Harper

Counting down the days

2012-02-29T12:02:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that in 3 days I'll be heading to China again! Two adoptions in 18months...call us crazy!

This week has been a whirlwind with a ton of laundry, packing, gathering documents & preparing myself emotionally for the trip. My brain has turned into mush.
I'm still working until Friday & will be able to take off 12 weeks, returning the week of Memorial Day. Harper's daycare will allow her to be part time while I'm off work, attending 3 full days a week.
Part time=part time tuition= a little financial break :)

To help count down my time in China, I made this calender for Harper, with the help of my dear friend/coworker, Brenda.

We glued the pictures on the poster board.

Brenda sewed little pouches & we filled them with candy & stickers.

A little surprise each day for my girl while I'm gone.

I think me being gone for 2 weeks will be harder on me than her. I have 100% confidence that Neil will run the ship while I'm gone. Sure, he'll be exhausted from a long day at work, but at the end of the day, he's an excellent father & Harper LOVES her daddy.

Luckily, we have an overabundance of clothes (Thanks Christa!) for Harper, so I've laid out 2 weeks of outfits for her to make it easier on dad. Now, the hair situation may be a bit stressful for him. She like her "ponies" & bows, hopefully Bria can assist him with that.

Overall, I'm extremely excited & super duper nervous. I'm so lucky that mom is going with me. She's the most laid back, nurturing person. Next to Neil, she's the only other person I need by my side with an experience like this.

I plan to blog while in China, so please follow along.

Tubes again...

2012-02-21T11:57:00.000-08:00

Over the last few weeks, we've noticed that Harper's hearing has decreased significantly. At first we thought it was selective hearing, but it seems to have gotten worse.

We finally got in to the ENT doctor & her tubes are blocked.

We're thankful that's the problem & nothing more severe.

So, on Friday, Harper will have her tubes replaced.

Please pray for a speedy recovery!

Here we come....

2012-02-15T11:54:00.000-08:00

I booked our flights to China yesterday...I can't believe it.

We depart from St Louis on Sat March 3.

St Louis-Chicago-Beijing-Chengdu

We arrive in Chengdu on Sun March 4 & meet Melaina on Mon March 5!

We'll be staying at the Crowne Plaza in Chengdu.

Friday March 9, we'll fly to Guangzhou to finish up the paperwork part of the adoption & will be staying at the China Hotel Marriott.

We come back to the states on Sat March 17

Hong Kong-Chicago-St Louis

My mom is my traveling companion for this trip. As much as I need Neil with me, Harper needs him more. He'll be staying home & keeping Harper on her routine.

Keep us in your prayers as we prepare for another journey of a lifetime.

DIY

2012-02-10T13:15:00.000-08:00

I finally finished my first DIY project!

I refinished 2 dressers & a night stand with much delight.

Being the amateur that I am, I forgot to take a before picture with the drawers...oops!

Very poor lighting, bad picture

We had this dresser in Bria's old room & she had spilled a scented oil freshner on the top that ate through the wood.

This is Harper's "new" dresser!

I found this night stand & dresser on craigslist for $100.

Before

After

Before

This is Melaina's "new" dresser.

We moved it up into her room last night & I started putting her clothes in it.

This feels real, especially since I got my TA today :)

TA

2012-02-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

We got it!!!

The last step of this process...Whew, what a ride.

Our agency will schedule our Consulate appointment in 2-5 business days.

The dates of departure that our agency threw out was 2/24, 3/2 or 3/9.

I'm thinking March 2.

Hopefully we'll know more by Tuesday.

Beautiful

2012-02-03T12:06:00.000-08:00

Just Breathtaking.....

Bria

Columbia Performing Arts Center

2012 Competition Team

Update!!!

2012-01-31T09:36:00.000-08:00

My heart is full...I can't wait until she's in my arms.

19 months old

Love that smile!

Her hair is sooo long!

I requested updated measurements & photos through our agency.

She's still living in a home with a foster family.

Here are her measurements:

Height: 31.9 inches Weight: 23.1 lbs Head size: 17.3 inches Chest size: 17.9 inches

Teeth number: 11

2. Please provide an updated photo.

Her photos are attached

3. What time does she take a nap/go to bed for the evening?

She gets up at 8:30am, naps from 11:30-1:30, and goes to bed at 9:00pm

4. What is her favorite food?

She isn’t picky. She likes fruit, sweets foods and likes to have milk.

5. Is she walking independently?

Yes, she can walk independently. However, she is timid and is afraid of falling; she likes to be held while walking.

6. Will we get to meet the foster family?

Her foster mother will take Huang Xiang to the orphanage when you meet her, and you will see her foster mother at that time.

According to these measurements, she's not too far behind Harper in weight & height.

What I've learned about these updates is they're often inaccurate.

They weigh the child in all 45 layers of clothing!

O'well, I'll take it.

We're still waiting on our TA (longer than usual because of the Chinese New Year last week) & hope to hear something next week.

This update is just what I needed as we endure the wait to bring her home.

Enjoy!

Gong Xi Fa Cai

2012-01-25T08:05:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year

We kicked off the Chinese New Year by attending a Chinese culture night.

It was a beautiful event with music, dancing & martial arts performed by middle school children from Beijing.

We're so lucky to live in a diverse university town & have these events right outside our door!

Harper loves watching dance & had a great time.

The year of the dragon is considered a lucky year. Many couples try to get married or have children during this year.

Sisterly Love

2012-01-20T12:57:00.000-08:00

I often catch Harper kissing Melaina's little picture on our fridge.

She tells me all of the time that she loves her baby sister.

Do I think she loves her? Yes I do.

Will she want to send her back? That's a strong possibility!

There's nothing more beautiful than a sisterly bond.

I pray that they will have the same closeness I share with both of my sisters!

On the right is Harper's referral picture....2 years ago we saw this sweet face for the first time.

When are we going to China?

We're waiting on our TA which should come in about 3 weeks.

Once we receive travel approval, our agency will schedule our Consulate appointment & let us know when we can book our flights & hotel.

It's right around the corner & will be here before you know it!

Dentist Visit

2012-01-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

Harper had her first visit to the dentist office. We've been talking it up for a few months telling how much fun it was going to be.

Harper had to play dentist to her baby doll first.

The dentist had to check baby doll's teeth out also.

Now, it's Harper's turn

I'm proud to report that there were no tears & no cavities!

She got 3 tokens & got a few surprises

We couldn't believe she did so well.

I scheduled an appointment for her and Melaina in 6 months.

It's hard to imagine how different our lives will be by then!

Speech Progress

2012-01-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

Harper had cleft lip surgery in China in the Spring of 2010.

We brought her home in September of 2010 & soon after, she had her palate repaired on November 2, 2010.

Speech therapy was not recommended at her 3 month post-op appointment.

We decided that we would go ahead & start speech, it wouldn't do any harm, right?

She began speech therapy in March, 2010, less than a year ago & currently has speech 3 times/week for 30 min.

Less than 1 year of ST & she's progressing well.

Of course, we have a long way to go, but given all of her circumstances, new home, new language & new mouth, she's doing awesome!

Harper's determination & willingness to learn has taken her to the level she's at.

She loves her speech therapist & feels special at school having that individual attention from an adult.

I'm SO proud of this kid.

2011 Favorites

2012-01-06T06:44:00.000-08:00

WOW!

I can hardly believe 2011 is over!

Here's a favorite photo from each month...Enjoy

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

May 2012 bring health, happiness & joy!

Happy New Year

2012-01-05T12:58:00.000-08:00

We rang in the New Year with a house full of noise!

These two baby girls were the best of the bunch.

Happy New Year!

More Christmas Photos

2012-01-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas Eve with Neil's family & went to Aunt Tina's house.

Here's a darling video of the kids doing a little dance....

Choo Choo....Andi was definately the ring leader of the evening!

Christmas morning was pretty calm for the most part.

Harper still doesn't get the Santa/present thing.

Every time we gave her a present she'd say "Is this for me?"

Elmo boots

Barbie guitar

My parents got her a wagon...Thanks!

If only I could photoshop Bria into this photo....We always miss her when she's not with us on a holiday.

Next year, we'll have Bria & Melaina!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-30T07:47:00.000-08:00

Since Bria was with her mom this year for Christmas, we got to celebrate early.

I finally caved & we got our first gaming system, an XBox 360.

Bria (and Neil) have been asking for one for years & Santa finally deliverd.

They've stayed up way too late playing some war game that they're slowly trying to master.

Santa brought Harper an early Christmas present also.

Pop-Up Treehouse

Peek-a-Boo!

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

Getting Closer

2011-12-23T08:25:00.000-08:00

With each passing day, we get closer to bringing Melaina into our family.

We are in the final steps of the adoption process & our file has moved to the "travel department" at our agency.
Our paperwork was sent to China today, to our agency's in-country representative, who will then drop off the paperwork at the US Embassy to apply for Melaina's visa.
This step (Article 5) will take exactly 2 weeks.
After that, we wait for China to tell us to come on over (TA) !

Our agency is stating that the wait for TA is 2-9 weeks.
When we got our TA for Harper, we were on a plane in 22 days.
I think we'll travel in March.
Please keep us in your prayers while we wait to travel.
We pray Melaina remains healthy & has an easy transition into our family.

I can't wait to kiss this adorable face!

Another visit with Santa

2011-12-23T08:14:00.000-08:00

We attempted another visit with Santa the other day with Manda, Kolton & Kinzley.

I promise, I'm not the overbearing, insistant mother.

Harper kept saying she" liked Santa & she not cry"...

Any time spent with Kolton is a blast for Harper.

Even in the rain....

Happy Birthday Husband!

2011-12-22T07:34:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband.

He's not only a great husband, but he's an awesome dad!

Who would've thought he'd be a father of 2 daughters (soon to be 3) who absolutely adore him!

Bria & Harper are definately "daddy's girls".

There's something special about a little girl & her daddy.....

Harper was all about giving daddy his gifts & helping him opening them.

Who doesn't love a little Jersey Shore thanks to Bria!

After daddy's gifts at home, we went to Shakespeare's Pizza with our best friends.

I think Emily has baby fever...what do you think?

Thank you all for taking time out of your evening to hang out with us.

Happy Birthday Neil!

We love you!

Christmas Fun

2011-12-20T07:18:00.000-08:00

The girls making ornaments together.

Finding an activity that both a teenager & toddler can enjoy together is difficult these days.

This was a fun for both of them although Harper was trying to tell Bria how to do it!

Hanging with Grandma R

2011-12-19T12:39:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving weekend we were able to hang out with Grandma Roxy.

The day was picture perfect, we almost didn't need a jacket.

Lunch at Culver's

Playing in park

Checking out the ducks

Greetings from the pups...Big

And little....

This was Harper's first visit to Grandma's & she loved the dogs.

She has 5 English Mastiffs & 6 little yorkie/chiuahua dogs.

She's got a full house!

Breakfast with Santa

2011-12-14T12:40:00.000-08:00

We had breakfast with Santa with all of the our little ones at Eckert's.

It's a wonderful set up with breakfast, cookie decorating, face painting, crafts & sitting on Santa's lap for a photo.

We took Harper last year & she was terrified, do you blame her?

She warmed up a little bit more this year & even sat on his lap!

I love the progression of photos.

First Santa sighting

Harper is saying "Mama, come here".

Check out Tori's reaction.

Tori was completely focused on her coloring as Santa stood behind her & Harper trying to get some attention.

The water works were flowing, again, check out Tori's face...hilarious!

Safe in mama's arms....

The kids had a great time & it was the perfect way to kick off the holiday season.

Awkward Family Photo

2011-12-06T09:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2010

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-12-03T18:27:00.000-08:00

What I'm thankful for....

Little girls

Grandparents

Mothers

Babies

And the world's strongest brother!

Yep, he's really doing push ups with Jaden on his back...strongest dude in Madison County!

We celebrated Thanksgiving at Paula's house.

By the end of the night, Harper was dancing with no pants!

Now, that's a party!

It's always a crazy chaotic time traveling to be with our families at the holidays but it's worth every minute.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

Finally a Name!

2011-11-23T13:06:00.000-08:00

Finally, we all 3 decided on a name for baby Xiang...

Melaina Paige

What do you think?

Isn't she precious?

How did we come up with this?

Neil's granny's name is Elaine & his sister's name is Manda Page.

I really like Elaine or Lanie but that was vetoed.

So, Melaina Paige it is

The adoption process seems to be going pretty smooth.

Our I800a application was approved (after 70+ days!) recently which is a big step in this process.

This gives us the elgibility to adopt from a foreign country.

The next step is the I800 approval, which approves us to adopt a specific child=Melaina.

This will take approximately 3 weeks.

After I800 approval, we are technically waiting on TA.

There are a few little steps between I800 & TA, but things are much more predictable from here on out.

We hope to travel in 3-4 months, although my agency is saying 3-7 months!

We'll see....

Fall Walk

2011-11-15T12:32:00.000-08:00

We had a lazy weekend a few weeks ago & I really wanted to go hiking.

We loaded up the car with Harper, Baxter & the jogging stroller & went to Rockbridge State Park, not too far from our house.

The weather was splendid.

It was a bumpy ride for Miss Harper.

The foilage was gorgeous.

Along the way, we saw an old, rusted car up on the ravine.

Neil had to photograph this.

Here we are at the bottom of the trail patiently waiting for Neil.

It was Harper's first hike in the woods. The trail was a 3.25 mile loop, more rugged than we thought. Next time, we won't take the stoller... too many bumps for her.

Halloween-Part 2

2011-11-10T11:14:00.000-08:00

Harper hung out with Kolton on Halloween evening. She was so hesitant the night before trick or treating that I thought she'd be standoffish.

Wrong....she was showing the little fireman the ropes!

The kids made it around the corner, barely 10 houses, & were wiped out.

Their favorite part about Halloween...passing out candy!

Our little princess slept like a baby that night!

Trick or Treating- Round 1

2011-11-09T12:19:00.000-08:00

Harper went trick or treating twice, once on Sunday & again on Monday, Halloween night.

Sunday, we went to my cousin's house.

Harper was very intimidated & didn't really seem to enjoy herself.

She kept crying over everything. That's also the day she took a 4 hour nap. Maybe she didn't feel good or she was frustrated that she couldn't keep up with all of the kids....I really don't know.

Two Mizzou Cheerleaders

Strawberry Shortcake & Mario

Lovely Ladybug

Three Stooges

And a creepy clown..

More Patch Time

2011-11-08T12:33:00.000-08:00

Halloween weekend, Harper went to the another pumkin patch with some of the cousins.

Pony Rides

Who loves pony rides?

Pumpkin Rides

Notice who's not in the picture

She was brave enough to ride the choo train with Cael & Ava

Harper was spent for the day.

All she wanted was to be at Mimi's house with a nice warm bowl of tomato soup!

She quickly went down for a nap & slept for nearly 4 hours!

Life Lessons

2011-11-08T12:22:00.000-08:00

Regina Brett's Life Lessons

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Change the way you think.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month..

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. Release your children when they become adults, its their life now
9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay cheque.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Todayis special.

22. Just because you believe you are right, doesn't mean you are. Keep an open mind.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26.. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.
34. Your job is to love your children, not choose who they should love.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come...
43.. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield..
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

I received this via email today & thought I'd share.
So many of us get caught up in "image", "money" & "materialistic" things that they think makes them happy.
Happiness is within yourself.

It's the little things in life that make a big difference in everyone around you.

Pumpkin Carving

2011-11-07T13:54:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit behind on blogging these days...Please forgive me.

We had a beautiful day a week before Halloween & finally carved some pumpkins.

Hard at work

Don't you just wanna squeeze those lil legs?

We obviously aren't professional pumpkin carvers.

But hey, we had fun & that's all that matters!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-27T12:28:00.000-07:00

We finally found time to go to the pumpkin patch last weekend.

Harper was sooo excited that Kolton got to go with us!

Bria even went!

We had a nice relaxing day...

Where is Baby Xiang?

2011-10-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

She's in Chengdu, Sichuan (hot pink) province, population of 14 million.

Harper's from Baoji, Shaanxi (teal blue) province, population of 1 million.

We met Harper in Xi'an, population of 8 million.

Chengdu & Baoji are about 415 miles apart.

Considering China has a billion people, 400+ miles, is relatively close.

We'll meet her in Chengdu & stay for about a week.

We'll spend the 2nd half of the trip in Guangzhou, Guangdong (purple) province.

100th Homecoming

2011-10-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

Mizzou celebrated it's 100th year of homecoming last weekend.

We started our festive weekend with house decs on Friday night.

Campus decorations have been part of Mizzou’s Homecoming since the 1930s. Themes for house “decs” run the gamut from taunts at opposing football teams to popular culture or good old-fashioned school spirit.

HO HO HO

She liked the Christmas themed dec, although she's still afraid of Santa.

I could only get her to stand by a snowman, I promise she had fun!

Cheering with the band & cheerleaders on daddy's shoulders

M-I-Z

Z-O-U

Getting ready for the parade & big game against Iowa on Saturday morning.

Our little tiger!

The whole family getting in the Mizzou spirit with tattoos!

Tailgating with friends!

Bria & Reagan

Cheering for our home team!

Go Tigers!

Sleeping...

NOT...little faker.

It was a long day for all of us, especially with no nap for Harper. She hung pretty good until the end of the 4th quarter, then her crankiness came out.

We stomped the Cyclones 52-17

School Photos

2011-10-18T08:15:00.000-07:00

Remember the post of Harper on picture day? Remember how she practiced smiling for the camera.
Definately, not what she practiced, but still pretty cute!

CMS Primary II Class 2011

The little boy on Harper's right hand side is William, he's her boyfriend!

Visit to the Zoo

2011-10-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

Harper's first visit to the St Louis Zoo.

If you've never been to this zoo, you have to check it out & it's free!

We had a few hours to spare after an appointment & between naptime so we headed to the zoo.

We saw elephants!

Zebras

Gorillas

This is what happens when my mom gets a hold of camera....

In her defense, the sun was shining right in her eyes....

She's my side kick for our next trip to China!

Birthday Photos

2011-10-04T13:49:00.000-07:00

I think Harper had the best 3rd birthday ever!

Saturday morning, she opened up the party hats & got her party table ready.

She took a nice rest & then was ready to PARTY!

Elmo

Harper & friends

Monday at school, they had a "celebration of life" ceremony.

Harper & Jacquie

We celebrated Harper's birthday for 3 days.

She was worn out.

What a difference a year makes.

Last year, she'd been home for about 3 weeks & didn't understand what was going on.

We love you so much Harper!

Happy 3rd Birthday!

Happy Birthday Sweet Harper

2011-10-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

My baby turned 3 yesterday!

We had an Elmo themed party at our house with family & friends.

I don't have the photos up yet.

At Harper's school, they do a "celebration of life" on your birthday.

I sent my camera to her school today so the teacher's could take pictures of Harper & her friends recognizing her special day.

Stay tuned....

Introducing Xiang

2011-10-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

Yes, we're going back to China!

Hu Hua Xiang

July 2, 2010

Chengdu, Sichuan, China

April 2011 ( 9 months old )

May 2011 ( 10 months old )

July 2011 ( 1 yr old )

September 2011 ( 14 months old )

Love the thick, black, jagged bangs!

What a trend setter!

We were matched through our original agency, Great Wall, in late August with Hu Hua Xiang.

Xiang was born with a heart defect & had surgery in January 2011.

Since February, she's been in a foster family

with a mother, father & 14 yr old brother & has made a complete recovery.

We're blessed to receive quite a few photos & updates of her.

We even got a video of her taken at 10 months old.

She seems so sweet & laid back, not a little pistol like her sister.

Bria & Harper are very excited about having a baby sister.

Harper kisses her photo & says " I love my baby sister".

We haven't decided on a name, so feel free to make a suggestion.

We're very excited....

Welcome Baby Reese

2011-09-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

My newest niece was born yesterday.

Reese Lian

6 lbs 12 oz

Welcome to our crazy family sweet Reese!

Congratulations Fish, Paula, Cael & Ava

We love you!

School Pictures

2011-09-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

Harper recently moved up to the next level in her school about 2 weeks ago.

She's now in Primary II & absolutely loves it!

Her classroom has kids from age 2 1/2 to the age of kindergarten.

She's one of the youngest kids in the classroom right now (almost 3 in a week ) & seems to enjoy being around the big kids.

They had "school" pictures yesterday.

The first thing she said when she woke up that morning was that she wanted to have her picture taken.

I snapped a few before I went to work.

I asked her how she was going to smile for the picture...

Can you believe she was this "cheesy" at 6:45am!

Labor Day

2011-09-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

We spent Labor Day weekend at my parents lake house. It will probably be our last trip until next summer.

Neil & Bria stayed home but Brittany & her kids made the trip with Harper & I.

We had one super hot day & one cool day.

Harper always wants to drive the boat

No, Christa is not trying to drown her son!

We've got Harper fully potty trained except when she's boating...

Cameron & Brittany

It was nice having a break from the heat.

Cheers

There's just something about boating with a sweatshirt on.

So relaxing...

I even laid my head back for a brief cat nap while Harper drove the boat.

Since we didn't have a ton of time for the kids to get souvenirs, we hit a flea market.

How about this treasure?

Cameron found it!

Creepy

Later on that evening, we went to a bonfire

My cousin Tyler & Harper

Adia & Brittany

Brittany & I

We've been friends for over 20 years!

Adia & Tyler were so sweet & patient pushing Harper on the swing.

We all had a great time once again...

Harper Day Photos

2011-08-31T12:58:00.000-07:00

More photos from Harper Day

This outfit & shoes were the only belongings she came with.

Surprisingly, she still fits in the sailor outfit & shores!

We had dinner at our favorite Chinese restaurant

We couldn't pass up the chance for ice cream.

It's hard to imagine that a year ago, Harper didn't like ice cream.

She LOVES it now & asks for it nearly every day.

Harper has gained about 5 lbs since last year, bringing her up to a husky 26 lbs!

She's doing great at her school & will be moving up a level next week.

She'll be in an integrated classroom with kids from age 2 1/2 - 5 yrs old. This will be a great move for her, especially for her language.

She's still in speech therapy once a week & doing well.

When she turns 3 ( October ) she'll have therapy twice a week.

We're excited for Fall..

Looking forward to cooler weather & football games!

Go Tigers!

Happy Birthday Bria

2011-08-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

Bria turned 14 yesterday!

She invited 7 girls over

They went bowling

Played laser tag

Of course, Kolton & Harper loved hanging out with the big kids.

Happy Birthday Bria!

One Year Anniversary

2011-08-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

One year ago today, Harper was placed in our arms.

It seems like yesterday, but also seems she's been a part of our family forever.

Words can't describe that day.

We were anxious, nervous, & so excited to meet Harper.

Our first glimpse of Harper

This photo was taken with in hours of having her. She was very comfortable & at ease with us from the beginning.
Fast Forward 1 year....

She's blossomed into the most beautiful, loving, happy, healthy attached little toddler.

She's loves her babies...

Loves yogurt!

Loves her Daddy!

And Mommy too!

She's a goofy grape!

This last year has been wonderful having Harper in our lives.

I honestly can't imagine our life with out her.

She's blessed us in many ways & has given us a different perspective on life.

We're honored to be her family.....

Now to some silliness....

2010 Awkward Family Photo

Happy Harper Day!

On a jet plane.....

2011-08-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

One year ago we were on a plane to China!

We didn't take any photos of our arrival...we looked like death after traveling over 24 hours.

Happy Birthday to me!

2011-08-03T07:13:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we celebrated my birthday!

We spent the weekend with my family hanging out & going to dinner.

Harper was fully aware it was my birthday, each gift I got, she thought was for her birthday.

If you ask her when her birthday is, she can tell you the month & how old she'll be...it's the cutest thing ever.

Paula & Brittany

We also met Grandma Roxy for breakfast before heading back home. Harper wouldn't get in the picture...what a party pooper!

The last few weeks have been difficult. Harper had a low grade fever one week & then a high fever (104) last week. We've all been irritable in our home due to the heat with temperatures rising above 100 degrees. Harper has been miss cranky pants while trying to recooperate from her sickness.

Bria has had dance practice at varying times these last few weeks, so we've barely seen her.

Baxter has alot of built of energy & has been naughty!

Yesterday, he decided to chew up 2 feather pillows!

Poor Bria had to clean that up!

The only good girl in the house is Nelly....sweet Nelly never does anything wrong besides sneak up on the couch.

And allow Harper to lay on her.

We're sooo ready for a break in the heat so we can get outside & play.

Swim Lessons

2011-07-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

I signed Harper up for a one week session of swim lessons.

Since Memorial weekend, she's been out on the boat & been in the pool having a blast.

She jumps in with out any fear, not afraid to go under.

I figured swim lessons would be right up her alley

Day 1

Yep, real tears! The lesson was 40 minutes long, she cried about 35 minutes of it.

She was not a happy camper.

She was having an "off" day. Completely out of character.

Day 2

Completely different kid...jumping in with the teacher showing no fear.

The mama in me thinks she was the best "jumper" of the bunch.

Day 2 was much better...

Day 3

She's getting more

comfortable with the teacher.

Day 4....trusting the teacher a little bit more.

Day 5

She's happy so far...

Short lived- she had major separation issues on Day 5. She would NOT get near the teacher with out Neil or I holding her in the water.

Ahhh...daddy always makes it better!

Harper ended up missing the last 3 days of the swim session. She got sick with a fever & runny nose.

Overall, she did great in swim class. By day 5, we had her swimming underwater from Neil to me. The funny part, she didn't close her mouth underwater because she had a smile glued to her face.

She had a blast as long as one of us was in the water with her.

Happy Birthday America!

2011-07-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

We had a very lazy (much needed) holiday weekend.

We chilled out, hung at the pool & grilled with friends.

Can you believe this is the same dress?

Harper's first day as a U.S citizen.

She's grown so much since September!

Harper was a little afraid of the loud fireworks, but overall had a good time.

Next year she'll have more fun.

I hope everyone had a wonderful, safe 4th of July!

Baby Kinzley

2011-07-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

While on vacation, our family welcomed another new baby into the family.

Kinzley Page was born on Friday, June 15 weighing 7lbs & ???oz.

Congratulations to Kevin, Manda & Kolton!

Harper loves her new cousin.

Big Brother Kolton is ecstatic about his new baby!

Vacation

2011-07-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we took our annual family vacation & went to my parent's lake house.

We had about 25 or so people staying in one house & had more people at another house! Needless to say, we had a LOT of togetherness.

I didn't take as many photos as I thought. With that many people, it was chaotic & noisy day & night!

The girls in the car. Bria sharing her Ipod with Harper.

Sisterly Love

Day 3- annual trip to SDC

Bria & Harper on the froggies.

Eliot, Konner & Kaya

Ava, Lily, Kaya & Harper.

So glad the "big" kids didn't think they were too cool to go on the froggies.

Ava & Julian

Harper, Ava & Tori

Mom & Dad...they make this happen every year!

Lake time

Jayden, Julian & Ava hanging out on the boat dock.

Since the water is so high, we had to take a paddle boat to the dock. The kids waited ever so patiently for their turn.

Eliot, Glenn & Susan

Ian & Eliot

This was the last day...

Thanks Dad & Mom for making this a memorable trip (again!). The kids LOVE spending time with their cousins. We all had a great time & look forward to next year!

Random Cuteness

2011-06-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

Photos taken by Katie in April.

Enjoy.....

13 years ago....

2011-06-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

Do you remember what you were doing 13 years ago? Most people won't remember. I surely remember....Summer 1998.

I was still in school & moved to Columbia, MO for the summer to do a clinical rotation. A classmate & I moved from Southern Illinois with our belongings, as much as our cars could fit, & moved here for the summer. Neither one of us had ever visited Columbia before. We planned to stay in a furnished apartment. We moved into an apartment complex & quickly discovered it was roach infested! We tried moving to another apartment within the building but again, more roaches.

We didn't know what to do, so we moved to a hotel for about a week until we figured something out. We met a ton of people at the hospital & a guy we worked with offered his apartment to us.

He had an extra bedroom we could rent from him. We had no other options, so we moved in.

BUT, that's not what I remember most about the Summer of 1998

CICADA INVASION!!!!

Cute little creatures, right?

They were everywhere! You couldn't walk 2 feet without being hit by their hard, crunchy body. Dead cicadas covered the sidewalks. Dead cicada guts on your windshield.

At the time, I didn't realize it was a cicada invasion. I remember thinking I'm never coming back to this town.

Thirteen years, later, here I am, living in Columbia. It never crossed my mind that I would begin my career & my adult life here in Mid Missouri.

They're back....

After 13 years of hibernating, they've emerged and they're loud...they can be as loud as 100 dB (like a rock concert)!

Cicadas come up from the ground every 13 years and flock to the trees. They're known for being noisy making their mating sound. When the eggs hatch the baby cicadas crawl back underground to hibernate for another 13 years.

The cicadas do not sting or bite and the season peaks in Mid-June. One expert claims that in heavily wooded areas there may be more than a million cicadas per acre.

There's no way to avoid these bugs, they're everywhere. It's the talk of the town right now.

Especially this story....

Check it out

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20070101-10391704.html

Unfortunately, I was not one of the lucky taste testers.

Memorial Weekend

2011-06-08T07:26:00.000-07:00

We went to my parent's lake house over the holiday weekend.

Our car ride took about 4 hours, which was the longest Harper has ever traveled by car (that we know of). We left Friday evening, thinking she'd sleep for most of the trip...wrong. She was not a good traveler at all!

We were about 10 minutes from the lake house & she kept crying saying her "body hurts" & then.... she barfed. You see, I don't do puke very well, I gag also. I was worried how I was gonna handle it. Suprisingly, I remained calm.

Luckily, (or not so lucky) Bria was in the back, next to her & got a towel quickly.

We pulled over, cleaned her up, calmed her down & got back on the road. I don't think she was car sick. I think she worked herself up by crying that she swallowed alot of saliva.

We finally made it & Harper LOVED Grandpa's boat!

She didn't whine about the lifejacket, sunblock or hat.

The water is so high right now, there were certain parts of the bridge that the boat couldn't go under.

Being the responsible parent's that we are, we let the big kids jump from the bridge.

Yes, that's their responsible Uncle G assisting them.

We also let them hang from the bridge.

Splash!

The girls would go up & down the ladder from the dock. Harper had absolutely no fear being on the boat dock. She joined the crowd & got in the water with no hesitation.

You'd think she'd done this a million times before.

BTW, the water was freezing!

Chillin...

The boys were so excited to find this turtle. They released him shortly afterwards.

Bria & Jazz

Big girls tubing

Yep, that's right, the 2 year olds tubing also! I can't believe Harper & Tori went tubing. They loved it.

Bria, Ava & Julian

Harper driving PaPa's boat

The littles weren't too concerned about taking a golf cart ride, they were happy just sitting on it "pretending" to drive.

Harper & Tori

Harper was wiped out on the way home from a wonderful weekend.

She did much better on the way home & didn't barf.

We were excited to share these moments & create memories with her.

It's amazing how easily she transitioned into our family & fits right in.

We knew she'd love it & look forward to our next trip!

We get to go back next week to PaPa's lake house for an entire week. She'll meet a few more cousins that she's never met & finally meet Aunt Susan & Uncle Glenn!

Baptism

2011-06-01T09:43:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago we welcomed Harper into the Catholic faith.

We were honored that our friend, Bill, who became a Deacon last year, was able to baptize her.

Harper didn't crack a smile until we got home.

Godparents! My brother & sister.

Grandparents...Harper is still a little freaked out by my dad's mustache. When he asks for a kiss, she says "No, mustache" & points to her cheek.

The morning after....the littles were up at the crack of dawn. How about a bath?

We had a nice turnout for Harper's baptism. Alot of our family & friends travelled 2 hours to help us celebrate.

Thank you to all for supporting us!

Mother's Day

2011-05-26T07:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Belated Mother's Day to all of the wonderful women in my life!

My first mama's day happened to be our 7th wedding anniversary as well, double whammy!

We had a wonderful weekend with our family celebrating our wedding, Kolton's 3rd birthday, & Mother's Day.

Birthday Boy!

Bria being the best big sister & cousin!

Lunch with Grandma Roxy, Aunt Manda & Kolton on Mother's Day.

Later in the afternoon after Harper's nap, we went to a garden & had a picnic.

This is an old school house on the garden grounds.

Harper loved being in school & raising her hand.

Harper took a moment to stop & smell the flowers.

Last year, I didn't feel like a mother although, technically, I was. We had a photo of a little face that we knew we'd love dearly. This year, I never imagined I could love someone so much.

I love being a mom. Some of the things I appreciate & love about motherhood are:

Hearing a little voice call for "mama" early in the morning.

Changing diapers...Yes, I do. I'm glad she's still in a baby phase.

Picking her up when she says "up, up".

Folding her teeny tiny clothes & putting them away.

Seeing her face light up when I pick her up at daycare...priceless.

Hugging & kissing me for no reason.

I could go on & on...

Happy Mother's Day!

Speech Therapy

2011-05-06T05:27:00.000-07:00

Harper's language has taken off in the last month. Every week she says more words clearly & says more 3-4 word sentences. We can understand what she's saying about 75% of the time. Others have difficulty understanding her.

She started speech therapy 3 weeks ago.

Her therapist comes to our home once a week for an hour long session.

Harper has warmed up nicely with Lisa (therapist) & loves playing with her.

They've been working on B's, P's & D's.

She'll continue with therapy at home until she turns 3. At age 3, the therapist will go to her school for weekly sessions.

The long term goal is to have her speaking clearly by kindergarten.

This last session they played with bubbles. Harper's never been able to blow bubbles until this week!

Yeah Harper....she's loves applauding for herself!

Egg Hunt

2011-05-06T05:14:00.000-07:00

We had an egg hunt later in the afternoon after Harper's nap.

Nothing like Baxter sticking his nose in your candy.

The enthusiasm of a teenager!

Harper was worn out by the end of the day...

Happy Easter

2011-05-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter (belated of course).

We had a quiet Easter with just the 4 of us. We began the day early & went to church.

We didn't do an egg hunt until late afternoon.

The only time we've taken Harper to church was on Christmas, yes, we're Creasters!

Our church doesn't have a daycare or cry room, therefore, we haven't been brave enough to take her.

We mustered up the energy & courage to take her & she did great.

Bravery took over & we took her to a restaurant, a nice adult restaurant...

She did fine & only spilled her juice once, within minutes of being there.

We were able to enjoy a wonderful Easter brunch, our first Easter as a family of four!

Easter Eggs

2011-05-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

Harper coloring Easter eggs....

Harper & Mamma....lately she's been saying "Hey, Annie"...too funny

What girl doesn't like hard boiled eggs & baby dolls!
She liked coloring the eggs, but she enjoyed peeling & eating the eggs the most.
She can easily knock out 3 hard boiled eggs if we let her.....

More Dancing....

2011-05-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

I am terribly behind on blogging...I have alot of photos from the last month that I'll be posting.

Bria finished up her dance competition season in April.

Girls, look here

Smile!

Aunt Manda & Kolton were able to join us for the last competition in Kansas City.

Happy Spring

2011-04-20T09:33:00.000-07:00

Harper had some spring time photos taken a few weeks ago. We haven't seen the edited photos yet, but I took a few while Katie was shooting her.

Katie is in college studying photography, but is doing work on the weekends.

You can check out her blog here...

http://www.capturedbykatiephotography.blogspot.com/

She has some photos of Harper on her blog if you look at her previous posts from October, 2010.

She took pictures of Harper back in October, when she'd been home only a month. At that time, she didn't know how to smile, therefore, she was difficult to photograph.

Katie took the 2 photos in my header.

Fast forward 8 months, her personality is in full force!

It didn't take long for Harper to warm up to Katie.

Happy Spring!

Spring Time Fun

2011-04-20T05:33:00.000-07:00

I'm way behind on my posting lately....

A few weekends ago, Harper & I went to my parent's house for the weekend.

It was a quick, whirlwind weekend with a baby shower for my cousin, a trip to Eckert's farm & Harper had spring time pictures taken.

Ava G & Harper before the shower

Harper actually wore the headband longer than 5 minutes!

Harper's first carnival ride! She loved it!

Eckert's Farm had a small area with bunnies & chicks.

Handsome Cael

We captured this poor bunny trying to escape

Harper LOVES animals. She tried holding the bunny but it's nails were too sharp & scratchy.

First pony ride....loved it!

Miss Ava G

Mr Cael

We had a great time hanging out with our family. I love watching Harper experience all of the "first" things in life. She's a go getter, not afraid of much....except flies!

She freaks out when she see a fly...go figure...

Spaghetti Time

2011-04-14T11:53:00.000-07:00

Where's George?

Who doesn't love the classic spaghetti photos....

2011-04-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

Finally, we got some nice weather in the Midwest.

Harper experienced her first bike ride, thanks to Mindy!

She was expressionless the entire time. She wasn't quite sure what to think of this.

It seems when she does something new, the first few times, she shows no emotion, then by the 3rd & 4th time, she's got a smile GLUED on her face.

The last few weeks have been really good. She's been healthy & in good spirits.

She still gets nights terrors when she's sick or completely exhausted.

Next week, Harper starts speech therapy. We've met the therapist twice & Harper warmed up to her quickly.

We're excited to see the progression of her speech. This little one has ALOT to say!

2011-03-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

Bria had a dance competition over the weekend.

My mom, Paula & the kids came to watch her performances.

Shocker...always eating.

Yep, Ava & Harper are twinkies!

The littles loved hanging out & watching the big girls dance.

A face of Special Needs Adoption

2011-03-07T13:10:00.000-08:00

There's a discussion on Rumor Queen challenging bloggers to share their story of "special needs" adoption.

Here is our "special" girl!

Girl 10/2008 unrepaired cleft lip/palate

Referral Photo

Harper-March 2011

While waiting to travel to China, we found out that she was severly burned on her legs.

She has severe scarring which would also be considered a "special need".

She's nothing but beautiful to us!

Birthday Fun

2011-03-07T12:58:00.000-08:00

We celebrated a few important birthdays recently.

We had a birthday dinner for Neil's granny who turned 90!

Granny celebrating with her great-grandchildren!

We also had a birthday brunch for my mom.

Mimi with her grandchildren & great-grandchildren!

We got the girls these silk dresses in China. I've been dying to get all 4 of them together for a Kodak moment.

Harper was partied out by the end of the weekend.

Happy birthday to 2 wonderful grandmas!

6 Months

2011-03-07T12:28:00.000-08:00

Wow! It's hard to believe that Harper has been a part of our family for 6 entire months!

Everyday her personality gets bigger, her smile gets bigger & of course, her belly gets bigger.

She's gained about 5 lbs since we've been home.

In 6 months, she's learned how to give hugs & kisses, can count to 10, & sings her ABC's.

We were expecting her to be delayed developmentally, but thus far, her speech is the only delay, which was expected.

It was apparent her foster family loved her & taught her more than the basics.

For them, I am thankful.

Foster Family-approx July 2010

We're so lucky to have a handful of photos of them.

You can't imagine the amount of time I spent analyzing the photos just to catch a glimpse of her life in China.

September 11, 2010

October 2, 2011 (Harper's bday, notice her cleft palate)

November 2, 2010 (hours before her palate repair)

December 2010

January 2011

February 2011

March 2011

Six months.....I can't believe it!

Can she get any cuter?

We're so lucky......

First Haircut

2011-02-28T11:24:00.000-08:00

Harper got her first American haircut!

Goodbye mullet!

Harper was the perfect angel.

2011-02-18T09:35:00.000-08:00

Last week, Harper had an appointment with the craniofacial team. It was a multi-displinary clinic which consisted of meeting with 6 different doctors.

We met with speech pathology, genetics, plastic surgery, behavioral psychology, orthodontics, & an oral surgeon!

Our biggest concern with Harper is her speech. The speech path doctor seems to think her speech is developing normally & has not recommended therapy at this time.

We've decided that it wouldn't do any harm to have a few speech therapy sessions.

Overall, there were no other concerns with her developement.

She shouldn't need anymore surgeries on her palate until she's 6 or 7yrs old.

On a funny note, while the psycholgist was talking to Harper, she asked Harper different questions.

What does a cow say??? Moo Moo

What does a doggie say? Baxter bite...(Harper's response)

What?
I'm dying with embarrassment....I had to show her one of her babies.
This is one of the unlucky babies in our house.

Wasn't me!

That's Baxter & Baxter bites Harper's babies....he especially likes the face!

Baxter still has alot of puppy energy in him & we have to keep her toys picked up, otherwise, they will get destroyed.

In the time we've had him, he's chewed up an Ugg boot, an Emu boot, an area rug, numerous dog beds, including the tough-chew beds, playdough, numerous babies & much more.

He's the sweetest dog, but just has alot of energy!

These last 5 months have not only been an adjustment for us, it's been a huge change in our dogs lives as well. In the BH (before Harper) days, I would walk them almost every day. Now, they're lucky to get a walk once a week.

Poor puppies....

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-16T11:20:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a very Happy Valentine's Day (belated).

Sisters!

Harper's school had a Valentine's Day party.

She loved placing the cards in the bags.

Harper was being very gentle with a newborn.

Her teacher, Vanessa, said she's very motherly with the other kids in the class. She's always helping her friends put their work away & helping them get their coats on.

Wavy or Straight?

2011-02-13T05:51:00.000-08:00

What do you think?

Harper's hair is finally growing. The back & sides seems to flip up & have a little bit of wave. Her hair is definately not baby soft, like most 2yr olds. The texture is more like an adults hair. She still won't wear those adorable crocheted hats & hair bands, but will let me put pony tails in her hair.

Just for fun

2011-02-11T09:44:00.000-08:00

Harper in action....She's a bossy little thing!

This was early evening during the blizzard & we're still in our jammies!

Enjoy

Blizzard

2011-02-02T11:27:00.000-08:00

What defines a blizzard???

A blizzard is a severe storm condition characterized by strong winds and reduced visibility. By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have winds in excess of 56 km/h (35 mph) with blowing or drifting snow which reduces visibility to 400 meters or ¼ mile or less and must last for a prolonged period of time — typically three hours or more.^[

^{That's what we got yesterday in Mid Missouri.}

It started snowing around 7am

With wind gusts all day

Didn't stop until around 7 pm

This is the back door to our deck. The snow drifts are about 4 feet high.

Our neighbor's car

Neil's courageous attempt to make it to work this morning....Stuck!

Through out the day, Harper & Bria had puppet shows, baked cookies & played nonstop. We stayed in our pj's all day & enjoyed having a snow day.

Our city basically shut down, most businesses were closed besides the hospitals.

Interstate 70 was shut down from Kansas City to St Louis!

We shoveled our driveway at least 6 times to keep up with the snow.

The snow plows came through our subdivision & we should be able to get out today.

It's fun to have a snow day every now & then, but I'm glad it's over.

I'm ready for Spring!

Send a comment & let me know if you're snowed in & how much snow you got.

I know other areas got more snow than us.....

Snow Day

2011-01-25T12:43:00.000-08:00

While having a "sick day" we also had a "snow day". Harper was nearly 24 hrs fever free by this time. We had 8 inches of snow & the driveway desperately needed my attention.

It took about 15 minutes to transform her into a marshmallow.

Snow!!!

After a few minutes, she was cold...

Despite the chilliness, she had a blast.

Harper had the fever for 5 days & we resumed our routine on Friday.

Saturday morning she woke up shrieking at 6am.....ear infection!

First one since we've had her.

Her left ear tube is blocked (we already knew about this) & now she has the ear infection in the right ear.

Great...we go back to ENT next week for a follow up visit.

Say a prayer for us, we're hoping the ear drops will help.

Can't resist a sleeping baby...