Update - Lily's Lip Revision Surgery

Hi all, I am just going to c & p my prayer letter here.  I had a post typed out on my phone and for some reason it would not publish.  I wanted to include some photos, but since the move I have not been able to locate our cable to download/upload photos.  Forgive the hasty post, but I know some of you aren't on instagram and have been waiting for an update :-).

Hi all,

Thank you all for your prayers!  We felt all of you standing with us yesterday :-).  

Praise the Lord - everything went smoothly.  Even though our surgery was delayed by almost 2 hours, Lily did not once ask for food. . . and was happy and interactive.  She was apprehensive about putting on her special tiger pajamas (AKA hospital gown) and I don't blame her.  I wanted to cry when I saw the tiny gurneys in the pre-op room.  Lily actually took some oral sedative (versed) and then fell asleep before she was even rolled into the OR.  So everything went better than anticipated pre-op.

The surgery lasted over 2 hours.  The plastic surgeon at Children's had to recreate the "defect" before revising her lip.  Basically - undo everything that the surgeon in China did.  So in the OR, she actually had a complete bilateral cleft lip again - before Dr. Urata stitched everything up from the inside out (all the upper lip muscles).  Unbelievable!  I can see why it took so long.  I can sew cloth - but cannot imagine sewing muscle and skin!

Anyway, we got called up to see her and she was quiet and groggy.  After some time, she was nauseous and threw up a few times - blood and saliva, and actually pooped on me too during the second wave :-).  I was never so happy to be pooped and vomited on.  I was so happy to see her and hold her in my arms again!  

She has to wear these nasal stents (think straws) in her nostrils for (hopefully) 4 weeks.  Although the surgeon did not work on her nose, the stents help hold everything in place while the upper lip heals.  Her upper lip is smaller now, and tiny and tight.  Dr. Urata says that it will stretch out over time.  She has no stitches that need to be removed - they are all dissolvable, and the top layer of skin is held together by Dermabond (skin glue).  

Lily is handling everything pretty well so far.  She knows she has an "owie" on her upper lip.  She slept well last night.  The thing that will be hard is keeping her away from "contact sports" for a few weeks.  Because as all of you know - almost everything is a contact sport to toddlers!!!  She has been eating some soft foods and talking up a storm (all the while trying to keep her upper lip still).  

We are so thankful for all of your support!!!  And I am so thankful to the Lord for His tender care and strength :-).  

Sorry I stopped updating on Instagram last night - I ran out of batteries on my phone.

Oh - please think of Aaron.  He is a little frightened by the whole thing and Lily's appearance with the crust and nasal stents.  In my anxiety leading up to the surgery, I did not spend adequate time prepping him for this.  

Love to all,

Chenning

Lip Revision Surgery Today

Hi all -it's been a long time. 

Photo from last night - a pre-bedtime run to Baskin Robbins as Lily has lip revision surgery today at CHLA. Surgery not until 2:00pm, but no food since midnight!  

We stocked up on Popsicles and juice since she can drink clear liquids until 11;00am. Oh I hate the fasting part - I dread that it will be tough for Lily. 

Please keep her in your prayers. Her plastic surgeon feels this is a necessary procedure to even out her upper lip. I don't know what to expect - but have received many encouraging words and reminders of the Lord's care and faithfulness from scripture and friends and family. 

I will update when I can. You can also follow me on instagram which has kind of become a micro-blog of our family. The kids right now are eating Popsicles for breakfast in solidarity of Lily's clear liquid diet this morning!

Painting like Michelangelo

Creation of Adam from the Sistine Chapel, by Michelangelo

We participate in Classical Conversations as part of our homeschooling.  The past few weeks we have been doing some units on art history - studying an artist and then doing a work in the style of that artist. This week it was Michelangelo.  We saw photos of the Sistine Chapel, discussed how Michelangelo painted the fresco in a supine position on scaffolding - with a candle resting on his forehead for light.  The kids got a taste of "painting like Michelangelo."  Fun stuff!

Happy Chinese New Year

We had a dumpling wrapping party!  Friends from church came over, and we made the dumplings completely from scratch - dough and filling!  It was very labor intensive, but so fun to talk and work together as the meal came together.

We had three fillings - the two pictured here are both with pork.  The one on the right has silken tofu in it - which is why it is a lighter color.  We also had a shrimpy filling (not pictured).

Lily had a ball "helping" with the dough.

Yummmm.  Look at that chewy goodness.

Little discs of dough waiting to be rolled out into skins for the dumplings.

Whole wheat skins, white flour skins, potstickers, boiled dumplings.  

Lots of fun wrapping with friends!  Dave and I received this dining table as a wedding gift from my parents almost 15 years ago.  It was purchased from an estate sale - so who knows how old it is.  I am so thankful now for all of the wonderful and special times we have had around this table!  When we were first married, it was just the two of us, and we would keep the table small - without the leaves in the middle.  Over the years as we have moved and added children to the family, it has taken on many forms - covered with a table cloth, with one leaf in the middle, then two leaves, used as a school table, a craft table, a kitchen table, and a fine dining table.  When we all wanted to do the dumping party, one of our friends suggested that we roll out the dough on our big dining table :-).

This photo shows Lily and Dave's special relationship :-).

After dinner we had a short time of worship together with everyone.  Matthew wanted to sing "Come, Ye Beloved of the Lord."  I have not sung that song in years.  I was touched anew by the words of that lovely chorus:

"Our God withheld not His own Son, the treasure of His heart,
Poured out for you.
Since He already gave His Son,
What now will He withhold from you His own."

Happy happy Chinese New Year!  I didn't have enough energy to put Lily in her silks this year.  Also, it is the year of the snake - which means that Matthew will be 12 this year, as he was born in the year of the snake - 2001.

Lately (and a correction)

Last weekend, Dave took the two older boys to Alcatraz Island with a family friend.  We have lots of pictures (and the history of the place is fascinating!), but the two I chose don't show the prison at all.

One of the most striking things about Alcatraz is the garden.  It has many species from all over the world thriving there.  It was so poignant when Matthew relayed to me about the prisoners having the privilege to work in the garden with good behavior - and how they would feel like free men when they were doing so.

Matthew lost a tooth on the trip to Alcatraz.  My oldest baby is almost 12, and has lost about that many teeth I think.

In other news, the older boys are progressing well with taekwondo.  This is actually an older picture, they have since tested to blue belt level!

The boys have also been learning to play basketball in our homeschool P.E. class.  Matthew and Nathan love it, but Aaron not so much.  In fact, the reason there are no photos of him is because he sat out of 3 of 4 classes.

The amazing Nathan is doing a drill here where the kids have to practice passing the ball from hand to hand between their legs!

And a correction - a couple of posts ago I wrote about the termite eggs.  Well, I have found out now that they are not termite eggs, they are termite poop :-(.  Don't know whether to be relieved or horrified on a different level.

Hosea 6:3

Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.

Things My Kids Say

I have a pile next to my washer of clothes that need to be washed by hand or on delicate.  Dave's brown North Face sweater had been lying there for a while.  When I picked it up and inspected it, I was disgusted to notice that there were (ew!) termite eggs all over it.  For those who have not been to our house, our washer and dryer are in the bonus room - a room made from what used to be the garage.  In that section of the bonus room, there is deteriorating insulation and ceiling above the washer/dryer.  I have NO DOUBT that there are termites all over this home, but since it is a rental we have been trying to avoid the trouble of tenting and vacating the premises and all those horrible chemicals and just stick it out.

I shook out the eggs (shivers) and promptly put the sweater in the washer on delicate.

When I relayed my unwelcome discovery to Dave, Matthew - who was in the next room overheard us. Here's how the conversations went:

Me:  Dave, I found termite eggs on your brown North Face sweater.

Dave:  (recoiling and sticking out his tongue) Ew!

Matthew (voice coming from the next room):  You found TERMITE EGGS?

Me (shouting):  Yes, but don't worry - I got rid of them.

Matthew:  WHAT?!?  You should have kept them for me!