Hissssssssssss!!

Today, February 10, 2013, has a lot of people hissssssssssssssing!!  Probably something like a billion or so.  Why??  Well, today is Chinese New Years!!   Yahhh!!!!  Let's party!!  And 2013 is the Year of the Snake!!  Hissss Hissss ya'll!!  We have had a lot of fun preparing for the holiday.  Making our decorations and planning our day.  This was our first  CNY together as a family of 3.  We had a lovely day.  And........on behalf of the entire Goodson family..........

GUNG HAY FAT CHOY!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR YA'LL!!!

May this new year be one filled with love, joy, prosperity and happiness for all!! 

 

How Blessed am I!!!  My Dude and my Precious Treasure.

 

 The upside down Fu.  The only Mandarin character used upside down.  Placed on your front door - good luck and fortune will pour in to your home!!

 

 

 Our 2013 Snake - compliments of Miss Emma Grace.

 We had the best time putting our little red lanterns together.  They are made with paper cups.  This was really the most unique pattern I found for homemade lanterns.  Try it out here:

http://www.lantern-festival.com/how-to-make-lantern/how-to-use-paper-cups-to-make-a-chinese-red-lantern.html

 Of course you have to have your dragon.  Ours was made with an egg carton, some chop sticks, puff balls and construction paper

 Well if you are bringing a dragon in to your house, you'll definitely need some firecrackers on hand for protection.  Ours were made out of toilet paper rolls and red napkins.

 

A Chinese New Years Hong Bao lucky red envelope.

 

We made a CNY Hong Bao lucky red envelope wreath by winding some willow branches from our backyard.

 

 

 Emma Grace with her CNY Hong Bao lucky red envelope.

 We love our special red lantern we purchased at Andy's Place on the Shamian Island Guangzhou,China.

 Mama and daughter in front of our CNY display.  Oranges, plumb blossoms and a bunch of Emma Grace's china dolls etc. etc. 

 

 

 We received a card from Emma Grace's former SWI.

A sweet end to a beautiful day. 

Emma Grace Goodson -  I love you to the moon and the stars!!
 

 

Besides this great Chinese holiday - our family is celebrating quite a few special days of our own right now as well:

 

February 6th marks 6 months since we meet Emma Grace in Shanghai, China - gotcha day video clip below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y0xBZ-4f8Q

 

 

and on February 15th we celebrate our 6 month anniversary of being home together as a family of three!!

 

forever blessed

 



A Time to Heal.....

On January 9th 2013, Emma Grace received the first of  2 surgeries she would undergo in 8 days.  On this day Dr. G. Doumit of the Cleveland Clinic would be repairing the 2 quarter size holes in her palate, adjusting her philtrim,  and repairing collapsed nasal passages.  Dr. Mahaltra would also be stepping in to explore her ear canals regarding  hearing loss and replacing both tubes.  The clinic had rendered all work done in China as failures.  Basically putting  band aids on potentially serious yet correctible conditions. 

 

I would hold her hand all the way down the hall.  Once in the OR I continued to hold her hand and would sing one of our favorite songs, the first song I sang to her back in our room at the Shanghai Ramada hotel in China on gotcha day- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  I sang until she fell asleep.  They allowed me to kiss her cheek and then escorted me out of the room. 

This proceedure was estimated to take 4 hours.  After 4.5 we received a text stating that she was doing great and would remain in surgery for another 2 hours.....my .heart dropped.............

During the procedure it would be found that the space between the 2 quarter sized holes in her palate was not fused together.  This condition is considered rare and a much harder repair.  The actual procedure to repair this new situation was invented just 2 years earlier.......by none other than the surgeon now working on her.  Emma Grace could not have been in better hands............

She would continue to be in surgery for just under a total of 7 hours.  Then it was time to be reunited with Emma Grace and wait for her to awaken.


                                                     Our peaceful angel...... The Calm.............before the storm

 

                            Our Special Guardian Angel caught on film.....

 

and now the drainage begins..........

 

 

 

2nd day of surgery

 

\

the drainage continued....

 

and mama put the camera away, respecting a sweet angel's privacy. 

 

 

 

Emma Grace's recovery was very hard on her.  She is truly one of the strongest people I know.  I am proud and blessed to call her MY daughter. 

 

 

 

The BFF bandage twins

                                                      When she realized we matched, her tears finally stopped

and then

 

WE WENT TO OLIVE GARDEN!!!!!

The hostess asked me what the story was with my bandage.....she didn't see Emma.  As if I looked odd..............its a Hello Kitty for goodness sakes!!

Emma Grace will need to have her nasal stints in and wear lip tape for several months but she is getting better and better each day...........

 just a couple of buddies hanging out with their hands in their pockets

 

My daughter truly amazes me.  She is one tough cookie.....a real trooper.  We are experiencing some sleep problems now, but  taking one day at a time.  She has  been through so much for a 2 year old.  She continues to fight to learn to communicate with us.  We long for that conversation as we watch her every breath with hearts forever blessed.  We look at each other and smile.....he hugs me and says  "We flew to the other side of the world and adopted our daughter".........it still amazes us.  Crazy!  Never knew it was coming.................never though my hurt mattered......

So as Emma Grace continues to heal, mama continue to heal as well, from many things......but that's a whole other story.........and its far from being finished................................

 praise be

        with love to Emma Grace           http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q0S-rBAm-M

WORDS TO LIVE BY TO MOVE FORWARD:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1Lu5udXEZI

SEARCHING FOR DIRECTION:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIpIHfZ88PM 

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