Journey To Kavanna

Happy Holidays!!

2009-12-15T16:45:00.000-08:00

I love my two beautiful girls!

Happy Hannukah!

Dinner with our friends Marty & Elisabeth and their new baby... This photo is deceptive because Ariel is on a lower level of the house... she's actually now taller than I am!!

Whether you celebrate Chanukah/Hannukah, Christmas or Kwanza, have a wonderful holiday!!

Delighted!

2009-11-03T15:21:00.000-08:00

Kavanna just LOVES to go on the swings at the park. We love her peals of delight!

Happy Birthday, Kavanna!!

2009-10-28T12:26:00.000-07:00

Kavanna flashing our friend Di (Sophie's mom!!)

Kavanna is perpetually in motion!

Except for when I can scoop her up into my arms :)

Elmo is big at our house.

A megaphone also works as a hat!

Wheeeeeee, Kavanna loves the trampoline!

Congratulations, Di & Dave!

2009-10-21T21:12:00.000-07:00

My dear friends Di & Dave finally got their referral for their beautiful daughter Sophie! She is sooooooooo cute!! If the link doesn't work, check her out at www.sophieonmymind.blogspot.com. I'm so thrilled for Di and Dave, and for Sophie, who is lucky enough to go to such amazing, loving and wonderful parents.

A trip to the zoo

2009-10-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

Our first trip to the zoo together... The Guangzhou Zoo, about a year ago.

Our second trip to the zoo... This was Kavanna's favorite part - the train ride around the zoo!

Ariel got to feed a giraffe. Giraffes have black tongues and are skittish. And they love snacks!

A fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon...

Kavanna is 23 months today!

2009-09-29T08:49:00.001-07:00

Ariel at her regular Friday night gig, playing acoustic guitar and singing her original music. We're so proud of her!

Kavanna at a Pinkalicious party... check out the pink hair (unlike her sister's red hair, the pink washes out!)

Very focused on drawing with that pink crayon...

Look at this mature expression... our wise toddler-ette!

I blinked and the month passed. Ariel is doing well in school and her songwriting is really evolving. She was asked to write a song as part of an ad campaign proposal and she just shot her first music video. We're so proud of her! She's also studying to take her drivers permit test... yikes. I'm anxious just thinking about it. My baby, driving? Whaaaat?????

Kavanna is talking like crazy and delighting us with her funny, smart personality. Last night Ariel said, "I love you, Kavanna" and Kavanna said, "I love you, too." I just want to kiss her cheeks and squeeze her chubby thighs all day long. She was chosen to be a model for a new line of baby shoes called Shupeas and did a commercial shoot a few weeks ago. She's also sleeping through the night in her own crib. I repeat, sleeping through the night in her crib.

It only took ten months before that momentous event took place. More on that later.

I'm hoping that my wonderful friends Di and Dave get their referral this week... today would be a good day! Their daughter Sophie has waited long enough for her parents... I can't wait to see them all united. My heart goes out to everyone waiting.... may you get good news soon!

Worth the wait

2009-09-02T09:59:00.001-07:00

One year ago today we saw Kavanna's face for the first time. She has brought so much love, laughter and joy into our already rich and fulfilling lives... she is a true blessing to our family and worth every minute of that horrendous wait.

Kavanna a couple of weeks ago

Kavanna's referral photo (she was six months old)

It's a girl thing!

2009-08-12T08:40:00.002-07:00

No shoe is safe in our house. Take off your shoes at your own risk... Miss Kavanna Lin will find them and wear them. And she walks in pumps with surprising ease.

She looks equally good in Ariel's jelly flats.

Or Ariel's old cowboy boots, bought in Dallas many, many years ago.

"These boots are made for walkin'......"

Shoes are the ultimate accessory.

Kavanna is talking!

2009-07-28T17:08:00.000-07:00

Kavanna is always in motion, even while wearing Mommy's flip flops!

So cute!
Kavanna has been talking for a while. Some of her words are absolutely correct and some of them are hilarious interpretations.

Her first word: Ariel (pronounced "Ay-el")

What she says perfectly: mommy, dada, more, no, hello, apple. And did I mention her favorite word, "no"?

Also:
A cow says "booooo" instead of "moo".
A cat says "now" instead of "meow"
Juice is "jew" (well, when she yells "Jew" in our house she's always right!)
A phone is a "hello"

A puppy is a "buppy"
When something falls, it's "uh-oh!"
A bottle is a "baba"
Her blanket is "nana"
Best of all, "I love you" is "Ah luh ooooo"

She has created her own sign language.:
An attempt to snap her fingers means, "put on some music"
Pointing to a couch or a chair means, "sit here, now"
Making a sign for milk, followed by touching her ear means she wants her formula, as opposed to milk. She came up with this at 12 months. She has a bottle at night which David would make and bring into the bedroom. I'd wait with her and put my hand to my ear, telling her, "Let's listen for Daddy".
One day she was signing for milk so I gave her some milk, which she rejected. She made the milk sign, followed by touching her ear, to let me know exactly which kind of milk she wanted. Brilliant!

See this happy face?

2009-07-17T15:22:00.000-07:00

Kavanna was not so happy last Sunday when we went to the Bastille Day Festival. Everyone parked at the stadium and big white vans took us to the festival. As soon as we got into the van Kavanna started to tremble and look frightened. We think that the day her foster mom took her to the orphanage, a white van drove her and the other babies from the orphanage to Nanning, where she was placed into our arms... We think she remembered the van and was afraid her life was about to change again. We just hugged her and told her we were all going to stay together. She clung to me in what can only be described as terror. Later, on the way back to the parking lot, she was much more relaxed.
She is a happy girl, very smart, very joyful, friendly and outgoing... but the past trauma is still there, and unpredictable things can trigger it.

Happy Bastille Day

2009-07-14T09:03:00.001-07:00

Ariel and Kavanna dancing in front of the crowd as Ariel's friend Ariana sings at the Bastille Day Festival over the weekend.

It's Africa hot but Kavanna still must bring "Nana" (her blanket) everywhere she goes.

She loves to wear shoes... other people's shoes, that is! The adorable tie-dyed outfit was originally Ariel's. I'm so glad I saved it!

These flipflops are almost as big as she is!

Got shoes... and she's on the go!

Great weekend!

2009-07-06T08:45:00.001-07:00

(this is a photo from April that I never posted but I love her pensive cutie-pie-ness)

These are just some photos from my phone... .more to come. We had a wonderful time with Di and Dave, and their friend Renee who was visiting from Philly (I say that as if I'm comfortable with the term "Philly", although to be honest I've never been to Philadelphia - Pittsburg is as close as I've gotten - and never had a cheese steak sandwich, either... so there you have it), and our friend Val, with her sister and kids.

Kavanna was not too sure about the fireworks :)

The dress is a gift from my parents, who just got back from a holiday in Malaysia.

Ariel spent the weekend at a friends beach house in Malibu. She's living the life!

Hope everyone had a great Fourth!

Trying to fill Ariel's shoes... literally

2009-06-22T08:40:00.001-07:00

Look, Ariel's shiny, pretty green patent leather shoes. I want to wear them! I want to be a big girl. I have my "purse" (a small shopping bag) and I just need some cool shoes. Then my look will be complete.

Ta da!!

And Happy Father's Day to all the daddies out there...!!

It's a good thing she's cute...

2009-06-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

...because she doesn't sleep and she occasionally poops in the bathtub (that's Kavanna I'm talking about)!! It occurred to me that seen through the lens of this blog, our lives seem effortlessly blissful. Truth is we do have our moments of bliss, but parenting a teenager and a toddler has its challenges as well as its rewards.

I don't have to be a political prisoner to know that sleep deprivation is torture. Tomorrow is the seven month anniversary of Family Day and we've slept through the night exactly.... once. That would be our first night with Kavanna when she actually slept through the night (probably from sheer emotional exhaustion). Currently she's teething in a bad way, four molars and four incisors and she wakes up every twenty minutes howling in pain. The rest of the time she's kicking me in the head. She starts off in her crib and ends up in our bed...

I am living on caffeine.

Ever notice how much the subject of poop gets discussed once you become a parent? What's that about? Kavanna now informs us when she needs her diaper changed by patting her tush and announcing, "Poop."

As for the bath incident... ah, there are no words. I just try to keep my sense of humor, and a bottle of 409 cleaner, close at hand.

Daddy & Kavanna get ready to take a walk. Nice shades, dude! Nice shades, dudette!

Kavanna loves her Daddy.

Kavanna loves Ariel but she gets squirmy when it's time to sit still for a photo. Kavanna doesn't like sitting still. Why sit when you can run and jump and whirl like a dervish?

Kavanna gets a big kiss from a very big and very sweet dog named Max.

Topanga Days

2009-05-25T08:54:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun Sunday... dim sum with our friends Di & Dave (who bought Kavanna a toy panda bear that she absolutely loves) and then we went to the Topanga Days Festival, which meant stepping back into time back to the 60s or 70s... Ariel took off her shoes, bought a pair of fairy wings, put a flower in her heair and we all danced to a Grateful Dead cover band. Kavanna pet a three month old pet piglet and had a grand time. Life is good!

From Oprah.com

2009-05-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

8 Things Never to Say to an Adopted Child

By Elizabeth Cuthrell

Most likely, no one who has approached my family and asked us personal questions has meant any harm, but they do assume that an adopted child's background is available for public discussion, and not subject to the same sensitivity or restraint due any child. My girls are not immune to the self-consciousness all children feel being scrutinized. The best expression of support for my family is to respect our differences by not calling attention to them. There are many adoption agencies and adoption Web sites with tons of information. Unless you are a friend or relative of an adoptive family, it's best to look there for answers.

Someday, I hope, we'll live in a world where racial or sexual or familial differences don't matter because we'll have achieved the understanding that one kind, or one way, is not necessarily better than another. As for now, I fear we routinely call unneeded attention to these differences. For example, why are Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise's kids described as their "adopted kids"? Why aren't they just identified as "their kids"? Or why did the press write that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were expecting their first child when they already have a son and a daughter? What's next? "Angelina and Brad's biologically born child joins their adopted son and adopted daughter." Or "So-and-so's donor-egg-born son joins their gestationally carried, IVF-born daughter." We don't refer to how biological children become a part of their families, so why do we point out adoption?

There are exceptions. A few weeks ago, Willa was a flower girl in my sister's wedding. At the beauty parlor where the bridal party was having their hair done, I introduced Willa to the hairdresser. She looked at my daughter and said, "Hey, Willa, are you adopted?"

Willa answered, "Yes, from China."

I touched Willa's shoulder protectively to remind her that, if needed, I was there to help navigate the encounter.

"So am I," beamed the hairdresser. "Isn't adoption the coolest?"

Willa looked at me and smiled. "Yep. It's totally cool."

Elizabeth Cuthrell is a screenwriter and producer living in New York City.

Bikini weather!!

2009-05-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

Always apply sunscreen before the pool!

And drink plenty of fluids if it's hot outside!

Ooooooh, the water feels fine!

Kavanna didn't want to get out!

More from Mother's Day

2009-05-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!!

2009-05-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

Nina and her girls!

David wearing Nina's glasses and doing his interpretation of The Thinker.

Nina, Kavanna and Ariel, doing her interpretation of the teenager from hell.

Ariel doing her interpretation of Munch's "The Scream" (it's what happens when you're fifteen years old and have a very active baby sister)

Kavanna (who is feeling just fine these days) already has a thing for jewelry

She is just sooooo cute!

Sisters at home.

To everyone who is waiting to become a mom for the first time, I hope your wait ends soon. To everyone who became a mom for the first time this year, congratulations on your first Mother's Day. And to all who added to their families this year, enjoy your many blessings. For me, every day feels like Mother's Day with my two beautiful and spunky girls.

2009-05-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

Kavanna is recovering from pneumonia (she'll be fine and has made an extraordinary recovery). She had a cold on Wednesday and was so backed up she literally had snot coming out of her eyes. There's no way to say that other than that. Truly gross. We went to the doctor fearing conjunctivitis but were assured that she was fine, just so congested that stuff was coming out of other orifices.

Friday she woke up from a nap with a fever that kept climbing despite tylenol. We ended up at pediatric urgent care. She has a fever of 105 and her oxygen was low. They did a chest x-ray and found pneumonia. It was a very scary few hours.

Thanks to the miracle of antibiotics she is on the mend and was 100 percent better by the next day. We just came back from the doctor, who said she's making a great recovery.

It's almost impossible to believe that it was just over six months ago that we became a forever family... she's such a joy in all our lives. Holding her while she was burning up with fever was one of the scariest moments in my life. I'm so grateful that she's going to be okay. Kids are so resilient!

2009-04-12T14:33:00.000-07:00

Kavanna had a lot of fun on her first Easter Egg Hunt today... What else does a nice little Chinese Jewish girl have to do on a beautiful Sunday morning during Passover?? The dress she's wearing was Ariel's. I saved it for fifteen years. I just KNEW I'd have another daughter!!

Kavanna and David checking out all the eggs she gathered.

David & Dave... quite a look, dontcha think?

Our friends Dave and Di who are waiting for Sophie. I can't wait for their referral!!

And here are some photos from the Seder we had at our house on Wednesday night. Kavanna's first Seder!!

Nina and her two daughters!! Ariel is now TALLER than I am (and I'm 5'7"). Yikes.

BFF Elisabeth with me and Kavanna... and yes, that is a fork Kavanna is holding in her grubby hand. Another yikes.

Kavanna in mid-whirl... she's in constant motion!

Gathering before the big dinner... my friend Andy (in orange) probably just made a joke, which is why Lisa is doubling over, hopefully in laughter and not pain.

Happy Holidays to all.

morning photo shoot

2009-04-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

"Again with the camera?? Mommy (or as Kavanna calls me, "Da Da"), enough!"

If someone asks Kavanna where Mommy is, she'll point to me or hug me, but she calls me "Da Da". I'm getting a complex :) She calls Ariel "Ay-El" and she calls David "Da Da". She also notifies us when she has a poopy diaper and barks when she sees a dog. She's a constant source of entertainment.

"You want me to smile? Is that it?"

"Okay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Update on Ariel: she has a giant boot cast thing on her leg and has to go to physical therapy for six weeks, but the silver lining is she doesn't have to go to P.E. so she's happy. The boot simply does not go with her outfits, and it's heavy to clunk around in, but she's got a good attitude about it.

Hectic few weeks

2009-04-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

"It's early. I'm tired. I'm teething. Why do you want to take my photo?"

"I'd really rather go back to sleep. Ahhhhh, this carseat is really comfy..."

"What, you're still there? Why must you torture me like this?"

"I'm hiding. Now you can't see me and I can't see your silly camera!"

"Okay, I'll favor you with one small hint of a smile...."

I've been MIA because we've been really busy.
Ariel fell (while walking - yes, walking) and tore a ligament in her ankle, so she's was lying on the couch all weekend and in a lot of pain. She has crutches and needs to be in a brace for a month. Then she got the stomach flu and has been nauseous and home from school for two days. It basically sucks to be her right now.

Kavanna has molars coming in and she's NOT happy about that. Otherwise she's doing great, starting to say a lot of words (okay, only we can understand that when she says, "I" and points to the fireplace she means "fire" and when she puts her hands up and says, "Ahhh" she means "hot" but she's talking, I say!!).

Sleep? Who needs.... yawn... sleep.... zzzzzzzzzzz

2009-03-23T22:03:00.000-07:00

David and Kavanna shop for groceries every Saturday morning. The other day she just zonked out and stayed asleep for about an hour. Now why can't she sleep that peacefully and soundly in her crib?

I mean it, I am so NOT a morning person!

2009-03-23T21:51:00.001-07:00

Oh wow, I really slept in! Nine o'clock in the morning? Seriously??

Ohmigosh, just how many milks did I drink last night? I can't remember? Is that a bad sign? Wait. A girl can't have enough milk. Milk does a body good!

You know, I'm feeling sleepy again... Mommy & Daddy are taking me on a walk right now. I think I'll go back to sleep so that I can stay up tonight and torture them. Yeah, that's my genius plan. I'm going to stay up until at least eleven o'clock tonight. Shhhhhh, not a word to them.

And, zzzzzzzzzz......