My Funny Valentine

It's March and we are approaching a six-month milestone. Not only do we need to have a 6-month post-placement report done (for China), but we are finalizing our readoption (for CA birth certificate) for Iris this week. Hallelujah! The readoption process has been quite a chore and sent Daddy on many visits to our local courthouse.

Well, Iris has been accumulating toys that seem to get bigger. One is the toy car from a generous friend (Yolanda D.) It may help her strengthen her legs, so that she might think about walking on her own. She's standing better, but not quite wanting to take the first steps on her own. This car has been fun and she even tried to take her new lamb (almost as big as she is!) with her for a ride. The car even makes noises with some music, but there is a stop button, which Daddy appreciates...mucho! Other toys are the PlayHut (tunnel thing) that has taken over more of the our living room space and play kitchen that she thoroughly loves. Maybe she'll stay out of the big kitchen now..? Probably not!

We enjoyed Valentine's Day with a visit from my family and ate a delicious seafood dinner -soup and pasta- cooked by dear Daddy. Even more special was the strawberry ice cream cake that Mommy (that's me!) got from Cold Stone Creamery. A friend came to help eat that. That's when Iris received her first Valentine (Aaaaaah!) The boy's name is Joshua, and the writing looked a lot like his mom's. It was very sweet.

Iris is changing weekly to look like a little girl. She is now in the 25th percentile (up from 10) in weight. She has several molars in, too. So far, she's only had a few days of nasal congestion and coughing, and an allergic reaction to the immunizations from her 15-month visit with the pediatrician. Otherwise, all seems well. At Kindergym, she seems timid to approach and play with other children. Of course, Daddy is nearby to encourage her. I've joined a mom's small group that is going to begin a series on "Wisdom for Mothers." There's hope :)

We continue to be thankful for our jobs, as we watch our investment values plummet along with millions of other people. It is hard to think of Iris's future, especially as we want to save for her college expenses. I think that hard times are ahead. Yet I pray for God's mercy, grace and love to carry us through these lean financial years for our daughter's sake. She is a precious child that has a happy spirit. May she grow up knowing who her Creator and Redeemer is.

Almost five months!

It's been nearly five months since we first met our dear Iris in China. She really has quite a social calendar with playgroup, storytime at the library, hour of daycare while mom's in Bible study group, and occasional playdates at the park with friends. Life's definitely different, but it is a joy to see the wonder and smiles in Iris's face as she discovers new things in this world. I often think of how marvelously fun it must be to meet everything as a new encounter and to marvel in that. With the failing economy, political clout, and social systems, it's easy to become cynical and despair when thinking about the future. Instead, it's great to have hope in what God will do in the young and innocent children, such as Iris.

I'm continuing to get a real sense of things I need to "give up" and re-prioritize in order to care for her and have quality family time together. For example, do I go that committee meeting because of my great interest, or do I stay home to give my husband some personal time because work is a real burden on his mind now? Also, do I see that movie because I need an outlet, or do I devote any spare moment to working outside classtime (e.g. for prep, presentations)? Lord, this seems trivial, yet this is a sampling of the choices I make in my life. I'm very glad that my life is under God's sovereignty, else I'd really screw things up for me and my family! So, we all must take it one day at a time.

Shin Nian Kuai le!

Congratulations to those born in the Year of the Ox! Iris is carrying a load of her own with soft stacking donuts in the hood of her sweater. In the background, you'll see the beautiful and fun new play mats the were a gift from Aunt Ruth. There are soft puzzle pieces that Iris has already learned to take out. It's great because she can learn the alphabet, vocabulary, colors and shapes.

In the other picture above, you see that Iris is good at getting around, even getting trapped under a chair. She's just about ready to walk, but we've been thinking that since October! Well, her legs need to be strong enough. Until, she enjoys crawling around the house, especially down the hall to her room.

Iris has one new molar! That may explain the excessive drooling (she's a drooly baby anyway!) lately. Trying to get her to use the spoon is a fun challenge. She mostly likes to lick the food on the spoon like a lollipop. That's when she has the right end in her mouth (see picture below).

The challenge for me is arranging my time (Is there such a thing?) for errands, work, chores around her needs. For example, outings are to one or two places-MAX! It's a time sucker putting her in and out of the car seat. She's fine, but I'm tired. Besides, it's all about Iris right now, right? :) She's had a couple of afternoons with babysitters when her mom is working (part-time). There are so many decisions about daycare that we're a bit like Alice in Wonderland. Well, talking to other moms will get us through a lot of that. More importantly, I give thanks that God watches over us daily. Iris remains healthy and happy. Praise God!

So long 2008, Hello 2009!

Iris had a whirlwind of a week celebrating Christmas in CA and AZ. She loved the food and so did we! Her favorite toys were a plastic bag, plastic bottle, and Christmas cards. The cousins and relatives gleefully showered her with attention. We (the parents) hardly had to take care of Iris because there were people wanting to feed her, hold her, and play with her (and her real toys). Take a look:


There was sunshine once the Christmas Eve rain passed us. As our families gathered, there was a familiar chaos, but more baby noises and squeals that have not been heard in awhile. We enjoyed a yummy brunch at Aunt Ruth's home as we prepared to fly to AZ. It seemed very familiar to packing two large suitcases in which less than one of them was for our stuff; the rest were Iris's stuff!

Once in AZ, Iris's cousins finally met her and continued to say "She's so cute!", which we agree with. Most memorable was our niece Gabrielle (holding Iris in the picture on the right) learning to change diapers, even the poopy ones. After the smell of that, she preferred to feed and play with Iris instead of the diaper-changing deal. We spent a morning at the zoo. We also managed to put pigtails in Iris's hair, thanks to small orthodontic bands from cousin Patrick! All in all, Iris is well-loved and I am convinced that God made the perfect match for us because she is a happy, healthy and social baby. She was the highlight of 2008, so we look forward to more happy times and Iris's development in 2009. Happy New Year!