High School, Hay is for horses,hiking-make that hospital(yes, again),helicopters

High School after not having her name picked out of the lottery to get into Scona High School, we were looking at options.  Most schools went to lottery this year...too many students wanting the same type of programs.  Kiah will be going to a Catholic High School next year, taking the IB program, the school also is a fine arts school, which is Kiah's thing.  She is starting to get excited, but not after quite a few tears.
hay is for horses Micah started back again horseback riding with Little Bits.  He absolutely loves it.  Kevin is taking  him this year, I miss the moms, but it is great for Micah that his dad gets to see him ride.
hiking  hospital Micah and Kevin went on an overnight camping trip with the church youth.  I awoke at 130am to  my foot being poked-poor Micah's eye was swollen and very red.  With Micah's eye history, we take no chances.  Kevin and Micah were in ER till 430am and ended up at the opthomolagist today.  No scratches, just pink eye.  thank goodness.

helicopters

going on 10, glamour,goodies,gleaming gigglers,great outdoors

Micah is 10 today.  It is hard to believe our big guy is 10.  I would say it has been a breeze these last ten years,  but that would not be the truth.  Micah is an amazing little guy.  Born blind..born unable to eat..born unable to even move very well...he has come so far..reading..riding his bike...and eating up a storm..we love our Micah sooooo much.

Glamour last weekend Anneke, Alida and I spent part of the day, hanging out at the mall...I really wish this post was S...alida got a swimsuit and shades,  and Anneke got seaweed snacks and slippers...Noah also liked Alida's sunglasses

Goodies thanks to a friend for the wonderful and delicious edible arrangement...It was a tough few days..and it made me smile....and it was yummy!!

Gleaming Gigglers Anneke and Noah are enjoying some baths together....It is great to see them having so much fun





Great Outdoors the weather has been fabulous, and we have enjoyed getting outside.



flowers, flowers, and foreign language

Flowers, Flowers We got flowers from Kevin's co-workers(thank-you) and I got flowers from one of my besties(thanks T.)I love flowers, they can really cheer you up, and make your day!

Foreign Language well, to me, but not our dear little Noah. Kiah's b.f.f's mom spoke to Noah in chinese. He should his head yes and smiled. I asked her she said, she told me, that she said to Noah "if you understand what am I saying shake your head yes." It was just so neat to see our little guy respond to a whole sentence that way. He was in way to much shock in China to respond to the guides who talked to him in Chinese. And he is understanding a little simple English...but..we know it takes time..It was neat to have a glimpse of that..it also makes me sad to know he will lose his first language..but someday...hopefully we can put him in mandarin.

Emergency, Endocrinology and Exhaustion!!!!

Noah had developed a cold a few days ago..and by yesterday was wheezing, having shortness of breath, and having just a very difficult time breathing. I brought him in to Emergency(I had brought him to a walk in the night before.. and was given a good to go)we were triaged..and Noah was bought in directly to emergency..was treated by the respiratory therapist..had blood taken(again.second time this week)and had and x-ray and other body fluids taken. The poor kiddo has pneumonia..he was sent home with antibiotics and a puffer...it was a long four hours in the ER...Anneke was amazing..and Noah was good too..poor guy. I am sure he is getting sick of the poking and prodding.

Today, Dr. Baxter called. Noah's thyroid is not working properly. She spoke to endocrinology and Noah will begin taking medication tomorrow. He will be tested monthly to make sure his meds are at the right level, and at three years old taken off for awhile and tested to see if his pituitary gland is sending the right signals to his thyroid without the help of meds.

Besides that, Noah is doing really well. He is a busy bundle of a kid. He checks constantly through the night to see if mom is beside him...so, sleep seems to be a thing of the past. I was told as kids bond..they sometimes sleep worse. If it means he is bonding, I am all for sleep deprivation...however, last night..the three hours did not cut it..

So..with all medical issues at this point being taken care of...hopefully we can stay healthy and away from doctors and labs for awhile :)

Days Gone By, Digging with Dad, Dying Eggs, Down,down down, delicious,Date Set

Days Gone By It is hard to believe that we are at the 1 month mark of meeting our busy little Noah. Sticking close to home lately has really benefited Noah, he is bonding well, and becoming more secure in going out. We have only gone out to the store once, and for doctors appointments and blood test. Noah is very, very busy, which he should be. We just need him to stop feeding our dog, chewie is getting fat.
Digging with Dad The snowtorm brought some time for male bonding in the driveway...

dying eggsEaster is never quite complete without the dying of eggs. The kids always enjoy dying...no matter how old they are!!

down,down,down after many(and we mean many) falls, Noah has gotten the hang of down. Stairs were a new concept to Noah less than 4 weeks ago, so, we are glad he has gotten the hang of them...

delicious We had to break down and buy some McDonalds french fries, and like all people in the world, Noah thought the salty, greasy fries were delish...

date setNoah has an official date for his cleft palate surgery. On May 31st Noah will be operated on at the stollery by Dr. Olsen. Glad it is coming, but, wondering how the three weeks of arms splints will go.

one more thing.
delightful daughters
Kiah, Alida and Anneke have been amazing we have beautfiul kids, inside and out. They have not skipped a beat since Noah has come home. Anneke who has been the baby for five years, has just slipped right into the role of big sister. Kiah and Alida are maturing into beautfiul, kind teenagers, I am so proud of my girls.

conjunctivitis, concerning call, crappy climate, cool crafts, camping, canine companion and Christ Cleans

conjunctivitis-I seem to have gotten pink eye. So, have some meds to clear it up as quickly as possible.

concerning callI recieved a call from Noah's International Adoption Doctor yesterday. Noah's TSH levels are running very high. It is not uncommon for internationally adopted kids to have high TSH levels, due to diet and environment, however, Noah's is higher than most kids read, so we are headed back for more bloodtests, to see how his thyroid is functioning. Please pray that it is just environment and diet and Noah's thyroid needs some extra time to function as it should.
crappy climate

need I say more....hence Anneke is home today and that brings us to
Cool Craftsnow my mom(oma) is the craftiest woman I know, Anneke has some of Oma's extra storytime crafts, and did some easter crafts this morning.

and well, what is a snow storm with indoor camping

Canine CompanionChewie loves Noah, if only for the sake of the food Noah constantly drops. Chewie has been ever so patient with Noah's fur and tail pulling. As you can see in the photo below, Chewie benefits from all of the toddler snacks in our home.

Christ Cleanse It is Easter. Wow, to celebrate my Saviour, who loves me, my husband and kids so much, as a loving parent took all of the bad stuff away. Who promised us that He has GREAT PLANS for us, and He does. Thank you Jesus for adopting us all, as your Children. HAPPY EASTER

Oh yes one more thing!!!
Come back Oma we miss you

Bliss,baptism, baths, bowing out, bowls,best news, books and battles

Bliss/a few days ago, Noah started kissing mommy when mommy puckers out her lips, mommy absolutely loves this and of course tries for as many kisses tolerated.

Baptism and baths On Sunday, April 1st, Noah spent much of his day in water.
Noah was baptized by my brother Sye, it was truly wonderful to have him do the baptism. God in His mercy chose Noah as His child, and we thank God for that. The kids, my nieces, and Noah's God sister all had Chinese silk outfits on. They looked beautiful.
with a morning at church came an afternoon on uncontrollable fits of sadness. Noah does not know what to do with himself after being in public. He seems fine when we are out, but once we are home, we have a scared little boy, who is not sure what is happening. Noah loves his baths, and spent the better part of Sunday having baths, sometimes it is the only way to get him to calm down. So, that brings us to

the third pic is with Noah's Godparents and Godsister





bowing outyou may not see Noah and I for a while. It seems home is the best place to be. To find ourselves in the comforts of home, where we can build our attatchment. So, eventually Noah will understand that going out does not mean mommy and daddy will leave him. Noah is attatching, and we are really enjoying his comical personality. We also realize, that we have a little charmer. I would imagine being cute and charming has it perks in an orphanage. Noah is figuring out, it is ok not always to be charming. It is okay to be sad, angry, and he is learning to feel all of his little emotions,and we are so happy about that.
Bowls
well I will let the pic do the talking

Best News Noah saw Dr. Olson, his peds plastic surgeon who will be operating on Noah's palate. He said that Noah's lip is on par with his best work. Great News, no lip revision, and well, we just thought he looked so cute and fantastic, but it is great to hear from the experts.
Books and Battlesonce again I will let the pictures do the talking. Needless to say, Daddy was very happy to see the battle photos.

Noah is starting to enjoy books(I know he looks stunned in the pic, but really he does :)

A Different Perspective

This article was taken from A4everFamily.org. A wonderful tool for adoptive families. If you ever wonder perhaps, what Noah may be feeling, this really describes it well. Please, take a few minutes to read it, this article can really open our eyes to understand where our little munchkins are coming from.


A Different Perspective






Immense Loss; Walk a Mile in Baby’s Booties

Imagine for a moment…

You have met the person you've dreamed about all your life. He has every quality that you desire in a spouse. You plan for the wedding, enjoying every free moment with your fiancée. You love his touch, his smell, the way he looks into your eyes. For the first time in your life, you understand what is meant by "soul mate," for this person understands you in a way that no one else does. Your heart beats in rhythm with his. Your emotions are intimately tied to his every joy, his every sorrow.

The wedding comes. It is a happy celebration, but the best part is that you are finally the wife of this wonderful man. You fall asleep that night, exhausted from the day's events, but relaxed and joyful in the knowledge that you are next to the person who loves you more than anyone in the world…the person who will be with you for the rest of your life.

The next morning you wake up, nestled in your partner's arms. You open your eyes and immediately look for his face.

But IT'S NOT HIM! You are in the arms of another man. You recoil in horror. Who is this man? Where is your beloved?

You ask questions of the new man, but it quickly becomes apparent that he doesn't understand you. You search every room in the house, calling and calling for your husband. The new guy follows you around, trying to hug you, pat you on the back,...even trying to stroke your arm, acting like everything is okay.

But you know that nothing is okay. Your beloved is gone. Where is he? Will he return? When? What has happened to him?

Weeks pass. You cry and cry over the loss of your beloved. Sometimes you ache silently, in shock over what has happened. The new guy tries to comfort you. You appreciate his attempts, but he doesn't speak your language-either verbally or emotionally. He doesn't seem to realize the terrible thing that has happened...that your sweetheart is gone.

You find it difficult to sleep. The new guy tries to comfort you at bedtime with soft words and gentle touches, but you avoid him, preferring to sleep alone, away from him and any intimate words or contact.

Months later, you still ache for your beloved, but gradually you are learning to trust this new guy. He's finally learned that you like your coffee black, not doctored up with cream and sugar. Although you still don't understand his bedtime songs, you like the lilt of his voice and take some comfort in it.

More time passes. One morning, you wake up to find a full suitcase sitting next to the front door. You try to ask him about it, but he just takes you by the hand and leads you to the car. You drive and drive and drive. Nothing is familiar. Where are you? Where is he taking you?

You pull up to a large building. He leads you to an elevator and up to a room filled with people. Many are crying. Some are ecstatic with joy. You are confused. And worried.

The man leads you over to the corner. Another man opens his arms and sweeps you up in an embrace. He rubs your back and kisses your cheeks, obviously thrilled to see you.

You are anything but thrilled to see him. Who in the world is he? Where is your beloved? You reach for the man who brought you, but he just smiles (although he seems to be tearing up, which concerns you), pats you on the back, and puts your hand in the hands of the new guy. The new guy picks up your suitcase and leads you to the door. The familiar face starts openly crying, waving and waving as the elevator doors close on you and the new guy.

The new guy drives you to an airport and you follow him, not knowing what else to do. Sometimes you cry, but then the new guy tries to make you smile, so you grin back, wanting to "get along." You board a plane. The flight is long. You sleep a lot, wanting to mentally escape from the situation.

Hours later, the plane touches down. The new guy is very excited and leads you into the airport where dozens of people are there to greet you. Light bulbs flash as your photo is taken again and again. The new guy takes you to another guy who hugs you. Who is this one? You smile at him. Then you are taken to another man who pats your back and kisses your cheek. Then yet another fellow gives you a big hug and messes your hair.

Finally, someone (which guy is this?) pulls you into his arms with the biggest hug you've ever had. He kisses you all over your cheeks and croons to you in some language you've never heard before.

He leads you to a car and drives you to another location. Everything here looks different. The climate is not what you're used to. The smells are strange. Nothing tastes familiar, except for the black coffee. You wonder if someone told him that you like your coffee black.

You find it nearly impossible to sleep. Sometimes you lie in bed for hours, staring into the blackness, furious with your husband for leaving you, yet aching from the loss. The new guy checks on you. He seems concerned and tries to comfort you with soft words and a mug of warm milk. You turn away, pretending to go to sleep.

People come to the house. You can feel the anxiety start to bubble over as you look into the faces of all the new people. You tightly grasp the new guy's hand. He pulls you closer. People smile and nudge one other, marveling at how quickly you've fallen in love. Strangers reach for you, wanting to be a part of the happiness.

Each time a man hugs you, you wonder if he will be the one to take you away. Just in case, you keep your suitcase packed and ready. Although the man at this house is nice and you're hanging on for dear life, you've learned from experience that men come and go, so you just wait in expectation for the next one to come along.

Each morning, the new guy hands you a cup of coffee and looks at you expectantly. A couple of times the pain and anger for your husband is so great that you lash out, sending hot coffee across the room, causing the new guy to yelp in pain. He just looks at you, bewildered. But most of the time you calmly take the cup. You give him a smile. And wait. And wait. And wait.


so though many times we post pictures of a smiling boy, we often have a grieving little boy trying to make sense of what is going on!! We continue to educate ourselves and work with our little guy, loving him, and working on attatchment, and teaching him, again and again what the love of a mother and father, and family are!!