Learning, Learning, Appointments, Appointments, and surgery for Panda Boy

Hi all :)

Tomorow marks 5 months exactly since Noah was placed in my arms!! Right now it is 11:28 pm in Taiwan! 5 months ago right now I was goin nutty in a wonderful hotel room WAITING and DREAMING and trying to sleep! lol I would get my dream come true in LESS than 12 hours! WHAT an amazing thing! And now I am awe to sit here hours short of 5 months later and my amazing dream baby boy is playing beside me!!! :) Boy has HE taught me so much! :) And not just him but just in the journey to give him all he needs and take care of him. This past week we have had alot of appointments! Noah is 25 pounds and 33 inches tall. The Pediatrician says he is in the 30th percentile and growing well! Lots of tests were done for our poststudy report that is due at 6 months but has to be done earlier so translation can take place and it will arrive in Taiwan on time! Noah has been doing well with the special therapist from Early Steps program and we are thrilled with Maria! :) I wanted to make sure Noah has every opportunity to be the best he can be so I began seeking out other places and types of therapy to see what needs he might have. I found an amazing place in a nearby city called Little Works in Progress! I LOVE the name! Noah had 3 evaluations there this week! THIS constituted ALOT of learning for Mama! :) Noah has some sensory intergration issues. I had wondered but since he LOVES to be held and cuddled so much had been told most likely he didn't. Well, he does and do not ask me to tell you the type because I can't pronouce alot of what they said much less spell it! heehee but basically my son CRAVES deep touch! He needs to feel to the core. He also craves motion! We have some techniques to do at home for him and he will work at therapy as well. Noah always leans into me even when not in my lap but not just lightly he leans HARD! when I hold him he presses hard. in the bed he will lay pressed right up beside me but it is almost painful cuz he presses so hard. I did not realize these meant anything specific but just kinda thought boys are so much rougher than girls! Noah hits, bites etc but he is smiling and lovey and cuddly when he does this. Also he has to be hurt REALLY bad to cry and even then it is not appropriate for the the injury. He had blood drawn and they moved the needle around in his arm searching for the vein, no tears. Tb test with needle the same. I found this strange but once they started talking about deep touch it made since. They asked questions and I found myself going wow! I feel bad that I was not aware of this and that maybe I am not holding him firmly enough or touching him right but they are teaching us what to do. Another thing they said is to yes use a time out, but for like a mintue or two and then pick him back up with FIRM FIRM hugs! Not to wait a fit out at this point but to leave him a couple minutes and then HUG him and tell him we love him. For now it is more important we get this where he has the touch the needs. She said think about how much you touch and hold a 4 or 5 month old baby! Noah did NOT get that. She did say it was good that it was not worse. Some children with this continue on to the point that they do not like touch at all even though they crave it so they fight you when you are trying to give them what they want in the first place. Noah only does that when he is totally melted down. Anyway so he will begin therapy at Little works in progress for sesory and also for speech! He will only need physcial therapy once a month and mainly she will be teaching me what to do at home! He did really good and picks up well on what we try to teach him. He climbed a couple steps on the plastic slide at therapy alone with just our hand to catch him!! They all seemed to feel he will do very well and be on target and will improve in all areas!

Noah also had an appointment with an ENT(ear, nose and throat specialist) yesterday. It was recommended we have his hearing checked, and also the cartilage of the ear and just the ears in general. Well, the cartilage looks great! so that was a blessing. They do not do the actual hearing tests for pediatrics at this place we went but can have that done later, but they did a test where they can check the movement of the eardrum. They did this test on Noah and actually redid it on one ear and they found that his was flat. basically little or no movement. They said this is most likely from fluid and feel he needs tubes! Mama was NOT happy about the thought of surgery and anesthesia and what if he is allergic and all BUT I have to do what is best for my baby, right? and they say it is like he is hearing underwater. :( very sad. They cannot guarantee that this will help with speech but it couldn't hurt they said. So Noah's is scheduled for surgery Wednesday, February 11th! I am really having a hard time with the thought of giving my baby to this dr. I just met and letting him cut a hole in each ear. I have all these fears of what if it causes deafness, of course the anethesia concern and on and on it goes. Also the biggest thing is they are sayign I can't be with him till he is asleep or when he first wakes. I shake and cry every time I think of that and I NEVER want him to feel like he was taken away from us or we abandoned him. I am planning to really talk to them on surgery day and explain how long he has been here and all he has been through with the transition of adoption and PRAY they will make an exception. I also through a WONDERFUL friend and her hubby who are in the Anesthesia feild know a medication I can request he be given so that he wont remember any of it when it is over. Please be in prayer for Noah and mama and everyone involved!

After our evaluations at Little Works in Progress we went in search of a toddler appropriate park. Our town we actually live in is very small and does not have anything close to our home, but this larger neighboring city does! I was so thrilled to FINALLY after all this time find a park that we can play at and since Noah will be going to Little Works twice a week then we should be able to go quite often if the times all work out and such :) I am quite excited. Below are some pics of our park time :)

I just adore this picture! You can't see Noah's mouth but you can tell in the eyes he is smiling big! :)

My boy loves kisses!

One of the MAIN things I was wanting was a park with baby swings! Here is Noah the FIRST time ever being put in the baby swing!

He was NOT happy about it and was crying. Now he often does this if I put him down ANYWHERE so I kept trying hoping he would decide he liked it!

as you can see he is not thrilled still

MAMA HELP!!!

so sad! I so wanted him to love it but was not to be for now!

At first he did not want anything to do with anything!

This was so cute! We had tried to walk him up the steps to go slide several times and he would not. He finally saw some other kids play on it and then he decided he wanted to and this is him reaching for my hand to go up!

Here we go climbing up!


Here he is letting me put him on the slide


Ready to go! We do NOT have one of him actually sliding cuz Celeste was too busy making sure she caught him! We will have to do a 3 person trip and have a photo person and a sender and catcher! :) heehee


I CANNOT beleive I am posting this on the net BUT I have been feeling so bad about being so big and cheating Noah out of a thinner younger mom who could do more with him I was determined to PLAY with my baby and show him mama doing stuff! So big as I am I went down the toddler slide! LOL


Noah standing and deciding the park is not too bad!

YUP! He finally did let us put him in the swing BRIEFLY and was happy! Did not last long but still finally my boy is swinging and ALMOST smiling! :)

So adorable! He is watching some bigger kids play!

Time to go! :)

Ok, so this picture has such meaning. I lived in the city where this park is when I was a child, played there as a child, took Celeste there a few times growing up and Bobby has been there as an adult before. to get in and out of the park you have to cross this bridge! So Celeste made a picture of Noah crossing the bridge we have all crossed over the years! :)

Below is a video of Noah working with Maria (early steps special therapist) at our home! He is so funny in part of this with trying to cry! lol not good lighting but thought some might enjoy!

We send you Blessings and Kisses in the Wind!

Vote for Noah!!!

Hi all :)

Please vote for Noah! I entered him in a baby photo contest on the spur of the moment. The winner is by online votes. Maybe we will win one of the cash prizes to help with the recognition of adoption or even help pay towards the adoption loans! I think he is the most beautiful baby! :) If he doesn't win this month, next month I may resort to table boy pics! heehee

https://www.greatamericanphotocontest.com/voter1/index.aspx?referid=EmailFriends&p=1081596&x=.jpg

Pay it forward a new way!!!!

I decided to participate in a Pay it Forward … here are the rules:Here’s how it works: the first 4 people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the year, a handmade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise!The catch is that you must participate as well: before you leave your comment here, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going. Then come back, let me know you’re going to play, and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift! Remember that only the first 4 comments will receive a gift from me, so be quick!I love that this is a crafty, hand made gift and that it encourages others to participate, so it is open to everyone, no matter the country as long as you Pay it Forward in your own way

I send you Blessings and Kisses in the Wind!!!

Goodbye January...Hello February!

Well, in our family January went out with a bang and February came in with a bang! Celebrations and parties galore :) Many FIRST for Noah and some for us too :) We celebrated our FIRST Chinese New Year last Night on the last day of January to send the month out good :) Chinese new year began on the 26th but it last for 15 days so we are at least celebrating during that time even though not on the actual first day! :) It was a much worked for event and seems EVERYTHING that could go wrong did but in the end it was a wonderful Night. It was rather simple really. I cooked homemade cream cheese wontons (experiement that will definitly be repeated :) !!!! ) , and Chinese noodles with veggies in it and Bourbon chicken (though I cheated on this and we bought it frozen so I really only heated it up! It was all yummy :) I NEVER did find the offical red envelope I needed but we just used a red envelope that Daddy came up with. :) I have been thinking abou what to put in Noah's envelope and I know money is to go in there and other things can as well. We decided that each year Noah will receive how ever old he is in dollars. So this year he got a crisp new $1.00 bill! :) We has some little noise makers and things as well for him to play with. Next year I will probably add some other things to the envelope when I have a chance to pray and think about it more but the money aspect has been decided :) I had alot of fun trying to put this night together and was asked by someone "Why are you worrying so much about celebrating Chinese New year, he is 1 and will never remember?" This question was shocking to me actually because folks do first birthdays all the time even if babies don't remember. And yes Noah may not remember BUT he will someday see that we started from the Beginning to celebrate some of his culture along with our own. It is very important to me that Noah be proud of his heritage! :) We enjoyed adding a new holiday to our lives :) I am so loving that Noah is here and we have so many first holiday's to enjoy with him. I already can't WAIT till Valentine's day! MY FIRST valentine from a SON! :) and to give to a son! :) Anyway I will continue to share as I show the pics that some of you I KNOW are waiting to see :)

Noah WesLee Sisemore FIRST Chinese New Year Celebration with his Family!

Here is our Table! We set a place for Grandma even though she is still in the nursing home's rehab program right now :) We will take her new chopsticks to her up there :) I tried to kinda make it look festive with what I was able to find in town and all :) We had some decorations around and such as well :) I plan to search online for next year and see what all else is available :)

Noah chowin down on the noodles! His favorite part of the meal! :)

It was important to me that we try to eat this meal the way Noah would if he were still in Taiwan so MOST of us ate with chopsticks! LOL no wonder they are so little over there! heeheee :) just kidding. Of course Noah is not ready for chopsticks so as you saw above he used his hands :) On Jon and Kate plus 8 her toddlers had chopsticks that were for little ones and joined together at the top or something. I WANT to find those for Noah soon :)

I FINALLY DID IT! I got a peice of chicken! :)

Jei Jei doing well! You can't see but Nannie decided to use a fork! :) Said she was too old to learn to use chopsticks and she was starving and needed nourishment! heehee

Daddy goes at it like a pro! :) He was stationed in Korea for a time and I know he traveled quite a bit in Asia at that time so he has previous experience :)

Some sweet giggle time with mama and her panda boy after our aftersupper cleanup :)

More giggle time, off to put our outfit on :)

Here is Noah receiving his RED ENVELOPE! :) He LOVES paper so he was thrilled :)

He took the dollar out, handed it to me and went back in looking for more! heehee :)

Daddy and Noah :)

I love this little grin :)

He loved the noise maker toys :)


he played with them for the longest time :)

another shot of Noah and Daddy! check out the toys peeking out! :) The outfit was too big but that is ok! We did the best we could to keep it up so he could wear it! :) Was a gift from a friend :) I think he will get some more years of wear out of that outfit :)


My Sweet Panda Boy! :) He has no clue why we are standing him in front of the door with decorations and saying smile Noah! LOL

Celeste (Jei Jei) got cute with the fans from the table! :) She got pics of EVERYBODY like this :) heehee

Here is Noah's fan picture :)

I LOVE this shot of Noah! You can see his little runny nose and his cheeks all rough and chapped again. That happens every time he is sick! The doctor says he has Allergy induced asthma and she thinks it is from the change from Taiwan to the states. He is on medication and she thinks he will outgrow it!

Here is a shot of Noah and Jei Jei bein silly right before bedtime :)

Well that was the end of January with our Chinese New Year Celebration :) and we Welcomed February with a Super Bowl Party at Church! Noah's first Super Bowl with daddy! And YES I know the team he is wearing was NOT in the super bowl! lol but I had to go with what I had! It was really cute because Sara Jane came dressed in a cheerleader outfit for the same team Noah had his football outfit on from :) So of course the mama's got out the camera's :) They looked like the paparazzi was on them :) heehee

Noah was NOT happy I put him down! This is the BEST shot :)

Noah and Daddy Watchin the game together :)

another shot with daddy

Noah and Mama

Tried to get a shot of Noah and Jei jei :) He as wanting me! He has been even clingier than normal for him lately! I just keep remembering that if he needs me, he needs me! I mean he has only been home 4 and half months, if he was a 4 and a half month old baby and cried for me I would go to him immediatly! That is where we are with him :) I told our home study folks that is you took away every person, sight, smell, taste, place, and thing I had ever known for 4 and a half months you would find me in the nut house! I think he is doing pretty amazing to be honest! :) I just love love it when he snuggels close to me :) He is so sweet when he lifts those adorable arms up to me for me to pick him up and hold him :)

Well, now if you read this far THANKS and congrats! lol :)

We send you blessings and Kisses in the Wind!

FIRST POST Study Meeting CHECK!

It seems it has been no time since we were having Homestudy visists and such and here today January 31st at 1:30 pm we had our FIRST Adoption POST study Meeting! I am still a bit in shock that Noah has been HOME long enough for us to be at this point and at the same time it feels like he has always been here. I really had no clue that we would be having this meeting at 4 and half months home but in order for the Post study to be complete and then translated and at wonderful St. Lucy's Orphanage in time then it must happen now. So Bobby met Noah, Celeste and I over at our Home study agency and they got to see Mr. Noah for the first time. I was a bit nervous having never done a POST study before and worried because of the time it worked out it had to be. NAP time! I had so hoped at worst Noah would fall asleep and they just would not get to see him awake but he was awake the entire time but quite fussy on and off! They actually did not get to really meet NOAH! I so wanted this dear couple who had so much to do with us bringing this little one home to see his sweet smile and hear his darling laugh and his adorable personality but it was not to be. I mean he was not screaming by any means but he was just tired and cranky. Anyway, the visit went well and we talk a bit about how we need to do a recognition of adoption and not a readoption and that we would either do the filing on our own or have to hire a lawyer. Alot to research and pray over. Celeste took a picture of us with Margaret and Don who are our homestudy folks! :) The light was bad through the window and we were trying to get Noah to be happy and not succeeding so it is not a great picture but it is the picture of the first post study day! :) I am off to work on our CNY celebration. Check back soon for pics on that! I could NOT find envelopes because the few places that sell anything here were sold out so I am having to figure a way around that but somehow we will celebrate even if it is day 6 of CNY!

Bobby, Noah, Tami, Margaret and Don! Post Study 1 day!

We send you Blessings and Kisses in the Wind!

What a Boy!

Noah is some boy! :) Today we had an appointment with his pediatrician because he is sick yet again. He had to have a finger stick, blood drawn from his arm and a TB skin test done. My baby boy did NOT CRY at all with any of these! I and the medical staff were shocked! I was especially shocked because when they drew the blood from his arm she had to move the needle around to dig for the vein after goin in because she missed it. I have had to have that myself and it hurts! But not one tear or even hollar through the entire thing! They said he was some boy! heehee :) I was a little concerned that he did not FEEL pain? what on earth! So then we have to have a throat and nose swab done. NOW comes the screaming! Noah has a thing about his mouth and nose. I am about the ONLY one who can enter and I doubt with a swab by even me! heehee So they got to see him in all his loudness and took several of us to hold him down. Then next was chest and sinus xrays! OH BOY did he NOT like those. I had to set him down though I was holding his arms and standing right by him. He bucked and everything. That was an adventure! Anyway Noah has been diagnosed with Asthma that is allergy induced by comeing to America is what she thinks. He also at the moment has bronchitis as well. THANK GOD NO PNEUMONIA which Bobby and I were fearful of after last night! They are also doing an iron study because his iron was low again. Noah weighed in at 25 pounds 8 ounces! That is a huge jump from last weigh in! He is 33 inches tall! 2 inches growth since last visit! and head circumferance is 18 and half inches. I have NO CLUE if that is good or bad. 25 pounds for a 21 month old sound big to me! Friends say it is little! I have no clue. I asked the nurse, who said ask the doctor, and she said she would look over his chart and tell me later. Whatever! So now I worry! Anyway back to my amazing boy! :) I just love this guy so much! I mean even being so sick he is so loving!!! :) And EVERY single day he says more and more. I just wrote an update on a form for St. Lucy's that goes to the agency to be translated by feb 6th and wish I had waited because he just keeps doing more and more new! There was not near enough lines on that form to begin with! I don't know if it is wishful hearing on our part or what but today it sounded like Noah said What's this!!!! and more than once I heard it so maybe! and Bobby swears he said SEEEE! and he will point at a baby on tv and say a rendetion of Baby! We may just be so hoping he is talking that we are hearing what we want to hear but it really seems like he is trying so hard to talk. I KNOW for sure he is saying hush! :) lol it comes out dush but EVERY time the dogs bark or get in a fuss he yells DUSH! Does that tell you what WE say to the dogs ALOT! heehee I am so amazed at my son every day whether or not he is really speaking or not. He just does more and more each day and he is so busy with learning and living! I was especially hurting earlier and I kinda half jokingly said Noah go get me a diaper form the box. Well, he took off in toddler run ( I JUST LOVE TODDLE RUN!!!!) and brought me 3 diapers from the box!!!! What a hoot! It totally amazes me that 4 months home, only 4 months of hearing english, and he can understand so much of what we say! And he can do so many things I am just amazed at! I know a 2 and half year old that can't follow directions like Noah can! I am shocked by him! :) He also can sign eat, more, and water (or a rendition there of with water!) and tonight he copied milk! :) I am so proud of him! :) I could go on and on and on talking about him but I am sure yall are getting tired of listening to me by now! :) here are some pics of my sweet Panda Boy!

This is his arm with the tb test and on the elbow you can see where they drew blood.

Sunday was our 2nd week of Bobby and I being the Toddler Sunday School teachers! Noah at one point actually got down and played! :) Of course Bobby and I were right in the room but it is amazing he played at all because he was so fussy, especially anytime we held or got to near another little one! The yellow corderoy overalls Noah is wearing were MINE when I was a baby, as well as my brothers, and Celeste also wore them! :) I have the cutest picture of her in them on a swing at a local duck pond park here! :) They sure made things good back then! My mom saved a ton of my things but of course alot of them a boy can't wear!

He is always trying to figure everything out! :)

Not sure if you can tell but those of you that love table boy pics , Noah has found a shelf on an entertainment center in the sunday school room that he just loves to climb in! :)

And here he is climbing back out from under an end table! :) heehee

And here we are again with the original coffee table! He still loves to play on that shelf!

He is so into climbing now!! I LOVE this shot because you can see him looking back to see if anyone is watching as he goes to climb with he OBVIOUSLY knows he is not suppose to do! heehee He did not see me and the camera :) lol Never fear I got him before he got up and hurt himself!

We had the Boy's lockin at our house on the 23rd! The theme was Be on God's team and most games and such were football oriented! Noah is too young for the lockin since he is not in Kindergarten yet but since his parents are the children's pastors and it was in our home he got to come! :) He is wearing a football jersey handed down from cousin Bonnie! :)

Not sure if you can tell but he is HOLLERIN at the top of his lungs here! That is a new thing with him! LOL He just screams! Sometimes he will get to doing the toddle run back and forth across the living room with the new scream added in and then Samuel that I babysit some will follow and run and scream and most of the time the 2 pups are right behind them! CALGON TAKE ME AWAY! heehee not really! :)

I love this shot! He thinks he is so big in the recliner :) heehee :)

Here is the panda boy who was in his crib when I had to put him in there and he was not too happy about it at first, then he decided to play a bit and finally fell out but refused to lay down! heehee I did lay him down after this and he was so tired it did NOT wake him up! :) Gotta love him :)

The way he is sitting here makes him look so much chubbier than he is! I was so shocked by the 25 pound 8 ounces as he has so slimmed up to me since we got him and I really had thought he lost weight and was worried if I was feeding him ok. Now I guess I can worry I am feeding him too much!

Well, I best get off and get to bed. Noah actually stayed asleep after I rocked him and I was able to lay him in his crib without waking him! I can actually sleep on my tummy for a bit if I get in bed before he wakes up. When he is in my bed I have to be on my back and him in the crook of my arm or he does not sleep. Praying his new meds help him to not cough all night!

I send you all Chinese New Year Blessings and Kisses in the Wind!