Ebbybody Pourfect

Lily is doing so great! She loves and likes me more everyday. I think she might have moved me up closer to Husband in the past two weeks. I think she sees life here, what I do, how I love her, and she's letting down walls. I am amazed at how far she's come. Never would I think that a girl who had lived in an orphanage for 9 years would adjust so beautifully. The only thing that has been difficult is waiting on her to love me but I think she does now! She is sweet to me and we have really bonded. She is such a sweet little girl. She loves playing with her baby dolls. She likes to know the schedule each day and who is doing what...Mommy, Johnny Robert school! Lily, Xiaodan Phoebe stay. Lily Phoebe homeschool. Daddy work! It seems to bring her comfort to know where everyone is. She doesn't like it if we are split up a lot. However, she will jump at the chance to get outta the house and go somewhere! She want to go with Jimmie in Jimmie's car!!! Husband will take her to the bank and she is giddy with excitement!




Here she is saying "Lily?" This is what she says when she wants something. If I say it's not Lily's she then says, "Ebbybody!" Today she had my iphone and wouldn't give it back and I said, "Mommy's phone! Not Lily's phone." To which she replied, "Ebbybody!"







Donut girl! Not that she eats donuts! But give her a pig in a blanket and she will eat it up!



Lily has many babies! But really they do not take a lot of her time up because they SLEEP all day long. I will say, "Lily, where is XiaoMei?" Lily will say, "XiaoMei is slippin (sleeping)." I guess she learned from the Big O that babies require ALOT of time in their crib. Like, the whole day an night.




Lily after her kidney sonogram. All checked out great!



Praying at church like a good little girl! Her Baby Alive got water all inside her because we thought the baby could take a bath with her but the baby leaked water out her leg sockets so Husband wouldn't let Lily sleep with the baby so Lily asked Husband to pray for the baby! She's catchin on!



She asks for noodles for every morning, noon, and night!



Washing her baby dolls clothes. She must've used used half the bottle of hand soap! She wrung the clothes out so well and scrubbed them that Husband and I thought for sure she must've done it a million times before. But she tells us she didn't. The girl can see something ONCE and do it the same!

She laid the clothes on the bathtub to dry (due to the extreme amount of soap, they dried stiff and crusty! She wanted to use the blowdryer on them but I wouldn't let her. She won't understand yet the dangers of water and blowdryers so I cannot trust her.


Walking back to the car after a softball game. She's got baby on her shoulders like daddy!




Jumping rope with her BFF Ella.


I think Lily gets prettier everyday. That's what love does for you! Of all the photos of her in the orphanage they gave us, she's seldom smiling and when she does it's not genuine. She will tell us what the orphanage had and didn't have. She will point to something or say it and then say "orphanage no!" Today I told her she was happy! I said, "Oh, Lily you are a happy girl!" and she said, "Orphanage, Lily, happy, No!" and she made a sad face and pointed like tears were rolling down her face. I am so grateful to God she is not there anymore. Her life is so full of joy and true love. She is learning so fast. You can see the wheels turning in her head as she looks at things for the first time. I think her mind just layed dormant for 9 years. It amazes me that Lily girl isn't severely affected and bitter and angry and mentally challenged from 9 years of not having someone that nurtured her. God must've kept her mind. But then what about all those other kids....even kids here in America that are so mistreated by their parents and abused and not nurtured! I cannot begin to say He kept Lily safe when others are not safe. So I don't know. I don't know why kids must suffer so much. It makes me so sad that I don't know when to stop thinking about it. SO many children suffer. If you read the book The Shack do you remember the part when the man asked God if his child suffered when she was raped and killed. Then God (in the story) tells the man that He was there with her during the attack. While I am certainly not using this fictional story as my theology, it brought out a very interesting thought. Where is God when children suffer? Can we hold to a Strawberry Shortcake land theology that surely God wouldn't let children feel pain and suffer (this is what I used to believe. that if people were going to die that God would take their souls early so they wouldn't feel pain) but I think I believed that so I wouldn't have to face the true facts that children undeserveably suffer. But everyone knows you can't just MAKE UP THEOLOGY that makes you feel better about yourself and then call it absolute truth....right? The truth doesn't always feel good, although it is always right. To ignore the truth doesn't make it go away. People need to be loved.

So to see Lily girl in her new family thriving because we took a chance on her messing with our "perfect world" makes me so happy. I believe in adoption! It's worth the risk. I believe every single human being in this life is worth the risk....worth our time and money and love and heartache! And there are many other causes like adoption that are worth giving our lives to that change people's destinies forever. God will show you what He wants you to do if you honestly want Him to and if you will listen to Him. Life is short. Love as many people as you can!

When Hope was going to have her cleft lip repaired last week I told Lily what was going to happen. After my words and charades of the surgery Lily repeated the charades back to me and said, "Lily?" I said, "No, Lily's lip perfect!" as I touched her lips. She made a deep thought face where she purses her lips and makes a brow and said, "Phoebe, pourfect. Johnny, pourfect. Daddy, pourfect. Mommy, pourfect, Robert, pourfect." I felt like she understood what was going on, that Hope's lip wasn't right and the doctor would fix it so it would be normal like everyone else's.

After the surgery when Lily looked at Hope's lip she looked at me and said, "Xioadan, pourfect!" I smiled with delight and said, "Yes, Lily! Xiaodan perfect!" To which she smiled and looked into my eyes with joy and said, "Ebbybody Pourfect!"

That's right Lily. Everybody perfect.

Who does Hope remind you of?

We have been laughing over here because Hope's new look has taken us all aback. We love her so much any way but had all gotten very used to her big "hole in her face" as Johnny affectionately named it. We had read blogs of friends who had sad and confusing feelings once seeing the new repaired face of their child. We prepared ourselves for it, but still, we were so used to her looking one way.

We cannot say enough great things about Dr. Barcelo and the International Craniofacial Institute You should go to their site and look at the before and afters of children! Amazing!!!! We are so thankful to God that He led us here through Erin Edwards and Kristen Wills!

So since Hope has her new look we have said she reminds us of three different "people."

First, is her surgeon, Dr. Barcelo! Seriously! He has such a kind face!




Next is....




And finally....




Who do you think she looks most like??

Hope's first cleft surgery in photos!

Because I am too busy to write more, I am posting photos now and will add more info as I have time. I have to watch Hope like a hawk so it's been really difficult for me to do anything else. Everything is fabulous.


Here is Hope doing yoga after church a few days before her surgery. She's trying to focus on the surgery and calm herself!


The smile that we have come to love and hate to say goodbye to!!



Here is Hope doing some yoga at the Pettingell's home a few days before surgery. This kid is so funny!!! And no we do not entice her into these poses. She totally assumes them herself!





Hope and Lily and me sharin some love at Hope's pre-op appointment with her Pediatrician to see if she's healthy enough for surgery.


Hope getting in some yoga on the table waiting for the pediatrician.


On the road to Dallas playing with her strings from Alissa.


Hope's precious big wide smile!!!! It will be missed!!!!!!


Waiting for our official pre-op appointment with Dr. Barcelo at the International Craniofacial Institute in Dallas.


Hope getting her ears checked by Dr. Chung in Dallas who determined she needed tubes (most cleft babies do) so he put them in the first ten minutes of the surgery the next day. He said Hope reminded him of his daughter! And he gave us four free bottles of ear drops which the desk lady told us later that they are "very expensive."


The night before her surgery Hope said, "Mom and Dad, I really like my face and I'm not so sure about this surgery!"


Having her last bottle for a while all while snuggly in bed before she goes to her crib. Lily, Daniel and Phoebe were swimming while this was going on.


Waking up surgery morning with a precious smile!


Hope is saying goodbye to her precious face the morning of surgery about to go!


Hope going into surgery. One last moment of yoga to relax!


Chewing on her little coyote the hospital gave her. Lily wanted it really bad!



Waiting Room! Daniel's sister Hayley and my sister Christina.


First photos taken after surgery. Yes, bloody and crusty but we were instructed NOT to pick or wipe at all this and just squirt it a lot! Her face is puffy. We are so grateful to Dr. Barcelo!






Hope's new profile. She used to be completely flat faced! Dr. Barcelo is amazing!


Hope had to wear these velcro arm wraps called No Nos to keep her from putting her hands or toys in her mouth. This has been the most frustrating thing of all.



Rough time!


Hospital visitor and dinner bringer, Amy Abadia!


In the car going home from the hospital after one night's stay!


Meanwhile, my sister Christina took Lily and Phoebe back to her house for two nights. Lily and Phoebe went to school with cousin Jake Friday where they celebrated China with a craft and show and tell. Lily was the show and Phoebe helped with the telling!


Back at the hotel after being discharged from hospital. Hope had to start getting back into shape after the surgery!


We love this face! She knows we love it too. She is getting used to the way it looks in the mirror and definitely knows its different!


Swelling going down. I'm amazed at how fabulous the face and nose looks, but grieving her old look!



Home, swelling continuing to go down.


Happy baby with a new face!


Making new faces with her new face!


changing everyday MORE LOVELY!




four days after surgery.