Prayer Request {Hand Surgery}

Tomorrow is a big day for our Miss Olivia.  She is finally going for her surgery that I talked about here.  We tried not to talk about it too far out so as not to worry her too much, but last weekend we brought it to the forefront.  A lot of questions, a lot of restlessness and now yesterday she came home from school with a low grade fever and said she was "having a sad day". 

Our prayer is that the surgeon's hands be guided by the GREAT SURGEON and that Olivia's pain be minimal.  This is no small surgery but the end result will be for the best.  Her hand & arm will look more like her left hand and she will benefit with better dexterity.  Down the road, should we go there, she will also have a "pincher" that will enable her to manipulate things, where she can't right now. 

Thank you for praying for our little girl.

Not to be forgotten {Losing the 1st Tooth}

I would be remiss if I didn't include an update on the loss of Abigail's very first tooth - on January 5th.  She has been surrounded by her peers at school who have been losing teeth left and right, and they make a BIG deal out of each one at school. 

So my baby has come home on numerous occasions since last September, sad because, first she didn't have a loose tooth and then sad because she had a loose tooth and it wasn't coming out fast enough!  (Not to mention her 8 year old sister came to us with several loose teeth and proceeded to lose at least 5 - ouch!)  

Lo and behold, after taking its good ol time, that tooth finally came out, no blood, no pain, just "look mom!!!!!".  Of course we made a BIG deal out of it, the tooth fairy made a visit and all was right with the world again! 

Not the best picture, but you get the idea...the first of MANY to come! 

Chinese New Year {Bo Loong}

We have spent CNY with the same people for the last six years, both in support during our wait for Abigail, and then in comraderie as a group of adoptive parents.  We usually go to a local joint and have a good meal and great conversation. 

This year we decided to venture up to Cleveland to a restaurant my hubby frequents for lunch, Bo Loong.  They are known for their dim sum and they didn't disappoint!  We had several choices off of the dim sum cart and then ordered entrees off the regular menu.  What a wonderful lunch!!

Then, we were treated to the Lion Dance in honor of The Year of the Dragon. 

 Love this picture below of the girls waiting patiently for the Lion to throw them an orange for luck~

(Livi got an orange & Abigail got some lettuce - lucky girls!)

It was a great time with good friends and we wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else (except in China for CNY) to celebrate! 

Aren't they beautiful! 

We are so blessed that they call us their parents.

Wintertime Fun

Our newest addition is from the southernmost tip of China, Guangdong Province, and she says she has never seen snow with the exception of pictures.  Livi has been soooo excited for us to get a substantial snow so she can build a snowman with Baba.

Well, last Friday; we got a nice blanket of snow…not the HUGE snows we sometimes get but a nice covering.  It wasn’t the kind of snow that packs {if you’re a Northerner you know what I mean}, but it was perfect for the four wheeler and two saucer sleds to fly around the house a few hundred times. 

I could hear the squeals of joy coming from Olivia and Abigail as their daddy took them around and around, in freezing temperatures, until he just couldn’t go anymore…they could have! 

For being from such a warm climate, that little girl LOVES to be outside in the cold (and I love watching her from the warmth of my home with a cup of hot coffee in hand).  I don't think she'll have anything to worry about where the snow is concerned.

...and a huge THANKS and shout out to my gal Christy  who has once again made our blog look sooo fine!  She's the master blog designer and she is also an awesome blogger/sister in Christ.  I love her and only dream about blogging like she does!  

I've Been Remiss

in posting...about Olivia's first Christmas, about New Years, about ANYTHING!  After being off of work for 10 days straight (and actually enjoying family time with little to no bickering), my brain needs jump started! 

Christmas was great!  We ALL headed to church Christmas eve, which was very nice for this ol mama, and then back to our place for a late dinner.  Grandma Juanita spent the night with us, so she could share the joy of Christmas morning. 

Olivia got up at 3am.  Well, needless to say, I made her get in bed with me and go to sleep.  Around 5am, in came Abigail.  I took the smart route, tucked them in quietly in our big bed and snuck into Livi's bed for a couple more zzzzz's.  Bern and I were up around 7am but NO KIDS!  I got coffee made, casserole in oven and around 7:30am, here comes Abigail.  She did a brief acknowledgment of the tree surrounded by gifts, with a glint of joy in her eyes and we waited. 

We had the video camera set up for Livi's reaction and she didn't disappoint.  There was the squeal of joy, there was the mad grab for gifts, there was paper flying, lots of smiles and then, there was "where's my Elmo?".  Seems she grasped the list idea, but not the idea that Santa might actually NOT get her EVERYTHING on her list...sheeesh. 

(Tree, post Santa, pre unwrapping)

It was an awesome day, everyone was content and kept very busy.  The hits of the day, roller skates {Ab} and scooter {Livi}.  

I am so very thankful for the birth of my Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Christmas Cookies

Last weekend the girls and I set about to make some Christmas cookies.  Well, I did most of the making, the girls did most of the icing and eating...

I tried VERY hard not to redo what they had done, but there IS a right way to ice cookies...isn't there?  I was happy as long as they kept their fingers out of their mouths.  Their biggest fans though, were their brothers, who made quick work of eating the cookies! 

Round two came this weekend, wonder if there will be any left for Santa?

She's afraid

You may or may not know that Olivia has a special need.  She was born without the bone in her arm that runs up the inside of your arm, thus making her hand turn inward in a "club" fashion.  She also has what is referred to as a floating thumb, her thumb just hangs and swings back and forth, hanging on by skin and tendon.  She has adapted very nicely over the last eight years and uses her pinky and ring finger as a pincher of sorts. 

When we brought her home, we consulted with an orthopaedic hand surgeon regarding what could be done to help her.  Ultimately we decided to have her thumb removed (we don't know how she has kept it this long) and the surgeon is going to reposition her hand over top of the bone she does have, thereby straightening it out.  We decided to do this over Christmas break, so she wouldn't miss any school (hoping) and get further behind.  So, surgery is scheduled for the 23rd.

Saturday night, Livi got out of bed and was sobbing.  She said she had a bad dream about her hand, that it would hurt to have the surgery, and she was afraid.  This was all triggered because she has a dr. appt. tonight, and she thought it was for the surgery.  Anyway, I talked to her, tried to calm her little fears and told her mommy and daddy would never do anything to hurt her, that we would control her pain as much as possible and that it would all be good in the end.  I reassured her that her appt. on Monday was purely a pre-surgical thing and she wasn't having anything done tonight. 

She seemed to believe me, to trust me.  That is a good thing, as some days I'm not sure she truly trusts me.  I want her to know we will take care of her and love her no matter what.  So, if you are reading this, would you say a prayer for my little girl, that she will be surrounded by God's love and grace and that her surgery will go well; that the Lord will guide Dr. Reilly's hands and eyes as he makes Olivia's hand and arm look more like her other one and that she will be free of pain especially for Christmas Day - her very first!

***UPDATE***

We are postponing Olivia's surgery until Feb. 3 in order for her to truly enjoy her very first Christmas (surgeon supported and suggested).