Catching up

Wow, life gets so busy this time of year. This is the first chance I've had to update in weeks. We have had a lot going on...


The doctor is so pleased with how nice Abby Grace is healing. She once again has a precious little smile that just lights up the room. She is such a little trooper. She only occasionally cries when we have had to clean her nose area but mostly just grins and bears it. It is looking great. Don't you think?


Abby Grace's first Thanksgiving was actually celebrated twice. We spent Thursday at Nana's house and she chowed down on mac and cheese and some cherry ice-cream. Then on Saturday we went to Sean's sister's house and spent the day enjoying time with the kids. Once again mac and cheese was her favorite and she ate a lot of her Uncle Bob's delicious pot roast and rice. After dinner we spent a few hours playing rock band and she really enjoyed dancing and watching us grown ups act all silly.





Today we had a play date with a little friend from China. The girls had a great time getting to know one another. Paige is 14 months younger than AG and a lot smaller. She really reminds me of how small AG was when we first got her. They had a lot of fun playing in the floor together. Thanks Hope, we'll have to do it again real soon.





We are starting to prepare for Christmas. Mom and I spent 12 hours shopping on black Friday. We started the day and the infamous W*lmart and ended up back there for one more thing at the end of our marathon day. We found a few bargains but did a lot of just looking too. It is so fun to shop with my mom. She always finds the neatest little things. Sean was a trooper and had the kids all day long. He called a few times but really did not complain. I sure hope he likes the gifts we picked up for him. I cannot wait to celebrate Christmas this year with our family complete. I cannot wait to see Christmas through Abby Grace's eyes. I cannot believe that this time last year we did not have her in our arms yet. It just seems as though she has been ours forever.

How are WE going to make a difference in the world this Christmas season?

We received the World Vision Christmas Gift Catalog in the mail this past week and had each one of our children choose a gift to give to someone in need in the world. I had to explain it a bit to Owen, he wanted to get the Walm*rt Christmas book out and send toys to kids:) But then we talked about it a bit and about sacrifice and need and then they decided on the following:
*Abby Grace is giving a sheep to someone in need cost $105
*Owen is giving a goat and 2 chickens to someone in need cost $100
*Jacob is giving a goat and 2 chickens to someone in need cost $100
*Victoria is giving 10 ducks to someone in need cost $60
Total cost $365.
A sacrifice of a quarter a day per child.
But believe me the cost was priceless when they realized what they were doing. In fact they wanted to buy more, like the dairy cow and the fish pond. Not this year, but that may be in our plans for next year.

If you'd like to find a gift to give someone in need you can log on to
www.worldvisiongifts.org

Watch this...

...then reflect.
What can you do this Christmas season to make a difference in this world?

Hudson's MeeMaw needs your prayers

AG's best pal Hudson's MeeMaw needs your prayers. This past week she was diagnosed with cancer and is currently at the Mayo clinic undergoing testing to see if treatment is an option. We had the privilege to get to know Judy and Doug in China. She is a wonderful woman whom we care a lot about. Please visit Sharon's blog for updates once they learn anything new. Also pray for Sharon and her family. Sharon is very close to her mom and it is very hard for her to be so far away from her at this time. S-If you read this know that we are continually praying for MeeMaw and for you.
www.teagues6.blogspot.com

PRAYER REQUEST and AG update

Prayer Request:
There is a family from our agency in China right now that needs your prayers. Naomi and Jeff Cuzzo received their daughter Lydia yesterday only to find out that her medical problems were MUCH more than expected. They in turn had to give her back to China. So now they sit on the other side of the world, away from their family and friends desperately in need of prayer. Please visit their blog and offer them some words of encouragement as they await what lies ahead.
www.lydiahope.blogspot.com

A few months back the same thing happened to a single mother adopting from China and the CCAA offered her another child. If it is the Lord's will for Naomi and Jeff to receive another daughter from China then pray that his will be done.

AG Update:
Our post-op appointment went well. Actually we spent more time in the waiting room than we did with the doctor but in hos brief visit he said thing looked great. He did give us a new prescription for bactrob*n because there was still some redness on her lip area.
I asked him about the little nose job and he said he'd most likely do it when she is 4 and do her bone-graft for her jaw and palate when she is 7 or 8. We love her little nose just the way it is but he said it would be too flat to be a fully functioning nose.
Oh...she has developed the cutest little snore when she sleeps:) I'll try to get a video of it. It is so cute, but I already said that.
One more thing, our sweet girl has also developed quite a little attitude. We are praying it is just a phase from the recovery of surgery but who knows. That may be a little something she has in common with her big sister.

Smiles and laughter

This was my welcome home today. My sweet girl smiling at me and signing I Love You. She just makes my heart melt. I am soooooo lucky to have been chosen by him to be her mother.

V and "Lizzie"

She LOVES animals!! All types of animals:)

She's smiling and sucking!!!

Well it has almost been a week since AG had her surgery and this weekend we got a great smile:) Of course I did not get a picture of it but I did get some great pics of our weekend "camping" in the backyard and making s'mores. She is also sucking coke form a straw and was so proud of herself when she did it the first time. I'll post more later this week after our post-op.

Before and After

Miss AG as a butterfly on Halloween. She got to go trick-or-treating unlike 2 of her older siblings who were grounded for bad attitudes and fighting.

Surgery Day-11/4/08
We had to be @ MUSC at 6:30 AM so we headed down the night before and stayed at a friend of a friend's house on the battery. I felt sick so I managed to go to bed a bit early only to wake through the night with IT the tummy bug:) Lucky me.
Sean took AG to the hospital for her 6:30 check-in and I stayed behind and rested a bit until he returned to get me shortly after 8. We sat in the waiting area until a little after 11 and then they took us back to see her. We really though we had prepared ourselves but oh what a shock. Now remember we've already been through 2 surgeries in the last 7 months but this time it was so different, she looked SO different. Her little swollen face and her little bitty mouth. The big open smile was gone. I quietly cried as I held her mourning the loss of that face remembering how it looked. For over a year it had been the face I saw and kissed every day and her smile had been so big and bright it just filled the room. It was gone. She just looks so different, but different in a good way. I can't wait until those little lips are healed up enough for a smooch:)