Sam is Nuts

This child is absolutely nuts. Over the last two days, he has thrown everything he can get his hands on, and when he's not throwing, he's coloring in his coloring book. I can't even begin to tell you how many time-outs he's had (for throwing, not coloring!).



He's learning new words every hour too. It's almost like I can't keep up with his new growth - brain cell, and otherwise. I have never seen a child who likes to color as much as Sam does. He crawls up in the "kitchen" chair and finds whatever writing utensil is around, then begins. Sometimes he spends an hour coloring. Especially over the last two days. Sam's pediatrician once commented that he's never seen Sam without a crayon in his hand. (Definitely right-handed too.)

Then he screams, "maMA" until I look at what he's done. Usually he describes it too.

In this particular one, he said, "maMa, maMa - Melmo eye!" As in, "I've colored Elmo's eyes." See how he colored the cat and the lady's face too? Very artistic, if you ask me.

Here's my boy watering our patio garden. What a white tooshy!

My little helper.

Menu for the Week

As promised, here is our menu and corresponding recipes for the week.

Monday

Chicken over mesclun salad mix (grown in my patio garden)

The chicken was marinated in Kraft Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette with roasted red pepper

and grilled on my GF grill

Homemade vinaigrette (olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard with a little lemon juice)

Sam is having leftover Mexican squash from this recipe

Tuesday

Quesadillas (w/already cooked chicken from above recipe)

Homemade salsa (see below) and chips

Wednesday

Friend's house for dinner

Homemade brownies

Thursday

Turkey burgers (see below)

Homemade salsa and chips

Friday

Hibachi chicken (see below) and fried rice (a la Benihana)

with sauces

Saturday

Leftover turkey burgers

Sunday

Leftover hibachi chicken

Many of you know I am a big fan of the Top Secret cookbooks by Todd Wilbur. I used lots of them in China whenever I had a hankering for some comfort food. I actually bought my brother the cookbook one year for his birthday (he lives in LA) and he said, "You know, I can actually go down to these restaurants and order a meal any time I want for less work?" It shocked me that he wouldn't want to save money by cooking them at home, but now I can totally understand. However, I still have a love of cooking and we use one of Todd Wilbur's recipes every week. My favorite cookbooks by Mr. Wilbur are Top Secret Restaurant Recipes, and Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2.

I've also included some Deceptively Delicious recipes. Jessica Seinfeld put out this book last year and it immediately was a favorite in our family. I usually spend one day every month pureeing lots of veggies and freezing them in ice cube trays (then transfer to clearly labeled zip lock bag). We love most of her recipes too.

And, as you can see, I've included a Rachel Ray recipe. That was the very first time that I ever cooked one of her recipes, but I liked it. I was just looking for something to do with my squash (I googled it) and that one came up. It was very spicy and good.

Recipes

Salsa

1 finely chopped tomato

1/2 finely chopped onion (sweet)

1/2 finely chopped green pepper

2 chopped jalapenos

1/4 cup organic vegetable juice

1/4 t salt

1 T finely chopped cilantro

1 T finely chopped parsley

Dash cumin

1 t chili powder

(Adjust seasonings to taste)

Cook tomatoes with onions, green peppers, jalapenos and veggie juice plus salt, cumin and chili powder in a medium saucepan. Once the onions are tender, add the cilantro and parsley - but only cook for a short time afterwards. You want the herbs to remain bright green and retain their vitamins! Put in fridge to keep cool.

Turkey Burgers (Deceptively Delicious - altered by me)

1 lb lean ground turkey

1/2 pound white button mushrooms (stemmed), finely chopped

1 cup Italian (seasoned) breadcrumbs

1/4 cup (or more) grated zucchini

1 T Worcestershire sauce

2 T ketchup

1/2 t salt

1/8 t pepper

16 whole-grain hamburger buns, for serving

In a large bowl, mix the meat, mushrooms, breadcrumbs, zucchini, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and pepper until well combined. Form into patties. Grilled on GF grill until done. If you would like directions without the GF, let me know and I'll post them.

Hibachi Chicken (from Top Secret Restaurant Recipes, altered by me)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 large onion

3 medium zucchini

2 cups quartered mushrooms

2 T vegetable oil

6 T soy sauce (low sodium)

4 T butter

Salt

Pepper

2 t lemon juice

3 t toasted sesame seeds (toast seeds in a dry skillet for a couple minutes on medium heat)

1 package bean sprouts

Make sure everything is cut into bite-sized pieces, including the chicken. For the onion, slice it as if you were making onion rings, then quarter those slices. For the zucchini, first slice them into long, thin strips, then cut across those strips four or five times to make bite-sized pieces that are 1 to 1 1/2 inches long.

Spread 1 T oil in large frying pan over medium/high heat. Spread another tablespoon of oil in another pan over medium/high heat.

Begin by sauteing the sliced chicken in one pan. Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of butter and a dash of salt and pepper to chicken.

Add the onion and zucchini to the other pan. Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon butter and a dash of salt and pepper. Saute the veggies as long as the chicken is cooking, being sure to stir both pans often.

When chicken has sauteed for about 2 minutes, or when it appears white on all sides, slide the meat to one side of the pan, pour lemon juice on it, then add mushrooms to the other side of the pan. Pour 1 tablespoon of butter plus a dash of salt and pepper. Continue to stir both pans.

After 6 to 8 minutes, or when the chicken is done, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds over chicken, then mix chicken with mushrooms. Remove chicken and veggies from their pans.

Pour bean sprouts into the same pan as you cooked the veggies in and cook over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon butter and a dash of salt and pepper.

Cook sprouts for only a minute or two, until they are tender. Just before serving, sprinkle 2 teaspoons of sesame seeds on them. Serve sprouts next to chicken and veggies. Serve with mustard and ginger sauces.

Mustard Sauce (also from Top Secret)

1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium)

1/4 cup water

2 t Dijon mustard

2 t heavy cream

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well until combined. Chill before serving.

Ginger Sauce (also from Top Secret)

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 ounce gingerroot (a nickel-sized slice), peeled and chopped

2 T lemon juice

1/2 t sugar

1/4 t white vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on low speed for 30 seconds or until gingerroot have been pureed. Chill before serving.

Bob the Builder at Tweetsie

We went to Tweetsie again today because Bob the Builder was visiting. Sam has one book that I bought at a Kroger in Raleigh with Bob in it. He is unfamiliar with the songs or the characters. That said, as soon as he saw a picture of Bob at the Railroad, Sam screamed, "Bob!" and pointed at the pic. Where did that come from??



They gave all the kids "hard" hats as we entered the park. Sam and I went straight to the performance area so we could get a good seat and I promptly began taking photos.

Then, at around 11am, Bob entered. He needed lots of help getting up on the stage. He was adorable. He sang songs and the kids danced and clapped and sang along with him.

Afterwards, we got to go to the meet-and-greet. We were first in line. Sam was kind of clingy while we waited and then when we got to see him, he got a little nervous. The other two pictures I have are of him facing another direction and trying to get away from the crazy man in a costume. Bill and I actually doctored the above picture a lot to get it to look better.

Here's another picture of him waiting to see Bob. Bill says he looks unhappy in this photo, but he was actually quite happy. I made a PB&J for a snack (it's $7.50 for a kid's meal at Tweetsie!) and he ate some cheerios while we waited.

Here's smilin' Sam just before the meet-and-greet. He was so happy to be able to smell the "bowers" (flowers).

On the way home, I met Bill at a Greek restaurant in town. Sam fell asleep and when I leaned in to wake him up, he jerked his head up and yelled, "BOB!" and then started crying. I laughed so hard and Bill's jaw dropped in surprise of the spontaneous moment. It was like George Clooney in "O Brother Where Art Thou" when he kept waking up and saying, "my hair!" What a hoot.

Peas and Water

It is getting a little bit warm over here. Yesterday, I took all of Sam's clothes off (save for his cloth diaper) and gave him frozen peas and ice water to cool him down.

It's a little known fact that you can give frozen peas to babies and toddlers - they are great for teething because of their cool effect on the gums, and they are soft enough kids won't choke on them.

They certainly did the trick for Master Samuel - he watched a little "koo koo" (Blue's Clues) and cooled off on the sofa.

Poll

Okay, I've added a poll to the sidebar that I'm curious about. I know there are about 40 visitors to my blog every day, from around the world. I also know that there are only about 5 or 6 people who regularly comment on the blog.

I am hoping that some of you who don't normally comment might commit to an anonymous poll.

Regarding the question: I have been thinking a lot about what to do to bring in a little extra money to help our family. I really don't know what I ought to do. I have prayed thoroughly about this. I love being a stay-at-home-mom, but now that we are buying a house, I know that a little extra income will help.

So, tonight I thought maybe I could make a cookbook and sell it. But, would there be any buyers? I could put my knowledge from the last seven years of cooking overseas (from scratch) down in writing, along with many of my own recipes that are tried and true.

Please answer the poll - but only submit your answer once. It ends on July 1st at 9:00 am.

Also, if you have any suggestions for what I can do, let me know. Please take into consideration who I am - or at least who you have gotten to know through this blog over the last couple of years, as well as our son's medical situation (and spontaneous hospitalizations which take up a great deal of time).

Comment comment comment!

Friend of Sam

We have been having a blast out in the park with Elijah and his mommy this week. We've gone out every day to walk around the greenway and take little breaks where the boys can eat snacks and mess around for a bit.

I wanted to share a few photos of Sam with his buddy. Elijah is very photogenic. Sam, as exemplified in the photo I posted a few days ago, is not. But, when I can catch a good photo of him, they're usually great. He's so adorable.

Here are Sam and Elijah eating crackers together. It was hard to get Elijah to look at me. They sat on this park bench for a short time - so I grabbed Bill's camera and got to work.

Here's Elijah stuffing as much cracker into his mouth as possible. Sam's busy doing something else with his cracker.

Again, Elijah has lots of crackers and Sam is walking around with his cracker. This is a little hill at the greenway that they love to climb up and run down. I should say, Elijah likes to run down it - I think Sam is too scared of falling. Sam will stand at the top of the hill and watch Elijah go up and down, up and down - just smiling the whole time.

Here's the money-shot. Since Sam was born, I like to work out my abs by laying on my back and putting Sam on my legs - extending them out and bringing them back in. Well, I added Elijah to my reps this week and he's about 5lbs heavier than Sam. It made it sooo much harder for me. My abs are so sore! Well, he loved it - Trish (Elijah's mom) grabbed my camera so I could get a picture of his little smile mid-exercise. Again, he's so photogenic.

Tomorrow we're going to the playground to play. Can't wait.

By the way, Nan, how did the brownies turn out? If any of you other blog readers out there have used any of my recipes, write a comment and let me know. If I can improve anything, I always like to know.

Why I Love My GF Grill

People often ask me what tools I have in my kitchen - what are necessities for my family and what are just bonuses. I have a list of necessities, but they are probably similar to every other cook's.


My bonuses are probably a little different though. One bonus item that my mother-in-law gave us during our first year of marriage was the George Foreman Grill. She gave us a very basic version, and it was when they first came out (so, a LONG time ago!).


We took that grill to China with us and used it all the time. In fact, we used it so much, the coating was coming off the plates. We had a converter sitting in the corner of our kitchen and just pulled that grill down whenever we had a hankering for some low oil food and plugged it in. We ALWAYS cooked salmon in it - a little olive oil and some lemon pepper seasonings made it delicious - since our area had a lot of salmon farms and it was readily available. Hamburgers were another favorite, or grilled chicken.


So, when we returned to the States, one of our priorities was to get a new GF Grill, but one with removable plates (this is the key to cleaning it well). Last Christmas, Bill bought me a super duper GF Grill, that not only had removable plates, but also had a different variety of plates. I wasn't sure I would need so much grill, but I loved it anyway.

Here is said grill. I keep it on the counter at all times. It's very easy to pop some plates in there and grill whatever I want. It has waffle, omelet, normal grill and baking plates. Sam almost always gets a grilled cheese and veggie (butternut squash, yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, etc) sandwich for lunch - done with the GF.

But, I've learned that it has so many other functions. I pulled out the omelet plates the other day and realized that I could cook one of the best looking omelets AND bacon AND whatever else I wanted all at the same time.

Here's an example of Sam's dinner from last night. A cheese omelet on the left (with cilantro and sea salt) and some broccoli cooking on the right. I could have thrown a slice of bacon or whatever in the middle plate too. What I like about cooking bacon with the grill is that it doesn't splash up everywhere, and if I use the right plates with it (i.e the grill plates with the whole GF tilted down), the oil drains off the bacon, leaving us with a more crisp, less oil-saturated slice.

Here's the finished product. Sam loves his omelets. He used to stay FAR away from eggs, but I realized I could make him a little omelet (I also add some milk in it, to make it more fluffy) in no time and he would eat it. I also throw some flax seed meal in the eggs and different veggies (like peas or carrots) sometimes.

And, here is Master Samuel eating his meal. He likes to mix his veggies and food into his yogurt and eat them together. It's a strange combo, but as long as he's getting his vitamins and eating his meals, I don't care.

So, that's one of my bonus items in my kitchen that I feel like I can't live without (though I know I can). It makes my life easier in so many ways. If you're interested, I'll post about a different bonus item some other time.

AND, I will definitely be posting our menu next week. I didn't realize so many of you would be interested. I might post our back menu from this week, because everything turned out so well. I love sharing good recipes - especially ones that you can use all over the world.

Erica - I LOVE that Elizabeth asks for my cookies. I miss you guys.

Win Something

A friend of a friend is starting a new company and is offering a free giveaway at her blog. If you leave a comment on her blog, you will be entered to win a really cute bag. If you post a blog about it, you can be entered twice!

She and her husband work together and just started their own website too. Check out their stuff - it's really well done. They are based in Greensboro, NC.

Crazy Hair and Great Recipes

What do you make of this hair?

[I actually already published this post and when I went back to review it, I noticed something. The child in this photo doesn't look anything like the one in my "drunk" child photo below. Even though that was such a terrible picture (for obvious reasons), you can also tell that he is sick by his pallor. He's pale and has little circles under his eyes. But, in today's photo, he's pink and pretty - he looks like he's got color in his face and body and just seems healthier. Well, he was definitely acting healthier too - he was in good form today with no fevers. Just thought I'd throw that in.]

I added this picture to let you see his defibrillator a little better. You can kind of make out the scar from between his nipples to just above his belly button. Well, that big hockey-puck-looking-thing at the bottom of his belly IS the ICD. He often bruises his skin around the corners on the right-hand side because he goes down the steps on his belly so much.

You might also notice his tattoo. We saw Dora and Diego (and Boots) at Tweetsie Railroad today. We only went for about two hours so Sam could see his beloved Boots. We rode the Old Number 12 and I actually DID get a cinder in my eye! It really hurt, but it wasn't on fire when it hit me. Everyone on the train was covered with ashes.

I wanted to share a few really yummy recipes that I've made recently. Many of you know that I love to cook. I love it even more when people tell me they enjoy what I've cooked. Well, last night I made the absolute best brownies that I've ever made in my life. I was looking for a great recipe to make brownies with using my Hershey's cocoa powder. Well, here it is (be careful, they're addictive!).

Brownies

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts(optional)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
2. Place butter in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 2 to 2-1/2 minutes or until melted. Stir in sugar and vanilla.

(At this point, I changed and started using my hand mixer.) Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with spoon after each addition. Add cocoa; beat until well blended. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat well. Stir in nuts, if desired. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Frost if desired. Cut into bars. About 36 brownies.


Another recipe that we love here at our home is one that my brother introduced to us. It's a Parmesan chicken bake and it is so easy. We actually keep Italian flavored bread crumbs on-hand all the time so I can make this at the last minute if I need it.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

1/2 cup Hellmann's or Best Foods Real Mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 lbs.)
Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 425°.

1. In medium bowl, combine Hellmann's or Best Foods Real Mayonnaise and cheese. On baking sheet, arrange chicken. Evenly top with mayonnaise mixture, then sprinkle with bread crumbs - until covered.

2. Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. I brine my chicken in a little salt and sugar before I cook with it - it makes it VERY tender.

I Can Stop Any Time I Want

We had a great day today. Sam has been relatively fever-free for more than 24 hours. The highest his fever got tonight was 100.8F. We even got out to the park this afternoon, where we played Frisbee with our friend Matt. And, the best part is - not one arrhythmia!!!




Sam is crazy about our stethoscope. He knows exactly what to do with it. Here he is taking his heart rate.

I thought this was hysterical. Where is he going?

And here's the big photo....the one he'll kill me for when he gets older. He's learned to climb up in the dining room chairs and sit at the "dinner" table (just a small table we're using for the dinner table). I tried to take some photos of my big boy sitting there, and this was the absolute funniest one. I laughed so hard after I took it. Bill helped me edit it a bit....

Cropped Photos

Obviously, we've been experimenting with the blog and photos since last night. Bill just showed me something really cool to do with the hummingbirds. So, I thought I'd post close-ups of them.

These are the same photos from my earlier post today. They're just altered by cropping them a bit.

Well, on to my details of the day. We tried to spend most of the day in the house - very low-key. Unfortunately, I had to run over to Samaritan's Purse this morning to get Bill to sign some paperwork for the adoption home study update. Once we left SP, we went over to Walgreens to pick up our new photo of the family (it has to be taken within three months) and then on to the post office to mail a few items. It feels like such a relief to get all of that done.

Once we were home, I had to pay lots of medical bills. Also, feels like a relief to get that done. It's amazing how expensive an ambulance ride to Charlotte costs - thank the Lord for insurance!

During all of that, Sam's fever shot up again to about 102.3F. I kept a close eye on him, listened to his heart rate, and tried to pin him down in front of the TV to rest a little. Since I only allow him one TV show a day, he got quite bored after the first one. I had to get creative by laying my head on his lap so he could play with my hair while he watched.

Later in the day, he started having diarrhea. Finally, some symptoms! Maybe it will help us figure out what he's got. Whatever the case, he's in bed now with a low-grade fever and we are praying for no crazy events to happen overnight. We're keeping him well-hydrated too.

Keep praying for us!

Pics of My Sickie

Just wanted to post a pic of my sick little baby. He seems very grumpy today and a little achy too. But, he's fever free for the time being. We're still doing Tylenol and Motrin when needed.

Also, I remember Shannon posting a comment about my plants. Just wanted to share some photos of my little patio garden. I had initially intended on transplanting these to the garden space at the house we didn't close on. Now, we've got a regular patio garden going. Tomatoes, basil, lettuce, beets, radishes, cucumbers, irises, a pecan tree (Sam and I planted it from a pecan at the house in Raleigh), and some miscellaneous items.

Who knew I had a little bit of a green thumb? I sure didn't.

Sick Again?

Sam woke up from his nap this afternoon and felt a little warm. When I took his temperature it was 103.1F. I was beside myself! He wasn't acting sick. His heart rate was normal. What in the world???

When I called the doctor's office (immediately), I started crying! I couldn't believe myself - I have never done that. But, I was so frightened.

We ended up going in to see his pediatrician and everything seemed normal. Yes, he had a fever, but no, there was nothing wrong with his blood work. He wasn't exactly running around, but he also wasn't listless either.

Oh, the frustration I have felt since Sam has been in my life. Love, yes, blessings, yes, joy, yes. But I have never felt frustration like I have with these fevers that come out of nowhere.

I brought him home, am keeping Motrin and Tylenol in him (we need to buy stock in the stuff!) and his fever never got below 100.9F before I laid him in bed for the night. About an hour ago - at 9pm - he woke up crying pretty hard. I was so scared that his defibrillator had shocked him. I grabbed the thermometer (per Bill's very intelligent suggestion) and headed downstairs. No fever - in fact, it was 98F - so I assume he just had a bad dream. Whatever the case, I'm going to give him more meds at 11pm, to make sure the fever STAYS down.

Keep us in your prayers. I hope it's not going to be a long night.

Friends and Family

Sam and I have had SUCH a busy weekend! It started on Thursday - with our trip to Greensboro. Then on Friday, we had a playdate with Sam's friend Elijah. Sam and Elijah got to play in Sam's new inflatable pool - they both went commando and it was adorable.





It was quite bright out!





Check out their tongues!





Elijah had such a great time in the water. Here he is having fun with his mommy!







Then, later in the day, Sam's cousin, Crawford, came into town for a few hours. We played with him at home and Sam learned a valuable lesson about why we don't throw wooden balls at little people's heads. Poor Crawford!





This is Crawford and Sam laying next to each other. Crawford is wearing an old onsie of Sam's. It's hard to believe he ever fit into it.




Here is Crawford smiling in Bill's arms. He really was a happy camper, despite being beat up by his cousin.

Right before this photo was taken, Sam said, "baby - ball" and pointed to Crawford's brow where he hit him with the ball. He was very sorry.

That evening, we went to a Contra Dance at the Apple Barn in Valle Crucis (pronounced Valley Crew-sis). We met some friends of mine who came in from Wilmington for the weekend. I met Beth and Abigail on Babyfit online. We saw them once before in Charlotte and then again this weekend. Abigail is only a few days younger than Sam.

Here's the beautiful Abigail after a long day of riding from Wilmington. They enjoyed the music at the Contra Dance, but had to leave early.

Beth, Abigail, Sam and me leaning over a railing at the Apple Barn. We had a blast!


To end the weekend, Sam and Abigail (and Sophia, Abigail's friend) got to color here at our place after brunch.

Love the hair!

Sam can't concentrate without sticking his tongue out. Apparently his father used to do the same thing when he was a child and I KNOW my father STILL does it.

And, as a bonus for you, we took some photos of Sam getting his hair cut two weekends ago.

It was a much more pleasant experience than the last haircut, but she took 45 minutes (way too long) and his bangs are uneven!


At least he enjoyed himself!

BFF

I appreciate all the encouragement that everyone has sent Bill about even attempting to change a cloth diaper! It's been very helpful to encourage a repeat, sans the mess.

I got a call today from my best friend (you may remember her from previous posts that she made for us during our darkest hours). Please pray for her as she and her family are going through a very difficult time right now.

Thanks.

Not for the Faint of Heart

We had a VERY funny cloth diapering first today. Do not read this if you get grossed out easily. However, if you want to laugh so hard you'll cry...read on.


Sam had a poopy diaper later in the afternoon. Bill brought Sam to me and said, "I think he has a poopy diaper." So, I thought he wanted me to change it. But, it turned out he just wanted instruction.

Bill took Sam to the bathroom (I would have done this laying Sam down on the changing cloth, but went with the flow) and I took Sam's diaper off of him. I showed Bill how we clean poop off the diaper in the toilet and instructed Bill to take Sam (who was standing on the bathroom floor) to the changing cloth to clean him.

I told him how to use the cloth wipes with the witch hazel and water spritzer. We had already gone over this once before, but he needed a little review. A few minutes later, Bill comes running in with Sam in his arms saying that Sam had poop on his arm. Then he said, "I think I have poop on my fingers too!"

Sure enough, Sam had a big smudge of poop on his arm - how it got there I have no idea - it was his upper arm! And Bill, bless his heart, has a big smear of poop on his finger. I set Sam down on the counter (before I realized there is still poop all over his rear end) and helped Bill wash his hand and Sam's arm. It was absolutely hysterical.

I'm crying right now laughing about it. I don't know what happened or where the breakdown was. In the end I had to take Sam back to the changing cloth and show Bill what to do. He calmly watched and then said, "I feel like it's all over me."

Priceless.

You're Not Going To Believe This

First, let me say that Sam has greatly improved regarding his virus. We have an appointment with his cardiologist next Thursday and will learn then what really happened to his heart during the 103F fever. Of course, I will post an update at that time.

We are wilting over here with no air conditioning! It's been in the low 90's, which isn't THAT hot (I know I know, at least we're not in Thailand, right, Mom?). But, it's pretty stifling inside the house. We have two fans and it was still a hot week. Sam and I played with plenty of water on our back deck.

In other news, I have bought cloth diapers for Sam. I have wanted to do this for a long time, but Bill couldn't get on-board. He was very concerned with my work-load already, since I have to care for Sam AND do housing and mortgage business AND adoption work. It has genuinely filled my days from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to sleep (and, with Sam, up to two times during the night!).


But, I know that we are on one salary now and I need to be careful with how I spend our money. I did the math and it really doesn't add up to keep using disposables. I used a calculator online to determine how much we were spending and saving. Here's the breakdown:

I will break even in 4.25 weeks or 0.98 months.
I will save $287.27 in 6 months.
I will save $516.12 in 10 months.
I will save $630.55 in 1 year.
I will save $973.82 in 1 1/2 years.

Now, add TWO babies to that, and I figured we have to do something different. Hopefully, Sam will potty train within the next year and those numbers won't be accurate. But, with Carolina (our adopted baby), the numbers are going to stay the same for one baby. Numbers don't lie and once I convinced Bill that I won't pressure myself and that we can do this, he agreed. I did not nag, FYI, I just brought him the facts and laid it out for him in logical terms.

Most of our housing issues are settling down now. I'm not spending all day on the phone with different people trying to set up appointments and making sure I have the right documents in. I made only three phone calls today to that end. Adoption issues are sporadic too. I got our homestudy via email today and we should be having the actual updated homestudy at our home within the next couple weeks.

So, I thought I would give cloth diapering a try and see how we do. Now, we are only on day two, but I am already in love with it. I can see immediately which ones Sam prefers (I got three different kinds in order to test them out).


I wanted to add that cloth diapering is nothing like it used to be. Even ten years ago, when I was a nanny and the little girl's family cloth diapered, things were different. The only real difficulty that I see is the washing and I believe that I have a good system now.

I took some photos of Sam in his snug-to-fit diaper today. This is one of his least favorites, which I was disappointed about. But, I believe they are a bit bulky for him. He really prefers the "prefolds," which are just a normal rectangular cloth diaper that I fold in third lengthwise and put inside a waterproof cover. Super simple, super cheap.



Oh, and I want to add that I am not being very strict about the cloth diapering. He wears disposables to bed for naptime and evenings. And, if I have a bad day or he has a bad day, we're switching back to disposables. Thanks to all the advice I've gotten from my many CDing friends - Shannon, Holly, Missy and Amelia - to name a few.

103F Overnight

How many posts start with that title?

Sam was feverish on Monday, so I kept meds in him all day yesterday, until afternoon. Then he seemed fine. We walked down to the mailboxes (a fair way for him to walk) and he was skipping and running all the way down there.

When I put him to bed, he did not have a fever.

At about 1:45am, he woke up and called for me a couple times. When I got into his room, he was standing at the edge of his pack-n-play reaching out for me. I picked him up and he was on fire. So, I took him upstairs and learned his temp was 103F. He was acting very lethargic and I was really concerned that if I riled him up too much his heart would beat too fast and cause him to be shocked (my thinking was that his heart must already be beating very quickly).

But, no shock. I prayed over him. I took his clothes off, gave him meds, took him outside, wet his hair down, told Bill what was going on...all the while, no shock.

We played with some water (to cool him off), bubbles and finally turned on a Blue's Clues episode (his favorite). I even checked his heart with our cheapo stethoscope. It was only beating 123bpm by my untrained ear. Bill and I sat in the living room while Sam laid on my chest and watched his TV show. Half an hour after the meds, I took his temp again and it was 101.1. Praise God.

I put him back to bed and Bill set my alarm for the next Tylenol dosage (at 5:45am). I won't go into all the details of the rest of the night, but needless to say neither Bill nor I slept. Poor Bill had to go to work today. I don't know how he will make it.

I spoke with Sam's cardiologist in Chapel Hill this morning, Dr. Buck. He said he was REALLY encouraged to know that having a fever doesn't always bring on VTAC, as it has in the past. Sam has shown himself to not have VTAC with high fever on several occasions now. Dr. Buck was very happy. I wanted to make sure that I made the right decision in not taking Sam to the hospital too. Normally we would take him if his fever got to 102F. But, Dr. Buck supported my decision. We also checked Sam's defib and there have been no events at all.

So, we see Dr. Buck again next Thursday for our normal appointment in Greensboro. And, we will see a pediatrician this morning to figure out, yet again, that Sam probably has a virus. No symptoms, but a slightly runny nose.

I'm looking forward to the day that Sam can talk to me and tell me what's happening in his body.

The Cross

Take a look at the third picture down in my last post. A friend of ours wrote me an email pointing out the cross-shaped puff of smoke. How interesting and unique!

Today was my and my brother's birthday. When I woke up, Sam had 101. Poor guy laid his little head on the floor in front of the kitchen and said, "Mama, Mama." I knew he had a fever from that behavior and from how warm he felt. He's been up and down all day, but seems to be responding to the Tylenol and Motrin. When it starts to wear off, that's when his fever goes back up. I'm staying up tonight to give him a bit more Tylenol and Motrin before I go to bed.

I really hope we won't be taking any trips to the hospital. He hasn't had a high fever like this (consistently) since we were in Charlotte!

Yesterday I was really pumped about the house we're buying. I killed a termite in Sam's room, six spiders around the house (along with their cob webs), we had a very loud June bug in the foyer, along with four wasps and a massive-sized cricket crawled on my hand when I reached into the closet to get some clothes for church. I told Bill I can't wait to get out of here, but he said I need to cool off a bit - we still have six weeks. Okay, I can wait, but no more bugs please! I only killed one wasp today and two spiders. Things are looking up.

In response to a comment, I'd like to post some fun things to do in Raleigh. Hollie, I'm sorry we never got a chance to show you around personally, but maybe my short list will suffice. Also, there are plenty of other moms in Raleigh who know WAY more than I do, so they should feel free to add to my list in the comments section.

• Marbles children's museum (you can purchase a reciprocal membership and get into museums all over the country for free)
• Pullen Park (great merry go round and train rides!)
• Lake Lynn and Shelley Lake (great greenways and fun place to feed ducks and fish)
• Make friends with someone who owns a horse - we would go on sleigh rides with the Clydesdale on the Creedmoor property.
• Duke Gardens and the Lemur Center at Duke University (my friend Julie's blog told me about this)
• NC Museum of Art (they often have different exhibits that can appeal to children of all ages)
• NC Museum of History (SO great for everyone, including Sam's age)
• NC Museum of Science (also a lot of fun)

That's all I can think of right now. Maybe Julie can add to it, if she reads this post. If you join a mommy group, you might be able to get the inside-track a bit better.

There's plenty to do here here now. We're always looking for something new, but we still haven't tried the stuff we've already heard about. I was really excited yesterday when I discovered an online group called High Country Mommies. They have very organized activities and insight on all kinds of stuff.

For now, scroll down and check out that picture of the puff of smoke above Thomas the Tank Engine!

Something More

I read this on this blog (which I previously posted). http://mnssams.blogspot.com/ I really appreciate this article. Although I don't have it nearly as bad as many women, I can really identify with some of the points she makes.

Some Mothers Get Babies With Something More
Written by: Lori Borgman Columnist and Speaker

Expectant mothers waiting for a newborn's arrival say they don't care what sex the baby is. They just want to have ten fingers and ten toes.

Mothers lie.

Every mother wants so much more. She wants perfectly healthy baby with a round head, rosebud lips, button nose, beautiful eyes and satin skin. She wants a baby so gorgeous that people will pity the Gerber baby for being flat-out ugly. She wants a baby that will roll over, sit up and take those first steps right on schedule (according to the baby development chart on page 57, column two). Every mother wants a baby that can see, hear, run, jump and fire neurons by the billions. She wants a kid that can smack the ball out of the park and do toe points that are the envy of the entire ballet class. Call it greed if you want, but a mother wants what a mother wants.

Some mothers get babies with something more. Maybe you're one who got a baby with a condition you couldn't pronounce, a spine that didn't fuse, a missing chromosome or a palate that didn't close. The doctor's words took your breath away. It was just like the time at recess in the fourth grade when you didn't see the kick ball coming, and it knocked the wind right out of you.

Some of you left the hospital with a healthy bundle, then, months, even years later, took him in for a routine visit, or scheduled him for a checkup, and crashed head first into a brick wall as you bore the brunt of devastating news. It didn't seem possible. That didn't run in your family. Could this really be happening in your lifetime?

There's no such thing as a perfect body. Everybody will bear something at some time or another. maybe the affliction will be apparent to curious eyes, or maybe it will be unseen, quietly treated with trips to the doctor, therapy or surgery. Mothers of children with disabilities live the limitations with them.

Frankly, I don't know how you do it. Sometimes you mothers scare me. How you lift that kid in and out of the wheelchair twenty times a day. How you monitor tests, track medications, and serve as the gatekeeper to a hundred specialists yammering in your ear.

I wonder how you endure the clichés and the platitudes, the well-intentioned souls explaining how God is at work when you've occasionally questioned if God is on strike. I even wonder how you endure schmaltzy columns like this one-saluting you, painting you as hero and saint, when you know you're ordinary. You snap, you bark, you bite. You didn't volunteer for this, you didn't jump up and down in the motherhood line yelling, "Choose me, God. Choose me? I've got what it takes."

You're a woman who doesn't have time to step back and put things in perspective, so let me do it for you.

From where I sit, you're way ahead of the pack. You've developed the strength of the draft horse while holding onto the delicacy of a daffodil. You have a heart that melts like chocolate in a glove box in July, counter-balanced against the stubbornness of an Ozark mule.

You are the mother, advocate and protector of a child with a disability.

You're a neighbor, a friend, a woman I pass at church and my sister-in-law.

You're a wonder.

Something Crazy

Do you want to hear something really crazy?

When I found out that I was pregnant, a friend of mine recommended an online support group. I joined the Oct 06 group and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

Since that time, I have met so many women online who have had similar issues throughout pregnancy and infancy with our babies. I have physically met three of the women, one is Beth in the picture below.

Every time we have had issues and been sent to the hospital, they have prayed for Sam. One of them even writes poems for Sam.

One time, I got this big package with letters and cards and a few gifts, not to mention a gift card. I think that was after I had meningitis and Sam had his ICD implanted. Then, on Tuesday I received another gift from one of my online friends belonging to this group. Today, I received a package with a big plush toy, some books, cards and a DVD, not to mention a gift card to Wal Mart.

What a blessing these women have been to my heart. I have received support when I most needed it and they let me vent too. I just want to say thanks to them again. You have been a real joy in my life.

Just thought I would share.

Friends and Family

We had a great time in Atlanta (or Cumming), GA. On the way down, we got to see several friends. Here's a picture of Abigail, Beth and us. Abigail and Sam are about a week or so apart (Sam is older). They are from Wilmington, but were in Charlotte for the weekend. What an unexpected surprise to get to see them. Here's their blog (I stole this pic from it!).

We also got to see the Persall family in Spartanburg at their AWESOME house. I was so happy to get to visit, and Sam was happy to get out of the car. It took about seven hours to get down there with all of our stops.

Once we were in Cumming, we stayed with my aunt Nancy and her family. Her children are my only cousins - and they are 13 and (almost) 8 years-old, respectively. I had a fantastic time with them, and I know Sam did too. He fell in love with Meg (the 8 year-old) and loved playing ball with Sam (the 13 year-old). Uncle Mike babysat baby Sam for me so Nancy and I got a chance to go out and do a little shopping. It was the first time I've been away from Sam in a long long time. I really needed the laughter and love I got over the weekend - with no worries about a house or pending adoption. I really love my family.

On the way home, we stopped in Greenville to see Bill's sister, Jacque. Sam was happy to steal her fries at McDonalds. Another really pleasant visit with family.

I just got off of Skype with Bill. He's in the Philippines now. He's having a great time, but is a bit congested. I can't wait to have him back at home.

I got some video of Sam today. It'll take me a while to figure out how to upload it. I'm retarded with video computer stuff.

Atlanta

Wow, thanks for all the comments about the adoption. I knew this had been a long process, but I calculated the whole thing out the other day and it has been four years and four months since we started. Can you believe that? Plus, I'm more nervous about this homestudy than I was about the first one. What's up with that?

It has something to do with our rental home. It's not horrible, by any means, but it does have its issues. Our neighbors on one side smoke pot and lately have taken to playing their music very loudly. They have four children and her 22 year-old brother living with them. They also profess to be pagans. On the other side is a single woman and her four children with two different fathers. Her ex-husband was abusive and has taken to abducting (yes, taking them without legal permission) the children lately. This evening the two of them had a blow-out fight in the parking lot about money. They started the fight when he came to pick up the children (so they were present) and then he came back without the children, but with his mother, to finish it. I was very worried he was going to hurt her, but she went into the house before anything could happen.

She is a Christian and I believe God is working in her life to deal with everything that is happening. She comes over and hangs out with me sometimes, and her children LOVE playing with Sam (inside and outside my home). The other family is a bit more distant, but I have been able to make a connection with them as well.

Needless to say, there is a lot going on and I need a bit of a break from it, which is why Sam and I are driving to Atlanta tomorrow to hang with my aunt and her family. We'll stay until Tuesday. I believe it will pass the time without Bill being here a little faster.

The great news of the day is two-fold. One - the contract on the house is signed! We have a close-date of July 15th. Yeah!! Two - an adoption agency based out of Greensboro has agreed to do a partial (updated) homestudy for us! They seem very helpful, even with our unusual circumstances.

Bill is in Indonesia today - Bali, to be exact. They are doing an Operation Christmas Child (OCC)distribution! He is excited about it - because he finally gets to see the impoverished children receiving the tangible love of Christ up close. All of you who packed shoeboxes for OCC - I am going to have some awesome pictures for you to see the children who receive your boxes.

We're off early tomorrow morning.

Email From Chengdu

Some close friends of ours wrote out an email tonight from Chengdu. I asked them if I could post it on our blog and they said yes. I've changed it a bit for publication. Please pray for these folks. Also, they have some friends who have a small child and are expecting that live to the north of Chengdu and no one has heard from them.

We are at home now writing you and preparing for today. We are thankful for all of your prayers and your thoughts to us. Please continue to pray for the people here and that we would have wisdom on how we can help these people. We stayed the night in our home and were so thankful for peace as we slept. We are reminded that He cares for us, that His mercies are new every morning.

I was with the kids at home when the quake hit, the house was swaying like a boat and I ran with the kids with no shoes and nothing...they ran down 16 flights just asking the Lord to hold the building...the quake lasted about 3 minutes. When we got downstairs people were running everywhere. One Tibetan friend of ours saw me without shoes and just put her shoes on her feet.

Everyone waited by the street for several hours. Many people hugged the kids, hugged me and just were worried with them. Our house helper saw that we didn't have our dog, the kids had been crying that she was left there. She told them that she would try....she ran up the stairs and returned with Riley,our passports and the stuffed duck that our little one loved. It was so precious and very special to see her love for us.

My husband was taking his brother to the airport and felt like the car had a blow out, when he stepped out of the car to look at the tire, he felt the ground moving the same. The driver said hurry lets go, as they were under an overpass. They drove to the airport and saw that there were people everywhere...they began to make their way to us...through so much traffic they came to our home. He didn't realize the size of the earthquake until he saw us and just heard our story.

Fear gripped me in a way I have never experienced. I was so scared I would not get the kids out, I was scared that I couldn't find my husband....but the Lord has reminded me that He did not give us a spirit of fear, but of LOVE, POWER, and a SOUND MIND. My husband has said he has been reminded that God will never leave us or forsake us.

My husband made us a shelter in the corner of the soccer field and the kids slept so well in the tent. God sent us our brother-in-law, Bob, so we had one person holding each child. We needed one more set of hands and Uncle Bobby was there.

Will you ask for God to comfort our own fears and give us eyes for those around us...this is a time to be honest, where I want to hold my kids around me and keep them safe, ask that we could see others and have God's love to help.

Will you ask for our kids to have peace---that this would just seal in their hearts a trust in the Lord for His care.

We continue to feel aftershocks and just need prayer to have peace---the water and gas have been coming on and off...please ask for that "sound mind" for us as we care for our home and needs and things.

We look to Jesus--leaning, leaning safe and secure from all alarms, leaning, leaning, leaning on the ever lasting arms.

From Bell Shoals BC

We regret to inform you, our church family, that at approximately 11 AM this morning we learned that search and rescue teams found the aircraft of Pastor Forrest Pollock in the mountains outside of Asheville, North Carolina. Pastor Pollock, 44 and his son Preston, 13, did not survive the crash. Please continue to lift up Dawn and the children during this difficult time. We grieve with hope and assurance that our Lord Jesus will lead us and carry us through these difficult times.
We have lost a great brother, pastor and friend in Forrest Pollock as well as a precious little brother in Christ, Preston Pollock. We owe a great thanks to those who risked their lives, endured extreme hardship, and worked non-stop in the attempt to rescue our pastor and his son.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Earthquake Update

This is an email I got from a few of our friends in Chengdu, where the earthquake was. They have three little ones. They lived on the 16th floor of a tall apartment building.

I haven't heard from anyone in Yunnan yet.

Keep praying for our friends.

We are ok. I came home to get supplies. We are sleeping outside tonight. The kids were really scared to go back home. There are about 3000 people sleeping out at a near by college.

Congratulations, Adam and Kendall!

My twin brother and his wife had a baby boy today around 4:12pm. He called and told Bill her water broke and I was in the car within ten minutes. It took me three hours to get to Raleigh (with Sam) and she had already had the baby an hour before I got there! I'm envious of how great her delivery and pregnancy were!

Sam is doing great. No fever since the last time I posted on Thursday. He was just right to meet his new cousin!

By the way, the baby has no name yet. I'll keep you posted on that one. He's beautiful though. Dark hair and perfect in every way.

Long Day

Sam slept through the night, which was a little odd for him. When he woke up, he coughed so much he vomited. I checked his temp and it was 101.1F.

An hour after giving him his Tylenol, it is still 101F.

So, I guess we're in for a long day.

Getting Better

Sam seems to be feeling better today. He's only had a few moments where he found it difficult to breathe (he was wheezing). That was while he was in his pack-n-play taking a nap. Probably just from laying down. He had another low-grade temp last night - 100.8, but nothing today.

Melissa asked me about Bill's job. I guess I'm guilty of not sharing with you about how much he likes it. I've been a bit side-tracked lately!

Bill loves his job. He gets to speak with people all around the world who work with Samaritan's Purse every day. His mom came up a couple days ago and we took a tour of SP and it was great. We both got a little choked up when we saw the work they do with heart patients who are children from other countries. I saw a few pictures that really gripped my heart. They bring infants and children from around the world to different locations in America to have surgery done. They have host families take those families to their doctor's appointments. It is definitely something I want to be involved in.

Back to Bill. He is leaving on Monday to go to Indonesia and the Philippines for about 12 days. It'll be a short trip, but it's an important one. It's taken him a bit of time to get used to cubicle-work, but now that Matt is back (his direct supervisor and great friend), I think he's enjoying it more. He said he's going to go to Colorado soon too.

Bill comes home everyday with stories about how children received their shoe boxes and how those boxes contained exactly what they needed. One story was about the public schools in the Philippines, who require a uniform for every child. There was one girl who didn't have shoes and she was given a fine every day she showed up without her shoes. While Matt was there, she received a pair of shoes exactly her size in one of the shoe boxes. It was a sweet story.

Also, for those of you who were wondering about how my parents are fairing in Thailand - great. They were worried about the cyclone hitting them, but it turns out they only got a little rain. My brother and I were very concerned this morning since we hadn't heard from them in a couple days, but I used Skype-Out to call Dad while he was grocery shopping. He said my mother has a stomach bug, but besides that they are doing well. They'll be back this summer (late June) to visit family and friends.

Thanks again for your prayers. I saw a house today online that was posted last night. I'm going to go look at it tomorrow at 11am. It looks promising!

Another Childhood Virus

Ugh. I guess you know what I'm about to say.

Pray.

Sam has a low-grade fever and is coughing and wheezing some. We went to the doctor and they did a CBC and we learned that Sam's lymphocytes are elevated. This indicates a virus. So, his pediatrician called the doctor on-call and told him the situation. Everyone is on-alert in case something happens (e.g. a fever spike and a defib discharge, which will take us to the hospital).

His throat is red, which is probably why he stopped eating yesterday. His temp is so low - 100.6 - so I'm not too worried just yet. Let's just unite in prayer to keep it low!

I talked to his doctor about how hard I'm trying to clean his hands, but continue to take him to the park and other fun places. He was very happy with our situation and said to keep it up. Therefore, I can only conclude that I am not guilty of exposing him to something unnecessarily, but instead, I am keeping him social and helping him to develop as naturally as a 19 month-old.

Hey, at least it's not strep (negative culture today) or hand-foot-mouth disease!

We have also looked for houses, continually, and there still doesn't seem to be much in our price-range that is habitable. We have one house on our hearts that we are praying through right now. Please continue to help us!

Thanks.

Other People

I've been noticing a trend in how other people view Sam recently. I get a lot, and I mean a TON, of comments about how Sam is more susceptible to getting sick than other children. It comes in many different ways, like one woman told me, after Sam drank from her son's sippy cup, that her son is "tough" so she wasn't worried about him (i.e. Sam isn't tough). Other people make comments about us not going to certain places because Sam's immune system is compromised (like the Children's Museum in town).

Now, I realize that I have a lot to process regarding all of this. I also realize what opinions I form now will probably follow me the rest of my life. Hopefully I'll be able to change according to different situations though. Whatever the case, I feel very defensive.

So, let's get some facts straight. Sam does not have a compromised immune system. He is, in fact, less sick than a lot of children his age. The doctors have even done a SED test on him to see how his immune system is and it is absolutely perfect (the lower the number the better, and his is 0). The issue is that when he does get a common cold or another type of virus and gets a fever along with it, his heart starts beating rapidly.

Also, I believe Sam is one of the toughest kids I know. He can take shock after shock directly to his heart and stops crying about two seconds afterwards. He falls down and doesn't cry, unless he's overly tired. The kid is very tough.

Now that I've gotten that out, let me apologize to any of you for being short about it recently. I feel like a judgement on him is a judgement on our family and I really hate to hear things that aren't accurate concerning him. However, it is impossible for anybody to have the big picture anywhere near correct. I don't share everything that happens with anyone - if you were at the hospital and shared an experience with us, you MAY understand, but for the most part, no one is totally aware of what has happened besides us and his doctors.

So, I need to change my attitude of defensiveness. I'm sure that other families with these types of conditions have similar feelings and have worked through them. I know Sam is always going to be a "special needs" child and that his teachers will always need to be aware of his situation. I also realize that I will never be able to put him in the church nursery or another place that is a petri dish of germs. That is definitely different from other children. He will never be able to play contact sports, because the ICD might get hit and it could damage it. But, the infectious disease doctor said to allow him to participate in all normal activities where I can be with him. So, a children's museum is a perfect place for him.

The infectious disease doctor, his pediatricians, his nurses and his cardiologist ALL said NOT to put him in a bubble, real or figurative.

I hope that I can be a very conscientious mother, who will be aware of the situation, but allow Sam to experience new situations and have a good time with other children. But, I also know Sam is not like other children and I am going to have to get used to that fact. It makes me a little weepy even thinking about it. He acts totally normal and is developmentally right on schedule. But, he does have limitations.

So, in summary, please forgive me if I have offended you recently by jumping down your throat about Sam's health. I am unsure of how to process all of my feelings right now, but I feel fiercely defensive about him. But, I am praying through it and working through it with others.

By the way, when I heard my new friend say her child was "tough," I responded emotionally to it. She didn't mean a thing about Sam - it was just something I was already sensitive about and it stuck with me. I know many of you are probably reading that first paragraph and saying to yourselves, "geez, I will have to be careful with every little thing I say with Teesa." The truth is, it's my problem for being over-sensitive. I know it's a problem and I'm working on it.