What a Pain...in the Neck!

I just realized I haven't updated my loyal blog followers on the situation with my cervical disk injury. Let me tell ya, folks, it has been a doozy of a trip...and it's not over yet! I have endured two- to three-a-week physical therapy and therapeutic massage appointments, and now...well, wait, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Let's start at the beginning...
...yep, my adorable niece head-butting my nose at our family Christmas party resulted in the whiplash neck injury that started all this trouble. Can you believe it?

I love ya, Sophia, but I REALLY wish you hadn't done that!!

After enduring three weeks of PT and massages and a steroid dose pack (which should have helped the inflammation) with very little change in my symptoms, my chiropractor decided it was time to admit defeat and told me it was time to get a surgical opinion. Yikes.

We sent all my records to a neurosurgeon and I have been waiting two weeks to see -- as my chiropractor put it -- if I'm "worthy." When he first said that, it sounded so judgmental...until I thought about it and decided I REALLY wanted to be deemed "not worthy" in this surgeon's eyes. "Not worthy" equals "no surgery."

I found out today that I am, indeed, worthy. My initial appointment with the neurosurgeon is on Monday, April 13th. Wait, why did I take THAT appointment...isn't 13 an unlucky number?!?!?!
I'll keep you updated...

The Stork Is On Its Way...

...to China with our dossier paperwork!

I got the following e-mail a few minutes ago from Kim, the Dossier Manager at CCAI:

"CONGRATULATIONS, Kevin & Teresa,

Here's the news you've long been waiting for -- your dossier was sent to China today (3/26/2009)!"

What does this mean as far as travel? Who knows?! But at least the things we CAN control...like sending off the paperwork...are getting done.

Whew...what a relief!

Coffee Mugs, Purple Pancakes, and a Bit of "Wine"...

A couple of Saturdays ago, Meggie and I got together with two of my sisters-in-law, some nieces, and my older sister and we worked on the invitations to my youngest sister's wedding shower. (She's getting married at the end of May.) After working our fingers to the bone for a few hours, we all headed out to dinner and then to a paint-your-own-pottery studio. My niece, Courtney, works at this particular studio and she reserved the party room for us. It was so much fun!

Carson was initially QUITE interested...he enjoyed choosing his piece, picking colors, and deciding how many paint brushes he would need. He decided to decorate a mug with a puppy on it for himself...and then Meggie talked me into decorating the kitten mug for Molly.

Carson jumped right in...
...and so did the ever artistic Meggie...
...while Courtney (standing) explained some helpful hints to (from left to right) Brooke, Lauren, and Tara.
Carson's idea of painting was to glob a ton of paint in one place on the mug, then to immediately get more paint...
...and Meggie was all too happy to record my exasperated reaction to the mess he was making! Eventually, he allowed me to help him smooth out the paint.
...but about 10 minutes after THAT point, he was bored. In fact, he decided he was done! Well, this studio had a sign (I wish I had taken a picture of it) that said "Unattended Children will be Given an Espresso and a Puppy" -- we're lucky we didn't go home with a dog and a caffeine headache, lemme tell ya!

Courtney was so sweet...she walked him around and let him look at all the pieces on the shelves. But then he was bored with THAT! (Why did I think a 5-year-old boy who can barely hold a pencil would sit still for two hours of tedious and intricate painting? Am I NEW?!?!)

Thankfully, Carson found the camera and decided he would take pictures while we painted. I was painting SO quickly trying to finish both of these mugs while Meggie made her pieces. So he wouldn't break the camera, Carson decided to leave the camera on the table and take his pictures from that vantage point.

So, we have Lauren (leaning over, of course)...
...the water bowl on the table in front of him (he took about 27 pictures of this)...
...Meggie (leaning over, of course)...
...the wall (he took about 13 pictures of this)...
...and Mommy and Meggie frantically trying to finish up before the studio closed.
Once I completed the mugs for Carson and Molly (I'm no artist, so my standards really weren't that high!), I decided to take a few pics of the girls...
...until Carson stole the camera back to take a self-portrait with Aunt Michelle.
Wanna see the finished products? We got them back today. Here are the mugs Meggie decorated (she did the striped one for me, the dotted one for herself)......and here are the masterpieces Carson and I made.
I thought it was so cute that they had the back of the animals on the back of the mugs! We did a pretty good job, considering. Most importantly, though, we had fun! Can't wait to go back and do that again!

This morning, Meggie woke up wanting something hot for breakfast and decided to make pancakes for all of us before we left for her dance competition. Since Meggie is artistic, though, regular pancakes just won't do...
...so she and Carson made purple pancakes! Since her dance team's colors are purple and white, I guess it was symbolic or good luck or something...the dancers did great at the competition and earned Platinum awards for all three dances! (That is the highest award, for those who don't understand the competitive dance world.)

We've got the coffee mugs, we've got the purple pancakes...so now for the "wine" portion of this breakfast...
...LOL! Fooled ya! No wine here, but tons of whine!

We don't call it the "time out chair" anymore...it has become the "whiney chair"! Pretty much whatever we say to Carson...put your toys away, come eat dinner, go wash your hands, it's bath time...will result in the dreaded sound. You know it...the "Awwwwwwww, come onnnnnnn" that is like fingernails-on-a-chalkboard to me! Ugghhhh!!! I can't STAND whiners!! (OK, those who know me will say that I am a whiner...but don't believe 'em!)

When Daddy placed the "whiney chair" near the wall and told Carson he had to sit there this morning, he actually said, "Awwwwwww, come onnnnnnnn, I want the RED chair!"

Now I think I'm gonna start whining...

A Car for the Original Princess...

I keep referring to Molly as our Princess, but yesterday reminded us that Meggie really has always been our Princess as well. She was the Original Princess. And the Original Princess is now the proud owner of a used car!

For those of you who think we are spoiling the Teenager, I really feel I must defend this purchase. Meggie is barely 5 feet tall. She is a full head shorter than most of her friends. She was excited to drive...until she got behind the wheel of my minivan. She just never felt like she was in complete control of that big vehicle...and she began to have frightening panic attacks while driving.

When I learned how to drive, my parents had a full-size van and I was forced to drive it. I distinctly remember feeling the way Meggie described her fear...that I wasn't in control of that huge vehicle and it just wasn't worth it to drive if that was the vehicle of choice. Thankfully, my parents were able to buy me a crappy little two-door AMC Hornet and I was spared the dreaded big brown van.

We began discussing a possible car purchase and told Meggie we would go look Friday after school. I, however -- being the amazing and wonderful Mommy that I am -- spent four-and-a-half hours of my Friday at the used car dealership doing all the leg work ahead of time. By the time we drove up to the dealership Friday evening, the car was already picked out, financing had already been handled, and I had already signed my part of the documents.

Chris, our salesman, came up to us as if we were complete strangers...even though he and I had spent MANY hours together earlier that day. We did the introductions and he walked us around the lot as if we were seeing these cars for the first time. When we approached Meggie's car -- a 2006 Hyundai Accent -- she noted that it had a big red bow on it. She said, "Oh, that's cute." Chris told her he had just gotten it in and it was a pretty good car. I asked her if she liked it. She said she did. I said, "Good, 'cause it's yours" and handed her the key.

She flipped out! And, no, I don't have pictures because I FORGOT THE STINKIN' CAMERA!!!!! Ugghhh...

By the time we got home, it was too dark to get decent pictures. I did try...
...and the goofball -- I mean Carson tried to jump into the shot. Fine, Carson, I'll take your picture.
OK, that's just weird. What a silly kid! Carson just HAD to be in a pic with Meggie...
...but then I asked for one of Meggie all by herself.
Woah, never mind. That was just way too close and, frankly, a bit disturbing. My Dad taught me how to drive, so that seems like a normal "Dad" job. Here is why Daddy's not teaching the Megster......'cause he tends to overreact! Actually, that was posed, but a true re-enactment of what WOULD happen if Meggie drove anywhere with her Dad.

When we went back inside after the silly photo session, Carson realized I had not eaten all of my boneless chicken wings. (It's a Friday night tradition...we get wings and then have our movie night.) I do not believe in the clean-plate-club and have actually lost a lot of my weight by portion controlling and leaving food in the plate at meals. Carson wouldn't HEAR of it! He force fed me that wing...
...and we both laughed so hard I nearly choked!

This afternoon, we decided it was time to take our first ride in the Accent...
...yikes, it really is very weird to see my baby girl...I mean my Teenager behind the wheel of a car! This is starting to make me feel old!

Meggie keeps telling everyone who will listen that she just doesn't like to drive. Well, after two-and-a-half hours of errand running today in all different kinds of traffic situations, she has changed her mind. She did very well and has decided driving can be fun...and the independence she'll gain from getting her license in June will be TOTALLY worth it!

Looking forward to many, many more errand-running trips with my Teenager. I just don't know how we'll afford all this shopping...

We're Jumping for Joy...

...since we got an e-mail today from Kim at CCAI that our dossier passed critical review, went into translation today, and will be mailed to China early next week! YES!!!

Oh, yeah, and we made a major purchase today for the Megster. I'll post pictures tomorrow...she's pretty ecstatic...and we're glad it's the right color so she didn't have to purchase new sunglasses. Intrigued?

You'll just have to check back tomorrow!

Given the Choice Between Feast or Famine...

...I'll take feast any day!! Yes, folks, more pictures of Molly Jayne!! Take a peek...
These were e-mailed to me last night by Danielle and Brian, who are currently in China adopting their child. I don't know them and tried to get into the Adopt Zhengzhou Yahoo group to find their blog, but it is unavailable right now for some reason. I'll check back later and link them in my Favorite Blogs on the side bar...after all, you give me pictures of my baby girl, you're my friend for LIFE!

Loving the peeks into Molly's daily life (and fashion sense)...and hoping Danielle and Brian are having a wonderful time in China with their new little one!!

One More Picture...

A sweet angel I know through the Internet Yahoo groups (Midge, from Bringing Home Michelle, pictured here with her equally sweet husband, Bill)...
...e-mailed me today that she saw a picture of Molly in a photo album on the Adopt Zhengzhou Yahoo group. You may recall that Bill and Midge adopted Molly's foster sister, Michelle -- hence the name of their blog -- and we e-mail frequently. (Don't you love how I snagged their picture off of their blog?) I am SO behind on my Yahoo e-mails and would have totally missed this picture...
...which was clearly taken today with the other pictures we received from Blessed Kids! I'm guessing our little Molly Jayne is feeling like a supermodel today as she poses for all of these pictures.

I love that in this picture she is holding a small toy car. Carson will have a FIT if she touches any of his Matchbox cars. In fact, when I showed him this picture and asked him if she could play with his cars when she gets home, he said, "Sure...OR she can practice skipping." Life's gonna get interesting in a few months, huh?!

Midge, thanks so much for being on the constant lookout for pictures of our baby girl! You are a true gift to our family and we can't wait to meet you all some day!

Things are Looking Up!

I have to admit, when Kim from CCAI told me that there was a problem with my medical paperwork and I needed to get a note from my physician, my heart sunk. Our family physician, a wonderful and Godly man, has the dumbest office staff ever assembled. Dealing with these lovely dingbats for ANY detail is frustrating at best. True to form, they have put me off for the past two days...saying they will get the letter I need but then not calling me back. When I called again today, I got a lovely dingbat on the phone who said, oops, didn't get that letter for you...and, by the way, the doctor is out of town until Monday. WHAT?!?!?!?!?!

In a stroke of genius, I asked if his partner was in the office. He was and he was willing to write the letter for me. (Which actually is OK since I saw him at my last appointment anyway.) When a lovely dingbat called me back to say the letter was ready, I made her read it to me. Not to be nasty, but I wasn't going to drive the 20 minutes to their office to pick up a mistake. Plus, if I saw them in person and hit ANOTHER roadblock, I feared I might kill someone.

Looks like our dossier will be heading to China early next week!

In another recent disappointment, when I got the e-mail last week from Adele at Blessed Kids that Molly got our cake on March 10th, I was on pins and needles waiting for updated pictures. When they didn't come after a week, I e-mailed Adele back. She e-mailed me saying sometimes these things take time. Great! I paid for pictures I'm NOT going to get. Wonderful!

Well, a few minutes ago, I checked my e-mails and...you guessed it...new pictures. Wait 'til you see 'em. She is smiling, her hair is growing out, and...oh, just look at 'em, will ya?!
The updated measurements we got included:

Height -- 93 cm (no change from last update)
Weight -- 15 kg (up from 13.6 kg)
Head circumference -- 50 cm (no change)
Chest circumference -- 56 cm (down from 57 cm)

Can you even believe how cute she is?! She looks so happy and well cared for...and she's losing that "baby" look. She's becoming a big girl before we even meet her!!

Come on, China, process our paperwork...I wanna go get my Princess!!

A Superhero, Big Brother Practice...and You MUST be Kidding Me!

Think for just a moment about living your life without the ability to actively bend your arms. How would you eat, brush your hair, or even scratch your nose? Sound impossible? If not impossible, then definitely frustrating.

But that is exactly what this goofy, happy-go-lucky boy...
...faces every day of his life. Before you feel sorry for the Little Man for the obstacles he faces, I think you should join me in admiring him. He is, after all, my Little Superhero!

Despite Carson's joint contractures and atrophied bicep muscles, he has been independent in all of his daily activities except for one thing...dressing and undressing from the waist up. He figured out socks and pants after a month or so with us, but imagine trying to put on (or take off) a shirt when your arms don't bend on their own.

Wait, no need to imagine. THIS is how it's done...
...SUCCESS!! Our smart Little Man figured out that, while his arms don't bend on their own, if he leans against our bed he can force them to bend and accomplish his goals. I honestly didn't try to push him to learn how to undress from the waist up, but he was so determined that he figured it out on his own and has been doing this for a couple of weeks now. And this morning, he put ON a shirt with absolutely no help! I didn't have the camera handy, so no pictures, but trust me...he was beaming with pride!

Yes, it is quite surreal to be the Mommy of a Superhero!

The same day I took those pictures, we got a phone call from our dear friends, Jamie and Nikki. Their three-year-old daughter, Brooke, had gotten her finger caught in the car window and they had to rush her to the emergency department. (She ended up having surgery to have a pin placed in her poor crushed finger and is currently sporting a bright pink cast from shoulder to fingertips. We're praying for a great outcome and that her finger has no lasting damage.) Jamie and Nikki asked if we could watch their two-year-old daughter, Quinn, while they were at the hospital with Brooke. Daddy rushed to the emergency department to collect Quinn and Carson got an evening of Big Brother Practice.

Honestly, for most of the night he ignored Quinn...partly due to the fact that we turned on Noggin to help keep her occupied, so he was mesmerized by cartoons. But when it was jammie time, he went into full Big Brother Mode, helping her up the stairs...
...wiping her runny nose after she sneezed...
...and giving her good night kisses.
She initially fell asleep in Molly's bed (I'm sure Molly wouldn't mind), but woke up after about an hour and ended up in my bed with me. But that's OK. We were glad to help our friends on a stressful evening and it was interesting to see Carson be the Big Brother for a few hours.

Now for the "you MUST be kidding me!" portion of this post.

Kim from CCAI called today to tell me that our dossier has gotten through critical review. They need two documents (a home study agreement from our home study agency and an updated medical document from me) and our paperwork will be headed to China...hopefully within the next couple of days. I left a message at our home study agency and called my doctor to request the required letter from him. As Kim (the manager of the Dossier Department) and I chatted, I asked her when she thought we would travel. She decided the best department to answer that was NOT the Dossier Department, so she transferred me to the Waiting Child Department. So, I asked Sarah.

This is where we get to the "you MUST be kidding me!" part.

She said that we should expect to travel four to five months after China gets our paperwork. FOUR TO FIVE MONTHS?!?! That would have us in China in July or August, not May or June like we had hoped. I don't mind telling you...that took the wind right out of me!

It took five months from referral-to-travel for Carson's adoption, which seemed like an eternity. If we travel in July or August, that will make our referral-to-travel timeline for Molly 11 or 12 months!

Could we PLEASE have a miracle here?! I think we're about due...