Home      Journey to Norah      About Norah      Norah's Referral Photos      Norah's Gotcha Day


Friday, March 20, 2009

My Two Kids






It seems like it has been forever since I have posted but life waits for no one these day! We have been so busy with the day to day that every time I sit down to post I am so exhausted and would rather looks at everyone else's blogs instead of doing my own!

This past Wednesday Norah had her visit with the International Adoption Clinic at MUSC. We were there about 3 1/2 hours and that fun filled trip included a visit with 2 doctor's that specialize in International Adoption, Physical Therapy, one TB test and at least 8 tubes of blood drawn and an ultrasound. Phew!! By the time we were ready to go home Norah was mad, hungry and oh so sleepy!

Her ultrasound was clear, meaning there were no tumors growing anywhere! With her hemihypertrophy, there is a chance that she will develop Wilm's tumors so we must get an ultrasound every 6 months to check for those. Her TB test was negative also. But they did find a heart murmur that we need to follow up with a peds cardiologist sometime soon. When she was in China she had a Patent Foramen Ovale that resolved itself while she was there. There was no indication of a heart murmur and her pediatrician never heard one at any of her visits. So we will be following up with that as soon as we can. She will also need to make an appt with her Ortho doc in June for her 10 month visit. They will check if her leg length discrepancy has gotten any worse or if it about the same. I am not sure what they would do if it has gotten worse. Some days she looks like she has more trouble than others.
They also wanted us to consider speech therapy if she has not improved over the next three months. She is doing great with just one word but putting two together has seemed the challenge for her. We are constantly working with her and encouraging her to talk instead of whine her way through the day.
And last but no least, they had a question as to whether she was as old as the SWI said that she was. I feel that her birthday is correct since she did have a birth note with her actual birthday on it, but as far as how correct it is I am just not sure. They are going to refer her to a geneticist to make sure that her hemihypertrophy is not associated with any syndrome such as Beckwith-Weidman.
Just keep this little trooper in your prayers :)

Elias is just growing by leaps and bounds! He has lost one of his front teeth and the other is just hanging by a thread. We told him that for his front teeth the tooth fairy will only come when BOOTH teeth are out and he will get double money for them. Hopefully that will encourage him to get that other tooth out!! I can handle just about anything but loose teeth!! ARGHHH!!!
He is doing awesome in school! He whizzes through his homework in no time and is reading everything he can get his hands on. He loves math too and just amazes me with his quick and accurate problem solving skills!! I just cannot get over how much he looks like a big boy and no longer a little boy :( Makes me so sad to think that he is growing up. His behavior at school is rockin too! They score a 0 (perfect day) to a 4 (bad day) and for the last two weeks he has gotten all zero's! For those of you that remember K-5, you will know that this is a HUGE improvement for him!Now if we can just get him to not be such a turkey at home!!!

Norah is just growing like a weed. Although she has only gained 3 pounds since we have been home (gasp!!) her personality and trust have just blossomed! I just cannot belive what a lucky momma I am to have such beautiful children. I am truly blessed!!!

Saturday, March 07, 2009

One more time....

Lately I have been thinking (which is a scary thought in itself) that I may have anther child in China. Now I know that we have been home less that a year with Norah, but I just have that feeling that there is one more... I call it a mother's intuition. Shannon calls it "crazy". BUT... lately he has been talking about it as well. I think that he would do it again in a heartbeat minus the 16 hour plane ride that just about broke us and had me begging to "just jump out of the plane and take a boat".
We were talking at dinner tonight - yes, there were no kids at home so we could actually talk- and he was enjoying a Chinese beer. he treats himself every once in a while to certain kinds of beer that we had while we were there. So I said, "Wouldn't it be great to have just one more?" He looked at me first like I was crazy. Then he said, "No, I guess it wouldn't be so badm would it?" I jumped at the chance to tell him that I thought it would be a great idea and I could get started on the paperwork immediately. He said maybe we should wait until the first of the year!!! Really, we CAN do it again!!!!!!!!!!!!! More on this later....

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Mason

It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to my new niece Mason... Isn't she just beautiful??




After 8 hours of labor that looked quite effortless, little Mason was welcomed into this world by her mom, dad and two grandmothers.

I got to the hospital around 9:30 this morning and Val had already been on the pitocin drip for about an hour and a half. She then got her epidural and to be honest she just napped from the 4 centimeter mark until the nurse said, "I think you are ready to push!"

I could not believe it. Now I watch A Baby Story and this was nothing like I have ever seen. Val was so clam and graceful throughout the whole thing. I remember thinking, what is going on here! This looks too easy.

Cole and I had to step out of the room because they only allow 2 people to be in there while she delivered. About 15 minutes later Doug calls to tell us we can come back. 15 minutes... really? 3 good pushes and Mason was here!

Mom and baby are doing very well and she is honesly just the cutest thing you have ever seen! I cannot wait to be a part of her life and watch her grow!

Welcome to our world Mason! We love you!!!!!!!!



It's A Girl!

Mason was born today!
My very best friend was admitted to the hospital this morning to have her baby girl. I got there around 9:30 and Val was laying in bed