Digging A Hole to China

Happy Holidays!

2011-11-16T12:21:00.001-05:00

Photo Card

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The Need for Information

2010-08-21T00:50:00.011-04:00

What is this "need" for information that compels us to search for answers to questions of our daughter's first year of life? If we are given answers, how "true" is the report? Will we ever know? And when you do find a piece of your daughter's history, can you handle it? Does it break your heart? And create more questions, with no answers?

A few months ago the SWI families group of my daughters orphanage was offered a research project to find out about our children, ask questions to the SWI, photos of Wuchuan, information about the town, a token from Wuchuan. I debated whether we should sign up or not. For a couple of hundred dollars, we could find out alot of information or nothing at all. Was it worth it to us? The answer was yes. I did not want to regret not doing it, not trying to find a piece of information. No matter how small.

Yesterday we received our package in the mail. My biggest hope was there was a photo of Chun Qiu from when she first entered the SWI. As I tore open the envelope to see what was inside, I quickly found there was not a photo of Chun Qiu as an infant. My disappointment was apparent, I continued to look through the rest of our report. We received professional photos of Wuchuan, a report on Wuchuan, a map of Wuchuan with finding spot circled and rocks from area, a seashell from Jizhao Bay, a piece of bamboo with Chun Qiu carved on one side and Fu on the other side, a blessing from the SWI, a DVD of Wuchuan in the summer (lots of photos), and a CD with photos of Wuchuan, Chun Qiu's finding spot, the town, a post card from three young girls at the Wangcun Gang post office (they would like to help us and would like us to write to them), and some answers to our questions to the SWI.

As I begin to look at the photos and read information given to us, I hold back the tears. Especially when I viewed Chun Qiu's finding spot for the first time. My heart was breaking to imagine our little girl, left in a box, all alone, so tiny, so young, crying into the night. She must have been so frightened, no one to answer her cries, to hold her and tell her everything will be ok. I had my own image of her finding spot, especially since we were given information while in China by Dong who is from Wuchuan, that her finding spot was "a hospital on a beach, her mother was smart, she knew she would be safe and found", and then there are images in the adoption story books that we read to our daughters. Reality is harsh, her finding spot was nothing like I imagined. I am amazed she survived the night and the stars aligned in just the right way for our paths to meet.

Chun Qiu was looking at the photos with me and asked if it was China. She told me when she was a baby and she cried. She talks often of when she was a baby and she cried, her mommy came to pick her up in China. The day mommy and daddy came to China. Does she remember? She was approx 10 days old when found and 13 1/2 months when she became our daughter. Could she remember her birth mother? crying into the night? and her time in the orphanage? More questions without answers.

I will not dwell on no answers, for now I will enjoy every day with my daughter and always remember the unknown woman who gave me the greatest gift.

One day we will return to China with Chun Qiu so she may find answers to her questions. In the mean time, we have some pieces of the puzzle, some photos of Chun Qiu's town.

Wangcun Gang town

Wangcungang Hospital

Santa 2009

2009-11-17T00:48:00.001-05:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

Our Little Rocker

2009-08-25T23:51:00.005-04:00

Immediately after Lotus watched an 8 yr old Japanese guitar player on the Ellen Show she wanted to play on the guitars. She said it over and over and over again until Kevin agreed to take her down stairs to play. She specifically wanted to play on the Hello Kitty guitar. Here are a few photos from her first jam. Wondering should have we signed her up for guitar lessons and not dance? Hmmmmm

Hey Mommy, You're 40?

2009-08-07T15:23:00.008-04:00

Last Friday I quietly turned 40! Ok, so maybe not so quietly. My dear husband threw a 40th birthday party in my honor. Originally he tried to make it a surprise, however, a week prior he confessed that a party was planned. The date was getting close and I was trying to make dinner plans etc, so he figured to let the proverbial cat out of the bag. We had originally discussed not having a party and go on vacation instead (my idea, not his), yet, my husband said there was no way your 40th can come along and not celebrate.

The day started out with Kevin and I dropping Lotus off at school and then stopping for a quick breakfast at the Amish Market (yummy). Then off for some shopping and preparations for the evening. Around 4 o'clock I left for a pedicure (which never happened), before picking Lotus up from school. It started to POUR (whenever we have a outdoor party at the house it will rain) and it continued to RAIN. I ditched the pedicure and decided to pick up Lotus. We were making our way back home in the Monsoon and she was not liking the rain at all, so we started to sing "Rain Rain Go Away", she got a kick out of the song and was content. When we reached home, we ran inside and waited as the guests arrived to the party. Luckily by the time everyone arrived the MONSOON had stopped and the sun made an appearance. It was a great party to say the least, it was a wonderful time to be surrounded by family and friends to celebrate my 40th! It definitely made turning 40 more exciting and fun. I will save my thoughts on turning 40 for another post.

Thank you Kevin for making my day very special, it was a great party!

PS There are no photos of the party since I am the one who takes most of the pics! I think my sister-in-law has one of the Happy Birthday blowing out the candles. Once I find it and it passes my approval, I will post it.

PPS During the party my daugher (who is almost 3 yrs old) turns to me, points to the banner, and says, "Mommy you turned 40?"

Playing Around with the Camera

2009-07-27T00:15:00.001-04:00

Preview for Fun Fall Activities

2009-07-13T23:40:00.008-04:00

It will be a very exciting fall this year in our household. Our little princess will be 3 years old and can sign up for organized activities. In September, Lotus will be starting weekly dance (ballet and tap) class and playing fall soccer. I figure this will not be too much for Lotus since soccer is only for 6 weeks and will be a nice change to our schedules on Saturday mornings, shake it up a bit. Since she is joining two activities in the same month, plus her birthday is in September, I figured we would get her soccer gear this month and her dance attire next month. This way, in September, after our vacation we wouldn't be rushing around trying to get everything. Today we went to pick up her cleats, shin guards, and ball for soccer. She was so cute at D*ck's Sporting Goods, trying to play ladder ball in the aisle . After we tried one pair of cleats, she didn't want to take them off. Good thing the first pair fit. She insisted on wearing them home. After dinner she played in the back yard with her cleats and soccer shorts, she couldn't wait to have them back on, she might have slept with them if I didn't make her take them off. I hope she keeps this excitement going. Of course I have photos to share. Enjoy........

Seems Like Just Yesterday......

2009-07-07T23:26:00.007-04:00

that we received the CALL! The CALL we all wait for, the CALL you expect when on vacation. So you give your agency your email address, cell phone number, your husband's cell phone, even your mail carrier cell phone number (OK maybe not their number) so just in case the file of your daughter appears on their desk. We went on vacation and no CALL was received, referrals were being made and no CALL. We came home from vacation and still no CALL for us. My hopes were dashed, there would be no CALL for us this month. Or so I thought..........

Back to work I went on Monday, July 2nd, you know how it is after returning from vacation.......... I settled in with my coffee and went to a process map meeting. A little voice inside me said "Take your pager". During the meeting I was paged "URGENT CALL HOME 911" total panic came over me, my thoughts were not about the CALL. I thought something horrible happened. I ran to my desk and called home, Kevin answered right away (whew, he was safe) and told me, "You won't believe what happened, I came upstairs and the cats caught the kitchen on fire!" WHAT????!!!!! "How did that happen??" And then Kevin said "WE GOT THE CALL! She is 10 months old, Pam is sending over her file to you." I think I screamed and kept saying Oh My and started fanning myself because I couldn't breath. I told Kevin I would forward the email to him so we could see her photo at the same time. It took forever for him to receive the email. And then we opened the email and scrolled down and this was the very first photo we saw of our daughter Lotus...................

and then this

and lastly this one

There was no question, she was our daughter. After speaking with the international adoption department at our local children's hospital, we immediately made our CALL to our agency and accepted our referral for our daughter. We would have accepted right then and there, however, we wanted to have all the facts. In my heart, no matter what the international adoption department said, we would have accepted her with all our heart.

Flash forward two years later..............to our almost 3 yr old ball of fire! Isn't she a cutie?

This is a day I will never forget, along with a few other momentous events in my life. I am forever grateful to have the privilege to be called MOM. It is not always easy, however, the rewards are endless.

I'm NOT a DIVA! I'm a PRINCESS!

2009-06-21T00:18:00.010-04:00

Today was a BIG day for our little sweetie. In the morning we went to Kiddie Cuts and had her very first hair cut. The place was very cool it had a Princess station along with other car stations. In the end, Lotus choose to sit on Mommy's lap and not in the REALLY cool pink princess jeep. Lotus did very well, she even let the hairdresser blow dry her hair. She looks so different now with an actual style! I thought Kevin might cry when the hairdresser cut of about an inch and a half.

Afterwards we went to lunch at the Amish market and then home for a refresher (she hates to call them naps). Funny, even though she hates naps, she slept for almost 3 hours. Go Figure.

Once we were awake from our refresher it was off to the local mall to get our ears pierced. We were going to wait to have her ears pierced, however, since she did so well with her last blood draw, we thought she would handle it well. We have been talking about it to Lotus and she kept saying she wanted earrings. We explained it would be a pinch and a loud noise. She insisted she wanted earrings like Mommy. She talked about it alot so we decided to go ahead. When we got there someone else was getting their ears pierced so we went and looked at all the Princess stuff to reward her with afterwards. Lotus picked out a few goodies and soon it was her turn. She jumped up int he chair and was hugging the black bear. We asked her if she wanted to sit on mommy's lap and she fully agreed. She received the dots on her ears to make sure they were even. Lotus was very patience and was not fussy at all. Then came the piercing guns, both at the same time, you could tell she started to get a bit worried. And then BAM and then HIGH PITCHED SCREAM. She was not happy at all. (And I felt horrible.....not to mention so many people stopped to watch, what's the deal with that?). We quickly went to the back to pick up our goodies from earlier and "change the subject" so to speak. Within 10 minutes, Lotus was back to normal and all was good in the world once again. You could tell she was proud of her new flower earrings, because every time we passed a mirror she had to look and model. The cleaning and turning of the earrings will be tough the first few days, I feel it will be a challenge but with everything she will get use to it and it will become routine.

So what's with the title of the post? On the way to the mall I called her a DIVA since she having her nails paints, hair cut, and now earrings. She quickly corrected me," I'm not a DIVA! I am a PRINCESS MOMMY!" I guess she told me. My baby is growing up so quickly, I cannot believe she will be 3 years old in the next few months. WOW!

Lotus, Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you, today you were such a BIG GIRL!

Enjoy the photos of our DIVA, I mean PRINCESS day.

Unexpected & Exciting News

2009-06-08T11:44:00.008-04:00

I absolutely adore this photo of Lotus that was taken at her cousin Tara's communion. I love how I was able to capture her at that moment. She is always moving so quickly, so some shots do not always turn out so well. Now for the unexpected and exciting news............

I was going to wait to post this story but I can go no longer, I need to share. About a month ago, my darling husband had uploaded this photo onto Parents.com in their baby name section. Of course, there was a disclaimer that the photo you are uploading may be used on the website or in their magazine. He didn't give it a second thought, what are the chances??

A few days ago the Assitant Editor emails Kevin;

"We love the photo you sent into Parents of Lotus—it’s absolutely adorable! (It’s the one where she’s wearing a sun dress with stained-glass windows in the background.) To publish it in our October issue’s Caught on Camera section, we need to get a short quote from you, and your name and city/state. If you could answer these quick questions (and include your full name and city/state), we'd really appreciate it"

I was very surprised to say the least! I cannot believe Lotus' photo will be in a magazine (not like it will be a huge photo mind you, still exciting none the less) and one of my photos too! You know who will be buying alot of copies of the October issue of Parents magazine.

Enjoy your weekend!

Deb

Such a Brave Girl

2009-06-04T01:01:00.006-04:00

Mommy and Daddy are very proud of their brave girl. Lotus deserves great big kudos! Yesterday she was amazing during her bi-annual blood draw. No tears, no hysterics, no tantrums. Even when the nurse had to switch arms, she didn't shed a tear. It was not until after the band-aids were on and we were leaving did the tears start to flow, see Lotus wanted to keep the yellow band the nurse tied around her arm. She considered it a toy. We told her it was not a toy but we would gladly go next store to the dollar store and pick out a few toys. It took some convincing but once she walked into the dollar store she was thrilled to see all the toys she could choose as her prize! Or shall we say prizes..... Lotus made out like a bandit, she has a pair of fairy wings and wand, set of Belle cheerleader pom-poms, and a bunch of new noodles for the swimming pool. Way to go Lotus.

My Thoughts Exactly

2009-05-25T00:51:00.000-04:00

The weekend is almost over...................

Random Outside Play Photos

2009-05-17T00:27:00.005-04:00

Outside Playing One Night, Running Around Being Goofy

Playing with Hailey and Allissa

Hanging Outside and Playing

She is actually focusing on a rock.

Newest Photo of Lotus

2009-05-13T14:55:00.000-04:00

May 9, 2009 at Tara's Communion. This is one of my current favorites.

Big Belly???

2009-04-29T23:00:00.004-04:00

LoLo big belly??? What??? Last night, Lotus was on the potty and looked down and said "LoLo Big Belly" I said No No honey, no big belly, your belly is just fine. Then she pointed to my belly and said big belly, mommy big belly (one out of two, lol, I couldn't argue that one, lol). Oh no, body image issues already?

Did you know........

Some studies suggest that body image ideas begin in children as young as 3. But parents—particularly moms—can have a positive impact on their daughters’ body image when they model healthy attitudes toward their own bodies.

TV shows, movies, and music showcasing rail-thin models, actresses, and singers—promote underweight women, which can affect what girls think about their own bodies. Even though most fashion models weigh 23 percent less than the average female, many young girls idealize this very thin body type. In one study, most girls (70 percent) reported that the appearance of models in magazines influences their image of a perfect female body, and 47 percent wanted to lose weight because of the magazine pictures.

For entire article: http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Girls_Body_Image/

You are wondering where in the world would a 2 1/2 year old hear she has a big belly??? I would have wondered too, if I had not heard my mother say to Lotus, " Look at you, LoLo, you are getting such a big belly. You can tell all you do is eat all day" I almost blew a gasket. I said oh so calmly, "Don't say that to her!" Later that night, I was telling Kevin about the big belly comment and how annoyed I was by the situation.

I wonder if she really understood what my mother said, she is only 2 1/2 yrs old. Apparently she processed and remembered what my mother said to her the other day. Does she fully understand? Probably not? Maybe? Not sure? All I can do is re-affirm she is perfectly fine and she does not have a big belly.

I definitely will need to have a talk with grandmom, maybe share the article. Of course, after I am not so annoyed at the situation.

Two Months and No Updates!

2009-04-29T13:01:00.006-04:00

I cannot believe it has been two months, actually over two months since my last post. It has been crazy busy here, there has been something going on every weekend since my last post. Lots of photos to share all the way from December till today. Hopefully over the next few weeks I can post and share what we have been doing for the past several months. Lotus is growing at warp speed and she is so busy. I joke she has a busier social life then her mommy. Then I stop and think and she really does have more going on then me. Oh to be a kid again!

Since Lotus has hit the 2 1/2 yr old mark she has become very independent. Everything is "I do, I do!" and if I do not let her, she has a fit! And then has to do it all over again without my help. She does not want her booster seat at the table anymore, she wants the big girl chair and sit on knees. She does not like the front of the cart, it is in the back or walk! And she will tell me before we even get in the parking spot, she will say "Lo Lo walk, walk mommy!"
She wants to pick out her clothes and has decided she likes dresses over pants. If I dare give her pants, she says"No pants!" This goes for PJ's too. She prefers night gowns over the two piece PJ's. She wants to do make-up and she takes care of her baby. She will give me updates on her baby (who she named Dolly), she will tell me if she is Happy or crying or sad. From the back seat I will always hear, "Baby crying , Dolly sad" Or "Baby Happy!" This baby or Dolly goes every where and she knows exactly where she leaves her in the house. She has become very Bossy and demanding. I cannot imagine when she turns 13!

Here is a little tease of some current photos of Lo Lo aka Lotus.

Easter

February

April

March

Easter

Easter

I'm A Big Girl Now!

2009-02-25T12:41:00.004-05:00

I am very excited to share that Lotus has been using Pull-Ups since last week on a consisent basis. She loves to wear them, if I dare try to put on a diaper, she screams PULLLLL-UPPPPP! They are the encouragement she needed, esepecially since candy and stickers did not really work. She understands these are big girl pants ans she is to go on the potty, not in her Pull-Up. If she does go in her Pull-Up, she then needs to switch back to her diaper for a period of time. It seems to be working for the most part except when she gets really wrapped up in playing or when I sometimes forget and then we have a wet Pull-Up. We try to keep her in them all day except for nap and bedtime and she has been doing quite well. She definitely is interested now. Some of it might have to do with school. Her teacher is working with her classmates and her on a regular basis on Potty How To's. Not to mention, one classmate is wearing underwear! This week her teacher is going to work with Lotus and her Pull-Ups during school days too. Hopefully we will be out of diapers soon! Check out the Potty Dance e-card below, it is too cute.

http://www.americangreetings.com/ecards/view.pd?i=485872275&m=8517&source=ag992

My First Flash Back Friday

2009-02-20T15:32:00.007-05:00

Finally! It has been 15 months since we have returned from China, therefore over a years worth of photos! So here it is, my first Flash Back Friday post. The photo on the left is from Jan 2008 and the photo on the right is from Jan 2009.

I was so surprised when I pulled up the photo from over a year ago. I cannot believe how fast she is growing up, sigh. No matter how big she gets, she will always be my little girl.

Enjoy your weekend!

Chh Chh Chhh Changes.........

2009-01-29T11:59:00.002-05:00

Many, many changes have ben happening with our Big Girl Lotus. She is growing by leaps and bounds, I cannot believe she is the little one I held in my arms just yesterday. Ok well maybe not yesterday. But it seems like it. Lotus is between being a big girl and asserting herself and wanting to still be a little toddler. She definitely has her opinions of what she wants to wear, eat, and do (and how quickly she wants to do it). We have our attempts of potty training, there are good days and bad days, along with days of no interest. I know we will get there soon, I am hopeful. Every day I am amazed at the things that she does, whether it is a new word or playing in her kitchen making mommy carrot soup, drawing a complete circle for the first time, to being cute and charming to melt her daddy's heart (and give her anything she wants), to learning her shapes and colors and also a few past presidents I might add (yes I am bragging, I am proud), and seeing her be "mommy" to her babies. I could go on and on, but I will give everyone what they have been waiting for..........some updated photos of Lotus! Be in touch soon!

Night Time Rituals

2009-01-06T11:23:00.003-05:00

Since Lotus' arrival home, almost 14 months ago, the night time rituals have changd many times. First when we were home, she needed to be rocked to sleep and woke up frequently. We eventually got to a point where I could lay her down, she would cry for a few minutes and go to sleep herself. She might wake up, which required some soothing. Then came time to move into a toddler bed because her leg got stuck in the crib one day. She accepted the toddler bed pretty well. We went between laying on the floor with her to saying good night and she would stay in bed and fall asleep. If she woke up she would soothe herself back to sleep. It was perfect!

Recently things have changed. She wouldn't stay in bed, so we opted to leave a light on and she went to bed with a book. I could leave the room, all was well. Wasn't waking up too much during the night. Perfect again, so I thought.

Now the tables have turned on Mommy........here is our current ritual;

Brush teeth and wash hands
Make sure we have baby and puppy.
Turn on ipod and fan (these have been constants to drown out house noises)
Sometime read, sometimes not, depends on Lotus
Jump in bed, get her to lay down (not always easy, sometimes tears are involved)
Light is off, lady bug is on with stars on the ceiling
I lay down next to Lotus on the floor
Sometimes she wants my hand, sometimes not
Then Lotus does what I call the Roll Call of everyone she knows(family, friends, animals in her bed, you name it, and sometimes she does this 2-3-4 times)
The roll call is cute, but gets old, after every name I say they are sleeping and Lotus needs to go to sleep.
If she keeps talking, I tell her mommy will go in her room if she continues to talk. This works for a few minutes and she needs to talk again. (Was I really hoping she would talk soon?)
Eventually she falls asleep but so do I
I wake up and sneak out of the room, do my chores and go to bed
It's 2 am and Lotus wakes up! She thinks it is morning. Try to convince a 2 yr old it is still the middle of the night. We soothe back to sleep.
I wake up an hour later and return to my bed.

It seems like a lot. It seems crazy. However, the alternative is we spend 60-90 minutes with her getting out of bed, screaming at her door, me putting her back in bed, her getting upset (sometimes so upset she gets herself sick). If I lay with her, she is usually asleep anywhere from 15-30 mintues.

I am open to any ideas or suggestions, at some point I would like her to go back to going to bed on her own.

Tired Mommy

PS I am working on a Year in Review Post, as I have been busy and have not posted alot of happenings towards the end of the year.

Little Kids Hear All and Repeat Everything!

2008-12-23T00:29:00.003-05:00

Lotus has been growing leaps and bounds with her speech, she is talking more and more. Her vocabulary has increased and does so each day. She really surprises me with some of the things she says and understands. Lotus most of the time is the great imitator, she imitates our actions and our words. This is where my story begins.....

As I was making dinner, Lotus was sitting at the table patiently waiting for her food as we were running late. We usually eat around 6 pm and it was already 7:30pm. As I was getting everything together, I realized I was burning the garlic bread. Something I do all too often, as I realized what had happened, I exclaimed, "Darn It!" (change the R to a M). And of course little Miss Lotus was listening and said clear as day, "Darn It!" (again change the R to a M). I was floored! I am pretty good about censoring myself and do not make a habit of cursing, this just slipped out! Kevin heard her and walked away smiling. I tried to not laugh, and told Lotus that mommy said a bad word and she was sorry. She should not repeat that word again.

Funny thing, we work and work on words and phrases. Lotus does well, not always clear, sometimes mumbles. Wouldn't you know it, this time she had no problems at all. She was clear as day and articulated the word with the exact feeling I used. Morale of the story, you just never know when your kids are listening.........just when you think it is safe to talk about Aunt Harriett's funny hat..........think again!

Lotus Visits Santa

2008-12-10T23:21:00.005-05:00

Santa Photo Part 1

On Monday night we took Lotus to see Santa, only to find out there was a 2 1/2 hour wait. No kidding! We decided we would attempt to wait and see what happened. At 10:15 we were not paged, but went back to Santa's Chair to see what was happening. Yippee it was almost our turn. Lotus talked about Santa all the time, she knew who he was and looked excited to see him..........so we thought.........

When we got closer to Santa, Lotus completely lost it. And there was NO WAY we were going to get a photo with Santa. The ladies taking the photo wrote on the envelope and said we could come back tomorrow and try right away. As we left, Lotus gave Santa a HUG! Yes a HUG! Go figure.

Santa Photo Part 2

On Tuesday night I packed up the backpack and head to see Santa again with Lotus. She is in a relatively good mood, our chances are good. We get to the mall at 6 pm and wouldn't you know, they are at dinner. I know Santa needs to eat dinner but wouldn't 5 pm make sense when everyone else is eating dinner too? Yet, the mall wants you to shop for an hour while waiting for Santa. Lotus and I grab some food and head back at 7pm. The ladies let us in first, of course there were several people grumbling about us going first, if they only knew about Monday night. As soon as I pushed the stroller up to the camera, Lotus completely loses it again. She screams and cries, you would think she was being tortured. I am sure they heard her at the other end of the mall. We tried talking to Santa, nope not working. We tried to shake his hand, nope not working. Tried to have mommy sit near Santa, nope not working. We took 2 photos and they were horrible! Mommy wanted to try one more time, despite the nasty looks from the others waiting. We did a real quick drop on his lap and this is what we got:

And once the photo was done..........she HUGGED Santa again and said BYYYYEEE! Mommy was very confused.

Last year, we used the Santa photo for our Christmas cards and this year........well you will see in the mail..

Happy Holidays.

Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Some Other Gotcha Day Celebrations

2008-11-20T22:14:00.003-05:00

We stopped by Papa John's pizza that night and picked up a pizza in honor of the dinner we had the first night we spent with Lotus in our hotel room. Instead of going out to dinner that night we ordered Papa John's pizza and ate in our room. This will be a tradition every year until Lotus tells us to stop it is corny. I think we will get her photo by the sign every year too!

Thankful Thursday

2008-11-20T22:00:00.003-05:00

I am thankful for the unconditional love of my family.

It Only Takes a Second......

2008-11-17T23:33:00.007-05:00

Last Thursday night Lotus and I were enjoying the night together. We had ate dinner, had a bath, made some cookies for daddy, and were just doing some things around the house before bed. It was supposed to be an early night since Lotus had school the next day and I had a huge presentation to give at work. I had called Lotus into her room to have her pick out her clothes for the next day. She didn't come right away, just as I was going to get her, I heard one of our dogs growl and snap, then Lotus screamed and came running out to me. At first I thought maybe he frightened her. I picked her up, checked her face, all was OK. Then she showed me her hand. One of our dogs had bit her hand, at first I could not tell how bad it was because of the amount of blood. I quickly wrapped her hand. And tried to call my brother-in-law (he is a nurse). I could barely dial the phone. He was on his way and then I called Kevin at work who was going to meet us at the hospital. Once we got to the hospital, they took us back right away. They looked at her hand, she needed to get the wound cleaned out (because dogs mouth are not as clean as everyone thinks) and get stitches. They needed to papoose her so she would not fight and move. I only wished I could take the pain away from her, that I could trade places with Lotus. Once she had her stitches, she started to calm down and then we waited for the antibiotics. Finally, it was home to bed after midnight. I share this story with you, to remind you, that dogs are dogs. They can be unpredictable. Lotus has been taught early on to not pull tails or ears and to pet nicely. She has always listened. Our dog has been great with her, very protective actually. If Kevin plays too rough with her, the dog would bark at him to say "Hey Stop It". Unfortunately, this time, from what I can gather, she tripped over a sleeping dog and he thought the other dog was going after him. I am grateful that her hand is doing well and she will be OK. I am sad one of our dogs needs to find a new home. Please be careful with your children and your pets.

One Year Ago Today! Hapy Gotcha Day Lotus!

2008-11-05T09:26:00.004-05:00

One year ago today I woke up in our hotel room in Guangzhou China anxiously waiting to meet our daughter for the very first time after looking at her photo for 4 months. From the moment I first laid eyes on her photo, I knew I loved her. She was my daughter. Below is our Gotcha Day video, enjoy a flash back to a year ago today as we met our daughter for the first time.

What Has Lotus Been Up to Lately????

2008-10-14T22:36:00.004-04:00

It has been a crazy few several weeks, I am not sure if I can remember all we have done lately!

On Spetember 27th, we celebrate the Harvest Moon Festival with the adoption group. It was a really nice outing. It started with a mother and daughter talking about their recent trip to China and their work in an orphanage. Afterwards there was games and crafts, and the older children performed the story of Ming Lo who moved a mountain. The evening would not have been complete without a buffet of chinese noodles, egg rolls, fried rice and fortune cookies! Lotus had a great time with all her friends.

The following weekend Lotus was able to hang out with her cousins Brendan and Tara (and her aunt sandy too) while mommy went to a Matilda Jane clothing party with the mothers from our local group. Kate hosted the party at her house, she was such a great hostess. The food and Matilda-tini's were awesome. At the party I also got to meet Lisa the newest member of the group. It was great to finally put a face (actually voice, seen photos, lol) with the name. The time went too quickly, I could have hung out all night just chatting with the girls.

This past weekend was full too! On Saturday Lotus had two birthday parties to attend. First Lotus, Kevin and I went to Jackson's 2nd birthday party. Jackson is one of Lotus' many cousins. It was cute to see Lotus running around and checking out the other kids. We enjoyed every one's company and really good food. The time was too short, it was time for Lotus to change into her princess dress and off to the next party. Daddy had to leave for work. He would have loved to see his princess in action at the party.

The princess party was for Maddie's 3rd birthday. Maddie is Mia's sister and is part of our local group. The party was alot of fun. Karen and Kevin were great hostess' and hosts, wonderful food and awesome company. At first Lotus was a bit shy, but she soon started running around with everyone. She had her first skittles from the Castle pinata. She was on such a sugar high, twirling around in her princess belle dress. Mommy and Lotus had a great time hanging with everyone.

So much so we decided to join some of the group the next day for apple picking at a local orchard on Sunday. I will fill you in on the apple picking and our dinner with friends later that night tomorrow. Plus the events of Monday deserves it own post. Stay tuned.

Talk to you later,

Deb

Three Little Words

2008-10-04T23:08:00.003-04:00

我爱你
JE T'AIME
私は愛する
사랑해요
TE AMO
ICH LIEBE DICH
I LOVE YOU

These three little words Lotus said to me last night before bed. It was the sweetest three little words I have ever heard. Her daddy has been teaching her to say I Love You for the longest time, she has been saying it for the past couple of weeks in Lotus speak. However, last night she said it clear as day after I told her good night , I love you Lotus. She smiled and said I Love You. What a great feeling! I am still smiling today.

No More Tears! and Other Stuff!

2008-09-26T09:08:00.006-04:00

Today when I dropped Lotus off at school, there were no tears, none, nada, zip! I was surprised! She went right to Molly and wanted nothing to do with Mommy anymore. I was happy but a bit sad, she didn't even care to say good bye to me. :( I think it helps that Lotus really likes Molly. School is going well for Lotus, she is learning alot, good and bad. She has picked up some sassy-ness from some of the older girls, lol. However, she is learning to talk more and play more with the other kids. When I pick her up, they always tell me she is very well behaved and she had a very good day. We must be doing something right. If she has to misbehave, I would rather it be with Mommy or Daddy and not school or someone else.

I have found out that our little girl is a Halloween fanatic! I cannot go near the Halloween aisles in the stores without spending alot of time there, which usually isn't enough time and tears do happen. She loves it all, the pumpkins, skeletons, and the big animated creepy ghouls, the creepier the better. Yesterday she insisted on wearing her Halloween black skirt with pumpkins on the edge and her Halloween shirt with the black cat. It was too cute. Of course I have pics to post later. Right now it looks like Halloween is her favorite holiday so far. Cannot wait to go Trick or Treating. Daddy bought her the most adorable Panda Bear costume last year right before we traveled to China. It has been packed away for a year and yes it does fit! Whew! It is going to be an exciting night.

Another surprise earlier in the week when we were playing in her play room. Lotus was getting very tired and I told her it was time for bed, time to clean up. She started putting her toys away, even started to put the pretend forks & spoons in the drawer and turned off the light above the sink on her pretend kitchen. We went downstairs, she wanted to put her bottle in the real refrigerator, then proceeded to her bedroom. This is where she took all her books off her bed, put them away, and then jumped into bed. She totally surprised me for her to do all this at her age! It looks like she is picking up mommy's organizational skills ( a bit ocd, lol). One thing I have noticed with Lotus is if she is really tired and had enough she will pretty much put herself to bed. Now if she gets past the point of over tired, watch out!

On a final note, last week Lotus did start speech therapy. So far she has had two sessions and is doing well. We were concerned because Lotus was learning words everyday, however, she was not moving forward as far as two words together, sentences, etc. She has been very frustrated since she cannot express her needs and wants, it becomes whining and grunting instead of trying to speak. Now that she will have speech therapy every week for an hour, she can catch up to her age level and Mommy and Daddy can learn a few things on how to help Lotus. She does still participate with s special instructor once a week to help put it all together. Both her special instructor and speech therapist do an excellent job and we are very glad they were selected to work with and teach Lotus.

More to come this weekend as we are attending the FCC's Harvest Moon Festival.

When Did this Happen?

2008-09-19T08:47:00.005-04:00

When did a size 5 shoe stop fitting Lotus????? I double checked her shoes before Fall Clothes shopping and a few weeks ago she only needed sneakers! Today when getting her dressed for school, I couldn't squeeze her dainty feet into her black mary janes! Not to mention I realized last night that all her size 20 squeaky shoes do not fit her anymore. Our little girl is growing like a weed and no longer a baby, she is full blown toddler. The last I measured her she was almost 34 inches tall and almost 28 lbs. She has sprouted almost 6 inches and almost 8 lbs since China! I cannot believe she has grown so much right before our eyes.

Guess we will be shoe shopping tonight

Then

Now

One of My Favorite Photos

2008-09-17T11:02:00.004-04:00

This photo was taken at a party over the summer. I would love to know what Lotus was so deep in thought about while hanging out in the pool. I really like how the camera captured the water drops on her face. This photo was invited to be part of a group on Flickr called A Nobel Life, the mission of this group is to change the world. To show that our differences as human beings makes us fit together much as the pieces of a puzzle. It is an interesting group and glad I was asked to be a part of it.

Enjoy your day!
Deb

Happy Birthday Lotus!

2008-09-15T20:50:00.003-04:00

Two years ago today it was a cloudy, very warm day in Wuchuan, Guangdong.
Two years ago today a woman gave birth to a little baby girl.
Two years ago today a husband and wife over 8,000 miles away from China, had no idea how the birth of this little girl would impact their lives.

One year ago today it was a hazy, cloudy, very warm day in Wuchuan, Guangdong
One year ago today a little baby girl was celebrating her first birthday with her friends and nannies.
One year ago today a husband and wife over 8,000 miles away from China, celebrated their daugter's first birthday by sending a cake, birthday shirt and crown.

Today it is a warm day in Pennsylvania, USA
Today a little girl is celebrating her second birthday with her mommy and daddy and family and friends.
Today a husband and wife not 8,000 miles away, love their daughter very much and wish her the very best birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOTUS, MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS AND WISHES COME TRUE!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Happy First Birthday!

Happy Second Birthday!

Lotus' First Day of School

2008-09-15T13:19:00.004-04:00

Kevin and I decided when Lotus turned 2 yrs old we would enroll her in school (daycare) two days a week so she could learn how to interact with other kids, learn from her peers, learn to socialize, and prepare her for preschool. We found a really nice school. It is clean, the staff is very nice, on my way to work, and Katie Min-Min goes there too! (The school was a reccomendation from Jen, Katie's mom). On the first day, Daddy and Mommy both took her to her new school. The first day went relatively well when dropping her off, no tears. Ha! I thought it was such an easy transition. Lotus fooled me, she has burst into tears every day since. It seems to be getting better. However, it tears my heart every time I drop her off and she cries. I have to run out and I feel like such a bad mommy. I know this is normal, but the tears really pull at my heart. The good news is about 5 minutes after I am gone, she stops crying and has a great day! She is always well behaved and goes with the flow, jumps right into the activities. I am sure this may change the older she gets! Enjoy the pics!

PS The artwork is a grandparents card they colored and pasted together on her second day. She also had school photos too! Will try to scan the school photo in so I can post it.

Last Few Weeks of August

2008-09-15T13:17:00.001-04:00

I have not had much time to blog lately so here is a little catch up on our activities;

On Aug 16th, Lotus and I went to Brandi's (my nephew's girlfriend) college graduation party. It was at the AOH by our house. The party theme was all Hello Kitty. Lotus was in her glory, she also loved playing with her cousins. She had lots of fun with Rian and Bella, running around with balloons and dancing. We both had a great time. Thanks Brandi for including us in this momentous occasion.

On Aug 30th, Lotus and I stopped by Bella's 2nd Birthday party. Lotus had fun with her cousins and tried out the tampoline. We couldn't stay long since we had another party to go to at Robin and Chris' house. Lotus, Kevin, and I headed to their house for some BBQ and swimming. Lotus had fun in the pool with her daddy. The girl loves to swim!

On Aug 31st, Lotus, Kevin, and I attended my nephew Justin's grad party and my brother's annual Labor Day picnic. We enjoyed swimming in the pool, this time mommy joined Lotus and Daddy. It was a good time hanging out with the family. Lotus loves to hang out with the little kids.

On Labor Day we lounged around and started getting ready for Lotus 2nd Birthday party. It was a tiring weekend for sure.

Move Over Paris .......

2008-09-12T15:10:00.001-04:00

...here comes Lotus!

Lotus' First Beach Trip! (Aug 18th)

2008-09-05T02:20:00.004-04:00

A few Monday's ago Kevin, Lotus, and I took a trip to Point Pleasant Beach. We were not sure what to expect from Lotus since this was her first time on the beach. She definitely surprised us, she was fine with the sand, she was having fun digging and playing in the sand. Kevin took her down to the water, she was a bit apprehensive at first, then she really started digging the waves and water. She was getting very brave on her own and then it happened! A little wave knocked her down, salt water up the nose, sand in the hair, etc. After that she was pretty much done with the water. So we went back up to the blanket and played in the sand for a bit. Afterwards we went up to the boardwalk for lunch, which Lotus zonked out for about 30 minutes. We then walked the boards and checked out the Aquarium. We have a few picks of Lotus checking out a huge shark and other large fish. Then she spotted the seals! She absolutely loved the seals, she got to view them below and above the water level. She was sooooo exicted. It is the best feeling, seeing things for the first time through your child's eyes. Enjoy the photos from our trip.

Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Lotus Kisses the Sidewalk

2008-08-26T23:17:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago Lotus decided to kiss the sidewalk. It was not so pretty. I am not sure what happened as I was not watching her (neither was her daddy). Today her nose and lip look alot better, just a red mark where it is not tan anymore. Hopefully that will go away before her birthday party in a week! Thank you Jace for sharing your boo-boo too, Lotus appreciates to know she is not alone.

More Pics of Lotus

2008-08-22T13:43:00.002-04:00

Hamming it up for the camera.

Lotus realizes she can swim in the tub!

A Daughter and Her Daddy

2008-08-16T23:18:00.005-04:00

Here are some photos of Lotus and her daddy dancing at a party back in July. Lotus adores her daddy. And he so loves his daughter. I fall in love with Kevin all over again just watching them play together. The sparkle in his eyes when she yells with excitement "Daaaaaddddd!!!". She then runs to him with such enthusiasm and jumps in his arms. It is such a beautiful thing.

All Summer Long

2008-08-16T00:32:00.006-04:00

More Fun with Lotus

Happenings

2008-08-12T00:21:00.005-04:00

Mommy Went Out !

2008-08-11T23:32:00.003-04:00

Mommy finally went out for the night! I had the pleasure of going to see Neil Diamond in concert. This is about the third or fourth time seeing him perform. He is fabulous in concert and it was a great time. I went with my brother-in-law (Jay) and his wife (Sandy)watched Lotus with their children, Brendan & Tara. Lotus had a great time with her cousins and they all went to a party for Tara's traveling soccer team. It was fun night for all. Bonus for mommy is Lotus stayed up late so she slept till 10 am on Sunday. I cannot remember sleeping that late in forever. It was much appreciated.

Deb

Lotus and Corn on the Cob!

2008-08-11T15:47:00.002-04:00

This is truly an accomplishment for Lotus. Just nine months ago Lotus would only drink bottles. She would not let a spoon, food or anything for that matter near her mouth. Jump forward, today, there isn't anything she isn't willing to try. Now I did say try, if she doesn't like it she will spit it out like a pez dispenser. For the most part she likes unsual foods for kids, shrimp, lobster, crab, green peppers, onions, squash, pickles, cucumbers, etc. Now of course she does like french fries, bananas, pizza and hotdogs. I love her interest in different foods and we let her try anything and everything. We believe it is important to instill good eating habits early in life. Good job Lotus!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

To Our Daughter

2008-08-07T22:40:00.014-04:00

Dear Lotus,

Just a short 9 months ago this past Tuesday you were placed in my arms for the very first time. What an amazing moment, one that we will cherish forever. We have watched you grow into a spunky toddler who is constantly full of surprises, quirkiness, love, and laughter. We see your strong determination to learn new things and sheer excitement when you master it. It gives us such joy to watch your interests develop and enjoy your favorite things. We are so impressed with how well you took to swimming, how much your coloring/drawing has improved, and how well your speech is progressing. Before we know it you will be carrying on some very interesting conversations with us. Everyday is something new! Mommy and Daddy are very proud of you and your accomplishments. We love you very much and feel so very blessed to have a daughter like you. We look forward to watching you grow and reaching your dreams! We know in our hearts you will go places.

Love,
Mommy & Daddy

November 2007

July 2008

Lotus Sings Happy Birthday to Mommy

2008-08-04T14:57:00.003-04:00

Yes, the cat is out of the bag, it was my birthday last Thursday and I turned another year older. My best birthday present did not happen on Thursday, it happened on Friday. When I was picking Lotus up at her cousin Bella's she started singing and Jessica (Bella's mommy) asked if she was singing Happy Birthday. I was like nah, I don't think so, it is probably Itsy Bitsy spider. Then I listened again, she was trying to sing Happy Birthday! She was doing pretty good too. It was a day late but she did it! It was the sweetest song I ever heard. Later when we caught up with daddy I found out later that he was working very hard teaching Lotus to sing Happy Birthday. He thought it was So Lotus for her to do it when he was not around. Thank you sweetie. You are both full of surprises! I never know what you two will do next.

Deb

Saber Takes a Bath w/Lotus(7/29/2008)

2008-07-30T15:16:00.003-04:00

Our large half husky half chocolate lab decided to jump in the tub with Lotus the other night while Kevin was giving Lotus a bath. I couldn't believe my eyes. And Lotus could not believe that Saber was in the bath tub with her. She yelled DOOOOOGGGG! DOOOOGGGG! It was definitely a moment to remember.

Deb

Community Day (July 26th)

2008-07-28T14:43:00.008-04:00

This past Saturday was Community Day in our town sponsored by the Fire Company. We decided to go because I read on the signs Pony Rides, so I thought cool Lotus can have her first Pony ride. It was a nice event, there was a flea market, live country band, rides and fair games, funnel cake and other such yummies. Lotus had alot of fun on the rides and the huge inflatable slides and moon bounce. The downside of the day was it was extremely HOT! We were melting. But Lotus was a trooper, she handled the heat no sweat. Of course Lotus won a spikey ball to add to her collection of balls. She also was given a fire chief hat and a pink bunny (to add to her stuffed animal collection.) Daddy also bought her a princess crown which she happily wore the rest of the day. It was great spending the day together.

Love,
Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Sunday Dinner with Friends

2008-07-28T14:43:00.007-04:00

A few sunday's ago we had the pleasure of visiting our friends the Wen's, Hong and Charles, at their house. It was a nice evening, enjoyed good food and company . We found out that Lotus likes green peppers and onions, go figure! Of course the whole time Lotus was performing for everyone. Photos to come. Thank you Hong and Charles for a nice visit, your hospitality was very much appreciated.

Love,

Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

The Story of Poo-Poo!

2008-07-25T22:09:00.002-04:00

About a month ago we got Lotus a potty seat to start training. Nothing major, we would have her sit on it before her bath, when waking up, no pressure, mostly introducing her to it. She has had 2 tinkles in the beginning, then nothing. She would get on get off get on , etc. So I bought her Clean Team wipes just for her, which she loved. Lately, when it looked like she was poo-poo-ing I would ask do you want to go on the potty. She would run in to the potty but it was always after the fact. Tonight after her bath, I asked if she wanted to sit on the potty. She was interested so we started out with her holding her box of Clean Team wipes to keep her on the seat. To keep her on longer I grabbed her bath book which has alot pics that she likes to read and tell me what everything is over and over again. She sat there for several minutes, reading her book. And low and behold, I heard a few plunks! Lotus had her first poopy on the potty! She jumped down, we looked in the toilet, clapped, and jumped up and down. Yipppppeeeee Lotus! Mommy and Daddy are so very proud of you!

I Have Been Tagged!

2008-07-25T12:00:00.012-04:00

I was recently tagged by Trish who was in China last Nov adopting her daughter Izzy, when we were adopting our daughter Lotus. The rules of tagging is to list six words that describe me and tag five new people. Here are my six words;

Organized, everything needs to be organized! I hate clutter, when my house becomes cluttered it clutters my mind and I must organize and fix the clutter. My therapy is organizing a closet or cabinet. Everything needs a place, bins, baskets, oh my! Now of course with an almost 2 year old, I have had to learn to deal with some clutter. Hopefully this will rub off on Lotus.

Planner, there needs to be a plan! I need to know what time are we leaving, where are we going, what are we doing, etc. Not that we cannot deviate from the plan, I can be spontaneous (as a almost two year old will let me) and throw caution to the wind. I just prefer to be prepared. In my job I deal with project management on a daily basis, so I guess this has filtered to my home life. As long as I do not chart out our next vacation in excel we should be good. Although for our trip to China there were lots of spread sheets and lists!

Demanding, yes I can be! I hate to admit it. I do want things when I want them, not when people feel like getting around to it. I think impatient might be a better word! Sometimes I expect more from people since I expect so much from myself. My husband does a pretty good job of putting up with my impatience.

Humble (Modest), do not need the spotlight, do not want praise for random acts of kindness. I like to do the things I do because I want to do them, not for any notoriety or praise.

Loyal, very faithful to family and friends, through hard times and good times I will stand by you and support you. I believe a person's wealth is not measured by money or materialistic things but by who you are as a person and how you treat others.

Blessed, I am loved very much by my husband, daughter, and family. We live in a house filled with love; we tell each other and show each other everyday. I am thankful Kevin came into my life six years ago. We have created wonderful life together and have a very bright future ahead of us.

Whew, that was tough! Now for the next group of victims! I am tagging the following people;

Hopefully you will play along!

Take care,

Deb

More Artistic Creations

2008-07-23T15:15:00.001-04:00

Fun with Photo Editing!

2008-07-23T14:03:00.006-04:00

Coming home from party, all hyped on dancing!

Our Princess in Training! She loves to be in her bathing suit and in the pool!

The Whitnic (July 20th)

2008-07-21T00:12:00.001-04:00

This past Sunday we all attended the 2nd Annual Whitnic at our friends the Whitty's house. It was a great time and fun to see every from the group. Lotus had a great time in the pool and playing with Jace. I enjoyed some adult conversation and great food when not chasing after Lotus, after Kevin left for work. From this party Lotus learned from Taylor to float and kick with her swimmies on. Now Lotus does not want us to hold her hands, she wants to float by herself and check back with us. She won't let us go far, not that we would want to. Everytime we get together with the group, she learns something from the older girls. Enjoy the photos

Love,

Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Another B-day Party (July 12th).............

2008-07-21T00:11:00.003-04:00

Kevin, Lotus, and I attened Nicholas 21st Birthday & Graduation party on July 12th. This is such an amazing accomplishment for Nicholas, especially since he has CP, is deaf, developmentally delayed, and various other medical issues. Many thought he would not make this far and he proved everyone wrong! We were honored to be a part of his special day. Lotus had a great time, dancing like a maniac! She loves to dance......enjoy the photos.

Love,
Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Lotus Sleeps in Big Girl Bed on Monday Night !!!!!!! (July 7th)

2008-07-08T22:01:00.014-04:00

We kept saying every week we needed to convert Lotus' crib to a toddler bed with half rail, especially since she was starting to climb and did get her knee stuck on day in her crib slats. We finally took the plunge and switched out her crib on a Monday night. Of course Lotus was interested in what Mommy was doing to her crib and kept coming up to me and checking things out. I had piled her sleep buddies (hello kitty, glo worm, a monkey, 2 baby dolls, turtle, bunny rabbit, 2 Kung Fu Panda Po's, and her little blankie) off to the side till I was done. Once I was finished Lotus went over to the pile and started putting them in her bed. It was such a cute moment. Then it was bed time, which went quite well. We did our ritual, lotion on face, read a book (sometimes twice), turn on her music, lay her down, pull up the blanket, and place a Po under each arm. Lotus gives multiple kisses and then it is lights off! She did GREAT her first night. Here are pics of this big milestone.

And now for the photos of the morning after:

And nap time:

Lotus is doing very well with the transiton to her big girl bed. There were a few issues with nap time since the room is not as dark as it is at night. I think after a few weeks we are turning a corner. Today she actually got up in bed herself and laid down with no fuss. She is growing up so fast. It is great to see how much she has learned and grown in just 8 1/2 months. I can only imagine what she will learn next.

Enjoy the pics!

Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Happy Fourth of July!!!

2008-07-08T22:00:00.004-04:00

At the last minute we ended up having a Fourth of July Picnic at our house with almost everyone in the family. The girls from next door came over to play with Lotus and her cousins. We had a great time, good food, and ended with some fire works next door. Unfortunately, I forgot to take any photos of the good time. It was a crazy day, at one point I was watching 8 kids. So photos was the last thing on my mind. The next day we did hang out at mom-mom's with everyone, including Sandy and Jay. It was a good and busy weekend! It was nice to spend time with everyone. I do have one photo of Lotus from the weekend.

Enjoy!

Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

One Year Ago Today

2008-07-02T09:10:00.002-04:00

A year ago today started out like any typical Monday. Hit the snooze on the alarm clock about five times and then pull myself out of bed and into the shower.

A year ago today started out like any typical Monday. We had been back from vacation for about a week and how I wished we were back on the cruise ship. Oh well, vacation cannot last forever, although one can dream. Before we left for vacation CCAI had received the latest waiting child list, I was hopeful but didn't want to invest too many emotions that our daughter was on this list. I couldn't do it to myself again. I was so sure she was on the last list and was so heart broken when all the referrals were out and she was not to be found. I talked to one of the WC ladies and she said maybe the next one, but most likely the one after that, it just depends on the children on the list. So I tried to not emotionally invest in maybes. Even though it was just a mere 16 months since we sent our application into the CCAI, I have been waiting to be a mother for the longest time. I was over the wait and couldn't stand to see another pregnant woman or go to another baby shower. Kevin was sure it was our turn this time, that our daughter was on this list. I for a change was skeptical one. But Kevin insisted we would get the call.

A year ago today, I went to work like any typical Monday. Traffic was light, as it was Fourth of July week, so I travelled rather quickly. At my desk with some coffee, check some emails and off to an all morning meeting. For some strange reason I decided to take my pager to the meeting, not knowing what was in store before the meeting was over. Amongst process maps and discussions, my pager goes off! It is a 911 page to call home, I jumped up, I thought something serious had happened! I ran back to my desk and quickly called home. Kevin answered the phone and told me I wouldn't believe what happened, "I came upstairs and the cats started a fire in the kitchen!" As I was trying to wrap my brain around the cats and a fire. He tells me "We got the call, we have a match!" I was speechless, I couldn't believe his words. When I called home I was not expecting this news, I did not expect to hear we got the call. Kevin told me she is 10 months old and told Pam to email her file to me. I quickly forwarded the email to him so we could look together. I waited what seemed a life time for the email to reach him. We looked at the same time and fell in love. She was our daughter! I called Pam (CCAI) and talked about Wu Chun Qiu and asked for her complete file to be FedEx to us. The excitement was over whelming. I ran back to my meeting and couldn't speak! One of my colleagues exclaimed, "You got the call" . The meeting was wrapping up so I went back to my desk to make some calls and forward her file to CHOP. I was on Cloud 9, 10, 11, and 12! My manager sent me home to celebrate with Kevin. I was grateful, my mind was spinning and I could not concentrate on work for sure. My drive home seemed to take forever! Once home, we shared our news with our closest family members! It was an amazing day.

A year ago today ended not so typical, a little baby girl in China found her way to us! And we were blessed with Lotus ChunQiu! She has added so much joy, happiness, and love to our lives. This day I will remember forever.

For those waiting for your referral call or waiting for TA, be patient, the wait is really worth it! I use to hate hearing that phrase while waiting, but everyone was right! The wait time fads away the moment your child is placed in your arms. I would get so upset every time we hit a road block along the way, I felt it was making our wait time longer and longer. I now believe these road blocks happened so Lotus would make her way to us. And when the time was right, she found us, the timing was perfect! We are the proud parents of such an amazing little girl who has changed our lives so much. We look forward to watching her grown up into a beautiful young woman, blossoming like a Lotus flower in the early morning, reaching her fullest potential.

Love,

Deb and Kevin

The first few photos of our daughter

Last Week and More (Party and Water Slide)

2008-06-30T09:09:00.005-04:00

Lotus is blossoming more and more each day. She never ceases to amaze us, she is figuring out all sorts of things. And her personality is contagious, along with her laughter. Kevin is such a proud daddy, he smiles from ear to ear when his little girl laughs and especially when she gives him kisses. She is not so stingy with them anymore. Lotus has been talking and learning alot more words. She knows the difference between a car and truck. And Lotus has decided my name is Maaaaaw, I love it every time she says it. She does not know how happy it makes me feel inside. Won't be long before she is talking up a storm. Soon I can sense it!

This weekend we attended (Kevin, Lotus and me) our family friend Joann's 50th birthday party. We all had a great time! Lotus was shy at first but opened up in no time. She was dancing up a storm on the dance floor. She does have rhythm! She was acting like she was queen out there. At one point Lotus and I were on the dance floor by ourselves and she decided she did not want mommy on the floor so she pushed me to the edge and danced all around with mommy on the side line! She is something else. She definitely had fun. It was so nice to spend the afternoon with Joann and her family, we were honored we were a part of her celebration.

On Sunday Lotus and I had a fun-filled day. We ate pancakes for breakfast, some play time & Wonder Pets. Then after nap time we had lunch and then went swimming with Saber. We were having a good old time till it started to thunder. After we got out of the pool the thunder stopped and out came the sun! Go figure. We went inside for some arts and crafts, some stickers, coloring, and fake tattoos! Lotus also decided she wanted to sit at the table without her booster seat. She is growing up so fast. We went back outside and ran under the hose for a bit. Then our neighbors plugged in their water slide and invited Lotus over. Their little cousin Isabelle was over (she is 6 mos older than Lotus). Lotus was unsure of this huge water slide (it is one of those plug in blow-up water slides). Soon her fears went away and she was having fun on the slide and in the wading pool. Lotus adores the girls next door and they adore her. Lotus had fun with Isabelle too, someone her own size! Soon it was time for dinner, so back over the fence (mommy caught her pants, lol!)

After dinner, playtime and some Wonder Pets with Daddy and Mommy it was off to bed! Tomorrow we may be turning the crib into a little day bed! Lotus is learning how to climb! Stay tuned and enjoy the pics!

Love,
Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Triple Play Sunday

2008-06-23T09:50:00.003-04:00

Lotus is such the social butterfly! Yesterday we had 3 events to attend and Lotus didn't skip a beat. First in the morning we met with 5 other families in the BCK Group to watch Kung Fu Panda and then have lunch at Sunny Gardens. Kevin was working that morning so he got to see Lotus go to her first movie. Kevin made sure the Huge Po Panda stand up was still in the lobby for all the girls to have their photo taken with him. They loved it. Lotus had a great time, she sat through the previews and the first 15 minutes of the movie. I have a few cute photos of her sitting in the chair eating popcorn. We left just as Po was eating peaches from the Tree of Hope (or something). We walked the mall till the movie was over and then met the group again, took photos in front of the giant PO Panda in the lobby. We had a great lunch at Sunny Gardens, Lotus loved the lo mien noodles and pork dumplings. After she was done eating she ran around with the big girls, she loves to hang out with the older kids. We made the trip back home, Lotus napped in the car for 40 mins. When we got home, tried to have Lotus take more of a nap and that was met with lots of screams. So we got changed for Mom-mom's and Bounce U. Refilled her back pack, picked up the gifts for later (and socks for Bounce U). Let the dog out and then off to Mom-Mom's where we caught up with daddy. We ate a light dinner with everyone and Lotus ran around with her cousins. Lotus wanted everything to do with her cousin Livie. She didn't want Livie to stop playing with her. In fact, when we left for the Bounce U party, Lotus had a fit when Livie tried to give her to me to put her in the car seat. Whew! Finally, all of us were off to Bounce U for Hailey and Allissa's party. The place is very cool. At first Lotus was a bit shy, mommy went into the bouncers with her and down the huge slides, while daddy took lots of pics. She started to warm up and running around with everyone. She even wanted Bill to take her down the huge slide, over and over and over again. Bill is Hailey and Allissa's dad , who Lotus has been a bit shy with since day one, she hides behind Kevin or I when he says hi to her. So this was a big! Hailey and Allissa played with her alot and so did their friends. It was really a great time. After playing in the bouncers and slides, we had pizza and cake. Lotus insisted on drinking her sprite from a cup like the big girls! I love it when she hangs with the older kids because she learns so much from them, she tries to do everything they do. Which I think is so awesome. She is growing up and catching up. Mommy and Daddy are so very proud. Will add photos later tonight of the Triple Play Sunday.

Love,
Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

A Little Out of Order-Check Old Posts

2008-06-22T00:22:00.002-04:00

I have finally had a chance to update some drafts on the blog, you may have to check Old Posts to check them out. Photos from Memorial Day and Lotus swimming.

Deb

Father's Day Celebration

2008-06-17T13:40:00.004-04:00

On Sunday, we had a Father's Day celebration for Kevin. Lotus and mommy made him breakfast sandwiches and coffee to start his day out right! During breakfast he opened his cards, a photo book of the past 7 months with Lotus (she did it all by herself with shutter fly, lol), and a lucky bamboo stalk. Lotus picked out the bamboo because on the stalk holder it had a panda on it. After breakfast we went swimming for a bit, then it was off for a nap (for Lotus). After nap time, we went swimming some more (and yard work) and waited for Kevin's two older sons to come over for dinner. Around 6 we had dinner with Ian, Eric, Lotus, Mom-Mom (Kev's mom), and Toni (Ian's gf). I made steak and potatoes on the grill. Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves. Ian, Kevin, and Eric decided to play kick ball with a large exercise ball, till it got a bit crazy and Lotus so desperately wanted the ball. It was nice to have everyone together. Definitely a very happy celebration.

My husband, Kevin, has done an incredible job taking care of our daughter during the week while I am at work. He makes sure her every need is taken care of and then some. She not only has fun when they play together, but that she is also learning in everything they do. He does all of this with minimal sleep and he keeps going and going. I may not tell him all the time or as much as I should that I do appreciate him very much and everything he does for us. Lotus and I are very lucky to have Kevin in our lives. He is a wonderful husband and father (to all his kids!)

Love,

Deb and Lotus

I Absolutely Love this Song

2008-06-13T22:46:00.005-04:00

...it reminds me to slow down and take time to treasure the moments with Lotus, Kevin, and my family. Please enjoy the video, you may need some tissues.

More Pool Fantastic! (June 10th)

2008-06-10T13:20:00.009-04:00

Quick drink before jumping in the pool

ONE, TWO, THREE.......JUMP!

I wanna jump all day!

Ahhhh! This feels great! Daddy, where is my juice box?

Yummy, need some yogurt, re-energize for more jumping!

Four dips in the pool and now Lotus is jumping in and going under, she is a fish and has no fear! She has really amazed me with the pool. Lotus is full of surprises.

Love,

Deb, Kevin, & Lotus

Dinner with Jace and Family!

2008-06-10T13:19:00.003-04:00

Lotus with her friend Jace. Kevin, Lotus, and I joined Jace and his family at Ming's for his family day celebration. This picture is so adorable!

Introduction to the swimming pool! (June 8th)

2008-06-10T13:18:00.008-04:00

I wanna go back in mom!

I am having so much fun!

Lotus and Saber share a kiss!

I am not sure I like this pool?

Lotus absolutely loves the pool! Her first dip in was a shock but she quickly rebounded and was having fun splashing around! Check out the photos of our pool princess.

The Straw Story Continues (June 1, 2008)

2008-06-10T13:11:00.003-04:00

Lotus has been doing great with the juice box and us helping. Drinking some on her own, not really holding the box. Well, this past Sunday (June 1st) we were in Target (no kidding) and I got her a hotdog and I had a soda. She wanted to put the straw in her mouth, so I let her. She was blowing bubbles in my soda. I kept telling her the other way and was showing her how to drink from the straw. An amazing thing happened, she started drinking and she took the cup from my hand and continued to drink! I was so happy (even though it was Pepsi she was drinking). Of course as we were shopping, I went over and picked up a Playtex straw cup. She has been using it ever since, she actually has two of them. Trying to wean of her bo-bot (as she calls it). She also does great if she has a juice box (in the holder of course, so it doens't shoot every where when she squeezes it). I just recently got her the drinkable yogurt and throw a straw in and she is good to go! I love it! My baby is becoming such a little girl!

Yippppeee! Yoo-Hoo and the Straw!

2008-05-28T13:24:00.002-04:00

Lotus can and did drink from a straw yesterday! We have Yoo-Hoo in the juice type box and Lotus actually drank from the straw! Over the weekend it was Mommy squirting it in her mouth and Lotus running back for more. She started to not mind the straw in her mouth a few days ago but wasn't sure what to do with it. So with a little practice and the love of Yoo-Hoo, Lotus can do it. This may seem like a minor accomplishment to some, however, this is one step closer to saying bye-bye to Lotus' Bo-Bot, which is Lotus speak for her bottle. We may skip sippy cups and go right to cups and juice boxes. Great Job Lotus!

Love,
Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

PS Potty training to start soon!

Enjoy some Photos from Memorial Day!

2008-05-28T13:23:00.010-04:00

Lotus with her cousin Tara

Rock Star Lotus

Yoo-Hoo sippy break with Daddy!

Playing catch with Tara and Uncle Jay

Hanging in my car, learning to drive.

Lotus explains the moon and the earth!

OMG! I am having way too much FUN!

Love,

Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Play Date with Hallie on Saturday!

2008-05-27T22:28:00.006-04:00

On Saturday, Lotus and I met up with Hongyu, Zhe, and their daughter Hallie at the Ground for Sculpture (a very cool place). I met Hongyu and family while working at Gymboree last year. We have kept in touch since I have left. Their daughter, Hallie, is 6 days younger than Lotus. It was so exciting to have a play date with them. I have not seen Hallie since October, boy has she grown so much. This was the first time they all met Lotus. The Grounds for Sculpture was very cool, all kinds of sculptures throughout the park and beautiful landscaping. Ohhh, and it is Peacock season, so Lotus got to see all the birds. We also happened upon a momma duck with her babies. Lotus was very excited. Lotus was a bit more shy than Hallie, but towards the end Lotus was running all over the place. She prefered to walk and not use the stroller. It was a wonderful outing and Lotus and I had a great time with Hongyu, Zhe, and Hallie. They are very nice people and I am glad to have met them. Enjoy the pics. (alot are from Zhe, thank you for sending them to me!)

Love,

Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

This Week.........

2008-05-24T22:37:00.003-04:00

Lotus has been doing great with her eating. She self feeds for the most part by hand, tries the fork and spoon here and there. She is starting to eat a little bit of everything. We went out to dinner on Monday at the Red Lobster. Lotus enjoyed popcorn shrimp and french fries and applesauce. She was funny, because while I was getting her spoon to give her the applesauce she was already digging in with the spoon in the bowl. She enjoyed tomatoes and cucumbers from our salads and absolutely deavoured the pieces of lobster her daddy gave her. She ate alot and fed herself most of the time. She was so well behaved, even the waiter mentioned how good she was. Close by us was a little boy close to her age who was acting up. Lotus kept looking at him. She continued to eat. I think she was enjoying the food too much to even think of being bad! Lotus is on her way. It feels so good to see her blossom. She will be eating her birthday cake on her own in September!

Love,

Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Another Party!

2008-05-24T22:29:00.002-04:00

Last Sunday Lotus went to yet another party. It was Jade's 3rd Birthday Party. Lotus had a great time, she enjoyed running around with the kid's and was fascinated with the petting zoo. Complete with a donkey, goats, llama, alpaca, bunnies, chicken with babies, turtles, and a huge milipede (yuck!). Lotus actually went into the pen with the goats and such. She really had a great time. She enjoyed pulled bbq pork, beans, cool ranch doritoes, and garlic hummus with pita chips. She also tried a cream puff for the first time, she loved it. Ohhhh and the ice cream cake! Wil post photos soon of Lotus with the animals!

Love,
Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Sippy Cups ! Millions of Sippy Cups!

2008-05-14T14:56:00.003-04:00

We have almost every sippy cup that has ever been made trying to find the right one. Finally I found a Diego plastic(First Years Take & Go) one that has a big kid mouth with holes that Lotus has decided to like. We actually made a game of it and she did drink from it with help. She is getting there, however, she is having a hard time letting go of her bottle. Let's hope she gives up the bottle by the time her wedding rolls around, lol. Just kidding, she is doing great and has come very far. I know it is just a matter of time for her to let go of her bottle. I know that we take a few steps forward and sometimes go back a little, but that is ok. Baby steps are fine, because I know she will get there when she is comfortable.

Update, this past week, Lotus has been drinking from an open bottle with help and a few times on her own!

Lotus' Accomplishments

2008-05-12T11:05:00.002-04:00

Lotus has been doing a great job eating! She can feed herself waffles, gold fish, cheerios, toast, etc. She will eat almost anything that will melt in her mouth or that she does not have to really chew or bite. She will gladly eat ice cream and chocolate cake. And yesterday she had a brownie for the first time. She was hysterical on a brownie high afterwards! We are so proud of our little girl for all the milestones she has accomplished. She is learning more and more each day. She surprises us every day with something new. And her personality is adorable, she can really put on the charm and be a ham in a crowd. Can you tell we are proud parents? I know that if our little girl can accomplish as much as she has in 6 months, she can accomplish anything she puts her mind too! We have a feeling that she is going to go places in her life!

Love,
Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Adoption in the Media

2008-05-11T23:13:00.004-04:00

This week there was alot of stir in the adoption community with a contest sponsored by Teleflora and the Today Show called America's Favorite Mom. The contest had several categories of Mom's. One category was the "Non-Mom" Moms which included adoptive moms. After many phone calls and emails to the Today show and Teleflora, the category was changed to Adopting Moms. A bit better but still a separation between biological and adoptive moms. Teleflora did post an apology to the public on the contest website. This is not the first time the media has been insensitive and I am sure it will not be the last time. However, there are times the media surprises us. Today, I had the experience of watching a positive commercial about adoption. Kevin was watching the news this morning and a Pearl Vision commercial came on the TV. I have posted the commercial below for all to watch. It was so nice to see something positive for a change. Enjoy the commercial.

Love,
Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Find more videos like this on AdGabber

My First Mother's Day

2008-05-11T22:51:00.004-04:00

Yes, today was my first mother's day! A day I thought I would never have. Yet, 6 months ago, I became a mom to an amazing little girl. One of the happiest day's of my life, the other happiest day was when I married my husband. So today was my first mother's day. The day started out very typical. Lotus woke up and I went into her room to say good morning. We have our ritual which consists of diaper change, bottle while cuddling under the blankets, and then waffles! Then we played for a bit and and then woke up daddy (he worked late last night, so we let him sleep for a bit). I then had to run out to Target and Lotus would not let me go without taking her. She is a shop-o-holic. Do not know where she gets that from. So we made a trip to Target and Sam's Club. All went well without any issues. When we got home, Daddy and Lotus gave me my card and present. It was a heart shape box of chocolates but when I opened the box there was a square cut out and a little box inside. Lotus and Daddy picked out the most beautiful diamond ring. I was shocked! I wasn't sure what they had up their sleeve, but boy they are good at sneaking around together! Lotus picked out a really cute talking card and Kevin picked out a very beautiful card. After all that excitement it was nap time. Whew some time to get some stuff done for our Mother's Day Picnic!

Time flew by and everyone started coming over. Kevin's brother and sister and their families came over, along with Kevin's mom, Ian, and my mom too. We had grilled chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, etc All very good, Kevin did a great job cooking. Later we celebrated Alex's 8th birthday with cake and ice cream. Lotus had a great day playing with her cousins. And she loved eating brownies and mint chocolate chip ice cream. Yummy.

It was a wonderful day and I am happy I was able to spend it with all the important people in my life!

Love,

Deb

PS Today was the Race for the Cure in Philadelphia, please remember to check yourself, early detection can save a life.

Happy Mother's Day!!!!!!

2008-05-09T10:53:00.004-04:00

I received this in an email from the Adoptive Families Magazine. I wanted to share with all the Mother's I have met along my journey to motherhood! This is one journey I will never forget.

To All the Moms I Know...
We are sitting at lunch when my daughter says, casually, "Do you think I should have a baby?" "It will change your life," I say, keeping my tone neutral. "I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations."
But that's not what I meant at all. I want her to know that becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable. I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking, what if that had been my child? That every plane crash, every fire will haunt her.
I think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop a soufflé or her best crystal without a moment's hesitation.
I want my daughter to know that everyday decisions will no longer be routine. That a five-year-old boy's desire to go to the men's room, rather than the women's, at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.
My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who changes the baby and who never hesitates to play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again, for reasons she would now find very unromantic.
I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice, and drunk driving. I hope she will understand why I can think rationally about most issues, but become temporarily insane when I discuss the threat of nuclear war to my children's future.
I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time. I want her to taste the joy that is so real, it actually hurts.
My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it," I finally say. Then I reach across the table, squeeze her hand, and offer a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all of the mere mortal women who stumble into this most wonderful of callings. This blessed gift from God...of being a mother.
—Dale Hanson Bourke

Happy Mother's Day to All, I hope you have a blessed day!

Love,

Deb
aka
Lotus' Mommy

Happy 6 Months Gotcha Day !!!!!!!!!!!

2008-05-07T11:57:00.012-04:00

Lotus,

On Monday, May 6th, it was our 6 month gotcha day! I cannot believe it has been 6 months since I held you in my arms for the first time. And boy has it has been an amazing ride since! You have grown so much and are such a big girl now. I am amazed every day by the things you do. You always surprise me with a new word, expression, or how you play with a toy. I love it when you crack up, your laugh is so contagious. I especially love it when you snuggle in the morning when you first wake up. And our night time ritual has become my favorite. You certainly have changed our lives little one, we are proud you are our daughter and we want you to know we love you very much!

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

One of Our Referral Photos

Recent Photo from April 20th

No Chicken Nuggets for this Girl! (5/4/08)

2008-05-05T13:34:00.005-04:00

Yesterday when at the grocery store, I decided to see if Lotus would like to try the crab stuffed mushroom sample over by the seafood dept while I picked up crab legs for dinner. My little girl devoured the sample! So of course I bought a mushroom for her lunch tomorrow. Once we got home I started making dinner outside while Lotus played with Hallie and Allissa (our neighbors). Dinner was ready and Kevin was home, so we went in. I made a plate for myself and a small plate for Lotus. I gave her some baked potato and decided to try her with a little bit of crab leg meat. She couldn't stop eating it. At first I was feeding her and then she took over. She kept stuffing her face, it was priceless to watch her enjoy her first crab leg dinner. Our little girl has expensive taste! Who knows what she will eat next. This weekend she was devouring some penne pasta with sauce and green grapes galore! Then right to crab legs! Lol. Wish I had captured a photo of it!

Love,
Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Fan Appreciation Day at Our House

2008-05-05T10:29:00.003-04:00

Everyday is Fan Appreciation day at our house! Ever since it has gotten a bit warm and I have put the ceiling fans on, Lotus loves having them on. If they are not own she insists that we put them on. She loves watching them go round and round. It is very cute and she is very insistent when she is drinking her bottle to have the fan on.

Love,
Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Proud Mommy & Daddy Moment (4/23-24-2008)

2008-05-05T10:26:00.005-04:00

Lotus eats a cheerio on her own! It was the proudest moment so far. Lotus started to feed herself cheerios! She found her mouth with her hand! She didn't stop there, she eats waffles and toast on her own too! Lotus has made such great progress! We are so proud of our little girl.

Love,
Mommy & Daddy

Lotus' First Sleep Over and Trip to the Zoo (4/21/2008)

2008-05-05T09:45:00.004-04:00

Lotus had her first sleep over with her cousin Bren on Sunday and then cousin Tara on Monday. Lotus is very taken with her cousin Bren, she wanted him to sit next to her and was always looking up to him. Very cute. She really loves playing with other kids no matter how old they are, she tries to imitate what they do. The next morning Tara came over (Bren's sister) and we all went to the Zoo. It was cold out but we had a great time. Lotus decided to hold Bren's hand at one point, very cute! Tara was the photographer for the day. Lotus call the big black jaguar a DOG! She must of thought it was Saber, our big black dog. We had lunch and later some ice cream, Lotus was loving the mint chocolate chip. This is where Lotus slowly started to eat cheerios on her own. It was a fun filled day. Later, Tara stayed over and on Tuesday the girls went shopping and had lunch. It was a great couple of days. I love spending time with family and Lotus really likes hanging with her cousins. Enjoy the photos of the zoo!

Love,

Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Lotus' Christening (4/13/2008)

2008-05-05T09:26:00.005-04:00

Lotus was christened on April 13th. Many of our friends and family attended the celebration. Not sure if Lotus really understood the celebration was for her! She had a great time! At the party at Ming's she was running around with all the kids. She really likes hanging out with other kids. Lotus was a trooper through the whole day, it was a long one. Sandy and David did a wonderful job as the god parents! The mass before was beautiful and the baptism was an incredible experience. I am glad we were able to share with everyone. Enjoy the photos!

Love,
Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Photos and Such

2008-04-04T23:21:00.004-04:00

Lotus and the Great Big Ball

2008-04-04T10:36:00.002-04:00

Lotus has a fascination with balls! She loves little little balls and footballs, basket balls, soccer balls and the really big balls that are always in the big cages at the stores. We were at Target (shocking!) and we went past the big cage of balls and Lotus' face lit up and she exclaimed"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" and pointed and got really excited! So of course mommy put the ball in the cart to see if her excitement would last. I gave her a choice of a smaller one with princesses on it or the large purple ball. In the end she chose the larger ball. It is so cute to see her walking around with the ball around the house. And she gets such a smile on her face! Now, Lotus thought she had the biggest ball to play with, till yesterday when we were in the garage. She immediately found mommy's exercise ball. Which is HUGE! She so wanted to play with it, but I told her we needed to wait. And I directed her back outside. The exercise ball was just a bit too big for Lotus. Will post some pics of Lotus and the great big purple ball!

Love,
Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Lotus Goes to Another B-day Party

2008-04-04T10:29:00.003-04:00

Lotus went to cousin Dave's fourth birthday party at Sports Zone. It was a very cool place with ball crawls, moon bounce, games prizes, and a mini carousel. At first Lotus was a bit nervous, she is starting with mommy separation anxiety. She warmed up slowly. At first she did not want to go on the mini 3 horse carousel. Eventually I got her to go on and she didn't want to get off. We went round and round. Mommy had to hold onto her and walk around as the Carousel went around in the circle (lots of exercise). Lotus even caught on that if you keep pushing the start button it will keep going (her cousin Bella taught her that). She was having so much fun. Deena got a pic of her on the carousel which I will have to get a copy of, since mommy forgot her camera!

When it was time for pizza and cake, Lotus did great. She sat in a chair and she ate all the cheese and sauce off the pizza! Afterwards, she ate alot of chocolate cake and loved it! Who wouldn't???? She did really well and had a great time. We won some tickets and Uncle Sean gave her some more so she picked out a small squishy ball. Lotus has a very full social calendar and keeps mommy going!

Love,

Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Mother Daughter Moment

2008-04-04T10:22:00.002-04:00

The other day Lotus and I were playing in the kitchen. She had taken some measuring spoons out of the kitchen drawer. I had given her a bowl and she was pretending to stir and feed me. Very cute. Lotus likes to look at her reflection in a mirror, window, even the oven door(not hot). When she checks out her reflection we always tell her to give Lotus a kiss and she does.

So now for the mother daughter moment........ I was leaning on the oven door sitting on the floor, Lotus was checking out her reflection. So I said to her, "Kiss the pretty girl". She turned and kissed her mommy. It was the sweetest moment so far. These are the moments that make being a mother so very special. Especially since Lotus is very sparing with her kisses.

Love,
Deb

Lotus' First Easter

2008-04-04T10:13:00.004-04:00

A little behind, things have been crazy busy. The night before Easter, Lotus helped dye some easter eggs. It was fun trying to keep her from dumping the dye cups on the table or smashing the eggs on the table. Then it was off to bed to wait for the Easter Bunny to make a stop at our house. We forget to leave out some carrots for him! On Easter morning, after breakfast, Lotus had a Easter egg hunt in the living room. She did pretty good finding the eggs. And when she found one, she would go "Ooooooooooo" and grab the egg. And then she saw her basket filled with a Belle Princess Tea Set, a Dora see & say, and a pink bunny. And yes, the Easter bunny broke down and left a chocolate bunny for her as well. Later that day we went to Mom-Mom's house for dinner. It was so nice to see everyone. Mom-Mom had an Easter egg hunt as well with plastic eggs. Lotus was ready since she practiced in the morning. After the hunt was done Lotus continued to play with all the plastic eggs. She was having a good old time! Her cousins were so happy to see her and play with her. Check out the pics below of the day!

Love,

Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Someday.........

2008-03-17T10:02:00.005-04:00

My niece Tara gave me a present, she gave me a book called Someday. When I read it, I began to cry. Tears of happiness and joy, she picked out such a great book. For a seven year old, she amazes me. The book goes through the journey of a child through a mother's eyes. It starts with..................

One day I counted your fingers and kissed each one

Someday you will swing high—so high, higher than you ever dared to swing

Someday I will stand on this porch and watch your arms waving to me until I no longer see you

Someday I will watch you brushing your child's hair

Someday, a long time from now, your own hair will glow silver in the sun. And when that day comes, love, you will remember me

Before bed last night I read the story again to Lotus, it is so very touching. Thank you Tara for such a beautiful gift, I will cherish it always.

Love,

Deb, Kevin and Lotus

Another week, Another Party!

2008-03-11T23:19:00.003-04:00

My Pretty Princess!

I HATE SNOW, but LOVE my boots!

Lotus has a Shoe Fetish

2008-03-03T09:57:00.009-05:00

First Valentine's Day Opps! You Caught me! I love FASHION
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Valentine's Message for Daddy ! Dress up, love the purple tutu! Go Vikings!!!!
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Good Night Kitty!!!! My Panda Costume!!!!!! Yeah! I am a USA Citizen!!!

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Lotus loves shoes, she loves to try them on and walk around. She also loves to wear her leopard print/hot pink snow boots with clothes they do not match. She insisted on wearing them on Sunday and it wasn't even snowing. Then later that night she found her water sandals for the summer and insisted on wearing them around the house with her red dress (the shoes are neon green and purple). On Friday when I was getting her ready to go to her cousin Bella's house, she insisted on wearing her hot pink lady bug croc shoes (they went with her outfit, whew) but Mommy was trying to be more sensible and have her wear her sneakers. Ha! I am sure once she really starts talking she will tell me what clothes she wants to wear. Hopefully, Mommy can teach her some fashion sense. We will see, she does like to wear her purple tutu with her purple fleece pointy hat. Very cute, will post pics of that day.

On another note, Lotus is catching up. We started Early Intervention last week and have been working with Lotus on alot of things. This past week she started eating ritz crackers (she loves them) and graham crackers. We also have french toast and pancakes for breakfast. She is starting to show a little bit of interest in her sippy cup. And almost put a cracker in her own mouth. We are getting there! She is trying to say more words. It appears she can say Bye, Beep, Thank (for thank you), yeh (for yes), all done (not very clear). Alot more babbling which sounds more like trying to say words then just babble. She is also starting to put things back (sort of), she pulled out a bin and emptied it and then put other things in the bin. When I am cooking dinner, she will play with bowls and spoons, and her Leap Frog refrigerator alphabet magnet toy. She loves to dance to anything and play her paino or her keyboard.

For the best update, she gave her daddy a real hug before he left for work yesterday. He was holding her and she squeezed his arms in a hug. It was adorable. She has also been more free with her kisses to Daddy and me. It is a greatest feeling! She has changed so much since Gotcha Day and everyday is such an experience. I am glad I have been given the chance to be a mother. I wouldn't miss this for the world!

Will post some pics later on today.

Love,
Deb and Kevin and Lotus too!

Lotus Visits Mitsuwa in Edgewater, NJ (2/18/2008)

2008-02-21T11:19:00.002-05:00

Lotus visits Cousin Tara's Class (2/12 2008)

2008-02-19T13:26:00.005-05:00

Lotus' cousin Tara was Star of the Week at her school. She was allowed to bring visitors into school during this week. Tara invited Lotus to visit her class on Tuesday for a half hour so everyone could meet Lotus and ask questions about Lotus and China. Tara was so excited when we showed up. Everyone sat on the carpet, I showed various items we brought back from China and I asked if they had questions. Most of the questions pertained to Lotus and China, some were comments of how cute she is. At the end Lotus walked around (squeaky shoes and all), greeted most of the kids by touching them on the nose and clapping to Yeah! We left with a cheer from the class and a photo with the entire class. Lotus brought fortune cookies, jellies in cups (a favorite among kids in China), and a year of the rat coloring page. Tara walked us out and thanked us for coming to her class. It was very exciting to visit her class and Lotus was very good. I was honored to be invited to Tara's class, it made me feel very special. Enjoy the photo from the visit.

Love,

Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Lotus Eats Wonton Soup and more

2008-02-13T12:24:00.010-05:00

Lotus has been doing very well with eating. She started out with mashed potatoes and would anything as long as mashed potatoes (eventually it was mashed sweet potatoes) were mixed in. Mommy got very crafty sneaking in mac and cheese, oatmeal, chicken nuggets). She has been doing well. She likes messy play, so much when I went out with a friend for dinner, she tried to messy play in her plate. I was in shock, luckily my friend didn't mind. Lotus has been letting me feed her the gerber puffs again, which is great. She also has been sucking her thumb more and sucking on her stuffed animals (lol). On Sunday when we were at a Chinese New Year celebration, I was eating Wonton soup and decided to give her some with the big soup spoon, she loved it and wanted more and more. She would suck the soup from the huge spoon (after blowing some bubbles) and was letting me feed her the wonton noodle. How cool is that!!!!! She has also stuck her fingers in her mouth with some baby food and started sucking too. Our little girl is on her way! The other night she had marshmellow filling from a scooter pie at her mom-mom's she was crazed over it. Once she was done with some she was sticking her tongue out for more. I notice a big change in how she plays with some toys and how she is picking up her spoon and fork. She still won't feed herself but she will fed her ma-ma and da-da. I think she is about ready to start talking away, she mouths the word bye-bye and it sounds like she has been saying hi when you first walk into her room. Once she starts I am sure she will not stop, she'll probably talk in her sleep. She is such a high energy girl! I will post some pics and try to post the video of the wonton soup!

On another note, early intervention sessions should be starting soon. There were a few issues that are getting worked out. I would have liked them to start sooner than later, however, I will make sure this situation is a learning experience for all those involved. Lotus will start soon and she will be on her way to making great strides! She has already come so far. This Saturday we will be home 3 months and I am amazed how much she has changed. Sometimes I for get she is only 17 months, she gets around so well, walking and running, and running, and running, lol. Sometimes she is hard to keep up with! Gotta Runn after her.............. check out pics below

Love,

Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Pics from Chinese New Year Celebration

The Other Weekend.....

2008-01-28T13:12:00.000-05:00

while I was playing with Lotus I was watching her and seeing how much she has changed since we have been home. I started thinking about the way she smiles and makes funny faces, the way she walks and jumps on you, the way she wakes up in the morning with a smile and gets so excited to see you open the door and pick her up, the way she lays her head on your shoulder as you rock her to sleep, the way she jumps in your arms when the dog barks too loud, the way she belly laughs when you tickle her....... I think about how fortunate I am to have a daughter like Lotus.........I begun to think about how her birth mother will not get to see these things and watch the little girl she gave birth to grow.......and I will always wonder about her decision to let her little girl go. As I watch Lotus grow I will always think about her birth mother.....a complete stranger, who gave me the greatest gift ever. I am truly blessed.

Deb

Don't Trust Lotus To Wrap Your Gifts

2008-01-14T23:07:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe on Wednesday Lotus will be 16 months old and we will be home for 2 months! It has been a wild ride for sure. Alot of transition, patience, tears, hugs, and love. Lotus has changed so much since we have been home. I cannot believe my eyes sometimes. Lotus has definitely mastered walking and has tried to run a few times. She is babbling more and trying some baby food and Gerber Puffs here and there. I am happy when I can get her to eat several spoonfuls, baby steps are fine. I know she will get it soon and start eating us out of house and home. Next week Early Intervention will be evaluating her, if she is deficientby 25% in one of five areas she will be entered into the program. There will be no stopping her, watch out!

The best was this Saturday, Lotus was invited to her first party. It was a 2nd Adoption Day Party for Taylor. It was a messy play party and we painted flower pots to look like lady bugs, made flowers for the flower pot, and made lady bugs out of plates. She was too cute in her apron with her name on it. She was the youngest there and blended right in, she was bounced around a bit but she she just kept going and going. After the party we went to the after party at Laura's house and she played some more with her older friends in Emma's playroom. She fit right in and did not cling to mommy. She really did great, I was so proud of her! I have pics from the day. Sunday we had dinner at mom-mom's so she got to see her cousins. She was so good and happy, running all over the place. We are looking into signing her up for a music class with kids her age to socialize her even more. Kevin will get to take her since classes are on Monday mornings :( (sad I miss out on some of these things). It is getting late, so I will leave you with some photos in a new post.

Love,

Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Lotus is Walking!!!!!!!!!!

2007-12-22T22:00:00.000-05:00

LOTUS IS ACTUALLY WALKING!!!!!!!!!! She started today when we got home from Christmas shopping. It is not the 5-10 steps and fall down. She is actually walking and turning around and walking. Still falls a little but gets back up and continues walking. Yesterday she was walking in the living room but kind of practicing, alot of falling on her little butt. Today was like she has been walking for weeks, lol. Boy are we in trouble now! When we were Christmas shopping she got a bit tired of being in the stroller, so I let her out, and she walked a little bit holding my fingers. I was just so shocked when we got home, at first it didn't hit me and then all of a sudden I was like "She's Walking !!!!!!!" I will post video to here (if it is not too many MB's) and to U-tube so you can all check it out. Once I watched her walking around, she seemed so much older to me, my little girl is growing up. She is babbling more and more and the faces she makes are so funny, she is such a HAM! Lotus and Ella (from our travel group) would be double trouble she was a ham too and always had us laughing with her excitement and belly laughs.

Looks like Lotus is catching up real quick, now if we could only get her to like a spoon or food or anything near her mouth. Once you get the food past the mouth , she actually likes it. We continue to work with her on this, so it is only a matter of time.

Check back for the video.

Love,

Deb, Kevin, & Lotus

We Have been home 30 days!

2007-12-17T21:37:00.000-05:00

I find it hard to believe that yesterday we have been home for 30 days with Lotus and she turned 15 months yesterday too! Lotus has changed so much since the very first day we met her in Guangzhou on Nov 5th. Her personality is starting to form and she is such a ham! The faces she makes and the laughing. She cracks me up and makes me smile, even when she has woken me up a few times that night. She definitely knows who her da da da is, when she sees him for the first time each day she gets this huge grin on her face. She babbles dadadadaa, bababababa, and maamamamammmm, and some other indistinguishable words. She makes the clicking sound with her tongue and kissies (but will only kiss her stuffed animals), raspberries and other mouth related noises(big improvement, hoping this will help with her hand/mouth aversion eating issue).
She has been listening to music and songs, loves Old McDonald and All the Colors of the Rainbow. She dances to songs her little learning puppy sings and hugs her puppy too. It is too cute, she moves her shoulders up and down. She can sit in her big girl chair and likes to look outside. She has been warming up to visitors alot quicker, not so shy anymore. She is understanding more words, helps me undress and dress herself. I could go on and on..........

I will miss our special morning time when I go back to work, when she wakes up we lay on the floor and she will snuggle with me and lay her head on my tummy and look up at me and give me the eyes with a big smile. It melts my heart, makes being a mommy all so worth it. I know there will come a time when she is too old for that, but I will take it for as long as I can get it! She also loves to pull her shoes out of the closet, into her shoes like her mommy. I will most likely be in big trouble when she is a teenager! Lol.

Lotus was definitely meant to be a part of our family. She fits in so perfectly. Enjoy the pics below!

Love,
Deb, Kevin, and Lotus

Almost a month since Gotcha Day

2007-12-03T14:28:00.000-05:00

Cannot believe it has been almost a month since Gotcha Day. Lotus has changed alot since the first day we were united. Last Wednesday we went to CHOP to have Lotus evaulated, she is at about an 11 mos level, with some skills between 8-10 mos. They were impressed with her attachment/bonding, the whole time she was playing with the OT specialist she kept checking back to see me and touch me for reassurance. I do have to call EI for help with eating and her fine motor skills. She should catch up in no time. The Dr thought she was doing very well for being in an orphanage for 14 mos.

Since we have been home Lotus has started to hold her own bottle, starting to get on a sleep schedule (for the most part), she has blown raspberries, starting taking many steps while holding your hands (or fingers), she is babbling alot more (alot of dadadaddada and she loves to growl at you), she does shake her head NO alot, trying to teach her to shake her head YES, lol. She loves her baths and showers. We also have been playing with pudding, yogurt, and baby food on her highchair tray. One night she got very messy with the yogurt. I have been able to feed her a little bit of baby food on a spoon. I am sure she will be eating food in no time.

I will leave you with some photos;

Photo with Santa! 11/26

2007-11-26T22:59:00.000-05:00

Lotus' first photo with Santa! She did not scream but would not smile and laugh like she does at home. Enjoy photo!

Coming Home Photos

2007-11-26T22:49:00.001-05:00