The Rubber Ducky Chronicles

Apologies Please

2011-04-14T15:53:00.005-05:00

My parents with their grandchildren while visiting in March.

From the Lullaby Concert at the Decatur Public Library sponsored by my employer, BabyTALK.

Please accept my apology for not updating this blog as much as you desire. With 2 little ones, my time is so limited. Nap time is spent cleaning, paying bills, prepping dinner, getting 15 minutes quiet time to myself.... you get the picture. I am so exhausted in the evening, I just want to read instead of spend time in front of a screen. Facebook has become my way of updating in a sense. I do enjoy blogging and wonder why I don't do it more often once I am logged on. Oh well. I will try to do better, but I am not going to make promises. Enjoy the photos.

My Ty...

2011-03-22T15:19:00.006-05:00

...oh, my sweet first born. You will forever hold a piece of me. You have my heart. Your Gotcha Day seems like yesterday and my heart aches that you are growing older... but I know it must be done. I admire how you remind your dad and I to read from the Jesus Storybook Bible each night. I cherish the talks we have in the early morning while "cuddlerocking" in the chair with my coffee while watching and listening to the birds. Your creativity and curiousity ignite my day. I never know what you will ask and your questions are beyond age appropriateness in my opinion. But I have answered them in the best way that I can. You too, have made me a wiser and stronger person. You have made me question my faith, my beliefs, my insecurities... but then again, you have made me strong. I appreciate the words from your mouth, "This is delicious mommy", "I want to go on a date" and "Why?" That curious and mysterious "why?"

... lover of all things sweet...even though this popscicle is healthy and you don't even realize it!

My mischevious little one... my little Jackson Pollock.

When tired, you slow down and asks deep questions.

My cautious one.
My destroyer during nap time... or do you call it creativity?

... my pouty one. Poor little guy has had his world turned upside down. I call this the age of confusion. One day he is so big and the next day he is mama's baby. Hard decisions to make when one is soon to be 4.
...the one to dress himself when it doesn't even match. On this day we have stripes, so all is well. Overalls, or "bibs" as they call them in the Midwest (this is one phrase that has NOT grown on me) are the preferred attire.

... my little boy who will sneak into our bed at night for cuddles and snuggle into my bosom.

Dear Ty, always and forever.

Little Miss Sunshine

2011-03-22T14:31:00.005-05:00

Our sunshine...Remy Grace DangCan. We cannot get enough of this little sprite.

Whoever gave Remy her Chinese name, Can Can, meaning "bright, illuminating one", thank you. You hit the nail right on the spot. We are so in love with this damsel. Her spirit is infectious. She adds sunshine to our lives and finds joy in little things. She is a lover of animals, nature, bugs and birds. She is our peaceful little one who sits down with a crayon to color. She is venturesome. Remy finds no fear in heights and climbing whatever available. Her palate is refined for a child her age and has not rejected a single morsel we have offered her.

Remy has a compassionate spirit. She will be the first to hug and forgive someone when she has been wronged. Just ask Ty. She is a vigorous. Her sunshine does not quit, even during sickness. Just ask the nurses and our pediatrician when we were in the hospital at Christmas and with our recent episode of RSV. They say, "You are not a typical sick child." We found out on a follow-up visit for RSV, Remy had a double ear infection. She pulled on one ear a tad, but never gave us any other indication there might be an issue. Can Can, we are eternally honored, YOU were chosen for US, by HIM.

The New Photographer

2011-03-20T15:08:00.003-05:00

The soon to be 4 year old has become well versed with his mother's camera. He thinks he is quite sly when he grabs my camera and snaps away. I am rather proud of his photographic eye and think he is utterly genius with his subject matter, alignment and composition.

Our other kid... Jack.

Ty's "surrogate Grandmother's house."

The "Mommy and Me" photo.

"Mommy's favorite chair."

"The highly regarded man of the house."

A "Light" Snack

2011-03-20T14:45:00.003-05:00

Remy decides to pulverize her Cheerios with the Vitamix plunger under Ty's luminous pumpkin lantern.

Mama Always Said...

2011-03-13T13:49:00.002-05:00

... there will be weeks like this.

1 child with a cold + 1 child with RSV + 2 days of fever + 6-8 wake-ups a night for mom + 2 kids jealous of each getting the mama's attention = a mom that wants to run away and be ALL alone for a couple of days.

Praise God the grandparents are on their way!

Remy Roo Continued

2011-03-09T13:24:00.003-06:00

Little Miss Remy Roo is quite the ham. Her icky face is similar to her full grin, even though we have not found anything she won't eat. She adores meat, but avocados, brussel sprouts, broccoli and asparagus join her repertoire of foods. This little girl eats more then her brother, but knows when to stop.

Remy was born with cleft lip and palate and a heart murmur. The heart murmur is not much of an issue anymore, just monitored even though it has not been detected at our doctor's visits and hospital stays. Remy's lip was repaired in China thanks to Operation Smile. We have been accepted to Shriner's Hospital in Chicago (like Ty) for the care of her repaired CL/CP. We have an appointment at the end of May for both kids, but this will be Remy's initial evaluation by a team in the US. At this time, her palate seems to be more severe then what Ty's was. From what we can tell, it goes all the way up to her nasal cavity which leaves her more prone to illness. Her gumb line is also unique and she can only drink out of a bottle with an "X" on the nipple. We have also introduced her to Tupperware's cups with lids for kids and they have been successful. Everything else has created nothing else but frustration and a few dollars wasted, at this time. We don't know what the future holds as far as how many surgeries she will need. Only time will tell and we will know more after her palate surgery. Remy does imitate sounds, but creates them from the back of her throat...not ideal for cleft affected kiddos. She is starting to use sign language after MUCH work. This has been an answer to prayer since we were all becoming frustrated with not knowing what she wanted. She would go, "UUUGGGHHHH", but not point or show any indication of what she wanted or what was wrong. This experience has been beneficial for me as a teacher of sign language for children. I now know what it it like to have a child that picked up sign easily and incorporated it everyday, to one who takes her time, but has success. Remy is a quick wit, but has proven to me how different children can be. I knew this when it came to the classroom situation, but it is a different story when it includes your own kids.

Remy Roo..

2011-03-08T14:46:00.003-06:00

...or Remy Can Can

...or Can Can.

These are just a few of the names that we call her. It is amazing how fast she has learned her English name, but her Chinese name, Dang Can Can, or Can Can (pronoun Tsan, Tsan) is just fun to say. It rolls off the tongue and works every time. It is fun to have so many options and have her respond to them all!

Little Can Can has been with us for 3 months and 3 days as of this writing. I actually quit counting until I was recently asked. It is funny how you are with #2. I counted the months with Ty until we had him 2 years! Back to Remy. These past 3 months have gone so fast, but it also seems like it was years ago that we were in China with all of her health issues. I praise God for her health and the richness that she adds to our lives. We thought in the beginning she might be a sickly child, but we have persevered after our hospital stay at Christmas. I think good nutrition, formula and clean air have been the answer for her. Prayers too!

Remy is often dressed as a girly girl with her bows and dresses, thanks to a ton of hand me downs and gifts. It has been exciting to see her personality emerge more each day as she becomes more comfortable and trusting of us. This little girl is so nurturing to her panda, but prefers balls over dolls at this time. Give her a ball and she will kick it around the room instead of throwing it or rolling it around. Trains and cars are a close second of toys to play with. She is not totally modeling her brother as his choice of toys these days include Trio's and Duplo blocks. I am amazed at his creations. That is another post in itself. She has also shown an interest in music and instruments, just like her brother. She has great rhythm and loves to dance. The keyboard, kiddie guitar and drums bring much noise and excitement.

Animals. This little one adores them. We were kind of worried in the beginning since her paperwork said, "Is afraid of small animals.". Remy's relationship with Jack is amazing to watch. The two of them have a connection. Jack is SO different around her compared to Ty. With Remy, he gives these gentle kisses and lets her get away with stuff he would NEVER let Ty do.

Remy has been so refreshing to our family and has added another dimension. I must admit, I was afraid of how I would be having a daughter. I have identified with more of the tomboy type of girls then then those interested in the latest make-up, fashion and trends in general. Remy has softened my heart and shown me that you can still be girly and have an adventurous edge to you. Remy is so tough. She falls down and gets right up! I cannot wait for warmer weather to get out to the playgrounds. She is climbing everything around here and is NOT afraid. My little girl continues to amaze me... and grow me.

Dum Ditty Dum Ditty Dum Dum Dum

2011-03-06T15:36:00.001-06:00

Many more fingers, many more thumbs, many more monkey's drumming on drums( thank you Dr. Seuss.). I think this is pretty genius of Ty to create his set on the basement stairs.Our kids have always shown an interest in music and instruments, but there is something about drums that are magical to them. They create their own drum sets out of pots and pans, cookie tins, recycling containers, etc. It gets kind of crazy at our house when these jam sessions take place, especially when Jackson the dog adds his own howling to the mix.

A New Year

2011-02-14T21:54:00.002-06:00

I continue to be amazed at what a year can do when it comes to the little ones. A year ago, this guy despised the snow. A year ago, this little guy WOULD NOT dress in his bulky, winter wear. Don't know if it is rebellion from his time in China dressed in multiple layers, but my little guy likes as little on as possible...even in winter. He is a t-shirt and undies kind of guy.

But this winter brought on a new dimension. He couldn't wait to get out and enjoy all the snow. It was still a struggle getting him dressed and explaining why he couldn't go out in his Crocs and jammies, but we did it!

These shoes have so many stories behind them. I spent a fortune on them back in college, but they have been well worth it. Who knows how many miles they have walked dogs in the snow, mountains they have climbed, rivers they have crossed, canyons they have visited, but they continue to treat me well.

Love to Ya...

2011-02-14T21:34:00.001-06:00

... each and every day!

Our Rockstar

2011-02-07T21:31:00.004-06:00

These pictures are from this past Thanksgiving, but they are the perfect sample of what we encounter each day.

Ty ADORES music, especially drums and the guitar. He found his cousins guitar and we were serenaded on a daily basis. This guitar became his prized possession and we had to hide it at times to give us all a break.

Ty gets so passionate when he sings and he is LOUD. I love the expression in these photos and thought it was genius of him to turn a lamp into a microphone. Only our Ty.

Problem Solved

2011-01-25T15:06:00.004-06:00

One of my biggest pet peeves are people (especially those I share a house with) who get a new glass each time they need a drink in a period of a day. Thanks to my mom, she purchased "Inchbugs" for the kids. They were so handy and helpful, the adults needed their own too. Mine doesn't get used an awful lot because I have the strange habit of using the same coffee cup, water bottle and wine glass over and over. I have my favorites and my household and guests know not to touch or use. I am a happy camper now that my family knows to have an Inchbug on every cup, except Remy's bottle.

Not Afraid to Admit...

2011-01-20T15:38:00.002-06:00

... we have been the owners of a 2004 Toyota Sienna since Oct. 30, 2010. We found a 2004 with low miles and the price was right, especially since it was at the end of the month. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles (less to break down as my dad would say) of power doors or DVD player or navigation system, but it is perfect for our family.

This van has been a life saver to load up 2 young kids in car seats. I buckle them in and crawl across to the drivers seat. We have changed clothes, hauled a Christmas tree and had plenty of space for luggage on car trips. It is a dream and a life saver. I adore the anti-lock breaks in the snow and ice and it has served us well. I just might have a mini van until I am no longer allowed to drive.

Remembering Fall...

2011-01-19T13:09:00.004-06:00

... and life before 2.

It is cold and icy outside, not real comfortable or conducive to hanging out with my little man on a Saturday morning with coffee by my side and his conversations. So we look back on a gloomy Saturday morning, full of laughter, quaint ramblings by Ty and the fun of playing in the leaves.

The daddy was sleeping in that Saturday after a late morning (went to bed at 5:00 am) of working in his basement office. My little guy was up early and ready to take on the day. So we headed outside to the deck with my coffee and his blankets to snuggle in. I love 3 1/2 because we can have conversations and tell stories. And the humor of my little guy...he can turn it on and off in a heartbeat. The above picture displays the sweetness and the extreme silliness of this kid.

...of and the joy of leaves. The innocence of raking leaves...he doesn't even realize that it is work and we are helping Daddy out. The dad was impressed when he woke up.

I love having 2 little ones. I love even more the opportunity to snuggle up with each of them individually and share life. Ty has learned that he can have that one on one time with Mom and Dad after Remy has gone to bed and he does not let us forget. He acts so grown since he gets to be with the "big kids."

The Tale of Two Nurses

2011-01-05T13:54:00.004-06:00

Note: This is not Remy's rear. This is an example from Google Images.

During our recent visit to the hospital ER for Remy, we gave the opportunity for 2 nurses to be educated.

Nurse #1 as he was holding Remy in the fetal position while doctor is performing the spinal tap: "Please tell me about those bruises and how they happened?"
Me: "Those are not bruises, they are Mongolian spots, common among Asian children. If only you knew the background checks I had to go through to bring this child home."
Nurse #1: "Interesting."

This was the same nurse that told me they were going to do the spinal tap to test for meningitis and if she had it, she would die. Not a lot of tact or empathy. Just strait forward, which is how I usually like it, but not in this situation.

Nurse #2 as he was preparing to draw blood and I was changing a diaper on a very wiggly girl: "Are those Mongolian spots?"
Me: "Yes they are. As you can see, she is covered in them on her little back side."
Nurse #2: "Wow! We talked about these in nursing school, but I have never seen them in person."
Me: "The other nurse questioned me about potential child abuse."
Nurse #2: "He graduated from nursing school over 20 years ago. "

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T22:39:00.002-06:00

Our beautiful and handsome "Made in China" kiddos. The label takes on a new meaning in our family!

Introducing... Tyra!

2010-12-30T22:16:00.003-06:00

Total Cuteness Returns

2010-12-30T22:14:00.000-06:00

Christmas in the Hospital

2010-12-28T21:43:00.001-06:00

As I said in the previous post, this Christmas was one that I will never forget, but I don't want to repeat. Little Remy started having a fever Thursday night. I gave her some meds before bed and she slept through the night. She had a low grade fever throughout Christmas Eve, but I didn't give her any medication since she was eating, sleeping, drinking and playing like nothing was wrong with her. Then on Christmas Day, the fevers spiked and she was fine while on meds, but as soon as they wore off, the fever was back again. This went on 3 times in a row so I called our doctor. She suggested we go to the ER. Once at the ER, we were admitted fairly quickly. Remy had a temp of 102.6 and a her oxygen level was slightly low so they gave her some oxygen. After a blood draw, her white blood count was alarmingly high...a major infection. They took urine and it came out fine so they preceded to a spinal tap. We wouldn't know the results of that right away, but were told we would be admitted to the hospital. This was not what we had planned for Christmas Day, but needed to do whatever it took for our baby.

Luckily the spinal tap came back normal, but the doctors still couldn't figure out where the infection was. They ordered a bone scan to rule out leukemia and another other nasty stuff. This was getting to be scary for me, but luckily it came back clean! Praise God for all of this.

The doctors and nurses were amazed that Remy acted normal throughout her stay despite her high white blood count. She drank, ate, slept and played like a healthy kid any other day. Doctors still do not know where/why the infection, but said this is very normal. They said they were not surprised since we flew overseas and planes are full of infections. They also thought that this infection had been in her body for a while and the antibiotics that she was on in China subdued the infection, but did not totally kill it. She needed stronger stuff. As you can see in the pictures, our little Remy was full of smiles and sweetness. This experience gave us lots of Mommy and Me time.

A Christmas to Remember...

2010-12-28T21:35:00.001-06:00

... and not repeat. Christmas Eve started out with a beautiful snowfall of 5 inches starting in the afternoon. Remy had a low grade fever throughout the day so we thought it was best not to go to church, plus the weather did not help. It was a relaxing evening getting prepared for the big day. Ty was super excited and Remy had no idea what the excitement. We set out popcorn (we have tons of it at home as gifts from various people) and milk for Santa, along with carrots for the reindeer. We ended the evening with reading "The Night Before Christmas" and "Corduroy's Christ mas" in anticipation for Christmas Day. We opened presents first thing in the morning while our monkey bread was cooking in the oven. We finished it off with fresh fruit and lots of bacon. Mimosas have always been a part of Christmas morning for the adults, but we were so busy with the kiddos that we didn't partake. I needed an IV of coffee to get me through the morning. Remy had woken up at 1:00 in the morning with a high fever so I gave her meds, then again at 7:00 am. and then again at 2:00. This reminded me of our time in China so I called my doctor. She recommended we go to the ER....

Our cuties getting ready for Santa. Ty gets so hot that he had to cool down and take off his shirt. What would the Chinese think of this?!?

Our greatest gifts.

All the Christmas blessings from those we love.

Ty likes his picture taken these days and even suggested he pose.

We're Off and Running...

2010-12-23T07:32:00.001-06:00

...with full speed ahead. It has been one of those homecomings that you only have to laugh through or it could break you down. We arrived in Chicago last Thursday and decided to spend the night one last time with my mom and to help with jet lag. It has made all the difference in the world for me and Remy, but the boys have been hit with the jet lag bug. Ty wants to take long naps that we have to wake him up from, and then he will wake up at 3 am ready to go. Troy on the other hand wants to sleep all the time. It doesn't help that he has fever, strep throat and an ear infection. Remy went to the Dr. on Monday for a follow-up for the pneumonia she had while in China. She is now on Singulair and has 4 breathing treatments a day to help with her wheezing and coughing. During one of Ty's 3 am wake-up parties, he somehow hurt his left arm while playing in his bed. After an early morning trip to Urgent Care, he had nursemaids elbow and popped it back in place. That was a new one for me. And me, praise God the good Lord has kept me well (besides a runny nose) and given me the energy to take care of my family on little sleep. Praise God for our friends who gave us some frozen meals to get through the early days of adjusting as a family of 4 dealing with all sorts of shenanigans. All I want for Christmas is a healthy family and jet lag to be over with!

Here We Come Remy!

2010-11-29T09:43:00.002-06:00

We hope to update this blog while we are in China. Blogger has been blocked, but I purchased a VPN to access this site. There have been some issues the last couple of days with those who are in China now, so I have set up another travel site, just in case. You can visit www.babyroenfanz.shutterfly.com as our back-up. We will also try to post to FaceBook. Now off to packing, errands and more packing!

Our Little Monkey...

2010-11-15T15:34:00.004-06:00

... Getting his costume off ASAP. He was a hot monkey.

... Posing with his church buddies after the service.

... Running through the halls at church gathering his candy. A non-traditional form of trick-or-treating.

... Parading through the halls with his pre-school class.

... Posing for mom and dad at the trunk-or-treat at the airport. He was a happy little monkey.

Like Father, Like Son

2010-11-13T07:08:00.002-06:00

More Remy Pictures

2010-09-27T22:48:00.002-05:00

We got these pictures of Remy via email today from our adoption agency, CCAI. She is absolutely precious! Look at that lip repair! We continue to be amazed! We also found out Remy weights close to 17 pounds, is 27 1/4 inches tall and has 4 teeth. Hopefully the clothes I bought her will still fit. According to size charts that I looked at, she is in the 9-12 month range of clothes. I think we will be OK, but not for long.

The Little Drummer Boy

2010-09-16T20:57:00.003-05:00

We got this message from our "surrogate mom", Mama Pat. This could be Ty. Looks like him in ways and I have always said our guy is a drummer. He turns everything into a drumstick. Wish I could figure out how to put the video on this post.

Could this be Ty's future? This kid is good! About three quarters of the way through, watch the facial expressions on his face when he spots his mom & dad...Talented little guy! click here: Little Drummer Boy

New Clothes for Remy

2010-09-14T14:57:00.004-05:00

I can already tell, I am going to need to control myself shopping for girl items. There is a lot of fun stuff for boys and I enjoy buying for Ty, but there are SO MANY more choices for girls. I have done a good job so far and told myself I am only going to buy her clothes for our trip, just as I did for Ty. Kohl's was having a sale, I had a coupon and you got Kohl's cash back for future purchases. Let me say, I got these clothes REALLY cheap. They are all mix and match which is perfect for our trip.

We love monkey's in this house, so the purple polka-dot PJ's are appropriate. The sleeper on the left was bought in 2006 when we started the adoption journey for #1. I found it at some boutique downtown Chicago for pennies. It has little frogs on the feet and a matching hat. Hope she can still wear it.

We purchased the hat at a local art/music fair and the "bow board" at another arts and crafts fair in Lincoln. The lady gave us the bows for free since we are adopting an orphan from China. We also found out we payed way to much for the hat or the Lincoln lady is undercharging. She was selling the same thing for less then half of what we paid. After doing some investigating online, all of this stuff is so easy and cheap to make with the right supplies. It will be interesting to see if Remy is the girley type and even allow all the hats and bows.

The Kiddos New Rooms

2010-09-14T14:27:00.006-05:00

There was a lot of room switch-a-roo in our house back in early August. With the help of Amy's mom who was still around, Troy's office became the guest bedroom, the old guest bedroom became Remy's room and Ty's convertible bed and dresser were moved to Remy's room. All of this and furniture building was done in a day! That left Ty needing new goods. While up in Chicago for a cleft team appointment, we went to IKEA and bought him a new dresser, bed/mattress, and curtains. We were not ready to paint Remy's room, so we decided to leave it the light sky blue that it is. It goes really well with what we already have and is relaxing. These pictures don't do the true colors of the rooms justice. Ty's room is apple green, and is so versatile.

The red IKEA dresser. Audrey and Amy had to convince Troy the color was going to work.

Yes, we broke the rules. Our child is 3 and sleeps in a bunk bed. It is not that high and he is surrounded on all sides. We can put a mattress of the bottom later on, but now it is a play area/storage for all his blankets and "babies".

Banner for Remy's room. Just like Ty's.

Found this stand at Hobby Lobby on clearance. Thought the colors went very well with the room.

Dresser and butterflies on wall. Found these butterflies at Dollar Tree for $1.

Banner and crib. Still looking for a crib skirt. Looks like I am going to go online to find something since you cannot find them individually in the stores.

Remy's room is still a work in progress. There are pictures to be hung and spaces to fill. We are going to wait until she is home to finish. Like we did for Ty, we are going to buy some Chinese folk art (really cheap) to add in her room.

Our Cheesey Boy!

2010-09-12T16:39:00.004-05:00

Ty is full of personality that radiates JOY. The older he gets, the more it comes out. Lately, if he sees a person has a camera in hand, he has to put on a show. He demands his picture taken and has to put on a cheesey smile as I call it. These pictures were taken on a day when we were organizing Remy's room. That is another post for itself.

Thank You Design Star

2010-09-12T16:29:00.003-05:00

On watching a recent episode of HGTV's Design Star, the winner created a room that had a wall flocked with frames she picked up from thrift stores and painted them all the same color. We thought it was a fabulous idea and did our own version of it on a wall that has been bare since we moved in 5 years ago. These frames maybe cost me $5 total and I found some great clothes for Remy and Ty to go along with it. It is SOOO much fun when you shop at thrift stores and score something big at a really great price. I found Remy a Colombia fleece for $1.50 and a London Fog coat for $3.00! They look brand new without the price tag attached. Ty got a holiday vest for $1.00 with the tags still on...Brand Spankin' New!

New Pictures of Remy

2010-09-12T16:23:00.002-05:00

Summer Swim Fun

2010-08-26T15:54:00.003-05:00

We enrolled Ty is swim lessons for the first time this summer. He has always been very comfortable in the water and we wanted something that would take him to the next level. I was very impressed by the park districts work with the children. The child to teacher ratio was 3 to 1 and they made it so much fun that the kiddos didn't know they were actually learning something. Ty couldn't wait to go to lessons and I cannot wait for next year. In the meantime, we continue to play at the Y pool and be little fishies.

Look at the smiles on the instructors faces!

Look at the joy on Ty's face! Priceless.

E-Mealz, You Make My Heart Sing!

2010-08-17T15:14:00.004-05:00

I decided to sign up for E-Mealz after hearing several promotions and reading about it in our paper. I have gotten into a rut and cooked the same meals over and over while inserting a new one in hear and there. Each week I was determined to try something new and after spending several hours in recipe books and then writing a grocery list, I had enough. It was easier to go back to the basics. So E-Mealz has come to my rescue. So far I have been impressed. It only costs $1.25 a week or $5 a month and I believe I actually save money. You pick the store you would prefer to shop at and the type of meal style you would prefer to eat. We are experimenting with the low-carb at Walmart, but do our shopping at various places with the best deal. I have been impressed so far. I don't have to think what I am going to cook for dinner and it prints out a shopping list for you! I think our family is actually eating healthier, not that we didn't do so already. Plus, we are exposing Ty to a new variety of flavors. He has become somewhat pickier then he used to be, but I refuse to meal plan just for him. Try it out and see for yourself!

Summer Experiments with the Vitamix

2010-08-17T14:49:00.002-05:00

The Vitamix has been one of the best gifts I have received! Thanks Dad! It is a blender on steroids that is so versatile and easy to clean. It is right up there with our coffee pot and microwave for almost daily use. I have made ice cream in 30 seconds or less, smoothies, salad dressings, hot soup, margaritas with the consistency of many restaurants and lots of juice. My favorites so far have been mango and pineapple ice cream, nectarine margaritas, and this refreshing cucumber/mint drink below. Those that have devoured these with me will agree.

Praise God we have a plethora of cucumbers to use for this drink. Next year we will add mint to the garden. It reminds me of a mojito without the alcohol.

Take our only zucchini from the garden believe it or not...

add some celery, carrot, potato, chicken broth and spices...PRESTO! This soup comes out hot!

...and you get a little guy enjoying all of his vegetables without even realizing it! Thank God he enjoys his veggies anyway, but this machine is perfect when our little ones are on soft/liquid diets after surgeries.

Brother and Sister

2010-08-16T15:05:00.001-05:00

I came upon the first photo of Ty while he was looking at pictures of his Gotcha Day on the iTouch. Look at the similarities between him and Remy! Only God could set this up!

Our New Daughter!

2010-07-26T14:26:00.003-05:00

We are overjoyed to announce the recent referral of our daughter, Dang Can Can, soon to be Remy Grace DangCan. Remy was born on September 10, 2009 and is from Kaifeng, Henan China. We hope to travel in 4-5 months to pick our precious one up. Those eyes....and those cheeks need some kisses.

Feel free to "friend" us on Facebook: Amy Lehman Roenfanz and Troy Roenfanz for better updates. As you can tell, we have not been so good about updating the blog. Once again, blame it on the beauty of the iTouch.

Zilker Park

2010-06-19T21:44:00.003-05:00

On a recent visit back home, we had a day to do nothing before our journey to Mo Ranch. We spent the morning at Zilker Park riding the train, playing on the playground, watching the swimmers in Barton Springs, feeding the pidgeons and enjoying a bubble gum snow cone at the end. This day brought back so many memories and made me a little homesick. I was so happy to be able to let my son enjoy the same experiences I had as a child growing up in Austin. Zilker Park is a place of all ages. As a child, I loved the playground and playing on the firetruck and riding the train. As a teen, my best friend from high school, Gina and I would eat a pint of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream on the boulders in the soccer fields or on the playground late at night. As a college student, I enjoyed swimming in Barton Springs training for triathlons and mountain biking in the Greenbelt. And now...my Ty got a small taste of my life growing up. It was an extremely hot and humid day, so different from our previous days in the Midwest, but he soaked in the memories and continues to talk about the train.

Bubbles!

2010-06-19T21:40:00.002-05:00

Nothing beats popping bubbles on a hot summer day, especially in your underwear!

Eaten Alive!

2010-06-03T14:56:00.005-05:00

Ty got Augie the Alligator for his 3rd birthday so he could use it to go camping with Dad at the Father/Child camping trip. He had to give Augie a try, but as you see, Augie couldn't resist his cuteness.

Uh, oh! Augie has eaten Ty! Look at that lump in his belly.

Looks like he might be fully digested at this point.

But no! Ty is like Jonah in the belly of the whale and he is alive in an alligator!

And made it out safe, minus his pants.

Ty's Barnyard Bash

2010-05-02T15:44:00.003-05:00

Ty celebrated his 3rd birthday on Saturday with a Barnyard Bash with all his family and friends. Since the photos uploaded backwards, we will replay the day a little backwards.

The day ended with a trip to our local Mexican joint where they know us by name. We gave Ty a choice of places to eat and Mexican it was. They sang "Happy Birthday" and we all shared the fried ice cream. It is sooo delicious! Love the cinnamon and crunch!

Each child got to pick a hat of their favorite farm animal as they arrived. They stayed on for the first half of the party but were later discarded. The boys had to find the farm animals in the hay, kind of like finding a needle in a haystack. Needless to say, they enjoyed dumping the recycled paper hay on the floor and playing with it more then hunting for animals. They we all went outside where they had to find all the rubber ducky farm animals that escaped the barn. It was an Easter egg type hunt which brought a lot of curiosity.

Ty was super excited for this birthday party. We had been talking about it for days and he totally understood the concept. Of course he wanted to open the presents first thing and guarded them from his friends if they got close. He even sat patiently while we sang "Happy Birthday". It was such a sweet celebration!

Mrs. Laura brought Ty a wagon which was a major hit to start the party! We have taken MANY wagon rides around the neighborhood! Thank you Laura! What a perfect gift!

Making the cake was a family affair. Ty helped mix the cake and Mommy and Daddy took turns icing and decorating. Oh, the things we do for our children. We figured out we are not bakers, but still refuse to buy a store bought cake. We will see how many years that lasts. The memories make it all worthwhile.

Singing and Playing with Jim Gill

2010-04-06T16:11:00.003-05:00

We use Jim Gill's music at work and he is an amazing performer for children and families. His concerts are truly a family affair. Parents are not allowed to sit and admire their little ones, but be a part of the magical fun. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to attend one of his concerts while he was in town for a fundraiser for an agency who serve children and their families.

Posing on the couch looking really cute!

Ty got his face painted for the first time and wanted a spider from the Zoo Lady. He did really good for her and then began to sing, "The Itsy Bittsy Spider" upon completion.

Give my son a stage and you have a performer. I never know what he is saying or the moves he makes, just call it "interpretive dance".

Easter 2010

2010-04-06T15:45:00.003-05:00

What a fun day we had. The day started with breakfast with the family, church (Ty did amazingly well in the beginning...), lunch with the neighbors at our house, nap and the big hunt after we all had some zzzzz's.
It is amazing what a difference a year makes. Last year Ty didn't understand the concept of Easter and hunting for eggs. We couldn't have enough egg hunts to participate in this year!

Traditional family photos.

Adoption #2 Update...Listen Up Homies

2010-03-25T16:22:00.005-05:00

Many have asked where we are in the process for bringing home #2. At this time, our dossier is almost done. Things in IL take a lot longer ( intense background checks from every place you have lived since 18) then most states which is why we started this journey early. Our home study is being approved by DCFS and then it goes to immigration. After we get our HS back and I-800a (permission to adopt a child from a foreign country) or I-800 (I forget which one comes first at this time) from USCIS, they go on their journey of getting authenticated by the Chinese Consulate in Chicago. Please pray for our documents that are at the Chinese Consulate in Chicago at this time. I did a major boo boo on Monday. Being so excited about the near completion of our dossier, I sent 9 documents to Chicago to be authenticated in the same manor as I would send them to the Secretary of State to get certified. I sent the documents with a cover letter, payment and return envelope. I omitted copies of the papers, copy of my passport and the G-1, the form to get the documents authenticated. OUCH! After realizing this moment while making banana bread with Ty, we got together the remainder of the documents, minus the copies and made an express trip to the post office to overnight these documents. Hopefully the Chinese Consulate will either send back my original documents or go ahead and authenticate the papers despite the copies. I tracked the envelopes and they arrived within minutes of each other so it is my prayer they will put 2 and 2 together. Once our dossier is completed, it will go to China. At this time, it looks like it may be another year before we receive a referral for a girl between 0-2 years with correctable special needs. Then again, it could be any time. It has been our desire Ty would be between 3-5 when we receive our referral for our daughter. We want to be able to take Ty with us back to China to experience his homeland the process of adding his sister to our family.

Apologies

2010-03-20T21:25:00.003-05:00

Dear Family and Friends,

I have heard you. I have been horrible about not updating our blog as much as you desire. Problem is, I have a new gadget that makes my life so much easier that I rarely need my laptop. The only time I am on my laptop is to download pictures and work on papers for my job and our adoption, so updating the blog has been low on the totem pole. Sorry. I do enjoy sharing all about little Ty. I guess I should say he is not so little anymore. The guy is growing and changing every day! Talk about growing in personality too! Who knows how God has wired him! Very unique is what I say. He is an actor, musician, engineer, athlete, comedian, charmer...all rolled up into one. All I know is that he was meant for us.

A Blast From the Past

2010-03-04T21:44:00.003-06:00

This collage is back from October when the YMCA and the Trigators put on the Spooky Du duathlon at Weldon Springs. It was a gorgeous fall afternoon and perfect racing weather. We were out there as cheerleaders and volunteers. The end of the race ended in a weenie roast complete with smores, drinks and award ceremony. It was the perfect day and a perfect event! Ty "competed" on his motorcycle and had to try out the bottle opener on the water bottles. He has a very observant eye and wanted to do as the adults. Scary. The kid continues surprise us!

Shaving Cream...It's an Experience!

2010-02-09T15:23:00.003-06:00

I think these photos say it all. After lots of "more shaving cream" so Ty could make himself into a snowman, it was time for a bath...and a round of "Old McDonald".

Daddy Daycare

2010-02-04T20:30:00.003-06:00

Lots of fun and potty time guaranteed!

A White Christmas

2010-01-16T17:46:00.002-06:00

Christmas day gave us a dusting of snowfall, but during the night, more snow dumped then expected. The forecast was saying 1-3 inches, but we got double that. Ty demanded to make a snowman on Christmas day, but there was not enough snow to even fathom the idea. Give it an evening...and he got what he wanted...but despised his time getting dressed in appropriate gear (prefers the natural state these days). After we struggled to get into somewhat appropriate clothes, we went out for a sled ride. Lo and behold, our neighbor buddy had already built 2 snowmen!

Looking very cute, but was miserable. He demanded he have his sun glasses on just like Mom.

Assisting on putting the finishing touches with JB.

Then we were off to finish our sledding around the neighborhood.

Poor little guy doesn't have a nose to keep the sun glasses up.

Mom giving Dad a break.

I LOVE having four seasons after coming from Central Texas where we said it was either green or brown. Now only if we had some ski slopes nearby, I would be in heaven. Our area of town is equipped with the hills, but those crazy cars get in the way. I did see some locals try cross country skiing the other day while dodging the mailman.

Do You Have This Much Fun With Bills?

2010-01-16T17:28:00.003-06:00

On a recent COLD and snowy Saturday afternoon, we decided to start the new year with a little purging. We went through our files and shredded the unnecessary documents that needed to be done away with A LONG TIME AGO. While Mom was downloading music to her new iTouch (LOVE IT!), Daddy and Ty got down to business.

First, get your stool so you can reach. Then stretch with all your might to reach the shredder.

After all the shredding, you get naked (our son likes the natural state lately, especially in negative degree weather... any explanation?),dump the trash can and PLAY!

And don't forget to SMILE!

Then you get buried in all the bills, literally, and...

SURPRISE! Our little man from Henan!

A Year in Review

2009-12-31T20:30:00.004-06:00

Merry Christmas and New Year: From our hearts and home to yours, we wish you God’s greatest blessings and peace this Christmas and New Year’s Holiday Season! The following are our brief reflections on the amazing journey God gave us in 2009. Enjoy!

January: Twelve months ago, we started our 2009 journey by traveling north for Ty’s palate surgery at Shriner’s Hospital in Chicago. We love Chicago! After the surgery, we had the longest two weeks of our lives with daily syringe feedings and arm restraints. A huge thank you goes out to Amy’s mom, Audrey, (you rock!) who lovingly flew up from Austin to help get all of us through this challenging time.

February: We rejoiced that Ty’s palate surgery was a huge success with a return trip to Chicago! His mouth had healed beautifully and he celebrated by beginning to consume everything! - especially broccoli, peas, cauliflower, brussell sprouts and asparagus!

March: We had a great time with Amy’s family from Texas during their early Spring visit. We travelled to Arthur, IL to see “everything Amish” in this local community and eat at the famous, local restaurant – Yoder’s Kitchen.

April: We celebrated Easter with Troy’s dad from Iowa, Dan. Dan was a huge help as usual with some new house upgrades during his visit! Thanks Dad! You’re the greatest!

May: We celebrated Ty’s Second Birthday (May 01) with a 2-in-1 Birthday Party on May 10. The first part of the party celebrated his First Birthday that we missed while he was still and orphan in China. The second part celebrated his Second Year of Life that he now enjoys with his forever family. We thank Troy’s mom, Sharen, our family and friends that came to party with us!

June: We travelled for vacation to Mo Ranch in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. We enjoyed time with our extended family, the sunshine, pool and Guadalupe River during our visit. Troy conquered his fear of heights by walking over the big catwalk bridge pushing Ty in his stroller and we witnessed the ranch maintenance workers catch a big rattlesnake on the road near our cabin.

July: We celebrated the Fourth of July with Troy’s Dad, Dan on this annual summer visit and golf outing in Central Illinois. Troy completed his third Lakeside Triathlon on the shores of Lake Decatur on July 5th.

August: We travelled on back-to-back weekends to Kentucky (regional thriathlon competition)and Ohio (organic church conference). We shopped at a huge international market called Jungle Jim’s in Cincinnati and Troy swam a mile down the Ohio River completing his first Olympic distance triathlon with his friend, Scott in Maysville, KY - the hometown of Rosemary and George Clooney.

September: We celebrated the 1st Anniversary of our “Gotcha Day” on Sept 16th, the day we received Ty from Chinese orphanage officials at Mama Mia’s Italian Restaurant inside the Crowne Plaza Hotel located in Downtown Zhengzhou, Henan, China. We capped the month by traveling with Amy’s parents to The Great Pumpkin Patch in Arthur, IL so Ty could pick out his annual Halloween pumpkin.

October: We had a great time as a family during “Boo at the Zoo” Night at Scovill Zoo in Decatur. Also, Ty had a fantastic evening with his neighborhood friend, John Brevin, trick-or-treating on Halloween Night. Ty was dressed as a Train Engineer and made us crack up by saying “Choo Choo!” when people answered their doors.

November: We celebrated Thanksgiving by travelling to see both of our families on back to back weekends in Texas and Iowa.

December: Ty now has two new girlfriends – Dora the Explorer and Ni Hao Kai-Lan. He is especially fond of Kai-Lan and the Mandarin Chinese that she is teaching him. We had a great Christmas with Ty. He enjoyed seeing that Santa drank all the milk he poured, eaten the cookies he baked and taken the carrots for his reindeer. We rounded the day off by starting the new tradition of having an Open House from 3-6PM for all our neighbors and friends. It was a great day!

The Reason for the Season: Finally, as the year draws to a close and 2010 is about to begin, we would like to thank our Lord, Savior and King, Jesus Christ for all our blessings these past 52 weeks. We thank Him for being born in manger as a common human being so he could relate to common people like us. We thank Him for growing up to be our Savior, dying on the Cross, taking away the debts we could never pay ourselves and opening the door of the Kingdom of Heaven to us forever. We thank Him for being our King who lives, reigns and gives us victory over any circumstance in life, especially hard economic times. This is the true reason for the season and foundation for celebration! Peace and Love to all of you!

An Evening With Baby Aaron

2009-12-26T23:00:00.002-06:00

Go back to the early 1980's when Cabbage Patch Kids were the rage. I highly desired a black, bald boy CPK, but my grandfather refused to buy me one, so hence, Baby Aaron Michael. His name was Skip Barnaby, but by the power of adoption, he was renamed, Aaron Michael. Now fast forward to 2009, Aaron Michael is my son's new friend. Ty is fabulous Daddy full of hugs, kisses and stroller rides. These picture came from the "Calgon...Take Me Away" day. After a day that truly tested my patience, I thought an evening walk to see the neighborhood lights was a great remedy. Obviously....NOT! Who knows what was going on in the little guys mind and body, but we couldn't do anything right. He cried the entire time....from getting our coats on to our evening walk. It was a gorgeous evening and I was sure it was the fix to a crazy day, but....he proved me wrong.

Just playing with my camera settings. It doesn't exactly capture the image I was wanting to get, but I still like the results.

And another image that was striking.

My boy and his baby.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T14:07:00.002-06:00

May your day be filled with much joy and peace from Him, Jesus Christ. We are enjoying a light snowfall and getting ready for an afternoon open house with drinks and desserts for anyone who wants to stop by. More pictures to follow of this brilliant day and season!

"Calgon...Take Me Away!"

2009-12-17T21:53:00.003-06:00

I LOVE my son, but he truly pushed me to the limit today. My training/education/job is in child development , especially prenatal-3, but theory and practice where put to the test. I know through disorganization comes organization and we are experiencing a major "touchpoint" . Something great is about to happen, but....everything else falls apart. We have regressed in potty training and Ty wants to be a "baby" this week and wear diapers, he is waking up at night and wants to sleep with us, he is whining constantly after being told, "Mommy only likes to drink wine, not hear it!". AAAAGGGHHHHH! At 7:30 this morning, I was saying, "I know it has to be 12:00 somewhere in this world. Give me my pinot grigio!" After putting him back to bed and sleeping another 2 hours, the day didn't get any better. His world was falling apart. Any tips on how to deal with whining? While making dinner, I sent Ty and dad to the basement to paint a picture. I am going to create a "No Whining Zone" sign using his artwork. The little guy is a Picasso these days!

9 Years Ago Today...

2009-12-10T15:08:00.000-06:00

You can see what happened here:
http://babyroenfanz.blogspot.com/2006/12/6-years-ago-today.html

Our Rock Star

2009-12-05T20:50:00.005-06:00

We knew Ty was musically inclined when we saw him tapping his fingers to the beat on the radio while in his car seat just days after arriving in the USA. We enrolled him in Kindermusik last winter (We are going to do it again in January!) when he was 19 months old and he was in love. He will turn any surface into a piano and pretend to sing and play. Praise God we had a friend who gave us a keyboard and drum pad her child out grew. Luckily I came across a garage sale that had kid musical instruments for sale and was told "all they need is new batteries". Well, only 1 out of the 3 worked with new batteries and thankfully it was the guitar. Ty has seen others play and he took to it like he knew what to do all along. This little guitar plays ~4 songs and has a laser in the opening to strum to continue playing the song. I am REALLY tired on the songs, but it brings him great joy. In fact, he will bring out his guitar to play during house church while we sing. His music doesn't exactly go with ours, but he is bringing his contribution to the group.

Pure joy!

Look at that stance!

Taking a seat on the fireplace for a little finger picking slow song.

I hope you enjoy this little ditty!

Rocking Cousins

2009-12-04T15:22:00.004-06:00

We flew down to Texas for a long weekend before Thanksgiving for my parents annual Thanksgiving celebration. It is has been a family tradition bringing my mom and dad's side of the family together, in addition to friends, for approximately 26 years. We were trying to determine the number of years we have been doing this , but determined it was usually so my uncle who is now a retired pilot could join us with his wife and dogs, since he usually had to fly over Thanksgiving.

We have not been down to this celebration in several years and made the point to go this year, especially since we had a few relatives and friends who had not met Ty. In addition, Bryan (my brothers son) and Ty got to spend a little extra time together. It has been fun to watch the two of them develop a relationship and play together beyond parallel play. The rocking chairs were a great hit as they shared snacks and rocked back and forth together in unison.

Bryan is sitting in my chair that I had growing up and Ty is in my grandfathers chair.

Many memories were had in my rocking chair. I remember watching Mr. Rogers at 4:00 each afternoon as I walked in from school on our Curtis Mathis T.V. that you had to manually turn the knob with great strength to change the channel.

I wanted Ty to be able to have my rocking chair here in IL, but the likelihood of anybody driving to/from Texas to bring it was rare. Plus, it is nice for my parents to have extra for the grand kids. Now Ty has his own that can be a new heirloom.

Missing Glasses

2009-12-04T15:00:00.004-06:00

Mr. Potato Head seems to have lost his glasses, but they have now have been claimed by silly Ty. Despite being on the small side, Ty pushes through to enjoy all the new sights to be seen.

Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa in Texas, Ty has been enjoying his early Christmas present, an Amish made rocking chair.

Trains...Choo Choo!

2009-11-14T16:13:00.004-06:00

The Daddy was gone on a weekend work retreat , so Ty and Mommy explored new territory. Ty has been in love with trains since we live in Corn Syrup Production Country. I must say they are now an exciting encounter instead of the annoying "I am stopped by a train on my way to work" disturbance. So we went to a railway museum and rode the train into town, had lunch at a local joint, toured the glass blowing gallery very carefully (not recommended with a toddler) and a few other stores all before catching the train back to our starting point.

Looking cute in his autumn attire, perfect for the cool and windy day.

Ty was enthralled by the entire experience. Like his mom, he becomes really quiet and soaks in the entire experience.

We were off the train on our way to lunch. All the little guy wanted to do was get back on the train.

Seriously concentrating on the next bend ahead.

Family Photos

2009-11-05T14:49:00.002-06:00

The annual picture time at church allowed us the opportunity to get our first professional family photo without all the additional sitting fees. I still long for the day to be photographed outside the studio by a professional, but this photo session resulted in some prized photos. We got all of our proofs for free since the above photo is going to be submitted in a contest by the photography service. We will never know if we won, but if we do, you will see this photo in their publications and on display.

Ty was unsure about this entire experience as it was difficult to get him to smile in the posed shots (which is why I do not like posed photos at times), but we got it done and have some precious memories and photos to share.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T22:00:00.003-05:00

This picture is from a house on the main street in Arthur, a local Amish community. The variety of the carvings was eye catching and amazing!

The little train engineer ready to get some candy!

The Great Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-28T15:07:00.004-05:00

We have the honor of living close to a premiere pumpkin patch that has been featured on Martha Stewart (show and magazine), the DIY network, Travel and Leisure magazine and Country Living. This pumpkin patch is filled with interesting displays, mazes, pumpkins from around the world, farm animals, etc. I am amazed at how creative they get each year to come up with unique and different displays. Ty had a blast running of his lunch from a local Amish restaurant while amazed by all the pumpkins.

Isn't this the sweetest face ever?

Look at all the creations...from a train, to spider, to Noah's Ark, rainbow of pumpkins...

The mums and pumpkin trees are works of art in themselves.

Ty posing outside the Amish restaurant. He found the perfect rock and bale of hay to sit on. Perfect photo opportunity!

Rain, Rain Go Away

2009-10-13T22:55:00.003-05:00

Ty catching raindrops on his mouth. My son loves to play in the rain and I let him!

Fall is my favorite time of the year...cooler temperatures, carmel apples, visit to the pumpkin patch, leaves changing, comfort food... we have all of that and some rain. This has been the wettest Fall I can remember in my 8 years of living in the Midwest. It is gorgeous one day and gloomy the next. At least it makes for good potty training weather. I am so proud of my son! We are still in diapers at nap and bedtime, but he didn't even want to pee in his diaper this evening when getting ready for bed! After I interpreted "PP Potty" for Troy who was putting Ty to bed, the little guy did his business!

Art in Central Park

2009-10-10T23:16:00.002-05:00

Every September brings the juried art show to our local downtown park. This is where we began to "shop" for pieces of art for our house. Our first year in town, we purchased 2 framed prints from Randall Shedd, a photographer from Indiana who started to photograph his own flowers to save gas money during the high fuel prices. His photography is beyond anything I have seen before and I do not even know where to begin to describe it except, "I want it all!" He did put out a calender one year which enabled me to savor a taste of his work each month.

We missed the show last year while we were in China and couldn't wait to expose Ty to this yearly ritual. This was the first year we did not purchase a piece of art as we figured out we had already purchased our favorites from our preferred artists who were present. This year offered a different dimension in the fact that Ty got to be a part of the children's activities. They had a white van that was to be painted as desired. Ty didn't know what to think, but carefully took his time to paint what he could reach. A car was a different subject for him which brought a lot of confusion. He looked at us like, "I am really allowed to do this?" We said, "YES! Go for it!" He was still unsure but attempted to do what he could while it started to rain.

It's Potty Time!

2009-10-09T15:31:00.003-05:00

It all started Monday night while in the tub. Ty said "PP" and he peed in an old Nuby cup that he plays with in the bathtub. We cheered and did a little potty dance and told Daddy who was super proud. There wasn't anything on the calender on Tuesday so Ty spent the morning in his big boy underwear and he went potty every time! He has continued this routine while we are at home. We still haven't ventured out in big boy pants, but he does understand the concept. His face lights up and he does his own little dance when he accomplishes the deed. It is too cute! Of course he wants the gummy bear that waits for him at the end. I wasn't going to bribe him with food (stickers and stamps on the hand instead), but the grandparents brought candy from my mom's recent trip to Germany. Ty has been constantly running to the freezer where we keep the candy (we prefer our sweets frozen for some reason) wanting the yummies and I have denied him. Finally I told him he can have a gummy once he goes potty. That was the trick!

Howdy Ya'll!

2009-10-05T22:08:00.003-05:00

Yep, we are alive and kicking. My Mommy and Daddy have been busy with life that posting on the blog has been their last priority. They have been busy doing paperwork (along with work and church stuff) so I might have a little sister in a couple of years.

Guess what? I no longer qualify for speech services! Unheard of coming from a child born with cleft lip and palate, but Mommy and Daddy agree. They are going to let me see Ms. Linda once a week until I am 3 and then decide from there. Ms. Linda says I do not sound nasally, I can make all the appropriate sounds for my age and I am on target both expressively and receptively in language. My articulation is not great at times, but gets better each day.

My grandma and grandpa just visited from Texas. Mommy has lots of cute pictures to post from our trip to the pumpkin patch. I had so much fun looking at all the different animals, pumpkins and chasing Daddy in the corn maze. By the way, I can now say "Daddy"! I still call him YaYa at times, but I have come a long way from calling both my parents "Mama".

Time for my mommy to get to bed. Talk to you soon.

1 Year Ago Yesterday...

2009-09-17T21:06:00.004-05:00

This was my look as I walked into the restaurant and saw my precious child of God. He was the first kid to arrive and beat us to the restaurant. You can see more about this day here.
It was so hard to control myself and not rip my son out of the caretakers arms.

I remember we had to wait, and wait (at least it seemed like for me) for "the moment". Patience is not my best virtue and I so badly wanted to hold little Ty.

The poor little guy had no idea why these people were crying and taking all these pictures. And this crazy lady was once again trying to capture his attention.

...finally in our arms, but so scared.

...we became a family of 3! It was such a surreal day that is hard for us to put into words. We said that Ty was "so good and didn't cry." Looking back at these pictures, our little guy was so scared. Look at his stiff arm, he barely wanted to look us in the eye and he has no idea why this crazy lady kept rubbing his back. Thanks to our travel mates, they were able to capture these pictures.

A Year Ago Today...

2009-09-11T14:38:00.004-05:00

Troy admiring Ty at the Chicago airport.

... we left for China to pick up our little Ty. Today has been a very emotional day for me as I reflect about Ty's story this past year, but my heart was also left in China. A friend put it so well. "Amy, it is like you were in labor and you are reliving your experience." I fell in love with the country and its people. I know one day we will go back to pick up our daughter.

I remember waiting at the gate to board our plane in Chicago. There were a few American families in the minority of Asians. You wondered, "Are they going to China to get their child?" We noticed a few had already connected, but we were too shy to join in. We justified our feelings, "Maybe they are with another agency." But we were wrong. We all met up with Helen, our Beijing guide at the airport. We were so exhausted after traveling 24+ hours and couldn't wait to go bed. We went to bed starving, eating only cereal that I had packed for Ty. But we had the best coffee ever that morning at the Holiday Inn Downtown Beijing.

Fun With Ms. Linda

2009-08-30T14:33:00.003-05:00

Ty has has weekly speech therapy starting this past April. It has been amazing to think he has gone from a sign vocabulary of maybe 25 signs, saying 2 words (Mama and No) and now having a vocabulary of over 50 signs and 100 words! We give a bunch of the credit to us working with him through songs, books, talking to him and plain old play, but Ms. Linda, our speech therapist has been a blessing. Ty runs to the door when Ms. Linda comes over to play and helps her bring in the toys. Ty radiates with joy and excitement when she comes over and loves to play with her toys. It is "play with a purpose" and he strives for the sounds/words we want him to say. Ty is so engaged with Ms. Linda's toys that we do not want to duplicate them at home so he will look forward to her visits.

Ty found the Mardi Gras beads at the bottom of Ms. Linda's bag and dumped them out on the floor. I am not sure how Ms. Linda uses the Mardi Gras beads because Ty went silent due to being so engrossed. Ms. Linda and I sat back and watched him play. By the way, it was at the end of his session so we were not concerned with him being mute.

Ty seemed to be starving during this therapy session and helped himself to a snack of almost gone puffs.

I love the look on his face with all the crumbs!

Ty helping himself to a little tea!

Round 2

2009-08-27T23:28:00.003-05:00

We got word today that our application to begin the journey for another Chinese Waiting Child was accepted. We have requested a girl between the ages of 0-2. The current wait for a girl with minor special needs is approximately 18-24 months so the timing is right for us. God knows who our daughter is and we patiently wait (and put together our dossier) while we continue to cherish our little Ty who has been the greatest blessing!

Gymnastics

2009-08-24T21:07:00.002-05:00

Ty likes to tumble at home so we enrolled him in toddler gymnastic classes at our Y. They were offering a buy one get one free deal so the price was right, but the timing may be off. While he participated in the class, he didn't show the same joy and excitement to go each week as he did KinderMusik or even BabyTALK Times at the library. The teachers were college students home for summer break and were wonderful with Ty, but he was missing that spark. So we are going to wait until he is 3 before we enroll him again. I have noticed a true gymnastic center is offering a free trial class so we might check that out to compare the two. We want to encourage Ty's gifts, but want him to have fun too. At this time, it looks like we have a singer/musician/dancer on our hands.

Beans

2009-08-17T16:20:00.002-05:00

Growing up, my dad's mother offered some type of bean at every meal. This was a big joke in our family with the following question after every visit, "What type of bean did you have with your meal?" If it wasn't green beans, it was navy beans, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, lima beans...you name it. Luckily I like beans and their nutritious value. While we do not have them at every meal in our household, they are a popular part of our diet.

We are blessed Ty has a great respect and love for beans. He can eat them straight out of the can as displayed above. Kidney beans are a favorite snack and hummus too.

Once again, I am amazed how a child that is not biological is so much like his Mom and Dad. Another example of God at work.

Time Out Madness

2009-08-17T16:05:00.003-05:00

Our little guy has begun to put himself in time out for things I wouldn't put him in for. We give him 2 warnings and then it is time out time. Some things are automatic TO like hitting the dog with the golf club. On this particular evening, Ty put himself in TO before he even did anything. I began to wonder if TO is really effective for him. Then he did it...started chasing Jack around the house with golf club in mid-air, swinging it back and forth. That was enough. Luckily Jack was not hit, but we will not tolerate the teasing. So TO it was and this is what we got:

The tears...

... and more tears. Ty did apologize to Jack.

Water, Water, Water

2009-08-10T22:20:00.002-05:00

It is hard to believe our little guy's paperwork said he despised bath time and anything to do with water. Our second day with him, we took him to the baby pool at the hotel and he was a champ. Was his bath water too cold? Where there not any toys? We will never know, but we do know we better beware if water is near.

I bought plastic tubs earlier in the spring and filled one with sand and the other was for water. After an evening of watching Mom and Dad practicing open water swims in our local lake, Ty decided it was his turn to get wet at home. He plopped himself right inside the container despite his pool on the other side of the deck filled with water.

Another one of those smiles that melts my heart. (By the way, we sent this outfit to him in a care package to China. Ty also wore this outfit on the day we received him. To say the least, this was the last day he wore this outfit as it is now in safe keeping for Mom to create her magic.)

George Goes Swimming

2009-08-02T15:45:00.004-05:00

After our diaper dilemma, Ty decided George needed to put on his Elmo undies and plastic diaper protectors. He was all set and ready to go...

... SWIMMING!!! Ty is showing off his free-style while George is floating on his back.

George Needs a Diaper

2009-07-31T14:58:00.003-05:00

One day, Ty decided George needed to wear diapers too. So Mama gave him a diaper just like Ty's.

But then George needed a diaper change after he pooped per Ty.

On goes the new diaper while George does a handstand.

But George isn't cooperating and the little guy is not happy.

So he throws a fit out of frustration.

FRUSTRATION... How do you deal with a child who is easily frustrated? This is where Ty is just like his mama. My mother will tell you that I was easily frustrated as a child and it still remains as an adult, just in a different manner...I think. Ty gets upset if he cannot accomplish a task right away or if his toys are not cooperating in the proper manner. For example, he will shove all toy food possible in his microwave kitchen set and then get so mad when the door will not shut. The problem is, he doesn't give up! He is determined to make things work even when it is impossible. Any suggestions for an easily frustrated mom with an easily frustrated child?

Ty and His MeMe's

2009-07-31T14:42:00.002-05:00

This photo was shot back in June after Ty fell asleep in the car on the way home from an afternoon wedding on one of the hottest days of the summer. We placed him in his crib for a short nap before we headed off to the reception... we honestly needed to shower it was so hot. When we went to wake him up, this is what we saw...how precious. Ty has a handful of MeMe's, his word for babies that bring him comfort. We have accumulated MeMe's as gifts from friends (some homemade) and a few from hospitals. The bear he is hugging was a gift from Shriner's in Chicago when we went for our consultation. His MeMe's are scattered throughout his crib and he throws them out when in the mood. Each day brings new sleeping friends. We hear him throwing his friends on the floor when we are downstairs. It is always an interesting sight to see which MeMe's are on the floor and which get the honor of sleeping with him.

Our Dancing King

2009-07-22T22:40:00.002-05:00

Ty attended his first wedding back in June when Troy married a couple from our house church network. It was an outdoor wedding on a very HOT and HUMID day. He managed to sit through 1/2 of the wedding before he got antsy, but got all his wiggles out dancing at the reception. As I have said before, this little guy recognizes beats and music instantly grasps his attention. The dance floor was very quiet during the reception while the music played, but Ty made his way to investigate several times. Finally, he found a partner to dance with him and the floor soon became filled with participants, mainly children.

Look at the smile on his face. Such pure joy and determination!

A little slow dance for you.

Happy dancing feet!

And more dancing feet!

It's Potty Time!

2009-07-22T22:23:00.003-05:00

Ty pooped in his potty for the first time today! The whole potty issue has seen its ebb and flow. Some days he wants to sit on his potty for 2 seconds, will tell me he pooped and needs his diaper changed, or nothing at all. I am not pushing him in this area just yet, but follow his lead. While eating his afternoon snack of Craisens, he says "poop". I ask him if he would like to sit on his potty and he says "Yes!" A few minutes later, surprise! We did a potty dance, some high 5's and he got a sticker which made him proud!

Home Sweet Home

2009-07-20T21:34:00.003-05:00

Back in June when we flew of out St. Louis to go back to Texas, we made a stop through our old neighborhood. We truly miss this area. So many great memories. This is where Troy and I started our marriage...put down roots, our first place together besides my apartment in Austin we lived in for 3 weeks before the big move. Since we would be living off my salary while Troy was in seminary, he sold his truck and we were left with my Civic. He rode his bike to seminary each day or I took him before work on the bad weather days. We were so poor, but so appreciative...but we made it. We grocery shopped at the seminary food bank on the designated days and then went off to ALDI and Soulard Farmers Market for the extras. Because our apartment was old and not energy efficient, our gas and power bills were almost as much as our $390 rent payments. I thought rent was a steal coming from Texas where my rent for a one bedroom was $570 in the early 90's! Our neighborhood was across the street from the Saint Louis Zoo and Forest Park(bigger then New York's Central Park). This was our new backyard along with Turtle Park. We rode our bikes, ran and walked the dogs in the park. We even had a loop around the zoo so Joey, our poodle at the time, could see her "zoo friends", the zebras, flamingos and other fury beasts. Oh, the memories. It was such an incredible place to walk and admire the architecture of the houses, meet new neighbors, have a cup of coffee at the coffee shop, enjoy a hamburger at Seamus McDaniel's, and celebrate on St. Patrick's Day. Since we were the "Irish/Catholic" neighborhood in STL, St. Patty's Day turned our quiet and quaint neighborhood into party central. There was a parade, beer and lots of food. Our neighborhood soon became a party for over 100,000 people! Helicopters would fly over, it was so bazaar!

This is where we got our dogs groomed, just a walk down the street...so convenient.

Our apartment. We lived in the top right complex. Our little Joey would sit in the window and look out. She was known as the "little doggie in the window". Unfortunately, we lost her when she was 5 due to a major back injury we think was caused by her jumping off the window sill.

New porches at the back of our apartment. Ours was not covered and did not meet code. Not a good place for young children or lots of people on a wild night.

New flags to highlight our neighborhood.

Conquering the Catwalk

2009-07-07T13:44:00.003-05:00

Mo Ranch has a well engineered catwalk with see through grates that takes you from one side of the camp to the other. I couldn't tell you the length or height, but you get some incredible views of the Texas Hill Country. Troy is afraid of heights and it was his goal this year to cross the catwalk with his son. Of course Ty was in his stroller and enjoyed the vibrations of the grates as Troy pushed his way across with great speed. Ty was yelling, "Go, go!" cheering his dad on the entire way across. A glimpse of the catwalk from our cabin.

The grates you can see through which makes it even scarier for Troy.

"On your mark, get set, go!"

Nephew Patrick peering over the catwalk saying hello.

And he did it! Victory!

And More Ballons

2009-07-07T13:34:00.003-05:00

In addition to water balloons, Ty got to experience his first punch balloon. I don't know the technical name for it, but you know, the kind with the long rubber band at the end that tests your coordination. The two cousins spent a good amount of time making up their own ideas of what to do with a punchy balloon. It became a soccer ball, an exercise ball and a good ole time creating laughter and smiles balloon. Just look at the intensity on their faces!

Balloons With Water?

2009-07-07T13:21:00.002-05:00

During our trip to Mo Ranch in Texas, Ty had his first exposure to water balloons. The little guy loves balloons regardless of what kind, but the idea these were filled with water was a new concept. The different shapes, colors and the squishy feeling was something to be explored.

"What is inside this thing?"

"These balloons are pretty cool until they break in my face!"

"Get ready boys. Here comes double trouble."

"And more trouble."

A Year Ago

2009-06-24T20:57:00.002-05:00

A year ago today at 5:30 p.m. while I was making turkey tacos, we got "The Call" and saw these pictures of our son minutes later. I still remember the shock when Pam said, "I have a little boy who needs a mommy!" Our medical checklist had just been submitted and accepted 8 days prior on June 16th. It typically doesn't happen that fast, but we were open to either a boy or girl this being our first child. CCAI received a new list of Waiting Children on June 18th, my birthday...and Mu Shi Tian, now Ty Jameson MuShi, was the best present ever in that list of children waiting for forever families. We celebrated tonight with turkey tacos to remember this amazing day and amazing gift from God!

We Are Alive

2009-06-23T15:12:00.002-05:00

Sorry everyone for not updating in a while...I hear you. We have been back from Texas for a week and a half now, but life has been busy. My time on the computer has been dominated by data entry help for a coworker (hopefully I will still have a job come July 1...crazy Illinois politics. Gov. wants to cut social services, including early childhood (ME!) which is DEADLY!) I have lovely pictures to post from our trip to Texas (I will give you a sneak peak of one moment) and lots of cute Tyisms. The little guy is getting cuter and funnier each day. And of course, our new floor. It still isn't done. It is in, but touch ups need to be done and it is driving me crazy. I am ready to have my house in order and decorate. Oh course one project leads to another. I have always despised our indoor light fixtures and our new floor is calling them to be replaced SOON.

Auf Wiedersehen Vinyl Flooring

2009-06-05T15:05:00.005-05:00

"The crud!"

The time is now approaching as I can say goodbye to the dreaded white vinyl flooring that has given me nightmares these soon to be 4 years. We have so many people come through our house each week between therapists, friends and house church family... the floors need to go bye-bye. We have marks that will not go away and I have tried every safe cleaning product possible along with finally using bleach. But no, the brown crud enjoys the comfort of our home and refuses to leave. Thanks to our friend Guy, he will be house sitting and installing new laminate floors in our kitchen, laundry, 1/2 bath and dining room while we are on vacation visiting family at Mo Ranch in Texas!

Mr. Bluebird

2009-06-05T14:36:00.003-05:00

Ty used to be an extreme drooler, a common occurrence for some cleft kids, until Mr. Bluebird came along. He is a Jiggler, a "fun facial and oral massager" our speech therapist gave us to try. It has taken Ty a few weeks to warm up to Mr. Bluebird and his vibrating, tickling motion, but alas, he has become a favorite friend. From our understanding, Mr. Bluebird has stimulated Ty's facial nerve endings and he is more aware of his drooling. It hasn't stopped, but is less of an ordeal. In fact, I find Ty wiping his drool or a little reminder from me works. Our speech therapist also suggested we buy sweat bands for Ty to wear on his wrists to wipe the drool. This too is a process we are getting him used to. I refuse to have my 2 year old continue to wear bibs, but just last night, Ty grabbed one from his drawer and insisted he wear it to bed. I think the little guy got so used to wearing bibs, they became part of his identity. He realized he hasn't worn one in a month or so.

Mr. Bluebird doing a circle dance on the floor.

Ty biting Mr. Bluebirds plume.

Yes he needs a diaper change, but that is a different post.

Mr. Bluebird gets to drink from his Nuby.

The Birthday Cakes

2009-06-01T15:26:00.004-05:00

Since we were not around for Ty's 1st birthday, we decided to celebrate it at his 2nd birthday party. We had a monkey theme since he is obsessed with monkeys and climbs like one, but I did not have your traditional cakes. For his first birthday cake, I made monkey bread with lots of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and biscuits. It was delicious! For his 2nd birthday, I made banana bread cupcakes and decorated them with vanilla wafers, raisins, white chocolate chips and red icing. We had a decorating production line that consisted of my MIL and Troy. I think they turned out really cute and they were a hit. I do not have many pictures of his party since I was running around with my head cut off, but a gentleman was taking pictures and is going to share them with me, so I will have more to post at a later date.

The 2nd birthday monkey cupcakes.

The monkey bread complete with a "1" candle and monkey.

A Major Breakthrough

2009-05-28T14:18:00.007-05:00

Ty and I often have some cuddle time when he wakes up and we head to the swivel rocker downstairs to watch the birds outside. This is one of my favorite times of the day as Ty has LEARNED this behavior and routine. He may have experienced it in China, but I strongly doubt it as it has taken him a while to get to this point. Anyway, I was contemplating with Ty what I should fix for dinner. I would ask him, "Should I fix _____?" (fill in the blank with your favorite food) and he would repeat all that I said! Of course it didn't come out clear, but that can be perfected later. Tears started welling up in my eyes as this huge discovery happened. Of course I told our speech therapist about it today and she too almost got teary eyed as Ty said: ball, up, hammer, zip, duck, eye, all done, frog, write, mama, eat, no, now, more, out and whoa. That is 16 words! This is incredible coming from the little boy who plays very well for the developmental and speech therapist, but is silent for them. This in incredible coming for our little guy who only truly said "Mama", "No" and "Elmo"!

Another huge breakthrough, Ty requested milk this morning. I have tried all types of milk from cows milk (skim, whole, 2%, chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, organic) to soy milk, to goats milk, etc., but gave up after no success. Ty even refused the milk they gave us in China that is SOOO much sweeter then ours and one that I even liked and I am not a milk drinker. We have supplemented Ty's calcium intake with cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt. At our 2 year old check-up, our pediatrician. sent us home with some Pediasure and wanted us to try milk again. I have been filling up Ty's cup with a small amount each day and he has tolerated it. I was floored when he gave me the sign for milk. Speaking of signs, Ty is now using over 50 signs and combines 2 and 3 at a time. For example, he signed, "Dad, please play" this afternoon.

I had a feeling we were going to have some sort of major development happen. As I have studied and witnessed with my clients children, children usually regress or have a period of "disorganization" prior to a milestone. Ty did not eat as well last week and seemed out of sorts. He wasn't his happy go lucky self and seemed really serious at times and gave us scowls. He would cling to my legs and want me to play with him at all times. While it can be frustrating, I have to remind myself (a lot) that something great is about to happen!

My New Addiction...Toys!

2009-05-25T22:39:00.003-05:00

I told myself that I would not buy toys for Ty. In fact, the majority of our toys have been given to us as gifts or recycled from friends and neighbors. But...TJ MAX has become my new resource for toys. Our speech and developmental therapist have the coolest toys which Ty loves. I refuse to duplicate their toys because I want them to be exciting for Ty during his sessions with them..but they have told me about TJ MAX. Our store carries a lot of Melissa and Doug toys which a friend told me about. Her son was born with CL/CP and said their toys are often used by therapists. I found this picnic set by Melissa and Doug and Ty has spent hours playing with it. Each piece of food has Velcro attached and you use the knife and cutting board to cut. It is great for fine motor skills which Ty obviously has no problem with.

Our Backyard Camping Expedition

2009-05-25T21:42:00.004-05:00

Troy and I have been talking about taking a camping trip with Ty in the near future. Camping is something we have both done in the past, but have not experienced as a couple. Troy took the youth from his youth ministry days camping and I grew up "car camping" (everything you need fits in your car) with my family during deer season and backpacking for the first time (everything fits in your backpack) in college. My first backpacking trip was a 5 day/4 night to Big Bend in West Texas with some co-workers from the YMCA. We carried along a backpacking tent, but slept under the stars most nights. Later on in college, I worked at the Outdoor Center and led moonlight kayak trips on the San Marcos River along with a trip to the Grand Canyon my senior year. My friends and co-workers from the OC took backpacking road trips to Colorado and New Mexico and camped along the way. Once again, at least one of us carried a backpacking tent, but usually slept underneath the stars. Troy and I purchased a 4 person "car camping" tent this past Friday night on our first date night since bringing home Ty. Troy set up the tent Saturday afternoon and Ty was enthralled by it. After grilling out on the deck, we settled down for the evening in our tent. We read books and sang songs under candlelight from my candle lantern hung from the ceiling of our tent. 8:00 is Ty's normal bedtime and he was too wound up to even think about it. He explored every corner of the tent and played with my camera, head lamp, sleeping bag, toggles on the windows...you name it. Finally at 9:52 p.m., Ty crashed. Troy and I decided that we would go inside at 10:00 if he was not asleep, but he beat the time limit...but at 11:00, he woke up and there was no consoling him. It was a hot night and the temptation of a cool house and soft bed was too near. This was a great reminder of why I prefer to sleep underneath the stars, but Ty is not ready for it just yet. So we went inside and left our tent to idle with our sleeping bags until we broke it down the next afternoon.

My boys in our new tent. Troy says, "It matches our house." Not exactly the purpose, but he likes everything to have its perfect place. Actually, it complements our house with University of Texas burnt orange.

Ty studying the rain flap of our tent.

"I am ready for a night of fun!"

"Peek-A-Boo!" We unzipped the window flaps for some air circulation and Ty enjoyed playing with the material before we rolled it up and secured it to the toggles.

Ty looking a little mischevious.

"Can I see into my eye with this head lamp?"

My Steal

2009-05-25T21:28:00.002-05:00

The May 2009 issue of Parents magazine had a feature on birthday parties that "WOW". I modified the Andy Warhol banner idea and created my own version with pictures of Ty from the first 2 years of his life since we celebrated both at his birthday party. We are so grateful for Love Without Boundaries and the ability they provided us to have pictures of Ty early in his life. I think we will continue to this tradition of the photo montage.

A Sunday Stroll

2009-05-22T15:10:00.002-05:00

We spent a glorious and cool Sunday morning (the beauty of organic/house church on Saturday evening) at a local conservation area that has various trails and a paved bike path that connects another park. This was my first time to explore the area and it was a true beauty. Due to recent rains and flooding, the bike path was our only avenue to explore. We did off-road in the stroller on a trail that led to the river, but had to stop due to the path being underwater. The picture above is a piece of our hike.

My boys enjoying their stroll.
And he is off! Ty and I had a little run to get out some wiggles.

The beloved walnut we found that Ty would not give up. It continues to ride with us in both of our strollers.

The aftermath of rain.

The little guy was ready to get out and push the stroller himself. I love this shot.

Ty found a stick that became a drumstick.

A pond that we came upon with lots of fish being caught.

This is a retired Christmas tree farm at the conservation area. We had a lot of fun picking up pine cones, play in the needles and enjoying the smells. It brought back so many memories of my time spent in Colorado and made me want to go back....NOW!

My little guy rocking on a log.

Sunshine Madness

2009-05-22T14:29:00.002-05:00

The weather has been so beautiful this past week, especially without any wicked thunderstorms as per the previous week. Ty and I had some outdoor fun snuggling in the deck chairs post nap and playing in his water tub. He looked too cute in his swim attire with the new sunglasses that it was definitely picture time. Ty is fascinated with the camera and must see each picture after it is taken. He especially likes it when I try to take pictures of the two of us with my arm extended. We end up with silly pictures that bring lots of laughs.

2 Years Ago

2009-05-18T14:43:00.003-05:00

Two years ago today, our little guy was abandoned at a children's orthopedic hospital. My heart aches more today then ever as I think about his biological parents and what they have been through the past 2 years. I wonder if they are ever provided counseling to deal with their loss. I want to let them know their son is alive and well in America. His lip and palate have been repaired and he is beginning to talk. That he has great rhythm for a 2 year old and loves to figure out how things work. That he has no fear of animals, is incredibly flexible and wants to do gymnastics on our floor at 2! God had a hand on his life from the very beginning. He was sponsored by Love Without Boundaries for his lip repair, with one of their foster families and then at Swallows Nest the last couple of months of his time in China. Who gave him the name which means "Heaven Sent"? I pray that God will grant them peace and somehow, someway they know all is well. We are honored God chose us to parent our little Mu Shi Tian.

Little Paco

2009-05-07T14:32:00.002-05:00

Troy has a myriad of names for Ty, but when it comes time to eating Mexican food, Ty becomes little Paco. He gets his own dish of salsa and dips his chips just like the rest of us do. The heat hasn't bothered him yet, but this salsa is fairly mild since we are in the Midwest. Here are more pictures from his birthday encounter with the sombrero and fried ice cream! I was dying laughing while I took the pictures. He just stood still and went along with the gig, but moved his eyes to communicate. I am surprised they didn't come back shaky.

"What just happened to me?"

"Mom, Dad. What am I to do?"

"I am patiently waiting. What is going on here?"

"Why do you keep taking pictures of me Mama?"

"And what am I to do with this?"

Duece Day Revisited

2009-05-03T21:00:00.005-05:00

Round 1 of Ty's birthday started off with opening the package from Aunt Becca, Uncle Travis and Baby Porter in Alaska.

Like father like son? Not in this case. Try "like dog like child". Ty and Jackson have a special bond.

Ty and his new set of golf clubs. He also got some play dough (a favorite of his), a beach ball perfect for soccer, a rubber duck and wooden blocks to through according to him. Ty is into throwing anything in his hand these days. Thanks Becca, Travis and Porter! You did great!

After his 2 year old check-up at the doctor (all is well), we went to the mall to play and pick up some balloons. Ty adores Elmo and I had to pry these balloons out of his hand. He was determined to have them in his crib at nap time. I instead convinced him that Elmo was going to watch him sleep from his dresser.

After nap, Ty opened up his presents from Mom and Dad. Yes, we decided to recycle and use the days newspaper. Ty still didn't understand what the day was all about despite our efforts to talk it up all week. It was more of a celebration for us!

Ty got a recorder, bug catcher (Ty is into bugs) , Melissa and Doug magnetic bug puzzle (we love M&D toys) and a Discovery Toys peg board.

Ty and Dad catching bugs.

Check out that arch and concentration on his face.

We ended the day visiting our neighborhood Mexican restaurant where Ty is known by first name. I love this shot as he was not sure what to do when they put on the sombrero, smudged him with ice cream and then sang to him. Look at that face. "What am I to do Mommy and Daddy?"

"Yeah, it is all over. Happy birthday to me!"

We ended the day with a visit to his favorite playground. I wish I had video to record his excitement as we pulled into the parking lot. Ty is OBSESSED with playgrounds!

Duece Day

2009-05-01T15:13:00.003-05:00

Our baby turns 2 today! We are celebrating throughout the day and will have the party next weekend as this weekend is CRAZY! Look for pictures and details in the day to come! I must go now and wrap his presents for him to unwrap once he wakes up from his nap!

The Party Invite. Ready to monkey around?

Playground Madness

2009-04-30T14:20:00.005-05:00

Our zoo rebuilt a playground that just opened up and has made Ty the biggest fan! We are blessed that it is so close to home. The kid goes crazy every time he sees a playground and signs the word "play"! This playground is perfect for the big and little kids, handicap accessible and the incredible soft cushion stuff on the ground guards the falls. Its even fun for adults!

The new playground. This is just a portion of it. The place is HUGE!

The drum wall. They never had these when I was growing up.

Ty climbing up the big dinosaur tail.

This a cool piece of equipment. You can slide down it, but also climb up it.

Look at that smile...oh, the joy of a toddler!

This is a springy type contraption. Not quite a trampoline, but requires some balance.

This is a big kid slide. Check out the steepness to get up it.

I love this picture. The boys were watching a helicopter fly overhead.

Ty using his impeccable fine motor skills to pick up a piece of tiny plastic. The little guy will hand you the tiniest crumb off the floor and happened to continue his game on the playground floor.

Morning Stretches With Daddy

2009-04-28T21:43:00.004-05:00

Troy came home for a morning run and we met him in the garage to welcome him back. Ty is in this stage where he mimicks what we do. As soon as Troy started his streching, Ty joined right in.

" Down and..."

" ...and up."

"Down again."

"And cross the feet." (Look how Ty has crossed his arms!)

A little modification by Ty.

"One last time. And down."

"And strech real high to the sky."