Sunday, January 20, 2013

A Decade!





Ten years ago this month, I met the person who, unbeknownst to me, would become so significant, so responsible for turning my life into a wild roller-coaster ride. Someone who would inadvertently teach me more about myself, love, life, creation, spirituality, forever than anyone or anything else in this world.  Ten years ago I met my best friend. I met the person who makes me laugh everyday.  Ten years ago I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It would get ugly before it became beautiful. But through the ugly is when I found myself. I found out that I truly could love unconditionally and forever. Ten years ago I met the person who would become my husband and then father of my child.
A decade ago, I met the love of my life. 



Sunday, January 13, 2013

It's Been a While...


Too much going on lately. I wish I could be more consistent with posting more often.

Right now what's going on is that I've been praying for my Sweet Jellybean, Ivy Joy. A few weeks ago she started getting sick. They went to their local hospital to find what they thought was a clot in her new valve. When they couldn't dissolve the clot despite heavy meds, Sweet Baby flew back to Boston. Imagine their sadness yet happiness to see Your Tinyness again. That wonderful staff took such good care of this baby last time. Well, after conducting many tests and exploring different options, it was decided that they should go in and check what's causing my girl to have the symptoms she's been having. I prayed and continue praying fervently so much for all to go well. Finally, my Sweetness went into surgery again on Saturday January 10th early in the morning. Of course, it was night time here and I knew I wasn't getting any updates soon. So I went to bed. Had a hard time falling asleep but did, finally. Woke up a few times and got wonderful news that this tiny hero had done wonderfully. She went off of bypass and in her room shortly after. It was such sweet, amazing news. She never had a clot. It was scar tissue that was blocking the valve preventing it from doing its job which eventually was making her go into heart failure.

Oh my word! Unbelievable. This child... is she real? She is such a little Super Hero. I think I want to have her own little costume made. Super Ivy to the rescue! I can just imagine a little cartoon of her flying around with her cape on.

Ha! Something like this! She still needs her Ivy trademark fluffs and frills

She is going to give everyone a run for their money once she's healed from this surgery. I can't wait to see her running around and getting into mischief with her sister. Oh Beautiful Lexi... she's going to be all frufru while her mei-mei will be climbing trees and giving her Momma all kinds of gray hairs. I can't wait to see videos of her causing ruckus.







Speaking of Momma... this mom is so amazing. Reading her words put me so much at ease. She is just one of those people who walk this earth emitting peace. I am privileged to call her my friend. We've yet to meet in person. Ah, but that's how it is sometimes. This amazing community I call Adoptive Families. We end up adopting everyone into our own hearts.

Isn't she beautiful? She is - inside and out.
So, right now I'm waiting and waiting for more updates and hopefully a picture or two of Your Royal Sweetness.







On another note... Our delightful family came to visit us in mid-December. They arrived 2 days after we were mostly moved in to the new place. So that was crazy running around to get everything somewhat settled before they got here. We had a fantastic time showing Mami and Papi around China. We rode trains, subways, taxis, vans... We went to Buddhist temples and Muslim Street, we saw snow and ice and we saw rain. We had wonderful guides and not so great. We had amazing foods and so-so. We went to Tea Houses, Great Walls, Squares, Gardens, Heaven & Earth and we saw Warriors. We saw clean potties and some that I vowed to never talk about.  We went to markets, local malls, and Japanese ones. Once we were back home, we stayed in a lot. There were lots of cafes con leche, French Toasts, scrambled eggs, and oatmeal 'cremitas'...
They met our wonderful friends. They were happy. Now they know we are safe and well. We miss them dearly. Our little one had gotten used to sleeping with her Abu and Leli. I am so thankful to them. They faithfully come and visit us, check up on us, take care of us, love on us - wherever we are, yearly. We never stay more than 6 months without seeing them. What a blessing.

So, that's what we've been up to. Still loving on kiddos at the orphanage. I love them more and more everyday. I miss them when I don't see them.
I've been to a local hospital for the first time. I went with my Munchkin to get a check-up because we are both having coughs. Hers is different than mine. She got some meds for her congestion. I, on the other hand... had to take an x-ray which confirmed that I have pneumonia. Unbelievable. I guess the undeniably cold weather in Beijing left me with a cold which left me vulnerable and ended up with this. Now, it's probably in its early stage (thank God) because I never even got a fever. As a matter of fact, I thought that I was getting asthma for the first time in my life. Because I wasn't feeling sick. Maybe a tad more tired than usual, but contributed it to thinking that we were Rockstars touring around this huge country. Anyway, I'm taking all the meds diligently.  I'm thankful to my dear friend who went with me to the hospital and helped me navigate that place that at some point seemed to me like I was at the station of Men in Black.  Things are done quite differently 'round here. But overall it was a good experience. And it was rather quick. Hopefully I will be 100% soon. I am also thankful that my sweet (and handsome) husband takes such good care of me. Breakfast in bed, dishes washed, kid looked after (with my help, but still) and entertained. But of course, a woman can't really just kick it up and do nothing. I've done my share of wifely duties - 2 loads of laundry today, bathed & fed the kid, brushed teeth, fixed hair, took to the potty, put down for naps, even cooked on one of the days. Since Friday it's been total team work here. More than usual, and for that I am so grateful.

Ok, off to bed now. It's way too late. Past midnight. Here are a couple of pix of our latest adventures:











 


























Boa noite!