Bowling and More

May had a friend from school spend the night last night.  They were so responsible that they turned off the movie they were watching at 10pm and went to bed on their own.  Go girls!

This morning the three older kids plus May's friend sang with our church children's choir as guests at another church.  It was a mega-church with two services and probably 120+ kids in children's church each service.  It was a neat experience for them, and they had fun.  Sweets was selected as a volunteer for a game to see who would eat weird things: beet directly out of the ground, brussel sprout, onion...  She even took a bite of a pig's foot - yuk!  Of course, she couldn't wait to get something real to eat to get that taste out of her mouth!

After lunch, May's friend went home and I picked up Sweets' two younger sisters, ages 5 and 6.  Then we met another mom and five of her nine kids at a bowling alley for two hours.  The kids all did great!  They waited patiently for their turns and helped each other.  They finished two full games (with bumpers, of course) and all seemed to enjoy themselves!  We even had different winners each time.

Back to the Rat Race

It has been a very busy week or so.  I am back in law school for the spring semester.  I'm really busy at work this month.  May and Buddy just started the Giving Hearts Club one day a week after school for four weeks; they make items to cheer up senior citizens who they will visit the final week.  Buddy also started an art class after school for six weeks.  That's in addition to the church children's choir and the city children's chorus that they attend one day each week each.  Whew!  Thank goodness Miss M is so wonderfully gracious to transport them to all of their activities.  She definitely deserves a raise!

BB is feeling much better.  His fever has been gone since Sunday.  He returned to his happy self by Monday.  Hopefully the ear infection will disappear completely and not flare up again when the antibiotic is done.  I finally picked up the final paper from the doctor's office that I need to send in for my adoption certification.  Hopefully there are no more surprises!

I finally put away all of the Christmas decorations this weekend.  Laundry is mostly caught up for the moment, and the kitchen is reasonably clean.  Three more days and I can take a breath on the weekend, but not for long.

When all else fails...

BB did not have a good night (so neither did I).  With one dose of antibiotic and more fever reducing medicine, he FINALLY fell asleep. He was so congested, he only slept a few hours.  About 3:30am, BB woke up fussing.  He drank a little; I changed him, cleaned his nose, and gave him more Tylen*l.  Just before 4am I gave him his second dose of antibiotic.  Then I proceeded to walk around with him for about an hour (22 pounds is heavy).  He didn't want to rock, didn't want a bottle or food, didn't want me to sit down, needed me to keep moving.  Nothing could make him happy, and he got more and more fussy.  Eventually he started getting loud.  Poor tired and sick baby...

So, in an effort to keep him from waking the other three kids, I took him out back.  I had hoped the cool, crisp air would jolt him and help him quiet down again.  Not only did it do that, he relaxed!  I tried coming back inside, but BB wanted to be outside where it was about 42 degrees.  I sat in a patio chair and rocked him gently.  He fell asleep in minutes!  I couldn't believe it.  I sat there a few extra minutes to make sure he was all the way out before bringing him back inside.  He transferred to his crib without waking up and slept about three hours. 

I was cold!  I didn't expect to be outside that long.  BB had a toasty blanket around him, and he was quite cozy against me.  Now I have a new item in my bag of tricks!  Who would have thought?

Not Quite...

BB's fever spiked again this afternoon.  Luckily we made it in to the doctor's office before they closed.  Drum roll, please... EAR INFECTION - his first one.  So, now he is on antibiotics and will hopfully feel much better tomorrow. 

Better

BB is better this morning (after a rough night around 2-3pm).  His fever is now much lower, even without Tylen*l.  He is eating and drinking a little, but enough.  He has played on the floor for a while, but mostly wants to be held.  He really needs a nap...

Fever

BB is not feeling well.  Yesterday late morning, he started running a fever.  Tylen*l worked, but he needed it every four hours.  Other than being warm and sleeping a lot, he seemed okay.  He ate, drank, babbled, moved around, pooped, etc.  Last night he woke up twice, hot and fussy both times, but it broke with the Tylen*l (not much sleep for me, though). 

This morning he didn't eat much, but he did drink his formula down.  Miss M held him most of the day, and he was content to rest and sleep on her chest.  His fever seemed a little higher, and it would come down, but not as quickly.  He's been only in a onesie for a good portion of the day and now in bed.  He is still drinking fine, but not eating.  He is a little fussy (amazingly, not as much as one would expect), but he has his playful moments too.  Now he is sleeping in his crib and doesn't feel too hot.  Let's see how far he makes it through the night. 

Tomorrow may mean a doctor's visit before the weekend.  I was hoping it might only be a third tooth trying to come through, but 48 hours is about my limit, especially since he has been over 103 prior to the Tylen*l a couple of times.  I don't want to end up in the ER over the weekend.

Crackers

Tonight we went out for dinner.  BB had already eaten his food before we went.  He ate some of those baby "puffs" but quickly consumed all I had brought.  We tried saltine crackers, breaking them in half or smaller.  He has only experienced them once before, more than a week ago, and didn't seem interested.  Today, BB ate them like a pro!  After mushing the first couple of pieces, he started taking little bites from a piece, with only his two bottom teeth.  It was amazing, and he was super neat, when you consider these are messy crackers.  He loves to eat and is adapting to all kinds of tastes and textures!

Sheets and More Sheets

About 7am this morning, Buddy came in my room walking funny.  He said, "I accidentally peed in bed."  Now keep in mind, yesterday was the day I did two loads of sheets and blankets (along with several other loads of laundry) and remade every bed in the house.  What a great way to start the day, NOT!

He stood there so pathetic looking, I simply said go to the bathroom and undress.  He proceeded to pee a full bladder.  Heaven only knows how long he had been sleeping in the wet bed.  Ugh! 

Half an Army Crawl

BB is finally trying to move across the floor in a manner other than rolling.  He doesn't like it much, but he will do it.  He tucks his right arm in under his chest, reaches with his left arm, and pushes forward with both feet, usually resulting in his face going into the carpet.  Today he kept his head up, looking toward his goal.  Maybe soon he will start using the other arm too!

I've been thinking that he will walk before he crawls.  His favorite thing to do is stand; second is running around in his walker, in which he is quite proficient.  He walks, holding my hands, but he won't walk along a couch or table.  He is now stable leaning on those, but he is not quite ready to stand completely on his own. 

Once he really gets going, I doubt there will be any stopping him!

Success

Buddy did not get his light changed at school today (i.e. he stayed out of trouble)!  1 for 5 - it's a start.

Really?

Buddy has been in trouble for talking and disrupting his 2nd grade class EVERY DAY this week.  He has had different/additional consequences each time.  Prior to this week, he has not had a significant problem with behavior at school.

Tonight when asked why, he responded:

But I've been good at home!

It's too hard to be good at both school and home.

Now what?

Yeah! The Answer is NO!

May has been struggling off and on with exercise induced shortness of breath.  We have had multiple doctor appointments over several months and have been treating as if it were asthma to see how it helped.  So far, indications were that it "might" be asthma, but everything seemed to fall on the border, in the gray area.

Today May took a methacholine challenge, essentially a test where they try to drug induce an asthma attack.  She passed beautifully - not even on the border - NO ASTHMA!  Yeah!

Nine Months

BB had his nine month checkup.  He is 30 1/2" and 21 lbs 12 oz.  He barely fits in his infant seat carrier anymore!  Doctor said he is doing great.  No shots this round, either.

Bath time is the most favorite part of the day for BB.  He has graduated from the kitchen sink to the laundry room sink, where he fits perfectly (saves Mom's knees too).  Even May will supervise bath time sometimes, so BB gets his fill of the water.  He cries almost every time we take him out, no matter how long he has been in.  He loves the water!

BB is amazing!  He is very alert, and doesn't want to miss a thing.  The only down side of this is that he is starting to have trouble settling down for naps.  He works hard to keep himself awake and part of the action.

It is incredible how well BB fits into our family.  He is such a blessing, and we all love him so much.  It will be a great day when his adoption is final!

Loving the Legos

Buddy received two Lego book sets from Grandma and Grandpa for Christmas.

He meticulously follows the picture directions to build each piece just right!



Way to go, Buddy!

He's the Father

Test results came back.  Lil Sis has the same dad as Sweets.  Let the good times roll...NOT.  It is going to be interesting to see what CPS does this time around, three and a half years after placing one child with this man, as they try to reunify a second child with someone who can't take care of the first one on his own.  Mom is not really in the picture.  She has done nothing that has been asked of her and has not even visited her daughter (except by seeing her at a funeral) since Lil Sis was removed from her in September.

First Steps!!!

BB took his first steps without holding one of us!

(sorry video is so dark)

He did fall backward the first few times

(the push toy is not weighted)

but he got the hang of it within minutes of introducing the toy.

Now he'll never be interested in crawling.

Back to Work

Literally!  Today was my first day back to work since before Christmas.  It was wonderful to have the time off to be with the kids, catch up on sleep, and de-stress.  Unfortunately, I didn't get nearly as much done around the house as I had hoped, but I'm okay with that.

Tonight I took Sweets back to her dad's, as tomorrow is her first day back to school.  Bad news: his cell phone is not working and he can't pay for it until Friday.  Good news: they now have a queen size box spring AND mattress to sleep on, instead of the floor or only a twin box spring!

Happy New Year

I feel so blessed as I look back over the last year.  2010 was really a good year!

May improved her reading dramatically and has thrived at her new school.  Sweets was able to spend most of the summer with us and joined the Children's Chorus with May.  Buddy is a very charming young man (everywhere but at home where he is still struggling with behavior).  AND...BB is the most wonderful addition to our family. 

I completed another 15 credits toward my law degree; switching to part-time status at law school was the best decision.  My job is going great; the work is fun, interesting, and very worthwhile.  Miss M has been marvelous helping in every way possible.  We are so lucky to have her.

We had a great family vacation with my parents in Branson this summer.  They really fell in love with BB and had fun with the other kids too.  I am so thankful that they are healthy and can enjoy their grandchildren!

In 2011, I look forward to many more good things!  First and foremost will be finalization of BB's adoption.  I still find it hard to believe that he really gets to stay.  God has truly blessed us! 

I hope and pray Sweets might actually get to live with us again (it is all her dad's decision).  It would be so good for her (this going back and forth is very difficult, especially on her).  I also hope that we can get to closure in the case of Lil Sis (paternity test results should be known in January).  She needs a stable home, ideally before she starts kindergarten in the fall. 

We also have a fun family reunion planned in July.  I hope I can take the kids on at least one other fun trip as well.

Tonight is a peaceful night with all four children happily playing (yes, really, at least for a few minutes) and me enjoying one more day off before going back to work.  It's a great way to start the new year!