It's a.....

I haven't posted much the past several months because I've been tired and have had other things occupying my brain. About 5 months ago, we found out that I'm pregnant! My due date is toward the end of October so I'm more than halfway there.

We are, of course, very excited about the baby that will be coming into our family soon. We get lots of questions all the time- - here are the answers. :-)

Yes, we are excited.
Yes, we're still adopting. Our decision to add to our family through adoption is independent of us having/not having biological children.
Yes, we were surprised, and at the same time, no we were not surprised.
Yes, I'm feeling well.
Yes, Elias is really excited. Then Elias always pipes up and says, "I can't wait to have TWO "babies" come into our family!" So then I respond...
No, I'm not having twins- we're adopting as well.
Yes, we're finding out what we're having.
No, we don't have a name yet. (And if we did I wouldn't tell you).

It's been an adjustment to be expecting a baby by birth after expecting our next Ethiopian child for so long now. Adoption is so up and down with twists and turns and heartache and so many unknowns. With pregnancy, I can pick up a hundred books at my local library or look at thousands and thousands of websites that tell me exactly what my baby is doing today, how I may feel or look, and give me pages upon pages of suggestions, remedies and opinions on how to handle any bit of uncomfortable feeling, ache, or pain.

It's amazing really the illusion of "control" all this information creates. No wonder people are afraid to adopt! For us it's been fun to experience the polarities of both experiences at the same time.

Now, on with the title of this post. We found out recently what we're having and decided to surprise Elias and the grandmas with a homemade cake announcing the gender. It was fun to celebrate together in this way!

GIRL!

Endeavor Games 2010

Elias had the awesome opportunity to participate for the second year in the Endeavor Games in Edmond, OK. We love the Endeavor Games for a million reasons, but especially because Elias gets to be with other amputee kids and this has proven to be really significant in his life. The EGs are also special because each individual gets to be exactly who they are without people staring or them feeling so different. Legs and arms are laying everywhere, and no one bats an eye. I love it!

Elias ran in the 60, 100 and 200 Meter races and also participated in "Softball Throw". The best part for him is that he medaled in each event- 2 gold medals and 2 silver medals! Every night I hear them clanking up in his room as he plays with them before bed. :-)

Here are some of our favorite pictures from this year. There is a link at the bottom of this post to pictures in the Edmond newspaper that show the whole story of the Endeavor Games (and not just my awesome son). :-)

Practicing with friends the day before the race

Taking rest on the field (and actually devising a strategy as his friends ran all the way around the track. He cut across the field and got right in front of them, beat them to the finish line and then cheered as if he'd been winning all along. Elias is SO competitive!)

Cousins Melinda and Kaden (along with 3 grandparents) got to come. It was so fun to have them there!

Getting ready to race on game day

Running the 100M race

Crossing the finish line

Getting ready to jump in Daddy's arms (tongue was out the whole race).

Funny faces on the field

Posing with friends at the Closing Ceremonies Banquet

Two of the medals

Click here and here to see the slideshow from the Edmond Sun Newspaper.

We can't wait until next year!

New kind of beer

The other day Elias was with me at a BBQ joint for lunch with large group of young people from our church. (By "young people" I mean younger than me. I'm old, so I get to say things like that now).


He thoroughly enjoyed all the attention he was getting from the YPs. With the focus of everyone on him, he took a big swig of his cherry limeade in a bottle and said,

"Aaaah. Cherry Limeade. It's like beer for kids".

Haiti Trip #2, Update 1

Chase has been in Haiti for several days now and is having an incredible time. Sounds like it's been exhausting, exhilarating, emotional, and a ton of plain ol' hard work.

Once he arrived home from his last trip just 4 weeks ago he hit the ground running with getting all the details in place to start the prosthetic clinic at Mission of Hope in Haiti. He said it felt like starting a brand new business in three weeks time for a clinic that is 2000 miles away. Throw in the cultural differences and resource limitations and general chaos and it was a tough job! He had lots of help from his boss and doctors and many others around the country who have pulled together to make this dream a reality.

A huge logistical component was ordering all the equipment and supplies for the clinic and getting them shipped just in time. In fact, the shipment was still in customs on Thursday morning, and customs was closing at noon that for the Easter weekend! Miraculously though every single piece of equipment arrived safely at MOH on Thursday evening, just in time for Chase and his crew to arrive and set up the clinic over the weekend. It was hard manual work but they got it all done!

Chase started seeing his first patients on Monday and hopes to have their legs or braces ready by the end of the week.

Today was an emotional day as he had to deliver devastating news to an 18-year-old boy that a prosthetic will not work for his leg due to the condition of his residual limb. This family lost their home in the quake, is living in a tent city and also lost their sister/daughter in the earthquake. Chase said that the conversation with this family today was one of the hardest he's ever had and they all broke down crying together. The only option this boy has is to undergo a second amputation on the same leg and then after it heals the boy would be a candidate for a prosthetic.

Our prayer is that God gives peace to this family to make the right decision and that the shame of disability and immense discouragement of today's news be redeemed by the plans God has for this young man.

Finally, one more story from today. Chase helped with food distribution outside the gates of Mission of Hope today and a riot broke out. Some people were injured and Chase was the ambulance driver to get the injured to the hospital. He said he is emotionally drained and appreciates your prayers!

Thanks for your love and support!

Letter to an amputee child in Haiti

msnbc.com is doing a spotlight on the amputees in Haiti. They have a special section of their website where they are following the stories of amputees in Haiti as they seek treatment and get their first prosthetic limbs.

A reporter contacted us last week and asked if Elias would be interested in writing a letter to a 4-year-old boy who is getting his first prosthetic leg this week. I sat down with Elias and showed him pictures of Schneily and asked if he could tell me a few things to write in a letter to him.

Elias said some of the sweetest things, all with no prompting from me.

His letter is on the msnbc website today: Dear Schneily, I'll be your friend

It warms my heart to know that Elias was an encouragement to this family who is enduring so much right now!

Pictures from Haiti Trip

Chase was fortunate to have a professional photographer (Kevin Morrison) in his group in Haiti. He took some great shots of Mission of Hope and the neighborhoods around Port Au Prince. Most pictures are labeled briefly underneath.

Picture of Mission of Hope with ocean in background

The people streamed in each morning to go to the clinic when the gates opened.

Waiting in line for the clinic

External Fixator (prevents amputation)

Presidential Palace

Tent City

Street in Port Au Prince

Lots of garbage and skinny dogs

Monument in city with humvee driving in front

Chase has been incredibly busy with getting all the details together for his next trip to Haiti. They are putting together an entire clinic, including construction to build out the clinic, purchasing and shipping all the equipment and supplies, filling out government forms, lining up volunteer staffing, and much more... all in just a few weeks time!

His team will leave next week to set up the clinic over the weekend, and then Chase will start seeing the first patients the following Monday. There are a million details that have to coordinate perfectly for that plan to be successful, so he appreciates your prayers!

Haiti Update #3

Chase is home! He had a phenomenal, life-changing trip and said he'd turn around and go back tomorrow if he could. He came back to a house full of out-of-town guests and then is back to work today. He hasn't really had a chance to even unpack his bag, but will hopefully catch his breath in the next day or two and then post some stories himself to the blog along with some pictures.

His last day in Haiti he sent me two pictures and a funny story that I'll post below...

This tent city sprung up in the days following the earthquake. Haitians that lost their homes or who are afraid of being inside because of the aftershocks fled the neighborhoods and came into this flat area and staked out places to live. Homes are constructed by pushing four sticks into the ground, then covering them with a sheet or blanket. Lucky ones have found tarps to place over the sheet. The rainy season starts in a just a couple weeks which is a huge cause of concern for the several hundred Haitians living in these tent cities.



This picture is the hospital at Mission of Hope being built on to existing clinic. The bottom layer is done. Red doors will be entrance to prosthetics clinic. Lots of turkeys and goats around with an occasional donkey.

One funny story: I was down by the clinic and heard what sounded like a woman wailing/screaming like she was in severe pain and anguish. My thoughts were filled with the images of legs being amped or bones being set. Wounds being cleaned/debreded. Oh what must be happening to this poor soul...

It was a goat. A darn old goat with what seemed like a case of heartbreak.