Merry Christmas - by Third Day

There's a little girl trembling on a cold December morn
Crying for momma's arms
At an orphanage just outside a little China town
There the forgotten are

But half a world away I hang the stockings by the fire
And dream about the day when I can finally call you mine

It's Christmas time again but you're not home
Your family is here and yet you're somewhere else alone
And so tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in his arms
And tell you from my heart I wish you Merry Christmas

As I hang the tinsel on the tree and watch the twinkling lights
I'm warmed by the fire's glow
Outside the children tumble in a wonderland of white,
Make angels in the snow

But half a world away you try your best to fight the tears
And hope that heaven's angels come to carry you here

It's Christmas time again but you're not home
Your family is here and yet you're somewhere else alone
And so tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in his arms
And tell you from my heart I wish you Merry Christmas

Christmas is a time to celebrate the holy child
and we celebrate his perfect gift of love
He came to earth to give his life
and prepare a place for us
so we could have a home with him above

It's Christmas time again and now you're home
Your family is here so you will never be alone
So tonight before you go to sleep, I'll hold you in my arms
And I'll tell you from my heart, and I'll you from my heart
I wish you Merry Christmas

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We had a wonderful Christmas this year. Last year (and several years before) Bob and I longed to hold our another child in our arms. This year our dream came true. God couldn't have done a better job in choosing Addison to be our child. She is so full of love and life and Bob, Nathan and I look forward to spending the rest of our Christmas' with her.

A day at the Park

Today we took the kids to a park in Mclean, VA. The park opened about a year ago, but what is really neat is that the park is completely handicap accessible. There are wheelchair ramps to all the equipment, full support swings and cushioned trails. We had taken Nathan there before and he had a great time. It is wonderful that there is a place kids like him can play along with their peers. Addison was a little less enthusiastic about everything. She didn't like the swings or the slides, but she liked to run along the cushioned trails.

Family Love

Addison's First "Professional" Haircut

Yesterday we took Addison to Cartoon Cuts to get her first "real" haircut. The orphanage haircuts are often very short and uneven and we were hoping to add a little shape to Addison's hair. I am not sure that the lady did much better than the orphanage. I guess it is more even, but she cut it really short! Addison didn't fuss too much - but it may be because the lady did it less than 3 minutes!

Last Thursday we finally met with the surgeon regarding Addison's cl/cp. We really liked the Dr. He had a wonderful bed side manner and was very optimistic that Addison would have a successful repair. Because of Addison's age, he recommended closing the palate first and doing a lip adhesion on the right side to help stretch the lip. He said his first focus is helping Addison achieve the best results for speech. He explained that she hasn't formed bad speaking habits yet because she isn't really saying very many English words. He hopes that we can get her palate repaired before she does start forming bad habits. Three months after the palate surgery he will do the cosmetic repair of her lip and nose. He recommended that we see the whole craniofacial team before he did the surgery to see if anyone had anything else to add

We went to Children's today and met with the whole team. It was an all day experience. Addison didn't get a chance to take a nap, but she still did well. She had a hearing test that showed some fluid in her ears. The audiologist felt that she has normal hearing but that the fluid is muffling some sounds. So the ENT recommended ear tubes, which is what we were expecting. They will put them in the same time the plastic surgeon does the palate repair. We also saw the dentist who showed us some tricks to brushing Addison's teeth. She screams anytime I bring a toothbrush near her mouth, so hopefully we can use the dentist's tricks to get her teeth cleaned. Everyone was very impressed with how well she was adjusting and how well she has attached to Bob and I. A psychiatrist was part of the team and she too thought Addison was doing very well.

We met several families today whose children had repaired cl/cp and it was amazing how well they all looked. If it wasn't for the tiny scars on their lips you would have never guessed that they had ever had any issues. We are just hoping for the same results for Addison.

Right now the prospective surgery date is the 15th of Jan., however that may change now that the ENT's will be participating. We are just anxious to get the whole process started.

Today, before the Craniofacial clinic we all went to Nathan's school where they had their winter concert. They theme was holidays around the world. Nathan's class did Kwanzaa. Addison enjoyed the music and all the attention she got. I have posted some pics from the concert.

Curious Addison!!

Addison is into EVERYTHING!!! It is wonderful and maddening at the same time. I am so thankful that she feels safe enough in her surroundings to go exploring, but does it have to be all the dog food and water bowl plus ALL the cupboards in the kitchen?!?!? I can't tell you how many times I have cleaned up the water or picked up the dogfood. The real downfall is that I can't stay mad at her...she just smiles and turns her big brown eyes at me and I have to laugh! We have babyproofed about 75% but need to finish up quickly!

We are feeling better. Addison is on some antibiotics for a sinus infection. I really didn't think a child with an open cleft could get a sinus infection, but I guess they can. We see the surgeon on Thursday and I am so eager to hear what he has to say. I hope and pray that he says it will be an easy repair and that he can start ASAP.

Nathan is getting along pretty well with his sister. Addison loves to come over and pat his head and give him kisses. He laughs when she does it.

Quick Update

Nathan was so nice to bring us all home a nasty cold from school on Friday. Addison started to get sick on Sunday and Bob and I followed behind. Nathan has been out of school all week and will probably stay home most of the week. The only good thing is that Bob is still home and has been able to help out as well. He has taken Nathan to see the Dr. both yesterday and today.

Addison continues to do well. She is now sleeping in her own room in her own crib. She cries once or twice during the night but we are able to calm her down pretty easily.

Bob goes back to work on Friday. It has been so nice having him home these past few weeks. The military gives families who adopt a three week permissive leave. It has certainly helped with bonding between Addison and Bob. I am a little nervous for him to go back to work, but I am sure I will manage.

A little more than a week.

I know that all of you have been waiting patiently for an update. It is hard to believe that it has been over a week since Addison and I have come home. She continues to settle into our lifestyle and us into hers. She is still a little bit weary of Bob, but she is getting better. If he feeds her, she is fine and when I sneak out of the room she is okay for a few minutes. It may take a little while, but I think she will be a daddy's girl one day.

Addison is also getting better with the dogs. She walks around them and doesn't seem bothered. However, just like the dogs, she will eat anything. I was giving the dogs a treat the other day and they were sitting there nicely waiting for me to feed them. Along comes Addison with her mouth wide open...she wanted her treat too!!! I am going to try to get a picture of her doing it, it is too funny.

We took her to see the Pedi on the 20th. Poor girl got four shots, but handled like a trooper. The Dr. was a little bit concerned because she was less than 3% on the weight scale (19.5lbs), but when I looked on the Asian she was about 5-10% for her weight. Her height was 30.5inches. The Pedi asked about her cleft and wanted to know if we had been in contact with the craniofacial team. We let her know that we were meeting with the plastic surgeon on the 13th. Overall, she said Addison looked great. She didn't mention too much about her development, but she seems to be right on target except for speech.

The Dr. did give us a little sheet that explained what a child her age could/couldn't do. She was doing most of everything, but we hadn't seen her pull a toy behind her while she walked. So we went out and bought a little telephone (dial - like we had when we were kids) for her to see if she could pull the toy or not. The video shows that she can!! She is catching on to some signs - more, food, mom and all done. Today she said "uh oh." Until her palate gets repaired it will be difficult for her to make many sounds. We are praying the surgeon will be able to get us in quickly.

We love seeing Addison discover new things everyday, but at the same time it is a little bittersweet. At time it reminds us that we will never get to see Nathan do those things. Nathan has truly amazed us over the years and we celebrate EVERY little milestone he meets, but it is a challenge for him to make any progress. I think his struggles has made us appreciate Addison's progress more. Nathan has taught us not to take things for granted and that is what we are trying to do with every new adventure we have with Addison.

Thankfully, Nathan has remained healthy. He seems to like his baby sister most of the time. He doesn't like Addison to climb on our laps when we are holding him, but he loves to hear her sounds. She is doing pretty good with him as well. She hands him his toys if he drops them and will pat his head when she sees us doing it.

I want to thank you all again for your continued support and comments! I will try to update the blog more. For sure I will do it on Sunday nights.

Home Sweet Home

We all were so happy to be home after our 26 hour trip home from China. Addison did very well on the flight home. It helped that she wasn't the only baby on the plane...there were several other families bringing their babies home from China. The 15+ plane ride wasn't that bad, but it is something I don't want to do anytime soon!!!

Bob and Nathan met us at the airport. He was a little late so we had to wait for him to bring the balloons. He was over the moon seeing her for the first time. Addison is very slowly warming up to Bob. She is okay when she wants to play with him, but she doesn't like him to hold her that much. She is pretty much Velcroed to my hip. When I am in the room it is me that she wants. She has been good to Nathan. He is really enjoying hearing her "talk" and laugh. She picked up and gave him some of the toys he dropped.

Addison really doesn't like the dogs. She screams every time they come around her. I guess like everything else it will take some time.

We take her to see the pediatrician tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how she does. We are really anxious to see the surgeon on the 13th of December.

I am putting some pics up from our last days in China and some of us at home. Thanks again for following our journey and all the great comments!!

Leaving china

Thank you to everyone who has followed our blog while I was in China. I enjoyed reading all the comments! I have pics to post, but I will do that when I get home. We are trying to find places in our suitcases for all the stuff we have bought here:-) It isn't an easy task!

We have enjoyed our time here, but we are more than ready to come home! I am so excited for Bob and Nathan to meet Addison. I know they are both so excited to finally see her in person. We have met some wonderful families over here and we will miss them.

Keep checking back...I will add pics of our trip and of course pics of Addison with Bob & Addison.

Squeeky Shoes!

Here is a quick video of Addison in her squeeky shoes!

3 nights/ 4 Days

We are all so ready to come home! It have had a wonderful time in China, but we miss our families so much. It will also be so nice to get in a routine and not be living out of a suitcase. I also can't wait to go shopping at a good ol' American grocery store....or Target!

Addison continues to do well. The whole adoption journey has been amazing. It is hard to believe that four months ago we were staring at her picture for the first time. It feels like she has been a part of our lives forever. She is certainly going to keep us on our toes! She loves to explore EVERYTHING! Bob is baby proofing the house, hopefully it will all be done by the time we get home.

Yesterday we went to the Guangzhou City Zoo. The grounds were beautiful, but the actual animal cages weren't so great. We did get to see the Giant Panda, but surprisingly he was in a small cage without any foliage. It was sad. We also saw some very scary Pomeranian in cages. I guess a lot of Chinese don't get to see dogs. I posted a picture of all the beautiful girls who were adopted with our group.

Today was pretty lazy, I just had to fill out the rest of our paperwork so that we can get Addison's visa. Hopefully it will all be in order so we can leave on time.

Addison has finally warmed up to my mom. I had to leave her with Renee and my mom why I went to fill out the paperwork. Whey I came home, my mom showed me the pic of her holding Addison and Addison was smiling!!! Grandmas was so happy! It is truly wonderful to see Addison smile....it lights up her whole face!

I am posting some pics of Bob and Nathan's at Nathan's school's Veteran's Day Ceremony. They both look very patriotic!