The whole Katherine Heigl Adoption event

it sort of makes me crazy sometimes.  It's all over the adoption boards and, of course, the internet.  If you actually read some of the articles they're crazy!

While it's sweet that she chose to adopt because her sister was Korean born, it just turns into such a media frenzy.  Some articles are stating that the baby girl was born with a hole that was corrected.  But, then they'll state that the adoption was expedited because the baby needed to be in the US to get the medical care she needed.  PLEASE!  Korea's medical care on these little ones is as good as ours, at least.  I would have no problems with my children getting care in Korea, surgical or otherwise.  If she had a small hole it wouldn't have been surgically corrected in the traditional sense.  Most thing open, surgery.  Most small holes are corrected through a cath now, which is not a huge deal at all.  2nd, Korea doesn't send a child home any faster because of "special needs".  Call them what the agencies here call these kids....waiting children.   It's my preference, but I hate, hate that term.  And yes, I have two "waiting children".  Some articles go onto make it sound as though Katherine and her husband found out about their baby or received their referral when she was like 1 month old.  Impossible.  Korea cannot, by law, release a child for overseas application until at least 5 1/2 months of age and even then you have to wait to accept for 2 more weeks.  Some also make it sound like someone withheld that the baby had a heart condition.  Ummm...if the referral was sent out at 5 1/2 months of age (at the youngest), the baby's heart was corrected at 2 months...Korea knew about it.  Korea does not hide anything nor do the US counterparts.  You see waiting children with any needs from very minor to very serious so they can find the right family for these wonderful little ones.  They're concerned for the children first!

And to all those calling Katherine and her husband saints....annoying.  Sorry to be blunt, but I don't even like it when people think we're special for adopting and then adoption waiting children to boot.  We're not...they're not.  It's just what we wanted.  Our daughters and Katherine's daughter would have been adopted by someone.  It's a fact that girls are easier to place.  Side by side to boys with the same issues the girls would find families faster than the boys.  Sad, but true.  So, are we special....no.  Is she?  No.  We're just these kids' parents by choice because that's the way it was meant to be.

Anyways, no pedestals please.  She's not a poor little orphan.  She's a sweet little baby that found her parents.  That's it!  Our 5 found us through birth and adoption...that's it!

BTW, Korea is one of the most honest, reputable programs I know of.  It's one of the oldest around and the people of Korea love these children being placed.  They ONLY look out for these children!

Lisa

I forget

that sometimes my kids are friends and CAN get along.  They've been fighting so much lately, I had started to wonder.  So happy to see them outside getting along with no crying...yet.

Confirmation

We had confirmation that Chelsi has strep like the others.  J's pneumonia was not going away like we had hoped on amox, so I asked that they change his meds.  He gets z now.  If he has any fevers by Monday he has to be seen.  He's been in a greally great mood today, though he's still really tired.  I'm praying my little man is getting over this.  Chelsi actually seems to be feeling well and her temp isn't too bad.  But, we're keeping her confined to keep the others from reinfection.

Hopefully, soon, no one in the house will be sick anymore and we'll make it through the rest of the season with no major illnesses.  Please!

Lisa

It's bbaaaaccckkk!

At least I think so.  Chelsi was lying around this evening...never a good sign for a 4 year old.  Sure enough, I checked her and she felt warm.  It was just 100.5, but since she has a history of a febrile seizure now we have to treat everything.  Daddy gets to get her strep tested in the morning so if she does have strep we can treat her properly and she can get better.

4 down, 1 to go!

Lisa

Update on sick baby

No new sick babies, which is good, but one has gotten worse.

J seemed fine Friday and Saturday.  No fever, great mood, great appetite, everything.  Then suddenly about 10:30 pm on Saturday night he woke screaming.  I picked him up and he was burning up.  He was just under 105 at that point.  We put a cool rag on his head after we gave him some Motrin and waited for it to go down.  It went down fairly fast and I slept with him the rest of the night.  Sunday J was fine again.  Then, last night (Sunday), at the same time he woke screaming.  He was 105.6 under his arm.  He scared me to death.  I called the doctor to make sure cold rags wouldn't shock him and he said it was fine.  We had given him Motrin, but almost two hours later the Motrin hadn't done anything and he was still about 103.  I called our nurse hotline and she said to bring him to the ER since he was also breathing fairly fast.  By the time we got there it was down to 101.5.  They did a flu swab and it was negative.  Then they did a chest xray and it was positive for pneumonia.  The ER doctor said he probably got worse after he got strep from K.  He said he's already on the right antibiotic and should be feeling better in a day or two.  He almost seems worse today...maybe it's just that hump he's almost over though.  J's been so tired, no appetite and very clingy.  I can hold him and hold him.  He's been so sweet and just holds onto me.  He really seems to love me as much as I love him now.  And I know just how much I love this boy.  I hope he's better soon.  I hate seeing him so tired and not feeling well.  I like my active little man.

Prayers for my sweet boy and for the rest of the crew to stay healthy the rest of the season.

Lisa

Forgot to post pics of the kids (loads)

Here are all the pictures that I took of the kids last weekend, so they each have an updated photo on the wall.  Js Godparents live on a farm, which I realize there are many of around here, so we went there for the pics.

And.....Chelsi is 4

Yes, their birthdays are almost exactly 3 years apart....1 day to be precise.

We woke Chelsi up to singing happy birthday to her.  Chase figured out how to play happy birthday on Js xylophone all by himself so he could surprise her.  He played that for her after her nap.  The girls had soccer in the morning and I think they were both dragging from Js party last night.  ;)

I took Chelsi into town to get her free ice cream cake and pick out some cupcakes; since we had enough cake left over from Js party yet.  She opened most of her presents at Js party since he wouldn't notice she got presents too and everyone was there.  She loved everything she got.  We gave her ours tonight.  She was so funny.  We gave her Hullaballoo.  Grandma H gave her that for Christmas and a couple months later the kids fought over it, dropped it and broke it.  We got her a new one.  She pulled it out and said "you got me a new hubabaloo.  I love it, thank you".  She's so sweet.  So we promptly put batteries in it and it's a dud.  We tried two sets and nothing.  I have the receipt, so back to Walmart it will go and hoping they have a new one for her.  They all truly love that game.

And on the topic of soccer real quick.  She doesn't care for it.  She'll finish her trial year, but she said she doesn't care to play next year, which is fine.  But, she got up in there and kicked the ball once this morning, raises her arms like it's a touchdown and proceeds to jump up and down with her arms in the air as the game goes one.  It was so funny.

Chelsi's such a great girl.  I truly love being her mother!

Jaemin is one!

Okay, so technically, in Korea, he's already 2. A tid bit for anyone who doesn't know, when you're born in Korea you're already 1.  When the new year comes everyone turns the next year, so Jaemin turned 2 then already.  You don't really age on your actual birthday.  Kind of confusing when someone from Korea tells you how old they are because sometimes they change it for Americans and tell us their age by our culture and sometimes they don't.

Our sweet baby boys turned 1 yesterday.  I can't believe that just 6 months ago we had just found out we were going to be parents again and now our baby is 1.  Other than being sick the day before his birthday it was great.  He was in a great mood all day.  He laughed all day and tried to take a couple of steps.

We had Js TOL party in the evening complete with; cake, ice cream, deli meat, chips and bulgogi.  There wasn't much bulgogi left at all.  It was a huge hit.  All 3 grandparents were there, Loa and Js Godparents.  Since we'd had illness in the house we asked some not to come so they wouldn't get sick (or have their kids get sick).  J got plenty of present though.  The room was packed with toys in the end and I don't think he knew what to do with all his toys.  Though he really does love to hammer away on his xylophone.  Apparently, like his sisters, he likes music.

Jaemin selected a spool of thread and 10,000 Won from his TOL table.  This means he will be wealthy and have a long life.  He wore his gorgeous hanbok that his foster mother sent with him.  I loved his birthday too.  It was so fun to sing happy birthday to him all day long!  We had a little problem with the cake, but I'm trying to forget that.  :)

Here are some pictures from the party.



















Thanks, Anita, for the great 1st birthday tshirt!!







And this is the next day.  He also had a great time with his balloons this morning, though he got a big tangled as he crawled with them in hand.

What a day!

In midst of 3 sick kids in 4 days and Lysoling and Chlorixing the house for the 4th time this week and getting ready for a TOL party tonight (which will be very small family only now with strep), I went to check on little man sleeping and he was all sprawled out in his crib wearing nothing but a diaper. I looked at him and smiled and thought....he's ours. I'm so happy he's ours. How lucky were we to get a call, out of the blue, and find out we had a baby we'd never planned for, but couldn't imagine him not in our lives.

My J turns 1 today and my little boy. He took a couple of steps today, finally slept the majority of the night last night and has been smiling and talking all day. He put his hand to his face this morning and said "heo....dad". He just kept talking to his dad on his hand. So glad to get to spend today at home with him instead of work. While I don't wish one of my other baby boys were sick, I'm just thankful for all the time I get with him.

How do you thank the Lord enough for a blessing so sweet. I have 4 others that I'm truly thankful for too, but he was just such an unexpected blessing and has truly made our lives better and happier. Even on the nights (many, many) that he pushed away, hit, slapped and scratched, I couldn't believe God was entrusting another baby to us. Even though he's a bull-headed little boy who doesn't care for the word "no" and therefore ignores, I just am in awe. I love his differences from his siblings as well as his similarities. He's the glue that binds the other 4 together....truly.

Thank you, Lord, for this boy, thank you for Korea who cares enough to call for siblings and thank you DH who knew we needed him here with us, with no doubts.

I love you bubby. Happy Birthday to the sweetest kisser in the world!

Football and Illness (Update on my sickies)

First, K has strep.  After a couple of days and still a very low grade temp with meds we were worried so the doc wanted to test for flu.  It was negative this morning.  Since J ended up with a temp (low grade) last night they're planning to treat him for strep.  He's not supposed to be contagious anymore by the time his birthday party time comes around tomorrow, so the grandparents and great grandparents want to come regardless for his special day.  Unless anyone else gets sick we're having his TOL, cake, ice cream and bulgogi...just not in that order, tomorrow night.  Can't wait to give J his riding/push toy I put together at nap this morning.

Since J and K were both running temps last night only dad got to go to Chase's football game last night.  This is Chase's first year to play.  A lot of kids, if not most have been playing flag since 1st grade and he's already in 4th with this being the last year of flag.  5th grade is tackle.  He came home SO excited last night.  He had an awesome game.  He scored 2 of the 3 touchdowns and had 2 pickoffs and "almost" an interception.  He's a lot like K.  He's in his element out on an athletic field, yet great in the classroom too.  I'm thankful for a boy who really strives for good grades and tries his best on the field.

We are not the type of parents to get our kids involved in everything.  We don't have time for overscheduling and neither do they.  But, if they want to try something, they are allowed to.  Once they sign up they must finish the season and then they can decide what they want to do after that.  By the time they go into high school they'll have to really limit it with us having so many kids.  C has already decided on basketball only.  K really likes soccer, but is wanting to try basketball in a year or two...so she will get to.  Chase is definitely not wanting to play basketball and is deciding between football and baseball, though he's pretty great at both and his build is perfect!  Chels.....well, she's doing soccer this year for the first time and after practice #2 she told dad that she didn't want to play anymore.  We told her she must finish, but it was fine if she didn't want to play next year.  All she wants to do more than anything is be a cheerleader.  And she will probably.  She can yell and cheer for Chase at his games and could care less who hears that very loud voice of hers.

If I had to guess, I think C will work with computers, Chase will do something with art (graphic arts maybe), K will be a teacher as she already wants to and would be wonderful at it, Chels will be on the big screen some how (she's a little tone deaf, so probably not a singer ;)  ), I haven't figured J out quite yet.  Though J is VERY strong and I can see him excelling in some sort of sport.

I'm such a proud momma of my babies some times and truly miss when I don't get to see their special moments like at last nights football game.

So for a special moment for Chelsi tomorrow, the radio station is going to play "Chicken Fry" for her.  She loves the Zac Brown Band and she knows this song by heart.  After they announce J's 1st bday and Chelsi's 4th bday they will play her song.  She will be thrilled!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lisa

Virus.....hope not

K came home from school and just laid around.  A little later she complained that she was cold.  Sure enough she had 102 temp.  Normally, I don't worry too much because she runs high fevers when she's sick.  But, with this H1N1 stuff going around it worries me.  I have a baby, premature toddler, heart kid and 2 allergy induced asthmatics in the house.  This actually scares me a bit more than I usually am.

On top of that we have everyone coming over this weekend for J's TOL party and this is a HUGE deal.  We have the food bought already too.  We can't have people over if someone in the house is sick.

Please pray it's nothing more than a little short-lived virus and it doesn't go through the entire house...or even half...or anyone else. :)  Everyone was sick enough last year.  We've chloroxed the heck out of the house and gave each kid hand sanitizer to use.  We go through a lot of that anyways.  Every time we leave some where, while the kids are in school, I'm at work, everywhere, we use sanitizer.  But, K touches everything and I"m sure that hasn't helped.

I just hope we get out of this pretty easy.  Prayers from anyone reading that no one else in the house gets it and she's over it very soon and the party can also go on as planned.

What a relief!

Chelsi has been so upset and has dwelled on losing her sunglasses we bought in Korea since we got home.  She swore she left them in the hotel.  Lois swore she saw her with them at our home airport.  The kids found them in the couch today!  She was so excited to find them.  They are cute and irreplaceable.

Bright day.



Cloudy day.

Annual Photos for the Kids

We don't buy school pictures for the kids.  They're just too expensive.  I think the smallest package is at least $20 and you don't get much for that.  This would be $20 x 5 eventually.  I needed to take Jaemin's one year picture anyways, so we took the kids to Jay's farm and took pictures of all 5.  Here are the top 3 of each one that I like.  The great thing about taking pictures yourself is that you can have any of them and as many as you want for hardly any cost.

Jaemin







Chelsi







Kaelin







Chase







Cole







All 5 kids







And just for fun, Chelsi had to wear her kitty boots on the tractor.