Life is happening!!!

I can not believe it has been so long since our last posting. For those of you keeping up with us, sorry!!! Life seems to have just been "happening" lately. By that I mean we seem to have fallen into a daily life routine. Work and school and of course ALL the extra-curricular activities going on lately. Between school, gymnastics for Hannah, a mommy & me class with Emily, basketball for Hannah, and extra hours at work, I am starting to understand why they invented all those agenda calendars for moms. Life is busy and at times hectic, but I would not change any part of it!!!

We have completed our 6 month review for Emily and China insisted on having a family picture. We have not scheduled time yet for a formal picture. We actually had one taken at a funeral dinner so we could email it to our social worker at our adoption agency. Not the best picture-but our first picture. Memories!!!

Emily updates-Language continues to be our biggest problem at this time. We are usually able to understand her but most others are not able to get the words she is saying which seems to frustrate her at times. She has started to act out what she is trying to say now. We were at the point we were going to call the doctor to see if we could re-evaluate her weight for the surgery then she got hit by some sort of intestinal virus and she lost about 2 1/2 pounds. This diarrhea "issue" seems to keep coming back. Remember, last time we thought maybe it was milk-but then we found no difference without the milk. If it returns, I think we will ask for a "test" as she is high risk for Giardia (from drinking contaminated water in Asia). Anyways, she is slowly gaining her weight back. Her surgery evaluation date is set for December 17. Help us pray she will be ready.

I have to tell you something cute though-tonight she was playing with her "chinese" doll and she was saying "nee ha" "nee ha" (ni hao). I asked her what she was saying. She said she was talking "chinee" (chinese). I asked her what that meant and she replied "hawoo" (Hello).

Her first Halloween proved to be somewhat exciting. She dressed up as a lady bug. She wore a sweatshirt OVER her winter coat as it was so incredibly cold. When Emily would see a scary mask, she would just stop walking and watch that person as they walked passed her. One time she was watching them so closely, she fell off the curb into a pile of leaves. And she refused to walk up to some of the houses as they were decorated in scarey items. After about 45 minutes, she had enough of the cold and the scariness.

Hannah updates-Hannah has been busy with school, gymnastics and basketball. Tonight she asked me if she can sign up for "BOXING". Hmmmmmm-don;t think so, sorry. She is growing up so fast. She has had her first friend over to spend the night and she has been calling the same friend in the evening to talk about "their day". We limit the phone conversations now as the first few lasted so long, the phone went dead. I have been catching her looking at herself in the mirror more and putting her hair in different styles. Pretty soon she will want to be taking showers every morning and wearing make-up. UGH!!!

Hannah's doctor says she most likely had the H1N1 virus last week. she missed alot of school. Her first symptom (looking back) was a very bad headache that lasted about 4 days before the fever hit. Then the fever would go down at night but go high during the day. The fever lasted 4 days like this. She is back to school now but we just got a letter stating there are 33% out with flu-like symptoms. We are now waiting for the incubation period to see if Emily will get it.

Hannah was Cleopatra for her halloween. She was so excited about this constume. She keeps calling it "Cleopatrick-Queen of Egypt"