My doctor is a rockstar.

Today we headed to the Children's Hospital so that Jolie could have a little dental surgery completed under anesthesia.  I told her on the way that she was going to have that tooth fixed, the one that she points to all. the. time. and says, "It hurts, momma!" 

This is a iphone photo snapped on the way. Jolie does not really perk up until after 9 am. This photo was taken shortly after 8. She's not too thrilled about being up dressed complete with a hair bow and NO breakfast. BUT one can't have anything after midnight and she completely slept through her last chance for clear liquids at 730 am even though we started offering juice at 7 am.... We left earlier than we really needed to because you just never know about the traffic and parking at the hospital is pretty hairy too. On the way, the day surgery nurse called and asked if we could come sooner because there had been a cancellation, she was thrilled when I told her we were already on the way.

She sat in my lap in the waiting room for just a few mins. We arrived at 851. AND just as if an alarm sounded...at 9, she hopped down and went to play with the toys in the waiting area. BUT just in a few moments they called us back, and soon we were changing her into her gown, and she was taking the 'I don't care meds', she didn't like the taste and was holding it in her mouth.

WHERE's Jolie?

peek a boo...

someone is having fun

The last time she had surgery back in September for cleft palate repair...the "i don't care meds" had not completely kicked in and she was quite aware that she was being taken away from me...I. did. not. like.it one bit....but today...she was zonked out almost completely when they came to wheel her back. She was smiling and telling the nurse staff that she was from China. She was very excited to see a Chinese-American nurse as well...

When she got back to me, she wanted to be held and was excited about the apple juice and the purple band aids.  All the nurses bragged on what a great patient she was. Her doctor is a rock star, not because his last name is Bonjovi but because her surgery went by so smoothly and quickly. The first thing she asked for was Shek and then Karlie. She rode out in a wheel chair, but was sure to pause us by the gift shop telling us that she wanted the hello kitty pillow that she saw in the window. She has a hawk-eye for hello kitty stuff even when being half-zonked out on anesthesia meds. I told her we would get one at Target some time soon. 

I think the most traumatic thing of the whole ordeal was having to take out the hello kitty earrings and then putting them back in. She also doesn't like the funny feeling of the new filled teeth and has had me brush her teeth once and she has brushed them a second time. I think she thinks brushing will wipe away that funny feeling.

Baby girl was very hungry and gobbled down some wonton soup and fried rice...she is now relaxing in daddy's lap watching none other than Cinderella.

I am glad we are back home. We are praising the Lord that it went so smoothly ...thanks for the prayers.

Waiting room fun...

Today Jolie had her post-op follow up appointment for her cleft palate surgery. My family and I along with a few prayer warrior friends have been praying and claiming that her palate is completely closed with no holes...and that HE has literally made the rough places smooth. 

Today, Jolie wore her new zebra pants the ones that Honey added two ruffles to the bottom....and the pink shirt that Ms. Debbie monogrammed. She chose the zebra bow over the pink flower to wear in her hair...and if you look really closely you can see the pink lip gloss. As her sister says, She was stylin'.

 I told her we were going to the doctor, and I don't think she was too thrilled about it as you can see from her expression here, but I did tell her that Gam was going with us...and she loves to see Gam she calls her Mam.

Shek and I picked up Gam and headed to the big city.  Karlie had to go to the orthodontist with Karl so she missed out on our adventure. We had to take the toll road so I had to make sure I had change..then I remembered that I have to pay to park so I made sure I had Green for that too.

We made it to the doctor's office with the help of "maggie" our gps.  We went inside the doctor's office full of waiting people. I thought Uh-oh when I saw all the people. The last time we were there...we were the only ones. After a little while they called us back...and as soon as we walk towards the back, the waterworks start. I told her again that we were going to go back there and that they were going to look in her mouth and then she would get a sticker. So she settled down for a while.

We went back to the room and together looked at all the magazines that had made it to the examining room. We read a family fun, a Martha Stewart magazine and read 2 crazy style magazines.  Then we looked at all the brochures for all the many different plastic surgery options they offer. LOL...then we played with my phone.

Someone figured out how to take a self portrait with my phone.

Another self portrait, there were many many others on my phone...someone  has been watching her sister do the pucker-up photo...

We were in the back, waiting  for quite a while...

When the  doc came in....the waterworks and loud crying started...I told her again that  he was going to look in her mouth and then she would get a sticker. So she hushes. He looks in there with his tongue depressors. She wanted those and he gave her two new ones... Her loud crying started again. He is a very soft spoken man, so it was hard to hear him through her crying. I told her again that I couldn't hear him and that she needed to settle down and then we would get a sticker. Sticker or band-aid are the magic words for Jolie.

Anyway, the doc said it looked GREAT! He asked had any food leaked through the nose. I said yes, he said, he thought  that was coming from the back...he said he would look one more time.  I know I had started to worry the first time I saw food coming out her nose, but I read that it was normal. 

So he looked, and said there were a few more stitches behind her teeth, but it looked great. He said she could now eat ANYTHING SHE WANTED TO! WHOO HOO! 

He said he would see us in 6 months and to make an appointment with the speech pathologist.

He gave her a thumbs up and she gave him one too especially when she saw him headed out the door. She got a sticker or two on the way out....and napped on the rush hour trip home.

Praise the LORD...it's all healed and looks great. I am thanking HIM for making the rough places plain. God IS good! His blessings always knock my socks off. 

Tonight, Jolie was thrilled  to celebrate by pigging out on some homemade PIZZA, popcorn and rice krispie treats....which had all been forbidden fruits for the past few weeks!

Sunday Snapshot~It's been a long week

It's been a long 1/2 week, since Jolie's surgery on Wednesday, but we are finally home! She still needs to drink more fluids and eat. She seems to want to drink, but mainly wants us to fix her something to drink, but then she just holds it in her lap. She did drink some green tea maybe 1 oz and ate 4 noodles and a bite of orange for lunch. I took photos of our stay at CHOA. We even met a nurse on our last night there who also had adopted from China. I took a lot of photos with my iphone while we were there to document this event. I will share more photos later, here's  a few from the week.

This is us moments after she was handed to us from recovery. I cried to see her in such pain and fear. Zach had just dropped by after finishing his classes and this is what he saw as well. He cried, Karl cried...we were all bawling to see her like this...it was heartbreaking.

We went on a walk on day 2. We visited the gift shop where she picked out this stuffed dog. She loves dogs and cats...especially the big dogs. I originally thought this was a wiener dog, but the tag said Weimaraner. She also got  a Mickey balloon.

Yesterday, Gam and Pop brought Karlie and Shek for a visit. The visit really brightened her day. AND Shek played a "game" about drinking her Chocolate milk so we were able to get a few more oz of fluids in her that way. The above photo was taken at the KOI ponds at the hospital. She was excited to see everyone, and they brought her balloons and a toy. On the walk we also ran into Bella a therapy dog.

Jolie waves bye to Bella.

Today, the nurse gave her some different pain meds and she seemed to turn back into the kid we know. She picked out food to eat in the cafeteria, but  really didn't eat much...I know she wants to she just has to get used to her new mouth and that retainer thing that is protecting it all is worrisome to her. Since she had finally started to drink "some" we were discharged to come home. We were all ready...and she even started pointing to the door saying "HOME"!

Thanks for all of your prayers. I am glad that the surgery was rescheduled to happen during  fall break it was just easier on everyone.

 It's great to be home. Regular life starts back on Monday with Karlie's NCCA classes as well as both Karlie's and  Shek's "at home classes"...

 Our family has appreciated all of your prayers and concern over the past few days for Jolie. All of the encouragement via facebook comments have been nice. It's nice to feel those prayers being lifted up for all of us.

Surgery today

This Baby Girl is scheduled for cleft palate repair and ear tube surgery Wednesday at 11:15. We have to be at the hospital at 8:30am.

 Please pray!

Surgery next WEEK

Here's a photo of Jolie taken just a few days home..and she is having one of those big wide mouth  laughs here. In this photo, one can see her un-repaired palette. She will have surgery next Wednesday to repair this.

  We are  going to the Braves game the night before, to hear the group Zach sings with at college. They will be singing the Nat'l Anthem and it's also his 19 birthday. Didn't want to miss that...and hoping the little field trip will be a good distraction for the surgery the next day.

PLEASE pray
1. that the surgery goes well.
2. that there are absolutely NO complications
3. that it closes,
4. that she will be calm and peaceful during the whole ordeal
5. that the ear tube thing goes well
6. JUST PRAY that all the rough places are made smooth.
7. Please pray that she gets an EARLY surgery time, because baby girl likes her milk first thing and to have to put her off ...well, just pray hers is early.

I am looking forward to getting this surgery  behind us, but not looking forward to the pain she'll have...so pray that the pain is minimal.

We've been trying to prepare her, by telling her that she's going to get the top of her mouth fixed, and that when it's over, Dad will bring her some balloons, a Ni Hao Kai Lin Doll and a big band aid...all three of her favorites.

Thanks for your prayers...as I type this, Jolie is looking at this photo and smiling just like she did in this photo...it's hard to believe how much she has grown in the few months home.