Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Ultrasound Results
I just wanted to post quickly to share that we got the results from Mary Joyce's ultrasound and all is normal. It looks like she has no adverse effects from melamine exposure. God is good! :-)
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Mary Joyce's Big Girl Bed
This weekend, the major project around here was getting Mary Joyce's "big girl" bed set up. Chet and I purchased the bed last week, and then this Thursday we had to pick it up from the furniture store in Daytona Beach during Race Week--we must be crazy! (Did I mention the furniture store is in a shopping center right across from the Speedway? Did I mention crazy?) Anyway, we got home with it, and yesterday's project was getting it set up.
The bed is actually part of a bunk bed set, but it can be split into two twin beds. Right now, since Katherine is still in a crib, we have set up one of the twins for Mary Joyce and have the other half in storage for Katherine when she gets a little older. Then, we changed Mary Joyce's former toddler bed back into a crib and moved Katherine into it, so that she can have the toddler bed when the time is right. Katherine's former crib is now in storage for Malcom whenever the house addition is completed. Clear as mud?
Of course, setting up the new bed and making room for it involved rearranging pretty much every piece of furniture in the girls' room, with the exception of the changing table. And, on top of that, when the addition is done, they will be moving into a bigger bedroom anyway. So, this arrangement has to get us through until that point. (That also explains why there are tab-top valances on curtain rods that really aren't very pretty--the valances were bought for the new room, but I went on and switched them out because the ones that were there were part of Mary Joyce's crib set that we are no longer using.)
Anyway, Mary Joyce slept in her bed just fine last night, except that at first she was WAY too excited to fall asleep. And, with it being Sunday morning, we had to wake her up this morning, which meant she was a bit grouchy from lack of sleep. Other than that, all was well.
I had a couple of people on Facebook asking me how we got her to sleep in her new bed. I don't really have a lot of helpful hints in that area. Mary Joyce, unlike many children adopted from China, has always slept in her own crib. From the information we got about her foster home, she was sleeping in a crib there instead of with her foster family, as is common in China. She took right away to sleeping in her own room. One thing I think that helped when we transitioned her from the crib is that it is a convertible crib, so even when we took the side off, her first "big girl" bed had the same mattress and bedding she was used to. She slept in that toddler bed for well over a year and would probably still be in it now if we didn't have another baby on the way. On this new bed, we've been talking it up to her for quite awhile, getting her used to the idea. By the time the bed was actually set up, she had grown accustomed to the whole concept. The girl likes her sleep, so these kinds of transitions just aren't too terribly difficult for her.
I've included a slideshow of pictures in the next post. :-)
The bed is actually part of a bunk bed set, but it can be split into two twin beds. Right now, since Katherine is still in a crib, we have set up one of the twins for Mary Joyce and have the other half in storage for Katherine when she gets a little older. Then, we changed Mary Joyce's former toddler bed back into a crib and moved Katherine into it, so that she can have the toddler bed when the time is right. Katherine's former crib is now in storage for Malcom whenever the house addition is completed. Clear as mud?
Of course, setting up the new bed and making room for it involved rearranging pretty much every piece of furniture in the girls' room, with the exception of the changing table. And, on top of that, when the addition is done, they will be moving into a bigger bedroom anyway. So, this arrangement has to get us through until that point. (That also explains why there are tab-top valances on curtain rods that really aren't very pretty--the valances were bought for the new room, but I went on and switched them out because the ones that were there were part of Mary Joyce's crib set that we are no longer using.)
Anyway, Mary Joyce slept in her bed just fine last night, except that at first she was WAY too excited to fall asleep. And, with it being Sunday morning, we had to wake her up this morning, which meant she was a bit grouchy from lack of sleep. Other than that, all was well.
I had a couple of people on Facebook asking me how we got her to sleep in her new bed. I don't really have a lot of helpful hints in that area. Mary Joyce, unlike many children adopted from China, has always slept in her own crib. From the information we got about her foster home, she was sleeping in a crib there instead of with her foster family, as is common in China. She took right away to sleeping in her own room. One thing I think that helped when we transitioned her from the crib is that it is a convertible crib, so even when we took the side off, her first "big girl" bed had the same mattress and bedding she was used to. She slept in that toddler bed for well over a year and would probably still be in it now if we didn't have another baby on the way. On this new bed, we've been talking it up to her for quite awhile, getting her used to the idea. By the time the bed was actually set up, she had grown accustomed to the whole concept. The girl likes her sleep, so these kinds of transitions just aren't too terribly difficult for her.
I've included a slideshow of pictures in the next post. :-)
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Melamine, Ultrasounds, and Baby Malcom
I'm sure most of you heard the news reports a few months back about melamine being found in baby formula in China. Because of this, adoptive parents are being advised to talk to their pediatricians about having their children tested in case they were exposed to this. After doing our research and talking with our pediatrician, we decided to move forward and have the testing done. So far, all has been clear, except for one small glitch in the urinalysis, which our doctor thinks is due to her just getting over a virus at the time the test was done. Mary Joyce had a renal ultrasound done yesterday where they looked at her kidneys and bladder, and she was SUCH a big girl about the whole thing! Now, we are just waiting on the results, which we should have by the end of the week.
The funny moment...
The tech started the ultrasound, and when Mary Joyce saw the picture of her kidney on the screen, she said, "It's Baby Malcom!" Uh--not exactly, but we got a good laugh out of it!
If you want to find out more about the melamine issue, check out this website:
Melamine Info
The funny moment...
The tech started the ultrasound, and when Mary Joyce saw the picture of her kidney on the screen, she said, "It's Baby Malcom!" Uh--not exactly, but we got a good laugh out of it!
If you want to find out more about the melamine issue, check out this website:
Melamine Info
Monday, February 9, 2009
I Passed!!!
The 3 hour glucose test ordeal is over, and I passed! That is another good thing about the way they did the test this time--instant results. I woke up with a horrible headache this morning, which made the whole thing an even more miserable experience, but it is over and done with now, and I am so glad!
Friday, February 6, 2009
A Package for Malcom
Malcom got his first package in the mail the other day, and he hasn't even made his appearance yet. His Lao Lao (grandmother) and Nanny (great-grandmother) went on a shopping trip the other day and came back with all kinds of goodies for our baby boy. There were even a couple of summer outfits for the big sisters included, which somehow I forgot to make pictures of...oops...
Of course, the girls' favorite part of the whole thing was the box...
Of course, the girls' favorite part of the whole thing was the box...
Elefun!
Mary Joyce got this Elefun game for her birthday, and it took me an embarrassingly long time to get batteries in it. That said, the girls, especially Mary Joyce, have had a ball with it lately. Their playing style is unique, though. The object of the game is to catch butterflies in your net as they come out of the elephant's trunk. Mary Joyce stands in one spot, and if one happens to fall into her net, she is thrilled. :-) Then, there is her "pick all the butterflies up off the floor" technique of filling her net. Not exactly the way the game was meant to be played, but she has a lot of fun, all the same.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
House Addition Update!
Chet and the deacon chairman (also chairman of the ad-hoc committee) will be meeting with 3 builders to get estimates for the addition--2 of them tomorrow and another "one day very soon." We have PROGRESS!!!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Doctor's Appointment and Glucose Test Update
I had my routine doctor's appointment this morning, and Dr. P's words were, "That's a happy baby!" Everything is looking great. :-)
A bit of info on the glucose test, too--I had opted to go to the lab for the test because it is about 5 minutes from the house, as opposed to the main doctor's office, which is 40 miles, give-or-take. However, this morning I found out that the nurse I talked to on the phone on Friday left out one major piece of information. If I go to the doctor's office for the test, they will do the testing with 3 finger sticks instead of 3 blood draws. So, since that sounds like a much more comfortable option, I will be driving up to St. Augustine for the test on Monday morning. (Added bonus is that I don't have to be there until 8:30 in the morning, as opposed to 7:00 for the lab. Even with the extra drive, I still don't have to leave as early. Good thing when you aren't a morning person!)
A bit of info on the glucose test, too--I had opted to go to the lab for the test because it is about 5 minutes from the house, as opposed to the main doctor's office, which is 40 miles, give-or-take. However, this morning I found out that the nurse I talked to on the phone on Friday left out one major piece of information. If I go to the doctor's office for the test, they will do the testing with 3 finger sticks instead of 3 blood draws. So, since that sounds like a much more comfortable option, I will be driving up to St. Augustine for the test on Monday morning. (Added bonus is that I don't have to be there until 8:30 in the morning, as opposed to 7:00 for the lab. Even with the extra drive, I still don't have to leave as early. Good thing when you aren't a morning person!)
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