wises 3

Referral - 2 years Ago

2011-10-13T07:24:00.000-07:00

Two years ago our world changed forever. My heart's cry to be a mom came true. This amazing child is my hero and has blessed us beyond measure. Happy Referral Day to all our fellow YY families!!

Just Pictures

2011-10-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

Since I barely have time to breathe these days, I am again just posting some pictures. If anyone is still out there lurking, "hello"! Life has thrown our family some unexpected and difficult challenges that we are facing head on with great faith. One day I will feel free to elaborate, but for now I feel I must protect my family's privacy. I miss blogging quite a bit and wish that my entire world wasn't wrapped up in the very topic that I would want to talk about. So until the day I feel comfortable enough to share, I will post a few pix of the months gone by. Everything from a tired, post-fair toddler, beach days and pumpkins!! I miss you all. :) Love, Stephanie

Catching Up

2011-07-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

I recently received a note from an anonymous blogger that said "miss you". I actually hadn't realized how LONG it had really been since my last post. My word. I am slacker of the year!!! For any of you out there still reading, we are here. Just a lot busier and life has taken us in many new directions that leave me little time to blog. In fact, I am sneaking in a minute now. :)

Since my last post, we have moved AGAIN and are now living in Scotts Valley, CA. There are many more opportunities and well... civilization in general is here! We were not sad to say good-bye to our skunk family! Zoey is growing like a weed and her world continues to stretch her and us! She is an exceptionally happy little lady. Below is a picture from today. We took a trip to Happy Hallow Zoo in San Jose and had ourselves a really great day. So for now, I hope this picture will do the trick! I hear my girl and I must get her back to sleep!

If anyone wants to stay in touch more frequently, just go to my FB link at the bottom of this page! I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time. Steph

A bit of art for my girl

2011-04-11T19:29:00.000-07:00

After we came home from China, I decided that I would do a piece of art that represents my girl each year on her birthday. Well, this year sort of got away from me and I was chasing my girl more than sitting at a computer! It's now April and I'm only a month behind, but I figure she will never know and well... I did it! That's what matters. :) So here's what I came up with for Birthday number two.... I think it should have some kind of tag line, just can't think of anything excellent at the moment. Hopefully something will come to me in a dream tonight! Happy Monday everyone! Steph

Spring is in the air!

2011-04-06T14:35:00.000-07:00

It is spring all around here in Nor Cal and it is gorgeous outside! The redwoods smell heavenly and the forest is in bloom. Ahhh. I am so in my element here! :) Recently, Z had a play date with Miss J and her Mommy here in the forest. The girls are growing way too fast and are down right adorable. Zoey enjoyed sharing her LOVE for sticks and leaves with her little buddy! Here are a few pix!

And then she was two...

2011-03-27T19:23:00.000-07:00

It seems almost impossible that my little one is two already. I see her blossoming every day, but in my heart and mind I still see the little one that I held in my arms for the first time so many months ago. Today someone told me that I seem so content, and it is true. I am. My heart's desire was completely fulfilled the moment I became Zoey's Mommy. I often think of how completely lost I would be without this little one, and then my mind wanders to her birthmother. There are so many unknowns that haunt us and probably always will. I wonder if the unknowns haunt her? I ask myself, how could they not? This child is flat out amazing. AMAZING. She has a smile that can melt anyone and has so much joy it bubbles over. I want to tell her that. I want her to know that Z is okay and that she is loved more than anything in this world. I want to tell her thank you. Thank you for this little life. She is our heart and soul and I am so incredibly blessed to have her call me Mommy. That is the sweetest word in the world.

So far, 2 is EVERYTHING everyone says it will be! :) What a wonderful year ahead!!

Happy March!

2011-03-11T16:35:00.000-08:00

If anyone is out there reading, we are still here. Just slow to post these days! March is a really exciting month around our house. It is (was) my birthday last week and it is Zoey's birthday next week! She will be the BIG TWO!! Last week, my parents traveled out from Arizona for my birthday and it was just the best! I miss them terribly. It was also good for Zoey to have a little "pre" birthday with my family. I caught a couple of updated pictures of her sweetness running around the yard. She is embracing her "two's" with great passion, and Mommy is learning to embrace patience and understanding. :) I will post some birthday girl pictures in the week to come. I can't believe she is going to be two!

Kung Hei Fat Choi

2011-02-03T19:36:00.000-08:00

Happy Chinese New Year everyone! We ushered in the Year of the Rabbit with yummy food and a healthy little Ox. :) Here's an updated picture of Zoey at the San Jose "Happy Hallow Zoo and Park". We sort of celebrated there, but not really. Just a day of fun!

Random I know, but below is a piece of art Zoey created this week. I just LOVE it! I call it "Motion" because my girl is in constant motion!!! I have been waiting what seems like forever to do art projects with Miss Z and the time has finally arrived! My bliss!!

Happy 2011!

2011-01-06T07:23:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! We have been extremely busy, but life is starting to slow down and get back in to a routine of sorts. Spending Christmas in Arizona was absolutely wonderful and getting to share the special time of year with my family was so much fun with Zoey. Oh my how she LOVES her cousins! The are so great with her. She didn't get the whole "gift thing". (Which is fine with me!) She just loved being with everyone and playing with the paper and bows. Her favorite gift was a long tube of paper that my niece Hannah made and decorated. She even wrapped it up for Zoey. Little miss Z is still carrying it around! So funny.

Life is changing in the Wise household. A. LOT. Our sweet baby is not so "baby" anymore and is diving head first into the "two's". Our learning curve just got a lot bigger and I am trying desperately to be flexible and patient. Zoey is a torpedo! Fast as fast can be and is smart as a whip. Her vocabulary is growing and she is putting words together now. We don't always "get it", but we try!

Andrew and I love Santa Cruz county. It is gorgeous here and it is so nice to be able to drive down to the beach to look for sea glass and shells on a whim. Zoey wakes up now and will try to pull her jammies up to her knees and shouts "BEACH"!!! It's really cute. We haven't met a ton of people yet, but hopefully that will change over the months ahead. I have to work really hard at putting myself out there. I'm not the most outgoing gal in the world! So, one of my New Year's resolutions is to work on being less fearful. Fearless would be the word I'm searching for! :) We've moved so many times that it is hard to want to make friends with the knowledge we might be leaving again.... Hopefully we are here to stay for a while. **Unless the skunk family that moved in under our house doesn't evacuate!! That's a WHOLE other story!**

Wishing you all a wonderful year ahead and hope 2011 has many blessings for my friends who are still waiting for their daughters and sons to come home to them!

Playing the piano with Granny

Reading my favorite book "Curious George" in my new recliner!

Hanging out with my cousins!! I just love them!!!!

Merry Christmas!!!!

2010-12-20T08:06:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a beautiful holiday! We are off to my parent's home for Christmas and we are oh so excited! Sharing the festivities of Christmas with my Mom, Dad and sister's family is a dream come true! I've said it before, and I will say it again. I.AM.SO.BLESSED. I truly do not need a thing... I have all I need and I treasure every moment I have with my two loves.

These were our Christmas pictures from this year! Can you see the remote in my hand? We were having trouble getting Zoey to cooperate and that is why you see the remote and why she is holding up a giant hydrangea! If you didn't get a card from us this year I am so sorry! I lost my address book and didn't order enough cards! These were the pictures we used. :)

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Then and Now

2010-12-12T20:13:00.000-08:00

One year ago, our Zoey was brought by car, with many other little girls, to the city of Nanchang, China. There, our scared and confused little one was placed in our arms.

Today, we celebrated our day with a happy and healthy 20 month old Zoey. She is so full of life and energy! We love you sweet Z! You are our heart!

So close... one year ago.

2010-12-10T07:01:00.000-08:00

One year ago today (China time) we were being bussed around Beijing to see the sights. To say that we were restless is an understatement. When we went to the Great Wall, we bought a lock and had it engraved with Zoey's name and the date. We then put it on the long chain you see in the picture below. Locks of love are the padlocks fixed by loving couples, on to a fence or a pole or metallic chain/string alongside some wall etc at a public place, to symbolize their eternal love. A couple would hang a padlock after inscribing their name or initials on it and throw the key away so that their love is locked forever. Some couple use two inter-twined locks, each lock bearing their name/initials. Besides couples, often family members and close friends also put such locks at these places, to lock their relationship forever. We hope to return one day with Zoey and find the lock with her... we managed to make it home with the key!

This was a good day, but it was not enough to distract us from the days that lied ahead. Four plus years of pent up "waiting" were about to send us over the edge with every emotion in the book. Being first time parents and admittedly not knowing what in the heck we were doing... well... it scared us to death. All the preparations we had made, all the reading... none of if seemed to be in our heads. All I remember telling myself (thanks Mary) was, "ruffles out" - on the diaper. No leaking! Oh... if I only knew then what I knew now!!! :) Poor baby girl. I'm so happy she loves us despite our learning curve!

I can't help it... I just have to do this! One Year Ago Today!

2010-12-08T19:51:00.000-08:00

One year ago today, we woke up at an insane hour in the morning and made our way to the LAX. My heart still jumps remembering how excited we were to FINALLY BOARD THE PLANE to China.

Me, Terri & Suz! The happy Mamma's to be! :) (I can't remember what it was like to have my arms so empty!!)

Up with the tree!

2010-11-28T15:13:00.000-08:00

This weekend we went to the Johnson's Family Christmas Tree farm in Boulder Creek and got a tree. It was just amazing. We didn't get many pictures because it was rainy and very very muddy. We had to concentrate on Miss Z darting through the trees and mud puddles! This morning we set the tree up and started hanging the lights. We have been waiting to do this for a LONG LONG time and are enjoying every single second!! More to come!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T07:24:00.000-08:00

It has been so long since my last post. A shameful amount of time really.... Life and FB have gotten the better of me. FB is so easy and quick and well.... if you want to find me there I am able to post WAY more frequently! My little munchin keeps me on my toes and sitting down is a rarity! I know... excuses, excuses. :)

Thanksgiving goes by so quickly. I just can't let it pass without saying how incredibly thankful I am this year.... this time last year we had received our Travel Assignment for China on November 17th. We were days away from our little girl.... This year I am thankful to have my baby in my arms, thankful for my loving husband and all this life has brought us (good and bad). God has blessed us greatly... so much so that just saying that seems small, but it's not. It's just really really true. :)

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Steph

Apple Picking

2010-10-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

This week Zoey and Jennifer had a fun outing at a local apple orchard. The girls had fun wandering through the trees and picking up apples (dirt and a variety of things on the ground!) We found a pumpkin patch as well as bails of hay for kids to play on... the girls LOVED the hay! What fun it is watching these two explore together!

One Year Ago Today (The Beginning)

2010-10-12T20:33:00.000-07:00

October 13, 2009 - Referral Day!

“Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. Love still stands when all else has fallen.”

One year ago today we saw Zoey's face in black and white for the first time. After 4 plus long long years of waiting, our hopes were met with the most beautiful face in the world! My heart clinches into a tight ball thinking about this day last year.... there were so many emotions! The relief, joy and anticipation of the days to come were overwhelming and amazing. If I knew then how incredible being a Mom would be (to ZNX), I think you would have needed to sedate me for the 3 months that lay ahead of us!! :) Adopting Zoey seemed like a dream for so long, and becoming a Mother seemed like the impossible dream. For years we put one foot in front of the other and kept the dream of our little girl alive in our hearts and actions. Dream, repeat, dream, repeat...

To say that being a Mom has changed my life is an understatement. My little girl is a never ending song in my heart and I cherish every minute I have with her. I am not just saying that. There are very tired and frustrated moments in our relationship, moments that make me want to cry or pull my hair out, moments that make me want to sleep for the next year... you get the idea! The things that melt my heart and put me back at my center overwhelm the hard moments. Yesterday we were reading books and it was nap time. Z was almost asleep, she looked up at me and started belly laughing. She reached up to me and patted my face, giggled some more and then went to sleep with the sweetest smile on her face. Moments like that....

I remember starring at that black and white photo somehow hoping she could let me know how she was doing.... I wanted to tell her that we were on our way. I wanted to hold her so badly, but couldn't. Now I hold her tight, and tell her that we will be together "Miles and Miles Forever". Somehow it seems perfect.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-09T22:29:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures from Z's first pumpkin patch experience. She was so adorable wandering through the pumpkins! :) She tried to pick up a few that weighed more than her... pretty funny!

This is so cool!

2010-09-28T20:01:00.000-07:00

Ok. I know that not everyone will think this is wonderful, but I do! :) Just had to share! If you have a love for drawing/illustrating, this might be for you! I want to do this so badly... just don't know if Z will let me! (and yes, I know this is a REALLY random post!!)

Daddy Kisses

2010-09-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

This morning Zoey disappeared for a brief moment into the office. When she came out she was kissing a small laminated card. I asked her to show it to me and she darted off kissing it! I knew it must be something good! Turns out it is one of Drew's old media credential cards. She was kissing her Daddy! She rolled on the floor with him and kissed him on the couch for about 45 minutes this morning. She even had a brief conversation with him! She would NOT stop to let me get a picture... she wanted him all to herself and she wasn't going to let me in on her "one on one time"! This little person LOVES her Daddy! :)

My loves

2010-09-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

Come walk with us

2010-09-20T08:11:00.000-07:00

I've been telling friends and family that I will post an updated video of Zoey for ages. Last night on our walk I took a little clip of her blazing through the big trees by our house! (The quality is a little sketchy... sorry) She is very very mobile now!

18 Months

2010-09-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

Our sweet girl turned 18 months old today. I look at her and can not believe the strides this little miracle has made.... she is such a joy!

Out the Door

2010-09-09T11:25:00.000-07:00

When we step out the front door, we are yards away from the entrance to a state park. It's GORGEOUS. Drew took a couple of quick pictures last night on our walk!

Zoey wanting to R U N! Don't hold me back Mom!

Our walk... and no. I'm not dragging Zoey. She doesn't have a slow speed in her body and only wants to run. Forget walking. It's a crack up!

New View

2010-09-08T16:29:00.000-07:00

We have a new and wonderful view to take in here in Nor Cal. We went from city life to mountain/beach life! Can't say I miss the city too much at all. Drew still has a "little" drive into San Jose, but living in Santa Cruz County really makes up for it! We live in a little mountain town now that is at the entrance to a state park and literally minutes from the beach! It is AWESOME! The weather is cool and everything here is just gorgeous. I love waking up to the mist over the redwoods... it makes my coffee taste better! Anyone want to visit? :) I'll have some good pix soon. I'm still working on it!! Happy Wednesday everyone!

Still here... adjusting.

2010-08-31T11:28:00.000-07:00

We are still here and doing well. Adjusting. I still have no pictures because I just got out the camera today. Sad I know. Zoey and I ventured out to a local park this morning and had a good time. It is so cold out that we didn't last tooo long. We are just now getting a lay of the land and getting our bearings on our new location. I am still so confused. I'll be honest. I'm not the greatest with directions and knowing NO landmarks is really tough for me. All I can think is: Yep. There's a redwood. Oooh... another redwood. Now where is a building???? It's funny. I'd hate to be the experienced driver behind me. :)

So this is all I have time to write for the moment. I'm going to try and get some pictures this week. I REALLY am! :) My parents left us happier, more organized people and I am able to breathe and enjoy my surroundings now! I've even found the local coffee shop! Yummy!

Til' next time! Steph

Short and Sweet

2010-08-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

We are alive. Barely. This was a R.O.U.G.H move. We are just getting settled into the new house and my parents are here helping me. They came out on an emergency "help the kids" trip. They literally saved my hide. I've never felt this close to "dead" in my whole life. I will emerge soon with a decent post and pictures! It is gorgeous here and we are going to love it! Drew loves his new job and life can only get better from here! We can't wait to explore our new surroundings and take lots of pictures!!! :)

Love,
Steph

Ultimate Packing Chorral

2010-08-03T18:53:00.000-07:00

Moving

2010-07-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

I think this picture says it all! :) We are moving. I've been "out of it" lately due to heavy packing, and chasing baby around boxes! Whew. It is sort of a counter productive thing, but what can you do? As you can see, I took this box and gave it to Zoey. She immediately got in and took her turtle, two balls, zebra, elephant and 2 books. Guess a box is better than most toys!

Andrew and I have been looking to move for almost 2 years now, but with the adoption pending for so long we could do nothing but stick it out and deal with the cards that life handed us. Recently, Andrew was offered a job, turned it down and they came back at him with a counter offer. It totally took us off guard since we had written the company off completely. We had no plans to stay in California, we wanted to move to AZ with my family. BUT... sometimes, life gives us what we need and not what we want. Drew signed the contract yesterday and starts in less than two weeks. We found a house already and go tomorrow to check it out one more time... just to make sure we really want to commit. If all goes well, we will be moving everything out next weekend! YIKES! This is so sooooooooo fast. I know I mentioned this above, but packing with a baby at your ankles is HARD! Zoey is walking all on her own now (no help from Mommy or Daddy) and she is so FAST! Holy cow. She will be a track star for sure!!

Anyhoo, that is where I have been. Head buried in boxes. I will be checking in and posting, and once we are settled, I'll let you know if I am at home or in the loony bin! :)

Until later,

Steph

Learning curve

2010-07-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

Granny & Papa + Friends = Fun!!

2010-07-13T16:21:00.000-07:00

My Mom and Dad have been out from AZ for a visit and just left us. Sniffle. It's always sad to say good-bye. We had lots of fun playing and talking and doing pretty much all things Zoey! :) No surprise there!! We managed to sneak in some card games during nap times and that was good fun. My parents are card sharks!! Anyhoo, yesterday we had a play date with my sister-friend Shani and her daughter Hannah. It's always fun to see the girls together. Hannah calls Zoey "mei mei" (little sister) and is so happy to be the big kid showing the baby around! I think you will see how evident that is in some of the pictures! Zoey isn't always hip to the "assistance", but I think it is sweet and it gives me a chuckle. Little miss was so exhausted, she slept 3.5 hrs when we got home, went to bed at 7pm, and woke up at 8am! That is a world record in our home!! I need to borrow Hannah more often! :)

Waking up with monkey

2010-07-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

Waking up is hard to do! This is something my daughter and I have in common. Neither one of us like to wake up fast. Isn't she cute with her monkey? She calles it "baby" and usually makes sure that once she is out of her crib, monkey gets tucked in with a "night night". It is the sweetest thing!

Much needed good news

2010-07-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was really hard.... losing our little buddy was just rougher than either Drew or I expected. Logic and the heart do not mingle. After waking this morning, we felt so weird not having Groucho at the foot of the bed. I turned on the computer and made coffee... and heard the infamous "bing" for email. It was a surprise lab result for Zoey! I was so nervous. Her results never come in this quick, let alone on a Saturday. Her last read was 42 and this lead test read at 27.3. This is AWESOME news! We are dropping in the correct direction!!! Sunshine on a cloudy day!! :) Thank you for your kind comments and thoughts and prayers. Will will hopefully make it to "0" one day soon!

A Sad Farewell

2010-07-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

We said goodbye to our sweet Groucho this morning. This is a picture of Drew with our boy at 6am. We were up with him all night and had to take him in to the vet this morning. After many many tears, we said good bye and thanked him for the 10 wonderful years we had together. He was Andrew's "buddy" and my sweetie pie. I just can't picture our world without him, but somehow I will....

We miss you.

Waiting...

2010-07-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry to leave you hanging. Our doc didn't order the lead test 3 mos ago, so we got all set up at the hospital and they couldn't do it. SO... after FINALLY getting the order in, Zoey and I went this morning for the lab. Fingers, toes, everything crossed.... Monday we should know the results. The crying has stopped and she is asleep, I need to think of something fun to do with her when she wakes up! Since she doesn't like sweet things I'm going to have to get creative! Do they make broccoli ice cream??? Yes. My child chooses broccoli and zucchini over brownies, cookies, ice cream.... It's SO very foreign to me!!!

Happy Thursday!!

Steph

A few things

2010-06-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday my beautiful new camera arrived. I haven't had a chance to do anything with it yet, but I will this weekend! :) It's silly how excited I am!

On another note, it has been 3 months since we last had Z's lead tested. It is time. We put it off as long as we can and we must go in this weekend for a lead read. The anxiety in my gut is at an irrational level. I am hoping beyond hope that her levels have dropped. We last checked in at 42 and well... it just can't stay there. Please say a little prayer for us this weekend. We hope we join the rest of the Yiyang gals soon... they have all had wonderful drops in their lead levels! As I've said before, she is doing great and showing NO symptoms of the lead poisoning. Her development is on target and she is a great sleeper for the most part. (As long as six molars are not coming in at ONCE!!) Anyhoo.... just an update. I will let you know when we get the results. We know this is a long long road and hopefully she will have the "lead out" sooner than later!!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!! Steph

Few More Father's Day Pix

2010-06-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

Father's Day was spent eating and hiking. If you haven't already guessed, hiking is our favorite thing to do when we don't know what to do! :) Nothing fancy, just hanging out the three of us!

On a side note, today Zoey and I are waiting for a VERY SPECIAL delivery! I am going back to work part time and my new camera arrives today! I AM SO STINKIN' EXCITED!!! I will show pix of my beautiful new camera soon! :)

My Guy

2010-06-22T15:47:00.000-07:00

Today marks 8 wonderful years being married to my best friend and the love of my life. We have been together for 11 years and I can't remember what life was like before Drew. Half of our marriage we were were waiting to become parents, and I have had the gift of enjoying my husband exclusively and now the gift of watching him be an AMAZING Father to our Zoey.

Our years together have been so good. Not because everything has gone as planned, because let me tell you... they have NOT gone as planned, but because the highs and the lows have brought us closer together when they could have easily pried us apart. He is the most patient person on the planet, the most understanding and is always willing to listen... even when I am unreasonable. When he comes home from a long day and even longer commute to help wash dishes, fold clothes, change diapers and rock the baby to sleep... I love him more.
For all the quiet moments, back rubs, knowing hugs and humor that never stops, (and so much more) I love you sweetheart. You are my sun!

Happy Anniversary to my one and only!

Yiyang Sisterhood

2010-06-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had so much fun with a family we traveled with to China! Tim, Yuki and Kiera. We had a picnic in the SFO Botanical Gardens and spent hours at the beach! It was Kiera's first time seeing the ocean. It is always so special for us to spend time with some of the "sisterhood"! Kiera has grown so much and is beautiful! She and Zoey are still big time nappers, so half of the time Kiera was on the beach, Zoey was sleeping and visa versa! Too funny. Here are a few pictures of the little darlings!

Bamboo Gardens - We showed them our infamous "carving".

Zoey - "Come on Kiera, the water isn't THAT cold!" :)

Sleepy little gals on a foggy beach... bottle and bed sounds good to them!

Sleepy little Z.

Tim & Kiera. She liked the water with Daddy!

Wishing Zoey would wake up to enjoy the water! :)

6 Months Ago Today

2010-06-13T18:28:00.000-07:00

Six months ago today, my precious daughter was placed in my arms. Time flies, but my heart feels like it was just yesterday. The feelings I felt for four plus years still linger, but have faded. The excitement I felt in anticipation of Zoey, I still feel. The moment I saw her beautiful face... CRYSTAL CLEAR. The days that have followed have been joyous and so full of beauty. Granted, not every moment has been "beautiful", but life with her IS. Half a year ago (gulp) I was shaking and ready to puke from the anticipation of seeing her round the corner in the arms of her nanny. Today, I wait for her to round the corner with Daddy after a long, fun bath! Life has changed so much... but most of all, my hearts cry has been heard. This incredible daughter of mine has stolen my heart and I love her so so much. Sniffle. Sniffle... happy tears!

The days are packed!

2010-06-12T21:46:00.000-07:00

It seems like I am finding it hard to come up for a breath. We have been so busy that I have neglected posting... I didn't mean to, it just happened. Right now Drew is giving Zoey a bath and I'm supposed to be fixing a bottle. Instead... blogging. Yup.:) We had a really fun day today and I thought I'd post a picture and a little video from our Saturday. Nothing fancy... just a day in the life!!

Yea... I know. I barely got Drew in the picture! I'm not used to shooting multiple moving objects!!

This video is a tad long, but I thought Zoey's Grandparents might like a lookie loo! She got a little scared on the ride, but liked round 2 with Daddy!

Wises 3 in Mendocino Part 1

2010-06-02T15:46:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures from our trip to Mendocino. I can't say enough about this beautiful slice of California coastline. It is gorgeous. In a place like this, it is easy to cast all your cares aside and enjoy life... and that is just what we did! Well, we did on day one! :) Poor little Z got sick on night one and the next day was spent in the hotel room. At least we had an ocean view!! :) I am still uploading pictures and I do it during nap time. Thus, pictures in spurts! Happy Wednesday everyone!

Back from Paradise

2010-06-01T16:44:00.000-07:00

After a couple of nights in Mendocino, we are home. I am in the process of uploading a TON of pictures, but for now, here is the view from our room. Isn't it dreamy? Here's a shot of Drew reading to Zoey as the sun is setting over the ocean.... I want to go back now!!! :) More pictures to come! Hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! I loved having my guy with us for a whole 3 days!

Fishy Love

2010-05-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

Best laid plans often flop. Andrew's birthday was no exception.:) We had a great time, but we need a do-over! This weekend we headed off to the California Academy of Sciences, which is inside the Golden Gate Park. We have been wanting to visit, and we thought Zoey would really enjoy the aquarium, rain forest and penguins! We were right, only we didn't get to finish our day there... the entire facility was evacuated due to an "emergency in the building". They rushed us all out the doors and across the street. It was very eerie. After waiting a while to see if we would be allowed back in, we decided to just go for a drive to the ocean. It was a gorgeous day!! Once we got there, little miss Z was asleep and snoring. Sigh. The wind kicked up and it was so cold that we decided to just head home. We had other plans, but somehow none worked out. Bummer. Sooooooooo! We are having a do over weekend in Mendocino this weekend. I don't think we will go wrong there! Ocean breezes and hiking here we come!!

**Here is a picture of Z enjoying the aquarium! It's not a great picture, but you get the idea. She LOVED the fish. I can't wait to take her back!!

Flower Picking

2010-05-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend is Andrew's birthday! I have a few things planned, but don't want to ruin the surprise. Life has been keeping me crazy busy and the days are packed. My ability to write on the blog is not what it used to be... instead, I will post some pictures as often as possible to make up for my inability to string a sentence together right now!! :) Once I get some sleep I will be much better!!!

Pig Tails

2010-05-20T10:55:00.001-07:00

I need to do an updated post, but due to high picture demand and limited time to blog, I am adding one NEW picture today to buy me some time!! :)

First Mother's Day!

2010-05-10T07:17:00.000-07:00

My first Mother's Day was very special! A dream come true really. It is a day that brought tears to my eyes for so many years, but now makes me gush with love for the beautiful little girl God blessed us with.

My special day was started with a FULL night's sleep! Woo hoo. The first in many many days. Yes!! :) I was woken up by my daughter tapping on my face with a card in her hand... it read, "To Mommy" in wobbly, Daddy assisted handwriting. This was followed by tons of Zoey hugs and cuddles... so sweet. Drew brought me coffee in bed and made me a huge breakfast! When we came out to the living room, there were beautiful roses waiting for me and the most thoughtful card from Drew. What a blessed wife and Mommy I am! It was a rainy day here in Nor. Cal, but we tried to go outside anyways! :) We drove to Davis, CA to the Arboretum for a stroll through the gardens. We were there for about 45 minutes and it started POURING on us! Zoey loved it, but we decided to head home for a movie and sushi! :)

All of the extra was so nice, but when it comes right down to it, I am just so happy to be a Mom. Every night when little Z touches my face before drifting off to sleep, I thank God for letting me be her Mommy. We have been together for 5 months now, and the transformation we have seen in our girl is astounding. Some days I can't believe she is the same little girl who was placed in my arms on December 13, 2009.

I read a book to Zoey called: Mamma, How Long Will You Love Me? I just love it! Here is my favorite quote from the story:

"Mama, how long will you love me?"
"Always." Mama smiled.
"How long is always?" Sammy asked.
"Miles and miles forever," said Mama.

I love you my girl. You are my stars, my sky, my world, my always.

I will not take these things for granted.

2010-05-04T15:48:00.001-07:00

She is my joy.

She takes my face in her tiny hands and draws me to her, leans in, and places her head on mine.
She takes a moment and begins cooing while smiling, holding my face steadily.
It's as if she is saying ~ I am yours and you are mine.

She takes my breath away.

Home WARNINGLots of Pictures!

2010-05-01T07:05:00.000-07:00

We made it home on Wednesday evening from AZ! We drove 16 hours each way and took two days to do each leg of the trip. Our first family road trip was a great success! Zoey is a champion traveller and truly amazed us at her ability to self entertain and be happy in her car seat for so long. No tears, no fussing (except at the end - who could blame her!) just enjoying the ride. I think she loved having her Daddy with her for so long! What a treat!

This was the first time we have been able to visit my family, in four years, for more than 3 days at a time. We always were saving up vacation days for China. To spend 8 days was incredible. To say that I was sad when we left was an understatement. My sister and her family got to meet Zoey for the first time and what a crazy, exciting time! All of Zoey's cousins were amazing with her and lavished her with tons of love and attention. So much so, that we left home with a crawler and now have a walker (almost by herself). My Mom and Dad are amazing Grandparents. They have tons of bunnies and quail that live in their backyard. In the mornings, Granny would take Zoey into the backyard in her P.J's and show her all the little critters and let her smell flowers and feel plants. She just LOVED it! By the time we left, she was saying "Pa Pa" and was letting my Dad give her love. It was so heartwarming to see them together... I miss my family. It is really hard to live so far away. Sniff. Sniff.

One of the biggest highlights of our trip was seeing all of my Arizona friends with their little ones! Gwyneth and Caroline are Zoey's Yiyang friends. They spent the first months of their lives together at the Yiyang SWI and it was so sweet to see them all together again. I think there was some recognition, but I'm not totally sure. They have all changed so much! It's the "Get the Lead Out" group! :) It was awesome to finally meet Terri's new husband Ed and see Suz and Dan again! What a wonderful group of people! It was beautiful to see their families together! I only wish we had more time to visit.

About four years ago, Mardi and her husband Dan met up with Andrew and I for breakfast in Prescott. We had many dreams of our girls and were so ready to be parents! Who knew it would be this long before we would meet up on the "other side" and be celebrating our Motherhood and Fatherhood. Lauren is amazing and smart and beautiful!! (I loved your fingernails Lauren!) It was so special to reunite and see our beautiful girls together. We would not trade a minute of the wait for anything. These girls our our heart and soul! Mardi is so dear to me and I hope we can sit down for a cup of coffee some day soon!

Mary. Sweet Mary. For the FIRST time, I got to see Mary face to face with her darling Kailahni. This woman has been such a support to me during the wait for Zoey and I just love her. I can't believe it took this long to see her beautiful face!! Kai is so sweet! Watching Mardi and Mary go before us was so wonderful. Watching their families form and seeing what awaited us, kept us going. Mary was my personal cheerleader through the finish line to Zoey! Thanks for running beside me and for seeing me through to the end/beginning.

Here are a few pictures-Ok. More than a few! ( I have about 500 from the trip- seriously)! Family pix at the top and friend pix at the bottom! It's good to be home, but I miss everyone terribly!!

On the road to Arizona - Diaper change in the Mojave Desert! Woo hoo!

Sleepy after a long drive.

Almost to Mom and Dad's and it is SNOWING ON US!!!

Serious (try to make everyone smile) family picture... ha ha.

We are all actually hams and would rather be playing than be serious! :)

Papa and Granny with Zoey.

Myself, my sister Kelli & sweet, squeezed Zoey.

My wonderful Dad.

My sister Kelli with little Z.... FINALLY!

My nephew Peyton, Andrew and Zoey

Granny and Zoey - Day #1

Kelli and Zoey - Such a wonderful sight!

Kelli, Zoey, Me and Peyton.

Peyton reading a "good morning" story to Zoey. He is the sweetest boy in the world!

Swing time fun.

Taking a hike to the Granite Dells.

At the Granite Dells... very pretty view!

Granny showing Zoey the outdoors in the earlyyyyy (5:30am) hours!

Checking out the lilacs.

My darling niece Bailey.

Peyton and Hannah - my other adorable niece.

Fun crawling in the grass!

**REUNION OF FRIENDS**

Mardi & Lauren, Steph & Zoey, Suz & Caroline, Mary & Kailahni, Terri & Gwyneth

Mary & Me w/ the girls!

Mardi & Me w/ the girls!

Our Yiyang Darlings.

Gwyneth

Caroline

Proud Dads! - Drew, Ed, Dan

Proud Mommies! - Steph, Suz, Terri

First Road Trip

2010-04-20T06:12:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning, we wake at the crack of dawn (not a problem around here unfortunately!) and we are taking our first family road trip to Arizona! It has been over a year since we made the treck to visit my family, but we are ready! Zoey still hasn't met her Auntie and her cousins! We are so excited to see everyone! The drive... well... we are just hoping for the best. Zoey just hit 20 lbs, so we were able to turn her car seat around to forward facing, and MAN, what a difference that makes!

We also are going to meet up with several of our friends from Arizona who have also adopted from China! All of us are/WERE March LID's and stuck out the process together. Mardi came home first with Lauren, Mary came home second with Kailahni and Suz/Terri were with me in China ~ our girls were in the same SWI together in Yiyang. It will be so fun to see these beautiful children and their amazing Mommies!

On a completely different note, we found this incredible hiking trail behind our house. Don't know why it took us this long to discover it! Here are a couple of pictures of my two favorite people taking a hike the other day! Can't have a post with no pictures!!! :) We will see you all after Arizona!

Re-adoption Day

2010-04-15T13:59:00.000-07:00

It seems that we have fallen off of blogger planet! Life has just started spinning faster and faster and I am finding it harder and harder to keep up! Because I have a choice right now to sleep or blog, I choose to quickly post a few pictures of our re-adoption day yesterday... and then catch a cat nap. I am in need of sleep in a BAD way. Sob sob. I know. :)

It turned out to be a very special day at the courthouse. The judge gave Zoey a teddy bear and the court clerk snapped a ton of pictures for us. They were just so giddy to not be processing a domestic violence case that they tried to prolong our appointment. Even the bailiff was cheering us on! Too funny. I don't think they realized we already adopted Zoey. It's okay though. We love to fuss over her too!

Enjoy the pictures!

Where oh where are you Oreo Cookie?

2010-03-31T06:49:00.000-07:00

Ummm. The cookie is gone, but it has not gone in her mouth. I'm looking down at my shirt for a reason! :)

100 Good Wishes Quilt with it's owner! FINALLY!

2010-03-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

Five years ago we collected pieces of fabric from family and friends to make our 100 Good Wishes Quilt for Zoey. I remember rushing because I didn't think I would get it done in time for our referral! Ummmm. NOT.

This was the first time she saw it and all she wanted to do was crawl all over it and investigate the colors. Just another thing that I have been wanting to do since bringing her home. So many sweet moments.

Just Pictures :)

2010-03-22T13:17:00.001-07:00

She knows my name!

2010-03-19T21:03:00.000-07:00

Today at lunch, Zoey shouted out "MOM"! I almost fell over. She then said "Mamamamamamamamamama" ! I have a witness, so no one can doubt it!!! I've only waited how long to hear that? Granted, she hasn't said it again all day, but I don't care. She said it!! :)

My Baby is One!

2010-03-15T14:34:00.001-07:00

Today is my sweet Zoey's first birthday and we are so excited! We are going to celebrate her big day at the beach this Saturday. Hopefully she will love it! :) Since her Daddy works long and late hours, we will have a fabulous "Zoey weekend" (like every weekend isn't Zoey weekend - ha!) . Today is also a reflective day for us as we remember Zoey's birthmother. There are so many emotions that flood our hearts and bring us to tears. The unknowns are huge. We wish there was a way to convey the beauty and the blessing that has been given to us through our daughter. The gift of Motherhood is something I thought would pass me by.... the minute my daughter was handed to me, was the greatest moment of my life. I know Andrew feels the same way. We will light a candle today to recognize the journey, and we will celebrate our daughter with much thankfulness.

The image above is a piece of art I created for Zoey's 1st birthday. Every birthday I am going to do this and hopefully I can capture a little bit of something that stands out from the year. This image represents a few things about my precious girl:

1. She has a stuffed monkey that she LOVES. She wakes up and hugs her monkey, wants me to hug and kiss the monkey, monkey goes EVERYWHERE!
2. She always smiles. Not just a grin, but a huge toothy smile that shows off her cute teeth! Melts ya to the core!!!
3. She throws her hands up in the air and celebrates just about everything with a laugh and a "yea"!

I'm off to fill my girl's room with pink and white balloons! Have a wonderful Tuesday! Steph

Very very very good news

2010-03-11T06:15:00.000-08:00

I realize that I owe you (those who faithfully follow along!) a real post. I hear Zoey waking and I was hoping this would be my moment to get it done. Unfortunately, it will have to wait until later today. For now, I just want to let you know that after a VERY long day at the Hematology/Oncology ward at the Children's Hospital, we left KNOWING for sure that our Zoey does not have a genetic blood disease (which they thought she had). I can not tell you how upside down this has made us feel. The relief Andrew and I experienced was beyond words. We were exhausted by the time we got home from the emotion of it all. The other good news is that we no longer get Zoey's blood tested (for the lead) every month, but every 3 months now! Yippeeee!!! Poor baby is so DONE with needles it's not even funny. She had a developmental test done, here at the house, and surpassed her age bracket. This was also a huge thing knowing that she has probably had lead in her little body from birth. I prayed for things to turn around, and they did. Thank you God. We can start relaxing and enjoying our sweetie even more now! There are no words to express how grateful I am to have her in our lives.... I don't know how we lived without her before! :)

So, I promise you a real post. For now, I must go tend to my little monkey who is trying to climb out of her crib. That's right. I said CLIMB!!! :)

The Sweetest Birthday Ever!

2010-03-08T14:42:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was my birthday, and it was wonderful! Drew, Zoey and I went hiking in Napa and it was gorgeous! The sun was shining and spring was in the air! The plum and almond blossoms were popping out on the trees and the sweet smell of grass was so strong. Yummy! The wishes of many birthdays before this one finally came true and I could not stop thinking of that fact all day. How sweet it is!

I must say that March is a very exciting month in our house! My daughter and I share the same birthday month! We were both born in the year of the Ox and next weekend we celebrate my sweet Zoey's 1st birthday! What an awesome month this is indeed.

Here are a couple of pictures from our weekend. They aren't great, but you can see how beautiful it was!

Where do you go?

2010-03-03T05:59:00.000-08:00

Where do you go when you are feeling like you need a pick me up? Usually I have a long list of places we would go as adults, but this Sunday the first place we headed off to was Fairytale Town! After Zoey's labs (which went as well as they could) we decided to take her for a happy day out! This place was packed, but I must say that Benjamin Bunny stole Zoey's heart! Not the Billy goats or the Three pigs.... just the bunnies! We sat for about an hour watching them chase each other in Mr. Mc Gregor's garden! These are the type of days I dream of!! :) Our family together!

On a side note, we got her labs back, but I'm just not up to talking about them right now. We don't know what a lot of it means just yet, and March is FULL of doctor's apts. I'm just trying really hard to not have a worry attack. Not so easy. :)

Hope you all have a wonderful rest of your week!! Steph

Tuckered Out

2010-02-25T06:54:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken after Zoey's last labs. She was all cried out.... We go again this weekend for a new lead test and a variety of other tests. My stomach is already in knots thinking about it. As soon as we see the hospital, she starts crying. She's a smart cookie. She understands what is about to take place. I feel like every time we leave there I age about 2 or 3 years! Seriously. We are praying her lead levels have come down some... it is an ongoing battle that we are working on daily. We hope and pray for some good news.

Joyful Bamboo Forest!

2010-02-19T09:05:00.000-08:00

We started our journey to Zoey in 2006. In 2007, we were taking a stroll through the Bamboo forest in the San Francisco Botanical Gardens, and decided to carve Zoey's name on a bamboo shoot. Two years later, we returned to the same spot and carved "still waiting "09" in the same shoot. Yesterday, we took the same stroll through the Gardens, only this time we were a family of 3!! We found our bamboo shoot and JOYFULLY carved "Hope Fulfilled - December 13, 2009". It was an incredible day with my hubby and beautiful daughter. Drew took the day off to just spend time with the two of us and it was so much fun. I wish every day could be so fun!!

Sending you lots of love and smiles!

2010-02-15T08:55:00.000-08:00

Video From Nanchang, China - Our Family Day (12/13/09)

2010-02-03T14:48:00.000-08:00

We never got around to posting all of this in China and things got crazy once we got home. Since then, we had grand plans for what we wanted to do with this video footage, but it still has not made it's way to Andrew's "plate". That said, this is the raw... and I mean raw footage from Nanchang. No editing. I was a little hesitant to share this with you all, but there are so many of you who have cared about our family and it somehow feels selfish to hold back. I'm a mess, so be warned!! :) The emotions were running high and we were functioning on very little sleep. It was evening when the babies arrived at our hotel and it all happened very quickly and with a lot of chaos. Everyone lost their minds when they saw the babies enter the room... so much for video and pictures!!

(Zoey is being carried by a Nanny in a red jacket... it takes us a few seconds to identify her because all the babies came in pink, fluffy snow suits!)

Becoming parents has been the BEST thing that has ever happened to Andrew and I. We are head over heels in love with Zoey... I promise we will have some updated info and pictures soon, but I wanted to share this with you before too much time passed.

First Post Placement Visit Done!!

2010-01-29T14:36:00.000-08:00

Today we had our first Post Placement visit and it went really well. Zoey was her charming self and made our visit with our new social worker very pleasant! :) Phew! Check. One more thing off the to do list! Life is marching right along... I hardly know where this week went. It has been my first week at home ALONE with Zoey since China. Drew went back to work on Monday and it has just been the two of us. I LOVE IT! I was a little nervous at first, and there are a lot of hours to fill, but I think my little lady and I have found our groove.

Zoey was recently given a jumper thing-a-ma-jig and she loves it! Her thighs are getting so strong! We don't leave her in it for long, but she loves to jump!! Had to throw a little video on this post for fun!!! Hope you all have a great weekend! Steph

Still Alive

2010-01-23T21:04:00.001-08:00

We are still alive! Andrew's parents came out for a visit to meet their new granddaughter and just returned home. Now that it is just the three of us again, we have the weekend to re-group and then Drew starts work on Monday. He has had an entire month off of work and it is going to be HARD to return! Life will start to get into a groove soon... I hope. We have our first Post Placement visit next week! Can you believe it? I feel like we just got home. (We did!!) We also take Zoey to a Hematologist to get another opinion on the lead poisoning. She gets her blood tested again the first week of February... we are praying her levels are DOWN! She is doing great otherwise! She is learning so much and is changing daily. I can hardly believe this is the same little girl we met just over a month ago. She is just the sweetest baby ever. Have I said that before??? :)

Hope you all have a great rest of your weekend. Steph

Life at Home

2010-01-14T20:36:00.000-08:00

Here are a few happy pictures of our little gal! :) She has no idea she is sick!! Thank God. She is the happiest little lady.... so full of joy and light! I am soooo happy to be her Mommy!!

Lovin' Target! :)

Enjoying Bath Time

Watching the birds fly over the crib.

Playing in the crib.

Update on Z

2010-01-12T14:17:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

We just got finished meeting with a lead expert and are comfortable now in the decision we have made.. It was not an easy one. Her lead levels are high and are in a "grey area" for Chelation treatment. The treatment is so invasive and difficult on a child of her age that we all feel better going the other route. Diet. We are learning that there are a ton of natural Chelators in food and we are going to have to do a little playing around with things like Cilantro, but hopefully Zoey will like what I make. If not, I will just have to keep on trying.... Fingers crossed. We go back to the doctor this week (one of many) and we are going to have to have Zoey's blood work done monthly. YUCK. Hopefully we can just pack her full of good things that cause her lead levels to go down. She is away from the lead and that is good... now we just need to get it all out of her little body. There are so many details that I am too tired to write down. I'm sorry about that. It has been an emotional roller coaster. All we want to do is spend time getting to know each other and go to the zoo... the aquarium... the park. NOT the doctor(s). We know this is what we need to do, it just stinks. Mostly for her.... I feel like I've aged by a few years in a few days! It's really weird. Life as I knew it is over and this whole new world of Mommydom has arrived. It came with a whole new gamut of emotions and love that I never knew existed. Everything in me has happily surrendered and fallen in love with this little girl. Even though these beginning days are starting off hard, I am so incredibly excited about the days ahead. I know they will be much brighter!!

Thank you all for your prayers for our girl. We appreciate all of your comments, emails and for just caring. We will keep you posted over the next few days. We are exploring our options and will learn more soon....

Steph

Sick baby...

2010-01-11T08:53:00.000-08:00

This is going to be a short post. We found out that Zoey has high lead poisoning from the orphanage and we are in the process of taking care of this.... which is not easy. Our hearts break for her and it is hard to watch people poke and prod on her..... I will write more soon, but I just wanted to ask you to say a prayer for her. She is such a sweetheart and has already been through so much in her short life. We want to do what is best for her.

I will update soon. We should find out more today.

Steph

Mommy Initiation

2010-01-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

So last night was my hardest "night" as a Mommy so far. I got to experience having a sick child with a high fever (my greatest fear for some reason). We got all of Zoey's shots yesterday and had the blood drawn ( 6 viles! Poor baby) and we made it through. As a result, the fever and the icky's visited our home last night. Drew is still sleeping and I got about 2 hours of sleep last night. ROUGH. She is doing much better this morning, but mellow. I can't wait for this stuff to get out of her system so she can be her happy, perky self again! She is still flashing me smiles through the tough moments though... she is incredible! :)

Tough love

2010-01-06T19:59:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Andrew and I took Zoey to see a Doctor who specializes in kids adopted internationally. Our apt. lasted four hours and Zoey cried for almost the entire time. THE UGLY CRY. I've always heard of Mom's and Dad's saying that it is so hard to watch your child hurt and be scared at the Dr., but now I know first hand. As Zoey was having wax dug out of her ears, I had to hold her down and it was all I could do to not cry. I held it together, but barely. We learned so much about our little girl and have to go back to the Doctor again this morning. I know what is going to happen, so I already feel anxious. (Zoey is sleeping soundly!) We hope her test for lead comes back negative or very low.... Since most of the children adopted from this SWI have had lead issues, we are just hoping and praying for good results!

On another note, Zoey is learning so much so quickly! She rolls ALL OVER the place now! One minute she will be beside you, and the next across the room! It won't be long now until she is mobile. I cherish all these moments. I feel like the happiest tired person ever! I'm pretty sure I haven't had a cup of hot coffee (because I can never finish it!) in weeks now! :) For those of you who really know me, you know I LURVES my java!!

Here's a little video of Zoey doing some rolling. It's not her best work, but it's what the camera caught!! :) If you are patient she will roll!!

For Kiera

2010-01-05T21:00:00.000-08:00

This sweet family holds a special place in my heart and I know only a few of you know them. They are getting ready to leave for China in a few days and are needing to raise the final funds to travel. Go check it out!

We couldn't be more excited for your family!! Go get that girl!!

Bushel & A Peck

http://www.adoptionbug.com/keirajoy/

Learning to Like the Car Seat

2010-01-03T18:44:00.001-08:00

The first night at the airport was not a "great" car seat introduction. After short spells in the car seat, Zoey has warmed up to it. Each time I have been in the back seat with her, so we shall see how it goes when I am in the front driving!! :)

Hot Lips

2010-01-02T22:45:00.000-08:00

Two posts in one day. Crazy I know! We are up waiting for little miss to finally go to sleep and I am killing time! :)

On the second day in Nanchang, Zoey was doing this funny thing with her mouth and Drew and I picked up on it.... It cracks me up.

Long time coming!

2010-01-02T16:15:00.000-08:00

We've had several visitors since we have been home and all of them have been so kind and excited to see our sweet girl. Yesterday, my good friend's daughter got to see "her long awaited Zoey, who came home on a pink airplane". She has been making plans for quite a while now to hang out with her good buddy Zoey. It was the sweetest thing... Zoey was a little reserved at first, but Hannah managed to get some genuine smiles and giggles out of her!!

Daddy Love!

2009-12-30T21:51:00.000-08:00

Back to this blog

2009-12-29T11:28:00.000-08:00

Hello! It has been a while! :) Just wanted to pop over here to say hi and to post a picture of Zoey. I will start posting more, but for today I just wanted to let everyone know I haven't forgotten about this blog! I will be posting here from now on and not the Shutterfly site. Since we are home, this is MUCH easier!! (I will work on the site later... I know it is a little lacking right now!)

Zoey is doing great! She is napping right now so I am able to post. I should be drying my hair (at 11:30am!!), but I am here writing instead. :) More soon!

Last Post and Moving to the Travel Blog!!

2009-12-08T11:41:00.000-08:00

So this IT. We are leaving!!! This will be our last post before we leave tomorrow and we just want you all to know how much we appreciate you, your thoughts and your prayers. We still can not believe that THIS. IS. IT! We are packed and we are ready. We just need to get on the airplane. (**insert squeal**)

We are going to try and relax tonight and just breathe. (Not as easy as it sounds!) We are so excited, nervous balled into one! I only say nervous from the new parent point of things! :) We are so ready for this. Thank you all for following along and for caring. We will be posting next from our travel blog which you can find at the following link:

http://wises3.shutterfly.com/

We will see you all on the other side!!!

Love, Stephanie & Drew!!!

Two More Sleeps!

2009-12-07T22:01:00.000-08:00

This will be a quick post. My Mom and Dad arrived from Arizona today and we are going crazy trying to get everything packed and ready to go!! I can't believe we leave on Wednesday!! Oh my gosh! This is really happening!!! :)

Love to you all!

Oh Christmas Tree!!

2009-12-03T16:59:00.001-08:00

For the first time in many years, I look at our Christmas tree with great joy. I look at the ornaments of Christmas past and I feel the sting of the wait... but it is very faint. My hope has truly been fulfilled. My baby girl will be in my arms for Christmas.

“Hope is the dream of a soul awake.”

10 more sleeps to Zoey

Congratulations March Friends!!!!

2009-12-02T17:26:00.000-08:00

To all you new Mom's and Dad's who have been waiting OH SO LONG to see your sweet one's faces, a BIG congratulations to you this evening! Your Christmas miracles have arrived and I am overjoyed for each and every one of you!!!!

It took the C**A a year to get through March of 2006. With this last batch of referrals, the month of March is finally DONE!!! This is a momentous day and as I said before, a miraculous one!! Enjoy this day March friends, the joy only gets greater from here!

9/12

2009-12-01T06:21:00.000-08:00

The numbers are getting smaller! Nine more days until we leave and 12 more sleeps to Zoey! We just finalized our in-country travel plans and as far as I can tell, we are all squared away! We just need to finish packing, cleaning and hop on the plane. My parents arrive on Monday to stay at our house for the holidays, fur baby sit and to meet their granddaughter! We are so thankful they are willing to stay at our home for so many days. This weekend we got our Christmas tree and decorated it as well as the house. It's beginning to look like Christmas around here!

Today I saw that referrals "might" be in the air. To all of you March friends I HOPE this is really IT. I hope these packages contain your children's pictures.... what an amazing Christmas present that would be!!

A love note

2009-11-25T14:00:00.000-08:00

A few days from now, we will meet you. Our sweet girl. We will meet you on a day that will forever be known as Zoey day. You have lived in our hearts for so many years. Long before you were born. We have anticipated your arrival and have held strong to faith, knowing in the deepest parts of our souls, that someday you would be in our arms. The day we saw your sweet face was the most amazing day.... you are tiny, but such a big miracle. The only day that can be better is the day that we meet.

Your Daddy and I know that you are not expecting us. We know that you have no idea that your world is about to be turned upside down. We know you will grieve and we know that you will be confused.... but know this.... We are prepared. We may be new at this whole parenting thing, but the one thing we do know, is that we are here to stay and we will do our very best. We will hold you when you cry, we will wipe away your tears... We will ALWAYS come. We will feed you when you are hungry baby... you will never be ignored. To see your first smile, to hear your first laugh, the thought of this makes our hearts shine. You are our heart. We are your forever and always and you ours.

Your family and our friends are so excited to meet you. Your arrival has been celebrated and you live in so many people's hearts. The prayers of many are surrounding you little one. When you sleep and when you rise, you are loved. Right now I'd imagine you are just waking up and you are getting ready for the day ahead. May your heart know somehow that all of this love awaits you...

This Thanksgiving we have so much to be thankful for.

Love, Mommy

15 days until we leave

2009-11-23T19:56:00.000-08:00

15 DAYS UNTIL WE LEAVE FOR CHINA

19 MORE SLEEPS TO ZOEY!!!

I know, I know...

2009-11-20T08:03:00.000-08:00

Ok. So before you give me a hard time, I couldn't help myself. I had to change the header to finally say "Wises 3" and not "2 almost 3"! One thing led to another and well... I just ended up changing it all. Sigh. It's an obsession. It's also a way to not do what I need to be doing! Cleaning the house and packing!

So... off to give this "preparing" thing another try. My head is so full of baby that I am having a hard time focusing. I'll let you know how it goes! :)

19 more days until we leave for China / 24 more sleeps to Zoey!

PACKING!

2009-11-19T06:06:00.000-08:00

In 20 days we will be getting on our "Red Eye" flight to China!!! (via LAX and Seoul) It turns out that we will be on our international flight with approximately 5 other families from our group. Can you imagine the return trip home? 5 Babies from the same orphanage... all about the same age! Holy mole! This is going to be a wild and wonderful ride!

Today my focus is shifting to packing and getting things around the house ready for us to leave. It looks like a bomb went off in parts of my house! How we are going to pack only 2 suitcases, 44 lbs each, with all of our stuff and Zoey's is still a mystery to me. I know that many have gone before us and have done this so I have hope that I can make this happen!

Zoey's room is NOT neat and tidy. It is a big ol' MESS!

I did not know they make this much medicine for babies... or people in general. Who knew that medicine could take up a whole suitcase??? I have some serious work to do!

25 MORE SLEEPS TO ZOEY

Sunny Skies, No Clouds In Sight! We Have Tickets to China!

2009-11-18T10:46:00.000-08:00

So first of all, I want to say thank you to everyone who has kept us in your thoughts. The situation with our paperwork has been resolved and we are good to go! Yippe!!! We have our Consulate Apt. and we already have our flights to China! Things are moving so quickly now! For the first time in a very long time, I feel like we have the green light! We can finally concentrate on being happy to see our baby girl!

I can officially say.... drum roll please!

26 more sleeps until we have Xiao Guo in our arms!!!!!

We have a Consulate Apt!

2009-11-18T08:07:00.000-08:00

Things are moving quickly!! We received notice this morning that we have a Consulate Appointment! I am soooo excited! I am trying to book our flights today!! WE'RE GOING TO CHINA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CONFIRMED travel dates for Jiangxi families:

Thurs, Dec 10: leave the US

Fri, Dec 11: Group arrive in BJ (Radisson SAS Hotel)

Sat, Dec 12: Group Sightseeing in BJ-TianAnMen Square, Forbidden City and the Great Wall (Juyongguan), lunch is included; CHI orientation

Sun, Dec 13: fly to capital city (Nanchang) of your child’s province. If skipping BJ, arrive in your child’s provincial capital city in the morning. It is possible you may receive your child today.

Mon, Dec 14: meet your child (subject to change)

Tues, Dec 15: do adoption process, registration and apply for the passport

Wed Dec 16, sightseeing or free day

Thurs, Dec 17: sightseeing or free days

Fri, Dec 18: get the passport and all papers back. Flight to GZ (China Hotel in GZ)

Sat. Dec 19: medical exam for all children

Sun. Dec 20: free day

Mon, Dec 21: free day (medical rechecks)

Tues, Dec 22: ACS appt / confirmed

Wed, Dec 23: take oath at the ACS and sign DS230 forms

Thurs, Dec 24: receive children’s visas late in day depending on date of ACS appt. (do not make reservations to leave Guangzhou on this day)

Fri, Dec 25: you can leave Guangzhou on this day and return to the US

TA!!! Things are looking up! :)

2009-11-17T14:53:00.000-08:00

WE GOT OUR TA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've been out of town all day and Andrew called me to let me know. We should have our Consulate apt. very soon and then we will book our tickets.

Hopefully the paperwork mess will be a thing of the past very very soon.....

HOORAH!!! One more hurdle crossed!!!!

8 months old and...

2009-11-17T07:12:00.000-08:00

Our baby girl turned 8 months old yesterday. Oh how I wish I could have been there for that milestone.... Soon baby girl...soon.

We are still waiting for TA and it is getting excruciating! We feel like we are the LAST in line to get TA's, but we have to have faith that it will all work out. We've had some paperwork drama that we did NOT want nor need and are still trying to work it all out. We pray that we can breathe soon, but until then we will keep on moving and trying to iron out all the details. If you think of us, say a prayer. This paperwork screw up is pretty huge and it has to be fixed by the time we travel. My stress level is so high right now I found myself whimpering yesterday. I've got to get it under control!! :)

We are so ready to go to China. I'd go in my P.J's if you told me I could leave now!

Lovely Ladies!

2009-11-12T06:51:00.000-08:00

I had a day out with the ladies recently. My dear friend Shani, her Mom Nancy & sister Stephanie (each amazing ladies!!) took me out to lunch at BJ's and showered me with love. I would have been perfectly happy seeing them for lunch and shopping, but nope. These stinkers insisted on gift giving. There was barely room at our table to eat with all the gift bags crowding out our plates! I don't have pictures of BJ's because I am lame and forgot to take pictures, and I don't have pictures of all the gifts yet because...well....I just didn't do that yet either! Did I mention I'm a bit overwhelmed right now!?!? These three women are beautiful inside and out and have HUGE hearts. Thank you to each of you for spending your day with me and for all of the heart felt gifts. I love them all!!!

On another note, it's Thursday and no TA yet. Something is "in the air" so hopefully they tucked the TA's in with the referrals this month!! :)

Finding Ad

2009-11-09T07:21:00.000-08:00

This past week we received Yi Xiao Guo's finding ad. She is one month old in the picture. Andrew and I have been staring at it and we don't think we could have recognized her in the paper even if we tried. It strikes something in my core to see my daughter's face in that paper.... I have stared at it for so long and I am not exactly sure what I think will happen if I stare at it any longer. I know there is a story there... a story I will never know about. It makes my heart ache for Zoey and for her birth mother.... the not knowing is hard. All I know is that my heart is so full of Yi Xiao Guo. I became one with this little soul long before she was born. I will do anything in my power to make her story as complete as possible.

We are just waiting for TA and a Consulate Apt. and then we can book our airplane tickets! We hope and pray it comes this week.

TA's? and Packing

2009-11-05T05:51:00.000-08:00

Some of our fellow 3/27 families (from other agencies), who also received their referral on 10/13/2009, have reported receiving TA's already! Every agency is different, TA's are pretty much first come, first serve it seems. The quicker your agency turns in your SCL, the quicker you see your travel assignment. Once we have our TA, our consulate appointment and our civil affairs appointment can be made. It's quite the process! I am hopeful that things move along smoothly and quickly, not only for obvious reasons, but our I-171H expires on January 27th. I DO NOT WANT TO GO THROUGH THE PILE OF PAPERWORK AND ADDENDUM MAKING AGAIN!!!! Isn't 5 times enough???? Please God!!!!!!!!!!!!

On Tuesday we dropped off our Visa Applications and Passports at the Chinese consulate in San Francisco. I felt like we were at the Chinese DMV! It was a good experience though. Everything worked like clockwork and quickly too. There was something very familiar about the place... I felt comforted by the Chinese language and the many Chinese faces surrounding us. I've always felt "at home" in China, but to feel a glimpse of that in the US was strange and very cool at the same time. Friday Andrew goes back to pick everything up (since he only works a few blocks away!) and I am just a tad bit jealous. :) I love China and the people... it is so different from everything we know here, but I think that's why I love it so much. Not a day goes by where I drift off to another place... a place where our family is together. Every day now I think of Zoey's caretakers and how grateful I am that they have taken such good care of her... (as far as I can tell).

Have I ever told you about the day that I knew I would bring my child home from China? It was in 1996 and I was teaching at the Darkhan University in Outer Mongolia. I was single and didn't even know that I couldn't have children at the time. I had an "idea" that it might be the case, but I was much younger and didn't care so much. I remember sitting on the front steps of the University, which looked out into an open field full of goats and sheep. There were several children tending to the flock (a normal sight there) and something washed over me. Crystal clear voice inside my head. You will be a Mom some day... a Mommy to a child from China. I remember thinking... why China? I wonder why I am thinking this and I wonder why it is not a child from Mongolia that I am thinking about? That's where it got fuzzy.... A few days later, I came back to the same spot to eat some lunch and the same thing happened. Mom to a child from China??? The clarity was overwhelming and I didn't know what do do with it. The sense that this "would be" was so strong that it brought me to tears. Fourteen years later, it is coming true. Every event in my life, since that moment, has pointed me straight to Yi Xiao Guo. Even meeting the perfect man who wanted to adopt and thought it would be amazing to be a Daddy to a child who is not of his blood, but of his heart. He is incredible.

I am not sure what brought me down "memory lane", but I haven't thought about this for a very long time. It's funny how sights and sounds can bring back a flood of memories! So I am off to continue getting ready...pre-packing and organizing. It's just a TAD bit overwhelming!!

Bring on TA's and Referrals!!! The rest of our March friends need to experience this joy!!

My Sleeping Beauty

2009-11-03T14:05:00.001-08:00

Do you see my sleeping beauty? :) She is in the left of the picture taking a nap on her tray. While she is napping, her little friends Gwyneth and Grace are having a good ol' time! Every time I see a new picture, I just want to jump through time and space to put my arms around her!!!

This picture was passed on by a family in our travel group who also used Ann's services. I am so thankful for this woman!!

It's beginning to look a lot like progress!

2009-11-02T05:57:00.000-08:00

Here is our tentative schedule! These dates will probably shift a little, but that's okay. I can see our baby girl on the calendar! That makes my heart smile!

December 10 - Thursday: Leave the US
December 11 - Friday: Group arrival in Beijing
December 12 - Saturday: Group Sightseeing in Beijing: TianAnMen Square, Forbidden City, the Great Wall (Juyongguan), Lunch is included. CHI orientation
December 13 - Sunday: Fly to Nanchang, Jiangxi
December 14 - Monday: ZOEY DAY!!!
December 15 - Tuesday: Begin adoption process, registration and apply for Zoey's passport
December 16 - Wednesday: Free Day
December 17 - Thursday : Free Day
December 18 - Friday: Receive Zoey's passport and all adoption paperwork. Fly to Guangzhou.
December 19 - Saturday: Medical Examination
December 20 - Sunday: Free Day
December 21 - Monday: Free day and re-check on medical tests
December 22 - Tuesday: American Consulate Visa Appointment
December 23 - Wednesday: Sign the DS230 form in front fo the US Consulate Officer and take oath
December 24 - Thursday: Receive child's visa late in day depending on date of ACS appt.
December 25 - Friday: Depart from Guangzhou on this day and return to the US.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Tentative Travel

2009-10-30T12:09:00.001-07:00

We are currently waiting for our Travel Packet to arrive, but as of now we have tentative travel dates! December 10 - 25th. Can you believe it? This will be the greatest Christmas ever!!!

We are staying pretty calm. Making lists, trying to organize Zoey's room. We figured out that the ONLY clothes we don't have are the size she actually is! Crazy. We started doing some shopping and it feels so so good. We can say "this is for our daughter" when people ask! We no longer have to make up an excuse as to why we are buying a baby item to avoid the conversation. :)

There will be more to come soon. Just didn't want it to seem like we fell off the face of the earth! Life is good. :)

2009 Christmas Ornaments

2009-10-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

**This is a dual post. I have it up on my Illustration blog as well. I wanted to share it here, because many of my repeat customers have been contacting me and coming here first!**

For 5 years now (Wow. Am I really saying that?) I have been creating Christmas ornaments for the adoption community. This year, we will be getting ready to leave for China during my normal production time. Since each ornament is handmade, I can not do customizations this year. I have tried to do a "work around" and am using a third party to create ornaments using my designs. They are up for sale now and I am providing a link here. I apologize to all of you who wanted custom ornaments.

For those who still want to put their child's name on my ornaments this year, I recommend going to Michaels or any hobby/craft store and buy a paint pen. On the back side of the ornament, carefully print your child's name.

Thank you to everyone who has come back year after year for ornaments! I will be back in the swing of things by next Christmas!

Enjoy!

TO VIEW CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS CLICK HERE:

Updated Pictures

2009-10-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

Today has been a good day. A really good day!! Woke up to an inbox full of NEW pictures of our baby girl!! She is getting bigger fast!!! The change is astounding... I just want to fly to China today, get her, and never let her go!

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, we ordered a care package from Ann at Red Thread China. I can not rave enough about this woman and what she does. She is fast and accurate and the pictures came so so quickly. The service she provides is invaluable. Just to catch a glimpse of what our sweet girl looks like now is incredible and heart stopping.

So without further a do... here are a few updated pictures of our little miss.

Translated letter, candy for nannies, bear, blanket & p.j.'s - I also ordered a keepsake bag for all her belongings... hopefully this will help them bring her things (whatever they may be) to us.

This is a picture of Terri's baby and Zoey! So excited they know each other!!!

Where she is...

2009-10-19T08:10:00.001-07:00

Yiyang County SWI

We are still trying to learn as much as possible about Jiangxi and even more about Yiyang County. If anyone has any information about Yiyang, we would be very grateful if you would share the information with us! We are having a very hard time learning about her specific location. We have learned a little, but as I'm sure you know, we are hungry for more information! We will keep on searching!

Thank you Sweet People!

2009-10-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

This post is a BIG THANK YOU post that I have needed to do for a while now! I would like to thank the following people for their generosity and kindness. Andrew and I want to thank each of you!

Kim sent these cute dress up clothes over last week and I think they are darling!!!! Zoey will look so cute in this little outfit someday!!!

Kim's Mom made Zoey this INCREDIBLE blanket! It is just gorgeous!!! Thank you so much Kim's Mom!! I know Zoey will have many cuddles in this blanket!

Lonnie, thank you so much for the warm Beatrix Potter blanket! Beatrix Potter was my favorite when I was a child! This quilt will be so nice to snuggle with!!

Mary!! She sent me the coolest gift box! It was filled with all kinds of goodies that I was thrilled to receive! Seriously. I would not have thought to buy a lot of the things you threw in there! Thank you for everything... each item was so very thoughtful and I know we will use EVERYTHING!!

My sisterfriend Shani brought me this basket FULL of goodies on the day we got our referral in the mail! You are the best! Thank you for all the thoughtful and cute things! I will dress Zoey in the onesie in China!! :) Thank you for sharing in our most joyous day!!

Shani's sister Stephanie made Zoey this blanket in the earlier stages of our journey, and I am finally pulling it out! Steph, we are ready to use this gorgeous blanket! Thank you so much for thinking of us and for making this sweet gift for our girl!

Care Package & Thank You

2009-10-16T06:13:00.000-07:00

Today we ordered a care package through Red Thread China for Zoey. We chose the Pajama care package because her little PJ's in the picture are so big on her. She is swimming in her jammies! We have heard such amazing things about Ann and we are excited to finally be able to use her services!!! The care package we ordered includes a camera which I am OH SO EXCITED about!!! I am hoping we get some updated pictures of Yi Xiao Guo soon! With this package she also gets some kind of soft toy/doll and a warm blanket, candy/gifts for the nannies and a letter that Ann translates for them. I hope I said all that I wanted to say....

The past three days have been insane, wonderful, amazing and so joy filled. I can not imagine being any happier - until the day we have her in our arms! That day will be beyond happy.... Since receiving our referral, we have been blown away by people! Thank you so much for sharing in our joy! Our hearts are overflowing and I can honestly say that our hope has been fulfilled. I can feel 4 years of waiting melting away. I think it may be gone now. :) I have not experienced this kind of peace for as long as I can remember.... total peace. I love my Zoey. She has filled a hole in my heart that only she could fill. Andrew too. He has not stopped smiling! Seriously. I have NEVER seen him so happy!!! I always thought I would have so much to say when I saw her face. I thought I would gush.... Instead. I am speechless. Every time I sit down to try and write out how I feel, my heart wells up and I can not find the words. Hopefully, as I process all that has happened, I can put into words this most incredible time in our lives.

HOPE FULFILLED. Those are the two words that mean the most to me right now. We are living proof. So hang in there all you who are still waiting! This wait was brutal, long and it felt like it would never end. I know that people say this all the time, but it is SO true. I say this with the utmost sincerity. Once you see your little one's face. All the pain, the frustration, the unknown for the future.... ALL MELTS AWAY. So be encouraged and be strong. You will make it and you will be so happy you waited!!!!!

I need to do a thank you post next for the many gifts we have already started to receive! So stay tuned!