Karleigh - upon leaving the mall
"Mommy, I want to live here"
McCale - after dad told him he was too small to ride the big motorcycle...
"Mommy? - Daddy said Im too small to ride his motorcycle?""" Mom said "yes, you have to be a big boy to ride Daddys motorcycle"... McCale "But I MAM a big boy!"....
Karleigh - after receiving a new dress up costume (Elena from Fairytopia w/ rainbow wings!).
"Mommy, this is like a dream come true!"
McCale - commenting on a dark road we were driving down...
"This is as scary as a skeleten frame of a burned out chevrolet".
Night time ritual with Daddy...
Brush teeth
Rinse "dont use too much!"
Potty
Get in bed
Several kisses
"Good night princess"
"Good night motorcycle driver"
"Goodnight Daddy".
McCale -
"Mommy, I did stinkies and tinkle and poopies" .... "all of dem"....."What do you think of that?"
Karleigh - ballet shoe was rubbing a blister - she would NOT wear another shoe.. I suggested socks to give some cushion, Karleigh said "Princesses dont wear socks, they wear bandages."...."Mommy, can I have bandages?".........
Karleigh - asking for me to open crackers for her in the back seat while Im driving M- "Karleigh, I cannot open the crackers right now, Im driving" K-"yes, you can mommy, drive with one hand!"....
She also tells me to go faster - etc.
McCale - WOWDER when he wants the radio turned up... Y-uss-A (born in the USA)... Gwrory days and Skeleten Frames.
Both "Uppie Uppie?"
Thursday, August 30, 2007
August 30, 2007
A few posts have not made it out here, and a few just didnt happen because of lack of time... it seems like yesterday we were packing and planning for a trip that was a few days from now and just a few minutes ago.
The kids are growing like weeds. They are happy, healthy and a handful! We all have our moments and are finding new and different ways to express our feelings. We have become a family.
McCale continues to be active, still snacks on dog food if he can, and he also has no issue with stealing a few nuggets from the cat bowl. Now you would think at 3.5 years, he would get the fact that there are other snack foods that taste better. I suppose his taste has matured, he no longer goes for the bowl, but takes a fresh piece from the bag.
He runs, jumps, climbs, gets into the cabinets, loves to take things apart and is a skilled atv rider, (battery powered). He is amazing when it comes to maneuvering the vehicle and on more than one occasion he has said that he wants to take daddys motor-cycle out for a ride... he also mentions he knows where the keys are. YIKES!!!!
Karleigh has blossomed into the Kazakh princess she was destined to be. She loves jewels, fancy dresses, pocketbooks and pink fingernails. This entire summer I could have saved a bundle...she wore only the pink dress my mom made for her with frills on the sleeves and ballet attire. Although not officially in ballet, she has quite the routine if you pretend you are not watching and let her become absorbed into one of her favorite dvd's. She loves Barbie - fairytopia, mermadia and anything that is frilly. She is a shoe fiend and is very particular with her ensembles.
The two of them together are a complete crack up. McCale shows his soft side, will share, cater to Karleigh and will often help clean up. Karleigh on the other hand likes the full service treatment and will instruct McCale to get her something or bring a blanket to her and he will. They ADORE each other and dont like to be apart (not much) Once in a while they will say...do you want to go to the store,,, "just you and me?". I love that, and eat them up.. but when push comes to shove, they want the other to come along.
Today, a milestone day and perhaps what prodded the return to blogging - or maybe its just that its coming up on the day we left.. dunno...regardless.... McCale stopped in the store, hugged my leg and said "I love you". Its really a first that he has randomly said that and showed such open affection. He is a cuddle bunny, dont get me wrong, I know he loves me and there is no attachment issue - he just never said it like that before. If he would have asked me for ANY toy in that store, a truck load of candy and maybe even GUM..the forbidden but frequently request treat of all times.. It would have been HIS. My heart, tears welled, I picked him up and hugged him for all I was worth. THIS is what life is about.
Karleigh regularly shows affection too, she is a sweetheart and a lapkid. I have no doubt Mc would be more of one if he could only sit still. :)
They moved to twin beds a few days ago from their plastic, low to the floor step two toddler fire engine and dollhouse, it was a sad day to pull the beds out..we did it quick as to avoid the slow agony of lifting a bandaid off one inch at a time. They love their new beds - floral motif and what else, motorcycle driver accents... the beds are so big, and to see them tucked in with their heads on a pillow, its clear that they are growing up.
Preschool is starting next week. Id be lying if I said I was not disturbed by this. Insane pangs of jealousy are coming upon me....... I dont want to have someone else teach them how to write their name!!! Thats MY job!!!!!! They are very ready for it, they will love it and I need to cut the strings some for all of our own good!!
McCale can sing the entire Bruce song "Thunder Road" and Karleigh can explain how a caterpillar changes to a butterfly - along with the props we have in the livingroom consisting of a fish tank and cocooned caterpillar... gosh I hope that thing busts out soon into a butterfly. we are going to have major disappointment if it just sits there all winter. Anyhow, they have learned alot and I will continue to focus on the fun stuff, like lego building and finger painting - teaching someone how to write their name is highly over rated!!
Hopefully I can come back to this over the next few weeks and at least describe how rediculous it was that I was nervous. It would be nice to report that there is no more dog food consumption and we are diaper free - but well.. all in good time I suppose.
More soo. Colene
The kids are growing like weeds. They are happy, healthy and a handful! We all have our moments and are finding new and different ways to express our feelings. We have become a family.
McCale continues to be active, still snacks on dog food if he can, and he also has no issue with stealing a few nuggets from the cat bowl. Now you would think at 3.5 years, he would get the fact that there are other snack foods that taste better. I suppose his taste has matured, he no longer goes for the bowl, but takes a fresh piece from the bag.
He runs, jumps, climbs, gets into the cabinets, loves to take things apart and is a skilled atv rider, (battery powered). He is amazing when it comes to maneuvering the vehicle and on more than one occasion he has said that he wants to take daddys motor-cycle out for a ride... he also mentions he knows where the keys are. YIKES!!!!
Karleigh has blossomed into the Kazakh princess she was destined to be. She loves jewels, fancy dresses, pocketbooks and pink fingernails. This entire summer I could have saved a bundle...she wore only the pink dress my mom made for her with frills on the sleeves and ballet attire. Although not officially in ballet, she has quite the routine if you pretend you are not watching and let her become absorbed into one of her favorite dvd's. She loves Barbie - fairytopia, mermadia and anything that is frilly. She is a shoe fiend and is very particular with her ensembles.
The two of them together are a complete crack up. McCale shows his soft side, will share, cater to Karleigh and will often help clean up. Karleigh on the other hand likes the full service treatment and will instruct McCale to get her something or bring a blanket to her and he will. They ADORE each other and dont like to be apart (not much) Once in a while they will say...do you want to go to the store,,, "just you and me?". I love that, and eat them up.. but when push comes to shove, they want the other to come along.
Today, a milestone day and perhaps what prodded the return to blogging - or maybe its just that its coming up on the day we left.. dunno...regardless.... McCale stopped in the store, hugged my leg and said "I love you". Its really a first that he has randomly said that and showed such open affection. He is a cuddle bunny, dont get me wrong, I know he loves me and there is no attachment issue - he just never said it like that before. If he would have asked me for ANY toy in that store, a truck load of candy and maybe even GUM..the forbidden but frequently request treat of all times.. It would have been HIS. My heart, tears welled, I picked him up and hugged him for all I was worth. THIS is what life is about.
Karleigh regularly shows affection too, she is a sweetheart and a lapkid. I have no doubt Mc would be more of one if he could only sit still. :)
They moved to twin beds a few days ago from their plastic, low to the floor step two toddler fire engine and dollhouse, it was a sad day to pull the beds out..we did it quick as to avoid the slow agony of lifting a bandaid off one inch at a time. They love their new beds - floral motif and what else, motorcycle driver accents... the beds are so big, and to see them tucked in with their heads on a pillow, its clear that they are growing up.
Preschool is starting next week. Id be lying if I said I was not disturbed by this. Insane pangs of jealousy are coming upon me....... I dont want to have someone else teach them how to write their name!!! Thats MY job!!!!!! They are very ready for it, they will love it and I need to cut the strings some for all of our own good!!
McCale can sing the entire Bruce song "Thunder Road" and Karleigh can explain how a caterpillar changes to a butterfly - along with the props we have in the livingroom consisting of a fish tank and cocooned caterpillar... gosh I hope that thing busts out soon into a butterfly. we are going to have major disappointment if it just sits there all winter. Anyhow, they have learned alot and I will continue to focus on the fun stuff, like lego building and finger painting - teaching someone how to write their name is highly over rated!!
Hopefully I can come back to this over the next few weeks and at least describe how rediculous it was that I was nervous. It would be nice to report that there is no more dog food consumption and we are diaper free - but well.. all in good time I suppose.
More soo. Colene
4/13/05, 5/2/05, 5/11/05, 5/29/05, 6/27/05, 8/11/05, 9/05/05
Hurricane KatrinaHello dear friends, I wanted to post that Tina, the woman who supported us through our adoption, then was waiting, who finally received travel dates - you remember, we prayed for her....she came home with her beautiful son Leyton, only to fall victem to the hurricane. She and her parents have been rescued and are safely in housing with her in-laws, however prayers for an emotional recovery and relief for the stress they are under are still needed. Please think of them. We are sending care packages through Wreath of Hope to them.
September 5thI cannot believe that a year ado today we were rushing around the house preparing for our trip. We were giving the dogs last minute hugs and packing, repacking, packing!! What an exhausting week leading up to two people collapsing into their seats on the plane. The take off was similar to the climb up a roller coaster and the meeting of the children was the amazing thrill of swooshing down.Today I was just looking at the children, watching them play, maneuver the bubble wand in and out of the container, trying to blow bubbles, laughing and giggling with each other. It really is a miracle. They love to play and chase one another, very often these days can I see two little bodies crowched over something on the floor, it could be a block, a fuzzball, an overthrown carrot, who knows, but they both need to investigate; together. Ofcourse, one will grab the other will push and before you know it Im giving the best mommy hug I know how. They are so curious, and most of all, becoming independent. They want to hold their own spoon, open their own door, and pull or push buttons on their own toys. We take turns flipping pages in books and spend lots of time on the floor stacking blocks or figuring out how things work. They catch on so darn fast. Most times they see something once and by george, they've got it.Im amazed by McCales dexterity and strength. He seems to be getting stronger by the day, its now a battle to pull something dirty and dog chewed from his hands or mouth. He is holding his own spoon and coordinates the delivery of such items as jello, pudding and applesauce to his mouth with minimal spillage. He is very proud of this and will often give a pudding filled grin when complete.Karleigh is a chatterbox!!! She is picking up words left and right. She recalls words after only once or twice. She is combining words now and repeating what she hears. She will now as for "mo-juicy" that's MORE juicy to you and I, she says to the dogs upon our arrival home "back up, back up" and bless her heart, she hollered at someone in the grocery the other day to "get out of the way".Both kids are becoming familiar with simple commands like turn around, all fall down, open the door, etc. They will run to the gate for the tubby and to the refrigerator for cheese if the mood strikes them. They are growing so fast and I just want it all to stop!!!We spent a beautiful day at the lake yesterday with Grandma and Grandpa Belli yesterday, we enjoyed a nice breeze and the shade of the pine trees while the kids scooped sand and sifted rocks. They both love the water, Karleigh is a regular fish, submercing her head underwater causing grandma to scamper to her rescue. Karleigh would surface with a big grin, wipe her eyes and try for another dip. Mc and I floated in the waist high water (his waist not mine) and sifted rocks and sand through our fingers all over our legs and to the lake bottom. He figured out how to pick the items back up underwater and thought that was pretty dern cool.We have had many events this summer, we took the kids to see the Wiggles in Philadelphia and they LOVED it. Karleigh was shouting while standing on Jeffs legs looking backwards telling everyone "WIGGLES!!" as if they didnt know who was coming on next. Mc was a little more laid back, but not scared at all. He fulfilled his duty as a Wiggles Groupie by mimicing the appropriate hand gestures and bursting out with a yelp here or there of glee. What a beautiful afternoon, just us and the kids. This is one of the things we dreamed about doing before they came, not specifically the Wiggles, although Jeff has taking a strong liking to them too, but just a fun day all for them.The kids took their first trip to a big zoo with our friend Amanda and Olivia another Kaz family. We enjoyed the sunshine, the animals and the great conversation. Very similar to Karleighs shrieks of delight when the wiggles were coming on, she also told everyone about the MONKEYS! Ofcourse in her best wiggle dancing with arms raising one at a time and oohh-ahhh-oooh-ahhh as the "do the monkey" song goes. Mc was sound asleep by that point, exhausting all his effort on the fruit bar at lunch. Go figure.We have spent alot of time with Gramma Aug doing fun over nights and shopping, lots of shopping. Mostly the dollar store for glittery shoes and balloooooons. STILL a huge favorite around here, both on the day of purchase and for weeks to come. The other day I bought them one balloon to share as they were begging for one in the store...Ok, not begging but saying Bbbllllln (mc) and Ballloooonie(kar) and how could I not. Well, the kindest lady tied the balloon onto Karleighs arm as I forked over the dollar and as we left, the balloon went sailing off her wrist and into the sunset....Karleigh yelled "oh no!!" "balloon, oh no!" (hand to cheeks) "balloon, up up and away!!"...maybe you had to be there, but it was really priceless. Mc stuck his lolly pop in his hair, pulled it off and continued licking.Finally, we have to mention the big trip to Washington with Pappy to see Uncle Lance and Aunt Nancy! Uncle Lance graduated from his masters program and we had to see it to believe it. We enjoyed the ceremony and their hospitality very much. The kids had a great time and we did things at their pace. We enjoyed SUSHI at he-ben and then played cards, etc at nice when the kids slept. What a nice visit - way too short as usual. But its great for the kids to have time to bond with everyone.As we move into Sept, I will be posting some memorable recollections of our days in Kaz. I cannot believe its been only a year and a full year at the same time. It seems as if things have always been this way, and the best part is - they WILL BE this way forever. We are truly blessed.Colene
August 11, 2005WOW, this summer is just whipping by. We have had so many exciting trips and events!! The kids are just sprouting up and are starting to both become stretchy legged toddlers (vs . pudgy leg infants). They are both into just about anything they can get their hands on and are naming and pointing at things left and right.We have finally started to enjoy looking at books together, not just trying to turn pages and chew on the corners. Karleigh will frequently bring me one of her favorite books, naming colors and shapes, she is dead on with green, yellow and blue so far and we are so proud. Another favorite is the ladybug book, where start with five and work our way down until we find they have all gone HOME.. HOME is a very big ending around here - we yell, then CLAP! HOME! What a joy.We have fine tuned our itsy bitsy spider and now can get through most of the motions and some of the words, DOWN CAME THE RAIN! is a big line in this little ditty, again, shouted and celebrated with applause! Heck, we applaud when the veggies are put on the tray, so anything is worth celebrating if you put your mind to it.The kids have come a long way with their coordination, they climb in and out/off and on of their MANY toys. They enjoy rocking in their chairs and even push each other back and forth in the little red cruiser car. I finally captured that one on video, Karleigh gives a beauty queen wave with an upright stance as McCale pushes the car from one end of the room to the next. NO IM NOT MAKING THIS UP.We have had a busy summer, the kids have experiences MANY firsts, they camped at Poppy's farm, playing in dirt, with rocks and finding their shadows in the grass. This was their first time being outside, in an open field, able to just run, jump or roll. They were truly in their element. McCale would sift dirt and grass blades through his fingers, while Karleigh made a break for the pond. She ended up going in, with me by her side, she toppled backward and went under. I pulled her right out, she laughed and tried to do it again. This kid is a water rat for sure!!! Poppy filled a wash tub with ICY spring water and we dipped their toes in it and let them splash around, they ended up diaperless and running all over, feeling the warm summer sun and a gentle breeze. This was a Norman Rockwell moment if I ever saw one, but he didnt do nudies I dont think.The kids spent their first night away, while Daddy and I went to a Toby Keith concert. This was a mothers day gift to me, and it just so happened that the concert, (JULY 24) ended up being on a hallmark holiday, called PARENTS DAY. I typically dont buy into that type of hype, but it just seemed special for some reason. Both Jeff and I had a stomache bug, mine coupled with a beer hitting it simultaneously, not making for a pretty scene at the concert. Details of this to be withheld because if Karleigh or McCale read it some day, I dont want them to hold it against me. All in All they had an amazing time and didnt miss us a bit!!! Uncle Eugene was "the man" that night, with two creepy crawlees relentlessly tackling him in the living room. He said "its nice to visit'.....Its also important to mention a very fun trip we took last week to Hershey Park with Grandma Belli, and the cousins. Stephanie and Samantha were terrific with the kids, alot of bonding between us all was going on. Ofcourse Uncle Gene was a huge hit whenever we needed some extra luvving for McCale, and of Aunt Ann Marie always has the special touch!! Daddy couldnt make it, so grandma was my primary assistant, she shared the room with the kids and I. Bless her heart she was a trooper!!!! I KNOW she didnt get much sleep, but she didnt complain a bit. (although she did comment on my snoring, which makes me wonder if she should have). The kids were very excited to be away, they love to spend time with grandma and especially hear her sing the Ducky Duddle Song...Ok, that one is my favorite too.... Grandma really loves these kiddos and it showed. She and Karleigh ended up cuddling (sort of) in bed while she tried to give Mc and I a little more rest. This one on one time is invaluable!The park itself was nice, alot of rolling hills for a double stoller pusher, but the sites kept the kids occupied and I feel they did very well for missing naps, the heat, the stimulation of noice and motion and not being able to run freely and burn steam like they would have preferred. We all called the trip a success and look forward to our next adventure.We have more adventures coming this summer, like a wiggles concert and a trip to the zoo. I will try and do better keeping up with the posting, I really want this fun stuff to be documented for the kids as they get older.I hope you are all having a great summer!!Coleneps. Tina G. is now home with her son, your prayers worked!!! There are two other families I correpond with and one just got travel dates for next week, the other just received a referral of a little girl. WHAT wonderful things are happening!!! Life is good.Colene July 18thWow, the summer is slipping by and I have been slipping on the posts. Jeff is posting two at once this time in effort to catch us up. So much has been going on, so many changes.We have had alot of firsts in the past month, our first baseball game for fathers day, our first 4th of July celebration and our first camping trip. Fathers day was restful and enjoyable. The kids colored pictures for Jeff which I framed. The drawings are still not hung on the wall...but will be by the end of the summer. We attended a Somerset Patriots game, a local team. We had nice close seats and enjoyed a clear and warm day. The children enjoyed the game right up the the 7th inning stretch, where McCale felt he needed to stretch to the parking lot and go home for a nap. Fine and dandy by us. We never thought we would make it that long.4th of July celebrations started in Whiting with Grandma and Grandpa Belli, at a picnic at their clubhouse. The kids had a blast and spent alot of time meeting friends who had followed their journey home. The day was hot and sunny, but the kids didnt seem to mind. They watched Grandpa cook burgers for everyone and Grandma do a dance routine and ceremony to honor the flag. What a wonderful way to spend their first 4th.For the holiday weekend we spent time at Eugene and Ann Maries house, dogsitting Brandy. We had such nice weather and fully soaked up as much sun and pool time as we could. Karleigh is a true water bug, she was floating on her back (with assistance ofcourse) and was madam pompadore pointing which way she wanted to be towed in the inflateable boat. McCale was a little more reserved when it came to swimming, but found himself splashing an laughing before too long. Jeff and I enjoyed some quiet time in the pool and away from the distractions and dirty dishes of home.Last weekend we took the kids camping with our neighbors in upstate NY. The years of infertility and waiting had always stifled the dream of our children running across the field at my fathers farm. Last weekend this dream became reality and I found myself welled up with tears more than a few times. The kids arrived after their 3.5 hour car ride ready to run, and run they did. They played in the sun, laughed, touched, threw and almost ate rocks. McCale and Karleigh saw their first "froggy" and watched butterflys (moths) flit from blade of grass to blade of grass.McCale found his shadow that followed him, he would turn and bend to touch it, but it scrunched up when he bent down, up he would go, back down to grab it...priceless. The outdoors toybox of mysteries for children!! Karleigh also found the "MOON" again. This is her second time pointing out the moon to us. She was so mesmerized by it, she would lean back to point and fall down. She would not stop shouting moon and pointing, maybe we have an astronaut on our hands??The children seemed to blossom this weekend, their speach picked up alot. Karleigh is pairing words together clearly and consistently like "turn around", "jackie, COME" and more. Mc is more nimble and agile than before... his first day back on solid ground after a long weekend of bumpy and hilly terrain and he is running around like never before. They each have a sunkissed look, despite our efforts at keeping them slathered in sunblock. Karleigh is getting especially golden, much like her cousins Stephanie and Samantha in the summer.I cannot believe we are heading into a year since meeting them. Life has changed so much, it is so much fuller and so complete. The joy of seeing these kids gesture "up" for their grandparents, share grins and giggles with each other, and the biggest smiles when we wake them in the morning are just a few of the things I count as blessings.Thanks everyone, more soon.Colene and Family (<- isnt that part nice)ps. Tina and George are in Kazakhstan with Leyton, everything is going well. Here is the link I had promised you to their website. www.gouldbaby.blogspot.comColene
June 27Weeks go by like minutes, and sometimes afternoons years. The sun has been out and we have been playing alot on the new deck. We have a small splash pool for the kids to play in - sometimes nekked, sometimes with all of their clothes. This my friends, is the joy of childhood. A plastic boat, a tupperware lid and we have the best time. Karleigh is definately a waterbug, in the pool right after its filled with water too cold for my little toe. Mc on the other hand plays it safe on the sideline, dipping a finger in here and there. Either way, we spend most of the days laughing and playing. The days go by fast when we can go outside and play. The fresh air is nice, and despite my valient effort with sunscreen, Karleigh is becoming a beautiful shade of golden bronze, while my little buddy and I look like over ripened strawberries.The kids both had their first extended experience in their cousins pool last week, bathing suits and all. Karleigh was like the queen of the nile, pearched in the inflateable boat, pointing with a fingers for Samantha, Steph, and Ann Marie to tow her about. Mc hung in with Mama, relaxing enough to dabble his finger or splash his legs. I think he needs a few more dips to go about on his own. No big deal, the hugging time was cherished by Mommy - and they just about had to drag our purple lips and crinkled toes out of the pool at the end of the day.Jeff celebrated his first fathers day! We went to a local baseball game with the kids and had a nice time. We made it to the 7th inning stretch, when McCale decided that he really needed a 7th inning WALK. We even tried vanilla icecream, but, we called it a short game and headed back to the car. The kids were tuckered and had a nice long rest, giving Jeff and I some alone time. As a gift, the kids gave Jeff their very first crayon drawings, all framed and fancy. Finally, now I can get Jeff to hang something on the living room walls!! So, yes, there was an ulterior motive...All and all, we are doing fine and if its at all possible are really feeling settled finally. I could be mistaken, but I think the groove is setting in and we are all very comfortable and confident with each other. Yes, it has been almost a year, yes, it was love at first site - but the natural feeling of being a family is something that seems to keep developing. There is nothing better in the world.Thanks for checking in!! More soon. And please dont mind the website - it will be cleaned up soon.Colene June 13Hello Dear Friends,Thanks for your patience as we relocate our website. More pictures will be coming soon. I hate to even bother Jeff with posting the update, but time is flying by and if I dont get something out there soon, Im afraid I will forget special details....Like, yesteday, McCale tried to let Jack outside for us. Jack was begging by the door and Mc tried with all his might to reach the knob. It was adorebale, and the comprehension is amazing to me. In the same breath and same day, Karleigh was helping mommy with the laundry, happily mixing my sorted darks and whites in their baskets.They are both coming along with their words, and have been saying things like "trees" and pointing to them, or the ceiling fan, which for some reason they point out to us each day. Karleigh just keeps learning, Jack, Molly, Daddy, Cootie, the everluvvin "Iwavwoo" and she is especially happy to shout her own name in the store loudly or wherever we might be KAWEEEEEEE! I'll spare you the screach that comes with it.They are both quick as a whip, I told them later we would take a bath "tubby" and Karleigh headed for the hall to go upstairs for the bath.....She was ready and on the way, saying "tubby" with the expression of, WELL YOU DID SAY IT, LETS GO. I really have to watch now.I wanted to let you know that my friend Tina is on her way to Kaz and there is a very good chance that today will be the day she holds Leyton for the first time. See!? The prayers did work!!! I have included a link to their website below if you want to have a peak.I have other friends lined up to go as well, so we need to keep the prayers and good thoughts going. Can you believe, me? the non-religious person is sending all of these prayers out. There is something to be said for the power of positive thinking. Thanks to everyone who dedicates a moment or two of their day to help these miracles happen. My next friend waiting is TERRY, so please add her to your thoughts today. She is waiting for two little boys.Well, I hate to cut this short, but Karleigh is finishing her spinach nuggets, yes, gross! but she likes them so dont tell her!!!Colene
May 29 So much news this week! Tina got travel dates!! She will be leaving
June 12th to meet her son Leyton!! I will post a link to her site shortly in case you want to follow along. Next up as far as big news goes...Karleigh said I LOVE YOU, granted it was Iwovwoo, BUT...I knew what she meant. I tell them both everyday, all day long....I just cant help myself, I have to admit, I do shower them with kisses and hugs when I can too. Not only did she tell me, but she has told gramma too! What a great feeling. McCale shows his affection by frequent hugs and luvvins when he is circling the living room or dancing to the Wiggles. We are all getting fluent in wiggle lingo, and songs. Our favorites are Fruit Salad, Yummy Yummy and Hot Potato. Karleigh does appropriate hand movements to these songs and Mc sings his heart out while beating his chest and running around the living room. How in the world did I ever get this lucky????? We have had some major accomplishments over the past couple of weeks, it has become apparent when McCale wants a drink - he will either say "Juice" or go to his high chair. Karleigh does the same and also tells us when she wants a gahkah, (cracker, couldnt you tell?????) My gosh, I never expected them to be asking for things so soon. They are very bright. All I need to do is say "Tubby" and they are running for the hall to go upstairs, we love the tubby. We love bubbles, we love throwing things in the tubby, out of the tubby and standing - even though we are not supposed to. No's are coming more often lately, and thanks to Karleigh we get to hear the word frequently as well. NO, no, NOOO, nnnno, nooooo, any variety. And they say two is a rough age?? My goodness. The food intake has slowed down, not sure why, but they seem to be more particular about food, favoring pasta, bread and a little more difficult when it comes to veggies. Doc said we need to offer the food they like the least first, hmmmm...this is hard when the food they like the least is flipped over the high chair into the willing jowels of a shepard mix and a very overweight beagle. Ahh..the days of spoonfeeding and formula are gone. Onto bigger and better!! I have been giving them spoons to use during the meals that are followed by tubby, Im proud to say, when the proper end is used for food service, we have been having good luck. When the food is on one end and the handle is in the mouth, well...we have another story. The good news is, I cannot think of a single thing that could be cuter than a McCale covered in blueberry yogurt from the eyebrow down, and from the eyebrow through the scalp, mashed potatoes. Come on now, if you are the least bit creative, you have to get a chuckle out of this too. My little angels, my sticky, gooy, lwovwoo angels. Time to head for bed, they are sleeping now like two peas in a pod. Charging the batteries for another adventuresome day. Thanks for checking in. More to come!' Colene and crew May 21 Hello Everyone, what a fantastic couple of weeks we have had. We enjoyed a birthday party for Stephanie at the Bellis house in Howell. Karleigh tried her first dip in the pool and seemed to take to it well, no kicking or screaming. She went in about chest high for a few minutes, the pool was heated to about 90 degrees so she thought she was in the worlds biggest tubbie!! Mc on the other hand watched from the sideline in the safe arms of his daddy. I think he will definately like the water, but when he can go in on his own terms. We are looking forward to a summer of swimming and splashing with their cousins! More to come Im sure about these kinds of adventures. The big news for this week is the utterance of the words, I love you - by Miss Karleigh....it was more like, I wahwoo, but she was definatly returning my compliment when I told her that I loved her. She said it bunches of times, sometimes she tags the beginning on to the end - like, IwahwooI! She does the same when she tells us what the kitty says, meowme! meowme!meow! Just about melts my heart from my chest. Both kids join in on chanting for daddy when they come down from their afternoon nap....DaDEE,DaDEE, DaDEE.....not to be confused with whooose-your-daddy?whose-your-daddy during last years baseball playoffs. They really get excited when he comes home. Our evening ritual has become much more active lately as we try to burn off the last bits of their steam, we play the Wiggles CD, dance and sing..ofcourse the hoopdedo polka is one of the favorites and we polka around the family room until Mommy is huffing and puffing and has a mean burn on her shoulder and bicep. I have lost 10 pounds since being home, not close to what should be, but I do believe you will be seeing the hoopdedoo at some of the finer fitness gyms throughout the nation soon. Its truly a fitness phenominon. Between this and McCale climbing on the coffee table to a full stand, dancing - or hanging from his highchair table by his fingers and pulling his feet off the ground, we spend alot of time dashing back and forth saving him from near misses and practising the art of distraction and introducing the word NO. We are pleased to tell you that each time we tell Mc NO, Karleigh mimics it like a little parrot, just in case he didnt hear us. Both of their vocabularies are really picking up. Karleigh repeats nearly everything, McCale is starting to repeat as well. He is a great listener and will often blurt out what we had been teaching them an hour or so later, then he squeels with delight. Can it possibly get any better?? A trip to the store this week proved to be difficult as the two little indians were hooting and hollering down every aisle, laughing, raspberry-ing their hands and trying to touch EVERYTHING> This is starting to become more challenging, but fun. We all laughed and sang E-I-E-I-OHHHHH shamelessly through the frozen food section, its great because their cuteness distracts everyone from my out of tune singing. Where is gramma Belli when you need her???? Speaking of Grandparents, we enjoyed another GREAT day at the part this week with Dad and Mary. The kids took to the playground and McCale really enjoyed being allowed to climb up and down. Karleigh was a princess sliding down a small slide and allowing Pappy to air lift her to the top, again and again!!! Gramma A. is coming home from Fla. next week, the kids cant wait to see her, Im sure she is in for a royal welcome. Im interested to see if she thinks they have changed or grown. After a month away it mignt be easier to see. I know they are changing by the day and when I compare the pictures from just a few months ago, I see a huge difference!!!! I will be changing the pictures on the link to Karleigh and McCale photos so you can see for yourself. I had better get a couple of chores done before they wake up. For those of you asking, Tina has a target date of June 10th to leave for Kazakhstan and will be keeping a journal if you want to follow along, let me know. I know this has been a long haul for her waiting alot longer than planned, Im wishing her all the best to hang in there just a little longer. Your prayers are appreciated for her. Thanks everyone! Colene
May 11 Hello! What a nice week we have had. Everyone is feeling great, the sun is shining and finally it seems spring has sprung. We had a wonderful mothers day celebration over the weekend with Jeff's parents and Eugene, Ann Marie and the kids. We had a simple bbq at the house, it was very laid back and we just enjoyed each other. Karleigh and McCale were running all about having a high ole' time. Sunday was a day just for me though. I slept in late and was suprised by Toby Keith concert tickets and a warm welcome from all when I finally got myself out of bed. The day itself was a very reflective and thought provoking, my thankfulness for the gifts I have received and how my life has changed for the better overwhelmed me. It was only one year ago that I was suffering daily, waiting and wondering, the pain was excrutiating and now, the reward. I can breath easy and thank my lucky stars for the two little ones that have brightened so many lives. About those little ones....my goodness, Im now in official high speed mode. They are into EVERYTHING. Karleigh gets a kick out of mimicing NO, NONONONO - and laughs. McCale on the other hand has really started up his singing career...with soft balads of E-I-E-I- OOO...in the softest and sing songiest voice you have heard. PRECIOUS!! For the first time this week they both sang together while playing - MY HEART!!! McCale crooning away, Karleigh digging deep within her chest to gurgle out the words - what a riot!!! They were both smiling until she got the ball he wanted, then it was a tug of war and the words changed to something more like (#$&(#&$(#& but oh well, it was cute while it lasted. Kisses have been the theme this week for Karleigh - she will stop her play, come over and kiss me on the cheek or head. She still insists on kissing feet and the dogs faces too, this she learned from me and its cute to see it imitated, but for sanitary reasons we are trying to keep the kissing to the cheeks and head. McCale has been a constant chatterbox and on the move, circling the living room, around the pole, into the kitchen around the island and back. Everyother circle he stops by to give me a hug, rest his head and stick his thumb in his mouth. I just love all of the affection!!!! Jeff has been getting his fair share of luvvins too, each night we "wrastle" on the floor with lots of grins and giggles. If I have said it once in this journal, I have said it a zillion times.....STOP LOOKING..this is the meaning of life!!!!!! Thanks for checking in. Im thinking of you all who are waiting your turn or considering adoption, its worth its weight in gold...the return is 10 fold. Hang on. Colene
May 2 Wow, I cannot believe its May 2nd already. Where is the time going? Karleigh is walking now, about 12-15 steps at a time. They are careful, cautious steps, but she is getting by. She really hates the thought of falling and if she gets shaky she lowers herself to the floor. The kids have been feeling well and have been out an about with visits to their cousins, and to see grand-pappy Aug and Grandma and Pop-pop Belli. Gramma Aug is out on an RV adventure and will be gone for a month. The kids are really enjoying the family visits and are comfortable with everyone, this gives Jeff and I a break sometimes. They are starting to extend their morning naps and take a quick snooze in the late afternoon. Im not sure which I like better the extended or two shorter breaks. Guess I really dont have a choice in the matter, so why ponder?? Today Karleigh learned the word Kiwi, by pointing to it in her book. She must really love it, as she then leaned over to give it a kiss. After she demonstrates this cuteness she coyly gives me a grin, I just love that. She is still absorbing nearly a word a day, its amazing. McCale on the other hand is stretching his abilities physically, by trying to hang from the high chair tray by his finger tips and screeeech for the juice sippy. This stunt can only be outdone by the "foot over the toybasket" trick, sometimes the little guy gets hung up and needs to be rescued...only to do it all over again. They are really all over the place, McCale can scoot into the laundry room from 100 yards in a second flat. Before I can get my arms out of the dryer he is eating two hunks of kibble and has flipped the water - on himself no doubt. He is in and out of the "safe" cabinets in the kitchen and will chase the cat right up to and in her cat door. All of thise happens ofcourse while Karleigh wants to be held or finds herself stuck bent over headfirst on their push along toy. We have had a few bumps and bruises so far, but I fear the worst is yet to come. They are fearless and fast, Im doing my best and trying to enjoy it all at the same time. I cant complain one little bit, I love every minute!!! The two little bugs are sleeping now, so I think I will try and get a few things done, especially those in and about the laundry room, so until next week - take care! PS...Tina did not get her travel dates yet. UP the prayers please!! Colene April 22 This weeks post is dedicated to a good friend Tina. She is a waiting adoptive parent who has met her angel Leyton and is waiting for travel dates to meet him and bring him home. Tina has shared stories with me of their desire to have birthday parties, with petting zoos, decorations and friends to share their happiness with. She too, spends time looking at little socks and staring into an empty crib while she wonders where he is and what he is doing. As she is waiting, she see's other families finding their children and leaving to get them. There is no ryhme or reason why, its just the way it is. The adoption process as a whole is a huge roller coaster ride, no ride is the same and some rides are quick, some short - it is emotional, it is painful but the best part of all for everyone is the end result. I wish there was a way to ease her pain, give her hope and make it BE REAL. When I say BE REAL I understand the meaning, but defining it is hard. I think only once the child in put in your hands can you truly identify with this feeling/emotion or whatever the heck it is. I will tell you adoptive families in wait, yearn for this feeling, know the hole that needs to be filled and find it hard to visualize or realize that the end result WILL be a CHILD, in your arms, there to love and return the hugs and kisses. When the time is right. When you are at the mercy of others for this need to be met, you have to believe, trust and hope that whats meant to be will be. AGAIN SO MUCH EASIER SAID THAN DONE. Now, Im not trying to be a tear jerker but gosh darnit, I remember all too well these wishes and dreams. Tina has been a constant source of support and friendship celebrating the milestones of Karleigh and McCale, being happy for us when inside it must be just burning the "REAL" hole. I know her turn is coming, it will be here soon. I know that she will be united with her son and everything will be just perfect. I hope she can find the strength to make it through each day, and just when her patience has been tested to the end....he will be home. Tina, we are all saying prayers for you tonight that the phone will ring, you will get your travel dates, you will know when you will hold him. When the dates come, the time passes quickly. You are just about to the top of the largest hill on the coaster, tighten the knuckles, bear down and get ready cuz the best is yet to come. Your friend, Colene
April 13 Hello! We are back in the sick bay again. I have been assured that the colds, sniffles and tummy aches are all to be expected in the first year so not to worry. Having sick little ones just hampers about any othe plan you could make - no complaints here, just trying to explain why the posts are less frequent lately. There have been so many milestones in the past few weeks. Ofcourse McCale is just about jogging all over the place and Karleigh doing a fast crawl or pushing along the walking toy right behind him - chatting all the way. I have to share a couple small events as they have touched my heart deeply and I want to have them documented forever!! I received my first, bonafide, stop playing and hug mom "hug" from Karleigh. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world. We were on the floor playing (Kar/Mic/Mom) and she put down her block, got up, gave me a hug with her head resting on my chest and went "mmmmpfht" like I do when I hug her, she then returned to playing. I still get foggy thinking of it. Next, a tale of our little MIC - what a sensitive little guy. When the kids cry (not the I just banged my head cry - but the wahh,,Im getting tired,,wahhh, just make me happy cry) I will strum their lips and make the Blub-blub-blub sound usually resulting in a smile, if not a smirk. I guess he thinks this is expected or comforting, because I was holding Karleigh wiping away tears from a spill on the floor, when he crawled over and strummed her lips trying to sooth her. Again, my heart....it just swells. Finally, I wanted to share a story about them playing together. Just about everyone we come in contact with asks if they play together? Do they communicate among themselves? Are they in the same room? YES< YES< YES...and just the other day Karleigh had a round donut shaped material stacking ring in her hand, McCale wanted it...badly. She stuck the ring in her mouth and crawled for all she was worth across the floor. He was on her tail and gaining when she would change directions or stop to move it to the hand that was out of reach. This game continued to each corner of the room, Karleigh laughing and McCale snorting and following along. The little guy was not going to give in for 'nuthin'. They went around the back of the couch, where low and behold...another toy laid that was of interest to McCale. Finally, finding some peace he began to play quietly with the toy, giving up the pursuit of the unreachable ring. Well Miss "thing" couldnt have this, she pulled the ring out of her mouth, sat up next to him and bopped him in the head with it. He turned, remembered the ring, she popped it back in her mouth and off they went again. Ahh..the joys of sharing and siblings. What could be coming next??? They have been just soaking every thing up, they are repeating words and Karleigh knows where her nose is as well as anyone else who may get their nose close enough to her goop covered hands. She will "sit" on command and will even say the word, sound a little more like..."shite" than sit, but its still cute. The pediatrician gave them glowing reviews on their progress and mentioned karleighs speach and understanding is extraordinary. Talk about puffing up a moms chest! Im just so proud of them and all they both can do. McCale is so active, agile and motivated and Karleigh is very observant and attentive. Its really amazing how they are so different, yet so much the same. We are looking forward to the summer, the days have started to become brighter and warmer. Our walks outside are priceless and we are so lucky to have a small park only a few doors down for the kids. They love to swing and ride on a lap down the slide. This is just a tiny taste of all the good things to come!! We cannot wait to go to the zoo with Olivia and get to meet some of the children that were adopted over the past year and their parents. We also have a close circle of friends who all have children within one year of Karleigh and McCale, how wonderful it will be to see them grow up together. More adventures are sure to come! Thank you for checking in . We wish you all the best!! We hope Jeanette had a great trip and that travel dates come soon for TINA!!! Love and Special Karleigh HUGS! Colene April 1 Jeff was away this week and so I have to apologize for the late post. The kids have been keeping us hopping. Since our last post McCale has graduated from 3-5 steps to 30 and over, it was that fast. He is fearless and started off by walking between the two of us, his last couple of steps a giggling dive, now he travels by foot about 30% of the time, toddling and waving the whole while. He has made turns and can change direction, especially when in hot pursuit of the cat who is not nearly as excited about his walking as the rest of us are. Until this morning Karleigh was just as happy playing with flash cards and pushing around the cart w/ wheels. She pulled herself up on the recliner and steadily took 8 steps toward me. These were very tiny steps, but her weight shifted and feet came off the ground as she moved forward, soooo we are counting them!!! Jeff got back from the store and she took five more!! It was definately a morning for celebration! The look on their faces as they accomplish such a huge feat is priceless, nearly as thrilled and as proud as ours. They are both on whole milk now and enjoy their bottles all by themselves in their high chairs, they are eating only finger foods now with some applesauce. They do take their juice from sippy cups, but Im too heartbroken to abandone the bottles just yet for milk. I have been letting them try and feed themselves and they really get a kick out of it. There is only one issue - the dogs hover around their chairs like sharks and McCale has taken a liking to tossing bits and pieces overboard after he is done eating. We are working on discouraging this behavior, despite its ulimate cuteness, on both McCales part and the dogs. Each day they seem to change, get more responsive, joke and interact with us. The face game is still very popular with McCale as he snorts and laughs when the exchange of snort is returned. Karleigh is very talkative and has shown a keen interest in Music, she bops up and down on her knees and waives her arms in the air. She also has a straight arm clap that is dang priceless. We typically limit her musical selection to easy listening, her nursery tapes, the wiggles and Alan jackson until the other day when the Fresh Prince of BellAire came on TV, which starts with a RAP about how the prince came from Philly to California to live the good life. Holy FLY GIRL my Karleigh can shake her bootie!!! She was in full blown boogie motion, clapping, bopping and hootin all at one time. A girl after my own heart. Its just so amazing, each day is something new, the smiles in the morning and the giggles during lunch, and the BIG PROUD steps. Life is good. Take care! Until next time!!!! Colene March 20 Holy cow we have alot to Post first off - McCale turned 1! Our little boy is growing up fast. In addition to this milestone he has been consistently taking steps, 3-5 by himself and standing on his own for nearly a minute while in place. He is very active and still very smiley and happy! He and I (Colene) enjoy mornings making faces at each other, we have a variety of sound effects too. My favorite face includes a snorting sound with squinty eyes and a squishy nose. Not only will he do this for me on command, he will instigate the "face game" by crawling toward me full speed ahead, snorting, squishing and squinting all the while. He will also do fish face with a pop of the lips - the second of my favorites. He is simply a joy. I have said it once, but will say it again, I just look at them, one by one and enjoy them with all my heart with a sudden burst of love and happiness when I recall that I have TWO children that double the joy. How can a person be so very lucky? We thank the heavens above for these gifts. I dont think there is a thing in the world that could come close to making us this happy. With the children have come many added bonus'of seeing our parents enjoy them, our neices adore them and the close knit bond that has been formed with our siblings adding a whole new facet to our lives. All of the words like, Enrichment, Fullfilment and Completeness have become so much more meaningful. Its like when you realize what the words of the songs from the radio you sang as a child REALLY meant.....A whole new perspective on life. Who would have thought that adding two children could change life in so many ways? I guess Im preaching to the choir to many of you, and for those waiting, Im so very happy that you are on this path. Don't give up. If you want it bad enough, no matter what it is, there are ways to find it. I guess you all have been getting your fair share of "sappiness" from me lately, so I will try and give you more facts, less "world according to Colene"....Here goes.... We enjoyed a wonderful day with Samantha last week as she was confirmed. I was honored and thrilled to have been selected as her sponsor. She is such a beautiful young girl, inside and out and I hold her in the highest regard. We had a beautiful day, albeit a tad chilly, and enjoyed each others company during the ceremony. This young woman, who was a girl but a minute ago is really blossoming into thoughtful and caring person. Im so proud to be a part of her life. After the ceremony we enjoyed an awesome dinner out at a local italian bistro, YUMMMY! I have missed going out and having a really good glass of wine while gorging myself on a fresh pasta dish! Life is good!!! We celebrated McCales birthday on the same day with Samantha making the occasion extra special for us all. He was a bit tired and wanted DAda...he just LOVES his daddy! He was a snuggle bunny who needed the extra attention which Jeff gave him wholeheartedly. I think all in all, it was a special birthday for him and we were very lucky to be surrounded with friends and family. Later in the week we decided to visit Uncle Lance and Aunt Nancy in Virginia. We had been trying to plan a trip since January and it just had not been working. Stuffy noses and snow had been the culprit. We saw a window and jumped through it early in the week deciding to pack up and go. My mother came along with me and the children and we headed out on our road trip. It was a smooth ride down with only a few peeps from the kids, Karleigh was entertaining us with her endless chatter. Im not sure what she said, but I do know it was very important. So important as a matter of fact, she emphasized it with many raspberries blown into the palm of her hand and just a few in mid air with a burst of fine mist and cracker crumbs spraying anyone in arms reach. We all shared alot of giggles and hugs too. Lance and Nancy seem to be doing very well. They have a lovely apartment in a charming colonial type village. They gave us a southern style welcome with shrimp, crab (for mom and I) and BEYOUEES!! (for K&M) as a welcoming treat and provided very nice accomodations with fresh flowers in the bedroom and all. We very much enjoyed the trip, the driving tour of DC (while the kids snoozed) and an awesome Sushi buffet (just a few of the highlights). Lance and Nancy always provide an entertaining visit, those two could have fun in brown bag!!! The kids loved to see them and are warming up to them. They also continued to bond with grandma and are just desparately in love with her.... We are so lucky to have Lance-n-Nance coming up our way for Easter next week, Im sure they will continue to bond in the coming days. This is so very important to all of us. Lance is in the Military and is due to possibly relocate this summer. We want to take advantage of him being so close and we look forward to the next visit, perhaps with grand pappy!! The kids were so tuckered from the trip, they slept til about 8am this morning. They are now napping and we are nearing 3 hours, I am starting to hear little noises from in there so I'll call it a day for now. I hope I'm not too early on wishing a dear friend of mine congratulations on her referral, she knows who she is. I will provide more details later when she goes public. With Love, Colene
IMPORTANT - WE MAY BE CHANGING INTERNET SERVICE AND THE WEBSITE MAY BE MOVING, MORE UPDATES ON THIS TO COME. WE ARE HOPING FOR SOME OVERLAP TO REDIRECT VISITORS. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN CONTINUE TO FOLLOW ALONG, PLEASE EMAIL ME SO I CAN BE SURE TO ADD YOU TO A MAILING LIST WITH MORE DETAILS.
September 5thI cannot believe that a year ado today we were rushing around the house preparing for our trip. We were giving the dogs last minute hugs and packing, repacking, packing!! What an exhausting week leading up to two people collapsing into their seats on the plane. The take off was similar to the climb up a roller coaster and the meeting of the children was the amazing thrill of swooshing down.Today I was just looking at the children, watching them play, maneuver the bubble wand in and out of the container, trying to blow bubbles, laughing and giggling with each other. It really is a miracle. They love to play and chase one another, very often these days can I see two little bodies crowched over something on the floor, it could be a block, a fuzzball, an overthrown carrot, who knows, but they both need to investigate; together. Ofcourse, one will grab the other will push and before you know it Im giving the best mommy hug I know how. They are so curious, and most of all, becoming independent. They want to hold their own spoon, open their own door, and pull or push buttons on their own toys. We take turns flipping pages in books and spend lots of time on the floor stacking blocks or figuring out how things work. They catch on so darn fast. Most times they see something once and by george, they've got it.Im amazed by McCales dexterity and strength. He seems to be getting stronger by the day, its now a battle to pull something dirty and dog chewed from his hands or mouth. He is holding his own spoon and coordinates the delivery of such items as jello, pudding and applesauce to his mouth with minimal spillage. He is very proud of this and will often give a pudding filled grin when complete.Karleigh is a chatterbox!!! She is picking up words left and right. She recalls words after only once or twice. She is combining words now and repeating what she hears. She will now as for "mo-juicy" that's MORE juicy to you and I, she says to the dogs upon our arrival home "back up, back up" and bless her heart, she hollered at someone in the grocery the other day to "get out of the way".Both kids are becoming familiar with simple commands like turn around, all fall down, open the door, etc. They will run to the gate for the tubby and to the refrigerator for cheese if the mood strikes them. They are growing so fast and I just want it all to stop!!!We spent a beautiful day at the lake yesterday with Grandma and Grandpa Belli yesterday, we enjoyed a nice breeze and the shade of the pine trees while the kids scooped sand and sifted rocks. They both love the water, Karleigh is a regular fish, submercing her head underwater causing grandma to scamper to her rescue. Karleigh would surface with a big grin, wipe her eyes and try for another dip. Mc and I floated in the waist high water (his waist not mine) and sifted rocks and sand through our fingers all over our legs and to the lake bottom. He figured out how to pick the items back up underwater and thought that was pretty dern cool.We have had many events this summer, we took the kids to see the Wiggles in Philadelphia and they LOVED it. Karleigh was shouting while standing on Jeffs legs looking backwards telling everyone "WIGGLES!!" as if they didnt know who was coming on next. Mc was a little more laid back, but not scared at all. He fulfilled his duty as a Wiggles Groupie by mimicing the appropriate hand gestures and bursting out with a yelp here or there of glee. What a beautiful afternoon, just us and the kids. This is one of the things we dreamed about doing before they came, not specifically the Wiggles, although Jeff has taking a strong liking to them too, but just a fun day all for them.The kids took their first trip to a big zoo with our friend Amanda and Olivia another Kaz family. We enjoyed the sunshine, the animals and the great conversation. Very similar to Karleighs shrieks of delight when the wiggles were coming on, she also told everyone about the MONKEYS! Ofcourse in her best wiggle dancing with arms raising one at a time and oohh-ahhh-oooh-ahhh as the "do the monkey" song goes. Mc was sound asleep by that point, exhausting all his effort on the fruit bar at lunch. Go figure.We have spent alot of time with Gramma Aug doing fun over nights and shopping, lots of shopping. Mostly the dollar store for glittery shoes and balloooooons. STILL a huge favorite around here, both on the day of purchase and for weeks to come. The other day I bought them one balloon to share as they were begging for one in the store...Ok, not begging but saying Bbbllllln (mc) and Ballloooonie(kar) and how could I not. Well, the kindest lady tied the balloon onto Karleighs arm as I forked over the dollar and as we left, the balloon went sailing off her wrist and into the sunset....Karleigh yelled "oh no!!" "balloon, oh no!" (hand to cheeks) "balloon, up up and away!!"...maybe you had to be there, but it was really priceless. Mc stuck his lolly pop in his hair, pulled it off and continued licking.Finally, we have to mention the big trip to Washington with Pappy to see Uncle Lance and Aunt Nancy! Uncle Lance graduated from his masters program and we had to see it to believe it. We enjoyed the ceremony and their hospitality very much. The kids had a great time and we did things at their pace. We enjoyed SUSHI at he-ben and then played cards, etc at nice when the kids slept. What a nice visit - way too short as usual. But its great for the kids to have time to bond with everyone.As we move into Sept, I will be posting some memorable recollections of our days in Kaz. I cannot believe its been only a year and a full year at the same time. It seems as if things have always been this way, and the best part is - they WILL BE this way forever. We are truly blessed.Colene
August 11, 2005WOW, this summer is just whipping by. We have had so many exciting trips and events!! The kids are just sprouting up and are starting to both become stretchy legged toddlers (vs . pudgy leg infants). They are both into just about anything they can get their hands on and are naming and pointing at things left and right.We have finally started to enjoy looking at books together, not just trying to turn pages and chew on the corners. Karleigh will frequently bring me one of her favorite books, naming colors and shapes, she is dead on with green, yellow and blue so far and we are so proud. Another favorite is the ladybug book, where start with five and work our way down until we find they have all gone HOME.. HOME is a very big ending around here - we yell, then CLAP! HOME! What a joy.We have fine tuned our itsy bitsy spider and now can get through most of the motions and some of the words, DOWN CAME THE RAIN! is a big line in this little ditty, again, shouted and celebrated with applause! Heck, we applaud when the veggies are put on the tray, so anything is worth celebrating if you put your mind to it.The kids have come a long way with their coordination, they climb in and out/off and on of their MANY toys. They enjoy rocking in their chairs and even push each other back and forth in the little red cruiser car. I finally captured that one on video, Karleigh gives a beauty queen wave with an upright stance as McCale pushes the car from one end of the room to the next. NO IM NOT MAKING THIS UP.We have had a busy summer, the kids have experiences MANY firsts, they camped at Poppy's farm, playing in dirt, with rocks and finding their shadows in the grass. This was their first time being outside, in an open field, able to just run, jump or roll. They were truly in their element. McCale would sift dirt and grass blades through his fingers, while Karleigh made a break for the pond. She ended up going in, with me by her side, she toppled backward and went under. I pulled her right out, she laughed and tried to do it again. This kid is a water rat for sure!!! Poppy filled a wash tub with ICY spring water and we dipped their toes in it and let them splash around, they ended up diaperless and running all over, feeling the warm summer sun and a gentle breeze. This was a Norman Rockwell moment if I ever saw one, but he didnt do nudies I dont think.The kids spent their first night away, while Daddy and I went to a Toby Keith concert. This was a mothers day gift to me, and it just so happened that the concert, (JULY 24) ended up being on a hallmark holiday, called PARENTS DAY. I typically dont buy into that type of hype, but it just seemed special for some reason. Both Jeff and I had a stomache bug, mine coupled with a beer hitting it simultaneously, not making for a pretty scene at the concert. Details of this to be withheld because if Karleigh or McCale read it some day, I dont want them to hold it against me. All in All they had an amazing time and didnt miss us a bit!!! Uncle Eugene was "the man" that night, with two creepy crawlees relentlessly tackling him in the living room. He said "its nice to visit'.....Its also important to mention a very fun trip we took last week to Hershey Park with Grandma Belli, and the cousins. Stephanie and Samantha were terrific with the kids, alot of bonding between us all was going on. Ofcourse Uncle Gene was a huge hit whenever we needed some extra luvving for McCale, and of Aunt Ann Marie always has the special touch!! Daddy couldnt make it, so grandma was my primary assistant, she shared the room with the kids and I. Bless her heart she was a trooper!!!! I KNOW she didnt get much sleep, but she didnt complain a bit. (although she did comment on my snoring, which makes me wonder if she should have). The kids were very excited to be away, they love to spend time with grandma and especially hear her sing the Ducky Duddle Song...Ok, that one is my favorite too.... Grandma really loves these kiddos and it showed. She and Karleigh ended up cuddling (sort of) in bed while she tried to give Mc and I a little more rest. This one on one time is invaluable!The park itself was nice, alot of rolling hills for a double stoller pusher, but the sites kept the kids occupied and I feel they did very well for missing naps, the heat, the stimulation of noice and motion and not being able to run freely and burn steam like they would have preferred. We all called the trip a success and look forward to our next adventure.We have more adventures coming this summer, like a wiggles concert and a trip to the zoo. I will try and do better keeping up with the posting, I really want this fun stuff to be documented for the kids as they get older.I hope you are all having a great summer!!Coleneps. Tina G. is now home with her son, your prayers worked!!! There are two other families I correpond with and one just got travel dates for next week, the other just received a referral of a little girl. WHAT wonderful things are happening!!! Life is good.Colene July 18thWow, the summer is slipping by and I have been slipping on the posts. Jeff is posting two at once this time in effort to catch us up. So much has been going on, so many changes.We have had alot of firsts in the past month, our first baseball game for fathers day, our first 4th of July celebration and our first camping trip. Fathers day was restful and enjoyable. The kids colored pictures for Jeff which I framed. The drawings are still not hung on the wall...but will be by the end of the summer. We attended a Somerset Patriots game, a local team. We had nice close seats and enjoyed a clear and warm day. The children enjoyed the game right up the the 7th inning stretch, where McCale felt he needed to stretch to the parking lot and go home for a nap. Fine and dandy by us. We never thought we would make it that long.4th of July celebrations started in Whiting with Grandma and Grandpa Belli, at a picnic at their clubhouse. The kids had a blast and spent alot of time meeting friends who had followed their journey home. The day was hot and sunny, but the kids didnt seem to mind. They watched Grandpa cook burgers for everyone and Grandma do a dance routine and ceremony to honor the flag. What a wonderful way to spend their first 4th.For the holiday weekend we spent time at Eugene and Ann Maries house, dogsitting Brandy. We had such nice weather and fully soaked up as much sun and pool time as we could. Karleigh is a true water bug, she was floating on her back (with assistance ofcourse) and was madam pompadore pointing which way she wanted to be towed in the inflateable boat. McCale was a little more reserved when it came to swimming, but found himself splashing an laughing before too long. Jeff and I enjoyed some quiet time in the pool and away from the distractions and dirty dishes of home.Last weekend we took the kids camping with our neighbors in upstate NY. The years of infertility and waiting had always stifled the dream of our children running across the field at my fathers farm. Last weekend this dream became reality and I found myself welled up with tears more than a few times. The kids arrived after their 3.5 hour car ride ready to run, and run they did. They played in the sun, laughed, touched, threw and almost ate rocks. McCale and Karleigh saw their first "froggy" and watched butterflys (moths) flit from blade of grass to blade of grass.McCale found his shadow that followed him, he would turn and bend to touch it, but it scrunched up when he bent down, up he would go, back down to grab it...priceless. The outdoors toybox of mysteries for children!! Karleigh also found the "MOON" again. This is her second time pointing out the moon to us. She was so mesmerized by it, she would lean back to point and fall down. She would not stop shouting moon and pointing, maybe we have an astronaut on our hands??The children seemed to blossom this weekend, their speach picked up alot. Karleigh is pairing words together clearly and consistently like "turn around", "jackie, COME" and more. Mc is more nimble and agile than before... his first day back on solid ground after a long weekend of bumpy and hilly terrain and he is running around like never before. They each have a sunkissed look, despite our efforts at keeping them slathered in sunblock. Karleigh is getting especially golden, much like her cousins Stephanie and Samantha in the summer.I cannot believe we are heading into a year since meeting them. Life has changed so much, it is so much fuller and so complete. The joy of seeing these kids gesture "up" for their grandparents, share grins and giggles with each other, and the biggest smiles when we wake them in the morning are just a few of the things I count as blessings.Thanks everyone, more soon.Colene and Family (<- isnt that part nice)ps. Tina and George are in Kazakhstan with Leyton, everything is going well. Here is the link I had promised you to their website. www.gouldbaby.blogspot.comColene
June 27Weeks go by like minutes, and sometimes afternoons years. The sun has been out and we have been playing alot on the new deck. We have a small splash pool for the kids to play in - sometimes nekked, sometimes with all of their clothes. This my friends, is the joy of childhood. A plastic boat, a tupperware lid and we have the best time. Karleigh is definately a waterbug, in the pool right after its filled with water too cold for my little toe. Mc on the other hand plays it safe on the sideline, dipping a finger in here and there. Either way, we spend most of the days laughing and playing. The days go by fast when we can go outside and play. The fresh air is nice, and despite my valient effort with sunscreen, Karleigh is becoming a beautiful shade of golden bronze, while my little buddy and I look like over ripened strawberries.The kids both had their first extended experience in their cousins pool last week, bathing suits and all. Karleigh was like the queen of the nile, pearched in the inflateable boat, pointing with a fingers for Samantha, Steph, and Ann Marie to tow her about. Mc hung in with Mama, relaxing enough to dabble his finger or splash his legs. I think he needs a few more dips to go about on his own. No big deal, the hugging time was cherished by Mommy - and they just about had to drag our purple lips and crinkled toes out of the pool at the end of the day.Jeff celebrated his first fathers day! We went to a local baseball game with the kids and had a nice time. We made it to the 7th inning stretch, when McCale decided that he really needed a 7th inning WALK. We even tried vanilla icecream, but, we called it a short game and headed back to the car. The kids were tuckered and had a nice long rest, giving Jeff and I some alone time. As a gift, the kids gave Jeff their very first crayon drawings, all framed and fancy. Finally, now I can get Jeff to hang something on the living room walls!! So, yes, there was an ulterior motive...All and all, we are doing fine and if its at all possible are really feeling settled finally. I could be mistaken, but I think the groove is setting in and we are all very comfortable and confident with each other. Yes, it has been almost a year, yes, it was love at first site - but the natural feeling of being a family is something that seems to keep developing. There is nothing better in the world.Thanks for checking in!! More soon. And please dont mind the website - it will be cleaned up soon.Colene June 13Hello Dear Friends,Thanks for your patience as we relocate our website. More pictures will be coming soon. I hate to even bother Jeff with posting the update, but time is flying by and if I dont get something out there soon, Im afraid I will forget special details....Like, yesteday, McCale tried to let Jack outside for us. Jack was begging by the door and Mc tried with all his might to reach the knob. It was adorebale, and the comprehension is amazing to me. In the same breath and same day, Karleigh was helping mommy with the laundry, happily mixing my sorted darks and whites in their baskets.They are both coming along with their words, and have been saying things like "trees" and pointing to them, or the ceiling fan, which for some reason they point out to us each day. Karleigh just keeps learning, Jack, Molly, Daddy, Cootie, the everluvvin "Iwavwoo" and she is especially happy to shout her own name in the store loudly or wherever we might be KAWEEEEEEE! I'll spare you the screach that comes with it.They are both quick as a whip, I told them later we would take a bath "tubby" and Karleigh headed for the hall to go upstairs for the bath.....She was ready and on the way, saying "tubby" with the expression of, WELL YOU DID SAY IT, LETS GO. I really have to watch now.I wanted to let you know that my friend Tina is on her way to Kaz and there is a very good chance that today will be the day she holds Leyton for the first time. See!? The prayers did work!!! I have included a link to their website below if you want to have a peak.I have other friends lined up to go as well, so we need to keep the prayers and good thoughts going. Can you believe, me? the non-religious person is sending all of these prayers out. There is something to be said for the power of positive thinking. Thanks to everyone who dedicates a moment or two of their day to help these miracles happen. My next friend waiting is TERRY, so please add her to your thoughts today. She is waiting for two little boys.Well, I hate to cut this short, but Karleigh is finishing her spinach nuggets, yes, gross! but she likes them so dont tell her!!!Colene
May 29 So much news this week! Tina got travel dates!! She will be leaving
June 12th to meet her son Leyton!! I will post a link to her site shortly in case you want to follow along. Next up as far as big news goes...Karleigh said I LOVE YOU, granted it was Iwovwoo, BUT...I knew what she meant. I tell them both everyday, all day long....I just cant help myself, I have to admit, I do shower them with kisses and hugs when I can too. Not only did she tell me, but she has told gramma too! What a great feeling. McCale shows his affection by frequent hugs and luvvins when he is circling the living room or dancing to the Wiggles. We are all getting fluent in wiggle lingo, and songs. Our favorites are Fruit Salad, Yummy Yummy and Hot Potato. Karleigh does appropriate hand movements to these songs and Mc sings his heart out while beating his chest and running around the living room. How in the world did I ever get this lucky????? We have had some major accomplishments over the past couple of weeks, it has become apparent when McCale wants a drink - he will either say "Juice" or go to his high chair. Karleigh does the same and also tells us when she wants a gahkah, (cracker, couldnt you tell?????) My gosh, I never expected them to be asking for things so soon. They are very bright. All I need to do is say "Tubby" and they are running for the hall to go upstairs, we love the tubby. We love bubbles, we love throwing things in the tubby, out of the tubby and standing - even though we are not supposed to. No's are coming more often lately, and thanks to Karleigh we get to hear the word frequently as well. NO, no, NOOO, nnnno, nooooo, any variety. And they say two is a rough age?? My goodness. The food intake has slowed down, not sure why, but they seem to be more particular about food, favoring pasta, bread and a little more difficult when it comes to veggies. Doc said we need to offer the food they like the least first, hmmmm...this is hard when the food they like the least is flipped over the high chair into the willing jowels of a shepard mix and a very overweight beagle. Ahh..the days of spoonfeeding and formula are gone. Onto bigger and better!! I have been giving them spoons to use during the meals that are followed by tubby, Im proud to say, when the proper end is used for food service, we have been having good luck. When the food is on one end and the handle is in the mouth, well...we have another story. The good news is, I cannot think of a single thing that could be cuter than a McCale covered in blueberry yogurt from the eyebrow down, and from the eyebrow through the scalp, mashed potatoes. Come on now, if you are the least bit creative, you have to get a chuckle out of this too. My little angels, my sticky, gooy, lwovwoo angels. Time to head for bed, they are sleeping now like two peas in a pod. Charging the batteries for another adventuresome day. Thanks for checking in. More to come!' Colene and crew May 21 Hello Everyone, what a fantastic couple of weeks we have had. We enjoyed a birthday party for Stephanie at the Bellis house in Howell. Karleigh tried her first dip in the pool and seemed to take to it well, no kicking or screaming. She went in about chest high for a few minutes, the pool was heated to about 90 degrees so she thought she was in the worlds biggest tubbie!! Mc on the other hand watched from the sideline in the safe arms of his daddy. I think he will definately like the water, but when he can go in on his own terms. We are looking forward to a summer of swimming and splashing with their cousins! More to come Im sure about these kinds of adventures. The big news for this week is the utterance of the words, I love you - by Miss Karleigh....it was more like, I wahwoo, but she was definatly returning my compliment when I told her that I loved her. She said it bunches of times, sometimes she tags the beginning on to the end - like, IwahwooI! She does the same when she tells us what the kitty says, meowme! meowme!meow! Just about melts my heart from my chest. Both kids join in on chanting for daddy when they come down from their afternoon nap....DaDEE,DaDEE, DaDEE.....not to be confused with whooose-your-daddy?whose-your-daddy during last years baseball playoffs. They really get excited when he comes home. Our evening ritual has become much more active lately as we try to burn off the last bits of their steam, we play the Wiggles CD, dance and sing..ofcourse the hoopdedo polka is one of the favorites and we polka around the family room until Mommy is huffing and puffing and has a mean burn on her shoulder and bicep. I have lost 10 pounds since being home, not close to what should be, but I do believe you will be seeing the hoopdedoo at some of the finer fitness gyms throughout the nation soon. Its truly a fitness phenominon. Between this and McCale climbing on the coffee table to a full stand, dancing - or hanging from his highchair table by his fingers and pulling his feet off the ground, we spend alot of time dashing back and forth saving him from near misses and practising the art of distraction and introducing the word NO. We are pleased to tell you that each time we tell Mc NO, Karleigh mimics it like a little parrot, just in case he didnt hear us. Both of their vocabularies are really picking up. Karleigh repeats nearly everything, McCale is starting to repeat as well. He is a great listener and will often blurt out what we had been teaching them an hour or so later, then he squeels with delight. Can it possibly get any better?? A trip to the store this week proved to be difficult as the two little indians were hooting and hollering down every aisle, laughing, raspberry-ing their hands and trying to touch EVERYTHING> This is starting to become more challenging, but fun. We all laughed and sang E-I-E-I-OHHHHH shamelessly through the frozen food section, its great because their cuteness distracts everyone from my out of tune singing. Where is gramma Belli when you need her???? Speaking of Grandparents, we enjoyed another GREAT day at the part this week with Dad and Mary. The kids took to the playground and McCale really enjoyed being allowed to climb up and down. Karleigh was a princess sliding down a small slide and allowing Pappy to air lift her to the top, again and again!!! Gramma A. is coming home from Fla. next week, the kids cant wait to see her, Im sure she is in for a royal welcome. Im interested to see if she thinks they have changed or grown. After a month away it mignt be easier to see. I know they are changing by the day and when I compare the pictures from just a few months ago, I see a huge difference!!!! I will be changing the pictures on the link to Karleigh and McCale photos so you can see for yourself. I had better get a couple of chores done before they wake up. For those of you asking, Tina has a target date of June 10th to leave for Kazakhstan and will be keeping a journal if you want to follow along, let me know. I know this has been a long haul for her waiting alot longer than planned, Im wishing her all the best to hang in there just a little longer. Your prayers are appreciated for her. Thanks everyone! Colene
May 11 Hello! What a nice week we have had. Everyone is feeling great, the sun is shining and finally it seems spring has sprung. We had a wonderful mothers day celebration over the weekend with Jeff's parents and Eugene, Ann Marie and the kids. We had a simple bbq at the house, it was very laid back and we just enjoyed each other. Karleigh and McCale were running all about having a high ole' time. Sunday was a day just for me though. I slept in late and was suprised by Toby Keith concert tickets and a warm welcome from all when I finally got myself out of bed. The day itself was a very reflective and thought provoking, my thankfulness for the gifts I have received and how my life has changed for the better overwhelmed me. It was only one year ago that I was suffering daily, waiting and wondering, the pain was excrutiating and now, the reward. I can breath easy and thank my lucky stars for the two little ones that have brightened so many lives. About those little ones....my goodness, Im now in official high speed mode. They are into EVERYTHING. Karleigh gets a kick out of mimicing NO, NONONONO - and laughs. McCale on the other hand has really started up his singing career...with soft balads of E-I-E-I- OOO...in the softest and sing songiest voice you have heard. PRECIOUS!! For the first time this week they both sang together while playing - MY HEART!!! McCale crooning away, Karleigh digging deep within her chest to gurgle out the words - what a riot!!! They were both smiling until she got the ball he wanted, then it was a tug of war and the words changed to something more like (#$&(#&$(#& but oh well, it was cute while it lasted. Kisses have been the theme this week for Karleigh - she will stop her play, come over and kiss me on the cheek or head. She still insists on kissing feet and the dogs faces too, this she learned from me and its cute to see it imitated, but for sanitary reasons we are trying to keep the kissing to the cheeks and head. McCale has been a constant chatterbox and on the move, circling the living room, around the pole, into the kitchen around the island and back. Everyother circle he stops by to give me a hug, rest his head and stick his thumb in his mouth. I just love all of the affection!!!! Jeff has been getting his fair share of luvvins too, each night we "wrastle" on the floor with lots of grins and giggles. If I have said it once in this journal, I have said it a zillion times.....STOP LOOKING..this is the meaning of life!!!!!! Thanks for checking in. Im thinking of you all who are waiting your turn or considering adoption, its worth its weight in gold...the return is 10 fold. Hang on. Colene
May 2 Wow, I cannot believe its May 2nd already. Where is the time going? Karleigh is walking now, about 12-15 steps at a time. They are careful, cautious steps, but she is getting by. She really hates the thought of falling and if she gets shaky she lowers herself to the floor. The kids have been feeling well and have been out an about with visits to their cousins, and to see grand-pappy Aug and Grandma and Pop-pop Belli. Gramma Aug is out on an RV adventure and will be gone for a month. The kids are really enjoying the family visits and are comfortable with everyone, this gives Jeff and I a break sometimes. They are starting to extend their morning naps and take a quick snooze in the late afternoon. Im not sure which I like better the extended or two shorter breaks. Guess I really dont have a choice in the matter, so why ponder?? Today Karleigh learned the word Kiwi, by pointing to it in her book. She must really love it, as she then leaned over to give it a kiss. After she demonstrates this cuteness she coyly gives me a grin, I just love that. She is still absorbing nearly a word a day, its amazing. McCale on the other hand is stretching his abilities physically, by trying to hang from the high chair tray by his finger tips and screeeech for the juice sippy. This stunt can only be outdone by the "foot over the toybasket" trick, sometimes the little guy gets hung up and needs to be rescued...only to do it all over again. They are really all over the place, McCale can scoot into the laundry room from 100 yards in a second flat. Before I can get my arms out of the dryer he is eating two hunks of kibble and has flipped the water - on himself no doubt. He is in and out of the "safe" cabinets in the kitchen and will chase the cat right up to and in her cat door. All of thise happens ofcourse while Karleigh wants to be held or finds herself stuck bent over headfirst on their push along toy. We have had a few bumps and bruises so far, but I fear the worst is yet to come. They are fearless and fast, Im doing my best and trying to enjoy it all at the same time. I cant complain one little bit, I love every minute!!! The two little bugs are sleeping now, so I think I will try and get a few things done, especially those in and about the laundry room, so until next week - take care! PS...Tina did not get her travel dates yet. UP the prayers please!! Colene April 22 This weeks post is dedicated to a good friend Tina. She is a waiting adoptive parent who has met her angel Leyton and is waiting for travel dates to meet him and bring him home. Tina has shared stories with me of their desire to have birthday parties, with petting zoos, decorations and friends to share their happiness with. She too, spends time looking at little socks and staring into an empty crib while she wonders where he is and what he is doing. As she is waiting, she see's other families finding their children and leaving to get them. There is no ryhme or reason why, its just the way it is. The adoption process as a whole is a huge roller coaster ride, no ride is the same and some rides are quick, some short - it is emotional, it is painful but the best part of all for everyone is the end result. I wish there was a way to ease her pain, give her hope and make it BE REAL. When I say BE REAL I understand the meaning, but defining it is hard. I think only once the child in put in your hands can you truly identify with this feeling/emotion or whatever the heck it is. I will tell you adoptive families in wait, yearn for this feeling, know the hole that needs to be filled and find it hard to visualize or realize that the end result WILL be a CHILD, in your arms, there to love and return the hugs and kisses. When the time is right. When you are at the mercy of others for this need to be met, you have to believe, trust and hope that whats meant to be will be. AGAIN SO MUCH EASIER SAID THAN DONE. Now, Im not trying to be a tear jerker but gosh darnit, I remember all too well these wishes and dreams. Tina has been a constant source of support and friendship celebrating the milestones of Karleigh and McCale, being happy for us when inside it must be just burning the "REAL" hole. I know her turn is coming, it will be here soon. I know that she will be united with her son and everything will be just perfect. I hope she can find the strength to make it through each day, and just when her patience has been tested to the end....he will be home. Tina, we are all saying prayers for you tonight that the phone will ring, you will get your travel dates, you will know when you will hold him. When the dates come, the time passes quickly. You are just about to the top of the largest hill on the coaster, tighten the knuckles, bear down and get ready cuz the best is yet to come. Your friend, Colene
April 13 Hello! We are back in the sick bay again. I have been assured that the colds, sniffles and tummy aches are all to be expected in the first year so not to worry. Having sick little ones just hampers about any othe plan you could make - no complaints here, just trying to explain why the posts are less frequent lately. There have been so many milestones in the past few weeks. Ofcourse McCale is just about jogging all over the place and Karleigh doing a fast crawl or pushing along the walking toy right behind him - chatting all the way. I have to share a couple small events as they have touched my heart deeply and I want to have them documented forever!! I received my first, bonafide, stop playing and hug mom "hug" from Karleigh. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world. We were on the floor playing (Kar/Mic/Mom) and she put down her block, got up, gave me a hug with her head resting on my chest and went "mmmmpfht" like I do when I hug her, she then returned to playing. I still get foggy thinking of it. Next, a tale of our little MIC - what a sensitive little guy. When the kids cry (not the I just banged my head cry - but the wahh,,Im getting tired,,wahhh, just make me happy cry) I will strum their lips and make the Blub-blub-blub sound usually resulting in a smile, if not a smirk. I guess he thinks this is expected or comforting, because I was holding Karleigh wiping away tears from a spill on the floor, when he crawled over and strummed her lips trying to sooth her. Again, my heart....it just swells. Finally, I wanted to share a story about them playing together. Just about everyone we come in contact with asks if they play together? Do they communicate among themselves? Are they in the same room? YES< YES< YES...and just the other day Karleigh had a round donut shaped material stacking ring in her hand, McCale wanted it...badly. She stuck the ring in her mouth and crawled for all she was worth across the floor. He was on her tail and gaining when she would change directions or stop to move it to the hand that was out of reach. This game continued to each corner of the room, Karleigh laughing and McCale snorting and following along. The little guy was not going to give in for 'nuthin'. They went around the back of the couch, where low and behold...another toy laid that was of interest to McCale. Finally, finding some peace he began to play quietly with the toy, giving up the pursuit of the unreachable ring. Well Miss "thing" couldnt have this, she pulled the ring out of her mouth, sat up next to him and bopped him in the head with it. He turned, remembered the ring, she popped it back in her mouth and off they went again. Ahh..the joys of sharing and siblings. What could be coming next??? They have been just soaking every thing up, they are repeating words and Karleigh knows where her nose is as well as anyone else who may get their nose close enough to her goop covered hands. She will "sit" on command and will even say the word, sound a little more like..."shite" than sit, but its still cute. The pediatrician gave them glowing reviews on their progress and mentioned karleighs speach and understanding is extraordinary. Talk about puffing up a moms chest! Im just so proud of them and all they both can do. McCale is so active, agile and motivated and Karleigh is very observant and attentive. Its really amazing how they are so different, yet so much the same. We are looking forward to the summer, the days have started to become brighter and warmer. Our walks outside are priceless and we are so lucky to have a small park only a few doors down for the kids. They love to swing and ride on a lap down the slide. This is just a tiny taste of all the good things to come!! We cannot wait to go to the zoo with Olivia and get to meet some of the children that were adopted over the past year and their parents. We also have a close circle of friends who all have children within one year of Karleigh and McCale, how wonderful it will be to see them grow up together. More adventures are sure to come! Thank you for checking in . We wish you all the best!! We hope Jeanette had a great trip and that travel dates come soon for TINA!!! Love and Special Karleigh HUGS! Colene April 1 Jeff was away this week and so I have to apologize for the late post. The kids have been keeping us hopping. Since our last post McCale has graduated from 3-5 steps to 30 and over, it was that fast. He is fearless and started off by walking between the two of us, his last couple of steps a giggling dive, now he travels by foot about 30% of the time, toddling and waving the whole while. He has made turns and can change direction, especially when in hot pursuit of the cat who is not nearly as excited about his walking as the rest of us are. Until this morning Karleigh was just as happy playing with flash cards and pushing around the cart w/ wheels. She pulled herself up on the recliner and steadily took 8 steps toward me. These were very tiny steps, but her weight shifted and feet came off the ground as she moved forward, soooo we are counting them!!! Jeff got back from the store and she took five more!! It was definately a morning for celebration! The look on their faces as they accomplish such a huge feat is priceless, nearly as thrilled and as proud as ours. They are both on whole milk now and enjoy their bottles all by themselves in their high chairs, they are eating only finger foods now with some applesauce. They do take their juice from sippy cups, but Im too heartbroken to abandone the bottles just yet for milk. I have been letting them try and feed themselves and they really get a kick out of it. There is only one issue - the dogs hover around their chairs like sharks and McCale has taken a liking to tossing bits and pieces overboard after he is done eating. We are working on discouraging this behavior, despite its ulimate cuteness, on both McCales part and the dogs. Each day they seem to change, get more responsive, joke and interact with us. The face game is still very popular with McCale as he snorts and laughs when the exchange of snort is returned. Karleigh is very talkative and has shown a keen interest in Music, she bops up and down on her knees and waives her arms in the air. She also has a straight arm clap that is dang priceless. We typically limit her musical selection to easy listening, her nursery tapes, the wiggles and Alan jackson until the other day when the Fresh Prince of BellAire came on TV, which starts with a RAP about how the prince came from Philly to California to live the good life. Holy FLY GIRL my Karleigh can shake her bootie!!! She was in full blown boogie motion, clapping, bopping and hootin all at one time. A girl after my own heart. Its just so amazing, each day is something new, the smiles in the morning and the giggles during lunch, and the BIG PROUD steps. Life is good. Take care! Until next time!!!! Colene March 20 Holy cow we have alot to Post first off - McCale turned 1! Our little boy is growing up fast. In addition to this milestone he has been consistently taking steps, 3-5 by himself and standing on his own for nearly a minute while in place. He is very active and still very smiley and happy! He and I (Colene) enjoy mornings making faces at each other, we have a variety of sound effects too. My favorite face includes a snorting sound with squinty eyes and a squishy nose. Not only will he do this for me on command, he will instigate the "face game" by crawling toward me full speed ahead, snorting, squishing and squinting all the while. He will also do fish face with a pop of the lips - the second of my favorites. He is simply a joy. I have said it once, but will say it again, I just look at them, one by one and enjoy them with all my heart with a sudden burst of love and happiness when I recall that I have TWO children that double the joy. How can a person be so very lucky? We thank the heavens above for these gifts. I dont think there is a thing in the world that could come close to making us this happy. With the children have come many added bonus'of seeing our parents enjoy them, our neices adore them and the close knit bond that has been formed with our siblings adding a whole new facet to our lives. All of the words like, Enrichment, Fullfilment and Completeness have become so much more meaningful. Its like when you realize what the words of the songs from the radio you sang as a child REALLY meant.....A whole new perspective on life. Who would have thought that adding two children could change life in so many ways? I guess Im preaching to the choir to many of you, and for those waiting, Im so very happy that you are on this path. Don't give up. If you want it bad enough, no matter what it is, there are ways to find it. I guess you all have been getting your fair share of "sappiness" from me lately, so I will try and give you more facts, less "world according to Colene"....Here goes.... We enjoyed a wonderful day with Samantha last week as she was confirmed. I was honored and thrilled to have been selected as her sponsor. She is such a beautiful young girl, inside and out and I hold her in the highest regard. We had a beautiful day, albeit a tad chilly, and enjoyed each others company during the ceremony. This young woman, who was a girl but a minute ago is really blossoming into thoughtful and caring person. Im so proud to be a part of her life. After the ceremony we enjoyed an awesome dinner out at a local italian bistro, YUMMMY! I have missed going out and having a really good glass of wine while gorging myself on a fresh pasta dish! Life is good!!! We celebrated McCales birthday on the same day with Samantha making the occasion extra special for us all. He was a bit tired and wanted DAda...he just LOVES his daddy! He was a snuggle bunny who needed the extra attention which Jeff gave him wholeheartedly. I think all in all, it was a special birthday for him and we were very lucky to be surrounded with friends and family. Later in the week we decided to visit Uncle Lance and Aunt Nancy in Virginia. We had been trying to plan a trip since January and it just had not been working. Stuffy noses and snow had been the culprit. We saw a window and jumped through it early in the week deciding to pack up and go. My mother came along with me and the children and we headed out on our road trip. It was a smooth ride down with only a few peeps from the kids, Karleigh was entertaining us with her endless chatter. Im not sure what she said, but I do know it was very important. So important as a matter of fact, she emphasized it with many raspberries blown into the palm of her hand and just a few in mid air with a burst of fine mist and cracker crumbs spraying anyone in arms reach. We all shared alot of giggles and hugs too. Lance and Nancy seem to be doing very well. They have a lovely apartment in a charming colonial type village. They gave us a southern style welcome with shrimp, crab (for mom and I) and BEYOUEES!! (for K&M) as a welcoming treat and provided very nice accomodations with fresh flowers in the bedroom and all. We very much enjoyed the trip, the driving tour of DC (while the kids snoozed) and an awesome Sushi buffet (just a few of the highlights). Lance and Nancy always provide an entertaining visit, those two could have fun in brown bag!!! The kids loved to see them and are warming up to them. They also continued to bond with grandma and are just desparately in love with her.... We are so lucky to have Lance-n-Nance coming up our way for Easter next week, Im sure they will continue to bond in the coming days. This is so very important to all of us. Lance is in the Military and is due to possibly relocate this summer. We want to take advantage of him being so close and we look forward to the next visit, perhaps with grand pappy!! The kids were so tuckered from the trip, they slept til about 8am this morning. They are now napping and we are nearing 3 hours, I am starting to hear little noises from in there so I'll call it a day for now. I hope I'm not too early on wishing a dear friend of mine congratulations on her referral, she knows who she is. I will provide more details later when she goes public. With Love, Colene
IMPORTANT - WE MAY BE CHANGING INTERNET SERVICE AND THE WEBSITE MAY BE MOVING, MORE UPDATES ON THIS TO COME. WE ARE HOPING FOR SOME OVERLAP TO REDIRECT VISITORS. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN CONTINUE TO FOLLOW ALONG, PLEASE EMAIL ME SO I CAN BE SURE TO ADD YOU TO A MAILING LIST WITH MORE DETAILS.
12/16/04, 12/20/04, 1/18/05, 2/02/05, 2/07/05, 2/20/05, 02/2805, 03/07/05
March 7 - Karleigh Maries Birthday!! Today our little Karleigh turns 1! I cannot believe how the time flies! I spent sometime yesterday looking at our trip photos and she is just blossoming before our eyes. Her hair has grown, her face is losing its baby chubbiness and she has shown us so much of her personality. We love her to death - one giggling hug with her face burried in our chest is all it takes to keep me going for days!! To think how blessed we are to have these hugs and smiles each day nearly full time could just make my heart explode. Because of the time zone difference, yesterday would have been the day for Karleighs birthmom to reflect on her birth. It is humbling to see how big the world is and how the powers greater than us align us and work magic. How a birth from the other side of the world, could change our life and bring us so much joy. Somehow, destinys hand in this brought us all together and has connected us for life in a way that is both complex and awesome. We will be forever greatful for the gifts we have received and the selfless acts of a mother in Kazakhstan wanting the best for her child. What a huge responsibility that cannot be taken lightly. We work hard each day to live up to her expectations and are eternally greatful. We know that we have been brought together for a special reason and that each of our lives is controlled by a force greater than ourselves. For this we are thankful. Each day I pray that we can help Karleigh and McCale see how this was meant to be, how we can help them feel whole and understand how monumental this really is. If I were to have any wish or last request it would be that my children can feel happy and satisfied with their life, believe that dreams come true and that there is a reason for everything - sometimes we dont have answers but we must believe this.We are thankful for our family and neighbors who joined us for a birthday celebration on Saturday. We enjoyed everyones company and are thrilled to know what a wonderful support system we have for our two angels. Life is good - even though there are a few bumps, people we miss and wish could have joined us, we know that in time we will all find our way to celebrate the good things. Thanks for checking in, Colene Feb. 28 I wanted to provide a quick update to let you know we are all on the mend. A few sniffles are lingering but for the most part we are back up and at 'um. We enjoyed a nice walk yesterday throughout the neighborhood and took our furbabies along. We looked like a parade going down the street. The fresh air was wonderful and put that hint of pink we all were missing back into our cheeks. This morning Dad and Mary came by for a nice visit. They really enjoyed the kids and the feeling from our side was mutual. Karleigh snuggled into Mary nicely - holding her brand spanken new Be-you-ee (Balloon) and McCale showcased his snorty face to grandpa as well as played a few rounds of roll the ball. As mentioned above, the balloon Karleigh is now attached to is new. The valentine balloons bit the dust last week and while we were in shoprite Karleigh saw a huge collection of character balloons. Her body tightened as she gasped in excitement...B! B! B! Be-you-eee!! Beyouee! Beeeeeyouu!! We checked the price of these oversized metalic puffs of joy and decided that her habit might get out of control with such a huge beyouee, so we opted to navigate to the checkout quickly, pointing child in tow. While Jeff packed up the van, I ran to the dollar store for two, regular sized balloons w/ extra long strings. Happiness prevails as Karleigh saw the be-you-ees! When we arrived home she permanently latched on to the Easter balloon and even tried to take it to bed. Beyouee hung on the door knob for the night - only to be gripped onto in the morning through breakfast and diaper changes. Remember - its the small things in life!!! Between the balloon and the empty two liter pepsi bottle - these kids have it good!! : ) The kids are napping now, Im going to see about changing the photos on the home page and feed the birds before the snow storm we expect this afternoon hits. Take care, be safe and more next week. Colene Feb. 20 Greetings from the infirmary, the cold bug hid for a short while and wholloped me like a ton of bricks slid off a 10th floor scaffold. Holy Moly, this has been a rough couple of weeks. The kids were wonderful through the weekend, we were all in the brightest of spirits, then Monday morning, BAM! From nowhere, aches set in, tight chest and tickles in the throat all which blossomed into a full blown respiratory infection with a dash of sinusitus for good measure. Luckily, Jeff was able to stay home from work a few days to help with the kids, they actually napped well this week so it was not too intrusive for his work at home schedule. It was such a help to not have to feed them in the middle of a cough session, or worse. Im recovering now with a lingering hack and a rough spot in the back of my throat that wont quit tickling. I think by tomorrow we should have seen the end of infection- Beuhla. Ofcourse, today, what to my wandering eyes should appear, but two little runny noses and a couple of chest rattles. If this goes full blown again (no nose pun intended) I think I may drive myself to drink. Ok, so it has not all been tissues and cold syrup, we have had many many good moments along the way. The kids are learning leaps and bounds, mimicing nearly all words and remembering the very importants ones. Karleigh adores her valentine balloon (be-you-ee), she loves to hold the string, she carries it with her most of the time while playing, some of the time while eating and half the time when she is getting fresh panties. The poor thing is at about half mast at this point, I hate to think what will happen when she comes down stairs looking for beyouee and its a pile of mylar and string. Her birthday is coming...!! More beyouees where that came from. McCale and Karleigh love to play ball with daddy. They have a small red ball, a mini version of what you would have played elimination with in gym class, and they chase it all around on all fours. They are very good at grabbing it from each other, resulting in the expansion of the lungs and an in-jun war cry from the previous ball-holder. So far, they both bobble with it, so most often it rolls away freely and they two banshees go on to other toys to play tug with. McCale will return the ball to you consistently when playing catch. He holds it up like shaq aiming for a three pointer and the gives it the smallest tap with minimal follow through. The ball lobs in your general direction and we cheer heartily for the victory throw!! He is pleased as punch with himself and patiently waits to have the ball retrieved for his next pose. Karleigh has been enjoying bouncing the ball. She will position herself in a corner or against the wall, legs in a V shape and will drop the ball from shoulder height letting it bounce several times before picking it back up to repeat. They are both so smart and only needed to be shown this by Jeff a few times before they figured out how fun it could be. We are slowly making the break from jar food and formula and have been introducing more solid vegetables, fruit and a transitional milk based formula. We are hoping to be able to make a transition on or about their twelfth month. So far things have been going well. McCale enjoys fresh peas, while Karleigh pops them one by one with her extended index finger, Karleigh is a cheese monger like mommy, while McCale still favors cheerios. All in all they are growing out of ther 12 month clothes faster than I can say, did you pop a button? I have to think we are doing something right. I wanted to take a moment to let those of you know there is a family in Kazakhstan now, travelling to Ecik with Emil and Gulnara, they are adopting two very beautiful children. If you are interested in their journey, here is a link... http://kaztree.blogspot.com They were kind enough to hand deliver a note and some pictures to Emil for us, we are following their every step, we are also jealous of the beautiful snow scapes they are enjoying. If you have a second, lets add a little prayer from them that their trip is smooth and they are home safe and sound soon!! Lastly, Tina....come on! Want me to get all crish-azy on WPA? Where is that referral??????? Colene Feb. 7, 2005 They'rrrr baaaahhahhk! I arrived downstairs this morning to grins, giggles, gurgles and clapping hands!! They are feeling so much better!! My two little munchkins found their way home and the two kiddos that were here last week are gone! They have been devouring two jars of food each, a couple handfuls of kicks and ofcourse "gahkas" (crackers silly, havent you been keeping up?) Their cough is diminishing and the running nose has slowed down to a jog. They feel and look so much better, the hazy glazed over stare they had and puffy eyes are now darting all about, ready to touch EVERYTHING!! McCale was on a rampage when I picked him up from his high chair..."maybe I'll touch the TV, NO! I want to bang on the kitchen cabinets, NO! Lets torment the birds and squirrels trying to eat their cracked corn on the deck!! Wow! A squirrel, EEHHHHH!!OHHHH!!!YAAHHHBABABABABABABABABAAAAAAAA!" Needless to say the squirrel didnt stick around, and I didnt get much couch time this morning. I was pulling them away from the dogs, off the fire place, away from the outlets. Who needs aerobics!! Its great to see their spirit back. Karleigh wanted to catch up on lost time with Molly, she enjoys showing Molly where her nose is. With pointer finger extended she will point to her nose, eyes, and ears. She does not utter the words yet, but I know she understands which is which. When she is feeling exeptionally generous she will point to her own and show us where they are. She is most happing prodding at our faces or the dogs tho. Molly was a good sport and just layed their while Karleigh finished her routine. Jack on the other hand, my little beagle buddy had his first lesson in sharing this morning when McCale joined him on the carpet while he munched on his early morning milk bone. Jack had just broken it up into bite sized, tender meaty, delicious morsels and was in the appropriate position (laying flat out on his tummy, hind legs extended in the froggee position) when McCale snatched up on of the stray nuggets. Before I could say boo, or well, NO! it was in his mouth faster than a piece of bacon on an atkins dieter, he was so pleased. FINALLY! A taste of what the doggees have been talking about all these months. Lucky me had the pleasure of fishing out the chunk with my fingers, carefully navigating the pointy teeth and clamping jaw. Defeated! My poor little guy sulked away in dismay, still hopeful to have a taste of raw hide some day. I cant tell you how relieved I am that they are feeling better. The endless chatter, laughter and the occasional word that only Jeff and I understand are just so uplifting. I hate to see them so down and out. Karleigh refused to let us wipe her nose, we had about 100 outbursts of protest last week from this alone, she was just plain ole' unhappy. McCale was a cuddler who wanted "UP" constantly. It was very challenging to try and make them both happy. Most of the time one child was "odd man out" and thats just frustrating. A few afternoons I had sobbing children on each arm as I tried to console them. My lower back was aching from lifting them both - now close to 42 pounds in total. Not just dead wait, but wriggling, cantankerous bundles of flegm. Wow, enough of the visuals and negativity, back to basking in the glory of happy kids. It seems each day they are learning something new, the phrase "little sponge" that everyone kept telling me is really true. I cant think of anything more priceless than when they light up in victory after mastering the Itsty bitsy spider motions, as he crawled up the water spout. Yes, it seems as if my world is so much smaller than it ever was, I loved to travel, work and play hard, try to foods, check out trendy places and have a cosmo at the W Hotel with Helen, but at the same time, the world is so much BIGGER when seen through the eyes of a child. In sickness and health, I couldnt love these two more if I tried. Now, for a special message to the friends and FAMILY (you know who you are) that have not seen the kids in person. GET YOUR BOOTIE in motion, IM ALWAYS HOME OR AT WALMART, please please come see them and me before we are getting them packed for college. At this rate we have a week or two to go. Thanks all for checking in!! You are all very special to us! Colene February 3 Hi there, Sorry this is late. I keep slipping a day later and later. I started out giving updates on Sunday. This week I do have an excuse. My two little babies are both down and very out with fairly serious colds. These are not like the colds they had last time, cranky runny nose colds, these are tight cough, chest rattle, wheezers with a never ending drain from the nostrils. Poor little things are red cheeked and not eating all that much. McCale ofcourse will manage to find room for a few cheerios no matter what, but Karleigh is pretty serious when she pushes the bottle away and tightens her lips. Its been a little draining trying to keep them both happy or at least apeased. They both want to be held, both will burst into tears at the drop of a hat and both need all the luvvin I can muster. Since I have been coughed on about a zillion times this week, not to mention the mucus wipes as I hug their tears away, I feel as if its coming my way soon. I am doubling up on the magical turtle bay vitamins Jeff and his dad swear by, Im hoping to hold back the serious symptoms, I just cant be away from them. Last night Jeff was helping, he has been so good about this, and he was consoling McCale and I had this urge from nowhere to grab my little guy from his arms and take over. Where the heck did that come from?? The urges like this and the protectiveness continues to suprise me. Im quite attached to these two and when I get to go to the store by myself I feel the need to return as fast as possible. This week I was on line at the pharmacy and I almost tore the ladies head off. Yes, its true, she was a ditz, but still and all...MOVE IT I HAVE SICK BABIES!! Wow...again, I have not felt like that in a very long time - not since the torturous wait for referrals. On a lighter note, we did have a few real good days with the kids. Grandma and Grandpa Belli came for a very nice visit and had some quality bonding time. The kids warmed up quickly and proudly showed off their new found talents. Karleigh said Kracker "gahka" and was so happy on POP POPS lap reading stories and pointing to things when he asked her where they were. McCale practised his squeeling as he mimic'd Pop Pops sounds - the two of them went at it for a long time...I think McCale misses that as ever since he has been giving us high pitched squeels and laughing at himslef. What a proud little booger. Grammy was happy on the floor playing with them and got in her fair share of cuddles as well. We took a trip to Pennsylvania to see Grandma Aug and Bill. We had a nice, albeit short visit. Jeff got the grand tour of the workshop, RV and the new addition. He also was introduced to Uncle Elmer, a large moose head in Bill's trophy room. We had planned to visit my brother Lance and Nancy this week, along with Grandpa Aug, but since the kids were sick we had to cancel. Im hoping we will all be better by this weekend so we can get out for some air. A week of confinement in the house is starting to wear a little thin. Im fighting the urges to buy things on ebay - order something or surf...I need to nap when they nap as they have been sleeping restlessly and I have an ear out for them. That being said, I think I need to cut this one short. I have some cute pictures that I will add this weekend. Thanks for checking in, sorry to be such a downer. I have to call um like I see um. Take care and may your referral dates come quickly Tina!! Im thinking of you. (also, my family is praying for you too!!) Colene January 27, 05 Hello Dear Friends! What an exciting week we have had. First the big news!! Karleigh made it through the night for a week straight!! Yes, its true!! She made a little noise here and there, but went right back to sleep!! ITS A MIRACLE!! We are feeling so much better being able to go to bed early and get up with them. I think they are happier too!! This week has been a big one!! McCale has almost all of his four front teeth in position. We are noticing a small gap between his front teeth that may require minor surgery to repair at a later time. I think this caused the little guy some extra pain as they came down. He has the cutest smile tho and uses it very often, I think this just adds character!!! We have mastered mamamamama and dadadada and for the most part the kids call us by the correct names. When Jeff arrives home from work they are very excited and often scream dadada at the top of their lungs. Karleigh has a Mariah Carey screeeech that would curdle milk. DAdeeeeeEEEEE! Its adoreable. It was Monday night that she gave him the first big welcome - from here on out she has him soo wrapped. McCale is so happy to see him he usually has a couple tears of frustration because he just cant get himself to the door fast enough. What a wonderful welcome for dad and a message of chopped liver for me. Oh well, lifes just a bunch of dirty diapers....NAHHH!! I get grins and giggles all day!! This week we have not only mastered Moma and Dada, but bye bye, complete with the hand signals to go with it. I have learned its the most fun to do this with a fist full of applesauce or other semi liquid/pastey, sticky substance. Oh yeah, big waves and cheers as Karleigh says bybybybyb and McCale BuhhBuhhBuhhBuhh. I believe Karleigh is also saying Cracker 'gahkah' but it could be wishful thinking. For sure they have "UP" under their belt as they both will extend their arms for escalation out of the high chair, off the floor, out of the crip. Sometimes one at a time, other times in unisen. The joy of hoisting 40 something pounds of squiggling baby, sticky fingers and sloshy diapers. WOW, Im making this sound really bad this week. Actually its been one of the most enjoyable weeks. Its very exciting to make connections and see them learn. Each day just gets better and better and if you remember it was a few short months ago that we were on cloud nine...the view 5 miles up from that is breathtaking!! I'm hoping someone who talks to Grandma Belli and reads this can tell her that the kids are using the walking toy she gave them for Christmas. They are trucking across the room like nobodies business. If there is a kitty-target or dog blocking the way its even more fun!! I keep forgetting to tell her this. I hate to cut this short, but Jeff is working late and the kids are fresh, clean and sleeping like angels. I think Im going to indulge and have a nice glass of wine and pull out a book until the Apprentice comes on. Have a great week! More soon. Colene alias..mamamamamamam Jan. 18, 05 First - thank you for the emails!! I love getting mail and am glad to hear from families that are following along while they wait. Please feel free to email me privately if I can help you in any way. I also would love to hear about travel dates, etc!! I won't bug you though, much anyway, I know its hard when people keep asking and you have no new news. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Now for the update, I have not been going backward to read the weekly entries so Im sorry if I keep repeating myself. I am also sorry for my lack of "spell checking". I try to jump on and get the update out there and rarely re-read my note. That said, what a week we have had. The kids have been non-stop. They are both babbling, and starting to repeat on command sounds and expressions. It cracks me up when they do this and I really feel as if we are communicating. Not just - wahh...feed me, wahhh...change me, wahhh...Im tired. They are both gesturing with their hands when they want to be picked up or have finished in the high chair. Its great, they are so happy when they are understood. A friend of mine suggested more sign language as an aide for development, Im thinking this is a good idea and will be checking into it. I can sign the alphabet, but thats not going to help us. We have made great strides in the sleeping situation and Karleigh is running at about 50/50 at the moment, half of the nights she makes it all the way through. The other half could be due to indigestion as we have tried new foods. Im forever indebted to Marlee for her suggestion of replacing the midnight bottle of warm milk with room temperature water, its just not worth waking up for. We also will rub her back in the crib, not lift her out. The combination seems to be a winner and we are ALL much happier because of this. As far as walking goes, McCale is getting more daring and will travel between the couch and coffee table using one hand, he will also let go and stand for 5-6 seconds. Karleigh has a technique all her own that resembles a monkey walk. She will get on all fours and walk on her hands and feet, no knees. This is interesting to watch and she is very proud, so we will cheer for her when she does it which earns a large toothy grin with a squished up nose. You would cheer too! McCale is getting his top four teeth all at once, they seem to be on the large size, and are coming in much slower than Karleighs. Hers came through in under a week, his have been painfully lowering a little each day and are at about 1/2 way now. We have been giving him the miracle of all miracles, the Hylands teething tablets and he has been doing ok. He has been asking for a few more hugs, and Im obliged to provide them. Actually, I could hug him all day long..but he really wouldnt care for that and would let me know. Is this the startings of me being an uncool mom?? Oh well, comes with the territory. We have graduated from the Kitchen sink to the grown up "Tubby!" - we LLoooove the TUBBY! Lots of spashing and laughing for one and all. Jeff asked why they only want to splash with the large stacking cups, now, don't you think thats a silly question?? I do!! Its more fun!! Jeeesh, next he will be wondering why we only climb on the big couch!! The grins and giggles of bath time are contageous. I especially enjoy piling soap suds on their heads and making fake beards on them. This will have to hold me until October when we all sport candy corn fangs. This is what I had been waiting for!!! They are both 10 months now and its such a great stage, they learn and do something different each day. They are changing physically and Im losing the baby-burritos that I had a couple months ago. In exchange Im getting two little lap creatures that will look at a book with me, lean their heads back and smile at me with an upside down partial toothy grin. Does it get better than this??? I THINK NOT! They are napping now so Im going to try and get a few things done. Thanks for checking in!! Take care everyone! Colene Jan. 11, 05 Another week flies by, the size 6-9 month clothes are definately not possible anymore and the kids are changing by leaps and bounds. Constant babble has been the theme of the week, from loud screatching to happy giggles, they have been talking to each other non-stop. We hear alot of MAMAMAMAMA and DADADADA, but for no apparent reason. They are getting the hang of what "up" means, and will gesture to be taken out of their high chairs. We have been practising flash cards and they really enjoy seeing mommy oink like a piggie, or woof like a doggee. The big news!...Karleigh is holding her own bottle fairly well. She is even using a sippy cup, while sitting at lunch. We have a new fangled cup that will reduce spillage, thank goodness for that. McCale, he is still enjoying the lap of luxury of being bottle fed. He will lounge back sideways across your lap, stretch his arms above his head and his legs all the way out and just wait for the bottle. Im in no rush to push them, they have so many things going on now, and each exceeds in something different. They are both cruising very well, McCale is now maintaining a standing position for 3-4 seconds, then will bobble and balance himself without falling. Karleigh is not quite as daring, but is really sure footed when pulling herself up and down. We had some really great days last week, the kids were happy, not stuffed up, rested and alot of fun. I was hoping this could continue, but alas, the little guy has three teeth poking through at once and its just a little hard for him. I have no doubt that the next post will announce the arrival of two front teeth and a side tooth. This morning, we had our first real bloodshed. Karleigh bumped her lip on the floor and bit into it. I looked up to the bump and there she was with a little drip on her chin. My aching heart. We used a napkin to wipe her mouth and gave her alot of TLC which she soaked up like a sponge. She was ok in a few minutes and has an ever so slight fat lip. I gave her a frozen teether and she and McCale fought over it, making me see that neither of them were feeling all that bad. They are napping now and Im going to take the opportunity to whip around with the vac. they are into eating what they find on the floor, I missed cleaning yesterday and god knows what kind of furballs accumulate after one day around here. I was so glad to hear from Tina G. and am thinking of her...for those of you with room in your prayers, if you could say one for her - they are waiting their turn, and ever little bit helps!! Bye all!! Colene Jan 4, 2005 Happy New Year!! What an exciting year we have to look forward to! The kids will both turn 1 in March and we have a fun summer vacation planned with friends. As for our week,at the last minute we decided to go to a new years party. We had a very enjoyable time at the E&A Belli Annual Gala, I was the lucky winner of smiley boxers in the gift game and Jeff a duffel bag. The kids were pretty good and slept through the dropping of the ball in the luxury of a pack n play in their spare bedroom. They were adored my their cousins, and reciprocated the love happily. They were also able to meet Patty, Bill and the Goeb Family. Keirsten and Karleigh bonded especially well and shared many giggles on the couch together. The kids are growing like weeds. They are officially out of their 9 month gear and swimming just a little in the 12 month clothes. They are able to reach the top of the giant house toy that Butch and Christine gave them, and now they have mastered all of the features, music, spinning, rolling, twisting, they have them all. They are so very proud of this. Karleigh has started to hold her own bottle of juice. She sucks wind sometimes but is getting used to tilting the bottle up when it gets low. McCale is just as happy opening his mouth real big and chasing the nipple back and forth until we give him some. He is a real ham and likes to play and laugh. We are moving onto more grown up food, adding mashed potatoes, wheat bread and cottage cheese to the menu this week. They seem to be slowing down on their food intake. Im sure we are between spurts. McCale is standing - for a split second or two w/ no hands. He then topples backwards on the pamper padding. He has been working on this all week and is thrilled with himself when he manages to bobble two or three times before crashing. Karleigh is trying the same stunts, but she is not so daring. I can't blame her as she has had a couple of spills and little bruises from her falls. I think her extra pudge makes it just a little harder for her, but she is still ahead of the curve for her age and we are very proud of both of them. So, where are the pictures you ask?? Let me start by making excuses......I did get the tree down, decorations almost all put away, and the kitchen mostly back in order...but I did not find that cable jobbie. I think Jeff has it, and if I ask him for it we will begin a series of "what do you need that for?" "I will put pictures up" "can't I relax for a minute?"....so you see my dilemma. Perhaps I will use the "colene hour" tomorrow for a very fast shower and a search for the cable. You will know if I succeded if there is a current photo on the home page. Thanks for checking in. We will keep posting...its nice to hear from YOU tho sometimes. Drop us a line. Colene and the crew. Dec. 29th Hello Dear Friends!! We are finally recovering from a joyous Christmas!! We are so blessed to have been able to spend it with friends and family. The children had a great time and were excited with the arrival of Santa!! I have some photos to post on the front page, but in our haste of Christmas Cleaning, we seemed to have misplaced the cord to connect the camera to the computer. Im sure it will turn up soon. The week was a little crazy with cleaning, some cooking and the anticipation of guests. We were in pretty good shape as most of the wrapping and decorating was done in spare moments here and there. Jeffs mom was a huge help bringing a feast of desserts and breakfast items and Ann Marie helped alot with food as well so alot of the planning and organizing in those departments was taken from our plate. My brother Lance and his girlfriend Nancy arrived a day early so they helped watch the kids, fold laundry and keep us sane so we could put the final touches on the house. We celebrated Christmas eve with Eugene, Ann Marie and the girls, Jeffs parents, my father, The Flahertys, Lance, Nancy, and the Monks. It was a very nice gathering and we all were pleasantly warmed with egg nog and icy cold ones. The dinner, catered from Natales was good, but not all that warm. We had a small mishap with the sterno, but have learned our lesson for next year. Jeffs parents as well as Lance and Nancy stayed over, we had an enjoyable evening staying up until about three chatting and laughing. Morning came a little too early, but we chased away the fuzziness with Mimosas and a huge variety of breakfast treats. My mother and Bill came over for an early lunch and left shortly thereafter, giving the rest of us an afternoon to enjoy the fire, leftovers and the new toys we all received.The children were thrilled with the attention, new taste of holiday cookies and opening gifts, one strip of paper at a time. Im sure next year will be an entirely different story. They wore new outfits sent by Aunt Helen in Boston and looked so very cute!! Karleigh wore reindeer antlers ever so briefly and Uncle Lance snapped a photo, I will share one of these soon. McCale is healing well from his circumcision and barely,if at all, complained. He was so very brave and strong. Im very glad this is all over, I do think it was harder on us than him. Both of the critters are still pulling up, standing for a second and then tumbling down. I do think it will be any moment now for a try at a step. Karleigh is starting to hold her bottle on her own while McCale lounges back, arms extended over his head and lets us hold it for him. Im sure he could do it if he wanted, but for now, he likes the lap of luxury. I dont mind, I love giving them bottles and watching their eyes get heavy. Most of all, when they have had their fill they turn over and give the best hug. Sometimes the hug is accompanied by a large belch, not so nice, but I do have to laugh. The dogs just started barking, kicking off the baby cycle of cries from the bedroom. I have to run for now, but will post this in the mean time. More soon!!! Col December 20 The holidays are fast approaching. Somehow the tree is up, enough lights outside to be passibly festive and most of the gifts are wrapped. We are going to order in most of our holiday food this year so that takes alot of the work out of planning for the holiday. We are hoping to have a low key Christmas with the kids. Our neighbors, Joe and Pat, dropped off presents for the kids. I put them on the floor and let them try and open them up. One of the gifts was "mooing" from inside the package so they were very intrigued. Together, they pulled single strips of paper from the package, laughing and happy as clams. They uncovered the front of the box and then left it to me for the rest. It was so precious to see them opening the gift, happy and most of all, together. The kids have been hard at work practising their up/down's, meaning pull up on whatever, the couch, coffee table, my leg and then figuring out a graceful way to get down. They are both going hands free for a second or two and then will grasp back on quickly to save themselves from a fall. They are becoming very steady and its only a matter of time now, they will be walking for sure. McCale is intrigued by the Christmas tree. He likes to shake the branches, it is sparcely decorated for this reason. Now that they know about gift wrap, I have to work extra hard to keep them away from the packages. It might reduce me to tears if I had to start all over. We had a big night this week, Karleigh made it from 10pm til 630 am. What a treat for us, we could not believe it when we woke up and they had made it through the night. We both were like, did you get up? no, did you get up? no, you sure you didnt get up?? no? NO?! YEAH!!!! The world seems like such a nice place to live in when you get enough sleep. Im sure this coming week is going to be eventful, the family goal is to not lose track of the meaning of Christmas, remember the important things and enjoy one another. We are truly blessed with two beautiful miracles. I wish that everyone could be this lucky. I will keep it short this week, but will catch everyone up next week. Take care and have a special holiday. Colene Dec 13 As I write this morning, Im blessed with sound effects of two little critters, hooting - hollering and squeeling for joy, not to mention the abundance of raspberries splattering about!! All for the simple exchange of full tummies and dry pants. Wow....such a small price. They are growing like weeds!! Karleigh is now 20 pounds 28"and McCale is following close behind at 18.5 pounds and 29". They had a dr. visit last week and were greated by all of their friends, and grandma who proceeded to poke them in the leg several times. All in all it seems that they are on target and Dr. Trader even felt they would be walking in the next month or two. After the doctor visit Gramma and I took the kids to the diner. This was their first diner trip and they behaved perfectly. We sat them up in high chairs lined with seat pads and gave them cheerios until their hearts were content. They were dressed up in their Christmas finest, McCale in a santa suit and Karliegh in a plaid skirt and sweater. They received many compliments and were very happy - sharing smiles all around. Both kids are pulling themselves up very well, standing alone for a few seconds and crawling fast and furiously. There have been a few days where I was at the end of the rope trying to keep up with them as they sped off in different directions. Im sure this is just a small taste of what is around the corner. We will take each step in stride, just as they will have to. We have moved their bath from the sink to the tub as they are splish splashing like little fish. They really enjoy their time in the tub and it has also helped act as a decongestant for their stuffy noses. We are still having sleep issues, a good night gives one of us 5-6 hours sleep. Some nights we are getting 2-3 and its hard when the mornings can begin at 4am and the day ends at mid-night or so. This week we took a trip to see their cousins, aunt and grandmother in Toms River as well as trip to Pennsylvania to see gramm and Bill. We have been trying to lay low a bit so they can rest up. I know the holidays will be alot for them, and this week McCale is scheduled for his circumcision, so please say a prayer for the little guy. Our tree is up, and has been since Wednesday, but it still stands, naked, in the corner. Im hoping today will be the day we can at least get some lights on it. Its going to be fun to see the expression on the kids faces when they see it. The kids have been very lucky to learn they are on Santas good list thanks to a suprise letter and gift that arrived in the mail this week. The letter was from Jingles, the assistant head elf at the North Pole. How he has time to send a note with an adoreable personalized ornament, I will never know. I have saved the note for the childrens memory box and the ornament will be front and center on the tree as the foundation of our holiday tradition and memories. As Christmas approaches, our hearts weigh heavy due to the losses we have suffered this year. Both of my grandmothers have passed away, as well as my Aunt. In addition to this, many of my close friends have lost pets. As as we pull out the stockings and special keepsakes items that spark remembrance of all of these special souls, it makes us feel empty and sad. We are working hard to remember everyone in our hearts and think of all of the holidays that they made so very special. Although our two kids will not have had the pleasure of having these people in their lives personally, we are focusing on keeping their memories alive through our own actions and traditions. Well, on that sad note, I will go and try and love up these kids. The light in my life that keeps me going.To all, thank you for checking in. May you have a blessed holiday and remember what its all about. Family, friends and remembrance...Colene Dec. 6As we head into the holiday season the days seem to be whipping by faster and faster. Each day I look into the dining room and see a stack of unwrapped presents – then into the living room and see two holy terrors – guess the decision is made as to what I need to do. I mean holy terrors in the nicest of ways, don’t get me wrong – but jeeze louise, they are cruising! Under the table, over the pillow, dog, each other, into the clothes basket, bowls being flung around and the occasional thunk of a little head meeting the floor abruptly. I cannot turn around for a second. The quest for the dog bowl has ceased since we gave up and moved them into the laundry room – but the hole in the door for the cat to go to the basement has replaced the mystery and excitement of unchartered territories. The kids are whizzing around in the car/scooter that Ann gave them, McCale has mastered reverse and even leans back with one arm to navigate. He pushes off with both feet at a time and travels in spurts, very quick spurts mind you. He was hung up on the area rug today and became very frustrated, inch by inch he squeaked his way out of the situation and then gave a huge, almost eerie, belly laugh! AHHHA, YOU CANNOT STOP ME! This week has been a rough one sleeping wise. Three times McCale has woke up at around 2am thinking it would be a good time to pull himself up to the side of the crib and hoot and holler. Fun for him, not so fun for us. Luckily, Karleigh sleeps through this as she needs to rest up for her 4am rising. Yes, up from 2-3 then 4? –when the wiggles are over. 5 hours sleep is like a long weekend and its wearing thin. Last week we had several visitors which allowed for a hot shower and even fresh sheets!! Jeffs Mom, Marilyn came by on Tuesday and spent the night. She brought a nice, home cooked, hot chicken and stuffing casserole which was cheesy and delicious! She brought along some packaged meals for us, this is a huge, huge help. She enjoyed playing with the children and pulled the early morning shift with Karleigh giving me a couple hours more sleep. The two of them were snuggled in the guest room in bed and I think they napped together. What a nice and special bond they are developing. My mother, Marilyn (yes, same as Jeffs mom) came by on Thursday, we played with the children and visited. Mom helped a lot and spent time with the kids too. They like to snuggle with her, grab for her earrings and play with her socks. She is like a walking entertainment center! To top it all off, I was able to sneak in a few extra hours sleep this day as well. The kids met the Malinowski crew this weekend. We attended a babyshower for Christy who is expecting twins in March. The family gave us a wonderful welcome and seemed to enjoy the kids. Trevor and Miranda are getting HUGE! They are both nearly as tall as I am. Rebecca and Jackie are sprouting up too – I hope our kids don’t grow this fast!!!!! We were very touched in a funny way to see a suitcase propped open with a blanket, pillow and sign that said “Belli Children Nap Area” – a play on the fact that if we did not have cribs in Kaz that we would use a suitcase. What a wonderful family with a great sense of humor!!! We like that about them!!! The kids are really starting to blossom. I know I have said that before, but it seems like they are growing even faster. They are mastering tasks after only a few tries and are becoming so much more independent and communicative. Im loving each moment, each special smile they give me, and I know this does not sound right, but you know what I mean…each recovery from a bump or bruise, they want mommy (or daddy) and there is just nothing more special than that. Well, Miss K is starting to make noises from the crib so I had better go. No rest for the…..nahh..not going to complain. Enjoy your week! Colene November 29 Hello Everyone, Another week flies by. I hope your Thanksgiving was as wonderful as ours was. Although my family was not present, we were lucky to share the day with Jeff's side. Ann Marie prepared a FEAST of all our favorites. Although she was concerned about the meal being hot, which it WAS! She has to admit she has the turkey thing down pat! If she keeps this up we will never have Thenkagiving anywhere but at her house! We enjoyed a plentiful spread of Turkey, Ham, homemade stuffing, veggies, potatoes, and the most awesome pecan pie. Lets just say, the Turkey was not the only thing that was stuffed that day!! We very much enjoyed the afternoon catching up with Ann and Bill (Ann Maries parents) and the kids just loved playing with Samantha, Stephanie and their grandparents!! McCale has taken a special liking to Jeff's brother Gene, and Karleigh is warming up well. Both kids took nice naps in the Pack n Play Uncle Gene put up for them. Lets just say its been quite some time since he has had to do that and a few chuckles were shared among the onlookers. He was a good sport tho. This week has been one amazement after another. Karleigh is standing, very well on her own, she will pull up on the laundry basket that holds the spare diapers and wipes, etc and then edge her way around the side. She has not mastered the sitting back down part and today I had to rescue the poor thing before she split her pants!! McCale is very close behind her and stands with help, he crawls like the dickens tho making a bee line to the front door or the dog bowl. I finally broke down and let him see what those nuggets look like up close. Its amazing to me that his little fist can grab up at least twenty crunchy morsels of dog food, and for the life of me I could not pry them all out. He also met the water bowl face to face. It was a very sad moment for McCale when the bowl flipped forward and doused him with a tidal wave of dog licked water. He gasped, closed his eyes, raised his fists and uttered the words only McCale can be known for..."ah-booo-booo-boo". Poor little guy, dripping wet, water rushing toward him and he was too scared to open his eyes. Mommy to the rescue, "that'll teach him"....not a chance. I have been following along in a book called "what to expect the first year" which gives a play by play of what your infant can/should/might do each month. Oh, yeah, I read it in my spare time....LOL.....No, seriously, both kids are right on target and this really pleases us. We had expected delays, planned for them, and low and behold, our cruisers are doing exactly what they are supposed to. I was reading a section about transferring items from one hand to another- I wonder, do they mean when McCale rips something out of Karleighs hands?? I was also looking for the chapter about crawling over one another and hair pulling. Guess I need the "multiples" version for those goodies. We are fostering three kittens along with the kids, dogs, cat and jeff...so hands have been full, or overfull this week. Im hoping to find good homes. Molly is getting lots more practise licking and washing the kittens and has given the kids a break, except when they have cookie puss, but who can blame her. We are due for an exciting week with lots of grandparent visits. Im so glad everyone has welcomed these two with open arms, Im also glad they want to visit so I can have one minute of alone time and perhaps even shower. Thank you all for folling along - drop us a note and tell us how you are too!! Take care, Colene (Jeff, Karleigh who is screeching like a hootowl right now, and McCale who sleeps like a little angel....wait til he gets up..)
11/22/04
******************************************************************************************************************************************************************** November 22, Thanksgiving week! We have so much to be thankful for this year, but it will be a bittersweet holiday because of the passing of both of my grandmothers this year. Recently several dear friends of mine have had personal losses as well and its been like a jolt of reality how precious each day is. Our weeks are turning into months at home with the kids. We are all still getting over the lingering effects of a cold and we just cant seem to catch up on our sleep no matter how hard we try. There is still one bag upstairs left from our trip with personal items that we have yet to unpack - The sheets on the bed need to be changed desparately and today, I could use a shower. It was easier before the colds, I just dont know what happened...perhaps the little itmems have been sliding together and Im just feeling the effects. We are running out of stored dinners from our welcome home party and the food grammy Belli left for us, this coupled with jeff going back to work (thank goodness) could also contribute to the workload. Enough of that tho...lets talk kids!! The kids are crawling FAST and steadily, they both rise to a sitting position from mid crawl and also can stand on bent knees. Karleigh pulled herself to a semi upright position by leaning on Molly and pulling on her fur. She kind of made an L shape - but was flat footed so we are counting this. McCale on the other hand did what everyone told me he would....I walked into their room, and there he was pickled as punch and standing up holding the railing of the crib. He had shaken the bed so hard, with his joy of arm and leg thrashing that the side of the crib had fallen down, giving him just enough height for lift off. Jeff practises each night with them on the floor - Im not quite so sure Im as eager for them to walk as he is. As it is, the mad dashes toward the dog bowls, outlet covers and cat door to the basement are enough to keep me fit! We are moving to more solid food to hold them longer and Karleigh has been faithfully rising at 4:30 am, but no middle of the night awakenings. We are pretty happy with this. Last night they had couscous with their food mixed in, they LOVED it. Today they had some of Sue's pumpkin bread which was a big hit too. They are getting so big. This week I picked up McCale and noticed that he finally weighs near to the same as Karleigh. Usually when I picked him up he was a like a feather after her, not anymore. He is one solid and tall little guy. Guess we found where the 90 jars of babyfood and 8 boxes of cereal went that we stocked the cabinet with when we got home. Not to mention the cases and cases of diapers...but thats a whole other story. This week we purchased a mini van, its not the fanciest, sportiest set of wheels on the market, but it does us just fine. This is like a new fredom for me!! Previously I had to lift the kids one by one into the back of the truck, in and out. It was quite a task, now we are in and out like white lightening. Not to mention the relief for my back. Yesterday we took a ride to Bridgewater to use up a couple of coupons that were about to expire and we strolled around for an hour through the stores. The kids were great! and adoreable if I do say so myself....Karleigh had on her faux leather/fur jacket on in PINK and McCale sported his doggee jacket and hat. We sat on the bench outside for just a little while eaching having two animal crackers and headed back to the Mini for a nice nap and ride home. The kids are on the floor now, babbling and rolling, McCale is trying to pull up on the laundry basket - another opportunity to try and stand. I had better get over there as I am the safety net!!!! Take care, more next week and updated pictures soon. Col November 15, 2004 Hello! Greetings from sniffles central! We all have them. I think we over did it just a little an we have spent the week recovering. The kids have had a few rough days with noses that run so fast they would win a marathon. We used up a box of tissues between us and are well into our second. We have tried many cold remedies and have settled into Dimatap for fever and cold, it seems to be working well and gives the kids some relief. They have been drinking alot of fluids and getting alot of rest. Jeff and I have celebrated 3 nights of uninterupted sleep, we are hoping its a new pattern and not the triple dose of night time cough syrup. (oh, IM KIDDING ALREADY). Karleigh has been getting more peaceful sleep, we are wondering if its part of her adjustment, I had forgotten to ask at the babyhouse if the children slept in the dark, I hope I have not been scaring her for the last month - ever since we placed the sea creature aquarium in her crib, she has been much happier. Thanks grandma Belli! Live and learn. The kids are cruising all over, Jeff plays a cruel game with McCale - kicking around the very shiny dog dish and watching him chase after it. At present this is one of McCales life goals, get that bowl and taste a scrumptious nugget of doggee pleasure. I now pick the bowls up during the day. Karleigh has continued to clap her hands and make all sorts of noises, yesterday both kids were on the floor, head to head laughing and screaming with each other. I love to see the bond they have formed. They keep a constant eye on each other and I believe they have great comfort being together. I can only imagine the trouble they will get into once they are more mobile. Jeff is back to work this week full time. Its bittersweet, his help was tremendous, but frankly, he was driving me a bit crazy!! We are finishing up just about 2 months of non-stop time together. I hate to complain as we are incredibly lucky to have had this time, but we are very ready to take the next step to a normal life and schedule. Im sorry for the short post, but there are two little goobers on the floor that are just ichin' for some luvin'. More soon. Colene November 9th, 2004Hello friends. It has finally happened, the laundry is backing up, the sheets all need to be changed, and Im getting my days confused. A few days ago, I woke Jeff up by patting his back telling him "its ok baby", not in the "ooh, you are HOT baby" way, but in the snuggly little infant baby way. I have to admit, I did the same to good ole' Jack who wormed his way into bed last week as well. I hear the monitor, and reach to comfort the kids, but I guess I forget the part about getting up to go in their room. We have run the gammet this week on formula, lactose free, soy, different brands, different formulas....Karleigh makes it about 5 hours after the midnight bottle. Her gas pains are gone, now she wakes because she is hungry. ONE SMALL STEP FOR MANKIND!! The time change didnt help us, "fall back" meant from 6am to 5am...for those of you who know me, Im a zombie til 9:00, so these mornings have been rough. Jeff has been helping, but tonight he is on the couch for a silent night of sleep and I have two snuffleupogus kiddos in their beds surviving on formula and nose plungings. Needless to say, with Jeff sneezing, the kids goobering all down their chins and Molly, who pulled a muscle....Jack and I are doubling up on vitamins and keeping our fingers (or in his case toes) crossed. Somehow we have worked our way to opposite schedules, all day today I have had one kid strapped to me (yes, literally, in a baby carrier) and the other snoozing. I really enjoy the one on one time, but my back is paying the price tonight. Ok, enough about current events, lets cover the past week.....We had a very nice week with many visits and visitors! We were on the run. I managed a trip to the grocery store with both kids. I used the baby carrier for one and the cart seat liner for the other. All was well til we hit the dairy section, a quick switch up of seating locations and we were golden. The checkout was a little challenging as Karleigh slept the whole time while I lugged the case of diapers and bottled water from below the cart to the belt and dug deep into the back of the cart for runaway beechnut applesause, a staple in Karleighs diet. McCale turned into wiggly worm when the cart stopped rolling, he was insisting on reorganizing the coupons, eating my list and if he could only get his little mouth around the pen...... Last week my neighbor Dawn and old neighbor Beth had a shower for us. I could not believe that they did this for us!!! The kids were along and were passed from neigbor to neighbor. We enjoyed a wonderful get together and a beautiful shower!! Dawn is quite the culinary expert, she also has a great eye for decorating and food service. The food was superb, and I have to remember to get the recipe for the soup she served. She also made roll-ups of corned beef, swiss and cabbage, cooked like a stromboli - YUM! Beth brought a gorgeous cake with buttercream frosting and raspberry filling - can you say HEAVEN? What a nice get together it was, I really enjoyed spending time with the ladies I usually wave to or chat briefly with while walking the dogs. We used to get together for ceramics or painting parties, but since the kids, I have been feeling as if those days are gone. I guess we just switch to play dates now, I can live with that. We had a wonderful visit with grandma and grandpa Belli this week, we went to Howell to see the cuz'ns and ended up inviting ourselves to dinner for Ann Maries famous rolled chicken, no way were we leaving without a taste of that. The kids are still getting used to visiting and we have to work on keeping their schedules a little better. We have shown our not-so-happy side a little too much lately. Mommy knows this is her fault. And..about the kids, they are still getting bigger!! I have had about enough of that!! They are both cruising all over the place, I had to retrieve McCale from the front hallway while simultaneously grabbing Karleigh at the back door. The fun begins. I get the biggest kick out of them, this is not in any way a bother to me. They are so happy and just seem to soak everything in. Today Karleigh clapped along to a song with us, we have been practising together, but she started to clap when the song came on by herself. I was so proud. The other little one, McCale has been trying to boost himself up to a sitting position from flat on the floor, I would say he has accomplished this, but he still kind of leans over just a little. He is getting very strong and agile. They both sit up and play with only an occassional slow motion lean over to the floor. Does anyone know how to stop all this progress?? I want the little babies back!!! There is so much joy in each day. Im so glad to be sharing it with you. That makes everything so much more special. Its nearly midnight and they are sleeping - I think I will sneak passed their room and try to catch a sitcom and crash. XO Col November 1, 2004I cant believe its November already, we are closing in on one month home! Time is flying and the kids are advancing way too fast for my liking. We had an eventful week, with the first doctor visit, halloween a visit to Whiting and a hair cut for Karleigh. Here is the scoop.... Wednesday we headed to Dr. Traders office for their first at home physical. As we entered the office we saw the Belli Hall of Fame an entire wall covered with 81/2 x 11 shots posted from our trip of the kids, Jeff and I and my mom. It was something very special! It took my breath away. For those of you who don't know, my mother is a nurse and works in this office. The welcome the kids received in the office was that of a greeting from a long lost friend. The hugs and kisses were flying about and grins and giggles were abundant (and Im talking about the staff now, not the kids). It was such a warm welcome we were immediately put at ease considering the pending poking and prodding that was to come. Everyone took their turn with the kids and they could not have been happier (now Im talking about the kids). After the luv'in stopped a little it was time for business. McCale went first, mom called out to me, "Colene, does he sit up yet?", I looked in about to say "no", when there he was, sitting up all nice and proud, belly out and grinning like the dickens. I replied, "well, he does now." The kids were weighed measured and given a couple of sharp pokes by grandma...HOW DARE SHE? Im sure she will be forgiven soon. They weighed in well in the average range and received a clean bill of health from Dr. Trader. We were getting ready to leave when Dr. Trader asked if we could stay for a little while as there were some gifts for us from the staff and patients. Does this kindness stop? Will I ever get through a week without tears again???!!! Huge thanks to you all for following along with our trip, sharing the love we have for our two little ones and for your thougthfulness!! After the doctors office we headed home and had a big lunch and waited for gramma-give-a-shot to arrive, just as I thought, they forgave her! We enjoyed a nice night in, playing, drooling and crawling. Thursday we took a big trip to Whiting to visit grandma and grandpa as well as their cousins Samantha and Stephanie, and Aunt Ann Marie. They were quiet and dozing all the way, bliss for me. When we arrived, I barely had the truck turned off when they were whisked away to a neighborhood gathering and were passed around one by one to all the neighbors who took our trip with us virtually. Im so glad that so many people followed along with our journal, its wonderful to know that they have shared in our joys and apprehension, but the best thing is they share our understanding of the childrens birth country and can help us pass this on the the children as they get older. I had the great pleasure of meeting Stephen, the man who made it possible for my inlaws to follow along on our journey, we had a very enjoyable conversation and I look forward to getting together with him again. The kids were a little overstimulated and had some crankiness left from the shots from the day before so the end of the visit was a little teary eyed for us, but they got a nice nap on the way home and enjoyed a good night bottle after a full day. Halloween is a big day in our house, its a sacred holiday as a matter of fact! The house was decked out and the children donned their pumkin and cat sleepers that grandma Belli bought them during the day, then when it was time for trick or treat they sported a lady bug and inch worm costume for the neighbors. We pulled them along in their new wagon and passed out candy to some of our favorite families. We didnt make it as far as we would have liked, it seemed that the lady bug was getting tired and hungry and hot. To avoid further meltdown we headed back home. After we arrived home, we all watched "The Great Pumkin" and put our little ghouls to bed. I know that its a bit too early for TV, so this was an exception, Karleigh LOVED it, McCale had cookies on his mind. Yesterday Jeff gave me an ultimatum, cut the squiggly bang that Karleigh has been growing or he would do it himself, and it would not be pretty. Much to my dispair, I did my best to layer her bangs and get the long pointy spike cut back to blend into the rest. I promise to upload pictures of the new doo and also halloween pictures shortly. Finally, one last note, we have graduated from low crawl to full blown cruising this week, I don't know how it happened, one day they are laying on the floor chewin blocks, the next day they are following us into the kitchen and eating leaves brought in by the dogs. I hope this stops, I was sure they would not be walking until they were at least 5........ Until next week...take care!! All our love, the Bellis October 25, 2004Hello Everyone! A successful completion of another week, and we continue to be amazed! Time is flying on one hand, but we are deleriously in a fog on the other. Which day is which is the common theme for most mornings, and once in a while we wake up with a "where am I?, what?, who?" startle, but all in all, things are fantastic. The kids are keeping us on our feet and I think we are definately burning the carbs stored up from peroshkis! We are starting to get into the swing of things and are getting closer to a real live schedule! We are still getting up every three hours overnight, but Karleigh seems to be able to get right back to sleep after she devours a bottle so this is not all that bad. We think that if we start her on some heartier fare this week, she might have a chance to go four hours. She just really prefers the bottle to solids and we dont want to push her. McCale, an active little sleeper, twists and turns in his crib, often trying to have a leg or arm hang out somewhere sleeps through the night and then some. Sometimes we have to wake him in the morning to eat - he is ravenous, and usually has a doozy of a diaper - we are trying to keep the little man comfortable, full and rash free. He wakes with a smile and a biiiiig stretch and is ready to greet the day, after one hour or 10 of sleep. I wish I could be like that. Jeff is back to work off and on, he will most likely go in a couple days a week while on official paternity leave. I understand perfectly why he needs to do this and it helps ease me into full throttle mothering. He is such a huge help and despite our infrequent battle over "cry or not to let cry" we are both synching up well. Its great to see the kids light up when he gets home from work. I have had this pleasure a few times as well when I sneak out to the grocery store or bank. This week we attended a WPA family picnic in Langhorn, Pa. A beautiful 45 minute ride in the peak of fall foliage was very peaceful as the kids snoozed in the back seat. We arrived a little late, but were able to mix and mingle with a number of adoptive families. It was wonderful to catch up with my good buddy Olivia and her mother Amanda. Kathleen, Seamus and Maeve were also in attendance and we enjoyed their company as well. Many of the children at the picnic were home longer than a year, it was amazing to see how gorgeous they ALL are and how great they are doing. We are hoping to make this an annual event. There is a Kaz reunion in Atlanta that the agency coordinates as well, Im starting to put pennies away so we can attend next year. I have made so many wonderful friends through this process, not just the kind that float in for a year and leave...Im attached to these people and plan on being a part of their lives and including them in ours for a long time to come. Im so thankful to have been able to adopt these two children, its not just bringing them into our life that has made us change, its the people that we have met, the kindness strangers have showed us and the lifelong connection we will feel with Kazakhstan. Its still very amazing how profound this experience has been. I wish that anyone reading this, could take a moment and seriously consider adoption, finding room in your heart for just one more child. There is so much more to it than simply making your family larger. As the kids change each day, my happiness grows, my heart gets just a little bigger and the smile on my face is recharged. I cannot get over how these little souls can learn and change before our eyes. It's like the magic of a flower growing and blossoming. You know it will, but its beauty unfolding is breathtaking each day. Sorry for the sappy post, but I type um as I feel um. Thanks for checking in. More next week. Colene
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