A Christmas Prayer

Merry Christmas everyone! I am about to head off to bed and I have so much on my mind. I am so humbled and thankful for my precious daughter who will experience her first Christmas tomorrow. At the same time, I am so keenly aware of the millions of children who have not yet been adopted, and many who never will be, who are spending this Christmas in orphanages, foster homes, hospitals, and even on the streets. I am keenly aware of the birth mothers who may be faced this very night with the heart-wrenching decision to give up their babies. After all, that's how Eden started her journey to our home.

Most of all, I am comforted by the truth that God knows each of these little ones by name. He holds their future in His sovereign, loving hands. He numbered their days and appointed where each would grow up before they were born. He is the Father of the fatherless. I praise Him because He has allowed me to live this truth this year as He guided, protected, and brought Eden home to us.

I praise Him because He, too, was a helpless infant, dependent on the care of a teenage mother. He was born poor, with little to His name. He can sympathize with our weaknesses because He has been tested in every way and yet didn't sin. Tomorrow we celebrate that God came to live among us. He was born to die, and rise again. He is our living hope, and the hope of orphans all over the world. Because of Him, they will never be forgotten.

I love this photo of Eden. We received this ornament last Christmas and it has children of all different nationalities joining hands around the earth. Eden was playing with it and a friend snapped this photo without us realizing that the Chinese girl on the ornament was facing the camera. It gave me goose bumps when I saw it.

This Christmas, take a few moments to pray for the children who will not have a mommy and a daddy this Christmas. They will likely have no presents, no big meal, and no mention of Jesus Christ...and He is their hope. Let's remember them. Because God has not forgotten them.

Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Silent Night?

This photo is so precious! Last Sunday, Eden took a two-hour nap on her Ba-Ba (daddy's) chest. I think it's important that we adoptive mom's share both the joys and the struggles of international adoption (especially of a toddler) for the benefit of those who are in the process of adopting. This is not meant to scare anyone off, but it's great to be prepared and aware of possible issues so you won't think you're doing something wrong if your child starts flipping out (that's the non-technical term).

Eden is attaching so well, please hear that. But about 3 weeks ago, she starting "flipping out" at bedtime. For 4 months (with the exception of a few nights right after her ear tube surgery) Eden has slept through the night in her own room/bed. Not anymore. She is going through a difficult phase of having to know where we are at ALL times, including nights. After 2 weeks of having countless people tell me to let her "cry it out" I finally called the International Adoption Clinic to see what Leigh Ann had to say. The technical term for her "flip out" is "hyper vigilance." It means she needs to know where we are and be with us all the time. This stems from her fear of us going away.

As this sweet photo shows, she won't even nap alone. We "fought" hard to keep her in her bed and finally put the pack-n-play in our bedroom and she now sleeps peacefully again. We are praying this is a temporary fear for her. It's really pitiful. Throughout the day she will come and say, "Mommy's bed?" as a way of asking where she will have to sleep that night. She'll do this at 10:00 in the morning. She's worried about it all day long.

I'm beginning to see a pattern in Eden that any type of change is hard for her security, and this manifests in her sleep pattern. She went though similar issues (but much less severe) right when we arrived home, when we started leaving her in the church nursery, and after her surgery. This time, it seems to have been triggered by letting the babysitter (my sister who Eden ADORES) attempt to put her to bed when Gene and I went to a party for a friend. The structure and schedule of daily life has obviously helped her tremendously with this transition. So anytime we "try something new" she becomes panic-stricken. I think the feeling of change triggers the unimaginable change she experienced when she was taken from her foster family when we adopted her.

The great thing is, this "scar" of change and fear is not hindering her from absolutely falling in love with Gene, me and our extended family. She is such a "Mason" and visibly enjoys her new life here. There is no doubt God planned for her to be our child. In fact, she is doing so well that the Lord seems to remind me every now and then not to expect too much from her when she gives these "signals" like the sleep issues. Prayerfully and carefully, we will transition her back to her bed after the holidays if she hasn't moved back herself by then. Mommy may be sleeping on the floor for a while, holding her hand through the crib. But that's okay with me. As Leigh Ann reminded me, "whatever it takes for her to feel safe."

The upside of "hyper vigilance???" Eden runs to me seriously about 10 times a day and says, "Mommy, hold you?" I have learned to drop whatever I am doing and hold her for as long as she needs me to, which sometimes is up to 10 minutes. And it's not just any old holding, its the cling-on-for-dear-life, bury-my-head-in-your-neck holding that every mommy dreams of. Ahhh, what blessings!

What a privilege to be the ones God is using to heal this baby's broken heart! I know all of you adoptive moms feel the same way! Love you all.

The Word Became Flesh

How do you even do it? How do you even begin to try and put into words the depth of God's love and grace during this season? I cry every day. This is not my first Christmas as a believer - but this year everything seems so...real. John chapter 1 says, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." God as a newborn, then a toddler, then a teenager, then a crucified and risen Savior. God with us. Emmanuel. Wow! There are no words. As I contemplate the birth of Christ with a toddler in my home it brings this reality alive in my mind and in my heart. When Eden does something silly, or needs a diaper change, or tee-tees in the potty like a big girl, or asks to be held and cuddled I think, "Jesus did these things." How humbling!

For 2 years we "looked forward to" meeting our daughter in the flesh. She was alive in our minds and in our hearts...but she wasn't here with us. We hoped and we waited and we dreamed and we imagined. We prayed and we prepared and we wept and we believed. We watched the mailbox waiting for I-171's and passports and visa's. And then one day, July 23, 2007, Eden "became" flesh to us and dwelt among us. She came to live with us. She became real to us. What a miracle!

I can't help but see the parallel in this adoption process. And I can't help but think how many thousands of people are going through all the motions of the Christmas holiday, but Christ isn't real to them. He is just a story, a Christmas carol, an idea, an excuse to be off work and exchange gifts...but not their Lord, Savior and friend. Not their rock, refuge and strength.

You might be thinking, "Keri, you are way over-thinking this!" Maybe so. I have been quite contemplative with things that I used to just "gloss over" now that I'm a mommy. You see, Eden mimics me...in every way. When I yell, "GO!" in traffic, she yells it, too. She sits in the bathroom and pretends to put creams on her face and contact lenses in her eyes. She tries to repeat what I say. When I hug Gene, she hugs Gene. When I kiss him, she follows suit. When I tell him "I love you" so does she. She is like a dry sponge soaking everything in.

So, what about Christmas? What attitudes, traditions and values am I pouring into her? She is so teachable right now. So eager to please and to learn. These are precious days with her. So this year, we're talking A LOT more about Baby Jesus than about Santa. Why? Because I want Christ to be real to her. He is so very real to us.

I hope as you celebrate this season He is real to you. I hope you are able to take time to worship Him with your family. And if you are struggling right now and feel sad, lonely, or forgotten, I pray He will give you the grace to look past your circumstances and see how much He loves you. So much so that He gave up a throne to enter a womb, and a world that rejected Him. He is real, and He loves you.

Merry Christmas!

One Year Ago Today

It is 10:45 p.m. and I am in tears. I just realized looking back in my prayer journal that we matched with Eden one year ago today - December 14, 2006. When I realized this I turned and looked at my daughter sleeping in her pack-and-play in the living room (we're having separation issues at bedtime). She is now home safe and sound with her mommy and daddy. God has brought all 3 of us so incredibly far! He is so good! One year ago exactly I laid eyes on this precious angel for the first time. I am overwhelmed and humbled and indescribably grateful.

In honor of the one-year anniversary, here is an excerpt from my journal, written Dec. 15, 2006 - the day after we first saw her photo.

"When I first laid eyes on her places in my heart came alive that I didn't even know existed. Tears began to fall and I just kept saying to Gene over and over, 'Oh honey she's so beautiful!' The weird thing is the connection I felt with her before I ever knew who she was. Then when I saw her photo, her eyes drew me in. I've always heard 'the eyes are the window of the soul.' When I looked into her eyes I felt that same connection that I had been feeling in my heart for the past year. I can't really explain it except to say I sensed an underlying sadness and longing in her eyes that mirrors what I feel in my heart. Part of each of us won't be whole until we become a family because I believe God created her for our family. We both feel so sure about adopting her. We are going to meet with Karla about the next step tomorrow."

And now, one year later, she is home sleeping soundly. God's timing is perfect - even when it seems to be taking FOREVER. I've posted a photo taken in China last December and one from last week.

Hope you are all having a great Christmas season!

Family Photos

Hey everyone! We had some photos done a couple of weeks ago by Jason Wallis, an amazing photographer who attends church with us. He put together a slide show of his favorites from the shoot online and I thought you might want to see them. To view the slide show, go to www.walliskids.com/mason. The photos were taken at his studio loft in downtown Birmingham. We took some of Eden's favorite things with us because we really wanted to capture her personality at this age more than we wanted posed pictures of her. He did just that. I HIGHLY recommend Jason. He is worth the time and money!! Hope you enjoy.

Home? God?

Okay I admit it...I'm a blogging slacker! Sorry everyone. Time is flying by it seems like. Before I get down to business, let me explain the photos I posted. The pink coat and hat were hand-made for Eden by my step-grandmother, Mema, in Key West, FL. Doesn't she look precious in them on the way to church? A few weeks ago my friend Heather and I tag-teamed on a babysitter so Eden and Caleb Platt got some play time. The photo of them "chilling out" in the recliner is hilarious! They LOVE to spend time together and run to greet and hug one another when they see each other. In another photo you will see that Eden thought SHE needed to be decorated along with the Christmas tree with beaded garland. And finally, there is a picture of Eden going "night-night" (her favorite game) with her "sister" Maggie in the dog bed.

The title of this post may seem a little odd. It is based on my 2 current favorite things Eden says. The first is the question, "Mommy, home?" I'm not kidding when I say she asks this every 5-10 minutes that we are away from our house. She LOVES being at home. When we turn on our street or pull in the driveway she will squeal with delight and say, "HOME!!" She started doing this a few weeks ago. It warms my heart to think that she understands that she has a home of her own.

The second is, "Mommy, God?" A few weeks after we returned home from China we had a pre-fall cool day. Eden and I were out in the backyard, and a breeze blew her face and hair. She looked at me like, "What was that?" It seriously seemed like she had never felt a gentle breeze before. And based on the extreme heat we experienced in her city, and the harsh winters I've heard are in Wuhan, I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't feel breezes. Plus, with all of the tall buildings around the orphanage it would be hard to feel a breeze if there was one.

Anyway, when she looked at me with that questioning gaze I said, "Baby, that's the wind. God is blowing the wind. He is assuring us that He is real and is here and is in control." Well, that was a very theological answer, but I don't think I really took to heart what I told her. The reason I said that is because the next time the wind blew a week or so later she said, "Mommy...God?" My eyes welled up with tears and I said, "Yes baby, it's God." Now, every time (I do mean every) she feels the wind or sees it raining she says, "Mommy...God?"

How humbled I am each time she does this. And how reminded I am of the omnipresence of our God. I told her that off the cuff. And she remembers it every time she feels the gentle breeze. What if we were all like that? What if we were so "in the moments" of our lives that we sensed God in every small detail? What if we recognized His presence in our surroundings? How different our lives would be! How much more content, and more grateful we would be. This is what God is teaching me through my baby daughter.

Eden is doing really well. Her attachment is progressing...and so is her "toddler" behavior. We have really started having to discipline her a lot more over the past month. As she is growing more secure in our love and acceptance of her, she is "letting her hair down" and acting like a stinker! What a challenge to discipline in love! I get so frustrated. She is a sweet girl though and incredibly obedient for an almost-two-year-old.

There is so much more I could say but I'm going to save some so I can post more often and this won't be too long. Life with this child blows my mind. This time last year, we were about a week away from seeing her picture for the first time. And now she is home. God is so good! I remember thinking it was taking FOREVER to process all of the paperwork. Now that's such a blip on the radar and a distant memory I rarely think about. Who cares how long it took? I would do it again 100 times. There is no doubt this little girl was chosen by God for our family.

Thank you all for loving her and encouraging us. You are each a blessing! Enjoy the Christmas season. And next time the wind blows, remember...that's God reminding you He is there, and He is in control. God bless you!

Autumn Fun!

Just thought I would post a few pictures of our trip to the zoo this past weekend. Eden loved it! There is also a photo of her wearing this hat that she ADORES. She is so prissy! Things are about the same around here. Eden is definitely going through a clingy spell but she's doing great. Today Gene and I have been married for 3 years. This week is our Global Celebration at Brook Hills so we won't be able to celebrate until next week. But, this morning we made an Eden sandwich and covered her with kisses as we told each other "Happy Anniversary." God has given us the best gift in one another, and in our daughter. Hope you enjoy the pictures! Thanks for your prayers for Eden.

Building Security

Just wanted to post a quick update on the issue I mentioned with sleep in the last post. Even in the past two days since I posted, Eden's behavior has become more troublesome to me. She seems to be regressing emotionally a little bit. She has had 3 tantrums in the last 2 days, much like the ones she had when we first returned home. Except this time she is tantruming for me, not against me. All 3 have ocurred when I put her in the car seat - something she NEVER resists...until now. She wants to be held. The tantrums have been so severe I have even pulled the van over and gotten her out to hold her and reassure her.

Thankfully, Leigh Ann from the Adoption Clinic called me yesterday about 15 minutes after the first of these tantrums. I explained what's going on with her sleep and told her about the tantrum. Eden also completely melted down in the church nursery last weekend (she has been going for several weeks now) and she is having trouble going to bed at night over the past couple of days. Each of these issues alone wouldn't alarm me, but all of them happening at once causes some concern.

She was so upset after her tantrum today, she looked at me and asked for a bottle and to be rocked. I quit giving her a bottle a month ago, but that is how I comforted her for the first 2 months home. Up until then, I wondered if this was all just toddler behavior because on the outside it looks so much like what kids her age go through. But when she asked for the bottle and to be rocked, I knew she is feeling insecure.

Leigh Ann explained that it's to be expected for "our kids" to regress some in between being "stretched." Eden had surgery a few weeks ago, and Leigh Ann said that might have triggered this behavior. She also said she is about to turn 2 so "resistant behavior" is to be expected so not to let her manipulate us. I am also leaving her now with close friends and family so that is testing our fragile and emerging bond.

I guess most moms who adopt older children struggle with the fear of pushing them too hard too fast, and not crippling them by being over-protective. I want to give her the attention and security she needs without enabling her to stay afraid. As she grows in love and attachment for us, along with that comes the fear that we might go away like her foster mom did. I cannot explain to you how attached she was to her foster mom and the sadness she went through. It breaks my heart that she has to grapple with these conflicting emotions. But, I know it's healthy for her to learn that she can trust us and that we will always come back. This trust can only grow through testing. We have to leave, and come back.

Isn't that just like our trust in the Lord? It can only grow and deepen when it is tested. If everything were always easy, how deep would our faith really be? As God is healing Eden, He is teaching me.

For all of you waiting to adopt, please hear me when I say that God has been faithful EVERY SINGLE time to give us the wisdom to discern what Eden needs. He shows me if I'm pushing too hard, or if I need to let her go. He will do the same for you. He has also placed the Adoption Clinic staff in our lives to be an amazing resource when we need it.

Every day I spend with Eden I am more aware of what an incredible privilege it is to parent a child who needs so much. It is exhausting, yes. It is scary, yes. But it hurts my heart to think of all the babies just like her who haven't been adopted. They are equally precious and in need. I look at how she is growing and healing and I want that for EVERY child who doesn't have the love of a family.

Every night Eden and I pray for the orphans, and for her foster mom and birth mom in China. And, we pray that God will allow us the blessing of bringing an orphan into our home to adopt. Won't it be neat for Eden if He answers that prayer! She is living proof that it is a prayer He delights to answer!

I Need Prayer and Advice

I have a prayer request. Eden has been crying in her sleep for the past several weeks. She has made such progress attaching over the last month, but the nights have gotten worse. She cries, pretty deeply and with real tears, several times a night without waking up (most of the time). I read about "night terrors" before we went to China but this isn't what I expected. I guess I thought night terrors would be more severe so I'm not sure what this is. I'm going to contact the Adoption Clinic to see what they think. Please pray for Eden. I feel strongly that this isn't just "normal" toddler nightmares or fussiness but I don't know what it is. It's weird because sometimes her eyes are open but she isn't awake. If anyone has gone through this with their adopted children, your wisdom would be a blessing! Aren't you so grateful that our God knows exactly what is going on with our children when we don't? Thanks!

Generations

Hey everyone! I don't have much time to post but I wanted to put these precious photos up of Eden with her great-grandmother, my Meemaw. Eden calls her "Maw." Gene was out of town a couple of weeks ago so we went and stayed with Meemaw for a week. I am VERY close to my Meemaw so tears welled up several times as I watched her with Eden. The piano playing especially brought back memories of her doing the same thing with me when I was little. Hope you enjoy the photos!

All Is Well

Just wanted to post and let everyone know we are home and Eden's surgery went fine. She threw up about 5 times after surgery and they finally gave her some nausea medicine in her IV and that seems to have done the trick. She's had some juice, ice chips, and chicken noodle soup and so far she's kept it down. She is resting in her crib now. I posted a couple of photos of her playing before surgery since I got hate mail when my last post didn't have pictures (just kidding). Thanks to everyone for praying!

Sorry It's Been So Long!

Okay, I know I'm a blogging slacker! Sorry! There just hasn't been a lot of big news to report. Eden continues to grow in her attachment to us by leaps and bounds. I started leaving her in the nursery at church once a week about 3 weeks ago and it seems this was the next "right" step for her emotionally. She has done great, AND, more importantly, she has been showing unsolicited affection like CRAZY to both Gene and me.

I think she needed to "miss" me so she could feel the love that is growing in her heart. I'm not leaving her much at all. In fact, I chose to leave her at our Sunday night service as opposed to Sunday mornings because there are fewer children, the same teacher every week, and the teacher is a close friend that Eden is around with us quite often. I won't leave her in Sunday morning nursery for another month or so until she is secure that when I leave her there, I always come back for her. Here's the thing...it may not bother her at all to be left on Sunday mornings, but I choose to err on the side of caution. Some people kind of roll their eyes at me like I'm making too big of a deal about it because she seems so "normal" on the outside to everyone who sees her. But, I have learned in the few short months that I've had her that God chose me as her mommy out of thousands of other women who are waiting for children in China for a reason. She didn't just need anyone, she needed me. My instincts towards her are God-given and Spirit-led. So, I just let people roll their eyes, tell them they may be right, and then do what I think is best for her. We as moms have to do what is best for our children. It's not a one-size-fits-all thing to raise little ones, is it?

Here's the downside to "erring on the side of caution." I have not been to a worship service since before we left for China on July 15. I work in the nursery on Sunday nights so I can't attend the service then. So, I am SO happy that this week I will attend my first service! Eden adores her Aunt KK (my sister Kelly) and so she is going to rotate services with me since we have 2 on Sunday mornings and watch Eden for me while I go. This will be another good step for Eden since Kelly and her husband Matt will be our "go-to" babysitters much of the time. It's so great to have them here in town! This will give Eden and I both the best of both worlds. Eden can have the familiar environment I believe she needs right now, and I can worship corporately with my brothers and sisters that I have missed so much!

I do have a prayer request for Eden. She will have surgery this Friday (Oct. 12) to put tubes in her ears and clip a membrane underneath her tongue. It is same-day surgery and shouldn't be a big deal. But, with the fragile bond we are building, any trauma is a bigger deal than normal. Just pray that she feels safe and secure and that God will use this to drive her closer to Gene and me. Surgery is scary for any child, so please pray for her physically and emotionally.

Thank you all so much for your prayers! I'll update Friday when we arrive home from the hospital.

Falling in Love

I am humbled and overwhelmed at what God has done in my baby girl's heart in just 2 months! He truly is the healer of the brokenhearted, as we have experienced first-hand in the Mason home. Eden is thriving. We have settled into a routine, and even amidst all of the doctor visits she is growing more trusting and secure with us each and every day. I even left her in the church nursery with a close friend last night for the first time and she did great! Glory to God for His work in her life. It's been a while since I posted so I'm going to give you a quick run-down of what we've been up to around here. I have also posted photos that kind of go along with the post.

We went to the Lifeline Adoption Agency's Annual Reunion earlier this month. The theme was "Game Day" so we bought Eden her first Auburn cheerleader outfit. We enjoyed meeting other families who have experienced the blessing of children through adoption. There was a book fair there as well and we got a few books for Eden. One was a book about going to the doctor that has a doctor's kit with it (since she's going to spend a lot of time with doctors). The kit came with these hilarious red glasses that she loves to wear. Then we got her a cute Panda book and a really cool book called, "My First Thousand Chinese Words." This last book has 1,000 Chinese words with the pronunciations and pictures, so mama and ba-ba can learn with Eden! For those of you who may be interested in this book it's an Usborn book and I'm sure it's available on Lifeline's website.

We also were able to get together with two of the families who we traveled with to China. The Pintaro's adopted sweet Lilly, and the Young's adopted precious Sadie. We had lunch at the Cracker Barrel a couple of weeks ago. I've included a photo of Eden with her Chinese "Gi Gi's," this means "big sister." That's what Eden calls them. It was so good to see these life-friends and to see how far God has brought their families.

We had our ENT appointment and found out that Eden will have tubes put in her ears on October 12th. While we were there they also noticed (thanks to Eden screaming at the top of her lungs) that Eden is "tongue tied." This means she has a small membrane (lots of kids do) under her tongue that they are going to snip while she's having her tubes. This will help her with language development.

We also found out that Eden has the TB germ. She does not have TB, but she had a reactive skin test that shows she was exposed to TB so we are going to have to treat her with medicine for that. She is in NO WAY contagious to others. The reason for treating her is to protect that germ from ever attacking her organs later in life. Her lung x-ray looked great so we can rest assured she does not have Pulmonary TB. We go to the health dept. tomorrow to pick up her medicine.

Lastly, the 3 of us were able to go to the lake on a mini vacation this past weekend. There was no water because of the drought, but our friends have a beautiful home they let us borrow and we enjoyed the fall weather. Thanks to the Watkins family - it was such a blessing to get away! We slept in, ate hot breakfasts, watched movies, and played with Eden. She has started this thing where if she is reading a book that has a hat in it, she runs and gets one of her hats to wear. There is a photo of Gene reading to her in her hat.

The three of us are falling in love, us with Eden and Eden with us. It's so amazing how your love grows daily for your children, isn't it? I can't help but think that this must be one of the ways that we are "created in God's image." It blows my mind to think that as much as we love our children, God loves us even more than that. What a good God He is!

Big Weekend!

We had a very busy weekend. It started off with us traveling to Knoxville, TN for our friends Daniel and Andrea's rehearsal dinner and wedding. Then, Sunday Eden and I went to Anniston so she could meet her grandparents for the first time (my dad and step-mom who live in Key West, FL). We had so much fun! Then we spent the night with my mom and step-dad in Anniston and came home Monday morning. Eden missed her ba-ba (daddy) very much since he was unable to go to Anniston with us. I don't have much time to post but I'm going to post a lot of pictures of the weekend events.

Here's the problem, I'm not a very experienced blogger so I don't know how to put captions on the photos unless I do separate posts, so that's why there are so many. And, I don't know how to make the "tall" pictures upright so they are sideways. Sorry! Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Swimming

Here's Eden swimming with her best friend, our 80 pound labrador Maggie, in the new bathing suit Mare-Mare and Big Daddy gave her.

Family Photos

Eden met her Big Daddy and Mare-Mare for the first time on Sunday. They were so sweet and brought her a HUGE bag of fall clothes. Thank you so much!

Wedding Day Photos

Hello? Maggie?

Eden LOVES the telephone - not the toy ones, the real thing. She picked it up in our hotel room and called our dog, Maggie. She said, "Hello? Maggie?" But the way she says it sounds like, "Herro? Gaggie?" It is adorable!

Eden, Daddy and the Groom

Eden and the Bride at Dinner

Eden just loved the rehearsal dinner location (Calhoun's on the River). She enjoyed looking out the window and saying her new word, "wa-wa" (translation - water).

Eden at a Rehearsal Dinner

Cleft Clinic Appointment

Well, the appointment was fabulous. I cannot say enough good things about everyone we saw. We saw Dr. Grant (the plastic surgeon), an audiologist, speech pathologist and a geneticist. The reason for the genetic consult was to rule out that her cleft was a part of any "larger" syndrome that would affect other areas like learning development, kidneys, heart, etc. Here's the scoop on what we found out.

First, Dr. Grant said he will NOT have to repair her cleft at this time because her palate is essentially closed. The hole she has is due to the cleft of her gum so language development shouldn't be an issue and she is eating fine. He said that as she grows older, she will learn to control the liquids coming out of her nose when she eats because it will start to bother her. Her first surgery will be around 4 years of age. At that time he will do some work on her nose to put some length between the nose and the lip, and he will revise her scar since her lip will have grown. He called it "fixing her up for school."

Then, her gum cleft will be repaired at around 2nd grade (that's average age; it can be done as early as 6 years old but it depends on her teeth, I think). An oral surgeon will do this surgery and it will actually be a bone graft from bone in her hip to build in the cleft. They said the cleft part is not bad but the bone graft is pretty painful. Dr. Grant said she looks great and everything is "normal" for a cleft.

Then, we saw the audiologist who tested Eden's hearing. They can't test each ear at this young of an age but said she is hearing normally with both ears. Her eardrum is not moving as much as they would like (probably due to the fluid) so they referred us to an ENT to see about putting tubes in.

Next, the speech pathologist listened to Eden a little bit and said she is making all of the sounds she should be able to at this age. She said they don't even evaluate internationally adopted children until they've been home for 6 months but everything sounds great. She gave us some handouts to help us know what sounds/words she should master over the next year.

Lastly, we saw a genetics doctor. This is where things got interesting. You may have noticed in Eden's photos that she has 2 indentations on her bottom lip. It almost looks like she's bitten her lip. Well, this is actually salivary glands that are "in-grown," so to speak, and it is an indicator of a genetic syndrome that I can't remember the name of. This syndrome only causes clefts, and if Eden has it there is a 50% chance that her children would have cleft. Dr. Grant said when he revises her scar he can actually drain those and her bottom lip will smooth out. They drew blood to check for a certain chromosome that will tell us if she does have this syndrome. We hope that the test is positive because if it is, the doctors will know that her cleft is NOT part of any larger genetic issues. And, Eden will know that her own children have a high chance of having a cleft as well. This is priceless information for a child abandoned with no family history. I'm not sure what the next step will be if the test is negative. The geneticist said they start with tests that they think will be positive and work from there.

So, we had to make another trip to the lab for yet another "ouchie." They drew blood from the vein in her arm but we didn't have to hold her down this time because it was only 1 vial. She did great. She screamed but as soon as I told her it was over she did the sign for "all done." Then, mommy whipped out the secret stash of teddy grahams I had been saving. That did the trick.

We will go back every 6 months for follow up until her surgeries are all done. Dr. Grant said to go ahead and take her to the dentist because cleft kids have a higher risk for tooth decay so they will want to start seeing her around 2 years of age. And, he said start saving for orthodontics. They will refer us to an orthodontist that specializes in clefts when the time comes for that. What a resource this cleft clinic is!

Overall, it was a great visit and we walked away humbled that God has surrounded us with the resources to meet every one of Eden's needs. Every doctor that saw her just raved at how well she is doing, saying "We see a lot of adopted kids and she is doing SO WELL." This gave me a chance to brag on her foster mother in China and again acknowledge the incredible gift that she gave my precious daughter.

As we left Eden waved, said "thank you," and blew kisses. As the nurses teared up at how sweet she is, I was reminded again of what blessings these children are, and that Gene and I have been part of an incredible miracle of God giving an orphan a family. "Lord, please don't ever let me grow numb to what You have done. May Eden be a daily reminder of Your goodness, grace and faithfulness." Amen

Shots Galore!!

Well, we had our first pediatrician visit yesterday and it wasn't pretty. Eden is doing great, but we got 5 shots, a TB skin test, and a finger prick. I felt so horrible for Eden. She actually did well, though...probably because it was the first time and she didn't know what she was in for. The reason the doctor went ahead and did them all on this visit is because now she is up to date on shots until kindergarten. Thank goodness for that! Eden has gained about 2.5 pounds since we adopted her. The pediatrician was really pleased with her weight gain, eating, pooping and sleeping habits. She is doing so well. What really blew Dr. Albert away was how much she is talking - in English. It really is amazing how quickly she is learning the language.

She woke up today with a fever and stuffy nose. I gave her Motrin and her fever is gone. She seems to be feeling better. It may have been from all those shots, or I think she may be cutting some teeth. I did my first rectal temperature on her this morning. I couldn't help but wonder, "Who discovered this way to take a temperature?" Can you imagine the first time it was done? It's really gross and weird if you think about it. Anyway, Eden was pitiful this morning so we did a lot of snuggling and she's down for her second nap right now. Hopefully tomorrow she'll be better.

Speaking of tomorrow, we have our appointment at the Cleft Clinic with Dr. Grant at 8:00 a.m. in the morning. We hope to get some idea of a treatment plan for Eden's Aviolar (spelling?) cleft and the small hole in her palate. We will post on the blog what we find out tomorrow.

And, Gene and I are so honored that we will be sharing our adoption experience with prospective adoptive couples tomorrow night at the Lifeline Information Meeting. Eden will go with us also. I remember like it was yesterday when we attending this meeting in October of 2005. A couple brought their newly adopted daughter from China and I was HOOKED!! It's such a privilege to speak out on behalf of the world's orphans. I pray God will give us the words to say so that He will speak to those future parents that He has picked out for precious orphans. What an incredible God that He uses these adopted babies in such amazing ways to inspire others to trust Him and walk this faith journey of adoption.

This weekend we are going to Knoxville for our friends Andrea and Daniel's wedding. They are precious friends and we're so excited that Eden made it home in time to celebrate with them. Then my dad and step-mom are coming in town Sunday and they haven't met Eden yet so we're going to my grandmother's house for lunch Sunday. I'm so excited for them to meet Eden and for her to meet them.

I know everyone likes pictures, so I've posted some of me feeding Eden with the chopsticks we bought in China. We're doing what we can to instill a love for her Chinese culture, even at 20 months old! And, I put a photo of us with Heather and Caleb Platt at the airport on the day we arrived home from China. The Platts adopted Caleb from Khazakstan in March and we are trying to arrange their marriage. Just kidding, but they are becoming fast friends through play dates. Heather and I met when we both were doing our home studies for our adoptions and our friendship has grown and become so precious to me. It has been so great to have someone to walk through this process with. And Caleb and Eden are close in age (4 months difference). Isn't he so cute? You have to admit they make a cute couple.

Well, I'm going to go clean the bathroom before Eden wakes up. We'll post again soon.

Eden is A Citizen!

Just wanted to let everyone know that we received Eden's certificate of citizenship today. She is officially a Chinese-American. This is a cute photo of her in the 4th of July outfit I bought her that she couldn't wear because we didn't have her yet. It is fitting for the occasion. She even got a letter from the President!

It's Official - I'm A Mommy!

Okay, so a couple of funny things happened to me this week that I feel officially promote me to full "mommy" status.

First of all, we went to Gene's office at the church yesterday to have lunch with him. I was rushing around that morning trying to get some laundry done, feed Eden breakfast, and get both her and I looking somewhat presentable so I wouldn't embarrass Gene at work. I looked in the mirror before I left and thought, "Hey, I look pretty good. My hair is down AND I'm wearing makeup." Well, I should have looked more closely because when I got to the church one of my friends there came up to me and whispered in my ear that my shirt was on inside out. So I ran into one of the empty offices and turned it right-side out. That was the first clue that I am definitely losing it.

Then, Eden and I were riding down the road and she was talking to me from the backseat like she ALWAYS does. She is either wanting me to hand her something, wanting to point at something, or wanting to hand me something. This is not so safe while driving a minivan. Well, she was trying to hand me something this time so I just stuck my hand back there while still watching the road. She put what I thought to be a crumb in my hand and when I pulled it back and looked at it...it was a buggar. Oh yes, you read right, a buggar from my sweet, precious child's nose. So I did what any good mother does and said, "Thank you sweetie for not eating it." I am indeed officially a mommy, aren't I?

Eden decided she wanted to brush her teeth for the first time this morning with actual toddler's toothpaste so I put a few photos up for you to see. She LOVES her stool that Mrs. Sandra gave her. The funny thing she is doing this week is that she asks for a bow to be put in her hair every time she is near a mirror. Then, she stands up, looks at herself, grins from ear to ear in admiration, and then kisses the mirror. If only we could hold on to that contentment with how God made us! She is so proud of how pretty she looks with a bow in her hair.

What a sweet angel.