Thankfully, Still Home!

Hannah is back to eating a mostly regular diet at this point. We are just introducing milk stuff & her intestines seem to be handling everything just fine. She has not had any signs of a fever & we have been home for 2 1/2 weeks straight!! Her hemoglobin is pretty low, so tonight she was very tired. She was scheduled to get red blood cells on Friday but the doctors really want to stretch things in between transfusions because her iron level is elevated (this is a side effect from so many transfusions!). So we are scheduled to spend all day Tuesday at the clinic for her to get platelets (2+ hours) and red blood cells (4+ hours). It will be a long day but if she can make it until Tuesday, we will only be going to the clinic once a week for her to get checked & get transfusions. Yeah for only once a week ... that is a huge change for us in the right direction!

Hannah was riding her bike last week & fell while riding around a car that was parked blocking part of the sidewalk. She has a huge bruise on her leg -- HUGE!! Dr. Horvath felt so bad that she had ok'd Hannah for bike riding. Now she has suggested that Hannah just stick to dancing and save bike riding for when her platelets are a lot higher.

Hannah is enjoying the tether ball in the backyard & sleeping in the guest bedroom with Grandma every night. My mom is here until Thursday. It has been so great to have her here during this time when we are just home hanging out. Tomorrow we are going for sushi with Kim ... yummmmm!!!

I feel like I am holding my breath until we have to go back to the hospital ... but maybe we just won't have to go back. Maybe this is our new normal - going to clinic once a week & being home. Wouldn't this just be so wonderful?? I am just enjoying each day & if we have to go back, we have to go back. For right now, I love being home. Love putting Lily to bed each night. Love that she is such a sweetie & just lays down when she is done being rocked. She practically dives in the crib. I don't know another baby as easy as she is. How I won the lottery twice with 2 wonderful daughters? ... I will never know!

We had the social worker out last week to do our post adoption follow up visit. Lily was just as charming as every & worked her magic as her easy, happy, fun little self. She couldn't have been any cuter!! Despite all the turmoil of the last 4 months, it is so obvious that God's grace is upon our Lily. She is bonded & attached ... and happy & joyful. We are so thankful!!!!!

I have been making some trips out to the hospital to see Chance & Virginia -- he is there right now for his last round of chemo before going to City of Hope for a bone marrow transplant. He is such a special 10 year old guy! He is a fighter & if anyone can beat Stage IV, Ewing Sarcoma, it is him!! Our prayers are with Chance as he fights hard to overcome this disease. He is a joy to know!

We went out to the hospital this evening to decorate another patient's room, Daniel. Today is Daniel's 17th birthday. He is fighting Stage IV cancer & in the hospital for chemo treatments. I just can't imagine being in the hospital for my 17th birthday - let alone for something so serious. Chance's mom, Virginia, had tipped me off to Daniel's favorite movie so we made sure we got that for him.

This week a friend of mine from the "China-blog-adoption-community" is expecting her referral from China after waiting 3+ years. I have been praying for her baby girl for years somewhere in China & I can't wait to see her face! Follow me this week for her journey of a lifetime: www.addingasister.blogspot.com

OK - last but not least, my sister emailed me tonight & said "for the love of all that is holy, post some more pictures." So, Rachel, here you go! Stop harassing me & just come visit!!!!!!!! This is ridiculous :-)



These first 3 pictures were taken at a photo shoot just 2 weeks before Hannah got sick. These are from November 2008 ... just before we went away for Thanksgiving!

She is so adorable ... thank you, Lord, for this sweet girl!!

First professional photo shoot for these sisters together .. what a precious moment!

After camping out at Aunt Kim's for a long time, Lily is part Italian. She can clearly say "pasta" & enjoys every bite!!!

More time in the swing with her adorable outfit on!!! March 2009

March 2009 in the garage of our house. A little bit blurry but I just love this picture of her ... what sweet lips!!

Dad & his girls on the driveway, March 2009.