China for Abby

Family Pictures

2010-02-18T15:49:00.001-08:00

These are family pictures we had taken in December.

...I wonder what she's thinking.....

Showing off my new and improved walking skills

Sporting a little 'tude!

A very happy mama and daddy

One of our favorite pics in black and white

Abby loves to fiddle around with bits of string, etc. She has great fine motor skills....an unusual talent for spina bifida babies

And here we all are again ('cept in different clothes)

And here's my mama showing off for daddy:0)

Looking around to see what I can get into!

And here is an "oil painting" of me with a Christmas sled

Pictures courtesy of Carla Carter Photography

2009-12-27T19:28:00.001-08:00

Today is a special day because my Maw-Maw went to physical therapy with me. She heard that I was having a difficult time adjusting to the E-Stim (Electrical Stimulation) and decided to make my day all better.

Maw-Maw is counting down for me...only 2 more reps to go. I have to do 20 reps per leg of EACH exercise! And recently a few extra exercises have been added to my regimen.

Maw-Maw is singing a song to help me out and make me forget the struggle I am having working out all of these muscles.

Yeaaaa! Time for applause because I did all my reps!

This is the part I am still uncomfortable with and I still want to cry sometimes. Having electricity running through my legs is a very funny feeling.

Now for the hardest part. I have to walk without the top part of my braces and my little legs are so weak they bow out like a cowboy. It is scary, especially with my left leg being paralyzed and I only have feeling in my glut muscles.

Thank you, Maw-Maw, for making my day so happy....now it's time to go to Starbucks (Abby calls it "Bucks") and get my Cafe Mocha! But don't worry. My mommy always orders decaf:0)

The biggest accomplishment today???? I got through my entire therapy session with NO TEARS!! What a blessing to have a Maw-Maw who cares enough to take this special time with me! I love you, Maw-Maw!

MY CHRISTMAS ANGELS

2009-12-24T15:27:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE FROM THE O'QUINS

Thanksgiving Day 2009

2009-12-01T09:14:00.000-08:00

We have a great deal to be thankful for this year. Abby has come so far and has worked so hard to be able to walk. In fact, she will take off and leave us when we're not watching! Now we are beginning to see lots of changes in her, not only in her appearance (she is looking more and more like a little girl instead of our baby) but in her personality. For awhile we worried that she would never talk.....but she is definitely coming around with her language skills. For a long time she even quit saying "Mama" and "Daddy" but we feel it was because she had been through so much change in such a short time. At first she would only say one word but is starting to mimick us. Now we are hearing more and more phrases but no full sentences yet. She sings her version of the "Patty Cake" song and does all the motions on her own. She says the blessing over her food. You can almost see the wheels turning in that little mind as she takes in everything around her! She is finally beginning to adjust to a new physical therapy (we talked about E-Stim in an earlier post)and has stopped crying, which is a huge milestone. She is getting new braces soon that will challenge her hip and upper leg muscles and in the long run give her more independence with her walking. Of course that sounds great but we realize it entails a mountain of adjustment, hard work and tears on Abby's part,and sometimes on our own. Sometimes we have so many questions and wonder what the future will hold for our precious daughter. But one thing is for sure....Abby is our heart and she has a tenacious spirit and an excellent spirit. Whatever the future holds, she will go far and will probably surprise us all in the end. Happy Thanksgiving, Abby!

Enjoying the outdoors

Always smiling.....

Posing with my Mama

Paw-Paw is my favorite!

This is sooooo much fun!

Thank you, Uncle Bo & Aunt Stacy! (And Abby would say "Again-ah" which is her version of "again". She loves to add a syllable onto the end of a word.)

And here is my Studmuffin Uncle Jason:0)

This 4-wheeler ain't run in about 3 years....

....but we still love to ride it! Wheeeeeee!
(and just in case you're wondering, that WAS a joke)

Just hangin' out with my Maw-Maw Sonja. She goes to therapy with me sometimes and I don't cry when she's there to play with me.

Mushy!!!! But Abby loves to see everyone around her loving each other.

Our family Thanksgiving photo

Mmmmmm! What good sugar!

A perfect ending to a perfect day....content in my Daddy's arms

One Year and Abby is CLEAR! 11/16/09

2009-11-25T09:12:00.000-08:00

Abby recently had her one-year checkup from the 3 major surgeries she had last year. As parents, we are so grateful that we have made it an entire year with no major mishaps. While Abby was in the hospital, we met another couple that had a little boy with a shunt. The mother told us that after 30 shunt replacements, she had just quit counting the surgeries. The first year after a shunt is placed is the most critical time and it is very easy for a shunt rejection to occur. If Abby had come down with something as simple as a common cold, even that is enough to cause her body to reject the shunt since it is a foreign object in her body. She has been covered in a lot of prayer and also received the best medical care we were able to procure for her. Between the two, we know how blessed we are that Abby has not had to be hospitalized at all. The CT Scan that was done on Abby's brain looked perfect and the shunt was still in place properly. Dr. Blount does not need to see Abby again for another year. WAAAA-HOOOO!!! God has been good to our family and we would like to give HIM all of the glory for the great things He has done in our lives. We are complete with our precious Abigail. She brings more joy to our lives than we had ever imagined possible.

Here we are waiting to see Dr. Blount. My Mama is smiling but inside she's really nervous about how I will react to seeing my doctor again.

It's always good to be in Daddy's arms. I feel safe here since I have the bestest Daddy in the whole wide world!

So far so good, Dr. Blount.....I haven't had a crying fit yet!

I think this man might be alright after all....maybe he'll let me play with his beard! (Just for the record, last time Abby practially ran Dr. Blount out of the room when he tried to examine her. Thankfully she was a little more cooperative this time! ha ha)

And here I am with Gigi, Dr. Blount's nurse. She also helped with my surgeries and gave my Daddy and Mama great advice on how to care for me after I went home.

I am all dressed up to go to church (except for my shoes). Red is one of my favorite colors.

Aren't I just the most photogenic? I'm smiling so pretty because Daddy is doing very silly things and I can't help but laugh at him.

Mommy thinks my lips are oh so kissable! We give each other lots of sugar every day.

Got to love those Chinese eyes...they especially sparkle when I smile!

E-Stim

2009-11-11T08:54:00.000-08:00

We recently heard about a product for children with nerve damage from another mom of a spina-bifida baby. It's called E-Stim and works much like an EKG except the electrodes are hooked up to the legs instead of the chest. The E-Stim then sends electrical currents down the legs to stimulate damaged nerves which in turn stimulate muscles with poor tone. We can put our hands on Abby's legs and feel the muscles contracting. This week Abby was hooked up to E-Stim for the third time during her physical therapy and so far is making drastic improvements in her muscle tone as well as movement in her left leg. Abby has been walking using only the bottom part of her braces and walker and we are thrilled! But using this device can be quite tricky since the therapist has to determine the degree of current to use without causing too much discomfort. Abby does cry and fret most of her appointment and we're not sure if it's because she is in a little bit of pain or if she is just fussing about yet another new procedure. It's the most heart-wrenching part of being the parent and making the hard calls....do you let your child be uncomfortable for the present time so she has the best quality of life later, or do you give her the highest level of comfort and hope she isn't disappointed later that you didn't do more? Last week her appointment was so emotional that I felt drained for several days after it was over. Of course the instant her E-Stim was unhooked, she was all smiles like nothing had happened...the little stinker! She always manages to bounce back from whatever she faces with a smile, so we are very thankful to have a beautiful daughter with an excellent spirit. She makes it all worthwhile!

Abby was so happy her Daddy was able to come to her appointment yesterday

Here is a close-up of what her legs look like when hooked up to the E-Stim

And of course Mama was here to cheer Abby on too

Last week Abby visited her Paw-Paw and Maw-Maw and managed to wrangle a tractor ride out of her Paw-Paw. You should hear Abby's southern drawl when she says "Paw"...so cute!

Giving my "Paw" some much-deserved sugar for my tractor ride

Abby is eating up all this attention on her off day

Lookin' pretty for the camera

It's about time to go home for my nap, everybody!

New Baby Doll

2009-11-03T13:03:00.001-08:00

Sierra, a little girl Abby met at horse therapy, was so sweet to bless her with a "special needs" Cabbage Patch Doll. She comes equipped with braces on both feet (just like Abby) and a set of walking canes. It won't be long until Abby will be using walking canes instead of a walker. Thank you, Sierra, for blessing Abby with a baby doll that she can relate to. We had never seen one quite like it before:0)

Our baby is growing up so fast. She is starting to look like a little girl.

...and she is so curious and loves to touch everything around her. She loves to stroke the baby doll's hair and take the bow out.

Celebrating One Year Together

2009-09-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

This week we celebrated our 1st year with our precious daughter Abby. It has been an amazing adventure with every kind of emotion you can imagine. We have seen our God be faithful and sustain us through some difficult surgeries but through it all Abby has been a trooper. We were told that Abby would never walk, and by the Grace of God and a lot of hard work and determination on Abby's part she is now walking with the help of braces and a walker. Praise Jesus for all that He has done!
Abby has brought so much joy and laughter and sheer energy to our lives and we are forever grateful to have her as our daughter. Jawanna and I often wonder what we did before we got Abby... who knows, but we love our life and the family that God has blessed us with.

We will always remember September 1st 2008, the "Forever Day" we got Abby. We love you Abby and treasure you.

Daddy and Mama

I have prepared a video of our lives with Abby over the past year. I hope you enjoy.

Who Knew a Cast Could be a Fashion Statement?

2009-07-31T06:24:00.000-07:00

Abby has done quite well since her surgery. In fact, she hasn't complained at all! But we had noticed several days ago that her toes looked just a tiny bit further back in the cast than they had right after surgery and thought it was due to the swelling going down. Then Wednesday night there was a noticable difference in placement of about 1/2 inch and we knew something was wrong. We called the surgery nurse and were told to bring Abby in Thursday morning to have her cast removed. Had we known just how serious this was, we would have insisted it be removed Wednesday night. We cringed when we saw how horrible her little heel looked and felt heartbroken that Abby must have been in pain for several days while this was happening. But what's done is done and we're praying for a speedy recovery so she can wear her new braces when they come in. She was supposed to have the cast on for 3 weeks and yesterday was only day 9 but the doctor opted to leave it off because of the pressure wound. We have already called the orthotist and had a special brace ordered that has a "bubble" where the heel area is located to protect it and will be picking it up today. The great thing is that since the cast was removed, Abby has been moving her foot and leg a lot more than normal! It's almost as if the surgery triggered something in her nerves and now she has more feeling than before. We can tickle her foot and she will kick her whole leg and prior to surgery she may not even realize we were touching her foot. It's really amazing and gives us hope that our many many prayers for Abby's full recovery are being heard by our Heavenly Father.

Ready for church and all dolled up in a pretty pink cast and a "China dress" that matches it perfectly! Yes, I can maintain my girly-girliness even in a cast, people!

The pressure wound looked better even a couple of hours after being out of the cast and free from the pressure. It was actually black when the cast first came off and scared us quite badly. We are thankful we caught it in time before any major damage was done. Abby's orthopedic surgeon said he had never seen this happen before, and he's been doing these surgeries for many years. You can see her surgery scar right above the pressure wound. It's less than an inch long but the surgery definitely has made a difference! Abby's foot is much straighter than before.

Yes, the medical team really writes "yes" on the limb receiving surgery! Abby already had the beginning stages of a pressure wound on the top of her foot too.

It's Over!

2009-07-21T18:06:00.000-07:00

Today has been an eventful but great day. Abby got up this morning in a great mood, which made it even harder for us to drag her off for another surgery. But as always, she plowed right through a tough day and came out all smiles. She couldn't have anything to eat or drink after midnight last night, but did recognize StarBucks (her special treat when she works extra hard at physical therapy) when we passed by this morning and said, "Yummmmm....Yummmmmm." Talk about tearing your heart out! This child of ours definitely knows how to do it! But other than that she never even asked for food or drink, so we were thankful for that.

We had a 2 hour wait at the clinic before her surgery started at 9am and the medical team decided to put her to sleep before starting IV, etc. The heel cord surgery took only about 20 minutes but then she still had to be casted for new braces on both legs and then have her left leg casted for post-surgery reasons. Her cast ended up being only up to her knee, not all the way to her hip area like we thought. The whole procedure took about an hour. When we were called back into recovery, Abby was crying so pitifully and one of the nurses was in the holding area cradleing her like a little baby and loving on her. It took a little while for us to get her calmed down but soon she fell asleep and was fine.

Abby had no nausea or vomiting, a welcome change from her surgeries in Birmingham, and was discharged a little before 12 pm. Once home she was able to eat a little bit and went down for a good nap. She woke up acting like nothing had even happened to her today...all smiles and playing. She ate some watermelon and udon noodles for supper. We took her for about a 20 minute walk around the neighborhood and even sat in the floor and played with her for a long time. Michael blew some bubbles and she had a blast chasing them around. She even felt good enough to aggravate poor Smitty! ha ha

To all of you who invested time praying over this day and Abby's surgery, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We could feel the strength of your prayers and the evidence of God answering them is in the outcome. We've posted a few pics below to show just how great our Abby did.

Just getting home, all relaxed and showing off my new pink cast. Of course it had to be pink since I'm such a girly-girl!

After my nap Dady blew bubbles for me and I had so much fun chasing them.

Where did it go?!

Wow! They're everywhere!

Who knew a surgery day could be this much fun?

Let's do that some more, Daddy!

Is it gonna bite me?

Bursting a bubble that's sitting on the floor. See how long my hair is getting? My Mommy wishes she had my pretty eyelashes.

Yet Another Surgery....

2009-07-19T16:24:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are again, facing another surgery with our sweet baby. A lot has been going on this year that we haven't posted on our blog...we try to stay positive even when the circumstances aren't :0) But things seem to be smoothing out, so we thought we might share a little of our lives with you.

We have been trying to get this surgery scheduled for 2 months now and have encountered problems. Slowly but surely we are learning to lean more and more on our Heavenly Father and trust that He is ultimately in control. On May 6th, Abby was seen by a pediatric orthopaedic doctor, Dr. Dempsey, who told us that she would need heel cord lengthening surgery on her left foot. It was not something we really wanted to hear, but it's obvious just by looking at her foot that something is wrong. Her entire foot is "curled up" including her little toes. This poses a huge problem with her braces because if she ever curls her toes underneath while her foot is in the brace, her heel pops up and her foot is no longer down in the brace like it's supposed to be. Now, factor in the doctor telling us that Abby needs to be in her braces 8 hours a day. Big problem! We did ask if physical therapy would correct her foot over time, but babies that come into the world with a birth defect are only correctable with surgery.

Abby had a bad case of pneumonia and a severe urinary tract infection in April (ended up in the ER) and a lighter case in June. Then in July we took her back for a check-up as she had been running a low-grade fever almost every day since April. Again, she was diagnosed with pneumonia and her pending surgery was cancelled. And then......great news. The pediatrician called back last Wednesday and said a specialist had reviewed all of Abby's chest x-rays and she did not currently have pneumonia (although she definitely had it in April). A network of blood vessels in her right lung appear to be pneumonia on her x-rays. The blood vessels are harmless and it's normal for some babies to have this. She is probably running the fever due to teething since all of her labwork came back normal. So again, surgery was rescheduled for this coming Tuesday, July 21st, at 7am.

After the surgery is complete, and while Abby is under anesthesia, an orthotist will come in and cast both of her legs for new braces that will fit much better. Then her left leg will be in a cast for 2 weeks up to her hip and then for 1 more week just below her knee. During that time she cannot get her cast wet at all, which means no bath for 3 weeks. Now folks, that may not sound like the end of the world to you, but to a 2 year old who absolutely loves her bath every day, it is :0) Since Abby is still so small, we normally bathe her in the kitchen sink. But lately we wanted her to venture out and really enjoy her bath time until surgery, so we moved her to the big tub and added lots of fun toys. Of course she loves it! (See pictures).

But here's how good our God is: one of my friends put a post on Facebook about her little boy being able to go to youth camp and still swim in the pool even with a broken arm. So I emailed her and found out about a cast cover that is 100%waterproof and you can shower, swim, and bathe even with a cast on! We have one ordered for Abby and hopefully it will get here in time. You know, God knew our baby needed her special time that she enjoys so much in the bath tub. If anyone out there thinks God doesn't care about the little things in your life, HE DOES! And maybe He chooses not to change or fix your circumstances, but just look around and you'll see that He is there with you and He cares.

We aren't crazy about our precious Abby going through another surgery (her fourth one) but we know this is best for her in the longrun. We cherish your prayers and encouragement and consider it an honor that you would continue to remember our sweet Abby and our family in your prayers.

Rub-A-Dub-Dub, Abby's in the tub!

You should hear her say "dub dub dub"...she's really
loving the tub thing!

Everybody should have a rubber duckie!

Oh, So Proud to be an American!

2009-07-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

Then....and Now

Abby at the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, China. She's proudly wearing her red, white and blue dress as we finalize our documentation. Now she will be a U.S. Citizen when we step off the plane back home!

.....and 10 months later as we celebrate Abby's first 4th of July

(we were so glad the dress still fit her!)

Happy 1st Father's Day, Michael!

2009-06-21T17:43:00.001-07:00

For My Wonderful Husband....If riches could be totaled in blessings, we are wealthy indeed! You bless my life, and you give so much. I treasure you and thank God for you. Having our Abby has let me see a tender, loving and protective side of you I've never seen. You are such a wonderful father, and I take so much pleasure in watching you play with Abby. The way she laughs when she's with you gives me more joy than anything. I feel like we are complete now, and I am completely blessed that you chose me for your wife, that you chose to be one with me. Thank you for being my husband and for being Abby's Daddy. I love you. Your wife, Jawanna

Words just aren't necessary for this one!

Michael giving Abby her bottle...bonding time!

This card was perfect for Abby to give her Daddy...after all, we call her our little "Toad Frog"

Daddy & Abby in their Sunday-go-to-Meetin' getup!

Paw-Paw Freddy...he's my mama's Daddy

Abby gives Paw-Paw a special present she made just for him

Those are her real handprints on the front and she was SO PROUD of it!

Daddys have to wear hair bows sometimes when they have little girls....

...and the little girls get to pull them out and the Daddys don't get to hollar even if it hurts

The "bow thing" caught on and pretty soon everybody wanted a turn...so here's Uncle Bo wearing the bow

...and Alan-Michael sporting the bow

Emmy-Lou stole my sugar!

..and next Erica tries out my bow

...last but not least Paw-Paw even gets in on the fun and wears my bow just long enough to get his picture made in it

June 15, 2009

2009-06-16T18:54:00.000-07:00

We had some really sweet visitors today! Tammy and her beautiful daughters, Sarah (center) and Laura (in Tammy's lap) came over for a play date and lunch. Abby had a blast with the girls. She especially enjoyed being carried all over the house by Laura, who happens to be extremely strong for her age and size. Sarah was a big help and supervised the little ones so Tammy and I could visit. She even changed Abby's diaper! As soon as our visitors left for home, Abby fell straight asleep and Tammy emailed to say both of her girls fell asleep on the way home...a good sign they played themselves out!

Happy Mothers Day 2009

2009-05-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

I wanted to wish my wonderful wife Jawanna a very special Mothers Day. She is celebrating her first Mothers Day and I know she is proud as she can be. She has always been my hero and she is proving to be the mommy I know God created her to be. Abby is the reality of a dream and prayer that was prayed many times, sometimes with joy and many times with tears. I stand up today and call my wife Blessed. Abby is such a blessing to us, but at the same time her mommy my wife, is a hugh blessing to us. We love and cherish you.
Michael & Abby

Easter Pictures

2009-04-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter Everyone From the O'Quins

Abby Our Little Model

She Loves Dress Up and being a Girly Girl

Abby enjoying her Bunny Rabbit

This smile is not only Gorgeous but contagious as well

How Ya like my bunny ears

Looking all Grown Up

Did Ya see my Bracelet?

Easter 2009 Love Y'all Abby!!!!!

"photo by my Aunt Carla Carter"

HORSE THERAPY

2009-04-07T17:32:00.001-07:00

Eating breakfast before a hard day of work with my new horse.

At the Buckaroo Barn being evaluated by Ms Krystie before I saddle up.

This helps her determine which horse I should ride. Each horse has a different gait that helps different muscles in the body. Horse therapy (hippotherapy) can improve muscle function and balance in all sorts of medical conditions, including spina bifida, which is what I was born with.

And here is Traveler, my new buddy and therapist.

I got scared so Ms Krystie let me play with her cell phone and that made it all better.

A horse's gait is the only thing that actually mimics the gait of a human being. So this forces me to use the same muscles and improve my balance as if I were walking.

Okay, now I'm really having fun.

We played a few little games that helped me use some new muscles I have never used before. Here I am taking a plastic ring and trying to put it on a pole while Traveler is walking. I have to lean over to reach the pole but still hold myself up.

And now Ms Krystie puts me on Traveler backwards so I can work even more new muscles.

Daddy helps by throwing a colorful ball to me and I have to lean over to catch it but not fall off Traveler while I'm doing it.

By the time my therapy session was over, I was totally in love with Traveler.

I think I'll give him some sugar.

And he thinks he'll give me some sugar back:0)

Thank you, Jesus, for a successful day!

My 2nd Birthday March 4, 2009

2009-04-06T16:33:00.001-07:00

photo courtesy of Carla Carter Photography....thanks Aunt Carla!

We have a lot of pictures to share from Abby's 2nd Birthday Party. Actually, it was her first birthday party because she probably didn't have a first one when she was still in China. It's a very sad thought for us. But now we're overjoyed now that she's a part of our family and will always be celebrated for the special daughter she is to us. We planned her party for weeks and had such a blast buying her presents. We gave Abby a new swing set, a gold ring with a little diamond in it, pierced ears (she's finally not mad at me anymore about that! ha ha), a pretty silk blanket from China, and a bunch of new Miss Patty Cake DVD's. Enjoy the pics!

A beautiful birthday girl!

Meeting Cousin Caylen for the first time.

Just me and my Paw-Paw Freddy

I love my Mama

Playing with Chan-Man

Two pretty Princesses.

Eating some dinner before diving into my first birthday cake.

Alan-Michael is making sure I have plenty to eat.

My new swing set.

"Earl and Little Earl" (You have to be family to understand that joke)

This is Abby's "Miss Patty Cake" birthday cake.

I don't know what to think about having this big ole' cake all to myself.

Blowing out the candle with some help from Daddy.

Yeaaaa! I did it!

What?! This is ALL I get of that big cake?

Oh, well, here goes.

Mmmmmmm......

Is this legal?!

Ugh! I think I'm gonna be sick now.

Seth-Christopher about to take the plunge.

Laughing it up with my Maw-Maw Sonja.

"The Girls"

The kids think Uncle Huck is just one of them.

The siblings....Jeremy (Bo), Jawanna (Jana), Julie (just Julie) and Jason (Hunk). Yes, our family is famous for nicknames. We don't know how Little Miss Julie got past that.

A group shot of the guys.

Jana and Nano

Abby loves new clothes. And jewelry. And makeup. She's definitely our girly-girl.

This is my special blanket Daddy & Mama bought for me in China. I have a "China gift" for every birthday until I'm 18 years old.

Our little Chinese hillbilly:0)

Wow! I got a real Miss Patty Cake doll!

I love her so much; She's my favorite.

Uncle Seth & Cool Cayden

Me and my Nano

Everybody clap with me! It has been an awesome birthday.....

First Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-05T14:06:00.000-07:00

Friday evening, April 2nd, was Abby's first Easter Egg Hunt. She had a blast and was so proud of all the eggs she "found."

Goin' Easter Egg Huntin' with my Paw-Paw Freddy!

Okay, when do we get started?

Just a few of my competition, but I think I can beat them!

Waaaahoooo! I found one!

And her total?......Seventeen eggs!!!! (Including one that was overlooked from last year. Thankfully they were all plastic:0)

Happy 2nd Birthday, Abby!

2009-04-03T14:36:00.001-07:00

Today Abby turned 2 years old!

Getting some sugar from Smitty

He's my bestest buddy!

I've grown and changed so much in the last 7 months since I've been home.

It's a great life, folks!

March 2009

2009-03-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

March 6, 2009

Are my eyes brown....or black?!

It's grass. It's green. And it tastes good.

Always, always smiling

ha ha ha! I'm soooo funny! (notice the dirt under the fingernails)

March 9, 2009

A candid moment when we caught Abby playing with Jawanna's make-up

.....and here's Little Miss Hollywood!

March 15, 2009

My newest physical therapy venture: Daddy is helping me learn how to lift weights with my legs.

And after only a few tries.....I got it!

March 20, 2009
I have really REALLY been wanting to get earrings like mommy. My 2nd birthday is coming up soon, so one of my big presents is getting my ears pierced.

Here is me before the big bang...happy and excited

And here I am with the two ladies who pierced my ears.....
can you tell I'm mad?

After a lot of consoling, I finally stopped crying just long enough for this picture with mama.

Daddy tried to bribe me with a big cinnamon roll from Cinnabon....

....but I'm still pouting :0(

Still Catching Up! Here's February:

2009-03-23T12:30:00.001-07:00

February 3, 2009
A Shower for Abby given by our home church.

Hello everybody! So glad to be here.

A very blessed family.

Oops! My cake was accidentally cut before we got a picture:0)

"Feeding" my guests

Opening some really cool presents

Thanks everyone!

February 16, 2009 Our 18th Anniversary

About to leave for a night on the town...

...but we'll make it quick 'cause we'll miss our little noodle-head:0)

Feb. 22, 2009 Our lives are so busy with all of the appointments that we have to find creative ways to "sneak in" normal family activities. This day we were past Abby's nap time but she didn't seem to mind.

Having fun after my physical therapy appointment.

Gettin' down and dirty

Help! Daddy's gonna let go of me!

Watching all the other kids...I've never seen this many at one time!

It's such a pretty day

Feb. 25, 2009

A visit from my Paw-Paw and Maw-Maw

Sporting Paw-Paw's glasses

Happy 6-Month Anniversary Abby!

2009-03-01T13:25:00.000-08:00

Today is March 1, 2009, which makes exactly 6 months since we were blessed with the biggest treasure of our lives, Abigail Rae O'Quin. We love you Abby! Daddy and Mama

(Photo courtesy of Carla Carter Photography)

....the rest of January

2009-02-28T17:38:00.001-08:00

The last two months have been a blur for us all. We have been back and forth not only to Birmingham, but to numerous other doctor's appointments, therapies, and enrollments into new therapies....not to mention all of the paperwork, history, and phone calls associated with it all. So, contrary to popular belief, we have not fallen off the face of the earth. We're just taking care of the most important little thing in our lives:0)

JANUARY 3, 2009

Having a great time at Mattelyn's 6th Birthday Party

Mattelyn is a true friend....she fed me some udon noodles!!!!

JANUARY 5, 2009

Abby's checkup with Dr. Blount (her neurosurgeon in Birmingham) went great...and she effectively ran him off after he examined her! Poor Dr. Blount had to "hide" behind Abby to get his picture made with her.

JANUARY 8, 2009

Lookin' cute in my PJ's and pink bow

First time sitting in Daddy's rocking chair from when he was a baby.

What a happy memory!

JANUARY 26, 2009

Here's my newest therapy...it's called "The Rabbit" and I can stand up to strengthen my legs while I wheel myself around where I'd like to go! It only took one therapy session for me to master the idea and now I am getting around quite well on my own.

I think this calls for some applause!

Enjoying some outside time on a pretty day.....

What happens if I eat this?

Of course Daddy and Mama have to get in on the fun

What I'd really like to do is play "mud pies"

At last I finally get my fingers in that dirt!

New Years' Day

2009-01-11T05:55:00.001-08:00

Celebrating a New Year with new gusto.....getting up on my hands and knees used to be an impossibility...but now after a LOT of hard work my muscles are much stronger!

Lovin' on my Uncle Bo

That Paw-Paw stole my sugar! (Don't tell him, but I really don't mind it!)

Me and Erica doin' girl stuff

Seth Christopher sneaking out of the house:0)

Alan-Michael is like a big brother to Abby. He always watches out for her.

Ready to ring in the New Year!

Enjoying my first sparkler with mama!

Happy New Year everyone!

Meeting New Friends.....

2009-01-10T16:31:00.000-08:00

On December 26, 2008, we took Abby for a visit to Poplarville, MS, to see some folks we consider "extended family." Abby got to meet quite a few friends that have prayed for her and loved her long before we ever held her in our arms. It was almost as if Abby already knew them all....she certainly dished out the lovin' as you will see!

Abby meets Emma, Isaac and Pai-Pai for the first time

Two beautiful girls

Abby figured out real quick that Bobby was up for some joking around

Gettin' some love from Grammy Sherman

Sliding with Daddy!

Abby really REALLY loved Poppy Sherman!

You were right, Mellie.....Abby did have angels watching over her in China.

Mmmmm Mmmmm good!

All the girls making a memory together....what a great day we had!

Blowing a goodbye kiss to everyone

Christmas Day

2009-01-03T20:51:00.000-08:00

...And here are even more Christmas pictures.......

(December 25, 2008)

What a beautiful and precious gift we have been blessed with this year!

Abby and her Paw-Paw

The grandkids with Great-Grandma Estis

Paw-Paw Freddy reading the Christmas Story from the Book of Luke. Afterwards we all told what we were thankful for this year. Our reason for thankfulness is VERY obvious this year! Welcome to our world, Abby!

Maw-Maw Sonja enjoying her little bundle of joy

Maw-Maw Sonja and Jawanna helping Abby get into her presents

Nano stealing some sugar

Demonstrating how strong my legs are getting....I am exercising soooo hard every day so I can stand and eventually WALK!

C

Cousin Erica showing off her new pajamas

My Daddy with Paw-Paw Freddy

Abby's First Christmas

2008-12-31T13:10:00.000-08:00

This Christmas we have had more to be thankful for than ever before. How many years have we celebrated Christmas and thought, "Well, another year has gone by and still no baby." Nothing can leave you feeling more empty or lifeless than a home without new life. My, how things have changed for us this year! Now we have constant commotion and chaos, and even more constant laughter and joy than our home has ever known. We want to share a few of our favorite Christmas pictures with everyone. Hope you all enjoy!

My First Christmas (December 24, 2008)

After almost 18 years of marriage......

We finally have this precious addition to our family!

A beautiful new Christmas dress sent to Abby by Peggy Shoemake and daughter, Kelli, from Hattiesburg, MS. Isn't it just perfect for such a special occasion?!

Jawanna with our long-awaited gift:0)

"Can I pweeeeease touch the ornaments?"

Can you see the "moment of truth" in this picture? Oh, well, maybe next year she'll appreciate the presents a little more!

You've got to be kidding! There's more?

Will Smitty bite me if I pull this?

Striking a beautiful pose so I can get what I really want!

Playing the piano, just like mommy!

Bring on the eggnog, Mama!

My first taste of eggnog. This is an O'Quin tradition that Mama doesn't really care for. Now Daddy has an eggnog buddy!

Merry Christmas from the O'Quin Family to all of you!

"Thanks be unto God for his indescribable gift."

A Christmas Doll

2008-12-30T18:45:00.001-08:00

Our sweet little neighbor, Summer, came over Christmas Eve and gave Abby a beautiful Lee Middleton Christmas Doll complete with baby bed, car seat, clothes, etc.

Abby just loves it when Summer comes over to play with her. Those two have hit it off in a big way!

Thank you, Summer, for the beautiful doll!

Physical Therapy at Home

2008-12-23T15:16:00.001-08:00

Several times we have mentioned on the blog that we do some physical therapy at home. A lot of that includes massaging Abby's left leg, then pushing her knee down to stretch the ligaments and turning her foot into an upright position. We try to make it fun and count to 10 and then cheer and clap for her. She thinks it's a game, so that works out great for all involved.

Recently Mrs. Cheryl gave us some new equipment to add to our regimen at home. We now have a leg brace that holds Abby's leg straight and makes it weight-bearing so she can stand up in her "jumparoo" while she watches a DVD.

And here is Abby standing on her little stepstool. We do this for just 20 minutes a day because it is so physically strenuous for her. Mrs. Cheryl has to continually remind us that this is equivalent to an out-of-shape person doing an advanced aerobic workout, as Abby has never used her hip and leg muscles until after her surgeries.

Yeaaaaah! We're still smiling!

Mama cheering Abby on while she works out those new muscles she's acquiring!

We love you, our brave, sweet little girl!

Making Music

2008-12-23T13:29:00.001-08:00

Saturday night our good friends Gary and Peppi Garrett and their sons Kenny and Dalton invited us over for homemade tacos and a fun time of making music. Gary made the cords on his guitar while Abby did the strumming, and they didn't sound too bad either!

Thank you guys for a great night of food, fun and fellowship.

The Gift of Friends

2008-12-22T17:31:00.000-08:00

On 12/21/08 we were visited by Rebecca Neighbors and her daughter, Mattelyn. We met Rebecca via the internet while we were in China. She left many encouraging comments on our blog during our China trip and during our Birmingham hospital stay with Abby as well. We have all been anxious to meet this person who befriended us during one of the most trying times of our lives. Abby and Mattelyn had a grand time together and played like they were old friends. Abby enjoyed tickling Mattelyn. And Mattelyn pretended to play "chase" with Abby and made her laugh until she almost lost her breath.

Mattelyn and Abby meet for the first time.

Abby unwrapping gifts from Mattelyn (with a little help from her friend). Abby loves her new books, Mattelyn! Thank you soooo much.

Playing "tickle" with Mattelyn

Mattelyn performing Christmas Carols on her violin. Wow! were we impressed with Mattelyn's talent! She even played "Carol of the Bells" for us...and that is a really hard piece!

Thank you for a very fun visit Rebecca and Mattelyn!

A Week in the Life of Abby

2008-12-15T16:14:00.000-08:00

This last week has been kinda crazy, so here is my very belated post! Tuesday and Thursday Abby had physical therapy. Saturday was the Estis Family Christmas. And we also were visited by Uncle Jason, Paw-Paw Freddy, Maw-Maw Sonja, and the Summerville family (all on different days). We have more pictures coming to add on this post, but this will do for now:0)

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A visit from the Summervilles! Amy Summerville was our social worker who did the home study for Abby's adoption. She has been the sweetest friend to us and has continued to keep up with Abby's adoption even though they moved to Florida this past summer. Amy and her husband Demetrius and their children Jayden and Journey came for a visit Tuesday.

Jayden and Abby playing together. Jayden was the perfect little gentleman and Abby enjoyed his company.

Here is Amy and her precious little doll, Journey. We were both expecting our babies at the same time!

A proud Daddy, Demetrius, with Journey. Don't they look just alike!

And here is a closeup of a handsome Jayden. He even let Abby have part of the cookie he dropped without any complaint....what a sweetie!

Amy and Jawanna. Thank you, Amy, for all of the support, prayers, and your friendship. We love you!

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Thursday Abby had some emotional difficulties at physical therapy, so Mrs. Cheryl decided to just have some fun with her. She hooked up a really cool swing and took Abby for a ride...can you tell it worked?! Way to go, Mrs. Cheryl!

Here's a cute picture from Friday....Michael tried to change Abby's diaper but Smitty was in the way and wouldn't move from the blanket. So Michael just laid Abby's legs over him. Ha! No way was he giving up his spot! He finally did jump down, but with much resentment.

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Saturday night was the Estis Family Christmas hosted by Aunt Linda and Uncle Terry. We enjoyed a wonderful meal together and lots of good fellowship. The house was quite full as the Estis Great Grandparents had 8 children, about 35 grandchildren, and we've lost count of how many great-grandchildren! This year we were blessed to add another baby to the mix.

Abby and Great-Grandma Estis, who is 90 years old and still as beautiful as ever.

Abby's mommy stealing a moment with her....she was passed around quite a bit!

Singing Christmas Carols around the piano.

Bubble Bath

2008-12-09T20:12:00.000-08:00

Miss Abby taking her bath last night...this is one of her very favorite things in the whole world to do!

We have learned the hard way not to mention the B-A-T-H word until the water is drawn, the towel and washcloth are handy, and her jammies are laid out.

How happy is this?!

Putting up Abby's Christmas Ornament

2008-12-01T19:02:00.001-08:00

Here is Abby putting her special Christmas ornament on the tree tonight. Abby's "A" ornament was given to us several Christmases ago by our dear friends Marc & Tammy Wascomb and their daughters Sarah and Laura, while we were in the midst of our looooong wait for Abby! Well, guys, the day has finally come and we will get to celebrate our first Christmas as a family this year! What an awesome blessing!

Our Christmas Angel

2008-11-30T14:37:00.000-08:00

Abby's Aunt Carla took these Christmas pictures of her yesterday. Aren't they adorable?

HAPPY FIRST THANKSGIVING ABBY!

2008-11-28T08:24:00.001-08:00

Dancing with Daddy.

Our first Thanksgiving with Abby.

Paw-Paw Freddy loved Abby's pink AND camoufloge outfit!

Bungee Physical Therapy

2008-11-26T19:19:00.001-08:00

Here is Little Miss Photogenic posing for the camera!

Standing tall with my bungee cords helping to steady me. (This session was pretty cool for Abby because she was able to stand without anyone helping to hold her up. A harness was put around her waist and bungee cords were hooked from the harness to the wire cage. At first she fussed a little since this was such a new feeling and completely independent of human assistance. But soon she was playing and enjoying it like nobody's business.)

What are you doing back there, Mrs. Cheryl?

Getting my leg muscles stretched out.

High Five for Mr. Kevin.

This is so much fun I've forgotten it was supposed to be therapy.

Major Milestone - Abby Stands Up for First Time!!!!!

2008-11-24T20:20:00.000-08:00

I've been anxiously waiting to get this picture from our physical therapist so this post could be made! Last Thursday (Nov. 20th) Abby was able to stand up for the first time in her life! It was an amazing moment for me as a mommy to see my baby finally get to stand up. Of course it was with the help of braces since her legs and hips are so weak, but this is only the beginning! I don't think we've ever shared this on our blog, but when we got Abby at 17 months old, she had never been allowed to stand or crawl. She had spent her entire life laying on her stomach and right side, or sitting on her foster mother's lap. She was not able to sit up on her own and her neck muscles were not even stable. By the time we left China, Abby was sitting up on her own and even wanting to move around and crawl. That took a little time, but since her 3 surgeries, she is crawling all over the place.

Our little miracle continues to amaze us. We have been praying over her left leg every day and believing God to heal whatever damage has been done. During her physical therapy while Abby was standing up, both therapists were shocked to feel muscle movement in her left hip. She was using those muscles to balance herself! One of them called me over to feel it for myself and sure enough those muscles were contracting and moving around. This was something none of us really expected since we have been told by several doctors that her left leg is just "hopeless." In the physical therapists words, "We have a much better situation with Abby than I thought we had."

Abby Welcomes Visitors

2008-11-24T17:01:00.000-08:00

November 21, 2008 Cousin Emmely and Maw-Maw Sonja came for a visit.

November 24, 2008. Jawanna with her friends from Hattiesburg: Christy Daniell(left) and Tammy Wascomb (right). Today was their first time to see Abby and we all had quite a time. Abby enjoyed playing with her new friends. Thank you guys for coming so far to visit us...it was great to see you!

Tammy sent this collage of us and our kids together:

Getting to know Mrs. Tammy

First Physical Therapy

2008-11-17T19:28:00.000-08:00

Abby had her first physical therapy appointment with Cheryl Thames, PTA, and her assistant, Kevin today. Everything went great and Cheryl said Abby will definitely walk!!!!!!!! She will require some help (braces, etc.) but we do not know to what degree at this point. We will have two appointments per week through the end of the year and will see how she does from there. Also, we will be doing physical therapy and stretches with Abby at home every day. We continue to covet your prayers as we endeavor to do our very best for our precious little one. She has such a sweet but yet strong spirit and displays an incredible attitude in spite of the difficulties she faces. What a Blessing we were given in China! We still think of Abby's birth mother and also her foster mother and wonder how they are doing. We know their hearts are aching from the loss both of them have faced. It is sad to think that someone had to give up this beautiful baby in order for us to call her our own. We still pray that God will bless them and comfort their hearts. We hope that somehow in the deepest part of their spirits they have the assurance that Abby is being showered with love and receiving the very best medical care we have been able to find. Thank you, Lord, for our Little Blessing.

Abby meets Cheryl & Kevin and seems to be cool with the fact they are touching her and manipulating her legs.

Just being my usual little charming self!

Is this over yet??? It's my nap time!

Tuckered Out!

2008-11-14T17:13:00.000-08:00

I caught this precious moment on camera today when Abby literally played herself to sleep. Every day she is growing and more of her little personality is shining through. She understands a lot of English now and responds to questions we ask her. She is a very smart baby and her Mama and Daddy couldn't be prouder. (To see how pretty and long her eyelashes are, point to the picture and click and a bigger photo will pop up. You can also see that the surgery wound on her head is healing up nicely and there is only one stitch left.)

First Word!

2008-11-13T14:44:00.000-08:00

Michael was in the floor playing with Abby this evening when he asked her if she wanted her book and she said (plain as day) "YEP!" And we both almost passed out from shock! That is the first time she has said anything in English other than mama, daddy or papa. She is definitely a little tease and has refused to say it again even though we've done everything but stand on our heads, but that's okay. This is one of those proud parenthood moments and we're reveling in it.

Daddy attempting to get Abby to say "YEP" again

Playing with cousin Seth-Christopher

Sometimes Abby feels left out because she is not able to run around and play like her cousins. She was so excited when we put her on Thomas the Train and pushed her around like the other kids were doing. We have an appointment with a physical therapist next week and would appreciate prayer over that time. Abby's pediatric neurosurgon has done all he can do for her left leg, so we are praying over our baby and believing that tenacity and hard work can help her overcome what the surgery didn't fix.

Maw-Maw Sonja playing Thomas the Train with Abby...she's a wonderful grandmother and Abby loves her so much.

Wow! Aunt Julie and Nano surprised us with some homemade biscuits. Mmmm!

A Day in the Park

2008-11-11T18:26:00.001-08:00

We had a family picnic at our local park today and Abby had a blast. By the way.....today makes exactly 2 months we have been home, so this was a great way to celebrate.

Somebody push me!!!

Yeaaaa! Here I go!

Wheeeeeee!

This is my mischevious look

She was completely unimpressed by the geese (or whatever they are)

Bye Ya'll!

Seeing the World!

2008-10-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

For awhile we stayed home just out of pure precaution. But now Abby is doing much better and we have been getting her out of the house now and then. We still ask for your prayers as Abby is struggling with some trauma issues. Overall she is a strong and sweet little baby girl and considering everything she has been through, she is doing great! Here are a few pictures to show you what we've been up to:

All dressed up to go out on the town.

Getting some fresh air.

Abby is learning to brush her teeth. We had asked in China how they went about brushing her teeth and were told, "Oh, no! No brush teeth until, 18 months....uh, 2 years old!" This is the first time she has actually opened her mouth and put the toothbrush in!

Cayden giving Abby some "guggers"

Enough already!

Showing off her hat.

Wrapping Daddy around my little finger!

Great Big "Thank You!" to Dickson Campers

2008-10-21T07:29:00.001-07:00

Michael, Jawanna and Abby want to express their gratitude to James & Beverly Dickson, owners of Dickson Campers in Mobile, AL. They went above and beyond the call of duty in supporting us through our adoption journey and through the tough weeks of Abby's surgeries. Michael was paid his full salary the entire time we were in China getting our Abby and also while Abby was in the hospital in Birmingham. Michael offered to leave Birmingham to come back to work and the Dicksons told him to stay and take care of his daughter and his job would still be waiting.

Mr. James & Mrs. Beverly (better known as Uncle James & Aunt Bee Bee to Abby) have treated us like family. Thank you so much for the support and love you have shown our family. We are so grateful.

With Our Love,
Michael, Jawanna & Abby

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction..." James 1:27

Thank You, Jesus! We're Home!

2008-10-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

Here is Abby thanking Jesus that she made it home! Even at her young age, we are teaching her about Jesus, and she loves to lift her little hand in worship when we mention His name.

Making short work of a banana.

Abby's dainty little hand in her daddy's hand.

Our first few days at home have been wonderful..........normal. We had forgotten how sweet the word "normal" can be. For two days Abby had swelling, redness, fever and vomiting, which can all be signs that a shunt is being rejected by the body. But once again our Lord has been gracious and merciful and it has all passed over. She is already sitting up and starting to crawl again. The weakness from so many surgeries had caused her to lose a lot of muscle tone and for awhile she struggled to hold her head upright. Everyone keeps telling us how resilient little ones are and now we believe it! We still need prayer covering for Abby's emotions. She has lost so much and been through so much in such a short time. But she has also gained a lot:0) and we want her to know that we're her forever family and we're here to stay.

Once again we would like to thank all of you for your prayers, support, phone calls, emails, and encouragement. There were many moments we may have buckled under the pressure if it had not been for your prayers. So many of you out there have prayed and added Abby to your church prayer lists even though you don't know us....for that we are grateful. Thank you.

Heading Home!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-10-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

Daddy feeding Abby her last meal in this hospital! Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Dr. Blount's nurse, Gigi came by to go over everything we need to know about caring for Abby with a shunt. She and Abby have become very good friends through this time.

All we have to do is sign the paperwork and drive off!

It's almost 11:30 and we're just about to leave the hospital. PRAISE THE LORD!

Going Home Tomorrow! HALLELUJAH!

2008-10-14T19:06:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to let you all know that WE ARE GOING HOME TOMORROW! In the morning, Gigi (Dr. Blount's nurse) is coming by to educate us about caring for Abby with a shunt and then we are hoping to leave by lunch time. It's late and we're all exhausted, so we will try to post more details after we get home. But in the meantime, here are some pictures that will tell you about our day:

We made new friends, Debbie and her precious daughter, Becca.

...and here are also new friends, Laura and her precious daughter, Ella.

Group shot of us all with Giggles & Jelly Bean.

And here is, Kristin, who introduced us to all of our new friends today.

Abby & Ella...what a pair!

Abby with her nurse, Mary, who has been a tremendous prayer warrior for her. We have come to love our sweet nurse.

Abby is sooooooooo ready to get out of this bed and go home! We did try to decorate her bed so it wouldn't feel like a "prison" to her.

Thank you all for the phone calls, emails and comments. The last 2 days have been very busy for us with taking care of Abby post-surgery, so we haven't been able to answer emails yet...we'll get to them as soon as we can. Thank you for
keeping up with us and praying for us through these last 2 1/2 weeks. We continue to give God glory for all He has done. This blog would have been a very sad story if God had not had His hand on our family. We will update again and give more details as soon as we possibly can. With Our Love, Michael, Jawanna, and Abby

Another Success!

2008-10-13T09:40:00.001-07:00

Abby has been through Recovery and now she is resting comfortably in her room again. Dr. Blount said the surgery went very smooth and the pocket of spinal fluid on her back is already dissipating. She has 2 new surgery wounds, one on the right side of her head and another on her abdomen. As before, this is another "wait and see" kind of thing. But if everything goes well over the next 24 hours or so, we may be released to go home. We are watching Abby very closely and expecting good things.

Here are a few pictures of Abby when she was just waking up....again, our precious baby is already smiling and trying to play with us. Thank you all for your prayers.

Snuggling up with Paw-Paw

Abby & Maw-Maw Sonja

Visited by our friends, the Blair family.

Just playin' around

Ready to go.........AGAIN!

2008-10-13T06:56:00.000-07:00

7:30 am Abby with the Anesthesiologist team that will be assisting with her shunt surgery.

It's 9am and we're in waiting room. Abby is having her surgery right now and we haven't received any word from the operating room yet. I wish you all could have seen her this morning. She was sooooooooo very happy and cheerful. She was giving out love to any and everyone we passed on the way back to surgery. Even though we've only had Abby about 6 weeks, she is so trusting. She never complains and always smiles and encourages US! She is a shining example of how trusting we should be with our Heavenly Father. We don't always understand the "why" but we just have to trust that He is doing what is best for us.

I will bless the Lord at ALL TIMES! His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Abiding in His Shadow........

2008-10-12T18:02:00.000-07:00

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust..." Psalm 91:1-2

This morning we were completely caught off-guard when two of Abby's doctors came in to examine her and immediately said she would need surgery in the morning. The pocket of spinal fluid on her back did not seem to be any larger, but overnight it became very hard and tight. Both Dr. Blount and Dr. Pearson feel it is in her best interest not to chance her surgery wounds breaking open to release the spinal fluid and want to go ahead with the shunt surgery.

Of course we were devastated because this is not what we were believing God for...we were standing on His Word for complete and total healing from the first two surgeries. However, our main concern is for Abby as she has been through so much in the last month and a half of her little life. Not only has she lost everything she ever knew: her foster mother, her country, her language....everything. But now she has already been through two major surgeries and now faces a third within 2 1/2 weeks. She is a strong baby girl who smiles and has joy in her spirit. We don't understand why the Lord is allowing this.......but God is Sovereign and we are trusting in Him to get all of us through.

Please help us pray for Abby that her shunt will be successful, and that her body, mind and spirit will be protected through the next surgery. She will have a CT Scan at 5am tomorrow and her surgery will probably start around 7:30 am.

We want to give God the glory for these things:
*Abby has not had to be catheterized since midnight last night and now she is tee- teeing on her own!
*Her bowels are working great.
*No damage was done to her right leg during the first surgery and even her left leg (the one they said was hopeless) has improved!
*No neurological damage was done in either of the surgeries.
*Her sweet and joyful personality is unchanged!

Thank you for your continued prayer and support.

Blessing to You All,
The O'Quins

Abby's province is famous for their beef noodles and she loooooves her some noodles! We call her our little "Noodle-Head". Here she is watching fervently for the next bite.

Mouth open for the noodles........

Mmmmmmmmm Mmmmmmmmm Good! This is better than fried chicken!

This is Abby and Treva, her nurse for today. Thank you, Treva, for talking and praying us through a hard day.

Whose Report Will You Believe?

2008-10-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

WAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO! The swelling is going down! The pocket of fluid under the surgery wound on Abby's skull is almost completely gone. And the pocket of fluid on her back has gone down to about the size it was when we first discovered it. God is moving and we give Him glory!

The day before Abby's first surgery, we had her dedicated to the Lord. Jawanna's brother, Jeremy (whom we affectionately call Uncle Bo) was leading worship that morning and he sang the song "Whose Report Will You Believe? I will Believe the Report of the Lord!"

Fifteen years ago our family had sung that same song around Jeremy's hospital bed. He had Eastern Equine Encephalitis and the doctors said he had less than a 1% chance of survival. Today Jeremy is married with 4 children and serving God! We believe his singing that song at Abby's Dedication was clearly a prophetic Word for us.

Abby sporting the new elephant outfit her Aunt Chere bought....what do you think, Aunt Ree?

Daddy and Abby kicked back watching their first football game together.

Less than 10 minutes into the game.............oh, well!

Continuing to Stand......

2008-10-11T06:34:00.000-07:00

Here is Abby with Dr. Blount, the pediatric neurosurgeon who fixed her back (and very successfully!) Abby LOVES him!

Last night our friend, Nalini (Dashan's mama), came by to check on Abby....and boy howdy did Abby dole out the love! She just couldn't give enough sugar to Nalini!

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"And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name....they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Mark 16:17a-18b

"...If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." Matthew 17:20

This morning, both Dr. Blount and Dr. Pearson examined Abby's surgery wounds and found that the incision on her head had begun to retain some spinal fluid underneath and also the pocket of spinal fluid that formed on her back has gotten bigger. So far we have no leakage (Praise You, Jesus!) and that is a good thing. The doctors want us to stay at least one more night since we live so far away. Right now it is a "wait and see" issue and Abby's doctors are still speaking positively about her surgery results.

Thank you all for the outpouring of love and support. Thank you for standing in faith with us. "......and having done all, to stand." Ephesians 6:13

Out and About

2008-10-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. Psalm 42:8

Earlier today we sent out a "9-1-1" prayer request for Abby. Since then Dr. Pearson has checked her back and found no leakage from the lump that has formed. He said he is "not willing to call the surgery a failure yet." Well, NEITHER ARE WE!!! The good news is 1. The lump hasn't caused any leakage through the surgery wound, and 2. It hasn't gotten any bigger. We just checked it again at 12:30 a.m. and there still was no leakage, so Praise God!

The grandfather of a little boy in the Children's Hospital said to me, "These children are the ones going through so much and they're still smiling, so why should we cry?" That really stuck with me. Today has been a great day...Abby has been so happy and playful. To look at her you would never guess that she has just been through two major surgeries. And even though we are facing another tough battle, we choose to smile, not cry. We pray. We stand on God's Word. And we rest.

So, we would like to share all about Abby's day and who she saw, etc...it was pretty interesting and blessed!

Ready to roll with Daddy! This is Abby's first time sitting in a stroller WITHOUT THE DOUGHNUT PILLOW ON HER BACK! (Before the surgery, there was a meningocele the size of Michael's fist in the center of Abby's back.) It feels so funny for us as parents to just sit her in a stroller. Normally it would take both of us to do this. Now it is so easy since Abby's surgery.

Our camera missed the actual kiss...yes it was a good one!

Abby didn't quite know what to think of the cow ride!

This precious young lady, Kristin, was in the hospital lobby today and just happened to ask if our baby was adopted from China. When we said yes, she told us that she was good friends with Steven Curtis Chapman's daughter, Emily. They went to high school together. We were so excited to meet her and told her how much our Shaohannah's Hope Grant had meant. She let us take this picture of her and Abby together and we are hoping she can relay to the Chapman's how grateful we are for their generosity. How cool is that??????

Abby giving sugar to her new friend, Dashan. They both light up every time they see each other...it's a real heart connection.

Us with our new friends, the Patel family. We have all three just fallen in love with them.

Enjoying some mother-daughter time together.

**To all of you who have sent messages and comments to MADISON and her family: We took our laptop down to their room today and let them read your comments. We also told them about the personal emails and phone calls we have received. Madison's mom wept as she read your comments. Your prayers are making a difference. Thank you for caring and for encouraging this family. We do not have anything new to report, but will continue to post as we receive news. **

911 URGENT PRAYER REQUEST!

2008-10-10T15:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends & Family And ALL PRAYER WARRIORS

Abby just formed a knot on her back that is right by the stiches where the meningocele was removed. The doctor thinks this is possibly a buildup of spinal fluid due to her body not being able to reabsorb it. If her body does not "figure out" how to dispose of that fluid, it will begin leaking out through her surgery wound and we will have to have a shunt put in.

The next few hours will be critical and we are asking everyone to intercede and have faith with us that this will be a complete work, not a partial one.

The O'Quins

The Day After Surgery..............

2008-10-09T14:55:00.000-07:00

A BIG KISS FOR YOU ALL!

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask think, according to the power that worketh in us." Ephesians 3:20

This has been a day of thanksgiving and praise to God. Abby has had two major surgeries in 10 days...both successful! We have had the very best doctors and medical care here, but we also realize that it is only because our Heavenly Father has blessed the work of their hands that our baby is healthy and healed.

We did have a pretty big scare this morning....Abby's smile was lopsided and one of her eyes was not open all the way. Also, the bandage over the incision on her head felt wet which is not a good thing after this kind of surgery. That usually means that the body is not able to dispose of the extra spinal fluid on its own and a shunt will be required.

We were immediately sent up for another CT scan, which showed that all of Abby's ventricals had filled with spinal fluid and were bigger than they were before the surgery. The resident surgeon, Dr. Naftel, came in to check Abby's wound and found that the bandage had simply soaked up the Neosporin that was put on her after surgery. It wasn't wet at all (Thank you, Jesus!) and even when he pressed rather hard on the wound, nothing leaked out. He checked the incision on her back from the first surgery and it also was dry.

Abby has also run fever all day but that is pretty normal after major surgery. It was 101.2 early this morning. She was given Tyelnol but the fever is still at 100 this afternoon.

Abby's bladder is not working entirely on its own. She is able to void about half of her urine but is still being catheterized every 6 hours. If she is not able to void completely on her own by discharge, we will be sent home with everything we need to catheterize her ourselves.

We have not been given a discharge date yet, but we're hoping to go home by Saturday

PRAYER POINTS FOR ABBY:
*Please pray that Abby's body will begin to dispose of the excess spinal fluid on its own the way God created it to. Pray that there will be NO spinal fluid leakage from her head or her back.
*Pray that Abby's bladder will completely "wake up" and she will be able to void 100% of the urine on her own.
*Pray that the fever will break and that she has no infection from the surgery.

Dr. Carin Richards, (left), Brooke Talley LBSW, (right) and Leigh Anne Harrington LCSW PIP, (not pictured) from International Adoption Clinic were in the area and dropped by to see Abby today. What a happy surprise to see all of the wonderful people who have done so much for Abby...not to mention they introduced us to Dr. Blount, the pediatric neurosurgon who fixed her back. Thank you guys for caring so much about our precious baby. We love you all!

Daddy finally gets to hug Abby!

After 10 days of laying flat, it feels good to sit straight up. We take so much for granted....this is a major victory for Abby just to sit up!

When Abby's nurse, Teresa, saw how good she was feeling today, she said we could take Abby outside....which is probably the best therapy for her besides getting a big hug! Thank you for giving us the "go ahead" Teresa!

Mama wants to get in on the fun too!

Thankful and grateful parents!

She's Already Playing!

2008-10-08T18:03:00.000-07:00

This is hard to believe...Abby had JUST been wheeled back into her room after the surgery and immediately began playing with us. In the first picture she's playing peep-eye. In the second picture she's patting her chest with her little hand for us to sing "Patty Cake" to her. She's our little miracle girl!

Groggy but happy!

PERFECT SUCCESS!!!!!

2008-10-08T16:06:00.001-07:00

We are in Abby's room waiting for her....the surgery is over and Dr. Rozzelle said everything went great! The actual surgery only took 35 minutes! There were no blood vessels in the way. He was able to use the opening that had already been drilled in Abby's skull to drain the spinal fluid in the first surgery, so she did not have to have any further incisions or skull removed for this surgery. We are praising God and giving Him all the glory. Abby should be released from the hospital in 2-3 days, so we should be home for the weekend! THANK EVERYONE FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND FASTING!!!!! We will post more soon so keep watching!

Stil Waiting.....

2008-10-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

We figured many of you were checking the blog for an update..... It's 1:20 right now and we are still waiting. So far we have not even been moved to the holding area. Our doctor had a pretty intense surgery this morning before Abby's surgery, so it is hard to know exactly when we will be called back.

In the meantime, Jawanna has spent a lot of time cuddling Abby and just loving on her.

Here is Maw-Maw Sonja helping Abby pass the time. We had no idea she was so good at juggling!

CW5 Billy Ray Robinson US Army, came by this afternoon to pray with us. He is from North Mobile Baptist Church and heard about Abby from our friend, Peppi Garrett. He encouraged us so much and prayed a very powerful prayer over Abby. Thank you for going out of your way to minister to our family. May God Bless You.

Surgery Plans

2008-10-07T18:06:00.000-07:00

We met Dr. Rozzelle (the new surgeon) this afternoon and he was really nice. He took a lot of time answering all of our questions and gave us some options. After we talked about it, we decided to go ahead with the surgery. If we just unhook the tube from Abby's head and wait to see what happens, the possibility of her getting meningitis is greatly increased. Plus if she begins having spinal fluid leakage from her surgery site or the tube site in the future, we would be forced to have the surgery anyway. It was all a lot to think about, but we feel that it is in Abby's best interest to have this problem fixed permanently. We are very thankful that we have the option of having the alternative surgery instead of a shunt because most kids Abby's age just do not qualify medically. Dr. Rozzelle was able to tell us that the CT scan from this morning did not show any major blood vessels in the way and he does not forsee any problems. Hallelujah! We trust our new doctor to do a great job for our Abby. Our confidence is in God, not in man. It is God that gives man ability. Her surgery will be around 12:00 tomorrow. Thank you all for your prayers, fasting, and support.

This is Kelly playing with Abby. She has been Abby's CA almost every night since we have been here and has done a great job. Kelly has went far above and beyond the call of duty to help us, even offering to babysit Abby when she was off the clock. Thank you, Kelly, for being so good to our Abby! We appreciate you!

Mrs. Helen Martin, a lady who heard about Abby but doesn't know us, made this beautiful baby blanket Abby is sporting. She even monogrammed "Yes, Jesus Loves Me" (one of Abby's very favorite songs) around the edge. Thank you for the beautiful gift, Mrs. Helen! Abby loved her blanket!

Pictures courtesy of Paw-Paw Freddy :0)

Surgery Postponed

2008-10-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know Abby's surgery was postponed until tomorrow. Dr. Wellon's wife is having her baby today. The other surgeon that performs these type operations has a full load today. So truthfully we are grateful that she is not just going to be worked in, as this is a very delicate operation. We have been assigned a new neurosurgeon, Dr. Rozelle. We have not been able to find out anything about him. He is new here at Children's Hospital and is not even listed under their neurosurgeons yet. A new consent form was brought to us since the surgeon has been changed, but we requested to meet him before we signed the consent. As far as we know, Abby's surgery will be done tomorrow but we have not been given a time yet. We'll keep you all posted. Continue to pray for us as well we need the strength to see it through to completion.

Thank you, Alicia, for sharing this encouragement:
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Look back,
remembering where Christ has intervened
on behalf of your family.
Look ahead,
with confidence,
that He will continue to do so.

Abby was visited by two really great clowns this afternoon, Giggles & Jellybean. We didn't know how she would react since she usually cries every time someone new walks in her room. But she had a fun time playing and laughing with them. Thank you for stopping by Giggles & Jellybean...you really made Abby's day a lot happier!

Happy Day!

2008-10-06T17:15:00.000-07:00

Everything has went fine today. We have had a much better day than yesterday. Jawanna's parents came up a day early for Abby's surgery, and we have thoroughly enjoyed having them here. Abby is just crazy about both of them and they all do a good job of entertaining each other.

A new development......Abby has been begging for us to hold her for days. And I don't mean laying her across a pillow in our lap. She wants a "bear hug" chest-to-chest. Today, even though we were kinda afraid to try it (she still cannot be vertical at all because of the spinal fluid), we finally gave our baby what she wanted so much. And it made the day SO MUCH BETTER for both Abby and Jawanna. The picture below speaks for itself!

SURGERY IS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7TH, 2008

2008-10-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

We have a different surgeon, Dr. Wellons, for Abby's second surgery. He has explained the procedure to us and we have also done some research on the internet. Here is the way we understand it:

The name of her surgery is Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy for Obstructive Hydrocephalus

What is Obstructive Hydrocephalus?
Hydrocephalus (hydro=water, cephalus=head) is an abnormal increase of fluid in the brain. This fluid is called cerebral spinal fluid or CSF. Obstructive hydrocephalus is caused by a blockage of CSF flow within the ventricles or CSF pathways.

The site of blockage often lies within the narrow passage between the third and fourth ventricles. It can also be where the CSF exits the fourth ventricle. Because of the blockage, the ventricles no longer provide free passage of CSF through them into the subarachnoid space where it is reabsorbed.

Treatment for Obstructive Hydrocephalus
There are two methods of treatment for obstructive hydrocephalus. The first method is to insert a shunt (WHICH IS WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO AVOID) into the ventricle to drain excess CSF from the brain to the abdomen. This is a useful treatment in all cases; however, the shunt can malfunction or become infected.

The second method is a third ventriculostomy. A small incision is made in the scalp and a small hole in the skull. Through this hole a small camera (endoscope) is inserted to view the ventricles and the blockage (obstruction). HERE IS OUR PRAYER POINT: IF THERE ARE ANY BLOOD VESSELS IN THE WAY, THE SURGEON CANNOT CONTINUE THE SURGERY AT THIS POINT. HE WILL HAVE TO LEAVE THE SURGERY AND GET A DIFFERENT CONSENT FROM US TO DO A SHUNT INSTEAD. PLEASE HELP US PRAY THAT NO BLOOD VESSELS WILL BE IN THE SURGEON'S WAY AND HE CAN SUCCESSFULLY CREATE THE HOLE THAT IS NEEDED TO DISPOSE OF THE EXCESS SPINAL FLUID. A hole is created in the floor of the third ventricle, usually larger than the laser. The hole is then increased (dilated) using a catheter with an inflatable balloon. This creates a detour around the blockage to allow the CSF to circulate and be reabsorbed. The operation will take about 45 minutes. Usually, only a small amount of hair will be shaved for surgery. In some cases, a temporary tube (Abby already has this from her first surgery) will be left in the ventricle to monitor intracranial pressure for two or three days. This helps evaluate the success of the third ventriculostomy.

Anyone who is willing, we ask that you please fast and pray with us this Tuesday, even if it is only one meal. We need all of the prayer support we can get!

Sweet Little Visitor

2008-10-05T19:14:00.001-07:00

We met Darcie and Dan, who live in Birmingham, through our friends Margie and John (you may remember we had dinner with them in China). Today Darcie brought her baby girl, Alex, to see Abby. Alex has only been home 2 months and is already fluent in English! We were totally amazed by her personality....she is so full of life! Darcie said she spends at least 20 minutes picking out her clothes every morning and she loves purses.

Alex brought Abby a Cookie Monster doll and book. Thank you, Alex!

Abby's Little Neighbor Needs Prayer

2008-10-05T19:01:00.000-07:00

We are posting this special prayer request for a little girl named Madison (about 6 years old) that is a few doors down from Abby. We met her on Abby's surgery day (Sept. 29th) when both girls went in for CT Scans. Madison's parents told us she was here at Children's Hospital because her appendix had ruptured. Yesterday we met Madison's mom in the hallway and she said things were not looking good at all. There are 5 tubes that have been placed in Madison's abdomen to drain the poison from her body. At this time only 2 of them are working. She has already had several surgeries and will still require several more. She is very weak and her little body is just wracked with pain. The day we saw her, she had very labored breathing and it was easy to see that she was in excruciating pain. We are asking everyone who reads our blog to please pray and intercede for little Madison. We will try to post updates as we get them.

Saturday, October 4th, 2008

2008-10-05T18:25:00.000-07:00

This post is a day late :0) and even though it was another wild and crazy day, we had a HUGE bright spot when Uncle Bo, Aunt Chere', Alan-Michael, Chandler, Emmely and Erica came for a visit!

Erica making her "scary" face for Abby.

Chan-Man playing with Abby.

The kids played with Abby and sang to her....it really cheered her up!

Erica gave Abby her favorite Teddy Bear (the green one) and the kids brought Abby a new elephant blanket that she enjoys cuddling. Erica told Abby, "This is my bear when I was a baby but I don't need it anymore. You can have it and give it to another baby when you get big." How sweet is that?!

Notice Erica is making her eyes slant so she matches Abby. She loves Abby's eyes.

Now, here is today's update:
Abby had 125cc's tee-tee in her diaper this morning. They gave her another suppository (4th one) and she had a very small bowel movement. There is a low-grade fever of 99.8. She threw up her bottle this morning. She is not resting very well and we're not sure why. Yesterday she only napped about 1 hr 15 minutes the entire day. This morning about 11:30 she was sleeping soundly and was woke up for another catheter, and she has been upset ever since. Now they're doing her cath every 3 hours again. We're having a hard time getting her to eat and even when she does take a bite, she acts nauseated. It seems that we have small victories but then lose some too.

Now we're sure you can see why our visit from our family meant so much today. It can get very lonely in a hospital, especially when you're so far away from home. Thank you Bo, Chere' and Kids for making the long trek to Birmingham to cheer us up. Aunt Chere' even stayed long enough to help out with Abby's catheter. She sang to her and talked her through it and did a great job. We love you guys!

Leveling the Spinal Fluid

2008-10-03T18:59:00.001-07:00

For all you carpentry-inclined folks out there, here is a new twist on medical care! Abby's ear has to be perfectly aligned with the machine that is draining spinal fluid off her brain. To do this, we ACTUALLY USE A LEVEL to make sure it is perfectly straight! I don't think many men would venture to attempt such a feat, but Michael is a REALLY great father (did I say that already :0) and he will do absolutely anything for his Abby.

BY THE WAY.....we just finished another catherization. When we pulled Abby's diaper off, it was very heavy--full of 189cc's of tee-tee!!!!!! YIPPPPPPEEEEEEE!

Intercessory Prayer Warrior

2008-10-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

This morning a dear lady who is a prayer warrior in the Lucedale area left a message on the Carter's (Jawanna's parents) answering machine. Keep in mind that she has no idea what is going on with Abby. Here is her message:
"The Lord woke me up in the last night with ya'll on my mind. Psalm 34:19 says: 'Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.' God said he wasn't in the partial delivery business. He is in the FULL DELIVERY BUSINESS! I don't know what this is all about...I'm just obeying HIM."

Also, Abby's Aunt Carla shared this encouragement with us a few days ago:
Jesus said, Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed. - -Matt. 8:13
We are believing for a complete recovery in Abby's body - and even more - God has great things in store for your new family.

Abby did have 71 cc's of tee-tee in her diaper this morning! PRAISE GOD! (Yesterday morning was 34 cc's.) Her second diaper had 20cc's. We are counting every little blessing as a huge victory. Abby still continues to be catherized every 3 hours and she is at a point of just crying pitifully every time a nurse walks in the room.

She vomited twice last night and projectile vomited her breakfast this morning. Someone wrote us and suggested using coconut to calm her stomach. We tried to request coconut milk to put in her formula or even coconut cookies but those things are not available here at the hospital. Michael plans to find a nearby store and just purchase some. We will try anything at this point!

Please keep up the prayers. We are tired...in fact, exhausted. We cherish every email/comment you all send and read them over and over.

Believing for Full Delivery,
Michael & Jawanna

Change In Routine

2008-10-02T15:28:00.000-07:00

Abby ate a good lunch today of chicken & dumplings, potatoes au gratin, & honeydew melon. About 2 1/2 hours later we had to give her some medication orally and she threw everything up she had eaten. We had to change her entire bed and bathe her again. When Dr. Blount made his rounds today we asked if we could sit her up to feed her. Previously the nursing staff had said we had to leave Abby laying perfectly flat because of the tube in her head. But we are at a point of desperation! Now Dr. Blount is allowing us to cut the valve off to the tube and sit her up long enough to eat a meal. Please help us pray that this will be the key to Abby being able to keep her food down. She gets so weak from the vomiting and dehydration.

Dr. Blount was very encouraging today and we were so appreciative to have a doctor who cares about what we're going through. He told us that he wasn't being dismissive, but much of what we have been going through with Abby the last few days is pretty normal. Most babies go through the puking, bladder and bowel issues, etc. after a major surgery like this and it will pass. He said overall she is recovering remarkably well with no major problems. So even in the midst of what feels like a storm, we continue to Praise God for good reports!

Today's A New Day!

2008-10-02T12:13:00.000-07:00

This morning Abby finally tee-teed! And we are PRAISING GOD! She was able to empty 34 cc's of urine on her own! We still had to catheterize her to complete the process of about 180 cc's, but this is still a huge step in the right direction. Please continue praying peace over Abby as she is beginning to act like she is traumatized by all of the catheters. The doctor will not let the catheter just stay inserted because then it would be impossible for her bladder to wake up on its own. So every 3 hours the nurses are having to reinsert the catheter to empty her bladder. It is very hard to watch your child suffer. Abby doesn't understand why we aren't rescuing her from all of this. So please, please keep up the prayers. God is good!

We still need prayer for the nausea and vomiting. Yesterday we posted that Abby had eaten 2 small meals and held them down. Today she has thrown up twice. The second time she projectile vomited and we had to change the entire bed and bathe her. She did eat a good lunch about 1:00 and so far has held it down.

Abby playing "lip gloss" with Jawanna. Today has been much different than yesterday as Abby has started playing with us again and smiling. Yesterday she was very lethargic and would barely acknowledge us. Thank you, Jesus, for a good day!

Abby LOVES her Glo-Worm! This little worm's songs have calmed many a stormy moments while we have been in the hospital!

Abby's Wound

2008-10-02T12:03:00.001-07:00

We debated whether or not to post this picture but felt it was important for all of Abby's intercessors to see the difference your prayers are making for our precious daughter. The wound on her back from her surgery is about a foot long, maybe a little longer. It goes from just under her shoulder blades down to her behind. Between the surgery wound on her back and the drilled hole and tubing in her head, Abby has been in quite a bit of pain. But your prayers are making all the difference! Despite what she has been through, our sweet Abby continues to laugh and play with us. Thank you all for caring enough to lift our family up to the Lord.

Abby's Eating!

2008-10-01T19:04:00.001-07:00

We are giving God the glory! Abby was able to eat roasted chicken and mashed potatoes for her dinner tonight and she kept it down. Many of you out there know that Abby has had a difficult few days since her surgery. Today was the most heartbreaking because she felt so bad that she would not respond verbally to us. She wasn't even able to play Patty-Cake or Peep-Eye.

In the last 2 days she has not held down any food or drink and has gotten very weak. BUT......we are happy to say that she has made tremendous strides this afternoon! She has been able to hold down 2 small meals today.

We still need prayer because her bladder has still not "woke up" from the surgery and she is having to be catheterized every 3 hours....not fun to have your sleep disturbed for that! But she is still our little trooper and we are standing in faith for full recovery and function. Please keep the prayer coming!

Holding Abby

2008-09-30T19:33:00.001-07:00

September 30, 2008

Even though Abby was in pain, she still wanted to picked up and held. It broke our hearts that she wimpered for us to hold her most of the first night. Today the nurses helped us get her out of bed and laid her in our laps and you have never seen a happier baby!

Mama's Baby

Here is Michael hugging Abby bye so he could go back to the Ronald McDonald house and sleep for a few hours. She just grabbed onto him and didn't want to let go....of course Michael broke down and cried. He is the best Daddy ever!

Yes, that is a tube coming out of Abby's head. The doctor had to drill a hole and place the tube to drain excess spinal fluid.

Abby & Maw-Maw Sonja

Post-Surgery

2008-09-30T15:41:00.001-07:00

Here we are right after Dr. Blount came out and gave us the wonderful news that Abby
looked just as good neurologically post-surgery as pre-surgery! We were exhausted but very happy! Thanks to a great medical team, all of Abby's split spinal cord was placed back where it belonged with NO DAMAGE!

This picture was taken while Abby was still coming out of anesthesia. She grabbed Jawanna around the neck and patted her back. Did we mention what a precious baby we have?! She has been a little trooper! She had not been awake long when she was already trying to play Peep-Eye and Patty-Cake with us. She is in a lot of pain, but you would never know it from her attitude. She is one tough little girl!

Surgery Day - September 29, 2008

2008-09-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

We would like to say a great big THANK YOU to Jawanna's parents, Freddy & Sonja Carter, for driving all the way to Birmingham from South Mississippi to be with us through Abby's surgery. They stayed with us for 2 days until the hardest part was over. Thanks, Mom & Dad! Also, we would like to thank Jeanne Anderson and Peppi Garrett for driving up from Mobile, AL, and staying with us all day the day of Abby's surgery. You guys were all wonderful and we couldn't have done it without you!

Waiting for Surgery

The Dreaded Hospital Gown....but doesn't she look adorable??!

Here is where we had to hand Abby over to the medical staff and walk away. Talk about crying your eyes out! But she was so good and even reached out for them. She never even cried...it was us that did the crying!

Today was probably the hardest day of our lives, but in the end we are SO BLESSED to say that Abby came through her surgery with flying colors! We serve a awesome God who took care of our precious Abby. The big spot on her back (the size of Michael's fist)is GONE and she still has full function of her right leg and both arms. The team of doctors and nurses here at Children's Hospital have been wonderful and they have taken extreme care of our Abby. Dr. Blount says that she is doing remarkable and expects her to recover to full function as before surgery. Isn't GOD SO GOOD!!!!!!!

Another prayer point: Dr. Blount first told us that she would for sure have to have a Shunt put in her brain next week to drain excess spinal fluid. But yesterday he said they were placing a drainage tube in her brain for after the surgery to monitor the output of spinal fluid to determine if a shunt is needed. We want what is best for daughter, but we are believing God that she will not require a shunt and ask that you stand and believe with us.

Also we are believing God to heal her left leg. Last week as Jawanna was doing some physical therapy with Abby and stretching her left leg she pulled it back, which is
amazing considering she does not use it all. So please believe with us that God will complete the healing process.

We want to thank all of you for standing in faith with us and know that your prayers were all felt. We are grateful to have so many people praying for us. Also thank you for all the e-mails and phone calls they have been so encouraging in a time when we needed all we could get. We love all of you. Cannot wait for everyone to meet Abby.

Abby's Dedication Service

2008-09-30T15:10:00.000-07:00

As parents, we felt like it was important to dedicate Abby to the Lord before she had surgery. It was our way of committing our child to God in the Spirit because there is no safer place we can place her than in the arms of Jesus. The service was beautiful and Abby's Paw-Paw Freddy had the honor of dedicating her.

Abby in her new dress.

Paw-Paw Freddy Dedicating Abby

Jawanna's friend, Peppi came to the Dedication!

Here is Abby with her cousin, Bobby, who is visiting all the way from New Mexico.

Catching Up The Blog!

2008-09-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, Everyone! Many of you are probably wondering if we have fallen off the face of the earth since coming home from China, but we're still here! I'm sorry we have fallen so far behind keeping the blog up. We were only home for 3 days before we started making the trek to Birmingham to see a team of specialists about Abby's medical condition. The news we received floored us because Abby had been misdiagnosed in China and her condition was much more severe than we knew. Because we were so devastated, it was hard for us to put a public post on the internet. Below is a letter we sent on September 28th to a few people asking them to pray. We will try to start from there and update our blog so you can see what our Abby has already been through and where she is today....she's an amazing little girl!

Dear Family and Friends,

We are writing all of you to ask for intercessory prayer for our Abby.

When her pediatric neurosurgeon initially examined her, he thought there was no spinal fluid on her brain because she was so smart and funny and had such good hand-eye coordination. But her MRI this past Thursday revealed that there was spinal fluid on her brain. So now she will be having 2 major surgeries in the next 8 days. The first surgery will be this Monday, September 29th, to fix the meningocele on her back (this is a milder form of spina bifida). Abby will be recovering from that surgery in the hospital for 1 week. Then the following Monday she will be having a second surgery to insert a shunt in her brain to drain the spinal fluid off.

Michael and I were both devastated when we received this news. We just didn't see it coming. But we have had a chance to catch our breath now and are trying to focus on the positive! There are many things that should be wrong that aren't. And Abby is doing a lot of things that she shouldn't be able to do with her condition. We are standing in faith and believing God for 2 sucessful surgeries that will restore her to full health.

We are asking anyone out there who is willing to please fast and pray for Abby the next 2 Mondays, even if you are only able to fast for one meal. We could not have made it this far without all of the prayers and support. Even though we feel anxious, we are still excited to see the great things God will do for our little Miracle Girl.

Blessings,
Michael and Jawanna O'Quin
(and Abby too!)

Daddy's Girl

2008-09-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

GREAT REPORT!

2008-09-15T19:43:00.001-07:00

God is good! We received a great report from Abby's neurosurgeon today. She will have a new MRI and surgery by the end of September! Most likely there will be a follow-up of some physical therapy to strengthen her legs, but her doctor gave a completely positive prognosis. Thank you all for the prayers!

Michael, Jawanna & Abby

HOMECOMING!

2008-09-13T19:15:00.000-07:00

We came home on September 11, 2008, to an army of family and friends! What a wonderful and joyous homecoming! Thank you everyone for all of the prayers and support....it has been a wild ride but we would do it all over again for our precious Abby. We will post more pictures as we can, so be on the lookout. Also, we would like to let all of you know that Abby has an appointment with her pediatric neurosurgeon this coming Monday morning, so please keep us in your prayers.

With Much Love and Grateful Hearts,
Michael, Jawanna & Abby-Rae

Famous Red Couch Photos

2008-09-09T19:27:00.001-07:00

Yesterday afternoon we had a photo session here at the White Swan. Many many adoptive parents stay here on the last leg of their trip. There is a red couch in the lobby where everyone loves to have pictures taken of the babies. We have 11 families in our adoption group, so it was mass chaos trying to get all of the babies on the couch at the same time! Abby was so enthralled with the other babies that we never could get her to look up at the camera. Hopefully the photographer got some better pictures than we did! ha ha

Welcome Home Abby

2008-09-09T18:57:00.000-07:00

Abby's Aunt Carla made this beautiful Welcome Home sign for Abby. She used Abby's dress as the background. Thank you, Aunt Carla! That was really a sweet gesture! We love you.

Abby & Reagan Meet!

2008-09-09T07:09:00.000-07:00

Tonight we were able to connect and have dinner with our dear friends, Margie & John Creel. It's hard to believe that we all finished our adoptions together and ended up in Guangzhou at the same time! Both of us couples had delays right at the end but it was a blessing in disguise after all. Our daughters met for the first time, and here are a few pictures!

Reagan & Abby ordering their dinner.

Abby making pretty eyes at whoever will look!

What a beautiful little doll! Congratulations Margie & John!

A proud daddy, Savannah & Austin.

Margie's food didn't come until the rest of us had finished eating, but she took it all in stride!

Little Miss Lilli zonked out!

Margie, who would have ever thought we would share this moment together?! New mommies with precious little bundles to love forever. WOW!

Qing Ping Herbal Market

2008-09-09T06:45:00.000-07:00

The Qing Ping Herbal Market is the oldest section of Guangzhou. It may look rough, but actually it's the place where most of the restaurant and hotel owners come to buy goods for their businesses. Everything can be found here from lion paws to live (yes, live!) scorpions to dried snakes. And the smells vary from that of herbs we take in the States to rotting seafood.

It's late and I'm really tired :0) so I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves.

A Heartfelt Thank You to Family & Friends

2008-09-09T02:35:00.000-07:00

Our time here in China is coming to an end. We will be here tomorrow (Wednesday) and then fly home on Thursday. Yipppppeeeeeeeeeee! There are no words to describe this experience. We've only had Abby a few days but yet we can't remember ever being without her. She has always been in our hearts.

We ask that you all pray for us on the long flight home. Abby's medical condition is quite delicate and we have to be so very careful with her. Many people have wanted to pat her and hold her and we have turn away to keep her from being injured. So we would appreciate your prayers for our flight home as we will be awake for well over 24 hours. If anyone has questions about our Abby, please email us directly and do not post your questions on the blog. We are happy to speak with you in private.

We also want to thank all of you who have emailed us and posted comments to our blog. Your kindness has meant so much and has encouraged us more than you will ever know. We are planning to have this blog made into a book for Abby so that one day she will see how much she was wanted and loved. If anyone out there would like to say something to her, please post a comment on the blog within the next 24 hours before we leave for home.

We will be posting a few more pictures for you all to see tonight and tomorrow. Thank you all for joining us on our journey "To China for Abby."

With Our Love,
Michael, Jawanna & Abigail Rae

A Happy Happy Baby

2008-09-09T02:11:00.001-07:00

Everywhere we go people ask the same question over and over: "Is she ALWAYS this happy?" And the answer is YES! Her Chinese name is Wu Ming Xiao, which means Little Shining Star and that's what she is.

Playing with Daddy

She's finally getting used to the bow!

Helping Daddy shave.

Abby and her new friend, Alex.

Fun Pics from Today!

2008-09-08T07:41:00.000-07:00

Here is Miss Abby and her new toy. Since we got her, this is the only toy she has asked for...how could we resist?!

This is what the Chinese equivalent of Wal-Mart looks like. And yes, it is scary and we couldn't wait to get out of there!

Me & Abby outside China's "Wal-Mart"

People on their bicycles waiting for the green light. Wouldn't you hate to be the guy with all of the water jugs? They were full of water, too!

Yes, I got desperate enough to actually use one of these today! To my surprise, there were no Western toilets at all at the pearl market. And for that matter there was no toilet paper, either. It's called a "squatty potty". Enough said!

Employee at the pearl market stringing up pearls.

Bride & groom at the park having their photo shoot.

School kids having their morning exercise class.

And last but not least...Three Men & A Baby! These guys are a part of our adoption group here at White Swan. Their group consists of the father-in-law, new daddy, brother-in-law, and baby Brandon. The mama is at home with their 5 year old sister. These guys have been great with this baby!

Abby's Medical Exam

2008-09-08T07:32:00.000-07:00

Today we had Abby's medical exam done here in Guangzhou and we were amazed at our Abby! She wasn't scared at all....but rather just curious as to what these people were doing. She never cried or acted nervous. In fact, we were more nervous and scared than she was! God has definitely given Abby favor with people. The staff loved her and couldn't believe she was all smiles the entire time! Way to go Abby!

It's Booger-Pickin' Day!

2008-09-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

If you're squeamish at heart, this post is probably not for you. But if you're a mama, then you'll totally understand!

Yesterday morning we went down to eat at the breakfast bar here at the White Swan Hotel and Abby and I were sitting at the table while Michael fixed breakfast. Lots of people were walking by smiling at Abby and speaking to her. One time when she turned her head back, I noticed a big ole' green bugger way back in her nostril.

Immediately my mind went back years ago to a scene with one of my great (and sweet) friends, Melinda Bowman. She had picked a bugger out of one of her kids' noses with her bare finger and I was just so grossed out and said, "Eeewwwwwwww! How can you stand to do that?" Melinda just rolled her eyes at me and said, "Jawanna, you just wait!" Well, Mellie, the time has finally come!

I was sitting there trying to figure out how on earth I was gonna get that thing out. Abby's nostrils are too small to use a hanky, and it wasn't the kind you can suck out with one of those nose bulbs. So, I did the only thing left to do. I stuck my pinkie fingernail up her nose and got ahold of that bugger and pulled it out. That thing was so big and I wigged out and started slinging my hand trying to get it off and it flew under the table. I kept looking down at it thinking "how on earth did that come out of her nose?!"

But my booger scene finally morphed into one of those mommy moments and I suddenly felt very proud that I had sat in a 5 Star restaurant and picked my baby's nose right in front of everybody. And very successfully, I might add. I took a picture of it but Michael says for Abby's sake I can't post it to the blog:0)