The End
Or so it seems. Not the
end completely, but rather the end of Chapter 2 of our
journey, technically completed as we finished our first
year home with Cady. As is our tradition, it's time to
start a brand new chapter, and I have chosen to do it
just a bit differently this time.
No longer are we just on
the Cady Chase, though not a day goes by that we don't
end up running to, from, or for Cady. Now we start
working more as a full fledged family, with another on
the way. Our work continues for Melody, and we
certainly don't want anyone (there are some of you out
there yet, right?) to miss out on updates.
So now begins Chapter 3, Chasing Melody, on an all new
site. Feel free to visit To Sing, and to Dance
(or to make it easier
to remember, www.todanceandsing.com) as often as you
like. We even have new pictures up from Easter that
I have just gotten around to actually putting up.
As always, thanks for staying tuned.
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Ordered chaos
First, let me start off with a few pictures that are way overdue.
Cady had a sweet Easter. Scott held a stuffed bunny in the bay window, in the front yard, and knocked on the window as he crouched. Of course, Cady assumed it was the EB incarnate! She was so excited to see the Easter Bunny that, when he 'hopped' into the front yard bushes, she became a bit anxious and yelled out for him to come back. That soon turned to pure joy when we ventured outside to see that he had left her with Easter goodies. Candies, a few good books, and baby carrots (Hey, she likes them. Why ruin a good thing?)
We then ventured to our new home. It was a walk that took us only 6 doors down. We finally bought our first home, and it's 6 houses away from where we were before. This house was a God send, of that I'm sure. But it might as well have been 60 miles down the road. In fact, the move might have been easier on us.
With only 6 doors down, it's easy to fool oneself into believing that you always have time to pack. After all, you can just take the items in your car, or by foot in the kid's wagon, and eventually you'll get it all moved in. Well, let me emphesize the word eventually. Two moving days, fifteen car loads, two Uhaul truck trips, twenty-five + walking trips, one trip to the dump, four good friends and one son's help later and we are all moved in. Oh, and by the way......You probably should not assume that large black garbage bags are good for hauling items to save the expense of purchasing more boxes. You will NEVER find the one item that you know is in one of those bags when you need it the most.
We were going to move two weeks earlier, but came across a few snags. Have you ever lived out of boxes (and big black garbage bags) for two weeks? In any event, we are now in our new home, and it all worked out for the best. We got an excellent loan, and a very good price on the house.
The neighbors are all wonderful. We've met three of them already while we were unpacking. Oddly, around the corner, and six doors down, we only really knew one neighbor family and the lady across the street. Strange how on this street (just around the corner) people seem to be in a different neighborhood. Perhaps it's because the woman that used to live here seemed so well loved by them. Or perhaps it's just a different set of people around the corner. Whatever it is, we feel very blessed to be here and to be in our new home. And one that's finally ours.
Cady is now in dance classes at preschool. She thoroughly enjoys it. And although she is among the youngest in the class, she seems to follow along enough for the dance teacher to want her to perform with the older children.
Here's a preview of the routine they're working on for a recitle they'll perform on Saturday.
Break time?
This is bound to be an interesting (but damn cute) event.
It's official
03/27/07 13:30 |
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We are officially waiting
parents for our second daughter. We received a phone
call today from our agency that our documents were all
translated and authenticated, and were FedExd to China
yesterday, or in adoption terms, we are DTC (documents
to China) as of March 26th. That's Scott's mother's
birthday too.
The estimated wait time is longer than just a year ago when we received Cady. Our wait time to find out information about her was 9 months. Now the expected wait time is 18-24 months. It's a much longer wait than before. Some officials are stating that the longer wait times are due to promoting domestic adoptions within China. That leaves the rest of us waiting longer, but that's really of little concern, when you realize that it also means that more children are finding homes.
Some people think that the child you get is a random act. But I don't. I believe that we have a choice to have the child or not. But, when we decide to, the match is made by a much higher power than CCAA (the agency within China that matches children to families). I simply cannot imagine Cady being a child other than who she is. So, when Cady is four years old, her baby sister will probably be one year old. The wait time for us seems fine. It gives us some extra time to spend with Cady being the only child in the house.
Oh by the way, her sister's name is going to be Melody.
The estimated wait time is longer than just a year ago when we received Cady. Our wait time to find out information about her was 9 months. Now the expected wait time is 18-24 months. It's a much longer wait than before. Some officials are stating that the longer wait times are due to promoting domestic adoptions within China. That leaves the rest of us waiting longer, but that's really of little concern, when you realize that it also means that more children are finding homes.
Some people think that the child you get is a random act. But I don't. I believe that we have a choice to have the child or not. But, when we decide to, the match is made by a much higher power than CCAA (the agency within China that matches children to families). I simply cannot imagine Cady being a child other than who she is. So, when Cady is four years old, her baby sister will probably be one year old. The wait time for us seems fine. It gives us some extra time to spend with Cady being the only child in the house.
Oh by the way, her sister's name is going to be Melody.
Happy Gotcha Day, Cadence
So it's been quite some
time since our last update. Truth as it is, life
continues, and I don't think so many people want
everyday updates on how Karen took Cady to school, and
I picked her up. We continue, and sometimes the days
blend into another, and everything is peachy. We
reached our 1 year anniversary together this past week,
and we celebrated quietly at home with a couple of
gifts and some family time together.
Here's a compilation of the first 6 months that we've posted before, and below is the second 6 months that was just completed. It's amazing how much she's grown.
Here are clips of the past 6 months together, and most of the video included here is now showing for the first time. Music by Faye Wong.
Here's a compilation of the first 6 months that we've posted before, and below is the second 6 months that was just completed. It's amazing how much she's grown.
Here are clips of the past 6 months together, and most of the video included here is now showing for the first time. Music by Faye Wong.
What's in a name?
02/18/07 08:11 |
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EVERYTHING is in a name.
That's why it was so difficult to name daughter #2.
Cadence's name came to us so easily. If one can actually invoke a soul into their lives, I'm certain we did that with her. When we first met, we spent time creating a fictional world in writing. It was an enchanted place of faeries, a dryad, an elf, a dragon pup, and a child named Cadence. The setting for this fictional world was in a forest named Lyonsglade and in particular, a very ancient oak tree that the dryad called home. When our friendship evolved into a courtship, we inevitably set the writings aside for the making of our family.
The fictional characters became alive to us as we wrote about their adventures. When we decided to adopt a child, we already knew that we wanted to name her Cadence. And when we found out that her Chinese name is the same symbol used for a large tree, we were both astonished. It seemed so strange yet fitting that her Chinese name fit so well with the reason that we had chosen her American name.
It also seemed like a beautiful story to tell her as she gets older. How wonderful it would be to weave her life with ours as we tell her the story of our past and the meanings behind it. But it was also that much more difficult to decide on a name for her sister.
Cadence's name came to us so easily. If one can actually invoke a soul into their lives, I'm certain we did that with her. When we first met, we spent time creating a fictional world in writing. It was an enchanted place of faeries, a dryad, an elf, a dragon pup, and a child named Cadence. The setting for this fictional world was in a forest named Lyonsglade and in particular, a very ancient oak tree that the dryad called home. When our friendship evolved into a courtship, we inevitably set the writings aside for the making of our family.
The fictional characters became alive to us as we wrote about their adventures. When we decided to adopt a child, we already knew that we wanted to name her Cadence. And when we found out that her Chinese name is the same symbol used for a large tree, we were both astonished. It seemed so strange yet fitting that her Chinese name fit so well with the reason that we had chosen her American name.
It also seemed like a beautiful story to tell her as she gets older. How wonderful it would be to weave her life with ours as we tell her the story of our past and the meanings behind it. But it was also that much more difficult to decide on a name for her sister.
CNY
02/04/07 20:51 |
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We went to a Chinese New
Year celebration over the weekend, and I don't think
I've ever seen Cadence's eyes so wide with enchantment
before. She loved every second of the entertainment,
even the stuff that was not all that great. It was the
clapping, and the excitement, and the HUGE screens on
the walls that showed the live stage performances that
she loved so much. It probably could have been anything
and she would have been just as excited. But there were
a few performances that were very good. She also
enjoyed the beautiful Chinese clothes that she got to
wear to the event. She knew they were special, and even
though she's only two, she knew they were her Chinese
clothes, and seemed to understand that they were from
China. Our online friend Lissa has been able to enrich her
daughter's life so much by embracing all that she
can find out about her culture, and I hope that
we'll be able to do the same. I realize that this is
a mainstream attempt, but it's something. There was
a Chinese children's group that played Chinese
instruments to the tune of Mama Hao, a Chinese
nursery song that Cady's A-yi sang to her when we
visited the orphanage. She loves this song, as it
takes her back to the times when she was a baby, I
think.
The song really is soothing. Click on the link to hear the song, Mama Hao.
Mama Hao
Here are a few of my favorite pictures of Cady (and us) enjoying her first CNY celebration.
Getting
ready to go 
Walking
in to the event
Too excited to talk
Loving this event!
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY!
The song really is soothing. Click on the link to hear the song, Mama Hao.
Mama Hao
Here are a few of my favorite pictures of Cady (and us) enjoying her first CNY celebration.
Getting
ready to go
Walking
in to the event
Too excited to talk
Loving this event!
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY!
Up is down
02/01/07 20:31 |
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I have to admit, it's
really difficult being at work sometimes, and knowing
that Cady is at preschool. I would love to be with her
during the day. But she is such a good child. Our
morning routine usually goes something like this:
By 5 am, Scott is already off to work, and my alarm goes off at 5:20 am, at which time I drag my butt out of bed and wander into the kitchen to get some coffee, then go to the computer and read a bit, and rush around to get dressed. At 6:15 am I'm usually waking Cady, and she obliges, sometimes in a half daze. By 6:30 we're in the car, driving to her daycare. Then I say a few words about how we should have left earlier, and tomorrow will be different. By 6:45, I'm rushing her into the classroom, sitting her down, placing her breakfast in front of her at the table with the other 5 or 6 kids that also arrive before the sun comes up, and kissing her goodbye. She almost always wakes up in a good mood, and in our 15 minute car ride to preschool, she talks or sings and points out the city bus, or a red barn that we pass daily. We drive by Scott's office on the way to school, which is usually accompanied by her announcing, "There's Baba's work!" She loves school. She loves to learn. And she is sooo proud to announce to her friends that either Scott or I have arrived to get her in the afternoon. She will announce, "My daddy! My daddy!" and looks around the room to make sure that her friends know it's HER daddy that's come to their school.
She's learning so much in preschool. Mostly, she's learned that there is a routine to the day, and when either of us leaves, we always come back. But she's also learned how to count to 20 (it gets a bit jumbled after 20, but up to 20 it's usually very good). She knows how to count to 10 in spanish. She knows all of her shapes, including the differences between an oval and a circle, and the differences between a square and a rectangle. She can engage in casual conversation with me, and at least half of the time we're actually communicating intelligently together.
Her latest achievements with words are "Keegan" and "up is down" Our dog's name is Keegan, and for the longest time she's called him Keeno. Well, now she actually calls the dog Keegan, instead of Keeno, but I miss her calling him Keeno. It was so cute. She referred to him as Keeno so often before, that I started calling the dog Keeno too, without thinking about it. Up-is-down is now her favorite word. She heard me saying upside down about two weeks ago, and the logical outcome from her brain to her mouth was up-is-down. Makes sense. Turn something over, and there you have it, up IS down. She makes me grin every time I hear it.
When I'm exhausted and ready to come home from work, Cady always makes my day complete. My commute time is around 45 minutes from work, and when I walk in the back door, and down the hall, she sees me and she squeals. She literally screams with delight. I'd really love to be here with her all the time, but she is getting so much from being at preschool. And we thoroughly enjoy seeing each other at the end of the day. For the next couple of hours after dinner, we read books, sing songs and genuinely enjoy our girl time together. Sometimes she climbs in my lap then stands on her head as I hold her, and we laugh. This little girl can put life back into my tired soul. After long and difficult days at work, she turns my life right side up again.
By 5 am, Scott is already off to work, and my alarm goes off at 5:20 am, at which time I drag my butt out of bed and wander into the kitchen to get some coffee, then go to the computer and read a bit, and rush around to get dressed. At 6:15 am I'm usually waking Cady, and she obliges, sometimes in a half daze. By 6:30 we're in the car, driving to her daycare. Then I say a few words about how we should have left earlier, and tomorrow will be different. By 6:45, I'm rushing her into the classroom, sitting her down, placing her breakfast in front of her at the table with the other 5 or 6 kids that also arrive before the sun comes up, and kissing her goodbye. She almost always wakes up in a good mood, and in our 15 minute car ride to preschool, she talks or sings and points out the city bus, or a red barn that we pass daily. We drive by Scott's office on the way to school, which is usually accompanied by her announcing, "There's Baba's work!" She loves school. She loves to learn. And she is sooo proud to announce to her friends that either Scott or I have arrived to get her in the afternoon. She will announce, "My daddy! My daddy!" and looks around the room to make sure that her friends know it's HER daddy that's come to their school.
She's learning so much in preschool. Mostly, she's learned that there is a routine to the day, and when either of us leaves, we always come back. But she's also learned how to count to 20 (it gets a bit jumbled after 20, but up to 20 it's usually very good). She knows how to count to 10 in spanish. She knows all of her shapes, including the differences between an oval and a circle, and the differences between a square and a rectangle. She can engage in casual conversation with me, and at least half of the time we're actually communicating intelligently together.
Her latest achievements with words are "Keegan" and "up is down" Our dog's name is Keegan, and for the longest time she's called him Keeno. Well, now she actually calls the dog Keegan, instead of Keeno, but I miss her calling him Keeno. It was so cute. She referred to him as Keeno so often before, that I started calling the dog Keeno too, without thinking about it. Up-is-down is now her favorite word. She heard me saying upside down about two weeks ago, and the logical outcome from her brain to her mouth was up-is-down. Makes sense. Turn something over, and there you have it, up IS down. She makes me grin every time I hear it.
When I'm exhausted and ready to come home from work, Cady always makes my day complete. My commute time is around 45 minutes from work, and when I walk in the back door, and down the hall, she sees me and she squeals. She literally screams with delight. I'd really love to be here with her all the time, but she is getting so much from being at preschool. And we thoroughly enjoy seeing each other at the end of the day. For the next couple of hours after dinner, we read books, sing songs and genuinely enjoy our girl time together. Sometimes she climbs in my lap then stands on her head as I hold her, and we laugh. This little girl can put life back into my tired soul. After long and difficult days at work, she turns my life right side up again.
Belated birthday video
We've been extremely busy
getting all the paperwork together for daughter #2. By
the way, we're pretty sure we've decided on a name for
her, but we want to make absolutely sure that's her
name before announcing it. But, that's for anohter
entry.
In the mean time, Scott put together a really cute video of Cadence enjoying her birthday cake on her second birthday.
In the mean time, Scott put together a really cute video of Cadence enjoying her birthday cake on her second birthday.
Merry Christmas everyone
12/23/06 14:46 |
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