Well we're still here! School is already out for us homeschoolers even though we will continue to school during the summer to brush up on other skills. I will have to post pics later.
Faith has stepped on some very huge mile stones of progress. She speaks in phrases and belts out Frozen's 'Let it go' song every so often. She is quite funny! She is demanding at times, but is a great communicator, I don't think I have ever parented such a communicator. She closes her eyes to pray and says "amen!" Another example is: one night, she was repeatedly yelling out at 10 pm,
"Mommy, mom, mommy, mom, ma"....and then I replied with a "go to sleep now Faith"
And then she continued with a "mooooooooom". And I said "sleep".
And then there was some silence again and then she said "Jeannie, Jeannie". Freddy and I laughed hysterically. She will not stop until she gets what she wants....hmmm sounds familiar. She even likes having bows in her hair.
Ok, on another note regarding her physical progress. We have seen a physical therapist who gave us a load of stuff we need to look for and to set up a plan for her muscle strength. Then we saw a neurologist who looked at her and said she seemed fine but wants to have another MRI of her brain because of the flatness of her skull. Sheeshhhh...they also want her to see a crania-facial surgeon, but we're not operating for aesthetical reasons. We also saw Dr. Herzler a neuro-surgeon, who is very important to the equation because he was one of the doctors who originally gave the ok to adopt Faith! We finally go to meet him, and he shared that his younger sister was adopted from China! He also confirmed Faith's MRI results. He explained everything so clearly! Wow! He showed us her little spine and the little cysts filled with fluid and how it relates to the lesion on her lower back. Well her nerves and spine are in tact and her little lesion on her back which indicates Spina Bifida, are not connected at all-which is great. The spine was completely formed, but the skin on the outer side was not. There are little air bubbles filled with meninge fluid, but they should close on their own he says and there is nothing to worry about. She should be able to have a full, active life!!! He says there is no need for physical therapy at this point. WOW! We will go ahead with her brain scan, just to have it on file and for the neurologist to take a look at as well, but both feel she will be fine and is completely healthy.And I second that as her mother! She is an amazing little girl, who we feel so blessed to parent and she is such a gift. I cannot even believe how healthy she is. So far, she has no allergies, she's still picky with food and fluids though. She is also, finally jumping and hopping around the house, as that was a concern of ours. I want to wish all of you blessings from the most High as He has flooded our family with such blessings. I ask that you never stop petitioning and praying for your needs and those of your friends and family members. He hears our prayers, He cares too.
This month we are on the JOY JOURNEY into PASSOVER & EASTER. A great resource to this is THEHAPPYHOMEFAIRY.
This year we had:
A fracture
A wedding
A Missions trip(s) to Haiti
Embarked on Challenge A (middle school with Classical Conversations)
Tutoring the Masters class (ages 10-12) (Classical Conversations)
New Ballet Studio 'Expressions of Joy'
Boys in Ballet
Hope doing Pre Ballet and Modern dance
A foreign exchange big brother (student in High school)
Learning Mandarin and Chinese customs and culture
Planning another wedding
A new Community group with new friends
New ministries
already completed her first ballet recital.
Faith really wants to do ballet as well, but I told her she has to use the potty first and she just rolls her eyes and hides her face. I am so proud of our children this year they have all grown so much with such maturity and love. Praise God for His grace towards us as parents. Amen.
As most of you are aware: we went into this adoption knowing, that Faith was diagnosed with Congenital Meningocele aka Spina Bifida. I probably chose not to post about some of the details most of the time. And through the tears and prayers while making decisions on our future daughter's life. I probably decided not post about the other diagnosis' the doctors were giving us along with Spina Bifida. Yes, this international adoption was surely different; because there was countless paper work, that we had to sign that stated again, and again, that we would be responsible regardless of the outcome of Faith's disease and life down the line. When we first received Faith in our arms her disease did not cross our minds just the love we already had for her was imbedded in our hearts. That same evening, I started to ponder about her body and future I listened to her breathing and I observed her wobbly legs and lack of desire to walk. I thought this child must have already accepted that she does not walk. So when we arrived home we thought we need prayers for this child and for us because of our new life full of more unknowns. With all of this, we finally had her sedated for an MRI which there were many obstacles before this delaying it. But after prayers, we finally went through with it and we then we waited and waited for the results. Yesterday, our Pediatrician called us back and he had not really taken time before hand to translate the results and so he did so on the phone with us. He slowly read out that Spina Bifida means 'split spine' and Faith's spine is not split. He read out that her spine is completely in tact, as well as all of her nerves. So she isn't even a candidate for tethered cord. The lesion she has on her buttocks is just a fatty cyst that I can look into for removal but it would be up to us. I say PRAISE OUR LORD JESUS IN THE HIGHEST! He did it, He healed our girl. All of those prayers for this child and for us I thank you Lord, I thank you. I thank you for your ministering angels and for all of the prayer warriors and for our church Rio. I thank you Lord, for you and what you have to done to our life by teaching us to walk in obedience, and to seek you and your will for this child.
I encourage the rest of you to never be afraid with God. Don't be afraid of the labels the world wants to give us or these precious orphans. Look past the labels the way God looks past our defects and sees us as the creations He created to be perfect.
Blessings to all of you and thank you for being apart of this blog. Amen.
Isaiah 58:7-8
NIV
"Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
China requires a 1 month, 6 months, 1 year and 3,4,5 year post placement. Phew...we've already completed our first one. Faith is doing so well! She is identifying what is hers and she loves, loves her kitchen and tea pots. She loves to sing, its the sweetest thing....she is just the sweetest. And she has the best big sister and big brothers ever.
Things that she does:
She throws her dolls up in the air and says she loves them.
She carries around her new baby Anna doll every where she goes.
She makes me tea and loves to serve mommy food.
She loves to kiss me and constantly touches my face (sigh)
She is still weary of dad.
She loves her grandmothers
She loves bath time
She copies her sister's ballet moves
She is starting to run and hop around and chase the dog
she is still hiding food
She likes to look at herself in the mirror
She likes to brush her teeth
She likes lip gloss and painted nails
She likes when I clip her nails and toenails
She's scared of loud noises still
She still has night terrors
