Cath results

We got a call from Jovie's doctor and his words were "when I saw the cath report I was jumping up and down". They will be able to restore her heart to A FULLY FUNCTIONING HEART. I can't believe it, that was our prayer... Fully functioning. Our little girl will be able to experience life at 100% . When we met with her doctor after the first ultrasound he wasn't sure if they would be able to rebuild her heart to have four separating chambers. They can!!!

They will be putting in a conduit valve to go in place of her missing pulmonary artery. 

They were afraid that her lungs might be unhealthy because the lack of blood now. They are healthy.

They thought the pressure in her heart would be high making her inoperable right now. It wasn't. 

Her doctor said this is best case scenio. He even recognized that it was a testament to God answering prayer. It makes me so emotional. This precious child has a huge surgery ahead but it's one time and she gets the full reward. 100% - what will that even be like for her? I can't imagine how she feels everyday with only 66% oxygen and struggling to breath. 

Please keep praying for us. Open heart surgery is scary... we are facing our Goliath.  It never leaves my mind... But man is this easier knowing she can come out and be fixed! 

Psalms 

148 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
    praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
    praise him, all his hosts!

3 Praise him, sun and moon,
    praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens,
    and you waters above the heavens!

Jovie's Catheter

So this morning we arrived at the Sibley Heart Center at Children's Hospital of Atlanta. The nurses got Jovie set up with a little gown and the sensors that stick on to keep track of her vitals on the monitor.They didn't do anything at all that hurt her but she still was so upset by them. The doctors came by and introduced themselves and helped explain what was going to happen while they had her under anstesia. Every time anyone came into our room Jovie would show them they weren't welcome -- it's clear she knew something was up. They took her back a little before 10am and put her under and started the catheter, did blood work and an extensive ECHO while she was still. This way they have every bit of information to go by to make the best plan on how to fix this baby's heart. The board will meet today to go over everything and we will hear this week what they say. Her resting oxygen level was at 79 (it should be 100). While she was awake today it would go up and down, up and down from 60 to 74. 

When they came to get us after she was through they expected her to sleep for a while, but not Jovie. She woke up as soon they took her breathing tube out... Before we could even get to her. She was crying and very upset. Her little hand had the IVs and cords all over and the blood pressure cuff would tighten every 15 minutes and really make her mad. She is a brave little girl and I was glad to see that she was mad and acting like herself - this little tiger baby was determined to recover quickly. 

She was drinking and eating pb&j and the nurses were all impressed with our little girl's improvement. They started saying that if she continued to do well we would not have to stay over night for recovery. 

They told us Ian would not be able to be back in the room with us but when we got there they never questioned it. This meant that Cody didn't have to stay in the waiting room all day too. Ian was AMAZING! We woke him up at 5am and he seriously could not have been more happy and agreeable. He even got off the chair and got a toy to give to Jovie while she was upset. He gets a gold star today - everything went absolutely as best as it could have gone! 

God sure did answer our prayers today and we know all the prayers surrounding this day have been heard. Y'all, we were checked out of the hospital by 2:30!  We are HOME to rest and let Jovie recover here in her own bed.

Bubbles

Tonight Jovie had her first bubble bath. 

We are leaving for the hospital at 6am tomorrow for Jovie's catheter. Her appointment starts at 8:30 and they think she will be taken to be put to sleep for the catheter and tests between 9:30-10. The procedure will take about 2 hours. Afterward, we will meet with her doctor to hear exactly what they find out about her heart. 

She will have to stay overnight tomorrow (Monday night) and I will be there by her side to comfort her, distract her, and do everything I can for her. Like the nurse said "Jovie's the boss on Monday".  

Here's what is so incredible and puts my mind at peace - more people than we even know are praying on her behalf. We are so grateful to all who are interceding for our precious daughter. One day she will recognize the magnitude of this. 

I want you to know that we are praying for mighty things to happen because we know that there are no limits to what God can do. He may heal her through a doctor or through a miracle - we are praying for Jovie to have a whole, healthy, functioning heart. Also, please pray for her to have peace and comfort, in the past she has been extremely upset by the nurses and doctors. 

My friends and and family, you have no idea how much your prayers mean to us.  

One month

It's been one month since Ian and Jovie were placed in our arms. Its been a hard month... I feel like we're in the eye of a hurricane right now. Today things are more peaceful than they've been. To be honest we didn't know how to anticipate how things would go. I'm not sure how you can prepare your heart and mind without just going through it... I am living in God's faithfulness.  I know that not not a single one of God's words has failed to happen. I know that He is eternally reliable! -The most freeing thing I've heard is: I am not responsible for fixing these children's hurts... God started this and he is the finisher. 

Difficult?, YES! But we wouldn't do anything differently. We completely LOVE that despite DNA differences we are meant to be the mom and dad to three unbelievably precious children. It's clear we love these children. Adoption is just hard... And so is our upcoming heart surgery. Things are getting easier and we are triumphing over our obstacles. 

Even though we were told ahead of time that our adopted children could reject one or both of us... I had no idea how heart breaking it would be live it: to have my son I'd longed for and dreamed of not let me even hold his hand much less hold him... When I tried to be near him he would pinch, bite, hit or kick me to show me just how he felt about me. I may never forget walking into his room after getting home from China and finally sobbing... because as soon as I walked in I saw all the things I'd stood in the store and gotten emotional about buying for him and how much time I spent in his room and dreamed of having him home. I have to tell you it hurts... But today Ian woke up and was actually smiling and excited to see me. I got my first kiss from him on Tuesday. Everyday we see the walls coming down more and more as he learns us. Jovie was so scared to let me out of her sight in the beginning and I couldn't even take a shower after she was already awake. She has gotting okay without me in the room with her. She doesn't insist I hold her all day long and my sore arms are thankful (: she is still a scared little girl at times... Or just (insists) I hold her but I'm so grateful she is bonded to me. 

At one month with Mae it felt like she'd been with us so much longer. Mae had such an easier time. She was okay with both of us from the start and although she grieved for her a-yas, she trusted us. 

I'm saying all this not because I want anyone to feel sorry for us or "look at us and how great we are"... Please know that isn't at all my heart. I'm saying this because there are others reading this that are getting ready to adopt, thinking about adoption, or know someone else that is. I am writing this because I don't want to show all the happy pictures and leave out the truth. The truth is part of God's redemption story for these babies. 

Can I just share with you a few of these hard truths? 

These babies have not only gone through a huge trauma by being taken from everything and everyone they've ever known. These children suffer because of a past full of loss, because the mother-baby bond was broken and they have learned to turn inward and distrust love.  Ian is older and we see a lot more distrust with him. Ian doesn't look to us when he's hurt... He didn't have anyone to come running to him when he tripped and fell in the past. When the kids are arguing he takes matters into his own hands. An adult hasn't been there to protect him or stand up for him. (This is different with Jovie... If one of them takes her toy away she will start yelling "mommy", because she knows I'll fix it.)

Ian is afraid of silence and being by himself, because he is used to the busy orphanage. He may have even shared his bed with someone else. He is terrified of the vacuum, the hair dryer, the space heater, the blender... The list goes on. If he doesn't trust in us, that we will keep him safe than this unknown new world is very scary to him. He hoards his toys and keeps them in bags so he can carry them around. Most of the time he doesn't even play with any of them... He just keeps them from everyone else. There's been times I've even wondered if he knows how to play with them. 

At dinner he eats everything on his plate very fast and I don't think he would ever stop if we kept feeding him. He's not starving... I think he still doesn't trust that he will get another meal. 

This is just to name some of the difficult things... Things that are challenges but ones God is bigger than. I want my children to read this one day and see all of it... And know God is the only one capable of being our healer. 

Another part of this hurricane is Jovie's heart surgery - we are having her catheter done on Monday. I'm already waking up in the middle of the night worried. I've never been in the hospital with my children before and I've never had a sick baby before either. On Monday they will put Jovie to sleep to do the catheter, ultra sound and other tests. She will have to lay completely still for 8 hours afterward so they told us to expect to stay overnight. How do they keep a 2 year old still for 8 hours? 

We can not thank you enough for your prayers for our family. We have truly have been humbled by the tremendous support we've felt during this time. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. 

This is just where we are today and it has been tough, but we have come such a long way in such a short time. Every single day we see changes for the better and it will continue... And God keeps showering Cody and I with his provision. And this is true: God is the defender against the enemy in every form, that no weapon formed against us will succeed, that the victory has already been sealed for us, in Jesus name, amen!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Snowed in

This fresh white snow that came to Georgia has been such a gift to our family. We've been nestled together with our new little family of five. We've stayed in our sweat pants, had dance parties, eaten warm soup and crockpot meals, made snow cream, the little Lekberg's had their first movie night and the only time we've left our nest was to go outside to this white paradise. 

Sledding is a special treat for these Georgia babies... And their daddy can't resist it either. 

We have Jovie in about 18 layers here. We have to keep our little heart baby warm and toasty... But she is very used the layers, children in China dress in layers everyday in the winter.

All three precious babies in tow.

Holly bear was crazy... Running and rolling in the snow.  I think she had the most fun of all of us.

I want to remember the peacefulness of this. There is no one around but us, no other foot prints but our own, no tire tracks, just deer tracks. We were in our own little magical place... I will never forget this precious week. 

I hope all of you have had a special time with your families. Now the worst part of the snow melting is getting out of sweat pants and getting back to the real world again.  

First Snow

Yesterday was the first snow for all three. All morning long this is where I'd find them... In total wonder of the giant flakes that were falling. Don't you just love this? I'm in total wonder too, looking at these three blessings makes my heart want to explode. There are times I still have to pinch myself.

We got bundled up to go outside and experious some of the white stuff. I took our family photo in the mirror in our entry... To document the first Lekberg snow day!

All morning Mae kept saying, "is it Christmas?" And sang Christmas songs for us all day.

So dashing threw the snow... (: 

 And we are lucky all three could squeeze on here together... Lucky because this is the cutest thing I've seen!

Around the yard a few times...

Ian did not like the snowflakes falling in his face and so I showed them how to try to catch it on their tongues. 

This is the south, so we are talking about maybe 2 inches of snow... Unfortunately not enough for a snow angel but that didn't stop Mae! Mae has been obsessed about snow for a year now and she finally got some to play in. 

Another huge blessing was having Cody home with us. You see we've been home for a week and a half and Cody had to go straight back to work. He gets home at 6pm every night and all of us (him and me included) have hardly stayed awake to 8pm. It's been so hard on him to have to have to see the kids so little, squeeze in everything that needs to be done and for us to be able to talk since we've been back. 

So more fun than snow... we get Cody home. <3<3<3

In a box

Ah thank you, we got emails and comments from y'all with all kinds of suggetions for the car sickness. I did them ALL! I went to CVS and bought the sea bands for Ian, I put my iPad on the back of the seat so they would look forward, I fed them an hour earlier, turned the vent toward them and kept the car cool, I gave them a small dosage of Benadryl and I took a longer way to school to avoid a curvy route. Whew! And it proved to work, no puke to or from school... and Ian wasn't so upset either! 

I don't know which one of the many tips worked for us, but I am a happy momma if this continues to help them!! Thank you to all who shared your tips! Ian and Jovie thank you too!

So while Mae was in school I took Ian and Jovie to the grocery store to stock up on essentials - we are supposed to get a bad wintery storm here! And when we got home I made us all lunch and sat at the table between them. 

Ian and Jovie were having a little conversation among themselves and as it continued I found myself saying, "hey guys, what are y'all talking about?" I sat there quietly realizing I'm the third wheel here! Jovie and Ian are talking and laughing and I have NO idea what they are going on about! Bet that's never happened to you before! 

 I am glad they have each other. (: 

I want to give my thanks to Amazon for providing my kids with priceless entertainment. A very large box was delivered today, I guess I've found the perk to having 2 in different size diapers.  

They all wanted in and loved it! Every kid loves boxes, right? My 3 were enthralled and I realized the treasure I had too! Look all 3 are being contained and don't even know it (; So I made it my goal to see how long I could make this last... 

For a long time the box itself was fun. They'd all sit down and then all stand up over and over. I think they love being together. 

Next, I gave them crayons to color the box. The little ones liked the sound it made to color over the corrugated cardboard. They were trying to make it sound as loud as they could. 

When crayons were old I fed them snacks.

I got a full hour of *free* box babysitting! I actually got to CLEAN my house up for the first time in ages. Anyone got any other ideas for next time?