Just some thoughts

Well, today is Dec. 29th and we have not heard anything relating to our TA. I have been checking the groups that I am in and no one has heard about or seen any TA's. So I guess that we will not be leaving on Jan. 11th like I thought we were. So now I have no idea when to expect to leave. I just hope that it is before the Chinese New Year starts. C.N.Y. is Feb. 18th 2007. I believe I heard that everything closes down like a week before and stays closed for 2 weeks. So at this rate maybe it will be March that we leave. I really wanted to get Lily Rose home for my mothers 70th b'day which is in the beginning of Feb. I thought that would have been a great b'day present for her. I'm just glad that I have Joseph's communion all set. We are having it here and an old friend of mine has a party business. She has all kinds of characters and tattoos, face painting, clowns and she has that big bouncy thing. So I already called her and told her to save the date of May 12th 2007. I am really excited about his communion. I am also glad that I most likely will be home for his First Penance which is on Jan. 20th 2007. But if they were to call me and tell me that we got TA and I needed to be in China on the 20th, I would be ok with that too. I think Joseph would also be ok with that, as long as I was here for his b'day which is in the beginning of Jan.

I have Lily Rose's suitcase packed already. Can you tell we are anxious? We have an appointment with the International Specialist on Jan. 3rd to go over medications that we will need to bring to China with us. I am excited about this meeting too. I want to make sure that I have everything we need to help Lily if she gets sick or anything. I can't wait to see her in person and hold her and just kiss her face all over. Her cheek's are so round and full and she is just beautiful. We are so very blessed that we found her and she is ours. I love her just like I love my son and I haven't even seen her in person yet. It is truly amazing the bond I feel with her. I am preparing myself for her not attaching to me right away. Reading other families post while they are in China has prepared me for this. So many mothers writing that their new children are just attaching to the fathers. It's sad and hurtful but there is nothing we can do about it right now. So as long as we prepare ourselves for it, it won't hurt as much. As least that is what I am telling myself. Now if I only believed it. HAHA

Her room is coming along nicely. We just painted again, and her new furniture should be here anyday now. I can't wait to finish her room and decorate it. We just put French doors in for her. So very girlie looking. Now all we need is LILY ROSE!!!!!!

Come on you guys, leave some comments. It takes a lot of thought for me to write this stuff. Would like to know what you think and feel.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Also I would like to wish everyone that does not celebrate Christmas, to enjoy their holiday as much as we enjoy ours.

We thought that we would be spending this Christmas in the hospital this year. Joseph was so sick Friday. I was really scared for him because his asthma attack came out of nowhere. Thank God I was able to get it under control with his medication. It took a while but it worked. The more I tried to get him ready to go to the hospital, the more he couldn't breath. So we just worked on it here and it turned out fine. He was so upset because he didn't think Santa would come to the hospital to bring his presents. It is very sad when you see you child so sick and upset on top of that. He finally fell asleep but I went into his room every 1/2 hour to see if he was ok. He woke up yesterday and he was fine. I, on the other hand was like a zombie, but when it comes to your kids it really doesn't matter how you feel, as long as he was fine that's all that matters.

This will be a very special Christmas for me this year. I always thought that Joseph would be an only child and now he will have a sister. It still amazes me every time I think of it. I will always remember him waking up and running into my room to let me know that Santa was here. Now next year, he will be able to go and get his sister first and then let us know that Santa was here.

I remember as a child myself my brother always getting up first. He would peek at the tree first to see if the presents where there and then come and get me. Then he would take my hand and we would go into our parents room and wake them up. Then the fun would begin. I hope that my son and daughter have that same bond.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

OUCH x's 2

Well, I survived the 2 shots but boy did they hurt. First off, I would like to know why the nurses would take phone calls when they are in the room with you? The nurse that was giving me my shots knows that I have a problem with needles, so why, why would she take a phone call right before she was going to give me a shot? Here she is fixing both needles and putting a lot of "juice" in each needle right in front of me. Like, "helloooo, that is going to be in my arm a lot longer then necessary with all that "juice". So, now I get ready to get the shot and the phone rings. Best part is, she picks it up and starts talking. By now the sweat is pouring off me and dripping down my back and I'm getting dizzy. I start waving at her to move it along and she hangs up and gets ready to shoot me up. So, the first shot is the flu shot. She says to me, "you ready" and as I am about to tell her "no" she sticks me. Well, I almost pee in my pants and actually yelled Ouch. She cracks up laughing like it's the funniest thing she has ever seen or heard. Me, I am not to happy because my arm is bleeding and I feel faint. Now off to the next arm. So I am ready for her to say "you ready" well she didn't say that. She just sticks the needle in my arm and again, I yell Ouch. I look at her and asked her where the warning was. She laughs and said "I gave you a warning on the other arm, one warning per patient." WHAT?????????? I know she was joking but still, give an old girl a break here. I survived, but my arms will bare the scars. LOL

I go to Joseph's holiday party and it was really cute. Although my son is sick and boy did he look sick. I wanted to take him home but he didn't want to leave. He loves school. The kids were cute and I am glad that I was able to be there for this party. The cupcakes were a big hit. Nothing like having someone else do all the hard work and you getting to take all the credit. I even got to take a few home. Some kids were out sick or something.

Well, I just got Joseph off the bus and his Christmas vacation officially begins. He is a mess. He has fever and this dry hacking cough with a major stuffed nose and he is down stairs with my mother and I think he is coughing all over her lunch right now, because I hear her telling him to take a walk. HAHA The party begins.

I am going to try to make him take a rest right now. More again later....

2 shots for me today

Ok, I am so not happy right now. I have to go and get 2 shots this morning and I feel like a little kid feels when they know they are going to the Dr.'s. I have to get the Hep A and a Flu shot. I still need to get the 3rd Hep B shot but I am not scheduled for it until March. The way it looks we will be traveling sometime in the end of Jan or early Feb. So I am a little nervous about not having the 3rd and final shot of Hep. B. But there's nothing I can do about it.

Now, back to the 2 shots for today. I am a grown women who gave birth and all that and I still get that sick feeling when I have to go for a shot. I think it's funny that when my son has to go for his shots, I'm like "come on Joe, no big deal, it will be over before you know it." Now here I am with pains in my stomach and the cold sweats. lol When I told Joseph this morning that I was going for 2 shots, his words to me were, "come on Mom, no big deal, it will be over before you know it." HAHA Smart kid :)

When that is done I have to go to Joseph's class Hoilday party. If you can believe it I am suppose to be a "baking mom". Well, little do they know is that Stop & Shop is doing the baking. I will go and buy the cupcakes and then go home and put them in a nice holiday tin and no one will be the wiser. Totally under control.

Ok, I need to go and get ready for my SHOTS!!!!!!

We have new pictures of Lily Rose

We finally have new pictures of Lily Rose. A huge Thank You to the Horner Family. This wonderful family that is in China right now were able to get pictures of our beautiful daughter Lily Rose. On Dec. 13, 2006 they were invited to the SWI where our daughter is waiting for us. Their daughter AnnaClaire is also from this SWI. I asked them before they left if it was possible would they check on our daughter for us. Well, they did. They got to play with Lily and said she was a sweet baby girl. They also told us that she loved the attention and that she is really adorable. I am so very happy and we will be forever grateful to this family for life. It is the best Christmas gift to have updated pictures of Lily. Joseph was so happy to see what his sister looks like now. It makes it more "real" for him. We have not been able to stop looking at her since we got the pictures. Can you tell we are in awe of this beautiful little girl. Please let me know what you all think of our precious miracle.

I would like to thank Bruny for fixing the pictures so that I could post them here. I just love Bruny!!!!!

Gifts

Ok, My husband Anthony was working on a job in NYC a few months back and met a man named Joe B. He is an Engineer. Well, anyway, they hit it off and Anthony told him we are adopting a little girl from China. So when Joe returned to NY (he lives in Canada) he handed Anthony a little box and told him it was for our Lily Rose. Well, in the box is a pair of little hoop earrings. I was blown away when Anthony got home and handed me the earrings. This, from a total stranger. He gave me his address and a business card. I couldn't read part of the address, so I wrote an e-mail to him. I never heard back from him. So today I decided to call and leave a message for Joe B. No sooner did I hang up that my phone rang and it was Joe B. I was so excited to speak with him and thank him and his wife. I have his address and now a Thank you card will be mailed. Joe was recently in NY and tried to call Anthony, but Anthony just got a new cell number and Joe couldn't reach us. Next time he comes to NY I hope that I will be able to meet him and thank him in person.

Then last night Anthony comes home from his friend Joey's house and hands me another box. He said that a few weeks ago when he was there, Joey's wife had a jewelry party and he was telling all the ladies there that we are adopting from China (can you tell that Anthony tells everyone that will listen to him about Lily) and apparently one of the ladies bought Lily Rose a ladybug bracelet. Anthony doesn't even know her name. Isn't this great!!!! Total strangers that want to give our daughter gifts to welcome her home to her new life with us. We are waiting on her name and address so that we may thank her the proper way.

It's just amazing that we are surrounded by wonderful, caring people. The world STILL has good people in it.

Baby Shower Favor

My very dear friend Liz made our baby shower favor. It was a Hershey chocolate Bar and she made the wrapper. It is the cutest thing. On one side of the bar had the picture from the invitation and the other side had Lily Rose's picture. I absolutely loved it. Liz also gave us beautiful gifts for Lily which I will post the pictures later when I download them here.

A great big Thank You to Liz.

Our Baby Shower - Dec. 3, 2006

How bad am I!!!!!!!

My mom and my cousin Gina gave us a Baby Shower on December 3rd. I am just posting about it now. Here is the invitation, how cute is this!!!!! I was waiting to receive some pictures of the shower, but have not received any yet. Not from the lack of trying though. I will take pictures of the "opened gifts" and post later.

I have to say that they tried to keep it a secret, but considering that I live in this house (upstairs) they did a good job up until the very weekend of the shower. When I saw my cousin Gina here that Friday night cutting cheese (how funny does that sound) I kinda knew. Then Saturday when Anthony's cousins Maryann & Joe (Lily's godfather) sent the chairs over, wellllllll, I knew. So Sunday, I got up, took my time getting ready and went downstairs way after Gina got here. The house was decorated and it looked great. Although it was Lavender (really don't like Lavender) but nice all the same. So Anthony and I went out so that my family and friends didn't feel funny when they got here and I answered the door. Joseph stayed home because he knew that one of his friends were coming here with his family.

We went shopping so I could get my charm bracelet for all my Chinese Charms that I have. Then we went to pick up the hero for the "boys" that were going to be upsatirs while all the "girls" were downstairs for the shower. Then I even went to pick up the cake. Nothing like helping out for your own shower. lol So, we got home and when I walked in I yelled "SURPRISE" As I am kissing everyone hello I walked up to my friend Lori who adopted a beautiful little girl named Paige in June. I am saying hello to the baby and I notice 2 ladies one standing and one sitting. It just didn't register who they were. My mother says "Look who's here" Well, it was Stacey and Danita from my agency. I think I let out some kind of scream and just hugged Stacey first and then Danita. That was my surprise. I had no idea they were coming down from Delaware. It was a highlight of my day. I really love these girls. Mind you, I have only met them once, but talk to them more then I do my own husband. I have a very strong bond with them.

So, then we ate. My mother had food for like 100 people. I think we had something like 45 women in our house. Then of course all I kept hearing was open your gifts, open your gifts. So I opened my gifts. Joseph helped me out, he was so excited to be a part of this day. He gave his sister the cutest Robeez shoes. They have Ladybugs on the front of them. My poor mother hid my card and then forgot where she put it. She had a picture of the baby's furniture that she bought for us. She was so upset and I didn't let anyone know that she bought it either. It slipped my mind. So, to let you all know "MY MOTHER BOUGHT LILY ROSE HER BEDROOM FURNITURE" Lily's Godfather Uncle Joe and Aunt Maryann also gave a gift card to put towards the furniture. Aunt Gina, Lily's Godmother bought the stroller for her. I will do another post with other gifts and pictures and who bought what after this. I need to get the gifts in order.

I was very happy with my shower and all the great gifts for Lily Rose. She is one LOVED little girl and she is OURS.

I have to send out THE BIGGEST THANK YOU to my MOTHER & COUSIN GINA FOR A JOB WELL DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have our Christmas Tree up

We put our decorations up Thanksgiving weekend and I am just getting around to posting these pictures. I am so laxed lately. I had Anthony pull down ALL of our decorations and then decided to put up only a few. Our tree is usually covered with ornaments, but I felt that since we are waiting for TA and it can come at any time, I didn't want to have all these decorations that I would have to take down and put away either before we left for China or when we got home. So, only a few. Joseph had to put all of his though, which is ok because last year we did not put anything up because of the construction. We also put some stuff outside but I have not taken a picture of that yet. When I do I will add it here. I have to say that I put most of my Lenox collections out. If you know me, you know I love Lenox. My China is Lenox, all my lighting in the house is Lenox and my everyday dishes and silverware are Lenox. I even have Lenox in my bathroom. I would have named my daughter Lenox but Anthony said "no way". I told him, now I have to buy Lily Rose some Lenox for her room. I have to see if they have a Lenox ladybug. How exciting. The Santa and the Snowman was made by ME in ceramics. The doll pillows are so cute. Another favorite of mine is Gingerbread Men. I guess you can say I have a lot of favorites.