Our Family

Thank you for checking us out! We set up this site so you can track our progress to adopt a baby from China. We also added some info about cystic fibrosis and other issues in our little corner of the world.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

And More...



With Colleen's brother Andy's family (L-R:Eva, Anna, wife Kari,Janie,Colleen,Jim& Josie, Andy & Kirby.) Andy's two other sons, Keith and Karl are not in the picture. Kirby is just a few months older than Josie. I think Josie has three cousins born in the same year as her, all boys. One of them, Shad, was born one day before her. It's kind of special too because Colleen was with Shad's family the day he was born and was able to see him within hours of his birth. Josie also has some first cousins once removed (Colleen's great neices and nephews) that are very close in age. (My neice Emily and my nephew Josh had girls 5 and 9 months after Josie was born. I used to babysit both Emily and Josh so it feels funny becoming a first-time parent the same time as them!)




I love my pink and purple swimsuit!












Just hangin' out with daddy.

More Pics




The bib says "Auntie Loves Me" (from Auntie Janel.)













I LOVE my exersaucer! I'm getting stronger every day!
















This bib says "Uncle Loves Me" (from Uncle Matti.)










I'm getting stronger every day. I can stand like this forever (well, a very long time) and sometimes I even do it one-handed!

(Don't ask me about crawling, I'd rather stand and walk.)

Feldhausen Family Reunion



One of the few pictures of the 3 of us together.













Jim's dad and grandparents.
















With Buppa Hausen













It's been over a week so I have lots of pictures!

More Pics



Playing with my cousins, Cade & Emma. Cade always makes me laugh.














J-lo has nothin' on me.
















My caseworker,Kris, from Lifelink. It has been a long time in coming, but this is the full circle. Mommy and Daddy met with Kris for the first time in January 2005. Now I am HERE!




I've been trying for awhile now to post pictures but for some reasons they won't upload. Hope these work.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Josie is Adjusting Well

With Poppa at the camp(Colleen's dad).




I love to read! (with Ammi, Colleen's mom)

Feed me!














I love the cats, but they always stay just out of reach...







We've been home (in the U.S.) for over two weeks and during that time Josie has traveled 7 hours to Colleen's parents' cabin in the Keweenaw Peninsula of upper Michigan, and the next week she went 5 hours to Iron Mountain Michigan for Jim's family reunion. She did pretty well in the car. She had a little trouble a couple of days when she was held by several new people: she let them hold her and was quite social. One time when we got home she looked at me in extreme anger and started crying- she was not happy with me! But both nights she had trouble sleeping and would cry out if mom wasn't holding her. (She fell immediately asleep whenever I picked her up.) So it's a good sign, she is attaching well so far. She sleeps in between me and Jim,and she stretches out both of her arms so she can feel each of us there.

She wakes up very smiley! It's a great way to start the day! I've started going for walks with her at 9:00 each morning and she likes it, but then she falls right asleep - good nap for her and good exercise for me.

She has started to babble- more and more each day. She says "bababababa" a lot - Baba is Chinese for Daddy so maybe she's saying she loves her daddy?? She also coughs as a form of communication and says "ahhhhhh." When she is tired she puts her thumb in her mouth and whispers "gagagagaga." She is so adorable!

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

HomeComing Posts

I am posting the pictures that my sister took of our homecoming. Didn't she do an amazing job? Yay!!! In the next day or so I will post some more pictures that we took since coming home. Josie is doing great! She has adjusted her schedule to U.S. time and is continuing to bond with mommy and daddy. Daddy doesn't have to go back to work until next week so we're really enjoying this family time together. What a dream come true!

Arriving at the Airport



Josie sees Madison (home) from the airplane!





























Daddy waiting at the airport at the bottom of the escalator.



























Bottom of the escalator.

Meeting Daddy


Family!!!




Yay!














Looking at our new little one.



















Going to see Daddy.





WOO HOO!! I finally found my Daddy!!!!

Coming home



Getting acquainted at the airport.



















Bedtime first night at home. (Someone can't keep his eyes off of her.)

Monday, July 03, 2006

Home Sweet Home

YAY!!!!!! We MADE it! We are home safe and sound with daddy. I don't have photos yet but when I do I will post them. (I left my camera in the bathroom in Kunming and when I remembered it ten minutes later it was gone...) I used a disposable camera this weekend to shoot some more photos and will get them put on disk.

Josie did wonderfully on the flight from Hong Kong to Chicago, sleeping most of the way. We were blessed with a very patient travel mate sitting next to us. Our flight from Chicago to Madison was delayed a couple of hours due to mechanical problems. Poor Jim had to wait a bit longer to meet his daughter. But all turned out well, and we saw him from the top of the escalator at the Madison airport. He watched us come down the escalator and I delivered his special package to him at the bottom of the steps. Josie took to him immediately and started smiling and playing with him.

The very first night back Daddy took care of Josie as Mommy proceeded to sleep for 15 hours. I would've slept more except he woke me up so I would sleep on Saturday night. However, I couldn't sleep Saturday night anyway. I'm all screwed up with the time change and feeling sick again. I must've been sick in Kunming due to exhaustion and stress, because I feel the same way now. Josie is still adjusting to the time change as well, although last night she finally went to sleep around 1:00 and is still sleeping now at 6:00 am. (Yesterday she didn't go to sleep until 5:00 am) I have been up since 4:00 and am going back to bed now.

Jim has been incredible - he knows so much about taking care of her. He feeds her food and formula, cuddles her, changes her, and overall just showers her with love and affection. He has taken over and is letting me get rest. I hope I'll be back on schedule and eating again in a couple of days. It is so much fun to be a parent with him.

We plan to go to my parents' cabin in Michigan later in the week and spend about 10 days there until Jim's Family reunion in Iron Mountain on the 15th. I look forward to spending time with my parents with our baby, and also bringing her to Jim's reunion. He was the first of the Feldhausen grandchildren to get married, 12 years ago, and since then many of his cousins have married and had children. Now he will bring his child and introduce her to the rest of the clan.

I can't thank you all enough for your love and prayers. This is truly a miracle that's happened in our family, and what was once a distant hope has become a reality. I'm looking forward to posting more pictures so you can see what God has done with our lives.

love,
Colleen