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.