Doctor Visit

We had Zoie's doctors visit and this is what's going on:

•She is being referred to a pediatric cardiologist for a heart echo cardiogram to make sure her heart condition is fixed.  3 doctors (2 in China, one here) said they can't hear anything but want to have it checked out.  On her medical papers it said she had an enlarged RV so that needs to be checked out.  Scheduled.

•She is being referred to speech, occupational and physical therapists.
•She is having a cervical and spine xray to rule out a common vertebrae deformity in kids with Down Syndrome. (I only knew about this from Gracie having hers done.) This one is a little scary if she has this vertebrae deformity, she has a higher likelihood of fracturing this vertebrae.  So no more jumping on the trampoline until it is checked.  Scheduled
•She is being tested for leukemia that is common in kids with Down Syndrome. This will also give them a baseline of her blood counts so they can monitor her more closely.

•She is being tested for every parasite, lead and all the other international adoption fun stuff.
•She is being tested for thyroid conditions that are common with Down Syndrome.  She will need to be checked every 6 months for this routinely.
•She is going to be tested to determine whether she has Mosaic Down Syndrome or just Down Syndrome.
•She had her ear wax cleaned out of both ears.  That was a fun treat,  she kept trying to pull out the cotton ball they put in to hold in the solution to soften up the wax.  She did so well didn't even cry and only fussed a little after being draped in two towels and warm water being sprayed in her ears.  After they got most of the wax out they tested her hearing and it passed!
•She received three shots in her leg that have left her with a little fever, a little miserable and redness on one leg.

•She is in the 37% for weight and 3% for height and her BMI is 93% which I don't count any of it since its compared to average girls and not girls with down syndrome.  I'll have to ask next time if they can do it compared to average for down syndrome children.  Also she loves to eat so we have to watch what she eats and how much. 

• She needs to see the dentist.  Which is scheduled.
• She has been referred to the opthamalogist to have her eyes checked.  Sometimes I think she can see and other times not sure.  She does put her head really close to her food but she can see far away things too so we will be getting this checked out.  She also has blocked tear ducts that will be checked to see if she needs surgery.

She did so well after being in the doctors office for about 2 hours. We head back to get labs done tomorrow.  We could have had them done but I thought she had enough for one day and especially after the shots and the 3 special bags that they sent home with me to get samples for. So now I can turn them in at the same time.

Warmer Weather

The weather has been so nice the past couple of days so we headed outside to play.   I kept telling her to smile and tried to show her with my hand so she has to copy me.  So cute!! 

Moving right along on her little bike with trailer.

Gotta love that face!

Zoie kept trying to put her hood up and she didn't have one so I grabbed the closest hat which happened to be one of the boys old ones.  She loved it more than hers and actually kept it on.  She shouldn't be jumping on the trampoline yet til her spine is checked but we let her bounce just a little with no one else on it and she loved it.  She's trying to jump like her brothers were.

Making cupcakes

So I think we are nearing the end of the jetlag.  Zoie has been doing well with sleeping at night.  We are all trying to get rested and enjoying her so much.  She is so full of laughter and love.  She still has her moments but what kid doesn't. 

Zoie has been following Paislee all over wanting to do what she does so Paislee got out the cupcake papers and wanted cupcakes so she helped me mix it up and add the eggs. She even tried to get Zoie to help with the electric beaters which Zoie wasn't having it but at least she was sharing momma. Paislee had a very hard time with me being gone and she's been stuck to me like glue since I've been home which has been a little hard for Zoie but she has bonded well with Dad so that's been great.

Zoie is cheesin' it up after eating her first chocolate cupcake (wish I knew how to turn the picture)

Blue Rose

I love this story so I had to post while I'm downloading some pictures to update the blog.
Blue Rose


Having four visiting family members, the wife was very busy, so I offered to go to the store for her to get some needed items, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags, detergent, and Clorox. So off I went.

I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies, and headed for the checkout counter, only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man who appeared to be about sixteen-years- old. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, "Mommy, I'm over here."

It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged, and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, "Hey Buddy, what's your name?"

"My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly. "Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Steve."

"Steve, like Stevarino?" he asked.
"Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?"
"How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle.. "You're fifteen-years- old Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass by."

I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles, and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement because he was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section.

Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him. I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in God's Garden; however, "Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God.

She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?"
Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion but I sure love living in God's garden."
She reached out, squeezed my hand, and said, "God bless you!" and then I had tears in my eyes.

May I suggest that the next time you see a BLUE ROSE, don't turn your head and walk off. Take the time to smile and say Hello. Why? Because, by the grace of GOD, this mother or father could be you. This could be your child, grandchild, niece, or nephew. What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family.
From an old dandelion!
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

"People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Jet Lag

Sorry for the delay in posting.  The jetlag has hit.  Its taken a few days to get Zoie onto our time and schedule.  The first few nights she would wake up about 12:30 a.m. and start playing.  It would have been 3:30 p.m. in China and she would just be waking up from a nap.  We would just get her back to sleep and about 3:30 a.m.- 4:30 a.m. she would start crying in her sleep.  So needless to say we haven't got much sleep.  After some late naps and playing outside we've pretty much gotten her onto our time.  Now if I could only sleep through the night.....besides making sure I hear if she wakes up and me just not being able to sleep I'm exhausted.  Some days are better than others but today I could crawl back into bed and sleep for hours and the day has just began.

On another note Zoie is fitting in well with the kids she is smothered with love and hugs from them all.  She is curious about everything.  She helps me with the laundry and unloading the dishwasher even if I'm filling it up again :)  she is a big help.  She's always happy and laughing loves to eat but is having a little trouble liking some American food.  She doesn't like pizza but loves pasta salad.   She loves dolls and especially the ones that talk to you when you push a button on them.