The Ups and Downs of Daily Life

We have had Cecilia with us now for 1 week and 4 days and it has been a roller coaster of emotions. We are navigating (more like doggie-paddling) these new waters slowly and so is she. We all need a lot of grace from each other. Often the "bless the Lord!" and the "Lord have mercy!" come in the same breath.

Here are some "bless the Lord" discoveries

• We are SO grateful to live in Chicago where we have access to so many resources for her cleft palate. We already have a number of appoitments lined up.


• Cecilia talks more than we thought. We were told she said a couple words only. Listening to her repeat the same sounds and point, we found out she is talking plenty- they just couldn't understand her. We can't either, but it's a good sign.

She eats everything. I don't know how this little girl with a hole in her palate downs rice, chicken, bread, crackers, apples and popcorn.

She can work on a puzzle, learn sign language and throw a fit. All good signs. We were not sure it would be the case after the first day we met her.

• Yesterday we took her in for a vaccine and she was weighed again. She came to us weighing 7.8kg (naked) and yesterday she was at 9.2 kg(with clothes). I'm going to believe she gained some, because 9 mths size clothing doesn't weigh much!

And here is where "Lord have mercy" comes in:

• 3 full blown fits and a melt down before 8 am. Cecilia's little emotions are running a muck since her life is in upheaval. I know moms do this everyday with a hand tied behind their backs. I just have boot-camp blues...

• Isabel, my sweet girl, is trying hard to draw close to her sister but can't read her correctly all the time. Sometimes her feelings get hurt. And she is back to sucking her fingers...


• While I'm thankful for our medical resources, we have a long road ahead with evaluations, surgeries and therapies.


• She eats everything - all the time. It's left-over orphanage syndrome. When food is the only thing you can control it's hard to stop. She wants to eat constantly and panics when its not coming fast enough. I need wisdom.

On Monday she gets her new birth certificate. I wish it was that easy - a new document, a (couple) new name(s) and voila ! You're born again! Scrap the abandonment and institution life thing, now you should know excatly how to do family life!

If our Lord learned obedience and humility, my road can be no different. And I bet he had to choose it everyday. 3 times before 8 AM, maybe.

Thanks for joining in our praise and persevering in our prayer needs. May praise win today in all our hearts. Bless the Lord.

P.S. The little cake you see is for Lia's finalized adoption party! Unfortunately the guest of honor was "indisposed" after the picture and had to be put to bed during her own party...