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Anne Louise got braces this week! When we fixed her up for the school play she suddenly looked 5 years older-yikes! Here she is with her best friend Mimi.

American Girls

After all this time, we finally met Clay Crosse-he was doing a men’s conference at a church a block from our house so we e-mailed and asked if we could come say hello and thanks for all he did to help with our adoption. It was good to chat about shared experiences-he got home in December with his baby from China. Thanks Clay!

Yesterday, February 12, 2006, was the anniversary of the date that my daughter was found outside the gate of the orphanage where she spent the first 2 1/2 years of her little life. A passerby saw her and reported her to the police who took her in to the Haikou Social Welfare Institute. So, while we don’t know for sure what the day of her birth is, we know now that she is 3. The first record of her life was on February 12, 2003.

In addition, on Anne Louise’s 10th birthday-Feb 22, 2006- we will also be celebrating 6 months of having Ella Grace in our family. Time flies! She is having real trouble sleeping, but she has made huge strides in her recovery this week. We will visit Cleft Clinic this Thursday for her follow-up.

This is immediately following surgery-poor baby.

This is the nurse who took her into surgery. Ella Grace was trying to focus on her face under the influence of “happy juice” they gave her in hopes she wouldn’t freak when they took her from me-it worked!

She loved the wagon and had to have her entourage with her at all times-her pink minky, satin pillow and her taggie, her horse, dog, teddy bear, panda, and now her hospital mouse!

Our ticket outa’ here!

Right now, Ella Grace is screaming and Frank is trying to console her this time-we are in between the time when we can give her pain meds and that seems to be the hardest. That said (and I am sure Ella Grace would disagree at this point), we were sooo happy with how things have gone. The fact that the doctor decided not to place the dreaded stitch in her tongue was an awesome blessing. And when I walked back into recovery and saw no restraints on her arms, I wanted to sing the doxology right there in the hospital. As bad as the night was with her hurting, I cannot imagine what it would have been like if those things had been in place like they told us they would. She has only once tried to suck her thumb and she very quickly determined that it was not a good idea. While sleeping is a problem (probably because she consoles herself with that thumb), she has done very well with eating and drinking. She has had moments when she is almost her normal self, playing and laughing. I am so tired and I still have this horrible barking cough, but I just can’t say how BLESSED I feel to have come this far in only 24 hours. Thank you for your intercessions-she, and therefor, we all, have been blessed by you.