Babies in School

Wow how on earth did nearly 5 years pass already. This morning all the littles were in school for the first time.

Getting home was a two man job today, as David, Malachi, and Emily all rolled in together. David and Emily are in the same class that is K-6. Malachi is at a different school for pre-K. Mira is at another school for K.

Daddy was home today to help. Not sure how it’s going to work when he doesn’t make it home on time. 

She’s here...

Arielle Zendaya made her appearance quickly and by the grace of God safely on Aug 1 at 1:42 am. I missed the birth by 10 minutes. She came so fast and so suddenly she shocked the doctors and nurses.  Needless to say the doctor lost his bet on which baby was coming first.

1. First time mom with a 0/0/0 ( dilation/effacement/station) and no contractions

or 2. Active labor second baby dilated and effaced. By the time we’d transferred to the postpartum side #2 had not yet delivered.

Arielle was small at 5.7 18 in. Mom was very sick during pregnancy. Her cord was wrapped twice tightly around her neck, she’d been showing signs of distress and failure to thrive, thus the induction. She was and still is her parents miracle baby. They’d struggled for 5 years of infertility and just when they’d started to consult the specialist, the stick showed those two magic lines.

They discharged the next day and I am so proud of my son and daughter in law, they are doing wonderfully with her and she is such a content little peanut. 

Update

Wow it’s been a minute. Grand baby #1 is two & has a little brother who is 5 months old.  Grand baby #3 is due early Aug after a 5 year unexplained infertility issue for my son and his wife.

I’ve had major medical issues and have been out of work for 3 months and it appears I probably won’t recover fully.

Emily is 9 now. She’s really starting to make more weight bearing on her legs/ knees so we had to put a tent over her medical crib so she won’t climb out. She has zero safety awareness.

David will start K this fall with Semira  as they are both 5 now. It’s been tough for me to figure out when and how to let him go to school but it’s time. Semira is taking, potty trained and finally riding the school bus. We still struggle with sensory issues but she’s come so far.

Malachi is a struggle, he has hypotonia and severe nonverbal autism with stimulation behaviors of extreme self harm. So far therapy is not working and the doctors aren’t exact sure how or with what to treat. 4.5 year old who despite a helmet can still split his head open or rub the skin on his nose from banging his head into the floor. He will finally start pre-K this year as we have gotten the vomiting and aspiration under control, that used to be part of the fit.

So much change, so much going on.  

Since March

I really haven't updated since March? Wow time flies. Lots and lots has happened of course. Biggest news is the grand baby is here and perfect. Ryleigh Arya came three weeks early, the day after my birthday weighing in at 5.15oz and 19 in. Looks exactly like both of her parents, I'm the only grandparent that had met her so far :-)  I miss her so much but good news is that they are moving back to AZ in Dec :-)  I'm so excited to finally have all my kids back in one state!

All 4 kiddos are doing great. Big Mac is sitting unsupported and even standing and taking a few steps if you hold his hands. Semira got a big girl bed and starts PreK in two weeks as well as dance classes. She says a lot of words,but suffers from anxiety and selective mutism. I'm hoping school and outside activities will help her break through, but we are considering an Autism dx as being in her future.
David is still a puzzle as to what I plan to do with him school wise this year, it's so hard because right now he's having so many battles with sensory overload that he's really starting to self harm much more. He broke his last bouncing chair in less than 2 days and the heavy duty one is in order, without that input he's sensory seeking and failing miserably at it. Emily is status quo not a whole lot changes in her world. She's plateaued, but I am going to speak with the dance academy owner because all they have a special needs class that she may be able to join. I think in her walker she may really enjoy that.

ADOPTION done

Malachi James is an official part of the family now! He saw genetics today and she was pretty sure he was presenting with something so she ordered two complete DNA sequences. They take about a month to run.  So we may have some answers or we may not. When you look at him it's kinda hard to not just go, "huh" You know there is something but not sure what. It's not like it really matters but it's there.

Been a minute....

I haven't really posted anything in awhile on here.  Just been busy living I guess.

Kids update:
Sami- is having a girl. I'm in MT right now visiting with her. It sux that she is so far away during this time and I won't get a lot of time with my grandchild. But, they are doing well here right now so I will just have to let her live her life. And still hope she comes home.

Dan- A few months out of the Army now and attending school full time. Right now he has all As.  He's attached to a National Guard unit here as well. His big news is that he's applied to and now passed the first two portions of the police academy applications process here in local big city. To his wife's dismay no baby news for them yet.

Emily- Had hip surgery due to bilateral hip dislocation common with CP no weight bearing children. She'll be in casts and using a wedge pillow immobilizer for the next six weeks. She'll probably be out of school the rest of the year.

David- Big boy three year old is doing well from his latest eye surgery. He's getting around very well and doing a lot more standing. We've submitted to insurance for a walker for him, do hopefully we get that soon. He should start homebased preschool soon, haven't heard back in that yet, but until he starts homebased and the teachers actually work with him 1:1 I will not allow him to attend the school based preschool here.

Semira- Miss sassy pants is coming along so much. Walking and talking so much more. She starts preschool in Aug. Developing at a consistent 1 year behind right now. But I think she will catch up pretty quick when she starts school. She hates working with therapy at home but she thrives when mimicking so I think when she's around her peers, more typical ones, she'll just catch in.

Mac- The baby is still very much a baby but he's coming along now too! He's playing with toys, reaching for people, he's almost stilling on his own, and is weight bearing on his feet and supporting his trunk in the exersaucer now. He has a long way to go still but it's progress.


*** I'll add pics to this once I get home***

March 8th

Adoption date for Big Mac!!

Holidays, surgeries, sickness and papers filed

Christmas came and went uneventfully. The babies are still too young to really grasp the concept, but Semira is getting closer at understanding. David had two surgeries on his eye prior to Christmas. The second due to a hemmorage. He's doing very well now and back to normal. Everyone in the house just got over pretty nasty colds. I'm very tired. Finally... the adoption papers are filed and the date should be soon to finalize Spuds adoption cementing our family and closing the door on our foster care life.

Busy weeks

This week really started over the weekend. Got to go to a play with my nieces , sister in law and my daughter in law. Then went to Ikea and a movie with my son and daughter in law. Monday David had surgery on his eye, we are still dealing with the side effects of the anesthesia and pain medication. Today we have a doctor appt for Emily and a visit for Mac from his old CASA worker. Wednesday they are coming to give us another quote for a the pool we are thinking of putting in, if someone will quote under 30 grand-seriously it's a small splash pool. Thursday there's probably a doctor appt and Friday is crazy as crazy can be. The final iep for davids preschool meetings, a doctor appt to follow up on his surgery, three IFSP meetings for the babies for there for there DDD stuff and of course physical,speech, and occasional therapy for all the kids.

Big Mac turns 2

Still no word from lawyer... but I expect to get a call soon about petition being ready. Of course I think this move screwed up some things and the Case Worker is lost.

Sharing technology

I love technology. My daughter sent me a text video of her using the Doppler I bought her and you can hear the baby's heartbeat. It's amazing the things smart phones have allowed us to share from over 1100 miles away.  It's definitely not the same as being there and I do plan on making a few trip there before the baby comes and especially after it comes.  Grandparenting from afar was not how I thought this would be though. So it's bittersweet all in all.

Thanksgiving was a bust

i had to work on Wed night and Thurs night, so we decided to have dinner on Friday. My son, his wife, my mom and nephew. Hubby and the babies. But t even while cooking staying awake was hard. Even harder was staying awake after dinner. I just couldn't.

Thanksgiving used to be dinner and games... But with my daughter not here this year and still mourning my Dad, it was just a pretty crappy day.

I don't have to work Christmas so here's hoping we have a better day, but the scene will still be the same.

Where is...

insert one of four names now because you could be asking that question about any of the kids now. If Mac is not hooked up to his feeding and safely tucked into a chair, swing or jumper, he's rolling around his floor and under things. Semira is climbing on something, destroying a path of something in her way and generally toddeling around the house. David is crawling everywhere now. If a light pops on he follows to wherever it may lead. Into the bathroom, his siblings rooms, the laundry room, a closet, out the doggy door... You get the picture. Emily has been mobile for so long we are used to that. She continues to get into everything, but she's playing with purpose now too so that's awesome.

Life with 4 "toddlers" is busy busy busy

Adult children

Need a little attention here. My daughter is a nervous wreck over the baby coming. Mostly because there are so many things that can go wrong and she's so excited about getting to be a Mommy. She's almost 11 weeks now. She just got a new job, out of the classroom and into administration so hopefully that helps some. She still has bouts of nausea and vomiting, along with motion sickness and chasing three year old around all day is too much for her. With the new job will come insurance but in the meantime we found a place that will provide free prenatal care for her until 30 weeks. I also bought her a Doppler so hopefully all is well and we will get to hear the baby heartbeat soon snd maybe take some of the worry away.

My son has finally moved into his house. He starts school in January but he wants to also apply to the Police Department. His wife is pissed. They fight. Not a new issue. But they live closer now do I get dragged in. She's dramatic and has high clinical intervention levels of anxiety.  He's  an asshole plain and simple and needs to mature more.  He wants an exciting career and she wants a baby desperately. I think they need to grow up a lot first, despite being married for three years.   I'm very happy he's home. I love them both, I'm not happy that their fighting contains a lot of divorce talk and storming off. But I don't like getting texts about him "putting his hand on her" while at work... Only to find out by both that it was more his hand were on my arms as we yelled at each other face to face until he stormed off. Right or wrong, you don't throwing that around, domestic violence is serious. I honestly think they are just not right for each other somedays.

I'm an adult kid too. I'm stressed beyond belief because my mothers blood pressures are dangerously high. Stroke high. Just like my Dad the year before he passed. I have this de ja vu thing because I remember vividly the "screwy blood pressures" he'd talk about. She's also depressed because it's finally sunk in he's not coming back and we'll we all know holidays suck too and add to it. Work sux, the babies are busy and there is just so much to do.

So I worry, get little sleep and bitch and moan. You should see my blood pressure.

Raising special kids

Raising a blind child is hard. Besides all the other complicating factors related to vision and education, the mobility right now is the one that breaks my heart. David has started to crawl, pull to stand and cruise the furniture. What breaks my heart is when he bumps his head into stuff when crawling. He cries and rubs it and just breaks my heart. I wish I could just put a bubble around him but I know I can't. But this mamma finds it so hard to not treat him more fragile than our little girl who can see.

Psst...

Our family is expanding. Confirmed via ultrasound today... I'm going to be a Grandmother finally! My daughter, who married in July, is expecting her first child and is due in June.

Such happy happy news.

Expanding

Our family may or may not be expanding next year.... Stay tuned.

It just irks the crap outta me -National Adoption Month Story

It's National adoption month!! A certain page, who also makes hamburgers, shares stories of awesome people. But today, today I am a little off center about one.  Why is there a go fund me page for every time something like life happens for people?  I get it unexpected expenses like a loss etc. community comes together.  But it really irks me that its news that a family who private adopts infants domestically, and sibs out of foster care within 24 hours is magically a charity case that needs crowd funding?  We have 4 special needs children, three are 2 years old now! We adopted two on the same day and it was dramatic and their stories are sad but are their stories... We didn't set up a page. Heck those people even probably got a baby shower to celebrate at least the two newborns coming into their family.  We ran around trying to get extra baby everything and cribs when we were placed with unexpected infants x three. Oh they had fertility issues, well I had cancer we found during infertility treatments! Ok am I bitchy yup. How you grew your family and the circumstances are a story of life and how you were blessed with amazing littles girls to raise... do not equate with a need to crowd fund your family.  It's not like they appeared on your doorstep 4 at once and the state walked away and said good luck you are on your own out of the blue one day.

Macs Birth Mom

Called me today to ask if I've talked to the CASA worker about getting a pic of the other baby for her because today is his birthday. I told her on the 1st to call the Case Worker to get a visit so she could see him. They severed her rights but they have to give her a goodbye visit if she asks, plus she may be able to get the same set up we have where we send her pics of him. I do not know who has the baby. I don't know anything about them. I already feel bad that we couldn't keep the boys together, but seriously these dark circles under my eyes are already deep with what we have and my job.  She really should have had her own Law Guardian.

Subsidy drama

Adopting special needs kids out of foster care this time around has been a big cluster f to say the least. Why? Because we moved into a county that is apparently controlled by dumbasses in another county two hours away, who either have a different set of guidelines or are just plain stupid. Either way it's caused a snag because we let our license lasp and they want to only give the regular rate not the DDD/medfrag rate. It's about $10 a day difference. Does it matter really? No, but they are being ignorant of the facts and that does matter. SSI might be a better route for him because he's entitled to just as much as his siblings.