Thursday, January 28, 2010

Maggie's World.

As I was looking over some pictures tonight I thought about what it must feel like to be Maggie.  To have been abandoned at birth, live in a crib in an orphanage and not know the love of a mother and father.
..To not know the love of a family.

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And now we find out that she may have never heard sounds, that she may be deaf in both ears.  I can't imagine what she has been through.  Chuck and I are so in love with this little girl, our daughter.  She is so precious to us and our hearts break to know that not only has she been abandoned and neglected, but she may have never heard our voices.  I am not being dramatic, but just stating the obvious truth.  It makes me so upset that there are too many little Maggie's in their cribs right now, all over the world, that have never known the love of a mother and father.  That might have health issues to overcome.  That might be neglected even more because of deformities. What do You do when you want to go get every orphan and just hold them and love them, tell them they matter and that it will be ok ?

 We are comforted by the fact that our Maggie is home now, finally, and we are able to take her to a top Children's Hospital for tests and treatments.  We know also that all the tests so far are PRELIMINARY and we know God can heal our daughter.  It is my prayer that she is not deaf and just a stubborn little one who did not want to comply with the Audiologist.  But, her unresponsiveness to our sounds and voices tell us that she may be hearing impaired.  Of course, I have done my research and know that there are so many wonderful interventions now that help hearing impaired children hear ( Cochlear implants and others).  We have started teaching her baby sign language and the boys have oddly enough been taking sign language since August through a home-school class.  Thank you all for your prayers, encouraging words and dinners.  We are so grateful for the love that has been shown to us and to Maggie.
Hopefully, my next post will say " She can Hear, Praise God !".

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Please pray for Maggie

We just got off the phone with Kathy and Chuck. they went to UAB yesterday to meet with their international specialist for maggie...they did some tests on her to see if all was well and the test showed moderate to severe deafness.  her vision may also be impaired.  from what they saw, her heart was doing okay.  we are asking everyone to pray and fast on sunday to prepare the beam's family for the upcoming test on monday.  they will do a nerve test at Children's Hospital  to see if the nerve in her ear is working, if so, there can be some modifications to her hearing.  pray that the doctors have wisdom and that God almighty directs their hands, Truth is revealed and a Mighty God miracle would come about in that sweet child's life.  We are praying that God would steady their hearts and give Chuck and KB wisdom....anyway, please join us in this great opportunity...love you all!!!!!  
diane

Friday, January 22, 2010

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Thursday.


It's never too early to start learning geography.  Maggie loves home-schooling.  She just crawls all over the play room while the boys do their school work.  She is so content to play by herself or with somebody..doesn't matter to her.  Easy going is her name and playing is her game.  She really likes it when I read chapter books to the boys too.  It's like she's taking everything in and doesn't want to miss a thing.



Maggie loves playing with her Sophie doll ( has a magnetic pacifier).
 She puts it up to her mouth first and then her doll's mouth.  Sophie doll has been kissed and hugged a million times too.

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Maggie thinks these pj's are so funny and laughs at how funny her feet and legs are in them.
She also found this toy train tonight and played and laughed till she fell asleep, still holding onto it.  I am not sure why she found the train so funny, but it was so cute watching her smile and giggle all night.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Kisses.


Today, Jan.20th, 2010, Maggie gave her mommy kisses for the first time.  She looked me in the eye, leaned close and kissed me ! Then, gave me a little, sweet hug and snuggled up close.  We are bonding !!!!

Since 4:45 AM today, Maggie has kissed me about one hundred times.  And the fact that she has Strep and pink eye doesn't phase me a bit.  It's all worth it.  She also smiled and laughed all day today for me.
Poor Chuck, he is still waiting on his kiss from Maggie.  I mean, look at those lips !

Sunday, January 17, 2010

When Maggie Smiles.







Do you know how much our hearts melt and puddle when we see Maggie smile ?  Her innocent and pure JOY is one of the most beautiful things I have experienced. She is slowly letting us in and showing us her "lively" personality that the orphanage said she had.  There is so much we don't know about Maggie's first fourteen months of her life.  We don't know if she laughed and giggled, if she was held and loved on, or if she even knew her name. But, we do know that she has an infectious smile and laughter, she loves to cuddle and kiss her stuffed animals and dolls, and she loves to rock and be held. We know that she is always observing her environment and takes her own sweet time opening up.  Maggie is the sweetest little girl, dainty and elegant.  She can also be strong and know what she wants ( and what she doesn't want ). 
We are so blessed by Maggie.  She has had so many things to overcome even since she was placed in our arms on Dec. 28th.  She went on a hunger strike,dehydration, respiratory infection,severe constipation and the still present, ever looming Jet Lag.  So, when she opens up and starts sharing her smiles with us, laughing and giggling...OH MY ! We are blown away by how much we love and adore this precious gift God has given us. We are overwhelmed with Maggie's resilience and love for life, her joy and simple trust in us, and her incredible beauty.  And, we thank God that He brought her to us through the miracle of adoption.

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Thursday, January 14, 2010

Going Walking



We bundled up today and took Maggie on her first stroll around our neighborhood. Check out her ride !
I thought it would be nice to get outside in the fresh air and maybe it would wake Maggie up a little.

Walker was Maggie's official driver.

Ah !!! It is so nice to be outside.



Will really tried to keep Maggie awake...



Even Charlie tried.....
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Oh well.  Maggie won this time and had a great nap as we strolled along all bundled up and cozy.
What was I thinking ?

1:25 AM

Maggie is still on China time.  We are making sure she does not sleep past 3 PM and she is NOT happy about it.  She cries and just really wants to sleep so bad and I really just want to snuggle with her and watch her sleep.  But.... we are pushing through this and hoping and praying she will switch over to Alabama time.  Maggie was sleeping all through the night in China, so I know she can do it.  She has had so many changes in her little life. 

We have been so blessed by our friends here.  They have been bringing us dinner every night and it sure has made us feel so good and loved.  I feel certain, we would be eating out every night if we didn't have the meals coming.  Thankfully, Chuck is off work this week and we are taking turns sleeping and staying up with Maggie.

I have LOTS of pictures of our sweet girl to post, but will have to do that later.  Maggie is doing so good !  She is in LOVE with her daddy and thanks he is so funny ( we do too !).  She is tolerating me right now and I just keep holding and loving on her.  We know that this is "normal" for her to do and bonding takes time and patience.  A friend asked how it felt to have a daughter that is adopted ?  Chuck and I both agree - It feels just the same as having our biological boys.  We love her just the same, no less than if I carried her for nine months.  What a wonderful example of God's Love for us !!! 

Sunday, January 10, 2010

We're Home !


Praise God we were able to get a bulkhead seat with a bassinet on our ride home. Twelve hour plane rides  with a baby go much smoother with a bassinet. Maggie did so good and was able to get a four hour undistubed nap in. I was so releived when the plane landed !

Maggie loves her bed ! She has slept a lot since we've been home and we are not sure how to get her off China time and on to Alabama time.

Walker and Will ADORE and LOVE Maggie ! Walker got up at 1;30 AM with me to play with her and he has made her bottles and played with her all day. Will is in awe of his baby sister. He loves her so much and just wants to be with her all the time. Both boys fuss over Maggie and take tuns rocking and playing with her. They can't get enough of their baby sister. It is the sweetest thing and my heart is swelling with happiness.

We are all so content now. I have so much to write about as I reflect on our trip to China and the miracle of Maggie. But, I will have to write about that later...gotta go to bed. Jetlag stinks !!
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Friday, January 8, 2010

Hong Kong

We flew to Hong Kong early this morning. Maggie started coughing and
hacking real bad before we left, so we started her on antibiotics,
motrin and benadryl. She coughes real loud and we got quite a lot of
stares at the airport. When we landed in HK, a customs official ran up
to us and checked Maggie's temperature. By God's grace and favor, she
had no fever. Whew !
Maggie really does not feel good and has been very fussy today.
Please pray that she feels beter tomorrow and that we will be allowed
to take her medicine on board the plane with us.
After resting a little in our room, we met our friends from Opelika,AL
- Matt and April Dean and thier precious boys. Matt and April moved to
Hong Kong this fall and are ministering to students. They are also in
the long process of adopting through AWAA and I can't wait to see
their little girl one day. It was so good talking and catching up
with them. I asked them a ton of questions about life in HK - It is
so different ! It is so exciting to hear what God is doing in their
lives. Seeing their boys made me miss Walker and Will so much more.
It won't be long now though.
I am so home-sick !


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Thursday, January 7, 2010

Passport and Visa

We finally got Maggie's Chinese passport and American Visa today.
That means we can finally leave and go home.  Yippee !!! This was the
final thing we were waiting for and it means an end to paperwork
(except our post placement adoption paperwork).
We visited a GuangZhou museum today.  I have no idea what was in the
museum because Maggie fell asleep once we got there.  Of course, I did
not bring the baby carrier and they would not let us bring the
stroller.  So, we found a chair and let Maggie sleep while we watched
people.  We got a lot of stares.  I have not written about the Chinese
clothing police.  No, not real police but women of all ages telling me
that Maggie is a Chinese baby and I need to put more clothes on her.
Like eight layers or something.  We put tights, onsies, pants, shirt,
jacket and hood on her when we went out and about,  but obviously not
enough.  We even had some women feeling Maggie's hands to see how cold
she was.
I also have not written about how crazy the drivers are here.  You are
really risking your life in a cab.  There seems to be no rules and the
cab drivers drive CRAZY ! I swear I thought we would wreck about
twenty times  - no lie, really wreck and crash and here we are with a
baby in NO car seat and no seat belts.  Crazy, crazy driving !
We said good-bye to almost all the families today.  I wish we could
have gone on with them to Hong Kong tonight, but we fly to HK in the
morning.
We had a slightly different schedule because we booked our own flights
with our Skymiles.  Oh well.  We fly out early to Hong Kong in the morning and will
spend some time with friends that live there now.  They are also
adopting through AWAA and can't wait to hang out with their family.
Then we fly out early SAT. ( your Friday) to AMERICA !! I can't wait
to hug and kiss Walker and Will and not let go of them.  I miss them
so much !! We are counting down the hours till we are back home
together as a family of FIVE !
Maggie is doing so good.  She really opened up today and we saw a
different side of her.  She was laughing and smiling and making a
funny face and sound ( very silly).  She mostly does this when Chuck
plays and tickles her.  She is seriously already such a daddy's girl.
Right now, Maggie is playing on the bed with Chuck and just laughing
and smiling.  She seems very active and playful at night and more
fussy in the morning.





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--
Chuck Beams
Opelika, Alabama
Be Blessed!
Never Give Up!
inthewaitingadoption.blogspot.com

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

US Consulate

It is official ! We went to the US Consulate today and had our
swearing in. Chuck and I both teared up as we raised our right hand
and swore that all our paperwork and info. we had given for Maggie's
adoption was true. It was also pretty cool to hear them call us "
Gao En Xiao's Parents". There were a lot of families from other
agencies at the Consulate. I was crying as I watched a family adopt
their 9th and 10th child from China - 11 and 13 year old boys from the
same orphanage. I also noticed that most of the children were older
and a good mix of boys and girls. Maggie slept through the swearing
in ceremony and you are not allowed cameras, but I will always
remember how special today was.
We said good-bye to two families from our group today. They were
flying home early due to family circumstances. This trip has been very
hard on several of the families and we have all prayed for and
encouraged each other. We were so sad to see them go today and we
will miss everyone from our group. It has been so fun and special
getting to know the families and children.
Tonight, we went to Lucey's to eat AGAIN ! It was our last night to
be together as a group and we all had a good time.
The last picture is of Maggie and her favorite toy bear. She loves to
play and cuddle with it. Realy, she is so cute with her litle bear
!!!

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Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Chen Temple and Tea House

Yesterday, we went to the Chen Temple in Guangzhou. It is really a
museum and has a lot of wood carvings and gardens. The people of
Guangdong Province ( where Maggie is from) are known for their wood
carving and embroidary skills. We also saw some venders selling real
Tiger paws. I am not sure what you would do with them - but they were
very interesting. We did buy some almonds and raisens from a street
vender and they were yummy, especially with a coke !
Next, we went to a tea house and they taught us all how to make
traditional Chinese Tea. My favorite was the rose tea. Some of the
families decided to go out to eat last night and we went to a
Malaysian Restaurant. It was wonderful ! We were all so happy with
what we ordered. My favorite was Coconut rice and Vietnamese spring
rolls. Maggie did so good yesterday. She was so content all day and
just played happily in her high chair at the restaurant. Once we got
to the hotel she went right to sleep ( after her bottle). We've
noticed that she is NOT that happy in the morning and takes a good nap
after breakfast. After her nap though, she is much happier and
content.
The cute little boy pushing Maggie in her stroller is Rhet. He is so
busy and loves to push Maggie's stroller.


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Monday, January 4, 2010

Still in China !

We went to Shamian Island yesterday for the day. The weather was
beautiful and sunny, and a perfect day to stroll around the island.
There are some beautiful gardens near the water and it's so nice to
see trees and flowers.
The island is just about 20 minutes from our hotel, and it's very
relaxed. There are many little shops there with everything from Jade
to chop sticks. Chuck had a fun time bargaining with the local shop
owners. The Chinese shop owners expect you to bargain with them and
it's kind of the norm on the island. We ate lunch at Lucy's again.
Chuck got a hamburger and I got a BLT. Two other families ate their
too and I felt like we were actually on a vaction in Florida not in
China. Maggie loves to shop and is so content strolling around in her
stroller. She doesn't fuss a lot and likes to be outside. We saw
some cats in the garden and she loved watching them !
She is still getting used to us and we are starting to see her
personality. Maggie is very laid back and sweet. She loves to cuddle
up with a little stuffed animal bear and give it kisses. Her other
favorite toy is the little pink duckie I brought. She is not a fussy
baby, and goes to sleep so good for us.
She has made many friends here and loves Violet - her friend on the red couch.
We are so blessed to be here with Maggie and focus on her right now.
But, we are so, so, so ready to come home and get back to life. Beam
me up scottie !!!


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In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. Psalm 5:3
We have a daughter !!!!!!
Maggie Caroline was born Oct. 29, 2008.
She is in the SWI of Gaozhou City,China.
(
Guangdong Province)