It’s been a blessed weekend. We are so happy to have Anthony home. Love, love, love my man.
Chocolate! He brought me home more chocolate than I could ever dream of eating…Cadbury’s. The best chocolate in the world. Oh my word-I am seriously going to be rolling out of the house. I love chocolate!
Many of you wrote and asked me about Hailee’s development after this post.
If a picture is worth a thousand words…then this one says it all.
And so does this one.
Hailee is doing GREAT! Amazingly well, actually. She is a blessing beyond description.
Sure, we still do have things that we are dealing with-mainly institutional behaviors. But heck, when we consider all things and remind ourselves exactly where she has come from, we are amazed. In awe of our God who is in the business of restoring lives.
Hailee has astounded us in how far she has come in the last nine months.
The little girl who did nothing but cry and cry for hours on end is HAPPY.
And joyful.
And content.
And home…where she belongs.
Safe in the arms of her Daddy who adores her.
We still have days when she insists on scratching the back of her ears-it’s a habit that is hard to break after doing it for so long. Pilot caps work fabulously for those days.
There are still occasions when she bites on her fingers-but they are no longer calloused.
She still thinks that her head is there to be banged on anything that resembles the wall of a crib-but that’s what five years of confinement to a crib does, I guess.
We still have random times of crying for no particular reason-but they are getting few and far between.
She eats great, sleeps well, and is mostly such a content little girl. She loves nothing more than to be played with-so opposite to the child we brought home who hated to be held. She is slowly but surely gaining weight and she is getting taller too. She is finally wearing some 18 month old clothes (she will be 6 in May).
Every milestone is a sweet victory.
She has the most infectious little giggle. When Hailee laughs, so do we. We can’t help but laugh with her. She is just so darn cute.
Oh goodness, and I cannot forget to mention that this weekend she took nine steps all on her own. That is HUGE for Hailee. There was a time when we wondered if she would ever walk on her own. She was just so frail and weak, and I did wonder if walking would ever be something she would master. How wrong we were!
Many ask me if Hailee has autism in addition to Down syndrome. Without getting into the long version of it-we don’t think she has clinical autism. It’s possible, but it is just too soon to really tell accurately. Hailee spent five years living in such hideous conditions. Most of the behaviors/tendencies she has are institutional behaviors. Kids who live in these situations pick up many, many self-soothing habits that very often resemble those of autistic children. Institutional autism (IA) is very real. My gut instinct is it’s that, but I could be wrong. Only time will tell. Truthfully though, we don’t think about it too much. If you know me from my blog you will know that we don’t get hung up on what is “wrong” with our kids who have struggles in life. We just take things one day at a time and accept them just the way they are. I couldn’t be bothered with the whole ‘labeling’ children thing. In our eyes Hailee is absolute perfection.
She is a joy and an absolute delight. God’s masterpiece.
Hailee is a new creation-the old has gone, and the new has come. She has LIFE-and that more abundant.
And more kisses than any girl could ever need.
We simply cannot imagine our lives without Hailee in it.
I hope that answers most of the questions. Ask away if I missed anything and I will be sure to answer them in a later post.
On another note, my heart is overflowing with gratitude that sweet “Guan Wei” is adjusting to his new family so very well. He is such a sweetheart of a boy. His family is in China now and they are posting pictures here. This is their blog. So thankful to the Lord that he found his family before he became unadoptable.
So thankful that the great I AM is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
“I AM who I AM” Exodus 3:14
Be blessed in ALL you do, friends.
She truly is a new creation and a treasure beyond compare! I shudder to think of her life (or death really) if you had not gotten her home when you did.
Praising God with you!
There really are no words Sweet Friend, except by the grace of the LORD,,,,
She is SOOOO beautiful….from the the inside out!!
loves to your family, we miss you,
Shonni
now those pictures need no words at all! your words however are such a blessing! truly there is NO God like ours!
love you! xoxoxo
jill
Answered prayer, beautiful girl. God is good, all the time.
Love finds a way,
Renee
Such a sweet sweet girl! I have been reading about them and your family for awhile now. What blessings all your children are in your life!
I do have a question though. You said she sleeps great. Do Hailee and Harper sleep in cribs? I just didn’t know if you put them in baby beds at night and how they deal with that. Or maybe they sleep in big girl beds because of the previous trauma from being in cribs so much? Thanks!
Hannah
Oh Adeye! Sweet Hailee is a true testament to the greatness of our Lord!!! I love seeing those smiles and hearing all about the giggles and the steps!!!! WOW! It breaks my heart, though, to think about all the precious ones who still wait! I just pray that more of God’s people will hear His call - and - answer it! You all heard His call and answered in a big way and just look at your blessings!!!!! Thank you Lord!!!!
OHGoodness…she is SO BEAUTIFUL!!! Love that shot with her huge smile. Swoon!! It’s amazing to see in pictures how far she has come. Wow.
Amazing! Hailee is beautiful and you can just see the joy in her eyes. Sweet girl has been filled up with love and it shows! I’ve gone back to read of your adoption journey specifically with Hailee and Harper - the Lord has certainly been busy working in your lives. What a beautiful family you have and thank you for sharing your story.
Libby
Nine steps! Super Hailee!!!! She is such a joy to see and I love when you blog about her. It is obvious she is thriving in your household. Please keep us updated. Hailee is such a joy.
She is beautifully made!!! And oh how it makes my heart smile very wide seeing that precious face laughing such a contrast to this time last year!!!
No labels, just God!!!
Oh, she is just beautiful.
That picture of Anthony kissing Hailee is so sweet - it brought tears to my eyes thinking that she could have NEVER known that love from a Daddy. My, what she would have missed!
Glad to hear she is doing so well!!
I absolutely love the pictures of Hailee laughing and smiling! What a blessing to even see it in pictures. I can not imagine the thrill of watching her develop, grow, and begin to enjoy her life in person. Praise God!!
It’s SO wonder to see the healing she is experiencing. Thank you Lord!
Sarah
Hailee, is an absolute little doll. She has grown so much in the time she has been home with you. It just goes to show that love can make a difference in a childs life.
Thank you for updating us on her. I am so glad that she has you guys as her family for she looks so good and very loved in the pictures.
One day the behavioral issues will be gone because she will realize that she no longer needs to soothe herself because she and Harper both have more love than they know what to do with.
Love,
Sheila
You guys just rock - I hope that you know that! And just keep ‘going with your gut’ - one parent to another it’s almost always right!
Great joy with you guys - hugs - aus and co.
Seeing Hailee getting smooches from her daddy touches my heart. Every little girl should be so lucky as to have a daddy that will scoop them up and love on them that way. Hailee is blessed and I know that ya’ll feel the same way about her!
A wonderful post and as always your pictures bring a smile to my face. I have been filled with such joy last week and this week from reading about Guan Wei and his family! I hope you and your family have a blessed week Adeye!
I have read back on your adoption story and think your family is very inspiring. It is so wonderful to see Hailee so happy! God bless!
Your blog really helps me have perspective. This morning after finishing a phonics lesson w/ my adoptees (13 and 11, adopted almost four years ago), I went to my room to cry. It is so discouraging how hard reading is for them.
Hubby had to remind me AGAIN that godly character is my goal. But man it hurts this mama heart to see my children struggle so much to do something that comes so easily to their younger siblings.
Hailee looks so amazingly adorable and happy and healthy. Things will only go up from here with God´s help
As was already mentioned, she is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!! Your blog is a testament to the power of faith and love and hope and I always enjoy reading here.
Just a thought about the head banging. I once read on a private email list the story of a woman who was diagnosed with autism as a child and sent to an institution. She is no longer institutionalized and I’m not sure if she still has an autism diagnosis but she recounted how she suffers migraines but was unable to tell her caregivers how her head hurt. She would bang her head as a response to the pain. I suffer migraines myself and can testify to how banging your head can help distract from the pain within. Not sure if this is an issue with Hailee or not but thought I’d mention it as something to check into. Also, I’ve discovered that gluten greatly affects my migraines and a gluten free diet has helped a lot. During my last pregnancy, I had at least three a week and was desperate enough to try going gluten free and was very happy to find relief on the diet. I think you mentioned possible celiac with Hailee previously? I could be wrong.
Anyway, I absolutely adore your blog. You have a beautiful family.
Such a beautiful & precious post! I feel so blessed to be able to witness your family’s progress, so amazing!
I am so blessed by your blog and especially this post … it is just beautiful to see Hailee’s smiling face with her family! God is good!
I recently stumbled across your blog and started following. Mostly because my daughter, Lennon is 10 months and Down Syndrome. I love the work God is using your family to do. Amazing!
Feel free to stop by my blog anytime
http://www.tarynddavidson.blogspot.com
Can you post a video clip of Hailee laughing? I would love to hear her.
I think in another year or so you will have to try hard to remember the girl in the crib on the other side of the planet.
She has come so far! Praise God from whom All blessings flow…
Lisa
Thank you for sharing sweet pictures of Hailee, I loved seeing her beam with joy, such a stark contrast from when she was in the orphanage.
Wow! nine steps!!! she’s getting the hang of it!!! I can’t wait to hear when she walks comfortably on her own
Thank you for sharing your girls with us! They’ve truly touched my heart. Hailee is just amazing. What a transformation. Your blog is such an eye opener.
I would also like to know if she still sleeps in a crib. Can she communicate with you at all? Can she feed herself? Does she have a favorite sibling?
How do you handle strangers who come up to you and ask about your family? Have you ever answered a question about Hailees age? I don’t know what if do in that situation. On one hand it would be a great opportunity to educate the public about what goes on in some orphanages, but on the other hand I’m sure you want to protect her from criticism and peering eyes.
Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful pictures with us. If anyone ever doubts what love can do they should just look at a time lapse of Hailey’s pictures. It has been like watching a beautiful flower bloom right before your eyes!!! God is so good!
Mary Wusterbarth
What a treasure seeing Hailee blossom with so much loving!!! She is a little sweetie!
She is such a beautiful girl! Truly a new creation! You are so blessed!
I came across your blog shortly after you brought Hailee and Harper home. I fell in love with your sweet Hailee. She has a special place in my heart. I am so glad she is growing and developing so well. I would agree that most of her behaviors seem to be institutional behaviors. I praise God along with you for all the growth and healing she has experienced so far.
I especially love the picture of her and Haven. The two of them have so much in common. So much hurt and rejection in their short lives and so much healing that needs to happen. I am thankful that God has made these two sisters and I pray that they will bless one another over and over.
Oh she just melts my hart! Bless her sweet little face! What a joy it is to follow your blog.
What a terrific smile!
What a terrific smile!
What a transformation!
I am in awe of your family and the steps you are taking to change the world for these precious little ones.