A Day In The Life of a Thick Chick!

I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since I’ve written in my blog.  So much has changed since then.

I really wanted to write about what today means to me though. Today, June 2nd, is a very special day for me. I admit I’m probably a lot more sentimental than I need to be, but I can’t help it.  Today represents the day I became someone’s Mom. 

I’ll never forget as long as I live, I was sitting at my desk at work one year ago today, it was our social worker Christina calling to tell me that she’d locked a child’s profile for us from the Special Needs Waiting Children’s List.  It was a little boy who had just turned one on May 18th (even though his birthday was actually May 16th, she had it wrong) and he had a cleft lip and cleft palate. She was going to email me his details right then.  I remember sitting at my desk for what seemed like forever waiting for that email to come through. Then it did.

And my life changed in an instant.  I read through his info quickly, it mentioned how he liked ducks and cars and when he saw someone he knew he’d say “oh-oh”.  I kept scrolling waiting to get to his pictures.  When I realized I had gotten to his pictures, I slowed down, wanting to take in every little detail.  I remember seeing his dark, beautiful eyes and falling instantly in love.  Then scrolling down further, darling little button nose and then even in his first pictures, with the cleft in his lip still open. All I saw was this perfect, precious little boy who was about to become my son.  I knew just looking at him, he was mine.  I hurried up and called Cullen at work, he was just getting out of his car to go into his office. I remember saying, “Hi Daddy.”  We talked for a second and I told him to hurry up and get to his office and check his email and call me back.  We were both so excited.  We had to go through all the logistics of making it official. Writing our letter of petition to adopt him, having his records surveyed by a pediatrician.  We only had 48 hours to notify China that we were in fact intending to adopt him. 

We traveled the end of September of last year to adopt Roman Jackson.  We arrived in China on September 17th and were there until September 30th.  We first arrived in Beijing where we spent a day sightseeing. We arrived at around 4:30 pm on Friday Sept 18th. We were so tired, having been traveling for almost 24 hours at that point (we left St. Louis at 8am on the 17th then flew to Chicago, and from Chicago straight to Beijing).  We got to the hotel, and had intended to lay down for a nap and then were going to meet up with some friends we’d made for dinner.  We woke up at 11pm, still exhausted and fell back asleep. 

It was funny, the next morning we went down for breakfast before our day of sightseeing and we ran into the friends we were supposed to have had dinner with the night before. All of us apologizing at the same time for oversleeping and missing dinner. 

We went the day sightseeing with most of the other Children’s Hope families who had come to bring their babies home. We went to Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, then out to lunch, where I, the most conservative of eaters, (meaning I don’t usually like to try new things) tried Peking Duck for the first time.  Which I didn’t care for, too fatty tasting for my liking.

Then we headed on to the Great Wall of China. Which by far was my most favorite part of our sightseeing day.  Once we got to the wall, we noticed chains that were hanging from the walls and one of the other families explained to us that the tradition was called Locks of Love. People would put their initials on the locks, hang them and then throw away the key, to show that their love was eternal and locked forever.  Many adoptive families would put a lock on the wall with their childs name on it. We were no exception. We bought a lock there at the Wall, had them engrave Jackson’s name and the date on it and we hung it on the wall.  I remember where it is too, so if we ever get back there with Jackson, hopefully the lock will still be there and we can show it to him. 

So after a day of sightseeing we went back to the hotel and got ready for our day of travel on Sunday the 20th.  We were the only family heading to the Nei Mongul (New Mongolia) Province of China to a city named Hohhot.  We left early that day with our coordinator Jessi and headed to Hohhot. It was only about an hour flight. We arrived in Hohhot and our driver was waiting for us. We were so nervous. We had already been told that we were getting Jackson that day.  At 3:30 pm. to be exact.  We were nervous, scared and very excited.

We got to our hotel. It was a very surreal experience. There isn’t a lot of tourist activity in that area, so being the only “white skinned” people there, everyone was staring at us. It was really uncomfortable.  We were really happy to get to our hotel room.  We lounged around for a bit, got settled in, got some of Jackson’s toys and snacks and clothes out and situated for him.  Took showers and even managed a nap.  Then it was time to head downstairs.  We met Jessi downstairs in the hotel lobby. She told us to have a seat. She told us it was his foster mother and the ophanage director who would be bringing him to us. They were running late, and although it seemed like forever, it really wasn’t. Finally they came through the lobby doors and my heart stopped. There asleep in his foster mother’s arms, was my son.  They came over to us, and she immediately handed him to me.  He woke up during the transfer and I was terrified he was going to freak out, but he didn’t. Instead he grabbed onto my shoulder and pulled himself up a little more so he could see everything going on around him and just looked around. I held him and kissed him and hugged him for a minute and then let Daddy have a turn.  We exchanged a few questions through our coordinator, learned that his nickname was Kai-Kai. Gave a run down of his schedule and routines and that was that.  After that we took Jackson back to our room and I think Cullen and I were both still in shock that we were finally parents. I sat down in the desk chair and it swiveled, I started rocking a little bit holding Jackson in my arms, and he laid there awake and still for a few mins and then fell asleep.  I couldn’t believe, right there in my arms, slept my son.  It was the most amazing feeling ever.

That evening we had to go and have our first family picture taken (it was for our adoption decree) then after wards, we were free to head back to our room for the night.  We just hung out, played with Jackson, got to know him, had some dinner and went to bed. 

The next day we had to get up bright and early, our hotel had a gorgeous buffet restaurant and our breakfasts were bought for us each day, so we always ate a big hearty breakfast to tide us over for most of the day.  We got up, got Jackson dressed and headed down for breakfast before having to meet with the orphanage director and other officials in order to make the adoption official. 

We had been told that the Chinese bundle their babies up in layers of clothes.  Of course we had also been told that the weather in his province was going to be very cold, and it was on average around 65 degrees each day.  So it blew our minds that the Chinese considered this very cold.  However, we did our best to honor their customs and we bundled Jackson up. Except on the first day, apparently not enough.

We had our meeting with the orphanage director and other officials.  It took place in the lobby of the hotel.  It was chilly and the wind did sweep through there quite often with people going in and out. So the officials told me to go somewhere warmer with Jackson and that they would finish the paperwork with Cullen. (We had had Jackson dressed in a onesie, a long sleeve shirt, a pair of overall bibs, a jacket, hat, socks and shoes of course)  When the paperwork was done, we were informed by our coordinator that the orphanage director wanted to remind us that they dressed their babies very warmly over there and that we needed to put another pair of pants on him. Are you kidding me, he was already sweating?? But we apologized and said yes of course. So we went back upstairs and put another pair of pants on him.   (although whenever we were in the privacy of our hotel room, we always peeled at least one layer of clothes off) hehehehe.

We spent the rest of that day, filling out paperwork, going grocery shopping and relaxing and getting to know Jackson. Going to the grocery store was strange, again, everyone stared at us, but beyond that, when you first walked into the grocery store in Hohhot, you had to give your purse or bag to a security clerk, who then put your purse or bag into a burlap tote that zipped up and locked it.  This is done to prevent shoplifting.  Then when you’re done shopping and in the check out, the cashier unlocks the bag so you can get your money out.  There are a million clerks working in the store who just stand at at the end of aisles and watch everyone to be sure noone is taking anything.  I don’t think I had a cold beverage the entire time I was in China. Even their “soda coolers” are lukewarm. Which was ok with me, but really bothered Cullen who has to have everything ice cold.

I hate that I’ve never posted our China experience here on my blog and intend to continue doing so. However I’ve run out of time for today. So tomorrow… Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes part 2.

and I have SOOOOO many wonderful things to talk about. 

Cullen and I have had a fabulous summer. We’ve traveled quite a bit, spent a week in San Diego for Comic-Con and had a blast.  We shared a room this year with our friend Shawn and Laura and had a great time. The guys ventured out on their own and Laura and I had a lot of fun just hanging at the pool or sitting out on the patio at the restaurant in the hotel.  Discovered my love of Sangria on this trip too. 

Our trip started off on a great high, as we were in the cab heading to the hotel from the airport, my cell phone rang, I didn’t recognize the number so just hit silence and let the voicemail get it.  (We had the windows open enjoying that amazing San Diego weather, I wouldn’t have been able to hear them talking anyway).  They left a voicemail, so I decided to listen to it. 

It was Tina from Children’s Hope calling to let us know that we had received our Seeking Confirmation Letter from China and that she was going to overnight the paperwork to our hotel.  Thankfully I had thought ahead and given them all of our travel dates and information so we were all prepared. We just didn’t think it would happen while we were away, much less the first day. 

The next day I was a ball of nerves, all I wanted was to get my hands on that envelope, signed those documents and get them sent back to Children’s Hope. We got up the next morning, walked down to Seaport Village to kill some time, had a margarita at 10:45 am just to take the edge off. Then headed back to the hotel around noon.

We got back to our hotel room and the red message light on our phone was blinking, we knew our envelope had arrived. We hurried down to the 3rd floor to the UPS store to pick it up.

We stood at the counter, seemed like it took forever for them to get us our envelope.

As soon as we left the store, we found a bench, sat down and opened it up.

It’s official:

Just like that, we were officially Jackson’s parents. The trip to San Diego would have been amazing despite this wonderful news, but this absolutely made our trip perfect.   We were told to expect our travel approval from China in about a momth.

Fast forward to August 17th,  we received an email from Children’s Hope stating that our travel approvals were on the way and we should expect to travel around September 18th. Couldn’t believe it,  just a month away and I’d be traveling.   Only to be met with disappointment a week later when we received an email saying that travel approvals had arrived but the TA’s for waiting families had not been included. I was disappointed, but ok with it,  we have so much to do to get ready for Jackson I felt like a few more weeks would probably be ok.  Not to mention my Mom’s in the hospital so I haven’t had any extra time to work on anything for Jackson.  There had been a cut off date for travel dates. IF Travel approvals arrived BEFORE August 26th, then you traveled in Sept. If they arrived AFTER Aug 26th, then you travel in October.  When our TA’s weren’t included in the batch the week of the 21st, we thought for sure that meant we were traveling in August.

Only to be surprised on the 25th with an email from Children’s Hope, our TA’s had arrived.  We would be traveling in Sept.

I still can’t believe how quickly this has all happened for us.  I truly think I love Jackson a little more everyday. I’m very well aware that that feeling is NOT going to mutual,  not for a little while, but that’s ok.  He’s worth the wait.

So we are in fact traveling in September.  We leave on Sept 17th, arrive in Beijing on Sept 18th.  Do some sight seeing in Beijing on the 19th, then leave on the 20th to fly to Hohhot, which is where Jackson is,  then, finally, on the 21st, we meet Jackson.  I still can’t believe it, 3 weeks I will FINALLY be holding our son in my arms.  After all the waiting, all the tears and temper tantrums being frustrated with the wait,  we are almost at the end our waith.   After we spend a couple of days in Hohhot, we will be traveling to Guangzhou to finish our trip and get Jackson’s Visa to travel and on the 30th, we leave to come HOME.  I won’t lie, I’m terrified and excited.  The horror stories I’ve heard about how the babies cry the whole trip home.  How they sometimes want nothing to do with you for awhile. I worry about all of that. I’ve been telling myself, expect the worst and hope for the best.

Today is our first baby shower.  I am so excited. After all the years of attending other people’s baby shower, and even hosting baby showers. It’s finally our turn.  I just can’t believe it’s all really happening for us. 

I’m sure in the next few weeks I’ll have much more to babble about so I’m sure I’ll be posting more.

In the meantime…..It’s Jackson time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and this is probably the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. Crazy I know, but I truly feel like my life is actually starting to take some direction.

On the 4th I celebrated my 37th *GASP* birthday. I remember a time in my life where I could never imagine myself this old and here I am.  Strangely though, I don’t feel like the decrepit dinosaur of a person I always pictures someone this age being.

So many wonderful things going on in my life these days. My Mom has been in good health lately, hoping that continues. Cullen and I have our annual trip to San Diego coming up. We leave on the 21st and don’t return until the 28th, this will be the longest trip we’ve made to San Diego and I can’t wait. If we are ever financially able to move, that’s where I’ll go. I absolutely cannot get enough. This year we’re rooming with another couple that have come to be some of my most favorite people in the world, so I’m very excited about that too.

Things are progressing with the adoption.  We’re still waiting to get an update on Jackson and/or our Seeking Confirmation Letter from China.  I’m growing more and more anxious, I know my son’s sweet little face, now I want to know him. I’m hungry for any new info China would be gracious enough to share with us until we can finally hold our sweet baby boy in our arms.  I continue to pray that soon we’ll be surprised with an update or even better, our SCL.

I’m going through a phase in my life where I’m clearing out clutter.  Many of my friends have told me I’m “nesting”.  Which is kind of a cool feeling. I found myself over the weekend with this huge desire to clean clutter out of the house. We’re getting ready to have a garage sale. In the past I would have puttered around until it was just too late to get anything done.  This time, I just went to town, threw away things I knew we didn’t need or knew were junk, am giving away items I think someone else specificially could use and the rest is being sold. I can’t wait. 

I have decided as of today to rejoin Weight Watchers.  I had much success on the program last year.  Dropped 40 pounds and felt on top of the world, somewhere along the way, as with every weight loss attempt in my life, I lost my way. Gave up, started eating crap again.  Ended up putting almost half of what I lost back on.  So here I sit, still miserable, fat and disgusted with myself. I have to do better, not only for myself but for my husband and my son.  They  deserve that at the very least. So I am starting over.  I’m not going to look back and be angry at my mess ups, I’m not going to wallow in the shoulda, woulda, coulda’s. I’m looking forward.  It’s the only way to go.

So today Cullen and I are leaving to spend a week in the great state of North Carolina.  This trip means so much to me on so many levels. First we’ll be heading to Charlotte, NC to attend the comic book convention HeroesCon.  This will be our 3 year attending and although I’m not a big fan of the city of Charlotte, I do enjoy going to the convention. Cullen has some wonderful friends in the comic book industry and they’ve always made me feel just as welcome. (with the exception of one, but, we won’t go there.) I think my biggest complaint with Charlotte is the food available around the convention. We’ve had bad luck at different restaurants on both trips. I’m hoping the 3rd times a charm and we’ll have nothing but great service and great food this time. I’m really hoping Laura Samnee doesn’t order the bacon free grilled cheese sandwich again. Poor girl orderd one last year at a Shoneys we went too, they brought it out with bacon, she asked for a new sandwich, they brought her back the same sandwich with flecks of bacon still stuck in the cheese.  It seriously was the worst service I’ve ever recieved in my life.  But like I said this years going to be different, I have faith.

After the convention we’re headed to Broadway, NC to spend a few days with Cullen’s family. I have to say, I am so blessed, I have the best in laws in the world. I absolutely adore my Mother and Father in law. They’ve always made me feel right at home.  I’m most excited that when we get to Broadway, we’re going to surprise Cullen’s parents with the news and very first pictures of their new grandson.  We decided since we’re getting to his parents house on Father’s Day that we would frame pictures of Jackson and give them to his Dad for Father’s Day and surprise them both with the news. I can’t wait to share this with them. I know they’re going to be so excited. 

Once we get back from  NC I’ll share more info about Jackson here on my blog. I just didn’t want everyone else to know everything we know about Jackson until we had a chance to share all the news with all the grandparents.  I can’t wait to share it here. He has some of the cutest little characteristics.  We’re hoping for an update with new pictures sometime in the future. Hopefully the near future.

Until then, I think we have his pictures posted anywhere and everywhere we can.  We’re so proud.  He’s just perfect.

Well enough chattering, time to close this laptop up, pack it away and head to the east coast !!!!

Great news in the Bunn household today. We received an email from Tina with CHI and we received our Pre-Approval from China to adopt Jackson.  We knew this was going to happen, we knew it would happen within a couple of weeks. It only took a little over a week to get it.

This couldn’t have come on a better day. I was disappointed that our adoption agency laid off our social worker. We’d been working with Christina since we started our homestudy in 2006.  She’d been such a great source of support and knowledge for me. I was really sad to see her leaving.  Her last day was supposed to have been Friday, I was looking forward to a “formal” goodbye. Had been planning to send her flowers or something along those lines.  We recieved an email after close of business last night saying that it had been her last day of work. 

So this morning I was feeling better about it, but still kind of sad, only to receive the email from Tina.  They are working getting an update on Jackson for us, but said they cannot promise they will get one, and if get one they’ll email it to us.  I feel optimistic that we will get an update. I can’t wait to see new pictures of my little man. 

Until then, we wait and we get things ready for our little guy so that we’re ready when he gets there. We’re still hoping to travel in September or October to get him.  I could be wrong, it could be longer, then again, it could be sooner.

All I know is, we have our Pre-Approval from China.  Next we’ll be waiting for our Seeking Confirmation Letter.  No telling how long it will take to receive that, but I do know of other families who have gotten their SCL’s in a little over a month. So with our luck, we’ll get our SCL while we’re in San Diego on vacation or something. We’ll figure it out if that happens. Nothing is going to hold up this process!!

Well it’s official 2009 has begun. I honestly can’t remember the last time I was this excited to start a year. 

Cullen and I had a wonderful New Years Eve. We didn’t do much.  We both got off work early that day, went out to dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant, each had a monster margarita and a great meal. Went home, vegged out.  Rang in the new year with Dick Clark. 

Then Cullen put on his new Bob Marley cd, I’ve never really listened to Bob Marley. I’ve never disliked him he’s just never been a musician that peaked my interest. I realize I should be ashamed about that.

Cullen turned on a song called “Three Little Birds”. This wasn’t the first time I’ve heard this song, but it was the first time I listened to it.  Great song.  So as 2009 began, there stood Cullen, Chompers and me dancing around the living room to Bob Marley.  I have a feeling a new tradition was born that night. 

Yesterday was a great day, very relaxed. Unfortunately I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather.  Just achy and blah.   So I didn’t do a whole lot yesterday, however we did venture out for a little while to do some shopping.  We went to Borders and one of the first things I found while we were there was a baby book for adoption. I tell you how excited I was to find that. The bonus was that it was on sale, marked down from 16.95 to 5.99.  

Afterwards, we grabbed a couple of sandwiches from Subway and made our way home.  Laid around the rest of the evening. 

Today I’m back at work, but I think we must be the only people on the planet who are working today. It’s been so slow.

I’ve never been one to make resolutions at the New Year. Whether its a cop out for me or not, I always tell people, Noone ever keeps resolutions, so why set yourself up for failure right at the start of the year?

Truth be told, I do have many things I want to accomplish this year but I refuse to acknowledge them at NY resolutions. 

I want to learn to speak Chinese, I don’t expect to be able to speak it fluently, but I do want to learn even just a few key phrases and words. I’m looking into taking a class through the community college in the spring.

I want to continue on my weight loss journey, wherever it takes me. I’ve been contemplating having surgery to assist me with it, but we’ll see how that plays out.  I’m just tired of the struggle and apparently the fact that I’m killing myself just isn’t enough to keep me on the right path.   I’m trying, I really am, but sometimes I think surgery is the answer for me. 

I just know I want to be healthy and thinner by the time we goto China to get Katie.  I don’t want to be the fat Mom who’s winded just from walking 2 blocks or chasing Katie around the yard. 

I plan on spending much of 2009 getting ready for Katie to come home.  Decorating her room, buying her furniture.

2009 is going to be a wonderful year for Cullen and I. We may not get to bring Katie home in 2009, but we’ll be gearing up to bring her home early in 2010.

So here’s to the year of Katie Bunn !!! It’s all about her, and she’s not even here yet.

Today would have been my Dad’s birthday. He would have been 59 years old.  It just doesn’t seem possible that he’s been gone for 5 years already.  I could possibly still miss him this much after 5 years could I? Yes of course I can.

While I was growing up, I didn’t have a relationship with my Dad.  We fought 99% of the time and the other 1% I basically spent avoiding. My Dad was not an easy man to get along with, much less live with.  Growing up, I just thought he was a mean, control freak and thats why we butted heads so much. As an adult I see that we disagreed so often because we’re cut from the same cloth.  Way to many similarities to not clash.

I didn’t develop a relationship with my Dad until December of 2001.  Even though he had been diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy about 4 years prior to that.  I had still kept him at a distance.  It just felt easier to me.

My mother had a stroke in 2001 that left her paralyzed on her left side. On that very day, not knowing how things were going to go with my Mom, we were terrified we were losing our best friend.   Having moved back in with my parents after a failed relationship had ended, I had been living with my parents for a few months when my Mom had her stroke.  So when that happened, our house became a very quiet, very lonely place for me to be.

In the weeks and months ahead, my father and I began to talk more. I’d come in at the end of a day and he’d ask how my day was, something he’d never done before in my life, and so when he asked I sat down and told him.  We developed a relationship, something we hadn’t had in the previous 29 years of my life.  I remember for Valentines Day, I gave him a card, and I remember I wrote a note in it that said that while I hated the fact that Mom had had her stroke, if anything good could come from that situation that I was always going to be thankful that I finally felt like I knew my Dad. 

Our relationship was not without it’s ups and downs after that. We argued, sometimes he was right, sometimes I was right, but we always got through those rough times. 

In December of 2002, my father had a massive heart attack and needed a quadruple bypass.  He made it through the surgery but he just never recovered from there. He spent the next 11 months of his life at home, my Mom in a nursing home and me traveling almost daily from work to his house to my Mom’s house then home to Cullen.  I was exhausted and spent many nights feeling bitter and resentful that neither of them were healthy enough and that so much had been laid on my shoulders.

My father and I developed a really strong and close relationship though during the last 11 months of his life. When I would goto his house, we would sit and talk. I called him every single day to check in and see how he was doing, see if he needed anything.  Sometimes we’d be on the phone for an hour or more. 

When I lost my Dad, I lost a friend too. I didn’t see it at the time, but I did. 

I feel ripped off, I should have had more time to get to build on our relationship and enjoy and be thankful for him.

My Dad might have been a hard man, but he was a good man. He worked everyday of his life and always strived to make a better life for my Mom, my brother and me.  Until the day he died he was always someone I could count on in my life, even if he was mad at me, I always knew if I ever needed him, he would always be there.  He was my car mechanic, he was my fix it guy and he was my know it all. If I needed a question answered, he was the man.

I miss him so much. My heart is so heavy and aches so much. Every girl needs her Dad, I don’t care how old you are, you always want to be Daddy’s girl. I just wish I had realized that earlier in life so I could have had more years appreciating that.

I feel very good about the time I did have with my Dad.  At least the last couple of years with him. 

I don’t blame myself for the distance that was between us while I was growing up.  He was as much to blame as I was, so I don’t carry too much guilt.  I am so grateful that I did have the opportunity to get to know him.

I am always going to miss you Dad. Everytime my car makes a noise or my computer acts up, or I want to buy a car, I think of you. I still have days where I’m sitting at my desk and I’ll stop and think, I wish I could call you right now and hear your voice. 

I love you so much, and I miss you more than you can ever know. I hope I’ve made you proud and I hope you feel like I’ve done alright by Mom too.   There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t stop and think of you. 

Happy Birthday Dad.