Someone turned SEVEN today!

And soon I will post PICTURES!

(and someone else went to the zoo on a fieldtrip)

A nice long weekend!

It was a nice long weekend here, and now we're back to the daily grind.

I plan to make a little more time to record our daily doings but real life has taken priority!

Today is Micah's IEP to figure out what the best route is for him to get him back in school. He's been out since January 7th and aside from a runny nose he has been HEALTHY and HAPPY. Now let's see if we can get him back into school!

I'm also supposed to bring my car in today but not sure if that's going to happen. The big van is supposed to get its new bumper and spare assembly. I'm thinking I may push it off to next week because I'm not sure I'll be able to get it to them today and still get to Micah's IEP very easily.

Tomorrow I'll be spending the morning at the social security office getting the kids "marked as disabled". This is mostly so that in the future they will have that already designated, but if we will qualify now for Medicaid we will be getting them on that as well. At the moment we cannot do any private therapies because of the way our insurance is laid out and that would REALLY benefit them. Emma needs PT and Micah feeding therapy outside of school's activities.

Tonight we're having Brianna and Micah's teacher and Emma's teacher and husband over for dinner. We've been trying to for a few weeks but I had a visitor the week we were going to do it and then Mike ended up sick. So we're finally ready to try again!

We're still trucking on in our adoption classes on Thursday nights. This Friday is Emma's birthday and we'll have family over to celebrate. Next Wednesday is Kristopher's birthday and we'll celebrate on Tuesday night. Next week we're also getting a new AC system installed. Next Friday is Micah's tonsil surgery and at least an overnight at the hospital.

In the midst of that we also have Kristopher and Emma's annual physicals on Tuesday next week and Micah goes to pre-op with the ENT next Wednesday.

In the last 2 weeks we transformed our office and it now has the toys and books for the kids that were in our guest room before as well as ALL of the kids' clothes! One wall is just one long clothes rack with all the dressers under it. It is working great and I'm so glad to have it all in one place-- and somewhere that I can get to it even after the kids are in bed (not a bedroom).

We also finally replaced our gate that goes across the kitchen. It broke in one place about a year ago but about 2 weeks ago broke somewhere that caused the entire thingto not line up right very easily. The new gate doesn't go straight across but comes into the family room some. It's MUCH more sturdy and hopefully will hold up well though. It's also portable if we needed to use it in other areas at times though we have it installed securely to the wall at its "most permanent" spot.

Off to the daily grind again :) I'm headed to the shower then dishes, laundry, picking up the house a bit, IEP meeting.... long day ahead but looking forward to it!!

Brianna

Last night Brianna went to bed around 7 along with Emma and Micah. Lynae and Kristopher and I went to the living room to finish up teachers' Valentine gifts. Lynae crashed out on the floor and Kristopher went to bed about 8:15. He and Brianna got in trouble for playing at about 8:30 then all was quiet.

Until 9:30 when Brianna woke up crying. And SHAKING. She reminded me of when I was coming off of having the spinal done for the C-section and just felt like I couldn't stop shaking. Anyway, after about 10 minutes of her not really waking up all the way I was ready to call a neighbor and take her to the ER. I wrapped her up in a blanket and just held her for a while. Finally I set her on her feet and got her to walk a few steps to me and to give me 5 with each hand to know she was doing ok. Finally, right after that, she threw up.

I don't think I've ever been more relieved to have my kid puke!

At least, then, there was a reason for her to be feeling so cruddy. She laid with me for a while longer and by about 11 I put her back to bed and laid on the floor. She went into a restless sleep, needing reassurance that I was nearby, but at least she was feeling better and able to sleep. Around that time Lynae wanted to eat so Mike and I traded off and in just a little bit she was out enough for him to leave. She woke back up at about 1am with her heart racing just a little. As she calmed her HR did too and she was at about 120 when she had calmed down quite a bit.

Nothing like an eventful night to have you wake up-- tired!

This morning I got K, E, and L out the door and off to school and left Mike sleeping, Micah playing in his crib, and B drifting in and out of sleep still. After dropping the two older kids off to school I turned back around and came to pick up our neighbors who were supposed to ride to school with Mike. He decided to take a sick day since he'd been up with Brianna and had worked WAY too many hours already this week. Oh, yeah, and he can't talk. So I did his school run then made it back home.

Brianna got up just before 9am and was HAPPY and PLAYING. She wasn't interested in breakfast, but did eat lunch a little bit ago. She played fine all day and you'd never know she had a rough night and not felt good yesterday.

Hopefully the rest of the day will go well and she'll be fine!

Mike and I have our next MAPP class tonight and even though he has no voice he is planning to go-- we can't miss any classes and still complete the program. We hate to leave Brianna, though, if she's not feeling well!

IEP scheduled!

We'll have Micah's IEP next Tuesday morning. Finally! Unfortunately, I'm still pretty sure we won't be able to get him what he needs. But I also have no idea how they can provide anything else to cover the same thing, so I have no idea what will come of the meeting!

Today I went to school with Micah for 4 hours. He needed those 4 hours to 'count' as having attended school for the day. I stayed with him and pretty much stayed on him too. He had therapies, so he went to OT and PT early then ST a little later. He enjoyed being there and was pretty good (ya know, with the exception of licking!) and I stayed right with him most of the time while he was in the classroom. While the kids were at the playground I tried to go feed Lynae but was called out to the guidance office for a quick meeting with the staffing specialist instead.

I feel like she understands what I'm getting at and why I don't think that he's in a good situation right now, but that it's not the CLASS, it's that HE doesn't have appropriate support during the day. We shall see!

I also went for about 30 min to a ladies' tea from a Bible study group I was a part of.

It's been a whirlwind of a day! Now I'm ready for a nap :)

paperwork

I've been arranging all the paperwork for all the kids today! Trying to get all the names of all their doctors in one place, all their diagnosis, medications (with a 'history' of meds too), last doctors' visits (that part is going to take a while!), addresses and phone #s of all their doctors! Then there's therapists, hospitalizations, tests they've had run (x-rays, swallow study, MRIs), and lab work.

Brianna and Lynae went to the doctor to finally get those immunizations they were supposed to get a month ago.. :) And Brianna was referred to pulmonary :(. She still has a rattley chest a month later. She's been on anti's- strong ones! So now we're talking either asthma or allergies or who knows what. Maybe a settled-in case of bronchitis.

Next will be school. CAN I locate not just the goals (I know where those are!) but the ENTIRE IEP for all 3 kids?? We shall find out...

Maybe-- if I get it all computerized-- I can keep track of it all!? MAYBE!! :)

So hard to believe

that it was 2 years ago today, February 4th, that we first saw their faces, first touched their fingers, first said their names, first loved them. Today was the day that Emma and Micah- Daria and Daniil- entered our lives forever!

http://cornishadoptionjourney.blogspot.com/2008/02/emma-hope-and-micah-daniel.html


Emma is in Yellow, Daniel in Blue

A few quick pics!

Just the little ones from this morning…

  

So much to say

and NO TIME! :)

• We have a visitor for a few days, a 15 yr old young man since Tuesday. Heading out today or tomorrow. But it has just been a little busier than usual!
• We did our medicals for our homestudy yesterday (and the dr thinks I broke my thumb but said it's probably ok- go back if it still is numb in another 2 weeks).
• We've got 3 of our MAPP (adoption) classes down and 7 more to go!
• The kids are all happy and healthy and so am I!
• Baby shower tonight, birthday parties tomorrow, and sometime some sleep...
• Mike crashed the server at work on Tuesday night and ended up working until 1am that night then getting up early and staying at work until 4am on Thursday morning! So we've all had an interesting week :)
• I think everything's ready to send off to finalize our homestudy and be DONE! Just pending background checks coming back.
• I found my camera! Now I need to find TIME to take and post pictures :)
  

Heart to heart

Here's a little heart talk for anyone wanting reference :)

I answer heart questions on the RR group pretty frequently and someone tonight asked if I had something written up describing the different heart conditions. Nope... I rewrite it every time!

So here's a little "from a mom's view" (not a doctor!) explanation of the different heart defects that I'm most familiar with!

Please feel free to post any additional information about other heart defects or clarifications in the comments!

My Brianna had an AV Canal and an additional ASD and VSD.
Emma had an AV Canal, a PFO, a PDA, and has PH.

The heart has 4 chambers, two on the left and two on the right. The top two chambers are referred to as the atrium and the bottom as the venricles. The solid wall between the left and right sides is called the septum. A valve on each side of the center wall separates the top and bottom chambers.

An AV Canal (atrioventricular canal) is also called an AVSD (atrioventricular septal defect) or an CAVC (complete atrioventricular canal). This is a combination of multiple defects. It includes a hole between the top two chambers of the heart (atrial) the bottom two chambers of the heart (ventricular) and the septum is the dividing wall. This also affects the valves on each side of the heart and is known as "a hole in the center of the heart".

Emma's AV canal was allowing 40% of her blood that had already been through the lungs to go back through the lungs. This severely overloaded the lungs and caused pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure) to develop over time. That is what PH refers to and she still has this. It will likely never go away since it was untreated for so long.

The ASD that Brianna had was just an additional atrial septal defect which was a hole between the upper chambers of the heart, and the VSD was between the lower chambers, ventricular septal defect.

Emma had a PFO which is also called an 'oval window' in some of the kids listed on RR. Patent Foramen Ovale. Patent means "open" and the Foramen Ovale is an opening that is used while an infant is in utero to bypass the lungs with some of the blood. It generally closes within 48 hours after birth and in 75% of the cases at least by age 3. But still 25% of the adult population (not just Ds, everyone!) has theirs open still and doesn't even know it. Risk factors to having this stay open includes the possibility of blood clots forming in the opening and causing strokes. If a person has a stroke this is one of the things they may check for. If it is found to be open then they may do a cath lab procedure to close it. It may or may not have been the cause of the stroke, but it doesn't hurt to make sure it won't cause the next one!

Emma also had a PDA which is a patent ductus arteriosis. Patent, again, meaning open, and the ductus arteriosis is another opening used in utero. Again, it should close on its own within about 48 hours after birth but can be closed in the cath lab if necessary.

An AV Canal always requires surgery. There is also a "partial" av canal which, depending on its complexity, may or may not require surgery but generally does.

So... that's my kids anyway :)

A little something different

Here you go... your opportunity to ask :)

I'm inviting my husband... and my son... to answer questions!

If you have questions you'd like to ask of either of them, now's your chance! I often get asked what they like/dislike/ how I talked my husband into adopting (I didn't! LOL). And so here's a chance for you to ask them, and I've gotten their 'ok' that they will answer honestly. I will retain my right to censor what I ask my 5 yr old for you, but all reasonable questions I'll ask him.

I'll leave this open for a week or so. Ask away!

So what would you do

if you smacked the outside of your thumb REALLY hard on a table.

And it hurt.

And swelled.

And you iced it.

Swelling went down, but still puffy.

And... lumpy.

And then a part of your thumb was just... numb.

For hours.

Several.

Like... 48 and counting?

Right on the part of the outside side of my thumb at my knuckle. Sortof where the spacebar hits :).

Hmm....

Moving and shakng

Lynae has mastered a few new tricks! On the 12th she went to the dr for her 4 month checkup and after Dr. R asked me if she was rolling over yet and I said "she's close", she then laid her down and there she went, right over! Since then Lynae has mastered rolling both ways and loves to play on the floor in the midst of whatever's going on. She's wanting to be UP all the time now and not laid down in our arms anymore!

Just this afternoon she got her knees up under her and rocked then smacked her head on the rug. She didn't like that quite so much, but then she did it again- and again (then I rescued her LOL).

Lynae's also discovered her feet and likes to grab them. She found out about them in the bath the other night and now there's no staying dry when bathing her! She loves to splash and play in the tub.

I'd love to post photos, even a video, but I've misplaced my camera! It's been missing a week and a little bit and I have no idea where it may be.

Brianna thinks that Lynae is just the best toy ever now. She now rotates through ALL the kids as her best buddy of the minute. Lynae gets told "no no no" regularly for sucking on her hand, or taking out her pacifier, but Brianna's even learned how to give Lynae back her pacifier (gently!). She also has been playing pretend with Kristopher quite a bit and spending time with Emma and Micah too. Brianna has also learned that she can't put her face right up by Lynae. Nature's consequence-- gravity. Hair is in baby's reach, baby pulls hair! Don't put your face by her! :)

Lots of fun things happening around here lately! I hope I can find my camera soon!!

Micah's back!

He's back, and it's so great to see him really feeling better and showing his true self again! His whiney little spirit that prevailed the last few months is GONE!

Last night he got a bath and then I decided I was going to buzz his head. Believe it or not... he looked around my bathroom mirrors and was so excited to be in there! Then I turned on the buzzer, let him feel it and... he didn't freak out! In fact, he loved it!! This is a 180 from just 2 haircuts ago (and the reason his hair got so long this time!). Then he got to go back in the tub when the girls were done so that was even better! He LOVES the tub.

Micah now has 3 words he's saying regularly- Bye bye (more like bah bah), Go go go go go go, and baby (said bay BEEE). He's also signing shoes and sicks, more, all done, and waving bye bye (with his thumb tucked in LOL). We had him self-feeding on Friday and he ate a majority of a bowl of yogurt with the help of a spoon, his fists, and of course his tongue licking everything. He also got a yogurt facial and hair treatment. It's good for the skin like a milk bath, right?

Now... to work on getting him back into school-- SAFELY. There are several concerns we've had in the past that I've talked with his teacher about and they've "made due" in the room to take care of them. He is safe. But it is NOT easy and he is not participating as much as he can/should be. So I've drafted a nice little letter asking for an IEP meeing to have a 1:1 with him. Some of my concerns:

• Safety in the classroom- he'll walk out doors, climbs the stairs to the sink
  
• Safety in hallways and playground- needs a hand held at all times in halls and will walk right off raised platforms at the playground
• Redirect his licking behavior which has caused him to miss a LOT of school
• Feed him and work on self-feeding skills
• Sit with him and redirect to help him sit and participate in circle and reading times- right now he wanders a lot
• Watch his liquid intake- he's aspirated once this school year already
• Help address his behavior of taking off his shoes and socks continuously
• Overall help Micah to participate in the learning environment with his peers in an appropriate way, supporting him so he can be safe and function in the classroom.

Now to await an IEP meeting.

The BEST Birthday Gift!

MY KIDS ALL TESTED NEGATIVE FOR STREP TODAY!!!!!!!!!

WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(we pray this is the end of the sickies in our home!)

Micah/School...

Just an update--

For now, he's home. I kept him home all week. He's now been out 2 1/2 weeks total. He's been WELL for one week. Here's hoping it lasts. If I haven't heard from anyone by Tuesday to schedule his surgery I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Can't exactly send him to school to get sick again! In fact, I'm not sure that even after his surgery he can go back. Obviously his licking and putting things in his mouth, etc. are having a big effect on his health in the classroom. Lots of germs, lots of sickness. But seriously, being THAT SICK for THAT LONG isn't something that's just normal "first time in school" ickeys.

Now I'm looking at the ONE thing that can keep him SAFE in school and that the licking and mouthing are only small parts of... I'm going to try to get Micah a 1:1 aide in the classroom.

Aside from getting sick, he will also get others sick if his behaviors continue. It's not a medical fragility issue. It's a behavior that needs to be worked with. And there's no way for 2 aides to be able to do that with 12 children in the classroom that ALL need their attention. They cannot walk around with Micah and keep his tongue off of everything or keep his hands and toys out of his mouth. In addition to that, he also needs to be fed, diapers changed, and walking anywhere someone must hold his hand or he either stops walking or wanders off. If the door is open he might just walk through it and leave.

He's a good kid. A smart little guy when he lets us know that he 'gets' things. But for safety and function in the classroom, he really needs more 1:1 than the teachers in the room can physically provide all the time.

We'll see how this goes... (any advice?)

FOUR TRIPS...

I made FOUR trips home today while trying to renew my driver's license.

Thankfully I'd dropped Micah off with my mom and only had Lynae along for the ride (and she slept through it in her carseat!).

First I went by the house to grab my book and a hairbrush. Essentials for a new license, don't you think? Then I drove away and realized I had read something about needing a marriage cert, so I went back again. Grabbed that. Already had my passport, SS card, old license, a proof of residency, my application and my appointment card.

I got there 10 min before my appointment and was told... I need TWO proofs of residency. ANYTHING... bills, bank statements, anything. Just needs to have my address.

No problem, drove home, grabbed our electric bill. It's in Mike's name, but I have the handy marriage license and off we go.

No go. Must be in *my* name.

I don't have much in my name!

AGAIN I went home. This is now trip #4. It's 30 minutes PAST my appointment time now and if I go back I just knew they were going to make me wait in the line that when I arrived the first time was non-existent. I found a bank statement. *whew*

So I did what any patient sweet loving person would do...

I checked in online and made an appointment for 25 minutes from then! :)

Back to the license bureau and to the front of the line of 20+ people (a great feeling tho I felt bad for them) and at the end of the day I have a new license and a new photo (not too bad either!) and it's done for another 8 years.

I also changed my house water bill over to my name. MY name. So now there's something in my name! LOL But it had been under my dad's because I never got down to the city hall with our trustee deed in order to change it over in the last... fourteen months... little while.

And after all that I picked up 3 kids from school and went to Wal-Mart for a few things. Fun times. It was a 15+ trip (how many times I was asked if they're ALL mine) and was more exhausting because of the other people in the store than it was because of my children!

You would think there was a hurricane headed for us by the amount of people there were in Wal-mart today too!

Home, dinner, baths, medicine, teeth brushed, and to bed. A quick evening but a productive day once again.

I will have to write about Kristopher's birthday present for me another time... for now I'm sleepy :)

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

That's all I have to say about my day for now.

Renewing your driver's license might just rate up there with the paperwork involved in an international adoption now.

Seriously.

Productive day!

Today after I dropped the three oldest kids at school, Micah, Lynae, Michael, and I went down to the Sheriff's office and had our local checks run and our fingerprints made. Then I went to the tag agency and renewed our van tags for 2 years. Now I can forget next year :) Then on to my parents' house where I borrowed their computer and made an appointment to renew my driver's license in the morning. Also got all our background check paperwork arranged and enveloped and stamped and ready for signatures and to be put in the mail! Before heading home I went by the church and got Mike to sign the last 2 papers and we had the one notarized that needed that.

When I got home with the kids, I finished up our documents and put them out in the mailbox :)

Then it was lunch, naps, picking up the kids, and then a busy afternoon! But hey- our background checks are all done!

Interpol

Is waaaaaaaaaaaaay overrated.

And if you don't know what I'm talking about, be GLAD!

I'm very tired of Interpol. And forms for it. MANY forms for it.

And if you're one of my adoptive parents and haven't gotten TODAY'S form... check your inbox again.

*sigh*

When did they get so big??

Brianna is doing great toilet training. She then went in the guest room where we keep the "supervised" toys and played in the huge rice bin. And cleaned up after herself! (mostly!).

Kristopher made a huge tower with Legos and when told to put them back in the bag he dumped it, put his 'creation' inside, then filled it with the loose pieces. Yes, he's 6 and this shouldn't surprise me but he just all the sudden is SO BIG!

Emma ate dinner with her fork and was a proper little princess and even climbed up in our SW's wife's lap during their visit and made friends with her. How is it she's so friendly and CLEAN all the sudden?

Micah? He's a mess :) But we love him anyway. He's had 2 steps backward this last 2 weeks but poor kid can't cut a break with the sickness and is going to blossom when he's well!
(ENT today- scheduling tonsils and adenoids to come out!).

And Lynae is smiling, happy, laughing, sitting in the Bumbo type seats, and just being cute all the time :)

Off to MAPP classes tonight...