This Blog and Its Subjects Are On Vacation

See ya when we get back! With a full update and lots of pictures.

I promise.

We pull out tomorrow evening. Michigan bound!

Got New Wheels!

Not the 15 passenger type wheels. Sorry to get your hopes up. I’m referring to the three passenger type wheels, thanks to all of my face book friends who decided to bless us with cash to get a stroller (or as it turns out strollers.)

In case you’re confused with all our talk of a triple stroller, we decided to get a double and a single. Bottom line is this: I just don’t take them all out very often ALONE, and it’s much easier to maneuver in most situations with the two strollers instead of ONE MASSIVE ONE!

This photo was taken on an evening walk at Leawood Park in Kansas before the heat index hit 110 degrees!

Emma Update- Three Months HOME Today!

Emma was evaluated for special education services this week. She did a great job. It was lots of hard work, and she really was a trooper.

The most remarkable thing in answering all the questions and observing all of her interactions was seeing the incredible change in Emma over the past three months.

When we first met Emma, she was in a little cave. Emotionally, she was all bottled up and had no skills for expressing or dealing with her emotions. Her primary mechanism for stress management was to rock and moan. Physically, she was delayed in motor skills by nearly a year and a half I would guess. Her walk was awkward and she tripped all the time, she couldn’t walk up steps, or run. Verbally- she had no actual speech, I estimate that she was 2 years behind in this area. She made sounds- moaning, grunting, crying, or laughing.

The International Adoption specialist at Children’s Mercy told us that children raised in orphanages lose 1 month developmentally for every 3 months in an orphanage (this regarding healthy children). He also reported that for children who are adopted in their toddler years, that of those studies, only 8% had not fully caught up developmentally in 6 months after being adopted.

This is where Emma is today at the 3 month mark!

1. Physically the most noticeable changes in Emma are that she is walking up stairs (often without holding the rail), RUNNING without falling, jumping with one foot leaving the ground, and climbing the monkey bars at the playground as fearlessly as any 3 year old would!

2. Emotionally Emma is experiencing more and more healing every day. She no longer resorts to moaning and rocking to placate herself. We have worked very hard to teach her appropriate coping for various situations. She has learned that if she is hurt she can come to us for comfort. If she is hungry she can ask for food. If she wants to be held or comforted, we are there to hold her.  Her biggest issue still is separating from me when I have to leave the house. (I actually don’t see this as a problem that she is anxious to be apart from me. I see it as a GOOD sign that she is bonding well and is identifying with me as her MOTHER). For those of you who have been tracking with us through the long haul, you will understand how GOOD this is that she is preferring me to her other care givers. I hold her face every time I leave, and remind her, “I will always come back. Mommy always comes back. I love you and this is home.”

Emma laughs. It is the best sound ever. She laughs when she is having fun, when we are teasing/playing, when Daddy tosses her in the air, when Elia chases her. She laughs, and it is a joyful sound.  She is affectionate and cuddly. Most morning she spends about 15 minutes in bed with me before breakfast.

3. Verbally, Emma is now trying to imitate sounds and is saying: Momma, Bye Bye, Eat, Please, Kitty. The list is growing daily. She signs many more words. Her word expressions are very whispery or low, I think because of lack of confidence and just the previous lack of any speech whatsoever.

We will not have the full report on her evaluation until August some time, but we are excited that we are moving forward in getting Emma some educational services. She did test with some hearing defecits, and she will be seeing the ENT on Monday for further evalutate the issue of hearing.  She sees a Dermatologist on Tuesday to have her skin condition looked at. Whewwww, then it’s off for a VACATION from doctors and testing!  We’re still on the waiting list for an evaluation with the Genetics Clinic at Children’s Mercy.

Happy Father’s Day John

To the Man of My Dreams,

I Love You.

Yesterday you declared that not only do I have your heart, but that I am your heart.

I tell you you are my very own. My heart is alive because of you.

First time around, we did this.

Second time around, we did this.

You are an amazing father. You pour your very heart into your children. These three that we have said yes to, are so blessed to have YOU to love them. They are no longer fatherless. You have turned your heart to them, and they have given their hearts to you. What a wealthy man you are.

There are now 6 who call you Daddy. Six who wake up every morning excited to see your face. Six who look to you to teach them, guide them, and encourage them. Six who will forever be blessed because you are a good father.

I love you with all that I am.

Happy Father’s Day to my lover, my friend, my partner in this journey, and the father of our children.

Yours Always,

Tracie

Photos courtesy of Dorean Beattie at www.capturedbylight.wordpress.com

Kiddo Update

1. Elia- she’s becoming a regular little chatter box these days. I swear she has a southern accent too. Must be here Louisiana roots. Her knees are covered with boo boos and her shins are in a constant state of black and blue, thus indicating her 2 year old business. ( I mean that to read Busy-Ness.)

2. Emma- will be 3 in a few weeks! WOW! We get to celebrate a birthday for her soon. All I can tell you is that people who met her when we first got home but haven’t seen her in weeks, are commenting on how changed she is. Someone said to us yesterday, “WOW, the darkness is gone.” I would describe it this way. It’s like she was in a cave and has finally gotten brave enough to come out into the light. Please keep praying for her. We know the Lord still has more to heal in her body, mind and spirit, but we are seeing changes and they are GOOD!  She sees a speech and hearing specialist tomorrow. I’m very excited about that. She also sees a dermatologist in a week or so for a skin condition on her face.

3. Aiden. Well Aiden is as Aiden does. He is total joy. He is all boy and he keep us laughing (and sometimes pulling our hair out!) He’s gotten picky about eating which is rather frustrating (anyone have any issues with that with DS kiddos or “just out of orphanage kiddos”- he was fine for the first few weeks, and then PICKY PICKY!)  But if I could package up his yumminess and send you all some I would. Aiden sees the Ear Nose and Throat specialist in a week or so.

4. Isabelle had a great time at camp in Mississippi. I got incredible reports back about her leadership abilities and the blessings she was to everyone there. She’s keeping us all laughing this summer with her incredible sense of humor. She is an amazing activities coordinator for the little ones.

5. Taylor has been my household project man this summer. He loves helping me organize and clean. Yesterday he scrubbed and polished all my kitchen cupboards because he wanted to and takes pride in a job well done.

6. Nick is continuing to pursue photography head on. He has also had a lot of opportunities musically this summer and will do being playing drums for a friend who is working on an album. He’s very excited about being part of that creative process.

OVERALL: we are regrouping as a family, setting some goals (personal and family oriented), and really huddling in to help each other meet those goals. As crazy as life is as a family of 8, I feel like we’re making progress. Our routines are becoming smoother and life is feeling a bit more sane.

BONDING: I will never leave you out of the loop over the bonding issue because I feel like it’s so important to talk about. I would never ever want anyone who is struggling to bond in adoption to feel alone. I would never want anyone who didn’t fall in love at first sight to think there is something wrong with them. We are making great strides forward. It’s a process of choosing to love, learning how to cultivate love, and pressing in even when it’s hard. John and I pray daily over this issue that God would align our hearts with His in regards to our children. We literally pray, “Father we ask that you would cause our hearts to come into agreement with yours in regards to (child’s name).” It’s nothing complicated or lengthy but we pray it every day and we are seeing results.

G.R.O.S.S.

I affectionately call Aiden “my gross boy” from time to time. I’m worried that with his new English speaking skills he may mistake the meaning for something like “cool” or “awesome.” I can just picture him saying to one of his buddies in kindergarten, “You’re so GROSS,” and getting in all kinds of trouble. I can hear him explaining to the teacher, “But my mom says I’m her “gross bo”y and she LOVES me very much!”

Aiden’s grosser moments include scooping poop out of his diaper and greeting us with poop covered hands in the morning, or as of yesterday smearing poop all over John’s laptop, or scooping up dirt and eating it. He’s also fond of licking things. He eats lotion. He is a messy eater. He’s a all around gross boy.

This morning however the girls get the G.R.O.S.S. award (Girls Really Outgross their Stinky Sibling).

We had finished breakfast, cleaned up from that mess, and I had the toddlers situated in the play room with a video. John headed to the shower. The toddlers were playing together so nicely! I decide to grab my cup of coffee and sit in the livingroom within ear shot and easy glance of the family room.  I checked on them multiple times in the course of 30 minutes. Probably ever 5 minutes or so.  I was really feeling quite happy that they were actually playing together without someone in the room supervising.  It was a happy 28 minutes.

At the 28 minute mark I noted that Emma was laughing hysterically. My first thought was, “Wow, she’s come so far. I’m so happy to hear those sounds and that she is experiencing such vivid emotions!” My second thought at the 29 minute mark, was “Hmmm, what is she laughing at so hysterically.”

I peek around the corner to see her taunting Aiden with a BALL OF POOOOOOP! I kid you not she and Elia were butt naked and there were POOOOOP BALLS everywhere. After I screamed for John to come and bring a plastic bag. I grabbed the baby wipes, wiped some hands and hineys, and then begans scoping out the scene.

There were POOOOOP BALLS:

1. Scattered across the carpet

2. Under the  couch

3. In the doll house

4. On the coffee table

So for today the girls get the G.R.O.S.S award. Aiden has managed to remain poop free so far today. Oh, but he hasn’t actually pooped yet today, so we’ve yet to see what the day will hold.

He Said That?

From time to time I have blogged some of the crazy things my husband has said. I literally left the family for a few minutes just now to share this with you.

Two conversations from today:

Conversation #1:

I had just purchased a dozen donuts from Lamars. A donut joint here in KC that we had never tried. I had mine on the way home, and pointed out the box to John and said: “These donuts are incredible”

John: “Are they good?”

Conversation #2:

Set the stage: John ironing in the bedroom (yes, he irons everything). Kids jumping on the bed. Nick and Tay hanging out waiting til we’re all ready to go. I’m trying to fix my hair and put on a clean t-shirt.

I say: Nick run to the laundry room and get the green t-shirt that is hanging to dry. I want to wear it.

Nick leaves.

John says, “You’re making him wear your t-shirt?”

I say, “John, if you’re not really paying attention, don’t assume that what you’ve just heard is totally idiotic.”

He says, “That may be the best advice I have ever been given.”

I love my husband. He makes me laugh, and if you’re not married to a right brained musician with a tinge of ADD you may not appreciate this fully.

The Photographer

The photographer, Nicholas. You can thank Nick for all the great photos on this blog. He’s the paparazzi around here!

Photo courtesy of Taylor Loux, another fine photographer!

I Love my kids!

Emma’s Glasses

Finally, I’m getting caught up. Here’s Emma in her glasses. Isn’t she beautiful? She’s much better at keeping them on than Aiden is. No shocker there!

Just Because….

… he’s got super cute buns and because you can see his surgery scars here.