SMILES

This year we decided to not  have school pictures done this year.
They sit in a box for years and after issues with Rohana's picture
drama last year.  And we have to take lots of pictures for their reports.
The picture company does send home 1 picture of the child's
photo taken on picture day with proof across the face.

So here are there smiles.

                                                Gabriel

                                                     Rohana

                                                    Hrutuja

What beautiful smiles !!

HAIR

Last week I was sick and the girls hair have not been
brushed out every evening before they go to bed.
Rohana's hair has been HUGE !!

Was it in the 50's they teased hair ?
Added dippity do ? Slick back hair ?   (not dating myself)

Look at that hair. Thank goodness we have detangling spray for hair.

That was yesterday morning and Hrutuja requested to not have her hair
put up today ?! She loves playing outside and it is windy today.
Lessons we are learning.  Love these kids.

SICK

Yesterday, the visiting nurse came to check on Rebekah.
She everything looks great.
 I had to reschedule the Feeding Team evaluation until January.
And schedule another Modified Barium Swallow Test for Nov.
We now have better amounts of Pedisure to feed Rebekah..
Sometimes the feeding schedule is awful on all the
other schedules I need to keep..
She feeds for 12 hours over night. So 8am to 8 pm then
then bolas feeds at 11, 2, 5 which in between feeds you
needs to flush and prime the feeding bags & tubes. And
she get 2 medicines in the am and 2 in the pm.
Rebekah has not been sleeping to good......UUGGGG
I was feeling a little yucky yesterday and today I REALLY
have a COLD !!


With all the other stuff that is going on around here.
Does God really have this ??   Doubt has set in.

FRUSTRATED ??

Rebekah did cry the whole time in the Doctors office
on Friday. She has lost 1+ pounds since being home
from the hospital. So we will have a visiting nurse come
in bi weekly to check her weight.Primary doctor said
"to call GI doc to see if we can keep the "Feeding Team
Appointment" (long story and Rebekah is caught in the middle)
I did call the GI doc and they will call me back on Monday.

I still do not have any of my questions answered !

Homestudy Agency said that we can pay them yearly instead
of $4200 all at once. As it turns out the State of Maine requires
that 3 Post Placement Reports be done in the first 6 months of
being home but China requires PPR 1M, 6M,12M so we have
pay for 4 visits ($300 each child) so $600 x 4.........UGGG
Feeling a little frustrated because our 3 month home was
September 28..??   Why were we not told this ??
Here goes more on the Credit Card.
And they expect us to drop everything and do a visit ASAP !!

Monday, I talked to the GI nurse. Rebekah will have to do another
Modified Barium Swallow Study (i need to schedule) and that I will
not be able to keep the Feeding Team Appointment  on Thursday
which was scheduled 2 months ago....
I need to know if my daughter is getting enough nutrition !!!!
I was told to call and make the appointment for the MBSS,
maybe I can fit it all in before Thursday ???
Again, someone else dropped the ball and expects me to rearrange
my days/hours/minutes to fit it in !!!
I was happy to point out that the GI office failed to get us another
Appointment 30 after the first and an appointment with a ENS
doc...  And they are very sorry that happened!!
They also realized that the feedings that  were assigned at the hospital
did not make sense.

This is my daughter and she matters to me !! 

Her shirt reads: Everyone is thankful for me !

RE CHECK

Wednesday, a nurse with the surgical team checked
Rebekah's G-tube. Which seems to be doing ok, just
need some tagadurm to put between skin and tube.
Then they explain to me what to do if and when it falls out !!?
Sounds like I will be at Maine Medical Centers emergency
room a lot.
Rebekah  started crying as soon as I put her down on the exam table.
That is totally not like her, she is usually happy all the time.

A question I have that no one has answered yet:
Her primary care doctor needs to talk to the GI doctor
and together they will be in charge of her feedings.
Is what the surgical nurse said.

Will she always eat by G-tube ? 
Can she have anything by mouth??

Maybe those questions will be answered today at our visit with
her primary care doctor.?  Will she cry at the office ?

Since her PDA closure, I have noticed a lot of things she
does differently. Feeling THANKFUL that we were chosen to be
her family. It can be exhausting at times but well worth it !!

 

GOING HOME

I am so excited to be going home today  !!

She looks like she is happy to be going home also.

FEELING SOOO BLESSED !!

OPERATION

Surgery went well.
She usually has a fever and low oxygen after.
Once up stairs she was really fussy.
Rebekah is not usually fussy so they gave her
Motrin and Tylenol through out the night.
We both slept all night !!!
Today we started feeding her thru her G-tube.
We both are doing great and want to go home.

Rebekah has been home for 3 months and I was wondering about attachment
during the hospital stay. There are a lot of people in and out of her room all day
and night. On the second night nurses came in to get vitals and woke her up and
they could not comfort her...she was letting them know that she was not happy
and did not stop until she heard my voice...no question about attachment !!

I love that people here are curious about adoption.
One person said" she wants to but she is single"
There are some countries that allow singles to adopt.
Like China, India .
I actually had the chance to explain about
Home study agency and placing agency and even
Told her who to contact here in Portland, Maine to get started.
  ADOPTION ROCKS !!!

G-TUBE

All the doctors have agreed that it would be safer for
Rebekah to feed thru a G-tube.  So today is the day.
Please keep praying for Rebekah

MY FIRST

Friday was my first ambulance ride with Rebekah.
I took her to the doctors because she was congested
and having a hard time breathing. When the Doctor said
"she needs to go to the hospital" I was thinking that and
then when she said "She will be going by ambulance, rescue
is on their way." This momma started to cry..

Thought about this happening but never made a plan.
I found myself making phone calls in the ambulance so
the other children will be taken are of.

Things I do not like:
Not finding baby's vein the first time and
also having to do a heal stick on her.
Cell phone not working in the Emergency holding area.
Sleeping but not getting any sleep at the hospital.
Doctors / persons who have dropped the ball with my baby.
IV comes out during the night and nurse did not notice.
I am sure I can keep going................

The diagnosis is Pneumonia, UTI , Checking her kidneys today.

I leave the hospital around 5 am to go home so daddy can go to work and
get the little ones on the bus and in my trying to get things done yesterday
(because my mind is really on Rebekah at the hospital without mom)
I typed this post but forgot to post it. .

Day 5 (today)
Test on kidneys yesterday came back normal !!
There are a lot of students during the day. I was introduced to a
student Doctor and the real doctor said "he'll be here for the next three weeks"
She realized why I lost my smile and said "you'll be out of here before him".
I really needed to hear that!!!

At first, it was really annoying that it got around so fast that we had a
large family and that we have adopted 4 children in 4 years !!
By the second day, I realized I am talking about adoption to a lot of adults!
One of the RN told me about a program thru a church that families take in
children of parents who need help before DHHS gets involved.
The family taking in the children pay for everything.
I was excited to hear her talk about it because
I read it on someone elses blog. Big churches down south have this program.

Bottom line is that these children need help no matter what country they 
are in, NO MATTER HOW MUCH IT COSTS !!

GUESSING

 This was a post I never finished a while ago.

Maybe, I am just not good at fund raising or don't go to a big enough church ?
Have a big enough financial support group ??  I am trying to guess why we are still
sitting on $30,456 in debt for this adoption.  
All grant apps have came back with "SORRY"
Maybe they thought 2 at once should not happen ??     Out of birth order ??
What, your 3rd adoption ??  I HOPE YOU ARE NOT MAKING A MISTAKE !!
 
$11,866
$  6640
$  8350
-------------
$26,856  This amount is on credit cards @ 0 % interest till 4/15
$   3600   Amount left to pay for post placement reports
_________
$30,456

Back when I received Rebekah's diagnosis everything was overwhelming me.
All the co-pays for the neurologist, cardiologist, GI doctor, reg. Doctor, etc.
Yesterday, when I received the email from our Homestudy Agency saying
that our post placement fees MUST be paid in full before our Social Worker
can visit us for our next report due in December 2014.
I thought wow, $3600... nope, not going to worry, God has this !

THE FAIR

WE took the day off from everything to make our
yearly trip to Fryeburg fair.

The view on the way there.

Baby girl dressed toasty warm. She loved being outside and took a nice nap.

Gabriel was sooo excited to see the animals !! ( new glasses)

Cows, sheep, lamas, horses, goats,.. oh my!!

 The boys got a kick out of this Attitude Adjuster.

Here is grand baby and oldest daughter and niece in the back ground.

Some of us taking a break.
What a awesome day!!
 Rohana DID NOT HAVE A MELT DOWN !!!
 Now back to reality :((