Reality Check

This was in my inbox this morning...

"Yesterday, we received referrals for our families whose dossiers were logged in on July 11, 2006."

These families have been waiting over five years to get and bring home their 'healthy' child. 

We were logged in June 2007.  We would still be waiting for our 'healthy' child another year, but God had different plans and has blessed us with two wonderful, extra special daughters instead of one in less than four years from our log in date.  My life is blessed.  I wouldn't have planned my life this way and some days the "blessing" of six extra special kids is quite overwhelming, but God remains faithful.  He is the Provider.  He is the Healer.  He is our Comfort.

Of Doctors, Broken Bones and Migraines

I think I've had enough of all three.
Lillyanna and I went to Shriners yesterday.  We met the specialist that I have been communicating with for almost a year and found out that we need more testing, which of course couldn't happen yesterday.  We walked or should I say I walked away with a little girl in a stroller unable to walk for more than 30 feet, two stickers, a stuffed bulldog, all the x-rays and discs that I took (that's a good thing), a free book, the hope of finding the answer soon and a migraine. 
On Monday Shriners will set up a Dexa (sp?), bone density test, for hopefully some time next week (at this point Tues and Wed. are out because of other things...).  Depending on the results of that test, we may or may not be able to start the infusions.  The infusion being a three day/two night in the hospital thing. !!!!!  Yeah, I hadn't expected THAT!  I had been told (or at least heard) three hours for the infusions previously, not THREE DAYS!!!!   Not sure how God is going to work this out.  I called my parents on the way home and begged for them to move here.  Not counting on it, but it would be nice. :)

Truth Telling

Telling the truth around our house is a big deal, even if it means you will get into trouble.  You will usually get into less trouble if you are truthful...  Now we have a child who likes to extend the boundaries of the "truth" beyond what is truthful and we've had to talk about such things like, "Is this something you saw with your eyes or saw in your imagination?",  "A worm is not a snake",  "The hopping of a bunny is not the stomping of a bear".

This afternoon we got to hear about a how he heard a tree 'timbering' in the woods.  (This was when he was outside without having permission, again).  He regaled us with how he was just standing there and somewhere he heard a crash so of course we should check around the house... which we didn't.  When we left the house this evening, we saw a newly fallen tree and our wonderful son proclaimed in a very surprised voice, "OH, I was telling the truth!!!"  LOL!  I think he was almost as surprised as us that he had indeed told the truth.

The Casts are OFF!

What more can be said?!?  After five weeks and one day of being casted, she is free!  We are free.  I bought lifejackets for the girls while "in town" after we knew that she would not need to be recast.  Since we've only had her for 7 weeks and two days the feeling of her being in a cast for FOREVER, really isn't quite an overstatement. 
I would take pictures, but... her skin that was under the cast is...a little scaly right now and "Don't scratch that" is not one of the Chinese phrases I learned.  Imagine a snake shedding...
I also need to say that she did SO GOOD at the office.  "This is going to tickle" is another Chinese phrase I didn't learn.  So when someone you don't really know comes at you with a saw and says in English, "This is going to tickle." and your mom is holding you down and saying in Chinese, "It's okay, it's okay" to only cry, ain't bad.  We started with her arm and by the second side she wasn't even crying!!!  I am amazed.  God did good in calming her little heart.
X-rays were taken after the casts came off an it looks like she has a second fracture in her right fibula...  I just need to try to figure out if it's on the skeletal survey from two weeks ago.  The ortho was happy with the callus on it... Maybe we can go 48 hours on US soil without a cast?!  I'm hoping!!!!
Gotta run, the "science guy" is coming over for dinner and experiments tonight!!!

A Moment of Doubt

Standing in my kitchen yesterday after working on getting E enrolled in part time Deaf Ed through our new school district, I was struck with, "It would be so much easier to put the kids in school.  We live in a better school district now...  I would have more time for the foster/adoption ministry.  I could finally have order in the house!  After the school supplies and clothes are bought, I would be DONE!!" 

Then I went to a local homeschool group's summer meeting (more out of duty than joy) and heard about several families that are new to homeschooling because they were fed up of stuff at public schools!  One woman had worked for a school district for 17 years then pulled her son out because they were tired of all the 'other stuff' happening at the school! (and it was one of the "good" schools)!!  Ms. V shared scripture after scripture about how kings of the Bible, God fearing kings, would doubt and put their trust in earthly things and God would have to reprimand them. 

Well, I would be remiss to ignore that God was trying to get MY attention.  That when I do have doubt, I need to trust HIM.  When I am feeling overwhelmed about how to school a 7th, 5th, two 1sts, a pre-K and basically a pre-pre-K, I need to trust that HE has a plan for all of this and it's not for me to lose my sanity.  Thank you Ms. V for your words of encouragement and scheduling such a wonderful time of refreshment.  Like a glass of water to a parched mouth, I left feeling revived and full of joy for what lies ahead.

What's There To Be Scared Of?

Bumping, running, walking, jumping, sitting, falling, a finger closed in a book, holding, dropping, crying, bathing, sleeping.  All of these are things that I am now scared of.

Life has taken on a whole new twist as we wait to see specialists.  Any of the above could cause her injury or mean she's injured or are just a pain in the backside because of a full arm and leg casts.

I jokingly told someone that I was suffering from Post Adoption Depression and they said that there is an actual 'syndrome' called Adjustment Disorder Depression (?)!  Not that I am depressed, but little things that I used to take for granted now take A LOT of effort.  We knew adopting a child with OI was going to be a challenge, but finding out that she has five healing fractures, compressed vertabrae and the broken arm are a little beyond even the challenge that we thought possible.  China had told us her last fracture was Feb. 2010.  When we got her, she came with documentation that showed the last known fracture was June 2010 (we should have been told about this, because it was before the referral) and we have no date or record on these five others (which are more recent than June 2010)...  Meanwhile she's happy as a lark walking around on a left leg with two fractures and no cast and a right leg with one fracture and a cast.  I will hopefully have the chance this week to talk extensively with the local ortho about the left leg, his viewing of her left leg x-rays...  We might be looking for a new ortho... 
As every day has brought challenges, everyday also brings joy.  It is these moments of joy that I dwell on, not on what might happen.

Junk Mail

I keep getting unsolicited email from it seems just about everyone!  If I counted it all up I probably have won easily close to a billion dollars.  I just have to help someone get it from Nigeria, Afghanistan, Britain... HA!  I could get any prescription drug on the planet for next to nothing.  Ha, Ha.  And I could have any job I wanted or earn untold amounts of money working from home...  I am in quite high demand as you can see.  So today in an effort to clean up my inbox, I started marking all such emails as junk (you can't unsubscribe to some of them) and now my email is marking ALL my incoming emails as junk!  Grr.  Technology sometimes you love it and sometimes you just want to leave it.

In Preparation

I spent several hours yesterday with my back to the kids and my face to the computer screen looking for the best buy on books.  We went ahead and started the next history book, The Story of the Middle Ages.  I had been tempted to go with a curriculum "set" and yesterday I was reminded why I LOVE these histories.  Now we were supposed to get through the Middle Ages and the Reformation this past year, but since our year started with us going back to Creation and we made it through the Romans I don't view it as a loss.  There was so much more depth this year, compared to last, even in the midst of the adoption and moving turmoil.  I am pretty sure that for American History we will get a pre-assembled curricula, but that's not now and my focus is now and making the most of everyday! 
Life with six kids is somewhat hectic.  lol!  They are all within 8 years and 3 months of each other, though it took us 12 years to get here.  Anyway, now with country living, Mr. Incredible working/getting home late (40 minute commute each way), and all the kids, our meal preparation, planning, etc. had become non-existent!  Go figure!!  But we are now into the second week of a two week menu plan that I concocted.  The best part is we haven't had the same thing twice in that time!  AND, with the exception of one night we've stuck with it!!!  (longest time yet!)  I've always had a general idea what we would eat when, but it has never been a written thing.  The necessity to write down a menu and have a plan became very evident when the closest grocery store became 7+ miles away (with high prices) and the closest Walmart is 14 miles away; I only have time once to twice a month to do a full grocery shop (3+ hours); Mr. Incredible kept using an ingredient for one thing for another thing; and we kept having the same thing (or really close) EVERY night.  I can testify that man cannot live on chicken and rice indefinitely.  There are only so many ways to have it before it is done, Done, DONE.
Maybe, one day soon, I can figure out a housework schedule that actually works and a school schedule that never needs to be revised... Doubt IT!  Oh well, life is too short to obsess about dust! :)

The Ants Come Marching...

Can you believe it's a week into JULY already?!  I can't.  Time is marching on and on.  Just like the ants that are invading our kitchen.  Those pesky ants first started visiting while we were in China and every three or so days there's a new batch of them marching on the wall.  Last weekend we set ant baits.  It hasn't helped.  Finally in desperation I called the exterminator today.  Hopefully next Tuesday will bring some deadly results, to the ants that is.

In other news, Lilly slept in her bed all night (without me too!).  She got up earlier than I would have liked, but I crossed the house,  told her to lay back down and I curled up on the foot of their bed for another 45 minutes.  I keep my favorite quilt at the foot of their bed for this purpose.  It's a total contrast to the cuteness and girliness of their room, but with a stuff animal or baby blanket under my head and the quilt over me I can usually squeeze in a few more winks.  This is only the second time that she has not woke up during the night since we've been home. (I think)  I am so sleep deprived, it may be the third...  :)

...just as ants come marching so do the "weights of the world".  They're not there one day and the next more and more and more.  In essence your good, then BAM!  Someone says untruth about you, a car needs repair, the kids whine and whine...(pick a problem)  They are always going to come and try to bring you down.  But just as you can squash ants, you can cast your cares on God and know that He can squash the problems that threaten to overtake your sanity and HE can bring justice and vengeance.  Case in point this post was started this morning when all was good and now I'm seeking God concerning several situations... 

5 Hours Later

We had Genetic appointment scheduled at a "nearby" (3 hour drive) children's medical facility.  So Wednesday started at 3:45am in order to make our 8:30 appointment.  We decided to make it a "family day" and stop by to see friends we had made in China. Well the appointment went LONG and so the outing to the museum was cancelled, but two trips later to a nearby mall and five kids had Lego mini figures, one had a Build-a-Bear, lunch (my first real meal) was finally consumed and we were headed to our friends.

What was supposed to be a 1-3 hour appointment ended up being almost 5 and during it I had to explain all that we knew about Lilly then we went down for testing (expected).  It took two sticks to get enough uncoagulated blood for the tests, she DIDN'T like that.  I also got to hear how her left femur and tibia (?) have healing fractures?!? (unexpected!!) and we got to wait while the radiologist conferred with ortho about whether or not we needed to cast (!!), since they are of an approximate age to the healing fracture in her right leg which IS cast!.  The other news is that she has compression fractures in her vertebrae and that her scapula (shoulder blades) have been fractured.  When the radiologist told me this, it took all I had to hold it together.  I wanted to just start sobbing.  The pain she has endured... and she doesn't complain.  Lilly has such a sunny disposition and is so outgoing and here she is walking around on two broken legs, with a broken arm and all this other stuff!  The most frustrating part is China has her last xrays showing a fracture dated june 2010.  It is very hard to date a fracture and so we may never know when these newest occurred.  The fact that they are healing is good, but also means they've been there awhile.  Fortunately, we do not have more casts (as of right now), Rick did famously with five kids and "nothing to do" for five hours and the boys got along great with our friends sons.

All in all it was a good day and by the time we made it home and got everyone in bed and finally ate it was only 11pm!

These were a welcome and easy to fix treat that we took on the trip.  I think I might give up buying GF granola bars at $3.23 for 5 1oz. bars and just make 'em!  I used 2/3 c. GF rice krispies, 2/3 c. sunflower seeds and 1+ c. of craisens as my fruit and nuts.  (my next batch will probably have some allergen free chocolate chips, YUMMY!)

As a note today, I was able to download a free program and view all the xrays we had yesterday and see just what the radiologist was talking about.  Kinda cool with my science background and us studying Human Anatomy and Physiology with the boys this year.  Though it looks like her left fibula has the healing fracture to me, not the tibia...

We may have to go back for more (very expensive) testing if these tests are not conclusive, so please be in prayer that with all 24 x-rays, the DNA testing and all the other blood tests it can be conclusively determine  that she has Osteogenesis Imperfecta or whatever it is that she has that makes her break easy.