Happy Chinese New Year!

Hannah & I are still awake but Lil is sound asleep in my hospital bed ... and looking so adorable, I might add! Hannah wants everyone to know there are less than 24 hours in the bidding of the pot holder. Rob C. in CT, get your bid in now!! :-)

Hannah threw up tonight out at the nurses station while I was putting Lily to sleep. And now she feels like she might again so we will see if the plan stays the same to go home tomorrow or not. The nurse thinks the dr. might keep us here. We'll see what happens. The plan is ever changing :-) Either way, I am stocked up on Chinese food so we can do a bit of celebrating ... our 1st Chinese New Year with Lily!!!!! Thank you, Lord!!!!!!!!!!! She is such a gift!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hannah will be getting shots each day at home. My mom gave her the shot this evening here at the hospital and let's just say, if you live near Fontana you probably heard Hannah around 7pm. The shot didn't hurt (or so she tells me now) but I think it was just all the emotional exhaustion of being poked at, etc. Please pray that giving her these Nupegin shots will go better -- she has to have one a day in order to be home and the Nupegin is what is helping her white blood cell count go up.

Today marks 3 years since our paperwork for Lily was logged into China's adoption system. Back at that time, I thought we'd be home with Lily during the summer of 2006. Little did I know what God had planned.

Since Hannah got sick, I keep thanking God that He allowed me to enjoy my time with Hannah as my only child while I was not-so-patiently-at-times waiting for Lily. The endurance of waiting for Lily taught my heart to just trust the Lord and to believe that He has my best interests at heart. These past 7 weeks of Hannah's illness has brought all of it full circle for me. I would be kicking myself if I had to look back on 3 wasted years of "missing time with Hannah" because I had been so anxious about "where is Lily?" Don't get me wrong -- the wait for Lily was agonizing -- but it taught my heart things I never would have learned if she'd arrived in the summer of 2006.

I am now, once again, learning to trust and learning to be patient in God's perfect plan. And I am learning to relax in the waiting -- the waiting of Hannah being well. God knows. He hears the cry of this momma's heart and the prayers of so many. So, here I am in the hospital with my very sick child and we are still enjoying life. What is not to enjoy? Wheelchair rides can be fun, going potty into a measuring thing is an adventure and putting your hands up while riding the gurney to the Operating Room makes it feel much more like a roller coaster ride than just your 2nd trip to the Operating Room.

All we can do is live life to the fullest here in this terrible situation we find ourselves in. We are having fun & laughing --- so hard at times that I really should just buy a package of Depends :-).

So -- Happy Chinese New Year!!!

And to Lily's birth mother -- you are in my prayers particularly on this special day in China. I pray that somehow the Lord gives your heart peace in knowing that your precious daughter is loved & treasured. I will never know you on this earth but I pray that you have come (or do come) to know the unconditional love of Jesus and that we meet in heaven. From the bottom of my heart, and there really are no words to say it -- but, thank you. Thank you for allowing Lily to have life!!!!!!!!!!! She is such a gift!!