Introducing our budding family. We hope you will enjoy watching us grow... and everything else under the sun. ;)
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TGIF!

I can't be more happy that it is Friday. It's been an exhausting week for being a mom. No news on the movement in Kyrgyzstan and I have lost every last shred of nerves and patience with our dear son.

I am grateful that Michael's parents are coming to visit Hayden tomorrow. He has been anticipating a visit for ages. We will most likely spend our time "on a date" doing dinner and a movie. These nights are very few and far for us. And after this week - one night away will not be enough.

Hayden is a picky eater. Not the kind that doesn't eat a thing - because he is a VERY healthy boy. However, some days (or weeks) he decides he doesn't like what is placed in front of him to eat. We however have a standing rule in our house. You must try it and eat at least something that has been placed on the table... if not, you might have to eat that meal again later - nor will you move from that spot. All we ask is you try. Now we've moved onto trying it and giving us a sourpussed look. We don't seem to care if we sit for hours, lose all our Star Wars characters, etc. Oye... I'm lost.

On a better note, on our way to therapy this morning Hayden did make light of the day. I love this age. Hayden being 5 years old, he has never been funnier. I was playing a song in the CD player by Newton Faulkner. In one part of the song the singer talks really fast... Hayden being the smarty pants that most kids are tells me that he "didn't use his turtle talk!". LOL Anyone who is familiar with Hayden and his speech may know that he has been receiving speech therapy since he was about 2. Just this summer we started some special treatments for his dysfluency (or stuttering some call it) and when he talks fast we tell him to use his turtle talk.
The little things that get me through the day.

Until next time... 0 comments

From Popsicle Sticks to Wreaths to Space Ships?


With of all the worrying we have been doing lately and the ache we feel in our chest… life still must go on. Without our son, I honestly wouldn’t know how to cope with the unpredictable-ness that is adoption. Whether a family chooses to adopt domestically or internationally, one must understand there is always a risk, always a chance you won’t go through the process as quickly as you hope. We weighed our options and knew the risks and knew what we would be potentially facing. We wouldn’t change our mind tomorrow knowing what we know today. Every child deserves a home, whether they are from here or there.

I have been teaching Hayden and we’ve been reading (in addition to school) all about being thankful. And we couldn’t be more thankful for our little buddy and all that we have in our lives. Every day that goes by he lights up our lives and keeps us going. He frequently comes up to Michael and me saying that he is thankful for us. THAT is love. Pure unconditional love. So to share our thankfulness with the ones we love, mommy pulled an idea from a magazine. Nana and Papa and Grandma and Boppy (Hayden's nickname for grandpa) and Great Grandma all received special care packages this week.

Hayden worked hard on his leaf wreaths made out of popsicle sticks. But in the end, he much rather would have built space ships on the rug with them. *See photos above* It’s amazing. Give a child a $50 toy (only an example – please, the holidays are around the corner!) and they play with it for 5 minutes. Hand them popsicle sticks and they wind up all over your floor for days!!!
Gosh he's a ham... 0 comments

Why?

No news is not necessarily good news. While we have been receiving emails from our agency on the delay in Kyrgyz, no one really knows what the heck is going on. For those who would like to be clued in, the Ministry of Education has been delaying adoptions. Some or no cases have made it to court and dossiers aren’t being signed. It is unsure. Some believe changes in their legislation are going on – but no one really knows. No one can even give us a for sure answer that a fix is within sight or adoptions will continue soon…

Opening my mailbox this afternoon, I expected it to be a regular day – junk and bills. In addition I receive a freebie (of which dozens I continuously sign up for) from PUR. On this brochure are faces of children from “developing” countries. *The PUR packet purifies up to 10 liters of dirty water into drinkable water.*
Why do you ask do I mention this? Because since I’ve started thinking about adoption – not since we started the process – these little moments touch me more than I could ever have imagined. Many people ask “Why Kyrgyzstan?”. Michael and I feel very drawn to the children in this country not only for their unique heritage and wonderful Asian beauty, but the heartbreaking tales of how children aren’t able to be cared for and abandoned, and their poverty stricken country. Truth be told, we researched many other countries. Some of which always had a technicality that made it difficult for us to choose. When we learned of Kyrgyzstan, everything clicked – it was a tug on our heartstrings and we knew we had found our daughter's birthplace.

Though it has been a tough last couple of weeks – with no good news to report - we hope and pray the authorities turn things around. It was once a hope when the adoptions were going smooth to bring our daughter home for Christmas. It will be hard to know that’s not possible. Please don’t stop asking and praying. The support of our friends and family couldn’t come at a better time. Thank you! 1 comments

I Don't Think We're In Illinois Anymore Toto...

What state do we live in again, seriously? It's the only one that I can think of that has horribly cold winters and fiery hot summers. It’s also the only place where your kids can jump into a mumbo jumbo leaf pile and have them wearing short sleeves. Gotta love global warming.

With the holidays creeping upon us fast, news about the adoption process stagnates. With adoption, there is always a risk for a snag, and with international, much more so. But in the end the wait will far out weigh the heartache we are dealing with while we try to be patient. With the hang up of the authorities and the signing of papers in Kyrgyz, it doesn’t look like we (or many other families) are making much progress.

In addition, our dossier papers hit Cali… with a few snags of course. We are in the process of smoothing them out and hoping to not have several forms re-notarized and re-certified… yet another way God teaches us to be patient.

Going off topic, Hayden had a blast last week! Once again, we live in a wacky world – you knock on a stranger’s door and ask them for candy, and continue on your merry way until you reach the next neighbor. I don’t know who came up with the idea, but they weren’t on Weight Watchers. I have enough candy for next Halloween… unfortunately I highly doubt it will last that long. Maybe stocking stuffers? ;)

It’s been tech week at our house. With the average chores a mom does around the house, we need a distraction or a bottle of wine. Hayden loves watching TV like the next kid. But the house gets loud frequently with or without it - for example, “the car is going in a portal” spitting sound effects get too ear-piercing while I’m making phone calls. So, I decided to teach Hayden how to use the TV remote. He already knew how to turn it on and off… and pause the DVR. But not how to find his shows on the DVR, fast forward them, or get from live TV to the DVR and so forth (for some this may confuse you… LOL).

Also, we have been teaching Hayden how to answer the phone, and what to say (soon to come, how to use it in case of an emergency). He was able to put his new skills to work when Daddy called just 20 minutes later and answered more politely than your average customer service agent! My son has skills!

Lastly, I leave you with a slide show (on the right) that proves fall really truly is here. As much of a fan I am of the fall/winter holidays, I loathe the weather. I really am more of a spring gal. 1 comments