Trip to California

Last week we went to San Jose, California for Seth's graduation. Seth is Nina's cousin and our nephew. We kept Nina busy most days and she had a ball. There was a pool in the backyard (she would only get her feet wet) and parks nearby. I will post a bunch of pictures from our trip and the various activites we did. It was a great vacation.

Fun with Stickers

This is what happens when you give a child some stickers and don't closely watch what they are doing with them!

6 months ago today.....

We met Nina for the first time! It has been an amazing 6 months and I can't believe it has been that long already. She has really blossomed since that first day. I still remember the apprehensive look on her face when we first saw her, and who could blame her. Now she is such a loving little girl who likes to be held and give hugs and kisses. She is so much more than either of us ever dreamed she could be. And it just keeps getting better every day.

Cleft Clinic

The cleft clinic was last Friday and we spent the morning with several other families (I never know there were so many cleft-affected children and adults in the area) and a host of specialists. Nina saw the nurse practitioner, plastic surgeon, pediatrician, audiologist, psyciatrist, nutritionist, genetist, speech pathologist, orthodontist and dentist and that wasn't even everyone! She got good reports from all. She did have a small amount of fluid in her left ear, but she had just come down with a slight cold that morning, so that is probably the cause (but we will have it checked again). She was very patient and cooperative with everyone. She didn't cry once and we were there for over 4 1/2 hours. I was especially pleased that the dentist said she did not have any cavities. Yeah!!! She will likely need braces in the future (as we suspected) since her teeth are already crowded. This is not due to her cleft. It will be interesting to see how she has progressed each year. The big issue right now was speech, but she has even advanced with that since she has been going to speech therapy.

Dr. Nina

Nina recently got a toy medical kit and she enjoys making sure that all the pets in the house are in tip-top shape. Pixie, Phoebe and Thunder have all had exams (They were all very good patients). You'll also be relieved to know that her stuffed cat is also doing well. Nina's favorite part is checking their ears and eyes. She knows just what to do with each piece of equipment without even being shown. I think it's wonderful that she has such an affection for animals and I hope it is something that she carries through her entire life.

Yellowstone National Park

We went to Yellowston a couple of weeks ago. Nina saw her first geyser and we saw lots of animals and babies. We even saw a grizzly bear and 2 cubs! There was still lots of snow there (as the snowbank indicates), bit it was pretty warm out and we had a great day.

Tea Anyone?

Nina is the perfect hostess. She is always offering us "tea" and "cake" and makes sure that her cat and all the other animals have enough too. She is very careful that the tea is not too hot to drink and loves to offer us more. What a sweetie!