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March 2009
Saturday,
October 4,
2008
It is truly amazing to me that we have been parents for 6 months
already. This year has just zipped on by and I cannot come up
with an appropriate way to truly express how amazing it has
been.
The last time we updated was in June…my how Nicholas, our son,
has grown.
June
Nicholas recovered well from his surgery. He was quite the
little trooper and looks absolutely amazing. He was not a big
fan (mild statement) of getting his lip massaged 2 times a day
so we finally stopped that 3 months later to restore morning and
bedtime peace.
I went back to work on June 23 and cried the whole way there,
shut my door and waited for noon to roll around; I couldn’t make
it a full day. Nicholas on the other hand did very well and now
doesn’t even notice when I leave. He has recently begun to get
really excited when we come to pick him up…there is so much fun
to be had at day care and the other kids absolutely love him.
The feelings are mutual and I think that Nicholas is learning so
much from wonderful Robin (provider) and the other 3, very
active kids.
July
Nicholas’ first Fourth of July was spent with his friends Owen
and Ella at his very first parade. He of course loved all of the
music and people watching, he danced right along with all of the
floats. We later attended a big party at Owen and Ella’s
grandparent’s house where he went on his first tractor ride…it
was quite a busy day.
On the 20th we got together with 3 other families from our
travel group. What an amazing day that was. We got to catch up,
swap stories, hang out at the zoo and go out for Mexican food
with all of the kids, the mommies love the margaritas and
Nicholas loved the fun glasses. It was a blast and we truly hope
to do it again. The greatest part of the day was seeing all the
different kinds of families at the zoo. We really thought we
would be a spectacle but we fit right in!
Ella and Owen turned one on the 23rd and so there was a party on
the 26th. On the 27th we again went to the zoo for my company
picnic. That weekend was enough to get my little “wait for
people to bring stuff to me” kid crawling. We got home from the
zoo and off he goes! Between the twins stealing his crackers and
making a quick get away and the captivity of the stroller at the
zoo, he finally got the motivation to move! GO NICHOLAS GO!
August
Nicholas was baptized! It was a wonderful day of friends, family
and fun, one I have been dreaming of for years. Nicholas did
wonderful through the service and didn’t mind when the water was
poured on his head. It must have tuckered him out pretty good
because he fell asleep minutes later and slept through the rest
of the service. He wore a beautiful outfit that we got for him
in Guangzhou, complete with slippers that were promptly removed
by our son who hates shoes and socks. Once we were home we got
the swim suites on and the kids got to swim while 25 adults got
to stand around this tiny pool and take pictures! Priceless…
He, later in the month, decided that crawling wasn’t good
enough. He suddenly popped up on couch and began to cruise
around it. He is a quick one! We are thrilled with his gross
motor development…the dog on the other hand is not so impressed
with Nicholas’ new found ability to chase him and pull his tail!
We were, of course, glued to our TV watching the Olympics.
Weren’t they amazing? I loved seeing places we had been and
hearing things that we learned while there. The ability of the
Chinese to work together is such synch is inspiring. We taped
the opening and closing ceremonies for Nicholas to see down the
road…I think I am having China withdrawal (not so much the case
for Dan).
September
The baby mullet is gone! Nicholas’ first hair cut went as smooth
as can be. He had a look on his face but didn’t make a peep and
mommy is much happier. I must say, though, that he looks like a
little man and not such a baby any more (sniff, sniff)!
Grandpa retired this month so there will be much more time to
spend with Gram and Grandpa Braley to come! Nicholas went to his
first apple farm and had a great weekend with them while we were
at cousin Laura’s wedding. He got to see apples in the trees,
hold pumpkins and sit in a really big chair. He was pretty
hesitant at first but ended up picking out a pumpkin of his own.
As always, grandpa had to teach him something (shoulder shrugs
and being Tarzan are previous lessons.) This time around,
grandpa taught my son how to blow the boat horn and “drive” the
boat. The horn is so obnoxious and loud so naturally, Nicholas
found it to be hysterical! We really missed him but also enjoyed
our night “off”.
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Love those
margaritas!
Wearing Grandpas hat. I might not give it back!
Becoming a child of God is hard work.
Go Packers!
Getting my hair cut by Daddy's barber Mr. Pucci.
Look out Pike Lake, here I come! |
Newfound talents include scooting forward on his truck, going
from one piece of furniture to another, going under the bridges
of our legs, getting on and off of his truck (though not so
graceful) and climbing onto the dog…God bless Logan for letting
him do it!
We are now enjoying the beautiful Wisconsin fall and getting
geared up for his next surgery to close the palate on November
19th. He continues with speech and physical therapy and will now
have the occasional appointment up at Children’s.
He is funny, chatty, ticklish, content, smiles all the time,
gives kisses (well, licks your face but we know what he means),
pats your back when you give hugs, is a “no fruits or veggies”
kid, has 12 teeth, loves music and books (especially “5 Silly
Monkeys”. He will shake his finger and giggle at you when you
say “No more monkeys jumping on the bed”!), and is an absolute
joy to us!
Daddy is so excited for football and has done a lot of shopping
for Wisconsin and Packer outfits. Every weekend, Dan is more
than happy to dress our little football fan. He is a proud papa
and takes every opportunity to show off his son.
I am busy at work but try to race home everyday. I miss him when
at work and though I am nervous about the surgery, I will be
home with him for two weeks and we will get to cuddle, read
stories and relax together. Those are my favorite times with
him. I delight in every new thing he does and just see my son as
a true miracle.
We couldn’t feel any more blessed. Yeah, the wait and the
process were long and horrible but we definitely got “OUR”
child. We were waiting for something that was not in “the plan”.
The switch from non-special needs to special needs, from a girl
to a boy, the long wait, the never ending questioning…it was all
worth it. About a month before we saw Nicholas, the poem below
was our daily reflection at work. It really hit home for me.
Please keep Nicholas in your prayers for a speedy recovery! Have
a wonderful fall and winter! We will do our final update in 6
months for our 1-year anniversary of being a family.
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So Close
God’s presence can be a hidden presence,
Not because God chooses to withdraw,
But because we fail to see God who is so near.
There are many reasons for our failure to see.
We are concerned about future projects and fail to see present
blessings.
We may also be looking for the wrong indicators.
We may be looking for peace when God’s presence is in the
turmoil.
We may be looking for resolution when hope lies in the
non-fulfillment of our present expectations.
We may be wishing for answers when God’s goodness is manifest in
further questions.
God is frequently closer than we think.
We need, however, to develop a new confidence that God inhabits
our despair as well as our praises.
From: Day to Journey with Henri Nouwen by Charles Ringma
Website by
myadoptionwebsite.com
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