Getting Ready for Maia!

Well, I'm estimating that I have about 5 minutes left out of naptime today to post, so this will likely be a short one! :)

The girls have finally recovered from their viruses this past week, and we are enjoying this fall weekend carving pumpkins, making banana bread and playing outside. I'm just now getting on top of pictures from our camera and Mom's camera before and after we left for China, so I'm going to play catch-up for a bit. Getting ready for China was like a whirlwind, and I still can't believe we're home, and I'm looking at empty luggage. Carpets and bedspreads are starting to resurface from the chaos of packing! As busy as we were preparing to come home with Maia, Mom and Ava were busy themselves preparing for her arrival. I came across these on Mom's camera from the day that she and Ava went shopping for balloons for Maia and came over to hang the Welcome Home Maia banner. I laughed out loud at Ava in the Kroger buggy surrounded by mums and balloons!

In about an hour, we're headed to Loudon with the Butterworth family for a fall festival and to hear them perform at Stonewall's Barbeque. It will be a nice change of scenery from preschool and grocery. :) I did manage to take both girls to Food City this past week, and we made it out the door without any major meltdowns or mishaps! I was so relieved! I actually had the right groceries in my buggy, too! Sometimes, I'll find some stray things in there.

Ava will be dressing up like a monkey this year for Halloween, and Miss Maia will be a little ladybug. I hope to post those pictures next week sometime!

Happy Fall Weekend, Everyone!

Giggles and Tears

Hi, everyone,

This week, we've been enjoying this beautiful fall weather but have also been under the weather, as both girls have been battling a little virus.

Today is Thursday, and the week is coming to a close with lots of things to report! We had a great weekend with Ben's folks, and we spent a lot of time just taking walks and playing with the girls. Ben and his Dad tackled a screened-in porch project, and I am happy to say that I no longer have to run interference with Ava falling off the high end of the porch! We're awaiting screen, but it's safe for her to play on now. Yippee! Thanks, guys!

Ben's folks left to journey back to Maryland Monday morning after some mild trauma with sweet Maia. I had made a cup of my favorite Chinese Pu Er tea (really, I'm addicted, I think) and when I turned my head for a split second, Maia stuck her fingers in it. It wasn't boiling but was very hot, and she cried for at least 30 minutes with my father-in-law rushing to get burn cream at a grocery store, my mother-in-law taking care of the spill and Ava and me trying to calm Maia's cries on the front porch. What made everything worse was that she was battling a virus, and we had to be at the pediatrician in two hours to review her international medical report from Children's Hospital AND start her overdue vaccinations! After Ken and Ellen left to journey back to Maryland, Mom came and got Miss Ava, and I loaded a calmer Maia into the car to go the appointment. All went well at the appointment, and Maia's stats are as follows at 6 months, 2 weeks. She's put on quite a few lbs since China!

Weight: 15 lbls, 13.2 oz (In China, she was 12 lbs.)
Length: 26 inches

Needless to say, Maia had a pretty rough day, but by that afternoon, she was giggling and playful, and I was happy the drama of the morning was behind us.

I'm still playing catch up when I can find ten minutes of down-time. Right now, I'm choosing not to shower and blog. Most every waking moment I have is spent with the girls or just keeping some semblance of order around the house, but today, Ava's at preschool, dressed like Curious George, and Maia is napping peacefully upstairs. If I'm lucky, I'll get to load pictures AND bathe! I'll load a few of Maia's first bath at home! She likes the water, too, but big sister wins the prize on adoration of water so far!

Joyful Days

Hi, everyone!

I'm trying to find time to post at least once or twice every week right now. I have been flying below the radar much of the last two weeks as I'm just completely exhausted! The girls are doing great, and we are, too, but this 20 months apart thing is challenging to say the least! :) Everyday, I'm tweaking schedules, doing laundry, unpacking, getting processes underway for readoption in the US and just trying to find some "me" time. This morning, that "me" time looked like drinking pu er tea from China out of a travel mug while driving down a fall country road with Maia. Tuesdays and Thursdays are preschool days for Ava, and we're all up with the chickens most days anyway! These days are proving to be the most challenging as I strive to get everyone dressed, fed, loved and out the door with me somewhat looking like a normal person! I managed to put on my face this morning, but the hair is looking a little like Medusa. I'm laughing at myself these days, and letting go of expectations of perfection which is wonderfully FREEING! If I'm bathed, it's all good! :)

Maia is just precious and giggles and smiles a lot at the antics of her big sister. They are so sweet together. That's not to say that we have perfect sibling moments all of the time! I've found my hand blocking an incoming toy missile a few times lately!

Maia's napping as I type, and I'm cleaning house in preparation for Ben's folks to arrive later today to meet her and see Miss Ava! Ok. I'm going to quit typing now and load pictures!

We hope to see everyone soon!

On October 5, Maia turned six months old!





Proud Daddy!



Sisters... We hum the tune "Sisters" from White Christmas all the time now!





Awesome Big Sister badge for Ava! Thanks, Barb!



Maia and her Mimi

Our First Two Weeks at Home

Hi, everyone!

More pictures coming later today!

Well, it's a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and I'm finally able to find some snippet of time to post! The girls are both napping peacefully. Whew. As of the last few days, Ava is sleeping from about 1-3, and Maia is sleeping from about 2-4ish. Since China, it's taken some time to get their naps remotely close to each other, and I've barely had any time to bathe much less read the mail or blog! :) I'm slowly resurfacing and thinking clearly and am hopeful to post today and get some pictures up from our first two weeks at home!



We're all doing well and are starting to get into our groove a little more this weekend as a family. We've spent the last two weeks adjusting to new schedules and routines and trying to maintain predictable ones for Miss Ava. Maia and Ava are like two peas in a pod, and Ava has been very loving with Maia and checks to be sure "Maia is ok" when she's crying. If she hears Maia crying, she'll say, "Be right back. Make sure Maia ok." She will then come over and pat Maia on the head just like she pets Saki, our cat, on the head, and then she'll hug her and give her a kiss. Maia thinks Ava is very entertaining and will giggle when Ava does something. Ava is miss busy bee ALL of the time now, so there's hardly a moment that's not entertaining for Maia. We've tried really hard to spend some one on one time with just Ava and do some fun things outside the house as new little sister is requiring a lot of care and attention right now. So far so good with jie jie and mei mei, big sister and little sister.



Maia is adjusting really well and is very vocal, active and curious about everything! She has a really fun little personality. She's now sleeping through the night and is on a more predictable schedule. She wakes up at about 7:00 a.m. and goes to bed with Ava at around 8:00 p.m. with two or three naps a day. She's been a little trooper, and we did venture to church today for the last service and all went well. I stared at the altar where Ben and I had knelt so many times throught the years of waiting and praying for her. Surely, "I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." He is faithful and good to each of us even in the midst of our hurting and WILL bring good out of it in His time. As unique as each of us is, so is his hand on each of us and in our lives, working all things together for good. I pray all of the time that what I've walked through will be a testimony to others that He CAN redeem suffering and give you beauty for ashes. Believe Him. His promises are true. For as long as I have breath, I hope to tell of His faithfulness and love, and my deepest prayer for Ava and Maia is that they will deeply know that they are first and foremost, daughters of a Heavenly King.

Our next steps with Maia are to complete 3, 6, and 9 month post-adoption reports and send pictures back to China, readopt her in the United States, acquire a U.S. certificate of citizenship, a passport and a social security number. This paperwork is involved, but honestly seems like a cake walk compared to all that we did preadoption to bring her home! We'll start all of this some time this week. :)



I'm still limiting her activities as I don't want to overwhelm her too much, but we have ventured out to the pediatrician, ET Children's hospital for medical testing, grocery store, swim lessons and preschool for Ava, church and one night of a pontoon boat ride and eating out with Mom and Dad. She turned six months old October 5, and we can't believe that we were in China a few weeks ago to meet her for the first time! She hasn't been with us for an entire month, yet it feels like she's always been here.



Again, MANY thanks to everyone for the phone calls before and after we got home, the cards, e-mails, comments on the blog and facebook and meals and phone calls and visits of support and encouragement. Please know how deeply grateful we are for you and how we thank God for you. He has blessed us through you!

Going to upload pictures now, that is if both girls stay asleep as I attempt to upload! If you read this and there aren't any pictures, I promise I'll get some up by some time today.

Blessings to all,

Emily

Sisters!

Ni hao to everyone!

I'm still gathering photos from different photographers to show you guys from our welcome home time at the airport. There are many, and I want to show you guys the best ones, especially of Miss Ava and Maia together! I'm going to go ahead and post this one to give you a glimpse of the two sisters together at last!

Ava is a great big sister to her mei mei!

Love to all! I'll be posting welcome home pics on our journeytomaia site in the next few days. So without further adieu, here is Ava welcoming Maia home!