Mom2my4

When Love Takes You In : Our Family Video!!

Hello! I have made another video using Windows Movie Maker. This is actually kind of fun for me.... my new calling in life... a movie maker. :) The pictures are mixed of both little girls and thier older brother and sister.

Click here to see Steven Curtis Chapman's video. (same song/different photos)

Click here to see Kelsey's video.

Click here to see Rachel's video.

Both girls' videos are now listed as links in the right margin of this web site, so you can view them anytime. :)

Pox Update

  Kelsey is doing well today. :) She is itching a little bit. The spots have stopped coming up and some are already starting to crust over. I think that this might be a quick case of the chicken pox. I am going to call her pediatrician in the morning. Still no fever- minimal itching- only 50 or 60 pox- she's in pretty good shape.

   Her spots are in an odd pattern. She has a whole bunch on her left shoulder and going up the back of her neck and into her armpit. Then she has a couple on her legs, arms, and hands,  one on her bottom, a couple on her ankles, and one on the bottom of one foot. Interesting, huh?

   You wouldn't believe the number of people who say, "Oh, kids can get the chicken pox after the shot. Is she in middle school? They are giving boosters now." They always smile when I say...no, middle school.

   LOL! No... no middle school... no kindergarten.... she's 2 1/2! I keeping looking at her to see if it is a misdiagnosis. Hmm.... the doctor at Med Express says chicken pox... the pictures on the Internet look like chicken pox. I guess I am going to believe that that is it!

   I will let you all know what the pediatrician says tomorrow. Scroll down to see the pictures I took yesterday.

Photos of Pox!

Here are some chicken pox photos. Yes... I know we have all seen a child with chicken pox before. I called the Ask-A-Nurse line and took her to urgent care (Med Express) to be sure this was really what I was seeing. I knew it was a possibility for her to get the disease even though she had the shot. However, I didn't expect so many spots. Also, when I talked to the nurse, she said that although it sounded like chicken pox, it would be unlikely since she had the shot so recently (within the past 12 months). The nurse said it was usually elementary school children who got the pox after they had the shot when they were toddlers. That is why children now get the booster shot at the end of elementary school.

OK, so I was in denial. No fever. I washed all of her sheets and bedding 4 or 5 days ago when she woke up with two spots. I thought she got bit by a bug while she was sleeping. (She has reactions to bites, so it wouldn't be unusual.) She didn't itch until this afternoon, but the itching doesn't seem as bad as it was when Daniel had the chicken pox in 1st grade. So maybe she will have a mild case with lots of spots???????????????????

I am going to follow up with her pediatrician on Monday. I will be off from work with her on Monday....

Other Kids: Daniel had the chicken pox when he was in first grade. Morgan had the shot at age 15 months and a booster at age 12. Rachel just got the shot in August. (She is catching up on her vaccines since she came home from China.) I hope none of the other kids get this. I really hope Rachel doesn't. With her dry skin, I imagine it would be difficult.

One Word!

One word....

Chicken Pox!!!

Yes, that's right. Kelsey has the chicken pox! Yes, she had the shot. Yes, I knew it could happen. The doctor says usually if they get this after the shot, they are older and in elementary school and have a mild case. Ok.... well she is not in elementary school and has lots of spots! It is just starting to spread on her body, but she is not itching... so that is good. More later!

(Rachel had the shot in August, Morgan has had 2 doses-ages 1 and 12, and Daniel had the chicken pox in 1st grade.)

Rachel's Been With Us For Six Months!

Smart Sticks and a Funny Little Girl

I bought Kelsey and Rachel each a Smart Stick. It is a little toy that looks like a phone. They are really cute and of course, I couldn't wait until Christmas to give them to them. :) I went to Toys R Us to look/ preview certain toys before I decide what I am going to chase down on Black Friday!

   I stumbled across these really great learning tools. The Smart Stick say ages 2 and up. They are a little hard for Rachel because her language skills are still developing. However, she LOVES music, so it is still good for her. Rachel's is blue and has her colors and shapes on it. There are 5 game modes. She can play with two of the modes-- the one that sings a song about the shapes or colors and the one that identifies whatever button she pushes.

   Kelsey's is purple and has the ABCs on it. Her "phone" ... as both the girls call it... also has 5 modes. She uses 2 modes right now- the one that sings the ABC song and the one that identifies the letter she pushes.

   I like these because we can take them in the car and the stroller without them being bulky. They were $14.95 each. With the 5 game modes, they will probably be playing with these until they are 5.

   So... here is the funny part.... the girls took their "phones" to the sitters today. On the way home, Kelsey was playing hers in the car.

Phone: Press a letter.

Kelsey: Ok

.... later...

Phone: Press a letter.

Kelsey: No.

Phone: Press a letter.

Kelsey: NO!

Phone: Press a letter.

Kelsey: NO! No push a letter!

LOL! I thought I would die trying to hide my grin. She really thought that phone was not listening to her. :)

... later...

Phone: Want to Sing Again?

Kelsey: Ok

It really was funny and cute at the same time. Kelsey really thought this phone was talking to her and not just prompting her. Way to CUTE!!!

Kelsey's New Hair Treatment OR Daddy Watches The Girls

Yes, Daddy let Mommy and Rachel sleep in today! Kelsey had yogurt for breakfast. Daddy let her walk around the living room with it. All of a sudden Daddy realized that Kelsey was very quiet while playing with her toy kitchen. You guessed it! She put all of the yogurt in her hair!!!!! We have no idea why. She has never put food in her hair before.... there's a first time for everything! Good thing Rachel was asleep, so she didn't see Kelsey until afterwards. LOL-- at least Chuck is trained enough to know he should take a picture!

This is your laugh for the day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ring Dance

   Tonight Daniel is at the ring dance for his high school. I can't believe that my baby is 16! No, he is not taking anyone. There are a bunch of friends (boys and girls) meeting at the dance. This is a picture that John took when he dropped Daniel off. I will pick himup at midnight. I can't wait to hear how it went. Think he'll tell me???? Probably not. But I can at least see the ring that I paid for. :)

Our New Playgroup

All The Way From Cangwu to Yorktown

    Kelsey is from a small orphanage in southern China called the Cangwu Social Welfare Institute in Guangxi Province. You can (or some people can) tell that Kelsey is from southern China. She might even be part of a minority group of Chinese called the Zhoung (spelling?).

   We didn't travel with a travel group when we adopted Kelsey.We met up with a larger group in Guangzhou, but we were alone in the province. Thus I have never met other children from Cangwu in person (only on-line).

   I talk to many people on-line from Kelsey's province. Hence... the reason we are having a reunion next year. :) There are about 57 families who are members of the Cangwu Yahoo Board on-line.  About 20 of these families live overseas. Of the remaining little ones in the US, 2 live in the same town! Kelsey and Lynn both live here in Yorktown!

   I have met Lynn's mom a few times and met Lynn once. I have not seen the two girls together until today. Wow! Now I know what people mean when they say that girls from the same area look similar. Both girls have the same fair skin and lighter hair. I have always know that this is true about girls from Guangxi, but I have only seen online photos.

   The girls over-lapped in the oprhanage for about 6 weeks. Kelsey was about 7 weeks old when Lynn was adopted.

   Here is a link to Shannon's blog. She is picking up Kayla right now! Kayla is from Cangwu too. :)