God Has Answered - Again { Part 1 }

It recently occurred to me that perhaps many of you do not know the story behind the name of our blog.  A couple years ago we were going through a time in life where we felt that God was calling us to serve Him in a more complete way.  About this time we were contacted about the need for families to go to a mission in Colombia and we wanted to be open to whatever came up.  So we pursued this possibility for a couple of months.  It did not seem doors were opening, and we were not wanting to force our way through.

It had always been our desire to adopt again and we really wondered how this could all work out.  So when it seemed that we were not going to be moving to Colombia at this point we looked at each other and said, "Why not adopt now?"  And we were off!

Everything fell into place very quickly.  We chose to go though Gladney since we had a very positive experience with them in Annika's adoption.  We quickly decided that the China Waiting Child program fit our family well and about a month later, when we were still early in the paperwork gathering phase, we saw this little girl on Gladney's photo listing.  She was so cute!  But she was listed as having "multiple special needs".  We had no idea what that might mean, but it sounded pretty scary!




One of the first photos we saw of Eliana.

Around this same time I watched one of Gladney's webinars. In this particular webinar they were focusing on boys who were waiting for families.  Just before the webinar I prayed that if we were supposed to consider this little girl that she would be included in this webinar about boys.  And guess what?  Just at the end they said, "I know we are talking about boys today but I do have one little girl I want to show you..."

We sent an email requesting her file that evening.  And we fell in love with this little girl.  The rest, as they say, is history.

We knew that this very special little girl needed a very special name.  I spent days and days searching for the perfect name.  It had to have a special meaning.  It had to be very feminine sounding.  And I really wanted to find one that started with a vowel (like Erin and Annika).  I made lists and tried them out on Keith in the evening.  But the perfect name wasn't easy o find!

And then I found it.  Eliana.  A Hebrew name meaning, "God has answered."  It met all of my "requirements"! We decided to use Peace as her middle name.  "God has answered. Peace."

And that is how I came to call this blog "God Has Answered".  I am going to stop this saga here for now as it is getting rather long, but I want to tell you about the opportunity I alluded to here and another situation our family is facing that requires trust in God's perfect goodness.

It seems our family is being stretched right now. God is good.

A Potty Update (because I'm sure you want to know...)

We have moved on to real true teeny tiny panties most of the time.  Eliana is a potty champion!

And this Mama is so happy because potty training is just a necessary evil in my mind.  And since I have never figured out a way around it, I'm just always thrilled when I begin to see that we are getting through it.

Why does standing in front of waterfalls seem appropriate for this post? 

Right along with this potty thing has come a very independent streak. When you offer to hold her hand she crosses her little arms in front of her and marches along on her own.  Of course this is not always cute and, thankfully, she doesn't generally protest too much when she has to hold hands.  But it does signify a general shift and growing up that is good to see because it is so normal and natural, and yet is hard to see because I always dread my babies getting all big and independent.

My independent hiker clambering over rocks all by herself. 

 

The Sweetest Gift...

Is one that is given with love and delight in an unexpected moment of an ordinary day.

Favorite Photo Friday

When I needed a model to try to capture the light coming through the trees,  Eliana was glad to oblige.  She didn't mind being hauled out to the yard when she was ready for bed, not one little bit.  As a matter of fact I believe she rather enjoyed it!

It is amazing the amount of joy this little girl adds to our family!  She is so sweet and happy!  She finds such incredible pleasure in the small joys of life.  I think she has helped all of us to slow down and enjoy the moment.

I'm linking to Favorite Photo Friday over at The Long Road to China.

Potty Time

A certain little girl and a certain mother have been having a bit of  conflict recently.  You see, one of them thinks it is potty training time.  The other has been very resistant to the idea.  The little girl's daddy sides with her. So... I have little choice but to give in.  Eliana wins.  Its potty time at the Martins!



Once the very important connection was made that when you go potty you get candy we have been quite successful.  She perches on the edge of the toilet and says with great determination, "I go potty. I want candy."  She even goes so far as to try to convince me that she went when she didn't.  She peers into the toilet and says, "Yay! Good girl! Get candy!"  Then looks at me out of the corner of her eye. 

She has been asking to wear panties and go potty for a little while, but I always had a good reason to put it off.  After school is out... once we are home from Indiana... after our company leaves...  She became more and more insistent, "I want go potty!" and I gave in even though we still have company.

So please, y'all, wish me a dry day.

In other news, when I asked Eliana my every morning question, "Who does Mommy love?"  She answered, "Eliana!"  She has always said "Xing Yao" before.  It was so sweet.  But kind of sad.  I think she becomes more Eliana and less Xing Yao everyday.

Goodnight, My Angels...

Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes
And save these questions for another day
I think I know what you've been asking me
I think you know what I've been trying to say

I promised I would never leave you
Then you should always know
Wherever you may go, no matter where you are
I never will be far away.

Not very good at pretending to sleep.

Goodnight my angel, now it's time to dream
And dream how wonderful your life will be
Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this lullaby
Then in your heart there will always be a part of me

A few seconds later.

Someday we'll all be gone
But lullabies go on and on
They never die
That's how you and I will be

P.S. If you have never heard the King's Singers sing this song it is well worth your time to do so.  It brings tears to my eyes every time.  You can see it here.

Three Months Home!

Three months have slipped quietly by since we arrived home from China with our sweet baby girl.  It seems like yesterday and it seems like forever ago all at the same time.  It is hard to imagine life without her.  The other evening I commented that the girls and I had eaten at a certain place once upon a time.  Suddenly it hit me, no Annika and I ate there before Eliana was home!

Some facts about Eliana at three months home:

• She has gained 4 pounds.
• She has grown 2 1/2 inches.
• She understands English very well, she seems to comprehend most of what we say to her.
• She has a nice list of English words, phrases, and sentences that she uses regularly. Some of her favorites are: "Shut the door!"  "Stand in the corner!" (loves this one)  "Good girl"  "Bad boy" (never good boy and never bad girl, but she does call the boys good girls...) "I want shoes on!" "See ya" "I wuv lou"  (I love you)
• She now says "goodnight" very sweetly as we walk out the door after putting her to bed.
• She loves, loves, loves to sing and has learned many new songs.  Generally you can't understand the words but the tune is spot on.
• She has overcome many of her fears.  She used to scream when she saw stuffed animals and dolls, she now plays with them happily.
• She has started going places with Keith even if I am not along. (This is huge!)

We marvel over and over at how perfectly she fits into our family.  There is no question in our minds that God brought us together, and we are so very grateful that He did!

Oh, and by the way, the cheese turned out great! :)

Her Little Wounded Heart

This is a post that has been rattling around in my brain for a long time.  I have started it several times and always aborted the effort part way through.  You see, her little heart has been wounded, but it is her heart we are talking about here and no mother lightly speaks of the wounding of her precious daughter's heart.

First let me tell you a little about Eliana.  She is precious!  She has the sweetest personality of anyone I know.  She is very affectionate and gives us dozens of kisses in a day's time.  She is generally within a few feet of where I am and is often holding onto me (seriously, it is a good thing I wear dresses all the time, a skirt gives her a little more freedom to hold on and still be able to play).  If she is holding my hand she kisses it over and over.  Most mornings she comes over to our bedroom at around 5:30 to enjoy some drowsy cuddle time.  This morning I was whispering to her that she is "Daddy's girl and Mommy's girl" and she nodded her sleepy little head in agreement.  Precious, precious moments!

But she is oh so fragile!  Both physically and emotionally.  It is painful to realize that her clingy little hands symbolize her needy little heart.  She really does not understand that we are not going to just disappear one of these days.  Annika went with Keith for most of the day recently.  Eliana kept asking for her all day.  Of course we assured her that Annika would come back soon.  She cried when I gave her a bath and got her ready for bed.  "Annika" was all she said.  When Annika walked in shortly thereafter she screamed in delight.  And laughed.  And celebrated loudly.  And could not stop kissing her.  And it broke my heart.  She doesn't know.  My baby doesn't know safety and security.  She doesn't know what having a family means.

We have heard a lot about "orphanage behaviors" as we adopted our girls.  We never saw any of the "typical" things with Annika.  We do with Eliana.  She rocks herself and sucks on her fingers, totally zoned out, while she is going to sleep.  She has had difficulty with food textures.  She flinches when you make a sudden movement near her face.  It is hard to see.  We cannot help but wonder what all she experienced before she came to us.

But... she is healing.  Her little wounded heart is learning to trust.  Her little hands still cling, but no longer only to me.  She is learning that she can find security in Keith as well.  It is the most amazing thing to be her parents.  We get to be the ones who show her the love that comes from the One who "heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds..." 

Made it to Guangzhou!

Eliana is truly amazing!  Yesterday morning started early (have to love that good old jet lag!) and apparently we were a little too noisy because little Eliana was up by around 5.  We got all packed up and there was simply never a quiet time for her to be able to take a nap.  Check out time was noon and we were going to grab a quick bite to eat before our guide came at 12:30, but he came early so there was not time to get anything.  I had some snacks for her so I knew she would be fine for a bit.  So it was off to pick up the last of our paperwork in Shanghai.

Our guide then dropped us off at a shopping area where we had a couple of hours to browse and get something to eat.  I had her in the Ergo carrier and she fell asleep for a few minutes as we walked and grabbed some lunch at McDonald's.  By now we were all very tired!  Eliana does not really want Keith to carry her when we are out and about like that.  And while I am more than glad to do so it is exhausting!  She only weighs around 26 pounds, but even that gets heavy after a while!



Shopping in Shanghai!

Anyway, our guide picked us up around 3 to head to the airport.  Since we are here over one of the biggest Chinese holidays, we wanted to get there in plenty of time just in case it was overly crowded.  As it ended up, we still had about 2 hours to wait for our flight once we were through security.  We got something to eat for our, by now, very hungry little girl then found a place to sit down.  Eliana played and was generally sweet and happy.  I'll have to admit that by now it was become a bit of a struggle for me to be as sweet and happy as she was being!



Watching airplanes.

Finally we boarded the plane.  I really expected a struggle with needing to strap a very exhausted little 3 1/2-year-old into a seat.  But no, she was totally enchanted with the seat belt and buckle.  Throw her own personal light into the equation and a magazine out of the seat pocket and you had delight and entertainment for as much of the flight as she could keep her little eyes open. She did cry briefly when we were landing, but that was it.

She went soundly to sleep as we were driving to our hotel and only woke up briefly as I put her pj's on her.  She whispered her own special little sound she makes when she wants a bottle and made the accompanying hand motion.  I was more than glad to give her this comfort!  She barely even started drinking it before she was out again and now it is 7:15 AM and she is still asleep.