April 15, 2012 Family Baby Shower!

What an amazing day... today is my baby shower with family and close friends!  Everyone is so excited, including Grandma!  The shower is at Uncle John and Aunt Debbie's home, and everyone has been working so hard to make the special event a wonderful occasion!  It was unbelievably successful... and the day could not have been better!  The entire house was decorated in Dr. Seuss, full of color... green eggs, Chinese fortune cookies, fried rice, and egg rolls!  The cake for the shower was amazing, and Grandma said she cried when she picked it up from the bakery because it was so beautiful!  Luke Joseph was celebrated this day!  Friends and family were, of course, extremely generous, thoughtful, and excited for the arrival of the baby!  I received so many gifts, to include Dr. Seuss bedding for the baby's room, books, blocks, baby monitors, and lots of other things that little boys love!  Luke is blessed, as am I.  This day will always be one of my most special memories!  We are just so looking forward to the arrival of this beautiful baby boy!

   

    

April 8, 2012 Easter Sunday! 15 Month Photos!

I've been thinking of the baby so much... looking forward to traveling to China in order to bring him home!  Lately, I've been spending a lot of time getting his bedroom ready.  I've purchased his stroller, car seat, and many books for him to read!  Today, I started working on his crib... it was the crib that I slept in when I was a baby!  It's just beautiful!  My Uncle Joe has been a wonderful influence on me, throughout my life... I gave my baby Uncle Joe's name for that reason... Luke Joseph Baohui Tardiff.  Baohui is the baby's Chinese name from birth.  I very much want to honor his birth, and respect his early life in China.  The rocking chair that my Mother rocked me in is the baby's room... Luke and Grandma will read a lot of books together in this precious family rocking chair!  His room is almost ready, and full of the generous gifts from my friends at school!  He has a wonderful collection of toys and books, and I just can't wait until the baby arrives!  A day never passes without someone asking me about Luke Joseph Baohui Tardiff!  My family and friends are just as celebatory and joyful as I am!  Next year will be the baby's first Easter egg hunt... we all can't wait!  Again, we are all very blessed!

In February 2012, I recieved an update and additonal photos of the baby!  He just looks beautiful!  Friends and family are all so excited, and we all think he looks healthy, very well cared for, and very much loved!  I can't wait to bring him home!

March 23, 2012 Maddux-Lang Primary School Baby Shower!

Today is my baby shower at school, hosted by the ladies that I work with in Miamisburg City Schools!  My friends at work have been planning this special day for quite some time now!  They kept much of the celebration a surprise, which made the event even more special and exciting!  Everyone was very generous, and gifts for the baby were very thoughtful and generous!  I received a hand-made quilt, made with love for the baby!  The shower had a Dr. Seuss theme, as Luke's bedroom is decorated in Pottery Barn Kids Dr. Seuss!  The quilt is made with colors from all of the Dr. Seuss books!  I received so many loving gifts and the day could not have been more lovely!  I am blessed with many loyal and dear friends, all celebrating the adoption of my beautiful baby boy!

             

December 25, 2011 Christmas Day!

This is my first Christmas as a Mother, and Luke's first Christmas with a Mother!  I just can't wait to bring him home from China!  His Christmas stocking is hanging in the house, and his photos are everywhere!  His stocking is from Pottery Barn, and decorated with a quilted train... his name is monogramed on the cuff of the stocking.  Luke recieved several Christmas gifts, to include many baby ornaments for the tree!  Friends and family are very much looking forward to his arrival... talking about his first Christmas home next year!  He will have just turned two years old next year at Christmas!

November 4, 2012 Match Morning!

What a Blessing!  Surprise of my life!  This morning I woke up to phone messages from Renee, telling me the she had matched me with a child the night before!  I was completely surprised, not realizing that she would be searching on Thursday night.  Renee told me she had been working on her computer every night!  When a child is matched with prospective parents, families have 72 hours to accept their match with the baby. Renee told me that she had unsuccessfully tried to put a hold on this baby for me on Monday, October 31... Halloween Night! She saw him, and knew that he was so special! I am blessed and grateful to God that she was able to match him with me on that exceptional Thursday night! Friday morning, November 4, 2011, I woke up and ran to my computer to see pictures of the baby boy! I saw him, and told myself, "He is beautiful!" I read his medical reports from the Doctors in China, and the reports told me that he was quite healthy! He was born with Various of Both Feet, but orthopedic doctors at Cincinnati Children's Medical Center are easily able to remedy this baby's sweet little feet! I looked at photos of his feet, and I only noticed how beautiful his toes were! I looked into his eyes, and felt that he was loved and happy! I called Renee as soon as read all of this baby's medical records! Renee told me that his records were more complete and thorough, more current, than she typically sees! She also told me that this baby was one of the youngest matches she has ever made with a family! I am blessed, and beginning to witness more and more miracles by early Friday morning. This special Friday morning, November 4, 2011, was my little boy's first birthday. He was born November 4, 2010. I met him on his first birthday! God is Great!  I spoke on the phone with a Pediatrician who specializes in International Adoption... she lives in Michigan, and consults with families waiting to adopt a child.  She talked with me about the babies medical records, explaining all of the details.  The doctor told me that this baby needs a home, and that he appears to be a 'straight-forward little boy' and I was delighted!  Again, so many blessings!

November 1, 2011

I was so excited last night, and tried to stay awake until 1:00AM in hopes of receiving a phone call from my adoption agency regarding a match with a child from China!  I was not successful, and fell asleep at about 11:00PM last night, Monday, October 31, 2011.  I woke up this morning to learn that the director was unable to match me with a child last night.  I was a little disappointed, but felt that everything was going to work out just exactly the way it was meant to work out!  I've always felt that God has already chosen my child, and that I just need to be patient... to wait for my child to present himself or herself to me.  I believe that God has known all along!

October 31, 2011 Halloween Night

Earlier in October, I had a very long telephone conversation with the Director of my adoption agency, Renee.  She told me that my paperwork has been completed, for the most part, and that she wanted to start matching me with children in the Special Focus Program.  She told me that China posts new children on the database once a month, and that the next posting was to take place on Monday, October 31, 2011.  Renee explained to me that she would stay on her computer from about 9:00PM until 1:00AM in the morning looking for a child to match with me... those are business hours in China, but evening hours for us in America.  Tonight is my first night to be matched with a child from China!  I'm just so very excited!  Tonight is Halloween Night, and I love seeing all of the young children in the neighborhood for trick-or-treat!  I am thinking about my new baby in China, while I enjoy the children's costumes in our neighborhood!  Honestly, really I can't wait until my baby is home for Halloween!