The Day After Hip Surgery

Mary Kate's hip surgery went very well yesterday. For those of you who are more technical, the surgery included a pelvic osteotomy and reduction of the right femur. She is now stabilized in a hot pink body cast for the next few months. Although she is not crazy about the cast, she is adjusting to this new way of life. The good news is that she can eat as many cheerios as she desires! Mary Kate has been stoic, brave and compliant, we are very proud of her. Thank you so much for your prayers, we have been filled with peace as a result.

The Day Before the Big Day.

Today is Sunday and we enjoyed a fun day that included church, swimming, (laundry for me) and family dinner. Mary Kate loves to jump to her daddy in the swimming pool and Jack and Lily are fish! They have become wonderful swimmers this summer and I am so proud of them.

Tomorrow is Mary Kate's hip surgery. We are anxious, but know that God will take great care of us throughout the process. Thank you in advance for your prayers.

One Down, One to Go!

One week ago, Mary Kate had palate closure surgery and received her first set of ear tubes. She is doing great! She has been such a trooper, but I think she really misses her beloved cheerios. She has been on a liquid/soft diet for the past week. We have a follow-up appointment tomorrow with the oral surgeon and I am hopeful he will add a few additions to her diet as she is growing tired of oatmeal, applesauce and yogurt! She also misses her sippy cup and bottle!

On Monday 9/22, Mary Kate will undergo hip surgery to correct the right hip dysplasia and will be in body cast for THREE months. As you can imagine, we would appreciate your prayers during this difficult time. Thank you so much!

...Twenty Days Later

Mary Kate is doing great in our family. She has grown to love Jack and misses him when he is at Kindergarten as he is her protector and playmate. Lily is still adjusting to not being the baby in our family. She asked me this morning when she woke up and saw Mary Kate sleeping, "Mommy, why do we need a baby sister?"

Mary Kate saw the pediatrician this week and weighs 19 pounds and is 31 inches tall. She is healthy, but seems to struggle with pressure in her ears, which will hopefully disappear when she receives tubes in her ears. This is a common problem with cleft lip/palate children. Mary Kate is scheduled for palate surgery and ear tubes on September 10th. We pray that it will not only be successful, but also tolerated by sweet Mary Kate, who also requires hip surgery to repair a congenital dislocation of her right hip in late September, which will be followed by 3 full months in a body cast...poor baby!

Mary Kate loves to eat, laugh, play and jump. She is by no means mild, but is a busy and active toddler. Her English vocabulary has grown to include; more, out, hi, and mama. Although she is still a mama's girl, she no longer cries when I leave the room (for the most part) and thinks it is very fun to wrestle with her daddy, Jack and Lily. Her progress to me has been amazing for only being home a short time.

WE ARE HOME!

We are so happy to be at home with our family. We landed at midnight Saturday night/ Sunday morning, 34 hours after departing Guangzhou, China, we were so happy to be met by our family members, especially Jack and Lily! Mary Kate has transitioned very well so far and Jack and Lily could not wait to wake her her Sunday morning to see her again. I am sure the newness will wear off eventually, but I am savoring these moments. We are so blessed to have three precious children, thank you again for your love, support and prayers on our behalf.

Our Last Day in China

Today is our last day in China and we are very, very, ready to come home to the USA! We have our interview at the US Consulate this afternoon and will receive Mary Kate's visa for travel. Once we land in Chicago tomorrow, she will immediately become a US citizen!

More of Guangzhou

Today we went to 2 different parks in the city, one was the Guangzhou Park which included a Memorial Hall for the Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the first Premier of China after the overthrow of the last Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. I just had to ask Jay who he was because I was paying more attention to Mary Kate than the museum. We went to a large outdoor mall this evening that had hundreds of stores, thousands of people and most importantly, McDonalds. I am not a big fan of McDonalds at home, but I have eaten more of it in the last ten days than I have eaten in the last ten years! It is certainly comfort food to us.

Mary Kate has become fond of her daddy and thinks that he is a great playmate. She loves to carry his shoes around the hotel room, wear his Yankees hat and play peek-a-boo with him. She says mama often, but I think she quietly wishes for a Chinese mommy as she reaches out to nearly all of the Chinese women to pick her up and hold her. She loves to play, laugh and smile and is doing better than we expected. We can't wait to bring her home to meet her new family and friends. Miss you!