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Journal Archives:
November 25, 2007: A new adventure deserves a new web page - www.thecakefamily.com/adoption/adventure
October 27, 2007: We went to Joe's Pumpkin Patch, which as it turns out would have been more appropriately named "Joe's Corn Field Strewn with Pumpkins" but I can see how that wouldn't look as good on a sign. We are fairly certain that this was Rebekah's first "pumpkin hunting" outing and she participated with great gusto. She was pretty certain pumpkins are made for throwing and/or dropping depending on their relative weight...big fun. We posted some photos so you can enjoy vicariously! www.flickr.com/photos/thecakefamily
October 14, 2007: Hi. Hello? Anybody there? Can't say that I blame you. It has been a little difficult to find time to journal as of late...go figure. In any case, things are going well. Rebekah is doing wonderfully. We did take her in for an echocardiogram a few weeks back. The procedure was so traumatic that Rebekah fell asleep. The sonographer asked if she would like to watch a movie and we said, "Nope." He didn't believe us and put one on anyway. Rebekah elected to intently watch the Ultrasound display until she dozed off. The sonographer was flabergasted. He asked if we had given her meds prior to our arrival. "Nope." He said that kids just don't behave like that. She's amazing. The echo revealed that her ASD (atrial septal defect - aka small holes in the heart) has resolved. However, it also revealed that she has mild to moderate supra-valvar pulmonary and aortic stenosis (narrowing of the arteries). This is somewhat more severe than the original diagnosis of ASD, as it is not expected to resolve on its own and will require monitoring to determine whether or not surgery is necessary. We will be back to wow the sonographer in six months. We'd love to wow him even further with miraculous resolution. Please pray with us for Rebekah's healing. The boys are doing well. They responded to Rebekah's diagnosis with, "lets celebrate because she doesn't need surgery right now!" I'm not sure how they turned out to be optimists. I'm sure it won't last. Rachelle is somehow managing to deftly teach three different grades concurrently - speaking of amazing. I just go to work...much easier. We are ready to adopt again, except for two little details: money and a home. We figure that providing both has got to be easier than moving mountains and may only require half a mustard seed. We appreciate your prayers for provision for our family and the resources to change the life of another child or two or...Fortunately our Father is a miracle worker and we wait expectantly. Stay tuned...(New Pictures available at www.flickr.com/photos/thecakefamily).
August 18, 2007: Sorry we have been so poor about posting since our return from China. It’s Rachelle’s fault. In any case, Rebekah continues to do wonderfully. We had great fun getting gazillions of lab tests done recently to ascertain Rebekah’s overall health. She had a total of 10 vials of blood drawn, not to mention testing of other bodily excretions that shall remain nameless. All tests came back normal – “Thank you, Lord!” We have an echocardiogram scheduled for September 13 to determine the current status of her heart condition. Please continue to pray with us that this will not require surgery. We shall, of course, keep you posted…(new pictures on www.flickr.com/photos/thecakefamily).
We just celebrated 11th and 13th birthdays for Nathanael and Jeremiah. Check out the photos at the above linnk!
August 9, 2007: I wanted to list 10 things
we have learned about Rebekah. It has been 8 days since we arrived home
and things are going wonderfully! She is sleeping through the night and
LOVES her brothers.
1. She loves to rub “softs” on her face when she drinks her
bottle. If she is sitting in my lap she grabs my hair and rubs it on her
face.
2. She can say, “dada, mama, nana, papa, baby, bye-bye, night-night,
no-no, thank you and is trying to say her own name.
3. So far she will eat anything we put in front of her except pizza and
spaghetti. The boys were quite distraught at this. She obviously is no
fan of tomato sauce. If she’s really enjoying her food, she smacks
her lips.
4. She eats a ton. By her size, you would think she would eat like a bird;
not so.
5. She loves water.
6. She thinks burping is funny. I can’t seem to escape this in my
house.
7. She loves to mimic anything the boys do. You can imagine how they take
advantage of this.
8. She loves attention, especially in a large group of people.
9. She really is very smart. I know we all say that about our children,
but she really is a sharp little cookie.
10. She has the most awesome big brothers any little girl could ever want.
We all agree that Rebekah has already changed our lives completely. She
is teaching us all so many things. One of the most wonderful things my
children bring into my life is the wonder and beauty of creation. Having
Rebekah has reminded me of the days when the boys were younger. All the
new things they experience that we take for granted; the excitement of
seeing bubbles for the first time or touching grass, rubbing your fingers
on a fuzzy leaf, poking a little bug crawling slowly on the ground, or
tasting the sweetness of chocolate or cold, creamy ice cream. I’m
enjoying these things all over again!
Tonight is Rebekah’s doctor’s appointment. We will keep you
updated on her heart condition. I will also try to get some video of her
today. She loves being outside. We’ll update about her appointment
tomorrow.
August 4, 2007
We've been home for three days and are still adjusting to the rift in
the time-space continuum. I don't know what time it is, have no idea what
day it is, don't feel like eating except at 3:00am (even then I only want
ColdStone ice cream for some strange reason) and am about as sharp as
a Q-tip. Rebekah, on the other hand, is right as rain. You'd think she'd
always been here. She took to the boys immediately and even likes Rosie
(our stinky dog). She is so busy checking things out and interacting with
the boys that we hardly notice she's here...amazing. We of course are
thoroughly enjoying her presence as well as a renewed appreciation for
breathing clean air, drinking clean water, eating "normal" food
and being able to clearly communicate via essential phrases such as "large
quad-shot latte, please!" The boys are in hog heaven, fighting over
who gets to feed, hold or otherwise entertain Rebekah at any given moment.
They can't quite understand why we have been sitting on the couch droolling
for the past few days despite repeated attempts to explain to them how
much more difficult everything is when you're old. Anyhow, we have posted
some new photos to www.flickr.com/photos/thecakefamily
for your viewing pleasure!