Hair!

It's quite a change from the girl we were handed that day in Nanning with the short wiry hair!  She's had a few little trims to shape it, but it's not really been cut.  A bit of clowning around left her hair fanned out on the carpet, and it was time to grab the camera.

Growing Up So Fast

We say it a lot, and I'm sure we will say it more in the future -- "She's growing up so fast!" 

Yesterday we learned that flu shots were available, including the H1N1 at the local family home care clinic.  As Kim could not get away from school, I took a long lunch hour to take her for the shots.  Kim was there when I picked her up at daycare, and it was all good and go!  The shots went very well, no tears at all, and Miaya didn't cry either!  We celebrated with some plain doughnuts on the way back, and she munched right through hers.  I was dreading the return to the daycare, but Miaya surprised me by marching right in the door and taking her coat off.  We proceeded on to the classroom and had a happy parting. 

Miaya surprises us a lot, from zipping her own coat to (sometimes) picking up her stuff with minimal prompting to - well - a lot of things.  Not quite 2 1/2, but we find ourselves in wonderment at the things she does and says.  New words appear almost daily, and they are getting clearer all the time.  She walks more now, it's not always a frantic dash everywhere she goes.  To think of the things she has learned and accomplished it just that 2 1/2 years, from zero to the self possessed little girl she is now. 

Sometimes We Need To Be Reminded

We see her everyday, and, we also see the pictures on the wall, and we remember.  But, sometimes we need a reminder on how far Miaya (and we as parents) have come in the months we have had her as our daughter.  The other evening we were looking at some of the raw video footage from China, and ran across a seven minute clip of Miaya with Kim shortly after we returned to the hotel on Gotcha Day.

We were still reeling from the experience, and the enormity of the situation was truly beginning to sink in.  Suddenly we were parents!  Everything Miaya did was cause for marveling and trying to assess her abilities and look for possible issues.  A few little smiles, some giggles at our antics, playing peekaboo, and showing off her skill at "The Dropping Game"! We were in new parent heaven and loving every minute of it.

She was so TINY! Well, in relation to the other girls in our group about the same, or maybe a little bigger.  We were suddenly very aware of the size of the girl we see every day,  and how far she has come in her growth and development.  Though she had only been our Miaya for a few short hours, she had already captured our hearts and she was the daughter we had so longed for.  She showed her playful side, and a lot of curiosity about her surroundings. That curiosity is still with her, "Mommy, Daddy what's that?" is heard dozens of times per day in our house.

We see the girl in the above picture everyday, but sometimes forget just how much she has changed in the past fifteen months.  Miaya has been our daughter for over half her life, and that is a long time to her.  Watching her grow and learn is a wonderful experience, one that we could not fully appreciate until we had lived it. 

The Orioles t-shirt she is wearing came in a gift swap we participated in during the seemingly endless wait.  Thanks again to the Waldo family for the shirt and other goodies.  They have also returned with their own daughter of China.

What's Outside Our Window

SNOW!!!!!!!!

It snowed nearly all morning, but was all gone by the time it quit snowing.

The flowers looked pretty sad but survived this time as the temperatures were mild enough.

Miaya in the snow.

She wanted to play for a while, but it wasn't that warm. 

A couple of pictures of the fog across the valley from our place.  It was pretty much staying in the river valley, and beginning to dissipate as these pictures were taken.

Special Ones

Miaya is very lucky to have so many special people in her life. She is greatly endowed with many who love her so much. I can't believe how many people have touched our lives through out the world.
Miaya is into the rhyming song time. She kind of gets that from me. Our morning routine going to work each day is to do the "Banana fanana, fo fanana" song. She loves to words that end in "A" like Miaya...Lyla...Becca...Ciara.... or Zia. Lyla in particular is one of her favorites, which is kind of ironic, because she doesn't get to see her "northern" cousins much. I can still remember watching my nieces when they were small and now to see them holding my daughter and soaking in each hug Miaya gives brings back sweet memories.
Lyla, my oldest niece, recently sent some pictures of Miaya from our parents 50th . She also included an update about her little one (kitty) Toby,too. Boy put Toby and Miaya together what fun would that be.

Friends!

Here is a picture of Miaya and Nike from back in July.  As she as gotten older and shrieks less when talking to him, they are becoming good friends.  Yesterday morning, she was sittng on the floor by the cat/baby gate and had her lift tab book opened and "reading" to him. 

Daddy's Little Helper

Miaya fastens one of the posts for our new deck railing.  Not bad for a 2 year old!

Please excuse the low quality video, a cell phone can only do so much!

Story Time

My parents celebrated their 50th recently (post to come). We were so lucky to be able to have almost everyone here to share in their celebration. My Aunt Vesta (avid "Finding Miaya" reader) came to see her newest grand-niece, little Miss Miaya. Aunt Vesta from Metaire, LA is a retired Children's Librarian and continues to tell stories all over New Orleans. Miaya was primed and ready from a good story from Aunt Vesta. Hopefully, next year she will have a better attention span. Take a look!

Moving again?

No we aren't moving....I think I'd have a major breakdown if we had to do it again! Michael was taking trash down our huge hill with a handtruck dolly and Miaya decided to tag a long. Miaya wanted a ride back up the hill!

Fashionista!

Just had to share Miaya's fashion sense. I recently had been to Des Moines and checked out my favorite spot to look for Miaya's clothes called "Once Upon a Child". It is a place for gently used nice clothes. I asked if she wanted to try it on and she agreed grudgingly. She decided she needed to spruce up her outfit with the boots from the Catt cousins, hat from one of her outfits that she wore when she first came to the US, and a smile of complete accomplishment!

Fun at the Fair

Michael, Miaya and I attended the Iowa State Fair recently. It was so strange remembering Miaya's first fair last year. She was so young...I had to find someplace to warm up her lunch and make her bottle. Now it's .....give me anything on a stick! Her favorite is the old standard hot dog. She loved the ducks! There is a man that has ducks that follow him everywhere...I guess it doesn't sound that strange, but it is so hilarious to see them follow him down the road.

Letting Go As Slowly As Possible

One of our blogger friends recently wrote about how we first bond with our children so we can learn to let them go. The incident that precipitated the rumination was dropping his oldest daughter off at her first Girl Scout camp. In our own lives, we have already had to let go a little, the first time we took Miaya to daycare was certainly harder for us than her. We were still a new family, and though we knew the caregivers, it was still a bit disconcerting to leave our daughter, and walk away.

Recently I had to drop her at a different daycare as her normal one was closed for a few days, and she was not the happiest when I left. There is no way to describe the feeling when she comes running and shouting "Daddydaddydaddydaddy!!!!!" when I go to pick her up. The sheer joy on her face is beyond compare. And, the silly grin on mine is something I cannot nor would not want to control.

There is much truth to that observation, we do spend much of our parenting years learning to let go of our children. Fortunately we have only had to let go of Miaya a little bit, but I know that all too soon daddy's little girl will no longer be little and will be ready to chart her own course in life.

One Year Ago Today - Part Two

One year ago on July 10, 2008 we landed in Detroit, Michigan and our daughter touched American soil for the first time. A few hours later we landed in Champaign, Illinois where Michael's family met us, and we wound up on the ten o'clock news.

Three days later, we stepped off the California Zephyr, finally back in Iowa and home after the most exciting trip we will likely ever have. We learned many things on that trip, perhaps the most important that people are more alike than different.

From a people in a faraway land and drastically different culture, we were given a gift we can never adequately repay. We were entrusted to raise a daughter of China, along the way, we promised to raise her with knowledge of the heritage and culture she came from and to never "abandon, neglect, or abuse her".

In the past year, our lives have changed in many ways, some we never anticipated. But, we would never change it for the world.

Where We Were One Year Ago Today

June 25, 2008, 10:28 PM CST

On a Northwest Airlines 747 somewhere between Minneapolis and Tokyo!!!!!!

Yes, we left for China ONE YEAR AGO TODAY!!!!

On our fourth day in China, we held Miaya for the first time.

Wow, it's really been a year since our life changed forever, a year since our house became a real home. It was the greatest trip we have ever taken, and and we received the greatest gift possible - our beautiful daughter.


As you can tell by the fresh and excited look on our faces, this is actually on the flight from Des Moines to Minneapolis, not the weary and slightly desperate look we acquired at about two hours into the twelve hour Minneapolis to Tokyo leg of the trip.

Father's Day

Wow -- now the day really means something! I have a daughter! For so long, the desire for a child was there, but fate was not kind. Now we are approaching the one year mark of the day Miaya was placed in our arms, and some times it is hard to remember not having her.

I never thought I could be in total awe of a two year old, but she has reached that rapid development stage when new things are a daily occurrence. Her speech is gaining clarity and her vocabulary is expanding daily. Oh, the dreaded two's pop up as she tests her limits and our tolerance, but in general she is a pretty well behaved kid.

If we can't find our shoes, they are usually on the shelves behind the bedroom door - she has long since figured out that's where they are kept and puts them away, often without our knowledge. If only that neatness urge applied to her toys in the living room! She loves being helpful, and especially likes to help carry the groceries in from the car, of course, she get the bags with the boxes in them, not the cans or jars -- or the eggs!

It really is wonderful!

She's 2!

We had such a wonderful time celebrating our daughter's second birthday (oh my gosh I said DAUGHTER) We actually have a daughter....I get so tickled! Sorry for going off the tracks a bit. Miss Miaya had a wonderful time with all her guests. She had friends and families both to serenade her into her 2nd birthday. It makes me wonder about the little girls over there right now who turned two on the same day...no cake...no balloons...but especially no family. They say that the orphanages work hard to make sure the children have something... I just can't get a grip on the reality they call their life. But to understand I'm sure will take me a lifetime. Right now I have a 2 year old who loves where she is at and has so many people who love her.

Pretty in Pink

The peonies were beautiful this year. I can remember going with my Grandma McCarty to pick the peonies for Memorial Day. So they have special meaning to me. I also remember my father mowing ours off every year...which eventually caused their demise. He's a rose man not a peony man. Miss Miaya loved to pose for us today so we took a few snaps. Enjoy!

19 lbs. of Clothes

So tell me...what does 19 pounds of clothes from Georgia look like? If you look at the floor of Miaya's room you will be able to see it technicolor! Miaya wanted to try on some of the outfits, so we went for the layered look. She even added her own touch with the hat. This is one hat wearing girl! She always has to have a hat on when she leaves. We received the 17 lbs box of clothes from from Michael's cousin Kathy in Peach Tree City, Georgia last fall. Her two little girls, Joan and Cora had outgrown some of their clothes, so they shipped them off to cousin Miaya. We all appreciated the clothes, since I had no idea how fast these kids grow! I can put an outfit on her one week and try it on the next week and there is now way it fits her.
Miaya was "helping" me sort through the clothes. We put away all of the 18 month clothes as well as the winter long sleeves in hopes that some of the larger ones will fit her next fall. HA HA mama I'm going to outgrow them, too! I can remember when they came last fall and thinking to myself that it will take forever for her to fit into these clothes. Not so little Miss Miaya is now in 24 month and 2 T's! The way my back feels I know she is growing by the seconds! Anyway thanks so much Kathy for thinking of us...Miaya is loving her new wardrobe!

365 Days Ago

Well it has been 365 days since we first saw the picture that was our first step in finding our Miaya. We had a picture to start to fill in that missing part in our hearts. It was so strange seeing us on the video of the "phone call" talking to our representative from Great Wall China Adoption. Not strangely enough Great Wall China Adoption is now a subsidiary of Children of All Nations adoption agency. I think the long wait (ours was 3 years) for children of China made it difficult for people to stay with China. Then again China has been wanting to change their image in the adoption arena. They did not want to be known as the place where most adoptions occur. All I know is that the people there were very gracious and kind and we will be eternally grateful for the gift they have given us.

Lights Camera....Closed Road?

Well we are in the movies ... "The Crazies" (kind of ironic name...huh) is being filmed about 2 miles from our house! They have had hwy 34 closed for about a week off and on. The pictures are from wide angle lens as we can't get that close. They were filming an accident scene. I guess the "crazies" were chasing each other! The Crazies is a remake of a horror film that takes place in Kansas (guess Iowa was cheaper) where a virus or some kind of germ is released and everyone gets "crazy". They were filming mostly in Lenox, which is one of the schools I work at. They filmed at their baseball field and in the school. The school had to take off all of their billboards from the baseball field before they could film. They had three rooms in the school tied up for about two weeks...But in the long run, hopefully the school and communities made some money. They will also get to see themselves on the movie as alot of locals were extras on the movie. I just hope they reopen Hwy 34 soon or they may have another "Crazy" on their hands!

Where's the Meatball!

I often remember the commercial where the mother uses a little "hamster" ball to allow her child to play with other children without getting messy. Well in this house...not so much. Spaghetti night is come down to a science....no clothes! Yes she is stripped down to her scivvies (spelling?) and allowed to chow down....because it is bath night tonight....Yes we do have a spaghetti ring around the tub but all is good! We just haven't figured out how we will ever be able to take her the Olive Gardens....I don't think clothing is optional! :)

Nine!

We just pased another landmark with Miaya, March 30 marked the ninth month since she was placed in our arms and we changed from a couple to a family. She has grown both in height and weight, mastered walking and running, and made our lives richer in so many ways. New words come almost daily, some clearer than others, but she is progressing well. She loves music, dances to the beat, and sings along in her own way.

The years we waited and hoped to be a family seemed to stretch forever, but the past nine months have more than made up for it. Coming home from work to see and hear that excited little face as I come through the door, and to see the smile on the face of the woman I love so much and the daughter we cherish is so much more than I had ever dreamed it would be.

At the daycare, they now have a baby of about 9 months or so, and Miaya has been great with him, taking his bottle to him, and sharing her toys. Her time at daycare has improved, as the group has been split up by age and she no longer has to deal with the older boys who tend to play a bit rough.

Finding Out

Do you remember what it was like when you found out that you were in love? Do you remember what it was like when you found out that you really think you could be a mother to this little one? Do you remember what it was like when you found out you have everything.
I do.

She's Ready To Travel

She's all saddled up and has her Ling-Ling The Panda backpack loaded.

When she got the backpack, it drooped down almost to her knees, and nearly toppled her over backwards.

Catching Up On Pictures

"Please - No Autographs"

This "Big Kid" cup is real tricky!

Pigtails or Handlebars -Y0u Decide

"Pony?"

YAHOOOOOOOO!

Let's go for a walk!

Miaya passes out fortune cookies for Chinese New Year at school

She really was!!

It wasn't something we were looking for, it was just there in a three pack of bibs. Yeah, I know, it's hard waiting for any baby, I am sure those nine months seem to crawl by at times. But, the message carries a special poignancy for us. Not only three years from the time we decided to go for adoption, but a couple years of high tech treatments, and more years before that trying and hoping the "old fashioned" way.

Yes, Miaya was definitely worth the wait!

Miaya's Fashion Statement

It was a shirt when she was laid down for her nap, but a skirt when we went to get her up! Perhaps it's just a LITTLE too big!!

What's Outside Our Window

Yup, more snow, we got about 4-5 inches in about 6 hours today, with the bulk of it coming in about 2 hours of very heavy snowfall. The 50 and 60 degree temps last week had melted all but the most hidden patches of the white stuff, but now we have more.

What's Outside Our Other Window

Petie The Wonder Dog!

Look Ma -- No Hands!!

What's Outside Our Window

Well, this was the scene for while today until Michael tired out! We have been sideswiped by several snowstorms that made the ground white here, while causing blizzard conditions farther north in Iowa. The forecast calls for warmer weather for the next week or so. A welcome change from the subzero temperatures we had last week.

Recent Pictures

Miaya and Daddy went out to play since it was such a nice day. Miaya loves riding the sled, but Daddy tires out too soon. She was ready to go inside though this time.

You know what they say about kids liking the box better!
Miaya seems to think this box from our recent trip to the warehouse club makes a fine chair.

Miaya meets Mickey the Bear!
One of Michael's first gifts to Kim, Mickey has been hibernating in the cedar chest for a few years.

Miaya's Christmas Pictures

Welcome to Miaya's Diner

Mommy and Miaya share a new book.

Is this Santa's helper?

Come on Daddy, help me get it open!

McCarty Cousins at Christmas

All the McCarty Cousins with Grandpa and Grandma

Christmas at Kim's family, Ryan, the oldest, is holding Miaya, the youngest. Over 20 years difference in age for the cousins.

What's outside our window now.....

As you can see, we had a late December thaw. Most all of the snow is gone, but we still have several nasty sheets of ice on our lane. Our lane is somewhat steep, and about 500 feet long, so it requires a bit of caution.

Happy New Year

We had fun New Years Eve at a birthday/New Years bash for one of Kim's coworkers. Well, we left well before the new year came around, but we still had a lot of fun. Miaya really enjoyed herself with all the space to run around on the dance floor. She was one tired kid when we left about 9:30. She was pointing at her bed before we even got her pajamas on! Miaya wore one of the new outfits that Sophie picked up for us her trip to China. Thanks again Sophie, Gary and Zia!

The "tiara" was a challenge a few times when it would slip down over her eyes, but Miaya would always stop in her tracks and patiently wait for someone to help her. (Houston, we have a problem!) We finally used her barrette to secure it in place, and things were good afer that.

Miaya's Christmas Portrait

After shooting 40 - 50 pictures of Miaya in front of the tree trying to get her to hold still, Michael set her on her pedal tractor, and she posed so nice and sweet. This girl sure likes her tractor!

What's outside our window right now

Three to four inches of snow on Tuesday, and a small ice storm last night gave us this winter wonderland

Finding Miaya Video

This is the video Kimberly created to be shown at Miaya's dedication.

Five Months

November 30 marked five months since a quiet, reserved, and exhausted little girl was placed in our arms. We got a few giggles and laughs that first day, and more were soon to follow. She went to sleep easily, and slept through the night. We were constantly in awe of the wonderful child we had been given.

A few minutes ago, I was watching her sleep, she is recovering from a cold and we check on her often. Every day we marvel at the new things she learns, and the problems she solves on her own. I dislike using the word miracle, but my feelings at the moment make that term most appropriate. I still remember "Hell Week", that first week after returning to Iowa was certainly that. All three of us were jet lagged, our systems were off by 13 hours, and for a 14 month old the transition was especially tough. But, we survived, and learned that parenting is a learning experience with no right or wrong answers, just what works or not. The years we waited and hoped and prayed have been realized in that sleeping child who depends on us for everything. I thought I knew what it would be like, having a child to raise - but I really had no clue. The sheer simple joy when she greets me when I come home from work, the smile that makes the world go away for a while, how wonderful it is!

She has blossomed and now at eighteen months is walking with ease, learning new words, and wanting to be independent. This little girl has touched so many lives in a few short months, most of our community was aware of our pending adoption, and has welcomed Miaya warmly.

We may have found Miaya at last, but the adventure continues!