On the Mend...

We wanted to let you all know that MG is feeling much better as of yesterday. Fever is gone. Respiratory rate is down. Lung still sounds crappy but it probably will for a few weeks. Saturday morning she was back to her usual girly shenanigans of playing babies, copycatting her brother and I even saw her sassy side as well. She’s back to her old self. J She will continue to take antibiotics by mouth for a total of seven days. As long as nothing changes, we’ll go back in a few weeks for another chest xray to be sure the pneumonia has cleared up completely. It can take 4-6 weeks for the xray to return to normal after an extensive pneumonia. Thanks to all of you for praying for MG. Last week was a tough week but thankfully Little Miss is back in business.

Baby love...

I love hosting parties for the special people in my life but I ESPECIALLY love baby showers! April is one of my dear friends from high school. I had the honor of serving as a bridesmaid when she and hubby Chad married in 2004. Rachel and I have been patiently waiting for the day we could buy cute baby things for HER baby (as she does for OUR babies). The day has FINALLY come...
Group picture of the high school girls...
We couldn't let the occasion pass without April and Shannon showing off their baby bumps. Both baby girls are due within a month of each other.A baby shower wouldn't be perfect without a baby to make all of our hearts go pitterpatt. Thanks to sweet Emsley Grace for being a great example for the Mommy-to-be. Hopefully baby girl will be as happy and content as you.

Thanks to Andrea for some of the pics...

It's here! It's here!

I have the rough draft of our homestudy!!!!!!!!! All changes will be made and back in our Social Workers hands by Tuesday when we have our final meeting. On Wednesday she will send it to the agency for approval. From what other agency friends have shared, they do not get in a hurry with home study reviews. Considering USCIS is taking approximately 90 days to approve the i800a petition, we need to get in line ASAP! Please pray our agency can get it back to us quickly so we can send everything off to immigration. What happens then? We wait some more...

I've been tagged...

Would you believe after 21 months of blogging I have never been tagged? Now, within days of each other I am tagged twice by both Sonjie and Heather. Well, technically I have read those "if you are reading this I tag you" but that's not quite personal enough for me to participate. I can hear you, in your best SNL Dana Carvey voice, "Well, isn't that special". I'll shut up and answer the questions now...

7 Things I Want To Do Before I Die...
1. raise caring, compassionate, responsible children who understand what is truly important in life
2. rock my great-grandchildren to sleep
3. play the piano
4. renew my wedding vows in Walt Disney World (maybe 20 years?)
5. change our name to "The Womble 5"
6. travel to London, England
7. leave a legacy of honoring God, loving people & making a difference in the world

7 Things I Can Do...
1. organize (when I want to)
2. cook
3. kiss boo-boo's & make them all better
4. take a nap
5. procrastinate (I work better under pressure)
6. express my feelings in writing better than spoken words
7. get my child to school on time (which I wondered about a few weeks ago)

7 Things I Can Not Do...
1. sing (can't carry a tune in a bucket)
2. keep plants alive
3. spend a lot of money on clothes/shoes/accessories
4. find my favorite black sandal (searched for it all summer)
5. understand why bad things happen to good people
6. make myself go to the gym consistently (sorry SBM)
7. live without carbohydrates (any form)

7 Things That Attracted Me To My Hubby...
1. He has beautiful eyes
2. He has a sweet and kind spirit
3. He is honest (sometimes brutal honesty--always tells it like it is--ready or not)
4. I KNEW he would be an amazing Father
5. He is smart but doesn't pretend to be a "know-it-all"
6. He has pretty hands
7. He always treats me like I'm the most important person in his life

7 Things I Say Most Often
1. I love you
2. JTW! and/or MGW!
3. What do you want to eat?
4. Was that appropriate?
5. Close the refrigerator door!
6. For the love of Pete
7. It's time to clean up...no whining!

7 Celebrity Crushes
1. Kirk Cameron (Mike Seaver, Growing Pains)
2. Michael J. Fox (Alex P. Keaton, Family Ties)
3. Joey McIntyre (NKOTB)
4. Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Zack, Saved by the Bell)
5. Jason Priestly (Brandon Walsh, 90210)
6. George Clooney (Dr. Doug Ross, ER)
7. Rob Lowe (Robert McCallister, Brothers and Sisters)
(I would not call the last two "crushes" but they sure are handsome fellas, aren't they?)

According to my instructions, I am now supposed to tag 7 friends. I'm adding one to grow on because I know SOMEONE will pretend they have not read this post. You know who you are! I tag Courtney, Rachel, Andrea, Rebekah, Kim, Molly, Kara and Cindy. Don't let me down girls...

Sick Sick Baby...

Daddy and I would like to ask you to pray for MG. She has been sick since Friday with a 101-105 fever, tummy ache, vomiting, soreness, cough and just generally feeling like crap. Daddy took her in on Saturday morning with a 105.4 fever. Pretty inconsistent symptoms, strep negative, lungs and ears OK, so they chalked it up to a viral illness that is going around and back home he came. She should have shown improvement in 2-3 days. Didn't happen.

She was miserable yesterday. Today was even worse so I took her back in this afternoon. After a few tests and a chest xray, they determined she has pneumonia and a pleural effusion. Basically, the right lung isn't working right now. The pleural effusion is a small area of lung tissue that is being squished by fluid building up between the lung and the lining that goes around it.

She received an injection of Rocephin in the office and we go back tomorrow afternoon to reevaluate. Considering all of the poking and prodding that happened today she's going to FREAK OUT when I have to take her back there tomorrow.

Anyway, we know she's going to be fine but if you have an extra minute please pray for her tonight. A high fever, a lethargic baby and a lung that isn't working makes Mom and Dad a little nervous. She has never been this sick before and we're ready for this to go away.

Mom's taxi service...

Today marks the beginning of Mom's taxi service. This must be what it's like to drive a taxi. You wait and wait and wait and then FINALLY someone gets in the car and you can get the show on the road. I arrived at the school at 2:22 thinking I would pull right up to the front door. My J would be so excited to walk out and see the van sitting there waiting for him. Wellllll...I think every other Kindergarten Mommy had the same plan. This photo was taken at 2:30. In that eight minutes, I got out of line, drove past the parked cars thinking it couldn't possibly be the pick up line, turning around and got BACK in the same line I started. I was wrong. It WAS the pick up line. When I took this photo I had moved up about 4-5 car links from where I began. Note that you can't even see the school yet. It is down the road to the right...

He was finally in the van at 3:05. How was your first day of Kindergarten, J? Another happy face...
and this is how happy MG was to see her brother...

Mom: What did you DO today J?
J: I met new friends. I ate lunch in the cafeteria. I had snack. I played outside. I rested on my mat.
Mom: What did you LEARN today?
J: Ummm...I didn't learn anything today. We just played and had fun.

:-)

First Day of Kindergarten...

Our brave little Kindergartner...

Greeted at the door by Mr. B, assistant principal...

Final destination for the Kindergarten year...

This is how we left him...sitting at his table, playing Tinker Toys and saying hello to his new friends. He was excited and nervous but did great! He reminded me several times that pick up time was at 2:45. I promised him I wouldn't forget to pick him up...ever.

We said our goodbyes and out the door we went leaving Womble #3 in the great big world of Elementary School. I spent the day trying to stay busy until time for pick up. MG asked for him about 50 times so I know she was missing him too. This is going to be an adjustment for all of us.

*******
To explain the name Mrs. Polka Dots, look closely in the above photo. Note the black and white polka dot fabric and table tags. She even wore polka dots on the night of our parent meeting. She, too, has an uncommon last name so the most obvious name for her became Mrs. Polka Dots. I think it's cute so I hope she doesn't mind.

One Last Hoorah...

For the past two months we have spent our Wednesday mornings at Mrs. Kim's neighborhood pool. Me, Rachel, Kim, Rachel's sister Stefanie and a total of 9 children hit the pool each week like we own the place. You read that right. NINE children! For whatever reason I never took any pictures the entire summer. I know I brought my camera a couple times but never took it out of the bag. I guess I was too busy trying to keep our fearless children out of the big pool to actually take pictures.

Anyway, here are a few I lifted from Kim and Rachel taken randomly throughout the summer.

The group photo (minus the babies). See, I told you we owned the place...

First up, meet Rachel's little people.

This is Jake enjoying his sacred time in the big pool. Special thanks to Stefanie for most of the big pool action this summer...
This is Will entertaining us with his best Michael Phelps impersonation. This kid cracks me up...Here is sweet Alaina Claire having fun in her coordinating pool attire...
Next, meet Kim's little shadows.

This is Hudson, Kim's oldest son. I'm pretty sure he's the reason the kiddie pool almost ran out of water on several occasions.
And here are Carson and Lawson, Kim's boys who just happen to be twins. You liked that didn't you Kim? I'm pretty sure they logged more time out of the pool than in it but they still had fun (especially when it was time for snack).
Where is Emsley? She was there every week but I found no photos of the tiniest pool goer. Anyone care to share one?

And finally, the little people that need no introduction on this blog.

J described in the words of Kim W..."here is 007 in his oh-so-cool-water-wings and his coordinating water pistol!! J Womble, you're sooo cool!"
Finally, the only mobile princess of the whole crew, MG. Here she is trying to escape to the big pool for the 11th time in 30 minutes...

After Swim Day we head back to Mrs. Kim's to eat lunch and trash her house before nap time. Hopefully we didn't do too much damage this summer (minus the whole stinky carpet cleaning incident).

Today was our "one last hoorah" for Swim Day. J starts Kindergarten tomorrow and Jake started preschool earlier this week. Shhhhh...he missed the last day but don't tell him. Kim, you said same time-same place-next summer and we're going to take you up on it. We have had a blast spending time with all of you. I'm hoping next year we can round out the lineup to a good solid group of 10. I'll be happy to take on the responsibility of kiddo #10. Wish me luck! :-)

It's just a phase...

Phase-in day, that is. Technically, because I'm still going on technicalities right now, Tuesday was "Phase-in Day". His first official day of Kindergarten is not until Friday. Here's the play by play of phase-in day...AKA the first UNOFFICIAL day of Kindergarten...

7:00 am: UNofficial Kindergartner sleeps late. Normally he's up before 6 but not today. Why couldn't he sleep until 7 sometime in the past 5.5 years?

7:15 am: Breakfast made to order of eggs, bacon, strawberries and blueberries. Note the eggs were "Mmmm! Mmmmm! Good! Just like my Aunt Angelia makes for me". {my child NEVER asks for eggs and hasn't eaten them since we went to Las Vegas and he stayed with Aunt Angelia--that was three months ago}

7:50 am: obligatory first UNOFFICIAL day of Kindergarten photo at home



8:05 am: obligatory first UNOFFICIAL day of Kindergarten photo with Mrs. Polka Dots

8:15 am: Mommy turns into a blubbering mess after she leaves the classroom.

11:15 am: Pick up time...hooray! This pretty much sums up his morning.

He spent the morning getting to know Mrs. Polka Dots along with three other friends. He learned there will be no monkey bars for Kindergarten students this year. Apparently, several of them got up there and couldn't get down so monkey bars are nixed before the first day. He came out of school reciting "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do you see?" from the headband he is wearing, eating gummy bears and holding a "beary special" student award.

11:25 am: off to Sonic for a Power-Aid Slush. Believe it or not, he ate lunch at school and was not hungry. Chicken Nuggets of course. :-)

Highlights of the Day:

1. Did you know they have a BIG cafeteria and you can buy chocolate milk there EVERY DAY?
2. Did you know I have THREE computers in Mrs. Polka Dots class?
3. Did you know that we get to play on the playground EVERY DAY?
4. Did you know Mrs. Polka Dots is nice?

the Quiet...

--The days are long but the years are short.

In five years of being a Mother, it is safe to say I have experienced my share of long days. Some were the kind of days you wished would never end. Some were spent waiting for the sound of Daddy's footsteps coming through the back door. At this moment, I am wishing those days, both the good and the challenging, had been longer. All too clearly I can see how the ending of that quote is just as true as the beginning: the years are short.

It is midnight. As I sit here in the quiet of my office, my babies are upstairs fast asleep. Daddy retired a few hours ago and Hershey was not far behind him. The house is eerily quiet except for the sound of my thoughts going round and round in my head. In a few short hours, day will break and a new routine will unfold. Tomorrow morning after breakfast is eaten and lists are checked (for the tenth time), my baby boy will begin a new adventure. An adventure we have been working toward for 5.5 years: Kindergarten.

There is a conversation that stands out vividly in my mind about this very day: the first day of Kindergarten. Three and half years ago, we were in the throws of multiple therapies, much worry and too many unanswered questions to count. Things were uncertain then and I was desperate to learn anything I could learn to help my son. At the time, J had a wonderful Occupational Therapist named Mrs. Sue. Bless her heart, I think I hit her with 121 questions any time she was within arms length of me. In my mind, I needed her 20 years of OT experience and I needed it YESTERDAY! Nothing was going to stop me from helping my baby. One afternoon, during one of my Mrs. Sue drill sessions, I was desperate for answers. I knew they were answers she couldn't give but I asked them anyway in hope that one day she might have an answer. Her lasting words went something like this...

"Mommy, you are doing everything you can possibly do to help your baby. It doesn't matter what he does when he's two. It matters what he does on the first day of Kindergarten. That's when it counts..."

I know our conversation went on for a long time that afternoon but those few lines are what I remember most. For so long, I found comfort in her words. Tonight, not so much. Back then, Kindergarten was later. Much much later. Tonight, Kindergarten is not later. It is tomorrow. So, in the words of Mrs. Sue, tomorrow is "when it counts". I can't help but wonder if I, if we, have done enough to prepare him for this day. Only time will reveal the answer.

There are many Kindergarten parents who will walk into J's new school tomorrow. They will all greet the teacher, hang backpacks in the cubbies and take the obligatory first day of school photo. They will scan the room for other little boys and girls and encourage their child to make new friends. They will see J as an ordinary little boy on his first day of school but that is not at all what I will see...

I will see a little boy who is extraordinary in so many ways. I will remember the odds he has beaten and the professionals he proved wrong. I will reminisce about where he has been and contemplate where he's going. I will remind myself how hard we all have worked to reach this milestone. I will tell him through held back tears, he is strong and sweet and smart and brave, for the one millionth time in his life. Most importantly, I will remind myself that God is in control. His plans for this child are bigger and wider and deeper than anything I can imagine. I believe it with all of my heart.

Who knows what Kindergarten may bring our way. I think that is the part that scares me most...the unknown. We are going to take this one day at a time and see where this journey takes us. I desperately want to be there to protect him. The reality is I am not the One in control to begin with. Please pray for J as he transitions to big boy school and for Mommy and Daddy, mostly Mommy, as we step back and give him the opportunity to shine.

Joining the Mistreatment Club...

We interrupt the current blog hiatus to inform you of my new membership status: the "Mistreatment Club". What is a mistreatment you ask? The Nester explains in her own words...

Mistreatment: (n). covering for a window that is quick, cheap and pretty. may or may not need hardware does not require sewing. a real designer's worst nightmare.

Mistreating: (v). the act of treating a window with dignity and respect without use of the following: hundreds of dollars, sewing, time, crying, divorce, child neglect...

Unfortunately, I can't say this entire window treatment is a mistreatment but at least half of it is. So, I'm pretending to be a full fledged member of this club even though this probably only constitutes part time status. I guess the Nester will have to decide.

The cast of characters:

-Two wooden plates from Hobby Lobby, 5/8 dowel rod, one Handy Manny (um, I mean hubby), a big power drill and some fancy drill bit that hubby just HAD to have to make this work
-10 perfectly fancy drawer pulls from Hobby Lobby (on sale 50% off)

-left over pink paint, a strong arm to push in the drawer pulls, a little Sumo glue to fix the drawer pulls that Handy Manny broke while using his strong arm and TAAADAAAAHHHH!!!!

-10 mistreated ties (cut, folded, ironed and ends snipped after they were tied...why sew something that is going to be on the ceiling?)
-2 of my FAVORITE flat sheets from PB Kids (pretty and pink with a touch of Asian inspiration--the girls will share a room), the girliest fringe I could find, and a friend named Stacey who loves to sew

**This is the part where I become a part time MC member...they are for the girls room and needed to be lined with blackout. If you are going to line them you might as well make them beautiful, right?**
-The window before (with a crazy haired, blue paci sporting baby girl and an ugly ladder because I didn't want to ask Handy Manny to move it for a photo op--by this point he was OVER my mistreatment)
-The finished product. Isn't it a great feeling when something in your mind becomes a reality? They are EXACTLY what I envisioned. I double knotted the ties around the dowel rod, hooked the drapery hooks into the tie and cut the ends of the ties into a "v". Don't they look precious with the crystal chandelier?

I can't wait to finish this room for my girls. Some day, I'm sure they will want a room of purple and yellow fluorescent stripes but for now they are going to have the prettiest little girl room I can dream (on a budget, of course). When I'm finished, I hope they love it as much as their Mommy.

Thanks for stopping by to check out my mistreatment and remember...

It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful!

Meeting Mrs. Polka Dots and friends...

Tonight we went to the Kindergarten parents meeting at J's new school. For whatever reason (apparently known only to educators), teacher placement is top secret until the last minute possible. To all of you experienced Elementary School parents, if anyone understands why your child's teacher is a matter of national security please fill me in.

Picture it. 11 class lists are posted on the main doors of the school building, one for every Kindergarten teacher. All the parents are huddled around the doors looking for their child's name. You hear a few oooo's and ahhhh's followed by the cordial smile from the stranger beside you. It's like Elementary School all over again...you're just being "sized up" by other parents instead of classmates. Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about.

Then it was off to the gym to hear a word from the Principal (who will lovingly be referred to as "Mrs. Goodness" to maintain our privacy). She is a very nice woman, seems to genuinely love her job and has listened intently to our concerns and suggestions for placement. On Monday, the state of -- announced her nomination as one of eight finalists for the (state) Principal of the Year award. She did not mention that to us but the PTO president made the announcement in her honor. During her 9 years as Principal, she has also received numerous honors from organizations across the state for her role as Principal (thank you Google). To me, that speaks volumes. Overall I think we are going to like her; although, I reserve the right to change my mind at any point in the next 11 years. That's how long it will take all three of our children to make it out of 5th grade.

After all of the introductions, we were off to meet his teacher (who will lovingly be referred to as "Mrs. Polka Dots"--I'll tell you why in another post). She is actually the teacher that tested him on his screening day so she recognized me right away. We've heard many wonderful things about her including praise from both current and previous co-workers and past parents. She is our age, has children of her own and seems to love little people. She said she was excited to have J in her class. She thought he was "precious on the day of screening" and "had hoped he would land in {her} class". Apparently Mrs. Goodness thought she was a good match based upon the information we provided her. Please Lord, let this be a good match.

15 years later...

My baby sister Taylor would have turned 15 years old today...the same age I was when she was born. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like today had she lived to see 15. I think it would be remarkably different but I have no way of knowing that for certain. I loved those little cheeks and that pug nose as much as I could have loved a baby at the time. Contrary to what some may say, time does not heal ALL wounds. They may improve but I don't believe they ever truly heal. I may never understand the purpose of this chapter in my story but I know this with certainty...I will see that sweet little face again some day.

Baby love...

MG and J are in love with baby Julia. They LOVE having her over and playing "baby" with the real deal. Lately, J has been caught several times practicing his Olympic jump over the top of his little friend. I nearly had a HEART ATTACK when I saw him do it the first time. It was like watching something happen in slow motion..."Noooooooooooooooo, we DO NOT jump over babies, EVER!" No more floor time for Miss Julia without a grown-up close by (to monitor for any nearby flying children).

Let the Games Begin...

Lopez Lomong Carries US Olympic Flag


When the US contingent marches into Bird's Nest Stadium in the opening ceremony at the 2008 Olympics, the proud flag bearer will be Lopez Lomong, an adoptee from Sudan.

The story of the 23-year-old athlete's road to Beijing is one of triumph over adversity. He was only six when he and other children were taken at gunpoint from a church in his Sudanese village by militiamen determined to turn them into soldiers. He would not see his family for 15 years.

One night, he escaped and ran until he reached a refuge camp in northern Kenya where he remained for a decade. In 2001, he was brought to America as part of a program to relocate the "Lost Boys of Sudan," Then 16, he was adopted by a couple in a Syracuse, NY suburb who learned about him from a bulletin in their church.

Lomong hadn't known about the Olympics until he saw the 2000 Olympics on a TV set in the Kenyan refugee camp. That's when he decided to become a runner. Last year as a Northern Arizona University undergraduate, he won the 1500 meter at the NCAA Track and Field Competition. This year he qualified for the Olympics by finishing in the top three in the 1500 meter at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field trials. He made the team only a year after becoming a U.S. citizen.

Lomong is a member of Team Darfur, part of a group of Olympians that seeks increased recognition of the problem.

His story is an inspiring one and if you want to know more about him, you can google search his name. www.lopezlomong.org

The Chapman family on Larry King Live

I know there were friends and family who were unable to watch the interview on CNN so I'm posting it for you. It was heartbreaking to watch but their faith in God and strength as a family was evident. Larry King was harsh at times asking very insensitive questions but they held it together as best they could. It was clear to us that LK didn't really "get it" but he obviously recognized that SOMETHING was different about this family. That something different was the presence of God.

Larry King Live:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

Transcript

Larry King's Commentary on the Interview...

Let's see what you're made of...

Today was J's Kindergarten screening. He was SOOOOO excited! He met a new teacher, sat in a "real" classroom and answered lots of questions. Of course, he couldn't tell me anything she asked him. The teacher left me outside in the hall, but luckily, I could hear through the cracked door with my bionic Mommy ears. {Enter the sneaky Mommy--because you KNOW my ear was as close to that crack as humanly possible. If I could have morphed into a ladybug on the wall I would have done it in a flash. Ahhh, I digress...} From what I could hear, he answered the questions correctly. I don't have a clue how they score those things but I will soon find out. Next Thursday night at parent orientation we will find out his teacher. For the record, she's going to be one lucky girl to have my baby in her class (IF I decide to let him go). The most important prayer right now is for him to be placed with a teacher that will make HIM one lucky student. I have so many mixed emotions about Kindergarten right now. I can't believe it's time for him to go.

Steven Curtis Chapman on GMA NOW

Here is the interview in case you missed it...

Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman will be on Good Morning America this morning between 7:30 and 8:30 CST. They will be discussing the death of their daughter Maria. Such a tragedy. They will be on Larry King Live tomorrow night and in People Magazine next week for more interviews. Please pray for this family as they live out their grief in such a public way. It is their prayer that somehow this tragedy, and their limited public appearances, will show the world that God is still a God of hope. Despite tragedy and heartbreak, they have found solace in knowing they will dance with their Cinderella again.

That's a wrap...

Today was our last homestudy visit at the Social Workers office. MG decided to put on a show so we had to cut it short. It's not a great feeling when your toddler is showing out in front of your Social Worker. All you can do is smile and wonder what the appropriate response to the situation might be. Daddy could tell I was about to flip so he took both of them to the van. I wonder if she'll put "the googly eyes" as Mommy's discipline strategy? We should have our draft back in a couple weeks. Once it is approved by our agency then we can apply to immigration.

and in honor of our last homestudy visit for baby sister, LOOKY LOOKY LOOKY what came today...