What a difference 6 months makes (4344 little hours)

This was September 12, 2009. Asaelia had surgery almost 2 weeks earlier and was in China. We were waiting and praying for her daily. We were to leave just 3 days later to bring her home...to her forever family.

We had a great 6 months - I can't believe it's been that long! She grew some hair...learned who her family is...played...got a new puppy...played some more and learned to be one of the better kissers in our family! I just LOVE getting kisses from her!












Fast forward 6 months. Aaselia had surgery exactly 6 months after her original surgery in China. This was 4 days later (not the almost 2 weeks in the above picture). She was happy, truly happy, to be sitting on Daddy's lap and playing/reading books with him. She has a shine in her eyes...and even her NG tube couldn't stop her from enjoying life.

God has been good to Aaselia. He's been REAL GOOD! Seeing the difference in these two pictures shows what a difference LOVE makes in the life of a child. It's not perfect love on our part, but it's the perfect love of Christ who has changed this girl. Every night she folds her hands and bows her head as we pray over her.

Just look at that smile. Our almost 4 year wait was worth every minute.

Anyone have a plumber?

We need a plumber! Our hall bathroom has a toilet that's been getting "stuck." It won't flush every once in a while. We've plunged it many times and now, tonight, Stephen finally decided to see what the problem was. Well, he drained the toilet. He vacuumed out the toilet with a wet/dry vac. He removed the toilet and that's when we saw the problem.

There is a TREE growing out of our toilet! Can you believe it!!! I'd take a picture, but I left my camera in my sisters car. You'll just have to trust me on this! Stephen finally got it removed and it was a huge bush (I thought they were tree roots) that was growing in our filth! You know that nightmare that we all have - I hope it's not just me - where we swallow a seed and then have a tree growing in our body, or where we swallow a spider egg and then it bursts inside of us, or...I digress. Sorry.

We have a tree/bush in our toilet. Nasty. What's even more scary is that Stephen's mom is visiting and helping me with the kids while Aaselia was in the hospital. Stephen's Aunt is renting our 4th bedroom right now. That means that there are 8, yes 8, people staying in our house...our house that has one working toilet. Tomorrow morning looks very promising! Ahhhh...anyone know of a Hilton, I mean plumber we can use?!?

Our baby is getting better!

On February 27th, we went to the Asia Reunion with our Adoption Agency. We had food at the China Buffet and made lots of new friends. A couple of the families live within 5 miles of our home! This was the last meal that Aaselia would eat. She started to get sick that afternoon and by the next morning we were in the hospital emergency room.

Today was a great day for Aaselia. She was up and walking quite a bit as well as had a LOT of play time with Daddy. Yes, for the first time since she entered the hospital on the 28th of February, I got to sleep in my own bed last night. What a night of sleep it was! I woke up at 4:00 a.m. in the same position that I fell asleep in...I was a little sore, but I turned over and went back to sleep until 8:45. I begged twerp #1 (and paid him $5) to make breakfast for the other kids so I could sleep in. It was glorious...beautiful...and just what the doctor ordered!

When I got to the hospital in the early afternoon, Stephen and Aaselia were having a quiet time. She was taking a nap - on her stomach! I couldn't believe it. Stephen said that at some point during her nap, she flipped over "No-No!"'s and all and was sleeping quite soundly. She woke up and we walked and played Lego's and read books until the other kids arrived at the hospital. We had to get a badge for her to come back up in the elevator after our visit with the other Twerps. (As if the IV and 4 tubes coming out of her body wouldn't be ID enough...)

Aaselia had the greatest smile when she saw her brothers and sister. Her eyes lit up and her entire body smiled. It was wonderful to see. She got balloons and a stuffed animal. She was one happy little girl. My mom took Aaselia back up to her room and Stephen and I ate dinner in the cafeteria with the other Twerps. It was a nice evening having all my kids in the same room...if only for 10 minutes.

A sick little girl...

So there aren't any pictures today... A-because I don't have any and B-because I don't have access to a computer, at least one that's mine.

Last Saturday night, at about 11:00, Aaselia started to not feel very well. I thought that she'd probably had something that didn't agree with her for supper/lunch, but after she had vomited every 20 minutes for 6 hours, I was a lot worried. I'm not one to worry much, fret over the little/medium or big things. But this had me worried. We (my mom, sister, Aaselia and I) left my Aunt's house to drive back towards Orange County - 2 hours away. We headed straight to Children's Hospital of Orange County and entered the emergency room. 8 hours later, we were admitted into the hospital for what will turn out to be a 1 1/2 week-2 week stay.

Aaselia had a blockage in her intestine - a symptom of her surgery that she had done in China. Since she was originally going to have surgery on the 5th of March, we decided to stay in the hospital and move up the surgery to the 3rd. She's doing really well and is sleeping most of the day away.

I've learned some things about my girl: She has a very high pain tolerance. She is one tough cookie - just like her mama in that respect. She is an integrated part of our family. There hasn't been one time that I've talked to my other kids and they ask about her. They miss her. A lot. They have talked to her over the speaker phone on my cell phone and she smiles and touches the phone. She misses them too. They aren't able to come and visit - there are strict hospital policies here - but we'll be home before they know it.

Aaselia is one healthy girl. Sitting here in my room and seeing all the worried and concerned families on this floor has me thanking God that Aaselia only has this one issue to worry about. There are kids dying today...kids with incurable illnesses...kids that will be sick for the rest of their lives. And then there is Aaselia. She is going to be running around in a couple of weeks. She no longer has a colostomy bag and has had her incision "fixed" so she can wear a bikini later on. (Not that I'm condoning that type of thing, you hear.) I sit here, watching my daughter, in the quiet so thankful that God brought her to our family. I think of how different our lives have become, how different I have become, how our family has been blessed beyond measure.

So while I've been at the hospital, my family and friends have been taking care of the other three Twerps. I miss them. A lot. As a matter of fact, I'm going home this afternoon as soon as Maren gets here to sit with Aaselia. The kids aren't expecting me. We're going to have a good afternoon full of cuddling, stories and maybe just a little bit of homework.

Please continue to pray for Aaselia and the Margala family. Pray that this is the last surgery she has to have. Pray that she gets no adhesion from this recent surgery. Pray that she heals quickly and that we can go home to our king size, electric blanket, down comforter, fluffy pillows, fan overhead and no loud beeping in the middle of the night. Don't get me wrong, this pull out a chair into a bed and pretend to get a good night sleep is OK for the time being - I wouldn't want to be away from my baby...but home is where we both want to be.

We have an AMAZING GOD who works miracles. He's worked many miracles in the life of Aaselia. I can't wait to see what He continues to do in her life.