Giving Thanks

Miah is always very insistent that we pray before a meal and before we put her to bed. It is very cute to see how quickly this has become a routine for her. Her favorite part is to yell a big Amen when we are done!

Palate Surgery

Miah's palate surgery is quickly approaching...only 8 more days. We have her pre-op appointment on Friday. I am hoping they will allow me to come with her into the OR until she is asleep. I know she would panic if someone were to take her from my arms and walk away. I'm sure she would think she was being given to someone else again. I am going to try to insist they allow me to escort her due to attachment reasons. The thought of her thinking I am giving her up breaks my heart.

In case you are wondering, this is a diagram of what her palate currently looks like. Her lip surgery was done in China when she was 15 months. I wonder how much of that experience she remembers....



During the procedure, they will make an incision on either side of her palate along the gum line and then bring the tissue together in the middle (ok...not a really good technical description, but that's about how I understand it.)


I think the part that will really hurt are those initial incisions along the gumline. They will not stitch those back together and will leave them raw. This is to prevent too much scar tissue from developing and further problems when her jaw is growing.

Post Placement Report

Today we had a visit with our Social Worker to do a post placement report to send to China. China requires two reports...one sent at 6 months and one at one year. Due to our Social Worker going on holidays and Miah's upcoming surgery, and to allow time to translate the document, we had our interview today.

Miah has been a part of our family now for four months. Most days it seems like she has been here much longer. Many people have asked us how attachment is coming and that was one area we discussed today. Having read all the worse case scenarios, we have been blessed and surprised at Miah's adjustment and her ability to not only attach to us, but to her Sisters and Grandparents. We are assuming that she must have attached to someone in the past, most likely a caregiver at the orphanage. She is building a trust with both Mom and Dad and she will seek either of us out for comfort. She has stopped looking to strangers (for the most part) for comfort or security. Initially she would go up to anyone wanting to be picked up, now she definitely looks for us. If for a second she does not see us, she bursts into tears. In the comfort of our home we can disappear from sight for a few minutes, but in a public place she will panic. So, I think it safe to say that she is attaching to us, but is still insecure. We are hoping that the trust will continue to grow and that once she acquires more understanding of English, we can reassure her that we are ALWAYS coming back. It must be so confusing to a child when their past experiences tell them that sometimes when people go away, they never come back. So we live day by day loving her and trying to build a safe trusting relationship.



Miah has come such a long way in the past four months! She loves life and REALLY loves swimming! On a side note...look at those beautiful straight legs! They were so bowed when she first came home and with some good nutrition and exercise have strengthened and straighted right up!

Miah's Adoption Video

I have been working on a keepsake adoption video for Miah. I wanted to make something that tells her story. Here is a sneak peek...it is still a work in progress...

Daddy's Girl

Miah is definitely a Daddy's girl. She loves us all, but if Daddy is in the room, she usually seeks out the comfort of his arms. It is amazing to watch the two of them fall deeper in love each day. It didn't take her long to wrap Daddy around her finger! Plus...Daddy can throw her much higher than Mommy can!