Waxing Bro's Snowboard with Melissa

Sure looking forward to the day that I can go with brother and sisters and play on the mountain.

Even if I can't strap this thing on for a few more years I can help and maybe learn something by watching.

What a fun age when they are getting more and more capable of doing things and are trying to do everything that you do. Her desire to do everything by herself makes for some delays in getting things done since it might take a few tries.

Of course all ages are fun and exciting in there own ways, so I am excited to see what comes next.

Grandma has me in a Christmas Dress.

She is so cute! And to make her even more of a doll, dress her in a Grandma crafted Christmas dress and she's extra specially cute.

Next stop the shopping mall for a Santa visit. Which really went just as well as most do when they are so little... "I WANT MY MOMMY!"

She is really soaking up all of the activities of the holiday season, with this being her first so much is new. Christmas lights on the fence along the pasture and icicles lights on the house are sure pretty. She is very attentive to all that is going on and you can tell that she is thinking... but about what? Only she knows at this time since when she tells you it comes out mostly as jabbering with perhaps an word or two that resembles something that we recognize.

Playing with Bro.

Dad's on a roll with blog updates today. Here is Jessni playing in her tunnel with her brother. I think she was chasing the London (the cat) though the tunnel earlier.

It is really amazing on how many can fit in the tunnel and the ages of those that have tried.

Please comment if you are still trying to get Jessni updates via the blog. If there are many I'll try and do better on posting more frequently.

Jessni is very sharp and is very curious to know what makes things work. She hasn't actually taken anything apart yet but you can see that she wants to. Living in a house of engineers is going to give her plenty of "technical" to challenge her if this is what becomes of her.

Music must have a special role in this little one as well, as she responds to the little jingles of the toys or music with a little dance. It's also a good way to draw away attention from a bump or other situation that might have had her distraught.

Jessni - One year and counting...

Balloons have got to be one of her most favorite things. I think her first balloon came from car salesman when we were shopping for her brothers first car. She lights up and is sure to point out balloons wherever we may be.

This bouquet of balloons were at her birthday party and there is little chance that you could get a picture of her holding still.

She has caught up with what you would be expecting from a 1 year old. And we are now finding that she is determined to be a gymnast by the age of two. No object in the house has gone unchallenged by the this little one, perhaps she'll be joining her sister on a rock wall as a future challenge soon.

Attachment process has been similar to what we have read from others. Mom as you would expect has the special rank of primary care giver and while slightly jealous of not being #1, I'll settle for #2. She just melts your heart when she is between the two of us and reaches to touch after looking right and left at both of us, and displays a huge smile filled with satisfaction... "I have my mom and dad".

It has been six months - time really flies by

I'm sorry for not keeping you up to date with the blog. So much "free" time is spent teaching Jessni how to play with all those marvelous toys... guess that's going to my reason for not getting to this.

As you can see by the picture she is absolutely adorable and is showing off her smile. So much has happened in the last six months that I'll not be able to note it in the blog.

She has gotten to that cute age that she really tries to mimic everything including actions and talking.

She puts these really long sentences together (jabbering) and by the look on her face she knows exactly what she is saying and of course you should understand. Once in a while she really nails the right word and it comes out very clear. We can generally guess what she is trying to say.

Picture her walking around the house with a "old" cell phone talking to whomever nodding with agreement to the other side of the imaginary conversation.... just like mom or rubbing lotion on her hands before heading off to bed. Most of these mimicked actions are quick to bring a smile and perhaps a laugh but when you see her raising her arms like mom when singing praise songs during church can bring a tear of joy in a second.

Moments Like These.

As a dad there are moments that can trigger your deepest emotions and then resonate for awhile. Most of the time my soft gooey is hidden from view, but when those moments happen there is no hiding.

So what are those moments that can melt down dad... it can be something said, or done, perhaps just a look as in this picture. There's nothing particular that I can pin it on but this one does it for me.

Pictures are so wonderful but rarely do we really ever capture those moments that we want to cherish. It's the memories that are jogged loose when looking at them.

Take time to look at those pictures that are on your shelf or hiding in albums and boxes. It reminds you of what really is important.

Happy Day!

I'm a Happy baby!

There is just so much to be smiling about today.

I just finished some lunch after church and my daddy has me. All things to be very happy about!

It is such a joy to be loved so much!

Checking Out Bro's New Ride.

My brother James got a new car for his Birthday. Josie is visiting so we are looking things over together.

It's really cool, I like all of the buttons, knobs and dials and stuff. Don't know what any of it means but I like it. However the car is a little too noisy for me ... you can hear it coming or going from a few blocks away.

I wonder if I'll get a car for my birthday. Do they make these in pink?

And Tigger Too!

Who came up with idea that Tiggers with bounces mixes will with babies?

Not quite sure what to make of this contraption so far but then again this has been my first time in here so guess everything is still cool.

If you were to look at the other side there is a striped tail that clashes with my light blue sweats and looks really silly.

Doesn't anybody ever think about what this will do to my image?

Bye Bye - Melissia (So Sad)

Melissa my sister that really knows how to get me all wound up is heading out for the summer. She's going to be a counselor and life guard at a camp in Washington this summer so while we are both be having fun but in different places.

I get to hear her on the phone now an then but I haven't figured that whole thing out of voices coming out of little electronic things.

They keep putting these crazy hats on me and tell me that I'm so cute, but it only takes me a few minutes before it I'll pull them off. This hat will be no exception but I'll leave it alone just for the picture time.

First Visit to Grandma and Papa!

Busy weekend trip to Washington to see Grandma and Papa (mommy's mom and dad) and my cousins high school graduation. Boy do I have a while to wait before I get to graduate!

We didn't have very much time to visit since everyone has things that needed us to go back home for. It's so much better to see, hear and touch people then looking at pictures or listen to them on phone. I'll need to visit again soon or maybe then they would come visit me.

I really love this helium balloon, it was fun to feel and punch it. I enjoy the different noises I can make with it. Luckily it's a tough one and even with my pointy and sharp fingers nails it doesn't pop.

It's been a while since I've blogged.

I'm learning so much since being home and of course around here you are expected to love cookies and I had no trouble learning to do just that.

You can see from my face that sometimes I miss getting that cookie directly in my mouth but then again I think my face enjoys the cookie too.

These are baby cookies so I can have them by myself, but mom sneaks pieces of real ones to me and I've found all to be pretty tasty.

What Am I Thinking Right About Now?

You can never guess what is on my mind right now.

Perhaps if I use both hands I can keep that sleepy stuff out of my eyes and keep going so I won't miss anything.

You know that so much goes on around here you don't want to even blink.

Opps ... I blinked ... and blinked ... and ... sigh here comes the sleepies.

Leaps And Bounds.

It is truly amazing what can happen when you take a little girl from an orphanage add a mom and dad, stir in some family and friends with a major dose of LOVE. If you're happy and you know it .... you will really show it.

Physically she continues to get stronger, she has an excellent appetite and has completely made the shift to our food products. She is able to feed herself those baby cookies and can almost get those Cheerios from the tray to her mouth.

Everyday brings out more and more of a real sweetie as she finds what it means to be part of a family. There is no doubt that she has decided that this is home, even if she does prefer being outdoors. That really suits mom, who spends almost all her day outside so there are no complaints from Jessni as there is so much to experience out there.

She is so expressive with her face it easy to understand what she is communicating. Now we have so much verbal from her on top of those expressions there's not much doubt as to what she's saying.

Hanging Out With My Sister Melissa - Too Cool!

Just Chill'n after Melissa got her first real experience of giving me a bottle. She did really good for the first time. I really liked getting my fingers into that long hair.

She's getting to learn all about babies... including diapers. She passed that test the first time too... with only some minor "consulting" help from dad.

Since she is out of school already she is going to be helping mom once dad goes back to work. I bet I'll be able to wear both of them out so they'll really appreciate it when he comes home from work.

I'm a Little Young For Pizza... Sure Smells Good!

My sister has to keep the pizza out of my reach because I've got one of the fastest grabs in the west.

Really she's is keeping me satisfied with a steady flow of Cheerios.

There is no lack of attention around here, there is so many people ready to respond to my wishes. Wonder if this power is going to go to my head...

-Signed: Princess Jessni

Here's a Picture to Prove That I Help With The Blog!

Most people think that daddy writes all of the blog and occasionally mom can sneak a word in. But I've been taking over more and more of the writing now that I've got this laptop figured out. We're doing a two handed thing my left and dad's right... we're so talented.

We'll be posting more about my adventures but I don't think we'll post everyday but please check back now and then to see what has been happening now that with my really cool family and friends.

First Horsey Ride!

I got to sit on the horse a few days before but this was my first horse back ride. I smiled and talked to Dizzy (the horse's name).

It didn't take long before I got on her. I did meet them on my first day home and then I wasn't too sure but after a day helping clean the barn I decided that they're pretty cool.

Of course there have been many first times for me things that I could write about but this one was really big.

Changing the Diet!

We're continuing to settle in and get switched over to formula and cereal brands available here. Also at the same time we successfully started on Cheerios and cereal via spoon.

Another major milestone is that we have had two nights now of sleeping through the night. It has required going to great lengths to keep her awake during the day. Hopefully the adjustment will complete in a couple days so we don't get so exhausted helping her to stay awake.



Every day it's easy to see strength and other improvements.

More Adjustments - Jet Lag

I'm so cute!
So many changes all at once ... first is the 15 hour time change, so much is screwed up. When do I eat, sleep ... so there goes any kind of a routine which was really key to her first 8 months of life. Guess this will be the first major break into the structured chaos that Jessni will come to expect in our house.

Food is the next area of big changes ... we started to move to a formula brand and cereal that's available here. Dad has successfully gotten her started on accepting solid foods. This was a surprise but I guess since she has never observed people eating before it was a completely foreign concept. Also her appetite continues to improve and at this rate she should be picking up some weight.

New surroundings maybe is the most significant and will take some time to take it all in. You can definitely sense that she is uncertain and overwhelmed so we continue to take things at a pace that she is able to tolerate.

The introduction of her much older brother and two sisters has gone well too. We haven't seen any issues meeting or interacting with new faces and most importantly Mom and Dad bonding / attachment continues to go very well. Based on what we have read on the subject she definitely knows who they are and all that time we had in China together has really helped get through what could have been scary during the trip home and all of the changes happening now.

Long Trip Home.

We're taking off for a very long trip home. This is a picture taken on the last leg of our trip which was a short flight to Portland from San Francisco ... we're so close now.

We had already survived the extremely turbulent flight from Guangzhou to Hong Kong. Wasn't sure if mom was going to get through it, the weather was stormy and she didn't taken any precautions to prevent motion sickness. Jessni slept through the entire flight without even a whimper.

Second leg is the long 11+ hour flight to San Francisco. Again Jessni was able to sleep through most of the flight with couple wake ups for changing and feeding. She has traveled extremely well.

San Francisco was the entry point to the United States. Here was the important step to finalize Jessni's immigration, she is now a US citizen. After so much ado, it seemed rather anti climatic when a after a couple of stamps it was announced that she was a US citizen.

We were met at the airport by our other children and friends. Oh it's so good to be home!

Homeward Bound !!!

We are all done over here, consulate oath taken, paperwork completed, fees paid, and suitcases are packed ... so I'll blog one more time before heading off to the airports.

Jessni has her China Passport and US immigration Visa all ready to go so we can get though immigration once we land on US soil (San Francisco).

It's so exciting and easy to get a little teary-eyed when you think about experiences we've already had. All of the babies / children in our group are doing very well. It's hard to believe they are the same child that was placed in our arms just over a week ago. Nothing beats a good dose of love from a mom and dad.

It's the 19th here already and we have 3 flights today. The first is from Guangzhou to Hong Kong (with a few hour layover there), then from Hong Kong to San Francisco (we have just a few hours to get through get luggage, process through immigration and catch the flight to Portland.

We arrive in Portland just about the same time as when we took off from Hong Kong. It's going to be so nice to be reunited with our other 3 children, although I suspect Jessni will steal the show and I'll have to wait longer to get caught up on hugs.

Happy Birthday to Sondra!

We had a group dinner tonight at the Thai restaurant, Banana Leaf and surprised Sondra with a cake and "Happy Birthday" being sung by the talented people at the restaurant. The food was very good and it was a very nice celebration for her .... 29th+ birthday.

Earlier we found out who's the wild ones among the group when they looked for "volunteers" to join in the singing and dancing performance. I was not one of them.

It has been fun getting to know each other as we have journeyed these few days together. We need to remain in touch as our daughters go up.

Hanging Out in The Morning... Then More Shopping!

This morning we need to hang out by the phone in case the consulate has questions regarding the paperwork that has been submitted.

Once they we get past this the only thing left is the formal ceremonial oath time and then we have completed all the necessary steps while in this country.

If no calls by 11:30am we're off to Starbucks to celebrate.

A group picture and dinner is planned for later in the evening so that will allow Sondra to squeeze some more shopping in.

Last night we had a nice video conference with all our children at home. It has been very nice to be able to get everyone on at the same time. IM and e-mail have also been great to stay in touch with family and friends. There has only been one other time that we have been apart for this long and we miss the hugs and time together at dinner.

People of China Are So Nice & Friendly!

Everywhere we go we are greeted with smiles and friendly faces. Many warm and friendly welcomes, several will say "hi" and "hello" as we walk around the city.

This has been a very happy time not only because of why we're here but how well we are received in their country.

People of China - Thank you very much for your gracious hospitality.

The picture is of a school "field trip" to the same park we were at today. A few took pictures of us taking pictures of them.

Out Being a Tourist.

Here's a picture while we rested in the park. It's very hot and humid today. 93F with 46% humidity so that makes it fell like 100F. Too hot, I'm used to the mild climate in Oregon which made it to a high of 78F and lows at night in around 54F.

The site seeing was short so now dad and Jessni will nap while moms heads out to shop... uninhibited by husbands and babies.

This afternoon marks the completion of the first week together. What a journey we've had already. We have gotten to know so much about each other in such a short time it's hard to believe it's been only a week.

Clean Baby ... Let's Go Shopping!

Clean babies ... well just have that clean baby smell. Not something that you I could describe other than "smelling like a clean baby". Probably a special patented formula that someone came up with. Girls really like it... myself I prefer the new car smell.

As we have been traveling around doing this or that, we have found ourselves making these verbal notes to each other on what we will want to do different "next" time. That's right ... we haven't even got home and we figuring out what to do to get back.

A Little Northwest - Longing for Home

We really don't need any reminders of home to make us have any greater desire to return there. Everyone in the group is very anxious to get their precious new ones home and get to a normal routine.

I expect there will not be too much of "normal" in the routine for a while as this will be another big transition for Jessica in such a short time. For what she knows we live in this hotel room and have Starbucks everyday for lunch.

She was definitely created to be our girl, she can't stand being stuck in the room, needing to be on the move. There are so many special behaviors that clearly show that God matched us from the very beginning.

Physical Examination & Visa Application Day

So main thing to get done today was getting Jessica's medical examination and Visa application out of the way.

Jessni came in weighing 17.1 lbs which is a little more than I had predicted based on the referral data using the growth charts. Her height was 28 inches long.

The smaller cut 9 to 12 month clothes fit her really pretty well. We really didn't have shoes to fit. She can make quick work at getting socks off so we don't bother and she seems to like it that way.

Nice Park Near All The Shopping.

Very nice park in the middle of area that we were shopping. It was very pleasant just to walk around, and today the temperature was a bit cooler and less humid then it had been.

Of course we had a Starbucks near by which was very refreshing in the middle of the shopping day. I was ready to quit after the first 2 or 3 shops but we needed to get a better idea of what was available and for what prices so I struggled along. And the Carmel Frap came just in time.

It's nice to get outside even if I have to go along for the shopping. We might have been able to get more of shopping done today... if I hadn't run out of money. There's at least one more day of shopping.

Shopping Day - Shamian Island

There were many shops that catered to the adopting families here on the Shamian area. The White Swan Hotel is right here so it's right at every one's door step. For us it was about a 25 Yuan ($3.50) taxi ride. That's actually quite a distance to travel and the traffic was bad since it's a regular work day.

Many of the shops had much of the same thing so you really should spend time looking for where you can get the best deal. They barter here and have bee told that you can often get 50% less then originally asking. The prices are generally good so we don't push beyond what they really would like to get. 25% to 30% off what was marked, if it was marked.

With so much competition, you can get the best deals when buying much in a single store after shopping around some.

No OSHA Over Here.

The scaffolding is typically made out of bamboo, even for much taller buildings. I couldn't believe it the first time I saw it. Now I don't think about it much since it is so common place around the city.

They must not have too many issues as it was also used on large commercial projects as safety fence and safety catches.

Even if the material was common in the US I really doubt that construction companies could get approval to use it.

Happy Jessica.

Here she is ... giggling with a big grin and twisted tongue.

Dad can usually can get a big grin or a giggle with a few well defined exceptions. As Sondra stated that usually means it's time for mommy.

A message from Sondra

It's great to be a Mom. As I gaze at Jessni, I know I could not love a child any more than I love her. She is wholly and completely my daughter even though she was born to unknown parents in a foreign land. Adoption is an amazing thing! And with is comes the overwhelming responsibility of caring for and protecting this child until she becomes an adult. And the worry.

I am very anxious to get back to my country home, and let Jessni get settled in. We walk down the street now, and her head fly's back and forth trying to take it all in. Talk about over stimulation. I think she's born to be a country girl. There were livestock in her town, but in all the driving we never saw a horse. (I did see a couple poor cart horses in Beijing, but thats all.)

We are going to top off this Mother's Day to a dinner at Pizza Hut. We layed low today, cuz Jessni has a fever. Please pray that she will get better and not need any antibiotics. I just wanted to let you all know too, that I do get to hold Jessni, when ever she is fussy, or if she needs her diaper changed. That is when Gary is eager to give her to me!

6 days and counting, and we'll be leaving on a jet plane...Love you all!

Emotional Day For Us.

Saturday we were up early to for a 3+ hour bus ride to visit the orphanage in Yangxi and visit her finding place.

It was great to get out of the city and see the countryside as we traveled to Yangxi. The climate is very tropical and the place is beautiful trees, flowers, and farm fields.

We do like the country and would choose to live there if were staying.

The first picture is part of the downtown area. The city was larger then expected and had an old town and the more modern portions. Primarily an agricultural area but there was some industry as well as some significant building projects underway.

We had excellent hosts at the orphanage, which shared some local fruit and lunch with us prior helping us see the different finding spots for each of the girls in our group.

Sondra wanted to include this picture of the "water buffalo" tethered in a grassy area across the street from the restaurant that we had lunch at. Most farms had one or more and there were even a few in town.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Mother's Day. What an exciting time for mother and baby.

So much that comes back to you when you start toting another one around all day and night. So many years have past and those times were so precious.

We have loved each stage of our children as they have grown into fine young ladies and gentleman. It's going to be such a joy to do it again with another.

PS: Mommy does get the baby ... now and then. We'll try and get more mommy + Jessni pictures.

City Picture from Hotel

This was taken from the restaurant, which rotates... like the Space Needle in Seattle.

It seems we always start on that side and only get about a quarter of the way around by the time we're done with breakfast. We made it almost halfway during dinner.

Picky Picky Picky

I don't want to try anything new because I already know I won't like it.

There's no way you're getting that past my lips.

Wonder what kind of pizza I'll like. Cheese?

I Can Roll My Tongue ... Just Like Daddy!

I can twist and roll my tongue just like dad... isn't that amazing.

Mom and Dad have me giggling and laughing, and they are laughing too.

Boy are we having fun together.

Today we had most of the day just to play in the hotel room. Of course we had breakfast but we went as late as possible and called it brunch.

Then we made a quick run to Starbucks before getting passport application in. We topped off the day with a dinner cruise down the river. All the buildings were lit up like Vegas. I liked the wind blowing in my face, and a new trick of being upside down.

IT IS OFFICIAL!!! - Let's Celebrate

Party time! It official. Meet the newest member of the family.

This is going to be an important day, the day Jessica was officially born into our family.

How special can that be ... to have two birthdays! Hum... I wonder if she can get presents and a cake with candles on both days...

You bet!

All Ready For The Official Interview.

They are looking good. Don't they know what they are getting into?

Just waiting our turn to go see the officials to "Make it Official" of course.

At this point I'm still looking a little serious because I'm still uncertain of all that is happening.

If you thought is was big deal for mom and dad just think on what it's like for someone only as big as me.

Here's One of Me Looking at You Looking at Me.

I really getting to enjoy all of this attention. Especially daddy, he just won't let go. You'd think this was his first baby.

Mom knows the tricks though... she just mentions the word diaper and just like magic I get to be with mom... for awhile anyway.

You can see by my face that I'm getting more comfortable with all that is happening.

Going Out To See The Notary.

After sleeping almost 12hrs straight through last night we are all dressed up to go get official.

Mom and Dad are doing great at making me feel at home. I still don't know what to make of all of this but so far it's working for me.

The hat is OK but I'd rather have the chance to play with my hair. Dad noticed that I do that when I'm starting to stress a little. That's when it makes sure that I know that things will be OK.

A Smile for Daddy!

There's a smile that made it on the camera.

I'm pretty wiggly, I like to kick my legs so I can get them strong. I really want to jump, run and play. It's exciting when dad helps me jump into the air... perhaps I'll be a pilot.

I have a ticklish tummy and strong grip. Guess that is a bad combination when climbing on monkey bars.

Need to work on that crawling technique, got that rolling around stuff down... maybe I'll just go straight to walking.

And then there is sitting up straight... haven't figured that out very well either.

Sigh... nobody ever said this was going to be easy.

Crashed After an Exciting Day.

It's been a long and exciting day for me. I had to ride a in a bus for over 3 hours and then hang out in the strange office building for what seemed like forever.

Then to top off everything I got whisked away with these people that talk funny and call me by a different name...

Phew. I wonder what's next...

I'm really tired... yawn... yawn... it's not even close to bed time... oops. ZZZZZZzzzzzz.

I don't even know what to dream about yet.

Doesn't Mom and Dad Look Happy!

Jessica is still busy checking out all of the other families getting acquainted with their new little ones.

What's important in this picture is we are all three together... which is the beginning of so much more.

Baby Meet Daddy!

Who is this guy with a prickly 5-o'clock shadow on his face?

And there is hair growing in a weird place... where is his mouth?

Guess I'll get used to it. Mom did.... or at least dad thinks so.

Got Ya! - Our Lives Have Changed Forever!

Got Ya Day! And what a day it has been, and I write more on that later because nobody will read it now.

Video camera was running during all of the "meet and greet" for all of the families. We were nearly last so the room was getting pretty crowded with families checking out the new ones.

So here is the first picture you get. She was solemn and looked around at everything. She never did cry and hasn't up to the point of this writing. We have gotten smiles and some laughter.

Today is "Got Ya" Day

So today is the day, it seems like it has taken so long to get us to this point in the process.

The picture is of the empty crib waiting in the room.

Bet you can all sense the anxiety in the posts.

We are off to complete some of the paperwork that is necessary.

NEXT POST WILL BE BABY PICTURES!!!