Shots, Spelling bees, and Sickness

Life has been busy these past few days. I can't believe that it has been three days since my last post. I had every intention of sitting down to post last night, but just as I was uploading pictures, I heard Jonny screaming as he was throwing up into a bowl. He had been feeling ill all day and so I had lounged around with him most of the day, but I didn't actually think he would throw up. Poor little guy. Anyway, computer off so I could be with my sick son..... he slept between John and I all night. Thankfully his bug turned to diarrhea after just one vomiting incidence.... much gentler for Jonny to handle although I do have lots to wash today.

This morning, Jonny is feeling much better.... hopefully no one else gets sick. Dennis is scheduled to have surgery on Wednesday, March 4th. He has the sniffles, so please pray for him and Jonny to feel better.

Julia had her spelling bee this past Wednesday!

She spelled her first word BRAWL correctly.
She spelled her second word RELEVANT correctly.
She spelled her third word DUCTILE correctly.
She spelled her fourth word ALLITERATION correctly.
But she missed her fifth word CORPS pronounced core.

Isn't that terrific how far she got? She finished in 25th place out of 212 students all the way through eighth grade. We are so proud of her!

Speaking of proud, Adam applied for a scholarship and was chosen as a finalist! Even if he doesn't get it, the experience of filling out the application and writing the essay was great for us both! He is also preparing for 8th grade graduation and is choosing his classes for next year! Exciting stuff..... and the choices he is making is so much better than mine at his age. My son is growing up!

Speaking of growing, let me share how Anna's doctor visit went.

On February 25, Anna weighed 46.6 pounds and was 47 1/2 inches tall. I learned how to give her her first Nutropin AQ shot. It wasn't as scary as it sounds. She was brave.

Yesterday, I did it all by myself! And no tears... with the tiny needle, she hardly felt it.

My diet is going well. Yesterday marked a full week of dieting and my weight was 158 pounds which means that I lost 7 pounds in total! On to week two!

One day I made creamy mushroom soup.

Another day, I made stuffed mushroom caps.

Why all the mushrooms? They are low in carbs, are very flavorful, and are very versatile.

For added fiber, I sprinkled Flax seed meal which is very nutritious and has a nutty flavor.

Last night we had roast duck, my favorite, with asparagus and stuffed mushroom caps. Yummy!

Lots and Lots

I'm making it a point to slow down, chill, and enjoy the moment. After seeing how excited my son Jonny is every time after coming back from Grandma and Grandpa's house, I sat sown and asked him why he loved going there so much. "I get to play lots of card games with them," was one of his answers. Hey, I thought. I can be fun too. And that is when I decided that certain things can wait or not be done at all.

Cards are a big thing in our house right now. Uno, Go Fish, and Racko are the names of the games. Sveta can't quite grasp the concept of Uno, and Racko, but she is a pro at Go Fish! It was so sweet to watch her and Jonny playing the other night. They enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed watching them.



The girls have finally made some friends in the neighborhood. They are really nice and have started coming over more often. They attend our church too, where they have gotten to know each other better. One day, they thought it would be fun to throw as many balls as possible into the basketball net. I think the final count was seven.


Oh my! Look at Jonny's long fingers!

It finally came! Anna's first shipment of Growth Hormone was delivered today!

This is a three month supply, complete with syringes, and a disposal box.

Tomorrow, I take her up to Valley Children's Hospital, where I will learn and give her first shot!

I'll let you know how that goes.

Tonight I introduced avocado to Dennis. He loved it! In fact, he loved it so much that he didn't want to share it with Daddy! Here he is trying to keep Daddy from taking a bite.

"Look at me! I am a big boy! I can feed myself now!"

Talking about food, look what I had for lunch the other day.

I fried nitrate free pepperoni and topped it with pepper jack cheese, tomato, and onion. It tasted like pizza!

Today for lunch I fried up a lean hamburger patty and topped it with cheese, tomato, lettuce, and onion. I drizzled with mustard and mayonnaise. A hamburger without the bun that you eat with a fork! Yummy!

And don't forget to drink water and exercise. And by exercise I don't mean running a mile or joining a gym--- just look at my routine. I make a conscious effort to bring my heart rate up at least four times a day for around five minutes. I do this by running up and down the stairs followed by a few jumping jacks, sit-ups, and push-ups. Sometimes I do a few kicks in the air which Dennis thinks is just too funny. You should see him imitate me! Oh, and now I jog to the mailbox instead of having the kids get the mail. Not alot of exercise, but enough to make a difference. If I can do it--- so can you! Did I mention that I have lost another two pounds making the grand total so far six pounds? And John has already lost that much too!

Rachel had her friend Vika spend the night a few days ago. I am really fond of Vika because I helped her to find a new family almost two years ago! It is such a blessing to be able to stay in touch with the kids that I help to find new families because of a disruption. She is doing so well, and her and Rachel and Julia too, always have a great time together. Rachel got her nails painted extra fancy by Vika!

Here is my MR. BLUE EYE! I absolutely love this photo of him. Doesn't he look angelic?

Please keep him in prayer. His surgery is scheduled for next Friday, March 6th. It may be moved up to Wednesday, March 4th. Regardless of the date, it is right around the corner, and this surgery is a biggie! My prayer is that his skin and muscle will be extra stretchable allowing the doctor to cut, and tug, and readjust, and hopefully close up the bottom part of his eye. The doctor is going to address the scar tissue on both sides of his face and attempt to fix his lip. Completely amazing! Lord, please look after little Dennis!
***********************

Tonight while I was cuddling with some of the kids, Rachel wanted to take pictures. I think they turned out great!

Go give your kids a hug today! And don't let the sun go down without making sure they know how much they are loved..... the longer relationships go unrepaired with unresolved issues, the harder a heart can become.

** FYI- Julia is in the county spelling bee tomorrow! I'll try to get pictures!

I Will Tell the World!

I changed the song back to Albertine. The other song is awesome too, but something about the beat and the strumming of the guitar that plays in my head over and over. I feel a sense of urgency. I feel responsible. I feel like all eyes are on me, and I need to do more, if not just appreciate how much God has done and is doing for me each and every day. I am so very blessed....... in so many ways. I don't want to go another second without cherishing all of God's millions of blessings. By doing so, it makes me a millionaire, yet it is something money can never buy. I want to share God's love with all of the Albertine's of this world!

I went to bed last night and found my place where I fit perfectly in my husband's embrace. What a blessing, Praise God. I was able to think and pray as I listened to my children's breathing vibrate throughout the house. Praise God, that I live in a house absent of the noise and conflict caused by war. I slept soundly in my bed, awakened by the loud seal-like barks coming from Dennis' room. Praise God that I hear them because Dennis is home now and still not in Ukraine. Praise God for my awesome health to be able to walk over to him and bring him back to bed with me.

He laid on my chest, our hearts beating in rhythm, as I soothed him back to sleep. Praise God that I was able to comfort him.

For the longest time, I lay awake stroking Dennis' hair as I worshiped God, thankful for the little boy in my arms. I must have rattled off a hundred things that I was thankful for...... things I usually take for granted. I get up every morning without worry that I may not be able to feed my children today. I open up the fridge and grab a gallon of milk without giving it a second thought. I bought that milk, you know. That is the attitude I usually have. And it's with that attitude that I have watched my kids pour it down the sink because their cereal is gone and they don't want to drink it. Awww, but when I thank God for it, and remember mothers who do not have the same luxuries as I do, it puts things in a different perspective. Thank you God for the milk. I want to honor You by not wasting such a gift.

This is just one example of the many thoughts that went through my head, as I was intimate with my Heavenly Father (something I have never had with my earthly father). It is indescribable, what I felt. I felt loved, I felt at peace, I felt content, I felt like I had everything I could possibly ever need. And yet it was so much more......... like I said......... indescribable.

I can't believe how long it has taken me to get here..... not that I have arrived. Boy, have I missed out, and am probably still missing out on the abundance of blessings that my Father has for me. But I am growing........ and I am his child. His love for me is such an example of how I need to love my own children...... and others.

So back to the song. Does it speak to you through its beating rhythm and powerful words? If so, what is it saying to you?

Getting Creative With Food.....

and losing too. I've lost four pounds.


One night for dinner we had chicken breast and crumbled bacon on a bed of lettuce with cucumber, radish, red onion, tomato, and olive. Who said you couldn't eat veggies? All of these foods are okay and as long as you keep it under 20 carbs a day, you can splurge and have a little more veggies which I am doing.


For lunch today we had the most delicious meal. I made my own dip with spinach, red onion, tomato, Monterrey jack cheese, and cream cheese. It tasted so good!

I topped about 1/4 cup of the dip on a bed of two scrambled eggs with a slice of ham on the side. Then I had a small serving of sugar free jello. I enjoyed this meal very much and it was completely satisfying in every way.

Tonight I forgot to take a picture of the delicious beef, onion, and bell pepper fajitas we had on a bed of lettuce topped with Monterrey jack cheese. Again, very yummy, and not at all boring.

And the best part is that John is following along--- no problem.

It's Warming up!

Here are pictures from all last week.


Rachel's homework is getting harder and harder---- almost to the point of being over my head. I think that is pretty amazing for Rachel and shows just how far she has come in the twenty-one months she has been with us.



I love my Shark Steam Mop! So does Jonny! He begged for me to let him help.



One morning Jonny and I had an Uno marathon. We must have played at least nine games!

Caleb really loves basketball. John and Caleb will play quick games whenever they get the chance. Dennis is ready to play too! First, I had to go get his goggles!

The weather is warming up and the kids have been taking advantage of it while they can. Andrew loves roller-skating around the cul-de-sac.

Julia has been busy making scarfs, bib, and dishcloths to raise money for her trip to Ukraine with us when we adopt Alexsey! She has officially earned $123.00 and with her own $50.00 that makes a whopping $173.00 so far! Pretty awesome! One order was for a whole dozen washcloths! It's not too late to place an order! Julia made me a dishcloth and I love it!

The Atkin's diet is going well! John has decided to join me and wanted to make sure that I clarified something. On my last post, I said I felt fat. He in no way has ever made me feel this way-- in fact he always tells me how much he loves my body, but it is me who noticed the extra weight because my clothes hardly fit. Actually, we have both put on weight together, and so we are going to take it off together. He has went without Pepsi all day----- which is amazing for him!

For lunch today, I made this delicious and filling stuffed pasillo chile. If you are going to do Atkin's, I learned that you can't be lazy in the kitchen and you have got to be creative so you don't get burnt out on the same ol' food.

I took two of the chiles and baked them in the oven till soft. While they were baking, I fried up three ounces of sausage and scrambled four eggs. Once the chiles were soft, I cut out the stem and seeds, and slit the chile down one side. I opened it up and filled the inside with the egg and sausage and topped each one with 1/2 ounce of jack cheese.

It was so good!

For a snack, I made ham roll-ups stuggd with cream cheese, tomato, and green onion. Very yummy! And don't forget that glass of water!

And congrats to all who have decided to join me! I hope you make your goal!

I Can Stand To Lose Some

I feel fat. In the past six months, I have gained 15, maybe 20 pounds. I didn't realize that eating every piece of candy that my kids share with me, tasting all of Dennis' food to make sure it is not too hot when I serve it to him, finishing up what my kids don't eat because that would be wasteful and we are in a recession, and enjoying something sweet with every cup of coffee could add up so fast. But it has.

I am publicly announcing as to hold me accountable that yesterday I weighed 165 pounds. Ugh!

I have felt weighed down, tired, and all of my clothes are too tight. Not a fun place to be.

I officially started the Atkin's diet yesterday-- modified a bit. The three main things that I hope will make a difference for me is drinking more water, keeping my food intake to under 20 carbohydrates a day, and taking the time to enjoy the food that I eat so that I can get back to appreciating the healthy foods that are not allowed right now, but will be after the two week induction. I have had great success with Atkin's in the past, being able to lose around 8 pounds in two weeks! I am hoping that will be the case this time.

You might be wondering why I have to actually go on a diet in order to change my eating habits. Well, because I am weak, and unless I do something with all of my effort I do not stay motivated and will slip up with a piece of candy or something else sweet thinking that I could just skip my next meal-- which never ends up happening.

See, with Atkins there is no bread, starch, or sugar allowed--- for two weeks. This really makes me feel deprived and will have lasting effects for months after I stop the diet. In those two weeks I am able to train myself to enjoy one Oreo instead of three or four and I will continue to lose weight for a few months even after my dieting has ended.

My goal is 10 pounds. The scale shows that I have already lost one pound. Feel like joining me? If I get five people who say they want to join me, I will start a food log so that others can get ideas as to what to eat on this limited diet.

Set the World on Fire

I wanna set the world on fire

Until it`s burning bright for You

It`s everything that I desire

Can I be the one You use?

I, I am small but

You, You are big enough

I, I am weak

but You, You are strong enough to

Take my dreams

Come and give them wings

Lord with You

There`s nothing I can not do

Nothing I cannot do

I wanna feed the hungry children

And reach across the farthest land

And tell the broken there is healing

And mercy in the Father`s hands

My hands my feet

My everything

My life, my love

Lord, use me

I wanna set the world on fire

I wanna set the world on fire, yeah
I`m gonna set the world on fire

Set the world on fire

Yesterday..... I was overwhelmed

I'm in a much better place today.

God is good.

Yesterday was just a hard day for me. And it is hard for me to admit that I have days where I am overwhelmed. My pride gets in the way. I know in my heart that nothing can be hidden from God, yet I try to fool myself and Him pretending that I have it altogether. Well I don't.

First off, I had taken on a huge burden. It had weighed heavily on my heart for quite a while and recently it just become too unbearable for me to carry any longer. This "thing" was literally consuming all of my heart and mind and I had to finally let it go. I somehow thought that I was responsible for someone else's salvation, and I was taking their lack of faith personally. If I just lived my life differently, or said something that was powerful enough-- I could make a difference. I know that that is crazy, but the burden was so heavy wondering if there was something that could have been said or done to make them feel differently.

On top of that, I was dealing with a lost friendship. I had a friend ask me to be totally honest with her on a very big life altering decision----- which I was and felt that I owed it to her to be, and she decided to end our friendship because it wasn't what she wanted to hear. Big sigh...... maybe I shouldn't have done that. Maybe I should've told her what she wanted to hear. I was feeling guilty because of the friendship that has ended........ if only I had told her what she wanted to hear we would probably still be friends. Yet as I type this, I am beginning to wonder if we were really friends at all. Afterall, with real friends, if you speak the truth with your friend's best interests in mind, they would eventually realize that... right?

These two things may not seem like big deals to most of you, but to me, they were both overwhelming me in unhealthy ways.

To top it all off, as I was carrying in groceries, one of the bags broke and a big glass jar of strawberry jam shattered on the driveway. Amazing how powerful something as trivial as a broken jar could be. Just when I felt like I had reached my max, Jonny dropped a glass of instant coffee on our tile floor in the house.

My human sinful nature wanted to take it out on Jonny by screaming at him--- yet God stepped in for me and I managed to remain calm instructing Jonny to go upstairs with Dennis so they wouldn't step on glass, and play while I cleaned up the mess. Without God, I would have surely wounded my little guy's spirit....... in a way I still felt that I was too stern with him and I apologized to him. "Mama, you didn't get angry that much. I forgive you."

Looking back, if those two jars hadn't broken, my spirit most certainly would have. God is good. God used those jars to get my attention, and I stopped and begged for God to take away these burdens. I was drowning, and I hadn't thought to stop and ask God to send me a life preserver. It was He who lovingly reached out to me and handed me one.

I think He does this more often than we realize. And as I slowly get closer to Him, I am beginning to notice these life preservers that He is throwing out to me all the time. Thank you Father for continually being there for me even when I do not notice. Thank you for never giving up on me.

He is so much bigger and stronger than anything I can throw His way and I need to remember that.

Albertine

"Albertine"

I am sitting still

I think of Angelique

her mothers voice over me

And the bullets in the wall where it fell silent

And on a thousandth hill, I think of Albertine

there in her eyes what I don't see with my own

Rwanda

[CHORUS]

now that I have seen, I am responsible

Faith without deeds is dead

now that I have held you in my own arms, I cannot let go till you are

I am on a plane across a distant sea

But I carry you in me

and the dust on, the dust on, the dust on my feet

Rwanda

[CHORUS]

[BRIGDE]

I will tell the world, I will tell them where I've been

I will keep my word

I will tell them Albertine

[CHORUS]

I am on a stage, a thousand eyes on me

I will tell them, Albertine

I will tell them, Albertine

Digest 13

Laurie said...
Not that I think you are a bad person, a bad mother or a bad wife. In fact, I think you try as hard as you can to do what you think is right for you and your family. It seems to work great for you. This article spells out more on the foreign policy of family planning from our current President. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28812519/This isn't about asking God about murder, but about denying a woman the right to education, contraception and the choice of aborting a pregnancy due to disease. This is about the US denying a country funding for family planning and education because the country may support abortion as an option to stop the spread of disease. This runs far deeper than Obama "allowing" abortion. This runs deeper than the Chinese abusing US funding for family planning so they can "control their population". (Which, BTW, policy will be written for those who abuse the privilege of this type of funding) This is about educating people of all walks of life, believers and non-believers about disease control and family planning responsibly. You watch, the abortion averages will drop drastically because of this education. ~ Ask yourself this: Would God not forgive a woman who had an abortion? Does God not love ALL of mankind? Would that include both believers and non-believers? Would God want us to close our minds to the spread of diseases? Would God want us to deny another human being something as simple as an education to make their own choice? That also includes the many ministries that travel to these third world countries to educate people about Christianity. Not everyone will choose Christ. Not everyone will choose a condom. Not everyone will choose abortion. But...shouldn't each and every human being have a choice to make up their own mind?Acts 3:19 "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ who has been appointed for you - even Jesus". ~ That is...if a person believes...I don't know, this debate will go on forever...but please don't close your mind and think that God is the only answer. God isn't the answer for millions upon millions of people in this world. So for them, an offer of education to make informed decisions doesn't seem such a horrible answer.I had to come back one last time to express my opinion. I am not a non-believer, but I am also not closed to the idea that not everyone believes as I. Love of mankind is just that, love of mankind. The best to you Christine, try to be a better Christian and open your heart to understanding

I am not going to get sucked into a long debate.... but I will answer as simply as possible as to not appear rude. Bottom line is abortion hurts more than just the unborn child--- it hurts the mother... it hurts those that know about it...... it just hurts period. It is not the answer. And to feel this way about abortion doesn't mean that my mind is closed--- it just means that my moral compass tells me that killing a defenseless life is wrong. But yes, I do believe that God will forgive a woman that has an abortion. In fact, He forgives much easier than the woman who has had the abortion. Believe me... I know. I will disagree with your sentiment that God isn't the answer for everyone......as a Christian you should know that. My walk with God has been quite the journey and I am only speaking from experience------ but He is my Everything! I totally agree that education is very important, so why not educate by showing exactly how an abortion happens at the same time they offer it as a solution?

Denise said...
Who says courting anymore??? Let me ask you a question... Your older boys are I think 13 and 12ish. In your professional opinion what happened if one of your sons got a girl pregnant at the tender age of 14 or 15.. I would love to hear your views on that.. Or better yet what if one of your daughters got pregnant at that tender age as well. I would love to hear how you would handle it. Please don't say that you will leave it in gods hands because YES I believe in god but he is not gonna help the matter...

Courting.... dating.... means the same thing so why get caught up in the choice of words? As far as one of my children ending up in one of those predicaments, I would be very sad and upset---- but I would remain faithful that God would work things out. He always does--- even if it is not the answer that we want. I would hope that they would chose life--- which I believe they would and either give the child up for adoption or raise the child with our help. The point is, I would be there for them and so would God. I have a very good friend who had a baby at a very young age and went on to be one of the best mothers that I know. She went on to get married and has a wonderful family.

Sarah said...
What is the 99 cent store? Is it like a grocery store? Where I live we have stores like the Dollar Tree...but they don't sell produce. I buy most all of my produce and spinach at Costco.

It is like DollarTree but bigger and with groceries.

Peta G said...
I tried the Polska Kiebasa recipe. I did have to substitute the polish sausage though as I cant get it here. I used spicy pork sausages instead. Hamish and all the kids except one loved it. Any ideas on what other sausage I could use?

I bet it would be good with any sausage!

Charissa said...
Aw Christine, this post makes me love her even more. Thanks for sharing it. I wonder how common this is, do you know?

Charissa thanks, Sveta is very special. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is probably more common than we think. Since it is on a spectrum, many children may go undiagnosed because they are only mildly affected.

Tereasa said...
Christine, I usually link to your posts when I want to share them. I hope you don't mind that I just copied the article and pasted it to my blog. I don't want to risk that someone won't click over and read it. I gave you credit, though. Is this ok?

Tereasa, this is why I blog. I don't mind you or anyone else sharing my posts if it has the potential to help or encourage someone.

Bo & Cameron said...
Hi Christine,I have a question if I may. How exactly to they diagnosis FAS. Do they actually do a study or a MRI of the brain? My daughter is 2.1/2years old and she is a little slow developmentally and the doctors have told me an MRI may help us figure out why or if she may catch up. I did not know if this was something that could show up with an MRI? Thanks!

For Sveta, we first went and saw a geneticist who did genetic testing to rule out other causes. She also did a full physical exam. FAS features can include syndactily of the fingers and toes, small stature, small head circumference, and distinct hand and palm features, not to mention the normal facial characteristics. FAS can affect children in different ways--- but in order for a child to be diagnosed with FAS, at least three years ago, they had to have a certain amount of physical characteristics, documented alcohol consumption by birthmother during pregnancy, cognitive delays, and low birthweight and growth deficits. We also saw a neurologist, a cardiologist, and a neuropsychologist who were helpful in either supporting the FAS diagnosis or ruling out other causes. Although the neurologist felt there was no need to do an MRI, he did say that it was possible to see "brain pickling".

Sonia said...
Dear Christine ~ I very much love your blog, and really enjoy reading about your family and your 'heart' for adoption. But, I was a bit surprised/confused when I read this in your post ~ "I continually thank God for speaking through me...." And then ~ "They are not my words but our loving Father's words." I guess I was confused ~ do you mean that you share God's words (from the Bible) with your daughters? Or, that you know what God's mind/heart is (so to speak) and are 'channeling' Him (I know that sounds somewhat odd, but I'm not sure how else to phrase that). Anyway, I'd love to learn more about your view on that, if you wouldn't mind sharing. :-)Kind regards, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for sweet Dennis! Sonia

More and more I find myself saying things that would not come naturally to me. I say things that I would not have thought up on my own-- words filled with meaning for my daughters... words that are gentle, uplifting, hopeful, encouraging, and healing...... words I cannot give myself credit for. Often times, I am at a loss for words and then I start to talk about God's love and all of a sudden I am saying things that I believe are exactly the words that they need to hear..... yet I know I didn't think of on my own. It is kind of like when a pastor gives a sermon on Sunday and even though there are three hundred people in the benches, it feels like he was speaking directly to you. I believe that when that happens-- God is speaking to you through that pastor.

sarah20930 said...
So..I'm still stuck on the 99 cent store fruit. We don't have discount food anywhere where I live. I understand 99 cent food, like dented cans, and hamburger helper. But, how can fruit be that cheap. What is the difference between that fruit and the fruit at walmart? I don't understand how they can sell it so cheap? Is it odd shaped?

Actually, the fruit is very nice. In addition to all kinds of berries, they sell cucumbers, all colors of bell peppers, cauliflower, pears, kiwi, bags of green onions, etc. And all of it is of good quality. But I have learned that often times they will not carry certain things which leads me to believe that they get only what the regular stores cannot sell at the more expensive price.

Tami and Bobby Sisemore Family said...
ok, so you MUST share the recipe for the oatmeal Blueberry yummy dessert :) Email me childofmyheart@aol.com. Looks like a wonderful super bowl day at your house :)

Here is the recipe!


Mike and Christie said...
Is Dennis prone to infection because of the fistula?
Are they not going to fix this during his surgery in March?

I don't think he is prone to infection because of his fistula. I just have to clean his eye on a regular basis. Thanks for the reminder about his upcoming surgery on March 6th. I do not think they are going to fix his fistula during this particular surgery. The surgeon said that it will most likely be fixed around the age of five.

Kelli said...
congrats. How long will it take to bring him home?

I am hoping to have Alexsey home by the end of this summer!

Anonymous said...
I have a question -- Is this terrific grandma John's mother? I've wondered for a while because I think I once read that John's parents were divorced. Would you please clarify? Also, your parents -- are they together? Thanks.Best always,JEB

This grandmother is not John's biological mother-- but she is the only grandmother on John's side that most of my kids have ever known. She and John's Dad married almost thirty years ago. John's Mom passed away eight years ago, so we are both very blessed to have this Mom in our lives. My parents are divorced.

Svetlana said...
I love your headboard!!

Thanks! I made it using this site. A fellow blogger recommended it!

Stacey G. said...
Happy Birthday Andrew! Good job on the boys making their own lunches.. Can you talk a little about Williams sensory issues. I can't believe he doesn't like to touch ham.. I am just curious on this topic. Thanks!

William was diagnosed with sensory issues a few years back. We decided to look into it because of his sensitivity to noise, light, and excessive environmental stimulation. Also something about the feelings in his hands caused him to be extra sensitive to pain in between his fingers, have little strength in his hands, and have horrible handwriting. He constantly used to rub his fingers across his teeth, and he now loves to rub the bottom of his shoes--- probably because he loves clean shoes but also because he enjoys the sensation of the rubber rubbing across his fingers. He couldn't tie shoes for the longest time, and still has trouble manipulating small lego pieces. If you had a variety of objects in a bag and covered William's eyes and asked him to pick a particular object out of the bag just using his sense of touch, he would most likely get it wrong. I had to see this with my own eyes to believe it, and it is true. He received occupational therapy where he learned to write better by holding his pencil in such a way that would not cause him to get tired, and where he learned to tie his shoes. Since we have been made aware of some issues that will probably never go away, we try to find ways for him to compensate. This works pretty well for William.

Rachel E. said...
Wonderful news! What a blessing that you asked them to double-check. How does Anna feel about this?

We have talked with Anna on many occasions. Since this is not a life or death situation we made sure that she was on board before I pursued treatment. We have decided to go ahead with GHT in hopes that it will improve her quality of life by making her life a little easier... and so that she could finally ride a roller coaster!

Jeanette G. said...
Hi Christine, this is Great News!If you don't mind, can you answer the following questions on an upcoming Digest? How tall do the doctors estimate she would grow without GHT?Is there an estimate of how tall she could grow with GHT?

Anna was estimated to be 4'9" tall as a full grown adult. We will not know how tall she will grow to be until we track her growth after she has been on the treatment for a while. It would be awesome if she could grow to be 5' tall!

Sandy said...
Christine-Would you mind telling us how you determined Anna needed GHT? We adopted 4 children from Ukraine in 2004 when they were 4,5,6 and 7. Now, the two oldest are small to average height, but the two youngest are really small for their age. Did you investigate this on your own, or did the ped. suggest it?

Anna was incredibly small when we first met her. She was seven years old and wore a size 4t. Now at 10 1/2 years old she wears a size seven in pants, and a size 12 in shoes. My five year old son is the same height. She still barely weighs around forty pounds. We decided to look into GHT when she began commenting on how much smaller she was compared to her classmates.

Susan said...
A little off-topic, but I wanted this to reach as many folks as possible. Reece's Rainbow has just changed Marina's status to "imminent danger of being transferred". Would anyone who's considering adopting a little girl with DS (from Ukraine) please help her? The need is urgent - Little Marina, who turned four in December, was my "Christmas child". She is a cutie - healthy, happy, high-functioning, ambulatory, feeds herself, tries to dress herself, responsive, pretty, well-cared for, and with all kinds of potential and a good-sized grant from Reece's Rainbow for assistance to adoptive parents. Please don't let this darling child be sent to Torez...I am single and have "aged out", re Ukrainian standards, or I'd go for her myself...Best wishes,Susan in Kentucky Cousin to Two from Ukraine p.s. Thanks, Christine, for letting this message be added to your blog...

Please check out Marina's beautiful picture at Reece's Rainbow.

mommytoalot said...
You know Christine, I often think about you and your family long after I've gone to bed. I keep you all in my prayers..and I know i've often commented that children here in our/your country need homes as well. After going on Reece's Rainbow, I now am understanding more exactly how at risk these beautiful angels are. At least in our countries these special needs children are not institutionalized (much) My gosh,how my heart aches. How can you chose only one. How can you not help. I know if my husband was on board and if we had the financial means I would adopt in an instant. I know..a lot of IFS..but I can help..I can donate. But I cannot get the faces of all those waiting children out of my mind. God bless you and your amazing inspirational family.

Just having your heart stirred is huge! God will find ways to use you even if it is just to pray!

Shari said...
I am going to donate, BUT if I win that thing I am going to turn around and sell it and the money will go straight to YOU for ALEKSEY'S adoption expenses!

Shari, thank you for being yet another example to me. It is an excellent example of paying it forward. Thank you for the encouragement.

Jamey & Catherine said...
Sounds like you had a wonderful time. When you get a chance, can you check out our blog. Written under LEMONADE AWARD.Thanks for all the great updates. Catherine, Jamey and Oksana

I am having trouble getting to your blog. It appears to be set to private. Can I be invited?

Michelle said...
He's a super chunk! By the way Christine, LOVE your comforter set! Is that Ralph Lauren, Waverly, Wamsutta? Do tell :o) Now back to Dennis - don't you just love that clean baby scent :o) He's a doll baby!Take care!Michelle (RR)

LOL, No Ralph Lauren here, but I love it none the less! I bought the bed in a bag from Wal-Mart two years ago.

Sarah said...
I know that Dennis having plastic surgery next month, do they plan on fixing the big bump on his forhead as well as his eye? Did they ever figure out why he had that big bump, or if it is even fixable??

They will not be fixing his forehead. Since that would entail bone shaving, for purely cosmetic reasons, I am not sure we are going to venture down that path anytime soon.

sarah bess said...
wow, it seems like you guys have got a birthday party going on every day! :)

Honestly, after three birthday parties in three weeks, I am looking forward to the break until May. I feel like we need to do birthdays differently, I am just not sure how. I would love suggestions on how to have simpler, less expensive birthday parties, yet still make my children feel like it is their special day.

Andrew's Birthday at Chuck's!

This past Saturday, we went to Chuck E. Cheese Pizza to celebrate Andrew's 7th birthday!


Andrew's friend Isaiah joined us.

Dennis enjoyed eating pizza and watching the puppets on stage.

I was the token hander-outer and fed Dennis soda through a straw.

John helped the kids win maximum tickets!

We all had a really good time!

And sometime between this trip and last, Dennis became afraid of innocent little carnival rides. This ride he just happened to hold back the tears...... and screams.

Happy Birthday Andrew! You are my favoritest seven year old in world! How about that!