Two Brothers Waiting

Joie de vivre

2011-11-01T10:57:00.003-04:00

Noah has a love of life that is very refreshing. In every little thing he does, he seems to enjoy himself, he lives in the moment. Now some would say...well, he's only a child...it's normal. Yes, but there is something about Noah...it's in his no-worries-way of going about his little life, he has a ''joie de vivre'' that is intoxicating. He reminds me to stop and live in the moment.

Here is an example of what I mean. We went walking to a beautiful park this weekend. The kids spent a whole lot of their time rolling down a huge hill of grass. They had so much fun! Here's a video of Noah going down the hill. While rolling down, he is saying...This is awesome...This is the best day in the whole wide world...oh yeah...shake your tushie!

Although they really hate it, I snapped a few pictures of them and this is one of my favorites.

The kids also enjoyed Halloween this year. Liam was disguised as Batman and Noah as Mario. We raided the houses in our new hood and came back and devoured our loot!

My favorite time of year

2011-10-28T22:12:00.035-04:00

Two weeks ago, we went walking up north. We go to the same place every year, and the kids are actually old enough to remember this place and look forward to walking in the leaves. They call it the Leaf Place.

Their favorite part of the day is looking for a walking stick.

My favorite part is walking off the trail and taking it all in.

Catching Up

2011-08-10T14:38:00.003-04:00

Ok...so since the last time I posted, lots has happened. We sold our house, had a new one built from the ground, packed what seemed like a million boxes, moved those million boxes, went on a trip to Disney, finished the school year and are now having an amazing summer.

So let's go back a few months and play catch up...AGAIN! Back in January, when we finally sold our house, we anticipated that the move would be quite the undertaking. We therefore decided that it would be a good idea to take a vacation after the move. So one week after we had settled into the the new house, we packed our bags and got on a plane to Florida. We only told the kids we were leaving for Disney on the day of our departure!!!! We managed to keep this a secret from them for 3 months. I packed their bags when they were sleeping and hid them in a closet! Here is a video of them on the morning of our departure.

They were soooo excited!!!! We spent 4 whole days at Disney and had a blast! We then spent the next 7 days at Hollywood Beach. We rented a condo and relaxed for the week.

If you want to see pictures of our trip, click on the picture below.

Florida 2011

One morning, we took the kids to the Everglades for an airboat ride. We had always wanted to do this. I expected the boat to go fast....and it did!!! We were going so fast, the boat would go sideways when we took a turn. The kids were stiff as a board for the whole ride! HA! Here is a video of it...

Our summer has been quite relaxing. We are not done unpacking and that's just fine by me. We've been spending our days at the splash pad close to our house, going on picnics, and going to the zoo. Last night, we were at the premiere (in Montreal) of the original Broadway Musical Lion King!!!! The troup are on a North American tour and they are ending it in Montreal. It was absolutely amazing!!! Here is a small video of the show.

The kids loved it. Noah zonked out towards the end of it...he was so tired.

(picture taken with Steve's phone)

Hard Monday Morning

2011-03-07T15:25:00.008-05:00

We got up this morning to this BEAUTIFUL view! UGHHHH!!!!

I wonder how much more snow is going to be dumped on us. Seriously....Have you noticed the hood of my car?!! I know Spring is just around the corner, but today it simply feels like it will never come. I can't wait to trade in my boots for my flip flops!

Anyway, Liam had an appointment at the dentist this morning for his first cavity. He really was not looking forward to this visit at all. It took us 2 hours to get there when it usually takes us 20 minutes!!!! The roads were so bad. Liam was very brave, he sat on the chair and he barely moved an inch...poor thing.

The whole intervention lasted about 30 minutes and he held his hands like this the whole time. Although this was not a fun experience, he was given headphones to watch TV up on the ceiling, and sunglasses for the bright light. Not too shabby huh?

Hope you are having a great Monday!!!!

The wait

2011-03-03T11:31:00.004-05:00

I haven't been updating my blog for a while now. For some reason, this blog was a constant reminder of the long wait we still have ahead of us before Mia joins our family. And although I always try keeping a positive attitude towards this wait, it affects me so much more than I ever thought it would.

We have been waiting for Mia for 3 years now...and I think we still have a 2 year wait ahead of us. Most of our family and friends have stopped asking about our adoption, and I can totally understand why. So much time has passed since we first embarked on our journey. I think most people stop asking, thinking it might hurt us to talk about it. If they only knew how we gush with happiness everytime somebody enquires about Mia. I carry Mia in my heart like I carried the boys in my belly. She is there, yet invisible to everybody.

Yesterday, my sister sent me an email. She will never know to what extent I was touched by her words. I would like to share a part of this email with you :

''Today I went to Cost Plus and spotted a ladybug ornament in their Easter section and was immediately drawn to it and decided to buy two--one for me and one for you. On my walk back home I started to think about you, Steve and the boys and what this adoption means to all of you. I started to wonder how I would feel if I were in your shoes and I immediately started to tear up and became very overwhelmed just thinking about how long it has been since you started this process, wondering when you would get word and then thinking about the child that would be part of your family. I don't think I fully appreciated, until today when I paused and really thought about it, what that wait means to you every day nor can I fully begin to understand how emotionally trying this must be for you. I often catch myself thinking "oh! jeez, I didn't ask her about the adoption when we talked" or "I wonder how she's doing today" as I hang up the phone when we talk. I always say to myself, "I'll ask her next time I call her". Sometimes I ask, other times I don't. So, I decided to put the ladybug in my son's room, somewhere where I would see it every day and be reminded of what the ladybug represents; even if I don't ask you about the adoption or how you're doing, I think about you every day, support you through this process and will keep my ladybug until the day my niece is home with her family. I'm there for you, Kathy and I will listen to you when you need to talk, cry, laugh and vent. I've been meaning to say these things to you for a while, maybe even assuming that you already knew these things but sometimes I little reminder is always helpful. I love you!''

I'm so lucky to have her as my sister and friend. This email means more than she will ever know.

I love you Debby!

Fall has come and gone...

2010-11-04T20:11:00.001-04:00

and much has happened since my last post. I do plan on catching up, but for now I've decided to post a few of my favorite pics that were taken in the past few weeks. Enjoy!

I don't want to go to school!

2010-08-30T13:10:00.009-04:00

Noah kept repeating the same sentence this morning...I don't want to go to school! Although we've been counting down the days and he was very excited to start school, this morning the reality of it hit hard. Poor Noah, he was not happy.

But after I told him he could bring Woody to school with him, he finally cracked a smile.

So thanks to Woody, Noah suddenly had no problem going to school. He gave a big hug to Baba, Mommy and Liam and walked into his pre-k classroom with a huge smile. Woody saved the day!

Summer vacation went by so fast

2010-08-20T08:24:00.006-04:00

One more week and school starts! UGHHH!!!! I don't know if I'm ready yet for all that it entails. OH how I will miss our lazy mornings and fun days with no schedule to worry about.

Referrals!

2010-08-19T10:42:00.009-04:00

Not so long ago, I posted that our dossier had been reviewed and accepted. Click here to read that post.

Our dossier is now in the matching room at the CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) . The matching room is where the CCAA chooses a child for you. After you are matched with a child they send you your referral. Your referral is all of the information about the child China has matched you with, including pictures! Referrals are usually sent out once a month. Last Monday, families with a LID through May 15, 2006 got a very special phone call. I thought you would like to see a few of these lucky families who have posted pictures on their blog. Enjoy!
By the way, although our dossier is in the matching room, we do not expect to get a referral sometime soon. The CCAA is only sending referrals to families with a LID through May 15, 2006. Our LID is November 13, 2008. The families below who received their referral have been waiting for 52 months! That's right...4 years and 4 months!!!! So we still have lots of waiting to do! We have been waiting for 21 months now. We are hoping our turn will come end of 2012.

The Bumblebee and the Ladybug

Peaceful Panda

Adventures in Bellahland

Baby Steps...all the way to China

Hope

Abby

The Mercer Family

The Long Road to China

Cantrell Crew

My nephew

2010-08-09T14:34:00.000-04:00

I already love you so much! I can't wait to meet you.

Catching up!

2010-08-03T15:29:00.006-04:00

We're back....and have been back for a while now! Ha!

Deb and Chris, we had so much fun visiting you. Thanks for having us for 2 whole weeks! We miss you so much! Here's a little montage of our time with you.

If you would like to see more pictures of our trip, click here.

2 weeks in San Francisco!

2010-06-20T18:37:00.006-04:00

This is a picture of us back in 2006 on our last visit to San Francisco. The boys were almost 1 and 3. I can't wait to rediscover this beautiful city through their eyes again!

AUNTIE & UNKIE here we come! Woo Hoo!

More fabric for Mia's Bai Jia Bei

2010-06-13T10:51:00.003-04:00

We have received more fabric!

Fabric 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 are from my mom. She took the time to choose beautiful fabric for Mia. They are so cute!!!! My favorite one is the one with the turtles.

Fabric 16 is from my Dad. I was so touched to know that he took the time to choose the card and fabric himself.

Fabric 17 is from Laura and Jay. I absolutely love the bright colors! Thank you for your beautiful message to Mia!

Fabric 18 is from my aunt Suzanne and my uncle Jacques. My aunt is very sick, but she took the time to write a beautiful message to Mia and choose such a cute fabric design. I am very grateful. Merci beaucoup tante Suzanne!

Fabric 19 is from Nanny. I have fond memories of my grandmother. She was such a loving person. If she would be here with us today, she could have made Mia's quilt with her eyes closed. She was one talented lady. My mom kept some of her leftover fabric when she passed away as a keepsake. She recently gave me this beautiful fabric in her memory. I am so happy that she will be a part of Mia's quilt. Thank you Mommy!

Fabric 20, 21, 22, and 23 are from Steve's family in Syria. Steve's dad recently took a trip there to visit his family. We were very touched upon his return to receive these fabrics for the quilt. Thank you to Soeur Vartouhi, Aboud, Rita, Madeleine and Peter Saydouni, Tante Madeleine and cousins Katherine, Emil and Gabi. I absolutely loved the idea of the postcards!

My favorite flowers!

2010-05-28T15:58:00.005-04:00

I love flowers! Some of my favorites are daisies, Gerbera daisies, roses and tulips. But by far, my favorite ones are the wild flowers the children pick for me in the grass. I enjoy watching them carefully choose the perfect one and then quickly run towards me! I also really enjoy watching their faces as they proudly hand me their gift.
Last September, when summer was quickly coming to an end, I was worried that it might be the last summer they would do this, as they are getting older. Click here to see that post.
Well, I am happy to say that I might still have an extra summer! YAY!!!!

Great weekend!

2010-05-18T20:20:00.008-04:00

This past weekend, we rented a cottage up north with Chantal, Bob and Maï-Lee. The cottage was located in what felt like the middle of nowhere. It was GREAT!!!! We were surrounded by trees, a beautiful lake and the chant of owls at night...and to top it off, there was an outdoor jacuzzi!!!! The kids absolutely loved the experience...going to bed late, playing with their flashlights in the dark, playing with worms, learning how to fish and eating to their heart's content lots of food they don't usually get to eat at home. Lots of candy, cookies, chips and marshmallows. Yes, there were sugar rushes and some meltdowns, but nothing too dramatic!

Steve also got to learn how to fish thanks to Bob...He was quite proud.

Merci les amis pour ce beau weekend!

Click on image to see larger.

Deb this is for you...Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-14T22:45:00.001-04:00

And here I go again...Once upon a time....

2010-04-04T06:00:00.005-04:00

6 years ago...

5 years ago...

4 years ago...

3 years ago...

2 years ago...

1 year ago...

My sweet boy is 6 today!!!! Happy Birthday Liam!
Mommy, Baba and Noah love you so much! Have fun today!

Once upon a time...

2010-04-01T06:00:00.005-04:00

4 years ago...

3 years ago...

2 years ago...

1 year ago...

Time flies oh so fast...my handsome boy is 4 years old today!!! Happy Birthday Noah!
Mommy, Baba and Liam love you so much!

2010-03-17T19:32:00.003-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Better late than never! Anyway, today I talked to the boys about their family heritage and they really got into it. I decided to draw shamrocks on their cheeks and they insisted on the rainbow. Noah was very wiggly, so the rainbow is quite crooked...but aren't they cute!!!!

Also, here's a story I found and wanted to share with you. It is written by Jean MacLeod.

A Little Bit Irish…

Hanna, my seven year old from China, was in the tub. I was helping her rinse the shampoo out of her hair when she asked,
“Am I a little bit Irish?”
My mind swept over some of our recent conversations about our family heritage, and I answered, “Well, ethnically you are Chinese. But since I’m a little bit Irish, then culturally, you are a little bit Irish, too.”
“When did it happen?” Hanna wanted to know.
“When did WHAT happen?” I asked, concentrating on her soapy head.
“When did I become a little bit Irish,” she explained patiently. “Was it when you kissed me for the very first time?”
I paused, shower wand in hand, and watched my daughter squeeze water out of her hair. I thought about the tiny, bundled baby that had been handed to me at the Anhui Hotel seven years earlier, and I remembered how her head felt against my cheek. I hadn’t wanted to scare her; my baby-kiss was soft and swift as I cradled her upon my shoulder. Unremarkable, it was the first kiss of many thousands, yet now, through Hanna, I see it with fairytale eyes:
My first kiss to my adopted daughter infused her with my love, my world, and the generations of my unknown ancestors! Like Sleeping Beauty wakening with a kiss from her Prince, the mother-daughter kiss called forth a magical intermingling-- a covenant leaping past genetics, it bestowed Hanna and me upon each other…
My pragmatic daughter had chosen to make sense of the vast, familial complexities of international adoption with a powerfully simple symbol of promise and connection.
“Yes” I said finally. “I think that’s when it happened.”

~ Jean MacLeod

Good news!!!!

2010-03-10T20:28:00.008-05:00

After 16 months, someone at the CCAA actually blew the dust off of our dossier and reviewed it!!!! We have passed the review room.
So what does this mean? Well....we sent our dossier to China on November 7, 2008 and it was logged in on November 13, 2008. This date is our LID (log in date). Our LID is our "ticket in line" for our adoption. Our dossier was then placed on a stack of other dossiers to go through review. In the review room the CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) went through our dossier and made sure there were no problems with our paperwork and they also checked if there were any medical conditions they felt they needed more information about. Now that our dossier is through the review room, it is now on its way to the matching room!!!! The matching room is where the CCAA chooses a child for us.
As of now, families with a LID through April 11, 2006 have been matched to a baby. So with our LID of November 13, 2008, we still have a long wait ahead of us. We are hoping for end of 2012.

Slowly but surely, we are heading in the right direction!

Happy Birthday Baba!!!

2010-03-10T09:21:00.003-05:00

Fun weekend...and an incident!

2010-02-22T19:24:00.001-05:00

Liam was off school on Friday, but Noah wasn't. I decided to take advantage of this time with Liam and go on one of our special 'dates'. On most of our dates, we go to our croissant place and eat till our belly's can't take anymore. Now as a mother, I really cherish these special moments. So on Friday I got up, asked Liam if he wanted to go on a date with me and headed downstairs to start our day. I was packing Noah's snack for school when I saw Liam coming down the staircase dressed in a shirt and tie. He had missed a few buttons on his shirt and his tie was loose...he had gotten all dressed up for ME. He said : "Look Mommy...I want to be handsome for our date." My heart melted!!! Here is a picture of him on that morning.

When Noah saw Liam in his shirt, he also wanted to wear a shirt like his big brother.

On Sunday, Liam had his ski lesson. He started about a month ago and is doing pretty good. Here is a small video of him going down a slope.

Later on, we got a call from our friends to join them for some outdoor fun. It was such a beautiful day on Sunday...almost Spring like. We met in Chateauguay and headed to a nature reserve not too far away. Chantal, Bob and Maï-Lee were in the car up front and had the misfortune of hitting a dear. The whole thing happened so fast!!! Thank God nobody got hurt. Bob skillfully controlled his car and avoided what could have been a disaster. On the other hand, the deer really got hurt. The police had to come and put the poor animal out of its misery. The whole thing was horrible! Noah was sleeping throughout the whole ordeal but Liam saw the whole thing. He had so many questions. After answering all of them, he seemed to be at peace with the whole situation by the end of the day. We did end up going to the nature reserve after the incident and had fun walking on a trail in the forest. Here are a few pictures.

Tortellini is too hot!!!

2010-02-18T19:09:00.007-05:00

Thought you would enjoy this little snippet of our life. Here is a video of Noah eating dinner tonight. He was having tortellini and was making me blow on every single bite because it was too hot.

I received two more squares for Mia's Bai Jia Bei this week!!!!

Fabric 8 was given to us by my aunt Nicole and my uncle Gary. They're presently on vacation in Florida and took the time to send us a beautiful piece of fabric. Their message to Mia is very touching.

Fabric 9 is from Chantalou. She is a very busy mommy...especially right now with the recent arrival of her beautiful daughter Manuela...but she took the time to send us a cute piece of fabric!!! Je suis très touchée par ta participation Chantalou...merci!

Bai Jia Bei (100 Good Wishes Quilt)

2010-02-08T21:15:00.006-05:00

Creating a beautiful quilt for a baby is a tradition in many cultures, but the thought of making one which includes 100 good wishes stitched into every inch is really lovely...

The Bai Jia Bei is a Northern Chinese tradition to welcome and celebrate life. It is their custom to invite friends and family to contribute a patch of fabric, along with a wish for the new baby. In keeping with this Chinese tradition, we invite you, our fellow bloggers, friends and family, to 'welcome' Mia by being a part of her Bai Jia Bei.
If you would like to contribute a square of fabric and a wish to Mia's Bai Jia Bei, please send me an email (coutureka@gmail.com), or leave me a comment.

Thank you so much for joining in and helping to make a wonderful keepsake for our daughter! One day she will be able to look back at all of the wishes that were sent while we waited for her arrival. We are so excited about this project and can't wait to share it with our daughter! When we complete it we will post pictures for everyone to see.
_____________________________

I am happy to say that we have already started receiving fabric for Mia's quilt.
Our first 3 squares were given to us by our good friends Chantal and Bob. They had a LID of March 29, 2006 and have recently been united with their beautiful daughter Maï-Lee. We are so happy for them!!!

Fabric 4 and 5 were given to us by our friend Eveline. She carefully took the time to choose two beautiful fabrics. Her message to Mia is very touching!

Fabric 6 was given to us by good friends of my parents. I am very touched by their contribution. Merci Denise et Claude!

Fabric 7 was given to us by my uncle Gilles and aunt Raymonde. Thank you!!!

Counting down the days!

2009-12-22T13:24:00.004-05:00

The kids have been counting down the days to christmas with the help of this magnetic cookie sheet. They love it! Each night before they go to bed, they choose a magnetic cookie and count how many sleeps are left before christmas. They are so excited!!!
We've been very busy preparing for christmas these past few weeks. The kids helped with the tree, painted some christmas decorations for their grandparents and teachers, baked some cookies and got an early visit from Santa!!! Thanks Unkie Chris...you're the best Santa ever!

Last year was our first Christmas with a gift for Mia under the tree. We also hung a christmas ornament to celebrate our LID. We chose a kimmidoll with a message of hope on it. I also attached a red thread around the doll and inscribed the year on it.

The red thread has a special meaning in Chinese folklore. The Chinese legend goes something like this: An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumtance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break.

This year I also found an ornament for Mia. It's a 'Li Bien' ornament. In Chinese, the phrase Li Bien means 'inside'. The Li Bien ornament showcases the age old skill of inside painting, which originated in the Qing Dynasty. It is a respected Chinese art. Each ornament is delicately hand-painted through a tiny opening in the mouth-blown glass. This process requires great skill since the image is painted in reverse. I found this ornament to be very fitting since it is in the shape of a heart...Mia has been within or 'inside' our hearts for two christmases now.

This Christmas will be very special for our friends Chantal and Bob. They recently got the referral of their daughter (LID 29-03-2006). Isn't she the cutest!!!

They are presently waiting for their TA (Travel Approval) from China and should be travelling to be united with their daughter in January. We are so happy for them!!! Their 4 year wait is finally over.

To finish off, I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with joy and lots of happiness!

Starting to get in the Holiday spirit!

2009-11-24T17:21:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

One year waiting!

2009-11-13T21:39:00.005-05:00

Halloween Fun!

2009-11-01T20:31:00.002-05:00

The celebration started with a surprise call from Auntie from San Francisco via skype. We love you Auntie!

We then put on our disguises (Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Big Specs Girl) and dropped by Mamie and Papie's house for brunch. Mamie surprised the kids with her funky pirate disguise!

We got home and raided almost all the houses in our neighborhood. Yasmine spent her first Halloween with her cousins. She was so cute in her ladybug outfit (I wonder who will get to wear it next ;0)

We got home, emptied the loot on the floor and pigged out till we could have no more!!!! Here is a picture of Noah enjoying his chocolate.

I just couldn't resist!

2009-10-20T13:41:00.009-04:00

When Liam was a baby, I got him this Lamaze travel toy.

He absolutely loved it, and it was for a very long time his favorite companion. He would spend lots of time making the flowers crinkle or moving the bugs on the ring, and the squeaker in its belly would always make him smile. We simply couldn't leave home without it. What I liked about it was that I could easily attach it to his stroller, car seat or high chair and it would keep him entertained for quite some time (making trips to the mall or simple car rides more pleasurable!!!!) I also liked the fact that it washed well. I have washed it in the washer at least once a week and it still looks brand new. Here's a picture of Liam with his froggy.

When I was pregnant with Noah, I wanted to find one for him that he could call his own. This is the one I chose.

I chose a puppy that had rattles in its paws, a squeaker in its belly, crinkly ears and a crinkly bone that vibrates when pulled. Noah loved his puppy and would also carry it everywhere we went. The puppy would even bark when we would pet its nose. Here's a picture of Noah and his puppy.

Ever since we got our LID for Mia, I've been looking around to find one for her. When I saw this one I simply could not resist buying it.

It has the same crinkly flowers, squeaky belly and bug ring as froggy. I hope she likes it. We plan on giving it to her on Gotcha Day.

This video always makes me smile!

2009-10-18T11:49:00.003-04:00

Some of you might have seen it before...it's very original. I wish I had thought of this for our wedding!!!

Bored much???

2009-10-11T09:59:00.007-04:00

Here is where I found my boys yesterday morning!!!

Now, I'm not sure what they were doing...but they seemed to be having fun :0)
The weather was very gloomy and rainy on Saturday morning, but as soon as the sun came out, we decided to go apple and pumpkin picking at St-Joseph-du-Lac. I was really hoping that Noah would nap in the car on our way there. Unfortunately, he didn't and this is what he looked like at the orchard while apple picking.

He quickly snapped out of it and had lots of fun climbing all the ladders he could spot. I was freaking out!!!

Anyway, after filling a 10lbs bag, we decided to call it quits and head to the pumpkin place. It's beautiful there! They have a huge pumkin patch, a vast selection of different types of squash, a playgroung for the kids and an amazing little café where they make the most amazing soups. The children got to choose their pumpkins for Halloween...it was a muddy experience, but lots of fun!

2009-10-06T21:13:00.001-04:00

2009-10-06T18:30:00.020-04:00

Back from the beach...and really wishing we were still there. We spent the week at Hollywood Beach in Florida. To make things easier, we rented a condo right on the beach. The weather was typical Florida weather for this time of year...sunny in the morning, partly cloudy and scattered showers in the afternoon and it was really HOT and humid. In short, it was GREAT!!!

The condo was awesome. It felt like home. Having a fully equipped kitchen at the condo and eating in was so helpful...and made our vacation so much more fun. Eating out with the kids always entails lots of preparation and planning (coloring books, stickers, games) in order to keep them busy while WAITING to be seated, WAITING to order, WAITING for the food, WAITING for the bill....all that WAITING is really hard on my jitterbugs of 3 and 5 years old. We did manage to eat out more than ounce though. One night, we took them to the Rain*forest Café. We were lucky to get a table beside the monkeys!!! That kept them busy for the whole meal.

At the beach, Liam spent his whole days looking for seashells and fish. Although he said he wasn't afraid of the fish...he would spend lots of time on Steve's back when hunting for them ;0)

He also made a friend.

Noah also liked searching for seashells, but unlike Liam's shells Noah's were funky looking.

(Debby, does this look familiar...he's exactly like you!!!)

He would also spend a lot of time in the water and under the umbrella in the shade with Mommy. But taking pictures with our camera was his favorite thing to do. Here are a few of his pics (keep in mind that he's only 3 years old).

This one is my favorite. You can see his reflection on my glasses.

It was my 35th birthday on our last day. Steve and the kids made me leave the condo at 7 in the morning and baked a chocolate cake for me. How cool is that!!! As I was walking back, there was a full rainbow over the condo complex!!! It was a great day.

Getting away for a week was good for my addiction to adoption blogs. However, I couldn't help but wonder how many more vacations we will take before Mia is finally with us. I can't even count the times I wished she was with us on the beach.

The leaves are turning

2009-09-22T22:10:00.013-04:00

Today was the first day of autumn. And although I absolutely love fall, I will miss the warmth of summer and everything it entails (like wearing flip-flops ANYWHERE and EVERYWHERE).
Here is a video of our summer. Enjoy!

This is what I will miss the most about summer...

Everytime the boys would spot a flower in the grass (and let me tell you, they could spot the tiniest of flowers), they would pick it for me and say close your eyes mommy...surprise!!! (Noah would say purprise!!!!). The flower was sometimes so small, they would lose it in between their fingers. Oh I hope they still do this next summer.

La magie des lanternes

2009-09-20T19:16:00.006-04:00

Adoption Quebec planned an outting for adoptive parents this weekend at the Botanical Gardens. Steve and I are so happy we went. We had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know two couples we had a blast with. Linda & Jeff who share the same LID as us and Chantal & Bob who have a LID of 29-03-2006 (they're NEXT!!!!). It felt good to talk to people who share the same dream. This evening gave us lots of hope.
Thanks for the group picture Linda...love it!

Wait...Hope...Dream

2009-09-15T19:20:00.007-04:00

Breakfast in bed

2009-09-12T19:30:00.003-04:00

A Dis*ney movie, comfy pillows and cereal in popcorn cups...mommy slept in a bit longer this morning!

Liam's first day!

2009-09-01T21:00:00.006-04:00

Liam got up this morning really excited to go to school. After taking our traditional front door pictures, we walked him to school. As we were walking, I was getting butterflies (the kind I use to get when I started a new school year). Meanwhile, he was just skipping beside me with no worries in the world.
But...as soon as he saw all the children in the school yard, he got a bit scared. He practically climbed up Steve's body and held on for dear life. When we walked him into his classroom, he was back to his old self. He really enjoyed his first day!
I am so proud of him!

I am sooo excited

2009-08-31T17:00:00.015-04:00

and scared...and nervous...and heartbroken. My babies are big boys now!!!
It was Noah's first day at preschool today. I had fully prepared him for this day, but I guess I forgot to prepare myself for all the emotions I would go through this morning when I dropped him off.
Isn't he cute!

Anyway, he was only there for half the day and according to his teacher he did very well...except for one small incident. Noah is a very mischievous little boy. He is also a tad defiant and stubborn. So at one point, the teacher explained to me that he refused to join circle time with the others. My guess is that he was having way too much fun exploring his new world filled with new toys. So after repeatedly asking him to join them, she stood up to try and bring him to the circle. Well....my boy...being who he is...ran under one of the preschool tables trying to hide from the teacher. He did finally give in...after a lot of convincing. I guess I'll have to have a small talk with him tonight over milk and cookies.

Tomorrow is Liam's turn...first day at kindergarten!

My Big Boys!

Have we told the kids?

2009-08-21T19:52:00.007-04:00

Nope! They do not know they will eventually have a sister. To this day, the amount of time we will have to wait for our daughter has yet to be determined and the whole process is moving at a very slow pace. Therefore, we have decided to tell them only when we feel the time is right.

Meanwhile, we thought it would be fun to broaden their horizons (never too young to do that) and introduce them to China and its culture. There's a show on TV called Ni*Hao*Kai*Lan and it's aimed at preschoolers. My kids looove it! The show is a play-along, think-along series that weaves together Chinese language and culture, preschool-relatable stories and interactivity. It's kinda like Dora but it has its own spin. Below is a synopsis of the show (found online) and a small video. They will both give you a good idea of the show.

About the show
"Ni*hao!" That means "hi" in Mandarin--and that's how Kai*Lan greets you every day! Kai*Lan Chow is an exuberant Chinese-American preschooler, almost 6, who wants you to come play with her and her best friends. Kai*Lan's world is infused with Chinese culture and is brimming with magical sights and sounds, and everywhere you turn there's something amazing and beautiful to see. Along the way, she and her bilingual buddies speak in English and Mandarin, but they always need kids' help to find creative solutions to the daily dilemmas that come their way!
Click below to see what the show is all about.

My kids have already learned a few words in Mandarin and are using the words at unexpected times. I gave some juice to Liam the other day and he said thank you in Mandarin...very cute :0)
I also recently bought the following DVD:

In this movie, Kai*Lan and her friends take a trip to China to meet Kai*Lan’s favorite Great Aunt (Gu nai nai). While they are there, the little ones learn to face new experiences such as foods they have never tried, clothes they have never worn, and adventures they have never faced before. They learn about a different culture in both city and country settings and meet some pandas. As they do all this, the kids learn how to say the word “happy” and how to introduce themselves in Mandarin.

It's a great movie and my kids love it! It also gives me a break from hearing I'm the Map (Dora) every 3 minutes ;0)

Here I go!

2009-08-14T20:22:00.023-04:00

After reading so many adoption blogs in the past year, I've finally decided to start one of my own.

This will be a place where my husband and I will keep our family and friends updated on our adoption process. I am also hoping that this will be a place where I can share my thoughts with others who have embarked on this wonderful journey.

So where did our journey begin...My husband and I met 10 years ago through work. We fast became friends and eventually started dating. We got married in 2003 and immediately started talking about expanding our family. We talked about how many children we wanted and also discussed the possibility of infertility since it had been an issue for some of our family members. Although I was told that infertility is not hereditary, it was a possibility we could face as a couple. We then talked about adoption...and that is when a seed was planted in our hearts.

In 2004, Liam was born. Soon after in 2006, Noah was born. And in 2007, I was pregnant again with our third child. We could not have been happier. We found out it was a boy and decided to call him Nathan. We told everybody we were going to have our three musketeers. At my 5 month routine checkup, the doctor couldn't find the baby's heartbeat. He reassured us that it sometimes happens (because of the baby's position) and sent me to the hospital for an ultrasound. The ride to the hospital felt horribly long. The ultrasound confirmed our worse fear...Nathan's heart had stopped beating. I gave birth to him the next day (I was induced) and we got to hold him and say goodbye. The sadness and loss felt raw in our hearts for quite some time. And although we hated hearing others say that time would heal...time did help. I found a quote that best describes our healing process. “It's possible to go on, no matter how impossible it seems, and that in time, the grief lessens. It may not go away completely, but after a while it's not so overwhelming.”

And in time, our desire to have another child resurfaced. However, being pregnant again filled us with fear. Loosing Nathan was the hardest thing we had ever gone through in our lives. For many reasons, we both knew that we could not go through that kind of loss again. That is when the seed of adoption planted in our hearts began to grow. We eventually attended a meeting at our agency and started our paperwork soon after.

The joy this journey has brought to us so far has been over the top. Signing up with our agency and paper chasing was exciting...finally handing over our dossier was exhilarating...AND finding out our dossier was sent to China and getting our LID was soooo thrilling!!! All the emotions we have gone through have compared to the pregnancies of our sons. We are filled with love and anticipation.

We have been waiting for 9 months. And although we know the wait will be much longer, we also know it will be worth it. I named this blog Two Brothers Waiting because this blog will mainly be about the mischievous happenings of our two children as we wait. It will also be about the hope we have of one day being united with our daughter.