This week was a week of three firsts that are noteworthy.
But first a little update. Wow you have grown fast and are now up to 38 inches tall. You have named your first stuffed toy, Mr. Cow. Given to you by Uncle Kevin, Auntie Lou, Hannah and Daniel on their trip here earlier in the summer. That does seem a long timne ago.
In the last couple of weeks you have a huge interest in the film, The Little Mermaid and have taken to calling it the Princess Celeste movie. This week we took you to Toys R Us where you asked if you could have Princess Celeste bedding for your crib.
The biggest first was that you ordered your first meal by yourself this week in Perkins in Montgomeryville PA. Chocolate Milk, Pizza Pie and Fries.
The Red Thread
The Friend Family Adoption of our Daughter from China The Chinese have a wonderful way of explaining how people come together, all people. In their culture, long before we meet the people who will be the most important in our lives, we are linked with lengths of invisible red thread. A red thread they will tell us, joins us to our child. As a red thread crossed the Atlantic to join Taney to me the thread continues to China and to our daughter.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Saturday, November 05, 2005
18 months old tomorrow!
Celeste:
Returning to America may have been the end of our adoption journey but the start of our life together as family. Last weekend I sat and watched the video footage of gotcha day for the first time, reliving the moments of that special day half-way across the world.
How things have changed in such a short space of time:
You could barely sit up without support then, now you are running around the house.
We fed you baby formula and introduced you to Banana-Goop, now you feed your self (more-often-than-not) and enjoy a whole range of foods. You even help feed the cats.
You cried, now you are starting not only to mimic word but think and use the words you want, like cookie, mamma, dada, "kitty-kitty-kitties" airplane, elephant, baa, noo-noo (your favorite blanket) Ace (the dog) no (more often that I would like to hear), ni-ni (to go to bed) re-re (when you want to read a book) poo-poo (for I have a dirty diaper) and chinese shen-shen for thank you.
You cried then, your laughter and smile melts hearts and tells us that you are happy.
The best things for me are
Coming home from work and seeing you at the from door every day.
The way you blow a kiss from the crib each night I put you to bed.
The hugs you give my knees!
Snuggling up and watching your favorite TV programs, Teletubbies, Zaboomafoo,
Angelina Ballerina, Thomas the Thank Engine.
Chatting with you in the evenings with this quite whisperering thing you do with me that makes no sence to me but speaks volumes with you.
Having quick telephone calls that end in bye-bye.
Celeste you have grown from our little baby into a toddler so quickly, in some ways oh-to-fast. Your personality is so very precious to me and every day you surprise me is some small way.
The very best thing is your laugh. Our home is always filled with laughter and giggles. It is and always will be a happy home and place of safety for you.
Returning to America may have been the end of our adoption journey but the start of our life together as family. Last weekend I sat and watched the video footage of gotcha day for the first time, reliving the moments of that special day half-way across the world.
How things have changed in such a short space of time:
You could barely sit up without support then, now you are running around the house.
We fed you baby formula and introduced you to Banana-Goop, now you feed your self (more-often-than-not) and enjoy a whole range of foods. You even help feed the cats.
You cried, now you are starting not only to mimic word but think and use the words you want, like cookie, mamma, dada, "kitty-kitty-kitties" airplane, elephant, baa, noo-noo (your favorite blanket) Ace (the dog) no (more often that I would like to hear), ni-ni (to go to bed) re-re (when you want to read a book) poo-poo (for I have a dirty diaper) and chinese shen-shen for thank you.
You cried then, your laughter and smile melts hearts and tells us that you are happy.
The best things for me are
Coming home from work and seeing you at the from door every day.
The way you blow a kiss from the crib each night I put you to bed.
The hugs you give my knees!
Snuggling up and watching your favorite TV programs, Teletubbies, Zaboomafoo,
Angelina Ballerina, Thomas the Thank Engine.
Chatting with you in the evenings with this quite whisperering thing you do with me that makes no sence to me but speaks volumes with you.
Having quick telephone calls that end in bye-bye.
Celeste you have grown from our little baby into a toddler so quickly, in some ways oh-to-fast. Your personality is so very precious to me and every day you surprise me is some small way.
The very best thing is your laugh. Our home is always filled with laughter and giggles. It is and always will be a happy home and place of safety for you.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Home
This is the final posting of this blog.
After over twenty four hours of travel from Hong Kong entering into JFK where you were made an American Citizen and a short shuttle flight to Philadelphia, in the evening. You were met by your Gran, Aunt Tabitha, Uncle Scott and Uncle Pearse at the airport.
We have all travelled far. The Red Thread has proven to be very long but not tangled and now with the three of us together forms a stronger bond than one thread that stretches half-way across the world.
From this day onward, you have the rest of your life to look forward to, celebrate and cherish.
After over twenty four hours of travel from Hong Kong entering into JFK where you were made an American Citizen and a short shuttle flight to Philadelphia, in the evening. You were met by your Gran, Aunt Tabitha, Uncle Scott and Uncle Pearse at the airport.
We have all travelled far. The Red Thread has proven to be very long but not tangled and now with the three of us together forms a stronger bond than one thread that stretches half-way across the world.
From this day onward, you have the rest of your life to look forward to, celebrate and cherish.
Consulate Day
This morning the sun shone brightly over Guangzou, home to the adoption section of the US Consulate and Department of Homeland Security. You were carried from the White Swan to the Consulate where our identities were checked and we made a solem oath that all of the papers we had signed were truthful and honest. A visa for your entry to America was given and as soon as your feet touched American soil you are to be made an American citizen.
The same afternoon we headed back to the airport to fly to Hong Kong, the second of four flights home.
The same afternoon we headed back to the airport to fly to Hong Kong, the second of four flights home.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
May 11 - Into our arms forever.
Celeste:
We will relive this day many times over for years to come as this is the day you were placed in our arms for us to be a forever family. This special day has been written into a journal that we are keeping during the journey in China and is our special story.
There have been plenty of happy tears shed to this point, and many more on this day not only by your Mom and Dad but by all of those who you have yet to meet that will mean so very much to you. Not least your extended family, your grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins in America Britain and Canada.
Today all of our lives change and my heart grows ever bigger to hold onto the love I have for my Celeste.
We will relive this day many times over for years to come as this is the day you were placed in our arms for us to be a forever family. This special day has been written into a journal that we are keeping during the journey in China and is our special story.
There have been plenty of happy tears shed to this point, and many more on this day not only by your Mom and Dad but by all of those who you have yet to meet that will mean so very much to you. Not least your extended family, your grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins in America Britain and Canada.
Today all of our lives change and my heart grows ever bigger to hold onto the love I have for my Celeste.
Friday, May 06, 2005
Celeste's Birthday - May 6.
Celeste,
You probably will not know this, but today is your first birthday. Of all the gifts your Mom & I could give you on this special first birthday. We boarded the plane in New York to fly to Hong Kong and are a half-way around the world closer to you.
You probably will not know this, but today is your first birthday. Of all the gifts your Mom & I could give you on this special first birthday. We boarded the plane in New York to fly to Hong Kong and are a half-way around the world closer to you.
Friday, April 01, 2005
April 1 a flurry of papers and reservations
The lack of posting in the week plus has been a result of a significant amount of activity at this end of the red thread.
Earlier this week we received our second but not final travel packet that included papers needing signatures and notary action. This was all resolved by today, most completed and returned to Colorado by Wednesday. Visa applications were submitted to JC Travel in San Francisco as we await their return which will take a little time.
Meanwhile, our agency gave a very clear signal that we will not be travelling in the first groups, but head up the second groups to Hong Kong and onward to our final destination in China to meet Celeste and start her journey to bring her home. Most importantly we were given an indication of dates of travel while not confirmed were close enough to go ahead to book airline tickets for two out and three back.
Speaking with a number of airlines including the conciege service at Amex clearly identified no business class seating available through to the end of May and clearly no opportunity to upgrade. The solution was for three seats on the return journey that will be non-stop from Hong Kong to JFK in New York.
Celeste's entry point into America will be within the metophoric shadow of the Statue of Liberty, as was my entry into Newark almost five years earlier.
The airline tickets have the flexibility built in to change dates outbound or return if needs be, subject to a small penalty, nevertheless we have flights and have taken a major step forward in realizing the nearer conclusion of our adoption journey for all three of us.
This week Celeste, your Mommy sent you a package that contained a soft photo album, a blanket and a toy stuff chickadee to play with as an advanced birthday gift. We were only allowed to send a small box not bigger than a shoebox and this was carefully packed and sent with love.
Much has been achieved in a flurry of paperwork and reservations and as the calendar switched from March to April, the crocuses bloomed in the garden the birds returned to the trees and we are two weeks closer to being together than we were two weeks ago.
Celeste Mommy and Daddy are coming to get you, not simply words but we have tickets and a special ticket for you too.
Two notable other events happened in our family you have two new cousins, Brian and
James born on March 20 and March 29 respectively.
Earlier this week we received our second but not final travel packet that included papers needing signatures and notary action. This was all resolved by today, most completed and returned to Colorado by Wednesday. Visa applications were submitted to JC Travel in San Francisco as we await their return which will take a little time.
Meanwhile, our agency gave a very clear signal that we will not be travelling in the first groups, but head up the second groups to Hong Kong and onward to our final destination in China to meet Celeste and start her journey to bring her home. Most importantly we were given an indication of dates of travel while not confirmed were close enough to go ahead to book airline tickets for two out and three back.
Speaking with a number of airlines including the conciege service at Amex clearly identified no business class seating available through to the end of May and clearly no opportunity to upgrade. The solution was for three seats on the return journey that will be non-stop from Hong Kong to JFK in New York.
Celeste's entry point into America will be within the metophoric shadow of the Statue of Liberty, as was my entry into Newark almost five years earlier.
The airline tickets have the flexibility built in to change dates outbound or return if needs be, subject to a small penalty, nevertheless we have flights and have taken a major step forward in realizing the nearer conclusion of our adoption journey for all three of us.
This week Celeste, your Mommy sent you a package that contained a soft photo album, a blanket and a toy stuff chickadee to play with as an advanced birthday gift. We were only allowed to send a small box not bigger than a shoebox and this was carefully packed and sent with love.
Much has been achieved in a flurry of paperwork and reservations and as the calendar switched from March to April, the crocuses bloomed in the garden the birds returned to the trees and we are two weeks closer to being together than we were two weeks ago.
Celeste Mommy and Daddy are coming to get you, not simply words but we have tickets and a special ticket for you too.
Two notable other events happened in our family you have two new cousins, Brian and
James born on March 20 and March 29 respectively.
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