Fevers, Cavities, Hearts and Balloons!

Today marks day 70 since getting our sweet Mia.

This week was a tough one for poor sweet Mia.  First she had to go to the dentist for the first time.  We knew she was going to have a number of cavities but we did not know what the extent of them or the number would be.  Poor sweet thing has 10 cavities out of her 20 teeth.  The good news is they are all surface and will not need any root canals or crowns.  Apparently with over seas adoption this dentist said that he has seen A LOT worse and that we were lucky.  Lucky with 10 cavities - YIKES! :(  We will get them filled over two visits the week after this and then the following week.  Mid-week she got a nasty cough and fever.  She was a bit whiny but overall handled it pretty well.  What cracked me up is that even though she was sick, she still wanted her "pretty" clothes on - meaning her dresses. 

Before she got too sick, it was Valentines Day and Mike and Logan surprised Mia and I with flowers and balloons delivered to the house.  Mia's eyes got huge, and when I told her they were from Logan and Dad she got a big smile and hugged the balloon monkey.  Of course my heart melted that Mike made our first Valentines Day with Mia special.  Normally I am not a huge Valentine's Day fan, but this year seemed different and it was nice to celebrate.  

Every week Mia is trying new foods.  This week she liked a chicken sandwich which is great since she REALLY needs the protein.  Fruit and yogurt (not together) are still the favorites and rice is the main staple. Noodles have taken a back seat.  I am sure she is just bored with them.

Except for the night where her fever was the worst, she has been sleeping like a champ, which means I get to sleep!  :)  On the weekend, Logan loves to camp out on her floor and they have a slumber party.  It is very cute.

No daycare last week but will go (depending on the weather) this week.  My challenge is the schedule.  To be honest, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the morning teacher but the afternoon teacher I am not crazy about.  Because Mia sleeps most of the morning, I struggle with whether sending her for such a short time is worth it (they go down for a nap at 12:30 and she has practically just gotten up).  Mia also has not really connected with any of the kids in a meaningful way.  I think it scares them when she cries and because they cannot really understand her, they just kinda stare at her.  Mia does not help the situation when someone is being nice and sweet and asks something like do you like me or do you like to play with me and she just scowls and says "No".  Not sure what is going on there because she LOVES to play with her brother and she supposedly loved playing with all the kids in the orphanage.  Ugh, sometimes being a parent and making all the right choices is just not easy.  

Mia is now asking me to sing to her a lot.  It is very sweet.  She climbs up into my lap and gets really relaxed and just wants me to sing and sing.  I am seriously running out of songs.  I need to google some new cute ones to sing.  I would love to hear what your favorite childhood song was.  That said, I do not think she cares if she has to listen to the same ones over and over.  Mia is also LOVING to play in her kitchen and is constantly bringing us "food".  She tells us what it is and then tells us that she is going to go make something else and runs to do it.  She can do this for an hour or more at a time.  She certainly gets her daily exercise going back and forth.  We took Mia and Logan to a movie this weekend.  We went to see Tangled per Logan's request.  It was her first movie and although she said it was big, she did not seem impressed. She did not cry or anything she just watched it and asked if they had Dora.  :(

Mia's English is improving with every day that goes by.  Everyday the ratio of English words to Mandarin words increases greatly.  Earlier in the week Mike and I were unpacking the groceries and Logan and Mia were playing in the basement.  All of the sudden Mia runs into the kitchen and says "Loga hu, Loga hu".  I knew she was saying Logan something but I was racking my brain for all my Mandarin words that sounded like "hu".  I was coming up with nothing and she was repeating herself over and over so fast.  Then, with a bit of frustration, she yelled "Loga I-O (that is not how to spell it)" which means HURT in Mandarin.  OMG!  I asked her if Logan was hurt and she said "YES!  Loga hu".  It was cute, she was trying to use English and I was trying to figure out what she was saying in Mandarin.  :)

Logan and Mia are continuing to get along brilliantly.  Every once and a while Mia does not want to share me with Logan, but she quickly gets over it and peace is restored.

Below are some pictures from the week.  Enjoy!  :)

Always a princess, even in the bath! 

Where is Mia?

Loving her brother and saying thank you!

She hugged this monkey ALL night - she even tried to figure out how to sleep with it!

Dad's little princess

My loves!

The flowers Mike sent when I got done with them.  Much more my style and Mia agreed.  See photo above.  :)

Even being sick is better with a pretty dress and cupcakes!  Thanks for the yummy treat Tappy's!  

Sick movie night picnic - Horton Hears a Who

With Grandma and Grandpa.

Sporting the new "Mia preferred" hairstyle!  :)

Update from the CKC (Crazy Krisher Casa)!

Today marks day 62 since getting our sweet Mia.

I had to go out of town this week on business.  As you all know, I love, love, love my job and it is a big part of me.  That said, I was pretty worried about leaving Mia and was nervous for Mike if she started to cry and wondered where I was.  Her and I are pretty much attached at the hip.  I started telling her I had to go on an airplane but that I would come back in a couple of days (just like I always do).  She seemed to be okay with the idea and even waved goodbye to me with NO TEARS at the airport even after she saw my luggage.  We are seriously making progress here people!  :)  So, she did not have any tears, but I did.  :(  We Skyped and she would talk to me, tell me she loved me and then say, bye-bye mama, I love you.  Again, she was fine but it was really hard for me.  Mike said it was a bit more work with two but they all did pretty good.  He is such a great dad.  I do not know what I would do with out him.

Mia is still loving watermelon and is now enjoying strawberries as well.  Rice and noodles are still the most requested mealtime items.  I think food is going to continue to be a long term struggle for the sweet girl.

Sleep is going well although she lays in her bed for so long before she actually goes to sleep and that is even without a daily nap.  We would love her to go to sleep earlier but know it will all fall in place in good time.

Because she is staying up so late and then sleeping in so late in the morning, we have not been doing daycare on a consistent basis.  I would just wake her up but honestly, I have never seen anyone so grouchy in the morning if you wake them up.  She is a holy terror.  When she gets up herself she is lovely.  Life is all about choices.  I am choosing to have a sweet girl all day instead forcing the daycare issue.  That said, we are going to have to figure something out soon because I really think once she gets used to it, she will love being with the kids and all the daily activities.

Mia LOVES singing!  She enjoys making up all sorts of songs and keeps singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star this week.  It is super cute and I love all of her little Mia versions.  :)

Mia is speaking English more and more everyday.  We have run into a few people who speak Mandarin and they try to talk to her but she will not talk back to them.  She MAY shake her head yes or no, but that is only if they are lucky.  She is pretty reserved when you first meet her so I am sure that is why, but I SOOOOOOO would love to hear her have a conversation with someone in Mandarin again.  I just think the language and hearing it would be so comforting to her.  Truth be told, when I was in the airport this week and heard the announcements being spoke in Mandarin, I got a smile on my face.  I have really started to love the language.  I SOOOOOOOO wish I could learn it - more than my broken Chinglish.  :)

Logan is continuing to amaze me as a big brother.  I sincerely could not be more proud of him.  He is so kind, patient and loving with his sister.  She is usually just as sweet back but not always!  :)  That said she just loves him to read to her and they play non-stop.  I keep wondering when the sibling bliss will disappear.  Could this really be it?  Could they really be this close and sweet forever?  I am not holding my breath, but I am starting to feel like maybe, just maybe.... 

Last, but a very, very special part of  last week was that Mia was baptized last Sunday.  Her and her cousin Jordan were both baptized at the same time so it makes it doubly special.  I cannot even begin to put into words how it feels to have gone through this journey and to think back at all the times I questioned and doubted.  I almost feel foolish.  God has truly hand picked this sweet girl to complete our family.  I am so blessed to have her in my life and will be forever changed.

Below are some pictures from the week.  Enjoy!  :)

Lights of my life!  :)

Mia LOVING Logan reading to her.

Mia loving on Logan...cannot blame the girl.  He is super amazing!  :)

First Cupcake...My brother's 40th Birthday Party

Those eyes just kill me.  LOVE HER!

Mia's Baptism - This is also where I went to school k-8th grade.

Always so comfy with her Dad aka Baba.

I baptize you in the name of....

Uh oh....where is Logan?  Mia is so proud of her baptism candle

God Bless Mia!  :)

Loving her Grandpa - ME TOO MIA!  ;)  He is THE BESTEST!

Grandma and Grandpa!

Mmmmmmmmm Cake.  She would not eat the chocolate cake because that had Jordan's name on it.  She would only eat the vanilla because that was HERS!  :)

See food anyone?  :)

So many beautiful presents.  Thank you everyone!

Our Princess!

Snow Day!

As most know we got hit by a bit of snow here in the midwest and many of the schools and businesses were closed for the last few days.  In that time, our FANTASTIC and TALENTED neighbor invited us down for some snow pictures.  We did not know how long Mia would last but thought it sounded like fun.  In less than 15 minutes, below are some of the pictures Jill was able to capture.  THANK YOU JILL CROSS!  You are super talented and we will cherish these pictures FOREVER!  xoxoxo 

   

 

My name is Mia!

MORE THAN TWO WEEKS SINCE MY LAST POST!  UGH!  :)

I wanted to post every week but as all you busy parents out there know, that is not always possible.  :)  I will do my best to catch you up on the crazy fun chaos at the Krisher house.

February 1st marks day 50 since meeting our Mia.  Although I was prepared for a lot, she AMAZES me EVERYDAY with how well she is adjusting to life.  She truly is the girl that we have prayed and waited for ALL of these years.  Mike and I were just commenting on how happy she has seemed lately.  We have always been awed on how well she was adjusting but lately she just seems to be getting happier and happier and a lot more relaxed.  I really think she is starting to let some of her walls down and is starting to let herself trust that we will be her forever family.

Mia is sleeping through the night most nights.  Every once in a while she will get up and be cold and want covered up again or be hungry and want a snack.  This is not something we were used to with Logan but given that food is still a bit challenging, we cut her some slack and give her a break.  That said, she does not seem to be making any habit of waking up and wanting food, it is just an occasional thing we are dealing with in the middle of the night.  :)

Food is still a challenge although each week she seems to add more and more to her list of "Mia approved" foods.  She is SO incredibly finicky.  One day she will love something and the next day want nothing to do with it.  That is SERIOUSLY challenging for me.  Rice, noodles and watermelon continue to be the top ranked foods.  

Mia has started using a lot more English words without being prompted.  It is so much like hearing a year and a half or two year old learn the language and start speaking.  Every day she learns new words and it is so exciting.  I LOVE hearing her use her English words but I am seriously going to miss her Mandarin.  She now is saying "my name is Mia" and when she sees a picture of herself she says "it's Mia".   Super cute. 

All of her medical tests came back great.  It appears she is only going to have to get the MMR vaccination as she does not have any immunity to measles yet.  We are so happy she will not have to get all of the series of shots babies normally get.

Babies and pretend play (cooking, playing nurse. etc.) continue to be her favorite quiet playtime things to do.  When Logan gets home she LOVES to play horsey with him, play catch and just about anything else Logan can think up.  She loves him SO much and I could not be more proud of him as a big brother.  He is simply AMAZING with his little sister!  Mia is also liking to have books read to her and Logan loves to read them to her.  It is very sweet.  One sudden switch in interest is cracking us up.  As I had posted before, Mia LOVED watching Kai Lan.  A few weeks ago Logan had bought her a Dora movie with is Christmas money.  We really did not expect for her to like it but instead of not liking it she LOVED it and now wants NOTHING to do with Kai Lan!  OH NO!  :)  We thought she would love Kai Lan because of the Mandarin used but NOPE, she is our little Spanish loving girl.  :)  One last interest of Mia's but certainly noteworthy is her love our our cat Alexi.  She loves that kitty so much (so do we).  Whenever she sees her, she says "kitty" in the most angelic voice ever.  She then proceeds to run up and grab our poor cat.  Alexi totally puts up with it but I do not think she is thrilled by any stretch of the imagination.  Mia on the other hand is ecstatic, giggling and kissing Alexi over and over again.  

Pre-school is going as well as can be expected.  I try to take 2 hours a day (which never happens consistently) and go sit with her.  I occasionally leave.  The first time I tried, I only left for 5 minutes (just around the corner) and within 5 minutes she was so upset and screaming for me that she got sick.  That was the worst.  Now we are up to an hour and 15 minutes.  She is truly warming up to her teacher (WHO IS SIMPLY THE BEST) and is even starting to interact with the kids.  I think this week I may try to leave her for the full morning session and see how she does.  I said, I MAY....this is a really tough thing to gage what is right and best....

As I mentioned, Logan and Mia are doing great together.  I REALLY hope this sibling bliss will last.  I am not counting on it and being 1 of 3 understand the reality, but honestly, my heart just melts when I see how sweet they are with each other.

Mia is continuing to get more snugly, affectionate and tells us she loves us over and over again all day.  

Mia is getting baptized with her cousin this Sunday and we are so excited to "officially" bring her into God's family since he has been the incredible orchestrator of this whole amazing journey and gift.

Below are some photos and videos from the last couple of weeks.  Enjoy!

Bust a move....

Sweet Mia....still LOVING the peace sign in many pics!  :)

...and again....

Always the jokester!

Femme Fatale

Poor Kitty!  :)

Loving her Kitty SOOOOOO MUCH!

What?  Is that the kitty loving her back for a second?  :)

Mia LOVES to sing her prayer "Jesus Loves the Little Children" - Not their best recording but still cute.  :)

Outtake