Recent Quotes from Maya

In the dressing room at Target with me: " Can't you just put on the dress so I can tell you that you look pretty and we can go home?" (to which Sean later agreed with a resounding, "AMEN!"

After Sean lectured Maya about leaving the house without one of us with her: "Dear God, thank you for giving me daddy to keep me safe. Amen."

Maya: Mommy, I love you bigger than the whole wide world! (pause) What's the world?
Me: Well, it's the whole big place where everyone lives, far away and really close by. (inadequate response, I realize)
Maya: okay...what's "wide"?
Me: Really big.
Maya: Like the Poky Little Puppy going for a walk in the wide wide world?
Me: Yes.
Maya: Ok. I do love you bigger than the whole wide world.

Maya: Mommy, you know why I love you so much?
Me: Why?
Maya: Because your arms are so squishy!
Me: (no response)

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Homecoming Day!

Yesterday, July 15, was our one year anniversary of bringing Maya home to Minnesota! This was the end of not only our 2+ year wait for our girl but also to the excruciatingly long four weeks spent in Port-au-Prince.

We're celebrating together in Vail, CO, where two of Sean's very generous board members have given their condo to us for a few days. Maya is loving the mountains especially from the view of the gondola, which we took up and down and up and down and up and down. Another big highlight for her here is the bedroom with not one, but two sets of bunk beds! Each night she's tried out a different bed. :) And then there's the rental car. To keep her from breaking down in the airport while waiting for the rental car shuttle we started guessing what color it might be. We told the rental car attendant this and he gave Maya a choice of colors. We are now driving around Vail in the brightest yellow car you've ever seen (pink wasn't an option or I'm sure that's what we'd be sporting).

Speaking of the airport...when we were landing in Chicago, Maya said she had to use the bathroom. Well, we all know you can't get up during landing. Then as soon as we landed everyone stood up, trapping us in our seats. We ran off the plane and into the airport and as we stood searching for the closest restroom, Maya stood peeing on the carpet of O'Hare. We did our best to use the hand driers, but they were not going to do the trick. Maya walked around with her little blanket tied around her waist like a towel for quite a while, of course dropping it here and there to show her business to the world. There were no kids' clothing stores to be found and so our girl ended up wearing an adult sized Chicago t-shirt for the rest of the day. I don't think I've ever said, "Keep your arms down!" so many times in one day.

Another recent first for Maya was her first long road trip. Her 92.5-year-old great-grandfather passed away on July 8 in Indiana. We are so grateful that she got to meet him twice and vice versa! And so it was that we packed up our car and drove the ten hours from MN to IN. She handled it very well, only yelling, "I. WANT. TO. GET. OUT. OF. THE. CAR!" once or twice, many times fewer than I thought it!

Did I mention that she sleeps now??? Two weeks ago I was talking to some Early Childhood Special Ed friends and explaining the sleeping struggles we've had for the last year. They said that they think we've gone beyond attachment issues and have moved into a bad pattern. They suggested a no-nonsense method, one that we'd been discouraged from in the beginning, assuring us that she's attached enough to us now to try it. So we did. And now she sleeps. Not only sleeps, but puts herself to sleep, sleeps alone, and sleeps through the night. I cannot explain how much my life has changed. I have HOURS more time each day and am sleeping so well now that I'm in my room and in my bed. Hallelujah!

We continue to be amazed at what a wonderful child Maya is and have been loving these days of vacation together. Just now at breakfast Maya was asking what "believe" means (prompted by me saying, "I love you more than you can even believe!"). She didn't like my explanation and said, "No, it's like when I give you a present and you say, 'I can't believe it!'. You say that every time, mom." What a girl.

Summer with Maya

Sorry blog followers for the six week lapse in posts! Don't think for a second that it's because nothing has been going on with our girl, because believe me-she never stops moving.

Maya has been growing faster than the weeds in our overgrown yard. She is daily mistaken for a 4- or 5-year-old and weighs so much that I can hardly carry her anymore. Her recent favorite pasttimes all involve the outdoors: riding her red trike 'round and 'round the neighborhood, swimming in the blow-up pool in the backyard, playing "pink ball", digging in the sand, visiting every park in the area, swimming at any pool that invites us, etc. "Wild Water Wednesday" was a huge hit at child care last week, where she got to try out a slip and slide! She is happiest when active and lately we've been outside so much that she's deliriously chipper.

She went to her first parade on the 4th and continued to be amazed at each new piece of the procession, saying, "More parade? Really?!?" Very surreal to see her waving an American flag in each hand, remembering that one year ago we were still stranded in Port-au-Prince.

Remembering where we were one year ago has been interesting these past weeks. It was June 16, 2009 that we left here with a one week plane ticket and hopes to inch the progress along by showing our faces at the Embassy. Four weeks later, on July 15 we arrived home with our girl in tow. I have been struck many times in the past weeks with the stark contrast of her life then and now. A week ago we had a major storm and the three of us sat on the porch with the door open a crack, watching the rain come down sideways, giggling and laughing. A year ago Maya and her birth family had to endure many hurricanes in a structure that was not stable enough to do so and the roof there collapsed. The things we take for granted...

I know that people enjoyed the Maya quotes in May, so here are a few more:

Me: I think we need a new rug in our kitchen.
Maya: Uh, mom, IKEA!

Maya: Today at naptime I couldn't get to sleep so I asked God to help me.
Me: Then what happened?
Maya: I fell asleep. God's my favorite.

We went to a restaurant where kids got a bowl of ice cream and then got to go with the waitress up to a sundae bar, where they loaded the ice cream up with goodies. After taking one bite of her sundae, Maya sighed and said, "This restaurant is BEAUTIFUL!"

Happy Summer!

Artichokes

At only her first attempt at steamed artichokes, Maya realizes the real reason we eat them...for the butter.

Mother's Day

After all these years of dreading this holiday, avoiding church with its inevitable mention of mothers and restaurants with their banners and such, I AM A MOTHER on Mother's Day!

Last year I was legally a mother. Maya had the last name "Breininger" and the adoption was finalized, but it still stung to be wished "Happy Mother's Day!" as being a mom on paper doesn't count.

The last eleven months of motherhood have been everything but boring. We've slept very little, laughed more than ever, softened in so many ways, become multi-tasking attempters, lost a bunch of battles to a three-year-old, spent countless hours rocking, both to sleep and to any kind of music that's on, frequented family-friendly chain restaurants that were previously at the bottom of our list, lapped our block following a little red trike dozens of times and much much much more.

One of the things that has consumed most of our time, conversations and reading has been trying to get our girl to sleep. As if on cue, she slept in her own room all through the night for the very first time last night. Happy Mother's Day to me!!! We can only hope that this is the start of a long-lasting pattern.

To show the joy and humor that our girl has brought into our lives, here are a few of her recent quotes. Enjoy and Happy Mother's Day!

Me: What would you like for breakfast today?
Maya: Ice cream.
Me: We don't eat ice cream for breakfast.
Maya: Then I'd like lunch, please.


Maya: I'm trying to see what you're thinking.
Me: You can't see what I'm thinking, just like I can't see what you're thinking.
Maya: Yeah, my forehead's in the way.

Maya to a man whose name I won't mention: You have a beard in your nose!

Me: Maya, look at the clock and tell me what time it is please.
Maya: Seven oh-ty three. (7:03)

5k Success

Maya has been counting down the days to "Running Day" and woke up this morning talking about how today is the day that the police officers will say, "Sorry cars. You don't get to go on the streets today. Only friends."

She was right. The streets were blocked off and the morning began with a 1/4 mile kid run, which she whole heartedly participated in (photos at left). Then she hopped into the jogging stroller and we strolled the 5k. The weather was perfect, the turnout was great and thanks to a last minute donor I ended up in third place for fundraising, winning me a prize!

The exact total isn't in yet, but it's estimated that more than $15,000 was raised for Friends of the Orphans. Thanks for your support!

Countdown to 5k

Hello friends,

In just 3 days Maya and I will be participating in the Friends of the Orphans 5k, Maya in the Kid Run and me pushing her in the stroller for the walk/run. I'm currently 48% of the way towards my fundraising goal of $1,000 and need your help.

Friends of the Orphans is the organization that Sean works for that supports orphan homes in Latin America and the Carribbean, including Haiti. Sean has visited four of the homes and we both went to the Haiti home last summer. We have seen firsthand the powerful and life-changing work that they do, believe strongly in the mission, and try to support them in every way that we can.

The picture below is of our visit to the Haiti home, where we got to meet Herby and Deristin, the boys that we and Sean's brother sponsor.



If you live nearby, I'd love for you to join Maya and me as we walk through beautiful Highland Park this Sunday. If you're interested in supporting Friends of the Orphans by walking or running, please click on the link below for more info:

http://www.friendsoftheorphans.org/s/769/inner.aspx?sid=769&pgid=880&gid=1&cid=1890&ecid=1890

If you're able to donate to the work of Friends of the Orphans, please use the link below to do so online quickly & securely. I thank you in advance for your support, and really appreciate your generosity!!

http://www.active.com/donate/FOTO5K2010/abreininger

Thanks very much and watch for pictures from the event in the next few days!

Add another "sport" to the list...

In our week of illness, which continues on, we've watched the four episodes of the Backyardigans countless times. One features pom pons, which, of course, prompted Maya to wish for a pair of her very own. When her life-saver of an aunt, Amanda, came to babysit for a few hours pom pons were created out of mere paper towels, tape, and glitter glue. Which led to this...

Egg Hunt

Who knew finding plastic eggs could bring this kind of joy?

A bug?

After a call to the ENT office this morning to report the happenings of the weekend, we were told to head in to the Pediatrician or ER today to make sure Maya wasn't dehydrated. We went in to our Doctor and they took chest x-rays to see if she has pneumonia, which she does not. They think that she just happens to have a bug that coincided with surgery. We're making plans to have her stay home again tomorrow just to give her one more day before being around even more germs.

We're not over-protective...we just wanted to make sure she was warm enough!

Recovery

We were told to bring cameras to document this experience for Maya but were there for such a short amount of time that this is pretty much all we got. I will say that lying in a cozy bed, being asked if I, uh, I mean Maya, needed more pillows or a heated blanket and being brought endless popsicles was quite delightful.

Pre-Surgery Play

We were grateful that Maya's surgery was at a Children's hospital for many reasons. This video shows just one.

Day Four

Well, things here didn't quite continue on in the pleasant way that they began post-surgery. Day 2 and 3 started off well. She even rode her bike around the block yesterday morning! But both days found her with a high fever by mid-day that left her lethargic and clingy and she's been coughing/throwing up crud off and on for the last two days.

She slept a good 14.5 hours last night, with only one bought of coughing and one spell of waking up to declare, "I DON'T LIKE SLEEPING!" (Apparently that dislike hasn't been cured yet.)

Sean's back to work today but I'm home for another day. I'm praying that today will bring a big turnaround. We had been warned that days 3-5 could be worse than 1-2, but that was in regard to pain, which she hasn't had any of. Time will tell.

In the meantime, we've watched our new Backyardigans video about a thousand times. We were charmed the first 624 times, but it's getting a little old at this point.

Can you tell I'm getting stircrazy?

Successful Surgery

First of all, thanks for all of the prayers and support that you gave us yesterday! The day went faster and more smoothly than I had anticipated.

For those of you who want a general update. It went great and she's fine. I know others of you are into the details, so here they are.

We arrived at the hospital at 10 am, where the nurse who had led our surgery class told the staff that whoever got to work with Maya was in for a treat. The nurses did enjoy working with our nugget. She spends so much time playing doctor at home that when they were listening to her heart with the stethescope she was taking deep breaths so they could check her lungs too. Each new doctor or nurse we would see would say, "We heard she's cute and they weren't kidding!"

They gave her a pair of pjs, which are probably "typical" 3-year-old size. We put them on and they looked like capris and a belly shirt! We upgraded to the next size.

She went in at 12:24 and was finished by 1. The Doctor said that the cyst turned out to be two inches long and that the adenoid was bigger than it had been when x-rayed five weeks ago, so she was very glad that both were removed.

She waasn't too happy coming out of anesthesia so I got to go into the recovery room and do some soothing. I even got to ride in the bed with her down to her short-stay room! By the time we got down there she was talking and alert and very excited about the popsicles. We snuggled, watched a movie, and ate three popsicles before we went home an hour later.

Once we got home the eating frenzy continued. Two Jell-O cups, two bowls of oatmeal, a yogurt cup, scrambled eggs and a bunch of juice later we cut her off and sent her to bed.

She was up in the night, happy as a clam, saying things like, "Remember that time we went on that bus and there were "buckle seats" all over?" She woke up at her normal time but after two hours went back to bed for a good long nap.

She's up now with a fever that regular Tylenol seems to be taking care of and is eating more Jell-O and juice but doesn't seem to be in any pain. We're planning on a low key weekend of cartoons, snuggling and juice drinking and I took Monday off just in case.

Another new parent hurdle jumped!

Surgery Tomorrow

Tomorrow at 11:30 am Maya will have her adenoids (thanks mom for pointing out the correct spelling!) and a cyst removed. We feel very fortunate to be able to have this done at a Children's Hospital, which has so far been a wonderful experience.

We went to "Surgery Class" last week, where the kids got to watch a puppet show about what was going to happen. Then the kids got to go into one room where they tried on the anesthesia masks and even choose a flavor of chapstick to color the inside with so that it would smell good! During this time a nurse talked to the parents and told us about every detail of the day. At the end we all went on a tour of the hospital and got to see where we'll check in, where we'll wait, the room she'll recover in, etc. She and I also went on a shopping trip to get special post-surgery treats this week. We've got a fridge stocked with juices, popsicles, Jell-O, ice cream and even a special cup. They say she'll need to drink a ton of liquids but won't want to, so we're hoping these items will help.

I'll do my best to post tomorrow or Saturday to let you know how things went. In the meantime, keep us in your prayers!

Bubbles!

Giggles

Recently at dinner Sean blew a crumb off of Maya's cheek. This is what happened next.

(Please note the distraction techniques used, such as saying, "Did you toot?" and making goggles with her hands.)

Opera: Take Two

You may remember our first introduction of Opera to Maya last summer with this video post, in which she went through the many emotions often associated with the medium:

http://babybreiningerblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/another-musical-experience-with-maya.html

Since then we received an "Opera for Kids" cd from Grandma with all the big hits sung in English and Maya has changed her tune.

Maya Updates

Sorry it's been so long since our last post! In the world of Facebook and Flipvideos, I've been finding myself updating people on our girl using those, which are so fast and easy. But today I found myself with a rare few moments and thought I'd actually write something about the nugget who lives with us.

Maya continues to grow at an alarming rate, no longer holding on to the belly or chubbiness of her 'youth', she seems to get taller by the day and is often mistaken for a five-year-old.

Her English vocabulary is phenomenal, blowing us away with sentences such as, "The sleeves of my long-sleeved shirt are inside out right now." "Would you like some help?" "Absolutely I would!"

We're taking West African dance classes, which I thought she would love, as dancing is her favorite pasttime, but she hasn't quite gotten into it yet. I, on the other hand, am loving it, which is as much a shock for me as I'm sure it is for you! (if you're a reader who has met me, you know that coordination is NOT my strong suit)

She's also tried out roller skating and bowling recently, both which she loved and wants to do more of asap.

Musically she blows us away daily as she can match pitch with the piano, makes up her own songs and can play tunes like "Twinkle" on the piano.

Really, there's not much she's not good at....except sleeping.

Since day one sleeping has been an issue. Something she despises more than anything. We've tried every arrangement of every bed in every room, tried bedtime yoga, peppermint tea, infant massage, low lighting, avoiding sugar, a wave sound machine, and have even consulted a sleep expert. I've determined we're dealing with the perfect storm: she has huge adnoids which cause her to wake up frequently, she's afraid of the dark, and she's deathly afraid of us leaving her. Not a good combination for a restful night. Her adnoids will be removed, along with a cyst on her neck on April 9 and we hear from everyone that this should make a huge difference for the good. We hope and pray that they're right!

Overall she is a joy and still, after nine months together, we pinch ourselves that she is actually HERE with us! We are so grateful for the fun that she brings to our lives.

Haiti Earthquake update

Dear Friends,

This is the first post I have ever written on our blog about our wonderful girl Maya. Most of you who know me, know that for me to put something out in the blogosphere takes a lot. I feel compelled and obligated to share with you updates from my organization, Friends of the Orphans and the organization we support in Haiti, Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos/Nos Petit Freres et Soeurs (NPH/NPFS, Spanish and French for “Our Little Brothers and Sisters”). I have 2 requests for those of you that read this: continue your prayers for all those suffering in Haiti, including our friends we still wait to hear from and for those involved with the relief efforts. My other request is that you financially support and/or share information about organizations you know to be providing swift and effective aid to the country.

I know as I post this it will most likely be out of date, so please check our website for the most up to date information: http://www.friendsoftheorphans.org/s/769/start.aspx

Update from our operations (NPH/NPFS) on the ground
We have confirmed that we have lost at least 11 workers/family members/volunteers, including 2 US citizens, international volunteer Molly Hightower and Ryan Kloos, the brother of another international volunteer Erin Kloos. Both were killed when our administrative and volunteer office (Father Wasson Center) collapsed.

Friends of the Orphans and NPH are currently at the forefront of relief efforts. Our hospital, St. Damien had to be evacuated and the courtyard of the hospital has now become a triage center with an estimated 700 people, including 200 children needing medical attention and at least 25 in need of amputations. Fr. Rick Frechette, medical director of our hospital, has been coordinating efforts at the hospital while also providing pastoral care and hope for for the people. Please read his first communication to us after arriving in Haiti: http://www.friendsoftheorphans.org/s/769/inner.aspx?sid=769&gid=1&pgid=896

Fr. Rick and St. Damien's Hosptial has been featured on most major networks, 2 interviews can be found here: http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=9570839
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/34863508#34868097

NPH has sent at least $700,000 to Fr. Rick and much more will be needed to assist in these efforts.

Again, please go to http://www.friendsoftheorphans.org/s/769/start.aspx for the most up to date information.

We continue to be grateful for your concern and prayers for our family and for your awareness and advocacy on behalf of the people of Haiti.

Sean

Earthquake

Thanks to all of you who have been contacting us with questions, concerns and prayers. We don't know much more than the news is telling us. But in answer to the most frequently asked question, Maya's birth mother does not live in or near Port-au-Prince and so we are assuming and praying that she is safe.

Updates from Sean's organization, which has an orphan home, a hospital and an administrative office in Haiti are:

•St. Damien hospital in Tabarre, 15 miles northeast of the epicenter, is not the hospital that has reportedly collapsed but the perimeter walls of the hospital, neighboring Kay Germaine complex and St. Francisville center, have all collapsed. Also all of the walls in the hospital are cracked resulting in major structural damage and minor injuries.

•The Fr. Wasson Center, the former hospital facility, in Petionville has collapsed.

•Our family at St. Helene orphanage in Kenscoff, which is located 11 miles east of the epicenter, is reportedly safe.

•Several people are on their way to assess the situation at the various locations. Among them is Fr. Rick Frechette, Regional Director of NPH Caribbean, who was in the U.S. at the time of the earthquake.


Port-au-Prince is where we spent our four weeks this summer and we so I can picture clearly what buildings such as the Presidential Palace used to look like. The road that we spent most of our time on is one that is reported to have more collapsed buildings than not. One of the hotels that we stopped at to decide if we should stay there has collapsed.

Other than Sean's Haiti co-workers, one who was at the orphan home a safe distance away at the time of the quake, and one who was in the US, we don't know the status of our other friends there. Our closest friend there we just heard had been bedridden with a back injury and unable to walk a few days before the earthquake and living right in that area. As I write this, I just got an update that another friend has made contact and is alright. It seems to be that some houses are fine and others right next door collapsed, killing everyone inside.

I fear that the worst is not over and that as these people who are already starving and desperate move through these next days and weeks without food, water and shelter and trying to deal with the chaos and devastation that surrounds them that things will turn desperate and ugly. Please send prayers.

Many of you have asked how you can help. If you feel so inclined, follow this link:
http://www.friendsoftheorphans.org/s/769/inner.aspx?sid=769&gid=1&pgid=252&cid=1903&ecid=1903&crid=0&calpgid=61&calcid=719#latest

Meanwhile we are grateful that our girl is safe and sound here with us and will squeeze her extra tight today.

Our other blog...

If you're looking for a winter (or any other season!) getaway check out our other blog, which features details and pictures of our rentable cottage on Lake Superior as well as a new video of Maya enjoying a weekend there.

Lakesuperiorgetaway.blogspot.com

A big day for Maya

Yesterday Maya received in the mail her new birth certificate, this one stating that we are the parents and that her name is now officially Maya Bedeline Breininger. Holding this piece of paper felt very surreal and wonderful. Partly because to us we've been her parents and she's been "Maya" for almost seven months now. And partly because it made me realize that technically she's been Bedeline this whole time. In the same way, we fluctuate between feeling like she's been here forever and feeling disbelief that she's actually here.

The other big event in Maya's life yesterday was that when I picked her up from child care, the provider told me that she finally let her bossy friend "have it". Assuming this meant Maya verbally sticking up for herself against this older child who likes to teach her bad habits, my first reaction was, "yes!"...until I heard that there was blood involved. After a long fight over a ball Maya swung and knocked her friend in the nose, causing it to bleed. At this I was mortified. Apparently it didn't even bruise, but still! When we approached Maya about it later, she felt terrible and after telling the story turned and said, "I don't want you guys to look at me right now." A conversation about using our words followed.

I can't wait to see what happens on the day when her Social Security card arrives!

Ho Ho Ho!

There was no Santa sighting this Christmas, but Uncle Matthew made up for that!

Let it Snow!

Happy New Year!

I hope the new year is treating you well. Maya brought in the New Year by....sleeping! She woke up at 11:45 and I spent 13 of the last 15 minutes of 2009 rocking her back to sleep, thinking it would be only fitting for me to close out the year doing what I've spent so much of the last six months doing. Fortunately she was asleep by midnight and I made it back downstairs in time to see the ball drop - a good sign for the new year, perhaps?

We spent both Thanksgiving and Christmas in Indiana with our families. She loved the airplanes and spent the flights reading SkyMall magazine and discovering her new favorite beverage: Ginger Ale. In Indiana she had a blast with all of the relatives we spend so much time missing. It was especially fun to watch her interact with her cousin Owen who is just five months younger than she is. She was, of course, showered with gifts, but our favorite moment from present opening was when she saw the bubble wrap surrounding one of her gifts and couldn't believe her luck!

She continues to amaze and amuse us each day. Her English impeccable and she recently learned how to rhyme, spending most of her day saying things like, "body/potty-those rhyme!"

Recent favorite quotes include:

Pediatrician: How are you feeling today Maya?
Maya: I don't think I need a shot. Nope. Don't think so.

In response to reading about dogs in "Go Dog, Go!" riding a rollercoaster:
"I'd like to try that someday...when I'm a dog."

We are excited about beginning our first full year with our sweet girl and wish you all the best for 2010.