Exciting News
A couple of exciting things to share. First Sarah is doing great and actually will start preschool on Monday. She will be in a mainstream preschool with the same teacher that Luke had. In my wildest dreams I did not think she would be in preschool this year. However, upon the recommendation of both her doctor and her speech therapist we are starting on Monday. She went and spent about an hour in the class last week and the teacher said she did well. So here we go embarking on a new chapter already.
Secondly, our family has been selected to be the beneficiary of an adoption fundraiser held by Hip Mom Jewelry. We will receive a percentage of the sales from their website for the month of October! It includes all of the products listed under adoption and when checking out you must enter the code HERM1010. These proceeds will go toward some of Sarah's medical expenses. They do have some beautiful handmade jewelry so check out the website http://www.hipmomjewelry.com/category_8/Adoption.htm I had actually applied for this before we even went to China so it was quite a surprise to get the email from them today saying we would be one of the families featured in October.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support, they are priceless.
I John 3:18 My children, we should love people not only with words and talk, but by our actions and true caring.
Blessings,
Funny Luke
Just had to share the funny thing Luke did today. We went to Target to pick up some headphones for his computer lab. So, like any good mother I bribed Luke and Sarah telling them that if they behaved they could pick something from the $1 aisle when we left. Basically, they behaved, well sorta. We are standing in the $1 aisle (also known as the aisle of junk) and Luke picks up a light saber type toy. He is waving it around like a maniac and no surprise it falls apart. He turns and looks up at me sheepishly and says, "Um, Mom I think this toy is for calm children....and I am not a calm children." He is too much, I can't help but laugh. He is also very right he is not a "calm children".
Isaiah 54:13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children
Blessings,
Day by Day
Truthfully, the last few weeks we have been making it day by day. Sometimes by the skin of our teeth. School is in full swing and everyone is adjusting fairly well. However, there do not seem to be enough hours in the day to get it all done. I swear I fall into bed and then the alarm is sounding. Sometimes it is hard to stop and appreciate all the blessings surrounding us. With two tween boys in the house sometimes the attitude is so thick it can't be escaped. Luke has decided that he wants to be home schooled, to which I said "No way, I can't do that". His reply, "Well, Sarah can she knows how to write her numbers, she can teach me!" Oh my!
With all of that said Sarah is progressing quickly, beyond any one's wildest expectation. When we went to speech this past Tuesday her therapist was in awe. I think because I do not have any experience with cochlear implants it is hard for me to grasp how well she is doing. The therapist explained to me that Sarah's speech development is beyond some of her patients that have been in therapy for 2 years. She said it is really a miracle. I replied, "I think I will just cry a second if that is okay" she said' "I think I will join you." and she did. What can I say, it is overwhelming. We give glory to God, through him all things are possible. Thank you all for your prayers and support they are priceless.
Matthew 6:19 Do not store up you treasures here on earth, where moths will eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.
Blessings,
Ear Covering!
Just a quick note. Sarah is beginning to recognize where sounds are coming from. For instance I was tapping my foot and she looked down and pointed then hopped up out of her chair and started jumping up and down to replicate the noise. It gave her great joy!
Then on Sunday she really got into the praise music at church. She mimicked playing the, piano, the drums and singing. So cool! After a bit she decided it was enough and actually covered her ears with her hands:) No offense to the band they are great!
Our next appointment to turn up the volume if this Friday! Then speech therapy commences....I predict Sarah will give Luke a run for his money in the jabber jaws department. Thanks for all your prayers and support.
Lamentations 3: 22-23 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Blessings,
Catching Up!
Wow, has it really been 3 weeks since I posted anything??? What an amazing 3 weeks it has been.
The boys had a fantastic time in NY with their grandma and grandpa. They were busy all the time, I am sure everyone in NY is still recovering:) What wonderful memories they will hold. Sarah missed them desperately and was so happy upon their arrival home.
Sarah had her cochlear implant mapping done on the 17th. It was a bit traumatic at first however, she has adapted amazingly well. The goal for the first couple of weeks is just to get her comfortable wearing it daily and experiencing some noise. She is doing great and actually asks for it to be put on in the morning. As the days progress she seems to be deciphering more noises and responding with delight.
Joseph and David started middle school. They were excited and nervous at the same time. So far so good, of course they love the bus ride home, very social boys. Yesterday they informed me that one of their teachers reminds them of Grandma Jennie. Yeah! It happens to be their English, language arts teacher so that is awesome. They said she looks like her, sounds like her and dresses like her!! I thought I would email her and let her know about the high compliment she was receiving . However, after further thought, what if she is like 30 years old or something?? That would make for a long year:)
Luke is enjoying kindergarten, he loves his sweet teacher. He did have to clip down to light green yesterday. He explained to me it was not his fault, his friend was talking to him and he got in trouble for listening. Memories, I feel his pain because I too always got in trouble for someone else talking to me:) (Hope the sarcasm is coming through) Conduct was not my strong suit!
Sarah had an assessment through our school district for some early childhood intervention. They of course were floored by her brilliance (I am sure you are getting sick of hearing this). They actually asked me if I drew the smiley face that she drew. I explained I would like to take credit but I can't even draw that well! (lol) The good news is she will get some speech services. We meet again next week to figure out the logistics. I explained to them that she really hates being told "no". They laughed at me and said "she is 2, there are not many 2 year olds who like to be told 'no'". So rest assured even though she is very smart she has 2 year old moments that rival the best of them.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support
Ephesians 4:2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.
Blessings,
Sunday Snapshot
Sarah's big brothers are off to NY for a week of fun with their Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt and Uncles. They also get to meet their new baby cousin:) Sarah was very sad to see them board the plane and take off this morning. They wondered why she couldn't just jump aboard with them! I am amazed at how everyone has adjusted, bonded..whatever you want to call it she is their sister and our daughter. We are a family and it is like she has been here all along, just where she is suppose to be.
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you all with joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Blessings,
Cousin Camp 2010
Many of you know already however for those of you who don't, I have the greatest sister one could ask for:) My brother in law is pretty cool too. For once a year they host "Cousin Camp" at their house. Cousins range in age from 2 (Sarah) to 18 (Noah) and they all take part. It is awesome. All the cousins stay at their house for the week. It happens to coincide with their church's bible school which my sister directs. So yes, mania dose run in the family.
They had a week of fun filled activities and good old family bonding. Sarah and I came and went so that she could participate in many of the good times but not be totally overwhelmed. Of course whenever she was present there was no lack of attention. Some of the activities that took place were: a lemonade stand to benefit Haiti (raised $60), fun at kiddie land (train ride and go karts), putt putt, neighborhood scavenger hunt, swimming, more swimming, Mayborn Museum, Dr. Pepper soda shop, a trip to the library and a Mario Cart tournament. Let me just say I am terrible at Mario Cart!!! Thanks to Aunt Meg and Uncle Matt for an awesome week.
As far as Sarah's recovery from surgery it is going well. She will have her stitches removed on Monday. She will also get a hearing aid for her left ear. Then on August 17th the mapping will be done on her cochlear implant and she will begin to hear. Amazing!!! Thank you all for your continued prayers and support.
1 John 4: 7-8 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves is born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Blessings,
Week Two plus
It is really amazing how much we have done since returning from China. Some of you may be thinking we are absolutely crazy and I have those moments as well. However, as manic as we seem everything has gone smoothly. We are following a divine timeline and He really knows what He is doing. None of the events surrounding Sarah's adoption have occured on my preconceived time line and as difficult as that was for me to initially accept, it is actually a blessing to let go of my false sense of control.
Recap of the last week.... My Dad, children and I loaded up Thursday morning to head off to Kiawah Island, SC for our annual beach trip! Dave had work commitments so was unable to join us. After an amazingly calm and uneventful 20 hour drive we arrived. All of the kids were great on the road trip. We arrived a bit before the rest of the family and introduced Sarah to the beach. She wasn't so sure at first, but she was perfectly happy for Grandpa Bob to carry her around the beach. She did warm up after a while. Of course her brothers jumped right in swimming and digging. Soon the cousins arrived and we all had a fantastic time. Meg and I joked that Sarah's leg muscles were going to atrophy because between all the boys her feet never hit the ground. She loved the attention. At one point she had all 7 boys sitting on the sofa while she stood in front of them shaking her finger and giving them a piece of her mind. Priceless!
My cousins and aunt from North Carolina met us in Kiawah and it was great to spend sometime with all of them as well. We of course missed my Mother as the beach was one of her favorite places to relax.
The original plan was for Sarah to have surgery the first week of August however, that was on my time line not His. As things worked out the last week of July was when the surgeon was available. At first this was disappointing however as it has worked out it was for the best! So, Sarah had her cochlear implant surgery this past Wednesday. It went perfectly, we spent one night in the hospital and now are spending a couple of restful days at home. Sarah has been a trooper. She is hard to slow down and would like to be jumping on the bed and running wild. She is missing her brothers and so am I, they will be back from the beach on Sunday.
Isaiah 46:11 I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
Blessings!
Week One
Wow! We have been home one week, officially tonight, and things are going really great! We had 3 days of doctors appointments and lots of family bonding. Sarah absolutely loves her brothers and they think she is pretty cool too. Sarah is such a joy, smiling and laughing through out the day we have only had a few melt downs. One giant hurdle was bath time. Recap, Sarah hated the bath and most especially washing her hair. We decide to let her watch Luke in bath on Tuesday night and she enjoyed that. Last night we ran her bath and she hesitantly got in. Then she pointed at Luke and the bath and let us know she wanted him in there with her. So he happily obliged her and they had a blast in the tub! Hair washing was done with no tears, amazing. I am not going to say she was thrilled but she sucked it up. After she got out of the tub, which she did not want to do, she was so proud of herself running around and pointing to her head! Too cute!
As far as all the info form the doctors... Sarah is a perfectly healthy and very bright young lady who is profoundly deaf. This is not a surprise to us just needed confirming. Everyone was amazed at her ability to communicate and her incredible curiosity. The doctor wanted to rule out any issues with inner ear development etc, and he did. With all that said Sarah is an ideal candidate for a cochlear implant. She has been scheduled for surgery on the 28th! Amazingly it is one month to day from when she was placed in our arms. Dave was just commenting it is absolutely surreal, she is here, she is perfect and things are progressing beautifully.
Times like these are when you (I) should really start a gratitude journal. So much to be grateful for. My mother was so wonderful and she kept gratitude journals, which have been an amazing gift and comfort to all my family. Speaking of my mother, I know that she is smiling down on all of us right now. I wish she could be here to meet Sarah however, I know that she knows her.
I Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Blessings,
Home Again Home Again
Alleluia! We are back int he good ole USA! The trip home was long and rather uneventful, thankfully. The only real stress on the trip was whether or not we would make our connection in San Francisco and with about 10 minutes to spare we made it. When that little plane took off to head to Austin, although I was extremely tired I was so happy to be on the last leg home to my boys and family. Sarah was a great traveler and slept for about 6 hours of the trip. We were greeted by my Dad, Joseph, David and Luke at the airport, it was so good to see them all. We headed straight to The Range to eat and introduce Sarah to her cousins. She was not a big fan of the car seat. She has been accustom to riding around in the car with no restraints at all, so who can blame her. She did warm right up to all her family members and ate really well, obviously she has great taste:)
We took it easy on Saturday. Sarah met a few of the neighbors and played outside. We are trying to get her on Texas time and that has been a challenge. No worse than waking every few hours with an infant. Sunday we headed to church where she acted like she had always been going. After running in the front doors and charming everyone she went to the nursery and hung out no problem. She played with more of the neighbors last night and fit right in. She is amazing us at every turn. She has also managed to wrap all of her brothers right around her little finger. I don't know if her feet have hit the ground yet:)
We have an appointment today with Uncle Matt to get clearance for all the tests Sarah will have on Tuesday and Wednesday. Please keep her in your prayers over the next few days.
I need to give a huge shout out to everyone who held down the home front while we were gone. What a comfort to know that we are surrounded by such a wonderful supportive group of family and friends. We have been truly blessed and through this process we have been continually amazed by God's awesomeness.
Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
Blessings!
Day 4 & 5 GZ
Day 4
We had a big day on day 4 here in Gaungzhou. WE decided since we actually had a free day we would go to the Zoo Safari. It was really cool, they probably had 100 tigers of all kinds and many other animals for viewing. Definitely one of the most impressive zoos we have ever seen.
However, it was a bit of stimulation over load for little Sarah. The heat index was 116, it was very loud with music, people and animals and she was a bit tired already from blowing and going all week. We experienced our first major meltdown when I told her we could not go back to one of the shops. She pulled her hearing aids out and proceeded to literally kick and scream. I tried to put her down thinking that was what she wanted but not so. She wanted me to hold her but not really. I felt bad for her and truth be told I wanted to join her in her tantrum. We were quite a spectacle and drew even more stares than usual. After a bit she wore herself out and fell asleep in my arms while we went through the safari on wheels. When she woke up she was back to her charming self.
When we returned to the hotel we decided to see if she would like to pool. The resounding answer to that was "No!" Since she was mad already I decided to go ahead and give her a bath and wash her hair, one of her least favorite activities. After she was cleaned up it was only about 6:30 but we decided to stay in and take it easy. We ordered pizza and watched the only English channel we could find, HBO. The movie "Seventeen Again" was on and Sarah really seemed to like Zac Efron, at least she has good taste :) We all turned in early and got a good nights rest.
Day 5
The big event for the day was going to the American Consulate and taking our oath. It was really cool. There were about 50 families with us all adopting. 57% of families were adopting special needs kiddos. It was fun to see all of the children interacting with one another in the play area. It took a little while to get everyone checked in before we all stood and took our oath together. We were then informed that upon arrival into the US the immigration officer will open an envelope that they gave us and Sarah will instantly become an American citizen. So cool!
After we were finished we went out to eat with the families that we spent time with in Beijing. We had Italian and it was great. Sarah really enjoyed what my brother Andrew would call "naked" penne pasta. We came home and skyped with the boys back home and hit the sack. We really can't wait to head home soon!
Thanks for all of your prayers and support!
Ephesians 2:8 It is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Blessings,
More pictures...
Mommy manicure
Sarah pedicure
Day 3 GZ
Well, the scheduled activity for today was to have Sarah's TB test read. We went back to the "hospital" and because she has had the TB vaccine her test was positive. This was quite traumatic because it required her to have a chest few chest x-rays. She was not a big fan and neither was I. First they made us cut off her two necklaces, then she had to take off her dress and hearing aids. All of this was communicated through gestures because the x-ray tech did not speak english. I put on the protective vest and had to stretch her little arms up over the machine while the x-rays were being taken. It only took a few minutes but it seemed like forever with tears flowing. She recovered quickly after the ordeal was over and of course checked out fine. Fortunaley we don't have to go back there any more.
The other part of the day was spent shopping and eating. I was very proud of Sara at dinner. She wanted to have some of what Dave was eating and so she signed "daddy" and then "eat" and pointed to herself. She is very good at communicating what she wants and doesn't want.
We have really enjoyed our guide her in GZ. We are all getting anxious to be home and see all of our family and friends. Today we have planned an excursion with some other folks to the Safari Zoo. It has gotten rave reviews. We will let you know how it goes!
John 15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
Blessings,
Gaungzhou Day 2
Today, we were able to meet up with all of the families we toured Beijing with, plus our four new additions:) All of the little girls are doing great and seem to be adjusting well. It was interesting to see a little interaction among them. They were a bit tentative with one another and hung close by their new families. Sarah was by far the most verbal with her babbling and laughing. She is also the tallest and most filled out of the crew.
Our guide here in Gaungzhou is named Kelly and she is great, full of information. She is pregnant and already has a 6 year old little girl at home. She told us that the pregnancy was unplanned and she is a bit anxious about being able to keep her job with Great Wall. I was shocked! However, it is very important for Great Wall to keep a good relationship with the Chinese government and having 2 children is frowned upon. Makes me appreciate our country even more on this 4th of July. This is the first 4th of July that I have been out of the USA! A bunch of adoptive families are meeting at an American style cafe tonight, Lucy's, to have dinner and celebrate.
Be sure and shoot some fireworks for us!
Job 8:21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.
Blessings,
Next stage...
Well, we have made it to the next leg of our journey! We arrived in Gaungzhou last night and settled in to The White Swan Hotel. It is pretty impressive and evidently the Mecca for people adopting children from China. There must be 150 families here going through the visa process. Sarah has continued to exceed every expectation that we could have possibly held. Truth be told I am embarrassed to share with other families how well she is doing. We have been able to "skype" with our family back home and of course their main interest is to see Sarah. Luke heard that Sarah enjoys oreos so on our last "Skype" session he was sure to wave one around in front of the camera and I loved his sign off of "I love you Sarah!" Joseph was chowing down on a New York strip while he "skyped" with us and it really made Dave, Meg and Me jealous! No New York strips have been available around here. David was hanging out in his Tae Kwon Do outfit while he "skyped" so I'm thinking he was getting into the China spirit of things! Sarah is so lucky to have 3 amazing big brothers anxious to meet her! David, Joseph and Luke are lucky too because Sarah is going to be an awesome little sister! Technology is so great!
Sarah had her medical check and TB test today. She was not a big fan of any of it but she was a trooper. I am so glad that's over! I have to say that bed side manner could use some improving. However, if you had 100 children lined up in your waiting room I am sure it would be a bit taxing.
We have been working on some sign language with Sarah and she is a quick study. She signed for more water today at the medical office and I thought some people would have to pick their jaws up off the floor. God is so good.
We are anxious for you all to meet her. We appreciate all of your continued prayers and support. We feel incredibly blessed and know that the best is yet to come.
1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.
Blessings