Much needed update!

Wow! We've been home 10 weeks! Everybody is used to our new addition. He's just part of the family now. Anna and Teddy have a great relationship. They were definitely meant to be siblings. He is showing affection to us all. When Anna gets hurt, he gives her kisses and hugs. Of course normal siblings fight. He has learned to hoard toys, but he tends to give her what she wants if she cries loud enough! I can't stop laughing when I look at the picture of Anna feeding him the bottle. That was too cute. She has become so much more independent and has learned to really play from having Teddy as an example.

We are still working on some medical issues. He has been tested negative for Rickets, which was a concern because of his size and knees. Bloodwork looks great! His cough is gone, but his immune system still needs some time to get stronger. He sees the urologist in August to get prepared for surgery. And we are waiting to be scheduled for an MRI. He has a definite sacral dimple (at the bottom of his spinal cord), which could be a sign of minor Spina Bifida. He has no symptoms, but we want to see what is really going on. We are anxious to get this done. So far, the paperwork has been messed up and we are just waiting.

His English is really coming along! He speaks in sentences, with the vocabulary of a two year old. We will work on school when he gets further along in his English. We are very proud of him. It is interesting that he likes to watch his Mandarin, but doesn't want to continue speaking in Chinese. He calls himself Teddy, but won't respond if we ask him about his Chinese name. He is feeling very comfortable with his new family! We still can't leave him at church or with a babysitter other than his siblings or grandparents. We've had Anna for two years and she is still like that. My bio kids were that way, too. I guess I'm very lovable! Chris and I are really due for some time alone! We should have some more cute pictures since summer is coming. We'll keep updating.

Kristina

New Pictures

Yes, he does cry sometimes.





Teddy is telling everybody not to scare the fish.











"Cool worms!"

Ready to tackle the cold.

Little mommy!

First ballet lessons.

Celebrating 4 birthdays in one day!

Teddy turned 5!

She still thinks she's the mommy.

Home for Five Days!!!

It's funny how time can fly! Our sweet Teddy is doing so well. Of course, this is a huge adjustment for him. But he is so brave and full of joy. He can also be quite stubborn. He has been crying more, but absolutely no tantrums. Anna's tantrums have continued as normal! She got very possessive when we got home. The two weeks of bonding in China helped so much. It feels like they are real siblings now. Anna fights as much with her older siblings as she does with Teddy, so not much has changed! Anna is almost the complete opposite of Teddy in disposition. I am so thankful that I was able to bond with Anna early and that Teddy is so easygoing.

Teddy is speaking more English every day. We also bought Mandarin/English DVDs that have really helped. We have no problem communicating needs to each other for now. I know more understanding will come in time.

Many people have concerns about adopting an older child. We knew this adoption was God's will for us, so we stepped out in faith. God is always faithful to us when we trust in Him. I went into this adoption with no expectations, knowing that God would take care of everything, however things turned out! Many of you who know me, know that I am usually on the weak side emotionally. I have learned that I REALLY CAN "do all things through Christ, who gives me strength". I look back at our blog and can't believe that was ME in China! I really didn't want to live out of a hotel room and fly all over a foreign country again. I am living proof that "God's power is made perfect in weakness". My thanks is to God for bringing us through all of the paperwork, waiting, traveling, and for helping us through struggles to come in the future.

Kristina



Today was pajama day! He liked the sidewalk chalk.

And he likes corn dogs, too!

He likes when I cradle him and call him "baby".

We're Home!

YES! We made it! That was one long and difficult trip. Toddlers sure can wear a person out! We stayed the night at a hotel across from LAX. Three of us were awake and could not go back to sleep, so I woke up Chris and we left at 4:30 AM. (He told me to. I'm not that cruel.) It was great to be home by 9:00 AM. With a big smile, Teddy followed everybody through the house as we showed him around. Soon after, there were toys scattered all over the living room. That boy really knows how to play! We love to just sit and watch him play with the toys and talk to himself (in Chinese, of course). It is so funny because we have Anna insisting on using Chinese words for water and potty, and Teddy copies Anna's phrases like "Mommy, I want some 'shwei' (water)."

We were amazed that Teddy didn't mind his car seat and sat contentenly the whole trip home! He didn't even sleep. In China, he always wanted to sit by the window so he could see the cars. We made sure his car seat was by the window, too. When he met the dogs and cats he peeked around us, but didn't get too close. At least he's not afraid. I think he really likes the house. He cried his little whimpering cry before nap. He also did that when we arrived at LAX and made it through customs. We all wanted to cry with joy, but Teddy looked so scared and sad.

When we were leaving China, we had our guide ask Teddy if he liked us. He said, "yes", and all on his own he said he was happy! I thought that was so sweet. He understands so much, even though he looks like a little baby! I just wish we could understand him!

Okay! The fighting has now started. Anna was so proud when she announced she was going to share her toys with her brother. That didn't last very long! I think once we're not so tired and she practices sharing more, she will do just fine. They really are great friends.

Look for another post in a few days. We need to get some sleep!

Kristina


Anna was tired of smiling pretty.






Here's the panda.




A red panda in training.




Two tired kids and one tired dad.




The kids looked forward to their daily apples from the front desk.




Teddy on the famous red couch. He didn't mind not having a group.




He had his Mei Mei!





Window washers at the White Swan.




This was a lot of fun for the whole family.

Going Home

By the time you read this, we should be on a plane to L.A. Everything went well. We got Teddy's passport just in time. We should be back home by Saturday. We all can't wait to sleep in our beds again. Chris and Samuel have been sharing a twin size bed for the last six nights！Emma and I got spoiled and had our own beds。We'll share more pictures and let you know how we are all adjusting soon。

Kristina

Video

He's so good at using chopsticks. We wanted to show him off. We think his foster family spent a lot of time teaching him things. He is a great communicator and even knows how to shake hands with Chinese boys!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW6UCJRojMs

Two More Days!

We are really homesick now. We all took our turns with a cold and now that Anna has it, she is making our lives even more miserable. Teddy is still his sweet little self, but is learning how to fight back when Anna is being bad. We get lots of looks and comments because they look like twins. We bought them the same size t-shirts and they both wear size 2T pants. We're a little concerned because Teddy's passport took longer than expected. Our guide in Guiyang is supposed to send it to us by airplane. He still doesn't have it. The consulate agreed to process the paperwork and we can fax copies of the passport as soon as we have it. We are praying we will get it tomorrow and we can leave on Friday as planned.

We went to the zoo yesterday. It was the prettiest zoo that I've been to. They had lots of animals, especially bears. The panda bear was the most pitiful bear. It was in a cage with concrete and a small pool. Its white fur was muddy and it just wanted to sleep. We did get it to wake up, so maybe we will share that picture later. It's expensive to use the computer at the White Swan, but we found a place in a store by the hotel. Please pray for the passport situation. We love you guys and miss you all.

Kristina