Too busy!

Life is a little busy around here so I have decided to only update ONE blog... our family blog. I am not taking this one down, because it has documented her adoption story, but to see updates and pictures of EG with her family, you can visit us here: www.4mygreatkids.blogspot.com

No more posts on this blog (for awhile at least!)

Emma Grace Update

We have been busy! I have been wanting to do a post for awhile, but the days keep slipping away from me. Emma Grace is doing great. She had her 18 month well checkup the other day (she was 19 months old, but that's the way we roll around here- about a month late on everything...) She weighed in at 18 lbs 10 ozs and was 29.25 inches. So, she has gained 1.5 pounds and grew 1/2 inch. I guess I will take it! They tested her for TB (we forgot to do that when we got home) and thankfully, it was negative. She eats like a little piggy and will pretty much eat anything she can chew up and put in her mouth. We were relieved to find a sippy cup she can actually use, so no more cleft palate bottles that we have to squeeze. For those cl/cp parents reading this- the soft nipple NUBY works great for Emma. She actually bites it to open up the spout and get the milk out. Unfortunately, she can't suck because of the huge gap in her mouth, so this is the only cup that works for her. She continues to have OT and PT once a week. She is getting stronger with her hands but is easily frustrated with fine motor skill activities. She gives her OT an ATTITUDE every week. It is really quite ridiculous the way she acts. She is better with the PT because I think walking is something that she is starting to feel more comfortable with. She will take up to 10 steps, but prefers to walk on her knees. She is starting to "start/stop" with her walking and also turning while she walks, so she has come a long way in the last 4 months. She can say mama, dog-dog, uh-oh, no (she only says this to her OT!) and "moe" for more, and she uses the sign with this. When we ask her where Timmy is, she will look all over the room and point him out immediately. She LOVES to be sung to and her favorite is the itsy bitsy spider and the wheels on the bus. She will do all the hand motions for both of them. She loves to climb into our lap and she starts dancing with her arms- that is her sign to tell us she wants to hear a song :) Enjoy the pictures!

Walking in her new big girl shoes

It looks like she is giving me attitude, but she was doing the motions to "wash the spider out" while I was singing :)

more pictures!

She has been practicing with the spoon and is doing well

Having a little too much fun with her beef stew

Emma with her "little" brother

3 of the 4- the 4th one was pouting

First haircut

Emma Grace had her first haircut a few weeks ago. She is anti-bow and will yank it out as soon as it goes in. Her bangs were so long and always in her face. Since the bow couldn't stay in long enough to keep the bangs out of her eyes, we had to chop away! I evened out the back (the sides were longer than the middle because she was bald there when we got her) and trimmed the front. It was a little shorter than I wanted to go, but she looked adorable.... and very Chinese :)

Little Valentines

Here is Emma Grace and her 3 brothers. We were very thankful to have her home for this "love" holiday!

18 month pictures

My sweet baby girl... there are no words to say how much we love her! Home for over 3 months!!!

A few more pics...

I love this picture because 1)you can tell how naughty Timmy is and 2) look at Emma... staring at Timmy. She watches him and then a few days later she is doing the same 'ole thing! Monkey see, monkey do is lived out everyday in my house!

Emma is turning into quite the climber. She was very proud of herself for getting on top of these boxes!

Emma with her crew

We're Alive!

Oh, my... we have had quite a time these last few weeks! To sum it up, everyone in our family has been sick and on antibiotics... all but my oldest son and TODAY he came down with a fever. Monday was a holiday, so we were off school, I missed 2 days of work for illnesses, and the last 2 days of the week are snow days. I am ready for a warm, spring day so I can open up the windows and set these germs FREE!!!! Emma Grace had a week and a half with her babysitter before the snow and illnesses hit and she did awesome. We are so blessed to have such a caring lady watch our Emma Grace while we work! Emma cries for a few minutes when I drop her off, but then settles down and plays. She eats well and sleeps well and is so happy when I pick her up. It was a huge sigh of relief for me to see her so well adjusted. I feel confident that she knows mommy is always coming back for her! There is really nothing to report about the little princess. She continues to thrive here and is capturing our hearts more and more each day. How did I ever live without her?

The top picture is Emma Grace on our 3rd day together. The bottom picture is Emma Grace just a few days ago. She has gained about 2 pounds since coming home (she has only been home 3 months!!!!) She is 18 months old and still under 20 lbs, but growing so much and so fast.

oh, how I love to see that belly hang over her diaper!

Rascal #1 taught Rascal #2 how to climb on the train table. I walked into the room and saw these two trouble makers waiting for me!

Merry Christmas, MinLi

Well, you all have heard me talk about Josh (Minli). This little guy is the only person that Emma Grace has spent her entire life with. They lived at the Fuzhou orphanage together (not sure if they were in the same room, but they were both there together). They were then both taken to the hospital for heart surgery, where I would guess they were kept in the same room. Then, they were taken to PHF together, where they lived in the same house... until we cam to get Emma late October. It was heartbreaking to take Emma away from him, and we want nothing more than for Josh to find a family. But, his papers are not ready, so he will sit and wait.

I got a little emotional when I saw this picture. First, I am so thankful he is at PHF and that there are people like Clay and Jewel (seen in the picture with him) that have sacrificed their lives to serve these children. But, he doesn't have a mom and a dad. I am sure he is loved, but he needs a family. He is very delayed, more so than Emma Grace was. We were told that they just found he has spina bifada, but it can be fixed. He has a heart condition, but that has been fixed as well. A family would truly make all the difference in the world to this little guy. I wonder if he ever thinks about Emma Grace and wonders where she went. So sad.

So, we are praying that 2011 will be his year. Hopefully his file will hit the shared list and a lucky family somewhere can snatch him up.