Our 1st month Post Placement Visit

                Its time!!  We have been home for a whole month already.  We are required to have a social worker come to the house at 1 month, 6 months, and every year for 5 years post adoption.

                Our social worker came out to the house and asked us a lot of questions that really consisted to Mya’s adjusting, our adjusting and our new normal!!  She wanted to know about Mya’s schedule and how she was handling everything, sleeping, playing, strangers, eating and just everyday relations. 

                I knew that Mya had some “situations” in China with certain things that I have mentioned  but I guess I haven’t really thought about them much until the SW asked the questions and my response was: well in China she did that, and in China she did that, and no she hasn’t done that since China.  I am so pleased at the progress that she has made, but it also makes me reflect back to what she has and is really going through. 

You know, we often say when a child is crying, “oh it’s so hard being insert name here well, and it really is hard being Mya.  Sometimes, when she lets out this screeching cry and the kids all try to comfort her, I just tell them, just let her cry and let mommy and Daddy try to comfort her, because we aren’t sure if she possibly had a bad memory happen or maybe she is remembering a good memory and is missing someone or something, we just don’t know.  I wish I could be in her head and be able to know what it is that she is going through so I could help her in any possible way.  Well, we all know that isn’t possible, so we are just gonna love her through this!!!!  She could also just be acting like a normal 2 year old, but I don’t know that for sure and I don’t want to just assume it’s a 2 year old fit that she is throwing or if she just needs some extra love at that moment!  I am so happy that we are here and are ready to give her the love that she needs!!!!!

                Sorry, I just got off the subject!!!!  Anyway, our post placement went really well and the SW was very pleased with Mya and her progress!!!!!!  We will see her again at the 6 month visit!!

Until next time~God Bless!

Mindy

Our Trip To Alabama

We had the most AMAZING trip to Alabama to see our family!  Mya hadn’t met her Aunt Hollie, Uncle Aaron, cousins, her Aunt Carrie, Uncle Marvin, Uncle Charlie, and Grandma Nancy as of yet, so ROAD TRIP!!! 

                We left on Thursday, around 7am and arrived in Bama around 5:30pm.  Our first experience traveling a lot of hours in the van and Mya in a car seat was awesome!!!!!!  She didn’t even cry until our last 10 minutes of the trip, which I think was sooo good! 

                We were greeted by everyone and they were so excited to see our family and especially our newest family member, our Chinese Princess!!!!!

                           

Aunt Hollie and Mya ~ 1^st time meeting!!

                I really missed all of my kids this weekend!  They were all gone running around the “Hood” at the creek and just having fun!!!!  It was so great!  I really got to visit with my family and show off all of my “4” children!  LOL, 4, that still sounds so weird!!!!  Mya was A HIT!!

                  Everyone just fell completely, 100% in love with her!  I was told that some weren’t sure how the love would be with Mya due to her being adopted.  They knew that they would “love” her but they were TOTALLY AMAZED at the love that they did have, right from the first look!!!  It was that “Love” that they had for the other children!!!!!  I was actually approached by my brother-in-law, one who has already adopted as well, and he asked me, “Isn’t it amazing the love that we have for someone else’s child?!?”   He is so right, It is so AMAZING!!!  I was really blessed when this person was humble enough to tell me their thoughts in this regard of Love and how there is such unconditional love with everyone!!!!!  Thank you Lord!!!  You know we are, as believers, adopted into the family of God and He loves us all unconditionally!!!  What an awesome God!!!!!

                Friday evening, also Mya’s  2^nd birthday, a woman from my family’s church,  whom I didn’t know, opened her home and had an open house / birthday party for Mya!!!!!  I have no words to describe this wonderful gesture that she and her family have done for our family!  It was so amazing, all of the wonderful food that was brought in, the beautiful decorations, and ALL of the total strangers that came!!!  These people were all from their church and have been praying for our journey!  Some even made the prayer blankets for Myas friends at the orphanage.  Such a BLESSING!!!  It really amazes me that people I don’t even know have such a heart for our family and our adoption!!!  What wonderful people of God!!!  We love their church and feel honored to have had their support!!!!  Our church and other churches have had the upmost support and prayers and I feel so blessed!  It is amazing being a child of the King and am so thankful that this very weekend, Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and then 3 days later, rose again and now sits at the right side of the Christ’s throne in Heaven until He comes back again!

                                                                    Me and My Sister, Hollie

                                                             Miss Sherrie (hostess) and Mya!

                                                                                   My family

                                       Miss Sherrie (hostess!) and Mya and party in the mirror!!!

                Saturday, we went to their church for an Easter egg hunt!  There were separate areas for all ages of the children and food, face painting, cotton candy, and the Resurrection story was told to all of the children!!!  Then, that afternoon, Papa Cheezie wanted to take all of the grandchildren fishing!!!  Josh and Aaron and Papa got everything ready and headed out!!!!   They had a blast!!!  What was caught was then fried by Madison and Ali for dinner!!!!  That evening, we had a girl’s night out and went to Birmingham and saw Casting Crowns in concert!!!!!  AMAZING!!!  It was soo fun!  We had such a great time praising our God together!!!  Me, my sister, my Mom, Aunt Carrie, and 3 of my sisters friends, who are now my friends went and they are BEGGING us to move to Alabama!  They love our family and we LOVE them!!! 

                                             Mya thought she needed “2” buckets for the hunt!!

                                                                             Mya and Daddy

                                                                       Mommy, Mya and Madison

                                                  Papa Cheezie and Mason on the fishing trip!!! 

     Sunday, we woke up to the Easter bunny that had been in the yard and left evidence!  He left all of the children, a chocolate Jesus fish on the front porch!  We then gave all the children their Easter baskets!  This was also Ali, my niece, her 12^th birthday!!!!!  Can’t believe that one!!!!  We then went to church and celebrated our Savior rising from the dead and reigning forever!!!!  That afternoon, we played outside and the children went to the creek and played and it was just so relaxing being with family and visiting!  Then, at the request from my nephew Connor, I was to make my famous goulash that is to be made every time we are together!!!  My Uncle Charlie and Connor insist!!:)

                      Can you see the bunny trail?  The Easter Bunny always leaves evidence after being here!!!

    Me and My Daddy!!!!

y Mommy

                                                    My Momma, me, Mya and my Aunt Carrie

          All the kids after playing in the creek!!!  Mason, Ali, Myles, Madison, Gianni, and Connor!!!!

                We are now on our way home and we miss our family alreadyL  What is good about this is, some of the family is coming to our house in a couple of weeks for the 8^th grade prom that Connor has been invited to!!!!  That makes saying goodbye a little easierJ  

                A little update on Mya:  She is doing soooooo well!  I am so proud of her!   We couldn’t have asked for her to have been any better this weekend!  She had only one night with night terrors!!!  No fits were thrown!!  She really has come a long way since China!!  Thank you again for all of your prayers and we would ask that you would continue!!!!!  God Bless!

                                             Mya saying HI!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THIS PICTURE!!!!!!

Mindy

Just an Update!!!~

     Our family is so over-joyed with our Chinese Princess!!  Josh and I just sit back and watch all of our children and thank God for blessing us so much!!!! 
     I feel so honored to have adopted one of Gods orphaned children and to have the most wonderful oppourtunity to raise her in a christian home and we pray that one day, Mya will ask Jesus to come into her heart to save her!!!!!! 
     We were not able to be in church yesterday due to having to take Mason to the prompt care and finding out that he has strep throat.  Although, while we were in the office, the doctor was very interested in finding out why we wanted to adopt and how did we adopt!!!  I got to tell him that we felt that God was calling us to do so and I can only hope that by talking to thim that he will either seriously think about where he will spend eternity or possibly feel lead to adopt!!!!!
     I love the opportunities that we have had because we do have Mya!  I think I told about the lady at Walmart that had stopped us because she saw our family picture and our adoption announcement in the paper and today, I was in a little small town grocery store near our town and I was stopped again and was told that she saw us in the paper and how special of a family that we are and I told her that we are the ones being blessed!!!!!!
     Now to the update on Mya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  She is doing soooooo well!!  Josh and I were playing with her this morning and she was laughing and laughing so hard!  I told him, remember in China and some when we got home, that when we tickled her, she wouldnt laugh and if she did, it was minimal..well today, she was hysterical!!!!!!!  She really, everyday, just gets a little more comfortable and really it seems like she has always been with us!  The other children are soooo great with her!  Mason is having a real hard time, that because he has strep, he cant get in her face and hug and kiss on her!!!  Last night, the kids were all outside and jumping on the trampoline, playing in the yard and having the time of their lives!!!!!!!!   Im not sure if I have said this before, but we are SO BLESSED!!!!!
     Here are more of our everyday living photos!!!!!!

                                                       I LOVE LOVE THIS PICTURE!!

We met up with some friends who we have met while adopting!!!  This is their little girl, Briley!!

Momma's running girls!!!!  Mya's first run with Momma!!

Mya insisted that when we were done that the girls had to "Hold" her hand!!!

SO CUTE!!  Thank you Chase for letting Mya ride!!

She was ok here but......

Wanted no part of it here!!!

Mason giving Mya a ride..Again, thank you Chase!!!

I love this!!!  daddy and mya!!!

Mya thought she would help Momma!!

Madison and Mya!!!  Such pretty girls!!

Pretty Mya!  (Mason taking pix with my phone!!)

Dont you just love how I am not in any of the photos?!!!!!?  Really, I am in her daily life...LOL!!!!!  Momma is just the one behind the camera!!!!!!!!  And Myles is usually off playing with cousins and runs home and checks in and has to kiss sister and then he is off again!!  Never in one place long enough for a picture!!!!!!!  LOVE MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God Bless You!!!  Mindy

Show and Tell~

     Today was show and tell Day!!!  First stop.....The Junior High!!  Madison was told by the Assistant Principal that she wanted me to bring Mya in!!  I asked Madison, you have show and tell in Jr High, and she said, "Yeah, if you are Mya!!!" 
     So we went to the Jr High and met the office crew and made our way down to see her Language Arts teacher!!!  She was a BIG hit!!!!!!!!!!! 
     Then, we had some time to kill, so we went to where I used to work, Mya's pediatrician's office!  We were there for 2 hours!  It was so great seeing everyone and again showing off Mya to all of my co-workers!!!!! 
     Next stop, the boys' grade school!  They have been waiting since we got home for us to bring Mya to school for show and tell!!!  It was so sweet, as soon as I went to the office, So many of the faculty came in to meet MYA!!  She was and is so popular!  It is so amazing all of the support that we have had through this journey! 
     We went and made a visit to Myles' class and his teacher had me sit in the chair and all the children, 1st graders sit on the carpet and they were able to ask me questions about Mya and or out trip to China!!   It was so cute!!!  The questions they ask were adorable...I think the first one was.....Does Mya like to hit...hmmmmmmmmm, by the looks of Myles face when he went back to school, Id say yes!!!  Although, that is sooooo much better since we have been home!!!!!
     Then on to Mason's class!!!  Again, the children were asked if they had any questions for me or about the trip and I believe the first question was, "how do you communicate with her if she doesnt speak our language?"  Very good question coming from a 3rd grader!  I just told them that love is a universal language and so is smiling!!!  I also proceeded to tell them that just like when they were babies, when Mya points to something, we say what it is for her so she will learn!!!  They thought that was neat!!!!!!! 
     Next we went to the other 1st grade classroom!  A friend of mine is the teacher and she hadnt met Mya yet and was soooo excited!!!!!!   All of her students crowded around Mya and they also had questions!  One question was, whats that thing by her eye???  I told them that it was a birthmark and that she was born with it!  The teacher was devastated that they asked that...I told her that it was ok, kids are curious and that is what they see!  Then, the next question...........................Mrs. Clayton, why are her eyes slanted??????  I thought the teacher was going to cry, she was so embarrassed that he asked that!!!  She said to the child, REMEMBER when Myles told us while showing us his album, that the people in China were born that way?!?  It was soooo cute!!!!  You cant help but laugh!!!  Kids and what goes through their minds is so funny!!!! 
     It was such a wonderful day!!!!!!!!!!! 
     Please pray for Mya, as I sit here blogging tonight, she has had a really rough night already with her night terrors.  It is 12:25am and she has had 3 real bad ones.  It has been several nights since she has had any, so I am not sure why tonight, she is having so many problems.  I just go and love her through it and tell her Momma is here and pray over her!   So, if you could join me in prayer for her and her sleeping, I would really appreciate it and I know that she would too!!! 

Mya climbed right up on big brother Mason and fell asleep!!!

Papa Rick

Mama Bonnie

Big sister @ the park

Daddy and Mya

Big Brother Myles swinging with Mya!  He was so proud!

Thank you and God Bless!!!!

Mya's Welcome Home Shower!!!

     First of all, I would like to thank Crystal Stubbs, Leslie Stephens and Sandie Sherbert for throwing this shower for Mya!!!!  It was such a blessing and we had a fabulouss time!!!!
     On Saturday, 3/17/2012 at Grace Baptist Church, we had an amazing time of fellowship and food all in the honor of meeting our MYA!! 
     Lots of people came out to meet her and it was such a blessing!!!!!!  Mya received clothes, clothes and clothes and toys, and gift cards that were used tonight in purchasing a dresser for all of her clothes!!!!!!  God is so good and provided in a way that was needed!!!!

                                    Thank you Bobbi Shanks for making this awesome cake!

                                                                My "SPICY DRAGON"

                                                                     Daddy and Mya

                                                    Mommy opening all the gifts!

                                                                        Picture table

                                                                    Table Decor

Table Decor

                            Thank you all for coming out and making our day so wonderful!!!!!!!!

Mya's Doctors Appt

     Im sorry that it has taken me so long to blog her appt!  We went and saw her pediatrician on Friday and he loves her!!!!
     The dr actually threw her right into a fit!!  He wanted to see how possessive she is of her food and when he took away her goldfish, she threw herself on the ground and kicked and screamed!!  He said, " I like her, they didnt break her will!!!" 
     He looked at  her palate and is starting the referral process for Mya to see the cleft team!  When I asked him, if it would be better to go to Children's Hospital, he said that he would refer us anywhere that we wanted but that he had full faith in the cleft team here.  So we are going to get an eval and decide from there! 
     Mya is overall, wonderfully adjusted!!!!  She acts so comfortable and like she has been here the whole time!!!  She is such a spicy dragon!!  This is the year of the dragon in China and she is spicy!!!!  We love her spunk!!!!  She hasnt thrown a fit like she did in China, where I couldnt even find the words to describe it, but she has thrown some smaller fits but nothing we couldnt handle:)
     Mya had her first Sunday at church and was quite popular!!  So many praying for her and she is so loved!!  Its so amazing how much love that everyone can have for a child that they dont even know!!!!
     I have a problem changing someone elses children's dirty diapers.  I gag and carry on.  I was so concerned how I would be with Mya and that situation, but Mya is mine and I have NO problems changing MY baby girls diaper, or helping with what I call a palate emergency when food or anything else is coming out her nose!!!!!  LOL
    Mya is so amazing and we are so blessed!!!  She is sleeping somewhat better!  Still some night terrors but getting better each night! 
    For some reason, I guess a mother's intuition, I felt her Tuesday morning before getting out of bed and I never do that because she is not a very sound sleeper, anyway, I felt her and she was pretty warm so I took her temp and she had a 100.6 temp.  No other symptoms except LOTS of drooling and chewing on her fingers, so I do believe its her teeth!   She hasnt been cranky or anything, just drooling...LOTS!!!!!!!
     We ended up going to the dr and seeing the NP.  Mya had a 103.4 temp and still no other symptoms.  Because we have no history on her, they had to check for everything.  The NP said we will have to check her urine and I asked how to do that and she told me that they would have to put a catheter in.....WHAT?????????????????  I lost it!!!!  I was crying and Mya was screaming!  Then...blood drawn and a nasal swab...IT WAS TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!  Mya was so brave, I was so proud of her! 
     We took the labs to the hospital and the NP called me after hours to give me the results..Mya's white blood cell count was 16,000 and they put her on amoxicillan. 
    We are about a week into the medicine and she is doing great!!!  Starting Friday, no fever, just very very cranky, and Saturday, she was perfect!!!!!
     We are doing so well and thank you so much for all of your prayers and thoughts!!!
     Here are some pictures from being at home!!!!

Grammy

                                          
                                                                   Papa Cheezie

                                                             Mya's 1st 4-wheeler ride


God Bless Mindy

Mya's first day at HOME!!

     Mya has made us liers!!!  She has been absolutely perfect!! NO FITS!!!
     She slept well last night and I woke her up at 11:00am which she didnt go to bed until 1:30am or so.  I was up at 10:00 and Josh was up at 8:00! No jet lag for us!  We are feeling amazing! 
    We went to town and guess where we ate.....QQ China!  Josh and my Dad have been craving this and I was not looking forward to anymore rice!  But we all went together and the men were happy!
    We had our first trip to Walmart and Aldis today!  Mya did so well!  She never cried! 
    Mya did absolutely Super in her carseat today!!!  I was so thankful, I hated to see her cry, it breaks my heart! 
     We came home and I started cleaning up a bit after landing last night with all of the luggage!  It was driving my crazy!!!  Josh was so wonderful!  I am so blessed to have a husband like him!  He told me that he would do all of the laundry so I could take care of Mya and visit with my parents!!  He is so wonderful!
    We had lots of company today to come and meet Mya!  I loved it!!  I love showing off my kids!!  She was, of course, a hit!!
    Josh's twin brother walked in and Mya immediately wanted Jeremy!  She thought that he was her Daddy!  It took her about 3 minutes before she realized..this isnt my Daddy at all!!  She then reached for Josh!!! Adorable!!! 
    Then it was bath time!  Her first bath at her home!   Remember me saying that she has been so scared of ther bath and screamed the whole way through, NOPE, not tonight!!!!  She was so comfortable!!!  My Mom came into the bathroom and said, where is this Spicy Girl you keep talking about??!!!!?  I said, I am not sure!!!!  Mya has adjusted so beautifully!  I couldnt be more proud of her!  She has come so far each and every day and that I give praise to God!!! So many prayers all over the world have been prayed for this little girl and her adjustment!!!! 
     Tomorrow, Mya has her New Patient Appt with the pediatrician!  I am so ready for her to see him and he can tell us, In English, how she is doing and what we the plan is for her cleft palate!!! 
     Thank you again for all of your support and prayers!  This journey has been a life changing experience for our family!  Again, if anyone is on the fence about adoption, my advice......GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God Bless
Mimdy