Random Pictures Since We've Been Home

Since we have been home.................

Yes, it has been a long time since I last posted. We have been home with LeahJean for 2 1/2 months. It has been a very busy 2 1/2 months. We got back home from China and had to go into getting ready for school to start mode. That meant getting all three little ones ready for school, as well as getting one 18 year old ready for college. Tanner started to school August 5 and Parker started August 10. After a lot of paper work and extreme stress we got LeahJean in school August 25. She goes to the deaf/hearing impaired school in Clarke county. That is the same school that Parker goes to. He is our other 4 year old that is hearing impaired.
We went to Washington DC August 22-24 for a reunion with the families that we traveled with when we adopted Tanner in 2005. We had such a great time. It was so amazing seeing how all the children had changed. Getting reaquanted with everyone again. We also got to do alittle touring while we were their. Went to the Zoo. The kids had a great time. I had never been to DC, so I really enjoyed it. It was so good spending time with the families and letting the children get to know each other again. They were all so little when we adopted them. Tanner was 10 months old when we adopted him. We had six families in our travel group.
We have had doctors appointments and hospital visits to see exactly where LeahJean stands with her hearing. We have had speech evaluations and psychological evaluations. We had a ABR test done, as well as a CT scan and MRI. What we have found out is not what we expected at all. In fact I am still having a hard time with it all. It was just such a shock. LeahJeans left inner ear did not develop at all, no cochlea and no cochlea nerve. She doesn't qualify for the cochlea implant in the left ear as there is nothing there. The right ear is partially developed. The cochlea is very small and not fully developed and the cochlear nerve doesn't function properly. She is now wearing a hearing aid on the right hear to see if she response to it at all.So far she has not responded to anything. If she doesn't respond to anything, then more than likely she will not qualify for the implant on that ear either. If she response to anything it will be more environmental noises. We have been told that she will probably never recognise voices or be able to talk. If she does get the implant it will be for safety reason, so that she could possibly hear loud noises to warn her that something is going on around her, but never distinguish what the noise really is. This was all such a shock, cause we were so believing that she was a good candidate for the implants, but with no inner ear, there just isn't much they can do. With that all being said, we have all our faith in the Lord and we know this will all work out the way it is suppose to. It is still very hard to deal with. We just have to re focus on the direction we were going in. We know that Gods will, will be done.
LeahJean is a beautiful, precious little girl. Full of energy and very happy. She has adjusted very well to her new family and home. She is very strong will, and determined that no one can out do her. She is a fast and eager learner. She is sweet and loving and also very mean. She does not like to be corrected and wants what she wants when she wants it no matter who has it. She is a typical 4 year old.
We are so blessed to have this precious child in our lives.
LeahJean turned four on September 27. We celebrated her first birthday with her forever family by having friends and family over for a cookout and cake and ice cream. She was as happy as happy could be. She danced around, tried on all her new clothes. She new that she was the light of everybodies eyes and the center of everyones attention.
Our oldest daughter, Heather, will be marring her fiance, Bryan, on October 24. LeahJean will be the flower girl and Tanner and Parker will be ring bearer. Sandy will be the maid of honor and her fiance, Justin, will be a grooms man as well as Keith.
We continue to take one day at a time. With three little ones in the house that is all we can do.
I will try not to take as long next time with my posting. Please continue to remember us in your thoughts and prayers.
Until next time..................
Melissa

We Are Home

We arrived home safe and sound Saturday July 18. We are all doing well. Still a bit jet lagged. LeahJean is doing great. Not sleeping well, but that will get better. She is still on China time. She has adjusted so well. She is a happy little girl. Communicates very well considering she is deaf. She definently knows how to get what she wants. We are so blessed. She does really well with meeting people. We had Parker's 4th birthday party on Sunday July 19 and LeahJean did really well with meeting all the family. She gets along well with her two brothers and they are very proud to have a new sister. A few sharing issues, but that will get better. Heather and Sandy are proud big sisters. She is so loved by everyone.
We would like to thank everyone for following our journey. Please continue to check the blog as I will update often on LeahJeans progress.
We would like to thank eveyone for all the thoughts and prayers. We are living prove that God does answer prayers and provides for us. Without God, none of this would have been possible. Thank you. What an amazing and awesome God we have.
Love to all, Melissa

Red Couch and Pearl River Cruise

Yesterday, July 14, we had a free day up until 5 pm. We spent most of the morning walking around the island and doing some more shopping. We ate lunch at an Italian Resturant. They have a great salad. We had dinner there Monday night. It was like being home going to an Italian Resturant. The food is amazing.
We had our red couch photos at 5 pm. LeahJean decides to have a major melt down around 4:00. The first one that she has had. It lasted for about 30 minutes and we don't really know what caused it. In the process of the melt down she scratch her lip and it would not stop bleeding. It bled for most of the night. We could not get her to smile in any of the pictures as you will see.
After the red couch we went on the Pearl River Cruise. It was great. Very relaxing. They served a buffet Chinese Dinner. The food was not the best, but the scenes were great. We really enjoyed it.

Today, July 15, was our Consulate Appointment. We just had to wait in our rooms from 10:30 am until our rep called to let us know that all our paperwork was ok and they would issue LeahJeans visa so she could enter the US. We did lunch walked around the island some more, pick up some stuff that we had ordered and headed back to the room for a bit and then meet up with some families at the pool. LeahJean did alittle better today in the pool. Had Lucy's for dinner. Talked to the boys and will be headed to bed shortly.

Tomorrow morning, some of the families will be going to the Guangzhou zoo. We have chose not to go. We did the zoo in Zhengzhou and LeahJean was not to trilled and it is to hot. We leave the hotel at 2:45 and go to the consulate and take the Oath and receive LeahJeans Visa. Then Friday morning we leave Guangzhou and head to Hong Kong, were we will spend the night and fly out of Hong Kong Saturday morning. We will fly to Tokyo, then from there to Atlanta. We will arrive in Atlanta around 3 PM Saturday. We are so ready to be home.

We are doing good. LeahJean is doing great. She had the melt down yesterday, then alittle one today. She doesn't like to be told no. She can definently pout when she doesn't get her way.
Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers and please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we finish up in China and begin our travel back home.
3 more days and we will be home.

Last Day In Zhengzhou, Flight Out of Zhengzhou, Medical Exam and White Swan

Friday, July 10, 2009, was our last day in Zhengzhou. We had breakfast, walked to the park, then went back to the hotel and packed up to get ready to head out to the airport and catch our flight to Guangzhou. We left the hotel at 2 pm. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 5. Got to the airport, got our boarding passes, luggage checked, then we find out that most of the flights out of the Zhengzhou airport had been canceled. They were using all the airplanes to transport the military. However our flight had not been canceled, just delayed. It now was scheduled to leave at 11 pm. It was now probally 3:15 and what were we going to do for 7 hours. Accross the interstated from the airport was a new hotel that had just opened the end of June. We go over there and hang out in there coffee shop for about 3 1/2 hours. It was nice, we all ate and the kids played. I think we broke the hotel staff in. We got back to the airport around 7 and were told that our flight was ahead of time and we were catching our flight at 8 pm. We all got through security to find out that we still did not have a flight. It was still showing as delayed and we had no gate to go to. Luckly the airport had an indoor playground so that kept the older kids entertained most of the time. well 11 pm came and went and we still had no flight. We ended up catching our flight out at 1am. We arrinved at the Guangzhou airport at 3 am and made it to the hotel at 4 and got to bed at 4:30. The kids all had there medical appoinment the next morning. Needless to say we were all tired, but the kids did extremely well.
The medical exam went real well until time for the TB test and shots. As of July 1st, if the adopted child is over 2 they have to be tested for TB. We have eight families in our group, all had to have the TB test except for two. If you are a Haque family if your vacination records are not up to date, you have to get the child vacinated. LeahJean had to have the TB test as well has 5 other shots. Not a happy camper. She actually did better than what i thought she would. She did run some fever Saturday night and Sunday and woke up with fever this morning, but she is good now. She was having a hard time walking Sunday, her littl legs were hurting. She got two shots in one leg, one in the other and on in each arm. We had to go back to the clinic today to get the results for the TB test. All the kids TB test were negative, YEAH!!!

The White Swan is still a beautiful as ever. We took LeahJean swimming yesterday. She didn't know what to think of it. She just sat in the baby pool and would not move. Hope to get to take her out again tomorrow. We have been doing some shopping on the island. We went to the Pearl Market today with the group. Bought LeahJean some pearls that she will get when she gets married one day. Also got her a pair of earings that she will get when she gets her ears pierced.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, we will get the Red Coach pictures taken and then we are going to take the River Boat Cruise. They say the sights from the River Boat are beautiful. Will post more later.

Five more days and we will be home. I am so ready to get home and see my other babies, all four of them. We love you all and miss you all so much.

Zhengzhou Zoo

Thursday, July 9, 2009, we went to the zoo. LeahJean was not to excited about the zoo. She liked the Swans, but that was about it.

Swallow Nest

Wednesday, July 9, we got to visit Swallow's Nest. This is where LeahJean has lived for the past 14 months. We got to visit all three homes. It was an amazing experience. Pam and Clay are real angels. They take these babies in, nurse them to good health and get them ready so they can be adopted. They have heart babies, cleft lip/palate, down syndrome, albino, limb indifference, club feet, blind, malnourished, etc. They truly are wonderful people. They have nannies in the baby home and older children's home to help care for the children. The nannies are wonderful with these children. They are very well cared for. You can tell that the nannies really love all the children. Pam keeps the new babies with her until they are well enough to go to the baby house. Right now she has three new babies. One is just back from the hospital where he had spinal bifida surgery. The other two babies are just a couple months old and weight between 5 and 6 pounds. It was a true blessing to get to experience what Pam and Clay are doing.
Clay picked us up at the hotel and we took a taxi from the hotel to the main house, which is the office for Swallow's Nest. Then when walked with Clay and there daughter to the other two houses. LeahJean had the opportunity to live at both, the baby house and the older children's house. We got to see a part of Zhengzhou that we would have never gotten to see. It was wonderful. We saw the vegetable, fruit, meat markets, a yarn market. We got to see where Clay and Pam do most of there shopping, from food, diapers, clothes. We saw the hospital were the children get there immunizations.
I feel so blessed to have gotten the opportunity to meet these amazing people, to see where LeahJean lived, and to see what Swallow's Nest is all about and what Pam and Clay are doing, as well as the Nannies that are working for them.
We saw some beautiful children, some already have parents in the process of adopting them, some are still waiting. I pray that with the help of Swallow's Nest and Pam and Clay, that each and everyone of these children, that are their now and in the future, will find there parents.
Pam and Clay, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you do. You are a true blessing and it was an honor to meet you. I pray that we get the chance one day to see each other again.
Once we get home I will post more pictures of the children and our tour through the city with Clay.
Melissa

LeahJean is Finally Ours!!!

Tuesday at 9:30 AM, we left the hotel and went to the registry office to finalize the adoption. We received the adoption certificiate. We left the registry office and went to the notary office to get everything notarised. Thursday we will receive our notary documents and Friday we will receive LeahJeans passport. We will leave Zhengzhou at 2:00 PM Friday and head to Guangzhou. We have to stay in Guangzhou for one week. I am already ready to come home and we have 10 more days left.
We are all doing good. LeahJean is great. She has bonded so well to both of us. She doesn't want either one of us to get out of her site. I do have to say that it is hot and humid, but I don't think it is quite as bad as it was over here in 2005. We have been doing alot of walking. LeahJean does really good when we are out. She is good all the time. We ventured out to Wal-Mart with one of the other families Monday afternoon. We took a taxi to the Wal-Mart then walked back. Tuesday afternoon the whole group took the bus to the Lotus Center, which is like the Wal-Mart. It was very interesting.
Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Melissa

LEAHJEAN IS HERE!!!!!!

Today, Monday, June 6, 2009, a little after ten, we received LeahJean. We are so overjoyed, so blessed. She is perfect. Everything we expected and more. She is such an amazing little girl. She came right to us as if she had always know us. She never cried. So far the only time she cried was when I layed her down for a nap. She didn't want to lay alone. As soon as I layed down with her, she rolled over and layed her head on my chest and within a few minutes she was a sleep. She is happy. Laughes alot. She is signing with us some. She loves the bath. She has a very healthy appetite. She is a beautiful girl. God is so good, so amazing. We are so thankful for all he does. He has blessed us with five wonderful children.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. God does definintly answer prayers.
We can't wait to get home. We miss everyone and can't wait until everyone can meet LeahJean.
See you soon.
Melissa, Keith and LeahJean