Lest I forget

Our sweet littlest girlie has been hardwired by God with resiliency. She continues to improve her sleeping and settling into our family despite multiple new events/surroundings/people.

Medically: we are praising Jesus for normal echocardiogram results and an amazing pediatric orthopedic surgeon (which we have access to...again, praising God that by His grace He placed us right here). The evaluation with the orthopedic surgeon (Dr. G for short) was enlightening and made us in more awe of the workings of Our Father (background: this surgeon was able to put back on a 12 year-olds amputated hand a few weeks ago...when no one else was willing to do it)...and this is whom God chose for us to have access to....long story, but he was who was on the schedule the first day Maren went to Shriner's 2 years ago (he now sees both younger girls). Anyhow, he wants to wait and see how Maeve's feet deformities impact her standing and walking before starting in on surgically addressing those deformities; she is not standing alone or walking so we will return for an appointment in May in hopes that we have a clearer picture of how her ambulation is impacted by the deformities. What was really amazing was the discussion of Maeve's hands...mainly because in our (limited) understanding we thought there was nothing to improve function except full hand prosthetics when she became a young adult; however, Dr. G. thinks he can surgically create a "post" (think anchor) for a prosthetic for pinching (acting as a thumb)...in his words "we need to give her pinch; what she has now [one finger] is okay for picking up cheerios but not much beyond that". He mentioned taking a bone from the palmar area of her hand do to this (he actually said she would have been the perfect candidate for transferring both big toes to be her thumbs...I know, amazing that God has instilled this knowledge in him...but of course, mentioned this was not possible in Maeve's case because of her feet deformity.) He did a nice job of giving us the future implications of the 1 deviated finger she has on each hand...he said her hands are really rare and is not typical of this syndrome. Overall, I could not stop thanking Our Lord for orchestrating the details of our path to an amazing surgeon who also happens to have great bedside manner!

Adjustment: It is sweet to see her and Maren's relationship develop...just this morning after breakfast, Maren was saying, "Maeve don't you want to come play with me." It is also sweet to see her relationship develop with the older 3: the minute Mora gets home from school she goes and "hangs out" by Mora's homework corner (aka corner of the couch), she is partial to playing silly games with Bennett, and is mesmerized by Bryce's toys (helicopter). She is more and more curious with each day: loves playing in the pantry, will open a cabinet door and look in (yet to really empty the cabinet yet though we know that day is coming :) and will try and touch/catch the stick vacuum.

I am amazed at how God has put together our family. I am praying that lest I forget the awe and praise of His grace, love, mercy, provision,and faithfulness that so easily rises up these days...I am a blessed mother.

3 Weeks

In our minds and hearts it seems like we have known, loved, and adored her for a long time; I am pretty sure in Maeve's mind it has only been 3 weeks. We met her 3 weeks ago today. What bravery and resiliency God has hard-wired into our darling little one. She has been shuttled between multiple hotels, our home, multiple planes/taxis/van drives, multiple paperwork offices, and this week doctor's offices/procedures. Maeve had her first pediatrician appointment this past Tuesday. She had 7 vaccines (4 shots) to try to catch her up. She ordered some blood work (trying to figure out which vaccines have been accurately dosed and given to her in China), an echo of her heart, and an audiology consult. With Maeve's syndrome, heart, gastrointestinal, and hearing loss can accompany the orthopedic conditions, as well. She had her heart echo on Wednesday; poor baby, was not happy about being held down for an hour procedure (we should get the results Monday).

Maeve continues to wake up multiple times at night (and during daytime rest) and frequently demonstrates a guarded demeanor: posture of arms held high (guarded position), eyes going side to side (think overdrive). We know she is in the phase of "what are you going to throw my way next (hotel, plane, medical procedure, etc). She is also anxiously wanting us (her mom or dad) near her most of the time. At this point, we feel her sleep disturbance is a combination of grief/loss and not wanting us to leave her. It is heartbreaking to know we are trustworthy and never going to leave her yet to see her guarded and distraught because her foundation is loss. We are trying to rely on God and His promises to parent her as she needs. Every time I look at her I cannot stop thanking God that she is ours (earthly loan) and am in awe constantly that WE get to be her parents. She loves to eat, likes the dog from a distance, enjoys watching the older 4 be silly and laugh at them, she likes looking out our front windows, she loves to watch Bryce fly his remote helicopter (she tries to chase it - pretty funny), she decided today was the day to ride her Minnie Mouse airplane ride-on toy (she has played around it all week), and she is starting to explore our home a little more each day. We are thoroughly enjoying our new daughter!

Maren has been more emotional this week as Maeve has entered the scene...she cries more frequently and asks to be held when Maeve is being held. She is such a big helper to her mom; she likes to help change her mom's dressings on her hand several times a day (which is improving). She is learning to share (with the older kids not really interested in her toys - previously this has not been an issue) with a little sister. She has handled this change with such poise considering her own foundation and her mother being gone for 2 weeks. The older 3 try to convince Maeve to play with them. They do not seem phased by all the change in our home - we wonder if they are more mature than when we brought Maren home and are accustomed to the changes, challenges, and blessing of adoption.

This next week our social worker comes for our first post-placement visit. We have been filling out paperwork and locating pictures for the visit; we have to write a report and provide 12 pictures to China at each visit. The pictures are very specific: such as no shorts, no messy faces, no pets, smiling faces, certain family members, etc. These visits/reports/picture continue for the next 6 years (yes, you read this correctly). With Maren it was only 1 year, but China changed the rules right after Maren's adoption.

We have had an outpouring of support since returning home: our adoption ministry at church has provided meals this past week, friends from Columbia came to visit, cards, gifts, emails, texts...we cannot thank you all enough for your generous encouragement and support. We appreciate you being "the hands and feet of Jesus" here for us as we transition to a family of 7.

Home Sweet Home

We are thankful that we have made it home safely last night. We arrived in St.Louis, a few minutes early, to family and friends welcoming us with signs and balloons. We were glad to be united as a family of seven! Poor Maeve was quite distraught on the short trip from the airport to home as she has never been in a carseat until last night.

The trip home was not always pleasant; however, I am thankful that we had no plane delays, neither girls got sick (and Maeve's ears have improved to where the altitude changes did not affect her), and He provided strength to endure the long hours of travel.

Maeve did not sleep much last night and was somewhat unconsolable; however, I kept reminding myself how confusing it must be to sleep in yet a different room/location again. God is protecting her heart...we can see it. She does smile and laugh when playing. She does have some orphanage self-stimulating behaviors we see when she is experiencing extreme happiness or sadness.

The twins have been great with her...playing with her and helping as needed. Maren seems to enjoy the concept of teaching and helping Maeve with new things. She has been quite emotional today as expected as her change in family order ensues.

Danial took the day off from work; we spent part of the morning at the hand surgeon...Michelle had a nasty wound infection from early in trip that kept getting worse. We are thankful the doctor was able to prescribe medicine available for her arrival at the airport and was willing to see her this morning to address the situation. We believe it may have come from washing laundry in the hotel room...the water is not purified (you cannot drink the water) and may have got in an area of dry skin on her hand.

We are going to enjoy the weekend becoming accustomed to our new family dynamic  of seven. We have canceled most activities to spend quality time together. We are overwhelmed by God's grace and love for our family - that He put us together for His glory.

Getting Ready to Head Home

Yesterday was our last appointment in China! We had the U.S. Consulate appointment (unfortunately no cameras are allowed so no pics of it); this appointment is where we turn in all the important documents and process Maeve's visa to enter the U.S..  We also stand and raise our hand and take an oath that all documents are true and accurate.

In the afternoon I (and Maeve) had to attend the last meeting with our agency - this was to go over information regarding our exiting the country/clearing immigration in the U.S. Mora went swimming in the hotel pool wit her friend from Chicago during our meeting. We had dinner with the same friends and said our good-byes. Again, a sweet blessing this trip to have them as friends.

Today is a big day...we are packing up for our long journey home. I am quite anxious to get home; Mora would like to stay longer. Yesterday, someone was commenting to me about making the trip home solo spouse (adoption world terminology), and I said He has seen us through to this point...I have hope that He will see us through this last leg of the journey. He has been faithful from the very beginning of this process...January 20, 2013 we began the paper trail to adopt our precious Maeve. He has sustained us through every single step of the way. He has made Himself known clearly to us...directing and strengthening us. As we leave China it is somewhat of a juxtaposition: excited to be reunited as a family, yet acutely aware of what it means for Maeve.

We would appreciate your continued prayer support as we finish out this last part of the journey. We leave for the train station at 4:30 this afternoon. We should arrive at our hotel in Hong Kong by 10pm tonight. Tomorrow we head to the airport (in Hong Kong) around 10am. We have a 12 hour flight to San Francisco. There we have to go through immigration for Maeve to become a U.S. Citizen. W
also clear customs. We have a 4-5hour layover and then we have a 3.5 hour flight to St.Louis. For those who have asked...we welcome any and all of you. Our flight number is: 492 United airlines arriving at 6:15pm Thursday.

We will not be able to post again until we return home. Thank you, thank you for praying, encouraging, and supporting us on this amazing journey to Maeve. God is good, faithful, trustworthy, loving, and gracious to us!

Monday

We walked around the area near our hotel this morning; we saw an open market and street vendors. It was another sunny and mild morning here. Later, we took a taxi back to Shamien Island. Our friends we met in Nanchang invited us to meet for lunch (they are in a different hotel than us) and let the girls play. They enjoyed climbing a tree, playing badminton, and running. Before it got dark we came back to our hotel. Maeve and I played on the floor most of the evening.

We are getting anxious to start our journey home. Tomorrow is the very last appointment; we then wait until late Wednesday afternoon for Maeve's visa (then we are cleared to head toward home).

 

Quiet days

Thankfully, today and tomorrow have no appointments, paperwork, or travel. Two days of refreshing is what Maeve (and Mora & I need) needs. This morning we took a taxi to Shamien Island...a quieter and slowe paced area near the Pearl River. We took our time as I showed the girls around and looked for gifts in the small shops.

This afternoon, after Maeve's nap, we spent some time at the hotels gardens area( very peaceful and beautiful).  The area also had a swing set; however, Maeve was not interested in it.  For Donne we walked across the street to the same coffee shop we ate at last night.

Each say I learn more and more about our sweet little Maeve.  Here are a few fun tidbits about her: she loves to look pretty(AKA she does not try to remove the bows for her hair), she waves "bye bye" by bending and straightening the only finger on her hand, she loves her bottles of formula, she crawls well, she can stand up and move around furniture by holding onto it, she points to where she wants to go(ie door,crib), she enjoys riding in my generic ergo, and when  she wants more food she says "maaaaa", she is good at imitating us( tapping, clapping).  It is hard to believe that she was given to us just eight days ago. Each day she is allowing me to enter her world a little more. God continues to be faithful in comforting her, protecting/healing her heart and allowing us to reach into her life.

her heart, and allowing us to reach into her life.

We made it to Guanzhou!

Yesterday we packed up our things and headed to Guanzhou. We left our hotel in Nanchang around 2:30pm and arrived to our hotel hotel room in Guanzhou around 9:30pm. Maeve was not particularly excited about being confined to a plane seat (not surprising as she would not have traveled in even a car until last week, and there are is no such thing as car seats in China). The nice thing about this particular leg of the trip is there were 3 other adoptive families waiting at the airport with us and on the same plane.

When we got to our hotel room Maeve turned wildly excited...she became giggly and super playful (I think she was so glad to be done with travel for the day). It was so late by the time we got to our hotel room (and the plane did not serve a meal) that we ate in our room (cream of wheat, Mac and cheese).

Maeve is starting to show more emotion and allow me to care for her without such resistment. She blew a kiss back at me at bedtime last night as I stepped away from the crib. When we first got her she would not allow me to rock, sing, etc before laying down to rest...now she does not want in her crib 90 percent of the time so I get to rock her to sleep (a big plus for adoptive situations). When strangers approach or make eye contact with her she will bury her head into me....she is learning that I am safe (just what she needs: felt safety).

This morning was the medical check. It is required for her to leave China. If you can imagine 300 people in one doctor's office that was the scenario. We had to take Maeve to 3 stations. The huge praise was: at all 3 stations the staff were not rough with her (not warm and fuzzy but not rough). This medical check is known to be a cold, not so compassionate place (speaking from our previous adoption and other adoptive families). I am thankful to have that behind her, and He provided the right staff today.





Sorry about the pictures! I accidentally posted the picture twice and I can't figure out how to go back and delete them.

Thursday

We have had a good day here. Our guide took us to People's Park this morning. It was sunny, in the 40s, and the least amount of smog so far. The park gave us a great look at the leisure life of the Chinese people here. We saw lots of groups practicing various styles of dances, a group doing Chinese Kung-fu, groups playing badminton, musical groups practicing, children playing on unique playground equipment, and a few playing basketball. The best part was getting to engage with the people. We were approached by multiple groups and individuals....asking questions about us mainly. Our guide said that people do not understand why anyone would want to adopt so they were curious about our story. The people were so positive and encouraging that we would adopt a baby from China. It was a precious time of engaging with people from this area...greater appreciation of how God has created different people groups.

God provided a special gift today... a family in our hotel who has befriended us. They are from Chicago and adopted a daughter who is the same age as Maeve. They invited us to join them for kite-flying, shopping for a tea set for our girls (this area is known for porcelain factories), and dinner at a Thai restaurant. We walked everywhere...nice to enjoy the street atmosphere knowing we were safely with a male

Feeling better!

Our little girlie is on the mend! She ate breakfast and 2 packages of cream of wheat for lunch. She took a bottle this morning, as well. She has been pulling on her neck and ears less and less as the day goes on. She is not crying when she swallows. She still has some sores in her mouth but as long as the food item is runny she will eat it.

She is feeling more curious and daring today....such a blessing to see her feel well enough to do so. She is cruising around the furniture; she climbs in the side table. She spent a considerable amount of time playing with 2 partially filled water bottles. We are getting more smiles this afternoon. She enjoys playing peek a boo. She has been making more babbling sounds today, too.

It is still a love/hate relationship with me...so common for this stage of the transition during adoption. She started wanting to go where I am..ie bathroom, yet 10 minutes later she wants held(screamed even louder when I tried to set her down) and is thrashing and hitting at me. She had a 1hour screaming and thrashing moment. When it was done, I told Mora this is the real part of adoption. It breaks my heart for Maeve to have to go through this. I know this is not how God originally intended for things to be...orphans...brokenness. I am continually praying that He will help me be gentle-spirited, patient, and have the emotional and physical strength to parent her the ways she so desperately needs. He is trustworthy. He is my strength.

This morning our guide took us to a pagoda. She said it is one of the four famous ones in China. Mora was anxious to see it; she had studied about them in 6th grade. It was really interesting and massive. When we are with the guide I am continually asking her questions about this area of China...I want to be able to pass down information about Maeve's birth province to her. Maeve slept through most of the tour.We ate lunch in our room; we do this at least one meal a day. There is a hotspot to boil water in each hotel room so I brought things like: Mac and cheese, ramen noodles, oatmeal, etc. After lunch we had to go over some paperwork with our guide...these are papers for the Consulate next Tuesday.