Tuesday, June 23, 2015
xiexie
it seems we have already instilled good manners in our little babe. she's started saying "xiexie" or thank you. it's the funniest thing. and with a perfect tone, unlike her mama. she is also fond of "wei," which is used when answering the telephone. she holds her hand (or fork, or monitor) to her cheek when she says it, imitating us answering the phone. funny what they pick up and start to mimic. when you call her name, she points to herself, so her comprehension is getting better. she has a hearing test on monday to make sure any delays aren't because of auditory problems. in the meantime, it's clear she's starting to pick things up. looking forward to seeing what her next words will be!
Monday, June 15, 2015
grateful
i cannot say enough about the wonderful, wonderful weather we've been having. it's ridiculously amazing. what's that, you came here to read about the baby? well, okay.
she is FINALLY gaining weight! you cannot imagine the joy i experienced when the doctor told me her weight at her last appointment. she's on her 3rd infection, still has symptoms of giardia and currently has 2 molars coming in. but she's growing! at last! her walking is improving, and she is all over the place. she's getting much more accepting of grass (she voluntarily walked in it today) and even of water and cold foods. things are looking up!
today i learned from our adoption agency that international adoptions by americans have dropped by 70% in the last decade. i imagine there are a lot of reasons for this, but the one they point to is the fact that international adoption no longer means bringing home a "healthy infant." today, the children waiting for families are those with special health needs, most of whom are aged 5 and up. these needs are all across the spectrum, but apparently must be a turn off for people who may have considered adoption, otherwise.
of course we knew this information going into the process, but i cannot tell you how unprepared i was to read about so many children with serious needs (through the agency's blog and other announcements. families don't scroll through kids and read about them and pick their favorite. not how adoption works.), but also their incredible spirits. looking into the face of my own daughter, i am amazed at the resiliency of children - children who have suffered and hurt and experienced unbelievable loss during the most important periods of their lives.
every day i am so grateful that i trusted myself (and that anthony did, too) and chose adoption. we are so lucky to have been on this journey and to now continue it with Yun.
she is FINALLY gaining weight! you cannot imagine the joy i experienced when the doctor told me her weight at her last appointment. she's on her 3rd infection, still has symptoms of giardia and currently has 2 molars coming in. but she's growing! at last! her walking is improving, and she is all over the place. she's getting much more accepting of grass (she voluntarily walked in it today) and even of water and cold foods. things are looking up!
today i learned from our adoption agency that international adoptions by americans have dropped by 70% in the last decade. i imagine there are a lot of reasons for this, but the one they point to is the fact that international adoption no longer means bringing home a "healthy infant." today, the children waiting for families are those with special health needs, most of whom are aged 5 and up. these needs are all across the spectrum, but apparently must be a turn off for people who may have considered adoption, otherwise.
of course we knew this information going into the process, but i cannot tell you how unprepared i was to read about so many children with serious needs (through the agency's blog and other announcements. families don't scroll through kids and read about them and pick their favorite. not how adoption works.), but also their incredible spirits. looking into the face of my own daughter, i am amazed at the resiliency of children - children who have suffered and hurt and experienced unbelievable loss during the most important periods of their lives.
every day i am so grateful that i trusted myself (and that anthony did, too) and chose adoption. we are so lucky to have been on this journey and to now continue it with Yun.
Friday, June 5, 2015
baby steps
since my last post my computer crashed and my phone took a swim in the toilet. i was panicked because all my pictures are stored on the computer and i hadn't backed up since our china trip. i couldn't believe i lost all the pictures of my first moments with Yun (not to mention the last 15 years of my life, including our wedding). i ended up completely rebuilding my database, doing a bunch of updates and then backing up. fortunately it worked, but my hate for apple devices has only grown deeper.
the phone is another story. it died instantly and i was without for several days. i bought a new one but hadn't backed up in over 6 months, and despite restoring to that backup, lost every text, note, ibook, photo, etc. it was all gone. fortunately, i had sent videos of Yun's first steps to people and was able to recover that. phew! (again, hate has grown deeper.)
SO - Yun is walking!!! we're thrilled that she's making developmental progress. she's had lots of doctor's appointments, and things are looking good. her kidneys are good, and it appears we can hold off on surgery for now, if not altogether. she still has to get a bunch more screenings and more doctor's visits now scheduled into september, but fortunately she's doing well. she's not gaining weight and still has symptoms of giardia, which is troubling but not uncommon. we'll get her re-tested in about 2 weeks. in the meantime, we're hoping she starts feeling better. and starts sleeping. good god let this baby start sleeping through the night.
the phone is another story. it died instantly and i was without for several days. i bought a new one but hadn't backed up in over 6 months, and despite restoring to that backup, lost every text, note, ibook, photo, etc. it was all gone. fortunately, i had sent videos of Yun's first steps to people and was able to recover that. phew! (again, hate has grown deeper.)
SO - Yun is walking!!! we're thrilled that she's making developmental progress. she's had lots of doctor's appointments, and things are looking good. her kidneys are good, and it appears we can hold off on surgery for now, if not altogether. she still has to get a bunch more screenings and more doctor's visits now scheduled into september, but fortunately she's doing well. she's not gaining weight and still has symptoms of giardia, which is troubling but not uncommon. we'll get her re-tested in about 2 weeks. in the meantime, we're hoping she starts feeling better. and starts sleeping. good god let this baby start sleeping through the night.
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