A Long-Anticipated First

Tomorrow is the first of our US doctor’s appointments for Primrose. I have a certain amount of anxiety about this, most of which centers on making sure we’re doing what needs to be done to get all the information we need as quickly as possible. This is my job now. I’m made for this kind of thing, let me at 'er. (Please let me not come across too "Whacko Rabid Mom". At least not in the first appointment.)

We have had the good fortune of getting a response from the specialist in Cincinnati who trains all the other specialists in her condition. This guy invented the procedure done to kids born with her birth defect. Our new local pediatrician has insisted on waiting to order any of his required information until after this appointment, which took almost a month to get. This local gal is supposed to be an adoption specialist pediatrician, so we’re giving her a chance for now. I am trying to have a decent attitude going in. It annoys me that she wouldn’t at least schedule the things the specialist requested. I will be a very squeaky wheel if there are delays because of this pediatrician.

Primrose may need no other follow-ups. She could be as whole as she appears, which is to say she is 100% as healthy as an adorable little… feisty but cute animal? What would that be, like a hedgehog or something?

Speaking of hedgehogs, she adores animals of any kind.
Fish in particular make her shriek with joy.

I would love prayer for the doctor to have clear information, to miss nothing and to act promptly on whatever needs action. The icing would be that the appointment and likely blood draws and other procedures not be too traumatic for our girl. Other families are reporting pediatricians needing to take up to 9 vials of blood. That could be tough with a little bit of a 19 month-old. That could be come-back-tomorrow-to-finish tough. I bet you $50 she is going to know a hospital when she sees one, and she is not going to like it. I wouldn't if I were her. She surprises me daily with her chutzpah, though, so maybe she'll waltz in and out without batting a long, lovely eyelash. 

FangFang eats like a horse, runs around happily all day, sleeps like a champ, laughs easily and often. She's scary-smart. She doesn’t seem to have any persistent problems from her birth defect, which may have only involved her lower digestive tract and perhaps minor deviations in her lower vertebrae.

Turn your volume down because this girl is HAPPPPYYYYY about fish:

Every day I try to replace this worry with gratitude. We have friends who are dealing with things far worse. My parents’ friends, our extended family members are trudging along with things that are absolutely no fun at all and may go on to devolve from there. We are grateful for all the gifts we’ve been given and I include Ms. Loves-Bananas in that “we”. We are blessed upon blessed.

No joke, she brought me this famous book
after disappearing down an aisle in the kids room at the library.
I actually looked to see if a librarian planted it, but nope.
I think she likes it for the banana.  

She "reads" books to us. I can't seem to catch a video, but it involves a lot of
Mandarin-babble, darn near Shatneresque emoting and squealing. 

We’ve been talking to the boys about the meaning of the word “fair”. Fair doesn’t mean equal. Fair doesn’t really exist and isn’t something worth longing for (though justice is, but it's not usually what we think we want). Fair seems beautiful and appears to equal “happy” but it’s never really there in the first place. Anyway, I think we can safely say we’ve been given so much more than fair.

So much on top of all the “nice” is packed in our house, what should I find to fuss with and worry over? I hold our little soft-haired beauty and she lets me tickle her neck and it’s almost ridiculous. Thank you, Lord, for these gifts, for this busy life and for this particular living. 

The camera smile!