Laney's Turn

It's MY turn!

OK, so Mama said that it's my turn to do the post. FINALLY! Get ready, I have a lot to say!

I haven't been feeling so hot this weekend. Well, actually, I have been super hot. I have been running a fever off and on. I'm not sure who to blame. Abby was sick last weekend and is again this weekend. She keeps coughing. Mama has been with some sick kids at her school. And Baba's sick now too. He said he blames Mama for his sore throat and my sickness. It's ok though, we still love her. Besides, it hasn't slowed me down much!

My cool cousin Jarrett spent the night last weekend. He was BIG fun! Here, he pushed me on my trike! I love him so much!

So you want my take on what has been going on around here? Not too much, really. I was doing this "potty" thing for a week or so. It was a hoot. Every 20 minutes or so, Mama or Baba would say, "Potty, Laney?" and of course, I'd echo it back to her (they don't call me a mockingbird for nothing) so then they'd whisk me off to the potty. I'd do my thing, they'd cheer and clap and I'd get some major attention. All for doing that?

Well, things were fine if they'd remind me, but I'm a kid and playing is my job. So I'd be hard at work and forget to mention that I might need to go. That made Mama and Baba frown, but we'd try it again later. I did try to get their attention sometimes though. I'd try to make eye contact and I'd do this thing that I learned in China. I'd drop my right hand down to my side and point at the ground. *shrugs* I'm not sure why they don't understand that motion here. Maybe I'm supposed to TELL them I have to potty. Who knows...they're teaching me so much I get confused sometimes! I'll get it soon!

These are my pretty toes after Mama painted them!

Other than that, we've been hanging out with Jiselle and Jessica in the mornings. I have a really good time there. It takes me a few minutes to warm up to the idea, but once I hear the other girls, I remember how much fun I had there the day before! Those girls are teaching me so much! Their Baba, Jerry, is pretty nice too. He fixes great mini-pancakes! I can't get enough!

Here I am at Chinese New Year in my red gown!

We went to the Chinese New Year party Abby was telling you about. We had a really good time. I ate lots of Chinese food, decorated a mouse cookie (because it's the year of the mouse/rat), practiced my chopstick skills, played with a hula hoop, and tried to hang out with the older girls. I wasn't afraid one bit! Abby had fun too.

We're practicing our chopstick skills on some Apple Jacks. It's harder than it looks!

Everyone kept saying, "Ohhh, the twins!" But I don't see the big deal. I mean, seriously, Abby gets on my nerves sometimes. Especially when she spots the microphone (thanks Lynn) that I wanted first, or takes my chair at our table. I'm trying to be nice though, so if I ever grab a toy she has, I give her something to replace it. See? I try!

Here I am trying to figure out what to give Abby so I can get my hands on that hula hoop!

Abby and I got to go to Mama's school last week too. We got to dress up in our red gowns again. Mama left the squeakers in our shoes too. That's always a hit! The preschool class was taking a trip to China! Now, I don't think it was a real trip, but they were learning a lot about China. They knew more than I did! They said "Happy New Year" in Chinese and counted to seven in Chinese! I just don't understand it here though. Mama and Baba are always trying to get us to speak English and here are some kids learning Chinese. So which is it???

Speaking of, well, speaking...Abby and I have been learning a lot. We are now telling Mama and Baba things without them saying it to us first. I just realized how when I say certain things, it will get me attention or what I wanted. Want to know some of my favorites? "Drink". Yeah, I use that one a lot. I'm one thirsty girl! I still use the sign with it just in case they aren't listening. I also say "cold" a lot because every time we go outside it is SO cold. I have stopped crying when Mama puts me down near the snow now. I know it isn't as scary as I thought it was. But if it's too cold, I still cry...loudly! I hate the cold!

I also use "Varoom" a lot when I'm looking at, watching, riding in, or playing with cars. I love cars. Actually, Abby and I both do. We love watching monster trucks with Baba. It's about the only show we'll sit still for. But I heard a loud varoom the other day and, boy did it scare me. Mama said he was just scraping the ice and snow to the side of the road, but he looked so close to me when I looked out the front window! Bet you can guess what I did...yep, cried. Mama loved on me though and I felt safe again. When he went by later, we all just waved and said "Bye-bye" and it was ok. (As long as I could see Mama, it was ok) Abby, well, she wasn't afraid of him though. She's a pretty brave sister.

Ok, well, I've talked long enough. I better go take my nap. I'm getting pretty sleepy. Please pray to Jesus that Abby and I feel better soon. Also please pray my Baba's throat stops hurting. I miss our play time!

One more thing, will you please pray for my China sisters and brothers that are really cold right now? Lots of snow (yuck) fell in China. More than they've had in a really long time. Places where kids stay to wait on their Mamas and Babas are in a lot of trouble. They can't get the heat to work and they're running out of supplies like food, safe drinking water, and coal. Those are my friends and I want them to be as warm as I am. I know they don't like the cold either.

There's a group called Half the Sky that works with nannies to help them take better care of us. They also do other things to help my China brothers and sisters. They're stepping in to help raise money for the necessary supplies for the hardest hit places. If you want to help our friends in China, please go to the website: http://www.halfthesky.com/

You can read about what they're doing, and then go to the bottom of the page. There's a project called Little Mouse Emergency Fund. Mama and Baba donated and so did some of their friends. If you can give a little something, it will definitely help our friends. They need to be healthy kids so that they can meet their Mamas and Babas!


Ok, I really have to go. Abby is already asleep. Thanks for reading!

A couple of seconds...

The girls in China with Kiera (above), the girls with Kiera yesterday (below)

Hello and thanks for stopping in to check up on us.

Things are going well. The girls have adjusted well to their baby sitter now that Rett has gone back to work part-time. The girls continue to learn more and more each day and jabber constantly, which is hilarious. They are putting their words and phrases together more and more in addition repeating everything you say.

We did celebrate a couple of seconds....our first second was the fact that we celebrated our second month with the girls. Time flies. We have been together just two months yet it feels like forever.

Another second was attending our second Chinese New Year Celebration presented by our local international adoption group. We almost did not go last year because we were childless and felt the wait was going to be forever...seeing all of the cute children could have been depressing. We enjoyed it last year AND EVEN MORE THIS YEAR!

It was great, a whole new group that had been waiting to see the girls. One thing that we thought was hilarious were some comments we overheard. Two different people came in saying "we have to see the twins, everywhere we go and people see our daughter, and they ask if we have seen the family with the twins." Well, everyone got to see the twins.

It was also a very enjoyable evening because we were able to see Lynn and Kiera from our travel group. They drove up from Cincy to the event with her daughter Kendall and her friend. Kiera is extremely cute and stole the show. Next year Chris and Sarah will have Jaxson home which will be fun!

Well, I will keep this short, it is getting late and tomorrow is Monday, I cannot wait to start another exciting work week :(

Thanks again for stopping by and enjoy the pictures.

Their many faces!

Trying to stay still after having their toes painted....(below)All the girls at Chinese New Year.

The girls trying new things at Chinese New Year...they loved the hula hoops.
They will climb on and into anything where their little bodies will fit, here they discover the laundry baskets.

As written by Abby

Here's another picture from the "mug shot" gallery. Did you know Mama and Baba have me say "please" so that I look like I'm smiling? They do...and I humor them!

Ok, so Mama says we need to do today's post. Things have been busy around here! Mama went back to work half-days. This makes her sad, but we think it's getting easier. Baba takes us to Jerry's house to play. We love playing with his girls Jiselle and Jessica! We have a great time! As soon as we get there, Laney has to have Baba carry her in, or she gets really upset. It doesn't matter to me if Baba takes me in, or if Jerry carries me. I just want to get upstairs and START PLAYING! That's why I point upstairs as soon as we're inside!

Mama or Baba picks us up around lunch time. We fall asleep in the car almost every day because we're SO tired from all of our playing! Being a kid is a tough job! But we perk up when we get home and can EAT! We have lunch as a family most of the time and then Mama puts us down for our "Nite nite". It's hard to settle down some days, but once we do, we sleep hard!

The afternoons are spent playing with Mama. We drive her crazy sometimes saying "Kyler," and "kitty, kitty" but we know we're cute. We're adding new words every day! I like to say, "OK!" and "Oh, maaan!" It makes Mama giggle every time!

Laney has been trying to use the potty more and more. It doesn't get me all excited. I don't even pay attention to them most of the time. I do notice, though, when Laney looks at Mama funny, because Mama jumps up and says, "Laney? Do you have to go potty?" like a hundred times and hurries her in there. They clap and cheer each time she goes! As if that is a big deal or something! I go too, when I'm on there! I don't see what the hype is about that!? Oh well, it gives me more time to play and full choice of the toys!

Here's another picture of me, just to remind you of how cute I am! I'm working hard on a Valentine's Day project for Baba! Shhhh, don't tell!

At night, when we go to bed. Mama (or Baba) will read us stories. Right now, we can't get enough of The Very Hungry Caterpillar! Did you know he gets a tummy ache? It's so sad! Laney and I both say, "Oh no!" when it gets to that part! It is ok in the end though. But I won't ruin the story for you. Oh, and Goodnight Moon is great too! There's a tiny mouse (or mow as we say it) on almost every page! We love it!

Mama told us that we're going to celebrate the Chinese New Year this weekend. She said we'll get together with other families that have kids from China and have a party! I'm not sure what she's so excited about, but I guess I'll tag along to make her happy!

Well, that's about it from me. I have some playing to do before Baba gets home. Because, let me tell you...the minute he gets home, I'm all about Baba. Don't get me wrong, Mama fixes a mean snack, but Baba....well, he's my Baba. I love him!

See, here we are playing in our ball pit! Isn't he the best? He even climbed in!


P.S. Laney says HI! and "I lub you!" (She forced me to type that!)

And Mama said I HAD to include a picture of her too! OH MAAAAN!

It never ends....I am having flashbacks!

The picture is Abby's mugshot.

I will explain. You see, the paperwork never ends. When we returned home it was recommended that we obtain Indiana birth certificates and register the adoption with the State of Indiana. We agreed that it was a good idea and hired an attorney to do this (since it was not something we could do our own). The director of our agency is an attorney and is taking care of this for us (and we appreciate it very much!!!).

Another issue was/is Social Security cards. We went to the Social Security Office on New Year's Eve, figuring that there would be very few people there. We were right. There was only one person waiting. We took the applications for Social Security cards and all of the required paperwork per the instructions (and per information from our agency). The lady behind the counter disagreed and said we needed Indiana birth certificates. I showed her in the directions where it said the paperwork we provided would suffice and she took it just to humor us and said she would be in touch if more was needed. Well, we received a call. She needed another form of identification for the girls. So I will move on to the next issue, which corresponds with this one....

Between applying for Social Security cards and receiving the call that more documentation was needed, we received the girls' Certificates of Citizenship. They are very official and came in a huge envelope. Inside it was another envelop that said "A message from the President of the United States" printed on it. Inside that envelope was a letter from George W. Bush congratulating each girl regarding their new status as a citizen (it was a form letter but who cares, it is official and cool), their official Certificate of Citizenship and an instruction sheet telling you what to do if a name is misspelled or if you change your name.

The good news is that the Certificate of Citizenship is a document that the Social Security Office can use to process everything for their SS cards! The bad news is that they misspelled Abby's middle name on the Certificate of Citizenship. So, here we go again MORE STINKING PAPERWORK!!!!!!!!!! For the record, her middle name is NOT LuLu. And for the record again, the CIS office is the same office that we had a hard time getting our I-171h form from and the same office that forgot to forward it to China and which resulted in momentary heart failure while we were in China (read previous posts) when the mistake was discovered. (Sidenote - I have a theory why there are so many illegal aliens...if we have this much trouble, I cannot image what they must go through in order to become legal citizens...)

To correct the Citizenship and Immigration Service's (CIS) mistake, we had to do the following....send copies of the paperwork they already have (which they looked at and still spelled her name wrong originally), a two page application telling them what THEY did wrong, two color photos closeup with white background (thus the mug shot at the top of the post and I have a hunch will not work, I just have a gut feeling they will want passport photos even though it did not say that) AND a written explanation from us telling them what they did wrong. We are being punished because of their mistake...I love government. But they were nice enough to say on the application that the $380 fee would be waived if it is their mistake, how sweet.

SO, I went back to the Social Security Office today. This time I waited 45 minutes in order to stand at the counter for 1 minute for them to copy Laney's Certificate of Citizenship. After that I went to the post office and mailed all of the paperwork to the CIS to correct Abby's Certificate so I can give it to the Social Security Office so we can get a Social Security number.

And I almost forgot...just to add salt to the wound, our friend Lynn, who was in our China travel group, used a different Social Security Office. She simply used her daughter's Visa and Adoption Registration form from China (all things we provided to our Social Security Office) and was able to get a Social Security card. Something is wrong with this pictutre, but I will stop rambling, can you tell all of this just bugs the snot out of me? I just keep repeating I love government, I love government, I love government....

You may ask why we are so concerned about the Social Security numbers...well, as you are aware, they are needed frequently now days to function in our society and Social Security numbers equal other things that occur on or before April 15th.

So, here we are again, we wait, praying that the stars align so that all of this is resolved. But during this wait, we have two wonderful little girls to keep us company to make us forget about all of the stupidity and bureaucracy.

Thanks for checking in...tune in for more interesting posts from Rett in the near future. Oh, and here are some pics.

Fun with the diaper box!

Kyler, our other daughter, modeling one of the girls' birthday tiaras.

Lunchtime, ravioli and beets, YUM?!!! (below)

Ahhh, the life (long post)

Ok, we've had a bit of a rough week. Poor Laney has been dealing with congestion due to the lovely Indiana weather, I'm sure. Anyway, after noticing some other symptoms, I went ahead and gave her a dose of some medicine. Well, we found out just a few hours later, that she IS truly my daughter. She broke out in hives. I knew that's what they were the minute I saw them. My heart ached for her. First, I know how uncomfortable hives can make you. I was also so sad because I was the one that gave her the medicine! I wanted to make her feel BETTER not WORSE!!!

Well, the hives didn't end up slowing her down one little bit. She never once scratched them or whined. I actually think they gave her a boost of energy! She was a new super hero....HIVE GIRL! She could leap through the air in a single bound! She could fly off the couch with NO tears! She could run hysterically down the hall and erupt into mad giggles. So, no, I didn't really end up making her feel worse.

That was two days ago, and the hives are all gone today! Yay! Both girls are still a little congested, but it doesn't affect them much.

With all this going on, I do have to share a delish mommy moment. I was putting clothes away in their bedroom on Tuesday. We had the music cranked to a great Christian station and the girls started boppin' all around. So, I did what every Mama should do...I put those clothes down and danced like mad with them! We giggled and twirled and snapped our fingers (ok, I snapped, but the girls gave it a valiant effort) and acted like total goofballs in the middle of the day.

After our crazy dance episode, a beautiful slow song about living life to the fullest came on. I scooped both girls up (no easy feat) and we slow danced together under their chandelier. As we danced, I cried (yep, still emotional). This was one of those moments I had lived two years for. I am fortunate enough to come from a family that loves to dance. I remember many times where my mom, dad, and I would be in the kitchen dancing to whatever song came on the radio. We'd dance the Jitterbug, the Charleston, and other dances with names I will never know. My mom and dad would dance together, and then one of them would pull me in and we'd all dance together. Or, my dad would twirl me around and show me how not be so bossy and let the guy lead!

Well, all of those memories came rushing back and I just danced with my daughters and cried. It was a surreal moment. They laid their heads on my shoulders and let me just flow and turn with the music. Even six months ago, I could have never imagined a more perfect moment in time. It's one I'll never ever forget. Somehow those moments wrapped up years of memories, family ties, and emotions that spanned both the US and China. And it was beautiful.


So that has been my week. Exactly one week from today, I start back to work part-time. It's going to be hard. Even during those evenings when I'm flat exhausted, and Tony's tired, and the girls want to do nothing but whine, I don't want to trade it. I have truly LOVED my time at home with the girls. I've been able to be selfish and just soak up every little goofy, fun, and endearing thing they do. (Like when Laney picks up her pretend cell phone and says, "Yellow" for hello. And when Abby scrunches up her nose and says, "UP" about 100 times a day because she wants to feel safe in your arms) I know it will be fine once we get into a routine, but I'm just not ready to go back. Stay tuned to see my emotional trek back into the workplace.


The pictures, are, well, just because I know you'll want Tony to post from now on if I didn't include them.


-----------------------------
"Aww...Kyler...good girl" (This is what the girls say EVERY time they see her)



This is actually Abby, not Laney, saying "Hello!"



Here, Laney fell asleep standing up in her crib. TOO funny!



Bath time is WAY fun now! Too much fun sometimes....they even get in trouble now!

Happy Birthday!!!

Last night we celebrated the girls 2nd birthday, their first in the USA. As a result, we combinded traditions from China and the US into this small party.

The girls have been blessed with a wonderful extended family and friends. As a result, they received numerous gifts for Christmas. With their birthday just a week after Christmas, we told everyone no gifts for this small party. The reason we call this a small party is because we only invited our parents, Tony's Grandmother and brothers/sisters. We went to one of our favorite eating establishments, Joe's Pizza, for their small party.

As you will see in the pictures, the party had no "theme". The girls have not connected with a favorite cartoon character or etc... They do like watching monster trucks and like our dog and cat. As a result, the cake had monster trucks, the plates/napkins had dogs on them and the balloons had cats on them, all things they easily recognize.

Other than the extreme cold outside, it was fun inside. The girls had a great time. We made them individual cakes (a US first birthday tradition). Since the girls don't like having their hands dirty, it took a little encouragement for them to dig in. After eating cake, Tony's grandmother gave the girls jade that we purchased in China. It is tradition in China for the oldest family member to give jade to the child after 100 days, 1 year or 16 years of age. Since this was their first US birthday, they received their jade this year. It was a fun birthday party. We may try to have a 2 1/2 year party later in the year for everyone.

The girls continue to do extremely well. The are VERY active, are learning more and more every day. We still get questions amost daily regarding their ability to communicate with us. Rest assured, they know more english then some adult Americans...well that is an exaggeration, but they are SMART little girls and are adapting just fine. We crack-up laughing at their new faces, attitudes, gestures and etc. every day. They are so darn cute.

Enjoy the pictures (can you tell who wrote this post?). We'll try to keep updates coming on a more regular basis. Have a good day and a Happy New Year!

They love black olives!

Hangin' out before the party....

A season of wonder...

Hanging out in the NEW double stroller!!!! (See my new boo-boo?)

My first wonder (see title) is...I wonder if anyone is still checking our blog?

Ok, ok, on to the good stuff. Warning though, this could be long!

It has been quite some time since I (Rett) posted much on our blog. Tony has been the king of all things techie since we left for China and I have gleefully let him! I have, however, been missing my outlet for emotion, and thought I'd give the blog a whirl once again. We LOVED the comments you left on our other site though! And we'll be doing a couple of additional updates so check back there in about a month.

So, we've been a family of four for just over a month now. Wow. A month. Amazing. I honestly mean it when I say that it feels like the girls have always been with us.

I am a mom. Yep, a mom. Unreal. People have asked all sorts of questions since we've become parents and one of those is, "Does it feel any different now that you're a mom?" And you know, I'm not sure. I mean, nothing, and I DO mean nothing melts my heart more than to hear one of the girls yell, "Mama!" and actually INTEND to get my attention. I absolutely love that. I love it just as much to hear them wander through the house singing "Mama, maaaamaa" or "Baba...babbababba". It makes my heart smile. (Right mom?) And I know, someone out there is chomping at the bit to leave a comment saying how we'll be annoyed one day soon when it's a constant stream of Mama's or Baba's, but for now, there's no sweeter sound!

I guess it does feel different now that I'm recalling some events of the past month. The first time I heard the girls giggle with delight while running down the hall cause "Mama's gonna get you" was just great. The first time I had to use my mommy voice and say, "SIT DOWN in the tub or you'll fall!" I felt like a mom. When little LaLa (Abby) was all excited and playing outside and had her first big fall over the wagon handle, I felt like a mom. My stomach was in my throat as I picked her up to see the goose egg that was appearing over her beautiful right eye. My protective gene kicked in and I wanted to rescue her. (She's fine, by the way...singing mere minutes later). So yeah, I felt like a mom then.

I feel pride like mommy's worldwide do, when they learn something new. When I see them reenact something I just did, or say something they heard us say, my heart swells. When they can point at a shape and say, "Circle" yep, I'm proud. And when they show tenderness to one another by giving a random kiss to sister. Or when they're changing clothes and reach over to tickle their sister's tummy, just to get giggles. Mommy emotion fills up.

When the girls launch into their favorite part of Itsy Bitsy Spider (Out comes the sun) on their own, or combo that with their ABC's...wow, I'm in love all over again. They just make us laugh so much!

Church has been great too. Our church family has been so supportive. They ohh and ahh over the girls as much as we do! And I'll tell you, there's nothing more wonderful than holding your child while worshipping God. I looked into LaLa's eyes this past Saturday night as we were singing, and her eyes conveyed such peace....trust...comfort. And MeiMei was relaxed in Tony's arms, taking in the music and all that God is. God is so good.

Now don't get me wrong, it's not all ladybugs and sunshine. I have experienced all the other mommy emotions too. When it's 4:00 A.M. and Tony and/or I have been up three times already because MeiMei (Laney) is crying out again, I feel lots of emotions. I'm tired, grumpy, irritable, sad for her, and groggy. When we've told one or the other to share, not take their sister's toys, or be nice for the 600th time, yep, I feel like a mom. When I have to put someone in time out for pulling hair or NOT being nice, I feel exasperated and worrisome that they'll never learn.

So, yeah, I guess I do feel like a mommy now. I'll be honest, at first, I didn't. I felt like I was playing mommy, you know? Kind of like you do when you're first married. Going through the motions of being a wife...cooking, cleaning, etc. It isn't until your first big decision or the first time you sign your married name that you feel like a wife. I didn't feel mommy-ish for a while. I loved the girls even then, but we hadn't 100% bonded yet. But we're there now.

Speaking of bonding...it has gone well. We appreciate everyone being so conscientious about it. It's so hard on our end. We know everyone has waited just as long as we have for these wonderful girls, and they just draw you to them. But, we've had a couple of times where the girls would be with someone and when we're trying to get them back, they shake their heads no. I know to many of you, that sounds very normal..and it is..somewhat. But we've read, counseled, and experienced attachment and bonding and we know when it's time to pull back. That's why we appreciate it that many of you have purposefully not reached for them. If anything it just reassures us (we're the ones stressing, not them!). But soon, we'll all settle in. Like my mom reminded me...we've only been home a month. It's ok to still have new parent worries and jitters. We're still solidifying as a family. Thanks mom!

Christmas helped us feel like parents too. Although the girls didn't quite understand everything, it was fun for us to start some of our traditions. We toured a local park that is filled with lights and Christmas decorations. We shopped. We saw Santa (from a distance---no chance they'd sit on his lap). They had their first candy canes (thanks Congressman Pence). And we totally felt like parents when we put them in their new Christmas Eve pj's, put them to bed, and then spent the next two hours assembling many, many toys. Their kitchen set was a HIT! Thanks aunt Robin! Tony and I giggled and laughed while A Christmas Story played in the background. It was such fun. And I think I actually woke up before the girls because we wanted to have the lights on, and cameras ready for their very first Christmas morning with us. It was such a good day. Those are the days we dreamed about. But we never dreamed it would be as good as it was though.

As the days have passed, we've enjoyed some lazy days as a family too. The busyness of the holiday season has been fun, but the days where we trap ourselves in the basement have been equally as fun. I have a great life.

Reality is coming soon, though. I start back to work Jan. 17, and I'm in full-on denial. Spending all day with the girls can wear me out, but it's the best "exhaustion" I've ever felt. I cannot stand for one second thinking about someone else teaching them the things we should be. So I am not thinking about it. At least not for another week or two. Yep, denial. So if anyone has a home-based business idea that would allow me to work for two hours a day (during nap time) and make the same pay I do now (ok, I could take a slight pay cut) then send your ideas my way.

We celebrate the girls' 2nd birthday this Wednesday. We missed their first birthday, but trust me, they were loved even then. We didn't even know there were two little ones in our future last January, but God took our prayers for little Abby and multiplied them times two. He knew we were praying for them both. Thank goodness He knows the ending of all of our stories! We can rest in that knowledge!

So Tony and I picked out their first (2nd) birthday cake today. Since they haven't attached to any character or theme yet, we went with Monster Trucks. It's the ONE thing they watch on TV and they'll be able to totally identify it. Yes, Tony was thrilled! Mickey Mouse and Pooh, would ring NO bells with them. Besides, from here on out, they'll have their own opinions and need two cakes to satisfy their wishes. We'll post pics of their intimate birthday party later this week. We're going to do a mid-summer party w/ all of our friends and family and their kiddos once things have calmed down some. So, for now, it'll be a small get-together filled with lots of love!

I couldn't end this post without a few pictures, so Tony's going to attach some. Thanks for being such a great support. God is good...all the time...and all the time...God is good.

Aren't they adorable!!! (even without their hair done yet)

Christmas PJ's.

Had to have the new boots on immediately Christmas morning!

Christmas outfit...fashionistas!

Yes, Life IS Good!

Well, this is it, my friends...

It all comes down to this. Our parents will be here in one hour and 40 minutes. That will bring us to Indiana time: 4:00 a.m. Yep, you read that right. 1. we're leaving at 4:00 a.m. for a 7:00 a.m. flight, and 2. We're up at 2:21 a.m. typing this. Right now, Tony is on a last minute run to Walmart! UUGH. It turns out that you should NEVER wait until midnight, the night before you're leaving on the trip of a lifetime, to check the new memory card you bought for your camera. It turned out one of our luggage locks didn't work either! QUALITY!

So we're as packed as we're going to be, (thanks Jennifer!) and organized as much as a teacher and department head think is necessary. (Which is pretty organized in my opinion) We have our moolah separated into snack sized baggies and labeled (compliments of Tony) and tucked safely in the proper money belts (thanks Brian and Nancy). We have our carry-ons sufficiently stuffed to the point that we WILL be prepared to carry two 22 pound girls by the time we get to China as long as they straddle our backs and cling around our necks at all times. All that's left to do is put the computer in one carry-on, wait on Tony to get back, take showers, force contacts back in swollen puffy eyes (nope, I wasn't crying at all tonight, yeah right!), lug luggage back UP the stairs, change sweeper bag (we don't Beth to GAG at the overstuffed old one), and um, chill. Right. Relax. Sure. What do you think...think we can get that done in the next hour and thirty minutes? SURE!

If you've been following along, we will NOT be posting to this blog from China. You can click the following link and hop over to our new site for our journey. It is: www.myadoptionwebsite.com/laneyandabby

Check out the other stories on the website too...they're emotional, uplifting, and addicting! Thanks to Joe and Jen who host this website. It makes it easy for families to share their joy across thousands of miles! Be sure to sign the guestbook on our site...you'll be the ONE connection we'll have to home!

Thank you to everyone who has read, commented, and supported this blog along the way! We'll return to this blog once we've been home a while. We also will post updates on the other website too.

Thanks also for being WONDERFUL friends and family. We have been blessed a thousand times over. You guys are the best...great, here come the tears. Ok, so I'll end with this:

Price of one piece of luggage we purchased, but ditched at the last minute: $40.00
Price of one purchased, returned, and newly purchased SD memory card for camera: $25.00
Price of trendy, but comfy, travel outfit: $30.00

Meeting our twin daughters and becoming parents: Priceless

We love you!

God is GOOD, all the time, and all the time, God is GOOD!

Fortune cookies are GOOD!

We had a wonderful baby shower a few weeks ago (actually 4 wonderful showers) and at our family/church family one, we had fortune cookies. I shouldn't admit this, but I ate THREE cookies and I just had to share what the fortunes said. I nearly died.

Cookie #1--"You are going to have a new love affair" I thought, ok, weird.

Cookie #2--"You are going to have a new love affair" This time I grinned. Because, yes, I am...with TWO little girls...funny that I got TWO of these messages.

Cookie #3--"A thrilling time is in your immediate future" At this point I just laughed out loud and thought, yep, I need to post this.

Wild huh?

Date night

Goodness...we only have 3 full days left until we head out to China...holy cow..and the next few days are going to be nuts! Here's the run down...

Sunday (we meet the girls one week from today!)---Rett gets nails done (Thanks Renee), Tony has church meeting, and Jennifer (Queen packer) helps us get things organized and packed neatly!

Monday (one week from this day is "Adoption Day" in China's eyes)---Rett has her last day of work and meets with the substitute teacher that will be filling in for her while she's gone. Tony is off due to Veteran's Day, but is going to go in and finish up some tasks. He has a haircut scheduled for 12. That evening, we finish packing everything else and finish filling our carry-ons.

Tuesday--At 10:00 we have to get our second round of Hep. B shots. (Nothing like waiting until the last minute) We also have to to go to our credit union to get the remaining money for the trip. (Thanks Jason!) Then we snuggle and enjoy our last night at home as a couple!

Wednesday morning, we have to be at the airport at 7:00 am. We'll leave our home as a couple, and return as a family. WOW. God is amazing!

As for this post...tonight we had an official "date night". We had a nice dinner, did some light shopping, and ended the evening with Starbucks! It was fun though, just cruising together and chatting up a storm. After all the stress, cleaning, and paperwork we've experienced lately, it was a nice way to spend our last child-free weekend.

Stay tuned for our switch over to the new travel website.

We're coming baby girls!

Pregnancy Cravings

So as the time draws near for us to leave, we have been noticing the signs of labor. As we talked about in earlier posts, I have been an emotional wreck! I am giddy one minute, and bawling the next!

Well, another clue that we're in the final stages of the "pregnancy" occurred last night...except they weren't MY labor pains, they were TONY'S! He was experiencing pregnancy cravings! At about 7:00 last night, he said he would continue to clean the bathrooms and such if I would go to the grocery and pick up the ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies. He wanted them from scratch. It was too cute for me to resist. I ran and picked the items up and came back and baked away. About 9:30 as the last batch came out of the oven, we sat down and enjoyed a couple of warm cookies and cold milk. It was fun.

So the end (or beginning) is definitely drawing near. The contractions are getting stronger as the years melt into months, into weeks, into days away from meeting the girls...our daughters.

We just have one question tonight. Where's that epidural everyone raves about?

On a side note, we were connected with someone who is from Taiwan and who was willing to sit down and chat with us. He gave us some cultural tips and some pronunciation help with the girls' names and locations. He also helped give us a few key phrases we might need to use, like "It's bedtime" and "Please don't cry" and "Are you hungry?". It was really nice for him to take the time to sit down with us and he seemed just as excited to talk with us. He even said once we got home he'd be happy to help in whatever way he could. Maybe if the girls are getting frustrated with us because we cannot understand something they're trying to convey, he can translate for us! Either way, we really appreciate his time. He helped settle our nerves and got us excited all over again!

OK, so quick count down...
5 full days until we leave
2 more days of work for us
10 days until we meet the girls


God is good...all the time...

!!!!! I171H !!!!!

YES, we received our I171H. If you have been following along, we have been stressing over a CIS fingerpring appointment and the document (I171H) that follows. This is needed to complete the adoption in China.

Thankfully, with the help of FTIA (Thanks Maury) and our Congressman's Office (Vote for Mike Pence!!) we had our fingerprint appointment expedited. We were fingerprinted last Friday and we recieved the I171H today!!!

For those of you following our blog in the adoption realm, you probably realize how significant this is... This is the last piece of the puzzle needed to travel!

In addition, today we received the Travel Approval documents with the earliest photos of our girls on these documents. Aren't they cute. Can you tell who is who?

Thanks for stopping by!!

16 days and counting

Yeah, wow, 16 days. That's it. Only 16 days until we leave on the trip of a lifetime. Not just an ordinary trip, but one that will change our lives forever. Sightseeing will be involved. Souvenirs will be purchased. And we will become parents.

For those of you keeping score, it's Us=1, Immigration Services=1. They were late late late in issuing our fingerprint renewal appointment. It wasn't scheduled until Nov. 9. However, once we received our Consulate Appointment (in China) we were able to go in early. Congressman Pence's office has been SO helpful and Tony has been working like a dog to get us in early. We were both off this last Friday (fall break/vacation day) so we went in and finally got re-fingerprinted. It was pretty uneventful. Now, though, let's see what happens with the score because we need that clearance SOON! Thankfully, the Congressman's office said they're prepared to step in again! YAY! Vote for Mike Pence! (when he's up for reelection, hehe)

While waiting to get fingerprinted, we were sitting in this very bland office with just a few individuals. We noticed this well-dressed man sitting in front of us with what looked like his child and a nanny. Since most people there are either adoptive parents or people seeking citizenship, this family stood out. Just a few minutes later two women came out of one of the bland doors and the gentleman in front of us stood up. One of the women looked to be in her late 40's early 50's and spoke with a thick accent. The elderly woman on her arm was crying. She appeared to be in her late 60's early 70's. She fit the stereotype of an immigrant. She was frail with dark eyes and a scarf over her head. She was wearing a longer winter coat, and spoke broken English.

Please note, we weren't staring or eavesdropping. This was simply happening two feet away from our faces.

Once the women entered the room, the gentleman started saying, "Congratulations! Congratulations!" All the while, the younger woman (presumably the daughter) said, "Thank you!!!" He then spoke to the older woman and said, "Let me know as soon as you get the appointment to take your oath. Then I can get the paperwork started for your Social Security Card!" (So, he was her lawyer I'm guessing). Anyway, the entire time this exchange is happening, the older woman is crying tears of joy. After some hugging and such, they moved out into the hallway and down the elevators. This is when I started crying.

Now, mind you, I cry about 5 times a day these days. A fellow adoptive mother and friend of ours Nancy said that she experienced these same "pregnancy hormones". I wouldn't have believed her if I didn't experience it myself.

So, I'm there, crying...no, bawling. And Tony says, "Rett, you're going to have to get it together before we go to China. I can't handle both girls AND you!" Well, that didn't help. I continued to cry and after a few minutes I was able to explain my emotion. I just thought it was simply beautiful that this elderly woman was so joyful to become a US Citizen. How often do we take our citizenship for granted? We are merely the lucky ones to be born into citizenship.

Our daughters, will become citizens upon landing on US soil. I know that I will cry then too. What a gift. Citizenship. Something we rarely think about unless we're discussing how many illegal immigrants there are. Which, after using the CIS website and maneuvering their offices and paperwork, it's amazing anyone can follow the proceedings. Regardless, this woman had waded through the murky waters of citizenship and was rejoicing with her family in that bleak waiting room on a Friday in Indy. Amazing. God is SO good.

Ok, sorry for the deep thoughts. Poor Tony. He doesn't know which Rett he's going to talk to from minute to minute. The fun and chatty Rett. The organization-minded Rett. The freaking-out-that-we're-going-to-be-parents Rett. The reflective Rett. The sobbing Rett. The packing-list Rett. Goodness, I wonder if it will get any better?

So for the week ahead...we're waiting on fingerprint clearance and our in-China travel itinerary. Once we get it, I will post it on here or on the other website. For now, we know we're leaving out on Nov. 14 at 7:00 a.m. We know we're coming home Nov. 28 at like 6:40. We do know a few other details, but we'll share all of that when we get the full itinerary. We also can't wait to find out what day we'll actually meet the girls!!!! Either way, knowing you have seat assignments on a flight going to Beijing makes this all the more real. We're going to China!!!!!!!!!!!

Stay tuned, it's about to get good!

Patience is the ability to count down before you blast off - Quote from inside a fortune cookie.

We will be blasting off soon, to a galaxy far far away, well, a country far far away...and we are two very lucky people.

We have excellent co-workers, friends and family. Combined, we have had four baby showers for the girls. We have almost everything we need. We still have to pick up another car seat and few other items for home and travel. But no complaints!!!!! Without all of the wonderful and thoughtful gifts, our home would not be prepared for two little girls (which if you are keeping track, we travel to get them in 24 days if all goes well...)

A week ago both of our places of employment held showers for us that were overwhelming. This weekend we had two more overwhelming showers, one put on by Mindy, Sarah and Allyson and another one put on by Mom, Rett's Mom, Renee & Robin.

Since this is a "Tony post", here are the pictures....

Pumpkins carved with the images of our daughter's (arranged by Mindy)

Photos of the food at Sunday's shower.

Hanging out....

The gifts... Hanging out...

The wagon loaded up ready for the trip home....

I had more photos but Blogger is not cooperating right now.

We cannot say thank you enough to everyone. This has truly been a great couple of weeks and we appreciate it very much. Thanks again to everyone.

WE'RE GOING TO CHINA!!!!

Well, we received Travel Approval today. We leave November 14th. We will be there two weeks. GREAT NEWS!!!!!

Please continue to pray that our I171h process moves quickly. I won't go into details, but the US CIS is the last hurdle we must jump before leaving.

Now the stress REALLY SETS IN!!!!!! Work arrangements, final house preparation, packing, final gifts for China, I171h, last minute things we still need (another car set for example) and more!!!!! I am not sure how we are going to be able to focus the next four weeks.

We have a professionally prepared website for everyone to review when we travel. It will be updated daily when we are in China. We will post the link here prior to our departure....stay tuned.

I wonder...

Ok, so I know there are more pressing topics to discuss (nope, no fingerprint appointments or travel approval) but a curious thought struck me the other day...

I wonder if our girls have innies or outies?????

Hehe, ponder that one. :)

I can't wait to meet them!!!!

Keep praying!!!!

Changes, Membership, Lists, and Showers

It's me again...Tony's working on other twinny-type stuff. I thought I'd pop in and tell you what our world has been like recently. Be forewarned...I'm brutally honest in this post!

Changes
Our world is changing more and more by the day. I knew that life was going to do a 180 but I have been really feeling it the past few days. I feel such pressure to enjoy every single minute with Tony. I'm feeling it so much that it's almost a sadness now. NOT that I want to change one thing, NOT that I want to back out...just a sadness that the relationship I have with my best friend is about to change. It will grow and be great in an entirely different way, and it will be wonderful...but it will change. And ask Tony, ask my mom, Rett does NOT do well with change. Even if it is a change that I asked for...one I truly want. It's just the selfish part of me that wants to keep Tony to myself. Pathetic huh? I warned you that I was going to be honest in this post!

Membership
Although I do not have all rights and privileges of this exclusive club called motherhood, I now know the secret handshake. Hehe. Ok, what I really mean is that last night I attended my first ever MOPS meeting. This is the Mothers Of Preschoolers meeting that is held at our church once a month. There really wasn't a handshake or secret phrase or anything, but I sure felt like I was initiated into the motherhood clique. Actually, we had a lot of fun. We ate, we had arts and crafts time, (YEP, for adults! It was great!) watched a short video, had a discussion group, and prayed. It felt surreal. I was sitting around a table of mothers. Everyone at our table had a child or children. One was expecting her second child. One has two beautiful little girls and is adopting my future son-in-law. Then, there was me. I was welcomed into this group of women with open arms and many oohs and ahhhs over our twins. I got the "Oh your life is going to change..." comments and lots of compliments on how cute our girls were. Throughout the night I received advice, comments, and questions. Did I have fun? YES! Will I go back? YES!!! Do I feel like a mommy yet??? NOPE. I haven't been thrown up on yet, so I don't deserve my mommy membership card quite yet. Soon though. It was interesting being on the outside looking in. At least I felt like I was. I wonder what it will feel like once we're home. Again, soon, I will.

Lists
Our life now consists of lists. Everywhere I turn I have a list. At school, I have lists of things to explain to the sub, lists of conferences I need to schedule, and lists of thank yous I need to do. At home, we have lists coming out the wazoo. A sneak peek of our lists would show you the following: things to purchase, things to organize, things to paint, things to store up out of toddler grasp, things to pack, things to ask our coordinator, things to email, things to copy to take with us, things to scrapbook...blah blah blah, the lists go on. But that leads to another list...

Fortunately, most of you have been MORE than forgiving if I have forgotten your birthdays (SORRY Beth and Emilie) or just been overall unfocused and selfish. There are some doozy life events happening in our lives and in the lives of our friends and families, and please know that even if I'm not asking daily about you and your situations, you are certainly on my heart and on my PRAYER LIST! We love you so much and thank you so very very much for making this such a fun and special time in our lives. You will never know how much you mean to us. And if you're reading this, then, yes, it's you I'm speaking about. Even if you've just emailed with encouraging words or packing ideas and we've never met. You're the best. I promise to return the favor to future adoptive families.

Showers
We have our FIRST of FOUR toddler showers tomorrow! Two of my bestest friends ever at work are throwing us a shower. They are SO sweet and we are thrilled for the FUN to finally begin! I'll update you with all the goodies we get! The second shower is on Friday hosted by Tony's workmates! Everyone is so giving!!!

Ok, well, I've covered four main areas that are consuming our lives right now. You all have been so great, but please continue to pray. We may travel as soon as Nov. 3, but that is ONLY if the Indy Citizenship and Immigration Services issues us a fingerprint appointment and clears us soon enough. At this point, we have nothing, and I'm relying on God to continue to orchestrate it all.

Also, please pray for my family...and all the current changes, and the changes yet to be. I love them so intensely.

Finally, please pray for friends of ours and their recent loss. Pray that they feel God's peace, even without true understanding.

Thanks for tuning in. Tony's next post will be more lighthearted and of course, include pictures!

GOD IS GOOD...ALL THE TIME!

While we wait (some more), Update

Hello. Thanks for stopping by to see what is happening. Above you will find the latest photo of our girls that our agency was able to send us. Aren't they the cutest!!!??? Although they look sad, we still love this photo of them. We plan to make them happy soon!

We hope to bring them home soon!!! We could potentially travel as early as the first of November. Please pray that we can get our I171h form (and the fingerprint appointment and actually fingerprints that precede the form) SOON! This is a document we need from the US giving us permission to adopt two children (vs. one we were previously approved for). It seems when we get good news, there is always another issue out there to stress us out. This week's stress is caused by the US Citizenship and Immigration Service. I know, they have a lot on their plate and we need to be patient (BUT WE ARE SO CLOSE). We have been on a roll recently with good news and rapid approvals. We wish this one would be similar.

We know it will all come together, it just gets stressful sometimes (this week).

We have many great friends, family members and co-workers. They have planned baby showers on our behalf and we are grateful to everyone in advance. We will keep you posted on the goodies we receive for the girls.

We continue to meet new people (Rett spoke to a very nice lady from Australia that met our girls this summer), get advice from friends that have traveled to China recently for their adoptions and we are enjoying every minute. In fact tonight we received a recommendation from Jeff Foster's (Indiana Pacer) nanny on a good double stroller (the one she uses to take care of his twins). Pretty cool stuff.

Thanks again for stopping in to check up on us. Please post if you have any words of wisdom or just to say hello. We like to know who is checking us out.

Have a good day.