Eli Update

And there is this guy. Our unexpected blessing. 

 

He is something else. A perfection alliteration of all things S.   Smiley, supremely silly, sensitive, smart, stubborn, so sweet, and silent except for some silly sounds. 

 

Elijah goes with the flow, transitioning into all things new with ease.  He smiles and smiles, except when he melts into a crying noodle. 

 

 Routine is comfort to him, so we have spent many days trying hard to fight all things distraction to give him a foundation of what to expect in his new life.  Outside play is his top desire, running for his shoes if anybody else comes anywhere near theirs. 

 

He takes a long nap, and sleeps well at night in his own bed, except from the one time in the wee hours of each night when he tiptoes silently into our room and falls asleep on pillows by our bed. 

 

We thought we'd add crazy to the already crazy this last few weeks, so we potty trained him.  All it took was a jar of chocolate chip rewards and he was good to go. 

 

He gets himself dressed and folds clothes.  Our little man loves to help, constantly taking everybody their water bottles and trying hard to set the table.  Eli comforts Evie when she needs it, by patting her head and running to look for her lovely blanket and bottle. 

 

Thanks to some hand me downs and grandparent gifts, our house is covered in boy toys.  He loves balls, Duplo Legos, a stick pony and anything his sisters are playing with.   Stuffed animals he's not so sure about. 

 

Born with a cleft palate and lip, we are expecting speech delay.  He hasn't said anything yet, though Mamaw swears that he says all kinds of words to her.  :)  His repairs look good, but he has an appointment at a craniofacial unit in a few weeks, where he will be seen  by a plastic surgeon, dentist, speech pathologist, etc.  We are praying for no further surgical repairs.  Hopefully he will just need ear tubes, dental work, and some speech therapy.  We'll know much more after we hang out at the craniofacial unit for the day!

 

Elijah LanCheng is a gift.  He fills spaces that we didn't know were empty. 

 

 For we are God's masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,

which He prepared in advance for us to do. 

Ephesians 2:10

Evelyn Update

 

Big fat thanks to every single person who has been praying for our girl.  So many of you have asked for an update, and we appreciate that so much.  The truth is, we've waffled on how much to protect her story.  Waffled on over-sharing our kids' lives. Waffled again about blogging. In the end, she needs her prayer army to keep fighting for her.  We also want to honor those who have followed her, sponsored her and prayed. 

 

We are currently still in the evaluation stage.  Hours have been spent researching, talking to other parents, searching for medical supplies and pouring through medical records.  Some serious trial and error nursing is taking place as we text her forming team of doctors and Google DIY videos.  She had lots of tests while in the hospital, and has had two more radiology exams since.  She's on another antibiotic to prevent traditional viruses, but if she gets a fever, we head back to the hospital. 

 

She has a surgery scheduled for January 22nd, and will have more in the future.  Next week, there is an appointment with a colorectal surgeon who will likely suggest further procedures.  We also await an appointment with a neuro specialist.  Other specialists, the ENT, dentist and traditional immunization updates are pushed on back. 

 

She's complicated and needs advocates.  Before getting in to see our regular pediatrician a few weeks ago, we had to go see another pediatrician to get a test done immediately.  After our long appointment, when that doctor realized that we were not asking her to be our primary care doctor, she sighed in relief.  Her response, "Oh good, because I don't need any complicated cases right now."  As you might expect, our momma and poppa bear sides came out in full force in that moment.  My eyes filled with tears as I slammed our things into our bag,  first cried to two friends, then complained to every.single.person at her practice. 

 

Our prayer request at this point is for the best medical team.  We've talked to some nice doctors, but we need experts who will advocate.  We've got one, now we need a few others. 

 

This little soul is a strong one.   She's endured much and fought a hard fight with the life-saving help of Love Without Boundaries.  Now home, she has family standing beside her. 

 

 

 

 A couple weeks ago, after being connected with her former surgeons and medical staff from Hong Kong, I found this photo on one of their FB pages from one of her hospital stays.  They cared for her well during her time there, but I am undone by this image.  Little ones should always have parents beside them.   

 

Today we celebrate God inviting us to walk into her story.  Her family with her, she is moving each day toward more smiles and giggles, better health and a lots and lots of two year old fun.  She's got some more battles to fight, but we'll walk ahead in full faith, all changing together.   

 

Evelyn's verse: 

 I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Psalm 16:8

 

Turning Two, Inpatient Style

 

We can think of better places to spend a birthday, but it was still a special memory.

It started at the crack of dawn with anesthesia and an MRI on her spine, but was uphill from there. 

Evelyn turned one at the Heartbridge Healing Home recovering from a major surgery.  She turned two in a hospital, but was surrounded by family and lots of love. 

The hospital and nurses brought her first birthday gift, a Little People house!  She also got balloons and stuffed animals from her Aunt Janie and from our wonderful adoption agency, Lifeline Children's Services. 

 

She's not quite sure how to play yet, but she LOVED the balloons, bags and tearing it all apart!

Her first birthday guest was Mrs. Katie who stopped by with lots of love during her work. 

Later that night, the troops arrived with a party!!!  This picture speaks so very, very much to what a family means.  I've looked at it a hundred times, tearing up at the look of joy as she sees her "BaBa".  Her day wasn't easy, but it was happy surrounded by the love of a family, which can fill any room.  That truth is just beginning to seep into her heart and give her a foundation to stand on.  Never again will she spend her birthday alone. 

 Her most special guest was her Grandma who came in from New York!!!  She came bearing a giant bag of Hello Kitty fun and a big smile as she met her granddaughter for the first time.  She also brought a birthday crown from Aunt Jen!

 

Her sibs thought the pizza and cupcake party on wheels was all kinds of fun!  

 There is something magical about grandparents.  Evie had hardly eaten all week, but when Grandma  handed Evie a piece of pizza, she gobbled it on up!

 

 Drew, Katie and Eli stopped by for some pizza partying as well.

 

Happy Birthday, dear one.  Your wait is over.  You have a family and you are so loved.  Soak it in and enjoy TWO.  There is lots of fun ahead.  We're gonna blow up a big ole party when you turn three.  Promise. 

Admission

We've seen over and over again that God is in the business of miracles.  Move in close enough to Him and you'll see them everywhere.  Evelyn's life is filled with His handiwork.  We stand back in humbled awe and are filled with a burgeoning awareness of who He is. 

 

She's fragile.  We knew that.  We knew she needed to see lots of specialists.  We knew she has been on endless rounds of antibiotics, had lots of surgeries and that she's had lots of infections.  When we came home from China, we started with our pediatrician.  He determined that she had an infection and put her on an antibiotic.  At the same time, we were trying to get an appointment with a highly recommended urologist.  The first available was weeks away, so we started calling and emailing about cancellations. 

 

One Tuesday morning, we got the call that this dr would see her after hours that evening.  That doctor looked at the same reports that the pediatrician had been looking at for a week, and admitted her to the hospital out of concern for kidney failure. 

 

 She had hardly eaten in days and had a high fever.  We pulled out all the unhealthy stops that night trying to persuade her to munch or sip on something.   

 

That first night was a rough one.  Evie's little arms have whispery veins with lots of scar tissue from prior IVs  It took three hours and a team of all kinds of people to insert her IV.  My tears fell over her as they pocked and prodded.  We knew then that she would endure much over the next few days. 

Over the next three days, she had an an xray, echocardiogram, MRI, ultrasounds and more.  This little one is a fighter though, and she just kept on keeping on.  She's a tough one and a teammate for sure. 

 

Mark and I took turns staying with her and tried to grasp medical jargon and test results. 

 It wasn't all bad, we both say now that it was a bonding time with Miss Evelyn, and we had some fun too.  We got invited to a music time, so we rolled on down the hallway to shake maracas and sing Christmas carols! 

 

By the end of our stay, she had received lots of tests that she would have needed over the next weeks, we knew much more about her body and we had partnered with a doctor who is willing to fight for her. 

 

This stay was her latest miracle, as we now know that the last minute appointment, that led to an admission, had saved her life.  Evie was septic and the doctor told us he was surprised that she survived our China trip.  God had intervened again on her behalf.  As hard as this was on the heart, it can only be celebrated.  We are grateful that we were able to have our time in China without having to live with the knowledge of how very fragile she really was. 

 

We were all smiles by our last day.  Amazed again by her life. 

 

 Thanks to everybody who prayed, text and emailed.  Thanks also to Katie, Drew, Tray and Alicia for visiting.  Thanks to Angela, Grandma and Aunt Jen for babysitting. 

 

We cruised out in style late that Friday night with big smiles and grateful hearts. 

 

Let's all start living in expectation of miracles.  We just need to step close enough. 

Carried

We came home jet lagged and weary, and you carried us.  We slept all day, loved on four little, attention-needing souls,  ran to lots of medical exams and had a hospital stay and you carried us.

 

  The kindnesses kicked off with Jen and Mike who left us a basket filled with Christmas fun since they were travelling when we arrived home.  THREE types of chocolate, people.  Chocolate always carries!

 

Our friend Angela is service hearted, with a masters degree in living in community.  She rallied the troops and a meal train was formed for ALL of December. ( We even have a couple  meals coming in January!  Can't believe it!)  We are so humbled, and so immensely grateful.  On several days when I could only claim to have accomplished getting everyone dressed, knowing dinner was coming was a huge blessing.  On days when fears were flowing, meals were emotional comfort.  During the hospital stay, meals were life.  Seeing the smiling faces of friends every single night carried us and blessed us so that we could focus on little ones in transition.

Oh, how you can cook!  We had Mexican casseroles, fried chicken and rotisserie chicken, homemade apple pie, lasagna, cookies, fruit, green beans, casseroles, lemon chicken in wine sauce, meatloaf, chili, chicken noodle soup, Christmas treats, rice, salad and all kinds of rolls.  The kids literally SQUEALED each night when the doorbell rang (Am I right, Autumn?!).   I might have dropped a few tears of gratitude as well.  Sitting around our table each night eating these meals was a blessing.  Carried. 

 

 



The blessing continued at Christmas, when my parents showed up to cook a special prime rib dinner, and then kept cooking, cleaning and playing while we started to clean a house that hadn't been cleaned sense early November....or October?!  They even left a pot a stew for the day AFTER they left.  Carried.

Baklava.  Layer upon layer of honey, crushed pecans and phyllo dough.  Our supper club pal and baker extraordinaire, Ashley, must have spent HOURS making this deliciousness.  It came WITH dinner and all kinds of hand-me- down boy toys.  We can not even take in that kindness.  Carried.

 



 



Neighbors brought homemade bread and gift cards.  Handmade verse cards encouraged us as they hung from our bathroom mirror thanks to Heather, my sweet poppyseed chicken making,  Bible study friend.  Carried. 


Our chef friend, Kari, left dinner waiting on our back porch when the girls and I returned home late in the evening from admitting Evie to the hospital.  Meatloaf and mashed potatoes never were so comforting.  Carried.

The amazing Jill dropped off an Advent devotional, made us photo magnets from our trip and created our trip video.  Seriously?!  Our church left t-shirts for the little people.  Rachael made us dinner despite our best effort, though she has a new foster son.  Angela and Jen babysat our girls multiple times during dr's appointments.   Carried. 

 

 

Trish made a banana bread with her meal that was the only thing Evie ate for a week.  She then brought over another WARM batch the morning after we got home from the hospital. She can encourage like no other.  Carried.  

 

HUGE hearted Brooke ordered us a Cracker Barrel dinner (woot, woot!), brought Christmas craft kits for the girls and made personalized tubs of gifts for Eli and Evie.  This girl gives and gives some more.  Another cool part of the story?  As she was leaving work to pick up this fabulous meal, she told her manager what her plans were.  That generous manager then BOUGHT OUR MEAL!  Carried. 

 
 

The big brown truck MADE OUR WEEK when he brought this tin filled with sugary beauties from kind-hearted, distant family members that we've never met! Thank you, Priori family!   If only we could have captured the kids' expressions when they peered over the box at this Christmas cookie perfection.  Carried. 

Fun thanks to the Wilcox family for sending an Advent calendar full of crafts and these crazy cute matching jammers!  Comfort is high on the priority list with this team, so you blessed us perfectly. PJs carry big time!

Thank you, friends.  We are overwhelmed by your kindness.  Humbled and challenged to love you so well in return.  We KNOW meal making is hard work, so THANK YOU, thank you, thank you!  Every single thing was appreciated.   Your kindness was not small to us and your generosity was yet more evidence of God's great provision. 

 

We are blessed up and truly felt carried during a sweet, tiring, crazy and challenging time.  We promise to carry you right back.  Thanks for doing life with us.  Recipes, please.

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

Our Graduate is the Story of the Month!

So proud of our little graduate and so tremendously grateful for the life-saving work of Love Without Boundaries. 

So happy for Braxton as well and praying for his amazing family!

 

 

Our Evie ("Jenny") made LWB's story of the month!  We humbly thank each and every sponsor and volunteer who made such an impact on our much loved little one.  Thank you for loving and serving big.  We are forever grateful to her army of prayer warriors. 

China Trip Video

So grateful to our friend, Jill, for making this crazy awesome video of our China trip pictures.   It is song perfection and such a great  way to reflect on our experience. 

Home Again (iPhone Edition)

China adventure behind us, it was time to sleep, sleep and sleep a bit more. 

Sophie went to bed that first night and was good to go. 
The rest of us drug our booties around the house with a serious dose of jet lag. 
We met in the kitchen between 2-4 AM  each night for some growling belly relief. 

We tried so hard to stay awake during the day, but it.just.didn't.happen.  We fell asleep on the couch, in chairs and in laundry piles. 

When we were awake, we worked on training little people to eat new foods. 
This little one was having nothing of it.

Can't get her to eat a darn thing, but smiles are now easier to come by. 

The littles are officially registered for at home preschool, and we are starting with the classic, "Where is your nose?" 

 

Sisters worked on sharing us and getting to know each other. Our Claire was a bit in shock when we returned with two new siblings to do life with.  Thankfully, with lots of attention,  she moved past the, "Why is THAT BOY doing that?" phase after about a week. 

Soon enough, playing started full force and we caught bonding taking place. 

 

 Though we were sequestered around the homestead for Eli and Evie, the bigs got to hang with cousins and see a super cold Christmas parade and have a chat with Santa.  

We kicked off our medical marathon.

Though we had many days where we celebrated just getting all of these little people fed, bathed and dressed, we occasionally found a way to do some coloring and have some outside time.  We can count those times on one hand, but this is evidence that it did happen.  Here's to believing that we'll work back up to it!

During our first month home, we just focused on loving little people.  There were some times of feeling overwhelmed, there were some growing pains, but there were also lots and lots of sweet moments when we watched love begin.  

Coming on Home at Thanksgiving!

It was one wild and beautiful ride. 26 days.  6 Chinese cities.  All kinds of transportation.  Intense emotion.  Highs and lows.  The most amazing cultural experience. The closest family time.  Prayers answered.  Gifts given.   Delicious food and nasty food. Messing up and stepping up and all kinds of laughs.  Living fully.  Trusting completely.  Blessing. 

 

It was an absolutely amazing experience.  We could have stayed if we hadn't been missing such a big part of our heart. 

 

The plane ride was EXHAUSTING, LONG and thankfully OVER!  In between diaper blowouts, drying tiny jeans in a hand dryer in a Tokyo bathroom, some movies, hot towels and a jillion snacks, the kids slept, slept and slept for most of LONG flight.   

 

The whole crazy thing ended on Thanksgiving day with two sisters running toward each other in an airport.  These are some of our favorite photos of the whole trip!

 

Introducing siblings is all kinds of incredible.   

Seeing our family there was such a relief, a release, a gift!



To  Eli, the whole thing was hilarious.  

Our flight arrived in the middle of turkey time, so we argued with these two families about staying with family at home, but they gave their Thanksgiving away anyway. 



"There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again." ~Margaret Sangster

"There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again."

~Margaret Sangster