Conner.....Party of Four

Growing Up

2011-08-22T18:03:00.000-05:00

Today has been a day filled with mixed emotions. While I am thrilled that my boys are starting school and even more thrilled that they are super excited about it, my heart hurts just a wee bit. It's happening too fast.

Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be a mom. Ian asks me all the time what I liked to play with when I was a little girl. I loved playing with my dolls, because I could be their mommy. As I grew up, I became more driven, goal oriented. I had a plan. I was going to go to college, get married, work for 2-3 years and then have one boy and one girl (in that order)...all before I was 30. I always planned to work after having children...again...driven.

But, God had other plans for me. I won't bore you with all of the details, but I didn't have children before I was 30 and as a matter of fact, I was only able to conceive one time and that baby is with Jesus. After that, I, again, being goal oriented and driven decided that we were done with all of that nonsense. I convinced everyone, including myself, that I no longer wanted children. But deep down...way deep down, I still longed to be a mommy.

In 2004 at Molly's first birthday party, life changed. We began the paperchase to our baby...to fulfulling my dream of becoming a mommy.

I think about where we were 6 years ago today. We were waiting on pins and needles for a referral of a baby boy from India. We had been on the waiting list for 11 months and my patience was wearing thin. 18 days later, on September 7th, 2006 we saw a itty bitty picture of our baby boy. Five months after that, I held Ian for the first time. I WAS a mommy. Words cannot express my feelings on that day. Those of you who have had children biologically or through the miracle of adoption know this feeling.

Three years later....the same feeling when I held Drew for the first time. But, it was different that day. Holding my sweet baby Drew for the first time....I knew our family was complete.

Now, here we are. First day of school. First day of first grade and first day of Pre-K. My babies are growing up. This dream that I had, of being a mommy, is taking flight and slipping away too quickly. I will always be their mommy...but I'd like to keep them little for just a few more seconds. Don't think for a second that my babies are perfect....they are not. Every day they drive me crazy. But....it's a crazy that I love.

I'm still driven, I'm still goal oriented....but most importatly....I'm still a mommy.

Four Years Old...Drew Austin Quang Conner

2011-07-11T00:39:00.000-05:00

Let's see...where to begin. Sunday, July 10, 2011 Drew turned 4. Wow. It seems so long ago that we were so sad that we missed his first birthday while we waited for the US Consulate's office to say we could travel. Ooooo...that still infuriates me. But, I digress. We together now and that's what matters.

We had a fun time celebrating. We had a few close friends over for cake, ice cream and swimming. As always, it was hotter than hot. I think officially we hit 107 degrees today in Tulsa. Even now, at 12:30am on Monday morning, it's still 96 degrees. HOT is not even the right word.

Drew had a great day and we're so thankful to have this little bundle of energy and joy in our lives. Drew Austin Quang Conner....we love you more and more each day. You have completed our family. Your little eyes dance with excitement and wonder every day. What a challenge you are. But, we wouldn't have it any other way....because that makes you who you are...our Drew.

What's New

2011-07-06T01:16:00.001-05:00

Wow...2 posts in a week...I'm on a roll. Just a quick update before bed.

Both kiddos are sleeping soundly right now in their own beds. That's a topic for another post:) It has been a eventful few weeks. As with all families, summers are filled with lots of activities, birthday parties, celebrations, doctor visits, etc. Our family is no different.

Ian turned 6 this year (yikes). At his check up with his pediatrician, he didn't do so well on his hearing test or his vision test. Being the thorough pediatrician that Dr. Sood is, he recommended following up with our ENT (Dr. Vaidya) and an pediatric optometrist. So, after my mind stopped swirlling around thinking of all of the possible reasons why he wasn't hearing or seeing well, I made the appointments. Long story short, he does have significant hearing loss in his right ear. The doctor said the tube was plugged up with wax and "gunk" and it would need to be removed. After that, we would re-test his hearing and see if it improved. If not, we'll do some additional testing. He had surgery last Thursday to remove the tube. It was a quick surgery, but Ian was NOT happy waking up at all. It was rough. But, we made it through. We go back to see the doctor on July 25th. In the mean time, we saw the pediatric optemetrist. Ian is near sighted and has astigmatism in both eyes. So, he's now sporting a cool pair of glasses. He loves them so far.

Drew....sweet Drew turns 4 this Sunday. Wow...hard to believe. He's our dramatic child. He's a whiner. Drama, drama, drama. But, he's so loveable. We had our dental check ups early in June. 6 months ago, Drew had one cavity and the dentist said we'd just need to keep an eye on it. This time...my little munchkin has a mouth full of cavities. So many that he will have to be sedated to have all of the work done. Lots of crowns, fillings, etc....ON BABY TEETH. Oh my....with my fear of dentists, it's not going to be fun. I'm trying really hard not to pass this fear of mine on to my boys. We are getting a second opinion later this month. With that much work, I want to know we're doing the right thing.

I've Been a Bad Blogger

2011-07-02T00:12:00.001-05:00

I've been a bad, bad blogger. Sorry :(

Now that you've gotten through the year in pictures...here's a little of what's been happening with our family.

It's been over a year since I've blogged. I can't believe it. But here I go again. I'm going to try to blog on a more regular basis.

So much has happened in the past year. Where in the world do I start? I think I'm just going to hit the high points and then I'll post some pictures. It's a start, right?

Last summer, wow...is a blur. We had a great summer. We visited Kansas City for a wedding, the boys got to meet their Uncle Sam for the first time as well as their cousins. It was super cute. Ian thought Kaitlyn looked like a princess in her wedding dress. We stayed at Great Wolf Lodge and LOVED it.

School started in August. Ian was in Kindergarten and Drew...well he was still in the 2 year old class. Why? Because he refused to potty in the bathroom. So, we had battle after battle and then one day...he just got it. He moved to the 3 year old class in January 2011.

Fall seemed to go by quickly. School activities, church fun and times with friends kept us busy. Then the holidays were here. Thanksgiving and Christmas were wonderful.

We had lots of snow at the beginning of 2011. LOTS. The boys loved it. Even though we were couped up in the house for a few days. We were blessed. We never lost power, we were warm and had food to eat.

We decided, shortly after the beginning of the year, to put our house on the market and buy a new home. With first grade rapidly approaching, we knew we needed to be in a different school district. So, the search began.

In late February, we found a new home. We had met with our lender and decided to buy our home and then concentrate on selling our old one. We were listed with Paul Wheeler and the team at Accent Realtors, so we knew we were in good hands. We made an offer and after some back and forth kind of stuff, our offer was accepted. Yippee. Now the craziness began. We ended up moving the weekend before Ian's 6th birthday. Talk about crazy. Moving and trying to plan a birthday party at the same time. Crazy. But, it all turned out well.

Our old house...well we did some much needed repair and it was on the market. Did I met ntion how wonderful Paul Wheeler and the Accent team are? Well...trust me, they are fabulous. Our house was on the market for 27 days and it sold. We were thrilled.

So, now we're settling in to our new home. Ian graduated from Kindergarten. My cousin Jan came for a visit from Kentucky. Charlie had yet another infection in his leg.

Speaking of Charlie....he got his old job back. Again....blessed, I tell you...blessed. He's been back at Fox 23 since Valentine's day and he loves it. :)

This summer is going well. The boys are attending kids kamp at Southpark Christian School. They will start school on August 22nd. We are in the Union Public School district and they will go to Moore elementary. Ian will be in first grade (yikes) and Drew in Pre-K.

We have had our heritage camps already this summer. Vietnam Weekend and India Camp were back to back the 3rd and 4th weekend in June. Geesh...I'm tired.

We hoping to go to Sea World this summer and then to Kansas City over Labor Day. The Cleveland Indians are playing the Kansas City Royals and as we all know....Charlie is a HUGE Cleveland fan. So, we're hoping to see the family again as stay at Great Wolf Lodge.

I'm sure I've left out a ton. As I remember it, I'll post. Thanks for wading through the pics and the post.

I'm Trying To Post

2011-07-02T00:12:00.000-05:00

OK...I have a long, long post ready...with pictures and everything, but I can't get it publish. Maybe it's because it's been so long :)

Nature vs. Nurture

2010-06-01T21:40:00.003-05:00

This is not going to be a long, long post regarding Nature vs. Nurture....but it's the title that kept popping into my head.

Right now, Ian is all about his daddy. He wants to act like Charlie, dress like Charlie, listen to the same music as Charlie, etc. It's a phase...or maybe it will last forever.

Last night as Ian was getting ready for bed I asked him where his I-pod was. He likes to listen to music when he's falling asleep and he has his own MP-3 player. He said "I don't know. I put it away so no one would get it and now I don't know where it is".

THAT IS SO MUCH LIKE CHARLIE.

There are times that I think he's couldn't be more like us if we had given birth to him.

BTW....still haven't found the mp-3 player.

Christy Nockels - A Mighty Fortress

2010-05-30T22:53:00.001-05:00

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this song. But this morning, in church, the words really spoke to me. God's Holy Spirit just poured all over me and allowed me to be totally in the moment...seemingly alone with Him. You know...one of those moments when you are in a full church but yet you and God are having a "moment". Oh, how I love those. If I only took more time....I'd have more of those moments. Our Praise Team does a fantastic job with this song. Tracy Crone sings the lead vocals and she is amazing. This morning....every instrument, every vocal, every single thing was perfect as only God can make it.

I hope you take time to listen to this great God song.

Just A Few Pics

2010-05-24T23:59:00.003-05:00

Our sweet Ian on Gotcha Day 2010....celebrating 4 years.

Drew at church on Mother's Day 2010. Sweet, sweet boy.

Proud Mommy and her boys after church on Mother's Day

Our precious, rotten, little boys. Oooooo....we love them so

The REAL Ian and Drew...silly monkeys.

May Musings

2010-05-20T19:48:00.003-05:00

After my last post, I realized that I may have sounded a bit harsh. Don't get me wrong, it's challenging with a very vocal 3 year old, but I'm so grateful to be the one he snuggles and calls Mommy.

Today was Ian's last day of Pre-K. He will be in Kindergarten in the fall. WHAT? When did that happen? I can't believe that he's 5 already. He's so excited about Kindergarten. He will go to Southpark Christian School for one more year. By then, we will have sold our house and be in a school district that is better for the kids. Hoping and praying it works out that way. Today Ian received his first official school certificate. Guess what it was for? Gentleness and caring about others. Charlie and I are so proud of him. He's a little charmer.

Drew has one more day of the K2 program at Southpark Christian School. He'll be out until the fall, when he starts K3. That is if he's fully potty trained. We're struggling with that. Charlie and Drew will be home during the day together this summer and that's their mission.

Drew is talking more and more each day. Here are some my recent favorite Drewisms:

"cover my up"
"oh my"
"it's gonna be awesome"
"no way jose"
"I sorry...I didn't mean to"

Ian is still talking up a storm and asking more questions than I have answers for. Now for some Ianisms:

"adoptanation" - graduation
"mommy, I love you with my whole heart"

They both bring us tons of joy each day. I wonder what we ever did with our time before we had kids. We are going to take our first real road trip in a couple of weeks to Kansas City for a wedding. We're going to stay at the Great Wolf Lodge and have lots of fun.

I promise when I can figure out what program is going to work on our new computer that will download the pictures from my camera, I'll post some. I have filled up one memory card in my big camera and I'm almost full in my other one. I have a LOT to download.

Drew....Almost 3

2010-05-14T18:41:00.002-05:00

He's almost three and the treacherous threes have begun. He's dramatic, throwing more tantrums, becoming quite opinionated, bossy, mouthy...yep...that about sums it up. I had forgotten how much I dislike this stage. It was hard age for Ian, but, I think it's going to be worse with Drew. He's such a smart little guy and he knows what pushes my buttons and when he's in one of his little moods....he pushes away.

OK...as I'm posting this he came in with a book and proceeded to sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star to me. How sweet.

How can he be so sweet one moment and then a terror the next? Ah...we will survive.

Dee-Sciples

2010-04-30T19:09:00.007-05:00

A recent conversation with Ian....

Ian: Mommy, do you know what a dee-sciple is?

Me: A disciple?

Ian: Yeah...a dee-sciple.

Me: I think I do, but maybe not. Why don't you tell me.

Ian: The dee-sciples were kinda like Jesus' friends. They helped him and stuff. Do you know what they did?

Me: What?

Ian: Well, there were some people and they were hungry. Jesus took some chicken, some french fries, some fish and some bread.....and he cut it in two.....and He and his dee-sciples fed everyone.

It's not quite the real story...but close. I guess he does pay attention from time to time.

Proverbs 22:6 - "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he his old he will not turn from it."

Five Year Old Checkup

2010-04-30T00:43:00.002-05:00

Ian had his 5 year old check up today. FIVE? Really? Five already? If you remember, when he was 4 he asked me if he'd be a grown up when he turned 5. But, five is one of those pivotal years...it's a big deal.

Today, he saw Dr. Sood and told me that he was very brave at the doctor's office and didn't cry a single time :) Dr. Sood says he's doing great. We may have a little vision problem, but nothing we can't fix. But, who knows at this age. Sometimes little 5 year olds who think they're grown up decide not to tell you if they can see the shape and what it is. We'll have him checked out further just to be sure all is well.

Vital statistics of our little man....at 5 years old.....he weighs 36 pounds (45th percentile on the US charts) and 41 inches tall (25th percentile on the US growth charts). He looks so big to us...but when he's around other kids his age...he looks a little small. We think Drew is going to be bigger than Ian...or at least that's what it's looking like. That will not go over so well with Ian. He, like all 5 year olds, thinks bigger is better.

Ja Ja's

2010-04-18T19:55:00.003-05:00

Drew is talking, talking, talking....maybe not as much as Ian...but he's certainly trying. Most things are clear, complete sentences. But, we have the occasional "what did he say?" moments. Tonight was one of those moments. He was standing on my lap and said "take my ja-ja's off mommy." That was a new one for me. I said "what Drew?" Frustrated he said "I do it. I take my ja ja's off". And...he proceeded to take his pajamas off. :)

This is OUR TRUTH

2010-04-16T23:06:00.004-05:00

I missed the big Adoption Blogger day yesterday. But, that doesn't mean that I'm going to let a little thing like that stop me from posting today. Most of you have heard the story of the little boy adopted from Russia who was sent back to Russia by the woman who adopted him. I won't call her his mother...because, frankly, I don't think she deserves to be called that. That story is what has prompted adoptive families from all over the country to tell OUR TRUTH.

Our story began like so many other families....infertility. We tried to have biological children when we were newly married and for several years after...but that wasn't in the cards for us. We briefly talked about adoption, but never a serious conversation. We went on with our lives. Relocated to Tulsa, OK from Huntington, WV in 1996. We were both still heavily involved with the US Jaycees and I, in particular, had convinced myself that the desire for children was gone. Who in the world was I kidding? When people asked us if we were ever going to have children we'd say..."nah...we're too set in our ways to have a kid". All the while, secretly wanting a child of our own.

In 2003, we met a wonderful couple, the Gilmartins. They were in the process of adopting a little girl from China. We were so thrilled for them when they received Molly Mei's referral and couldn't wait for them to bring her home. Still, the words were never spoken between Charlie and I...the longing for a child just continued to grow. In January 2004 we went to Molly's first birthday party. She was such a beautiful little girl and we were just mesmerized by her and the whole process that Steph and Paul had experienced. We watched the video of her Gotcha Day in China...I think I cried through most of it. Soon after the video ended, Charlie said it was time to go. As we were walking to the car, he put his arm around me and said "we need to do this." I thought I was going to pass out. He didn't have to say it twice...I was on it.

I started researching agencies, requesting information, obsessing about becoming an adoptive family. I was in heaven. I won't bore you with all of the details through this part...but we ended up with a wonderful, reputable, Christian adoption agency...Dillon International (literally 5 miles from our home).

We waited 11 AGONIZING months for Ian's referral. It was awful. But, on September 7, 2005, when I got back from lunch I had a voice mail from Tami at Dillon. They had a referral of a little boy and wanted to know if we wanted to take a look. It was not the warm fuzzy feeling we had imagined though. Ian had some medical issues that we needed to consider. But...once we worked through that we KNEW he was our son. Five months later that sweet baby was placed in our arms FOREVER. He's not a perfect child by any means...but he's OUR child. As you can tell by my previous blog posts....he warms our heart and our home.

In 2007, we decided that our family was not complete and we started our second adoption. This time from Vietnam. It took us a little longer to get our paperwork completed for the second adoption, but we went on the waiting list and 5 days later....on October 5, 2007 we got "the call". Well... Charlie got the call. We rushed to the Dillon office and 15 minutes later looked at the picture of our newest baby boy. This tiny, tiny baby was in a orphanage half way around the world but we KNEW that he, too, was our son. We were so excited because he was only a little over 2 months old. The families who had traveled recently had only been waiting about 3-4 months from referral to travel date. I was so excited....we were going to get him home while he was still a small baby. With International adoption nothing is ever certain...and timelines...as our agencies tell us...are simply estimates. What we thought was going to be a short wait ended up being almost 11 months. But....we traveled when God had planned for us to travel. We left the day before my birthday in 2008 and on July 29, 2008 we held our Drew for the first time. Two days later he legally became our son FOREVER.

These boys are from different places, different biological parents and different cultures...but they are OUR BOYS. We could not love them, worry about them, hurt for them, cheer for them or treasure them any more than we do. There is NO doubt....NONE....that they are OURS. I could not imagine our lives without them. There are days when they drive us crazy. But at the end of the day....they call us mommy and daddy and that makes it all worth it.

These are the referral pictures of our sweet little guys. God is so good....ALL THE TIME! That my friends is OUR TRUTH.

That's What I Like About You

2010-04-08T17:34:00.003-05:00

If I were blog savy, I'd find the song and imbed it in this post...but...I'm not.

I've been thinking a lot about my boys lately. How can I not think about them...they're all over me all most every minute I'm home. Not that I'm complaining though. So, I thought I would come up with my current "Like" list for each of them. One day...I'll come up with my "Dislike" list (hopefully that one's not very long). So...here we go....

The things I like about Ian Everett Kushal Conner:

-Sweet smile
-Beautiful eyes
-hugs
-the way his little mind thinks and processes information...so inquisitive.
-they way he loves me...unconditionally
-his impatient nature (that will also go on the dislike list)
-his love for Jesus
-the songs...the guitar playing
-his dances
-the way he runs
-his sense of humor
-the way he protects his little brother
-his thumb sucking (when he's sleepy)
-the way he waves good bye to me in the morning and says "have a good day mommy"
-his desire to learn about India
-his love for his daddy
-the kisses...the sweet, sweet kisses

The things I like about Drew Austin Quang Conner:

-that sweet little dimple on his left cheek
-the way he loves his blanket
-when he says "I lob mommy, I lob daddy, I lob bubba....I lob eeerbody"
-his "I kiss mommy" times....many times during the evening
-the way he sticks his little feet up and says "pee...yew...tinky feet"
-the thousand times a day he says "wats that" (also making it to the dislike list)
-his version of Itsy Bitsy Spider
-the way his little eyes just dance when he smiles
-the way he runs to me when I get home and squeals "mommy, mommy, mommy"
-his adorable jumping...both on the ground and on the bed
-the new phrase..."I do it"
-when he says his full name when he's asked his name
-his desire to learn all things that his bubba knows

There are so many things I love about my boys....both of them....these are just a few. Hopefully I'll figure out how to download pictures in a day or two. We have a new computer and my camera software is not working...or it could just be operator error :)

Where Did My Baby Go?

2010-03-18T14:25:00.003-05:00

In a mere 6 days, my baby will be FIVE...yes FIVE years old. I can't believe it. It really only seems like yesterday that we were coming home from India with this precious little guy. These are his birthday pictures. He's looking way too grown up. He's so excited to be turning 5. He thinks he'll be a grown up with he hits that 5 year old mark. He's sure that his tooth is loose...but it's not. He told me last week that he needed braces...how in the world does he even know what braces are or what they're for? At least 3 times a day, when he's frustrated or mad at me, he tells me "you can't come to my birthday party". :) He is a smooth mess I tell you...a mess. But, he's my little mess and I love him so.

We're Still Here

2010-02-15T20:47:00.002-06:00

It's been way too long since my last post. Sorry :(

I went home to West Virginia for a few days to attend my aunt's funeral. It was a sad occasion, but I was so happy to get to spend some time with my family. I missed all three of my boys like crazy though. It was nice to get home and hug on them for a little while.

January and the beginning of February brought the sick monster to our house. All of us have been sick at one time or another. Thankfully...we're all healthy right now. Little Drew had the hardest time of all. He even made his first trip to the ER. What a trooper though.

We're getting ready to celebrate Gotcha Day #4 on Wednesday. It's hard to believe that 4 years ago we were in India. Time truly does fly once these little guys come home. The waiting to get them....well, all of my adoptive parent friends know....it's just brutal.

Ian still amazes us almost daily with his vocabulary and perceptiveness. He's at a really fun and frustrating age. While I love watching his little mind grow and develop...I don't love how the mouth develops right along with it. I must tell him a dozen times a day "watch your mouth Ian". Kids can pick up some really bad habits from their peers at school. They also pick up on what we say as well. I have really had to clean up my mouth :) He's very excited about his birthday that's coming up in March. He asked me a couple of months ago if he'd be a grown up when he turned 5? :)

Drew's little vocabulary is growing, growing, growing. He knows all of his colors and shapes and can count to 12 without help. He gets a little messed up after that. He LOVES his mommy....I mean he really LOVES me. He just can't stop smiling when I come home from work. He gets so excited. That warms a mommy's heart. He also adores his "bubba". He and Ian are constantly rough housing. Daddy is usually in the middle of the crowd and Drew (and Ian) think he's pretty darn cool.

I promise...I'll post some of our Gotcha Day happenings and possibly pictures. We're going to take Ian out of school half a day on Wednesday to celebrate. We told him he could pick a nice restaurant to go to for lunch that day. What did he pick? Wendy's. I said "no, Ian...a nice restaurant." He looked at me and said "OK...how about McDonald's?"

Almost Heaven...West Virginia

2010-01-10T16:36:00.002-06:00

While the reason that I'm heading home for a few days makes me so very sad, I'm looking forward to seeing my family and friends.

I received a call today about 11:30am (CST) that my aunt passed away. She had been literally hanging on by a thread for a very long time. Her frail little body had done all it could do and now she's resting in the arms of her saviour. What a glorious reunion I'm sure she's having in Heaven. Seeing her sisters, her only brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins and her mom and dad. My aunt, Vada, was such a sweet, sweet woman. I honesty don't think she had a mean bone in her body. I have been part of their family since I was 7 years old and I can't ever remember her saying a mean or hateful thing about anyone.

Crafty...that's another way I remember Vada. She loved to quilt, crochet, cross stitch and sew. She had a real talent for sewing.

She never married, which is a shame. She had so much love to give. I always thought that she'd be the perfect grandmother.

Rest in peace dear Vada....another of God's good soldiers has gone home.

The Sweet Innocence of a Child

2010-01-05T21:19:00.002-06:00

Children are so innocent. Many times when we're in the throws of parentng it's hard to remember just how innocent and sweet our children can be. Tonight was a big reminder for me.

My aunt, back in West Virginia, is very sick and probably dying. After I got off the phone with her care giver this evening. Ian had lots of questions. He's a very perceptive little boy. I explained to him that Vada is very, very sick. He asked "what happened to her?" I said "well, she has a bad heart." He quickly replied "I'll share my heart with her mommy, ok?" I had a huge lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. Such a sweet, innocent little guy. I love my Ian.

Thank you God for reminding me just how special this child is...every day....every way.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T17:06:00.004-06:00

Christmas 2009 is in the books. What a wonderful season it's been. We had a great Christmas. Although, for the first time ever, Tulsa had a blizzard warning on Christmas Eve. We had lots of snow and lots of blowing snow. Lots of sleet, rain and ice. Christmas Eve was pretty miserable outside, but inside we were snug as a bug. We had lots of fun making cookie for Santa and getting ready for Santa's visit. Our church services, like most of Tulsa churches, were canceled. This was really strange for us. We LOVE our Christmas Eve candlelight service. The boys went to bed around 8:30pm. Ian was a little concerned that Santa might take our plate that the cookies were on, but I reassured him that Santa would leave the plate and just eat the cookies.

Ian woke up at 5am, but I convinced him that he needed to stay in bed a little while longer. So, at 6:15am he had all he could handle. He was ready to get up and nothing was stopping him. We woke Drew up (which is not a fun thing to do) and headed to the living room to see if Santa had stopped by. Then the madness ensued. Drew had a great time this year and Ian always enjoys Christmas. Ian had asked Santa for a guitar and he was thrilled to see that Santa had listened. He also got a big boy bike....and he was SO excited. Of course, with 8 inches of snow outside, he had to ride it in the kitchen (for now). After all of the presents were opened...they played and played with their new stuff. Ian serenaded us several times with his guitar. Drew even got in on the action.

After lunch and a nap, we headed outside to play in the snow. Ian is fearless and just jumped right in. Drew is not so brave. He played for a few minutes and then said "I keared" (I'm scared). So I took him back inside. Ian played outside with Charlie for a while longer.

We are so blessed. We had a great Christmas. After all of the festivities and presents and mayhem....we still remember the real reason for Christmas. "For unto us a child is born"....that child would be our Saviour and King. I pray that your holiday season was filled with lots of fun, family, friends and love. Enjoy the pictures of the Conner Christmas!

Merry Cricket

2009-12-20T00:59:00.003-06:00

It's hard to believe that it's almost Christmas. Where has the year gone? We've been busy throughout the season, but not so much that we haven't had time to enjoy it. Thankfully, we've all been well.

Ian continues to just be a rowdy, inquisitive 4 year old. He still asks tons of questions and talks ALL the time. He's having lots of fun at school, especially with his friends Sazel (just like Hazel, but with a S) and Ian H. We hear about them everyday. Yesterday he kept saying a new word..."ridicnified"....a combination of ridiculous and dignified. When I asked Ian what the word means he said "it's something important Mommy". Who knows. He's looking forward to Christmas this year. He hasn't asked for much, only little toy bicycle that he saw in a Target flyer about 2 months ago. The new favorite movie in our house is The Polar Express. Both boys love it, but Ian especially does. He has had 2 Christmas programs...one at Church and one at School. He didn't sing during the "Quids Choir" (aka Kids Choir) performance at church. He sat down and played with his motorcycle. Note to self...no toys in church. For his school performance, he did very well. He sang and did most of the hand motions. We visited Rhema to see the Christmas lights on Friday night and took the opportunity to visit Santa while we were there. Ian of course had to ask him where his sleigh was.

Drew is growing up way too fast. With the second child, I find myself wanting him to stay a baby just a little while longer. He's talking more and more (when he gets a chance). His favorite questions are "what color" and "why". He'll ask "what color" and then tell us himself. He has been so much fun this Christmas season. He LOVES the "Cricket Tree" (Christmas tree) and the "Cricket" lights. When he sees the lights he'll yell "I see nother one". The first time he did this, the boys and I were in the car coming home from parents night out at church. Every time we passed Christmas lights, that's what I heard. It was so much fun. When we went to Rhema this past Friday evening, his little mouth was open and he looked around and of course said "I see nother one". He wasn't so sure about Santa, but he didn't cry this year. He had fun at Ian's Christmas program at school. Of course while the principal was praying to open the program, I guess Drew thought the prayer was a little too long....about mid way through....with quiet all around us...Drew said "Amen". Christmas morning is going to be so much fun for him this year.

Charlie and I are doing well. We both have jobs and in this economy, that's something to be thankful for. I'm off work all week this week and I'm so looking forward to it. I'm hoping to do a little baking and get all of the presents wrapped before Thursday. Charlie has to work Christmas Eve (overnight shift). I'm praying I can keep Ian in bed until Charlie get home at 8am.

We are so blessed to have our two boys....they bring so much joy to our lives. Watching them begin to understand the real Christmas story is so touching. Merry Christmas everyone.

November 15th....Hmmm....

2009-11-15T16:54:00.003-06:00

Is it too early to put the Christmas tree up? Again...I'm so very excited about the holiday season. Ian is getting excited too. He asked me yesterday if we were going to be able to put the Christmas tree in the living room since there's so much stuff in the floor? Hmmmmm....good question. So my response was....well, if you don't put your toys away we might not get to put the tree up. As of this moment...toys are still all over the floor. :(

This morning, we were blessed to have Tony Campolo speak at our church. What an amazing speaker...preacher. He was inspiring and challenging. If you ever get the chance to see him in person, do it...you will be touched, blessed, and motivated. I've been thinking about this for a while, but now I'm serious....I'm going to go on my first mission trip in 2010. I'm not sure where yet. Wherever God wants me to go. We have several opportunities coming up. I need to be in prayer about this and I need for you, my friends, to join me. I need to GO. I need to follow what God is telling my heart and GO!

The second part of this post doesn't seem to match the first part....but that's my world. Things don't always match up.

Pajamas....No Pajamas

2009-10-24T22:55:00.002-05:00

When we put Drew to bed at night, he's snug as a bug. It's typical fall weather here...a little chilly at night and in the mornings. Drew's a bit cold natured (who knew), so when I know it's going to be chilly, I make sure he has footy pajamas on. He loves his pajamas. At least I think he does.

To our surprise, he's taking his pj's off at night. Sometime in the middle of the night, off they come. They're still in the crib with him...just not ON him. This morning his little feet were so cold. I said "Drew, where are your pajamas?"...and with that sweet, dimply smile he said "jamas nigh nigh mommy". I supposed that means they're in his crib.

This evening he was running around the house in just his pull up. I looked around and he's running towards me naked as can be. He hands me his pull up and says "Pee, pee pull up mommy". This boy is ready to potty training.

Gotta love my naked little boy. Wonder if the pajamas will be on or off tomorrow morning? Hmmmmmm.

What's Happening?

2009-10-18T08:42:00.004-05:00

It's been too long since I've updated the blog. Bad mommy, bad mommy.

We're all doing great. Typical fall allergy stuff going around our house, but for the most part pretty healthy.

Let's start with Drew. He's growing and changing so much. He has the sweetest little personality. Whenever I give him something...no matter what it is...he sweetly says "tank you mommy". I got umbrellas for the boys a couple of weeks ago. You would have thought I gave Drew the moon. No less that 15 times in an hour he said "tank you mommy". He also has quite the little temper. He can get SO angry when we don't understand what he wants or, heaven forbid don't give him what he wants. He's still our little drama boy. Sometimes when he's in the midst of one of his little fits, he'll open one little eye to see if we're watching him. Such a little stinker. He loves going to "school". He goes 3 days a week and when it's time for him to go on Wednesdays he gets so excited to see "Hawly" (Holly). He's a good sleeper for the most part. He does much better when Charlie's home. Daddy's a no non-sense kinda guy. Mommy's a little softer and he knows it. If he says "nigh, nigh"...then he'll go right to sleep. If not, then I have a problem usually. Not many nights though. He loves his crib and his"bankie". The past few nights when I've said "Drew, it's time for bed, " he'll say "I drink milk". He sits down and drinks his milk. He's talking more and more. We can understand most of it. Such a sweet little boy.

What's up with Ian? Oh my...he's growing up way too fast. Still as talkative as ever. He very clearly tells me that he's 4 1/2 now and that he'll soon be 5. He loves school. He's the only boy in his class. There is another K4 class that has 3 boys and the classes combine for the "special" classes (computer, Spanish, Music, Art and PE)...and of course recess. He still misses "Tezzie" his little friend from Day Schools. His writing is improving. He gets frustrated when he can't write something "perfectly". He wants to just stop. So, we're working on that. He's a smart little boy. He's still one of the most thoughtful little boys I've ever met. Last Sunday, I was home with a bug. Charlie and the boys went to church. When they got home, I was in bed and Ian came in and found me immediately. He hugged me and asked how I was feeling. Then he said "mommy, I told daddy we need to pray for you." Talk about a big lump in my throat. Later that day, it was nap time. Ian and I were lying in the bed and he said "mommy, can I pray for you?"...so of course I said "yes". He went on to say "Dear God, thank for all of our stuff and God please make my mommy feel better, Jesus name...Amen". From his mouth directly to the ears of God. I couldn't hold back the tears. So, so sweet. Now...that sweetness can turn foul in an instant. He has a very strong personality. He's a typical pre-schooler. He knows everything and wants everything instantly. He gets frustrated and his "sweet" little mouth gets him in trouble from time to time. I think that's probably the hardest thing for us to deal with for us....his mouth. He's very interested in the "Ian Story" and we talk about it almost daily. He doesn't really want to talk about how he got to the orphanage yet, but he loves hearing about how we came to get him. He can pretty much tell the story himself. He's still fascinated with anything with anything that has wheels...cars, trains, planes, bikes, etc. He makes us laugh daily and we truly are blessed with this little boy.

God has blessed us with these two sweet, wild, expressive little boys and we are so thankful. Even during the trying times, we cannot imagine our lives without these little miracles.

Update Coming...BUT....Counting Down The Hours

2009-10-14T22:31:00.003-05:00

I promise...a long over due update is coming. Hopefully this weekend.

BUT....we're counting down the hours until the Gilmartin's are FINALLY a family of four. October 15th is Gotcha Day for Maggie. It's been FOUR years in the making. I'm stalking their blog as much as I possibly can waiting for those first pictures of their sweet family.

My Kids Are Saying....

2009-09-24T18:44:00.002-05:00

Drew...
Hammummer (aka Hamburger)

Ian....
"Mommy, mommy...I have a VERY important question for you. What holds our toes on to our feet?"

Right now...they're screaming in the bathtub. One screams and the other one laughs. They are having fun. Just said to his Daddy..."no...no...we need to take that out...we're in the wash down"...someone has been watching too much Thomas.

Sweet talkative little boys.

A Composer Perhaps?

2009-09-09T00:00:00.002-05:00

Ian has always loved singing. It could be because Charlie and I sing all the time or have music on all the time...but none the less....the boy loves music and singing. Lately, as do most toddlers, he's been making up his own songs.

Here are just a few of the new "hits"....
Spiderman Goes to Church (lyrics: Spiderman, Spiderman goes to church and prays and sings and then goes out to eat pancakes).
Transformers Go to Church With Spiderman (not sure of the lyrics on this one...he sang this one to a little girl who was crying in the Toddler room at Church on Sunday morning)
Spiderman Goes to the Tire Shop
Transformers Get Their Oil Changed
Micky Mouse Goes to the Tire Shop Like Spiderman and Gets His Tires Changed

I was on the phone tonight with my Aunt and I told her about Ian's new songs. I got one of the titles mixed up and he quickly corrected me by saying "Mommy, that's not right...it's Micky Mouse Goes to the Tire Shop LIKE Spiderman and Gets His Tires Changed". It was all I could do not to bust out laughing. My Aunt Mae could hear him and she laughed and laughed.

Watch for the CD out in stores in time for Christmas. :)

ism's

2009-09-03T16:44:00.003-05:00

Lately, there have not been many Ianism's....mostly because he's getting older and his little vocabulary has exploded. He still talks non stop...I mean NON STOP. He asks a thousand questions and is not afraid to tell us what he thinks. His little sassy attitude gets him in trouble quite often though. We have to work on that daily. Charlie and I are going to go through a study at our church beginning next Sunday night called "Have A New Kid By Friday." We'll see how it goes.

Here are some of Drew's latest "Drewism's":

awe ober - all over
boon - balloon
a wer - color
soos oft - shoes off
cocks oft - socks off
mook - milk
mote - remote
nack - snack
nigh nigh dite dite - night, night diaper

This list gets bigger as the days go on. His little vocab is expanding. He doesn't talk quite as much as Ian, but he doesn't get a chance. :)

The latest Ianism......

fly shooter - fly swatter

Love my talkative little men.

Counting and Other Drew Stuff

2009-09-02T01:22:00.002-05:00

Drew has been "counting" for a while now. Usually he points to things and says "2...5...6". Well tonight, Mr. Smarty was sitting on my lap and pointed to the tires on a little car and said "1...2...3"....and then he repeated it "1....2....3". So cute.

This child is going to be my child that ends up in the emergency room with broken bones or gashes or something else. He has no fear. He jumps, climbs, rolls, flips...you name it...he tries it. His gross motor skills amaze me. He thinks he can do everything that Ian does...and more. If he can't reach something, he goes in the kitchen, gets his little chair from his little table and carries it with him so he can climb up and get whatever it is he wants (usually things he is not supposed to have). My hiding places are getting higher and higher. Poor little guy...I swear I still think he thinks his name is "Drew....No." Hopefully we'll get through this climbing / dare devil stage without any major injuries.

My Big Little Boy

2009-08-27T14:14:00.003-05:00

Today was Drew's 2 year check up with the doctor. He's doing GREAT. He is in the 30th percentile for weight (26 pounds 1 1/2 ounces) and in the 35th percentile for height (33 3/4 inches). He's a big boy. Developmentally he's ahead of the scale. He's a keeper :)

Good...no...Great News

2009-08-24T14:55:00.002-05:00

Our friends, the Gilmartins, got some GREAT news today. Check out their family blog here or click on their name in the side bar column. Stephanie, Paul and their sweet daughter Molly were the catalysts for us starting our adoption journey. They have waited FOUR YEARS for this day. We are beyond excited for them.

Best Friends

2009-08-18T23:11:00.002-05:00

This evening we were watching the movie "Cars" for the one millionth time I think. Ian loves that movie and now Drew does too. Ian goes in spurts where he'll recite some of the dialogue. Lately it's been Mater lines. The other evening I said "Ian, what did I say about such and such?"...he quickly replied "ta not to". I almost laughed out loud, but I refrained.

Tonight as we were watching the part where Mater tells Lightin McQueen..."I knew I'd made a good choice"...Lightin says "in what?"...Mater responds "my best friend". I asked Ian if he knew who may best friend is and he said no. So I told him it was his Daddy. Without missing a beat he says "Mommy...do you know who my best friend is? It's Drew...and Jesus....yep Jesus...cause I love all the little children". Oh my...tears, tears, tears. So sweet. Moments like these just make me want to stand up and praise God for the absolutely amazing gift he gave us in Ian.

A little later this evening I was getting the boys pajama's while they were in the bathtub. Ian says "hey mommy....Matthew 19:14...."and Jesus said 'Let the little children come to me'....that' my Bible verse Mommy". Tears again. It's been a very weepy evening for me...I'm crying now as I type this. :)

My prayer is that Jesus is always his best friend!

Just Because....

2009-08-15T01:02:00.000-05:00

I like this picture ;)

The Boys

2009-08-12T23:47:00.002-05:00

Drew decided I wasn't meeting his demand to brush his teeth fast enough. So he climbed into the sink all by himself and proceeded to try to brush his teeth.

Gotta love that smile and that sweet dimple. This was taken at Brad's a couple of weeks ago. Both boys LOVE the water. Drew wasn't so sure about the big pool at first...now we can't keep up with him.

Drew's first day of the 2 year old program at Southpark Christian School. He was ever so confident as he was leaving the house, but Charlie said he cried when he dropped him off. That was day one...since then...he runs to his classroom. He loves it.

Ian's first day of the K4 program at Southpark Christian School. He looks way to grown up in this picture for his mommy. He loves his class...day one. I think he'll really enjoy it. His teacher is great and has lots of fun and exciting things planned for them this year. Can't wait to see how he grows and matures throughout the year. Wait...what am I talking about? That will just mean he's growing up. Yikes!

Nuggets and Stuff

2009-08-06T23:00:00.002-05:00

Not chicken nuggets....just nuggets.

Ian is always coming up with stuff that I don't want to forget, so I put it on the blog.

Tonight at the dinner table he said "it's starting to get dark. Hey Mommy....where Jesus is, does he have a light switch to turn off to make it dark?"

Last night we were in the living room watching Yo Gabba Gabba...a favorite for both boys. One of the scenes talked about happy thoughts and things that make you happy. I asked Ian what made him happy? He said "ummmm, Christmas makes me happy. Sitting on Daddy's lap makes me happy, hugging my baby brother makes me happy and loving on my Daddy makes me happy." So sweet...but where' mommy?

Drew started a Mother's Day Out program at Southpark Christian School this week. I'm so excited. He will go 3 days a week. That'll give Charlie a chance to sleep since he works until 4am . The first day, Drew cried when Charlie left him...but today...he RAN to his classroom. He's doing really well. When I asked him this morning if he was ready to go to school he shook his little head and said "aaaayyyyaaaahhhh" (that yes in Drew speak). The he hopped off my lap and said "mon...go cool" (come on....go school). So cute.

Ian starts in the K4 class at Southpark next Wednesday. Can't believe it. He's really looking forward to it. He has his new Bumblebee backpack and he's ready to go. He doesn't watch Transformers yet...but he loves the toys.

Tonight when I got home from work, Drew was screaming. I mean SCREAMING. He was so mad. He wanted a "nana" (banana). Longish story shortish....he first banana was eaten by the dog...that made him mad, then Charlie told him he needed to wait until after dinner and that made it worse. He threw a screaming FIT....unlike anything I've seen him do before, for about 20 minutes. T-E-M-P-E-R. Finally it was time for dinner and that settled him down. After that...it was a great evening, but boy was he mad.

All of my boys are sleeping and I love these moments. I just feel so happy and secure knowing that Charlie, Ian and Drew are sleeping in their beds. I'm a lucky momma.

Drew - One Year Later

2009-08-01T14:57:00.003-05:00

We had a full day yesterday. Played in the park yesterday morning followed by a picnic lunch at the Jones Airport watching airplanes take off and land. The boys had so much fun (and so did we). Here are just a few of the pics from our day. Look at those eye lashes. I have two beautiful boys that have the most gorgeous eyes.

For the 4,999th time today....what's that? His favorite question right now.

Happy Gotcha Day Drew

2009-07-31T00:02:00.001-05:00

One year ago today we became Drew's parents FOREVER. What a glorious day. That day was long and full of lots of raw emotions. The only home he had ever known and the only people he had ever known were suddenly replaced by these crazy people who just wanted to kiss and hold him. I will always wonder what went through his little mind.

The day started with us going to the orphanage to pick up Drew and Layne Nhi (the Perkins' little girl). When we arrived, Layne Nhi came right out with her nanny to meet her mommy and daddy. Charlie and I climbed the staircase to get Drew. Once we were upstairs, we found Drew and his nanny, Thao, in the room beside the little kids bedroom. It was like a storage room for the extra cribs, supplies and such. She was holding him and talking to him and crying....sobbing. Her little heart was breaking. We stepped out onto the balcony for a few minutes to give her a little bit of time alone with him to say good bye. One of the older nannies came in and talked to her. She turned around, kissed Drew one more time and gave him to me. I tried my best to say thank you in Vietnamese. She ran from the room crying. We walked into the bedroom so I could take a picture of his crib. She came in, put him in the crib so I could take the picture. She loved on him a little more and then left the room. It was such a sweet moment. You could tell that she truly loved this child.

This is Thao with Drew shortly after we arrived at the orphanage. As you can see her little eyes are red and puffy.

After we said our good byes upstairs, we headed downstairs to meet with the Director of the orphanage. We had a brief meeting with him, the assistant director and the social worker. Then it was time to head to the actual Giving and Receiving Ceremony. As we packed up the van to leave, Thao ran downstairs with a bottle for Drew.

This picture tears at my heart. You can't see it very well in the picture, but Thao is on the other side of the window and Drew has his little hand pressed against the window. Such a tender moment.

It didn't take long to go to the Justice Center. We arrived, walked upstairs and sat down. Drew fell asleep and slept through the entire ceremony. The officials came in, reviewed the paperwork and we signed some more papers. They they asked Charlie and Andy to make a statement.

The ceremony wasn't boring....just tiresome to a 1 year old. I loved holding my sleeping baby.

Phoung (Dillon Staff) with the orphanage director and the Justice official.

After the ceremony we headed downstairs. During our ceremony, a group of about 12 students came in. They were studying to be social workers. They were there to observe the ceremony.

Our travel buddies, Jill, Andy and Layne Nhi Perkins along with the social work students immediately following our Giving and Receiving Ceremony.

After the photos, it was time to get back in the van and go back to the hotel to check out. We still had a long drive back to Ho Chi Minh ahead of us. But, honestly...that didn't really matter. We finally had Drew. The long was to get him was over.

After we checked out of the hotel, we drove the 7 hours back to Ho Chi Minh. That's a long drive. Layne Nhi did great and so did Drew. He slept quite a bit, played some and was really a trouper. He was so tired by the time we hit a traffic jam just outside of Ho Chi Minh. He cried and cried and cried. Threw up...cried some more.....threw up some more....cried. Finally, he fell back to sleep. When we arrived back at the Rex, we got into our room and I tried desperately not to wake him. I even changed his diaper and clothes while he was lying on his tummy. That was a first for me.

The day finally came. We waited 10 LONG months from the time of our referral to travel. Not as long as Julie and Scarlett waited though. But still a ridiculously long time. We couldn't believe that it had finally happened and that we were almost completely finished. Just a little more paperwork and we would be done. We LOVED Vietnam. Let me say that again. WE LOVED VIETNAM. It's a beautiful country with beautiful people. I'm trying to put a slide show together of our time in Vietnam...hopefully I can get that done soon.

On July 31, 2008....God completed our family when a little boy from a small town in Vietnam became ours forever.

This Day...One Year Ago....

2009-07-29T02:11:00.002-05:00

Our first "up close, in person look at Drew."...one year ago today. My heart melted and still melts when he looks at me with those sweet eyes and pouty lips. One year ago, my heart skipped a beat and today my heart is full. God is so good!!!!!!
Here is our Drew in his 2 year old pictures. Almost exactly a year from the day we met him in his orphanage in Vietnam. His little life has changed so much in a year....and so has ours. God has blessed us more than we could ever deserve.

The next couple of days will be filled with emotion for me. Thinking of the day we met Drew to the day he was placed in our arms forever to the day we arrived home....such a joyous time in our lives. So much to say, but it's 2am and our sweet Drew is now finally asleep. He's had a rough night. Not sure why, but he's sleeping soundly for now. It's time for Mommy to go back to bed. More posts, pictures, thoughts and memories to follow.

Sweet and Sour

2009-07-25T23:41:00.002-05:00

I think naps for Ian are about to become a thing of the past. Especially on the weekend. I don't know if it's because I'm home and he just doesn't want to nap or if he's getting ready to give up his naps. Today...for the second Saturday in a row...he "wasn't tired"..."wasn't sleepy"...etc. He was a mess all afternoon...quite cranky this evening.

Amidst all of the crankiness comes some sweetness.

Ian and I were snuggling on the couch and he said "hey mommy, can I have a girlfriend"? Hmmmmm...where did that come from? I said "well, someday you can Ian.".....He went on to say "mommy, I want you to be my girlfriend, ok?" So sweet. This boy has stolen my heart a million times in the 3 short years we've been a family.

A Job For Ian

2009-07-18T11:02:00.002-05:00

I love talking to Ian. I mean seriously, I love talking to Ian. His little imagination is just flourishing and some of the stories he comes up with are pretty large and funny.

His latest is about his "job". On Wednesday evening, we had a lengthy conversation about his "job". He told me he works at the tire shop. I asked him what the name of the business was and he looked at me with that "duh" kind of look and said "mommy...I told you...Tire Shop." He went on to tell me about fixing tires for monster trucks and how he has a drain in the floor and how the car is up but the tires are down. I asked him if he made a lot of money at his job and he said "yes." So, I proceeded to ask him how much money he made? He said "six dollars". I then ask him how long he worked each day. "Three minutes". Ok..so six dollars for 3 minutes...not too bad I guess. He just gets so serious and talks like such a big boy when he's telling me his stories. He told his daddy the same story on Thursday evening.

Who knows what the next story will be. Stay tuned!

One Year Ago

2009-07-14T18:37:00.002-05:00

We received the coveted email from the US Consulate in Vietnam saying we had pre-approval to complete Drew's adoption. It was the most joyous email ever. We had been waiting TEN LONG months to travel. The agony fades once you have your child in your arms...but you never forget. Just like we'll never forget the 11:15pm phone call from Jynger saying CHECK YOUR EMAIL. She said she had never called a family that late before, but she knew we'd want to know. We wouldn't have cared if it had been 3am. Did we sleep that night? Heck no...too excited to sleep. In a little over two weeks we'll celebrate our first Gotcha Day with Drew. What a year it's been.

Andy, Jill and Layne Nhi....we're so glad you were on this journey with us in Vietnam. Hard to believe it's been a year. We love you guys!!!

Drew's 2nd Birthday Weekend

2009-07-13T00:12:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday Drew!!!

It's been a great weekend. We have celebrated all weekend long. This is Drew's first year home with us on his birthday and boy was it fun.

We started our weekend on Friday evening with a trip to Incredible Pizza. Ian has always loved to go there, but this was Drew's first time. He ate a good dinner, drank his lemonade and then we were off to play games. His little eyes got so big when we first walked in. He didn't know quite what to think of all of the lights and noises but he quickly adjusted. We finished the evening with some dessert and then headed home.

Saturday evening we went to the splash park in Broken Arrow. Both kids love this place. It was a hot evening and they had so much fun. The first time we visited the park, Drew was a little hesitant...but this time...he jumped right in. We were there about an hour and a half. Both boys were tired when we left.

Today we had Drew's party. I was so excited that we would be able to have an "outside" party since Drew's birthday is in July. WHAT WAS I THINKING? It was 102 degrees here today. Fortunately, we had a shelter in the park...so that helped. Lots of our friends came out to help Drew celebrate. Even though it felt like 152 degrees to me....we had a great time. Drew loved playing in the park, his cupcake cake and his new presents. Charlie and I laughed because we don't know which is worse...8 inches of snow on Ian's birthday or 102 degrees on Drew's. Oh well...eventful none the less.

While we have had a fabulous weekend, my heart has been a little sad. I think about a young women on the other side of the world who chose life for this baby and placed him where he could be found. We may never know her name or anything about her, but I do know that she loved this child. She will never know the gift that she gave us. Drew was meant to be our child....that was God's plan. I am so very thankful to his birth mother...so very thankful. I pray that she feels some sort of comfort...even though she might not know why she's feeling it. I pray that somehow she knows that he is loved and cared for.

Happy Birthday Baby Drew....we love you very, very much!

Ian and Mia

2009-06-29T00:33:00.002-05:00

I was looking through some old photos tonight and came across these. Most everyone knows that Mia and Ian are from the same orphanage in India and were actually crib mates for a little while. Ian was born in March 05 and Mia in May 05. They spent 8 months of their lives together in a small orphanage in Kolkata India and now are a mere 90 miles apart in Oklahoma. We have always said that it's a God thing. These children could have been placed anywhere in the world and both of them are in Oklahoma...just a short drive on the turnpike. We have a special place in our hearts for Mia and her family. While that 90 miles isn't far...it's hard to get together with a total of 4 little ones. We must do a better job.

Tuckers....we love you guys! These photos were taken in August 2006...just a few months after Ian and Mia arrived home. This was their first India Heritage Camp.

India Heritage Camp - Days Two and Three

2009-06-27T21:52:00.003-05:00

What a great weekend. It was fun seeing old friends and making new ones. This, as I mentioned in an earlier post, was Ian's first year as a real camper. This camp is work. The kids had their classes from 10:00am - 3:30 on Thursday and Friday. Then again from 10 - noon on Saturday. No wonder Ian was tired.

I have to give a huge thanks to the Staff of Dillon International....and especially to Whitney. They all did a fabulous job this weekend. This was Whitney's first year to be in charge and she did an incredible job. She is organized, calm, collected and so sweet. While the Dillon staff are great...the India Association of Greater Tulsa is FANTASTIC. They provide so much support for this camp. They come up with the activities and lessons...they help during the camp...and you can tell they love these sweet little Indian children. We are so blessed to have a group like this in Tulsa.

Back to the camp stuff....

Friday started off with a group picture. Anyone who's ever tried to get a group of people together for a picture can understand what a cluster this can be. By the time everyone gets in place, the little ones are really restless. I'm sure it turned out fine...but it was a challenge getting the group together.

After pictures....the campers headed to their classrooms. Charlie and I took this opportunity to run a few errands and then head home with Drew for his nap. I went back around 2:30 to wait for Ian. When I got there, his class was practicing for their Saturday performance. I did my best to hide so he wouldn't see me. After they finished...they played a few games. He had spotted me, so I played games with them.

Then it was time to go back to class for one last activity of the day. Ian was having none of it. He was tired, cranky and just wanted to go home. Plus...mommy was there and he wanted to scream and act like a crazy man. So, after I convinced him to participate in the crafts...we headed home. He was so, so tired.

Now we're up to the last day.

This morning Charlie and I attended a parent workshop while Ian was in his class and Drew was in the nursery. An Indian adult adoptee, Stephanie, spoke to us. She was open and honest. She answered any question we asked. It was good to hear things from an adoptee's point of view.

After the workshop it was lunch time. Yum, yum, yum. Lunch was catered by India Palace. So, so good. Ian ate a few bites, but was more interested in getting on the stage.

After lunch...the kids headed back to their classrooms for one last rehearsal before their performance. I was so excited. I couldn't wait to see the sweet little Mango class perform. All of the kids came in and sat in front of the stage and waited until it was time for their performance. The Mangos (ages 4-6) were first. The informed us about the Indian flag. Ian was on stage, but I don't think he said anything. Drew decided he needed to help at the end, so he ran up on stage just as they were finishing.

The Tiger, Camel and Peacock groups followed with their performance. All of the kids did a wonderful job. We closed the day with the Indian National Anthem and the "circle" dance. So much fun.

What a great opportunity for Ian to be exposed to a minute taste of his heritage. Such a good weekend. We were all tired...Ian especially. I hope he continues to enjoy India Camp.

Again...lots of pics on Facebook and a few here. Enjoy!

India Heritage Camp - Day One

2009-06-26T13:21:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was the first day of India Camp. This year, Ian is old enough to be an actual camper. He was a little apprehensive about things, but once we arrived...he was fine. Then as soon as he saw Mia...all was well with the world. Mia and Ian were crib mates in the orphanage in Kolkata. They are so stinkin' cute together. They laughed, ran and played a lot until it was time for the groups to go to their classrooms.

Ian and Mia are in the "Mango" group this year. When their names were called, they walked hand in hand to the front and waited for their teacher. I didn't get a picture, but as they were standing there waiting, Ian put his arm around Mia. So sweet.

While the kids were in class, I was able to spend some time with Angie (Mia's Mom) and her mom Julie. It was great to catch up without the kids in the background needing immediate attention.

After lunch, I ran a few errands and then headed home for a little while. Charlie picked Ian up from camp. Ian was excited to see his daddy and tell him all about his activities.

One of the Dillon staff made a comment on my facebook page last night. She said that they "made American Idol microphones in arts and crafts today in honor of Anoop Desai. Ian took his and treated everyone to a great rendition of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." I had to laugh out loud when I read that. Ian really gets in to his Twinkle Twinkle song from time to time so it's hard to tell what he actually did.

He was quite tired last night but he was looking forward to day 2 of camp. When I asked him what his favorite part of India Camp was he said "seeing Mia." How sweet.

More updates tomorrow...or maybe later tonight. Lots of pictures so far on Facebook.

Vietnam Family Weekend - Day Two

2009-06-14T16:12:00.003-05:00

It's late on Sunday afternoon and I'm finally posting. Tired, tired, tired. But, it was so much fun.

Saturday began with pictures of the kiddos in their Ao Dai's. How cute. Then we did a big group picture. That was challenging, but it happened. I'll look forward to getting a copy of it.

Then the planned activities began. We had so much fun planning the weekend. Lots of crafts for the kids to do. Fans, slap bracelets, picture frames, street scenes, Ox hand print bags, leaves, and many more. I have to say Natasha Perryman is a creative genius. She has more creativity in her little fingernail than I've ever had in my entire life. We had four "rooms"....one was outside. The kids and families rotated through each room for about 20 minutes. It was a lot to do in a short amount of time...but it was great. The kids were able to take home a little piece of their homeland.

I was in the room with the Ox hand print bags. Kerrie Sala worked her tail off for 2 hours making hand prints with all of the children. I was a very popular station. Jordan Bayer was a huge help. In that room too was the Street Scene. Very popular. The kids were given a blank street and a sheet of stickers with all kinds of Vietnamese items (including a dancing dragon). What kid doesn't like stickers? Great fun. I wasn't in the other rooms, but if they had half as much fun in them as they did in our room...then the kids had fun.

After activities was a great Vietnamese meal from a local restaurant, Re Lei. He loves doing this for the kiddos each year. The food was fabulous.

After the meal, the kids went back to activities or to play while the parents had their workshop. Kim-Lan Carlson spoke. She is an adult adoptee as well as an adoptive mom. Her sweet little girl, Maile, came home in March 2007 from Ninh Thuan. Kim-Lan's story was amazing. Such a wonderful testimony. I was moved to tears on several occasions...especially seeing pictures of Drew's orphanage. Kim-Lan was funny, informative and sincere. We were honored to have her speak to us this year.

Drew slept through almost all of Kim-Lan's talk. Which was fine...I could listen and enjoy her. He fell asleep before lunch, woke up just as lunch was being served and fell asleep just after Kim-Lan started to talk. He was so tired. My arms were totally exhausted by the time we left. He's a heavy boy. He woke up with the applause and started clapping too. How sweet.

While I was exhausted...the weekend just wasn't long enough. There were so many people that I didn't get to talk to. But...at least I've been able to put faces with names now. Maybe next year, we'll have more time to talk and catch up. As the kids get a little older, I think it will be a little easier.

Looking forward to next year already. I hope that our Vietnam Family Weekend will just continue to grow and grow. I've posted a lot of pictures on Facebook and only a few here. Enjoy.

Vietnam Family Weekend - Day One

2009-06-13T00:31:00.002-05:00

Today, well actually yesterday (Friday), in Tulsa was a crazy day. Our morning started out a little cloudy. Less than 2 hours later....BOOM...major thunderstorms, tornado watches, heavy rain. But, in true Oklahoma fashion...the storms were over almost as quickly as they began. Then it was just plain sticky hot.

After a couple of hours of set up time this afternoon, we were ready to head out to Vietnam Family Weekend. When we arrived, we saw Shelley, Brian, Zoe and Sam. How cool it was to FINALLY meet Shelley face to face. We've talked via Internet for over a year. Sam ran up to me and gave me a hug. I'm pretty sure he remembered Drew from the orphanage. He's as cute as he can be.

We made our way inside. So many people. We are so excited to have over 200 people this year. That is amazing.

As I walked around, I saw so many people that I "know". This blogging stuff has it's perks. I was walking across the room and I heard "Nadra"....I turned around and there was Scarlett with her precious Dillon. I remember holding him at the orphanage. He's so cute and he has a great tan right now. I'm so jealous. He and Drew looked at each other for a second and then they were off. Cute little Ninh Thuan boys.

Little Caleigh was sitting ever so pretty on the steps of the stage. She's adorable folks. Ruth was there with Izzy all the way from San Francisco. Kathy and Adam are here from New Jersey. It took them 18 hours to get here because of the bad weather in Dallas yesterday. The Lloyd family had a change in plans due to the Dallas weather as well. Instead of flying, they drove all the way from College Station. I finally got to meet Kim and Isaac. Kim was so sweet to send me some pictures while we waited for Drew. She traveled in December 07 to pick up Isaac and had several pictures of Drew as well as some video. It helped me get through those long days as we waited.

The Dragon Dancers performed. My boys were mesmerized. It was truly entertaining.

The kids went off for their activities and then it was time for the parents to just sit around and chat....without the kids....for about an hour. Well...there were lots of little almost 2 year olds that didn't like that plan. Poor little Drew didn't make it. He cried and they had to bring him to momma. Other little ones were brought in one by one. Some were real troupers...but some were tired and wanted their families.

Tomorrow there are lots of activities for the kids, a great Vietnamese lunch and then Kim Lan Carlson will be speaking at the parent workshop. I've posted some pictures on Facebook and I'll try to post some here tomorrow night.

Jill, Julie, Dianna....I miss you guys. You'll be here with us next year.

Another talker?

2009-06-08T23:35:00.002-05:00

Oh my...we may have another talker on our hands. It seems that since Drew's ear surgery a few weeks ago, he's trying to talk more and more. Things are sounding more like real words instead of grunts. He's been saying momma, da-da, ee-na (Ian), baby, dog, hamma (shamma), zo (rizzo), up, nie nie (night night) and other for quite some time. In recent days here are some of the new words...in Drew speak...

kirkle - circle
qurrel - squirel
onge - orange
cup - cup
diapder - diaper
helcopter - helicopter
choo-choo - self explanatory
bok - book
muk - milk
jeece - juice
nanna - banana
that mine - hmmmm, I wonder where he's heard that?
I poo-poo....

and my favorite...

aaafly - butterfly (written doesn't do it justice...you just have to hear him say it.)

Also....we're on night number 4 without a bottle. So far, so good. I'm shocked. It just happened. I'm not sure why, but it just did. He hasn't even asked for it. He still gets his sippy cup with milk in it before bed, but no bottle. Wow. Wonder if potty training will be that easy for him? :) OK...a mom can dream.

Pictures Galore

2009-06-04T00:55:00.002-05:00

What's Going On?

2009-05-26T23:05:00.002-05:00

What's going on? Good question. I ask myself that many times a day now it seems. Let's back up to Mother's Day.

Mother's Day was great. I am so blessed to have two little boys who call me mommy and one big boy who calls me...well we won't go there (but it's all good). Lots of hugs and kisses on Mother's Day. Ian enjoyed telling me about 50 times "Happy Mother's Day" Mommy. So sweet. Mother's Day is tough for me (see previous post). But not just because of my mom...but because I know that there are two other young women who won't get to celebrate Mother's Day with my two precious little men. Even though I'm a bit selfish and Mother's Day is about me...my mind still drifts to the birth mothers of Ian and Drew.

How are my boys? Another good question. Ian is great. Doing well in Pre-K and loving it almost every day. On the way home in the car I usually get to hear about his day and how this one or that one is his best friend...or not his friend at all. It changes almost daily. He's picking up some words that I'm not too fond of for a four year old. Tonights word...stupid. That was a new one. His best friend "Tezzie" taught him that. It seems like sweet little Tezzie teaches him lots of things. Tezzie has two older brothers, so I'm not surprised. Ian has his 4 year old check up next week and he'll see the Ear, Nose and Throat specialist too. His tubes never fell out of his ears, so Dr. Vaydia will have to remove them and possibly put a new set in. Fun, fun, fun.

Speaking of ears....that's a great segway to Drew. Last Thursday was Drew's day. He has tubes put in his ears and his adenoids removed. I knew it would be different from Ian's experience for a couple of reasons...one, more was done and two...Drew's more dramatic than Ian. I was right. Drew was a little trooper though before the surgery. He got right into the Tigger hospital gown. Sat in the chair like a big boy and walked around while he could. Dr. Vaydia came in to see us prior to the surgery, shook Charlie's hand, then my hand...then sweet Drew put his little hand out for him to shake his. Too cute. Shortly after that they gave him his goofy juice. He rode around in wagon until it was time for him to go to surgery. His little face had this glazed over look. After the surgery, we met with the doctor. Everything went as expected. In a little bit (like 5 minutes) they asked us to come to the recovery room. Drew was awake and screaming (to be expected). But as I imagined...it was much worse than Ian's experience. I was able to calm Ian down pretty quickly when he had his surgery...but not Drew. He cried and screamed and screamed. So, so sad. He's so strong. I thought I was going to drop him a couple of times. He wouldn't let Charlie hold him at all. He finally calmed down some and we headed home. He cried all the way to the pharmacy. Charlie drove around for a minute while I went in the store for a few things. He had a pretty rough weekend and so did I. He was so clingy. I couldn't get out of this sight or he'd cry. I know he's been in pain. We've tried to stay ahead of the pain, but with a little one it's hard to gauge. He's doing better this evening. Hopefully he'll sleep better tonight.

Charlie and I are doing well. Both of us have had sinus / allergy stuff going on. It's just that time of year.

We're getting geared up for Vietnam Family Weekend and India Heritage Camp. Both are in June. I'm excited because Ian will actually get to be a "camper" at India Camp this year. Vietnam Family Weekend is sure to be a blast. I'm lucky to be working on the planning committee for Vietnam Family Weekend. We have a great committee and have had so much fun planning. I can't wait to see everyone.

So...now you have it....that's pretty much what's going on in our world. Pictures soon....I promise.

On The Eve Of Mother's Day

2009-05-09T22:48:00.002-05:00

It's almost 11pm on Saturday night. I should be sleeping...the rest of my family is. But, I'm enjoying the quiet time. I've been wound pretty tightly the past couple of weeks. But, one thing I know for sure is...I do love being a mom. Not every day is a bright day...there are some days when I want to run screaming into the night. The boys can be challenging. Ian is 4...barely...so some of his terrible three's still creep in from time to time. He can be as sweet as peaches and also a crazy brat. Drew is reaching that stage where he is testing us...just seeing how much he can get away with. When we tell him no, he immediately starts to cry and look to see if we're paying attention. If I only had an ounce of their energy life would be grand.

With all of he craziness, we have a lot of fun. Charlie worked for a few hours this afternoon. Ian, Drew and I danced in the living room for a long time. My boys both love music and it's so much fun to dance with my boys. Drew has learned how to give real kisses...not just the lean and slobber kind. So sweet. Ian constantly just walks up and kisses me or hugs me and says "love you mommy". Precious.

All of the ups and downs of parenthood...who really knows what it's like until you're a parent? I know I certainly didn't. I wonder sometimes if I'm truly being a good mom to my sweet boys. I wonder if I'm giving them the tools they're going to need to be good, Godly men. Am I being the kind of mom they'll be proud of?

I had the greatest mom ever. She taught me so many things...so many. But the one thing that I know I learned from my mom was how to love. She loved me so deeply. I miss her terribly and it's always hard around Mother's day. She went home to the loving arms of Jesus the day before Mother's Day in 1994. Since then, this special day has been a struggle for me. But, you know God...he puts people in your life to put things in perspective. A few years ago, a dear friend of mine lost her mom on Mother's Day. I was so sad for her. But she said to me..."what a great reward...my mom got to see Jesus on Mother's Day." I had never thought about it that way before. The year after that....I was able to celebrate my first Mother's Day as a mother. This year, I'm a mom to two wonderful sons. God made me to be their mom...a mom that will love them, care for them, teach them and cherish them forever.

Happy Mother's Day to all of the fabulous moms out there. It's a day to celebrate and be thankful for.

Question Of The Day

2009-05-04T01:14:00.001-05:00

Ian...."Hey mommy, what do you want to be when you grow up"? :)

Surprise...Ian Style

2009-05-01T11:18:00.002-05:00

Last night, Charlie, Ian and I were in bed. Just getting ready to turn over and go to sleep. Out of the blue Ian says "mommy, when we went to the store today we got your present"...Charlie quickly says "Ian"....Ian continues...."mommy, we got your present today"....Charlie again says "Ian lets go to sleep"....Ian can't wait to continue...."mommy we got your present today...it's a camera. It's in the car".

I was laughing and Charlie said "Ian, remember Daddy said not to tell mommy"......I continued to laugh because Charlie LOVES to surprise me. He hates it when I ask too many questions. Charlie has decided that Ian cannot go Christmas shopping with him this year.

Oh...the present....yes it's a camera. A new Flip Video camera. Can't wait to try it out.

Twenty Two Years and Counting

2009-05-01T00:47:00.004-05:00

It's been 22 years since Charlie and I said "I Do". We have a date night planned for Saturday to celebrate....can't wait!

Happy Anniversary Char...I love you!

Allergies and Ear Infections

2009-04-22T21:50:00.002-05:00

All I can say is YUCK! Poor little Drew...he has another ear infection. He hasn't been sleeping well and he's been running a fever. In addition...he's coughing and hacking a lot. Charlie took him to the doctor this morning and he's on another round of antibiotics and now on Zyrtec for allergies (seasonal). He's been pretty miserable for almost a week now. Which makes for a miserable mommy too. Hopefully he'll sleep better tonight and I'll sleep some too. My sweet little Drew....it's so hard to see him sick.

Even being sick, he still has lots of fun. His new thing is putting toys away and running over with his little hand high in the air and saying "high fibe". He does it 20 times an evening. He's also repeating anything you ask him to say (or at least trying to). Anything that moves, be it a bee, bug, ant, butterfly....whatever...they're all "bugs". He's making animal sounds...the cutest being the quack of a duck. Not so much the sound, but the "wing" movement he has going on. He'll say "quack, quack, quack" and flap his little arms like a duck. Cutest thing. This morning we had our first shoving match...not much of a match though. Ian was trying to block Drew's way...so sweet, innocent, little Drew...shoved him down. Ian was shocked. He looked up at me and said "mommy, he pushed me down". Drew just went about his merry way. Ian tried to block his way again, Drew tried to push him again, Ian pushed back...Drew just moved around him to the other side. I had to turn my back and giggle. I probably should have stopped it...but it all happened so fast and I had to laugh.

The weather is gorgeous here right now. 88 degrees today in Tulsa. Hopefully we get some good weather for the weekend. Maybe Drew will be feeling lots better by then.

One Of Those Moments

2009-04-15T22:52:00.003-05:00

Today has been odd. Well, not really odd...just one that has caused me to sit up and pay attention. Tonight was not really a good night for the kids and I. Ian was cranky, Drew's not feeling well and I was getting irritated pretty easily. We got through it and it was time for American Idol. For those that "know" me...you know I LOVE American Idol. Ian now says it's his favorite show (along with Biggest Loser). I put Drew down...success. Ian and I were settled in watching our favorite show. Ian decided he wanted to sing. So he gets his drum sticks....or what he calls his microphones...and proceeds to sing. His song went something like this:

Jesus loves the children...Jesus...Jesus...His name is JESUS....

Then he said "hey mommy, clap your hands". So I started clapping my hands as he was singing. He said "hey mommy....put your hands up like this...like you do in church". Wow...talk about bringing it home. He only goes into "big church" occasionally. He was in with us on Sunday morning for a little while and I guess he paid attention. Who knew. I got a big ole lump in my throat and he finished his Jesus song and said "hey mommy....did you like that"? You bet I did!

It was finally time for Ian to go to bed. Not an easy task lately. But he was finally asleep. So, I went back to the living room to read my Bible. Deron has started a new message series The Good Book's Top 40. Each day we read a story from the Bible. Well, as usual, I'm behind...so I had to catch up tonight. After I read my stories...out of the blue....Psalm 127 popped in my head. So I turned to Psalm 127....."Children are a blessing from the Lord".

Thank you God for reminding me just how truly blessed I am.

Easter Pics

2009-04-14T23:18:00.003-05:00

It was a great Easter weekend. We started on Friday evening coloring eggs, then Saturday morning we went on a Easter Egg Hunt. Sunday we had a great day at church. It was just a fun, abeit wet, weekend with my boys.

Drew's screaming...gotta go (he has a cold and he's not sleeping well). :(

Spring Time Fun

2009-04-07T00:45:00.002-05:00

Ian and his new scooter

Wild Man Drew

Mr. Fix-It...or Mr. Gotta Turn It Over And Look At It Ian "helping" Drew in the wagon
Big Brother taking little brother for a ride

Handsome Ian

2009-03-21T01:23:00.002-05:00

Ian will be four on Tuesday, the 24th. These are his birthday pictures for this year. He's such a handsome little guy....and yes, I'm sure I'm a bit biased...but a momma's allowed.

Enlightening

2009-03-17T00:32:00.002-05:00

Tonight Ian surprised me, yet again, by one of his enlightening conversations. We were sitting in the living room enjoying our evening. Drew was playing and running around. Ian was sitting beside me enjoying some apple juice. Out of the blue....completely...out of the blue...

"Mommy, the next time you go to Vietnam to get a baby brother, I'm going with you".

I know I must have had a shocked look on my face. Where in the world did this come from? Who even thought he'd actually remember us going to Vietnam and leaving him here?

I said "Ian, we're not going to Vietnam any time soon and we're not going to get any more babies."

His eyes widened and he smiled from ear to ear and said "So we're only getting one baby? For real mommy?"

Astonished, I said "yes, Drew is the only other baby we're going to get"

Ian looked over at Drew and said "Did you hear that Drew...we're not having any more babies".

Honestly, I am floored sometimes by the way his little mind works. It bothers me to think that he may have been dwelling on the fact that we'd leave him again to go get another baby. He had a hard time while we were gone, but he loves Marcia and Bill so much. I'm reminded quite often that Marcia is the "good Mommy" and I'm the "bad Mommy." He's such a little stinker sometimes. I do love my Ian though.

Smiles and No Smiles

2009-03-14T23:53:00.002-05:00

Today was picture day for the boys. We had Ian's birthday pictures taken this morning. He has such a GREAT smile. It's hard to get a bad picture of him Except, of course, when he's making crazy, funny face or looking away from the camera. We had his gorgeous outfit from India and he looked stunning. Such a handsome little guy. Hey...I'm his momma...indulge me.

This afternoon we took the boys to have their Easter pictures taken with live bunnies. Both boys did great with the bunnies. They were very gentle with them. Ian smiled and did great. Drew did fine...but no smiles. Why is it that this little guy will not smile for pictures? He's cute as a button in the pictures but has this oh so serious look. After the camera is put away, he's all smiles. When we get the pics, I'll scan a few and post them.

Maybe someday we'll get a picture with BOTH boys smiling. We did get one that is just so their personalities. Ian his "hugging" Drew...He looks like he's choking him from behind and Drew looks like he's trying to get away. So much like what we see on a daily basis. Guess we want the pictures to look natural, right? :)

After pictures, my knee had just about had it. So we made a quick run to Target and came home so I could elevate my knee. I'm so ready for this pain to be over. Surgery is schedule for Thursday morning. For those that don't know, I have a torn meniscus in my left knee. We're doing arthroscopic surgery on Thursday to repair it. I'll be home for a few days, but back to work the following Monday.

Now...it's bedtime. Nite, nite!

20 Months Old

2009-03-10T10:36:00.001-05:00

Today our little guy is 20 months old. Hard to believe that we've been home for 7 months now. He's changed so much in that time. He's a handful..but a charmer. We're so blessed!

Post Placements Complete

2009-03-05T23:11:00.004-06:00

Today we had our final post placement visit. Woo, Hoo!! Except for the re-finalization...we're DONE. Because we live so close to the Dillon office, we did our final visit there. Drew did amazingly well. He's such the little charmer.

Now we'll wait for Rebecca to type up the reports and then we'll file the petition to re-finalize and then he'll officially become Drew Austin Quang Conner. It's a good feeling to know we're close to the end.

Rebecca asked us today if we were going to do it again....and at the same time Charlie and I both said "NO...WE'RE DONE". Our family is complete with our two amazing little boys.

OK..here's an interesting tid bit. I looked back at our timeline and we submitted Application Part One to Dillon on March 6, 2007. So...we're finished almost exactly 2 years to the date later. Hmmm......

Talking, talking, talking

2009-03-03T23:14:00.002-06:00

It's never quiet at my house when the boys are awake. Ian is a TALKER. He loves to ask question after question. He's constantly coming up with something to say. Drew is starting to talk a little more. Of course, as Charlie reminded me, he doesn't have much of a chance since Ian talks all the time.

Some of my favorite moments recently with Ian.....

When he was sick last week...

Ian: Hey mommy...what's my sick called?
Me: What Ian?
Ian: What's my sick called?
Me: Ian, I don't understand. What are you talking about?
Ian: (in a very frustrated tone of voice)...Mommy, I'm SICK...what's it called?

Driving home from work and daycare the other day....

Ian: Hey mommy.
Me: Yes Ian.
Ian: Mommy you know what? I love you.

Then of course, now there's Drew. When he sees me...he laughs and giggles and runs toward me. Then I hear "uppa, uppa, uppa". He tries hard to say Ian...but it comes out "EEEEE....NA"....ok, close enough. When I changed his diaper last night I said "oooo, yuck". He flashed that sweet smile and said "oooo, guck".

I love my vocal little men. While it's never quiet....I love the sound of my boys. Warms this mommy's heart.

The "Joys" of Daycare

2009-02-24T20:51:00.002-06:00

As a mom, I find it difficult to put my children in daycare. But, as a two income family...one of those incomes has to come from me....so....daycare it is for the kiddos. Charlie has been back to work now for 5 weeks. The kids have been back in daycare for 5 weeks.

In that 5 week time span....well, this is week five...a lot has happened. Drew has been bitten 5 times (3 pretty badly) by the same child (that child has been removed from daycare now), has had an ear infection, a constant runny nose and now has Pink Eye. The doctor said it was a very, very mild case and should be cleared up in a few days. His eyes look a little red around them, but there's not "gunk" in them today.

Ian...he's fared much better. But, he now has Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. What? Long story short...it's a virus that causes blisters / sores on...guess what?....Yep, hands, feet and mouth. Ian has a mild case, but his little right heel hurts and had a lot of little sores on it. He has one on his hand. From what I have read, it's pretty painful. Ian says it itches a lot and he lets us know when he's hurting. He hasn't slept well since Saturday night...translated....we haven't slept well either since Saturday night.

I feel so guilty, but what can I do? I have to work and I have to have some place to take my kids. I'd look for a new daycare, but with the exception of the biting, they're all pretty much the same. I'm so fortunate to work for a company that understands that I have small children and they get sick.

Drew has his 18 month check up tomorrow (a monthly over due because of the ear infection). When they were both at the doctor on Monday, Drew weighed 23 pounds and Ian weighed 32 pounds. Ian is getting so tall and skinny. He'll be 4 in just one more month. He is looking forward to his birthday party.

Happy Drew

2009-02-22T15:40:00.002-06:00

Drew and I stayed home from church this morning. I'm nursing a twisted knee and he's getting over a bug of some sort. We had such fun. We listened and watched the early church service vian the internet and saw Daddy singing. We played and played and played. I had to get the camera out. He's so much fun. It is difficult to get good smiling pictures of him...so I love these.

Three Years Ago Today.....

2009-02-17T09:45:00.003-06:00

.....the most beautiful little boy was placed in our arms forever. We are so blessed to have this amazing little guy in our lives.

Happy Gotcha Day Ian....we love you so much and we're proud to be your parents.

(I'll post some pictures tonight, hopefully).

Soccer

2009-01-26T00:05:00.001-06:00

As promised...Soccer pictures. He actually listens to Coach Zak (most of the time). He loves to run around and kick the ball. Of course, he also loves to run around and chase Lexi :) I missed the part where he and Lexi were holding hands walking to the bathroom (her mom told me). It's great fun watching these little guys run around...I giggled several times throughout the day when I thought about it. Love my Lil Kicker.

18 Month Pics

2009-01-25T00:14:00.002-06:00

My big boy...cute as a button. He did pretty well, but no big smiles. He looks like his normal, rotten self in the top one and I loved the football pose. We could have a future quaterback on our hands.

I took some really cute pics of Ian today at soccer, so I'll post those tomorrow (hopefully).

Days

2009-01-20T17:15:00.002-06:00

Thought I might need to clarify my last post. We celebrate all kinds of "Days" in our house. The big day....in my opinion...is coming up in February.

Referral Day (Ian) - September 7, 2005
GOTCHA Day (Ian) - February 17, 2006
Adoption Day (Adoption Finalization) - January 19, 2007

Referral Day (Drew) - October 5, 2007
Meetcha Day (Drew) - July 29, 2008 (not sure we'll celebrate this, but we'll always remember it)
GOTCHA Day (Drew) - July 31, 2008
Adoption Day (Re-finalization) - ?????

The big difference between the two is that Drew's adoption was final in Vietnam and Ian's was not final in India. We will re-finalize Drew's and make the official name change as soon as we finish our post placement visits (which should be very soon). Ian's was not final until after the post placement visits and the court date here in the US. Crazy, huh?

Plus we have birthdays and all that other fun stuff. It's a big party in our house. But...with 2 boys that we waited forever for....the celebrations should continue.

Happy 2nd Adoption Day Ian!

2009-01-19T22:31:00.003-06:00

Today we had cupcakes and cookies to celebrate the second anniversary of Ian's Adoption Day. He didn't quite understand, but it didn't matter to him because he got yummy cookies from Merritt's Bakery. Hard to believe that's in the eyes of the US Government and our State Government that he's only officially been "Ian" for 2 years. He's been Ian from the moment we first saw his precious face. The pictures are from our crazy boys enjoying their cookies this evening (plus a pic of my hottie husband).

Winter? Huh?

2009-01-12T22:22:00.002-06:00

A conversation with Ian tonight...

Ian: What's that noise outside?
Me: It's the wind. It's really getting cold.
Ian: Why is it getting cold?
Me: Because it's winter time.
Ian: Winter? Huh?
Me: Yes, Ian...it's winter time.
Ian: But mommy...Christmas is over so it can't be winter.

How can you argue with that?

18 Months Old & Home 5 Months

2009-01-10T22:12:00.002-06:00

Time flies when you're having fun. Drew is 18 months old today. He's such a joy and we're so happy that he's home with us now. I can't imagine our lives without him.

His vocabulary is expanding (I love this stage). He clearly says momma, daddy, up, more, yeah, dog, car, cup & ball. He's working on Ian, Drew, please, thank you, and quite a few more. He's signing more, please, thank you and all done. He giggles so much more these days. He is still very "determined" and curious. He loves to give kisses, blow kisses and wave bye-bye. He gets so excited when I come home from work. He meets me at the door with his little arms lifted high saying "up-pa, up-pa, up-pa". If I don't pick him up quickly enough he gets mad. Thanks goodness I remember to go to the bathroom before I leave work. He still loves to eat. The only thing we've found that he really doesn't like is green beans. What? All kids like green beans. He has discovered dipping sauces for his chicken and french fries as well as salsa for his chips. If we don't dip them, he tells us about it.

Drew and Ian are doing amazingly well....considering. There are days when Ian struggles greatly with being a big brother. I have to keep reminding myself that it's only been 5 months. Ian was the center of our world for so long....it's tough to share. Just when we think he's turned the corner....wham....another bad hour or so. It will get better. It's just hard watching Ian struggle.

Charlie may not agree, but I think him being home with the kids has been GREAT for them. Drew especially. He has really opened up. Charlie will be going back to work soon, so their time home with Daddy will be coming to an end.

If you have a moment....please say a quick prayer for our friends Mike and Donna. They are waiting to bring Caroline home from Korea. It has taken much longer than expected and Donna is really struggling. We met Mike and Donna at our adoption workshop when we were in the process to bring Ian home. They were in the process to bring Ryan home. We all know how long and grueling those last few weeks can be when you're waiting to hold your precious baby.

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T00:07:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year!!! Where does the time go? We are such party animals in my house....the boys...all 3 of them are sound asleep. I woke Charlie up a couple of minutes ago to wish him a Happy New Year. He won't remember it tomorrow morning. Woo, hoo....excitement in the Conner house.

2008 was a year of many ups and downs. For a majority of the year, we waited for Drew. What a grueling time. But....finally on July 31, 2008 he was placed in our arms forever. Life has not been the same since. In a good way.

Ian continues to grow and amaze us. He is such a smart and thoughtful little man (most of the time). It's a challenge and a joy to be his mom.

Both Charlie and I faced job changes this year. I'm now VERY happily employed, but Charlie is still looking. I know 2009 will bring him the job he wants. Right now, he's staying home with boy boys. "Mr. Mom" was never a desired position for him, but he's doing a great job and it's been so good for BOTH of our boys.

Our little family grew this year and we are so blessed. Being a mom is the best thing I've ever done and I am so thankful that God allowed me to be "mommy" to these two wonderful little boys. I'm honored to be the wife of such an amazing husband. Charlie has been my rock and my soul mate for the past 22 years...I must have been 10 or 11 when we met :) I look at my family and I have to say...WOW...just WOW.

Happy 2009 Everyone!

Kids Say The Darndest Things

2008-12-29T16:25:00.003-06:00

On the way home from church on Christmas Eve, Ian was talking about Santa. He has really enjoyed this season. Out of the blue....

"Hey Mommy....Santa is in our hearts, just like Jesus, right?"

I couldn't answer him because I had this big lump in my throat and tears streaming down my cheeks.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T20:35:00.002-06:00

Merry, Merry Christmas!!!! This has probably been the best and most exhausting Christmas ever. But...I wouldn't change a thing. I'll post more this weekend, but I wanted to share my new favorite picture of my sweet angels. These two amazing little guys light up our world in ways that just cannot be imagined. Truly...blessings from above.

Merry Christmas to all....and to all a good night.

Parades and Christmas Lights

2008-12-14T23:54:00.003-06:00

Last night, we took the boys to the Christmas Parade in Downtown Tulsa. We actually were supposed to be working the hot chocolate booth at FBC, but with 2 very active boys...I don't know what we were thinking. We didn't do much work. We made it until the parade started, saw a couple of floats and bands...then we decided to make a mad dash to the car. Afterwards we visited Rhema to see the beautiful Christmas light display. It was a perfect evening. A little chilly, but not too bad. I'm so glad we did it yesterday. Today, it was 75 degrees early in the day...then the bottom fell out. It's 22 degrees right now and it's sleeting. Tomorrow morning should be interesting.

More Shameless Cuteness

2008-12-08T23:18:00.002-06:00

The boys are really in to Yo Gabba Gabba these days. I laugh at them when we watch the show more than the show itself. For adults...the show is one of those that you love to hate. Drives me crazy, but my kids love it. One of the segments is called "Funny Face Time"...so both boys are constantly trying to show us their "funny faces". That's what Drew is trying to do with his little hands on his face. Cute! There is also a segment on the show called "Dancy Dance Time"....again....both boys love it. Drew shakes his little booty and Ian dances around like a monkey (at least I think that's what it is).

The picture of looking ever so innocent by the Christmas tree was right before he pulled 5 ornaments off and made a mad dash with them in the dump truck. Ian said "Mommy, let's put them up WAY high so Drew can't get them. That's a good idea, right?" Such a smart boy. So, now the bottom third of my tree looks a bit bare and the top is VERY crowded. But, I'm loving this season with my boys. So much fun. Charlie may disagree since he's home with them all day...but it's sure fun looking at Christmas through their eyes.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas...

2008-12-03T18:50:00.004-06:00

Oh my...she's got the camera out again...

Drew, well...being Drew....

Cutie pie Drew

Ever so careful Ian (for a change)

Sweet, goofy Ian

Brothers...gotta love the tooth brush

Look at all of these shiny balls...YAY!

Ian helping decorate the tree

Mommy and her boys...it just doesn't get much better!

Thanksgiving...a day later

2008-11-28T22:51:00.002-06:00

After my Black Friday post, I decided I need to post a little about our Thanksgiving. It was our first as a complete "Party of Four". What a great day. I always tend to stress a wee bit...just trying to get everything done....and of course, it has to be perfect. Or so my mind tells me. It's never perfect, but I always think it can be.

The day started like a normal day in our house...kids running around, playing and screaming. Love it! Ian tried to help me put the turkey in the oven, but there were too many sharp objects and hot ovens to allow much help. But, he thought he was helping.

We ate a little later than normal due to nap schedules. Finally it was time to eat. Drew loved his meal. Of course, we haven't found much that Drew doesn't like to eat. Ian loved the corn casserole and bread. He had a few bites of turkey. My picky eater.

Ian proudly proclaimed "you're a good cooker mommy." What better praise is there?

Our talented little Ian taught us a new song a few months back and we sang it today before our Thanksgiving meal.
"Let's be Thankful,
Let's be Thankful,
Let's be Glad,
Let's be Glad,
For the many blessings,
For the many blessings,
That we have,
That we have."

That sums it up perfectly I think. We are so blessed and so thankful. We have the 2 most amazing, handsome and loving boys in the world. God blessed us with this wonderful family, with one another and with Jesus and we are so very thankful. The innocence of a 3 year old can bring strong men to their knees. We love our boys, we love one another and we love our God.

Black Friday

2008-11-28T13:37:00.002-06:00

I love the Friday after Thanksgiving. I was up and out of the house at 3:30am this morning. Unfortunately it was raining and I'm a bit of a wimp. So, I stopped at Quik Trip for some coffee and then headed to Toys R Us. There were only about 2 dozen people in line, so I decided to stay put in the car for a little while. I finally got in line about 4:15am (for a 5:00am opening). It was great. I went in, found everything I needed and was on the road again by 5:25am.

Next stop....Target. I pulled into the parking lot at 5:45am. The line was LONG. So I made the long trek to the end of the line. Fortunately soon after there were lots of people behind me so I didn't feel so bad. Found exactly what I was looking for and headed out around 6:20am.

Next stop....Walmart. By far the craziest of the stops. Found what I needed though, so I was a happy girl. I was on the road by 7:20am.

Next stop....breakfast.

Next stop....work :( I made it to work around 7:40am.

I'm taking a short lunch break now and then hoping to be finished early. Then, I'll have to decide if I "need" to stop somewhere else on my way home!!!

Dancing With The Stars...Conner Style

2008-11-25T01:20:00.004-06:00

The boys were in rare form tonight. I don't know what was funnier....the dancing or the jumping jacks. Either way...it was enough for a fun evening.

Considering the day was pretty rough for Drew, the evening turned out pretty well. Drew went to the doctor today for the second part of his flu shot and to have some wax removed from his ears. Good news....the wax seems to have disappeared, so no traumatic ear cleaning. Bad news...he was wheezing. So he's now on breathing treatments 4 times a day for 2 days and then 3 times a day through the weekend. He HATES them. But, after the third one tonight he settled down a little. Poor little guy. On top of the wheezing....he has an ear infection. So, 10 more days of antibiotics. It's the season, I suppose.

Couple of quick prayer requests....1) Our Vietnam travel buddies, the Perkins. Layne Nhi is having her dental surgery tomorrow (Tuesday). Please pray for this sweet little girl. She's such a trouper. 2) The Perrymans....hopefully some good news will come in the next few days and they'll be on their way to Vietnam to meet their sweet Nehemiah. 3) The Borskis (our India Travel buddies)...they are waiting for their son's passport to be issued so they can go to India to pick him up. They were caught, along with us, in the 6 week delay in issuing passports the last time. Praying that it's done very quickly and that they'll be in India very soon. 4) The Stouders....Bennett's family....they leave on Friday to travel to Vietnam. They've waited a YEAR for this date. Praying that their journey and transition are smooth.

Also...update on Daddy school....all are still ALIVE (which is a good thing). Charlie is managing well. I'm hoping he'll post SOON.

Update on Daddy School

2008-11-18T23:34:00.003-06:00

We're almost to day 3 and everyone is still alive. Charlie looks a bit worn...but not too bad. Drew's had a rough week. He's not feeling great and now his "routine" is messed up. Not much "schooling" is actually taking place...but they're making it through the day.

Today was haircut day for Drew. He looks so cute. He looks like such a little boy. I wanted to take a picture tonight, but the time got away from me and it was bed time. Ian is trying really hard to be a good big brother. Some days...hours...minutes are better than others.

Children really do pick up on things that you say. Ian's latest phrases "you're wasting my time"...."do you hear me?"....."listen to me"..."you're not listening to me"....I'm waiting for the day that something really inappropriate comes out of his sweet little mouth. I've tried REALLY hard to clean up my mouth and watch what I'm saying around the boys.

I'm trying to convince Charlie to post on the blog about one of his days with the boys at Daddy School. Maybe he will soon.

I'm REALLY looking forward to Christmas. I think we're going to put the Christmas tree up this weekend. I won't put the decorations on it until Thanksgiving evening...but between the cats, Ian and Drew...everyone needs to get used to the tree in the living room. Honestly, I've wanted to put it up since Halloween and Charlie has ignored me.

Daddy School To Begin

2008-11-16T13:41:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow we begin a new adventure....Daddy School. Charlie was the victim of downsizing earlier this year. Fortunately he received a decent severance package. Since Ian is still having some potty issues, we have pulled him out of pre-school until we get this under control. Now that Daddy is home and Ian is home....it only made sense for us to take Drew out of daycare for a while to save some money. So tomorrow...my dear husband will have both boys at home. We're hoping and praying this will only be through the beginning of the year.

The one man wrecking crew and a demanding 3 year old.....Charlie has his work cut out for him. He's going to do fine. But, please just say a prayer for him. I have to admit...I probably have the best husband in the world. Charlie and I have been married for a long time. Early in our marriage, my mom was still alive and quite ill. Charlie helped me take care of my mom...we all lived together the last 2 years she was alive. We had only been married about 4 years when that happened. Many men would have said "see ya"...but not my man. He loved me through the good and the bad. He is amazing. Now...he's taking care of our family. He's a great husband and an even better Daddy. I love watching him with the boys. There's just something about a Daddy and his kids that melts your heart.

Charlie....I love you and I'm so proud of the man you are. I'm praying that Daddy School is FABULOUS.

16 Months Old

2008-11-11T00:17:00.003-06:00

Drew turned 16 months old yesterday (Monday). Which also means that we've been home 3 months. Wow. Seems like we've been home forever. It amazes me how quickly things settle down...not completely, but we're getting there. Drew is doing amazingly well. He comes out of his little shell more and more each day. He's saying more words now....ball, car, mama, dadee, up (sounds like umpa). He'll sign "more" and "all done". He loves music and dances when he hears it. Not sure if I've posted this before or not...but....He loves the song "Funkytown". There's a commercial that has that song in the background. When he hears it....he stops what ever he's doing, stares at the TV and dances. Cute as can be. He loves his mommy, daddy and big brother. He gives great kisses....you know, those big, open mouth wet ones. Blows kisses and waves bye-bye. He still cries if Mommy leaves him...not so much with Daddy though. That's because Charlie is the one that usually drops him off. He's still eating whatever we put in front of him....except for beef. He doesn't like beef at all. He'll tolerate chicken. Seems to like pork though. We have switched him to Soy milk. He seems to be having some tummy issues with whole milk. We'll see...not sure I see a whole lot of difference (except for the price). It took us so long to bring this little stinker home...but now it seems like he's been with us forever.

Other good news.....my good blogging friend Julie got word on Monday morning that their pre-approval has been issued. That means BENNETT IS COMING HOME!!!!! We are thrilled for them. They have waited over 11 months to bring him home. Way, way too long. Bennett and Drew were in the orphanage together. They should get word in the next day or so about their GNR. I imagine they will be in Vietnam for Thanksgiving. What a great holiday they're going to have. Congrats Julie, Chris and sweet Bennett.

1 + 1 = FIVE

2008-11-09T23:28:00.002-06:00

Odd, right? Nope...truth. One child is ONE child.....add one to it....and you have FIVE. Crazy, I know...but it's real. I never thought having 2 children would be THAT much different. I'll admit it....I was wrong. Maybe it's just having 2 boys. They are WILD. Charlie calls Drew the "one man wrecking crew". The house can be perfectly (well not perfectly) clean and in 5 minutes it looks like a disaster zone. The laundry these two boys produce is amazing. Who changes their clothes....oh wait...that would be me. One needs to be comforted, one needs to be scolded, one needs to be played with, one needs to go to the potty....it goes on an on. I'm not complaining...just posting so all of my friends who are expecting their second child (Donna...Mary....) will not be able to say that no one warned them. Consider yourselves warned. Having two children will make you work like you've never worked before....BUT....you'll laugh like you've never laughed and love like you've never loved. Frustrating and FABULOUS all rolled up into one.

Say a special prayer for Ian this week. He's having some potty issues and they're causing BIG problems for him. Hoping and praying we'll have a breakthrough this week.

Drew's had some sort of bug all weekend. Low grade fever and lots of dirty diapers. It hasn't slowed him down much though. Where did I find him when I went back in the living room after my trip to the bathroom yesterday morning? Standing in the kitchen with the pets water dish on his head. Taking a shower I suppose.

Ahhhhhh.....the party continues. I'm going to bed!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-01T00:09:00.004-05:00

Ian with Lainey at the Fall Festival at Southpark Christian School

Ian and Blair

Ian thinks he's on a date with Blair :)

Look at that big puppy dog riding all by himself

Ian riding the horses

Sorry about the framing...but love that face

Drew caught on to the trick or treating quickly

Ian and Drew with Deniese Dillon

Halloween 2008 is now in the books. Thank goodness! Wow...2 little wild boys and trick or treat...amazing. This mommy is T-I-R-E-D!

The day started out fine. Drew wore his puppy dog costume to school. Ian wore his spider shirt. All was well. Then the wheels fell off the bus (so to speak). Ian refused to wear his costume tonight. He tried it on last night...loved it. He was going to be Spiderman. He sang the Spiderman theme song, ran around the house shooting "webs" and just generally loved it. Today...not so much. Absolutely would not wear it. Oh well.

We started our afternoon at the Dillon office. Drew learned quickly that the fastest way to fill up his bag was to grab candy with BOTH hands. He had so much fun. Both boys loved running around the Dillon office seeing everyone. Drew especially loved the ducks. We ran into our friends Natasha and Avi Joy as well as Donna and Ryan.

After the Dillon trick or treating, we headed to our church for the Fall Festival. Ian had a blast in the inflatable airplane. I think he went in about 8 or 10 times. They both had fun with the ducks. Ian found his sweet friend Blair and glued himself to her side. Blair was sweet enough to take him outside for the pony rides and other activities while Charlie chased Drew around. I was trying to get pictures of both boys...not an easy task. Drew loved the pony rides too. He rode all by himself. Ian had such a good time in the jupiter jump.

Then we were off to the Fall Festival at South Park Christian School (Ian's pre-school). I was scheduled to work at the Lollipop Tree at 7:30pm, so we had to hurry across town. Ian, Drew and Daddy went outside to check out the activities while I made my way to my booth. Charlie said that when they walked outside, Ian spotted the fire truck immediately and took off for it. He was able to get inside and see all of the fun stuff. Then the boys came back in and found me. Ian "helped" me work at the booth for a little while. The booth beside the one I was working at was the "Duck Pond"....Drew loved it. Ian saw some of his friends from his class as well as his teacher, Mrs. Kelley (he loves her). He also saw his sweet friend Lainey Shasteen. Chris, Al and the kids were all there, but Ian is just drawn to Lainey.

Both boys were tired, tired, tired when we got home. Drew was in bed by 8:45 and Ian was asleep by 9:30. I was surprised.

It might not have been the evening I had imagined...but it was fun watching my boys have such a good time. That's what it's all about!

15 Month Check Up

2008-10-30T22:27:00.002-05:00

Today, we went for Drew's 15 month check up. He's such a little trooper. He loves Dr. Sood and loves his office. Well, so far he's loved everything. Today was a shot day, so he wasn't real happy for a few seconds. Those shots are a booger. I just hated the look on his little face that went from really happy to really mad in 0.2 seconds. He turned red as a beet and screamed until I could pick him up. Then he stuck that little bottom lip out and cried (for my benefit I'm sure) for about 10 seconds.

He's doing great. Growing and right on track developmentally (actually a little ahead in some areas). He weighs 22.4 pounds and is 30 1/4 inches tall. My big little boy. He's in the 20th percentile in weight and 30th in height. My "little" Vietnamese baby is not so little. However, his 12 month jeans were falling off of him. My kids and their little waists and butts.

He'll go back in a month for his flu shot booster and for an ear wax removal. His little ears have a lot of wax in them. I have to put drops in them twice a day to soften it up and then we'll have it taken out in a month. Charlie gets to take him to that appointment. :)

Looking forward to tomorrow. We're actually taking the boys to the Dillon office tomorrow afternoon in their Halloween costumes. AND we're doing our second post placement visit tomorrow. After all of that fun, we're heading to our church for the Fall Festival. Ian has loved it the past 2 years and I can't wait for Drew to experience it. Afterwards, we're going to Ian's school for their Fall Festival. My kids will never go to bed tomorrow night. Yikes.

I'll post Halloween pictures sometime this weekend.

School Pictures

2008-10-29T07:40:00.003-05:00

Ian's school picture for this year. I know I'm a little biased, but he's just so handsome. He looks so grown up in this picture...and a little sleepy. Where did my baby go? What is it with boys and hair? His hair looked perfect when he left the house that morning. What happened I'll never know. Oh well...it's him though...crazy hair and all. Love my sweet and rotten Ian.

Jack Smirky

2008-10-23T16:24:00.005-05:00

Ian "helping" Daddy carve the pumpkin

My cute boys

Ian with his pumpkin

The finished product....Jack Smirky

My Ian

2008-10-21T23:15:00.002-05:00

For those of you that know me, you know how much I love my Ian. He can be a handful sometimes, but all in all, he's a pretty good boy. Some times he acts so big and so grown up. Other times....he acts like a baby younger than Drew. I guess that's to be expected.

He had a rough evening. He was on the "thinking chair" many times this evening. He just doesn't get the fact that he's bigger than Drew. He thinks he can sit on him and it's fine. Nope...not fine in my house. So, he goes to the thinking chair. Then he decides to hit or throw something....right back to the thinking chair.

It was nearing bedtime this evening. Drew was already in his pajamas and ready for his bottle. Drew is used to me giving him his bottle and rocking him for a little while. Then we say "it's time to go nite-nite"...he'll shake his head no...but we take him to his crib anyway. Give him a kiss and say good night. That's it. He's down. But....he's used to that little routine. Tonight, Ian was insisting on sitting on my lap where Drew usually sits for his bottle. I tried to explain to him that as soon as Drew was in his crib he could sit on my lap all by himself. Nothing worked so Charlie came over and picked him up and took him to the couch with him.

Ian, of course, was crying, crying, crying. Then he started coughing. Coughing....crying....guess what was next? Yep....throwing up. Poor little guy. He threw up on Charlie. Threw up on Charlie's shoes. Charlie got a towel for me and he threw up in it too. While we were waiting for Charlie to bring me another towel, poor little Ian said "Mommy, I'm sick. Why am I sick Mommy?....Mommy, I'm sick....I need to go to the hospital". I desperately tried not to laugh. I could hear Charlie chuckling in the hallway. I tried to reassure Ian that he was fine and he did not need to go to the hospital. After a bath he was fine.

My sweet Ian....never a dull moment.

No Pictures Today

2008-10-12T22:54:00.002-05:00

We're all sick in the Conner home. Drew's still recovering from his ear infection, Ian now has a bad cough and runny nose, I'm coughing up stuff and Charlie is aching all over. Not a fun day. Hopefully we'll all get some rest tonight and tomorrow will be better.

Beautiful Fall Day

2008-10-11T23:09:00.003-05:00

As close as it gets to both of them looking at the camera
Daddy & Ian being silly with their pumpkins on their heads
Boy on the move....all the time!

To enjoy our beautiful fall weather, Charlie, Brad and I took the boys to Pumpkin Town today in South Tulsa. It was actually a lot warmer than I expected it to be, but it was a beautiful day. The boys had fun playing and running around. Drew kept looking at the pumpkins and saying "ball". Charlie and Ian picked out the perfect pumpkin and they're going to carve it up tomorrow evening. That ought to be entertaining (I'll be there with my camera). We tried to get a picture of the family, but Ian was not cooperating. He took about a 20 minute nap on the way to Pumpkin Town and that was it. So, Mr. Cranky Pants made an appearance.

We're going to go to Bixby to the Pumpkin Patch on the 23rd. Ian's class is going on a field trip, so I'm going to tag along. That should be fun. We probably should have gone there today, but we thought we'd try the one a little closer to home.

All in all....a good day.

BTW....my condolences to all of the Sooner fans out there. BUT.....GO POKES!!!! We're really Marshall University fans, but living in Oklahoma you have to have a team to cheer for. We just can't bring ourselves to root for OU....so we are fans of the Orange and Black....who are now undefeated. I LOVE football...college, high school, pro....any kind of football. My favorite sport in my favorite time of year. Nothing better than a Friday or Saturday night football game when you have to have a blanket to keep you warm....or a special someone :)

More from the Conner gang tomorrow......

15 Months Old AND We've Been Home 2 Months

2008-10-10T22:53:00.002-05:00

Today, little man Drew is 15 months old....and it's been 2 months since we landed in Tulsa with our newest addition. He's just a stinker beyond belief. I'm amazed at how far he's come in just 2 short months.

It's been so different with Drew. He's been a more difficult child in a lot of ways. He was and is so much more independent than Ian. I found it was much harder to gain his trust. Maybe it's the additional 2 months he spent in the orphanage (Ian came home at 11 months old)...and maybe it's just his personality. Haven't quite figured that one out yet. There's no doubt that he's attaching, but being the worrier that I am, I still fret over possible attachment issues. He still prefers mommy at this point but if I'm not around (or if he doesn't see me)....daddy is just fine too. I think he has me pegged. He knows that his little cry / whine can get to me and he uses that to his advantage. Oh well, I keep telling myself they're only little once.

Anyway....a little over a year ago we saw his face for the first time and 10 weeks ago, our lives were forever changed by this adorable little guy. We love you little man Drew!!!

Stupid Teeth Plus Stupid Weather Equals.....

2008-10-09T22:40:00.002-05:00

An ear infection. Yay!

Drew has his first (that we know of) ear infection. He's been cranky because of his teeth. He's been drooling because of his teeth. His nose has been running because of....oh heck...who knows what. Today he was tugging at his little right ear, fussing, not napping and not eating. So I thought I'd better check in with the doctor since the weekend is almost upon us. They, of course, needed to see him. So off we go. He acts completely fine at the doctors office. Running, laughing, babbling, giggling.....just being full of his normal cuteness. When they checked his little right ear...all clear. Hmmm? Checked the left ear....yep....infected. I had to giggle because he has not touched his little left ear one time. Now he on antibiotics for 10 days, yippee. He's coughing quite a bit, but Ms. Jodi (our nurse practitioner) said his lungs were clear. I think it's just the crazy, stupid Oklahoma weather. Oh well...this too shall pass.

2008-10-08T02:45:00.002-05:00

Puzzles and shapes...one of Ian's favorite things. Look how sweet they are. Just warms my heart :)
Building a "huge big" house (look at the concentration and those eye lashes)

OK, so it's nearly 3am in the morning. Why in the world am I posting on the blog. Well, I have a raging sinus headache. Got up to take some medicine and thought I'd download the pictures I took earlier this evening. Then, of course, I had to post a couple. Now I'm going back to bed.

Crazy Weather

2008-10-07T11:50:00.002-05:00

It's official....I'm not going to be Mother of the Year. How in the world do you know how to dress your kids during the season change? It's finally Fall here in Tulsa....my favorite time of year. But, I'm clueless what the little ones should wear. It's chilly in the morning and by late afternoon it's pretty hot. So, do I dress them in pants or shorts? Today, Drew is in pants and Ian is in shorts. Not only is Ian in shorts...I didn't send a jacket with him. Nor did I send a jacket with Drew. Geesh. It's not way cold here by any stretch, but it's chilly and overcast.

One Year Ago.....

2008-10-05T08:55:00.005-05:00

At approximately 11:25am my phone rang in my office. It was Charlie. He said "how's your day going?"....It was the end of an exhausting week so I replied with "um, OK."....He said "it's going to get better"....Still not getting it I responded with "yeah, OK."....He promptly replied "yes, IT IS going to be a whole lot better....want to have lunch with me at Dillon?"......I finally got it.....yep, he was talking about our referral. It took FOREVER for Charlie to drive across town and pick me up and then took even longer to drive 5 miles to the Dillon office. All in all, it was probably only 20 minutes total....but it seemed like hours.

We walked into the Dillon office trembling (or at least I was). We were about to hear the information about a little baby that would become our son. We were taken into the conference room while Katie gathered the information. Then we started looking at all of his information, what little there was. We knew this was our son. We verbally accepted his referral and then the moment came when we saw his face for the very first time. No words can describe how you feel when you see your child's face for the first time. I don't ever want to discount how a mother feels as she's giving birth to a child and actually seeing them for the first time, but as an adoptive mom it's different. What we have is a small 4 x 6 picture of this little baby...no coos, no crying, no little eyes opening and closing...but a small picture that totally opens your heart and you realize that this is the child you will do your best to parent. It's totally overwhelming and exhilarating. We knew from the moment we looked at his medical information and then gazed at his little picture that this little baby boy was OUR SON. God had blessed us yet again with another son. How great is our God?

Later that evening, we showed Ian the picture of his new baby brother. He looked at it intently and said "that's my brother". Then he kissed his little picture. I'm not sure he understood what all of this excitement actually meant, but it was a sweet moment.

The next 9 months were excruciating. What was supposed to be a 3-6 month wait before we traveled to Vietnam, turned into over 9 months. Lots of ups and downs.....a lot of downs...but we still knew that waiting on the other side of the world was our son....our baby Drew.

One year ago today we saw a glimpse of God's love for us....we saw the face of an angel. And...Charlie was right....my day one year ago...October 5th, 2007....got a whole lot better. :)

Just A Few Pictures

2008-10-04T23:19:00.002-05:00

Drew and I had the privilege of attending Natasha's shower for Nehemiah today. We had a great time. The girls that were there were so much fun and we even did a sweet little art project for Nehemiah's room. All of us "non-creative" types had fun laughing at our masterpieces. Natasha loved all of them. We painted scenes from Vietnam onto wooden rice spoons. Cute and clever idea. Mine didn't look like a scene from Vietnam....not quite sure what it looked like. Drew had a great time too. He loved playing with the toys at Rhonda's house, eating all of the yummy food and all of the attention from the other mommies and little girls there. He was asleep in the car before we got to the end of Rhonda's road. Too much partying I suppose.

Natasha....if you read this....I'm honored to have been part of this special day. Nehemiah is so loved already and I can't wait until he's home. Also can't wait until you join the ranks of being a parent of 2. You are an amazing woman and mother and I am blessed to call you my friend. Love you girl.

Cuteness

2008-10-04T00:06:00.003-05:00

Brothers sitting still....what's up with that?
Not as sweet as it looks...Ian just didn't like Drew being on his bike :)
Bath time fun
Our handsome Indian Prince
OK....I've had enough of pictures for today :)

These boys are amazing. They both LOVE being outside and this evening was a perfect evening for it. It's fall and we love this time of year.

Ian is adjusting to his new pre-school beautifully. We get glowing reports every day. He's quite the little charmer. He also loves going to Mission Friends at church on Wednesday evenings. This past Wednesday, during chapel time, they were talking about Missionaries who are in Utah. They asked the kids "are they in Mexico"....."no"...."are they in India?"....Ian promptly stands up and says "I'm from India". He's very proud of the fact that he's from India. He has started saying, "I'm Ian Everett Kushal Conner. I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma City" (ok, close enough)." At his new pre-school (Southpark Christian School), they have chapel time each week. They have a bible memory verse....yes for 3 year olds...to learn each month. This month it's Psalm 18:30...As for God, His way is perfect. Tonight after dinner Charlie said, let's practice your memory verse. Ian said "I do it, I do it....As for God, His way is perfect....Psalm 18:30". WOW...double WOW. He's only been working on it this week. Very proud of my little man.

Drew is doing better. Still teething and still somewhat miserable...but it's better than it was. He's becoming quite vocal. Jabbering a lot more. Saying a few words. He listens very well right now. He's a great eater. His bed time routine is getting better and better. He wakes up one time for a bottle and then goes back to sleep. Of course, if he's having a bad teething night....it's nuts. He is attaching beautifully to both Charlie and I. He still prefers mommy if he's upset, but he will let Charlie comfort him too. If I'm not around...he settles down with Charlie. But if he sees or hears me....all bets are off. He wants his mommy! While it's wonderful, there are times when I need to attend to Ian.

OK...it's getting late. Ian has Soccer tomorrow and Drew and I are going to Natasha's baby shower. Sunday is a special day for our family....so stay tuned for pictures!

As for God, His way is perfect. Psalm 18:30