Look out--it's toddler time!!!

Well, it has been a while since we've posted much of anything, so we thought we'd post some of Lindy's latest pictures and provide an update. I know she's growing and am sure her looks are changing, but since I am with her all day, I don't notice it as much as others probably do. One thing I know for sure is that we DEFINITELY have a toddler in the house.

Two weeks ago I noticed signs of toddlerhood fast approaching, and then last Monday it seemed like it hit all at once!!!

The first sign was concerning...EATING & DRINKING. Lindy, aka the human garbage disposal, started rejecting the baby food we previously couldn't feed to her fast enough. Apparently she prefers table food like pork tenderloin, feta cheese, and Greek olives over pureed peas and creamed spinach. Go figure??!!! So, now my challenge is to creatively present new HEALTHY foods to her and dice them up in small enough pieces for her to swallow, but big enough for her to pick up, because it seems like she wants to have more of a hand in the process. I am learning I am a bit of a control freak. I don't want to give her free reign of feeding herself because I can't stand the mess. It seems like there is going to need to be some compromise here. Concerning drinking, she can now drink from a sippy cup and she has started drinking milk instead of formula. I can't bear to give up the bottle yet in the morning or before bedtime because it is such a sweet time when she really still seems like a baby. I PROMISE I won't let it go forever.

Let's see another sign of toddlerhood...MOBILITY. Since we've been home, Lindy has demonstrated signs of frustration over lack of mobility. Yet, she didn't really seem interested in crawling. While I had seen Lindy successfully pull herself up on the couch a few weeks ago, she still seemed to struggle with it until about two weeks ago. All of a sudden it seemed like she could pull herself up with little to no effort almost everywhere. Then one day I walk in to get her from her nap to find her standing in her crib. WHAT??? Where's the baby who reaches up for me and smiles when I come in to get her??? Then the next day I went in to get her and she was sitting, which means she got herself into the sitting position. She also gave in to her stubborness and started crawling. I don't think walking will be far behind. Today when I put her down for a nap she wasn't too happy about it. I heard a thud and then a cry that sounded like a hurt cry. Then I heard some kicking, so I figured she probably had kicked kind of hard. I opened her door slightly but the cry had already stopped, so I didn't go in to look at her because I didn't want her to get mad. So, I closed the door. Then I heard some more kicking. I left to go to the grocery store and when I got home 45 minutes later, Don was making up her crib, which was now on the lowest rung. He, too, heard some kicking--AGAINST THE DOOR OF HER ROOM. I guess the thud must have been her flipping herself out of her crib. Do we have a future gymnast on our hands?

Lindy's keeping us on our toes and we are having lots of fun. She is exploring like crazy, curious about everything, and quite the social butterfly. She kisses, hugs and pats us on the back, says a few words, and makes funny faces. She is teaching us patience and that not everything will go as planned--and that's okay. Above all, she's teaching us more about love.

If you're still reading, thanks for indulging us! You've been a great audience. :o)

Until next time...

Love,
Don, Lisa, & Lindy

No SPURS No

Lindy here.

Sadly my cheer today is No SPURS No, instead of Go SPURS Go. Unfortunately, my favorite basketball team will not repeat as World Champions this year. I did my best to cheer them on, but since all the games were past my bedtime I don't think my day cheering helped much.

Thought I'd show off my new Spurs jersey, though. It's a hand-me-down from my friend, Jake Johnson. His Mommy decorated it with rhinestones just for me. How sparkly and special!!! It is Manu Ginobili's number. He's awesome, despite his mistakes down the stretch.

Mommy & Daddy couldn't get too good of a shot of me, but you get the idea. Daddy is not wearing the bow--I am (but not for long).

Love,
Lindy

Thoughts about my first Mother's Day

Hello,

Yesterday was a special day for me. It was a day I had looked forward to for years. It was my first Mother's Day. However, I have to admit I did experience the day with mixed emotions and bittersweetness.

For years Mother's Day has been a bittersweet day for me for many reasons. Each Mother's Day I celebrate being blessed with a kind and beautiful Mom who continues to love me with all my imperfections. She loves me unconditionally and understands me more than anyone on this earth. That's a lot to celebrate!!! So why if I have such a wonderful Mom is Mother's Day a challenge?

Of course there were the years of wanting to be a Mother but not knowing what God's plan for me was. So, now that's over. I have a beautiful daughter and rejoice over that. Why the mixed emotions, still???

I just can't go through Mother's Day without thinking of the pain of those who have lost their Mothers, those who want to be Mothers and are dealing with infertility, those who are orphans and don't know a Mother, and now I think about a special Mother who gave up her daughter (ironically born on Mother's Day 2005) so I could be a Mother.

Even though the Chinese probably don't celebrate Mother's Day like we do, I am sure not a day goes by that this special Mother doesn't think of the daughter she brought into this world. I don't know what her circumstances were, but I know as a result of her physical pains of labor and her emotional pain, I have been given a treasured gift. I pray that whatever pain she has experienced will subside and that she will feel at peace with her decision and somehow know the baby she gave birth to is loved more than she could ever imagine. I am eternally grateful to her and could not celebrate this special day without mentioning her.

It was a sweet day. Lindy and Don gave me a gold and silver locket so I can keep pictures of Lindy close to my heart. I am truly blessed! Thank you to everyone who sent me sweet cards and recognized me on this special day. Thank you to my mom for teaching me how to be a good Mom and for all the other special Moms I know who are encouraging me along this new journey of Motherhood.

Just thought I'd include some Mother and Daughter shots from the past month and a half.

That's all for now!

Love,
Lisa

Lindy's first birthday

Look at me, I'm one!!!









Monday, May 8th was Lindy's first birthday. Lindy and Mommy spent the day together playing and having fun. Mommy, aka Lindy's personal assistant, also answered several calls specifically for Lindy. Who knew a one year old could spend so much time on the phone? I am not sure how much business she took care of, but I am pretty sure she got serenaded several times.

Although several people asked if we were going to have a big birthday bash for Lindy, we opted to have a nice quiet evening with just the three of us--and that was just perfect!

Mommy made strawberry cupcakes with girly pink frosting for the occasion. Everyone wore goofy hats, even Hi the cat. Hi kept his hat on longer than Lindy.

Lindy got her first taste of sweets. I am not sure she liked the frosting so much, but she LOVED the cake part. She took it slow, but managed to eat most of the cupcake. She made a mess, but not too bad. We did catch her licking the plate (she must've learned that from Daddy), which proved she is not quite ready to use dinnerwear yet. She got lots of fun cards, and some special presents.

Although we were only together one month of her first year, it has been a wonderful month watching her flourish and grow. We can't lament the months and days we've missed, but look forward to the days, months, and years we have in the future.

Lots of love,
Don, Lisa, & Lindy


Lindy blowing out her candle and making a wish.















Having fun eating cake!





I'm a MESS!

















Opening presents. Yes, she loves the paper! She even tried to eat it.

A beautiful necklace to wear.


Mickey & Minnie Mouse

What I've been doing for three weeks

Hi everyone,

Lindy here. They say babies from Hunan are very clever. I'm bloggin'--how's that for clever?!


Today marks one month that I have been with my mommy and daddy and tomorrow marks three weeks that I've been home. Wow! I'm not sure if anyone's checking this blog anymore, but just in case, I thought I'd tell you what I've been doing.

Basically, I have had a very full social calendar. Of course you already know I met Grandma & Grandpa Caples. Grandma calls every so often to talk to me so I don't forget her. I miss them. :o(
I have also met so many new friends. I've been to both Mommy and Daddy's work, I've been to church, I've been walking at the mall with some of my new friends, and I've been to WalMart and the grocery store. I'm one busy girl!


I have also been eating like a queen. There have been all these nice people who have cooked yummy dinners for us, and lots of nice people who have invited us to dinner. I really don't turn down anything, and am glad to get away from all the congee I was eating in China. Of course, if I don't watch it, I'm going to be in a size 12 months before I know it.

Last Tuesday I went to the pediatrician. I had two shots. I wasn't thrilled about it, but the nurse put two sparkly bandaids on my thighs, so I survived. I'm not sure who cried more--me or Mommy. I was 18 pounds and Dr. Groos thought I looked really healthy.

I don't get to watch much TV. So far, only sports and news. I clap when Mommy says, "Go SPURS go!" I clap for Phil Mickelson when I am watching golf. I put both arms in the air when Mommy says, touchdown." I love to watch the weather--especially when there's a storm brewing; the colors are so pretty.

I like to read. I can say, "MaMa, DaDa, and Hi." I am also working on ball and baby. I can quack like a duck and bark like a dog. I also can sign "more" when I want some more food. Of course, I perform all my tricks at my discretion.

Daddy went back to work on Monday, so Mommy is flying solo. So far, she's doing okay. I keep her on her toes, though. Today, I pulled myself up from a sitting position on the floor to a standing position along the couch. I am not so interested in crawling, I think walking will be more fun.

Well, that's about all I have to report. It's been a full three weeks and a wonderful month. I don't think I've had my picture taken in the past couple of days, but here are some pictures of me with my new loved ones.



Love,
Lindy

Lindy's first Easter

To many, Easter signifies new beginnings and new life. This year, it was impossible not to think about new life as we held our precious daughter in our arms. Although we did not give her physical life, we pray because we have brought her into our family that she will know Christ and have the gift of eternal life.

Lindy went to church for the very first time and was a good girl. She did get a little bit chatty, so Daddy took her out so she would not disturb everyone. For years I have reassured friends that people are forgiving when they hear babies make noise and not to feel too self-conscious about it...Well, as soon as Lindy started making noise, I felt like she was probably the noisiest kid ever. Now I know why my friends have looked at me like I'm crazy when I say, "Don't worry about it."

She met many new friends and looks forward to getting to know them better in the future.

Lindy took a few moments out of her busy schedule on Easter to have some photos taken. The chair is a gift from Aunt Michelle & Uncle Pat and her cousins in Arizona. I think cousin Brooke helped pick it out, because it is pink and purple!

Enjoy!



















Love,

Don, Lisa, & Lindy

We're home!

After more hours of travel time than I can calculate, we landed safely in San Antonio on Thursday, April 13th before 11:00 pm--7.5 hours later than anticipated. Due to mechanical problems in Hong Kong, we were delayed by 2 hours and subsequently missed our connecting flight in San Francisco. The best they could do for us was get us home late in the evening. This was very disappointing news for all of us, because we were so ready to be home.

Despite our very late arrival, several special friends and Grandma & Grandpa Caples were at the airport to greet Lindy with a warm reception and lots of red, white, and blue for one of America's newest citizens. (She officially became a U.S. citizen when we landed in San Francisco.) She was a little apprehensive about all the attention at first, but did warm up some despite being so weary and sleep-deprived. She certainly was a trooper, considering April 13th was the longest day in history for her, as her day had begun at 5:00 am (China time).

When we got home, the patriotic fairies (G & G Caples) had decorated lots of balloons and welcome home banners throughout the house. What a special homecoming for all of us. Thank you so much for all of you who were at the airport to welcome us home. I know several people had wanted to be there but weren't able to because of the delays, but believe me--we felt your love and support, nontheless!

Although we had a wonderful trip to China and an experience of a lifetime, we are thrilled to be back home. Now our goal is to try to get Lindy into a normal routine and to catch up with family and friends. Oh, and maybe try to catch up on a little sleep, too...

Thank you for every prayer, encouraging word, and kind deed! We are truly blessed by all of you.






Love,
Don, Lisa, and Lindy

On our way home

We've made it to Hong Kong and we're on our way home. Wish us luck on the long flight.

Red Couch photos at the White Swan

One of the traditions of staying at the White Swan is for the children to be photographed on the red couches near the song birds in the golden bird cages. Often, the children are dressed in traditional Chinese clothing of some sort.

Below are some pictures of Lindy and the girls in our travel group, as well as some internet friends I have made. As you can imagine, it is pretty hard to get them all happy and looking at the camera at once.

Enjoy!

A day in Lindy's life

Hello everyone,

I didn't resize any pictures today for posting so I'll try to upload a couple of days worth tomorrow.

Some of you have asked what our typical day is like so here is a summary. Our days here in Guangzhou are a lot more relaxed than they were in Beijing or Changsha. Breakfast is included in each place and it's western style so we don't dare miss it. It's usually our biggest meal of the day. Lindy loves everything but we usually only give her eggs, white bread, bananas, watermelon, ham, and cheerios. I think the rule of thumb is to wait until after 1 year old to feed them eggs but she has been eating them for a while so we aren't sweating it. She doesn't care much for a bottle but we're making her drink Chinese formula mixed with Rice cereal. That's what she was on so we decided not to rock the boat. She has been drinking more of a bottle each day with meals. She loves watermelon but, like I mentioned earlier, I limit it so she doesn't pee all day. We've been adding in some prunes occasionally since she gets a little backed up every couple of days. It's probably all the rice she eats. In Beijing, all meals were included and planned out. In Changsha, there was one additional meal included with the group and a tour scheduled each day. Here in Guangzhou were doing a tour about every other day with most trips out for shopping. The tours kind of upset Lindy's schedule a little with naps but it is good to get out of the hotel room and do something each day. Lindy is extremely social so she loves going out in the Baby Bjorn - facing out of course so she can look at everyone and wave to them. She is such a hit with both the Chinese and the Americans. Here in Guangzhou things are very relaxed. In fact, we don't have to do anything on Tuesday other than shop and eat dinner on a river cruise on the Pearl River. It's the last night our group will be together so we're going to celebrate one last time. Most of the shopping here is about 50 feet from the hotel so it is very convenient.

Lindy was awesome today. She only cried a few times during the day and usually because she was getting bored or we weren't feeding her fast enough. She wakes up at about 7:30 or 8 and plays in her crib for 30 minutes. Then we get her out, eat a bottle of formula and rice cereal, and then get dressed. We head to breakfast at about 8:30. She seems to want a map by 10:30 but only sleeps for 30-45 minutes. She's eating table food for all meals. She seems to want another nap at about 2-3 but tours have been interrupting that one. If she weren't so nosy she would fall asleep in the Baby Bjorn but she usually stays awake to watch everything all afternoon. If we ride around in the bus she will fall asleep for 15-20 minutes. We've been eating dinner at about 6pm and it usually lasts until 7:30. We take baths from 7:30 to 8 and then drink a bottle before bed. She usually goes to sleep by 8:30-8:45. The only hard part of the day is between bath and sleep. Today she finally went to sleep with no fuss. We then repeat each day.

She's really funny to watch and her personality is really coming out. Today, while Lisa was in the store, Lindy was in the Bjorn yelling at everyone. (She's going to interrupt church with that voice.) She loves birds, lights, elevator buttons, mirrors, and babies. She loves to look at herself in the mirror and waves to me when she sees me in the mirror. When I pull out my wallet to purchase things she want to look at my drivers license. I show it to her, she points to my picture, looks up at me, and then kisses my pictures. She's definitely a daddy's girl and I'm not doing anything to stop that!! Mommy will get her turn when I go back to work.

Well that's about all for now. We'll try to post 1 or 2 more times before we head home. Thanks again for all your prayers, emails, and comments (which I still can't read.) We'll enjoy them when we get home.



Love,
Don, Lisa, and Lindy

Killing time

We've completed one day at the White Swan. There were a lot of babies at the hotel in Changsha but this is unbelievable. There are babies everywhere. Lindy loves the breakfast buffet which features Western-style food. We're trying to get in fruits for breakfast since the other meals are usually light on fruits and veggies. She loves watermelon but Dad has to limit the intake unless he wants to change diapers all day.

Today we completed all the paperwork we need for tomorrow's medical exam, Tuesday's consulate appointment, and Wednesday's Oath ceremony. Lindy was happy all day - until the end of bath time. For some reason she just hates getting out of the bath, getting in her jammies, and getting ready for bed. She woke up playful and enjoyed playing with mommy all morning. In the afternoon we went to a local mall. It was six stories tall and seemed to have shop after shop. It was similar to putting a thousand Sam Moons into a mall. We topped off the evening with a Dim Sum dinner at Don's request.

Happy Birthday to my Dad.

Here are some pictures of Lindy today.

Love,

Don, Lisa, and Lindy