Something to Smile About

An overview of Surgery Day:

We arrived at the hospital at 7:45am after dropping Chloe off with Courtney to get to school (THANK YOU!!) and the boys with Christy. (THANK YOU!!) And Jess, for Chloe's school pick up (THANK YOU!!). Thank the Lord for my sweet pals. They were a HUGE help to me. As we headed back to the pre-surgical area, I handed Mia her little backpack which I had filled with a few things to pass the time (almost 2 hours). She dug right in while I signed paperwork and answered questions from the nurse.

After I was finished, I noticed that Mia was pulling out several things that I had not packed in her bag. I quickly realized that each of her siblings had put in a few treasures of their own for her. I had no idea that they had done that, but when surveying the lot it was pretty clear who had chosen which item. =) I packed Mia a doll baby, a small lovey blanket, crayons, a coloring book, and a sticker book. I will let you guess who chose the other treasures we found inside: lip gloss, leggos, a pop-bead necklace, a cross medal (from One Way Club), and silly bands. (Answer key at bottom.) It brought such a smile to my face to see the tender care my other children had for their little sister and to see each of their little personalities shining through the gifts that they had chosen.

Mia did a great job waiting patiently for surgery. About 20 minutes before she was to leave, Mia was given some medicine to make her loopy so that she would not have trouble heading into surgery without me. For each one of my other children (and me for that matter), this medicine made us totally goofy within 3 minutes. Not for Mia. She seemed totally unaffected. Not ideal. So I walked back with her as far as they would let me. She looked concerned, but as always was very brave. No tears.






After about 15 minutes the dentist came out with the xrays and discussed the details of our options. He told me it would be another hour of surgery. I waited quietly and busied myself with my Bible study. During that time, Pastor Dan stopped by to talk and pray with me. Then my neighbor (and dear family friend from church), who is a nurse anesthetist, came out. He reassured me that he had checked in on Mia and she was doing great. (Thank you Curt.) Both of those visits were so sweet. Have I mentioned how much I love our church family? I got a couple calls, more prayers with friends and updated Steve.

And then very shortly afterward, it was all finished. I got the summary from the dentist and about 5 minutes later I was brought back to Mia in recovery. She had a VERY difficult time coming out of the anesthesia. She cried and kicked and sobbed and fought for over 45 minutes in my arms. It was really rough (and definitely the toughest part for me). She was very scared and disoriented. She would not drink anything or even eat a popsicle (SHOCK) for a full hour. I finally got her to eat most of a popsicle and they removed her IV so that we could go home. Mia was still very upset. More than anything, she seemed really angry at me. It broke my heart. I know that for right now, she does not understand.

We made it home and within a few hours she was doing much better. We managed her pain with Ibuprofen for a few days. Now she just needs it occasssionally when she complains of her pain.

Here are the details of all that was done:
She had 2 root canals on 2 of her front teeth.
All 4 of the front teeth were "saved" and capped (with resin colored crowns).
She had a large abcessed molar extracted.
She had 3 sets of decayed roots extracted (from her 3 missing teeth).
She had countless cavities in the remaining molars and got 6 stainless crowns on those in order to give her a functional ability to chew.
So she now has 16 (out of 20) functional teeth (10 have crowns) that will hopefully be painfree and HEALTHY.

My mouth hurts just thinking about all of it.

So that's the scoop...
We are praising the Lord for His hand of protection. And for all of your prayers.
Happy 2 months since Mia Day!

ANSWER KEY:
lip gloss - Chloe (a girl always needs a little shine!)
pop-bead necklace - Chloe (and some bling)
cross medal - Caleb (my preacher in the making)
leggos - Luke (doesn't everyone love leggos?)
and
silly bands - Luke (my always-has-an-opinion-about-fashion guy)


And now here are the long awaited photos of her new smile...

Surgery Tomorrow

This little girl has a very big day tomorrow. She will be headed in for oral surgery at 9:30 AM. Our hospital arrival time is 7:45 AM. Steve, unfortunately, starts work at 7:00 tomorrow. Thankfully, we have had many people offer to help with getting the other 3 off to school. We really have no idea what she will have done until the dentist gets in there and completes all of the x-rays. He has told us that he will be cleaning up the major infection and decay. He will save the teeth that can be saved and pull those that he cannot. She will likely come out with many crowns. Though they will not be anything like the sparkly pink ones that she so enjoys on top of her head.

Tonight we will be headed over to our friends' house, Wenkai and Melanie, so that Mia can play for a little while and they can further explain (in Mandarin) to Mia what will be happening tomorrow. They have been such a gift from the Lord to our family. Thank you guys!! We need to spend more time together when you don't have to tell Mia about some upcoming major medical intervention. =)

As we prepare for this surgery, I am feeling unbelievably grateful. Mia's dental needs appear to have become her only "special" need. Praise the Lord. We had anticipated a very different future for her and for our family. She continues to be without even a hint of a seizure and has been off of her meds for nearly 5 weeks. These dental needs, in light of all that we had prepared for, seem so minor. That does not mean watching my little girl be taken off to surgery will be easy.

Please pray that Mia will not be fearful tomorrow morning. Please pray for all of the medical details to be handled perfectly. Please pray for a smooth recovery. And pray for peace for this mama who will be waiting alone. Not really alone, but you know what I mean (and that will stretch me). It will be a good opportunity to have some quiet time with the Lord.

I'm guessing her smile may look very different after tomorrow...and more importantly, Lord willing, there will be
NO MORE PAIN.

To My Sister

Happy 40th Birthday Kathy! I can hardly believe my sister is 40 years old today. How can that be?? Kathy has always been (and always will be) my older sister. =) By 3 years and one month to be exact. We have shared so much over the years. And obviously sharing parents and a home for almost 2 decades has given us many memories in common. We laugh at the same things. We often say the same things. And we are told over and over again how similar our mannerisms are and how much we look alike. That's a compliment to me...especially because somehow I seemed to get all the DNA for wrinkles.

I am so thankful to the Lord for the sister that He chose for me. Kathy is thoughtful and kind. She is so generous. She is endlessly giving and sacrificing herself for others. She has dropped everything on many occassions to stand in the gap for me. Kathy is quick to problem solve and see the silver lining in tough situations. She is the kind of girl you want with you when all of your plans fall apart. Kathy always has a Plan B and C that turns out to be amazing. She can find a bargain or coupon for any item on the face of the planet. And there have been more times than I can count that she has come home with bags of grocery items that the store paid HER to bring home. She has taught me so much. She has always been someone that I could look up to and be proud to call my sister. Even when I know she didn't want me around. =)

The Lord made her my sister so we'll be connected for life.
She has known me forever.
The good, the bad and the ugly.
She has always been my biggest cheerleader.
She was my first friend and she'll be my last.
I am so grateful for her in my life.

I thank my God every time I remember you. (Phil. 1:3)

And because she is my most faithful Blog follower, I know she will see this! =)
Happy Birthday Kathy!
Love you!
xo

A Visit from Grandma & Boppa

We had such a wonderful time this past weekend. It was highlighted by an amazing and long-anticipated visit from Grandma and Boppa! EVERYONE was so thrilled to see them. It was a short visit, but we squeezed a lot of fun into their 24 hour stay.

Prior to their time here, we had decided (at the recommendation of a pediatric neuropsychologist and family friend - thank you Dr. Bob!) that we would add a new layer to our attachment approach. Up until now, Steve and I (and Caleb, Luke & Chloe) were the only ones meeting Mia's needs, holding her, feeding her, comforting her and showing her affection. We knew that when Grandma & Boppa arrived Mia would see them be very affectionate with the other 3 kids and we were concerned that if they avoided showing affection to Mia that she would internalize this in a negative way. (ie. What's wrong with me? Why am I different?) Dr. Newby suggested that we add a 3rd layer... so rather than our current approach of 2 layers:

1. Mom, Dad, & siblings
2. Everyone else.

We now planned to add another layer:
1. Mom, Dad & siblings
2. Grandparents, Aunts/Uncles, Close Family Friends
3. Everyone else.

This new "circle" would allow the people close to us who normally demonstrate affection and some caregiving to our children to now include Mia as well. We, as her parents, planned to continue to be the sole provider of comfort, bathing, and bedtime, etc.

So how did it go?
SO WELL!!!

We all had a special time during their visit and Mia adored her Grandma & Boppa. She was calling for Grandma all day long and really connected with my mom. It was sweet to see. My parents surprised us with a treat to go out for dinner for a couple hours and have our first date night since July 22 (Mia Day)! What a gift. Date nights are a big deal for us around here and we appreciated it beyond measure. We fed the kids, left and then made sure that we were home before bedtime. Mia did FANTASTIC. She was cautious as we left, but we had explained that we would be back before it was time for bed and gave lots of hugs & kisses. I am certain having her siblings with her made all the difference. She had no tears and she did really well while we were away. We were also glad that she ran to greet us with hugs as we got home. We could not be more thrilled with her response to her very first "babysitting" experience. And Grandma & Boppa reported having a wonderful time with all FOUR of the V.Crew!
Very impressive. =)

We also filled our 24 hours with a big neighborhood baseball game with Boppa & Steve and makeshift bases(bringing back sweet memories of my childhood with my dad), wagon rides, a walk to the park, putting on a "show" in the backyard, bike rides, playing with the doll house, reading books, games of Zingo (and Hearts after the kids were asleep), snuggling into the guest bed in the early morning hours with Grandma & Boppa, a big breakfast and worship at church.

Thank you Mom & Dad for your love for ALL of our children (and US)! Thank you for coming for a visit, we had such a great time together. Thank you, also, for giving us a date night so that we could have some treasured time as a couple.

Enjoy the pictures from our special times.

Gaining ground...

One month ago today we stepped on an airplane in China and began our journey home. What a month. It has flown and yet at the same time, it feels like a lifetime ago. It has been a blur. It has been busy. It has been filled with emotion. But we, by God's grace, are gaining ground. Overall, life with the V.Crew has been going really well. Glory to God.

I have finally been able to catch my breath now that 2 of the 4 (my busy boys) are back in school all day. Chloe is also gone until 12:30 everyday. I miss them. It has given me a lot of one on one time with Mia.
That has been good.
And exhausting.
Mia follows me EVERY where. She wants to be together AT ALL TIMES. And a part of EVERY activity. When sharing this with Steve, he wisely responded with a smile...it sounds to me like she is ATTACHED (be careful what you pray for.) =) Yep. I think so. And that is a good thing. Mia has also cried every morning when we have dropped Chloe off at school. And she has nearly knocked her over each day with her enthusiastic hug when Chloe returns. That is a good thing too.

It is hard to believe that we have been home from China for a whole month. Mia continues to understand more and more of what we are saying to her, but speaks very few English words. Her language acquisition is very much the same as it was with our other children. She will understand long before she speaks, the only difference is that she often has much to say to us in Mandarin. =) For now her spontaneous spoken English words include: milk, banana, baby, please, thank you, Mama, Baba (which is Daddy in Mandarin, so I guess that doesn't count), Caleb, Luke, Chloe, Nolan, Hi and Bye. That's it.

A few more things that we have learned about Mia over this last month...
1. She is terrified of cats.
2. She is terrified of dogs.
3. She ADORES babies and wants to gently touch every one that she sees.
4. She loves playing dress-up and tea party.
5. She misses her sister terribly while she is at school.
6. She does not understand that she needs to hold on when she is on a swing (which has resulted in a few crashes.)
7. She is very concerned when any of her siblings cry and she usually tries to tickle them into laughter.
8. When Mia tickles anyone she says "gicko, gicko, gicko"
9. She is self-concious of her smile and often covers her mouth for pictures (breaks my heart)
10. She loves listening to worship music.
11. She is a great helper with setting & clearing the table and folding laundry.
12. She loves to talk on the phone - give her a call, you just won't understand her (unless you speak Mandarin).
13. She has stopped her tantrums, but now occassionally will stomp her foot in protest - a great demonstration of progress & self-control, in my opinion.
14. She understands when I say, Mia you will not stomp your foot at me. And she stops.
15. She would eat ketchup on everything if given the opportunity.
16. She loves a new pair of shoes like a few other ladies I know. =)

We have had a lot more firsts that have been accompanied by many squeals of joy including...flying a kite, "airplane" rides, dancing to Go Fish really LOUD, eating popsicles and bike races. We have had many others that have been enjoyed "with caution"...like canoeing on the Wisconsin River, playing at the splash pad, dinner with friends, hanging from the monkey bars and getting tossed into the air by Daddy.

Mia continues to do remarkably well.
The Lord has been gracious to us.

I have to remind myself often of all that she has been through in her short little life...especially these last 6 weeks.

She is so brave.

I am certain that the Lord has great plans for her life...for His glory.

She has now been completely off of her medications for 3 and a half weeks.

Without.Any.Problems.

PRAISE THE LORD.

I am still in awe of all that He has done. When I think back to the countless prayers we prayed for her medical needs long before we met her, I am totally amazed. Steve often prayed for complete healing of her seizures. I NEVER imagined this is where we would be. Not even a hint of a seizure. Thank you Jesus. He is GOOD.

I need to say that the Lord would still be worthy of all my praise had Mia's medical needs not turned out this way. He would still be GOOD. And MIGHTY. And HOLY. And WORTHY. Sometimes the road has been smooth and sometimes it has been really hard. When we have been in the middle of the difficult times, the Lord has allowed me to see Him more clearly. In His mercy, He has drawn me closer than ever before. In those places, He has held me and comforted me. He has given me strength and peace. He never promised that it would be easy. More often I believe He has called us to do hard things. I trust Him. And today, I will praise Him for this miracle.

More than anything, I want to be sure that this is clear... The Lord is worthy of my heart-abandoned worship at ALL times. For Who He IS. For His sacrifice of His ONLY SON, His PERFECT, HOLY Son in MY place. Jesus took the wrath that I deserve. Because He LOVES me. Who knows that kind of love? He chose LOVE, so that if only I would respond to Him and place my faith in Him and Him alone, I could spend eternity with Him. And not only that, but to empower me, to give me hope and purpose and victory over sin for my days here on earth. For His Glory.
That, friends, is worthy of never-ending praise.

I've got a long way to go.

Enjoy the many faces of Mia Jane and some sweet moments for the girls...

First Day of School

So much to say...
no time to blog...
needless to say, there were a lot of tears [but only from the mommy]
and one very sad baby sister when everyone was gone.









...someday this mama will find time to blog again.