When good things happen

I decided, since Zufan’s picture might show up sometime on their website, I’d share a little good news.  When we got back from Ethiopia there was a message on our answering machine saying that we have been selected to receive a $5,000 grant from Gift 0f Ad0pti0n.  They had already talked with our local agency and paid all of our post placement fees, and just last week we got a check for the remainder, which helps relieve some debt.  Nice, huh?  I’m pretty amazed.  I know it isn’t fair in a sense, since everyone is struggling to pay adoption costs, and here we are the ones to get help.  We are far from perfect, and aren’t any more deserving than any other family, but they gave it to us.  The full amount.  I don’t know the odds, but it really isn’t easy to get these grants, since thousands of families apply.

So, why us?  I think it was partly because of Zufan’s uncertain health status when we accepted the referral, partly our shockingly low income, maybe partly because despite the income we DO have the education and potential to get into a higher bracket in a couple of years and therefore are — on paper — capable of raising another kid, and partly my obsessive mailing of ALL of our materials to them, most of which weren’t required.  I swamped them with stuff.  I applied 3 times for the grant (the limit), beginning when we started the homestudy in the fall of 2005, and sent them everything, including letters explaining our process, 3 years of tax returns, 3 or 4 letters of recommendation, copies of our entire homestudy and dossier, and finally Zufan’s referral papers, medical reports and a few pictures of her cute little face for good luck.  So… We were really fortunate.  Another one of those little miracles on the way to adoption, and another sign that this adoption WAS the right thing to do at the right time, despite the valid arguments that could be made to the contrary.  (An aquantaince told me, shocked when he saw Zufan, “Didn’t you have enough work with TWO?”  I told him with a straight face, “No, I just wasn’t busy enough,” and left it at that.) 

It is truly amazing how things fall into place when you really decide that you are going to do something, and then just go for it.  The quote on my sidebar from Coelho has turned out to be true in this situation: “The universe always conspires to help the dreamer.”

In totally different news, I fell off the treadmill yesterday!  I am an idiot!  Sure, it hurt, and still is killing me, but the embarrassment was the worst part.  I mean, who falls off a treadmill?  It didn’t stop right away either, so I lost quite a few layers of skin have some pretty serious scabby oozing rug burns on my knees and shins.  I toyed with the idea of posting a picture.  Ha!!!  But you are all spared.  Anyway, I think today is a hang-out-with-the-kids-at-home evening.  And that’s OK.

Moral of the stories:  #1 Apply like a fanatic for the grants if you really want them. #2 If you run on a treadmill, always focus straight ahead.

Walking!

There were a few failed attempts trying to get the right picture…

Here we are getting closer…

And finally the prizewinner.  She’s walking and smiling!

We took these at the childcare of the healthclub where I’ve been running to try to get in marathon shape (ha, we’ll have to see if more miracles are really possible or if I’ve used up my share already) by June.  I know I shouldn’t leave her at any sort of childcare, but she is with us ALL day, as are the other kids, except for these 1-2 hours in the evening if I run or go to spinning class. (Btw, spinning is bicycling.  The esposo thought I was weaving a rug — in a hot room I guess – for about the first month that I went “spinning.”)  She is also so well attached already.  While I’m working, the esposo is at home doing the homeschooling stuff, then he leaves at noon when I get home.  It is quite the juggling act.  In any case, at the “Kid’s club” Zufan sticks close to big sis, and the 8 year-old LOVES to be in charge of baby.  As a bonus, nearly all of the caregivers are Black, and there are also many Spanish speaking kids playing there at the same time, so the kids get a chance to play naturally in Spanish outside of home.  So…. I’m justifying my exercise time… although I do admit I feel a tiny bit guilty about it… In any case, between getting up early and staying out late I ran 26 miles last week, which is a start.  By June I have to be able to do my current week’s worth all in one day.  But I guess if my 61 year old dad can do it, I should be able to, right?  We’ll have to see if we can keep up this somewhat challenging schedule all semester.

Walking Baby

Zufan took her first steps this weekend!  She is so proud of herself, and wants to “walk” all the time.  What she really likes to do is dive from the couch to mommy while we all encourage her and clap.  But of course if I get out of arm’s reach she complains, with her usual “ah ah ah” unhappy sound.  This not only applies to walking, but to, well, everything.  She thinks she need to be attached to me at ALL times.  As I write this she is happily climbing all over me pretending to brush my teeth with an electric toothbrush.  The only way I can wash dishes, get some food on the table or fold clothes is if she is on my back in the Ergo.  (Even then I can’t totally ignore her or she throws her little weight from side to side trying to see my face, pinches to get a reaction, and yanks on my hair.  Smart girl, she  knows how to fight for that attention!).  As soon as I get a picture of her taking a step, you can bet I’ll post it!  That’s on the agenda here.

In health news, her giardia seems to be gone… sort of.  Sometimes I think her diapers are normal, other times, the nasty stink seems to be there.  So I’m not sure.  My family practice physician called today to check on my situation (which is the same as Zufan’s — I think I’m fine, but still my digestion is a little unpredictable, and unlike Zufan, I have a sort of all over fatigue and malaise lingering on, but who knows, that could just be all in my head).  She explained that she just clicked on the computer screen on the wrong line, so the wrong test got requested.  Oh well, no big deal.  I still really like her, and would choose her type — a sort of hit-and-miss but nice, empathetic, down-to-earth doctor – over a hardnosed expert any day for the routine stuff.  But it is sure good that superstar pediatrician has got her back to deal with the real issues.  If this giardia isn’t gone for good, I know who I’ll be looking to for advice. 

View from the shower

Nothing like an adoring audience to help you get ready for work in the morning.  Happy Friday!

A loser!

The little guy told me yesterday, “Mommy, I am such a loser!”  I was startled by this comment from my little ball of fire and confidence, who usually seems convinced that he is the center of the world.  I calmly asked him why he was a loser, and he said, “I can’t find my Bionicles (a new type of action figure he got for Christmas)!  I lost them all!”

Whew, never jump to conclusions when a kid talks!  I am quite the loser myself — keys, favorite shirts, books.  It all comes with having so many people and possessions in a small space, I guess.  Here is my little loser, proud of his mini-sandcastle in Puerto Rico. 

Growing baby

6 weeks ago Zufan weighted 17.0 lb; yesterday she was 20.9 lbs. Incredible!  She also grew an inch and a half in height, and added a few cm around her already fairly good-sized little head.  She is on the charts!  Also, she has hit every 15 month baby milestone except for walking, but even there she has made some major progress.  So, it was a fun appointment!  Superstar peditrician was duly impressed, especially with her emerging communication skills (which Zufan was glad to show off).  Yep, we love going to the doctor around here, except for the shots.  Poor kid has been awake most of the night, and I’m blaming it on the MMR, since it is our first awake night in weeks.

OK, so then I asked my hero doctor what I could do about my giardia basketball stomach problem, and she LAUGHED!!!  Yes, so hard she could hardly breathe!  I showed her how my life-long inny bellybutton had become an outie because of this nasty giardia, and she nearly died.  She did say, however, “I’m not laughing at you…. (gasp for air) you are just so… funny!”  Well.  OK then.  When I asked whether there was a magic cure or if I should just start accepting this new body type, she said to come back in 6 weeks (ha ha, Zufan has an appointment in 6 weeks) and let her know how long it took to get back to normal.  Fine.  Glad I provided some comic relief, anyway.

One day done

First day of teaching is over, and my students seem very nice.  It is always good to have that first day behind me.  Last semester I had one student who was very, um, difficult, to say the least.  I never really let it bother me, because she clearly had “issues,” as they say.  In the end she squeaked by with a D without knowing a thing.  I doubt if she cracked a book all semester.  She would interrupt activities saying that we hadn’t covered this yet, or saying that nothing made any sense.  Several other students complained about her outbursts and attitude.  Well…. 10 minutes into the class today and she waltzed right in.  I though maybe the Flagly was now causing hallucinations, but no, she is in my class again this semester.  Same class, same level, same classroom, same time.  Unbelievable.  She wants to try it again.  That has got to take a bit of courage and pride swallowing, and now I’m almost looking at her affectionately.  My goal is to teach the kid something this time around, no matter what it takes.  We’ll see how that goes!

In a little while Zufan has her second doctor’s appointment, so we will soon know if the little thing has grown at all in the past month.  I also have a couple of questions for superstar pediatritian about my own giardia problems.  So, more coming here soon! 

Happy Martin Luther King Day!

A bit late, but anyway…

Tomorrow starts the new semester.  Am I ready to teach?  Not nearly!  This is crazy!  It is going to be a late night.  The break was so long and filled with kids and travel and sickness that the last thing on my mind has been work.  Paid work, that is.

Now off to plan that Day 1.  A little “hola” and “como estas” and “como te llamas” will likely take us through, but I am a mega-planner when it comes to lessons, so I need to see it all written out as if we had 3 hours to fill.  Here we go, back to the real world of working to survive.  The pain of it all!  Asi es la vida.

Our trip home from Puerto Rico, in pictures

Here’s Zufan, yelling “ney” at the airplane in the San Juan airport.

A little free holiday entertainment to make the delays less unbearable, provided by the ingenious Puerto Rican Department of Tourism.

Second stop and still smiling.  Yes, I let the little boy eat raw fish.  He saw the sushi in the window and begged until we gave in to the shockingly overpriced mini-plate.  The 8 year old isn’t thrilled.

Now, we are in the Philly airport, where we spent about 6 hours because of “weather” in Chicago.  After a good 30 rounds of hide-and-seek-the-Build-a-Bear and way too many sugary snacks, we thankfully found a life-saving outlet so they could numb their little minds with a movie.  I’m looking (and feeling) quite elderly at this point, although the esposo is holding up just fine.  The 4 year old seems to be in full blown type A personality mode, picking at both his eyebrow and his lip simultaneously.  We soon realized home was not going to be reached anytime that night, so after briefly toying with the idea of sleeping in the airport (esposo wanted to save the money but I needed SLEEP), we found a “discount” last minute hotel rate online (which wasn’t really all that discount after adding in taxes and fees). 

By 2:00am, we were at this hotel in Chicago.  Nicer than expected, to say the least.  I love hotels, from one star inns on the beach in Costa Rica (yes, Costa, never been to a one star in PR) complete with flying cockroaches to places like this – with egg white veggie omlets, fruit and coffee, good shampoo and really hot water.  In a hotel, there is no clutter, and no work.  We stayed until  checkout time to “get  our money’s worth.”  Ha! 

A day late we got home to the ‘hood, graduate student family housing, where — if you forget to lock the door like I usually do — the neighbor kids walk right in without knocking and say, “Zufan’s mom, can you cook me some noodles?” 

In other news, the first post-placement visit went really, really well.  Zufan showed off by kissing mommy, “talking,” and avoiding the stranger, and everyone else held their own.  So, we got the warm fuzzy “what an amazing and wonderful family you have” type praise.  Even though that’s her job, it is still appreciated, of course. 

As far as the Giardia goes, well, I’m not doing as well as I thought at first, to be honest.  It’s a new set of complaints, probably partially side effects from the meds.  I’m feeling a little discouraged about it.  But I’m better than before — I think.  Zufan already seems totally Giardia-free, and no one else has gotten it.  So, we’re doing alright around here.

Coming back to life

After only 3 doses of Flagly, I am… do I dare say it?… Normal.  Fine.  My brain is starting to kick in again.  I still have a touch of nausea but it is manageable.  I feel like I’ve been walking through a thick foggy forest, and suddenly I see a clearing up ahead, with sunshine, and space and green grass.  There is nothing like being sick to make a person appreciate health.  I let that go on way too long before I got help.  That was crazy.  I had the first signs end of December, but didn’t take it too seriously, so it got the best of me.  Well… I’ll try to remember that lesson, although I tend to be a bit forgetful regarding these things….

So, last night I got up at 2:00am and got myself registered for Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, MN.  I’m still keeping my options open for the Rock and Roll Marathon in San Diego, too.  Depending on how the training is going I will do one or the other.  It’ll be my first.  I can hardly wait to start running again!  Tonight I’m going to see how Spinning Class goes first.  It’s been ages since I’ve done real exercise.  Also, we are going out to eat somewhere with extra spicy ethnic food.  Zufan is going to love that.  I think everyone is awfully happy to have Mommy back again, so it is worth a tiny celebration.

Meanwhile, it is clean-up time!!  Tomorrow is our first homestudy follow-up visit since our adoption, and I’m more than a little concerned about how to get this place spic-and-span in the next 20 hours.  I guess a good first step might be getting off the computer.

 Happy Thursday everyone, and thanks so much for the nice comments while I was a zombie!

 

Top of El Morro – Not quite as dangerous as it looks!  She was scared, though, and didn’t look behind her while posing for the picture.

Here, crawling through a tunnel at El Morro (Old San Juan, Puerto Rico), wearing her Ethiopian dress.