Making More Room

The girls share a room and a bed.  Since Lolipop got her spica cast things have been a different and this

became this

and there was no room to play and Little Mama was relegated to sleep in the playpen.

Today we discussed the viability of bunkbeds in the girls room, since the spica cast could be on for months, Little Mama is an active sleeper and Lolipop likes space when in a cast (go figure), BUT the proposition was costly -money for the beds/mattresses and the health risks to Lolipop.  (Could we keep Lolipop off the top bunk?!)  So I prayed and left it to God.  In a moment of pure inspiration before bedtime tonight, God revealed another option. 

Going to bed in the 'new' bed.  Stay on your side, please!

Think of it as a short king size bed WITH matching pillow dividers.  Viola'!  And it didn't even cost a thing!!!  God is good!

Lolipop's 'new' wardrobe

 

Having a child with a bar between her legs (spica cast) has led to the need to develop a wardrobe that doesn't need to go up her legs and can accommodate the girth of the cast while still maintaining a decorum of modesty.  Since Lolipop is five and has been toilet trained for a number of years, reverting to using a diaper was not an option that she wanted.  (or myself either)  So our 'panties' are now handkerchiefs with ribbons sewn to the corners to tie them on.  And unless we want to wear just a shirt and our 'panties', I had to sew dresses that had the width needed to accommodate the cast and the ease of just slipping over her head, enter pillowcase dresses.  So far we have three panties and two dresses.  The panties are easy enough, but the dresses have tested me.  A pillowcase isn't wide enough and so I'm having to use fabric.  So if anyone has oodles of time on their hands or has a daughter that likes to sew, I have project ideas for you! (and even some fabric I haven't had time to make into dresses yet.)

Living for Tomorrow...then tomorrow doesn't come

Christmastime was promising to be magical this year.  Even with my mother in law soon in coming, there wasn't the "stress" that is normally associated with visits with her.

Then 4 days before Christmas, same day as my MIL was arriving by plane in Dallas-2.5 hours away, just as I was leaving to get the last of the Christmas presents, Lolipop snapped her left femur.  It happened in an instant right in front of me, just out of reach.  Her leg clearly deformed I began calling doctor offices- drive to Dallas or go local, all the while thinking that MIL is COMING TONIGHT!  Our Dallas specialist said go local to stabilize, so we did.  The day after breaking her leg, after a night in the hospital for 'surgery' to set her leg, we finally get a call back setting up an appointment for the 29th.  I was frustrated that it would take so long to see the doctor, but knew even doctors liked having a Christmas (I was trying extremely hard to be patient and understand).  Today we got a call saying that the doc has "emergency surgery" tomorrow and we cannot be seen for another week. 

I am angry.  I am tired.  I feel like I am sinking into a depression.  The last week has revolved around trying to keep Lolipop comfortable- pain medication every three hours, bed ridden, breakthrough pain, using a bed pan, suppositories.  Then there is trying to keep my MIL (who has frontal lobe dementia) on track.  I have heard so many times that I look tired from her that I want to scream!  Needless to say Christmas lost some (more like a lot) of the magic this year.  Because on top of all of that there is the new puppy we got two weeks before Christmas that still isn't sleeping through the night AND we have five other kids who have needs!  Z man and J Daddy have volunteered feeding Lolipop, almost made me cry when they offered (thinking about it makes me cry).  They did wonderful with her and so has everyone else.


I am going to make some calls tomorrow because of conflicting information that we've been given.  Like- if she fractures bring her here (Dallas).  And that we got bumped tomorrow because the doctor has 'emergency surgery', but when I called with our 'emergency' we couldn't be seen, since they 'don't do' emergencies.  We need prayer.  We so need prayer for wisdom and direction and the ability to wait until next week if necessary.  I know broken bones hurt and I can understand that being immobilized in a spica cast is uncomfortable, but my daughter who has walked around on two legs with healing fractures (not even healed enough to convince our local ortho to not cast one) and twice walked around with a broken fibula and only once said each time that her leg hurts has got to be in some sort of world of hurt if ANY movement causes her to cry out in pain.  The local doc only got the bone about 75% aligned, hence her continued pain, because he thought we would be seen by our specialist in Dallas!!!!......

Please be in prayer that we get answers.  Get past the nurse that is stonewalling us.  Get help for Lolipop.

From our night in the hospital

A New Hobby

On Sunday I looked around at all the women that I have at some point done something with- scrapbooking, ladies retreat, coffee and I felt sad because I don't "do" those things anymore.  I want to, but... 
So Sunday started an introspection process, why do I not do what I used to?  Why do I feel like I am running all the time, especially since right before Thanksgiving?  Why do I only get to shower three times a week?  (gross I know, but when you don't have the time)  Why do I hardly get to blog?  Why am I having recurring migraines? 
I think I may have figured out the answers!  LIFE!  LIFE with THREE REALLY extra special kids!  STRESS!

I also have figured out why I don't do the things I used to.   I am not depressed.  (I had wondered)  I have a new hobby.  It's not one that most people (or any) choose, but others may be in the same place that I am.  My new hobby?  Doctor Appointments.  It's not that we are sick, and I am throwing things like counseling sessions, OT sessions, out of town specialist visits and the dentist in the same pot, but every week we have at least one and lately it's been more like three fairly consistently every week.  Now it wouldn't seem so bad if it weren't for that fact that I AM the TEACHER for my children.  So being gone for hours with one isn't very conducive to ALL learning, if you catch my drift.  So they've been training our new puppy and doing what they can on their own and at some point (maybe soon)  I can figure out how to juggle all of it 'cause right now it feels like all I have is just a bunch of dropping balls.  Maybe THAT is the reason for the migraines!  Too many balls falling on my head!!!!

 

4, 5, 6, 7

Today is Lollypop's 5th birthday!  Happy Birthday sweet girl!  We may have missed the first four and a half years of your life, though we weren't there God was with you and I know that He continues to watch over you.

Today is also the day that we now have a four year old, a five year old, a six year old and a seven year old!  WOW!  Never planned that!  (believe it or not) :)

December is....

Thanksgiving brought my parents and my aunt and her husband to our house.  For 9 days we had between 10-12 people in our home, now our family was eight of them, but doesn't 10-12 just sound impressive?

We have had scattered doctor appointments over the last few weeks.  The results from Lollipop's?  Need more tests, which we started today.  (and no the tests can't wait a couple of weeks to happen, kind of concerning...)  The results from Little Mama's?  Borderline for several metabolic disorders, see them again in six months.  Yeah, SIX months...guess it's not anything urgent, at least I hope it's not.

We have had renewal M&M's 'things' approved.  Yeah, we got it.  Boo, that we need it.

Finally got to meet up with our social worker to get the six month follow up report done for Lollipop's adoption.  Still haven't seen the report or added the things I need to to it and it's already three days late, but hey it was an agency assigned worker and short of going and beating on her door I did all I could to contact her when I was supposed to.

Oh, and we lost our dog.  She just disappeared one day.

I think that that sums up November and now on to December.

In the first two days of December we have seen 1 counselor, had four piano lessons, are going to two different Christmas parties tonight (child only), currently getting at least three different tests run.  Hmm, I think I feel a song coming on.
On the first day of December I ran my children to, one counseling session, four piano lessons and bank deposit thrown in too.
On the second day of December I ran my children to, milk for our friends and family, 3 blood tests running, two Christmas parties, pick up friends for said parties one then two and maybe I can squeeze in catching up with a friend.

Yeah, it doesn't rhyme very well, but who knows what tomorrow could bring!

Thank God for your healthy children, enjoy them, and say a prayer for all the parents you know that have children with some extra specialness.  

On Loan

Life is going at a rate so quickly that I find it hard to spare even a moment to sit and share.
This last week has been filled with several trials.  I would ask that you please be in prayer for our family as our dog went missing almost a week ago.  We are waiting the result of medical testing on two different children and we have extended family coming from out of town to stay an undetermined amount of time with us.
This was passed to me and it was a great reminder of the trust we've been given and the gift that each of my children are.

On Loan
by Charles R. Swindoll

Read Job 1:21

With Job facedown in worship to God, the only one cursing is Satan. He hated it! He resented Job's response! Of all things, the man still worships his God---the One who would allow these catastrophes to happen. There wouldn't be one in millions on this earth who would do so, but Job did exactly that. The wicked spirits sat with their mouths wide open as it were, as they watched a man who responded to all of his adversities with adoration; who concluded all of his woes with worship. No blame. No bitterness. No cursing. No clinched fist raised to the heavens screaming, "How dare you do this to me after I've walked with you all these years!" None of that.

Instead he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. Blessed be the name of the Lord." That says it all. At birth we all arrived naked. At death we will all leave naked, as we're prepared for burial. We have nothing as we are birthed; we have nothing as we depart. So everything we have in between is provided for us by the Giver of Life.

Get that clearly in your mind. Get it, affluent Americans as we are. Get it when you stroll through your house and see all those wonderful belongings. Get it when you open the door and slip behind the steering wheel of your car. It's all on loan, every bit of it. Get it when the business falls and fails. It, too, was on loan. When the stocks rise, all that profit is on loan.

Face it squarely. You and I arrived in a tiny, naked body (and not a great looking one at that!). And what will we have when we depart? A naked body plus a lot of wrinkles. You take nothing because you brought nothing! You own nothing. What a grand revelation. Are you ready to accept it? You don't even own your children. They're God's children, on loan for you to take care of, rear, nurture, love, discipline, encourage, affirm, and then release.

Praise God for "every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights" (James 1:17 NIV). 

Excerpted from Charles R. Swindoll, Great Days with the Great Lives (Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2005). Copyright © 2005 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

 

Happy Birthday, Mr. Incredible!

You are my friend, my mate, my love.
I wish you the most happy birthday ever yet and look forward to celebrating many more with you. 

What a Weekend!!!

I need to get our week going so this is going to be short, but WOW what a weekend! 

We organized a training for Saturday and it HAPPENED!
I was awake and functional for announcements at BOTH church services!
The dedication of nine adopted children from five families was BEAUTIFUL!!!!
An Informational meeting on Adoption was SUPER informative and the FOOD was GOOD!!!

I really enjoyed being God's hands and feet and facilitating all that happened, but I am looking forward to having a small break :) 

This week is the second week of rehearsals/shows every night for a local production, I have been able to tuck my precious children in bed only once in a week.  I miss them and they miss me, but after this week... I'll be back to full mommy duty and planning more for Legacy.

I am so grateful that God has given me these opportunities and has strengthened and sustained me, my kids and my marriage with Mr. Incredible.  God is moving in big ways and it's fun to see the glimpses!

Locking It Up

We tried to go without our little blue pill today, been GF, only one piece of candy on Saturday, that only lasted until 9:30 this morning.  He couldn't do ANY math.  Couldn't sit still.  Couldn't make eye contact.  Wouldn't cooperate.  The list goes on.  Oh what I didn't know!

I would love for him to not need his little blue pill.  We wouldn't be forcing breakfast, eating a little lunch and then becoming famished.  His moods would be consistent, not variable as the medicine wears off.  The amount of sleep he needs has been affected since the dosage increase.  That is to say, he doesn't sleep very much.  He's up until 9 or 10pm easy and is out of bed by 6am.  Everyday.  We would go back to the yellow pill, but it wasn't helping him to be able to concentrate enough to do school...

I thought I was just a failure as a parent.  That maybe I wasn't being consistent enough.  Loved him enough.  Brushed him enough (special brushing technique).  I resigned myself to maybe daily medication was what it is going to take for him to live and experience any measure of success.

While making dinner, we (me and another child) discovered that in the course of two days he's eaten three cookies (at least) there were only nine in the package and an undisclosed amount of M&M's. ~head shaking~
Today is a repeat of so many other days.  Too many to count.

We have tried to teach self control.  We have tried to communicate the need to ask.  We have hid the sweets.  We have not bought sweets.  We have tried, tried, tried...

Mr. Incredible is currently at the store buying a locking door knob for our pantry.  I want a keypad one, but they are over $120.  So we will get just a regular one and I will have to wear the key on one of those stretchy things on my arm like you see a manager at a store have...

I don't even ask God "Why?" anymore.  This wonderful, thought provoking, irrational behaving, blessing of boy that God brought into our family continuously gives me opportunities for growth, humility, gaining of wisdom, migraines, the chance to be less self centered and now to be a little more like a prison warden.  One day, the light will come on for self control, until then I guess we'll keep the food locked up.

Challenges

If you ever think your life is tough, watch this.

For all that have loving homes, there are so many more that don't.

Little Blue Pill

So math took an HOUR for a 1/2 of a page.  He was hungry during the day.  Shrieking and arm flapping along with bouncing everywhere were his modes of communication.  So how long did it take me to figure out that he didn't take his medicine?  Unfortunately, too long.  It was almost noon and after questioning him about any sugar consumption, I then remembered the "gum" that J Daddy found in a straw cup while he was doing the morning dishes.  No more straw cups at medicine time...  Yeah, it was THAT kind of little blue pill, not the other :-)

So glad that that was yesterday and not today, but it had to wait until it wasn't an all hands on deck kind of day to get posted.  Lol!

Tackling Stuff

I made it my goal today to clear off all the books littering the top of our kid level bookcase and culling through some of the books so that the shelves weren't two books deep...  The 18+ inch stack of books on top all have a home somewhere, but a child has pulled the book from a shelf and not been able to find it's home...  Now most of the books (with the exception of all the ones on top) are adult books (no not THAT kind :))- ie. marriage, finance, bible study, travel, organization, etc.  Books that I have been given, married and paid good money for and have sat on a shelf, some for almost 15 years- those are the marriage ones :)  So after an hour+ my shelves are dust free, organized and presentable to the new babysitter coming Thursday.  I read a couple of the chapters in the few that no longer have a home in our home and 'got' what I needed to out of them.  Only my shelf that deals with parenting and adoption is still two books deep, but I have enough room on another shelf that I could divide and conquer, hopefully.

So sorting out is half the battle, and the other half is actually parting with them...  It seems that I can sort and have determination and then the stuff sits in my garage and I then want to reclaim it.  It's a dark secret.  lol.

But why am I even concerned about having a clean bookshelf when the babysitter comes?  I have boxes in my dining room STILL!!!!!

One of the books on my shelf boasts of how to organize your house and your life.  It's one of the keepers and I've even read it.  The author doesn't have six kids though.  This author does boast that your house is a reflection of your life.  If your house is cluttered, then your life is cluttered, etc.  I can grasp some of this concept, but again the author doesn't have SIX KIDS! lol!

My bookshelf is reflective of my life though.  It looks great right now, but within a week (or maybe even a day) a noticable amount of dust will have accumulated.  It's easy to be in my comfort zone and let dust collect on my inside.  Don't ask when I actually had a quiet time last or when Mr. Incredible and I went on a date. It's something I want to do, but right now I am still living from fire to fire, what is essential gets done (essential being defined as feeding, clothing, schooling, bathing and mothering kids)  And just as children rearrange the books on a shelf, I have a tendancy of jumbling my priorities and letting outside issues cloud my judgement.  (Like being concerned about a bookshelf and not a quiet time)  This is not something that is always in my control.  Having to drop everything and run for an x-ray is never something you plan.  Neither is a child getting sick, but when it happens how you handle the disruption testifies to your maturity (or lack thereof).

So before I have to run and put out the next fire, I think I might go have a quiet time while the kids are watching cartoons.

Lawyerish Chickens

Well my trek down to our previous county's courthouse proved to be fruitful, I think!?!  After getting a cause number and 'almost' paying the filing fee, the staff decided that I would need to go take care of this in our new county. But wait!...  After 10 minutes of praying while standing at the filing counter it was decided that I could go ahead and file in our previous county.  So the filing fee was paid and I got a DISCOUNT!!! and I have receipts to prove my 2 hours of effort!

We are currently on the docket for Nov. 16th, our (previous) county's "Adoption Day".  (First ones!!!)  Now if there are any issues, we won't know until we appear in court, but hopefully, prayerfully there won't be.  We will be representing ourselves and as long as the judge accepts our paperwork then it's a done deal.  Whether US courts recognize our daughter's foreign adoptions or not is not a super huge deal, it just means that they don't have US birth certificates.  So even if some unforeseeable something happens, they are still ours and we will then just resubmit in our new county (and maybe hire a lawyer... :) ha,ha)

Going to the SS office wasn't too bad.  I had expected to not even be seen after hearing of horrendous waits and the filing at the District Clerk's office took way longer than I had anticipated, but I still had time before I had to head back home.  I waited maybe 5-10 minutes and then was seen by a wonderful, sweet woman.  It's amazing that all our Chinese documentation didn't count for anything, but only her US Citizenship and an insurance card with my name.  Thank goodness for insurance cards!  It's a little scary that they could look up whatever they needed to with the insurance card...hmmm. ((---someone's watching!--- do do do doo))

As I wrote the first three paragraphs M&M had some unsupervised time with the chickens....long story.  They are all alive!  But, we had to chase two out of the thorny woods and get them back in their pen... The three of us who are scratched up are not exactly 'feeling the love' and so for all of our sakes M&M is having some alone time in his bed.  I know I should be with him, but mom has had ENOUGH (for right now).


Within minutes of being home this afternoon (yes, I was out ALONE!!!)  Lolipop put a Lego up her nose.  This isn't the first time I've had to get a toy out of her nose...maybe I should invest in some of those medical alligator clips.  And my attempts at asking why she did it??  Only led to her telling me she did it ~sigh~.

Our washer is having issues as well...


So here's my job title for the day, you know us stay at home moms wear many hats, Lawyerish Chicken Farmer with Medical and Plumbing Experience Associate

Paperwork Time

I have spent the afternoon making copies of all of Little Mama's and Lolipop's paperwork.  Tomorrow afternoon I am going to our (old) county's district clerk's office to file for their adoptions to be recognized by US courts.  I have been waiting months for our lawyer to call us back and our friend that is a lawyer wasn't exactly sure how to do foreign adoptions... but, thankfully a travel mate sent out a link for the state of Texas!!!  YEAH!!!  I have been putting it off for a few weeks, but with the recent wildfires nearby and being out of town when they were the closest, I realized that the only proof that they were ours was in a house that could get burnt. Not good.  Since we have never received Lollipop's SS card, I am going (time permitting) to apply for that too!  :)

Prayers would be appreciated since I have tried this once before with just Little Mama's paperwork, but didn't have the information or forms (very official looking, that I just printed from the state website! :)) and was told to contact a lawyer... So if your from the state of Texas and don't want to pay lawyer fees on top of filing fees, visit here for the forms you need.  I'll let you know how it goes!

We Didn't Do So Good This Last Time...

I did great at taking pictures.  But not so well at posting them while we were in China.
Here's some of what you missed...

Photo Op on our way to the pool

mom! she's touching me!!!

On Lolipop's adoption day

I love my sister!

The "To Do" List

This was my list  for Monday:
-math with M, T- watch video and do A
-IEW with Z, J
-AAS with M, T
-History Z, J, M, T
-Science with J, M, T
-Handwriting Z, J, M, T
-Memory work Z, J, M, T
-Piano practice Z, J, M, T
-call -- about couch
-scan contract, then take to --
-scan time sheet, email to --
-pay bills
     -phone
     -mortgage
     -water for two houses
-call -- about readoption
-menu plan for two weeks
-return dresses to X and pick out other cloths
-call title company
-call -- about setting up seminar
-call restaurants about food donations for seminar
-call and ask about pool usage at X for therapy purposes
-cancel babysitter
-rehearsal at 7:15
-go grocery shopping

Tuesday's list never actually materialized, I didn't have time to write it down.  Ditto for Wednesday and a last minute three hour spur of the moment get the last of our stuff at our old house.  Yeah, dinner was at 10pm...

Thursday's short list
-whatever school doesn't require mom

-T allergy testing @ 8:30
-12pm counseling
-12pm piano
-pick up E @ school
-pick up repaired van
-rehearsal from 6-8:30pm
-various emails and calls regarding seminar and ministry
-get table from old house

Friday's is looking like
-go to dairy for milk, be back by 7:15am
-meet non-profit to pick up furniture
-9:45 M to doctor
-11am close on old house
-get milk now if it didn't happen earlier
-catch my breath and get ready for all day rehearsal on Saturday and small group.

Why I do what I do. :)

Fiery Arrows

As I plan our church's adoption/foster Orphan Sunday event, the shots being taken at us are closer to home and FIERY!  Guess Satan forgot I still have my 10lb. fire extinguisher from our foster care days :)!

Seriously though your prayers are coveted, appreciated and necessary for survival right now. 

Answers

This last week has been filled with so much. A trip to D, our science co-op, rehearsals, scheduling and then the normal part of life as well.

The trip to D this week makes two in two weeks and unfortunately each time while I was gone, a chicken died. Who would have thought that the person that gets lashed out at the most by a certain child, would also be the person most greatly missed by the same certain child. The chicken incidents are symptomatic of the anger and fear that ANY change causes. Hopefully more healing will occur in this area before I have to head to D again.  Hopefully.  Praying.

We also now have an official diagnosis for Lolipop. On the day that marked her 4 monthiversary with us we found out that she indeed has Osteogenesis Imperfecta. We knew she had this, but getting a US doctor/specialist willing to diagnose it and treat it has been another battle. A four month battle. In the coming weeks we will be seeing an endocrinologist about bisphosonate treatments. We also have to go back to have her cast off. :) Come to find out her right fibula was fractured, again. This makes three fractures in the four months she's been with us and somewhere around 13 in her life (that we know about). It may sound like we are bad parents, but we have no idea of when this fracture happened. However, this is common with OI and one of the symptoms of OI.

Here's some excerpts from some of the literature we have. "OI is initially diagnosed because of fractures that occur with little or no trauma or injury." "There is no cure for OI. The main goal of treatment is to limit the frequency of fractures and encourage mobility and independence."

On the way home, after hearing her diagnosis, I was overcome with emotion (while driving!  Why is it always great revelations happen when driving?!  lol!).  We finally know what the monster in the closet is.  We finally know how to proceed and we are not still searching for answers.  Though we have identified the monster and know a direction, it still doesn't soothe a mother's heart for not wanting her child to hurt and wanting to make the owies go away.  

I have comfort in that God brought Lolipop into our family.  He sees the end from the beginning and knows all and sees all.  He sees her pain and wants to comfort her, even more than I do.  In all of this, God has a plan.  But, at least now we have some answers.