"Lydia-the-Sweet"

Our little Lydia is such a joy to be around! Her personality is really blossoming and we see more of 'who she is' everyday. We have done a few minor interventions---like some sensory (tactile) things and some 'core strengthening' (as Jason calls it) to help her bond through touch and to strengthen those weak trunk muscles. When we first got home she had much diffiulty still with balance and strength---so if she lost balance when sitting or crawling, she would just fall right over and bonk her face or head with no way to 'catch' herself or ease the fall.

So, to sum it up, in four weeks--- she is now walking, I mean practically running around the house! She can pivot and turn the other way to 'run' from us when we pretend to chase her and can even run around with a toy in her hand! She still loves to eat and will eat anything we offer. Now, we've noticed that she is finally beginning to reject food when she's full (she would just eat and eat before).

From the Speech Path. in me---She is starting to talk and says a few one and two-syllable words "ball, more, baba (bottle), bye-bye, hi, dada, mama, hot". She waves hello, bye-bye, and nigh-night, signs 'all done' when she wants down from her chair, tells us when she's hurt by patting her head, and shakes her head no-no when she's doing something she shouldn't (smile). The amazing thing is that she does all of this spontaneously during appropriate moments, not just imitating us---what a sponge in such a short time!

She's a smart little thing and understands ALOT of what we are saying. When I say , "time to go get Sam", she looks towards the garage and waves and says 'bye-bye'. Just like the boys, I've begun a 'case study' of her speech and language development to keep track---I can't help it!

Thank you, and thank you again!

It is with great joy that I am writing from home, the place where our family memories reside and our precious blessings (our children) rest their heads at night. Another little one rests her head here as well, and we are still in a fog of joy and disbelief over the events of the past year. I pray that these walls will provide a place of love and security for her as she grows and begins to understand how God has worked to bring us together. He truly has worked a miracle in our lives as we were shown His plan for us and why we are yet drawing breath. It is our goal to show Lydia God's purpose for her life as well, as we share with her the story of her beginnings, her Chinese heritage, and how we became her family.

I would like to send out a sincere THANK YOU to our family and friends who have supported and encouraged us throughout this miraculous process, through our journey to China, and as we are adjusting at home. Your kind words and actions gave us courage and joy when we felt downhearted or discouraged (while we waited for Lydia), when we felt lonely (while in China), and when we felt extreme joy (after receiving our child); and also now, as we have been greeted with warm welcomes and words of shared happiness for our daughter. We feel so fortunate that the Lord has given us such wonderful people to have supporting us at such an overwhelming time! Your calls, emails, notes, and gifts have been such a blessing to us! Most of all, thank you for your prayers. The emotions and detailed aspects of the adoption process and the orphaned/institutionalized child are quite unique and challenging---one cannot do this without support, encouragement, and prayer! THANK YOU from depths of our hearts!

A special thanks to our parents and siblings for so many things (most that are too numerous to mention), but most specifically for filling up the "emotional tanks" of three little boys during a stressful time of year. Our parents sacrificed their time, money, energy, and emotional health (!) to make Christmas a special time for them and to make things okay without Mommy and Daddy for nearly three weeks! It is very difficult to keep up with 3 energetic boys, let alone their school schedules, Christmas programs and parties, and arrange for their holiday travels. Add to that the specific personalities and emotional needs of three very different little people, and I must say---our folks had a VERY difficult job for such a long period of time...and they did GREAT! For their perseverance and dedication to us, we are forever grateful! WE LOVE YOU!

**Lydia meets her family**

We touched down after a drowsy flight from Chicago to KC, feeling as if we hadn't slept in weeks. After a quick change of clothes and attaching a bow to her head, Lydia was ready to meet her brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins---all at the same time!

Walking into the terminal felt like slow-motion. We could see everyone through the plexi-glass waving, the boys peeking up over the sides, with signs and balloons. I tried to point them out to Lydia, who is always busy looking at other things, but when I said "wave hi", she starting smiling and waving to the room, as if she knew that she were being greeted by all of these people.

My first reaction was to grab and hug any boy that I could get to first, but they all three managed to be in my arms within seconds, smooshing Lydia with a big bear hug for mama. Needless to say, tears were flowing and they were eager to touch Lydia and talk to her. Jack's comment, "She's cuter than I thought she would be." Sam just looked at her and smiled in wonder (and 'tasted' her hair---it's a weird sensory thing he does when he kisses your hair, he's really 'tasting' you!) He declared her taste to be satisfactory. Ben just smiled like a goon and kept patting her and waving a little two-year old wave (the kind with all five fingers spread out and rotating like an automatic waving hand on the back window of a VW van!)

Lydia reacted as if she were so glad to finally see people her size and immediately began charming them with smiles, grunts, and minor head-butts. Grandmas and Grandpas each took a hug (from us and her!) and when she went to someone, she would look at Jason or me to make sure things were okay and we weren't going anywhere.

What a day! We are praising the Lord for guiding us to this child, for His provision in getting us the funds we needed to get her (down to the last dollar), and in bringing us home safely and without trial. We are so unworthy of such a precious gift and opportunity as this, and are truly humbled that He chose us to be Lydia's parents. There is nothing we can do to repay what the Lord has done for us---only to glorify His name and give Him the credit. To God be the glory great things He hath done...!

The Long Flight Home

We began the day taking a bus to the airport, with boxed breakfasts in our laps. It was still dark, but the city was starting to wake up. Our coordintors were busy giving last minute details, like "don't open the immigration packet!" for the hundredth time.

As we neared the airport, day was starting to break and I could see the details of the city. I looked out the bus windows, taking in my last sights of China. A China that we loved and wanted to learn more about, but also a China that seemed distant and unable to be grasped by us---where we were still foreigners. Lydia sat in my lap, munching bites of muffin. Around us sleepy Mommies and Daddies looked weary and uncertain of what the next 20 hours had in store for them as they peeled eggs and bananas.

Again, just like when we flew out of Chongqing, I had such mixed feelings and wishing I had more time to sit and ponder them and sort through them. I was saddened that Lydia would never know her birth-parents and that her knowledge of China would be through us---people who can't begin to understand the culture, even if we try very hard for years. It was at that moment that I wished I could freeze in time and write down everything---the feelings, the sights, the things I don't know, the things I want to know, our hopes for Lydia, and our fears about trying to provide her glimpes of her roots.

This is how I felt as we left China and also wondering about the moment when she would step foot back in her birth country. I tried to imagine what it would be like for her 10+ years down the road---would she know the language, would she feel out of place or feel like she even belonged here? Those issues are up to us---very overwhelming to think of the responsibility for that---and she sat there happily nibbling egg and banana bread.

After checking in and beginning our seemingly unlimited trip through security (we were 'secured' five times that day!!) we found some much needed coffee and relaxed a bit with our new friends, the Heidi's and waited to go to Hong Kong. After thinking in RMB for two weeks we were looking forward to tossing out our dollars without having to think how much things were "really" costing us with the exchange rate. As the last "hoorah" with the RMB and money conversions, Jason came back with our coffee. As he sipped, he realized that he paid $10 per cup!!! Needless to say, we drank every drop, and unfortunatley it was not Starbucks!

Flying into Hong Kong was so beautiful and we wished that we could stay there longer than 2 hours in the airport! Hopefully our next trip will include some touring of that great place.

Unlike the flight over to China, coming home we were able to sleep, sleep, sleep! Maybe because we were totally exhausted or maybe because we barely slept the night before. But, we had very little trouble napping on and off.

Despite our fears of being on the plane with the baby, Lydia did an amazing job! Thankfully we had a seat in between us and we could sprawl out a little more. I pulled out some of the toys that we hadn't tried out in the hotel---crayons and paper and stickers! Lydia had a mini-lesson on play and language bombardment. It was fun and she is very bright---the first attempt was banging the crayon, but after I showed her once how to scribble, her next attempt was swiping it across the paper. Then we learned how to 'pat pat' our stickers onto the paper.

As we entered US air space, joy swept my heart as I felt that much closer to my home and our boys. As we touched down and Lydia's American citizenship became official, she slept peacefully in my lap, my arms were numbing, and Jason was snoring two seats away. Rather anti-climactic; but also a special time, as I sat---a Mommy overwhelmed by a remarkable trip around the world, overwhelmed by differences and change, and also overcome with the 'joy' that was reclining in my arms.