This post has been brewing in my head for a few days now. I just needed a few days to sort it out and well celebrate the good news of our soon to be baby girl.
Kiya got cast #4 this past Tuesday. It was a VERY long and draining day. Kiya as always was such a trooper. In my heart, I was hoping for just a little even a smidgen of correction in her curve. That was not to be this time. Her stubborn little curve gained 4 degrees. So we started the day at 66 degrees and once again our doc worked his magic and she is holding at 15 degrees in cast. Amazing. Her flexibility is what keeps me going.
I was devastated by the news that her curve got worse. It was a tough blow. However, not only did I have my wonderful husband, I had some dear friends there to help pick me up. And Linda, our nurse to insist repeatedly that all is fine and that I shouldn't be worried. I am so grateful that Catie, Tracy,Sarah and Rachel were there to pick me up after the news of her curve. I am not sure what I would do without these amazing women that I am so honored to call my friends. Catie has been down this road with her iron man and her hope and his progress is such an inspiration to me. Sarah just gets it and well Rachel is so sweet and dealing with her own cast day stuff and yet there she was to be a support.
So after the shock of that news and a nice breakfast chat with Tracy, it was time to get to Miss Kiya. She is usually pretty grumpy post anesthesia but once again my amazing girl just rolled with it. She was a little out of it and a little mad but once she got her crackers and some juice she was much better. I can't thank Tracy enough. She was right there by our sides encouraging Kiya to eat and drink and getting her more crackers. I just met the woman in person that day and wow. So grateful to her for being there when she didn't have to be and for her care and concern for me and for Kiya. I am lucky to have met her.
Kiya was sporting her new pink cast and was ready to get to the tape. She was even helping the nurses tape her cast. She sat so still and was just amazing. I was so proud of her. All was well until it was time to trim the shoulder straps. From there the day was a blur. Kiya was hysterical. I was a mess and the new latex free tape was TERRIBLE. It just became too much at one point.
I hate scoliosis and I hate this cast. There is extra fiber glass, crappy tape and it is so tight. I will be shocked if we don't have sores under her arms.
I hate that sweet Kiya has to deal with this and yet deal with it is what she does. She is truly amazing. She was up and running around that afternoon. She even went to preschool on Wednesday. She asked to go. She had a great time. She went accident free in her new big girl underwear. We had our first post cast laundry room bath and she was totally fine. She rarely if ever complains. She is such a superstar.
So where do we go from here....we keep on casting. That is what the doc says and that is what we will do. So here is to the next 11 weeks.
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Back to the beginning
So yesterday, Kiya got cast #2. She did great as always. Such a trooper. It was a VERY long day that took WAY too long to do everything. At one point I was tempted to just grab the tape and padding and just finish the job myself but whatever. All in all I love the staff at Shriner's Chicago minus maybe the clueless anesthesiologist and the new nurse who was I believe the source of the slow down.
Miss Kiya is now sporting a brand new very pink cast. She picked the color herself. I knew she would pick pink. She only recognizes a few colors accurately pink being one of them and her latest love so I knew as soon as she saw it that is what she would pick. My girly girl didn't let me down.
She is adjusting well. A little sore and a little clumsy but overall doing great. She is walking pretty well. She is starting to bend and pick things up again. She will only sit for short periods of time without a wall or pillow behind her but she did that last time too so that is to be expected. The thing that shocked me is last night she slept on her side on and off. That took a month plus in her last cast.
The best part of the day was being there with 2 of our Lucky Cast families. That makes the long casting day just a little easier when you can share it with your extended family. There were definitely some people we missed and wished could have been there but we know they were there with us in spirit and cheering us on through facebook.
I was kind of prepared for Kiya's xray numbers and kind of not. When she started this journey back in September she was at a 52 degree curve in her spine which the doctor was able to hold at 15 degrees in her cast. Well yesterday Kiya's out of cast xray came back showing a 60 + degree curve so worse than before. Two things happened here. One the xray wasn't perfect, Kiya's shoulders weren't squared up and the second is that Kiya was out of cast for just over 2 months. The doctor worked his magic again and was able to hold Kiya's curve to 15 degrees in cast again. So I am holding on to that. Kiya is pretty flexible which should help. He is still hopeful that we can get complete correction if we stay the course so we are in this for the long haul.
I feel like we are starting all over and are in cast #1 really. Not going to let it get me down though. We have amazing friends to walk with us on this journey and pick us up when we fall or need the extra encouragement and that makes the world of difference. I cried 1 time yesterday and that was when they rolled Kiya back to surgery. Last cast, I couldn't stop crying and had to hold on to nurse Gwen for support and a walk before I could even get near Kiya post surgery. Why was it different this time even with the unsettling starting number? Well, we knew what to expect with the angry screaming toddler post anesthesia. We knew what she would look like with the cast on so there wasn't the shock factor. We knew that our friends were right there with us and that we can do this together.
We are all readjusting to our new normal and breathing a sigh of relief. We have 12 weeks to not worry about Kiya's back getting worse. It is a nice feeling. These last 2 months of looking to see if her back was crooked. Watching it get crooked was tough.
For all the numbers, check Kiya's Kare Korner.
Miss Kiya is now sporting a brand new very pink cast. She picked the color herself. I knew she would pick pink. She only recognizes a few colors accurately pink being one of them and her latest love so I knew as soon as she saw it that is what she would pick. My girly girl didn't let me down.
She is adjusting well. A little sore and a little clumsy but overall doing great. She is walking pretty well. She is starting to bend and pick things up again. She will only sit for short periods of time without a wall or pillow behind her but she did that last time too so that is to be expected. The thing that shocked me is last night she slept on her side on and off. That took a month plus in her last cast.
The best part of the day was being there with 2 of our Lucky Cast families. That makes the long casting day just a little easier when you can share it with your extended family. There were definitely some people we missed and wished could have been there but we know they were there with us in spirit and cheering us on through facebook.
I was kind of prepared for Kiya's xray numbers and kind of not. When she started this journey back in September she was at a 52 degree curve in her spine which the doctor was able to hold at 15 degrees in her cast. Well yesterday Kiya's out of cast xray came back showing a 60 + degree curve so worse than before. Two things happened here. One the xray wasn't perfect, Kiya's shoulders weren't squared up and the second is that Kiya was out of cast for just over 2 months. The doctor worked his magic again and was able to hold Kiya's curve to 15 degrees in cast again. So I am holding on to that. Kiya is pretty flexible which should help. He is still hopeful that we can get complete correction if we stay the course so we are in this for the long haul.
I feel like we are starting all over and are in cast #1 really. Not going to let it get me down though. We have amazing friends to walk with us on this journey and pick us up when we fall or need the extra encouragement and that makes the world of difference. I cried 1 time yesterday and that was when they rolled Kiya back to surgery. Last cast, I couldn't stop crying and had to hold on to nurse Gwen for support and a walk before I could even get near Kiya post surgery. Why was it different this time even with the unsettling starting number? Well, we knew what to expect with the angry screaming toddler post anesthesia. We knew what she would look like with the cast on so there wasn't the shock factor. We knew that our friends were right there with us and that we can do this together.
We are all readjusting to our new normal and breathing a sigh of relief. We have 12 weeks to not worry about Kiya's back getting worse. It is a nice feeling. These last 2 months of looking to see if her back was crooked. Watching it get crooked was tough.
For all the numbers, check Kiya's Kare Korner.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Life
No this isn't going to be some philosophical post....trust me. It will likely be full of whining, complaining and well just my over all need to vent.
Well, to start Kiya was scheduled for her 2nd cast on Tuesday Jan. 18th. I had to call and cancel that this morning. Kiya is sick. She developed this nasty cough and I just can't put her under anesthesia. And there is the chance that the anesthesiologist would have sent us home anyway.
So what does this mean....well to start,Kiya will be out of cast for more than 2 months. I am not happy about that but really there isn't anything I can do about that. From observation, her back looks good. As good as it can I think. I could be totally delusional and wishing that to be true but I do think that one cast got us some correction and for now that correction seems to holding. Saying prayers that that doesn't change while we wait for a new cast date.
And here is where this post gets worse.....LIFE IS UNFAIR. Yup it is true. And it goes so much beyond Kiya having to face all of these obstacles at a young age. I got a phone call at about 1am this morning. You know when the phone rings at that hour it is never good news. And this call was no different.
On the other end was my dearest and best friend of 20 years. She was noticeably upset. She then proceeded to tell me that her dad died. what??? I was in shock. I think I stayed in shock until this morning when it really hit me. The man that allowed me to spend countless hours at his house in high school. He made me try duck stew. He gave me my first sip of champagne in a Dixie cup. He managed to convince the wait staff at my wedding to keep bringing him chocolate truffles. And now he is gone. How did this happen??
I wanted nothing more than to reach through the phone and cry and hug my best friend. I still want to. It is so unfair. So unfair. He was too young. He has these 3 amazing grandkids, 2 amazing kids and an amazing wife. This family is my second family. I feel awful. I want to be able to do something and yet there is nothing I can do.
I tried to put on a tough face and go to work this morning and I couldn't. Every time I opened my mouth to talk. I started to cry. It was too much. I went home.
So I am not in a great spot today. I am trying to make sense of something that just doesn't make sense. That and trying to see if I can swing plane tickets to California to hug the one person I really need to be with right now.
Well, to start Kiya was scheduled for her 2nd cast on Tuesday Jan. 18th. I had to call and cancel that this morning. Kiya is sick. She developed this nasty cough and I just can't put her under anesthesia. And there is the chance that the anesthesiologist would have sent us home anyway.
So what does this mean....well to start,Kiya will be out of cast for more than 2 months. I am not happy about that but really there isn't anything I can do about that. From observation, her back looks good. As good as it can I think. I could be totally delusional and wishing that to be true but I do think that one cast got us some correction and for now that correction seems to holding. Saying prayers that that doesn't change while we wait for a new cast date.
And here is where this post gets worse.....LIFE IS UNFAIR. Yup it is true. And it goes so much beyond Kiya having to face all of these obstacles at a young age. I got a phone call at about 1am this morning. You know when the phone rings at that hour it is never good news. And this call was no different.
On the other end was my dearest and best friend of 20 years. She was noticeably upset. She then proceeded to tell me that her dad died. what??? I was in shock. I think I stayed in shock until this morning when it really hit me. The man that allowed me to spend countless hours at his house in high school. He made me try duck stew. He gave me my first sip of champagne in a Dixie cup. He managed to convince the wait staff at my wedding to keep bringing him chocolate truffles. And now he is gone. How did this happen??
I wanted nothing more than to reach through the phone and cry and hug my best friend. I still want to. It is so unfair. So unfair. He was too young. He has these 3 amazing grandkids, 2 amazing kids and an amazing wife. This family is my second family. I feel awful. I want to be able to do something and yet there is nothing I can do.
I tried to put on a tough face and go to work this morning and I couldn't. Every time I opened my mouth to talk. I started to cry. It was too much. I went home.
So I am not in a great spot today. I am trying to make sense of something that just doesn't make sense. That and trying to see if I can swing plane tickets to California to hug the one person I really need to be with right now.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Thankful
I am taking a pause to truly appreciate all that I am thankful for as we approach Thanksgiving.
First and foremost, I am thankful for my daughter. Kiya is truly the most amazing kid. I am just so proud of her. She just takes things as they come and bounces back stronger than ever. I am so honored to be able to be her mother. She is teaching me a lot.
I am grateful for my husband. He through all of this craziness that we call parenthood has stood next to me and encouraged me and supported me. I couldn't have done half of this without him.
I am thankful for my family. I have amazing parents and in-laws. I am one lucky girl and Kiya is blessed with truly wonderful grandparents.
I am thankful for my lucky cast friends. These women, children and families have been in my life for a few short months yet they are the most amazing friends. They pick me up when I am down. The send me kind words and cyber hugs and offer support when I need it. I have made lifelong friends and so grateful for that.
I am grateful that I finally have a job :) The interview I thought went so well did in fact go that well. They called me back today and offered me a job. I have to pass a background check first but I am pretty sure that won't be an issue :) The plan is to do that and have me start in early December.
I am grateful for Shriner's Hospital, for Dr. H, Linda, Gwen, Robert and everyone else that works with Kiya. They are amazing and have made this journey manageable and I can tell they truly care about each and every kid that walks in those doors.
Lastly, I am going to take the time to be thankful for my squishy hugs, messy bathroom floor and the bonus cast free time.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
***Update in Kiya's Kare Korner***
First and foremost, I am thankful for my daughter. Kiya is truly the most amazing kid. I am just so proud of her. She just takes things as they come and bounces back stronger than ever. I am so honored to be able to be her mother. She is teaching me a lot.
I am grateful for my husband. He through all of this craziness that we call parenthood has stood next to me and encouraged me and supported me. I couldn't have done half of this without him.
I am thankful for my family. I have amazing parents and in-laws. I am one lucky girl and Kiya is blessed with truly wonderful grandparents.
I am thankful for my lucky cast friends. These women, children and families have been in my life for a few short months yet they are the most amazing friends. They pick me up when I am down. The send me kind words and cyber hugs and offer support when I need it. I have made lifelong friends and so grateful for that.
I am grateful that I finally have a job :) The interview I thought went so well did in fact go that well. They called me back today and offered me a job. I have to pass a background check first but I am pretty sure that won't be an issue :) The plan is to do that and have me start in early December.
I am grateful for Shriner's Hospital, for Dr. H, Linda, Gwen, Robert and everyone else that works with Kiya. They are amazing and have made this journey manageable and I can tell they truly care about each and every kid that walks in those doors.
Lastly, I am going to take the time to be thankful for my squishy hugs, messy bathroom floor and the bonus cast free time.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
***Update in Kiya's Kare Korner***
Friday, November 12, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Weekend fun
We had a great weekend with some great friends and their kids. I am tired but it was fun. It has been way too long since I stayed up late just chatting with friends.
Kiya has a new BFF. Her name is Molly and she is 6. Kiya just LOVED her. Her whole face would light up when Molly entered the room. She let Molly walk her around, pick her up and read her a story. To be honest it was great having a 6 year old around to keep Kiya entertained. I could actually have an adult conversation and trust that Kiya was going to get into anything.
We spent the weekend on Lake Wisconsin. I wish the weather would have been better but it was still nice. Dave took everyone out on the boat which was nice. Kiya and I stayed back. She had a very angry reaction to putting on a life jacket so we snuggled on the couch, had a snack and watched Dora on the laptop. I blame being almost 2 and those awful swim lessons that tortured kids with floating in the pool in a life jacket but whatever. I did like the snuggles though.
We also went to the Taste of Madison event. It is on the square and has restaurants of all types of cuisine. It is so fun. We try and go every year. It was at this event a few years ago that I first had Ethiopian food. It was love at first taste....except for the injera....still working on that one. This year I had Ethiopian food, Indian food, Chinese food and some of Kiya's fried fish. Kiya are 2 different types of fried fish (halibut and cod) and more pretzels than I think are allowed by law but the pretzels kept her from screaming so we went with it.
Highlight of the weekend was hanging out with our friends and their kids. Low light...Kiya didn't nap for 3 days in a row. She unfortunately did pretty okay with no nap. I am really hoping this isn't a permanent thing and more of I don't want to be away from the action aka Molly thing. Fingers crossed she naps today. This mama is so not ready for Kiya to give up her nap. I really don't think she is either but she has been sleeping 13 or more hours a night...sigh...
If she gives up her nap when do I get to nap and/or watch trashy reality TV???
Kiya has a new BFF. Her name is Molly and she is 6. Kiya just LOVED her. Her whole face would light up when Molly entered the room. She let Molly walk her around, pick her up and read her a story. To be honest it was great having a 6 year old around to keep Kiya entertained. I could actually have an adult conversation and trust that Kiya was going to get into anything.
We spent the weekend on Lake Wisconsin. I wish the weather would have been better but it was still nice. Dave took everyone out on the boat which was nice. Kiya and I stayed back. She had a very angry reaction to putting on a life jacket so we snuggled on the couch, had a snack and watched Dora on the laptop. I blame being almost 2 and those awful swim lessons that tortured kids with floating in the pool in a life jacket but whatever. I did like the snuggles though.
We also went to the Taste of Madison event. It is on the square and has restaurants of all types of cuisine. It is so fun. We try and go every year. It was at this event a few years ago that I first had Ethiopian food. It was love at first taste....except for the injera....still working on that one. This year I had Ethiopian food, Indian food, Chinese food and some of Kiya's fried fish. Kiya are 2 different types of fried fish (halibut and cod) and more pretzels than I think are allowed by law but the pretzels kept her from screaming so we went with it.
Highlight of the weekend was hanging out with our friends and their kids. Low light...Kiya didn't nap for 3 days in a row. She unfortunately did pretty okay with no nap. I am really hoping this isn't a permanent thing and more of I don't want to be away from the action aka Molly thing. Fingers crossed she naps today. This mama is so not ready for Kiya to give up her nap. I really don't think she is either but she has been sleeping 13 or more hours a night...sigh...
If she gives up her nap when do I get to nap and/or watch trashy reality TV???
Monday, July 12, 2010
Fortunate
I have started and deleted this post with various titles for a couple days. So much on my plate right now so hence the blogging absence.
Even with the unknowns floating around, I am feeling very fortunate. Here's why.
1) Last week we walked into the PICU with our daughter and were able to walk out a few hours later. This isn't lost on me. Not every mom could do that that day.
2) While we are still waiting on results and could be until Wednesday, I am fortunate to be able to be in the US and we can deal with whatever this is with the best medical care we can find.
3) I went to Minnesota this last weekend to the EKC Mehaber. Wow....great event and some really great people. I met so many of my online friends in person. The people who have stood behind me, posted on this blog or sent hugs on facebook. In person, in the flesh I got to meet so many of them and hang out and talk. It was incredible. I am very fortunate to be a part of this wonderful community. Sure we are all spread out but it is so nice to know that we are there for each other. Whether we need some words of support from those that have been there done that, which I got this weekend, or whether it be to enjoy a couple beers and just laugh and vent and laugh some more, which I got this weekend too.
I walked away from this weekend exhausted and refreshed. I know that sounds weird but true. It was like I had this "they do exist" moment. People I have called my friends but yet I didn't know them and then here we were in the same place, enjoying the same fun and laughing at "tails" and "mushrooms". For those that aren't in this wacky adoption community, this may all seem weird but for those of us that have used online tools like forums and blogs and facebook to maintain our sanity it was just nice to all be in the same physical place and be reassured that yup I do belong and yup you all are real and yup you are just as awesome in person as you are online.
And talk about some cute kids too....definitely a favorite moment which I will post pictures of when I figure out how to get them off my phone that is, is watching Kiya and Miss T share pretzels. And I am talking bite for bite, Kiya would take a bite and then Miss T. They would grab ones and hand them to each other and then take them away. They were in their own little world sitting on the ground while T's mom and I chatted. It was adorable.
So I guess I am saying that life has thrown a few lemons at us lately, but I am feeling fortunate. I wouldn't be able to tackle any of this without this amazing community and I feel so much more connected now that I have met people face to face.
Even with the unknowns floating around, I am feeling very fortunate. Here's why.
1) Last week we walked into the PICU with our daughter and were able to walk out a few hours later. This isn't lost on me. Not every mom could do that that day.
2) While we are still waiting on results and could be until Wednesday, I am fortunate to be able to be in the US and we can deal with whatever this is with the best medical care we can find.
3) I went to Minnesota this last weekend to the EKC Mehaber. Wow....great event and some really great people. I met so many of my online friends in person. The people who have stood behind me, posted on this blog or sent hugs on facebook. In person, in the flesh I got to meet so many of them and hang out and talk. It was incredible. I am very fortunate to be a part of this wonderful community. Sure we are all spread out but it is so nice to know that we are there for each other. Whether we need some words of support from those that have been there done that, which I got this weekend, or whether it be to enjoy a couple beers and just laugh and vent and laugh some more, which I got this weekend too.
I walked away from this weekend exhausted and refreshed. I know that sounds weird but true. It was like I had this "they do exist" moment. People I have called my friends but yet I didn't know them and then here we were in the same place, enjoying the same fun and laughing at "tails" and "mushrooms". For those that aren't in this wacky adoption community, this may all seem weird but for those of us that have used online tools like forums and blogs and facebook to maintain our sanity it was just nice to all be in the same physical place and be reassured that yup I do belong and yup you all are real and yup you are just as awesome in person as you are online.
And talk about some cute kids too....definitely a favorite moment which I will post pictures of when I figure out how to get them off my phone that is, is watching Kiya and Miss T share pretzels. And I am talking bite for bite, Kiya would take a bite and then Miss T. They would grab ones and hand them to each other and then take them away. They were in their own little world sitting on the ground while T's mom and I chatted. It was adorable.
So I guess I am saying that life has thrown a few lemons at us lately, but I am feeling fortunate. I wouldn't be able to tackle any of this without this amazing community and I feel so much more connected now that I have met people face to face.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Toast at my hose
We are toasting Rebekah and family. They have a daughter Dagmawit. We couldn't be there to toast in person so we are toasting at our hose. (No that is not a spelling error, you just have to be in the know to know that hose is a VERY important word said by a very important person)
Dagmawit,
While I don't know your family personally, yet. I do know that they love you dearly. Enjoy all that is Wisconsin, especially the summers. And who knows, maybe you will like snow too. We are wishing you all the best and we are praying for you. We are also saying prayers for those that are caring for you in Ethiopia and for those that cared and loved you in your earlier years.
Best wishes!!! Fingers crossed for a speedy and successful court date and travel date soon to follow.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Vacation pictures
Some pictures from our vacation. Kiya hanging with her new friend Will. So cute. She even got a kiss from him :)
Taking a tour around Santa Clara University.
Trying and LOVING fish. I couldn't believe it. She ate halibut and butterfish while on vacation. We did learn that she HATES sourdough bread though.
Hanging out with Daddy and playing on the bed.
Playing with her best friend the mirror. And yes she is licking it.
Taking a tour around Santa Clara University.
Trying and LOVING fish. I couldn't believe it. She ate halibut and butterfish while on vacation. We did learn that she HATES sourdough bread though.
Hanging out with Daddy and playing on the bed.
Playing with her best friend the mirror. And yes she is licking it.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Vacation summary
So since we had limited Internet access for parts of our vacation this will be a summary of everything else to try and catch up.
Actual travel: Kiya is a pretty good traveler as long as we are moving. Sitting on tarmacs waiting to take off is not fun for an almost 11 month old. Once she got settled she slept the majority of each flight we took. It was great. We got lots of comments about how good she was.
Actual vacation: Lots of fun. We went for Dave's college reunion and it was nice to catch up with some old friends. I got to visit with some old co-workers and see my 'second' family. I have 3 families really. My family, my in laws and then my BFF's family and I have always been close too. I have known and been a part of Stacy's family for 19 years (wow--that makes me feel old). We were BUSY. Each day has lots of stuff crammed into it. Too much really, we could have used one more day.
Accommodations: We stayed at our favorite hotel for 2 nights and then house sat for a friend and watched her 2 dogs. That was an adventure. Her dogs have similar personalities to mine. Herbie was sweet and loveable(just like Sebastian) and Jack was NUTS (just like Badger). It was fun though. They kept us on our toes but we enjoyed it.
Kiya: She is FABULOUS. She was so good. She tried a lot of new foods including halibut, beets, sourdough bread, butterfish, zucchini, buttered noodles with Parmesan cheese, and did great with all of it except the sourdough bread. She HATED that. We have a funny video of her trying sourdough when we were are the Fish Market. too funny. I will have to figure out how to upload video as it is pretty funny.
The highs: Seeing friends and having a night out with the hubby. Kiya hung out with a friend of mine and did great. It was the first time a non family member had to put Kiya down for the night. I was not excited about that part but Kiya did great. She woke up when we picked her up and I was still able to give her a small bottle and cuddle before we put her back down for the night.
The lows: We gate checked our stroller in San Jose but it didn't show up in Minneapolis. They checked it all the way through to Madison. We packed the Ergo in the checked luggage since we had the stroller. We let me tell you, hiking it through the MSP airport with a lot of carry on bags, 2 hungry/grumpy parents and an over tired baby was not a good time. We were lucky to get to our gate to find one of the nicest people ever. She offered to entertain Kiya while Dave and I grabbed some food. No worries she was never out of our site and I am shocked I let a complete stranger hold my child but Kiya seemed okay and she could see us the entire time.
We had a great time and the weather was near perfect. Was good to be back in my old stomping grounds again but alas it is so nice to be home.
Will post pics later today if I get a chance.
Actual travel: Kiya is a pretty good traveler as long as we are moving. Sitting on tarmacs waiting to take off is not fun for an almost 11 month old. Once she got settled she slept the majority of each flight we took. It was great. We got lots of comments about how good she was.
Actual vacation: Lots of fun. We went for Dave's college reunion and it was nice to catch up with some old friends. I got to visit with some old co-workers and see my 'second' family. I have 3 families really. My family, my in laws and then my BFF's family and I have always been close too. I have known and been a part of Stacy's family for 19 years (wow--that makes me feel old). We were BUSY. Each day has lots of stuff crammed into it. Too much really, we could have used one more day.
Accommodations: We stayed at our favorite hotel for 2 nights and then house sat for a friend and watched her 2 dogs. That was an adventure. Her dogs have similar personalities to mine. Herbie was sweet and loveable(just like Sebastian) and Jack was NUTS (just like Badger). It was fun though. They kept us on our toes but we enjoyed it.
Kiya: She is FABULOUS. She was so good. She tried a lot of new foods including halibut, beets, sourdough bread, butterfish, zucchini, buttered noodles with Parmesan cheese, and did great with all of it except the sourdough bread. She HATED that. We have a funny video of her trying sourdough when we were are the Fish Market. too funny. I will have to figure out how to upload video as it is pretty funny.
The highs: Seeing friends and having a night out with the hubby. Kiya hung out with a friend of mine and did great. It was the first time a non family member had to put Kiya down for the night. I was not excited about that part but Kiya did great. She woke up when we picked her up and I was still able to give her a small bottle and cuddle before we put her back down for the night.
The lows: We gate checked our stroller in San Jose but it didn't show up in Minneapolis. They checked it all the way through to Madison. We packed the Ergo in the checked luggage since we had the stroller. We let me tell you, hiking it through the MSP airport with a lot of carry on bags, 2 hungry/grumpy parents and an over tired baby was not a good time. We were lucky to get to our gate to find one of the nicest people ever. She offered to entertain Kiya while Dave and I grabbed some food. No worries she was never out of our site and I am shocked I let a complete stranger hold my child but Kiya seemed okay and she could see us the entire time.
We had a great time and the weather was near perfect. Was good to be back in my old stomping grounds again but alas it is so nice to be home.
Will post pics later today if I get a chance.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Where to begin....
Tomorrow--stay tuned for a we met Kiya 5 months ago and she has now known us as long as she had known Ethiopia.
But today I need to VENT. I am angry, hurt, frustrated, mystified, saddened, freaking out and more.
Yesterday I was SHOCKED to find out that CHSFS, our agency, has decided to unexpectedly close their forum. I am at a loss. I 'met' and met some amazing people through this forum. It was my life line while we were waiting for Kiya. I honestly am not sure I could have survived the process without the amazing support I found there.
For all of you blog readers, I started this blog because of the people I met on the forum. I found their blogs inspiring and informative and wanted to connect with more adoptive families. You all are amazing. I feel honored to be in your company. I truly thank you all for your words of wisdom, virtual hugs and support. You are an amazing group of people that I am proud to call my friends.
We are in the process of trying to pick up the pieces and find a way to continue. We are emailing everyone we know to get them moved over to a new place. We are writing anyone and everyone in our agency pleading with them to change this. There is a WEALTH of info on that forum from adoption ethics, hair care, travel tips, packing lists, medical questions, tax questions, parenting tips, the unofficial list that I so faithfully counted down when we were waiting for Kiya.
As we are gearing up for adoption #2, we have a lot of thinking to do. I was looking forward to the forum and members of it is as we started our wait again. I am having a hard time imagining how adoption number 2 will be without that support system. It was one of the more appealing qualities of CHSFS. We have some soul searching to do. I check that forum daily and have posted more questions than I care to say.
I will deeply miss the community, the love, the honesty, the support, the hugs, the joy, the tears, the sense of family. The worst part is we as members of this forum are not getting ANY answers as to why they are doing this...it just doesn't make sense to close this off.
I would have been lost without all of you. I found everyone one of my blogging buddies either directly or indirectly through that forum.
But today I need to VENT. I am angry, hurt, frustrated, mystified, saddened, freaking out and more.
Yesterday I was SHOCKED to find out that CHSFS, our agency, has decided to unexpectedly close their forum. I am at a loss. I 'met' and met some amazing people through this forum. It was my life line while we were waiting for Kiya. I honestly am not sure I could have survived the process without the amazing support I found there.
For all of you blog readers, I started this blog because of the people I met on the forum. I found their blogs inspiring and informative and wanted to connect with more adoptive families. You all are amazing. I feel honored to be in your company. I truly thank you all for your words of wisdom, virtual hugs and support. You are an amazing group of people that I am proud to call my friends.
We are in the process of trying to pick up the pieces and find a way to continue. We are emailing everyone we know to get them moved over to a new place. We are writing anyone and everyone in our agency pleading with them to change this. There is a WEALTH of info on that forum from adoption ethics, hair care, travel tips, packing lists, medical questions, tax questions, parenting tips, the unofficial list that I so faithfully counted down when we were waiting for Kiya.
As we are gearing up for adoption #2, we have a lot of thinking to do. I was looking forward to the forum and members of it is as we started our wait again. I am having a hard time imagining how adoption number 2 will be without that support system. It was one of the more appealing qualities of CHSFS. We have some soul searching to do. I check that forum daily and have posted more questions than I care to say.
I will deeply miss the community, the love, the honesty, the support, the hugs, the joy, the tears, the sense of family. The worst part is we as members of this forum are not getting ANY answers as to why they are doing this...it just doesn't make sense to close this off.
I would have been lost without all of you. I found everyone one of my blogging buddies either directly or indirectly through that forum.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Weekend in review
We had a VERY busy weekend. Kiya's baptism was the main event. She did great really. Got a little cranky towards the end of the service but was a super star for the most part.
Here she is with 2 of her god parents. My brother in law Andy and my best friend Stacy. Not pictured are my sister in law Sarah and my best friend's husband Jim. Kiya at this point was VERY tired but didn't want to miss any of the festivities.
Family picture with all of Kiya's grandparents and her great grandma.
This weekend again proved just how blessed we are. We have a wonderful family and an amazing little girl. I was so glad that Stacy flew out from CA even if only for a short trip but it meant so much for her to be here and to meet Kiya.
Here she is with 2 of her god parents. My brother in law Andy and my best friend Stacy. Not pictured are my sister in law Sarah and my best friend's husband Jim. Kiya at this point was VERY tired but didn't want to miss any of the festivities.
Family picture with all of Kiya's grandparents and her great grandma.
This weekend again proved just how blessed we are. We have a wonderful family and an amazing little girl. I was so glad that Stacy flew out from CA even if only for a short trip but it meant so much for her to be here and to meet Kiya.
Kiya was so adaptable to the disruptions in schedule and was really the star of the whole weekend. She helped open her gifts but mostly just wanted to put them all in her mouth. Her favorite was the tissue paper :) Go figure.
She LOVES to stand up and even attempted to take her first steps this weekend while holding on to my fingers. It was so cute :) She is just getting so big. We have her 9 month check up tomorrow even though she is closer to 10 months. I can't wait to see how much she weighs and just how tall she actually is :)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
The fabulous weekend adventures of Kiya
Kiya had a very busy weekend. Here is a recap :)
Saturday:
--Went to State Street for a little stroll. Had lunch (well mom and dad) at Dotty Dumplings (best burgers in Madison) and then Babcock ice cream.
--After her nap, went to the park for the first time and swung on a swing. She LOVED it.
--Showed off for Mom and Dad, her new ability to clap. She is just so cute and very proud of herself.
Sunday:
--Went to CornFest :)
--Attended the first birthday party for her friend Mia. I promise I will post pictures of Princess Mia and the Fabulous Kiya. They are so cute together and their names rhyme :)
--She decided it was time to actually sit up in the bath tub instead of just lounging. She was splashing the water with her hands and grabbing her toys. Usually she would just chill, kick the water and try to grab the wash cloth.
--Again decided to impress Mom and Dad with a new skill. She grabbed her bottle and actually got the nipple in her mouth and drank. She has been able to grab and hold her bottle for awhile but usually would just play with it and didn't quite have the aim to her mouth down pat. Well now she does. :)
We are more and more amazed by Kiya every day. She is really working things out. You can almost see the little wheels spinning in her head. It is just such a neat feeling. She is still trying to figure out the crawling thing but she will get there and soon probably. Better start baby proofing. In the mean time she loves to scoot :)
I have recently gone on quite the shopping spree for Miss Kiya as well. You see she is still a tad on the small size for her age but she has these long legs which are chubby and just wonderful. Well those legs are pushing her out of 6-9 month cloths and right into 12 month. WOW. Do you have any idea how hard it was to find non-flannel pajamas in WI in August in 12 month size? Next to impossible.
As I was shopping and looking at clothes for her it hit me. My little girl is no longer a newborn in the eyes of fashion anymore. She is a big girl. Her pajamas don't come in packs of three anymore and the clothing choices are less baby cute and more little girl cute. It is fabulous and sad all at the same time. Fabulous because she is thriving and growing and sad because it is all happening so fast. 3 months ago she could still wear 0-3 month clothes....
Saturday:
--Went to State Street for a little stroll. Had lunch (well mom and dad) at Dotty Dumplings (best burgers in Madison) and then Babcock ice cream.
--After her nap, went to the park for the first time and swung on a swing. She LOVED it.
--Showed off for Mom and Dad, her new ability to clap. She is just so cute and very proud of herself.
Sunday:
--Went to CornFest :)
--Attended the first birthday party for her friend Mia. I promise I will post pictures of Princess Mia and the Fabulous Kiya. They are so cute together and their names rhyme :)
--She decided it was time to actually sit up in the bath tub instead of just lounging. She was splashing the water with her hands and grabbing her toys. Usually she would just chill, kick the water and try to grab the wash cloth.
--Again decided to impress Mom and Dad with a new skill. She grabbed her bottle and actually got the nipple in her mouth and drank. She has been able to grab and hold her bottle for awhile but usually would just play with it and didn't quite have the aim to her mouth down pat. Well now she does. :)
We are more and more amazed by Kiya every day. She is really working things out. You can almost see the little wheels spinning in her head. It is just such a neat feeling. She is still trying to figure out the crawling thing but she will get there and soon probably. Better start baby proofing. In the mean time she loves to scoot :)
I have recently gone on quite the shopping spree for Miss Kiya as well. You see she is still a tad on the small size for her age but she has these long legs which are chubby and just wonderful. Well those legs are pushing her out of 6-9 month cloths and right into 12 month. WOW. Do you have any idea how hard it was to find non-flannel pajamas in WI in August in 12 month size? Next to impossible.
As I was shopping and looking at clothes for her it hit me. My little girl is no longer a newborn in the eyes of fashion anymore. She is a big girl. Her pajamas don't come in packs of three anymore and the clothing choices are less baby cute and more little girl cute. It is fabulous and sad all at the same time. Fabulous because she is thriving and growing and sad because it is all happening so fast. 3 months ago she could still wear 0-3 month clothes....
Monday, August 10, 2009
Blog Union, New Friends and Lots of Kiya first's
We spent the weekend in Chicago with a bunch of other blogging families with children from Ethiopia. It was so great. I got to meet a few bloggers that I have followed for awhile and I met a whole bunch of other really cool bloggers. You will see that my Blog List on the right has gotten a tad longer. :)
Kiya did pretty well over the course of the weekend. She had some trouble with dinner out in loud restaurants, crowds, etc. Thank goodness for the Ergo.
We got to experience lots of Kiya firsts this weekend that are documented in these adorable photos.
Kiya LOVES to lick thinks so this is me trying to prevent Kiya from licking the table at The Cheesecake Factory. Good times...
Kiya made her first trip to the American Girl store :)
Here she is all dressed up for dinner at her first Ethiopian restaurant in a dress we bought her in Ethiopia.
Here she is playing with her Uncle Andy.
Hanging out at 5 Guys Burgers :)
Looking cute after I put her head scarf on :)
Playing with her new best friend a full length mirror
Hanging at the hotel pool with Mom. She LOVED the pool and the big beach balls that were in it. We are looking to sign her up for a Mommy and Me swim class very soon.
Feeding herself crackers at a restaurant in Navy Pier
Spending time with Daddy at the hotel bar...long story but our private room for our welcome reception never happened so we (all the families) hung out at the bar at the W hotel with our kids. A little awkward....
Kiya did pretty well over the course of the weekend. She had some trouble with dinner out in loud restaurants, crowds, etc. Thank goodness for the Ergo.
We got to experience lots of Kiya firsts this weekend that are documented in these adorable photos.
Kiya LOVES to lick thinks so this is me trying to prevent Kiya from licking the table at The Cheesecake Factory. Good times...
Kiya made her first trip to the American Girl store :)
Here she is all dressed up for dinner at her first Ethiopian restaurant in a dress we bought her in Ethiopia.
Here she is playing with her Uncle Andy.
Hanging out at 5 Guys Burgers :)
Looking cute after I put her head scarf on :)
Playing with her new best friend a full length mirror
Hanging at the hotel pool with Mom. She LOVED the pool and the big beach balls that were in it. We are looking to sign her up for a Mommy and Me swim class very soon.
Feeding herself crackers at a restaurant in Navy Pier
Spending time with Daddy at the hotel bar...long story but our private room for our welcome reception never happened so we (all the families) hung out at the bar at the W hotel with our kids. A little awkward....
We had a great weekend. Met some new friends, hung out with some old ones and even fit some family time in there. And now it is back to reality and work. I forsee a going back to work blog post in my future...
Monday, July 6, 2009
Weekend fun with friends
Some good friends of ours came to visit and meet Miss Peanut this weekend. Peanut went on her first boat ride and as you can see below she was a little grumpy with that life vest on.
Hanging out with some college friends, drinking beer, well two of us were as my friend Kerry is pregnant, and waiting for the fireworks to start.
We had a great time and Peanut made some new friends and it was good to hang out at the lake and relax.
She was kind of over having her picture taken but we wanted to get just one more with Daddy.
She is just so darn cute :)
She was too young to feed the ducks but we still got a great family picture.
She is just so darn cute :)
She was too young to feed the ducks but we still got a great family picture.
Hanging out with some college friends, drinking beer, well two of us were as my friend Kerry is pregnant, and waiting for the fireworks to start.
We had a great time and Peanut made some new friends and it was good to hang out at the lake and relax.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
CONGRATS!!!
I couldn't be happier for these people. We started this process around the same time and they have waited so long and been through so much. Her blog was/is a lifeline for me. I have learned a ton from her and have no doubts that champagne corks are popping around the world. CONGRATS you two. You deserve it and we couldn't be happier for you.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Fabulous time, fabulous friends, fabulous finds
We had a great time this weekend with our friends Matt and Kerry and their beautiful daughters. Lots of laughs, beer and good times were had by all. Okay beer was just consumed by the adults. They generously let us borrow some things for Peanut too which was well fabulous. We now have a bouncy seat and an exersaucer for her. We don't know if she will like either of these things so it was nice to not have to buy them since she may only use them for a few short months if at all. They also lent us some great toys and a floor gym. They are great friends for sure and we can't wait to hang out with them again.
We went to a baby resale while we were there too. Okay, us girls went to a baby resale. I found some great clothes for Peanut. Some she will have to grow into but others should fit this summer. Most of the clothes that I got were brand new or like new. Some still had the original store tags on them and they were all from higher end baby clothes stores like Baby Gap, Gymboree, Hanna Anderson, etc. 
Peanut will have to grow into these overalls but they were super cute so maybe this fall and who can resist a pink plaid dress.
Peanut will have to grow into the pink dress on the right but it was like new and $7. And the other outfit has these cute little dogs on it and she should be able to wear it soon. It is Gymboree and was brand new with store tags. I couldn't believe it. New it was like $32 and I got it for $12.
Again two adorable like new dresses that I just couldn't resist.
This was a brand new Gymboree dress that may fit Peanut now and may be her Embassy appointment dress or her homecoming dress, I can't decide. It was brand new with store tags and only $15.
This Hanna Anderson dress should also fit Peanut relatively soon so it may be be making the trip with us as well.
I had no idea that I could find such great stuff for Peanut. She had a ton of clothes before this weekend but it was lots of shorts, pants and onesies and just a few dresses or actual outfits so it was nice to find some things to spice up her wardrobe a little.
We went to a baby resale while we were there too. Okay, us girls went to a baby resale. I found some great clothes for Peanut. Some she will have to grow into but others should fit this summer. Most of the clothes that I got were brand new or like new. Some still had the original store tags on them and they were all from higher end baby clothes stores like Baby Gap, Gymboree, Hanna Anderson, etc.
This first picture is hands down the cutest baby jeans I have ever seen. They have seahorses on them and a matching hat and it was brand new with store tags for $10 for all 3 pieces.
Peanut will have to grow into these overalls but they were super cute so maybe this fall and who can resist a pink plaid dress.
Peanut will have to grow into the pink dress on the right but it was like new and $7. And the other outfit has these cute little dogs on it and she should be able to wear it soon. It is Gymboree and was brand new with store tags. I couldn't believe it. New it was like $32 and I got it for $12.
Again two adorable like new dresses that I just couldn't resist.
This was a brand new Gymboree dress that may fit Peanut now and may be her Embassy appointment dress or her homecoming dress, I can't decide. It was brand new with store tags and only $15.
This Hanna Anderson dress should also fit Peanut relatively soon so it may be be making the trip with us as well.
I had no idea that I could find such great stuff for Peanut. She had a ton of clothes before this weekend but it was lots of shorts, pants and onesies and just a few dresses or actual outfits so it was nice to find some things to spice up her wardrobe a little. All in all we had a fabulous weekend and came home with lots of great stuff for Peanut. Only 11 more days (hopefully) until Peanut can make her debut in public. Warning you all in advance, she is extremely adorable!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Good food, great people!
Last night Dave and I went out to dinner with 20 or so people we have never met. We went to the Ethiopian restaurant in town. The food was fabulous as always and the company was even better.
It was so great to put faces with names and to start to get know these people. They were couples, single moms, people home for years, people travelling in a few weeks, people with referrals, people close to referral and people just starting out. It was a very diverse group of people.
I would say last night was definitely a highlight in the almost 6 years that I have lived here. Don't get me wrong I love my neighbors and my friends, but these people last night just get it. They get the whole process. How hard the waiting is, the struggles with infertility, the awkward looks and questions people ask when you tell them you are adopting from Ethiopia or they see you with your Ethiopian child.
I met people who knew what it was like to hate everything pregnancy and baby related while you are struggling with infertility, people who understand how frustrating the process can be and the not knowing is, people who used to live on the West Coast and understand my love of the Nordstrom shoe department and how awful it is that we don't have one here. ( I know I could drive to Chicago but really 3 hours just for shoes...)
After dinner we went out for drinks with some of the others and had even more fun. It was nice to relax and unwind and for me to finally feel connected in this crazy place we call home. I never have really felt like I found my niche and I kind of think I found it last night. I made some strong connections with people and can't wait to hang out again.
It was so great to put faces with names and to start to get know these people. They were couples, single moms, people home for years, people travelling in a few weeks, people with referrals, people close to referral and people just starting out. It was a very diverse group of people.
I would say last night was definitely a highlight in the almost 6 years that I have lived here. Don't get me wrong I love my neighbors and my friends, but these people last night just get it. They get the whole process. How hard the waiting is, the struggles with infertility, the awkward looks and questions people ask when you tell them you are adopting from Ethiopia or they see you with your Ethiopian child.
I met people who knew what it was like to hate everything pregnancy and baby related while you are struggling with infertility, people who understand how frustrating the process can be and the not knowing is, people who used to live on the West Coast and understand my love of the Nordstrom shoe department and how awful it is that we don't have one here. ( I know I could drive to Chicago but really 3 hours just for shoes...)
After dinner we went out for drinks with some of the others and had even more fun. It was nice to relax and unwind and for me to finally feel connected in this crazy place we call home. I never have really felt like I found my niche and I kind of think I found it last night. I made some strong connections with people and can't wait to hang out again.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Great Day!
I am so happy today to report that lots of families with our agency passed court and are that much closer to be united with their children. It was so great to hear their news and to see the faces of some incredibly adorable children. I literally cried tears of joy for them.
Then when I thought it was already a great day it got even better. A family that had been originally assigned a January court date and then had their case rescheduled until March made it through court today. How awesome!
January was a rough month. It was really hard to see lots of forum buddies face delays in getting to their children. Those of us still waiting for court dates were on pins and needles. Today was the first big group of families with a court date. Those families getting through would give us some hope that we too could pass court on the first try.
Our court date is 6 weeks away and I can't stop thinking about it. That is the day that a judge in Ethiopia could make us officially Peanut's parents. 6 weeks. I can't believe it. We are getting so close to being able to hold Peanut in our arms. If you are the praying type, please pray for all the families in their various stages of the adoption process, pray that we all see success in court on the first try and pray for Peanut and all of her little friends at the Care Center.
We hope to get an update on Peanut and how she is doing the first week of March. I know she is being well taken care of and I can't wait to see how much she has grown in a month.
Then when I thought it was already a great day it got even better. A family that had been originally assigned a January court date and then had their case rescheduled until March made it through court today. How awesome!
January was a rough month. It was really hard to see lots of forum buddies face delays in getting to their children. Those of us still waiting for court dates were on pins and needles. Today was the first big group of families with a court date. Those families getting through would give us some hope that we too could pass court on the first try.
Our court date is 6 weeks away and I can't stop thinking about it. That is the day that a judge in Ethiopia could make us officially Peanut's parents. 6 weeks. I can't believe it. We are getting so close to being able to hold Peanut in our arms. If you are the praying type, please pray for all the families in their various stages of the adoption process, pray that we all see success in court on the first try and pray for Peanut and all of her little friends at the Care Center.
We hope to get an update on Peanut and how she is doing the first week of March. I know she is being well taken care of and I can't wait to see how much she has grown in a month.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)