Some weeks are harder than others. . . .

While this week has most certainly not been a bad one, it has definitely been draining. . . .emotionally, physically and mentally.

The week started out on a positive note. Joshua slid into Evans spot for a physical therapy "checkup" on Monday and was successfully discharged from the program for the time being. He is doing exceptionally well and, at this point, there is very little that his therapist can do for him that he is not already doing for himself.

Unfortunately that triumph was a bit short-lived as all the kids proceeded to come down with a nasty cold. . . .which they so kindly passed along to me! Somehow Richard has managed to stay relatively healthy through it all, but it has been a regular snot-fest between the rest of us (I know, not a pretty picture).

On Monday afternoon I noticed that Evan was developing blisters on the tops of both of his feet right at the opening of his casts. The blister on the left foot was relatively small, but the blister on the right was literally the biggest blister I have ever laid eyes on. I called the nurses line at his orthopedists office and left a message, unsure of what I should do should the blister burst. She called me back on Tuesday morning and asked us to come in that afternoon so the doctor could examine him. I took him in and the doctor decided to split his casts a little more to relieve some of the pressure, but to leave the blister alone. The nurse let Evan pick out some fiberglass to cover his casts and he chose to go red. . .like Elmo, of course! We will be going back in on the 28th for a cast change. We decided that it would be best to take him back into surgery and do the cast change under anesthesia. While I would certainly prefer that he not have to go under anesthesia again, I feel like it will probably be best for him. The clubbing of his feet was severe and the doctors will likely have to do some stretching and manipulation on his still very tender feet and I can only imagine how painful that will be. On top of that, Evan just doesn't do well with the hospital scene in general and I am worried about the effect it might have on him psychologically if he is awake and alert for the procedure. While I do feel comfortable with the decision, it certainly wasn't an easy one to make.

Evan is recovering beautifully from his surgery. He is now off all pain medications and seems to be feeling much better. . . .good enough at least that he asks me several times a day if he can swing, slide or drive his cozy coupe car! His feet are still pretty swollen, so he spends most of the day with his feet propped up on a pillow, but occasionally I can't help but give in to his pleas. Today I let him "drive" his car for awhile. Usually he sits in his car and I push him around and we play "bumper cars" with the other kids. Obviously we did not do that today. Instead I just let him sit in the car while I ran inside to make the kids' lunch. A few minutes later I looked out the window and saw him using his mouth to lift up his arm (using his sleeve) so that he could move the steering wheel! Talk about a smart kid! I never cease to be amazed at the things he figures out!

Not everything has been sunshine and roses for Evan however. We are still really struggling to get him to eat. We had made such progress with him in this area prior to his surgery, but I feel like we have taken 10 steps backwards. He is drinking, but it has been next to impossible to get him to eat. I'm not at all worried that he is going to starve himself. When he is hungry he WILL eat, but sometimes he only eats a few bites of something once or twice a day and as a mother, it is stressful! He is also having a really hard time sleeping. Evan is not a back sleeper and unfortunately, being casted all the way up his thighs has forced him to become one. . .and he is NOT happy about it. He wakes up several times each night screaming that he is "stuck" and begging me to take his casts off. It absolutely breaks my heart and tears me up that I cannot do anything for him. It is emotionally draining to watch your child go through that. I am hoping that he will be able to move better once he is in the short casts so that he can get a better nights sleep.

On a bit of a brighter note, Jacob and Lukas have been working on potty training this week. . . and I am very happy to report that they are doing a FANTASTIC job! Sure, we have had some accidents here and there, but I have to say, I have been very impressed with both of them and I am actually glad that I waited until the boys were home and things had settled a bit to start working on potty training with them! I'm so proud of my big boys!

This week has been full of emotional ups and downs for me, but I have to say, amidst it all, my heart is full and I feel so blessed to be where I am right now! The Lord is truly smiling down on us and just knowing that makes the more difficult moments a little easier to bear!

Home!

Just a quick post to let everyone know that we are home. Evan was discharged this morning and we were home and settled by lunch time. He is doing great! He is handling the pain much better today and we have been able to go for longer intervals between pain meds (which is great because they make him nauseous).

He is still running low grade fevers, but the surgeons feel that this is most likely due to a lack of deep breathing following surgery. As strange as it sounds, it is actually quite common after surgery for people to avoid taking the deep, cleansing breaths that help to expand the small air sacs within the lungs. After surgery (especially if you've had a breathing tube down your throat), taking a deep breath can often be painful. If you don't take these deep breaths however, the lungs never fully expand and this can often lead to infection/lung complications or increased temperatures. To be quite honest, it sounded a bit crazy to me at first, but after observing Evan breathe yesterday, I realized that this is likely the cause. We started doing some "incentive spirometry" (aka, deep breathing) with Evan yesterday and are continuing to work on it at home. Because he is 3 and, at times, very stubborn, we have had to get creative when it comes to getting him to take deep breaths. Right now we are having him blow bubbles and blow on party favors (you know, the annoying ones that extend and make noise when you blow into them). Hopefully we will see the fevers leave within the next day or two. If they don't we will have to take his casts off and inspect his wounds for possible infections and we really don't want to have to do that, so hopefully these "cleansing breaths" do him some good!

He is sleeping peacefully on a mattress in the living room at the moment (there is no way I am going to put him back in with the boys right now. . .they are just too rough and too curious). He is so happy to be home . I am already amazed at how quickly he is bouncing back from this surgery. We will go back to see the orthopedist sometime later this week to close his casts (they are currently split on the sides to allow for swelling) and the plan is to keep him in these long casts for 3-4 weeks. Here's hoping that everything goes according to plan for once!

Thank you again to all of you who have been keeping our family in your thoughts and prayers. We appreciate each and every one of you so much!

We're still here!

Well, we started the day with hopes of being discharged, unfortunately, today is not going to be that day. Evan has been running fevers on and off since yesterday afternoon and his pain meds are making him a bit queasy, so his doctor has decided he wants us to stay one more night. If he does well tonight, we should be able to go home first thing tomorrow morning. He is starting to tolerate the pain a bit more and was able to get a lot more rest today. He still isn't eating much, but that does not surprise me at all. He is a picky eater to begin with and, when he is out of his element and needs to feel more in control of his surroundings, he tends to become a lot more selective about what he will and will not allow us to feed him. That in addition to the nausea caused by his pain meds and he just isn't up for food right now. I can imagine that, once he is home and his pain has lessened, he will resume his normal eating routine.

The rest of the family is doing well. My wonderful mother-in-law has been helping Richard hold down the fort at home for the past few days. We have been so fortunate to have her here to help us and really appreciate her willingness to take time out of her own busy life to help us with the kids so that I can be here at the hospital with Evan. The kids love spending time with Grandma DD so this has been a real treat for them. We really are blessed to have such a great support system. Knowing that the other kids are in such good and capable hands definitely makes situations such as these much less stressful.

So, as we settle down for another night in the hospital, we hope and pray that tomorrow morning will bring a happier, healthier Evan and our golden ticket home!

One of few smiles that escaped today. . resting with bear by his side!

Not quite home. . .

Unfortunately, Evan will not be going home today. While he is doing MUCH better than he was yesterday and even last night, he is still in a lot of pain and needs the morphine to take the edge off. He is much more awake and alert today and while he is definitely miserable, there have been several times when he has flashed that big, beautiful smile at me. What a trooper. I was a bit worried going into the surgery that he would not be able to tell me whenH he was in pain. I am relieved that that has not been the case. He has been very good about letting me know when his "boo boos" hurt and even if he feels sick and that has definitely helped us stay on top of the pain.

Smiling through the pain

His doctor ended up putting him in hard casts following the surgery and splitting them up the sides to allow for swelling. His left foot has done well, but the toes on his right foot were starting to feel a little cold and were not as pink as we would've liked them to be so they came in last night to split the casts a bit more. His feet are looking much better now that they have a little more room to breathe. The doctor told me after his surgery to expect to see some blood seeping through the casts. When Evan was first brought to his room yesterday afternoon, I could see some blood where the casts were split and a few spots on the right cast where blood appeared to be "seeping" (but as you can see in the pictures, they really looked nice and white on the outside). Now both of his casts look like they are soaked in blood. It is a bit disconcerting (although I have been reassured that it is absolutely normal) and I am so glad the doctor prepped me for it, otherwise I think I might have freaked a bit!

Misery (you can see the blood on his right cast)

He will be in his current casts for 3-4 weeks (we will come back next week to close the casts once the swelling starts to go down) and then he will likely move to short casts for another 3-4 weeks. I was actually a bit relieved to hear that they would not be changing his current casts for a few weeks, because I cannot imagine having to be re casted so soon following surgery. Just thinking about it makes my feet hurt.

Hopefully we will be able to get his pain under control and get him off of the morphine so that he can go home tomorrow. He is doing such a great job and I am so proud of him for being such a trooper! Although I know it will still be awhile, I am so excited for the day when these casts come off and we get to see his beautiful new feet! Even more, I cannot wait for the day when we get to see him UP on those beautiful feet!

Stay tuned. . . .

Surgery Day Pictures

Ready for surgery

Versed

Sleeping off the anesthesia

Look at those beautiful, straight feet!

All Done

Houston, we have flat/straight feet! Evan came out of surgery at noon. His doctor said that the surgery went well and he is pleased with the results. He did say that it was a difficult surgery because of the severity of the clubbing and that we need to keep a close eye on circulation (his toes are nice and pink, but he is most concerned with the back of the foot and heel area). He mentioned that there is a possibility that we could lose some skin on the backs of his feet and that he might need a skin graft down the road, but right now, all we can do is monitor his feet, keep them elevated and wait.

Unfortunately, hospital policy does not permit you to go back to the recovery rooms and so I wasn't able to be there when Evan came out of his surgery as I had hoped. Instead I was given his room number and had to wait for him there. Richard came with lunch and was able to be there with me when Evan arrived in his room. He is miserable and obviously in a lot of pain, but he is finally sleeping soundly and hopefully he will feel a little better once he wakes up. He was just sobbing when they first brought him upstairs and it was absolutely heartbreaking. He kept calling out for his brothers and sister (Mommy and Daddy too) and saying, "Good job Evan. All done. All done." After we got him settled in he managed to open his eyes a bit (he is very swollen) and looked at me and said, "Boo, boo. Ouch" Again, it just broke my heart. He has since downed several cups of apple juice and water and is now sleeping "peacefully" as the morphine pumps through his body. The plan at this point is to keep an eye on the circulation in his feet and to manage his pain. If he is still feeling miserable in the morning, he will likely stay in the hospital for one more day before going home.

As hard as it has been to see my son go through this miserable and painful process, my heart also rejoices that we are one step closer to getting him up on his feet. . .something that never would've been possible for him in Ukraine. For the past few weeks he has been telling me that he wants to walk. . .he wants to be up on his feet and running around with his brothers and sisters. Although we still have a LONG way to go, the thought that he will someday be doing just that, brings tears to my eyes. We are on our way!

I am so proud of our sweet little man!

Thank you again for all of your thoughts, prayers, encouragement and support! We truly appreciate them!

The package has been delivered. . . .

We arrived at the h0spital at 5:30 am this morning. Evan was not very happy about being dragged out of bed before the sun was up, but after telling him his bear could come along he was a much more willing participant. He cried and wanted nothing to do with the nurses and kept telling everyone that he was done and that he wanted to put his jacket on and go home. It always breaks my heart to see him so distraught. We turned on one of his favorite shows which helped to calm him a little, but he still kept telling me he wanted to go home (and who could blame him). About 45 minutes before they took him to the OR they came in and gave him some tylenol and versed. Once the versed kicked in he was much "happier" (I've got some great pictures/video of him during "happy hour"that should come in handy during his teenage years). I was a bit nervous about how he would do when they took him up to the OR, but he let me lay him on the bed and the nurses wheeled him away without him so much as making a sound (ah, versed)! The surgery should last about 4 hours and then he will be staying overnight to monitor his pain and to make sure that there are no adverse effects from surgery or anesthesia.

I will continue to update as the day progresses. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. They are greatly appreciated!

Hand splints, wheelchairs and surgery. . .OH MY!

It has been a crazy week. . . and it is about to get even crazier! It is surgery week for Evan, so we have been trying to squeeze in as much as possible before he is laid up and in casts. Monday was GORGEOUS so the kids and I spent the day purchasing and replacing the swings on our swing set and enjoying the great outdoors! On Tuesday we FINALLY received Evan's hand splints. . .and he is actually really enjoying them (definitely didn't expect that). We are having a bit of a struggle keeping his left thumb (which is shorter and has a significant amount of webbing) strapped down, but otherwise, all is well on that front. My biggest concern with the hand splints is keeping the other kids from messing with them. I have a feeling I am going to have to be extremely vigilant when he has them on to make sure that they don't mysteriously disappear!

Evan modeling his hand splints . . . and a cute pink and purple hat that Maren so kindly placed on his head! He is an easy "dress up" target!

After we got home from OT yesterday, my friend Stacey and I took all of our kids to the zoo (that's 7 children 3.5 and under). It was another BEAUTIFUL day and I really wanted to take Evan before his surgery. I am so glad that we did as he absolutely LOVED it (as did all of the other kids)! He was so excited to see all of the animals (especially the indoor aquarium. . .as soon as we walked in he shouted, "NEMO!") and he loved riding on the carousel.

This morning I had to take Evan to see the wheelchair supplier so that he could be fitted for a rental wheelchair for use after his surgery. I debated on whether or not we would actually need or use it since I use the double stroller for most of our outings, but have decided that it will be nice to have it at home, church and when I am taking Evan to his various therapies and appointments over the next few months.

The rest of the day today was spent in preparation for the next few days. Meals are cooked and in the refrigerator, ready to be popped into the oven, the laundry is clean, the grocery shopping done, the hospital bag is packed, a babysitter is lined up for tomorrow (thank you Stacey!) , my wonderful mother-in-law will be flying in tomorrow night and is staying until Monday evening. . we are SO grateful for her help!

We have to be at the hospital at 5:30 am tomorrow morning for a 7:30 surgery, so we will be up and out the door before the sun comes up. The surgery is estimated to last approximately 4 hours (2 hours for each foot) and he will be staying in the hospital overnight. If all goes well, he should be able to come home sometime on Friday. He will be coming home in "soft casts" which will allow for the normal post-surgical swelling (I'm a little nervous about this as well, with 4 other curious, rowdy children at home) and then we will go back next week and check the incisions (to ensure that they are healing properly and that there is no infection) and get his hard casts. He will be in long casts (these extend all the way up his legs) for several weeks and will likely have 2-3 cast changes over the course of the next 8 weeks.

Although I know that Evan doesn't really understand what is going on, I can definitely tell that he has been able to sense that something is about to happen. He has been very sensitive this week and starts to cry whenever we talk about the surgery or his feet. I know the next few days are going to be difficult for him, but I have a feeling that he is going to come through this with flying colors and surprise us just like he has with everything else!

Pre-surgical feet

While we are definitely nervous about this surgery, we know that the Lord will be watching over all of us, especially Evan and the doctors performing his surgery, and that all will be well. If you could keep Evan, our family and his doctors in your prayers, we would greatly appreciate it.

I will be bringing a laptop with me to the hospital so be sure to check for updates over the next few days!

"Look Mommy! A chicken!"

Wednesday was a BEAUTIFUL day (although still a bit chilly) and after being stuck in the house for several days due to rain, I decided to take the kids to the park. We packed a picnic lunch, loaded into the car and headed to one of our favorite parks. I like this park for many reasons. 1) It has four toddler swings as opposed to the two that most of our local parks have. With 5 toddlers, this is a great feature (although I have noticed recently that Maren, Lukas and Jacob are getting a bit big for these swings), 2) It has different playground equipment for different ages and "skill levels," (although my kids insist on playing on the one with the tallest, curviest slides nonetheless) and 3) It has a duck pond. . . and who doesn't love a duck pond!

So we got to the park, played on the swings, went down the slides and played in the dirt (because what trip to the park is complete without covering yourself from head to toe in dirt) and then decided to take a walk around the pond before sitting down for lunch. As we headed towards the pond, several ducks and geese crossed the path in front of us. Evan got really excited when he saw them and started bouncing up and down in the stroller. Then, in his most excited voice he exclaimed, "Look Mommy! A chicken!" I couldn't help but laugh! Although I did inform him that the "chicken" was in fact, a duck, I couldn't help but be impressed that, a child who, only 3 months ago spoke and understood no English whatsoever, actually knew the word chicken and associated it with a bird. He has since informed me that penguins and flamingos are "chickens" as well! And people wonder why I always have a smile on my face! Such a funny guy!

House of Pancakes

We eat a lot of pancakes. It is one of the few things that Evan will consistently eat and everyone else loves them as well, so pancakes appear on the menu quite often. I have quite the pancake repertoire and what I love the most about pancakes is the ability to "hide" other ingredients in the batter to make sure that my kids (particularly Evan) are getting the nutrients they need in their daily diets (if you have a picky eater and you've never read "The Sneaky Chef" or "Deceptively Delicious" I highly recommend them).

That being said, I am constantly amazed at how many pancakes 5 toddlers can go through in one sitting. This morning, the tally was as follows:

Maren: 2
Lukas: 3
Jacob: 3
Joshua: 3
Evan: 6 (yes, SIX)

That is 17 pancakes between 5 toddlers! Holy pancakes batman! I can only imagine how many we will go through when they are teenagers!

Pancake aftermath (who doesn't love a pancake with chocolate chips. . .just in case you are wondering, those are not my secret, nutritious ingredient)

Ecstatic about pancakes

The many faces of Joshua. . .

I managed to snap the above photos within about 2 minutes. Joshua is the king of facial expressions and is such a ham. My favorite facial expression of the moment is his pout. He's got the sad puppy dog face down to an art (he perfected it during his hospital stay). He has quickly learned what a powerful tool of manipulation it is (seriously, who can resist an adorable baby with a pout), so we have seen this face quite often lately.

Apparently during our lunchtime "photo shoot" he grew tired of having the camera in his face and decided to close his eyes. For a minute I thought he might have fallen asleep, but when I called his name he broke into a huge grin (although he kept his eyes closed). I quickly switched the camera onto the video setting and managed to get a video of him "playing dead" over lunch. . .unfortunately I cannot get it to upload (maybe I will try again later)! Such a funny kid! He certainly keeps us all entertained.

Down but not out. . .

Joshua has proven over the past month that nothing can get him down. Although he has been sick and consequently miserable, he still manages to charm us all with his beautiful smile and his charismatic personality. A few days ago the kids were all in the playroom when I heard them all start laughing. I came into the room to find Joshua entertaining them all with his infamous "noises" as demonstrated in the following video (you will notice also, that poor Evan has become one of Joshua's favorite "toys"):

Such a goofy kid! Be sure to keep scrolling as I have posted several blog entries this evening. There will be more to come, so stay tuned!

TV Time

I am ashamed to admit that, in the past few months, my kids have probably watched more television/movies than they have in the course of their entire lives. While I am certainly not proud of plopping my children in front of the TV so much, it has had its benefits. For example, Evan has learned the alphabet and how to count to 15 from watching Sesame Street. And I would've never been able to snap the following, ADORABLE, pictures if Joshua was not hopelessly addicted to Curious George. . .

All About Evan

Lest anyone think we have forgotten about Evan, this blog entry will be entirely devoted to him and all of the wonderful progress he is making as the newest member of our family!

Evan is such a bright spot in our lives! His 1000-watt smile just grabs you and reels you! He is adjusting so well to his new life that, at times, it is hard to believe that he hasn't always been here. While he is very happy to have a new mama and papa, he is even happier about having siblings! After spending 3.5 years lying in a crib, listening to all of the other kids play in the next room and likely wishing he could be there too, he is finally able to be right in the middle of all of the action and he absolutely loves it! Although he is not able to physically do everything that Maren, Lukas and Jacob are doing, he is happy and content as long as he is with them, even if all he is doing is observing. Up to this point, Evan and Joshua have shared a bedroom and he has seemed content with that. However, a few days after coming home from the hospital with Joshua, he started asking me what Lukas and Jacob were doing as I put him to bed (he can hear them talking and laughing through the walls). It was obvious to me that he wanted to be in there with the boys, so last night Richard bunked the boys beds and we moved Evan in with Jacob and Lukas. They boys were so excited to welcome Evan into "the club" and I am happy that he is able to be in there with them rather than having to listen to them through the walls. . . he has had to do that enough in his life already.

I am a very firm believer in integration and I try my hardest every day to integrate Evan into all of the activities that the other kids are doing (bathing with them, sitting at the table to eat, playing with toys or in the backyard, coloring, reading, etc.). Because he still relies 100% on me for his mobility, that can be tiring, but having witnessed the progress that comes from being able to be a part of the group, it is worth every minute of my time and every ounce of my strength! It is just amazing to see how he has flourished over the past few months!


The day we took Evan from the orphanage, one of his caretakers said to us, "He has a beautiful mind and is very smart, his body just doesn't work." Over the past few months I have witnessed for myself what a beautiful mind he has. While I believe that all of my children are smart, I can honestly say that Evan is one of the smartest kids I have ever met. He has been home for three months and already speaks amazing English. His expressive and comprehensive language are impressive. While it is, at times, still difficult to understand him (especially when he is excited), it is just amazing how much he has learned in such a short time. Not only is he smart, he is also very determined (and very stubborn). I really feel like there will be nothing he cannot accomplish if he puts his mind to it.

Smart, determined, stubborn, funny and also very loving and caring. He hates to see others hurt or upset and is always the first to tell you it will be okay if you are having a tough time. He loves to gives hugs and kisses too! Needless to say, I enjoy taking advantage of huggy, kissy, snuggly nature!!

Not all has been peaches and cream. We have had our struggles over the past few months. Our biggest struggles have been with input (eating) and output (constipation), but we are slowly working our way through those issues. In the orphanage, Evan got most of his nutrition from pureed, watered down food fed to him in a bottle with a large hole in the nipple. He also ate a lot of bread and cookies. Consequently, he hasn't been very open to trying a lot of new foods up to this point. Bread, bagels, muffins, pancakes, rolls, biscuits, dry cereal, pbj sandwiches, pretzels, cookies and baby food (generally only fruit) are among the only things he will eat. He is finally starting to eat off of a fork which is fantastic and occasionally he will broaden his spectrum of what he will allow in his mouth, so we feel like we are slowly making progress.

Medically speaking things are coming along quite nicely as well. We are well into physical and occupational therapy now. We just finished fitting him for his hands splints which he will officially start wearing next Tuesday. He is sitting for longer periods of time and is even able to kneel (when placed in the kneeling position) while leaning against something (usually the couch). He will be having surgery on April 10th to correct his clubbed feet. He will be in casts for several months following his surgery and then he will have surgery to help with the contractures in his knees. Hopefully he will be able to start working on bearing weight in his legs by the end of the year.

All-in-all, Evan is doing exceptionally well and we absolutely love having him as part of our family! We are incredibly blessed!

Quick update on Joshua

Well, it is already 10 pm and I have got to be up with the sun to take Evan to physical therapy in the morning, so unfortunately, I will not be able to publish my backlog of blogs this evening, but I did want to pop in quickly and give everyone an update on Joshua.

I wish I could report that all is well and that he is happy and healthy once again, but unfortunately, that is not the case. As Richard posted, we were released from the hospital around noon on March 11th. By late afternoon he had spiked a fever again. I took him to see his pediatrician first thing the next morning and we rehashed the entire saga from the very beginning. We poured over his chart, looked at every test result multiple times and talked about all of the different possibilities. We left the office with orders for more blood work and to call the doctor if his fever spiked over 101. By that evening he had been fever-free for 24 hours. He continued to be fever-free for almost a week. . .when suddenly he began spiking fevers again on Monday afternoon. That same day we received the results from the blood work that had been done the previous week. The results showed that his t-cell count (the white cells that make up your immune system) was still low (we ran the same test in the hospital). While they had increased slightly from his numbers in the hospital, they were still low enough that our pediatrician decided that we should have an official consult with the Infectious Disease doctor that we had worked with at the hospital (currently scheduled for April 1st). What exactly does having a low t-cell count mean? Well, unfortunately, all it really tells us is that his immune system is compromised and that something is, in fact, going on.

His fevers continued on Tuesday and Wednesday and, after speaking with the nurse who then spoke with the doctor, we were told to call if the fevers continued into Thursday. Of course, he woke up with a fever on Thursday, so we received orders to get more blood drawn and have an xray of the sinuses done. Late Thursday afternoon we received a call from the nurse that his xray showed that he did, in fact, have a mild sinus infection and so they immediately called in a prescription of antibiotics which we were to start that night, with orders to call them if, after 4 days, he was still having fevers. Well, we are on day 4 of the antibiotics and, unfortunately, his fevers seem to be heading up (103.6 at bedtime this evening) rather than out, so it looks like we will be making that phone call in the morning.

We have already done xrays, ultrasounds, blood tests, viral panels, respiratory panels, urine tests, CT scans and bone scans which all yielded very little information on what could be causing these persistent fevers, so our next step will likely be looking at his heart (one of the few places we have yet to look) and possibly doing a spinal tap (although the doctors seem pretty certain that this is not meningitis, viral or bacterial).

To say that this has been a bit unnerving would be putting it lightly. When this all began almost a month ago, he had RSV and a urinary tract infection and the fevers made sense. But those things went away and the fevers persisted with no explanation. When test after test yielded no answers and the doctors even started to become frustrated, it became a bit overwhelming and scary. When it seemed like his fevers might take their leave as mysteriously as they came, I was more than happy to send them on their way without further explanation. Had I known that they would simply be taking a brief vacation, I might have asked them to stay so that we could get to the bottom of this a bit quicker!

Underneath all of the unknowns, there is one thing that I do know and that is that Josh will be okay. We will all be okay. I have spent a lot of time on my knees praying for answers, praying for peace, praying for the doctors that are presiding over his care, and the spirit has most certainly witnessed to me that all will be well. Will he be miraculously healed? Maybe not. Will it take time to find answers? Most likely. But I have faith that all will be well in the Lord's time and that the answers and the healing will come. We have been blessed with an excellent team of doctors who are very skilled and very proactive and I know that, eventually, we will get to the bottom of this.

We appreciate the thoughts and prayers of all of our family and friends during this difficult time and hope that you all know that those thoughts and prayers are what lift us up and keep us going! Please continue to pray for our sweet boy and for the doctors who are working hard to find out what is causing his illness. We have witnessed many miracles in our lives as the result of prayer and know without a doubt that the Lord hears each and every one!

Happy Easter!

First and foremost, my apologies for the prolonged silence. I know that many of you have been waiting patiently for an update and I promise that it will be coming soon. To say that the past few weeks have been a bit chaotic would be an understatement, however, I have been working on several blog updates and hope to find a few minutes to sit down and finish them all this evening.

In the meantime, I know two, very cute little bunnies who would like to wish everyone a Happy Easter!


Unfortunately, my three other little bunnies hopped away before I could snap their picture! Stay tuned. . . there is much more to come!

Discharged.

From Richard:

They just got discharged and they're headed home. Send Val lots of email so she spends the next seven days digging out.

Could This Be The End?

From Richard:

Josh's temperature has remained stable since late Sunday, so they've said that if it does not spike again by this afternoon they're going to send him home.

Stay tuned...

R-

Josh Update - Monday

From Richard:

Well - today went well I guess? The blood results came back with some elevated levels which means... there's something going on. But nothing to tell us what.

Josh had his CT scan and his bone scan today to look for any freakishly weird things. He was sedated for that and thus spent 3/4 of the day sleeping, and when he was awake he was too drugged to sit up.

No real news for tonight folks, sorry to disappoint. Oh - except the kids and I are alive and well. Yipee! Gotta go clean.

R-

BLIZZARD!!!

Blogger decided to do pictures today, so here are some of them from the Blizzard of 2008.

Jacob, Lukas and Maren all prepped for snow time.

Kicking the snow around.

Using the lawnmower to "snowblow" the walk.

Even in the snow, they still want to ride bikes!

Weeeeeeeeeeee!

My mom walking Evan in the stroller, Maren making her rounds.

This is the edge of a cornfield near the house. I liked the way the drifts looked.

And my trusty Jeep, which provided diapers, food, and visits to see Val and Josh

Josh Update - Saturday (One Week Mark)

From Richard:

Josh was doing better on Friday, but not today. He's started to have cold symptoms again, and his fever once again spiked to nearly 106 deg.

At this point the assumption is that he won't be coming home anytime soon. This is mainly disappointing because the doctors still don't have any ideas as to what is going on. The plans for today included a CT scan, virus panel tests, and possibly a bone scan... Oh Joy!

Val has been staying at the hospital, but I delivered a laptop to her before I headed home prior to the storm hitting yesterday afternoon, so now she can surf the web and do email. For those interested, Josh is at Children's Hospital of Dayton.

Here at home the kids are doing pretty good. Having my mom come visit has been fun for them and relaxing for me. It's given me some opportunities to "deflate" and also allowed me to spend a little more time with Val and Josh.

But the best news is the WEATHER!!! We have already received a foot of snow, and boy do I love my snowblower! We got the kids bundled up this morning and they came outside and played for almost an hour while I used the snowblower. This afternoon I picked up Dave and we headed over to our old house to help dig out my tenant's car - which was buried in a snow drift almost 4 feet deep. The snowblower made quick work of that and then we went back to Dave's and cleared his driveway as well.

I had some pictures to add to this post but blogger was being crappy and wouldn't let me upload them. I'll have to add them later.

Josh Update -- Thursday

From Richard:

Well - today was a step forward, but only in the sense that his fever has subsided a bit - I believe his highest temp up to this point today was 101. We're still awaiting the results of the most recent blood work, so there's still no indication of the root cause. If his fever continues to mellow out it's a good possibility he could come home sometime this weekend (but I'm not going to hold my breath.)

Fortunately many of our friends have been very helpful in a number of ways by babysitting, bring meals and more. Additionally, Val's brother Keenan helped out a lot by hanging out with the kids most mornings this week. My mom is headed here from Virginia tonight to spend the weekend and hang out with the kids, who have had a tough time with Val being gone. It's an 8 hour drive, but we appreciate her willingness to help out. It's easy to overlook the effect that this situation has on the kids here at home, so I focus on spending quiet moments with the kids when I can.

Surprisingly, the house is in great shape. Dishes are done and the laundry is all folded - I've developed a nice little routine that I follow each evening to keep on top of things.

As of this evening, the weather folks are calling for 6-8 inches of snow. But we'll have to see if that actually comes through.

Best wishes to all of our friends, and thank you for the positive comments.

Cheers-
R

Joshua Update - Wednesday

From Richard:

Sorry folks, still no good news. I just spoke to Val a few minutes ago and she said that Josh's fever had returned and his heart rate was over 200bpm (normal is 100-150).

This morning they re-did his chest x-ray and it was clear, they've also re-done his bloodwork but we have not yet received the results from it. From what we're told, the doctors don't have any good ideas of what's wrong. All of his systems seem to be functioning normally, yet his fever continues to be an issue.

At home, the rest of the kids are doing well with exception of Lukas who is having a terribly rough time with mom being gone and life being in flux. Lukas didn't do well with Val being gone for the adoptions either, so this is par for the course and I know pretty well how to help him (but there's no substitute for momma.)

Evan continues to get stronger and branch out into new activities. He's finally started to eat a greater variety of food - and I'm even able to get him to eat off a fork! Tonight he ate a complex meal of shepherd's pie and pear slices from a fork.

R-

We're still alive... but Josh is in the hospital.

From Richard:

Josh has been in the hospital since Saturday evening. He is being treated for complications of RSV - namely a "fever of unknown origin." The doctors are also a bit concerned about his "wheezing" which he has had ever since we brought him home (and to our knowledge he's always had it.)

Val is spending days and nights at the hospital with Joshua and I'm focusing on taking care of the kids and keeping the house in order. I'm working in the mornings while her brother watches the kids and then coming home while the kids nap and then I put them to bed.

Not a whole lot of progress has been made in determining what's going on with him, but we're hopefully they'll get it figured out. At this point I think we'll be lucky to have him home before the weekend comes around.

Val does not have much access to the internet, so anyone wishing to contact her should call her on her cell phone.

Progress

It is fascinating for me to look back at pictures and video of the boys from just a month or two ago and see how much they have changed and grown. They have made so much progress since they have been home and they never cease to amaze me!

When Joshua first came home he had just started rolling over. He quickly learned how to do his own version of an army crawl and is now completely up on his hands and feet crawling all over the house. It really is a sight to be seen! Not only is he crawling all over the place, he has also learned how to sit completely unsupported. Because his left leg is so short, he has a difficult time keeping his balance and, in the beginning, had to keep one hand on the ground to keep himself from falling over. He is now sitting by himself without the support of his hands. It is the cutest thing to see him sitting there holding onto his toes! And on top of all that, just last week he started pulling himself up to a standing position (given, standing for Joshua is just a few inches off the ground, but he is standing)! He is doing so well in fact, that his weekly physical therapy visits have been scaled back to monthly "checkups." Needless to say, I am constantly in awe of my sweet little man.

Evan has also made huge progress in the short time that he has been home. His language skills are incredible. Within a week of being home he could already count to ten and sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" in English. He is now using more English than Russian and is speaking in full sentences and, when he does use his Russian, he always repeats what he is saying in English. He is a very, very smart little boy! He has also made great progress physically. He is sitting unsupported and rolls or does what we like to call the "inch worm" (sticks his bottom in the air and scoots on his belly across the floor) to get wherever he wants to go. He loves to read books (he turns the pages using his mouth and his chin) and play with cars (he lays on the floor and uses his head to push the cars around). He has also learned how to pick up small pieces of food off of his high chair tray using only his mouth. He has his physical and occupational therapy evaluations in the morning and I am excited to get him started with therapies that I have no doubt will change his life. We are also hoping to get him into a wheelchair in the near future so that he is able to get around a little better before we start working on getting him up on his feet. We have also scheduled the surgery for his feet for the beginning of April. It will be a long road, but I cannot wait to watch him soar.

I have always marveled at the accomplishments of each and every one of my children, but I have to tell you, there is something about watching children who have the odds stacked against them overcome and achieve that is simply awe-inspiring. Having these sweet boys in my life has really been a life changing experience for me and my family! We have definitely had our challenges and I know that they will continue (because it is the challenges that make us stronger), but those challenges make the triumphs so much sweeter! We could not be more blessed for having these little ones in our lives!

Balloons

I was in the kitchen getting dinner ready this evening when I hear Joshua start cracking up. I turned around to see him laying on his back in the living room smacking himself in the face with a balloon! He thought it was hilarious! Who knew a balloon could provide so much entertainment! This kid keeps me laughing! (PS- please excuse the croak in my voice and the fact that my kids are still in their pajamas at 5:00 in the evening. . .we have had the flu. . for two weeks. . .it is the pits.)

And now, for a medical update. . . .

The boys FINALLY had their orthopedic consult this afternoon. I have been anticipating this day for quite awhile since both of the boys have orthopedic special needs. While we have learned a lot from their x-rays, lab work and various other doctor's appointments and consults, we have always known that this appointment would be the most telling.

I actually found Joshua's portion of the appointment quite fascinating. His defect is very rare and we have all been waiting with bated breath (doctors, nurses and specialists included) to see what his treatment options might be. For those of you less familiar with Joshua's condition, he has been diagnosed with sacral dysgenesis, caudal regression and phocomelia. Both of his femur's are absent and he is missing the tibia of his left leg. His little feet (which are not so little) are perfect. Today we discussed several options for Joshua. The first is to do nothing at all. Now, by nothing at all, we simply mean that we would not pursue surgery or prosthetics. This may not seem like a great option, BUT, Joshua has already proven to us that he can and will do whatever he puts his mind to. He is already crawling (his own version of crawling of course) and can sit completely unsupported. . .when we brought him home almost 3 months ago, he was barely rolling over. While conventional thinking tends to suggest that all people should be up on two legs if at all possible, the truth is, there ARE other methods of mobility and those methods are often preferred over prosthetics for many individuals. The second option, which I don't think we would ever consider, is to amputate his feet and fit him for prosthetics. Before we met Joshua, we had considered this option, but now that we have him home, I simply could not imagine taking his feet. He uses his feet. He LOVES his feet. . . .some babies suck on pacifiers or carry blankies, Joshua plays with his feet (and who could blame him. . they are within arms reach!). The third option, which I found to be bizarre, yet fascinating, is to use his ankle joints as knee joints. This would be achieved by essentially turning the ankle joint around (basically, putting his feet on backwards), straightening the feet to act as his lower legs, and fit him with prosthetics. While we did find this option interesting to say the least, like amputating his feet, it would leave him without the use of his feet and I just don't think we could go that route. Finally, the last (and most probable) option is to fit him with "unconventional" prosthetics (fitted over his feet). There is also an option within this option of lengthening his left leg (which presently barely extends past his hip) to help even out his legs making the use of the prosthetic easier and also giving him the option of walking without prosthetics. At present, this is the option that we are most strongly considering.

Thankfully, our orthopedist feels strongly that, because Joshua is still young and still learning how to use his body, the best thing that we can do for him right now is to allow him more time to develop so that we can get a good picture of what his abilities will be. The entire orthopedic team will see Joshua again in 6 months and will reevaluate our options based on his development at that time. All-in-all, I was very pleased with his orthopedist and our visit.

Evan's appointment was very straightforward. While most of Evan's treatment will come in the form of physical and occupational therapies, there are several surgeries that he will need to undergo in order to achieve mobility. The first surgery will be for his feet which are clubbed. The doctor hopes to be able to straighten his feet by correcting only the soft tissues rather than the "bony structure." This surgery will be followed by several months of casting. Once his feet have healed, the doctor will then try to loosen the contractures in his knees. There is a high recurrence of knee contractures in arthrogryposis, so there is a chance that this surgery may have to be repeated later in life, but, these surgeries will hopefully allow Evan to get up on his feet! We will wait a few months before scheduling the surgery for his feet as we feel that Evan needs a little more time to acclimate to his new life before beginning the next whirlwind of events in his life, but we are glad to have a game plan.

Overall, I was very pleased with the visit and am happy to finally have a glimpse of what our options are!

Ukrainian Snow Angels. . .

Lukas, Jacob and Maren modeling their Ukrainian snow suits/boots

So, I have to admit, I actually do miss Ukraine (or maybe I miss the experience?). Fortunately, I didn't feel quite so far away this morning as I dressed my kids in their Ukrainian snow suits/boots for a little romp in the snow! I could not suppress the giggles as I watched Maren, Lukas and Jacob waddle around in these massive suits (and occasionally fall down without the ability to pick themselves back up)! I think Josh and Evan got a kick out of watching them as well!

My TRUE Ukrainian snow bunny!

And my sweet little Uzbek snow monkey

In Ukraine (and Uzbekistan as well), this is how you will see all the children dressed as you walk the streets in the winter! The truth is, Ukraine is really not that much colder than it is in many parts of the US in the winter (Ohio included). It just seems colder there because you are out in the cold much more often. In Ukraine, you walk everywhere. In the US, you hop into your nicely heated vehicle whenever you need to go somewhere. And speaking of heat. . .in Ukraine, most buildings are heated by radiators. Most buildings also have incredibly high ceilings. These two factors combined often leave you feeling chilled even when you are indoors. In the US, we generally enjoy gas or electric heating as well as the ability to control the thermostat, which usually amounts to a nice, cozy, indoor environment! Heck, Richard walks around in shorts and t-shirts at home in the dead of winter. When he tried to do that in Ukraine, he almost froze to death!

Because Ukrainians spend so much time out in the cold weather, they have an abundance of "winter wear" to choose from. After watching the Ukrainian children walk around in their snow suits, we just could not pass up the opportunity to bring this part of Ukrainian culture home with us! I have to say, it was money very well spent. . .don't you think!?

Could you take me out of this monkey suit please!?

How they managed to get onto this teeter totter I am not sure. . .they could barely walk in those things (although they did get the hang of it pretty quickly)

The Dust is Settling. . .

No, we haven't fallen off the face of the earth just in case anyone has been wondering! The past few weeks have been incredibly busy with doctors appointments, therapies, birthdays and visits from family, but I am very happy to report that we are settling into a nice routine after the chaos of the past few months!

When we aren't running to and from doctors appointments and therapies or running various errands, we can usually be found at home. While I am typically the kind of person who likes to get out, I have tried to keep these past few weeks as low key as possible for my kids. Joshua and Evan have obviously had huge adjustments to make, but Maren, Lukas and Jacob, who have always had a good routine and structure prior to our adoption adventures, have also had to make some adjustments and settle back into a routine. Things are going well on the home front and it seems as though the dust is finally beginning to settle (for now at least. . .once Josh and Evan are BOTH in therapy and we have various surgeries on the schedule as well, things are likely to get a bit chaotic again).

For your viewing pleasure I had added several more pictures of life over the past few weeks. I hope you enjoy them. . . .

Lukas and Joshua snuggled up watching Curious George

Storytime with Grandma DD

Evan and Josh doing some bonding


Grandma DD and Maren playing dress up

Grandma DD and Evan getting to know each other

Yet Another Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday!

Today we celebrated the life and birth of our triplets Maren, Lukas and Jacob. While this post should probably be made to our family website, I can't help but think that the events of this blessed day three years ago was where our adoption journey really began.

While we had briefly looked into adopting prior to conceiving our triplets our minds at that time were really focused on conceiving a child (although I do feel like having to consider this option as a way to bring children into our family prepared us for what the Lord would have planned for us later down the road). It was not until January 22, 2005 that we knew with surety that our other children would come to us through the miracle of adoption.

On this day, three years ago, I was laying in a hospital bed and was the size of a small house. I was absolutely miserable, but was determined to keep my babies in for as long as I possibly could. This was my fifth and final admission to the hospital during my pregnancy. I was 33 weeks, 6 days into my pregnancy and had already been in the hospital for 3 days, fighting off my impending labor. Prior to my admission to the hospital I had been on bedrest for 8 weeks and hooked up to a terbutaline pump and doing home uterine monitoring since 23 weeks gestation. My body was ready to evict the three little people swimming around inside, but I was fighting hard to keep them in. On the morning of January 22, 2005 I was 3 cm dilated and my contractions were still coming at regular intervals, although they had slowed a bit. With the help of my mother and my husband, I was able to get a shower that morning (an interesting experience to say the least) and several of my friends stopped by to check in on me. Some time early that afternoon I began to have difficulty breathing. My oxygen saturation was low and a respiratory therapist was called in to give me a breathing treatment. When I failed to respond to the treatments, several tests were run and it was concluded that I had pulmonary edema (fluid in my lungs). In addition to the pulmonary edema I was running a high fever. My doctor was called in and it was decided that I would deliver immediately.

I won't bore you with all of the details of the c-section preparation, but within an hour of making the decision to deliver, my beautiful babies were born. At 6:28, 6:28 and 6:29 pm on January 22, 2005, Maren, Lukas and Jacob came into this world kicking and screaming. I wish I could tell you more about the blessed event, but shortly after they were delivered, I began to lose blood rapidly and lost consciousness. For the next hour the doctors tried to stop the bleeding in hopes of saving my uterus, but they were unsuccessful. After giving me 5 units of blood and every drug on the market to help my uterus contract, the decision was made to perform an emergency hysterectomy in order to save my life. I was in and out of consciousness during this time, so it was not like I woke up to this news. Although I cannot remember many details, I was aware of what was going on. I do remember experiencing a brief moment of sadness as I knew that our family was not complete, but in the same moment I felt peace.

Eighteen hours after my babies had been delivered, I was able to visit them in the NICU. What an amazing moment that was. . .seeing my three, big (well, according to triplet standards. . 5.2 lbs., 4.15 lbs., 4.10 lbs.), beautiful, healthy babies for the very first time! What an incredible blessing.

It was that day that Richard and I made the decision that we would add to our family through adoption. We felt incredibly blessed to have our three, beautiful and healthy children, but despite the fact that I could no longer bear children, we still knew that our family was not complete. Our adoption journey would not truly begin for another two years, but this was the day is truly took root! So, as you can see, I have so much to celebrate today. . . the lives of my three, incredible children, my own life and the seeds of adoption being planted in our hearts!

It is hard to believe that, just three year ago, we were becoming parents for the very first time. . .and to three, such amazing little people. My life has been so blessed and enriched for knowing them and I truly thank my Heavenly Father everyday for allowing me the opportunity to be their mother!

HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Maren, Lukas and Jacob! You are my angels and I love you more deeply than words can express! Thank you for an amazing 3 years!

Maren, Lukas and Jacob (5 days old)

Jacob, Maren and Lukas celebrating their 3rd birthday!

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Today we celebrated the birthday's of two of the greatest men in my life. . .my amazing husband, Richard, and my littlest man, Joshua! For me, celebrating a birthday has always been more than cake, ice cream and presents, rather, it is truly the celebration of a person's life. I am especially grateful for the lives of my husband and son and for the people that they are. Their lives bless mine each and every day and that is truly worth celebrating!

Although I did not have the privilege of spending the first 9 months of my son's life with him, it did not take me long to realize what a great mission and purpose the Lord must have for him. There is no doubt in my mind that he will touch many, many lives as he goes through the course of his own. He has already touched mine more deeply than words can express.

Happy Birthday my boys! I cherish you both!