The girls have now been home for 6 months so I thought some of you might like an update.
Danielle: She walks nearly normally now and her legs have gotten so much stronger. A month or two ago when she was walking I could tell that her ankles were turning in due to weakness--even that has now corrected itself! We are constantly getting comments from parents and teachers at school about how much her walking and balance has improved. Danielle is VERY social and all of her classmates love her (the feeling is mutual). She loves school and loves to tell me all of the things she does each day. Her English is coming along really well. We can actually have conversations now and swap questions and answers. There are still times when she says things and I say "what??" and she shrugs and smiles and says "I no know" because she's trying to tell me something but she doesn't actually know the English word for it. She is such a funny girl--her new favorite word is "yeehaw" (they just studied cowboys in school). Danielle has gained 8 lbs in 6 months and weighs nearly as much as her brothers!
Emily: Our little talker is having a language explosion! Her speech is getting much clearer with her obdurator although most people would be hard-pressed to understand much of it. She absolutely loves to sing and walks around in the afternoons asking me to sing with her. Emily wants to do everything the big kids do and they do a really good job of looking after her (and tattling when she's doing things she's not supposed to!). She showers just like the big kids and has gained at least 5 lbs since coming home. She can dress and undress herself with the occasional exception of shirts (she has a hard time getting them off by herself). Emily is our snuggler and we usually spend 15-20 minutes in the afternoon with me "slinging" her without a sling. I hold her on my hip but tuck her right arm behind me and drop her down a bit and she snuggles into my chest. I think this has been great for her bonding. I've debated actually getting a sling (baby wrap, etc.) but since she's already at 30 lbs I'm not sure how much longer we'd be able to use it. We've seen a great decrease in her attempts to hug anything in sight but we still watch her like a hawk and usually head things off before she even gets a chance to try. Oh, and Emily can now run. And I do mean run. When we first got home she could barely walk so it's great to watch her take off after her siblings (although she gets mad when she can't catch them!).
Let me know if you have any questions about where they're at developmentally and their progress since coming home. I tried to hit some of the highlights but I might have left off some things that people would like to know. :)
I should mention that I LOVE the six-month mark. It just seems to feel like things are settling down at about 6 months home. Language is no longer such a barrier and I really start feeling a connection to the kids after 6 months. I felt this same way with the boys. I'm not sure if I need 6 months to adjust to them or they need that 6 months to adjust to family life, but either way it's great to see how far we've all come!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Comment moderation
Since I like to know who is talking with me :) I have enabled comment moderation. All unsigned posts will be deleted without posting. I could have removed the "Anonymous" option from the Comments but I know there are people who would like to be able to comment but do not have a Google or OpenID login. This way, you can still comment as anonymous but if you don't leave your name on your comment it will be deleted before it ever reaches the blog.
I am always happy to hear from differing viewpoints and it is so valuable to me to know what techniques have worked (or not!) for other parents. I get lots of great ideas and valuable thinking material from those of you who have been there, done that and are willing to share your experiences, so please keep those comments coming! :)
I am always happy to hear from differing viewpoints and it is so valuable to me to know what techniques have worked (or not!) for other parents. I get lots of great ideas and valuable thinking material from those of you who have been there, done that and are willing to share your experiences, so please keep those comments coming! :)
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Too old
On Friday I was finishing up tucking the boys in. Tim asked me how old I was, to which I replied 33. He looked at me for a second, then said "You're getting old, Mama." I laughed and said yes, I am. He looked at me a little longer and then said "No, you're getting really old."
With an introspective look on his face..."You're going to die soon."
By this point I was really laughing and said no, I think I'm okay for awhile.
What was really funny about it is that he wasn't saying it as though he was worried, just very matter-of-fact. Apparently 33 is the new 90! :)
With an introspective look on his face..."You're going to die soon."
By this point I was really laughing and said no, I think I'm okay for awhile.
What was really funny about it is that he wasn't saying it as though he was worried, just very matter-of-fact. Apparently 33 is the new 90! :)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Narrow escape
On Tuesday I got a call from school (which always sets my heart pounding, by the way). They were concerned about Danielle. She was saying that her teeth hurt and they thought she felt warm, but they couldn't get a good temperature reading off of her. She didn't really want to play and didn't eat any of her lunch. Using my so-finely-honed mother's instinct ;), I told them to let her stay at school as long as she didn't have a fever.
They called me back an hour before school was over asking if someone could come get her as they just didn't think she felt well. By the time I could have gotten there I couldn't have gotten her home before I had to pick up the other kids as well, so I said no and that I would pick her up after school (still no fever).
When we got home, she seemed to be fine. A little slower than usual, but I attributed that to the fact that she hadn't eaten. She ate a good dinner and at bedtime she was again complaining that her teeth hurt. I began to suspect that she might be getting her 6-year molars in so I gave her some pain medicine and sent her to bed. She slept like a log and has been fine ever since--other than occasionally complaining that her teeth hurt and pointing to the back of her mouth. I have clarified with her that it's her teeth and not her throat and her throat is not red at all so I'm pretty sure it's really her teeth.
Danielle was just at the dentist in September. They did x-rays then and her teeth look great, so I'm not concerned about decay. I think either her molars are coming in or they're moving around in preparation for coming in. She'll be 6 in February so she's not too terribly early for them.
I was a little worried that we weren't going to be able to dodge the flu, but so far so good! Let's hope we can keep it at bay!
They called me back an hour before school was over asking if someone could come get her as they just didn't think she felt well. By the time I could have gotten there I couldn't have gotten her home before I had to pick up the other kids as well, so I said no and that I would pick her up after school (still no fever).
When we got home, she seemed to be fine. A little slower than usual, but I attributed that to the fact that she hadn't eaten. She ate a good dinner and at bedtime she was again complaining that her teeth hurt. I began to suspect that she might be getting her 6-year molars in so I gave her some pain medicine and sent her to bed. She slept like a log and has been fine ever since--other than occasionally complaining that her teeth hurt and pointing to the back of her mouth. I have clarified with her that it's her teeth and not her throat and her throat is not red at all so I'm pretty sure it's really her teeth.
Danielle was just at the dentist in September. They did x-rays then and her teeth look great, so I'm not concerned about decay. I think either her molars are coming in or they're moving around in preparation for coming in. She'll be 6 in February so she's not too terribly early for them.
I was a little worried that we weren't going to be able to dodge the flu, but so far so good! Let's hope we can keep it at bay!
Monday, November 09, 2009
Reece's Rainbow and the Angel Tree
Many of you who have followed our blog for awhile are aware that we first learned about our girls through Reece's Rainbow. Reece's Rainbow is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization dedicated to advocating for orphans with Down Syndrome and other special needs. Reece's Rainbow does not act as an agency in any way but simply works to find families for children who are cast aside by their societies because of the stigma of their needs.
A large portion of the work that Reece's Rainbow does is collecting donations to be used as grants for children. There are many families interested in adoption, but oftentimes the cost seems overwhelming. A typical international adoption costs on average about $25,000. While that sounds like a lot, most reports list the average price for a car in 2009 to be $20,000. And if you're going to spend $20,000, is it better to spend it on the life of a child or a new car?
That said, it's easy to get a loan for a car. It's not usually as easy to get a loan for an adoption. There's that small problem of collateral, you see. :) And for most people, coming up with $25,000 in a relatively short time frame--usually one year or less--can be completely out of reach.
That's why Reece's Rainbow works to secure donations, both for children who do not have committed families and for families who are already committed to a child and are working to bring that child home.
Every Christmas, Reece's Rainbow hosts their Christmas Angel Tree. Running from November 1-December 31, 2009, the Christmas Angel Tree is the most important fundraiser of every year, and historically also corresponds to the highest number of children finding their "forever families" as well. Their goal is to raise $1000 or more for each of the nearly 200 waiting children with Down syndrome. When you donate $35 or more for a child on the Christmas Angel Tree you will receive a beautiful porcelain photo ornament of your sponsered child. Last year, my in-laws sponsored a child in my name (Annalise, scroll down to find her) and the beautiful ornament with her sweet face will be hanging on our tree again this year.
The Christmas Angel Tree only highlights orphans with Down Syndrome, but there are many other children waiting for families as well.
Two of the other children who are currently waiting for a family are Cathryn and Connor. Because we like to adopt siblings, I am advocating for Cathryn and Connor this Christmas in the hopes that by increasing their grant fund a family will be able to step up to adopt them. I have added a Chip-in to the side of our blog. By clicking on it, you will be able to donate money directly to Cathryn and Connor's grant fund through Reece's Rainbow. All donations are tax-deductible. Since Cathryn and Connor are not part of the Christmas Angel Tree, you will not receive an ornament for donating to their fund. Perhaps I will try to come up with something I can send to people who donate. :)
And the inevitable question...why don't we adopt them? :) :)
At this point we are not ready to start another adoption. The girls have not yet been home for 6 months. While we do not know if God is finished growing our family, we are not being called to adopt again just yet. But these two children have touched my heart with their sweet faces and the knowledge that they have so much potential in a family with resources to help them. Adopting siblings is a big challenge, but we are proof that it can be done. For us, the benefits to our children of having a sibling who has experienced the same history as they have far outweigh the relatively minor difficulties associated with bring home more than one child at a time.
Please consider donating any amount to Cathryn and Connor. If every person who had ever visited our blog (over 106,000 hits) had donated $1 every time they visited, we could have fully funded 5 adoptions by now! It may not seem like much, but even a gift of $1 can be that extra little push a family needs to bring their child or children home.
If you are not interested in sponsoring Cathryn and Connor, please consider visiting the Christmas Angel Tree and sponsoring one of the other children. They all desperately need the love, care, and hope that families bring. What better Christmas gift could you give to a child than a family?
A large portion of the work that Reece's Rainbow does is collecting donations to be used as grants for children. There are many families interested in adoption, but oftentimes the cost seems overwhelming. A typical international adoption costs on average about $25,000. While that sounds like a lot, most reports list the average price for a car in 2009 to be $20,000. And if you're going to spend $20,000, is it better to spend it on the life of a child or a new car?
That said, it's easy to get a loan for a car. It's not usually as easy to get a loan for an adoption. There's that small problem of collateral, you see. :) And for most people, coming up with $25,000 in a relatively short time frame--usually one year or less--can be completely out of reach.
That's why Reece's Rainbow works to secure donations, both for children who do not have committed families and for families who are already committed to a child and are working to bring that child home.
Every Christmas, Reece's Rainbow hosts their Christmas Angel Tree. Running from November 1-December 31, 2009, the Christmas Angel Tree is the most important fundraiser of every year, and historically also corresponds to the highest number of children finding their "forever families" as well. Their goal is to raise $1000 or more for each of the nearly 200 waiting children with Down syndrome. When you donate $35 or more for a child on the Christmas Angel Tree you will receive a beautiful porcelain photo ornament of your sponsered child. Last year, my in-laws sponsored a child in my name (Annalise, scroll down to find her) and the beautiful ornament with her sweet face will be hanging on our tree again this year.
The Christmas Angel Tree only highlights orphans with Down Syndrome, but there are many other children waiting for families as well.
And the inevitable question...why don't we adopt them? :) :)
At this point we are not ready to start another adoption. The girls have not yet been home for 6 months. While we do not know if God is finished growing our family, we are not being called to adopt again just yet. But these two children have touched my heart with their sweet faces and the knowledge that they have so much potential in a family with resources to help them. Adopting siblings is a big challenge, but we are proof that it can be done. For us, the benefits to our children of having a sibling who has experienced the same history as they have far outweigh the relatively minor difficulties associated with bring home more than one child at a time.
Please consider donating any amount to Cathryn and Connor. If every person who had ever visited our blog (over 106,000 hits) had donated $1 every time they visited, we could have fully funded 5 adoptions by now! It may not seem like much, but even a gift of $1 can be that extra little push a family needs to bring their child or children home.
If you are not interested in sponsoring Cathryn and Connor, please consider visiting the Christmas Angel Tree and sponsoring one of the other children. They all desperately need the love, care, and hope that families bring. What better Christmas gift could you give to a child than a family?
Saturday, November 07, 2009
What we learned this week
- Emily is not allergic to bee stings
- Danielle does very well with sedation when there are no pain meds involved
- Alex can do his work consistently at school
- Tim does not have ringworm (it's seborrheic dermatitis--the equivalent of cradle cap...thought I got to miss out on that one!)
- Impetigo responds well to prescription antibiotic ointment (all 4 of them have it!)
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Danielle's MRI
Today was Danielle's MRI on her brain and spine. This was requested by the CP clinic at the Children's Hospital as a standard procedure for all of their patients. We aren't sure what, if anything, it will show, but we should know within the next week or so.
This was a much nicer experience with sedation than her eye surgery. After her eye surgery, she was in pain and couldn't see clearly, plus she'd had strong painkillers and she didn't feel good. This time, she only had an IV sedative (no painkillers) and she woke up really groggy but happy. I actually wished I'd brought the camera because she was so funny. The first words out of her mouth were "goooo....hummm"--she was ready to go! But she had to eat and drink before they'd let us leave. It didn't take her long to get some animal crackers and water down and then we headed out to have lunch with Mark. It's very rare for any of the kids to get to spend time alone with both of us so that was a special treat for Danielle. She really wanted to go back to school but her balance was still a little off so I kept her at home the rest of the day.
Danielle did a great job with all of the doctors and she was more comfortable this time than the last (which was only a couple of months after coming home). As soon as we walked into the prep area (which looked somewhat similar to where we'd been for her eye surgery) she started whimpering but was able to be calmed down and comforted easily. We made a game out of counting how many "doctors" she saw (we counted nurses and techs as doctors too). They did a novocaine patch before her IV placement (in her hand) and as she watched the needle coming in for the stick she kept saying "ow, ow" and then as soon as it touched her and she realized she couldn't feel it she stopped and just watched. She did such a great job and didn't cry at all, although she most definitely would not let me out of her sight. I was fine with that and we did lots of snuggling before the MRI during all of the prep work.
It was once again a great experience at SLCH. I'll post as soon as we hear results.
This was a much nicer experience with sedation than her eye surgery. After her eye surgery, she was in pain and couldn't see clearly, plus she'd had strong painkillers and she didn't feel good. This time, she only had an IV sedative (no painkillers) and she woke up really groggy but happy. I actually wished I'd brought the camera because she was so funny. The first words out of her mouth were "goooo....hummm"--she was ready to go! But she had to eat and drink before they'd let us leave. It didn't take her long to get some animal crackers and water down and then we headed out to have lunch with Mark. It's very rare for any of the kids to get to spend time alone with both of us so that was a special treat for Danielle. She really wanted to go back to school but her balance was still a little off so I kept her at home the rest of the day.
Danielle did a great job with all of the doctors and she was more comfortable this time than the last (which was only a couple of months after coming home). As soon as we walked into the prep area (which looked somewhat similar to where we'd been for her eye surgery) she started whimpering but was able to be calmed down and comforted easily. We made a game out of counting how many "doctors" she saw (we counted nurses and techs as doctors too). They did a novocaine patch before her IV placement (in her hand) and as she watched the needle coming in for the stick she kept saying "ow, ow" and then as soon as it touched her and she realized she couldn't feel it she stopped and just watched. She did such a great job and didn't cry at all, although she most definitely would not let me out of her sight. I was fine with that and we did lots of snuggling before the MRI during all of the prep work.
It was once again a great experience at SLCH. I'll post as soon as we hear results.
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