We met the twins in China, and instantly fell in love! They were so much happier, healthier, and more active than we ever imagined! They were VERY tiny.....we had packed them size 2T and 3T clothing, since they are 3 1/2, and we ended up having to buy them size 12 months in China! They cried when they first met us....they were so afraid! The room was full of people, full of nervous kids, and it was overwhelming. But after playing with them few minutes, they finally relaxed. We quickly realized that we had them pegged wrong. From their descriptions, we expected Wu (who is more disabled) to be the more timid, more needy one. Not the case. He is all about being the boss. He is smart, sassy, and he definitely takes care of his brother Wen. Wen's nannies told us he was the whiney one, and they were right! LOL He is goofier and silly, but also the one who needs someone to love on him and take care of him. They are so well bonded. They talk to each other constantly, encourage each other constantly, and cannot stand to be apart. There was a time in China, when they snuck behind a floor lamp, and they were having this adorable conversation about us. It was so cute. They were pointing at us, and chatting back and forth. They must have decided we were ok, because it wasn't long before they were jumping on daddy and snuggling me! They have adjusted SO well it is amazing. They are absolutely beautiful, loving, sweet boys, who are incredibly smart and talented. They love to sing and learn. Yes, we have had some rocking temper tantrums, mostly out of Mr. Wu, but nothing that we cannot handle. And he is always ready for a snuggle when they are over!
Daley Faith had some surgery this month. Her seizures have become a huge issue, with the intensity and frequency increasing over the past few months. So, we had a Vagal Nerve Stimulator inserted into her chest. It was just activated 2 weeks ago, and we are already seeing a difference in the length of her seizures. Every 2 weeks we will increase the intensity of the VNS until we have a good control over her seizures. I am very encouraged that this is a much better answer to the epilepsy than increasing and adding more drugs, which just make her dopey and tired all of the time.
Meng Yan also had some surgery! Shortly after bringing the twins home, she began to complain of belly aches, especially at night, after dinner. I kinda thought it might be a bit of jealousy, so I spent some extra time snuggling her and reading with her in the evenings. The pains continued, so we finally did an ultrasound, to check her belly, and low and behold, we found gall stones. LOTS of gall stones. An unfortunate side affect of having Beta Thalassemia. So, last week she had her gall bladder removed. She had a lot of pain for a few days, but today was mad because I would not let her play at her basketball game! She is a trooper!
Keagan and Bronwyn have been insanely busy, as they are both playing basketball for Decatur Christian and UPWARDS with our church. Toby, Rory, and Meng are also playing UPWARDS basketball. I LOVE going to basketball games, but I think I have seen my fair share this year, and I am looking forward to having my nights free again! But they have all had a great season!
Brianna and Britt are doing well. Brianna continues to be the class clown, and Britt is certainly making a name for herself with her amazing artwork. Britt has been struggling with a lot of garbage from her past, but we are praying hard that satan would be bound, and her spirit would heal. God has big plans for these girls, and I am excited to be a small part of it!
Patrick has also been struggling. He and Danyne broke up while we were in China. I did not take it well, as I dearly love Danyne. Always thought I would have her as a daughter-in-law (and secretly still hope to!). Patrick has struggled finding a job. He was hired by a company before Christmas, but they currently have no welding contracts, so he has yet to begin work. He interviewed with another company last week, and has some more testing to do for them on Tuesday. I pray God puts him in a good place, the right place where he will have the influence of Godly men. He is trying to figure out his path in this world, and it needs to be a Godly path. He has such amazing potential!
Brian is doing well at Hoyleton. He was able to come visit over Christmas, and it was really good to see him. For a while he was calling me every night, which was great. Lately, however, I have not heard from him as much. He told me he "forgot about me", which broke my heart! But, I guess that it is good that he is staying busy and active. Despite everything that has happened with Brian, I do miss him very much. I hope he can someday come back to our home, but if not, I hope we will always maintain a healthy relationship with him.
Brogan, Zachary, and Landon will be visiting next week! I am SO excited! They are moving to Minneapolis, and will be staying with us for a week, while they wait for the moving truck to meet them. I am so excited to see them all! And I am also so excited that they will be so much closer! They will be 7 hours away, instead of 17 hours away! Still not close enough, but I will take it!
Ok, now here is the crazy news. No, I am not adopting again, At least not yet! There is this little boy named Teddy, that Dale and I have been sponsoring for about 4 years. He is from Meng's orphanage in China. Teddy is a lot like my Daley. He cannot speak, sit up, and does not interact much. He is dying. He is 7 years old and weighs less than 14 pounds. It is KILLING me. I actually send his info to my caseworker and begged her to approve me to go get him, but she cannot. I cannot even apply to adopt him until the twins have been home 12 months, which would be October. He won't be alive in October at the rate he is failing. I cannot just let him die. So, with the help of some friends, I have made arrangements to get him a high calorie nutrition supplement in China. IT is expensive....about $350 for a 2 month supply. I am seeking donations towards this formula, as it is too much for me to pay for alone. I had a lot of wonderful people contribute last month, so we have the first 2 months paid for. If this formula does not help him gain weight, then it will cost about $1200 to have a tube put into Teddy, and another $150 to train the nannies to use it. And the crazier thing is that I totally feel in my spirit that I need to go spend some time with him. So, the last week of May, Meng and I are heading to China! She will get to see the nannies who loved her and cared for her, and I will get to meet and love on Teddy. And Dale will get to hold down the fort while I am gone! LOL
Ok, I have SO much more to catch up on, but I gotta get some sleep! Love you all, thanks for checking in!
A
