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Yes, folks, I am not kidding. We're going back to China! China gave us PA for a sweet little girl who will be 5 in January (to Reese's 8 in October).

Under current Hague laws, which are kind of confusing to begin with, I can't give a whole lot of information about her, as I understand. But I can share this.

Introducing my new little sister, Ana-Cherie!

Like Reese, she has a facial birthmark, and it is listed as being elsewhere as well (that's more than we got with Reese...we were somewhat surprised that she had port-wine stain elsewhere, but that didn't matter.) She had a seizure last fall, but she has had physical therapy for it and everything seems to be fine. At the last update we have of her, she was 30 lbs and 36" tall. We hope to travel to get her next summer.

Current Timeline:

I first saw Ana-Cherie's picture: 06/27/2012

Submitted Application for Pre-Approval (PA) and Waivers: 08/09/2012

PA: 08/20/2012

We have until Feb 21, 2013 to be DTC (Dossier to China).

This is a completely surprising adoption, as we really were not looking to adopt again, but here we are, unexpectedly "expecting".

We currently have 2 fundraisers running for our adoption. This was kind of a surprise "pregnancy", as we really weren't thinking we would ever go back to China.
Current Fundraisers:

1. Puzzle Piece Fundraiser- $5 buys a puzzle piece, which we will write your name on.
2. Tupperware Fundraiser- This runs through OCTOBER 26. We get 40% of the proceeds towards our adoption of Ana-Cherie. They have some really awesome products, and because this is online, they are shipped straight to you.

Laser Treatment and Glaucoma

Reese and Mom in the suit she has to wear to bring Reese back into the OR (pre-laser)

Reese had another laser treatment on January 27. It was a real breakthrough procedure for us. Perhaps sadly, it was the first time my mom hasn't walked into recovery to Reese screaming bloody murder (don't let anyone tell you laser treatments don't hurt). Apparently, this time the appropriate amount of painkillers was used. If I remember right, she got 2 hits of morphine, plus Tylenol 3 to take home. Reese is 7 now, and more self-conscious, so I no longer post pictures of her soon after her laser just for the sake of posting them to show. If I had taken pictures for some other reason, that would be one thing.

We also had a bit of a scare with her glaucoma. The pressure in her eye was pretty high just before her laser, and so we really hit the eye drops, making sure to get them in as often as was prescribed (Reese is on 3 different ones). If the eye drops didn't work, we were looking at a daily pill to try to control her glaucoma, and if the pill didn't work...we were looking at surgery. She had 2 surgeries for glaucoma in China before she came home at 2.5 years, and thus far they have held up. They checked her pressure under anasthesia during her laser and it was in that grey area between normal and elevated. In the office a few weeks later, she was reading as normal. The doctor is content with where we're at right now. Reese has a thickened cornea and some scarring, so the doctor didn't really want to do surgery until it was absolutely necessary, and right now (and hopefully for a long time), it's just not necessary.

Reese has also gotten much better at riding her bike. She got her training wheels removed in November-ish, and in early January we got her a new bike as a belated Christmas present (pictured here is her new bike and Dad). She's doing very well with it.

She did however bring up the fact that on Reese's right eye, the bottom eyelash is rolled up and rubbing against her eye. We'd noticed this since we got her, but no optometrist or opthalmologist had mentioned it until now. Basically her eyelashes are parallel to her eyeball and rubbing against it. We're not sure how that's not uncomfortable, but it's all she's ever known. So we're looking at possibly surgery someday for that.

Christmas Party

Working on her placemat

Playing with the jump rope her teacher got all the kids as a gift

Hugging her teacher

Snacks!

Trying to hide from the camera, lol

Reese had her kindergarten Christmas party today. It's hard to believe her kindergarten year could be halfway over! Joseph and I went to help, Mom was going to come, but she lost an uncle earlier this week and had to drive up to help with visitation. But Reese wasn't lacking for people! She had 2! :) They made placemats to eat on, played "Santa, Santa, Where is Rudolf?" which is where someone turns around where they can't see and the teacher picks someone else to hide the reindeer plushie somewhere on their body (most kids sat on it) and the person who couldn't look has to guess who has it, then they ate snacks and got letters from Santa Claus who had visited earlier in the day. Then they played a variety of "hot potato" for who got to get their gift from her teacher, Mrs. P.  Everyone got one, it was just a matter of what order. They all got jump ropes as a present from their teacher, so we all went outside to try them out. Reese is pretty good, she just doesn't really get more than one good jump. But that jump is good!

It was a sweet party and for the most part she's had a good year. We've had some trouble, according to Reese, about bigger kids being "scared" of her and her birthmark, but best as we can figure, that's chilled out as we haven't heard anything else about it. Hopefully, it will stay that way as long as she's in this school. And hopefully by the time she's in middle school, people will be intelligent enough, but middle school is rough so that's doubtful. But we'll deal with that when we get there.

Today is also our Mom's birthday. Happy birthday, Mommy!

It is also 1 year until Joseph and I get married. :o Interesting to think about. :)

Contrary To The Saying, Ignorance Is NOT Bliss...

At least not for the people who have to deal with your ignorance.

Now, I don't often talk of the more negative aspects of life. Because one day, Reese may read this and since several of those negative things revolve around her...well, yeah. Yes, Reese throws fits. Yes, she disobeys. Yes, there are days where I would love for her to just be quiet. But I love her. And she's 4. Whoever said there were terrible twos, never saw four year olds.

But anyway.

So, we went to visit my nephew, Jonathan, in the hospital this evening and took Reese with us. And no, this is not Arkansas Children's Hospital. We were in the room with my sister and her husband and, of course, Jonathan. Mom was holding Reese because Reese isn't fond of hospitals, nor my sister's husband, for whatever reason. A nurse walks in to check on Jonathan and she sees Reese and says:

"Hi, honey. What happened to your face?"

And I just had a moment of 'oh no you didn't'. Mom explained it was a birthmark, and that Reese had applied base over it (more on that momentarily). And the nurse goes:

"Oh, I thought it was a burn."

Okay. This was an RN. An RN. And she can't tell the difference between a burn and a birthmark? Albeit her birthmark is not as dark as it once was, and it was covered with make up, but burns have a certain look to them. And sunburns don't get that slight purple-ish tinge to them. They are pink, even the darkest sunburns are pink-ish. Not purple-ish. Learn your Crayola box.

My sister was shocked, and commented as much after the nurse left. I mean, really. One, it was completely tactless, and two, hello, you're a medical professional! Some people just do not think before they speak.

And to compound things, Reese is at an age where, while many things may go over her head, those such things do not. She's well aware of her birthmark, comments on how it's on a different side in pictures (have you tried explaining that to a 4 year old? The physics of photography...it's not easy and I still haven't got her convinced her birthmark hasn't jumped sides at one point or another), and she always wants to wear our mother's make up. Or mine, when I rarely offer (big treat to get to use Sissy's foundation). She wants base, eyeliner, lipstick, the whole she-bang. And she's good at it. Applies it herself, which she loves to do. Mom will smooth out the foundation some if needed, if we're going somewhere, but when we're just staying home, we let Reese do all of it. If it's a bit uneven, well, hey, we're at home. She likes the base because it covers up her birthmark, not completely, but it does lighten it. And the child is excellent at applying eyeliner. For no more depth perception than she has, and 4 year old coordination, it's amazing. Mom has said Reese applies eyeliner better than she does.

But Reese is 4, and at that stage where she is getting self-conscious about herself, about her difference. And she's also hard-headed and stubborn, so nothing we can say will sway her. Every time she complains of her birthmark, I tell her she's beautiful, it's beautiful. And she won't answer, or denies it. She wants it gone. And if I could make it gone, I would, for her. She's beautiful with it, I know that. But she has to discover that for herself. All I know of to do is keep telling her she's beautiful, with make up, without it, before laser treatments, after. All the time. Because she is a gorgeous little girl. But our human urge for "perfection", to point out "differences", makes it difficult for her to believe me. One day, I hope she'll have the self-confidence I've seen her with, to deal with human ignorance. And I know she will, because she's a strong little bugger.

I just hope she doesn't often have to deal with ignorance from people who are supposed to be educated. That's ridiculous. A pediatric nurse who would say something like that. Unbelievable. Yet, it happened.

And I know, like many relatives of children with obvious special needs- birthmarks, limb differences, scarring, etc.- I hate those words: "what happened to so-and-so?". From small children who are genuinely curious, I don't mind it. They get an answer and go on with life like there was no difference. When people tactfully ask me, or my mother, what happened, out of an urge for more knowledge, where Reese can't hear them, I respect that. That is the way to go about it if an adult is to ask. Tactfully. Without making it seem like a direct hit to the child's ego.

Why can't people understand that small children understand everything, whether we think they do or not? They live in this world too, not separate from it just because they're little.


End of Rant.

Laser Treatment

Reese had another laser treatment today. Her second on her left leg, and her 9th on her face. Dad and I went to Children's today with her, driving Mom to work and going through the ice. It was all good until they got to the OR, at which time Reese got quite upset about the whole idea as I understand. Dad carried her back, and held her until she passed out.

They came and got us as soon as she woke up because she came out screaming and crying, like usual. We just had unusually empathetic nurses and anasthesiologists. Usually they're all like 'oh she's throwing a fit', when she's screaming 'owie' and 'it hurts', and crying and screaming. This nurse felt bad for her, and when I asked if she had a Rx for Tylenol 3, she said no, this says for her to take Tylenol OTC. And I said, with her face, that would work, but with her legs, OTC pain killers don't cut it, could you please call Dr. Buckmiller and ask for a Rx? She did and within 20 minutes, if that, we had a Rx for Tylenol 3. Thank God. Reese was screaming and crying and almost cradling her leg, keeping it off the ground as much as possible. She still says it hurts to bend it, so she walks around on her toes on that leg. But the nurse felt awful for her, and asked the anasthesiologist if there was something they could give her, like Fenatol (sp?). The anasthesiologist agreed and went to get the stuff for it, and they gave it to her. It goes up the nose, like a nose spray. Within probably 10 minutes, she was becoming noticeably calmer, obviously in less pain, although she was far from pain free, I'm sure, but it took off the edge. We were told to next time have them give her that Pre-Op, instead of Tylenol OTC, or give her an IV. They think it will work better, give her less pain post-op.

The nurses in PACU were awesome. If we could have that same group every time, we would. That was by far the best PACU experience we've had thus far at Children's.

I'll try to keep this updated about her laser.

Reese Then And Now

Reese's referral picture, roughly 6 months of age, and before laser treatments, we believe.
At 18 months, and after some laser treatments.

Home at last! Roughly 2.5 years old and 5 laser treatments on her face.

3 and a handful of months at Chinese New Year 2008. After 6 laser treatments.


3.5 years old during the Easter 2008 photo shoot. After her 7th facial laser treatment.

It's so funny to look and see how much she has grown since the first picture we saw of her. It's also fun to see how much her birthmark has changed. It's lightened up so much. It's breaking up really well, particularly on her forehead and temple area. Her eyelid and the area right around it is putting up quite the fight, though. I hear that's not unusual, however. It seems to be one of the tougher spots to break up, for whatever reason. I just thought I'd do a workup of pictures between laser treatments to show how much it's changed in such a short period of time. There's a good difference even between when we got her and now in her birthmark. Pretty impressive, I think.

News, news, news

We received our LOA on April 4, 2007...whatever number day that was, I don't remember. It was returned to China on April 13, 2007. And apparently my mom accidentally only signing her first and last name, then going back and signing first, middle, and last beneath it worked because we got our TA today! : ) We're leaving on the 24th, and we should have a Consulate appointment on either the 4th or 5th of June. That's my current exciting news. (At left is Reese on her 2nd birthday, and at right, is Reese in March of this year, almost 2-1/2! The wonders of laser treatment and eye pressure surgeries and drops.)

Now for some brain food:

Port-wine stain is a vascular (containing blood vessels) birthmark made of enlarged capillaries. It effects 3 out of every 1,000 people born and is present at birth. The mark may darken as the child gets older and can be lightened with a laser. This usually has the most benefit when begun early in life, before the birth mark thickens. PWS covering the upper and/or lower lids is often associated with glaucoma. It can also be a symptom of Sturge-Weber Syndrome (SWS) or Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber Syndrome. So any large birthmark, particularly across the face, should be evaluated. Doctors may order a pressure exam of the eye to rule out glaucoma if the mark goes over the eye and/or and x-ray of the brain to rule out brain involvement (a.k.a. seizures).