Surgery

Sorry, no pictures for now. I am just writing this to let everyone who is following along know that Mason-Kate's first palate surgery is scheduled for this Tuesday, May 13 at 11am. If you have a moment and are interested, take a look at the site www.bringingmeihome.blogspot.com This little girl just had her surgery a week or so ago and the site provides some pretty detailed pictures of what our little MK will endure come Tuesday. UGH! We know that the surgery is needed and is for her benefit but the thought of her being in pain is heartbreaking. The procedure will take anywhere from 3-4 hours. 15 minutes of that will include putting in her ear tubes. She will then have to spend at least one night in the hospital but it is very possible that she will spend more time there (i have followed along on three cleft surgery blogs and 2 out of the 3 girls had to spend 2 nights in the hospital). After her surgery, she will have to wear "no-no's" for up to six weeks..."no-no's" are arm restraints that will prevent her from putting things into her mouth and damaging the repair. She will also have to eat a soft food/liquid diet for several weeks following surgery. So, please say an extra little prayer for miss priss!
**during the pre-op call yesterday with the nurse she was explaining that MK would be given some "calming meds" upon arrival at the hospital....i jokingly asked if the parents would get those as well....i mean, really, this is going to be tough on all of the above emotionally!
***and I will post pictures with an update by Monday....we are having a great week with a lot of excitement....plus, MK will be baptized on Sunday....very special.

Out With The Old, In With The New

The highlights of the week....

• Happy birthday to Pryce! What a wonderful little boy we have! He was so excited to have "his" time....he partied with his friends at Monkey Joes, sat in the Monkey Joe throne, had a popsicle party with friends on the school playground, Gran came over so that mommy could spend time with him at school, he indulged in birthday cake for breakfast (a family tradition here), he went to the beach with one of his favorite friends for the weekend, toured Charleston, SC, swam in the ocean, swam in the pool, and topped it all off with a cookout at G-Mom and G-Dad's house. We had such a good time with our little man! We are so thankful for Pryce and the joy he brings us everyday! My favorite gift suggestion he had this year was when he asked for "credit cards". He simply stated that he wanted some so that it would be easier for him to spend money on the toys he wanted to purchase. I finally figured out that he was referring to "gift cards".


• The boys are always quick to include Mason-Kate when they are playing. This week they chose for her to be a truck driver in their fleet of many 18 wheelers. She was the "Pop Tarts" truck driver and I am told that she is the only female driver they have allowed to join their company. Later in the week, I went in to check on everyone and found MK playing in the toy kitchen. The boys explained that she had "quit" the truck driving business. They offered her a job in the kitchen as their personal chef and she willingly accepted.


• Colin was chosen by his teachers to be a part of his school's Academic Bowl. As part of the Academic Bowl, the students had to sit behind tables with buzzers and they were asked many questions pertaining to the Olympic games. Colin proudly answered several questions and his team was honored to receive the Silver medal in this event.


• Ryan and I (mostly me) are slowly learning "never to say never"....we made the decision during our car ride home from China that our beloved 4Runner was not the car for our family of 5. Much to the boys dismay, we (again, mostly me) have always said "NO" to purchasing a minivan. Well, on Friday we purchased a minivan....and we LOVE it! It just makes sense to have it....you all must know that growing up I always said, among other things, that I wanted a husband and a large family. The obstacle that I never thought about during my dreams was how in the world I was going to transport my large family....


• Mason-Kate visited the beach for the very first time. We spent the weekend at Seabrook Island. MK wasn't all that impressed by the beach itself. However, she quickly decided that the pool was a fun thing to be a part of. Yes, this is the baby girl who screamed to the point of not breathing during her bathtime for the first month that we had her....less than two months later, she is testing the limits on just how wet she can get in the pool....and I must add that the water was COLD! She giggled and splashed and even put her face in. This is a very good thing!

We hope that all is well with those who continue to follow our blog. We continue to appreciate everyone's prayers for our family! The support that we have received has been more than we could ever have imagined! For that, we are grateful. Until next week.....

Happy 6th Birthday, Pryce!!; Our three cannonballs

The pineapple fountain in Charleston; Pryce and good friend Matthew

Standing....but not yet walking; Looking pretty in the flowers

Hating the beach........Loving the pool



Colin's silver metal; MK in her bunny towel

Breaking MK In

This week was a busy one! Of course, if MK could talk, she would probably tell you that all weeks are "busy ones". If you asked her to tell you her address, I am sure she would say she lives in the car! Monday we started off our week with our first playgroup. There is a group of families who have adopted from China and Guatemaula that meets every Monday for lunch. We were thrilled to be invited and it was a lot of fun to hear their stories of adoption. Monday night at tennis, Ryan got MK to walk to him....of course, we made a huge deal over this and we were all so excited....now, she just refuses to do it again. Tuesday, Finley had to go have his "dog surgery"....the boys were most upset that he had to spend the night at the vet. I thought all day about how upset/worried the boys were about the dog and I thought that maybe I should tell them now about Mason-Kate's upcoming surgery.....bad idea. Colin just looked at me and said "Great, first we lose Finley for the night and now we are going to lose Mason-Kate too....what is next?!" MK had her first hearing evaluation....she CAN hear! Yippee for that! It was one of those things where we knew she could hear but it was nice to have it confirmed by the actual test. You know, there are those moments when she totally ignores you and then you just wonder if those little ears are working. She does have fluid in both ears so they will insert tubes (as expected) during her cleft surgery....this will even help her hearing that much more. MK continues to grow emotionally attached to our family. This week she has decided that maybe she likes mommy after all and that it isn't always fun to be away from her....this is especially the case at naptime! I knew that the day would come when she would realize that crying was what most one year olds do when they have to go to sleep in the middle of the day. So, on Tuesday she began. Instead of cuddling her little blankie up against her lips like she has always done, she promptly tossed her blankie on the floor as I walked out of her room....then came the tears. What does one do?! Well, this one, called daddy and asked his opinion....so, do you think I am going to cause her bonding issues if I don't go pick her up OR is this just normal one year old behavior that needs to be addressed by going in, seeing if everything is ok, giving her blankie back, a hug, a kiss, a pat on the back and walk out - no picking up? Daddy says the latter of the two. So, I go in, lay her down, give her the blankie, say I love you, and leave.....a minute later, there is silence and SLEEP! On Wednesday Mason-Kate decided the stairs looked fun and up she went....she got caught of course! Saturday Gran had a "Meet and Greet MK" party....so much fun to see many of the adults and friends who influenced my life growing up. Mason-Kate took it all in stride and even performed her latest trick....dancing, she loves it! Sunday we went to visit Nannie. Nannie is my grandmother and we thoroughly enjoyed our day with her. So, in a nutshell, we continue to adjust and enjoy our new family of 5!

"We have to get in the car again?!"

"You caught me!"

Nannie taking MK for a walk on her walker; MK and Nannie Tisdale

Colin, Nannie, MK, & Pryce

"Normal"

After 3 weeks of being home, "normal" has entered our home....if there is a "normal". This week was a big week for us. We started off the week with a party for Mason-Kate given by Ryan's family. Mason-Kate marveled in all of the attention she received. She has gotten pretty comfortable in social situations but still prefers mom or dad to hold her while she performs for the crowds. Early in the week we were able to schedule MK's first palate surgery. It will be held on May 13. Of course, I am not a fan of the number 13 but we are thankful that she is scheduled. She will possibly have another surgery at the age of 3 (we are hopeful that this won't be the case), then she will definitely have another surgery at the age of 6/7, and then finally one at the age of 13ish. ANYWAY, on a happier note, we celebrated our one month GOTCHA DAY anniversary on Thursday....WOW! It is so hard to believe that we have only had her one month! Ryan says that the dog was harder to adjust to! Speaking of the dog, MK loves him! Finley has become quite the playmate while the brothers are away at school....Mason-Kate will meander her way over to him and just pat him and laugh....of course, then there are the times that she will hit him with her toys (not aggressively but in a typical one year old fashion) and he just sits there....the cutest thing though is when we come home - Finley stays in his crate in the garage while we are out - MK will immediately start waving to him and babbling, laughing at him....she just loves him! I can honestly say that so far our biggest obstacle has been the car - there just isn't enough room for one huge carseat, one booster seat, one 8 year old, a 5 year old and a one year old who throws things in the backseat of a Toyota 4Runner - it works ok until MK decides she is done with whatever she is holding and launches it in an aimless direction - unfortunately, it is normally Colin who gets the brunt of her throws and he ends up hurt in the eye or his head or his feelings.....other than that minor detail, things are continuing to go well. I spent sometime on Thursday just thinking about GOTCHA DAY and how far we have come....I looked through some of our pictures that were taken on that day and it is amazing to see the fear that was in her eyes. Poor baby girl! I am not sure that any of us really acknowledged that fear because we were just so over the moon to finally have her. Now when I look at her she just seems so happy and it is so confirmed when I hold her and she lays her little head on my shoulder or when she offers up some of her wet kisses. She is really truly a blessing to our family! The boys are even asking when we are going back to get another sister! I know they love her but I am just wondering if they really want a sister or if, instead, they are really wanting to get back on a 747 - that was, for them, probably the highlight of their trip....of course, next time, Colin says he is flying First Class - we have told him the money involved and he has stated that he will simply work in a grocery store to earn the money needed to fly on top of the 747! If he only knew :) Lastly, MK had her first professional photo shoot on Friday....she did so good! Our wonderful Mr. Mike and Ms. Tanner performed quite a bit for her and got some terrific shots of MK all dressed up....the part she was not too fond of was when we decided to take her clothes off and place her in the clawfoot bathtub for photos....we saw some tears but then the laughter began as well and she even threw in a few poses! Until next week....

Here's the whole Drafts clan, minus Jordan & Lauren....

MK and G-mom; MK and Finley doing a little bonding

MK enjoying a pretty afternoon in her backyard swing

Week 2 Recap

Today we have officially been home 2 weeks....and this week we will celebrate our one month anniversary of Gotcha Day....so hard to believe! Earlier in the week I said to Ryan that six months ago we didn't even know that our daughter was waiting on us! The "Drafts 5" are doing great! The boys have been on Spring break this week so they have had some extra special time with Mason-Kate. Here are some of the things they have done with her:

• A lot of times I will receive an email asking me what things I enjoy most. One of the questions is always what sound I like to hear....well, this week it was my 3 children playing happily in MK's room. I was getting ready one morning and I heard MK talking in her room. The next thing I hear is Colin going in to say hi. Then I hear Pryce going in....the boys got her out of her crib, got some of their emergency vehicle gear and took it into her room, then proceeded to play with her for at least 15-20 minutes....I kept waiting on that "mom-help" call but instead I heard laughing from all three....the best part was as I was going up to check on them, Colin met me in the hall and said that Pryce was watching Mason-Kate while he got dressed for the day and made up his bed, then they were to switch so that Pryce could do the same....I was more than impressed!


• I believe every night this week the boys have been watching American Idols that we DVRed while in China. Well, Colin came to me one morning and said that Simon did not like his performance but that Paula thought it was wonderful....I asked him who Simon was....well, he informed me that "Simon" was being portrayed by Pryce, "Paula" was being portrayed by MK and "Randy" was being portrayed by Finley, our dog.


• Mostly, they have just enjoyed being big brothers. They hate to hear her cry and come running to see what is wrong if she so much as makes a peep. They love to make her laugh and will do anything to make it happen....and she loves to see them laugh. They love her kisses even with all of the drool. Pryce always turns his head and promptly says "yuck" but then he will ask for another.

Mason-Kate experienced a few more firsts this week....we took her bowling, we took her to Monkey Joes, we went to ToysRUs, she ate a piece of PIZZA (and loved it), she drank an entire sippy cup of whole milk (the dr. will be so proud), she said "uh-oh" at the appropriate time, she spent some time with a babysitter, she has gone from a "two hand hold" walking strategy to a "one hand hold" walking style, she got off one antibiotic only to be put on a much stronger one for her ear infection (fever was lurking)....she is just so much fun! A lot of people will say to us that she is a lucky little girl.....I am beginning to disagree, WE are the lucky ones!

Three Big Smiles; MK in her Clemson hat

MK playing in the grass

Ryan tries to get a smile and succeeds!; MK walking with one hand

First Mishap

Murphy's Law always lurks around us....I stated to Ryan several days ago that I was not the least bit concerned about MK choking....after all, we have had her three weeks today and she has eaten everything we have given to her, big and small....I practically pureed the boys food until last year for fear of them choking but with MK I had this mindset that she did not need everything cut into fine little pieces....well, that mindset is a thing of the past as of lunchtime today....Ryan's mom was here with me thankfully as I sat and talked while feeding MK her lunch....suddenly she started to gag, or what I thought was gagging, and then I realized that she was doing much more than that and could not breathe....Mrs. Drafts and I both jumped up, me staring helplessly into those big brown eyes of MK's as Mrs. Drafts attempts to pick her up out of the chair....she was still strapped in so we both started to undo the locks....at some point, I do remember asking Mrs. Drafts if she knew what to do....I know what to do when it isn't my child of course....luckily MK started to cry and we all three breathed a sigh of relief....actually MK cried for awhile but that was the best cry I have heard yet! On a side note, we had another successful bath time tonight....she played for a long time without any tears....she was splashing and laughing....we are so thankful that she is beginning to enjoy the water!

One Week Later

It is one week later, one week home, one week back to school, one week with mommy to myself, one busy week later....it is funny, we started our week off on Saturday afternoon by going to the grocery store. There, the checkout clerk said "oh, what a cute addition to your family" as we all smiled and said thank you....today, I went in with Mason-Kate to buy a few things and we happened to have the same checkout clerk....this time she stated "so, you still have her!" Well, of course we do! She is a keeper for sure. Mason-Kate has done remarkably well with adjusting to life in Georgia. We started her off with church on Sunday. We went a little late hoping to not cause a scene....well, that backfired. When word got out that we were there, the majority of the congregation came out into the narthex to say hello (sorry about that John - didn't mean to interrupt the service). It was so wonderful to have everyone there to welcome us home and to see our little girl. They embraced all of us and made us feel so special and loved. Mason-Kate gave them a few smiles and then we all went to lunch with my parents who were in town to meet MK. Monday we started off the day late....well, except for Ryan who had to rush back into work after being gone for almost 3 weeks. The boys chose to sleep until 10....I woke them up, took Colin to school - everyone was so glad to see him and he took it all in stride....they dubbed him the "world traveler" and he proceeded to be the social studies teacher for the afternoon....topic of discussion was China of course. Pryce and I took MK to the pediatrician for her first official check up....she is a Drafts child no doubt, she has a big head (85th percentile), a medium tummy (weight 35th percentile) and short little legs (20th percentile for height)! She was ok with it all until the ear exam....ugh, the gunk was thick and they had to get it out to see her eardrum - that was not fun....alas, she has a double ear infection....she fell asleep while I calmed her down after the ear trauma only to be rudely awakened by the two shots and finger prick that followed....she was not happy at all! It was at that appointment that I realized beyond a shadow of a doubt that I love this child and I hurt to know the pain she will feel in the upcoming months during the surgery that is inevitable to fix her palate. One funny part about her visit was when the doctor asked me about her speech and what she was saying....well, really she doesn't say a whole lot....everything is the usual 14 month old "uhhhh" or "mamamama"....then he asked me if she said any chinese words - well, exactly how would I know?! Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were pretty predictable....we took the boys to school, ran an errand or two and then came home for a nap. She naps twice a day which makes it nice for now. She is so easy - we have learned that she is a "blankie" girl....Colin had the beloved "monk-monk" monkey that he was attached to, Pryce was a pacifier child and it looks like MK will be our blanket lover. We now have two - one for the car and one for the crib. During the week we have tried numerous foods - among various other healthy foods, she loves Brusters! Bless her heart, she had me worried as she would not think of eating pizza or bread....when I saw her eat ice cream and motion for more, it just made me melt. Some other quick takes, we went to the park - she loves to swing, the higher the better for her....we had our first hairbow tragedy during a walk around the neighborhood - MK has gotten quite fond of taking them out unfortunately....we had our first bath without screaming....mommy learned that taking the dog, the baby and the 5 year old for a walk around a very hilly neighborhood is best left undone especially if the 5 year old is bike riding....MK is sleeping 12-14 hours a night, her parents are hoping that continues....it really has been a pretty easy transition....I think the hardest part was going to the grocery store and trying to figure out how three children could all sit in one cart! Today we went to visit the doctor who is the Cleft Palate Team surgeon....he is Chinese by birth also. He told us pretty much what we already knew - that she will have to be examined by the ENT for hearing purposes and to determine whether or not tubes will be needed (I am pretty sure that they almost always are with cleft palate babies), he told us that her cleft was wide, that it is the most common cleft seen being that it is unilateral and on the left side, and that she will get all fixed up and be ready to go....our goal now is to get her into surgery as soon as possible for her palate closure - we hope to get her in during the month of May. So, with that being said, we are just praying for strength and knowledge during the upcoming weeks. We will continue to update often so please check in once in awhile....take care.

The first picture is MK trying grits for the first time...she loved them!; MK in the yard

MK's first smile in the bathtub; Studying up on boy stuff; The Band