Then

Now (well this is an older picture but will have to do for now but this is pretty much her smile all the time)

One year ago today the hotel phone

rang and Helen informed us that our daughter was waiting in the lobby. I scrambled for the camera and the four of us headed towards the elevators. As the doors opened and my heart leaped I could see our precious gift from God who was so frightened and so venerable. Emma wanted nothing to do with me and even though I wanted to cry inside and scoop her up in my arms I stayed strong and patient for her to accept that we were now her forever family. Well the tears only were shed in China because Emma and I are pretty much the mother and daughter I always dreamed about. The transition has been nothing but wonderful, we are truly blessed and I know that for those 11 months that I prayed for her heart and that God would give her the peace and comfort of her new family I know that he absolutely did that. It has not been all roses for Emma but she is one of the strongest little girls I know and man she will be the first one to tell you so too. INDEPENDENT and can I say Princess too!

Due to Emma's disease she has grown over 7 inches in the year she has been here so my little 4 year old gets mistaken quite a bit for a 7 or 8 year old all the time. She has had 4 surgeries two at the wonderful hospital in Maryland, John Hopkins. What a blessing that place is. We are scheduled for the biggest one of them all August 4th and even though I worry every time she goes under this one has me a little scared, she will be under for 6 hours so when that time comes we could definitely use the prayers. Emma keeps everyone laughing and on their toes most the time but one thing has not changed she and her older brother Marshall are still the best of pals. He needs his space some times because her constant talking can wear on anyone but for the most part they have the greatest relationship. Emma is one lucky girl to have such a wonderful big brother. Dillon on the other hand he likes her but he says she annoys him but really he just annoys her and she eggs it on. Well I wanted to let you all know that we are doing wonderful and that Emma is doing great too. I know I have not kept up with her blog but I went back to school and its all I can do to actually check my emails at the end of the day. Darrel is deploying latter this year so I will for sure being getting back on it to keep him up to date. I promise I will upload some pictures here soon as you all will not believe how much she has changed.

More Pictures

Here are some pictures, of some of our recent first that I will forever cherish.

Home a month

I can not believe that we have been home for a month now and I could not be happier. Emma is doing great and most of the time she is laughing and smiling. Our bond grows stronger and stronger daily and since Darrel returned back to work this past week it has even grown more. She will wrap her little arms around my legs some times when I am in the kitchen. It is one of the sweetest things ever. Food still seems to be an issue with her. Most of the time she acts like she is starved. Just the other day we were in the store and I told her we were going home to eat and she started to jump up and down and yell YA! YA! YA! and ran over and kissed me. I was thinking the people around me probably think I starve her. All day long she wants to eat. As I sit here typing and just in the last hour she has had a cheese stick, yogurt, bell peppers, Popsicle, peperoni, banana. Is this normal I ask myself? My two boys have never eaten like this or threw themselves a party because we were going to eat.

The joy Emma brings me is indescribable and she has all ready taught me so much, not only about myself but about life. One thing is I have learned that we take little things in life for granet. Having my two boys from birth they have always been surrounded by things so I never paid much attention to the little things, like Emma petting her first horse, having her first play date, first birthday party, swimming for the first time, trying a fudgesicle, and going into Toys R Us. These little things do not seem like much to us who have always had it around them but to a 3 year old who has never had anything it is a huge deal and cherished memories to me as I relish in every little thing she experiences.

Just recently we went on our first road trip to GA. and I was a little worried how she would do knowing that there would be a house full and people in and out as it was a High School graduation party. Emma once again surprised us and let me just say she is awesome. She was a trooper with all the excitement and people in and out of the house. I even think she had a small crush on the High School boys. I told Darrel we are going to ground her, once she understands what it means. Darrel says he will just keep his shot gun near by.

Our ER visit at UNC was a very sad day for me as she had to go through a battle of test, and lots of tears and I was not sure I was not going to start crying with her. It is so hard to reassure her when she does not understand, and of course the hospital is a scary place to a 3 1/2 year old, it looks like something out of a Freddy movie with the lady who says she loves me but is helping the 3 other ladies hold me down so they can stick a needle in my arm, not just once but twice. I wanted to stop holding her down and slap me a nurse but once it was all said and done I was relieved when she wanted me to hold her and asked me if we were all done because she wanted to go home. These sad words put a smile on my heart because I knew that she felt safe at home and she wanted to go home with me (the lady who gives her food). LOL

Well I know this is a lot to post but it has been a month since I posted last and I know there are many who wonder just how we are doing. So in a short version we are doing GREAT. I will post more later as Emma will be meeting Darrel's mom and Dad for the first time in about 30 minutes so I am sure I will have some sort of story to share.

Happy Birthday to ME!

Emma found a new buddy

Getting help

Loving the slides

Ready set go

Yesterday was my 39 birthday and instead of thinking about how I was one year closer to being 40 I was to excited thinking about spending the day with my baby girl and my good friend. Well that and getting to eat Mexican.

Darrel and the boys had left the night before to travel up to Charlotte to watch the pro's play golf at Quail Hallow so When Emma woke I was a little worried that she would have a melt down with out her brothers or dad in the house but she did not. Emma asked for them and I explained to her as if she understood that they were gone but that they would be back later and she seemed okay with it. We were dressed and out the door. At the Mexican restaurant I prepared Emma some noodles that I had brought her with the thermos of hot water and she was so excited to eat them. We then went to an inflatable jump house and I was not sure how she would do since she had never been to such a thing but my girl was eager to try that is for sure and she did not stop for hours. One time I climbed into the slide because she started to cry, thinking she was scared I needed to rescue her but it turns out she was crying because she was frustrated and the last thing she wanted me to do was remove her from this slide because she was on a mission, a mission to figure out how to get to the top even if it was a little scary. Emma is one tuff cookie.

More pictures

Tea Time

I think we need a bigger table

and chairs!

Loving her bed

This was at the White Swan Hotel

This was the whole gang

No longer a dull moment in the White house

Painted nails

Ring Ring Hello
"Pretty" She says
Her first package from Aunt Patty

filled with new clothes


I can not believe that we have been home almost a week. Emma is doing great, she is such a sweet girl and fills the house with loud laughter. Many have asked me how things are going so I thought I would give you a little glimpse into our day.

The day start about 6:30 and all though this was the time I was use to getting up it is a little bit different I no longer am going down stairs to start the coffee pot or sit on the couch and catch up on some of my Tivo before the boys wake, no I am taking my little girl down stairs to try to figure out what she might like to eat today. Breakfast is the hardest meal of the day for us just because we try so many different things hoping we might find the right one. Emma still loves eggs but the girl can not eat 3 eggs every morning or we might have other issues on our hands that require Zocor. Once breakfast is finished we are then looking at pictures in a book or coloring at her table, she may ask a few times about Marshall and Dillon, and they have learned that if they do not get up on their own Emma will be very happy to assist in waking them. We then get dressed, brush teeth, comb hair (still working on the whole hair thing) and putting our shoes on. Emma can not walk around the house with out shoes of some sort on her feet. By 10 she is looking in the pantry for something to eat or taking me by the hand over to the fridge to help her look for something to eat. After lunch it is nap time and she usually takes about 15 min before she falls asleep but it is no problem as long as you do not leave the room while she is falling asleep. Emma will sleep for about 2 hours and in those two hours you might think awe finally I can relax. No this is when I am thinking to myself oh I have not eaten yet, grab something to eat with one hand the broom in the other make a quick sweep. Pick up the mess we made earlier with the markers and such, oh her room needs to be organized since I removed about 30 plus outfits and strung them all over the bed. Darn I still have not gotten a toy box so I pile them in a corner and think maybe later I will have time to look for one. Folding some cloths and reminding Marshall to take the trash out and Dillon to switch the washer and dryer. Oh Emma is up. Down stairs and guess what she wants to do? Eat! Get a snack so we can head outside to blow some bubbles or swing on the swing set, she loves the swing. Back in the house to color some more and play with her play kitchen, which only reminds Emma that she would like some more food. All though she is not sure what she likes to eat. Look at the clock and realize that I need to get busy on dinner. Keep reminding Emma that the stove is hot and I guard her from it since she has to be right under me while I cook. Bath time this is fun time until it is time to wash hair, all though it is getting a lot better. PJ's on and snuggled in bed next to mommy and daddy's we proceed to read a book and point out all the colors, she enjoys this time very much. 8:15 Emma is fast asleep and since she wants me to sit in my bed next to her while she falls asleep I must confess I really do not want to get out of my bed once she is fast asleep. But with all that said, even though I am so tired by the end of the day and wondering how I am going to home school the boys once we get back into routine I would not trade a precious moment with my sweet girl. I sit here listing to her breath and thank God for bringing her home and for choosing us to be her parents and when she calls out Mama and gives me a kiss on the lips, all the tired, and getting used to a toddler again is so worth it.

Home Sweet Home

Well we finally made it home safe and sound. I could not be happier to be home in my own bed with my own pillow and my friend cleaned our house, changed our sheets and stocked our fridge and freezer, what a nice surprise that was thank you so much Tara.
Emma did great on the flights home. We did how ever have to get our seats rearranged they had every single one of us in a middle seat all around the plane so Emma was sitting by herself. Our plane was delayed in NJ but once we landed in NC we had friends with signs and balloons to welcome Emma it was awesome. Of course since we did not have a vehicle to get home we spent the night at our friends house and we did not get to sleep until 2 AM but Emma was up by 4:30 hungry. I got up and made her some Ramen so needless to say by the time we got our rental van and packed back up I was exhausted. Emma slept on the way home but I made her wake when we got home so we could sleep after dinner. We were all in bed by 7:15 and I do not remember anything after I hit my pillow that I missed so much.lol Emma slept in her toddler bed next to our bed and was happy to do so, she did not even ask to get in our bed but it could have had something to do with our little dog
Sophie. LOL. We woke this morning at 6:30 and made scramble eggs I added hot sauce and cheese she loved them. My good friendmade us sausage cheese balls and she loved those too, added some hot sauce. I must say for all that our baby girl has been through, and all the beds she has slept in the past two weeks, I truly think she is doing remarkably well.