One Crazy Summer

No, not the movie ........ we have had the craziest summer around here.  Here's what's been going on (and why I haven't blogged much):

• Right after school ended, we went on vacation.  We visited friends in NC, went to Atlanta, and visited my family in TN.  Overall, it was a great trip.  One of the highlights was the Georgia Aquarium.  It was AMAZING!!!!!  My family got to meet Kenzi for the first time, so that was good.  We learned that Kenzi's limit in the car is about 3 hours.  So, between that, and everyone else having to stop to use the bathroom, or the DVD players not working, the 8 hour trip home turned into 13 hours.
• Jacinda took ballet classes when we got home, and now she is taking gymnastics classes.  At the first gymnastics class, the teacher was using Jacinda to show the other kids how to do the various moves!  So we are looking into a class that's a little more advanced for her.
• Luke and Jacinda took swimming lessons for a few weeks.  They had a great time and did really well for their first swimming lessons ever.
• We got a kitten ... as if our house wasn't crazy enough!  Her name is Fibonacci - we call her Phoebe.  She was about 6 weeks old when we got her a few weeks ago.  We happened to be at the vet with our dog when someone came in with this kitten he found.  So our vet took care of her over the weekend to make sure she was healthy.  They cleaned her up and gave her some shots and we went back and picked her up a few days later.
• Kenzi had her palate repair surgery almost 3 weeks ago now.  Her first 24 hours were a little rough, but her recovery has been great.  She will see her surgeon in a few more weeks to check things out and make sure her palate is healing well.  She has made some huge gains in her speech since her surgery.
• My mom came to visit to help us out after Kenzi's surgery.  She ended up getting sick while she was here and having Pneumonia!!!
• Jacinda started with a new speech therapist and she has also made huge gains.  It's amazing how quickly she has made some major improvements!  It's so exciting to see and this has been a long road for Jacinda (and us).
• Aaron and I both completed a "boot camp" at the YMCA and we have both lost several pounds and inches.
• All 3 kids went to the dentist.  Luke had a small cavity that needed to be filled.  I was so proud of him ..... he sat so still for that and did an amazing job!  The dentist is very impressed with both girls' teeth.  He said that for cleft kids, their teeth are beautiful!  They both have very different teeth and alignment of teeth.  Jacinda is still a few years away from braces and bone grafting.

Whew!  We have 3 weeks left before school starts and we still have some things to do to get ready.

Misleading Title .......

I suppose our blog title is a little misleading these days.  We are done with the adopting part, but adoption will always be a part of our lives.  We will still be blogging updates on our family, but no more major adoption news.  3 kids is it for us!  This is for various reasons ....... hard to fit more therapy appointments into our schedule, Luke is starting 1st grade and has some special "needs" of his own, and we no longer qualify for many countries to adopt from.  Plus, we just finished paying off the last adoption, so we need to rebuild our savings and make some serious progress on retirement and college savings.

We will also be including some things about the new journey we are on, which is for all of us to get healthy.  We just joined our local Y and hubby and I have both joined their "boot camp" class.  They focus on nutrition and exercise, so we are hoping for great results!  I recently completed another "boot camp" and it was wonderful!!!!!!  In 6 weeks, I lost about 10 pounds and several inches.  I'm so glad that we are doing this as a family.

It's funny ...... I know that we are doing exactly what we need to be doing.  When I did the boot camp last month, hubby had band practice on some nights, so we needed to find a babysitter.  Within minutes of asking, I had 2 babysitters available for all the nights!  Then, today in my first class at the Y, the leader paired us up and I ended up with another mama and we have a LOT in common.  Her son and Luke are 3 days apart!  We talked and talked and are excited to have found a new friend.

I hope all of you reading will continue to read about our antics .... seems we always have sort of drama going on!

Summer is Here!

• Luke's last day of Kindergarten was today.  He is very excited about 1st grade!
• Kenzi's palate surgery is scheduled for July 24th.
• This summer, my family will finally get to meet Kenzi.  I'm excited and I know they are, too!
• We have lots of fun stuff planned this summer.  Luke needs structure, so we are working on loosely "planning" each day so that they all know what to expect.
• Jacinda has had some speech therapist developments.
• Her wonderful speech teacher at school will not be returning next year, due to school district budget cuts.  We are very sad, but we hope that the next one will be just what Jacinda needs at that time.
• She hasn't yet started with the private speech therapist.  We are working to get our insurance to approve it.  Our insurance is apparently notorious for being difficult for this type of thing.  Our coverage documents clearly state it is covered, so it's a bit confounding as to why it's taking so long.  Thankfully, the new therapist is very familiar with the process and she is committed to getting it worked out for us.

That's about it from here!

Excellent News!!!!

Cleft Team Rundown:

• Our surgeon was in the ER himself, so we couldn't see him.  We go back on May 29th to see him and schedule Kenzi's palate repair.
• Ears for both girls look great.
• Jacinda had her endoscopy procedure.  It was a little rough, but she hung in there and got it done.  Her palate is PERFECT.  Structurally, there are no issues.  The Cleft Team Speech Pathologist thinks that Jacinda has some bad habits from having her palate open for so long as well as her independent personality.  Some of you know that if Jacinda doesn't want to do something, she won't!!!
• So Jacinda does not need more surgery for her palate at this point.  This is great news!!!!!
• She needs intensive speech therapy in a one-on-one setting.  We will still do the speech therapy at our elementary school.  We also are at the top of the wait list for a private Speech Therapist that has a lot of experience with cleft kiddos.  We have a good friend whose daughter had similar issues, used this speech therapist and has done really well.
• We told Jacinda she could choose a special treat if she said the words and made it through the scope.  Well, I thought she'd choose ice cream or something like that.  Oh no.  She wanted to go to Hello Kitty store at the mall and get a "Hello Kitty Special Treat."  I have NO idea how she remembered that place ..... she has only been there once and that was months ago.  So we went to the Hello Kitty store and let her pick out a few things.

We are so relieved that the procedure is done and that we got the information we needed.  We are thrilled that Jacinda doesn't need another surgery right now!!!!!

Important Cleft Team Appts. Coming Up

Luke is doing great!  He has recovered nicely from his surgery and he is back to normal.  He is getting a little bored in school, but we have only about 5 weeks left, so he's hanging in there.

Tuesday, May 15th is a big day for us, especially Jacinda.  Both girls have appointments with our wonderful Cleft Team (Surgeon, Orthodontist, ENT, and Speech Pathologist).  Here's what will happen for both girls:

Kenzi ~ Her lip looks AMAZING.  I'm sure her surgeon will be thrilled with how it has healed.  He will take a good look at her palate and we will schedule her palate repair surgery.  She acts sometimes like her nose on the cleft side hurts, so I'll be asking the surgeon to see if he can figure that out.  She also may have another hearing test to see if the hearing loss we found last time has resolved with the ear tubes.

Jacinda - She will see the regular cleft team.  But the big deal for her is speech.  There is a wonderful Speech Pathologist that works with the team and she will evaluate Jacinda's speech delay to see if we can figure out what's going on.  Then Jacinda will be seen at the VPI Clinic.  VPI stands for Velopharyngeal Insufficiency, which means that air escapes through the nose during speech.  She will have a scope procedure to see if that is what's happening.  I hear that this procedure is not pleasant ...... they put a scope down her nose to the back of her throat (with no anesthesia) and then have her say certain sounds to see what the back of her palate is doing.  Depending on the results of that procedure, we will discuss our next steps.  Our next step will involve either another surgery, or specific speech therapy with a cleft-specialized   speech therapist.  The surgeries for these issues are fairly complicated and hotly debated in cleft circles.  I'm really hoping we can avoid even going there, honestly.


As you can see, Tuesday will be a big day for us.  We have given Jacinda's speech delay a lot of time to see if it improves and we are ready to get aggressive.  She starts preschool in September and we want her to be as successful as possible.  We had her IEP meeting earlier this week and she has made a lot of progress this year.  She also is clearly very bright, but we aren't seeing her true potential because she can't always express herself clearly.  I think her self-confidence will soar once her speech improves and we'll get a truer picture of her personality.


If you are the praying type, here are some specific things you could pray for:

• That all of us would be healthy for Tuesday's appts.  We had to cancel last time because both girls had strep and Aaron and I were pretty sick as well.
• That Jacinda would cooperate with the scope procedure.  It will not be pleasant, but it's so important.  I may have to promise to buy her a pony!
• That Aaron and I would maintain clear heads so we can discuss the best course of action for both girls.
• That I would remain calm and not overwhelmed throughout the long day.
• That the girls would be generally happy ..... it could be a very long day at the hospital.

I will definitely update once we know more.

This and That

Hmmm ... I should really start keeping a list somewhere of all the things I think of to blog about.  When I finally sit down to write a post, I can't think of a single thing!

Luke ~ He is recovering so well.  He heads back to school tomorrow, but he won't be able to do PE for a few days yet.  He has a follow-up appt. with his surgeon next Tuesday, which is when he'll be cleared for normal activity.  He's been eating burritos like crazy!  At least burritos are soft, and healthy!

He can't wait to be able to play T-ball again!  The season had just started and then he had surgery.  This is his first T-ball experience and he is excited!!!

Kenzi ~ She says more and more every day!  Her sleeping has been an issue.  She sleeps OK if she sleeps in our bed.  We don't mind it that much, but she moves around so much and we only have a Queen size bed.  So we aren't sleeping that great.  We're trying to get her to sleep longer in her bed.  Not to start a cry-it-out debate, but we don't let our kids cry.  Plus, with adopted-as-toddlers kids, we don't want to cause more trauma by not going to her when she cries.  So this is a pretty tricky situation.  The bottom line is that we all need to sleep better and sleep longer.  That's what our goal is.

Jacinda ~ The other night, her face had a run-in with the corner of her dresser.  Thankfully, there wasn't much blood.  Her plastic surgeon has told us to call him any time of the day or night if she needs stitches and he will meet us at the children's hospital.  Before I could get a good look at the cuts, I had it all already planned out in my head that we would call him, head to the hospital, and be there half the night, but thank goodness, we didn't need to do any of that!!!  She has 2 small cuts on her face and I'll treat them with Vitamin E once they fully heal just to minimize the chance of scarring.

Luke's Surgery

A few days ago, Luke had his tonsils and adenoids out.  He's been a real trooper.  He hates the Tylenol w/ Codeine, but he understands that it really does help.  Each day, he seems to feel a little better.  He's having a great time playing computer games, watching TV, and eating ice cream!

His teacher has been wonderful with sending work home for him.  She also had everyone in the class make a get well card for him!  His Report Card was EXCELLENT.  He had sort of a rough start with transitioning to Kindergarten and we're so proud of him for hanging in there and doing so well.

Kenzi ~ She is saying and signing new words every day.  I can't believe she has only been with us for a few months.  I can't really remember when she wasn't here!

Both girls see the Cleft Team on May 15.  Kenzi will have her palate repaired this summer.  Jacinda will have a scope procedure on May 15 to see if her palate is affecting her speech delay.  The results from that procedure will help us determine where we go from here.  There are a couple of different surgical options and a specific type of speech therapy is also an option.  We're so ready to find out our next path for Jacinda.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!















A rare picture of all 5 of us!!!!















Updates:

• Luke is having his tonsils and adenoids out this coming Tuesday.  We're getting ready ... stocking up on library books, Gatorade, popsicles, and other soft foods.
• Kenzi is doing great in speech therapy.  She is saying all kinds of things now ..... hi, bye-bye-, uh-oh, hat, hot and signing more, milk, all done, and help!  She is getting more and more comfortable around other people and she even stayed with Aaron's parents for a few hours!

Funny How Things Work Out .....

We were so disappointed that the girls didn't get to go to the Cleft Clinic yesterday.  Kenzi would have had her palate repaired in early May and Jacinda may also need another surgery around the same time.  Now, we are looking at July for those surgeries.

Luke saw an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor today for his recurrent strep infections.  The ENT wants the tonsils out ASAP.  So on April 17th, Luke will have his tonsils and adenoids removed.  He will miss school for possibly 2 weeks, but he's ahead in a lot of things in school right now, so it will be fine.  We'll get his work beforehand and he'll have things to work on while he's recovering.

So now we can get Luke well and then focus on the girls over the summer.  The surgeries for the girls are not affecting their health, and Luke's is, so his is more important to get done quickly.  So I'm glad we've been sick and had to cancel the Cleft Clinic for yesterday.  God sees the big picture and everything works out the way it's supposed to.

Speaking of being sick, we're all starting to feel better.  Of course, we had to finish it all off with Aaron going to Urgent Care last night with a pretty painful ear infection.  No one has had a fever today!  Thank goodness!!!!  We're back to our routine, although I'm still pretty tired, so I need to balance getting better with getting back into our groove.

Change of Plans

We were so looking forward to the Cleft Clinic appointment for both girls on Tuesday.  Kenzi was to get her palate repair surgery scheduled.  Jacinda was to get a scope done.

Unfortunately, both girls are sick, so we have had to reschedule for May 15 :(  I was so hoping that everyone would wake up this morning refreshed and feeling better.  Instead, both girls were feeling worse, so off to the doctor we went.  Jacinda tested positive for Strep.  Kenzi was negative for strep, but there's still a chance she has it since she has the exact same symptoms as Jacinda.

So May 15 is the day.  I'm disappointed, but I also know that things work out exactly as they are supposed to.  It will all be fine.

Luke has an appointment this Wednesday with an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor.  I'm hoping they will be open to a tonsillectomy.  I also think he has some seasonal allergies, so we need to get those under control, too.

Updates, Updates ....

Once again, I know it's been a while since I've updated.  Here's what's been going on since the last post.

• We have all been sick.  I have a spreadsheet with everyone's fevers and medications!  It's hard to keep track of for 5 people.
• On that note, Luke has still been having a low-grade fever, although his latest strep tests have been negative.  Yesterday, he had bloodwork done and a sinus x-ray to check for a lingering sinus infection.  The x-ray was normal and so was the bloodwork.  Thankfully we didn't have to wait long for the results.  He has an appointment with his Cardiologist next week just to check and make sure his heart murmur isn't causing any problems.
• Kenzi was supposed to start speech therapy 2 weeks ago, but someone in the house has been sick since then, so we've had to cancel twice.
• Tuesday, March 20 - both girls have appointments at the cleft clinic.  I'm really hoping they are both over their sicknesses by then.  Jacinda will have (hopefully) a procedure done that day that will tell us about her speech delay.  I hear the procedure is not pleasant.  I keep joking I'm going to have to bribe her with a pony!
• On St. Patrick's Day, Luke ran a race called the Operation Smile Final Mile.  It's part of the Shamrock Marathon weekend, which is huge in our area.  The kids run 25.2 miles during the school year, and they do their final mile during the event.  They also raise money for Operation Smile.  Of course, this organization has a special place in our hearts.  Luke can explain that our health insurance paid for surgeries for his sisters, but not all kids have that.  So the doctors can help those kids get surgeries just like his sisters.  He did a GREAT job in the race.  He ran almost the entire way!  He was thrilled that hubby's parents and brother were there to cheer him on.
• Tonight, we were watching a movie and he started screaming in pain saying that his ear hurt. He had just been at the pediatrician's office yesterday and his ears were "perfect".  Hubby took him straight to Urgent Care and sure enough, ear infections on both sides.  Crazy that it can come on so quickly.  The doctor he saw said that his tonsils were enlarged and she recommended heading to the ENT after his history.

A couple of pics for you ..........

Luke after his race!

Silly girls!

This girl LOVES to swing!!!!

Showing off her new haircut

It's Been a While .......

I know, I know, it's been a while since I posted an update.  Things have been good, but super busy.  Here's what's been happening.

• Kenzi's lip looks great.  These surgeons are just amazing.  We feel so blessed that we get to work with some of the best cleft surgeons in this country.  She had a followup with ENT a few days ago and her ear tubes look great.
• She had her evaluation with Early Intervention and they raved about how advanced all her motor skills are.  She is really catching up and I am so happy that she was not further behind due to being in an orphanage for 18 months.  She does qualify for speech therapy for an expressive speech delay. I'm waiting to hear from her therapist, and we will get started with that soon.
• Her palate repair surgery will be in May, hopefully.  She sees the cleft team March 20 and we will schedule surgery at that point.  Her surgeon may also do a revision on her nose.  The nose is typically the toughest part.  Our surgeon explained that it's because it's hard to make the nostril bigger.
• Luke had strep again last week.  This is his third since the beginning of the year and fifth since the beginning of September.  With the next one, we will be referred to ENT.  I have a feeling he will end up having his tonsils taken out this summer.  I'm hoping to avoid that, but he can't keep having strep.  All these antibiotics aren't good, and his symptoms are very mild, so he could have it for a while and we don't know.  Untreated strep can damage his heart and he already has a mild heart murmur.  I'm also investigating some natural things to supplement the medical things.  At this point, I'm willing to try almost anything.
• Luke has really found his groove with school.  It took him a while to adjust.  He is doing so well now.  His last report card was excellent ... he met grade level expectations in all areas, and exceeded them in Math.  Of course, I like that because I'm a Math teacher and Aaron is a Computer Programmer.  Luke is really enjoying Math and he's having a lot of fun with it.
• Jacinda continues to have a hard time adjusting to having Kenzi home.  I think it's a lot of factors ..... new sister who is also sharing her room, J's speech delay, sharing all her toys, etc.
• We signed Jacinda up for Preschool starting in the Fall.  She will go Monday-Thursday mornings.  It's a pretty academic program, but I think she will really enjoy it.  She's a pretty smart kid and I think it will be so good for her.  The class sizes are small (max. of 12), and they have 2 teachers, so it will be good for her to get some extra attention.
• Jacinda also sees the cleft team on March 20.  We're hoping she will allow them to do a scope down her nose to see what's going on at the back of her palate.  I say "allow" because they do this procedure without anesthesia, so Jacinda will really need to cooperate with the doctors.  This procedure could give us the answers we need about her speech delay.  Depending on the outcome of that procedure, there are surgeries that could help, or specific speech therapy techniques.  The surgeries are ..... debatable.  We haven't done much research on those surgeries until we know if they are even an option.

OK, the girls are being too quiet in the other room, so I'd better go see what they're up to!  Here are a few recent pics!!!

Update on Kenzi's Surgery

Kenzi has healed SO well after her cleft lip and nose surgery.  We saw the surgeon today for a follow-up and he was very pleased.  It amazes me that these surgeons can do this.  Here's a picture only 9 days after surgery:

Other updates:

Kenzi - She'll see the cleft team in March and then we'll schedule her palate repair for probably May.

Jacinda - We are currently deciding where to send her for preschool next year.  We're looking at a few places that offer 3 mornings a week.  She will also see the cleft team in March and the focus will be on determining if her palate is contributing to her speech issues.

Luke - He is doing great in Kindergarten.  It took him a while to adjust, but in December, he seemed to finally hit his stride.  He's doing great, and he is working above Kindergarten level in Math.  He does seem to be getting a bit bored ..... they do a lot of repetition and once he learns something once, he doesn't need that repetition.  So at home, we're doing a little "after schooling", which is basically supplementing school with some homeschooling.  I'm letting him choose the subjects he wants to learn about and then I find activities that are appropriate for him.  Last week, he wanted to learn about dinosaurs and next week, he wants to learn about space.  I'm hoping this will help counteract a little of his boredom at school.

Also on that note, we've instituted an afternoon routine at home.  He gets him at 11:45, so this is our routine:

Lunch
Homework - both big kids
Computer time for Luke and Leapster time for Jacinda
Outside Play Time
Quiet Play Time in their rooms
Snack time
Afterschooling time

Kenzi pretty much follows along with the routine and she usually fits a nap in somewhere in there.

As far as our family goes, we're still adjusting, but we're starting to settle into our new normal.  We're hanging in there and things get better every week!

Cleft Lip and Nose Surgery Update

Kenzi had her first surgery today.  First, she had ear tubes placed.  A few weeks ago, the ENT with the cleft team saw fluid in both ears, which is common for a cleft kid.  The ENT surgeon today saw lots of infected fluid in both ears, so tubes went in.  A double ear infection could explain why she's been really fussy and "off" for the past few days.

Then the cleft surgeon repaired her nose and lip.  It is truly stunning what these surgeons can do.  I just can't believe it.  Here's a picture of her about 1 hour after surgery.  Of course, there is a lot of swelling and bruising, and it will get worse over the next few days.  Isn't the transformation amazing?

She woke up from the anesthesia and cried just for a minute.  She drank a ton of Pedialyte and we went home about 2 1/2 hours after surgery.  She did great on the way home .... she was still pretty dazed and she fell asleep when we were almost home.  True to form, she woke up when Aaron came home with food!  She ate some Jell-o and applesauce.

I'm sure the recovery period will be full of ups and downs and it won't all be as easy as today was.  I'm very thankful that friends are bringing us dinner tomorrow night and Monday.  We'll be working hard to control her pain, keep her fingers away from her lip, and keep the big kids from being too rough with her!

Thank you to everyone who has said prayers and sent good thoughts and kind words to us.  We are so lucky to have this gorgeous little girl in our family.  As hard as this adoption stuff is, this is what our family is supposed to do and we couldn't be happier.  We love all 3 of these little miracles and it takes my breath away that God gave them to us to take care of.  We surely don't deserve these 3 precious children and they all came to us by way of a miracle .... Luke through infertility treatments and the girls through complicated birth family situations.  I'm so glad that God can take bad situations and create good things.  People tell us all the time that the girls are so lucky to be in our family, but the fact is that we are the lucky ones.

Updates Galore!

Luke

• He is finally adjusting to Kindergarten and improving so much with everything .... social skills, fine motor skills, everything!
• He has been attending Occupational Therapy to help him deal with some sensory issues and his last session is this week.
• He has worked SO hard to learn how to deal with school and life in general and we are so proud of him.

Jacinda

• She saw a Neurologist last week and he said she does NOT have Verbal Apraxia.  He was pretty clear about it, too.
• The Neurologist said her speech delay could be cleft-related, or it could just be a developmental thing.  Either way, he said to continue what we are doing.
• J's Speech Teacher has been such a blessing to us.  She continues to use her own time to find ways to better help Jacinda.  She has even been seeking out speech therapists that have experience with cleft kids and asking for their advice.
• J will see the cleft team in March and we will evaluate at that point if there is anything surgical that will help her.  The procedures are pretty extensive, so we want to make sure it's the right thing for her before subjecting her to any of them.

Kenzi

• Her lip/nose/ear tubes surgery will be on February 1st.  Her surgeons (cleft surgeon, and ENT surgeon) had a cancellation, so we jumped on it.
• She continues to improve with regards to her daddy .... it's a very slow process, but we're seeing progress every day.
• She has an evaluation scheduled with Early Intervention for Feb. 15.

Whew!  We've definitely had a lot going on around here.  We are still adjusting to life as a family of 5!!!

• She understands more and more of what we say every day.

Cleft Team Update - for both girls!

Cleft team update (for both girls):

Kenzi~

- 1st surgery is Feb. 1  They will repair her lip, nose, and put tubes in her ears.
- She had fluid in both ears today, typical of cleft kids. Jacinda never had the fluid, so this is new territory for us. She also had wax in one ear, which got cleaned out.
- She had a hearing test - she has some mild hearing loss, but hopefully it is nothing permanent. She'll have a repeat Audiogram after the ear tubes to see if the fluid resolving has taken care of the hearing issues.
- The Orthodontist said her teeth are great ... no cross bite that is typical of cleft kids.
- Palate repair surgery will be about 3 months after 1st surgery, assuming no problems.
- Speech Pathologist said everything looked great. She wants Kenzi off the bottles completely before her first surgery.
- We told the Speech Pathologist that Kenzi had an appointment set up with Early Intervention for an evaluation in early February (which will have to be changed) and she was very happy that we were getting started with that process.

Jacinda~

- She has a full appointment with the cleft team on March 20, for her yearly checkup. Apparently I missed the boat on this one and forgot she needed to be seen once a year. Since she was with us, everyone wanted to check her out unofficially.
- ENT said she had a ton of wax in both ears, which is typical for her. No idea on the fluid situation, but she's never had it before.
- Orthodontist said she does have the cross bite, which we knew, but agrees with her cleft dentist that her teeth look amazing.
- Speech. This is the big one for her. She is still very speech delayed.
- Cleft surgeon said that when he sees her in March, he'll evaluate her palate and see if it's contributing to her speech issues. He will probably also do a scope down her nose to see if there are any issues at the back of her palate. Hopefully she will cooperate with that ..... if not, we'll have to wait.
- Speech Pathologist agrees with us that it's time to get aggressive about her speech delay. We need to get to the bottom of what is causing the delay so that we know how to treat it.
- She has an appointment tomorrow  with a Neurologist to talk about Apraxia of Speech. Apraxia has been mentioned before, and it's time to figure out if this is truly the cause.
- If Apraxia (or anything else motor-skill wise) is ruled out, then her speech delay is likely caused by her cleft. So in March, when she sees the cleft team, the focus will be on her speech and figuring out where to go from here.
- There is a speech therapist that deals only with cleft kids like Jacinda, so if we need to, we'll pursue getting on her schedule.

Whew! I think that's it. 

Happy Birthday to Jacinda!

Jacinda turned 4 yesterday.  She walked around all day saying, "Mama, it's my birthday!"  We had a little family party after dinner and she had a great day.

Her birthday is a bittersweet day for us.  We're happy that it's her birthday and happy that we get to share it with her.  But we're sad that her birth mom and birth family don't get to share it with her.  I wonder if her birth mom wonders about the baby she had to leave.  I just can't imagine having to be separated from my baby and not know if she's OK.  In a perfect world, no one would have to be separated from their babies.  But we certainly don't live in a perfect world, so I'm happy that adoption is available as an option.  Lots of people tell us that Jacinda and Kenzi are lucky girls, but the truth is, we are the lucky ones.

Things here are pretty much utter chaos.  I had a moment yesterday where Kenzi was sleeping next to me and I could hear Luke reading a book to Jacinda.  It was rainy and cold outside, and warm and cozy inside.  The house was quiet, except for Luke's reading and I was so thankful for these 3 blessings God has given us.  We certainly don't deserve them, but I am so glad that God has entrusted us with them.

I'm so looking forward to Kenzi's appointment with the cleft team on Tuesday.  I'm so curious what the plan will be.  I'm ready to get these surgeries done and moving on.  These surgeries are not easy, but we trust our cleft team 100%.  I'm also looking forward to seeing them all again.  They are an extension of our family, really.

Updates from the First Week of 2012

Life here is busy, busy, busy.  We had a great holiday break, but we are all glad to be back to a routine.  Here are some updates in no particular order.

• Kenzi saw our pediatrician again and she gained 2 pounds in 2 weeks!  All of her lab work was normal, so the doc was very happy about that.
• Kenzi sees our cleft team on January 17th.  We should have a better idea of how many surgeries we're looking at to repair her lip and palate.
• She has an evaluation scheduled with Early Intervention on February 6th.  They will evaluate all areas of her development.  I'm fairly certain that she has no delays except for speech.
• Jacinda turns 4 (!) this week.  We're starting to look into options for preschool for her for next year.  With her speech delay, it's hard to know what will be best for her.  Especially since there's no way to know what her speech will be like 8 months from now when preschool starts!
• I started back to work today.  I'm teaching a few online courses at our local community college.  My department chair is trying to talk me into working some part-time hours in one of the Math Labs on campus, but child care would cost as much as I would make.  So I think I will have to tell him no.
• Luke has been doing great in Kindergarten.  He struggled at the beginning with some things, but he has settled in nicely.  This month, I need to get with his teacher because we've had some concerns about his fine motor skills (writing, cutting with scissors) and she wants to talk this month so that we have time to do something this school year if we need to.  He has worked hard and is improving, so I'm hoping he has caught up.  We've also been working with the Gifted teacher at his school to keep an eye on him and see if some of his difficulties in school are because he is "bored".  Our school system evaluates everyone for the Gifted program in 1st grade, so we're learning about the process so we're ready!
• Kenzi still much prefers her mama.  She is getting a little more used to daddy, but it's a VERY slow process.
• We're definitely starting to see more of her personality.  Overall, she's happy and smiles at everyone!
• I've been pleasantly surprised that we've had nothing but positive comments from people.  I wasn't really sure how people would react to seeing her cleft lip.  But no one has stared or even given her a funny look.  Random people come up to us and tell us how gorgeous she is.  So that's been a nice surprise!
• I have recently been appointed as the Changde Assistant Coordinator at Love Without Boundaries (LWB).  I'll be helping out with a school that LWB operates in an orphanage in Chnagde, which is in the Hunan province in China.  I'm SO excited to be doing this.
• We are rearranging our house to make our former guest room into a part-playroom and part-sewing room.  The big kids need a place where they can have their tiny toys so that Kenzi doesn't eat them!  So we're purging and organizing, which is great!

Whew!  I think that's it for now.  As you can see, life is a little chaotic these days.  But we're hanging in there.  Thanks to everyone to who has helped us out!  My neighbor takes Luke to the bus stop in the morning if the girls are still sleeping.  A friend bought us some special sippy cups for Kenzi - they are way expensive and she wanted to help us out.  Another friend bought a water sling for me so that I could take a shower without holding a slippery baby in my arms.  She had it sent directly to my house, so it was waiting for us when we got home from China.  Several friends have brought us dinner!  Aaron's mom is helping us out with watching the big kids while Kenzi sees the cleft team and has surgery.  We're so thankful that her job is flexible enough that she can help us out.

Adjusting

This may not be a sunshine and rainbows adoption post.  So if that's what you're looking for, you may want to stop reading.  This will definitely be a reality check post!

We had 1 week of our routine before the Christmas craziness hit.  Kenzi had a great first appointment with our pediatrician.  She goes back to see him next week to get the results of some lab work he ran.  Her appointment with the cleft clinic is January 17th.  We will have a better idea at that point of what surgeries we're looking at to repair her lip and palate.

Christmas was great!!!!!!  The kids all got a TON of stuff.  The day after Christmas, we cleaned up and organized all the toys so that we could fit all the new stuff.  We put together boxes to donate and some toys to just put away for a while.

This week, we've all been stuck at home for various reasons ......... the weather was bad at the beginning of the week, Jacinda has had a cold, Luke and Kenzi have been coughing, and I have had pinkeye .... in both eyes.  Oh, and Kenzi screams her head off any time she's in the car anyway.  So we're all going a bit stir crazy this week.  School starts back up next Tuesday and we're all ready to get back to a routine.

Adjusting ........ I won't lie, it hasn't been easy for any of us.  Luke has been great, though!  He has settled nicely into having another little sister.  He's been such a big help and Kenzi ADORES him!

Jacinda - She has had a very hard time sharing her mama. Plus, she's had a cold, so that isn't helping any.  Her birthday is in a few weeks, so I'm hoping that we can focus on her then and maybe that will help.

Kenzi - She still wants me to hold her most of the day.  She is getting down and playing with Luke and Jacinda a little more every day.  She snuggled with her Daddy for a few minutes today ..... she initiated it, so I'm hoping it's the beginning of her deciding he's one of the good guys!

I've forgotten what it was like having an 18 month old in the house.  Our house is not baby proofed any more and Kenzi is exploring by putting things in her mouth.  Luke and Jacinda never really did that.  Also, I had gotten used to being able to have a few minutes to myself during the day to take a shower or read a book or whatever.  Not any more!  If I want to take a shower, I need to get up earlier than Kenzi.  Or, I have a water sling I can use to have her in the shower with me.

We've had a few friends bring us meals and that has been so wonderful!  This adoption stuff is not easy.  I thought I was prepared for it, but I don't think you can really be prepared.  But we're trucking through and know that everything will be fine.

I do believe that this is all an attack from Satan .... all the craziness that has happened since we've been home - leaking water in the dining room ceiling (which is now fixed), sickness, crack in the windshield of the van, on and on and on.  He doesn't really care for families being created and good things happening out of bad things (the good thing being Kenzi having a family, the bad thing being her birth family not being able to keep her.

I take comfort in Ephesians 2:10, which says:  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  I know that God has prepared us for this and that everything will work out exactly as it is supposed to.


And now, I leave you with a few pictures!


Kenzi's first trip to our favorite frozen yogurt place!

Christmas morning.  Happy girl!!!

My mom opening her Christmas present.  A better pic of the gift is below.

Luke with his new robot.

Jacinda with her "new"dollhouse.  It was her Grammy's dollhouse!!!

China Travel Tips

Here are some of our tips for your adoption trip to China:

• Pack everything in plastic baggies and bring extras in all sizes.  We used them for everything.  Also, bring a Sharpie so you can label them.  I labeled some like this:  Toiletries - Suitcase, Liquids - Carryon.  That way, you don't have to remember what goes where.
• Speaking of liquids, there are NO liquids allowed in carryons on in-China flights.
• There is a strict weight limit on checked bags for the in-China flights.  If your bag is overweight, your guide can explain to the airline employees why and you might not have to pay.  But the fee is pretty small.
• Sizes of clothes for baby - don't bring too many of one size.  The weights we had received for Kenzi were all over the place, so I assumed she would be the size of Jacinda when we brought her home.  Jacinda was 21 months and wore 12 month sizes, so since Kenzi was 18 months, I assumed 12 months would be a good size to bring.  Everything I brought in 12 month sizes was way too small!  You will be able to buy clothes in China.  They may not be the colors or patterns you'd prefer.  Also,  bring things like leggings and long shirts or dresses.  Sizes are a bit more forgiving for those.  Bring things you can mix and match.
• If you need to buy an extra suitcase in China, wait until you get to Guanzghou and buy it on Shamian Island.  We bought a huge suitcase there for around $20, and we didn't bargain much .... we could have gotten it a little cheaper than that.
• If your kiddo has an unprepared cleft lip/palate, bring more bibs and burp cloths than you think you'll need!!  I brought about 10 bibs and wished I had 10 more.  We went through 4 bibs a day!!!!
• Constipation - This is a common issue in newly adopted kids.  Between the stress and the new foods they are eating, we've experienced it with both kids.  Kenzi wanted nothing to do with the baby food prunes we brought.  In China, you can get Baby Enemas.  Or bring something with you, like glycerin suppositories.
• Packing clothes - pack an extra change of clothes for everyone in your carryon.  Also, divide up your clothes between your suitcases.  That way, if 1 suitcase gets lost, everyone has at least something to wear!
• Space bags!!!!!  Get the ones you can roll the air out of, not the vacuum ones.  But be careful .... they get you more space, but it's easy to get your luggage overweight!

Any questions about travel, just ask!!!