Q&A

Stacey G. said... Hello, I love your blog and your children are gorgeous! I know I have talked to you once before... I was wondering how you make a button for my site. I don't have a blogger but I have a family webpage and would love a button. Can you tell me how to make on or how much do you charge to make one.. Thanks sooooooooooo much..
Hey there, sorry I didn't e-mail you!  I'm bad about transferring blog to e-mail.  But here's the general way to do it- make a square or otherwise shaped image using either photoshop or lately I've used picnik.com to make one.  I end up scaling them down to a width of 160 pixels, but I always make them bigger so when they're sized down they still have good resolution.  Then, after you make an image, then you post a blog post that has the 'title' you want the blog hosting the code to say  (such as 'grab our button').  Then you copy the direct link to that post (click on the post title after publishing).  Use a site like photobucket.com to host your button image.  Copy the "direct link" or "img" code for that.

Then... using those two codes, along with the site you want the link to GO to (such as your main blog site) you plug them in to a code- which I can't figure out how to post here so if you want the code then e-mail me :)  mkp1982@hotmail.com!

See the post below if you can't make it yourself...

Charlotte said... Can you tell me if you make those buttons for a fee ? I need a button made for my adoption blog.
Ok, so, see the post above about the e-mail, SORRY!  I will try to e-mail people that request it, it's just been busy lately!!  I don't charge for buttons for adoptive families.   Unfortunately, it's taking me quite a while to make them at the moment with other things I have going on, so I don't make them as often now.  I suggest you try Amanda Jones as she makes them for a small fee as an adoption fundraiser for her own adoption :)  But the directions to make one yourself are above and I have a generic code that I don't mind giving out.  You'll have to do the legwork tho :)

The Peterson's said... how do I get more information on the waiting children on your web site? We have two boys adopted in 2003 from Russia and a girl adopted from Ukraine 2008. Thank you Chanda
Hi Chanda!  All the waiting children on the upper corner of my screen are those featured through the Reece's Rainbow Angel Tree project done each Christmas season.  If you'd like to find out more about these children visit the RR website at www.ReecesRainbow.org or you can e-mail me at mkp1982@hotmail.com if you have specific questions!  I love talking to prospective adoptive parents so drop me a line!  And congrats on your children already home :)

 Susan said... Another Reece's Rainbow child needs our help, too. Little Marina, in Ukraine, is now in imminent danger of being sent away to the institution. Marina was my "Christmas child", and has a fair-sized grant to help adoptive parents with costs.
Marina turned four in December. She is very healthy, and quite high-functioning: walking, feeding herself, attempting to dress herself, etc. Marina is a happy and pretty child, well-cared for at the baby house (she's actually a little chubby!), and has big brown eyes and wavy brown hair. She has so much potential, in a loving home.
We all know what future awaits Marina if she is not adopted. So please, look at Marina's picture and information, and act right away if you could consider being her Forever Family. .
I am single and overage by Ukrainian standards, so all I can do is pray and advocate for Marina and help potential adoptive parents for her...if you are also unable to adopt, I ask that you join me in prayers for Marina, that she will be found by her family soon - thank you.
Thanks, Meredith, for letting me "borrow" your blog to help get the word out for Marina. I don't have my own blog, so hope that your many readers will both understand and be moved by Marina's plight...
Susan in Ky
Cousin to Two from Ukraine
Thanks Susan.  There are so many that need their stories told... only so many ever make it out there... Thank you for sharing about little Marina!

JennyH said... That is SO sad. At least now they are no longer alone. Did they have families waiting for them?
These two specific children did not currently have families coming for them.  Others in the past that have gone Home have... There have been families that have tried to pursue their adoptions and have had to stop due to new laws in the children's country (age and marriage laws) or for financial reasons.  It is a very sad reality :(  I'm so glad they've gone Home though!

Charissa said... You have to admit. Poop in the tub is better than poop dripping down the high chair at a restaurant. Am I right?
Oh, you are ABSOLUTELY right... thanks for the reminder :)

Jenna said... I wonder if the warm water relaxing her muscles has anything to do with it? Just a thought.
Oh, I bet you're right.  Mike even said last night that when she was having a hard time going potty we should just put her in the tub to relax.  Ah... but that's not so good.  I don't want to TEACH her to poo in the tub! :)

June Berger said... Jonathan has done it a couple times. I know this may sound strange, but could she sit in her own little tub/bin IN the tub with the others? Then if/when she poops, only she has to get out and it's less mess and not as difficult with the other kids? You could then just dump that tub and water down the toilet with the offending poop! I think of this because Jonathan has a small rubber duck tubby that we use in the tub to limit his excursions in the tub unless it's a "play" bath. It's a lot easier to clean him when he doesn't have as far to go, lol. We also use a big tote, with high sides, at our cottage for Jonathan and any other littler kid to take a bath in, since we only have a shower there. We either sit the tub in the kitchen or in the shower stall itself. Just a thought. Yes, there is nothing quite like a floater in the tub...ugh!
Oh, we have the duck tub too!  But Brianna is my little social one and wouldn't do to stay in her own compartment of the tub... but thank you for the idea!  I think we might have to stick to 30 minutes on the toilet before tub time next time LOL

Laura said... OK 9 kids and 3 that were "tub poopers" I don't think it's ever easy or fun!!!
I'm pregnant with #10 and now from this post it makes me think...should I be praying for a non-tub pooper? I mean really I start praying day one for this baby's health, sleep habits, why not poops?! OK just a thought!
Congratulations, on the baby!!! I just love you kiddos/family!
Ok, first off, my hat off to you that you are now pregnant and have 9 to take care of.  I thought it was so much harder this time with 4 to care for than it was my last pregnancy with just an 18 month old to chase!  But yes, you're right, non-tub pooper would be a great thing to add to the prayer list!

Stacy said... I truly remember the feeling...I had four under four when my twins were born. You'll have my thoughts and prayers over the next few weeks. This too shall pass and one day you'll look back....ok dont need to really finish that now...LOL
(((HUGS)))
Why is it I never realized how close together your children are??  WOW!  Ok, so all along anytime someone's said "wow, what if it's twins" I've said "no worry, I'm pretty sure God doesn't have that much faith in me!" but you... Ah... He not only had a lot of faith in you but since your twins are 47 blessed... well, wow :)  Thanks for that perspective!! (and yes, we're sure it's not twins LOL)

Kristen said... Very cute! I love the flip flops in the header!!!
Lu made that for me!!  Isn't it adorable?  I just redid the background but the header is still up from her redo for me :)  Thanks Lu!

Amy said... Haha... I love how at the beginning of this post you threw 'rearrange furniture' into that list! So I'm glad I'm not the only one who considers rearranging furniture a productive day! :)
Oh, yes, I feel accomplished if I can move furniture.  Actually, it's usually part of cleaning around here because once the couch has moved to be cleaned under, it better be in its new home because I'm not moving it back :)  But I do love to rearrange furniture and get a new 'fresh' look in the house! 

Leah said... Ok, from a dog person. That's 2 poop issues you've mentioned in about 2 weeks or so. Time to put the dog in the crate during the night! Unless he's sick, which, even if he's in the crate, the mess will be contained to one known area.
Yes, yes, the dog is crate trained... and the crate is waiting for her... it's the husband that's not crate trained! LOL  He felt bad that the dog was a bit bigger and the crate still the same size and didn't want to crate her.  After that night, though, I called my inlaws to ask if they still have the crate we gave them from our other dog.  They do, and their dogs are smaller.  We've now swapped and the dog is in the crate at night.  WHEW.

Julie said... Glad things are going so well!
Just a little side note I always tell - we had a fetal echo with Jack which showed a perfect heart. This was done in a perinatal center that had done thousands of them. A few months later, Jack had open heart surgery! Not that all echos will be wrong - I just don't want anyone to think these tests are perfect.
I'm sure your little jellybean is perfect however!
Yes, this is a good point!  A friend of mine had a fetal echo that showed a perfect heart and several level 2 ultrasounds... baby was born with an AV Canal!  So we are well aware that it's not foolproof, but we also know that if there is an obvious defect of the heart then the baby will be born where more infant support can be given rather than our local hospital.  I don't think there are likely any issues with this baby, and I honestly would be fine with zero testing, but for the sake of our OB's sanity as well as just the light of preparedness I don't mind doing the extra testing.

Stephanie said... I have a question for you. I'm so heartbroken tonight...I just noticed that a little boy on RR that I have been praying for was transferred to an institution. How do you protect your heart? How do you keep going when the job seems so enourmous?
Hmm... I don't even know.  I cry about every little thing that happens, when kids are transferred, when they pass away, when they lose their families... I sometimes post things on here, sometimes only privately or I talk with people about it, but it is always hard.  It's so hard to not get connected- but honestly, I hope I never lose that connection because THAT is what keeps me going wanting to help bring these kids home...

Lou said... I am having trouble getting my almost-3-year-old son off the bottle and he doesn't have Ds... Walmart carries Nuby sippy cups that have lids that feel almost the same as bottles, they are soft instead of stiff. That might be something to try to start with? I think you could even enlarge the holes for thickened drinks. They do not have those valves.
Thanks for the great suggestions for sippies!  We have several to try but no success yet... I appreciate all the suggestions!  I will try this nuby one, I think I may even have one already to use...