You Know Lilly is Making Progress When...

...you have to start spelling words you don't want Lilly to hear. Her receptive English language skills are making leaps and bounds!

...you start comparing Lilly's behavior to the older two's behavior at that age rather than wondering "why does she act like that?" She behaves so much more like a normal 3-year-old now--which has its own joys and challenges--rather than like a child whose world was turned upside down.

...you no longer have to lie down by her bedside for every single nap and nighttime sleep in order for her to finally drift off. She will happily talk or sing herself to sleep more and more frequently.

...you have arrived at your destination in the car and realize that Lilly has not demanded to "xia qu" (get out of her carseat) once!

...she asks baba to stay in her room to read stories at night with mama, rather than insisting that he leave. She even accepted him being the one to lie nearby one evening this week.


I know there are many more I am just not thinking of. What a difference 3 months at home can make! Just wanted to share.

Mainly Photos

This week has been full, with Jared starting the week at boy scout camp (then returning home less than 48 hours later with a nasty bug that has laid him up all week), Anna doing her mornings at Kids on Campus, me hosting my dear friend Rebecca and her son, Sam, for a few days while they are in town, and Tom and me attending several functions--wedding, farewell dinner, and residency graduation on base. It has been full and fun, but I am happy this afternoon to have a little down time at home!

Here are some recent photos of the kiddos, including some of Anna at her last swim meet for the summer, Jared and Lilly playing at home, and Lilly outside the Officer's Club on base by the Bay.

Thankfully Lilly is back on track with sleeping and contentment, and except for typical parenting challenges of parenting a 3-year-old (well, and a 12 and 9 year old too!), life is very very good.

Thanks for reading!

A Milestone Day

This morning, I woke Jared up at 8am to go mow our neighbor's lawn (he is all about odd jobs to earn money this summer)...8am is early for all of the kids these days...they are sleeping later and later in the morning as the summer wears on!

Anyhow, shortly after Jared headed out the door to hit the lawn, Lilly awakened, ready for breakfast and full of sunshine and giggles for the day ahead. She soon began her "roll call," which happens less and less often as most of the time the kids are home and the only one out of the house is daddy. When I mentioned Jared was down the street mowing (I tried to explain by telling her in Chinese he was using a loud machine at our neighbor's house since I didn't know how to say "lawn mower" in Chinese) she decided she wanted to go see him.

Since I needed to return something to my friend Anne anyway, I agreed, and, with Lilly still in her jammies, out the front door we went (leaving Anna still asleep at home).

Lilly surprised me when, as soon as Anne opened the door, she marched inside (uninvited), found her little friend Claire's room, and plopped down to begin playing with Claire and her toys. I was even more surprised when Lilly decided to stay and play awhile at Anne's invitation when I had made it clear I needed to get home to check on Anna.

So Lilly waved goodbye and stayed and played at a friend's house with no hint of anguish, grief, fear, or doubt that I would return. I do believe (dare I say it?) we have a secure attachment.

Later this evening, I was taking the big kids to our church's vacation Bible school, and had planned to let Lilly stay to watch them singing for a bit. Instead, we ended up staying the whole evening as she was having so much fun, participating with the preschoolers, making a craft, playing games, and soaking up all the attention from all the staff. She even let one of the leaders hold her during game time, only glancing my way now and then to make sure I was still there.

Finally, Lilly's favorite color is definitely yellow. As she prays these days, the color "lellow" is mentioned regularly as one of the things for which she is thankful (along with "rou rou" (meat), each family member, herself, and assorted other things). Today at lunch, she had the kids and me in stitches as she insisted that her hair is "lellow."

Happy Birthday Anna!

Just some photos from our celebration of Anna's 9th birthday yesterday! We had a fun day, with Belgian waffles for brunch at our house, followed by fun in the sun at the beach with friends, and then later in the day we went for dinner as a family to Baytowne Wharf. Gorgeous weather, fabulous friends, and great family time since Tom had the day off (Anna believes that Tom managed to get the day off for the whole hospital in honor of her birthday!)

Lilly is back to her normal self now, and is living up to her middle name of "Joy" lately! Thanks for praying! It is nice to know she feels good and it is nice to get some more sleep!

How old are you Lilly?

How old are you Anna?

Bring on the food!

Baytowne Wharf for dinner

Yes, a Barnes and Nobles gift card!

Anna's friends did "the wave" as they sang Happy Birthday. Too cute!

Family shot at the beach.

Our beach girl!

Building "the great wall of Destin" with Daddy

Belgian waffles with friends....Mmmmm~

Anna and I were proud of our Nemo cake. She did all the seaweed.

Just a Little Tired

Short post today, mainly to ask for prayer... Lilly was sick most of last week, and wasn't sleeping well. She was developing pneumonia after a nasty cold (she is still coughing and has a runny nose) with fevers for 4-5 days. She got some antibiotics last Friday, and the fevers have ceased and she is acting more like herself for the most part.

She is, however, continuing to wake up several times a night, and she has also started to wake up from naps extremely grumpy and irrationally upset again--something she did for the first few weeks we were home, but had started to diminish. She also has been getting extremely fussy/cranky throughout the day for reasons that escape me and is not responding to my attempts to engage her verbally to understand what is going on.

I don't mean to overlook the fact that she is still, for the most part, a very happy little girl who has come leaps and bounds in the nearly 3 months that she has been ours. And the fact that she gains new English words each day and is making great strides in communication.

It is just that I am weary from lack of solid sleep, baffled by the backward steps in terms of irrational screaming and crying, and--putting the two of those things together--not quite feeling 100% myself. When I start to feel frustrated by her screaming, the other edge of the sword is the guilt that I then heap upon myself for my own negative feelings, which, of course, spill over into the ways that I respond and treat the rest of the family.

I am reading 'The Connected Child" which is helping me to gain great insights into Lilly's mental and emotional state, so hopefully I will soon be better equipped to cope with her behavior and her emotions.

As I learn and am stretched immensely, I thank You for your friendship and your prayers.

Summer Vacation Is Here!

We have had quite a week, with Lilly running fevers from Sunday night through Thursday am. She is still coughing violently, but we are thankful her fevers are gone and she is sleeping a little better. I have not had a full night's sleep since Saturday. I taught spin today at 5am, however, and it felt good to get that early morning workout desite interrupted sleep last night.


On a separate note, the big kids are officially on summer vacation now! Yay! I am so happy to have them home, and I know Lilly will like having them home, too. Today we will chill out and do whatever we please...after we take Lilly to the doctor. We will get donuts on the way there, so the big kids are happy~


Here are some shots from our last week of school...


Jared caught a mole on his way home from school on the last day. Yick!

Here's Anna riding home on her last day of 3rd grade. Did I mention that she got BRACES last week??

Here's Lilly practicing her "jumping" at Anna's 3rd grade awards assembly. She is quite proud that she can almost jump. Her feet don't actually leave the floor, but her hands and shoulders go up and she gets a big smile as she tries. Very cute.

Lilly posing with her "mao mao" (kitty). She insisted on taking this shot.

Here is our post-nap routine...the babies and Lilly all get out of bed and look out the window.

Anna with Mrs. Edwards, her 3rd grade teacher.

Jared at his 6th grade awards assembly. He was in the top 10% of all advanced math students--w00 hoo!

Jared and his friend, Jordan.

Anna accepting one of her awards.

Anna awaiting the start of the awards assembly.