Texts from Momma

Date: 2012.03.12 | Category: Adoption | Response: 0

Notes from Mom: These are texts from our conversations about the babies. So if they’re short and don’t flow, that’s why.

“Ben is only in 18 months and Maisey is in 12 months. They truly are the sweetest. Haven’t heard Ben talk yet but he giggles & giggles. Mei mei loves to read & chatters all the time; but when she doesn’t want something she turns her head to the side & gives you this big drama queen thing. She’s so you girl’s. :)I love them so much. Our babies truly needed saving. Ben gets out of breath just giggling. Mei mei is bruised and skinny…but she looks at you with those big puss in boots eyes & your heart just melts. She has long lashes & this huge grin. They just want to be loved. We picked them up at the office & they wouldn’t let go.

Daddy saw him at the door & cried. It was so sweet. I don’t know with Maisey. Her facial stuff makes her eat a bit slower, and shes got a tiny little mouth 🙂 Ben’s is partly due to his heart I’m sure. Thy ate non-stop for a couple of hours yesterday. Daddy bribed Benji with M&M’s. When we go downstairs I’ll send more videos. The one with Ben laughing is hysterical. He sounded like he hadn’t laughed in years; Then he wouldn’t stop. He brought me cards & laughed with each one. Ben already figured out the push button on the I phone video. They weren’t just starving for food. They are starving for attention. Mei mei already signed more a couple of times. M looks like she’s 12 months old. Mei doesn’t like dolls either. 🙂 Oh & mei said dada. You’re daddy was a goner after that!

Yep. Ben doesn’t talk. But mei mei sings. 🙂 “

Look at those sweet faces

Date: 2012.03.11 | Category: Adoption | Response: 0

Maisey cuddling with her momma and her crackers.

Benjamin talking to his sisters 🙂

THEY HAVE MADE CONTACT!

Date: 2012.03.11 | Category: Adoption | Response: 0

Hello everyone! My mom and daddy have their hands on their babies!!!!! Mom said they are super sweet, really shy, and refuse to let mom or dad let go of them. An overall good sign 😀

March 12th

Date: 2012.03.11 | Category: Adoption | Response: 0

Today we arrived in Zhenghou. This small town girl is amazed at the size of these cities. The hotel we are at is beautiful.  I can’t imagine what the kids are going to think. When we got in the bus at the airport, they handed us our name tags that said our kids names. Then they handed us sheets with questions & answers about our little ones. Maisey & Benjamin both love water & their baths. Benjamin likes to be rocked to sleep – tears flowed over that tidbit of information. I was so afraid he’d be too big to want to be held. Maisey likes to sing to herself. They are both introverts but from what they sheet said they can be bribed with cookies & candy. :). I can NOT wait to hold them. Pray for their peace. We are so close.

Our Trip

Date: 2012.03.11 | Category: Adoption | Response: 0

This has been an amazing adventure. Dan & I were discussing this morning how blessed we are to be allowed to love these children.  My heart overflows with love for them. I have had many people comment on Benjamin’s heart defect. They ask if it’s easily fixable & we say there is no fix. They say we’re brave. It’s funny because I’m not necessarily the most courageous person but I do have faith. I trust that this is right. I have the knowledge that 5 days is not enough & what I wouldn’t have given for a year with Kyle.  A month is precious, a year a gift beyond measure & a decade an eternity.  I don’t take things for granted but I know not to give up hope either. Codey should not be here, yet he is. Hopey has defied the odds. Who knows what the future holds for my Benjamin. Who knows what it holds for any of us.  I shall shower Benjamin with a mother’s love for as long as I am allowed & await the day when we are together again when that day comes.

Flying

Date: 2012.03.10 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

Its 7am, March 11th, mom and dad are leaving their hotel to get on the plane to fly to Zhengzhou, where they will get the kids on the 12th! They should land about 10pm our time.

Note From My Momma

Date: 2012.03.10 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

From Mom, to me, to you 🙂

“I think the scariest thing here is the driving. So many people & cars everywhere. There are 20 million people in the city with another 10 million coming in to work. We went to a silk factory. Watching how they do it was amazing. We also went through a Jade factory. Dan bought me a “happiness ball”. It’s very pretty. It means family that can’t be torn apart. I love hearing everyone’s stories. The way God works in people’s lives is amazing. They way He brings people together – awe inspiring. Believe it or not we aren’t the biggest family here. One gentlemen is picking up number 7 while his wife is at home with number 8 still waiting to be born. We leave in the morning [Remember, they are 10 hours ahead of us: it’s 530 on Sunday morning there:)] to get ready to pick up our little ones. I realized yesterday that since they are the same size everyone will assume they are twins. Dan says it’s a gift. I’m not so sure. Something’s are still really painful even after all these years. I will try hard to not cry if someone comments on that & find joy in second chances.”

Excitment At Home…

Date: 2012.03.09 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

Sorry that I haven’t really updated yet. Mom and Dad’s hotel lost their wifi, so they haven’t been able to email yet. So I thought I would entertain you with what we’ve been up to….

Grace was cleaning her room today, when she comes and tells me, “I found something…. um….interesting…”. If you know Gracie, you know that this is never a good thing. I go down to her room to find, among her stuffed animals, what I believe to be a dead rodent of some sort. Being the mature, responsible adult that I am, I screamed, ran out of the room, grabbed a bucket, threw it over the rodent and all surrounding toys, and there it will stay until Zach is home to take care of it. Looks like I take after my grandma after all 😉

They Have Landed!!!

Date: 2012.03.08 | Category: Adoption | Response: 0

My parents, as of 230 AM our time, have landed safely in Beijing. The weird part is that it was 230 AM here, but 430 PM there. They were exhausted, and finally got to bed around 7 PM, or 5 AM our time. That’s 24 hours since they had left our house. ( I did the math for you. :)) Even though we miss them, I’m glad they went two days early. They are going to the Great Wall and The Forbidden City, plus this allows them to acclimate to the time change before they get the kids.

They’re going to China!

Date: 2012.03.07 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

Hello! This Cassie, and if I can figure out how to work this darn thing, I will be updating you on my momma and daddy’s ‘joyful chaos’ trip.

For those of you who don’t know, I’m Cassie. (Oh yeah, I already told you that :))  I’m holding down the fort until the reinforcement (aka Zach) gets home on Saturday afternoon. Mom and Dad are sitting in O’Hare as we speak. They flew from DSM to O’Hare, then fly up and over to Beijing. It goes something like this:

They will be 13 hours ahead of us when they land, so it will be about 2 AM our time, but around 4 pm the next day their time. It’s very confusing. Thank God for phones with world clocks 🙂 This will be a long flight for them; both on the way there, because they are anxious, and on the way back, because a 14 hour flight with two non-English speaking little ones will be quite interesting. They could definitely use some prayers. Thanks guys!