Honoring Olivia's Past

Love Without Boundaries is sponsoring a fundraiser to assist families in China to pay for surgeries for their children they could not otherwise afford. See below for more information. Love Without Boundaries is important in our family's life because they support a nutrition program at the orphanage Olivia is from. LWB assisted in providing formula to Olivia while she was there. In a previous post I linked to the LWB blog which shows pictures of their staff at Qingliu, including pictures of Olivia.

In honor of our anniversary of meeting Olivia, I asked some friends from work to donate to the fund and I am very pleased with the response from them and from family. If you have a dollar, an envelope and a stamp, please join in.

From LWB's email:

Goal: $1 challenge to save a child's life!

LWB is launching a $1 challenge to kick off our new Unity Fund for impoverished, rural families in China. So many times over the years, we have met families who have had to make the painful decision to abandon their child in the hopes of getting them the medical care they need. It has been a dream of ours for many years to begin such a fund, so that when we learn of families in true crisis, we can provide their children with the surgeries they need so that such a painful decision does not have to be made.

We have met so many of these families in person, and they love their children completely, but they simply could never afford a $5000 heart surgery to save their child's life when their family is living on less than $50 per month. Our Unity Fund was created to keep these families united and to give a second chance of a healthy life to at-risk children living in poverty. Join with us on this dream, and actually help prevent children from being orphaned. We challenge everyone to send just ONE DOLLAR during this challenge period to LWB's Unity Fund. Is it possible to find 5000 people to donate $1? With your help, we believe it is. If we meet that goal, then together we can impact a child's life forever.

Pass on this message to everyone you know! Pop just $1 in the mail to Love Without Boundaries and help change the world, one child at a time.

Love Without Boundaries
P.O. Box 25016
Oklahoma City, OK 73125-0016

or donate $1 online at

www.lovewithoutboundaries.com

or donate through Facebook by clicking "donate" and then choosing "other" and putting in $1.

Together we can continue our work of bringing hope to those truly in need!

One Year Ago - the Official Post

One year ago today, in a conference room at the Lakeside Hotel in Fuzhou, Fujian, People's Republic of China, Director Xie and two nannies walked in with Olivia. (Click on the title to go to last year's entry.) We knew it was Olivia because Lily and Zoie had already arrived some time earlier. She was whisked to the end of the room and propped on the nanny's knee for the picture that appears in her passport. Michael and I were hurried over, told to sit down, Olivia was handed to us and this picture was taken:


We sat in that spot and held Olivia and talked to her while several other pictures were taken. All this time, the video camera is running, sitting on the conference table. Lily is crying. Olivia just looks at Michael and I, clearly trying to take it all in. While a tiny bit of the chaos that many other describe, that time in the conference room to me was busy! We filled out papers, talked with the orphanage staff, and then went up to our room. I was so focused on the task at hand that the emotionality of it all was an aside. There was work to be done and a baby to look after.

Looking back, it seems so amazing. The moment that I had played out in my mind for over two years came and went in seemingly the blink of an eye. And, of course, to think that a year has gone by already is beyond comprehension. To think that the quiet, inquisitive, happy baby of a year ago is the same energetic, adventurous, busy little girl running around our house is at times amazing and at other times expected. We certainly saw the energetic, adventurous side in China and we always see the inquisitive and happy side now. Quiet, not so much!

My promise to Olivia and myself is to savor every moment - I realize she is already growing up so quickly. I frequently remind myself to enjoy every moment and to celebrate every day.

Tonights celebration consisted of cake and ice cream for family and friends; pizza and pictures for Mama, Daddy and Olivia before everyone arrived. We chose pizza because that is what we had a year ago - from Pizza Hut.

Here is tonight's version of last year's picture:


We ended the evening watching videos of when we were in China. Pretty wonderful all the way around!

I Added The Time

Today, really for the first time since I have been home, I am interested in the time of day in China, so I put a widget on the blog with the time in China. It is already tomorrow and a year ago, we were waking up in Hong Kong, getting ready to travel to the airport and fly to Fuzhou about now. It is simply amazing to think back on these moments - and to be hours away from our life changing forever.

A Wondeful Visit

The weekend was a success, I have gobs of pictures to prove it! In this media filled post, there are a few pictures, a slideshow and a little video.

The drive over on Friday morning was a piece of cake aside from some fussing from the back seat. In the afternoon, the girls went shopping while Michael and Nick played some golf. We hung out for a while in the evening, then had a nice dinner at a great Chinese restaurant.

Saturday was play time, park time, nap time and swim time, followed by a wonderful dinner and watermelon!

For me, the weekend was so much about Lily and Olivia being able to play together, which they did very well. As the pictures show, they really had a wonderful time. There was an occasional push or hit, but overall, it was a huge success.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures:

Here is the slide show with lots of them:

And, a really short, but very cute, video!:

One Year Ago Today - Almost Packed

Just as today. Ready for our trip to visit one of our travel mates. My how things have changed. There is so much more to think about with a toddler in tow. Of course, it is lot of fun too!

I can't even begin to describe the surreal feelings of a year ago as we were just about to leave for China. In some ways, it hardly seemed real after waiting and doubting for so long. On one level, I knew it was real because we had the referral, but until we actually had her in our arms, it was different.

I do not remember if or how well we slept. I don't remember much of what we did the next morning. I do remember being on the phone with my bank while we were waiting for our connection at Newark trying to get my online banking access fixed.

And now we are packed and almost ready to leave again. Not to China, but to Illinois. Even though none of our girls are from the same orphanage, I think it is important to get together with the two families that we traveled to China with and when possible, the other family that was originally part of our LID group. It is easiest for Amy and I, because we are only about 3 hours apart, and St. Louis is somewhat close to the middle. This trip came as a last minute thought --- I have been off work since Wednesday because our sitter is on vacation. I had jury duty and had to appear on Tuesday. Not knowing for certain what it would entail, I hesitated to plan anything, but late last week, decided to go ahead and do it and talked with Amy. I figured I could always cancel if the jury thing was more than I bargained for. Fortunately, I did not get selected for the jury and the trip is going ahead as planned. One big reason I wanted to do it is that the times we have gotten together we are always busy... the zoo, shopping, etc. We talked about wanting some "hang out" time and I figured this was one way to make it happen. We are going to spend most of two days just having a good time.

The Lion and the Dog

I am sitting at the computer, Olivia in her crib early for a nap so that she can get a few hours in before the social worker comes for our final home study visit. I have been contemplating what to write as tomorrow marks one year since we left for China to meet Olivia. What I hear over the monitor, among many other things is growling and barking. I believe the lion and the dog may be engaged in some sort of altercation. So as not to alarm, the lion and dog are stuffed animals that Olivia likes to have in her crib.

On a related note - as I mentioned, the social worker is coming today. We are leaving on an overnight trip tomorrow, and the cleaning lady is on vacation. So, while the house is not a disaster, it is not perfect either. Yesterday, I unearthed the living room floor from a mountain of toys, so you can see most of the carpet now. Today, I got out the vacuum, took it to the garage and vacuumed the carpet in my car in preparation for the trip. As I was doing it, I was amused with the irony of it all. For our first homestudy visit, I am fairly certain that I cleaned everything within 100 yards of the house, including closets, drawers, the garage, the flower beds etc. For our last post placement, I didn't even vacuum the living room. LOL Well, there is still time.

More to come on the one year ago stuff......

Beets!

Michael was grilling sausage and cabbage for dinner, but the meal was running late, so I gave Olivia some cheese and ham. I cleaned the fridge while I was waiting and she was eating and found a jar of beets that we canned and put them on the table for dinner. I figured I would give Olivia one to see if she liked it. Oh my, did she ever. After about the fifth one, I had to put the jar back in the fridge to get them away from her! "No more beets honey, you need to eat your ham."

I tried to get a great picture, but had my little camera and just wasn't fast enough!

Camping and Boating

Friday afternoon Michael, Olivia and I met Julie, Rob, Tricia and Ashley at our favorite campground at Mark Twain Lake for a weekend of camping, playing in the lake and boating. We pitched our tent, got the camp set up, then made dinner while Julie et al got their tent set up. I had a new Little People set that I broke out for Olivia once we started putting up the tent which helped to keep her entertain.

On Saturday, we went swimming in the lake, played at the play ground and hung out at our camp site. Olivia really enjoyed playing with her cousins in their air conditioned tent.

On Sunday, Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Jeri brought the boat up and we played on the lake after breaking camp (which took quite a while, we really have a lot of stuff - a kitchen, propane skillet, water heater....) . The lake was awesome, and Olivia was amazing. She loved being in the water - and even jumped in several times. Aunt Julie was helping her keep her balance on the boat, but Olivia did the jumping part on her own! It was so amazing to see her doing that.

After about 4 hours and lunch on the lake, we headed for the truck for the drive home. Olivia was asleep before we left the parking lot! We were only about 1.5 hours past nap time, but she was worn out.

Camping is a lot of work, but it was certainly a lot of fun!

I Went Potty All By Myself

Really, I did! I was so thrilled it was amazing. I do believe that this is the first time that Olivia and I have been home alone and she was awake that I used the toilet without her being able to see me or crying or screaming as a result of not being able to see me. She was happily sitting in the kitchen on a tote eating a piece of cheese. Of course, she said "mom" about six times and I had to reply, so I was still within hearing distance. I also am not quite certain that she was able to get off the tote herself...

But still, it was quite the experience.

A New Look!!!

The redesign is done! Yea! I have wanted to spruce things up a bit for a while and was just not comfortable doing it myself. Diana at Custom Blog Designs took on the task and I am so pleased with the results.

Now, if I could just figure out this whole digital scrap booking thing....

Just one of those things

After the last post - Michael and I were both struck by the picture of Olivia sitting on my lap with the little furrow in her brow which we first saw in her "mug shot" referral picture. That little furrow is what help me identify her in the pictures on the Love Without Boundaries blog which we first saw not long after referral so it has really stuck in my mind. We were so suprised to see it and think about it again.





























On an unrelated note: Yes, Olivia wore the same dress on the 4th and the 6th. I REALLY wanted to get a good picture of her in it to use for our 12 month post placement so I put it back on for the parade. Still nothing I am super happy with so I may give it one more go.

What a Weekend

As I mentioned when I threw the other pictures up, Olivia has been sick. Friday morning, when I got her up from bed, she was feverish. It increased all day, topping at around 104 before I called the pediatrician. He said to keep pumping drugs (Tylenol and ibuprofen)and "call him in the morning" (yes, he actually said that) if it gets worse.

It did not get worse, but for large portions of the day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, I had a 27 pound attachment. She has not been eating well, generally fussy and we have had some exceptionally bad nights. The details of the nights are still to painfully fresh to share but suffice it to say that I am exhausted. On Saturday we added a sore on the tongue to the mix. Today, a sore on her foot that was healing was blistered and nasty looking. Off to see the pediatrician who confirmed my suspicion - Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. Treatment: more pain relievers and time. Woo hoo.

This has probably been the hardest few days since we have been home for me. I feel so bad that she is hurting so much and so sick. Everyone here is exhausted. The only time that Olivia will go to anyone else is if I am not around. She literally clings to me for dear life when we try to put her down for a nap or bed. And, to add insult to injury, I had the pager for work over the weekend - which adds a whole other level of stress and sleep deprivation.

The "I have got to get out of the house, relax and talk to adults" moment of the weekend was the Lincoln County Fair parade. It is one of those many "I can't wait to share this with Olivia" things that we do every year. Since she was feeling fairly decent, we went and she had a great time. She certainly quickly got the hang of grabbing candy (and eating it, especially Tootsie Rolls!)

4th of July

Olivia has a fever, so not tons of smiles in the pix, but the water one did coax a few. We did make it to the fireworks, which were awesome as usual!

Grandpa's Birthday and 1 and 2/3 years old

Stop now if you want pictures - I have none!!! Today, marked my dad's birthday and Olivia being 20 months old. Olivia and I met Dad, Jeri, Tricia and Ashley at West Allen Grill for dinner to celebrate Dad's birthday. I would say it was a nice dinner, but that would be a lie. Olivia was not a happy girl and shared her unhappiness with everyone in the restaurant. No clue what the huge problem was. Either way, she still ate good, but man was it a struggle.

I thought I would share some thoughts and stories about Olivia to mark the occasion. Aside from a few rough days this past week or two, normally Olivia is a delight. It seems every day she does something that makes me smile with absolute wonderment. I realize that for those who have been through the whole parenting thing, most of this seems insignificant, but it really is wonderment to me!

- She is fascinated with putting on my bras and underwear. She will regularly emerge from my bedroom with a bra or two and a pair of underwear around her neck.

- She loves cooking at her stove then bringing her creations to me to eat. Tonight she brought me some "boiled cheese", then went back to the stove to get "cinnamon" and "chili powder". She then shook them onto the cheese while making a "schhh, schhh" sound.

- She still eats great - in the last two days she has had: sauerkraut, rye bread, corned beef, raw and cooked sweet potato fries, broccoli, cherries (a favorite) meatballs, cooked and raw carrots, lettuce, and bbq ribs. And that was just supper tonight and last night.

- She holds up one finger for the number one when I say it.

- She shakes her finger at me, the cat, etc and says "nnnoooo" when we are doing something she does not like. (I curse the Little Monkeys book)

- Sleep has not been bad, but certainly not as much as expected. We start heading to bed 8 - 8:30 and she is in the crib in about 30 or less. She really NEVER goes to sleep before 9, sometimes later. She doesn't cry, and she wants to get in her crib, but she plays music and hangs out for a while. She is also waking up around 6 am. She will sometimes go back to sleep, but otherwise once again plays music or just rolls around and jabbers. I was sure it was because it was too light in her room, so we got some drapes and hung them a few days ago. Hasn't helped, but she did go back to sleep this morning after waking up at 6am.

- If she is doing something that she really, really likes and we have to stop, or she wants to do something and I won't let her, sometimes she will start wailing and run all the way into our bedroom and stand with her face against the mattress and cry. It is cute/funny and sad all at the same time. She does it because she is clearly mad at me, but then she comes right back to me to play or cuddle.

- In the time it took me to brush my hair and teeth, put lotion on my face and get dressed, she had 3/4 of her books out of their basket, the cushion off the chair and she was sitting in it reading. (she can't get in it with the cushion on)

- We went shoe shopping tonight. I bought one pair of 6's and two pair of 7's. I think 6.5 would be perfect, but that was not an option. I can't get her to stand still long enough to check her height. She is certainly heavier.

She asserts her independence more every day. She wants to eat with a fork and spoon, no matter what it is. She picks out her shoes, always finding a pair from the basket, she sits on the potty pretty regularly (but nothing comes out). She still imitates everything we do, down to the tiniest detail.

There are certainly moments of struggle and frustration, but overall, it is good.