Tian's partner in crime: "Scooby"

His favorite actviity is riding a bike - even if it is pink :o) Trace has just told Tian she is Chinese too ( make sure you read the last of the Tianisms to fully appreciate this)

Pushing the Empress in her chariot of choice- otherwise known as "Driving Miss Demanding"

We asked her this morning what her bother's name was, without missing a beat she replied, " Scooby." I don't even think she has seen the cartoon...

Trace will be 2 in June and has managed to quietly take over the household. His vocabulary ( in English) is currently limited to : Spiderman ( his most important word), no (which must be accompanied by a foot stomp( just like his daddy)), now, mine, mama, Trevor, Ty, hold you, and snack..

He can sign: eat, more, gummy bears ( often as a sentence). He can also sign play, please and thank you (if we are really lucky). He has no problem expressing his needs or eating!

His latest accomplishments: he can blow bubbles in the tub ( with his mouth :o), blow bubbles outside ( both a big deal since his palate is still open), he can work the water dispenser on the fridge ( I just love it), has become a cereal conosuier, he can also irritate Tian rather expertly and has manged to hold several of the cats at various times.

He loves to give the dogs treats and the cats milk ( no treats for the cats - he eats those :o"). He will share with Tian even when she is a stinker, but can find her favorite mirror at any time and make sure she sees him as he runs. He is always singing and loves to smile at people while sticking his tongue out through the cleft in the gum line ( it is ever so attractive !)

He has also gone to nursery at church and corrected the dumb teachers who thought a panda bear was simply a bear - he stood up - shook his hand back and forth and told them repeatedly, " Xiong Miao." They all thought that is the noise pandas make ( it is Chinese for Panda.)

He can also understand our feeble attempts at Chinese.

He loves to wrestle with his brothers. He would be outside 24/7 if we let him. Unfortunately - it has been raining almost everyday!!!

He loves to be read to ( I have lucked out!!! I am 5 for 5 - all of them love to read :o)

He LOVES animals of any kind. We will have to get the aquarium repaired - he could stand in front of it for hours.

All and all is a VERY happy little boy. He is not bashful, but is much more diplomatic about getting his way than the Empress. She has adjusted to him very well and seems to be enjoying having a partner in crime, especially one who is so willing to carry out her evil plans:o)

Medical update: We have visited with a Otolaryntologist ( a cranio-facial doctor) here in Des Moines who seems very confident in his ability to correct Trace's palate and in the fall improve his nose and lip repair. We will visit Iowa City's cleft team on Monday and then make a decision of where to have the surgery(ies). Both groups want to take care of the surgery ASAP as the longer his palate i sopen the more difficult it will be for him to relearn how to swallow and to speak. I am accepting all soft food suggestions as he will be on a liquid diet for 3 weeks!!!! Keep in mind Trace's favorite thing in the world right now is eating!! Hopefully, we can spend a lot of time outside!

So, here is the plan: in May his palate will be repaired, he will have physical therapy to teach him how to swallow etc and then be evaluated to see if he needs speech therapy. In the fall, we will have a nose/ lip revision. Then, we will sit back and wait for his adult canine teeth to form. So around the age of 9 ( unless he is like poor Ty who will probably be 20 before he gets his ) he will have a surgery to correct his gumridge - they will take a small piece of bone from his hip and place it where the missing bone is in his upper jaw. Then, hopefully he will be done!! We are hopeful that he won't have missing teeth as this past week he finally got one of thh canines on the bottom, and both the lateral incisor and the canine in the cleft - it will look weird, but this is good news, as the more teeth, the more bone that will form and the more hope we have of not having to have a bridge for missing permanant teeth!! Yeah - it also expalins his extreme drooling and cranky days ! He may have to have another lip/nose revsion around 18, but hopefully not.

Have a great night and I will go scrape Cheerios, Play-doh and cat treats off of the kitchen floor ( no, the dogs can't keep up with it all :o)

Tian-isms

Tian rolling down the hill,


now,thinking she will "help - ah" me with the camera.














Just missed her throwing the rocks at Trace
Reflecting, after time out














Okay - so life is CRAZY with 2 toddlers running the place, but I had to write down of few quotes from Tian - our ever passionate, always bubbly, often screaming, frequently whining, and almost always giggling 2 1/2 year old. Can you believe she will be 3 in August.? She is an amazing girl
and that is why we are already saving for a large dowry and writing a contract to ensure her future husband understands the "absolutely no-returns" policy :o)

Okay here are the favorite quotes:

1. She is lying bed, (her most reflective time), and states, " I hate TJ." I reply,
"No, you are angry with him, you don't hate TJ"
The Tiansism, " No, I happy with him, I just hate him."

2. Looking at Trace in the morning, " I don't like that boy today."

3. Looking at Trace sleeping, " I love- ahh him a lot. He is mine."

4. "Daddy, you picked the goodest treats!" (while doing the happy dance, when Tom pulled out a box of ice cream cones)

5. After several consecutive time outs, " I don't like that chair." ( note - it did not stop her from spending several more rounds in it that day)

6. Ty, asks, quoting "Mama Do You Love Me," " Tian, do you love- ahh me?" She responds,
" No dear one, I am dead." ( A little young to be feeling emotionally drained...)

7. To Tom who is holding Trace and letting him drink his own bottle, "Honey, you have to 'nuggle him."

8. Imagine this, she gets into my bed, snuggles up next to me and puts her sweet little face to my neck and breathes deeply, she leans back and sighs. Of course, I think we are having a Hallmark moment, then she says, " Mom, you smell like bugs." I shower, really I do.

9. To librarian, who commented on what a nice little brother she had now, she tilts her head to the side, " I know, I picked him."

10. " I want my hair like that girl on the mad-ga-zine." Yes, I managed to duplicate the 2 braid style - she was impressed :o)

11. AFter a long day of two toddlers with colds I finally laid down the law and poor Tom comes in from work. She looks at him so seriously with her big, black eyes and in her most serios tone warns him, " Mommy said, no thumb sucking, no whining and no throwing food. " Hopefully, he will continue to follow the rules since she and the other half of the dynamic duo aren't :o)

12. and finally...drum roll..
In response to Trace's crying in China..." I don't like Chinese babies!"
I can't wait until she has her first child! On seconfd thought, yes, I can. as crazy as it is around here I wish it could last forever.

I will add more as I think of them and will try to add a page for Trace - we like him a little too :o)