Invites

Here is the invite I made today for L's bday/welcome party!

I'm having them printed at vista-print as we speak!

If anyone wants to attend, let me know and I'll get one to ya that has actual info on it!!!!

We are supposed to have a taco bar, other food, and of course, cake and ice cream!!!

I'm not really doing a theme for this one... as... it's difficult, cost $$$, and I have left over stuff from her brother's parties... so it's gonna just be a party!

I'm just glad I was productive this afternoon!!! Even if it was just this... but hey... Little lady is actually taking a nap today!!!!

Our adventuresome weekend!

I have been on the internet since the late 80's early 90's.
I started out on bbs's. I would dial into a specific bbs (buliten board system) and read and post messages. You couldnt post pics... no chat function... but wow was it fun!
By time I got to college, I was really heavy into bbsing. I'd spend up to 8 hours a day on bbs's... these were real time bbs.... like chat functions... I'l be chatting with numerous people at a time. One reason I'm such a good typer!!!
I was also on the internet as we know it today.
When we began to look into adoption, I began to look into adoption forums. There are many of them out there but eventually you find the ones you fit better on, and I've stuck with many of them even three years and 4 kids later.

Over the years, I've chatted with people I already knew, met people I had talked to online, and met people irl and then found out that I knew them from online also! Most have been positive expierences... a couple have been just plain wierd.... and I wouldnt call any of them a complete disaster.

Yesterday (Saturday) dh and I had another forum meeting and we had a great time!
We met up with G and J and their little girl M! M is also from Guatemala and that is how I got to talking to G. She also had the same inept agency and same incompetant facilitator... so that gave us something in common also!

We had a great time! The boys just loved that they had a water table to play with and a sand box!!! Although at times they tried to mix the two of them together... they still had a lot of fun!
We were fed lunch, the boys ate them out of house and home, and the boys slept all the way home!!!!

Thanks for having us! All of us had a great time!!!

So... if there are those of you out there that have never tried to actually meet online friends in real life, I'll be the first to tell you to take that chance. You could end up having a great time.

Fav Foto Friday (6-27)

Summer Lovin!!!

E loving the swing! (06)

E getting chilly in his baby pool. (06)

K Happy to be in the pool! (07)

E just thrilled to splash!!! (07)

Our little lady with her niece, A! They both love the water!

My three boys mezmerized by their first big-screen movie, Kung Fu Panda!

A great summer tradition of movie-going when it's too damm hot to play outside!

An entire Year!

While I was sleeping.... aka...recovering.... a very happy anniversary came and went!

F has been home with us for an entire year!!!!



We first found out about our little tude (attitude!) in December of 05. We were visiting K, who was 4 months old, and took E (9 months old) with us to Guatemala to have a mini Christmas with K. Our facilitator told us that E's mom was pregnant again....and wanted to ask us if we would keep the two brothers together. Yes... we saw an ultrasound of a little boy! Of course.... we were floored! I mean, here we have one infant son home...visiting one... and one due in March!!!
Well...it took all of a day to decide that we would get paper ready when we got home.

Did our entire dossier in 2 weeks!!!!!! Minus our home study update of course...but damm... I was proud of the two week timeline!

We got a call on Feb 22 that a baby boy was born!!!

I was on a airplane two days later!!!!

While I didnt get to meet him... E did while he was with his Madrina! So... the first pic of I have of F is with his older brother E!!!!!!! He was only 3 days old....but I'll say he was cute... even though I personally think newborns look like little aliens.

We would finally meet F while he was 4 months old in June!

It was our first time having the three boys together.... in one hotel room... for a flipping week!!!

Yes... it was E (15 months), K (10 months) and F (4 months). I know that we made many friends that week at the Marriott!!! They will tell you how funny it was to look at us with baby boys everywhere! E was and still is our little showman.... K was grieving and clinging to me while screaming at everyone else... and here is little F... just happy to be there... hanging out... calm, cool, and collected! He was happy as long as he got his pacha's and his clean diapers! He was just a calm and happy little guy.

We wouldnt see F again till Oct of 06. We were picking up K. K was grieving horribly and I felt so bad for little F. K would scream for hours....and we barely knew we had another baby with us. I do remember that F was eating already and that he loved wings from Pollo Campero! He still had a lack of hair...but he was cute. He was still calm, cool, and collected even though K was having such a hard time.

F's first birthday was spent with his foster family. We sent down a birthday outfit, a cake mix, frosting, a candle, and a new toy. It was heartbreaking as we were no where near able to bring him home. We were not able to travel again to see him...and having more experience, felt it better to not disrupt his life for our well being, we would not see him till we traveled to pick him up in June.
Oh what a fiasco that was!!!!!!
We had gotten two I-72's from the USE because someone (our inept facilitator or his staff) filled out our I-600 incorrectly!!!!
After 5 weeks it had NOT been resolved.... I had enough!!! If it kept going like this, we were going to have a major problem of a NOID...and really....who the heck wants to go through that????

So... I was out with my mom grocery shopping.... time came around to call the Immigration Department at the USE.... I called, gave them our name, and they told us that our appointment was Tuesday!!!! Our facilitator had SAT on our pink slip for TWO weeks!!!!! NO ONE told us!!!!! Here it is Thursday.... and our appointment is Tuesday!!!! Our son is 17 months old! We cant show up Monday, rip him away from R and expect him to be ok on Tuesday for the appointment!!!! Plus, we are taking our two other boys with us... we have foster families to contact, friends to call.... oh my!!!
I immediately contacted our completely useless agency.... they knew nothing about it... and we were told not to travel....
Well.... I had plane tickets and a hotel room by Thursday night... Sat morning, we were on our way to Guatemala!!!!!!

Damm facilitator didnt tell R (the foster mom) that we were coming.... so... the bastard (nicest word I feel I can type right now) only gave her 30 min to get everything ready. Poor woman... that was just wrong!!!!!! So... Friday night... here comes our 17 month old son... and his bawling foster mom.... I felt so bad for both of them... but we had dinner... and told her she had unlimited visiting time with us.... and she seemed better after that.

F was not better after dinner though.... he was downright scared, angry, and screaming.

After going through K's transition... I knew what to expect.... but it still breaks your heart while you are going through it.
I walked the floor with our little guy all night. Neither of us slept....neither of us let go.
Now... when I say little guy... I mean little guy!
We were told that F was X number of lbs... so we figured he would ware the same size as E and K! Great news!!! After all... we were told that the birthday package we sent for him the clothes were way to small... so we bring 18 and 24 month clothes! Well.... F wears 3-6 months! Yep! Our 17 month old son wore 3-6 month old clothes... who the heck would have known????

So... a phone call to E's Padrino, and off I go shopping!!!! Got some really cute clothes! It was fun going to the Korean bodegas!! I highly recommend them!



So... we spent time with all three foster families.... and we were there for 10 days. Took trips to the state of Jalapa (where their families are from), Antigua, Chichicastenango, Lake Atitlan, and Panajachel. The boys did great!

Looking back... it was a great decision to take our boys with us. While F took a while to warm to us, he warmed to his brothers in no time. They were very doting with him also...which helped a lot.



Well... he came home at 17 months old... he is now 28 months old!
He is no longer calm, cool, and collected!!!
He is our little, sneaky, attitude guy!
He is so smart and tries to do everything his brothers do even though they are older than he is... but if E and K can do it... so can he!!! He is still a cuddle bug...but he still favors daddy... mommy is working on that though! He is in love with Spongebob and Elmo. He is tiny...but makes up for it in attitude! Whether it is enthusiasm or talking back to us... he gives it his all!

We are sooo blessed to have F as our son! We absolutely adore every minute that we have had with him!
Thanks to R and her family for raising him soo well for the 17 months that he was with you!

R was soo proud of herself for teaching F to snap his fingers at us when he wanted something! Seriously... this little guy would snap at ya if he wanted something!!!! It's soo funny to see him do it!

Well... if ya made it this far... here is F in pics!!!!

4 months old

First Pic as a family of 5!!! (June 06)

Oct 06

June 07 on his Pickup trip

F's 2nd Birthday!

F at Red Robin last week!!

Fav Foto Friday (6-20)

Last Weekend was Father's Day!!!!

Here is a spread of Father's Days past with our kids!!!

This is the 1st Father's Day in 4 years that we have not been in Guatemala.

Of course, I dont have any pics from this year as I was in bed all day (had my tonsils out!).

E and his Daddy in GC June 06

E with K on our 5th visit, June 06

F with his Daddy June 07.

F's pickup trip!!!!

Little Lady with her daddy in Nov 07.

Just some pics

It's Wednesday.

I feel like hell.

Here are some pics that bring a smile to my face!

Little Lady in a new Blue Dress!

Little Lady in a new Pink Dress.

Celebrating her 11th month at Chuck E. Cheese!

All 4 of my munchkins enjoying Taco Bell!!!!

My three boys and their BFF D at Big Boy!

Happy 11th Month!!!!

Today is our little lady's 11th month!!!!!!!

We are so blessed to be able to spend this time with her while she is still an infant!
I still cant believe she is home sometimes! I just sit and watch her sleep and cannot imagine life without her. Hard to believe she has only been with us for over a month.....

Her hair is really growing! She also now has 3 teeth! 2 almost completely out on the bottom, 1 is popping out on top! I'm sure another one is on its way up top! She continues to babble and babble! She is also such a little mover! I cant believe how quick she moves!!!!! I dont think it will be long till she is walking!

Well.... with a month now till her birthday.... I need to start getting things together!!! I'll have her birthday...and less than a month later, K's 3rd birthday! Then of course, Law School!

Busy, Busy, Busy, Busy!!!!!!!!!!!

But loving every moment!

Shoulda stayed in.....

So.... I'm still trying to recover from having my tonsils cut out of my mouth....
My mom is down here taking care of me and trying to help out with her grandkids....
I'm sound asleep.... she comes in and says... "I dont mean to wake you up, but I need your help".
HMMMMM..... ok... so I roll over... take a big swallow (pure torture) and ask her what's going on.

Instead of telling me.... she tells me to look at them and look at their room.
OMG!
They have emptied my entire bottle of sunscreen all over themselves and their room.
Their windows are covered, their beds, their dressers, and themselves.
I want to vomit!
They think they are soo stinking cute.
"Momma told us to wear sunscreen."
OOOOHhhh... those are fighting words!!!!!

So.... they are in night time time-out....They have been showered and re-dressed, and their room await their dad upon his return home.
Reminds me last time I had a migraine..... cept they didnt use sunscreen.... something more homemade and biological. *puke*

Guess this is why toddlers are cute.... if old grumpy adults did this stuff you would beat them up and throw them out!!!!

Tomorrow has GOT to be a better day! Gotta go shopping for sunscreen now.

Home and Resting

Well... My tonsils have been removed.

The surgery itself actually went a lot better than I thought it would.
They were late in taking me back due to me having a low fever....but it wasnt that high...so they went ahead and took me.
I actually made it into the operation room without having been sedated first! It was surreal!
Seriously....usually I freak out so much that I cant calm myself down.... this time though...with my moms help.. I stayed relatively calm!
Even coming out of the anesthesia wasnt too bad this time. I told them that I have gotten mean in the past and that it was difficult for me coming out...so they must have done something differently for me this time.
The pain afterwards was pretty damm bad.... but after a very nice little shot.... it was made all better.
Of course all good things come to an end....
I have quite a bit of pain....but it's not the worst I've ever had in my life... or in my throat for that matter. I'll see how I am able to sleep...to see how my throat actually feels.
It is mostly manageable with the pain meds they gave me.
Hopefully I feel the same way tomorrow.
According to my surgeon though.... I'm gonna feel a LOT better tomorrow.
Hope she is right!

Nuff about me... my kids are not taking my absence well... especially when they know I'm home but I wont come out of my bedroom. I am impressed though that our little lady is sleeping with her daddy! There is a first for everything!
Hopefully tomorrow I can at least spend a few minutes with the kids.... it's just difficult when you are still feeling the effects of the anesthesia and in pain from the surgery and such... toddlers dont usually do well with boundaries. I'll just have to be extra lovey when I feel better.

I will say though.... McD's vanilla shake ROCK!!!!! They are great for Lunch and for Dinner!!!!

Thanks for those thinking about me today!!!

Fav Foto Friday (6-13)

Happy Friday the 13th!!!!!

(I'm having my Tonsils out on Flipping Friday the 13th!!!!! )

See Previous Post!

(AAAAUUUUGGGGGGGGG!!!)

So... this weeks theme is Bloopers.

My blooper is that E, 3 years old, stole our camera for a day and took it to his room.

He then proceeded to use it!

(He actually didnt do too bad though...)

I have the proof right here!

K's Feet!!!

F's chin!

Closeup (wayyy to closeup!) of F's dirty face!

F conducting!

I doubt he meant to take this pic... but wow!!!!

I LOVE it!!!!

See... one of my lifes dreams was to be a band director!

4 years of music school was NOT so I could work in a factory!!!

But... life doesnt always work out the way we think it will....

Nervous Nelly

I had to tie up many loose ends today.
I hate the impending fear.
I only have 2 more hours to get two weeks worth of food eaten!
My last night of comfortable sleep for many nights.
My last night of pain free swallowing for many nights.
Tomorrow, I am losing a part of me. It's not the first time.... but I'm praying it will be the last!

Tomorrow at 9:15 est... I, am having my tonsils removed.

*cries*

I know it's the right decision. I know I have had way too many infections in the past year. I know it's better that I do it now than to risk another HORRIBLE bout of strep while in law school. I know it's a routine procedure that millions of people have had. But still.... I'm just not happy about it!
I dont like going under. what's worse... I have a difficult time coming out. I dont like the loss of control. I dont like the feeling of where the tube has been. The stuffy, cotton mouth, the smell of the anesthesia, the iv's in the arm.
YUCK, YUCK, YUCK, YUCK!!!!

My last bout of strep throat.... I had to fight to swallow. I'm hoping it's not going to be worse than that. I already have chronic pain in my back.... I really dont need any more pain in my life! I'm just scared of the unknown. Too many people have told me it's the worst pain of their lives!!!! Crap.... thought i'd already experienced that when I ruptured my 3 disks in my back and dislocated my hip! If it's worse than that..... wow.....
I know pain is relative to the person experiencing it.... but since I live with pain 24/7... I have a constant reminder. I'm also one of those people who can remember pain. I can "feel" what things were like.

My mom is here... and she is going with me.... yes... I'm proud to say I'm 30... I'm scared shitless, and yes, I do need my mommy! She is going to help me.... and help dh with our kids....
I'm not allowed to pick them up till my scab falls of (10 days or so) or I risk bleeding.
Bleeding = another surgery.
NOT picking the kids up is going to bother them... and me... but I'm not risking it.
I have a freezer full of popsicles. Some sherbert. Some gatorade. A writing tablet. A bell.
Hopefully tomorrow, I will get the most important item of the week... my pain meds!
Please, please, please.... Dr's.... please read my medical file and see I am a chronic pain patient!!!!
NOT like It wasnt ALL over my pre-op!
But.... I swear... if they give me some pain meds that wouldnt knock out my baby.... someone is getting HURT! Ok....so I probably wont care till Saturday... but THEN!!!! I'll write them a mean letter!

So.... if you wouldn't mind.... say a little prayer for me....
if you dont pray...then just send happy cutting thoughts to my surgeon... and easy swallowing thoughts to me!

Water Fun!

After all the rain and extremely hot weather we have had in the past week, we finally had a wonderful and comfortable day!

Combined with the fact that it was our grand kids's last day of school and you have the making of a great day at the water park!!!!

I personally think we went too early in the day. Mainly cuz I'm not a fan of the sun...and I like for the kids to have a nap in the afternoon. But, they held out till 5 pm! and they didnt go to bed till after 9pm! So... I'm glad it wore them out!

The boys were a little hesitant at first.... the water park has a zero-depth entry kids pool, a zero-depth entry wave pool, a huge sand pit (saving for the next time!), a lazy river, a kiddie slide, 2 adults slides, and a water-filled play area.

The boys really werent sure about any of the pools... and I was NOT playing in the sand today. It took about 15 min to get them used to the water...and then they were off!!!! They spent about an hour going down the kiddie water slide and the rest of them time was spent in the wave pool braving the waves! They got braver as time went on.... and of course, true to being toddlers, they threw a fit when it was time to leave! I'm sure (or at least very hopeful) that we will be back many times during the summer.... seeing them today being comfortable in the water, just made me glad. We have a small pool for our backyard which we will use.... but there is no substitute for the water park!

It was a very nice day and I'm glad we were able to get out.

I did get my surgery confirmed today... and I have to be there at 8:15 am Friday morning.

NOT looking forward to it! Nor am I looking forward to the pain! I am however, looking forward to NOT hearing any more horror stories about people and their tonsil removal!

A Whole Month?

I've check the calendar a couple of times....
I know it's true... I just cant wrap my mind around it.
I asked dh.... he didn't believe it either. He had to check the calendar also....

Our little lady has been home with us for an entire month!

She is right next to me... sleeping... where she has been sleeping for the past month. In our bed.
In some ways, she has always been here... in other ways... we are still getting to know each other. Each day brings more smiles and different looks from her. Every day her brothers find something more to do with her and for her. Tonight, E told me... "mom... L is really pretty isn't she!" Then he planted a huge kiss on her forehead... which of course lead K and F to come over and kiss her also! They all then tell me that they love their sister.
I love it! I really hope they truly do love having a sister... as much as I love having them as sons and having L as a daughter.
She is still young... so she is a lot like her brothers. Others reactions to her of course are different though... and I find myself reacting to her a little differently. It hasn't been as weird as I thought it would be. She has actually been fitting in very well!
It is a change to have a non-walker in the house of course, but other than that, she has been fitting in nicely.
She wakes up in the morning with the cutest grin on her face!
It's my morning reminder of just how blessed I am!

Fun at G'Parents House!

My mom had to have some testing on Friday... so I decided to come up north with the kids in tow to spend some time with her and my dad.

We have had a great time!!! I'll be sad to be heading home.

We have had two lunches at McD's of course! Now made even more exciting because of the "Kung Fu Panda" toys they now have! OH man... those boys are BEGGING to go see that movie! Of course we will give in... but just gotta pick a day to do so!

We also went to the park! This park is the same park I used to play in as a kid... guess what?? They still have the same darn toys!!! Really.... haven't updated the place a bit! Not that it really needs updating... but wow... those toys really last!!!!!

Our little lady just keeps on going and going!!! She is crawling super fast now! She is also pulling herself up very quickly now. She has begun to play by herself...which is great! She has been having great fun by pulling toys out of the basket after their brothers have put the toys IN the box! She also had a great time pulling g'pa's magazines out of their rack....and phone books... those are sooo fun to pull off the shelf!!!! 2 foot body.... 10 foot arms!!!!!

The only downfall to this weekend, besides my mom having medical tests, the storms!

Thursday... storm after storm after storm... Lost power for a few hours... thankfully after the boys went to bed!!!

Friday... beautiful during the day.... storms all night

Sat... it was beautiful all morning and early afternoon, then the wind started up... and now we have storms coming in for the evening.

2 years ago E and I stayed here for a month while dh was in Zimbabwe (nursing a back injury...couldn't go!) and we had the worst month for storms... we were without power for 2 days or so! My parents live on a large lake... so it seems to make the storms worse somehow. Their electrical lines are also above ground... which causes them to be more susceptible to damage. They lose power here quite often!



G'pa is certainly taken with our little lady! He has been hugely doting on her! Feeding her, giving her pachas, just holding her! It's amazing! He was so sick when both E and K came home... and now... well he is just absolutely loving on his grand babies! Our little lady also seems to be quite taken with her g'pa! Of course, g'ma has also been getting in her time! Cant forget her either!

G'pa with the little lady!

Did some retail therapy at the scrapbook store also!!! Cant wait!!! I needed to get two new scrapbooks for the boys... since I am done with their "infant" books... and I'm into their toddler books. I really dont think that their baby books would hold another page!!! they are bursting at the seams now!!! I still have the goal of catching up...before law school!!! A difficult goal it may be... but hey... we all have to dream, right????

This week is going to prove to be not so good...
We are headed home tomorrow... which is fine... but we are headed home cuz I have to have my pre-op on Monday....
Hopefully on Tues or Wed morning... we may just be at the movies....
Thursday.... surgery....
Friday..... uggggggg..... dont want to think bout it........


Oh well... gonna try to have a great week till Thursday!!!

I'll have a great week after that.... as long as they give me some awesome pain meds!!!!!

Hmmm... yea..... guess I'll have to see bout that!

Fav Foto Friday (6-5)

Happy June!

Here is what happens when Momma gets the camera out to take pics of her little Lady!

Take my picture too please!!!!

Well.... if those two get their pics taken...so do we!!!!

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!!!

Moving right along...

Well...it's official that our Lady L is officially mobile!
She's crawling around, climbing up the stairs, and has climbed up on the couch and down to the floor.
She is also eating cheerios!!!!!! Yea for solid food!!!! I'm soo over the jars of baby food round here... so I'll be so glad when she can eat most everything in real food!
Just a tad bit of advice.... stay away from jars of baby food labeled "Broccoli & Chicken"!!!!
Unless of course you need to vomit... it stinks!!! It is HORRIBLE!!!! Plus... the aftermath is NOT welcomed! Ok... you have NOW been warned!!!!
Things are going well otherwise... we had our garage sale... didnt sell everything... or a lot that I thought for sure would sell...but we made about $175 so I cant complain about that. We will be donating most of the clothes left over...cuz I sure dont need that many clothes in my basement.
My parents were down for the weekend and we had a good time... they even took E overnight on Sat... so he got to stay at the hotel with them. It was pretty exciting for him! I would like to say it gave us a break too...but... well we still had 3 at home... so not much was different! Next time, I'll try to convince them to take a couple of em...then that would be a break!
I did get to see SATC yesterday!!!!
Yes!!! I went to an actual adult movie!!!! Thanks Aunt Kate!!!!!!!!
It was a good movie! Although I cried like a fool.... I cry at movies... real life... not so sad sometimes.... movie life... the tears just fall! It's embarrassing sometimes! Anyways... the movie had some great parts to it...and I'm glad that I got to see it... although I do now miss the series not being on! At least HBO could bring back Big love!!! Please!!!!
K had his ears checked today... and we found out that his tubes have fallen out of his ears.
He doesnt have an infection right now (which is great!) so in 6 months he will have another hearing test to make sure his hearing is still up to par.

Well finally... those that pray.... those that dont pray but send happy wishes....
Please keep me in mind on June 12!
I'm having my tonsils out... and I'm already beginning to freak out a little.
I have one more week...and then I have been promised that I will be miserable for at least 2 weeks.... what a great thing to look forward to....
Hopefully this will take care of some of my throat pain and curb my throat infections!