Friday, December 4, 2009
Merry Christmas, Pardner!
Just a quick post since I never have time for more than that. There has been a lot going on in the past two months. Gemma turned five and had a very fun secret agent birthday party. Guy took his first steps on Nov. 21st, but is taking his time mastering this new skill. His record number of unassisted steps is 15, but that was set about a week ago. He's most comfortable taking only a few at a time.
Guy had his 18 month check-up yesterday, and he is right on target with no concerns. That's quite an accomplishment considering how much catching up he had to do. AND he is almost 24 lbs. (20th percentile!) and 31" (15th percentile!). If his pace of growth doesn't slow down soon, he is going to be a giant.
In two weeks we are headed home to Virginia to spend Christmas with the Slupek family. This will be our first Christmas there in 6 years, the first since we had kids and the first without my mom. I haven't had much of a desire to be in Virginia at Christmas without my mom--she was the absolute center of all family celebrations--but this year I am ready. I know it will be special for the kids.
Here are a couple of pictures from our visit to Bass Pro Shops' Christmas wonderland a few days ago. The kids love that place almost as much as their dad.
Guy had his 18 month check-up yesterday, and he is right on target with no concerns. That's quite an accomplishment considering how much catching up he had to do. AND he is almost 24 lbs. (20th percentile!) and 31" (15th percentile!). If his pace of growth doesn't slow down soon, he is going to be a giant.
In two weeks we are headed home to Virginia to spend Christmas with the Slupek family. This will be our first Christmas there in 6 years, the first since we had kids and the first without my mom. I haven't had much of a desire to be in Virginia at Christmas without my mom--she was the absolute center of all family celebrations--but this year I am ready. I know it will be special for the kids.
Here are a couple of pictures from our visit to Bass Pro Shops' Christmas wonderland a few days ago. The kids love that place almost as much as their dad.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Milestones
Since I am not keeping up with Gemma's baby book (and don't even have one yet for Guy!) it is time that I record some of what has been going on with our babies. So it will go on the blog in hopes that someday I will get it down on paper, too.
Guy has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past three months. Since his surgery, he has really taken off. He is so curious about everything and determined to go after whatever interests him at the moment. Just before surgery, Guy had started scooting around in a belly crawl. He resumed this mode of getting around just 2 days after his surgery in spite of his healing incision down the center of his chest! It was obvious that he was in some pain/discomfort over the next few weeks but it only slowed him down a little bit. After the first few weeks, Guy would push up onto his hands and knees more and more, as he healed more on the inside, we think. Last week, he must have felt much better in that position, because he has perfected his crawl and only occasionally resorts to his belly crawl. Also, he pulls up on anything available to him and wants to walk so badly! He is very quick and determined, at the peril of his big sister's many careful arrangements of cars, blocks, etc. Gemma got so frustrated with Guy's path of destruction last week, she marched into the kitchen and demanded, "How do you spell 'baby'?" I told her, and she marched away in a huff. Five minutes later, I discovered Guy downstairs, sitting up, staring at the closed door to the toy room/office. On said door, affixed with Scotch tape, was a sign that read, "NO BABYS".
Last night, though, we watched this big sister and baby brother play on our bed. The game involved a ball, some throwing, some gentle tackling. Guy was in heaven, spinning himself in circles on the bed, trying to keep his eye on Gemma as she sprinted from one side of the bed to the other. Their laughter was long and loud, their squeals growing more excited despite the late hour, thirty minutes past Guy's bedtime. But this moment was magical for all of us. And just when I thought my happiness had peaked as I watched my children delight in each other, Gemma reached out to embrace her brother. To my astonishment, Guy leaned in, pressing his face to hers, murmuring, "Mmmmmmm....mmmmmm." That is how he gives "hugs" and "kisses". I get these expressions of love and affection from Guy occasionally and they are divine. But to see Guy and Gemma have this exchange made my heart burst. As Humphrey Bogart once said, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship...
Gemma has also had a lot going on in the past week or two. The same week she started Junior Kindergarten (last week of August), she rode her bike without training wheels, completed her "shark" level swimming class by jumping off the diving board and swimming unassisted to the side of the pool, AND tied her own shoes! She is reading more and more, and at times she behaves in such a mature way that it takes my breath away. I am certainly missing my baby girl but I love the child she has become, and it is a treat to watch her grow and change each day.
Guy has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past three months. Since his surgery, he has really taken off. He is so curious about everything and determined to go after whatever interests him at the moment. Just before surgery, Guy had started scooting around in a belly crawl. He resumed this mode of getting around just 2 days after his surgery in spite of his healing incision down the center of his chest! It was obvious that he was in some pain/discomfort over the next few weeks but it only slowed him down a little bit. After the first few weeks, Guy would push up onto his hands and knees more and more, as he healed more on the inside, we think. Last week, he must have felt much better in that position, because he has perfected his crawl and only occasionally resorts to his belly crawl. Also, he pulls up on anything available to him and wants to walk so badly! He is very quick and determined, at the peril of his big sister's many careful arrangements of cars, blocks, etc. Gemma got so frustrated with Guy's path of destruction last week, she marched into the kitchen and demanded, "How do you spell 'baby'?" I told her, and she marched away in a huff. Five minutes later, I discovered Guy downstairs, sitting up, staring at the closed door to the toy room/office. On said door, affixed with Scotch tape, was a sign that read, "NO BABYS".
Last night, though, we watched this big sister and baby brother play on our bed. The game involved a ball, some throwing, some gentle tackling. Guy was in heaven, spinning himself in circles on the bed, trying to keep his eye on Gemma as she sprinted from one side of the bed to the other. Their laughter was long and loud, their squeals growing more excited despite the late hour, thirty minutes past Guy's bedtime. But this moment was magical for all of us. And just when I thought my happiness had peaked as I watched my children delight in each other, Gemma reached out to embrace her brother. To my astonishment, Guy leaned in, pressing his face to hers, murmuring, "Mmmmmmm....mmmmmm." That is how he gives "hugs" and "kisses". I get these expressions of love and affection from Guy occasionally and they are divine. But to see Guy and Gemma have this exchange made my heart burst. As Humphrey Bogart once said, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship...
Gemma has also had a lot going on in the past week or two. The same week she started Junior Kindergarten (last week of August), she rode her bike without training wheels, completed her "shark" level swimming class by jumping off the diving board and swimming unassisted to the side of the pool, AND tied her own shoes! She is reading more and more, and at times she behaves in such a mature way that it takes my breath away. I am certainly missing my baby girl but I love the child she has become, and it is a treat to watch her grow and change each day.
Friday, August 7, 2009
First post-op smile!
Guy continues to improve, and we expect to take him tomorrow! He has mostly been content and calm in the past day or so, but 48 hours after surgery he gave us his first smile. An hour later he is starting to giggle a little. He loves to ride in his red wagon all over the hospital and seems to be a big hit with whomever he encounters. Our unbiased opinion is that he's the cutest Guy here!!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
"The best post-op baby ever."
This comment about our son, overheard by Jon, was made by Guy's CICU nurse to the nurse who was relieving her at 7:00 a.m. Less than 24 hours after open heart surgery, Guy is not needing morphine, has eaten well, and slept through most of the night. The rest of his lines and tubes will be removed today except for one "just in case" IV. He probably won't even need to be on oxygen much longer.
And we'll be able to HOLD him!!
More later...
They are about to re-open the ICU to parents and visitors, and I want to get my hands on the best baby ever.
And we'll be able to HOLD him!!
More later...
They are about to re-open the ICU to parents and visitors, and I want to get my hands on the best baby ever.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
He's walking!
OK,not really. He wasn't even doing that before the surgery. But we are now sitting right next to him in the CICU. He is covered in leads and wires with tubes sticking out everywhere, BUT the consensus among the docs and nurses is that he looks great. After surgery, his surgeon, Max Mitchell, greeted us with a huge grin. He went on to describe the procedure, throwing around such phrases as "just beautiful", "couldn't have gone better", "an A+", "Guy's going to fly" and "I wish all my surgeries could go just like this one." Intoxicating stuff from the man who just held your son's life delicately in his hands.
He is still out like a light, but should be coming out of it and starting to wake up in an hour or two. Then they will remove his breathing tube. I have stroked his hands, feet, and sweet face, but am not tall enough to reach my lips to his forehead over the bars on his crib/bed. So I am still longing to kiss my little prince.
We couldn't give a better report than this! We might even get to take him home on Saturday!! Possibly Sunday, though. Let the healing begin.
He is still out like a light, but should be coming out of it and starting to wake up in an hour or two. Then they will remove his breathing tube. I have stroked his hands, feet, and sweet face, but am not tall enough to reach my lips to his forehead over the bars on his crib/bed. So I am still longing to kiss my little prince.
We couldn't give a better report than this! We might even get to take him home on Saturday!! Possibly Sunday, though. Let the healing begin.
Almost done!
Just got word that he is off of the heart-lung machine and being closed up. Next stop is the CICU. Soon they will let us know that we can go back and see him. He won't look great, but I'm dying to kiss his forehead and hold his little hand.
Update
The hole is closed! We were just told that the procedure is going very well and that the next step will be to wean Guy off of the heart-lung machine, which will take about an hour. So far, so good.
Valium with a Coffee Chaser
It is 9:10 a.m. and Guy's actual surgical procedure began about 10 minutes ago. At 7:30 a.m., a kind nurse took our baby in her arms and carried him away from us, down the hall, to the O.R. I know that Guy is in the very best place, in the care of one of the best pediatric cardiac surgery teams in the U.S., probably in the world. This is a "simple" VSD repair, and we feel so fortunate that he is not facing a complicated or rare surgery. Our hearts ache for the families who are waiting desperately for a heart to become available for their son or daughter who needs a transplant, though they know that in order for their prayers to be answered, another family of strangers will have to endure the unspeakable heartbreak of losing a child.
I often feel that way about my own windfall of good fortune. My deepest wishes came true when our two achingly beautiful, impossibly perfect children were brought to us. Our joy is tempered only by the knowledge that two anonymous families on the other side of the earth made the unfathomable and agonizing decision to place their precious babies in the hands of fate and then walk away. Surely they prayed for a happy, healthy life for those babies. Did they dare to wish that each of those children would be loved and adored by a large and ever-gowing circle of family and friends? Could they have hoped that these babies would be given opportunities for education and success in life beyond their birth families' wildest dreams? Whatever the motivations of whomever carried out that the excrutiating decision, it was done with the certain knowledge that they would never know their child's fate. Those Chinese families will forever harbor a sense of loss and struggle with questions never to be answered. But if not for their great loss, I would not have the fulfillment of my own heart's desire.
So, on this morning of Guy's much-anticipated surgery, I am aware of our good fortune. Yet as Guy was carried away by a stranger, I felt my heart dragged along with them. I sobbed and buried my face in Jon's chest and clung to him. I am an ugly crier and today was no exception. I was loud----honking and moaning, much like I would imagine a wounded goose to sound. My face was crumpled and blotchy. I am sure passersby reacted to me with a combination of sympathy and disgust.
Jon and I headed downstairs to put some food in our empty, jittery stomachs. More impotantly, I got a freshly brewed cup of coffee (we got up at 4:30 a.m.). MOST importantly, I dug out the Valium I have been carried around in my purse for 2 weeks. I will not disclose my source, but I will be forever to grateful to her. I am under its influence at this moment, and while it makes hitting the right keys on the keyboard is a bit challenging, it gives me the peace I need to get my thoughts and feelings out in writing. Good therapy.
We have just gotten an update from the O.R. All of Guy's lines and tubes were inserted smoothly and easily. He also was successfully hooked up to the heart-lung bypass machine without incident. This is great news, and yet here come the tears as I picture my sweet little baby with all of those tubes coming out of his body and his chest ripped wide open. At this moment, his heart is quite literally in someone else's hands. Will update again soon.
I often feel that way about my own windfall of good fortune. My deepest wishes came true when our two achingly beautiful, impossibly perfect children were brought to us. Our joy is tempered only by the knowledge that two anonymous families on the other side of the earth made the unfathomable and agonizing decision to place their precious babies in the hands of fate and then walk away. Surely they prayed for a happy, healthy life for those babies. Did they dare to wish that each of those children would be loved and adored by a large and ever-gowing circle of family and friends? Could they have hoped that these babies would be given opportunities for education and success in life beyond their birth families' wildest dreams? Whatever the motivations of whomever carried out that the excrutiating decision, it was done with the certain knowledge that they would never know their child's fate. Those Chinese families will forever harbor a sense of loss and struggle with questions never to be answered. But if not for their great loss, I would not have the fulfillment of my own heart's desire.
So, on this morning of Guy's much-anticipated surgery, I am aware of our good fortune. Yet as Guy was carried away by a stranger, I felt my heart dragged along with them. I sobbed and buried my face in Jon's chest and clung to him. I am an ugly crier and today was no exception. I was loud----honking and moaning, much like I would imagine a wounded goose to sound. My face was crumpled and blotchy. I am sure passersby reacted to me with a combination of sympathy and disgust.
Jon and I headed downstairs to put some food in our empty, jittery stomachs. More impotantly, I got a freshly brewed cup of coffee (we got up at 4:30 a.m.). MOST importantly, I dug out the Valium I have been carried around in my purse for 2 weeks. I will not disclose my source, but I will be forever to grateful to her. I am under its influence at this moment, and while it makes hitting the right keys on the keyboard is a bit challenging, it gives me the peace I need to get my thoughts and feelings out in writing. Good therapy.
We have just gotten an update from the O.R. All of Guy's lines and tubes were inserted smoothly and easily. He also was successfully hooked up to the heart-lung bypass machine without incident. This is great news, and yet here come the tears as I picture my sweet little baby with all of those tubes coming out of his body and his chest ripped wide open. At this moment, his heart is quite literally in someone else's hands. Will update again soon.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
"You look good in humidity."
Uttered to me, by my husband, at the Summer Palace in Beijing. It's the second most romantic thing he's said to me all year. He's a poet, that Jon.
We had a lot of fun together in the six days we were alone before getting our Guy. It was just like the old days--I think I made a fool of myself laughing at the stuff Jon says. We could walk in silence for 10 minutes on the streets of Beijing, Jon would mutter two words under his breath, and suddenly I am helplessly doubled over with laughter. If you know Jon, you know exactly what I mean. We'll never forget our $100 (gulp!) cab ride across Beijing in rush hour, subsequently learning how to take the subway, our very special private Chinese massage in our hotel room, the smiley dancer at the Temple of Heaven, and so much more.
We had a lot of fun together in the six days we were alone before getting our Guy. It was just like the old days--I think I made a fool of myself laughing at the stuff Jon says. We could walk in silence for 10 minutes on the streets of Beijing, Jon would mutter two words under his breath, and suddenly I am helplessly doubled over with laughter. If you know Jon, you know exactly what I mean. We'll never forget our $100 (gulp!) cab ride across Beijing in rush hour, subsequently learning how to take the subway, our very special private Chinese massage in our hotel room, the smiley dancer at the Temple of Heaven, and so much more.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Playful Guy
Attached are some pictures taken on Gotcha Day for our registration and visa
Things are going great here in China. Guy is eating nonstop and is getting stronger each day. He has gained a pound (or more?) this week. At the physical this morning he weighed 14.8 lbs! He now has some chub on his thighs and is starting to get a rear end (a tiny one, but it is no longer skin and bone). He loves to roll around and giggle, especially at Daddy.
Nights aren't so great but we have learned to change his diaper and feed him a couple of times during the night, like a newborn, and that seems to work. Different from Gemma in that way, but we think eating round the clock will help him gain weight faster and help with attachment. We're going to move his crib to our room for awhile when we get home. He really is as cute as can be and has made great strides in 8 days. Can't wait until we are home with his big sister. She is so mature--on Skype she tells us, "don't worry, Mommy and Daddy. You don't need to worry about me. And she always tells us the number of days until our return--most recently, "only 3 more days Mommy and Daddy!" we miss her so! Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa for taking such good care of her and saving her from that snake!
We'll post lots more pictures in a few days when we are home.
Love, Stacy, Jon, and Guy
Things are going great here in China. Guy is eating nonstop and is getting stronger each day. He has gained a pound (or more?) this week. At the physical this morning he weighed 14.8 lbs! He now has some chub on his thighs and is starting to get a rear end (a tiny one, but it is no longer skin and bone). He loves to roll around and giggle, especially at Daddy.
Nights aren't so great but we have learned to change his diaper and feed him a couple of times during the night, like a newborn, and that seems to work. Different from Gemma in that way, but we think eating round the clock will help him gain weight faster and help with attachment. We're going to move his crib to our room for awhile when we get home. He really is as cute as can be and has made great strides in 8 days. Can't wait until we are home with his big sister. She is so mature--on Skype she tells us, "don't worry, Mommy and Daddy. You don't need to worry about me. And she always tells us the number of days until our return--most recently, "only 3 more days Mommy and Daddy!" we miss her so! Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa for taking such good care of her and saving her from that snake!
We'll post lots more pictures in a few days when we are home.
Love, Stacy, Jon, and Guy
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
More about Guy
Guy is such a sweetie. He is smiling and giggling more and more, and he loves to watch Mommy and Daddy everywhere we go. He is a tiny little peanut but he eats twice his weight each day (it seems) and gobbles up everything he's offered. He has a lot of catching up to do with his physical development but he seems to be improving already.
The Chinese locals LOVE him and we feel like celebrities everywhere we go with him.
We're head over heels for him, that's for sure.
Love,
Stacy and Jon
See more Gotcha Day Photo's on previous post.
The Chinese locals LOVE him and we feel like celebrities everywhere we go with him.
We're head over heels for him, that's for sure.
Love,
Stacy and Jon
See more Gotcha Day Photo's on previous post.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Got Guy? We Do!!!!
An Yu Xiang (now Guy Gibbs) was delivered to us here in Zhengzhou, Henan, China at around 11:00 a.m. today. He is TINY. We are sure he is not quite the 13 lbs. we expected. He had his 1st birthday one week ago. It is 3:45 p.m. and as I type this he is giggling with Daddy---his first smiles and laughs with us. Ahhhh, it is good to fall in love. Off to play with Guy and look at those dimples--he has one on each precious cheek!
We can't update our blog--China has blocked the site, but our friend Natalie will try to do it for us.
More to come...
Love,
Stacy, Jon, and Gemma
)
We can't update our blog--China has blocked the site, but our friend Natalie will try to do it for us.
More to come...
Love,
Stacy, Jon, and Gemma
Monday, May 25, 2009
Happy 1st birthday, baby boy!
I hope your foster family did something special for you today. You can be sure that we'll be celebrating with you next week! Mommy and Daddy will find you some cake or ice cream or some other yummy treat in Zhengzhou, and we have lots of gifts for you when you get home. The best gift of all is your new big sister! Saying goodbye to her this morning was very hard for Mommy, but thankfully Gemma was having too much fun with her new toy and with Grandma to get upset. What a relief---it would have ripped my heart out to leave her in tears.
We're at DIA now, waiting to board the first leg of our loooong flight.
Sheng ri kuai le, An Yu Xiang! Happy birthday, little Guy.
We're at DIA now, waiting to board the first leg of our loooong flight.
Sheng ri kuai le, An Yu Xiang! Happy birthday, little Guy.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Butterflies
My stomach hurts. Like it used to on the morning of trial. Or just before the verdict came back. Or the eve of the bar exam.
No, that's not it exactly. It's a mixture of that feeling and the one I used to feel as I waited for the doorbell to ring the night of a first date. I am giddy with anticipation.
It makes sense. I have been preparing for weeks and "cramming" for the past several days. Pages of checklists have been whittled down to the last few items. Articles, books, and blogs about infant/toddler attachment, orphanage care, travel, "swine" flu, sightseeing in Beijing, tainted baby formula, etc., etc. have been read, re-read, committed to memory. Bring on the final exam! I'm ready. Nervous, but ready.
I have also spent many hours staring at my Guy's picture, dreaming about him day and night. I have washed his clothes, folded them, laid them out, refolded them, held those clothes to my face, to my heart, and gently rocked, imagining his small, warm body wiggling within them. No doubt, the morning of Gotcha Day, I will pace in the hotel. I will glance at my watch, check my water-proof mascara, reapply my lipstick, pat the passport holder around my neck, open it repeatedly to be sure the passport and cash are there. I will fuss over the red gift bags for the adoption and orphanage officials, each containing a pen and pencil set, a token gesture of thanks and goodwill. I will pace some more and check my watch again. I will jump and my stomach will drop to my ankles when the phone rings in our hotel room--the signal to meet our group downstairs and board the bus to our children. I know this; I have done this all before. I will sit in a room on the other side of the world until our names our called. Then by some miracle, a total stranger will enter that room and hand to me the realization of my hopes and dreams. And we get to keep him and take him home and love him forever.
As I embark on this second magical journey of our lives, I am leaving the other love of my life behind. I have never been separated from Gemma for more than 3 days. That was one time, to attend my dear friend Jenn's wedding in Virginia and steal a romantic getaway with my husband. Although we had a blast, and Jon and I desperately needed the time alone, I felt like I had left my arm somewhere. It was that unnatural to be without my Gemma for so long. The thought of 18 days away from her is unfathomable. We'll survive it, though. I do think it is the best arrangement for her (she'll be spoiled by her grandparents and lots of friends while we're gone), for the baby, and probably for Jon and me, too. This trip will be exhausting and Guy will need our full attention.
Thank goodness for Skype!
No, that's not it exactly. It's a mixture of that feeling and the one I used to feel as I waited for the doorbell to ring the night of a first date. I am giddy with anticipation.
It makes sense. I have been preparing for weeks and "cramming" for the past several days. Pages of checklists have been whittled down to the last few items. Articles, books, and blogs about infant/toddler attachment, orphanage care, travel, "swine" flu, sightseeing in Beijing, tainted baby formula, etc., etc. have been read, re-read, committed to memory. Bring on the final exam! I'm ready. Nervous, but ready.
I have also spent many hours staring at my Guy's picture, dreaming about him day and night. I have washed his clothes, folded them, laid them out, refolded them, held those clothes to my face, to my heart, and gently rocked, imagining his small, warm body wiggling within them. No doubt, the morning of Gotcha Day, I will pace in the hotel. I will glance at my watch, check my water-proof mascara, reapply my lipstick, pat the passport holder around my neck, open it repeatedly to be sure the passport and cash are there. I will fuss over the red gift bags for the adoption and orphanage officials, each containing a pen and pencil set, a token gesture of thanks and goodwill. I will pace some more and check my watch again. I will jump and my stomach will drop to my ankles when the phone rings in our hotel room--the signal to meet our group downstairs and board the bus to our children. I know this; I have done this all before. I will sit in a room on the other side of the world until our names our called. Then by some miracle, a total stranger will enter that room and hand to me the realization of my hopes and dreams. And we get to keep him and take him home and love him forever.
As I embark on this second magical journey of our lives, I am leaving the other love of my life behind. I have never been separated from Gemma for more than 3 days. That was one time, to attend my dear friend Jenn's wedding in Virginia and steal a romantic getaway with my husband. Although we had a blast, and Jon and I desperately needed the time alone, I felt like I had left my arm somewhere. It was that unnatural to be without my Gemma for so long. The thought of 18 days away from her is unfathomable. We'll survive it, though. I do think it is the best arrangement for her (she'll be spoiled by her grandparents and lots of friends while we're gone), for the baby, and probably for Jon and me, too. This trip will be exhausting and Guy will need our full attention.
Thank goodness for Skype!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Travel dates!
Our agency confirmed our consulate appointment for June 9 in Guangzhou! That means we need to be in Beijing by May 28, so we are flying out a couple of days early to get over our jet lag a bit and enjoy the sights in Beijing. We are celebrating Guy's birthday by getting on a plane and heading to China on May 25! After seeing Beijing, we fly to Zhengzhou on Sunday, May 31. Zhengzhou is the capital city of Henan, Guy's province. Guy lives with his foster family in Anyang, a few hours drive north of Zhengzhou(ZZ). On Monday, June 1, he will be brought to ZZ and placed in our arms. The adoption will be finalized there and then we will go to Guangzhou for the last leg of our trip. We were in Guangzhou for our entire trip with Gemma in 2005 and we plan to stay at the White Swan Hotel there again this time. We have so many magical memories of that place and will be making some more. We return home to Colorado on June 11. Thankfully, we have Skype set up so we can talk to and see Gemma every day that we are gone and she is home with her Grandma Judy and Grandpa Jerry. My heart aches to think of being away from her for 18 days.
We also got an update on our LITTLE Guy yesterday. No new picture, though. According to the report, he still weighs 6 kg (13 lbs.) and is 70 cm long at 11 months old!! I cannot wait to fatten him up and watch him grow. The countdown is on. Only 18 more days until we are on that plane, and 25 days until we are holding our Guy...
We also got an update on our LITTLE Guy yesterday. No new picture, though. According to the report, he still weighs 6 kg (13 lbs.) and is 70 cm long at 11 months old!! I cannot wait to fatten him up and watch him grow. The countdown is on. Only 18 more days until we are on that plane, and 25 days until we are holding our Guy...
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
TA! T-Yay!!!
We got our TA today!!!!!! That's our travel approval, for those who do not speak IA. (IA=international adoption.) I haven't been this happy since.....well, since we got LOA. And I wasn't THAT happy since...well, since we got our referral. And I won't be this happy AGAIN until...well, until June 1st, when I am holding our beautiful, precious son. I hope we get our CA tomorrow. Oh, right, CA is our consulate appointment. Just learn the acronyms already! Geez.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Our good fortune (the cookies got it right)
Who doesn't open a fortune cookie with at least a little hope that it will contain some prophetic or meaningful message? Usually, though, as with horoscopes, you can count on some vague piece of advice. Or a proverb. For the past three years, everytime I opened a fortune cookie, I hoped it would say something non-specific and optimistic so I could save it to put in our second child's baby book. For 2 1/2 years, no luck. If it wasn't a warning about a new business venture, it was a tired saying that could not be applied to adoption or children such as "a stitch in time saves nine". They all went in the trash.
Until this, the Year of the Ox, that is. We celebrated Chinese New Year by having our South African friends over for Chinese food. Each of us took a fortune cookie. (Yes, I know that fortune cookies are not a true Chinese tradition but in fact were invented by Chinese-American immigrants less than a century ago--but I digress.) The other couple's respective "fortunes" were meaningless or strange. But mine and Jon's read as follows:
"The current year will bring you much happiness." AND
"A long term goal will soon be achieved."
Yes, I realize they are rather vague. But they both could easily be interpreted as predictors that we would soon be matched with our child. Sure enough, the call came about 8 weeks later. These two fortunes will definitely go in Guy's baby book!
Now, here's the strangest and best one of all. Last week, Jon had Chinese food for lunch. His fortune cookie contained the following message, "Your fortune is on its way!" He turned the paper over and on the back was the word "Son" and its translation in Mandarin (pinyin: er zi). That one really blew us away. I don't really believe in this stuff, but COME ON!!! And, yes, it will be in Guy's baby book. Those who know me well have often heard me say that waiting to be matched with your child is like knowing you are going to win the lottery sometime in the next few months or years but not knowing exactly on which day. And Jon and I both know that we hit the jackpot with Gemma. Guy is our "fortune" and he's on his way! We're stinking, filthy RICH!
Until this, the Year of the Ox, that is. We celebrated Chinese New Year by having our South African friends over for Chinese food. Each of us took a fortune cookie. (Yes, I know that fortune cookies are not a true Chinese tradition but in fact were invented by Chinese-American immigrants less than a century ago--but I digress.) The other couple's respective "fortunes" were meaningless or strange. But mine and Jon's read as follows:
"The current year will bring you much happiness." AND
"A long term goal will soon be achieved."
Yes, I realize they are rather vague. But they both could easily be interpreted as predictors that we would soon be matched with our child. Sure enough, the call came about 8 weeks later. These two fortunes will definitely go in Guy's baby book!
Now, here's the strangest and best one of all. Last week, Jon had Chinese food for lunch. His fortune cookie contained the following message, "Your fortune is on its way!" He turned the paper over and on the back was the word "Son" and its translation in Mandarin (pinyin: er zi). That one really blew us away. I don't really believe in this stuff, but COME ON!!! And, yes, it will be in Guy's baby book. Those who know me well have often heard me say that waiting to be matched with your child is like knowing you are going to win the lottery sometime in the next few months or years but not knowing exactly on which day. And Jon and I both know that we hit the jackpot with Gemma. Guy is our "fortune" and he's on his way! We're stinking, filthy RICH!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
We have LOA!!
What is LOA, you ask? Why, it is our Letter of Acceptance. We weren't expecting it to arrive for at least another two weeks! Who cares, you ask? Everyone should care because this is the magic document that puts the wheels in serious motion for us to travel to China. Next we will get our TA (travel approval) in 5-8 weeks--even sooner in some cases. Is it possible that we could continue on our record-setting streak to speedy travel and have Guy YuXiang by his birthday on May 25? Very unlikely, but not impossible. After TA, we will get our CA (consulate appointment date) and based on that we will know our exact travel dates. Yee haw!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
We're gettin' our Guy!
After three long years since applying to adopt our second child, we got "the call" on March 31, 2009! I had been communicating with Sarah Harmon at CCAI for the past several weeks, sharing with her our woes and heartache as we waited to be matched with a child. When I heard her voice on the phone, my heart skipped a beat, and seconds later she was saying, "I am looking at a picture of a baby boy who needs a mommy and a daddy..."
I paced every inch of the house, phone to my ear, while Sarah filled me in on the details. His name was An Yu ("feather") Xiang ("soar"). He was only 10 months old! His only medical diagnosis was ventricular septal defect (VSD), a small hole in his heart that may or may not need to be surgically corrected in the future. What a relief! Sarah told me he was in the AnYang Social Welfare Institute (SWI), but we learned three days later that he was moved to a foster home in January. His birthday is May 25, 2008.
While Sarah e-mailed his file, I had to race out the door to pick up Gemma from preschool. She spent the rest of the afternoon playing with her friend, Cheyenne, whose mother, Caitlin happily and generously took Gemma at a moment's notice from me and fed her and entertained for the rest of the day so Jon and I could focus what needed to be done with our referral. We read everything, prepared our letter of intent, spoke to our pediatrician, and offically accepted our son's referral the very next morning! His name will be Guy YuXiang Gibbs. My next blog entry will detail how we shared our news with the world!
I paced every inch of the house, phone to my ear, while Sarah filled me in on the details. His name was An Yu ("feather") Xiang ("soar"). He was only 10 months old! His only medical diagnosis was ventricular septal defect (VSD), a small hole in his heart that may or may not need to be surgically corrected in the future. What a relief! Sarah told me he was in the AnYang Social Welfare Institute (SWI), but we learned three days later that he was moved to a foster home in January. His birthday is May 25, 2008.
While Sarah e-mailed his file, I had to race out the door to pick up Gemma from preschool. She spent the rest of the afternoon playing with her friend, Cheyenne, whose mother, Caitlin happily and generously took Gemma at a moment's notice from me and fed her and entertained for the rest of the day so Jon and I could focus what needed to be done with our referral. We read everything, prepared our letter of intent, spoke to our pediatrician, and offically accepted our son's referral the very next morning! His name will be Guy YuXiang Gibbs. My next blog entry will detail how we shared our news with the world!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
I want my baby!
I want that phone to ring so badly it is driving me crazy! It feels like it will never happen. Truly. The waiting has become our reality. The idea of actually adding another child to our family no longer feels real at all. :(
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Swingtown
Today, Gemma FINALLY mastered the swing on the playground! I have made myself crazy trying to teach her how to pump her legs and shift her body forward and back to keep the swing going and build momentum, to no avail. She just needed to get the hang of moving the right way and get the feel of doing it by herself. She seemed very proud of this new skill, and I feel liberated! No more, "push me, Mommy! Higher, Mommy! Keep pushing!" She can now play about 95% independently at the playground. Of course, she will still command, "watch me, Mommy!" which I am more than happy to do.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
It's Jurass, not mine
The knowledge that we will probably be matched with a boy instead of a girl has breathed new life into this long, frustrating adoption process. I now have new, FUN, tasks to keep me busy! Among them is choosing a name. Jon suggested, "Beau Hunter Gibbs." I didn't think that warranted a serious response, so I dusted off the old baby name book and started perusing the boy section. I expected to weed through a lot of names we don't like or can't agree on. But I did not expect to sift through so many names like this:
Alps, Bazooka, Bean, Beige, Blame, Boat, Bobbydee, Bobbymack, Boggle, Bongo, Brain, Bronto ("short for Brontosaurus"--it really said this), Bumpus, Bucko, Cack, Cactus, Candle, Chat, Choicey, Chubby, Chunky, Cuke (alt. sp. "Kook"), Curb, Danger, Dingo, Dog, Don Quixote, Delete, Dude, Dovey, Dusty-Joe, Excell, ESPN (for the sports enthusiast!), Faddy, Fabulous, Famous, Fargo, Festive, Flag, Foreign, Gaudy, General, Glad, Gorky, Harpo, JoeMac, Jurass ("short for Jurassic", in case it didn't make sense), Leather, Limo, Minnow, Mohawk, Moose, Newbie, Ogle, Ox, Patriot, Perk, Piney, Pinky, Plan, Plash, Pluck, Playtoh, Poogie, Powder, Prop, Primerica, Quick, Rio Grande, Rooster, Rabbit, Salt, Scant, Shorty, Several, Skeetz, Slam, Snake, Spider, Spidey, Stud, Sultan, Telvis, Tinks, Thaw, Teddy-Blue, Utah, Utz, Weebie, Witty, Word, Wrangle, Zero.
It's not as if people couldn't have come up with these ideas for names on their own. But to legitimize and encourage this by publishing them in a book? Reminds me of some of the kids' names from my GAL days: Money (pronounced mo-NAY), Militia, Nothing (spelled into the record by the county attorney, "N-O-T-H-I-N-G" with a straight face) to name just a few. I think I need to find an abridged baby name book. I don't need "50,001 BABY NAMES!" to choose from. About 50-60 will do just fine.
Alps, Bazooka, Bean, Beige, Blame, Boat, Bobbydee, Bobbymack, Boggle, Bongo, Brain, Bronto ("short for Brontosaurus"--it really said this), Bumpus, Bucko, Cack, Cactus, Candle, Chat, Choicey, Chubby, Chunky, Cuke (alt. sp. "Kook"), Curb, Danger, Dingo, Dog, Don Quixote, Delete, Dude, Dovey, Dusty-Joe, Excell, ESPN (for the sports enthusiast!), Faddy, Fabulous, Famous, Fargo, Festive, Flag, Foreign, Gaudy, General, Glad, Gorky, Harpo, JoeMac, Jurass ("short for Jurassic", in case it didn't make sense), Leather, Limo, Minnow, Mohawk, Moose, Newbie, Ogle, Ox, Patriot, Perk, Piney, Pinky, Plan, Plash, Pluck, Playtoh, Poogie, Powder, Prop, Primerica, Quick, Rio Grande, Rooster, Rabbit, Salt, Scant, Shorty, Several, Skeetz, Slam, Snake, Spider, Spidey, Stud, Sultan, Telvis, Tinks, Thaw, Teddy-Blue, Utah, Utz, Weebie, Witty, Word, Wrangle, Zero.
It's not as if people couldn't have come up with these ideas for names on their own. But to legitimize and encourage this by publishing them in a book? Reminds me of some of the kids' names from my GAL days: Money (pronounced mo-NAY), Militia, Nothing (spelled into the record by the county attorney, "N-O-T-H-I-N-G" with a straight face) to name just a few. I think I need to find an abridged baby name book. I don't need "50,001 BABY NAMES!" to choose from. About 50-60 will do just fine.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Here comes the son?
I am feeling positive and excited about the adoption for the first time in a VERY long time. Ever since we submitted our application in Feb. 2006, at every turn the predicted length of time this process would take has only gotten longer. At first we thought it might take one year from LID (7-22-06) at the MOST, then a year and half, then two years, then three. The pace of matches for NSN adoptions has slowed continually throughout, moving the finish line farther and farther away. In January 2008, we decided to become part of the waiting child program. That was a good move for several reasons. First, at present, the wait for a NSN (non-special needs) child from China for us would reach a total of seven years at the current pace of matches. More importantly, though, the need is greater for children in China's waiting child program. We have researched several medical diagnoses with which we feel comfortable and put them on our medical conditions checklist (MCC) which is on file with CCAI. After we filed our original MCC 14 months ago, I felt elated. I found something proactive to do to start moving our adoption forward. Eventually, that excitement died down as our wait for a "waiting" child approached, then exceeded, a year with no end in sight.
This week, however, we made another move--we finally let our agency, CCAI, know that we would happily accept the referral of either a boy or a girl from China. We had originally applied for a girl since the situation regarding abandoned girls in China is well known. Interestingly, in the waiting child program, little boys are harder to place than girls even though there are nearly as many waiting boys with special medical needs as girls. It took us awhile to let go of our phantom second daughter (it took Jon about an extra six months), but this week he decided he was ready. Considering how long we have been waiting, it is ALMOST a sure thing that we will be matched with a boy (though a girl is still possible). Hopefully, this also means that we will receive "the call" much, much sooner. In my mind, I have already redecorated Gemma's room, which she will have to share, to make it more gender-neutral. It won't take a lot of work since Gemma's favorite color is dark blue and there are very few feminine touches in her room.
I hope I am not sitting here six months from now, more depressed than ever, still without my child.
This week, however, we made another move--we finally let our agency, CCAI, know that we would happily accept the referral of either a boy or a girl from China. We had originally applied for a girl since the situation regarding abandoned girls in China is well known. Interestingly, in the waiting child program, little boys are harder to place than girls even though there are nearly as many waiting boys with special medical needs as girls. It took us awhile to let go of our phantom second daughter (it took Jon about an extra six months), but this week he decided he was ready. Considering how long we have been waiting, it is ALMOST a sure thing that we will be matched with a boy (though a girl is still possible). Hopefully, this also means that we will receive "the call" much, much sooner. In my mind, I have already redecorated Gemma's room, which she will have to share, to make it more gender-neutral. It won't take a lot of work since Gemma's favorite color is dark blue and there are very few feminine touches in her room.
I hope I am not sitting here six months from now, more depressed than ever, still without my child.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Green Eggs and Ham
After nearly three years since I made the last entry in Gemma's baby book, I am finally going to start recording funny anecdotes about Gemma as well as her achievements and special experiences. Today, Gemma read "Green Eggs and Ham" to me with only minimal help on a few words. I am so proud of her! Her daddy is thrilled to have a tomboy daughter who shares all his interests in sports and the outdoors, and I am thrilled to have a reader!
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