Gracefromchina: June, 2007

Wow! I just looked, and I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted. We just got back from Indiana for the double Dedication of our niece and nephew, Ava and Jacob (not twins, just born close together in the same family, with the same invite list) It was a lovely ceremony, even if we did hold things up a bit by arriving 15 minutes late. It's the three kids thing that gets us every time! The kids had a great time running around with all their cousins and extended family. We're reminded how much progress Grace has made when we see people who haven't seen her in a while. To us, it's such slow going, but after six months, you really can tell a difference. Speech therapy has started up again for the summer and we're starting to see little break-throughs. She's getting better at imitation, even if it's just in the tone and not the pronunciation. She's up to six dependable words and many more individual consonant sounds

Each time we do it, I can't believe it, but we've almost succeeded in teaching her to say "NO!" Only she says it backwards, "OOOOOOON" But you definitely get the point.

Her other new trick is riding a bicycle, not just a trike, but a real bike with training wheels up and down the sidewalk. I had the bike out for a friend of Lily's to use while she was here and the next thing I knew, Grace hopped on and rode it down the driveway. She's just as pleased as punch and even has her own helmet to wear now, which she picked out herself at Target (flowered, in case you were wondering)

With the help of our friend, Laura, and a woman she knows who translates between Chinese and English, we were able to call Grace's foster family in China and even let them hear Grace say a few words. They had lots of questions and were all gathered around the phone to listen to her. It was very sweet. Of course, Grace had no idea who was on the other end, but she performed dutifully.

We visited the cleft palate surgeon this month and he has decided to wait for her next surgery until she's about five years old. He wants to work on her lip and nose some more and do a few more minor corrections on the palate, but since her speech is finally starting to progress, he doesn't want to mess with that right now. He also feels that she'll be more aware, and therefore compliant, when she's somewhat older. I'm personally relieved. I know she'll need it someday, but for now I think she looks just fine and another surgery so soon might really set us back a ways.

School has been over for several weeks now and we're still keeping busy. The weather has been fabulous and we've spent lots of time at the pool. My basketball coaching has started up again. We get three weeks in the summer to practice, so last week and this week have been two of those. Michigan finally decided to join the rest of the country and allow the girls to play in the winter (my sensibilities as a Hoosier can finally be put right) so the season won't start until November. I have agreed to coach an 8th grade team in the Fall because, for some reason, the Middle Schools aren't switching until next year. I will be coaching the JV Girls team at the High School this winter. The girls have enjoyed coming to the team camps this week to sit on the bench and watch the games. I usually take one at a time and get a sitter for the other two. Grace doesn't get to come along yet, maybe next year. I'm excited about getting to be a head coach this year, if only so that the slight paycheck can cover the cost of all the sitters we're going to need! But also to get to lead my own team and get back into the swing of coaching. The 8th grade team has some very strong talent, and best of all, nobody can get moved up! The JV is very small in numbers, so I may get to do some pilfering from the Freshmen, who also have several kids who could play up. Should be fun.

Grace and I went to Minneapolis to visit my friend, Andrea, who just had a baby not too long ago. She was a great traveller and we had a wonderful time going to the playground, eating out and generally spending some Mommy-Gracie time together. Minneapolis is a great city, and I would even consider living there, but since you have to take a Michigan winter (which just about does me in every year before it's finally over, anyway) and subtract about twenty degrees or more most of the time, I don't think I would make it.

On a sadder note, if you've been reading this blog for a while, you might remember my trip to Germany in November to visit a good friend who was quite sick. He passed away last week. Ironically it was from a condition unrelated to his cancer, but his family feels that it was all for the best, as he was in considerable pain and it could have spared him quite a bit of difficult time. Lothar was truly a person who lived life to the very fullest. He was joyful and intelligent and never missed an opportunity to learn something new from the people and places around him. He was a kind of father figure to me and I always looked to him as an example of how someone could continue to live an engaging life, even as he got older. He and his wife, Ruth were devoted to each other in a way I have rarely seen in my lifetime. I'll never forget looking out at my own wedding and seeing them holding hands as Dave and I exchanged our vows. He is a person whose absence will definitely leave a hole for everyone who was close to him. Hamburg will never be the same without him.

In addition, Dave's father is very, very sick, as well. He has been in and out of the hospital over the last week and is currently in the ICU. He is alert and communicating as of today. The girls and I came back to Michigan tonight, but Dave stayed in South Bend to be with his family. It's been a very rough ride for all of them over the past few years, but this time seems to be the worst yet. I don't know what will happen from here, but we could all use some positive energy thrown our way.

On those notes I will leave you for this month ( perhaps I should be honest with myself and begin billing this as a monthly blog, anyway) Know that we are all safe and well and thriving as a family. Till next time, here's what we look like now: