I think he meant to hold up three fingers.=0)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                             We're talking monumental self-control here! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learning how to smile with her new mouth. Yes, i say the words "stinkin' adorable" a lot around our house.
I also am unapologetically sentimental, and this is one of the dresses my mom saved for me from when i was little. I believe the tag says newborn size!

Have i said 'Daddy's girl' before?? Why yes, she is!

Yes , they are ACTUALLY here Reed!
Thank You Jesus for all kinds of new life springing up around here....
with so much more unfolding all the time









 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My other 'baby' is not a baby anymore!

Oh how we would be TOO serious without our Judah!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just can't help it... one more gorgeous morning. Just gorgeous Lord- how do You get the pinks and purples 'just right' i want to know?

 

Happy Chinese New Year from the Lewises!

Our little princess finally had her stints removed last week and we seemed to almost have a new girl!

 We will see about how recovery goes after the palate surgery, since we have heard it is very difficult and .... well awful for a couple weeks for ALL involved. However at this point the stints seemed pretty miserable for Glory and horrid for us to have to medicate her nose and clean it often. It does not seem at all as sore now, although she still does not appreciate anyone touching her near her nose at all.  So very thankful for time at home! And yes even dreary days, which seem to lend to perfect chilly evenings just cuddling up with stories by the fire.  Or to be a little more realistic, there are also those evenings where we are all going a little stir crazy waiting for warm longer summer days, and instead run around like crazy banchies and attack Dad (quietly of course while mom puts Glory to bed.=0)  and wrestle the poor guy to the ground, 3:1

Chinese New Year party with other families from the area that have adopted from China. I did not include photos of the other families without permission.

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No Glory , No! At least go for a purple car or something!!  
Just kidding. Who knows. We might even have MORE Lightning McQueen birthdays on the horizon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, it was probably only 40 degrees in Cashmere today... but when your 3 year old says "what's a picnic" - it's time NOT to wait until it is warm to eat his lunch outside. I could see them perfectly well enough from the warm other side of the window...of COURSe i couldn't be out there with them since i needed to feed Glory.=0)




 

Best part of my day might have been finding a 'secret' early valentine from our Reedy on my rocking chair.

 

Happy Valentine's Day to you too! May you ponder God's love for YOU all day long!

 

Healing at home

Well, we are thankfully on the 'other side' of Glory's lip and nose healing ....for the first time.  It has been over 2 weeks now since she had her lip/nose/partial palate surgery at Children's hospital.

 

(This was Glory's favorite waiting room activity-playing through the fish tank with people )

 Everything went as planned and the medical staff were just so kind and patient with us, i mean Glory...=0)  she did great there and even slept... a little. Between Dan and i sleeping even less, makes me realize we are not getting any younger!! It is harder to catch up on sleep than the all-nighters one pulls in college to study!  Thankfully we were at a hospital in Seattle which means there were TWO Starbucks IN the building!=0) So seriously, if you don't call THAT a blessing i don't know what is!=0)

The surgery itself took about 3 hours and then they brought Glory to us in our room.  Hopefully next time i will think enough to take more pictures in the room and hospital just for anyone that might be reading this that will be there or is interested.

(I am quite sure mom was more nervous than Glory!- this was her last smile before it changed.=0)

Meet Dr. Jay-Glory likes him-That's all that matters, right?=0)

(Poor little one, this was so hard to see her so swollen and sore and teary and exhausted. We're not sure if she was so tired and crying from the pain or the weariness, or just not getting to eat all day.  She likes food! It was actually one of the hardest things that i hadn't expected, was not being able to give her food or drink most of the day.  So she was pretty excited to get that first bottle post surgery! This was one of the only times she has let herself fall asleep on me. It was a treasure!)

Glory is recovering well.   I think the thing that surprised me was just how large the stints were that they put in her nose. They will stay there at least until we go back in February. Right now they are so sore she will wake up in the night crying so hard- we are pretty sure she rolls over and rubs her nose on the bed on accident.  It is pretty darn tender and drippy but seems to be healing like normal.  Dr. Jay said when we went back to have her stitches taken out of her lip.

  It is so funny how tiny her mouth seems now that it is sewn together. Her whole face looks tinier. We are so thankful that she will be able to close her mouth all the way to be able to drink better and form words to talk,  but will miss that big smile and toothy grin! We can't decide which smile is cuter! 

The boys are still so sweet with her that we are counting it as one of THE biggest blessings of this transition and story in our family.  Zeke will rush over whenever we have to do the dreaded cleaning and medicine on Glory's face and talk to her and try to make her laugh.  Reed is making pictures for her almost daily and hiding them the little dresser in her room for when she is older to look at them.=0)  And Judah loves to be the first one to come in her room in the morning ringing with the most adorable drawn out 'Good MOrrrrning Glorrry' you ever did hear.=0)
Thank You Lord.
Just to be honest- we've ALL had 'our moments' but oh are the days filled with smiles and surprises to be sure. We can't wait for all the adventures awaiting 2013 with 3 mighty little warriors and one princess!

And a Happy New year to you!

May you have 'eyes' to see ALL His blessings on you this year!

And if you have any trouble at all finding them, perhaps writing them down in a 'gift list' from God could surprise you how many there are! 

For a JOYful start to your new year take a quick look here....

http://www.aholyexperience.com/joy-dares/

and may God bless you!

    

His mercies are new every morning...

These new days with 4 little (1 not so little =0)ones are FULL. That is the word of the day around here, but cannot be said without being - FULL of His MERCY and joy- or I wouldn't make it through! Through the busy crazy moments and tantrums, the moments full of precious interactions with brothers and sister, full of little surprises of His grace through meals from friends and family, blessings and prayers of encouragement.

Thank you for the beautiful sign boys! This sign as well as dinner in the crock pot and an 'extreme makeover' to our garage by my amazing father-in-law Pat, and a spotless house and reorganized cabinets by Thelma were waiting for us upon our return- and the list could go on about all our family! You are amazing. Thank you!

First moments home. Does she look scared to you? =0)

First visit at U.W. -with pediatric adoption specialist, Dr. Davies

Again....does she look scared to you?? Who laughs and smiles at being naked in a cold doctor office?

For those of you wondering, we took a day trip to Seattle this last Monday and had visits with Glory's doctor at U.W. , who is amazing and so great with Glory, and also a team of doctors that will help through all her surgeries to come if needed.  Yes, that is correct, if. We are not afraid to say we are always asking God to go ahead and get ALL the glory if He would like to just heal her without surgery, because He has the power to just do that! And if He chooses otherwise, the talented and compassionate medical team at Children's would be great to work with. Through the whole day Glory was amazingly happy and calm. The only horrible, heart-ripping part was having her blood drawn at U.W. This was necessary to see what kind of things she could have without us knowing, and also show which vaccines she was given in China.  But after those horrible minutes of being poked, she really allowed us to comfort her and she really seemed somehow more responsive to us. She was so exhausted from crying and the trauma of that i think, she 'passed out' in the car ride on our way over to Childrens, where we went next, and then ate just fine and laughed and bounced the rest of the day! I think we were more tired than she was by the time we headed over the mountains, and i really could be making this up, but she SEEMED to be happy to be home and went to bed immediately and i didn't hear a peep out of her! I am waiting for reality to set in and for her to start crying at everything because she just seems to be too easily comforted.....so i will just say THANK you God right now, and thank you for praying for us!
  We were just told today that her lip surgery is scheduled for January 3rd. We will go over for a pre-op appointment on the 31st and then go back and stay the 3rd and 4th. A week later the doctor would take out her stitches. Later in the year would be the more complicated surgery and healing of the palate.

Amazing Dr. Davies-They hit it off quickly, he is SO good with kids!

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Here are a few snapshots of our days filled with His glory and mercies!

Seriously??  Could she GET any cuter??

And this guy...I think there is more mischief in the Lewis household than i know what to do with...

...Does ANYONE know how to take a picture of 4 kids at the same time happily looking at the camera??I would love any tips....

This might be how most days go....

I LOVE these days!  My Reedy making art...music to my heart.

Brotherly love seems to have gone even deeper when we were gone. Judah wants to be with his cool amazing brother Zeke that can do almost ANYthing!=0)

First official daily walk, with Glory. Love it!