Merry Christmas!

Holiday Greeting 2010 from bradbelote on Vimeo.

The Battlefield Santa

Missy sings offertory

Untitled from bradbelote on Vimeo.

Quilla's Progress: A Side-By-Side Comparison

Simply amazing! The photo on the left was taken a couple of days after we got home in July. The photo on the right was from last week.

Bad Blogger

I've been a bad blogger. You can understand why it's hard to find time to post meaningful updates. The kids keep us uber busy. That's why Facebook is a good place to catch short and quick updates from us. If we're not already friends, leave your name in the comment section and we'll connect there.

Quilla Update: She turns 1 Sunday!! She's walking by herself behind a push toy. AMAZING! She's doing so well, we've cut back on her occupational therapy to once a month. Her speech therapist is equally amazed at her communication skills. By 12 months, she should say one word. Quilla says mama, dada, kitty, Zekie, yeah, and no. She signs baby, eat, ball, more. She loves to pretend to give her baby a bottle. Santa is bringing her a baby doll care kit.

Zeke Update: He was very sick to his stomach on Thanksgiving. He's much better now. His eyes are improving, though surgery in the new year is likely to prevent his eyes from crossing. He is as precocious as ever and continues to amuse us with his cute questions and sayings. He's learning his letters and the sounds they make. He continues to be an excellent big brother and enjoys showing Quilla how to do stuff.

That's it! We are looking forward to being with family for Christmas. I have a pile of new photos...I'll work on a new photo montage very soon...and I will be a better blogger!

Pictures

Updating recent photos:

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime® 6.5 or higher is required.

LOVE these shirts!

Another family adopting from Ethiopia with our agency is selling t-shirts to raise money. This has to be one of the coolest designs I've ever seen. I'm going to get Quilla a onesie. CLICK HERE to see these awesome shirts!

Tennessee Visit

The kids had an AMAZING time with the family during our recent Tennessee visit. Enjoy! (By the way, it was tough to find the right music...in the end, I just went with a couple of songs that have a good beat.)

On the Road Again

We just got back from a WONDERFUL week of fun and family in Tennessee. Quilla got to meet Brad's parents, my brother, and the extended family! It was great! Photos are coming soon. We are doing well, though we're exhausted still from yesterday's VERY early morning flight (we woke up before 4AM). Halloween was a trip! Zeke was a lion and Quilla was a bee, perfect because we call her Quilla B.

FWD:Mizzou

This is Cousin Bridger!

Meet Quilla Rose Tigist Belote

It's official!

Happy Birthday Zeke!!!

You know it's official when your candle is a big THREE!

Quilla is a party girl!

Zeke and his buddies decide that wood chips and dirt make great conditioners for your hair.

Exploring the playground!

Eating cake!

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime® 6.5 or higher is required.

Where Have We Been?--Scroll Down for New Photos!!

Well, we are still here. Quilla had an "episode" last Wednesday that prompted the doctors to have her admitted to Children's Hospital about three and a half hours away. They ran a couple of neurological tests and the results were all normal. We are praising the Lord for that! The neurologists actually didn't think she had any problems but wanted to do what they could do rule out seizures. Apparently, you can never conclusively rule them out but based on her symptoms and the tests, we're pretty confident that she's having upper airway issues, not seizures.

With all the stress and worry that these episodes bring (even though she's only had five), it's been very draining on me. I've resolved to LIVE A NORMAL LIFE. I'm not going to hover around her, waiting to see if she's going to have one. Instead, we are going out and doing stuff, just like we would do if she'd never had any episodes. Since we got back from St Louis, she has been great. She is increasingly mobile (to Zeke's chagrin) and continues to gain weight. At last check, she was at 12 pounds, 7 ounces. She'll probably get weighed Thursday when she goes to the doctor for some vaccines. We're hoping for a big number!

Here are some fun photos from our lives recently:

Breathing Easier

Quilla is now sleeping with an apnea monitor, which means Brad and I are sleeping through the night. We have had no more breathing problems with Miss Quilla since last week. Praise the Lord for that! Her bronchiolitis seems better, though she still coughs a little. It's getting less and less each day. She is showing lots of preferences for food now and protests vigorously if we try to feed her something she doesn't like.

We celebrated Zeke's Forever Family Day Saturday (actual anniversary was Sunday) with a trip to Chuck E. Cheese. I had never been and my observation is that it's like a casino for children. I say this with a smile on my face, though it's hard to overlook the obvious similarities. Zeke had a wonderful time and I'm guessing this was the first of many trips there. Quilla enjoyed sitting and watching the ruckus at the restaurant and that night, it was hard to get her to sleep. She clearly had been overstimulated. It's been quite a while since we had to worry about a baby getting overstimulated. This used to happen a lot with Zeke and he would also have trouble falling to sleep afterward. So, we'll be more careful about anticipating that with Quilla in the future.

Right now, we are thankful for things being as normal as they can be, all things considered. Any day that does not involve a medical scare is a GREAT day.

Where We've Been

We've been getting better. Quilla has seen the docs in St Louis twice now since she had the episode where she briefly stopped breathing. No one knows for sure what happened. The best guess is that her airway got plugged up with mucus. For now, I'm sleeping in Quilla's room (in the loosest sense of "sleeping") so she can be closely monitored. Otherwise, she's delightful and happy. She and Zeke are starting to figure out how they can play together. That's one of the best things about having a second child...seeing your first child develop into a wonderful sibling.

A Belated Update

We came home from the hospital Monday. Quilla has had no further problems with breathing and we are so, so grateful. I am sleeping in her room every night so I can monitor her breathing as I wake up a gazillion times before morning. Quilla-B as we call her, is super happy and smiley. She is eating so well. At the doctor's office in St Louis yesterday, she cleared 12 pounds for the first time!! So exciting to see her packing on the pounds. We hope it continues. The docs in St Louis could not say exactly what happened to Quilla Sunday morning. They have some theories: possibly aspirated on some reflux, throat was so swollen she couldn't breathe. The great news is that she had an EEG this week to check for seizures and it was normal. Again, we praised the Lord for that great news. The EKG that was done this weekend at the hospital was also normal. Another whoo-hoo! So, we just watch her closely now and pray that we never have to go through another episode like that again. The doctor who saw her Monday in the hospital predicted in six months, she'll be on top of her game. We are so hopeful that she'll begin to outgrow her floppy larynx soon. She sounds better now than she did before surgery, but she's definitely still working more than other babies just to breathe. Thanks for all the prayers, friends...please keep them coming!

In awesome Zeke news...He says "I can't know" instead of "I don't know." He has learned to say, "I don't like (fill in the blank)." He also heard other kids at school saying someone was stinky so he started to say so-and-so from school was stinky. We stopped him in his tracks very quickly and put a stop to that. He's still navigating the new waters of having Quilla here...and he continues to be a great big brother and super helper. Honestly, how many two-year-olds do you know who put their shoes in their room after they take them off, or help pick up toys. Whatever momentum we have in this "helper phase," we hope to keep it going for years to come!

Waking up in the Hospital

Quilla had a great night. The blood oxygen monitor didn't go off once. She slept well and ate an entire bowl of cereal this morning. She acts happy and fine. I still haven't seen the doctor yet but I hope he comes by this morning. I suspect they'll send us home today but we're still waiting to hear.

Quilla in the Hospital

This morning, my mom went in to check on Quilla as she napped. Mom found her with her eyes open but staring off and very unresponsive. Mom picked her up and brought her to the kitchen where we tried to get her to react and quickly saw that she was having short periods where she was not breathing. We called 911. While we waited, we could hear her trying for shallow breaths but that was all, and she remained unresponsive with her eyes open. Shortly after the first responders arrived, she began to cry, a great sign and a welcome sound. We put a flow of oxygen in her face and that seemed to help as she continued to cry. When the paramedics arrived with the ambulance, she seemed more responsive and was still crying. However, when she would calm down, her breathing would get shallow and sporadic again. We took her by ambulance to the hospital. She had one more instance of being unresponsive in the ER but after she had a breathing treatment that's typically given to kids who have croup, she really improved. Her breathing was way less noisy, her eyes were bright, and she was her old self. So, at this point, there are still a lot of unknowns and she is spending tonight in the hospital for observation. Thankfully, we haven't seen anymore problems since this morning. The working theory is that she had a severe case of croup where her throat was so swollen, it practically closed up and she could barely breathe. They did an x-ray and found some possible pneumonia. She got an antibiotic shot for that. We are doing ok now and the only thing we need is your prayers. I'm sitting in her hospital room right now and she is doing great. However, I am now scared about taking her home tomorrow. I don't know how I'll ever lay her down for a nap.

Things are Great

It's hard to believe that only one week ago, Quilla had her big surgery. She's quietly sleeping beside me as I type this. It's a big deal that she sounds quiet now because before the surgery, she was so loud when she slept, it would keep you up all night. She still makes a soft noise when she breathes, but it's so much better than it was. She also is showing her happier self these days. She's clearly feeling much better but can't eat as much all at once as she did pre-surgery. So, she gets mad when I cut her off. However, we do more frequent meals and in the end, she's getting more calories than she did pre-surgery. A home health nurse came to see her Monday. The most important news from her visit was that Quilla weighed 11 pounds, 1 ounce!! That's a tad better than what she weighed before the surgery. I had been really worried that the surgery would result in a bit of a weight loss because she couldn't eat much for several days. However, it's clear that she's on the rebound and is going to chunk up quite nicely.

A quick Zeke story from last week. He didn't know all the particulars about Quilla's surgery but he knew they were going to "work on her body" to make her better. He knew there were doctors involved. Thus, he kept going around the hospital saying loudly, "I'm not sick!" I think he was afraid that someone was going to look in his ear or take his temperature. He's not a big fan of what happens at the doctor's office but he seems to like our pediatrician, a sweet and lovely Vietnamese American named Tuyet Vo. Her first name is pronounced TWEE and everyone calls her Dr. Tuyet. So, in St Louis, Zeke kept asking if Dr. Tuyet was there and if she was coming to help. I told him no, that Dr. Tuyet works at a different hospital and she would see Quilla when we go back home. It's amazing how much Zeke "gets" and processes, even at his age!

Zeke has decided that he's three, even though his birthday isn't until October. When it comes to talking and mobility, he could meet or beat any three year old, so he has every right to say he's three. Of course, I can't believe my baby is going to be THREE years old. We celebrate Zeke's Forever Family Day September 19th...Wow! It's been two years since we got our little guy. Can't imagine life without either one of our babies!!

Wow!!

That's all I can say...Wow, God!!! Quilla is practically back to her old self today. She is still being stingy with her smiles because I don't think she wants anyone to think she actually likes being in the hospital. Still, she is sitting up and is drinking her bottle like a champ. She took 3 ounces at once in record time this morning and you couldn't hear her breathing!! I so wish all the nannies, nurses, doctors, and America World staff could see this AMAZING result of her surgery!! God is so good!!! I cried the first time she took a bottle yesterday. It was so EASY for her. I think it freaked her out a little because it was so effortless, especially compared to what it was like to drink formula pre-surgery. She would suck and work up a sweat and gasp for air. Awful! All of that is gone. Also, she has continued to burp some by mouth, a great indication that the fundoplication (wrap around the top of her stomach) is not too tight. This has been a big concern of mine so I'm thankful that it's not overly tight. We expect her to stay one more night and go home tomorrow. Will continue to update the blog!!

The Day After Surgery

So, Quilla is doing GREAT! She just drank an ounce of formula and she DID NOT HAVE TO WORK HARD. It was so amazing that I actually cried!!!! She drank it so easily. No gasping for air, no sweating, no intense breathing. THANK YOU LORD! She has mostly rested today. The regular floors are crowded so they're keeping her in the PICU. I'm actually really happy about this. Once she gets comfortable around midnight, I'll head back to my room and sleep there. She will share a nurse with only one other patient and her nurse will be right by her bed. We're staying at a hotel attached to the hospital so if they need me, I can be there super fast. We are so thankful for her progress. We continue to pray that everything will go well as she recovers.

Quilla is great today. Going to see if she will drink.

Holding her and she is doing great!

All done. All is well.

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime® 6.5 or higher is required.

This message has been sent using the picture and Video service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, Quicktime@ 6.5 or higher is required.

Update!

We have had two updates from the surgery nurse and everything is progressing well. She went under easily and both surgeries have gone well so far. They are finishing up the Nissen fundoplication and will then insert the g-tube. Keep praying. We are praising God for all the good news.

Update from the Surgeon!

Quilla is doing great! The ear, nose, and throat doc just came out. She said everything is going very well. She said everything looked normal except for the floppy larynx. She expects the supraglottoplasty will help her not to have to work so hard when she eats. She said she will still have the stridor for a few more months but won't have to work so hard just to breathe. We are thanking God for this wonderful news! Now, the other surgeon is starting the abdominal surgery.

Q just went into the operating room.

Surgery Tomorrow

We are peaceful tonight as we prepare for Quilla's big surgery tomorrow. We know she is covered in prayer and God will be right there with her through the entire process. We ask for prayers for her recovery. We pray that she will be eager to eat and drink soon afterwards so that she doesn't lose much of the weight she has gained. I was dressing her the other day and I was marveling at the rolls of fat on her legs. She has made such strides since coming home. We praise God for that! They weighed her today and she weighed ELEVEN pounds!! She weighed 9.1 pounds the day after we arrived. Wow! Thank you God for the ways you have watched over our precious Quilla. We have seen how you have worked miracles in her life already. We pray for the surgeons, doctors, nurses, and others who will work on her tomorrow. We claim victory over this surgery and the recovery process, affirming that you are the Great Physician. We wait with expectancy, Lord!

Zeke has been a doll through this entire transition. He is such a loving child! He is so openly affectionate with "Baby Quilla," as he always calls her. Last night, he helped me bathe her, gently helping suds up her hair. He smiled at me and said, "I have a sister!" it was like he was newly appreciating this sweet baby being a part of our family. He's been having Brad read a book to him about a new kid at a new school who isn't treated nice at first (Mom, it's that book by Katie Couric you got me!). He loves to look at the book and talk about how HE warts to be Laszlo's friend and how the kids making fun of him are making really bad choices. He has such a tender heart!

Q&Z

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Surgery Next Week

Quills will have surgery next Tuesday to repair her hiatal hernia, deal with her acid reflux, insert a tube in her stomach (temporarily), and improve her strider (noisy breathing). Please join us in praying that all goes well and that she makes a quick recovery. We are so glad she is home where we can get her the medical care she needs.

Coming soon: Photos of Q and Z!

Still at the doctor's office.

The Latest

Well, Quilla will be seeing a surgeon in St Louis Monday. An x-ray last Friday revealed half her stomach is in her chest cavity. It's a hiatal hernia that will certainly have to be repaired. We ask for your prayers as we move forward and get our baby girl better. Despite this rather dramatic development, she's eating well and is happy most of the time. The big exception is when she's eating baby food. The hernia and associated acid reflux causes her to be in terrible pain at times during feedings. We are trying to manage it with medicine and by giving her small bites. It's horrible to see her in pain like this and we are wondering if she can get the surgery done next week. We'll know more after Monday's appointment so stay tuned.

Zeke is adjusting very well to being a big brother. He is beginning to embrace that role whereas initially, he had insisted he was the big baby, not the big brother. He knows baby Quilla's tummy is "sick" and like the rest of us, he's praying for her to get better soon.

Health Update!

Quilla weighed 10.2 ounces and change this morning!! PRAISE THE LORD! Dr. Vo thinks she's doing well. However, we found out Friday that she has a hiatal hernia and acid reflux. We've been waiting for the scheduler to call us back about a swallow test. Our pediatrician found out the speech pathologist who has to order the swallow test is out for like three weeks. So, she got us in TOMORROW for an upper GI test. I guess this is supposed to be EVEN BETTER than a swallow test, though we'll probably end up doing that too later. Please keep baby girl in your prayers. We pray that we the results of the test tomorrow are good and that we won't have to have surgery for her hernia.

More Quilla!

More super sweet cuteness! Will try to get Z and Q together...

Photos from today!