Visiting with Travel Mates

This past weekend we had a chance to visit with two families from our 678 travel group. It was a wonderful weekend and we all had such fun catching up. There's something so special and unique about our connection. Our girls just have this connection and comfort level with each other that I can't explain. All I know is that I hope we can continue to get together over the years. Here are some photos. Enjoy!

May your paths.....

Today we took the kids to a park for a walk. The past few days have been the first real hint of spring. It's that time when it feels so good to be outside and you are reminded that fresh air, sun and moving can totally lift your spirits.

Anyway, Lily and Andrew got ahead of us and I just had to snap their picture. Even with a 4 year age gap, these two are such good companions. Every day they laugh, giggle, play and are often partners in crime. From time to time, I get the "Are they real brother and sister?" question If folks could see how they can push eachother's buttons, they would never bother to ask :)

As I watched them today, I thought about their futures. I do hope they remain close throughout the years. So, I found it fitting to use the quote "May your paths always lead you back to each other."

A Little Disney Magic......

What I wouldn't do to get away from the winter, head down to sunny Florida and take the family to Disney. Unfortunately, time, money and life just doesn't allow for that right now. That's why it was fun today to get a tiny bit of Disney magic in our own hometown.

For the past 2 years, we've taken Lily to see the Disney on Ice tour when it comes to town in February. She loves it and I love it too. This year, when we saw the ads., I just assumed we'd all go and Andrew would like it too. I didn't give it much thought until I started chatting with my friends and I got the "Ummm, you are going to take a 1 year old to Disney on Ice?" questions. This was said with a look that said "Melissa, you are crazy!"

Still, I really did want the whole family to go. We took reinforcements i.e. plenty of snacks, selected isle seats for a quick getaway and had the plan that one grown-up would take Andrew out to the lobby if need be. Well, we settled into our seats, the house lights went down and that was it. Andrew was mesmerized. He loved the show and sat on one of our laps for the whole thing. We gave the opportunity to walk around the lobby during intermission and he did great. Both kids were really well behaved and a joy to be with.

I even had their souvenir picture taken in a teacup. There's actually a funny back story (pun intended) to this picture. The cup is open in the back and there's a step for the kids to stand on. Well, Andrew and his little itty-bitty self, wasn't tall enough when standing on the step. The photographer directed me to duck down behind the cup and hold Andrew up. So that's what we did and amazingly we got a good picture. Afterwards, I thought about me as a mom down on my knees, ducking behind the scenes and boosting my child up in the air. I'm sure there's a metaphor for motherhood somewhere in there. All in all, it was a really fun day!

For my friends adopting from China....

I saw this on a list and had to pass it along:

You know you have adopted from China if

....you know that I-600 & I-171 aren't highways.

....you've been expecting a baby for over 3 years.

....you understand that it's 2006 in some parts of the world.

....you've "paid for" 3 citizenships, but never brought anyone into the U.S.

....you know that waiting for China has nothing to do with Dillards or dishes

....your homestudy is followed by a number (i.e. #3 or #4)

....you never know how many days next month will have

....you know that babies come in batches

....you've been fingerprinted four times, but never committed a crime

....you automatically assume everyone who is expecting is having a girl

....you own new clothing in 3 little sizes for all 4 seasons (because you don't know when or how big)

....you look twice when you see a lady bug

....you're more interested in what will happen in March 2006 than in March 2009

....you know people who understand when you talk about 2 day months & 5 day months

....your due date hasn't changed by days, but by years

....you know who the Rumor Queen is ... AND ... you don't know who she is

....you know that forecast doesn't have anything to do with the weather

....you've waited so long, they re-checked your fingerprints to see if they changed

....trying to understand why they're printing you again, you study your own fingerprints and wonder if fingerprints grow wrinkles

....when you speak of "that time of month" you're talking about CCAA updates & referrals

You might be adopting from China if you love someone you've never met with all your heart.

Some scrapbook pages.........

Life is just a bowl of ...........

New Year Traditions..........

Well, it's that time of the year again. It's time to celebrate Chinese New Year, also called Spring Festival. Today we got the kids dressed in their silks, met some friends for lunch and then headed over to our local Families with Children from China's celebration. Bill and I have attended this event for the past 5 years and many things have been consistent over time.

1. There's always fun shopping to do.


2. There are lots of fun crafts for the kids.


3. There are adorable performances by the children


4. There is always the traditional Lion Dance

which can lead to fear amongst the little ones......


5. The most wonderful thing at each and every celebration is the children.......

I don't think it'll ever get old looking at all the precious children and all the families that have been formed by adoption.

Andrew's first steps and Happy New Year

To ring in the New Year, Andrew decided to learn a new skill! He took his first real steps! He's been standing, cruising furniture and walking while holding our hands for a long time. We've seen the occasional step here and there that really were balance corrections.

While we were all sitting on the floor and playing together, Andrew just stood up and took 4 steps alone! We all cheered and he yelled too! I think he was just as surprised and stunned as we were. I ran and grabbed the camera to get the next steps recorded on video. We think this is pretty funny because he's so darn excited that he doesn't know how to respond! He yells with excitement, looks stunned and then giggles with us. All of it's pretty cute :)

What a fun way to start the Year of the Ox. Happy New year to everyone. May you all have a wonderful year full of great things!

One year ago today.........

We were basking in our unexpected referral of our baby boy! I can remember the "call" so well. Bill, Lily and I had just finished lunch and I was heading off to work. Tatianna, our case manager called just as I was warming up my car. I remember thinking she was calling us about an email we had received 2 times earlier in the week. I said something like "Did you tell her we already got the email?" Bill had a funny expression on his face and said "I think it might be more important, like our referral." My heart jumped just at the thought, but I so didn't want to get my hopes up.

Picking up the phone and feeling nervous I said "Hello?" Tatianna said "Melissa, I have good news. I have a referral for you!" Stunned, excited, and breathless, I said "I'm so surprised!" Tatianna replied "I know. I'm totally surprised too." She then went over the statistics. I became a parrot, repeating everything she said.
"It's a boy." -"It's a boy"
"He's 15 days old"--"He's 15 days old."
You get the idea:) For the next 2 hours, Bill and I were glued to our laptop, staring at 3 pictures, 3 documents and 1 video. Phone calls were made to grandparents and uncles and soon they arrived to join us.

It was such a fun, celebratory time. Grandmothers fussed over their new grandson claiming he was obviously a very bright baby. They claimed they could tell by how alert he was in video :) Copies of pictures were made and passed around and we all headed out to our favorite Chinese restaurant where we proudly showed off our newest family member's photo.

This week, my Taiwan agency has finally received a big batch of referrals and China appears to be on the brink of a bigger batch of referrals. I've seen my online friends experience the absolute amazing, life changing event of getting their referral. I truly believe some of my real-life friends are going to get their referrals from China in a matter of weeks and I can't wait.

My advice to all my friends is enjoy the ride, because there isn't anything that compares to it!
Andrew then:

Andrew now:

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

My Favorite Picture of the Kids

The picture at the top of the page is my favorite picture of the kids together. About 2 weeks before Christmas, I scheduled a photo session at Portrait Innovations. Two days before, I found the Chinese silk outfit for Andrew. Bill couldn't understand why I would want to buy it and I couldn't understand why Bill couldn't understand :) How could I resist such an adorable outfit? Plus, it gave me another reason to dress Lily in her gorgeous silks too. Anyway, at the last minute, I dressed the kids in their silk rather than their holiday outfits. Boy am I glad that I did because I just love this photo. If you happen to live near a Portrait Innnovations, I would highly recommend their 9.99 deal. That price will get you one session with at least 30 poses taken, 1 11x14, 2 8x10s, 4 5x7s, 4 3x5s and 36 wallets. Now, you'll be totally tempted to purchase more than one shot. I completely understand. However if you stick to your guns and get the one shot, you'll walk away with a great deal. Plus you can access the deal 4 times a year. So you'll probably see more of their work on this blog.

Our Boy Turns One!

Today our precious little guy turns one! It's hard to believe he's been with us for almost 6 months and he's officially moving onto the toddler stage. Well, given his extreme mobility at a young age, toddlerhood doesn't seem that hard to believe :) I know as a mom, I'm supposed to feel weepy about this milestone, but I don't. It's been a priveledge to get Andrew at such a young age and spend the past six months with him. I wouldn't trade it for the world. Yet, I also think 1 is such a fun age. Andrew is so interactive, funny and silly. Sure he gets into a million things before his morning nap, but boy can he grab my heart with one toothy grin and spontaneous hug. He's a charmer that little Andrew.

Due to our many holiday family gatherings, playdates and visits with friends, we actually opted for a low key celebration today. I can see how a January 3rd birthday could be challenging down the road. Untill he's more aware of dates, I believe we'll be pushing the birthday celebrations to later in January. Today we took the kids up to spend time with Great-Grandma and Great Uncle Bob. We picked up a little teeny-tiny cake and let Andrew enjoy his first piece. I think this may be the first time Andrew has tasted chocolate and let me tell you, he's a fan :) I'm pretty sure if he could request it for his bigger party, he would. Here are a few pictures of our adorable little man enjoying the cake!

Enjoying the Season

We've had a wonderful, busy past few days. Spending the holidays with our family was wonderful and it was truly special to share Andrew's first Christmas. Here are some pictures from the past few days. As you can see, Lily is in love with her American girl doll and Andrew has been touring around in his new, couppe. The last three images are from the most amazing gifts ever. My mother in law, Ann is an artist and I asked for some paintings this Christmas. She gave us three, gorgeous paintings. The first two are of Father Christmas and each child can have one when they grow up and are on their own. The third picture is for Bill and myself to remember these precious holidays when our children are so young. Aren't they beautiful? It is such a special gift!

Merry Christmas!

I hope this post finds everyone well and fully enjoying the holiday season! We've been having a good time in our household. The shopping is finished, presents are wrapped, baking is done, and dishes are prepped for tomorrow's big meal. We are currently enjoying our holiday favorite movies. (The Polar Express for Lily and A Christmas Carol for me)

Lily is beside herself with excitement. Her heart is so set on a curly haired, American Girl doll. She keeps asking me repeatedly if I think Santa will bring it for her and I'm confident he will. Andrew is keeping us busy and entertained. He's getting into that "performer" stage where they realize cute things get you a lot of attention. I'm not sure he'll enjoy the hub-bub of the presents tomorrow, but I know he'll thrive on all the attention he'll be sure to receive.

I find myself busier than ever this holiday season. The reality is that two kids is more than double the work. Yet, I'm also more than doubly gratefull for all the blessings I have in my life. In this economy, I feel that Bill and I are fortunate with our job security. We have such great family and friends in our lives. Of course it goes without saying, we feel so lucky to have our two, amazing, energetic, funny and endearing children. Last year, we had no idea if we were going to get the opportuniy to adopt again. This year, we have the joy of Andrew's first Christmas. I've got so many friends waiting to adopt from China and Taiwan. Many are finding this Christmas to be rough as they face another year without their children. I want them all to know, hang in there. Dreams really do come true.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Merry Christmas from the Cole Elves!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Countdown to Christmas

Wow! Time is flying by fast and Christmas will be here in a blink of an eye. I'm doing well on my holiday "to-do" list as I have my shopping, decorating and cards done. I'm behind on my wrapping, but I hope I can get caught up this weekend so that I can enjoy the baking and other last minute activities.

Lily and I are wrapping up our school activities and getting ready for our break. Last night, we attended her preschool Christmas progam and it was adorable. Her school is so well run and they had the perfect program. Of course, I loved it when Lily and her class sang a funny Christmas song about "Old St. Nicholas had a tree. Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!" to the tune of Old MacDonald. Lily put some extra gusto into the ho, ho, ho's! It was also great to see her socializing during the snack and craft times. I can't believe that I was so worried about her starting school in September and in about 6 weeks she became this confident, social, interactive little preschooler!

Andrew is doing really well. Amazingly, he's left our Christmas decorations well enough alone. Currently, he's very happy, chatty and mobile! He's also really developing a playfull side that charms his family. He's given us the best Christmas present ever by totally sleeping through the night! He's always been a decent sleeper, but still needed the ocassional comforting/pacifer plug in. Since I went back to work, he's learned the ability to put himself back to sleep. Bill did a great job in teaching him that....apparently, I was Mommying him a bit too much :) Now, he's making it for 11-12 hour stretches at night without a peep and we are loving the uninterupted sleep!

I hope this message finds everyone well and enjoying the holiday season!

Magical visit with Santa!

We had a great time visiting with Santa tonight. Everything went so smoothly. From the great parking spot to the no waiting to see Santa. I couldn't ask for more. I had no expectations for Andrew to sit on Santa's lap. After all, you can't blame a child for not feeling comfortable for sitting on a stranger's lap. It took Lily 2 years to work up her courage. I was thrilled when both kids went happily and took a great photo. This is the same Santa we've visited the past 3 years and he is really good. He's kind, gentle and a good listner. Since there was no crowd, Lily got to spend an extra few minutes describing her American Girl doll of her dreams. It was a really great night and it definitely had some "Christmas Magic" for us all.

O Christmas Tree.............

I'll happily admit I'm a Christmas Tree Fanatic. To me, there's something so magical abut the lights and ornaments. If I could only have two things during the holiday season, I would chose time with my loved ones and my Christmas tree. Throw in some good Christmas music and some yummy treats and I'm in heaven.

Anyway, we had some serious doubts about the compatibility of a Christmas tree and one adorable, mobile and curious baby. Several people advised us to forgo a Christmas tree this year. The thought of a Christmas without a tree was too depressing to me. As a result, I made it my mission to have one, Andrew-proof tree.
My designs include, large non-breakable ornaments, floral wire to firmly attach ornaments and clear fishing line to tie the tree up. I'm pleased to report so far, so good. (Yet I do realize the season is early :) )

Finally, I must include a short video of the kids at the top of the page. True to many children, my kids found great joy in playing with a box. Here are the two having a great time in the Christmas tree box while we decorated the house.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Can you all believe the holidays are all ready here? Where does all the time go? Obviously, this is a very special holiday season for our family as it's the first we get to share with our wonderful little guy. To kick off our holiday season we decided to do something really fun. We packed up the kids, loaded the car and headed over to Oglebay Resort to see their Festival of Lights. It was our first overnight trip with Andrew and it went really well. You never know how a baby is going to react to travel and change until you give it a try. I'm happy to report, Andrew did really well and appears to be a good traveler. Between the lights, indoor pool, yummy meals and fun shopping we had a great time.

Here are some pictures of the lights:


I snapped up some adorable Polar Express shirts for the kids and dressed them alike. I think they look like Santa's newest elves!





As we all get super busy during the holiday season, I hope we are able to enjoy the wonderful, relaxing, quiet moments here and there. I also hope we all can remember what we have to be thankfull for. As you all know, I couldn't feel more blessed to have the loving family I have and the two amazing children in my life. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

What a difference a year makes............

One year ago, Bill and I were told that our adoption from Taiwan was an *if*, not a *when.* We went through the holiday season feeling like it was a 50/50 chance of being able to adopt from Taiwan. We also knew that if we didn't get to adopt from Taiwan, there weren't really any other options for us.

Of course you all know that on January 18th of this year our lives changed and Andrew was referred to us. Who doesn't love a happy ending? Yet, I can't help but realize how many friends I have in the adoption community who are struggling to realize their dreams. You may or may not know that the Chinese adoption journey has radically changed since we adopted Lilianna. It used to flucuate between 6-15 months to get a referral once your dossier was sent to China. Sadly now the wait stretches well beyond 2 years and no one knows how long it will get. These poor waiting families are in some marathon race and they keep pushing back the finish line. Vietnam, which had reopened in 06 has shut down again. Many families have invested all their time, money and efforts and will never be able to adopt from Vietnam. Several of them don't have other options either. Taiwan is swamped with applicants and wait times are stretching out for them as well. What used to take 6 months, now is 3 years or more. Again, many families can't afford to renew their paperwork continuously.

It's all such a heartbreak. I've said that all children are worth all the effort it takes to adopt them. That said, it just shouldn't be this hard for families. I know so many fabulous, wonderful, amazing families who will make amazing parents and give wonderful homes to children. Yet they sit their and wait and wait and wait or worse yet.....doors close permanently for them.

It all makes me feel so lucky to have the two children I have. It's like winning the lottery twice. If there's any silver lining in all of the challenges facing adoptive parents today is that you never forget how lucky and blessed you are. Today in the midst of taking care of a sick Lily and running after a very mobile and into everything Andrew, I *still* realize how blessed I am to be the mother of two, amazing, lovable, incredible children.

Does it get any better than this?

Our New Schedule and New Milestones...

This is our first week of our new schedule with me back to working. Honestly, I had anticipated my being out of the house for 2 days a week to present some challenges for all of us. Happily, things have gone more smoothly than I had expected. Lily is loving preschool and continues to thrive there. Bill really enjoys his Mondays and Wednesdays home with the kids. Andrew is eating up all the attention from Daddy and loving it and I'm enjoying the time with my colleagues and students. All in all, not a bad first week back:)

On another note, Andrew has hit some new milestones this week. My job is helpfull and a hinderance as a Mommy sometimes. Sure, I'm aware of developmental milestones and strategies to help children reach them. On the downside, I can overanalyze and over-worry about things. Andrew is now 10 months old and has been with us for 4 months. He's actually ahead of the game in the gross and fine motor department. While social emotional development seems on target, his speech/language development seems a bit behind to me. Now, that totally makes sense given the language change and lack of stimulation in the orphange/foster home. I had been thinking to myself "Gee, I'd like to hear him make some repetitive sounds like 'da-da-da' or 'ba-ba-ba'. I'd also like to see him imitate us more in speech sounds."

Well, apparently Andrew read my mind and just started doing these 2 things this week. He's consistently saying "ba-ba-ba, la-la-la and da-da-da" and will repeat them after us. I *think* he may be getting the idea of Da-da for Bill, La-La for Lily and ba-ba for bottle. I don't know if they are true words yet, but I think he'll get there soon. On a funny note, if I point to Bill and say "Da-Da", Andrew will repeat me. If I point to Lily and say "La-La", he'll repeat that too. If I point to myself and say "Ma-Ma", he'll look right at me and say "Pftttttttt."

I'll leave you all with one my favorite pictures taken professionally:

If I had a magic wand..................

I'd use it make my son stop acting like a goat. Yup, the kid eats anything. I swear Lily only ate food. This little man eats edible and non-edible things alike. We aren't dirty people, but with a 5 year old and some high traffic areas, little
specks of things are bound to be on the carpet. A scrap of art paper, a crayon tip, a pop-tart crumb can be found in our great room. I purchased a Dirt Devil simply for this problem. It sits in the corner of the room and gets used a couple times per day. Still, my son has some strange inner radar that lets him know a crumb or
scrap of something has the carpet and it must be consumed now! I swear if you dropped a button on a football field, Andrew would find it. I've contemplated sprinkling Cheerios on the floor just so he'd get something edible. He's even beginning to consistently respond to "No mouth" Yet, he's also learning to turn his back and quickly stuff the crayon paper in when he thinks I'm not looking. Good to
know at 10 months his deceptive skills are growing. Untill he gets the concept of "we only eat food", I guess I'll keep track of the interesting things he's consummed. So far, the list includes a tiny tip of a crayon and a Chaquita banana sticker. (Yes, I can confirm both items have passed through his system safely.) I guess untill gets the concept that we only eat food, we'll call him Hoover.

Can you believe it's November already?

I sure can't. Time is going by so quickly and this is my last week of leave with Andrew. I start back to work on Friday. Now, I'm not going to sing the back to work blues, because I've been so fortunate to have the time with Andrew and Lily.

On another note, last week I purchased hats and mittens for the kids. This week, I'm contemplating park or zoo trips because it's going to be in the high 60's to low 70's. Go figure!