Spring and Easter 2010

I apologize for being missing in action for two months. Life is so busy at times. I sat down many times to update the blog but laziness and being tired or running after my very active almost 3 year old won out and I'm forcing myself today to sit still long enough to update in case anyone still reads this blog. I hope you do. I'm going to be better in the future about updating.

Anna is doing wonderful. She is growing so quickly. We are now caught up to the size she is supposed to be for her age. When we got her 14 months ago she was wearing 6-9 months now she is in 3T. Can you believe it? Time flies when you are having so much fun.

Over Spring Break we took a mini vacation to Memphis. We went to the zoo. Which if you live anywhere around there I recommend it. It was very interesting and well done. We had a ball. We also got some good ole Memphis BBQ. We could eat BBQ all the time. So some of the pictures are of that trip.

We stayed around here for Easter and had a relaxing couple of days although I really miss having a lot of family around and definitely miss Memaw's big meals with every around the table enjoying each other's company. Maybe next Easter. There are some big changes in the works for our family and we are excited....NO I"M NOT PREGNANT. It seems like whenever I say I'm excited about something that is what people think. That is all I'm going to say for right now. Please pray that God will reveal His perfect plan for our family. More to come later on that one :) .

We are truly blessed by our sweet girl. She amazes us more and more by her intelligence and love of life. She is truly one of the happiest people I know except when we are working on speech. Please pray that God will loose her tongue and she'll really start grasping how to make some very important consonant sounds. I know she is getting frustrated trying to communicate and we are too trying to understand. She has come a long way but she still has a ways to go. So I guess that is all for now. If you haven't read the "ONE YEAR" post be sure to scroll down and see the awesome miracle God performed on our sweet Anna Banana.

OUR BIG MIRACLE-One Year Gotcha

Today we have had our sweet Anna Banana for one year. Hard to believe. So many ways she seems like she has always been here. Other ways it seems like yesterday we were in a conference room in a hotel in China waiting for our sweet miracle to arrive. Then crying happy tears as she came in the room and was handed to me. I'll never forget that sweet moment. I wanted to share with y'all that read our blog the big miracle God performed in our lives over the past year. It is long but will be well worth the read. SO here it goes:


We received our referral for Anna August 2008, and she was special needs. We have always made public that she was cleft lip and cleft palate. Well she had another special need that we didn't tell very many people and that was that she was Hep B positive. We kept that private because we had talked to a few physicians and they told us that a lot of people are uneducated about Hep B and sometimes children with Hep B can be ostracized and made fun of, or people are afraid to be around them because it is contagious disease. Children are now immunized for it at birth so they cannot get it but those who have not been vaccinated could although it would be hard. So we didn't tell anyone except our family. We actually didn't tell them until we were home with Anna. We had to wait 6 months to travel to get Anna and the whole time we prayed that the referral paperwork was wrong, that she didn't have Hepatitis B..it was NOT.

We took Anna to an International Adoption clinic in Birmingham once we got home with her in March of 09 where they tested her for everything including Hep B; and a couple of weeks later we got a call saying she indeed had Hep B and not only that but it was very active. They told us we needed to start seeing a pediatric gastrointerologist. I started heavily researching and talked to some sweet ladies who had adopted children with Hep B and they gave me a peace saying it was a pretty easy special need to deal with. Basically in their child it was something they monitored every six months by having blood taken and that was all they had to do at that point.. For 75% of people with Hep B it stays dormant and they live a long live but for the other 25% it is active and attacks the liver causing liver damage, possible transplant and even early death. We prayed and claimed that Anna would be a part of the 75% who lived a long life. We then met with a Peds GI doctor locally and she told us basically what I explained above and that right now they would monitor Anna's blood and if they saw that it was staying active they would refer us. Hep B is a disease that children NEVER clear, they are NEVER healed from it. So we left that doctor's office having a peace that Anna was a part of the 75% that would always have it but that it wouldn't affect her and she would live a long life, be able to get married, and have children. In September, it was time to have her blood tested again. We waited and about two weeks later we got a call from the Ped GI office saying that they were referring us to a specialist in Birmingham. The doctor here wouldn't meet with us and told us we needed to take the referral and go because she felt like she didn't have the therapy/treatment Anna would need; and if she needed a transplant they would be able to do it at this hospital....TRANSPLANT?????? We started freaking out. We thought she was fine. Surely this nurse didn't understand and she even admitted so on the phone so we waited for November to meet the specialist. In the meantime our pediatrician saw us and I told him everything that had been going on with Anna's Hep B and he told us he didn't understand why we were being referred already and he would call the GI doctor and see. He called us right before we left for Birmingham and told us this was basically a visit to meet the specialist and start building a relationship with him so we went thinking all is well.......

Well we were wrong. We met with him Wednesday before Thanksgiving to hear the worst news we could possibly hear. According to this specialist, Anna was not part of the 75% but a part of the 25% who would need a transplant and would probably not live a long life. He told us that her viral count was in the millions, her liver enzymes were up which meant there was liver damage already. We were FLOORED and shocked and devastated. He took blood then and told us he wanted us to come back in 6 weeks to do a liver ultrasound so they could see the extent of the damage to her liver. Also he was going to talk to some other hepatologist and get their opinion about what would be the best course of treatment for Anna and what medicine she would need to start on....neither medicines would cure her but one of the medicines would hopefully bring her numbers down so she possibly could live a long life. But the specialist wanted to make sure we understood that the path we were on now was not good.

Needless to say we cried and cried and cried over the next 6 weeks. It definitely put a damper on our first Thanksgiving and Christmas with Anna. So we went back January 6th scared to death but trusting that whatever lay ahead God would get us through. We first had the ultrasound and the technician took pictures of everything in Anna. I was worried sick wondering why it was taking so long. We then had over an hour to wait to see the doctor. My mom met us there to be an emotional support fearing what the doctor had to say. Well in walks the doctor and he says "I don't know how to explain it but she doesn't have HEP B. " He asked us "Do you pray?" We started crying and laughing and I kept saying "GOD HEALED HER" Scott than said, "Well we have done research and understand that the viral load can fluctuate and get low," and the doctor looked at Scott and said "You don't understand her viral load is ZERO" "She doesn't have Hep B anymore!" He said he has never seen this before and he can't explain it. We just kept telling him Our God healed Anna. He agreed but said he wanted to run two more test on her and that is what they did a few weeks later and do you know what CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN.....HER BLOOD IS CLEAN!!!!!!

God cares, God heals, God loves us beyond what we could ever imagine. As much as I love my sweet Anna Banana- God loves her more and MAN AM I EXCITED TO SEE WHAT GOD HAS IN STORE FOR OUR MIRACLE GIRL. God is good.

Almost a Year-11 Months

11 months down one to go till we have had Anna Banana for an entire year. God is so good to us. We quickly went and got Chinese tonight because it is so stinkin cold. We aren't use to this type of cold in Mississippi. So cold and no snow. It isn't right. It is supposed to stay freezing cold for the next couple of days so we won't be doing a whole lot this weekend. Just enjoy being a family of 3 and snuggle together.

I mentioned a couple of post ago about an issue that I didn't feel at liberty to discuss but seriously needed prayers for peace and wisdom. Let me tell you we serve a God of miracles!!! He performed the biggest miracle we have ever experienced and gave a blessing we did not expect. God is so good. I wish at this time I could give more details but right now I can't. However in a couple of months I hope God gives me the freedom to fully explain how GREAT our God is and how He is so loving toward his children.

If you don't know the Lord or if you are going through something hard and hopeless please take it from someone who has been there. God is alive, He cares and He loves you more than you can ever know. He cares about your problems and He is working ALL THINGS FOR HIS GOOD!!!

I can't thank our Heavenly Father enough not just for Anna but for the MAJOR MIRACLE he performed. God is soooooooooooooo Good!!!

What a truly blessed Christmas

Everything I hoped it would be. That would be how to best describe our first Christmas with Anna home. We couldn't have been blessed more. What a truly awesome Christmas present to have our sweet daughter home for Christmas. No more wondering when we would be parents or wondering what she would look like or wondering what Christmas morning would be like. We got to experience it and it was great!

Anna really understood more than we thought she would about Christmas. She was excited about Santa coming, not too happy about Santa getting the cookies and milk and she didn't but very happy Christmas morning to wake up walk out to the living room and see all that she got for Christmas. She seemed a little shocked at first but then she took it all in and had a blast. She went right for her play kitchen and after a few minutes she noticed her Minnie Mouse doll under the tree. Then she started ripping left and right opening all her gifts. It was truly magical to watch it all. We then went to Birmingham and enjoyed a few days with my side of the family..well some of my side. We then came back to Mississippi to spend some time with Scott's side of the family. We had a great time with them as well. Now to find a place to put all the new toys....what a great problem to have :). So that's all for now. Truly a blessed Christmas.

10 Wonderful Months

We have been together as three for ten wonderful months. We went and got our usual Chinese after Anna's speech therapy session. She did really well today trying to sound out new words. I know it won't be long before she is talking up a storm.

I can't believe it has been 10 months. It has gone so incredibly fast. I know we'll be looking back and ten years will have gone by before we know it. I can't say it enough...God has truly blessed us. Please continue to pray for God's guidance for us as we walk along this journey God has laid before us. Next post will be Christmas YEAH!!!!!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Last night it snowed at our house. We went out to dinner and then we decided to drive around and look at Christmas lights. We made a pit stop by Chickfila for a chocolate shake and when we got there we looked in the back seat and Anna was zonked out so she missed the Christmas lights and the snow but thankfully the ground was covered in it this morning. So we all bundled up and headed outdoors. Anna didn't like walking in it but she did like to catch it as it fell from the trees....too cute.

I'm sorry it has been awhile since I blogged. It has been crazy busy around our house. We headed to Birmingham for Thanksgiving and had a wonderful time with some of my side of the family. Anna got to play with her cousins Elijah, Tyler and Izzy so she had a ball. We ate too much and truly enjoyed spending a few days off with family. It was our first Thanksgiving with Anna and we look forward to many, many more.

As we approach Christmas I can't stop thinking about all the Christmases that came and went while we waited for God to bless us with a child. This Christmas is so special to us. We finally get to do all the fun Christmas traditions with our sweet Anna Banana. We took her to see Santa and she did better than I expected. Like I mentioned earlier we took her to see lights and she missed it by sleeping but we'll go see some more. We are looking forward to Christmas morning. There is nothing like seeing Christmas through a child's eyes. It is truly a magical thing.

We thank God for a sweet miracle. Everyday God shows us just what a treasure Anna truly is. We are working on speech therapy. Her therapist is a very sweet lady that Scott and I joke about is a grown up Anna. She is so bubbly and happy a truly good fit for Anna. We have already seen some improvements in Anna's speech. Please pray that God will loose Anna's tongue and that she'll be able to start saying the sounds she needs to say to put together English words. She is babbling her own "Anna" language a ton but we need her to start speaking a language we understand...and she is trying so I know before we know it she'll be speaking up a storm. There are other obstacles we are facing as we go down this journey and I don't feel at freedom to discuss them except that we covet your prayers. God knows what I am speaking of and I know that He is in control but even still this mama's heart really needs to feel God's presence in a way I never have before as we walk down this new part of the journey. We are truly blessed this Christmas season to have our sweet girl. Thank you Jesus.

9 Months Together

This was Baba's day to keep Anna

Both my babies not feeling well :(

Sweet baby having to do breathing treatments...she did a great job

Where does the time go? Today we celebrated (as best you can when you are sick) the fact that we have had our sweet Anna Banana for 9 months today. I cannot say enough how much I love this sweet little girl. I don't know why God chose to bless us so richly but all I can say is Thank you Father.

Poor Anna has been through the ringer this past week. She had RSV. We have done breathing treatments for a week now and she is finally feeling better just in time for her Baba to possibly get the flu. Please be praying that sickness will leave our house and move on. We went to the after hours clinic today for Scott and he possibly has the flu...yuck! I kept Anna home Monday through Wednesday last week and then Scott pulled duty for Thursday and Friday and now it looks like he'll be away from work another week.

We of course didn't get to the Chinese place today so we have just celebrated at home. We did all feel good yesterday so we took a day trip to Natchez and went to a little local Italian place. It was very good. And we walked around, got some fresh air and a few pictures. So I'll share those since no one felt like taking pictures today.