The Big 3-0

Today, I reached another decade. Thirty...I can't believe I have lived this many years. Time goes by so fast. I had a great day...My co-workers are truly amazing...they are a great bunch of people who are great to work with and love to embarrass me. They posted posters all over the facility advertising my birthday and then posted a huge poster on the office door with my face and an announcement of my 30th. My one co-worker also announced to the entire hospital cafeteria that it was my birthday and would they please join in and sing me Happy Birthday. She said my face was the color of my bright pink top. I am a social person but I am also introverted by nature and do not like attention on myself. I had already warned my family absolutely no surprise parties. I don't like being the center of attention. I prefer to be behind the scenes. But, I appreciated all the well wishes from everyone. It's a good feeling to know you are loved! When I got home, I was greeted to a bright orange sign in my yard that read "Honk..Tammy's 30!" There were also streamers hanging from the porch awning. My children came running out laughing and wishing me Happy Birthday. My parents and in-laws joined us for dinner. I love to cook and I don't mind eating at home even on my birthday. I had made pulled pork in the crockpot so it's not like I really had to cook. Jay-R had his last tball game...a rather cold game. Gotta love Ohio weather...it's steaming hot one day and then freezing cold the next. After the game, we all gathered at our house again for Turtle Sundae Ice Cream Cake, compliments of my co-workers. So, I had a great birthday but am suffering from a stomachache from too much ice cream cake! Thanks for all the birthday wishes!

A Hot Day at the Point

Here are the pictures from our day at Cedar Point, America's Rollercoaster this past Thursday. Ashleigh went up for the week and stayed with my parents in the RV. They have been doing this since she was in kindergarten although it began as just a few days and has grown into a week. Kory and I call it "Camp Cedar Point." She has a blast and these are memories she will always have. Kory and I took Thursday off work and traveled up Weds night. We stayed the night in the RV. After a very peaceful night sleep, we arose for a day of fun and sun. Cedar Point campground has very a nice bath house...something we look for when we camp since we have a pop-up. I don't like the showers in the RVs...too small. After showers and breakfast, we headed out. We debated about taking the wagon and are sooo glad we took it. Thursday was hot but I'm not complaining. I've been complaining all winter about the cold! Cedar Point gave away free water all week so that was nice. We started in Camp Snoopy, one of three children's areas. There is a small roller coaster there for kids. Jay-R loved all the rides and us adults took turns riding with him. None of us like the kind that spins you around and around. Ash and I rode the Gemini and the Iron Dragon while Kory and Jay-R took a break. Jay-R was too little to ride the water rides, so we took him and Ashleigh to the bridge at Snake River Falls where he delighted in being drenched. Ashleigh chose to stand back a little ways instead of right in the deluge of water. We headed back for a little lunch. Kory went down with a migraine so Mom, Ash, Jay-R and I headed back to the park. Dad chose to stay back and relax some. We rode the bumper cars and then watched the Snoopy Ice Skating show. Jay-R had never seen ice skating and loved it. I kept dozing off but his eyes were glued to the show. My mom was laughing...she said she looked over and I was nodding off but his eyes were completely glued to the skaters. After the show, we took a ride on the sky ride. The plan was then that Ash and I would ride roller coasters and Mom and Jay-R would spend some time in Kiddie Land. Just as Ash and I were seated on the BlueStreak, one of the oldest roller coasters and one of my favorites because I always fly up out of my seat, the phone rang to say all rides were being shut down due to weather. So, off we went. We were told we could wait or leave and give up our spot in line. Considering we waited 1 minute in line, we chose to find Mom and Jay-R. Good choice as the rain came down soon after. We hung out in the Snoopy store where there is a kids play area. It stormed for a good 2-3 hours. After about an hour and a half, we called my dad and he came and picked us up. I didn't have the camera in the store, but I used my mom's camera to snap some cute pics of the kids in Snoopy land that I post later. I love Charlie Brown...they even had the pumpkin patch! Our original plan was to leave for home at 8 pm but Ashleigh really was disappointed about not being able to ride with me so we waited until 9 pm. Mom called the park and by then the sun was out and most rides were open. Kory was feeling better so all 6 of us headed back for one more hour before park closing. Kory, Jay-R, and my parents headed toward the Ferris Wheel (which I hate!) and the kiddie rides. Ash and I made it to the Magnum and the BlueStreak. I really wanted to ride the Raptor but it was closed. After our BlueStreak ride, the Raptor was opened. We got up to the top to load, and they closed it due to mechanical issues. Ugg! We were determined to ride something else, so with 7 minutes til closing, we walked fast and made it on the Corkscrew, the original upside down coaster which we both hate, at 10:02...last ride of the night. It wasn't too bad but I remember why I hated it...it jerks your head back and forth which is kind of painful with earrings. We finished our night watching the laser lights show. It was a wonderful day. Jay-R was asleep before we were out of the parking lot. Ashleigh stayed there and came home Saturday. We are going to try and go back one more time in the summer for their starlight hours 5pm -close. It's cheaper and that way Ash and I can ride more coasters. I didn't think my stomach could handle all that, but I guess I'm still okay. Hey, I'm not old yet...I'll be 30 on Tuesday but that's not old! :)

Filipino Spaghetti and other random thoughts...

I've had some questions on Filipino spaghetti. While American spaghetti is rich and tomatoey (is that a word?), Filipino spaghetti is sweeter. Just like spaghetti here, there are different variations in the Philippines, too. W added sweetened condensed milk to hers. My Filipino co-worker says the banana ketchup makes it sweeter. At the orphanage, the spaghetti we were served was baked and had little hot dogs in it. If you missed this link from an earlier post, here is a Filipino spaghetti that uses both banana ketchup (found at Asian grocery stores) and hotdogs:
http://visualrecipes.com/recipe-details/recipe_id/506/Filipino-Style-Spaghetti/

To answer another question that was posted regarding how to start the general adoption process, first you need to do lots of research to decide whether to do domestic vs. international and then if international you need to research the individual countries as they all have different requirements. All adoptions require a homestudy completed with a licensed social worker and different states require different things as well such as parenting classes. Each country has its own requirements as well such as psych evaluations if doing Filipino adoption. That's the basics in starting the process.

We have been enjoying the early summer heat wave with plenty of time in the pool which is now over 80 degrees Fahrenheit (that's 10 degrees warmer from last week!) And we spent yesterday at Cedar Point, America's RollerCoaster. I have a lot of picture to post but I am too tired to do that tonight with last night's short sleep night. I will try to post those this weekend and share in more detail about our trip to "the Point"as Jay-R called it. Kory received a phone call at 7 am this morning telling him he wasn't needed at work today. So, his three weeks off work officially began today. He'll go back mid-July. We'll go camping part of that time. He'll get to be involved with 4-H judging this year, too. Overall, things are going well. Oh, the adjusted hospital insurance paperwork came yesterday. I can breathe now!!!!

Saying our Good-Byes

Last night was a fun yet bittersweet night. We traveled to the home of the Coordinator of the Exchange student program that we have been working with. My mom met her at a AAA Travel show. They had a booth set up and my mom seeing that they worked with students from the Philippines mentioned to V, the coordinator, that we were adopting from the Philippines. The student at the show happened to be a student from the Philippines. We first met with her and V before we even travelled to learn more about the Philippines. After coming home, they came to our home shortly after our return. Jay-R chatted in Tagalog with her and played with her. On their second meeting three weeks, while he didn't speak in Tagalog with her, he understood everything she said in Tagalog and answered appropriately only in English. He had fun playing with her and singing some songs in Tagalog. Fast forward to last night. We enjoyed a fun night complete with Filipino spaghetti which was wonderful. Jay-R and W played some, swang on the sing, and chatted. We snapped a lot of pictures so he will always have those pictures. When it was time to go, he hugged her really tight as V told him, "The next time you see W, you'll be all grown up." The thought of that makes me sad in so many ways...to think of Jay-R all grown up and then to think it will be that long before we see W again. We plan to stay in touch with her through email and written communication. V has told us she is committed to finding Filipino students in our area every school year. The student for next year still needs a host home. Kory and I are thinking next school year (10-11) we will be ready but now with Jay-R starting school this fall and Ash starting middle school maybe it would be a bit too much. We are going to pray about it. W and V created the International Sibs Society to connect exchange students with internationally adopted children. This has been such a blessing for our family and for W as well. We are so thankful...she is such a loving, sweet girl with a beautiful smile. We will miss her but we wish her well as she returns to the Philippines. V is also accompanying her and they will go visit at White Cross, Jay-R's orphanage. I can't wait to hear about those experiences!

My $15,000 Surprise

I came home from work yesterday to a relatively quiet house minus one loud barking black lab. I had every intention of taking a nap. I knew I had about 45 minutes until Kory came home with the kids. (He takes them to my parents on Tuesday and Thursday before he goes to work). Routine led me to the mailbox first. I had a junk mail flyer and an insurance statement. Since Jay-R has been home and Kory was told he has 13 cavities, insurance statements in the mail are a common occurrence. We have decent insurance, so no big deal. I opened the insurance statement. For the hospital portion of Jay-R's surgery-supplies, operating room, and recovery room, it was over $15,000. You can imagine my surprise when the covered portion read: $0. My heart stopped beating for a moment. What!!?!!! I quick called the insurance and explained how we had been told insurance would cover this and it was medically necessary to have this procedure done in a hospital rather than the dentist. I was put on hold to listen to wonderful health facts. I did learn that more Americans suffer from eating disorders than Alzheimer's. That was interesting given my field of working with older adults. Anyway, the very nice, caring customer service rep came back to apologize to me and told me it was processed incorrectly and I would receive an updated statement in 7-10 days. That was an answer to prayer. Overall, his surgery cost was around $18,000. This shocks me to no end. I work in healthcare and I know things aren't cheap but I usually don't use healthcare services beyond a routine visit to the doctor or dentist. Kory's hernia surgery about 4 years ago was only around $7,000. Crazy...I understand how one health condition could drive a person into financial difficulties. If oral surgery is this much, I hate to guess what open heart surgery is! Really, I'm not complaining or fretting over the cost, don't get me wrong. He needed the surgery and he is so much better off because of it. I was just a little, okay a lot, shocked by that insurance statement. Needless to say, after that phone call, the last thing I wanted to do was nap. I chose to jump into our not so warm pool and enjoy a refreshing solo swim. That was exactly what I needed!

Girl Time in the Windy City

Ashleigh and I enjoyed a day out in Chicago yesterday. A dear friend of mine treated Ashleigh and I to a bus trip to see the Broadway play Mary Poppins in Chicago. It was a long day but a fun day. We boarded the bus at 9 am for the 3 hour drive. We enjoyed a narrated tour of Chicago once we arrived in the city before going to the theater. Mary Poppins has always been one of my favorite Disney shows and Ashleigh loves it, too. When she was 4, she met Mary Poppins at a Disney breakfast with my parents on our Disney World trip. The play was excellent. I especially enjoyed Burt the chimney sweeper walking along the wall and then upside from the ceiling. Mary Poppins also flew into the audience. It was a lot of fun! We couldn't take pictures inside the theater so Ash and I took a cheesy self photo at McDonald's on the way home.

Jay-R did okay for his daddy. It was the first time Kory picked him up from daycare. I work one minute from the center so I always pick him up. He did okay with the pick-up but Kory said it took some convincing to get him to come inside the house when they got home. He wanted to wait in the car until Mommy came home. Once in the house, Kory cleaned while Jay-R enjoyed some cartoon time. They had dinner and Jay-R took a bath. He also received a surprise phone call from our exchange student friend. He talked to her some in Tagalog. He fell asleep on the couch at 9:30. When we got home around 11, he woke up long enough to say, "Mommy." I carried him up to his room and he was out! He was one tired little boy! Overall, it was a great Mommy-Daughter day and Daddy-Son day.

"It's Tagalog!"

Ever since this past weekend at our Camp Mabuhay experience, it's like Jay-R has internalized in his mind that it's okay to use Tagalog again. During the camp, he looked at me and said, "Jay-R's Filipino." (The other day, he had told us he wasn't Filipino, wasn't American, but was a dog...the words out of children's mouths!) Kory and I just had a discussion a week or so ago whether Jay-R still knew and understood his Tagalog since he refused to use it. We were discussing this in the context of if we decide to adopt again, would Jay-R be able to help with understanding the child when we first meet him or her? (For those of you wondering, we have not made a decision regarding whether we will add more children to our family-we're open to whatever God calls us to do).

Tonight, Jay-R and I were reading "Filipino Friends." It's a great little story about a boy who returns to the Philippines to live. It's written in English but it has many pictures all labeled in both Tagalog and English. Jay-R pointed to many of the pictures and told us the Tagalog words for them. He commented, "It's Tagalog." We have never ever discouraged him from using his Tagalog. In fact, we have tried to encourage him by watching youtube videos, having conversations with Filipino people we know, and asking him for the words in Tagalog. It's like he had decided he didn't want to be different. I think that spending time at Camp Mahubay made him realize it's okay to be Filipino in his new home. When I first opened the book tonight, he said, "They're Filipino, like me."

Our goal as Jay-R's parents is to not only help him integrate into American culture but to keep his Filipino culture alive for him. This is a vital part of who he is and is important to him in helping to create his sense of identity. Food is important in this, too. I need to make some pancuit for him and Filipino spaghetti complete with banana ketchup and hotdogs like we had at the orphange. I found a good recipe for anyone that's interested:
http://visualrecipes.com/recipe-details/recipe_id/506/Filipino-Style-Spaghetti/

So again, for so many reasons, our experience at camp was great. There are longer Filipino heritage camps in Maryland and Colorado we may consider attending as he gets older.
So for now..."Mabuhay"...long live!

Camp Mabuhay!

Enjoying his pancuit

Weekends go by so fast! This weekend went by super fast but we had a great time. We left after work on Friday and headed toward Kokomo, Indiana. We got there about 9 pm and enjoyed swimming. The water was warm the way I like it and they had a nice hot tub, too! It was relaxing before bed. We were up bright and early on Saturday morning. We met several people attending camp at our hotel before we even left for camp. This in and of itself was exciting for us because we don't know anyone locally who has adopted from the Philippines. We followed the caravan of cars to the church out in the country where camp was to be held. After registration and family photos, camp started. The theme was "Manila." They had chairs set up and the leaders were dressed like airplane pilots. They had a computer screen that simulated a plane taking off, and we were on our way to Manila. The kids were divided by age and the parents had their own sessions. The sessions were on dance, a walking museum with many picture displays the older kids had made on the Philippines, language/song, a sari sari store, and a craft for the kids and cooking session for the parents. We learned the subli dance which is a dance that men and women do usually to honor someone. The kids did a neat jeepney craft. Kory and I learned how to make fried bananas...they were good. You can't use table bananas-you need the plantation type and they get rolled in sugar-they used the Sugar in the Raw variety of sugar since it isn't as processed. That was my job-rolling the bananas in the sugar. We also learned a rice planting song that we sang in Tagalog while we "planted" rice. The sari sari store allowed the children to barter for Filipino items with play pesos. The big kids went first and bought out the store...next year the little ones will get to go first. The adults were able to purchase Filipino items with US dollars...all proceeds help with camp costs. The lunch was awesome-we had pancuit, madauno (spelling???), chop suey vegetables, chicken adobo, fruit, and cake. We were able to network and meet other families so that was great. This camp is also designed for Filipino families residing in the US who want to expose their children to their heritage. It was a great experience and we are planning to attend next year. So many Filipino people volunteered their time and talents and they were so nice and willing to share about their culture. If anyone is interested, Camp Mahubay is being held Saturday, June 12, 2010 in Kokomo, Indiana. We ended our day with pizza by the river. Jay-R tried the pizza and claims he liked it. We'll see next time.

The American Past Time

I know I said I was taking a break but Ashleigh is busy writing in her Vet Science 4-H book so I thought I would post some pictures I took. Jay-R is playing teeball and he loves baseball. He will even watch it on TV with us. There is nothing more amusing (except maybe kindergarten soccer) than watching teeball. Kids run to the wrong base, run into each other...it's just too cute!

And for my little blurb on baseball...go Chicago Cubs!

Cultural Connections

I thought I would share the things we are trying to do to help keep Jay-R connected to his culture. I have a Filipino co-worker and there are other Filipino people in my community. Everyone is so busy (us included) that it is hard to get together, though. We have made connections with an exchange student as well. When Jay-R first came home, they conversed in Tagalog. The next time she came over, he understood the Tagalog but answered in English. He did sing with her in Tagalog. She, along with the Exchange student coordinator, will be visiting Jay-R's orphanage this July. We are sending along clothes, toys, and pictures of Jay-R. He also picked out a gift for his best friend along with some toys for the boys in his dormitory. We are hoping there will be an exchange student in our area this next school year and we hope to host a student in a few years.

We are excited for this weekend. We are attending a Filipino cultural day in Kokomo Indiana called Camp Mahubay. It is designed for families who have adopted children from the Philippines. There will be dress, food, dance, and other activities centered on the Philippines. We are also excited about meeting other families who have adopted from the Philippines as we don't know anyone locally. We are also looking forward to watching Jay-R interact with other children from the Philippines.

Since Jay-R is five, he will always have memories of the Philippines. As he gets older, they may be hazy but he will always have some memories of White Cross and the children there. At age five, we're not sure how he views himself. Kids are kids and we think he doesn't view himself any differently than anyone else. We want to create a sense of culture for him that blends with his sense of belonging here.

I will post pictures of our weekend and share our experiences. I'm going to take this week off from blogging. Ashleigh needs some Mommy time so she gets my undivided attention after Jay-R goes to bed. She needs some help on her 4-H projects....I warned her about taking 3 projects!

Letting go...

My philosophy on parenting has always been that you have to let go a little every day. From the moment they are born or adopted, you begin to let go each day as they grow into their own person. That's the way it is supposed to be and I have always believed this and tried to live this out and allow my daughter to experience things on her own. My parents allowed me so many wonderful experiences such as sending me off to camp which I'm sure was hard on them but these things really helped me grow as a person. With Jay-R, things should be no different, right? It does seem different, though, in a way. With Jay-R, he already has 5 years of his life he has lived that we weren't able to be a part of. I know these 5 years have helped shape him into the little boy we love which leads me to this...

I cried when I took Jay-R to daycare today. I was fine last week, he was fine last week. Today, though, his regular teacher was on vacation which was fine because he knows the sub teacher for the week. But...when I dropped him off, his sub teacher wasn't on duty yet so he didn't know the teachers in the room and he was in a different room. He didn't cry but he clung to my leg like glue. When I took him down to hang up his bookbag and talk to him for a few minutes to reassure him, I encountered another staff person. My conversation with her really affected me. There was truth to what she said, but it was the way she said it that tugged at my heart. She took him to the window to wave at me. As he was waving, I fought back tears walking to my car. Of course, as I thought about the situation all day, he was fine at school and ended up having a great day and I had a great day at work. He's been through so many changes and he'll experience more, and of course he was safe and secure at his daycare but I felt bad this morning when I dropped him off. I know it was harder on me than him, though.

It just tugged at my heart. The whole working mother vs. stay-at-home mother thing is complicated. I've been at both ends of the spectrum and in the middle. Both sides have their pros and cons. In Jay-R's case, since I started work again, he's been more whiny and listening less. We're trying to keep our nights not so hectic. Today's experience reminded me of when we dropped our daughter off at kindergarten the first day. I remember after a few minutes, she said, "I'm fine. You guys can leave." Tugged at my heart. All part of letting go....

The Camping pictures I promised and post work thoughts...

Camping was a lot of fun and relaxing. We camp in a pop-up. We gave up tent camping a few years back. The frustration of shoving the tent back into the little bag along with our popped air mattress thanks to rocks under the tent were the last straw! We are looking forward to our camping vacation this summer at a state park. Jay-R loved that he could get dirty while camping and of course, he loved the S'mores. Next time he eats them when we are camping, he won't have to deal with the after effects of sugar and 15 cavities. (He is so cooperative with dental care now!)

On another note, my transition back to work is going okay. He had 2 great days at school and a fun day with my parents. We experienced our first issue of racial prejudice, though. Ashleigh was crawling in the tunnels at the McDonald's playplace with Jay-R and her cousin E when a young boy she guessed to be 6 pushed Jay-R out of the way and said, "Move it black boy." Ashleigh said she looked at that boy and said, "You better be quiet." He didn't say another word, she said. No one better mess with her brother! I'm doing okay with the transition. It feels good to be back to work doing the job I love. I shared my Philippines trip with the residents Friday. I really do love working in long term care. It's hard not having as much time with my children but Jay-R understands that Mommy and Daddy always come back for him. Being with other family members is allowing him a chance to grow closer to other family. Being at school is helping with his independence, social skills, academic skills, and preparing him for that transition to kindergarten in the fall. I've been praying a lot and I know God is helping us all with this adjustment. Jay-R prayed for all his family members tonight and told me he loves his big family. I was so worried he would be mad at me or go back into meltdown modes when I went back to work. We haven't experienced any of that and I am so thankful for that!

New Routines...

I'm officially back to work! I was treated to doughnuts, hugs, smiles, and a decorated office. It was great to see everyone again. I really missed the residents and was very touched by their welcoming words. I felt like I was home again. If you have ever worked in long term care, you understand the sense of family and community that exists. I didn't realize how much I missed everyone until I was there today. So, yes it is good to be back. I spent most of my morning feeling disoriented, unsure what to do, or where to start. I'm used to doing 10 things at once but I've been a little out of the loop having not been there for 3 months! By the afternoon, I was starting to feel a like more comfortable. I know it will take a few days to fall into my old routine.

Jay-R did wonderful at school today...no tears and he even took a good nap. I think the reassuring last night really helped him. He really seemed to understand this morning that Mommy was coming back for him after work. So, he had a great day and we had a great night. We didn't make it to church tonight. I didn't want to overwhelm him with too much in one day and I am so tired...not used to working 8 hours! So, we spent a night at home. He helped me with dishes and Ashleigh helped with cooking. It was good quality time with my children and things that needed to get done were getting done. Ashleigh is officially done with school as of today so she now looks ahead to working on 4-H projects.

Well, I need to get to bed soon. I'm having to get up around 5 am to get everything done and manage to get to work on time!

Back to Work

Tomorrow is my first day back to work after my 3 month leave. Today was kind of a strange day. Jay-R is not happy about me going back to work and I have had to pay for it all day. He has been excessively whiny...so unlike him. The littlest thing has resulted in him being upset and whiny. We did make it to see the movie Up. Tuesdays are bargain days and free popcorn at our local cinema. It was his first trip to the movie theater. He didn't like the darkness and then he got scared at one particular scene and wanted to leave but I convinced him to stay. He watched the entire movie on my lap. He giggled along to the funny parts and when we left he said, "I like the big movie screen." After the movie was over, we enoyed a short walk to the park and then Ash came home. They played together for awhile before the meltdowns began. Shortly before Kory came home from work, Jay-R went into meltdown mode....nothing like when we first came home from the Philippines but nonetheless, a meltdown. I asked him a bunch of questions and he would not tell me what was wrong. He fell asleep at 5:20 so we let him sleep while we ate. After dinner, I took him outside in the sunlight to wake him up. There was no way I was going to let him sleep all night...he'd be up at 4 am. He sat in his chair with his dinner for the longest time just staring. Finally, I was able to get him to eat and then he kind of snapped out of his mood. He went to his teeball game and had a great time. He was able to eat a snack cake after the game with no pain...yeh! Now, he is in bed although not sleeping. He told me a few minutes ago, "I want to go to Mommy's work." During prayer time, he prayed for his day at school and Mommy back at work. We've been talking about this for the past few weeks and a lot today. We'll see how this transition goes. I'll miss being home with him but in a way, I'm looking forward to returning to work. I love my job and miss my residents and many of my co-workers. And, my job is a great outlet for creative energy. I think now is a good time for me to go back. Daycare will be good for Jay-R to help him prepare for kindergarten. We used an in-home babysitter for Ashleigh which was great for her. (Chris if you're reading this....we love you!) We both feel strongly that the daycare setting provides Jay-R with the structure he was used to at White Cross and the structure he needs to help prepare him for kindergarten.

This is another transition in yet so many our family and Jay-R has gone through these past three months...we'll get through it. I'm a little nervous about how I'm going to get everything done with the addition of 40 hours of work but at least the dental issues are behind us. As a working mother, I know the importance of keeping my own identity and taking care of myself. It's a little overwhelming thinking how am I going to work full-time, keep up the house, pay the bills, make dinner, take the kids where they need to go which now involves teeball and 4-H, get enough sleep, keep up daily devotional readings (I really need to work on this since coming home from the Philippines!), exercise, make it to a band practice sometime, and find time to work on my writing. I am going to try hard to maintain balance. I know I need to take care of myself so I can take care of my kids.

The trials will make us stronger! Tonight, Jay-R told us that he didn't want to go back to White Cross. We reassured him that he was staying with us. He told us all one by one that he loved us and that he wanted to stay with us. We love this little boy who completes our family so much!

Alright, it's to bed for me. I can't push that snooze button 20 times tomorrow morning!

Post Surgery Smiles

Our little man is such a trooper. We all arose early this morning and ventured toward the hospital 45 minutes away. Our pediatric dentist had strongly suggested we have all the work done in the hospital so it could all be done at once and Jay-R could be put under. We thought this to be a much better option than mutiple trips to the dentist. So anyway, once there, we waited about 20 minutes before going upstairs to the pre-op room. Jay-R changed into scrubs and the hospital socks with the grippies on the bottom. He looked so cute. We had thought about taking a camera but wasn't sure what to expect. Kory snapped a photo on his cell phone, though, to show Ashleigh. The hospital gave Jay-R a balloon and he played with it until it was time to go back. As they wheeled my little baby away on that hospital bed, my heart ached. He looked back at us but the nurses along with us reassured him that he was okay. He got to push the button to open the door so that was cool to him.

This was 8:45 am. Kory and I prepared ourselves for a couple of hours of waiting. After some chatting, some reading, some drinking coffee and Mountain Dew, and some people watching in a very busy waiting room, our names were called. The dentist/oral surgeon came out and told us everything went fine. Jay-R cried a little when they first took him back. They were unable to insert the tube in his nose and he experienced some nose bleeding so they inserted the tube in his throat. Poor little guy. This of course was after he was already out. They had placed a mask on his face to make him fall asleep, then inserted the IV. The dentist had to remove his two front teeth, do 13 dental restorations, and a root canal. He said it was no wonder Jay-R was in pain, the tooth that required the pediatric root canal was deep in the nerve. Jay-R has been complaining of headahces on an almost daily basis so we are thinking the head pain was a direct link to the tooth pain. Kory then called our families-I was too nervous to talk to anyone until I saw my baby. About 20 minutes later, we were allowed to go the recovery room. I wanted to cry when I saw him. He was totally groggy and looked so small and vulnerable. The nurse helped me with his tubes so I could hold him in my arms. His eyes fluttered a little when we said his name, but he would not wake up. He refused drink and popsicle which they said is common. All his vitals were stable so we chatted with the nurses for a short while before changing him back into his clothes. He started waking up and we were able to leave.

We had the surgery done at St. Vincent's and I have to say that the staff were all excellent, kind, considerate, compassionate, and very thorough in their explanations. I want to send a letter of thanks to the hospital for our very positive experience. I work in healthcare and we always appreciate kind words. Everyone was so good to him and were very interested in our adoption experiences. It was such a positive experience. Oh, and they valet park your car when you are having surgery-that was nice especially since it was raining and cold when we left.

Before we even left the parking lot, Jay-R drank some grape juice they had sent with us. He let me feed him the jello cup we had brought him. We stopped at a McDonald's and he ate some plain ice cream. He hadn't eaten since 9:30 the night before, so he was hungry. He fell asleep on the way home. Once home, he mostly watched TV but he ate a lot tonight. We were told to limit him to soft foods so he ate more jello, popsicles, peanut butter, eggs, noodles, and a cupcake that Ashleigh's friend had given him-thanks O...he loved it! He also downed 2 glasses of chocolate milk. Today, anything except for no pop or OJ (dr orders) was allowed. Tomorrow, it's back to limiting sugar. Even though our dentist told us that Jay-R is now no more likely to get cavities than the next kid, we want to be careful just like we are with Ash. His teeth are now shiny white and he has silver caps on all four back teeth. He took a little Ibuprofen for pain at 4 but tonight he just told me he didn't need medicine, "I'm okay." He prayed and thanked God that his teeth were all better.

We are so excited that he will finally get to experience life without daily pain. Anyone who has ever had a toothache knows the pain that comes from mouth pain. Imagine living day to day with 15 cavities. Our heart aches to know there are many children in the orphanages with the same dental issues as Jay-R. Anyone adopting a child from the Philippines old enough to have a decent number of teeth, please take them to the dentist soon after you return home from the Philippines!

Oh, and we couldn't resist....we're already working with him on the lyrics to the song, "All I Want for Christmas is my two front teeth!" He thinks it's funny!