Hello Everyone, this is Peter,
I have recently created a new slideshow and would like to share it with you all. It contains photos from home as well as a new music track (at the end)! Go to the end to see more recent pics from home. Anyway, here it is!
BigPic
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi All!
Hoping everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving! We here at the Krol household were definitely blessed to ALL be together this year. We spent the day at Stan's parents in Baltimore with both his sisters' families and lots of wonderful cousins and aunts as well. It was the first time in several years that all our families had been together. We got a wonderful group picture of all the kids (see below)...it was so fun to see them all together!
It is so hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner! I can't remember a fall season that has passed so quickly for me before (must be a sogn of my age and/or busyness)! I have really been slack about blogging and I apologize to anyone that reads our ramblings. Life has been very, very busy between Catherine's recovery, home schooling, and (of course) swimming. (Even today I have a couple kids at the pool...no rest for the weary swimmers :) Mostly, I have been wanting to share how beautifully Catherine has recovered. It is a joy to have our happy-go-lucky sweetheart back with us. For quite some time after her hospital experience she was rather solemn and sad. Now she is mostly all smiles and giggles...praise God! Thank you for your continued support and prayers. We will head back to the Orthopedic surgeon soon to asess her need for the grow rod. Please pray with us that her spine has straightened up enough after the release that she will not need it. We will keep you posted. Enjoy some updated pictures below :)
Hoping everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving! We here at the Krol household were definitely blessed to ALL be together this year. We spent the day at Stan's parents in Baltimore with both his sisters' families and lots of wonderful cousins and aunts as well. It was the first time in several years that all our families had been together. We got a wonderful group picture of all the kids (see below)...it was so fun to see them all together!
It is so hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner! I can't remember a fall season that has passed so quickly for me before (must be a sogn of my age and/or busyness)! I have really been slack about blogging and I apologize to anyone that reads our ramblings. Life has been very, very busy between Catherine's recovery, home schooling, and (of course) swimming. (Even today I have a couple kids at the pool...no rest for the weary swimmers :) Mostly, I have been wanting to share how beautifully Catherine has recovered. It is a joy to have our happy-go-lucky sweetheart back with us. For quite some time after her hospital experience she was rather solemn and sad. Now she is mostly all smiles and giggles...praise God! Thank you for your continued support and prayers. We will head back to the Orthopedic surgeon soon to asess her need for the grow rod. Please pray with us that her spine has straightened up enough after the release that she will not need it. We will keep you posted. Enjoy some updated pictures below :)
Zoning in front of the Nintendo Wii
Catherine and her cousin, Trinity
All of the Krol Cousins
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Catherine is Home Recovering
Catherine came home Tuesday night and slept well. Wednesday, she still has some pain but is happy to be home. She even gets up and walks around on her own some.
Sunday Smiles
October 3rd
Catherine continues to do well in the hospital. She had a few rough nights where she would startle from her sleep and sometimes sweetly say "Mommy" or "Daddy" and smile but usually woke very sad. Apparently, the startling in sleep is a side effect of the pain meds. Last night she was having cramps and would settle if I rubbed her belly.
Catherine had been rather solemn since her operation and very compliant. She behaves out of pure obedience when we know she doesn't want to. It reminds me of when we first received Catherine from the orphanage. For example, They wanted to do an echo of her heart due to her rapid heart rate. She was very sad and crying through the imaging and the tech was having difficulty getting the images. I simply asked her to settle and she did instantly even though she just wanted to cry. I wanted to cry.
Another interesting thing happened when a baby a couple beds over started crying. Catherine startled and said "BABY!" I asked her if she remembered babies crying when she lived in China? She smiled and said, yes. I asked if she took care of babies in China. She gave a very positive nod, yes. I am wondering if hospital institution reminds her of the orphanage. I also wonder if she thinks she is being punished and if she is good... I often reassure her that she is a good girl, we love her, that she will feel better and will go home soon. She brightened when I showed a picture of her room.
In the morning, I got some smiles from Catherine but it was nothing compared to how excited she got to see her Mama and brothers. She was all smiles and playing and laughing. It was so heart warming to see her this way again. They sat her up a littleand she enjoyed eating some real food. She was ecstatic to see her brothers this evening.
Stan
Catherine continues to do well in the hospital. She had a few rough nights where she would startle from her sleep and sometimes sweetly say "Mommy" or "Daddy" and smile but usually woke very sad. Apparently, the startling in sleep is a side effect of the pain meds. Last night she was having cramps and would settle if I rubbed her belly.
Catherine had been rather solemn since her operation and very compliant. She behaves out of pure obedience when we know she doesn't want to. It reminds me of when we first received Catherine from the orphanage. For example, They wanted to do an echo of her heart due to her rapid heart rate. She was very sad and crying through the imaging and the tech was having difficulty getting the images. I simply asked her to settle and she did instantly even though she just wanted to cry. I wanted to cry.
Another interesting thing happened when a baby a couple beds over started crying. Catherine startled and said "BABY!" I asked her if she remembered babies crying when she lived in China? She smiled and said, yes. I asked if she took care of babies in China. She gave a very positive nod, yes. I am wondering if hospital institution reminds her of the orphanage. I also wonder if she thinks she is being punished and if she is good... I often reassure her that she is a good girl, we love her, that she will feel better and will go home soon. She brightened when I showed a picture of her room.
In the morning, I got some smiles from Catherine but it was nothing compared to how excited she got to see her Mama and brothers. She was all smiles and playing and laughing. It was so heart warming to see her this way again. They sat her up a littleand she enjoyed eating some real food. She was ecstatic to see her brothers this evening.
Stan
Friday, October 1, 2010
Sleeping Well...
Hi Everyone! I am so thrilled to see Stan updated the blog. As I am not sleeping tonight, I logged on to do just that and thought I'd give you a little update. She is really resting well tonight for the first time. I think it is because she decided to flip onto her belly, which gave both her nurse and I a scare, but she is sleeping soundly now. We have seen much improvement today. Late this past afternoon she woke up and was so excited to see me (I think for the moment she had forgotten where we were), giving me a real Catherine Fujuan grin! She was almost as excited to see the milk on her dinner tray which is the first interest she's taken in anything except for a couple sips of juice. We dipped her grahm cracker in milk and that was a huge hit (it is much easier to eat soggy cracker while lying on your back)! Oh, the simple joy of seeing her eat a bit and enjoy it! She has also been watching her princess video off and on which is a good sign :)
I just want to echo Stan's comments about the hospital and staff. They have made a very difficult time easier with their expertise and caring.
Please continue to pray for our remarkable little girl! She has been an incredible trooper through all of this.
I just want to echo Stan's comments about the hospital and staff. They have made a very difficult time easier with their expertise and caring.
Please continue to pray for our remarkable little girl! She has been an incredible trooper through all of this.
Post-Op Update
Thank you all for the thoughts and prayers. It has been a great encouragement to us.
The surgery went very well and ended a little early. Catherine looked pretty sad at first but is resting well now. Her heart rate is slightly elevated and has been running a low fever. The doctors are watching these but are not too concerned. She hasn't lost all of her sense of humor yet. When I wasn't looking at her, she kicked my hand a few times to get my attention and gave me a little smile.
Christina and I have split into shifts. I did the night-shift last night and Chris is on tonight. I think it is a little hard on the guys at home but they are understanding. Thank goodness for Nonnie (Christina’s mom) who has been holding down the fort. My parents are waiting in the wing to step in also.
Surgeons are truly incredible people. I have operated on some incredibly complex mechanisms but to have the confidence to operate on another human being astounds me; especially neurosurgery. Most body parts seem fairly explainable, but the brain and nervous system are so mysterious. Dr. Jallo, Catherine’s neurosurgeon, is very pleasant, confident and looks as if he truly enjoys his profession. The nurses have been great too. I can’t say enough good about the Hopkins staff.
Anyway, we can't wait for Catherine to be back to her normal joyous self. For now we will have to keep her calm and flat on her back for 3 days. Please keep praying for all of us.
Sleep Well
Stan
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Gratitude
Everyone is asleep so I finally get to blog... I wanted to include a letter that I had written to update folks by email and express my gratitude and joy. Sorry if some of this is a repeat. ...[Stan]
Our many thanks to all of the folks who have helped us and continue to help an pray for us. Catherine Fujuan has been with us since June 2nd and doing just fantastic. Her personality blends so well with our family that it is hard to believe that there was a time that she was not with us. It has only been (almost) 4 months. That is in itself a milestone as at age 3 and a half, this is the longest that she has ever had a family. I think she loves us too. She is always so full of joy, is playful, loves clothes and dolls, and has an incredible sense of humor. Some folks talk of how lucky this little girl is that we adopted her but she brings us so much joy that it is we who are truly blessed to have her in our lives.
Catherine’s physical development has also been amazing. When we first received Catherine, she would walk short distances and wanted to be carried. I don’t think she did much walking in the orphanage as the bottoms of her feet were tender like a baby’s feet. She couldn’t go up the one step from our sunken family-room at first. Now she goes up and down complete flights of stairs, runs, climbs and gymnastics class. She seems to really enjoy her new found strength and abilities. It is hard to believe that she even needs surgery.
We adopted Catherine knowing she had a diagnosis of congenital scoliosis, some vertebral deformities and spina bifida. We are well prepared to provide her with all the necessary treatments. She is under the care of some of the finest doctors (probably in the world) at Johns Hopkins. On September 30th, Catherine will go in for spinal surgery. She has a tethered spinal cord and, what the doctor described as, a “bony bar” in one of her lower vertebrae that divides the spinal cord. Sometime later, she will likely need orthopedic surgery.
To see her, it is hard to believe that Catherine has all this going on. She runs and plays and, for the most part, seems to show no symptoms of any problem. On occasion however, and possibly more frequent now, she complains of a pain in her lower back. We do know that if it is left untreated she will have major problems later. How many more children are over there with similar health problems that will debilitate unless treated? We are thankful for the opportunity and the resources to help this child, our daughter.
I am completely awestruck at the way God provides and cleared all the obsticles for adopting Catherine, the China travel and now with the way He continues to place people in our lives who are willing to help and people who are exactly the people we need. He has provided us with people to translate, notaries, friends, family, top medical experts, people in the medical know and folks who pray. The list goes on...
Our many thanks and may God bless all who have and are helping us now. Please keep praying for Catherine, for us and for the doctors.
Blessings
Stan and Christina
Our many thanks to all of the folks who have helped us and continue to help an pray for us. Catherine Fujuan has been with us since June 2nd and doing just fantastic. Her personality blends so well with our family that it is hard to believe that there was a time that she was not with us. It has only been (almost) 4 months. That is in itself a milestone as at age 3 and a half, this is the longest that she has ever had a family. I think she loves us too. She is always so full of joy, is playful, loves clothes and dolls, and has an incredible sense of humor. Some folks talk of how lucky this little girl is that we adopted her but she brings us so much joy that it is we who are truly blessed to have her in our lives.
Catherine’s physical development has also been amazing. When we first received Catherine, she would walk short distances and wanted to be carried. I don’t think she did much walking in the orphanage as the bottoms of her feet were tender like a baby’s feet. She couldn’t go up the one step from our sunken family-room at first. Now she goes up and down complete flights of stairs, runs, climbs and gymnastics class. She seems to really enjoy her new found strength and abilities. It is hard to believe that she even needs surgery.
We adopted Catherine knowing she had a diagnosis of congenital scoliosis, some vertebral deformities and spina bifida. We are well prepared to provide her with all the necessary treatments. She is under the care of some of the finest doctors (probably in the world) at Johns Hopkins. On September 30th, Catherine will go in for spinal surgery. She has a tethered spinal cord and, what the doctor described as, a “bony bar” in one of her lower vertebrae that divides the spinal cord. Sometime later, she will likely need orthopedic surgery.
To see her, it is hard to believe that Catherine has all this going on. She runs and plays and, for the most part, seems to show no symptoms of any problem. On occasion however, and possibly more frequent now, she complains of a pain in her lower back. We do know that if it is left untreated she will have major problems later. How many more children are over there with similar health problems that will debilitate unless treated? We are thankful for the opportunity and the resources to help this child, our daughter.
I am completely awestruck at the way God provides and cleared all the obsticles for adopting Catherine, the China travel and now with the way He continues to place people in our lives who are willing to help and people who are exactly the people we need. He has provided us with people to translate, notaries, friends, family, top medical experts, people in the medical know and folks who pray. The list goes on...
Our many thanks and may God bless all who have and are helping us now. Please keep praying for Catherine, for us and for the doctors.
Blessings
Stan and Christina
Slideshow
Peter has been working hard this week creating a slide show of our China adventure to bring home our beautiful little one! He added music, and it brings tears to my eyes evry time I watch it. We want to share this with all of you too. Thank you for all your support, encouragement and prayers!
Click here to watch it in HD and download a higher quality version.
Click here to watch it in HD and download a higher quality version.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
September Update... Baptism and Surgery
Once again the days have flown by, and I can't believe it has been since July that I posted last! We are back in the thick of homeschooling and LOTS of swim practices, all while trying to sandwich in multiple doctor/dentist/orthodontist appointments and learning how to do all this with our new, lovely three year old along!! Whew! It makes me tired just reading what I've written :) God is SO GOOD, though, and He alone is sustaining us during this BUSY time.
First the latest happy news: Catherine Fujuan Krol, child of the Covenant, was baptized on Sunday September 12th. What a joyous, emotional celebration! ALL my immediate family made it up here from Roanoke, VA (my Mom, brother Scott, sisters Susan and Cynthia, and their spouses), Stan's parents and two aunts were able to make it as well. The service was amazing...it was so wonderful to officially welcome her into the family of God, even as we know His hand has been upon her forever. I sang the little song I have sung for all my boys at their baptisms, "Jesus, Let Us Come to Know You" (changing the "us" to "her"), and I was able to make it through without tears until the very end (thank you Holy Spirit for holding me up so everyone could hear the words and pray the prayer with me!) THEN, of course, I broke down but they were tears of sheer joy as I KNOW she is loved by her Father in heaven so much more than I am capable and He has plans for her (and our family's) good (Romans 8:28). We had a wonderful visit with family and friends that day and, of course, little Catherine was the star of the show!
Our other big news is that Catherine Fujuan is scheduled for a laminectomy with release of a tethered spinal cord on this Thursday, September 30th at 8:45am. In laymen's terms, she has a wedge-shaped piece of vertebrae (fused in her lumbar region) that has split the cord into two pieces and the bottom of her cord is stuck, as well. They will remove some bone and where it has split the spinal cord, the cord wil be repaired and then released. I have probably done a poor job explaining the procedure, so any of you medical types reading this, forgive me. She will be at Johns Hopkins Hospital (her surgeon is Dr. George Jallo, the head of Pediatric Neurosurgery) for about 5 days. Please pray for us during this challenging time. My Mom is coming back from Roanoke to stay with us and Stan will be off work for the duration of her hospital stay which are both huge blessings!! I will try to post updates next week as they happen...stay tuned and thank you in advance for all your prayers!
One final note! There are SO MANY wonderful things happening here that I have not taken the time to relate! I wish that I had time to tell you every single one!!!! But mostly, I want to end this update by saying that I feel I am the most blessed mother in the world :) It is hard to imagine our life before Catherine Fujuan anymore, she has become that much an integral part of this family! God has blessed us beyond our wildest imaginings with the daughter of our dreams. And each of my boys have taken on the new role of "big brother" with so much joy and enthusiam that my love, respect and admiration has grown for each of them exponentially. I have always known what wonderful children I have, but God has truly been revealing more and more of their servant's hearts to me. Finally, I just want to share that if any of you have ever felt a tug at your heart to adopt, PLEASE pray about it and seek God's will for your family. There are SO MANY children out there who need loving homes. Maybe your child is out there waiting for you!
"...thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ...the fragrance of life." (2Corinthians 2:14-16)
First the latest happy news: Catherine Fujuan Krol, child of the Covenant, was baptized on Sunday September 12th. What a joyous, emotional celebration! ALL my immediate family made it up here from Roanoke, VA (my Mom, brother Scott, sisters Susan and Cynthia, and their spouses), Stan's parents and two aunts were able to make it as well. The service was amazing...it was so wonderful to officially welcome her into the family of God, even as we know His hand has been upon her forever. I sang the little song I have sung for all my boys at their baptisms, "Jesus, Let Us Come to Know You" (changing the "us" to "her"), and I was able to make it through without tears until the very end (thank you Holy Spirit for holding me up so everyone could hear the words and pray the prayer with me!) THEN, of course, I broke down but they were tears of sheer joy as I KNOW she is loved by her Father in heaven so much more than I am capable and He has plans for her (and our family's) good (Romans 8:28). We had a wonderful visit with family and friends that day and, of course, little Catherine was the star of the show!
Our other big news is that Catherine Fujuan is scheduled for a laminectomy with release of a tethered spinal cord on this Thursday, September 30th at 8:45am. In laymen's terms, she has a wedge-shaped piece of vertebrae (fused in her lumbar region) that has split the cord into two pieces and the bottom of her cord is stuck, as well. They will remove some bone and where it has split the spinal cord, the cord wil be repaired and then released. I have probably done a poor job explaining the procedure, so any of you medical types reading this, forgive me. She will be at Johns Hopkins Hospital (her surgeon is Dr. George Jallo, the head of Pediatric Neurosurgery) for about 5 days. Please pray for us during this challenging time. My Mom is coming back from Roanoke to stay with us and Stan will be off work for the duration of her hospital stay which are both huge blessings!! I will try to post updates next week as they happen...stay tuned and thank you in advance for all your prayers!
One final note! There are SO MANY wonderful things happening here that I have not taken the time to relate! I wish that I had time to tell you every single one!!!! But mostly, I want to end this update by saying that I feel I am the most blessed mother in the world :) It is hard to imagine our life before Catherine Fujuan anymore, she has become that much an integral part of this family! God has blessed us beyond our wildest imaginings with the daughter of our dreams. And each of my boys have taken on the new role of "big brother" with so much joy and enthusiam that my love, respect and admiration has grown for each of them exponentially. I have always known what wonderful children I have, but God has truly been revealing more and more of their servant's hearts to me. Finally, I just want to share that if any of you have ever felt a tug at your heart to adopt, PLEASE pray about it and seek God's will for your family. There are SO MANY children out there who need loving homes. Maybe your child is out there waiting for you!
"...thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ...the fragrance of life." (2Corinthians 2:14-16)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
July Update
Hi All! If you are still occasionally checking this blog, please forgive me for taking sooo long to finally write an update. Life has been very hectic here at the Krol household as you can imagine! Little Catherine is doing GREAT! She is such a ball of energy and so much fun! Her sweet smiles and mischievous glances warm our hearts daily. She is learning more words every day and I am constantly amazed at how much she understands, even though she is not talking a whole lot yet. She is able to say all her brothers' names and loves to echo me, especially when I am calling one of them! Feeding her can be somewhat of a challenge as she seems to have lost the voracious appetite she had while we were in China. Peanut butter and jelly and milk and cereal, two of our mainstays, are NOT her favorites. She does love our macaroni and cheese, though, which is a very good thing!
It is so hard to believe August is here...summer is almost over and in some ways, I feel like it has just begun. After spending most of June in China, July just whizzed by in a blur of swim practices and meets and doctor's appointments and now it is August and school is looming on the horizon. The boys all had a wonderful summer season at the pool. Peter and Patrick led their age groups in achieving points for the team, both placing consistently in Breaststroke and Butterfly. Christopher also had a lot of fun and took plenty of time off his freestyle and backstroke. Catherine Fujuan was amazingly good through it all as she spent some LONG hours at meets and practices. It so encouraged me to see her joy at catching sight of one of her brothers (especially Christopher); she would point and giggle excitedly. It is different having a little girl. Some of my preconceived ideas have been shattered! For example, girls are NOT quieter or calmer or less likely to get into things (at least ours, anyway!) They DO, however, love their bows and dresses and baby dolls, which is so much fun for Mommy!
We were able to see an orthopedic surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital last month and feel so blessed that we live not 20 minutes away from such a world-renown hospital. Dr. Sponseller, the chief of Peds. Orthopedics, gave us the news that our precious daughter will need back surgery probably within the next 6 months to place a rod in her back. It is called a "grow rod" and will need to be lengthened surgically as she grows (possibly every 6 months to a year). Not exactly what we wanted to hear, but not too surprising. The awesome part is that her doctor is the leading expert in this technique! (God is so good!) She has an MRI scheduled for the 17th of August which she will have to be put to sleep for. Then the 19th we will return to hear the results and discuss surgery dates/details. Please pray for these appointments that God would protect her and make His will very clear to us. Our family has been so overwhelmed by the hand of God in our lives throughout this journey, and we know He will continue to carry us through. And we are so grateful for the encouragement and support of all our family and friends...you are all a huge blessing! I will definitely try to be better about updating you all more frequently on all the happenings here :)
PS I will post new pictures as soon as my IT guy (Peter, of course!) is available to help me :)
PPS Finally got those pictures done courtesy of "Computer Geek" (aka Peter)
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| Broccoli a la mode! (we will resort to bribery to get her to eat her veggies :) |
It is so hard to believe August is here...summer is almost over and in some ways, I feel like it has just begun. After spending most of June in China, July just whizzed by in a blur of swim practices and meets and doctor's appointments and now it is August and school is looming on the horizon. The boys all had a wonderful summer season at the pool. Peter and Patrick led their age groups in achieving points for the team, both placing consistently in Breaststroke and Butterfly. Christopher also had a lot of fun and took plenty of time off his freestyle and backstroke. Catherine Fujuan was amazingly good through it all as she spent some LONG hours at meets and practices. It so encouraged me to see her joy at catching sight of one of her brothers (especially Christopher); she would point and giggle excitedly. It is different having a little girl. Some of my preconceived ideas have been shattered! For example, girls are NOT quieter or calmer or less likely to get into things (at least ours, anyway!) They DO, however, love their bows and dresses and baby dolls, which is so much fun for Mommy!
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| Our little Bullfrog (That is the name of the kids' summer swim team) |
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| Enjoying a story read by her big brother |
We were able to see an orthopedic surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital last month and feel so blessed that we live not 20 minutes away from such a world-renown hospital. Dr. Sponseller, the chief of Peds. Orthopedics, gave us the news that our precious daughter will need back surgery probably within the next 6 months to place a rod in her back. It is called a "grow rod" and will need to be lengthened surgically as she grows (possibly every 6 months to a year). Not exactly what we wanted to hear, but not too surprising. The awesome part is that her doctor is the leading expert in this technique! (God is so good!) She has an MRI scheduled for the 17th of August which she will have to be put to sleep for. Then the 19th we will return to hear the results and discuss surgery dates/details. Please pray for these appointments that God would protect her and make His will very clear to us. Our family has been so overwhelmed by the hand of God in our lives throughout this journey, and we know He will continue to carry us through. And we are so grateful for the encouragement and support of all our family and friends...you are all a huge blessing! I will definitely try to be better about updating you all more frequently on all the happenings here :)
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| The whole gang! |
PS I will post new pictures as soon as my IT guy (Peter, of course!) is available to help me :)
PPS Finally got those pictures done courtesy of "Computer Geek" (aka Peter)
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Home at Last!
We are HOME!!!! It feels so good to be here after 18 days in another country, I can't begin to tell you! We arrived home very late Wednesday night after 30 some hours of traveling. Christopher's comment as the plane touched down said it all: "Mommy, welcome to the USA!" All the kids did amazingly well. I am so blown away by how great all my kids did this entire trip! By the time we got everyone to bed it was around 2:30 am Thursday morning. Needless to say we are all still in recovery mode but slowly getting back to EST. The kids have jumped right back into swim practice and birthday parties and I know are thrilled to be back.
The last couple days in China were busy with getting Catherine Fujuan's Visa, taking our oath with the US Consulate, and doing some last minute souveneir shopping. We traveled as a group to the Consulate and met beforehand to take pictures of all the adopted kids on the famous Red Sofas at the White Swan. It was so fun to see all the kiddos dressed up in their Chinese finery for the picture.
Since we've been home we have had our first appointment with our pediatrician. She was thrilled with Catherine's social skills and bright affect! After just a couple days home she has picked up so many English words and seems so happy to be here, playing and exploring. At breakfast the other day she took my empty plate to the dishwasher and put it in; a trick my other children haven't mastered yet :)
Our major concern is the very apparent spinal defect and there is concern that she has more spinal cord involvement than we realized. We have been able to get an appointment within 10 days to see a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Hopkins. Please pray for her (and us and the doctors) as we work to figure out her problems and the best ways to treat her.
We are so amazed at the way God has blessed our family with this precous little one. We will keep you all updated with her progress and our family happenings. Thank you again for all your support and encouragement and prayers! To God be all the Glory...
Go to our PicasaWeb to see more photos!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Sunday…Day 14 in China
Well, last night we had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant named “Lucy’s”. The food is quite American (with Chinese too if you want) and they had AWESOME steamed veggies. My crew really chowed down on the broccoli! This morning we visited the Folk Art Museum which was very interesting. The embroidery especially amazed me. Afterwards, we came back to the Hotel and discovered the famous White Swan Playroom. What a fun place! Lots of ride-on and push toys as well as beach balls and mostly wide open SPACE to run around. I think Patrick and Christopher enjoyed it as much as Fu Juan! After living in hotel rooms for two weeks, they had so much fun throwing balls and running around! Sorry that we have not blogged as consistently this last week. It is much more expensive to get internet in the room here in Goungzhou and we have just been so busy! Stan and I basically fall into bed at night with the kids around 9:30 and we all sleep pretty soundly until almost 7am. A HUGE answer to prayer!
On To Guangzhou
The last couple of days in Beijing have been a nice change from the fast pace we’ve been keeping up. Day before yesterday, we had a much needed day off. We had a leisurely breakfast, lounged around the hotel room and spent some time swimming in the pool. Actually, the younger guys have managed to get a swim in every day as I have a work out in their tiny gym which has been nice. Fu Juan was able to take a long nap and have a bit more of a normal day. Then yesterday, we visited the Summer Palace, where the Emperors and their families spent the summers. This was probably my favorite field trip so far! The air there seemed cleaner and cooler with a breeze blowing off the lake surrounded by beautiful weeping willow trees. Fu Juan actually consented to ride in her stroller the whole time which was a nice break for my arms. (Although, it has been wonderful carrying my sweet girl around!) Dinner these past couple of nights have been interesting. One night we took taxis to a restaurant Stan had found on the internet before we left home that was supposed to have healthier fare. It was very good, especially the broccoli. Last night we walked to a Chinese place right down the street from the hotel. After much miscommunication, our dinner finally came but I could not bring myself to let the kids eat the chicken dish we had ordered that looked VERY undercooked. We wound up walking back to the hotel and eating there AGAIN. LOTS of rice and bread! Whenever we go anywhere, heads continue to turn and I think it is wearing on the boys. Seems every time I turn around one or more of them is having their pictures taken. It’s like being celebrities!!
Today we are off to GZH…hooray!!!!! We all wish we could head home but in just 5 more days that’s what we’ll be doing! We are anxious to catch back up with the rest of our travel group and meet their new little ones. Now that we are seasoned travelers, the 3 hour plane ride seems like nothing! Our little Fu Juan is weathering it well without her usual motion sickness, thank you, Lord!
(Continuation…) We made it to the White Swan Hotel. WOW!!! This place is incredible: An indoor water fall with a huge goldfish pond and lots of flowers and greenery everywhere. This is a very nice change from the grayness of Beijing. Despite the beautiful surroundings, we all are having a hard time. We just want to be home now after two weeks away! Part of the problem is that as nice as it is to be in different surroundings, we had really gotten used to Beijing and knew where things were (sort of!). Last night when we got in kind of late, we had no idea where to eat or where to find water. We managed with granola bars and snacks in the room. I think my guys may never want to eat another granola bar again after this trip. It has been great, however, to reconncect with our travel group. It was so fun seeing everyone at Breakfast this morning with their new little ones. Today we had the medical exam which was fast and easy. Then we worked on paperwork. Tomorrow we go as a group to see a folk art museum and then Monday we have our appointment at the consulate in the afternoon. We are getting there step by step! Thank you for your continued prayers and thoughts; it is truly sustaining food for our spirits!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Life in China Continues
Hi Again! We made it through the paperwork day, although not without one glitch. We had to return to Civil Affairs to get our official adoption certificate re-done after realizing our street address was not included on it. Unfortunately we didn't discover this until we were at the notary office! The good news is that the very friendly official there did not charge us again. This delayed the entire process by at least an hour but we made it through and then applied for her passport. It is now official: this precious little girl we have been waiting and longing for is now Catherine Fu Juan Krol! It was a LONG day, but the boys didn't mind so much as they got to play A LOT of Nintendo DS :) I am hoping their brains don't turn to mush from it all!!!
Yesterday we went to the Beijing Zoo which the boys probably enjoyed the most of all our field trips. Fu Juan LOVES to be carried but not so much in the carrier. And she does not seem to be a big fan of the stroller, but hopefully that will change when we get home. We saw pandas, of course, and lots of other animals: monkeys, big cats, elephants, hippos, rhinos, as well as a huge amphibian/reptile house. Another interesting exhibit at the Zoo appeared to be the Krol Family!!!! Peter coined the phrase, "Lions and tigers and Americans, oh my!" Heads really turned with lots of counting of all our children, smiles, and requests for our pictures, especially the boys. I have been so proud of all of them for being so willing to allow complete strangers to take their pictures, especially Patrick who really HATES to have his picture taken :)
Today is a free day and after a more leisurely breakfast (definitely our favorite meal of the day), we are just hanging out a bit in the hotel room and I am pondering how to fit ALL THIS STUFF back into our suitcases! I am ready to move on to Guangzhou Friday where we will have our appointment with the US Consulate to obtain Catherine Fu Juan's Visa. After today, just one more day in Beijing visiting the Summer Palace while we wait for her passport to be processed.
It has continued to amaze us how well Catherine Fu Juan is adjusting. At first she seemed so timid and shy but as the days pass, she is becoming more and more playful and into everything! Last night instead of demurely closing her eyes and folding her hands when we put her in her crib, she proceeded to chat and giggle and stand up several times before finally settling down to sleep. It is wonderful to see her becoming more and more at home with us!
Thank you again for your continued encouragement and prayers. As the days in China continue, we are all longing for home :)
Yesterday we went to the Beijing Zoo which the boys probably enjoyed the most of all our field trips. Fu Juan LOVES to be carried but not so much in the carrier. And she does not seem to be a big fan of the stroller, but hopefully that will change when we get home. We saw pandas, of course, and lots of other animals: monkeys, big cats, elephants, hippos, rhinos, as well as a huge amphibian/reptile house. Another interesting exhibit at the Zoo appeared to be the Krol Family!!!! Peter coined the phrase, "Lions and tigers and Americans, oh my!" Heads really turned with lots of counting of all our children, smiles, and requests for our pictures, especially the boys. I have been so proud of all of them for being so willing to allow complete strangers to take their pictures, especially Patrick who really HATES to have his picture taken :)
Today is a free day and after a more leisurely breakfast (definitely our favorite meal of the day), we are just hanging out a bit in the hotel room and I am pondering how to fit ALL THIS STUFF back into our suitcases! I am ready to move on to Guangzhou Friday where we will have our appointment with the US Consulate to obtain Catherine Fu Juan's Visa. After today, just one more day in Beijing visiting the Summer Palace while we wait for her passport to be processed.
It has continued to amaze us how well Catherine Fu Juan is adjusting. At first she seemed so timid and shy but as the days pass, she is becoming more and more playful and into everything! Last night instead of demurely closing her eyes and folding her hands when we put her in her crib, she proceeded to chat and giggle and stand up several times before finally settling down to sleep. It is wonderful to see her becoming more and more at home with us!
Thank you again for your continued encouragement and prayers. As the days in China continue, we are all longing for home :)
Monday, June 7, 2010
Touring Beijing
These last two days have been so incredibly busy! We have seen the Cloisonné Factory and shopped there, climbed the Great Wall of China, and eaten at a traditional Chinese restaurant with a huge jade store one day. The second day we toured the Forbidden City and took a rickshaw ride and visited a home in the Hu Tong District. All with a newly adopted three-year old and three boys in tow!! Whew! Makes my head spin when I think about it J All things considered, it has been a lot of fun although on day 8 of being away from home life in China is starting to wear on us all. Living in 2 hotel rooms with 4 children, eating unfamiliar food, and feeling pretty isolated wherever you go is trying at times. But back to the tours, which really were such a wonderful opportunity to experience the native culture of our precious little girl.
The Cloisonné Factory was very different than I anticipated. I don't think it would meet any kind of US standard for anything! But the work is amazing…and we had such a great time buying souvenirs and gifts. Fu Juan seems especially enamored of anything with pandas. The Great Wall of China was so different than I imagined. It truly was breath-taking in its immensity, but it was so packed with people and the stairs were so steep and difficult to navigate, it was hard to take in the presence of it all. To make matters worse, our darling girl tends to be motion-sick (I think I mentioned that in an earlier post) and after getting to the top point of our climb, she proceeded to throw up all down the front of herself and the back of Stan, who was carrying her on his back in the baby carrier! What a mess!!! I was so unprepared: no change of clothes, no bag to throw-up in, and not many wipes. We got them cleaned up the best we could and headed back down where we were able to find a small "Great Wall" t-shirt (that even had a Panda on it J) so we could at least change her out of the awful smelling shirt. The group was stopping for lunch that was included in the tour about half-way back to the hotel (it was an hour and a half ride each way) so I am so thankful that worked out, otherwise we ALL would have been miserable! Needless to say, we were totally spent by the end of that day!
The next day, we got up and had to be ready early again for the Forbidden City and Hu Tong tours. We walked an incredible amount and the kids were SUCH troopers!! Oh my gosh, I have a totally new view of just how wonderful each and every one of my children are! The thing that stood out in the Forbidden City is just how HUGE it is and how different the Ancient Culture of this land is to anything we have experienced or known in the US. Everything here is so CROWDED and very dusty and dirty too which is hard for me to deal with at times. Another interesting aside here is that it is so strange to be the focus of so much attention by total strangers! I think our family (sometimes all of us, sometimes just the boys) has had our picture taken by about 10 different people/families since we've been here! Everywhere we go, heads turn as they count kids and then look at us as if to say, "Are they all yours?" And for the most part, everyone seems so amazed and happy that we have such a large family with a Chinese baby too! Most say, "Lucky baby" our "Happy family". I wish I knew enough Chinese to tell them how WE are the ones who have been immeasurably blessed by this little girl from a different land. Next was the rickshaw ride and tour which was through an area of China originally settled by the Mongolian people of the Han dynasty hundreds of years ago. It is now an incredibly dusty, dirty, impoverished area although walking inside one of the houses; it was much nicer than I anticipated. I was glad my boys were there to see how other people live in much of the world…I don't think any of us will take grass, trees, clean air, and a clean place to live for granted as much anymore.
Through it all, Fu Juan was a smiley, happy girl and my other three were also unbelievably good! She is doing so well and bonding more each day. She calls me "Ma ma" and lifts her little arms to be picked up which melts my heart! She also has started to call Stan "Ba ba" which is Daddy in Chinese. She is all girl as well which is very fun!! She LOVES her bows and after I put one in her hair, she will run to the mirror and primp and preen! It is adorable! (Can you tell she already has us wrapped around her little finger?!)
As we are about halfway through our trip now, please continue to pray for our perseverance. The food is especially beginning to wear on me…I have probably felt the worst I've felt since we've been here today. (Lots of tummy issues! And a really bad sore throat as well.) Stan and the boys are weathering it pretty well, although today there has been a few more tears and bickering (mostly the boys) This afternoon we are headed to an acrobatic show which sounds really cool and then tomorrow back to Civil Affairs and the Notary Office for a long day of paperwork. If you have read to the end, thank you so much!!!! I cannot tell you how much the prayers and encouraging support of you all means to us!
The Cloisonné Factory was very different than I anticipated. I don't think it would meet any kind of US standard for anything! But the work is amazing…and we had such a great time buying souvenirs and gifts. Fu Juan seems especially enamored of anything with pandas. The Great Wall of China was so different than I imagined. It truly was breath-taking in its immensity, but it was so packed with people and the stairs were so steep and difficult to navigate, it was hard to take in the presence of it all. To make matters worse, our darling girl tends to be motion-sick (I think I mentioned that in an earlier post) and after getting to the top point of our climb, she proceeded to throw up all down the front of herself and the back of Stan, who was carrying her on his back in the baby carrier! What a mess!!! I was so unprepared: no change of clothes, no bag to throw-up in, and not many wipes. We got them cleaned up the best we could and headed back down where we were able to find a small "Great Wall" t-shirt (that even had a Panda on it J) so we could at least change her out of the awful smelling shirt. The group was stopping for lunch that was included in the tour about half-way back to the hotel (it was an hour and a half ride each way) so I am so thankful that worked out, otherwise we ALL would have been miserable! Needless to say, we were totally spent by the end of that day!
Through it all, Fu Juan was a smiley, happy girl and my other three were also unbelievably good! She is doing so well and bonding more each day. She calls me "Ma ma" and lifts her little arms to be picked up which melts my heart! She also has started to call Stan "Ba ba" which is Daddy in Chinese. She is all girl as well which is very fun!! She LOVES her bows and after I put one in her hair, she will run to the mirror and primp and preen! It is adorable! (Can you tell she already has us wrapped around her little finger?!)
As we are about halfway through our trip now, please continue to pray for our perseverance. The food is especially beginning to wear on me…I have probably felt the worst I've felt since we've been here today. (Lots of tummy issues! And a really bad sore throat as well.) Stan and the boys are weathering it pretty well, although today there has been a few more tears and bickering (mostly the boys) This afternoon we are headed to an acrobatic show which sounds really cool and then tomorrow back to Civil Affairs and the Notary Office for a long day of paperwork. If you have read to the end, thank you so much!!!! I cannot tell you how much the prayers and encouraging support of you all means to us!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Gotcha' Day (June 2nd)
Where to begin???? The emotion and wonder of yesterday was overwhelming!!! I guess I'll just start typing and see where it goes. After another rough night (the boys slept some...Peter best of all this time and Stan and I slept not at all!), we were up and getting ready to meet our guide at 8am to drive about an hour to the orphanage. I was almost numb to everything, feeling so jet-lagged and just really out of sorts. Not how I wanted to start the day at all and I was really worried about how it was all going to go. By the time we got to the orphanage, I think both Stan and I almost felt sick with anticipation. The orphanage is in a very depressed part of the city but the building itself seemed nice. They ushered us into a large room where we signed and fingerprinted (in red) lots of Chinese adoption documents. Finally, it was time to meet our daughter! Words just can't express the overwhelming love and joy we felt upon seeing her for the first time. She was wearing the outfit we had sent her in a care package and looked so precious and beautiful but at the same time seemed so vulnerable. And she was so tiny!!! As her caretaker pointed to me and told her I was her new Mama, she came right to me and pointed to me and said "Ma ma" so softly and sweetly. It was an incredible moment as I fell in love instantly with this daughter who is more part of me than I could ever have imagined! She also took to Stan and the boys right away giving shy smiles and pointing to us each repeating the Chinese words for us: "Ba ba" for Daddy and "gu gu" for brother. Christopher was so excited he was running laps around the room which she thought was funny :) The whole experience really was so amazing...the beauty and joy of the moment is truly beyond words...a gift from God! I am SO glad we were there as a family. In retrospect, I cannot imagine doing this without us all here to welcome this precious child into our family.
After a short time at the orphanage, we got back in the van to head to the hotel for a short break before going to Civil Affairs for more paperwork. The car ride back was a little rough as Fu Juan became sick...whether from stress or motion sickness we're not sure. Once back at the hotel, she perked right up and ate a little something before we were off to Civil Affairs. All the officials seem so surprised that a family with three boys would be adopting a little girl. Wherever we go, heads turn! Most smile and nod and seem so pleased at our unusual family. After more paperwork we had the rest of the day free as we do today. A much needed break!
Little Catherine Fu Juan is so amazing! She is quick to smile and loves all her toys that we brought. She seems especially enamored with her photo album that we sent in the care package (loves pointing at the pictures...it melts my hear when she points at the pictures of me and says "ma ma"), her little radio that plays classical music and her doll. She slept great last night (all of us finally did too!) and is napping now. I just put her in her little crib and she went right to sleep...Wow! Very different from any of my other kiddos when they were that age :) Tomorrow we are visiting the Great Wall. We are excited but a little worried about how the long bus ride will go. Another surprise was that she is not potty trained...so it is back to diapers for us! We are hoping this is not the result of her Spina Bifida. I am anxious to get home and have her seen by docs in the US. Thank you for your continued prayers! Stay tuned for the Great Wall news soon :)
P.S. Check the gallery page (at the top) for more pictures!
After a short time at the orphanage, we got back in the van to head to the hotel for a short break before going to Civil Affairs for more paperwork. The car ride back was a little rough as Fu Juan became sick...whether from stress or motion sickness we're not sure. Once back at the hotel, she perked right up and ate a little something before we were off to Civil Affairs. All the officials seem so surprised that a family with three boys would be adopting a little girl. Wherever we go, heads turn! Most smile and nod and seem so pleased at our unusual family. After more paperwork we had the rest of the day free as we do today. A much needed break!
Little Catherine Fu Juan is so amazing! She is quick to smile and loves all her toys that we brought. She seems especially enamored with her photo album that we sent in the care package (loves pointing at the pictures...it melts my hear when she points at the pictures of me and says "ma ma"), her little radio that plays classical music and her doll. She slept great last night (all of us finally did too!) and is napping now. I just put her in her little crib and she went right to sleep...Wow! Very different from any of my other kiddos when they were that age :) Tomorrow we are visiting the Great Wall. We are excited but a little worried about how the long bus ride will go. Another surprise was that she is not potty trained...so it is back to diapers for us! We are hoping this is not the result of her Spina Bifida. I am anxious to get home and have her seen by docs in the US. Thank you for your continued prayers! Stay tuned for the Great Wall news soon :)
P.S. Check the gallery page (at the top) for more pictures!
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