Priorities

When Chris sees G.J. lounging on the couch, he asks with a bit of irritation:

"Have you finished cleaning the floor of your room yet?"

"No, I can't." (with an equal amount of irritation)

"And why not?"

"Because my hamster is sleeping and I can't turn on the light."

Welcome to the priorities at our house...and since hamsters are nocturnal, apparently there will be no more cleaning.

Lunch Choices

Me: "So E.R., what do you want for lunch - peanut butter and jelly, or.....?"

E.R.: "Cooookies?" (She says it with a really long oo sound)

Yep - maybe we've been having too many treats lately.

Back To Work!

So tomorrow I head back to work.

This was my last week home full time with the kids and it was a great week. The days actually went a little slower than usual, which allowed me to enjoy most moments.

I had a fairly quick job search in the last couple of months. I've had 8 months now to figure out what I want to do. While it is attractive to sometimes think about starting some completely new phase and doing something totally different, I've realized over the last year that social service work is where I belong. It runs through my blood and is central to my identity, world view, and the values I hold so closely. I once overheard a supervisor tell someone I worked with that "Carrie just has a social worker's brain", in response to a question about why I handled something differently than someone else would have. It was meant as a compliment, so tomorrow I return to the world that I am good at.

I do get the chance to do something a bit different within social service work, though, and I am very excited about that. I am going to be the Intercountry Adoption Social Worker for Oregon's office of Bethany Christian Services. I really think I am going to love it. Not only will I get to be part of helping families prepare to adopt from about 11 different countries, but I will also get to learn the inner workings of the adoption world from a large agency's view. Another part of my job will be state foster-adopt adoptions, which you can imagine I care passionately about as well.

The other great news is that we found a wonderful graduate student to be home with J.T. and E.R. during the day (only 2 days a week for now), and she will be able to get M.C. and G.J. off the bus in the afternoons so they can just come home instead of having to go to after-school care somewhere. She seems excited and I am so hoping that it works out well for all of us!

The only weird part for me is that we are part of an amazing extended adoptive family through our agency Adoption Advocates International. It feels very strange to imagine working for another agency, when I honestly consider the staff and adoptive families of AAI as part of our family. But AAI doesn't have an Oregon office, and this is my chance to do something I've always thought I would enjoy. So for this next phase of my life I will be joining Bethany's family as well. I do want all of you AAI friends out there to know that this doesn't change any of my feelings toward you or AAI. Please don't view me as a traitor!! I will always be AAI in my heart :)

So tomorrow I head up to the Seattle office to start my training. I have so much to learn. I'm nervous, but also really excited. Chris and the kids are going up with me, except they get to hang out with my siblings and their families while I'm at work...

We're still trying to get packed up and get laundry done, and we need to leave by 5:30am!

Shriners - 2 week wound check

Yesterday, E.R. went back into Shriners to have her foot checked. J.T., she and I were there at 6am. We took her down where the anesthesiologist put her under at 7:30am. They removed her cast, checked her wound, and then re-casted her leg.

She was back up in our room at about 8:20. I could hear her screaming as they wheeled her off the elevator. Apparently there are some people whose bodies have a terrible time coming off of one of the anesthesia medications. She is one of them. So that explains the extreme reaction we had post-surgery 2 weeks ago. It was the same today. Endless screaming, ripping off of clothes, trying to jump/roll off the bed, trying to hurt me, etc. I think all the staff on the floor came by at least once to see if we were okay. Which we weren't really, but at least I had been through it once with her, and it really is very similar to her most extreme tantrum/rages, which I am very familiar with!

There were 2 things that saved us:

1. I had planned J.T.'s care well (and had a bit of divine help here I'm sure). I nursed him as soon as we got back from taking E.R. down for the procedure. Then he had breakfast, and then I miraculously got him to go to sleep. He slept through almost all of it in the stroller. (He's pretty used to her screaming fits!)

2. We had a fabulous nursing student assigned to us that helped me with everything. She took J.T. when he woke up, and helped with whatever I needed. She is my new best friend...

The surgeon came in to let me know that unfortunately her wound had come open in the cast, They re-stitched it, and now she'll be on antibiotics, since an infection is not what we want. She also needs to continue to stay off of it for 4 weeks. That prospect alone could have killed my morning!

We were there for 4 1/2 hours, and then set out for home. I was absolutely exhausted. I made the mistake of trying to talk to E.R. last evening about going to Shriners. I am a big believer in giving kids as much information as possible that is appropriate for their age. In foster care, I totally believe that kids need us to respect them enough to give them information that is important to their lives - as long as we balance it with their anxiety levels. I guess I underestimated E.R.'s anxiety around hospitalization after the last one. She was up almost the entire night, and screamed most of it. It was the worst night we've had so far with her. J.T. was up most of it too, since they share a room. So by the time we got to Shriners this morning, all 3 of us were exhausted (and I'm sure Chris was just as wiped out at work).

So I've learned my lesson. I now understand better about how extreme E.R.'s anxiety is, and next time I won't be telling her we are on our way to Shriners until we are in the car after a blissfully restful night's sleep. Or maybe I'll even wait until we get to their parking garage.

It's funny how idealistic we can be before the reality of parenting sets in...

So we made it through, and thankfully, E.R. was pretty much back to normal after sleeping on the car ride home. I had worried that she would regress more after being at Shriners again. But I think she was so relieved to not be staying there, that she bounced back pretty quickly.

Now we just need to continue to keep her off of her leg, so it can heal.

Day 3 - Home

We had a quiet afternoon, and figured out how we were going to do this at home! E.R. got to lay on the couch (we usually have designated for clean laundry :) and watched videos. She slept for awhile when she got home. She was so relieved, that she just passed out. Her grandpa came to visit, but she kept sleeping. She woke up when the boys came home and was pretty excited to be in the center of things once again.

Chris caught her standing next to the couch at one point, and we decided that a stroller might be a better idea, since she couldn't get out on her own.

We had dinner together and tried to emotionally recover from the week.

It was so good to be home!

E.R. slept pretty well that night. Her room is next to ours and I hear everything. She was so much more peaceful than at the hospital. I think her pain is also getting progressively better by the day. So she was up once right at the four-hour mark for her medicine and then went right to sleep. She got up four hours later which was just about the time we normally get up. I felt like it had been a really good night. I think J.T. actually woke up more than she did. We are on our way back to "normal"!

Day 3 - Going Home!

The morning was mostly waiting around for preparations to go home. Another family joined us in our room with their very young baby. So we decided that E.R. would have her procedures done elsewhere since there was no way the baby could sleep through E.R.'s screaming.

Chris took her to have her I.V. taken out. I had to give her dose of medicine in the hall, and her cast had to be re-done elsewhere. Ah - the challenges of having a really loud little girl! There was some miscommunication between the staff about how E.R.'s cast was to be done, so we had to have it re-done twice. I took her the 2nd time. Chris needed a break by then. We had our discharge meeting in the hall, since E.R. was still whiny and loud, and by then we were SO ready to go home!!

Chris, E.R., J.T. and I headed out. It was amazing to have this over. It had been a year since the phone call that changed all of our lives. Today was exactly 6 months to the day that Chris, Gabe, and Margie met E.R. for the first time. And here we were, completely done with the surgery we had been anticipating and worrying about for the last year. It was rough, but as always, it could have worse. And we survived!

Night 2 - Recovery

E.R. and I watched movies and talked until about 9:00 pm. Strawberry Shortcake is her new favorite. I tried to get her to eat, but only succeeded with a couple of bites of peppermint oreo. She seemed quite content to just hold the cookie until it was soft and mushy, and I traded it for a fresh one. She is drinking lots of juice and chocolate milk, though.

At about 9:00p.m., her nurse came in and we gave her the narcotic. Afterwards, E.R. ate a few bites of chocolate ice cream as a reward and was very happy about that! She seemed tired, so I got everything ready and told her it was time to go to bed. She seemed relieved, and within about 20 minutes, she was asleep. She awoke quite a bit, panicky and calling for me, but would quiet down and go back to sleep. She actually slept for periods of time tonight instead of just sort of zoning out like last night.

At around 5:15 she woke up and seemed uncomfortable. We had an hour to kill until her next dose, which was a rough hour. I held her, we sang, tried a video, but nothing worked. She was really mad. The trouble was that no one came with her next dose. I went out to the nurse's station twice, and called with the call button twice. I even opened her door so the nurses could hear her screaming. I felt bad for any other patients nearby, but I wasn't sure what else to do at that point. Finally the charge nurse brought it and apologized. Apparently our nurse had been busy. I held her until she was calm, and then she seemed comfortable and was able to watch a movie. It took me much longer to calm down from my frustration with the nursing staff...

When the doctors came around, our surgeon told me that he felt like we were ready to go home. I had heard a rumor of that the night before, but it so nice to hear it officially. After this morning I felt like I could manage E.R.'s pain better at home where I have access to the pain medicine and we don't have to wait, ask for help, and wait longer. Plus my breastfeeding had been pretty thrown off with the hospitalization and not being able to nurse J.T., so by now I was in quite a bit of pain myself!

I called Chris to tell him the news. We were going home!!

Day 2 - Recovery

So this morning, E.R. finally fell asleep after taking her new pain medication. She slept just under two hours. By then Chris and J.T. were there and we had a nice morning. E.R. seemed much more comfortable when she woke up.

We continued to watch movies on the DVD player. Yesterday she was so miserable right after surgery that I decided we needed more options. When I went home with the boys yesterday evening, I stopped by Blockbuster and stocked up on Barney, Caillou, Dora, and Strawberry Shortcake. It was the best $8.00 I have every spent!

E.R. is still really bothered by the I.V. in her hand. I totally know how she feels! All 3 times I've given birth, that hand I.V. is up there among the worst parts of my experience every time. Despite what they always say - it DOES hurt, and is a constant reminder that you aren't in control of your body and movement. And she may think it'll be there now forever.

The four of us actually had a calm morning compared to anytime yesterday. E.R. still doesn't seem bothered by her cast or her leg - although we've been told she is probably in quite a bit of pain. My mom always worked in hospitals as I grew up, so I'm pretty comfortable in this environment. But I still don't quite understand all the meds that E.R. is on. I think there are 3 pain meds, although they tapered off the morphine throughout today. The main one is a narcotic that is a liquid she needs to swallow. The first couple of doses yesterday with Chris and a nurse she spit everywhere. They tried mixing it in food like applesauce and pudding. But E.R. is Ethiopian and she doesn't like the texture of most American kid-friendly food. She still won't eat any fruit but bananas and grapes. So the mixing ideas never work for her.

Last night I had to force her to take the medicine. That is never fun for anyone, but I suppose that's what makes parents different from everyone else. We have to look out for our child's best interest and long-term journey and we can't ignore what they need to get there! So we continued the narcotic force-feeding every four hours. At about every 3 hours, E.R. would become irritable and whiny. Then usually a half hour later she was crying, yelling, and really mad. We usually had to hold her next to her I.V. stand to make it to our 4 hour mark for her next dose.

We were able to take E.R. for a wagon ride around the floor this afternoon. She was nervous at first, but really enjoyed seeing people and visiting the school where the older kids were. It took Chris, the nurse, and me to maneuver everything for the trip, but it was worth it. The problem is that E.R. fell apart when we got back to her room. I think it was a combination of stress, confusion, and I think she may have thought we were heading home. The idea of getting back in the bed was more than she could bear. She was REALLY mad!

Chris' mom came to the hospital around lunchtime at the tail-end of E.R.'s post-ride rage. That helped since E.R. loves her grandma so much that it was hard for her to stay mad. We decided that she would stay with E.R. for a few hours while Chris and I went home. I still hadn't slept and the older boys had early release today.

I slept for just a short time at home, but it was a deep sleep and felt good. We had dinner at home and then I headed back to the hospital for the night.

While Margie was with E.R., there was a volunteer who came in to play guitar for the kids and he played softly in E.R.'s room. She actually fell asleep again for almost 2 hours! He probably had no idea what a gift he gave to all of us.

The first night in a couple of her fitful states, E.R. turned to me and said, "cookie." So I brought some cookies when I came back for the night. Margie stayed for awhile and then left us. E.R. and I settled in for the night. She hadn't eaten much of anything all day and was very happy to see the cookies. She didn't eat any, but held one in her hand until the next morning. I prayed that there would be some sleep ahead of us.

Day 1 - Post-Surgery

Once E.R. came out of her foggy state, we had quite an afternoon. For the first hour she cried, screamed, tried to pull out the IV in her hand, elbowed me to get off the bed, and tried to climb out of it. Chris and I exchanged glances as we tried to calm her. I don't know what he was thinking, but I was thinking: "okay-here we go with 'worst-case-scenario'".

Fortunately, after an hour or so she started calming. It also took two rounds of morphine. She didn't seem to notice her casted leg at this point. She was completely fixated on her arm with the IV.

She was talking and cheerful for awhile after that, watching an Elmo movie on the laptop Chris brought. I left to go get the boys from school. She slept for about 15 minutes and Grandma left too. Then she started her fitful, restless state. She would zone out for 90 seconds or so, appearing to sleep, then thrash around crying and whining. She did eat a lot, though, which was really good.

I relieved Chris at around 7:00, and he took J.T. home for the night. E.R. watched movies on the laptop until about 10:00, and I was sure she pass out from exhaustion at that point.

But the night was rough.

She continued the 90 second cycle through the night. We tried everything. She had so much pain medicine in her system. Every time, the nurses would assure me that "this will do it", and nothing seemed to phase her. I laid next to her in a chair-bed holding her hand most of the night. It was hard because none of us really knew what was pain, what was fear from being in a new place, what was anger from being hooked up to stuff, and what was the anesthesia going through her system.

Her nurse practitioner came early the next morning. She changed one of her pain meds, and told me that some kids don't sleep at all the first night. I sure wish someone could have told me that at the beginning of the night! She also said that E.R.'s little leg was probably throbbing terribly. Apparently there isn't much worse than bone pain like this. I'm sure that major burns are worse, but maybe not much else can touch this kind of pain. She also prepared us that most kids "hit a wall" on day 2 or day 3, so we should be prepared for that. I feel prepared now...

So we started the day completely exhausted. But I was so glad the first night was over! E.R. had made it through a very major procedure and the initial recovery that would have been a lot for an adult to handle. Our little 2 year-old, who is so small in her hospital bed, is doing amazingly well, especially considering she doesn't really understand much of what is happening around her. She is a resilient survivor. I can't wait to see what she does with this life...

Day 1 - Surgery

Chris took E.R. into Shriner's by 6:30. They gave her a sedative around 8:15. Chris held her in the holding room until they took her into surgery at 8:45. Margie (grandma) got there about 8:55, and J.T and I got there at 9:00. We were both stuck in major traffic after an accident.

E.R.'s actual surgery started at 9:30. At 10:55 we were called to the recovery room. It was over! So fast. She was very groggy and mostly sleeping. We immediately noticed a cast over most of her leg, which hadn't been the plan. The surgeon came in to talk with us. Apparently her two leg bones were fused at the bottom - very rare and none of her X-rays showed it. So once they were in there, they did have to take some of her bone. She now has a pin through her leg that is protected by the cast.

We were a little relieved by the cast at first - at least that she would have a much harder time hurting her leg. But then we realized that her pain will be much greater as this was truly an amputation now, and her recovery longer before she is able to have her prosthetic foot.

After the doctor spoke with us, Chris carried her up to her room. A year after receiving the phone call about a little 16-month old girl who needed medical help, and staring at the emailed picture of her foot - the surgery was over!

Shriners - Pre-Surgery Appointment

So E.R., J.T. and I spent another 3 hours at Shriners Children's Hospital last Thursday. We met more people than I can remember. And of course, E.R. was the princess of the place. People came to our exam room just to see her because everyone was buzzing about how amazing she is. I was very proud of her. She didn't get grouchy until the end. She even went in and let the surgeon show her to a group of medical students in a lecture hall.

She got her first two My Little Ponies which were a big hit. She got a medical kit so we could play doctor and surgery this weekend, and after she comes home.

I love Shriners. Everything is designed to help kids feel comfortable. And we haven't even stayed there yet!

Tonight we had a little party to celebrate E.R.'s last night with her foot, and our last night together for awhile. She can cheer "Shriners!" and knows that she is going there tomorrow and it has something to do with her foot. Beyond that, I'm not sure what she understands. We had a good night. We prayed over her and I so wish we had a picture of that. She was so cute in her P.J.s with her hands folded in the middle of us. She kept checking to her left and right to make sure her brothers were still praying for her. She definitely felt special!

So Chris is taking E.R. in tomorrow morning while I get the older boys off to school. Then J.T. and I will join them. We believe the surgery will be about 2 hours. It looks like she will be there until Thursday, but everything depends on how she is doing.

She is the strongest, most resilient 2 year-old I've ever met. I believe she will do great. But it will be hard to see her in pain. And I care very deeply about how she feels about losing her foot. I know that Shriners knows how to do this, so we will take their lead.

We are thankful for this little girl that has brightened our family in so many ways. Exactly one year ago we were contemplating her adoption and whether we should take the leap. I shake my head that we ever considered NOT taking that leap. Exactly 6 months ago tomorrow, Chris, his mom, and G.J. got on the plane that started their journey to Ethiopia. And now tomorrow morning we take her into the hospital to get her the care that is the reason for her adoption and journey to America.

God's plan and timing are truly amazing.

"Who Can Play?"

There was a loud banging/thumping on the front door. This always signals a neighbor kid stopping by to ask our kids to come out. Our street is quiet and safe, and there is always a group of kids playing in the front yards.

I opened the door, and sure enough, there was the little boy I had assumed was banging. (The first couple of times we experienced this, the banging was so loud and intense that I was sure it was the police evacuating our neighborhood or something - now not much phases me at the front door.)

He looked at me and looked past me with hope in his eyes.

"Can M.C. come out?"

"No - he isn't here right now."

"Well, can G.J. play?"

"No, sorry - he's with his brother."

Now there is a bit of panic in his voice. "Well who you got that can play with me?"

He looks down at the border collie/lab at my side wagging her tail as hard as she can to be noticed.

He looks up at me and says, "Wha 'bout yer dog?" - as she shoots past me before I can change my mind.

She is the best dog ever.

The Answer - Paws and Tales

I used to teach parenting classes. Two of the most common times that parents express despair and anguish over are bedtime and car time.

Of course some people swear by in-car DVD players. We're not there yet. I still remember the days before car seats (until age 10 - ugh! ) and seat belts. When we got bored we would just jump over the backseat of the old mammoth of a station wagon and play back there. Gone are those days. My kids can't even lay down on the seat - even if there WAS room.

So I thought I would share the solution we came across by accident: Paws and Tales.

It is a radio drama produced and sold by Chuck Swindoll's Insight For Living Ministry. The vocal acting, plots, and messages are amazing. After years of listening, I have all 3 seasons memorized. Although that happened in the first couple of months we listened to them so much. My boys and our foster daughter at the time demanded them for every car trip (no matter how short), and then began to request them at bedtime too. All of a sudden the only fighting we had in the car was whether we had just listened to that story the last trip or not! And the kids actually laid in bed or on their floor at bedtime - and they were quiet!!!

The story is about a group of animal children who have adventures and learn lessons. It is nothing like Adventures In Odyssey (which I've never cared for). It is much more kid-friendly and fun. It's sort of a Christian Little House on the Prairie - except with animals. Oh - and the music is nothing short of genius - seriously. M.C. loves to listen to CDs of just the songs. The characters grab your attention and heart from the first story. By the 3rd season, the characters are learning about Bible characters such as Gideon, Samuel, and Esther.

Listening to these fun stories made my kids think, and question, and discuss ideas about faith, friendship, morality, and justice. They gave us all a starting point for talking about things that we would have thought our kids were too young to think about. The Bible stories in Season 3 made the Bible come alive for my kids in a way that I never could have created. Chris and I are pretty progressive, tolerant, New Testament kind of believers. There has never been an episode that made either of us nervous that our kids were being taught something we weren't comfortable with. I can't express how important this series has been in our family. I can't think of anything else that we have stumbled across that I could recommend more highly!!

I'd say ages 4 and up. Our 4 year-old at the time was just as interested as our 6 year-olds. They both still love to listen, especially to the Bible stories (because they are so exciting) at 6 and 8. I guess we have a couple of more years before we begin all over again with our younger two. We'll probably need a new set by then...

They are currently on sale. Yes, there are a few episodes on DVD, which are well done, but I have to say that in some ways they are disappointing compared to what your imagination can do with the characters!

There are now theology kits that go along with them for homeschooling or Sunday School. We haven't used those, we felt like we could discuss them with our kids pretty freely with just the stories. Chris and I are starting to lose faith that there will be more seasons. I would finance them myself if I could. - They are that good!

Drawn From Water

My heart feels heavy today. There is so much need. Most of us try to do our best to make a dent in the need. Whether it is through adoption, contributing financially to causes, serving through our profession, serving in our off-time, living green, and any combination of these and other means to make a difference.

But sometimes I hear of a need and it is so huge, that although the fight to make a difference is amazing, my heart hurts and I wish we could do more.

I came across this group - Drawn From Water with an amazing story. They work in southwest Ethiopia, which is much different than the Ethiopia I am familiar with. There the tribes live by superstitions and children who are believed to hold evil spirits are killed. There is nothing their family can do to save them except go into hiding, but that can only last so long. The elders have power to decide a child's fate.

An Ethiopian man from one of these tribes, his wife, and a group of missionaries decided to step in and helped one little girl's family rescue her from her intended drowning. They have quickly started an orphanage for these children that cannot be part of their tribes.

This is one of those times that intervention is so important. I know that there are so many critics of international adoption out there. Many arguments have some level of merit. I know some people believe that children shouldn't be taken out of their culture. Others believe that westerners shouldn't intervene, and should just let people take care of their own. Many others believe that money should be spent in helping develop projects instead of the legal fees necessary for adoption. And then of course there are the racist and/or anti-immigration people who don't want any more "foreigners" .

(Okay I HAVE to say something about the last group - unless you are 100% Native American - YOU ARE a foreigner, and you have an immigration story in your history. I get so tired of hearing "founding fathers" stories --they were immigrants with very flawed human rights ethics trying to create a better life for their families (at least I hope they had good intentions). - If we met them today we would have been outraged at their views on women, children, slavery, and genocide. They were human and not gods. I care deeply about what/whose history my kids are taught and I will supplement according to my conscience. I miss living in an area rich with Native American culture, and where the effects of genocide are still visible. My kids asked good questions back then, and we had Native kids live with us and around us. We now live in an area that did a tremendous job of wiping it all out. Sorry for the tirade, good thing this is my blog :) I don't feel like going into all the rest of these issues at the moment. My heart is too sad. So I better get back to Drawn From Water. )

In this case it is incredibly ignorant and conceited to believe that westerners could simply go into a tribe and tell them why their practices have to stop. These beliefs have been held for so much longer than our country has even existed. Yet, how does someone stand by and watch a child die? A child with promise and a future ahead of them? How do we reconcile these two pieces? Well, Drawn From Water, has decided to reconcile them. They have started an orphanage to house the children that would have been killed. Now families have another option. They are trying to work within the tribes to change things, but in the meantime, the children have life, and promise, and a future. If that future includes adoption, then families will be needed to provide that future.

So today I am praying for the work of Drawn From Water. And for everyone involved.

I don't know what to do with this, except help spread the word, and pray about what I am to do.

Here you go...

Drawn from Water from Drawn From Water on Vimeo.

Eating on a Budget

I have to share this book that our whole family is enjoying!

Chris and I have never had a large income to live on. We've had what we needed (at times, maybe not QUITE enough :) So we live simply and as frugally as possible. These days, while I am not working, we've had to tighten things even more. There just isn't much more we can cut out.

Then, Mary Ostyn's new book came out this fall - just in time!

For some reason the picture of her book and the link keep malfunctioning here. The book is Family Feasts for $75 a Week, by Mary Ostyn.

Mary is a blogger over at www.owlhaven.net and is the mother of 10 kids. This book is amazing. I really thought I had it all figured out. - Although since there aren't discount stores down here like we are used to, I knew we were spending more than we were used to spending on food.

This book paid for itself on my first shopping trip. The boys are going through a picky-eating stage, but Chris and I have enjoyed trying new things. I have been inspired to cook more from scratch which is better for all of us. And once you have the supplies - it's cheaper too. When you cook from scratch you can substitute whatever you want to in order to make things healthier. Since Mary has kids adopted from Korea and Ethiopia, she includes food from these countries. She also has an egg-allergic child, and her eggless chocolate chips cookies became my kids' favorite cookies from the first bite!

So this book has all the tips and ideas that everyone wishes their older sister or mom had passed to them. Except no one has spent as much time putting them all together with recipes as Mary Ostyn has.

In looking at our grocery bill over the month it looks like we will have spent somewhere between $260-$300 for a family of 5 1/2. (Not counting 3 meals with Chris' parents and one pizza). That's pretty good! And we have had fun, eating good food.

Seriously this is a perfect gift for a wedding, or family increasing in size for any reason. Or anyone trying to cut the edges around their tight budget.

And the Sesame Chicken recipe is seriously the best meal I've ever cooked in my life. It was fun too, because of all the chopping and stirring required, Chris pitched in since those are the things he likes to do. It was fun to make dinner together like the old pre-kid days.

Thank you, Mary!

Conferences

The boys started a new school this fall. Both were nervous, especially G.J. I am so relieved and happy to report that they are both thriving.

We had their conferences, and both teachers had only wonderful things to say about the boys. Each boy got a teacher that was an excellent fit for their personalities. We are so thankful for these teachers, and for the other kids that are sharing their days with G.J. and M.C.

G.J. had become somewhat self-conscious about some of his abilities. The big one was handwriting. This has been frustrating for me, because in my opinion his handwriting is really neat for a boy his age. It actually looks exactly like my brother's. And my brother is doing just fine in his life, thank you very much. Actually, I am a bit jealous, since my handwriting is barely legible. Sometimes I am tempted to blame it on the car accident that crushed my right wrist many years ago. But the truth is that my handwriting was terrible even before that. And I haven't written in cursive since 3rd grade. I feel like I'm making it through life okay, even with terrible handwriting. I just need to write as quickly as the thoughts stream out of my head. I never had time for the beautiful flowing writing of other girls my age. So when there are so many things that truly matter to me about my kids' development and learning and understanding of their world, it bothers me that my son has been made to believe that he should worry so much about his handwriting.

However, at his conference his teacher told us how much attention and effort he puts into his writing, and especially his new cursive writing (and now you know how much I care about that :). But then she said something I will never forget. She said he often takes so much time with it that he isn't able to finish in time (big surprise - G.J. has ALWAYS had his own timeline for everything). Then she looked at him and said, "but then when he is done and he brings it to me - what's that I always say?" He looked down, a little embarrassed and mumbled something about not remembering. Then she said, "I always tell him, 'Wow, G.J., that was worth the wait!"
And I watched him glow in her praise. It was magical.

I saw my son in a new light in that moment. This kind lady had made me stop and think about how I approach and receive my talented, soft-hearted, and thoughtful son. He is always the SLOWEST at any task, and can't remember a darn thing or where he left it last. But he is always ABSOLUTELY "worth the wait".

I can't tell you how thankful I am for the two teachers who pour themselves into my boys this year. They are blossoming in ways that I haven't seen before. And when I see my boys from their eyes, I am reminded of how special each of them is.

So although I still don't place much value in handwriting, I enjoy seeing how hard G.J. works at it, and I realize how special this teacher is that he wants to please with his work.

You, dear teacher souls, are also worth the wait.

6 Months Old!

Our little J.T. is 6 months old now.

Time has gone so fast, and yet I honestly have a hard time remembering what we did without him! This little guy has completely stolen the hearts of our entire family. Chris and I love to just watch him. He is so expressive and funny. He is different than his brothers. The boys love to talk to him and play with him. He watches them earnestly - wondering what fun thing they might do next to make him laugh.










E.R. talks to him, brings him things, and also likes to make him smile. He thinks she is just about the funniest person ever. Which she is.


I joke with Chris that we are like Abraham and Sarah, and J.T. is the joy of our old age. He quickly points out that we aren't 100 years old. Or childless. True - but sometimes it feels like we're 100. And he truly is a blessing to us.

He gives the greatest baby hugs, complete with neck-squeezing. Sometimes it is hard for me to wait for him to wake up from his nap, because I miss him so much. I felt the same way when G.J. was this age. I secretly sometimes did wake him up, just to be able to play with him. I felt the same way with M.C. but was so tired and busy with a toddler that I let M.C. sleep in peace. I wish he had done the same for me at night!!

So J.T. is growing every day - about 23 pounds now. He is just sitting up, and is now trying new foods.

I can't believe how different our lives are from this time last year. I had so much anxiety about pregnancy, birth, and another newborn. I wish I could go back in time and tell myself how absolutely wonderful J.T. is. I shouldn't have worried at all.

So J.T. benefits from being the youngest of this crew because there is always someone to entertain him, or help him find his pacifier. (We had thought that maybe our family's legacy of paci-addiction had not been passed to J.T., but he realized how essential they are to his happiness at 5 months old, and has never looked back.) He is learning the skills needed to assert himself to get what he needs in the busy life we lead. He will be a master at soccer, baseball, and basketball by the time it his turn to play.

And once again, I get to watch my amazing, kind, funny, loving husband take care of a baby. When G.J. was born that was the thing that surprised me most about how Chris and I changed. I loved Chris more than I knew was possible as I watched him with our tiny new son. There is something that deepens and grows in your love for a spouse when you see them change diapers and wipe spit up off of their face. That same something deepens and grows even more as you see them helping a child struggling to read, or mediating a neighborhood conflict with your teary child at their side. It has nothing to do with biology, but everything to do with growing together in the hardest role of your lives. Chris is a master at loving his kids, and I am reminded of how much I love sharing this life with him as I watch him with J.T.

16

So I'm not normally superstitious. But I do pay attention to things happening around me.

E.R.'s first court date in Ethiopia was on Feb. 16.

Her second court date was March 16. No big deal.

Then Chris, Margie, and G.J. went to get her on May 16. Weird coincidence.

Then E.R.'s Shriner's appt. was rescheduled to Sept. 16. Getting weirder...

I just about fell off my chair when our social worker at Shriner's came into our exam room to tell us that her surgery had just been scheduled for Nov. 16.

Today the Shriner's surgery scheduler called to offer us a surgery date on Nov. 16. I told her that was already our day...

Now I don't know what to think, and I'm waiting for our next "16".

Language Barrier

So as sweet and funny as E.R. is, she is also a spitfire. She has a temper, and her own sense of what justice means. I've never had a 2 year-old yell at me like she does when she's mad. And we've had quite a few 2 year-olds, all of them with tempers! She yells and paces and waves her arms.

So since she's been in our family, often when she is confronted with something she has done or not done, she gets this stern look on her face and she says something that sounds like "Hoh me!" She always has the same look on her face when she says it. This whole time I have assumed it meant something along the lines of standing up for herself. She has such a strong personality it makes sense she would defend herself. Even when I am frustrated with her, I admire her steadfast stand when she disagrees. Many times I have wished I knew what she said.

Then G.J. tactfully informed me that she is saying "YOU'RE MEAN!"

Oh.

That sheds a very new light on so many interactions. Especially because I haven't addressed it this whole time. Name-calling in our family is not tolerated. Chris and I don't call each other names, and we don't call the kids names, so we expect that they do not call us names. I'm not saying that they never do it, but we address it immediately.

Oh boy...

Well, at least I know that her "Farry Mommy" means "Sorry Mommy".

At least I think it does.

Shriners

Shriners Children's Hospital was able to move E.R.'s intake appointment up to Sept. 16. Chris, J.T. and I took her. We were there for almost 3 hours. It was amazing to finally be there. 12 months after she was brought to Layla House, run by Adoption Advocates International, and 10 months after we received the telephone call that would intersect our lives with hers forever, she was sitting in the hospital waiting room to begin the medical intervention that was part of the reason that she was referred for adoption in the first place.

We have heard nothing but amazing stories about Shriners, so it was fun to sort of become part of the Shriners' family.

E.R. met the surgeon, had X-rays, had her picture taken, met the prosthetist, and got to see what her new foot will look like. We aren't sure how much of it she understood, but Chris and I got more information about what her life will be like than we had before. The Shriners staff was as amazing as everyone said. They all loved on our little ones - even J.T. who was just along for the ride!

So at this point, E.R. is scheduled for surgery to amputate the foot that she has on her left leg. This will allow her to be able to wear a prosthetic foot/ankle, and it will take away the pain she now feels at the base of her leg bone (which is where she bears her weight now). She will be in the hospital for about 3 days, and then will need to remain off her legs for about 2 weeks after that. From there the prosthetic process will start.

E.R. shut down emotionally for a bit after the appointment. She stopped talking, and her eyes were a bit frozen again. She doesn't like people looking at her foot, and as subtle as everyone was, it was obvious to her that was why we were there. Thankfully she came out of it pretty quickly at her grandparent's house. Thanks to Poppy (beloved grandpa), Grandma (who was with her in Ethiopia), and McDonald's french fries (probably needs no explanation).

She is on the wait list in case there is an opening for surgery before Nov. 16, but we are assuming that will be her date. It will be exactly 12 months after we agreed to be her family!

I have decided to write about the process as we go through it, so stay tuned...

What in the World?!!

E.R. loves for things to be dramatic. I often do too. So together we have lots of fun when something strange happens.

We got home from taking the boys to school and our faithful border collie/black lab was waiting for us in the driveway, all wet. Now she is ALWAYS in the warm, dry house. We have a fenced yard and she is not normally out front. She was VERY happy to see us, and very ready to get inside the house. As I was unbuckling E.R. I very animatedly asked her what was going on? Why was Kaia outside? Why was Kaia all wet? When did she sneak out? Etc. This is a normal conversation for us when a mystery is before us.

But today was different. Her eyes got big as she thought through all the possible reasons. Then instead of babbling back in her Amharic/English about what she thought, my Ethiopian-born 2 year-old, home for 4 months, looked at me, shrugged and said clearly in English,

"Just because."

Fall

September is almost over and the time has flown by!

The boys started school, and it could not have gone better. We love it. G.J. was nervous the first day and after that he is back to himself. No more anxiety or sadness. He has lots of friends (although he can never remember their names!), and his teacher loves him. She said that no one would believe he was new because he is so settled and comfortable. HUGE sigh of relief!

M.C. is also doing well in 1st grade. He has the perfect teacher for him. He has also started soccer and really enjoys that. The first 2 weeks he got to learn how to lose a game. It's so hard to be a kid! He has a harder time feeling like he has friends than G.J. Usually he is a lot more liked than he realizes. He is doing better at home now too. We have a rough week here and there still. But overall this fall has brought good changes for all of us.

Chris is loving his new job. His school has about 650 kids, so there is usually something going on. It has a great staff and lots of involved parents. It is such a good place for him to be. And his commute is about a mile!

E.R. continues to grow (physically and emotionally). She definitely has her toddler tantrums. This girl has a temper! And sometimes I swear I can see a snotty 13 year-old in the looks she gives me when she can't have her way. But I guess I don't need to worry about that for awhile yet. Right now she is still learning what having a mom means, but overall she is doing great.

J.T. continues to be our large bundle of joy. He is so happy, and loves watching everyone. If someone notices him and talks to him, his whole face lights up, and his mouth opens wide like he is just unable to contain the joy at being noticed! He has a highchair now and sits with us at dinnertime. He spends most of his time staring in awe at whichever brother he gets to sit next to. It's like he's saying "I can't BELIEVE I get to be here with him!" It is so cute.

As for me, I'm settling into a bit of a routine with the little 2. I have some ideas of my future work, but for now I am really enjoying the chance to just be home. I enjoy all the little moments with J.T. and E.R. And I also really enjoy taking the older boys to school and picking them up. Last week everyone but me was sick, and it is so nice to just be able to look at a kid and say "yep, you look miserable, you're staying home", and not have to worry about which one of us would take the day off and how our responsibilities would get covered. There is more peace at our house than a year ago...

Thank you for all the prayers. We had a tough summer. One I hope to never have to repeat. (Too bad that isn't how things work!) There were definitely some dark, vulnerable times. I've never been that completely lost as a parent. Some days I had to fight an overwhelming urge to run away. The truth that kept me here is that I couldn't leave Chris to deal with everything on his own! Those were short times of despair, and probably part of my grieving process for the loss of the perfect,loving family I always planned on having. We are imperfect - sometimes sad, sometimes angry, sometimes lost and confused, sometimes afraid about real or imagined things to come. My kids say things to me that I never thought I'd hear. But it is our job to catch them as they fall, hold them tight, and point them to the Healer and Comforter that understands them completely. As we entered this summer I would have told you I wasn't strong enough for all that was coming. But Chris and I clung to our Father, and each other, and we made it through wiser and stronger.

The love that we have for our kids is not the mushy, warm, glowing love that I always imagined and hoped for. It is the love born of battle - full of scars, healing wounds, and the deep loyalty that is only felt for someone who has seen you at your worst. The depth of love that comes after seeking and giving forgiveness is hard to describe. It barely resembles the love we thought we would find. But as hard as things have been, I wouldn't trade what we feel now for each other for what I thought I would feel as Chris and I started our family. Maybe now, more than ever, I understand a bit better how deeply I am loved by Christ. I suppose the love Chris and I have for our kids is much closer to that kind of love than anything else. For the first time we were honest with people about how bad things were, and because of that we found great comfort, advice, support and prayer that sustained us. And we are all doing better. I'm sure I can never say the worst is over, since I have no idea what is around the corner. But I FEEL like the worst may be over.

My life verse was so important this summer: "For I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand I will not be shaken." Psalm 16:8. This was a very shaky summer, but my Lord was with us even in our darkest times, and the truth of His love and promise broke through our dark thoughts and dark days. I can honestly say I don't think we would have made it through intact if we had not had Him with us.

I love this time of year as we head into the holidays, and I am hopeful that this will be a season of peace and joy for our family...

What in the World?!!

So today my gifted, intelligent 8 year-old went back to school after a sick day.

As we were gathering the kids to head out, he complained about what felt like a bruise on his forehead. For the first time I took a good look at his face. He had several (about 5 or 6) 1-inch red circles on his face. Before I began to panic, Chris took a look at him, and I asked G.J. what happened. He didn't say anything, and then it all clicked.

I said "you've been suctioning your pop-it to your body again haven't you?" He truthfully and a bit sheepishly said, "yes". For the last few days I've noticed these weird red circles on my eldest. One on his back took a couple of days for me to figure out it was from a pop-it. Sunday morning he had one on his lower cheek, and I made him swear he wouldn't do it again, especially on his face. I gave him a good lecture about how nervous it makes people when you have marks on your face that look like they could be a bruise or a bizarre rash. Plus they last for DAYS. He agreed that it wouldn't happen again.

Apparently Monday night he forgot.

The pop-it now belongs to Chris who had to walk G.J. into class to make sure his teacher didn't think he was bringing a rare disease into the school.

What in the World?!!

Summer

Life is cruising along here at our house. The summer has been busy. Chris and I are both home with the kids which has been so incredible. It has allowed us to be able to do things with all the kids, or each of the kids individually. Last summer was consumed with our move and felt like we didn't get to do anything else. This summer has definitely made up for it. I can't believe we are looking at the end of summer in a few weeks!
J.T. is 20 pounds now, and just turning 4 months. He is lots of fun, and we all enjoy him. He is experimenting with constant growling that hopefully will turn in to words someday! He smiles a lot now, but we seem to have trouble capturing it in a picture. We'll keep trying...
And then there is E.R... Our little 2 have been good sports about going various places - for walks and hikes, to water parks and regular parks, the coast, the Mt. Hood Railroad, having friends to our place, and visiting friends at theirs, and anything else we come up with! They adore each other, and spend a lot of time side-by-side.

E.R. has had a summer of firsts. First 4th of July, first parade, first American birthday party, first ocean experience. She loved the waves so much that on the day of our second ocean trip, she said "ocean. ocean." all morning while we packed up the car. As we were getting last minute things together she decided she was tired of waiting. She told Chris "ocean" and headed down the street on her own (we live in a very safe cul-de-sac with no traffic- but still). He called her back, and she turned around to look at him, shake her head, and say firmly "ocean", and kept going. She had decided to meet us there...

G.J. has had a great summer. He spends most of his time reading, writing/drawing comic stories, and eating popsicles. He is taking a comic drawing class that he really enjoys. - Much to my relief. We signed up a long time ago and I was afraid he would have outgrown comics by the time the class started. I shouldn't have worried, this appears to be a long-term love for him. G.J. will be starting a new school this fall, and is nervous about that. He knows a few kids from playing baseball, and we are hoping that helps. He is such a friendly, kind, funny kid that I'm sure he'll do fine. But it is hard for him to think about getting attached to his 3rd school in 4 years. Fortunately he is used to having good experiences in school, so we know he'll do fine.
And then there is M.C. He continues to be great with the little 2, and definitely has some really great days. He is struggling with some issues this summer that we had hoped had gotten better. He had a rough time adjusting from his fabulous kindergarten to being home and unstructured. But Chris and I are getting help for him, and we could really use prayer for M.C. I love this kid so much and want him to do well at his new school in September. I wish I could be more specific, but this is the internet...There are also some things on the horizon for Chris and I that are impacted by how M.C. does this fall. Thank you for remembering us in your prayers!
Chris and I are doing well, and feel like we've adjusted to having 4 kids. Chris got a new job for this fall. He'll be the school counselor for the school that is closest to our house. He is really excited about being able to throw himself into one school and spending more time with kids. He is currently passionately working on building a studio downstairs. I've never seen him work this hard! He deserves to have his own space to be creative and keep his recording gear out of the hands of little ones. I'm excited for him, and apparently it will be ready much quicker than we had planned!

I am doing well. I've had quite a few health issues this summer, but I'm hoping that it is just my usual rough time recovering from birth. I passionately love J.T. with a love that I wasn't sure was possible for number 4. But I am crazy about this little guy. And E.R. has just taken our family by storm. She has brought joy and laughter to our home that we desperately needed. I love watching her grow, and work at pronouncing her words correctly, and doing silly things constantly to make us smile. I love having a E.R. as my daughter. It has been so fun to start over with little kids again - and to know that they aren't going anywhere! My heart is heavy much of the time over feeling like I can't figure out how to help M.C. I am trying to blame myself less, but as a parent I think some of that is inevitable. It is hard to be on the receiving end of asking for help. I have spent so many years as a service provider, that this side of things is uncomfortable. There is something else on my heart daily that only time and prayer will sort out.

We are having such a great summer, but to be honest by the end of this month, I think I'll be ready for fall !

Happy Day !

I'm back! We are just coming out of our newborn/adoption fog. We are doing well. Actually, E.R. is doing amazingly well! We can't really imagine life without her. She has been home 10 weeks now, and has adjusted to our family so much better than we could have hoped for.

She turned 2 in July, and the event lasted 2 days. We spent a day on the Oregon coast with friends - which is now her favorite place to be. Then the next day we celebrated at home with her grandparents. She called it her "Happy Day" - refusing to call it a birthday. As usual she is in charge, and as usual her cuteness wins us over. She has this amazing exuberance in every second of her life, so naturally now she sees every extra-special moment (which honestly could be ANYTHING) as a "Happy Day". She has brought so much joy into our house that now we are constantly noticing a "Happy Day". :) Seriously, what did we do without her?

Here are some pictures of our girl who confidently takes on the world at 2 years old...

Have a Happy Day !

reflections on our second week

This week was so busy. We had 4 doctor's appointments in addition to the rest of our life. E.R. is blooming more every day. She has new words almost by the hour. She sings a lot. She is definitely screaming more than last week, but only when it is time to go to bed. She is slowly accepting "no" from me a little better as time goes on.

She is so quickly becoming a member of our family. And so much of it is by her initiation. We really thought she was going to be this quiet, solemn little girl that would take months to coax out of her shell. She is so different than we pictured. After clearing up her ear infections, she has become this truly joyful, funny, loud, gutsy little girl, who seems to truly LIKE all of us - even the pets. Chris and I have been shocked by how quickly we have all bonded to each other. I know people have been praying for us - for that specifically.

Last week I was with E.R. and J.T. in their room. They have a window that overlooks our neighborhood, and we have lots of kids on our street. It was a warm day and the kids were all out and we could hear them from inside. E.R. crawled over to the window and pulled herself up. She fell, so I helped prop her up against a little table. She peeked out over the windowsill to try to see the kids.

I watched her standing there and felt the tears start to fall. I realized that this is how her life has always been. - Watching the other kids do what she can't quite do. She tries so hard to get around and do what everyone else is doing. Walking for her is so much more difficult than anyone around her. She falls a lot. But she never complains, and never seems to notice that others have it easier. I sat there watching her and realized that if she wasn't here in America, in our family, this would most likely always be her life. Watching from the window. I knew that in my head while we waited for her, and it was a big reason why we chose to adopt her. But now that I know her, and see her personality, it hits me in a different way.

I grieved for days last November when we were considering her referral and found out that she would need an amputation. This is a decision I had never considered needing to make. I grieved again not very long before Chris went to get her as I began making her medical appointments. I wanted so much to be able to fix her foot so that she could keep it. I was praying about it one day - and I could picture two different girls. One girl was running, playing sports, walking with her friends. The other was laying in a bed, unable to walk or go to school, while her mom said, "she is very happy with her life." I realized that God wants me to be the mom of the first girl. To make sure that she has every chance at this life. Nothing should hold this little girl back. He has big plans for her, and her prosthetic foot may or may not be part of what she will do in life, but it will be part of her and her story.

That day at the window, I picked her up and we walked outside. She was soon surrounded by neighbor kids who wanted to meet her. She seemed to glow in their attention. E.R. is now part of our family. She will grow and learn and make her mistakes with us on the inside of that window, and we will be the foundation she needs to walk outside, tall and strong, to be surrounded by all that God has planned for her. I am so humbled that we get to be her family.

Day 14 - 6/5

Today G.J. stayed home from school until he could get into the doctor. Unfortunately I couldn't get an appt. until the afternoon which meant I would have all 4 kids.

The longer E.R. has been here the more we notice how much she needs routine and order in her life. She is so bright, that she picks up things immediately. And then expects them to be the same. The example for today was this morning. She cried when Chris left, which she almost always does. Chris took M.C. to school. He usually takes both boys with him, but this morning she didn't seem to notice G.J. wasn't with them. Then a little later, she walked into the living room and saw G.J. on the couch. She became very serious and walked up to him. She leaned her face into his and spoke to him seriously in Amharic. I thought she was sort of saying "good morning". But then she grabbed hold of his shirt and started pulling him, as if to pull him off the couch. She pointed to the window which looks out over the driveway and seemed to be ordering him to go to school! She knew he did not belong on the couch while M.C. was at school! So funny.

G.J.'s appt. went well. I held J.T. and E.R. rode in a single stroller by herself for the first time. She did great. I think she was very relieved to realize that she got to sit safely in there the whole time while G.J. was up on the exam bed. She chattered away. She was a bit nervous when G.J. had to use a nebulizer, but handled it well. We were there for a long time, and we were all definitely ready to go home by the end.

I got to take M.C. to his game tonight while Chris stayed home with the other kids. It was nice to have a break with just him. I've been feeling a bit better today, so I was able to enjoy his game without my eyes and nose running the whole time.

Day 13 - 6/4

Today, E.R., J.T. and I took the boys to school as usual. Later we picked up M.C. from kindergarten and headed over to Chris' parents' house, where my sister and brother-in-law were planning to watch M.C. and E.R for me. I had a doctor's appointment that wasn't appropriate to have the older kids at. It was the first time I've left E.R. with anyone other than Chris. Fortunately they have been here since she came home, so she knows them pretty well.

I stayed with them for about an hour and a half, and then said "Good-bye". E.R. cried hard, but apparently stopped a few minutes after I left. She was fine the rest of the time. But when I came back, she didn't want much to do with me. She wouldn't look at me, and didn't seek me out. We loaded up and headed over to get G.J. from school. E.R. was asleep when we got home, so I put her down for her nap. It was so nice not to have to go through her screaming routine before falling asleep!

There was a message from our pediatric office that E.R.'s very last stool sample came back positive for girardia! I was pretty surprised. Of course girardia is very common in Ethiopia, but she hasn't really had any symptoms. We thought we were safe after her first set of samples. So she will start an anti-biotic this weekend now for that.

When she woke up she was very angry with me for about 45 minutes. She wouldn't smile or interact with me at all. After I fed her a snack at the table she warmed up, and by dinner seemed more like her usual self.

Around dinnertime we had a freaky storm hit us. Huge wind gusts, and even some funnel clouds were seen in our area. The kids ran outside to enjoy the strong winds. Almost immediately, G.J. began to have a major allergy attack. He never had allergies before we moved to Oregon. This is the second one he has had. So he was on Benedryl all night, and not able to sleep at all. The poor kid was absolutely miserable.

E.R. had a good evening, and seemed worried about G.J. - who looked terrible...

Day 12 - 6/3

I've been sick all week, and today I felt terrible! My eyes and nose are runny, and I've been having bad headaches, which I don't get very often. I tried to take it easy today, resting and catching up on house stuff. E.R. and J.T. worked at keeping my attention, of course. They actually alternate pretty well. She needs me while he's sleeping, and he is fussy, when she is content. But that means that I don't get much of a break. Ever.

E.R. is totally okay with the pets now. In fact, she came to get me, very excited, and led me to her room. We got down on the floor and looked under her crib. She kept saying, "Killy, killy", and wagging her fingers. One of the cats was asleep (or pretending to sleep) under there. E.R. was very excited, and checked under her crib every 15 minutes or so until the cat left.

She is also great with the dogs now. Our blind dog doesn't seem to know we've added another kid, but E.R. can say her name now, and doesn't appear scared at all. She has started to call our other dog Kaia, "ka-ka" - which means poop. I'm not sure if that is just the closest she can pronounce her name, or if she really thinks we've been calling our dog "poop" all this time. That would explain the funny looks, and not wanting the dog to touch her. Kaia is our dog that always sits under the highchair for meals. She is uncanny at picking out which kid is most likely to spill the most food. E.R. now doesn't mind if Kaia is under her seat, and I caught her tossing a few noodles over her seat to the dog today. That cemented their relationship for life.

Chris stayed home this evening with the younger three while I took G.J. to his game. I was pretty sick, but actually got to just sit and relax while I watched him play, which was nice. Hopefully Chris enjoyed his time with the kids just as much!

Day 11 - 6/2

Today was another hard day for E.R. We took the boys to school, and had a good morning. She is so cheerful in the mornings now, it is fun to talk with her. Seems like she has a new word every few minutes.

After we picked up M.C. we went for E.R.'s first well-child appointment. Chris met us there. E.R. was not interested in being examined in any way - that includes being weighed! She had her shots, and then Chris took her in for her blood draw. It was a total nightmare. I can imagine how hard she fought after yesterday's X-rays. They couldn't find a vein in the first arm, then couldn't get enough blood in the second arm. Meaning - she has to go back in! I don't know if I've ever seen her that excited to get back into the van!

It is going to be tough to have this kid hospitalized...

E.R. was a bit more clingy than usual during the evening, but overall seemed to recover from the trauma pretty quickly. She is a survivor.