FINALLY

I'm not even going to try to make excuses for the delays in getting to the blog. So many of you lead EXTREMELY busy lives so you understand how crazy life can be with an extra little one running around & a move into a new house!!!

Life continues to be exciting in the Nixon household. Madison has been to several doctors appointments, all with positive findings. Dr Gocco (ENT) reported that when he checked her ears, her left ear was completely clear & passed the hearing screening. The right ear had a small amount of fluid & just barely failed the hearing screening (she may pass with both ears once the fluid clears). Let me pause here a moment to THANK YOU all for the many prayers that we know were sent for Madison. As we have said many times, we will accept any challenge God gives us but we are so grateful that God has blessed Madison with the ability to hear with no interventions.

It still amazes me that Madison has only been in our household a little over a month. It truely feels like she has been with us all along. The boys continue to spoil her rotten - they love her so much. We also love to see her experience many first. Even little things like new foods are so much fun. She is adapting to American food very well (thus the 3 lb. weight gain). She also is becoming quite the "outdoor girl" which is great since our family loves to do outdoor activiites.

During fall break we stayed home and continued to work on the new house. We did manage a few local outings -Siegel park, Centennial Park/ Parthenon, playdates with friends, etc. The kids also got to have a fun day at the zoo with Nana & G-da (my mom & dad) while I went to work.

Another exciting event has been our big move to Milton. We officially live in the country - especially since there is a "Coon Hunters Association" just dow the road from our house. Although I am not a fan of moving, it is definately worth it. The boys spend hours outside looking for frogs, lizards, etc. We see deer on a daily basis & even saw a fox in our yard the other night as we were returning home. It adds a little to our drive time (only about 10 minutes) but the entire family LOVES being here.

Hopefully we will start to feel like we can get back into a "regular" routine soon (if there is such a thing). We appreciate all the comments, e-mails, calls, cards, etc from everyone. Thank you so much for your interest in our family & Madison's journey. We hope you continue to follow us & keep in touch

Trying to catch up

I'm discovering that having 3 children's schedules to keep up with is rather tiring so getting the blog updated has taken a back burner. Here's what we've been up to over the past few days:

Phil & I decided that since everyone was doing so well, we would have a quick family get away. We headed to Chattanooga on Monday afternoon, spent the night, then went to the aquarium on Tuesday. It was SO nice to spend time with the boys & Madison together. The boys are still learning about Madison's personality but they already love her so much. I'm so impressed with how they are each handling this huge change to our family.

Madison had her first pediatrician's appointment on Wednesday. Everything went well. Dr. Rosser said that she doesn't even show up on the growth chart (she's just SO tiny). However, she had already gained 5 oz since she was weighed in China. I guess that's what happens when your brothers are constantly feeding you. She is behind developmentally, as we expected she would be but we are already seeing her make progress & we will continue to be patient & watch as she flourishes.

Today Madison went to Patti Thigpen, audiologist. Dr. Thigpen ran numerous test & determined that she does have fluid on her ears. She also determined that Madison has a mild hearing loss that is probably not linked to the fluid on her ears. We will go to an ENT to determine the next course of action. We are so grateful for the news of a mild hearing loss. I know this sounds strange but we were initially told she had a moderate to severe hearing loss. Therefore, a mild hearing loss is a blessing compared to the alternatives. Some other good news - Dr. Thigpen said that this loss will probably not effect her speech & language development & will just require minor modifications (e.g. she will have more difficulty in crowded areas with conversational speech, etc).

We also would like to say thank you once again for all the well wishes, cards, calls, visits, etc. We feel so blessed to have so many people wanting to hear Madison's story. Our hope is that this blog will continue to raise awareness about adoption & the joys that it can bring to families. If you ever have questions about the process please contact us. God has given us this gift - we would love to share more of the story with you.

Jet lag Stinks!

Hanging out with boys

At Chicago airport - outfit made by

her grandmother, Linda Nixon

Sorry Madison, your brothers

thought this was funny

Wow- what a whirlwind. Today is the fist day I have even been able to look at our blog. Our friend Steve, who did the updates for us, did a wonderful job. We are so thankful to him for doing this since we could not do blog updates from China.

Now a little about our trip home. We left Guangzhou on Wed evening flew into Hong Kong. Had a quick nights rest then headed to the airport for our 14 1/2 hour flight to Chicago. Let me have a proud momma moment & say that Madison did AMAZINGLY well. I think she cried for about 30 seconds 1 time when she was trying to fall asleep. The people around us were so impressed. Once we landed in Chicago, we had to go through customs, immigration, etc. This is where Madison became an official US citizen. Our flight was delayed to Nashville but we finally made it home around 8:30 on Thursday evening. We had numerous family members & friends greet us. Let me apologize for those of you who thought we were arriving on Friday & had arranged to go to the airport to meet us. So sorry for the confusion.

Seeing the boys brought me to tears. We missed them SO much. They were more worried about seeing Madison than us, but that's understandable. Madison was a little unsure about all the chaos around her but she managed a few smiles. My sweet cousin, Ronnie came & took pictures for us but I don't have them yet. As soon as I get them from him, I will post pictures from the airport. After the airport, we went to our house with family. The house was decorated for her return home, dinner was waiting for us & she had a welcome home cake. We are so appreciative of all that family & friends did for us while we were gone. We are so blessed.

Jet lag has been hard on us (more Phil & I than Madison). Last night I gave in and took Melatonin. That is a wonder drug!!! I feel so much better today. I always thought jet lag was just feeling tired but it was so much more (light headed, stomach problems, etc). Madison was been staying in her routine as best we can but she has gotten up each night around 2-3 & been up for approximately 2 hours, then goes back to sleep until around 8. However, she doesn't seem affected during the day, She's her usual cheerful self.

Madison & the boys are quickly bonding. Sometimes it's difficult for them to understand when she doesn't want them to pick her up. They think she doesn't like them. They are learning that she needs her space sometimes & they are beginning to read her moods & personality. I'm so proud of how well they are handling this huge change in our family. They're great kids!

Wordless Wednesday

Final Appointment - consolate!

A

Our all-American girl will be a U.S.

citizen as soon as we land in America.

Aug. 31, 2010


Today we started out by going to the zoo in Guangzhou. It was an interesting zoo (lots of animals), but the conditions were rather depressing. The animals were in very small enclosures and had very little room to move around. Also, many animals seemed very thin. I guess the upside was watching Madison -- she loved seeing all of animals. I now know what everyone was telling me about the HEAT! This was really the first day we have experienced extreme heat. We have discovered that Madison is very hot natured (like her daddy and brother, Taylor).  

This afternoon we went to the U.S. Consulate. We completed our paperwork and did the swearing in ceremony. While she is still a Chinese citizen, as soon as she lands on U.S. soil, she will be a U.S. citizen. The lady that runs the adoption program for the consulate came out to speak to us about the importance of adoption and the changes she has seen over the last few years. Approximately three years ago, only 7 percent of the adoptees were boys.  Now, the number has dramatically increased.  The reason for the increase is the dramatic rise in special needs adoptions.

Ready for the zoo.

The majority of adoptions going through now are special needs. Of the 10 families we were with today at the swearing in ceremony, I believe all but 1 was special needs. The children's special needs can range from premature/low birth weight, cleft lip and/or palate, heart issues, etc. While many have issues that will have to be dealt with when they return home, many others have already had surgery or will just need to be monitored. Then there are cases like Madison's where we thought we were adopting a child with a moderate to severe hearing loss. As far as we can tell, her hearing seems fine. Of course, we will let the audiologist make the final call on this, but even if she has a minor hearing loss - we will adjust and deal with it and make sure she gets whatever she needs to help her. 

This may be my last post from China. Tomorrow night we leave our hotel to catch our flight to Hong Kong. Our flight does not leave until 10:40 p.m., so we will arrive at our hotel in Hong Kong after midnight. Then our flight for the U.S. leaves the next day around noon. We are all so ready to be home. This experience has certainly been like no other, and we will miss certain aspects of China. However, we want to be with our ENTIRE family and in our home, with our normal routine (well, at least normal for us). If I don't get to blog before then, watch for coming home pics.

Checking out the alligator.

Visit to Pearl Market

Aug. 30, 2010

Madison checks out pearls at the market.

Madison felt much better today; she was back to her cheerful self. Some of our group made a trip to the Pearl Market this morning. I've heard a lot about this place, so I was excited to finally get to go there. It was like going into a mall specifically for jewelry, several stories high, with many shops - all with various types of jewelry. Our guide took us to a shop owner who was a reputable pearl dealer.  We got Madison a small pink pearl necklace and bracelet for now, and we got her a double-strand bracelet for her wedding day. I must say, I was quite proud of my girl. She loves jewelry. When the sales girl was trying to figure out the size for her bracelet, she put out her little arm and watched patiently as she fit it to her arm. 

We were also able to go to some of the local shops and get some souvenir items (and Christmas presents). Phil is not a shopper, but he was patient with me as I went to various shops, comparing prices, etc. 

Fun with "Baba" (Daddy).

While walking around, we found a small Christian Church near our hotel.  Our guide told us that there are three primary religions in China - Muslum, Buddist and Christian. However, she said that most people in China follow no religion. We know that God led us here to get Madison, ultimately so we can lead her Him. 

The local Christian church.

Thanks for everyone's interest in our blog about our journey to Madison.  Even though we can't view it ourselves (due to blogging sites being blocked by the governement here), I've received e-mails from several people telling me that Madison has quite a following!

Another day in Guangzhou

Aug. 29, 2010

Madison enjoys playing with Daddy.

Last night was not a lot of fun. Madison woke up with a fever due to the shots.  However, after Tylenol the fever went away and did not return! She was definitely not herself today -- a lot less active, very quiet and a little more fussy. Several children had a much more difficult time so, again, we are thankful she just had a mild reaction to the shots.  

Today we went to a Buddist temple that was built more than 1,000 years ago. Some families did the traditional baby blessing by the monks, but we opted out of that. After Madison's afternoon nap, we went to the hotel playroom. Mattel/Fisher Price has set up a playroom in the hotel for the families adopting. There were probably about 10 families in there, which made Madison a little nervous. She stayed right with Phil or I (never leaving our side), but she still played. Phil would want me to add the part about Madison getting jealous. A little boy we know came up and was playing with Phil. Madison went up and pushed him away from Phil - this made Phil's day! This evening was spent out to dinner with some friends we have met here. While at dinner, we met another couple and began talking.  I'll make the story short - he used to work with my college roommate at Georgia Pacific in Atlanta.  Can you imagine running into someone in China who knows your college roommate?

Madison plays in the hotel playroom.

More about Madison: She continues to amaze us with her glowing personality. She is such a ham - already understanding when we are taking her picture. She is also very dainty.  Each time when she finishes eating, she wipes off her mouth, hands and eating area with her napkin. 

Please continue prayers for the children here and their families. We continue to see children struggling to bond with parents. Also - the parents of the older children are seeing frustration with communication issues (which is very understandable). 

The guys hanging out.

We are counting down the days until we come home to the boys. We miss them terribly but Skype has been a big help to all of us. We have talked at least once each day. Love to all from across the ocean.