Always something new happening

With all the illness and craziness going on in and around our family we asked for prayer at church this Sunday by the elders. They asked, "What's new?" Well, they ASKED for it! And we TOLD them! Scott has a big work change coming up in March - it's a good thing but it does bring a lot of change - as in a 1 hour drive to work change. We will likely move but we are hoping to put it off as long as possible for several reasons. Next, we informed them about little Zeph having up-coming surgery on his left hand to separate two fingers and at the same time another surgeon will shave the sharp bone spur from his leg that is bothering him when we put on his prosthetic foot. We reported the good news that Zeph tested at a 9 month old speech level in December and just recently tested at 13 months! Big progress! Zeph also has been biting less and less - actually, he hasn't bit (not hard) for a long time. He is also banging his head less. He's switched most often to hitting the ground with his hands or clapping them hard. Occasionally he will still head-bang or hit his face if he is very upset but it's becoming less and less. Today I was given even further instructions and therapies (by PT and OT) to do with Zeph to help him get the sensory he needs in a healthier way than banging and smacking himself. It seems very promising. Back to our greeting with the elders: we shared some BIG happy news with them:

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This is our youngest little one - our 5th child! See his/her little hands, fingers, face, feet? Heartbeat strong and due to be born sometime aprox. in September of this year! What a happy surprise! No wonder my immune system has been struggling so much! It's trying to stay just weak enough to allow a "foreign" (not really) little person to grow and thrive! So I'm changing tactics and just trying to rest (ya right - with 4 kids!) and eat healthy (healthy = whatever I can keep down). I also have bruised ribs with inflamed tissue and muscle around it, which is getting a little better each day but making it very difficult to lift the kids at present. This is likely from all the coughing I did a few weeks back. I am SO thankful that my AMAZING husband is feeling better (or at least is not complaining) and helping to pick up the slack that my nausea is leaving behind in this house (amazing the messes you actually SEE at the end of the day if your wife hasn't chased all 4 little people around all day cleaning up after them - let's just say I feel "needed"). I couldn't have married a more caring man. I love you, hubby!

Good news!

Remember little Anastasia and Tamara on Reece's Rainbow? They are both on the "My Family Found Me" page!! http://reecesrainbow.org/category/rescued

Remember how there were 2 other little boys there that we wanted to take home with us but they were not yet old enough (special needs were not on the list that qualifies a child in that country for adoption if under age 5)? Well they are both turning 5 in a few months so they are back up on Reece's Rainbow and little "Sargent" is already on the "My Family Found Me" page! We just LOVE seeing these (and so many other precious) kids come home to their families! It's just a miracle! But... there is one little guy who's been on my heart this whole journey who is not on the "MFFM" page.... "Emerson".

Take a look at his page on Reece's Rainbow: http://reecesrainbow.org/3148/emerson404

Here's some of the new treatments available to kids with tuberous sclerosis (that is severe enough to affect their everyday life - Emerson's is listed as "incomplete" so I am not sure how often he may or may not even be having seizures, or if it's controlled well with medication. I know sometimes children develop autism with tuberous sclerosis but, again, from his smiling pictures and description of his personality I am just guessing and hoping he may not be affected in that way).

Um - don't watch the video if you are squeamish easily - it does show a bit of ground-breaking brain surgery.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYHbyajzcXw

I'm showing you this because - what the little boy may or may not be dealing with in his life can seem - and be - scary to adoptive parents. But no child should ever have to go through this alone, with no family. If we could go back we'd bring him home. But right now it doesn't seem possible. So all I can do is pray and share about him and hope someone somewhere is his mama or papa. Someone out there will be brave enough - someone will see him, not just the medical issues he has. Someone will simply see a little boy who needs a home, a family, love. Is it you? Do you know them? Who's praying about adopting a little boy like this? Of course, consider his condition(s) (in the decision process) but mostly - consider him. Consider praying for him? Consider donating $1 or $5 or $10 or... you get it - to his fund. Help me share about him 'til he's got a family coming for him too! One by one (and sometimes two by two!) these kids on Reece's Rainbow are coming home! Amazing! I can't wait to see "Emerson" on "MFFM" page!

Little update

It's been pretty busy around here. The cold/flu season just doesn't seem to go away lately. I realized it's been a little while since I posted something so today I had taken some cute pictures of the kids and some with Zeph particularly turned out funny and cute. He was practicing this morning taking steps to me - he can get a step or two in before he needs mama to help him a little, study his balance and try again. We need to figure out how to get his leg in tighter so it won't turn (prosthetic). Right now putting a thicker sock on (as directed by the Orthopedic Dr.) simply makes it so his leg won't click down far enough, making it too tall for him. So for today...

He's a climber! Yes, he is! He even let me swing him gently in the baby swing and did not cry. He played with cars in the swing (a distraction I came up with) and smiled and giggled! I hate to make this so short but gotta go!

Real Life and LIFE

Hello and "Happy New Year!" - um, a bit late, huh? Well, I assure you there is a reason (several, actually) I haven't posted since Christmas! Not meaning this to be complaining post - but it has been a rough patch lately. It's normally pretty busy around here (not like we have 4 kids or anything, right?) to start with. Toss in the fact that our washing machine broke and we have had the repair men out 10 times in the past couple weeks, ordered 3 different parts for 2 different problems... it "should" be fixed now (they came today, again) - we'll see - I haven't had the guts to try a laundry load! Praying it actually works this time! There is laundry piled up all over the place from over 6 weeks of laundry.

The great news is that, because I'm not doing any laundry, I've kept up pretty good on the dishes! Except, um, our garbage disposal broke. So did my blender.
We were all still trying to get over this weird cough/cold thing from Christmas time when the flu hit our family last week. Not...fun...at...all. Arielle and Zeph were spared from the "epidemic" but Nathanael had a light case and Scott, myself and baby Evie got it the worst. Nothing worse than seeing your baby miserably sick and weak. We're all better from the flu now... back to recovering from the other thing we had before and apparently still have. Oh, how I miss church and friends!

Scott and I have been trying each night to get some time alone just to watch a movie or something but by the time we get the kids in bed and walk around in a daze like zombies around the house wondering where we were going and what we got up to do... we end up saying, "it's too late to start a movie. Let's go to bed" (yes, we are now officially "old people" because we actually like to sleep! And by "old people" I mean it to also = "parents of several children"). So I begged my busy mama to come around 9pm and just stay here while the kids (except for our night owl baby) sleep so we can go get dessert or something - anything - just OUT.... together! And she said YES! So I am super-duper excited that we are going to actually have time together! And if we're not too tired we may actually do more than sit and eat and stare at each other 'til we giggle. Yes..believe it or not,

people... we may actually have a conversation that does not involve boogers, therapy, homeschooling, cloth diapers, broken appliances or bills and we might have more to say than, "so what you wanna do?"... "I don't know - what you wanna do?"

Through all of this - and so much more I won't bore you with - God is Faithful and Good! We are frail, sick, sinful, ugly, broken. He is our Strength, Healer, Perfect Lamb of God, giving Beauty for ashes and making all things new, the potter who can take broken clay, add living water and make a new pot! Just when things seem so gloomy He gives hope because He is the Hope of the world!

I'll give a little update on the kids and then I'm getting ready to get outta here!

Photo: Zeph after playing with markers, glue (art projects with teacher), and playing in the dirt like a real boy!

Zephaniah had a meeting a couple weeks ago (likely where we got our flu from) with a physical therapist. It didn't go so great. Okay it was an absolute nightmare. He was fussing in the waiting room and once we got into the therapy room he was fighting tooth and nail, screaming, crying, banging his head, hitting his face... did I mention screaming? She did a quick assessment of his spasticity (tightness) on his right side, which he was terrified about. He was NOT letting her touch him...period. She couldn't do anything else with him. He wouldn't calm down. She did give me some suggestions, thou

gh. She said wherever his crib was in the orphanage it was in such a place that he had to look to his left to see anything he wanted to see. Thus the tightness on his right side and misshapen head. At her suggestion we are now: moving his car seat to the other side so he has to look to his right to see Arielle or anything else. We moved his crib so he has to look to the right to see out of the crib (covered the other part with blanket). I'm feeding him so he has to turn his head to the right to get his bite. I'm also feeding him by hand now - only. For finger foods I only give him one bite. One little piece at a time. Over time he'll get used to not having so much at a time in his mouth (we hope). This is at the suggestion of other adoptive parents. Zeph is able to take steps now when supported! He hates it. Really. If he sees his prosthetic coming he fusses and whines like we are killing him to put it on. He just doesn't want to deal with it. It's a cumbersome thing that "slows him down" in his eyes, you know? I'm so excited for the day he realizes what a good thing it is! He has also added one very special favorite word to his English (and only) vocabulary: "No!" "Hey, Mr. Zeph - wanna do some walking?"... "no, no, no, no, no, no!" He's learning. He's adapting. Slowly, slowly. But it is happening :) You see all these cute pictures, his sweet little face. Well, bonding is coming slower than I expected. You would think with how cute he is that I would bond to him like glue! Nope. I'm just not sticky! It's going to be a process and though it's an emotional roller-coaster of sorts I believe it will happen one day at a time.

Nathanael: Just a few days after turning 6 he got a lose tooth and I am happy to report that he did eventually lose it! Not a wiggling tooth type of kid. He just let it happen on it's own. He's started school again, something else that's keeping me on my toes (homeschooling).

Arielle and Evie: Are up to the same stuff: dollies, dresses, and let's just call this "learning how to get along with each other and Zeph" ;)

Now - you all enjoy your day/night/whatever. I'm going on a hot date!

Our Christmas 2011

I was singing several days in a row this year over the weekend and even on Christmas morning. Thankfully Scott had the next day off so we did "Christmas morning" traditions together on Monday morning, day after Christmas. So on Christmas night (our "Christmas Eve") my amazing husband got in the garage, sanded down and painted the old mantle he had taken down the year before (to put tile on our fireplace instead of brick sticking up and being a hazard to our babies) and he put it up! While he was doing that I was setting other stuff up and cleaning and watching our late-nighter baby Evie. I set down a soft blanket and had brought out some extra Christmas decor not already out including a stuffed reindeer that Scott's little sister made us YEARS ago. Evie LOVED it! It was like giving catnip to a cat! She rolled around with it and practically "purred" over it!


Stockings all hung up on the newly painted, made-over mantle.

The whole fireplace set up (below). - Finally finished!!!

The next morning our two oldest woke up excited. Evie... didn't want to wake up yet. We brought her out but she still didn't want to wake up so we let her take a short nap on the blanket while the other kids started in on stockings.



There was an apple and snack bar in each stocking. This was Zephaniah's favorite part (and almost Nathanael's favorite - okay and the girls liked it too!).
Did I mention that my grandmother hand-knitt each stocking as each member of the family has joined? Yep. She just gave us Zeph's a little after he came home.
Evie and Arielle both got ride-on/bike toys from Craigslist (used). Evie's was in perfect condition and Arielle's was spray-painted by her daddy... the night before (yes, last minute!). It looked almost new after the new paint (special paint just for plastics).

Eventually Evie woke up and realized all the fun was going on and she was very happy to have "pre-breakfast" immediately.
What Evie did with this present at first.....

My Auntie got Zeph this little "punny" pj set.
That evening my parents came over. Here's my daddy:
Arielle in her new pjs and headband.

Standing up

Today we tried Zeph's prosthesis on him at home. He hated it. I set him first up by the couch and he was okay for a moment (and I snapped this picture of him) then he had a bit of a melt down over it. It will be a matter of him getting used to it and then beginning to realize what he can do with it. We're so excited about him getting started!

A new foot for Zeph

Today we took Zeph to get his foot fitted and they sent it home with us! It was a longer appointment and the kids did their best to entertain themselves. Poor little Zeph was so tired from missing his nap. He was not cooperative so when I'd stand him up to see if his foot was level with the prosthesis he would try to throw himself back and cry. Thankfully they were still able to determine (with his stomping) that it was a good fit and they sent it home with us to try out on him! Yay! I was able to get a couple pictures of him (not throwing a fit) but he was mostly just "all done" by the time they were able to fit it on him. He wanted it off, wanted his "baba" and wanted to go home and eat. So we did :) The other kids did great - all four kids in one room. And the staff there at the orthopedics center - they are awesome. We are so blessed!

Re-do!!

Since most of our decorations were ruined/broken I caved and got some cheap plastic ones and let the little ones hang them. So what does Arielle do? As soon as I got the ribbons on them she takes off putting them all on, and off again, and on again....
I've been thinking of all the ways I can expose Zeph to different textures in his hands, specifically and so I've been making yummy meals I know he likes and letting him use his hands to eat for at least one meal a day. The mashed potatoes were a total hit!!

The "babies"...

Zeph going at his big carrot. Only a few bites but hey, at least it's something! There is something neat about eating a carrot with the top still on it! All the kids were walking around chomping on their carrots! At first Zeph didn't want anything to do with his carrot until he saw the other kids munching happily on them. So he tried it and even ate about 1/3 of it!
Zeph "praising" his carrot

That morning I let him use his hands as well to eat his scrambled eggs with sour creme (I think sour creme was big in his homeland), hashed potatoes and avocado mixed in. It's one of his favorite breakfasts and so nothing, not even him having to put his hands in "icky" stuff - would keep him from his beloved breakfast!


The "drama" over here. The Zeph bug bites...again. He's pretty sneaky, this little guy. He knows better, not to bite. I've watched from where he can't see me - he will stop and look around to see if my eyes are on him often times before he decides to bite another child - then he goes in for it and I usually catch him before he sinks his teeth in. Yesterday morning, however, I was too late. he bit E's ear and it was bleeding all over. Doesn't look too bad in this picture, all cleaned up but it got red and swollen and I kept an eye on it for awhile. It seems to be healing well now. Then I found another bite on her shoulder this morning (um, how did I miss that last night when putting her to bed????). I just thought I'd post this because it is something to consider when you are adopting if you have other little ones at home. I'm not fully bonded to Zeph yet so in my carnal naturality I feel like "some kid" (my own son now) just bit my sweet baby girl and I have to put my feelings aside ("what a stinker! Where's his mother so I can have words with her?") and use my brain to sort out how I will deal with the situation. I have to remember where Zeph is coming from, what life is like for him then and now. I have to comfort my hurt little one and clean her up. I have to set boundaries and teach Zeph that it is not okay to bite, in a gentle way that will have the least affect on our bonding - ya - tough, huh? Well, Zeph went to naptime a little early. I grabbed his baba, told him "no bite" in a firm deep voice and gently tapped (no, not hit, tapped to show him where the problem was) his lips and then told him "night-night", gave him his baba and put him to bed. He was very tired when it happened. But even after nap time I had to deal with him trying to bite a few more times. He would look to see if I was watching and then when he realized I was he'd stop his "about to bite" behavior and pat the future victim on the head and say "nie" (nice) and then smile the cutest smile and I would praise him, "Yes! Nice, Zeph, nice!" and he'd be so proud of himself for checking in with mama and being "nice". Now if only we could keep him doing that every time and if only I had eyes in the back of my head!!!

Sand, Oats and Trees, Oh My!

The above shot is from my phone camera the other day at the park. We tried the park swing. No-go for Zeph. I didn't even rock it at all. He was just terrified of not being in my arms, being off the ground and he knew it moved (Evie was happily swinging next to him). To instead I held him and slowly rocked. Nope - he wasn't having that either. He hates motion. So we switched to a nice little sand area at the park. It even had a short wall around that the babies *could* get out of but it would slow them down enough that I didn't feel afraid to let all the kids loose. I set Zeph just inside and he wanted to climb out. So I set him in the middle, hoping he'd join in with the other children there (friend's kids and ours). He put his hands on his lap. He wanted nothing to do with the sand. He didn't move from that spot. A little boy let him play with a car, which he put in his mouth. Once the little boy left (taking the car along) Zeph pulled his shirt up over his head (stretched it out to 'play' with it) and chewed on it too. Did not interact with anyone. Did not move or touch the sand. We figured it was the sensation of not only the sand gritty on his hands but also the MOTION - the sinking feeling if he was to try to move on the sand. He would not even budge when we called him to come out so we could go (he knows what we mean when we say we are going "bye-bye" but he did not care at all - he was not moving). I put some sand on his hands and he flipped out. Poor baby.

Then last night Evie tipped our little tree over twice. Meh. Most of our ornaments broke, even some keepsakes. I figured we were "safe" since the bottom of our tree is mostly bare, babies can't reach the breakable stuff. Nope. Apparently we just have to anchor the tree somehow and/or just make some ornaments that are not breakable. I took off the few remaining fragile things and put our little tree back up.
In light of Zeph's growing resistance to certain textures and senses I thought some sensory play might be good. So tonight I placed some oatmeal, steel cut oatmeal, corn meal and salt in 4 bowls and let the kids play in it on the (easy to sweep) kitchen floor. It was a HIT!

Nathanael came to see what all the fuss was about and ended up playing for awhile - he loved it but wants his own bowls so the babies won't take "his" and mix it all up. What a big boy he is now!
Evie and Arielle went to town with it pouring, mixing, smearing all over the place and laughing and smiling all along!
Zeph was thirsty at an opportune time. I let him have his bottle and it relaxed him enough so he wasn't so tense about feeling the grains and "sands" (salt, oatmeals and gritty cornmeal). First he just allowed me to put some in his hand to put back in the bowl. Then he began to get some out of one bowl and put it in another! This was so great to see!
Zeph dabbled in it just enough to be "okay" with it (as in he no longer HATES it). He even smiled and laughed a few times!

I'm actually supposed to be doing this activity with Zeph (his teacher's idea) but he was way too tired to do it tonight (he would just put stuff "ON", "on" being the concept, plus picking up stuff/fine motor skills and feeling the different textures is wonderful for him). His teacher helped him make one on Thursday and the other children have been begging to make one too so I helped them do it once the littles went to bed.