Isn't She Lovely

Heading to the Airport

Naomi and I are going to the airport this afternoon to meet Dukes new big sister. Tian is 9 years old from Changsha, China. I can't wait to meet her. I know she has a long road ahead of her but she is coming to a great new family and the most faithful momma I have ever met.

House Guest

Duke is visiting us. His momma and brother are in China picking up their 9 year old Mei Mei.

This kids are loving having him, he is a good patient little boy.

Isn't he cute!

I have 2 friends in China at the moment. I LOVE watching these pretty, sweet, spunky little girls come home to their forever families. It creates a problem for me, I want to go back BAD. I know we will go back someday, soon would be good. Probably just to visit, but if left up to me I would bring home another.

Hopefully Pete does not look at this post, he just might lock me up.

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Birthday Grandpa

 

We had a nice little birthday party for my dad on Saturday night. He got Naomi this cute little "Chinese" outfit when we were in Jiangxi, still fits, but barley.

Ordinary Day

I get so caught up in the day to day stuff that I sometimes forget to just be. Be in the moment.

Get a tissue . . . turned on my tears

Boy Time

My boys spent yesterday afternoon painting our icky old basement floor. Looks much better. It took us several days and 4 truck loads to get it to the point were we could paint it. This is one of the things on our list of many to get done before we could put our house on the market. We are still pondering moving it feels like such a HUGE decision, but figure these unfinished projects need to get done either way.

We finished our evening with a trip to the Ol' Spaghetti Factory (thanks to Aunt Laurie and Uncle Greg) We had a great time and got out of the paint fumes for a bit.

Each time Thanie has a heart appointment I get myself all geared up I worry. I am his mom and that is what we mom's do.

Right?

And each year (excluding the first) as we leave the clinic I feel joy and gratefulness in a way that I did not know until my little man was born.

His heart sounded pretty good. Until next year.

My little Mei was the most pitiful, scared little thing I have seen in a long time. She DID NOT LIKE o.k HATED the blood draw. I think the Tech felt sorry for her . . . check out the life sized Teddy.

She kept looking at her Teddy then the red badage then me. I almost ate her up. So stinkin cute

Something about walking out of Childrens Hospital with my most valuable little people makes my heart soar. Don't know why, but I sure feel it.

Maybe because when I am there I am just their mom 100% in it for them. I like that.

Doctors Appointments

Busy Day . . .

Naomi has a regular check-up with a blood draw. She hates going to the doctor and she really hates to get her blood drawn. Can't blame her. I am sure her experiences in China were pretty painful.

My little Thanie has his annual Cardiology appointment, for those who don't know he has Pulmonary Valve Stenosis. The first year of this little boys life was scary for us. He was happy and relatively healthy, but he has a syndrome and it took a while to get that diagnosis. He was born on Christmas eve and on Christmas day the pediatrician saw him and wanted to check for Downs Syndrome, what seemed like 2 weeks later we found out he did not have Downs. Then the hunt for what it was . . . I will tell his story someday, soon.

Making that cardio appointment seems to bring me back to that first year of his life of uncertain times, we must have seen Dr. Stam 6 times that first year. Great doctor but scary times. Pray that all goes well today.

Wordless Wednesday

FIrst Day of School

Naomi started school today. She "qualified" for the birth to 3 program where she is receiving speech therapy. What a blessing. Nathaniel attended this program and I was so excited when Naomi "qualified" Nothing quite compares to how these teachers work with the kids, they are terrific. They remind me of some of the tricks and strategies to parenting.

She had a good time. She is so outgoing and eager to have fun.

The standardized testing that "qualified" her says she is developmentally at an 18 month old socially, I think most of this stems from lack of speech and being bounced around in life.

Sometimes people look at me like I am crazy when i sound so excited that she is delayed. I am mostly excited that she gets to go to the wonderful school and I am not the least bit worried that she won't catch up. She will, someday. I am hoping for some strategies on helping with her frustration, screaming and anxiety. In the mean time her and I get to go to school together. Yes, I am with her the entire time, so no real letting go here.