Each Moment is Enormous...

All I Want for Christmas...

2011-11-27T20:28:00.001-08:00

I don't need a thing for Christmas. I have everything I could ever want. As for my girls, well, let's just say Santa got an earful.

Maddie's 5th Birthday Party

2011-11-19T17:25:00.001-08:00

Halloween 2011

2011-11-06T18:19:00.001-08:00

Costumes were decided upon in August. There was no debate, no waffling, no second guessing. They were going to be princesses no matter what Mommy said.

And here's the other side of the princess persona. The shirts read, "If you think I'm scary, you should see my sister." My sister gave them these t-shirts. Hmmm. Do you think I should read anything into that?

First Day of Pre-K 2011

2011-09-12T08:31:00.001-07:00

Obviously, since we moved, the girls are in a new school this year. And they are officially in Pre-K, one year before kindergarten. I cannot believe it. There was no apprehension this morning. We attended several workshops at our new school over the summer, so the girls are already familiar with the building. We went to open house on Friday and met their teachers, so there was no anxiety about that either...just excitement over being in a new room and meeting some new friends.

New Leg!

2011-09-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

Six weeks in a cast. One more week waiting. Finally, a new leg with a Cinderella tattoo. Oh, it's good to be walking again!

Out of Surgery and Feelin' Fine...So Far

2011-07-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

First things first. Maddie is out of surgery and doing fine.

We arrived at Shriners Hospital in Minneapolis at 8:00 a.m. After three rousing rounds of the memory game, our first ever viewing of "Mulan II," and some sticker fun, it was finally time for Maddie to get ready to go to the OR. It was nearly noon, and despite the fact that she hadn't had anything to eat or drink since last night, Maddie didn't complain once...even when her parents and sister had a hearty breakfast right in front of her.

Surgery lasted nearly three hours. Excruciating. But all went well.

She is currently sporting a bright pink cast and watching "Pooh's Heffalump Movie while we wait for her specially ordered dinner: Mac and cheese and watermelon. She is in no pain because of an epidural which will be wearing off in an hour or so. At that time, she'll start oral pain meds. We are hoping for a comfortable, uneventful night, and if all goes well, Maddie will go home tomorrow.

Miss Isabel has been a real trouper all day, too.

We are happy surgery is over. Now begins the six to eight week road to recovery. More details later when I get off this ipad and onto a real computer.

I Wish I Would Have Invented Pillow Pets

2011-07-13T15:39:00.000-07:00

Today, Maddie, Ibby, and I did every physical thing we could think of, literally hopped, skipped, and jumped as much as we could, knowing that Maddie will not be able to partake in these activities for the next six to eight weeks. The bonus is Mom burned some precious calories (damn nervous eating) and the girls should be exhausted tonight prompting a good night's sleep for all.

Tonight we are having a special dinner...Maddie's choice...tortellini alfredo with chicken, salads, and garlic toast. And we will present Maddie with the extra large ladybug pillow pet to sleep with tonight and take to the hospital tomorrow. If you don't have kids, you may not know what these are. We have six of them. Yes, six. My girls are infatuated with them, and as the title of this post states, I really wish I would have created this toy because I would be a gazillionaire, I'm sure.

I'm nervous. Really, really nervous. I'm quite confident that all will go well. It's just that if I could spare Maddie of this experience, I would. In a heartbeat. But it's these things that make us strong, right? And build character? And Maddie has more character than almost anyone I know. So. I think I may have to drink a beer tonight to make me tired. I'm not sure sleep will come easily. But tomorrow at this time, we will already be on the road to recovery. More then...

All Systems Go

2011-07-08T12:36:00.001-07:00

Today, Maddie, Ibby, and I spent four and a half hours at Shriners Hospital in Minneapolis in preparation for Maddie's surgery next Thursday, July 14.

We always knew Maddie would need a second surgery on her leg. The fibula (the only significant bone she has in the lower portion of that leg since the tibia is just a little sliver) is slanted, and to give Maddie the best shot at walking "normally" for the long term, that bone needs to be centralized or straightened. Right now, it bulges out the side of her knee, and as she grows, the bone grows too, so it is beginning to protrude more and more. Fitting her with a prosthesis is going to be much easier once this protrusion no longer exists. And her gait should normalize a bit too once she's no longer swinging that leg out when she walks and runs. Anyhow, our surgeon believes now is the best time to proceed, so off we go!

I can hardly believe that Maddie was only two and had only been home a few months when she had her first surgery. What a different experience this time around. When asked, she can tell you what she's going to the hospital for, and she can give a pretty good explanation of the procedure that's going to be performed. I remember, with horror, when they tried to take blood during her pre-op physical for that first surgery, and how she screamed and struggled. Today, not even a wince or a tear...of course, I attribute that totally to the wonderful lab tech who got her on the first poke!

After surgery, Maddie will be without her prosthesis for six to eight weeks as her leg heals. Not fun, but we know that Maddie will handle it with the grace and humor with which she handles everything. She is truly a remarkable child. Back in December when she broke her leg, I told her she was a trouper. "Do you know what 'trouper' means?" I asked. She replied, "It means I'm a very brave girl." And indeed, she is.

And let me not leave Isabel out of this post. A more caring, empathetic sister you could not find. She held Maddie's hand during the blood draw today. And after it was all over, she exclaimed excitedly, "Good job, Maddie! Give me five!"

I left Shriners nearly in tears today because I have two of the most amazing children. They were patient and positive and so well behaved as we went from one part of the hospital to another, seeing one doctor or another. No whining, no complaning. I am so blessed and so proud to be their mom.

So I will post updates here as we proceed through our next surgical adventure. I know I don't have to ask for you to keep us, especially Maddie, in your thoughts and prayers next Thursday and in the coming weeks. We are so lucky to have so many friends and family members who hold us close in their hearts. Your loving support means the world to us.

More of Marco

2011-06-23T06:46:00.001-07:00

Our vacation is quickly coming to an end. We head home on Saturday. We've had a marvelous time in Marco. Can't wait until next year. Here are a few sunset beach shots.

Marco Island June 2011

2011-06-23T06:20:00.000-07:00

Dance Recital Dress Rehearsal

2011-06-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, yeah, so it's been forever since I've posted, but I couldn't resist putting up a few shots from today's dress rehearsal for the big recital scheduled for tomorrow. The girls did so great and more importantly had so much fun. We couldn't be more proud of our two tiny dancers.

A Visit with Santa

2010-11-30T12:21:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe a year has passed since last holiday season. And what a year it's been. If you recall, Maddie got her prosthesis last year just before Thanksgiving, and she was just learning how to manuever on two legs. Now, she's four inches taller and already on her second "special" leg. She can walk across a balance beam at gymnastics with very little assistance. She can tap dance, and she worked very, very hard to learn position one in ballet...no easy task when you have one artificial leg. Besides dance and gymnasatics, Maddie loves to sing. She knows lots of song by heart from "Amazing Grace" to the Black Eyed Peas. Her favorite birthday present, which has been getting lots and lots of use, is a kids' MP3 player with an attached microphone. We were able to load it up with all of her favorite songs, and she can often be heard singing her little heart out, mike in hand. Maddie's English continues to flourish. At her recent parent/teacher conference, her teacher told us that Maddie speaks far better than many of her classmates, all of whom have spoken English all of their lives. We are also pleased that Maddie has developed into a very caring, emphathetic child. Just last night, I was talking to my mom on the phone who has been suffering from a nasty cold. Maddie came into the room and asked, "How is Grandma's cold? Is she feeling better?" And she is so polite. We hardly ever have to remind her to say please, thank you, you're welcome, or excuse me. She loves school. She loves Sunday school. She continues to love dresses and dressing up. She is a happy, smart, funny, talented, amazing kid. We are so lucky to have her as a part of our family. I cannot imagine life without her.

Miss Ibby is the most affectionate human being I have ever known. I cannot count how many hugs and kisses I receive throughout the day or how many times I hear, "I love you, Mom." "You're my best friend, Mom." And talk about happy! It is very rare to see her without a smile on her face. She loves puzzles and coloring and painting. Her teacher says she excels in the visual/spatial/mathematical areas. A budding architect, perhaps? She's such a little peanut...we like to use the term "petite"...that she looks younger than she is. It's so funny to hear big vocabulary words like "ridiculous" or "frustrated" in her adorable little voice. Isabel is a cuddler, and if she's not hugging a family member, she can be seen clutching one of her many stuffed animals, all of which must go to bed with her. There is hardly enough room in bed for the girl! Isabel is a sensitive soul...a little scared by the intense moments in films (she and I had to leave "Tangled" for a few moments near the end when things got a little hairy...no pun intended), heartbroken if she's ever scolded, and so in tune with the feelings and moods of others. She loves her sister and her friends. She delights in school and Sunday school. Independent, smart, funny and athletic are all good words to describe her. She loves to run, ride bike, hold hands, sing, dance, "read" books to herself and others, and tell stories. She is full of love and laughter, curiousity and kindness. We are so proud of the person she has become...so sweet, so caring, so polite, so loving. She brings great "joie" to our lives. (Her middle name is certainly fitting.) She makes us better people, better parents, and our lives are immeasurably better because she is our daughter. She is a wondrous, wonderful girl.

As many of you know, I love the holiday season, always have. These days, the holidays are brighter and merrier than I could have ever imagined. I am blessed. I am blessed. Happy Holidays!

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T19:01:00.001-07:00

Dance School

2010-10-29T19:57:00.000-07:00

Isabel and Maddie started taking dance lessons in early September. No surprise. They LOVE it. After each Thursday evening class, they will ask if they can go again tomorrow. An entire week seems like an interminable wait to two excited three year olds. It is amazing to me how intently they listen to their teachers Miss Tara and Miss Eileen and how quickly they caught on to some of the moves even though this is their first formal experience with dance. Oh, we do a lot of dancing around here...especially on Mondays when "Dancing with the Stars" is on. The girls dance right along with the celebrities, wearing tutus and tiaras, sometimes partnering up, often trying to imitate the moves on the screen, and frequently commenting on the stars' wardrobes. Sometimes Daddy is called in for dips. Anyhow, back to dance school. In an effort to get the girls used to performing in front of an audience, there will be several mini recitals during the year, leading up to the BIG recital in June, 2011. On Thursday, they performed for the first time in front of parents and a few grandparents. They wore their Halloween costumes and showed us a few tap and ballet numbers. It was by far one of the cutest things I have ever seen. We didn't get a lot of great photos...they were constantly on the move...but here are a few highlights of the evening.

The Dance Company

Striking a Pose

A Few Ballet Moves

Around and Around

Little Red Riding Hood and Tinkerbell

The Cowgirl and the Princess

It's Fun to See Myself in the Mirror

And Even More Fun to Slam those Tap Shoes into the Floor

Just Checking to See if Mom and Dad are Watching

Philosophical Discussion

2010-10-04T19:25:00.001-07:00

Tonight at bedtime, the girls and I were discussing just what their nightly prayer means. "Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep." I reminded them that the Lord is God, and God lives in heaven.

"Grandpa is in heaven," said Isabel.
"That's right. Grandpa is in heaven," I replied.
"He's not sick anymore," said Maddie.
"No, he's not sick anymore. He's with God."
"In heaven?" questioned Maddie.
"Yes, honey, in heaven."
"By the clouds," said Ibby.
"And the moon," added Maddie. "Is God the moon?"
"No, God is not the moon."
"Is God a boy or girl?" asked Maddie.
"Well, God is a boy."
"Like Daddy is a boy?" said Isabel.
"Yes, like Daddy."
"I can't play on the moon because the moon is too far away," surmised Maddie
"That's right, honey,"
"We could ride in an airplane like Daddy," suggested Isabel. "It goes up, like this, and then lands, like this."
"That's what a plane does, but a regular plane won't get us to the moon."
"We could ride in a rocket ship like Caillou." Maddie loves Caillou.
"I'll get the lipstick [lip balm]," said Ibby.
And off to bed.

Amazing.

A Busy Weekend

2010-09-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

Saturday included soccer and swimming lessons. Sunday brought the first ever session of Sunday school. Oh, and there was a little tv watching in between.

On our way to soccer

On the field

Two Little Mermaids

We Love "Super Why"

Off to Sunday School

State Fair and Dancing Pics

2010-09-09T21:02:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Dancers

School Today

Like the Antlers ?

Chillin with Corn Dogs

Moo Isabel, Moo................

Do I have to wear gloves mom ?

Gloves Mom, Gloves !

Little Farm Hands

First Day of School

2010-09-08T11:17:00.000-07:00

Today, Madeleine and Isabel started their second year at St. David's, a wonderful preschool located just minutes from our home. Last year, they were in the toddler room, and they had a fabulous experience. I cannot believe how much they grew and learned and developed over the course of nine months. Last fall, they were just babies, and now they are definitely big girls with big ideas, big vocabularies, and big opinions. We love it! This year they have graduated to the three-year-old room, and we are looking forward to another great year.

Maddie and Ibby will be attending three mornings a week, up from two days last year. Here are a few pictures of them before we left for school this morning.

Maddie has grown three inches since last fall...Ibby not so much!

Maddie doing the happy dance for school...Ibby just being happy as usual!

Excited, excited, excited for a brand new year, new room, and new teachers!

Bye bye, Daddy!

And we're off! Here's looking forward to the 2010-2011 school year!

More Summer Fun

2010-08-24T17:21:00.000-07:00

Getting the Hang of T-Ball

Bowling at the Company Picnic

Hanging with Grandpa Dennis in the Arcade

The Divine Miss M at her First Public Singing Performance

Some Highlights of Summer

2010-07-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

Summer is far from over. Well, according to yesterday's paper, there are only 44 days left, which isn't nearly enough in my opinion, but right now it feels like we still have a lot of time left before the snow flies. Before too much more of it gets away from us, I thought I should post just a few pictures of some of the things we've been up to thus far.

MARCO ISLAND
Hanging out in the pool

Hanging out at the beach

4th of July
Parade

Fireworks

T-BALL

Hanging out at home...working on our computers

First Night of T-Ball and Postgame Interview

2010-07-13T21:52:00.001-07:00

Check out this video of the girls first t-ball game. There's also a post-game interview.
Click here to view

One Year Ago

2010-07-11T12:08:00.000-07:00

One year ago on this date, we brought Miss Madeleine home from China, and our family of four was whole.

Time is a funny thing. On the one hand, I can't believe how fast the past year has gone. On the other hand, it feels like Maddie has been with us forever. Hearing her language develop and watching her dynanmic personality emerge over the past several months has been a true delight, and witnessing the ever growing love between Maddie and Isabel has many times brought me to tears. Just last weekend, they were hugging each other, each saying, "This is my sister! This is my sister."

We aren't going to mark the day in any special way. Well, that's not actually true. We did do something new and interesting today. The girls have their first t-ball game on Tuesday night, so we spent some time outside this morning playing catch, the girls sporting their brand new baseball gloves. From the looks of things, Tuesday night ought to be very, very interesting and most certainly entertaining.

And now, an apology. I have been the worst blogger. I keep meaning to post pictures and anecdotes about our two girls, but honestly, time gets away from me every single day. We've had a busy summer thus far, and I can't seem to find a spare minute or ten to post some updates. I promise to be better. I don't know if there is anyone out there who's still tuning in...well, except for Grandma Sandy...but I promise, promise, promise to get some pictures and perhaps even some video up very soon, like this week. For sure.

Easter Pictures

2010-04-05T00:52:00.000-07:00

Easter Morning

2010-04-04T06:12:00.001-07:00

Easter Egg Hunt 2010

2010-04-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

Easter Bunny is Scary

Bye easter bunny

Tethered Cord Syndrome

2010-03-10T05:03:00.000-08:00

So it's 7:10 in the morning, and I am sitting in a quiet kitchen all by myself. This is odd, and it definitely feels very strange. Richard and the girls are on their way to Children's Hospital in Minneapolis where Maddie will undergo two tests today to determine how effectively her bladder and kidneys are working. Richard is on his own with the girls today as I have to go to my doctor for my pre-op physical.

Okay, so let's back up. Maddie has a soft, fatty mass in the small of her back. This was NOT noted in her medical reports from China, but we noticed it the first day we met her. Because we had previously reviewed the file of a child with spina bifida, I had done a lot of research on it as well as its related maladies. My first thought upon seeing the swelling near the base of her spine was that she had some form of spina bifida, but many of my fears were allayed when we realized that Maddie was completely potty trained and that even though she couldn't walk because of her lower leg deformity, the movement of her lower body was not compromised in any other way. So let's jump ahead to October of 2009 as we prepare for Maddie's foot ablation. The doctors wanted to have an MRI of Maddie's spine just to be sure there was nothing there that would interfere with the planned operation. The MRI was performed, and the neurologist gave the go ahead for surgery with the stipulation that we would meet with him after the beginning of the new year to fully discuss the MRI and its implications. In February, we finally met Maddie's neurologist and went over the results.

The fatty tissue that is visible on Maddie's back, called a lipoma, is a non-issue. It is not cancerous, nor will it ever turn cancerous, and it does not in any way impinge on Maddie's mobility. What is of concern is the fatty tissue that resides within the spinal column itself which is what the MRI revealed. The spinal column is meant to float free, so to speak, in fluid, and if anything, fatty tissue for example, attaches itself to the spinal column, lots of problems can occur as a child grows and the tissue begins to tug on the spine. The name for this condition is Tethered cord syndrome. The disorder is progressive, and left untreated, abnormal stretching of the spinal cord will occur as a child grows resulting in sensory and motor problems and loss of bowel and bladder control. Tethered spinal cord syndrome appears to be the result of improper growth of the neural tube during fetal development and is closely linked to spina bifida. It is also the cause of Maddie's lower leg anomaly which was a surprise to us. We had no idea the two conditions were at all related.

So though Maddie is potty trained, we have no idea what's really going on with her internal organs, so today's tests will determine if kidney and bladder function are normal. If they are, we may not need to do anything right now other than take Maddie in for a recheck every six months. It is highly likely that Maddie will require surgery at some point to remove the tissue attached to her spine, and Richard and I think that an operation will probably be needed sooner rather than later before there is any loss of mobility or incontinence becomes a problem.

So there you have it. I don't expect that we will meet with the neurologist for a few weeks, but when we do, we'll know more, and then we'll take the next step...whatever that may be.

To Quote Charles Dickens...

2010-03-04T11:25:00.001-08:00

"It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." In this case, I speak not of the French Revolution, but of our 2010 Florida vacation.

Best of times:
This is our first vacation as a family of four, and that in and of itself is very exciting.
The girls have also proven to be stellar travelers. We had an evening flight out of Minneapolis last Friday night, so we didn't land in Florida until 10:30 p.m. central time. That's two and a half hours past bedtime. By the time we got our luggage and our car and made the short trek to the hotel we were going to be staying in for just one night, it was midnight. There wasn't one meltdown all evening! And they were so well behaved on the plane. We just couldn't have asked for an easier time of it on the way down.
The girls are easily pleased. We haven't done anything that I would call spectacular, but Maddie and Ibby seem to be enjoying themselves immensely. Whether we take a walk around the neighborhood where our rental house is and collect treasures or go to the park or the beach or a restaurant or sit on the dock and throw rocks in the canal or float in the pool or watch the pelicans catch fish or kick a soccer ball around the front yard or just hang out on the lanai soaking up the sun, both girls have been really content.
Despite our change of locale (and weather and time zone), we have managed to maintain a daily routine, and I think that has helped immensely with everyone's mood. The girls are exhausted when nap time rolls around, and Richard and I have allowed ourselves a few afternoon snoozes as well. What a luxury!
The sun has been shining every day. Even on the two days we had rain in the morning, the sun showed itself in the afternoon.
We had a few days where we did not have to wear our coats outside. That little taste of summer was intoxicating!
How lucky we are to have been able to get away from Minnesota and the daily grind and the snow and cold (though I hear spring may have sprung while we've been gone) and enjoy some time together.
Renting a house was definitely a smart move on our part. It's really nice to have enough space to spread out and move around, and having our own pool has been fun though we haven't been able to swim in it as much as we would have liked. We are situated on one of the many canals that are a unique feature of Marco Island, and we are only three lots from open water, so we've seen some interesting water creatures (though no dolphins or manatees), and lots of boats have gone by which always excites the girls.
Fresh seafood. Enough said.
The Worst of Times:
The sun has been shining, but the wind has been blowing, and the temperatures have not been the warmest. Earlier in the week, we could shed our coats by late morning, but starting Wednesday, cooler temperatures settled in, and we've been forced to wear long pants and jackets (though we've been refusing to wear socks!)
Richard has been working almost continually since we arrived. Poor guy has gotten very little sleep and almost zero time to relax. This has put a crimp in our schedule, so we have not been able to get out and see some of the attractions we were really looking forward to like Corkscrew Swamp Santuary and Big Cypress National Preserve. We'll just have to save those activities for another visit.
It's been cool enough at night that we've had to run the furnace.
No dolphin or manatee sightings!
Thinking about what is facing us when we get home (Maddie has some medical tests to undergo on March 10...more about that later...and I am having knee replacement surgery on March 15...(please tell me I'm too young for that kind of surgery because I am, but it's still necessary)...has been messing with my ability to sleep at night, so my desire to catch up on some ZZZs really isn't panning out.

All in all, the good probably outweighs the bad, but this hasn't been the best vacation we've ever had. Well, it has and it hasn't. Know what I mean? Good thing we are headed back here in June, so we can attempt a do over.

We'll be back in Minnesota late Saturday morning. Until then, we'll try our best to enjoy our last day and a half.

Feeling Blue?

2010-02-16T13:01:00.001-08:00

I couldn't resist taking this photo before the girls headed off for school this morning. They may be wearing blue, but they are certainly not feeling blue as you can see by the looks on their faces. Maddie and Ibby love, love, love school, and Richard and I are enamored with it as well. Their teachers are fabulous, and the experiences they've had so far this year...from tracking animals in the school forest, to painting a wall in their classroom, to creating art projects galore, have been fun and educational to boot. I'm so happy that their first experience with formal education is such a positive one, and I hope that they will always be excited to go to school...though I don't expect them to shout "hooray" like they do now when they are, say, in junior high.

Miss Maddie would wear a dress every day if we let her, but frankly, we don't have enough dresses for her to wear on a daily basis. Guess I better do some shopping. Darn. Isabel doesn't mind dresses, but given the choice, she will usually opt for pants. And though I do not dress them alike all the time, I have to say, I kind of like to do the matchy-matchy thing. I know I'm biased, but seriously, aren't they awfully cute?

Spring in Five Weeks?

2010-02-10T13:04:00.001-08:00

We'll believe it when we see it. You see, this is not just our snowy front yard. This is a snowbank in our front yard that we are standing in front of. It is about six feet high...twice our height. We are quite sure it will probably take until July to melt. So even though the calendar says spring begins on March 20, we aren't holding our breath.
Love,
Maddie and Ibby

Go Fly a Kite

2010-01-14T12:59:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was cold. Now, I'm not talking MY idea of cold which is about fifty degrees. I'm talking really, really cold...below zero to be exact...which is cold by anybody's standards. But here in Minnesota, if you let the cold deter you, well, you just wouldn't leave your house until May, so you have to suck it up, put on layers, and get out there...in the cold...and have...fun. So that's just what we did.

Kites galore were flying over Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, so Richard, the girls, and I and some friends of ours braved the cold to see the kites, do a little ice fishing, roast marshmallows and drink hot chocolate. By early afternoon, the mercury had soared to PLUS eight...wahooo...a heat wave, so we bundled up and headed to the lake. I didn't get a lot of pictures because I refused to take off my gloves in order to operate the camera, but here are a couple of shots to prove we were there.

A Holiday Sampler

2010-01-04T13:00:00.000-08:00

In the past two weeks, we have celebrated four Christmases, one birthday, and one new year. The time for presents and parties has come to an end, but it sure was fun while it lasted. Here are a few photos of all the excitement.
CHRISTMAS IN WISCONSIN
The girls had loads of fun loading Grandma up with stuffed animals. Not sure how much fun this was for Grandma...although I think that's the hint of a smile on her face.

Maddie and Ibby get their wings...fairy wings, that is, and the new Tinkerbell movie from Aunt Pat and Uncle Bob. Life is grand.

THE RAJEKS VISIT, GIFTS IN TOW
Here are Ibby and Maddie with Pam's niece "Karin" and her husband "Ick," or as they are known to most people, Erin and Erik. Please note that Maddie is wearing her fairy wings. She does take them off to sleep and bathe, but that's about it.

CHRISTMAS DAY
Opening the presents that were under the tree was fun.

Discovering the doll house in the toy room was even more fun.

The stuffed animals, the cat and the moose who eat cupcakes and muffins respectively, were a hit as were the accompanying books.

Playing in the snow was a definite highlight of the day.

NEW YEAR'S DAY
The second day indoors due to extremely cold temps, it was time for something new. Out came the Hello Kitty tent which has been in the back of the closet for a few months. It was just like a brand new toy!

Time for a tea party...

...and some indoor gymnastics.

A VERY SCHOEN CHRISTMAS
More presents,

more dress up,

and a new friend made for a super fun day.

Despite the recent loss of my dad which weighed heavily on my heart all through the holidays, this was, bar none, the best Christmas and New Year's EVER! It meant the world to have both of our girls home with us, and they are at an age when everything about the holdays was so much fun...for them as well as us. That said, I am relieved the holidays are over, and we can get back to our regular routine. It's January 4, and the girls aren't bored with their new toys, so that's a good thing. Though we aren't used to getting up, getting dressed, and getting out the door, it's back to school tomorrow. We'll see how that goes. Maddie has been having some pretty leisurely breakfasts lately...she's just not much of a morning eater. It will be interesting to see if we can speed up the process somewhat come Tuesday. It's been great having the girls all to myself the past two weeks, but I have a feeling they are going to be quite excited to get back to their teachers and friends. Happy New Year, everyone!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T09:02:00.001-08:00

School Holiday Party

2009-12-15T13:05:00.001-08:00

All dressed up and ready to go

Check out those boots...and TWO shoes

Shaking up the color bottles

Reading with Daddy in the book corner

Cooking in the kitchen

I love puzzles

Singing along during circle time

Snack time

Mmmmmm...cookies!

Conversations

2009-12-02T13:17:00.001-08:00

I am sure I will say this about every age and stage my girls go through...okay, well, maybe not junior high...but I absolutely love the two and a half to three year time period. Not only do kids talk at this age, but they talk TO you and each other and respond when asked a question and ask lots and lots of questions themselves. It's fascinating.

Yesterday, at the lunch table, Ibby started singing, "Happy Birthday." And Maddie said, "No, Ibby. Maddie birthday gone. Mommy birthday coming up." Okay, so it's not like I've been talking a lot about my upcoming birthday (it's in 26 days just in case you wanted to know), it's more like I was trying to convince Maddie that her birthday, which lasted a good two and a half weeks, was over, and that someone else's birthday (namely mine) would be coming up next and at that time there would be more presents to open (hopefully) and more cake and more singing of the Happy Birthday song. Anyhow, Maddie's statement floored me. Three multiple word sentences. And we hadn't talked about my birthday since the day before she made this statement.

Lately, Ibby has been using the phrase "Ni hao" in proper context. She heard it once on a show she and Maddie like to watch before nap time, "Caillou." I don't care for Caillou myself, but at least I can tolerate it which is more than I can say for Dora and Curious George. We don't watch Dora in our house. Occasionally, I give in and let them watch CG, but not very often. I do not like that monkey. I have never liked that monkey, but because my girls do, one of their joint Christmas gifts is a CG book. Anyhow, after hearing "ni hao" once, she has now said it several times in place of "hello." Freaky.

This next example may fall in the TMI category, but here goes. The other day at the breakfast table, Ibby was commenting on the fact that Maddie was going potty. "Maddie poop," she said. "No," I replied. "Maddie is just peeing." She pondered that for a moment, took a bite of waffle, and said, "Aunt Pat poop today?" So we called Aunt Pat to find out. I won't tell you her reply.

These are just a few brief snippets of conversation. We have hundreds of exchanges everyday, and it's just so interesting to see what they remember and to find out what they're thinking and to hear them actually converse with me and Richard and each other. The acquisition of language is an incredible thing.

No More Walker and Some Singing Too

2009-11-27T22:09:00.000-08:00

Here are some videos of Maddie in Action on Thanksgiving Day:

Click Here to View Maddie Walking Without Her Walker

Click Here to View Maddie Singing to the Parade

Walker? Who Needs a Walker?

2009-11-27T13:19:00.000-08:00

That's right. Maddie is walking on her own without the assistance of her walker, the wall, or a hand. Not only that, but she spent a good part of the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade in front of the television with a microphone (one of her maracas) in hand, singing, swaying, and yes, dancing whenever anyone performed. Oh, she was also wearing her tutu. For someone who was feeling sorry for her fatherless self, it was truly a sight to behold. Thanks be to God for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon us. We are truly, truly grateful.

Pictures from Shriners on Friday

2009-11-22T21:31:00.001-08:00

Maddie Holding Her New Leg
Maddy and Ibby Posing with the Leg

The Girls and The Leg. Wish that Leg Would Smile

Maddie Walks on Two Legs

2009-11-22T20:33:00.000-08:00

Maddie got her new leg on Friday. Click the following link to view her in action. The first 10 seconds are black, so be patient.... For MAC users, you need a WMV movie viewer. Enjoy.
Click Here to View Maddie Walking Video

H1N1

2009-11-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken last Thursday, the day we found out that Maddie had pneumonia brought on by the H1N1 virus. We had just returned from our pediatrician's office where nurses had administered an antibiotic shot, Tylenol suppositories to bring down the 103 temperature, and a first dose of Tamiflu. We decided to skip giving her a bath, so she sat in a chair in Isabel's room where she could watch Ibby in the tub. It didn't take long before she fell fast asleep. The poor little thing hadn't slept for two nights because of the nasty cough. Thank goodness for medicine. By Friday, Maddie was feeling so much better, and today, I'd say she's almost completely back to normal though the cough still lingers. We are homebound until Thursday. Thankfully, none of the rest of us have come down with anything.

I can't imagine what it's like to have a chronically ill child. From the time Maddie's condition took a very rapid turn for the worse on Thursday afternoon until later that evening when we could see that the medicines were indeed having a speedy and definite impact on our girl and we knew that we would not have to make a hospital run, I was sick to my stomach. On the way home from the pharmacy, in the car by myself while Richard was home getting the girls ready for bed, I lost it. The thought of an illness taking one of my girls from me, well, let's just say I don't know how people who lose a child ever recover.

Thank God we didn't have to face that...and may God bless and comfort and strengthen any parent who does.

November 4, 2009

2009-11-05T08:37:00.000-08:00

As we walked to the car, Maddie looked at me and said, "Grandpa gone." And I said, "Yes, honey. Grandpa is gone." Isabel piped in and said, "No more hurt. No sick." And I replied, "That's right. Grandpa has no more hurt."

Just a few moments earlier, we had been in my mom and dad's room at the nursing home. We had to pick up Dad's shoes, so we could deliver them to the funeral director. The girls had been looking curiously at Grandpa's empty bed, so I briefly explained to them that Grandpa was gone, that he was in heaven, and though we would miss him very, very much, we could be happy because Grandpa wasn't going to be sick anymore. The girls listened very intently, and I could almost see the wheels in their head spinning, but they didn't respond, and in the next moment, their attention was attracted by something else in the room. When it was time to go, we put on our coats, kissed and hugged Grandma, and headed out to the car. And that's when we had the above exchange.

My dad was 87 years old. Last Wednesday he played Bingo. One week later he was gone. It went very fast at the end, but it wasn't easy. Congestive heart failure is what finally got the best of him, but he put up a valiant fight to the very end. Eventually, he just got so tired, he couldn't go on.

I will always be thankful that we got in the car when we did on Sunday to make the drive to Wisconsin. We arrived at the nursing home at 9:00 p.m. When I entered my folks' room, my mom was sitting at my dad's bedside holding his hand. When she saw me, she awakened him. I leaned over so my face was right above his. When he opened his eyes and saw me, he smiled and said, "Pammy." I said, "Hi, Daddy! I love you so much." And he responded with the standard line that he's said to me my whole life. "I love you more." Then he closed his eyes and went back to sleep. He recognized me once more, early Monday afternoon. After that, though his eyes were often open, he never acknowledged anyone's presence again.

My dad, Frederick George Rennhack, Fritz to those who knew him, passed away shortly before 1:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 4. He waited until my mom was asleep and my brother, who was spending the night at the nursing home, had stepped out of the room. I will always be thankful for those few seconds I had with him on Sunday night. I will always be happy that his whole family was with him on his final day. I will never regret the hours I spent at his bedside on those last days, holding his hand while he struggled to breathe even though it was the hardest thing I've ever done. My dad wasn't always an easy man, but I loved him deeply, and he would have done, and often did do, anything for his family. I miss him so much. His funeral will take place on Saturday, November 7, at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Columbus, Wisconsin.

http://www.zeidlerfuneralhome.com/html/obits/obituaries.asp?listing_id=143025

Oops!

2009-10-29T13:49:00.001-07:00

So I'm getting Maddie dressed this morning, and as I raised her leg to get her underwear on, her cast came off in my hand. I just stood there, holding the cast in place, my stomach in my throat, and then I did the only thing I could think of. I hollered for Richard.

He came running, and we debated for a few seconds what we should do. Our conclusion was to try and gently place the cast back on Maddie's leg. So we attempted that and then Maddie started saying, "Owwww. Owwwww." Considering she has not once complained about pain in her leg since the surgery, we thought this was significant, so we stopped operation cast replacement immediately. "What now?" we thought. Our next decision was to take the cast completely off and see if we could rewrap it. We weren't really prepared to see the stump but found ourselves pleasantly surprised when we finally did get a look. It looks fantastic. It's healing well, and her surgeon did a wonderful job of shaping and stitching. Okay, so. We replaced the cast, rewrapped it, and then realized it was about two inches lower than it had been previously. Not good. Next thing, I'm on the phone with Shriner's, and they say, Come on over."

To make a long story short, Maddie's surgeon happened to be in clinic today, so he was able to look at her leg and decided that since it looks so good, he was not going to replace the cast. Now Maddie just has to wear these snug stockings for two weeks, called stump shrinkers, to make sure that all the swelling (of which there is not much) goes down before she is casted for her prosthesis. We have an appointment for them to do the cast of her leg next Friday. Two weeks after that, we will be able to go back, and Maddie will be fit with her brand new leg, a couple weeks earlier than we expected.

The girls were supposed to have a Halloween party at school today, and I felt horrible that they were going to miss it. They were excited because we'd been talking it up. Well, I shouldn't have worried. Shriner's had a full blown Halloween party of their own going on complete with dee jays, music, dancing, face painting, craft activities, and everyone, staff and patients, dressed up in costumes. After our appointment, the girls and I hung out for about an hour and had loads of fun. I'll post some pictures later.

Little did I know what this day had in store, but sometimes, events that are unplanned can have the greatest outcomes.

Update

2009-10-25T07:11:00.001-07:00

Richard is the self-proclaimed juice valet providing drinks on demand, I am the cruise director planning activities to fill up the day, and Ibby is the gopher, fetching toys at Maddie's request. And Maddie? Well, let's just say she's enjoying her celebrity status. Can you say prima donna?

All joking aside, she's doing amazingly well. We had a brief setback on Saturday morning when she threw up her breakfast at the table in Daddy's hands. Good catch, Daddy! She's going longer and longer in between doses of pain medication, and she hasn't complained once. Well, okay. She has gotten a little whiney a couple of times mainly over what she wants to do next especially if it conflicts with what Ibby wants to do, but she has never told us she's in any pain, thank goodness. She doesn't really like having to sit so much, so providing a variety of activities has been key in warding off boredom. Thankfully, I had just ordered three new Signing Time dvds, and both the girls are loving watching those in between putting together puzzles, coloring, playing with a new set of tinker toys, and reading. Mama still has a few secrets hidden away when the current tasks become redundant. Baths are out of the question while she has her cast, and believe it or not, she's actually been enjoying having her hair washed in the kitchen sink and taking a sponge bath provided by Mommy. I honestly thought she'd be mad about not getting a chance to bathe in the tub, but so far anyway, the novelty of washing up in the kitchen has amused her.

Anyhow, overall, we are doing really great, far better than we ever expected. Maddie is a wonder. And Miss Isabel is really being a good little trooper, too. Of course, there is a long couple of weeks stretching ahead of us until that cast comes off, so I'm sure we'll have some not so great times ahead.

Home and Resting Comfortably

2009-10-23T12:32:00.000-07:00

We are thankful to report that Maddie's surgery went very, very well. We arrived home at noon today, 28 hours after this whole adventure started, and Maddie is doing wonderfully.

We arrived at Shriner's at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday morning. They wanted us there early even though Maddie's surgery wasn't scheduled until noon. Thankfully, it got moved up, and Maddie was off to the operating room at 10:30, a blessing since she hadn't had anything to eat or drink since dinner the night before, and we were afraid she was going to start complaining, justifiably, about being hungry and thirsty. Truthfully, we kept both of the girls so busy for two and a half hours that neither had time to get grumpy.

Maddie showed absolutely no fear while she was being prepped or even when they took her from us while she was still awake to head off to the operating room. It helped, I'm sure, that they gave her a little something to relax her. It was quite humorous. For awhile, she was acting like she'd had two or three good strong martinis, slurring her speech a little and giggling. As a surgical nurse carried her off down the hallway, she even waved goodbye to us. At that point, of course, I broke into tears. It didn't last long because we knew she was in good hands. The procedure took an hour and a half. At noon, her surgeon reported that everything went very well and that the surgical site looked good, healthy and pink with good circulation. After about another half an hour, a nurse came to get me. She said Maddie was calling for her mama and baba. When I got back to the recovery area, Maddie was quite distraught. She was crying and began reaching and calling for me quite frantically when she saw me. It took quite awhile to calm her. Obviously, she woke up in an unfamiliar environment, and we were told ahead of time that the anaesthesia causes some temporary grumpiness. More than anything, she seemed quite upset about the IV in her hand. She wanted it OUT. The nurses cooperated and put an IV line in her leg instead, and that seemed to make her a little bit happier.

Back in the room, she drank quite a bit of juice and began to feel more at ease. At 2:00 p.m., Ibby and I went to the Parent Accommodation Center where we had reserved a room, and the two of us slept for nearly three hours. When we returned to Maddie's room at 5:00, she was eating and talking and laughing and playing. I couldn't believe the difference three hours made. The smallest setback occurred when her mac and cheese didn't stay down, but she did well with crackers. When we tried the mac and cheese again later (because she was still hungry) thankfully, it stayed put in her tummy.

Richard and Isabel left for home at 7:00 p.m., and at 8:00, Maddie and I went through our normal bedtime ritual, minus the bath, of course. She slept all night through except when she was awakened twice for pain meds and a vitals check by the nurse. She was restless but more so because her cast, which covers her entire leg, is a bit unwieldy when she's trying to turn over in bed. There was some concern on the part of the night doctor that Maddie hadn't gone pee since surgery, but we solved that dilemma at 9:30 p.m. when she peed all over me. She was really tossing and turning, so I asked her if she had to go potty, and she said yes. I took off her pull up (we put one on during her hospital stay just in case), and just as we reached the door to the bathroom, she let go. Good thing I had brought an extra shirt. Truly, I was so thankful they didn't have to put in a catheter, she could have peed on me all night if she wanted.

She awakened this morning at 7:30 a.m. quite happy and hungry. After breakfast, a quick exam by the pediatrician, and a trip to physical therapy to make sure she could use a walker, which of course she can because she already does, we waited for our discharge papers and were released around 10:30 a.m. Maddie ate a good lunch when we got home, watched two Signing Time dvds, and went down for a nap at 2:00 p.m. She is sleeping peacefully now.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers. They truly lifted us up over the past couple of days. It was so comforting to know there are so many people who love and care for us. Here are a few highlights of Maddie's big day:

Playing before getting prepped for surgery

Practicing with the mask

My stylish hospital gown

Back in the room after surgery, feeling a little groggy

Being silly after supper

My new wheels

Ibby playing chauffeur

Sisters!

Feeling pretty happy this morning

Getting a little sleepy right before we headed home

Sunday Fun Day

2009-10-18T17:23:00.000-07:00

We actually made it to early church today. It helped that both girls woke up a little early, so we had plenty of time to get ready and get out the door. We couldn't resist taking a couple of photos of them in their matching dresses.

After church and a quick change of clothes, it was off to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch. It was a beautiful day...a little on the cool side and a bit windy, but not freezing or snowing! The girls had the most fun walking through the pumpkin patch. They kept trying to pick up the "punkins," and when they wouldn't budge, they would exclaim, "Too heavy!" It didn't keep them from trying pumpkin after pumpkin, even throwing in a few grunts to show us they were trying really hard to make the lift.

Maddie spent about five minutes being crabby because we took her away from the pony to walk through the corn maze. Here she is pouting.

Thankfully, she recovered quickly after we had a bite to eat and let the girls play on the wooden train. Here is Ibby in the dining car.

We even went on a hayride. We are quite sure this was Maddie's first time in a hay wagon being pulled by a good ol' John Deere tractor.

On the way out, the girls had an opportunity to "drive" a tractor themselves. You probably don't recall, but this is when Isabel had a meltdown last year.

And last but not least, we stopped by the apple growth chart to see how the girls measure up. Isabel was so little last year when we had her pose in front of it, and now we have two big girls, growing taller almost by the minute it seems.

Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to pick any apples. Next year, we figure we'll make a whole day of it. All that fresh air and activity definitely made for good naps when we got home!

The Week in Review

2009-10-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

Besides the hospital visit on Monday and school on Tuesday and Thursday, Maddie and Ibby have been very busy for the past week or so.

They got extremely excited about some presents two very special boys from Texas sent them. Presents from boys already?!

They pretended to give each other baths in the baby bathtub. I know, I know. In these particular shots, it looks as if Maddie is choking Isabel (and really enjoying herself) but actually she's just washing her hair.

They fed cookies to their babies. This may have been a hint to mom to rethink mealtime. In fact, the other day when I asked the girls what we should have for lunch, Maddie quickly replied, "Chocolate!" Truthfully, that sounded like a great idea to me, but I was a good mommy and served turkey hot dogs, carrots, and raspberries instead.

They read books to themselves and each other.

And every night, they did their very favorite thing...danced naked before bathtime while screaming, "Naked! Naked!" They really like to be nude, and each night, there is a crazy frenzy of naked girl bodies in the family room. It's a sight to see. We have a hilarious five minute video of the bare butt silliness, but you'll have to visit us to get a look at it. Any takers?

Oh, the other big happening at our house this week was that Mocha fell in love with Grover. I suppose it's really more of a love/hate relationship. Every night after the girls go to bed, Mocha hauls Grover out of the Dora tent and wrestles him to the ground. After establishing her dominance, she curls up with him and goes to sleep.

And how was your week?

MRI Results

2009-10-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

The neurologist who interpreted Maddie's MRI results tells us that the swollen area on her lower back is called a lipoma which is benign tumor composed of fatty tissues. Normally, these masses are harmless, but the location of Maddie's could present some problems if it were to attach to the spinal cord and exert pressure on it. For now, we can proceed with the foot ablation as scheduled next Thursday because the lipoma presents no real problem at this time. Once Maddie is healed from the amputation, the neurologist wants to do some further testing including a renal ultrasound and something called a urodynamic which measures pressure and nerve reaction in the bladder. We think that these tests will show no involvement of the kidneys or bladder since Maddie is fully potty trained and has marvelous control, but it will be good to know for sure what is going on internally. We will most likely proceed with these tests in January or so.

For now, we are focused on making life as normal as possible until next Thursday arrives. We have a book about a turtle who has to stay in the hospital, so we've been reading and talking about that. Maddie and Ibby have also been playing patient/doctor quite a bit. This was their idea. They take turns being the doctor. While the patient fake cries, the doctor gives shots in every part of the body...toes, head, ears...and says over and over, "It's okay. It's okay." Oh, and the doctor administers a kiss to the affected area after each shot. Additionally, Richard and I have purchased a doll that has a prosthetic leg, and we will be introducing that to the girls this weekend while we begin to try and explain what Maddie will be facing next week.

MRI

2009-10-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

Maddie has a small patch of redness and swelling on her lower back, and though the doctors at Shriner's believe it's nothing to worry about, they did want to have it checked out before her foot ablation which is scheduled for next week, October 22. So today, Maddie and I are at Gillette Children's Hospital in St. Paul while she undergoes a full spine MRI.

I was a nervous wreck all night for two reasons. First of all, snow was predicted, and I was worried about driving in rush hour during a snow storm. We had to be at the hospital at 7:45 a.m., and though driving to St. Paul would normally take about a half an hour from our house, all bets are off when there is anything falling from the sky. Sure enough, when I looked out the window at 2:00 a.m., the snow had already started and was accumulating. Secondly, I was freaked about Maddie having an IV line put in. Small children have to be sedated for MRIs because they have to hold still for an hour and a half. Maddie is a real trooper when it comes to anything medically related, but because we had a bad experience this summer drawing blood, she gets very upset whenever anyone comes at her with a needle. Once again, all my fretting was for naught. My dear, dear husband volunteered to drive us to the hospital AND they didn't put the IV line in until after Maddie was already knocked out from a little gas anesthesia.

The folks at Gillette are wonderful. They talked to Maddie and played with her and did everything in their power to make her feel comfortable. After some initial shyness, Maddie perked up and started to enjoy herself, even singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" for some of the staff. At one point, they gave Maddie a face mask to play with so she would become familiar with it, and we practiced putting it on her Ducky. Then Maddie showed us how to put it on her own face. She was asked pick out a flavored Lip Smackers (she chose raspberry and then asked if she could have one for Ibby...how sweet...Ibby gets cotton candy), and then she got to "color" the inside of her face mask with it, so she would smell that more than the odor of the gas. When it came time for the real thing, Maddie was not afraid to place the mask on her face. Watching her go under was strange. I didn't realize it would make me so emotional. I guess it's just not an easy thing to watch your child go unconscious.

So I'm drinking a Starbucks and watching it snow while I wait for Maddie. They say after the MRI is complete, it will take her fifteen minutes to a half an hour to wake up at which point I will be able to go into her room. She'll be able to have some juice and a little something to eat, and they will send us on our way. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers today.

Hat Season

2009-10-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

It was a little chilly this morning before we headed off to ECFE, so out came a couple of fall hats. Ibby is not a huge fan of hats, but she'll wear one when we ask her to. Maddie, on the other hand, did not even want to take hers off for her nap. It's almost time to put away the denim jackets in favor of something warmer. Oh, how I dread the coming winter...as I do every winter. Richard and I have started up the annual "when can we possibly move to a warmer climate" discussion. Each year, the topic seems to crop up earlier with even more urgency. Someday. Someday. For now, we'll enjoy the brisk fall weather, and when the temperatures plummet and the snow falls, we'll sled when the weather permits and curl up under blankets with popcorn and hot chocolate when it doesn't. I guess that doesn't sound too bad. Sigh.

Wedding Pictures!

2009-09-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

GETTING READY

If I don't move, maybe I won't get my dress dirty!

Remember to smile!

We're ready!

DOWN THE AISLE

Wait! Wait! One at a time!

Don't forget to toss the flower petals!

THE CEREMONY

A beautiful day, a lovely ceremony, one good looking wedding party!

AFTER

So now what?

Still smiling!

Trying to get a good photo for the Xmas card...

The basket is multi-purpose...it can also be a hat!

THE RECEPTION

Maddie joins the band

Isabel dances the night away

Time to go...two exhausted but happy girls

What's New?

2009-09-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've done one of my "what my girls know and can do" posts, so I figured it was time. I hope no one thinks that I'm being a braggart. That is not my intention at all. This is merely my way of tracking the girls' progress for myself (I have not been such a good journal keeper except when we were in China and I wrote every day) and letting far away family and friends in on recent developments.

Maddie
In two short months, Maddie's language has exploded. I guess it's true what they say about this age level and language acquisition. She speaks in three and four and sometimes even five word sentences much of the time and her vocabulary has, I think, grown very rapidly. Here's one example of her ability to communicate in English. On Sunday, Maddie and Ibby were given balloons by Grandma Sandy, and ever since, they've been dragging them all over the house. On Tuesday morning, I was in our bedroom putting clean sheets on the bed when Maddie came running in holding the weight for her balloon with the balloon no longer attached. "Mama! Mama!" she said. "Uh oh. Balloon! Broke it! Fan!" Sure enough, when I went into the family room, there was the balloon stuck to the ceiling right above the whirring ceiling fan. She is particulary adept at learning rhymes and songs. I bet she knows at least 15 or more songs by heart, and she enjoys singing them over and over. One day, Richard and I overheard her singing about a firetruck. We weren't familiar with the song, but when I asked about it at school, the teachers told me that they had indeed been singing a song about a firetruck. She knows her ABCs and can count to ten. Oh, and she has completely memorized Good Night, Moon.

As you might recall, when Maddie first arrived home, she was asking for food all the time. Thankfully, the food obsession has passed. She eats three squares and two snacks each day and is content with the knowledge that food is readily available and that she will not go hungry. She is not much of a breakfast eater, so we struggle a bit to get enough food in her to last until morning snack. And sometimes she eats so quickly that she will gag herself, so we're working on that, too, but overall, food consumption is going very well. I haven't found a thing she doesn't like except yogurt.

Physically, she's really mastered her walker in the long hallways at school. Instead of one movement forward followed by a long pause, she can now take several consecutive steps/hops forward to propell herself to her destination. She loves to dance and twirl, and I cannot wait until we can enroll her in a dance class.

Intially, Maddie had a great deal of trouble with puzzles, matching, and other visual scanning tasks/games. I'm quite sure she just didn't have much experience and that's why she found these activities difficult. With exposure and practice, however, she now handles most puzzles with ease though Ibby can still outdo her on most of them in speed and accuracy.

Sleeping has never been an issue (thank goodness), and Maddie continues to be a good sleeper...eleven hours per night with a two hour afternoon nap.

As far as attachment goes, I think she's really turned a corner in the past couple of weeks. Though she has always been affectionate with us, her actions and words have shown us that there is a growing love in her heart for her family. She adores Isabel (the feeling is mutual), and it is the cutest thing in the world to see the two of them hug and kiss on their own initiative. It is clear that she knows who Mommy and Daddy are and though she is a very social girl, she is not at all indiscriminately affectionate with other adults, even those she sees regularly. She knows who's who. This is never more evident than when I go to school to pick the girls up, and when I enter the room, Maddie's face lights up, she hollers, "Mama!" and comes running to give me a hug. A highlight of my day, for sure.

Maddie is a kind, generous, funny, and loving child. She pets and hugs and kisses the cats whenever she gets the chance. She is a remarkable mommy to her baby doll, and she often looks out for her little sister, often bringing her a toy or a book whenever she goes to get one for herself. She loves to wear hats and sunglasses. She is a girly girl who loves to carry a purse and likes clothes and shoes, even remarking "cuuuuuuute" when she especially likes something any one of us is wearing.

In short, we think she is quite amazing and could not imagine our lives without her.

Isabel
Isabel continues to be the happiest person I have ever known. She is smiling when she wakes up, and she's still smiling when she goes to bed at night. Her language skills, too, have exploded due in large part, we think, to Maddie's influence (though initially we thought the opposite would be the case). She knows her ABCs but sometimes needs a little prompting when reciting them. She can also identify a majority of written letters which I find quite astounding. I will hold up one of her magnetic letters or write one on her magna doodle and by gum, she can tell me what most of them are. I do not know how this happened! How did she learn that? Ibby can also count to ten although she often likes to start at four and has to be reminded to begin with 1, 2, 3. She also loves to sing. One of the best moments of my day is when the three of us are in the car singing along to the CD that's playing. I am amazed that they not only know the words, but they also get the rhythm and the tune right. Ibby still loves the Signing Time dvds (Maddie enjoys them, too) and though she doesn't use signs to communicate, she knows a great number of them. I dare say she knows all the signs on the first three Baby Signing Time dvds and the first six regular Signing Times. Sometimes she'll sit at the table and just go through a whole slew of them.

Isabel loves to run, and she's pretty fast considering she's got those short little legs. She, too, is a girly girl who loves to play with her baby, pretend cook, and pretend shop. She will often put her purse over her arm, wave, say "Bye bye," and when I ask her where she's going, she will say, "Target." We don't go there a lot though. Oh, no. Not us. No way. She also loves to talk on the phone whether it be her play phone, her hand, a tv remote, or the real phone. When I ask her who she's talking to, it is most often Aunt Pat though sometimes she's conversing with Uncle Bob, Jake, or Grandma. Even though she loves girly activities, she certainly doesn't mind getting dirty, and she loves to skip and jump and climb. Every Tuesday and Thursday, she comes home from school just covered in whatever they happened to be working with that day...markers, paint, etc. And the other day at the playground, I was surprised to see her scale a climbing wall without hesitation or a single stumble.

We are happy to report she's doing really well with potty training. It's been a long while since I've had to change a poopy diaper, and she pees on the potty at least 50% of the time though she only does it when we put her there. She isn't yet telling US that she has to pee.

She has a good sense of humor. Lately, she's been cracking us up by pretending to be a monster. She spreads her legs and crouches over and does this funny monster walk while she claws at the air and makes monster sounds. Speaking of peeing, watching her be a monster nearly makes me.

Ibby is a happy, sweet, affectionate girl who loves to read and cuddle and who adores her big sister. She loves to play outside. Though she can be a bit grabby when it comes to toys, she is learning to share and take turns.

In truth, we cannot remember what our lives were like before this wonderful girl entered in and stole our hearts.

This weekend will be an exciting time for both girls as they are going to be flower girls in my niece Erin's wedding. They love their dresses and look so pretty in them. I cannot wait to get some good pictures of them (Christmas card in the works), and even more, I cannot wait to see how they'll do walking down the aisle, tossing flower petals. I've always said, anyone who has children in their wedding party has to be prepared to expect the unexpected. How bad can it be, right?

Overheard

2009-09-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

Scene: Two young girls seated on a Dora the Explorer couch inside a Hello Kitty tent, baby dolls on their laps.

[Giggles]

Isabel: What's that? (pointing to Hello Kitty)
Maddie: A cat.
Isabel: You're right! (excited)
Maddie: Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow!
Isabel: [Unintelligible]
Maddie: Okay!

Silly Sunday

2009-09-14T13:13:00.000-07:00

We had nothing extra special planned this past Sunday, but sometimes, that's a good thing since you have to make your own fun.

We visited a Halloween store that opens up in our town once a year, you guessed it, at Halloween time to see if we could find costumes. No luck there, but we did buy two of those dealy-bobs that you wear on your head that either look like bug antennae or alien thingies. Maddie and Ibby got the biggest kick out of them. Maddie put hers on in the store, wore it all the way home, and has pretty much had it on ever since except for naps and bath time.

Then, just before bath time, I wanted to see if Ibby's hair was long enough to make one ponytail yet. It is, and she looked very pretty as you can see. What one gets the other wants, so I had to do some hairstyling for Maddie, too. Her hair is not long enough to make complete piggy tails, but we can still do a couple of mini ones on the sides of her head. I hadn't thought to do this, but it turned out super cute. And Maddie likes her piggies almost as much as she likes her bug antennae. She even requested piggies when I was doing her hair this morning.

Surgery Postponed

2009-09-12T12:46:00.001-07:00

Due to a conflict, Maddie's surgery had to be rescheduled. Instead of October 8, she will now have the procedure done on October 22. That's two more weeks for Mom to fret, but a few more weeks for her to enjoy school before we'll have to keep her home for a bit.

First Day of School

2009-09-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

Here are my girls, on their very first first day of school. Maddie has her arms in the air because when we talk about going to school, we always cheer, "Hooray!"

This school year, Madeleine and Isabel are enrolled at St. David's Center for Child and Family Development. St. David’s began as a small community nursery school in the basement of St. David’s Episcopal Church 45 years ago. No longer affiliated with the church, St. David's has grown into one of the leading providers of preschool education in our area. Just five minutes from our house, St. David's has an excellent reputation, and we couldn't have been more pleased when the girls were accepted for admission. Besides the academic preparation the girls will receive for entry into kindergarten in a couple of years, St. David's also has an excellent physical therapy department for children with physical disabilities. This is certainly a plus for our Miss Maddie who will be facing some physical challenges over the next several months. The girls will be going to school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8:45 to 11:45.

We attended an Open House last Friday, so the girls had already met their teachers and seen their classroom. As a result, when we arrived at room 102 this morning (yes, both girls will be in the same class all year long), they were comfortable in their surroundings, happy to see their teachers, and excited to get busy with all the cool toys. Ibby whined for about ten seconds when I said I was leaving, but when one of the teachers distracted her with the sensory table, it was like, "Mom who?"

So you're probably wondering what I did with my three kid-free hours. Well, I wondered what my girls were doing. I kept thinking how weird it was to drive around in my car without any passengers. I spent an hour and forty-five minutes at the Social Security Administration office applying for Maddie's social security card. I read a magazine while I waited. Actually, two. And they were about a year out of date, but I didn't care. And then I ran two other quick errands which would not have been so quick with two kids in tow.

When I got to the school to pick them up, they were having circle time and singing a goodbye song. A few parents snuck in the back of the room to get a look at the kids and snap a few pictures. As soon as Maddie saw me, she yelled out, "Mama!" That made me feel good, I can tell you. The teachers reported that both girls did very well with no crying or fussing. Maddie has already gotten a lot quicker on her walker, which she only uses to transition from the classroom to other parts of the building when necessary. They both had crumbs all over their faces from whatever they had for a snack. Isabel had a good deal of marker all over her shirt, and they were both pretty worn out, but when I asked Isabel, for the first time of many I am sure, how school was, she said, "Fun!"

Upon arriving, Maddie gets busy with the Play-Doh

Isabel likes the cotton balls at the Sensory Table

Maddie is wondering why that little boy in her class is crying so hard

Circle time at the end of class...Maddie sees Mama

Isabel has to be right in front, so she can see the pictures

Bye bye, Teacher Ann...see you Thursday

Already Walking...

2009-09-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

...with some assistance, of course. Today, the physical therapist with our local school district dropped off a walker for Maddie. She took to it right away, declaring it, "Fun!" Isabel likes it too, and it's a riot when BOTH of them try to use it simultaneously.

Maddie will not use the walker all the time. In fact, around the house, it's more of a detriment because she can move far faster without it. We plan to have her use it at school (which starts next week) especially when she is moving from the classroom to other areas in the building. We are happy to have her getting used to it now because after surgery, she will need to stay off of her leg for awhile, and by that time, she should be a pro with it.

My Little Artists

2009-09-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

On Her Own Two Feet

2009-09-01T12:15:00.000-07:00

Well, one of those feet will be attached to a prosthesis, but the prognosis is that Maddie will be walking upright by early November...just in time for her third birthday on November 22.

We had our first visit at Shriners Hospital in Minneapolis yesterday. Madeleine has a genetic condition known as Longitudinal or Tibial Deficiency. It's fairly uncommon, but the doctors at Shriners have treated somewhere between 30 and 40 children with this condition. Maddie has Stage II which means that she has a fibula and a very small tibia and a functional knee joint. This is very good news and puts her in a good position for treatment.

Maddie will require two surgeries. The first, during which her right foot will be ablated (or amputated), is scheduled for October 8. She will spend one night in the hospital as long as there are no complications, of course. After two weeks, she will be fitted for a prosthesis. After four weeks, she should be healed well enough to use the prosthesis regularly, and for the first time in her short life, she will be walking upright on two legs...no more pounding on those poor little knees. The second surgery will take place when Maddie is four or so. At that time, her fibula, which is currently slanted at an odd angle, will be centered under her knee and attached to the very small tibia. The year and a half between surgeries will allow that tibia to grow a bit larger making for a more stable attachment between the two bones. The fibula will continue to grow as Maddie grows, and having even a bit of bone under the knee will help with stability and ease use of the prosthesis.

We spent six hours at the hospital with two toddlers who truly couldn't have been better behaved. Of course, it helps that Shriners is geared toward kids, so the many toys and play areas really helped ward off any potential boredom. Maddie had numerous x-rays taken of her leg and even had to endure an EKG when a heart murmur was detected. No worries though. Apparently, and I did not know this previously, 80% of children have what is called an "innocent" heart murmur which simply disappears over time. With surgery and anesthesia in her near future, Maddie's heart had to be declared healthy, and the chest x-rays and EKG determined that it is.

The staff at Shriners was so warm and welcoming, and we couldn't be more excited that Maddie's surgeon is one of the best pediatric orthopedic specialists in the country.

Richard and I were awed and inspired by the many children and teens we saw throughout the day who are dealing with any number of orthopedic issues. We even met one teenage boy with the very same condition as Maddie's. He had surgery when he was very young, and now, if you didn't know it, you would never be able to tell he has an artificial leg.

I do not look forward to the actual surgery. No mother wants to see her child in pain, but I am trying to keep my sights set on the "after." Richard and I are thrilled and grateful that Maddie has this opportunity, and we cannot wait until the day when she will be able to walk. With Maddie, we are quite sure dance lessons won't be far behind. She's gotten quite good at twirling already, and there's no telling what she'll be able to do once she can actually get up on two feet.

Mmmmmmm...Sweet Corn!

2009-08-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

Funny Girl

2009-08-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

Madeleine is a creative and imaginative girl. She loves to play dress up (thanks, Susan), sit in things that aren't usually meant for sitting in, and find unique uses for everyday items (like stickers). She makes us laugh.

All Wet

2009-08-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

Finally, we've had some hot temperatures which allowed us to break out the sprinkler. Funny, but all FOUR of us were soaking wet by the time we decided to go in.

A Few More Pix from the Lake

2009-08-09T09:04:00.001-07:00

A Day at the Lake

2009-08-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

Richard, the girls, and I just returned from two days in Chetek, Wisconsin, where we were visiting friends from Illinois who make a yearly trek to vacation at a cabin on the lake. (Thanks, Larry and Tammy and boys. We had a great time!) Before we got Maddie home, we didn't know if we'd be able to go at all, but since Maddie has adjusted so well, we thought we'd give one quick overnight trip a try. It couldn't have gone better. Madeleine and Isabel had a blast playing outdoors, going for a boat ride, watching the water ski show, and swimming in the hotel pool. We stayed at a hotel rather than renting a cabin because it was such a short stay, but we did get adjoining rooms. We put the girls down for a later afternoon nap on Sunday, so they'd be able to stay up late to watch the ski show. This was their first experience sleeping in the same room. At first, it was very quiet. And then Maddie started to talk to Ibby. After a few minutes, she was doing everything she could to make Ibby laugh. (One example...a few weeks ago, we were all in the car driving somewhere, and we were teaching the girls how to say "yeeeeee-haw" like a cowboy. I don't know why. We just were. So anyhow, Maddie can say "yeeeeeee-haw" really loud and with this funny twangy accent, and it just cracks Ibby up. So when they are in their hotel room supposed to be napping, Maddie is in there yelling "yeeeeee-haw" and Ibby is giggling away.) So the two of them were cracking up, and Richard and I were listening and laughing. After about fifteen minutes, Mom had to crash the party and tell them to be quiet and go to sleep. Can you believe it? They did! They slept for two solid hours after that. Then it was off to dinner and a show, the ski show that is. The girls really had fun watching the boats and the skiers. They were clapping and yelling, "Awesome," one of Isabel's favorite words that Maddie has now picked up. They had kind of a late bedtime because of the ski show, so when we put them down for the night, Ibby squawked once, but after I went back in the room and told her that Maddie was right there with her and that Mom and Dad were next door, she went back down without a peep, and both girls slept the whole night through until morning. We are thinking that maybe that the two of them sharing a room may happen sooner rather than later.

Here are a couple of shots of them in their brand new life jackets.

A nice day, a friend with a boat...does it get any better?

Welcome Home Party

2009-07-31T12:36:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, we had a small group of family and friends over to our house to officially welcome Maddie home. The girls had a great time because 1) there were lots of people to pay attention to them and play with them 2) they got to open presents, and 3) there was cake.

Pre-party Snacking...faces clean, barrette in place, fingers not sticky, blouses still white

Presents and the barrette is gone

Maddie loves her new Cookie Monster stuffed animal

CAKE!
Isabel has been asking for more cake ever since her birthday. She was quite happy to finally get some.

Maddie dug in with both hands. First taste of cake perhaps?

An Update

2009-07-29T13:26:00.001-07:00

With each passing day, I believe Madeleine feels more and more comfortable in our home and with us. Today, when she was pooping on the potty, Ibby came bopping in the bathroom and asked her for a kiss. Maddie obliged despite the bad timing on Ibby's part. And then she turned to me and asked ME for a kiss. Now, Maddie has been kissing both Richard and me since day one, and she and Isabel have been smooching ever since they met, but this is the first time she's asked me for a kiss. Usually, we have to do the asking. She spontaneously hugs me all the time. For example, when the girls and I are on the floor playing, Maddie will suddenly run over to me and throw her arms around my neck and give me a good squeeze which, of course, prompts Isabel to do the same. One of the highlights of my days, that. But she usually doesn't offer kisses. She gives them when asked, but up until today, she hasn't been the one to initiate. When I ask her for a kiss at bedtime, when I'm the one putting her to bed instead of Richard...we trade off...I will say after the first one, "Another one?" and "Another one?" and we keep kissing until she starts to giggle or we mutually decide enough is enough. Today, after she asked for that first kiss, she said, "Another one?" and I absolutely melted.

Pictures. I know, I know. You want some. I promise to post some pix of a small Welcome Home gathering we had for Maddie this past Sunday. And I promise to be better at taking pictures of my girls, so I have more to post.

What? Me Worry?

2009-07-23T12:04:00.000-07:00

Before we left for China, I was worried about everything. I was worried about the trip itself. I was worried about how Madeleine would react to us. I was worried about her physical health and mobility. I was worried we wouldn't sleep for months after getting home. I was worried my two daughters would hate each other, and I'd have to deal with girl fights on a daily basis. I was worried I wouldn't love Maddie as much as I love Isabel or that I wouldn't love her right away. What can I say? I am a worrier. If only I would have known that all my fears were unfounded.

Maddie has now been with us for three and a half weeks and home for just twelve days, and honestly, I did not expect to be where we are until months down the line. I figured we wouldn't be leaving the house for awhile so that we could establish a routine. I assumed we wouldn't be able to have people over to meet Maddie because she'd be too frightened of strangers or worse indiscriminately affectionate. I surmised that we wouldn't be eating in a restaurant for awhile or going on playdates. We've done all those things and more. I cannot believe how seamlessly Maddie has transitioned into our family. What a remarkable, resilient girl. To what can I attribute her easy transition? Probably a combination of factors...certainly her personality and temperment, definitely the care and love that she received in her orphanage, the fact that she came from such a small orphanage played no small part, possibly her age, having a sister to bond to especially when she was so close to one other child her age at the SWI, the two weeks Richard and I had to focus on her alone...all these factors combined have certainly made a difference. Oh, and don't forget the divine intervention. There had to be some of that.

There are moments when I watch Ibby and Maddie chasing each other around the house or when I hear them screaming and giggling when they're playing with Daddy or when the two of them will sit in my lap for a story, and this complete sense of joy washes over me. Truly, I didn't think life could get much better, but it has.

We're not kidding ourselves that Maddie is completely bonded to us already, but we are certain that she feels safe and secure and happy, and that's a good start. The only issue with which we're dealing regards food. She is not a hoarder. It's just that she could eat all day long, so we're trying to draw a balance between making sure she knows that she will always have enough food but also trying to transition her to a meal and snack schedule. It's been tricky, but the last couple of days have been much better. Oh, and one more thing. Maddie does not let us know when she's awake. I supposed she is used to being placed in her crib and just waiting until someone came to get her. We just have to keep checking on her in the morning and after naptime to see when she awakens.

As for her limb deficiency, she gets around amazingly well...even outside...though we did buy some knee pads for her to provide some cushioning when we're outside on hard surfaces. Maddie has been accepted by Shriners Hospital in Minneapolis, and we will have our first appointment with a pediatric orthopedic specialist on August 31. At that point, we'll know more about her prognosis and our options. I don't see how they can do anything but amputate, but we'll see what the doctor has to say.

I'll admit that we've been so busy that I am not taking nearly as many pictures as I should but here are a few that highlight the personality of our newest girl.

Maddie loves to wear sunglasses...even indoors!

Ugly bench left by former owner of our house...who knew it would become a seating area for Maddie?

Daddy and his girls...shortly after Isabel stopped crying after hitting her head on the bench.

A Few More Sister Pix

2009-07-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to lie. I'm exhausted, but I think that has more to do with a delayed case of jet lag than it does to having two toddlers toddling around the house. Plus, I picked up a little cold somewhere, so I'm not feeling the greatest. That said, I am still having the time of my life observing Ibby and Maddie get to know each other. Each of them is trying her hardest, and I am so proud of them. Ibby is a little possessive at times, of her toys and of Mommy and Daddy, but that's understandable. For the most part, she's been really good about sharing. She did speak her first three word sentence yesterday. Too bad it was, "No! My mommy!" directed at Maddie, of course. Normally a fabulous sleeper, she has had a bit of trouble lately. The first night home, we had to go into her room five times after we put her down to assure her that Mommy and Daddy would be there in the morning when she woke up. Last night, we only had to go in three times, but then she was up during the night. I think the night wakings had more to do with the fact that she has picked up my cold. Hopefully, after a bit more time passes, she will feel more comfortable that Mommy and Daddy aren't going anywhere, and she'll be back to sleeping well. It's funny. Naps have not been an issue...just night time.

Madeleine is doing really, really well. She is a great playmate for Isabel. Obviously, she learned the art of sharing in the orphanage. She is so sweet. She continues to mimic everything she hears including the "sh*t" Mommy uttered when she was trying to put together the Little People Castle. Oops. I'll have to watch that. She has almost learned the entire ABC song just by listening to the Leap Frog Alphabet Pal sing it...over and over and over. She had a bout of grumpiness yesterday which I am going to attribute to jet lag as well. She had been napping for three hours when I decided to get her up, and she just wasn't happy about that at all. When Daddy got home, it turned into a bout of crying, but thankfully, it didn't last long. She was happy and playing after about 15 minutes, and she had a ball in the bath with her sister.

The nice thing about two kids so close in age is that they are on the same schedule which makes life so much easier for me. Nap time is glorious, I must admit, but really, I couldn't have asked for things to go any more smoothly. We are blessed beyond measure.

Home!

2009-07-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

The bags are unpacked. The laundry is done. And the house is clean. Now all we have to do is go to the grocery store, and we'll be all set.

Travel home was a breeze. I'm not kidding. In 24 hours, Maddie maybe did a total of 20 minutes of whining and NO crying. Really. She was a stellar traveler. The worst part of the journey was the five hour layover in LA waiting for our Minneapolis flight. As for the flights themselves, Madeleine slept about nine hours on the way from Guangzhou to LA and almost the whole time from LA to Minneapolis. Going through immigration in LA was interesting because they had no idea what an IH3 visa is. It used to be called an IR3 visa; that's the classification Isabel got when we brought her home, and it means that the individual entering the country becomes an immediate citizen. Now, when adopting through the Hague guidelines, the visa is called an IH3. It's still pretty new. Thankfully, there was somebody who knew what the classification meant, and so after a short delay, we were on our way.

Aunt Sue picked us up at the airport (thanks for getting up so early on a Saturday, Suzy Q), and after a quick stop at Grandma Sandy's, where Maddie showed off all her new English phrases, we were headed for home. Our dear friend Joann, who was going to go with us to China when we planned on taking Isabel, had picked up Ibby from Wisconsin on Friday and stayed with her at our house, so she would be there when we arrived. We were so anxious to see her! When we finally got to our house, after another quick stop at Starbucks (neither of us had slept as much as Maddie), I went in first. Our alarm beeps three times when any door in the house opens, so as soon as she heard that, Isabel knew someone was there. She hollered out, "Daddy!" because that's usually what the three beeps mean...that Daddy's home from work. But then I appeared at the bottom of the stairs. She was up top, looking down, and when she saw me, she said, "Mama!" I ran up and grabbed my girl, and she just clung to me, saying, "Mama! Mama!" It brought tears to my eyes. After a couple of minutes, Daddy came up with Maddie. And then Daddy got a big hug. She wasn't too sure about Maddie at first. And Maddie didn't really take much note of Isabel because she was far more interested in the toys and the cats. Every time she'd see one of the cats for the first several hours, she'd say, "Meow! Meow!"

For the first few hours after we arrived, Isabel didn't want either one of us to leave her sight. She would start to cry whenever one of us walked out of the room. In fact, when Richard went outside to unload the car, we had to watch out the window to make sure he wasn't going anywhere. Today, she's much better, but she's still clinging pretty tight to both of us, and she didn't go right down at bedtime. She needed us to come in about five times before she realized we weren't going anywhere, and it was safe to go to sleep. And Madeleine? She slept all night long in her own room in her big girl bed without a peep until this morning when she had to la shee shee.

Maddie acts like she's lived here her whole life. She goes up and down stairs easily. And Isabel has begun to show her the ropes. For instance, when Maddie started pressing buttons on the dishwasher, Isabel told her, "No, no!"

The two of them have gotten along better than we could have ever hoped. Isabel was a little shy at first, but in less than 24 hours, they've been giggling together, sharing toys, holding hands in the car, and giving each other kisses. They took a bath together last night and had a grand time. It's almost like Ibby can't believe Maddie is real. She keeps touching her head and saying, "Maddie," like she's trying to reconcile the fact that the little girl she's been looking at in a picture is a real live human being. Maddie is the big sister, but she is taking her cues from Isabel. She follows her everywhere, and often imitates what she does and says.

It's going to take a little time for them both to completely adjust to their new lives, but I think we've had a smashing start. Here are a few pics of my two girls together for the first time.

We are Outta Here! Well, almost anyway.

2009-07-09T05:50:00.000-07:00

This morning we did a little last minute shopping at a couple of the shops close to the hotel, A Gift from China and Sherry's. We also picked up a suitcase at our favorite store, Jordon's, to carry home all our purchases. Then, we stopped at Starbucks and sat outside while we drank hot coffee. It wasn't so bad because the humidity was down a bit, and it would be a few more hours before the heat index reached 110 degrees.

When we got back to the hotel, we got our suits on and hit the pool. Madeleine LOVED it! I got a few contraband photos before the lifeguard told me I couldn't take pictures. Oops.

After lunch and an early, short nap, we met up with the other families in our travel group and boarded a bus bound for the US Consulate. I'm quite sure we had a bus with faulty or nonexistent shocks because I was a little queasy after the 30 minute drive. Up on the 5th floor, we passed through a metal detector, had someone check photocopies of our passports to make sure our real faces matched our pictures, and all stood and swore an oath together that everything we had written in our applications was the truth and nothing but the truth. Then we received our immigration papers, and it was back on the bus. Very easy. Very anticlimactic. But at this point in the process, the lack of drama was much appreciated.

We decided to give Lucy's another try for our last dinner in China, and we were pleasantly surprised this time around. We both had pasta dishes which were very, very good. Being the all American girl (well, almost) Maddie had a grilled cheese sandwich and fries.

On Friday, we have to hang out until 6:00 p.m. at which time we will be off to the airport for the first leg of our journey back home. HOME! What a glorious word. We will have to do a thorough examination our of room before we check out because Maddie likes to take papers, books, granola bars, whatever she can find and stow them in all the drawers and cupboards.

When we depart Guangzhou on Friday night at 9:00 p.m. (China time), it will be a mere 24 hours before we walk in our front door, and THAT will be the second best part of the trip, the first, of course, being the day we held Maddie in our arms.

So Schoens out. We'll catch you when we're back on our side of the world.

Last round of pics:

Now The Pics for Today

2009-07-08T06:56:00.000-07:00

Red Couch Photos

2009-07-08T06:32:00.000-07:00

The heat index was 108 degrees today, so we stayed inside in the air conditioning. After a couple of hours in the playroom after breakfast, we came back to the room as directed by our guide, Kelly, who went to the Consulate to make sure all of our paperwork was in order for the US side of things. She wanted us to be near a phone in case there were any issues or questions. Thankfully, all of our documents passed inspection, so when we visit the Consulate tomorrow, it's really just a formality. It seems like it should be a given at this point, but that is not necessarily the case. Kelly told us about one family whose Consulate appointment was scheduled for July 1 and are still in country because the US is being very picky about some of the wording in their home study and how it corresponds to the wording contained in their US Immigration approval papers. It's so frustrating that a family could make it this far and then be held up by their own government.

This afternoon, our travel group, nine families including ourselves, met in order to take the traditional red couch photos. There are actually several red couches in the lounge area, and it is customary for travel groups to pose their kids together on one of the couches for a group photo. It's mostly chaos, kind of like trying to herd cats, with some kids crying, some kids trying to get off the couch, some kids looking away, and maybe one or two actually looking at the photographer and smiling. Maddie sat very calmly through all the hoopla, and I think we may actually have gotten one or two good photos of the whole crew.

We haven't had an opportunity to go swimming yet, so that's on the agenda for tomorrow morning. We head to the Consulate tomorrow afternoon at which point all official business will be concluded. Several of the families in our group are on their way home tomorrow. We have to wait around until Friday night before we catch our flight to LA. Now that we are near the end of our journey, it seems like the past two weeks have gone fast, yet it still feels like we have been away from home, and more importantly Isabel, forEVER. I don't understand the purpose of having to stay so long in Guangzhou, but then again, I guess there is a lot about international adoption that escapes my reasoning. All I know is that we are so very thankful to have been blessed with another wonderful daughter, and we cannot wait to get her home to meet her sister.

We'll do our best to post some pool photos tomorrow. After that, the next you will hear from us is when we are home sweet HOME!

Melissa, if you are reading this, you are on my mind! Safe travels to you. I cannot wait to follow your journey! It won't be long now before Darby is in your arms forever.

3 More Days

2009-07-07T06:15:00.000-07:00

OK, we finally went to the famed Lucys tonight. It was good but not great. Don't see what all the raves are about. Milkshakes were actually milk, no ice cream. Burgers tasted a little like seafood. Fries were good. Maddie liked them with Ketchup after she hissed at the first taste. Actually the Italian place we went last night was much better. It was called LaDolceVita and was run by an angry Italian man. How did he end up in China ? :-)

Still no flooding and no rioting so I think we'll make it a couple more days.

More pics:

We Are Fine

2009-07-06T18:09:00.000-07:00

Unsure of how much of the Chinese news reaches the States, we have been somewhat remiss in posting our status considering recent events. There have been some outbreaks of violence in certain areas and major flooding in southern China. None of this has touched us, thankfully. We heard from one of the shop owners near the White Swan Hotel last night that some flooding was possible where we are, but this morning, all is fine.

Yesterday was a major shopping day. This morning we are headed out to Yuexiu Park which should be loads of fun considering it's about a hundred degrees with two hundred percent humidity today. Oh, and the sun is out. More sweating definitely on the agenda.

Maddie opens up more and more each day. She is definitely the little singer. She is very affectionate, giving us hugs and kisses without being asked, and she continues to eat and sleep well. As for food, honestly, I don't know where she puts it. I am quite sure, given the chance, she could polish off an entire watermelon on her own.

I know you want more pictures. I promise to post photos this afternoon.

Maddie Sings

2009-07-04T22:43:00.000-07:00

Watch this 30 second video and if you watch it 7 more times in a row you'll imagine how we were laughing as she sang along with this signing time video.
Click Here to View - Maddie Sings

Guangzhou!

2009-07-04T00:52:00.000-07:00

First of all, Happy 4th of July! We are so missing being in Columbus for the festivities, but we keep thinking about how fun it will be next year when we have two three year olds to take to the parade and carnival and fireworks. Is anybody missing my tuna noodle salad?

On Friday, we spent the day at our hotel, playing with Maddie and getting packed. At 4:00 p.m, we headed to the Hangzhou airport, and thus began our second longest day here. After arriving at the airport at 5, we got through security fairly quickly, and then just had to sit back and wait for our 6:30 flight. We boarded on time but then ended up sitting on the tarmac for an hour before we were able to take off due to bad weather conditions in Guangzhou. The flight is only an hour and a half, but we had to circle for another half an hour while we waited for clearance to land. Finally, the plane set down at 9:30. Madeleine was a star traveler. She wasn't scared at all which I sort of thought she might be considering this was her first experience with airports and airplanes. And once again, we didn't see one ounce of fussiness. She sat in her airplane seat, belted in, for the duration of the trip and never complained. At one point, she folded herself in half (she's quite flexible, our girl) and fell sound asleep. After retrieving our baggage and boarding a bus with seven other Great Wall families who have joined us here in GZ, it was a 40 minute drive to the famed White Swan Hotel. We arrived around midnight. And still, our girl was happy and smiling. Several cinnamon fish crackers helped. We all fell into bed around 12:30 and had a relatively quiet night. Maddie woke up twice. Once Richard just rubbed her back and she fell back to sleep. The second time we brought her to bed with us, and she went right back to sleep. I think it was a combination of being overtired and being in a different environment. Tonight should be better.

We slept in until 8:00 and had breakfast at the hotel. What food ISN'T on the breakfast buffet at the White Swan? Holy smokes. Tired of noodles and rice, all three of us went with classic American fare...scrambled eggs and bacon. Yum.

The rest of the morning wasn't so pleasant, but Maddie was a real trooper through it all. Today was the day of the dreaded medical exam. The exam itself is cursory...a quick look in the eyes and ears and mouth, measurements, and a quick listen to the heart. Maddie weighs 25.7 pounds and is 36 inches tall and was declared healthy. Three doctors did come in and look at her deficient leg and talk about it in Chinese, but we, of course, were not privy to the gist of their conversation since we have not been able to pick up much of the language. We're pretty much limited to ni hao (hello, how are you) and xie xie (thank you). Oh, and la shee shee, of course.

The unpleasant part of the exam was the three shots and TB test Maddie had to undergo, an American requirement. I'll give the nurses credit, they did all the pokes as quickly as possible. For her part, of course, Maddie cried, but once we were all done and left the room, she was calm.

We're back at the hotel now, and Maddie is in the second hour of what I'm guessing will be a three hour nap. After she awakens, we are going to head down to the playroom. I'm quite sure she's tired of the few toys we've brought, and it will be fun to see her have a whole room full of toys and other kids to play with.

The kid continues to amaze us. We are having fun listening to her repeat everything we say. Her catch phrases today have been, "How are you?" and "I'm fine. Thank you." Her pronunciation is as clear as a bell.

Enjoy your holiday, everyone. We are happy to be in Guangzhou, knowing that we are on the downhill side of the trip. Despite having an amazing time, we are missing Ibby so much, and we are convinced the cats probably think we are never coming home.

The Movie Star

2009-07-02T22:28:00.000-07:00

Internet? What Internet?

2009-07-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

Honestly, we would have posted more this week, but on a good day, internet access is spotty at best. On a bad day, it's mostly nonexistent. It just took me 45 minutes to check my email, and the internet faded out on me no less than six times.

What a difference a few days makes. I cannot believe that Madeleine is the same girl we picked up on Monday. By Tuesday, there were no more bouts of sobbing. By yesterday, she was hugging and kissing me without being prompted and rarely pushing Daddy away anymore. She has been laughing and playing and singing and imitating everything we say and do. When we get her up in the morning or when either of us enters a room, she says, "Hi!" And she waves and says "bye bye" at the appropriate times. We have her saying, "How are you?" and "I'm fine." She is referring to herself as Mattie, the d sound being very pronounced, and she usually responds when we refer to her or call her by her new name. She has already learned a few signs...more, eat, milk, cat, drink...and we've only watched "Signing Time" once. She has learned "Itsy Bitsy Spider" already. She says some of the words, but has all of the motions down. You can see her doing it in some of the pix from yesterday. Still no accidents though she does use "La shee shee" as an excuse to get attention sometimes because she knows everyone will drop everything to get her to a bathroom. We also know that she is smart enough to manipulate us and that she has amazing control, so now, we respond only when we are pretty sure she really has to go. Car rides make her a bit nervous. She gets very quiet and sober when we drive anywhere. We wonder if she is thinking we are going to take her somewhere and leave her, but we keep trying to reassure her that Mommy and Daddy will always be here and never, ever leave her.

Miss Isabel is having the time of her life at my sister's though she has begun to test Patti a bit. She is a toddler after all, and I have no doubt that despite how happy she is and how much fun she's having, she misses home and us. She has learned a few new things as well. Apparently, she likes to give the high five and say, "Alllllriiiiiiight." Patti doesn't know where she learned it, but my money is on my nephew Jake. She also says, "Goodnight boys" to Uncle Bob and Jake when it's time to go to bed. And she and Kailei, the dog, are having a mutual love affair.

As for sightseeing, on Thursday, we visited a tea farm which was quite interesting. I don't get the attraction of drinking hot tea in 90 plus degree weather though. And after the farm, we visited Lingyin Temple, a Buddhist temple in Hangzhou over 1700 years old. It was beautiful.

Today we pick up Maddie's passport and head to Guangzhou.

Few more pics:

The Longest Day Ever

2009-06-30T23:04:00.000-07:00

Except for the day we flew to China, Tuesday was, as the title suggests, the longest day ever. Before I get to the details about our trip to Taizhou City, let me tell you how the rest of Monday panned out. When we first returned to the hotel after pickup, Maddie was quite upset. She kept crying out for her ayi (nanny) and saying, "Abu kay! Abu kay!" We knew "bu" meant no, but we weren't sure how the rest of it translated. When we asked our guide Kelly about it later, she said she thought it meant something like "I don't want to go." Whatever the exact translation, we knew Maddie really didn't want anything to do with us. Eventually, she tired herself out, and out of sheer exhaustion fell asleep on the bed with both of us. After a four hour nap, we all woke up feeling a bit better. She was no longer inconsolable, but we certainly couldn't get a smile out of her either. She ate a light dinner and then just sort of observed us both very soberly. We had a real breakthrough when we got her in the tub for a bath. I didn't think we'd even be able to get her clothes off because earlier when I had taken off one of her socks, she got very upset with me. Once she saw the water and the toys, she practically took off her own clothes. She spent about an hour in the tub laughing and playing and having a great time. Richard supervised mostly because she had really been rejecting him, so we had decided that Daddy would get to do really fun things with her like give her a bath and feed her m and ms. It seems to be working. We're on day three, and she is having eye contact with him and not pushing him away nearly as much as she did the first two days. Her first full night with us was great. She slept the entire night, starting out in her crib and ending up in our bed around 2:00 a.m. when she began whimpering a bit. She fell right back to sleep though and slept soundly until 6:30 a.m.

Okay, so that brings us to Tuesday morning. We went to the breakfast buffet in the hotel and were pleased when Maddie ate well and even laughed and smiled for us a bit. At 8:40 we were in the car on our way to Civil Affairs to do the swearing in ceremony. It was sort of anticlimactic, but it did provide a nice photo op, and we received an official certificate and stuffed Panda. By about 9:30, were on the road to Taizhou City. After getting out of Hangzhou proper, we were presented with some very beautiful scenery. The area is fairly mountainous, and we drove by rice paddies and tea fields galore. It was a gorgeous drive, but long, four hours to be exact. After a quick lunch, we got to the Passport Office. It only takes three and a half hours, seven officials, three photo attempts, two orphanage directors, one translator, two parents, one child, and one special piece of paper with a very particular stamp to get a Chinese passport. It was touch and go for awhile when Maddie's orphanage director hadn't brought THE piece of paper which didn't have the special stamp necessary. He had to return to the orphanage, get the paper, go to another office to get the stamp, and return to the Passport office. Finally, just before closing, everything was in order, and we were on our way. We did not have a chance to go to Maddie's orphanage because we ran out of time, but we are thankful that at least we got to visit her hometown, and we will have very fond memories of the time spent at the Passport office. Another four hour drive back, and we were back in our room by 10:00 p.m. Now you may be wondering how a newly adopted two and a half year old child dealt with this very long day. She was incredible. Not one tear. Not one bout of fussiness. She slept awhile on the way there and awhile on the way back. Oh, and it's important to note here that Miss Madeleine is completely potty trained. She will not go in her diaper. She says, "La shee shee," whenever she needs to go, and no amount of cajoling will convince her to go in her pants because as she told Kelly in Chinese, "No, no. Stinky." She has incredible control, but we did have to pull over on the road once so she could go. In three days, she hasn't had one accident.

Tuesday night bathtime wasn't so fun because the poor little thing was beyond tired, but she slept in her crib all night long without a single peep until she awakened at 7:30 a.m.

Maddie is slow to wake up, but once she was alert, she was happy and smiling and laughing and playing. After another good breakfast, we headed over to West Lake which is one of the biggest attractions here in Hangzhou. It's 15 km around and just a beautiful area. We walked and watched boats go by, fed fish, saw peacocks, and really enjoyed a few hours outside. The weather was tolerable today, too. After a heavy rain last night, it was much cooler, and certainly quite pleasant by the lake. Next, we made a quick stop at the Silk Museum. Hangzhou is best known for the quality of its silk, said to be the best in China. I purchased a beautiful silk jacket for Maddie as a memento from her province. The other thing Hangzhou is known for is its tea which brings us to tomorrow's agenda, visiting a tea farm.

As for the newest member of our family, we cannot believe our good fortune. Madeleine is smart and funny. She is a good eater and sleeper. As I mentioned before, she is potty trained and would much rather drink out of a real cup than a sippy. She gets around amazingly well despite her limb deficiency. In fact, she can climb up and down from the couch, "walk" from room to room, jump up and down, spin around. She already knows herself by the name Maddie, consistently calls us Mama and Baba and has learned a few English words, "Okay, beautiful, uh-oh, eat, silly" oh, and "no."

We are simply having an amazing time and cannot believe the strides Maddie has made in such a short time. We miss Isabel enormously but cannot wait for her to meet her new sister.

More pics:

Pickup Complete

2009-06-28T22:32:00.000-07:00

Looks like dad gets to write this post. Mom currently has her hands full with a sad and tired little girl.

We left this morning at 8:40am and arrived at an office building across town for the pickup meeting. I don't think either of us really thought too much as we went in, we just dove right in. We walked up a flight of stairs, down a long hallway and into a conference room and there was Maddie (Qi Qi) with her two nannies and the orphanage director. They were playing and had the picture book Pam had sent open on the table.

She knew who mama and papa were, but she was initially very wary of us. After making faces for a few minutes and breaking out the cheerios, we finally got her to open up after about an hour. We were all feeding each other cheerios until we ran out. Maddie would say Xie Xie Mama and Xie Xie Papa after each cheerio exchange, which is very cute. Maddie talks a lot but we don't know much about what she's saying so we're going to improvise. Meanwhile we did paperwork, took thumbprints and handed over a large wad of dough to the orphanage officials. At least we're no longer carrying all that cash.

While Maddie was distracted, the orphanage director and her two nannies left while we were playing and she was still happy. She caught on as we were leaving and didn't initially cry until after we were in the car and back at the hotel room after a quick side trip for passport pictures.

Since we've been back in the room we've been trying to keep her comforted and get her to take her noon nap. I think the next couple days will be a little rougH, but she seems to be calming down a bit after some more cheerios and milk.

Tomorrow we go to Taizhou City to complete the adoption paperwork. We're down for eight hours of travel, but at least we get our wish to see her home city. This was a somewhat pleasant surprise as we didn't think we would get a chance to see Maddie's home town. We might even get to see her orphanage, however we're a little wary because if she sees her nannies, she may get sad all over again. We'll deal with it as things unfold. I think she's going to be fine and we're excited for her to meet Isabel as they seem to have similar temperaments.

Here's the first round of pics:

We made it

2009-06-28T06:38:00.000-07:00

This post is being sent courtesy of Richards blackberry. Blogger is blocked, but to our surprise Sprint is not.

We arrived in Guangzhou at 5:30 am Sunday China time after a relatively uneventful flight. After having the temperature guns pointed at our heads by hazmat specialists we were allowed to leave the plane.

The Guangzhou airport is enormous and very cool. The worst part of the trip was waiting 4 hrs for our flight to Hangzhou.

Upon landing in Hangzhou we were happy to see our guide Kelly waiting for us. She was smiling and waving a green Great Wall flag.

A 40 minute drive brought us to the Hangzhou hotel which Kelly described as old. The hotel is actually quite nice. We have a lovely 2 room suite and are close to many amenities including a bank, lots of shops and Papa Johns pizza which we had for dinner.

We pick up Maddie Monday at 9am which is Sunday evening in the US.

That's all for now.

Final Itinerary

2009-06-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

The bags are all packed...well, except for Richard's. That doesn't surprise anyone, does it? We are all checked in for our flights. I think I have enough reading material to occupy myself for 16 plus hours. Let's get this show on the road!

Here is our itinerary, so you can keep track of where we are and when.

6.26.2009, 11:50 pm: Depart LAX
6.28.2009, noon China time: Arrive Hangzhou
6.29.2009, 9:00 am: MEET MADELEINE!
7.02.2009: Sightseeing Tour to Xihu
7.03.2009: Pick up Maddie's passport; Fly to Guangzhou
7.04.2009: TB Test
7.05.2009: Sightseeing Tour to Chen Family Temple
7.06.2009: Sightseeing Tour to Yuexlu Park
7.07.2009: Medical exam
7.09.2009: American Consulate Interview, Pick up Maddie's Visa
7.10.2009, 9:00 pm: Depart Guangzhou for LAX
7.11.2009, 6:11 am: Arrive Minneapolis

So this is probably it until we're on the other side of the world. Keep your fingers crossed that no one near us on the plane has a fever! We would prefer not to be quarantined!

It's So Quiet...

2009-06-25T07:10:00.000-07:00

Well, Isabel is safely stowed away with my sister Patti in Wisconsin, and the house is strangely quiet. Even the cats keep walking around, bewildered at the lack of noise and activity. Other than the gaping hole in my chest, I'm doing fine. I miss her so much, but I know that this is the best course of action. Two weeks is, relatively speaking, a very short time, and the peace of mind I've achieved by making the decision to leave her home is invaluable.

I'll be busy today, running last minute errands and packing and unpacking and repacking. One nice thing is that I will be able to accomplish a great deal in far less time than it usually takes when my little helper is here.

In the end, I think this is better. Now Richard and I will have two solid weeks to focus our attention solely on Madeleine. I am hoping that we can make some small (or better yet large) strides toward bonding before we get home and rock everybody's world when the two girls meet.

I've been so busy of late making arrangements and getting everything in order that I haven't taken a lot of time to ponder the fact that we will be meeting our new daughter in just a few short days. This morning, I've had a couple moments of pure joy and excitement as I think about that meeting. We will soon be a family of four. We will soon have the two daughters I've always dreamed about. And very soon, this quiet will be gone. I can't wait.

A Really Tough Decision

2009-06-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

On June 19, the US Department of State issued a travel warning to anyone going to China about the quarantine measures the Chinese government is imposing on anyone who lands in country with a fever or exhibiting H1N1 symptoms. It was this part of the warning that really caught our attention: In some instances, children have been separated from their parents because either the parent or the child tested positive for 2009-H1N1 and was placed in quarantine for treatment. This situation presents the possibility of Chinese medical personnel administering medications to minors without first having consulted their parents.

After much discussion and some last minute scrambling, we have decided that Isabel will not travel with us to China to pick up Madeleine.

I am heartbroken for many reasons, but I cannot in good conscience take Isabel with us when there is even a remote possibility that she could contract H1N1 and be separated from us.

I have never been away from Isabel for even one night, so I am going to miss her more than I can fathom, but my mind is at ease knowing that she will be safe and sound here at home. Many thanks to my dear sister Patti and her husband Bob who said yes without a moment's hesitation when I asked if they might be willing to take her while we are gone.

So this trip seems very bittersweet at the moment. I am so happy to finally be traveling to get our Maddie. Not having Isabel there to be a part of it all is sad, but in my heart, I know it is the right thing to do at this time.

Isabel Turns Two!

2009-06-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

Neither Richard nor I can believe it, but our baby has turned two. Where did the last year go?

Considering we are leaving for China in five days, we kept the celebration fairly low key this year, but Isabel still had a great time.

We began the celebration on Saturday with a breakfast date with Clifford the Big Red Dog. The Minnesota Children's Museum has a Clifford exhibit running throughout the summer, and about once a month, they are offering these quick meet and greets with Clifford himself. Let's just say Ibby is probably still a little too young to appreciate meeting a cartoon celebrity. She could tolerate him from a distance, but up close, she wanted nothing to do with him. She wouldn't shake his hand or say hello or even play peek-a-boo. In fact, in two face to face encounters, she started to cry. She was content to stand back and observe him with the other kids, and she was more than happy to say "bye bye" and wave when he retreated from the room.

After breakfast, we spent a couple of hours exploring the museum. Miss Isabel had a ball running from exhibit to exhibit. I think she most enjoyed the grocery store and the bus.

By this time, our continental breakfast had worn off, so we headed to Grandma Sandy's house for lunch and CAKE! Isabel loved the balloons and the cool Cheerio book from Grandma and Aunt Sue. Oh, and the cake wasn't too bad either.

After a quiet afternoon at home and pizza for dinner, Isabel opened her card from Erin and gift from Aunt Pat, Uncle Bob, and Jake. Oh, and had a little more cake. There was a small meltdown right before bathtime which could have been caused by the overstimulation of the day or perhaps a bout of low blood sugar after all that cake was finally digested.

Sunday, June 21, was her actual birthday. We began the day by taking Daddy out for breakfast since it also happened to be Father's Day. Then we came home, so Ibby could open the presents from Mom and Dad. Let me just say, Isabel thoroughly knows and understands the word "presents," and she enjoys them very much. So far it's a toss up between the xylophone and the Little People Busy Day House.

Oh, one more thing. She got a real kick out of the Happy Birthday song. We sang it to her yesterday at lunch, and she just beamed from ear to ear. Daddy and I sang it to her this morning and then had to do two encore performances since she would laugh and clap her hands and say, "Again!"

It was so much fun for us to see Isabel enjoy her birthday so much. We are so proud of our big girl. Happy Birthday, Isabel!

A New Playset

2009-06-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

Just this week, we had a small corner of the lot in the back of our home landscaped to accommodate a playset. The playset itself has been sitting in the garage (in Daddy's space) for the last three weeks. With the landscaping finished, it was time to set the sucker up. Neither Richard nor I was really looking forward to this task. We both came down with whatever Isabel had that made her projectile vomit earlier in the week, and we'd just come off of two days of almost complete paralysis and no food. We figured we were at about 85% capacity this morning, so we decided we better get her done. Besides, it won't be long before there are TWO toddlers to entertain around here. The more play possibilities, the better.

9:15 AM: Everything is out of the two gargantuan boxes and spread across our lawn as well as part of the neighbors'.

9:30 AM: Wow! It's already beginning to take shape, and it's only been 15 minutes.

9:50 AM: The walls start to go on and Isabel decides she loves it even in its unfinished state.

10:15 AM: A quick check of the instructions reveals the walls went on the wrong way...thank goodness we caught the mistake early on in the construction process.

11:00 AM: Break time!

11:45 AM: Bridge and tower proving a bit difficult to secure when someone keeps running back and forth across the bridge.

11:47 AM: Pose for Mommy!

12:15 PM: Just a few last screws to tighten...

...and TADAAAAAAAA! A new playset!

Three hours. Not bad. And not a single argument! Oh, and just in case you thought all I was doing was playing photographer, here is evidence to show that I replanted several hostas while Daddy and Isabel did the building. Well, Daddy did the building while Ibby performed product testing.

China, Baby!

2009-06-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

Despite the WHO declaration of a swine flu pandemic today, we received travel confirmation! It looks like we will be departing on June 26...two weeks from tomorrow...and returning on July 10. Our consulate appointment has been confirmed for July 8. I can't believe this is really happening!

Fun in the Sun

2009-06-04T12:06:00.001-07:00

Isabel got one of her birthday presents early. You tell me. Do you think she likes it?

TA!

2009-05-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

We were informed today that finally, the CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) has issued our Travel Approval (TA). Hoooooooooooray! What this means is that we have been given permission by the Chinese government to come to China and get our girl. Unfortunately, our agency was unable to confirm any appointments for us, and the CCAA is on holiday the rest of this week. Hopefully, we should know more early next week. Two appointments need to be confirmed before we can make our travel arrangments. The first appointment is at the Civil Affairs office in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province. This is where we will meet Maddie and take her into our care. At this point, she is our daughter in the eyes of the Chinese government. The second is our CA (consulate appointment) in Guangzhou where the US Embassy is located. This is where we will receive permission from the US for Maddie to enter the country as a US citizen. Please keep your fingers crossed that Zhejiang province is not delaying appointments due to the swine flu. If all goes well, we could be on our way in three to four weeks!

I Love This Girl

2009-05-22T11:39:00.001-07:00

Update on my Girls

2009-05-14T12:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's girls, plural.

Anyone who has adopted a child knows how excrutiatingly painful and frustrating the waiting can be. With Isabel, we were lucky to be able to visit so many times during the process (seven times to be exact), so we saw her, held her and knew from personal experience that she was thriving. It also helped that we knew the foster family with whom she stayed. Though it was devastating to leave her each time we had to return to the States, we knew she was loved and extremely well cared for, and that certainly provided some comfort while we waited to bring her home.

With Madeleine, of course, it's a completely different story. We have no idea what the orphanage is like. We are clueless as to whether or not she is close to her nannies and the other children. The medical reports we have gotten are outdated and sketchy, and any other information about her is basically nonexistent. Thank goodness there are organizations out there who will send care packages to children like we did this winter, and thank goodness there are folks, who for a minimal fee, will contact the orphanages and try to glean some updated information while parents wait. We just got an email this morning from one such person, and just the little bit of information we received was truly a blessing and a relief.

So without further ado, here's an update on our Maddie. Because her deficient lower leg is unable to support her weight, Maddie is not walking. That does not mean she is not quite mobile, however. The director of the orphanage says she gets around quite readily by walking on her knees. It doesn't sound very comfortable, but with small children, where there is a will, there is a way. What it tells us is that we want to pursue medical interventions just as soon as we can, so that we can improve her mobility and get her off those knees. Maddie is very close to two of her nannies, and there are four children with whom she is good friends. Her favorite foods are noodles, fish, eggs, milk, and fruit, and she especially likes to play with stuffed animals and ride a rocking horse. She is a good sleeper, and her personality is described as "lively, energetic, and at times, self-willed." Pretty typical for a toddler. The most heart warming thing we learned is that the nannies are showing our pictures to her regularly (we included a photo album in the care package we sent this winter), and the director says she loves to look at our pictures, and each time she views them, she kisses Mommy, Daddy, and Sister. Well, that little gem brought tears to my eyes. It truly made my day when I got the email that contained these updates.

As for Isabel, she continues to amaze us on a daily basis. Her language is still developing at break neck speed. She is even beginning to understand some of the subtleties of polite conversation. For example, she says "thank you" without being prompted (most of the time), and now she has begun to say "welcome" when we tell her thank you. If we ask her what her name is, she says, "Ibby," and when we ask her how old she is, she will say very clearly "two." It's a little premature, but we figured it would take longer to teach it to her. During the day, we like to talk about our friends and family. When asked where Daddy is, she will say "work." She also likes to talk about Grandma Sandy, Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Pat, Uncle Bob, and Jake. Erin isn't too clear yet, and I'm not sure she understands the difference between Erin and Erik yet. She is not showing any signs of readiness for potty training, but we have begun to discuss it. She loves her Once Upon a Potty book, and she is quite intrigued by the Elmo Potty DVD. When we are counting, she will supply the two, six, and nine. She's starting to add in three, seven, and ten. She is also quite intrigued with the alphabet. She has an alphabet puzzle she loves to play with, and she greatly enjoys watching the Signing Time ABC DVD. She especially likes the letters B, D, H, K, and Z.

Typical mom, I could go on and on about my kids, but I'll leave it at that for now. Thanks for indulging me!

Dreaming of Travel to China

2009-05-12T13:19:00.000-07:00

Without Travel Approval (TA) and with no clear idea when it might arrive, I am left to dream about traveling to China. Today, I did a little research on the capital city of Zhejiang province. Madeleine lives in Taizhou City in Zhejiang province, but when we are finally united, we will meet her and her caretakers in Hangzhou which is, I am told, about a four hour drive from Taizhou and where the Civil Affairs office is located.

Hangzhou, population 6.4 million, is located in the Yangtze River Delta in the People's Republic of China, approximately 112 miles southwest of Shanghai. A popular tourist destination, Hangzhou is renowned for its historic relics and natural beauty. In fact, it has been ranked as one of the ten most scenic cities in China. One of Hangzhou's most popular sights is West Lake. The lake covers an area of 6 square kilometers and includes some of Hangzhou's most famous historic and scenic places. The area includes historical pagodas, cultural sites, as well as the natural beauty of the lake and hills.

Tea is an important part of Hangzhou's economy and culture. Hangzhou is best known for originating Longjing, a famous variety of green tea. Hangzhou is also known for its artistic creations, such as silk, umbrellas, and Chinese hand-held folding fans.

According to Wikipedia, there are a couple of famous Chinese sayings about Hangzhou. The first is, "Be born in Suzhou, live in Hangzhou, eat in Guangzhou, die in Liuzhou." (生在苏州, 活在杭州, 吃在广州, 死在柳州) The meaning here lies in the fact that Suzhou was renowned for its beautiful and highly civilized and educated citizens, Hangzhou for its scenery, Guangzhou for its food, and Liuzhou for its nanmu wood coffins which supposedly halted the decay of the body. The other is, "Above is Heaven, Below are Suzhou and Hangzhou." (上有天堂，下有苏杭) This phrase has a similar meaning to the English phrases "heaven on Earth" or "God's country."

I feel very fortunate that we will be able to visit this stunning city. I am ready to leave anytime. Do you hear that, CCAA? ANYTIME!

Lakeside Buildings on the West Lake

Lingyin Temple

Pagoda Bridge on West Lake

Planes, Swine Flu, and Good Friends

2009-05-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

This post is long overdue, but I've been obsessing over travel approval (or shall I say the lack thereof) and supervising the installation of the egress window in Maddie's room.

Richard was scheduled to be out of town the entire last week of April while he attended his big annual tradeshow, and Isabel and I decided we didn't want to hang out by ourselves all that time, so at the last minute, we decided to go to Texas to visit our dear friends. Isabel hadn't seen Will since November, and we hadn't yet met Thomas, so it was a good time for a visit.

This was the first time Isabel and I had traveled via air without Richard. To save money, I booked only one seat. I was a tad anxious about how my active toddler would do on a three hour flight. Silly me. She was fabulous. It didn't hurt that she slept part of the way either.

Lousy weather and the swine flu pandemic forced us to stick close to home, but we didn't mind. We weren't there to see any San Antonio attractions anyhow, so hanging out at Lynn and Tom's house was just fine with us.

I believe Isabel and Will actually remembered each other. Of course, it took three days before they warmed up enough to chase each other around the house. Will and Thomas were perfect gentlemen, letting Isabel play with all their toys even when she wouldn't let them touch Bitty Baby. After a couple of days, Will had even learned just to hand the doll over to Ibby whenever he happened upon her.

It was such a pleasure to meet Thomas. He's so smart! We loved listening to him count and say the alphabet and rattle off the names of Lynn's extended family one night at dinner.

Probably the most fun for Isabel was the outdoor playset and the sprinkler. She went down the slide time after time after time. And when Lynn got the sprinkler out on our last day...it had finally stopped raining and was warm enough to put on swimsuits...Ibby just had a ball! She walked right into the streams of cold water and didn't move until Lynn turned off the water. She was soaked through!

I have to say, the three of them got along really well. There wasn't a lot of direct play, but there weren't any major tussles either.

Many thanks to our dear friends for putting up with us for three days. We had a wonderful time and hope it won't be too long before our next visit. North next time?

Sweet, Smart Thomas

Curious, Adventurous Will

Wet, Wild Isabel

Finally, Ibby lets someone else near the sprinkler

But manages to chase Will away when she reaches for one of the hoses

Anybody else want to get wet? Just try me...

Forever Family Day: May 6

2009-05-05T19:12:00.000-07:00

It is difficult to comprehend, but May 6 marks one year since Isabel's embassy appointment, the day when she officially became our daughter...on paper and according to the law anyway. I say officially because she was our daughter in our hearts from the very first time we laid eyes on her picture when she was just eight days old. The ten months it took from the first viewing of her referral photos to her arrival home seemed long and at times very arduous, but now, time truly passes in the blink of an eye. Just yesterday she was a baby who couldn't walk or talk. Now she's a little girl who runs or walks on tiptoes most of the time and can put together two word sentences. Incomprehensible. I cannot remember a life without our dear girl. I know we used to be happy and laugh a lot, but we weren't this happy, and we didn't feel this much joy. So Happy Forever Family Day to us! We are so blessed.

Here is Isabel at the Marriott in Guatemala City just before we left for our embassy appointment.

Here we are after the embassy appointment, a family of three.

New Chairs

2009-04-25T11:47:00.001-07:00

Guess who loves her new chair? And guess who has a chair just waiting for her to get home?

School Days

2009-04-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

Isabel and I have been attending an Early Childhood and Family Education (ECFE) class on Tuesday mornings since last fall. The class runs from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The mommies spend the first half an hour in the room with the kids. Then at 11:30, the kids gather for a snack while we trot across the hall for 45 minutes of adult time to discuss child development, joys and concerns of parenting, etc. When we return, the kids are usually playing in the sandbox. Finally, we gather in a circle and sing a few songs, and it's time to go home.

It's been fun to watch all the kids progress and develop throughout the year. Last fall when we started, Isabel was just taking her first tentative steps, and another little girl wasn't walking at all. Now they are all walking (make that running) and talking. Play is still fairly independent though they have begun to notice each other a little more, and from time to time there can be a little territorial tussle over one toy or another. There used to be a lot of crying when the mommies would separate and go across the hall. Now the kids actually gather around the snack table without being told and barely notice when we walk out the door. Every once in awhile a little one will cry at separation time, but not very often.

Here are just a couple of pictures I snapped the other day right after we mommies came back into the room. The kids usually greet us happily, but then they gather around the sand box for some fun. The teachers fill it will couscous or cream of wheat or oatmeal, and the kids just love it. In fact, I made a mini sandbox for at home play. I filled an underbed container with a large box of couscous and a strainer, some measuring spoons, a few funnels, and a couple of scoops. We can play with it indoors on a rainy day (just lay down some plastic...the couscous stays fairly contained unless you have a couscous tosser), and sometimes we even take it outside if I don't want to have to bathe Isabel after playing (which I have to do after she plays in the real sandbox).

Here is Miss Ibby at school:

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T18:33:00.000-07:00

Indeed it was. Easter is most definitely a day to be thankful, but Richard and I felt especially blessed this year to have one little girl home and one little girl very close to coming home. Last year, we spent the week before Easter Sunday in Guatemala with Isabel, but we left before the actual holiday, so this year marked our first real Easter celebration with our darling, darling girl. We started out by coloring eggs on Saturday. Isabel is a sticker fanantic, so although the dyeing of the eggs was somewhat interesting, it was the chance to fancy up the eggs with stickers that really tripped her trigger. Note the deep concentration:

Today we meant to go to church, but we ended up not making the early service because Isabel slept in a bit...7:30...and she really had a ball hunting for the special eggs (each filled with an m and m surprise) the Easter bunny had "hidden" (rather conpicuously) around the house. So we just enjoyed some time together as a family and said a little prayer to thank God for all of the wonderful blessings he has bestowed on us. After a healthy breakfast of eggs, bacon and banana bread...oh, and m and ms...we got gussied up to meet Grandma Sandy and Aunt Susie for an Easter luncheon. Isabel doesn't really sit still anymore for the camera, so we have a few shots of her on the run, and a few quick poses we tried to catch before she looked away or turned around or wanted to scoot down. Here are a few shots we took at home before meeting Grandma and Susie.
Here's the best posed shot we could get:

Isabel was much more interested in running around the yard...look...no coat!

I love my daddy!

Two cuties...well, one for sure anyway!

Then it was off to lunch. We had a great time visiting with Grandma and Aunt Susie. Isabel was a good girl, as usual, and especially liked the brownie she got to share with Daddy for dessert. She's a girl after my own heart...she looooooves her chocolate. She doesn't get it very often, so I'm sure she felt pretty special today getting to have sweets TWICE in one day. Ibby was quite talkative during lunch, saying all of her new words for Grandma and Susie...circle, uncle, hungry, oh and good girl, among others...and she especially liked watching all of the people in the restaurant. We took a few cute pictures of her with Grandma and Sue after lunch.

So. It was a glorious weekend, not only because spring has finally sprung in Minnesota, but because we were so happy to celebrate this most special of holidays with our dear daughter. Next year will be twice as nice!

Travel in June?

2009-04-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

I just spoke with a person from our agency. The good news is that our application for Madeleine's visa is on its way to China. The bad news is that this part of the process (waiting for all documents to be received and processed by the consulate in Guangzhou and for the CCAA to issue travel approval) doesn't move so quickly...or at least as quickly as I would like it to. Though I was really hoping we would be on our way to China in May, June is looking more likely.

It's Getting There

2009-03-30T11:59:00.001-07:00

It was our hope to sell our house, move, and be in a new home before Maddie arrived. Though we've had slow but continual traffic through the house, we have not had any offers, so we made the decision to take the house off the market for now and make it work for us, a soon to be family of four.

We love this house, so we aren't disappointed to have to stay. It's just that we weren't thinking "family" when we moved in seven years ago. The main issue with the house is that we have two bedrooms upstairs (on the main level) and two bedrooms downstairs. It would be our wish to be in a traditional two story with all bedrooms on the same floor, but that's not what we've got, so we have to make a go of it here.

Currently, we have a very large master suite and dressing room (which was originally two full bedrooms) and Isabel's smaller bedroom on the main floor. Downstairs, one bedroom has been converted into our office, and we've been using the other as our tv/amusement room. Since we did not want to remove all the built-ins from the office, that left the large tv room to be converted into a child's bedroom. It's a huge room (17.5' x 17.5') and has an attached bath, so it will actually work quite nicely especially when we are able to house both girls in there (which is our goal once Maddie gets settled in and Isabel graduates from her crib).

So last week, we cleared out the whole room and had it and the adjoining bath painted pink. This weekend, we began loading in the kid stuff. It's close to being complete except for an egress window which will be installed the week after next. We are also waiting for a second twin bed to be delivered. That will be arriving the week of April 7. Oh, and I have to have a chair reupholstered in a different fabric to fit the new decor. Isabel's bedding is the same style as Maddie's except it's in green. The egress window, currently just a small window, will be above the bedstand in between the two beds. It will bring in lots more light and provide an emergency way out if ever (God forbid) necessary.

At first I was shocked by the pink, but after we started getting some furniture in the room, it really began to grow on me. I don't have everything up on the walls yet either, except for one big picture, so the wall art will break things up a bit, too. The only real glitch in the room is that it contains a stone fireplace. That is not an ideal feature for a little kids' room, but it will be nice once they're older. For now, we'll turn off the gas and probably pad the edges of the hearth so no one bonks their head.

Here is a sneak peek at Maddie's new and Isabel's eventual digs:

Our Little Monkey...

2009-03-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

is very much into climbing these days. I was out of the kitchen for about fifteen seconds the other day, and when I returned, Isabel was sitting on top of the island. She was very proud of herself but refused to look at me because she knew she wasn't supposed to be up there.

Mommy's Little Helper

2009-03-16T12:09:00.000-07:00

There is going to come a day when I will ask Isabel to swiffer the floor, and she will not be so happy to do it. As for now, she loves it, and she's actually quite thorough, too!

New Picture of Maddie

2009-03-13T13:54:00.001-07:00

I was so surprised today by an email from our agency with an updated photo of Madeleine. The CCAA sent the photo to our agency for submission with Maddie's visa application. They were nice enough to pass it along to us. She looks so sober and somewhat like a boy, but I am even more in love with her little face than I was before. Her features are so delicate...just love that little rosebud mouth and button nose. And her hair has really grown. It makes me a little sad to see her getting older, but hopefully, it won't be much longer before we can go get her and bring her home where she belongs. Here she is...