Black and White Wednesday ~ A Surprise Update

So, I know I haven't updated lately, but I will continue to use the same excuse as before, we are so, so busy. Part of that business has been working on getting together a new and exciting fundraiser to bring Keliah Faith home, but more on that later. I had planned on posting something entirely different for Black and White Wednesday until I saw these in my e-mail.

Speaking of Keliah, I am so happy to share with you the updated pictures we got just tonight. We had asked for an update about a week ago, and quite honestly, I had forgotten about it today. I made a mental note to e-mail our agency just to see if they had heard anything about getting an update so when I was checking my e-mail this evening, I was completely surprised to find these, new pictures of our gorgeous girl. She is absolutely beautiful.



Along with the two pictures, we got updated measurements as well. I was pretty excited about these two and had Emma run to get me the tape measure so I could compare Keliah's measurements to Emma's. Emma is 50 inches tall and Keliah is 48.8 inches. Keliah is 60 lbs and Emma (last we checked) was around 60 as well. We got measurements of her head, chest, and feet as well, and all but the feet are withing a 10th of an inch of Emma. Keliah's feet measured 5.9 inches and Emma's measure around 8 inches.



This process has been quite different than the other three. With Mylee's adoption we were able to get updated pictures from other traveling families about once a month. You all already know how Blessed we were with Drew being at New Day. I think I have more pictures of him than any other child. Jaxon was a "surprise" so we don't have a whole lot on him either, but for only knowing about him 6 weeks before we traveled, I can't complain.

We think the orphanage Keliah is from is new to adoption and this may be their first round of adoptions. They will let us send a package but will not let her know she has a family until we get out LOA. So if we do send a package, they will just tell her it is from a kind family in the US. We have decided to just hold off for now and send her lots of goodies along with lots and lots of pictures of her new family as soon as we get LOA (which at this point seems so far off).



I just cannot get over the fact that we are adding a 7th child to our family, but I am also just as excited about getting on that plane and bringing her home. As soon as Emma saw her pictures she asked if I could print them out so she could take them to school and hang them in her locker for everyone to see. She is probably the most excited.

As for where we are in the process, we were supposed to have our Dossier in China by February 4th which is completely doable. In fact, our goal was to have it there by January and were estimating a travel date of mid summer. Well, at this rate, we will be lucky to be DTC by April which would put us at an estimated travel of October. Why the delay you ask? Well, we have been waiting almost 3 months for Matt's updated physical and labs to be released from his doctor. He has no medical issues, and is perfectly healthy, but he uses VA and before they can release any information you basically have to do a "dance." pull teeth, and promise your first born.

The good news is that as of today, our home study agency has everything they need from us to finish up our home study so we can file for our I800A. We are just waiting on them to approve it, sign it, and get it back to us. I am hoping and praying we can mail it to Homeland Security sometime next week. From what we are hearing it is taking just under 2 months to get the approval back. Again, we are hoping and praying we are on the shorter end of that. We are also praying that there is a massive speed up and we will still travel mid summer. A summer travel date would be ideal because that is the best time for us to get help with the kids while I am gone and Matt is working. We know at the end of the day, all of this is out of our hands, but it still doesn't hurt to be hopeful.

SO, enjoy the pics, I know I am. I have been looking at them over and over all night. I am hoping to be able to post about my fundraising project in the next couple of weeks.

Enough Said...

"Take the first step in faith. you don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. " - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Determination

Mylee was adamant today about me not walking her into school today. Because of her wheelchair I have been taking her right in to her class everyday. But today, she was very clear that she did not want me to carry her in or even walk her in. She wanted to be dropped off at the door just like all the other kids. She is still pretty sore, tender, and stiff from her surgery and her casts, but she is making progress every day. When she walks, she limps a little, and her left leg kind of drags behind her. But it doesn't stop her, ore even slow her down.

There are many words that come to mind when I think of Mylee. She is spunky, hilarious, ambitious, adorable, persistent, stubborn, smart, unforgettable, inquisitive, and assertive. She's a risk taker (she scares the you know what out of me). She is motivated. She loves everything pink and girly. She is tough, strong, and most definitely resilient. She is proud of who she is and that she is from China and will tell anyone who will listen about being Chinese. She is confident, energetic, and eager. She gets excited over the smallest things and is eager to try new things. She can be sassy, impatient and naughty at times.



But today as I watched her walk herself into school the one word that I immediately thought of was determination. I don't think I have ever seen a child more determined to succeed than her. As I watched her limp her way through the door, my eyes filled with tears thinking about all that she has gone through in her life. She has endured more medical treatments, casts, surgeries, painful procedures and therapy than most people can even imagine in their lifetimes. And yet, she has done it all with determination. She is determined to anything and everything, so don't tell her she "can't" do something, because she will do everything to prove she CAN.

Right now we don't know what her future is in regards to her legs and feet. At this point, she is done with surgeries. Dr. Loder wants to see how she grows and how she adapts as she grows. We have come to the realization that she will never walk "normal." She will never be able to bend her knees completely. She will stumble and fall. But, we do know, that when she stumbles and falls, she will get right back up. She will get back up with more determination than ever.

One of the other things I thought about as I watched her walk into school this morning with her hair swaying back and forth was the fact that kids can be cruel. There will come a day when someone will mock her, call her names, and make fun of her. There will come a day when she may be picked last because she isn't able to run fast enough, or kick the ball hard enough. I can also tell you that when this day comes, Mylee will not back down. I pity that person because Mylee will call them out in true Mylee fashion. Unlike most people, she won't walk away with her tail between her legs. She will defend herself, and she will most definitely leave an impression.

As a parent it isn't easy watching your child go through such painful and limiting treatments and procedures. It certainly isn't what any parent expects. But I can tell you that Mylee's optimism, determination, and overall attitude sure has made it easier. She is an awesome kid, and we are truly blessed to call her our daughter. I cannot imagine our family without her. She is definitely, one of a kind.

The Time Has Come

After six weeks of tissue expansions, surgery, and 9 weeks of being in two different casts, Mylee is finally back to walking upright. We started this last set of treatments back in August (almost 5 months ago) and finally, she is out of her cast for good.

Mylee was so excited to get her cast off. She began counting down about a week ago. Everyday she would get up and tell me "I have 5 more days until I see Dr. Loder and he takes off my cast. I think Mylee was more excited about counting down to getting her cast off than she was about Christmas morning.

Finally getting that stinky cast off.



When we went in yesterday we were not 100% the cast was going to come off, so we did our best to prepare Mylee that there may be a chance she would get a new cast depending on how well her leg was healing. Once the cast was off and Dr. Loder looked it over, he said if it were completely up to him he would leave it off and begin physical therapy. But,we had to make sure it was okay with the plastic surgeon who thankfully gave the go ahead as well. Honestly, after seeing the incision area I was so afraid she was going to go back home with a cast.

This is what the inscision area looks like. Apparently the black stuff is not blood which is what I assumed, but dead skin and will fall off. It is pretty disgusting.




Making sure Drew gets a peek and telling him not to touch it.


She took a nice long soak in the tub this morning which I think I was more excited about than her. It has been about 9 weeks since she has had a "real" shower or bath. She was pretty sore at first and again this morning, but she is up and walking around on two legs. One of the things she was excited about was that she was going to get to wear two shoes again. Unfortunately, because of where the incision is, she hasn't been able to get a shoe on, but I don't think it will be long.

As for now, we are done with surgeries, casts, or anything other than physical therapy for a while. Dr. Loder will see her back in 2 months, but does not anticipate any further surgeries in the near future. Basically, they will wait to see how she grows and how well she is walking as she grows. She will never walk "normal," she will most likely always have balance issues, she will never be able to fully bend her knees or completely sit crossed legged, but she will most definitely do her darnedest to try and never gets discouraged when she "can't" do something. As a matter of fact, there is no "can't" in her vocabulary because even if she can't do something like the next person, she will do it her own way, in her own speed and with a smile on her face. Mylee is one amazing little girl. She is tough, and I mean really tough. I don't know many people who could go through all that she has in 5 short years (yes, she will be 5 next month) and still come out smiling and wanting to give everything she does 110%. She is such a joy to have and be around and we are more than blessed to call her our daughter.

Next on her to do list, snow. In her own words, "Now it just needs to snow so I can finally make a snowman and sled down the hill."

Busy, Busy, Busy

December has been extremely busy for us. We started the month by celebrating Emma's 9th birthday. It is so hard to believe that she is nine. She is growing up way too fast and turning into a beautiful, loving, young lady. We are so proud of her. She is a great big sister and is so excited to have Keliah joining our family. I don't think a day goes by that she doesn't talk about her.

This year Emma celebrated her birthday at DeBrand's Chocolatier. DeBrand's is an internationally known company and is famous for their wonderful chocolate. We are so lucky to have them right here in our city. Anyway, Emma invited all the girls in her class for a tour of how their chocolate is made complete with samples. Once the tour was over, instead of cake, the girls were able to pick something from their candy counter while Emma opened her gifts. All the girls had a great time and were nice and sugared up by the time their parents came to pick them up.




The next day we got together with Matt's family to make kiekels. This is some sort of Swedish doughnut made out of potato dough. We make these and Christmas cookies every year. It is tradition to eat kiekels Christmas morning. Jaxon and Drew had alot of fun helping with the cooking and decorating. They even proved they were definitely a part of our family by liking the kiekels (I along with most of the others married into the family do not like them, however, all the kids do).



Drew got a little "sprinkle happy."








The weekend after that, Matt's cousin got married and Drew and Gabe were the ring barrers. They were absolutely adorable in their little tuxes and did a fantastic job.



The wedding was absolutely beautiful and the bride was even more beautiful. Instead of giving favors away to their guests, they had carriage rides that took their guests through town to see the Christmas lights. They even had Santa arrive as a special treat for the kids. As you can see, he was a huge hit. Drew was completely amazed. From the moment he walked through the door, Drew followed him around and just stared. It was so cute.









Finally Christmas came and all the kids were ready and as excited as ever. Christmas Eve we spent with my mom, sister, her husband, and my niece. This year they all decided to stay over night so they were also here for Christmas morning which made for and exciting time opening gifts. Actually, it was alot of fun despite the fact that our living room looked like a toy store exploded in it. All the kids were more than happy with their gifts from Santa and other family members. Later in the day we went to Matt's parent's for Christmas where we had a wonderful lunch and the kids opened more gifts.




Jaxon was so excited to get his very own iPod. He has been asking for one but we have been telling him he wasn't going to get it. I really don't think he expected it.

This was Emma's big gift this year. I am usually not one for stuffed animals, but as soon as I saw this Old English Sheep Dog, I knew this was "the" gift for her. Ever since we had to give Sadie away, Emma has been the one to really take it the hardest. There are days when she will just start crying and when you ask her what is wrong, she says she misses Sadie. As the other kids were busy opening their gifts, she laid on the dog for the longest time and even shed a few tears. It was definitely enough to break my heart.



One of the things Blake asked for was a blender he could use to make smoothies in. He was pretty excited when he opened this. He has made quite a few smoothies for everyone and they are really good.



One of my projects this year was to make matching aprons for Matt's mom and Emma. Those two have a special bond and love doing everything together including baking. So, I quickly whipped up these two aprons and I think they were a hit.

This train set has been a part of Matt's familes for a few generations. It is so cool to see them play with this year after year.




As for Drew, he is doing really well. He has bounced back from his surgery very quickly. He was released from the hospital on Tuesday morning and was in quite a bit of pain. He took his pain medicine through Tuesday evening, night and one dose on Wednesday morning and has had nothing since. He has about a 4-5 inch incision across his abdomen and it doesn't seem to phase him at all. Honestly, I was kind of looking forward to a little "down time," but Drew surprised us all with how quickly he recovered. He continues to do well and will go back for his post op check in a couple of weeks.




So, as 2010 draws to an end, we have so much to be thankful for and are blessed beyond measure. Although we hit a few hurdles along the way, the end result is that we are all happy, healthy, and together. We look forward to 2011 for many reasons, and cannot wait to see what the next year will bring us.

Happy New Year from our family to yours.

Update

Well, after a long, tiring, emotional day, we are finally settled into our room. Drew is sleeping soundly and is just as sweet as can be. Unfortunately, I forgot the cable to download pictures from my camera, so no pics this time.

The surgery took about three hours and there was good news and not so good news. The good news is that Drew does not have a catheter because he did not need anything in that area repaired. Praise God! Honestly, I just felt terrible thinking that he may have a catheter over Christmas. So, as far as that goes, all is great.

Now, for the "missing jewel" (as his doctors refer to it). After a small incision was made with no success of finding it, a larger incision was made across his lower abdomen and it was found. Because of the size and location, it had to be removed. Because of it having to be removed, it fertility rate is very, very low. In fact, the doctor does not think he will be able to have children the "normal" way. Honestly, this news did not really affect me the way I think the doctors and nurses thought it would. As the doctor was giving me the news that Drew may never be able to have children of his own, I just kept thinking, "okay, no big deal, there are other ways of having children."

Overall, Drew will lead as normal a life any other boy. The important things are that he is happy, healthy, and has a family that absolutely adores him.

Thank you all for you thoughts, prayers, and comments. Please continue to pray that he heals quickly. Knowing Drew, he is not going to like being "down" for long:)

Prayers, Please

I know, I know, I have been really bad at updating the blog, but things here have been crazy busy. Now that my final are over and the kids are out of school for Christmas break I am hoping to update the blog more as well as get some much needed cleaning, organizing, and sewing done around here.



For now though, I am asking for prayers for Drew. He is going in for surgery tomorrow afternoon. Right now there are alot of unknowns as far as how long and exactly what they will be doing. They will be repairing a small hole from the previous hypospadias surgery that was done in China. His doctor does not seem concerned about this at all. His biggest concern is the undescended testicle. During one of his recent visits the doctor was unable to feel it and is concerned it may be higher (much higher) up in his abdomen. If this is the case, the testicle will most likely be removed leaving him with only about a 40% chance of being able to have children later. The doctor will not know exactly what he is going to do until he starts the surgery. We are hoping he is able to locate the testicle laproscopicly so Drew will not have an incision. Either way, because of the hypospadias repair, he will come home on Tuesday and will have a catheter for 5 days or so.

Please keep Drew in your prayers over the next few days that all goes well and he has a speedy recovery. I am hoping to update the bog if possible.