Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Joseph reaching out for Mom

He was fine till he saw who was taking the picture (Robin)
Then he thought he just had to be held....I assure you he was.

Joseph has bonded very well, he loves all of us but he especially loves his mom.

Joseph at school

Here Joseph is digging for a crayon

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Dr's Visits

Robin and I went to see her OB DR this past Friday. She had taken an at home test a couple of weeks ago and it had strongly indicated pregnancy. We were able to see the baby and the heart beat via ultrasound. What an incredible miracle to see a tiny heart beating. The baby was as perfect as it could possibly be.

It is such a miracle that we are even able to get pregnant. Robin had been feeling not too well since she came home from Africa, nothing specific just not well. she kept expecting to get her energy back but it just wouldn't ever happen. She had half convinced herself that she had brought something back from Africa. Of course when she took the test, I "jokingly" told her that she had better not have brought this back from Africa.

As for the miracle of being pregnant, I had a vasectomy and then a reversal, the Dr told me after a couple of tests that the surgery was not successful. That started our first attempt at adoption back in 2000. Then right when we were discussing things with a birth-mom that had picked our profile...we became pregnant with Cooper. Then Cullen and then Chandler-Mae. October of 2006 we were pregnant, but the baby had located just at the opening of the tube, One Saturday we were at a soccer game with our friends when Robin felt a sharp pain in her side, and just kept feeling worse. By 9-10 pm that night she had started passing out.
We arranged for the Ob Dr on call to meet us at the Emerg room. We live over an hour from the hospital and that was a scary ride in, Robin kept passing out for a few seconds at a time but it was getting harder to rouse her. The Dr wasn't waiting on us but when they saw Robins condition they ushered us fairly quickly, an ultrasound showed that her tube had burst and she was bleeding internally. Once the Ob did get there and Robin passed out, this time we could hardly wake her up at all, he got things moving quickly. He ended up having to tie off that tube, and told us that her other tube was still fine and no other problems.

God is truly a great God, He performs miracles every day and He allows us our hearts desires. Whatever God has in store from us we are thankful for. Our lives have been so richly blessed with first our relationship with Christ, without His grace it would be meaningless. I have been blessed with an incredible, charismatic, God fearing, beautiful lady that for some reason chooses to love me and share her life with me. The blessing of our children, each one of them and how God placed them in our family in the birth order that they are in is so perfectly part of God's will.

Joseph and his story is truly a blessing not only to him but to our family also. He is such a great loving little boy, his Liberian family never left him alone for long. He does not suffer from any abandonment issues. He truly is a happy well mannered, easily disciplined little boy. If he is doing something he's not supposed to be doing...say trying to stand up in the slippery tub.. we can say no-no Joseph and he minds us, I know that doesn't seem like much but that is his nature he is happy and compliant, he loves his brothers and sisters. We have plastic and foam swords everywhere, he loves to be sitting on his car and to roll up to Cullen or Cooper and start whacking them with the sword till they go get one and then they really get into it.

Robin and her mother took Joseph to his cardio pediatric check up yesterday. Tucker also had an appt to get braces on. So Pat (mom-n-law) took Tucker in for that and Robin walked across the street with Joseph for his appt. Dr Lau, the cardiologist was truly amazed at how well Joseph was doing. He just couldn't get over how much he had changed from when he first saw him. Usually he wants to see his patients 1mo, 3mo, 6mo, 12mo post surgery, but he said for us to come back in 1 year.
Just a great visit.

Tuckers braces got put on, at least the the upper set did. That young man has had hardware in his mouth for one reason or another for about a year now, and he still has a while to go. But finally getting to the stage where braces could be used is a milestone of sorts so we were glad. He's not quite as happy, his teeth will be pretty sore for a couple of weeks.

So three great Dr's visits. Getting to see our new baby, Joseph being given a great review, and Tucker's braces. Thank You Lord.

Scott

Saturday, January 26, 2008

News from the "front-lines"

Ok since Robin is down and out I am going to give a few updates till she's back on her feet. For those that haven't heard yet...we are expecting!! This miracle from God had to have happened at a time when I am not sure that Robin and I even saw each other...at least not for THAT long. The beautiful woman that I am pleased to call my wife is FERTILE....The baby is due sometime late August. Whenever Robin is pregnant, she also becomes very, very sick. With our first two children, she was hospitalized because of dehydration from throwing up, we found out when our third child came along at the end of 2001 that a little miracle drug called Zofran had been okayed for expectant mothers to use. That little miracle pill can stop violent nausea dead in its tracks. The zofran keeps her out of any danger of being hospitalized but doesn't entirely cure the nausea. The first trimester still keeps her holed up, with barely enough steam left to manage taking care of 6 children. That is why there have been fewer and fewer updates these last few weeks. As to taking care of the 6 kids... we are so thankful for Taylor and Tucker and Cooper, they have always been hard and enthusiastic workers, but they have really stepped up and they are helping Robin so much during the days when I am away at work. Our Liberian boy Jokey-Joe, as we all call him now, is doing great. We started letting him sleep in the room with the boys a few days ago, and since that time (not sure if it was that or just timing) he has gone wild. He used to just kind of stay in the area if you put him down. We would put him in the room to play with another child, and a little while later the other child would have moved out of the room for one reason or another but Joseph would still be in the room, now tho he is scooting around, sort of crawl/scooting on his bottom and he has no boundaries. His confidence in where he is has increased to where he feels safe anywhere. He loves to eat too. I have been eating heavy protein and few carbs and one of the quickest and tastiest meals I cook is to grill one of those kielbasa sausages and eat that with some extra sharp cheddar cheese, I HAVE to share this with Jokey-Joe, he scoots up to me and gets up in my lap and demands he gets his turn with the eating of the sausage and cheese. But it's funny what he doesn't like, we brought home fresh Krispy Kreme doughnuts, we have to stand guard over them with all of the other kids but Jokey took one taste and spit it out and would not try them again. Another funny story that is a testament to his confidence,
Rob had put him and Channie to bed, together because his normal bed partner Cullen was sick with a fever, well Robin kept hearing something but really thought nothing of it, so for maybe twenty minutes she just ignored it, till she decided to get up and investigate, Jokey had crawled off the bed and out into the hallway, where it was dark, he could see the room that Robin was in but he was just sitting there playing with some cars...when she gave him a little "talking to" she said he had the biggest grin on his face, because he knew that he had really done something big.

I'm sure Robin will be back on line soon to give you the updates. But I'll try and keep them going till then...Scott

Monday, January 7, 2008

Girls day out



Taylor and I went to a baby shower for a girl at our church on Saturday.
It's such a special thing celebrating a new life. So many have abandoned this
tradition of baby showers and I'm so glad our church gives showers to all women
who are expecting reguradless of how many you have. They celebrate each new life.
Each child is worth throwing a shower for each child is a blessing....
After that we went and met my mom and ate lunch...It's been a while since it was
just us girls and it felt good to laugh and eat good food and talk over the problems
of the world.(my mom can fix all of them...)We had a time of just relaxing and soaking
in the common bonds that keep us held so tightly together. Taylor and my mom are so close. They do so many of the same things that it's almost comical at times how they act so much alike....As I get older I realize that I can look in the mirror and it's true "I look like my mother". I think she is beautiful so it's agood thing.I know she is NOT perfect but she is our rock and she is our cheerleader and we don't have many of those....I'm thankful she gets to be such a huge part of our life right now and I have to say I couldn't do it sometimes with her..

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

My husband teaching my boys to be men....

Sometimes I wonder why God blessed ME so much with this guy I call my sweet adorable husband. He's not fancy he's not a show -off and he certainly wouldn't want this attention.He is a man that has stolen my heart in so many ways..He is the best dad. He is gentle in a way that I can never seem to be..He is loving and kind and always himself..He went back to work today after alot of time off from Christmas and then the death of his dad ete..and Cooper our 6 year old is crying so hard at one point today because he misses "his best daddy ever". I can't imagine what he has been going through with the death of his dad..He has missed him so much and there will forever be a hole there that I can-not fill and will not try to fill and for that I'm sad but I'm so thankful we have the memories together..so that we can talk about him and remember him together.
One of the things that he and his dad often said to one another is
"your a man I would ride the river with" meaning you could be trusted totally..
Well, my dear husband is a man whom you could ride the river with and I'm thankful I'm on the ride with him..




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