Moments with Miya Mei

It's been a long time....

2010-07-27T15:50:00.001-07:00

Not sure what I want to do with the blog....so until I figure it out, I'll leave you a pic of my girl on the 4th of July. :-)

Talking about Racism - a resource

2010-05-04T13:41:00.000-07:00

http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/articles.php?aid=1662

Referral anniversary!!

2010-04-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

Vacation count down!

2010-03-05T08:39:00.000-08:00

20 days to go and we are off to visit Grandma and Grandpa Mike in AZ!

Big girl bed

2010-02-22T08:03:00.001-08:00

We spent Saturday morning helping Grandpa assemble Miya's new big girl bed!

Happy Birthday Dustin!!

2010-02-21T08:01:00.000-08:00

We love you! You are the BEST BROTHER and UNCLE we could have!!

2010-02-18T09:34:00.002-08:00

2010-02-18T09:34:00.001-08:00

Meant to be

2010-02-17T08:27:00.001-08:00

http://chinaadopttalk.com/2010/02/17/meant-to-be/

so true...

I'm guilty of saying it's meant to be and so is every single one of my family members and others in our lives. I also know that it was said with good intentions...but maybe none of us thought of it this way, I know I didn't. So, I'm putting this post up here for you to read, because I think it makes a very good point.

She's getting it! updated

2010-02-08T08:21:00.001-08:00

Tommorow I will send her out into the world wearing big girl unders!! (wasn't sure about today, needed to chat with her teachers first)

**Okay, so I might have jumped the gun. Today, I sent her out into the world in a pull-up!

Bottom line I'm not buying diapers any more!! Woot!!

oh dear.

2010-02-06T10:35:00.000-08:00

Miya is a proficient user of my iphone.

at the oh so old age of 2.5.

It all started when I downloaded a video or two or three to keep her busy while we were traveling to North Dakota for my grandma's funeral.

and then I discovered toddler apps.

and now she has more apps than I do.

and now she is such a whiz navigating the darn thing, she is messing with all of my stuff now.

and my phone is dirty and grubby and has little finger prints all over it.

and each and everyday she asks "mommy, I pway wiff phone?".

and now I'm afraid I've turned her into a gamer.

and I want exclusive use of my phone back - I mean seriously what parent says to a two year old "Miya, mommy needs to call Grandpa now...give me the phone" "please?" "MIYA! GIVE ME MY PHONE" and then she cries and carries on and throws a fit. fun.

I think she called her uncle yesterday and sent him a text.

and she deleted one of the BEST GAMES of scrabble I've played in a long time.

I wonder if there is a way to lock my apps so that she can't access them? I know I can lock the phone, but then she can't access her apps...

is it weird that I am seriously considering buying her own itouch? Wait, don't answer that. It is weird.

p.s. Miya's apps are Tozzle, Ladybug Tree, Adventure, ABC Animals, ABC Voice Cards, Five Monkeys, Wheels on the Bus, Lightsaber, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Old MacDonald, Hatch!, Lilsnowman, Memory Pro, LunchBox, DrssChica, Tipitap, and Make Me a Princess...

This just in!!

2010-02-04T11:08:00.000-08:00

My Dad just called to tell me that MIYA WENT IN THE POTTY!!

Way to go Miya!

Potty training

2010-02-04T08:18:00.000-08:00

So, Thomas is potty trained (yay Thomas!) Miya is not even close. The night of the popcorn incident Miya decided that she wanted to wear her big girl panties because Thomas has big boy underpants.

So, out came the new princess panties and then we were ready to rock!

She did pretty well that night! She only peed on the kitchen floor once and on my NEW RUG once.

Guess how many times she actually went in the potty? Zip. Zero. Zilch.

Guess how many times she has peed all over the floor? Too many times to count.

Guess how many times she's peed in the potty since we started this process several months ago? Zip. Zero. Zilch.

After Thomas and Lexi left that night, after the popcorn was cleaned up, and after Miya was tucked into bed, I steam cleaned my new rug.

Will she ever actually pee in the potty?

sigh.

Let it be known that Miya's mommy is not a fan of potty training.

Popcorn

2010-02-03T10:16:00.000-08:00

Soooooo....

Last night my sister and Thomas came over for dinner. I had recorded Oprah and really wanted to watch it as did Lexi once she found out the topic (Wanda Barzee's kids...CRAZYYYYYY). With two tots running around full speed, sitting down and watching Oprah was out of the question. So, I hooked up the portable DVD player, put it in Miya's room, started up A Bug's Life, popped some popcorn, shuttled the two tots up to Miya's room and said "ok, popcorn, movie, and playtime in Miya's room!!"

And then we watched Oprah and it was quiet. Ahhhhhh...

After about 45 min Lexi and I had the following conversation:

Me: "Wow! I can't believe they have been up there for so long and playing so good!"

Lex: "I know!! We should tell them to go up there and play all the time!"

Me: "I know!! Worked like a charm!"

And then I started to hear little feet jumping around upstairs

And then it got louder

And louder

Me: "We spoke too soon, what are they doing up there, we only have a few minutes left of Oprah!"

So then Lexi trotted up the stairs, stopped at the top, and said "oh no."

I headed up the stairs and this is what our little angels were up to:

sigh....

My vacuum smells like butter now.

Princess Miya

2010-01-29T16:37:00.001-08:00

I'm not giving up on this thing yet...

2010-01-05T08:41:00.000-08:00

I miss blogging, have lots to share, but just haven't had it in me to post anything lately...hopefully I'll get to it soon. Happy New Year everyone!

For grandma

2009-12-25T16:41:00.000-08:00

Tis' the season!

2009-12-15T10:17:00.000-08:00

BOS to GEG

2009-12-14T12:51:00.000-08:00

My favorite flight attendant is most likely coming to visit this weekend!

Then and now

2009-12-07T15:32:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2008

Christmas 2009

Cousins.

2009-12-07T15:26:00.001-08:00

One that didn't make the cut...

2009-12-07T09:00:00.001-08:00

This is what happens when you tell them to say "cheese"...

Xmas photo sneak peek...

2009-11-29T17:09:00.001-08:00

National Adoption Day

2009-11-18T10:29:00.000-08:00

My mom alerted me to the fact that it is National Adoption Day and sent me this sweet little note...

Since today is National Adoption Day, just wanted to tell you how happy I am you chose to adopt and you were so blessed to be paired with Miya! I love you guys.

We love you too mom!!

p.s. I hope you aren't mad I just posted your email to me ;-)

What the heck happened to you?

2009-11-10T14:49:00.000-08:00

People (OK, my Dad) have asked me why I no longer blog. To tell the truth, I'm just not into it right now. I have too many other things going on and the last thing on my mind is the ol' blog.

It also doesn't help that I've turned to the dark side.

I miss blogging sometimes, other times I don't...which is why I haven't shut it down completely yet. I'm just not sure I'm ready...

Up next, gymnastics pics!

Trick-or-treating around campus

2009-10-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

We had a fun little outing today. I headed over to Miya's school, got her dressed, and then we hit up various campus departments for some good ol' trick-or-treating! Good times.

She wasn't too sure what the heck was going on at first...

Miya and Mom

Stacy and Shawn (we work together and the kids are in the same class, fun!!)

In the buggy, ready for action!

TRICK OR TREAT!!

It was fun!

Trick or treating on campus...

2009-10-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

The kitchen

2009-10-22T17:32:00.001-07:00

"don't worry mom! I've got dinner covered tonight!"

Trying on the new winter gear!

2009-10-22T17:28:00.000-07:00

baby babble, one word, two words, and then...

2009-10-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

After school yesterday, just after I had loaded her into the car and hopped into the driver seat, she said "I want baby please".

She also sings the chorus and hums along to this little tune constantly in the car, and if there is anything (and I mean anything) besides this playing she hollers "OH NO!! Mamma Mia!!

Modeling the new gymnastics gear!

2009-10-03T12:41:00.001-07:00

My, how things have changed...

2009-10-02T12:43:00.001-07:00

I went out to lunch with a work bud today, he's 25 ish, I am not. He told me tales of his exciting dating life, his rip-roaring, bar hopping, I'm gettin' drunk stories, and all about his two new side jobs, which he is making bank for...

...and then it was my turn.

Me: "Guess what I am doing J?"

Him: "What! Spill it!?"

Me: "I'm potty training a two year old."

Him: silent.

Him: "How's that going?"

Me: "Not so good, I let her wear her big girl panties last night and in less than an hour she had pissed all over the floor, twice."

Him: rolling his eyes.."Jesus, sounds like fun."

Me: "yeah, not so much..."

This conversation happened after he almost barfed in my car due to the rotten milk stench that I am apparently immune too. Upon inspection, I found 4 sippy cups under the passenger seat....

What the hell is happening to me?

Oh yeah, I'm a mom.

Diaper Daredevils here we come!

2009-09-28T09:54:00.001-07:00

I'm signing Miya up for gymnastics this week. It is a parent participation class...sop I'm thinking it might be a good way for mom to burn off some extra calories as well!

Should be fun!!

It's been a week from hell...

2009-09-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

The worst week I've probably ever had...

but...

I am starting to see the light at the end of this very dark tunnel.

A special thanks to my Dad, my family, my dear friend Shelby, and my co-workers for supporting me.

always.

no matter what.

I know they are all here for me.

I am blessed, so very blessed.

LMAO!

2009-09-17T10:33:00.001-07:00

Oh dear lord.

2009-09-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

I came across this little number on Lexi's FB page...

My girl likes to "float" in the bath tub!

2009-09-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

Miya had a great day at school yesterday!

2009-09-15T09:08:00.000-07:00

Sad news.

2009-09-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

I am bummed about Patrick

Rest in peace....

Lil' drummer girl

2009-09-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

Pics taken at Grandpa Jerry's house yesterday.

p.s. I know I suck at blogging lately. Sheesh, who has the time anymore with FB, school, work, mom duties, and now this...

NEW

TOY!!

hello baby, come to mommy...

Say hello to my little friend...

2009-08-31T13:39:00.000-07:00

Or at least I hope this stuff is my friend, my preventative friend that is!

We are back to school and along with that comes cold and flu season (and apparently the chicken pox). I was alerted that the "3's room" has an outbreak of chicken pox and some have the sniffles and sneezes. Miya is in the 2's room...so it's only a matter of time...

Piggy flu prevention is another story...there are signs all over campus that say STAY HOME if you are sick and anti-bacterial gel bottles are in abundance in all the offices. :-)

I heard this morning that there are 10 confirmed cases of the piggy flu at a university apprx. 80 miles away.

This should be an interesting cold/flu season. Off to see how many sick days I earned over the summer....

The best part of the Fair part 1

2009-08-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday evening I met up with Lexi, Thomas, Zach, and my friend Ana and we took the squirts on their first Fair rides....oh the fun!

Transitioning to school cont.

2009-08-28T09:04:00.000-07:00

The honeymoon period is over. Miya and I had the following conversation this morning:

Me: "Good morning Miya! Do you remember that we are going to school today? You are going to work with mommy, won't that be fun?"

Miya: "No mama, no way"

Me: "Don't you want to see your teacher Abby and your friends? Shawn will be there..."

Miya: "No mama, no Abby, no, no"

Fast forward to the car ride...

Me: "Let's go, off to school we go!!"

Miya: "No mama, no Abby"

Me: sigh....

Miya: "No mama, no go"

At school

Me: "Come on Miya let's go! Time to go in to school."

Miya: insert extremely whiny voice "noooooooooooooooo"

It was a tough morning, she cried when I left. The last thing I said to her was "I love you and I will be back to pick you up after you nap. Mommy always comes back, no matter what."

Does anyone remember

2009-08-27T16:45:00.001-07:00

the what not to wear section in GlAmour magazine??

You know what I'm thinking right? Oh I so badly want to do it on zee blog, there are such prime candidates at the NI Fair!

Maybe I'll save it for FB, less people will be offended I think...or maybe not.

NI Fair ramblings...

2009-08-27T14:22:00.000-07:00

I am coordinating/working the college info/Alumni booth at the NI Fair this week. Here's a snapshot as to what is going down...

NI Fair - Day 2

Today is senior citizen day and there are a lot of wheelchairs wheeling aboutt.

It's also hotter than hell and it's supposed to be 98 degrees tomorrow...uggggh..

My Fair work week got a whole lot better when I discovered wireless internet access!! woohoo!!

I managed to avoid eating fair food yesterday, but the scent of fried food got the best of me today and I lost the battle. I can't remember the last time I ate white bread. OMG was it ever good. Why does fair food taste so good? I've named the food stands Calorie Castles...

I didn't eat it, but did see deep fried bacon AND deep fried twinkies!! Gross. On a side note, I was dying to know what breaded deep fried bacon sprinkled with powdered sugar tasted like, so I made my friend Ana try some...she didn't think it was very good. It sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen to me.

Okay, if you are local, at the fair, and read my blog, please stop by the college booth...you know the one. We need some visitors. We have candy... :-)

This blog has turned into a family friendly blog...meaning, I try not to poke fun, I try not to swear, and I generally just try to keep everyone up to speed on Miya (even though I am a really lazy blogger lately) and okay, sometimes I have to censor myself because family and co-workers read this blog. However, I'm going to say this now and I'm only going to say it once...wait, I'm writing not speaking, whatever, you know what I mean...

There are a shitload of freaks who come to the Fair.

I also sometimes duck and hide when I see people I went to high school with. Why? because I really don't feel like catching up...I mean, seriously...if I gave a shit I would have stayed in contact right? If you read this blog, please know that I do not hide from you. I lurves yoos guys. :-)

Right about now, I am very conscious that some wonderful church going folks read this blog and I just wrote swear words. sorry. well, not really. it's who I am from time to time.

On the warm and fuzzy side, my friends, family, co-workers, board members, volunteers are wonderful. People have stopped by and visited, and I am promoting the college and alumni association with gusto.

and have I mentioned...WIRELESS INTERNET at the NI Fair!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I lurves the Fair now. maybe not.

ummm, it's so hot out my fingers are swollen and my butt hurts.

Until tomorrow friends...

Back to school...UPDATED**

2009-08-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, the semester begins and Miya goes back in school. :-)

We headed to the Children's Center on Friday to drop off her supplies and introduce her to the "2's" room. We met up with my co-worker/friend Stacy and her son Shawn and after watching the two of them rip around for 45 minutes or so, we decided that they were going to be just fine when we dropped them off on Monday.

Here are some pics of Miya and her friend Shawn, seeing their new classroom for the first time.

Looking through the window at the toddler room...

drumming with teacher Andie...

Where's Miya? Teachers Abby and Andie pictured as well....

Holy moly! Painting, painting, and more painting!

Miya's "locker" otherwise known as her cubby. :-)

Shawn standing in his "locker". Cute!

I'll let you know how the transition Monday goes. :-)

**Miya had a great first day at school! She was excited when we arrived, and after washing her hands she hit the ground running. I gave her a hug and a kiss and then she hollered "BYE!!" Late in the afternoon her teacher sent me an email which mentioned that she did have a few sad moments and missed mommy and that she only took a 1 hour nap. However, overall she did GREAT! She was soooo tired last night, and quite the little stinker...but I'm sure everything will even out once she gets used to her new schedule.

Done!

2009-08-08T09:49:00.000-07:00

I finished my classes yesterday! Poor Miya had to watch a lot of TV yesterday while mommy jammed out a paper....oh well, one day isn't going to ruin her forever...I hope...hehehe..

The finish line...

2009-08-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

3 more journal articles to review and one paper to write and I am DONE with my summer school classes.

Guess what that means??

You are going to get a Miya update sometime this weekend! I have 428 pictures that need to be downloaded onto my computer....where has the summer gone?

Back to my studies I go...

Halfway there...

2009-07-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

Today I hit the halfway mark in a couple areas of my life.

First, I'm halfway through my summer school classes! So far, I have an A and a B+.

I'm also halfway through my medically directed weight loss program.

:-)

The three precious words I've been waiting for...

2009-07-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

This morning, when I was buckling Miya into her car seat, she said "I wuv ou".

My heart melted and I started to cry.

I love you too Miya Mei, oh how I love you too...

What happened?

2009-07-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know we are still alive and well! I am taking two summer school classes and it is CRUNCH time. I'll be back in a couple of weeks or so....

Fun with the hose!

2009-07-08T09:38:00.001-07:00

My favorite camping picture...

2009-07-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

June 2009 - such a big girl now!

Then and now

2009-07-06T08:12:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a year it's been! Happy Family Day Anniversary Miya Mei! I love you so much!

July 6, 2008

July 2009

Conversations with my personal trainer.

2009-07-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

To set the scene, envision my big ol' fat, tall, outta shape body hunched up on some weird abdominal machine mimicking the moves of a clam...

Trainer Kate: "Keep going and squeezing Sara, nice and slow"

Me: "uggghhh, this is hard"

Trainer Kate: "7 more"

Me: "I don't think my stomach muscles are very strong"

Trainer Kate: "Well, they shouldn't be! You just had a baby a year ago."

Me: hahahaha laughing

Trainer Kate: "What? Why are you laughing?"

Me: "We are an adoptive family, I didn't give birth"

Trainer Kate: "Oh! That's great, I didn't know that."

Me: "So, really, I'm just in really bad shape and I can't use the I gave birth excuse..."

Trainer Kate: hahahahah laughing "Two more then Sara and then hold it!"

Me: "shit."

One year ago...

2009-07-02T03:52:00.000-07:00

I left for China!

a.m. shenanigans...

2009-07-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

For the most part, Miya has been sleeping through the night in her toddler bed for about a week now! Yay Miya! When she wakes up in the morning, she will gather and haul everything that was in her bed with her down the hall into my room. Her arms are completely full w/ baby, blanket, pig, Kai Lan, another blanket and her pillow. It really is hilarious.

This morning she had a change of heart.

I was in the shower, rinsing my hair (eyes closed) at around 6:00a.m. when I heard "HI!"...which scared the crap outta me, because I'm still not used to the fact that she will get out of her bed and wander into my room. I opened my eyes and there she was, standing in the bathroom with her baby and big frog xylophone toy. She then sat on the bathroom floor and played her xylophone for the remainder of my shower. Hilarious.

At 4:55 a.m....

2009-06-26T06:02:00.000-07:00

Miya fell out of her bed. She's fine, but we haven't been back to sleep. oooh, I bet she is going to be a peach at around 10:00a.m...early nap day today for sure.

So young.

2009-06-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

Rest in peace MJ. I will miss your music.

We are still alive and kickin'

2009-06-19T07:39:00.000-07:00

We have been very busy the past few weeks, Miya's time has been filled with hanging out with her mom, grandparents, aunt Lexi, and cousin Thomas. She loves to play outside, go to the park, dig in the sandbox, and oh my she is a water kid for sure. I can't wait to get her going in swim lessons. My time has been filled with work, being a mom, and now I am taking two summer school classes. ooof!

We also went camping a few weekends ago, which was a lot of fun...but also a whole lotta work. Bottom line: packing, traveling, setting up camp, chasing after a 2 years old 24-7, tearing down everything, loading up, traveling home, and unpacking everything is hard (as in I felt like I had been hit by a truck I was so exhausted).

We celebrated 3 family birthdays last week and my birthday was yesterday. That is a LOT of birthday celebration in 7 short days. By the time my birthday rolled around, I was just plain burned out....plus, I turned the big 35 and purposely forced everyone to keep it low key.

In addition to the birthday marathon going on around here, we completed our last post-placement meeting with our social worker last week. I can't describe the feeling I felt when our social worker walked out the door...I kind of teared up, but mostly felt relief knowing that my adoption process was complete...and it only took 3 years...

Miya is also hitting the "2's" in a big bad way...she can be a handful and I find it VERY challenging at times, especially when we are out and about....or with family. More on this later...I need to get my thoughts in order before I start writing about it.

I have tons of pics to post and will try my best...I have a feeling my blogging will be coming to an end sooner rather than later. I just can't keep up with it anymore and don't really comfortable sharing our lives on the Internet any longer. The purpose of my blog was to share my adoption journey with friend, family, and the adoption community. I don't know, we'll see...

Have a great weekend everyone, I'll be back soon.

Mine!

2009-06-11T16:43:00.001-07:00

Oh how I love google.

Miya has begun to display some not so fun behavior lately...

"MINE!" - Dealing With Bad Behavior In a Toddler

If you’re the parent of a toddler I’m sure at some point you have experienced your child behaving badly. Especially where sharing is concerned. If you haven’t yet, beware…it’s bound to crop up in the not too distant future.

The first thing you should know is that your toddler is experiencing a very normal part of development. Even the most reasonable of toddlers will not want to share their precious things at some point.

As embarrassing or difficult as this can be don’t get too discouraged by their bad behavior and certainly don’t blame yourself or your parenting skills. Take comfort in knowing that this is simply part of your toddler’s development and is helping her prepare for her next stage of life.
The good news is you can gently deter this situation even before it starts.

Here are a few tips:

Distraction Technique – Once you see your toddler’s bad behavior start to creep into the picture, distract them with another toy or ask her to come and join you to play on the swings, etc. without making a big deal about sharing. This will often work as toddlers get bored quickly and she’ll probably appreciate the distraction.

Nip it in the Bud – Anytime two toddlers are playing together it’s best to keep a close eye on things. As soon as you see a potential situation about to erupt, dive in there and break it up. Tempt your child with a more interesting toy or show them a fun new game.
If your child is playing nicely and another child is trying to take her things then distract that child. Find something similar or a close replacement to what your child has and offer it to them. Tell them how great it is, of course, don’t overdo it or then you’ll have two toddlers fighting over this new and wonderful toy you’re talking about.

Walk Away – If things get really bad and your child refuses to give back a toy to their crying owner then it’s time to take action. Gently pick up your child and walk away. They may kick and scream but remember YOU are in charge. Take him to a quite corner or space and wait for him to calm down. Then give him a hug and explain that you know he really wanted that toy but that it belongs to someone else. A toddler’s bad behavior is really only a way of expressing themselves as difficult as it may be to deal with at first. Chances are your child isn’t going to understand or accept the meaning of this but you’ve now diffused the situation and can continue to play happily.

The Aftermath – After the fact it’s great to talk things over with your child and explain why it’s important to share, but be realistic. Most toddlers won’t understand the concept of sharing or why they should do it and all the talking in the world isn’t going to change things.

As your child starts to mature that’s the time when it’s more appropriate to try and reason with them since they will start to have an understanding of actions and consequences. During the toddler years that understanding isn’t there.

The best way is often to avoid and / or distract your toddler. This will help diffuse a lot of incidents before they even start.

This morning...

2009-06-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

Miya came walking into the bathroom this morning with a ballpoint pen in her hand. I immediately thought oh dear lord...

Sure enough, she now has some sweet ink tattoo's covering both of her arms....just in time for her big birthday bash tomorrow.

At least she didn't decide to graffiti the walls...

Happy Birthday Miya Mei!

2009-06-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

7:00 a.m.
June 10th

Miya is 2!! Happy Birthday!! Whoohoo!!

Miya's last day as a 1 year old!

2009-06-09T07:49:00.000-07:00

Toddler bed

2009-06-03T08:47:00.001-07:00

10 days ago Miya and I assembled her toddler bed and set it up in her room. Key word her room. Up until this point, she has been sleeping in my room either with me or in her crib. I just heard all the non AP's gasp in horror.....whatever....don't judge me.

10 days ago she slept in her big girl bed for the first time. Since then, she naps great and for the most part goes to sleep at night with no problem (there have only been a couple times where she has been a little whiny).

Here she is taking her first nap in her "big girl" bed.

Here she is the first night she slept in her "big girl" bed.

She hasn't quite made it sleeping through the night in her room yet. She wakes up and cries and after a couple of times, I just grab her and take her to bed with me because 1) I'm freakin' tired and 2) I have to get up at 5:30a.m.

So, guess what? Last night, my girl slept through the night in her bed in her room. All. night. long. I woke up at 4:45a.m. this morning and thought "holy shit! I mean holy cow! She slept all night long!".

At 5:30a.m., I got up, flipped the news on, and got ready without worrying about waking the sleeping princess up. At 6:30a.m. she walked out of her room, baby and blanket in hand, with a big smile on her face. Awwwwwwwwww....

I hope she does it again tonight! Go Miya!

These boots are made for walkin'

2009-06-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

Buzzzzzzzzzzz

2009-05-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

Today, a co-worker and I delivered a dog house (built by the carpentry students and auctioned off at the annual fundraiser I coordinate) to a very special auction winner today. She is a graphic designer, gardener extraordinaire, and get this...a bee keeper.

Fascinating.

I wanted to see the bee house up close and boy did I ever! It was kinda freaky standing 2 ft. away from a buzzing bee house, but I am truly fascinated at the process. She told me that they will collect 2-3 gallons of honey with just one bee house! Or wait, are they called hives if they aren't made by bees? Probably. At any rate, it was fun to see and learn about zee beeezzz.

BTW - Miya's favorite movie right now is:

and one last thought...I don't know if Miya is allergic to zee bee yet and I honestly dread the day I find out.

My little helper

2009-05-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

I helped my mom clean the kitchen last night....

...and my ponytail is backwards and floppy, but I wanted to help soooo bad, I wouldn't hold still and let my mom fix it right.

..my mom says "we are sorry the water is running like crazy...we weren't being very green last night".

Shame on us.

..hey look mom, I'm making a fountain!

What Is an Adoptive Mother?

2009-05-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

My social worker sent this to me today.

"What Is an Adoptive Mother?

By Carrie Craft

Being an adoptive mother is not for every woman. She must possess not only the natural mother instinct but an understanding and appreciation of the situation that brought a child into her arms making her a mother.

The adoptive family came to be by choices made, choices made by the first parents and by the adoptive parents. This bond the adoptive mother has with her child grows over time, like the child did within their first mother's womb.

Day by day, touch by touch, with each tear, kiss, and memory made they became a family. Adoptive mothers have that special knack to let love grow. Adoptive mothers know that she's a mender of wounds, not just of the physical skinned knees with a band-aid and a kiss, but of the heart. She gives love, acceptance, and permission to ask and talk about the day they were born and of their first parents.

Adoptive mothers are embracers, not only of the child with many hugs and kisses, but of the child's heritage and history. She embraces the facts of her child's past with strength for herself and the child. She's not only a memory maker planning family vacations, activities, and birthday parties, but also a memory keeper. Details of a birth, photos of the hospital, and of the parents who brought her into the world are kept along side the newspaper clipping that announced it all. All these things are kept in a special book that tells the whole story.

She's a tier of shoelaces and of hearts. She weaves lives together into a tapestry of a new family, with many different brightly, colored threads showcasing their individualities and family origins. Together they create one unit attached to each other.

Adoptive mothers are experts at finding lost objects, but understand and validate the profound, deep loss left by adoption. She allows the tears to fall and grief to be felt, allowing the mourning of the mom not there. She is secure in knowing that she's not a replacement, but a finisher of a race for someone who, for whatever reason, could not run any longer.

This role is not for the weak of spirit, or the easily wounded. Loving a child not born to her but calling him her own, but this is what she does, it is her calling.

She is a mother.

Surprise!

2009-05-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

At 11:30a.m., 30 ish people came walking into my department, including the college President and presented me with the employee of the month award! I received a plaque, an Ootback gift certificate, a reserved parking pass for a month, AND a check for $100.

I am shocked and honored, what a fun surprise!

Basketball and book, the video!

2009-05-08T09:44:00.000-07:00

Last night during dinner...

The new look!!

2009-05-07T07:51:00.000-07:00

Donna over at Loving Lauren offered a give away on her blog a couple of weeks ago. Randomly, I decided to leave a comment and enter (we all know I'm not the most on top of it when it comes to commenting). Anyhoo, she drew my name out of a hat and voila! the winner received a new blog makeover!! Don't you think it looks great? I do. I love it!

Thank you Donna for the fantastic new blog header!

Contest winner!

2009-05-06T15:07:00.000-07:00

I won a contest. I am so excited. I never win anything. I'm not telling what it is yet, you will soon find out here. Stay tuned...

Another new word and a side note.

2009-05-06T08:07:00.000-07:00

We got to school this morning and the boys were playing with balls and the little mini hoop basket. Miya went over grabbed a ball and said "b b ball".

In other news...I took the crib down last night. gulp. She just doesn't want anything to do with it anymore. Toddler bed is on the way via UPS. Yet another transition on the horizon...

AND last but not least, Miya has a well check today which includes 4 shots. Can't wait.

that blows

2009-04-30T11:05:00.000-07:00

I just read the CCAA is most likely putting a hold on all referrals and TA's because of the swine flu outbreak. My heart goes out to all those waiting right now. I've been there done that and all I can say is that it SUCKS. If it's not one thing, it's another. Hang in there friends!

New outfit

2009-04-30T08:41:00.001-07:00

Today I am wearing an outfit that has been in my closet for 1+ years and has never fit. It fit today. The size huge pants, slipped right on and are almost too big. I almost died.

So far, two people at work have said "you look great today!"

Note to self: Keep doing whatever it is you are doing because it's working!!

2T

2009-04-26T07:06:00.000-07:00

Last month, Miya officially moved out of 18 month clothes. Last night I put a pair of her 2T footie (sp?) pj's on her and had to take them off because they were too small! She really is growing like crazy! Yesterday, her aunt said "Miya, you look a little chubby today!" Finally, my girl has some meat on her bones! She is no longer the skinny little frail thing she once was...

I've also noticed my arms aren't so fat anymore, must be the 30 pounds I'm packin' around all the time. :-)

and thus concludes my Sunday morning random tid bit...

New word of the day

2009-04-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

Can we say language explosion??

This morning Miya was all about the words hat, shoe, and up.

You go girl!

Milk

2009-04-23T09:18:00.001-07:00

Last night Miya said Milk perfectly. Up until now, milk has been pronounced mihl. Last night she figured out the K and voila! said milK.

Then she got a lot of cheers and good jobs from her mom.

Another new thing. When we are at home, every time I leave the room she hollers MOM or MOMMY over and over and over until I am back in her line of sight. I spend a lot of time reassuring her that I am here, will always be here, and will always come back.

Still, it's nice to hear her call me mom. :-)

Favorite Easter pic

2009-04-21T13:29:00.001-07:00

Referral anniversary!

2009-04-19T08:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend marks the one year anniversary of receiving Miya's referral!

I received "the call" at 11:00p.m. on Friday night and didn't answer right away as I was sleeping. It took me a few minutes to realize that someone was calling and that most people don't call at 11:00p.m...so I couldn't figure out why on EARTH someone would call me at that hour, unless it was an emergency.

So, I got up, went downstairs, flipped open my phone, retrieved my missed calls, and took one look...Small World. Gulp. I knew at that moment, my life was about to change forever. I listened to the message, it was my agency rep. "Sara, I've just locked a file for you. This little girl is a perfect fit for you, I've emailed her file to you. Call me back in the morning."

I fired up the computer. My hands were shaking. I guarded my heart and decided not to open her picture right away. I reviewed her file. I cried. I googled her SN. 1 minute later I knew she was my daughter. I cried some more.

I stayed up all night long, researching, crying, reviewing, reading her file, and googling. At 7:00a.m. I called my family. I forwarded her file to my mom, my brother, and my Dad. I called my agency, my social worker, and two doctors.

And then I opened the jpeg attachment.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. "

So true. So very true.

Spring fun!

2009-04-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

Grandpa bought me a new hat!

Egg hunt and the Easter Bunny

2009-04-09T07:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the student government sponsored an Easter egg hunt for the kiddos on campus. Miya enjoyed playing with one plastic egg and apparently she LOVES the Easter bunny. Too funny!

Finally

2009-04-07T07:44:00.000-07:00

Spring is here.

Hey!!

2009-04-06T07:42:00.000-07:00

We've been a family for 9 months!!

Proofs!!

2009-04-02T07:15:00.000-07:00

Check them out!!

http://taryn.zenfolio.com/

Happy Birthday Uncle Ryan!!

2009-04-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

We can't WAIT for you to open your presents!!

Sneak peek of the spring photo shoot....

2009-04-01T07:54:00.001-07:00

Our Monday....

2009-03-31T09:59:00.001-07:00

Meet my nephew Thomas.

He's very shy

and doesn't like looking at the camera

but he likes cookies

and he loves his mama

and enjoys watching over her while she updates her facebOok page

Thomas and Lexi came over to visit yesterday because...

Uncle Dustin had a GEG layover and came to visit us!!

He too needed to update his FaceboOk page

but he also really wanted to take the pink princess scooter for a spin

before we had dinner, Miya and her aunt had a little chat

and then I was hell bent on getting some cute pics of my kid and nephew

except these two tots were in no mood to cooperate.

say cheese, wait, stay there Miya...wait, hold on...

hold on, stay there Thomas!

Miya, sit on the chair with Thomas, SMILE!

Oh nevermind, go play on the pink princess scooter with your uncle.

Our weekend.

2009-03-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

We are laying low and nursing our colds.

What a week.

2009-03-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

My girl is sick. again. She's been sick all week. I'm taking her to the Dr. this afternoon to rule out an ear infection or something worse. She's had (and still has) fevers, a nasty sounding cough, boogers galore, she barfed once, and hasn't been sleeping well.

I feel and look like this:

TGIF TGIF TGIF TGIF

In other news...

My taxes have been filed! I'm getting a FATTY refund. Thank you adoption tax credit.

My fancy dancy camera has been purchased, it has arrived, and I'm slowly figuring it out. As soon as I figure out how to download the pics, I'll post some. You will laugh when you see my pictures so far, CLEARLY I have a lot to learn. I will say this tho...3 weeks ago I had no idea what aperture, shutter-speed, white balance, F-Stops, or exposure were and I am excited to report that I do now, but I still have a LONG way to go.

It's March, it's still snowing here and it's colder than you know what. Yesterday's high was 11 degrees. I'm sick of it. I'm cold.

I whacked all my hair off. It's in a short bob type cut now. I needed a change. I got one, a couple actually.

Next weekend Miya and I are having photos taken, professionally.

I need to cut my cable. Money is tight. I'm having a hard time doing it. I don't want to do it. I need to do it. Maybe I'll do it at the end of April. Maybe not.

Miya's new words are more (moh), ball, cheese, and milk (mil). You go girl.

Grandpa is teaching Miya how to bake:

TGIF - gotta run!

Jumpin' and dancin'

2009-03-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

We miss your blog...

2009-02-27T09:06:00.000-08:00

I know you do :-) at least a few of you miss my blog because you've either called me or emailed me to tell me.

I've had a lot going on these past few weeks, which included not having computer access for a couple of weeks...I almost died w/out a computer by the way....well, not really...well, maybe...

So, to help tide ya over until I get around to updating the blog I give you a bit of breaking news and a photo.

The news as of 8:00a.m. this morning:

One month ago I joined the Biggest Loser contest my work is putting on as part of our wellness program. One month ago I weighed in and haven't been on the scale since. This morning, I was formally weighed in and to my SURPRISE SURPRISE, I lost 7.6 pounds last month. Totally not expecting that. In fact, my co-worker practically had to drag me over to health services to weigh-in because I wanted to quit and I DID NOT want to get on that scale. Peer pressure won that battle and I'm glad it did. I'm chalking it up to stress, cause I certainly haven't been exercising...although, I have been eating better. So, that was very exciting and now I'm even more motivated to keep on going!

The photo:

On our way to AZ earlier this month, photo courtesy of uncle Dustin. :-)

Ummmm, yeah...

2009-02-11T09:39:00.000-08:00

I am without computers. Yes, plural. My home computer is being reloaded after being hit with a NASTY virus and my work computer is down after getting hit with another NASTY virus (along with 90% of the campus).

Soooo, no blogging for me. I'll post as soon as I can, we had a GREAT trip to AZ!

We're alive and kickin'

2009-01-30T11:41:00.000-08:00

We are on the mend. I feel better and Miya feels better. She also has 5 new teeth.

On Friday's my Dad watches Miya and he always sends me pictures of their morning after she goes down for her nap. I love that he sends me pictures of her day.

Here are two of my favs from earlier today, captions below the pics...

Popping bubbles at Grandpa's

Doin' some business in the office...

AZ here we come!

2009-01-29T11:59:00.000-08:00

In one week Miya and I will be flying to Phoenix to visit her snowbird grandparents, the rest of the AZ fam, and to celebrate Chinese New Year. Uncle Dustin is meeting us there and the weather is supposed to be GREAT!

I am very excited to get away for a long warm weekend, but I am oh so NERVOUS to fly with my very active I don't ever sit still 19 month old toddler.

Just writing that sentence made me break out in a sweat.

This will be our first flight since flying home from China. This will be my first time flying alone with her.

Sweating, I'm sweating bullets now...

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

2009-01-26T12:38:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

Still sick

2009-01-22T09:05:00.000-08:00

Miya is still sick and now I'm sick. I have a fundraising event I am coordinating this weekend and can't be sick, but I am and now my new friend is Dayqu*il.

I can't wait until Sunday afternoon when it's all over and I can breath and just get back to our regular schedule.

Initiation

2009-01-20T09:19:00.000-08:00

In case you were wondering, I've been initiated into the "walking the halls all night long with a sick crying baby" club.

Teething

2009-01-18T06:56:00.000-08:00

I've decided I'm really not a fan of teething, especially those stinkin' molars that take forever to pop through and then when they finally do, watch out!

Poor Miya. Teething has been our weekend thus far. When she opens her mouth I can count 5 that are just about ready to pop thru the skin, including one of her left lower molars.

Yesterday, she ran a fever of 101.6 all day long, I alternated with motrin and tylenol as suggested by all the moms I know and still couldn't seem to get it lower than about 100 degrees. She also had diarrhea yesterday, a first since she has been home with me. So now her rear is red and sore. I can hear my brother now..gross and ewwww is what he is saying as he reads this and YES it was. Poor thing.

I gave her a bath at about 5:00p.m. last night at her request. Her request??, well it included standing at the gate at the bottom of the stairs hollering and crying on and on until I figured out she was trying to tell me something...as in she wanted to go upstairs. duh. When I opened the gate, she crawled upstairs, headed into the bathroom and tried to crawl into the tub w/ all her clothes on. Of course, she also threw her baby in there first...which I thought was pretty funny, but she really was in no mood for funny at that point.

This morning her fever is back up to 101.8. Her nose is running, she has a cough now. She gets colds when she is teething. Overall she just seems pretty miserable, cranky, and out of sorts.

I'm planning on working today, but may have to just go down to the office and gather it all up and bring it home, not sure...she cries when I leave the room. Might have to post-pone until tomorrow.

An additional kicker...my thermometer, the fancy dancy Brau*n I forked over $50 for is now stuck on the Celsius setting. I have no idea how it was switched from Fahrenheit to Celsius, but am thinking a little pair of hands got a hold of it. So, since I am horrid at math, I now have to go online and look up the conversion each time I take her temp. Sad, I know.

Mom, my nose is running....and quit blogging and pay attention to me pleaseeeee!

Have I mentioned I hate teething? I bet she really hates it. Poor Miya.

Moments with Miya Mei

It's been a long time....

Talking about Racism - a resource

Referral anniversary!!

Vacation count down!

Big girl bed

Happy Birthday Dustin!!

Meant to be

She's getting it! **updated**

oh dear.

This just in!!

Potty training

Popcorn

Princess Miya

I'm not giving up on this thing yet...

For grandma

Tis' the season!

BOS to GEG

Then and now

Cousins.

One that didn't make the cut...

Xmas photo sneak peek...

National Adoption Day

What the heck happened to you?

Trick-or-treating around campus

Trick or treating on campus...

The kitchen

Trying on the new winter gear!

baby babble, one word, two words, and then...

Modeling the new gymnastics gear!

My, how things have changed...

Diaper Daredevils here we come!

It's been a week from hell...

LMAO!

Oh dear lord.

My girl likes to "float" in the bath tub!

Miya had a great day at school yesterday!

Sad news.

Lil' drummer girl

Say hello to my little friend...

The best part of the Fair part 1

Transitioning to school cont.

Does anyone remember

NI Fair ramblings...

Back to school...UPDATED**

Done!

The finish line...

Halfway there...

The three precious words I've been waiting for...

What happened?

Fun with the hose!

My favorite camping picture...

Then and now

Conversations with my personal trainer.

One year ago...

a.m. shenanigans...

At 4:55 a.m....

So young.

We are still alive and kickin'

Mine!

This morning...

Happy Birthday Miya Mei!

Miya's last day as a 1 year old!

Toddler bed

These boots are made for walkin'

Buzzzzzzzzzzz

My little helper

What Is an Adoptive Mother?

Surprise!

Basketball and book, the video!

The new look!!

Contest winner!

Another new word and a side note.

that blows

New outfit

2T

New word of the day

Milk

Favorite Easter pic

Referral anniversary!

She's getting it! updated