Here is the picture to look for on Rosie's blog!!!

China Doll!!!!! Isn't she Beautiful??!!!!

Hi Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Photos to be back soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Photographer requested they have a watermark.

Yes, Yes, it's been awhile!!!! I forgot how it was having a toddler. Whewwwwwwwwwww I'm tired!!!! She keeps me on my toes. I work pretty much full time now and Adriana loves day care, she has learned so much. Not the shy little girl that we brought back from China. She still has her shy mommy only moments but for the most part it's Hi to everyone.

We repeat everything,or at least try. Still we can hardly understand her unless you told her what to say. Hi, Momma, Papa, Meow, Ah Oh, Boo Boo(Scott) Sissy(Brandi) are what she says most. She has said No!! before.

I will try to post more often It's only been since Halloween!!!! So now that warm weather is here I should have some fun pictures to post. Here are some so far. I hope these come in right, If not I guess you will see the pics before you read the post.

PLEASE DONOT COPY OR PRINT ANY OF THE PHOTOS THEY ARE COPYRIGHTED!!! The photographer is Rosie Siebenthal, she is AWESOME!!!!!!

That reminds me Adriana will be on here blog for a little beauty contest, go there and vote for or Little China Doll!!! http://sdgphotography.blogspot.com tell everyone you know so Adriana can be a model for a day!!!

Til next time think warm weather thoughts, maybe it will stay nice out.

Halloween!!!!!!

Pumpkin Patch in Chicago

We caged the monkey

Our extended Family

Our Babies

Adriana has been making such good progress!!! She is truly a Momma's girl!!! Daycare is getting better for her, still cries when I leave but calms and plays in just a few minutes after I leave. The teachers really baby her.

We found out that Adriana will not need any further surgery on her lip or nose. They will look at it again when permanent start to come. Her heart is a different story. She will have open heart surgery in the spring. It all depends on how much weight she puts on in the next few months.

We had a lot of fun at the Lifelink fall get together. We also had a great visit with or extended families (our travel buddies). All the girls changed so much.

Adriana was a Monkey for Halloween, she didn't quite get the whole thing. She liked the decorations, but not smoke machines. One house we went to had the porched decorated so nice so I wanted a picture. I sat her on the step, took a step back, told Brent take the picture quick!!!! Then the smoke machine went off, and Adriana flipped out. She took a nose dive right off the step. Luckily the monkey hood came down over her face and cushioned the fall. She didn't even get a scratch. We were done after that.

Until next time Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nice Shades!!!!!

Get that camera out of my face!!!

Adriana & her Big Brother Scott

Just Precious

Mommy & Me



Sidewalk Chalking

Adriana is doing so much better. She is 19lb 1oz. Happy as she can be. Always on the go, keeping us all on our toes. The pictures above our from her friend Lauren's 3rd birthday party. Adriana had a blast. It was her first social event and she visited with everyone. She even let a couple of people hold her. She is still unsure about strangers, always checking to see were mommy and daddy are.

We have been home for a month now and she is amazing. We have been so blessed, our hearts are over flowing. This is better than any of us expected. Scott and Brandi adore her. Their friends just love her too. Every where we go people gather and ask endless questions.

Today was a disappointing day, we found out she will have open heart surgery sometime in the next year. She has a hole between the upper two chambers of her heart (a mur mur) it will not close on it's own and is common with the cleft lip. So surgery is the only option for her. Recovery will be 4 to 5 day's in the hospital, it's a common procedure and is really safe. At least that's what we were told. They will have to patch the hole because it's too big to stitch closed. I know God will be watching over her touching her with his healing hands. We will just worry about that in 6 months when we go for a follow up from today. Then after that surgery she'll have to have plastic surgery on her cleft gum, lip, and nostril.

She's come so far in the month that we've been home. When we first got her she could barely sit up on her own. Now she is starting to run! The only real issue we have is her eating. She won't eat on her own and she fights us most of the way through each feeding.

This is a little video of what we see when we are trying to feed her. We always try not to laugh, but it's just to cute. Eye Rolls, Peek-A-Boo, and Blowing Kisses Enjoy!!! We sure do.

Home At Last!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Love Bathtime!!!!!

First walk with MaMa & PaPa

I'm to tired to eat anymore PaPa!!!

It's Great to be home!!!!!!! China was interesting, but I'm an American Girl!! Everything was good with the trip, the best being of course our little angel. We only had one little hiccup during the trip and that's when we got home to Chicago to find out our flight to Peoria was cancelled. I really was in no big hurry to get on another plane. I got air sick 2 hours into the flight home and was throwing up the whole flight. Brent had Adriana the whole time. She only slept maybe a half hour. So Brent was really tired driving the rented van home from Chicago. We stopped a couple of times because Brent was falling a sleep. At that time he had been up 32 hours straight. It only took about 3 hours to get home. To all who was at the airport Sorry we missed you!!

Miss Adriana is beginning to walk already. We have only been home for a week and 3 days. She's catching up so fast. Now if we can only get her to eat. She will only eat Watermelon, rice, Cherrios, and Goldfish crackers. Sleeping is coming along really well. She sleeps in her own bed, waking up sometimes crying, but settles herself in just a few minutes. I think she is adjusting very well. We still are not letting anyone but us 4 hold her, because of me and her bonding issue. I think that is going to make strides this week with Brent and the kids back to their normal routine. We will be together by our selves for the next 2 or 3 weeks, then she starts the Daycare. That's going to be the true test for her. She's only going half days so she will be there only 4 hours a day, and somedays it will be less. Brent and I think this is the best place for her to be, it will help her socially and help her catch up to kids her own age. We believe if she hears people her size talking english she will imitate and pick it up faster.

We traveled with 2 other couples, Linda and Joel, Sherri and Curt. We all really hit it off. It was a total surprise to them that we were even there. They were never told there was a third family. Everything happened so fast I guess it slipped the minds of the people of the agency. We plan on getting our girls Adriana, Becca (Linda's and Joel's girl) and Rheann (Sherri and Curt's girl) together for Halloween. I hope for Christmas too, but I know how the holidays can get.

We want these girls to stay close, after all it really is the only Chinese family they have. It is a bond that should never be broke no matter how far away the leave from each other.

We tried to post the Gotcha video with no luck. Sorry!!! Still trying. Will post again soon.

Adriana's sizes

Hello All!!

For everyone that has emailed, Adriana is in 9 to 12 months clothes, size 2 diapers, size 3 or 4 in shoes.


See you all soon. Missy

Last post

Saturday the 1st. We took Adriana to her medical checkup. There were three sessions at the medical complex. At the first one they checked her weight, head size, height, and temperature. At the second one they checked her motor skills. And the third one they did a very quick physical. It went really smooth. Then we walked around in the shops by the hotel and a few blocks away. There were at least 200-250 down the street. It's kind of intimidating because of the amount of people and the stares but we made it. We made it to the rooftop pool. Adriana loved it in the pool.

Sunday the 2nd. We went back to the shops around the hotel and the ones a few blocks away for some more souvenirs. Brandi got a massage.

Monday the 3rd. We went to the Guangzhou Zoo for a couple of hours. It was not as good as we thought. Really kind of disturbing on how malnutritioned the animals were. Then we all four took a nap and then ate at the hotel. Had to walk over a huge rat in the road and around all the piss the shop keepers were throwing out into the road.

Tuesday the 4th. We walked around the pearl and jade marketplace and down what we call “Rooster Road” for some souvenir shopping. There must be at least 10,000 stores down the road and in the many many malls.

Wednesday the 5th. We have our last adoption appointment (the visa ceremony). Then more packing.

Thursday the 6th. We will leave back to Hong Kong by bullet train.

Friday the 7th. We finally leave for home. We are more than ready. It is a very different world that we are definitely not used to. Words can't describe what we've seen. It would have to be experienced to understand it. Just today when a group formed around us an older Chinese lady got mad and was yelling at one of the other adoptive mother that is with us because her baby had socks on. We kept together and kept our wits and moved along as quickly as we could. It's been that way a lot. Overall all three families feel like it's been much more of a depressing trip after seeing how things are over here and witnessing the way that over a billion people live. One is very very fortunate to be born in the states and have the opportunities that we have. We were thinking about brining Adriana back here to visit when she turns 16, but we'll have to see how things are at the time. It's not a vacation, it really is an eye opener.

We are scheduled to land in Peoria on Friday the 7th @ 5:36 PM Peoria time (flight number 5939). All are welcome at the airport. The more the better. However with bonding issues, we cannot pass Adriana around. So as long as we hold her everyone can visit her. But the bonding and trust (mostly with Adriana with Missy) is still an issue. But it will work itself out in time. We can't get around a bunch a stranger (to her) and pass her around. We are told not to let other people than us four hold her for a little while. Hope everyone understands but that is the way it has to be for Adriana. Thanks and we will see everyone back at home in a few more days.