Ally's 4th BIRTHDAY

We had a good time celebrating Ally's 4th Birthday at her Party at Chucky Cheeses. It was Sophie Wei's first time there and Simone talked it up all the way there.

Ally, Simone and Sophie Wei dancing away!
Simone and Ally giving each other hugs for the photo.

Thanks to Lisa for sharing these photos with me since I did not have my camera.

The Good and The Bad

The Good.

Today Sophie Wei said to me for the first time, "I LOVE YOU MOMMY!" Yes, those three words, all by her self when I was dressing her in her bathroom this morning. I will never forget it. Rick told me today that while I was at work she yelled at him and said, "I LOVE YOU DADDY". Ah, sweet moments.

The Bad.

Sophie Wei smashed her fingers in the door to our walk in closet. It was one of those things that just happened, a bad accident! Rick was standing right there but it happened too fast.

She smashed her two favorite fingers that she sucks on. So going down for her nap was sad. She kept saying, "OW, OWWWW!" It was even harder at night to put her to bed. It took me an hour and a half. We feel so bad and it is hard to see her hurting so much!!! She tried to suck on her other fingers but they did not work for her.....She still prefers those fingers even though the band aids are on there.

Happy Birthday

Happy 3rd Birthday today to our
Sweet, Sassy, Smart, Silly, Snugable Sophie Wei!!

(Juney Shun Er Quila, not sure how to spell it but that is the way it sounds :O)

We thank God for you every day!

Conversation

This afternoon Rick, Simone and Sophie Wei went over to the Watson's to return a ladder and visit for a bit.

They shaved their dog Trueman. Simone said, "what happened to Trueman."

Truman sent to budge Sophie Wei from behind and she said, "HEY!"

Thankful

Today marks the day that we had to formally start getting every thing in line for Sophie Wei's surgery and our leave from work.

Today we feel blessed for many things.

One is that we have enough sick leave between Rick and myself that we will be able to stay home and take care of Sophie Wei during and after her surgery until she is healthy. We will find out in three weeks if she will have two surgery's at the same time or just her one (hip and/or club foot flextion surgery) and more answers to all of our questions.

Today Judy who is in charge of payroll spent much time with me explaining how financial things work during sick leave and leave with out pay. I can not be happier with how sweet she was with me and so willing to answer all of my questions. I am so glad that she was so clear because I had misunderstood some things. We are trying to cover all of our different scenarios of what is going to happen after the surgery and reality is that we need to have income to pay our bills, eat and run our house hold. What I want is much different than what reality is. Honestly I would love to take the rest of the year off and be home with Sophie Wei but that is not highly possible for us. At some point, sooner than later, we want to be out of debt and we need to make good decisions for our family.

That Rachel W. was so honest with sharing her advice on long term leave, etc. It is nice to talk to others who have been through it.

The last thing I did was talk to Kaiser, our insurance company about how much the surgery would cost? I started crying when she said that it would be covered fully and would not cost us a dime, not even a co-pay! I even had to ask her two more times to make sure that was correct because I could not believe it. She said we would have to pay 20% for a wheel chair rental, etc. but that should not be too bad. After having some deep things to think about today in regards to financial things it really was a blessing.

Then we also found out that Sophie Wei was approved to be tested in the school district where we work. We are having her tested for the basics, motor development, cognitive, hearing, speech, etc. There was a new law that went into affect two months ago that all preschool children of school district employees that have special needs can have a boundary exception. That was a blessing. We are not for what Sophie Wei will qualify but it will be good to know where she is at since we do not know for sure what they meant by her being developmentally delayed.

So things are moving along. Rick and I have been trying to spend some time at school getting ready for the new year. One of us will go to work then the other. Sophie Wei and Simone have been adjusting to that as well and it shows up the most at bed time and during their sleep. Not sleeping well and being fussy when going to sleep. So hopefully in a few days this small transition will pass and they will be back to normal.

Sleep

We have been blessed with Sophie Wei sleeping good the last three nights!

She seems to be getting use to her brace or what ever she has been going through.

Conversation

Today Sophie Wei said, "Were Damaone Go?"

She has been saying two word sentences but this three word one came out today, so cute and we are so proud of her!

Sleeping

Sophie has not been sleeping well at all since she has been wearing her Dennis Brown Bar at night. Since it has been happening so frequently it has to be the bar!??

On the third night of wearing the bar Brandon and I went to Target. Rick called me to tell me she was crying so hard that she was hyperventilating so he took it off. I think that was the first time she has cried like that. Good idea to take it off, we can ease into this. It just makes me think, does it reminder her of her home in China at the Orphanage, does it hurt?

We have been on vacation for most about 8 days and maybe that has some thing to do with it but when she does not sleep neither do we.

We tell her that she needs to wear it and it will help her walk, run, hop, skip, etc. but not sure how much she understands??!?

It is just braking my heart!!

Dennis Brown Bar and Shoes are In

Today we picked up Sophie Wei's Dennis Brown Bar and Shoes. This system will help continue with her club feet therapy.

We feel so blessed that we only had to pay a small portion for them although we would any thing to help her it sure does help.

My memory card reader is broken so I will post photos of it later. Like Rick said, "she will be wearing it for two or four years so we have plenty of time to take pictures later."

Even though Sophie Wei was slightly asleep when we put them on her she did not mind at all! She must remember it from China??!

I also finally emailed Sophie Wei's Surgeon and asked the correct spelling of name of the third procedure that they are going to do...it is called Pemberton Osteotomy.

Certification Of Citizenship Arrives

Ever since I saw my blogger friend Sharon post about her daughters Certification of Citizenship coming in the mail I have been checking for Sophie Wei's every day since then knowing that ours should not be too far behind since we are a few weeks behind their time line........I am sure the mail person has been very happy with us since I have been checking the mail EVERYDAY waiting for it!! Not that I ever thought it was not coming but because there is nothing like seeing the document and having it in our hands and it means so much for Sophie Wei.

Good news, today Sophie Wei received her Certification Of Citizenship and letter from the White House in the mail today.

Here is what the letter said, same as Simone's. Special day for us!!

"Dear Fellow American,

I am pleased to congratulate you on becoming a United States citizen. You are now a part of a great and blessed nation. I know your family and friends are proud of you on this special day.

Americans are united across the generations by grand and enduring ideals. The grandest of these ideals is an unfolding promise that everyone belongs, that everyone deserves a chance, and that no insignificant person was ever born. Our country has never been united by blood or birth or soil. We are bound by principles that move us beyond our backgrounds, and lift us above our interests, and teach us what it means to be citizens. Every citizen must uphold these principles. And every new citizen, by embracing these ideals, makes our country more, not less, American.

As you begin to participate fully in our democracy, remember that what you do is as important as anything the government does. I ask you to serve your new nation, beginning with your neighbor. I ask you to be citizens building communities of service and a nation of character. Americans are generous and strong and decent not because we believe in ourselves, but because we hold beliefs beyond ourselves. When this spirit of citizenship is missing, no government program can replace it. When this spirit is present, no wrong can stand against it.

Welcome to the joy, responsibility, and freedom of American citizenship. God bless you, and God bless America.

Sincerely,
George W. Bush"

Visit from Cam and Chris

Sophie Wei, Simone and Auntie Cami.

This evening we had the pleasure of spending it with our good friends Cami and Chris! They came up to visit and meet Sophie Wei! We had such a fun evening catching up.

We missed Sophie Wei's scheduled nap due to Simone's gymnastics lesson and therefore the rest of the day she was so grumpy so it was nice to end the day on a high.

In the above photo Sophie Wei was giving them some love.

Below: This is how the girls started "warming up" for our fun evening. They were trying to scare Chris by hiding behind the sofa and screaming silliness at him.

Can you hear me???

Simone is showing us below how far she can jump!

Sophie Wei kept trying to convince Cam that she needed the cookie.

Sophie Wei really took to Cam and Chris.

Can I use your fork?

Then there were shoulder rides which the girls know all about from their Daddy.

Simone's turn.

It was such a fun relaxing evening with A LOT of LAUGHS!

See you in a week in a half at the beach! Until we meet again.

Cox Family

We received this Willow Tree gift set from our friends Bill and Nadine and the Girls. It is called "Sisters By Heart".

(This photo of the Coxes above was taken last summer, July 2007 ,while we visited each other on the Beach.)

I loved what Nadine wrote in her card to us:
"A friend on her blog compared adoption to a mobile-"
"Picture a mobile, floating effortlessly. Now wrap one side and watch it careen out of balance. Over time, the motion slows and regains balance....it would be the same for our family."

Then Nadine also writes: "You sent your mobile spinning with the addition of Simone, but everyone found their place. Now it's spinning again, but soon it will settle back to balance, better than ever!!"

Very well put. I could of not described it better myself. When I called Nadine to thank her for the gift we had such a great talk about transitions, adjustments, following your gut and just knowing what your child needs and listening to that. It is so comforting to have someone who has/is going through some of the same issues as we are. I so appreciate her friendship, advice and wisdom.

We also received this one from John and Cheryl Laxson when we arrived home with Simone called "New Life."

My Mother in Law also gave me this one with the word "Hope" attached to it, which is one of Simone's middle names.

We are so thankful for their friendship and so happy to have them in ourlives.

We love you guys!!!
Lian, Jenna and Simone (These photos were also taken last summer.) We can't wait to get together again!! Until we meet again.