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!

Happy Halloween!

Wow! What a perfect Trick or Treat Night we had! The weather was glorious, the children were adorable in their costumes and our friends and family's company was a blast. We all gathered at our house and then we headed out through our neighborhood. Andrew enjoyed looking at all the people and sights. While Lily and her good buddies raced excitedly from house to house. This year she really got into it and was thrilled with the haul of candy she brought home. It was just a great time.

Of course, we the parents morphed into Parent Paparazzi and snapped as many photos as we could. I'm quite thrilled with the following three pictures. In fact, I love the third one so much, I'm considering making it our Christmas card. Hey, it's got green and red in it :)

Things you can't protect your children from......

Usually I post the happy, daily events in our family life. Today, I feel the need to post about something not so happy. Today was Lily's preschool Halloween parade. It was a fun event and something we all enjoyed. I happened to volunteer for some of the classroom party activities and was hanging out in the hallways with some other moms. A few moms that I knew asked me about Andrew's eye surgery. I was happy to report that his eyes are looking great and I don't think he'll have to have the additional surgery in January. Another woman, whom I don't know, overheard our conversation. She then asked me if the second surgery would make Andrew's eyes look less "chink-y." Yup, she really said it. I was stunned, startled and angry. I think she thought it was funny because she laughed. When she heard my nasty toned response of "I beg your pardon??", she quickly left saying she needed to make a phone call.

All in all, it was just such a startling reminder that my children will encounter racism and I can't protect them from it. I've fielded some rude questions about our family. Usually they are along the lines of "Why didn't you adopt from the US." or "Are they *real* brother and sister?" These, I know how to handle. The comment today really was a first.

What a week.........

It took me a little restraint in not using a swear word in the title post. Read on and I'll explain.

Saturday afternoon, Andrew comes down with a fever. I figure it's a virus and I watch him closely, thankfull that he is keeping food down.

Sunday, the fever gets worse and we wonder if we should go to urgent care or just wait till Monday and see our pediatrician.

Monday, we call the pediatrician and they say we can wait another 24 hours or come in. We decide to go in and I'm glad we did because Andrew has 2 ear infections. So, we start the antibiotics. Monday night becomes the worst night ever with constant screaming and a fever of 104

Tuesday, I call the pediatrician who tells me to wait 24 hours to see if the antibiotics help. After lunch, I change Andrew only to discover this scary rash all over him. It really looks like measles. Back to the pediatrician we go. One look and the doctor says, "Roseola", a virus characterized by a high fever and sudden rash.

Wednessday, Andrew is worse. Fever persists, rash is in full bloom, antibiotic side effects are rough and his disposition is at an all time low. I call the pediatrician who tells me to wait it out. It's rough.

Thursday, fever is gone. However, so Andrew's appetite. He's weepy, whiney, clingy and miserable. Another diaper change reveals a new and different rash. Off to the ped's again! At this point, I'm toast. I'm tired and running on empty. I'm also just plain scared that Andrew is not getting better. The doctor's examination reveals that his ears are better. His lungs are clear. His fever is gone. The doctor thinks that we are either looking at a different type of virus or some strange interaction between the antibiotics and virus. In either case, we'll change the antibiotics and see.

I'm now on day 5 of a weepy, miserable, sick little baby. As I give him yet another dropper of medicine to put in his little mouth, my finger bumps into something sharp. I touch some more and feel 4 little points on his gum line. Two on the bottom and two on the top. Andrew is cutting 4 teeth! No wonder he is feeling even worse!

As I write this, I hope that we've hit the all time low and it's only up from here. Wish us luck.........

Queen of Hearts...........

Forget being a princess, Lily's going to be a Queen this Halloween!

Birthday Bash with the Buddies!

Today we had the perfect weather for some outdoor fun! One of Lily's best buddies has a birthday 1 week after hers. So we decided to have a very low key, kid party. We borrowed a bouncy house (thanks Lynn!), had some yummy snacks, went on a pumpkin hunt and had a great time. In terms of kid's birthdays, I believe less is definitely more! I've included a few photos (it's hard to take pictures of kids in a bouncy house) and a video. Enjoy!






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