The Trifecta

Katie's cast change, Hannah's checkup, and Luke's blood draw.

So this morning was a busy day, but it was over by nap time.  First up was Katie's cast change.  Brianna asked if she could come with me at the last minute, so she got to witness the saw in action.  

What you see above is the cotton layer that goes between the skin and the fiberglass.  They did things a little differently this time.  They put on a plaster toe to ankle cast and then really tweaked the foot into place while it was drying.  Then they did a fiberglass wrap over the whole thing.  Katie was awesome throughout.  The PA even commented that aside from an increase in respiration, you would never know she was having a procedure.   

That can't be comfortable!  Again, nap time was hard, and she woke up out of sorts.  I'm starting to see we should just expect this on cast change days.

After we finished at Shriners, I drove home and traded Katie and Brianna for Hannah, Luke, and Jack.  

Hannah had her checkup today to get her school form filled out.  She did poorly on her vision exam, even wearing her glasses, so we've got a referral to take her back into the pediatric ophthalmologist.  

Aaaand she did poorly on her hearing exam, so we have a referral to the audiologist, as well.  Just what we need, right?  More referrals.  I think there's more of a problem with following instructions/testing than with her actual eyes and ears, but we'll see what the guys in white coats have to say.  

After Hannah's check up, we went to the lab to do the blood work requested by Luke's neurologist.  Unfortunately, Luke is hard to draw, since he's got so much fat covering his veins.  You can't see them.  So the use a tourniquet, and try to feel for them.   

Which results in multiple pokes, and digging around for the vein.  Yes, it takes three people to hold one angry baby and get enough blood to run multiple tests out of him.  (And yes, my photographer was 9, and using an old cell phone.)   

When I got home, I was exhausted, so we did lunch and naps.  Tomorrow the littles go to the dentist!  I'll be interested to hear what they have to say about Luke's "double tooth."


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Oh no you didn't!

You may remember that Hannah's first day of school was last week.  

After she was at school, I went to Target.  Paul actually TOLD me to go shopping.  I think I was at the Scary setting on the sleep deprived indicator.  

Thinking of my little Hannah bug, I cruised the BTS aisles for a lunch box.  I found a cute Hello Kitty one for $7-something that I thought she would like.  And then I saw this:  

I was so angry I had to take a picture.  

You have GOT to be kidding me.  Do moms not face enough pressure without marketing companies making every little thing a test of maternal affection?  

Even though I was actually thinking, "I should find some little containers for the lunchbox so we don't depend so much on baggies," when I spotted this, I was so offended by their manipulative advertising tactics, that I refused to even consider buying it.  

I'll have to dig through the Tupperware cupboard (doesn't every kitchen have one of those?) and find some mismatched pieces of existing little containers to use instead, but you know what?  I'm okay with that.  I guess I'll just have to prove my love for Hannah some other way.  You know, like the countless other things I do for her, aside from buying stupid plastic lunch containers.  

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Happy Birthday Luke!

This is the only picture I have of Katie with the bow in.  Not sure where it went, but by cupcake time, it was gone.  

Huge thanks to www.seventhgeneration.com for providing the coupons & samples in the mama goodie bags.

Jack and his friend, M.  

Luke with my friend, B, who I met when I was pregnant with Zachary, a million years ago.

Brianna did an amazing job making several dozen cupcakes the day after coming home from a week at camp.  

For me? 

Since Luke had no idea what to do with it, Sam helped with the blowing out the candle part.

What is this?

It's messy.

It goes in your mouth, son.

Seriously?

One more thing I never thought I'd be feeding with a baby spoon:  cupcake!

Katie knew just what needed to be done here.  

Nom nom nom

Luke shares a bday with my friend, S!  

(who has a cutie foster baby under that dipe)

Katie was not the only one nom nom nom-ing the cupcakes.

But the teenagers managed to ellude the camera.

Actually, I didn't take nearly enough pictures.

The other party pics had kids that can't be shown on the 'net.

Yeah, I could edit them.

Not gonna happen.

But I think it's pretty cool that out of 40+ people here yesterday, 11 of the kids were adopted or foster children.  And Hannah was at school!  

These were taken later, after naps.  

Sam and Luke have a special bond that warms my heart.  

Of all the kids, Sam is the one who likes Luke the most.  He's great about helping to carry him up and down the stairs for me.

Happy Birthday, little man! 

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Airport Homecoming Pictures

I had a photographer come to meet our plane.  

Our plane is the Alaska Airlines one.

Paul thought I was crazy.

"We're going to be traveling 30-something hours with 2 toddlers, and you want someone to take pictures of us at the end?"

I'll admit, being sick on the way home, I started thinking he might be right.  

Until I saw this:

My peeps!  

There's something refreshing when you get off the umpteenth moving object (airport train) and are surrounded by people who love you.  

I'm tearing up just thinking about it.  

I am

so glad

to have these pictures.  

Getting my hands on my kids after more than 2 weeks away,

watching siblings meet for the first time,

these are moments that are made to be preserved.

Missed this little cuddlebug something fierce while I was gone.

Suddenly all the miles fade away,

in a flurry of hugs,

introductions,

and stories from the time we were apart.

"Look, she has a xiao hand like you do!"  

I'm hoping someday Hannah and Katie's similar differences are a comfort to them.  

I am so very grateful to Darcy at https://www.facebook.com/GreenJeansPhotography for capturing these special memories.  

In the middle of it all, I didn't get to see everything that was happening.

So these are just precious.

I'm amazed that she was able to get not one,

but BOTH of the kids smiling that night.  

We were so exhausted,

and so overwhelmed.

For her to have captured these must have taken hundreds of outtakes.  

We made it!  

And now the real work begins...

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