This week in words...no pictures

I had no idea it had been so long since I wrote a post!

We are doing great!  The week's highlights...and low lights...

• Alice's first ever holiday at home...Valentine's Day was spent at the Doctor's office.  Alice and Henry both had bad coughs and fevers on Sunday.  I'm not a run to-the-doctor-at-every-sniffle kind of mom.  I'm more of an if-I-ignore-you-being-sick-will-you-get-better kind of mom (or I use homeopathy and oils to treat them at home...after all doctors' offices are where sick people hang out)  But since I know nothing about her being sick and her heart, etc, I didn't feel comfortable treating her at home.  The doctor said that Henry had bronchitis and was close enough to pnenomia that it warranted an antibiotic and a nebulizer.  She was impressed that we didn't already have one of those.  I told her we rarely get sick.  Alice had a bit of an ear infection and because she's medically "fragile" she's on an antibiotic too. 
• At the doctor's office Alice was weighed and she is now up to 13 pounds 15 ounces!  She's gained 15 ounces in the time we've been home.  I'm proud of that.  I'm not sure if that's good enough, though.
• Also, her thyroid is going to need treatment from a pediatric endo.  We head there in April.  (So, if you're counting...she's had 2 pedi appointments, 1 cardiologist appt in March, endo in April and pt evaluation in March.  Yeah, I know!)
• Her certificate of citizenship arrived today!  It has the cutest picture on it.  I will try to post it later.
• Yesterday, I applied for her SSN.  I have to be honest...I am SO done with paperwork.  I don't want to look at any of it!  That's why it's taken me this long to get everything done.  I still have to register her with the consulate.  I will attempt to do that next week.
• I got sick this week too.  So did Thomas.  That means we've been eating canned soup and laundry has plied up.  But, the Lord blessed me with daughters that are wonderful at taking care of us.  That is also the reason that blogging has not been a priority.  Sick babies is draining then add a sick mama...spells rough seas in the household.

Alice is really starting to bond to us, I think.  Today, she smiled at me when I picked her up.  She cried when I put her down.  She's very serious and doesn't smile very often so these little smiles are like gold!  Her hair is growing and is shiny.  Her skin is soft and glowing.  We can no longer see her ribs, her hip bones or most of her back bones.  That alone is a huge blessing.

We just can't get enough of this little girl.  I wonder if you can tell that by the amount of "baby" stuff in the living room...bouncy seat, exersaucer, pack 'n play, bumbo seat, texture balls, jungle crawl mat...This is, of course, in addition to the "stuff" already in the living room for everyone else.  I like to pride myself in not needing much for babies.

I think the Lord is really working on my pride issue.  I used to pride myself in my humbleness.  I realize now I may have been going about this all wrong.

Say my name...

Look who responded to her name today...

I know it's not a very exciting picture, but I was calling her name and she turned to find me!  This mama couldn't be more proud.

Check this out!!!!

So, I'm surfing through some of my favorite adoption blogs and one of them has the neatest "button" to advertise Reece's Rainbow and Down Syndrome adoptions.  "You know," I thought, "I need a new button because we are no longer fundraising."  The old one transfered to our family site for donations.

So, I click the button and start scrolling through the website.  This one is cute, what else is there?  I love the wording on that one..."Everyone deserves the blessing of a Down Syndrome child."  That one is so sweet, what else is there?

GASP!!  I start laughing and crying!  Why?  Take a look to the right?  See the button I found?  It's me and Alice!!  My sweet girl.  That picture was taken on our first trip to meet Alice in her orphanage.  I love that picture.  Such joy on both our faces.  It's funny, now though, because she's really a serious young lady.  Smiles are given only after she deems you worthy.  Or you show her your hand.  She loves hands.

You can put this button on your blog, or any of the other buttons that Reece's Rainbow has created, to advertise the very important work they are doing.  I promise I won't be offended if you choose not to use "ours."  I am thrilled to get the word out.

Alice is such a wonderful blessing to our family.  I can't imagine our life without her.  I melt every time I look at her.  We dote on her and fight over her.  I'm crazy about her and couldn't imagine her ever in an asylum.

As I sit and type this, I have her in my Moby wrap.  Snug and secure, listening to my heart.  She has her own people now.  And they will do the same thing over and over and over again if it means she will give them the littlest of smiles.  Often, she does better than that.  She gives a full belly laugh.

She was the least of these.

And the King will answer them, "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."  Matthew 25:40

Now, she's a beloved daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece.  Hopefully one day, saint.  And we're the lucky ones.

Bathing Beauties

Alice loves taking baths...so does Henry.  Now, they get to take one together!  We call it multi-tasking.  They call it fun.

Ok, look closely...see the newly formed roll next to her armpit?  I've never been more proud of a fat roll.

Yes, he needs a haircut...no, I'm not going to give him one just yet.  I like his curls.

Flying Superman!!!  Or as H calls him, "Good Guy"

This week has already gone so much better!!!  I realized that I can't slip back into the "old" routine of 5 kids.  I need a new routine to include baby #6.  So, we've loosened up our mornings.  We've added in more "subjects", but we're not in such a hurry to get it done by 1.  Yes, that means that some kids were doing music practice at 9 pm last night.  Oh well.  Mommy was nicer during the day.  They got to sit and give Alice a bottle or read to Henry during the day.  What's better than that?

I'm not gonna lie...

It's been a tough week.  We started back to school this week.  We've been doing a "light" school since June and a "no" school since November.  I was starting to feel guilty about the children's lack of education....so, we jumped in with both feet Monday morning.

Maybe we should have aimed for the kiddie pool and not the Olympic pool on Day 1.  We had melt downs, temper tantrums, sobbing in the corner, torn papers, broken pencils...and that was just me!  I started thinking I should be getting up earlier to get more done without the children.  But I think any earlier than 5 is just wrong.  Tell me I'm not the only one that thinks that.

Alice was great.  She just goes with the flow.  Praise the Lord!  The 2 year old, not so much.  He had a hard time getting back into the swing of things.  He got in trouble, trouble, trouble.  He doesn't mind Alice.  In fact, he want me to hold her and him at the same time.  And if she's on the floor, he's on the floor.  Of course, if you'll look at the picture...he's not alway appropriate with how he plays with her.  The rest of the kids, well, were grateful to be back in a routine and had missed school...weird...but nice.

Yep, using her as a foot stool.  And yes, she's chewing on a book.  We're starting reading early.

But, he really does love her.  And, yes, we do sometimes put clothes on him.

By Wednesday, things were getting a bit better and by Thursday we had a great day.  Of course, we didn't do school, but whatever.  Henry is getting better and not quite so naughty.  Well, as not quite so naughty as a sinner and 2 year old can be.

We have some family coming in tonight so we have to clean and do school today.  But, I'm not worried.  I feel like we can do this today.  It is only 7 am.  We'll see if I'm still this optimistic at 5 this afternoon.

Alice's blood test came back and her thyroid levels were high.  So we repeated the test with a broader panel. Thyroid issues are common in Down Syndrome, so this didn't completely surprise us.  Also, we have a daughter with an autoimmune hypothyroid.  It's no sweat.  But, here's the really neat part to my little rabbit trail...the techs that drew her blood were the same that drew it last time.  They were impressed with how much more alert she is and how much stronger.  It made this mamma's heart sing!

Isn't she beautiful?  Picture taken by Lizzie.

A Grandparent's job

My folks came the past weekend to meet their newest grandchild.  They flew from Amarillo.  My plan was to meet them at the airport and surprise them with all 7 of us waiting.

Except I forgot how long it takes us to get out of the house these days.  We were running late and I got a text from the airport saying the plane was delayed.  Whew! I thought.  I ran around like a crazy woman trying to get everyone going  encourage the troops and get us all in the big new van (more about that later).  As we are heading down the road, my dad calls to tell me they've landed.  I'm still 20 minutes away!  Ok, plan B.  They decide to get lunch while they wait.  I try to drive faster safer to get us there quicker.

When we got there I called my dad and said we're coming in!  (after all, I have a new double stroller I have been DYING to use)  He says, I would hate for you to get everyone out.  Nope, Dad, I've got plan B.  So, I unload all of us and we head in.

Greeting Grandma and Grandpa

We had a wonderful weekend.  It was over too quick.  Although I told my parents it was time for them to go home because every time my sweet son needed a "talking to" he would grin like crazy and wouldn't quit looking at Grandma...you know, like "please don't think less of me!"  But, they thought it was charming...isn't that the job of a grandparent?

Getting ready for church...I forgot to say, "Look at mommy!"