School stuff

We just had Evie's annual meeting with the school about her IEP. She is having
trouble communicating (due to her cleft palate) although she scores very high in receptive language. She physically cannot make many consonant sounds, which can make understanding her difficult.

The school wants to provide her with an electronic speech aid to use in class - it is about the size and weight of a brick, and has pictures that she can point to with a stylus, and the device will say the word. It is like an electronic PECS device, I guess.

Does anyone have experience with this type of speech aid? We were told that it is often used for older children/teens with autsim. I am just not sure if it is the right thing to do at this point. She is 6, she desperately doesn't want to be different or stand out in any way. I am concerned that this will become a crutch for the teachers who will encourage her to push a button to say a word instead of trying to listen to her.

We have a meeting next week to speak with the surgeons about options to help her as she seems to have hit a plateau with the speech therapy.

Andy's first dentist appointment

We saw the local pediatric dentist today. Andy had fun playing with the toys in the waiting room, but when we walked in the examination room and he saw the medical equipment, he started to freak out. The hygienist gave him a toothbrush and little zipper bag to carry it in, so she was cool, but then the dentist came in. Andy listened really well and opened his mouth on command, but started yelling "OW! OW! OW!!! HURTS!" before the dentist even touched him. He did his best puppy dog eyes and poor baby impression, and by the time the appointment was over he had charmed everyone in the office, and all of the ladies at the front desk were in love with him.

The good news is that he doesn't have any cavities, and we don't have to go back for six months.

for Papa and Grandpa H

My small fall garden! Are you jealous?

when we first planted the tomatoes (there are two big boys and a roma if I remember correctly!)


a couple weeks ago


Today - there are lots of blossoms now! I need to put the tomato cages on, they kind of got away from me!


A "pre-existing pepper"! It was planted by the family who lived here before us. They are little peppers that start green and turn purplish-black. I don't know if they are a jalapeno variety or not, but they are nice and spicy and good in a big pot of pinto beans!


the pretty morning glories that Richard bought for me

They are blue with purple around the edges.

The Beebee and Bubba Show

We call Andy "Bubba", he calls Evie "Beebee"

Evie got to pick a toy from the treasure box at school today. She shared it with Andy when she got home.

Back to school 2010!

Emily's first day of 8th grade! She is not excited about school or getting up early, but she is looking forward to seeing her friends and starting volleyball.






Evie's first day of kindergarten! She was so excited that she had trouble sleeping last night.









Andy needed his picture taken, too!






Andy is pretty upset that we left Evie at school and came home without her, and then Emily wasn't even home when we got back (she walked to the bus stop after we left!) He kept pointing at Evie's carseat and yelling "Beebee! Beeeee-beeeee!", and when we got inside at home he had to check everywhere for Emily! He is feeling a bit lonely without his sisters today.

Today

Today is the 4th anniversary of the day we met Evie! Happy Evie Day!

Today we attended the Spina Bifida Clinic at the local children's hospital. Andy saw the neurologist, urologist, orthopedist, orthotist, dietician, physical therapist, social worker, and two RNs. The verdict? Everything looks good, and Andy is "surprisingly normal" for a kid with spina bifida. This is great news! We will go back in six months for a follow up.

Results

The doctor's office called with the results of all the testing done on Friday. Everything looks good! We are now confirmed to have an appointment with the Spina Bifida clinic on August 10 (all the testing has to be done beforehand).

Home from testing.

We are home from the children's hospital. Andy had an ultrasound of his bladder and kidneys (the tech wasn't allowed to tell me any results, but I saw him type in "left kidney" and "right kidney", so I am assuming that Bubba has both kidneys! Good news!) The ultrasound tech was great and Andy did well but tried to push buttons on the machine!

He also had an xray to check for scoliosis, this went well but he was wiggly so the xray tech had to call for help, so he could hold him while someone else pushed the buttons.

Then they did the urodynamics. He had a cath inserted, then they filled his bladder with contrast dye and took lots of xrays while his bladder was filling, when it was filled, then more xrays while his bladder was emptying. Bubba was very upset that he had to potty without a diaper or a potty chair. He kept trying to hold his urine, which I think is a good sign, that he has some control there. He cried a lot during this procedure. This tech told me that they weren't allowed to tell me any results (that doctor will call our doctor who will call me...) BUT he did say that he could tell me that Bubba's lungs work VERY WELL! Several other people in the hallways also told me this...

We are glad to be home. We had lots of rain today due to ex-hurricane Alex, and the drive took a lot longer than it should have.

More tests

Andy and I heading to the hospital tomorrow for more tests. On the schedule: xrays to check for congenital scoliosis, ultrasound of bladder and kidneys, and urodynamics testing to check bladder function. These are more baseline tests needed before we go to the spina bifida clinic next month.

I don't have any instructions other than to make sure he drinks a lot beforehand. Milk isn't allowed, but clear liquids are.

Neurosurgeon Appointment

Since Andy has spina bifida, our new pediatrician thought it would be a good idea to have a MRI done, and to get him an appointment at the Spina Bifida Clinic at the local children's hospital.

The MRI was last week. He did really well, and Geoff, our nurse, was wonderful. Evie had a good time with Nana and Papa in the waiting room while I got to stay with Andy the whole time. (did you know that MRI machines are LOUD? I had to wear earplugs, and so did Bubba!)

Our doctor got us a referral to the neurosurgeon, who rushed us in for an appointment right away. We were worried that she saw something very wrong and that's why she wanted to see us right away.

Nope! She thinks that Andy is doing really well, and not having any problems with his SB currently. She ordered a couple tests, got us an appointment with the SB Clinic, and basically told us that we just need to wait and watch him for any issues that might come up. She also confirmed that his diagnosis from China was correct, and he has the meningocele form of SB instead of the more severe myelomeningocele form. We are so blessed, this is wonderful news!

Next step: SB Clinic, August 10, 7 am.

Em's first day at her new school

She is going from a small, private middle school with maybe 100 students to a very large public middle school in our new town.

As tradition, a first day of school photo:

Andy and Evie, digging in the dirt!

There is a nice shady spot behind our shed. The kids like to dig back there and make castles.












They were a bit dusty after they were done digging, so I popped them in the tub. This is the aftermath!

Three Months with Andy

We met him Jan 31, 2010. He has been our son "officially" since Feb. 1, 2010.
Andy sitting on a chair, and dancing on the patio at our new house:

WE ARE THE TRUTH

...for Adoption Blogger Day, in support of Artyem Saviliev, and to encourage the continuation of safe international adoptions from Russia to the USA. To ensure the world knows about every successful adoption, on Thursday, April 15, 2010 blog about your adoption or the adoption of someone you know.

WE ARE THE TRUTH. For every horrible adoption-gone-wrong story that the media loves to play up, for every horrible story that people insist on telling you when they know you are adopting or have adopted... (do you know what happened to my second grade Sunday school teacher's third cousin's neighbor's aunt in Toledo... blah blah blah), for every Madonna and Angelina Jolie, there are THOUSANDS of successful adoptions.

Have you ever wondered why you don't hear about the successful adoptions, just the tragic ones, the unethical ones, or the sexy ones? It's because that, for the vast majority of adoptive families, we are just plain, normal families. The truth is boring, and doesn't make for catchy news titles. We are REAL FAMILIES, who love and laugh together, who argue and cry together, but we DO NOT abandon or abuse (or worse) our children, whether they joined our family by birth or by the miracle of adoption. We take our kids to school, go to the grocery store, walk the dog, are together in sickness and in health, just like your family.

Yes, we adopted our children, but we don't continue to live and breathe adoption for the rest of our lives. I don't refer to "my biological daughter Emily", "my adopted daughter Evie" and "my adopted son Andy", I just refer to my children Emily, Evie and Andy. Of course, that's on a good day. On a bad day, I might refer to "my children, the monsters"! My point is, I don't differentiate between my children based on the way they joined our family. The child who grew in my body is not worth more to me than the child who joined our family in a dingy office building or a faded hotel room in China. I love them all equally, treat them all equally.

In most cases, adoption is a beautiful, wonderful thing. It is important to show the world the good side of adoption, those of us who adopt and then go on to live an average, happy life.

another earthquake in China

This earthquake struck Qinghai Province, the province just to the west of Gansu Province, where Andy lived in China. I don't know if it was felt in Lanzhou, the city where we met Andy, or in Qingyang, which is Andy's hometown.

At least 400 people have died, and 10,000 more injured, and thousands of buildings have been damaged.

Please pray for the people of China.

Two months with Andy!

Andy has been with us just over two months now. He is adjusting very well, and it feels like he has been with us much longer.

Andy, Evie and Emily the day before Valentine's Day.









Evie and Andy. Evie's preschool teachers gave her an "I'm a Big Sister" sticker!


It's not easy to have big sisters...









Hanging out at one of Emily's volleyball tournaments










Sitting with Evie



Andy on his little bed with the quilts that Nana made for him









At the little park by our house















Em's new highlights









Playing outside. Andy saw Evie's old tricycle and was very excited. He pointed at it and signed and said "SIT"!!!

Immunization Waiver Petition

sign it, please. If this bill had been passed before we went to China, Andy would not have had to get 7 shots in 3 days by an unknown doctor - he could have been vaccinated on a slower schedule by our family doctor.

Immunization Waiver Petition

There are over 600 signatures.

YuanYuan has named his sisters

He calls Evie "JieJie" (juh-juh) - Big Sister in Chinese. He yells this up the stairs whenever she goes up, he doesn't like it when she goes up to her room! He follows her around and mimics her - she sits down on the floor, he sits down on the floor. She climbs on the couch, he climbs on the couch. It is very cute.

He calls Emily "Emma" - she is his favorite person, I think. She plays with him and carries him around, sometimes gives him a treat, but doesn't do any of that mean stuff like change his pants or give him a bath! If she goes where he can't follow, he growls her name!

I am Mama, and Richard is Baba (Daddy in Chinese). He yells Mama, but whispers Baba!

home at last!

We are finally home. I didn't think that the flight would ever end... YuanYuan was pretty good on the flight, he slept most of the time. There were a few screaming incidents, but not too many.

Things are going well overall. YuanYuan is grieving for his foster mama pretty hard, especially at night. During the day, Em is his favorite person. She is enjoying having a little brother, but he expects her to hold him whenever he sees her - kind of exhausting for a 13 year old! YuanYuan loves Evie, too, and whenever she goes upstairs to her room, he stands at the bottom of the stairs and yells JieJie (big sister)! Evie is having a bit of trouble adjusting to her new role of big sister and having someone else fill the baby spot. There is jealousy now and then, especially when Em pays a lot of attention to YuanYuan.

He is kind of scared of the cats, but terrified of the dog. The phones and remotes are not safe - he pushes buttons, then throws them when they don't respond to him! He loves to dance to music and play with his sisters. Tortillas are yummy, but refried beans get spit out! Mashed potatoes are a delicious new treat!

Wednesday Feb 10 2010

Leaving the zoo, notice no carseats in China. YuanYuan will probably be super grumpy the first time we strap him into one after we arrive home!

Wednesday Feb 10 2010

Em! Do remember this? Daddy went on it for you... I have video, too, but it is too big to put on the blog right now. He got soaked!