Some Easter Pics

We had a visit from Paul's good friend Richard last week. He now lives in Calgary but came over to see Paul and Maya while he was in town. He also took some great photos of Maya, and we'll try to post them soon.

The beautiful flowers are from Paul for our anniversary - is he a great guy or what ?

For The Love of Family

Paul and I were recently blessed by a visit from his sister Susan and her loving husband Donald. They live in Naples, Florida but they also have a beautiful home in Maine.
After a long nine hour drive from Maine, they arrived in Toronto and met Maya for the first time.
Those of you who know Susan, know that she is Maya's biggest fan. (Paul and I don't really count- we're her mommy and daddy - so we admit to being more than a little biased!) Susan wrote a lovely letter of reference for us, and was tremendously supportive throughout the adoption process. We think that after spending just a few short days with us that she has stocked-up on her Maya hugs and kisses until we see her again in June (for a very special 80th birthday - Paul's mom Genevieve!)
The top picture was taken last Christmas in Deep Creek, Md. Maya's uncles Glenn and Don, aunties Beth and Susan, Oma Genevieve, and cousins Robert, Genessa, Kendra, Jenael and Genny were all in attendance. Miss Maya was present also - in photographic form, and in our hearts.

True Friends

Lynn and Susan are my 'oldest' friends. Since they (read Susan!) never hesitate to remind me that I am older than they are, that would make me 'ancient'! We spent our teen-age years (close to thirty years ago! ) in Nova Scotia, and now we live in various parts of the country. A true friendship is not limited by time or geography. If we spoke to each other after several years absence, it would still feel like only yesterday - threads are never dropped from the fabric of a true friendship.

Paul and I are both blessed to have such friends in our lives. One of our fondest wishes is that our daughter Maya have dear friends such as these.

www.cbfoundation.com/HoangSonPham.html

When Paul and I created this blog in 2006, our sole intention was to chronicle our journey to China to meet our daughter Maya. It was to be our electronic tether to 'home' and it would allow our friends and family to accompany us on our journey. It was never our intention to commercialize this blog by allowing advertisements of any kind. We also tried not to intentionally tug at people's heartstrings. Today, I am going to make an exception to these efforts.

The Children's Bridge Foundation is a registered charity which provides care to children who remain in orphanages throughout Asia. They need help to assist a little boy named Hoang Son Pham. He lives in an orphanage in Vietnam and urgently needs surgery to remove a large vascular tumour on his face. He is in constant pain, the surgery must be done soon, and it cannot be done in Vietnam. Air Canada has agreed to fly Hoang Son Pham and a nanny to Canada for the surgery. There are doctors willing to perform the actual surgery once he arrives in Canada. What remains is the financial 'cost' of his operation and his post-operative care. While the surgery can be performed in Canada or the USA, our healthcare systems are unable to cover the costs of these procedures. It therefore has to come from private donations - or it does not come at all. Yes, there are alot of kids out there who need help. No, we can't help them all. But, if you can help this little boy, please do so, and please do so soon.


Thank-you,

Angela

www.cbfoundation.com/HoangSonPham.html

Our St. Paddy's Day Party

On Saturday, twelve families who traveled with us to China, came to our house for a one-month reunion/St. Patrick's Day Party. We had cold pizza, amazing desserts, not enough floor space, and a great time. We consider ourselves to be very fortunate to have met these people, and their new children. 'Family' is created by both genetics and by choice. Our chosen daughter Maya is now a card-carrying member of our 'family'. These twenty-four (and more) new friends are also beginning to feel like 'family' and for that, we are very grateful.

As for the sleep issue, we're both getting 1 - 2 hours of actual sleep each night. It won't last forever, but it's still rough. Maya is an amazing little girl who has a very sunny disposition, during the daylight hours. At night, we begin to see a less rosy side- we see a child who is still grieving- a child who knows that sleep is not a safe choice for her to make. Most infants are abandoned when they are asleep - when they wake up their lives have changed - forever. We were told to think of their experience as being similar to an 'alien abduction'. Perhaps the analogy is more accurate than we would like to believe. We're not certain that Maya remembers her experiences in China. She can recognize her own image in a picture, and she laughs when she sees her reflection in the mirror. We are certain that she would be able to recognize her foster mother, so we will not show her the photograph of Xu Xiang Feng for a long time.

I used to believe that infants were malleable, resiliant little beings. Feed them, love them, and all will be wonderful. To some degree, I was right, but I underestimated their ability to internalize their world and their experiences of it. Maya is only a year old, she cannot speak (at least not in a language which Paul and I would understand). I am however certain that she has a 'memory' of her experiences in China, although perhaps it could best be described as a visceral one.Perhaps that explains why she grieves, not cries, but grieves when her defenses are down. We're not alone in this experience. These other twelve families have had, or will have similar stories to tell. We know it won't last 'forever', but a few months, or a few years can feel like 'forever' for the families going through this process. Yet another reason why we will continue to 'reunite' with these new friends, these new family members, on a regular basis.

CNN's "Anderson Pooper" Reporting From Toronto

Some New Pics

OUR KIDS - Some Are Just Furrier Than Others !!

We learn new things about Maya every day:

Bananas, squash, egg, thumbs-up!... strained peas.. big thumbs-down !!!
Sam and Berkeley really like it when she throws food on the floor, over and over again !! "Keep those strained peas coming kid !!"
There's nothing like bed-time to bring out the big-time crankies !!!!!
Blowing raspberries is much more fun if you do it loudly !!!
She has cheeks like a squirrel when it comes to cheerios !!!
It's more fun - when you wear it on your head !!

It's Play-Time Boys and Girls !!!!

We've reached the conclusion that man's greatest invention is not the automobile, space travel or the personal computer -it's the Jumperoo !!!! God bless you Mr. Fisher-Price !!!!! This thing's great for bouncing the grumpies and crazies out of Miss Maya - I wonder if they make them in our sizes ??

2 A.M. - It Aint Pretty !!!

Maya, our adorable little girl, is still on 'China time'. While in China, she would usually have a nap in the afternoon, and then go to sleep between 9 and 11 p.m. We could count on her being asleep until 5 or 6 a.m. Ahhh... those were the 'good old days'. She has been awake each and every night at about 1:30, and has stayed awake until 4 or 5 a.m. She downs her formula and then insists on play-time with mom and dad. Yes, we've tried keeping her up during the day, exposure to lots of sunlight, stroller-time, and that old stand-by : gravol suppositories (I know, too much info!). We know it will take time to get her onto our schedule, but at 2 a.m., rational thought is a scarce commodity.
The only thing that helps us get through this time is knowing that most of our group is in the same sleep-deprived boat !!

Hoping for ZZZZZZZZ's,

Paul, Angela, Maya and Sam