in NH

Baba, we will be home soon

Headed home to see Baba

Hurricane Hannah

2008-09-04T21:50:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, we are vacationing in NC on the Outer Banks. Since Hannah is headed our way, we are cutting our vacation short by one day and heading home tomorrow. We just wanted to let everyone know that we will be safely away from here before Hannah arrives.

Roll Tide!

2008-08-31T18:49:00.004-04:00

We also watched the football game last night. Hopefully, Alabama will be a force to be reckoned with this year. They are off to a great start.

Aunt Carrie says that this hat make Michael look like Papaw, so we have dubbed it his Papaw hat.

Here are pictures of our little Tide fan:

Future Star of the Crimson Tide

We are thinking offensive lineman.

Roll Tide Roll!!

First Beach Trip

2008-08-31T18:05:00.010-04:00

We left the house yesterday morning bright and early to head to the beach for a week. After a short stop at Bill's uncle Rodger and aunt Hope's house, we were on our way. Michael did very well on the trip. He slept 2 hours and was awake and happy the rest of the time.

We went to the beach this morning and stayed there until Michael's nap time. He did not care for the waves, the water, or the sand. He loved playing in his beach cabana. He also enjoyed playing with his toys in the sand, but would not move anywhere. He stayed in the exact spot we put him down.

Here are some pictures from the past two days:

Here Mama. Have a cookie.

Just kidding. I will eat it for you.

First Time at the Beach

Ready to Ride

A Laid Back Week

2008-08-28T14:47:00.017-04:00

We have had a pretty laid back week, so there is not too much to report. Saturday we took Michael and our nephew Joseph to the county fair. It was a lot of fun. Here are a few pictures from the past week.

We are leaving for the beach on Saturday. I am not sure if we will be able to access the internet. If we do, I will try to post while we are there. If not, I will post when we get home.

Enjoy the pictures!

Our Little Reader

Enjoying another good book

Give me a kiss!

Who can resist those lips?

Relaxing in his chair with his froggy blankie

Feeding the baby goats

Feeding the Llama

Getting a good look

Looking at the turtle

Driving the tractor

Faster Joseph! Faster!

Playing in the corn

This fair stuff is tiring!

First taste of lemonade.... need we say more??

We went home after the fair. Michael went into his room and got very quiet. I must have left the laundry basket in his room. We went in there and this is what we found.

For Papaw

2008-08-21T22:17:00.011-04:00

You know that you have waited way to long to post pictures or an update to your blog when Papaw says that you need to get on the ball and post more pictures. Other people have also been asking about new pictures. Here is the update with more photos of our little emperor.

We have had a good week. We did not have any appointments with doctors this week. This was very nice for both me and Michael. The surgeon has scheduled Michael's surgery to repair his palate for September 18. They will also put tubes in his ears at that time. He will stay in the hospital overnight and will come home on the 19th.

Michael is trying a few more foods here and there. Most of it ends up on him or on the floor. He has actually eaten (and not spit out) a little apple sauce, a few green peas, a couple of goldfish crackers, a few pieces of cereal, and a little bit of Alfredo sauce. He likes to lick popsicles and thinks it is funny because they are so cold. Sometimes, we take the tactic of smearing something on his lips to get him to taste it, but you have to be very stealthy to do this. A couple of the pictures are of him eating. If you look closely at the one with apple sauce, you can see it above and under his right eye, on top of his head, etc.

The other pictures are from the last week. We bought him a couch of his own with the Backyardigans on it. The pictures do not do justice the look on his face and the happiness that he expressed when he saw it. Also, Gamma and I took him to the park and to one of the malls that has a fountain that the kids can play in. He wasn't quite sure about it at first, but seemed to enjoy it after Gamma got her feet wet with him.

Doctors, doctors, and more doctors

2008-08-09T20:49:00.007-04:00

We have been very busy since I last updated the blog. We had our home visit with our social worker. We went to the church softball tournament. Then, there have been the appointments with doctors. Then, we took Michael to the petting zoo and wildlife exhibit at Maymont.

We met with the reconstructive surgery team at VCU who will be working with Michael on Monday. He was seen by an audiologist, an ENT, a speech therapist, a psychologist, the plastic surgeon, orthodontists, and a pediatric dentist. Fortunately, it was all in one clinic. After they all assessed him and the other children at the clinic, they came together and discussed each case. We were able to wait until after they met and discuss Michael's plan of care with the clinic coordinator and the surgeon.

The team was very impressed with how well Michael had done in just a few short weeks. He has bonded to us very well. Also, they said he was the healthiest child that they had ever seen from China with his degree of cleft palate. They usually wait 6 months to do the surgery. However, since he is doing so well, it should be a lot sooner.

Michael has fluid in his ears, which is normal for children with a cleft palate. During the surgery, they will also put tubes in his ears. However, we have a lot of appointments to go to before he will be scheduled for surgery. Before surgery can be scheduled, he needs to have a genetic evaluation, see the pediatric dentist, go to the ENT, and be seen by the international adoption pediatrician.

We were able to have his genetics evaluation on Friday. They believe that his cleft is not genetic and is just a birth defect from poor prenatal care. This is very good news.

We have 3 appointments with doctors this week. Then, we hope to find out when surgery can be scheduled.

Also, Bill went back to work 1/2 days this week. Michael did wonderfully. Hopefully, he will do just as well this week when Bill goes back to full days.

Michael enjoys playing with his toys, pots, spoons, sidewalk chalk, etc. He has decided that he really likes to Go! He now waves bye bye and pulls us to the door even when we are not going anywhere and gets a little upset when we say no. Today, he brought me his hat and sunglasses at separate times. He thought that this would change my mind.

We have figured out that Michael never stepped foot in the grass until we brought him home. He would rather be on the sidewalk than in the grass if possible. He just does not care for that green stuff.

Below are pictures from the past week and a half. The pictures were taken by Bill, our friend Gina, and my mom.

Week 1

2008-07-29T21:17:00.015-04:00

We have been home one week. I am sorry that we haven't posted a real update until now, but our internet was out until today.

We returned home on July 23rd. It took us over 30 hours in airports and on 3 airplanes to get to Richmond. Michael did well. He slept 9 hours on the plane from Beijing to Chicago. We spent those 9 hours keeping the wiggle worm from falling off the seats. It took us approximately 2 hours to get through Immigration and Customs in Chicago. We made it onto our Richmond bound plane with about 5 minutes to spare. We were bound and determined to make that flight. When we arrived in Richmond, we found out that we made the flight, but our luggage did not. United would have to deliver it to our house the next day. We thought they meant at a reasonable hour the next morning. They called us from our driveway at 4 a.m. to tell us they were delivering our bags. At least, all of the bags showed up and were not damaged.

We are all doing well and are pretty much over the jet lag and time difference. Michael is sleeping about 11 hours a night. He still will only take the bottle. We have been mixing his formula with rice cereal and baby food. We also found liquid vitamins that we can put in with his food, so that we know he is getting all the nutrients he needs.

Since we have been home, he has met many of his new family members. He loves to play with them all. He is such a smart, sweet, and loving boy. He has such a great sense of humor and keeps us laughing all day long.

Here are a few pictures from the last week:

2/3 of our welcoming committee

(Mom is taking the picture)

No more airplanes!!! YAY!

Can you tell I am glad to be home??

Exploring his room

"Riding the Horsie"

Learning to Color with Aunt Carrie

Meeting Chloe

Reading the Menu

Deciding to stick with the bottle

First successful (tearless) bath time!

Just hanging out

Our future golfer

Home!

2008-07-25T14:24:00.003-04:00

We have been home since Wednesday night. I am sorry that we have not been able to post until now. We came home to find that our internet is down. A technician is coming out on Monday to fix it. We are all tired, but doing well. We are now sitting in a WiFi hotspot having lunch, so I am going to keep it short. We will write more when our internet is back up.

Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts.

Bill, Felice, and Michael

Our last free day...

2008-07-21T09:07:00.008-04:00

Today, we stayed around the hotel and relaxed. This morning after a late breakfast, we took a walk to the park. While we were there, we found Starbuck's. Bill had a cup of coffee and I tried the Peach Pomegranate Tea. We left Starbuck's and headed back to the hotel. We had to be in our room around noon to see if there were any problems with Michael's visa application. If there were problems or questions, we would have a message on the phone in our room. We put Michael down for a nap and stayed in the room until around 2 p.m. We did not get a message, so the paperwork must be fine. YAY!

After Michael's nap, we headed to the pool. He has so much fun in the baby pool. He "swims" from Mama to Baba and just giggles. However, he lets you know when he is ready to go. He starts to climb out of the pool. After finishing our time in the pool, we went back to the room and changed. We had dinner in our hotel. Then, we headed out for a little more shopping and dessert. There is a little shop right off the hotel that has the best cakes. They have small pieces for just under $3. They are delicious.

We brought the cakes back up to the room. We put Michael to bed and started packing.

Tomorrow is a full day. We have pictures at 10 a.m. and go to the consulate in the afternoon to take an oath for Michael's visa. Our bags have to be packed by 9 p.m. We leave the hotel Wednesday at 5 a.m. and head home. We do not look forward to the trip home (over 24 hours on planes and in airports), but cannot wait to get there.

This may be our last post from China. I am not sure how much time we will have tomorrow. We will make sure to let everyone know that we arrived home safely.

The pictures below are of Michael and from around our hotel. One is of a couple having wedding picture made. We have seen many couples getting their pictures made here.

Michael likes to pretend he is drinking our soda.

This little girl was blowing Michael kisses.

Yep, we are going to have to lock him up until he is 40!

Taking a break at Starbuck's

Hanging out after our pool time.

Playing with his reflection

What day is it?

2008-07-20T09:17:00.013-04:00

We are officially losing track of our days. We have to look at our watches every now and then to remember what day it is. However, it is now Sunday evening in Guangzhou, and we have had a full couple of days.

Yesterday (Saturday) was a long day for us. Michael woke up around 7 a.m. We got ready and went to breakfast. It was the best breakfast we have had since we have been here. They actually had foods we were used to.... no more noodles and rice for breakfast for us! YAY!! After breakfast, we met our guide Shiyan and the other 16 families in our group. We all headed for the clinic to have the kids medical check ups. Let me tell you. That was fun! Can you hear the sarcasm in that statement. Each kid had to go to three stations. Our first one was the ENT. Michael does not like anyone messing with his ears or mouth. Our second one was height, weight, and temperature. Michael is about 32" tall and weighs about 30 pounds. Last, we went to where they checked his breathing, heart sounds, tummy, etc. He checked out fine and is very healthy.

After the medical exam, we headed back to the hotel. At 1 p.m., I went to do paperwork for Michael's visa while Bill and Michael stayed in the room. I expected Michael to take a nap while I was gone, but that didn't happen. Actually, he did not take a nap all day long. We tried to make him tired. We took him to the play room two times. He went for his first swim in the pool. Nothing worked. At 10 p.m., we finally put him in the crib and turned out all the lights. He fell asleep within 10 minutes. We were not far behind.

Today was a free day. Bill and Michael stayed at the hotel. A group of us hired a shopping guide for the day. She was wonderful. We shopped until we dropped. She was able to get us wonderful deals. I bought jade, pearls, clothes, toys, embroidery, chess sets, mahjong sets, etc. There are still a few more things that I want to buy here, but I think most of my shopping is done.

Tomorrow is another free day. I am not sure what we will do yet. Bill has a bad cold. Hopefully, he will feel better in the morning.

Here are a few select pictures from the past couple of days. I just downloaded about 1,000. Therefore, it is really hard to pick just a few out. Also, there are a few that our friend Gayle took for us, too. Thanks Gayle!

Enjoy!

Ready for my first airplane ride.

Don't let me fool you. This didn't last long.
We finally found the sun.

Waiting room for the medical exams.

More of the waiting room and down the hall.

You want me to do what?
I really do not like this. I don't care for this either.
Are we done yet?
Finally! All done!

Statue in the Park

Another statue

In the play room

Having fun!

Am I cute or what?

Watching the fishies
Waterfall in the White Swan

Boy, do I like the playroom!

First trip to the poolTrying to figure this out

I do like this!

We are in Guangzhou

2008-07-18T10:16:00.003-04:00

We had a full day today. Bill and I woke up around 6:30 a.m. Michael slept until around 7 a.m. He slept almost 11 hours last night. After making sure everything was packed, we headed down for breakfast. We checked out of our hotel around 9:30 a.m. and were on the bus at 10:00.

We headed to the Shanxi provincial museum where we spent about 90 minutes. Shanxi has the oldest history of any province in China. The museum was very interesting. We were surprised that Michael did so well. As long as he is being pushed around in his stroller, he is content.

After leaving the museum, we headed to the airport. Michael took his first airplane ride. He did very well considering that he missed his morning nap and only slept for 30 minutes on the plane until turbulence woke him up. When we arrived in Guangzhou, the hotel bus was waiting for us. We finally arrived at the hotel at 6:30 p.m.

After a trip to the 7-11 across the street, we headed to Lucy's for dinner and then back to the hotel. We finally got Michael to sleep. Now, it is bed time for us.

I will try to post more pictures tomorrow, if our schedule allows.

Oh.... there is one more thing. Michael said the first word we could understand today. It was "Mama." This surprised me because he is such a daddy's boy. Everyone on our bus headed toward the hotel heard him. We all clapped and made a big deal about it. He said it a second time. Then, that was it for the talking. He had more important things to do, like sightsee from the bus window. This little boy is such a people watcher.

Good night from the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou.

Last Day in Taiyuan

2008-07-17T09:18:00.004-04:00

Today was our last full day in Taiyuan. We toured the Double Pagoda Temple and found out that we will tour the Shanxi provincial museum tomorrow before we fly to Guangzhou.

I found the Double Pagoda Temple to be a contrast to the rest of Taiyuan. Taiyuan is a very polluted and crowded city. Here in the middle of this city the temple and the land that surrounds it. It was built in 1608 in the Ming Dynasty. Even though it was drizzling, it was very beautiful.

After returning to the hotel, we put Michael down for a nap. He slept about 2 1/2 hours, which meant he didn't go down for his afternoon nap. He did very well considering he was very tired this evening. He has really started to show his personality today. He giggled and threw the ball. He climbed around on the bed and played in the floor. He took Bill for a walk up and down the hall. He is such a sweet, smart, and silly boy.

Our guide/translator Jerome met us this afternoon. He delivered all of the adoption paper work from the notary and Michael's passport. Now we can fly to our next destination.

We have been packing tonight. We have to check out of the hotel in the morning. After we go to the provincial museum, we will fly to Guangzhou. This is where we do the paperwork to get Michael's visa, so that he can enter the U.S. with us. Our flight time has changed a few times, so we are not sure exactly when we will get to Guangzhou. We also have a few busy days ahead of us. We may not post anything tomorrow, but will put something on here as soon as we can.

The pictures are from the park we went to yesterday and the temple today.

Looking across the lake at the park

The little emperor in his new stroller

He loves it and so do Baba's arms!

Fountain in the Park

Flowers in the park

Rocks in the park

Statue at the temple

Double Pagodas

Just past the entrance way

Free Day

2008-07-16T09:15:00.003-04:00

Today was one of our free days. Our group went to the local Wal-mart Supercenter to get a few things we needed. Our number one item was a stroller to use until we get home. We were able to find one that was not too expensive. The Wal-mart here is much different than the ones at home. They have large appliances like refrigerators. They have many more small appliances. They have makeup counters like a large department store. Then, there was the meat market. There were some very interesting items laying out and hanging up, like chicken feet and other unknown things that you just had to guess at.

After Wal-mart, we came back to the hotel and it was nap time again. Michael takes a nap around 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Bill decided to put the stroller together while Michael was sleeping. That was an adventure in itself. The directions were written in Chinese and there were not many pictures. He finally figured it out on his own. When Michael woke up, we decided to try the stroller out and headed for the park. We prayed that Bill put it together right and that it didn't fall apart with Michael in it. Michael loves the stroller! He loves to get out of the hotel and just be outside. He is also a people watcher. He is very observant and just takes in everything.

The park was very nice. There were beautiful rock formations, a lake, an aquarium, flowers, and trees everywhere.

At the park, at Wal-mart, and pretty much any time we go out, we get stared at. We also have groups of people crowd around us. I think we have had about 10 or more people around us at a time. They look at Michael, look at us, and start speaking in Chinese. Michael's lip repair was done so well that they cannot tell that he has a cleft (especially when he has a bottle in his mouth) and wonder why we are walking around with him. Yesterday, we had a man dart up to us on the sidewalk from a sitting position. Bill thought that he was going to try to take Michael from him. It can be a little nerve wracking when you don't speak the language and are not sure what someone is saying. Fortunately, I have cards written in Chinese that explain we are adopting Michael and why. Everyone is very happy after they read the card. We did have a crowd come around us at the park today a few times. There was this one older gentleman who read our card. After he read it, he had a big smile on his face and said, "He call you mama and you baba." We nodded yes. As we walked away, he gave us a big thumbs up. Most people are just curious.

We head to the Double Pagoda Temple and the Shanxi provincial museum tomorrow.

I haven't had time to download the pictures today. I will try to post some tomorrow.

Officially Ours

2008-07-15T03:08:00.018-04:00

I am having some troubles with getting the paragraphs to separate today. I am sorry if it is a little harder to read. I will try to fix this later.

Today, we signed the documents that make Michael officially ours. Michael's nannies and orphanage director were there today, too. From Michael's body language, he looked confused. It looked like he thought he may be going back with them. They wanted to hold him. Michael was very hesitant to go to them, but did. You can tell that they love him very much. They doted on him the whole time they were there. When the orphanage director was holding him, he raised his arms to Bill and wanted him to hold him instead. This was a very good sign that he is bonding well with us.

We found out today that we will not be able to visit his orphanage. From what we can understand, the government did not want us to. This is okay with us. We had decided that if we were able to go that only one of us would visit and the other would stay with Michael at the hotel. We just think it would have been very hard on him and would have been very confusing.

The rest of our time in Taiyuan will be free days with a couple of tours built in. We have to wait until Friday to receive Michael's passport before we can travel to Guangzhou to get his visa.

We will be making a trip to Wal-mart at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Bill and I have decided a small stroller is necessary. He plays with both of us, but loves Baba to carry him. However, a 31 pound baby gets very heavy. We have a great carrier that he fits in, but right now it is so hot and humid that it is much cooler just to carry him without the extra material.

Here are a few pictures from today.

Signing the adoption papers

Bill signing papers (on the right is Jerome our translator and guide)

Playing with Melia's headband

He does let me hold him some.

Hanging out on Baba's shoulders

What a long morning

Time for my afternoon nap

Michael's first laughs

2008-07-14T16:39:00.003-04:00

It is just past 4 a.m. in the morning here, but I am awake. Bill and Michael are both sound asleep.

After waking up from about a 1 hour nap, Michael was a happy baby. We will see how he wakes up today.

Here is a video of the first laughs we got out of him. It was a little dark in the room, but hopefully you can see it.

We have Michael!!

2008-07-14T06:22:00.008-04:00

We flew to Taiyuan, Shanxi today. It was about a 1 hour flight from Beijing. Our guide Jerome took our group to get our kids at 2:30. We arrived at the local social welfare institute around 3:00. When the elevator door opened, there was Michael, his nannies, the orphanage director, and another little girl from his orphanage. By the end of our time there, we had Michael smiling. He likes to play with Baba's beard. (That is my favorite picture so far.) They gave us a lot of pictures in an album and answered all of our questions about him. He must have healthy bones. He drinks milk 5 times a day!

We returned to the hotel. After being here for about 20 minutes, I think it really hit Michael that he was staying here with us. He started crying. He cried for about an hour until he fell asleep. I am going to post a few pictures from today while Bill is laying on the bed with Michael.

First Picture with Baba

First Picture with Mama

First Family Picture

He held onto that truck the whole time.

Playing with Baba's Beard

Us with Michael, his nanny, and the orphanage director

Pictures of the Day

2008-07-13T04:02:00.011-04:00

Tonight is our last night in Beijing. The bellboys are coming to get our bags around 9 p.m. this evening, because there is not enough room for all of our bags on the bus we will take to the airport. We will be leaving the hotel at 5 a.m. in the morning. Then, we will fly to Taiyuan, Shanxi. We will get Michael tomorrow afternoon!!

Today, we toured the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and took a rickshaw ride through the Hutongs. You just do not realize how big the first two are until you walk the whole length of them. There will lots and lots of people. It was also very hot and humid. While in the Hutongs, we visited a local families home.

We are exhausted from our day, so I will just post some of our favorite pictures.

We hope to have a good internet connection when we arrive in Taiyuan. Hopefully, the next message you see with contain pictures of Michael. Also, we do not know how many pictures or how long of a message we will be posting from now on. It will just depend on how Michael is doing.

Gas Prices in China

2008-07-12T09:18:00.004-04:00

The picture is a little blurry, but you know gas prices are high when you can't even tell what they are!

The Cloissone Factory and the Great Wall

2008-07-12T06:51:00.014-04:00

When I woke up today, I felt much better and my temperature was gone. The antibiotics must have kicked in.

It was a very busy day. First, we went to the Cloisonne Factory. It was very interesting to see how they made these beautiful vases, plates, pieces of jewelry, etc. To read more about cloisonne, click on this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloisonne. There is a huge store at the factory. While we were there, we bought a beautiful vase, a dragon figurine, and other souvenirs and gifts.

After visiting the Cloisonne Factory, we headed to the Badaling portion of the Great Wall. Our guide Joy told us that the word "Ba" means eight. Badaling means giving access in all directions. This is the most visited site along the Wall. It was very crowded. However, to say that it was amazing is an understatement. We rode the cable car up to the wall, walked around, and and rode the cable car back down. As you can see in the pictures, the Badaling section of the wall is the steepest section there is. I am also including a picture of what footwear not to wear while hiking on the Great Wall. There were actually women walking around the wall in high heels!

I have found out that a large group of Americans turns into the main attraction almost everywhere we go. Today, we had more people ask to have there picture taken with us. We even had people trying to take a picture with us in the background thinking that we did not notice. It is kind of humorous.

After touring the Wall, we went to a restaurant at the Dragonland Superior Jade Gallery. The food was pretty good. Of course, there was time for shopping afterward. We only bought one thing here and may have bought more had one of the ladies working there not followed us around the entire store. Every time we passed something she pointed it out and tried to get us to buy it.

We are now back in our hotel and are exhausted. We have to be in the hotel lobby tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. to head to the Forbidden City and other sites. It is hard to believe that we will have Michael in less than 48 hours.

Enjoy the pictures. Bill took over 500 today! We will post more tomorrow.

Happy Birthday!

2008-07-11T03:43:00.003-04:00

A few minutes ago our doorbell rang. Yes, our hotel room has a doorbell. A very nice lady who works for the hotel walked in with a birthday cake. At this point, it is a mystery as to who sent it. However, I would like to say thank you!

Birthday, orientation, and more

2008-07-11T00:16:00.004-04:00

Last night, we went to see "The Legend of Kung Fu" at the Red Theatre. It was an amazing show. They did not allow photography, so we do not have any new pictures to post.

I have been a little under the weather with a temperature for the past 24 hours. I emailed the doctor at the international adoption clinic and she told me to start taking the antibiotic that I brought with us. I need to make sure to stay healthy and not give anything to either Bill or Michael.

Also, today is my 33rd birthday. I think it will be one that I never forget. In 3 days, Bill and I will be first time parents. It is amazing to think how long we have waited and that it will soon be a reality.

We had our orientation this morning and met the rest of our travel group. Everyone is so nice. We got to meet the Swanson's and the Robertson's. They will be with us the entire trip. We have all hit it off wonderfully. We are glad that we are not traveling alone to Shanxi.

Tonight, we will be going to an acrobatic show and then to a late dinner. Tomorrow, we head off to the Great Wall and the Cloisonne Factory. Hopefully, we will have more pictures to post then.

Slow Day

2008-07-10T02:20:00.008-04:00

Today, we decided to hang out at the hotel and relax. The rest of our travel group will arrive this afternoon. We are headed to a Kung Fu show this evening, so we may not see them until tomorrow morning at orientation. Tomorrow we have orientation and go to an acrobatic show.

I decided to post a few random pictures of the past few days. One is of our room at the hotel. They told us they upgraded us to a suite. However, it is more like a regular hotel room in the U.S. The second one the view out our hotel window. You can see how much smog there is in Beijing. The third is of the national bird of China, the crane. We have seen this one all over Beijing. The fourth is of a building that just interested both of us. For everyone in the irrigation world, I am posting the fifth picture. It is a picture we took at the Summer Palace. We think it is the frame of what is going to be an elephant topiary. If you look very closely, there is drip tubing providing irrigation to it. The other pictures are just random pictures we took of everyday activities here in China.

Tourists to Rock Stars

2008-07-09T03:21:00.021-04:00

Today, we decided to visit the Summer Palace and the Olympic areas of Beijing. It was warm and VERY humid. We started with an pretty calm taxi ride to the Summer Palace, except for that one intersection that I kept my eyes closed through. I have been doing a lot of that in the taxi rides. I keep my eyes closed and pray that we get to our destination. The driver did pull over at the Olympic Stadium and motion to Bill to take a picture. Although we did not know it, this would be very helpful later in the day.

When we arrived at the Summer Palace, it was crowded. It must be one of the biggest attractions in Beijing. I can only relate the crowd to a very crowded day at Disney World. Summer Palace was built in 1750 B.C. by Emperor Qianlong to celebrate his mother's birthday. It was originally named Garden of Clear Ripples and later was used by emperors and empresses for leisure. It is located on 290 hectares, which is just over 716 acres of land and many, many steps. (I think we were in training for our climb up the Great Wall today!) We stayed for hours and may have seen half of the site. During our touring, we had a few Chinese people ask to have their pictures taken with us. They returned the favor by letting us take their picture. Throughout the day, we were very popular.

After leaving the Summer Palace, we flagged down a taxi. We hopped in and told him that we would like to go to the Olympic stadium area. He did not speak English and we do not speak Chinese so there was a bit of a language barrier. I had Bill pull out the camera. He found the picture we had taken on the way to the Summer Palace. He showed the driver. The driver pointed, smiled, and nodded. Thank goodness for that picture!

When we got to the Olympic park, you could not get very close. There were very tall fence and guards. Some of the fences were even electrified. We did get some pictures of the stadium, the aquatic center, and the Olympic village. Here we also had multiple people ask to have their picture taken with us. It actually was a lot of fun. They have all been very nice.

When we left the Olympic Stadium, we flagged down another taxi. This time we gave him the card for the hotel. He looked a little confused and drove on. At one time, he pulled over next to a KFC and started making phone calls. Bill thought he was going to get lunch. However, I could tell he was confused. I was afraid he was going to tell us to flag down another taxi. It seems that he called the hotel for directions. Soon, we were off again and made it to the hotel.

After resting a bit at the hotel, we decided to try a Peking duck restaurant. We went to one not too far from the hotel called Quanjude Peking Duck. The service and food were very good. We had yet another language barrier. However, the menus had pictures and English translations. We just pointed at what we wanted. Then, ordered our drinks. Fortunately, Coke is a universal word and I had learned the Chinese word for beer. They brought our food to the table and sliced the duck as we watched. Then, one of the waitresses showed us how to prepare the duck in the little thin pancakes. They were very tasty. However, we must have looked helpless or hopeless one. They kept coming back and preparing our food for us and putting it on the plate. We didn't see them do that for anyone else. We did get a good laugh about it. We were using the chopsticks well, so we thought. Hmmmm..... maybe not.

Another thing that we have noticed is that we really stand out in the crowd. We have seen very few foreigners here. We get funny looks, stares, double takes, but we enjoy it. We just smile and say, "Ni Hao" which is Chinese for hello. Most people smile and some look shocked. I have found a smile and a nod of the head works, too. We have just decided that we are rock stars and make the most of it.

We took almost 300 pictures again today. We hope you enjoy the ones we picked out.

The adventure begins....

2008-07-08T02:49:00.011-04:00

We arrived in Beijing via United Airlines yesterday. Bill must have terrorist written all over him. In Richmond, they took him off to the side and tested his shoes for explosives. We were offered an upgrade to business class seats from Chicago to Beijing. To say the least, we were spoiled. They gave us pillow, blankets, headsets, etc. We had our on personal tv at our seat. They gave us a 3 course meal and warm towel to wipe our hands. It was amazing. The only problem we had was one time Bill thought the plan was going to fall out of the sky. He said I slept right through it.

When we arrived at the airport and passed through customs, we were unable to find our guide, Joy. However, I did have her cell phone number. Come to find out she was about 10 feet away walking toward us. Our flight was very early and she was right on time. Joy seems very sweet. She even has made reservations for a Kung Fu show that we wanted to see later in the week. She also has set up a driver for us.

We took a taxi to and from the Hard Rock Cafe. You have never feared for your life until you have ridden in a taxi in Beijing!! At one point, I looked over and even Bill had his eyes shut. They do not have seat belts and somehow they find the smallest places to weave in and out of traffic.

Last night, we had a little excitement. Every time we tried to plug in the converter for the laptop the breaker in our room would flip and all the lights went out. When the maintenance worker was up here and tried to plug the power strip into the converter there was a loud pop, a lot of smoke and no lights! Fortunately, we didn't burn down the hotel. We could have just seen those headlines!

Today is very overcast and hazy. It has been sprinkling some. We decided to visit the Temple of Heaven this morning. In 1420 A.D. during the Ming dynasty, the Temple was built to offer sacrifice to Heaven. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest does not contain one nail. It is all tongue and groove architecture.

After visiting the Temple of Heaven, We went to the Hong Qiao Shichang Market, aka the Pearl Market. That was very interesting. You have to be very persistent at telling the vendors that you do not want something and keep walking. You also have to barter with the vendors. We had a lot of fun doing that.

We also went to a little supermarket down the road from out hotel. It was an experience seeing what all they sell. We decided to get a few drinks and snacks. We also decided to try a few different things. We bought some cookies that they do not have in the U.S. We also bought some Braised Pork Rib Lays and Savory Prawn Lays. We will let you know how those are.

We also took over 300 pictures. We cannot post them all, but I hope you enjoy the ones we are able to post.

Waiting in Chicago to fly to Beijing

Flying Over the North Pole

Flying over the mountains north of Beijing

A Man drawing calligraphy

on the stones at the Temple of Heaven

Entrance to the Temple of Heaven

The Circular Mound Altar

Dragon carve on the Circular Mound Altar

Self taken photo at the Temple of Heaven

The Imperial Vault of Heaven

Cute little girl posing for pictures

Ceiling of the Imperial Vault

Us at the Temple of Heaven

(taken by a very nice Belgian couple)

Gate for Prayer of Good Harvest

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest

KFC near the Pearl Market

We made it!

2008-07-07T05:00:00.002-04:00

We arrived in our hotel just a little bit ago. After 19 hours on airplanes and in airports, we are tired to say the least. We are headed to get some dinner and some needed sleep. That is if you can sleep on the boards that they are trying to pass off as mattresses. I had heard the beds were hard, but hard does not begin to explain it.

We will write more tomorrow.

China Here We Come!!

2008-07-05T15:18:00.003-04:00

It is Saturday afternoon. We are packed and ready to go. Bill's aunt Anne will be picking us up at 4:30 a.m. in the morning to take us to the airport. Then, we will fly to Chicago and take one more flight straight to Beijing. We arrive in Beijing at 3:00 p.m. That is 3:00 a.m. EST.

This will be our last message from the U.S.A. The next message you should see here is that we have made it to China!

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-04T10:50:00.005-04:00

We would like to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July. Thank you to all of the men and women who serve or have ever served in the military to protect our freedom. We appreciate everything you do.

We are especially thankful that Bill's cousin Damien came home safely from his 2nd tour in Iraq at the end of May.

Have a happy and safe 4th!

Last Day at Work

2008-07-03T20:29:00.002-04:00

Bill and I both had our last day at work today. My day was the same as any other work day. However, all of the other ladies at work and I went to lunch. They surprised me with gifts for Michael. Thank you Madonna, Jennifer, Whitney, and Tracey! Also, thank you Ted for paying for our lunch!

For me, it was a really strange feeling when I walked out the doors of my office. It was hard to fathom that I will not be back to work until the end of September. I have not been away of work for more than a week or two at a time since I started at STI over 7 years. It is amazing how much of a routine you get into and how comfortable you become with it. However, we cannot wait for our routines to change as we bring home Michael.

Happy Birthday Michael!

2008-07-01T06:26:00.002-04:00

Today is Michael's 2nd birthday. We sent another cake to the orphanage for Michael's special day. It is night time now in China. We hope that Michael had a good day and enjoyed having cake with his friends. It is a little hard not being with him today. However, we leave in 5 days and are so happy that today will be Michael's last birthday without a family.

Travel, visas, and more

2008-06-26T19:42:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, we received our passports back from the Embassy of China. They had our visas affixed to them. We are now approved to enter China.

Today, we ended up making a slight change to our travel plans. We will be flying to China on Sunday July 6th. This is one day earlier than we had first planned. We will have an extra free day in Beijing before we meet our travel group. While we are in Beijing by ourselves, we plan to visit the Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, the Olympic park, and a few other place. We cannot wait to explore Beijing!

I have to admit that packing for this trip has been a little stressful. Finally, after our fifth try, we have three bags packed that all weigh under 50 lbs. I had talked to an agent at United Airlines today and asked what the overweight fee was for our flights. I almost needed CPR when he told me it would be $300 per bag over 50 lbs.! In China we will more than likely have to pay a small fee for extra or overweight bags, but they are not that high.

Our countdown has changed a little since we are leaving earlier. We now have 10 days to go!

Travel Group Websites

2008-06-22T20:53:00.003-04:00

I have added a heading on the left hand side of our page. It is titled "Our Travel Group." These are links to websites for some of the families traveling with us to China. As I get permission to add other sites, I will update it with more links.

Itinerary

2008-06-18T21:07:00.003-04:00

We received our full travel itinerary yesterday. We also found out that our group has 17 families in it including us. We will see many of the other families when we are in Beijing. Then, there are two families traveling with us to Taiyuan, Shanxi. At the end of our trip, all 17 families will be together in Guangzhou with our kids.

Here is what our stay in China looks like:

July 8, 2008 - Arrive in Beijing.

July 9, 2008 - Free day

July 10, 2008 - Free day

July 11, 2008 - Orientation meeting. Acrobatic show in the afternoon.

July 12, 2008 - Visit the Great Wall and Cloisonne Factory.

July 13, 2008 - Visit Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Hutong Tour

July 14, 2008 - Flight to Taiyuan, Shanxi.
We get Michael in the afternoon!!

July 15, 2008 - Adoption registration and notarization.

July 16, 2008 - Free

July 17, 2008 - Visit Double Pagoda Temple.

July 18, 2008 - Visit Shanxi Provincial Museum. Receive all the documents. Flight to Guangzhou.

July 19, 2008 - Medical exam and visa pictures in the morning.

July 20, 2008 - Free day.

July 21, 2008 - Visa appointment.

July 22, 2008 - Go to the consulate to take the oath and pick up visa.

July 23, 2008 - Fly Home.

Michael will be a U.S. citizen as soon as we step off the plane in the U.S.

19 days to go!

Let Them Eat Cake!

2008-06-16T19:46:00.008-04:00

We had a cake sent to Michael at the orphanage a couple of weeks ago. We received new pictures today. One included some of the kids and the orphanage workers celebrating around the cake. When we ordered the cake, we though it was going to be something like a sheet cake. We had no idea how big and beautiful it would be.

Last week, we ordered another cake to be sent to him on his birthday (July 1). Hopefully, we can get some pictures of that, too.

Also, we received our hotel confirmation today. We needed to send copies of this with our visa applications. We will send off for our visas tomorrow and hope to have them back next week.

Enjoy the pictures!

Mural

2008-06-10T21:44:00.005-04:00

I was looking through the blog and realized that we did not post a picture of the mural in Michael's room after my mom made changes to it. She changed the little girl in a pink dress with pigtails to a little boy. Plus, she added a few other things, such as the Atlanta Braves hat, some turtles, a fishing rod, etc. We think she did an amazing job. Thanks Mom!

U.S. to China and Back

2008-06-03T21:31:00.003-04:00

We received our itinerary for our flights today. We fly from Richmond to Beijing on July 7th. We fly back into Richmond on July 23rd. We will also get to do a little time traveling. We leave Beijing at 4:10 p.m. and arrive in Chicago at 4:04 p.m. the same day.

34 days to go!!! (but who's counting?)

Travel News!

2008-06-02T18:01:00.002-04:00

We found out today that our TA (travel acceptance) came in. We also received information about our travel. We are planning to arrive in Beijing a couple of days ahead of our group to see sites that are not on the regular tour. However, we need to meet our group (17 families including us!) in Beijing on July 10. This means we will be in Beijing on my birthday (July 11). . We will go to Michael's province (Shanxi) on July 13 with two other families. I am guessing that we will get Michael on July 14. What a great belated birthday gift! Our consulate appointment is on July 21 in Guangzhou. We can fly home on July 23. We will know our exact dates of travel tomorrow. Hopefully, the next five weeks will fly by!

Video

2008-05-31T18:57:00.003-04:00

We are trying to figure out how to post video to our website. Joseph made a short video for Michael. Hopefully, this will work.

Update with Picture

2008-05-27T17:17:00.004-04:00

Above is a picture we received with an update on Michael today. The update said the following:

eating: three meals a day with good appetite.

development: walk without support.

can pick up blocks from a cup.

language: can imitate others.

personality: shy, and an introvert

had surgery on Nov.2007 to repair cleft lip.

I had to laugh at the good appetite. He looks very happy and healthy. He weighs 31 lbs. and is 31" tall.

We did not receive any news on our travel dates today. We are still hoping to hear something by the end of this week.

Happy Memorial Day!

2008-05-26T14:27:00.002-04:00

We just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Memorial Day. We do not have any new news to report. Hopefully, we will get our travel acceptance this week. Then, we will be able to find out our exact travel dates. We will let you all know when we find something out.

Baby Shower

2008-05-17T21:49:00.001-04:00

Earthquake update

2008-05-13T20:21:00.004-04:00

Many people have called and emailed us since the earthquake in the Sichuan province of China. We want to let everyone know that Michael is okay. He is approximately 700 miles away from the epicenter of the earthquake. That is approximately the distance between Richmond, VA and Birmingham, Alabama. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Please keep the Chinese people in your prayers. If you would like to help the victims of the earthquake, the following are two reputable organizations that have set up funds.

http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/earthquake.cfm
http://www.halfthesky.org/journal/?p=88

This week

2008-05-10T22:35:00.004-04:00

This past week was very busy. Last Saturday, our church gave us a baby shower. It was wonderful. It was a cook out at the pavilion which they decorated with baby Winnie the Pooh characters. They had a Winnie the Pooh cake for us. The bottom layer was a sheet cake. The top layer was Winnie the Pooh. We were able to save the top of the cake to use for Michael's first birthday home with us. We received so many wonderful gifts, but the greatest gift is knowing what a wonderful church family we have. They really went out of their way to make us feel special. (I will post pictures when I have them. Bill's uncle, David, took them for us.)

Monday was a very stressful day. Our LOA was supposed to arrive by UPS early AM delivery. Bill left work early to pick it up at the house and bring it to my office, because we had to sign it and send it to our agency overnight early AM delivery. It has to be to them by Tuesday morning. If it was late, we would hold up 14 other families. When Bill arrived at the house, the package was not there. After many frantic phone calls, we found out that early AM delivery to our zip code is anywhere between 9 a.m.- 7 p.m.! Bill waited and waited. He was on the porch with his keys in hand when the UPS truck came around the corner. He met the UPS man at the end of the driveway. I think he may have hugged him if he wasn't in such a hurry to meet me. We ended up meeting at Kinko's. We signed, copied, and Fed Exed the package.

The rest of the week went pretty smoothly. We spent today working on Michael's room. It is almost done. I will post pictures when we have it finished. I also worked on packing for our trip. We are packing somethings early, so we don't have to rush when we get the call telling us when we are going to China.

I am going to try to update the blog at least once a week. When we are in China, I will try to update it daily or as much as possible.

LOA!!! WOOHOO!!!

2008-05-02T19:01:00.002-04:00

Today was a very good day! We received a call from our social worker. Our letter of acceptance (LOA) has arrived from China. This letter pretty much says that we can definitely adopt Michael. Our agency is sending it to us. We have to sign it and send it back to them. Then, they will send it to China.

The next step is to receive our travel invitation (TA). When our agency receives this, they can request an appointment at the consulate in Guangzhou. Then, we will know exactly when we will travel. We are expecting to travel within 6-8 weeks.

Hopefully, we will be able to spend Michael's second birthday with him on July 1st.

Kisses In the Wind

2008-04-25T23:17:00.003-04:00

I hold you in my heart and touch you in my dreams.

You are here each day with me, at least that's how it seems.

I know you wonder where we are... what's taking us so long.

But remember child, I love you so and God will keep you strong.

Now go outside and feel the breeze and let it touch your skin...

Because tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God hold you in His hand until I can be with you.

I promise you, my darling, I'm doing all that I can do.

Very soon, you'll have a family for real, not just pretend.

But for tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God wrap you in His arms and hold you very tight.

And let the angels bring the kisses that I send to you each night.

--Unknown Author--

New Pictures!

2008-04-10T17:05:00.003-04:00

We received some new pictures of Michael late last night. We also received his measurements. He is 32" tall and weighs almost 29 lbs. He looks very healthy! Plus, it looks like they did a very good job on his lip. We can't wait to get him home.

Paperwork and More Waiting

2008-04-06T18:28:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, we received our updated I-171H from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This is the document that approves us to bring Michael into the U.S. Michael is considered special needs because of his cleft lip and palate, so we had to request that USCIS approve us for a special needs adoption. Fortunately, it only took us a couple of weeks and a few headaches to get this updated.

Now what? We are waiting for our letter of approval (LOA) from China. When we receive this, we will have to sign it to tell them that we definitely want Michael. After we receive the LOA, we will sit and wait again. We will wait for our travel information. We will more than likely leave 2 weeks to one month after we receive this information. Hopefully, we will receive it all very soon. We would love to have Michael home before his second birthday on July 2nd.

Sending a Package

2008-03-27T21:08:00.000-04:00

We do not have much to report. We are just in sit and wait mode. We hope to hear something soon. For now, we are keeping busy working on the house and getting things ready for Michael.

Above is the care package we put together for Michael. It includes a letter, a photo album, a couple of outfits, two disposable cameras, a stuffed frog, a blanket, some candy, some snacks and a toy car. We hope to send it very soon. We are very appreciative to Peiling our Minister of Music at church. She translated the letter that we are going to include in our package. Thank you Peiling!

Where in the world is Michael?

2008-02-28T20:10:00.001-05:00

Since we received our referral, a lot of people have asked us where Michael is from. Michael is in Jinzhong City in the Shanxi province of China. To learn more about Shanxi, go to this website http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanxi.

Below is a map of Shanxi.

Below is a partial map of Shanxi. If you look on the map just southeast of Taiyuan, you will see Jinzhong.

We have a son!!!

2008-02-23T19:34:00.001-05:00

When we are busy making plans, sometimes God throws a little bit of a curve ball. For two years, we have been planning to adopt a little girl from China. However, God has led us to our son. We are so exited and cannot wait to to travel to China to get him. Our agency tells us that we will more than likely travel in 3-5 months. We have so much to do!

Our son is waiting for us in the Shanxi province of China. His birth date is 7/1/2006. He will be 2 years old in July.

Without further ado, we would like to introduce you to
Michael William Anwei Hall.

New family addition

2008-01-20T13:54:00.000-05:00

On January 12th, we added a new family member to our household. We adopted an 8 month old kitten. She always wants to sit in Bill's lap or follow him around everywhere he goes. Since she likes to be Bill's shadow, that is what we named her, Shadow. Here are a couple of pictures.

Christmas and the New Year

2008-01-20T12:53:00.000-05:00

Belated Happy New Year! We hope that everyone had a very merry Christmas. We spent Christmas in Savannah, Georgia with my parents. We had a great time and hated to leave.

We went fishing on Christmas Eve at the pier on Tybee Island. I had the catch of the day. It was a whopping 4" long. While we were fishing, we saw Santa flying over the beach. Here are a few pictures from the beach trip.

Dad and Bill went golfing while we were there. We also took some time to do a few touristy things. We drove through Bonaventure Cemetery, walked along River Street, ate at some great restaurants, and took the trolley tour through the historic district. Here are a few of our pictures.

Fountain in Forsythe Park

The Mercer House made famous in the book "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (inside)

Christmas tree made of poinsettias inside the Cathedral

The following are pictures taken at Bonaventure Cemetery:

Out of Review!

2007-12-01T20:31:00.000-05:00

After our paperwork is sent to China, it needs to be reviewed by someone in the China Center of Adoption Affairs' (CCAA) review room. There is a backlog in the review room just as there is a backlog of people waiting to receive referrals. When all of the reviewers are finished reviewing files for a specific month, the CCAA updates their website. Yesterday, the website was updated to inform everyone that all the paperwork for families with a log in date (LID) of Sept. 30, 2006 or earlier have been reviewed. That is us! We were not asked any questions about our paperwork. This means we have passed review! It was nice to feel like a little bit of progress is being made.

Adoption Update

2007-11-04T17:13:00.000-05:00

Well, I have finally found time to post on this blog. It has been a very hectic month. We are at the point in our adoption that we have to update many things. We traveled to Norfolk, Virginia a few weeks ago to update our fingerprints. I am not sure why we have to do this. I would think that our fingerprints do not change. However, from what we have been told, the fingerprints are not kept on file after they are approved.

Our social worker, Kristin, came to our house on Monday. She had to visit us at our home in order to update our home study. Once she updates the home study, we will send that to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in order to update our I-171H. This is the paper that allows us to bring Abby into the country.

Unfortunately, the timeline to adopt a child from China keeps growing and growing. We may still have at least two more years to wait. Right now, all we can do is sit, wait, and hope that things speed up.

My goal is to update this blog from time to time. Hopefully, I can do it at least once a month. We are going to use it to update our family and friends about our adoption and everything else going on in our lives.