First Beach Day

We have had temperatures in the 100's already!

Perfect for our first beach day of the season!

Miss Molly is so much stronger than last year!

Last year, her life-jacket would carry her away, but this year she swam for a whole hour before getting tired!

Ellie loved being carried in the water, playing under her shade, and enjoying the textures of the sand.

This girl, this girl..how she LOVES the beach!

She was super thrilled to be here, and watching the JOY on her face was worth sitting in the heat all morning.

I can't wait to spend many, more days here this summer.

When They Are Really With You..Oh the Joy!

Sitting on the floor today in the small speech room that has become our home on Wednesdays for the thirty minutes we work at the clinic, I was overcome with emotion.  When you parent a babe with special needs from hard places with spectrum tendencies, you regularly face challenges, expect to have to work to connect to them, and fight for their heart.  You, as a parent, get it, and come to cherish the moments that you get when your babe is fully engaged and enjoying their time with you.  There are really no words to describe what it is like to have your daughter looking in your eyes and being present in the moment with you.   Today was one of those days, and our dear therapist said it.... "What a JOY to have you here with me today."  And...it got me thinking that most people live their entire lives and they don't get it. 

They don't get the JOY in the pursuit of these precious, special needs little ones.  They don't see the value, the wonder, or the purpose in the lives of these dear, atypical children. We have been so blessed to find so many like minded, wonderful professionals, who like us, get it.  They pursue our babes, enjoy being with them, cherish them, and love them every moment, but today was the moment you live for.  My dear girl played with her sweet therapist for thirty minutes today, and her therapist ate her up.  There are those who would say that we should genetically test all fetus, and end the lives of those whose genes are not perfect.  There are those who would shutter to think about being given a daughter with the challenges that most of mine have, but then there are those precious, amazing people who know just how fearfully and wonderfully made my babes are and who are willing to do anything to make them smile. 

Today, we saw the smiles, and, while tomorrow she may once again be more interested in her hands than the bubbles and play, we will cherish these things in our heart.  Today, we saw the haze lifted from her eyes, and we just loved it!

Nothing This Side of Heaven...

Nothing this side of heaven....
like holding a swaddled, sleeping baby.  My girl may be nearing four years old, but the only way she will nap is being swaddled while rocking with her Momma.  I am happy to oblige as she missed out on many afternoons rocking with me since I didn't welcome her home until she was 2 1/2.  Precious Girl..What a blessing to hold this dear one!

The Hospital and Some Results

Since coming home, our sweet treasure has really struggled with gut and digestive issues.  In China, this girl was never fed any solids, and given only milk based formula.  She was 2 1/2 when she cam home to me, and always has had very runny stools, gas, and pain.  These issues have kept her from eating normally, caused her great pain and discomfort, and made acclimating to a new life a challenge for her.  Poor sweet girl has been through so much.  Daddy and I pray daily that we will find some way to help her with this as it is the most difficult thing to watch her go through.

We recently did an overnight at the University Children's Hospital, and went through lots of tests.  It was hard on our baby girl, but so much more manageable than I had dreamed as I was waiting for the days to come.  She is such a good baby girl, and was a stellar patient.  There is nothing that bonds a baby to her momma like a hospital stay that is for sure.  How I love, love caring for this amazing, wonderfully made little one.

The test didn't show much of anything to help her which is good on one hand.  Having normal looking insides is a blessing, but it also left us with no real way to help her.  Recently, though there is no explanation, she has been incredibly stable which is reason to PRAISE!  Her pain has lessened significantly.  Her bowel movements are not painful and are much more normal.  When she isn't experiencing pain all day, she is able to make so many gains as well..socially, developmentally, and otherwise. 

My God is so good and so many prayers were answered, and His peace was felt during our hospital stay.  I am so thankful we have access to such great care.  It is such a privilege to be able to care for this sweet, sweet one, and we pray for wisdom daily concerning her GI issues.  For now, we are thankful for stable and praying that her health will continue to improve.

One Year Home

Seven days ago, we celebrated one glorious year with this girl HOME!  I reread the travel blog entries leading up to her day, loved and loved on her, and just enjoyed watching all the ways she has grown throughout this last year.  I even had the chance to speak to a group of moms on her day, and I shared about this crazy journey to my girls, and all that we have experienced with God through it!  It was a very special (weepy) time!

In the last twelve months, she has gained nine pounds and grown four inches.  None of my other babies have even come close to experiencing such tremendous physical growth the first year home.  She is still ultra tiny for a three and a half year old, but so much bigger than she was when I first held her.  These days she is 28 1/2 pounds and 35 inches. 

It is astounding to remember just how weak her muscles were when I first held her.  She could hardly sit up, couldn't hold her head up for long, go from sitting to standing, or crawl at all.  Today, she is pulling up, cruising on furniture, fighting diaper changes like the hulk, and getting into everything!

She has experienced her bouts with trial this year as her digestive issues this year have caused her great struggle, but through it all this girl has grown to love us.  She gives the best kisses, giggles like nobody's business when she is tickled, and loves to steal her sister Jillian's wands from her.

We are grateful to have this little one as ours!  She is such a precious treasure, and we can't imagine life without her in it!  Happy one year home Ellie Grace!  We can't wait to see where the years take us!

A Sleeping Baby

There is nothing this side of heaven that is more satisfying than holding a sleeping baby.

Since my baby girl has been sick, I have gotten to hold her so much.  She slept six hours in my arms on her sickest day, and it certainly gave me plenty of time to ponder the privilege it is that I get to be her momma.  Oh that she would stay this size forever!  Such a precious, precious gift that God would allow me to have this girl to raise up for Him.

Sister Love

My sweet six year old loves, loves her some babies.  She wants nothing more in this whole world than to be a momma!

She is such a natural big sister to this baby girl.

She is constantly kissing, feeding, and hugging this baby of ours.

What a healing blessing caring for this little one has been to her big sister. 

In the Light of the Tree

I hate to think of taking down my tree as my sweet baby's face is so lovely in its glow.  I may be the only one on the street with it still up into January, but I am enjoying every minute of her exploration.

Ellie’s Glasses

So adorable..Now if I can just get her to keep them on.

Christmas in the Barn

We headed to the country last weekend for an autism event called Christmas in the Barn.

It was held at Miracles in Motion where many children have therapeutic riding sessions.

We enjoyed crafts, homemade cookies, the horses dressed in their holiday best, and a visit with..

Santa Claus. 

You can't avoid this guy this time of year,

and, while my girls know the truth about this guy,

sometimes it is fun just to play along.

Her First Tree

It is always such a privilege to celebrate the wonder of this glorious season with a new baby home!

To watch her eyes light up as she sees the sparkling lights,

to hear her giggle as I squish her little hands in the salt dough to make an ornament,

and to feel the thrill as her little hands dig through the bow and wrapping paper sensory bin..

makes my heart overflow with a JOY so big that I can't help, but praise Jesus with everything in me that He would bless me so with this sweet, sweet child!

The New Children’s Hospital

After four days in a row of long appointments, this girl was tuckered out after our day at the University yesterday.  She fell asleep just sitting up while the girls and I were using the restroom preparing to head home. (Seriously she is so chill.  Have I mentioned how thankful I am for that?)  Stay tuned because yesterday our sweet Ellie Grace got her an eyeglasses prescription, and the little pink ones I picked out for her are beyond cute!  Can you imagine?

Since I knew transferring her to her car seat would wake her up, and she desperately needed to rest.. I let my tag a longs visit the theater room in the lobby of the new hospital.  It has giant virtual reality games.

For a moment, I thought we were at the Children's Museum, but then remembered we were in the hospital.  Seriously, this new Children's Hospital is AMAZING!  Right around the corner from this theater is an amazing new playground and wonderful children's library with story hour, crafts, and books to check out.  I am grateful to get such  amazing care here so close to home, and to be able to have a little fun too!  It makes the twenty hours a week we can spend here so much more enjoyable.

Our Tornado Still At It

This girl has recently discovered how to open the cabinets.

I am thrilled that she is learning of course, but sweet girl can destroy the kitchen.

Dragging out every single everything is a favorite past time these days.

It does take a bit of time to clean up each day..ok a lot of time, but

she is so adorable discovering all these new things that we don't mind too much.

Six Glorious Months with our Sweet Baby

Six months home for this incredible girl has come and gone.  These last six months have flown by.  Six months is so short, but at the same time it seems like forever, as I can't remember myself without her. I was snuggling her frame in my arms a few days ago, and I was overcome with grief that this sweet, precious gift had to wait two and a half years to know what it was like to be rocked by a momma.  Such a devastating loss my dear girl was handed shortly after her birth.  Yet from this loss has come such a beautiful family that is full to the brim with love, chaos, and crazy because of my girl's presence.

How I love this little one more than I could have dreamed when waiting for her.  When this girl was given to me six months ago, I had no idea that she loved avocados, music toys, or tickling.

I didn't know that she would crawl to the bathroom like a mad munchkin when she heard the bath running.

And I couldn't have dreamed that she would so perfectly compliment our family.  Good!  It is so good to love this girl as mine!  Happy six months home my treasure!