The Talbert Five

Six years ago....Forever Family Day Lucy 9/19/04

2010-09-18T18:28:00.001-04:00

You've come a long way baby.....

Harry at 18 months.....

2010-08-04T13:37:00.002-04:00

Harry had his 18 month well check this morning. Poor little guy!! He just knows when he is in for shots and it wasn't pretty. But, he's happy now and all is forgotten.

I was asked:
1) Does he speak 10-12 words? Robert & I wrote down the words he says a few days back and stopped at 50!! We believe it's closer to 75 words.
2) Does he link any words together? Yes!!
3) Is he running? OM!!! He's been doing this for months. His favorite game is chase Penny!
4) Can he stack 4 blocks? I've never actually seen him stack blocks, but he does other toys. It's more fun to knock them down though....
I wasn't asked if he could jump.... yes! Or if he recognizes and says his letters.... yes!! Thank you Starfall.com

Current stats:
weight: 31.8 pounds (this is about the same as his last appointment)
height: 33.5 inches (1.5 inches growth this summer!)
head: BIG!!!!

Daddy turns 40!!!!

2010-07-18T18:25:00.002-04:00

It started out as an normal but busy day here at the Talbert household.... I ran to the party store for balloons, then to the rental place to pick up the bounce house and my last stop was Target to pick up the goodies for the party.

Shortly after getting the bounce house up, the kids & Robert decided to give it a test drive. I went inside to finish up and couple of things when Lucy came in and said, "Daddy needs you NOW!!" Thinking something had happened with either Penny or Harry I asked, "what happened?" Lucy replied, "Daddy broke something in his leg....." Needless to say, I hurried on down to see what had happened.

Robert said while bouncing with Harry in his arms, he landed odd and heard something go "Pop!" I had him put his shoes back on quickly, give him some Advil and an ice bag. He spent the rest of the day (and his party) with his ankle propped up on the couch. Severe sprain.....

.....Penny ended up bouncing out of the bounce house the next day! Harry had an excellent time in it - he bounces several times before falling!!

Practice for spaghetti eating contest....

2010-07-08T18:16:00.004-04:00

Look out Clinton.... The Talbert kids are ready!!!!
(Little Italy Festival/Labor Day Weekend)

Happy July 4th!!!!

2010-07-03T20:35:00.002-04:00

Once again our neighborhood had a 4th of July parade around the "big circle" for the kids. I think this year's weather is the best it's been. The kids and parents enjoy each others company making us realize we should really try to do neighborhood things more often!!!!

Fun at the ZOO!!!!!

2010-06-30T14:42:00.001-04:00

More Fun at the Zoo! Harry & the goats.....

2010-06-30T14:39:00.001-04:00

More fun at the Zoo! Butterflies....

2010-06-30T14:36:00.002-04:00

Around the neighborhood

2010-06-28T19:18:00.002-04:00

Holiday World 2010

2010-06-25T19:56:00.002-04:00

Wow... what a good time we had visiting Holiday World this week! The weather was great and the crowd not too bad. I wasn't able to take as many photos as I would have liked - a lot of our time was spent in Splashing Safari and I didn't get the camera out as it's hard to take photos and be in the water chasing kids at the same time! Next year will be better with Harry a bit more stable on his feet. He has NO fear of the water and jumped in several times going under. Not a cough or sputter was heard. Lucy has become quite the dare devil riding a small roller coaster and the "spider". She also enjoyed bumper cars and several rides with Penny.

It's been awhile....

2010-06-20T22:10:00.005-04:00

What can I say? We've been busy and our camera died. But, with new camera in hand here are some photos from the past few weeks (we were able to save the card from our previous camera).

Pool time in the backyard....

Penny (photo by Lucy)

Lucy's photo from the back seat

Harry's black eye

Lucy at her Math Event this past April

....We're off to Holiday World later this week. More photos to come!!!

Anyone need a puppy??

2010-04-08T20:32:00.003-04:00

Our neighbors behind us have a litter of chocolate lab puppies! Boy, are they cute - but we aren't really a dog family. I'm so glad the kids will be able to play with the puppies over the next few weeks as I believe it will help the girls with their fear of dogs. Harry surprised me with being super gentle with the little guys!

Tubes, tubes, wonderful tubes!!

2010-04-06T12:49:00.002-04:00

Yes, on March 25th Harry went under the knife and received a set of tubes for his ears. Thank goodness! He once again developed an ear infection just two days before surgery and his ears were "yucky" according to his ENT. Though he is suffering with a cough currently, I am hopeful this is the end of antibiotics for now (though I will enjoy spending my $18 in CVS extra bucks earned from all the prescriptions we've filled this winter!!).

Family photos April 2010

2010-04-01T15:00:00.003-04:00

Family photos April 2010

2010-04-01T14:57:00.001-04:00

Teeth!!

2010-03-27T20:07:00.003-04:00

As you can see from the photo below, it's been an exciting week!! Lucy lost both of her "two front teeth." One came out Wednesday evening on our way home from gymnastics and the other came out during a field trip with her kindergarten class Thursday. The Tooth Fairy as been very busy!

Harry proves he can brush his teeth too!

Harry.... need I say more?

2010-03-11T20:42:00.002-05:00

I guess I'm glad it wasn't the washing machine!!

Harry Potter?? Must not be or he wouldn't have taken a header on the sidewalk coming out of Church Sunday!!

A few random photos....

2010-03-10T19:04:00.002-05:00

The photos include the girls celebrating Chinese New Year, Harry around the house, Lucy's third missing tooth and Penny's great sense of fashion.

Well Child Checks

2010-02-21T14:06:00.002-05:00

In the past few weeks, all three kids have been to the pediatrician for well child visits.....

Harrison was seen a couple weeks past his first birthday because of his on going ear infections. He's still a big boy! His weight was 26.9 pounds (90%), height 29.5 inches (50%) and his head at 19.5 inches is still off the charts. We will be seeing an ENT in the next couple of weeks to see if he needs tubes or not.

Lucy is in great health. She weighs as much as she is tall! 45 pounds (50%) and 45 inches (75%).

Penny is climbing up the growth chart.... 40.5 inches (50%) and 29.5 pounds (25%). I haven't found Lucy's stats at age 4, but I do believe that Penny is taller than Lucy was at the same age. Penny has been suffering with an ear infection too - lucky for us (?!?!) her tubes are still in place and working - that means her ear is draining. Yuck!

Harry's first birthday photos

2010-01-28T10:12:00.002-05:00

We went to a different studio this go around just to try it out. 171 photos were taken!! And, I have a disc with all of them included. I think we've found a new place to go...

Party pics!!!

2010-01-15T18:13:00.002-05:00

And then there was one....

2010-01-14T13:46:00.001-05:00

.....who tomorrow - January 15th - will turn 1!!!!!!
Happy Birthday Harrison!!!!!

Happy 6th Birthday Lucy!!!

2010-01-11T16:48:00.002-05:00

Continuing on with the week of Talbert kids' birthdays (Penny 1/9, Lucy 1/12 and Harry 1/15) - Happy Birthday Lucy!! It's hard to believe the little 8.5 month old placed into our arms & hearts over 5 years ago is becoming a beautiful young lady!!!

Happy 4th Birthday Penny!!

2010-01-08T19:16:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe the little 13 month old baby who weighed nearly 12 pounds is becoming a lovely young lady right before our eyes!!!! We love you Peanut Butter!!!

Christmas with Daddy's family, part 2

2010-01-02T19:57:00.001-05:00

Christmas with Daddy's family, part 1

2010-01-02T19:55:00.001-05:00

Christmas with Mama's family

2010-01-02T19:51:00.001-05:00

Christmas at home

2010-01-02T19:43:00.003-05:00

Perhaps Harry will be awake for Santa gifts next year!!!

Merry Christmas!!!!!

2009-12-05T16:12:00.002-05:00

Harry plays trucks

2009-11-22T19:54:00.002-05:00

Harry knows how to make truck noises when he plays with his toy trucks now. And how to wave bye-bye.

Harry 9 month stats......

2009-10-29T10:15:00.002-04:00

He weighs in at 21.9 pounds.... a lot lighter than I thought!!
He's about 28 inches long.....
And, his head is off the growth chart still!!! Let's hope those big brains do something great in the future!!!!!

AppleWorks 2009

2009-10-10T19:37:00.003-04:00

After coming home today, we headed out for apples and fun at a local orchard called "Appleworks". As you can see, it was a good time (though it's nearly 8:00pm and the girls are still suffering from being sugared up on apple dumplings).

Latest "Mickey & Me" photos...

2009-09-29T20:32:00.003-04:00

September 2009

April 2009

January 2009

Our Group's five year reunion...

2009-09-20T19:42:00.002-04:00

....we hosted several families yesterday on what was our five year anniversary of receiving Lucy into our arms. The families attending also adopted children at the same time and we traveled together (for the most part) as a group. Though all 42 families were unable to attend, we still enjoyed the day!!

2009-09-16T21:12:00.002-04:00

China posts #6

2009-09-16T21:12:00.001-04:00

I'm kicking myself because I trooped all the way over here from the
hotel to post some pictures and do some more shopping, only to find
that I left the USB cable back in the room. So for now I will just
post. We have some time this afternoon free, and Andy Crosby told me
about another place a block from here that has a faster internet
connection. So stay tuned. (I keep coming back here to Blenz because
it's a coffeehouse and the caffe lattes are pretty good.)

We took Lucy out for her first stroller ride last night! There is a
lovely riverside park area along the hotel, and we took our free
loaner stroller from Sherry's Place (those of you who've been here
know where this is probably) and went for a nice walk. Lucy loved
it. She was goggle-eyed at everything. She fussed a little at first
but realized that (a) it was someting that moves, which she likes
and (b) lets her take in more of the world around her, which she
also likes. We went to some stores and bought gifts for ourselves
and for family members. The locals love Lucy - all they can do is
talk about how pretty she is and how big her eyes are.

One of the things we've learned about here is how to communicate
with people without using a lot of English. The locals do speak a
little English because so many Americans and Europeans come here to
adopt. But for the most part there is very little overlap in
language. But somehow we get it done between pointing at things,
makign hand gestures, and using very simple language in our
sentences. Our group is joking (but how much of a joke?) about how
we're going to probably continue to talk like this once we are back
home. I know Cathy and I have already fallen into this because it's
how we talk when Lucy is asleep.

We're still a little concerned about Lucy's cold - it's not bad by
any means but it's persistent. In the last 12 hours she's started to
have stuff come out her nose, but in talking to some other parents
that's apparently good. We thought of taking her to the hotel clinic
but since we're coming how tomorrow (which is the day after tomorrow
for most of you reading this) we're thinking we can wait until our
pediatrician appointment on Tuesday.

We gave Lucy her first bath last night too. She liked it - she liked
to splash the water around and make a mess. Unfortunately she is
having a little bit of a skin rash this morning, which might be a
reaction to the soap we used. But it might also be reaction to the
heat, or something else. We're not panicking, even though we are
noticing every little thing that happens!

Unfortunately we put Lucy to bed too early last night - around 8 PM -
and she woke up at 3:00 AM in a playful mood. So we're a little
sleep deprived right now. (Hence my caffe latte.)

Today is a big day for everybody here. At some point this afternoon
we will walk a couple of blocks away to the US consulate and take an
oath that will seal the deal and make Lucy officially our daughter.
I sort of explained this in last night's post and what it means. One
thing I didn't mention is that after the oath, Lucy will officially
be named "Lucy" rather than Hai Yi. So there's no pressue with any
of this but it's kind of the culmination of the entire process that
has taken so long. All the paperwork, all the money, all the
waiting.... it caps off in this simple ceremony this afternoon.

It's a lovely day here in Guangzhou - the humidity has (thankfully)
been cut out of the air and it's only aout 85 degrees. ("only"?) I'm
checking my Franklin College email (finally - all 120-something
messages) and posting this, about to go hit some more of the stores
for shopping and then back to the hotel room by aroudn 11:30 or
12:00.

Congratulations to our friends Curtis and Michelle McGill, who just
had their baby Noel on the 20th, a day after we got Lucy. If you
know the crowd at Grace Church you know there are babies coming out
of the woodwork! Keep them in mind too during this exciting time.

I'm actually not sure how much time I'll have after today to post. I
hope to get out one more time to post up some new pictures. But if
not, here's the schedule for the next couple of days. This afternoon
is the consulate appointment. Tomorrow we're going on a bus tour of
the city (it's a huge sprawling place, and as much as we've been on
busses in the last few days we're only seen a fraction of it) and
then checking out of the hotel. We fly out of Guangzhou for LA at
9:00 PM local time, arrive in LA at 9:00 PM local time (yeah, that's
wierd) and then we're back in Indy around 3:30 AM, which will feel
like 4:30 PM for us. Or maybe we'll just all feel like we've been up
for 36 hours straight like we did on the plane ride over. We're just
giong to take it one moment at a time.

So, signing off for now. Look for more pictures before we head home.
When we get home it will be an avalanche of pictures! And we have
about 3 hours of video to edit through. It's all good though. Enjoy-

-robert

China posts #5

2009-09-16T21:09:00.000-04:00

Hi everybody,

Things are a little slower here at the internet cafe, so maybe I can
put some more photos up after I post. I wish we could post some of
the video we've shot because it is just too precious, funny,
delightful, etc. for words. We'll arrange some sort of viewing when
we get back.

The last 36 hours have seen Lucy really come out of her shell. At
first she was as serious and quiet as her pictures make her out to
be. Now - at least when she's awake and has a full belly and a clean
diaper on - she is making pre-speech noises, trading off blowing
raspberries with me (lots of fun when she has oatmeal in her mouth),
and smiling. We were hanging out with another couple last night and
she was hamming it up with them too. So she is not all seriousness.
But she is all about studying things. We've been doing the breakfast
buffet at the White Swan and the dining room is right on the Pearl
River, and she will just look around and around at the people, the
boats, the water, everything... God gave her such big eyes because
she needs them to take in all the sights that she wants to.

She's been sleeping from about 8:30 to 4:30, and the last two
mornings she's woken up all smiles and wanting to play. I think she
is getting the idea that this whole "new parents" thing is going to
be OK.

In fact we have been working hard, not always successfully, on
attachment. It doesn't look like work - just sitting around the
hotel room and playing and things like that - but it's a vitally
important part of adopting to build trust between the child and the
parents. These first few days can be make-or-break for the parent-
chidl relationship and we've been doing all we can to convince her
that we love her, are caring for her, are in fact going to continue
to care for her and not leave her or just move on to another baby in
the room when it looks like she's reasonably happy.

As I said, it's not been all successful. It's interesting to see the
progression, though, as Lucy moves from having fun with these
strangers (= us) to realizing that these are her parents. For
example, we picked up from the orphanage caretaker that her nickname
was "Yi Yi" (her given name is/was just "Yi"). So we called her that
too. The first couple of days this brought out a huge smile and
happy noises from her and I think that went a long way to building
her trust. But I tried that yesterday and she exploded into crying.
We were using "Baba", which is the Chinese for "daddy", until this
morning when *that* started to make her cry. The good thing is that
Lucy is expert in letting us know what she needs. We're getting it,
and she's giving us the benefit of the doubt.

She has attached to Cathy very strongly, and she's working on
attaching to me. This is a little unusual, since the orphanage
babies have been around only women and so men usually fascinate
them. I chalk this up to Cathy's stepping up and becoming a great
mom. It doesn't surprise me that she is able to care for Lucy so
well. She has been preparing herself for the role, mainly by working
in the church nursery every week for a year. I have to admit that
there is something within me that wants Lucy to attach to me the
same way and with the same speed. But this will come, and the less I
worry about it the less of a problem it's going to be. (For the
record, Cathy and I are taking turns doing "nap duty" while the
other goes out and shops or whatever; when Lucy woke up with me
there, the first thing she did was smile big and blow me a nice fat
raspberry.)

Her cold is about the same as yesterday - still some raspy breathing
at times, but we're not sure whether that's congestion or a by
product of the stuff she is drinking. The formula is kind of thick
and we've been experimenting with apple juice. (Which causes bowel
movements, which is something we actually want her to do at this
stage.) We've cut back the tylenol to bedtime only (has the added
benefit of knocking her out for the night). But we are looking
forward to going to the pediatrician on Tuesday after we get back,
just to have an American doctor's opinion.

We ended up not going to the orphanage today.
Instead, we went with some other families to an upscale kindergarten
here in Guangzhou. It was a riot. There are 300 kids living (yes,
it's a boarding school kindergarten!) at this place and they all put
on one kind of show or another for the visiting Americans. Kids are
kids no matter where they are, I suppose. They hammed it up and
played and sang their hearts out for us. We have some great video of
all this. Lucy was a little unsure of it all, but she did like the
music and the dancing.

We got back from that around lunchtime, and since then we've been
doing the rotating nap duty thing. Obviously I am the one off duty
right now. My other mission is to buy some gifts for all the people
helping us out back in the states. Cathy got some of the gifts
earlier. I'm going to hit some more streetside places in search of
clothing, jewelry, and other loot. I also have to get Diet Coke for
Cathy -- yes, I did mean to say "have to".

Later today we will get our notarized paperwork back -- can all the
paperwork really be done?! -- to get ready to go to the US consulate
down the street tomorrow. Then we will take an oath and Lucy will
officially become our daughter. Right now the adoption is finalized
from China's standpoint. Now it has to be finalized from the US's
standpoint. That's what will happen when we take the oath.

We are looking forward to getting back home. We leave jsut in a
couple of more days. We've enjoyed our time here in China - this
place is special beyond words for us. It is a beautiful country in
many ways. Guangzhou, despite the heat and humidity, is especially
lovely because of all the flowers and greenery that are in bloom
practically year-round because of the southern latitude it is on.
The poverty here is really acute, too - it's very expensive to live
in Guangzhou, with the ratio of cost of living to annual income
being about the same as maybe Baltimore or San Francisco. But there
is a lot of natural beauty too. Still, we're getting a little
homesick and we're anxious to get back home and settle into a
routine. (Right now there's no point in putting Lucy on any kind of
feeding or sleeping schedule when we're going to screw it up
completely when we fly back home. To give you a sense of how
disorientign that's goign to be, we are leaving Guangzhou for Los
Angeles on Friday at 9 PM. We are arriving in Los Angeles at...
Friday at 9 PM.)

If I manage to get some pictures posted this afternoon, I'll post a
message and say so. Otherwise we'll check in with you all tomorrow.

-robert

Gotcha day- Photos

2009-09-15T20:44:00.002-04:00

Thanks to the Sanchez family.... we now call this "homecoming day"

China posts #4 Gotcha Day

2009-09-15T20:43:00.002-04:00

( I know I'm ahead of the actual date, but this week is crazy and I'm posting while I can!!)
Greetings everybody-

It has been an amazing last 24 hours. That long ago - actually 28
hours - we received our Lucy and our lives changed for good. I will
go into detail in a moment, but some disclaimers first:

1. We have tons of pictures, but I am working off an unfamiliar
machine in this internet cafe in Guangzhou, and all the operating
system commands are in Chinese! I know that the computer is
currently reconizing my computer, but I can't guarantee I can get
the pictures off of it.

2. I have limited time - Cathy is back at the hotel with Lucy and we
have some food coming in an hour. Plus I am still trying to get onto
Franklin's email server.

3. The short version of the story: Lucy is wonderful, even more
precious and beautiful than we imagined, and the bonding and
attachment are going like gangbusters. Cathy and Lucy especially
have bonded. Cathy can snort like a pig at Lucy and Lucy will crack
up laughing. Lucy is overall healthy but has a lingering chest cold
that she caught in the orphanage; we are currently medicating it.

OK, now on to the good stuff.

We flew out of Beijing yesterday morning (seems like a lifetime ago)
in a state of nervous anticipation. I took Pepto before we left.
(Kritsen Minor -- that package of chewable pepto you gave us the
morning we left has been a lifesaver for me!) We touched down in
Guangzhou three hours later to find out that the airlines had lost
one of our pieces of luggage. Fortunately it was NOT the suitcase
that had all the baby stuff in it, but just our changes of clothes.
It turns out they forgot to put in on the airplane. We ended up
getting it later that evening, but it was a challenge to our ability
to roll with the punches that is so important in doing something
like this.

We took what seemed like a very long bus ride to the White Swan
Hotel, a 5-star establishment well known for catering to adopting
parents. Guangzhou is a lot different of a city than Beijing. The
climate is totally different; where Beijing was actually quite cool
the morning we left, the heat and humidity here in Guangzhou is
stifling during the day. (More on that later.) There is a lot more
in the way of greenery in Guangzhou than in the more industrial city
of Beijing. But the poverty in Guangzhou is much more apparent and
acute. I can post some pictures later.

We got to our hotel around 2:00 with orders to be back down in the
lobby at 3:30 to head to the Civil Affairs Bureau to receive our
children. When we checked in -- a long, slow line -- we found out
that our room wouldn't be cleaned for another 40 minutes. And our
luggage was being held until our rooms were ready. So not only had
we lost a bag, we were going to be cutting time very short to get a
diaper bag ready to take with us. (We would need to being diapers,
changing pad, a bottle, etc.) Our stress level definitely rising
here.

One couple in the group (Christy and Matt) graciously let us come
sit and freshen up in their room, and the hotel agreed to deliver
our luggage (the one piece) to their room. So we got everything put
together with 45 minutes to spare, before they finally got our room
ready. So it was up to the room to make sure we had everything - not
just the diaper bag but also the various pieces of paperwork and
(importantly) envelopes of money for donations and fees were ready.

At 3:30 we gathered in the lobby. We boarded the bus and made the 20-
minute trip to the Civil Affairs Bureau office. As we were getting
off the bus, one of the children being adopted (not ours; can't
remember right now whose it was) was carried by by her caretakers!
Everyone almost fainted and more than a few started crying - not the
least of which was the adopting mom who got a chance to meet her
baby before the official handing over.

Into the building and up the elevator to the fifth floor, where we
all piled into a waiting room lined with couches. The way it's done
in Guangdong province is, all the parents are in the waiting room;
then one by one, the children are brought into the room and handed
to the new parents. Our orphanage, Nanhai SWI, happened to be first.
First it was Joe and Delores Schmidt's baby (whose name I haven't
memorized yet); they brought her in and everyone in the room went
nuts, photographing and videotaping as if it were their own kid and
having a celebration! Then it was Hai Wen, a.k.a. Evie Pape, Adam
and Tammy Pape's child. Then... it was Hai Yi, also known as the
daughter of yours truly.

We had to hand off the video camera to Cathy Crosby - who looked
shocked that we would have her do that, but she was the closest
person to us! - as we came front and center. Then they brought her
in.

If you've seen the referral and update pictures, you know basically
what Lucy looks like. But when they brought her in, all the pictures
in the world couldn't have described her properly. Her big eyes were
as wide as apples, and the scene was bewlindering -- a whole crew
of photographers standign behind this pair of trembling parents.
They handed her to us and all we could say was, "Welcome to our
family, Hai Yi."

Her features are delicate and her eyes are absolutely striking. They
take everything in. She appeared as serious in person as she does in
the pictures. She came to us with no complaints, no crying, and took
to us - at least physically - as natural as if this were all
supposed to happen. (Which it was.) We gave her a little rattle in
the shape of a caterpillar because the orphanage said she likes to
play with rattles, and sure enough she started shaking it back and
forth almost immediately. She just seemed... right at home.

We held her around for the whole roomful of paparazzi going beserk
with happiness over everybody's children. I love the way they
presented us with the children. It was a bonding experience in
itself. Then we went back to the couch and sat with her for the
first time.

We noticed pretty quickly that she had a cough that sounded a little
rough. Fortunately we were able to talk with Mrs. Tang, the director
of her orphanage, and she confirmed that she had a cold. They gave
us some medicine for us - mostly eastern-style medicine based on
roots and things like that. We eschewed this for Tammy Pape's bottle
of children's tylenol, which later had the added benefit of putting
Lucy to sleep.

I'm running short on time, and I see that the photos are accessible.
So I will skip some details at this point and hit some highlights.

The rest of the first day was exhausting. Most of it was spent
shuttling from one place to the next in a bus and filling out more
paperwork. Plus it has been about 90 degrees F. during the day here
with about 90% humidity, and going in and out of the heat and
humidity and then back into air-conditioned rooms has not been good
for Lucy's cold. The same has held true today, though fortunately it
appears the paperwork and shuttling back and forth will end tomorrow
morning when we get her medical exam done.

Lucy is a great baby. She cries - loudly! - when she is hungry or
tired. She is more along the lines of "grumpy" when she is
uncomfortable. Yes, we have changed diapers by this point - several
times, including one incident this afternoon where... well, let's
just say that when you suspect that a baby has pooped you should
wait BEFORE taking the diaper off. No more details on that. She has
taken several bottles, and her eating has greatly improved today
over yesterday. The attachment/bonding is taking some work but it's
definitely happening. Last night when I put my hand on her arm she
would pull away. Today she has been pawing nonstop at my goatee and
my glasses and the hair on my legs. There is a beautiful mother-
daughter connection happening between her and Cathy too. The trust
relationship is really crucial at this stage and we are spending as
much time with her as oru schedule will allow. We are using a Hip
Hammock to carry her around and that has helped a lot.

I am going to go now and try to post some pictures. But know that
all is well, and there'll be more to come.

-robert

2009-09-15T20:36:00.000-04:00

China posts #3

2009-09-15T20:35:00.001-04:00

Hey all,

Sorry if this is a double post, but I think the first time I posted
this it got eaten.

First of all, a general note - we've been having trouble accessing
email accounts from these machines in the hotel for some reason, so
we haven't been able to keep in touch with anybody who isn't on the
Yahoo group. So please feel free to copy and redistribute these
postings to anybody who you think might be interested, especially
family members of ours.

Now on to the day:

Cathy and I experienced one of the most incredible things anybody
can experience today - no, not getting our child, because that comes
tomorrow - it was climbing up the Great Wall of China. We were there
most of the morning today. I've mentioned that Beijing is a
bustling, growing city of 13 million people with nonstop growth.
Well, you go an hour north of the city and it's another world.
Unbelievably beautiful mountains and only traces of civilization.
That's where the Great Wall is. I have to confess that we didn't
climb the western side of the Wall where the tourists stop and where
there's an inscription from Chairman Mao saying that a person cannot
be a true hero until he climbs the wall. We got about 1/4 of the way
up and there were so many people there today (a picture-perfect day
with clear skies and moderate temperatures) that the crowd was
literally not moving. The Wall is quite narrow at this spot (maybe
10 feet across) and extremely steep, in some places at a 60-degree
angle to horizontal. We turned around and went across the road to
the east side, where the climb was still difficult and the views
spectacular. Our legs were like Jello once we got back down. What a
feeling to be standing on top of this structure, which is 2500 years
old (!) and known throughout the world.

On the way back to Beijing we stopped at a cloisonnaise factory.
Cloisonnaise is a traditional art form that takes copper and
imprints the surface of it with coloful enamel. They have
a "friendship store" (basically a very large state-run gift shop;
there is one in Beijing too) and Cathy got a lovely black pearl
necklace with matching earrings for 740 yuan, which is just shy of
$100. (Take the yuan amount and divide by 8 to get the dollar
equivalent.)

Back in Beijing we toured the Summer Palace, which is a lovely and
very large park-like place that was once the summer retreat for the
emporer. It was very crowded and we were all very tired, so
unfortunately this kind of flew by us. But we did take lots of
pictures and video. In fact I have a certain pride in saying that
we've used up an entire 128MB memory card for the camera and have
gone to our 512 MB one.

We went out for dinner with our friends Cathy and Andy Crosby to a
restaurant down the street from the hotel, where they knew about as
much English as we did Chinese. Somehow we managed to get food
ordered and it was incredibly good and inexpensive. I got a huge
bowl of beef noodles that I had to give up on halfway through
because I thought I was going to burst.

Right now we are packing to head to Guangzhou tomorrow. Tomorrow is
the big day, the day we receive our precious daughter. It's known
as "Gotcha Day".

We are flying out of Beijing around 8:30 tomorrow and arriving in
Guangzhou about three hours later. At 4:00 we will go to the Civil
Affairs Bureau with the other Guangzhou families and receive our
children. It's hard to express the mood right now. We all know that
the vacation is over and that the real purpose for being here is
about to begin. It's a mixture of excitement and anxiety -
especially for those of us who are first-time parents.

Once we are in Guangzhou we will have better and more inexpensive
internet access, and we should be able to send some pictures. We
especially want to send pictures of Lucy once we have her. Hard to
believe that will be just a few hours from now.

Thanks again for everything and we'll be in touch again tomorrow.

-robert

China posts #2

2009-09-13T16:37:00.001-04:00

Hi all,

Robert here, posting under Cathy's account, since she has the
ability to email more people not on the group. Here's a report from
Day 2 of the Big Adventure.

We slept extremely well last night for about 8 hours. I could have
easily gone 2-3 more. After getting cleaned up (taking care not to
accidentally ingest any water, like by running the toothbrush under
the sink tap or swallow some in the shower) we ate breakfast in the
hotel. It was a buffet, and had some interesting choices - one of
which was rice congee, a porridge-like food that is often served in
orphanages. (We didn't try it.)

Today was a sightseeing day. We spent the morning at Tiannenmen
Square and the Forbidden City. Stepping out of the bus we were
immediately hit by a common sight on the streets of Beijing - street
vendors. People with everything under the sun to sell to you - maps,
postcards, watches, stamps, purses, you name it. They swarmed on any
tour group that came through. We would run into more street vendors
all day long, any time we slowed down. (A couple of guys in the
group are in a contest to see who can get the best deal.) THe
highest scoring item in terms of kitsch factor was an official
Chairman Mao alarm clock.

Another thing I was hit by was just the sheer fact that we are HERE.
Standing in Tiannenmen Square, looking at Mao's tomb and the giant
picture of Mao hanging over the square, kites flying everywhere,
Chinese soldiers standing guard... it was hard to believe that we
were standing right there. The reality of this whole thing is just
beginning to penetrate.

The weather here, by the way, is great - cloudy, but quite cool and
breezy with temps around 70 degrees. It was nice touring weather. We
will not be so lucky in Guangzho when we head there on Sunday.

The Forbidden City was another one of those places I couldn't
believe I was actually in. I am reading Gavin Manzies' book "1421:
The YEar China Discovered America" (highly recommended) and he
talked a lot about the building of the Forbidden City in the 1420s.
And here I am walking around in it. YOu have to see a map and the
video we shot to get a feel for how huge the place is. I won't even
try to describe it here. We bought a nice map for 30 yuan, which is
about $3.50.

Speaking of which, we've shot about an hour of video and roughly 50-
60 digital photos. I can't promise any photos of Beijing until we
get to Guangzhou on Sunday, since the comptuers here are pretty
basic and I can't find any USB ports on them.

We had lunch in an interesting restaurant in the genre of the ethnic
Dai minority, which is a people group in the tropical regions of
China. The food was... well, can I say 'interesting" again? It was a
family-style deal where they brought out several little dishes of
different foods. Half the stuff we had no idea what it was. We tried
a few things, and some were good... but it did put our food
pickiness to the test, right about the time Cathy started noticing
that the chicken had bones in it... from the backbone of the
chicken. Hmm...

We spent the afternoon at the Temple of Heaven, another structure
built in the 1420's. A much different place than the Forbidden City -
full of tree-lined parks, very peaceful and quiet.

We stopped at the China World Trade center because there is a
grocery store in the bottom of it, so we could get some bottled
water. WE also got Cathy a "Coke Light" which is the Chinese version
of Diet Coke. We looked for Lucy's formula but they didn't have the
brand- although we had a fun exercise in trying to communicate this
to a store employee who spoke no English. Interesting note - this
store was about the size of a Walgreen's, but there must have been
20 employees working - an attendant on duty in almost every aisle.

After a quick stop back at the hotel room, we had dinner with
another couple at... you guessed it, *Pizza Hut*. Yes, there is one
on the ground floor of the hotel. But this was not entirely playing
it safe -- remember the thing about not drinking the water? Well,
they brought us our pepsis with ice in it, which is a no-no because
that's drinking the water. So we asked for Pepsis without ice. Cathy
noticed that all they did was go back and pick the ice out. Hmm..
well, so far we're not all sick.

We spent this evenign at a Chinese acrobatic show, held in an old
opera house in Beijing. A pretty amazing show of feats of strength
and balance and all that. We bought a DVD of the show for 50 yuan,
which is about $6.50. (Stuff is kind of inexpensive in China.)

So we've had a very full day. Tomorrow we are off to the Great Wall
and the Summer palace. Then the serious stuff begins. WE will be
flying out to Guangzhou early on Sunday morning, and shortly after
we arrive we will go to the Civil Affairs Bureau and get Lucy. So
tomorrow night we have to pack our checked baggage and have it taken
to the airport. So the vacation ends tomorrow and the real reason we
are here begins.

We're a little anxious about the big day on Sunday. This is our
first child, and going from no kids to having a kid in an instant is
daunting. Also, one thing in the update about Lucy has us a little
concerned - they said that she is afraid of strangers. I guess every
kid is (or should be), but remember that we're going to be strangers
too. So we are bracing ourselves for a less-than-smooth transition
from caretaker to adoptive parents and possibly a more difficult
period of bonding than others might have.

Now it's off to bed -- it's 9:39 PM here -- to rest up for a good
full day of walking up big mountainsides tomorrow! Hopefully I can
get some pictures up soon too.

Some parting requests for those of you out there:
* Tammy Young: Could you please forward this and the message from
yesterday to the others in the math/computing department, and tell
them if they want to share with students, then please go ahead?
* Sherry Burton: Please make sure mom and dad get a copy of our
messages too. We called them tonight, and mom didn't think she got
yesterday's message.

Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers. More to come!

-Robert

China posts #1

2009-09-13T16:36:00.001-04:00

Hey everybody,

What an eventful day... days?... it has been. We just arrived at our
hotel in Beijing a half hour ago and are getting settled in. I am
using a $2/min internet connection here so I can't go into a lot of
detail. But first of all, we're all here safe and sound, although
very very tired and ready for some much-needed rest.

We ended up getting to bed around 10:30 on the night of the 14th
(I've given up keeping track of what time or day it is... right now
it's 8:05 PM on the 16th, although it says 8:05 AM for you) and
getting up at 12:30 AM on the 15th so that the Crosbys could take us
to the airport. So we got 1.5 hours of sleep.. then a short flight
ti Chicago, then a 1.5-hour layover and then a 4-hour flight to San
Francisco. All pretty uneventful except a combination of nerves and
having had hot peppers at dinner the night before made me very sick
to my stomach for most of the first half of the day.

Then came the real test - the 11-hour flight from San Francisco to
Beijing. I had the best intentions, carrying books and crossword
puzzles to do, but my eyes were so tired from no sleep that I
couldn't really do that. So Cathy and I ended up trading naps -- I
think I slept a total of 3 hours on the trip, which isn't easy in
economy class. It was a long, tiring flight but here we are.

Beijing is most definitely an industrial city in an astounding
period of growth. The smog here was thick even at 6:00 PM when we
arrived, and the traffic has to be seen to be believed. We couldn't
see anything on the ground until we were seconds away from landing.
Our guide tells us that there are 13 million people in Beijing,
which I think is just about the population of Indiana.

I have to run, but the latest is this - we did get a little bit of
updated information about Lucy this evening, mostly details about
her health (excellent) and her diet (nice and varied). It says she
has a nickname with the orphanage that translates to "she has big
eyes", which if you look at the pictures you can see why.

Tomorrow we are hooking up with the rest of our group which is
flying JAL and is overnighting in tokyo tonight. We're doing some
sightseeing around the city -- Tianammen Square, the Forbidden City,
and an acrobatic show in the evening.

Everyone's spirits are high and the group is clicking well. But we
do need some sleep. Thanks for your prayers and support - keep it
coming! More to come,

robert

Referral

2009-09-13T16:31:00.002-04:00

This is the annoucement of Lucy's referral we placed on several yahoogroups:
Praise be to God whom who all blessings flow.....

Ephesians 1:4 ....For he chose us in him before the
creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his
sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his
sons (& daughters) through Jesus Christ.....

It is with great joy that we announce the newest
member of our family:
Chinese name: Hai Yi (Yi means courtesy)
American name: Lucy
Province: Guangdong
Orphange: Foshan City Nanhai District Child Welfare
Institute.
Birthday: January 12, 2004

More details once the referral package is translated
fully and received Wednesday morning.

Cathy & Robert
DTC 01/14/04
agency FTIA

Five years.....

2009-09-08T18:52:00.003-04:00

"Stone Boat" building it almost bankrupt the funds for the military!

The Great Wall

The Temple of Heaven

Monument to the People

A very tired Cathy & Robert arriving in Beijing after flying about 18 hours.

I believe we were in pure panic mode around here about five years ago! In less than one week, we'd be boarding a plane to China to receive an infant girl just about 8 months old. She didn't know us, probably had never been around "white" people, I'm certain we smelled funny and ate funny foods. But, somehow we survived!! Below are photos of Robert & I just a couple of days before receiving Lucy while touring China.....

Its' almost been five years.....

2009-08-29T08:46:00.002-04:00

....since a referral call was received, visa applications sent, airline tickets purchased and bags packed for the biggest adventure of all: parenthood!! More to come over the next few weeks.

One of the referral photos received of "Hai Yi"

An updated photo received about 3 days after we accepted the referral of "Hai Yi"

Lucy's kindergarten photo

2009-08-27T19:16:00.000-04:00

Lucy's first day of Kindergarten

2009-08-22T15:45:00.001-04:00

August photos.....State Fair

2009-08-22T15:43:00.002-04:00

Harry is 6 months old!!

2009-07-27T21:09:00.002-04:00

Weighs in at 19.8 pounds which is 75%.....
Is 26.5 inches long which is 50%.....
Still has lots of big brains and a head measuring at 95%.....
He's 100% lovable!!!!!!!!

Sunday evening hanging out....

2009-07-05T20:27:00.001-04:00

What?!!??? Harry smiles, but the girls do not?????

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-05T20:20:00.003-04:00

Our neighborhood celebrated the 4th of July with it's second annual parade around the circle.

More photos....

2009-06-20T20:02:00.003-04:00

Random photos

2009-06-08T19:29:00.006-04:00

More photos.....Lucy's preschool graduation

2009-06-08T19:23:00.001-04:00

At last, some photos!!!!!!!

2009-06-08T19:19:00.004-04:00

Harrison with Daddy......

Harry smiles.....

Lucy's new tooth

Milestones......

2009-05-29T20:51:00.001-04:00

Lucy lost her first tooth.
Penny is attending gymnastics again, which she loves.
Lucy graduated from preschool.
Harry rolled over from tummy to back!!!!

2009-05-11T13:17:00.003-04:00

I'll be four months (or 17 weeks) old this week:
I weigh 14.1 pounds - 50 percentile
I am nearly 26 inches long - 75 percentile
and my head is over 17 inches - 90 percentile
(I'm bigger than Penny was when she came home with Mommy at 13 months!!!)
.....and I love cereal as you can see by my face!!!

Harry/Daddy playtime

2009-04-21T20:50:00.003-04:00

I'm loving my Tuesdays and Thursdays. That's because that's the day Cathy works in the afternoons at the girls' preschool, and I get to go pick up Harry from daycare and have some dedicated playtime with him. For example:

That may not look exciting, but it's great fun for me.

Penny and Harry

2009-03-22T20:19:00.002-04:00

Harrison had his two month appointment at the pediatrician this past Wednesday. He received a total of 8 vaccines!!! Thankfully, it was in 3 shots and one liquid he was able to "drink". He must have remembered how brave Lucy was when she received her shots in January - he didn't even flinch!!! He now weighs 10.5 pounds (25%), is 22.5 inches long (50%) and his head is large (75%)!!! The head measurements were not written down and I don't remember what the MA said. All in all, he's a great baby!!!

Penny and I traveled to Riley Hospital for Children Monday morning to see her plastic surgeon. Penny does not like to visit with him!! But, she was very brave though she cried when he entered the room. Dr. Havlik is very pleased with her lip and gum line and wants to see her again in one year!! Penny even shook his hand when the visit was over. She's a great girl!!!!

Harrison at 2 months

2009-03-16T19:02:00.003-04:00

Three of the portraits taken of Harry at two months old.

Lucy's Special Day

2009-03-07T17:23:00.005-05:00

At Crabapple, each student has a Special Day that's usually on their birthday. Since Harry was "due" around the girls' birthdays, their Special Days were moved. We celebrated Lucy's on February 27th:

Penny was the counter. Her job was to count the students present.

After the head count, the number is written down and shown to all the students.

Lucy in her Special Day Crown

Lucy setting tables for Special Day treats

Lucy helping Miss Linda pass out cake

Monday Morning playtime with Harry

2009-03-02T14:17:00.004-05:00

Harry playing on his activity mat.....

When you need to smile and have a good laugh....

2009-02-28T20:11:00.001-05:00

first smile.....

2009-02-26T09:29:00.006-05:00

Monday Morning.....

2009-02-16T10:38:00.002-05:00

Grandparents visit

2009-02-16T07:41:00.003-05:00

Robert's parents made it up over the weekend to meet Harrison!! Though a short trip, we were very glad to see them. Harry made certain "Nanny" felt welcome by spitting up all over her.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2009-02-14T12:07:00.002-05:00

From our family to yours........

4 weeks, one day

2009-02-13T12:37:00.003-05:00

Routine.... that's the missing link in the Talbert household currently. I apologize for not posting more often. I know everyone comes here to see photos and hear updates on the kids. Did you know we have a newborn in the house?!?!?!?!????? I didn't realize how much a little guy could turn your world upside down!

Harrison had his one month check up with the pediatrician this week. We had been certain he was suffering from colic or reflux. Guess what? Turns out he's just a normal 4 week old! His gastric system is still developing and will smooth out over the next couple of weeks. We learned that many bumps smooth out when little ones pass the six week old mark. He now weighs 8 pounds, 10 ounces which is up about one pound from his weigh in on January 30th. He's grown to 21 inches in length too!! We may actually have to start dressing him to the next size up as the newborn sleepers are beginning to seem a little small on him.

Lucy & Penny are adjusting well - getting better with sharing Mama & Daddy each day. Harrison responds to each of them now which is very cute. Lucy loves to talk and "play" with him. The girls have been celebrating Valentine's Day at their school this week and are looking forward to a visit from Robert's parents this weekend.

So, we'll do our best to take more photos and post them!! We'll try for once/twice a week..... a routine will develop around here again. I just don't know when.

Super Hero Thursday

2009-02-05T11:37:00.006-05:00

January 28th, 2007......

2009-01-31T14:12:00.003-05:00

Penelope's "Forever Family" or "Gotcha" or "Homecoming" Day. We didn't forget to celebrate- but we were snowed in receiving 11 inches of snow. I went to Penny's school the next morning and she had her special day there - post birthday and Forever Family wrapped up into one.

She's a true blessing.......

It's hard to believe two years have past by......

Ta Dah!!!!!!!!

2009-01-30T18:02:00.002-05:00

We had a marathon appointment with the pediatrician today. Lucy and Penny were in for well checks and Harrison was weighed. Lucy just turned 5 and did wonderfully receiving 4 shots needed for Kindergarten next fall - she didn't make a peep!! Lucy now weighs 41 pounds (50 percentile) and is 44 inches high (75 percentile).

Harrison is up to 7 pounds, 10 ounces!! Yippee!!! He's almost back to his birth weight.

Now, you may wonder why I have the video above......please click "play" now - - - - -
Penny, age 3, is 37 inches tall which is in the 50th percentile!!!!!! Ta Dah!!!!!!!!! She now weighs 27 pounds (25 percentile). This girl didn't even make the growth charts one year ago!!!

25 things you might not know about me.......

2009-01-28T11:10:00.003-05:00

Though I wasn't officially tagged, I read on a blog I follow that if you read her "25 things" you are to write about yours in your blog (thanks Heather). So, I'm challenging all who read this to do so in their blogs too!!!

25 Things you might not know about me.......

1) I grew up in western Indiana in a little sneeze of a town called Hillsdale. It's located about 20 miles north of Terre Haute.

2) My parents bred and raised quarter horses during my younger years. We had a total of 20 horses at one point. I've been trampled over, stepped on, have fallen off of and been bitten by horses several times.

3) I was a 10 year member of 4-H!! Vermillion County, Indiana. I don't remember my "regular" club's name, but my horse & pony club was called "Rockin' V Horse & Pony" and my Dad was our leader.

4) In order of learning to play, I've played throughout my grade school through college years: cornet, trumpet, baritone, trombone, running bass drum, quad drums and tuba. I never got really good on any of them!!!!!

5) I was a member of the Marching 100 while attending Indiana University in Bloomington. I auditioned to play my trombone, but blew the piece I performed. The director asked if I could play any other instrument and I replied, "I can play just about any brass instrument." I ended up playing a brass sousaphone and was the only female in our group.

6) I learned of the love Jesus has for me while attending I.U. if you can believe that!! I suffered from anorexia and learned that my band director, his boss and my tuba leader and his girl friend all had been praying for me. It's funny how God's plan for you life works itself out. Had I not learned to play all those different instruments in high school, I would never had been a member of the Marching 100. Wonder what would have become of me? I have been completely healed of food disorders for over 20 years.....PTL!!

7) I've been a licensed cytotechnologist for 20 years now (google it).

8) I've always wanted to own a fire engine red 1988 Firebird!! But this quote kept me from ever attempting to purchase one:
"After awhile you may find that having is not so pleasing a thing as wanting. It is not logical, but often true." Mr. Spock, from Amok Time.

9) I grew up a complete and total trekkie! I once knew all the original episodes titles and air dates. What a nerd!! I also know that I am 42 days older than the first showing of Star Trek on NBC..... I was a member of Starfleet while in junior high and high school - communications officer of the ship I was assigned too. I use to type up our newsletter "the tribble" on my Grandmother's manual typewriter.

10) While in high school, I was a DJ for our local high school radio station. I was one of the "breakfast flakes." Our show was 30 minutes before first period with some morning announcements before the start of each day. I loved Motown and my partner lover 80's hard rock. What a combo for early mornings!!

11) I made a video for a Michael Jackson contest and submitted it. I was totally wrapped up with him in the early 80's and even made a pair of sequined gloves to wear at my graduation! Scary.....

12) I met my now husband because I heard a radio ad for a Single's Group as his Church. They were going to have a weekly study helping you "Find the Love of Your Life." Most of my girlfriends had married and I thought this would be a great place to meet ladies to hang out with!! Robert and I ended up making fun of the class together!! Oh- this class evolved into E-Harmony.com!!

13) Robert realized I would be an interesting person to know when I revealed I liked Monty Python. I realized Robert would be an interesting person to know when he told me about his Mork suspenders he wore when younger. Anyone else remember Mork and Mindy?? Nanu Nanu......

14) I've known since I was about 9 years old that I would adopt my children. We received a mailer asking my parents to sponsor a child overseas. I misunderstand the mailer and thought they were asking us to allow this child to live with us. I was crushed to learn that wasn't the case and a seed was planted in me concerning adoption.

15) I dislike chocolate chip cookies and chocolate cake.

16) My Grandmother lived with me for two years before being placed in an independent retirement community. She was 96 years old at the time!! She taught me that I could deal with anyone in my house!! She made her wish to hear her name on the Today show when she turned 100. She lived to be nearly 102.

17) A song written by Rich Mullins and performed by Amy Grant helped led me to the Lord. It is called, "Sing your Praise to the Lord." One of the members of the above mentioned Marching 100 gave me an Amy Grant tape to listen too. There is something in the lyric that touched my heart. I met Rich Mullins a few years later and was happy to share this story with him. He later performed the song on his own album (I like his version better).

18) I am featured in a Ray Boltz video (Christian artist), but you only see the back of my head!!

19) I have forgotten how to cook as Robert took over those duties shortly after we moved to the Indianapolis area. The first time that I made Mac & Cheese for our girls they wondered what I was doing!!!!

20) Harrison's first name comes from my side of the family. My Grandmother's great Grandmother (so I've been told) was a Harrison related to the Presidents Harrison. But..the Harrisons were a proud family and our Harrison married a girl from Kentucky and was disowned.

21) My father's first name was Sherrill.

22) Coconut cream pie is my favorite all time food.......

23) I have a letter written to me by Fred Phillips who was the make up artist for Star Trek series. I had written NBC about Vulcan ears of all things and they forwarded my letter to Mr. Phillips. Though elderly, he returned a letter to me including a pair of latex ears formed for Leonard Nimoy and instructions on how to apply them. Someone stole the ears from me.....but I still have the letter which is more precious.

24) My coworker in Terre Haute was Ken Kercheval's sister- Kate. Ken grew up near my hometown and is most famous for his role on "Dallas" playing Pam Ewing's brother. While working there, Ken & Kate's Mom had surgery at the hospital we worked at. Ken hung out in our office which was located in the basement, down a hall where no one ever came. There was a window in our office door and we saw a lot more traffic as people tried to see Ken that day.

25) I don't watch any prime time television shows. I only watch HGTV, TLC, Food Network (yes, I know I don't cook) and Disney channel. I do watch football though!!!!!!

Thoughts from Mama....

2009-01-26T12:52:00.005-05:00

Let me start by explaining the photo of Harry with Mickey Mouse. I once was told you should take a photo of your new baby with something once a month to see how he/she has grown. I wish I would have known this with Lucy & Penny. But, sitting here thinking about it - I might just begin a photo shoot with Mickey Mouse with the girls to gauge their growth once a year.

Let's go back to January 14th. I ended up taking the day off work as Mimi (my Mom) had arrived the night prior to help care for the girls while we'd be at the hospital. I had a scheduled appointment with my OB late morning and went believing I'd receive the instructions for my induction the following morning. Dr. J came in and "checked" me and told me there still was no movement in my cervical area and that she wanted me in the hospital that night for a cervicil gel pack. I was very, very glad that Mimi came over a day early (thanks Lonnie, aka Pop, on insisting she come early!!) so that I had time to get my stuff sorted out.

We arrived at the hospital at 8:00pm. After getting me settled, Robert went home for the evening to his last "good" night of sleep for awhile! I was hooked up to a monitor measuring contractions and Harrison's heart rate. I was very surprised to find out that I was experiencing mild contractions - I couldn't really feel them unless I thought about it. My night was restless - thinking about delivery and sleeping in a strange bed contributed to that. Plus, I had a nurse coming in every 2 hours or so to check my blood pressure and temperature.

Robert arrived back at the hospital around 6:00am Thursday morning. This was the original time I was to check in. The nurses were hooking me up to an IV line at that time. I decided to roll onto my back while this was going on. I saw on the monitor that Harrison's heart rate dropped suddenly and significantly. The nurses saw this too and had me back on my side quickly. It took several minutes for his heart rate to climb back up to normal. That was scary!

I'm not certain what time Dr. J arrived. Her first words basically were, "we are headed to surgery." She explained that Harrison's heart rate had been dropping through out the night after each mild contraction. She said he would not tolerate strong labor and we might as well deliver him now (I think she also mentioned getting back to the office to see patients too!!). So, my long felt prediction of a c-section came true. I'm glad we didn't wait around to do this - less time to think about it and get nervous.

I don't remember much about being in the OR. I remember receiving the spinal - my feet went numb immediately. I remember saying that Dr. J could go ahead and do lipo too......I remember hearing that Harrison was out and hearing him cry. Otherwise, I was in & out or I was given medication to block memories. I am very glad lots of photos were taken so that I can see Harrison's first moments in the world.

Gestational diabetes did play a role - Harrison had low blood sugar at birth and was given formula right away. He also had a bit of trouble keeping his body temperature up the first night. Those issues resolved and he's just great now!!!

It's good to be home and (trying to) settling into a routine. We've got lots more love, joy and happiness in our home and I thank God for our little (surprise) blessing!!!!

photos.........

2009-01-25T07:17:00.001-05:00

photos.........

2009-01-25T07:14:00.003-05:00

At home

2009-01-21T11:33:00.004-05:00

It's been a few days since the last post, and you can imagine why. Cathy and Harry and I came home from the hospital on Sunday, and we are working on the usual adjustments you have to make when bringing a new baby home. Cathy challenged me, indirectly, by saying that as the third child, Harry probably won't have any pictures taken of him after his third day. I'll work on that. In the meanwhile, here's how things are going.

Sleep is obviously a big issue. Harry doesn't do too badly in that respect. We have him set up in a bassinet in our bedroom for the time being; Cathy is sleeping in our bed and I am camping out on the floor because it's cooler down there (we have the temp in the room around 75). We are working on finding the best fit for his sleeping/eating schedule. Last night we fed him at 8:30 PM, 12:30, 4:30, and 8:30 AM, with me taking a shift from 8:30-12:30 while Cathy sleeps and then switching. While this worked fine for us, it put us really late getting the girls to preschool in the morning. So I think we might roll that back so that we're feeding him at 5:30 AM and then I get up and get ready. He seems to be sleeping a lot during the day and not enough at night, which is something we need to be careful of as well. It's 11:41 AM right now and he's been asleep basically all morning with a few moments of being awake. The upside of that is that Cathy's been able to nap along with him.

Sleep deprivation is the only thing that I actively dislike about being a parent, and it's been that way since Lucy came home with us in 2004. There's no way to avoid it; you just have to manage it in the short term and ride it out (and get a routine going, which is another thing we haven't yet managed to do). We have the added layer of complexity in that when Harry wakes up crying, we have two other residents to keep in their beds. Lucy has been fine because she can sleep through anything. But Penny was up 3-4 times last night coming in to our room when Harry woke up.

And that brings me to the biggest realization so far, and that's that sleep is a big issue but not the biggest one. I think the hardest thing so far has been helping Lucy and Penny get adjusted. They are loud, fun, active preschoolers and are used to -- for example -- running around the loft buck naked and yelling before bathtime. Now, we have had to adopt two new rules: (1) When upstairs, no running, stomping, horseplay, or outside voices; and (2) no loud stuff at all if Harry has been put down for the night. Very simple rules, but it registers a break with their routine that is quite hard for them to take. That, and the fact that they can't see or play with Cathy any time they like. It's in some ways a bigger shift for them than it is for us.

Otherwise, life with three kids has been fine, and we're gradually getting settled in as we learn how to decode Harry's messages (they all sound like crying) and how to handle such a young child. This week I am off from work so Cathy and I are home with Harry by ourselves. Next week I head back to work, and it's just Cathy and Harry. It's not easy having a newborn around, but we've had tremendous help from family and friends. And as I told Cathy this morning, a lot of the stuff that newborns do that is so disruptive to your life, like not sleeping through the night, tends to disappear by six weeks of age, and amazingly we are already one week down. Meanwhile, we try to stay positive, have fun, rest when we can, work hard to learn how Harry does things, and get us all acclimated to being a party of five.

Harry, days 2 and 3

2009-01-17T12:51:00.003-05:00

Here are some assorted photos from the last couple of days.

The girls meet their new little brother:

Harrison all cleaned up and resting:

Daddy with Harry:

Mama with Harry:

And here's a video of Harry with his big, dark blue (for now) eyes, scoping out the camera and the rest of the world:

What a good boy!

2009-01-17T08:50:00.002-05:00

Our first night in the hospital room with Harry went reasonably well. We weren't expecting to get anything like a full night's sleep, and sure enough, we didn't. But as I discovered with Lucy, the body just doesn't need as much sleep as we think and coffee is a wonder at patching the holes in your sleep.

Harry is breastfeeding, and the learning curve for both him and Mom is the main reason we were up a lot. But we are climbing that curve, and each feeding seems to be more productive than the one before. And the fuller he gets, the better he sleeps. There was one time around -- well, I lost track of what time it happened -- when he woke up screaming; we found he had a wet diaper and changed it, but when we tried to get him to eat he was still very fussy. Turns out that in the time between putting a new diaper on and moving him to Cathy for feeding, he'd had ANOTHER diaper, this time poopy. Poor little guy had everything happen to him all at once!

Cathy and Harry will be coming home tomorrow, and despite still not being totally sure what we are doing, I think we're ready for it. It's a good hospital, but there's no place like home, and we're eager to get on with life.

Hello everyone. I'm posting...

2009-01-16T18:28:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone. I'm posting this for my cellphone so I have to keep it short. We got an good day with Herson. He's been up. He's been eating. He slept. He cried. He's been up. He's eating.And on this goes probably all night long. that's okay though cause he's a newborn and we'll used to it. Well we'll be use to it. Cathy is doing well. Herson's blood sugar is back up to normal. And he's temperature's fine. We're just gonna see what happens tonight. Every thing's fine. And we'll get back to you tomorrow.
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Overnight report

2009-01-16T08:17:00.003-05:00

I'm home this morning after spending the night at the hospital. I'm almost completely thawed out after being out in -14F temperatures!

Harrison spent the night in the nursery rather than Cathy's room because his blood sugar had dropped some more and because he was/is having issues getting his body temperature up to normal. Most of yesterday evening his body temp was ranging about 96 degrees. It would climb back up to 98.6 if they put him in the "heat lamp" crib but he just couldn't seem to maintain that on his own. So they kept him under watch for the night. It's nothing serious, but I have to admit it was actually a little disorienting to wake up and not see him in the room. Cathy and I both slept fine, even with having to wake up twice for the nurses to give Cathy some meds and draw blood.

The cold weather has caused the girls' preschool to be cancelled today. Mimi (Cathy's mom), who is watching the girls, was supposed to have some break time today while the girls were in school. So instead, she's going to go spend time with Cathy and Harry this morning at the hospital while I stay here and spend time with the girls (and take a shower, and eat a real breakfast, and....). I don't sense that Penny and Lucy are having some issues with Harry's arrival, necessarily, but yesterday once they got to the hospital they seemed almost ravenous to have some time with Mama and Daddy. So it's probably best for all that I give them some, especially since it is WAY too cold to have them get out to the hospital today.

We'll hopefully get more pictures or video up this evening. Thanks again for all your prayers and thoughts.

More from the big day

2009-01-15T22:19:00.000-05:00

Here are some other items from this very busy day that are a lot less interesting, maybe, than photos and video:

Mimi and the girls almost missed the entire thing today because the ringer on the phone at home had been turned off. (Three guesses as to who might have done that, and her name begins with "P".) Moments before I was shuttled back to the OR for Cathy's C-section, I finally managed to get hold of the building contractor for our subdivision, who drove over to the house, knocked on the door, and told Mimi to turn the ringer back on the phone because something big was happening.
Harrison had some issues with blood sugar shortly after birth, tied to Cathy's issues with gestational diabetes. His blood sugar was very low (in the 20's) and so his first feeding had to be formula from a bottle. Fortunately it's shot back up and stabilized at normal levels, but not after having his heel pricked about 10 different times today to get blood samples, poor guy.
No, I did not watch the C-section take place. I was already too nervous about the birth, and the sight of entrails would have put me over the edge. I did look in, after Harry was born though, and was OK.
It's really, really cold out there, and the hospital parking lot is mostly taken up by construction equipment, which means I have to park about 100-200 yards away and hoof it. I don't mind it if it's just me, but shuttling the girls in and out tonight was kind of awful. Also, there's static electricity everywhere; I actually managed to restart the computer in Cathy's room (used to control the monitor equipment) by touching it and zapping it with a huge blue arc of static. I'm on my third pair of shoes so far, trying to cut down the static electricity so I don't zap Harry accidentally.

So it's now back to the hospital for the night. Thanks again for all the support and prayers throughout this amazing day.

First video of Harry

2009-01-15T19:14:00.003-05:00

I was going to post this video with the earlier post, but it was taking too long to upload. Here's Harry, about 10 minutes after the delivery.

I love the way his eyes track with things going on around him. He just seems very alert for a newborn. And Penny thought that his little cry at the beginning of the video was funny.

Speaking of the girls, they got their first sample of Harrison earlier this evening in the form of an hour-long visit at the hospital. Harry was sleeping, so it got a little boring for them, but then the nurse came in to measure Harry's blood sugar and things got interesting. From the looks of it, both girls are (as Steph put it in the comments to the last post) "just wild about Harry".

Introducing Harry

2009-01-15T15:37:00.002-05:00

I'm back at the house for a brief session of downloading/uploading photo, grabbing a few things I need for the night, and taking the girls to meet their new little brother. I'll cut to the chase for now and give you some photos.

Upon seeing these photos a few minutes ago, Cathy's mom said that definitely Harry's inherited their side of the family's looks. I suppose that's probably God's mercy in action there.

The plan for the rest of the afternoon and evening is that I'm taking the girls along with Cathy's mom to the hospital so they can get a chance to meet the new one. They'll come on back home later, and I'll spend the night with Cathy at the hospital. Bring on the sleep deprivation!

Welcome, Harry

2009-01-15T13:27:00.004-05:00

We're now truly the Talbert Five! Harrison Lewis Talbert was brought into the world today at 9:43 AM. He weighs 8 pounds exactly and is ~~12.75 inches long. (I'm trying out "Five Dollar Footlong" as his first nickname.)~~ [Ed.: Oops -- I meant he's 20.75 inches long. So much for my nicknames.] Both mom and baby are doing fine; Cathy slept for a while after the delivery and Harry has been out for a couple of hours. Since the delivery, Harry has had his blood sugar checked multiple times, had a bath, and drank about .75 oz of formula. He's already showing signs of being the new champion eater of the family.

We have tons of photos and some video to post, and this will go up later since I'm posting from my iPod right now. But to decribe him - he has Cathy's nose and strawberry blonde hair (that was her color when she was a baby, at least), my mouth, dark eyes, nice pink skin, and a big head! He is sucking and crying well, although he seems pretty calm for having just been born.

The girls and Cathy's mom are coming by a little later once everyone has had a chance to rest. I will try to run home this afternoon to post photos and pick up stuff I need for the hospital stay. Thanks to all for your thoughts and prayers; stay tuned!

Here we go

2009-01-15T08:50:00.002-05:00

Cathy's ob/gyn just showed up. The Cervadil didn't do much overnight, so she wants to do a C-section. It looks like we'll be going in soon - as in, the nurse is telling me to scrub in right now. So... More later. Much more!

At the hospital

2009-01-14T21:58:00.003-05:00

Cathy and I arrived at Community South Hospital around 8:00 PM tonight to get checked in and get the whole baby-delivery process started. Here's the room:

There was a lengthy period of filling out forms and having the nurse enter info into the system. After hooking Cathy up to the monitors, we were in for a surprise -- she was having contractions! Cathy just thought it was cramping or some other kind of normal bodily pressure. Harrison's heart rate is right where it's supposed to be, as are Cathy's vitals.

The reason Cathy is in the hospital tonight rather than tomorrow is that her cervix was not "ripening", at all, as of this afternoon. So about an hour ago they applied Cervidil to her, in order to get her cervix to soften. The Cervidil takes around 12 hours to really work -- but on the other hand, it might kick in at any moment and she might go into labor. We don't know. What we do know is that the ob/gyn wants to induce, starting around 6:00 or 7:00 AM tomorrow (Thursday), and unless something unexpected happens, that's the plan.

So Cathy is spending the night at the hospital, and we figured the best thing for me to do was to come home and try to get a reasonably solid night of sleep, since tomorrow is going to be a long -- and amazing -- day.

A few more boring remarks before the excitement happens

2009-01-14T13:28:00.003-05:00

Cathy just mentioned that the next post will involve photos of Harry. Sorry to disappoint! Just wanted to mention that we will try to post updates of how things are going as we are able to do so. I think the next 24 hours will probably consist of long stretches of boredom and physical discomfort punctuated by intense activity and, er, more physical discomfort. So while I won't be blogging from the delivery room floor, we will try to keep everyone up to speed on how things are going during the down times.

Being the nerd that I am, I'm trying out a service called Dial2Do, a voice-to-text service that allows me to dial up a number and do different things, include "write" blog posts by leaving a voicemail message. I just tested it out and it seemed to work, but if a post appears to have unusual typos in it, it's because a computer is translating my voicemail to text.

Now let the excitement begin!

T minus 8 hours.....

2009-01-14T12:19:00.001-05:00

Just got back from a doctor's appointment.....I'll be admitted this evening for induction tomorrow (January 15th). Next post should include photos of Harrison......

10 days to go?????

2009-01-05T20:41:00.004-05:00

Harrison now weighs (according to ultrasound) 8.6 pounds!! Though I know this could be off, I think that's probably about right. I'm up to nearly a 10 pound overall weight gain - I have no secret!! I'm eating what I want and when I want and have no idea why it's been so small. I did find out over Christmas that my Mom gained only about 15 pounds with her pregnancies.......

I had yet another marathon appointment today: ultrasound, nonstress testing and an OB visit. The ultrasound revealed Harrison's weight. He was very active during the nonstress testing. I only needed to be monitored for about 10 minutes. My blood pressure was high at the onset of my OB visit (I had been at the mall power walking!) but came down quickly. At this point it looks like I'll be induced Thursday January 15th. There is nothing going on currently to indicate labor will be coming anytime before that.

So, I go back this Friday (Penny's birthday) for another ultrasound and nonstress test.....then back again Monday (Lucy's birthday) to do that all over again....and will see my OB next Wednedsay (Harrison's actual due date)....and to the hospital Thursday for the real fun!!!!!!

Good bye 2008 and hello 2009!!

2008-12-31T15:50:00.002-05:00

Stay tuned, a lot will change in 2009!!!!!

37 weeks.... 5 days

2008-12-29T19:55:00.002-05:00

I had my first appointment at the OB's this week - now that I am close to the end, I will enjoy twice a week visits. Today's marathon began at 1:30pm and I finally left the office at 4:50pm! Let's hope this is not the trend over the next two weeks.

Harrison did very well with the non-stress test today. I stopped at Fazoli's on the way and ate a couple of their garlic breadsticks. That must be the secret to get him moving!! The ultrasound once again showed I have plenty of fluid so no worries there either. I didn't receive an update on his size.....maybe Friday when I have the pleasure of going back.

Finally, I met with Dr. J. I'm measuring smaller meaning I've dropped a bit. But, there is no action otherwise. She isn't planning on seeing me until next week and again promised that I would not go past my due date. I think I can plan a small combined birthday party for the girls afterall on Jan. 10 or 11. Hmmmmmm....if I plan that, will he come????

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T19:29:00.001-05:00

Well I don’t know if you remember me or not
I’m one of the kids they brought in from the home
I was the red-haired boy in an old green flannel shirt
You may not have seen me – I was standing off alone
I didn’t come and talk to you, ‘cause that’s never worked before
And you’ll prob’ly never see this letter anyway
But just in case there’s something you can do to help me out
I’ll ask you one more time

All I really want for Christmas
Is someone to tuck me in
A shoulder to cry on if I lose
Shoulders to ride on if I win
There’s so much I could ask for
But there’s just one thing I need
All I really want for Christmas is a family

Well I guess I should go ahead and tell you now
If it’s really true about that list you have
Somehow I always seem to end up in a fight
But I’m really trying hard not to be bad
But maybe if I had a brother or a dad to wrestle with
Well, maybe they could teach me how to get along
And from everything I’ve heard
Sounds like the greatest gift on earth would be a mom

All I really want for Christmas
Is someone to tuck me in
A shoulder to cry on if I lose
Shoulders to ride on if I win
There’s so much I could ask for
But there’s just one thing I need
All I really want for Christmas

Is someone who’ll be there
To sing me “Happy Birthday”
For the next 100 years
And it’s OK if they’re not perfect
Well, even if they’re a little broken, that’s alright
‘Cause so am I

Well, I guess I should go
It’s almost time for bed
And maybe next time I write you
I’ll be at home

‘Cause all I really want for Christmas
Is someone to tuck me in
Tell me I’ll never be alone
Someone whose love will never end
Of all that I could ask for
Well, there’s just one thing I need
All I really want for Christmas
All I really want for Christmas is a family

Just a family

That’s all I really need

37 weeks pregnant.....

2008-12-23T18:21:00.003-05:00

.....I guess it's about time I post about being pregnant!! Honestly, there hasn't been too much to report about. I went through the first trimester with no morning, afternoon or evening sickness. Accept for being really tired, I wouldn't have know that I was pregnant. I had a couple of ultrasounds during the second trimester which confirmed pregnancy (though I was still in denial!!) - but no strange cravings or extra hungry feelings. My third trimester brought with it the diagnosis of gestational diabetes, but that's been in check with diet modification only. That's been the biggest "pain" so far as I am testing my blood sugar 4xs daily and my fingers show it.

Now that I've reached what is considered "full term" I must say that I finally do feel pregnant!! The large basketball shaped mass making up my abdominal region is stretched me out a lot. I am unable to bend over and sometimes the thought of eating gags me. I still have gained only about 8 pounds overall and am experiencing minimal swelling (if any). With the exception of the tugging and pulling in my abs plus pelvic pressure I am feeling, it's still all pretty good. Well, sneezing can bring about interesting results!!

My appointments take much longer now..... ultrasounds (to determine his size and amount of amniotic fluid present), non-stress tests (to make certain heart rate is okay) and OB visits are included each time. The multiple ultrasounds are nice as we receive photos each time, but it's really hard to see anything as Harrison is so large now (7.6 pounds today). The non-stress testing could be stressful as we seem to pick appointment times during his nap. Robert & the girls showed up today during the testing and as Lucy began talking he perked up. I told the girls they needed to argue as that does get a reaction from him everytime!! I don't think Penny liked seeing Mama hooked up to the monitors (she warmed up when Dr. J offered her a lollipop).

So, I go back next Monday for another ultrasound and non-stress test but will not see Dr. J until Friday (with yet another u/s and NST). So, it doesn't look like we'll have a December baby afterall.......

A little Christmas tuneage for you

2008-12-22T14:18:00.003-05:00

One of the things we love about Penny and Lucy's preschool is that they teach them all these classic Christmas songs (and other songs throughout the year). Their Christmas program was this past Sunday, and here are a couple of videos from the "rehearsal" we held at the lunch table.

First, Penny with "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". At 0:48, you will experience what we call "the infinite loop", in which the singer gets confused as to where she is in the song. Don't worry, she finally gets it.

Not to be outdone, here's Lucy with "Up on the Housetop":

She usually falls into the infinite loop on this one too, starting the song all over again when she gets to the final "Up on the housetop....", but she managed to avoid it this time.

It's great to have such hard-singing kids around here!

Harrison Stats

2008-12-20T08:44:00.003-05:00

Come on in and join the baby pool.........

http://www.expectnet.com/game.php (game name: Harrisonstats)

Here's some news from an ultrasound done this past Tuesday- Harrison "weighs" 7.4 pounds at 36 weeks.
Good Luck!! We'll have some sort of "prize" for the winner......

Scattergories

2008-12-16T07:31:00.002-05:00

Scattergories
I saw this on another blog last week, so I figured I'd give it a try. It was fun, you should try it.

SCATTERGORIES. ..it's harder than it looks! Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following. They have to be real places, names, things…nothing made up! You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

What is your name: Cathy
Boy name: Carson
4 letter word: cute
Girl name: Camie (once my nickname in school)
Occupation: Cytotechnologist!!
A color: creamy beige (when I wore makeup, my color)
Something you wear: coat
Beverage: Coke
Food: Cake (yummy!!) or Christmas cookies!
Something found in a bathroom: concealer
A place: California
Reason for being late: car crash
Something you shout: Come on, let's go!!!

This was a bit difficult but fun.....give it a try

Merry Christmas

2008-12-06T17:05:00.004-05:00

During the Christmas season 2006, we knew who Penny was- we had her photo and approval from the Chinese government to adopt and bring her home. It became clear as time passed that we would not be able to have her home for Christmas that year. "Third Day", one of my favorite bands who happens to be Christian, had a Christmas album come out then that included a song called "Merry Christmas." It was written by their (then) guitar player Brad Avery as he and his family waited to bring their little girl home from China. I came across a blog today that included this YouTube video posting from Brad It includes the song and photos of his family welcoming their newest member home......

And the winner is...........

2008-12-04T20:05:00.001-05:00

Every year the Talbert clan gathers for the annual measure. It's to see who grew the most over the course of the year. Though Granddaddy didn't measure her as growing as much as the pediatrician did, Penny won growing a whopping 5.25 inches!!!

No more teachers, no more books...

2008-11-24T21:53:00.002-05:00

Tonight was our fourth and final childbirth class. This time it was more about what to do once the baby is out. I learned...

• How to swaddle. As a bonus, I also learned how properly to wrap a burrito, because this is the same thing as swaddling. Only, you know, one involves a baby and the other involves refried beans.
• That I can't seem to wipe the grin off my face when I watch good parents take care of little babies, like we saw in the video tonight.
• How to transfer holding a baby in one arm to holding the baby in the crook of your other arm without letting go of the head. It's kind of a nifty spin-move.
• That newborns wake up about 3-4 times a night for the first month or so, then begin to settle in to a pattern asymptotically approaching sleeping through the night. Honestly, nobody around here is looking forward to that, but at the same time it doesn't sound much worse than Lucy when she was 8-12 months. There were weeks at a time when an average of 4-5 wakings per night was not unusual, and this continued for a lot longer than a few weeks. So perhaps the culture shock of not getting a full night's sleep won't be so bad this time. Perhaps.

On that last point, I do wish that before we had gone over to adopt Lucy in 2004, we had gotten some sort of serious advance warning of how much of a shock it would be -- how much work it is, how little sleep we'd get, and above all how much confusion and outright depression was going to come from transitioning from DINKs to new parents literally overnight with no intervening period of pregnancy to get us ready. We probably got more information about that kind of shock, which correlates with depression and the "baby blues", in the first hour tonight than we got in the months leading up to our first adoption. And we could have used it back then, as we really struggled once Lucy -- a very high-maintenance baby -- was home with us. I hear that adoption agencies do a better job with keeping parental expectations realistic and preparing parents for the shock of a new baby these days, and I hope that's true.