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!!!