Our Pumpkins

Bulk Club Membership

So, Trav & I are in agreement... Lucy is going to give us ulcers.  She is definitely entering her 'terrible 2s' a few months early.  You know that look in their eyes that says 'oh, go get your Zantac, this is going to be one of those days'? Well,  she now possesses it and uses it at will.  Don't get me wrong, she's a blast and we love having her in our family.  Just the other night I was rocking her at 1:30 in the morning and was looking at her little feet.  They are adorable.  They reminded me how many hours we prayed for her to come home.  How many hours we did paperwork, how many hours we longed for her & in the end how extremely blessed we are to have those little feet in our house.  But none the less, when she looks at us defiantly as she dumps her plate of food all over herself & the floor I thank God for my Costco membership and the ability to buy my antacids in bulk.

Thank you for all of your concern about Tyson.  He's doing fabulously.  I am so impressed with his attitude about being down an arm.  He never complains!  This week marked the first week of Kindergarten homework.  He tried his best and  wrote his name and completed the assignments with his left hand and with the minimal assistance of his very heavily casted right arm.  

He will get the pins taken out in 2 more weeks and then get casted for 2 more weeks.  I think that he's just happy that it will be off before Halloween.  

Just a few pics from the Air Show and Mid Autumn Moon Festival.  

He Can’t Catch a Break….

Or, maybe he did catch one.  Right in the arm! I was going to blog about Tyson’s first day of Kindergarten but things have gone a little awry.  Tyson started school on the Tuesday after Labor Day.  He really didn’t have too much to say at the end of Tuesday and Wednesday except he told me all the rules of the playground both days.  So, on Thursday afternoon, I looked at the caller ID (yes, I screen my calls) about 30 minutes before Tyson was supposed to get off of the bus.  It was his school & I had the sinking feeling that it was the nurse.  Apparently Tyson fell off of a low balance beam & injured his arm above his elbow.   He was following the rules but still got hurt, just his luck.  The ER nurse in me was thinking  ‘supracondylar fracture… oooh, that’s not good’.  Unfortunately, I was right.  We stopped at the Miller’s house and Steve checked him out, confirmed my suspicions of the need for a trip to the ER.  (On a side note I was planning on taking Lucy up to meet the gals in the ER this week but this is not what I had in mind.)  I can’t say how thankful I am to the staff and docs at CHKD’s ER.  They quickly checked him in, triaged him, put an IV in, x-rayed him & gave him some pain relief.  All the while Tyson’s arm was swelling more and more.  His nurses, Debbie and Denise, did notice that his pulse was no longer palpable on the affected side but were able to pick it up with the Doppler ultrasound.  Tyson was a trooper.  I think that he felt more comfortable since he knew his nurse, child life therapist and few of the other people in the room.  Everyone was great.  Jill took Lucy out of the room for a while Tyson got his IV and got they got him settled in.  Three friends sincerely offered to take Lucy home with them!  Maureen picked up Lucy and stayed with her until we got home.   All right, I’m going on too long--- thank you all!!!!!! 

Tyson’s break was pretty severe as it was all the way across the bone and the two pieces of bone were displaced.  At about 6:45 that night Tyson went to surgery to have the bones put together with a few pins.  He came out with a bi-valved cast and sling.  Travis and I really held it together until we left him with the anesthesiologist and surgical nurse.  Then we broke down.  This was Tyson’s 5^th surgery in just 2 years.  It really is too much for one little boy! 

When we were discharged we were so happy to take him home.  But…. The door to the van wouldn’t open!  We mashed buttons on the fob, pulled it… nothing.  Some how in our haste to get him treated we got the buckle of the seatbelt jammed in the door.  The dealership had to take the whole door off to get it out.  Now we need a new seatbelt (not cheap BTW) on that side.  Ughhh. 

Tyson was pretty quiet for a few days but really seems to be feeling good today.  So, football and golf are off the books for the next few months.  Bummer.   He broke his right arm but isn’t complaining about having to use his non-dominant hand.  I’m hoping he is able to learn to write with his left hand so he doesn’t get too far behind. 

On a more fun note, we’ve had lots of out-of-town guests recently.  We loved every moment with our friends and family. A few of the pics from the last two weeks are here.   

Simply Saturday

Shameless Plug for Living Near the Beach

Okay, it's Friday evening and you're trying to figure out what to do after dinner for some fun.  Well go to the beach silly!  We're always trying to convince some of our favorite people to move here so hopefully these pics will inspire you.
(If you do move on down, make sure you check to see if there is a surfing championship going on near where you are planning on taking your kids to play.  Failing to do so may result in having to drive 20 blocks through tourist traffic.)

At some point Lucy will realize what Tyson already has- if I just smile the photo shoot will be over & the fun can continue.  

A Blog that Writes Itself

So can someone invent a blog that writes itself for us?  We’d really appreciate it. 

Luckily things are going well & there really isn’t too much to say.  Wait, did I just say that one of the Jacques doesn’t have much to say?  I must be tired.

Lucy had a follow-up appointment with her pediatrician today.  All of her test results are in and it looks like just about everything is normal.  Of course there are little things that need to be followed up on, but on the whole they looked good.  While she tolerates her doctor’s existence she isn’t nearly as big a fan of his nurse.  She scowls at the poor woman every second she can.  While walking back from the bathroom Lucy peered around the corner of the desk to make sure that the nurse couldn’t see her.  Much to her dismay, the nurse found her cute little thighs and gave her five shots.  That’s right, count 'em five ‘Ahh boo boos’ as Lucy calls them.  I should probably mention that Lulu has a way of adding an ‘A’ to the beginning or end of words.  Milk-a, A-dee dee (pacifier), drink-a, a-shoos. 

I don’t want to leave out a quick update on GeGe ‘big brother’ Tyson.  In just two weeks our first will be going to kindergarten!  His school still doesn’t know if it will be the morning or afternoon session yet, but he is going!  Tyson has always been interested in golf so we started him in golf lessons through the First Tee program.  It’s so much fun to hear him talking about putting and chipping; his Poppop is so proud.  Tomorrow is the second anniversary of our Forever Family Day with him.  In many ways it seems like it was yesterday that we met him in that hot & humid office but in other ways it seems like he’s been in our lives forever.   We love you little buddy!


We've heard that most of you come here for the pics so here they are.  


Many blessings,
Melis

Grandparents rock!

What, they don't go this way?

The summer wouldn't be complete without a few pics of Tyson playing in the ocean

Kryptonite

We’ve been able to see some of you all in person and were able to see where some of the informational holes are.  So, I will give you some answers.  

How is Lucy doing with Melissa?  I think we now have a mama’s girl on our hands.  We came home on a Saturday and that’s been the turning point day in our relationship.  Since then she seems to like me as much as Trav.  She actually seems a little mad at Trav for going back to work.  Lucy babbles on about him all day long, wanting to talk to him on the phone, but then is a little cold to him when he returns home for the evening. 

What are the doctors saying about her heart?  We met with our pediatric cardiologist this morning.  We went in to it with the expectation that it would be a quick consult and any tests that we needed would be scheduled at a later date.  To my surprise right after being put in a room they did an EKG on her.  Then Dr. Ellis (whom I can’t say enough good things about) came in and explained that we would attempt a cardiac echo in the office and if she didn’t tolerate it we would do one under anesthesia (not just sedation) at the hospital.  At this point Lucy was not really digging him or his exam so I would say that Trav and I were hopeful, but wouldn’t have bet the house on it getting it done, as we would need her cooperation.  All I have to say is Praise Jesus!  Lucy cried a bit but they were successful in completing the echo!  Woohoo!  She does have an ASD but it is very small, only about ½ the size that her Chinese files indicated.  The news gets better- it is the kind and size that doesn’t need any further care at this time.  Because she cried a little bit through the echo we DO need to come back….. when she is 3 years old.  Yup, not for at least 16 months.  Now of course we know that things can change but this is the news that we were reallllyyy praying for.  After the cardiologist we went to see our International Adoption Specialist (IAP).  We are just starting the process of getting her tested for all kinds of things and immunized to US standards.  Our IAP once explained it as doing newborn screenings but on an older child.  He will be following her weight, immunizations & all that kind of stuff.   At the end of the visit she had a PPD placed and then had blood drawn.  It took 4 sticks to get it all.  I thought that this would maybe set back our bonding but she seemed more upset with the staff and the procedures than with me.  This is just the beginning of this process so we’ll keep you updated.  Again, Praise the Lord!  Thanks for the prayers. 

How are she and Tyson getting along?  Tyson really couldn’t be a better big brother.  I wasn’t sure if he was really listening when we were prepping him for Lucy’s arrival.  Apparently he was.  For example, if she is crying he tries to calm her down.  Tonight in the car she was crying to get out of her car seat and he grabbed her hand and started singing his ABCs.  (She really likes any song that has the same rhythm as Twinkle Twinkle.)  He is starting to realize that she imitates everything that he does.  This does come in handy when we want her to try a new food or do something else that she doesn’t want to do.  It's not so handy when he is trying to do normal 5 year old things.  Now, as any brother would, he does antagonize her at times but in general he's always looking out for her.  

It brings so much joy to us to see them interact.  We praying and working and saving for years for this, and it is finally happening.

How is she doing in regards to her eating?  This is still a bit of a struggle but I don’t think that it’s out of proportion to most other toddlers.  Sometimes she eats a lot and sometimes just pushes it around her tray and then onto the floor.  Her favorite foods are sweets and meat products, ughh.  Poppop West introduced her to what has become kryptonite- Swedish Fish.  Lucy will do pretty much anything for a little red fish.  She has very little will-power against it. 

Okay, so no one asked but I’m going to tell you a little bit about Lulu & the cute things she does.  She apparently knows already that she can pray wherever she is.  Which she DOES… and it’s FUNNY.  She says something like ‘Ahmen’, grabs our hands, closes her eyes and tilts her head back.   Now it may appear to be a little televangalist in style but it is soooo cute.  I’m wondering if anyone at Costco caught on to this today. As you may have caught a few glimpses of in the video Lucy dances and screams like she is going to a Cindy Lauper audition.  She is living it up for sure.  In no way is she seeking anyone’s approval.  We have to work our way into her heart and life every day.  The looks that she throws around with her eyes seem to belong to a 30-year-old woman. 

Of course I don’t speak any Chinese so I don’t know what else that she is saying but here are some of the things that she says spontaneously in English.  She can be prompted for a bunch more.  Most of these start with the ‘Ahh sound’.

Go- mostly used at doctor’s offices and when she wants to get out of the bedroom at bedtime

Pee pee in the potty & poo poo in the potty- she is still doing pretty well in this area but I’m not sure if we’ll be off diapers anytime soon

Meow- in response to ‘what does a cat say?’

Tickle Tickle- when she wants to tickle someone or when watching Kai Lan

Candy

The names of her family

Milk

Boom boom pow

There are a lot more but I’m too tired to think of them right now.

She does sign language for more, all done and milk. 

She seems to understand a lot of the things that we say to her.  Mostly along the ‘are you hungry?’ or ‘do you want to go outside?’ line of communication.  

Trav will upload some pictures tomorrow. 

P.S.- Thank you for all of the warm welcomes and for letting us know that you are reading along.  It makes us feel so happy to know that you are all out there supporting us.