18 hours too many in car

We went from Tallahassee up to Durham NC for my cousin Kelle's wedding and it was also a family reunion for us.  Emma got to meet my Mom and my side of the family which was probably pretty overwhelming for her but she did really well.  Could you imagine if a bunch of people you have never seen before knew your name and talked to you like you were family?   Has to be a little tough., but not as tough as driving from NC to TX non-stop.... Um, don't recommend it but the thought of another hotel just was unbearable, we had to get home.

Jonah helped drive and when the girls finally fell asleep things were better, that is until we had to get gas in TX at 3:30 am and Emma woke up.  She did not fall back asleep with 97 miles to go. 

Anyway, tough trip on everyone but definitely worth seeing friends and family.  There were friends and family that we did not get to see on this trip but hope to remedy that soon.  Jonah took lots of great pictures so I will post them as soon as I get them off his camera.  By the way.... 1.89 gas when we got to TX, much better!

Emma's first time in Tallahassee

We traveled to Tallahassee and were able to attend the TFWAC (Tallahassee Families With Asian Children) event at Tall Timbers. Kevin Robertson hosted and was his usual incredible self. He organized games, bonfire, hay ride and beautiful weather... the guy is perfect and it is always wonderful to see them. Quick story about this guy Kevin, the night we were moving 2 years ago from Tallahassee to Texas I had put the moving truck up against the front door of our house. We filled the truck and then I pulled it out onto the street so we could put the van on the car carrier, click here to relive with us.

Okay back to the story, so as I drive the fully loaded very very heavy truck off the front lawn I run over the water meter connection to the house and bust the pipe. After a full day of packing and schedule to leave first thing in the morning you can imagine how inconvenient this little setback was. It is a bit of a blur now but all I can remember is Kevin Robertson coming to our house very very early in the morning and repairing the water pipe somehow so it was all repaired and we could take showers before driving to TX. Yeah, he is my hero but wait there is more. He learned Chinese so that he is really pretty fluent, I mean he certainly does not know every word but he can definitely hang with someone who only speaks Chinese and keep up the conversation really well. The thing that makes that so cool is when they adopted their third child from China she was actually a teenager and did not know much english, so he has always been able to speak to her in Chinese and if he is not your hero yet, hold on. One night we went over for a visit and he and his teenage daughter are sitting on the couch. He is reading a childrens book in chinese and she corrects him on anything he gets wrong... then she reads an childrens book in english and he helps her with words she needs help with. Oh man, that was so cool to see and we definitely need to get a statue made of this guy in town.

Right then, back to Tall Timbers... so Emma got to meet a bunch of people that have been waiting to meet her for three years and she had a blast. Here are some pictures of right before we left Texas and then some of the night and a visit to Church today at the Tallahassee Chinese Church.



She loved playing with the kids and really just enjoys everything we are doing. Some things Emma still does not like in order of how much disdain she has for it: going to bed, sitting in car seat on long trips. Yup, that is about it, everything else she just seems to enjoy and does not fuss about and cries pretty rarely. She mainly cries sympathy cry's whenever her big sister starts crying. She has been pretty happy... she sang all the way to church and plays with everyone that will pay attention to her. She ran around with the girls at Tall Timbers and had a great time. They had watermelon so that was a hit, she enjoyed the hay ride and most of all like playing ring around the rosy with the girls. Her mouth still seems to be healing well and we are being very careful about what she eats. We met a little boy at Tall Timbers who recently came home and will be getting the palate surgery soon, it was nice to be able to tell them about our experience and hopefully help them be more prepared then we were.

This week I have to work pretty hard all day everyday but if I don't get anything posted we will catch up at the end of the week. Melissa is great about taking pictures and will tell me stuff to post.

Watermelon is back!

We visited both the ENT and Surgeon for 2 week post op visits yesterday and got good reports from both dr's. Emma has tubes in her ears and all is well with them, we don't have to go back to him for another 6 months. The surgeon for her palate says it is all looking great and she can begin to eat soft foods. The blender can begin to get some rest... this morning Melissa gave Emma watermelon and it went over very well.

It is really interesting the way the palate heals, if you look in there it changes from day to day... one day there is a sort of skin looking stuff on the sides and then next there are "trenches" and the next there is some green looking stuff. Melissa said she does not want to look anymore. Emma was really good with the Dr. and opened her mouth for him and did not seem to have any apprehension about the day at all. If I was in her shoes the moment I saw the hospital complex I would begin to try and get away... speaking of which, Emma showed me a new talent last night. I was taking her to "night night" and she was so displeased with this proposed action she twisted in such a quick interesting way that I almost dropped her. We are used to her being sorta wobbly but this was a very deliberate twister type of action that took me by surprise.

Both Melissa and I could not help but laugh (under our hand) but we looked at each other and were pretty amused by this creativity and strength. She is strong and each day seems to be getting stronger and more comfortable in our family. Melissa also said yesterday that we really needed Emma, our family was getting boring and she has spiced things up. That is the understatement of the year!

I am in Houston today doing some work and we will be traveling to Florida in a couple days for work and to see family and friends. We thank God for the good report from the doctors and thanks to each of you for your support of our baby Emma and our family.

It's a small world after all

We will find out on Wed if Emma can start eating normal food again. Everyone is tired of liquid diet... Emma actually seems to be getting used to it as of this morning but we are all very sick of blending everything she eats. Thankfully we bought this incredible blender before our trip to China. It is "Breville" and has this crazy little bowl at bottom with special little blender parts and it is much quieter than our old one at really blends well including ice. Wish I could get paid for advertising for them but figured we should share our wealth of knowledge regarding kitchen appliances. Need advice on a vacuum? Just ask, very happy with ours for two years so far. Iron? yeah, that too.

Okay, back to Emma... she is doing great and has not stuck her hands in her mouth at all. Everything seems to be healing fine and her breath is beginning to not smell like an open sewer. No offense Emma if you are reading this in 2020, it was not your fault, we have heard different theories. Could be general anesthesia "coming out of system" or could be the anti-biotics. Dr told us it was because there was food particles inside her mouth that was making the smell. Whatever it was we hope it will soon be something we can laugh about.

I have got a busy week this week, have to travel to Houston on Thursday and we will be heading to Florida this coming weekend for work. Emma will get to see our friends and family in Tallahassee and we are all looking forward to it.

Both Emma and Lily are at art class right now and I am taking lunch break to update blog since I noticed it has been about a week. Don't have pictures to post right now but should have some good ones over next couple weeks.

One interesting thing to note, I am using Google Analytics on the blog now and it shows where people are visiting from etc. and found that a family in Sweden is linked to our site so I left a comment for them and she quickly replied. They are adopting a little girl from the same orphanage as Emma and she also has a cleft lip/palate. How cool is that? What is even cooler is my step mother was adopted, her parents were from Sweden and her step mother is living in Sweden now with family.

It's a small world after all!

Doing okay

Wow, still tired but all is well. Wanted to post some pics of pre-post surgery and just say that we are doing okay.



Before surgery Emma really handled things well and enjoyed the last moments of being able to suck on her hand. The hospital had great play areas for Emma to play in prior to surgery... then afterwards she was ready to play again. We were home day after surgery by noon. Rough few days but honestly she handled it all with such grace. She takes her medicine with little fussing, wears her no-no's when necessary with a little more fussing. Enjoyed visit from her cousins this weekend and is basically back at it 100%. The only thing slowing her down is not being able to eat normal food yet. Still on liquid diet, but again... she is handling it so well. When I get some sleep I will update with more details since it is pretty cute how she eats.

Back home

It was a tough day because Emma was just miserable. Overall she is recovering very well and continues to impress us with how she handles things. 

At the hospital she was doing so well in the morning that we got released earlier than expected.  There were hours of the day where Emma simply could not be happy or comfortable no matter what.  We did our best and everyone loved on her and played with her.  She is eating well, watered down yogurt and her protein shakes are favorites.  We know the next two weeks will be challenging when it comes to food but whole family is being helpful.  Trying not to have the old foods she enjoyed within sight and nobody is eating in front of her. 

Lily is being very good with her sister, she would do things with her arms and hands and Emma would copy every move.  Emma went to bed around 8 and our biggest concern of her sucking on her hand was completely unfounded.  Emma has not once stuck anything in her mouth and out of habit a couple times when we thought she was getting ready to insert hand she caught herself and put her hand down. 

So, day after surgery and she really is doing amazing, home and in her own bed fast asleep.

Her tone and voice does sound different now, pretty cool!

Discharged!

All well, headed home!

Long night but Emma is great

Melissa stayed in bed with Emma and I was on little pull out couch.  Basically little to no sleep and things got bad somewhere around 4:30 and we got a little radio flyer and went for a walk.  Emma did not want to end the walk for hours.  We just went around and around.  She is going to the bathroom perfectly, drinking perfectly and right now is sitting in the radio flyer with shoes on ready to go home.   Food is on way up so hopefully that will give her something to do and pass time until dr gets here and starts release process. 

She is really doing amazing and the way she talks is definitely different.  She repeated "I love you" really well and said "no" really well every time we tried to go back in room and stop our long walk.  Mom and Dad were a sight I am sure. 

She just pulled her little hospital band off her leg.  Every time she gets a little bit more of the hospital off her body she seems happier.  The iv is the last thing she demands to be removed.... Hopefully soon.

All tucked in

We were able to go back with Emma in recovery, the nurse was asian which was nice we think.  Again, not like other recoveries we have been in, room was small and we were only ones in there. 

She was still bleeding a little and some blood came out from nose and mouth.

we were only in there about ten minutes and then moved to room by 3:10 cst.  Took a little while to get settled but things are going smooth so far. 

Emma is drinking out of a cup and had oral tylenol with codeine.  She has an iv for fluids and anti-biotics and is laying on me in bed mostly sleeping.  The hospital also got a new cleaning lady :). Melissa and her lysol scrubbed our room from top to bottom.  I warned her that they are going to keep moving us to new rooms to get free cleaning. 

We brought some toys and our own little cd player with calm music Emma likes and the room is great.  I just ordered some broth and since she is doing so good drinking we know she must be hungry, close to 24 hours since she ate. 

Melissa did a great job packing, Emma has her own blankets, toys, cups etc.
We are told that the numbing medicine they use on her palate for surgery will wear off and this evening may be rough.  The only pain meds she is getting is the tyl/cod every four hours so we shall see.

Thanks again to everyone for e-mails and comments of your support and encouragement.  One thing for Andy and Amy --- please send us an e-mail, we don't have your email address (Melissa lost it!).

All done

Surgeon just came out and told us it went perfectly, we should be able to go back with her in about five mins. 

He said she had plenty of tissue (sometimes a concern) and he is very confident about a two week recovery. 
Worst part now may just be her not being able to suck on her fingers for comfort. 

In surgery

Emma did better than Melissa so far (Emma got drugs and Melissa did not). She was almost asleep before going back and everything went smooth.  While writing this the ENT surgeon came out, tubes are in... She had fluid behind both ears (explains the hard flight back to usa probably). 
He told us Emma was pretty much asleep when they put her under general and was peaceful. 

They are beginning palate surgery now and should take at least an hour. 

Just as a side note, the way everything was handled today was really great.  We played in a big playroom until they were about ready, then Emma had the "goofy juice" rolled to surgery. Emma sat in Melissa's lap on the bed as they rolled down. Love the way this is done compared to previous experiences with our boys having surgery.  If you have a choice, I highly recommend a childrens hospital, wonder if they will take adults? :)

Long day

Finished all the appointments and Emma handled them all really well.  Mom and Dad are in worse shape.  Emma did her hearing exam and we had final meetings with ENT and craniofacial surgeons.  Everything is in order and ready to go.  We leave the house around 9 in the morning again and surgery is scheduled for 11:30 I think.  We have to look at all the paperwork because right now it is a bit of a blur. 

She should be in surgery for about an hour and then we get to spend the night with her in a private room.  So far we are extremely impressed with the hospital and staff.  I will write more tomorrow when we have more time. 

She can't eat past midnight and only clear liquid until 9, will pick update from hospital.  Last night with cleft palate!

Pre-op

We are all registered, Emma is doing great so far.  She had pictures taken including with a mirror inside her mouth and right now we are finishing up with a lady that came in with a big doll dressed in the clothing Emma will wear tomorrow and we are just playing with all sorts of toys, stethoscope, little sticky wires, mask etc. etc.   Not sure if they do this at every hospital but it is amazing.  Emma has no apprehension being here.  We seem to come here to play.  Not like hospital visits we are used to.  They also give her a little doctor set to take home and play with.  Melissa was smart enough to get an extra one for Lily so they can play tonight and hopefully tomorrow will be peaceful as well.

She is doing great, we are about halfway through the day.  Still have to get hearing test and appts with surgeons. 

Doctor Doctor Doctor

Today we leave the house by 9:00 to make first appointment at 10, then we have 11:15, 1:30, 2:00 and then a hearing exam and follow up taking us pretty close to 4 or 5.

Today we will get details of what time we report for surgery tomorrow morning. Yesterday Emma slept in a little late after not sleeping all that well the night before. Praying for peace during these next few days/weeks.

Blessing Shower

Posted by Melissa... her first blog post!

While in China, a sweet new friend e-mailed and asked if she could have a 'blessing' shower for us when we got home with Emma. Could she......well

yes! what a kind offer!!  The occasion was wonderful. The ladies so dear,

the cake perfect and the gifts....the gifts.....oh the generosity! The love!

WOW.

I took Emma along and she did great! No one pushed themselves on her...these ladies are wise too! So Emma felt comfortable to walk around and even play with one of her new toys with some of her new friends.

Just another example to me of how God is right here with me taking care of everything. showing His love to me and our family through others........even in Texas, especially in Texas. :)