New Year's Resolution? Do I Dare???

Yesterday was wonderful.  We finally went to church as a complete family for the first time since the beginning of October, when Chris was admitted to the hospital.  Everyone was finally well enough to go!  By the time Chris and I got everyone loaded up into the van, we were sweaty and exhausted.  We both just looked at each other and shook our heads.  No words necessary.  I guess our biggest battle that we decided not to fight was with Little G.  She grew very attached to a tiny box of humidifier filters that we bought Saturday night at the BX.  She got to hold them while we finished up our shopping and felt that they were hers.  She wanted to take them to church.  Just before it was time to go, we realized that she thought the box of humidifier filters was crackers so we were able to make an even trade with her.  Problem solved.  Also, she has started calling us "Mia" and "Chwis".  We try to ignore her but she just says it louder and louder.  What's odd is that we never call each other by our names... it's mostly "babe" between the two of us.  So I have no idea why she's using our real names.  Thank goodness that she's cute.  <wink>

We all enjoyed church.  By the time we dropped all of the kids off to their classes, I stepped into the bathroom to try to tame my rat's nest hair down because it looked as if I had stepped into the tropics.  The sermon was just what I needed to hear.  God is always on time, every time.  When we picked Little G up at her Sunday School class, she was standing at the door and yelled out, "Jesus!" when we asked if she had a good time, while holding a little paper star ornament that she had "cuttered" (colored).  Yep, I love being a mommy.

So... it's December 31st... the last day of an amazing year.  Should I make a New Year's Resolution?  Probably not, because I will not follow through.  However, I am planning to try to do something productive every single day, even if it's just to clean the kitchen sink.  We will be moving back to the states soon and I also want to declutter and get rid of things that we didn't even unpack here.  I'm tired of being weighted down by unnecessary junk.  So I guess my New Year's Resolution is to 1.  Do something productive outside of my usual line of housework every day for at least 5 minutes.  2.  Start going through unpacked boxes and getting rid of junk.  3.  I have Zumba for my Wii so I want to do that a few times per week.  I'm just dying to give my "across the street" neighbor some extra evening entertainment than our usual goofiness.  I think I will wear sweatbands and legwarmers, too.

But anyway, I'll leave you with our attempt at getting some pictures of the children before church.

Love and Hugs!

"Say Raisins!"

I am amazed to say that for the first time in years, all of my children allowed me to sleep in until 9:00!  However, I am reminded that sleeping in is actually overrated and that I get headaches when I sleep in that late.  So it looks like I will be setting my alarm for 7:00 from now on!  I don't have time for headaches.  :-)

Lately, since Griffin's throat/toothbrush injury, I have noticed that some of his food fussiness has returned.  The oral surgeon gave him a clean bill of health but I'm certain, even though the doctor didn't mention this, that he is very bruised, even though the cut has healed.  So I imagine that it's still painful for him to swallow and he's just off course right now.  I am also noticing that he is "slobbering" a lot and he realizes that himself as well.  I can give him a napkin and he will wad it up in his hand and wipe his mouth with it throughout the day.  He's just not wanting to swallow all of his saliva and I really hope he overcomes that quickly.

But anyway...this morning, as I scraped the remainder of his scrambled eggs from his plate, he started fussing.  I asked him if he wanted raisins... and I said, "say RAAAAYYYYYY-sins" and he pulled his own little hand up and created a sign for raisins!  To be sure, I said it again and he did the same sign for it!  I went and got a box of raisins and asked him if he wanted them, and he signed it again!  I am so proud of him!  I know that he is fully connected with communication now.  He understands that words have power.  Praise God!  His sign is great, too, and I will encourage him to keep using his own little created sign for raisins.

My household is slowly overcoming the illnesses.  Big G's eye began to look better yesterday, Little G is still coughing and fussy but I think/pray that she will be better today, and Griffin is healing up nicely but has a little cold brewing, nothing too bad, though.  Looking forward to all of our family being well once again!!

Well, I hear Little G stirring over the baby monitor.  Deep breathe, here we go!

Love and Hugs!

Christmas and Pictures!-Part 2

Part 2-

...and then around lunch we opened all of our gifts to one another and from our families.  Griffin sat in his papa's lap and I helped Little G.  They had a really good time, despite how bad they were all feeling.  Griffin's throat was a wreck, Little G was having a hard time breathing and sounded horribly congested, and Big G's eye was giving her fits.

(I was emailing pictures to my family as they were opening their gifts!  Next year, they can watch them open gifts in person!  Can't wait!)

A little later, the Osbornes, came over for our annual Christmas dinner.  Both of our families cooked our special family meal traditions and sat down to a wonderful dinner.  We had to use the table extender, a leaf?, to give us all enough room around our table.  It was great!  After the Osbornes left, we decided that Chris would take Little G to the ER.  Come to find out, she had the croup and they gave her one dose of steroids to give her some relief.  It did the trick!  Now it seems like she has a regular cold.

What are the Santa items that they scored this year?

Big G got a Barbie house and stocking stuffers.

Little G got an interactive kitchen and stocking stuffers.

Griffin got an interactive tool set and stocking stuffers.

Last night, I woke up to the sound of Griffin struggling to breathe.  I got up, brought him to my bed, and kept an eye on him all night long.  I just knew he was getting the croup, too... However, this morning he wasn't breathing like that at all.  I suppose he could be getting a regular cold.

Big G's eye was even worse this morning and Little G was incredibly grumpy and still not feeling well.  I knew we were going to be off to a bad start when the first word out of her mouth this morning was "See-wool-wool" (cereal) and I had none.  Not a single piece of cereal in this house.  She begged for cereal all day long and papa went to the grocery store after work, specifically for cereal.  Big G had to miss her ballet rehearsal for the 2nd performance of The Nutcracker and will more than likely miss the performance tomorrow night as well.  She's not going to be very happy about that at all!

But anyway, I wanted to write a more elaborate Christmas blog on how wonderfully exciting Christmas was for all of us but I just haven't had the time to do it.  <sigh>  I wish that my children had felt better...  I truly wanted to be able to take Griffin to his first Christmas Eve service at church but he wasn't feeling well at all.  Chris ended up taking Big G to service instead for a nice daddy/daughter date, which was very special.  They enjoyed their time together.  I wanted to give Griffin the best Christmas Eve ever because his life changed on Christmas Eve of 2008...That was the day that he was taken to the orphanage to live for the next 3 1/2 years.  However, he did get to experience the love of a mother as I rocked him to sleep in the recliner and slept by his side all night long...so I suppose that it was his best Christmas Eve yet...Looking forward to many, many more!

(2 of Big G's best friends...the Copous twins!  Thank you, Denise, for the great pictures!)

Thanking my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for his amazing, beautiful gift of salvation... and praising God for my sweet family.  To God be the Glory!

Love and Hugs!  

PS.  Here are a few from Griffin's class party.  Notice Little G in the gray shirt and pigtails, enjoying circle time like a big girl, as I was keeping Griffin in his chair!

An AMAZING Christmas... Part 1

We had such a wonderful Christmas!

Even though Griffin was in the ER on Christmas eve...

Even though Little G was in the ER on Christmas day...

Even though Big G has some kind of eye infection going on...

So what happened?  

As I was delivering food to our friends, the Jepsons, Chris kept the little ones at home.  As he was preparing lunch, Griffin decided to get his toothbrush that was on a high shelf by the changing table.    Over what must have only been 5 minutes max, he climbed onto the couch, onto the back of the couch, onto the changing table, and then stood to reach the shelf where his toothbrush was.  When Chris spotted him, he tried his best to make it to him before Griffin turned and face planted on the changing table with the toothbrush in his mouth.  Blood.Everywhere.  Literally.  Chris called me in a panic and I rushed home right away, loaded him up, and took him to the ER.  Let me just say, this little boy was in extreme pain.  I have never heard him cry this much.  Broke our hearts.  The entire time we were in the ER (for 4 hours), he snuggled into me and would cry, then drift off to sleep, then cry, then drift off again.  The oral surgeon was called in and he said that he didn't feel that there was a need for any kind of treatment and that it should heal quickly.  It was an injury about a cm long at the back of his throat.  We went home and discovered that he refused to eat or drink.  To try to drink from a sippy cup was too painful for him since he had to use his throat muscles to pull the fluid out.  So I took a medicine dropper, laid him down, and got him to drink a very small amount.  I just knew that we would end up on IV fluids on Christmas day unless I could get him to drink more.  Food wasn't an option.  He refused and cried every time he would attempt to swallow.  I managed to get some jello in him.  That night, Griffin slept on a bean bag in the living room with me right by his side.  I couldn't rest at all in fear that his throat would swell.  Little did he know that as he was sleeping, Santa made his visit and delivered his Christmas gifts!  He didn't see a thing.  :-)  

When Griffin woke up, I carried him out of the living room so that we could gather the other children and have them go in together.  When we got Little G up, we noticed that her voice was practically gone.  Great.  As the day went on, she got worse.

We took our time on Christmas.  We let the kids enjoy their santa gifts, then around lunch we opened........

Actually, my kids need some mommy love and I just can't get this finished today!  I will finish it up tomorrow and post some pictures!

Love and Hugs!

MawMaw's Birthday Presents to Griffin

So Griffin's birthday didn't go quite as I had hoped it would go.  After seeing how Griffin handled his PreK class party, we both decided to not have a party for him.  At his class party, he was very distracted by all of the noise and was pretty fussy.  I guess there was just too much activity going on for him.  So, we just gave him even more hugs and kisses and I think he's pretty happy!

So tonight, we did FaceTime with my mom, brother, and sister-in-law.  My mother sent a present to him and I let her watch him unwrap it.  I was pretty unsure of how it would go but he did so well!  He ripped the paper open and pulled out a new stuffed giraffe with a very long neck!  He absolutely loved it.  He got so wound up over it!  He banged that giraffe around, chewed on it, bonked me on the head with it, walked it around, laid on top of it, and after only having it a few minutes, broke it's poor little neck!  ha ha.  So when you stand it up, it's head lays on the floor.  Hilarious.  He loves it and took it to bed with him tonight.

Another amazing gift that my mother gave to Griffin brought tears to my eyes.  As you know, my father passed away in 2006 and my mother had ordered Griffin's name to be added to the back of  Daddy's head stone under "grandchildren".   It had been ordered for awhile and they actually showed up to engrave it on Griffin's birthday!  It's like a gift from my Daddy, too.  I love it.

I have been preparing my famous southern style dressing for our dear friends, the Jepsons, who are  home with their newly adopted, beautiful children!  Chris and I are preparing Christmas lunch for them tomorrow and I'm so looking forward to meeting their children!  Then on Christmas day, we are spending the day with our awesome friends, the Osbornes, for breakfast and dinner.  We are truly blessed to have amazing friends whom we can call family here in Germany.  So blessed.

Merry Christmas to each and every one of you!  Praising God for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, and His gift of eternal life.

Love and Hugs!

Chris is Home!

So Chris made it home yesterday and it was so wonderful seeing him walk through that door!  However, it was back to the grind immediately for him.  "Hey, babe!  Welcome home!  Do you mind throwing that dirty diaper out in the trash for me?  Thank you!  We have to hurry because Griffin's Christmas party starts in an hour!  LET'S GO!  Oh, and I made you a popcorn shrimp sandwich!"

BUT...Chris had to spend the night at the hospital last night for a sleep study, so he wasn't able to spend much time with us.

This morning I could hear Griffin stirring in his crib so I knew he was about to wake up.  So as soon as I got Big G off for school, I went up to get him.  His room is completely dark because of the German rolladens that we use.  My eyes weren't adjusted to the dark like his were so I went to the edge of his crib and said good morning to him.  I couldn't see him so I reached my hand into the crib and instantly felt his little hand reach up to grab mine.  Then I could tell that he was smiling by the way the sound of his breath changed.  He stood up and used my hands to rub his head and then I asked him if he was all done.  He signed "all done" and we headed down stairs.  His little arms feel so wonderful around my neck.  This is new and I love it.

I sat him on his potty chair and he's really good at sitting there until I tell him that he can get up.  However, he's figured out a way to work the system!  If there's somewhere he wants to go, he will remain seated on the potty, and will scoot himself to his location of choice!  It's too funny!  If I leave the bathroom door open, he will scoot over and close it.  If I happen to leave the towel drawer open, he will scoot over and close it.  Anything that is out of place has to be put back into place or else he can't "focus".  It's really cute!

But anyway, Christmas break is here now and I'm looking forward to 2 weeks with my kids and hopefully some time to sleep in!  Therapies will go on as usual accept for OT because it falls on the holiday both weeks.  Looking forward to a couch date with the hubs tonight!

Love and Hugs!

Happy Birthday, Griffin!!!!

Our little boy is 4 years old!  I just can't believe it.  He's still the size of a 24 month old and so it's just hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that he's 4!  He's such a big boy now.

I'm pretty sad that Chris couldn't make it here to celebrate his very first birthday with a family, but hopefully this is the last birthday that Chris will ever have to miss!  We plan to celebrate his birthday this weekend, so I will post pictures of our celebration and cake smash!  Looking forward to it!

Today was business as usual.  Speech therapies for the little ones this morning and OT for Little G.  Speech went great!  When we got to the hospital, I opened the van door and Griffin immediately signed "mommy".  Melt my heart!  This is the first time he has ever signed "mommy" without me having to prompt him.  The ST said that he did very well, however, she used a highchair today.  He was much more focused because of it and got a lot of participation from him.  A highchair is definitely the way to go for him.  He's still in the exploratory mode, wanting to see and touch everything when he enters a room.  He really does need to be contained!

I got to sit in on Little G's speech today.  (I will rotate every week.)  I love to watch her.  She is at an incredibly cute age and I love hearing her little voice.  It's just adorable to me and music to my ears.  She was tested today and I will get the results next week to see her actual progress.  She has changed so much in the past few months!

OT for Little G went great today!  She absolutely loves Thorston and I believe that he's making progress with her now.  I suppose it's because he gained her trust, but she is thrilled to see him every week.  He thinks it's hilarious that she can say his name.  Pretty good for a 2 year old!

Griffin got to have his favorite meal of pizza tonight for his birthday dinner.  Afterward, I gave him a turtle brownie.  I sat it on his tray, took 5 steps to get my camera, and he shoved the ENTIRE brownie in his mouth.  I debated digging it out of his mouth but decided to see if he could handle it, for fear of shoving it down his throat.  Yep!  He had to hold his hand over his mouth to keep most of it in, but he got it down very well!  Needless to say, I didn't get any pictures because I was on edge, ready to do the Heimlich!

Chris is on his way home!  However, he just informed me that his flight was delayed so he may miss his connecting flight.  <sigh>  I pray he can make it!  I have so much to do these next two days and I'm actually in a bind with scheduling.  I could sure use his help!  Praying he will be home at 0700!  Please, God, oh PLEASE!

Love and Hugs!