Yeah!!! & a 3 month update

Yeah!! The day that we have all been waiting for, but nobody more than Isaac. Today when I came home and looked into his mouth I didn't see any of his stitches so Craig and I decided that we could say "bye-bye" to the no-nos. Here Isaac is holding them up, just a few minutes before he was crying because he thought I wanted to put them back on. I told him, "It's OK Isaac. Mommy isn't going to put them on, you take them." So he took them and stopped crying. What I really need is a new & updated picture with his hands in his mouth. To all of those who wondered if 6 weeks without being able to suck his thumb would break the habit, the answer is an unequivocal NO! We spent the past 38 days helping Isaac cope with having to sleep without his thumb and taking toys away that found a way to make it into his mouth even with the no-nos. I've got to say I've gotten really quick with a hand to keep his hands out of his mouth and a loud "NO ISAAC!!!" when he reached for his mouth. Tonight we let him feed himself some macaroni noodles and I almost panicked when he put his hand in his mouth. Luckily I remembered it was OK before I scared him to death at dinner. :o)

So here we are 3 months after we stepped off from an airplane and onto US soil in Los Angeles. So much has happened that it doesn't seem like it could have all been jammed packed into a period as short as 3 months. So, let's take a little walk down memory lane and highlight some of our most memorable events. I hope that I picked photos that are new and that I didn't repeat any of the old ones that are already on the blog.
Time really flew when we were in China. Here we are getting ready to leave the Holiday Inn in Guangzhou and head to the US Consulate for Isaac's swearing-in ceremony before we go to the airport to travel home.
Finally after 36 L-O-N-G hours in airports we are HOME!!

What a lucky little boy! A Mommy to love me. A doggie to love. And a Grandpa that thinks I'm the best!

Not long after Isaac came home he got to go to Holden Park for his very first picnic. Auntie Tina and Olivia are in the picture with him. Uncle Sean and Ethan were also part of this fun day. Isaac had fun with the other kids and he LOVED the playground, especially the swings.

One of the most exciting changes for Isaac has come in the dining department. When we first came home he didn't want to eat anything with more texture than a mashed potato. In fact he really didn't develop a taste for things with texture until about a week or so before his surgery, so just as he figured out how delicious certain foods were we had to take them away. We've just begun to add regular foods back into his diet in the past week. One of the best things about eating regular food is sneaking some treats to your pet doggie!
2008 was certainly an exciting year to become an American citizen. Just a few days after coming home Isaac went to vote with Mommy & Daddy. It was a very close Presidential race and everyone has different political views. I hope that we can all agree to pray for President Obama and ask that God would bless him with wisdom as he leads our country in these difficult times.

Some things surprise me. Other things amaze me. God often astounds me! I would look into Isaac's mouth and wonder how a surgeon could ever correct his palate. Yet, wonder of wonder, miracle of miracles, on December 15th God blessed the hands of Dr. Ruiz as he worked to correct the bilateral cleft in Isaac's palate. At times we wondered if we would make it through the liquid diet, the restricted diet, and the no-nos, but today when I looked into his mouth it looked perfect and complete. I can say that I am totally amazed that God has gifted the doctor's and surgeon's in their ability to perform this surgery!

Isaac's first kiss. Kyra just loves Isaac. The first several times he went to visit she would come right up and give him a big old kiss. Poor little Isaac didn't know what was going on. As far as I know the kissing has subsided. The last few times he's spent time with Kyra Mommy wasn't there so I'm not sure what happened, but Wendy didn't report on new kisses.Isaac loves Music and he really loves it when Grandpa plays music for him. He loves to pick up a harmonica or strum on the mandolin or the guitar.

When Isaac first joined our family he couldn't walk on his own, now he runs. He was primarily on a formula diet, now he drinks milk. He was a silent little guy, now he's babbling up a storm. He didnt' really know how to play with toys, now he can build a tower of three blocks. We've seen so many changes and we are excited to see what the next three months will bring. Will he say his first words? Will he learn to use the potty? (Hey, a Mommy and Daddy can hope!!) I'm not sure what the next three months hold, but I do know that they will be full of continued adventure and lots of love.