Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope you have a blessed day filled with fun times and great memories!
I am busy preparing some rolls for our Thanksgiving feast (well...actually for our Thanksgiving dinner, a dinner at our church for families in the area and for our Advent dinner coming up on Sunday). The ones for Sunday will visit the freezer once they cool. I don't know if I have mentioned these garlic knots before or not, but if not, you are seriously missing out on some completely wonderful dinner rolls. Generally I follow the recipe and make eight huge rolls, but for today's sake (needing so many rolls), I used the dough to make 16 rolls each batch. My second batch is about the come out of the oven, and I have one more to go. Even dividing the dough up into 16, the rolls are quite large. I may just do that in the future instead of 8 giant rolls. Oh, and those of you scared of using yeast, this is super friendly recipe. I am sure you will be successful if you give it a whirl.
This afternoon we will head to my family's house to celebrate Thanksgiving together. This is a holiday we rotate families each year. It makes it far less stressful this way. I am bringing pumpkin cheesecake (made it for the first time), garlic knots, and some smoked salmon our neighbor brought us bake from his trip to Alaska (a thank you for watching his house for him). It should be a fun afternoon together.
I am thankful...
I am married to a wonderful man who adores me and loves our children.
We have been blessed with three delightful boys who fill my heart with joy.
We have family that lives nearby.
I have the ability to stay home and raise my children.
We were able to refinance our home because not only will it save us money each month, but it will allow us the option to purchase a larger house for our growing family.
We got in contact with James' and David's older siblings and started a relationship with their families.
And much, much more!
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Possible Visits AGAIN
I received a call from my agency worker today. Apparently David's county worker called to inform us that David's birth dad has been calling her repeatedly about having visits with David. Why the county worker waited until now to pass on the information I don't know. Anyway...we are being told to set up visits twice a month for one hour of supervised visitation with the baby.
Last time birth dad requested visits, we set it up quickly and everyone showed up except birth dad. Then we never heard from him again and he didn't attend the last court hearing either. That visit was supposed to take place in early September.
So far to date birth dad has not seen David once except perhaps if he was present at the hospital when David was born. David is now five months old and has just hit the separation anxiety really well. In fact recently we had two family members baby-sit the boys for us (each at a different time), and David cried almost the whole time we were gone. Then this weekend when I put David in the nursery, I was paged within the first twenty minutes of service (if not sooner) because David kept crying and would not calm down. He is definitely expressing the fact that he is feeling attached and bonded, and as an adoptive mother, I am grateful for that...even if it is not always convenient and even if David is hitting the separation anxiety far earlier than James did (James was closer to nine months).
I will be interested to see 1) if birth dad will show up to the visits he is requesting 2) if David will cry the entire or almost the entire time and 3) how well birth dad handles a crying baby and whether he wants to schedule any more visits afterward.
The court date to terminate parental rights is set for January, so it is important we get the visits rolling if the birth dad is requesting them, so they cannot be used as a basis for appeal...not given your right to visit your child.
I do have those pictures I printed for birth dad back for his September visit. Now I just need to decide if I will provide additional ones or just leave it at that for now. Also I should probably pick up a disposable camera in case birth dad does show up. It would be nice to have something to offer both David and James as they get older if they are curious about what their birth dad looks like.
I was quite frustrated when I first got the voicemail from my agency worker, but now that I have talked with her and realize the visits will only be twice a week, I am handling it a lot better. I did give my worker fair warning that David will most likely cry the entire time.
Last time birth dad requested visits, we set it up quickly and everyone showed up except birth dad. Then we never heard from him again and he didn't attend the last court hearing either. That visit was supposed to take place in early September.
So far to date birth dad has not seen David once except perhaps if he was present at the hospital when David was born. David is now five months old and has just hit the separation anxiety really well. In fact recently we had two family members baby-sit the boys for us (each at a different time), and David cried almost the whole time we were gone. Then this weekend when I put David in the nursery, I was paged within the first twenty minutes of service (if not sooner) because David kept crying and would not calm down. He is definitely expressing the fact that he is feeling attached and bonded, and as an adoptive mother, I am grateful for that...even if it is not always convenient and even if David is hitting the separation anxiety far earlier than James did (James was closer to nine months).
I will be interested to see 1) if birth dad will show up to the visits he is requesting 2) if David will cry the entire or almost the entire time and 3) how well birth dad handles a crying baby and whether he wants to schedule any more visits afterward.
The court date to terminate parental rights is set for January, so it is important we get the visits rolling if the birth dad is requesting them, so they cannot be used as a basis for appeal...not given your right to visit your child.
I do have those pictures I printed for birth dad back for his September visit. Now I just need to decide if I will provide additional ones or just leave it at that for now. Also I should probably pick up a disposable camera in case birth dad does show up. It would be nice to have something to offer both David and James as they get older if they are curious about what their birth dad looks like.
I was quite frustrated when I first got the voicemail from my agency worker, but now that I have talked with her and realize the visits will only be twice a week, I am handling it a lot better. I did give my worker fair warning that David will most likely cry the entire time.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Progress Report
It has been a few days since I have last logged on. I am going to put together a quick progress report of the newest developments in our home. I still have Disneyland to eventually write about as well as some adoption related thoughts, but for now I will just give a general update on our little boys.
James
James has really stepped up as a big brother lately...giving up a toy he is playing with because Sam wants to use it, comforting both brothers when they are upset, giving hugs away freely, etc. Last night James even read a couple board books to Sam based off how James remembers the stories...it was such a sweet, loving moment to witness.
Swim lessons are going well. James has gained a lot of confidence in the pool and has started pushing off all on his own and gliding out to his teacher with his head under water. He really enjoys his time at swim lessons.
Sam
Sam is readjusting to his bedtime routine after our trip to Disneyland. He is finally starting to settle back in where he stays in his room after being put to bed the first time.
Thankfully Sam's eye that was injured was only a minor scratch...not in a location that could affect vision. We have ointment to apply three times a day to prevent infection.
Sam continues to develop his vocabulary and can communicate quite well. He also understand a lot more than some people give him credit for. He is an amazing little guy.
David
David has started babbling a lot lately making the "da", "ba" and "ga" type sounds. It is really adorable to hear.
I have restarted rice cereal with David now that he is healthy again. He is eating a little bit more of it than before, but he still does push out some of the food.
Another assessment was done, and the verdict is still to refer David out to the county for a more thorough assessment to make sure intervention is not necessary. David's problem solving area went from poor to good; however, his fine motor skills went from let's watch to poor. Granted since David is older now, his assessment was for an older age range going up to six months, and he is just five months old today (the day of the assessment), so it may not be a concern at all. We are going to have the county do their assessment. I was told they may decide there is no need for services, or it is possible they will want to do some intervention activities to try to increase his development. Honestly I am not concerned about his development thus far...he seems like any other baby his age, but perhaps there is a reason to be. We will see what happens.
James
James has really stepped up as a big brother lately...giving up a toy he is playing with because Sam wants to use it, comforting both brothers when they are upset, giving hugs away freely, etc. Last night James even read a couple board books to Sam based off how James remembers the stories...it was such a sweet, loving moment to witness.
Swim lessons are going well. James has gained a lot of confidence in the pool and has started pushing off all on his own and gliding out to his teacher with his head under water. He really enjoys his time at swim lessons.
Sam
Sam is readjusting to his bedtime routine after our trip to Disneyland. He is finally starting to settle back in where he stays in his room after being put to bed the first time.
Thankfully Sam's eye that was injured was only a minor scratch...not in a location that could affect vision. We have ointment to apply three times a day to prevent infection.
Sam continues to develop his vocabulary and can communicate quite well. He also understand a lot more than some people give him credit for. He is an amazing little guy.
David
David has started babbling a lot lately making the "da", "ba" and "ga" type sounds. It is really adorable to hear.
I have restarted rice cereal with David now that he is healthy again. He is eating a little bit more of it than before, but he still does push out some of the food.
Another assessment was done, and the verdict is still to refer David out to the county for a more thorough assessment to make sure intervention is not necessary. David's problem solving area went from poor to good; however, his fine motor skills went from let's watch to poor. Granted since David is older now, his assessment was for an older age range going up to six months, and he is just five months old today (the day of the assessment), so it may not be a concern at all. We are going to have the county do their assessment. I was told they may decide there is no need for services, or it is possible they will want to do some intervention activities to try to increase his development. Honestly I am not concerned about his development thus far...he seems like any other baby his age, but perhaps there is a reason to be. We will see what happens.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
No Break for our Household
So...everyone is finally recovered or mostly recovered from the flu...Daniel still has the runs, but they are not that bad anymore. Yesterday the boys played a lot during the day because they have been feeling so much better. They were having a pillow fight, and one of the pillows accidentally caused James to fall into the wall giving him a bloody nose. The pillow fighting was brought to a close, and it took awhile the regroup again.
Later on in the evening, James kicked his shoe off his foot, and it hit Sam right in the face. However, it did not just hit Sam's face and make him cry...it actually hit his eye just right causing his eyeball to bleed slightly. I put a call into the doctor's office this morning, and I am waiting to hear back on whether I need to bring Sam in to have his eye looked at. It is possible his eye got scratched, and since Sam is not old enough to tell us if he has blurry vision, the doctor may want him to come in. Since Sam is not having any apparent issues with his eye (excessive watering, rubbing it a lot, excessive blinking), the nurse is going to check to see if the doctor just wants us to keep a watch on Sam's eye or if he wants us to bring Sam into the office. The doctor is all booked up with appointments for the day, so he would have to overbook himself in order to see Sam. It has been a few hours, and I still haven't heard anything back.
This morning I woke up with a head cold, and I am having some minor abdominal pain. We just can't catch a break in this household. Hopefully everything will be resolved before next week since Thanksgiving and Christmas tree hunting (day after Thanksgiving) are all fun events taking place next week.
Later on in the evening, James kicked his shoe off his foot, and it hit Sam right in the face. However, it did not just hit Sam's face and make him cry...it actually hit his eye just right causing his eyeball to bleed slightly. I put a call into the doctor's office this morning, and I am waiting to hear back on whether I need to bring Sam in to have his eye looked at. It is possible his eye got scratched, and since Sam is not old enough to tell us if he has blurry vision, the doctor may want him to come in. Since Sam is not having any apparent issues with his eye (excessive watering, rubbing it a lot, excessive blinking), the nurse is going to check to see if the doctor just wants us to keep a watch on Sam's eye or if he wants us to bring Sam into the office. The doctor is all booked up with appointments for the day, so he would have to overbook himself in order to see Sam. It has been a few hours, and I still haven't heard anything back.
This morning I woke up with a head cold, and I am having some minor abdominal pain. We just can't catch a break in this household. Hopefully everything will be resolved before next week since Thanksgiving and Christmas tree hunting (day after Thanksgiving) are all fun events taking place next week.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Thank You
Since today is Veteran's Day, I want to send out a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has fought for our country, is currently fighting for our country, or who lost their life fighting for our freedom. Words cannot express the gratitude you deserve. May God bless you and all your loved ones!
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Increasing Sick Ones
Yesterday my husband came home from work about a half hour earlier than normal. At first I thought it was because it was Friday, and he was eager to get home. Unfortunately, I was wrong. He wasn't feeling well and left a meeting at work early in order to come home. By all outward appearances, my husband has the flu. He was quite miserable last night.
At one point, my husband decided to get up and watch t.v. It was actually while I was up feeding David a bottle. I then put David back in his crib and was going to try and go back to sleep when I heard "Mommy!" called out from our oldest down the hall. I went in figuring I would need to fix his blankets or he needed to use the restroom, but unfortunately, I walked into a poor boy who had thrown up in his bed. I took him, washed him off, changed his pajamas and then sent him to the couch to watch t.v. with Daddy while I took care of his bedding and his favorite stuffed teddy bear (all of which were immediately thrown into the washing machine). James was a little upset about his bear, but I told him I would return it once it was clean. We supplemented another stuffed animal and eventually got him settled back in bed. One of the following times I got up with David, I made sure to return a nicely cleaned teddy bear to James' bed.
So far this morning my husband and David appear to be doing better. My husband felt pretty good, but even though we just hung out in the living room together, he was quickly worn out. David is drinking more of his bottles and seems a bit happier, but he does still have the runs that require changes of clothes. James hasn't been hungry, and he has just wanted to snuggle and watch t.v., but at least he is drinking fluids. Sam seems a little off this morning...much more clingy than usual, so I am waiting for him to end up with the runs or throwing up. As for me, I am holding up okay. I felt a little sick last night, but that could just from lack of sleep. My throat is a little sore, but nothing overwhelming.
Hopefully our household can kick this quickly! I was looking forward to the Veteran's Day parade on Monday. I fear Disneyland contributed to everyone's illness. I haven't even been able to post about the trip yet, but hopefully I will get a chance in the next couple days.
At one point, my husband decided to get up and watch t.v. It was actually while I was up feeding David a bottle. I then put David back in his crib and was going to try and go back to sleep when I heard "Mommy!" called out from our oldest down the hall. I went in figuring I would need to fix his blankets or he needed to use the restroom, but unfortunately, I walked into a poor boy who had thrown up in his bed. I took him, washed him off, changed his pajamas and then sent him to the couch to watch t.v. with Daddy while I took care of his bedding and his favorite stuffed teddy bear (all of which were immediately thrown into the washing machine). James was a little upset about his bear, but I told him I would return it once it was clean. We supplemented another stuffed animal and eventually got him settled back in bed. One of the following times I got up with David, I made sure to return a nicely cleaned teddy bear to James' bed.
So far this morning my husband and David appear to be doing better. My husband felt pretty good, but even though we just hung out in the living room together, he was quickly worn out. David is drinking more of his bottles and seems a bit happier, but he does still have the runs that require changes of clothes. James hasn't been hungry, and he has just wanted to snuggle and watch t.v., but at least he is drinking fluids. Sam seems a little off this morning...much more clingy than usual, so I am waiting for him to end up with the runs or throwing up. As for me, I am holding up okay. I felt a little sick last night, but that could just from lack of sleep. My throat is a little sore, but nothing overwhelming.
Hopefully our household can kick this quickly! I was looking forward to the Veteran's Day parade on Monday. I fear Disneyland contributed to everyone's illness. I haven't even been able to post about the trip yet, but hopefully I will get a chance in the next couple days.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Cold Weather & Broken Heater
Our household heater stopped working correctly. Basically it is still hot at the furnace, but it blows in tepid air through the vents. This isn't too big of a deal considering we are thinking the heat exchange is broken, and that is still covered under warranty, so we wouldn't have to pay for parts, just for time. However, since we are trying to get this refinance to go through, we need to hold off a little bit to get the heater worked on.
Of course the weather has gotten much cooler to the point where it feels quite cold in the boys' rooms at night. Granted we have exchanged James' and Sam's blankets for warmer, thicker ones, and we are using a sleep sack with David...not to mention warmer pajamas, but we are concerned it may still be a little too chilly for the young ones. Because of this my husband ran out during his lunch break at work today to pick up room heaters for each of the boys' rooms. Hopefully that will help us keep them warm while they sleep until the heater can be fixed.
In the meantime, I am trying to make sure to heat up the house by using the oven to bake. Yesterday I made hamburger buns for our dinner, but because David wasn't feeling well, I wasn't able to use my usual recipe and had to use a 40 minute recipe (which I ended up not caring for). I am getting ready now to embark on making some pumpkin muffins, homemade graham crackers and possibly even homemade granola bars...depending on how much time I get while the boys are sleeping and how long each recipe ends up taking. I am thinking I will be lucky to get the muffins completed and will have to try the other recipes another time, but we will see.
Of course the weather has gotten much cooler to the point where it feels quite cold in the boys' rooms at night. Granted we have exchanged James' and Sam's blankets for warmer, thicker ones, and we are using a sleep sack with David...not to mention warmer pajamas, but we are concerned it may still be a little too chilly for the young ones. Because of this my husband ran out during his lunch break at work today to pick up room heaters for each of the boys' rooms. Hopefully that will help us keep them warm while they sleep until the heater can be fixed.
In the meantime, I am trying to make sure to heat up the house by using the oven to bake. Yesterday I made hamburger buns for our dinner, but because David wasn't feeling well, I wasn't able to use my usual recipe and had to use a 40 minute recipe (which I ended up not caring for). I am getting ready now to embark on making some pumpkin muffins, homemade graham crackers and possibly even homemade granola bars...depending on how much time I get while the boys are sleeping and how long each recipe ends up taking. I am thinking I will be lucky to get the muffins completed and will have to try the other recipes another time, but we will see.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
David & "The Runs"
Poor baby David has a case of the runs. He started off the morning by throwing up the contents of his bottle all over himself and me...a gross white mucus-filled mess. He has slept most of the day away, waking for short periods...the first time to consume 1 oz. of formula, the next to consume 3 oz. However, the worst part is the most foul smelling liquid poop I have had the pleasure to encounter (and keep in mind this is baby #3 in our home, so it is pretty brutal). The first two diapers smelled horrible, but there was not much in the way of contents. Immediately after I changed the second of those diapers, David smelled again. I saw that some had leaked onto the carpet, so I moved him onto a blanket, wiped up the mess on the floor and then prepared to change the diaper...only to discover a sea of liquid poop spilling over the sides. My goodness...it was a disaster! Now David just drank another 3 oz. for me, but he smells horrid once again, so I believe I am about to re-encounter "the runs." Poor baby...I may end up needing to take him into the doctor's office...we will see how David is faring come tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
No Guarantees
I received an email today about a family in our church that is suffering a horrible, tragic loss. The mom and two daughters were in a car accident, and the mom did not survive the crash. The oldest daughter has her arm in a cast and has a walking cast on her leg. The other daughter is still in the hospital and having difficulty keeping food down. I cannot help but wonder how the daughter will process this accident seeing as how they were able to walk away, but they lost their mother.
I am familiar with this family through our special needs ministry at church that I volunteer with. The mom and dad loved each other very much...it was quite evident in the way they interacted with one another, and they had their hands full caring for their children. This leaves the dad caring for their five children on his own, the two daughters and then three younger boys. Two of those boys are autistic...one being higher functioning and one being lower functioning...neither one being verbal communicators though. They are going to struggle tremendously with this devastating loss. Don't get me wrong...every family member will struggle tremendously, but for these two, they may not be able to express themselves well. The youngest child is five and considered "typical". He was still staying home with his mom during the day because he had refused to potty train yet. The oldest daughter was also being home-schooled.
Please cover this family in prayers. I know they could use all the prayers you can muster on their behalf.
I am so heartbroken for this family. It reminds me there are no guarantees in life. We need to strive to let those around us know we love them by telling them verbally and showing them through our actions. Please take time to give your children or loved ones extra hugs and kisses today. Tell them you love them. Don't wait because life does not guarantee us a tomorrow.
I am familiar with this family through our special needs ministry at church that I volunteer with. The mom and dad loved each other very much...it was quite evident in the way they interacted with one another, and they had their hands full caring for their children. This leaves the dad caring for their five children on his own, the two daughters and then three younger boys. Two of those boys are autistic...one being higher functioning and one being lower functioning...neither one being verbal communicators though. They are going to struggle tremendously with this devastating loss. Don't get me wrong...every family member will struggle tremendously, but for these two, they may not be able to express themselves well. The youngest child is five and considered "typical". He was still staying home with his mom during the day because he had refused to potty train yet. The oldest daughter was also being home-schooled.
Please cover this family in prayers. I know they could use all the prayers you can muster on their behalf.
I am so heartbroken for this family. It reminds me there are no guarantees in life. We need to strive to let those around us know we love them by telling them verbally and showing them through our actions. Please take time to give your children or loved ones extra hugs and kisses today. Tell them you love them. Don't wait because life does not guarantee us a tomorrow.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Some Random Updates
We have been a little busy lately...just with our three little ones and then getting ready for our trip to see Mickey Mouse. So this is just a quick update to let you know I am still around and in a little while I hope to be a bit more consistent in my efforts of posting on this blog.
**Sam has finally gotten down bedtime. With this I mean the general rule is Sam stays put in his bed (or technically his bedroom) after the first time being put to bed instead of coming out multiple times. This is great! However, our trip will probably mess this all up for us, and we will start again at square one upon our return home.
**David was introduced to rice cereal recently. We waited for a day my husband could be home because he wanted to witness the first feeding and also use the video camera to record the event. David just cried and cried with his first couple bites of rice cereal. It was the first time I have witnessed that...a baby crying at their rice cereal tasting. He doesn't cry anymore, but he only eats a small portion...most of it is pushed back out again. We have backed off rice cereal because David has a cold...AGAIN.
**James is loving his swim lessons!
**Sam has finally gotten down bedtime. With this I mean the general rule is Sam stays put in his bed (or technically his bedroom) after the first time being put to bed instead of coming out multiple times. This is great! However, our trip will probably mess this all up for us, and we will start again at square one upon our return home.
**David was introduced to rice cereal recently. We waited for a day my husband could be home because he wanted to witness the first feeding and also use the video camera to record the event. David just cried and cried with his first couple bites of rice cereal. It was the first time I have witnessed that...a baby crying at their rice cereal tasting. He doesn't cry anymore, but he only eats a small portion...most of it is pushed back out again. We have backed off rice cereal because David has a cold...AGAIN.
**James is loving his swim lessons!
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