Monday, February 25, 2013
Proof
Precious' social security card came in the mail today. I went to vital records and picked up her certified birth certificate about a month ago, and then went to the social security administration a couple weeks ago. I now have BOTH legal documents! This is when it truly feels like the adoption is complete to me. She is 100% part of my family!
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Acolyte in Training
Sweets and Buddy were the acolytes for our traditional church service this morning. They light the candles on the alter in the front of the church at the start of the service.
We arrived early to get their white robes and purple stoles on. BB was taking it all in and said he wanted one too. The acolyte garments are stored in the choir room closet with the choir robes, and the (old) little white children's choir robes were right beside them. So, in an effort to avoid a fit, I threw a little white robe on BB's head and marched him out the door after the big kids. Next stop - back of church.
BB sat on a chair right be side Buddy and Sweets waiting for the service to begin. I sat beside him holding Precious, who I was planning to keep with me in service instead of taking her to the nursery since she has been sick. The time came and the music of the prelude started. Buddy and Sweets lined up behind the back pew and had their candle lighters lit. BB walked over right behind them. He looked at me; I looked at him and waved him to come back to the chairs.
I knew what was coming next as Buddy and Sweets started to process down the aisle between the pews! I almost shoved Precious at the usher who had been watching this entire scene thinking it was so cute. I quickly moved over and swooped up BB - he only made it past two pews (I think there were lots of grins!). Luckily he didn't scream and I held him up and whispered in his ear with the play-by-play as his brother and sister finished their job. Then BB softly said, "out the door," after the big kids disappeared behind the choir loft through the side doors.
He happily got down and went out the back door with me and Precious to find them. Then he went willingly to the nursery without his robe, since the other two had taken their's off to go to Sunday School. Overally, it was a successful part of the morning!
We arrived early to get their white robes and purple stoles on. BB was taking it all in and said he wanted one too. The acolyte garments are stored in the choir room closet with the choir robes, and the (old) little white children's choir robes were right beside them. So, in an effort to avoid a fit, I threw a little white robe on BB's head and marched him out the door after the big kids. Next stop - back of church.
BB sat on a chair right be side Buddy and Sweets waiting for the service to begin. I sat beside him holding Precious, who I was planning to keep with me in service instead of taking her to the nursery since she has been sick. The time came and the music of the prelude started. Buddy and Sweets lined up behind the back pew and had their candle lighters lit. BB walked over right behind them. He looked at me; I looked at him and waved him to come back to the chairs.
I knew what was coming next as Buddy and Sweets started to process down the aisle between the pews! I almost shoved Precious at the usher who had been watching this entire scene thinking it was so cute. I quickly moved over and swooped up BB - he only made it past two pews (I think there were lots of grins!). Luckily he didn't scream and I held him up and whispered in his ear with the play-by-play as his brother and sister finished their job. Then BB softly said, "out the door," after the big kids disappeared behind the choir loft through the side doors.
He happily got down and went out the back door with me and Precious to find them. Then he went willingly to the nursery without his robe, since the other two had taken their's off to go to Sunday School. Overally, it was a successful part of the morning!
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Poor Baby
Precious is sick. Took her to urgent care tonight after running a fever off and on for three days. Today junk started discharging from her eyes. Unbelieveably, she was still in happy spirits most of the time, until the middle of the night. I just wasn't ready for another long night.
She has an ear infection, and she had lots of wax buildup deep in both ears. After medication, she is happy again! Precious has been a very healthy baby. I think this may be the first time on antibiotics.
Despite not feeling well and an ear infection, Precious now walks across the room on her own! Imagine what she will be like when her ear clears up! I bet she'll run across the room!
She has an ear infection, and she had lots of wax buildup deep in both ears. After medication, she is happy again! Precious has been a very healthy baby. I think this may be the first time on antibiotics.
Despite not feeling well and an ear infection, Precious now walks across the room on her own! Imagine what she will be like when her ear clears up! I bet she'll run across the room!
Friday, February 22, 2013
Dancer and Walker
Precious loves music and likes to dance.
(Sorry, I don't know how to rotate it.)
(Sorry, I don't know how to rotate it.)
She is also walking several steps at a time!
I missed the dance with all the bouncing up and down. :-(
Sunday, February 17, 2013
XYZ
Buddy was being funny today and told me XYZ. I looked down and he laughed. Then he asked, "Why do they say XYZ?" I told him it was for eXamine Your Zipper. He thought for a minute...
Then he proclaimed, "Examine doesn't start with X! Who's idea was that?" Good for you, Buddy! He proceeded to spell e-x-a-m-i-n-e. Pretty smart 9 year old!
Then he proclaimed, "Examine doesn't start with X! Who's idea was that?" Good for you, Buddy! He proceeded to spell e-x-a-m-i-n-e. Pretty smart 9 year old!
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Busy Day and Dog Chronicles
Today we ventured out to the zoo. The weather was beautiful. We went with another foster and adoptive family. Between us, we had three adults and sixteen children ages 1 to 13. Yes, it was quite a crew! We had fun, despite no naps and a late lunch. After the zoo, we all invaded a buffet restaurant.
This weekend I'm providing respite for a three year old girl. She is pretty easy, except she doesn't like to eat or drink anything that is not junk food. Although bedtime has brought a few tears, she has done very well so far.
Last night I went to pick up Sweets and Lil Sis, who was going to visit her maternal aunt and uncle. What normally takes two hours took over three, as they were not home when I got there, despite me having called when we were twenty minutes out. At the time of the call, I found out later they were on their way to dad's friend's house, about five miles in my direction. So, I backtracked five miles only to discover after picking up the girls that their bags were at dad's - five miles back the other way! Argh!
In addition to the driving fiasco, Sweets has had another puppy, courtesy of dad, for about three weeks. She already decided to stay home two weekends ago, because she was afraid that the dog would be gone when she got back. Last weekend, a friend watched it. This weekend she wasn't going to come, because she couldn't find anyone to watch the puppy and dad "doesn't want it anymore." At 3:15pm on Friday, she called and asked me to pick her up because she had found someone to watch the dog.
I had a difficult discussion with her. We talked about all the other times dogs have been an issue at her dad's house. It seems like about every six months to a year the story replays itself:
Last summer, dad offered her a dog on the condition she couldn't leave to go to my house.
A year ago, dad got Sweets a dog but told her she had to take it to my house or stay home.
Two years ago, Sweets smuggled a dog to my house and we ended up finding it a new home.
There have also been two other dogs over the years that just "ran away" while she was gone.
I reminded Sweets that spring break is coming up and asked her about finding someone to watch the dog for two plus weeks. I know she won't want to miss some of the opportunities planned, but I also know that she and her sister like playing with the dog for the two hours after school before their dad gets home when there is nothing else to do.
Lil Sis is here tonight too, since the aunt and uncle had another engagement, and another relative was unable to care for her as planned. Amazingly, bedtime wasn't too bad! Now it's my turn!
This weekend I'm providing respite for a three year old girl. She is pretty easy, except she doesn't like to eat or drink anything that is not junk food. Although bedtime has brought a few tears, she has done very well so far.
Last night I went to pick up Sweets and Lil Sis, who was going to visit her maternal aunt and uncle. What normally takes two hours took over three, as they were not home when I got there, despite me having called when we were twenty minutes out. At the time of the call, I found out later they were on their way to dad's friend's house, about five miles in my direction. So, I backtracked five miles only to discover after picking up the girls that their bags were at dad's - five miles back the other way! Argh!
In addition to the driving fiasco, Sweets has had another puppy, courtesy of dad, for about three weeks. She already decided to stay home two weekends ago, because she was afraid that the dog would be gone when she got back. Last weekend, a friend watched it. This weekend she wasn't going to come, because she couldn't find anyone to watch the puppy and dad "doesn't want it anymore." At 3:15pm on Friday, she called and asked me to pick her up because she had found someone to watch the dog.
I had a difficult discussion with her. We talked about all the other times dogs have been an issue at her dad's house. It seems like about every six months to a year the story replays itself:
Last summer, dad offered her a dog on the condition she couldn't leave to go to my house.
A year ago, dad got Sweets a dog but told her she had to take it to my house or stay home.
Two years ago, Sweets smuggled a dog to my house and we ended up finding it a new home.
There have also been two other dogs over the years that just "ran away" while she was gone.
I reminded Sweets that spring break is coming up and asked her about finding someone to watch the dog for two plus weeks. I know she won't want to miss some of the opportunities planned, but I also know that she and her sister like playing with the dog for the two hours after school before their dad gets home when there is nothing else to do.
Lil Sis is here tonight too, since the aunt and uncle had another engagement, and another relative was unable to care for her as planned. Amazingly, bedtime wasn't too bad! Now it's my turn!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Doctor Fix It
Today BB had outpatient surgery on his eyelid, because it was drooping to the point that it may start to cover the pupil. The doctor figured this procedure would become absolutely necessary eventually (when the eyelid overlaps part of the pupil), and it was already considered medically necessary to do at sometime. My position is that if it is inevitable, let's get it done as young as possible so he remembers as little as possible.
BB was a champ. We went to the surgical center next to the children's hospital. It's in the same building as this doctor's office. Check in went smoothly - no insurance issues at all (yeah!). When we were called back to pre-op and met the nurse, BB told her that the doctor was going to "fix his eye". AMAZING! I had not told him that. I had just said we were going to see the eye doctor. He has already seen him twice, as well as seen another eye doctor (non-surgeon) about every six months since he was six months old. I couldn't believe that BB picked up on this!
BB liked his special pajamas, colored briefly as the anesthesiologist and then the doctor stopped by, and then went willingly with the OR nurse through the door to "find the animals on the wall". He was in there just over an hour before the doctor came out and said everything went very well. I waited about 10-15 more minutes before they brought me back to the recovery room. That's when the fun started!
Because he needed to not touch his eye, they had put splints on his arms to prevent the elbows from bending. He DID NOT LIKE them. He was already starting to fuss as I walked in, and eventually it took two nurses plus me to control him as they gave him two more doses of medicine into his IV. In the meantime, he had wiped his eye on my arm, on the sheet, and had one splint part way off.
Eventually he calmed back down and we were able to take off the splints, let him drink and eat a popsicle, and finally get dressed. In the meantime, the doctor had come into recovery following his next surgery. Luckily, he checked on BB and said all still looked really good. We put the splints back on his arms to go out the door for the ride home. Two bags of goldfish were a good enough bribe!
My little escape artist managed to get both splints loose enough that he could move and bend his arms by the time we were part way home. Thankfully, by then he understood that if he rubbed his eye, it would hurt more instead of less. He did fine once home and the splints came off for good. Actually, he did incredibly well the rest of the day.
I haven't let BB see his face in the mirror. As Buddy put it, "It looks scary." I'm hoping it looks a lot better by tomorrow. We drive across town to check in with the doctor in the morning.
BB was a champ. We went to the surgical center next to the children's hospital. It's in the same building as this doctor's office. Check in went smoothly - no insurance issues at all (yeah!). When we were called back to pre-op and met the nurse, BB told her that the doctor was going to "fix his eye". AMAZING! I had not told him that. I had just said we were going to see the eye doctor. He has already seen him twice, as well as seen another eye doctor (non-surgeon) about every six months since he was six months old. I couldn't believe that BB picked up on this!
BB liked his special pajamas, colored briefly as the anesthesiologist and then the doctor stopped by, and then went willingly with the OR nurse through the door to "find the animals on the wall". He was in there just over an hour before the doctor came out and said everything went very well. I waited about 10-15 more minutes before they brought me back to the recovery room. That's when the fun started!
Because he needed to not touch his eye, they had put splints on his arms to prevent the elbows from bending. He DID NOT LIKE them. He was already starting to fuss as I walked in, and eventually it took two nurses plus me to control him as they gave him two more doses of medicine into his IV. In the meantime, he had wiped his eye on my arm, on the sheet, and had one splint part way off.
Eventually he calmed back down and we were able to take off the splints, let him drink and eat a popsicle, and finally get dressed. In the meantime, the doctor had come into recovery following his next surgery. Luckily, he checked on BB and said all still looked really good. We put the splints back on his arms to go out the door for the ride home. Two bags of goldfish were a good enough bribe!
My little escape artist managed to get both splints loose enough that he could move and bend his arms by the time we were part way home. Thankfully, by then he understood that if he rubbed his eye, it would hurt more instead of less. He did fine once home and the splints came off for good. Actually, he did incredibly well the rest of the day.
I haven't let BB see his face in the mirror. As Buddy put it, "It looks scary." I'm hoping it looks a lot better by tomorrow. We drive across town to check in with the doctor in the morning.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
One Year and Baptized
Precious is now a year old. She was baptized the day before her first birthday. What a miracle! That almost never happens in an adoption from foster care. We are so blessed.
At her one year old checkup, she weighed 23 pounds. I've upgraded her clothes to 18 months size. She is cruising around holding onto furniture or her push toy. She also crawls faster than you can believe. Where'd she go?
Precious has a few words. Her first one was "Hi". Amazingly that was BB's first word too! She has said "Ma Ma Ma" and today's word was "Tasha" over and over from her high chair this morning as she taunted her with food! She has repeated/mimicked a few other words as well. Unfortunately, she has picked up BB's screaming ability, although hers are more likely to be joyful, at least for now.
I think she is done with baby food. She almost refuses to be fed, wanting to feed herself instead. Often she takes food off a fork and puts it in her mouth. Most of the time she is not picky at all. Today she did allow me to feed her some French onion soup!
Precious is such a joy! Her cute curls and smile can win over any heart. We are thrilled she is part of our family.
At her one year old checkup, she weighed 23 pounds. I've upgraded her clothes to 18 months size. She is cruising around holding onto furniture or her push toy. She also crawls faster than you can believe. Where'd she go?
Precious has a few words. Her first one was "Hi". Amazingly that was BB's first word too! She has said "Ma Ma Ma" and today's word was "Tasha" over and over from her high chair this morning as she taunted her with food! She has repeated/mimicked a few other words as well. Unfortunately, she has picked up BB's screaming ability, although hers are more likely to be joyful, at least for now.
I think she is done with baby food. She almost refuses to be fed, wanting to feed herself instead. Often she takes food off a fork and puts it in her mouth. Most of the time she is not picky at all. Today she did allow me to feed her some French onion soup!
Precious is such a joy! Her cute curls and smile can win over any heart. We are thrilled she is part of our family.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Meet Tasha
Tasha is doing great. She has been with us almost a month. She loves the kids and puts up with a lot from BB. Precious pets her gently; she also likes to feed her from the highchair. Tasha is well-trained, but we are still figuring it out. She is also housebroken but had several accidents the first week as we tried to read her cues and she got over being sick. The older three can take her for a walk easily. Buddy and Sweets love to take her to the park and run around. Tasha is a fantastic family dog. Now I just need to remember not to leave food out on the counter!I'm so glad I can finally upload pictures again! Things have been crazy around here, and I've been a bit overwhelmed. Hopefully I can get some catch up posts written soon.
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