The Gilmartin Family Journal

My Big Girl

2010-03-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the Miss Helen's fashion show which is an annual event that is so much fun for the girls. Molly looked beautiful and very grown up in her pink dress. I have posted a couple of pictures of Miss Molly at the fashion show as well as my girl with her missing front teeth.

I have been meaning to take pictures of her with her missing teeth. She is very proud of the way she looks which is so sweet and is the only time in her life that she will be proud of having no front teeth. I never want to forget how she looked at this age of 7 with no teeth - so innocent and full of life. OMG how I cherish this little girl and how proud I am to be her mommy....

Random Photos - Keep Scrolling Down

2010-03-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I just posted a few random photos of our girls at the zoo. They are so much fun and our life is so sweet. Hello to all our family over in Ireland. Nana Rosie, the girls send you lots of kisses as well as all their aunties, uncles and cousins. We cannot wait to see everyone later in the year.

UPDATES

2010-03-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, just a couple of updates. We are all doing well. Maggie recently had a bout with pneumonia which was really scary but she sailed through it with a heavy antibiotic and breathing treatments. We are all well and very busy with soccer, cheerleading, birthday parties, work - you name it and the Gilmartin family seems to do it. Maggie is happy, very attached to me, Paul and Molly. In fact, she loves Molly and hugs and kisses her on a regular basis. She is still a bit anxiously attached and does not like me out of her site for very long. She wants to be held constantly but I prefer that over the opposite. She is defintely a snuggler. Maggie is a jokester and a bit mischievious. She will smile at you and run the other way or turn her head when you are trying to feed her and then smile and take the food. She has a cute sense of humor. Her hair has gotten so so so long and that seems to be about the only thing growing. I think she is growing a bit taller but not much. I just think she is going to be very tiny. All that matters is she is healthy and extremely happy. I am posting a couple of pics. Molly recently went on a Daddy/Daughter date. Her daddy brought her some flowers and took her to the outback. She got all dressed up and had a blast. I have also posted a couple of pictures of Maggie - she is so precious...

Happy New Year!!!!!!

2010-01-01T06:51:00.000-08:00

Well, I cannot believe it is 2010, I think 2009 was the quickest year I can remember in a long time. Paul officially started his career as a nurse in January, 2009 and we were pretty sure we would be matched with a baby this year but we did not know when. Then happily on 8/24/09, we were matched with the most adorable baby girl, Maggie and we traveled in October to pick her up. She has been with her new family for 2.5 months and it feels like she has been with us forever, we love her so. Our two girls, Molly and Maggie bring so many smiles to our faces every single day and we feel like the luckiest people in the world to be able to be their parents. We are excited to see what 2010 will bring to our family. Paul will be continuing his education and we are definitely going to Ireland so all the Gilmartins can meet Maggie and see Molly (long overdue). Maggie has started talking (Hi, Bye Bye, MaMa and DaDa). I feel like her talking is about to explode. Happy New Year everyone!!!!!!!!!!!

AMAZED!!!

2009-11-12T12:54:00.000-08:00

We are completely amazed at little Maggie's adjustment to her new family. She sleeps through the night, eats everything you give her, plays, cuddles, is getting braver and braver each day and is so so so happy. We do not see any attachment issues yet but are definitely on high alert. The only problem is her tantrums and temper, not to mention her new game of biting. If I am holding her and put her down, she proceeds to throw a huge and I mean HUGE tantrum. Anytime she does not like the way something is going, she will let you know about it. Right now, we are just trying to avoid putting her in that situation and ignoring the tantrums as much as possible. That is all I really know to do. We are not sure she has a grasp of what NO means yet so we are trying to be patient with the biting and keep telling her NO and diverting her attention to something else. However, my bite wounds are hurting. Otherwise, she is absolutely perfection and we are so so so IN LOVE!!!!!! Here are a few pics of our precious new addition..

Home

2009-10-30T09:42:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone, just wanted to let you know that we arrived home safely last night around 7:30pm. There was a huge group of friends to meet us at the airport which really mean't a lot to us after traveling for so long it is a great feeling to see familiar faces.

We are actually feeling very good in spite of the long journey home. We think staying in LAX on Wednesday night was a good idea. Last night we got to bed about 11:00pm and slept straight until 4:00am. We will try to stay up all day and evening today and hopefully sleep through the night tonight.

Thanks for everyone's sweet comments, we are so thrilled with our new edition and she is doing fantastic.

Last Post from China:

2009-10-27T10:01:00.000-07:00

It is Tuesday night and we are busy trying to pack everything up which is hard considering we have bought so much. We know it will be a very long time before we are back and therefore, we bought the things we really wanted this time around.

Yesterday was our consulate appointment and much to our surprise, they were kicking off the November National Adoption Month and therefore had a special guest do the oath ceremony. It was the recently appointed U.S. Ambassador to China, Tom Huntsman. It was very emotional and even he cried because he had adopted a little girl from China 10 years ago so he went through this exact process. Paul and I cried as we promised to forever love and take care of Maggie.

After that, we were very happy because everything was done and it is 100% official. We have some very important paperwork that will need to be opened by immigration at our first port city which will be Los Angeles, however Maggie will automatically become a U.S. Citizen when the plane lands on U.S. soil. We will clap when the plane lands.....

Today, we took it easy and did a little more shopping and packing. Late this afternoon, we had a group dinner to say goodbye to everyone in our travel group. We have made some good friends here and will stay in touch for a long time.

One of the pictures we are posting is of our two CCAI (our adoption agency) guides who have been with us the entire time. They have done everything for us and really taken care of all of our needs and paperwork. Their names are Grace and Kathy and as you can tell, they help out a lot with the babies. Maggie was hungry and we were all eating so they decided to take her and feed her - Maggie cannot go without a meal (hee hee).

Also, there is a picture of two of the little girls that were here that Molly became friends with and their baby sisters. The one picture of the three of them is cute but the one where they are standing behind their baby sisters is the cutest.

Although, we are very anxious to go home, it has been a nice trip and we are so thankful to have our sweet Maggie safe and sound with us. We will see some of you on Thursday night at the airport and many of you soon thereafter. Take care everyone and thanks for following along. Love, Steph

A Very Important Day:

2009-10-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

Well, today is Sunday, and tomorrow is our big final important day: our consulate appointment where we will take an oath to always take care of Maggie and never abandon her. When I hear these words, I have tears in my eyes as I think about the parents that gave her up and abandoned her. I think about Molly and the parents that gave her up and abandoned her also.

How did Paul and I get so lucky to be the parents of these two beautiful, fabulous, smart, incredible, delightful, precious, joyful little girls? What did we do so right in our life to be their parents? When we look at these two little girls, my heart melts and we cannot imagine our life without them.

When Maggie wakes up in the morning and the first thing she does when she sees me is grin from ear to ear, I think how could we ever abandon this child when we already love her so much that we could not live without her? Paul and I will love them forever and ever and ever and they have and will make our world a better world. We cannot describe the love we have for these children, it is not possible to put into words.

These very long four years have seemed like an eternity but now that we have this precious child in our arms, it seems like it was only yesterday that we started the process, she has been so WORTH THE WAIT!!!! Thank you again for everyone's support and love and we are dying for you to meet this little bundle of happiness. Here are some random pics taken over the last few days as we have enjoyed being together as a family - enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!! xoxoxo

Maggie, Fun with Cookies..

2009-10-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

Here are two videos of Maggie & Mom playing with cookies...

Our Baby is a Sick Little Girl..

2009-10-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, first and foremost, Maggie is not feeling well at all. She woke up again with a fever this morning which we have been battling all day. We are hoping the antibiotic will start kicking in by tomorrow so she will be feeling a bit better, however she threw it up tonight.

She does not like taking medicine and is a little fighter. She will lock her lips together until she has to cry and then we quickly get it in there. We hope she keeps it down tomorrow and things start looking up. It is scary to be in a foreign country with a new baby that you are just getting to know who is sick and you have to wait to see what happens. We have done everything we can and hope she is better by tomorrow or Sunday, we will keep everyone posted.

Today was Maggie's US immigration physical which took about 15 minutes. I am not even sure if these people were doctors and they did not speak english. She passed although she is obviously not feeling well. Then our group went to the famous White Swan hotel and took pictures of our babies on the famous red couch. Since we are not staying at the White Swan this trip, we made the trip over because it is important to some people to have that photo.

We also got a photo of our entire travel group which is also attached. After we got home and Maggie's fever broke, her personality came back which is obvious in the video above, of she and I playing a game with a bag of teething cookies. I am sure you will agree, it is hard not to smile when you see this baby smile and laugh.

Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. Again, keep your comments coming, although I cannot post or see the blog, my brother is cutting and pasting some of them and we will be able to see them all when we get home. Counting the minutes until we get home. Love, Steph

LOTS TO TALK ABOUT!!!

2009-10-22T10:12:00.001-07:00

Well first and foremost, we are posting a few pics of our sweet Molly. She has been so fantastic on this trip and such a wonderful big sister to Maggie and so we wanted to post some photos of Molly enjoying herself. She is sending a big hello to all of her friends at Miss Helen's and misses school very much. Hello, Miss Pam and Miss Christi, Molly sends a big hug to both of you.

Yesterday, we had to do some paperwork and we went to Shamian Island and did some shopping. Last night, we took a dinner cruise along the pearl river which was really nice. Today Paul and Molly went to the zoo and had lots of fun inspite of the heat. Unfortunately, I had to stay home with our sick little girl, Maggie. She awakened this morning with a fever and she was not her normal smiley self. We tried all day to get her fever under control and nothing was working. By late afternoon, her fever was pretty high and we decided to take her to the doctor.

One of the families in our group had gotten the name of an American doctor off another adoption website so we called him and he could see Maggie. Well, let me tell you that our little peanut is a fighter - she was so so so mad at that doctor and was not going to give in. After some tests, it was decided that she had an inner ear infection so we have started her on antibiotics.

She was much better tonight and is currently curled up sleeping with her blanket. Did I say how IN LOVE we are with this sweet little precious gift? Tomorrow, poor Molly has to get an immigration physical, boy is she going to be happy about that considering her day today and then more shopping. We are counting down the days until we start our journey home - 6 days to go and 7 until we arrive in Tulsa.

We are trying to upload a video of Maggie, walking, so once we get it done, we will upload it. Stay tuned. Love, Steph.

Random Cuteness..

2009-10-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

There is not really much to report from China. The last few days have been uneventful. We have had lots of quality time together to go to the park, shop (boy have we shopped), eat, drink and soak up China. Molly is having a great time and loving Maggie so much as we all are. It is very easy to love this little peanut. She wakes up and starts grinning from ear to ear and cooing. She is very easy going and content until she gets tired and then watch out. Once she is asleep, she is out for the count for 10-12 hours. She always sleeps with her hands behind her head as one of the pictures shows. We feel so incredibly blessed to be given the opportunity to be the mother and father of these two wonderful little girls, Molly and Maggie. Paul and I pinch ourselves sometimes and think, there is no way, life could be sweeter. We cannot wait to introduce Maggie to everyone when we get home. We will leave China one week from tomorrow and travel to LA where we will spend the night and travel back home on Thursday the 29th. We will look forward to seeing all of our friends and family at the airport. We are posting just some random pictures of our cute girls.

Maggie's First Bath!

2009-10-18T18:21:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of Maggie's first bath...

Amazing Experiences:

2009-10-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

We have had two great days here in China. Yesterday, we decided to go to a local park about 15 minutes away from the hotel. It was absolutely beautiful and was packed full of people since it was Saturday. They were doing all different types of activities and exercises and they were all really good inspite of some of them being quite elderly. We came across a group of people playing a game similar to "Hackisack". Well Paul, being the boy that he is, jumped in to play with them. Needless to say, I am quite sure it was the first time a 6'7" Irish man had ever played with these people. He was fantastic at the game and therefore, he became quite the celebrity among the locals, it was so much fun to watch, they loved him. Also, we were quite an eyeful for the locals. The more they stared, the bigger our smiles were to them. We were surrounded several times by people curious about Molly and Maggie.

In every single situation, the people were so incredibly nice to us and always gave us the thumbs up when they realized our girls were adopted, it was so sweet. Today, we traveled to a Buddhist Temple where Maggie got a special Buddhist Blessing from the head monk - it was beautiful and touching.

The big news is our sweet little baby had her very first bath ever tonight and boy did she have fun. We decided to wait to give her a bath and to let her adjust for a few days. She is pure joy and so beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!.

I have not been able to read the comments on our blog so my brother was kind enough to cut and paste them and sent them via email to me. Thank you so very much to everyone for your sweet and touching comments. Please keep them coming so we can read them, it makes us feel good since we are already a bit home sick. Love to all, Steph

IT IS OFFICIAL!

2009-10-16T22:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a very busy day. We spent all morning at the Civil Affairs office being interviewed by different officials, etc. to finalize the adoption. Maggie is now officially a Gilmartin. Today, Saturday is a free day and we are getting ready to go to a local park to play and get some sunshine. Maggie is doing well overall and in spite of a few meltdowns (wow does this little peanut have a temper), she is adjusting well to her new family. Molly is also doing well except when Maggie has a meltdown, Molly is not very happy. She does not understand that Maggie is trying to tell us something and because this is all new, we have not been able to figure it out at times. All in all, things could not be going any better. We are enjoying our time but know that it will not be too long before we are ready to come home. We have attached some more pictures taken yesterday, a few with Paul and Maggie - what an incredible dad he is, so so so great!!!!!!

Maggie!

2009-10-15T06:50:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally have our Maggie! We just got back to our hotel from the adoption affairs bureau here in Guangzhou. Maggie was very upset to begin with which in turn made Molly very upset. It took a little while but with Steph holding her close she soon calmed and eventually showed us her beautiful smile. As I write she is playing on the bed, having a blast, with her Momma and big sissy! We are absolutely delighted and thrilled. Our long, long, long wait is finally over. Welcome to our family Maggie! Much more to follow but for now here are some pictures of our first few moments and hours with Maggie!

We have arrived!

2009-10-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

Well after a very smooth LONG flight to Hong Kong and a very LONG day and bus ride today, we are in Guangzhou (Maggie's province). Tomorrow morning, we will start with a meeting at 10:00am and then about noon, travel to the civil affairs office where Maggie will arrive at approximately 2:00pm. After that, we will spend the rest of the day and evening letting Maggie settle down and adjust. We will post the all important GOTCHA DAY photos tomorrow so stay tuned. Thanks to my brother Jason for helping us with these updates, we are unable to access our blog so he is posting for us. Less than 24 hours to Maggie and we are all very very excited.

We Are Off!

2009-10-11T04:46:00.000-07:00

Today is the day we are off to China. We cannot believe it is here. We are packed and ready to go. Today will be a relaxing day, just doing final odds and ends but the big packing extravaganza is done, thank goodness. All suitcases are under 50 lbs so we won't be opening them up at check-in and taking things out. I think we will have room for all of my purchases as well, because will will get rid of many of the things we are taking. Thank you for all of the sweet notes and thoughts from our friends and family. We just need to get through this very very long flight and it will almost be Thursday, Gotcha Day!!!!

ONE WEEK

2009-10-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

One week from today, we will hold Maggie for the first time. We cannot believe it is so close. We have waited so long for this child that it almost does not feel real. We still have so much to do before we leave on Sunday but we will get it all done. We are very very excited and counting the minutes until next week. Stay tuned everyone for updates daily while in China. Hang on Maggie, we are almost on our way.

The Countdown...

2009-09-28T20:14:00.001-07:00

Only 12 days until we leave on October 11th and 15 LONG days until we get to hold Maggie for the first time. We are getting very excited and luckily are extremely busy trying to prepare for our trip. I will post our itinerary very soon for everyone to view and will post updates as much as possible while we are in China. One of our last photos of a family of three, the next family photos you will see will be a foursome and we are counting the minutes.

It's Official!!!

2009-09-24T05:13:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone, we have our travel itinerary and it is long. We leave Tulsa around 5:00pm on Sunday, October 11th and arrive in Hong Kong on Tuesday morning at 10:00am. We return on 10/29 around 5:00pm - yes we will be gone around 19 days so it is a bit longer this time. We will post all of our travel details so everyone can follow our journey. I hope we will be getting Maggie on 10/15 but not sure yet. Stay tuned for more info.

TRAVEL APPROVAL!!!!

2009-09-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

Yeah, we got TA today. We will most likely be leaving on 10/8 which is only 2.5 weeks from now. We will fly into Hong Kong and leave Hong Kong on the 11th, fly to Guangzhou and get Maggie on the 12th. There is a small chance we might not go until the week after but most likely the 8th. We are so so so excited that we will get Maggie in about 3 weeks. Needless to say, my weekend just got a whole lot busier. I will update next week when we get definitive dates.

A Little More Information on Maggie

2009-09-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

Today, we got a little more information on our girl. Maggie was found on 7/8/2008 and due to her physical condition, it was estimated she was born the day before on 7/7/2008. She has always liked to be held by someone, and smiles when she is being entertained. When you try to take her toys away, she will refuse to let them go. She can stand for a few seconds when she holds onto her crib's railing. She can clap her hands and she loves to smile. Overall, she has been very healthy and has not had any serious illnesses. Three weeks ago today, we were referred a beautiful little cherub, Maggie that is waiting for us in China and we are counting the minutes until we can hold her and see her smile. We hope we will travel in about 3-4 weeks from now. We will keep you posted as we get more information.

Wait, Wait, and Wait

2009-09-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

Today it has been two weeks since we saw Maggie for the first time and it has gone quickly. We have been very busy starting to prepare for Maggie's arrival. First we got all of our initial paperwork done and federal expressed to CCAI and to JC Travel for our visas. So I think we have a bit of a reprive from paperwork right now. We are working on projects around the house. Today, Molly is getting a new bedroom suit and we are so excited. We are moving all of Molly's toys, artwork, etc. into her room now and the playroom will be for all of Maggie's toys, etc. It will be nice to have a toy room that is functional and Molly will have her space where she can go and close the door and have her own space. I think we will hear on travel approval in about two weeks and probably travel in about a month. We cannot get to Maggie soon enough and will be counting the days, hours, minutes and seconds until we hold her for the first time.

INCREDIBLE SURPRISE!!!

2009-08-31T17:37:00.000-07:00

Today, we got a wonderful surprise, updated photos of our sweet Maggie Moo. These had to have been taken a few days ago. Either she is just standing and walking or she has been for a little while. I smile every time I see her little face and am so in love with her already. The next 6 weeks will be pure torture until I can get my hands on this sweet baby. She obviously looks so healthy and wide eyed. We are thinking about you every second, Maggie. Hang on!!!!

BIG SISTER BLUES

2009-08-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

Little Miss Molly is quite traumatized by her new little sister, Maggie. First, you have to know Molly who is the girlie girls of all girlie girls. The first thing she says in the morning when her eyes open is how she wants me to do her hair. She is quite fashion conscious and would endure painful feet all day as long as she looked good in her heels. Well, in comes Maggie and although she admits she is cute, she is very concerned that we are not being honest with her and that she really is a boy. She asked me yesterday, "Mom are you sure Maggie is not Max?" I keep reassuring her that Maggie is a girl and that at orphanages, they do not have fancy dresses to put on the babies, they have a limited amount of clothes and the babies wear what the orphanage has. Also, I tried to explain that they shave their heads - that put her over the edge. Last night, she was very serious and said "Mama, I think Maggie looks terrible in this condition". We started cracking up which she did not think was very funny at the time. She said she was going to be in charge of her clothes and hair and is so hoping she has more hair by the time we get to China. Although, this is weighing heavy on big sisters mind, I know she is so proud because we printed off her pictures and she gave one to most of the teachers at her school and explained how she was her sister and we were going to get her in 6 weeks. Molly, you are going to be the sweetest big sissy to Maggie and I cannot wait for you to do her hair...

HERE SHE IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-08-24T11:40:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh, we are thrilled beyond belief to finally introduce our sweet Maggie to everyone. She is obviously extremely healthy and so precious. Thank you to everyone who has supported us through these four years. Here is her info:

Birth date 7/7/08 (she will be around 15-16 months when we get her).
Guandong province (not sure if I spelled it correctly, have not had a chance to get the exact spelling yet of all of this info.
We will travel in 6-8 weeks and will be in Guanghzhou the entire time.

MONDAY, MONDAY, MONDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-08-21T20:02:00.000-07:00

Well, CCAI posted that the referrals for their 3/24/06 families arrived in their office today and they were excited to call their families on Monday - how the heck am I going to wait for Monday. I normally absolutely love the weekends with Paul and Molly and cannot remember the last time I wished the weekend to be over but I am finding myself wishing so hard for Monday to get here. The good thing is we know we will see Maggie on Monday so that helps that the wondering of WHEN is over. This four years of waiting have been the most challenging "character building" four years but at the same time, they have been wonderful with Molly. Once we see little Maggie Moo, we will realize that it is real and is finally going to happen. Thanks to all of our family and friends who have ridden along on this bumpy journey with us - yes we really were adopting a baby from China even though at times it was probably very hard to believe that we were. I will post her picture on Monday after I race down to the hospital to share the moment with Maggie's sweet daddy....

So Close yet so far away

2009-08-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

We are anxiously, painstakingly waiting to hear if we will be matched next week. This is pure torture and makes the last four years seem like nothing. The last week seems like it has been four years. The good news is if we don't make the cut next week, we will definitely make it in September - 100% guaranteed. However, waiting another four weeks might put us over the edge. We are exhausted and stressed and so over the wait, paperwork, anxiety of the swine flu, etc. We just want to get to China, get Maggie and get home and we are done. It is a very strange feeling this time around. I am trying so hard to get excited but also trying to realize that it may not be next week and keep my excitement at bay - it is hard and it feels wrong. At this stage with Molly, I was on cloud nine and this time around, it is very different. We know we already love Maggie, it has just been so damn difficult this time and we are very tired. Hang on Maggie, it won't be to long until we are there to get you.

TRUE LOVE

2009-06-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

I just have to share the love I have for my husband - it is not of this earth. It is not describable by saying "I love you", that phrase seems so "mundane". It is a deep soul core love that I wish everyone on earth could experience in their life. Although Paul and I are very different in personalities, we seem to compliment each other so well. I know this sounds so mushy but it is not, it is truth!!!!

I am so excited to see him every single day he arrives home from work or I arrive home from work to find him taking a little nap. I love his big body which makes me feel very secure and safe. I love his smile which lights up his eyes and creates these adorable dimples. I love his laugh and his sense of humor, he says the funniest things sometimes. I love his morals, his compassion, his honor. I love his hands (big and strong) and how much he loves soccer, baseball, football, Nascar, golf, tennis, cricket (did I leave anything out). I love how he is like a little boy and loves to play in the mud, hide and seek with Molly, play jokes, etc. I love his stumbling blue eyes that are so kind and loving. He is the most incredible Daddy to Molly - look out Maggie, you are in for an incredible life with your father. Most of all, I love how he loves me. He loves me for me and all of my faults. He loves and treasures everything about me and there is no better feeling. I know he will be by my side forever - this love can never be broken. He is an incredible man and it was the best day of my life when I met him and fell in love with him. Our life together is so so so sweet and tender and Molly is the cherry on top (the love I have for her is a whole other post). Anyway, here is to the greatest man ever born on this earth. The world is a better place because he is in it. I love you forever and ever, babe...... Your girl xoxoxo

MORE................

2009-05-20T17:29:00.000-07:00

A few more pics of the fun night and Miss Helen's zoo day......

The Graduate!!!!

2009-05-20T17:19:00.000-07:00

Our sweet sweet Kindergarten graduate. Last night Miss Helen's out did themselves with their annual graduation ceremony. We all had such a great time and shed some tears realizing that our little 6 year olds will be graduating from high school and college before we know it. We will forever remember this special year - thank you Miss Helen's we love you.... We are so proud of you Molly, you are a beautiful, special child.

Mothers Day, 2009

2009-05-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

What a great day I had today with my babes. We had a great breakfast and went to the Tulsa Rose Garden where we leisurely strolled among the beautiful roses. Molly was in her element surrounded by beauty. My world is so beautiful and sweet, I could not have asked for a better day. Next mothers day will be exciting because I will have my new daughter Maggie home so there will be double happiness. I love being a MOM!!!!

NCLEX

2009-02-22T18:43:00.000-08:00

YEAH, it is official, Paul is a registered nurse!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so proud of him and how hard he has worked to get to this point. It is just the beginning of a long road and we have more school left in the future but this was a huge milestone and probably the most challenging. He is going to be the best nurse ever and the patients that have him have hit the jackpot. I am so proud of you, babe, Congratulations!!!!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

2009-02-01T05:54:00.000-08:00

My sweet girl, how could we love her any more. Last night, Molly told her mother, "Mommy, you are the best Mommy recruiter in the whole wide world". Then she told Paul that he was the "best Daddy nurse in the whole wide world". Molly never hesitates to tell you how she is feeling and luckily for us, she tells us how much she loves us each and every day. "La Dolce Vita - WOW, do we have a sweet life......

BIG NEWS

2008-12-30T18:57:00.000-08:00

Finally, we can see our LID on CCAI's website. The CCAA has finished matching babies with families logged in 2/28/06. Although we have a way to go 3/24/06, it is nice to see that our month is now at the front of the line. We estimate we will be matched with Maggie sometime between May & July and possibly sooner if the CCAI speeds things up. Since the orphanage donation went up to $5,000, it is speculation that a speed up is right around the corner. We are ok with the timeline now but it would be nice not to have to do our paperwork for a third time. We are so ready to get to the finish line and bring our little Maggie Moo home to be with her forever family - not to mention her big sister who is dying to see her baby sister.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-26T07:15:00.000-08:00

This year brought lots of happiness and relief since nursing school is done. Molly had a wonderful day and we loved having Nana Rosie with us this year. We were able to fly her over for the graduation festivities and then be able to stay with us through Christmas and the New Year. We are keeping Nana very busy with lots to do and running around. Now we can rest for a few days and take it easy. This year Molly woke up at 7:30am and said "Merry Christmas Mama", it was so precious and she was so so so excited to come out and see what Santa brought for her - it was precious. She got loads of gifts and was most thrilled with "Lucky the Dog". He does what you ask on command. I cannot believe that our little princess will be 6 years old in less than a month. Paul starts his new job at St. John's the week of January 5th so it will be exciting for us to have Paul actually working.

Nursing School GRADUATION

2008-12-26T07:04:00.000-08:00

On December 17th, Paul graduated from Nursing School. We cannot believe that he is finished. He will take the State boards in January and then officially become an RN. We started this adventure 4.5 years ago by taking an english course at night while Paul worked during the day. It took 2 years to finish his pre-requisites before he could apply to school. There were 350 people who applied to attend school when Paul did, 90 were accepted and 27 actually graduated. It was extremely difficult and they don't give to many second chances. Thankfully, Paul did not need any second chances, he did so well in school but not without a price. We were away from each other quite a bit and it was very hard over the last 2 years. We decided when we started nursing school that we were going to do it and that we would either finish and be able to say, "we did it" or get to the end and say "we should have stuck with it". Now we can say happily "WE DID IT". I am so so so proud of Paul that I cannot find the right words to express how I feel. He is going to be the very best nurse ever. It is only the beginning and we have great things in store for the future but right now we are wallowing in our happiness that the first phase is finished. Honey, thank you for making this huge sacrifice over the last few years, Molly and I love you with all of our hearts.

We are Done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-12-03T18:16:00.001-08:00

Finally, Paul took his last nursing final yesterday and he was able to pull off an A in both classes this semester. I am so incredibly proud of him and words cannot express how much I love him and respect him for all of his hard work. He not only will be a nurse, his goal is to be one of the very best nurses he can be. He is so committed to the profession and helping people. The people that will have Paul as their nurse don't know it yet but they have won the lottery. At this point we know we can do anything we set our minds to so sky is the limit for Paul's career. Thank you honey for making such a huge sacrifice for us over the last 4.5 years. You are an inspiration to so many. Love you deeply.

So Thankful

2008-11-27T13:53:00.001-08:00

Today is Thanksgiving and it has been quite the relaxing day for Molly and I. In fact, Molly is napping right now and resting up for our evening at Utica Square. I really enjoyed going to Brunch today, it was great food, so easy and relaxing. Daddy is hanging up Christmas lights which is not very relaxing but exciting. We want the house to look really great when his mom arrives in about two weeks.

Today we are thankful for so many things but mostly we are thankful for our health and the happiness we feel each and every day. Additionally, we are so so so thankful that Paul has one more final and he will be done with nursing school. We are also thankful that he has accepted a job at St. John's hospital, starting 1/5/2008. We cannot believe that he is going to be done with nursing school. Although it has been such a tough 4.5 years, it is so worth it now.

Molly, I am so thankful to be your mommy and Paul, I am so thankful to be your wife. You two make my world a wonderful place. I love you so so so much.

Halloween

2008-11-04T18:41:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun this Halloween. We got dressed up and headed to Kestle's house for a halloween party and trick or treating. Molly and Kestle love each other and have so much fun together. After Kestle's house, we went to LeeAnn's and hung around and had lots of fun. Daddy was dressed as superman but unfortunately, we did not get any pics of daddy. Another holiday filled with lots of fun together.

The Cutest Cheerleaders in the World

2008-11-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

Molly is on the Miss Helen's Cheerleading squad and doing so so so well. She really enjoys it and knows all the right moves. We love watching her and attending the football games. Our favorite is "How Funky is your Chicken". We also participated in the Tulsa Run "Fun Run" last weekend. It was a 1.2 mile walk/run and we all wore our Miss Helen's tee shirts. We had such a great time. We love Miss Helen's so much and are so happy that Molly is going there and really enjoys school.

I LOST MY FIRST TOOTH

2008-10-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

WOW what an exciting night we had last night. Molly's front baby tooth has been getting looser and looser over the last few weeks. Well, thanks to Daddy who hit a bump driving home, Molly's tooth fell out. We were jumping up and down with so much excitement. The tooth fairy came for a visit last night and left a lovely note with $1.00 and her tooth back. I will never forget the excitement she had this morning reading the note from the tooth fairy, it was pure innocence and sweetness. She could not wait until she went to school to tell everyone and get her name on the board of kids who have lost a tooth. It looks like the tooth fairy will be making another visit here very soon because the other bottom tooth is very wobbly.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-19T17:40:00.001-07:00

Today, we made our annual trip to the Bixby Pumpkin Patch. Every year, we look so forward to this outing. Molly loves to ride the ponies and we love to take lots of pictures with all of the beautiful pumpkins. It was a beautiful October day and we so loved hanging out with Daddy which was a change for us due to all of his studying...

Phoenix, Friends, Pumpkins and our school Carnival

2008-10-19T06:49:00.000-07:00

We have been busy lately. A few weeks ago, Molly and I traveled to Phoenix to see our dear friends the Williams. We had a great time and miss them a lot. Thank goodness they are moving to Dallas so they will be closer to us and we hope to see them more in the future. Our sweet little Molly makes friends pretty easily but is also very particular about who she is friends with. She knows who she has a connection with and who she does not. At school, there are two kids that she talks about a lot, Kestle and Derek. Last weekend we went to the Bass Pro Shop where Kestle's daddy is the General Manager. Molly and Kestle played with the pumpkins and had a great time. Daddy carved a beautiful pumpkin and we had lots of fun with our new friends. This past Friday night, we attended the annual Miss Helen's Fall Carnival. We had a blast. Molly played lots of games and we won some silent auction items, etc. We are having so much fun attending all of the school events. It is my favorite time of year and we are living life to the fullest each day while we continue to count down the days until Daddy graduates... Come on 12/17....

Kindergarten

2008-09-14T19:05:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe it, Molly is officially in Kindergarten at Miss Helen's. She started on 9/2/08 and has not stopped talking about it since. She is absolutely loving every single day and already learning so much. She is on the cheerleading squad and they had their first performance on Friday night at Bingo night. She was lifted up by some bigger girls and was so adorable. Her little friend Kestle is precious and they love to be together. We are so thankful we found Miss Helen's and love everything about it. This week, Molly was chosen as the "Star of the Week". When you are "Star of the Week" at Miss Helen's you get to bring home "Busy the Bear" for the weekend. It was like they handed Molly a million dollars, she was so thrilled. We took pictures of Busy participating in our every day life this weekend and I put them in her scrapbook. She will get special prizes all week for being "Star of the Week". We are so proud of her and are so enjoying this first year of real school.

End of Summer

2008-08-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

Well the end of summer has officially arrived for the Gilmartins. Daddy's school started today and we have been spending lots of time trying to figure out the logistics of the fall semester. Thursday is Molly's last day of the summer program at Miss Helen's and will have a week off and start KINDERGARTEN on Tuesday, September 2nd. Yes, I said KINDERGARTEN. I cannot believe this day is almost here. I vividedly remember thinking soon after we arrived home from China that it would be a very long-time before Molly turned 5 and would be attending kindergarten and bam like a flash it is here. My precious little pumpkin is starting real school and before we know it, she will be getting her drivers license, going to the prom and looking at colleges. I wish I could capture every single second of her right now in a bottle, she is pure pure JOY. This last weekend we spent Saturday with our dear friends the Williams. Molly and Myka have a great connection as do Janine and I and I need to add how precious little Brynn is. The girls went to "My Little Dollhouse" and had an absolute blast. Well now we look forward to everything fall brings; football, crisp weather, fires in the fireplace, halloween and pumpkins, thanksgiving and of course our favorite holiday season, Christmas. Every month gets us closer to Maggie and we hope this time next year, we have her home.

"Mama Mia"

2008-08-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

Since Daddy has been in New York since Thursday, I was trying to find a move that Molly and I could go to. Although "Mama Mia" was rated PG, I talked to a friend who had seen it and said there was no bad language or nudity so I decided to take the plunge. Boy did I nail it on the head. My girl, loved it and was dancing and singing in her chair while munching on popcorn and candy - she had a blast. This movie was adorable, such an uplifting enjoyable flick that daddy would have also enjoyed. Molly was in heaven thinking about her wedding day and her mommy helping her get ready. She is such an old soul and really gets it and enjoys things that a normal 5 year old would never enjoy. She was holding my hand and putting it up to her face during the movie - such a sweet little babe... Anyway, we had a great time and may just have to buy the movie when it comes out in DVD. Good news, daddy comes home in about 2 hours and believe me, we are counting the minutes...

Happy 5.5 Birthday, Molly

2008-07-20T05:34:00.001-07:00

Today, Molly is 5.5 years old. I am making some WW friendly cupcakes and she wants to go to Outback for dinner (she almost said Flemings but she said she knew it was to expensive). How did this girl develop such expensive tastes?

Molly, you are such a delightful 5.5 year old. You amaze your Mommy and Daddy every day with your intelligence, sweetness, kindness, creativity, tenasity, endurance and beauty. The best day of our life was the day you entered it and we cannot imagine the path our lives would have taken without you - cannot even think about it. Thank you for being such a delightful child and for loving your Mom and Dad so much, we cannot get enough of you. Yesterday morning, you said "Mama, today I am a Mama's Girl" and last night you looked at me and said "Mama, is it ok if I am a Mama's and Daddy's girl today" and I said "of course". You are our girl every single second of every single day which makes our world a much better place. Love you deeply, Bo Bo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great Vacation

2008-06-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful vacation we had with all of the other families in our travel group, it far exceeded our expectations... It was so nice to sit around and chat with other moms who had experienced some of the same issues. Although, Paul had to work on a care plan the first few days, we still had a great time together.

The weather in Colorado was so great, no humidity and bright and sunny. We really enjoyed seeing CCAI's offices and going to the picnic. I don't think we would need to go to Colorado again but we want to definitely get together with the families again next year and hope we can.

Happy Father's Day to Daddy

2008-06-15T04:28:00.000-07:00

Today is such a wonderful day. As I grew up as a child and always longed for a wonderful father, I thought "I hope I marry a man that will be a wonderful father to our children". Well, did I hit the jackpot. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would marry such a wonderful man who is an incredibly devoted father. He is so loving, nurturing, protective, kind, smart, etc. I could go on and on and on. Molly is crazy in love with Paul and it is a wonderful fairy land for her to have such a big wonderful daddy to take care of her. Because of her father, she will grow up very secure and look for a mate that will match the wonderful qualities of her daddy. Watching them together is pure joy and makes my heart melt. What a wonderful day to celebrate a wonderful man who is overflowing with love for his little princess. Happy Daddy's Day, to the best Daddy in the whole wide world. I love you passionately.

Happy Birthday To Me!!!

2008-06-05T20:21:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful 45th birthday celebration we had. Even though Paul had to study all weekend, Molly and I had a great time shopping and I had a great time opening presents. Paulie and Molly got me some wonderful things including an Ipod Nano so I can listen to music when I am walking. We had a nice dinner at Los Cabos with Lauire and the Bayles. The only problem was I ate to much and had a bit of a food hangover on Sunday. I never thought I would be 45 years old but I have to say I have never felt better or been happier. Thanks to the loves of my life for making it so special.

Last Days & Sad Week

2008-05-25T05:21:00.000-07:00

This has been a very sad week. On Wednesday night, Steven Curtis Chapman's youngest daughter was killed. Her older brother ran over her in the driveway. This precious little girl just turned 5 years old and is from China. She was the youngest of their three daughters adopted from China and was so adorable. She reminded me so much of Molly. How does a family recover from such a tragedy. Not only is everyone in mourning from Maria passing away but the older brother who ran over her must be suffering so much. My heart breaks for this family and I don't even know them. I wish them the best and hope they are able to heal over time.

On another note, I have witnessed such love and admiration for Evelyn Abrams. She is in the final stages of her life and her family loves her so much. Eve, Holly, April and Dan are keeping vigil at her bedside and it is so touching. No one has left her bed in days and the commitment and love they have shown for her is inspiring and so touching. Evelyn, you will be missed by so many but the memories of your life and the people you have touched and love will go on forever.

"Big Day"

2008-05-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

Well the time has finally come and Molly is sleeping in her own bed. It started about two weeks ago when she wanted an over abundance of stuffed animals sleeping with her in the big bed. Mommy put her foot down and said "No, she could only have 3 buddies but if she wanted more, she could sleep in her bed and have all she wanted". She took the challenge and outside of just a few nights, she has been in her own bed.

Last weekend we bought every little girl's dream bed - a Cinderella carriage. It was delivered on Monday and is in the corner of our room. Paul was the normal dream daddy and hung up a princess veil above the bed so it flowed around each side of the bed. When Molly and I got home, she walked in and said "this is a dream come true". She absolutely loves her fairytale bed while Daddy and I are ever so longing for the few nights when she says "can I sleep in the big bed". Of course both of us say, sure!!!!!! We miss having her close to us and look over at her in the carriage bed and realize she is growing up - yugh!!!! The times are going to pass so quickly and just like Dr. B said, she would move out of the bed when she was ready. We are so proud of you BoBo.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!

2008-05-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today is Mother's Day and I am the luckiest mother in the world. Some days it is so hard to believe that I get to be the mother of this precious precious little girl. I feel so lucky to wake up every single day and be her mother. It is hard to believe that Molly would be so in love with her mommy today after all of the attachment issues we had the first few years. She has come full circle and is crazy about her mommy. The last few days, she has been so loving and sweet to me. In fact, she told her daddy that she liked me better today but on father's day she would like him better. We just smiled at each other and thought "boy we have come a long way since 2003". Molly is delightful and such a sweet girl.

What a wonderful day today to get to spend it with Molly and Paul the two loves of my life. You guys make me so happy.

LadyBug Siteing

2008-04-27T15:32:00.000-07:00

On Friday, April 25th I got into my car from a long hard day at work and what do my wondering eyes see - a beautiful ladybug on the inside of my passenger window. It stayed there walked around on the window the entire time while I drove to pick up Molly. When I opened the door, I tried to catch it but she got away.

Since we believe LadyBugs bring good luck and have significant meaning, I wanted to remember this date. Who knows maybe Maggie Moo was born on this day. We will find out sometime next year. I just wanted to write it down so we can remember it.

NASCAR

2008-04-07T18:55:00.000-07:00

Well, the Gilmartin family went on a very boyish adventure this weekend to Dallas so Daddy could go to a NASCAR race at Texas Motor Speedway. Needless to say, Molly and I won't be looking forward to another NASCAR adventure anytime soon.

Our seats were on the 3rd row from the track and I have never and I mean never heard something so loud in my entire life. Molly and I both had ear plugs and head phones and it was still bloody loud. The other problem with NASCAR is you cannot talk to the person or people you are with. You can not hear a damn thing so you sit in your seat while cars travel mindlessly at 180 miles per hour around the track. For the life of me, I do not see how anyone can get into this sport. What did make Molly and I happy was that Daddy enjoyed himself. Molly was such a trooper. She tried very hard not to complain but finally after 3 hours, she could not hold it in any longer. Therefore, we left about an hour before the race was over and drove back to Tulsa. We had a great time together as a family and spent some time with Toni and Philly and really enjoyed that evening as well.

Here's to another NASCAR race being very far in our future.

Proud Mama

2008-03-22T06:55:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday, Molly had a development test done at Miss Helen's called "The Geselle Test" and yesterday we met with Barbara (test giver) and Linda the Director of Miss Helen's to get the results. Well, to quote Barbara exactly she said Molly was very close to perfect. Her auditory and visual memory was outstanding. Her vocabulary was testing at age 7 and she was so able to articulate exactly what she can and cannot do. She is on target at a 5.5-6 year old in her ability to write letters, words, etc. When asked what her Daddy did, she said, "plays soccer" and then when Barbara asked her if he worked, she said "no, he goes to school", "he is going to be a nurse when he grows up". You could tell that Barbara thought she was an absolute doll and she told us we were so blessed. I was beaming and am still not off my high of being such a proud Mama to this incredibly wonderful little girl. We are so so so excited about her joining her new school, it just feels right. She is so ready to learn everything they are going to teach her and have lots of fun. We are hoping the transition will be easy but we are not sure. Ms. Linda seemed so caring and really wanted the very best for Molly - quite a difference then what we are used to at LakeHills. Anyway, it is finally confirmed. We always thought Molly was so so so bright and finally through official testing, SHE IS!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are so proud of you little sweet Molly.

I LOVE YOU MORE THAN???????????

2008-03-02T19:32:00.000-08:00

This weekend was all about "LOVE" for Molly. She wanted to make sure I knew how much she loved me. She told me she loved me more than America's Birthday, fireworks, ladybugs, rolie polies her birthday, butterflies, penguins, pandas, princesses, fish and eating. She said she loves me more than the world. She also said she loved my name and that it was so pretty. Molly is so expressive and articulate and knows exactly how to explain how she is feeling. She is also very conscious about not hurting my feelings and not saying she loves Daddy more than me. Finally, she said she loves me more than everything and loves me more than everything she loves a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Molly, unlike you I find it quite difficult to put into words how much I love you and every single thing about you. You are my precious baby................

What a Wonderful Life

2008-02-22T18:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a memorable day!!!!!!!!! It was my annual cancer check-up. I have been so stressed out over the last several weeks waiting for this day and the dreaded results of my cat scan. It started out last week when I had to get my cat scan and the nurses could not find a vein for my IV. They stuck me up and down my arms 13 times before they got a winner. Now I look like a drug addict because my arms are black and blue. Finally, we had success and the cat scan was accomplished and we were done that day.

Yesterday, Dr. Olsen decided "NO MORE CAT SCANS". He said the words "YOU ARE CURED". This was after I had told him that over the previous two weeks, I had been paralyzed with fear that the cancer would come back. He said it was very close to "0" chance the lymphoma would ever come back. He also said the possibility of other cancers was slim. I finally feel some peace about my long-term prognosis and feel such relief that I am CURED. Our life is so incredibly wonderful and I want to be around a very long time to take care of my children and love my husband. I want to live to be 100 years old and cherish every single second of every single day. Thank you, thank you, thank you for great health....

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.....

2008-02-16T13:27:00.000-08:00

Friday, 2/15/08 another memorable day filled with relief and thankfulness for another day.

Paul had a big pediatrics test and started the day out feeling unprepared for the test and therefore was very concerned about what type of grade he would get on the exam. I started the day out knowing that I would get the results of my annual cat scan taken on Wednesday and although I figured the chances were high, there would be no sign of lymphoma, you never know. In this particular situation it is very difficult for me to not think the worst and stop my mind from wondering "WHAT IF".

Finally it was 11:30am and I could not stand it anymore. I called Cancer Care and Tammy's interium replacement answered the phone. She looked to see if my report was back and sure enough it was. She preceded to read it over the phone while I was feeling like I was going to have a major panic attack. She said "Chest, no sign of Lymphoma", "Abdomen, no sign of Lymphoma, and "pelvis, no sign of Lymphoma" - you are all clear girl. I took a big deep breath and said thank you and hung up the phone. Do you think I was satisfied? Nooooooooooooo, I called Nadra and asked her to check the report just to make sure Sherry did not miss anything. Nadra read it and said it was ok, all clear. I felt like I was all dressed up for a party and had no party to go to. I wanted to grab my coat, run out of the office and go celebrate but did not have anyone to celebrate with. By this time it was around 11:30 and I knew Paul would have to be calling me very soon to let me know how he did on his exam. Sure enough about 5 minutes later, my cell phone rang. Paul tried to joke around by disquising his voice that he was sad so of course I said, "Oh No, you don't sound happy". Paul said, just kidding I got an 88 - I yelped and ran into the conference room to talk to him. I was so so so happy for him and proud because he had worked so hard over the last week trying to prepare. Also, it had been a really hard week on me because I was so stressed out due to my check up.

I then said well I have good news and told him about my results. I could tell he got a tear in his eye and was so so so happy to hear it.

Last night was really sweet. We both were so relaxed that Paul did so well on his exam and I was free and clear from cancer. Having gone through a serious illness, you realize how very sweet life is and how quickly it can be shaken up. We want to continue on this sweet crazy adventure of ours and to know we have many more days ahead of us is exhilerating and so incredibly wonderful. Here's to some breathing room for a while at least from the health front.

My Sweet Valentines..............

2008-02-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

Well, what a memorable Valentine's Day the Gilmartin family had this year. What started out as a joke will now most likely become a family tradition. Because Valentine's Day fell on a Thursday this year and that is two days before my WW weigh in and one day before Paul's pediatrics exam, we needed a quick and healthy plan. BAM............. A night in Paris at Chick Fil La, yes, I said Chick Fil La. We made reservations for table side service at 6:30pm. When we arrived, they took our photo, sat us at our reserved table and gave us cute little valentine menus. On our table were votive candles, chocolate kisses and a bag of chocolates for Molly.

Molly had chicken nuggets, Paul had a grilled chicken sandwich and I had chicken strips. We were serenaded by a string quartet and the servers were so sweet and helpful. We left Chick Fil la and went home to open our valentine cards and gifts. Molly loved her valentine cards the best. When she opened them, she looked at Paul and I and said "Thank you guys for my sweet cards". I thought, this child is such an old soul and so adorable. We spent the rest of the evening together just talking about how happy we are.

What a wonderful fun memory of Valentine's Day - sharing it with my two favorite valentines who fill me up with so much love.... Love you Daddy and Molly.

Questions, Questions & More Questions

2008-02-03T05:35:00.000-08:00

Well, it happened!!!!!!!!!!! Last night Molly wanted to discuss her first year of life so we did with a big knot in my throat. She proceeded to explain that she knew she was born out of another woman's tummy. She wanted to know if that woman breast fed her. We explained that we did not know. I told her that the woman who gave birth to her could not take care of her and was very poor. She was visibly upset by this and was thinking very hard about what to say. She wanted to know if they did not have enough food to take care of her, I explained that was correct and therefore they took her to the police station so they could make sure she was taken care of. At first, she was a little upset that she had to go to the police station and wanted to make sure they did not put her in jail. We all laughed and explained that babies do not go to jail, only people who have done bad things. She proceeded to tell the rest of the story that the police station took her to the orphanage and then she went to her foster family/foster mother. She needed understand what foster mother really mean't. She said "Mama, my foster mother is not my real mother, is she?". I said no, she had a very important job to take care of you until your real mommy and daddy came to get you and she did a very good job. She clearly understood that and said that Paul and I were her real mom and dad.

Molly is so incredibly smart for 5 years old. At times, she seems like she is a little old lady, the way she processes information in her mind. She did not seem bothered by any of this except when we talked about her foster mother being poor and she said she did not want to be poor, etc. This entire conversation although very important, was extremely emotional for me. I never want her to feel as though she was not wanted so we talked about how hard it would be to have to give a baby away. She said the woman who gave birth to her was probably very sad when she had to give her away. I explained that the woman who gave birth to her loved her a lot because she wanted the best for her - she understood and was happy to hear this information.

The conversation ended as quickly as it started and she was back to her smiling happy self and not to bothered by the whole thing. I have a feeling this will not be the first conversation we have like this and to be honest, it breaks my heart. I wish I had given birth to Molly and I wish I had breast fed her but that is not what happened. It is a good thing that she is completely enamoured with the idea that Paul and I are her real Mommy and Daddy and I think she knows and is content with the idea and feels extremely secure in knowing that we are here to stay.

An Amazing Gift

2008-01-27T06:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday in the mail, we received a priceless package. Many pictures of Molly's foster family by themself and with Molly. Many answers to questions we had about the first year of Molly's life and a letter for Molly from her foster mother (still to be translated).

About two weeks ago, I was contacted by a girl named Julie. She said she had information about He Mei Bo (Molly) and she wanted me to contact her privately. Of course, I contacted her very quickly and she informed me that Molly's foster family was inquiring about her. At first, I was not sure this was legit but as I investigated it in more detail, I felt like it was all above board. There is a man in Nanchang, China who knew Molly's foster mother and he contacted Julie and then she contacted me. This information is confidential so it had to be handled under the table because the orphanage does not want the foster family information shared with anyone. We cooresponded with Bruce and WaLa - our package arrived yesterday.

In the photos, you can tell Molly was really loved by her foster family. In several photos, she is smiling brightly and the family is smiling watching her and in one family photo, the father is holding Molly's hand. One of the questions I had for the foster mother was when did Molly go to her home and when did she leave. Evidently, Molly arrived to their home in late March and left in late November. Unfortunately, we were told that Molly went into foster care in May and left in October. I feel much better knowing she went to their home shortly after she was found on March 10th and shortly before our forever family day, 11/30/03. I am still a little confused as to why Molly had such attachment issues but it does not matter at this point because we believe Molly is completely healed from those issues.

My day yesterday was filled with mixed emotions. On one hand, I was thrilled to know that Molly had been so well taken care of and loved and to have this information was priceless. On the other hand, I was so sad that I missed out on those first precious 10 months of her life. When I looked at the photos of this mysterious family in China holding my baby and playing with her, I was so envious that they had this time with her and I was here in the U.S. dreaming of doing the same thing. At times yesterday I felt heartbroken and I guess before I saw these people, it was not as real so it was easy to push it out of my head. I know this will pass and I am so so grateful to have this information for Molly as she grows up and has questions about her first year of life. We might possibly visit them when we travel to pick up Molly but not sure if Molly will be old enough - we will have to discuss this in great detail and it may be logistically not possible. We do have their contact information so we can keep them updated with information on Molly in the future.

What an interesting day filled with so many different emotions.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET MOLLY!!!!

2008-01-19T08:24:00.000-08:00

Well tomorrow is our sweet Molly's 5th birthday. I cannot get my head around the fact that she will be 5 years old. I will probably be blogging 5 years from now and saying the exact same thing. Time flys when you are having fun!!!!

Molly at 5: So full of life, joyful, bright, funny, brilliant intellectually, social, energized, SECURE, great imagination, artistic - pure pure joy.

Yesterday, I went to Lake Hills (Molly's school) to celebrate her birthday at her school with her friends. For each year that Molly is, she circled the sun in a ceremony while Ms. Val read
what I had written about her, it was beautiful. She also shared photos of each year with her teachers & friends. Besides a few boys acting off and Ms. Val needing to be very stern, it went off without a hitch except when it was time for me to go. Molly as usual did not want me to leave and both of our hearts were breaking. I explained to Molly that it was very fun to celebrate these things but Mommy had to go back to work. Finally, Molly was brave enough to turn around and walk out on the playground. Her head was hanging low and she was starting to cry. Her friend Reese was standing next to her as was Ms. Val with her arm on Molly's shoulder. She was really upset and turned around and went to the door and watched me leave while she was crying and waving to me. As I got in my car, I was again heartbroken and was quickly trying to figure out how I could get out of work for the afternoon. I went to the office and said I needed to work out of my house the rest of the afternoon. I went back to LH's and Molly was so so so excited. She kept saying "thank you Mama". She said "I think I love you more than Daddy". We had a wonderful afternoon putting her party favors together and going for a walk - the afternoon was a treasure.

Today her party at Tulsa World of Gymnastics was so much fun. All morning, Molly kept saying how much longer until my party - she was so excited. In fact, I asked her if she was excited and she said "I am so excited, it is freakin me out". When she and I went to pick up her balloons, she was thrilled. When she saw the big bunch of balloons at the store, she was smiling and covering her mouth and said "thank you Mommy, thank you". She said as we got in the car, "I love you Mommy, I think I am the luckiest girl in the world". I said "I am the luckiest Mommy and we are the luckiest family". At her party, all of the kids loved running around and jumping on all of the equipment. Everyone genuinely seemed to be so happy to be at Molly's party. When she opened her gifts, there were so many thoughtful presents such as the yoga mat from Julian. It was a wonderful day in every single way.

Tomorrow, we will celebrate with my mom and sister. What a wonderful life we have and an incredible 5 years with Molly. We are savouring every single second of every day because we cannot get yesterday back and she is growing so fast before our eyes. Happy Birthday my sweet girl, Mommy loves you so deeply.

Saturday, January 5th, 2008

2008-01-05T06:53:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How exciting a brand new year. I love this time because it is filled with hope and anticipation of what the new year will bring. We are hoping this year will bring success for Paulie in finishing nursing school in December as stress free as possible. For myself, I want to continue my weight loss journey by staying on track with Weight Watchers and continuing to embrace the program and continue to see the pounds drop. Also, we hope we get to see our sweet Maggie's face by the end of the year. If we don't, we know it won't be much longer into 2009. Molly has been so patient and I hope for her, she gets to see her baby sister sooner rather than later. Most importantly, we so hope we all stay very healthy and feel great every day we wake up and thankful to be able to put two feet on the ground and live each day to the fullest.

Christmas Day 12/25/07

2007-12-25T05:56:00.000-08:00

It is Christmas morning and I am waiting for Daddy & Molly to wake up. What a wonderful year it has been for our family. Paul made it through his first year of nursing school. Wow how stressful that was but we did it together. We have 1.5 more weeks to go until Level 3 begins and then the countdown to summer. Molly will be 5 years old on 1/20/07 and we cannot believe it. The time has flown by and we are so incredibly proud of our little sweet baby girl. She is a delight and is so smart, funny, kind, feminine, you name it and we could go on and on. Also, we have our health and all feel great. We have so much to be thankful for this year and look forward to a new year 2008 that will be filled with lots of hard work, love, respect and admiration for each other. We so hope we will be able to see little Maggie's face by next Christmas but who knows. We patiently wait for her introduction and arrival. Thank you Paul and Molly for being my family. I am the luckiest mother and wife in the entire universe. The joy I feel every day in my life is enormous. I love you.......................... Mommy

Update on Maggie

2007-11-23T18:18:00.000-08:00

Well it has been 26 months since we started the paperwork for Maggie and we really do not know when we will get a referral. We are thinking about this time next year but it could slow down even more. At this point, we are really hoping that we get a referral in October or November of 2008 and get to travel in December or January when Paul is finished with school, otherwise, we are not sure how long Paul will be able to be in China and away from school. We re-applied for our I171 back in July because our was expiring and I just found out we will be going to be fingerprinted in December. I am really not in a rush to go to soon because I don't want it to expire again. We are enjoying every single second with Molly and trying not to think about it to much. We had a very nice Thanksgiving and are looking forward to Christmas & Molly's 5th birthday in January. Paul will start his 3rd semester of nursing school in January and that will keep us busy through the spring. As soon as I know more, I will post an update.