I have 3 months left of having a two year old. I must say time has more than flown by. We started out with this perfect little peanut and now I have a full fledged little girl. She doesn't even look like a baby anymore. Sigh....
We were very lucky. The terrible twos weren't really an issue. We had the occasional meltdown but nothing that didn't pass in a few minutes. We did have to put her in timeout maybe a handful of times and each time she sat quietly waiting for it to be over and then was fine.
As we say goodbye to the two's and hello to the three's a lot of things have changed. Kiya is still sassy and sweet but now has developed the whine. Oh yes, we have a very whiny kid right now. I am hoping it is a phase and it will pass QUICKLY. I mean it is really sweet when she says " Mommy, snuggle. Mommy snuggle." But when she says it while we are driving the car or trying to go grocery shopping it can be a little much. And the drawn out whiny voice...wow. She has mastered it.
She has also become more defiant. No has returned as one of her favorite words and she is becoming sneaky. We have had to do time out a couple of times recently for talking back. She is so full of life and sass...she has her own ideas and those don't always line up with what mommy and daddy need for her to be doing.
We are also proud to say she is daytime potty trained. Sure there is still the occasional accident as in one or two every few weeks but that is age appropriate. She is also getting better about telling us when she has to go and she has been better about telling us she has to poop too. She is such a big girl now.
She is also conquering her cast. She doesn't have the same range of motion or even sight as other kids her age so things like pulling up or pulling down her pants are a tad more challenging. She has now mastered taking off her shorts (and night time pull up) and she is getting better about pulling up her underwear. She is also putting her own sandals on.
She is doing very well in preschool. She knows the days of the week and the months of the year. She is singing all the time and really is quite good at it. We can't wait to sign her up for dance but most places want her to be 3 when she starts the class so we have to wait for the winter/spring sessions. Her teachers are so proud of her and impressed with her singing, writing and more. They say she listens very well and follows directions well. Glad she is going that for them....not so much here sometimes.
Then in January we have to register or at least try for 3 year old preschool at our local private school. They don't take many kids so if that doesn't work out she will stay at her current school and we will try the private school again for 4k.
I am ready and not ready in this weird way for Kiya to grow up. I love seeing her develop and learn and yet part of me misses my little peanut. Nothing I can do to stop or slow time so horrible 3's here we come :) I am slightly terrified to see what she comes up with next.
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Baby K and other updates
Sweet Baby K is now 5 months old and just as cute as ever. We just got new pictures and measurements. She is just too adorable for words really. I can't wait to share her pictures.
She currently weighs about 14.5lbs (28th percentile) and is about 25 1/4 inches (55th percentile) and her head circumference is in the 22nd percentile per CDC growth charts anyway.
I wasn't expecting the new pictures so soon but it was a nice surprise. It has been one month since we first saw her face and now I have 7 fabulous pictures to stare at.
We also finished being fingerprinted by USCIS. We have our I171h already. We still aren't really sure what the next steps are but we know we anxious to get the ball rolling. I know time will fly and our house is so not ready physically for a second child. We need to remodel the basement, get new carpets, paint and I could go on.
In other crazy news, instead of quitting my job which I still will when Baby K comes home, for now I applied for a promotion. It gets me out of the day to day bank sales and more into management. We shall see if I get it or not. I have the peer support. I hope I do. The extra money would be nice especially with all the home projects.
We are also preparing for a vacation. We haven't been to California in 2 years and decided why not take Kiya back to California. I am a little nervous about traveling with a potty trained/training toddler. We have been telling her we are going on an airplane and that she has to sit in her seat and be quiet. We also let her pick out a special travel bag which mommy will fill with special surprises. She picked a little Dora back pack on wheels. So far there is a my little pony in it. There will be a magna doodle, some paper markers, snacks, and other little things she loves including beads and rubber spiders and snakes. Yeah I know. My girlie girl LOVES rubber insects and reptiles and yet also LOVES all things pink and loves to wear beads. We just roll with it. Doesn't bother me in the slightest though the rubber insects are kind of gross.
These next few weeks will be busy as I should find out if I get the promotion at work and we have to get ready for vacation. Fun stuff.
She currently weighs about 14.5lbs (28th percentile) and is about 25 1/4 inches (55th percentile) and her head circumference is in the 22nd percentile per CDC growth charts anyway.
I wasn't expecting the new pictures so soon but it was a nice surprise. It has been one month since we first saw her face and now I have 7 fabulous pictures to stare at.
We also finished being fingerprinted by USCIS. We have our I171h already. We still aren't really sure what the next steps are but we know we anxious to get the ball rolling. I know time will fly and our house is so not ready physically for a second child. We need to remodel the basement, get new carpets, paint and I could go on.
In other crazy news, instead of quitting my job which I still will when Baby K comes home, for now I applied for a promotion. It gets me out of the day to day bank sales and more into management. We shall see if I get it or not. I have the peer support. I hope I do. The extra money would be nice especially with all the home projects.
We are also preparing for a vacation. We haven't been to California in 2 years and decided why not take Kiya back to California. I am a little nervous about traveling with a potty trained/training toddler. We have been telling her we are going on an airplane and that she has to sit in her seat and be quiet. We also let her pick out a special travel bag which mommy will fill with special surprises. She picked a little Dora back pack on wheels. So far there is a my little pony in it. There will be a magna doodle, some paper markers, snacks, and other little things she loves including beads and rubber spiders and snakes. Yeah I know. My girlie girl LOVES rubber insects and reptiles and yet also LOVES all things pink and loves to wear beads. We just roll with it. Doesn't bother me in the slightest though the rubber insects are kind of gross.
These next few weeks will be busy as I should find out if I get the promotion at work and we have to get ready for vacation. Fun stuff.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
12 years
12 years ago today I married my best friend. This last 12 years has been one heck of a ride. It is so much more than I expected and so much different than I dreamed. I have this amazing little life and while it wasn't the life I thought I would have it is the life I love and wouldn't change.
Sure we don't always see eye to eye and there is the occasional fight but one thing I know for sure is that through thick and thin, love conquers all.
I am truly blessed. I married a very smart man who just happens to be an amazing father. I knew he would be but I didn't know just how truly wonderful he is. Kiya has him wrapped around her little finger and I just know Baby K will as well. He was meant to parent these girls.
So while these last 12 years have taken us on a crazy ride full of ups and downs. We did it and we did it together. We survived it all still intact and the proud parents of 2 amazing little girls from two very different parts of the world.
I am sure we will still have our share of arguments but one thing will remain the same. Love will get us through. Life is crazy. We have lived crazy and kept on going. Together we can conquer anything as long as we do it together. I am grateful I found the person I can conquer life with. We truly needed each other to get through the last 12 years and we will need each other in the next 12.
So to the love of my life, thank you. Thank you for being there. For being such a great dad and for working so hard so we can have the life we do. I am not sure what us girls would do without you.
Sure we don't always see eye to eye and there is the occasional fight but one thing I know for sure is that through thick and thin, love conquers all.
I am truly blessed. I married a very smart man who just happens to be an amazing father. I knew he would be but I didn't know just how truly wonderful he is. Kiya has him wrapped around her little finger and I just know Baby K will as well. He was meant to parent these girls.
So while these last 12 years have taken us on a crazy ride full of ups and downs. We did it and we did it together. We survived it all still intact and the proud parents of 2 amazing little girls from two very different parts of the world.
I am sure we will still have our share of arguments but one thing will remain the same. Love will get us through. Life is crazy. We have lived crazy and kept on going. Together we can conquer anything as long as we do it together. I am grateful I found the person I can conquer life with. We truly needed each other to get through the last 12 years and we will need each other in the next 12.
So to the love of my life, thank you. Thank you for being there. For being such a great dad and for working so hard so we can have the life we do. I am not sure what us girls would do without you.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Bad blogger.....still
So I had hoped that having the laptop back in action would mean I would blog more again but such is not the case apparently :(
Here is what is going on in no particular order.
1) We refinanced our house. Pretty painless but super happy with our new low interest 15 year mortgage.
2) We got our fingerprint appointment for the Department of homeland security. It is July 22nd....3 days after cast day.....could be interesting trying to get time off work that week.
3) Kiya's cast cut off date is in less than 2 weeks. Yeah for summer fun for a week.
4) Cast number 4 goes on July 19th. Pink is said to be the color but she said that last time and we left with blue. I am more than ready to see this cast go. It is GROSS.
5) Kiya is doing GREAT in her preschool class. Drop offs are getting better and she is having a blast. She can tell some of the days of the week and is getting really good at using scissors. Water days have been no issue and she is starting to make progress in the potty training department again. Amazing what spending her days with kids her age and older can do. She is even going poop on the potty again.
6) The pugs are well lazy. Sebastian loves to be outside in the mornings when it is cool and Badger has taken up digging in the front yard again.
7) We are rapidly approaching our 12 year wedding anniversary
8) We are getting closer to realizing our second child. It has been almost 2 months and by my estimation we are #2 or #3 on the wait list for a son. OMG.....crazy that my phone is about to ring with amazing news.
So that about sums it up.
Here is what is going on in no particular order.
1) We refinanced our house. Pretty painless but super happy with our new low interest 15 year mortgage.
2) We got our fingerprint appointment for the Department of homeland security. It is July 22nd....3 days after cast day.....could be interesting trying to get time off work that week.
3) Kiya's cast cut off date is in less than 2 weeks. Yeah for summer fun for a week.
4) Cast number 4 goes on July 19th. Pink is said to be the color but she said that last time and we left with blue. I am more than ready to see this cast go. It is GROSS.
5) Kiya is doing GREAT in her preschool class. Drop offs are getting better and she is having a blast. She can tell some of the days of the week and is getting really good at using scissors. Water days have been no issue and she is starting to make progress in the potty training department again. Amazing what spending her days with kids her age and older can do. She is even going poop on the potty again.
6) The pugs are well lazy. Sebastian loves to be outside in the mornings when it is cool and Badger has taken up digging in the front yard again.
7) We are rapidly approaching our 12 year wedding anniversary
8) We are getting closer to realizing our second child. It has been almost 2 months and by my estimation we are #2 or #3 on the wait list for a son. OMG.....crazy that my phone is about to ring with amazing news.
So that about sums it up.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
35 and life
I have my laptop back so hoping blogging will become more frequent but no guarantees.
I recently turned 35. Yup I am 5 years away from the big 40. How did this happen? Where did the time go? I am not completely sure. What I am sure of is a few things. My life is not anything I thought it would be and yet I wouldn't change a thing.
First off I knew I wanted to get married. I just had to find the right guy. Lucky for me I met him when I was almost 20. I knew pretty early on that this was the guy I wanted to spend my life with. I am pretty lucky. I dreamed of our wedding, our future, our family and so much more.
My wedding was nothing shy of perfect. There were a few little behind the scenes things but all in all it was everything I wanted and more.
I had a job that I loved, a new husband and I lived in sunny CA oh and we got our first little one, our pug Sebastian. He was my baby for so many years and he still is. If you had asked me then that 11 years later I would be living in WI, working at a bank, having just one child and another pug I would have told you all you were CRAZY. If you then told me that I would never get pregnant, travel to Ethiopia and Korea before I stepped foot in more than just an airport in Europe, I would have deemed you certifiably NUTS.
Me not live in CA? No way. Me quit my Student Affairs career, nope not going to happen. Have only one child at age 35, uh no. I wanted to be done having kids by the time I was 30. I was finally blessed with the gift of motherhood just weeks shy of my 33rd birthday while traveling in Ethiopia. My next little isn't yet known to me(hopefully soon) and they won't be joining us here in lovely WI until I am 36.
I am a planner and I had my life planned out in my head anyway. I got married at 23, wanted to have 2 maybe 3 kids by my early 30's at the latest. I dreamed of advancing in my career in higher education and of traveling. When things started to not go my way it was tough. I am a complete control freak and when I couldn't control or fix our infertility it was beyond frustrating but it did teach me a lot. I learned that when my plans don't work out I may be devastated but a door is opening some place else I just need to be willing to look for it.
I have found many doors. The doors that led me to adoption. To international adoption. The doors that led me to my amazing cast mom friends and Shriner's hospital. I am very blessed.
My life may not be what I pictured it would be a t 35 but as I look back I wouldn't change a thing. There were some tough times in there and all of those made me a stronger person. I had to fight through. I was forced to set my plans aside and really dig deep. Really dig to the depths of my soul. Did I want to be pregnant or be a Mom? I wanted to be a Mom. I didn't need to be pregnant. In fact I laugh with friends that I have this amazing daughter and soon to be little one and didn't have the weight gain, back aches or labor. Did I really want to be a career driven Mom or a stay at home Mom? I really really want to be a stay at home mom and we are getting closer to that being a reality. Nothing against working moms but it just isn't for me. I want to enjoy as much of my kids when they are little as I can.
No one wants anything to be wrong with their kids but life happens and as such doors were opened to the world of scoliosis. I wish I didn't have to deal with it yet with it came this amazing group of women that I am honored to call my friends. From each of them I have learned so much. I pray our next child will not have any unexpected medical issues but I know that with life and international adoption there are no guarantees and because I was thrown a curve back the first time I know that I can handle whatever is thrown at me this time.
As I look back at life, I have left some of the planner behind. I cringe when I hear younger people talk about all the plans they have and when they want to have kids, etc. I hope for their sake it all comes true but if it doesn't the disappoint can be a lot to handle. It was for me anyway and took me a little while to get my head back on straight.
I tend to roll with life a little better now which is good. I struggled as a new mom when Kiya wasn't doing things other kids her age did but I just let that go. Kiya is amazing and perfect in her own way. She may not jump and she can't swim or run as fast but I want her to learn from my self inflicted pressure that it is perfectly okay to do things at your own pace.
If my plans had come true I wouldn't have Kiya. I wouldn't be anxiously awaiting for the phone to ring with news of our next little one. I wouldn't be still picking out baby names or looking at flight options to Korea.
I am a very blessed individual. I have this amazing family, great friends and better yet one and soon to be 2 amazing kids. So while life isn't what I thought it would be I am so beyond grateful that life is what it is. I am a very lucky girl.
I recently turned 35. Yup I am 5 years away from the big 40. How did this happen? Where did the time go? I am not completely sure. What I am sure of is a few things. My life is not anything I thought it would be and yet I wouldn't change a thing.
First off I knew I wanted to get married. I just had to find the right guy. Lucky for me I met him when I was almost 20. I knew pretty early on that this was the guy I wanted to spend my life with. I am pretty lucky. I dreamed of our wedding, our future, our family and so much more.
My wedding was nothing shy of perfect. There were a few little behind the scenes things but all in all it was everything I wanted and more.
I had a job that I loved, a new husband and I lived in sunny CA oh and we got our first little one, our pug Sebastian. He was my baby for so many years and he still is. If you had asked me then that 11 years later I would be living in WI, working at a bank, having just one child and another pug I would have told you all you were CRAZY. If you then told me that I would never get pregnant, travel to Ethiopia and Korea before I stepped foot in more than just an airport in Europe, I would have deemed you certifiably NUTS.
Me not live in CA? No way. Me quit my Student Affairs career, nope not going to happen. Have only one child at age 35, uh no. I wanted to be done having kids by the time I was 30. I was finally blessed with the gift of motherhood just weeks shy of my 33rd birthday while traveling in Ethiopia. My next little isn't yet known to me(hopefully soon) and they won't be joining us here in lovely WI until I am 36.
I am a planner and I had my life planned out in my head anyway. I got married at 23, wanted to have 2 maybe 3 kids by my early 30's at the latest. I dreamed of advancing in my career in higher education and of traveling. When things started to not go my way it was tough. I am a complete control freak and when I couldn't control or fix our infertility it was beyond frustrating but it did teach me a lot. I learned that when my plans don't work out I may be devastated but a door is opening some place else I just need to be willing to look for it.
I have found many doors. The doors that led me to adoption. To international adoption. The doors that led me to my amazing cast mom friends and Shriner's hospital. I am very blessed.
My life may not be what I pictured it would be a t 35 but as I look back I wouldn't change a thing. There were some tough times in there and all of those made me a stronger person. I had to fight through. I was forced to set my plans aside and really dig deep. Really dig to the depths of my soul. Did I want to be pregnant or be a Mom? I wanted to be a Mom. I didn't need to be pregnant. In fact I laugh with friends that I have this amazing daughter and soon to be little one and didn't have the weight gain, back aches or labor. Did I really want to be a career driven Mom or a stay at home Mom? I really really want to be a stay at home mom and we are getting closer to that being a reality. Nothing against working moms but it just isn't for me. I want to enjoy as much of my kids when they are little as I can.
No one wants anything to be wrong with their kids but life happens and as such doors were opened to the world of scoliosis. I wish I didn't have to deal with it yet with it came this amazing group of women that I am honored to call my friends. From each of them I have learned so much. I pray our next child will not have any unexpected medical issues but I know that with life and international adoption there are no guarantees and because I was thrown a curve back the first time I know that I can handle whatever is thrown at me this time.
As I look back at life, I have left some of the planner behind. I cringe when I hear younger people talk about all the plans they have and when they want to have kids, etc. I hope for their sake it all comes true but if it doesn't the disappoint can be a lot to handle. It was for me anyway and took me a little while to get my head back on straight.
I tend to roll with life a little better now which is good. I struggled as a new mom when Kiya wasn't doing things other kids her age did but I just let that go. Kiya is amazing and perfect in her own way. She may not jump and she can't swim or run as fast but I want her to learn from my self inflicted pressure that it is perfectly okay to do things at your own pace.
If my plans had come true I wouldn't have Kiya. I wouldn't be anxiously awaiting for the phone to ring with news of our next little one. I wouldn't be still picking out baby names or looking at flight options to Korea.
I am a very blessed individual. I have this amazing family, great friends and better yet one and soon to be 2 amazing kids. So while life isn't what I thought it would be I am so beyond grateful that life is what it is. I am a very lucky girl.
Friday, May 6, 2011
What to say....
Two years ago I was preparing to board a plane that would take me 7000 miles away to Ethiopia. I was finally going to meet my daughter.
I can tell you when I legally became a mom, April 3, 2009. I can tell you when I held my sweet little girl for the first time, May 8, 2009. And yet I can't tell you when I actually felt like her mom. I knew I was her mom but it took some time to really just feel it.
Does that sound weird? We didn't share the same space for 9 months. We were jet lagged, over whelmed, fragile, and pumped up on adrenaline when we met Kiya. It was everything I hoped for and more yet it was strange too.
I wanted nothing more in my life than to be a mom and 2 years ago that journey began. I look back at where I was then and where I am now and I truly 100% feel like Kiya's mom. In the beginning I was doing all the mom things that you are supposed to do but that overwhelming don't mess with my kid instinct took some time to show up.
I can't tell you an exact date as to when I really became a mom. I know I felt it though. When I left her at daycare and she cried and screamed and I knew then that she needed me just as much as I needed her. I felt a tug. An instinct kick in that said I have to fix this. This is my kid and nothing and no one is going to mess with her.
The biggest compliment I ever got, came from a woman I now call a dear friend but at the time was someone I had just met. We were in the hospital waiting for Kiya's first cast and all the emotion that came with that day and she said to me later that day that you couldn't even tell that Kiya was adopted. That she looked at our family and saw true unconditional, parental love as we tried to be strong for our scared little girl. My friend has no idea how much those words meant to me.
I knew I was Kiya's mom through and through but for someone else to see it. To see that my adopted daughter was just as much of part of me as her son was a part of her. It was amazing.
I have had plenty of people ask if it is possible to love an adopted child as much as your own child. To that I say Kiya is my own child. I love her with all my heart and soul and will stop at nothing to make sure she is happy and healthy. She is my miracle. She is my dream. My love for her runs deep through me. I couldn't imagine loving her more than I already do.
So as I reflect on life and love, I take pause to be grateful for all the blessings I have in my life. I am truly one lucky Mom. I have this amazing daughter. I don't have the words to express how grateful I am to Zinash. Her sadness led to me being able to parent this wonderful little girl. I want so much to share all that Kiya has accomplished with Zinash. Someday I hope this dream will come true.
For now it is back to reality and life with a very active toddler.
I can tell you when I legally became a mom, April 3, 2009. I can tell you when I held my sweet little girl for the first time, May 8, 2009. And yet I can't tell you when I actually felt like her mom. I knew I was her mom but it took some time to really just feel it.
Does that sound weird? We didn't share the same space for 9 months. We were jet lagged, over whelmed, fragile, and pumped up on adrenaline when we met Kiya. It was everything I hoped for and more yet it was strange too.
I wanted nothing more in my life than to be a mom and 2 years ago that journey began. I look back at where I was then and where I am now and I truly 100% feel like Kiya's mom. In the beginning I was doing all the mom things that you are supposed to do but that overwhelming don't mess with my kid instinct took some time to show up.
I can't tell you an exact date as to when I really became a mom. I know I felt it though. When I left her at daycare and she cried and screamed and I knew then that she needed me just as much as I needed her. I felt a tug. An instinct kick in that said I have to fix this. This is my kid and nothing and no one is going to mess with her.
The biggest compliment I ever got, came from a woman I now call a dear friend but at the time was someone I had just met. We were in the hospital waiting for Kiya's first cast and all the emotion that came with that day and she said to me later that day that you couldn't even tell that Kiya was adopted. That she looked at our family and saw true unconditional, parental love as we tried to be strong for our scared little girl. My friend has no idea how much those words meant to me.
I knew I was Kiya's mom through and through but for someone else to see it. To see that my adopted daughter was just as much of part of me as her son was a part of her. It was amazing.
I have had plenty of people ask if it is possible to love an adopted child as much as your own child. To that I say Kiya is my own child. I love her with all my heart and soul and will stop at nothing to make sure she is happy and healthy. She is my miracle. She is my dream. My love for her runs deep through me. I couldn't imagine loving her more than I already do.
So as I reflect on life and love, I take pause to be grateful for all the blessings I have in my life. I am truly one lucky Mom. I have this amazing daughter. I don't have the words to express how grateful I am to Zinash. Her sadness led to me being able to parent this wonderful little girl. I want so much to share all that Kiya has accomplished with Zinash. Someday I hope this dream will come true.
For now it is back to reality and life with a very active toddler.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Adoption update
Okay time to spill the beans on what we are up too.
First let me say that it is with a heavy heart that we have decided to leave to Ethiopia program. It was all becoming just too much. The corruption, the changing timelines, the lack of timelines....it was not settling well with us to just sit at the bottom of this long waiting list. We were waiting for an orphan to be made. We had no end in sight to how long that wait might be and given the current vibe of adoption from Ethiopia we couldn't be sure it would be in the next 2 years or so. That and all the talk of corruption and massive slow downs, etc. It just didn't feel right anymore.
It breaks my heart to leave behind a culture and country that gave me my beautiful daughter. We know we will visist but it does sadden me that my children will not share this beautiful heritage. I know a piece of my heart will always belong in Ethiopia.
And it will also now belong in South Korea.
We are officially making the switch. We have sent in all the updated paperwork to both our local agency and CHS. Why Korea? Well, there are orphans that need families. There are kids in the system waiting for a forever family. We searched our hearts and truly feel we can be a family for one of those little ones.
The other big change is that we are likely adopting a toddler. Given how the timelines work in Korea our child will likely be over 1 year and possibly even as old as two at homecoming. We are excited about our new journey.
Our Little Man may turn out to be a girl which we are fine with as well.
This was not an easy decision for us. We truly wanted to adopt from Ethiopia. We were excited by the two trip rule as that meant we could spend more time in this country that we love. I am sure some will say we are jumping ship because Korea is faster. And to that I say mind your own business. We shed tears about this decision. We second guessed ourselves. Long before we settled in and found Korea we were looking at national domestic adoption agencies and other countries. Korea hadn't even been brought up but was mentioned to us as a possibility.
We did some research. We did some soul searching. We talked. We thought. We talked some more. It felt right. It made sense. We envisioned our future son or daughter. We couldn't stop talking about Korea. About learning about a new culture about traveling to Asia and Africa with our kids. It fit into our future.
So there you have it. There is the news. We should hopefully fingers crossed be officially in the Korea program before the end of April. We are waiting on Adam Walsh paperwork to come back from California and yet another fingerprint check. And then we settle in to wait with the news of our future child. We don't know how long that will take. It could be a month, it could be 6 months, it could be 8 months. From there we could wait for as many as 11-12 more months before we would travel to Korea. Either way our hearts our open and we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our child.
First let me say that it is with a heavy heart that we have decided to leave to Ethiopia program. It was all becoming just too much. The corruption, the changing timelines, the lack of timelines....it was not settling well with us to just sit at the bottom of this long waiting list. We were waiting for an orphan to be made. We had no end in sight to how long that wait might be and given the current vibe of adoption from Ethiopia we couldn't be sure it would be in the next 2 years or so. That and all the talk of corruption and massive slow downs, etc. It just didn't feel right anymore.
It breaks my heart to leave behind a culture and country that gave me my beautiful daughter. We know we will visist but it does sadden me that my children will not share this beautiful heritage. I know a piece of my heart will always belong in Ethiopia.
And it will also now belong in South Korea.
We are officially making the switch. We have sent in all the updated paperwork to both our local agency and CHS. Why Korea? Well, there are orphans that need families. There are kids in the system waiting for a forever family. We searched our hearts and truly feel we can be a family for one of those little ones.
The other big change is that we are likely adopting a toddler. Given how the timelines work in Korea our child will likely be over 1 year and possibly even as old as two at homecoming. We are excited about our new journey.
Our Little Man may turn out to be a girl which we are fine with as well.
This was not an easy decision for us. We truly wanted to adopt from Ethiopia. We were excited by the two trip rule as that meant we could spend more time in this country that we love. I am sure some will say we are jumping ship because Korea is faster. And to that I say mind your own business. We shed tears about this decision. We second guessed ourselves. Long before we settled in and found Korea we were looking at national domestic adoption agencies and other countries. Korea hadn't even been brought up but was mentioned to us as a possibility.
We did some research. We did some soul searching. We talked. We thought. We talked some more. It felt right. It made sense. We envisioned our future son or daughter. We couldn't stop talking about Korea. About learning about a new culture about traveling to Asia and Africa with our kids. It fit into our future.
So there you have it. There is the news. We should hopefully fingers crossed be officially in the Korea program before the end of April. We are waiting on Adam Walsh paperwork to come back from California and yet another fingerprint check. And then we settle in to wait with the news of our future child. We don't know how long that will take. It could be a month, it could be 6 months, it could be 8 months. From there we could wait for as many as 11-12 more months before we would travel to Korea. Either way our hearts our open and we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our child.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Pictures of the Big Day :)
The plan for the day was for Kiya to get a great night's sleep, eat well, take a short nap and then off to the Children's Museum for some fun before cast cut off. The reality was Kiya was up at 6:30am, ate okay, refused to take a nap and was pretty grumpy for the first 30 minutes we were at the museum. She warmed up to it all and had a pretty good time. She loved the art room and of course the water room.
Some of the kids were kind of mean to the little kids. They refused to share and were teasing them. I was annoyed and as you can kind of see in the first picture, so was Kiya.
Overall I think she had fun. It would have been nice had she not been so grumpy but such is the life of an almost 2 1/2 year old.
We headed home to cut off the cast. We thought we had the right kind of tin snips but we so didn't. Kiya started screaming and the snips didn't work at all. So off to the store Dave went in search of a better pair. Meanwhile Kiya and I watched Tv and she kept saying "wanna belly free. Wanna my belly free. no cast." It was cute and kind of sad too. But that cast had to go. It was GROSS and super tight on her poor belly.
Here is a picture of her back post bubble bath which she LOVED and asked for all morning.
In other news....we got our first pee pee dance. Yup we got home from dinner last night and Kiya was bouncing and kind of grabbing at her diaper. Sure enough we took her to the potty and she went. And her diaper was dry and had been dry for a couple of hours. Woohoo.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Tomorrow is a BIG day around here
Our 12 weeks in cast number 2 are coming to an end. We are cutting off the cast tomorrow. I am eager for my squishy hugs but hate that they will last for about a week and then we start again.
I am trying to stay hopeful that Kiya's numbers are better. I would take just a little better. Just please not worse.
To celebrate we are going to take Kiya to the children's museum and get wet, dirty whatever. Then we will come home and cut the cast off. Today we bought her some very special Dora bubble bath so off to a tub full of bubbles.
We head to Shriner's for cast number 3 on the 26th. I am hoping to enjoy the week of hugs and freedom. I know that I will be over analyzing what her back looks like...sigh....it's just not possible for me to look at her out of cast and not worry.
Pictures tomorrow of cast cut off and fun at the museum.
I know my last post hinted at some news....we are getting closer to sharing but not just yet.
I am trying to stay hopeful that Kiya's numbers are better. I would take just a little better. Just please not worse.
To celebrate we are going to take Kiya to the children's museum and get wet, dirty whatever. Then we will come home and cut the cast off. Today we bought her some very special Dora bubble bath so off to a tub full of bubbles.
We head to Shriner's for cast number 3 on the 26th. I am hoping to enjoy the week of hugs and freedom. I know that I will be over analyzing what her back looks like...sigh....it's just not possible for me to look at her out of cast and not worry.
Pictures tomorrow of cast cut off and fun at the museum.
I know my last post hinted at some news....we are getting closer to sharing but not just yet.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Where have I been?
Well that is a good question. This whole working 40 plus hours a week and then coming home to full time job number 2 is tough. I have little to no time to do anything and it doesn't help that our laptop is well broken. We can't charge it. You see the power cord was and is a favorite toy of Kiya's. She loves to unplug it and then plug it back in.
I have so much I want to share but am just not ready yet. Trust me I will when the time is right...and it gives me something to write about later :)
That said we are going our best to keep up with Kiya. She is like the energizer bunny. She just won't stop moving.
We are working on potty training and we have good days and bad. Some days she uses the potty multiple times and then there is today when she tells me she has to go potty only to find out that she already went in her pull ups :( We will get there. I think she is starting to kind of get it.
We are about two weeks away from getting to cut off cast number 2. I can hardly believe it has been 10 weeks already. She will get cast number 3 on April 26th. We are fortunate to share our cast date with wonderful friends again which makes the tough day just a little easier.
It is time to update all of our homestudy and adoption paperwork AGAIN. We are waiting to hear if we have to be fingerprinted locally again as that would be the toughest part with both of us working full time. So getting paperwork together is also keeping me busy.
Oh and our 2 year post placement report is coming due. I can hardly believe it. 2 years ago today a judge in Ethiopia made all of my dreams come true by making me officially Kiya's mom. And next month is our 2 years as a family. Not sure what we are going to do for Kiya day but something outdoors and fun. I have to start thinking about how to summarize this last year with this amazing little girl. That is going to be tough. I want her Ethiopian Mom to see those pictures and read that report and not be worried about Kiya. She is doing GREAT. The cast doesn't slow her down at all.
Tomorrow Dave and I head to opening day at Miller Park. We were hoping to tailgate but the weather just isn't going to cooperate. Oh well, it will still be fun. GO BREWERS!
I will check back in again soon.
I have so much I want to share but am just not ready yet. Trust me I will when the time is right...and it gives me something to write about later :)
That said we are going our best to keep up with Kiya. She is like the energizer bunny. She just won't stop moving.
We are working on potty training and we have good days and bad. Some days she uses the potty multiple times and then there is today when she tells me she has to go potty only to find out that she already went in her pull ups :( We will get there. I think she is starting to kind of get it.
We are about two weeks away from getting to cut off cast number 2. I can hardly believe it has been 10 weeks already. She will get cast number 3 on April 26th. We are fortunate to share our cast date with wonderful friends again which makes the tough day just a little easier.
It is time to update all of our homestudy and adoption paperwork AGAIN. We are waiting to hear if we have to be fingerprinted locally again as that would be the toughest part with both of us working full time. So getting paperwork together is also keeping me busy.
Oh and our 2 year post placement report is coming due. I can hardly believe it. 2 years ago today a judge in Ethiopia made all of my dreams come true by making me officially Kiya's mom. And next month is our 2 years as a family. Not sure what we are going to do for Kiya day but something outdoors and fun. I have to start thinking about how to summarize this last year with this amazing little girl. That is going to be tough. I want her Ethiopian Mom to see those pictures and read that report and not be worried about Kiya. She is doing GREAT. The cast doesn't slow her down at all.
Tomorrow Dave and I head to opening day at Miller Park. We were hoping to tailgate but the weather just isn't going to cooperate. Oh well, it will still be fun. GO BREWERS!
I will check back in again soon.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
State of our home address
This picture just about sums up what the state of our home is right now. You see that impy grin....you see the dominoes that are dumped all over the couch and the floor. Yup that is Kiya. She is a non-stop all over the place full fledged toddler. Wow. The amount of energy she has can be a lot. Don't get me wrong she is beyond amazing and beyond adorable and super silly but wow.
She is super sassy as of late. She can be kind of bossy and yet we have a hard time not laughing. The other day she said to me " Mommy, sit down. Time for shoes on." Granted I had no intention of going anywhere but that didn't seem to matter to Kiya.
She is on the verge of jumping. She has mastered running as best she can with a cast on and has decided that jumping is up next. I am so excited for her. Every night she runs into her room and screams "1,2,3 jump." Then she says "Mommy do it." So of course I I say 1, 2, 3 and I jump. Then Kiya says " Daddy do it." So Daddy jumps. To which Kiya responds, "No Daddy. Do 1, 2, 3 jump."
Just last night it was time to brush her teeth and in response to let's go in the bathroom, Kiya says "I'm gonna sit down now." She then sits down on the floor in her room. Sigh.....
Kiya is keeping us on our toes that is for sure. She is determined to try and climb oh everything. She loves to empty dog food out of the dog food bin if we forget to close the door to the laundry room. She loves to kick water out of the laundry room sink during bath time.
We spend a lot of time laughing in this house. We also spend a lot of time exhausted as Kiya doesn't appear to have an off switch. She is silly all the time and just loves to laugh and make others laugh. We are working on her understanding when we are serious and when we aren't. That is a challenge....but so far the threat of a time out usually works.
I love seeing her independent side. Each morning she wakes up and asks to sit up. Which means she wants her pillow propped up and then she wants her books. She then "reads" her books to her babies and stuffed animals while we get ready. It is too cute. And how she wants to tie her own shoes or put her own chapstick on or try to do her own hair. Her independence is a big reason for her sassiness. She is also very stubborn. If she doesn't want to do something like say sit on the potty boy are we going to hear about it.
So the state of our home is silly, goofy, crazy, fun, exhausting and really amazing.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Lost and confused
Adoption is not an easy path. Far from it. Our path got a little more complicated on Friday with the news that Ethiopia was cutting adoptions by 90% starting March 10, 2011.
Sigh. My head realizes that this is the right thing to do. There is too much corruption. Too many lies. I get it. I do. But yet my heart is breaking. My hope and dream of having another Ethiopian born child may not come true.
I am at a total loss. I turn 35 in a few short months. There is no real timeline for an Ethiopian adoption. Yet, supposedly only 5 letters written per day. That is five across all agencies and countries. The Ministry of Women's Affairs only works about 200 or less days a year... we are easily still well in to the high 200's on our agencies waiting list. This could take a few more years or it could all change again in a few months. It is a HUGE unknown.
So we are at a crossroads. Should we stay or should we go? We are torn. We would love to adopt again from Ethiopia. I would want to feel certain that that adoption was truly ethical. Yet am I ready to wait an unknown amount of time....I don't know. Is that selfish....probably.
I can't deny that I am getting older. I had always thought I would be done having kids by the time I was in my early thirties and well life just didn't turn out that way. I truly believe everything happens for a reason and I am beyond thrilled that Kiya joined our family when she did.
Are we meant to find another path to expanding our family? I don't know. Are we meant to only have one child? I don't know.
There are a lot of unknowns right now. We have a lot of questions and not a whole lot of answers. I will be touching base with our country specialist and our local homestudy social worker this week. I am not really sure what I will ask them but I feel like I need to get a glimpse into what might be the reality of the wait to adopt from Ethiopia.
In the meantime I have started doing my homework. What am I researching....well other countries and even domestic adoption. My heart belongs in Ethiopia so in my research I am trying to see if there is room in my heart for a different path. I am terrified of all that is out there but yet excited to see where we might go.
Sigh. My head realizes that this is the right thing to do. There is too much corruption. Too many lies. I get it. I do. But yet my heart is breaking. My hope and dream of having another Ethiopian born child may not come true.
I am at a total loss. I turn 35 in a few short months. There is no real timeline for an Ethiopian adoption. Yet, supposedly only 5 letters written per day. That is five across all agencies and countries. The Ministry of Women's Affairs only works about 200 or less days a year... we are easily still well in to the high 200's on our agencies waiting list. This could take a few more years or it could all change again in a few months. It is a HUGE unknown.
So we are at a crossroads. Should we stay or should we go? We are torn. We would love to adopt again from Ethiopia. I would want to feel certain that that adoption was truly ethical. Yet am I ready to wait an unknown amount of time....I don't know. Is that selfish....probably.
I can't deny that I am getting older. I had always thought I would be done having kids by the time I was in my early thirties and well life just didn't turn out that way. I truly believe everything happens for a reason and I am beyond thrilled that Kiya joined our family when she did.
Are we meant to find another path to expanding our family? I don't know. Are we meant to only have one child? I don't know.
There are a lot of unknowns right now. We have a lot of questions and not a whole lot of answers. I will be touching base with our country specialist and our local homestudy social worker this week. I am not really sure what I will ask them but I feel like I need to get a glimpse into what might be the reality of the wait to adopt from Ethiopia.
In the meantime I have started doing my homework. What am I researching....well other countries and even domestic adoption. My heart belongs in Ethiopia so in my research I am trying to see if there is room in my heart for a different path. I am terrified of all that is out there but yet excited to see where we might go.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Life with a bossy 2 year old
Miss Kiya has always had an opinion and she definitely makes herself heard which is part of what I love about her. Now that she is talking all the time and in 3 and 4 word sentences she is well more dramatic, animated and bossy.
Oh and did I mention particular. Her new phrases are "Mommy do it. or Daddy do it. Or Mommy read it or Daddy read it. If Daddy tries to brush Kiya's teeth we get a prompt, No, Mommy do it. And most of the time if Mommy tries to put on Kiya's shoes, we get a No Daddy do it.
She is also very big on saying, Kiya's water or towel or doll or tee tee (blanket). Most of the time she is talking about her own things so it is fine. Occasionally, she will say things like "Kiya's car. Car go home." That car was not hers, it was her little friends....did I mention it is tough to rationalize with a 2 year old?
The word no has also become a favorite again. Yesterday and most days it is "no hat". Today it was no socks and my favorite, " Mommy, no poop. no poop." She had pooped but didn't want me to change her because she was watching her favorite show.
Last night on the potty we got a whole round of no's. No towel, no light, Kiya no potty, no bath, etc. It was pretty cute but for sure the highlight was Kiya actually going poop on the potty. I am pretty sure it was a mere coincidence as we thought she was done and it was bedtime so we took her diaper off so she could go sit on the potty and low and behold she wasn't done yet. I will take the victory but also realize that Kiya isn't ready just yet for full potty training.
Life with a 2 year old so far isn't that bad. Yes we have the tantrums at times and the occasional timeout usually for not listening but really it is manageable. She is really a great kid. I love that I can have a real, actual conversation with her in which she understands me and I her.
Sure she is bossy and stubborn but that is Kiya and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Oh and did I mention particular. Her new phrases are "Mommy do it. or Daddy do it. Or Mommy read it or Daddy read it. If Daddy tries to brush Kiya's teeth we get a prompt, No, Mommy do it. And most of the time if Mommy tries to put on Kiya's shoes, we get a No Daddy do it.
She is also very big on saying, Kiya's water or towel or doll or tee tee (blanket). Most of the time she is talking about her own things so it is fine. Occasionally, she will say things like "Kiya's car. Car go home." That car was not hers, it was her little friends....did I mention it is tough to rationalize with a 2 year old?
The word no has also become a favorite again. Yesterday and most days it is "no hat". Today it was no socks and my favorite, " Mommy, no poop. no poop." She had pooped but didn't want me to change her because she was watching her favorite show.
Last night on the potty we got a whole round of no's. No towel, no light, Kiya no potty, no bath, etc. It was pretty cute but for sure the highlight was Kiya actually going poop on the potty. I am pretty sure it was a mere coincidence as we thought she was done and it was bedtime so we took her diaper off so she could go sit on the potty and low and behold she wasn't done yet. I will take the victory but also realize that Kiya isn't ready just yet for full potty training.
Life with a 2 year old so far isn't that bad. Yes we have the tantrums at times and the occasional timeout usually for not listening but really it is manageable. She is really a great kid. I love that I can have a real, actual conversation with her in which she understands me and I her.
Sure she is bossy and stubborn but that is Kiya and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Bad blogger
I am a bad blogger. I admit it. It is hard to find the time with working full time and all. I miss it. I do. I just choose to spend what little free time I have with Kiya.
So what's new? Well, Kiya is settling in to the terrible two's. Wow. That kid has some serious spunk and she will make sure anyone within a few mile radius can hear her Good thing she is so cute :) One minute she is singing and dancing and the next she is throwing a fit kicking and screaming on the floor.
She has decided that strollers are for babies and so are shopping carts. She wants to walk. She doesn't always listen but a few timeouts/ins for not listening has helped her remember to listen to mommy and daddy.
She has also become quite bossy. Her latest and I quote "Mommy, 1, 2, 3, sit down. sit down". Not sure where she picked this up but I am assuming at daycare. They must ask the kids to sit down and count....not sure but am definitely going to ask her teachers today.
We also found out that Kiya will be getting her next cast on Monday January 31st. Six days. Six days of real baths and squishy hugs left. I am full of emotions. I am thrilled that this is really going to happen but also sad that sweet Kiya's cast free days are just about over. I want so badly to hear what her xray numbers are and yet I am terrified about them. I look at her and sometimes she seems really crooked and other times not. I hate scoliosis. Hate it. But I won't let my hate stand in the way of beating it and hopefully that is what we are doing with these casts is kicking scoliosis to the curb.
Life is definitely keeping us busy. I am not loving working full time. I may inquire about reducing my hours and working part time just to gain a little more sanity if that is even possible when you live with a 2 year old.
So what's new? Well, Kiya is settling in to the terrible two's. Wow. That kid has some serious spunk and she will make sure anyone within a few mile radius can hear her Good thing she is so cute :) One minute she is singing and dancing and the next she is throwing a fit kicking and screaming on the floor.
She has decided that strollers are for babies and so are shopping carts. She wants to walk. She doesn't always listen but a few timeouts/ins for not listening has helped her remember to listen to mommy and daddy.
She has also become quite bossy. Her latest and I quote "Mommy, 1, 2, 3, sit down. sit down". Not sure where she picked this up but I am assuming at daycare. They must ask the kids to sit down and count....not sure but am definitely going to ask her teachers today.
We also found out that Kiya will be getting her next cast on Monday January 31st. Six days. Six days of real baths and squishy hugs left. I am full of emotions. I am thrilled that this is really going to happen but also sad that sweet Kiya's cast free days are just about over. I want so badly to hear what her xray numbers are and yet I am terrified about them. I look at her and sometimes she seems really crooked and other times not. I hate scoliosis. Hate it. But I won't let my hate stand in the way of beating it and hopefully that is what we are doing with these casts is kicking scoliosis to the curb.
Life is definitely keeping us busy. I am not loving working full time. I may inquire about reducing my hours and working part time just to gain a little more sanity if that is even possible when you live with a 2 year old.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Life
No this isn't going to be some philosophical post....trust me. It will likely be full of whining, complaining and well just my over all need to vent.
Well, to start Kiya was scheduled for her 2nd cast on Tuesday Jan. 18th. I had to call and cancel that this morning. Kiya is sick. She developed this nasty cough and I just can't put her under anesthesia. And there is the chance that the anesthesiologist would have sent us home anyway.
So what does this mean....well to start,Kiya will be out of cast for more than 2 months. I am not happy about that but really there isn't anything I can do about that. From observation, her back looks good. As good as it can I think. I could be totally delusional and wishing that to be true but I do think that one cast got us some correction and for now that correction seems to holding. Saying prayers that that doesn't change while we wait for a new cast date.
And here is where this post gets worse.....LIFE IS UNFAIR. Yup it is true. And it goes so much beyond Kiya having to face all of these obstacles at a young age. I got a phone call at about 1am this morning. You know when the phone rings at that hour it is never good news. And this call was no different.
On the other end was my dearest and best friend of 20 years. She was noticeably upset. She then proceeded to tell me that her dad died. what??? I was in shock. I think I stayed in shock until this morning when it really hit me. The man that allowed me to spend countless hours at his house in high school. He made me try duck stew. He gave me my first sip of champagne in a Dixie cup. He managed to convince the wait staff at my wedding to keep bringing him chocolate truffles. And now he is gone. How did this happen??
I wanted nothing more than to reach through the phone and cry and hug my best friend. I still want to. It is so unfair. So unfair. He was too young. He has these 3 amazing grandkids, 2 amazing kids and an amazing wife. This family is my second family. I feel awful. I want to be able to do something and yet there is nothing I can do.
I tried to put on a tough face and go to work this morning and I couldn't. Every time I opened my mouth to talk. I started to cry. It was too much. I went home.
So I am not in a great spot today. I am trying to make sense of something that just doesn't make sense. That and trying to see if I can swing plane tickets to California to hug the one person I really need to be with right now.
Well, to start Kiya was scheduled for her 2nd cast on Tuesday Jan. 18th. I had to call and cancel that this morning. Kiya is sick. She developed this nasty cough and I just can't put her under anesthesia. And there is the chance that the anesthesiologist would have sent us home anyway.
So what does this mean....well to start,Kiya will be out of cast for more than 2 months. I am not happy about that but really there isn't anything I can do about that. From observation, her back looks good. As good as it can I think. I could be totally delusional and wishing that to be true but I do think that one cast got us some correction and for now that correction seems to holding. Saying prayers that that doesn't change while we wait for a new cast date.
And here is where this post gets worse.....LIFE IS UNFAIR. Yup it is true. And it goes so much beyond Kiya having to face all of these obstacles at a young age. I got a phone call at about 1am this morning. You know when the phone rings at that hour it is never good news. And this call was no different.
On the other end was my dearest and best friend of 20 years. She was noticeably upset. She then proceeded to tell me that her dad died. what??? I was in shock. I think I stayed in shock until this morning when it really hit me. The man that allowed me to spend countless hours at his house in high school. He made me try duck stew. He gave me my first sip of champagne in a Dixie cup. He managed to convince the wait staff at my wedding to keep bringing him chocolate truffles. And now he is gone. How did this happen??
I wanted nothing more than to reach through the phone and cry and hug my best friend. I still want to. It is so unfair. So unfair. He was too young. He has these 3 amazing grandkids, 2 amazing kids and an amazing wife. This family is my second family. I feel awful. I want to be able to do something and yet there is nothing I can do.
I tried to put on a tough face and go to work this morning and I couldn't. Every time I opened my mouth to talk. I started to cry. It was too much. I went home.
So I am not in a great spot today. I am trying to make sense of something that just doesn't make sense. That and trying to see if I can swing plane tickets to California to hug the one person I really need to be with right now.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Where oh where have I been?
Let's see....I started working full time. Yup. It isn't fabulous but it is necessary for now. There is an end in sight once Little Man comes home in 18 months or 2 years or whatever it may be. For now I will adjust. We will adjust.
I work full time as a bank teller. I know you are jealous... It isn't the worst thing in the world but definitely not something I am super passionate about. I do though really enjoy the people I work with and that is the main reason I took the job was because of the people. It is hard to stand on your feet for 8 plus hours a day but I bought some new shoes today which should help :)
So what else is new...I have zero free time since my job is 8-6 hours most days and Kiya starting next week will be going to daycare 4 days a week. She is thriving. This change in schedule so far hasn't been an issue. She is doing better than great. Her daycare teachers just love how her big personality is really starting to shine and just how much she loves to sing. She even went pee pee on the potty at daycare twice in one day. We are nowhere near being fully potty trained but she is definitely starting to really get it.
Kiya is talking more and more in actual sentences. It is too cute. She can be quite bossy with these sentences but still nice to hear. She is loving sleeping in her big girl bed and is getting better about staying in bed. Apparently she does great at naptime for grandma and grandpa and we get about 2 times a night before she just crashes. We haven't had too many more 2am-4am periods where she decides to sing, play, etc. So maybe it was night terrors, teething or just a phase who knows, I just hope whatever it was stays away.
We also hired our first babysitter. I was really nervous but I didn't need to be. Kiya did great. She clicked instantly with the babysitter and they had a great time together. It was a huge relief. The played with stickers and crayons and had a lot of fun.
So as for blogging....may not happen hardly at all during the week but I will try. I miss it but we are all still adjusting to our new lifestyle.
What's in the future...well Kiya was supposed to have her 2 year pictures tomorrow but we are under a blizzard warning so that may or may not happen. We hope at the very least to put her sleigh from last Christmas to good use. No worries we will take pictures :)
I work full time as a bank teller. I know you are jealous... It isn't the worst thing in the world but definitely not something I am super passionate about. I do though really enjoy the people I work with and that is the main reason I took the job was because of the people. It is hard to stand on your feet for 8 plus hours a day but I bought some new shoes today which should help :)
So what else is new...I have zero free time since my job is 8-6 hours most days and Kiya starting next week will be going to daycare 4 days a week. She is thriving. This change in schedule so far hasn't been an issue. She is doing better than great. Her daycare teachers just love how her big personality is really starting to shine and just how much she loves to sing. She even went pee pee on the potty at daycare twice in one day. We are nowhere near being fully potty trained but she is definitely starting to really get it.
Kiya is talking more and more in actual sentences. It is too cute. She can be quite bossy with these sentences but still nice to hear. She is loving sleeping in her big girl bed and is getting better about staying in bed. Apparently she does great at naptime for grandma and grandpa and we get about 2 times a night before she just crashes. We haven't had too many more 2am-4am periods where she decides to sing, play, etc. So maybe it was night terrors, teething or just a phase who knows, I just hope whatever it was stays away.
We also hired our first babysitter. I was really nervous but I didn't need to be. Kiya did great. She clicked instantly with the babysitter and they had a great time together. It was a huge relief. The played with stickers and crayons and had a lot of fun.
So as for blogging....may not happen hardly at all during the week but I will try. I miss it but we are all still adjusting to our new lifestyle.
What's in the future...well Kiya was supposed to have her 2 year pictures tomorrow but we are under a blizzard warning so that may or may not happen. We hope at the very least to put her sleigh from last Christmas to good use. No worries we will take pictures :)
Friday, December 3, 2010
The missing piece
I have been thinking about how to write this particular post for a while. This one is solely about our Little Man whoever he is. We have been officially waiting for 1 year well over that now but still. We got Kiya's referral in 11 months, 2 weeks and 1 day. We are likely still 11-12 months possibly more away from experiencing the joy that is seeing our child's face for the first time.
That said this wait isn't on my mind daily. It is there just not the same way it was the first time around. Don't get me wrong, I definitely feel the tug and there is definitely a piece missing in our family but I can't focus 2 years of my life on waiting for a phone call. I honestly don't know how first time parents are surviving the wait. Waiting for the phone to ring the first time around was VERY challenging for me. I can't go back to that place.
Some days though while driving I just can't help but think about Ethiopia, about our Little Man, about the unfortunate circumstances that will lead to him being our son. My heart aches to see his face and to know his story. I pray for his first family. My joy when that phone rings is coming with tremendous loss half way around the world.
From here on out it is possible that our son could be born at any time. His mother could be pregnant right now. He could still be just a glimmer....we just don't know. I was talking to a mom today at the store. She had a little boy and I was buying a dress for Kiya. She commented how she has all boys and couldn't buy those adorable girl dresses. I said it was likely easier on her budget. We laughed and I told her we were going to have a son too. She immediately congratulated me and asked when I was due. I laughed. I explained that we are adopting a son and hope to have him in our arms forever in early 2012. She didn't really know what to say other than good luck.
I don't really think there is luck involved in adoption. Adoption stems from a want on our end to have a son and an unfortunate set of circumstances on the other whether it be death, illness, poverty, rape, or all of the above. It isn't luck at all. It is quite sad really. We will shed tears of joy while family in Ethiopia are shedding tears of extreme sadness.
That said there is definitely a piece in my heart ready for my Little Man. I am holding it there for him when he is ready to take it. I will continue to pray for him, his mother, his family and hope that when it is supposed to be it will all go as smoothly as it can.
For now and the next year or so, I will keep my Little Man in my heart. I am ready for the missing piece to be filled and I know the heaviness that comes with that piece falling into place. Who knows maybe next year at this time my heart will be filled as just maybe I will be blessed enough to have his picture in hand and story to sort through and can begin to prepare for life as a family of 4.
That said this wait isn't on my mind daily. It is there just not the same way it was the first time around. Don't get me wrong, I definitely feel the tug and there is definitely a piece missing in our family but I can't focus 2 years of my life on waiting for a phone call. I honestly don't know how first time parents are surviving the wait. Waiting for the phone to ring the first time around was VERY challenging for me. I can't go back to that place.
Some days though while driving I just can't help but think about Ethiopia, about our Little Man, about the unfortunate circumstances that will lead to him being our son. My heart aches to see his face and to know his story. I pray for his first family. My joy when that phone rings is coming with tremendous loss half way around the world.
From here on out it is possible that our son could be born at any time. His mother could be pregnant right now. He could still be just a glimmer....we just don't know. I was talking to a mom today at the store. She had a little boy and I was buying a dress for Kiya. She commented how she has all boys and couldn't buy those adorable girl dresses. I said it was likely easier on her budget. We laughed and I told her we were going to have a son too. She immediately congratulated me and asked when I was due. I laughed. I explained that we are adopting a son and hope to have him in our arms forever in early 2012. She didn't really know what to say other than good luck.
I don't really think there is luck involved in adoption. Adoption stems from a want on our end to have a son and an unfortunate set of circumstances on the other whether it be death, illness, poverty, rape, or all of the above. It isn't luck at all. It is quite sad really. We will shed tears of joy while family in Ethiopia are shedding tears of extreme sadness.
That said there is definitely a piece in my heart ready for my Little Man. I am holding it there for him when he is ready to take it. I will continue to pray for him, his mother, his family and hope that when it is supposed to be it will all go as smoothly as it can.
For now and the next year or so, I will keep my Little Man in my heart. I am ready for the missing piece to be filled and I know the heaviness that comes with that piece falling into place. Who knows maybe next year at this time my heart will be filled as just maybe I will be blessed enough to have his picture in hand and story to sort through and can begin to prepare for life as a family of 4.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Kiya is 2
It is official. Kiya turned 2 today. We had a family party on Thanksgiving with a Dora cake. Kiya dug right into the frosting and yet still wouldn't eat the cake. She loved the Dora, Diego and Boots figures though so it was still a success.
So today we are celebrating all things Kiya and yet we are taking a pause tonight to honor and remember a very special woman. 2 years ago some 7000 miles away, Zinash went into labor while at school taking her exams and she gave birth to Annakiya Yewibdar at a clinic in Angacha, Ethiopia later that night.
I have really no words. We are truly blessed and honored to be able to parent Kiya. I wish I could hop on a plane right now and go to Ethiopia and find Zinash and let her really see just what an amazing little girl she gave birth too. I know Kiya gets her fight and drive from her Mama Zinash. Some day we will make this happen. We have to.
Someday when Kiya reads this I want her to know just how much I love her and just how much she inspires me. She is a remarkable kid that just won't let anything stop her. She has fight and drive and silliness and sassiness. She lights up any room and can be shy or the life of the party. She loves all things music. She loves to sing and dance sometimes in the middle of the night. She loves to talk. She gives the best hugs. She loves the park and to count. She loves her dogs and her tee tee (blanket).
Her current favorite foods are bread and butter, peanut butter cups, bananas, all things chicken, fish sticks, ranch dressing, ketchup, sweet corn, cheese, mac n cheese, pizza, turkey dogs, oranges, peas and pasta.
She is a princess and tomboy. She loves jewelery and dolls and to play with cars and rocks.
Kiya is truly a rock star and I am just so proud of her. She has been given a big plate of stuff to deal with this year and she is tackling it like a champ with grace, attitude and pizazz. Look out world, Kiya is on the move literally this year and nothing is going to stand in her way or slow her down.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Thankful
I am taking a pause to truly appreciate all that I am thankful for as we approach Thanksgiving.
First and foremost, I am thankful for my daughter. Kiya is truly the most amazing kid. I am just so proud of her. She just takes things as they come and bounces back stronger than ever. I am so honored to be able to be her mother. She is teaching me a lot.
I am grateful for my husband. He through all of this craziness that we call parenthood has stood next to me and encouraged me and supported me. I couldn't have done half of this without him.
I am thankful for my family. I have amazing parents and in-laws. I am one lucky girl and Kiya is blessed with truly wonderful grandparents.
I am thankful for my lucky cast friends. These women, children and families have been in my life for a few short months yet they are the most amazing friends. They pick me up when I am down. The send me kind words and cyber hugs and offer support when I need it. I have made lifelong friends and so grateful for that.
I am grateful that I finally have a job :) The interview I thought went so well did in fact go that well. They called me back today and offered me a job. I have to pass a background check first but I am pretty sure that won't be an issue :) The plan is to do that and have me start in early December.
I am grateful for Shriner's Hospital, for Dr. H, Linda, Gwen, Robert and everyone else that works with Kiya. They are amazing and have made this journey manageable and I can tell they truly care about each and every kid that walks in those doors.
Lastly, I am going to take the time to be thankful for my squishy hugs, messy bathroom floor and the bonus cast free time.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
***Update in Kiya's Kare Korner***
First and foremost, I am thankful for my daughter. Kiya is truly the most amazing kid. I am just so proud of her. She just takes things as they come and bounces back stronger than ever. I am so honored to be able to be her mother. She is teaching me a lot.
I am grateful for my husband. He through all of this craziness that we call parenthood has stood next to me and encouraged me and supported me. I couldn't have done half of this without him.
I am thankful for my family. I have amazing parents and in-laws. I am one lucky girl and Kiya is blessed with truly wonderful grandparents.
I am thankful for my lucky cast friends. These women, children and families have been in my life for a few short months yet they are the most amazing friends. They pick me up when I am down. The send me kind words and cyber hugs and offer support when I need it. I have made lifelong friends and so grateful for that.
I am grateful that I finally have a job :) The interview I thought went so well did in fact go that well. They called me back today and offered me a job. I have to pass a background check first but I am pretty sure that won't be an issue :) The plan is to do that and have me start in early December.
I am grateful for Shriner's Hospital, for Dr. H, Linda, Gwen, Robert and everyone else that works with Kiya. They are amazing and have made this journey manageable and I can tell they truly care about each and every kid that walks in those doors.
Lastly, I am going to take the time to be thankful for my squishy hugs, messy bathroom floor and the bonus cast free time.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
***Update in Kiya's Kare Korner***
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
18 months ago
18 months ago yesterday I walked up 4 flights of stairs and saw my sweet baby girl on the floor. Seconds later her nanny handed her to me and my 6 year long dream of being a mother had finally and really come true.
Here she was this tiny little almost 6 month old piece of perfection. She weighed 12lbs and couldn't hold her head up straight when she was sitting. She couldn't sit up unassisted and she couldn't really bare any weight on her legs. She was so tiny and sweet and well beautiful. I was in love. The feeling was definitely not mutual at first.
Kiya didn't really like or want to be held a lot. She was very independent and very cautious with her eye contact. Sh didn't trust me. To her I was merely a meeter of needs. Food, shelter, clothing, etc. I wasn't yet truly her mother.
Now 18 months later, Miss Kiya loves to snuggle and give hugs and kisses. She can be a little on the clingy side more recently but that is age appropriate. She is a walking, talking, independent and lovely little girl.
We have come a long way in 18 months. She is coming into her own in this new role of being a big girl. She was never much of a baby baby. She never really liked bottles and she still likes to do things or try them by herself. We saw her strength in her referral picture. We knew she was one tough and cautious cookie. Cautious in the who are you and what do you want way. She is a little bit of a daredevil otherwise. She was more so before her cast but that doesn't stop her from trying to climb on the couch or out of bed.
She is smart, funny and really very sweet. These 18 months have not always been easy and she has faced some obstacles but has bounced back and is truly a resilient kid. She never ceases to amaze me.
We have developed this wonderful relationship that I hope nurtures and grows. She listens to me and I to her. We don't always agree and well since she is almost 2 you can imagine the meltdowns but either way our relationship is beautiful. It took time and will always need work but the big thing is she trusts me. She needs me. I need her. We need each other. She has taught me so much and I look forward to teaching her and watching her grow.
And while I rely on 4 shot lattes to get me through toddlerhood, I am so in love with this amazing little person. She challenges me and tests me and sometimes that is hard but it comes with being a parent. And I LOVE being a parent.
Here she was this tiny little almost 6 month old piece of perfection. She weighed 12lbs and couldn't hold her head up straight when she was sitting. She couldn't sit up unassisted and she couldn't really bare any weight on her legs. She was so tiny and sweet and well beautiful. I was in love. The feeling was definitely not mutual at first.
Kiya didn't really like or want to be held a lot. She was very independent and very cautious with her eye contact. Sh didn't trust me. To her I was merely a meeter of needs. Food, shelter, clothing, etc. I wasn't yet truly her mother.
Now 18 months later, Miss Kiya loves to snuggle and give hugs and kisses. She can be a little on the clingy side more recently but that is age appropriate. She is a walking, talking, independent and lovely little girl.
We have come a long way in 18 months. She is coming into her own in this new role of being a big girl. She was never much of a baby baby. She never really liked bottles and she still likes to do things or try them by herself. We saw her strength in her referral picture. We knew she was one tough and cautious cookie. Cautious in the who are you and what do you want way. She is a little bit of a daredevil otherwise. She was more so before her cast but that doesn't stop her from trying to climb on the couch or out of bed.
She is smart, funny and really very sweet. These 18 months have not always been easy and she has faced some obstacles but has bounced back and is truly a resilient kid. She never ceases to amaze me.
We have developed this wonderful relationship that I hope nurtures and grows. She listens to me and I to her. We don't always agree and well since she is almost 2 you can imagine the meltdowns but either way our relationship is beautiful. It took time and will always need work but the big thing is she trusts me. She needs me. I need her. We need each other. She has taught me so much and I look forward to teaching her and watching her grow.
And while I rely on 4 shot lattes to get me through toddlerhood, I am so in love with this amazing little person. She challenges me and tests me and sometimes that is hard but it comes with being a parent. And I LOVE being a parent.
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