We're Home!!

Okay...I need to start out by apologizing to all of you who follow for not posting! But I think I may be back in the groove of life with our new addition!

Hope is doing wonderful. She is such a joy to have in our home! She is sleeping at night very well. She is not getting up through the night. She stills kind of needs a nap but does not get one every day. She gets pretty defiant when there is no nap. She is attaching to all of us. We were out the other night at our friend's house and it was late. She signed "drive home" to us and wanted all five of us to get in the vehicle and go!! She is a hoot!

She has no trouble with communicating with us. However, she does have temper tantrums when told no sometimes. When she tantrums, she has ALOT of anger. I think that is when we see the frustration of the communication barrier!

We have had numerous appointments with physicians. The ENT would like her to get cochlear implants asap. We go to a consultation and evaluation this Wednesday at the KU med center. She also has a CAT scan scheduled for tomorrow morning in which she will be put under for the procedure. The ENT needs to make sure the inner ears are properly structured before going any further with cochlear implant consideration. She finishes her audiology testing on the 27th. At this point, she is declared as profoundly deaf which is just what we suspected.

Out sign language tutor comes tonight for our first meeting with Hope! I'm afraid Hope is going to pass us up at some point because she is so smart!! She knows several signs already!

I plan on staying home with her until preschool starts!! Our goal is to provide a full day of preschool services including regular ed and special ed. Hopefully she will be able to do it. If not, we will reevaluate to determine which placement is most effective and appropriate. Otherwise, I have babysitting set up if needed.

We took Hope swimming last week and she loved it. We took her out on the boat yesterday and she tubed with Paul and then with JT. She definitely fits in well with us. She tells it like it is confident. I wouldn't want it any other way for her life here in America!

Please continue to pray for proper attachment and bonding with all of us.

The Awesome Power of Prayer!!!

What a difference a day makes.......prayers for bonding are being answered.....Let's keep it up!!! There has been a breakthrough.  Hope is allowing Lee to cuddle and touch in a nurturing way.  When Lee left the room, Hope got upset.  Paul and Hope had to go looking for her.  Lee sounds so much better.....calmer, happier....peaceful!  There will continue to be some challenges.....but with each challenge comes a giant leap of progress.  

3 Days and Counting!!!

Well, they made it to Guangzhou - the last leg of their trip.  Lee is pretty much done with China!  She wants to come home....and see her kids....and introduce us all to Hope. 

I have a special prayer request tonight.  Lee Ann is really struggling emotionally.  Hope is not bonding with her like she expected.  She is very grateful that she is bonding so well with Paul, but very sad that Hope has not taken to her in the same way.  She has cried quite a bit in the last couple of days.  Rationally, she knows that this is normal, and it has only been 1 week, but emotionally it has taken a toll on her.  Please pray that Lee and Hope will bond.  Pray that Lee has peace and patience in this process.  Additionally, pray that they have safe travels home this week and the transition is as smooth as possible.

As always, thanks for your continued prayers!  It won't be long now!!!!!!

More Answered Prayers

Lee and Paul and Hope are all doing very well.  They have had zero problems with communication.  Hope makes her needs known VERY well.  I Skype in to them every morning and every evening.  I like to just watch her.  She is very theatrical in her expressions.  That is clearly the way she communicates, and she has already started using some signs.  She is so smart.  She will pick up ASL in no time.

She is not napping, which could be one reason she is so hyper.  She just gets so darn tired.  She does sleep well at night. It has rained there the past three days, so they are also cooped up in a small hotel room......Lee Ann said that Hope reminds her of Mowgli in the Jungle Book.  Wild !!!  She is definitely testing her limits.  The bonding process is going very well, especially with Paul.  She adores him.  

She also LOVES bath time and swimming.  Yesterday she had 4 baths!  After watching Lee Ann, she wants her hair up in a towel after bath time!

Specific prayer requests:  Lee Ann has really been missing Jordan and Megan.  She's been a little weepy.  Please pray for her comfort.  Continue to pray for bonding.  There is still one more risk of quarantine, and start praying for that flight home on the 9th....it's going to be a long day for ALL of them.

I have added more photos to the link below....You can click the "Hope Gotcha Day" link to see them.  Thanks for all your prayers!  They are being answered daily.

Gotcha Day

Whew....what a day......Lee and Paul met Hope at 11 AM China time (10 PM last night for us).  Certainly there have been answered prayers.  Hope got very upset when her caretakers left.  She threw a 25 minute tantrum, thrashing about, but when they got her to the hotel room they had all of her new toys, clothes and candy laid out....she calmed down and has been great every since!!!  Praise God! 

Here's what we know about her.  She is very very smart......she imitates easily and smells everything.  If you show her something once, she can do it.  They haven't started signing too much yet.  She is able to sign I love you.  They will start with the flash cards soon.  I have attached a link with some photos.  If you are unable to see them, let me know and I will post them directly to the blog.

Specific prayer requests:  that she will continue to bond, that she will have peace and calm.  The trip home is a prayer need.  She is very active (terms like Tazmanian Devil have been used to describe her!!!)  Please pray that the trip home will go smoothly.

Here is the link for the photos:

Hope Gotcha Day Photos 

36 Hours till HOPE!!!!!

Jill here again.....

Lee and Paul spent the day sightseeing.  They also had their first authentic Chinese meal.  Lee Ann described it as, "dog poop, mixed with cat poop!!!!"  It was actually duck.....but it still had the head attached....blech......She went back to the hotel and ordered a cheeseburger!  They fly to Hunan tomorrow to prepare for her meeting with Hope.

Specific prayer requests:  Safe travels to Hunan, that Hope will have a calmness and peace about her, that she will bond and attach easily.  

Lee is hoping that they will be able to blog when they get to Hunan.  They have been able to Skype with the kids which has helped.  Hopefully Skype will work in Hunan so we can see Hope!!!!

More to come!  Keep praying!!!!!!

No Quarintine!!!!!

This is JIll posting. They are having difficulty accessing the blog while in Beijing. They will try again in Hunan.

Lee and Paul arrived in Beijing this morning (our time) at 2:15 AM......They took the temperatures of every passenger 3 times upon arrival!!!! They were NOT quarantined because of the H1N1 Virus! Praise God!!!!! One hurdle cleared. Today and tomorrow will be sight seeing. Forbidden City, Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square....Then they will fly to the Hunan province to meet Hope on Sunday. They will get Hope on Monday China time....which is late Sunday for us in the states! For those of you keeping track of the time....they are 13 hours ahead of us!

Please continue to pray for bonding for Hope!!!!! Thanks for your continued prayers!!!!!