Over the river and through the woods...

A little time with Lizzie

To Grandmother's house we go! We just got back from a weekend of visiting. We grabbed Lizzie on Friday morning, on our way past Columbia and went on to my parent's house where Claire got to spend a day bonding with her big sister and visiting with Aunts, Uncles and cousins! We celebrated my baby sister's birthday and went to a birthday party for Miss Casey Prince, my best friend's baby and Claire's new buddy! Claire did so much better with all these people now that she is more comfortable with us! She played on the floor, let people hold her and "talked" to everybody! The change in her from one month ago is really neat to see!

Snuggle time with Uncle Charles

Isabel and Aunt Jennifer

I got Uncle Mark wrapped around my finger already!

Here we go!

We knew when we adopted Claire that her extensive medical needs would mean a frenzy of activity, especially at the beginning. Now that we have our first month behind us we are embarking on the next part of the journey for Claire.

As most of you know, Claire was born with spina bifida and club feet. The next few months will be spent accessing these defects and deciding what can be done to help her overcome them. We began today with an MRI to determine if she has any level of hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is sometimes called "water on the brain". It is a condition that occurs when cerebrospinal fluid builds up in the cavities of the brain. Cerebrospinal fluid is continuously circulating around the brain and the spinal cord and is drained into the circulatory system. When a blockage of the drainage occurs, the pressure inside the skull can damage the brain. Claire is at risk for this because she was born with spina bifida and 90% of people with spina bifida, also have some degree of hydrocephalus. The doctors in China did not diagnosis Claire with this condition, however, they also did not CT her head. Therefore, we felt it prudent to address the possibility as soon as possible to give her the best chance at a recovery if any damage has been done.

Getting ready for the MRI

Wednesday, Claire will have an appointment with the International Adoption Clinic for a comprehensive exam and developmental evaluation. This appointment will help us determine what services and therapies she might benefit from. They will also do blood tests to find out what Claire is already immune to so we will know which of the vaccines she has already had succeeded and which vaccines she needs to have now!


On Thursday we will head to see the neurosurgeon. He will have had time to get the results of Claire's MRI and will be ready to let us know his diagnosis. If she does have hydrocephalus, it is our understanding that she will be scheduled for placement of a shunt. A shunt is a device that will pump the excess fluid out of her brain cavities and into her abdomen. Obviously, we are hopeful that Claire will not need this procedure and just happens to be in the small 10% of people that do not have hydrocephalus. However, having a shunt is a pretty minor thing. Children all over the country have them and go about their daily activities like any other child.


Well, this is just the beginning! From our Adoption Clinic appointment we will get a referal for the Spina Bifida Clinic. At the Spina Bifida Clinic we will get to see more developmental specialists, an orthopedist, a urologist and a neurologist.


Buckle up! This is going to be one busy summer! Please know that all the prayer coverage and support has been felt and appreciated. We would love it if all our family and friends would continue to keep Claire in their thoughts and prayers everyday. She is still adjusting to us, and now we have to subject her to poking and prodding! We are doing only what we feel is best for her and our prayers are that we will have the wisdom to know which doctors, which procedures, which therapies will benefit her most! We are truly amazed by her spirit and her abilities every single day and we know that with the right care she will be unstoppable!





Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." ~Matthew 19:26

Sweet Feet!

When we first realized that we had accepted a child that not only had spina bifida, but also club feet, I immediately began to search for information on correcting her feet. Of course, we weren't sure if she would ever walk regardless and correcting her feet would be a moot point. But just in case, I wanted to be prepared. Of course, once we got our hands on her, we realized fast that our girl is going to walk one day!

During my research I came across a non-surgical method for correction call the Ponseti Method. It was created by Dr. Ignacio Ponseti, a native of Spain, who has been practicing at the University of Iowa since 1944. His technique uses a series of casts, followed by a brace to correct club feet. Dr. Ponseti is still practicing at the ripe ole age of 94 and actually looked at emailed pictures of Claire's feet and let us know that she does, in fact, have club feet and they can be corrected using his method. I was also able to find out during my research that a few other doctors, who were trained by Dr. Ponseti, are very successful at treating older children and children with spina bifida. Unfortunately, the doctors here in Charleston are not so experienced in the Ponseti method or with correction of older children. Most children have their club feet corrected with a few months of life and therefore, Claire is considered an "older child" in terms of correcting her feet. We also know that surgical correction can cause muscle weakness and possibly pain later in life. Claire already has muscle weakness and we do not want to do anything that might prohibit her chances of walking! So, we applied to the Shriner's Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri to have Dr. Matthew Dobbs correct Claire's club feet. Dr. Dobbs is considered one of the top Ponseti doctors in the country, under Dr. Ponseti himself, so we feel very confident that he knows what he is doing. He also works at a hospital that specializes in treatment of children with spina bifida, so were pretty sure that issue is something he has dealt with too. Yes, that is a long drive from Charleston, SC. But it is one we are willing to make if it means that our Claire will get to walk one day!

We got word on Thursday that Claire was accepted! They actually wanted us to be there today but that was not a possibility so they gave us a second choice...June 23rd! So, this weekend we will drive to St. Louis for Claire's first casting! We will stay in the Midwest until the following week so we can have her 2nd casts put on and return to Charleston the first week in July. At that point, she will have at least 2 weeks before she goes back for another set of casts. We are very excited for Claire that this is going to happen so soon! She will be walking on straight feet before we know it! Feel free to join us on this journey too!

One Month!

June 12th was one month since the day we met Claire! She is doing great and has come a long way from that timid toddler that was so attached to Daddy and would push me away! It has been amazing to watch our little girl come out of her shell! Don't get me wrong, she is still very shy, but she has so much personality that she was just hiding until she got to know us better. Her babbling is turning into parroting! The kids love to see if she will repeat the words they say to her. So far she has said: Claire, chair, books, go Papa, see Meme, dirty shoes, socks, and no! But, she still uses her own little made-up signs and signals to communicate her needs and desires. And, she falls to pieces if you say the word "no" to her!

She gives kisses now!

Things we know about Claire:

• she loves sunglasses and mirrors!
• she can do simple puzzles!
• she still hates to take a bath!
• she DOES NOT like dogs!
• she loves cheese sticks, grapes, yogurt and raisins...oh, and M&M's! But her favorite food is cherry tomatoes!
• she WILL NOT eat meat!
• she still loves her socks and shoes..... but the jacket mysteriously disappeared as soon as we got home!
• she LOVES to go anywhere in the car!
• she is very moody after her nap.
• she learns something new everyday!

Water!

It's summer and we live in Charleston, SC. Water is a big part of our summers! But, anyone that has been following this blog knows that Claire is not a fan of water! We belong to our neighborhood pool but she is not the slightest bit interested in taking a dip. We got her a little kiddie pool but she lost it when I tried to put her in it. So, we eased in!

Sitting outside the pool while playing in it!

Sitting in the pool on a stool!

Thinking about sitting in the pool!

Sitting in the Pool!!!

Then we took her to Paul's aunt's pool which is much smaller and less crowded. She did much better than at the big neighborhood pool.

With my Daddy!

Chillin in a floaty

Here's hoping she loves the beach! We spend almost as much time there as we do at the pool!