A special morning

This morning I will be watching a little boy for a friend of mine (a medical FP as well) J moved with them a couple of months ago and has been doing great.

The day they went up to St Pete to pick him up, I watched one of their other babies, and ofcourse we had been talking about their new placement, his age, some of his issues, etc.

When Sebastian was in ACH for the first time, with massive pneumonia, he had a little room mate, this precious baby boy, who looked like a newborn and was just precious. He never had any visitors and the nurses would just love on him any chance they had. His little face would light up when anyone held him and he would have the sweetest smile. The whole case was very "hush hush" but I knew he had a colostomy and there were major issues.

I have often wondered over the years how he was doing. I knew he went into medical foster care, but not in this area.

So here's my friend, going to pick up this little boy, who has a colostomy and some other stuff and all of a sudden a light bulb went off................I called her and asked if his full first name was so and so, and it was !!!!!!!!!

When they came back to pick up their other baby, I got to see J, who I had last seen when he was 5 mos ( now he's 2) and his face looks just the same, the same little grin, bright eyes, etc.

I received my child specific training a while ago, so I can watch him every now and then. He is quite the handful, non verbal, but learning to sign.

He's a little angel, looking for a forever family !

it's cold !!!!!!!!!

I got up this morning at 6.30 and as usual I took Gracie outside. Gracie is our wonderful poochm adopted from the shelter last year and you couldn't wish for a better dog !!!

Anyway, it was freezing !!!!!!!

The kids got dressed all nice and warm, I actually got to put some of the cute sweaters on them ( the ones we only get to wear maybe 5 times a year....)
Their winter jackets, Max with his Scooby Doo hat and mittens that he got for Christmas, they all made quite the picture at the bus stop !!

Ofcourse I put a sweatshirt on, but still on my flip flops !! LOL

I am going to get dressed and get little V dressed, we have a visitor coming this morning. I will blog later..........I have had complaints about not keeping up my blog..................mmmmmmmmm.......

I need to learn to say no !

Honestly, I suck at saying no (hence the 5 kids I guess LOL)

Yesterday placement called me, they had a 6 mos old, not medical, but really medically needy. His fostermom works and he could not go to daycare. Low grade fever, nebulizer treatments every 3-4 hrs, thickened feeds, aspiration risk, etc, etc

Fostermom was in tears, could not miss any more work. To me the choice if I wanted him for respite till after the weekend or just on a daily basis..................

I said no...............till the foster mom called me................I agreed to take him for the afternoon (she had him at her office) I did tell her she needed to figure out the rest of the week and hooked her up with my awesome respiratory therapist ( who can check him and give him treatments at daycare)

Then V's mom called (from her grandma's phone, she knows I don't answer her phone calls anymore)to set up a visit for this week. At grandma's house and if I could pretty please bring the baby, because they are having so many problems with transportation (read no drivers license or car)

So I agreed, just for this week...............I have my reasons.At court it will show that these parents have had all the help and still can not do what they need to do.

I really need to get my behind in gear, laundry is awaiting and just the daily picking up stuff............everywhere !!!

This afternoon the overcap person is coming by. This is because I have a waiver for V, since I am over capacity. Should be quick in and out. Tomorrow the health department for my yearly relicensing. Sometimes they're easy, sometimes they are nuts (checking for lint in the dryer, seriously.........)

back to school...WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Let me start of by saying that I do love my kids LOL

but they are all back to school !!!!!!! and I'm loving it !!! I think they were all excited as well. Sofia got up all by herself and was dressed in a heartbeat. She brushed her teeth, did her hair, all without any prompting from me and with a smile on her face.

Lili had a harder time getting up (it was still dark outside) but she did good as well.

Sebastian and Max were excited, while we were waiting on the bus, Max was saying how he would get to see all his friends, I asked Sebastian who his friend was in class and he answered very seriously with this sweet smile; " Max is my bestest friend, mommy"

Loved it, made my day !!!

I will be cleaning bathrooms and vacuuming today. All the Christmas stuff is packed away ( did that on Sunday) so back to normal (or whatever normal is in this house)

Little V has an appointment with GI this Friday. Her caseworker called yesterday, she was preparing a report for the judge. There is a hearing on the 30th, they will have to decide where she will be placed, with her aunt or with bio dad.

I am praying she will go to her auntie, who has been preparing for this child even before she was born. There is a nursery set up and ready and most important, she will be able to provide stability and the care that this angel needs. Bio dad does not drive, how in the world would he get her to appointments, daycare, therapy, etc ???

Prayers appreciated !!!!!!!!!!!

know what I just did ???!!!

The things we do for our kids !!! I just refilled a tube of tooth paste.........

Yup you read that right !!! I am crazy, I know. Max has been using this little tube of tooth paste that Oma left, and did really good with it !! No big goops everywhere, and miracle of miracles....he would put the cap back on !!!
( dopje op de tube van de tand-pas-ta hi hi)

Well, this morning it was empty and Max was heart broken...............sad......like only Max can be just heart broken. Not crying, but with eyes big and watery.

I am a sucker, but I refilled it !! ( all these tube feeding supplies are so handy for all sorts of other things LOL) I used a small syringe ( I did not show him how ofcourse)

Made him the happiest kid...........and for now I am still the mom who knows how to fix everything !

best toys this year

Now that Christmas is over and the kids have had some time to play with their new stuff, there is no doubt that the Smart cycle is the absolute hit of all gifts !!

I bought this for Max, when I saw the display at ToysRus, I knew right that he would love it. I put it together on Christmas Eve, so he would be able to play with it right away. Play he did................for about 2 hours and then the pedal came off. When I brought it back to the store, we got a refund, they were out of them and would not be getting any new ones in for 2 weeks...............poor Max was crushed !

The next day I bought one at Target, but before putting it together I was surfing the web, checking the blogs I read and Craigslist..................

There was one on Craigslist, with 3 games, for $50 ( a new one is $100, the games are 20 each)

So back to Target I went, after I picked up the one from Craigslist. Kids happy (more games, incl the Hot Wheel game and Dora) me happy, because hey saving $50 is always a good thing !!

The other favorite thing is "the grabber" Sebastian loves that thing !!!!!!!!

Sofia has been sleeping with her tiger cub. Lili has not been playing that much with her baby alive and stroller. She did in the beginning, going through all my preemie diapers LOL.

The picture of Sebastian in the huge Christmas bag ( I bought a bunch this year and they made wrapping a lot easier !!) He kept covering himself and yelling; "this is your last present mommy, your last present !" I would "open" my present and he would laugh and laugh. He did this about 100 times LOL

it's been a while

It's been a while and it's been crazy......................can school start now please. The kids are driving me crazy, there is no pleasing them.............I have taken them to the park, beautiful park, new, what were they doing ?????? FIGHTING !

They constantly argue, fight, hit, tattle, etc. There is no distracting them !!

New Years Eve I was here with just Oscar, Sebastian and the baby. Papa had to work and took Max and the girls with him. They visited with some cousins and spend New Years Eve there. Oscar hung out with his friends, Sebastian fell asleep early, after we colored and watched The Wonderpets together. I layed on the couch as much as possible, giving my stomach a rest.........................why..............

Last week I had a massage, should have been wondeful and relaxing, instead I was tortured with a deep tissue massage, which did wonders for my neck, BUT she also wanted to loosen my tight stomach muscles ( believe me it's been a loooong time since I have heard that LOL )

Long story short...........when I came home I had this stinging sensation on the bottom part of my stomach and when I looked, it was oozing !! Right on the bottom of your stomach there's a line and the skin ripped. Now during the massage I did not feel this, she was torturing me, but she assured me next time would not be as bad.

News flash, there will be no next time !!!!!! The next day I could hardly stand up straight, and I would shuffle around holding my stomach. Besides the 5" wide area where the skin tore, the whole bottom of my stomach was/is bruised BAD


So New Years Eve was a regular night for me, which was fine, since I was not in the mood anyway. Things on the marriage side have been very, very rocky..............