Important decision made

After months of mulling over names for our sweet baby we have come to a decision!

We love the name we've chosen and feel happy that we have the option to name our son in memory of a family member that was very dear to my parents, and loved by all who knew him.

We also like the meaning behind the name "God has heard".
Sounds about right to me...

We really know how blessed and fortunate we are to be able to expand our family through adoption again and have been waiting a long time to be able to speak the name of our second child...our son.

Our newest family member will go by the name of
Samuel Wei-Che Friedman.

Little Sammy, Sam my little man...Samuel.
J

The big K day!

Yep, the big day finally came. Friday morning we woke up before the birds (no really...it was way early!) and we got ready for Simone's first official day of Kindergarten! She was ready to move and groove and she got dressed, brushed her teeth & her hair before the sun was even shining!

Her "first day of school" dress.

And she is off!
Here we are going in!

And finding her cubby!

And her seat! She was so excited and so brave.

And she even took the school van back to her daycare center!

(Yes, Mama went to her big school and hid in the bushes to make sure she got on okay, and then followed it back to her daycare...)

Look at those smiles though! She had a GREAT first day of Kindergarten!

She really did do wonderful and she was very excited about her new school adventures! She made two new friends, loves her teacher and really liked buying a school lunch. No, it wasn't a hoagie but that was okay with her, they had plenty of other yummy things.

Now I'm not going to lie, there were some tears shed.

Oh no...not by my warrior princess, she did great.

I'm just glad I was able to hold it together till I got in the hallway before my boo hoos started! And not to embarrass my dear hubby, but those blue eyes weren't exactly dry either!

Wow, time has really flown. I don't think I expected this milestone to come so quickly, but I am so proud of her! And I guess she is also now officially my "big" girl...

J

Can you say....UPDATE DAY

Woohoo! It's update day again!

OK, the stats: 14.5 pounds and 24.23 inches. So he is growing! These were taken on July 29, so he was 5 & 1/2 months.

Think I'm even more head over heels in love with my dumpling than ever? Oh ya!

And we're wondering where his hair is? I swear he had some... Any guesses or ideas?

He looks so serious, I can't wait to see him to laugh!

The video really shows how much he has grown. Grammie has been waiting patiently for me to load this! Here you go Mom!

Now that we have our latest updates I am sooo much more ready to go pick him up and snuggle him! Our 10 days will be up on Monday the 24th, so maybe, just maybe the powers that be could hurry that final along.

I'm just saying...

J

The Big Sleep-Over...part deux

Yep...the saga continues, even as we speak!

We spent the afternoon and early evening with our good friends for J's 4 yr birthday party. As I gave the 15 minute warning my little/big girl pleaded...

"please Mama, can I please have a sleep-over here?"
With J quickly adding "oh please oh please can she stay?"

Huh?

Now you have to know this, we have been friends with Mom & Dad there for 6+ years, the girls have known each other since Simone was 1 and J was born. So needless to say, its as close to family as we've got here, besides Aunt Jody (who lives in the same neighborhood and was at the party as well). The comfort level on all parts is pretty high for both the parents and the girls.

But still my Mama heart had a bit of a struggle. I honestly thought my dear dumpling would not be ready for this for a much longer time! And, well...I'm most certainly not ready!

But I was very out numbered...
So I thought hard about it and figured the worse that can happen is I'll have to get Adam up out of bed at 1 AM to retrieve her, right. (Yep, Adam...HE was the biggest pusher of the whole thing so he should have to drive in the dark!) After a dozen or so texts back and forth with updates on the night... the girls were sound asleep. No fear, no crying, and no missing Mama too much! Ouchy!

So now I am waiting for them to finish breakfast so I can zip super quick over there and scoop up my little/big girl and bring her home! I've missed her so much this morning!

I must say though, I really am proud of her...six months ago this wouldn't have ever been an option (for either of us). Each month she is getting more self assurance, and that really is a good thing.

Plus I got to sleep in past 7!
J

Kindergarten Countdown!

Can you believe my little/big girl will start Kindergarten soon?

Well that makes two of us, for sure!

How and when did she decide to grow up on us? I swear, just yesterday she was a baby, a tiny little girl that needed me for everything! And now...well she still needs me, but not for too much.

So the countdown to big girl school has begun. We've bought new school clothes, a big back pack, school supplies like crayons, a purple pencil holder, her own school scissors...all the items on our list.

We are preparing Simone as well for this big event. We've been reading "Kindergarten Here I Come", and "A Day at Kindergarten" and of course the "Junie B. Jones" series. So what has Simone taken away from all of this preparation?

Well she is most excited that she gets to purchase a school lunch.
A real school lunch, like a real big girl.
Specifically a "hoagie".

Last night we went to Kindergarten Open House and met her new teacher and saw her new classroom. I admit, I was a bit worried, since "the roundup" went a bit less than glowing. Okay maybe a bit worse than that even. To recap...she stamped her foot and declared "I will not be going to this school". Uneasy feelings were forming in the pit of my tummy as we pulled in, I tell ya!

BUT boy did my darling surprise me! She was thrilled to meet her teacher (whom she just loves ~ and I do too!) and to explore her new room. We had a brief moment in the car when she looked a bit scared, and I told her "You'll do just fine, now let's go". And she did more than fine, she did wonderfully. She seems very ready for school next week, and even told me "Mama, I promise I won't even cry at all on my first real day".

Awesome.

I just hope I can keep the same promise....
J

The Big Sleep Over

Yep, my little/big girl and her bestest pal have been bugging us Mama's for weeks now to have a sleep-over. When asking Simone who will be sleeping at whose house she immediately puts her pal up on the chopping block...she's certainly not going to leave her house, her puppy dogs, her big bed and favorite pillows for a whole night, not unless Mama comes! So it is decided that J will spend the night at our house.

Squeals of delight are heard by both humans and canines alike throughout the greater Knox area.

So the day finally arrives. J packs her back pack with her favorite pillow, her comfiest pj's, her toothbrush, and of course the most beloved of her stuffed animals. This is the day they have been waiting for weeks!

We meet at the park for some live music, swimming and playground action. Lots of giddy excitement about the "big sleep-over". We decide to all go to the designated sleeping local (aka...my house) just to make sure the decision is in fact final.
All goes well, the girls get in their pj's and get their cuddly toys all ready and even go up and check out the bed, decide who gets what side and all that.

All goes well that is, until Mommy & Daddy are ready to leave. Then J decides to quietly pack her favorite pillow, her clothes from the day, her toothbrush, and of course the most beloved of her stuffed animals right back in her little back pack so she can go to sleep in her own house, with her kitty cats, her big bed and favorite pillows... and most importantly, her Mommy & Daddy right down the hall. No swaying her decision, she was simply going home...the sleep over was officially over.

Oh well, they sure tried! I guess the big sleep-over will have to wait a bit longer. I don't think any of us Moms and Dads are too sad about that...
J

First Ruling is in!!!!

Yippeee!!!! We just heard from our Taiwan Coordinator that our FIRST RULING is IN!!!! I am so happy and received that we got this news.

OK, to recap what this means...
The First Ruling, or first decree is the statement that is signed by the Judge (in Taiwan) and forwarded to all involved parties notifying everybody of his/her decision to finalize the adoption. There is a 10 day waiting period before anything more can happen, to allow enough time for all of the parties to be notified.

Once the 10 days have passed the second part, or the Final Decree, is issued and the adoption is finally complete! We then have to wait for our appointment with AIT's immigrant visa office so we can travel and bring little Wei-Che home!

We don't have an actual time line for all of this, but we are hoping we get to travel within a month or two. (OK I'm actually hoping to travel next week, but even the most optimistic of attitudes won't get the court process/AIT appointment done faster)

Also, our sweet little guy turned 6 months old yesterday! I hope we get to meet him soon, before too many more months go by! We should get some updates soon (this week?) and I am anxiously awaiting them to see how big he is getting!

We're getting closer little guy!! Soon we'll be together!
J

An Ode to Summer

Yep, I LOVE summertime. But who doesn't? There is so much about this season to love~ warm weather, sunshine, the smell of fresh cut grass, rain storms, swimming, fishing and cookouts...all the fun outdoor activities. Now I'll admit, I'm fond of all the seasons, there isn't one I like more than the other because each season holds its own special beauty. But today I present a peek at our SUMMER!

We love to grow summertime wild flowers. And Simone loves to pick them!

And the hummingbirds stopping by for a sweet drink is always a highlight in my day. This was taken from inside my kitchen.

And did I mention we love to grow flowers? We seeded our sunflowers from last year and planted them in front of the veggie garden. They are HUGE! And they are all just now opening up...

Two days later...

And yep, here's our version of a day at the pool. We had to retire our old pool Big Bertha- after giving us almost three summers she popped a hole . So we replaced it with a smaller version, we like to call Baby Blue. (See Lisa, your not the only one that names pools/pool equipment...hee hee)

And of course the pooches have their own pool....

And I love the colorful birds that come to our feeders. The pics are a bit blurry as there is only so close I can get before the birds fly off and I'm still trying to figure out the best mode for these kinds of shots. So these were taken from across the yard. The colors are just so vibrant. We've got two kinds of finches and a cardinal feasting here.

And did I also mention we love to grow veggies! We've had the best luck with cucumbers this year. They are sweet, crunchy and oh so yummy!

So those are my reasons to love the summer. Oh sure, there are plenty more summer joys, these were just a few. Please tell me what your favs are!

Today makes day 76 since the hearing...moving in on the 3 month mark, and my sweet baby is getting bigger and bigger half way across the world. But to keep it in perspective, we were told 4-6 months for the courts and we've had our papers there since the first week of April, so we are well within the time frame...I'm just rather impatient! No really, I am. Shocking for you all to hear, I know. Well, I am hoping we hear something soon, just as I hope that all my JOH and blog buddies hear whatever great news they are awaiting.

Michelle, safe travels to your daughter, I look forward to seeing those amazing first photos!
and Robin, great to hear of your hearing...I'm sure the rest of the court process will be speedy and L will be in your arms soon!

J