LET IT SNOW!!
Now mommy may not be too fond of snow but the girls sure don't mind it. Reese didn't know quite what to expect at first. Every step she took to the bus she would shake the snow off of her boots. Now she thinks it is great. She played outside yesterday with Kendall and came in saying "ow, face hurts!" It was bright red and wet - it was about 20 degrees outside. Then she turned around and went right back out!
Enjoy the pictures!!

Ok, I had to throw a little Halloween diddy on here. Reese loved trick or treating with her sister, dad, grandpa and cousins. It rained but they didn't care. They had a riot.

Reese has finally gotten her hearing aid!!! She actually got it and we had to have it refitted and were without it for another week. Hopefully it is here to stay now. She is still getting used to it but wants to wear it most of the time. She just loves the fact that she can hear! She is trying hard to pronounce her words better but it will take time I think. I don't think that people that are not around her much would be able to understand her yet.
She is loving school and riding the bus. She stands outside every morning and says "where's the bus?" Her school has a support group for the families of the hearing impaired kids. Jeff and I kind of giggle at that....Reese is a normal 3 year old. We don't even think of her as having any sort of special needs. We don't require a support group for our other kids and they have their own issues too - so why Reese? I guess some parents are very disillusioned when they don't get a "perfect" child. We just love our kids for who they are.
Reese is finally becoming a daddy's girl. With mom being on crutches, daddy has taken over and she is loving it. He feeds her off of his plate, taught her how to chew gum, wrestles,puts her on the bus...and he can't kiss mom without giving Reese a kiss too. She is always asking where he is when he is working. She is even letting him put her to bed...BONUS!
More medical updates will come as they arise....

As I pull up our blogspot, I see that the last post was August 15 - what a slacker I am. Things are much busier with 2 rugrats! Reese was supposed to get her hearing aid on Wednesday but they called me the night before and said that it was backordered. big bummer for us all. hopefully it won't take too long. But on the bright side, Reese started school this week. We enrolled her in an oral deaf program nearby and she goes weekday mornings. There are 4 other little girls in her class and her teacher says that she fits right in. She can stay in this program as long as necessary - until we feel she is ready to mainstream into a regular classroom - hopefully by kindergarten. It is very nice because she can even take the bus and we don't have to travel as much.
There is my quick update - now off to work and the girls to Ama's.

We have now seen the plastic surgeon and as long as Reese's hearing aid gives her adequate hearing he wants to wait until she is at least 10 to do surgery. He said that the surgery all rides on how compliant she is - at 3 she will not be. There are a lot of tubes and suction involved and if she pulled one out, the surgery is history. There is no second chance. So, she should have her hearing aid in the next couple of weeks and we shall see. There is a possibility of her getting involved in some special stuff right now to help with her language development - since it is delayed for a few reasons. I have been told by the specialists in town that there are tons of options - from oral to sign. She will be evaluated for that in the next couple of weeks too.
In the meantime, the child has become a waterbug. In the last couple of weeks, she loves to be thrown in the pool or jumps in on her own off of the side. She has given up on the swimmies and just likes her 1/2 life vest. It is amazing. My dad said the other day, " is that the same girl we brought back from China?"
Reese loves to torture her sister - typical 3 year old - and is doing great with her sign language. We never have to question what she wants. Show her once and she's got it.
Reese started day care last week and loves it. She goes while I sleep after work and really enjoys playing with the other kids. I am so thankful that we found a good, Christian provider. She is a friend of a friend and is great and very close by - 2 minutes.
We shall see how often the updates happen now - I will do my best.
Blessings!!

I apologize that I have not updated in a little while. Having two kids now is keeping me on the run. (especially when one is 3). Reese saw the ENT last week and had a hearing test. She hears everything we say, it is just muffled to her. That is why we can't understand some of her English! She doesn't hear us clearly - but she will repeat everything. We will be getting her a bone conduction hearing aid and she will see the plastic surgeon in August. The ENT said they may not want to do surgery for a few more years - depending on what plastics thinks. Meanwhile the hearing aid will serve the same purpose as opening the ear canal.
Reese has adjusted remarkably well. It is hard to believe it has been almost a month since we have been home. I worked one day last week and one this week, then back to full time next week. She stayed with Kendall at mom and dad's and did great. They both slept until 10 am both times. She is a good sleeper and usually wakes up with a dry pull up. When she goes to bed, I turn on some music for her - kind of loud - and lay next to her for 5 minutes at the most. I then leave the room and she goes right to sleep.
She is a true drama queen. Everything is a big deal for a very long time. She scraped her knee 2 days ago and it was no biggie then. But 2 days later when the scab formed she whined about it for an hour. Some things we have to ignore because she is so melodramatic. Hopefully when she gets her hearing aid the drama at least won't be so loud!! She does make us giggle often though.
I will try to keep at least the medical part of our continuing saga updated...