Dancing with Daddy

Okay, so I just tried to post the funniest video of Bing attempting to eat a Cherrio all on her own, but it never would post!!!  I tried to let it download for over 2 hours!!  So, sorry that this one is a lot shorter, but this is what Bing Bing does when daddy dances for her!!  We only got a few seconds, but she mimics him all the time :)...
BTW - she did eat her first cherrio (hand to mouth) ALL by herself today!!  YAY!!  She only got the 1, but we cheered as if Alabama has gone back and beaten Auburn for the national championship :) (So, I cheered and Danny cried) :)  I will try to post the video again later - maybe give it overnight.
Today was my 1st day home with Danny back at work!!  We survived!  We had a play date with our friends in Hernando that also just had a baby Olivia :).  We took some good pictures that I will post ASAP.

Hysterical Video of the Bing Bing

Danny started dancing for her yesterday when she was in her bouncy and she danced back.  It was so funny - tried to catch it on video.  Today, I danced for her - and this is what she did!!!  Maybe my dancing isn't that great :)

Easter Pictures

Here are a few pictures from Easter!!  We didn't get any family pictures or of daddy and his girl!!!  I know - we have to get better with the pictures!!
She is wearing a dress that was sent with her from the orphanage.  A precious woman in Australia (Kyla's mom) makes these dresses for the children to take with them to their forever homes so that they will know they were loved.  It is a beautiful dress and it fit her perfectly!  I treasure this dress because it was made especially for our little Bing and she will know that she was loved even before she came to us!  We also found out that there is a church in Australia that knows Bing Bing by name!!  They have prayed for Bing many times through her life and helped to raise funds so that she could have her 1st surgery.  I will post those emails - they are precious!!

Hunter loves Bing!  He just jumped up there while we were snapping pictures!

Bing loves Hunter too :)

She didn't want to sit on that couch anymore!  Mommy had to pick her up to see what the problem was - daddy still snapping pics :)

Calling DeeDee to wish her a Happy Birthday!!! :)   She loves to hold the phone!

1st Trip to the Zoo - More Pictures!!

Okay - here are the pictures I was trying to post earlier.  We had a great time!  Will post some videos we took a few days ago too!  Have also been in communication with the International China Concern Director in Hengyang City - where Olivia's orphanage is - and she has given us SO much more information about Olivia's first 14 months of life.  The director, Kyla, is from Australia and currently living in China.  She only ever visits one place in the U.S. and guess where it is?!?!?!  Memphis, TN!!!  NO - she isn't a die hard Elvis fan - she has a sister that, believe it or not, lives in Memphis,TN.  So, we might actually get to meet the woman that made the decision to save Bing Bing's life!!!!  I will post some emails as soon as I get the chance!

1st Trip to the Zoo

Yes, "someone" took out their bow!!! :)

Danny and I took Olivia to the Memphis zoo Friday afternoon and had the best time!  She got to have her 1st taste of chocolate dippin dots :).  Here are a few photos :) - will attach more later!

Our New Australian Family!!

I can only let this email speak for itself...  Enjoy reading about how GREAT and BIG our God truly is!!!

Dear Julie & Danny,

We are so thrilled to hear from you.  The photos in your blog are so beautiful and Bing Bing looks so happy.  We are so pleased that you love her as much, if not more than we do.  We returned to Australia 10 days ago after spending 4 years in Heng Yang working with ICC.  For the last 18 months I worked in the Govt Section of the orphanage complex.  Whenever I saw a premature baby or a sick baby come in I asked if I could take the baby home for special one on one care. During our time there we fostered many babies.

In January last year Bing Bing was admitted. As soon as I saw her I knew she would not survive.  At that time we had space to take only one baby over to ICC and there were two who needed to be moved out of the general population due to their needs. I asked the director if I could take one of them home.  The director agreed and said I could choose which one I wanted to take.  I chose Bing Bing.  She weighed only 2.2kg and she was very thin and malnourished.  Initially she was fed every hour, 1 1/2 hours or two hourly - whenever she wanted food in order to give her the nourishment she needed.  After a few weeks she slept through the night but still needed very regular feeds through the day. We fostered her for 10 weeks and when we took her back to one of our ICC baby rooms she weighed 3.6kg.  By then she was smiling and talking. 

We fell in love with her. We knew she was quite sick with a heart condition and I constantly prayed for God to protect her and breathe life into her.  We watched her change from a very sick little baby into a more healthy happy baby who won everyone's hearts.  We continued to visit her nearly every day when she went back to the centre and she used to get very excited whenever she saw us wriggling her arms and legs with excitement.

We are happy to answer any questions you may have and have heaps of photos which we would love to send you.  It would probably be best to either put them on a CD or USB stick to send to you if you could let us know your postal address.

Blessings and love, and big hugs for Bing Bing
Ron & Sue
Bing Bing's Australian "Chinese" grandparents

Meeting the Family (and Easter Bunny too)!!

I have so much to bring everyone up to speed on but I can't do it all at once because I am typing this while Olivia is down for a nap and b/c you wouldn't have time to read it all :)...  I can tell you that God is SO good!!!  He has had his hand on Olivia from the very beginning.  We found out that she lived with an Australian couple her first 10 weeks of life!  Not only that, but she was put into something called the International China Concern - and thanks to that and her connection with the Australian couple who helped raise money for her surgery - she was able to have her 1st heart surgery in China which no doubt saved her life.  It gets even better!!!  We found out through an email asking if we were the ones that adopted the "beautiful Miss Yang FuBing" that 2 U.S. physicians were consulted due to her complex case.  This means that Olivia had the best medical care of anywhere in the world!!!  AND - one of the physicians has emailed us ALL of her records from her consultation with China.  So, we have her previous heart cath images and all of her diagnoses so that we don't have to guess anymore!!

We want everyone to know just how strong our little Bing Bing has been!  She has overcome so much in her short little life and she is a fighter!!  She might only be 12lbs, but she is strong and she is sassy :).  She still has many medical issues to overcome, but we believe she is ready for the fight!  We are so thankful to our Great God for bringing Olivia into our lives!  She has changed us forever :)

Meeting my GiGi and cousins McKenzie and Adley

My new family is funny :)

My Aunt Leslie and cousins introducing me to the Easter Bunny

I like the Easter Bunny with my big cousin McKenzie

Sitting with papa

Meeting my Aunt Melanie and cousins Abbie and Caleb (Uncle Randy and cousin Josh were on a mission trip in El Salvador)

I think Caleb is funny

My new family thinks I'm great :)

Funny Video - my Bing Bing refuses to keep her bow in!!!

Okay, I think you will LOVE this video!!  We were taking pictures at Danny's moms before we left town and Aunt Melanie was actually videoing instead of taking a picture.  Olivia now thinks its funny to take out her bow right after mommy puts it in.  Then, she thinks its HILARIOUS when I get on to her!!  What is a mom to do?!?!?  I keep telling her "no", but she and daddy just laugh at me (Danny says I smile when I say it).  I can't help but laugh when she laughs at me for telling her to stop pulling out the bow.  I love my little Bing Bing!!!!  She is SO funny!!!  I can't wait for everyone to meet her :).  She is a precious gift and God has a special purpose for our precious little girl!!

All our Love,
Danny and Julie

I think I like my new life :)

Olivia is doing great!!!  Although - she has no idea who Olivia is - we are still calling her Bing Bing.  We love that nickname and it will most likely follow her to college.  So, when you meet her, don't be surprised if Olivia isn't what she responds too :)

Doctors appointments all went well for Danny and I Wednesday (Olivia didn't enjoy them quite as much).  We got so much information on how to care for her that we felt much better at the end of the day.  We started with a GI appointment at UAB and that lasted from about 8:30am to 11:30am!!  We then went to Dr. Jennifer Chambers - International Adoption Pediatric Specialist - who ROCKS by the way!!  She spent quite a bit of time with us and said Olivia wins the #1 spot for smallest baby for her age (but we learned how to help that at the GI appt).  After that, we went and had an ultrasound of Olivia's tummy and pelvic area.  This was Olivia's least favorite part of the day.  All of that lasted until almost 5pm - so we had to save getting the blood drawn for Thursday.  Mommy couldn't stay in the room for that so daddy had to stand strong.  I'm sure those nurses thought to themselves that I would never make it through surgery since I cried when she just had her blood taken.  They couldn't draw all the blood they needed since she is so small, so unfortunately, we will have to do this part one more time once we get home. :(

Olivia is reaching for Danny and I ALL the time:)...  We are thrilled when she holds those sweet arms up just for us!! 

I have so much more to share, but I know all everyone really wants is the pictures, so here you go :)

I'm sure she is like, "Stop kissing me already"

She makes the funniest faces!!!

Playing phase 10 :)

My two favorite fingers - can't go to sleep without them!!