2 months

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17

On Saturday, November 2, I celebrated the fact that Jade and I have been a family for 2 months. I want you to know that it feels like she has been with me so much longer than just a mere 60 days. She continues to be such an angel. My mom keeps telling me how lucky I am. I know this is not luck but a blessing from my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This gift is so perfect that it could only come from Him.


Let's make them all talk at the same time!

Everyday she is trying new things. I can watch her for hours trying to figure out what she is going to think of next. The other day she decided that she was going to activate all the LeapFrog things on the refrigerator at the same time. She then stood back and chuckled at herself. She just cracks me up sometimes...ok...most of the time.


Dancing in the kitchen

She loves music. She loves dancing. She has figured out that if she stands infront of the dishwasher she can see her reflection in it while she dances. She received one of those cards that has music in it for her birthday. She likes when I sing to it and we added some "moves" to go with it. She will imitate anything I do! NOT ALWAYS a good thing but it definitely helps to keep me aware of all the things I shouldn't be doing. I think some dance classes may be in her future.


Dancing to her Fridge DJ

Every morning we have our little rituals. The first thing when she wakes up, she asks me "How are you?". The next question I get as we go downstairs is "Cheerios?". I make my coffee while she sits next to the fridge with her Cheerios and her drink (aka "shui" pronounced "shway"). I always bring down her blanket because we take it to daycare. This week, she decided that she wanted it over her lap while she sat there with her Cheerios and shui.


Her newest thing

Also this week, Little, our cat, decided that he really likes Jade's bag. I was filling it with all the things she needed one morning. Little decided she needed to take him with her too.


Little wants to go to daycare too

For any of you that have been into Jade's playroom, you will see that I have lots of books! I love to read and I love to read to her even more. Her favorite book of the week is The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle. She sat there the other night with it in her lap while I was cooking dinner. The ladybug was picking fights with bigger and bigger animals. I tell the story in English but add some size words in Chinese. As she was "reading" the book, she would flip to each page and find the ladybug, call it "xiao de" (little one) and then the other animal and call it "da de" (big one). As the animals would get bigger, she was imitating what I had done with my voice. This was truly fun to listen to and watch!


Checking out her favorite book of the week

She has started to wear bows in her hair. It is growing very quickly. If you check out the pictures of her buzz cut in June, it is wonderful to see how much it has grown. They don't stay in long as they seem to slide out easily but the other morning she got up and wanted them in. That morning, she also decided that her bucket could hold more than her stuff from the refrigerator.


Her latest bucket trick

The other night, I had to go out to the kitchen to get something. When I came back in, I found this.


Little trying to convince Jade to share her dinner

My mom had bought a cradle this summer at a garage sale. My nephew had to complete a project for school by helping someone do something. He chose to help my dad sand and paint the cradle for Jade. It is adorable!


Her cradle my nephew, Hunter, painted for her

We had about 40 family members over to our home yesterday to celebrate her becoming a part of her family. As Hunter gave her his gift, he brought in one of her dolls to put in it. Jade wanted to take it out though and climb in herself. :) The sweetest thing was later on when she was given another baby doll as a gift, it too was put in the cradle. Jade then started praying with the baby as I do when I put her to bed. I so love her!


My new hat?

My daughter is quite a natural when it comes to performing for an audience. Her mama is the same way...unfortunately.


Her new cart

Jade loves to push things around the house, including the 6" tall carriage for my mini Boyd's Bear. She started pushing the cart around and realized that it had a seat in the front, just like in the stores. Hmmmmm! Yes, as most children would, she tried to climb in this too! She was satisfied (for that day) when we showed her that her dolls or stuffed animals could ride instead.

As I told you earlier, she loves having an audience and is always ready to perform. Since I have worked in an elementary school for 16 years and performed as a clown, I have a few cute little tricks to show her. One was my favorite...a round of applause, a seal of approval and a little Hip! Hip! Hooray!. She performed Hip! Hip! Hooray! for the large crowd yesterday several times. I believe my mom may have even gotten it on tape.


Hip! Hip! Hooray!

She also took this moment of having a large audience to try out a new trick, climbing on the coffee table!


Her newest trick

Each day with her is truly a gift. If nothing else good comes into my life, I will be ok because she is a good and perfect gift everyday. Even on days that are challenging, I love her more and more. I look forward to what will come with her. Thank you Lord Jesus for this gift.

First week home

“Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me! ” Psalm 66:20

This has been a long week for me. It started with a return to work. Ugh! Fortunately, she is doing well at daycare. We spent three days at daycare the week before getting to know the children so I think that helped with the transition on Monday. I think she has handled this because she is used to rotating care takers while living in the orphanage. For me the hardest part is watching her leave my arms and want to go to Jaminett. I am trying not to say "attachment issues" but I am keeping my eye on it. She is very comfortable going to a variety of people and I am trying to sort it all out and decide how I am going to handle this. Is this part of her personality? Is it an attachment issue?

On Tuesday, we headed to see a pediatric opthamologist. I didn't expect to get in so quickly and now I wish we hadn't. After 1.5 hours in the car (screaming, taking off her clothes, trying to get out of the carseat, and a bloody nose from getting so stressed out), she was exhausted. This dr didn't even take the time to ask me any questions about her vision or gain a rapport with a child who was obviously not comfortable (she was hiding under my coat trying to fall asleep when he walked in) before he started evaluating her. After he tried to evaluate her unsuccessfully, he said he would need to put her out to be able to evaluate her. He could tell me what they might find but he couldn't tell me what she was exhibiting on WHY he thought she might have those issues. He didn't even suggest that we try an evaluate her again after she has been home longer and more comfortable. Let's just say, I am in the process of looking for another doctor.

This week at work, I received this special gift. A woman I work with walked up to me and handed me this pink bag. It was from her daughter to my daughter. She had gone home and told her daughter about Jade. She told her how she had come from an orphanage in China and didn't have many if any toys where she had lived. Stephanie immediately wanted to go through her own toys and give some of them to my daughter. Stephanie is only 4 years old. She not only wanted to give her own belongings, she wanted to take her birthday money and go shopping for things Jade needed. Stephanie bought Jade a new pair of pj's, a bear that prayers and some new jewelry. I was so touched as was her mother. If only the adult part of the world could see things like this child has, there would be no one who was hungry, without shelter, without clothing, the world would be a better place.

In all the things that Stephanie had given Jade, there was a wipe box full of necklaces and bracelets. When I gave it to Jade and she opened it up, it took her breath away. She immediately put it down and started putting on all, and I do mean ALL her new jewels. Her arm was so full of bracelets that she couldn't even bend her elbow!


Jade all dressed up and ready to go!

On Thursday and Friday, my mother comes out to my home and watches my daughter at my house. This is good but it was hard to leave this morning as my daughter was still sleeping when I left. Every morning, we pray together before I leave her. It was far too quiet to not hear her little "Amen" at the end of our prayer.

One of my favorite stories this week has to do with worship. Every morning, Jade and I play a cd called "Sing over me". It has a combo of worship and lullabies and I highly recommend it to all mothers. We stand in the kitchen, I hold her and we sway to the music. I always sing the first song "How great is our God" to her. The second song is "Here I am to worship". To my surprise, she started singing the chorus this week with me! How precious to my ears! If it is precious to me, I can only imagine how it sounds to God! I can't wait for the day that she truly understands what she is singing and truly wants Him as her Savior! Today she added a new twist to it. She started raising her hands in praise while she sang!

Parents, I tell you to watch what you are doing or not doing. Your children are watching and listening! She has only been home in the states with me for 11 days. In that time, she is studying me. She hears what I do and imitates it. She watches what I do and imitates it. For those of you who love the Lord, may your children hear you praising Him. May they watch you worshiping Him. May they hear your prayers to Him. It is by our walk, by our actions that they learn how to do these things. If they can't see it or hear it, how will they know? I encourage you to live your life for Christ so your children can see and know this is the way a Christian is. You will be blessed as you watch your children grow as they are given that model for their life.

The gift of a child

A gift is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor; Wherever he turns, he prospers. Proverbs 17:8

Jade is considered a precious stone of China. Jade is also my precious baby girl. I tell her that daily both in Chinese and in English. She too is a gift to me. I praise Him for designing her for me daily as I know that such a perfect gift could only come from Him.

I stood in my kitchen the other day and was just watching her explore her new world. I thought about the gift He sends to us in the form of a child. Each day with her, I feel like I see something new in her. It is like I am unwrapping this beautiful package each day and the gift justs keep getting better and better.

Even if you don't have children, God did this for us as well. His son, Jesus Christ, was sent to us as a child. When you accept Christ as your Savior, each day is a new day and you get to see something new. I learn new things about Him each day. I also see areas that He is working on in me. I am soooo glad that He is still working in me as I don't want to make mistakes with her. I can see areas in my life that He has been molding me for so I would be ready for this moment with her. Each day living for Him and with Him is a gift.

For those of you who have experienced the gift of a child through adoption, I thank you for eliminating one more orphan in this world. For those of you who have not, you may want to consider it. It is an amazing gift. For my friend who have given birth as well as adopted, they say there is no difference. They are your child. I know that as I look into her eyes, I see the eyes of God...perfect, pure, meek, loving, patient. Everything about her was designed specifically for me.

Right now, she lays upstairs sleeping. She awoke from her nap earlier and got up briefly. She had shots and blood drawn today. She lay in my arms downstairs and just kept asking for Cheerios, a drink and to go to sleep. Jetlag and all these daily challenges as dr appts, carseats and visiting daycare in preparation for Monday have been challenging. I know He is watching over us and directing us. I pray He continues to let me clearly hear His wisdom as He guides me on what is best for my precious baby girl.


Our friend Nancy holding her at the shower they had for us at work


Jade with her grandpa


Jade with my brother's son, Hunter


Jade and I at Laura's wedding reception before we left China