One more time....

Thanks Trish! THIS should work for you if you're not in the US... I think!




And wow, you all replied from Austrailia, Italy, Israel, Hungary, Ukraine, England, and Sweden within 12 hours. I guess I should try to include better international links? :D Enjoy! (or... not LOL)

If you're not in the US

Can you see the clip here??

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/pampers/981315/

From Mike

We're about to have FOUR in diapers, and not only that, one is in "overnights" all the time, one needs Pull-ups because she's getting CLOSE to potty trained, one just pees a lot but thankfully can use Sams brand diapers... and the fourth will be in newborn diapers. YIKES!!

So, here's Mike's suggestion to cut down on cost. After all, diapers and food are the top things consumed at this house!

Freely give, quietly

"... Freely you have received, freely give." -Matthew 10:8

"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full." - Matthew 6:2

Even (especially) when it means no one recognizes your giving.
Even (especially) when you haven't been told 'thanks'.
Even (especially) when you don't really want to.
Even (especially) when you have been doing it a long time.
Even (especially) when no one shows appreciation.
Even (especially) when it furthers God's Kingdom and satan wants a word with you about it.

Last night

I went to bed to lay down 'for a bit' at 6:30. I woke up once because, let's face it, you can't sleep more than 2 hours without going to the bathroom at 8+ mos pregnant :) Then at 10:20 I heard Mike come in. Oops... Guess I needed the sleep! He was getting ready for bed, doing things, whatever, he started the dryer and I got up to make it so it wouldn't buzz and keep tumbling all night long, turned off the fan in the room we were no longer in... all those good things... and I finally fell back asleep sometime after 11 I think. Then at 3 I woke up... to go to the bathroom. Then the baby monitor started acting up. Another hour I was awake due to this and that which needed attention at 3:30 in the morning. 5:50 Micah was awake. Emma was playing with the blinds in her room. Brianna saw me and shouted "Mommy!!" as I left there with Micah under one arm to put him in the playpen so maybe Emma would go back to sleep. I gave her some books to play with anyway and Bria was quiet.

By 6:15 K was up, E was talking, M was jabbering with K because they were both in the living room now, and B started banging the bunk bed ladder. Guess there's no sleeping until a decent hour today.

So technically it was 11 1/2 hours between when I went to bed and when the kids started getting up. Except I only got 9 hours of sleep. Not a bad amount of sleep, and definitely much more than I usually get. But there's no way I can just go to bed at 6:30 every night in order to get enough sleep!! After all... the kids don't even go to bed until 7 or 7:30!

And, can anyone tell me why it is that when the kids go to bed at 7:30 they get up at 7:30. Kristopher went to bed at 8 and would get up at 7 or 7:30. But when they go to bed at 7... they get up at 6:15??? I don't see how this works. If they can't get up earlier than 7:30 when they go to bed at 7:30... why is it that 30 min earlier bedtime makes over an HOUR earlier in wake time??? (especially on Saturday... they haven't been up that early the rest of the week!)

Brianna was dry!

Her teacher says she was dry ALL DAY!

So, my thought was... I guess she needs to be drinking more :)

But they said she went on the toilet three times when they took her! So she is going. YAY!

I've known for quite some time she is ABLE to be toilet trained, but she only tells me once every few weeks that she needs to go, so I haven't pushed for toilet training. I can't put her on the toilet every 90 minutes all day long like they can at school. But hey, if she's doing it at school and will stay dry 3 days a week there, surely that will help transfer to home as well :) She's great about going if I put her on the toilet. I just want HER to be trained, not ME :)

Either way, yay for my big girl and a dry school day!

Pictures!

Kristopher's first day of school was today and he was really excited :)  Brianna and Emma also went (Brianna's 3rd day but only 2nd full day because of a dr's appt yesterday).  Micah and I hung out this morning and had lunch with Mike and now he's in his bed talking instead of sleeping.  I think he's going to be a grouch again tonight... yikes!

And... some photos from the kids' first days of school!

(ok, ok, this was her 2nd day of school... I did take pic's after school the first day but she'd gotten her shirt wet and was wearing her 'spare' and was TIRED after 6 hrs of school... but her first day really was 8-11... :) )

I also got an appointment for Micah's IEP!  Tues, the 25th we'll do his IEP and he'll start school either the next day or the following Tuesday (not sure).  But this will give him at least 3 days of school (T, W, R) before the week the baby is supposed to be here.  VERY glad to know he's not going to be trying to start school after she's born... that adjustment would probably be difficult for him!  They are also going to staff him in to the same classroom that Brianna is in now which is great :)  (their idea even,  ;) ). 

Off to pick up the three big kids at school in just a minute.  I don't look forward to waking up grouchy (he did fall asleep just a minute ago) but... oh well!

Not so sure about this one...

I got an email from Spirit Airlines. I'm on their mailing list for deals and such from a while back when I was trying to find cheap flights for something. Now, just the name "Spirit Airlines" kindof makes you think... celestial... Godly... Christian... at least it does me. I know that's not necessarily the case, but I was definitely caught by surprise to see an email with this subject line in my inbox today:

We're No Virgin! We've Been Cheap & Easy For Years. From $9* Each Way.‏

Hmm...

Yes, it was good!

Sorry for no update yesterday, and no pic yet today. I am exhausted! Yesterday was E's first day, dropped her at school then Mike back at the church, came home, made the playroom presentable and didn't even have that quite done when Micah's evaluator got there. 9-10:30 we worked on the eval with a very WIGGLY kid that didn't want to participate, a 5 yr old that thought he should be 'helpful' with Micah and a 3 yr old that was clingy because there were people she doesn't really know at the house. With 3 kids on my lap (plus the baby! LOL) sitting on the floor for 90 minutes... well, I got a workout!! I swear my kids are never that NEEDY when we don't have company! LOL

Then I fed the kids, put M down for a nap and K and B got a movie going and I set a timer for an hour and laid down on the couch. I was so tired! Then for pick-up, Emma did good at school tho she looked surprised to see me and like she didn't expect me to come get her at the end of the day. I know after a few days she'll get used to the routine and know I'm always coming back :)

I got to bed late after getting everything ready for Brianna's first day today... and then being up at 6am was a bit difficult.

Brianna's first day is today and I forgot to take pic's so I'll have to get one this afternoon... oops! I dropped her and Emma at school, killed 30 min of time then brought K back for kindy testing. Sat in the library for an hour while he went with his teacher. Then I came home and got Micah from my mom and went to Wal-Mart to grab a few things, back home- lunch, and the boys are having rest time. Time for me to rest too! Setting a timer... I have an hour :) More later if I find time!! (and pic's from the girls' first days of school!) K starts Thursday, no news yet on Micah's IEP.

Emma's at school

Yep, she really is. Her first day away from us and with someone she doesn't know. Her first day of going to PE, having lunch in a cafeteria, and traversing the halls of an unfamiliar place being pushed by an unfamiliar person with all kinds of other unfamiliar people around. Think she'll react to it like she does hospitals? It's the only thing I can equate to the concrete hallways and white walls.

8-2:15... I know she'll be ok... but I am definitely anxious to know how her day is going!!

The busy weekend

I will post pictures SOON! I know I've been slacking there. This is the first week of school for Emma (Monday), Brianna (Tuesday), and Kristopher (Thursday)! Micah also has his transition eval on Monday and Kristopher has Kindy 'testing' on Tuesday. So it promises to be an eventful week filled with lots of firsts as well. And hopefully I'll remember the camera for each of those!

Please join me in praying that the timing for Micah to start school and his teacher will all be the best situation they can be for Micah. We were supposed to have all his testing and IEP done over the summer so he could start school on Tuesday, but that didn't happen. They didn't schedule testing until tomorrow. So I have no timeline for when he will start, except it must be at least by 9/10... his third birthday. Unfortunately, Mike and I both feel like this would be really bad timing as we don't want him to feel 'pushed out' by the new baby arriving on the 9th. Not to mention that I will be in the hospital for 3 days at that point and unable to drive for a month after. Not exactly the time you want your child to start school for the first time EVER.

We also don't know which class he will be in since there are 2 prek classes. We have requested he be in with Brianna as we know they will both be ok being together and also are very happy with the teacher and aide in that room (and they've met Micah and done a little 'bonding' as well) but also because it would really make life easier on us to have both kids on the same routine, same requirements, same projects, etc. for 2 years. Once they hit 'regular' school (Kindy), they will be a year apart. Micah will have a 3rd year of prek before going to Kindy, so they won't be in the same class together after that. It's all in God's hands, and we are praying for our own ability to simply accept whatever is decided by the team (yes, of course including US!).

I don't know Kristopher's teacher (I don't think) and will meet her for the first time for his testing on Tuesday. I believe she is the ONLY Kindy teacher at that school that I don't know, which was a bit ironic that he was put in there since I really like all the teachers I do know... but again we're just trusting that this will be a great year for him and that she and he will have personalities that 'match up' well and it will be a good year!

And lastly... Emma's teacher, I believe I posted earlier, will be out for at least the first 6 weeks of school. As of Thursday they still didn't have a named Substitute for the class. They're also working on hiring a short term contract teacher-- but haven't even posted the available spot yet. So we will be bringing Emma in the morning to a substitute teacher her first day ever of school. YIKES! I would be pretty much panicked right now if it wasn't for her WONDERFUL 1:1 aide who we've met twice and the classroom aide that I met on Thursday. I know the classroom will be well-handled with those two ladies and I'm MUCH more relaxed about sending Emma since I know her aide is well-versed in her 'quirks'. That said, I still am sending a 1-subject notebook which has our contact info on the inside cover and the first page says "Please help keep me safe" and lists out the areas of safety concern for her. The next few pages describe her 'equipment' (wheelchair, braces, etc), her history in brief, and what we are currently working to encourage/discourage her from doing (mostly in mannerisms, but some in actual 'goals').

I have similar notebooks made up for Brianna and Micah as well and hope that these will be their 'traveling' notebook that goes to their therapies with them so the OT/PT, and ST can jot down a quick summary of what they worked on and what we can focus on that week too. Hopefully...

Yesterday I spent the day clearing out the kitchen cabinets. I now have a shelf for school-lunch containers, a pantry with no expired foods in it (LOL, yes, seriously!), and the upper portion of the pantry has 'stored' dry goods that I've bought to refill the pantry stash in the next few weeks/months. Today we went to Sam's- just Mike and I, Kristopher and Mike's mom (his dad kept the other kids) and we DID find some good deals on food :) There's a new store just 15-20 min from us, so I didn't buy anything that I wasn't SURE I was paying less for-- and that we didn't NEED. I have already bought other things on buy one get one or other sales and if I had a small stash of something I just wrote down the item and price and when I need it again we'll consider going back for those items.

Thanks for the comments about Sam's pricing, and which things to look for good prices on! As I shopped I realized that several of the things that we buy that we don't really think about as being 'name brand' certainly are. Like... goldfish (which Brianna LOVES), Fiber One bars (another staple for Brianna), Carnation instant breakfast (Mike drinks these), and a few other things. So we picked up those items along with frozen chicken breasts, chicken nuggets, and a lot of fruits and veggies to be made in to... BABY FOOD.

Yes, I'm at it again. I can't continue spending about $25/week on baby food. It just isn't gonna work! :) But this time, since the baby's so close to coming, I'm making about 2 months' supply and freezing a lot of it in 3 oz containers. When they're frozen I'll toss them all into baggies according to their type and label. Then I can grab out 2 'cubes' for each meal for a week at the beginning of each week and stick them in the refrigerator for them to defrost. I HOPE to do at least 2 months worth before the baby is born (maybe more??) so that we don't have to go back to jars too quickly. I know that having the kids in school will make this a little more doable for me too.

Tonight I got out the large container of yogurt and a honeydew and a watermelon and filled small lunch-box containers with small servings of fruit or yogurt to go with kids in lunchboxes this week. Then I made babyfood containers out of the rest of the watermelon and the honeydew (after Mike helped himself to a large serving of watermelon of course! :) ).

Now to find out what it's like to drop your non-verbal child off at school with strangers for 6+ hours. I know it will be ok. But I still don't like that it could-not be.

Hmm...

I got online at Samsclub.com and looked around a bit. They asked for me to choose a store to browse, I did. So I'm guessing that the products I see are the ones at the store... That would make sense, right? But now I have to wonder- is this the FULL inventory? Because I generally buy store-brand items, and so far I've found only 1 or 2 things that by buying in bulk I will actually save more than I do just buying the store brand at Wal-Mart. I don't see ANY store-brand items at Sams... so maybe that's the catch? I don't exactly want to spend $500 on groceries just so I don't have to shop as often. I'd rather do my weekly shopping and get just what I need at a time for the same price.

Even diapers and such, I buy Luvs and Huggies Overnights (Emma)... and neither of these are online for that store, and they're cheaper for me to buy at Wal-Mart than the other brands at Sams. Hmm... maybe I won't be making a trip to Sams this weekend after all? Or I could go and just pick up the 3 or 4 things that made any difference in price, but it doesn't seem worth the drive!

How about that?

On my to-do's from yesterday I get to mark some off!

On the to-do list now before Monday:

1. make ASL packets for each of the kids that sign that has the words they use/understand and how to sign them
2. make "please help keep me safe" pages for E and M addressing concerns with eating/personal safety (choking, aspirating, scratching, etc.)
3. make an "I'm learning to..." page for Emma that says what things we've specifically been working on this summer to gain independence as well as what things we're DISCOURAGING so they can help with that (fingers to the back of the throat, hyperextending, etc.)
4. get the supplies for Emma's class that were requested
5. re-hang my 7-day clothes sorter and set up the first week of school-clothes in there (that was a GOD-SEND last year, but summertime is lazy and I took them down because I wasn't using them much)
6. put together the diapering supplies for each of the 3 kids with their 1st day classroom 'stuff' (I think I might need suitcases to pull this off... maybe it's a good thing they all start school on different days??)
7. go through my regular grocery receipts and write out how much I pay for them so when we go to Sam's Club on Sunday we don't spend MORE per item than we usually do at Wal-Mart!

And a few that weren't on the list....


8. Assemble baby swing and make sure all the pieces are there and it works before the 30 day return period is over.
9. Wash the baby's clothes and figure out if we still need anything for the baby.
10. Make an appointment for Micah's 3 yr checkup and Emma to get her next round of shots, including TB tests for both of them.


Yes, I just added things to the list and crossed them out. I'm that weird :)

Whew, it's done!

Today I had plans... they didn't go as I intended, but it was so much better!

I was going to get out the door around 10:30 and take ALL the kids with me to the lab to get Brianna's blood draw done. Then at 11:30 or after I was invited to come meet the pre-k teacher that will have at least Brianna, and possibly (hopefully) Micah as well. 10:30 came and I was putting together lunches for everyone, realizing they would be hungry and not wanting to spend the money on drive-through when I could make lunches. 11:10 I pulled out of the driveway with 4 kids including shoes and a diaper bag, drinks, and lunches...

Then my Mom called and said she'd meet me for the blood draw and keep the 3 while I brought Brianna in. One problem, it would be 11:30 by the time I got there and they close at 12 for lunch. Not so good. So we decided we'd also be getting to the school around 11:30, and to just go there first.

I was expecting maybe 20 minutes of 'here's the classroom' and a few questions answered for me, and we'd be on our way. But no... it wasn't to be. Instead, the teacher and aide in the prek class were so welcoming and got out some toys and we sat and the kids played and we talked about the two little ones, expectations, drop off/pick up, etc. It was great! During that time the Ex Ed coordinator (I really don't know her title, LOL, but that's what she's helping us with so I guess that works) came by and said that the 2 aides were in Emma's class as well, to head over there when we had a chance.

These two classes are connected in a 'pod'... so three of the kids are all within a shout of one another :)

Emma's teacher isn't going to be in for at least the first 6 weeks of school (I learned this last week) because she broke her back. Seriously. OW. Thank God it's not any worse than it is because she could have ended up paralyzed but wow, how painful! Please pray for her quick healing and pain management! So, Emma's class has 5 kids in it and she has a 1:1 aide. I also met the classroom aide and we were all able to talk through some of the safety stuff with Emma. The Ex Ed coordinator was there too, so she set-up our pick up and drop off for us with the principal and came back and said that it was all set up! Since our kids are in 3 different programs ("assisted level" classroom (E), Prek (M &B), and Kindy (K)), they all have different 'regular' pick up and drop off and this way all 4 kids will be in ONE place for pick-up. And for the time being I'll be walking them in to their classrooms for drop-off (which I prefer for now at least).

My mom helped wrestle Micah (he's the one that wants to explore and doesn't listen LOL) and I was able to talk with all the aides and teacher and feel MUCH better about sending the kids to school next week!! I also was able to get a general idea of Emma's class-supply list (I hadn't seen one yet) and know about who they want diapers for, who they want to have a backpack or a nap mat, etc... I am SO GLAD I went, and that everyone was there! We spent not 30 min/hour there... but an hour and a half! Yikes! I hate to take that much of the teachers' time, but I feel very good about the first week of school now and not like I'll be wandering around and trying to get things figured out and set-up for the kids after the chaos of the first week of school has already begun.

On the to-do list now before Monday:

1. make ASL packets for each of the kids that sign that has the words they use/understand and how to sign them
2. make "please help keep me safe" pages for E and M addressing concerns with eating/personal safety (choking, aspirating, scratching, etc.)
3. make an "I'm learning to..." page for Emma that says what things we've specifically been working on this summer to gain independence as well as what things we're DISCOURAGING so they can help with that (fingers to the back of the throat, hyperextending, etc.)
4. get the supplies for Emma's class that were requested
5. re-hang my 7-day clothes sorter and set up the first week of school-clothes in there (that was a GOD-SEND last year, but summertime is lazy and I took them down because I wasn't using them much)
6. put together the diapering supplies for each of the 3 kids with their 1st day classroom 'stuff' (I think I might need suitcases to pull this off... maybe it's a good thing they all start school on different days??)
7. go through my regular grocery receipts and write out how much I pay for them so when we go to Sam's Club on Sunday we don't spend MORE per item than we usually do at Wal-Mart!

I can't believe that not just ONE, but all FOUR kids are starting school. Kristopher was in prek last year at the private school, and Brianna was in K-3 for a half-year last year, but this is the first time any of the kids have gone full days (and ALL of them are) and the first time K has gone 5 days (and E will be too), their first experience in public school at all (tho I do love this school!) and Micah and Emma's very first experience in ANY classroom! WOW.

Ok, off to get dinner on. I'm not loving the single-parenting kick we've been on the last 2 weeks Mike's had conferences and weekend retreats and late meetings and all kinds of things, including a conference tonight and tomorrow so he'll be home after the kids are in bed. But... he has no class this coming Monday, and next week only a SHORT class, and he's DONE! FINISHED! He'll have an official graduation ceremony in December some time. YAY!

In the next few weeks...

4 (different) first days of school
1 cardiology appointment
1 endocrinologist appointment
1 GI appointment
1 blood draw
2 evaluations (Kristopher- Kindy testing and Micah transition Eval)
1 IEP
2 possible IEP updates
2 OB appointments
1 birthday party
1 birth :)
2 days off school for all the kids
1 month of no driving for me

Wow... it's gonna be a busy month!

What a difference a Year can make!

Last year on August 3rd we spent the evening sitting in the Ronald McDonald House hugging on Emma, praying, talking about the day(s) to come... unsure of what God's plan for us was... or for Emma.

At 11pm, just before going to bed, I wrote this post. We gave our daughter back to God that night, not knowing whether that would be the last time that we saw her smile, snuggled with her, and held her close as she fell asleep. The next morning she went in for her open heart surgery. At 5 1/2 years old, around 22 lbs, with severe pulmonary hypertension and two holes each the size of a dime in her heart- in addition to just one large valve that had to be separated and reformed into two... her chances were not good. In fact, we had some 'convincing' to do to even have her heart repaired because Emma would likely not live more than just a few months without it-- it was her only hope.

And that's just why she was given the name she was... Emma Hope-- Emma means "whole".

Here is the post I made that night:

Father,
Tonight as we look into our daughter's eyes we see love, hope, and assurance. We see joy, excitement, and still... a tired body. We trust you have a great and glorious plan for the future of each of your children, as it says and we've claimed many times before in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, Says the Lord, Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you HOPE and a future." You are going to work tomorrow, and we know that even tonight your hand is upon Emma, Dr. Q, each nurse, anesthesiologist, and any other person that will impact her tomorrow. Most of all, though, we commit her to you. We know your ways are the ones that are best- and we know that no matter the outcome of Emma's surgery tomorrow, You will be glorified and Your will in our lives and hers will be accomplished. Help us to be strong, to trust in you, to accept your answers when they're given, and to see Your work in everything tomorrow. Help us to be a testimony of Your love and grace-- not a blind and faithless walk-- but one that exemplifies You in all that we do. We're scared, and we don't know what Your plans are for Emma or for our family. But we do trust that You are in control and you know the number of each of our days. Father, we dedicate Emma to you. You've given her to us for a time, and though we hope and pray that she will be ours for many years more, we thank you for each day you've given us with her and we accept whatever you bring to us tomorrow.
In the name of Jesus, your Son who died and conquered the grave so that we could live and have a relationship with you, Amen.
--Michael and Meredith Cornish



God gave us our miracle the next day. He healed Emma's heart through the work of the surgeon. Even the doctor said it was unexplainable that she did so well. There was NO explanation except that God had His hand on her and His plans are not always under the governing of Earth's laws.

We are so blessed to celebrate Emma, a year later, as she sits up strong, pulls herself to standing, cruises along furniture, drinks from a straw, eats solid foods, and her personality has developed to where she loves to dance, to be held, and to play with her doll. What a wonderful God we serve! He is the Miracle Worker!!

I also want to thank all of you who lifted Emma up before the Throne. Your prayers are priceless, and so many that continue to pray for us, for Emma, and for all of our children-- we are forever grateful!

I wanted to send this out not just to thank those of you that supported us through this time, and to share with those that weren't yet around, but also to hopefully encourage anyone that's not quite sure of what difference you can have on a child's life. I assure you, with God the possibilities are endless. We didn't set out for the journey we're on... but God has used our willing spirits and able bodies to do more than we could have ever imagined in the lives of two little ones from Ukraine, and in our family and our hearts as well. He will use you, too, whether it be through adoption, prayer, or giving (after all- we wouldn't have either of our adopted children if it wasn't for the prayers of so many and the financial gifts of many others!).

Give each of your kids a big hug and kiss tonight! Thank God for the gift their life is! And remember that He's not done using you for His Kingdom :) I can't wait to see what testimony He may have for us at next year's 2 year heart anniversary!

Doctor update, 34 weeks :)

This morning's doctor visit went well. I brought Brianna along and she charmed everyone :) Last week Kristopher went with me and had a good time too. They each got to see the doctor measure my belly and then hear the heartbeat. Both were REALLY good! Brianna did exceptionally well since she's often shy with strangers- but not today! She walked everywhere, followed directions, was intrigued by what the doctor was doing, said hi and bye to everyone, even asked to be weighed too :) She did great! I hope that next week I'll be able to give my doctor some cards with my contact info so in the future if he has parents w/ a prenatal dx they might be able to contact me for info about 'real life' with Ds... not just what the books and doctors say. Our perinatologist already has some, as does the Women's Center at the hospital south of us.

I know that when we first received the diagnosis for Brianna it was really great to see other families with children with Ds, and to see just now normal their lives were together as a family. I had never really seen babies or toddlers w/ Ds, just older kids, so that was neat as well.

Anyway... doctor's visit went well. Baby had ADEQUATE GROWTH! YAY! LOL... Still on the small side, but enough growth in the past 2 weeks so there's no concerns about the baby. Good news! Next week I'll get the orders for another hemoglobin check. Just 2 more visits before we meet baby :) 5 weeks... now we just need a NAME! :D

English-Russian-English

Friends of ours are coming over tonight for supper before they leave TOMORROW to go get their son! Ironically, they found this little guy online and committed to his adoption without realizing that he is a child that I have MET and resides at the same orphanage that Emma and Micah lived in! In fact, he was our second 'intended' child with Emma, but his paperwork wasn't ready so we got a blind referral instead. When I received their application to begin working with them through their adoption process we realized that not only are they very close by, but I have known their two sons for several years since they participated in the children's ministry when I was doing that. So, God is bringing their little one home to our town after all!

I wrote this letter for them to bring to the director of the orphanage, and included some photos... I put the letter through google-translate to change it to Russian, then did the Russian back to English to see if there's anything that really translated WRONG... It's kind of funny to read the 2nd English translation, but I think most of the ideas got across and that is the idea! :)

Hello!

We have been home with Emma (Daria) and Micah (Daniil) for almost 18 months now and they are growing and changing all the time!

Emma is now pulling herself up to standing and just learned to walk along furniture when she holds on. She’s going to start Kindergarten in just a few days and has a great teacher. Emma is happy, loves to be held, gives great hugs and especially loves to play in the bath tub or the swimming pool. She has a new bed that her grandfather adapted to keep her safe at night. Emma is 6 ½ now and weighs 31.5 pounds (14.3 kg) and is 37.5 inches tall (95 cm). Emma is starting to communicate more and is trying to use some sign language. She likes to play with her brothers and sister. Emma has three therapies each week to work on language, muscle growth, and using her hands (fine motor). She is learning to eat with a fork, how to walk along things, and how to use sign language.

Micah is going to be three years old in September and he weighs 26 pounds (11.8 kg) and is 34 inches tall (86 cm). Micah is walking! He is also using sign language and is such a happy boy, always smiling. He will start a preschool class in a few days and will be in the same class with his sister, Brianna. Micah has three therapies each week as well. He is learning to stack blocks and sort things, how to speak and use sign language, how to eat using a spoon and drink with a straw, and how to climb and get better balance. Micah loves water as well and has no fear in the pool!

Our other two children, Kristopher and Brianna, are doing great as well. They love their siblings! Kristopher will also be in Kindergarten and Brianna in preschool, and all 4 kids will be at the same school.

Our family is also about to grow by one- we are expecting another baby that is due the day before Micah’s 3^rd birthday. 09 September, 2009. We will send word to Melissa and Mark if they are still in K when the baby is born. This baby is believed to be a healthy baby girl. We are so blessed to have each of our children!

We are glad to have friends that have traveled and to see so many of the children that I met while adopting our children come home! Darina (Mary), Dennis, Alosha (Aleksey), and now "S"! We hope that the family for "E" will be traveling very soon, and may have found a family for the four "K" children as well! We are excited to see all the children that have been raised at (the baby house) find families.

Thank you so much for the love and care you give to the children at (the baby house). So many families have been blessed by this facility as they have brought their children home! We still stay in touch with the K family and the F family and have seen the F once since coming home.

Maybe one day we will be back to visit! I hope to travel again to Ukraine- but maybe this time in the Spring or fall and not the coldest part of winter!

May the staff and children of Antoshka be blessed abundantly by God!

Michael and Meredith Cornish

Emma, Kristopher, Brianna, and Micah Cornish

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Здравствуйте!

Мы были дома с Эмма (Дарья) и Миха (Даниил) в течение почти 18 месяцев, и теперь они растут и изменения все время!

Эмма сейчас потянув себя до постоянного и только научился ходить вдоль мебели, если она имеет по. Она собирается начать детский сад в течение нескольких дней и имеет большой учитель. Эмма счастлива, любит быть проведено, дает большое обнимает и особенно любит играть в ванну или бассейн. Она имеет новую кровать, что ее дедушка с учетом держать ее безопасной в ночное время. Эмма 6 ½ сейчас и весит 31,5 фунта (14,3 кг) и 37,5 дюйма Телль (95 см). Эмма начинают общаться все больше и пытается использовать язык жестов. Она любит играть со своими братьями и сестрами. Эмма три терапии каждую неделю работать на языке, мышечные рост, и с помощью руки (штраф двигатель). Она учится едят с вилкой, как вместе ходить в частности, и о том, как использовать язык жестов.

Миха будет трех лет в сентябре, и он весит 26 фунтов (11,8 кг) и 34 дюймов Телль (86 см). Миха идет! Он также с использованием языка жестов и таким счастливым мальчиком, всегда улыбаются. Он начнется в дошкольном классе в течение нескольких дней, и будет находиться в том же классе с его сестрой, Brianna. Миха три терапии каждую неделю, как хорошо. Он учится стека блоков и сортировать вещи, как говорить и использовать язык жестов, как есть с помощью ложки и пить с соломой, и о том, как подняться и лучше баланс. Михей любит воду, а и не имеет никаких опасений в бассейн!

Наши два других детей, и Kristopher Brianna, делают большие, как хорошо. Они любят своих братьев и сестер! Kristopher будет также в детских садах и дошкольных Brianna, 4, и все дети будут в той же школе.

Наша семья также расти из-мы ожидали другого ребенка, который должен накануне МГМПГ 3 лет. 09 сентября, 2009. Мы вышлем слово Мелисса и Марк, если они все еще находятся в Краматорск, когда ребенок рождается. Этот ребенок считается здоровую девочку. Мы так благословил, чтобы каждая из наших детей!

Мы рады иметь друзей, которые путешествовали и увидеть так много детей, что я встречался во время принятия наши дети вернулись домой! Дарина (Мария), Денис, Alosha (Алексей), и в настоящее время Сергей! Мы надеемся на то, что семья для E будут путешествовать в самое ближайшее время, и, возможно, найти семью для четырех детей Карев, как хорошо! Мы рады видеть всех детей, которые были подняты на Антошка найти семей.

Большое вам спасибо за любовь и заботу вы дать детям Антошка. Поэтому многие семьи были благословил этого объекта, поскольку они привели своих детей домой! Мы по-прежнему оставаться на связи с семьей Kerley и Ficken семьи и видели Fickens раз после возвращения домой.

Может быть, один день мы будем в гости! Я надеюсь на поездки на Украину снова, но, возможно, на этот раз в весной или осенью, а не холодный часть зимы!

Пусть персонал и дети Антошка будет щедро благословил Бог!

Майкл Мередит и Корниш
Эмма, Kristopher, Brianna, и Миха Корниш

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello!

We were at home with Emma (Daria) and Micah (Daniel) for almost 18 months, and now they are growing and changing all the time!

Emma is now pulling himself up to standing, and only learned to walk along the furniture, if it is on. It is going to start kindergarten in a few days and has a great teacher. Emma is happy, likes to be held, gives great hugs, and especially likes to play in the bath or pool. She has a new bed, that her grandfather with a view to keep her safe at night. Emma is now 6 ½ and weighs 31.5 pounds (14.3 kg) and 37.5 Tell-inch (95 cm). Emma begin to communicate more and trying to use sign language. She loves to play with his brothers and sisters. Emma three therapies each week to work on the tongue, muscle growth, and through the hands (fine motor). She learns to eat with a fork, how to walk together in particular, and how to use sign language.

Micah will be three years in September, and he weighs 26 pounds (11.8 kg) and 34 inches Tell (86 cm). Micah goes! He is also using sign language and in such a happy boy, always smiling. It begins in pre-school class for several days and will be in the same class with his sister, Brianna. Micah three therapies each week as well. He learns to stack blocks and sort things, how to speak and use sign language, as is using a spoon and drink with straw, and how to get better balance. And he loves the water, but also has no fear in the pool!

Our other two children, and Kristopher Brianna, doing great as well. They love their brothers and sisters! Kristopher will also be in kindergarten and preschool Brianna, 4, and all children will be in the same school.

Our family is also growing because we are expecting another child, which should eve MICAH 3 years. 09 September, 2009. We'll call "M" and "M", if they are still in "K" when the child is born. This is considered a healthy baby girl. We are so blessed to have each of our children!

We are glad to have friends who travel and see so many children that I met during the adoption of our children come home! Darina (Mary), Denis, Alosha (Alex), and now "S" ! We hope that the family will be traveling to "E" in the very near future, and perhaps find a family of four children "K", as well! We are glad to see all the children who were raised on (the baby house) find families.

Thank you very much for the love and care you give to children (the baby house). Consequently, many families have been blessed this object, because they brought their children home! We still keep in touch with family and K F family and saw F again after returning home.

Maybe one day we will visit! I hope to travel to Ukraine again, but perhaps this time in spring or autumn rather than the cold of winter!

Let the staff and children (the baby house) will generously bless God!

Michael and Meredith Cornish
Emma, Kristopher, Brianna, and Micah Cornish

Fortunately, I don't think so :)

Several commented that this might be a 'lost' bill... one that was never paid that just showed up from another aspect of the hospital visit. But thankfully, I don't think that's the case. It is, down to the penny, the exact amount that the hospital billed us and was taken care of. And I looked up this company and they handle "old debt" that isn't yet "bad debt" for several medical places. I'm sure it has to be the same thing. There's no way it could be an IDENICAL bill for 2 services in one day, right?? :) Will find out in a few days...

This is why

I never just pay a bill that comes in.

Today I got a bill for Micah's healthcare. Date of services is 9/12/2008. Yes, almost a YEAR ago. The bill is for $5863.64. It's from a company I've never heard of in a city that's 2+ hours away. Yes, on that date Micah had a procedure. At a hospital 30 minutes south of here. That amount was billed to insurance. The rate was drastically reduced, and our insurance paid. So why am I hearing from someone about it NOW??