Time together

We LOVED our time together with Kalea's birth father and his beautiful wife. Loved, loved, loved it. Times infinity.

Be still my heart

They were far too excited about throwing rocks into the marsh rather than catching up with us on our way through Waimea Valley so I threatened them with what I thought for sure would have them running to catch up!
"Girls who don't catch up with us have to pose for a sisters photo!"

They briefly smiled and then kept right on throwing rocks.

I love these girls.

The treehouse

We spend a lot of time playing with the tree house that Mark built for the girls for Christmas. Well done, love.

Monday

Good morning, friends.

My current life is consumed with little girls, adoption paperwork and process (our homestudy is complete and I-800A has been submitted to USCIS - Yay! We're one step closer to Mayzee Joy!), church responsibilities, spring break, little girls, and work.

Sadly, our blog has been neglected. Bear with me and once our dossier is on its way to China (early May) I will be more present and consistent here than I have been over the last few months!

We have enjoyed a week of spring break and have fun plans for the last few days before Naomi goes back to school. I sure like having her home.

Happy Monday. Sweet hugs from our smooshie little people.

Hoo loves you?

It went something like this... 

I asked them what they wanted to do for Valentine cards for their birth parents and grandparents, gave them a few ideas, and then Naomi saw a photo of two sisters sitting together holding a heart and blurted out, "SISTER PHOTOS!" It was their idea. (I may or may not have planted the photo where they would see it).

We opened the windows in their tiny room to let in some light, they climbed on Kalea's little bed and we played and took photos for 15 minutes. I think that's a record, especially considering they usually give me 15 seconds! What a blessing to be sisters. What a blessing to be their mother. 

Happy day to the many people we love.

 

from us to you

my loves

little friends

Baby Kalea

It happened about a week and a half ago.

On Saturday morning we threw away the diapers. (She knew it was coming - we'd been talking about it for a few weeks and had a few "trial runs"). I asked her, "Can you tell me when you need to make shishi in the potty?" "YES" was her confident response.

DAY 1: eight successes, one accident. Dry all night.
DAY 2: eight successes, one half accident. Dry all night.
She told me, "Woobies (her comfort soothie) are for babies. Mommy, I'm a big girl." And that was the end of that. She hasn't asked for one since.
DAY 3: Dry all day. Dry all night.... and has been ever since.

In a matter of about twenty-four hours, our baby grew into a little girl, and her little baby-doll with a little button nose and rosy cheeks, became "Baby Kalea", my baby... so that we never have to say goodbye to her.

In the past week she has been "Sinella" or "puppy", and occasionally she's actually "Kalea", but never "Baby Kalea" (which was a daily thing for her prior to this week).

"Baby Kalea is your baby (doll), momma. I'm your big Kalea."

I'm not sure whether to shout for joy or cry, so I'll just snuggle her close and enjoy today.

What's she got in her hands?

My gecko catcher. She's always happy to catch and release them out into
the wild (back yard), but she won't touch a fruit fly to save her life!

Rain. Lots of rain.

"P" is for Pineapple

and Pineapple Plantation

and Preschool friends,
who took each others' hands without me saying a word

and Preschool outings packed with fun

Feeding the fish in putrid water

Kalea packed her little pockets with quarters from her bank to
feed the fish and loved sharing fish food with her sweet friends

Feeding the fish until all the bread and fish food were gone.

And this, my friends, is Dole Whip. Stacey-friendly and perfectly delightful,
as was our day together at the Dole Plantation.

My Crazies

As I write I can hear the girls upstairs screeching in delight as they play wildly together.

They are CRAZY. Delightfully crazy, mind you, but SO full of energy, bouncing off the walls, furniture and each other, crazy. Their constant noise and commotion is unsettling, but I wouldn't trade them lovin' each other and playing together for anything.

There was a definite shift in their relationship about two months ago. Kalea and Naomi love each other, but there was so much fighting. It was around the time we first saw Mayzee, and although my heart was telling me she was our daughter, my brain was telling me there was no way I was ready for all this adoption would entail.

And then the girls' relationship changed. It's hard to describe. Their sister hearts have more compassion for each other. They have found in each other a best friend. They are wild and crazy, but the screams come from sisters chasing and playing, not fighting over something of no worth.

The timing was a tender mercy from God to me, reminding me that I am on His errand and He will provide the way.

I worry about all of the what if's associated with this adoption - we are bringing home a daughter with 3 years of life experiences and a challenging medical condition, who will be leaving everyone and everything she knows. I expect the adjustment to be rough in the beginning. And yet, when I look at the photos of the three girls on the bookshelf, I see, both in my mind and my heart, that they are meant to be together. Meant to be sisters. It is a joyful feeling that overrides the doubt. And again I'm reminded that God is at the helm.

Flying lessons

Learning to ride her broom in preparation for Halloween

I promise I feed her!

Putting on Daddy's pack pack after he came home from Woodbadge scout training

Muscle girl

Dressing up with her buddy, Spiderman

"Mommy, look. I'm so little and strong."

Overheard: funny girl

"Mommy, I just burped in my bum!"

"Our little tiny baby" by Kalea

Kalea drew this for Daddy on his white board today when they stopped by his office during their bike ride...

Daddy is the one with big blue lips, "Because he's daddy" and really short hair "because mommy just gave you a haircut and if your hair gets longer and longer and longer you would have to wear girl clothes because you would be a girl." [Insert kalea giggle here]. And mommy has red lips "Because she's a beautiful princess" (of course) with blue eyes.  "Oh! And I forgot our little tiny baby!" And so in between our hands is a "little tiny baby" that we are hugging together with our arms around.

I can feel it in my heart. And apparently so can she... It's time to find this sweet "little tiny baby" and bring him (or her?) home.

flowers

Each day as we walk to pick up Naomi from school she insists on stopping to pick a flower. For me.

You melt my heart little one.

Her purple family birthday party

With family. And purple balloons. And a bee sting on her lip.

While we were away for the summer, the littlest one had a birthday. Want to make a wild guess at her favorite color? For months she had been requesting a "purple family party with purple balloons".

Mark and I had been traveling for the weekend. Due to... complications, we arrived home a day late, just an hour before her birthday dinner. Our moms came to the rescue. Cupcakes baked and frosted, purple balloons purchased, beautiful salad and meat ready to throw on the grill. Thank you. You are my heroes.




Elle and grandma planned a fun fishing pond for the kids.


Kalea was having a lovely time at the kid table with cousins when a bee decided to land on her food.

I tried to explain that he was probably just as scared as she was when he realized he was being eaten, but it didn't seem to calm her too much. In an attempt to escape her closing mouth, the bee stung the inside of her lip. She swelled a fair bit and was pretty melancholy the rest of the night.


Oh sweet little one. We love you.


She did crack a few smiles when opening gifts. Her little cousin-friends were more than happy to help her unwrap all her gifts (since she's never been a fan) and play together.


How grateful I am to her birth parents who brought her into the world. They have become my dearest friends. I think we all agree–it would be a much darker place without our KaleaKaura. I love you SO much.




You bring so much joy into our lives, Kalea. Happy, happy birthday, my love.