Thursday, July 29, 2010

One doctor's appointment down.....One to go

I took Lily to see her pediatrician today. She weighs 20 lbs and is 31" tall. She is in the 75% for height and around 20% for weight. He was pleased with her growth and everything else about her. It was pure torture when they had to draw blood. The nurse tried one arm...inserting the needle, moving it around, then the next nurse and then the 3rd nurse with NO success. Of course she was screaming throughout it all and trying to bite me, the one who is holding her hand and caressing her head. I took my eyes off of her for one minute and she chomped down....ouch, that hurt! So, they took the needle out and I held her for a few minutes before they tried the other arm....YES, success. Six vials of blood were drawn. Now for the collection of 3 stool samples and we will be done. Sounds like fun, huh....NOT! Despite the long morning at the doctor, Lily has been her silly self today. Check her out in the video below. I have to say she LOVES to dance. Tomorrow is her surgeon's appointment for her cleft palate. Please keep her in your prayers. Not sure what this appointment will entail.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

More Pictures!





We are home and I have pictures!

We are home from Daufuskie but not for long.....we will go back next week with Dawn and the kids. Lily did great and we were able to connect as a family. Especially with the Morgan and Mason. She really loves being around them! I don't know what she is going to do with herself when they go back to school on Aug 10. Here are some pictures from our trip.




Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Lily's first trip to Daufuskie!

We headed down to Daufuskie Island, SC on Monday with our dear friends Ashton and her 3 girls, Abigail (12), Chloe (10) and Sophie (5). The guys will join us on Thursday. They have been coming to Daufuskie with us for 11 years now. Lily did great on the trip. She didn't cry one time on our 4.5 hour car ride followed by a 1 hour boat ride and then a 10 minute ride in the van to our condo. I have to say this trip is bringing back many fond memories of when each one of my kids were little. This is our 12th year coming to Daufuskie and we have so many memories here. Another year with a little one again. Lily got up early this morning before all the other kids and so we went for our typical golf cart ride for the early risers so that the others can sleep. So Lily and I headed out at 7 am in our pjs on the golf cart for an early morning ride. It was so peaceful. I kept remembering all the times I had done this before with Morgan and Mason when they were her age. So, needless to say Lily is doing better and loves all the attention she gets from her brother and sister. She is still a little clingy at times, but I guess that is normal. She loves the sand, the ocean and running around on the beach. I am guessing we will have another one that loves to be here like we do. I will post pictures soon, because I know that is what everyone wants to see!!!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

We are Home!!!!

We left China on Saturday, July 10 @ 7:20am. We took a 3 hour flight from Guangzhou to Beijing. From Beijing we connected to our 12.5 hour flight to Newark, NJ. We had a 4.5 hour layover in Newark and then caught our 2 hour flight home to Charlotte and arrived at 10:40pm. We arrived home around 11:45pm on Saturday night. What a day! Lily did very well. She slept about 7 hours on our flight to Newark. And then slept again on our flight to Charlotte. She cried out only a couple times. We ended making her a palate on the floor on our 12.5 hour flight and she slept by our feet, so that meant that Fred and I could not recline our chairs and get any rest. So, we went a couple days without any sleep. NOT FUN!!!
We arrived home and Morgan and Mason were up waiting on their sister. They greeted us with lots of "welcome home" posters and they made and some friends of theirs made for us. So sweet. They were so excited to meet Lily.
The last few days have been very challenging to say the least. Lily was having a hard time readjusting her clock along with the fact that she still has her ear infection and sore throat. I took her to see her doctor here on Monday, after she woke up with a 103.6 fever on Sunday and was feeling just terrible. She barley slept all night and was very fussy. On Monday, her fever was still 102.5 at the doctor. He removed some wax from one ear but could not get it out of the other ear because it was like a rock. He said he could have flushed it but it would have been very painful for her. Her throat was still red. He chose not to swab it because he was going to treat her with an antibiotic anyway for the ear infections, but thinks it could be strep due to the fever. So, my poor little girl is really struggling and so are mom and dad. She wants to be held all the time...but wait, you can't sit down or she cries...you must walk with her. Why is it always that way? I don't get it. Oh yes, I had a few emotional breakdowns. No sleep, sick baby, some much change = mommy meltdown.
On a good note.....Lily went to bed at 8:00 last night and she is still sleeping at this moment (it is 7:37am)...and she slept through the night, which means I got to sleep in my own bed for the first time since we have been back. Praise God!!! It wasn't a solid sleep but it was sleep none the less. She does cry out at night some but gets herself back to sleep. She only cried out 2 times last night, yeah!!!
Please keep Lily in your prayers for a quick recovery and that the ear infections stay at bay until her palate can be repaired. We have an appointment with that doctor at the end of the month.
More pictures to come once she is feeling better.....

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Lily & Grace





More photos from this morning....





Red Couch Photo

This morning we had our red couch photos. Went pretty well considering our big group. We have our oath this afternoon, so Lily is down for a nap now.
Yesterday we took Lily to the clinic here in the hotel. She has ear infections and a sore throat, cough, & cold. We brought an antiboitic with us, so we have her taking that along with something they gave us for a cough and ear drops. Hopefully she will start feeling better soon. She is such a good girl even though she is not feeling quite herself. Who knows how long she has had the ear infection. Not sure how often they are checked in foster home.
We went to a great French restaurant last night. It was the best food since we have been here.
We will be home soon. We can't wait. Here are some photos from this morning.


Wednesday, July 7, 2010

more zoo...


Guangzhou Zoo




Visa Appointment Day

Today was our visa appointment day. We did not have to go...our reps went for us and then called when they were done to say everything was okay. Nothing else on the agenda for today.
Yesterday we went to the zoo. It was VERY hot outside. We were all drenched by the time we got back to the bus. Meishaung met us there and then rode back on the bus with us to the hotel. We went and ate lunch together and then I put Lily down for a nap and Dawn and I went shopping with Meishaung. It was nice to catch up with her. She bought gifts for the kids. She is a sweet girl. I can't believe she is getting ready to turn 21 in August.
3 more days....I am sure the time will fly by and we will be home. I am really dreading the flight home. Lily likes to be on the go, so not sure how she is going to sit for so long with our crying and being really agitated.
Tomorrow we have our traditonal "Red Couch Photo". That is were the travel group gets together and gets a photo of all the adopted kids together in there traditional chinese clothing and takes a picture. Should be interesting to get a photo of 15 children under the age of 2 1/2 to sit together nicely for a picture. It will probably be chaous. THen in the afternoon we will go to the US consulate to take our oath. Then we are offially DONE!!!
Friday we will get Lily's visa in the afternoon and then we leave on Saturday morning.



Monday, July 5, 2010

Pictures at the White Swan Hotel


Pictures of the Pearl Market




Immunization Day & The Pearl Market

This we went to the Pearl Market in Guangzhou. It is a wholesale market for pearls where people from all over the world come to buy pearls. I got a strand of black pearls that cost $300.00 US dollars but will appraise for $3,000.00 in the US. We also picked up some gifts while we were there. Before heading back to the hotel we had a little taste of America and ate at McDonalds!!! Taste just like home. It was nice to have a drink with ice in it as well. Missing the sweet tea and American food.
This afternoon we went for immunizations. Lily had to get three. The least amount they could have received. One in each arm and one in the leg. She cried but when they were done there were no more tears. She did great.
Lily is doing better going to sleep. She is only crying for a second and then knocks out. Better than tears for 4-5 minutes. At night she has her bottle and then points to the crib....NICE!!!
Tomorrow we are going to the zoo. Meishaung (our chinese exchange student from 5 years ago) is going to meet us there and spend the morning with us. It will be nice to catch up with her.
We miss you bunches Morgan and Mason.....kisses and hugs!!!