Our Bluebonnet Adventure

I don't usually shoot pictures in the bluebonnets.  I have never offered sessions there nor cared to.  I am not a bad Texan, I promise.  I even love the color blue.  I just have some internal conflict with doing what everyone else is doing.  I know, I need counseling.

Anyway, I decided to take Maggie for pictures in the bluebonnets and I actually got a little excited about it.  A photographer friend found a cute little patch with a red barn in the background.  I decided to go a little non-traditional (fighting my fear of conformity) and took a bandana teepee a friend made in order to play off the barn.

So I got the girls ready and we headed out.  Luckily I realized that I forgot my camera while I was still in the neighborhood, but that should have been my first sign that it might not go as planned.

About 5 minutes down the road, this happens.

I texted the pic to Trent and he replied, "Wake her up now or she will be mad when she wakes up."  I decided he was wrong and she needed her sleep.  He also suggested that I take snacks but I decided that too was ridiculous since I fed her before we left and we were getting dinner afterwards.

You see where this is going.

Yep she woke up mad as hell.  So there I was trying to set things up with a crying baby on my hip and no snacks to distract her from her present anger.   So I shot these instead with Maggie screaming on my hip.

We tried again.

Not what I had planned but still pretty hilarious.

I couldn't arrange the teepee the way I wanted and now looking at it, I am not sure it was that great of an idea.  I believe Ruthie agreed based on her expression here.

I finally handed her a flower clip and she calmed down.  Not happy, but calm.  We ditched the mismatched teepee and things started to improve.

This one may be my favorite.

Yes Maggie I see your clip.  Remember, I handed it to you when you were throwing your fit?

This child has more expressions than anyone I have ever met.

I mean seriously, how can that be the same kid?

It is, she's mine, and I am crazy about her.  I am still not crazy about bluebonnets, but I sure like what I see sitting in them.

Dear Maggie- You

Dear Maggie-

*You are here! I know that has been true for 2 1/2 weeks now, but I still have to stop for a moment every day and remind myself that it is really true.  I can't believe you are actually here.

*You have the greatest smile ever and you know just when to use it.  I will tell you "no" for something and you will lower your head in sadness then look right up at me with the cutest smile and dimples anyone has ever seen.  I then forget completely what I was getting onto you for.

*You already know more english words in 2 weeks than I know Chinese words after the 7-8 weeks I have spent there.  Your first word was "more".

*You learned to take multiple steps midweek and now you are walking on any flat surface with confidence.  You freeze and put your arms up to be picked up if you approach an incline though.

*You love to mimic.  It is the cutest thing.  You mimic us washing our faces, talking on the phone, talking, singing, and more.

*I discovered today that you have a crooked pinky toe and I love it.

*You are the velcro baby.  You want to be held any time you can see me.  When your brothers and sister come home, you get all distracted by them and that is when I get things done.

*You love your bath time with your sister and she loves it just as much.

I love you sweet girl so very much.

Heart Update and Explanation

Several of you have asked about Maggie's heart and I promise I haven't been avoiding you.  I just wanted to wait until she had her visit here in the states first.

Well we were supposed to go today (Friday) but yesterday she woke up a little ashen and being new at this, I called the cardiologist to see when I should be concerned.  He said to go ahead and take her to the Texas Children's ER and he would have the cardiac team there do the work up that day.  It must have been God's will because the cardiologist on call was a China adoptive parent from the same province!  She was great and did the full work up that had been scheduled for Friday.

So here are the facts:

1.  Maggie has a single working right ventricle.  Her left one is tiny and there is a big hole between them.  If that were it, she would not have lived longer than a few days.

2. She also has Pulmonary Stenosis.  This sounds bad but it is actually a blessing. This protected her lungs from the overpressure of the single ventricular pump.

3. Maggie looks good and is stable.  Her oxygen sats are hanging out in the 80s which is not ideal but not critical.

4. Being an adoptive parent, the cardiologist encouraged us to take the next few weeks and settle in then return to our regular cardiologist for a plan.  One option is for her to have a Glen procedure this spring but that may not be necessary since she is doing pretty good.  The second procedure, the Fontan, would definitely need to be done but not until she is 4 and her heart is a little bigger.  Texas Children's has a Single Ventricle Team and they are going to meet and review her unique case.  They don't see kids like Maggie with single ventricles who have not had surgery but look this good.  She really shouldn't be alive.

Long term?  We really don't know.  Right now people with single ventricles are living into their 20s and 30s and then either having a stroke or suffering from liver damage.  These kids had surgery a long time ago and the procedure has improved since then so feasibly the outcomes should be better for Maggie.  Mortality rate from surgery is less than 5%.

Trent said that when the lady was doing the ultrasound, she looked surprised when Trent told her that we knew already about her condition.  The lady didn't have a frame of reference for someone who would voluntarily take this on.  We are praying that she saw a glimpse of Jesus yesterday and that others will see Jesus through Maggie's life and story too.  He has a plan for her and we are blessed to be a part of it.

Thanks for praying for our girl.  We are so in love with this newest blessing.

We Are Home

WE ARE HOME!!!!  After a long day of traveling and a near missed connection, we are finally home!  Let me tell you that I have the greatest friends and church family on the planet.

They threw one heck of a party at the Houston Airport.

Okay but I have to back track for just a second.  I was sitting in the Tokyo airport and this good friend walked up to me in the AA lounge.  I about fell out of my seat.  It was the greatest surprise ever.  Turns out he was on the same flight from Tokyo to Dallas!  He checked on us several times and really watched out to make sure we were surviving the long flight.

Okay so back to that part in the airport.  Here are a few more pictures of Maggie meeting some of our closest friends and her brothers of course. 

On Hong Kong, Vomit, and Fancy Parties in Hotel Lobbies

We made it to Hong Kong but not without a little adventure along the way.   Maggie was doing great up until about an hour-and-a-half out when she decided to vomit all over me, herself, and my pillow from car sickness.  I had to think fast as I was observing my sister starting to dry heave herself so I removed Maggie’s clothes, my shirt, and wrapped them all in the pillowcase.  Luckily I had a thin tank top on underneath my shirt, but don’t be fooled, it was just one very small step up from a bra.  

So we passed through customs with Maggie in a diaper and me looking like something they picked up off the street.  It got more interesting when we entered the very fancy airport hotel where there was a dinner party with guests in fancy dresses all in the lobby.  Seriously, people, if it was ever okay to use the term, “white trash,” this is that moment.  We finally checked in, washed our items in the sink, bathed everyone and are now settling in for the night.  

I am terrified for what tomorrow holds.  We have a 4-5 hour flight to Tokyo, a 4-hour layover, a too many hours to count (12-15??) flight to Dallas, a 2-hour layover, and then a flight to Houston.  

Please pray it is well-slept and vomit-free. 

Shamian Island

Today we went to Shamian Island.   It is my favorite place in Guangzhou.  Maggie slept through most of it and woke up just in time to be fitted for a few (or more) pairs of squeaky shoes.

Consulate appointment tomorrow!

Medical Appointment and A Little Shopping

Today was our first full day in Guangzhou.  Just being at the China Hotel brings back so many memories of my time here 4 years ago with Ruthie.  I have thought of my old travel group many times and have frequent flashbacks of my time here before.

You will have to forgive my poor picture quality.  These were all taken with my cell phone because there just isn't much room or energy to carry my big 'ole camera when I am trying to keep up with the girls.

Maggie had her medical appointment today.  The doctor asked me 3 times if she had surgery yet like when I answered no the first 2 times I didn't understand.  She would look at Maggie's paperwork and then look at Maggie back and forth several times and then asked for a 2nd copy of her paperwork.   She explained that Maggie's paperwork looked very serious but her presentation was much better.  Yes we know that, thank you.

Maggie charmed all of the doctors and nurses.  She doesn't meet a stranger and is a complete flirt.  Yesterday someone gave her a balloon in the mall and today a nurse brought out a toy and gave it to her.

Her coloring really does look good unless she is crying, having just eaten, or is tired.  She has trouble drinking and breathing.  The first 2 days I just thought she didn't want the cup but now I am discovering that I need to keep offering it frequently.  She is not a finish 8 oz in one sitting kind of girl but rather suck on it off and on over 2 hours.

My sister decided that China might not be so bad after all when she discovered wine in a vending machine.  

After Maggie's nap, we went on a short shopping trip with Ann.  My sister wanted pearls and a pearl ring.  I picked out a few clothing items for the kids that were super cheap. 

A Few More things about Maggie:

* She hates to go to sleep at night.  Because of her heart, crying it out really isn't an option but when I pick her up she wants to play.  You can pray she starts to settle in for naps and bedtime better.

* She loves to take off her left shoe.  It is the craziest thing. She just keeps removing the left one. 

* She is letting me wear her more and that is really sweet time. 

* The head butting has decreased significantly since I started teaching her sign language.  She can already sign that she wants to eat and wants more.  That has really helped with her frustration.

* She only weighs 18 lbs.  We thought she was going to be several pounds bigger but I think they were weighing her with several layers on.  She is the same size Ruthie was when we got her but Ruthie was a year older. 

* I think she may have a milk allergy.  I am struggling with what to give her because her formula seems to upset her stomach and produce some seriously nasty diapers.  Pray for insight there as to what to feed her to make sure she is getting enough nutrition.   The child cannot live on Pedialyte, cereal, and french fries. :)

Thanks everyone for your support and prayers.  I am ready to get home!

Xi'an to Guangzhou

Trent left Thursday and we had Friday all day with the just the girls before a late flight to Guangzhou.    Why the change in cities?  We have to get to the U.S. Consulate to get her immigrant visa and a medical exam.

So before we left, we got to see the old city wall in Xi'an.  The air quality was (somewhat) better and so being outside didn't feel like you were sucking the exhaust out of a diesel truck.  Here are Ruthie and Sherry on the city wall.

It was a late flight to Guangzhou and Maggie did pretty well on the flight.  She was active but we made it.  We were late getting in, with arrival time about midnight in our hotel.  Can you tell someone was tired?

But she woke up happy and glad to eat breakfast.

I Am A Better Person Because of China

China has changed me and for the better.  I wouldn't want to live here, but then I like who I am here better than who I am without China.

-Spending time in a country where you can't breath the air without significant health risks, makes me complain less about a hot or cold day back home.

-Spending time in a country where your right to drive is determined by a lottery and then only granted to you every other day, makes me more tolerant of a day of increased traffic back home.

-Spending time in a country where you can't drink the water out of the faucet in the nicest hotels, makes me more tolerant of my water bill when my pool runs in the summertime.

-Spending time in a country where toilets are commonly holes in the ground, makes me thankful for my bathroom and less concerned about the material of my countertop.

-Spending time in a country where you are only allowed to have one child, makes me less frustrated when my 2nd child doesn't pick up his toys.

-Spending time in a country where the government owns all of the housing, makes me less envious of the house around the corner that I cannot afford.

-Spending time in a country where almost everyone lives in an apartment high rise, makes me more grateful for the yard my children can play in.

-Spending time in a country where good medical care is hard to come by makes me more tolerant of my co-pays, deductibles, and premiums.   They are inconvenient but I still have the option to have them and their benefits.

The list goes on and on.

It is always hard to return from China.  I like who China makes me to be.  In a week I will return home.  As I recover from jet lag, I will feel a deep since of discomfort for the materialism around me and the entitlement that you cannot escape in the U.S.  I will listen as my kids complain about there being too much food on their plate or as a friend complains about how long they had to wait in the check out line at the grocery store.  Something will eat at the inside of me because I don't like what privilege has turned me and those I love into.  I will strangely miss China and the hardships there.

Then sadly over weeks and months, the life of privilege will start to harden my heart again.  I can't escape it.  I will become more entitled and less grateful for all that God has given me again.  I will think it is a hard day when I leave my cell phone at home or when I have to walk in the heat to pick my kids up from the school (where they are getting an excellent education).  I will nod my head in agreement when someone complains about the wait at Starbucks or how they have to get take out again for dinner.   I hate the materialistic, need to be comfortable, ungrateful for all that God has given me side of me.  I hate that I can justify those behaviors by a sense of importance or just deny them altogether because they are commonplace where I live.  I don't like who America makes me to be.  I love America, but I am a more grateful person when I am in China.

This is why Trent and I decided a long time ago that it is good for us to leave the country every year or two and be reminded how blessed we are.  

Ruthie and Maggie's Adoption Agency sends people on mission trips all over the world.  They aren't cheap but then when you consider what we have, they really are.  They are life changing.  I met Maggie on one and now generations of lives will be changed because of my going.  You can read about them HERE at http://www.awaa.org/act/default.aspx.  You should check it out.  I can't afford not to go.  Can you?

Last Day In Xian- Laying Low

Today is our last day in Xian.  I hate that the pollution has been bad and kept us from doing much but I also recognize that it is better for Maggie to lay low too.  This morning we sent daddy off to the airport.  I am glad he is going to be able to return to the boys and get the house ready for miss Maggie.

It rained yesterday and knocked down some of the pollution so we can actually see buildings outside of our room.  Ruthie has climbed up into the window several times to look down on China.  I often wonder what is going through that beautiful mind of hers.   I don't know if she processes China as her birthplace.  She really doesn't talk about it and I don't push.  She will when she is ready.

Later I caught a few pics of my littlest blessing looking down on her country below.  Isn't she just beautiful?

This time tomorrow will be on a plane for Guangzhou.  That marks the last leg of the wonderful adventure and some cleaner air too.  I am looking forward to both.

Uneventful but Memorable

We were supposed to go to see the Terra Cotta Warriors today but Trent and I did not have a peace about getting the girls out in that much pollution.  There is a lot of walking outside to get to the warriors and pollution is still at hazardous levels today.  I think our guide was relieved when we asked to do something indoors instead.

She took us to a Chinese History Museum downtown and it was really interesting.  There were still some warriors there so I think Trent enjoyed it.  It is amazing to see artifacts that are 7000 years old.

After the museum, we went to lunch with our guide.  I really like her and wish we lived closer.  Maggie did great at lunch and then went crazy on the ride back to the hotel.  What started as frustration at having to sit in the van turned into a full blown temper tantrum.  It got scary when her nose and lips turned blue and I could not do anything to console her.  We got back to the hotel and she fell right to sleep.  Note to self- do not let this child get over tired.    Please pray for our plane ride in 2 days to Guangzhou.  I am a bit concerned about her willingness to sit through it combined with the stress the altitude will put on her heart.  

Daddy heads home tomorrow.  We will miss him bunches but I am glad he is getting home to the boys.  

Thanks for praying.