Xuzhou Family Reunion, Atlanta GA

Several weeks ago several families from the US and Canada joined in Atlanta for our first Xuzhou Family Reunion.  This reunion was especially meaningful for Anna as she was reunited with friends she hadn't seen since leaving the orphanage at Christmas.  Here are a few memories of that very special weekend.

Off for Atlanta

Swimming at Trena and John's

Marika & Lily

Anna sees her orphanage friend Jaike.

Jia

Zoe reading to April & Lila Lee

Arlie, Sue, Jia, Juni

Anna & Lily

On Stone Mountain

Mark, Lisa, April, & Bennett

Anna plays with her orphanage friend April

Lily is tired and hot

Zoe is on top of the world!

At the Atlanta Aquarium

Zoe enjoys the aquarium.

Jaike

Lily as mermaid.

Xuzhou Family Reunion

I have been counting down the days for months and now it’s finally happening! Tomorrow we head for Atlanta to meet up with a dozen families from all over the US and Canada who, like us, have precious little children from Xuzhou. For the past two and half years I have laughed, cried, dreamed, prayed, waited and celebrated with the moms, dads, and children I am about to meet. Our children ate, played and slept together during the first years of their lives while waiting to join their forever families half way around the world. I have been so blessed to be a part of our extended Xuzhou family and am beyond excited that we will all be together soon! Happy travels everyone!!

Zoe Has Arrived!

Zoe has arrived!  Our Au pair from China arrived a week ago, and has quickly become a member of our family.  Lily and Anna bonded with her in a matter of minutes.  Zoe is so good with them and they so enjoy playing and learning with her. 

Zoe was anxious to cook a traditional Chinese meal for us, and on Saturday she dazzled us by making the most scrumptious Chinese dumplings imaginable.  We hardly took time to breath as the four of us devoured the dumplings in minutes that had taken her hours to make.  We responded by grilling chicken and asparagus over charcoal for her two days later to give her a taste of American cuisine.  She loved it as much as we loved the dumplings.

Here are a few pictures of our first week with Zoe.

Zoe

Zoe helping Anna on her bike

Lily riding a two-wheeler for the first time

Zoe and Anna rolling out the dumpling dough

Boating fun

Zoe takes the helm

Zoe with Seattle in the background

Our girls in their tutus

Anna Enjoying Her First Summer

Anna is having a ball on her first summer in America!  She is healing beautifully and her legs are getting stronger every day.  She still loses every race up the stairs to Lily, but our guess is that one of these days Lily will taste defeat!

The bond with the two girls gets stronger and stronger.  Lily is still the more assertive personality and certainly the most creative.  But Anna watches Lily's every move and is gaining confidence.  She even at times takes a  "big sister" role, especially when watching out for Lily's well-being.

Anna's English language skills continue to amaze us.  She can carry on a conversation without missing a beat.  She is also showing a knack for solving challenges such as puzzles and games.  She is very observant and curious and not patient with Mommy or Daddy if we aren't quick to explain something or answer questions.

Lily is starting to show an interest in being fashionable.  She likes to pick out her clothes and shoes and likes things with a bit of flair.  She gestures flamboyantly at times when she is making a point, and likes to sit in her car seat, legs crossed, with her big round sun glasses perched on her nose.

Here are a few summer pictures:

Riding their rocking horse.  Check out the hat.

Visiting with Dru Groves, our Adoption Home Study Social Worker

Riding the Bainbridge Island Ferry with Nana Barbara

Friendly visiters in our back yard

Flying the colors of America and China in our yard

Lights, Camera, Action

Today was a fun day at our house.  Julie Francavilla from KIRO Channel 7 was at our house to work with documentary director Ben and the cameraman Peter to do the last bit of filming and interviewing as part of a documentary on Anna's journey.  The segment is part of a "profiles" documentary that will air in July or August.

The KIRO team videotaped a segment before Ann's surgery, during Anna's surgery, and today which was the post surgery. 

Anna and Lily serve Julie tea













Cameraman Peter films Lily and Anna making cupcakes for Julie

It was a fun day with Julie

Water, Water Everywhere!

Anna's Cast is Off!

Last week Anna's cast was removed.  She was so excited, she could hardly sleep the night before. Sarah, Pam and Anna decorated the cast for the big day. She became a sunny flowerpot! In the cast removel room, while all the other kids were crying and screaming, Anna laughed and giggled as her cast was cut off with an electric saw.  "It tickles!" she said over and over.

Anna's pelvic bones have healed beautifully.  She is experiencing some tenderness in her legs, but scoots around the floor to get around.  She will be running around in no time.

Anna is also adjusting really well to using her catheter to go to the bathroom.  She is so pleased to have her bladder inside her tummy.  But she is most excited about the fact that she gets to wear panties like other little girls.

She expresses joy so easily now.  She seems so aware of how her life has changed so positively.

A Visit to the ER = Another Milestone for Anna

We had quite a scare yesterday. Soon after Pamela got to work she got a call from Sarah. Anna was complaining of pain in her bladder. After consulting with the exstrophy nurse at Seattle Children’s, it was decided that we’d try to schedule an appointment that afternoon as Anna’s urologists were both in surgery throughout the morning. A few minutes later Sarah called back and let Pamela know that her SP catheter had completely dislodged. When sharing this with the urology nurse, she advised us to get Anna to the hospital ASAP. Pamela left work and Sarah loaded Anna in the car and they both took off for Children’s. Once there, the Dr Grady and Dr “Z” were called out of the OR and met the girls in the emergency room. The concern was that the opening for SP catheter would close within a short period of time and there would not be a way to drain Anna’s bladder.

Part of the “big surgery” that Anna had last month was the Mitrofanoff procedure or appendicovesicostomy, the creation of a permanent stoma or opening on the abdomen to catheterize through. Anna’s Mitrofanoff was created with her appendix, which was removed from its original position with the vessels still intact. A stoma or cathing valve was created by molding the appendix into a channel and sewing it to the bladder and then sewing the other end of it to a small opening on the abdomen. The opening is usually made at the belly button. Because Anna didn’t have a belly button, Dr. Grady created one. The recovery for this procedure is 5-6 weeks.

Once the Doctors were able to examine Anna in the ER and explore options with us, it was decided that Anna was now ready to have her SP catheter removed and start using her permanent stoma valve. With her bladder now safely tucked inside her body, for the first time in her life Anna will be able to control the flow of her urine. We will need to empty her bladder every two hours around the clock for the next several weeks. Once her bladder stretches and grows we will only need to catheterize every three to four hours. This new way of going potty is pretty scary for Anna but she is also very excited about not having any bags attached to her anymore. We hope that with patience and practice this will become second nature for all of us.

Anna’s ready.. let’s do it!

Are you sure about this, Mommy?

Together we can do this!

Mommy learning how to catheterize

Anna and Lily Get a Visit from the Easter Bunny

Anna and Lily were visited by the Easter Bunny on Sunday. They didn't understand what this Easter thing is all about, but they sure had fun. Baba John hid Easter eggs in the yard for them to find, much to their delight. Some of the plastic eggs contained candy and some contained clues to presents.

Nana Barbara joined us for Easter dinner that was made by Baba John. The consensus was that the scalloped potatoes were to die for.

Here are some pictures of our girls in their Easter dresses sent to them by Dick and Polly, Barbara's brother and sister-in-law.

Finding their Easter baskets

Lily helping Anna gather her Easter eggs











Lily hunting for her Easter eggs











Nana Barbara helping Lily gather her eggs











Anna and her Easter basket

Easter dinner

Anna Is Home

Yesterday was a good day. Anna was released from Children's Hospital and is finally home after 17 days. Her appetite improved instantly. Home cooking is so much better than hospital food! She slept through the night for the first time since she went to the hospital. This morning, after a good breakfast of bacon, eggs, and fried potatoes, Anna settled into her Dad's recliner. She is playing with toys that so many people kindly sent while she was at the hospital and singing Chinese songs. She is so happy to be home!

THANK YOU to everyone who sent emails, cards, notes, gifts, and phone messages, and to those who visited. We haven't had the opportunity to respond and thank you all; but know that your support meant the world to us.

Anna still has 4-5 more weeks in her body cast. It's difficult for her to be comfortable being so constrained. She has only one tube left, her catheter. It has to be irrigated 3-4 times a day, which she really dislikes. Ayi Sarah will be very busy tending to Anna's needs for the next few weeks, while Mom and Dad will be busy taking care of her evenings and weekends.

Ayi Sarah was so helpful during Anna’s hospital stay. Staying with her for several nights gave Mom and Dad a much needed break. And Sarah was so good at entertaining Anna during her post-surgery recuperation.

Without Nana Barbara's support, things would have been so much more difficult. She picked up Lily from school each day and many days took care of her well into the evening giving her dinner, baths, and tucking her into bed. Lily especially loved the nights she slept at Nana's house.

Last evening we were together at home as a family for the first time in a long while. It was so nice snuggling with our little girls, watching Winnie the Pooh, and experiencing the bond that the four of us have developed in such a short period of time.

Jennifer, a Child Life Nurse, came everyday to make Anna's day more fun

Time to pack up and go home!

One last picture at the entrance to the Giraffe Wing of Children's Hospital

Waiting for the car

Lounging and playing with new toys