At the beginning of January someone asked hub and I what were our "goals" for 2009. Hub quickly responded "we want to have a child in our home by the end of the year." At the time this seemed like a lofty goal given our fertility status. At that time we had just begun the foster process but we had no idea what that was going to realistically look like.
Fast forward just 11 months and we not only have one child in our home, but 3! Even more remarkable is that the girls were only suppose to stay with us a very short time and yet we still have them, almost 7 months now. The Psalms says that "children are a blessing from the Lord." We are so blessed to have experienced that blessing this year, not only with 1 child but 3. The countless hours we have poured ourselves into these children we have by far received so much more from them then we've given them.
This year has been by far the most crazy year of my life. It has been a roller coaster to say the least but it has been a thrill to ride. I am so thankful the Lord not only let me ride it, but he was sitting next the entire time. This year isn't even over and so much could still change before we enter the new year, but for now, we are enjoying every moment we can.
For a quick update on all our kids, their status' change all the time. Right now we are literally month-to-month with the girls. They could leave at anytime or they could be with us for quite some time. We'll have the baby for a while still. His adoption status is still unknown and we won't know for a while. We count every day we get with them such a joy and we trust the Lord will comfort us if/when they depart from our home.
My thankful list this year is virtually endless. I am astonished and blown away at what the Lord has let me experience this year.
Showing posts with label 2 toddler sisters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2 toddler sisters. Show all posts
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Remembering
I can't believe it's Oct 1 already. This date marks the due date of another life we had the privilege of celebrating 8 months ago. I have such mixed emotions about this loss in our life. All of the "what if's" start coming to mind. "If" we had been able to maintain this pregnancy we would not have the 3 children we have right now. I'm looking at my living room and I see 3 precious living lives the Lord has entrusted us with. Like our pregnancies, we don't know how long we will be able to love and care for these love bugs but we celebrate everyday we have with them. I know that God does not hold any good thing from His children and I trust in that.
I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for the blessing children are. I am able to parent and experience those blessings even though my body rejects life. How awesome is that! God is good, all the time.
I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for the blessing children are. I am able to parent and experience those blessings even though my body rejects life. How awesome is that! God is good, all the time.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
A Poop Story
I think every parent has a poop story. I can remember my mom sharing a poop story with us on more then one occasion. I guess I've been a parent long enough to finally have my own poop story, so here goes.
A couple days ago the girls were just not going down for a nap. It was a flat out battle and I did not win. Miss M was pretty mad at me for making her stay in her bed but eventually she calmed down enough to at least get some quiet time in. I could hear the girls talking to each other but I thought I'd at least take some quiet time over no time at all.
When I decided it was time for them to come out, I opened the door and was met by a horrific smell of feces! I looked right at Miss M and said, "where did you poop?!?" She started pointing to a few spots. I quickly assessed the situation and realized it was bad....bad bad. She had apparently pooped on her blanket but got it all over herself while she was at it. She took off her blanket and her MATTRESS COVER and proceeded to use the mattress as her toilet paper! There was poop smeared ALL OVER her mattress!
I not-so-calmly took her to the bathroom to clean her up. I then cleaned up the blanket. But what to do about the mattress? I called a few people for advise and finally turned to the world wide web for answers. A google search led me to another woman's blog who had a similar story only on the carpet. She suggested hydrogen peroxide as it is known to get out blood stains. I dowsed the mattress in it and let it sit for a while. Then I used our handy dandy small carpet cleaner and put enzyme killing pet cleaner in it. Between the 2 of them, it seemed to do the trick. The mattress doesn't have any odor nor stain. I hope you never encounter this type of poop story but if you do, I highly suggest hydrogen peroxide and an enzyme killer.
Do you have a poop story? Do share and we can commiserate!
A couple days ago the girls were just not going down for a nap. It was a flat out battle and I did not win. Miss M was pretty mad at me for making her stay in her bed but eventually she calmed down enough to at least get some quiet time in. I could hear the girls talking to each other but I thought I'd at least take some quiet time over no time at all.
When I decided it was time for them to come out, I opened the door and was met by a horrific smell of feces! I looked right at Miss M and said, "where did you poop?!?" She started pointing to a few spots. I quickly assessed the situation and realized it was bad....bad bad. She had apparently pooped on her blanket but got it all over herself while she was at it. She took off her blanket and her MATTRESS COVER and proceeded to use the mattress as her toilet paper! There was poop smeared ALL OVER her mattress!
I not-so-calmly took her to the bathroom to clean her up. I then cleaned up the blanket. But what to do about the mattress? I called a few people for advise and finally turned to the world wide web for answers. A google search led me to another woman's blog who had a similar story only on the carpet. She suggested hydrogen peroxide as it is known to get out blood stains. I dowsed the mattress in it and let it sit for a while. Then I used our handy dandy small carpet cleaner and put enzyme killing pet cleaner in it. Between the 2 of them, it seemed to do the trick. The mattress doesn't have any odor nor stain. I hope you never encounter this type of poop story but if you do, I highly suggest hydrogen peroxide and an enzyme killer.
Do you have a poop story? Do share and we can commiserate!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Life in the fast lane.
Whew! Has it really been 2.5 weeks since I last posted? Sorry guys. It's getting late and I really need to get some sleep before the baby wakes up for the first shift so I'll give you the low down in bullet points.
-We LOVE being parents of a newborn! I think everything he does is so adorable...even the yucky things. So far things are going pretty well with him. He has had a few rough nights due to a little congestion but last night he seemed to do much better.
-Miss Z is finally sleeping through the night!!! The first 2 nights we had the baby she woke up several times. I thought I was going to go crazy with 2 kids waking up at different times. We experimented with a few things and were finally able to get her to sleep without waking up. Seriously PTL!
-The girls are doing really well adjusting to the new addition. MUCH better then I expected. Miss Z had a few hard moments the first couple days but she has been doing great the last week.
-We no longer have the 2-on-2 advantage. We, as parents, are out numbered. This poses some unique challenges but we're figuring it out as we go.
-Now for the sad news. We found out we were pregnant 2 weeks ago. Four days after celebrating all that the 2 pink lines meant, we found out we were no longer pregnant. I honestly thought that miscarriages would be easier after we had kids in our home, especially a baby. I can now say it is not. Just different. With our other loses, I grieved a dream. I didn't have anything tangible to grieve. After holding a newborn in my arms and watching Miss M and Miss Z grow and change, I know what I've lost. A child. I don't know if that makes sense at all. This pregnancy was a weird one on several accounts but primarily because it was so short. My doc is running a few more tests to see if anything has changed since February. I'm doing pretty well with it all right now. I had a few meltdowns when the bleeding began but the Lord has sustained me through yet another loss.
-We got many comments about how hard newborns are. We braced ourselves for the worst. So far he is way easier then the toddlers. He can't talk back, he can't get into everything, and he doesn't have years of baggage. Maybe it will get harder but for now, we can't complain. Going from no kids to 2 toddlers was a shock to the system, to say the least. Adding 1 more into the mix who sleeps a TON has been an adjustment but nothing like we experienced just 3 short months ago.
-It's really fun being a family of 5. I will be really really sad when we have to go down to a family of 3. Someone is always doing something silly or cute. There is never a dull moment and time seems to slip away into never never land.
That's it for now. I need to start writing down all the funny things Miss M has been saying lately. She has been cracking us up non-stop with the way she phrases things. I'll try and do a post of her latest comments soon.
-We LOVE being parents of a newborn! I think everything he does is so adorable...even the yucky things. So far things are going pretty well with him. He has had a few rough nights due to a little congestion but last night he seemed to do much better.
-Miss Z is finally sleeping through the night!!! The first 2 nights we had the baby she woke up several times. I thought I was going to go crazy with 2 kids waking up at different times. We experimented with a few things and were finally able to get her to sleep without waking up. Seriously PTL!
-The girls are doing really well adjusting to the new addition. MUCH better then I expected. Miss Z had a few hard moments the first couple days but she has been doing great the last week.
-We no longer have the 2-on-2 advantage. We, as parents, are out numbered. This poses some unique challenges but we're figuring it out as we go.
-Now for the sad news. We found out we were pregnant 2 weeks ago. Four days after celebrating all that the 2 pink lines meant, we found out we were no longer pregnant. I honestly thought that miscarriages would be easier after we had kids in our home, especially a baby. I can now say it is not. Just different. With our other loses, I grieved a dream. I didn't have anything tangible to grieve. After holding a newborn in my arms and watching Miss M and Miss Z grow and change, I know what I've lost. A child. I don't know if that makes sense at all. This pregnancy was a weird one on several accounts but primarily because it was so short. My doc is running a few more tests to see if anything has changed since February. I'm doing pretty well with it all right now. I had a few meltdowns when the bleeding began but the Lord has sustained me through yet another loss.
-We got many comments about how hard newborns are. We braced ourselves for the worst. So far he is way easier then the toddlers. He can't talk back, he can't get into everything, and he doesn't have years of baggage. Maybe it will get harder but for now, we can't complain. Going from no kids to 2 toddlers was a shock to the system, to say the least. Adding 1 more into the mix who sleeps a TON has been an adjustment but nothing like we experienced just 3 short months ago.
-It's really fun being a family of 5. I will be really really sad when we have to go down to a family of 3. Someone is always doing something silly or cute. There is never a dull moment and time seems to slip away into never never land.
That's it for now. I need to start writing down all the funny things Miss M has been saying lately. She has been cracking us up non-stop with the way she phrases things. I'll try and do a post of her latest comments soon.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
We are adding another car seat!
Last weekend we bought a minivan. There is something wonderfully ironic about this picture. I'm 25, infertile, and yet I can't fit all our car seats in our semi-luxury sedan. So we lowered our debt, and got an amazing deal on a used Honda Odyssey.
I'm sure glad we decided to get it! This Friday we are getting an baby boy! Now I can't tell you how old he is or his name but let's just say he is really really really young and we'll call him Baby T for this blogs sake.
We've been almost this close to getting an infant before an then it fell through at the last minute. So while I am very confident we will get him on Friday, nothing is certain until we have him in our spiffy van. I'll let you know if it all works out Friday night.
We'll have gone from 0 kids to 3 in exactly 3 months if this works out. Crazy to say the least. We will love on these kids for as long as the Lord will allow us to. Miss Z and Miss M are still a temporary placement and we have no idea how long we'll have them. The verdict is still out on this baby's future but it looks like we'll have him for quite a while at the minimum.
Oh, quick update on Chase. He is doing MUCH better! We avoided surgery thanks to a speedy ENT doctor at the ER.
I'm sure glad we decided to get it! This Friday we are getting an baby boy! Now I can't tell you how old he is or his name but let's just say he is really really really young and we'll call him Baby T for this blogs sake.
We've been almost this close to getting an infant before an then it fell through at the last minute. So while I am very confident we will get him on Friday, nothing is certain until we have him in our spiffy van. I'll let you know if it all works out Friday night.
We'll have gone from 0 kids to 3 in exactly 3 months if this works out. Crazy to say the least. We will love on these kids for as long as the Lord will allow us to. Miss Z and Miss M are still a temporary placement and we have no idea how long we'll have them. The verdict is still out on this baby's future but it looks like we'll have him for quite a while at the minimum.
Oh, quick update on Chase. He is doing MUCH better! We avoided surgery thanks to a speedy ENT doctor at the ER.
Friday, July 24, 2009
My Bad
Tonight at dinner I totally forgot to pray. In the middle of dinner, Miss M said, "We forgot to pray! Jesus, Thank you for this food. I love you Jesus. Amen!" Thank you Miss M for remembering to pray!
Lord, thank you for allowing me to see how much Miss M is learning about You. Continue to teach her about how much You love her and desire an intimate relationship with her.
THIS makes the ENTIRE journey worth it!
Lord, thank you for allowing me to see how much Miss M is learning about You. Continue to teach her about how much You love her and desire an intimate relationship with her.
THIS makes the ENTIRE journey worth it!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Visiting the PoPo
For those of you who don't know, 'PoPo' refers to police officers or cops. My youngest sister affectionately refers to them by this name.
When we first got Miss M, every time we saw a Cop or police car, she would FREAK out. She frequently said, "Cops are bad. They will hurt me." We've been working with her quite a bit on this. We tell her that cops are nice and they are here to help us when we need them. Now when we see one she will look at us and ask, "Are cops bad? They won't hurt me?"
This morning on our walk I decided to give the local police dept a call. The Lt. on duty said we could come down and they would show us around. He was so sweet. He wasn't in his uniform when I called him this morning and all the officers were out so he changed just for us. They showed us the dispatch room with all the nifty computers. He then took us out and let the girls play in the cars. He let them turn on the lights and even the siren! Miss M LOVED this part of our visit. He let them sit on the motorcycle to which Miss M was simply giddy about. It was too precious.
As we were leaving Miss M said, "Cops are nice! They are here to help!" You got it sweetie!
When we first got Miss M, every time we saw a Cop or police car, she would FREAK out. She frequently said, "Cops are bad. They will hurt me." We've been working with her quite a bit on this. We tell her that cops are nice and they are here to help us when we need them. Now when we see one she will look at us and ask, "Are cops bad? They won't hurt me?"
This morning on our walk I decided to give the local police dept a call. The Lt. on duty said we could come down and they would show us around. He was so sweet. He wasn't in his uniform when I called him this morning and all the officers were out so he changed just for us. They showed us the dispatch room with all the nifty computers. He then took us out and let the girls play in the cars. He let them turn on the lights and even the siren! Miss M LOVED this part of our visit. He let them sit on the motorcycle to which Miss M was simply giddy about. It was too precious.
As we were leaving Miss M said, "Cops are nice! They are here to help!" You got it sweetie!
This journey is quite the ride!
For those of you that have followed this blog for a while, you've probably picked up on the theme of our life...change and uncertainty. While at times this can be difficult it forces hubby and I to be completely dependent on the Lord for the next turn in the road. This is pretty ironic since we are both planners at heart.
All that to say, I got a call from our caseworker today saying that the visit this weekend has been postponed until 2 weeks from now! I'm SOOOO relieved! I was really anxious about what this visit would do to them. Hubby will be back by then and will be able to help out with the aftermath of the visit.
Another HUGE exciting update is that Miss M went THE ENTIRE day without a meltdown! This is seriously amazing! She woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed at 6:25 this morning. By 10Am I realized we hadn't had a meltdown yet so I told her "Wow Miss M! We haven't had to do a think-about-it-time this morning! Great job listening to mommy!" To which she replied, "Oh I know." Smarty pants!
All that to say, I got a call from our caseworker today saying that the visit this weekend has been postponed until 2 weeks from now! I'm SOOOO relieved! I was really anxious about what this visit would do to them. Hubby will be back by then and will be able to help out with the aftermath of the visit.
Another HUGE exciting update is that Miss M went THE ENTIRE day without a meltdown! This is seriously amazing! She woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed at 6:25 this morning. By 10Am I realized we hadn't had a meltdown yet so I told her "Wow Miss M! We haven't had to do a think-about-it-time this morning! Great job listening to mommy!" To which she replied, "Oh I know." Smarty pants!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Single Parenting
Hubby is out of town for 2 weeks so I'm trying my hand at this single parenting thing....and I don't like it very much. Today is only day 2 and while it hasn't been quite as hard as I thought, it sure isn't fun or easy!
Two weeks ago the girls had a weekend visit with their bio family and it took a full week to get them back to 'normal'. I just found out today that they are getting another one this weekend. They weren't suppose to get another one for a long time but a few things did not go as planned so here we go again. I'm really not looking forward to the aftermath that these poor things endure with another transition like this. It is so hard on them since they can't communicate their feelings...well I take that back...they communicate through meltdowns and defiance.
Last time we had one of these hub and I were able to distract ourselves while they were away. This time, I don't have hub to distract me from missing them. While it is sort of nice to have the quiet house and time for me to nap, my protective mothering comes out and I don't want them leave to an emotionally unsafe place. It would be one thing to have them visit my mom or a friend for the weekend....its another thing to place them in arms that you dont' necessarily trust.
It's a good thing they are in the Lords hands even when I'm not there to protect them. Lord, protect their hearts during this transition and uncertainty.
We do have good news for the week! Miss M is almost fully potty trained!!! She has done such a good job at telling me when she has to go. We've had very few accidents this week. I hope she can keep up the good work when she is with her family this weekend.
Two weeks ago the girls had a weekend visit with their bio family and it took a full week to get them back to 'normal'. I just found out today that they are getting another one this weekend. They weren't suppose to get another one for a long time but a few things did not go as planned so here we go again. I'm really not looking forward to the aftermath that these poor things endure with another transition like this. It is so hard on them since they can't communicate their feelings...well I take that back...they communicate through meltdowns and defiance.
Last time we had one of these hub and I were able to distract ourselves while they were away. This time, I don't have hub to distract me from missing them. While it is sort of nice to have the quiet house and time for me to nap, my protective mothering comes out and I don't want them leave to an emotionally unsafe place. It would be one thing to have them visit my mom or a friend for the weekend....its another thing to place them in arms that you dont' necessarily trust.
It's a good thing they are in the Lords hands even when I'm not there to protect them. Lord, protect their hearts during this transition and uncertainty.
We do have good news for the week! Miss M is almost fully potty trained!!! She has done such a good job at telling me when she has to go. We've had very few accidents this week. I hope she can keep up the good work when she is with her family this weekend.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
A Rough Week
We were at the doctors 4 times this week! I went initially because Miss M had a bad rash. While I was there I asked that the doc to check out her throat because her voice was a little horse. She hadn't mentioned a sore throat and acted completely healthy, so too my surprise, the doc said she had strep!
The next day Chase went in because his nose was really red and swollen. Turns out he had a staph infection! Miss Z and I ended up getting staph the next day. Chase had to go back on Friday so the doctor could work on his nose again.
Needless to say, Chase and I spent all day Saturday sanitizing our apartment. We are all on strong antibiotics and no longer contagious which is great.
On a good note, Miss M used the potty 3 times today! We are majorly focusing on potty training this week. I've never potty trained a toddler so if you have any tips, pass them along!
The next day Chase went in because his nose was really red and swollen. Turns out he had a staph infection! Miss Z and I ended up getting staph the next day. Chase had to go back on Friday so the doctor could work on his nose again.
Needless to say, Chase and I spent all day Saturday sanitizing our apartment. We are all on strong antibiotics and no longer contagious which is great.
On a good note, Miss M used the potty 3 times today! We are majorly focusing on potty training this week. I've never potty trained a toddler so if you have any tips, pass them along!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Convo's with Miss M
Miss M got a doll from one of our friends that she has been obsessed with for the last 24 hours. I must say, she is doing a pretty good job as a mother. She rocks her, makes sure she has enough sleep, feeds her... I decided to ask her a few questions about her new baby doll and here's what I got.
What's your babies name? Baby
Is Baby a boy or girl? Girl
How old is Baby? 2 months
What does baby eat? Baby apple sauce
Do you love your baby? Yes!
After the questionnaire, she came up to me and said, "I want you to hold Baby in your tummy?"
Me: Tummy? How does that work?
Miss M: I mean on your lap.
Miss M: Baby wants Oatmeal. Tie It! (as she hands me a bib for her baby)
She is really starting to parrot us, most of the time that is a good thing :) The other day I was looking for a piece to my immersion blender. She asked what I was doing and I told her "Mommy can't find a part that I need to finish making dinner."
Miss M quietly watched me search through all the cupboards. When I found it she announced, "Good job Mommy! Good job finding it!"
What's your babies name? Baby
Is Baby a boy or girl? Girl
How old is Baby? 2 months
What does baby eat? Baby apple sauce
Do you love your baby? Yes!
After the questionnaire, she came up to me and said, "I want you to hold Baby in your tummy?"
Me: Tummy? How does that work?
Miss M: I mean on your lap.
Miss M: Baby wants Oatmeal. Tie It! (as she hands me a bib for her baby)
She is really starting to parrot us, most of the time that is a good thing :) The other day I was looking for a piece to my immersion blender. She asked what I was doing and I told her "Mommy can't find a part that I need to finish making dinner."
Miss M quietly watched me search through all the cupboards. When I found it she announced, "Good job Mommy! Good job finding it!"
Thursday, July 2, 2009
What a Sceen!
So picture this: Miss M opened up our wedding album and found a page with both Chase and I on it. She layed prostrate hugging the album and said the following for about 10 minutes:
I love Chase. I love Chase. I Love Chase. I lUv Chase! I love Chase. I love Chase. I lUv Chase! I love Chase. I love Mommy! I love Chase......
I didn't know there were so many different ways to say I love Chase! And at least I got one I love mommy in there! Too precious. I only wish I had the video camera out. But alas, it was packed away and it would have taken me 10 minutes to get it out and start recording.
Oh, and today I was watching Paula Deen who always makes yummy desserts that Miss M comments on. She asked me what her name was and then said 'I love Paula!'
I love Chase. I love Chase. I Love Chase. I lUv Chase! I love Chase. I love Chase. I lUv Chase! I love Chase. I love Mommy! I love Chase......
I didn't know there were so many different ways to say I love Chase! And at least I got one I love mommy in there! Too precious. I only wish I had the video camera out. But alas, it was packed away and it would have taken me 10 minutes to get it out and start recording.
Oh, and today I was watching Paula Deen who always makes yummy desserts that Miss M comments on. She asked me what her name was and then said 'I love Paula!'
Friday, June 26, 2009
Blueberries and More
Has it really been 1o days since my last post? I guess the date on the last post doesn't lie. Sorry it's been so long. Here's what's been going on.
This past Monday we went blueberry picking! If you live near East Texas and you haven't been blueberry picking, it's a must! Well that is of course if you actually like blueberries. We went to Echo Springs Blueberry Farm and had a blast!....well let me re-phrase that, once we actually arrived we had a blast. The ride to and from were pretty miserable. I thought the girls would sleep but no such luck. Miss M tried to get out of her car seat constantly because she wanted me to hold her. I was stopping the car every 15-20 minutes to buckle her back in. Ugh.
Miss M picked a lot of blueberries but only 5 made it into the bucket. The rest ended up in her mouth. Which is a great healthy snack...but blueberries are full of fiber.... Need I go further with that thought? For the next 2 days her bottom was stained a greenish/blueish color...I almost took a picture but thought that might be a little too gross.
We've officially had the girls one month. The time has flown by so fast and we continue to adjust. Miss Z is sleeping through the night just great but Miss M still wakes up with night terrors. I've spent the last couple nights sleeping on her floor. It's so sad, she wakes up every 30-60 minutes and yells "Mommy." If I'm in the room I quickly assure her I'm there and she goes back to sleep. If I'm not there she starts screaming until I come.
The only thing I miss since taking the girls is date nights! Seriously. In order for anyone to watch our girls for us, they have to have current CPR and be background checked by MCH. So far my mom is the only who meets those qualifications. She has been so sweet to watch the girls when we have an event but we have yet to have a date.
This past Monday we went blueberry picking! If you live near East Texas and you haven't been blueberry picking, it's a must! Well that is of course if you actually like blueberries. We went to Echo Springs Blueberry Farm and had a blast!....well let me re-phrase that, once we actually arrived we had a blast. The ride to and from were pretty miserable. I thought the girls would sleep but no such luck. Miss M tried to get out of her car seat constantly because she wanted me to hold her. I was stopping the car every 15-20 minutes to buckle her back in. Ugh.
Miss M picked a lot of blueberries but only 5 made it into the bucket. The rest ended up in her mouth. Which is a great healthy snack...but blueberries are full of fiber.... Need I go further with that thought? For the next 2 days her bottom was stained a greenish/blueish color...I almost took a picture but thought that might be a little too gross.
We've officially had the girls one month. The time has flown by so fast and we continue to adjust. Miss Z is sleeping through the night just great but Miss M still wakes up with night terrors. I've spent the last couple nights sleeping on her floor. It's so sad, she wakes up every 30-60 minutes and yells "Mommy." If I'm in the room I quickly assure her I'm there and she goes back to sleep. If I'm not there she starts screaming until I come.
The only thing I miss since taking the girls is date nights! Seriously. In order for anyone to watch our girls for us, they have to have current CPR and be background checked by MCH. So far my mom is the only who meets those qualifications. She has been so sweet to watch the girls when we have an event but we have yet to have a date.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Oatmeal+Toddlers
Oh how I wish I could post some pics of the girls on here. They are on their 3rd bowl, each!, of oatmeal. They can't get enough of this stuff. They'd rather have oatmeal than Cheerios...I don't think I have normal toddlers in my home. Miss Z has gotten 2 bowls in her mouth and the other bowl she is wearing...and it is so stinkin cute!
We've already had a big morning in our home. Miss M finally used the toilet for the first time, it was very exciting. She got to wear her big girl undies until she wet them...now it's back to the diaper until she tinkles in the toilet again.
....ok so I just gave Miss Z her 4th bowl of oatmeal!....This little thing can EAT!
We are still getting adjusted to this thing called parenting. It's been hard to jump into it like we have but the Lord has given us the strength and patience we need. We keep learning as much as we can about child development and how trauma, neglect, and abuse, play a role in their development. This has helped us with compassion when we have a 3 hour meltdown!!! Or when she damages our home on purpose....They are nasty meltdowns. These meltdowns make me so sad because I know she is just acting out of fear from rough past. If you and I had gone through everything these little girls have gone through we'd have nasty meltdowns too!
We have had the girls 3 weeks now and I've already made 3 trips to the doctor. Miss Z's ear infection hasn't gone away even though we have finished her antibiotics so it's onto even stronger antibiotics...ugh. Miss M has a horrible diaper rash that started spreading to her legs. Turns out its a bacterial infection, which means more antibiotics. Can you tell I'm not a fan of antibiotics?
Miss M is now calling me mommy and she calls hubby by his first name. She started off calling me Liz, then it turned to momma Liz, and now its mommy.
We are able to get through several books with Miss M. We read 'You are Special' by Max Lucado a lot so she frequently asks us "I am special?" to which we reply, "Oh Miss M, you are so special. You are special to us but you are even more special to God."
Oh another improvement is that Miss M stayed in children's church the entire time this past week! We were so grateful for that!
Okay so those are some of the updates. It's a little harder to blog with everything that is going on right now but I'll do my best to do at least a once a week post with updates. So much more happens in a week with them around!
We've already had a big morning in our home. Miss M finally used the toilet for the first time, it was very exciting. She got to wear her big girl undies until she wet them...now it's back to the diaper until she tinkles in the toilet again.
....ok so I just gave Miss Z her 4th bowl of oatmeal!....This little thing can EAT!
We are still getting adjusted to this thing called parenting. It's been hard to jump into it like we have but the Lord has given us the strength and patience we need. We keep learning as much as we can about child development and how trauma, neglect, and abuse, play a role in their development. This has helped us with compassion when we have a 3 hour meltdown!!! Or when she damages our home on purpose....They are nasty meltdowns. These meltdowns make me so sad because I know she is just acting out of fear from rough past. If you and I had gone through everything these little girls have gone through we'd have nasty meltdowns too!
We have had the girls 3 weeks now and I've already made 3 trips to the doctor. Miss Z's ear infection hasn't gone away even though we have finished her antibiotics so it's onto even stronger antibiotics...ugh. Miss M has a horrible diaper rash that started spreading to her legs. Turns out its a bacterial infection, which means more antibiotics. Can you tell I'm not a fan of antibiotics?
Miss M is now calling me mommy and she calls hubby by his first name. She started off calling me Liz, then it turned to momma Liz, and now its mommy.
We are able to get through several books with Miss M. We read 'You are Special' by Max Lucado a lot so she frequently asks us "I am special?" to which we reply, "Oh Miss M, you are so special. You are special to us but you are even more special to God."
Oh another improvement is that Miss M stayed in children's church the entire time this past week! We were so grateful for that!
Okay so those are some of the updates. It's a little harder to blog with everything that is going on right now but I'll do my best to do at least a once a week post with updates. So much more happens in a week with them around!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Baby Shower
Tonight we went to a friends fun baby shower. We try and prep Miss M for everything we do so she isn't caught off guard. Here's how the convo went:
Me: "Miss M, tonight we are going to go to something called a baby shower! One of my friends has a baby in her tummy so we get to celebrate!"
Long pause
Miss M: "A baby shower?"
Long pause
Miss M: "Like a pardy?"
Me: "Yes, like a party! We are going to meet knew people and eat some food and celebrate the baby that will be born soon."
Really Long pause
Miss M: "Like a birdday party?" ...Yes I spelled birthday bird-day because that how she pronouces 'th'.
Me: "Yes! Just like a birthday party! We are celebrating the birth that is to come. And maybe they will even have cake there just like a birthday party."
It takes her a bit to process but she's getting the hang of it!
Me: "Miss M, tonight we are going to go to something called a baby shower! One of my friends has a baby in her tummy so we get to celebrate!"
Long pause
Miss M: "A baby shower?"
Long pause
Miss M: "Like a pardy?"
Me: "Yes, like a party! We are going to meet knew people and eat some food and celebrate the baby that will be born soon."
Really Long pause
Miss M: "Like a birdday party?" ...Yes I spelled birthday bird-day because that how she pronouces 'th'.
Me: "Yes! Just like a birthday party! We are celebrating the birth that is to come. And maybe they will even have cake there just like a birthday party."
It takes her a bit to process but she's getting the hang of it!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Life in Toddler Land
The girls are down for a nap, and once again the house is quiet. I never thought I'd enjoy the quietness so much. It's really a beautiful thing. The apartment is a disaster but I think I'll just bask in the calmness right now rather than clean.
I took the girls to Boomerangs this morning for the Watermark Building Blocks Fun Friday. I had no idea that such places existed but it was really fun! It's an indoor bounce house extravaganza! I wish I could post pics of the girls but alas, I can't. Miss M thoroughly enjoyed herself, especially the bounce houses with slides. Miss Z on the other hand was a bit pretentious. I think she was a bit overwhelmed. It seems to take her a while to warm up to new things.
This morning the girls didn't get up until 7:3o! I was able to take a shower, blow dry my hair, put on a little makeup, and do a quiet time all before they got up....it was amazing!
I think the girls are both starting to come out of the honeymoon phase. Many adoptive and foster kids have honeymoon phases where they act a lot better then normal. The meltdowns are getting more frequent and intense and we are beginning to see different sides to them.
I don't think I've said this yet on the blog but I love my job! It's seriously the hardest thing I've ever done...no kids to 2 toddlers overnight...but it's been such a joy and I'm so thankful the Lord has allowed us to do this.
I took the girls to Boomerangs this morning for the Watermark Building Blocks Fun Friday. I had no idea that such places existed but it was really fun! It's an indoor bounce house extravaganza! I wish I could post pics of the girls but alas, I can't. Miss M thoroughly enjoyed herself, especially the bounce houses with slides. Miss Z on the other hand was a bit pretentious. I think she was a bit overwhelmed. It seems to take her a while to warm up to new things.
This morning the girls didn't get up until 7:3o! I was able to take a shower, blow dry my hair, put on a little makeup, and do a quiet time all before they got up....it was amazing!
I think the girls are both starting to come out of the honeymoon phase. Many adoptive and foster kids have honeymoon phases where they act a lot better then normal. The meltdowns are getting more frequent and intense and we are beginning to see different sides to them.
I don't think I've said this yet on the blog but I love my job! It's seriously the hardest thing I've ever done...no kids to 2 toddlers overnight...but it's been such a joy and I'm so thankful the Lord has allowed us to do this.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The Joys
The girls are down for a nap so I have a few minutes to write and catch everyone up on our life.
We were on an Apartment Life retreat this past weekend at this amazing log-cabin-style mansion lake house about 2 hours away. I was a little concerned about taking the girls since I didn't know how they would react to seeing 40 people all at once but they did great for the most part. We had a lot of fun swimming, playing in the sand, and taking nature walks. Towards the end Miss Z was getting really really fussy and kept scratching on her ear. I took her to the doc yesterday and sure enough, she has a nasty ear infection. She has been doing better today but still more fussy then usual (but I realize our 'usual' is only based on a week with these girls).
Miss M keeps having some nasty meltdowns. It's really tough to see her go through them. I don't want to go into to much detail about them but they make us wonder what in the world has gone on in her little life.
Miss M sat through an entire book with me last night! That was HUGE because when we got her a week ago she was only interested in one-word-per-page books. The one we read last night was by Max Lucado, called Hermie (who writes THE BEST children's books).
We are working on colors with Miss M. Until now everything has been purple in her world. Today's color is yellow. We've been seeing yellow everywhere and I think she finally has it down...for today at least. I think tomorrow we'll try green.
So far half of today has been spent in the bathroom. Miss M found her big girl panties and has been wanting to wear them. I told her as soon as she goes tinkle in the potty she can wear them and get a special treat. She keeps asking me to go to the potty but then nothing...we just sit there. I'm glad she is interested in the potty because those #5 diapers are EXPENSIVE! If any of you have some wisdom of potty training, let me know! I'm not pushing this on her at all though because of so much change she's had recently. She seems to want this on her own so that's why we are trying this out.
I learned today that both the girls LOVE hummus. I sat them down to eat their yummy toddler friendly lunch today but they were much more interested in my hummus and sprouted tortilla chips. Miss M was literally spooning the hummus. She ate 1/2 of the tub!
I've also learned that I cannot get through the day without a good quiet time. Seriously. I'm at my whits end if I try to do this on my own. Thank you Lord for forcing me to be dependent on you.
The last news is that the family ahead of us on the infant list will be getting their infant this week. Our caseworker told me yesterday that they are expecting a birth at the end of the month and another one early July. This means it will be very plausible for us to have 3 under the age of 3 by the end of the month! We are very excited but freaking out just a little bit. But just like everything else with this process, we'll believe it when we see it.
We were on an Apartment Life retreat this past weekend at this amazing log-cabin-style mansion lake house about 2 hours away. I was a little concerned about taking the girls since I didn't know how they would react to seeing 40 people all at once but they did great for the most part. We had a lot of fun swimming, playing in the sand, and taking nature walks. Towards the end Miss Z was getting really really fussy and kept scratching on her ear. I took her to the doc yesterday and sure enough, she has a nasty ear infection. She has been doing better today but still more fussy then usual (but I realize our 'usual' is only based on a week with these girls).
Miss M keeps having some nasty meltdowns. It's really tough to see her go through them. I don't want to go into to much detail about them but they make us wonder what in the world has gone on in her little life.
Miss M sat through an entire book with me last night! That was HUGE because when we got her a week ago she was only interested in one-word-per-page books. The one we read last night was by Max Lucado, called Hermie (who writes THE BEST children's books).
We are working on colors with Miss M. Until now everything has been purple in her world. Today's color is yellow. We've been seeing yellow everywhere and I think she finally has it down...for today at least. I think tomorrow we'll try green.
So far half of today has been spent in the bathroom. Miss M found her big girl panties and has been wanting to wear them. I told her as soon as she goes tinkle in the potty she can wear them and get a special treat. She keeps asking me to go to the potty but then nothing...we just sit there. I'm glad she is interested in the potty because those #5 diapers are EXPENSIVE! If any of you have some wisdom of potty training, let me know! I'm not pushing this on her at all though because of so much change she's had recently. She seems to want this on her own so that's why we are trying this out.
I learned today that both the girls LOVE hummus. I sat them down to eat their yummy toddler friendly lunch today but they were much more interested in my hummus and sprouted tortilla chips. Miss M was literally spooning the hummus. She ate 1/2 of the tub!
I've also learned that I cannot get through the day without a good quiet time. Seriously. I'm at my whits end if I try to do this on my own. Thank you Lord for forcing me to be dependent on you.
The last news is that the family ahead of us on the infant list will be getting their infant this week. Our caseworker told me yesterday that they are expecting a birth at the end of the month and another one early July. This means it will be very plausible for us to have 3 under the age of 3 by the end of the month! We are very excited but freaking out just a little bit. But just like everything else with this process, we'll believe it when we see it.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wild and Crazy
The last two days have gone pretty well. We are all (and I mean ALL...especially our dog Jackson) still adjusting. Miss M had her first big tantrum today. She had to sit in the 'think about it' chair for about 10 minutes. She determines how long she stays there. When she is ready to tell us what she did wrong and how to do it right she can get off the chair. We've been constantly learning about respect. We respect toys, dogs, couches, and especially people. This includes what we say, how we say it, and how we care for those things.
I think Miss Z may have an ear infection...not sure though. She keeps touching her ears and rubbing them. I'm not looking forward to visiting the doctor because I've heard everything with Medicaid takes longer.
So here are a couple of my thoughts on parenting:
-Momma's of 2 or more toddlers are excused from working out in a gym because your working out ALL day. We've got cardio, chasing the girls in the park and dancing, and plenty of weight building, picking them up and rocking them to sleep (we don't have a rocker so this is done manually).
-My house will never be clean again! The only time to clean is during nap time but that time is also used for cooking dinner and maybe squeaking a nap in myself.
-The girls SQUEAL with delight when hub comes home! They race to see who can get around his neck first. It is soooooo sweet! I need to get it on camera soon.
-I LOVE seeing them in the morning. I can't wait to wake them up! Miss Z has the biggest smile on her face and does a little panting thing which is so adorable.
-My apartment just shrank a ton! Something about adding 2 little girls made it shrink overnight. We like to spend a lot of time outside at the park and pool. They love to run and run in the part. It's definitely a 2 man job though so I've had a couple residents who stay home come out with us.
Oh goodness, got to run...they both just woke up SCREAMING!
I think Miss Z may have an ear infection...not sure though. She keeps touching her ears and rubbing them. I'm not looking forward to visiting the doctor because I've heard everything with Medicaid takes longer.
So here are a couple of my thoughts on parenting:
-Momma's of 2 or more toddlers are excused from working out in a gym because your working out ALL day. We've got cardio, chasing the girls in the park and dancing, and plenty of weight building, picking them up and rocking them to sleep (we don't have a rocker so this is done manually).
-My house will never be clean again! The only time to clean is during nap time but that time is also used for cooking dinner and maybe squeaking a nap in myself.
-The girls SQUEAL with delight when hub comes home! They race to see who can get around his neck first. It is soooooo sweet! I need to get it on camera soon.
-I LOVE seeing them in the morning. I can't wait to wake them up! Miss Z has the biggest smile on her face and does a little panting thing which is so adorable.
-My apartment just shrank a ton! Something about adding 2 little girls made it shrink overnight. We like to spend a lot of time outside at the park and pool. They love to run and run in the part. It's definitely a 2 man job though so I've had a couple residents who stay home come out with us.
Oh goodness, got to run...they both just woke up SCREAMING!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Sound Asleep
Whew! What a day. First let me apologize if you called or texted me today and I did not return the call or text. The phone was ringing off the hook which was such a blessing knowing people care and love us but we weren't able to answer many of the phone calls with everything going on. It's crazy to think that we woke up this morning with no kids and we're going to bed with 2 toddlers sound asleep in our apartment. Welcome to parenthood!
We spoke the their caseworker for quite a while learning more details of their history and personalities. We found out the story we told when they asked us to take them was not accurate on several accounts. The girls are a lot younger than we were told and we'll most likely have them longer than anticipated...which we don't mind at all! They are so beautiful! I wish I could post a picture of them.
Today went pretty smooth with the older sister...we'll call her Miss M (her name does not start with an 'M' but I need some sort of initial!) She is adjusting really well so far. I'm just nervous this is a 'honeymoon' stage and she'll wake up in a couple days and act like a different girl. The younger girl (we'll call her Miss Z) had some rough moments but we got through them.
Tomorrow night we have an event. Mom is coming over to watch the girls which is such a big help. I hope they do ok with yet another transition as hub and I come and go as we set up.
Thanks for all your prayers and support as we all adjust. It seriously means the world to us!
We spoke the their caseworker for quite a while learning more details of their history and personalities. We found out the story we told when they asked us to take them was not accurate on several accounts. The girls are a lot younger than we were told and we'll most likely have them longer than anticipated...which we don't mind at all! They are so beautiful! I wish I could post a picture of them.
Today went pretty smooth with the older sister...we'll call her Miss M (her name does not start with an 'M' but I need some sort of initial!) She is adjusting really well so far. I'm just nervous this is a 'honeymoon' stage and she'll wake up in a couple days and act like a different girl. The younger girl (we'll call her Miss Z) had some rough moments but we got through them.
Tomorrow night we have an event. Mom is coming over to watch the girls which is such a big help. I hope they do ok with yet another transition as hub and I come and go as we set up.
Thanks for all your prayers and support as we all adjust. It seriously means the world to us!
We have them!
I'll post more about it tonight but wanted to let you know that everything went as planned! Thanks for your prayers.
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