The Journey to Mei: The dreaded day

Well, that dreaded day is upon me. Tomorrow I go back to work. Don't get me wrong, work is great. But it means leaving my girls, and that creates sadness in my heart. I wish things were different, that I could stay home with the girls full time, but that is not reality. So back to work I go. Wish me luck! And please pray that Mei will understand and be able to adjust to the change. While she is adjusting well, she is most strongly attached to me. Others can come and go around the house, but she prefers that I be the stable fixture. When I explained that I was going to work tomorrow and she would stay with Jad and the girls, she said "No Mama! Mei Mei with Mama". She didn't like the idea either. :(

So much has changed over the last two months. In early April, we had photos and videos of Mei and couldn't wait to put our arms around our new dauther. We read that she was active and didn't let her special need slow her down, but her pictures also seemed to reveal a shy and slightly reserved child. Since then, our lives have been filled with a sweet, vivacious, energetic, and sometimes bossy young lady. I love her bold personality. Today, she skipped up for the children's sermon. She was ready to go have fun with all the other kids. Lainie holds her hand when she is uncertain, but those times are shrinking daily. I am so thankful that she has big sisters to watch over her. They are normal sisters, arguing at times while seeking each other out to play other times.

Lainie had a friend over this weekend for a sleepover. I was interested to see how that would turn out. Sometimes a third person in a mix causes issues. Lainie and her friend included Mei in everything. They spent an hour and a half playing hide 'n seek, laughing and squealing all the while. Kailee even joined in on the fun. I was so impressed with how Lainie's friend saw Mei instead of her special need. Of course, it's hard not to do this. Mei has such a big, bold presence which outshines and over shadows her special needs.

Mei decided this week that her name was Kinnley Meilynn, and the name Mei Mei (means little sister in Chinese) is reserved for her dolly. We tried to accommodate, but it is surely hard to change her name mid-stream. :) So in the spirit of doing better with her requested name, here is Kinnley Meilynn's recent vocabulary: "One, two, three, go!", "Ready, set go!", "Kailee, wait for Mei Mei", "Mama, you need to be careful", "Lainie, be nice", "Mei Mei go church see Tami", "Mama, this is spicy", "Lainie help Mei Mei", "Jaci, one more time with Mei Mei", "Bless you, Jaci", "One more Slim Jim, please. No, two more Slim Jim, please!", "Baba tickle Mei Mei", "Who is that?", "There we go", "Mei Mei hungry", "That a baby cow", and of course my fav "I love you". :)

I've uploaded some random pictures taken over the last several weeks. Hope you enjoy!