Heading Out...

We're heading out to Lake Livingston in the morning for our CanTho 2002 Travel Group Reunion! I'm excited even though there are only going to be 3 families there this year. Two families are in the middle of a move up north & the other lives in New York & well, it's just really far to travel for 2 nights! :) I hope you all have a great Labor Day Weekend full of fun & relaxation! The kids are excited that they don't have school on Monday!

1st Day of 2nd Grade Pictures

Blake & Bryce

Best Friends & Our 2nd Grade BackPacks!

WOW! It has been a busy week! Here are the 1st day of 2nd Grade pictures finally. We are on to day 4 tomorrow & so far so good! :)

Birthdays, Swings & Sorrow...

We've had big birthdays each year for Blake & Bryce. This year, we did a small family affair & it was so nice. They didn't seem to mind a bit & enjoyed themselves just as well! Here are a couple of "Cake Pictures"...I still cannot believe I have 8 year olds!

We went to the park this past weekend & Caleigh had her "First Swing". She wasn't quite sure at first, but she decided it was O.K.! She really preferred swinging with her Daddy or me the best. Fine by me!

Sorrow... for my blogger/Dillon friend Meredith & her husband who were waiting to bring their daughter home. You can read her story on her blog if you wish. It is in my favorite blogs list. I just ask for all of your prayers to surround them & the little girl they will never meet. It is a very sad situation indeed...

Happy Birthday Blake & Bryce

Bryce is on the left & Blake is on the right....taken yesterday...











Me & my graham cracker just Chillin' in the grass watching my brothers play!

Happy 8th Birthday Blake & Bryce! I love you & I am so proud of you. You are both wonderful children & great big brothers! Tomorrow you will be big 2nd Graders!

Bryce, you have always been a thoughtful little boy, but I'm not sure where you learned meditation from! Blake, you are still a climber & as funny as ever! I love you both for your individual personalities! You are so different even though you are twins! I hope you will always be the best of friends~

Have a great day! Love, Mom

Mom's Visit & Meet the Teacher Night

Tonight we meet the boys' teachers. Yes, teachers...I decided a couple of weeks ago that they need their own class & a little individuality still for 2nd Grade. I had really hoped that the summer would bring a little maturity, but the truth is, they are just turning 8 this weekend & they are still attached at the hip! I just do not think they can handle being in the same class yet without always looking over their shoulders to see what the other is doing, etc.....I think their teacher would have hated me! LOL! Anywho, we go at 5:00 to meet their teachers! They are next-door to one another again this year, so that is good. School starts Monday.

My mom has been here since Tuesday to help out with Caleigh post-surgery. It has been wonderful! I think she is leaving on Friday...may try to talk her into staying until Saturday, but I know my Dad misses her when she's gone. You can see her 3rd set of casts that are on now. They really put her feet way out...and flat. It's unbelievable that little feet can turn that much. It looks really awkward, but the doctors swear by the technique & it's been proven to work over many years....I get lots of questions when we go out!

Glad to see referrals from Dillon are still being made for waiting families. Sept. 1st is the cutoff...as many children who can be placed into loving families before then the better! Praying to see a few more :)

Home from Surgery...

We're home after Caleigh's surgery today. She went in at 8:00 & we were with her in recovery by 9:00. I just cannot say enough about her doctor and nurses at Scottish Rite. They are all so very nice & considerate and they took excellent care of our baby girl. We were in a private room until 1:00 when they released her after she ate & went potty. We got home around 3:30. She's crabby, but fine & hopefully she can get some rest & we will too. The surgeon released part of her tendon behind each heal with a tiny incision that only required a band-aid. He said there will not even be a scar! Her casts are back on & we will go back in 3 weeks to get them off & start with the braces routine. Thanks for all of your thoughts & prayers! We felt them all today! We took some great pictures today but they are on my husband's digital, so it may be a while before I can download & post.

And for my 10 Month Birthday:

I LIKE OREOS, YES I DO!
I LIKE OREOS, HOW 'BOUT YOU?

The girl likes cookies! Of course, I haven't found anything she doesn't like yet!

I figured after a day at the doctor, she deserved a treat for her 10 month birthday...she really enjoyed it!

Getting My 2nd Set of Casts Tuesday...

My doctor & nurses putting my 2nd set of casts on.
My favorite nurse.

Caleigh's Surgery is set for Monday at 8:00 am. The doctor will be cutting the tendons located behind both heels. She will be in an operating room under anethesia. When she comes out, she will have on her 3rd set of casts. Please pray for a quick recovery for our little girl! We knew that surgery was a possibility, but now that the time has come, I am very nervous for her.

Welcome Home Caleigh Shower

Welcome Home Caleigh!
The Hostesses!
Julie & Caleigh !
Cute Mint Booties!
Kim & Caleigh!
I am lucky to have a great group of friends that hosted a beautiful Welcome Home Shower for Caleigh on Sunday. Between us, we have children from Brazil, China, The Ukraine, Vietnam, Russia & home grown as well! We also found out Sunday that one member of our adoption group is adopting a waiting child from Ethiopia! It was a lot of fun & the first baby shower for Caleigh! Thanks again Julie, Kim, Suzanne, Michelle, Zelia & Susan!

10 Months Old Today

Before I got my new casts today....
Happy 10 Month Birthday Caleigh!!!
We had a great lunch in Dallas with friends before her appointment at Scottish Rite. For her 10 month birthday, Caleigh got new casts! woo hoo! More later, but everything is going well & she is scheduled for surgery on Monday to release the tendon behind her heels so her feet will come up into a more natural position....thanks for all of your notes & prayers!

A Little Swinging with my Daddy.

Some Cartoons with my brothers!

The Texas Star Plant that finally bloomed on the day I got my new casts!

We head back to Dallas tomorrow for Caleigh's second set of casts. She had her first Welcome Home Baby Shower yesterday & I will try to get some pictures up this week. It was a lot of fun!

She seems to be attaching & bonding much more over the past week...crying some when she cannot see us or when she is upset about something she is letting us know. I am happy to see this as it means she feels like she is being heard & has a voice in our family & also that her needs will be met if she cries and she will be comforted when hurt or scared. She also watches the boys more & gets very excited when they come to play with her.

Caleigh will be 10 months old tomorrow & she weighs 15 pounds & is 28 inches long!

Doing Good ;)

So, we're doing good! :) Caleigh has adjusted to life with casts & is back on her normal sleep schedule...she is rested & happy. I'm so glad. The boys had a Birthday Party this morning & Caleigh hung out at home with Daddy. It was great for the boys to get some time for themselves I think...they seem to have had a great time! Tomorrow is her first "Welcome Home" Baby Shower given by all of my friends in Forever Families....our mom's adoption group....it will be fun! A big "shout out" to my blogger friend Erin P. who got her referral of a little girl 14 months old yesterday!!! You can check out her blog linked to the right. Hooray!!! They have waited over 12 months for their referral & I am SO HAPPY I could just scream!!! YEAH!!!

We had our first Post-Placement Homestudy visit on Monday of last week. Caleigh insisted on getting dressed up for the event:

X-Ray Results & Pics

The first evening with casts after our visit to Dallas.
Our first full day with casts was a hard one. She took a 45 minute nap instead of her usual 2-3 hour nap & was understandably fussy all day. I held her most of the day. She's just fallen asleep. Praying for her a more comfortable day tomorrow.

The x-rays of her hips & spine & neck came back normal. Thank goodness. We will proceed as planned with the castings. Here are a couple of pictures....

Casts On....

We went for our first appointment at Scottish Rite yesterday. They don't mess around! They put her first set of casts on from her feet up to her thigh on both legs. These will stay on for one week; we return next Tuesday & they will take the casts off & reset with new ones. In two weeks we will schedule an operation where they will release the tendons behind her heels to allow her feet to come up into a normal "standing flat" position. The doctors believe they are just too tight at this point to allow for correction with the castings alone. Then, 3 more weeks of castings followed by braces.

This is the plan as of now; of course, it can change. I am calling the nurse back this morning to review the outcome of Caleigh's x-rays. The doctor that we saw also believes her tendons in her knees are not formed properly, causing her knees to pop in and out & be hyper extensive. (He said like when an athlete blows out their knee) This was unexpected on our part, so we will see what he said after reviewing the x-rays last night. I will update later & try to post some pictures from yesterday....She had a rough night sleeping trying to roll over onto her side & get comfy with those bulky things on her legs. They say it usually takes a couple of days to get used to....personally, I would never get used to it.

Thanks for all of your thoughts & Prayers!!! :) She is sleeping comfortably now & I hope she can get some rest...

Home 1 Month!

We have been home with Caleigh 1 Month today. The weeks have flown by & she surely seems to have always been here. She has cut her first tooth on the bottom & her first words are DaDa (of course LOL!) She can now sit up unattended for as long as she pleases. Her muscles are getting stronger & the boys want to rename her "eater". She will eat anything. Our first homestudy Post-Placement visit is today at noon. Guess I had better get a shower!

Road Trip

Road Trip Pics!

We made it home! We left the beach at 10 am and arrived home at 9 pm....all the kiddos did great. Our first successful road trip as a family of 5! Back to reality...laundry & cleaning....our first post-placement homestudy visit is Monday!

On the adoption front, please keep all of those stuck in "the process" in your thoughts & prayers. A good forum buddy of mine has been on the waiting list for a little girl for 1 year now with our agency. I am pulling for her & others who have waited so long. Two families were issued DNA Requests a couple of weeks ago from the USCIS...these families have already waited over 7 months since their referral & were hoping for travel news, not a DNA Process.....Also, as of now, it still looks like Vietnam will close to U.S. adoptions as of September 1st. There are still talks going on between the U.S. & Vietnamese governments as well as committees for the rights of the children in the orphanage system. It's just a mess....ethical procedures must be in place to protect all involved in the adoption triad...they just must. The process that the "political powers that be" are chosing to take...well, that is leaving little to be desired in my opinion.

Building Sand-Castles & Great Friends

Hauling Sand for the castle.... This is hard work!
The end result was fantastic!
Out to eat at FuddPuckers....Happy 18th Birthday Jenna!

A few images from our last day at the beach. Blake & Bryce & Michael spent the morning building a huge sandcastle...it was hard work!!! We've been great friends with the family we met in Fort Walton Beach for 12 years....I have known this boy since he was 8 years old....boy! That makes me feel old! Our husbands work in the same business. We lived in Texas together, moved to Alabama together...we're back in Texas, but they're still in Auburn, AL. We miss them like crazy! The guys are big golfing buddies & Mo & I could always shop til we dropped. She prayed me through the wait for our boys & our girl. Their friendship is priceless. There's also a group photo of us at Jenna's 18th Birthday Dinner at her chosen restaurant, FuddPuckers. We had good weather, good times & we can't wait to go back!