Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Happy Birthday To Me!
After leaving for work this morning, Papa H quickly came back to the house. Much to my surprise, he went to McDonald's and bought me a hot fudge sundae with extra hot fudge. Did I mention that it was 8:12AM when he brought it back to the house?!? Oh yes...Happy Birthday To Me! Life is good...and having a hot fudge sundae at 8:12am makes it even sweeter. I love, love, love hot fudge sundaes and Papa H completely made my day by going and getting me a sundae first thing this morning.
Happy Birthday To Me Indeed!
Thanks again, Papa H!
You rock!
Monday, September 19, 2011
We're HOME!!!!!
On Friday afternoon, we got the best call from our homestate...advising that we were cleared to come home! To put it lightly, there were MANY joyful tears to follow. After telling Papa H about our clearance, he really wanted to surprise PQ with the much awaited news. On Saturday afternoon, Grammy R picked Sugar and me up at the airport while Papa H and PQ were at their soccer game. When PQ arrived at Grammy's house, he was VERY surprised to see us standing in the driveway waiting for a huge hug.
PQ was BEYOND surprised!
Hugging my son after 3 weeks of being away from him was PRICELESS!
This little guy continues to amaze me...
I am SO HAPPY to be home!
I missed you so much, PQ!!!!!
XOXOXOXOXO
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Every Single Detail
Over the past 15 days that I've spent with Sugar, I've had plenty of opportunities to study her. I've stared at her for countless hours and I continue to thank God for His grace. This entire journey is filled with His grace and His goodness. Earlier today I took another length of time to lay next to Sugar and soak up everything that she is. I smiled as I thought about the complexity of a human body. It's pretty amazing to stop and think about every.single.detail that goes into creating each and every one of us for a purpose.
May she go where God leads...
May she cling on to the people who love her for who she really is...
May she praise God because she is fearfully and wonderfully made...
May she receive her worth from Him and not from the world...
May she continuously be filled with sweetness and calmness...
And may she always find the joy in every situation and circumstance.
We didn't give you the gift of life,
But in our hearts we know.
The love we feel is deep and real,
As if it had been said so.
For us to have each other,
Is like a dream come true.
No, we didn't give you the gift of life,
Life gave us the gift of you.
~Unknown~
We love you, Sugar!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Back to the doctors...
Apparently, we're bound to be famous at Sugar's doctors office. This evening, we went back to her pediatric office for an after-hours visit. At about 6pm she started to get extra cranky (which is not like her at all) and I found traces of blood in her diaper. Considering the prior formula concerns and adjustments, they wanted to see her again just to be sure that it wasn't anything emergent. After examining her dirty diapers from earlier in the day and examining her in the office, they do believe that Sugar has a milk allergy. (Please note that the photo posted to the right was raken earlier in the day while we were Skyping...She's just not a big fan of Skype.)As of her 9pm feeding this evening, she is officially on soy based formula. They want me to keep an eye on her over the next 24 hours. If she starts bleeding MORE, they want to see her....and if after 24 hours, she's still passing blood, they want to see her.
She went from 7lbs 8oz at birth to 8lbs 11oz today....WAHOOO....considering the substantial increase in weight, they don't think she has any serious gastro issues going on. Her intestines sounded great and she's in great spirits....so they think it's just a milk allergy.
Stay tuned... :)
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Together As A Family in TX
Thanks for checking back in...I do apologize for the disconnect. I was trying to soak up as much time with my boys as I could before they flew back home. To put it bluntly, our time together was SUPER-FANTASTIC-WITHOUT-A-DOUBT-WONDERFUL!
The boys fell completely in love with Sugar as soon as they saw her. Her delicious cheeks and beautiful coloring immediately pulled on their heartstrings. They both spent hours staring at her over the past few days. Sugar also fell in love with them. PQ and Sugar already have a special bond. Everytime PQ said something, Sugar would immediately try and turn in his direction. It was adorable! PQ is going to be an amazing big brother to Sugar. He calls her 'baby girl' and that makes my heart melt.
Papa H spent most of his time spoiling Sugar. He held her every single chance he could get...even if she was supposed to be sleeping in her bassinet. He let her rest on his chest. He let her snuggle next to his neck. He let her do just about anything she wanted. He treated her like a princess and I got to see a glimpse of what the future might hold. (I have a feeling that these two are going to have a very special relationship.)
Of course there were times when we got silly. I mean, she did deserve to know how silly her family can be. We spent time talking and giggling about Sugar's funny expressions. Our girl has a personality already. I can only imagine what it's going to be like when she starts to talk. Oh, the stories she will tell.
PQ did not like the idea of going back home without his little sister. He spent a good portion of his time snuggling with her and taking some photos with her. (I forgot to pack my charger for the camera battery, so we took pictures using my Mac instead. If you're not familiar with Mac's, you can 'play' with the pictures that you take.) As you can see by the picture below, he can't wait for his little sister to come home!
It was nice to have the entire family here with us for a few short days. It was a blessing to be together as a family. (And just for the record...I miss them already and I can't wait to see them again!)
The latest update: I got a call from Meatloaf yesterday. Due to the fact that Sugar had to go back to the hospital last week, I was able to express my disappointment with the timing of the medical records (which is delaying us from getting clearance to come back home). Sugar's pediatrician heard about the waiting time and he sent an email to the Chief Information Officer of the hospital advising that we cannot leave the state until her medical records are received. As of yesterday morning, Meatloaf was picking up our records from the hospital (because of that email that was sent on our behalf). PRAISE GOD! Had we not gone to the hospital again, we would have never met that doctor...and we would still be waiting on her medical records!
The medical records were overnighted to Dallas from Houston yesterday. Today, the Dallas office will complete their paperwork and submit a request to our state for final clearance. I still don't know how long that clearance will take but I do know that this is moving along quite nicely. PRAISE GOD!!!
The boys fell completely in love with Sugar as soon as they saw her. Her delicious cheeks and beautiful coloring immediately pulled on their heartstrings. They both spent hours staring at her over the past few days. Sugar also fell in love with them. PQ and Sugar already have a special bond. Everytime PQ said something, Sugar would immediately try and turn in his direction. It was adorable! PQ is going to be an amazing big brother to Sugar. He calls her 'baby girl' and that makes my heart melt.
Papa H spent most of his time spoiling Sugar. He held her every single chance he could get...even if she was supposed to be sleeping in her bassinet. He let her rest on his chest. He let her snuggle next to his neck. He let her do just about anything she wanted. He treated her like a princess and I got to see a glimpse of what the future might hold. (I have a feeling that these two are going to have a very special relationship.)
Of course there were times when we got silly. I mean, she did deserve to know how silly her family can be. We spent time talking and giggling about Sugar's funny expressions. Our girl has a personality already. I can only imagine what it's going to be like when she starts to talk. Oh, the stories she will tell.
PQ did not like the idea of going back home without his little sister. He spent a good portion of his time snuggling with her and taking some photos with her. (I forgot to pack my charger for the camera battery, so we took pictures using my Mac instead. If you're not familiar with Mac's, you can 'play' with the pictures that you take.) As you can see by the picture below, he can't wait for his little sister to come home!
It was nice to have the entire family here with us for a few short days. It was a blessing to be together as a family. (And just for the record...I miss them already and I can't wait to see them again!)
The latest update: I got a call from Meatloaf yesterday. Due to the fact that Sugar had to go back to the hospital last week, I was able to express my disappointment with the timing of the medical records (which is delaying us from getting clearance to come back home). Sugar's pediatrician heard about the waiting time and he sent an email to the Chief Information Officer of the hospital advising that we cannot leave the state until her medical records are received. As of yesterday morning, Meatloaf was picking up our records from the hospital (because of that email that was sent on our behalf). PRAISE GOD! Had we not gone to the hospital again, we would have never met that doctor...and we would still be waiting on her medical records!
The medical records were overnighted to Dallas from Houston yesterday. Today, the Dallas office will complete their paperwork and submit a request to our state for final clearance. I still don't know how long that clearance will take but I do know that this is moving along quite nicely. PRAISE GOD!!!
We will be home soon, boys....soon...very soon! XOXOXO
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Sugar, Sugar...
*I hope these updates pictures keep you entertained for another day. I'll be back tomorrow night to post updates and stories...stay tuned.*
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Bumps in the road...
Bumps in the road are a natural part of life. Nobody's life is perfect. The picture might look great from the outside but we all have trials to endure. With all of the wonderful things that have been going on with our family since last week, we did face a few bumps over the past few days as well. The bumps have been frustrating and downright scary at times. I've cried several times over the past few days.
Papa H called me over the weekend and asked "Do you want the good news or the bad news?". I always opt for the bad news first so we can get it out of the way and move on to the more positive news. After opting for the bad news first, Papa H explained to me that our tenant's washing machine had leaked into our 1st floor home. The water gushed through the ceiling, down the walls and cabinets of our kitchen, and eventually flooded our basement. The insurance adjusters are going to be coming out to asess the damage. Stay tuned as we learn more.
Over the weekend, I went to the ER because I was not feeling well at all. My throat was killing me and my voice was practically non-existent. I went to the ER to make sure that I didn't have anything too wild and crazy that Sugar could get from me. After a quick exam, the doctor told me that I had a viral infection. He placed me on Zithromax for 5 days and sent us on our way.
Later that night, Sugar woke up choking and gasping for air. She expunged a bunch of mucus into the bassinet and from there, she could not catch her breath. I picked her up immediately and began suctioning the mucus out of her nose. With each second that passed, she went from no noise to gasping a small breath of air before choking on more mucus. My heart was racing faster than I even knew it could. With the aspirator in one hand and Sugar in the other, I continued to try and help our baby girl breath on her own. As the minutes passed, I knew that she needed to be brought to the hospital.
I drove Sugar about a mile down the road to the nearest Emergency Room. Thank God I had gone there earlier in the day for myself because otherwise I would not have known where to take her in the middle of the night. As soon as we arrived at the ER, the on-call officer came out and saw that she was having difficulty breathing so he sent us straight back to the pediatric room. From there, the doctor and nurses came in and continued to suck the mucus out of her nose and mouth. Thick green mucus was expunged within minutes and soon Sugar fell back asleep.
Considering her young age, the doctors felt it would be best to transport her back to the hospital that she was delivered at. That way the doctors would have her medical records available for further care. The ambulance came to get Sugar and we headed back to the hospital across town where she was immediately admitted into the pediatric unit. Blood tests and physical exams soon monopolized our time at the hospital. All of Sugar's exams and blood tests came back normal and the doctors were very happy with these results. The doctors decided to keep us overnight so that they could monitor Sugar and ensure that nothing was wrong. Due to the fact that she came in with a life threatening condition, they had to keep us over for liability reasons.
We're back at 'home' now and we've been resting as much as we can. I have to be honest. I'm mentally exhausted. Being away from home isn't easy, especially when there are bumps in the road.
Tomorrow is a BIG DAY for the H Girls...our boys are flying into town to see us! I can't wait to wrap my arms around my strong husband. I can't wait to tickle my son until he queals with delight. I can't wait to see their faces when they meet Sugar for the first time. I can't wait to just 'be together' as a family for the next few days. Isn't it amazing how our family can make us feel so safe and secure?!? Regardless of what storms we might endure in life, it's wonderful knowing that we have an amazing family to walk beside us every step of the way.
Sometimes we just need a good cry!
(please note that Sugar's photo was not taken during any of the 'storms' listed in this post...)
Papa H called me over the weekend and asked "Do you want the good news or the bad news?". I always opt for the bad news first so we can get it out of the way and move on to the more positive news. After opting for the bad news first, Papa H explained to me that our tenant's washing machine had leaked into our 1st floor home. The water gushed through the ceiling, down the walls and cabinets of our kitchen, and eventually flooded our basement. The insurance adjusters are going to be coming out to asess the damage. Stay tuned as we learn more.
Over the weekend, I went to the ER because I was not feeling well at all. My throat was killing me and my voice was practically non-existent. I went to the ER to make sure that I didn't have anything too wild and crazy that Sugar could get from me. After a quick exam, the doctor told me that I had a viral infection. He placed me on Zithromax for 5 days and sent us on our way.
Later that night, Sugar woke up choking and gasping for air. She expunged a bunch of mucus into the bassinet and from there, she could not catch her breath. I picked her up immediately and began suctioning the mucus out of her nose. With each second that passed, she went from no noise to gasping a small breath of air before choking on more mucus. My heart was racing faster than I even knew it could. With the aspirator in one hand and Sugar in the other, I continued to try and help our baby girl breath on her own. As the minutes passed, I knew that she needed to be brought to the hospital.
I drove Sugar about a mile down the road to the nearest Emergency Room. Thank God I had gone there earlier in the day for myself because otherwise I would not have known where to take her in the middle of the night. As soon as we arrived at the ER, the on-call officer came out and saw that she was having difficulty breathing so he sent us straight back to the pediatric room. From there, the doctor and nurses came in and continued to suck the mucus out of her nose and mouth. Thick green mucus was expunged within minutes and soon Sugar fell back asleep.
Considering her young age, the doctors felt it would be best to transport her back to the hospital that she was delivered at. That way the doctors would have her medical records available for further care. The ambulance came to get Sugar and we headed back to the hospital across town where she was immediately admitted into the pediatric unit. Blood tests and physical exams soon monopolized our time at the hospital. All of Sugar's exams and blood tests came back normal and the doctors were very happy with these results. The doctors decided to keep us overnight so that they could monitor Sugar and ensure that nothing was wrong. Due to the fact that she came in with a life threatening condition, they had to keep us over for liability reasons.
We're back at 'home' now and we've been resting as much as we can. I have to be honest. I'm mentally exhausted. Being away from home isn't easy, especially when there are bumps in the road.
Tomorrow is a BIG DAY for the H Girls...our boys are flying into town to see us! I can't wait to wrap my arms around my strong husband. I can't wait to tickle my son until he queals with delight. I can't wait to see their faces when they meet Sugar for the first time. I can't wait to just 'be together' as a family for the next few days. Isn't it amazing how our family can make us feel so safe and secure?!? Regardless of what storms we might endure in life, it's wonderful knowing that we have an amazing family to walk beside us every step of the way.
Many Blessings in Texas
For the past several days, I have been trying to wrap my head around all of the blessings that continue to unfold before our eyes. Sugar's adoption is obviously the major blessing...but other blessings have flowed through to us through the many family and friends that we've met along the way.
Today I want to make a list. A tally so to speak. An ongoing log sheet of all the wonderful blessings that we are grateful for since we first got the call about Sugar. (I'm sure I'm going to fail at listing ALL of them...but for now, this will get you started.)
*ADOPTING SUGAR- there's no doubt in my mind that she was hand selected by God for our family. Blessing.
*J.E's brother lives in Houston with his family and they offered to let me stay with them for the night when I arrived in Houston. Blessing.
*J.E's father owns a corporate apartment in Houston and he is letting me stay there for the entire month of September (until our ICPC goes through). Sugar and I are staying here free of charge. No strings attached. Blessing.
*Walking into the apartment for the first time, I realized how blessed we really are. The apartment was more than we could have ever imagined. A private 'home' for me and my girl. I felt like a princess as soon as I arrived. God's grace was all around. Blessing.
*Southern Bell is loaning us her bassinet. Southern Bell did not even know us prior to the trip. She offered the bassinet to JE's family who in turn asked me if I needed a bassinet while we are here. (And yes, we did need a place for Sugar to sleep.) Blessing.
*I forgot my laptop back at home. Unfortunately, that means NO PICTURES for Papa H and PQ. Interestingly enough, J.E's family was heading back to New England for the weekend so they offered to pick up my laptop and bring it back to Houston with them. Blessing.
*Sitting in church surrounded by hundreds of unfamiliar faces, I began to feel sad. I missed my family. I felt alone. During the service, the couple in front of me turned around and handed me their business card with all of their contact information (just in case I needed anything while I was in town). Blessing.
*At the end of church service, that same couple invited me out to lunch. I went out to lunch with D & T and I also got to meet their two sons as well. Sugar and I definitely felt the love that was poured out to us. Blessing.
*Continuous phone calls from family and friends back home...just checking in to say hello and tell us how much they love us and miss us. Blessing.
*Ongoing contact with the various families that we've met on this trip. People who JUST MET US continue to call and check in on us. They continue to call, continue to include us in their family plans, and they continue to pray for us. This is certainly an example of the love of Christ. These people didn't know us...they didn't have to get to know us...but they choose to reach out in love. Blessing.
That's just a snapshot of what we've experienced so far. It's pretty amazing to stop and think about everything that has happened. We have SO MUCH to be thankful for. Our adoption story continues to reach people all across the United States. It's pretty amazing to see God's hand in it all. Everything was orchestrated by Him for our good. Blessing.
Today I want to make a list. A tally so to speak. An ongoing log sheet of all the wonderful blessings that we are grateful for since we first got the call about Sugar. (I'm sure I'm going to fail at listing ALL of them...but for now, this will get you started.)
*ADOPTING SUGAR- there's no doubt in my mind that she was hand selected by God for our family. Blessing.
*J.E's brother lives in Houston with his family and they offered to let me stay with them for the night when I arrived in Houston. Blessing.
*J.E's father owns a corporate apartment in Houston and he is letting me stay there for the entire month of September (until our ICPC goes through). Sugar and I are staying here free of charge. No strings attached. Blessing.
*Walking into the apartment for the first time, I realized how blessed we really are. The apartment was more than we could have ever imagined. A private 'home' for me and my girl. I felt like a princess as soon as I arrived. God's grace was all around. Blessing.
*Southern Bell is loaning us her bassinet. Southern Bell did not even know us prior to the trip. She offered the bassinet to JE's family who in turn asked me if I needed a bassinet while we are here. (And yes, we did need a place for Sugar to sleep.) Blessing.
*I forgot my laptop back at home. Unfortunately, that means NO PICTURES for Papa H and PQ. Interestingly enough, J.E's family was heading back to New England for the weekend so they offered to pick up my laptop and bring it back to Houston with them. Blessing.
*Sitting in church surrounded by hundreds of unfamiliar faces, I began to feel sad. I missed my family. I felt alone. During the service, the couple in front of me turned around and handed me their business card with all of their contact information (just in case I needed anything while I was in town). Blessing.
*At the end of church service, that same couple invited me out to lunch. I went out to lunch with D & T and I also got to meet their two sons as well. Sugar and I definitely felt the love that was poured out to us. Blessing.
*Continuous phone calls from family and friends back home...just checking in to say hello and tell us how much they love us and miss us. Blessing.
*Ongoing contact with the various families that we've met on this trip. People who JUST MET US continue to call and check in on us. They continue to call, continue to include us in their family plans, and they continue to pray for us. This is certainly an example of the love of Christ. These people didn't know us...they didn't have to get to know us...but they choose to reach out in love. Blessing.
That's just a snapshot of what we've experienced so far. It's pretty amazing to stop and think about everything that has happened. We have SO MUCH to be thankful for. Our adoption story continues to reach people all across the United States. It's pretty amazing to see God's hand in it all. Everything was orchestrated by Him for our good. Blessing.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
3 Boys and 3 Girls
I honestly don't know where to begin!!! Wow! As my friend, Mama Sunshine said, "the roller coaster ride for the H family just seems to keep going and going". I love it and I am so grateful for it all. Life is good...and it's even better when you're given a blessing when you least expect it!
As you already know, the H family has grown. The house will never be the same. All bets are off because the official house tally is 3 and 3. Three boys and (finally) three girls. Yes, we do consider our dogs part of the family. Up until last week, Little Miss Weenie and I were the minority. Not anymore...not anymore. Instead, the playing fields are even now that SUGAR has arrived! (Screen name given by Papa H...good one, Papa H...I love it!)
Okay, let's get to the details...I know you've all been waiting to hear how it all happened!
We received a call from the agency director last week (on August 30th) asking us to take a look at a situation that had presented itself. A baby girl was born on 8/30 and the Director wanted to know if we wanted to be considered for her placement. I immediately drove to see Papa H at work and we reviewed the babies profile and medical records. Within seconds of reviewing everything, I called the Director back to advise that we definitely wanted the birthmother to consider us for placement. Much to my surprise, there was no considering that needed to happen. The mother had surrendered her rights to choose a family for her baby so the agency called us for the possible placement. (They didn't disclose this tid-bit of information up front because they didn't want us to 'jump' at the idea of a baby. Instead, they asked us to review the file and make a sound decision.) After getting off the phone with the Director, I walked back inside to see Papa H. It was then that I smiled and said "She's ours". A little confused, Papa H asked me to clarify what I meant. I recapped the whole conversation back to him and within minutes, our dream became a reality.
I flew out to Houston on September 1st to pick her up. I fell in love the second I laid my eyes on her. She's beautiful. She's precious. She's beyond what I ever imagined! At this point, I'm staying in Houston until further notice. In order for us to leave the state and head back home, our ICPC needs to be processed. Sounds easy, right? Well, not so much. Apparently the hospital where Sugar was born is notorious for delaying medical records. We've been told that it could take up to a month to process the ICPC. Hence the reason why I'm 'living' in H-town by myself right now. Papa H and PQ couldn't be in Texas for an entire month due to work and school. I guess you could say that I'm a Houston girl...well, at least for the next few weeks anyways. *wink*
A lot has happened since I arrived in Houston. For now, I've given you a small glimpse at how it all unfolded for our family. Please stay tuned as I begin to share more blessings, stories, and photos with you from afar. Until then, get some rest and check back soon for an update!
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