Still trying.....

I can't seem to find a break so that I could fully catch up on the blog. The kids were all on the mend after we started the antibiotics. No fevers, no coughs, no runny noses. We were almost at the finish line, then Anna Grace awoke from her nap on Sunday with 104. Nothing else but that miserable fever.

Yesterday morning I had to go take Kai to his cleft appointment, where I was hoping would be the final one for at last 6 months, but his doctor couldn't make it and he was seen by someone else. So, we'll be back in 3 weeks. The doctor that did see him said that he is doing remarkably well! Praise God! His palate is 100% intact, and his "flap" (which was added to close the gap between the soft palate and the nasal cavity) seems to be doing well. It's all up to the speech therapist now to get him going.

Since his surgery, he has definitely improved in his speech and although not 100% there, he is making some "p", "b" and "s" sounds!! I am a bit disappointed in the fact that he still does have a small amount of nasal leakage, which I thought would be corrected with the surgery. After speaking to his doctor, we were told that it was corrected by the surgery and it will go away. He explained that Kai's anatomy has been reconstructed and he really doesn't know how to use it yet. That's where the speech therapy comes in. He also said that the scar tissue is at it's tightest the first 6 weeks to 6 months after surgery. That in 6 months to a year, I will be looking back at this stage and realizing how far he has come. I already realize that now. He was literally only making sounds when we brought him home and now he can truly communicate. His motivation and desire to speak clearly is huge, so there is no doubt that it will happen!

After leaving Kai's doctor visit, we headed to our pediatrician's office to take Anna Grace back in. Turns out she now has strep throat. UGH! So, we changed her antibiotics and hopefully will start seeing improvements soon.

AJ last night was feeling warm to me. I was dreading taking his temperature. Sure enough....101. This morning he awoke a bit better, but if his temp rises again, we'll have to make another trip to the peds office again. I think I'm gonna request my own personal parking space there!

I know that all I seem to write about is sick kids and you all have been requesting pictures, and I promise they will soon come. I do want to answer a couple of questions I was emailed about.

First, some of you have asked about what type of "leash" I use for the kids. Actually, it's not a leash. It's a child safety harness and I can't praise it enough. AJ is still a bit young for it, but Kai and Anna Grace love it! It gives them the freedom to roam freely without really leaving your side. They quickly learn how far they can travel in their own space. It also is a cute backpack that comes in different animal styles. We have 3 of them. One is a doggie, the other a monkey and Anna Grace's is the teddy bear. Before we leave the house they stuff it with goodies and since we have a double stroller, I only let one walk at a time on the leash. Both of the bigger kiddos are quick to volunteer to be the one to walk and we change places usually halfway through our walks. For more info on the safety harness, click HERE.

Another email I received wanted to know how Anna Grace is doing with her attachment. I know it's been a while I've written about this.

Friday will be 7 months she's been ours! She is doing great! We still have some days that are rough, but for the most part, she fits in to our family perfectly and it's like she's always been with us. The holidays with all of it's hustle and bustle and the trip to Epcot for New Years made it a bit hard. When we came back home, she was pulling away from me when I wanted her to snuggle and the eye contact wasn't always there. But, as with all children, consistency is the key. We went back to doing some holding time, reminding her to "look at Mama", some "time-ins" when she is defiant along with lots of good 'ol lovin'. She truly is a sweetheart.

There have been a few occasions when I have been alone with her that she has literally brought me to tears, these times in a good way...heh! I sometimes have to catch my breath and stop and thank Jesus for the gift of this angel that He has entrusted us with. I pray daily for patience, wisdom and guidance and ask our Blessed mother to continue to be a reminder to me of how a mother should be.

My 3 little ones and my teenager really keep me hopping, but I wouldn't change a thing. I know in a few years my sweet, innocent, little Amanda will be back and the raging hormonal creature that sometimes takes her place will be gone. Hope springs eternal. :)

As for the little ones, the toy messes, giggles with food in their mouth, splashing water all over the bathroom floor and running in circles like mad people while yelling E-I-E-I-O at the top of their lungs, will also be gone in a few years and I will be so missing those babies. They grow so fast.

For now, I just continue to enjoy every second that the Lord gives me with each of them and I continue to thank Him for blessing me beyond measure.

PS. Please continue praying for Ayla and her family. The chemo treatments have all ready begun and as I am sure we all could imagine, it has to be one of the roughest times in their lives.

Also, I'd like to send a big congratulatory hug filled with love to my friend Dianne and her husband, Joe. After a looooooong 2 year wait, they have finally seen the face of their beautiful new daughter, Meaghan Jiang. Trust me, when I say beautiful!

They leave for Beijing on March 7! I can't wait. To follow their journey, click HERE!