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!