slugs & snails & little pigtails

My little boy

2010-11-19T14:39:00.000-08:00

Tyler started preschool in August. We thought it was time for Tyler to go to school. He is really shy and doesn't talk to other people much. I was a little worried he wouldn't like it but he loves it and really likes his teacher Miss Shannon. He goes and hugs her everyday which is SO not like him. (with other people) I am so excited he has attached to her and wants to go to School. He goes 2 times a week and he wishes it was more but right now that is all they have open.

He had surgery on his tongue (they clipped it) since he was tongue tied...I know there is a medical term for it but don't remember what they call it....he did great!! He also had his Big Toenails removed finally, do you remember that the DR. thought he had a fungus and they couldn't treat it because he was so small...and were waiting until he got older...well I finally took him to the Foot Dr and she sent a sample in to the lab......WELL it was not fungus but a bacterial infection under his toenail.....isn't that horrible?? So my little guy had been walking around with this since China and continued to because more than one DR told me it was fungus....we waited until we moved so that he wouldn't have to travel without toenails because I wasn't sure how painful it would be...well true to form Tyler is one tough cookie and it barely even bothered him...They have since grown back a little and look great!!

He continues to be a little WILD man and never stops moving...unless he is asleep. He stopped taking naps this week......oh my, I hope I can adjust HAHA, i guess I was lucky he took one until he turned 4....

Wow Kindergarten

2010-11-19T13:24:00.000-08:00

Aleaya started Kindergarten. Can not believe that my baby grew up so fast. She loves it and wakes up before I even go to get her most mornings. And trust me it is EARLY. She needs to be at school between 7:05 and 7:20 in the morning. She loves it so much that she told me that for Christmas she would just like books and crafts and things like that. She told me that she doesn't really play with toys much anymore since she is in School so would I please tell Santa that she would like books to study the body. She even asked if she could get a real Skeleton to learn about the bones of the body???? hummmm, is she really five??

It has been a LONG time

2010-11-19T13:11:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe how long it has been since I posted on my blog. Over a year maybe?? We moved to Summerville South Carolina......from Washington State, can you say HUGE difference??? It is so hard to get used to the Sunshine here NOT, I really enjoy that part of the move but miss my family and friends and work. So weird to be a SAHM in general. I have not found a job yet even though I apply for them :( Oh well, guess I will enjoy it while I can!! We bought a house in a nice little neighborhood that had been on the market for some time. We got a real deal on it and I love it. We will have our first Thanksgiving in our new home without any family, which is sad but we will have fun anyway.......not sure how good dinner will be with me cooking and not my Mom but I have her recipes so we will try and recreate some of the good things she makes.

Aleaya's first day of preschool

2010-03-12T17:49:00.000-08:00

It's been forever!!

2010-03-12T17:21:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I have posted anything on here! Lots of things have happened.

Tyler turned three and we had our two year "Gotcha Day" anniversary on Feb 17th. He LOVES everything Thomas and is obsessed with anything remotely train like!! He has finally started talking more and really comes out of his shell when his sister is in School. I guess he didn't really need to talk with her around ;) ( this girl NEVER stops talking) He would still like to have noodles for EVERY meal and asks for them on a daily basis. He finally is gaining a little weight and weighs a whopping 32 lbs.

Aleaya started preschool in Sept and LOVES it. She turned 5 on Valentine's day and can I just say that I can't believe my baby girl is going to start Kindergarten in the fall!! Wow, where did the time go??? She has been telling me for a year that she wants to be a Dr. when she grows up but for the last few weeks she has changed her mind. She now wants to be a Chinese Acrobat. She said she wants to move to China and become a Chinese Acrobat. Okay then, maybe it is time to get her into Gymnastics. She finally chewed her first piece of gum on her 5th birthday. I think she was more excited about the gum instead of our planned trip to Disney world!!

Matt has been working in SC for the last 2 months and it is going to become permanent. We are moving there in June and at first I was freaking out about it. Now, I am excited!! We found a new house and are still working out some things. We found some things wrong with it and are asking for the bank to fix them. (it is a repo) We should find out on Monday, if we don't get some compensation we might not follow thru with the purchase......I am so hoping and praying that it all works out because it is perfect!!! ( except for the thousands of dollars worth of work it needs) LOL!!

I will post some pictures later of the last few months.

THEN AND NOW

2009-10-03T17:05:00.000-07:00

misc pictures

2009-10-02T00:50:00.000-07:00

Time Flies

2009-10-02T00:34:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe how long it has been since I last posted. Summer is over and I didn't post one picture. I am a bad blogger.

So what has been going on?? Tyler turned 3 way back in May...looks like I didn't post any pictures. I will try to do that. He weighs a wopping 32 lbs now and wears a 3T. He has changed so much and is not such a stubborn little guy anymore and boy does he love his Momma. You don't know how happy I am about this one. I was afraid for awhile there, he hated me so much and was grieving so much for his foster family. So happy he loves me. He is the cutest little guy and is completely obsessed with trains. He carries around Thomas all day long and insists on wearing his Thomas PJ' s to bed almost every night. I broke down and bought him another pair of them since he loves them so much. I know, do you think he is spoiled???

Aleaya started preschool and loves it. She did barf on the first day on the ride home though. I think she was overly excited and nervous about being there. This little girl has barfed three times in three years so this was major. I asked her if she wanted to go back and got a resounded yes!! She told me "Mommy, maybe I just ate my snack to fast" She is so cute. I can't believe how fast she is growing up. She can spell some words now and knows how to spell her name. She spells, Mommy,Daddy,Tyler, Sami and J.R. and Oma. She even is able to write them all. She is a real smarty pants.

I promise I will post pictures soon.

Love Without Boundaries

2009-07-04T00:12:00.001-07:00

what is going on here??

2009-06-22T02:33:00.000-07:00

I don't know what in the world happened to my pretty blog but this is crazy!! Does anyone have any idea how this could happen????

Long time no see!!!

2009-06-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe how long it has been since I posted on the blog. We have had birthdays, gone on vacation to visit my Grandma in Pennsylvania, Sami graduated from High School, Tyler is potty training, we have had some fun in the sun with beautiful sunny days already in Washington, which is so unusual and still no updates. I have been a bad bad blogger. I promise to post pictures later and tell you all about everything that has been going on in the Callahan family.

Tyler's feet!!

2009-04-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

We just had a Dr's appt. with the Ortho Doc today and he gave Tyler an A+. There are 4 areas they look at with Bilateral club feet and his feet are doing great in all areas. We don't have to see him again for 6 months and then again at age 4 when they will decide if he needs to have surgery or not. The Dr said he thinks Ty will just breeze right through these appointments and most likely won't need ANY surgery at all. I am so thankful for his foster parents who were diligent about putting on his braces every night and the wonderful job they did with the Ponseti method of casting while he was in China. Oh and he got some new braces too.....his little feet are growing. 1 more year of sleeping with these on. He is such a trooper, doesn't even cry when I put them on every night.

Thanks Amie!!

2009-04-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say thanks to Amie at http://www.heart-smiles.blogspot.com/ for the wonderful gift of a blog makeover!! She is awesome and I so appreciate the wonderful gift. Amie is adopting the cute little boy that I was advocating for, he is one of my little boys in foster care at Shantou through LWB. I fell in love with this little guy and I knew the first time I talked to Amie she was meant to be his Mommy. Thankfully God had the same plan too and soon Samuel will be joining his big and wonderful family!! God is good!!

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

I know this post is a little late but we have been a little under the weather at the Callahan house. Matt, Tyler and I came down with bronchitis and we didn't get to have our Easter egg hunt until a week after Easter. Luckily, my AMAZING never get sick daughter only barfed one day and got the sniffles but that was it....no antibiotics needed for my super-immune system little girl!! She has been with us for 3 yrs and has only pucked twice. I consider myself VERY lucky on this one.

Gotcha Day Party

2009-04-09T13:49:00.001-07:00

huggin cousin's. They don't get to see each other very often so they were pretty huggy this visit. So cute!! I think Tyler is almost cross-eyed in this picture he is so tired. Missed his nap and way toooo much sugar going on.

Piniata time!! YES more candy....

BTW, that isn't a Christmas tree anymore. My Mom decorated it with little bunnies and eggs for Easter.......It is really cute and she said she is going to keep it up all year round. What holiday is next?

Grubbin again on some cupcakes!!

Gotcha Day continued.........

2009-04-09T13:45:00.001-07:00

We then went to our favorite Chinese Restaurant for lunch! Here is Aleaya sipping her tea. I don't know why my kids love to drink tea so much but it is amazing how much they can drink

Belated Gotcha Day pictures

2009-04-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

We started off the day with Gotcha day pancakes!! Aleaya and Tyler loved them and amazingly they eat every bite! I would have had a belly ache.

Gotcha Day for my baby girl!

2009-03-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

Three years ago today I met my baby girl for the first time. She was the cutest thing I had ever seen. She came walking into the room and right away I knew it was her. She had the chubbiest little cheeks and the cutest little dimples. It was hands down the best day of my life. It seems like she has been around forever, longer than three years and I can't imagine my life without my special little girl in it. We love you Jo Jo!

I will post pictures of the day later...........

Gotcha Day photos!!

2009-03-01T10:12:00.000-08:00

In every picture Aleaya has the "popeye" face going on!! So funny!

Gotcha Day!!

2009-02-17T20:27:00.000-08:00

One year ago today Tyler was put into my arms. It was a bitter sweet moment since his foster parents were so very sad. I remember the sadness on his foster Mom's face that day and can't imagine the pain she must have felt, the pain she must still feel at certain times. Especially today!!

It was a rough start with the hair pulling,biting,temper tantrums, etc....but I wouldn't change a thing.....I think it made me a stronger person and I love my little boy so much. We went out to Chinese food tonight for dinner to celebrate and I swear he said "MMMMMM" at least 10 times during dinner. Poor little guy misses his Chinese food, maybe Mommy needs to learn to cook it.

He was so giggly tonight at bedtime it just made me laugh too. How could he be giggling while I am putting braces on his tiny feet??? Our little guy has come a long way.........Happy Gotcha Day Skeeter, We Love You!!!

will post pictures later!!

Aleaya's Birthday Party!!

2009-02-16T14:19:00.000-08:00

She learned quick
look up kid, she is so funny!
Her new Dora bike
Singing Happy Birthday. Tyler helped her blow out the candles
Grampy lighting the candles for Aleaya
She is so happy!
Who loves Momma? I love this shirt :)
Tyler and Aleaya in front of Omma's Valentine tree!
Omma, Tyler and Aleaya!
Tyler and Mommy!
Sammy and Aleaya
She is so excited!!
Cake and Cupcakes! Yummy..

We had a great time at Aleaya's party. I can't believe she is 4 already. Wow!! My little baby is growing up so fast. She loved her Dora bike and learned how to ride it really quick. I was impressed. Tyler was pretty disappointed that he didn't get a Diego bike. poor guy cried, maybe for his birthday in May. We have a little tricycle he can ride now :)

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2009-02-14T08:57:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to say Happy Valentine's Day to everyone. Today my little girl turned 4 yrs old. She is so excited about her birthday party. We had a Dora party last year and she insisted that we have another Dora party this year. She loves Dora and Tyler does too......I'm kind of nervous to see how he reacts when he sees her Dora bike! I'm hoping they don't fight over it :) I will post some pictures later..........her party starts at 2 pm. I actually baked a cake.......haha, that is really funny since I DONT bake but it turned out pretty cute....

We are sad that her cousins arent able to come to her Birthday party since they are home with the flu....We hope they all feel better soon.

One Year ago Today!!

2009-02-13T08:33:00.000-08:00

One year ago today we got on a jet plane and traveled to China to pick up Tyler. I barfed my guts out on the plane ride from Seattle to Tokyo and missed seeing the Great Wall this trip. I was so disappointed!! Oh well, maybe next time!!

I can't believe Tyler has been home for almost a year. Tuesday is "Gotcha Day" and we will be going to Tyler's favorite Chinese Restaurant to celebrate. I will post pictures later in the week. I love my little boy and he has come a long way in the last year!! I get hugs ever morning and Aleaya is his best friend, FINALLY no more biting(still an occasional smack or two)!! I'm so happy to be his Momma!

Boring Blog

2009-02-12T19:01:00.000-08:00

I am planning on sprucing this up and updating it more often. I haven't bee updating it very often but will in the next few days. We are really excited about Aleaya's Birthday party on Saturday. She is getting her first Dora bicycle with training wheels. She is going to be so excited.

Going private!!

2009-01-31T08:58:00.000-08:00

I've thought about it for a long time and have decided to make the blog private. I know I haven't updated a lot lately and this might have something to do with it. If you would like to be invited to my blog please leave a message and your email address so that I can email you an invite!! Thanks, Riky

Tyler's new Choo Choo

2008-12-27T14:12:00.001-08:00

Christmas Morning!

2008-12-27T13:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve

2008-12-27T13:31:00.001-08:00

THANK YOU

2008-12-22T08:58:00.000-08:00

Zachery has been fully funded for his cleft lip surgery. This is such wonderful news and it makes me so happy. Thanks to everyone who donated to Zachery's Surgery in Scotty's honor. You guys Rock!!!!

More snow!!

2008-12-21T12:24:00.001-08:00

First snowfall!

2008-12-21T12:15:00.000-08:00

Decorating the Tree!

2008-12-21T12:11:00.001-08:00

Balloons for Scotty!!

2008-12-21T12:04:00.000-08:00

Aleaya told me she wanted to buy a balloon for Scotty on his birthday. So we went to the store and bought some balloons and sent them up to heaven to Scotty. We watched them until they disappeared into the clouds.

Scottys Birthday!

2008-12-08T09:30:00.001-08:00

If things were differnt Scotty would be turning 3 years old today. We are honoring his birthday by making a donation to a little boy on LWB medical list who is waiting for his cleft lip/palate to be repaired. His name is Zachery. I know that it is Christmas and times are tough for lots of people right now but any small amount will help little Zachery receive the surgery he needs, If you feel like helping here is the link:

https://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/medical_sponsor_child_detail.cfm?child_id=623&mc_id=101

Our little one is in Heaven now but we can still help others so that our little guy didn't die in vain. We miss you Scotty.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T18:30:00.001-08:00

Visit with Santa

2008-11-30T18:27:00.000-08:00

Tyler was not having any part of the big chubby guy in the red suit. He cried and wanted out of there ASAP.

My little Stinkers-The skunk Family

2008-11-08T22:08:00.001-08:00

My Little Stinkers

2008-11-08T18:33:00.001-08:00

PAY IT FORWARD

2008-10-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the movie "Pay it forward?" http://oliviaandowen.blogspot.com/ tagged me with the "pay it forward game"

Here are the rules:

I will send a gift (of my choosing) to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this "PIF" exchange, and who make the same pledge on their own blog.

The only thing you have to do in return is PAY IT FORWARD - on your own blog.

So, if you want to get a present from me and are willing to do the same on your own blog just let me know.

(Note that you'll need to give me your real (snail mail) address... which you can do by private email.)

Just leave a comment and I will get with you.

Twinkle,Twinkle little star

2008-10-04T16:45:00.001-07:00

Potty chair

2008-09-28T14:19:00.000-07:00

I forgot to add this in the update-Tyler went potty in the potty chair! It was all his idea. He would sometimes sit on Aleaya's potty chair naked before bath time never really going, he would just sit there and giggle! One day last week I looked in it after he was sitting down and he actually did go potty! We did the potty dance and he has gone at least once a day since then. He thinks it is funny to dance around yelling whooooo hooo, No M & M's needed for this little guy. So I bought some pull-ups and guess we Will try to start the potty training process!! The #2 will be the hard one for him, all the fruit and veggies he eats, he has some messy doo doo diapers! YUK.............wish us luck!!!

UPDATE

2008-09-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

Tyler is getting used to being a part of our family and it is a joy to get hugs from him every morning! He has been such a sweetheart lately and I think things are finally coming together. He doesn't pick on his sister every 5 seconds and that has been really nice! His foster mother whispered in my ear these words on Gotcha day "he is such a loving little boy" (so sweet she learned these words in English to tell me)BOY, at first with all the smacking around and pulling of hair we received I was wondering if she was mistaken, but he really is a sweet and loving little boy and I love him so much!

He took a spill off the Dining room chair yesterday and we took a trip to the ER. Luckily he didn't hit the corner of the table and only hit the leg of it. But he got a big goose egg on his head and it was huge. I immediately put ice on it and some of the swelling went down. Freaked me out so much I just wanted to take him to the hospital just in case. I told Matt he looked like an Alien. So on the way to the ER Aleaya started crying too, telling me "my brother is an alien". I guess this was one of those times you should watch what you say LOL. All is well and he is just bruised today and will be for some time.

The Puyallup Fair

2008-09-15T19:37:00.000-07:00

Aleaya,Dora and Boots

We went to the Fair today specifically to see Dora and Boots. Tyler and Aleaya love Dora and Deigo and sometimes Tyler even asks if he can watch it. Well, he wasn't going to have any part of sitting on Dora's lap. No way!!! He would wave to her from a far but that was it!! Of course, Aleaya was so excited I thought she might pee her pants, as you can tell from the picture. She looks so cute!! We didn't end up staying long. Aleaya hurled after eating a snow cone and riding on the bouncy alligator ride. She has thrown up once in two years. (two now) She was so funny after throwing up red snow cone everywhere, she said "Mommy, I feel better, can we ride more rides?" I wasn't going to chance it and we came home. We are going back on Thursday with Daddy. I think we will wait for the snowcone to be eaten AFTER the rides!!

The Little Gym

2008-09-13T15:04:00.001-07:00

We finally joined the Little Gym. Aleaya was so excited she jumped right in and didn't have a problem. She has been waiting forever to go. These are pictures of her first time.

We went again last week and I took Tyler with me (Matt is on first shift again because of the strike so this was not in the plans to take him. YIKES) He was great and sat in his stroller playing with his trucks for the first 45 minutes. Then when he realized Aleaya was playing without him he jumped out of my arms and sat on the ground and took his shoes and socks off. He then ran to the door and tried to go into the class. He cried and cried and yelled "JO JO" (her nickname) at the top of his lungs for the next 15 minutes. I felt so bad for him and the other people who had to listen to him scream. Poor little guy wanted to play too. I did take him out side but it was so close to the end of the class I didn't want Aleaya to come out and not see us. He finally calmed down after getting hugs and kisses from his Sister. I can't wait until next year when they can be in the same class.

2008-09-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

This picture is of Aleaya and Tyler with my little brother's kids Audrey and Emme. They are so cute!!

My Beautiful Girl

2008-08-23T16:45:00.001-07:00

Aleaya never really likes for me to take her picture. Today she was a ham and she looks so pretty. I love my little girl!!

Water Table Fun

2008-08-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

The water table usually sits there with not much use. I fill it and most of the time Aleaya and Skeet ignore it and play in the pool. Well, today Tyler found a new way to play with it. He is so funny!!

Ty's pants

2008-08-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

I told you his pants don't fit. This is a good example of it! We finally just gave up and let him wear his swim diaper. I should have bought 12-18 months. The good news is, these will obviously fit next Summer.

Summer Fun

2008-08-23T16:18:00.000-07:00

Tyler was determined to be the one to fill the pool today. He was so cute about it. My little guy is growing up already.

More Baby pics of Tyler

2008-08-22T17:32:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pics of Tyler that we received from his Foster family. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for these and how well cared for our little guy was. I have so many more of his family but I don't want to post them in fear that it might cause them any trouble. I did add one of him and his Foster Mom, the love in both their eyes is so apparent. I still remember the day he was placed in my arms and the pure sadness in his Foster Mom's tear stained face. I thought my heart would break for her.....I pray that she knows how much we love him too and that we will always make sure that he is safe.

Gingergarden

2008-08-20T16:49:00.000-07:00

As we were driving down the road one day, I pointed out the School Aleaya would eventually go to someday. I told her that is where she will start kindergarten. Now every time we drive by she says "there is my school" It is really cute and if you ask her she will tell you that she is going to go to "Gingergarden" It is the cutest thing ever. She will also tell you "a year later Skeet gets to go to Gingergarden too" HA!! Kids say the cutest things!!

Tyler brushing his teeth

2008-08-16T09:44:00.001-07:00

This kid is serious about brushing his teeth. It just cracks me up!!

Tyler's baby pics

2008-08-14T18:49:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the pictures we received from Skeets foster family. Isn't he adorable? We feel very blessed to have these and are so thankful for his foster family. I have more but didn't want anyone to O.D. on the cuteness :) so I will post more another day.

Fun in the Sun

2008-08-14T16:28:00.001-07:00

Tyler's new ride

2008-08-11T00:52:00.001-07:00

This isn't the best quality of a video.......but it is so cute!! The kids had a blast with Tyler's new car today!! You can hear Matt sawing away on his new project. Of course, I need to mention that he built the nice fence in the video last week while he was on vacation. The kids love having a fenced in yard and are having so much fun.

Social Security Office

2008-07-26T15:41:00.000-07:00

I went to get Skeet's social security card yesterday. Boy, things sure have changed in the last 2 yrs. They even needed Skeets shot records from china-because even though he has a birth certificate from China doesn't mean it is real?? This is a qoute from the man working behind the counter. Wow, he said "the rules are changing and it will even get worse." He said he is amazed how many adopted parents come to the SS office without documentation......which is SHOCKING with the amount of paperwork done LOL, I had to make a trip back home before I had everything needed to get Skeets card. He said "not all Adoption Agencies are created equal, that sometimes people don't even have the documents needed to get a card" This seems crazy to me.

I just want to say THANK YOU CHI for making sure I had everything I needed. Now we will continue and finish the re-adoption in Washington State. This will probably cost a pretty penny!!

more pics

2008-07-20T12:36:00.001-07:00

My happy happy boy!!

more pictures of the Oregon coast

2008-07-20T12:21:00.001-07:00

On a mission to build a sand castle!

Gymboree

2008-07-19T23:26:00.000-07:00

What is up with these people? they sure know how to sucker you into buying things!! First off, I am a bargain shopper and would never pay full "Gymboree" prices so I thrive on the deals they have going on- they have a time that you are able to earn gym bucks-for every $50.00 you spend you get $25 worth of gym bucks-during this time they have something called a peel a prize-when you arrive at the store you are given a little ticket that has either a 10%,15%,20%, or a 50% ticket, not to mention a possible $1,000 shopping spree. so you get to save money and get gym bucks to be redeemed at a later date, and the excitement of peeling off that ticket is fun too, guess who got 50% off??yep, so gotta buy more, GYMBUCK,GYMBUCK,GYMBUCK..........at a later date when it is time to redeem your bucks, you are really excited to finally redeem your gymbucks-you hurry to the store to make sure you get some good buys because things GO FAST!! Of course, if you are a shopaholic you are buying one size bigger for next summer because your children couldn't possibly need another pair of shorts for this summer. (since you bought all this with your last gym bucks) not to mention Tyler probably wont fit into a 2T for years......so why does he have a whole drawer full???? So you redeem your Gymbucks and you receive a little promotional card for their back to school shopping which starts at the end of the month. EVERYTHING in the store is $10,$15,or $20.WOW, so that cute little heart jacket you wouldn't possibly pay $34.50 for will now be on sale for $20.........you drive home from the mall justifiying the fact that this will be a $14 saving and you try and remember the date of the sale-(of course, you will receive an email anyway so why bother remembering) not to mention the circle of friends promotion or the random 20% coupons you receive in the mall for being such a GREAT customer.................Did I mention they just put a Gymboree Outlet store at the Auburn super mall??? 5 minutes from my house?........I need to stop the madness but my kids sure look cute!!

Seaside

2008-07-19T23:06:00.001-07:00

We spent the last couple days at the Oregon Coast. Aleaya has been talking for months about going to the seashore. The first picture is of Aleaya touching the sand for the first time. She was just so cute and couldn't wait to get her feet wet. At first Tyler cried but he ended up smiling and really liking it also. We had a great couple of days........

Oregon Coast

2008-07-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

We are at the Oregon Coast for a few days, having a blast. I will post more pictures later.

Ride on toys

2008-07-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

We finally bought Tyler a ride on toy-he loves it so he no longer has to ride on his fisher price trains and little trucks. He is so cute!!!

Tyler

2008-07-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

We have had a wonderful few days!! Tyler has been just a little sweetheart!! We haven't spent much time out and about but we did go to the movie "kung fu panda"
Tyler sat and watched the whole movie without any tantrums...he mostly ate popcorn and played with my empty soda cup!!! He also loved the fireworks on the 4Th.

Picture's taken with my new camera!

2008-07-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

more pictures

2008-06-22T17:58:00.001-07:00

These are just some random pictures. BTW, Tyler was a little angel all day today. Yesterday was ANOTHER Story!! It was so nice having a good day with my sweet little boy!!!

belated Birthday picture's

2008-06-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

This pictures were taken with a disposable camera since mine is acting crazy. They aren't the best quality but there us still some definate cuteness going on!! Skeet had lots of fun.

4 months since Gotcha day!!!

2008-06-16T23:37:00.000-07:00

It has been four months since my little boy was put into my arms. This was such a bitter sweet day for us!! We were so happy but also felt such sadness for Tyler's foster family. They had taken care of Tyler since he was 10 days old and loved him very much. I still remember the look on his foster mothers tear stained face, such sadness. My little guy has been through a lot in his short life. He had at least 7-8 casts put on his little feet in China to correct his bilateral club feet. He then needed to wear his braces for 23 out of 24 hours for 4 months. I know this is part of the reason he NEVER stops and that he is always in motion. He also doesn't mind wearing his braces when I put them on at night-he is used to them and isn't fussy at all.

He has grown a lot in the last 4 months-he has gained 2 pounds- a half a size in shoes and now wears 18-24 month clothes (although he still has a plumber rear-end occasionally) some words he continues to use and some new ones-hello,momma,daddy, tuck(truck) nigh nigh (night night) bye-bye,Jo-Jo(his sisters nickname) Omma, bless you if you sneeze, tank you (thank you) doo-doo-(our dog's nickname) poo-poo, pee-pee,car,apple,baby,nine, five, he tries to sing his ABC's it is the cutest thing-when he gets to QRS-his voice gets really loud and it is the funniest thing. You might not be able to understand every letter but there is no mistaking the melody~he is still wearing diapers and drinking 2 bottles a day. He is drinking milk-no more formula.he will gladly take his shoes and socks off now and usually this is how he prefers it, which is so different than in China-he wanted to wear his shoes to bed.

I will keep it real and let you know we have our moments and its not always easy-but I wouldn't change it for anything. I love my little guy and he has fulfilled our dream of bringing another child home from China. Aleaya wakes up every morning excited to play with her little brother. We are blessed!!

still no pictures- need to buy a new camera :(

no tantrums the rest of the day!!

2008-06-13T08:51:00.000-07:00

We had a good afternoon yesterday with no tantrums!! I wonder if kids just need to have a crying jag like us girls sometimes and then they feel so much better. Haven't you ever had one of those days that you cry and you don't even really know why but you feel so much better when you are done?????? Maybe this is what Skeet is doing, except he knows why he is crying, he wants what he wants WHEN he wants it :)

screaming fits and Dr. visits

2008-06-12T11:11:00.000-07:00

Boy can my boy scream. Everywhere we go these days he throws at least one tantrum and screams and cries at the top of his lungs. It is awful! We went grocery shopping this morning and he did it again. Fun times!! I have now become one of those "moms" with the screaming kid in tow! When I was younger and heard a kid screaming in the store-my first thought was "what a brat" ha, this must be karma!

We have been trying the "time in" thing with him when we are at home and he throws one of his tantrums. He usually screams for at least 45 minutes-kicking and screaming-usually calling for Daddy-or telling me he wants to go "night night" of course I don't give in and tell him he can go "night night" when he stops screaming!! I'm sure the neighbors must thing we are beating him he has such a piercing scream. The last time we had time in he kept clapping his hands together and yelling "daddy" it was the funniest thing. Of course I didn't laugh out loud but I was laughing inside. Is it possible to be a control freak at 2? This boy thinks he should get whatever he wants when he wants it!!! Well, that isn't going to happen!!! Momma wears the pants in this tug-o-war....or at least she is trying to! Good thing the kid is so darn cute, and really sweet most of the time!!

We had our second appt. at the ortho doc. We go to Children's Hospital in Seattle and see Dr. Mosca. Everything is going great with his feet. We will continue to wear his braces for 12 hours a day and he doesn't have to go back for 4 months!! He said he has great movement in both feet and that they did a great job with the casting (ponseti method) in China!! we are so happy about this.

no pictures-my camera is on the fritz-which really sucks-time to buy a new one!!!

$8 hotdog

2008-06-03T15:45:00.001-07:00

pictures from today!

2008-05-26T16:31:00.000-07:00

After the first few pictures were taken Skeet lost it!!! He screamed at the top of his lungs for the rest of the time at the studio. So this is why there is only one pic of them together and more pics of Aleaya. He really had a melt down, poor little guy didn't want to have anything to do with the photographer and even reverted back to not wanting his shoes off and playing with the wheels of the stroller to avoid any sort of eye contact!!! Maybe it was too soon to try and take pics of them. He was a little sweetheart the rest of the day after leaving there....I feel bad for traumatizing him just to see his cuteness!!!! I won't be doing this again anytime soon, poor little guy! If you look real close at the picture of the two of them together he is about ready to say "Mom" and make a run for it!!!

Tylers new haircut!!

2008-05-25T23:24:00.000-07:00

We took Tyler to get his haircut today and the guy who cut his hair talked me into getting his hair cut short!!! (I wanted to keep his little curls in the back) I really like the way it turned out!!! It is kind of spikey in the front and looks really cute!! We are going to get some pictures taken in the morning......which is long over due!!!!

Nothing stops this little guy from moving!!

2008-05-25T23:14:00.000-07:00

Even with his braces on Skeet is always moving around.....he also loves playing with my junk mail!!!! He is so cute!!!!!!!

Tyler

2008-05-25T22:48:00.000-07:00

Tyler has started talking a lot!!! Some of the new words he is saying are Thank you,truck,shoe,apple,baby,poo-poo,pee-pee,diaper,your welcome......he also will tell you "bless you" if you sneeze, it is the cutest thing!! I was in shock the first time I heard him say it, this little guy doesn't miss anything, Mommy needs to be careful what she says!!! I also need to be careful what I say around Aleaya-she went poo a couple of days ago and afterwards she asked if I could "come and wipe her ass" WOW, I need my mouth washed out with soap for that one!!!!

pictures of Skeet on his birthday!!

2008-05-23T12:02:00.000-07:00

here are some picture's from Tyler's birthday!! I don't have any of him blowing out candles on his cupcakes or of the wonderful Chinese dinner we had because my camera was acting up.....I think it is time for a new one....every time I find the perfect moment for a pic. my camera stops working!! It is so frustrating!! Hummm, maybe I dropped it one to many times :) Also, check out Skeets poor little lip and the goose egg on his head, poor thing ran right smack into the wall, HARD!!!!!! poor thing cried a lot.........he usually doesn't cry when he gets hurt or falls, he cries when you aren't giving him what he wants, which happens A LOT!!!! this kid is a SCREAMER!!!!!!!! There is no doubt in my mind his foster family let him do ANYTHING he wanted to do!! He is having a hard time with the word no!!!

Happy Birthday little boy!!

2008-05-16T11:17:00.000-07:00

Today is Tyler's birthday. He is 2 yrs old. We are having a small celebration today and having a birthday party for him on May 31st. I will post pictures later.

Earthquake in China

2008-05-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

On Monday, May 12, 2008 a 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit Sichuan Province shortly before 2:30 PM local time. The earthquake was reported to have rumbled for 3 minutes toppling buildings, schools, hospitals and a chemical plant. Estimates of the number of fatalities have already reached 12,000 and continue to rise.The earthquake epicenter was Wenchuan, 60 miles northwest of Chengdu—the provincial capital, but was felt as far away as Beijing (930 miles). There have been 313 confirmed aftershocks.Much of the area is without power and water, telephone lines are down and internet connection is intermittent. Gas lines have been turned off due to the aftershocks. Heavy rains in the area have created landslides and left the roads impassable in many areas.Our heartfelt condolences are sent for lives lost and damage incurred as a result of this disaster. LWB has been in contact with our staff in China and they are trying to assess the situation as it relates to the children in LWB programs and those orphanages impacted. The devastation has been tremendous making communication very difficult and it will be some time before we know the full extent of this tragedy.We have set up a page on our website dedicated to ‘Earthquake News & Relief’. We will post updated information at http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/earthquake.cfm .We have also set up an Earthquake Relief Fund to provide immediate assistance to those in need. If you are interested in contributing to this fund please go to https://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/donate.cfm and select “Earthquake Relief” as the category.http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/earthquake.cfm

I will keep everyone affected by the earthquake in my thoughts and prayers. This is just devastating news.

Birthday card from Skeet's foster family

2008-05-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

我本熟人寄来的贺卡《生日快乐》回赠贺卡给您的好友

如果您无法查看贺卡，点击此处查看。
Tomorrow is kong Shen le's birthday, baby is two years old, best wishes to him,and best wishes to your family.

here is the birthday card sent from Skeet's foster family yesterday. This was very thoughtful of them and I'm sure they still miss him very much!! Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Pictures

2008-05-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

These aren't the best pictures in the world...but they had lots and lots of fun at the park!

Aleaya's Foster Mom

2008-05-02T21:47:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Aleaya's Foster Mom showing Helen the picture's of her. She looks like such a sweet lady.

We found Aleaya's foster mother

2008-05-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I saw on my Yahoo group from Aleaya's province someone looking for a baby with the same name as Aleaya (Meng Yun Chun) the dates were a little off but I still emailed the lady anyway, hoping it could possibly be her....She had just gone to China to visit her daughters foster family and met a lady looking for her foster children in the USA, she asked if she could please try to find her and let her know that she is okay, she said she loved her very much. I sent her old pictures of Aleaya and she thought it just might be the same little baby!! So I had a letter translated and sent more pictures to her so that she could send them to China to find out if this lady truly was Aleaya's foster mom......Well, amazingly even though the dates are off by a few months, it is her!!! We feel very blessed to have found her and hope to hear something from her soon!!! It was obvious by the condition of Aleaya on Gotcha day that she was loved and very well taken care of. I have thought of her often in the last few years and hope someday that we can go to China and meet her...

went back to work!!

2008-05-02T21:16:00.000-07:00

I started back to work on Monday!! I wasn't really very excited to go back, my Mom was nervous about the kids being naughty and her not being able to handle the two of them....Well, I am here to report that she said "they were little angels" of course, until I walked in the door, then a little bit of whining started but nothing too bad!!! You could really tell that Skeeter missed me a lot!! He followed me around the house and gave me my first "real" kiss and lots and lots of hugs, which he doesn't normally do!!! So, it was worth going back to work to get my hugs and kisses!!! Good thing I only work part-time not sure if the angel thing would last a full work week ;)

pictures

2008-04-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

okay lets go!!!!!!

loves that Hello kitty purse

riding on his new dump truck...We really need to buy him a ride on toy-its pretty obvious he would love one!!!

Maybe someday his pant's will fit-love it!!! 12 months are too short and 18 months-well, look at the pic.......

his new dump truck........

Aleaya loves Tyler's new remote control car!!!!!!!!

Sunny day

2008-04-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

On your mark, get set.........................................

Wow, he thinks this grass thing is pretty cool!! Aleaya hated the feeling of grass on her toes!!

Aleaya,Skeeter,Audrey and Emme, cousin's together for the first time~

My brother and his kids Audrey and Emme and of course Aleaya getting in on the action

In loving Memory of our Scotty-1 yr ago-

2008-04-03T18:43:00.001-07:00

Holly B(yes the same Holly B who writes the wonderful poems for the CHI family's) sent this picture to her sister Debby to put a cape on it to make him Super scotty and to make Stefani smile-little did we know a few days later that he would pass away and that his little cape was so incredibly fitting. In Holly's special words "fly on Scotty, fly on!!"

these are some pictures I received after Scotty passed away from Shantou. I love the one in the red shirt.

We are connected, My child and I, by an invisible cord, not seen by the eye. It's not like the cord that connects us 'til birth This cord can't be seen by any on Earth. This cord does its work right from the start. It binds us together, attached to my heart. I know that it's there, though no one can see, The invisible cord from my child to me. The strength of this cord is hard to describe. It can't be destroyed, it can't be denied. It's stronger than any cord man could create, It withstands the test, can hold any weight. And though you are gone, Though you are not here with me, The cord is still there, but no one can see. It pulls at my heart, I am bruised...I am sore, But this cord is my lifeline, as never before. I am thankful that God connects us this way, A mother and child--Death can't take it away! ~Author unknown

It has been a yr since our Scotty passed away. It seems like yesterday....

The Wiggles, Dr. visits etc.............

2008-03-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the Wiggles-Skeeter actually liked it too and sat thru the whole thing without getting cranky or needing a snack-WOW-this is a miracle-so you know he was having some fun-Aleaya LOVED it, she was so excited she could barely sit still in the car on the way there..........I had fun too, Matt said he didn't but he just doesn't want to look cheesy by telling everyone he liked it LOL-and you know I am here to tell you girls- Anthony from the Wiggles is FINE-he is very handsome and has a smile that lit up the WHOLE Tacoma Dome-Wow, talk about stage presence......

We went to the Dr. yesterday-really good time-NOT-poor little Skeeter got 5 shots-a ppd(TB test) and blood drawn-for a total of 7 pokes with a needle-the boy WAS not happy-for the first time in weeks-he pulled my hair-poor little guy finally starts to trust me and I take him to the Dr. He was so upset-fell asleep as soon as we got in the car from poor exhaustion- the trauma of it all-woke up as happy as ever and forgave me :) he is such a little trooper-he weighs 24 lbs-25% percentile for weight and is in the 90% for height!!! Isn't that strange??? I keep telling everyone how tiny he is but no one believes me because of his height-he is light as a feather-I took a stool sample in to check for Giardia-they said we needed to do it at home with the proper cup thingy-nice, so I carried poop around for no apparent reason at all-great!!!! oh well, we have the cup thingy now and will be carrying poop around again soon but in the proper container ;) We think Skeeter is allergic to tomatoes-which sucks-he LOVES them-he breaks out in big welts on his face-he poos about 4 times a day(more fun times) so he either does have Giardia or he does have some food allergies besides tomatoes that we need to look at-first things first -look for the bugs-then start from there-

Aleaya and Tyler are getting along better every day-he actually is the one sharing with her-he will bring out his trucks and cars and give her one-hopefully he can teach her a little about sharing, she is not used to sharing. lots of new things for my little girl too........

Easter pics

2008-03-28T15:23:00.000-07:00

here we go-finally a picture-they are actually both looking at the camera-

now who's not cooperating-so funny-

waiting patiently for my brother to cooperate for pics-

Aleaya showing Daddy her stuff!!

Tyler's Easter eggs he scored from the hunt-in the house (it was raining)

looking at what the Easter bunny brought!!

bathtime,silliness and feet

2008-03-22T19:48:00.000-07:00

Skeeter's feet-aren't they sweet??

He hates having his socks and shoes off so this is what he did after a few picture's of his feet-brought me his sock to put back on...very cute but not sure if this is helping the fungus by keeping it dark and moist(yucky) His Dr. said this is the bad fungus that is a bugger to get rid of so not sure what we can do...we are going to the ped. doc on Thursday and will see what she says.

silliness

and more silliness!!!!!

skeeter after his bath tonight...............

Today

2008-03-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

Today is Adoption day for Aleaya...it is also the day we got the call one yr ago that we would be Scotty's parents............it was such a happy day, we had lots to celebrate!!! I'm thinking about my little Angel in heaven today and hope he knows I miss him and love him very much!!!

Tonight we are going to the Wiggles-Aleaya is so excited...........not sure how Tyler is going to react, I have been trying to prime him for it by listening to the wiggles tapes and singing along and putting in a few wiggle DVD's but he isn't really into watching t.v.(good news) he is to busy moving to slow down long enough to watch anything....................

2 yrs ago today

2008-03-20T14:52:00.001-07:00

Adoption day!!! still looking so sad!!

Gotcha day!!! here she is still in her gotcha day clothes and so very sad!!!

lots of smiles these days!!

2 yrs ago today Meng Yun Chun-soon to be Aleaya Jo-Chun Callahan was put into my waiting arms......she was in foster care and so very sad...it took days before she would finally smile at us!! I'm not sure what I did before she came into my life because it just seems like she has always been a part of me and our family!!! she is a blessing from God and I will cherish her always....today I heard her say "I love you Skeet" music to my ears, so happy my little girl loves her new baby brother because I sure do!!! Happy "Gotcha day" Jo-Jo, you will always be Mommy's baby girl!!!!

Dr. Visit

2008-03-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

We received good news at the Dr's office today..We went to see Dr. Mosca at Children's Hospital in Seattle...I have heard wonderful things about him and he was our first choice for Skeet's new ortho doc....He said that they did a good job with the Ponseti method in China and the only thing he needs is a new brace for now......he needs to wear his brace for 12 hours a day-which will be all night and for naps......I am so happy about this, we have been blessed once more..I have been really worried about him possibly needing more casting or having to wear his brace for more than just hours of sleep........because my little guy is a mover and I can't imagine what this would do to him to feel so confined in his waking hours.....we don't have to go back to see him for 3 more months.......good news!!!! They took pictures of his brace from China........the Dr. said the shoes for his brace from China are probably better because the leather is softer but the middle bar is much different and the angle is a little different......plus it was too small for him now...I'm happy about his new brace...you can put the shoes on and then the middle bar.........his ones from China needed to be put on with the bar.......really, really hard to do and instead of laces the shoes had buckles............ VERY tough to put on......so this makes my life MUCH easier............and hopefully his too in the long run............

update on Tyler!!

2008-03-16T21:38:00.001-07:00

He definitely still likes getting his own way and will occasionally kick, scream and cry if you won't let him have what it is he wants...the good news is it doesn't last very long unless he is really tired and he is ready for a nap...he has stopped pulling my hair and will sometimes still pull and pick on his sister..but it is becoming less and less...this little guy can EAT...he loves fruit and vegetables more than anything, would rather eat veggies more than anything else..I'm excited about that...Aleaya only like peas....NOTHING else green better touch her plate...maybe she will eat an occasion carrot depending on the day...he hates cheese and macaroni and cheese,yogurt,potatoes unless they are in the form of a french fry...Skeeter NEVER stops...he is constantly moving and now I know why he is so skinny and so hungry all the time...he burns off everything he eats...and wants more within the hour-so Mommy better not leave the house without snacks or we are in trouble....We have ventured out lots of places and it has been good....I thought it would be so much harder with two and that I would be home a lot but it has been great...love my new double stroller...works out great...he is really sweet and loves his sister..every morning the first thing out of Aleayas mouth "is Skeeter up, Momma?" she so loves her little brother too.....

We have a Dr. appt with his ortho surgeon tomorrow, we will see what needs to be done with his feet other than the fact that he needs a new brace...I think maybe he will need some more casting done..and hopefully we can take care of his little toe fungy.....poor little guy!!!!

We feel very blessed to have this little one in our lives and it was a long and sad road to get to where we are today but soooooooo worth it.........I finally feel that our family is complete...with one angel in Heaven and 4 here on earth......thank you Jesus for blessing our family once again!!!

pictures

2008-03-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

Fisher price train

2008-03-10T17:22:00.001-07:00

Tyler is so funny instead of pushing his Fisher Price train around or putting the blocks on it to make it go-he would rather ride it-guess I need to get the little guy a toy to ride on-he is so cute!!

Aleaya is feeling better

2008-03-10T16:58:00.000-07:00

Aleaya is feeling better-Skeeter is pulling her hair less and less and giving her hugs and kisses instead. We went to the mall today to sit on the Easter Bunny's lap-didn't think that Skeet would go for it but thought we would try-of course as soon as he saw that big furry bunny he started to cry-we did get a really cute picture of Aleaya that I will post later-

my poor little girl!!

2008-03-07T21:20:00.000-08:00

For the first time ever-(yes, I really mean she has NEVER) barfed!!! I should have known she didn't feel good when she asked for oatmeal for lunch(her comfort food) and then she didn't eat anything for dinner-well, we left daddy at home with the Skeet and went to drop Sami off and pick up J.R. for the weekend...on the way home my little girl pucked three times-she has never gotten car sick or ever been sick other than an ear infection shortly after coming home from China almost 2 yrs ago!!! poor thing, I think we brought some bugs home with us since we have all been so sick-Matt still hasn't felt good since coming home-his belly is always upset!!! She is sleeping peacefully now but don't know how long this will last-she is so sweet after the third time of hurling(I pulled over twice to clean her up) she said in between her sobs "Momma, I need my hands washed and then we need to go buy new pants" awww, I thought my heart would break!!

she is such a trooper after getting bit, her hair pulled and scratched all day, and throwing up on the way home after her bath the first thing she wanted was her little Brut Skeeter!!!!

pictures

2008-03-04T19:11:00.000-08:00

I'm asking myself why??? we live in a house with 4 levels-these stairs scare me and Skeet seems to think they are a blast!!!

Jet Lag,meltdowns, hair pulling

2008-03-04T00:55:00.000-08:00

Boy this jet lag thing really sucks!! Poor Tyler can't figure out what time of day it is and if he should be sleeping or screaming at the top of his lungs-fun times-the first couple days were horrible with him up half the night-last night I decided to keep him up until 10:30 or 11 pm-so that he would sleep thru the night-he woke up once at 3 am for a diaper change and a bottle and promptly went back to sleep- until 9 am WOW,yipee, my idea worked!!! Until tonight that is, thought I would do the same thing and put him to sleep at 10 pm-he has cried and woke up at least once so far-but promptly went back to sleep after a diaper change-the night is young so we will see how it goes-

Aleaya has been having a few melt downs daily-she is a little jealous-to put it mildly-she has been a trooper though and doesn't fight back when the little munchkin pulls her hair-he is getting better and really I can't remember him pulling my hair once today-maybe I won't be bald before my next birthday-

on a happier note-I just love my little boy-he is so cool and I melt every morning just a little more every time I see his smiling face and his crazy morning hair......every morning he looks like he stuck his finger in a light socket- I think I need to take a picture of it just so you can see what a crack up it is..........My little guy is finally home where he belongs!!

Thanks for the comments

2008-02-29T19:38:00.000-08:00

Thanks everyone for the wonderful comments, I wasn't able to receive them in China so I didn't read them until we got home....they were very sweet....it will be nice to read all the PBB blogs without using anonymouse-

We are home

2008-02-29T19:24:00.000-08:00

We are home and happy to be here finally!! So far so good. The kids have been sharing and Aleaya seems genuinely happy to have a little brother. Skeeter is really tired and so are we...it was a very long flight but he was pretty much a trooper. I can't believe he didn't cry more often, he was really great.