Happy Anniversary Jiliang!

Exactly two years ago today we saw your beautiful face for the first time, and we knew that you were meant to be our daughter...on my lucky number date, nonetheless: 1106. Happy Anniversary sweet girl. Love, Mom.

Happy Birthday Jiliang!!

Happy Sixth Birthday Sweet girl. I can't believe my little one is six years old today. We had such a wonderful weekend. A day at the lake yesterday, and a small celebration with both sets of Grandparents.

Summer 2012

I haven't posted much lately, because Blogger changed a little and I was having some technical issues. Pretty much, we are doing well as a family. In April, my school did a celebration of Families Around the World. In my room, my coworker did The Middle East and I did China. It was a lot of fun and Jili was able to contribute some artifacts from China, and challenge others to the Chopstick Challenge. Students and adults practiced moving Cheerios from one bowl to another.

May came and went too fast. In June, we took a family vacation to Paradise, Michigan. It was amazing. We rented a cabin on Lake Superior, and we rarely saw another person the whole time we were there. It was like having a whole beach to ourselves. In fact, we didn't see a single boat until Day 7 of 7. We took a short commute to Tahquamenon Falls twice, but barely left the cabin. For a change, it was nice to not be running around. We also took Bear, our black labrador, and he spent most of the time in the water. Also, we saved a ton of money, because we cooked everything at the cabin.

One really amazing stop we made on our trip was to a bread store on the way back from the Falls. Instead of just selling me bread, the woman invited me into the kitchen where she makes hundreds of loaves of bread weekly. She makes different flavors daily, but her aged sourdough base was strictly from flour, sea salt and water - no sugar. It tasted so good, we almost ate a whole loaf in the half hour ride back to the cabin. We bought a plain sourdough and a Hawaiian sourdough (flavored with carrots and cherries - so good. The bakery is North Star Brick Oven Bakery, 13 miles north of Newberry, Michigan, on M-123: 906-658-3537. It's amazing how nice people are in the Michigan U.P.

Speaking of helpful, I went to a cafe in Paradise to buy some homemade maple syrup. The biting flies are bad in that area during the summer heat. The flies kept biting my dog on the beach, so I considered buying something to spray on him that was in their gift shop. The lady at the bakery told me not to buy it, but to spray Apple Cider vinegar on him. It worked and it was safe for him. We had to keep reapplying it, but it was better than seeing him get attacked and a natural remedy for less than $3, spray bottle included.

Pretty much, our summer flew by quickly. I go back to work on Monday, and it seems too soon to be ending my summer. I had so many family plans and personal projects, that I feel so behind. On a positive note, Jiliang learned to swim in the shallow end. She is not strong enough to swim on her own for long, but she is getting better each time. She does everything at her own pace. In June, we were trying to get her to jump in the shallow end, then in the deep end, then finally off the diving board with a life jacket. In July, she started doing cannonballs in the shallow end, and then off the diving board with a jacket. She is swimming underwater really well, across the length of the shallow end. Back on St. Patrick's Day, Jili learned to ride her bicycle without training wheels. The day before, Scott took them off, and she kept falling. He offered to put them back on, and she insisted: "No." The following day, she kept at it, and taught herself. I went inside for a moment to check on dinner and T.J. yelled, "Mom, Jili's doing it! She's riding on her own." At the beginning of summer, my kids were inseparable. The giggling and silliness was almost too much. By July, Jili started to need her space. Around 1:00 every day, she goes inside and ignores her brother, who tries anything to get her attention. Oh, it bothers him so much when she doesn't answer him. He doesn't understand that she gets tired and needs space. He is the most patient and loyal brother. He rigged a cart to his bike and wanted to pull her on it, and she just got up and walked away. I could tell that it hurt him. I am trying to teach her to say she needs some space, and teach him to give her space. Anyhow, they are due to go back to school any time now, and I know that a regular routine will remedy all of that. One morning, she woke up and starting looking all over for him, but he was at school. She was disappointed. Oh, Jili lost her first tooth a few weeks ago. I can't believe my baby is getting big kid teeth. Where does the time go? I can't believe that she will be six years old on August 26th. Well, another long post to catch up. I posted more pictures below. Jill :)

Summer Vacation Pics I

Scott and the kids: This is where we had coffee every morning. Oh, I love Paradise.

Photography by T.J.

Caught a minnow and let him go.

Bear Bear tries to keep up.

Bear jumped over this cliff chasing a chipmunk. The kids screamed and he popped back up as if nothing happened.

Swimming in Lake Superior.

Here's to returning very soon...hopefully, this fall. Jill

Summer Vacation Pics II

Canoe Ride - They had to turn back, because Bear Bear, our lab, was swimming after them. He wouldn't leave their side and he was exhausted. Loyal lab.

The happy dance: about to make some S'Mores.

Scott grilled ham on the open firepit and made pierogies with homemade saurkraut (made by Grandpa Koeppe last fall). And we did brick chicken on the grill too. :)

Photo captured by Jili when we weren't looking.

Photo taken by T.J.

Pretty cool photo taken by T.J. The kids also managed to take about a hundred pictures of moths,spiders and insects.

Good News

Jiliang went to the Craniofacial doctors (Neurological surgeon and Plastic Surgeon) and the Cardiologist at U of M Mott's Children's Hospital this week. It looks as though her skull may have closed a little. It is possible that she may be able to have a bone graft in the future and possibly repair her skin. The skin is actually a big deal, because if she ever gets injured, we want the skin to be healthy and to heal. There are so many unknowns, and we were advised to wait another two years, to see what her body can do on its own. The skull closing on its own is a huge blessing. So I just ask for your continued prayers for healing. There are so many risks involved...I can't even begin to explain. There are also so many possibilities and positive outcomes, so I'm trying to have faith and believe that everything will work out. The good news is that she is allowed to be a child for another two years, and that she is alive and well. I think that the gift of time is a precious gift. We feel like we want to enjoy our family, and to allow her to enjoy life. In the future, we will deal with surgery when Jiliang is better able to deal with it and have some input on the decision-making. As the Craniofacial team said, she needs to be motivated and ready, because it could be a lot for a little girl who doesn't understand what is going on. The most important thing is that our daughter is alive and healthy. As for the Cardiology visit, we had a good visit, and Jiliang is doing well. We have been given the okay to see Dr. Cotts once a year, instead of every 6 months. That is really good. Jiliang will have to have a valve replacement in a few years. Unfortunately, the next valve replacement may not be able to be done in a cath lab. She could have another surgery in her future, which could be a 5-10 day hospital stay. Of course, it's hard to say what modern technology will bring forth. So I am really praying that technology allows for her to avoid another invasive surgery. Looking at the bigger picture, this is a little girl who wasn't expected to make it to her teens without surgery. We weren't even certain that the surgery could be successful, and here she is today, medicine-free, and healthy. We are really counting our blessings. Mostly, I am just thankful that my little girl continues to thrive, and I pray that whatever medical surgeries she needs to undergo can be done with success, continued health and the least amount of surgery or difficulty for our little girl. I also pray for the faith to get through the next hurdle. Please keep her in your prayers. Thanks and God Bless. Jill

How Do I get my Counter back?

Does anyone know how to get my counter back, that shows how many hits the blog has received to date? I had just under 35,000, but it has disappeared. Thanks.

Surgery Last Thursday

Here's a quick update for Friends and Family on the status of Jili's Tonsilectomy and Adenoidectomy. Jili went into to the new Mott's Children's Hospital for surgery last Thursday. Everything went really well. Jili was kept overnight, due to her cardiac condition. She came through the surgery just fine. By Thursday night, she was eating eggs and macaroni and cheese. The nurse was astounded. Right after surgery, she became a little nauseous. They gave her some medication, and then she was so fine, that she ate a lot of food. My kid is tough.
The new Mott's room was wonderful. We got the 12th floor penthouse with the best view in the hospital (so we were told by many), and the biggest (1 of 10 out of many, many rooms with an actual pull-out couch). The room had a flat screen with many movies and activities, and it had Jili's name on it. It also had surround sound.
We had a visit from some U of M athletes, and had pizza (Thursday nights are the best). The Child Life Department provided Jili with paints and several wood items to paint. She was pretty busy. All of our nurses were really wonderful and sweet.

Jili complained of no pain that evening, but during the night she sleep so fitful and loud, due to the swelling. She was coughing a lot, so I couldn't sleep at all. The night nurse laughed, because every time she would come into the room, I would sit up, even in the dark, and give a Jili update. The night nurse later said, "I was tiptoeing and trying to be quiet". I assured her that despite all efforts, I just couldn't sleep.
For the morning report (around 6:30 a.m.), a female doctor came in with two residents. I had only been asleep for about an hour and half, so I just layed there in the dark, looking up at her, half-asleep. She asked how Jili was doing and I said, "She's doing great." Then, I said, "No, wait, she tossed, turned and coughed until 4:30 a.m." Then, it dawned on me that I was talking in my sleep. After the doctor's report, I realized that I was being rude, and I acknowledged that I should be sitting up talking to her. She laughed, knowing that I was half-asleep, and told me to get some rest. I was finally able to update her about Jili's successes. It was all a blur. Before we came home, Jili did some art in the Child Life Department.
Once we arrived home on Friday, she was ready to ride her bike, and was not too happy about sitting still. She but still managed to overdo it a little on Friday, so on Saturday, we went to the library and played some games to keep her busy.
Sunday was our worst day. She was sick, so we actually missed Easter Sunday Church service. Fortunately, the on-call doctor called in an anti-nausea medication, which was a lifesaver. Today, she slept until after noon, and she was under the weather, but she made a comeback this evening. Tonight was the first night that she slept somewhat normal, which is very good, because I go back to work tomorrow.
All in all, she is recovering really well.
Thanks for all the thoughts, prayers and emails.
Jill :)

Autism Hockey Fundraiser a Huge Success

Wow, the hockey event was awesome. It was a great game, and the house was PACKED. Pittsfield raised a lot of money for Autism tonight. What a memorable night.

Guns & Hoses Hockey Event Tonight - Benefit for Autism

We are looking forward to the Pittsfield Police vs. Fire Hockey event tonight: "Put Autism on Ice". All proceeds benefit local families that have children with Autism. The kids are really excited about attending. My dad is the Emcee, so I am really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, Scott is not attending. He offered to work for one of the firefighters who is playing. We are hoping for a really good turnout.

Jili's Tonsilectomy

Jili is having her tonsils out on April 5th. It is normally an outpatient surgery, but because of her heart condition, she is staying overnight, and we get a private room in the new Mott's Hospital wing. Please keep her in your prayers.
Jill :)

Autism Fundraiser!!

One week from today Police and Fire will drop the puck drop at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube in the first ever battle of Guns-N-Hoses! Come join us for a night of fun as we raise money to help local families in the fight against autism!
The poster is attached. This is a family event. Please pass it on to everyone you know who might be interested.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks. I hope to see you there! Go Red!
Jill :)

Koeppe Sillies

I gave up soda pop for Lent. I have been doing well with it. Last Tuesday, it was a chaotic day at work, and as I sat at the Tim Horton's drive-thru line I decided that God would forgive a pop one day, right? I ordered my cup of soup and I said, "and a Medium Pepsi". Done - I did it. I couldn't turn back. The drive-thru attendant asked me to repeat my order, because his speaker was full static. Once again, I repeated my order, saying, "and a medium pepsi". Then, he asked me to repeat it again, which I did - sheepishly, and full of guilt by this point. He apologized and said, "I'm sorry, I still couldn't hear you." I paused and ended with, "a medium, unsweetened ice tea".
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Jiliang is a complete Daddy's girl, and loves to soak up his attention. Last night, she was cleaning her room, which required her full attention. Scott asked, "Whose Daddy's girl?" Jili kept on cleaning - no time to stop. I asked, "Whose Daddy's girl?" and she responded: "TJ!"

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Jili is doing really well at feeling secure in our family. Jili and T.J. stayed the night at my parents (Grandpa and Grandma Harvey) last Tuesday, and they stayed the night at The Koeppe Grandparents house on Thursday night. Jili and T.J. towed a suitcase of stuffed animals to both sets of Grandparents. It was her first time staying the night at the Koeppe household, and they were exited, to slip into their pjs and sleep upstairs. As I left, she waved goodbye from the top of the stairs, and disappeared in giggles. They had a really great time. Here is a photo of Jili eating ice cream with Papa Koeppe.
As we readied to go home the following day, I spied a stuffed Valentine's Raccoon that T.J. gave Grandma Koeppe for Valentine's Day a few years ago. I pointed him out to Jili and she replied, "I know, Baby Mouse played with him last night."

Goodbye Goldie Goldfish

Goldie Goldfish passed away yesterday. Each time I walk by and see his absent bowl, I feel a little sad. Some people might say that he was only a goldfish, but he was certainly much, much more. Goldie brought a lot of laughs to our household, and he was our little pet. He would always meet our glance at the glass, usually because he wanted food, but there was something special about Goldie, and so we treated him extra special.
Goldie came along in 2007. T.J. and I went to Hidden Lake Gardens during a spring plant sale. Many of you may have already heard the story about the fish-in-the-pocket: We decided to purchase plants to make a small barrel pond. Thus, we left with 5 free goldfish. They were actually black fish, from living outdoors in a large pond. The gardener at HLG assured us that they would eventually turn into gold fish. He told me that they would help my little pond along.
As I readied the pond, T.J. adored the 5 goldfish in the pail in the driveway. I then noticed that there were only 4 goldfish left. I asked my 3-year-old what happened to the fifth goldfish and he responded, "Oh Bear-Bear ate him." I had no reason to question my 3 year old, especially since my lab was drinking out of the fish bowl. I felt bad for its sad fate, but I never questioned his statement. Thus, only four goldfish inhabited the small 1/2 barrel pond. The following day, I opened the dryer to the worst dried fish smell; hence, a baked-on goldfish inside the jeans pocket of my three-year old son - the fifth goldfish. Oh, that poor fish. I vowed to do right by the remaining four fish. From that point forward, I also learned to always, always check my child's pockets - especially after a load of ruined laundry.
That fall of 2007, a sudden frost left me scrambling one evening after work, to bring in my remaining 4 goldfish indoors in utterly cold temperatures. They lived indoors that winter, until they could return to the mini-pond again. The fish started to turn into a pretty shade of gold. One was half gold and half black, but nothing like the neutral fish that they had once been. By 2010, Goldie was the last surviving goldfish, and he had transformed into a beautiful orange fish.
In 2011, Scott deemed Goldie an indoor pet. Goldie loved human attention. Whenever we walked by, he would swim to the glass to say hello. In the summer of 2011, my 1/4 barrel pond developed hundreds of mosquito larvae, despite approximately 70 baby tadpoles. I suggested that we let Goldie inhabit the pond. Scott said no, "He's a permanent house pet now. He loves his fish bowl." I suggested that we just put Goldie in to feast on the mosquito larvae, and then bring him back inside. Finally, Scott said yes. Just a minute after entering the pond he swallowed a tadpole, but spit him out. Then, another and spat it out as well. T.J. and Jili screamed as he gobbled the frightened baby tadpoles. Then, he went to work on the mosquito larvae and by morning, only a few remained. Goldie did his job, creating the delicate, natural habitat in our pond. Jili and T.J. cheered him on. He was really happy in the pond, and remained there until late October.
Recently, we reminded ourselves that Goldie was going to enjoy some outdoor freedom again, as soon as the weather warmed. Unfortunately,Goldie's time was up.
I think that learning about life and death is an important lesson for my kids. I always try to tell my children to treat their pets good and give them lots of attention, because they don't live as long as we would like. "Poor Goldie" they said. "He was a good little fish." Then, T.J. said, "I am glad that he had a good little life." (We were not sure how old Goldie was when we got him, but he was at least 5 years old.) T.J. and Jili accept that the circle of life comes and goes for pets. Thankfully, pets teach children so many valuable lessons about life.
My children have learned that all life is precious, and we all need to enjoy it. The simple fact remains: Be kind to the ones you love, because life is too short. And sometimes, we are just a diamond in the rough, waiting for someone to show us a little TLC to nurture our true colors.
Jill

Pretty Cool Moment!

At school today, we were talking about our families. I decided that it would be fun to show a video of my family to my preschool students. I showed them the video of our Family Vacation in Upper Michigan. The children really enjoyed the music, and seeing the pictures of Lake Superior and all of the amazing animals we saw in the Upper Peninsula: the reindeer, the fawns at the Deer Ranch in St. Ignace, the fox, the black bears, the piggies, ducks and oh, especially the porcupine resting high up on a tree branch - they loved that. The link to the actual video can be found on my sidebar of this blog.
I narrated the part of video about how my daughter lost her hat in Lake Michigan, in Traverse City. My preschoolers loved the story of how my daughter actually lost two hats on that vacation. One hat was lost in Lake Michigan. It actually fell in twice, but sank to the bottom on the second time around. The first hat was lost in West Branch, on a pitstop to The Bridge: Jili was in a public bathroom and I accidently knocked her favorite hat into the toilet as it was automatically flushing. "Ewww!" they yelled. I explained that I reluctantly fished it out and threw it in the TRASH!
During the video, they asked where I was in the pictures, and I responded that I was not in many pictures, because I was taking the pictures. When they actually saw me in some of the photos, they yelled in unison, "Ms. Jill!!!"
After we watched the video, the kids had a lot of questions. The first child raised his hand and said, "M-m-Ms. Jill, I think your family is awesome! I want to meet them someday. I want to come over and play with your kids." It melted my heart.
Other kids commented on the animals, and the carrots that we got to feed the deer. They also loved the beach photos. Then, they wanted to know what color eyes my daughter had. I asked if she looked like me. They said no, she has different colored eyes, "and hair like this," motioning that her hair was straight. I said that she was my daughter, but we looked different, and that was okay. They all nodded in agreement, as if the only differences were the color of eyes and the textures of our hair.
Afterwards, we had a regular volunteer, named Barb, come to our class to read a book called: I Want My Hat Back, by John Klassen. I nearly rolled over with laughter, because it featured a bear, with supporting forest characters, such as a fox and a reindeer in the story - what a coincidence! The children wasted no time telling Barb about my daughter's hat that fell in the lake and the toilet, and how she wanted her hat back too, but it had to go in the trash. Then, they connected the fox, the reindeer and the bear in my video to the book.
Today reminded me one of the many reasons I love to teach. It is always the innocent, sweet, yet honest words, and fresh learning experiences through the eyes of young children that make you appreciate life's simplest joys.
Happy Day!
Jill :)

Sleep Study & Bad Allergic Reaction

I think she looks like a cute little piece of candy, smiling in her monkey slippers and electrode fashions.

On Friday, we had a winter advisory and a snow day for me - not the kids. That night, Jili and I had to venture to U of M for Jiliang's Sleep Study at 7:30 p.m. The roads were treacherous for about 10 miles, and then nothing but clear roads.
Jiliang came home in the year 2010 with some sleep apnea and snoring. The sleep apnea seemed subside over the year following her heart surgery. Her cardiologist said he had seen a correlation between Truncus Arteriosis patients and ENT structural issues. At first, it wasn't really an option to fix the sleeping and possible apnea, until she was one year post-surgery and recovering well - of course.
The snoring has been pretty scary. In the past, all I had to do was adjust her, and her snoring subsided. Most recently, it had worsened. It became so bad that turning her no longer helped, except on mild occasions. I became afraid for Jili's erratic breathing. In January, it was so bad that she would startle herself and gasp and jump, and then go right back to snoring. I videotaped it, just in case in she did not do it at the sleep study. Of course, during the entire month of February, her snoring reverted to mild, as it periodically does. At the sleep study, of course, it was mild, until the day after she came home. It will be interesting to see the results. The ENT doctor had recommended a tonsilectomy for her enlarged tonsils and snoring. Because of her heart condition, however, he wanted to make sure that he weighed the risks, in case there were any complications during her tonsilectomy (NOT a comforting thought). Her cardiologist concurs with tonsilectomy, and believes she is in a healthy place to have the correction done - we will see him in a weeks to get his approval, of course. Her pediatrician also suggested that her breathing was putting a lot of unneccessary pressure on her heart and lungs. That is my absolute main concern. I just pray that the sleep study concludes that she is eligible for a tonsilectomy to alleviate unneccessary pressure on her heart and lungs - and of course, rule out sleep apnea, which is scary in itself. I will definitely show her ENT the video of her gasping and jumping in her sleep.
Jiliang did a great job at the sleep study. I was so proud of her, because she was not afraid to go to the hospital. She actually trusted that I was going to be with her and that we were going to have a girl's night out. Never once did she fear the hospital or fear our separation. She was looking forward to an overnight with Mama, where we watched Lady and the Tramp.
The sleep clinic said that it would take approximately 45 minutes to hook her up to the electrodes and get her ready to settle in for the night, depending on how cooperative the child was. Jiliang was so cooperative that the technicians commended her, and the female told me that she did better than any other child that she had encountered. I am so proud of Jiliang. The staff, especially the male and female technicians, and the gentleman who checked us in, were exceptionally kind, helpful and professional.
The sleep study was only a little grueling. I woke up several times to Jiliang tossing and turning; and at 2:00 a.m., a nurse flickered the light 3 times and creaked the door open and closed three times, only to turn the light on fully. The last time she said, "Oh, we're done now." I tend to talk in my sleep, so I cautioned myself, think before you speak Jill, and asked, "Are you done with the sleep study? We can go home now?" The nurse responded adjusted a few of Jili's electrodes that had come off during her stirring and said, "No, I'm just done turning off and on the light." She told me that Jili had been tossing and turning, and the staff couldn't see what she was doing, so they were checking on her. I was happy that they were so diligent about keeping Jili safe and watched over. Did her charts flag her as a flight risk from her heart surgery days? Hmmm. Either way, I wasn't complaining at their attempts to keep her safe. Six o-clock came quickly, and we wasted no time getting out the door. Unfortunately, the roads were icy, and our drive home was slow, but uneventful.
When Jiliang and I got home, she said, "Mom, I had a fun day with you today." I was really happy that her hospital experience was associated with something positive, and that she considered having Mommy-Jili time special and fun, even though we spent it in a hospital. The truth is that Jili never fails to remind me of the important things in life: it doesn't really matter where you are, but who you are with and what you make of your time that truly matters in life.
Later that Saturday night, Jiliang told me that her tummy was itchy. Lo and behold, Jiliang had a really bad contact rash from the electrode glue, with raised red patches and little white, itchy bumps. Uggh - my poor baby. On Sunday, she developed a rash all over her face (where each electrode was placed), under her chin, on her neck and more on her belly. Benedryl and Hydrocortisone were not helping much, so she was prescribed some Zyrtec and she is continuing with the Hydrocortizone cream. Hopefully it works. When I picked my baby after school today, the shape of her face had changed due to the swelling. I am just praying that the prescriptions work and that we can determine what she is allergic to, for future reference. Hopefully, we will not have to take her in the doctor's office - that would mean it has worsened - and I can only imagine how uncomfortable that would be for her. Anyhow, she is not complaining much. She is being a real trooper.
Please keep my girl in your thoughts and prayers this week for a speedy recovery. I am also praying that doctors can fix her nighttime sleeping and breathing issues to keep our little girl safe and healthy.
Thanks,
Jill :)

Happy Anniversary Jiliang!

Thank you China for giving us such a precious gift!

Two years ago today, I met our daughter for the first time. She was so scared when we met and there were some tears shed, because she didn't know what having a Mommy was all about. After 6 hours, she finally smiled for me, and it was a beautiful smile. We bonded forever in a mere six hours, but admittedly she had me at first glance. She managed to melt the hearts of our entire family more and more as each day passed.
Jiliang loved having a new family so much that she stayed very close to us that first year, afraid that she might lose us. She refused to look at or speak to adults for several months. Many people thought she didn't speak. Daily reassurances that she was a permanent part of our family and our hearts were regular occurances in our household.
Yet, somehow over the last few months she has come to trust that she is a part of a forever family. That is a huge step for Jiliang. She has transformed into a secure, sweet, vibrant and funny little girl. And she has her Dad's matter-of-factness. I love that she knows how much she means to us, but it doesn't stop us from telling her all the time. Her hugs, kisses and "I-love-yous" are given generously.
This past December, she drew a handprint turkey with T.J. in my tummy and with her in my heart – yes, I was the turkey. Then, we shared a special conversation about her adoption and how she was found. “Mom,” she said, “it sounds like, maybe, magic.” I told her that when God is involved, it is called a Miracle.

Jiliang does not remember a lot about China, but we do our best to preserve her heritage. We recently attended a large Chinese New Year's Celebration at a college in Ann Arbor. It was very festive and authentic, that I almost felt like a foreigner in China - but in a good way. My sister went to San Francisco recently, and attended their Chinese New Year parade. It was so much fun to see the photographs and soak up my daughter's culture; and to realize how the ties to her homeland have transformed our extended family in the matters of Chinese cultural appreciation.

T.J. and Jiliang are absolutely best friends. T.J. recently told my dad that he feels like he has known Jiliang forever. My dad asked him if he remembered when he did not want a little sister. He laughed, because he could not imagine not having his little sister in his life.

This past weekend, both children were sick with a bad flu. T.J. got the worst of it. It started on Thursday. Both children seemed to be better on Sunday, so we all went to see a matinee (Big Miracle). Monday, T.J. got sick again, so I quarantined him to his room. He begged to play with Jili. Jili was relentless. She kept finding excuses to tiptoe past his room and check on him, or see if he needed anything. By afternoon, I gave in. T.J. felt better, and they were inseparable.

I can honestly vouch that life is better with our daughter in it. It's hard to imagine a life of not knowing Jiliang (Gao) Josephine Koeppe. And all of the times that I felt a longing for my daughter in China, when I reasoned that she was probably not born yet, my heart knew. I can speak for our entire family - Life is blessed with Jili in it.

Happy Two Year Anniversary Sweet Girl! We love you!
Mommy, Daddy, T.J., and your doting entourage of extended family
~And we can't forget Bear Bear, Ollie Cat and Goldie Goldfish

To view Jili's Journey from China to Michigan, click on the photo at the top of my blog or go to this link: http://thekoeppefamily.blogspot.com/2011/10/updated-china-video-with-added-pictures.html


I had to earn her first smile.


It's hard to believe that my baby was wearing all of these clothes on "Gotcha" Day.

Jiliang Today: (Chinese New Year at WCC in Ann Arbor & Ice Sculptures in Tecumseh, MI)











Just a little China memory. It makes my heart smile when I hear her speak in Chinese.
This video was taken a day after we met - The Official Adoption Day - when she was afraid she was going back to the Aunties and cried. They were shocked, because she rejected me at the Gotcha moment the day before. She relaxed when they told her that she was going to be with her Mom forever, and she came alive for them, and started to giggle and play with them.
In the video, you can hear her breathing hard, which was from her uncorrected heart defect. We are blessed in so many ways.

Wow, we would still be waiting!

I just happened to look and see where the CCAA was with Non-special Needs referrals. They are still in 2006. We would still be waiting for an infant, if we had stayed in the NSN line. Our log-in date was April 19th, 2007. When I went to China, there were families in our group "logged in" in 2006, and that was 2 years ago.
My heart breaks for all of the families who are still waiting, and unable to make the switch. I encourage to families consider switching to the Special Needs line if they are able. They are so many minor special needs that are easily correctable: there is a longer wait for minor, correctable needs, but I highly encourage others to consider before giving up on their adoption dreams. It is very scary to switch and lose your place in line when you have invested so much time and money on recertifications and home studies.
Right after we logged in to China in 2007, I read on the ChinaAdoptTalk site about lengthening waits. She predicted waits of 3-5 years or more. I approached someone at my original agency that summer, and she told me that it was not true. Later, she sent out a blanket email not to listen to the rumors and message boards online. Those rumors were so true. Even just watching the CCAA at that time told me that something was happening to stagnate the process. That was back when the CCAA posted their review and place times.
For the latest NSN wait times, go to: http://chinaadopttalk.com/

I'm so glad that we hung in there. Life without Jili would be so incomplete.
Jill :)

Happy Chinese New Year ~ The Year of the Dragon

Tomorrow, Jiliang and I will be celebrating The Chinese New Year in style. We will be going to a Chinese dinner and show in Ann Arbor. We really wanted to attend the Families With Chinese Children Event last weekend, but our plans did not allow for that (next year for sure). Therefore, we will be enjoying this weekend.
I haven't written much lately on my blog. I had intended to write a Christmas and a New Year's message, but life happened. I was under the weather for a few weeks. I dislocated a disc in my jaw in early December, and I was in so much pain for weeks. I do not see that specialist until March 5th, but the inflammation has gone down with some anti-inflammatory medicine.
Despite that, we had a really incredible Christmas this year. Jili was really into Christmas this year, and loved being a part of the family traditions. She is feeling very secure in our family, which is such an awesome blessing.
This January has already flown by, but we have included a little Chinese New Year celebration in the mix this month, and hope to start a family tradition. I will be sure to post pictures of our event tomorrow. We will be visiting Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Jili will be wearing her Chinese outfit purchased in Guangzhou, China. It was her homecoming outfit from China. It still fits. The shirt is just right, and the pants are slightly short, but not too bad. She is so excited about wearing it tomorrow. If I had only had more money in China, I would have bought larger sizes for her to wear each year. They had so many Chinese outfits in China, but my budget was lucky enough to get me there and back for the adoption, so I am not complaining. She still ended up with two outfits from Guangzhou: one for her homecoming and one for her Baptism (all white).
Since the start of our American new year, I have gotten a lot of my book finished. I am really enjoying writing. It really is a catharthis for the last two years. I have always been able to debrief or process life so much better through writing. Yet, one of the most valuable lessons that I have been able to recollect is the compassion of the human heart. I recall a lot of really wonderful people during our adoption process. Perhaps, one of the hardest parts about writing was that there was so much to share. You see, the Spirit of Adoption sort of grabs at you that way. It is such a gift. You may think that it is about giving, but in giving, we receive so much unexpected joy, and it doesn't just stop when you bring your child home, because it has such a ripple effect. One of the most difficult things is deciding which joys to share and which ones to leave out. That's hard.
I guess I just hope to touch others enough through writing, to leave that mark and inspire others to reap their own blessings.
So here's to a new year, and new blessings from our house to yours.
Jill :)