Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Oh my, It has been a long long while since my last blog! :/  I know!

To catch up since my last post:


  • Alivia has been home with us now almost right at 2 years on March 10th.  She is now 5 years old.
  • She is doing very well. 
  • She has been attending preschool and speech therapy to assist with developing language.
  • Since we moved to TN, she no longer qualifies for the extra speech programing and is now considered a peer model for her class.  This is even despite her only have one working ear.  AMAZING!
  • Alivia has been involved in gymnastics.  Most recently this past summer was eligible to join the gymnastics team.
  • Alivia participated in her first ever Nutcracker production as a Mouse!
  • Alivia enjoys playing with her brothers trucks, cars and paw patrol too!
  • This gal is such a JOY!

So what is going on now?

  • Guess what?  We are adopting again!
  • Not just one but two!!!
  • Yes, we will be bringing home 2 little girls sometime early spring 2016.


To Be Continued.............

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

First Post Adoption Visit

Well, we are making strides in many areas.  We were told that AG was very afraid of dogs.  I expected that.  However , when we brought her home I really thought she would be terrified.  She was a little nervous at first especially with our bigger dog.  The little dog she made friends with within a couple of days.  She would ask to play with the smaller dog "Layah".  The big dog "Belle" she had absolutely no interest in and she became extremely fearful if she was near "Belle".  One day, we let Belle out by accident while AG was outside playing. Anyway it scared the crap out of Miss AG when Belle came running up to kiss her.  Well, this made the fear worse as we scooped AG up and rushed her inside.  Oh my, dog traning therapy for AG needed to start.  Each day the boys would play with Belle and show her  (AG) that the dog was friendly and fun.  Daddy would show her the big doggy was friendly and fun and within two days Miss AG was begging to feed the big doggy cookie treats and no longer crying or fearful.  I still have to hold her near the dog- but she is ok to be close and throw treats at Belle.  Huge progress.

Learning English

On another note AG is exploding in the language department.  At night, before we go to sleep she is the most talkative saying every family members name and all the Disney characters.  She is beginning to use some multi word sentences on her own without prompting (she repeats most anything).  

She still uses a few Chinese words and we are ok with that for now.  

This once used to be daddies girl has turned into momma's girl.  She still loves to run and see daddy when he comes home from work but quickly worries and wonders where her momma is.  In China she would not let me sleep near her.  Now she falls asleep rubbing my hand and I rubbing hers snuggled up close to me.  When she finally is asleep her arm is wrapped around me.  So precious!

I still have to pinch myself--- last week we were at the boys dance lessons.  There is a cabinet full of second hand dance and tap shoes.  AG saw some that thought would fit her and ask that we look at them.  We tried on TAP shoes.  My heart melted.  She wanted them so bad and they were only $5 - I could not resist.  SOLD.  She tapped around all night long.  I could instruct her a bit for short periods of time (heel steps and brush steps). But she really just loved the noise!  

Today, she put on the tap shoes and asked that I put on mine (mine are in the laundry room so she sees them and plays with them). I said ok and off we went with our tap shoes and a few shuffles here and there.

When we first got home from China we tried to get AG to pedal a tricycle or small bike and it was a challenge.  How quickly she has learned though.  Now she pedals the big wheel, tricycle and small bicycle with training wheels very well. Even beginning to steer some!:))

Swimming lessons started this week as well. More details Ina later post.  

We are still enjoying mommy and me story time and activites.  Miss AG is getting more comfortable.  Today she interacted with other children and other adults happily tossing a ball.  Yeah!!

Now we are preparing for our first post adoption meeting.  I went a little crazy organizing.  When it strikes my mood - I go with it.  Since before China I have been wanting to change the playroom into more of a study.  So that we did.  We moved the boys desks into the old playroom.  This way I can keep my eyes on them during homework/study time.  I even set up a little table for AG to do her preschool work.  She loves counting and learning nursery rhymes.  She is very interested in the ABC's as well.  It was a big job moving furniture around but fun.  We got so much done and I think we will make good use of the space.  I also have the worlds best big boy helpers!

First - post adoption meeting went great. Just lots of questions about how AG and the family are adapting and adjusting.  We passed with flying colors!  Yeah! The social worker said AG seemed to be adapting very well.  

We can not thank her caregivers in China enough for preparing her so well.  We know God has his hand on this process.  We also are grateful to her birth parents for allowing us the opportunity to raise up this amazing child.  Thankful and Blessed!

Xoxo
Traci





Thursday, April 10, 2014

One Month Home

First, I would like to thank everyone for the continued prayers, thoughts, gifts, kind words and words of encouragement throughout this process.  We are so very grateful.

Well, one month has passed since Family Day meeting our girl.  All I can say is pinch me.  I am over the moon ......  I can say honestly - I believe we all are.  When I see Brennan and Carson holding her, playing with her and kissing the booboi's away it just melts my heart.  

Brian and I still look at each other in amazement.  Amazement that this girl is ours that she is hysterically funny (she cracks jokes and knows she is doing it lol). She knows she's funny too.  She picks up on what we are doing and saying.  She wants to do and participate in everything the boys do ( soccer, tennis, hip hop etc..). She enjoys the mommy and me classes- especially our Friday classes where she loves the gymnastics apparatus type equipment. 



Today (Wednesday)was very cute.  This morning Miss AG asked to put on the Backpack that her daddy/baba Carried her in all over China.  I put it on her and then she asked for her baby to go in the back.  She walked around the house for awhile until the backpack carrier fell off as it was hue on her.  


Since it was daddy's day off we celebrated family day with daddy's Delious fish tacos.  Next, we went on a family bike ride.  Then finally off to the new Carvel ice cream shop. AG had been asking for ice cream and popcorn all day lol.  I think because she experienced these items in China with such joy.  Anyway - we came home and made popcorn.  She and I bagged it up for snack time.  




At bedtime - I go around and kiss the boys and tell them I love you.  Well,  when I kissed AG she asked to kiss her baby dolls too - so I did.  After awhile I hear her ---  "I love you.  I love you. I love you." I look over and she was kissing her babies over and over saying "I love you I love you". Oh my, this just warms this momma's heart.  Brian and I looked at each other once again and said "we have been blessed". 

Thank you for the doll!

Love - Traci xoxo

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Now that we are home!

Well, now that we have been home a little over a week and the boys have been back at school and daddy back at work- Miss AG and I have been bonding!  

She is pure joy!  Her laughter is infectious. A dream come true.

We are having lots of fun with outings - play dates and mommy and me classes. This bonding time has been what I have been longing for.  :)) this momma's heart could explode!:))

We now play with the little dog Layah but still not the big dog yet!

We say Mickey Mouse, Elmo, Carson, brennan, momma, baba (dad), grandma, grandpa, Diane, Bob, up, please, thank you and many more English words. I still use the translator to tell her things I think she may not be understanding.  This helps to eliminate frustration if there is any.  She really goes along very well.

Picking up the boys from school!
She sleeps amazingly well!  And so peaceful!  We have been blessed!
This girl is so active!  We love Mommy and Me classes!
She loves books, dolls and all toys!  She repeats numbers and the alphabet. 

We pinch ourselves everyday that she is really living with us.  She is so precious!

Thank you God for this sweet blessing of a child.  We are grateful and thankful!


Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Guangzhou to Hong Kong

I don't think I have mentioned how attached Miss AG is to her daddy.  Oh my heavens this girl screams at the top of her lungs if she is away from daddy.  Our guide had let us know that the child might tAke to one parent over the other.  She wants me to help dress her and take her to the bathroom but that is it!!  Otherwise she swats at me if I come near her and her daddy lol.

Well - today was a travel day.  Exhausting for Brian as this was our girls first travel experience- first time on a plane.  She was not sure what to think.  The plane ride went well all accept for daddy getting up to goto the bathroom and she screamed the whole time he was gone.

Today brought progress though.  After we got to the hotel and met our new guide - I mentioned that AG was super attached to daddy and he would be going back to work when we got home- how would I be able to bond with this child?  Well,  the guide rattled something to AG (spoke to her in Chinese) and whatever she told her worked because from that moment on Miss AG was happy and Joyful to play with all of us.  Even the boys too which was not sure of.

The minute we got in the new hotel room she was beaming and playful with the boys and I playing horsy on Carson...

Brian was not feeling well so I decided to take the kids down to the hotel playground so daddy could rest.  She was happy to go along with the boys and I.  Such progress.


City Tour - in Guangzhou, we toured a Buddist Temple, where we had Miss AG blessed for a great future.  We also toured the Olde Chen House.

Boat Cruise- One evening - all the adoptive families gathered to take a Riverboat Cruise.  We all ordered Papa Johns as the guides mentioned the Americans did not care for the traditional food on the cruise.

Mexican night-  After many days and nights - yes - a Mexican Restaurant was much welcomed!

Mcdonalds - and McDonalds was welcomed as well.  Miss AG enjoyed French Fries and ketchup lol.


US Consulate - it's official - we visited the US Consulate to finalize all paperwork so that when we arrive in the US she will be a US citizen. 

Last stop Hong Kong as our flight back to the US was via Hong Kong.  A trip to Hong Kong Disneyland was a delight!



AG and Daddy
Fun in the Hotel room with Brothers
Olde Chen House
The Blessing
Riverboat cruise.  Two pieces of pizza for this girl!
On the cruise

Hong Kong Disney

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Zhengzhou Fun

Zhengzhou fun

We had a great time visiting a park down the street from the hotel.  It had a nice walking path around a small pond where residents were fishing.  Many like to exercise here or practice Chinese Opera.

In the back of the park they have a few small carnival rides.  AG was happy to ride.

We also enjoyed ping pong with friends from our group and then a bit of swimming later.  We are trying to fill the time as we wait for paperwork to complete.

The food and service at restaurants has been very good and cheap!:))

Thank you so very much for the continued prayers.

Love
Traci 


Daddy feeding AG
Sleeping on Daddy
Swimming withDaddy
Fun in Zhengzhou park