Luke's transition over the last 9 months a photo montage

This was the first picture we ever saw of Luke, he looked so sad my heart broke

 This was the update picture in Aug 2010 when Luke received our care package

 The first moments with Luke on January 17th 2011 in our hotel lobby at our meeting

 The first night in our hotel room in Jinan, we were all nervous but he did great

         Our 2nd day together and he and dad were already inseparable

 Luke as we are packing to head to Guangzhou for the 2nd week of our trip, he was showing his personality very well by then .. can you say goofy!!

 Our last night in Guangzhou before heading to the USA. He was changing so rapidly in front of our eyes

 Our skinny Minny arm wrestling with dad in the hotel room at night. He weighed 60 lbs

 Our first day home just meeting the gang (minus Aaron as he was at College) Jan 30th 2011

                           Luke and Paige they became instant pals and still are

 Luke and Tommy they are buddies but definitely brothers as well (sibling rivalry anyone??)

 Luke joining the crazy Pittsburgh fans(his brother, Aaron, His Dad, his brother Tommy and Luke) for the Superbowl (mom just had emergency appendix surgery so was not in a get in the picture mood hah) Feb 2011

                          Me and My boy in March.. already changing so fast and he is totally my baby boy! (Mommas boy!! yeahhh baby!)!

                                    Another highlight of March learning to ride his bike!

 At a soccer game in April 2011 with his daddy, the 2 of them showing some Tude hahah

                                       May gave birth to the Luke-inator hahah

                        June was Lukes first trip to the beach and HE LOVED it!

 4th of July Tommy and Luke posing with their new( tough, but emotional pose) hahah. Too funny they were practicing modeling poses I couldnt stop laughing!

                        August 2011 Boogie boarding with his sister and pal, Paige

 August 2011  posing with his Nan and Pop and cousins already looking like a completely different child. (Pop, Aaron, Luke, Sage, Paige, Elijah,  Nanny and Tommy)

             September 6th Luke's first day of 5th grade at DSD. Looking so grown up

                 Sept also brought about more FOOTBALL! Luke has become quite a fan!

                                                     They are always goofy! It makes my heart burst with joy that he has someone to be so goofy with after 10 and half years of no one! 

                    The end of September and( 9/22/2011) was Luke's 11th Birthday! He was so excited to see his presents and cant beleive we spent the day celebrating him!! His first celebration of himself ever!

               Luke enjoying more Football at the beginning of October 2011 He is Tommys biggest fan!We love taking pictures of us together! Me and My baby boy!

                  October 16, 2011 Celebrating his Dads Birthday with his Nanny.

The transformation of Luke has been incredible. First of all physically if you didnt watch the change over 9 months we would swear he is not the same boy we met in China. 25 lbs heavier, 4 inches taller.. Language that is blossoming by the day. A personality that is unique and incredible!!!

WE LOVE YOU LUKE!  CANT WAIT TO SEE WHAT THE NEXT 9 MONTHS BRING, THEN 9 YEARS!! FOREVER MY SON!!!!!

Tomorrow is 9 months!

Tomorrow is 9 months since Luke's Gotcha Day and the transformation of Luke has been BEYOND mind-blowing!!! Luke has gained 24 lbs, grown 4 inches all in 9 short months. He went from a 10 slim (with the waist synched as far as we could), to a 10, to a 12 slim to a 12.. Soon to be a 14... From a size 4 shoe to a size 6 1/2.. From a child with no language at 10 and 1/2 years old.. To a child that is picking up language faster and using it in ways that research says a child his age with no previous language should not be... A child that is HAPPY pretty much 99% of the time (unless of course we dont go to bed by 7:30 pm hahah). He went from a nobody that no one could communicate with to a special someone that has a family that loves him tremendously!!! He went from being a child that had no future.. to a child that has a bright future full of never ending possibilities!! He went from being an orphan.. To Luke Worrell, our  Son, Brother, Grandson, Cousin, Friend!

Luke is doing amazing! He is blossoming daily!  One of the best things we did for Luke was to fight to get him into the school for the Deaf. Luke is NOT the same boy as he was before he entered Delaware School for the Deaf. Luke has changed in such a way that you CANT miss it! He is SO SO SO happy at school. He cant wait to get there everyday! He comes home and is exploding to tell me all he did for the day.. In DETAILED language!!! Luke is learning and learning fast! He has friends and is so excited to talk about them! Luke is loved at DSD and Luke LOVES DSD!  Well worth the grey hair and 7 month fight to get him there! Well worth it!

Luke still has adjusting to do, socially he is so far behind, but time will change that. When I look at all the changes in Luke it is mind blowing! I dont know how one can change that much in that short of a time and stay sane. I know God has his hand all over Luke and our family and we are so blessed for all who pray for us! We feel the prayers, trust me we do!
 I am going to let some pictures do the rest of the talking! Happy 9 month Gotcha Day Luke! WE LOVE YOU!!!

                                                  Luke and his sister, Paige

                                         Luke and I at a football game!

                         Luke at Tommy's game.. he loves wearing the equipment!

                                                           Luke and his Nanny!

Tommy was going away for a few days and Paige and Luke wanted to go with him!

 

Pittsburgh Buddies!

 Hiding in Tommys suitcase.. he will never know heheheh(unless he hears the hysterical giggling)

                             Luke dressed in Tommys game gear!!

                                  Luke with his Nanny, Poppy, Sister Paige and Brother Tommy

                                       Tom and his sweetheart daughter, Paige

                                        Luke, Tommy and Paige with Daddy on his Birthday!

                                                                 Karate Boy!

                                                    Back to Back tough kids! hahahh

                                                             She is truly unique!

                          Trust me so is Luke.. Truly unique!!

Part 1 of Luke's Birthday Celebration

I decided to let the pictures do the talking for Part 1 of his 11th Birthday!

                                     Waving Good-bye to 10 at bedtime

                                                                 Well HELLO 11!!

 Thanking God for granting my wish last year(can you guess his wish?)  and praying for a new wish this year!

                                                           Love that face and those eyes!

                                                         Blowing out my candles!

 Cutti

                                                      Cutting the cake to serve to everyone!

 Luke's favorite interpreter came by to wish him a Happy Birthday! (he sure does love her!)

                                                        Heheh can I open this?

                                                              is it really for me?

                                                              This is toooo much fun!

                                 With reactions like this how can you not enjoy giving him things!

                                                           His new Rio game for his DS
Thursday for Luke's first Birthday here in America with his family was a huge success! We love you Luke and are SO proud of the amazing young man you are quickly becoming!!!!
Part 2 of his Bday is on my hubbys camera and I will get it on here soon! More to come!.....

Luke's 11th Birthday and his first one home with his family!!!

Well folks tomorrow is the day! Tomorrow is our first time to Celebrate Luke's Birth! He is going to be 11 tomorrow and it is a bitter-sweet day for me tomorrow to think that he celebrated 10 Birthdays without his Momma, Daddy, Aaron, Tommy, Paige and Chase and all of the rest of his family who loves him so much!.  BUT we get to turn the tide from here on out! We get to celebrate all those Birthdays together and make jokes about goofy things he has done, talk about how much he is changing, gasp at how big he has gotten (really! we are doing that this year) and just plan old rib on him for getting older! :)))))  I am so happy and proud to be Luke's mommy!

Adding an older child into your home isn't easy. Adding an older child into your life that has no previous language and education isn't easy.. but WOW is it worth it! Our lives are so richly blessed by Luke and his abundant personality, zest for life, LOVE of us!! He is truly my miracle baby! If anyone would have told me years ago that I would adopt a 10 1/2 year old child that is Deaf, I would have told them they were mentally insane! :)  Today I know many people certainly might still think or thought we were mentally insane to bring home a child so old with so many "issues", but let me tell you that having Luke here has meant many things but here are 2 things for sure.....1: Yes! Without a doubt the biggest challenge ever presented in our lives... 2. Yes again, Without a doubt, The most amazing blessing ever bestowed upon our lives!

Luke has made me see the world from a whole new perspective! Luke has made me open my heart to possibilities I thought were never possible. Luke has made me see the world through new eyes.  Luke has helped me to Love on a whole new level. Luke has helped me to see the abundant joy in the "small"  things in life.  Luke is still teaching me how to have patience like never before.  Luke has shown me that GOD has had his hand in placing Luke in our family and making sure this precious child had a future and a family that loves him immensely! Only God could match this mothers heart to an un-seen child over 7,900 miles away and make us such a perfect match for each other!.  Only God could watch over this precious little baby as his birth mother placed him on the steps of that orphanage in Jinan, China 11 years ago knowing full well that this baby whose real name we don't know, whose exact birth-date we will never know, whose actual birth time and weight and length that you see on all of those fancy birth announcements will never be known to this momma, but Our God knows and watched and protected my baby until he could come to me Jan 17th 2011 to become Luke XinHai Worrell!

So TO LUKE!  September 22, 2000 is the date on his paperwork and the day we will celebrate his birthday! Luke told me tonight that tomorrow is the first time (other then last year when we sent a few books and a car to him in the orphanage) that his Birthday will be celebrated with anything other then some food and a few staff and kids saying Happy Birthday.  He still cant believe he is going to get gifts! He cant believe we are having a special day for HIM! Tonight we made cupcakes to take to school tomorrow and I have never had so much fun making cupcakes. Let me tell you my boy can bake.. he is in trouble now that mom knows that hahah! We laughed and giggled and he just jumped up and down for joy at the thought that this magical cupcakes were being made to celebrate him! We baked them and he sat in awe as they rose and turned out so pretty! We did the icing and some sprinkles and he even practiced how to carry the case on the bus tomorrow haha!

So as I tucked my precious 10 year old son into bed, we hugged and kissed goodnight and waved goodbye to 10 and when he wakes we are ushering in 11..... I have a feeling this is going to be a stellar year for Luke!  Thank you God for placing Luke into our lives and allowing us the privilege of being his family! HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUKE!!!!

                                Making cupcakes to take to school!!!

                       Breaking the eggs (he was amazingly talented at that!)

                       Never have I seen someone so excited to use a hand mixer!

 Showing him the age old family tradition of licking the beaters! He was very unsure of this tradition until he tasted the magical batter!

                                  Umm are they ready yet (30 seconds into baking)

                                                                  Still waiting......

                                                           Icing up the cupcakes!

                            Got them all ready to take to school, colored sprinkles and all!