Wow One Year Later!

Jailyn on her Gotcha Day New Minnie Mouse Tricycle June 12, 2012.

Making Butterfly Crafts at the Butterfly Show.

Father's Day with Mike and his beautiful daughters.

Our baby girl is so happy and growing up fast and now a little girl going on 2.   We can't believe it has been a whole year since we were in China.  It feels so good!  We had a great week last week!  Our last post placement report for China was complete on Monday!  Woohoooooo!!!!  So thrilled no more paperwork after 6 1/2 years of adoption paperwork.    It is over!!!!!!  The only thing left for us is to re-adopted her in Hamilton County which will give us a birth certificate from Hamilton County which will make it so much easier when she goes to school.  Her Chinese Birth certificate will do however is vague and looks nothing like our birth certificates in the US.  We had a great Gotcha Day!   It was a happy day together with a trip to Toysrus!  Jailyn got her first "Bite" she calls her new Minnie Mouse Tricycle Bike!   It is so darling and still a bit big for her little legs.  She loves being pushed around and has a Dora helmet she loves too.  I will post her picture on the bike.   Our summer is in full force.    She has her kiddie pool on the deck and loves playing in the water.  We goto the pool usually on Saturdays.   We tried Gymboree Art class and it was just not active enough for her and now we have moved up one level since she is 23 months old to a more fun Gym class at Gymboree.  Betty, Mom and Dad still help me out each week.  Grandma Joan usually goes to Gymboree with us on Thursday and Colleen has Jailyn on Tuesday and Thursdays while I work.  We are so blessed as Jailyn has so many people who love her and she is thriving.  We are going on our first weeks vacation with Jailyn in a few weeks and Mom and Dad are excited!  We are going to Lakeside on Lake Erie for a week and have a cottage rented.  Our friends and their little girls will be there too.   It will be our first adventure away from home that long.  Mom and Dad are soooooooooooo happy to be getting away from work and the norm.  July will be action packed for us with Mike's Birthday July 1 and Jailyn's and Mommy's Birthday July 11!   We will have her Birthday party July 14 with the grandparents and lots of other activities in July.  Family picnic and our all day/night date night while Katie and Billy watch Jailyn.  That will be a first for us however we will be home when she wakes up the next morning.  Mike and I are getting back to once a month date nights which are so needed.   Mike is busy working with our builder on our new home and making plans for the River House in Indiana.  We have picked most of the exterior colors and they are getting ready to survey and get permits.  It is exciting and a year process for us to build as we are not in a hurry to move.  We had a nice Father's Day at the zoo.  Katie and Jailyn and I spent the morning at the zoo with Mike.  He was a lucky man to have all his best girls with him on his special day.  Jailyn road the train at the zoo and had fun and was more into it the second time at the zoo and being a little older.   We also went to the Butterfly event this year at Krohn and she made butterfly crafts.    Well I must say there is something about having a year to get our lives back after this whirlwind year.  We survived the first six months and have pushed through lots of changes.  We are on a good schedule that has finally settled in these past 6 months.  Many changes and challenges have taken place over the year and if we can get good sleep and stay healthy (have had lots of colds all of us) we can do anything.  On a personal note I have lost 36 1/2 lbs in 18 weeks on my weight loss program and feel great.   I have been working out with a personal trainer and Jailyn goes with me.  She loves my trainer and does many exercises with me.  It is too cute.   I am adapting back to food and will add more exercise (cardio) to get more weight off as I am 12 lbs from goal weight.    The low calorie diet kept my blood pressure down and now I feel with more food I can exercise at a higher level and still lose.   It has been a great experience for me with the Jewish Hospital Weight Loss program.   I recommend it to anyone who needs to break the emotional eating cycle.  It has been so good for me to get Linette back after all the years of waiting for our baby girl and eating the disappointment, grief and pain of our journey.   Heck I look at it as I just needed to get my baby weight off as any mother has to work at it after having a child.  Same concept just different circumstances.    It is a life long journey to stay fit and healthy but one that is priority NOW.   I am a MOM who has been called to do many things in this life and I must be healthy because most importantly I am a wife to Mike , MOM  I dreamed so long of being to Jailyn and bonus MOM to Katie, Billy and Scott and have my business too.    I would not change a thing NOW!  I love my family so much.   Jailyn was the gift from GOD meant for us.  We are blessed and most importantly are a happy family.  We know the best is yet to come.
One year as a family and life is good!
With love and appreciation for your support in following our journey as it continues on .......
Linette

Happy One Year Anniversary Gotcha Day WEEK!

Memorial Day at Orchard Hills Swim Club.

Playing in my kiddie pool on the deck.

Taking a break after swimming June 9 and looking cute too.

We have come so far.  We were on our way to China this time last year.  Oh what a journey it was and this year has been.   It feels so good to have a year under our belt with Jailyn, a year full of blessings, challenges and incredible memories.  Jailyn is growing up so fast and will be 23 months tomorrow and approaching the terrific twos.  Here are darling pictures at the pool this summer and will post more later this week.

Wow what a month and 11 months a family!

Happy Day at Jailyn's Baptism at St. I's, April 12, 2012.

Jailyn with her Godparents and big sister and brother!

Baptism with Father Pete.

Had to share this one as the Baptism festivities were over and Jailyn loves herself so much she kissed herself!

Checking herself out!  How sweet!  Definitely building a healthy self esteem with our little girl.

Oh my stars has the past month been such a whirlwind so much happening and have not had a moment to spare to blog.  So the Baptism was a very special day for us as a family.  How great to have Katie and Scott to be her God parents.  Jailyn was an angel and could not understand why she got wet when baptized but took it all in stride.  We had a celebration afterwards with Friends and Family.  The Baptism and dedicating our little girl to being raised in the Christian was a long time coming.  I will post photos.  We had a great visit with Scott and look forward to have him home for the Holidays.   Personally we have been super busy with family home, the Baptism, working on our new house plans, Mike getting all the details together for buying the "River House Property in Rising Sun", Our getaway fun house!, refinancing our home,  putting our will and trust together (lots of paperwork and not my favorite since we had been in a paper chase for the adoption over the past 5 years)....oh and working too.  I have been a bit overwhelmed to say the least.    On a good note come early June we will finish our obligation to China with completing our last post adoption report.  WOOHOO!  I want to scream it from the mountain tops and have a party it is over and no more adoption paperwork ever unless we want to get a birth certificate from Hamilton County which would make her going to school alot easier.  We have a Chinese birth certificate so we are good.  Plenty of time to decide on that one....that is a low priority for now.   So happy to be settling back in to a more normal life....momma can not take it and we have been doing too much now having a child in the mix.  We are slowing down and ready for our vacation coming the first week of July.  Calgon take me away.....it can not get here soon enough.

Jailyn is thriving and it is a big ole deal this month as we mark the milestone of 11 months together the same amount she spent in China in foster care.  Jailyn is testing us as she approaches the Terrific Twos and even have my book "How to make the terrible twos Terrific!" on hand for my leisure reading whenever that may be????  She is so darling in the things she says and how excited and proud she gets of herself as she learns something new.  She is talking so much everyday more words and understanding.  We dance alot and celebrate everything.  She has even pooped on the potty once and now it has never happened again but it was a big ole deal.  She is interested yet not made the potty connection when she needs to go.  All in the right time....Jailyn still loves gymboree, the church nursery, going to games with Colleen's kids and spending time with Mommy and Daddy and family.  She is so bonded and we are blessed with such a happy social little girl who is so bright and smart and understands everything we say to her.....She is strong willed and still wants her way and to be in control.  We are so looking forward to spending time at the pool this summer and making memories that last a lifetime.  Her 1 year anniversary Gotcha day is in one month and then we celebrate birthday month.  Mike's is July 1 and Jailyn and her mommy is July 11.  Wow time has flown and the best is yet to come.  Best part of all Mike and I are reclaiming our lives (the part that got lost over the past years of waiting) and God has opened so many doors of opportunity for us and working in our lives big time.   Personally this has been a year of CHANGE (dramatic and welcomed yet challenged) and personally working on myself.  I have lost 30 lbs on a medically monitored diet and on target to reach my goal by July 11.  I feel great and taking care of me while focusing on what's important, our family. I am also finding my way working in a new way my MK business and letting go and trusting God more everyday.  We have been through so much this past year and have been given such an incredible gift to love, to guide and raise Jailyn. I have never been happier personally and have learned a lifetime of wisdom and patience (still need plenty more of that).  I have the most amazing husband who puts up with me and me him and a little girl girl shining her light in this world so bright with so much love and she melts my heart.  I am so lucky to be Jailyn's mommy, Mike's wife and a Bonus mom to Katie (Billy) and Scott.  Does it get any better than that?!!!!
Just so blessed and happy and looking forward to my first Mother's Day of being a first time MOM!
The Best is yet to come as we continue to realize Gods plans for us....
With a thankful heart full of love,
Linette

21 Month Photos Of Jailyn! She is little Miss Personality!

1 year since Referral, Meeting my big brother & Happy Easter!

Our kids together at last celebrating Easter together!

Happy April and time is flying by......HAPPY EASTER FROM JAILYN!

Jailyn is 21 months now and been with us 10 months.  What blessing we have received and love being her forever family.   Another month has gone by and so much is happening in our lives.  Mike has been traveling alot in March and April is full of events.  We are reaching more milestones.  April 1 brought our one year anniversary since referral day which was a big ole deal!   It is kind of hard to believe we had just received her photo this time last year and were on the mad dash to get everything together to goto China last year.  Wow we have come so far.  Referral day was the day we received Jailyn's picture 4/1/2011 and we saw our baby girl's face for the very first time.  We celebrated with a Balloon Bouquet for Jailyn.  She loves balloons!  She can spend lots of time playing with her balloons.  She is growing so much about 24 lbs now and 33 inches tall.  We have been released from the International Adoption Center at Children's Hospital and she is progressing on schedule.  She is a normal child and caught up for her age and finally all shots are now up to date.  Jailyn had 3 more shots, blood work and another TB test.  Now that she is older the mum mum cookies just do not calm her down when she has her shots.  She was mad and can you blame her.  Woohoo we are done with shots for a while.  We have been requested to have her eyes checked and will do that in June as Asian children tend to need glasses more often than not.   It is more common due to the shape of their eyes.  She had her first visit to the dentist which was not a good experience however something needed to make sure her teeth were in good health.  Some children from China have had such poor prenatal care their teeth can have issues.  She has 16 teeth and due for four more to come in over the next 6 months.  She has a bit of an under bite however the dentist was not concerned. 

Jailyn has officially had her first boo boos falling down on her knees on the concrete.   We had a week of summer which sped up our spring and have gone for lots of walks (if you can call them walks more like let's explore and stop and pick up rocks).  She ran and fell and scraped her knees.  She still points to her healed boo boos on her knees.  We are introducing a princess potty as she imitates going to the bathroom on her potty however does not get it to actually go potty when I place her on the potty without a diaper.  It is still early however I believe it will not be long. 

Now the best part of it all is that Scott is home after 2 1/2 years of being in Japan and he officially met Jailyn last week.  Jailyn just loves her big brother, Scott.  She knows both Katie and Scott are her siblings.  Jailyn repeats everything we say and is just so smart and climbing on everything.  She still loves Gymboree, going to the nursery at church and loves life.  She is more bonded than ever with less night terrors.  She had a cold over the Easter weekend and has shared it with mommy and we are finally starting to get over it a week later. It was so special for Easter to have our kids together for the first time.  And to get to celebrate Easter as a family.  We will Baptize Jailyn April 21 and Katie and Scott will be the God Parents.  That will be a special time for us and a day of praise and thanksgiving that this day is finally here as we dedicate our baby to being raised as a christian and baptized in to her faith.

So I will post lots of photos and am at least trying to update once a month.  I will have her 21 month photos taken this week in her Easter/Baptism outfit and something cute for spring.

God bless and thanks for sharing our life with us!
Linette

After having breakfast and meeting my big brother Scott!

Got my cool sunglasses and Easter goodies from Grandpa and Grandma Comley!

I am a Rock STAR Easter Bunny!

The Sisters!

The Easter Bunny brought lots of goodies!

Love blowing bubbles!

I love my big Brother, Scott!

I am Daddy's girl!

Me with my referral day balloon bouquet!

Love Smash the show and the adoption story in the show

Original Video- More videos at TinyPic

9 Amazing Months with Jailyn who is now 20 months!

Jailyn with Katie and Billy celebrating Katie's Birthday at Eddie Merlots and hanging out at their new home.

Today is our 9 month anniversary of our gotcha family day in China.   Wow time is flying and our little girl continues to thrive.  She repeats pretty much everything we say and has a desire to learn and figure out new things.  She is very bright and continues to be very friendly, outgoing and full of joy and happiness.  What else could we ask for but an amazing little girl to be our daughter.   She is so bonded to us, especially with Mommy.   We have come so far together and she is the most loving sweet little girl.  I  am (we) are totally in love and everyday there is something new and exciting to share.  She continues to love her Gymboree classes she attends 2 times a week and going to the Nursery at church and spending time with Colleen and family when I work.  She is teething her big 2 year molars and they give her issues occasionally.   We are up usually a couples nights a week with a night terror or two on the nights after I work.  She is still processing her fears however it is less than it has been.   She loves her grandparents to come and play with her and is officially on the afternoon nap schedule only and weening off bottles somewhat.  She is getting taller, closer to 23 lbs I think and for spring I am going to have to buy some bigger shoes .  We goto the International adoption Clinic Wednesday for her final check up and we believe they will be pleased in all areas of how far she has come.  She will go to the dentist for the first time ever next week to make sure her teeth are in good shape and to see that her prenatal nutrition was adequate in China to have healthy teeth. 

We are thrilled as we are coming up on our anniversary of our referral day.  It is hard to believe we did not know Jailyn was ours this time last year.  How our lives have changed so much for the better.  We are busy working on the plans for our new home we hope to break ground in late spring or early summer.  I am getting into shape and getting myself back to a healthy weight after all the years of grief and emotional eating to mask the pain.  I feel amazing and so happy after all these past years of our lives being on hold waiting for Jailyn.  I don't wish the wait we had on anyone however would not change a thing because the joy and happiness we have today.  We are truly blessed.  We just celebrated Katie's 32nd b-day and Scott is coming home in April for 20 days and will finally meet Jailyn.  It will be a special time to have the entire family together.  We were just able to schedule her baptism at St. I's for Saturday, April 21, at 11am with Father Pete and it will be such a special time as Katie will be the God mother and Scott the God father.  It does not get any better than that to have our entire family celebrating Christ and Jailyn as she is Baptized in faith.

Stay tuned for lots of posts coming  in April with our Family celebrating Easter and Scott's homecoming and Jailyn's Baptism.

Truly the best is yet to come!
With love and looking forward to a Happy Spring!

Linette