So we have had a few "turning points" lately that I'm excited to share...
Nikki:
Nikki is now going up to bed without having to be dragged (carried) kicking and screaming. She goes in, lays down, and in less then 5 minutes I can leave the room. She puts herself to sleep and she doesn't run around the room or tear things off the wall anymore! (or empty drawers!)
Nikki has also had THREE good meals in the past week... During these meals she decided she will use the fork and spoon. She also eats without screaming and throwing a tantrum first!!!
Jackson:
Jackson is peeing on the potty!! He might not really have words, but, I can put him on the potty, and he knows what it's for. He's up to 4 or 5 times now, 3 within the past couple days! I know it'll still be a while till he signs or tells me he has to go pee. However, the more I take him, and catch him when he's dry, the quicker he'll catch on to the whole business! I am SOOOOO excited (I just wish his sister would catch on)
Jackson is also starting to talk a LOT more! He is saying shoe, book, and more without having to be prompted. He is also starting to copy a lot of the things we say. Our friend Mark came in the house the other day, and he thought it was Steve. He turned around and started saying "Da, Da!"
Alli:
Little miss Allison is just starting to become mobile. Look out mom and dad, as if we didn't have enough going on already!! She isn't crawling, but, she is spinning herself around, rolling, and kinda "wiggling" to move herself a foot or two.
Life is never dull at the Gardner house!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
keeping my head above water
Sometimes it feels like I'm barely "keeping my head above water". The kids have been SO sick the past couple months. We have had croup, strep, staph, thrush, multiple, multiple colds, and baby projectile vomit, all in the past 2 months. Just when I cross a few things off my to-do list, ten more "appear". Sometimes it feels like I can't catch a break.
However, since we just came through the Thanksgiving season, I need to remember all I have to be thankful for. The biggest blessing(s) are the kids. They can be so hard, and I mean HARD sometimes. However, they have been through so much, and I can't wait to see their personalities develop. I can't wait to grow as a mom, and watch them grow and follow their dreams.
I am also thankful to God for bringing Alli through a horrible cold. She was so sick, and had such a horrible cough, it was pretty scary. She's still not eating as much as she used to, but, she's on the mend.
I am thankful that Nikki is doing great in school. She is starting to recognize colors, letters, numbers, and is counting higher too!
I am INCREDIBLY thankful that bedtime has gone FANTASTIC all week. I can walk her into her room, get her settled, and walk out less then 5 minutes later!! This is HUGE progress. It means I have a couple hours at night to get some things accomplished, and I can also get some time to "feel human" again.
I am also thankful that dinner is going better too. Her tantrums/refusals are lessening. There was one night when she didn't tantrum at all before eating!
Finally, I am thankful for the little moments with the kids. The moments when Alli will keep looking over at me and smiling, when Nikki uses her words, when Jackson is happy after dinner and wants to be ticked and hugged.
Happy (belated) Thanksgiving everyone!
Emily
However, since we just came through the Thanksgiving season, I need to remember all I have to be thankful for. The biggest blessing(s) are the kids. They can be so hard, and I mean HARD sometimes. However, they have been through so much, and I can't wait to see their personalities develop. I can't wait to grow as a mom, and watch them grow and follow their dreams.
I am also thankful to God for bringing Alli through a horrible cold. She was so sick, and had such a horrible cough, it was pretty scary. She's still not eating as much as she used to, but, she's on the mend.
I am thankful that Nikki is doing great in school. She is starting to recognize colors, letters, numbers, and is counting higher too!
I am INCREDIBLY thankful that bedtime has gone FANTASTIC all week. I can walk her into her room, get her settled, and walk out less then 5 minutes later!! This is HUGE progress. It means I have a couple hours at night to get some things accomplished, and I can also get some time to "feel human" again.
I am also thankful that dinner is going better too. Her tantrums/refusals are lessening. There was one night when she didn't tantrum at all before eating!
Finally, I am thankful for the little moments with the kids. The moments when Alli will keep looking over at me and smiling, when Nikki uses her words, when Jackson is happy after dinner and wants to be ticked and hugged.
Happy (belated) Thanksgiving everyone!
Emily
Saturday, October 22, 2011
another week
Another week has come and gone. It was a long week! All three kids had colds, and Nikki ended up having croupe, which really scared us. Steve ended up taking Nikki to the ER on Sunday around 11 because she was having trouble breathing. She was wheezing so much, and couldn't stop coughing. He ended up being there till 430, by that point she was breathing fine, and had watched a million episodes of Dora on his phone. He ended up sleeping two hours, then bringing her to the pediatrician on Monday morning, and they decided not to give her anything. It took a few days, but all three kids are on the mend, and finally sleeping through the night again. The past 2 nights it been very very nice not to wake up several times.
Nikki still has trouble with meals, but maybe thing are getting better. If we ignre the tantrums, sometimes she'll go back to eating on her own. I've started documenting how long it takes her to calm down, just so I can feel better if it does start to get shorter. One night (she was VERY tired) it took a half hr, the next night 1hr 34 minutes... and the third was 1hr 13 minutes. It would be nice if every night could be less then a half hr. We'll get there, some day.
Monday is going to be an exciting day, Nikki starts going to school full day! I love her day care but I'm very excited for her to get a lot more speech and educational support, and the majority of her day will be spent in one room, with one set of expectations. I'm very excited! Nikki is starting to talk in full sentences here and there, and I can't wait for her to really start catching up with her peers!
Nikki still has trouble with meals, but maybe thing are getting better. If we ignre the tantrums, sometimes she'll go back to eating on her own. I've started documenting how long it takes her to calm down, just so I can feel better if it does start to get shorter. One night (she was VERY tired) it took a half hr, the next night 1hr 34 minutes... and the third was 1hr 13 minutes. It would be nice if every night could be less then a half hr. We'll get there, some day.
Monday is going to be an exciting day, Nikki starts going to school full day! I love her day care but I'm very excited for her to get a lot more speech and educational support, and the majority of her day will be spent in one room, with one set of expectations. I'm very excited! Nikki is starting to talk in full sentences here and there, and I can't wait for her to really start catching up with her peers!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Whirl Wind
These past two weeks have been a whirl wind!
I'm getting back into the swing of things at work, and the kids are slowly adjusting to their new schedules. It feels good (mostly) to be back at work. The people are incredibly sweet and supportive, and I was able to jump back in quickly. Nikki is between two places, Carrie and Dawn. She goes to Carrie Monday through Thursday, and Dawn on Friday. The younger two are still out in Dracut. It's frustrating, but both Carrie and Dawn are trying to work to make room for all three at their homes. This would allow for all three kids to be together.
We also had an IEP meeting this past week. Nikki will soon start going full day! We're so excited because she will be getting a lot more support. She will be getting 90 minutes of speech a week, instead of just 30. She will also be getting 2 hrs of academic support a week.
As far as adjusting and getting into a routine, bedtime and meals are now the hardest times. Nikki has decided to scream (usually happy screams) and run around the room until 9 at night. We now have to sit in the room and turn our back to her. That way we're not giving her negative attention. We only put her back in bed, and turn around again. It's extremely hard and frustrating, but, hopefully it will sink in soon! Last night was 10pm, and it's just really hard. Meals are tough too. She has decided she doesn't want to eat meals anymore. She has decided she might only want the corn, only bread, or only pasta. We can only give her what we want her to eat first, and she usually refuses, eventually eats a couple bites, and doesn't get the bread or carb we fixed. I hope that changes too, because I don't like that she's not eating much right now. Hopefully things on those two ends will get fixed soon!
I'm getting back into the swing of things at work, and the kids are slowly adjusting to their new schedules. It feels good (mostly) to be back at work. The people are incredibly sweet and supportive, and I was able to jump back in quickly. Nikki is between two places, Carrie and Dawn. She goes to Carrie Monday through Thursday, and Dawn on Friday. The younger two are still out in Dracut. It's frustrating, but both Carrie and Dawn are trying to work to make room for all three at their homes. This would allow for all three kids to be together.
We also had an IEP meeting this past week. Nikki will soon start going full day! We're so excited because she will be getting a lot more support. She will be getting 90 minutes of speech a week, instead of just 30. She will also be getting 2 hrs of academic support a week.
As far as adjusting and getting into a routine, bedtime and meals are now the hardest times. Nikki has decided to scream (usually happy screams) and run around the room until 9 at night. We now have to sit in the room and turn our back to her. That way we're not giving her negative attention. We only put her back in bed, and turn around again. It's extremely hard and frustrating, but, hopefully it will sink in soon! Last night was 10pm, and it's just really hard. Meals are tough too. She has decided she doesn't want to eat meals anymore. She has decided she might only want the corn, only bread, or only pasta. We can only give her what we want her to eat first, and she usually refuses, eventually eats a couple bites, and doesn't get the bread or carb we fixed. I hope that changes too, because I don't like that she's not eating much right now. Hopefully things on those two ends will get fixed soon!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
First week back
This past week has been crazy. It meant super early mornings again, and three kids to get ready! Steve gets Alli and Jackson mostly ready. Once he leaves I get Nikki ready and get her to school. We're still having major transportation issues. I think we've got them worked out though. Nikki should be all set to start taking the "bus" (more like a van) on Tuesday.
Thursday I had a day off, and I was so excited. I ended up spending it at a double Dr.'s appointment and a daycare appointment to get Nikki's daycare switched. It's a lot more complicated because the state is paying for it.
Friday we stayed the night at Steve's parents. We all stayed in one room, but I was able to get some pretty decent sleep.
Saturday was our first "baby shower"/meet and greet. It was so fun! Steve's extended family had a chance to meet our kiddos. We recieved financial gifts, books, a few toys, nothing too over the top. I was very thankful for everything we were given, and thankful that it didn't add too much to our small house. We are very blessed to have such great family around!
Thursday I had a day off, and I was so excited. I ended up spending it at a double Dr.'s appointment and a daycare appointment to get Nikki's daycare switched. It's a lot more complicated because the state is paying for it.
Friday we stayed the night at Steve's parents. We all stayed in one room, but I was able to get some pretty decent sleep.
Saturday was our first "baby shower"/meet and greet. It was so fun! Steve's extended family had a chance to meet our kiddos. We recieved financial gifts, books, a few toys, nothing too over the top. I was very thankful for everything we were given, and thankful that it didn't add too much to our small house. We are very blessed to have such great family around!
busy weekend! :-)
Friday- Friday was a good day. I was so glad mom was here to help. Becca and Jeff also came to visit the kids. Nikki woke up Jackson when she was going to bed, so they went down pretty late. Liz and Dad got here around 930 and were able to meet Alli.
Saturday- Saturday we all went together to the Children's Museum. We had so much fun! Jackson, All, Liz, Mom and I stayed in the 3 and under room the whole time. Nikki, Dad, and Steve stayed on the climber almost the whole time. They absolutely loved it! That night Steve's family came over and we all had fun together.
Sunday- Sunday we all went to church and then had to say goodbye to my family. It was sad, but, there were no tears :-). We spent the afternoon at Mark's house. While not completely "child friendly", there was enough to keep busy, and they seemed to have fun. Someone taught Nikki what a fire hydrant was, and I taught her the difference between a bridge and a fence. It was fun to see her labeling everything during our walk. The night was fairly smooth, I was ready to go back to work.
Saturday- Saturday we all went together to the Children's Museum. We had so much fun! Jackson, All, Liz, Mom and I stayed in the 3 and under room the whole time. Nikki, Dad, and Steve stayed on the climber almost the whole time. They absolutely loved it! That night Steve's family came over and we all had fun together.
Sunday- Sunday we all went to church and then had to say goodbye to my family. It was sad, but, there were no tears :-). We spent the afternoon at Mark's house. While not completely "child friendly", there was enough to keep busy, and they seemed to have fun. Someone taught Nikki what a fire hydrant was, and I taught her the difference between a bridge and a fence. It was fun to see her labeling everything during our walk. The night was fairly smooth, I was ready to go back to work.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Mom is here!
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday-
Tuesday-
Tuesday went VERY well. Even thought it was rainy, getting Nikki to school, and back home, both went very well. We had a lady come talk to us about Jackson and his early intervention. In June, his expressive language was at a 5 month level. We had NO idea it was so low! On one hand we were very glad he'll be getting services, and that we know what he needs. On the other hand, she was quite abrupt about Nikki and her aggressive behaviors, and I felt very judged by the way she was talking. We've only had them 3-4 weeks. Later in the afternoon another friend from church came with her big kiddos, and it was a NICE visit! It was very fun to have adult company, and Nikki didn't seem to get too hyper. Jackson woke up from at 11:30, and didn't go back to sleep until 1:30, I was EXHAUSTED the next day.
Wednesday-
Wednesday, my mom came!! She came around lunch and it was awesome to see her, and for her to meet the kiddos. We had a good afternoon while the little ones slept. Wednesday nights have become the time when the kids visit with their birth parents. The time is HORRIBLE! It's from 4-5pm. That means Nikki sleeps 3-4, the whole way there! We can't keep her awake. Bedtime is hard enough when she naps, let alone when she naps from 3-4. We always hope the long drive home will help soothe her, but she ends up in her room screaming until 9:30. We are REALLY pushing to get the time changed!
Thursday-
This morning and early afternoon were good. I got some time with my mom, and I got a package from some close friends. I also got my new phone! Later afternoon was hard with Nikki. She has started spitting her juice and drooling on herself on purpose. She has also started getting very violent with Jackson. It scares me, and sometimes I feel like I can't keep the little ones safe. I think we're going to talk to the school psychologist or psychiatrist to get some extra help on how to deal with these issues. It's really hard when she has several rough hours, completely exhausting. Steve didn't get home till 645 because he was getting the paperwork for their daycare all set up. I am SO thankful my mom was here to help me and console me. Now Jackson is in bed, Steve is spending some time with Nikki, and I get some down time. Much needed downtime.
Tuesday-
Tuesday went VERY well. Even thought it was rainy, getting Nikki to school, and back home, both went very well. We had a lady come talk to us about Jackson and his early intervention. In June, his expressive language was at a 5 month level. We had NO idea it was so low! On one hand we were very glad he'll be getting services, and that we know what he needs. On the other hand, she was quite abrupt about Nikki and her aggressive behaviors, and I felt very judged by the way she was talking. We've only had them 3-4 weeks. Later in the afternoon another friend from church came with her big kiddos, and it was a NICE visit! It was very fun to have adult company, and Nikki didn't seem to get too hyper. Jackson woke up from at 11:30, and didn't go back to sleep until 1:30, I was EXHAUSTED the next day.
Wednesday-
Wednesday, my mom came!! She came around lunch and it was awesome to see her, and for her to meet the kiddos. We had a good afternoon while the little ones slept. Wednesday nights have become the time when the kids visit with their birth parents. The time is HORRIBLE! It's from 4-5pm. That means Nikki sleeps 3-4, the whole way there! We can't keep her awake. Bedtime is hard enough when she naps, let alone when she naps from 3-4. We always hope the long drive home will help soothe her, but she ends up in her room screaming until 9:30. We are REALLY pushing to get the time changed!
Thursday-
This morning and early afternoon were good. I got some time with my mom, and I got a package from some close friends. I also got my new phone! Later afternoon was hard with Nikki. She has started spitting her juice and drooling on herself on purpose. She has also started getting very violent with Jackson. It scares me, and sometimes I feel like I can't keep the little ones safe. I think we're going to talk to the school psychologist or psychiatrist to get some extra help on how to deal with these issues. It's really hard when she has several rough hours, completely exhausting. Steve didn't get home till 645 because he was getting the paperwork for their daycare all set up. I am SO thankful my mom was here to help me and console me. Now Jackson is in bed, Steve is spending some time with Nikki, and I get some down time. Much needed downtime.
Monday, September 19, 2011
the weekend and my first day on my own
Saturday-
Saturday we took the kids to Greatbrook state park (I think that's the name). They did so well! We spent a lot of time watching the cows, pigs, and chickens... I think Nikki could have stayed there all day. We also did some walking on the trails and a picnic snack. We went to Fern's Deli for lunch and were able to have a nice lunch outside at the tables. Saturday afternoon our neighbor brought over some amazing toys for us. There were some great classic story books, and a few Leapfrog toys. The kids ended up fighting, hitting, and screaming over the new toys for a good portion of the afternoon, which was pretty rough. They ended up calming down, and having a relatively calm evening. Once they were asleep Steve and I had a "date night in", and watched a movie together.
Sunday-
Sunday was another great morning at church. We all made it through worship this week, and the kids continue to love Genesis Kids! After church we went to the Mulvaney's to watch the football game. The kids slept well, and had a lot of fun playing with all the Mulvaney's toys once they woke up. We did dinner there, and the kids made it till the game was over. They all fell asleep on the way home, and they all transferred pretty easily to their room. It was a pretty much perfect day!
Monday-
Today is my first day home alone! I got up to feed Alli a bottle around 6, and managed to get a shower before Steve left. By 7 all kids were fed, changed, and ready to go! I was able to finish getting myself ready, and brought everything out to the porch to play for a few minutes. I was early for once, well would have been. Jackson had a horrible diaper just as I was getting everyone in the car. I quickly changed him and we headed to school. After we dropped Nikki off I took Alli and Jackson to Hannafords and Walmart. They did really well. It was busy, but, not too bad. On our way home from Walmart I got a call from Nikki's school. Nikki had thrown up, but, seemed to be doing fine. Instead of going home for a carrier, we had to go straight to school. I managed to get the baby seat and Jackson in the double stroller, but I didn't know how I'd get Nikki back to the car. Thankfully the nurse helped me by pushing the stroller. I managed to get the groceries inside, then bring all three kids in. It was hard when Alli needed food, and Jackson was really cranky,but once I got food in them, they were pretty calm. Nikki and I are just hanging out now, keeping it relaxed. Hopefully it was just a fluke thing!
Saturday we took the kids to Greatbrook state park (I think that's the name). They did so well! We spent a lot of time watching the cows, pigs, and chickens... I think Nikki could have stayed there all day. We also did some walking on the trails and a picnic snack. We went to Fern's Deli for lunch and were able to have a nice lunch outside at the tables. Saturday afternoon our neighbor brought over some amazing toys for us. There were some great classic story books, and a few Leapfrog toys. The kids ended up fighting, hitting, and screaming over the new toys for a good portion of the afternoon, which was pretty rough. They ended up calming down, and having a relatively calm evening. Once they were asleep Steve and I had a "date night in", and watched a movie together.
Sunday-
Sunday was another great morning at church. We all made it through worship this week, and the kids continue to love Genesis Kids! After church we went to the Mulvaney's to watch the football game. The kids slept well, and had a lot of fun playing with all the Mulvaney's toys once they woke up. We did dinner there, and the kids made it till the game was over. They all fell asleep on the way home, and they all transferred pretty easily to their room. It was a pretty much perfect day!
Monday-
Today is my first day home alone! I got up to feed Alli a bottle around 6, and managed to get a shower before Steve left. By 7 all kids were fed, changed, and ready to go! I was able to finish getting myself ready, and brought everything out to the porch to play for a few minutes. I was early for once, well would have been. Jackson had a horrible diaper just as I was getting everyone in the car. I quickly changed him and we headed to school. After we dropped Nikki off I took Alli and Jackson to Hannafords and Walmart. They did really well. It was busy, but, not too bad. On our way home from Walmart I got a call from Nikki's school. Nikki had thrown up, but, seemed to be doing fine. Instead of going home for a carrier, we had to go straight to school. I managed to get the baby seat and Jackson in the double stroller, but I didn't know how I'd get Nikki back to the car. Thankfully the nurse helped me by pushing the stroller. I managed to get the groceries inside, then bring all three kids in. It was hard when Alli needed food, and Jackson was really cranky,but once I got food in them, they were pretty calm. Nikki and I are just hanging out now, keeping it relaxed. Hopefully it was just a fluke thing!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Just another day...
Wednesday-
On Wednesday we had a pretty relaxing day. Steve brought Nikki to school, he loves doing this because he'll usually be at work and won't be able to do it. Jackson, Alli, and I got to hang out and relax. Dawn came over and it was nice to spend time with Savannah and Carston again. Wednesday night the kids had a visit with their birth parents. Nikki slept from 3-4, the whole ride. We tried keeping her awake, but it just didn't work. At the visit the birth parents fed the kids some food that didn't agree with them. We went to Steve's parents for dinner, it's closer to the visiting office, and dinner would be ready when we got there. Two very important things when kids have food issues and need to eat at 5! Jackson had horrible Diarrhea, neither of the kids were hungry, and Alli had horrible stomach pains. Needless to say, no one ate very much. We went for a walk and left their house around 745. Alli and Jackson fell asleep... but not Nikki, I ended up fighting with her till almost 930. Things finally settled down, and I was happy I was able to keep my cool, even though I was exhausted.
Thursday-
Thursday morning I was able to get a lot of fall organizing done while Nikki was at school. I am very proud to say that each child has all the clothes they need till spring. For Alli and Jack they have piles of clothes for when they go from one size to the next. Thursday afternoon they had a play date with the Kapaldo's from church. Nikki had a hard time, but it's good that she's learning to socialize. Nikki calmed down after the visit, but then got very hyper again once our social worker came by to visit. It's a good thing we have those "down times", it keeps us going :-). Thursday night Steve braved bedtime by himself, he's SO amazing!! He let me sneak off and get my hair done with my sister-in-law Dawn. There was a really good deal, cut and color for 10 dollars. It ended last night, so he told me I "had to take advantage of it". I came home to a quiet house, all children sleeping, and the house fairly clean. I was VERY impressed!
Friday-
Today I was able to finish the fall clothes organizing, it felt so good to get the baby stuff done! We had a calm morning. In the afternoon grammie took Nikki and Savannah apple picking, and Steve, Jack, Alli and I ran some errands. It was so nice to have that down time! Dawn and the kids visited for a little while, and the we had an early dinner. Nikki was so tired that she fell asleep in her food! VERY funny! We let her sleep just long enough to get her jammies, and then we moved her into the bathtub. She perked back up. Jackson is also really tired, so hopefully they'll both go down quick and easy tonight! (Here's hoping :-))
On Wednesday we had a pretty relaxing day. Steve brought Nikki to school, he loves doing this because he'll usually be at work and won't be able to do it. Jackson, Alli, and I got to hang out and relax. Dawn came over and it was nice to spend time with Savannah and Carston again. Wednesday night the kids had a visit with their birth parents. Nikki slept from 3-4, the whole ride. We tried keeping her awake, but it just didn't work. At the visit the birth parents fed the kids some food that didn't agree with them. We went to Steve's parents for dinner, it's closer to the visiting office, and dinner would be ready when we got there. Two very important things when kids have food issues and need to eat at 5! Jackson had horrible Diarrhea, neither of the kids were hungry, and Alli had horrible stomach pains. Needless to say, no one ate very much. We went for a walk and left their house around 745. Alli and Jackson fell asleep... but not Nikki, I ended up fighting with her till almost 930. Things finally settled down, and I was happy I was able to keep my cool, even though I was exhausted.
Thursday-
Thursday morning I was able to get a lot of fall organizing done while Nikki was at school. I am very proud to say that each child has all the clothes they need till spring. For Alli and Jack they have piles of clothes for when they go from one size to the next. Thursday afternoon they had a play date with the Kapaldo's from church. Nikki had a hard time, but it's good that she's learning to socialize. Nikki calmed down after the visit, but then got very hyper again once our social worker came by to visit. It's a good thing we have those "down times", it keeps us going :-). Thursday night Steve braved bedtime by himself, he's SO amazing!! He let me sneak off and get my hair done with my sister-in-law Dawn. There was a really good deal, cut and color for 10 dollars. It ended last night, so he told me I "had to take advantage of it". I came home to a quiet house, all children sleeping, and the house fairly clean. I was VERY impressed!
Friday-
Today I was able to finish the fall clothes organizing, it felt so good to get the baby stuff done! We had a calm morning. In the afternoon grammie took Nikki and Savannah apple picking, and Steve, Jack, Alli and I ran some errands. It was so nice to have that down time! Dawn and the kids visited for a little while, and the we had an early dinner. Nikki was so tired that she fell asleep in her food! VERY funny! We let her sleep just long enough to get her jammies, and then we moved her into the bathtub. She perked back up. Jackson is also really tired, so hopefully they'll both go down quick and easy tonight! (Here's hoping :-))
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Dr Appt
Today was a good day overall. A friend and coworker from my previous preschool came to visit, and brought some gently used toys for the kids. They LOVED having new stuff, especially a new kitchen play set!
This afternoon we had a triple Dr. appt. They did pretty well. Thankfully they put us in a room pretty quickly and we didn't have to worry about the noise. Nikki and Jackson ran around the whole time... they pulled everything off the shelf, screaming happy screams (mostly happy anyways), and Alli needed a bottle in the middle of it all. I had to laugh when I was literally 3-4 feet away from the dr, and I couldn't hear what she was saying. She was very helpful, and it went pretty smoothly. The swelling from the bug bite under Nikki's eye is going down, and the dr wasn't concerned. We had some bloodwork on the way out, and hopefully their anemia is getting better. They did well with the finger pricks, and were interested in what was going on. I'm glad we got the first Dr. visits out of the way... but all in all things went well!
This afternoon we had a triple Dr. appt. They did pretty well. Thankfully they put us in a room pretty quickly and we didn't have to worry about the noise. Nikki and Jackson ran around the whole time... they pulled everything off the shelf, screaming happy screams (mostly happy anyways), and Alli needed a bottle in the middle of it all. I had to laugh when I was literally 3-4 feet away from the dr, and I couldn't hear what she was saying. She was very helpful, and it went pretty smoothly. The swelling from the bug bite under Nikki's eye is going down, and the dr wasn't concerned. We had some bloodwork on the way out, and hopefully their anemia is getting better. They did well with the finger pricks, and were interested in what was going on. I'm glad we got the first Dr. visits out of the way... but all in all things went well!
Monday, September 12, 2011
busy weekend
This weekend was so busy!
Saturday we hung out with Uncle Andy, Aunt Dawn (Which Nikki has picked up on very quickly), Savannah and Carston in the morning. We left around 1230 for a wedding of some church friends. The wedding was in Connecticut, which meant a 2 1/2 hr drive. The kids (thankfully) did great! They slept the whole way down. When we got there we had some time to play on the beach, the weather was perfect! Unfortunately Nikki didn't want to leave the beach to get ready for the wedding, but, we got through it and moved on. The wedding was beautiful... Jackson, Alli and I hung back and watched from the back... and Steve and Nikki hung around the water front. The reception went OK. I didn't think to pack some food for them to eat prior to the reception (which didn't start till 7). They're used to eating around 5 or 530. With all the issues with food, not a smart idea to try to make it till 7 for dinner. We had lots of snacks, and finger foods before the reception, but it was too late and Jackson had some trouble and decided he needed to scream even when he was being fed food. Finally he calmed down, and we made it till 730ish. Not too bad. They all slept on the way home, and it was nice and peaceful.
Sunday was baptisms on the beach. We dropped Alli with Grammie at Grace Chapel (too much sun for a 3 month old)... and we took the other two to the service. Although Alli is super easy, it was nice to have 1 on 1 defense:-) The kids played on the beach, LOVING it, until service. We got back in our stroller, had snack during the service. Jackson and I made it through. Once again, Steve and Nikki had to roam the beach... to much sitting for a 3 year old. I was so thankful to be able to stay for the worship part! After the service we had lunch and continued to play till about 2. On the way home both kids napped... which started the trouble. Last night was probably our hardest time going to bed. Nikki was very very unhappy, and we ended up having to let her scream it out. I stayed with Jackson on our bed until he fell back asleep. Since he was apt to wake up or roll around, I tried to be resourceful. I ended up putting him in the bassinet so that I could go downstairs. Nikki finally fell asleep between 8 and 8:30.
This morning they were both up around 4. We brought Jackson in our bed and Nikki finally fell back asleep. No one slept very well from that point on, and Nikki woke up with a swollen bug bite from the beach. Poor baby! We've been trying to figure out if we needed to make an appointment, but, she has one tomorrow. Currently their dr is an hour away, so it was a hard call to make. Finally we got a hold of them and we're waiting till tomorrow.
Nikki had her first day of preschool this morning, she was so excited! She kept saying oooh! She went right in, started playing, loved it. According to her teachers she had a hard time sitting (pretty typical for a new 3 year old in school), but they used picture cues to help her. I was going to pick her up at 11, but Jack hid the keys and I didn't find them till 11:10! I rushed to school, rushed to the dentist, and got their in time! She did SO well at the dentist, a real superstar! She was nervous, and not happy, but it didn't escalate into full blown tantrum, and she didn't try to hurt anyone or get up from the chair. I tried to take her to McDonald's as a reward, but, alas, the good behavior wasn't meant to last. I made the mistake of ordering fries for her. When I didn't let her eat all the fries before the chicken... well... let's just say I ended up wearing my Hi-C ORANGE drink on my khakis, and half her chicken ended up on the floor. I made a very quick embarrassed escape, and drove home to screaming from the back seat. Thankfully, this afternoon has been good, and she's been listening very well. It will be very nice to find my bed and pillow tonight, hopefully for a nice 7-8 hrs. :-)
Saturday we hung out with Uncle Andy, Aunt Dawn (Which Nikki has picked up on very quickly), Savannah and Carston in the morning. We left around 1230 for a wedding of some church friends. The wedding was in Connecticut, which meant a 2 1/2 hr drive. The kids (thankfully) did great! They slept the whole way down. When we got there we had some time to play on the beach, the weather was perfect! Unfortunately Nikki didn't want to leave the beach to get ready for the wedding, but, we got through it and moved on. The wedding was beautiful... Jackson, Alli and I hung back and watched from the back... and Steve and Nikki hung around the water front. The reception went OK. I didn't think to pack some food for them to eat prior to the reception (which didn't start till 7). They're used to eating around 5 or 530. With all the issues with food, not a smart idea to try to make it till 7 for dinner. We had lots of snacks, and finger foods before the reception, but it was too late and Jackson had some trouble and decided he needed to scream even when he was being fed food. Finally he calmed down, and we made it till 730ish. Not too bad. They all slept on the way home, and it was nice and peaceful.
Sunday was baptisms on the beach. We dropped Alli with Grammie at Grace Chapel (too much sun for a 3 month old)... and we took the other two to the service. Although Alli is super easy, it was nice to have 1 on 1 defense:-) The kids played on the beach, LOVING it, until service. We got back in our stroller, had snack during the service. Jackson and I made it through. Once again, Steve and Nikki had to roam the beach... to much sitting for a 3 year old. I was so thankful to be able to stay for the worship part! After the service we had lunch and continued to play till about 2. On the way home both kids napped... which started the trouble. Last night was probably our hardest time going to bed. Nikki was very very unhappy, and we ended up having to let her scream it out. I stayed with Jackson on our bed until he fell back asleep. Since he was apt to wake up or roll around, I tried to be resourceful. I ended up putting him in the bassinet so that I could go downstairs. Nikki finally fell asleep between 8 and 8:30.
This morning they were both up around 4. We brought Jackson in our bed and Nikki finally fell back asleep. No one slept very well from that point on, and Nikki woke up with a swollen bug bite from the beach. Poor baby! We've been trying to figure out if we needed to make an appointment, but, she has one tomorrow. Currently their dr is an hour away, so it was a hard call to make. Finally we got a hold of them and we're waiting till tomorrow.
Nikki had her first day of preschool this morning, she was so excited! She kept saying oooh! She went right in, started playing, loved it. According to her teachers she had a hard time sitting (pretty typical for a new 3 year old in school), but they used picture cues to help her. I was going to pick her up at 11, but Jack hid the keys and I didn't find them till 11:10! I rushed to school, rushed to the dentist, and got their in time! She did SO well at the dentist, a real superstar! She was nervous, and not happy, but it didn't escalate into full blown tantrum, and she didn't try to hurt anyone or get up from the chair. I tried to take her to McDonald's as a reward, but, alas, the good behavior wasn't meant to last. I made the mistake of ordering fries for her. When I didn't let her eat all the fries before the chicken... well... let's just say I ended up wearing my Hi-C ORANGE drink on my khakis, and half her chicken ended up on the floor. I made a very quick embarrassed escape, and drove home to screaming from the back seat. Thankfully, this afternoon has been good, and she's been listening very well. It will be very nice to find my bed and pillow tonight, hopefully for a nice 7-8 hrs. :-)
Friday, September 9, 2011
Friday
I just realized it's Friday night... It has a totally different "feel" to it now. In some ways I miss the close friends we've had, and I'll miss being able to go out and spend time with them. Things have definitely changed, but I am enjoying this phase of life too. It's interesting how most people start out with an infant. An infant you can transport, bring with you, and you can still do things. When you get an infant along with an (almost) 2 year old and a 3 year old, you're stuck to the house a lot more. It's nice, though, that we are able to find ways to get out of the house. Either all togther, or one of us will escape sometimes with one of the kids just to get out of the house. I also know this cooped up feeling will lessen (some) when we both go back to work. Today the kids had aq visit with their birth parents. I'm thankful that it went well, and they didn't seem to come back to us all upset.
We've also had some real good news as far as childcare goes. I will be dropping Nikki off at school, but the state will pay for and provide trasnsportation from school to daycare. It will also be the same daycare that Jackson and Alli will be going to. I like the idea of Mrs. Mulvaney watching the kids better, but, I'm thankful that the state will be paying for our childcare costs, at least for now.
We've also had some real good news as far as childcare goes. I will be dropping Nikki off at school, but the state will pay for and provide trasnsportation from school to daycare. It will also be the same daycare that Jackson and Alli will be going to. I like the idea of Mrs. Mulvaney watching the kids better, but, I'm thankful that the state will be paying for our childcare costs, at least for now.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Another good day!
Today was another rainy day, but a good day! We got to sleep in till 7! The kids were up before that, but they were playing nicely in their room, so we got to close our eyes for a few minutes. This morning I took Nikki into Tyngsborough public school so she could see her new preschool, what a wierd feeling! She did really well, and I was able to talk to the school counselor about her needs, and what was going on in her life. They seem really nice. Right now, Nikki will go to school from 9-1130, only half day. In a month they will "re-evaluate" and hopefully they'll give her full day. There is an option for early dropoff, which I am very happy about... I'll be able to drop her off on the way to work. I'm just not sure how expensive it is. We're still trying to figure out what to do in the afternooons, I'm sure something will work out. She'll start on Monday, I'm really excited!
After our visit we all went to to our church, Genesis, for a "fresh" place to play. We were tired of being cooped up, so we went to Genesis and had playtime, lunch, and naptime there. They did so well, I think it was really nice for everyone! Once we got back we played on the porch and then I took them for a 55 minute stroller ride while Steve cleaned up and made dinner! It felt good... they kids were happy, and I got some exercise in! I've lost 20-21lb now... and I don't want it to end just because we got the kids. Next week I'll go to the gym a few times after I drop off Nikki at school. The next few days could be very interesting. Tomorrow the kids have a visit with their birth parents, Monday Nikki has her first dentist appointment, and then Tuesday all the kids have a Dr. appointment. Hopefully it all goes smoothly!
Nite all!
After our visit we all went to to our church, Genesis, for a "fresh" place to play. We were tired of being cooped up, so we went to Genesis and had playtime, lunch, and naptime there. They did so well, I think it was really nice for everyone! Once we got back we played on the porch and then I took them for a 55 minute stroller ride while Steve cleaned up and made dinner! It felt good... they kids were happy, and I got some exercise in! I've lost 20-21lb now... and I don't want it to end just because we got the kids. Next week I'll go to the gym a few times after I drop off Nikki at school. The next few days could be very interesting. Tomorrow the kids have a visit with their birth parents, Monday Nikki has her first dentist appointment, and then Tuesday all the kids have a Dr. appointment. Hopefully it all goes smoothly!
Nite all!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
rainy days
Rainy days are hard being a teacher... and even harder being a parent! The kids didn't wake up till 630/645, which was a nice start to the day. Steve took Nikki out to run some errands during the morning, which gave me a nice calm morning with Alli and Jackson. Today was very uneventful, but long. The kids did well being cooped up, we just played it easy and relaxed. Tonight we sold my old red car, which will give us an extra 1200! Because that was near dinnertime, and Steve was trying to get a mat down to (try) and protect the rug... dinner wasn't until 615. That was a mistake for sure. The kids are very used to eating around 530. Waiting that extra 45 minutes made them extra cranky. However, besides dinnertime, they all had a GREAT day. I made stroganoff for dinner, and Nikki thought I was making macaroni and cheese. She decided to make up a song and sing it to me while I was cooking. It was SO funny! "Mac n cheese, mac n cheese, macky macky mac n cheese". She sang this over and over and over. She was so sure that I was making macaroni and cheese that she found a collinder/strainer and gave it to me so I could drain the pasta. That's one smart 3 yr old!
Although it's nice to go places, and nice to get outside, having a quiet day gave me more time to spend with Alli and play with her. I love seeing her smile at me, I can't even explain it! I also love how she copies me and sticks her tongue out when I stick mine out! She's so cute!!
Tomorrow I'm bringing Nikki to preschool in Tyngsboro. It'll be neat to be back there since I student taught there last year. She'll at least get 5 mornings a week, but it's only 9-11:30. There is a chance she might get full day. This is going to be hard because we have to figure out what to do from 7:30-9 and 11:30-4ish. Something will work out though... I'm sure. Well, I suppose it's time to call it a night. Sweet dreams everyone!
Although it's nice to go places, and nice to get outside, having a quiet day gave me more time to spend with Alli and play with her. I love seeing her smile at me, I can't even explain it! I also love how she copies me and sticks her tongue out when I stick mine out! She's so cute!!
Tomorrow I'm bringing Nikki to preschool in Tyngsboro. It'll be neat to be back there since I student taught there last year. She'll at least get 5 mornings a week, but it's only 9-11:30. There is a chance she might get full day. This is going to be hard because we have to figure out what to do from 7:30-9 and 11:30-4ish. Something will work out though... I'm sure. Well, I suppose it's time to call it a night. Sweet dreams everyone!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Labor Day and WIC
Yesterday was labor day, and our first "holiday" as a family. We spent it at grammie and grampie's house, they did so well! A friend really needed Steve's help moving some of the stuff, so we went early to grammie and grampies so they could play with the little ones (and help too!). We went to a park near their house, it was amazing! It was huge... but I had Jackson, grammie had Nikki, and grampie had Alli. We came back, had a nice lunch, and the little two went down for a nap. Grampie and Nikki went for several walks during naptime, and I had a few minutes to myself. Gmom and Gpop (Steve's grandparents) got to meet the kids that afternoon, which was also a lot of fun! They did a really good job, and like usual, played SO hard!! After dinner we went for a walk with the moby carrier, and two strollers (Nikki likes grammie's stroller better). We got a LOT of looks about the baby parade:-). We loaded into the truck, and they were all asleep almost before we turned the corner. We were VERY thankful that they transfered easily and stayed asleep all night!
This morning was a relatively calm morning, especially for it being a rainy day! Dad brought Nikki's new motorized bike up onto the porch and she had a fun time riding around the porch, we had to be careful she didn't wipe Jackson out. Dawn and Carston came to help out, and have lunch with us, which is always a treat! mid-morning Nikki and I went grocery shopping. I was VERY nervous about this, because of her issues with food. I was very scared that we would have a few huge tantrums. I thought that she was the best one to take though, to give Steve a little break. She ended up doing wonderfully, and I was VERY thankful! This afternoon was our WIC appointment. We were in the office for two hours! It was pretty hard, but we kept the kids entertained, and they did pretty well. I'm so glad I had Steve there, I couldn't have done it myself! After we came back and had a dinner and a chaotic night. Tonight wasn't so great, but I'll attribute it to too much time in the office, and not being able to go outside and run hard. At least they're quiet now, and tomorrow is another day.
This morning was a relatively calm morning, especially for it being a rainy day! Dad brought Nikki's new motorized bike up onto the porch and she had a fun time riding around the porch, we had to be careful she didn't wipe Jackson out. Dawn and Carston came to help out, and have lunch with us, which is always a treat! mid-morning Nikki and I went grocery shopping. I was VERY nervous about this, because of her issues with food. I was very scared that we would have a few huge tantrums. I thought that she was the best one to take though, to give Steve a little break. She ended up doing wonderfully, and I was VERY thankful! This afternoon was our WIC appointment. We were in the office for two hours! It was pretty hard, but we kept the kids entertained, and they did pretty well. I'm so glad I had Steve there, I couldn't have done it myself! After we came back and had a dinner and a chaotic night. Tonight wasn't so great, but I'll attribute it to too much time in the office, and not being able to go outside and run hard. At least they're quiet now, and tomorrow is another day.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
yesterday, today, and bathtime
Just to put it out there, yesterday was a hard day, I mean a really really hard day. Nikki woke up in a mood that let us know right away that she was not a happy camper. Everything was a fight, everything was a tantrum... for the entire day... The only time she was happy was at the park. We met up with our friends Josh and Melissa, and their 2 year old son Elijah. The only hard thing about the park was that it was not a fenced in park, which made for a lot of chasing. The kids had a lot of fun though! The rest of the day was very long and hard, but we were still learning things along the way, and it's in the past. We didn't get the last kid to sleep till almost 930. I was in bed before Steve even finished geting them to sleep. Thankfully the slept till 615, and today was a new (and much better) day.
I have discovered in the last couple of days that the kids bigger kids LOVE bathtime (the baby, not so much). While they play to their hearts content, I can sit next to them, play and sing to them, and blog/relax at the same time. It's becoming a nightly tradition, and I really enjoy it.
Today was the first day of church for the kiddos. I was so excited! Our church family, who were so excited, so supportive, and so generous finally got to meet Nikki, Jackson, and Alli. Before we were even inside people were helping us push the stroller, telling the kids how beautiful they are (which they are), and loving on them. Alli, Jackson and I made it through the first worship set, and Nikki made it through most of it. I think Nikki was very confused by the singing, I'm sure she had never been in a service before. We brought them back to the nursery, and they did great! It was nice to have an hour or so to listen to the message and worship at the end of the service. After yesterday, I REALLY needed it! I had the bright idea a day or two ago to bring lunch, and serve it to them in the stroller. That way, they would be preoccupied with the food, they couldn't escape, and they would have lunch before they fell asleep in the way home and were miserable from a late lunch. I'm proud to say it worked PERFECT! The kids could eat before the long ride home, and we had a few minutes where we could talk with our friends and get hugs and more well-wishes. Nikki only had one major tantrum today, and that was leaving church. At least I'm glad she liked it!:-) They slept on the way home, and then played HARD with a friend Joshy all afternoon. HOPEFULLY they will all sleep well(and earlier) tonight!
I have discovered in the last couple of days that the kids bigger kids LOVE bathtime (the baby, not so much). While they play to their hearts content, I can sit next to them, play and sing to them, and blog/relax at the same time. It's becoming a nightly tradition, and I really enjoy it.
Today was the first day of church for the kiddos. I was so excited! Our church family, who were so excited, so supportive, and so generous finally got to meet Nikki, Jackson, and Alli. Before we were even inside people were helping us push the stroller, telling the kids how beautiful they are (which they are), and loving on them. Alli, Jackson and I made it through the first worship set, and Nikki made it through most of it. I think Nikki was very confused by the singing, I'm sure she had never been in a service before. We brought them back to the nursery, and they did great! It was nice to have an hour or so to listen to the message and worship at the end of the service. After yesterday, I REALLY needed it! I had the bright idea a day or two ago to bring lunch, and serve it to them in the stroller. That way, they would be preoccupied with the food, they couldn't escape, and they would have lunch before they fell asleep in the way home and were miserable from a late lunch. I'm proud to say it worked PERFECT! The kids could eat before the long ride home, and we had a few minutes where we could talk with our friends and get hugs and more well-wishes. Nikki only had one major tantrum today, and that was leaving church. At least I'm glad she liked it!:-) They slept on the way home, and then played HARD with a friend Joshy all afternoon. HOPEFULLY they will all sleep well(and earlier) tonight!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Family of 5
We are now a family of 5!
It was a great day. Grammie came and stayed with Nikki so we could go back and get Jackson and Ali from their temporary foster home. Grammie and Nikki made cookies, and then went to the store to get us a surprise. When we came home there was a banner and balloons outside welcoming Jackson and Ali to our home. It was SUCH a sweet gesture! :-)
We picked up the little ones with out any trouble. They both slept o the way home, and Nikki was beyond excited to see her brother and sister. She was yelling to them before we even got in the door. Jackson ran around with Nikki exploring everything, and Ali was just a relaxed as ever. The first couple hours was a little rough... but thankfully we had a LOT of help! Grammie stayed, and then Aunt Dawn, Savannah, and Carston came to meet everyone. Getting lunch for 5 very excited kids was hard, but they did very well. It was more a struggle for me because there were so many things from their foster home and family that I felt like I couldn't find anything the kids needed... there were also a few things we needed like extra sippy cups and bigger bottle liners. Steve and Grammie made a store run, and Dawn and I tended to the crew. Naptime gave me a little time to get some things put away. After nap grammie and Steve took the older two to Home depot to get some plastic-type temporarly fencing to make a quasi fence for the yard. I got some time to decompress and hang out with Ali. Once the house was clean(ish) (more about being able to find things then having every toy put away), I felt MUCH better. The afternoon/evening was AMAZING... the fenced in yard meant that I didn't have to chase them when they started for the road... and there weren't any thorns and bees from the bushes to contend with(Nikki likes the leaves/flowers). They ate well, bathed well, and now they are finally asleep. Now for day two!
It was a great day. Grammie came and stayed with Nikki so we could go back and get Jackson and Ali from their temporary foster home. Grammie and Nikki made cookies, and then went to the store to get us a surprise. When we came home there was a banner and balloons outside welcoming Jackson and Ali to our home. It was SUCH a sweet gesture! :-)
We picked up the little ones with out any trouble. They both slept o the way home, and Nikki was beyond excited to see her brother and sister. She was yelling to them before we even got in the door. Jackson ran around with Nikki exploring everything, and Ali was just a relaxed as ever. The first couple hours was a little rough... but thankfully we had a LOT of help! Grammie stayed, and then Aunt Dawn, Savannah, and Carston came to meet everyone. Getting lunch for 5 very excited kids was hard, but they did very well. It was more a struggle for me because there were so many things from their foster home and family that I felt like I couldn't find anything the kids needed... there were also a few things we needed like extra sippy cups and bigger bottle liners. Steve and Grammie made a store run, and Dawn and I tended to the crew. Naptime gave me a little time to get some things put away. After nap grammie and Steve took the older two to Home depot to get some plastic-type temporarly fencing to make a quasi fence for the yard. I got some time to decompress and hang out with Ali. Once the house was clean(ish) (more about being able to find things then having every toy put away), I felt MUCH better. The afternoon/evening was AMAZING... the fenced in yard meant that I didn't have to chase them when they started for the road... and there weren't any thorns and bees from the bushes to contend with(Nikki likes the leaves/flowers). They ate well, bathed well, and now they are finally asleep. Now for day two!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
singing
I forgot to mention that Nikki LOVES to sing... it's hard to make out the words, but the tune is there (she must not take after her new daddy :-)). She sings twinkle, twinkle... ABC's... and her favorite... Happy Birthday! :-)
Well, that's it's for now... time for bed. Tomorrow we go from a family of 3 to a family of FIVE!
Well, that's it's for now... time for bed. Tomorrow we go from a family of 3 to a family of FIVE!
The new week...
Monday-
Monday we were STILL without power! We spend the morning going to the Lowell Blvd and walking with Dawn, Savannah, and Carston. Savannah and Nikki played very well together, and it was heart warming to see them start to form their little preschool-cousin friendship! After the Blvd walk, we went to Horn Pond to see the ducks. The girl LOVES ducks! We ended the morning and the Alexanders, some of our closest friends. The Alexander children had fun showing Nikki around their home (and their neighbors yard). She LOVED the chickens in the neigbors yard. Unfortunately, she loved their yard a little TOO much. We ended up leaving early due to an EXTREME tantrum. Thankfully, we haven't any more like that one!(yet) After a nap on the ride home, she was MUCH happier... and the rest of the day was great. We realized that we had probably done too much... so we decided to be more mindful of that in the future! We went to Grammie and Grampy's house at night so everyone could get cleaned up(still no power)... and that helped us ALL feel a lot better!
Tuesday- Tuesday was really pretty uneventful. We got to meet Mark on Tuesday night... and Nikki ended up getting VERY wound up and overstimulated before bed. I had a bridal shower to go to, and Steve refused to let me stay home:-). I came back pretty late to find out that she had taken TWO hours to fall asleep. lesson learned... very very calm evenings from now on.
Wednesday- This was the first of the better days. We finally started to relax and spend more time on each activity. The first few days were so exhausting... kind of like a pinball always "pinging" here and there. We had a good but busy morning... no big tantrums! yay! and in the afternoon we played outside, colored, and watched movies with Savannah. I was actually able to sit for a few minutes and talk with Dawn, MUCH needed grown up time :-)
Thursday- Today was another great day, the only real tantrums she seems to have is with food. Nikki wants to eat... and I mean EAT all the time. She might try to pull the relish out of the fridge, or the teriaki sauce out of the pantry... and she gets MAD, and I mean MAD if you don't let her eat every time she wants too! You would think three HUGE meals and 2 snacks would be enough.. but... I guess not :-). We're doing our best to not letter eat too much, but not make her too mad at the same time. We have now put a lock on the pantry, and a clip lock might go on the fridge too. We hate to do it, but she gets more upset when she goes in and sees all the food. Oh, and we learned to make sure she doesn't see the groceries come in! In the middle of a mild tantrum we heard her say "meat! meat!" funny, but hard at the same time. Food continues to be our biggest negotiation and learning experience. We're hoping that the language acquisition and stable home will help her get over this fear soon... for her sake and for mommy and daddys!
Monday we were STILL without power! We spend the morning going to the Lowell Blvd and walking with Dawn, Savannah, and Carston. Savannah and Nikki played very well together, and it was heart warming to see them start to form their little preschool-cousin friendship! After the Blvd walk, we went to Horn Pond to see the ducks. The girl LOVES ducks! We ended the morning and the Alexanders, some of our closest friends. The Alexander children had fun showing Nikki around their home (and their neighbors yard). She LOVED the chickens in the neigbors yard. Unfortunately, she loved their yard a little TOO much. We ended up leaving early due to an EXTREME tantrum. Thankfully, we haven't any more like that one!(yet) After a nap on the ride home, she was MUCH happier... and the rest of the day was great. We realized that we had probably done too much... so we decided to be more mindful of that in the future! We went to Grammie and Grampy's house at night so everyone could get cleaned up(still no power)... and that helped us ALL feel a lot better!
Tuesday- Tuesday was really pretty uneventful. We got to meet Mark on Tuesday night... and Nikki ended up getting VERY wound up and overstimulated before bed. I had a bridal shower to go to, and Steve refused to let me stay home:-). I came back pretty late to find out that she had taken TWO hours to fall asleep. lesson learned... very very calm evenings from now on.
Wednesday- This was the first of the better days. We finally started to relax and spend more time on each activity. The first few days were so exhausting... kind of like a pinball always "pinging" here and there. We had a good but busy morning... no big tantrums! yay! and in the afternoon we played outside, colored, and watched movies with Savannah. I was actually able to sit for a few minutes and talk with Dawn, MUCH needed grown up time :-)
Thursday- Today was another great day, the only real tantrums she seems to have is with food. Nikki wants to eat... and I mean EAT all the time. She might try to pull the relish out of the fridge, or the teriaki sauce out of the pantry... and she gets MAD, and I mean MAD if you don't let her eat every time she wants too! You would think three HUGE meals and 2 snacks would be enough.. but... I guess not :-). We're doing our best to not letter eat too much, but not make her too mad at the same time. We have now put a lock on the pantry, and a clip lock might go on the fridge too. We hate to do it, but she gets more upset when she goes in and sees all the food. Oh, and we learned to make sure she doesn't see the groceries come in! In the middle of a mild tantrum we heard her say "meat! meat!" funny, but hard at the same time. Food continues to be our biggest negotiation and learning experience. We're hoping that the language acquisition and stable home will help her get over this fear soon... for her sake and for mommy and daddys!
The weekend
Saturday was full of meeting family! Nikki was able to meet Steve's parents, Uncle James, and Aunt Megan. While she was a bit overwhelmed, she did a pretty good job. We relaxed and continued to get acclamated to Nikki. We also got our first taste of her tantrums. Not a fun part of having a 3 year old. I try to keep in mind all she's been through... it helps me through the tough times. She doesn't like the word "no" (what 3 year old does?)... and we've started slowly working with her to lessen the screaming and whining, and to increase the words. One of the hardest parts of the adjustment was trying to figure out what she was saying! She was very talkative, and has a lot of words... but communication and understanding her is pretty hard. When we could figure out what she wanted, she would flash us the BIGGEST most BEAUTIFUL smile... she is a cutie, for sure!
Sunday was the tropical storm Irene... we woke up and lost power almost immidiately around 7. We spent much of the morning watching the storm from our porch. Nikki loves the wind, whether it is in the car, or on the porch. Things seemed fairly calm in the afternoon, so we spent a lot of the afternoon at Aunt Dawns and Uncle Andy's meeting their family. Savannah wasn't sure what to think of Nikki. Nikki was VERY curious and spent most of the time going from the downstairs playroom to the upstairs toys.
Sunday was the tropical storm Irene... we woke up and lost power almost immidiately around 7. We spent much of the morning watching the storm from our porch. Nikki loves the wind, whether it is in the car, or on the porch. Things seemed fairly calm in the afternoon, so we spent a lot of the afternoon at Aunt Dawns and Uncle Andy's meeting their family. Savannah wasn't sure what to think of Nikki. Nikki was VERY curious and spent most of the time going from the downstairs playroom to the upstairs toys.
Day 1
So, now I have a few minutes to "chronicle" everything that is going on. On Friday, August 26th, we picked up Tajnika from her temporary foster home. We got there around 10, packed her up, and drove away. It was a very wierd feeling. I was so nervous that she was going to be upset! She started talking about mommy and daddy, and we quickly realized that she though she was going for a visit with her birth parents. While it made us a bit sad, we were thankful that she didn't get upset. When we got home she walked around the house and took everything in. She kept saying "ohh!" when something got her attention. We quickly realized how much she loves food! For lunch we let her eat pretty much as much as she wanted, for better or worse. She ended up eating TWO hot dogs and some macaroni and cheese. We also learned about her LOVE for ketchup. We played in the house for a while after lunch, then when she seemed calm and happy, we went down to the beach. We quickly found out some of her favorite things are ducks and water! She had fun splashing Steve in the water, and running around the playground area. We came back home, and she still seemed to be going "full steam"... so... we decided to take her to Home Depot and Target to get a few things. She did very well, and again, took everything in with those beautiful eyes staring at everything she saw. At one point, we realized she didn't have a toothbrush, so we got her a princess one. She was SO excited! She started to brush her teeth with the wrapper still on it. We came home, went to bed around 7, and slept till 8am!
Not a bad first day as a mommy! :-)
Not a bad first day as a mommy! :-)
Thursday, August 25, 2011
I am going to be a mommy, X 3!!!!!
Steve and I are excited to announce that we are going to be parents!
Without getting into too much detail regarding the background, there is a family of three children that we will be taking into foster care and ultimately adopting!
We were able to meet them last night.
Tajnika turned 3 on May 1st. (We will either call her Caitlin (Catie) or shorten her name to Tasha (Natasha). She doesn't respond to her name, so we're not sure about changing it. She is trying to talk, very curious, and VERY tiny. She looks like Dora. She has freckles and very cute brunette bob hair cut. She is in size 4 pull-ups/diapers and 2T and 3T clothes. (3T dresses/shirts but needs 2T pants because her waist is TINY)
Ulrect will be 2 in October. We will call him Jackson Wesley. He just started to walk a few months ago, and he is a little undsteady on his feet. He could pass as ours, light skinned, blonde, BEAUTIUL smile and very affectionate. He is 18mo/2T, and size 4 in diapers.
Aishwarya will be three months tomorrow. She will either be Allison Elizabeth or Allison Nicole. She is big, cute, chubby, and very happy. She is in size 3-6 months, and size 2 in diapers.
We will get Tasha/Catie TOMORROW!!! From what we understand, this will be for good. Also from what we understand, we will get more info on Monday to see how everything is going, and probably get the other two sometime NEXT WEEK!!!
We can't wait for our friends and family to meet these three precious blessings!
There is so much I want to say, but there is even more that needs to be done for tomorrow. I will have to save the rest for another time!
Jeremiah 29:11
Without getting into too much detail regarding the background, there is a family of three children that we will be taking into foster care and ultimately adopting!
We were able to meet them last night.
Tajnika turned 3 on May 1st. (We will either call her Caitlin (Catie) or shorten her name to Tasha (Natasha). She doesn't respond to her name, so we're not sure about changing it. She is trying to talk, very curious, and VERY tiny. She looks like Dora. She has freckles and very cute brunette bob hair cut. She is in size 4 pull-ups/diapers and 2T and 3T clothes. (3T dresses/shirts but needs 2T pants because her waist is TINY)
Ulrect will be 2 in October. We will call him Jackson Wesley. He just started to walk a few months ago, and he is a little undsteady on his feet. He could pass as ours, light skinned, blonde, BEAUTIUL smile and very affectionate. He is 18mo/2T, and size 4 in diapers.
Aishwarya will be three months tomorrow. She will either be Allison Elizabeth or Allison Nicole. She is big, cute, chubby, and very happy. She is in size 3-6 months, and size 2 in diapers.
We will get Tasha/Catie TOMORROW!!! From what we understand, this will be for good. Also from what we understand, we will get more info on Monday to see how everything is going, and probably get the other two sometime NEXT WEEK!!!
We can't wait for our friends and family to meet these three precious blessings!
There is so much I want to say, but there is even more that needs to be done for tomorrow. I will have to save the rest for another time!
Jeremiah 29:11
Thursday, June 16, 2011
almosts....
So, I figured it was time to share that we have had three "almosts" in the past month. By "almost" I mean that our Social worker put our Homestudy in for three different children.
The first one was a 3 month old premature baby boy. We got the call on May 8th. This boy wasn't able to be in a childcare center because he was so young. We assured our Social worker that we would be able to stay home until the Fall. They put our Homestudy in, but they went with another family. We had to wait through Mother's Day weekend to find out, but we were still happy to know our Social Worker thought of us and that there was a baby that came up through the system with the goal of adoption.
The second one was an almost-two-year-old girl. She was born addicted, but was thriving in her home, and the birth parents were willing to sign over their rights. We never heard, and we just assumed they chose someone else. This was on May 26th. On the same day there was a infant girl, straight from the hospital, our homestudy was put in for her as well. We knew they were making their decision by 2pm, and when the evening came, we knew that child had gone to someone else.
While all of these "almosts" were hard, I still tried my hardest (and usually succeeded) at remembering just how much God is in control. Rather then focusing on the empty nursery, I tried to remember that we would get our child in God's timing. We are ready and waiting on God and his perfect timing.
The first one was a 3 month old premature baby boy. We got the call on May 8th. This boy wasn't able to be in a childcare center because he was so young. We assured our Social worker that we would be able to stay home until the Fall. They put our Homestudy in, but they went with another family. We had to wait through Mother's Day weekend to find out, but we were still happy to know our Social Worker thought of us and that there was a baby that came up through the system with the goal of adoption.
The second one was an almost-two-year-old girl. She was born addicted, but was thriving in her home, and the birth parents were willing to sign over their rights. We never heard, and we just assumed they chose someone else. This was on May 26th. On the same day there was a infant girl, straight from the hospital, our homestudy was put in for her as well. We knew they were making their decision by 2pm, and when the evening came, we knew that child had gone to someone else.
While all of these "almosts" were hard, I still tried my hardest (and usually succeeded) at remembering just how much God is in control. Rather then focusing on the empty nursery, I tried to remember that we would get our child in God's timing. We are ready and waiting on God and his perfect timing.
Monday, May 2, 2011
All of my life, in every season
All of my life, in every season,
you are still God, and I have a reason
to sing. I have a reason to worship.
For some reason this part of that song has been in my head almost constantly for several days, maybe even for a week or two. It is SO true! It's hard having so much "up in the air" especially when I can't be in charge. Not only are we waiting for our child, I have also been applying for jobs in the Fall. I have 22 applications in, but there are hundreds of applicants for most of these jobs. However, even with the discouraging odds, and the unkown of waiting for the right child, I do have many reasons to be thankful.
1. GOD will provide our needs. I don't have to worry about where I will be teaching next year, how much money we need, or when we will be blessed with a child. GOD's timing is perfect, and all I have do do is pray, listen, and follow. Although not always easy, God helps me know what to do.
2. There is a blessing or contentment that comes from waiting. Life will change soon. New co-workers, new priorities, and a whole new focus; not to mention very little sleep, new worries, and first-time-mom regrets. It's wonderful learning that you can be content where you are. Things are good now. I can be happy with the free time, comfortability of my co-workers, and the ease of the every day. I can be happy NOW, and look forward to the future.
3. When things do change, I can look back and see God's hand in everything. Hindsight is an amazing thing. There have been many times in my life where AFTER the fact, I can see how God was working. It's then that I get a little lesson in #2 (being content). The more this happens, the more I can remember #1, that God does provide.
you are still God, and I have a reason
to sing. I have a reason to worship.
For some reason this part of that song has been in my head almost constantly for several days, maybe even for a week or two. It is SO true! It's hard having so much "up in the air" especially when I can't be in charge. Not only are we waiting for our child, I have also been applying for jobs in the Fall. I have 22 applications in, but there are hundreds of applicants for most of these jobs. However, even with the discouraging odds, and the unkown of waiting for the right child, I do have many reasons to be thankful.
1. GOD will provide our needs. I don't have to worry about where I will be teaching next year, how much money we need, or when we will be blessed with a child. GOD's timing is perfect, and all I have do do is pray, listen, and follow. Although not always easy, God helps me know what to do.
2. There is a blessing or contentment that comes from waiting. Life will change soon. New co-workers, new priorities, and a whole new focus; not to mention very little sleep, new worries, and first-time-mom regrets. It's wonderful learning that you can be content where you are. Things are good now. I can be happy with the free time, comfortability of my co-workers, and the ease of the every day. I can be happy NOW, and look forward to the future.
3. When things do change, I can look back and see God's hand in everything. Hindsight is an amazing thing. There have been many times in my life where AFTER the fact, I can see how God was working. It's then that I get a little lesson in #2 (being content). The more this happens, the more I can remember #1, that God does provide.
Friday, April 22, 2011
getting ready
So the past couple weeks have had me a bit nervous. There is SO much to do, but I have NO idea how long I have to do it in... I have 2 baby registries set up. The bigger one is through Burlington Coat Factory and has most of the big things. The second one is through Target, and is much smaller. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, or free time for that matter, feel free to look it up on either by "Emily Gardner". For most things I picked out a "girl" and a "boy" version. The hardest, and yet most fun, was picking out the bedding. Burlington Coat Factory has an INCREDIBLE selection. The funniest part about the registry is that I don't even know if I'll be able to use it. We might get a 2, 3, or 4 year old. In any case, I like to be prepared! :-)
The other thing that has been on my mind a lot is the child/children's names. If they are young enough (less then a year or so) We will start calling the child by the name we have picked out. If they're older then that, it doesn't seem fair to try and change their name. Our boy name was the easiest. It is Jackson, which means God is gracious (according to babynameguide.com). Our other top favorites (in case of twins :-) ) are Christian (Christ follower) and Christopher (Christ bearer). Our girl names were much, much harder. We keep going back and forth, however, the one that we both seem to agree on the most is Allison. Again according to babynameguide.com, Allison means truthful. Second runner up is Casey, which means brave. Others that are still slightly in the running are Audrey, Ian, Mikayla, and Sean.
This seems to be the most bizarre time of the whole process. Be prepared like it could be tomorrow, yet live like there are still months... I wonder if I'll get the hang of it. At least I am still feeling very patient. :-)
The other thing that has been on my mind a lot is the child/children's names. If they are young enough (less then a year or so) We will start calling the child by the name we have picked out. If they're older then that, it doesn't seem fair to try and change their name. Our boy name was the easiest. It is Jackson, which means God is gracious (according to babynameguide.com). Our other top favorites (in case of twins :-) ) are Christian (Christ follower) and Christopher (Christ bearer). Our girl names were much, much harder. We keep going back and forth, however, the one that we both seem to agree on the most is Allison. Again according to babynameguide.com, Allison means truthful. Second runner up is Casey, which means brave. Others that are still slightly in the running are Audrey, Ian, Mikayla, and Sean.
This seems to be the most bizarre time of the whole process. Be prepared like it could be tomorrow, yet live like there are still months... I wonder if I'll get the hang of it. At least I am still feeling very patient. :-)
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Approved, Finally!
We are finally there, we are finally approved! DCF finally gave up on our fingerprints the beginning of March. We were informed that they would just do a background check, and not worry about the fingerprints anymore. They said it might take till the end of the month to get approved. We waited out the month. For me it seemed to go very slowly. This past Monday, April 4th, we called our Social worker. She said she would be back in the office on Wednesday, and she would try to get some answers and see if my background check had gone through. I received an email on Wednesday saying that the background check had gone through. She told me that "I have been cleared for any crimes against humanity". I felt silly, but, as I read the email after work, I could help but cry. We were finally approved! She put our home study into the database on Wednesday, and she plans on presenting us to the matching committee next week! This will (hopefully) put us on the minds of several social workers. Hopefully they'll think of us when they get new babies/young chidren who need a home. God is SO good!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
finally... information!
Well... good and bad news. The good news is that I don't have to go to the FBI, they'll do a background check without the fingerprints... no more fingerprints to worry about! Our social worker hadn't heard from the department, but, she moved on, assuming they were lost. The only negative is that it will probably take the rest of the month for the background check to be completed. I finally feel like we've made a step forward.
Monday, February 28, 2011
fingerprints
Who knew fingerprints could be so hard? We got an email today from our social worker saying that she has someone "on a mission" to find my fingerprints today or tomorrow. She said that if they can't be found, I might have to go to the FBI for them to try again. As patient as we are, please pray that they can find the fingerprints and that we can actually start the waiting process soon. Thanks!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Another quote
Here is another quote about the day his adopted son was born. It gives me chills.
"I wonder what I was doing that day. My old calendar from that year tells me that I was working on my doctoral dissertation, typing way like I am right now. I probably walked to my favorite coffee show and ordered the regular. I was probably also feeling sorry for myself. I don't need a calendar to tell me that. I felt that way every day then.
I'd prayed every morning and night for children. I would have done so that day too, with a desperate whine to my voice. I didn't know that day that my prayers had been answered, in a way beyond all I could ask or even think. I had no way of knowing that the greatest joys of my life so far were here, and yet not here; already and not yet. God wasn't ingoring me. He was training my affections to love these two boys, to be a father theologically, not just biologically".
I can't wait to see how God answers my prayer!
"I wonder what I was doing that day. My old calendar from that year tells me that I was working on my doctoral dissertation, typing way like I am right now. I probably walked to my favorite coffee show and ordered the regular. I was probably also feeling sorry for myself. I don't need a calendar to tell me that. I felt that way every day then.
I'd prayed every morning and night for children. I would have done so that day too, with a desperate whine to my voice. I didn't know that day that my prayers had been answered, in a way beyond all I could ask or even think. I had no way of knowing that the greatest joys of my life so far were here, and yet not here; already and not yet. God wasn't ingoring me. He was training my affections to love these two boys, to be a father theologically, not just biologically".
I can't wait to see how God answers my prayer!
Waiting (and more on the Theology of Adoption)
We now have been waiting for almost 2 months for my fingerprints to go through. Our social worker let us know that my first attempt did not go through. Around Christmastime I was fingerprinted again, and we are still waiting on them. Our social worker has informed us that they have laid off their cori/fingerprinting workers, but she doesn't know how long it will take for other employees to get through all the work and check my fingerprints.
With this waiting, I have finished the book "Adopted for Life" by Russell D. Moore. This is an incredible book on the theology of Adoption, and I was inspired reading it. There is an incredibly great part about waiting... which spoke to me because this is exactly what we are doing:
"You may feel-especially if you are a man- as though you ought to be fighting someone for your children's lives. But there's no one to fight. You may feel as though you should be doing something to hurry along the process, even after all your paperwork is done. But there's nothing more to do. This sensation isn't unique to adoption. God has designed the universe around us so that anticipation is built into the order of things. Even in the most typical situations, after all, God doesn't create babies out of nothing. A woman may cry out from the bathroom, "Guess what honey? The test says I'm prengnant! but only rarely does a woman cry out from the bathroom, "Guess what honey, I just gave birth!" God slowly knits together a child in the womb as his parents wait for his arrival. God does this with almost every aspect of life."
This part of the book goes on to discuss, in a beautiful fashion, how God created the universe in 6 days, not just a blink of the eye. God also made Adam "wait for his queen". It's an incredible picture of patience and anticipation.
"As you move forward, remember that your God is king; so "do not be anxious" (Matt. 6:25-34). Just as our father provides food for the birds of the air, he also provides them with nests and hatching eggs".
It's amazing reading this part of the book, and to just be reminded that we are still waiting because our child is not ready for us yet... whether they are not born yet, or there are still things being worked out... God's timing is best. And, as unusual as it may seem, the more we wait, the more sure of God's soveriegnty I am. I know he has it all planned out. I just have to be patient. God is good, and can't wait to give us the desires of our hearts.
With this waiting, I have finished the book "Adopted for Life" by Russell D. Moore. This is an incredible book on the theology of Adoption, and I was inspired reading it. There is an incredibly great part about waiting... which spoke to me because this is exactly what we are doing:
"You may feel-especially if you are a man- as though you ought to be fighting someone for your children's lives. But there's no one to fight. You may feel as though you should be doing something to hurry along the process, even after all your paperwork is done. But there's nothing more to do. This sensation isn't unique to adoption. God has designed the universe around us so that anticipation is built into the order of things. Even in the most typical situations, after all, God doesn't create babies out of nothing. A woman may cry out from the bathroom, "Guess what honey? The test says I'm prengnant! but only rarely does a woman cry out from the bathroom, "Guess what honey, I just gave birth!" God slowly knits together a child in the womb as his parents wait for his arrival. God does this with almost every aspect of life."
This part of the book goes on to discuss, in a beautiful fashion, how God created the universe in 6 days, not just a blink of the eye. God also made Adam "wait for his queen". It's an incredible picture of patience and anticipation.
"As you move forward, remember that your God is king; so "do not be anxious" (Matt. 6:25-34). Just as our father provides food for the birds of the air, he also provides them with nests and hatching eggs".
It's amazing reading this part of the book, and to just be reminded that we are still waiting because our child is not ready for us yet... whether they are not born yet, or there are still things being worked out... God's timing is best. And, as unusual as it may seem, the more we wait, the more sure of God's soveriegnty I am. I know he has it all planned out. I just have to be patient. God is good, and can't wait to give us the desires of our hearts.
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