The Real Deal

We went to Wal-Mart yesterday and spent a THOUSAND DOLLARS(that's for you James) on those adjustable gates to corner off important areas of the house(if there are any left) because....

Squash, grilled cheese, and other Kodak moments

It has been busy around here since the last post. This one is long overdue. First, therapy is going well, sometimes, and then there are those where she tests her vocal cords for the speech therapist. Yazi forgets that she's there to learn to chew, not holler. Why she thinks she needs help with that, I'm not sure. Actually, she is eating considerably better now. She's just behind. The therapist says she's smart, just delayed. Considering where she and the other girls came from, and how far they have come, we ain't worried about her at all. So, tonight, she got pieces of chicken (loves it), grilled cheese sandwich (devoured it), and squash. What can I say about the squash except that she is pursuing an environmentally friendly clothing line. It's a new product she is developing called Fabri-grow. As seen below, put enough seeds on you, add growth nutrient like Gatorade, and you have a natural covering for your bod, ala Adam and Eve and their fig leaf line.




She loves being outside, especially in nice grass. On this day, she got to see Spencer play in a tournament in Little Rock. By the way, it may have been the best games that he has ever played. We enjoyed ourselves quite a bit and he did as well.



Back on the homefront, she has decided to rule over the most pitiful dog in the world. Heidi, oh Heidi, she and I don't jive all the time. We got her from a animal shelter while we were waiting on Yazi. Why, I'll never know. But, yazi likes Heidi, or the yelping sound she makes when yazi takes her tail with her. There is no sacred place in the house that yazi has not soiled. She kicked Heidi out.



After we got back from China, we started the process of insurance, social security, etc. It was an "interesting" process. I say "interesting" because I know young eyes may read this blog and I don't want to fill their little minds with the words that are going thru my mind to describe this whole ordeal. The federal government and the Chinese government recognized yazi as ours, but not the insurance company. It took forever. The last thing needed was an English translation of our adoption decree. This young girl at Hendrix graciously translated it for us. Her name is Wang, Yi (chinese last name goes first). So, the process was salvaged because of her and we are eternally grateful.



Photo below is from Easter morning. I think it was 38 degrees that morning. Go figure. I don't know if you have picked this up, but Yazi loves, LOVES, her big brother. He probably has had more to do with her walking than us. He takes care of her.



Speaking of walking, she has resisted for some time. Her legs are plenty strong, but I think walking was too slow for her. She crawls much faster and here decided that bear crawling was much better and you didn't fall down that much. She probably bear crawled around 50 yards before she decided to play. Also, at the soccer field.



All in all, she has taken everything in stride. We feel like she has always been part of the family. It is hard to believe that we have had her for 6 months (our post placement is this Friday.) She and Spencer have certainly brought us immense joy. Except when there is cryin'...poopin'...whinin'...fussin'...cussin'... destruction...but I digress.

She's comin' along

As with many orphan children, there are a few developmental delays. Yazi never has chewed her food. She bites it off with her razor sharp front teeth and then stores it in her mouth like a chipmunk. The food will sit there until it dissolves and then she can swallow. But, she is gaining weight (a good thing) and she is actually starting to use those muscles in her mouth more (I should say for eating as opposed to the screaming fit when she doesn't get her way). She is starting to talk more, she mimics many things, and most importantly she loves to smile.

But, we are excited to report that walking is here. She has stood on the side of the chair or couch for a long time, but never had the desire to let go. Here lately she stands on her own from a seated position. (we celebrate the little things). And now, she has progressed to walking. So, please join us in celebrating this milestone below:












Well, she's almost there...