Grammie spoiled us with her famous molasses cookies

Grammie makes the best molasses cookies. This is Kate getting her first bite of many to come. Both the girls loved them. I fed one to Kate the other day and she hugged me after every bite with a huge grin on her face.

We got to meet our Grammie and Grandpa!

Phil's family got to meet the girls for the first time at the baptism. What a special weekend! Phil was so excited to show them off to his family! Grammie brought over several special toys that Phil played with when he was little and the girls loved them all. They got to meet Uncle David, Uncle Doug and Aunt Carol, and cousins Matt, Kelly, Marissa, Kevin and Kayla. The girls got the cutest little twin outfits from Uncle Lee, Aunt Carol, and cousins Megan and Michael.

There are complexities of having your daddy baptize you...

...like you feel completely comfortable sticking your fingers up his nose in public. :) I think she is actually going for the microphone in his ear in this picture, but doesn't it look like she has her fingers up his nose?

Daddy got to baptize them himself

Lily Gabrielle Fuxin, child of the covenant (above)
Kate Isabella Fujing, child of the covenant (below)

Our covenant children are baptized

As early as in Genesis, God established a covenant between His people and their children. How amazing to know that Kate (right) and Lily are His covenant children through adoption! It was great to share this experience with all of our church family who have prayed for Lily and Kate and journeyed with us through our dating, marriage and now, the baptism of our children. It was a day we will always remember and refer Lily and Kate back to as they see others baptized in the future.

Desperate times call for desperate measures

We had our first household illness this week. Everyone had fever but mom, so I had to take care of 2 very fussy babies and a very sick husband. Poor Phil didn't get much attention except he did get to sleep in his real bed for 2 nights (we are still alternating sleeping with the girls) and we didn't see much of him. Lily and Kate both wanted to be held all day long and didn't want me to hold the other one at the same time - hhhmmm. What's a sleep deprived mother to do? Ah-ha!... THIS is why Baby Einstein videos are so popular! Wow. It was like hypnotism (as you can see above). (Lily on right). 30 minutes of shear maternal bliss. It distracted them enough so that I could take their temperature, get their medicine down them and look up the phone number to the nearest psychiatric hospital for mothers of young children who need to "check out" for a while. Really... to prevent this last step from happening, I just hit the restart button on the DVD a couple of times, and I was a new woman.
P.S. Did you know that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children not watch videos until 2 years of age? Yeowzah! That's a long time away from now for me!

Exploring the backyard

Lily (left), Kate and I ventured into the backyard to learn about leaves and grass some more, so we would be ready for our next park adventure. Kate looks so much bigger than Lily in this picture, but she is actually 3.5 ounces smaller. Both of them develop and change so rapidly right in front of my eyes. I feel like I am study two textbooks about international adoption except it is the equivalent to something like an IMAX textbook - in multidimension. The transitions they are experiencing (most fun, and some hard) are complex and amazing. I feel so privileged to get to be at home and watch this unfold in front of my eyes in two totally different ways with each daughter. Honestly, I feel torn in that I can't imagine spending a day away from them, but I am now even more passionate about helping others go through the adoption process and advocating for other children to be adopted, that I think I will always work in this field as long as God desires.

Ok, so I should definitely move nap time farther away from lunch

So I was feeding them while talking to their Aunt Lily on the phone...they both took a bite and were babbling to each other, I turned to refill the spoon and when I looked back...there they were...both falling fast asleep at the same time. Cold turkey, out!

What's everybody smiling about?!

Kate (top) and Lily (bottom) are finally reunited again at night! Both girls slept in their own cribs in the nursery last night. They did great...well that depends on who you ask. I was in the other room sleeping with Tylenol PM and a loud fan and thought everything went great! Phil, who graciously volunteered to pull the first night in the nursery, got some sleep between 12 -5 am. They definitely can't sleep through the other's cries at this point. I hope they will be able to soon!

Do you think I should move lunch a little farther from nap time?

Even our favorite foods, sweet potatoes and bananas, weren't keeping Katie awake!

We experienced a lot of firsts at the park.

Kate (top) stayed close by me on the blanket, but ventured to the edge to pick up crinkly leaves. Lily ventured out onto the grass for the first time. It is so much fun to see the novelty through their eyes in things that are so common place for me.

...we decided to brave the park!

On our one month anniversary of our Gotta Day (the day we got the girls), I took the girls all the way to the park one mile down the road. It only took two other adults to help me get the girls there. :) I still haven't figured out how to get them out of the house by myself with all of the equipment. One thing I have learned is that twins = equipment. We had a wonderful time with our playmates Gracie, Cole and Sam. And Mommy's playmates, Karen E. and Beth B.

After 3 weeks of strolling just up and down our street...

So how are Ben and Zack handling the transition...

They are either too bold with the girls (top with Kate) or too bashful. They are emotionally pretty traumatized right now. We have to give them lovin' after the girls go down at night and during naps.

Our first complete family photo

We were so excited to get this photo. As you can see, Lily and Kate are our second set of twins. Just kidding. Ben and Zack were adopted 13 and 12 years ago, respectively, and are not biological siblings. This has been a huge adjustment for them as they have been happily and completely spoiled rotten all these years. They are second fiddle around here nowadays which is hard for me to see, but I know it must be that way.

Desperate meal times

Kate now yells, "MA-MA, MA-MA" at the top of her voice to get me to feed her faster. Lily just looks at her like she is crazy and babbles something to her. It think she is saying, "What's your deal? The food's not that great." It cracks me up every time. They started babbling last week and starting babbling to each other in baby conversation yesterday. I think Kate is actually calling ME "Mama"now (as opposed to calling the doors and curtains "Mama"). It is really fun to be called "Mama". It is such an amazing gift to me to be the mother of these precious girls. I am treasuring even the hard times (not exactly at the moment the hard time is occuring...but later). I want so desperately to help them through this time of adjustment and give them everything I physically and emotionally have to offer. This has meant keeping them at home and a bit shielded during this transition, which has been hard, since I just want to show them off! It is a challenge to get two children securely attached and comfortable with their new home since I can't always meet their needs both at the same time. Everyone has been so understanding. This is primarily why I am still doing the Blog, so that all of our friends and family who haven't seen them yet, will get to know them. This transition won't last forever and we will be out on the town soon!

Don't let the innocent face fool you

Lily was the one that was described as "gentle." Now that she has come out more, I can see that I do not have a gentle daughter amongst the two of them. She will happily mow down her sister and can get any toy she wants from her.

Splish, splash, we were takin' a bath...

The electrical umbilical cords

This is how Phil and I spend our evenings after the girls go to bed...staring at the monitors. Lily and Kate both have one since we haven't moved them back into the same room quite yet. We alternate babies each night so when the lights flash red and a cry is heard, one of us says,"It's your baby" the other is off to check on her. We are so excited that both of them are sleeping in their cribs through the night. We are hoping to move them back together next week!

We had a visit from Little Tan Riding Hood today!

Phil is a great play Daddy and the girls just eat it up. It is hard for him to have to go to work. He missed them and we miss him!

Twin tricks

Kate: Oh, no! Mom caught us playing with the electrical cords!
Lily: Just smile really big. She is such a sucker, we won't get in trouble. Besides, she is into that attachment-style parenting and so we probably won't get spankings.
















Kate: You were right! Look at that smile on her face. She IS a sucker.

Each day brings new smiles

The best part about this newly home time to to me is seeing our children relax more each day with us, opening up to show us who they really are. If they were birth children, we would be looking for parts of ourselves in them. Are they laid back like Phil? Are they obsessive- compulsive like their mother? Instead, we get to be completely surprised by new discoveries and they get to be their unique selves. Each day, they smile a little more. Lily (bottom) has a ready, "let me entertain you" kind of smile that is so beautiful, as if she is posing for the camera. You have to work a little harder to get smiles out of Kate (top), but when you do, they are such joyous ones. Her smiles are so big that her eyes squeeze into little slits so you can barely see them. It just makes me want to sop her with a biscuit and gobble her up!

We found a sweet tooth

So we finally found something that Lily will eat...icing and ice cream. She loved them. Kate still isn't sure about it...as you can see.
Later I mixed ice cream and green peas together for their supper. Both ate the disgusting mix. Ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do!

We each have a baby!

The best part about twins is that mom and dad don't have to fight over who gets the baby-we both get to have our hands full! We let them go to town on the cakes. There was icing and cake everywhere. It was great to see them have so much fun and really get into it. We feel so blessed to have them home on their first birthday. This is what we had prayed for specifically. Poor Phil, whose birthday was the next day, had to eat day old birthday cake. Maybe next year, I'll be together enough to make both days special. He did get two great gifts this year, though...Lily and Kate. I also promised him he could watch the Georgia game on Saturday for his birthday. Now there's a gift from the bottom of my heart (time is way more precious than money these days!)

It's our birthday and we'll cry if we want to...or anything else we want to do for that matter...

It is so fun to spoil your children! We had a blast spoiling them on their birthday. They even both had their own birthday cake with their favorite toy iced on top with frosting. Thanks a lot, Julie U, my neighbor for making the beautiful cakes! What a precious gift to us!

Home alone

Ok, this is a fake smile. I still don't want Phil to go back to work. I am only encouraged by the fact that other twin moms do this somehow. :)

Two beautiful cribs that no one wants to sleep in

I worked so hard on the nursery and where do they sleep? One on the floor of the nursery and one in our bed. Phil and I alternate sleeping with them in these places.

Mommy gets some lovin'

Top picture: Kate on left
Bottom Picture: Lily

Distractions at mealtime

This is the face that Lily makes instead of eating. I can just hear her little thoughts..."If I am cute enough, she won't put that spoon in my mouth." She better eat or Kate is going to pass her on weight.

Hey, do I have something on my chin?

Drooling is the name of the game here. Their referral papers stated that they liked to "play with their drool." We thought it was just a funny Chinese translation error. It wasn't. They love to make funny noises with mouths full of drool. Here is Kate showing us her skills.

Our first stroll around the neighborhood

Lily (back) loved it. Kate liked it. Kate gets to ride in front so she doesn't get bored for now. Lily just takes in the scenery from the back. They like to watch the neighbor boys ride their bikes. I think they are going to really love living on a cul de sac!

Want to come and play at 3 am?

Kate (top - given away by the wagging tongue) and Lily (bottom) are jet lagging! Their first bedtime here in the US was 6 am (7pm China time). We have moved it earlier each night. We are now at 10pm. To tire them out we do crawling relay races up and down the hall going back and forth between Phil and I. They love it! Their crawling has really gotten good.

They brought me all the way from China to put me in this torture chamber?!

Lily (top) and Kate (bottom) didn't really enjoy their first car seat experience. Thanks to Tony B. and Mike M. for installing the car seats (3 hour job) and Karen E. for encouraging me to really strap them in. I don't think I would have had the courage left to myself. I don't really enjoy the part of being a mommy where you feel your child's emotional pain. I guess that is the only possible flip side to feeling their joy.

Double Trouble on Double Tree

We came home to our wonderful little cul de sac house on Double Tree Circle. The neighbors had decorated the subdivision sign, our mailbox and the banners/poster that you see in the picture - complete with Chinese lanterns and gifts. How loved we felt! Inside the house, the mantle was decorated with a banner and balloons, there were meals and a stocked refridgerator by friends. Our yard had been cut, the front railing fixed and repainted and the sidewalk powerwashed. We should adopt again!

Ahh...RELIEF!

We have never been so happy on our journey to the baggage claim at the Birmingham airport! It was great to share Lily and Kate with family and friends. We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love!

Phil "watches" the girls during a layover

I really don't know who is drooling the most. When I came over to take over, Phil was in a deep sleep. One of the girls squealed, and Phil rustled about still very asleep, mumbling with slow, slurred speech as if speaking from a dream..."Is it time for a diaper...I mean bottle change..." I was trying so hard not to laugh, but giggled which woke him enough to slurredly mumble..."stop laughing at..." and then his voice trailed off into sleep again. It has been such a joy to watch him become a Daddy. He has wanted to be a dad since his college buddies can remember. He loves to lay on the floor and let them crawl all over him. They clearly adore him and I adore watching him with them. I guess this is what other parents are talking about when they say that having children takes your marriage to an even deeper level. I may never get him all to myself again, but I would have never gotten to know this side of him any other way; and thus, not truly known him. I can't wait to see more!

More flying

No, I'm not sleeping, but praying that this bottle will do the trick on Lily. Even though it was a hard trip, it could have been so much worse. We got an extra seat or 2 on every leg, we had no lost luggage or passports, no diarrhea. We definitely felt the prayers of our friends.

The pack mule train plods along

Dad and Mom graciously carried most of the bags so that Phil and I could focus on Lily and Kate. They made the bottles, handed us the diapers and repeated the words, "She is going to be OK" to me as I feared the stress of the trip would be too much for the which ever baby I was holding. Towards the end of the second flight, I shed my first maternal tears of exhaustion to the flight stewardess when asking for some hot water for the next bottle with Kate crying in my ear. The woman took pity on me, helped me make the bottle, get to my seat, provided me with my first hot meal in 24 hours and even set my little table for me, uncovering the food so that I could eat with one hand. During the 28 hour trip, Lily slept for only 3 hours and Kate for 6 - unbelievable.

The long road home

Yes! We are finally home. But I thought I would share some footage and thoughts of the trip home. It was 28 hours with 2 very overwhelmed and NOT sleepy 11 month olds, new parents, ear infections, security checks and airplane food. God must allow you to forget this over time through new parenting bliss in the same way he allows birth moms to forget the extreme pain of labor so that you will have another baby.
Here we are in Japan. Sushi wonderland of the world and we only had time for a Japanese hotdog!