8 weeks post-op

FINALLY ... I can start to see the outline of the cupid's bow on her top lip. The infection is gone, the swelling has gone down. To quote Dr. Larry Hartzell , "That is one pretty lip !"

I think I have a theme going here ... take pictures of the mouth when it is dirty ! You guys are going to start to think I never wash her face !!! The shiny stuff on her upper lip is actually antibiotic ointment. If you look at the nostril on the right side ... you can see the red bump that remains from the infected area. There is also a red area on her lip itself ... that is the site where the stitch that caused all of the infection finally worked itself out.

The area between her nostrils, the columna, was actually pulled down to make the upper part of her top lip. You can see in this picture how narrow her little nostrils are now. Her next surgery will be some rhinoplasty to lengthen the columna and create some larger nostrils. She is breathing a lot easier now, compared to right after surgery. Her nares (nostrils) have actually gotten bigger as the swelling decreased.

JUST AMAZING WHAT GIFTS OUR SURGEONS HAVE BEEN GIVEN !!!!

AR Children's Hospital Cleft Team is AMAZING. I can't say enough good things about Dr. Lisa Buckmiller, Dr. Larry Hartzell, Dr. Patrick Munson, Emily Copeland (RN) and Beth Nutt (speech therapist).

My Other Babies !

Caleb and Hannah at the Memphis Zoo in March 2011.
My Baby boy has graduated !!!!
He has a certificate in small engine repair now !!!
Caleb is almost 22 and Hannah is 17. It seems like just yesterday, they were Mari-Grace's age !!

I am blessed to have a GREAT niece and nephew !!! MG has the best cousins ever !!!

Minor set-back in lip healing

I just realized that I forgot to post about MG's set-back in her lip healing.

MG has had a snotty nose ever since her last surgery. We went to the pediatrician ... and she suggested antibiotics, but since we had a ENT appointment the next day, she decided to hold the antibiotics and see what our ENT had to say. ENT said everything looked clear. No signs of infection on exam. She cleared us to have follow-up in 9 months.

We were giving antihistamines for allergies ... and the snot wasn't getting any better. Of course ... MG has learned to blow her nose since surgery .. but the constant wiping had her nose a bit irritated.

On Sunday ... I noticed that her lip seemed to look a little funny. It had a bump on it and was really red. I thought it was just from the snot.

On Monday of last week, we realized that what we were wiping wasn't green snot ... it was ooze from her lip. She had a pimple like place that everytime we wiped, it filled back up with ooze.

I jumped on the e-mail and got in touch with our surgeon's nurse. We started her on Bactroban ointment and the ENT clinic worked her in on Wednesday at noon. Sure enough, we had what appears to be an abscessed stitch. For some reason, the stitch didn't dissolve properly and became infected. So for the last week, we have had the terrible job of keeping the ooze cleaned out of her little lip. We've had to clean it 2-3 times a day with peroxide and use the antiobiotic ointment. It has been NASTY !!!!! And MG hates having us touch it ... even with a q-tip.

The good news is .... after 6 days on Bactrim Suspension and using the bactroban ointment ... her lip looks great. It has a little raw place that has scabbed over now ... but no more ooze !!!

For the first time since surgery ... I can actually see the outline of the cupid's bow on her upper lip.

To me ... it has just looked red and puffy. Now you can actually see the little indentation !!!

She isn't crying anymore when I clean it ... which is a big indication that it is better.

She is also sleeping better ... not as whiny during the day ... and she is playing with Hannah !!!

Not to mention the fact that she's not stuck to me like super glue !!

She had started hitting herself in the head or pulling her hair and fussing. We'd give her tylenol when she did that ... and she'd get better. I honestly think she had a sinus infection....and the pulling and hitting was a way to let us know she was hurting. Since she has been on antibiotics ... she hasn't pulled her hair or hit herself in the head once. The snot is gone too !!!

She is one amazing little trooper. I'll be glad when she can tell me where she hurts or that she doesn't feel good. I'm still learning her little cues, and sometimes, they are very subtle.

She has laughed and jumped and run and played more the last week than she has since surgery.

2 OMG moments in 1 day

Ok ... so Saturday night was Caleb's Graduation party. He graduated with a certificate in small engine repair. We are all so proud of him !!!!

So to honor him, my sister threw a cook out.

First of all ... the food was FABULOUS !!! But the weather was overcast...windy ... and COLD !!!!

Mari-Grace was riding on her little tinker bell, batter operated, 4-wheeler that Uncle Greg got her for Christmas.
She hasn't quite figured out how to steer the thing yet. She is going full speed down the hill ... headed straight for the gas grill. Omaw and Poppy started hollering turn...turn.... turn.

AND SHE DID.
As we were yelling STOP STOP STOP and moving in slow motion,
She ran into the food table ... which was just tall enough to connect at neck level. Needless to say ... MG successfully completed the limbo with the food table and the 4 wheeler. Cousin Caleb caught her right before she hit the ground.

MaMa's heart was skipping ... and Aunt Kelley was white as a ghost.

Once we figured out that MG was Ok ... it was funny. I mean ... MG never missed a beat ... got right back on the 4 wheeler and took off again.

2 OMG moments in one day ... WOW.

OMG moment of the day ....

First of all ...
We have all seen OMG ... "Text" lingo for Oh My Goodness.

Well ... I have a new definition for OMG .... OH ... Mari-Grace !!!

Saturday night, I stuck Mari-Grace in the bath tub. I always talk to her when I'm out of the room ... I'll call out Mari-Grace and she usually hollers back "Mari-Grace" in an echoing voice.
Well I hollered ... and she was really quiet. I could hear her playing and splashing in the tub, so I knew she was okay.

I was out of the room MAYBE 5 minutes. She wasn't hollering back at me like usual (even though I could hear her playing). I went to check on her and there it was .... the OMG moment of the day.

MG had pooped in the bathtub. Yes ... she has done this before ... and she knows she isn't supposed to poop in the tub. So ... what did she do??? She threw the poop out of the tub, and onto the bathroom floor. As I rounded the corner ... I could smell it before I saw it.... 2 big turds laying in the floor. All MG did was say Uh-Oh.

Needless to say ... I cleaned up poop ... scrubbed down the floor ... the tub ... the toys and MG !!!

What can I say but Oh ... Mari-Grace !!!

Thank You to our Chinese Mother

Today is Mother's Day, and it has been a great day for me. For the first time, I was able to celebrate the day with my most precious daughter. It has been 5 years now since I started the adoption process ... and God has answered my prayers with a beautiful 3 year old daughter.

I can't help but think today that somewhere in China ... there is a woman. I don't know what she looks like. I've never seen her face or heard her voice. But she is as much a part of my family as my daughter ... after all ... if it had not been for her, Mari-Grace would not be here today. This woman is our Chinse birth-mother (CBM).

I'm not sure they celebrate Mother's Day in China.... matter of fact, I'm pretty sure they do not.
But I can't help but wonder if this woman is sad today ... not knowing what became of that tiny little 2 day old baby she left on the steps of a police station in Datong 3 years ago. Our CBM made a sacrifice ... and it is because of her sacrifice that my dreams came true.

I know what it is like to want a child. To feel the ache of wanting that child in your heart. I know what it is like to love a child, even before you know them. I know that as a mother, I'd move heaven and earth for MG.

I can't imagine the loss that our CBM may feel. We will never know why MG was abandoned. It could've been because of economic factors that prevented her birth family from caring for her. It could have been that she was a second daughter ... or second child and the family would face fines and penalties if they kept her. It could be because the mother was very young and alone and couldn't handle the responsiblity of a child. We don't know why our CBM made the choice she made. But as a mother, I feel I can say that she made the decision to abandon MG with careful thought. I feel I can say that her heart was heavy and there is a hole in her heart because she is not with her daughter today.

While I am thrilled to be a mother today, our CBM may be hurting because of her loss.

It is my hope that somehow, our birth-mother has peace in her heart.
I pray that she is safe, and healthy.
I pray that she knows that that tiny little baby, she left on the steps of the police station 3 years ago, has a warm bed to sleep in, plenty of food in her tummy, and a beautiful smile.

I pray that our birth-mom knows that Mari-Grace is loved beyond measure.

I also pray that our CBM knows that we love her. I pray that she knows MG may not ever truly know her ... but she will always be in our thoughts and hearts. MG will see her every time she looks in the mirror and looks at her reflection. She carried MG under her heart for 9 months... and we will be greatful to her for the rest of our lives.

Happy Mother's day to our Chinese Birth Mother ... may your heart be filled with peace in knowing that your daughter has a forever family that loves her to the moon and back.

Happy Mother's Day !!!!!

WELL FINALLY !!!!!!

I have had a great Mother's Day. I must admit that it still seems a bit odd to be able to say that.
Everyday, I am absolutely amazed at this little miracle that God has placed in my care. She is truly a gift.

This morning, at church, we had baby dedication day. It is a time where new parents acknowledge the gift we have been given and pledge to raise the child knowing God.

I cried.

I've set thru so many of these services ... and today ... it was finally my turn to get to walk down front with Mari-Grace. She decided to be shy ...and that was good ... she wasn't running around the pulpit like a monkey.

After church, I had lunch with my Mom and Dad at Chi's Chinese Bistro. Oh My Goodness !!!! It was the best chinese food I've had since China.

Mom and Dad took MG to Vilonia to visit my aunt this afternoon ... so I'm home alone ... and not quite sure what to do with myself !

Trying to get caught up on some things that I can't do when MG is here and awake.

SCRUMDILIUMPTIOUS!!!!

On Mari-Grace's actual birthday, 4-28, we didn't do a lot. I has inventory at work, and was able to leave about 2:30. She was asleep, so I made the trek to the Health Department division of vital statistics and got her Arkanas Certificate of Foreign Birth. Next thing I need to get is a US passport, since I've been advised NOT to travel out of the US with her on a Chinese passport.

Still have time for that one .... not like we are going anywhere soon. Perhaps a cruise in a few years ... but nothing in the immediate future.

After everyone got off work, we head to Scrumdiliumptious ... a new ice cream parlor down the road. It was fun. The sundaes are named after things from Harry Potter and Willy Wonka.

And all of them look good.

I decided to order something messy for Mari-Grace ... I ordered a banana split. Didn't take her long to jump in with both hands !!!

Her 3rd birthday was a good day. She got a singing tiger, balloons, and a bag of candy delivered to the house. That Aunt Kelley is a keeper. She also got a package from Aunt Marilyn in Maine. .... 3 really cute outfits and a top that spins, lights up and whistles .... fun stuff !!!

I asked Mari-Grace if she had a good birthday. She hugged me and said yes with the biggest smile ever. Geez ... I love this kid !!! more and more every day !!!

Adoption re-finalization ... 04-26-11