Pneumonia and Gettin-Ta-Know-Ya

Hi Everyone!

Well I want to update all you wonderful people with a look back on our past 4 days with Sammie and Ellie. Monday morning our Aussie friends dropped off the two little ones and as expected they were both sad. Ellie seemed to have a harder time with it, but she did let Heather hold her most of the day. Our other kids have done really well with the transition. I’ve really seen Aubrey do well with helping out around the house and loving on the two new little ones. She has been such a blessing! I’ve been really surprised as well with how well Lily has done. I was worried that she might see Sammie and Ellie as ‘threats’ to her place in our family, but it’s been quite the opposite. Lily has loved on these kids in a really amazing way. Seeing them play together is really cool.

The hardest thing with the transition has been nap time/night time. Both Ellie and Sammie cried/screamed when we laid them down. I can’t imagine the emotions and fears that go through their little heads after being abandoned. Ellie has gotten better; to the point where she doesn’t even cry when we lay her down. Sammie, however, is still having a hard time with it. He will cry out for his mom :( and it’s hard to console him. Outside of that things have gone well with the transition.

But, that’s not all that’s been going on in our home. Both Sydney and Lily have developed pneumonia this past week. For three days we had to have them stay back in their room and rest. They cough quite a bit at night, which has made it hard for them to sleep. Also, Sydney hasn’t been eating too much since getting pneumonia :( But, luckily, we have some good friends here who are doctors and they were kind enough to come to our house to check on both Sydney and Lily (thanks Rich!). One bright spot from all of this is that because I had to buy so much medicine for the girls (21 boxes of amoxicillin) the pharmacy gave me a free mixing bowl. Its things like this that make me love China.

As I’m writing this Ellie walked over to me and smiled, she really has one of the best smiles. We’re going to call Ellie, Ellie Mei (pronounced MAY, but in Chinese Mei means beautiful). We still don’t have a middle name for little Sammie.

Heather and I are so blessed to have so many people who have been reaching out to us to help and pray for us. We couldn’t do what we do without the village of people we have behind us. THANK YOU! If you think of us please pray for our kid’s health and for Sammie/Ellie’s transition into our home.

With love,

the petersons

"Ellie combing Lily's hair"

"Little Sammie"

"Here's the new ones on their first night here"

"Watching a movie"

"I'm right about her smile, aren't I?"