And Then There Were Three

The time has come! Myla Grant will be here on Monday. I can hardly believe it's time! So much has happened during this pregnancy that we haven't been left with a lot of time to really focus on the each moment like we did when we were expecting Adair. Essentially, we spent the better part of the last nine months expecting two daughters and the last two getting to know our middle child. These months have been so special. We have experienced more joy and change than we could have ever dreamt possible.

I'll be the first to admit that adding a 21 month old and a newborn to our family in a matter of two months wasn't my plan, but we serve an amazing God who always knows what is best for us. We have experienced His love, kindness and faithfulness in ways we might not have in another situation. He is so good and at this very moment I cannot imagine life any other way.

Adair is the BEST big sister and is SO excited to add Myla Grant to the mix. Emalyn is precious and has truly fit into our family in a way only God could have ordained. She has adjusted wonderfully and brings us so much laughter and joy with her electric personality. We firmly believe that (despite the fact that she did not grow in my womb) God created her for our family, to join us at exactly this time (eight short weeks before her baby sister) and to be a little sister to Adair and a big sister to Myla Grant.

Now, don't get me wrong, we are not crazy enough to think that it will be all "sunshine and roses" after Monday. We know it will be hard; we know we will be tired; we know we will be out numbered. But we also know that we are exactly where the Lord would have us and we are leaning on the Him, trusting Him to be our strength and give rest to the weary.

Please continue to lift us up as we transition to a family five. Pray for a safe, quick delivery, a healthy baby girl, and for Emalyn while she is apart from me. Please also pray for our big girls as they learn to share their mommy and daddy with another sister. We covet your prayers and your support during this amazing time in our family's life!

I can't believe in two short days we will become the parents of three little girls!


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Easter Sunday

Despite the chaos of life as we know it right now, this Easter season was very special was very special for two reasons. First, because Emalyn is here. This was her first Easter. This was her first time to experience the joy of this holiday and to hear the Easter story. It is my prayer that as she grows and begins to understand the gospel, she will come to see how monumental Easter is and why we celebrate this season. I pray she will seek out Jesus, accept Him as her savior and love him and develop a deep personal relationship with Him. Obviously, my prayer is the same for Adair and Myla Grant.

The second reason this Easter was so special is that Adair so in tune with what Easter is all about. She knows the full story (no more glossing over the "hard to explain" parts), she asks great questions about Jesus and she is beginning to see the need for Him in her life.

We enjoyed a wonderful service at church yesterday (and Emalyn made it through the whole thing and was remarkably quiet).  Our pastor, Tim, delivered a monologue as Thomas all about believing.  It was a great way to remember Jesus's life, death, and resurrection.

After church we had lunch with my parents and grandmother, then had fun at home with our own egg hunt and opening Easter baskets.  The girls both had so much fun running around the yard, opening each egg and exploring their new goodies.

Pinterest Easter Fun

I am not ashamed to admit that I am addicted to Pinterest.  Hank picks on me every time I mention it, but the truth is, I have gotten a lot of great ideas there...especially activities, crafts and games for Adair and Emalyn. 

Leading up to Easter, I pinned lots of ideas that I knew we wouldn't get around to this year, but that might be fun in the future.  I did, however, attempt a few fun things with the girls today.  One was what I would call a big success, the other...not so much.

First, we decorated eggs with glue dots and glitter.  I guess we should have stuck with dying them.  The idea was great, but we ended up dropping and breaking more eggs than we decorated and had a hard time getting the glue dots to stick to the eggs.  Adair became frustrated and was quickly "over" this activity.  We did manage to create a few polka dotted eggs, but I think we'll go with tradition next year.

Adair and Emalyn with our four decorated eggs.

After decorating eggs, I hid eggs for the girls to hunt that held their lunch menu for the day.  They both had a blast hunting the eggs and peaking inside each one to see what it held, not to mention lunching on the porch!  Adair keeps asking to do this again and again.  Definitely a hit and something we will do again next year...more than once!

Adair hunting her lunch.

Emalyn with her lunch egg and "purse" basket.

Ready for lunch.

Finding out what's inside.

Grapes are her favorite...they were the first to go.

Myla Grant is Coming Soon!

It's hard to believe that it's already April 5! I feel like we just found out Myla Grant was coming and saw Emalyn's sweet face for the first time. And look where we are now, Emalyn has been in our arms for almost seven weeks and Myla Grant arrives this month!

I am already progressing, so my OB thinks we'll meet our third baby girl within the next week and a half or so! If Emalyn hadn't transitioned as well as she as and/or if she hadn't bounced back so well from surgery that would make me extremely nervous! We are so thankful for the perfect plan God has for our family! He definitely created Emalyn and her easygoing, flexible personality for our family knowing exactly how He was knitting our family together! We are trusting in God's timing and anxiously awaiting the arrival of our precious third daughter!

Adair continues to be such a sweet big sister to Emalyn and cannot wait for Myla Grant to make her appearance. Today I was explaining to her that it would just be a few more "school days" (that's how we measure a lot of things...going to Disney World, leaving for China to bring Emalyn home, and now Myla Grant's birth) until her baby sister came and she got so, so excited! She became giddy and started kicking her feet and singing "Myla Grant is coming, Myla Grant is coming". When I picked her up at school today, I could tell she was still excited and had been talking about Myla Grant to her friends at school. I love that she's is so ready to meet her other sister!

Please pray that Adair's enthusiasm continues after Myla Grant is here! Please also pray for the nights I will have to be away from Emalyn; for Hank and my mom to be able to comfort her and that she will allow them both to meet her needs (especially at bedtime), but that she won't reject me when I am back home; and that she will adjust as well to being a big sister as she has to everything else. We would also covet your prayers for our family of four as we prepare to become five and for a healthy delivery and baby girl. Thank you for your faithfulness to pray and love us!

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Resilient, She Is!

Emalyn slept all night at the hospital despite the arm splints and occasional nurse coming in to check her vitals. She woke up at 6:00 am, happy and obviously desperate to escape her hospital room. I have to admit, by then, we were all ready to escape! She ran and climbed as much as she could while hooked to an IV.

About 8:30 am, Dr. Ray's resident, Liana, came by to check on Emalyn, answer any questions we had, and sign her discharge papers. She gave us a few instructions about eating (with only two stitches inside her lip, she can have anything she's willing to eat; we don't have to stick to soft foods only), drinking (same as eating and she can use her usual sippy cup), sun exposure (sun screen every time we are outside to protect the scar and help reduce it), etc. and commented time and again on how good her repair looked. After she signed off on Emalyn's discharge, the nurse completed her paperwork and we headed home.

She definitely amazes me! One day following surgery she was pretty much her usual self, aside from the swelling. I think I was more worn down than Emalyn was!

She has bounced back so quickly and her lip is healing very fast! It's day four now and I can hardly believe how much it has healed! It even looks like some of her stitches are starting to dissolve. She is still swollen, has developed some bruising on her upper lip and seems to be a little more tender today, but she's going full speed ahead, just the same. They sent us home with Tylenol with codeine for pain, which we have given her at night, but Motrin seems to manage her pain well during the day. There is still a long road ahead, but it's great to see so much progress and to see her personality shining.

Resilient, she is! I wish adults were as resilient as children. I'm sure that if I'd been the one to undergo surgery, I would want to lay low and whine about feeling bad...but not Emalyn! She is rocking and rolling as if nothing ever happened!

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Emalyn is a Rock Star

Today was Emalyn's big day. We had anticipated this day and, as prepared as we tried to be, we weren't sure what to expect. Don't get me wrong, we knew how the surgery should go, to expect her to be swollen, etc., but we didn't know how she would react to the hospital, anesthesia, or surgeon; what she would look like afterwards; how she would feel toward us after surgery; how long it would take for her to show her sweet personality afterwards; and on and on.

We woke up well before the sun came up to check in at Children's Hospital by 5:45 am. We waited a little while after we checked in, then were taken back to pre-op. Several people came by to introduce themselves and they all asked basically the same questions...is she allergic to anything, what time did she eat and drink last, etc. Finally, her surgeon, Dr. Ray (who has a daughter the same age who is adopted from Taiwan) came by to say 'hi' and tell us what to expect. About 7:15 am her nurse came to get her and she was off. She did great when they took her back. She was hesitant to go with her, but never cried. Thus, the waiting began.

It was amazing the overwhelming peace we both had. We kept looking at each other and saying, "shouldn't we be more anxious?". God is good and, just like always, His presence was evident today. We are so grateful for His faithfulness and so thankful for a place like Children's! God has equipped this place with so much talent and people who care and it's truly a joy to be amongst the precious people here.

About 25 minutes after Emalyn went back they called to say she had done well with anesthesia, was asleep and they were getting started. By 9:00 am the nurse called with our first update (short and sweet: doing great, as expected) and by 9:40 am Dr. Ray was out of the OR and delivering an update to us in person.

He was very pleased with how her surgery went. He was able to close her lip, reattach the muscles, make her nose more symmetrical and her nostrils level. She'll have one scar that will fade over time. There are three layers of stitches and most of them will dissolve in four to five days. Just a few of them, those in the most crucial places like the base of her nose and her lip, will take two to three weeks to dissolve.

We waited a little longer for her to wake up in recovery (despite our graveling, they wouldn't allow us to be with her in recovery) and then were lead to her room. When we got there she had just arrived and was in the hallway on her bed. She tried to smile a little tired smile when she saw us and when I held my hands out to pick her up she reached for me with her stiff (splinted) little arms. Both were heart warming and a relief!
We were amazed at her appearance from the second we saw her. Her little eyes, cheeks and lips were very swollen, but beneath the swelling we could already tell that Dr. Ray had done a beautiful job on her repair.

Since she's been back in our arms she's done remarkably well. Everything except the stitches have annoyed her, but she's been tolerant. She strongly dislikes the blood pressure cuff, pulse sensor, splints and IV, but hasn't noticed the stitches yet. Her lip is numb right now, so hopefully she won't discover them and start picking at them. If she does she'll have to wear her splints a lot more than she did today, because she won't be able to feel all of the pain of pulling on them.
The nurses, her surgeon and the staff here have been amazing and they are doing a great job managing her pain and are giving her great care.

When Dr. Ray came by this afternoon to check on her, he brought a sweet teddy bear from the Cleft Foundation that also has stitches in her lip. He was very encouraging and kept telling Emalyn over and over how beautiful she is.

Adair, Nona and Joe-pa came by to visit this evening. Adair was very curious about the tubes and stitches, but so sweet and compassionate. After they left and before bedtime, we ventured out (IV in tow) for a little walk. Emalyn insisted on riding in the red wagon, so we strolled for a few minutes. I think she enjoyed a change of scenery...we all did.

As I type, Emalyn is sound asleep in her hospital crib. We're all hoping to get a little sleep tonight and we look forward to heading home tomorrow.

Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for us as she recovers and we comfort and care for her. We are so thankful for today and thankful she seems to be recovering so well. It's truly amazing how resilient children are! God is so good!

Entertained by Daddy's glove balloon.

Happy girl pre-op.

Last "before" picture.

Mommy, Emalyn and Daddy pre-op.

Swollen and tired post-op.

Not so happy with all the cords.

Enjoying a little ice cream after two containers of yogurt.

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A Special Palm Sunday

Yesterday was a very sweet Palm Sunday.  After six long weeks away from church, I went back and we took Emalyn for the very first time.  It was wonderful to be back in the "arms" of our sweet community group and to be amoungst those who have provided so much prayer support, encouragement and love over these past weeks and months.  It was also so refreshing to worship and hear God's word. 

Emalyn loved being there and did very well.  She was a little noisy (happy noises) during community group, so she and I spent a good bit of time walking the hallway.  After community group we went into the service with plans to leave and watch the sermon on the screen in the "cry room" after praise and worship, but she fell asleep in the sling, so we made it through 3/4 of the service before we had to leave.

As I listened to our pastor, Tim, I was reminded, once again, of our redemption in Christ and couldn't help but think that this is just the first chapter in Emalyn's redemption story.  God is so gracious and so good.  We have been overwhelmed by His presence throughout the last weeks and months.  I am so thankful that we got to bring Emalyn home so close to Easter and that Easter is the first holiday we will celebrate with her. 

It is humbling to think that, while MY sin nailed MY Christ to the cross, He went their willingly because His love for ME!  As we approach Easter, I have enjoyed many opportunties to talk with Adair about the cross.  It is so neat to see the little wheels turning and to see her knowledge of her need for Jesus grow. 

After church, we enjoyed a fun (yet, chaotic) picnic and Easter egg hunt.  Both girls had a blast "hunting eggs", but Emalyn's favorite activity was running up and down a small hill.  Adair was a little disappointed that she only got a few eggs (due to her pickiness about colors and characters) to which I responded..."but when you only get a few you get to eat all of the candy right away."  That seemed to satisfy her. 

Today she went to Easter egg hunt round two while with all of her sweet friends from church.  I am so thankful for precious friends who made sure Adair had a great time while we took care of baby sister after her surgery.  Thank you, Alicia, Caroline and Clark, for making sure Adair didn't miss the fun and to Melissa, Stacey, Kelley and everyone who made her feel welcome and loved.  She talked and talked about the eggs, treats and playing with friends. 

 

First find.

So excited!

Excitedly pointing at Adair.

Ready, set, go!

Easter basket or purse?

Checking out the big girls eggs.

She loves to wear sunglasses!

Sharing skittles...this was Emalyn's first skittle and her last for a while...she was an orange, sticky mess!

Family of four...going on five!

Here Lately

We have all really enjoyed the beautiful weather God has given us lately!  We've enjoyed being outside a lot and had fun with in door activities, too.  Emalyn is becoming more and more comfortable with activities and environments that are very sensory...concrete, grass, seesawing, etc.  It's incredible to watch her grow and change!  Here's what we've been up to, here lately.

Blowing dandelions...

Adair is obsessed with dandelions and loves blowing them for Emalyn. 

We've been on many, many dandelion hunts around our neighborhood.

Wrestling in the floor and laughing until our tummies hurt...

Decorating our Easter tree...

Emalyn wasn't too sure about helping with this holiday project.

Coloring, coloring, coloring...

Cuddling and rocking with Mommy...

Emalyn usually isn't too sure about sharing me with Adair, but she was perfectly content on this night.  I guess in a way she was sharing my lap with both of her sisters...excuse the big...no, huge...baby belly!

Seesawing...

This was the first time Emalyn was comfortable on the seesaw.  She loves it now and points to get on it every time we go outside.  Quite alot of progress from the little girl who used to refuse to walk in the grass, swing or seesaw.  Next up...sliding!

Playing hop scotch...

Adair loves to draw a hop scotch board and jump until her heart's content. 

I love how serious she looks in these pictures.

Emalyn loves to try to join in...it won't be long before she hopping, too!

Picking flowers...well, clover...

Our neighbors yard is full of clover and Emalyn loves to toddle over and

pick the "flowers" one at a bring them to Adair.  Sweet sisters!

What's in a name?

People often ask us about our girls' names and it occurred to me that how we selected their names is something I want to have recorded for them when they ask the same question.

Sydney Adair

When we were naming Adair, we really wanted a meaningful name and one that wasn't super common. We knew we would like to name her (at least one name) after someone who was special to us and someone we would like for her to become like. So, we searched all of the popular books and our family histories.

One day I came across the name Adair as a last name in the genealogy of my Mom's family. We both liked it and added it to the growing list of baby names. A few days later, while visiting my dad's mom, we mentioned it to my uncle. He quickly gestured to the Lightsey family Bible that records births, marriages and deaths dating back to the late 1800's and said he thought that name was also in their. And it was, but as a first name. As we talked about it, we decided that was definitely the name and what we would call her.

Adair flowed perfectly with Sydney (Sidney), which is my dad's first name and he was, of course, at the top of our list of people to name her after.

Emalyn Mae Qing

Perhaps with each child choosing a name becomes more difficult, because Emalyn's name didn't come to us as easily as Adair's. We knew from the outset of the adoption process that we were adopting a girl, so we started a list of names early on. For the longest time none of the names on our list stuck out or seemed right. We wanted to use another family name and another uncommon name, but felt our options were somewhat limited. I can remember being at dinner one night with two close friends and mentioning several names to them. They both really liked Emalyn and thought it was a good "sister name" to Adair. Soon we had talked over names so much that Adair started injecting her opinion and Emalyn was always on top of her list. Eventually, Adair began to tell people that her sister was in China and her name was Emalyn. Needless to say, it stuck and we all fell in love with it. I like to say that Adair named her sister, because, while we suggested it, it was Adair that took to it first and wouldn't let it go.

As for her middle names, Mae is after both of our great grandmothers. Annie Mae was my dad's father's mother and Margie Mae was Hank's mom's father's mother. Cen Si Qing is Emalyn's Chinese name. Qing (pronounced Cheen) means 'to celebrate' and we genuinely do celebrate her and our gracious God who knit her together...we celebrate that she was given life in a culture where it would have been easy to take it; we celebrate that she is ours, created and designed to be the missing link in our family; and we celebrate God's grace in her life. So, it seemed only fitting to keep it as part of our name for her.

Myla Grant

Hank and I had a hard time agreeing on a name for daughter number three. We each had names we liked, but couldn't get on the same page. The funny thing is that, this time, my favorite name had no significance at all. As you can tell from our other girls' names, that was not like me. Myla Grant was Hank's favorite and now, looking back, I can't imagine using my favorite and I'm so thankful Hank was stubborn enough not to give in to me. I love double names and we love this combination, so she will be called Myla Grant.

Myla is short for Mildred and, while we decided not to officially name her Mildred, she is named for my grandmother. My mom's mom, Johnnie Mildred, passed away a year after Hank and I were married. She was one of the most selfless, giving and loving people I have ever known. She didn't have much money, but would give a perfect stranger the shirt of her back if they needed it. We would love for Myla Grant to possess her gentle spirit and selfless heart.

Hank and I were introduced by two dear friends of ours, the Grants. Since we got married, we've teased them that the least we could do to honor them is to name our first born after them. When our first child, second child and third child turned out to be girls, Grant went to the top of the list for a girl. It is an honor to have these two dear people in our lives and we are excited that Myla Grant will bear their name.

Names are very special and carry a lot of meaning. With each name we feel a tremendous responsibility when choosing it. Our girls may dislike their names someday, but we hope they'll always treasure the thought that went into choosing them and those for which they were named.

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Emalyn's Surgery is Monday

Emalyn is having her cleft lip repaired on Monday.  I have to admit, I have mixed feelings about it.  This precious face is the one we first fell in love with...

And this is the sweet face that kept us going while we anxiously completed the last few pieces of paperwork and waited to bring her home...

And this is the face we have kissed on for the past six weeks and grown to love more and more every day...

Emalyn's cleft lip is what landed her on the "special needs" adoption list and, most likely, contributed to her abadonment.  And, while both circumstances sadden me, I firmly believe God designed and created her perfectly exactly the way she is and that He created her for our family.  Without her cleft lip, many other pieces may have never fallen into place for us to find our little girl. 

We love the face of our daughter.  In our eyes she is absolutely perfect.  I know having her lip repaired will improve her quality of life and, in many ways, protect her from teasing and funny looks and questions, but we do think she is perfect and we are thankful for her "special need" (ha-if you can call it that) that played a role in bringing her into our arms.  We are thankful for how God used her cleft lip to connect us to her.

In many ways, I think we are crazy for trying to squeeze surgery in before Myla Grant arrives, but in others, I think we will be glad we did.  Please pray for our sweet baby girl on Monday!  Pray that we will have wisdom in how to care for her and pray that this would not set her back in attachment and bonding.