A New Little Visitor

On Friday night we got a new little visitor, Miss J. She is three years old and the cutest little thing. She reminds me so much of Brynn in appearance. Brown big curls and brown eyes. She was just supposed to stay until Monday morning but we have been told that the current foster family has asked that she be moved from their home. You can request this for any reason and they have 2 weeks to move her. They were going out of town this weekend thus us taking her. We have talked to the guardian ad litem about her staying with us as she seems to be a good fit for us and us for her so far. Why send her back to her foster home for her only to be moved again in a week or two? I am hoping the case manager and our agency agree on Monday and I can just pick up her stuff and she can stay her time in foster care with us. Poor little thing work up with the stomach flu this morning. Temp of 101 to 102 and throwing up. She has been a real trooper, making it to the bathroom every time so far. Oliver and Matson both have cold and I guess I do too. They both seem to like her fine. She like caring for Matson. Her and Oliver are going to have to work some things out but for the most part we are all doing great! Say a little prayer that the munchkin gets to stay and not add to her trauma by another move in the foster system......

Our Valentine's Gift

Matson Angelo officially became our son on Valentine's Day!!!! I am taking the blog off private and going to start seriously blogging and updating it. Brynn has her own blog brynnl.blogspot.com too!

Prayers have been answered in so many ways!!!

Quick post holiday and doctor appointment updates. Christmas was wonderful! We finally took Matson out to see Santa on Tuesday evening the week of Christmas and then to church on Christmas Eve. We had a wonderful candlelight gathering of friends singing Christmas hymns at Michael's tree after. It was a tough hour for all of us, especially the kids that understood why we were there celebrating Michael's life that was all too short. Made me look at my 4 kids that were with me and rejoice in the Lord's amazing gifts to us. Oliver and our pastor's son chased each other around the tree and I could picture Michael and his good buddy, Joe chasing each other 5 or 6 years ago around a tree as I listened to Joe cry for his best friend..........

Oliver truly loved opening gifts and we kept coming back to the meaning of Christmas being Jesus' birth. We need to work on it hard over the next year, I am determined to never have my kids think Christmas is about Santa. Stephanie was down for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Michelle and my mom and step-dad were down the weekend of the 17th to celebrate a little early. So we had lots of fun and good eating for over a week. Matson enjoyed ripping the paper off his gifts and we had to keep dragging Oliver over to open presents as he just wanted to play with his new toys.

Yesterday was Matson's appointment at Dr. Stelnicki's office. I was prepared for surgery and had gotten my mind to at least research terminology, procedures and doctors in Florida for second opinions. The outpatient nurse at the hospital on Tuesday had pointed out somethings about his headshape that led her to think we may be looking at surgery, without coming right out and saying it to us. Well, Don and I braced as the doctor came in the room yesterday and said "I have good news." and I think I finally let myself breath after that. "No surgery. His sutures haven't closed." I think I quickly said my thanks to God for listening to me and everyone praying for Matson. So, he has torticollis or a tightening of the neck muscles on one side of his neck that is causing positional deformities of the skull. He needs physical therapy at home. I do it 5 times a day for about 2 minutes each time. And he needs a helmet. After a day and half of phone calls, we finally have Children's Network of SW Florida paying for it ($2,650) and we should get it two weeks from now. Matson and I will be traveling back and forth to Ft. Lauderdale every 2 to 3 weeks for the next several months but no surgery! What great news! Thank you so much for praying for Matson.

Brynn.....had decided to leave Stetson and return to Ft. Myers to attend Edison State College and transfer in a year or two to a state university. Not overly excited about it but trying to find acceptance. She is supposed to be moving in to an apartment in a couple of weeks. I am praying that things go well for her.

Tomorrow is Orthodox Christmas. Looking forward to a Russian meal to celebrate. It is important to us to keep Oliver's Russian heritage alive and part of our lives.

Update

Matson has RSV so all of his craniofacial stuff is on hold. We are currently scheduled for CT scan on January 4th and follow up appointment on the 5th. We did have our first visit with the adoption counselor today and gave her all of our paperwork!!!! The girls just have to have fingerprinting done and fill out letters about us as parents this coming week. Reference checks and getting the fingerprinting results back will take some time. They are saying 2 to 6 months to complete the adoption. Would love to have court on February 20th so the boys could share adoption day and we could turn it in to "family day"! Time will tell.....

Prayers Needed

Just wanted to ask for everyone to pray for Matson. We saw a craniofacial specialist on Wednesday and we are now going for CT of his skull on the 14th and will return to the specialist on the 15th for the results. He is suspicious that Matson's sutures (spaces between skull plates) have prematurely closed. He has a couple bumps on his head that appear to be from this. He said best case he is looking at helmet therapy for several months and worst case he would have to have craniofacial surgery to open up the sutures and remove the excess bone. Praying for helmet therapy!

We are headed on vacation with the boys for the next week. We are headed to cold weather country to see family and friends and the Biltmore all decorated for Christmas. We have plans almost every day but it should be wonderful to sit in front of a fire and have to wear a jacket. Not sure what the boys will think but I am guessing they will both be cold. My Russian redneck does not like the cold too much:) That Russian blood thinned quick!

One more thing, we are supposed to be referred to an adoption counselor next week and get the adoption ball rolling! About time! Haven't heard from the birthmom since Veteran's Day, not sure what to think but I am enjoying it.

Termination of Parental Rights Hearing

This morning was the hearing for the termination of parental rights for Matson's birthmom and I guess also the birthfather. I went and took Matson with me as the timing was perfect with Oliver's school. It was pretty uneventful but the judge is a big advocate for birthparents and reunification. He asked some questions that made me, the case manager, and guardian ad litem all a little bit nervous. He was fishing to see if there was any possibility of her getting it together. In the end he terminated the parental rights and said to me "see you in a couple of months", meaning the adoption hearing. Now to get to that point.....

First visit with birthmom

Today was Matson and my first visit with his birthmom. It seemed to go pretty well. We met at a park and walked around the farmer's market and then sat and talked for a while. She held him and played with him. She seemed to be fairly sober but not overly so. She doesn't seem to have any desire to change her mind. She told me her dream had died 4 months ago. Her dream was of a family, pretty sad. I bought a prepaid phone that we will use for phone calls with her. She is supposed to call me to work out the next visit, the ball is in her court now. She had promised a letter for Matson to have one day and some pictures but showed up empty handed today. I am not confident we will see each other too many more times. I am doing the visits while Oliver is in school so as to not confuse her.

Oliver was the cutest yesterday when he tried teaching his baby brother to color! He keeps wanting to call him Angelo Maxim the extreme. As he is Oliver Maxim the extreme! The closeness of Matson and Maxim is confusing him. He will get it. I opted to not tell his birthmom his new name today, I don't want to rock the boat. I am leaving all the touchy stuff alone for now until everything is final. She cannot change her mind but I just don't want to make things miserable for all of us. She gave us an incredible gift!