Happy Gotcha Day, Kensli!

On February 27, 2006 at 10 am we were handed one of the most precious gifts that God has ever given us! At that moment in time, Yong Ning Rong, became Kensli Jean Mei Ning! She cried and so did we. She was crying for one reason and us for another!

Kensli has really grown in so many ways in this past year! She brings laughter, squeals, hugs, sloppy kisses, and snuggles into every day! Thank you, Kensli, for celebrating life with abandon, because you have taught us to do the same!

Gotcha Days are pretty special around our house! It was a day when hope landed! Reality day! Thank-our-lucky-stars day! Gotcha Day, and we're never gonna let you go!

Happy Gotcha Day, Sunshine!

Year of the Pig

For Chinese New Year, area adoptive families met to celebrate the Year of the Pig. In China it is a time of family with parades and celebrations. It is considered a very lucky year because the Year of the Pig only comes every 50 years or so.

Also, it is the Vietnamese New Year called Tet. In Vietnam they give out small red envelopes with money inside and everyone has a birthday. It is custom that the population waits and turns a year older at Tet.

We were so happy to be able to celebrate this special time in our daughter's birth culture with other China adoptive families. As far as I know we are the only Vietnamese adoptive family in our area. Kaitlyn didn't seem to mind because in her words "most people think I am Chinese anyway." Somtimes you do not realize how culturally aware they are! We have some friends though that are working on an adoption from Vietnam and it will be fun to celebrate Tet with them in a few years.

Happy Year of the Pig!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Update on Kensli

We saw Dr. Go yesterday concerning Kensli's heart! She was very postive about the outcome and severity of the problem. We learned that 1% of all babies are born this way and it is a relatively simple procedure to fix the problem. Kensli has an extra blood vessel between the two main arteries coming out of the top of the heart. To fix this problem they will have to go in under her arm on her side and clamp it off at both ends. We were so relieved that they would not actually touch the heart or go in through the chest.

We will schedule the surgery as soon as we get back from vacation! We will need to take her to Tulane or Houston and we are leaning towards Houston.

We are still believing in a miracle.

One Year Ago

One year ago, this week, we traveled to Beijing, China to pick up Kensli! Looking back over this past year it seems like just yesterday that we were packing and trying to get everything set to be gone for 2 weeks. Hope that you enjoy the photoshow as much as we do! The memories that these pictures bring............

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Not So Good News

About 3 weeks ago we went to the Dr. for a routine checkup for Kensli and he asked if he had ever mentioned she had a heart murmur. I said "No" and he searched his records to see if he had ever written anything down. It was the first time for him to hear anything and he became concerned. He sent us for tests and yesterday he called and said that we needed to talk to the cardiologist. It seems that Kensli was born with a heart defect that is interfering with proper blood flow. They normally see this in premies so that makes us wonder if Kensli was born premature! At this point we do know that surgery will be needed we just don't know when. We will know more on Wed. so I will post then.

GROUND HOG DAY

The ground hog didn't see his shadow so that means that Spring is around the corner! YEAH!!!! We are sick of being stuck in the house and all the rain!!!! I know that we need the rain, BUT........bring on the warmer weather!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ricky and Kaitlyn are really becoming young birders! They have a field guide and they watch for birds out the window whenever they can! We have a resident Red Headed Woodpecker that we spot several times a day. Yesterday he was sitting on our brick mailbox pecking away! We can only assume that he was sharpening his beak and not trying to find food!

Some of their interest in birds has been fueled by Apologia Science, Zoology I, Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day. We are really enjoying this book and are working our way through it slowly but throughly. I would recommend this series for anyone that homeschools!

Kensli is 2

Today was Kensli's 2nd birthday!!!!! Sad day for mom because my baby is growing up!!!!!!!!!!!! Also, she was very sick and didn't feel like celebrating, so we will celebrate her birthday when she is better.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KENSLI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!