Tuesday, February 15, 2011

It's Nice to be home... Again.








First of all, let us wish you all a Happy New Year and welcome in the year of the rabbit. We know to most of you the lunar new year is not much more than a 5 o'clock news mention, but after witnessing all the prep, excitement, and good cheer it generates in Asia, it has become an important new tradition for us to embrace.

If you wondered if we were done blogging, lost internet access, or were just lazy, the answer is... none of the above. We intended to stay in touch more frequently; however, little Marin was hit with an unexpected complication of immigration... new infectious bugs, namely RSV. She was a little trooper getting over her initial Guangzhou cold but relapsed with a vengeance on Super Bowl Sunday and wound up with a new and different virus (the newsworthy kind). After an unexpected ambulance ride and a few mildly harrowing days and some long nights at Primary Children's Medical Center (with great care by the way), we are now all home and everyone is sleeping in their respective beds. Amazingly, Marin can now sleep through the night (almost) now that her oxygenation is normal. Who would have thought?

Her big sis, Lena, is getting used to her new role as team captain. It is an effort, getting used to this new family member, and she has been a real go-getter. It has been fun to watch her tackle her new role (not the baby) as helper, and she is slowly starting to figure out what her capabilities are and what she can and can't do to help. For example, she can pick up Marin, but she sure as hell can't go anywhere with her.

We have a bit of good news. We met with Marin's surgeon today and were very relieved to find that he is happy (and dare we say impressed) with the cleft lip/palate repair she underwent in Guangzhou last July. This means far fewer surgeries for her in the long run and she is off the hook for major surgery for the next few years. What a relief for us since we were preparing for yearly surgery for the next several years. She will probably have outpatient procedures for tympanostomy tubes and a little tissue resection on her upper lip this year but it shouldn't be anything that requires an extended hospital stay. And as she bounces back from her illness, she is proving herself to be a good eater, open to new and different solid foods. This is great for us, given our limited experience with bottle feeding (what a royal pain).

We were so fortunate to have great visit with Val's folks. YeYe and Grandma Pat had some quality time with their newest grandchild. Marin warmed right up to her new grandparents and Helena was also very happy to have them here. She shows such love and affection for her extended family. It is very heart warming to witness.

For now, we plan on settling into a regular routine. This should be a nice change for a while.

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