Update on Natalie

Just a quick update on our Natalie. She is doing fantastic! She is the happiest little girl I have ever met! It took all of us about 4 weeks after returning home to get back to the normal swing of things, get over being sick (from our trip) and get Natalie into a routine. She sleeps an average of 10-11 hours a night and takes at least an hour nap-I was told that they are not use to all the stimulation so thus the long hours of sleep. Hey, I'm not complaining. After having a few weeks of interrupted sleep, I am enjoying the sleep! The only ongoing issue we have with her is eating habits. She refuses to eat fruits and vegetables, other than bananas. However, she will drink 8oz or more a day of the V-8 Fusion, so we know she is getting her needs there. She seems to "analyze" everything (including her food-each and every bit-which makes "hiding" veggies difficult.) She is extremely smart and learning at an extremely rapid pace! She talks (mostly baby talk) from the time she gets up in the morning until she goes to bed at night, and she has the most infectious smile which sucks everyone in! I have complete strangers stop us wherever we go to say how cute she is. Once she makes up her mind to do something, that's it-it's done. Like, remember how she screamed bloody murder whenever Brad tried to hold her? One day she just decided that he was ok, and now he can do anything with her-like they have known each other forever. She did the same thing with the bottle/sippy cup. She adamantly refused to take the sippy cup-then one day out of the clear blue, she started drinking from it and from that moment on refused the bottle. I suspect that out of the clear blue one day she will be spitting out complete sentences in English. I am hoping and praying she does the same thing for food!

All her blood tests came back negative/normal, and the pediatric cardiologist said the surgery that was done on her heart in china looked good. She does have severe pulmonary valve regurgitation and a slight enlargement of the heart. But the doctors feel she is doing so well, that right now they only want to see her every 6 months. If things remain OK, she should not need the valve replacement surgery until she is at least 10 years of age. Praise God for all the blessings we have been given thus far!

Natalie has now been with us for 2 months and I feel like we have had her since birth. Each day is just an amazing adventure. She is constantly making Brad and I laugh. I am trying to get back to choir on Wednesday nights, but I find I would rather be with her, and she does not like me leaving for very long (about ½ hour is her limit).

God bless everyone!

Brad & Elizabeth Herr