Monday, January 26, 2009

UPDATES And Happy Half Birthday!

Olivia Hsin-Hua Lin turns 6 months old tomorrow (which is actually already today in Taiwan since it is 9am tomorrow over there). Happy half birthday my little peanut!!!

Just in time for her half birthday...we got updates!!! No video yet (TWCA forgot to send it and now they are off celebrating the New Year...so we have to wait a few days.

I'll get right to the information you are all waiting for...She has grown 1.5 inches and is now a little over 24 inches long...she only gained .2 pounds so is now a little over 13.5 pounds...so at 5 months old (12/30/08) in these updates, she is still our tiny little girl.

I seriously can't even stand the cuteness this month. Those cheeks are KILLING me! I love them! And girlfriend needs to grow some hair! I have lots of hair bows waiting but I don't see any hair to put them in :-)
Enjoy!!!


Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year...Year of the Ox!

I worked from home Thursday and Friday of this past week to get the merit planning worksheets done for my company. It is a painfully lengthy and complicated process that requires concentration that the revolving door on my office does not allow for. The other thing working from home allowed for was me getting all the baby shower related trash out...and getting all the things from the kitchen that I cleaned out on the sidewalk for Purple Heart to take!!! The kitchen is officially cleaned out and I have an empty shelf, and two cabinets dedicated to baby "stuff".

Friday night we had my mother-in-law over for dinner. Pauly was feeling under the weather and wanted to stay home, and my mom-in-law wanted to see the stuff we had put together so far like the pack'n'play and the high chair. We also sent her home with a tub for her house (she only has a shower) and a stroller (really nice one we had from when Maudee was smaller).

Saturday Pauly was still feeling under the weather so he stayed in bed for a bit in the morning. I was insanely productive at the Wal-Mart Super Center I found near our house (how has this past me by for so long I do not know). The lists of things I needed for the house for the longest time were all taken care of in the matter of an hour at this fabulous Wal-Mart!!! LOVE IT!!!! I will be frequenting this store at least twice a month now for EVERYTHING!!! I was also very excited to see that they are building a Babies'r'Us across the street. Currently the closest one is about 30-40 minutes away which is less than convenient! Yipee!!!

We got all the Christmas stuff packed away in the attic (finally...we are usually done with this by New Year's weekend, but...) and did some more straightening of the house.

Saturday night we celebrated the Chinese New Year with friends Ray and Rosie and their daughter Hannah, and Pete and Jenny and their daughter's Kaelin and Raegan. We all exchanged lucky money for the kids (thanks to Jenny for even looking up the luckiest amount of money...even I didn't do that). It was great food and a great time!!! Thanks guys for hanging out and helping us celebrate a piece of of future daughter's culture!!! Hopefully next year she will actually be with us!!!

Sunday we finally went to Church (we have been so busy lately that we have been going less than we would like)! After Church we headed up to Princeton to see our good friends Jess and Mike and their beautiful new daugther Isabella!!! She is tiny and beautiful and it was so nice to catch up with Mike and Jess!!! We even ventured over to a cool baby store in their area and picked up a few items we were still in need of to prepare for Olivia Hsin-Hua!

After dinner at our favorite Isralei restaurant we crashed at home and were in bed before 9pm...exhausted!!!

We are SO ready for Olivia to be home. I find it hard anymore to do anything without wishing she was with us. Even running out to Wal-Mart on Saturday morning, I was wishing there was a little person in the backseat babbling nonsense at me and keeping me company.

Up until about last week, I have been OK...but now I am beyond ready. I just want her home, and feel like it is time!

Please keep your fingers crossed that this week brings updates and maybe news of a First Ruling!!!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

I Can't Believe It

Today marks 1 year since we were put on the wait list for Taiwan!

When we were put on the list, we were told the wait for referral would be 4-6 months and it ended up being 10 months!

I can remember how hard those 10 months were to wait, and sometimes I didn't think I could mentally make it through another day (add to that the 18 months we had already waited for China)...but now that we know who Olivia Hsin-Hua is...it feels like those 10 months flew by! I can't believe it was really a year ago we were put on the list! WOW!

Fingers crossed for updates by next week (I am hoping for some smiles this month), and maybe our First Ruling!!!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Thank You For My Amazing Baby Shower

I was blessed this Sunday to be thrown the most beautiful baby shower I ever could have imagined. From the location, to the food, to the most important...friends and family who not only gave their time to be there, but who were more than generous in their gifts and help in making all the details of the day just right!

When the excitement of the day quieted, and Paul and I were alone, sitting in Olivia's room surrounded by bags and boxes, we both felt so humbled. Humbled by the family and friends who love us and who helped us prepare for our impeding arrival. We knew we had wonderful friends and family...but this Sunday really brought back into perspective how lukcy we are to be surrounded by such amazing, loving and generous people.

Although these words cannot begin to express our gratitude...THANK YOU!
Thank you to every one of you who has been on this long journey with us. Thank you for supporting us, and being there for and with us through all the lows AND highs...this past Sunday being one of the highest. The end of the road is getting closer every day...and we can't imagine how we could have gotten this far without each and every one of you.

Thank you and we love you all!!!

A HUGE, HUGE thank you to my dear friend Judy for taking the most lovely pictures of our exciting day! You are such a wonderful friend, AND a fantastic photographer!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25519095@N05/sets/72157612708256233/show/
(By the way, if the set link doesn't work, try copying and pasting it from this email into your browser's address bar.)

Oh...and there are some really great pictures in there of the finished quilts!!! They are finally done and they are beautiful!!! I will take some more pics of it in the next few days and do a post just on that...so stay tuned!!!

Monday, January 12, 2009

Checking In

Well, I am feeling much better from the stomach bug...and joined a gym to keep going on the getting healthy and weight loss start to the year! I only did a 3 month membership...because hopefully at the end of that, I will have a baby, and be on Family Medical Leave from work, and the last thing I will be thinking about is going to the gym. BUT...I figured I also only have about 3 months left in my life for it to still be all about me...so if I don't get in shape and lose this last 12 or so pounds NOW...I will never do it!

I guess however, that since my immune system was down from that stomach bug, I now have a minor cold. Nothing major except the skin under my nose is so sensitive that if I blow my nose more than like 3 times a day...it gets all red and sore and needs first aid cream on it all the time. YUCK!!! So although I don't feel that bad, I look rather sick and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer like. Oh well!

This weekend was productive and fun.
Friday night we just had a nice quiet night of going to the gym, getting Sushi dinner (like every Friday night) and going to bed by 10pm (man we are old).

Saturday morning, I had my first appointment with the trainer at my gym. They take all your measurements so you can track them month to month to see your progress. Then he showed me a really easy weight lifting program. My arms were exhausted afterwards...but I am hoping that these workouts will help make carrying an 8 month old a little less painful :-)

We then ran some errands which included the fabric store. I am making a small throw sized quilt for Olivia's Taiwan Mother as well as her Foster Mother. For both of them I felt like I wanted to do something just a little special that was hand made by me. Olivia's Taiwan Mother's quilt has one fabric with leaves (including birch leaves), another simple vine pattern and the backing is a beautiful Asian silk fabric. It is all moss like greens. Her Foster Mother's quilt is all really beautiful white, light blue and dark blue patterns. Pauly actually picked those out. Now all I need is the time to make them!

I also think we may have at least narrowed down the piece of jewelry we will buy as a gift to Olivia's Taiwan Mother. I need a few more days to think about it, but at least we are close. It is so hard to try to come up with a one time gift that sums up all the love and gratitude you have for a person you may never meet...and to whom you can't express in words how much they mean to you. So a piece of jewelry, and a handmade quilt will have to do.

Saturday night we met for dinner with Tina, Bobby and Ashley. I packed my camera in the morning to bring with us...and then left it in the car and never used it :-( We caught up on the last few months, and exchanged Christmas gifts. I was so thrilled that Ashley loved all her craft projects and clothing we got her. We LOVED the Cabbage Patch baby doll, ladybug piggy bank, and stroller toy they gave us for Olivia. I already put the ladybug bank on Olivia's bookshelf, and the baby doll is in her closet ready to be played with.

Sunday after Church, we said a quick hello to the Connolly's and McGuckin's, went grocery shopping, made beef mushroom soup, got some laundry done and headed over to Hannah's first birthday party. Again, I forgot to bring the camera with me, so I have no documentation of the adorable child's birthday, but it was a fun time. Happy Birthday Hannah!!!

We wrapped up the night with me finishing a few more pages in the quilt book!!! Almost done! I have about 10 more people to document and the book will be done. If all goes as planned, my Dad should be meeting the quilter this week to pick up the finished quilts for Olivia Hsin Hua!! Yipee!!!

I can't believe it has been 2 years since we first sent out our request for squares!!! Holy Cow!
Everyone was right that once you see your baby's face, the wait seems to melt away. It has been two and a half years since we started the process to adopt, and during that wait there were days when it felt like it had been 10 years. There were days that it felt like the wait would never end. I remember days that I felt completely hopeless that we would ever be matched with a baby. But now that I have 9 little pictures of a beautiful baby girl, I can hardly remember how awful the wait was. All I feel now is the excitement and anticipation of finally meeting her!!!

Anyway...that is the weekend update...over and out!

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

7 Pounds Later

Yup...I lost 7 pounds. You are thinking...wow...what fast progress on the New Year's diet.
Only, I lost that 7 pounds in ONE DAY!

Stomach bug my friends...and MAN was it a bad one. I mean 7 pounds in 1 day!!! Are you serious!

So our long weekend during which we were going to visit with friends we didn't see for Christmas, organize the house, take down what little Christmas sutff we put up, and generally relax...was ruined. I spent it either in the bathroom or passed out, and poor Pauly spent it being Saint Pauly tending to my every need, feeding me, getting me ginger ale, rubbing my head and just being sweet to me.

So now I am seriously behind in all that needs to be done in my house. I have started a little notebook of to do lists, to buy lists, to pack lists, etc...and I need to get cracking on it!!!

The silver lining...I am 7 pounds ahead on the diet for 2009!!! Instead of having 20 pounds left to go...now I only have 12!!! YIPEE!!!

In adoption news...well there isn't any. We are still waiting to hear about our first ruling. Tien, our agency coordinator spent the holidays in Taiwan and is expected back in the office tomorrow. We are all hoping she returns with referrals, hearing dates, and first and final rulings.

Once we have our first ruling, we will have a much better, although not accurate, estimate of when we might be travelling to meet Olivia Hsin-Hua.

Fingers crossed we hear something soon.

PS...On New Year's Eve I got the BEST reaction to our adoption ever!!! Are you ready? Wait for it...
"Oh my gosh...you are adopting? You are like Charlotte on Sex and the City! That is SO cool!"
Are you serious! Now THAT is hysterical!