Paperwork, paperwork and more... loving it!!

Paul's giggle and screams in the background as Daddy wrestles with him and they play before bed.  Oh man... here comes the hotflash!!! I loved sweating when I was playing tennis, volleyball or basketball, but at least I was expecting to  sweat.  Nothing quite like cooking from the inside out.  I guess this is the stage of life where women become the microwave:)  Paul has now grown over seven inches since we became a family 10 months ago. His speech is coming along really well and he is very clever.  He has learned to cry to get his way... however, Rick and I have decades of dealing with nieces and nephews who had already perfected this art.  We try hard not to laugh as we say no.  Life is good.

We are back to being knee deep in paperwork for the adoption of Joseph -- the name assumes we are matched with a boy. It seems strange to have to send more certified copies of our births and marriage because our certified copies are over 9 months old.    Because we now live in Washington, we have to get fingerprinted at the local police station and at the federal level.  However, it is easier this time because we look at Paul and know it is all worth it.  We are told it will go much faster this time.  we can pray.

We are loving our new house.  We finally have a grown up bedroom set... well on Tuesday our chest of drawers will be here.  Our sales person forgot them on the order... unfortunately our really good deal turned into just a good deal... but still a good deal.  We also ordered a new mattress today.  Our blinds were installed last Tuesday, so the house is shaping up.. just don't look in the garage!  

Yippee the pantry is done!

should have worked out

Wow... wow.. wow... as Paul would say after watching Wubbzy. I went to pick up Paul this morning and my lower back went into complete spasms. I could barely walk. It seems I never learn. Allergy shots, nebulizing Atrovent, and watching what I eat are all for the same thing...keep these things from happening. Yah! After twenty years one would think I wouldn't get so lax... yeah, now I am paying for it...

Playing in the sprinkler

Paul was amazed to see the water coming out of the ground in the neighbors yard. He rode his Diego trike through the water on the sidewalk and looked at me as if to say, "What? where is this coming from?" He got off the trike and stood in the spray... after a few minutes he was soaked. So, we had a three year old in a diaper standing in the neighbors yard enjoying his first sprinkler bath. I only wished I had brought a camera on our spontaneous walk.

We leave, Paul and I, for Portland. He has his surgical follow up and a dental appointment. Daddy has to work. More to follow

Six months yesterday we became Paul's parents!!!

It hit home on Monday that we have been parents for six months. The time flew by and at other times it seemed to go in slow motion. I figured out that when you are really tired or trying to work out the compromises with two people who not only become first time parents in their forties, but also were single for most of their adult life, that time slows way down. However, this slow down is not counter balanced by time slowing down for the really good stuff. That time seems to fly by. Paul is even falling to sleep faster every night. Our social worker was very happy to see how fast Paul has bonded and how happy and energetic he is... "all boy" is how she put it. And he is. I think that Rick and I balance each other out. The other night in Boise I was asking him why he was winding Paul up before bed -- a common Daddy activity I understand from other mothers, and I had to admit that I was being "anal Annie." We are trying really hard to be consistent, strong and flexible with Paul. So far so good. The time out chair comes in handy when it is time to pick up toys. Oh, gotta go get Paul some food!!

Back in the mood!!

First the man, then the baby and now the house!

Yep, Rick and I put an offer in on the house in West Pasco and it was accepted. Now we need to get the house sold in Pendleton. Rick is the third of his siblings to move to a new home in the past six months. I think our communication skills improved with this major purchase... he actually asked me not to "stop talking to him" when we have a big decision to make. He is the only one who has ever asked me to not stop talking! I had asked him what we would do differently throughout the process.. and that was his answer. Yep, I am smiling over this one. I am sitting at the dining room table looking at a beautiful bouquet of roses that Rick and Paul gave me this afternoon for Mother's Day and my birthday. He also took me out to a really nice dinner last night, bought me three glasses of wine -- which almost put me out!! I think that was diametrically opposed to his plan!! Little did he know... I didn't need wine:))) Paul stayed with a sitter, his junior godfather Garrett and had a really big time. Poor Garrett, he had never changed a diaper before and Paul pooped for him just 10 minutes after we left:))

We are excited about going to Boise with Rick for his class and visiting friends and family. We are also getting family pictures done by Kyla while we are there.

I need a nap!! Hey, I can go take a nap... i will go take a nap.

Little man says I Love You!

Wow! The power of those three words said umprompted by the cutest three year old. Paul started out the morning by coming into our room and saying Mommy, Mommy instead of the Mama, Mama I was used to. Mom in Chinese is Mama. The about 20 minutes later as he was playing with his cars he turns his head towards me and says, "Mama, I love you." I just about started bawling. I called for Rick and said, "Watch this, Paul what did you say to Mama?" and he repeated I love you. Poor Rick... he said, "Paul, say I love you Daddy." Paul gave him this silly, mischevious smile and said, "no, no." He gave his Daddy an I love you later in the day. What a groundbreaking day for our family. We know we are bonded with Paul and even though you are pretty sure he is bonded with you... you just love the reinforcement.

Paul has experienced time out several times this past week. Another sign he is bonding with us. He is now testing us and finding out exactly what he can get a way with. Fortunately for us, Paul is sensitive and smart and once in the time out chair, okay it took twice, he ran and picked up his toys. He is learning his ABC's and singing away to songs and he loves to dance. He also loves to screech at the top of his lungs just to hear how loud he can go... he isn't quite as loud as mommy yet!

Paul has his birthday party this weekend and we are excited to see him blow out his candles and eat his Duck cake Auntie April made him back in July.... we had the cake at the shower!

We are stressing a bit about selling the house and finding a house in the Tri-Cities. Budget, tax rebates, etc. and selling our house... what fun! It is so interesting to be going through the process of buying something so huge with another person. Even though I professionally know that Rick and I have very different decision making styles, I still get so confused by the slowness of his decision making... did I say confused or annoyed? After decades of making our own decisions independant of anyone it is so difficult to come to a common point. I would like to say I was a bit surprised by this... I thought we would gather information, look at the details and make a plan and execute the plan... I hadn't anticipated the difficulty in making the plan. I am realizing just how much I want Rick to look at the details and then tell me what we are doing... but he doesn't. Oh well... I sense another "big" discussion coming our way. Probably should get a little more sleep before we do. Anyway, we know God is working in our lives and if we are listening and prepared we will make the right move. Happy May Day everyone.

Rainy Rainy Rainy

What a good morning. Paul came into our room and stood by the bed and said, " Mommy, Mommy" instead of Mama, Mama and then later just turned around and looked at me and said, "I love you." He looked at Rick and said the same thing. I have been getting my recruiting speil down for the calls I need to make today for the Whitman team. I am several days behind on returning calls. Where does the time go? Paul went to a free tennis class I did for a small, rural high school near here. The coach was in a wheel chair with a broken ankle and he and Paul had races -- Paul was on his Diego Trike. Paul won.. we won't talk about how he cut corners because he is only three. He loves his cars, see through bean bag filled with buttons. We are off to Walla Walla again.

Midnight rambles

This is a special picture taken at my toddler shower in June 2009.  My Aunt (my Mom's oldest sister), my cousin and Godmother Christine and my other cousins and their children were all there to help us celebrate.  I love intergenerational events and with my Mom dying in September of 2004 the whole becoming a Mom thing was a little tougher.  She was such a great Mom -- of course as she got older and my siblings became wilder (hee, hee) she would yell a whole lot more.  Or maybe because one really shouldn't have teenagers and be going through menopause. Or maybe because by the time she got to children numbers 7, 8, and 9 she was just tired.  I totally understand now when I go to bed at 10 pm if Paul gets right to sleep...okay at 11 pm and then he wakes up once or twice... boy am I glad I am not breastfeeding!!!  Actually, he is finally sleeping all night again.  His surgery messed up his sleep schedule, along with the no no's.  Speaking of sleep I am going to bed!  I am rambling. night night

The Familia

Baptism at St. Mary's Catholic Church with Daddy in front of St. Joseph and Jesus

Baptism at St. Mary's Catholic Church, in the Grotto with Mama

Home for almost two months!! We are family...

It hardly seems like two months since we received Paul in China.  He has made time fly by.  Rick and I look at each other and say...he's ours and we are his!!  We also realized, that unlike nieces and nephews, we get to tuck him in every night, kiss his boo boos, hug him and tell him No!  Since one of his first English words was NO NO and Uh Oh, we thought maybe we were overdoing the no thing.  However, he is so active and curious we are trying to keep him from let's say, flip off the couch onto the hardwoods, stick the toy truck axle into a light socket (he took the truck apart to see how the wheels turn and there are no safety plugs he can't figure out) and keep him from somersaulting into the tv stand.  Other than that....  he is so very happy and active.