Happy Halloween BOO-tiful!

Hi sweet friends,
it's that Hinson mama stopping by for a quick update.
I know, I know,
it's long overdue! :)

It'd take me an hour to give you the full 411,
so I'll just settle for what's on my mind today...

Last year Halloween found me at the lowest of lows,
so this year we celebrated the highest of highs!
Freddy Krueger had nothing on the shreds
my poor heart had been ripped to when I dressed
Emily Margaret's bunny in her ladybug costume.

So let's all squeal with delight at this year's BOO-tiful sight.

SqUeAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Since we can't say Trick-or-Treat (yet)
Emily Margaret would say "BOO".
And when our guests would leave
she'd wave and say "Bye-Bye". :)

She's taken after her "Bubba" James
when it comes to loving her some candy.
He was so sweet to be Little Ride Riding Hood's
very own Big Bad Wolf. <3 nbsp="nbsp">

Wowzers,
We're talking hide your stash
'cause girlfriend's coming for it!

HOORAY for Emily Margaret Hinson 

who's sweeter than candy!!!

And PRAISES to God for the blessing 

she is to our home...

even when I rehang the living room curtains 

and she walks into the room 

signing that they're "ugly".

Yes Mems your mama loves you, sass and all!!!

God's blessings on your day

and thanks for stopping by! 

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Hi all,
Happy Mother's Day to you!!!
This morning was fabulous,
I slept late and woke up to the smell of Andy cooking. The sound of the kids running & giggling. And the sight of beautifully wrapped gifts in my chair. Because you know I love a good prize!
As I made my way to my morning cup of coffee I thought about how this year was different from last. It's no secret that this Mother's Day finds me (more) tired. Because honestly, Jillian Micheals ain't got nothing on chasing Emily Margaret Hinson all day! Despite what sometimes feels like I'm bordering on exhaustion I wouldn't trade this family of five for any day spent quietly alone.
As the morning progressed my thoughts got a little deeper. While Andy asked the blessing I quietly lifted up a special Mother's Day prayer for Emily Margaret's birth mother. And I must admit, the tears of thanksgiving began to flow. While I will never meet her in person, I see her beauty in Emily Margaret. Thick beautiful dark hair. Big eyes that shine with joy when she smiles and give her away when she's up to no good. The tiniest little frame I've ever seen. A mind that amazes me with it's brilliance and moves that are the very definition of Lickety Split.
While I see myself in my beautiful baby girl's personality, there are traces of a wonderful woman that will never fade. A woman who made the ultimate sacrifice. A sacrifice I am certainly too weak to have made but because of which I am forever blessed.
Because of one strong woman, my family of five is complete. My bank account might be drained but my heart is overflowing. And although my legs are tired at night, my arms are filled with the warmest of snuggles.
So yes I'd say this Mother's Day is very different from the last. Tears of aching for my daughter to come home have been replaced by tears of thanksgiving.
The best part of all is the author of this story. When I sit in awe of how the past two years unfolded yet were so magically woven together, I see God glorified. Only a God so powerful, perfect and loving could author this story. My story. Better still, OUR story.
Today I say a prayer for mothers everywhere. The ones who wipe noses and hineys. Kiss boo-boos and heads. And yes, even the ones who teach their children to drive, and when it's time allow them to pull off without them. I pray for the mothers who have been promoted, grandmothers. Grandmothers so loving swoop in to fill in the rough places we mothers sometimes miss. They keep us mothers encouraged as they walk along side us raising our children. Even still I ask a special prayer for birth mothers who have given a piece of themselves. I pray for us adoptive moms as we protect and nourish the seed that has been in trusted to us. And again I thank God for using all these things together to make me the mother I am today. :)
God's blessings on your Mother's Day loved ones!
Sarah :)

Bitty Update

Hi friends!
Here with a quick Memily update.
Today was our monthly Breastfeeding Support Group Meeting.
As always the group was led by the Mama-Emily Margaret combo.
Memily LOVES playing with all her friends.
The mothering she learns is irreplaceable.
She's so nurturing to Bitty after group.
And speaking of Bitty,
here's Bitty Baby and Bitty Mama now checking in on their weight.
Bitty Mama's over 24lbs, HOLLA!!!

Way to go Bitty Baby, 1lbs 3oz and no crying on the scales.

Such good girls!

Now we're off for a quick nap before picking up the boys from school and baseball tonight.
Those boys keep us Bitty girls B-U-S-Y! ;)
God's blessings and love,
Mama, Emily Margaret & Bitty

Learning to Pray

Just had to share this moment...
Today before lunch Emily Margaret and I bowed our heads. About 1/2 way through the prayer I felt a tugging on my hands. As I looked up I was prepared for two things. The first would be that she wanted me to wrap my praying hands around hers, like we sometimes do. The second was that maybe she thought the prayer was over. (If she's really hungry and the prayer runs long she'll try to end it herself.) Imagine my surprise when I looked up to see her shaking her head "telling" me she was saying the prayer. In shock I put my head back down but watched to see what she'd do. She kept her eyes closed and head bowed. As she silently spoke, I knew she was pouring out her heart to God. And as a tear rolled down my cheek, I knew God had heard not only her lunchtime prayer but my ongoing prayers as well. Our baby girl is making progress everyday. And although she still has a lot to learn, our sweet girl loves the Lord. Emily Margaret realizes, He's worthy of our praise. To that I say, Amen! :)
God's blessings friends!
Emily Margaret and Mama

Bitty Mama

Somebody LOVES having a mama to care for and train her.
Somebody LOVES acting out all she's learned.
Good thing somebody has Bitty baby. Because somebody's mama doesn't always mind her. :)

Oh Bitty mama, I LOVE to watch you mother your Bitty baby. You drive me crazy insisting she go everywhere we go. But when I catch a glimpse of you in the car teaching her how to text on your iPhone, my heart melts! You're my hero Bitty mama!!!

God's blessings,
Bitty Granny ;)

Praising GOD for Sparkly Ears!!!

Emily Margaret has her sparkly ears! Girlfriend is LOViNG all the sounds to be heard. Will post video later!
God's blessings,
Sarah :)

Comforts of Home

With a little one at home my love for days spent in jammy tales is deeper than ever. I'm not sure if it's the comfort I enjoy or the slower pace I crave. Either way, today provided the perfect opportunity.
Ah, gotta love a much needed lazy Saturday. :)
Now just because Mama stays inside that doesn't mean the kids do. Actually, that's probably the perfect reason for them to head outdoors after lunch. ;)
Check out Emily Margaret & James cheesing it up before heading out. Oh sweet babies!!!
Now we're off to enjoy a movie & some pizza. The look on Emily Margaret's face when she realized a man just delivered food her house was adorable. Yes little one I agree,
the comforts of home should never be underestimated!
God's blessings on your night!

GLORY!!!

It if my sweet hubby were writing this post it'd just contain one word...
GLORY. Because after yesterday's appointments, we're certain this is all about God's GLORY!
We started our day at the International Adoption Clinic. All our blood work came back normal. We did have a mildly elevated thyroid level. No worries, we're certain it'll correct itself with good nutrition. Most importantly all of our HIV, parasite tests etc came back negative. Holla! I just can't say enough good things about the IAC staff. They know their stuff and do a thorough work up. I'm SO glad we made the commitment to start out there. :)
Our second stop yesterday was at the Pediatric Cardiologist's office. The intake nurse was less than jolly so i was afraid we were headed for a long afternoon. But from the xray tech on it was smooth sailing. Dr.Romp was amazing with Emily Margaret. She warmed up to him immediately & even helped him do her ultrasound. Throughout the procedure I heard mumblings like surprised, better than expected, normal function. Once they finished up Dr.Romp explained what he saw. He was absolutely perplexed by Emily Margaret's heart. He said if it weren't for a chest scar, a few wires in her sternum & one visible repair, he'd never know she had any heart problems. Given her diagnosis he was blown away by what he saw She has zero restrictions & merely has to follow up with him yearly. After delivering such good news I had to claim it for what it was, God's GLORY. Her condition wasn't misdiagnosed or documented. We'd just seen God's mighty hands at work... GLORY!!!
Now let's be real, our daily life is chaotic. We've had more car trouble/broken appliances/sickness/unexpected debt/blah,blah,blah since we came home from China than is legal. But every time I see the progress our baby girl has made I remember this quote "Where God be blessing, the d*v*l be messing." And in this family, God is blessing again & again!
Now I'm off to shower, we're being given a Homecoming Shower today. I can't wait to share Emily Margaret with the friends & family that have been praying for her. :)
GIving GOD the Glory!
Sarah

PS A special thanks goes out to Nana Popins, we couldn't make it through all these appointments without you!

Sparkly Ears

Written January 9th...
Good morning all,
I've got a sleepy, cranky girl on my hands so I'll make it brief.
Yesterday we made our way to Oz.
As we drove down that yellow brick road that is I65,
Nana & I contemplated what we should call Emily Margaret's new found hearing.

Then this morning,
it came to me.
Emily Margaret's ears are perfect just the way they are.
Any hearing we gain is merely expanding her God given ability.
So I've decided we'll refer to her hearing aides as Sparkly Ears!
Dorothy had red ruby slippers & baby girl's going to have pink glitter Sparkly Ears.

SqUeAL!!!
Our newest accessory will be ready the 31st. :)

Added today...
In the mean time we're still working hard.
Emily Margaret's made the connection between sound & responding.
We can thank our hard woods floors and our handy dandy foot stomping for that.
Two quick stomps is the equivalent of me calling out "Emily Margaret, come to mama."
It's a bit barbaric, but it works!

Our sweet girl can easily say Mama & Bubby.
We do lots of mama-ma-ma babbling and that seriously cute animated chattering she does without making a sound.
What can I say??
She's adorable!
(Which comes in handy when she sucks up the dog's water in my Dyson.)
EEK!!!

Since today's update was all about hearing, I leave you with a video.
I think you'll see that although our Dorothy awaits her sparkly ears, her big brother isn't in need of a heart.

Enjoy & God's blessings!
Sarah (The Good Witch)

War Eagle Baby Girl

Hi all!
First things first,
I wasn't very good this year but
Santa Daddy got me my 1st iPhone.
I'm actually posting from it now,
SqUeAL!!!
Who knew??
Ok, so I knew I wanted the iPhone.
I actually held onto my dinasuraus phone longer than necessary.
It was all in the name of love.
And now that my LOVIE is home,
it was time for mama to get an upgrade.

Talk about perfect timing.
It just so happens that my mini-me
just inherited her 1st apple product.
That means she doesn't touch my phone because she has her own.
And if I touch hers??
Let's just say I get a good scolding!

So now that I have this handy dandy blogger app, you can look forward to more frequent postings.
Yes mom I know, it's about time! ;)

Now onto the real reason for my post.
Check out this sassy little Auburn cheerleader.

When I asked her to let me take her picture I got this.

Uh MOM can't you see I'm texting right now?!

Luckily after a few mommy-monkey-motions I snapped my sweet girl.
She absolutely lights up our home.
And her pink?
Let's just say it's taking over!

Now I'm off to rescue the boys.
They were trying to throw the baseball.
That is until a charming lil' sister lured them into swinging with her instead.

God's blessings on your afternoon
& War Eagle,
One Blessed Tiger Mama :)

Emily Margaret in 2 Pics

If I were to pick two recent pics to sum up this precious wild child of mine, these are the two. :)
We absolutely adore this girl!

Quick Update :)

Yesterday we had our appointment at the International Adoption Clinic.
We were a whopping 24lbs and in the 3rd percentile.
(That's ok, Nanny will fix that!)
We bombed our first round of hearing tests,
as we out smarted the system and started responding
before the sound was actually made. :)
We got the compliment of best clinical presentation
of bonding and attachment. :) :)
AND when we had our 10 vials of blood drawn
we refused to pull our sleeve down so that
EVERYONE could see our boo-boo!
Yep, that's my child all right. :) :) :)

Today we're heading back to Birmingham
for another round of hearing tests.
Today's test will be more precise as it will determine
exactly how much auditory brain response she is having.
Please pray for my girl.
She was a trooper yesterday
as she charmed the staff &
won new found admiration in the heart of her mama.

Gotta run before my princess wakes up without me!
God's blessings, Sarah :)

No Place Like Home

Good morning all!
I'm still sporting my jammy tales
as we enjoy this lazy Saturday.
While the boys continue to play catch up
with their homework assignments
and baby sister helps them,
I'm sneaking away for a quick blog update.

First off I gotta say,
Dorothy got it right when she said
"There's NO place like HOME!"
This first week home has been b-u-s-y,
but nothing the comforts of home can't soothe.

Emily Margaret loves it here.
She knows our routine
and thrives on it.
She doesn't even cry when we
take her "bubbies" to school anymore. :)

We're still figuring out the nap thing.
But more importantly we got the
sleeping all night under control,
HOORAY!!!
She even slept late with me this morning.
We'd wake up, snuggle and go back to sleep...
PURE BLISS!!!

Today she's already learned to
give eskimo kisses.
She's rough as a cob but loving as an angel!

We had our first home study
follow up on Thursday.
Stella said Emily Margaret's doing great.
I think the biggest help is all the
sign language we've been teaching her.
There's something to be said for effective communication.

We're using the Signing Times videos
thanks to the recommendation of a friend.
We have episodes 1 and 4
and we watch them A LOT! :)
If I had a life savings,
I'd gladly trade it for the remaining
DVD's, flashcards & books.
Yes, they're making that much of a difference. :D

I'm off to see what my munchkin is up to.
I promise to be back soon with
lots of pics & details.
If I owe you a phone call or email
please be patient with me.
My little diva requires mommy's undivided attention. ;)

One last thing.
Thank you for all your prayers.
They have been heard and answered.
Our heavenly Father has been raining down
the most abundant grace imaginable.
We sing His praises daily!

God's blessings loved ones,
The Hinson Family of Five!!! :)

Another Update!

Hello All! I got to iChat with Sarah this morning-- they were getting ready to go to bed. They had their visit at the consulate and took their oath and EMH is officially a Hinson and a US citizen-- once she touches down on US soil. 

They took her to the zoo afterwards and she loved it. Sarah said she is mischievous but extremely loving. She had her physical and they pronounced her with perfect hearing... Sarah informed me that their hearing test involved squeaking a rubber duckie by her ear. So scientific! ;) Andy says she can't hear a lick... Sarah seems to think that it's some hearing loss as well as selective hearing. :) She is totally paying for calling my girls DIVAS! 

They've been to the circus and played in the park. EMH is very active and apparently quite the busy body!

They went on a river boat cruise last night. Joseph had his first run in a cougar. ;) Sarah said that the locals are a little on the rude side and are quick to tell you if they think EMH doesn't have on enough layers or if they are feeding her things that they don't deem "acceptable". They told Sarah and Andy that they were going to make EMH fat and implied that they wouldn't get to keep her if she did! Sounds like an interesting time, for sure. 

I don't have any pictures... I think things have been a little crazy for them. They leave for Hong Kong tomorrow, spend the night there and then they get to come home!! YAY! They will be home Friday evening. I'm not sure when she will have time to post an update-- James' birthday is Saturday. 

Also, for those of you who don't know, Andy's dad passed away yesterday morning. He has battled cancer for years and been in and out of the hospital. I am not sure of all of the details, but I do know he was in the hospital when he died early Tuesday morning. Andy does know and his sister Christine has flown in from Hawaii to help his mom out. They are cremating him and his memorial service is Sunday afternoon. 

If you would, say a prayer for Andy and his family. They could also use some happy traveling vibes.. I feel certain a 14 hour flight with an active toddler is going to be quite the adventure! 

First Airport Experience

I received an e-mail from Sarah that was this post, complete with captions! Enjoy! 

Hello. My name is Emily Margaret. I'm from a small province of about 3.5 million people. 

Today is my first flight. Mama made sure to layer me up, so as not to ruffle the locals. They are quite opinionated. Mama always gets stopped on the street. At lunch, the waitress even told Mama I looked kinda Chinese. Umm. yeah, ya think?!?! Anyway, laundry was running scarce so Mama did the best she could. :)

While my people were acting dignified, Mama and I had a little airport picnic. 

I'm SO glad GiGi got me this handy dandy cup/snack bowl. 

And Nana keeps me full of REAL goldfish crackers. See, I LOVE goldfishes. :)

And yes, just to keep Mama on her toes we multi-tasked. We snacked, played toys, and learned a few new signs. After all that fun, I was ready for a nice long nap on the plane. Hooray for family fun!!! 

Last Day in Jinan

Everyone went site seeing in Jinan on their last full day. 

Pa Bill is never in front of the camera!

The River where everyone gets their drinking water

Sarah and EMH got tired and went back to the van

The site where they found EMH

Mama and daughter where she was found

Daddy, Mama, and daughter

Celebration kisses

Emily Margaret helped James with his homework.. how stinking cute is this?!?

I know everyone is hoping that their next stop is more tourist friendly. :) Sarah is so thankful to have her in her arms and would like for everyone to keep the prayers coming! I know they are a little worried about EMH's first flight, so keep them in your thoughts! :)

Lazy day at the pool

Hi all! Rachel again.. sorry I've been a slacker with the updates, my life got a little crazy with decorating for Christmas, kids, running a business and all that. As I sat down to write this post, Sarah sent me some more pictures! Geez.. ;)

They spent the day swimming in the hotel pool. Mom said it's like a third world country once they get outside of the hotel and aren't venturing out too much. They leave for Guangzhou tomorrow. It's been snowing in Jinan too and supposed to be in the 60's in Guangzhou, so I know they are ready to get to warmer temperatures! 

EMH during nap time

 The boys had to wear swim caps, per hotel rules.. They are stylin'! 

How sweet is this picture?!?

Umm.. Hinson face, footie pajamas, purse on her arm, hand in some chips. 

She is behind developmentally, but seems to be picking things up very quickly. I think she is giving Sarah a run for her money and I think Sarah is ready to take back calling my girls divas. :)