Olivia, Elle & Bringing Home AnaLei: Alive and Well in PA

I can't believe it's already been 2 entire weeks!!! All is well this football Saturday as we navigate our way through this 1000 mile move.

As I type, my poor angel has a VERY runny nose and terrible cough. :( We went to the pediatrican yesterday for vaccines and she said she sounded very good and that it doesn't appear she is "sick". Apparently just a runny nose is going around with a little congestion. Poor thing had 3 injections yesterday and has to have more in 30 days to complete her immunizations.

The last 2 weeks have not gone without challenges. Bing and I both cried everyday last week (our first week here)!!! I just stopped putting on eye makeup until I arrived at my office b/c I would just cry it off anyway. Leaving her is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Everyone at work is SO supportive and assures me it will get better. I am thankful to be with her every morning and every night! It was also a difficult adjustment for Olivia, but this past week - she didn't cry - she just walked right in to her class. Danny and I were thankful those days! They said she is doing SO well! She is in the infant room for now and getting lots of one-on-one attention. Soon though she will go into the class with children her age and we will be excited when that happens b/c she will most likely love that. Bing LOVES other children. She takes to other children instantly - where adults she isn't so sure. She is a social butterfly! She now waves at any and everyone. We think it is so cute.

We had our 1st round of appointments at CHOP and Olivia is officially in the Single Ventricle Survivorship Program! We are so excited!! They said she looks fabulous and that her next and final heart surgery would most likely be March of 2013. We are thankful it looks so far away. The director of the program, Dr. Rychik, will also serve as Olivia's primary pediatric cardiologist. We also met with a GI specialist associated with the program, Dr. Rand. Olivia is also looking great from a GI perspective since her surgery. We still have some episodes of throwing up, but not anything like it used to be!! We are indeed thankful! She also did very well at all the appointments this time. Before, even getting her weight caused a breakdown,but this time no crying almost at all!!! :) The cardiac program did a very thorough screening including 4 blood pressure checks on both arms and both legs, her oxygen level, weight, length, head size, EKG, echocardiogram, etc... It was extensive and she held up great! She started to wear down during the echo but thankfully we were almost done by then.

We are enjoying our new home although it is pretty much still a disaster! This is our 4th relo, but with our little Bing Bing and we are finding it much more difficult to find the time to organize (parents can chuckle now as you laugh at our effort :)). She is the apple of our eye and our pure joy! Everyone told us that love would overtake all the difficulty and it is so true! I love her more than my simple words are able to express! It is our honor and joy to raise this little girl! We are so very lucky to have her presence in our lives! I love her energy (although a moment of rest wouldn't be so bad), I love her spunk, I love her fight, I love her asian eyes, I love her 10 new teeth, I love her jet black hair, I love to hear her breath when she sleeps!!

We miss our southern friends and family, we miss our church, we miss lovers of college football!! But, we are also enjoying navigating through our new northern life! One of our neighbors brought us chocolate chip cookies the other day!! This week was better than last and no doubt this coming will be even better - or least that's our prayer!!!

And yes, we now say, "Go Phillies" :)