Better Late Than Never ~ Our Updates!

Hi Everyone!

We are home again from visiting with family over the holidays! Our Christmas was amazing & watching the joy & magic of it through Lauren's eyes is always so breathtaking to witness! Both Scott & I feel blessed to have shared this special time with our families, and though I missed sharing in all the bloggy news, you were all in my thoughts and I hope your holidays brought the same joys!

Equally thrilling was the arrival of Tyler Pei-En's updates just prior to Christmas Eve, thanks to the herculean efforts of Joyce (JOH) who braved the terrible weather conditions of the NW so that we waiting families could glimpse our babies. What a present that was to our family and how grateful we are to her dedication. And though we would have LOVED to have him with us on Christmas morning, he was present in our hearts, minds and in the loving surprise gifts our families shared with us.....all tagged for our sweet boy! How fortunate we are to have such support from our families.

Soooo....without further comment, here is our little man in action! He is just over 4 1/2 months in these pictures/videos and is growing & changing every month! We just can't get enough of him and are hoping & praying our Final Ruling arrives soon and we can bring him home in January! We pray the other waiting families receive the very same news! Okay, off to check in on all of you & see the other beautiful babies!

Happy Holidays My Friends!

Hello Friends & Family!

I wanted to take a moment before the real busyness of the season sets in and wish you all a bright and merry holiday season. The picture above was taken in late November, on a special day when the studio we prefer set aside an afternoon for families to be photographed with their pets. This is something we had never done before and Lauren was ecstatic to get all gussied up and share the spotlight with Lexi. Our dreams of capturing the "perfect shot" did not materialize! In fact, we now believe that this was a sneak preview into what it will be like during future photo sessions with both Lauren & Tyler. LOL When one was looking, the other glanced away......when the photographer got one arranged on the lighted "x", the other ( yes, the furry bandit) was making a break for the door. :) We had 2 near misses the Pit Bull waiting for his turn & a box of dog treats later found both girls a bit overheated (as evidenced by Lexi's panting tongue) & bit exasperated! And finally, both Scott & I had the vague notion that Lexi's shot in particular resembled those awful Glamour Shots folks used to be able to get in the mall......smokey hues.....head tossed over the shoulder....fur shrug around the shoulders ( well, she does come by that honestly!).... BUT, it was so precious to simply have them together and we all worked so hard, that the above photo collage was pieced together and will always remind us of a special and silly day!

I also wanted to take a moment to share with you all that sadly the updates of our baby boy did not arrive this week and as we are leaving town on Sunday, I will most likely be unable to share them until well after Christmas. :( It also means that I will be unable to see all the other beautiful baby updates that arrive to waiting families in the next week OR peek in at all the blogs that I LOVE to read way too often!( Yes, that means all of you!!) I will miss sharing the little snippets of everyones' days & events and I will be thinking about you all!

Finally, I wanted to express our wishes to you all for a safe, bright, peaceful and loving Christmas. May lovely happy times decorate your holiday season, now & always.

I pray that your fondest wishes and dreams are granted during this blessed time of year....I believe in miracles, always have, and I believe in each of you!

Hugs of joy,

Scott, Lisa, Lauren, Baby Tyler & Lexi dog

All She Wants for Christmas......

......is her two front teeth! Okay, well there are a few other little items on that letter to Santa too, but this was just too perfect to pass up! What are the odds those two little pearls would be missing & at Christmas time too! ;)


Also Overheard.....

Our sweet baby glider/ottoman arrived this past week and while we were describing it to a friend, Lauren was overheard telling her buddy this: "yes, the chair is fine, BUT you should see the BOX it came in!" LOL And oh yes, like so many of you have blogged before, that box has been GOLD in this house! Currently its a 3 room cottage complete with fenced dog run & a flower garden with water feature. :)


Also overheard.....Lauren was explaining to a friend last week that we had sent some special Christmas things to Baby Tyler but that she was absolutely positive that Santa would still be filling his Baby's First stocking on Christmas Eve at Mimi & Papa's house. So of course out came that stocking to be filled right along with hers! I LOVE that she is already looking out for her baby brother! She has also "volunteered" to open his stocking for him! Ho! Ho! Ho!

And finally...... not so much overheard, but Lauren's teacher told me Friday when I was helping in the classroom that when she introduced the subject of traditions, Lauren was the only child in the class who knew exactly what a tradition was and that she went on to share several special traditions that our family holds dear. LOVE that!!

I think our next post will be updates......fingers crossed! So anxious to see our sweet little man!! Hope you are all doing well!!

The story of a tree.....

I believe every tree tells a story and our tree is no exception. Throughout the years our tree has worn several different 'cloaks' but the one constant has been the tale of 'us' it shares. From the time I was little, my folks created the tradition of giving my sister & I an ornament every year on Christmas Eve. Occasionally we were allowed to open one package that night too & often our ornament was over shadowed in the excitement of the holidays. Often our ornaments were parts of series that my Mom felt were reflective of our tastes and personalities at the time or sometimes were mementos of family vacations. Many of them are quite old, some are family antiques passed down from loved ones and all of them both old & new are priceless to me!

As I gaze at my tree tonight, certainly it is far from perfect! If it could speak, it would probably sigh & tell me that too many ornaments are clustered on its fragile lower branches, that the tinsel is itchy and the tree skirt too snug! It shows the many marks of being decorated and adored from a 6 year old girl, who alight with joy, has her own unique sense of design and presentation! :)

In response to our tree, I would gently tell her (him?) that while I can sympathize with its many complaints, I would not trade the bliss of sharing this yearly tradition that reaches all the way back to my most cherished memories, with my child. As we unwrap ornaments tucked carefully away each year, I am walked gently down memory lane.....remembering the ornament bought on a family trip to Myrtle Beach....remembering the first time we proudly hung our Precious Moments, "Our First Christmas" and later, "Baby's First Christmas" ornaments on our tree. Seeing my fledgling attempts at cursive handwriting on the old ornament boxes, proudly claiming them as my own. Remembering well the year we only hung ornaments on the top 1/2 of the tree to safeguard tiny, curious hands. Wondering what our tree will look like next year with another, "Baby's First Christmas" ornament hung on its branches....... this one in blue!

Yes, I believe that every tree has a story to share.......


Our main tree...a bit blurry ( sorry!) but the only one with Lexi posing!

Lauren's collection of ornaments has grown! We started this new tree for her last year!

This was Lauren's initial tree for her bedroom. She outgrew it, so now it sits on our landing.

The feather tree that matches my Mom's. We stalked these for weeks waiting for a sale!

Lauren's miniature tree. My Mom has decorated these trees and started this tradition for each grandchild. There is one waiting for baby Tyler in his nursery too!!

*** P.S. Okay, Martha Stewart I am not! LOL But I had a few requests to see the "trees". They are not all full sized, but each one represents something special to our family. BTW, I didn't want to show Tyler's tree, cuz the nursery is still not quite done! ( gotta get going on that!!) But I counted the two "mini" trees as one! :) Yes, I took some liberties!! :)

Potpourri

There has definitely been a hustle & bustle around our house! In the days following our First Ruling we have gone from joyful "deer in headlights" to gleeful, "let's get busy mode"! At first we stumbled a bit feeling torn between balancing everyday needs, the festive demands of the holidays and preparing ourselves for eventual travel!! There were a few nights of sporadic sleep....am I the only gal that wakes up in the night & finds it impossible to shut the brain off? :) But now, if a bit groggy, we are in full ACTION mode! I thought maybe potpourri summed up well the scattered comings & goings and thoughts of these past few days! I also wanted to share a bit of sugar with ya all in the form of Lauren & Mama's awesome romp in the snow! Please meet the newest member of our household, fondly dubbed: Nature Snow Dude

So where exactly has the time gone? Since Monday, I have finished up the Christmas letter (mostly photos of our best girl and best baby boy!), addressed the envelopes and am 1/2 way done with personalizing each Christmas card! I have also done the following:

* Unearthed & washed all the big pieces of baby gear ( high chair, saucer, stroller, etc.)

* Put most of the finishing touches on the nursery ( almost there, will share when completed! )

* Completed 50% of Christmas shopping - completely done with Lauren! No wrapping yet! :(

* Began trying to make heads or tails(?) out of travel documents needed for our trip to Taiwan.

* Shampooed all the carpets upstairs & the area rugs downstairs. ( Ugh......)

* We girls completed decorating our house for Christmas! (HO! HO!) 5 trees decorated!!

* Sent the baby's Christmas care package.....here's a portion of what we sent!




And lastly, squeezed out a bit of time for some blogging and checking out all the blogs of my peeps! LOL Oh, almost forgot too.....my sweet & wonderful friend Tammy gave us an adorable baby photo album yesterday & I'm starting to gather our little man's life book materials!

Phew.....tomorrow its off to Lauren's classroom to help out; Friday is my normal day and I just love it! The kids are darling and they say & do the most hilarious things! Best of all is knowing that Lauren anticipates me coming in & starts asking on Mondays if its my day at her school! That melts my heart!
Happy Friday & weekend everyone!

P.S. Please check out Shannon's blog, A Journey of Love on my blog roll for their fundraiser information to help bring their child home from China! A beautiful family & a worthy cause!!

First Ruling News!

Oh my goodness, we are still completely exhilarated and thrilled! We received word today from our agency that we have received our First Ruling and should anticipate our second ruling within 4 to 6 weeks. This is a HUGE & significant step and means we are one BIG step closer to having our little man in our arms. All along I had a Mama's intuition or 'feeling' that we would most likely travel in January. As some cases moved along faster, we began to hope that we may travel prior to Christmas, but based on this Ruling believe we will most likely travel in January or early February. ( fingers crossed please!!) It would seem my intuition was close all along and what a tremendous birthday present it would be to bring our baby son home in January! :)

I hope you all enjoyed a glorious long weekend with your families & thanks again for stopping by and sharing this journey with our family.

Yippee!

Thankfully Yours!

Okay, I have been reluctant to add a new post, cuz I don't want to bump our sweet little man down the page! :) This will be a "budget post", using less words than usual. Are those snickers I hear??.... and please relax those raised eyebrows....please? Yes, it is possible for me to be straightforward......I don't have to like it, but it is doable! Drum roll please.......

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! May you each find a bit of peace, love, light & laughter with family & friends over this long weekend. I will be away from bloggyland for a spell, but"I'll be back" ( please cue bad Arnold Schwarzenegger movie line for dramatic affect!) & eager to see how y'all spent your Gobble time early next week!! Hugs & drumsticks for everyone! Or for those of us who could truly care less about meat(like me).....Hugs & pumpkin pie!! ;) Mmm..mmm...

Thrilling Thursday ~ Update Time!

Oh my gosh, here he is! These were taken on October 27th and our little hunk of man was 3 months & 18 days old at the time these were photos were snapped! We are so tickled to see his cherubic face & maybe, just maybe we have found the new face of Gerber! Look at those cheeks! He is now up to 16 ( yes, that is not a typo! ) pounds and is 25 inches in length. That is a lot of sweet boy there to love on, cuddle and snuggle. Oh, how we wish he was home right now!! I'm starting this instant with my bicep toning to be baby ready!! :)

I'm also attaching the video we were sent and there is one brief fleeting smile at the beginning. He looks a bit overwhelmed towards the end of the video & he is very intrigued by whatever they are jingling above his head. I also want to thank everyone who left such supportive and sweet comments for us regarding the "late" updates. Just can't thank you all enough for helping to keep me sane! Thanks for stopping by everyone & please pray (or hope & wish) that all the waiting babies come home soon!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Updates, shmup-dates! The updates are late, late, late, for a very important date! :( Another family has received word that they should be sent before Thanksgiving (Yay!) so in the meantime I thought I would share a few shots from our recent trip to a local park......before it got so cold & blustery!

So proud to be holding the leash!

This one is for you Simone!! :)

Just after jumping from the swing!

Out of order, but look at that leap!

Our girls take the plunge!

Okay guys, hopefully our next post will be to share updates or some other kind of amazing news! (wishful thinking!!) It is amazing how important those updates have become to our family; many of our friends & family members have been emailing, calling and anxiously awaiting them also! Its one tiny link to our son............we treasure them so much!!

Color Me Blue!

I don't know if anyone blogs or even checks blogs much on the weekends, but this antsy Mom has had it with cleaning, purging & organizing for the moment! (I must be nesting!!) So I thought I would give a sneak peek at the spoils from my latest shopping adventure and as you can see.....its all blue! (Plus my Mom is so anxious to see it all!!) :) It has been my secret fear that I would not be able to find cute & sweet things for our Little Man. Shopping for our little Miss has always been so easy and FUN; there are so many options for girls when shopping that the real challenge is more in limiting yourself to only a few things, than finding something adorable. So imagine my delight when I stumbled into a T.J. Maxx this past week to find a store clerk just unloading these darling items AND they were such good deals. ( Always a plus when funding an adoption!! ) LOL The only non clothing item I found was the above 2-in-1 Cart Cover (shopping cart and restaurant high chair cover) & I just LOVE it! Its ecru/black and the fabric depicts children playing in a vintage toile pattern. Much of Lauren's nursery bedding was based around chenille & toile, and I didn't think it possible to work that in (in a manly way) for our son. The clerk must have thought I was batty, hugging that very last cart cover to my chest as I lugged my haul to the check out(crazed grin on my face), but I didn't care in the least! :) Course I still had to get receipts, despite buying only the roomier 9 to 12 month sizes........a cold dash of reality, but an altogether glorious adventure for this waiting for those updates, gosh darn it, gal!

*** Happy weekend everyone!!!

****P.S. The snowsuit is like a cloud & there is a tiny tag on it that reads: "Faux Fur" ; that just amuses me so much!

What's In The Toy Box?

Well, not really the toy box, cuz that is filled to the brim with Polly Pockets, Barbies, Webkinz and much more! But as I am always interested in and seeking toys & books that explore adoption and offer exposure to multi-cultural themes, I thought some of you might enjoy a glimpse at some of our tried & true faves....

In the top picture I have included an amazing matching/memory game called, I Never Forget a Face!. In addition to sharpening recognition and memory skills, this beautiful game features 24 pairs of children from around the world. There are no pairs from Kazakhstan or Taiwan, but there are children included from: China, Vietnam, Mali, Russia, Scotland, Brazil, Mexico, Hawaii, Haiti, Myanmar and many more! The game is listed for ages 5 & up on the box, but the cards are extremely sturdy laminate boards, fully drool proof and easy for chubby little fingers to grasp! ( Way too big to be a choking hazard either. ) Lauren & I adore this game that was given to us by our sweet & generous friend "T" ( actually a lot of these incredible things were given to us by "T" ) and it has prompted many requests from her to research these countries to learn more about these cultures, climates, etc.....she also thinks several of the boys are, " really cute, Mom". Ummm......I'm so not ready for that!! LOL

** This game is an Eboo.com product but you can find it for much less at this site: http://www.dollslikeme.com/ (under games & puzzles) ** This is a great site too for more multicultural toys/activities! Target also carries Eboo products.

Also in the top picture is a unique set of blocks by the Habba company. We received these blocks at one of our baby showers and have been using them since Lauren could stack blocks! This is the Russian set, and though Lauren has no documented Russian ancestry, Kazakhstans' culture has been heavily influenced by Russian traditions/architecture, etc. so this has been fun for us all! The blocks are surprisingly sophisticated and even older kiddos visiting our home have loved this set. Habba makes other country specific block sets too and their products can be found at: http://www.haba.de/

Yikes....still at the top.....Of course we have Big Bird in China and while Lauren is well beyond the Sesame Street gang, it has been fun to watch and I know her baby brother will probably love it down the road. This one can be hard to find, but I did find it listed as "on sale" at: http://www.chinasprout.com/

Also at top is Lauren's look-a-like Bitty Baby doll. This was also a gift and tailored to match her coloring & heritage. Bitty is an American Girl doll and is absolutely cherished by Lauren & I both.

Again, (at the top) is a Sagwa DVD, ( Cat Tales & Celebrations) which features a spunky Chinese Siamese cat and is based on a book written by Amy Tan. We love this one because it highlights several holidays/traditions celebrated in both China and Taiwan. I was tickled to see mention of Stinky Tofu, moon cakes and Chinese New Year. This is a PBS Kids product.

Finally at the top ( and thanks for still reading!) is the amazing See 'n Say: Kids Around the World. This was a gift from (yes, the amazing) "T" for our baby boy, but Lauren has checked it out thoroughly and gave it a huge "thumbs-up". It is two sided and features the countries of: Italy, Germany, Russia, Kenya, India, Australia, Japan, China, Canada, USA ,Mexico, Brazil, Spain, England, France and Land & Sea. Once activated it has a musical selection from each country, facts, words, counting in each language and a seek & find game. It is fantastic and Lauren can count, sing and say 'hello' in so many languages now! I could not find a website for this toy, but a random google should bring it right up! This is a great one for many ages!

The middle picture shows Lauren reading in her room with some of our favorite books that have adoption themes. I won't type all the titles as I hope they are readable above, but I will say that these have become such keepsakes for our family and they are so kid friendly and explore adoption in a very whimsical and kid appropriate way. Lauren is holding her favorite, A Mother for Choco, which is especially brilliant for multi-racial adoptions and also is a nice one to master for an independent reader like Lauren. Our other favorites are the Little Miss Spider books. In Little Miss Spiders Christmas Wish, she prays for a sibling and her Christmas miracle brings a little brother home to her family! How appropriate for us this year as we wait for our baby boy!! (Praying he can be home for Christmas, but fearful we will be sending him kisses from afar....). These books are short & sweet and also wonderful for trans racial adoptions and single parent adoptions. These were some of the first books Lauren read all by herself last year and that's a plus too for older siblings or as your child grows! Lauren can't wait to read these books to her baby brother!!( Us too!!) All the books can be found ( I believe ) at most major book stores.

Phew....are you still with me? Wow! Okay, yes, the final picture is blogger prerogative and we included Lexi with her look-a-like cuz Lauren was worried she would feel left out if we didn't add it! How sweet is that!?!

Final Thought: Please let me know if you have any great toys/books/games related to adoption or culture that your family loves!!

P.S. Updates should be coming soon! Yay!! We miss our boy so much and want him home!!!

Awareness......

November is National Adoption Awareness Month, with the last Saturday prior to Thanksgiving always being recognized as National Adoption Day is this country. How fitting that a day so close to Thanksgiving would raise awareness of adoption & celebrate the diversity, miracle & tremendous blessings of adoption. It matters not whether the adoption takes place domestically or on foreign soils; every adoption is unique and beautiful, forged in trust, faith and deep abiding love. It is a tribute to adoptive families everywhere that a month already cherished for its long standing traditions and focus on giving thanks would be designated as a month to honor forever families forged through the grace of adoption.


In celebration of this month, I wished to share a poem that truly resonated with me for its simplicity & beauty....


November..............
A time to gather and give thanks.
A time to give thanks for the blessings of adoption.
Remembering those who are daily blessed by adoption.
And those who make adoption possible.


I give thanks this month and each and every day for the 2 angels who have blessed us beyond compare. My words don't fail me often, but it is simply impossible to adequately express how their very existence has gifted us beyond measure. One child home in our loving arms.......another equally loved & eagerly awaited from afar........


I also give thanks for our loving and supportive families, who truly are the champions of our hearts and are equally devoted and crazy about these amazing kiddos! I give thanks for our friends, both near and far, who provide steady support and faith, while our family journeys along its twists and turns. Emails, phone calls, letters, gifts, visits........each one tethering us & shoring us up during the more turbulent moments. I also give great thanks to my Yah** group, whose membership has offered tremendous support, humor, sanity, resources and best of all, unexpected friendship. I am in awe of these fellow adoptive families and their courage, acceptance and faith. Equally valued are the fellow bloggers I have been privileged to communicate with since creating this site. Their giving natures, kindness, honesty & grace thrills me and provides a unique sense of fellowship in what can sometimes feel like a lonely journey, made so much less so by this incredible community.



I have much to be thankful for!

We had an amazing Halloween weekend! In addition to my folks coming up for a long weekend (yay!) we had some stray visitors in the tiny form(s) of a glamorous kitty cat and a devilish doggy! I also included a random photograph of some local color from our town's downtown square; it was so lovely on Halloween day and we absolutely could not have ordered a more perfect & ideal day for trick or treating! Boo! It is one we will remember for many years to come!

Our little slice of suburbia does some extra wonderful things for Halloween and this year was no exception! Each year on Halloween day the shopkeepers hunker down outside their stores, regardless of the temperatures and hand out treats to the local kiddos who come trick or treating. Its safe, fun, quirky and festive. We always see so many friends & classmates and this year we had almost all of the Grandparents with us as we made our way around the square! One tiny kitty cat with 7 adults trailing behind or alongside her.....I wonder if anyone thought we were paparazzi! LOL

Off subject, I also wanted to share that we, despite keeping meticulous records, were thrilled to receive a small check from our adoption agency as it seems we had recently overpaid a bill?? I have to say that this was a complete surprise and we are so pleased to be working with such a scrupulous & honest agency. I wish more surprises like that were tucked into the mail! :)

We also plan to send our second care package this coming week. We have adorable outfits from both Mimi O. and Mimi K. to include, as well as, a few other little odds & ends that Mama here has been unable to resist! We hope to send smaller but more frequent packages from this point on and are hopeful we may yet see our sweet boy in something we send.

I hope everyone reading this enjoyed a festive and spook-tacular Halloween. BTW....Lauren picked out the devil delight for our sweet pooch, Lexi! (tee-hee) Okay, I'm off to check all my other favorite blogs......with our big weekend, I have been a terrible bloggy friend!

Ghosts of Halloween Past

MEOW!

This was my dress when I was little too!
Repeat after me please...its not old....its vintage!!

Sentimental lion-girl..........

Look at those baby cheeks!

Star Trek Spock and Baby Minnie...our first Halloween!
(Umm..did I mention we were geeks at heart? ) LOL

Growl!

Just want to wish everyone a hauntingly happy Halloween a bit early! Lauren won't let me post pictures of this year's costume yet as she doesn't want to spoil the thrill of the big unveil for all the Mimi's & Papas this coming Friday! Soooo....I rustled up some of our favorite snapshots from past Halloweens AND a little peek at our carved pumpkin! Hope you all enjoy the photos and thanks for stopping by! BOO! Give your munchkins and goblins a little squeeze from me! :)

Shout-out

Glitter Graphics Maker & MySpace Layouts

Another Year Better!

Okay y'all, we have to take a break from my usual ramblings so that I can give a HUGE shout-out to my hubby & Lauren/Little Man's Dadda(a.k.a. Scott), wishing him a glorious birthday tomorrow!

It has to be said that when I approached the idea of blogging a birthday post in his honor it was not greeted with glee and anticipation. LOL But nagging ( er....persuasion ) prevailed and ta-da! .... we have a sneak peek into the man previously referred to in several of my old posts! ;) So then, who is this fella that approaches the Name Game with grit and determination ( not to mention a bit of playground folly )?.......Could he be the same one who brought the sniffles knocking on our door 2 weeks back? Or perhaps he is the one who eschewed the beloved sporting event to take us girls to the Apple Orchard 2 years ago(top picture) and every year since? Well, maybe its the same guy who, despite not caring all that much for extreme heights, still boarded the Old Navy Pier Ferris Wheel and gamely rode along with a smile, rather than disappoint his sweet girl.(middle picture) Or could it be the fella who works so very hard everyday so that we girls can spend our days together at home? Hmmm......

Yep, you guys already guessed it.......its the same guy and despite it all, he somehow makes it look easy on most days....like the perfect balancing act! (final picture) For that and so much more....we girls send big birthday wishes and lotsa love to THAT guy!

Let's Face It

I don't often like to include pictures of myself while blogging as I prefer to focus on our kiddos, but this particular pic. is a favorite of mine & Lauren's and the circumstances around it have been tickling my brain of late! This is another pose from the set of 6 year old pictures I previously posted about ( Six Things I Love about Lauren ) and it came about as an accident really. The photographer had asked if I would like to step in and have a few photos taken of us girls together and just as I had nodded, 'no', Lauren gleefully shouted, 'oh yes', grabbed my hand and took me along. I'm so glad she did!

What makes this photo unique is that after snapping it, the photographer mentioned that she could finally see the family resemblance between Lauren and I. With Lauren's blended ancestry ( Ukrainian/Kazakh. ) it is not always obvious that we are an adoptive family, thereby making these types of observations not common but not rare either. Often we have random folks ask questions such as, "where ever did you get those beautiful brown eyes?" or, " she must really favor her Daddy." LOL Years ago Lauren and I developed ways to address these innocent and well intended inquiries and often we will both touch a spot near our hearts, a symbol to us both that we know we are alike in all the really important ways. That day, with the photographer, I looked at my girl to see her smiling big, nodding and touching her heart lightly. I knew that she understood better than most, just how closely our hearts, dreams & souls dance in sync. I also think I know what the photographer saw when she said that.....of all the photos taken that day, Lauren looks the most naturally radiant in this one and its easy to see my joy of being her Mama in my big smile too!

Similarly over the years, both Scott and I have been asked if we missed or mourned not having a child that physically resembles us. Some of you that may be in the earlier or waiting stages of your adoptions may be wondering the same things....or being asked the same questions. Truthfully I can say ( and I know Scott feels the very same way ) that we absolutely believe Lauren ( and our son ) to be more perfect for us and more beautiful than any other child could ever have been. We also have taken great strides to ensure that Lauren always knows she is valued for who and what she is, separate from physical appearances. Adoption books may tell you ( while bonding ) to focus on the things that you do share in common with your child, such as sense of humor, smile or laugh. Those are all fine, but we always wanted ( needed ) Lauren to know how much we cherished ALL the things unique to her........to always understand that we value all of her and celebrate in all the unfolding nuances of who she is and what she will become.

On the other side of this though, I am reminded that another set of eyes....maybe lovely brown or sparkling hazel?..... beheld this child first, months before my own. Someday Lauren may wonder and be openly curious about her Birth Mother's physical appearance and character. We won't have all of those answers, but this is what I do know...........she was very beautiful, strong and courageous. She may have faced circumstances that were beyond her control, but she bravely fought to control the choices that she did have: to keep herself and her baby healthy throughout her pregnancy......to seek medical assistance for a normal delivery........to make a plan for this child to be placed into loving arms, when hers were unable to shelter, guide and care for on a daily basis. I pray to God that as Lauren's questions & insights grow I will always be able to answer her questions, no matter the complexity, in a way that honors both her, her heritage and the incredible woman with the eyes that lovingly held Lauren's eyes first. It is almost unspeakable how very much I do honor Lauren's ( and Pei-En's ) birth mothers.......I do know in a very real sense that they walk beside me every day, supporting me in this glorious journey of Mama-hood. And while I may not ever know details about their physical appearance beyond guesses & speculations, I have seen glimpses into their hearts and souls & that humbles me.

And finally....what do I see when I look at the picture of Lauren and I above? What do I see when my blessed blue eyes turn to look into her beautiful brown eyes?............ I see my legacy......my destiny........ and very simply,.......... I see my child.

He's All Boy ~ Update Time!

It's the most wonderful time of the month when the updates arrive! And with sweet Lauren still under the weather, it could not have come at a better time; we girls needed a boost and I know Scott will be so thrilled to see our little man as soon as he can! ( Though he is growing weary of the pink bedding....LOL ).

So let's see......these were taken on September 27th, so he was just a bit over 2 1/2 months old. He was 7.6 pnds at birth and is now a robust 13.2 pounds and 23 1/2 inches in length, making him HUGE by any standard! When I first read the measurements and did the conversion, I presumed it was a mistake....then I saw his precious pictures/video and its all true! Look at those cheeks, thighs and belly.....the cutest little man I've seen AND he smiles and laughs a bit on the video!! Mama has been waiting for that!! I'm so crazy about him!!

I also wish to take a moment to congratulate the families that received news of their babies/toddlers these past 2 wks. They join all the rest of us on cloud nine and its a great place to be! I also wanted to thank everyone who stops by, wishes us well( be it comments, emails, prayers, etc.) and is following along. It means a lot to us all!

S.O.S.

Some of you may recall from the Pumpkin post Sunday that Scott ( a.k.a.) Daddy stayed home with a set of sniffles that morphed into a nasty little bug! Welllll....my poor sweet girl has gone and captured those same nervy buggers and is suffering in a mighty way today! ( Yesterday too!) The above picture IS NOT from today, cuz she's currently nestled on the sofa in jammies, hugging her sweet lovey Red Baby ,but it sums up nicely how she is feeling!

I hate it when my baby is feeling poorly and the worst has been her wicked cough. It makes laying down to rest impossible, with rest being what she most needs! It also makes playing tough and her interest in all things play is low to begin with right now. She cried sad tears when I had to call her in sick to school and she is devastated that she may miss tomorrow's field trip to.......you guessed it, a Pumpkin Farm! And I am scheduled to go along as a chaperon!

To date, she has been seen by our caring doctor........'it just needs to run its course'. :( To pass the time we have read all of her Skippy John Jones books, every last Fancy Nancy book we own, painted with water colors, watched 2 movies ( a rare occurrence indeed! ), painted her toe nails, snuggled for hours ( with Me, Mama, trying not to breathe in the germies, but without making her aware of my precautions), colored pictures, and now she is fitfully resting & coughing up a storm!

Sooooo...... it got me thinking( always a scary thing! LOL).......please, does anyone else have any ideas for quiet activities we could do to pass time on our sick day(s)? She does not feel up to baking cookies ( that's how I knew she was really sick! ) or much play.......any tips, tried and true?? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

'Punkin Pickin'

Just wanted to give you all a glimpse into our perfect little afternoon at the Pumpkin Farm. Traditionally we take Lauren to a larger & busier 'punkin place', but this year we stayed right in town at a local farm and had such fun! It was nearly 80 degrees, so our Halloween/Fall clothes were not possible, but gosh was it a gorgeous day! We wandered through haunted corn mazes(only getting lost once or twice!), painted pumpkins, took a hay ride ( bumpy but lovely!), visited with & fed the furry faces showcased above ( Lauren loved this sweet & shy little brown goat ) but it was the woolly sheep and the chubby white goat who muscled in for all the munchies! And of course we picked out 2 glorious plump pumpkins and a wee little tiny one to make a grand total of 3.

It was just us girls, as Scott was home with the sniffles, so I did my best to snap a few photos AND keep up with my girl! All in all it was just a charming & festive outing to celebrate this glorious time of year. The trees are busy changing into their vibrant hued costumes, and while I can't say that the air has been brisk ( warm actually!), it absolutely IS Autumn and I adore everything about it!

Happy Fall Everyone!!