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