Journey2ourPrincess

Happy One-year Anniversary!!!

2009-09-01T01:26:00.005-05:00

This was suppose to be a Before and After post but when you try to post at 2am in the morning, things don't always work out right. So it is an After and Before post!!!

I want to again thank everyone who has been a part of Sophie's life through prayer, financial,

or emotional support. You all have made a difference in the life of this child. Sophie knows that she was prayed for while she was in China and she likes to tell me "people prayed for me while I was in China so I could come home to my mommy" "I missed you mommy"!!!

Thank you friends and family!! I hope that you continue to be blessed by the life of this child!!!

Your sweet friend and pool buddy Griffin

Front rollovers before the ballgame..over and over and over again!

There you go again!!

Justin's biggest fan!! Go Eagles!!!!

So proud of yourself riding your bike!!

Scared little girl Sept 1, 2008

My heart was melting and aching for you. So relieved to have you in my arms!

Mommy and Daddy were scared and nervous too!!!

Thank goodness for these sunglasses!!!!!!! You wore them almost the entire time while in China!!!

China and their orphans will always hold a special place in my heart. We had a wonderful experience and met some incredible people along the way. The Peak family will return one day to continue to follow what God has put in our heart concerning China. I wish I could adopt them all!!!!! But we are so thankful and blessed to have experienced adoption and becoming Sophie's family!!!!! Sweet girl, we love you so much!!!!!

Loving Sophie!!!!

2009-08-12T22:11:00.002-05:00

Who is this little girl that has changed so much in just a years time???? She is sweet, silly, sassy, and so in love with her family!!!!! I am becoming very emotional (this is no surprise to those who know me well!!!) as we approach our one year anniversary of receiving Sophie into our family as our daughter/sister. As I think about this time last year, it overwhelms me to see how far we have come over the past year. Sophie has been through a lot in her little short life and my prayer is that she can put the past behind her and move forward with great confidence into the future. She will always have physical scars to remind her of her time in China but my hope is that she will not have any emotional scars due to her circumstances. I can't even describe to you how my heart hurts for a mama 8000 miles away that didn't feel like she had any other choice. Oh how I wish I could tell her that her baby is alive and well...... loving life and being loved!!!!! I wish that I could tell her that she loves to swing, swim underwater like a fish, kick a soccer ball, dance and sing. She loves to eat almost anything that you give her and can wash her hair all by herself!!!!!! Sophie, your birth mother loved you so much that she made sure that you were in a safe place and she knew that we were waiting anxiously to come and get you. I love you so much....it is indescribable!!!!!!!

Three Beautiful Blessings!!!!

2009-07-26T22:56:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Sophie!!!!

2009-07-24T22:12:00.010-05:00

Happy 4th Birthday Sweet Sophie!!!! What fun it has been to be in North Carolina for Sophie's Birthday. We are visiting with our sweet friends, the Brannons. We spent our last week in China with this family and we are now "forever friends"!!!!

I am so thankful for Sophie's birth mother who delivered her safely into this world to be a part of our family. I pray that she has peace in heart that her baby is safe.

Sophie's first Birthday Party

2009-07-17T07:42:00.006-05:00

Sophie's birthday is July 24th. We are going to be out of town so we had her party early. It was such a joy to see how excited and special she felt. We are blessed to have such a very talented friend , aka Nai Nai, who opened up her home for the party. Nai Nai made her cakes and had more patience than I would have had in letting Sophie help decorate. She got to place the edible pearls on the princess's dress.

Two sweet girls came and painted the girls fingernails and toenails. They did makeup and hair also. Lots of glittery stuff!!!

It was a wonderful, fun day!!! Thanks to all the special friends that were able to attend and help celebrate this special "1st" birthday with Sophie!

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-04T21:27:00.007-05:00

Lacey Cottage/Doctor visit

2009-07-02T23:38:00.002-05:00

Sophie had a follow up appointment with her pediatric urologist this Wednesday in Montgomery. We took the opportunity to eat lunch with some special friends and see her new business. She has opened up a place where little girls and big girls can have parties. It is really very cute and very girly. Sophie had more fun swinging on the swing outside. This is her favorite thing to do no matter where she is.

Our doctor's appointment showed no changes in the size of Sophie's bladder and confirmed that she still has hydronephrosis in her left and only kidney. We will travel to Birmingham in 4 months to do more testing and a possible MRI. Praying God's healing touch on Sophie. She has come a long way and been through a lot in her little lifetime.

Music to my ears......

2009-06-30T16:44:00.004-05:00

The bedroom door opening and little feet running across the wood floor to jump into my lap and say "Mama, I love you!"

We have come a long way baby girl!!

We celebrate 10 months as a forever family tomorrow!!

I love you so much!!!!

Look at how much you have grown and changed--Oct 2008

New Picture from China

2009-06-23T15:05:00.003-05:00

This is a picture that I received today from sweet Melissa Yeung (in pic above) with Sophie's best friend (Qian Qian) from POPCH. It breaks my heart that these girls were so close and still remember each other 10 months later. Melissa's father is the founder of Prince of Peace Orphanage. Melissa is a sweetheart!! Thank you for the picture!!!! Qian Qian, Sophie loves you too and misses you very much!!! We are so blessed to be able to stay in contact with Sophie's orphanage.

Swimming Lessons

2009-06-19T22:43:00.003-05:00

Sophie and Laura

2009-06-19T22:31:00.003-05:00

Spending the night at Sophie's house!

Spending the night at Laura's house. Going to church where Mommy grew up and got married !

Spending the night in Elba

2009-06-07T10:07:00.004-05:00

My sweet girl spent the night with my friend Karen and her girls, Laura and Anna. They live in Elba where my parents lived. I am so thankful that we still have a connection to Elba. I love my hometown and I loved growing up in Elba.

This is Sophie's second time being away from me. The first time she spent the night with my friend Cynthia (AKA Nai Nai) so Ricky and I could go to Lance's Air Force ROTC Dining Out in Auburn. This time I am in Auburn again watching my oldest son play basketball. Joshua is with Ricky working at Bama Jam and I hear that he has had a great time riding with the Troopers, riding the 4-wheelers and he has even gotten some autographs and listened to some concerts.

Sophie has had a great time going to McDonalds, Walmart, swimming, eating pizza, jumping on the trampoline, swinging and playing with Laura and Anna. I love sharing her with my friends and seeing how much they enjoy experiencing the love of an adopted child. Sophie is truly a blessing to us all. I can't imagine life without her!!!!!!

I have enjoyed my time with Justin but it has been a very busy week and I am ready to get my family all under one roof. Ready to cook some squash and peas!!! Make a trip to Slocomb for tomatoes!!! My girl is going to love her some Slocomb tomatoes!!! :)

Aunt Shell your next for a sleep over!!!!!!!

More pictures from the beach

2009-06-06T22:33:00.002-05:00

Beach part 2

2009-06-03T09:02:00.001-05:00

Summer Fun At the Beach

2009-06-02T08:38:00.004-05:00

Bubbles

2009-05-25T14:57:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Owens thank you for the pig bubble blower. I love it!!!!

Summer Birthdays

2009-05-20T22:29:00.002-05:00

This is mine and Sophie's last week of school. We celebrate all the summer birthdays on one day during this week. Sophie is so proud of her crown. She wore it the entire day and then insisted on sleeping with it on. Of course I let her. She was so cute and funny. Her birthday is in July and she tells me everyday. This year will be a very special birthday for a very special girl!!!!

K3 Splash Party

2009-05-13T22:54:00.000-05:00

K3 Spring Program

2009-05-06T14:01:00.004-05:00

Mrs Owens and Sophie

Sophie had her K3 Spring Program today and did a great job. Two months ago when we started singing the songs, I told Mrs. Owens that I was not going to put Sophie in the program and add any extra stress to her life. She was at that time and still is a little bit threatened by the presence of other adults that she does not know. So, I am pleased and thrilled that she did her program today and actually had a good time doing it!!! She has come a long way!!!!

Thank you Mrs Owns for 20 years of precious programs!!! Both of my boys have done your programs and I am so thankful that my sweet little girl got to do one has well. I have had the pleasure of working with you for the past 4 years and I am going to miss you very much. You brighten my day, make me smile, make me laugh and laugh and laugh, make me cry, pray for me and I for you. Oh yes, and you always have chocolate for me!!!!!!!

You are precious to me and I am going to miss you so very much!!!!

Swinging on the playground after the program....her favorite thing to do!

8 Months with Sophie

2009-05-01T20:21:00.004-05:00

What does Sophie do to entertain herself?

Put Q tips in the holes in the bathroom cabinet, of course!

Do you remember this picture?

Well you should hear this on video....it is very loud!!!!

Sophie has been wanting to watch her "crying" video as she calls it. We have watched it every day this week. She just likes to watch the crying part and then she is done. She thinks that it is funny that she is crying and tells me that she is crying because she wants her Mama and Daddy. This is so not true.....in fact....she did not want us at all....she was one mad little Chinese girl that didn't understand what was going on.

Thanks goodness time changes everything. She tells me now when she watches this video that " Sophie no go back to China" "Sophie stay in America"

She is a happy little girl and a joy to so many people. Adopting her has truly been an experience of a lifetime.

Birmingham update

2009-04-20T20:15:00.004-05:00

Our appointments went well today and I am so proud of Sophie. She cried horribly during her procedure today but she did not cry when we pulled up to the hospital or walking into the hospital. She was a big girl and I thank you for your prayers. We saw the doctor after lunch and Sophie is so proud to tell everyone that she did not cry at all at the doctor's office!!!!! She is so proud of herself!!

Everything looked fine with her colon and intestines which is a big relief. The surgeons in China did a good job taking care of my princess. Some of her lab results will not be ready until next week. Her iron is still low so we will start iron supplements for a year. Overall, we had a calm day with good news. We will conquer the dentist next!!!!!! At least that will be in Dothan :)

Prayers

2009-04-19T23:06:00.002-05:00

We are in Birmingham tonight. Sophie goes back to Children's Hospital for another invasive test and blood work. I have not told her yet that we are going to the doctor tomorrow!!! She gets so bent out of shape. I have told her that we are having a pajama party with Nai Nai. We went to the Gallaria and to the Cheesecake Factory. She has bounced on the bed and had a great time. I just hate it for her tomorrow. She will know exactly where we are going once we turn off onto University Blvd. My poor baby....pray for her to not be so anxious and afraid. I appreciate my friends and your concern for Sophie. She is blessed to be in such a caring community. Thanks Nai for always being there for me. I don't know what I would do without you!!!!!

Easter

2009-04-12T19:24:00.003-05:00

Roasting Marshmallows

2009-04-06T16:01:00.000-05:00

Too cute for words!!!

2009-04-06T15:50:00.000-05:00

Watching Baseball

2009-04-06T15:40:00.003-05:00

Little miss independent sitting on the bleachers by herself!!

Notice that everyone is looking up at the ball that almost hit my baby!!

Sunday Fun

2009-03-23T22:47:00.002-05:00

Sunday afternoon we went over to Ricky's Aunt and Uncle's house to visit. We took our friend Kameron with us. The kids rode the 4 wheeler, Gator and had a great time. Sophie spent a lot of time picking up old pecans and even posed with Fizzle the pet goat. It was a beautiful day!!!

My precious girl in China

2009-03-12T00:05:00.002-05:00

I received these precious pictures of Sophie today. Not sure how old she is in these pictures but doesn't she look like a little angel!!!!!

6 Months with Sophie!

2009-03-01T15:44:00.002-06:00

Wow....so much has happened over the past six months! Sophie is no longer that scared little girl that didn't know what was going on in her life. She is confident, happy, silly, and such a joy!! The journey has been very challenging and at times I thought "Oh my goodness, she is never going to like us" She was a sick little girl. She did not feel well and was scared these strange speaking people probably didn't know how to take care of her since we could not understand what she was saying to us.

Well we did know how to take care of her. She had her kidney removal surgery Dec 2 and she has been a completely different child since then. Her English began to develop weekly and very rapidly. We are amazed at her vocabulary. I don't think there is anything that she doesn't understand in English. She told me today that something was "dangerous". She pointed to a statue in a restaurant one day this week and said "Mommy look....a cowboy". She is working on learning her shapes, colors and numbers and doing a great job. She loves school and gymnastics. She loves to eat cherry tomatoes, strawberries, oranges, CANDY :( ...... ketchup, frenchy fries and chicken. She still loves rice and noodles. She loves for Justin to throw her on the bed and let her jump. She loves to play soccer with Josh and anything else that he will do with her. She also likes to argue with Josh!!!

Sophie completes our family and adds so much joy to our lives. Sophie we love you so much!!!!

Snow Flurries

2009-03-01T15:29:00.005-06:00

We had snow flurries today (you have to look real close)!!! This does not happen very often where we live. The kids were funny chasing after the snowflakes. Sophie was quite sure that she was going to be able to build a snowman!!! Needless to say that did not happen!!! Yes you are looking at the picture of my oldest son correctly. He doesn't seem to get cold. We think he has Eskimo blood running through his veins. He is a nut!!! They enjoyed running around and acting like it was really snowing!!! It is too cold for me!! BRRRRR!

Chopsticks and Hugs

2009-02-22T23:14:00.001-06:00

Funny girl

2009-02-22T00:12:00.004-06:00

Sophie likes for you to take a picture of her "peekoo" Chinese for "butt, hiney, tush"

What a pretty girl!!!

********************************************

Sophie has created a new song all by herself.

Joshua got his braces off.

Justin shoots the bapet ball. (basketball)

Daddy work.

Mommy drive the car!

Fun in North Carolina

2009-02-17T00:16:00.000-06:00

SURPRISE!!!!

2009-02-14T13:26:00.003-06:00

We are in North Carolina visiting our adoption friends!!! My friend Jody's birthday is in a few days and her crazy husband, Greg flew me and Sophie to NC to surprise the entire family!!! It has been so much fun keeping this surprise from all of them. We are having such a good time with them and we all thought that it would be summer before we saw each other again!!!!
Sophie and Cali adopted September 1, 2008
Gracie, Sophie, Lily, Cali

Silly Girls

Valentine Party

2009-02-11T20:36:00.002-06:00

My sweet girl had her first school party today and she was not too sure about all the "strange" adults in her classroom. For the first time in a long time she had her "China" look on her face! She did not sing the first word or change her facial expression. She sits down and doesn't eat hardly anything except for her hershey kiss. Then the tears start forming in her eyes and I take her out of the room to distract her. I take her back to the room when things settle down and I ask her if she wants to go with Mommy or stay at school. She said "go with Mommy" I grab her stuff...."Stay at School" "Go with Mommy" She wanted to do both and just couldn't get her emotions together. I took her to the car crying and she was fast asleep within minutes. Poor baby she really does love school but the "out of the ordinary" day messed her up!!!

She is laying in the bed with me and is now singing her Valentine songs!

"Nastics"

2009-02-05T20:23:00.003-06:00

Sophie has started gymnastics and she loves it. There are 4 other friends in her group including her friend Aaron. He calls her Poppy!!! Ms Jenny, her teacher, has also adopted two little girls from China

Officially a Preschooler!!!!

2009-01-27T23:24:00.002-06:00

Sophie has started preschool and she is doing great!! She gets so excited about going to school and "playing with her friends" as she tells me. My little princess has come a long way in such a short amount of time. I truly believe that her medical condition was making her very miserable and she just couldn't be a happy girl no matter how hard she tried. She dances, twirls, and runs all the time now. I am so proud of her!!!!!

American Girl Doll

2009-01-27T23:17:00.001-06:00

My sister sent Sophie this beautiful doll for Christmas. She loves the fact that they have matching pajamas. I don't know what will happen when the princess out grows these pj's!!!

New Pictures

2009-01-23T01:11:00.000-06:00

Blue Jeans and Pigtails!!

2009-01-15T21:08:00.003-06:00

Sophie loves her Dora scooter. She also loves to wear her blue jeans like her Mommy!! I attempted to put her hair in pigtails!

Attitude!!

Better look at the poor attempt of fixing her very thin hair!!

We are amazed that she can sit with her legs totally straight and outward!!!

Chillin

2009-01-13T06:18:00.003-06:00

One Month Follow Up

2009-01-07T22:33:00.002-06:00

We saw Dr. Joseph today. Sophie had and ultrasound and got a good report from the doctor today. Her left kidney is still dilated but no signs of reflux and her bladder is still enlarged but Dr. Joseph was very encouraged by her progress and will see us back in six months for another ultra sound. He said it would take a good six months for her to heal completely.

Last Day of Christmas Break

2009-01-07T22:25:00.002-06:00

The kids started back to school today so I took them to do something special Tuesday. Yes Sophie does have on shorts and no shoes. It is very "balmy" weather here!!!!

Messy Girl!!!!

2009-01-03T09:15:00.003-06:00

My friend Cynthia AKA Nai Nai thought it would be a good idea to give Sophie a big bottle of lotion to keep her entertained while we were trying to visit with each other. I warned her that it was not a good idea. She had a blast and we had a great laugh. This girl is a mess and loves to make a mess!!!!

Silly Gurla!!!

2009-01-03T09:02:00.001-06:00

Sophie likes for me to put her hair in ponytails. We used to just do 3 across the top and now she wants all of her hair done. She says "Sophie pretty!"

Sibling Photo Shoot

2008-12-30T21:16:00.004-06:00

Laughter

2008-12-30T21:03:00.002-06:00

My sweet friend Karen and her daughter came over Monday to visit with Sophie. Karen always gives Sophie her undivided attention when she is here. She let her giggle box get turned on and it was so precious. You can tell a big difference in the way she feels.

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-25T13:34:00.009-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas morning with our little princess!!

I think that we woke "big ge (prounounced guh)" up too early!!! Sorry Justin! I guess I could have cropped you out of the picture!! hee hee

I love my Dora scooter!!

Helping make waffles. Let me see how yours taste ge ge Lance!!!!

Thank you Grandmama for my talking Elmo!!! I love Elmo!!!!

I feel safe in ge ge Jerod's lap!!!!

Playing with my baby cousin, Hayden and Grandmama!!

Okay here comes the "sappy" part of my post!!! Just a warning in case you want to stop here!!! LOL!!! I originally started this blog to keep friends and family informed and updated on our adoption process. It has turned into an inspiring journal to one day show Sophie just how much she is loved and wanted by our family and our wonderful friends!!!

As I was rocking her to sleep this afternoon after a very busy morning, I couldn't help but to think of what a wonderful Christmas miracle she is for me this year. The past 10 years of Christmases have been very difficult for me with the loss of my Mom and then my Dad. Josh was born and there for my first Christmas without Mom and has been a great comfort for me all these years as well as Justin. I love all my children dearly and feel very blessed to receive these wonderful gifts from God. God has blessed me with biological children and all the wonderful experiences that go along with watching them grow and seeing the different traits they have inherited. I have been blessed with step sons that I have grown to love over the years through lots of ups and downs!! And now I have this wonderful gift through adoption....

I am so thankful that the Lord persistently continued to knock on the door of my heart. I so wanted to make many excuses of why adopting a child would not work for us. I will not get into those details but finances being the main obstacle!!!! I have prayed and prayed for many years, Lord either drop a child off at my door step or close all the doors and take away this desire of my heart!!!! Well it wasn't as easy as having a child dropped off at the door and thank goodness the Lord did not answer my plea to take this desire out of my heart!!! Sophie was already being formed in my heart and there was no way that it could be undone!!!!

So as I am rocking her to sleep this afternoon and thinking about Christmases gone by, I start to realize that Sophie and I have something very unique in common. We both have lost our biological mothers and we are both daughters of the Almighty God and he has brought us together and brought peace into our hearts. He even took care of her in a Christian-based orphanage while she waited for me and Ricky to come and get her. Her orphanage is named Prince of Peace!!!! I finally feel peace in my heart for the first time at Christmas since losing my mom. I still miss her and Daddy very much and always will. Thank you Jesus for healing my heart, thank you for bringing peace to my heart through the life of a precious 3 year old Asian princess named Wei Ming Nuan.

Thank you Lord for all my children. Thank you for the sweet relationship Sophie has with all of her brothers. It warms my heart to see them all change their tough-guy demeanor and love their precious little princess. Thank you for a husband that is willing to help father so many children and work hard to provide for them. Thank you Lord for sweet friends that financially helped Sophie come to America and for sweet friends that fervently prayed for her safe arrival to America. Thank you for this awesome experience of adoption...at times it can be indescribable!!!! Just as indescribable as your love for me!!!

Happy Birthday Jesus!!!!

Holiday Spectacular

2008-12-18T21:13:00.004-06:00

ice-a-cream

2008-12-16T20:21:00.000-06:00

Mama's baby

2008-12-12T23:26:00.003-06:00

Sophie continues to amaze me. She is doing so well. Her swollen belly has gone down. She is running through the house, climbing into chairs and making me a nervous wreck. The doctor said limited activity for a month!!!! Okay?????

She is so cute when she runs now...she seems so light on her feet. She will go up on her tip toes when she runs like she is trying to maintain her balance. Her stomach was so distended before that she literally walked like a pregnant woman.

She has become quite mischievous this week and will even come and tell me..Sophie mess!!!! She still likes to play with water, soap, lotion, etc and you better go look for her if she gets too quiet. Her English is remarkable. She is using less and less of her Chinese phrases that we learned. She still calles water "Shway" but now says Shway water. She likes to tell you that "Sophie China", " Dis is Sophie's" , "Sophie mama's baby", "Justin babbet ball (basketball)", "Sophie shilly gurla (silly girl)" She can say chicken and ketchup very clearly and is obsessed with eating only chicken and ketchup!!!! oh yeah and "choc-o-let"

Sophie loves her mommy and likes to watch the video of her crying the day they handed her to me in China. She wants to watch it over and over again!!! She will say Sophie cry and laugh about it and pretend to cry. I tell her that Mommy was very sad that Sophie cried and she just looks at me like it was not big deal and she will give me a hug and say "Sophie mama's baby". I never woud have imagined that we would be this close in such a short amount of time. My heart was so broken and now it is restored!

Sophie, you are mama's baby and I love you so much. I fell in love with a picture over a year ago and I can't believe that you are finally here with us. I love you with every ounce of my heart and I am so honored to be your mommy. Thank you Lord for bringing this precious child into all of our lives!!!!!

More Updates......

2008-12-08T16:06:00.003-06:00

Sophie has continued to do well with her surgery, however, she developed a bladder infection due to the trauma during surgery. She had a couple of really irritable days but she seems to be getting back to herself today. Here are a few cute pictures from the hospital. She is painting her toenails with "play" fingernail polish.

A girl has to look good under all circumstances!!!!!!!! hee hee!!! Oh what a mess she is!!!

2008-12-08T15:49:00.004-06:00

Christmas Party with all my new adopted Chinese friends!!

Thank you friends and staff at First Presbyterian Preschool for my balloons and goodies!!!!

Home Sweet Home

2008-12-04T13:25:00.002-06:00

Thanks Cynthia for posting for me when I couldn't. Thank you all for your prayers. Sophie has done remarkably well with all of this. I was expecting a lot worse!! She and I both had a good night's sleep. Her "plumbing" seems to be working correctly!!! She is still very swollen but we are hoping that will go down quickly. She is up and playing today like it is just any other day. We will go back January 7th to see Dr. Joseph and have more test run.

* Sophie's home!!!

2008-12-03T21:39:00.002-06:00

The Peaks arrived home around 9:00pm. The Princess & Mommy were very tired and off to bed they went. We look forward to hearing from them in the morning. Sophie looked a little weak but sweet. Cynthia

* Sophie Update.... COMING HOME !!!

2008-12-03T19:08:00.003-06:00

The Peaks are on the way home. Sheri knew everyone would be waiting to hear and she felt it would be too late to blog by the time they arrived home. Sophie is doing great and Sheri will post an update tomorrow. Thanks for your prayers and concerns, Cynthia

Feeling good ...

2008-12-03T10:49:00.002-06:00

Restful Night

2008-12-03T07:07:00.004-06:00

Sophie had a very restful night. She is up and eating ice cream for breakfast!!! The doctor has removed the catheter and we will wait for her to urinate on her own.

Surgery is over part #2

2008-12-02T20:08:00.002-06:00

Hello everyone, Thank you so much for all your prayers. Sophie is resting well. We are hoping that she sleeps through the night. She did wake up and sat straight up in the bed. I asked her if she wanted water and she said yes. She took a few sips and laid back down.

Dr. Joseph came to the room and checked on her. He said that she did really well during the surgery. He said that her whole system (kidney and ureter) measured 18 inches. Her kidney was the size of an orange. Her bladder is also enlarged but we are hoping that will shrink over time. I do not see how Sophie has managed to run and play. It had to be like a woman feels when she is 9 months pregnant and ready to give birth!!! She is going to feel so empty when she finally wakes up and walks around.

Pray that she sleeps all night. The plan is to come home to more after she urinates on her own . she will sleep with a catheter.

* Surgery's Over!!!!!!!!

2008-12-02T18:00:00.001-06:00

I just spoke to Sheri and Sophie is in recovery doing well. Sheri will update as soon as they get in a room and settled. Cynthia

Update #2

2008-12-02T16:20:00.003-06:00

They just called at 4:20. They have finished detaching the kidney from the back incision and they have just flipped her over to do the front incision to detach the ureter.

Surgery update

2008-12-02T16:15:00.003-06:00

Just a quick update...Sophie did not go back for surgery until 1:40. It is suppose to take 4 hours. I will post as soon as I can when the surgery is over. They have called the room and said everything was going fine...we are anxiously awaiting another update.

Night before surgery....

2008-12-01T19:03:00.007-06:00

Hi Everyone ,

No the princess is not going to be happy with no food and no candy!!! It will be a challenging morning. It will also be FREEZING! We will not be able to distract her with the outdoors so we are hoping that she sleeps late and the Lord will satisfy her need and that she will not feel hungry in the morning. She is usually tired also by 11:30.

Thanks Cynthia for posting for me today but I need to make a correction. They drained 600cc of urine today!!!! It is totally amazing to watch her abdomen just shrink. You could actually see her ribs and her pubic bones. I can't imagine being that full all the time and never being able to empty my bladder.

We were at Children's hospital until about 1pm and then we took Sophie to Chickfila to eat and play. We then went to the Galleria to ride the carousel and sorry I left my camera in the car :(

She fell asleep in her stroller and slept for an hour. We are now in our hotel room. Sophie is sticking stickers on pieces of paper and on me and Ricky!!! Thanks Tonja!! The stickers are perfect!!!

Thank you friend for praying for this precious little princess. We are blessed!!!!

* Update on Sophie

2008-12-01T14:15:00.003-06:00

Hello,
This is Cynthia.
I was ask by Sheri to let you know that Sophie's surgery will not be until 1:30pm tomorrow.( Dec. 2) She can have water & Jello until 11:30am when they are to arrive at the hospital. She had her pre-op today( she was not happy at all, they had to cath her again, I think Sheri said they drained 600 cc's off her kidney) and all is set to go. Pray for the Peaks that everything will go smoothly and Sophie will up and going soon. I will update as I am told.

Surgery

2008-11-30T00:11:00.002-06:00

Just a reminder that Sophie's surgery is Tuesday, Dec 2 at Children's hospital. She will have a kidney function test on Monday and we will see Dr. Joseph. Please remember to pray for Sophie and our family. The boys will stay in Dothan. Thank you all for caring so much about our family and for your prayers. I will take my laptop with me and post an update. We are suppose to return home on Wednesday.

Trying to take a Christmas card photo

2008-11-29T23:58:00.002-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T07:10:00.003-06:00

What a mess!!!!

2008-11-26T07:42:00.003-06:00

If Sophie gets too quiet, you better go look for her!!

She is obsessed with things like lotion, soap, powder, toothpaste, and wet wipes!

We can't spend money on toys because I am having to replace too much other necessary stuff!!! This girl is a mess and she is so happy when she is making a mess!!! My boys did not do this kind of thing!!!!

Decorating the tree

2008-11-26T07:33:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that Sophie is feeling much better now that the new antibiotics are in her system. We have already put up our Christmas tree because we will be leaving Dec 1 going to Birmingham for her surgery. She had a good time decorating. Thanks Nai Nai for helping us get our house decorated!!!!

Not feeling so good......

2008-11-21T16:41:00.003-06:00

The Princess and I had a horrible night last night. She did not sleep much at all past midnight because she was having a lot of pain due to another yucky bladder infection. I knew that it was coming because she was very irritable for a few days. She has really been doing well and has been very silly and happy. I feel like I am finally able to recognize when she is not feeling well and I am also realizing that she has probably needed her mommy for a lot longer than I have been her mommy. My hope is that her nannies were there for her when she didn't feel good and loved her the best they could as a caretaker. I am sure that they did. I now understand the little girl that we picked up 2 1/2 months ago just didn't feel good and was scared that these new people might not take care of her and understand that she didn't feel good or that we would know how to take care of her. That sweet girl as let her defenses down and has clung to her mommy and now looks to her mommy to take care of her. PTL!!!

They cathed her at the doctor's office to be able to get a clean urine catch. Her nurse did a great job and was in and out very quickly!! She also got 2 antibiotic shots. We are 10 days away from surgery...please pray that she can stay well and that nothing will interfere with our surgery date. Thank you all for loving Sophie as much as we do.

Pretty Pink Toenails

2008-11-19T13:27:00.006-06:00

Sophie wanted her toenails painted this morning and here are a few pictures of what she was doing while I was painting and blowing her toenails..... She has to brush her teeth numerous times with toothpaste. She just eats it like candy. I buy the training toothpast that does not have fluoride so she doesn't make herself sick.
Wasting the Lubriderm lotion. She thinks she has to fill her entire little hand up!!!

Mary Kay lip gloss....isn't she beautiful!!!

Finally!!! Precious little pink toes!!! Oh how I love this girl!!!!

Samantha Comes for a Visit

2008-11-18T15:57:00.000-06:00

Hello friends and Henri!! :)I am sorry it has taken so long to post anything. Life is much busier with an active 3 year old running all over your house exploring new things daily. Samantha came to visit over the weekend and blogger has not been cooperating with me so there is my excuse.

We had a wonderful visit with "Manfa" and we miss her very much. Having her here makes me realize how much I do miss her. We grew up together and have remained close friends over the years even though she moved away to South Carolina about 18 years ago!!! Thanks for the visit Sam!!!

Sophie is doing well and is speaking more and more English. She is beginning to act silly and is very loving. She is clinging to me more and more and we are spending more time in the rocking chair. This makes my heart happy to know that I can love her like a mother is suppose to do. She loves to play with her baby dolls and her kitchen.

Auburn Homecoming

2008-11-10T13:52:00.000-06:00

We went to Auburn this weekend to watch the Tigers play ball. We tail gated with Nannie and D-Daddy in their motor home and with the Bentons. I took Sophie in to the first half of the game and she really enjoyed it. She was yelling War Eagle!!!!!

Sophie met her big brother Lance this weekend for the first time and even gave him a big kiss. She has come a long way in just two months time!! She loves her "Baby" Auburn Tiger bear that Lance gave her.

The many faces of Sophie

2008-11-07T21:19:00.000-06:00

Is this girl just too precious or what!!!!! We have had a busy but productive week this week. Our Daddy has been out of town this week leaving mommy to do everything so blogging has had to wait. Each week Sophie becomes more and more attached to me. The power of prayer has really worked on this sweet girl. She has come a long way in such a short amount of time. I never dreamed that she would be hugging and kissing me this quickly. She has wanted be to hold her ("bou" in Chinese) this week which has been a wonderful time of bonding but it is breaking mommy's back. I am loving every minute of it though. She will at least let me sit down to hold her. She is a silly girl and is actually feeling really well this week.

Busy Weekend!!!

2008-11-02T05:40:00.000-06:00

We went to the National Peanut Festival Fair last night. Sophie had a very good time. I was worried that she would have a tummy ache through the night but we made it with a little help from our tummy medicine!!! I bought ME and ear of corn and look who ended up eating it!!! She was too funny!! We did share it but she did not want not one kernal of corn left on the cob. She is a serious girl when it comes to food!!!

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Sophie was suppose to be Elmo for halloween. She loves Elmo but really didn't like having him on top of her head. She did not trick or treat because she fell asleep on the way to my friends house. This was fine with me because I don't really like halloween. It just ends up being a tired night for the parents. Yes I know that I am a scrooge!!!!! But she sure was cute in her Elmo suit!!!!

Posing with our sweet neighbor Morgan!
Sophie posing with her little cousin Hayden halloween night. She loves to play with her baby dolls and she didn't know what to think about this real-life baby doll. She seemed to really enjoy holding him!!!

Lastly, I would like to end this post with saying an extra hour of sleep to a chinese 3 year old means just an extra hour to get up and play. I hope that you all are sleeping soundly this morning. I know everyone in my house is except for me and Sophie!!! I think mommy will deserve a nap today!!!!!

Cardiologist Appt

2008-10-30T15:10:00.001-05:00

We went to Montgomery today for our cardio appointment. Sophie was not happy even though nothing that they did hurt. I guess now she is thinking that everytime she goes to the doctor she is going to be stuck or catherized!!! They did an EKG and Echogram. The doctor said she has two Innocent heart murmurs. He said that she was fine and cleared for surgery. I looked this up on the computer and Innocent heart murmurs are very common and do not cause any physical problems. He checked her PDA and it was closed. So finally some good news with Sophie....now if we can get rid of the bladder infection and get our surgery over with.

Sticker Queen

2008-10-28T21:27:00.000-05:00

Sophie had a doctor's appointment today. She was not to happy to go back and sit in the tiny little room. So we played with stickers while waiting for Dr. Freeman to come in. She put at least 25 stickers all over her dress. So when we got home the fun continued. She fell asleep sitting straight up on the couch while I handed her sticker after sticker. I love the one sticker on her head!!!

Sophie's urine was very cloudy today and they are doing a culture. She has not felt too good the past two days. She now knows how to tell me that her stomach hurts and she likes for her Daddy to rub it. Please pray that she will feel well until Dec 2 or that they will move her surgery date up. We are not anxious for her to undergo surgery but this is the only way she will feel better.

Sophie's Dedication

2008-10-26T21:43:00.000-05:00

We had Sophie dedicated at church today. She wore her Chinese dress and carried a bag of Cheese its!!!! You don't take the girl's food away from her. I had the Doritoes hid so she would not ask for them. At least the Cheese its aren't so messy!!! She would lean around Justin's shoulder and get her a bite throughout the dedication. I was just glad she was not crying!!!

I chose this day for her dedication because it is the day after my Mom's birthday. She left me 10 years ago to go and be with the Lord. I miss her so much!!! If it is at all possibe, I just know that she helped the Lord orchestrate this adoption. She would have adored Sophie. She died when I was pregnant with Joshua and it makes me sad that she is not a part of my children's lives.

Our friend Tim sang When Love Takes You In by Steven Curtis Chapman to a slide show of pictures of Sophie from the orphanage until now. Thanks Michelle for doing that!!! It was so sweet!! Thanks Cynthia for decorating and cooking!! We are so thankful that God chose this little angel to be a part of our family!

2008-10-24T16:53:00.000-05:00

This is the face that Sophie makes when you tell her to smile!! She is such a silly girl. She is feeling much better and has had a really good week this week!!

Dr. Freeman called me today and said that Dr. Joseph does not see the need to move her surgery date up so it is still set for Dec 2. This is probably best. Hopefully the antibiotics will continue to do their job and we can have some good quality bonding time with Sophie before she has to undergo another hospital stay. She is giving me hugs and kisses this week and it feels so good to have her little arms tight around my neck when I am holding her. Now, my back doesn't agree and is a little sore!!!

We have an appointment next Tuesday with Dr. Freeman to check her urine and we go to Montgomery Friday to see a pediatric cardiologist to have her PDA/heart murmur evaluated before they will put her to sleep for surgery. Enjoy the pictures of my silly girl!!!!

More hospital pics

2008-10-24T16:48:00.000-05:00

Sophie got very attatched to this wagon in the hospital. Not only did she nap in it, she also slept in it one of the nights that we were there!

Restful Night

2008-10-21T14:17:00.000-05:00

We had a very good and restful night last night. Sophie and I were both very happy to be at home. She has played all day and has gotten in the bathtub 3 times today. It is just so much fun to see her enjoying the bathtub since she was so terrified to get into the bathtub while we had her in China.

We have had a productive time of bonding this past week. I just hate that it was under the painful conditions that she has went through. She really leaned to me and Ricky for comfort. I was scared that she would be angry with us and regress. She is now calling me Mommy!!! Such a sweet sound to my ears. I think she finally gets it! She will ask for which ever one of us that is not there. She seems to realize that we are a family. She like to tell me "this is mama's car" "this is GeGe's car" "this is Baba's car' "this in not Daisy's car" She is really taken ownership of all of us being together. Daisy is our dog!! They have a love/hate relationship. Sometimes Sophie tolerates her and sometimes she doesn't!!

Sophie is speaking more and more English everyday. She still speaks Chinese and sings little songs in Chinese. It is so cute. She likes to say "poor little baby" and "naked baby" . She can say Joshua very clearly. She is learing to sing her ABC's minus a few letters.

We are home!!

2008-10-20T19:27:00.000-05:00

We left the hospital around 6:30 this evening. We had to finish a round of IV antibiotic and wait for the doctor to come and release us. Thank you all for your prayers and concern for Sophie.

2008-10-19T21:01:00.000-05:00

Hospital Update

2008-10-19T11:15:00.000-05:00

Sophie is feeling so much better this morning! Praise the Lord!!!! She perked up at 2:30am this morning and wanted out of the room so we went for a stroll and ate some ice cream..yum!!!! She is up and walking around the room and they are going to disconnect the fluids this morning and she will only have to be hooked up when she receives her antibiotics. This will give her much more freedom to move around. It is so wonderful to see her back smiling and talking. She never sat up yesterday. She was so pitiful. Dr. Freeman came in this morning and said that x-ray and ultrasound looked fine and she hopes to send us home some time tomorrow. She is going to be in contact with Dr. Joseph and see if it is possible to move her surgery up. She will be on antibiotics everyday until she actually has the surgery. This bladder infection is mostly the result of the VCUG that we had in Birmingham. They catherized her and ran a dye up through her bladder and kidneys for that test and because of the seriousness and abnormalities of her condition, it has resulted in another severe infection. We are thankful that the antibiotics are working and that we are moving in the right direction to get healed!!!

Seeing how much better she feels this morning with such a bladder infection encourages us all that she will be the happiest girl when she is completely better!!! Once again, thank you all so very much for your prayers. We are blessed to have all of you in our lives!!!!!

Pray for Sophie

2008-10-18T19:28:00.000-05:00

Please pray for Sophie. She has been admitted to Flowers hospital room 223. We had a bad night last night with what I assume to be bladder spasms. The medicine they gave me for that didn't seem to help her last night and then this morning she had blood in her urine. We spent the day at the ER and got into a room around 4:30pm. I am not sending out an email so I am hoping that everyone will get this post and pass the news along. Her whtle blood cells were elevated to 28000. They have done an abdominal xray, and bladder ultrasound.....more blood work and she is on IV antibiotics. She is so pitiful. We are so thankful that the Lord gave her to us at just the right time to get her the medical care that she needs but our hearts are heavy tonight as we see our little girl suffer the fear of strangers poking her and seeing her regress. She is allowing us to comfort her though. Thank you all for your love and concern for our little princess.

Appointment Updates

2008-10-16T21:29:00.001-05:00

We are back from our Birmingham trip. Sophie had a busy two days of doctors. She is going to have surgery Dec 2. We met with Dr. Joseph today and confirmed that the right kidney does not have any function and it is backing up with urine. They catherized her today so they could run die through her bladder and take an xray. They collected 750cc of urine. I was amazed!!! And so was everyone else!! Her right kidney and ureter are extremely large and this is causing her belly to look so large and feel so hard. This is pushing on her bladder and her left kidney causing other problems as well. He said the only way to fix this problem is to remove the kidney. We scheduled the first available appointment. In the meantime, we will be checking on the heart murmur that the doctors at the International Adoption Clinic found. They will not put her to sleep until this is seen about. While at the IAC, they had to stick her in both arms to draw blood because her tiny little veins roll. They took eight different vials of blood. My poor baby!!!! It was a great time of bonding for us though, she allowed me and Ricky to comfort her and that is a very good sign that she is progressing in a positive way. She was ready to see her GeGe though!!!!!

Birmingham

2008-10-14T15:06:00.000-05:00

We have appointments in Birmingham on Wednesday and Thursday. We will be visiting the doctors and therapist at the International Adoption Clinic on Wednesday and then we will go and see Dr. Joseph (pediatric urologist) on Thursday. It will be a long two days for the princess.

More Beach Pictures

2008-10-14T14:27:00.000-05:00

Sophie had a great time at the beach!! She did not enjoy posing for the camera. She was too busy playing.

Day at the Beach

2008-10-12T06:56:00.000-05:00

We are at the beach this weekend and the weather and water is beautiful!! Sophie loves the ocean and the pool. She was not too sure about walking on the sand but just like everything else, once she got used to it she was walking and throwing sand everywhere. She is having a great time and feeling much better!!!

Test Results

2008-10-10T21:35:00.000-05:00

We got a good report today!! Praise the Lord!!! Her kidney function test came back normal. This is great news that there is no damage to the left kidney and now we will go and see the pediatric urologist to see what needs to be done to correct the abnormalities. We don't have our appointment yet but I will let everyone know as soon as we do!!! Thank you so much for the prayers and sweet comments and emails. I am blessed to have wonderful friends and family!!!!!!

Kidney ultrasound

2008-10-10T04:43:00.000-05:00

Most of you know that Sophie's special need has to do with her kidney and intestinal surgery. It was our understanding that she might be missing her right kidney or just have a portion of it. We went yesterday for her scheduled ultrasound and there is a right kidney but it is nonfunctioning and filled with fluid. They sent us to CT for a full abdominal scan. We then had to go to the pediatrician's office for blood work and a urinalysis. These results show that she has reflux into her left kidney, enlarged ureters, a severe bladder infection, a distended bladder and right kidney...this is why her little tummy looks so big and tight.

So with all that said, we are waiting for our blood work results and this will tell us if there is any damage to her good kidney. This will determine if we go to a pediatric urologist or nephrologist. Our prayer is that there is no damage to the left kidney and everything can be fixed surgically and she will live a normal life. She got two shots of antibiotic, one finger stick and two sticks for the IV during the CT scan...she had a rough day...but she insisted on going to the ballgame with her Daddy last night and so off we go across the street and I could tell she felt much better and the antibiotics must have started working. She was very happy and running around and even sat in the lap of one of my friends!!! My poor baby has been through so much over the past month and all this with a yucky bladder infection that she has most likely had for a while!!! She is a strong little girl. God has great plans for her!!!!

Sibling Love for the moment!!

2008-10-08T16:27:00.000-05:00

Preschool visit

2008-10-03T20:26:00.000-05:00

Sophie and I visited the preschool today for chapel and she even went into her room for a good 15 minutes and painted with her classmates. She even let one friend be attentive to her without pushing him away. Progress!! I am so excited to think how much she will change with another months time. Not sure when we are going to actually go back to work and school but we are hoping for it to be sooner than later!! I think she will learn a lot by being around other American children. She might even teach them a little Chinese!! :)

A friend emailed me this verse today and I want to share it with you. This is what I have been clinging to for the past month and I really didn't even know what book of the Bible that it was in. I just knew it to be a verse in the Bible. It was sweet confirmation to receive it in an email today! "Weeping (grieving, my added word) may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning!!" Psalm 30:5
Our morning may be several months away but I know that it is coming. The Lord brought this little girl into our lives for a plan and a purpose. She and I have both weeped and grieved together over the past month and we will probably weep and grieve many more days but the joy of the Lord is forever!!! I can't wait for her to experience this joy!!!!

Friends

2008-10-03T20:22:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of our travel mates from China, Lily and Gracie. They emailed them to me today. I think that Sophie has changed so much from these pictures. We very rarely see that scared little face anymore. I can tell that her hair has grown too. We miss you Brannons!!!!

Spaghetti and Tomatoes

2008-10-03T08:14:00.000-05:00

One Month with Sophie!!!!

2008-10-01T18:27:00.001-05:00

Wow!! I can hardly believe that our little princess has been with us one month today. A lot has changed since she was thrown into our arms. She was such a scared baby but seemed to recognize the picture book that we had sent her and found some comfort in the fact that we were the people that she had been looking at. She is doing so much better in our home and interacting with all of us, even me, I am still last when everyone else is at home though!!! She and I are getting along very well when it is just me and her. I get an occasional kiss depending on her mood. I still get the occasional pinch too!!! LOL!! No hugs or any lap holding but she will let me hold her a little longer when I get her out of the bathtub now. I wrap her up in a towel and we sing and dance around. She has come a long way and I am so looking forward to the future. She is so loved by so many people and once she realize that she is going to be such a joy to so many others!!!! God has a plan and a purpose for her. He never promised it would be easy but He has promised to provide our needs. I hope that He uses her in a big and mighty way. I stare at her all the time and still can't believe she is ours and that she is here!!!! Yes I remember how horrible the first week was and how desperate we all were to catch up on our sleep, but I am finally seeing that it is getting better every day. We have a long road to travel and I still appreciate all the prayers lifted up our our behalf. When Sophie crosses your mind or you read this blog just pray that her heart would continue to soften not only to her family but to others that want to be an influence and part of her life. Thanks friends!!! Be patient! She will love everyone soon!!!

Watching Josh play soccer and sunflower seeds......

2008-09-28T20:52:00.001-05:00

We traveled to Georgia this weekend to watch Joshua play soccer. His team won all 4 of their games. Sophie is doing better getting used to all of us and realizing that we are all a family. She still speaks pleanty of Chinese and no more added English words. She seems to understand us more when we are asking her questions. She is still very leary of strangers and not sure to what to think about all the attention that she gets. She is laughing a lot more but she can still throw a major fit when things are not going the way she wants them to go. She is very loud. But I guess you have to be loud when you lived with 100 other children. She discovered sunflower seeds. She ate them one by one as we shelled them for her. On the way home we stopped and bought some that were already shelled and put them in a cup for her and she was so happy!!!! She is a funny girl!!!!

Happy Birthday, Bananas and Apples

2008-09-25T08:12:00.000-05:00

Last night Sophie was standing on the couch singing Happy Birthday in English. I was shocked! I guess they did teach her some English because she will also say the chinese word for Banana and then in English and then right after that she says the chinese name for apple and then the English. She seems to understand some English. When she ask me to open something or get her water. I always ask her in English if that is what she wants me to do and she will shake her head yes. I feel like that one day she will just wake up and start speaking sentences in English.

We are going to try and go to preschool and get our school picture made today. Not expecting it to happen but giong to give it a try nonetheless!!!!!

Football and Bubbles

2008-09-24T21:50:00.000-05:00

Sophie had a much better time last night watching her brother play football. She is still leary of other adults but she is doing so much better trusting me to take her into different situations. We actually made it up the hill last night to watch the game without her crying.

The girl that did not want to take a bath in China loves to take a bath. Some days we take 2 baths!!! She loves to play in the bathtub and likes for the water to continually drip. She is beginning to warm up to me more and saying MaMa is such a sweet, different tone of voice. She wanted her BaBa (Daddy) today and that was a welcome relief. Ricky has been sick with a horrible sinus infection and cough. He hasn't felt much like bonding or anything else. She wanted to hold his hand today and sit by him when we met for lunch.

Greater Appreciation

2008-09-22T21:23:00.000-05:00

I am trying to think of a name for this post put nothing is coming to mind. I still get very tired by the end of the day but if you compare this day to a week ago, we are doing great!!!! Last Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I thought that I might be seriously, mentally ill!!!! Jet lag and lack of sleep is horrible. It makes me think of our military men and women and the conditions that they are put in to protect our country. I don't see how they do it without adequate and comfortable sleep. I have a greater appreciation for everything these days...my country, my home, my bed, healthy children that have a family to love them, my freedom to worship Jesus and my sweet caring friends just to name a few. Okay I just thought of a name for the post. I do have a greater appreciation for everything in my life after visiting a foreign country and two orphanages.

Okay so on to Sophie. She is doing so much better. God has answered everyone's prayers and my pleas for a relationship with this precious girl. We still have a long road ahead of us but she is spending so much more of her time laughing, being silly and enjoying all the attention she gets. She is still very leary of other adults but she seems to find more comfort in MaMa when she is worried. She is saying a lot of Chinese silly stuff because when she talks she will roll her eyes or twist her head back and forth. I have been recording her on my phone so when we go eat at Top Thai I can play it for them and they can translate. The owner speaks Mandrian. Justin is still the main man and she and Joshua are working on their relationship. They are both very loud so this makes for a loud war of the wills.

She woke up at 5am this morning so I am getting very tired. Just wanted to get an update for everyone and thank you all for sharing this journey with me!!!!!