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!

What my baby thinks about Sand:

Will Somebody PLEASE GET ME OUTTA THIS STUFF?!?!?!?

Jelly-Fishin'

Well, when there's jelly-fish about, if you're almost 8 years old, your daddy buys you a net & you go jelly-fishin'! The girls just kinda hang out....

My Beach Babies

We made it to the beach yesterday....it's beautiful. The jellyfish are out in full force because of the hurricane in the gulf evidently, so we haven't been 'swimming' in the ocean yet. We did make 3 trips to play & walk the beach hunting sea-shells. Here are all of my beach babies.....hope you are all enjoying your summer....school starts in one month! Geez...not ready!

It's Official!

Caleigh's United States Certificate of Citizenship came today! She's officially a citizen of the United States!

Home 3 Weeks, The Beach & A Babbling Baby

We have been home 3 weeks today with Caleigh. It is hard to believe that just 4 weeks ago she was living in an orphanage in Vietnam. It seems as though she has always been here. What a blessing....

We are headed to the beach for a week. We will either drive overnight on Friday or leave early Saturday morning. We are going to Fort Walton Beach Florida. So, our home away from home will look like this: We went here every summer when we lived in Alabama as is was only a 3 hour drive. The beach is definately our favorite family vacation spot & everyone is excited!
Caleigh started "baby babbling" yesterday. She is just "talking" up a storm all of the sudden. It is hilarious. She mostly says "dadadadada", of course! James came home last night & couldn't believe it! She has found her voice. Well, it's almost 9 am & I hear the little one stirring about....seriously, I should have never worried about her sleeping during the jet-lag week....this girl can snooze!

What you get....

What you get when you give 2 boys $1 each at The Dollar Tree Store: 2 FBI Men solving crimes all afternoon....It was 102 degrees here yesterday....indoor play was a must! I think they're pretty cool!
What you get when you give a baby girl a cracker: Excitement! She does have a little wild side to her! I'm going to try to keep this blog up....so far it's easy, as little one is still asleep and it is 8:20 am. I wish my boys would take some tips from her; they were up by 7! They have always been early risers....

A Few Things About Me!

My daddy with Caleigh this weekend.
I like it "This Much!"

All about me: My mommy & daddy & brothers are learning more about me every day! Here's a few things.....
* I like to eat! I like Gerber Stage 1 Bananas, Applesauce, Sweet Potatos, Banana/Apple Dessert, bread, mashed potatos, Gerber Toast & Cookies...and anything my mommy will let me have! So far, my tummy likes it all :)
* I like to sleep now that I've gotten over my jet-lag. I sleep from 8 or 8:30 pm until 7 or 8 am! I slept until 8:15 this morning! I take a 2 or 2 1/2 hr. nap each day...this has been my schedule for 5 nights now, so we're hoping it sticks.
* If my mommy doesn't feed me fast enough, I screech!
* I am cutting my first tooth! It broke through the skin this morning in Mommy & Daddy's Sunday School class while I was 'gumming' a piece of ice!
* I Love to take a bath in my blow up tub (Thanks Jessica!)
* I really like to go for stroller rides.
* I fall asleep if I'm in my car-seat for more than 10 minutes.
* I'm going on my first beach-trip next weekend...pray for my family...it's a 10 hr. drive.
* I like it when my brothers play with me. I like all of their cool toys!
* I still like to sleep in my crib. Every day for naps & at night too. My mommy is sleeping in her own bed again & she likes it too! :)
* I'm very easy-going. I cry when I'm tired or hungry; so I'm pretty easy to figure out.
* For some unknown reason, I do not like to have my pajamas put on after my bath! I can have my clothes changed 3 times a day, but pj time is BAD!
* I love my bottle & still suck my thumb. I take a 5 ounce bottle every 4 hours....I sleep through the night...sometimes a bottle about 5 am half awake, then I go back to sleep.
* I'm so glad to be home!

Home 2 Weeks

We've been home with Caleigh 2 weeks today! She's doing great & the rest of us are too! She's gained almost 2 pounds in the 4 weeks that she's been our daughter! She loves to give her smiles away...especially to her Daddy! She now sleeps from 8 PM until 7:30 am waking some nights around 4 am for a bottle...half awake...then right back to sleep. It's hard to get a good nap schedule going because I'm running the boys back & forth to Tennis/Swim camp this week.... She likes Ritz crackers and strolling the Mall & Parks. She had her first shopping excursion with Mommy this morning & got some really cute shoes that actually fit her tiny feet!! A size 1 no doubt! We got her acceptance letter to Scottish Rite Hospital For Children today....good news! We'll have her evaluation appointment soon & I will let you know the results. (Our appointment is Wed. August the 6th)

2 Blogger Friends are Traveling!

Two of my Dillon Blogger Friends are traveling soon for their children!!! Their links are to the right...it is a huge celebration because they have each been waiting over 9 months since their referral before getting this great news! Jill's little girl is almost 8 and Nadra's little boy just turned 1. It will be a wonderful union for both families. Please pray for them as they get ready to travel. Their giving & receiving ceremony date is July 31st. We hope more waiting families get the good news soon as well! :)

10 Years Ago....

If you would have told me 10 years ago that we would be the parents of 3 children....that I would be someone's mother, I would have called you crazy. 10 years ago I was hopped up on my farm~house kitchen counter each night while my poor husband gave me shots of fertility drugs in my legs, stomache & arms. 10 years ago I cried daily as I drove back & forth to Dallas to monitor my hormones which were going crazy. 10 years ago I cried as each dear friend & family member called to say they were pregnant....years passed & I was not. I always knew and believed that God had a plan for us. Whether we were to be parents or not was unknown then. As I look back on those days, I can still cry at the drop of a pin for that 20 something girl who was so desperate to be a mom. 10 years later, my new normal is overwhelming at times...the thought that we have been blessed with not 1 child which we prayed daily for, but 3! God is in the miracle business every day. Some days, the miracles are hard to see. For me, yesterday at the park it was like God was yelling at me, "Look what I did! Isn't this amazing!!!" It is amazing....

Happy 9 Months Birthday Caleigh!

Playing is very hard work!

Caleigh is 9 months old today She's got a cold with sneezes, runny nose & the whole bit, so she's not too happy today! If she feels better this weekend we'll have to celebrate! All of her tests came back negative from the blood-work on Tuesday....I had everything re-tested for my peace of mind. So, despite a nasty cold or allergy going on, we have a healthy little girl!

Is it possible to take too many pictures?

Big Brother Bryce...
Big Brother Blake....
I like my bed....
Hi Y'all! I can sit up now!!! Just two weeks ago, if mom & dad propped me up, I fell flat on my face! What a difference 2 weeks can make....I still need a prop tho! :)

Is it possible to take too many pictures? Am I going to blind my children with the flash??? Seriously, my boys are just about over having their pic taken all of the time! Caleigh, well, she's bound to have eye problems after 2 weeks of flashes!!! We've been home a week! Yeah! Life is starting to feel normal again....running here & there....the boys are big helpers & always run to check on her if she makes a peep....I swear they aged a year & grew an inch in the two weeks we were away. Here are a couple of pics from Tuesday, their first day of golf camp & a few more of Caleigh. And don't get on to me...LOL...I know all of the adoption books say Co-Sleep, but the girl won't have it...she likes her bed & loves to sprawl out! I can tell now when she's getting tired; I just lay her down & she rolls over with her blanket & thumb in mouth and ZZZZZZZ.......If I prop her a bit with a pillow, she can sit up and play....2 weeks ago she would fall promptly straight down onto her face.....muscle tone just was not there....what a difference 2 weeks can make!

Re. Dr. Appt....

Just a quick note to let you know the doctor's visit went just fine. Caleigh started her immunizations (4) yesterday followed by fever & yuckiness since...poor girl. She also had her blood drawn to run the battery of tests....woo...hard on the mama & the baby! Seems that she can "hyper-extend" all of her joints, elbows, knees, hips...the makings of a great gymnast so I hear. No hip displasia...he did 3 seperate tests for that..no clicking, everything's symmetrical, so I'll stop worrying about that now. Little feet go to Scottish Rite Children's in Dallas...worked on the paperwork today; the dr. already did his part. About to wake her up from her nap...joy...she will not be pleased...still on VN time, but getting better...the whole shots/feeling cruddy messed her up last night. The boys are doing great!!! Golf camp is each morning this week & they are having fun! They have Tennis & Swim camp next week.... It's good for them to be out & about & It has forced me to get up & moving each morning...Blake wants to wake her up...it's like Christmas around here...hope it lasts! LOL!

Doctor's Appt. Tomorrow...

Chillin' with my toys....
Oh I really want to touch you!
Where my boxer wants to be....she was promptly scooted off after I took the pic! :)

Just added Caleigh to our Medical Insurance & she has her first doctor's appointment tomorrow at 2:00. Please keep us in your prayers...hopefully the doctor will have some insight as to what will need to be done to correct her little feet. I am also a little concerned about her flexibility & low muscle tone...her little legs can go way out like the splits & she can literally touch her toes to her face without bending her leg! It's just a little way overboard flexible, and I think she is at the least double jointed. Maybe a little hip displasic? We'll see....anywho, she's as cute as can be & the coffee shop is going to love me until she's sleeping through the nights again! Couldn't resist trying pigtails since she was blessed with the "CanTho Hair".....Our boxer loves her. We're trying to teach Bella to stay off whatever Caleigh is playing on, but it's hard....as you can see she wants to be right beside her. Caleigh loves her, but I'm not all about the dog licking the baby & such, although I love my puppies, they just lick icky things! The doberman thinks she's just fine, but whenever Caleigh cries he goes straight to the back door....like "I don't want to listen to that please!" It's funny!

Yes, We're up at 3:00 AM~You?

A Little Blake Time...
A little Bryce Time....
A Little Bouncy Time.....
Some more brother time.....
A little nap time....

Well, if you have a baby on Vietnam time, you're up & happy at 3:00 am! :) She did sleep from 8:30 to 3:00 straight, so I really have zero complaints! She's so happy when she wakes up & she has figured out how to turn on her Fisher Price Aquarium in her crib with her feet all by herself, so she actually played music for almost an hour before calling for me....which I was in the bed right beside her, but she didn't know it....A bottle & playtime! So, I'm downing a D~Pepsi to stay awake because I really must make a grocery run this morning...teething tablets are in order! One of my friends told me about them yesterday (thanks Julie!) She absolutely hates the Ambusol...she has no teeth yet, but is teething like crazy! Here are a few cute pics from yesterday. She loves her brothers & her puppy dogs...she wasn't scared of either at all! All smiles & she looks back and forth at Blake & Bryce like "hey, what's going on here? do you know you look just alike!?!" It's hilarious! She has her daddy wrapped around her little finger already....this is gonna be bad! :)

We're Home...

Well, the risk paid off & we made our flights home! We got into DFW at 5:35 AM this morning. Woo Hoo!! So glad to be home. We're all beat...probably won't get much sleep tonight as little one slept from 11:00 - 4:00 & is now back asleep at 5:20! Oh well....it will eventually work itself out. Thanks for following our trip & for all of your encouraging words. There is an end to our journey & our new journey as a family of 5 is just beginning!!! The boys think their little sister is "very little & she can't talk"...so they really like her, but she can't do much at this point so they're jumping on the trampoline! Pictures soon.....

Hopefully the last post from Vietnam!

Saying good-bye to my crib in CanTho.
Dinner Out...celebrating our G & R !

We've really enjoyed our time in Vietnam with Caleigh. I am hopeful that this will be our last post though! Some people have not been impressed with The Somerset in Hanoi. I must say for us it has been fine. It was the same price as the Rex in HCMC & you get two rooms, a kitchen, a living room with TV & a washer dryer that works fine once you figure it out! You can get a huge bottle of water (dispenser) in your kitchen for $6 which has lasted 3 days & I'm sure would last at least 3 more. It has been great & kept us from buying bottles of water every time we turn around. It's nice to have the shopping just downstairs & room service & a decent restaurant for breakfast...it's not free, but averages just $4 per person, so it may as well be. Going to finish packing up & getting ready for the day. Would like to do a little last minute shopping too! I still have a few inches of space in the suitcase (the extra one we bought in HCMC for all of our purchases! LOL)

One more thing, I would really suggest bringing your own crib linens for your baby. There are many babies in & out of here using these cribs...some that are here now with other agencies have been ill. The extra layers between the mattress they provide & your baby may help....