Ya Ya!

Hello there, I was planning on my next post being an update on Dylan’s first 5-day fishing trip with Jim (aka his Grandpa) however; I just could not resist posting these pictures of Dani and her new hair-dos as well as a hysterical video (sorry, video has disappeared, I'll try to re-post). Dani’s daycare provider has also turned out to be her personal hair stylist and is the person responsible for the super cute do-s. I think she looks like a Chinese Cupie doll, don’t you? As for the video, before I shoved the video camera in Dani’s face, she was eating lunch and then all of a sudden started yelling (in a very un-ladylike manner) for Ya Ya. Ya Ya is her word for Da Da as she is still working on enunciating her consonants. Anyway, I started laughing when she would yell for Ya Ya and then pause and wait for him to magically appear (he was at work). Once Dani picked up that she was the source of my laughter, it was on and she proceeded to yell louder! She also thought I would get a laugh out of her picking her nose which she does as the grand finale to this short but funny video. Be sure to check back this weekend for an update on Dylan's long range fishing trip and pictures of his and Jim's fish.

Happy 4th of July!

Well it isn't quite the stellar Southern California 4th of July that we are used to . . . . seems June gloom is lingering in San Diego a bit. That didn't stop the kids from getting in the pool though. We're so grateful for all of these "firsts" as a family of 5. Enjoy the video of Dani's first 4th of July!

Pictures to Tie You Over Until the Next Post . . .

Was My Last Post Really in February?

Wow, I can't believe I have not posted since February! I am amazed that over 4,000 people have viewed our blog and hope that I haven't lost any "fans" despite the lapse in recent posts. It is indicative of the craziness going on in our lives these past few months. So far 2010 has been a little rough for my entire family with the passing of my Grandmother and Dani's unexplained illness. We are hoping the "excitement" dies down soon and are looking forward to a summer filled with lazy days by the pool and surf time at the beach. I'll try to get everyone up to speed without this being a 5-page post.

Where to begin . . . It has been 7 months today since we first held little Dani (who is not so little anymore) in our arms and became a forever family of 5. She is now 21 months old. As many of our friends and family know, Dani has had several episodes of facial swelling which have required her to be hospitalized for anywhere from a day to almost a week. She has seen almost every Pediatric Sub-specialist there is at Children's Hospital, undergone 2 CT scans, 2 X-rays, 2 Ultrasounds and even had her blood shipped to a lab in France, and still no confirmed diagnosis for the cause of the swelling. The good news is that after the last in-patient stay it was determined that whatever the reason for Dani's swelling it was not due to an infection. That meant no more IV antibiotics and no more hospitalization for her episodes. Even during her episodes of facial swelling, Dani is her happy, normal, VERY active self. She is not in pain, has no fever, no loss of appetite and is seemingly unaware that her face is dramatically swollen. We are grateful for this, as it would be very difficult to see our baby in pain. I will continue to update the blog with regards to her condition, but for now, we are enjoying everyday with Dani and are continually amazed at how she has blended into our lives as if she has always been there. A BIG thank you to everyone who visited us while we were in the hospital, brought toys to keep Dani occupied, prepared meals for us, and helped with the boys. We are truly blessed to have such great friends and family.

As for the boys, both Dustin and Dylan are 3 short days away from the end of the school year. To say that they are excited is an under statement! Lacrosse season also came to and end a few weeks ago, for which Chris and I are VERY grateful for. We love watching the boys play, however; with practices and games for 2 boys and having a little one who does not sit still, we are happy the season is over.

Dustin has had a very busy couple of months. In addition to being a starting defender on the Varsity Lacrosse team, he took a course through the American Red Cross and the City of San Diego and is now a certified life guard for the City pools. He is CPR and AED certified. He also successfully ran for Junior Class Vice President and won! He begins his "term" in the Fall. He also landed a part time position at the South Coast Wind an' Sea Surf shop in Pacific Beach. Very ironic since his Dad used to work there 20 years ago! Unfortunately, during the last Lacrosse game he fractured his wrist and was in a cast for 4 weeks and then had to have surgery on his foot to have a cyst removed. He is healing nicely from both injuries and looking forward to getting back in the water on Father's Day.

Dylan was also a starting defender for his Lacrosse team and is looking forward to joining his big brother at a Lacrosse camp this summer. His time in elementary school comes to an end this year as he moves on to middle school. It feels like just yesterday I was taking him to preschool!

I think I have covered most of it. I am going to do my best to post at least once a week. I have said this to many of you already but boy is there a difference between 2 kids and 3! Chris and I naively thought that the addition of Dani to the family would be a piece of cake given that our boys are older and don't require the same care as little ones do. Boy were we wrong! Between work, two boys in sporting activities, school, homework, tutors and Dani's numerous doctor appointments and hospitalizations, our lives are busier than we could have imagined. We wouldn't change a thing however; and we are all adjusting to our new life as a family of 5.

Dani's First Publication!

Most of you know that Dani was the recipient of many Love Without Boundaries programs. Specifically, the Foster Care, Medical and Orphanage Assistance programs. Without their involvement Dani and other orphans in China may not have been healthy enough to be considered for adoption let alone thrive.

This month in the February LWB Newsletter, Dani is listed on page 4 of the "Welcome Home" section in which orphans who were in a LWB program are listed. As Dani was in several LWB programs however; they asked me to write an editorial on her and our family. It will be featured in the March newsletter so stay tuned! In the mean time, check out the LWB website (http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com). Click on "February Newsletter" on the right-hand side to view Dani and other orphans who now have a Forever Family.

https://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/pdfs/March2010.pdf

Adoption Journey Through China (155 photos), by Tiffany Bagalini

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Good-bye Big Grandma

The New Year is a distant memory, January has come and gone and before you know it, March will be upon us. Yes, it has been a LONG time since my last post and while only one month has passed, our entire world has changed.

On Monday, January 18th, my Grandmother passed away unexpectedly. For those of you who don’t know (or have only recently begun to follow our Blog), our newly adopted daughter from China was named after my Grandmother. My Grandmother’s Chinese name translates to “Jade” and we named our daughter, Dani Jade in her honor. During the almost 3 year wait, one of my biggest fears was that my Grandmother would not be around to see us bring our daughter home from her “Mother” country. Fortunate for us, after switching to the Special Needs Adoption program, we were able to bring our daughter home the day after Thanksgiving, 2009. That very evening after traveling for nearly 28 hours from China to the U.S., Dani was eating Thanksgiving dinner with her family, including her proud Great Grandmother.

In the days that followed, Grandma called almost daily to check on her new (and only) great granddaughter. The conversations typically went like this:

Me: Hi Grandma, whatcha doing?
Grandma: How’s the baby?
Me: Oh, she’s good. Still adjusting to the time change.
Grandma: You know, I think she’s smart.
Me: I agree Grandma; I think she’s very smart.
Grandma: Yah, you can tell. She’s got a big head. Big head, big brain.

Or like this:

Me: Hi Grandma, whatcha doing?
Grandma: How’s the baby? Is she awake?
Me: Yah, she’s awake. She’s pulling out her shoes from her closet.
Grandma: Oh, she likes shoes?
Me: Yes, she loves them. She brings them out to me and has me put them on her and then brings me another pair to put on.
Grandma: Oh, you should buy her some more.
Me: Yah, she already has 6 pairs, but you can never have too many shoes, right?
Grandma: Is she talking yet?
Me: She says “Mama” and that’s about it right now.
Grandma: Oh, she’s smart you know? You can tell by looking at her.

Or like this:

Me: Hi Grandma, whatcha doing?
Grandma: Where’s the baby?
Me: She’s right here, running around the house and bonking her head.
Grandma: She’s tough, you know?
Me: Yah, she’s a little tough one.
Grandma: Shit yah, she had to be living in China! She had to take care of herself.

The last time she saw Dani was on her way back from her hair appointment. She did an impromptu stop by the house and sat for about a half hour talking to Dani, watching her run around and bring out her shoes, commenting the entire time at how smart she was. As she left, she gave me a red envelope, instructing me to “go buy her some shoes.”

She was proud of my brother and I as well as her 2 great grandsons, Dustin and Dylan who fondly called her “Big Grandma.” As my parents were boxing up my Grandmother’s apartment, they came across a picture of Dustin holding a blue fin tuna he had caught and Dylan “helping” him hold it up. On the back, Grandma had written some notes about the boys.

About Dustin: “He is growing to be a very handsome boy. He is handsome like his Grandfather, Jim. They call him Jim, not Grandpa.”

About Dylan: “He is very funny. I find him amusing.”

I miss my Grandmother terribly. She was such a large part of our lives – physically and emotionally. She was not your traditional Chinese woman, nor was she your traditional, grandmotherly type. She smoked, gambled, had the mouth of a sailor and wasn’t afraid to use it! She leaves a large void in our lives. Thanksgiving and Christmas will not be the same without her homemade Chinese food, special occasions will be absent her wontons, our visual reminder of our Chinese heritage no longer present, but most of all we will miss our Big Grandma.

In lieu of flowers, donations are being made to Love Without Boundaries in my Grandmother's name. Dani was in several LWB programs, and without their intervention, education and assistance, we may not have our daughter here with us. It saddens me deeply that Dani will never know her Big Grandma, but I am SO very grateful that my Grandma was able to see her great granddaughter come home and spend a brief month and a half with her.