Adoption

29
Sep

Great news day

September 29, 2014

First visit at hospital for Isaiah. Tremendously encouraging prognosis. An obviously well verses team. Casting on his left arm and both legs already today. Isaiah spoke directly to us and told us his troubles but no regression or aggression and no overt symptoms of trauma. Hugely thankful as we were concerned specifically about that. He’s very uncomfortable tonight. On T3 and Advil but he is dozing now. It was tough on him but we have renewed hope. The overarching vision is for him to walk. His arms are being readied for greater use and self care. So different from what we were told from his first team. His body will determine how far he can go and no one will truly know that until they try. The plan involves a number of trips over the coming years and further casting and surgeries. We will be here for some time yet but it will be worth it to know he has a chance to improve his physical life.

The day began with an early sunrise drive and tomorrow is the first day of school for us (structured work), not to mention Isaiah has been waking every so often, so I need to sleep.

Such an encouraging, exhausting day! (By the way, Isaiah chose his own cast colours. They asked him which colours without showing options and these are the two he wanted. He knows his own mind.) (Oh, and the top photo is of Garnet on the porch practicing his TKD kicks while Dad holds the target.)

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26
Sep

Coal Miner’s Daughter

September 26, 2014

(Don’t mind the upside down photos, I’ll fix them later.)

Peoria, Illinois to Steubenville, Ohio

So technically we have been driving through a lot of urban sprawl but for some reason all day long I’ve had “Coal Miner’s Daughter” in my head. (Wasn’t Loretta Lynn from Kentucky??) Anyway, in the irony that is my life, what did we pass on our way here tonight? A HUGE coal refinery. It was awe inspiring to drive past it’s huge lights and towering smelter (?). Actuallseasy a little frightening because on first appearance it seemed to appear out of no where. Kind of freaky cool.

Lots of hours in the van again. We met some really interesting people at each of our pit stops. Real characters.

I like chatting with people in settings totally foreign to me (odd but true). This trip has proven that most people just want to share a bit about themselves and hear a bit in return. We’re all pretty curious and when you get right down to it most people are more than willing to share a smile or share a moment. I think it’s one of my favourite things about travelling. Now when I think of South Dakota or Illinois I have that cast of characters to hang memories on.

The kids played a number of rounds of Bingo. Faith avoids all games like the plague and Isaiah is content to hold a card. The other four duke it out pretty fiercely. So far the wins are:

James – 11

Garnet – 8

Grace – 5

Samuel – 3

Prizes are received at stops along the way. Mostly junk food which Faith does not generally care for and Isaiah begs for until some passing sibling shares a piece of their winnings. Truth. It passes the time nicely.

We are getting close to our temporary residence now. Stephen and I are becoming more snappish and feeling more ages and pains. The reality of the next week has hit. The treatment plan or the decision to not treat Isaiah will be worked out by Monday evening.

It’s always such a mixed bag when you are raising kids with complex physical, emotional or cognitive needs. First and foremost they are your child. You cheer them, correct them, lead them and basically do life in the same way as every other family you know. But, when you are faced with a new medical procedure, a new treatment or therapy, that’s when it hits you that something big is looming. Be it for good or bad, it looms. And I takes it’s toll on each of us in the family herd.

No matter what the outcome of the hospital visit on Monday, we’ll all be okay. We’ve done hard before and each of us has found ways to not only survive but thrive. I guess at the bottom of it all we just wish in these moments that it wasn’t our kid facing it too. But I’d say that probably that makes us fairly normal. Average even.

So, onward we go!

As an aside, we are staying at a hotel within the grounds of a Franciscan University. It is really quite nice but between the style of the hotel and the goosebumps the coal plant gave me, I couldn’t help but think of a character out of the classic Scooby Doo characters when we met one of the staff here down the long subterranean hallway. Okay, maybe not entirely subterranean, but definitely out of the way. Stephen just shakes his head at me. Remember what I said about a cast of characters though? It looks like I have a new one for Ohio! 😉

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19
Sep

Well, that was worth the wait!

September 19, 2014

What you can’t hear is Samuel saying, “I like walking!” You also can’t hear the most wonderful clicking noise as his new knees activate with nearly every single step. You also can’t hear the missing squeak-thud of his crutches with each movement. Honestly such a surprise! We thought he’d just be getting a refit!

Oh yeah. And we drove up to Cannon Beach for lunch at Mo’s and to play on the misty, warm, soft sand.

Suddenly the appointment seems a bit more significant. 🙂

Now we wait in bumper to bumper traffic. We need to drive back over to Red Robins so we can pick up a credit card we left behind. I think we’ll be ready for supper once we get there.

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24
Aug

The voice of Fatigue

August 24, 2013

I am so tired.

Like wiped out.

I just wrote the most wonderful post. And the deleted it. By mistake. Honest.

We headed from Regina to Dryden and stopped short in Winnipeg. The two voted “Most Likely to Squabble” did right on the Manitoba border. No, really. We were trying to take a picture at the border and all chaos ensued. We may be featured on social media everywhere as our van tends to draw the eye of passing motorists as it is. The squabbling gang at the rest stop probably held attention after the initial glance.

We pulled if together and all 8 piled back in the van. Stephen announced about 4.5 hours to go and I cried uncle. We got a couple hotel rooms and ordered pizza in. James and Garnet went swimming and we enjoyed Melatonin all around. Don’t judge me. Remember, I’m tired?

As I told one of the kids today, this trip is about two things. Number one is sightseeing. Number two, making their lives miserable. Number two is actually as truthful as number one. A state of misery (come to Jesus speech anyone?) leads to strife. Strife can only lead to resentment or resolution. We are hoping to walk them through resolution.

Then again. I’m tired.

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23
Aug

Entrust Your Loved Ones to Me

August 23, 2013

The title of this blog post is from today’s devotional reading from Jesus Calling. As so often, today had me from the title.

We drove the highway from Calgary to Regina today. Lots of silliness and goofy pics (none of which are in this post today – sorry!). The prairies are truly so pretty. And honestly, the kids had some Minecraft to catch up on. 🙂

We have one kiddo who has always struggled to receive love that is offered. This child will through their arms around you and be all smiles, but the second we turn away is quick to draw negative attention with mean and provocative behaviours. We truly, deeply, madly adore this child but it has been a struggle today to draw close and know which way to create an attractiveness to our relationship so they will draw close in return.

The title really reminded me of how much I need to entrust this child to Jesus. His love is the most attractive, loyal and truly winsome. I am thankful, tonight, that He was there to remind me.

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22
Aug

Best Day EVER!

August 22, 2013

Today’s best moment of the day was looking over at five kids having the time of their lives in the pool tonight absolutely killing themselves laughing over a camp song. I had Isaiah in my lap and I looked over at Stephen and we had that moment of utter glee. THIS is why we are doing this.

Yeah, I took the kids to Heritage Park Historical Village and yes it was really sunny, with a light breeze. Samuel helped raise a tipi, we rode the steam train and a bunch of 100 year old amusement rides, all topped off with ice cream. Yeah! So fun, right?

But, today marks the one month anniversary of our receiving Isaiah. He ate the ziti noodles in his minestrone soup tonight. He splashed in the pool and beamed with joy over being encompassed by his Baba and I at the same time. He laughed with abandon over his upside down self in the mirror. He rode the forklift with Baba.

This is love, contentment and unfathomable joy. I love my family and I am beyond grateful for these moments. Lord, let me hold them closely in my heart.

This was the best day yet!

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18
Aug

Such a difference!

August 18, 2013

Within a week of the last post I was amazed at how much things had changed already! Isaiah has returned to his settled self. {Could this actually be more than the honeymoon period?}

This next bit is more for me than you, and is more list than literature.

He takes a morning and bedtime bottle and snuggles up really well.

He plays cute little games with us.

He loves to catch our eye across a room and beam one of those famous smiles.

He hates having his diaper changed and will yell loud and clear until the SECOND the new diaper is on.

He has trouble chewing and loves soup, yogurt and noodles. Other more solid food comes tumbling out into his bib pocket, but he’s game to try it all. It’s up to us to catch it as it tumbles.

He uses a soft sippy spout (like a bottle nipple, but shaped like a sippy spout) for water. Sometimes he drinks from a straw.

He enjoys and can manage big knobby wooden 3 piece puzzles.

Anything that he can open and shut it a hit.

Speaking of hit… he likes to play the toy xylophone and can pick up the wooden mallet and play it himself.

He still proudly turns the pages of books but will actually pause long enough for me to read the words on his board books.

He enjoys humming along to Twinkle, Twinkle and has been caught humming bits of it to himself.

He loves peek-a-boo at nap time with his blanket thrown over first my head and then his. He pulls it off me and I him.

He recognized and loved the green tassels on the stuffed fish he and I bought for him at the Dirt Market in Beijing. It’s been 3 weeks exactly since he last saw it.

He is incredibly ticklish.

He LOVES cars, vans, trucks and would sit in one all day if he had the chance. His head whips around fast when he catches sight of one driving past our front window and we have to look out his window before bed and when he wakes up so he can see them in the driveway. He was quite concerned when Stephen took one of them to the shop last week, but was quickly comforted when he saw the courtesy car in the driveway instead. He can say car and truck in Mandarin and differentiate between the two.

He adores his siblings. No really. He does.

He is quick to laugh.

He loves his Praise Baby DVDs. So do we. 1/2 hour of quiet play in the afternoon works for us!

Swimming at Grandma and Grandpa’s is still asked for daily. He floats in the baby inner tube and kicks his little legs. He gets a little frown if I tell him we can’t go when he asks for “Gamma”.

{We are utterly in love.}

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8
Aug

So here we are

August 8, 2013

After writing that last post about our visit to Samuel’s friends, we returned to the hotel and Isaiah promptly fell into a deep, dark, angry grieving rage. It was a long and loud one. So long in fact, that we sent my folks off to the Goodbye China Party that our agency throws all on their own. We ended up following them after a bit, and enjoyed watching Samuel so excited over the magician, but that’s not really the point. Actually, that rage was only the beginning.

The airplane. The drive to Stephen’s folks. Driving home. At mealtime. At bedtime. At play. At the doctor’s. Never for so long that we fear for him, but definitely intense.

Isaiah had fussed and cried before. Not long-lasting, but it spoke of what was going on underneath. It appears to be a typical two year old type of thing, for sure. Head clunking against ours. Back arched and stiff. Sharp screams and yells. The hard part is knowing where the two year old part of it begins and the fear and grief ends. And mix it all in with thoughts like our doctor voiced yesterday, “He’s got to be frustrated that he can’t do for himself.”

Yeah. Not a simple thing to sort out.

He has enjoyed playing with his siblings, that’s for sure. And honestly, I will do a post later about it, but they’ve enjoyed him too. That is the 90% of it. The 10% remaining is this rage.

0-60 in no time flat.

So, we hold him and remind him and love him and hold him some more. And sometimes when the yells are too piercing we hold him and wear ear buds. Whatever it takes.

***************************

Post swimming at Grandma and Grandpa’s. He’d say, “WOOOOOOW!” with great enthusiasm every so often.

Samuel, showing Isaiah how to open one his birthday gifts.

Rolling, rolling, rolling… Sure glad we kept those baby gates up!

Yes, we own desks and nice furniture. This is James’ room. And this is the den of Minecraft. Isaiah was welcomed into the fold.

It looks sad, but this is the crew allowed to play, yes, you guessed it, Minecraft, together for a few minutes before we headed out for swimming at their grandparents’. They had just finished laying all over the floor playing with Isaiah. He was kind of like, “Huh?” He is pretty good at swiping on the iPad. IT’s only a matter of time….

He’s sexy and he knows it.

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31
Jul

Friends and Fears

July 31, 2013

We made our visit to New Day Foster Home today. We wanted Samuel to build a few memories of the place he had called home before meeting us. We are forever indebted to the staff and volunteers there. He received therapy and encouragement that definitely helped prepare him well for his future. We were so thrilled that some of Samuel’s special friends came to visit us and while he was a bundle of nerves, his response once he got back to the hotel with us really showed us the value in the visit. The real Samuel returned and spoke about his “friends” and “when I was little”. The pictures will be priceless to him in the years to come and the visit with friends was priceless to us. Such a treat to visit a place so close to our hearts!

We finished the day with our travel group at the Goodbye China party our agency always throws for the families. It’s always a nice way to end off the adoption trip. This year Samuel was so pleased to receive an Opera mask like the performer of the changing faces mask. He told us he needs to go home to practice his magic! My folks, Stephen, and Isaiah received beautiful scrolls. Long Life, Happy Family and Isaiah’s Characters. So lovely. We are truly spoiled by our agency and appreciate them so very much!

Off to Canada tomorrow on that incredibly long flight! The best and most motivating factor is seeing our kids the next few days – first Faith, Grace and Garnet, followed by James on Friday. It will feel so amazing to have the Super 8 together at last!

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31
Jul

A little shopping

July 31, 2013

Yesterday (yes – I’m still playing catch up!), we started late. We had been intending to visit New Day Foster Home, but a friend there let us know that most of the staff and children were going to be on a rescheduled field trip. So, we switched dates with them to today.

After breakfast, we hung out in our room for some quiet playtime with the boys. That quickly turned into a long Skype call with our three kids who are at Stephen’s folks house. Three weeks is a long time to be away from home, let alone away from our young kids. We are ready to see them and they us. Emotions are high on all fronts in that regard and so it was good to talk with them. Stephen’s folks are truly heroic for having the kids for this long. Love aside, it’s just simply a very long time for anyone to have house guests!

As it was closer to lunch by the time we finished up with the kids, we went across down the block to McDonald’s for lunch. It may seem crazy to go to a fast food chain while in China, but even there can be a cultural excursion. Food aside (yes, the menu is different there), we had a father insist on having Isaiah and I sit next to he and his two children. His daughter gave Isaiah her Happy Meal toy and the brother was urged to give his sister his. I got to practice my meagre Mandarin and we had a little conversation. The little girl blushed all the while. The table of tween boys next to my folks were fully engrossed in games on their iphones, save one boy who had an older phone and a separate mp3 player. They treated him well, but it made me wonder about him. His hair wasn’t as neatly trimmed as the other boys and his clothes weren’t as polished. Just interesting. Stephen and I shared a two person table area with the boys and were smooshed up against a young couple that kept watching us carefully. The girls eyes bugged out when I asked Stephen to get me a spoon so that I could break up a fish burger for Isaiah. I think she thought I was going to eat it with the spoon! Her jaw dropped. LOL Another table of early twenties girls was filming and videoing us. My face is a tad red from the heat every time I leave the hotel, I’m certain I smell terrible and my hair is a wee bit wild from all the humidity, but from all the footage people have taken of me, I’m certain I am the next Chinese Weibo sensation!

After lunch and our stop at the little water store in the shopping plaza, we went and bought a couple things upstairs. It’s a lot like shopping at an indoor market. Separate booths and shops, freedom to barter, and lots of, “Lady, Lady! Cheapa’ for you!” Well, a lot less of that than at the tourist markets, but it seems to have caught on with at least a few of the sellers!

We walked back to the hotel and the males took naps while Mom and I went in pursuit of a certain shop for some gifts. Talk about a shopping street! Nanluogu is a lot like Granville Island. Not a lot of bargaining here, but a bunch of tourist hovels mixed with a few big Chinese name brands. It has a fun feel to it. As with every public area, there are always a few sad cases and lots of colour and life. We walked the length of the street and then down towards the drum tower, finally finding another cab to take us back to the hotel.

The day was finished at the hotel buffet for dinner, courtesy of my folks. I think we all hit a wall yesterday. It was fun to get out, but Stephen and I turned a corner and were ready to head home to the kids. I enjoyed getting out to see how the lake district had changed since the first time we walked it in 2007.

And a little eye candy to spice up the blog. Isaiah and Samuel, posing as Baba!

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