Thankful Thursday!!

This Thursday... I am thankful for my husband, Danny!

Danny is my never-ending support system... he's my rock! He gives me more unconditional love than any woman deserves and is such a great Daddy to our sweet Lilli! Danny is such a strong man... he has a heart of solid gold! As a deputy, his career can be very dangerous, therefore he has to be a "tough guy", but to Lilli and me... he's just an ol' softy!! He's my cuddle-bug and Lilli's "Da-da-da". Everyday I fall in love with him all over again. To know Danny... is to love Danny!

Many people don't know that Danny and I actually met on the internet... strangely, we had grown up in the same town... lived there all our lives and didn't know each other. We had several common acquaintances too. Danny & I truly feel that God intervened in August of 1998 and said... "these two folks belong together" and well, the rest is history!!! Danny's my best friend!!!

An additional note... tomorrow is my gallbladder surgery and I'm in great need of prayer! I have some worries about complications that could arise, but more importantly about Lilli not understanding why Mommy can't hold her or pick her up. I am also concerned about Danny over the next few weeks of my recooperation... he'll be on "Daddy Duty" - 24 hrs/7 days a week. Unfortunately, Lilli is all about Mommy right now and Daddy sometimes has a hard time pleasing her.

So, to all my prayer warriors out there... get busy! :o) Love y'all!!

His,

Jen

Happy Tuesday!

Hi everyone...
Hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day! We had a great time in Virginia... we went to the Virginia Zoo on Saturday and had a great time.

Lilli was AMAZED at the animals. Her favorites... the prairie dogs... she was so cute. They would pop out of the holes in the ground & she would squeal and giggle! Her second favorite was some sort of jackalope. She stared at it with such concentration! She wanted nothing to do with the billy goats in the 'petting zoo' portion however... she was terrified when it came over to eat feed out of our hands.

Because she's teething... Miss Lilli fussed LOTS this weekend and just when I thought she had finished fussing... she cranked it up a notch and cried even louder. Poor baby's two top front teeth are IN!!! They have almost completely grown in... in just a week!! Now she's working hard on the two bottom front teeth and IS NOT HAPPY! She seems to be doing better with her viral infection, but appears to be in a lot of pain with her teeth. She drools like crazy and constantly has her fist in her mouth 2/3rds of the time. She doesn't want teethers or frozen washcloths... nothing! The only thing she wants is her hand to chew on. I got a call from my doctor's office today and have been put on "liquid potassium". My potassium levels are low and they can not perform the surgery on Friday unless the level is up. They think it's because I haven't been eating because of the nausea... and when I do, well, that's a whole different story... One that I'll spare you!!! Keep praying!
Love and peace,
Jen

TGIF!

Can I get an AMEN???? What a week!! This week has been horrible, with the death toll & homeless rate continuing to rise from China's devastating earthquake... then with yesterday's heartbreaking news about Maria Sue. I can only tell you that this Memorial Day weekend never looked sweeter. I look forward to spending as much quality time with Danny & my sweet Lillibug as I can... hugging on them til' they refuse anymore of my sugar!!

Danny, Lilli & I will be traveling to Virginia Beach this evening, to my Grandmother's estate for a little R&R time. This will be the first time Miss Lilli has had to opportunity of going to our family's bay home... "Birdneck". When my Grandmother passed away about 15 years ago and my Mother and Father decided to keep the home as a get-a-way. It's such a special place to our family, with so many memories trapped inside. We hope that Lilli will grow to love it and have special memories there too! We always look forward to spending time there. My parents will be there, as well as my brother, his wife and kids. My sister Amy lives in VB, so I look forward to spending as much time with her as I can, although she has to work this weekend. She passed her Massage Therapy Exam & she is an official "MT" now. The exam is VERY difficult and she has worked so hard to achieve this goal!! We are so proud of her!!

Lilli is doing MUCH better now... thanks to prayers, awesome antibiotics and ibuprofen. She's actually back to her old cutie-patootie self... hamming it up for everyone she meets.

On the other hand, I am a whole different story... I will be having surgery next Friday to have my gallbladder removed. The surgeon is hoping to be able to remove it laproscopically, but fears that he won't be able, due to all the scar tissue I have in my abdomen from my partial colectomy 4 years ago. His words: "your scar tissue is a 'bugga'!"...whatever that means? The recooperation time will be much shorter if they are able to use the lasers (1 week out of work, 2 weeks total time to recover) versus if I have to have an incision, it will be about 6-8 weeks before I can come back to work... and I will have to be hospitalized. Either way, I won't be able to pick up Lilli for what will feel like an eternity!!! Why am I not surprised that this is happening to me, yet again??? My crazy body... my crazy digestive tract... my crazy life!!!! I am so thankful that I didn't have this attack while we were in China. I can not begin to imagine going thru this there. It hasn't been fun!!!

Please continue keep the Chapman Family in your prayers, they need healing that only God can deliver right now... http://chapmanchannel.typepad.com/inmemoryofmaria/

Please keep the Sichuan Province in China in your prayers - so much suffering and despair in that area of China right now... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24789413

Additionally, please keep my precious, little family in your prayers over the next few weeks... as I mentally prepare myself for surgery... and during the recovery process, for Lilli to be understanding when Mommy can't pick her up or get down on the floor and play with her... Her Daddy is going to do everything possible to make her happy, but she's very much a Mommy's girl right now. It'll be difficult on everyone!!

His,
Jen

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for Lilli's birth mother! This morning as my clock radio sounded, I heard the most terrible news! The youngest daughter of Steven Curtis Chapman, Maria Sue, was accidentally struck and killed by a motor vehicle driven by her older brother in the driveway of their Tennessee home. As many of you know, the Chapmans have adopted 3 beauties from China, Maria Sue being the youngest. She was only 5.
Often, I try to make sense of what God hands us in our life. I realize that it is not for me to question what is ultimately God's plan for us, but sometimes in situations like this, it's very hard!! I think God understands our desire to question His reasons. God is in control and He has a good reason why this precious life was taken from her family at such an early age.

I believe God has our lives mapped out before we are ever born. Before Lilli was ever conceived, she was already destined to be our daughter. I know that her birth mother grieves everyday for her... a way I can understand, as I have had the shear joy of becoming her Mommy. I can't imagine my life without her. I praise Lilli's birth mother for the courage of abandoning Lilli at the gates of her orphanage on that faithful June 7th morning less than a year ago... probably all the while, hiding just within range to make sure that her baby girl was safe. I can imagine her waiting and watching to see Lilli picked up & safely brought within the gates by the security guard that found her. Her life forever changing at the moment, knowing that she'll never know the joy of watching Lilli grow!

Then, I think about the Chapman's loss of Maria Sue. Like many international adoptive families, the Chapmans are a big part of the reason we chose to go to China to adopt. We watched countless videos of their experiences... & even though we do not know the Chapman family, we are strangely connected to them. We feel like we have lost a friend in Maria Sue. Danny and I have followed Maria Sue's life, as we waited to get Lilli. She is a precious Child of God, chosen, not abandoned!! I grieve. I can't imagine being in their shoes. So much loss and so much pain! I pray for them, especially her older brother... he's grieving the most. He will carry this burden for the rest of his life!

Maria Sue had the joy of having a wonderful Christian family! Not many children grow up these days in a Christian home. Maria Sue did. She had a purpose, if only to bring joy to her family for a short time.

Hug your loved ones tonight... life is short!

God is love,
Jen

Where do I begin???

Apologies for the lack of posts... lots of things going on!!!

First, Miss Lilli is sick!! She has a viral infection and fluid on BOTH ears. She is teething terribly... in fact the doctors are concerned that all her teeth on the bottom are going to come in at the same time. She already has 2 teeth on top cutting thru. The fluid on her ears is a "bi-product" of teething. Regardless, she's not a happy camper! Her temperature got as high as 103.6 last night. All we could do was give her tylenol and ibuprofen and place her in a tepid bath to relieve her fever some. Lilli would NOT sleep unless it was on my chest and then she woke up every 10 minutes or so crying. She's so miserable & as a Mommy, I feel helpless!!!
Danny is home with her today and it tore me up to leave her this morning to come in to work! She was crying "ma-ma-ma-ma-ma" as I walked out the door...
Second, I am going to a surgical consult tomorrow. I have been very ill since April 26th. I haven't been able to hold anything down and now we know the culprit... After an upper GI & an ultrasound, my gastro doc says I have gallstones... I will be having my gallbladder removed in the very near future. I will know more tomorrow after the consult and will certainly let y'all know.
Please place Lilli, Danny and me on your prayer list... it would be much appreciated!! Please pray that sweet Lilli will feel better, free of fever and pain... pray that Danny to have patience and strength to deal with Lilli during my recooperation and pray for my healing and peace to be going under the knife for the 3rd time in 4 years.
Love to all,
Jen

Many, Many Milestones!!!

Happy Friday Everybody!!

Thought I'd share with you some of the milestones that Lilli has met over the last month...

4/13 - She began to wave... and loves to wave at everyone we meet in Walmart!!

4/17 - One Month GOTCHA DAY Anniversary!

4/20 - Lilli said Ma-ma-ma-ma, although not directed at me!

4/26 - Lilli learned how to blow kisses

4/29 - Lilli began rolling and scooting on the floor to get where she wanted to go...

4/30 - Lilli began self-feeding with a vanilla wafer

5/2 - Lilli's Certificate of US Citizenship came in the mail... woooo-hooo!

5/8 - Lilli pulled up to a standing position on a toy box at daycare

5/9 - Lilli began crawling... we also applied for her social security card

5/10 - We found out that Lilli LOVES French toast!

5/11 - Mother's Day... Lilli got baptized!

5/12 - Stood unassisted for about 5 or 6 seconds... realized what she was doing and then applauded herself and fell back. We know Lilli will be walking really soon. She is pulling up on everything!!

On another note... thought I'd share with you a few photos and video from Lilli bath last night.

From the time I picked her up at daycare, until the time she went to bed, Miss Thang was talking up a storm... but everytime I got my camera out to video, she would clam up... therefore I had to sneek up on her and shoot this video. She is just so cute... I can hardly stand it!

Enjoy & have a blessed day!

His,

Jen

Thankful Thursday!!

For many months I have loved going to my friend Patty's site on Thursdays and reading the things she's thankful for... so, if Patty doesn't mind too terribly much, I am going to "borrow" her idea and transplant it in to my own blog!
This Thursday, I am thankful for none other than... Miss Lilli! I am thankful that at the end of a stressful, grueling day at the office, I am greeted with the biggest toothless grin you could ever imagine! She is so excited to see me with her arms outstretched for me to pick her up, bouncing up and down and giggling. At that very moment, all my day's stress melts away! I am thankful that Lilli came in to my life in one of the most extraordinary ways... and was worth the wait! I am thankful that Lilli has changed me ways that I never thought possible! She's my perfect jewel!
His,
Jen

The beginning of a beautiful journey...

After a little persuasion and inspiration from my friend Shelley, I have started a blog...
I am thrilled to begin this journey and can't wait to journal all my daily experiences and share them with you!

Life in the Daughety household seems to keep getting better and better. We are flat broke having added a little one in the mix, but truly... we are loving every minute of it!!!

Lilli is growing like a weed! She amazes me everyday! So many changes, so many new experiences coming our way! My Mother told me that I got a "wind up toy, not a daughter" and truly my Mom's not joking... Lilli's just that! She is so much fun. She totally cracks us up! She is crawling now and is in to everything... She says a few words... uh-oh, Da-da-da, tah-dah and occassionally she'll say Ma-ma-ma. Oh... and let's not forget yeah-yeah-yeah! If I ask her if she wants bananas or prunes, she'll answer "yeah-yeah-yeah". If I ask her if she wants carrots or applesauce (which she doesn't like) she'll blow a raspberry at me. Go figure... smart girl!

We are blessed beyond measure and thank God everyday for our little love bug!!
More soon...
His,
Jen
For I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love... Romans 8:38