Truer Words...

...were never printed on a bib.

Jace actually has FOUR older sisters (counting LC) and they ALL spent their afternoon with him. He was so tickled to have his best girls around. We love Jace's Illinois sisters, and both Jace and LC ended the visit completely snuggled and smooched.

This evening, Jace rang in the New Year with his butterfly buddies, Roscoe, Bubba and LeRoy. We've given them testosterone-friendly names to combat their pink and gingham-ness. Justin suggested we take them down and replace them with something more masculine...like bears...or footballs...or teeny plastic firearms. He also suggested I stop calling Jace "Princess Buttercup" whenever he's in his swing of happiness.

I suggested Justin pretend I was considering his requests while I went and activated Jace's "lights and music" option on his Sparkle Papasan swing.

Oooooo....he LOVES the lights and music option...

Don't fret over the absence of LC in this post...Pudgerella napped from 12:15 until nearly 4:00 and then, again, from 5:30 - 6:45...it looks like we'll be watching the ball drop with 17 pounds of unexpected company.

Due to Popular Demand...

Some Jace-tatistics...

Birthday: September 30, 2009

Length: 20 1/2 inches

Weight: 9 1/2 lbs

Favorite color: Blue

Favorite food: Similac Advance (but he's been asking to sample deep dish pizza)

Favorite activity: swinging

Favorite TV show: Dirty Jobs

Pet Peeves: Slurpy kisses from his sister

Dream Vacation: North Pole...he has a few snowsuits and he looks too good in them to waste his wardrobe on a tropical vacation

Dream Job: Field Goal Kicker (Right now, he's leaning towards kicking for the Bears...but he understands the Chiefs could use all the help they can get)

Professional Accomplishments: He has a complete AV canal cardiac defect but is showing off with super oxygen saturation levels (94 - 96%!) He does all his own stunts in the eating department and has nearly doubled his birth weight in the past 3 months, in spite of his heart defect. He'll be a candidate for open heart surgery when he hits 5 kg (he's at 4.35 now). So, it looks like there's an excellent chance we'll celebrate LC's first open heart anniversary by initiating Jace into the Zipper club!

Phone Number: Sorry, ladies. That's privileged information...and, anyway, he has a 5:00 p.m. curfew.

Jace's Day in Court...

Today we went into downtown Chicago for Jace's court appearance. It's the only one we'll have to make, since his adoption will be finalized in Illinois after we've already returned to Kansas.

I thought he looked very dashing in his court outfit. He chose to wear blue. He'd read it made you appear more innocent. He thought it a good choice, based on the fact that we'd be surrounded by law enforcement professionals and they always watch Heigele boys VERY closely...

We arrived at the courthouse around 11:15 and were scheduled to meet with our attorney there at noon.

See Daddy?

See Daddy's sweaty forehead?

This is Dad after returning from a frantic run to Walgreen's. When we arrived at the courthouse this morning, we had a memorable "Did you put the diaper bag in the car? No, I thought YOU put the diaper bag in the car..." exchange. Since we knew we'd be in for a long afternoon and car trip back home, Justin (once again) saved the day by running to Walgreen's and newly purchasing the vital items we'd left in the diaper bag sitting by our front door.

And save the day he DID. We weren't called before the judge until 2:30. Count them folks...that's THREE AND A HALF fun-filled hours in a courthouse hallway with two teeny kidlets.

ONLY our Pudge could be wearing this expression after two and a half hours of no toys or snacks....

...but even HER patience started to feel the burn after hour number three...

Jace, on the other hand, wasn't the least bit affected and enjoyed discussions of the surrounding architecture with his dad between snoozes.


Finally, we were called into the courtroom where we were sworn in, congratulated and excused within a four minute time frame.

I'm still not sure what was accomplished today...the adoption wasn't finalized...we still aren't legally able to return to Kansas...I think it may have awarded us custody of Jace...I'm truly not positive...

So, Happy "Something Legally Profound" Day, Jace! We're delighted we could suffer through it together with you!

i kant bleef iss buddir.

hi efreewun.

iss lc.

i is a sittsir now.

dis my noo buddir.





dis buddir is jays.

dis buddir duzint liv in the fwidj.

dis buddir livs in the sweeng.





i feengk my buddir liks me.

i sho him all dem feengs he kin do win he iss a big kid lik me.

he woches me.

i feengk he pitty impwessd.





dis my dady hodeeng dat buddir.

i let dat buddir sit wif my dad becuz i feengk my dad is hapy to be holdeeng buddir.

i lik holdeeng buddir, too, i feengk.

sept no wun is efun letteeng me do dat wif him.

dis is klose as i kin git.an doze roolz is NO TUCHEENG. NOT EFUN dem stikky up bits uf him.

issunt dat buddir de kyootist feeng?

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Poor Dad had to start his birthday shoveling snow so LC could make it to the pediatrician's office for her Synagis shots. He was rewarded for his hard work with chocolate croissants and pumpkin muffins after her appointment.

Then, it was time for some last minute packing for our trip and celebrating Dad with presents and birthday kisses!


Clearly, LC's worried that Dad is going to try to cash in one smooch for every year he's celebrating. Her skin is very delicate in the winter and that many kisses could lead to some painful chafing...

Happy 36th birthday, Dad!

We love you!

And Now...A Shameless Plug...

I don't frequently get excited enough about products to enthusiastically promote something (aside from Cheetos Puffcorn, that is).

But I do have a well-documented shoe obsession...and when someone is combining my love for shoes AND uniquely fabulous kids, I just have to spread the word about them!

This Christmas, LC and her cousin Curtie received some super cute shoes from Nana Cam. Curtie's shoes even SQUEAK. I squeaked a bit myself when I saw how cutie cute LC's shoes were. But when I read the mission statement included in each shoe box, I was HOOKED.

The shoes are by Itzy Bitzy and they're a company "dedicated to raising public awareness of individuals with facial differences". The BEST part is they do it by producing super cute and super affordable shoes and accessories for girls AND boys!

I knew we were going to be long time fans when I realized the size 0 shoes that LC had received actually had TRACTION on the bottom of them. Trust me, it's a rare thing to find supportive shoes for a kid who's trying to learn to stand and walk with newborn-sized feet.

If you're like me, shopping is the furthest thing from your mind during this time of year. But I hope you'll remember them if you find yourself shopping for little feet in the future. They have loads of genuinely adorable styles and are raising awareness for an equally adorable cause.

P.S. I just realized there's an opportunity for you to enter a monthly drawing for free shoes if you pay their site a visit! I think you have to visit via LC's blog, though. There's a link on the right, under our "Super Shopping" suggestions that will get you to the site and allow you to enter! Good luck!!! Let us know if you're a winner!

Our Merry Little Christmas...

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Ho, Ho, Ho...

We hope Santa can find us at home! He had expected us to be at Grandpa Fred and Grandma Janet's, but we couldn't risk getting snowed in. We have a very important trip coming up over the weekend and just couldn't be late.

We are so disappointed to miss Christmas with LC's "boys" (LC shamelessly adores her five older cousins...she shares her mother's preference for handsome older men). After our last Christmas spent under house arrest we were so excited about the idea of seeing her amidst the happy Christmas chaos that only Grandma Janet's can provide.

We will be thinking of ALL of our families...wherever they may be...and wish everyone the sweetest and most merry Christmas you can remember.

iss lc.

hi efreewun.

iss me.

iss lc.

i is goeeng to tel yoo abowt my tiem in ohiyo.

i seed my kelymom at dat pase.

i had the gudist tiem at dat ohiyo.

i wared a dess fir a partee. bekuz in ohiyo yoo goze to parteez efree day.

dis wut i wared to my partee at kelymom's hows.
i kant sho yoo my partee. bekuz poblee yoo wil wunt to go to find my kelymom.

an yoo wil wunt her to haf a partee fir yoo, too.

but yoo kant.

bekuz she is just my kelymom. an so i feengk yoo gots to find anudder partee.

dis my partee kake. my kelymom gottid it fir me.

dats how yoo no she lufs me.

kuz yoo can see all dat choklit.

an my kelymom gots me so miny pezzunts. An my ohiyo famlee gottid me pezzunts, too.

dady sed iss bekuz dem famlee lufs me so much.

momy sed iss olso bekuz my ohiyo famlee noze dat santa duzzent vizit kids dat bite.




win i gode on my twip i gots to swim in sum watir wif my dad.

dis is me teechun my dad wut swimmun luks lik.

i shode him my fog kiks. kikeeng is gudist if yoo is showeeng lots uf enfoozeeyazzum.

an i shode him how to gwab on to dat pool so yoo is saef.

i evun shode him a flote.



den we gots to go taek a warm baf.

i gots to haf a baf wif wun of my pezzunts fum my kelymom.

dis my bubulbaf. i luf it.

bubulbaf lets yoo ware yer baf on yer fase.

i kant bleef how dlishus dat bubulbaf is!

i luf yoo bubulbaf.

i luf yoo ohiyo.

i luf yoo kelymom.

i wil be at wun uf yer parteez agin soon.

an maybee dis tiem sumwun will membir to feed me sum uf dat KAKE.

Go Figure.

We've mentioned previously that LC's going through some "Stranger Danger" issues.

We've provided video footage to support her displeasure at being held by anyone other than her sweet Daddums.

Nana Cam would happily testify to a weekend spent waving to LC from afar, lest she should inspire another round of wailing.

But stick the kid on the lap of a spookity Christmas goblin, and she couldn't be more delighted.

Just when we think we're on our way to figuring the kid out...

HodgePodge and a Holiday Hiatus

In the interest of time and efficiency, we'll just throw a hodgepodge of topics together into one post...

FEEDING THERAPY

LC had her first session of feeding therapy with Miss Jami this morning at 9:00 a.m. Pudge has been sleeping until at least 9:30 or 10:00 every morning this week, so she was less than Miss Pudgy Sunshine as we headed out of the house.

Once we got there, though, LC decided that Miss Jami was going to be pretty great. She had neat mouth toys and games to play and also gave LC some practice drinking out of a super new cup! It's a spout-less, lidded cup for non-suckers and LC did pretty well with it, so we bought a few to take home for drinking practice.

After feeding therapy we stopped by Dr. Winburn's office for our 2nd H1N1 vaccine. Those don't burn like the ornery Synagis shots do, so no tears from LC. But, a shot's a shot, so we still followed up with a sympathy muffin afterwards.

AIRPORT SECURITY SHAME

Tomorrow evening, after Justin gets home from work, we'll head to the airport for a weekend trip to see LC's Ohio family. I've spent most of the day making lists of all the items we can usually go weeks without using. Each must be packed to ward off the Murphy's Law events that will surely transpire if I leave them behind.

Extra feeding tubes? Check.
Extra feeding bags? Check.
Enteral pump charger? Check.
Emergency Mic-Key button replacement kit? Check.
Surgical grade lubricant?

Oh no.

We've officially used our last convenient packet of hospital-issued lubricant. And local pharmacies don't carry them. Socially appropriate slime like Vaseline is petroleum based, so that won't do. Lotions aren't optional either.

So, for the first time, we're going to have to breakdown and purchase the tube of KY jelly for getting LC's Mic-Key button back into her stoma, should she pull it out.

And, since it's part of the emergency kit, we have the pleasure of carrying it on our person.

Through airport security.

I must add a notation to the weekend trip packing list...

KY Lubricant discreetly slipped into JUSTIN'S carry on? CHECK.

HOLIDAY HIATUS

Things will be picking up a bit at the Heigele household over the next few weeks, so blog updates may be few and far between.

We'll spend the weekend with LC's Ohio family and hopefully spend a short bit of time with The Sequel and his family before returning home on Monday night.

Then, after Christmas, we'll make the long drive to our new recruit's homestate to finalize paperwork and things. We'll spend a week or two there, waiting for legal clearance from Kansas before heading back home again.

Our mini-Heigeles' birth families are very precious to us, and their privacy's very important to us, too. So, while we won't post photos of our visits together, you can rest assured that many will be taken and we're looking forward to spending time with them all!

We hope your season is merry and bright from now until you hear from us again...

Happy Holidays!

Shhh! Don't Tell Santa...

In light of her recent criminal activity, Santa may become suspicious to learn that LC will be spending this afternoon with the feds...

We learned this morning that neither Justin NOR my fingerprints turned out to be legible enough to run for our criminal background checks.

We're disappointed, to say the least, but are clearly already benefitting from all the help and advice we received from you all when we asked for your input.

Last time we were trying to complete a background check for LC's adoption, we had to wait for a general form letter to arrive that said our fingerprints weren't adequate and that we needed to start the process over at our local police department. Today, Justin got a call at work from the individual actually charged with determining the legibility of our prints.

Even better, they invited us to the KBI headquarters and promised to use all their gadgetry and expertise to ensure that we did NOT leave without a recorded set of clear prints for each of us.

So, Justin is leaving early from work and we're heading to Topeka for an afternoon fingerprinting adventure. Pudge is coming along, too. We thought it would be a field trip that discouraged her from pursuing a life of crime. (But don't tell her she's missing swimming today at Baby Class. That'll inspire some criminal activity even the KBI isn't prepared to respond to.)

Thanks so much to all of the readers and family members who exhausted their networks in locating phone numbers and contact information for us. Thanks, THANKS, to all the law enforcement professionals who volunteered to personally devote their time and talents in acquiring a legible 2nd set of prints for us.
(If LC's flair for naughtiness continues, I assure that you'll have a chance to provide fingerprinting services for SOMEONE in our family in the future...)

Evidence of Irresponsible Parenting #83

Some of LC's cousins handed this SWEET ride down to her after they'd outgrown it.

They probably should have considered the parental sources they were entrusting it to.

For the record...Pudge has willingly oozed herself from the seat to underneath the vehicle, in a gradual and painless manner. She thought she saw a patch of oil where she'd parked last...and wanted to change out the brake rotors. She's VERY handy with a lug wrench.

Thank you Kapplers! It's a BIG hit. She loves that she can use the steering wheel to pull herself up to standing. But, God help Barney when she figures how to kick it into forward gear. You'll have traded your wheels in for a neurotic Lhasa Apso.

Anniversary Humble Pie

Don't get me wrong. It isn't that I thought I could ever match Justin in the gifting department...but every year our anniversary is a shameful reminder of how horribly inept I am in the whole gift giving process.

Want to know what I got Justin for our fourth wedding anniversary? I have no idea. I only know that...within 36 hours of our actual anniversary date...a Best Buy commercial came on TV and a gadget was advertised. And Justin raised an eyebrow at seeing it. And said, "Hmmm. Look at that."

Not, "AWESOME! I've gotta GET one of those!" or

"Woo Hoo! I know what I'm putting on my Christmas list!"

Just, "Hmmm...look at that."

And so that's what he looked at today. Wrapped in Christmas paper. Because it's what I had.

The photos following are the gift-wrapped shamefest I endured following supper.

Apparently, the traditional gift for the 4th anniversary is fruit.

My favorite fruit is pears.

So...for our anniversary...Justin got me pears.

A bouquet of real ones...and a 'pair' of impractical shoes (that's tradition)...and a pair of pear paintings that were painted by my favorite local artist, Edward Bartoszek, Tuesday night at Justin's request. And I couldn't, COULDN'T be more delighted.

Don't they just look like cartoon eye candy? Mmmmmmmmm....I love 'em.

Justin had to head back to the office to meet a deadline, and it's just as well. Otherwise, we'd have spent the evening with him awkwardly trying to pretend he has some idea of what the gift I gave him is. And it might have spoiled my enjoyment of the juicy pears I'm about to devour.

A Merry Little Curtie

I stole that picture from my sister's Facebook profile.

Isn't he the cutest?

I think LC wants him under her tree for Christmas morning...chances are he WOULDN'T be wearing that expression if he found himself there.

Frankly, he probably wouldn't be wearing that HAIR, either. Naughty Pudgie.

No pulling, Pudge.

No biting, Pudge.

No, no, no...