Kids

I Hope I Survived

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 4 Comments

I am now safely in Portland–I hope.  Noah and I are travleing to Portland for our first Ethiopian Orphan Relief board meeting.  Noah hasn’t been on a plane in a while and the last time wasn’t all that much fun.  So much not fun that I cannot even remember when it was we went or where it was we went–I am thinking San Diego in February, but I could so totally be wrong. 

I have packed all of Noah’s favorite dvds and am hoping all goes well.  I am so being a bad parent and not making him fly in his car seat.  Part of this because I am traveling by myself and don’t want to have to lug the car seat for our connecting flight, when Noah will probably already be close to asleep and I’ll have another carry on to lug around.  Also, those seats on the plane are so small that his car seat barely fits and it’s a complete pain in the ass.  I am checking it to use in the rental car.  I know–please don’t send me comments telling me how much safer it is, etc.  I know.  I know.  But you gotta do what you gotta do and I promise to hold him tight if there is any turbulence… And lets be honest.  If the plane crashes from 30,000 feet, carseat isn’t really going to help all that much.

I am so looking forward to meeting in real life some amazing women who I met through the blog world and now I am part of this terrific organization that I know will do great things. 

I won’t be posting until Sunday.  Have a great weekend. Think of me on Saturday afternoon and hope that my awesome son decided to cooperate and fly nicely.  If you are sitting near me on the plane.  I can’t do anything with him when he is loud, excited and tired.  Feel free to offer all of the unsolicited advice you have–because chances are you don’t have a two-year-old and I am sure you know what you are talking about. 

I Heart Dr. Dan

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 1 Comment

Noah’s dentist. Noah had his first dentist appointment today and it was pretty easy. Noah was excited about getting his teeth counted–he was sure he had 11 teeth (that’s as high as he can count).  He was shocked to know he had 16.  Very exciting times.  Dr. Dan said his teeth look good, but that it is time for the pacifier to go.  His teeth are are beginning to get misshaped and I was more than happy to have the doc tell me this as I have needed that little extra shove to really stick to my guns about the pacifier. 

They told me that they have a pacifier exchange program where the kids give it up and get to pick a cool big toy.  They make a huge deal out of it and take the kids picture with their toy and hang it on the bulletin board next to their pacifier.  Everyone cheers and gives high fives.  Noah was totally into it.  I hope the excitement isn’t short lived.   He asked about his pacifier all morning…

“Mommy, where Woah Binky?”

“Where is it Noah?”

“Woah Binky at Dentist, Mommy.  Woah big boy.”

He wanted one when we got home, but I asked him where it was and he told me at the dentist and then he showed me his toy that he got in exchange.  When it was naptime Noah spent some time looking for a pacifier in all his usual hiding places but couldn’t find one and I had to remind him that we gave it to the dentist and that he was a big boy and big boys didn’t need pacifiers.  He is napping.  I am surprised and impressed.  I am hoping it lasts.  My little man is growing up. 

First Outing With Two Kids

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 6 Comments

Let’s just say it could have gone better–but not because of the kids.  The kids were awesome.  Me on the other hand am very obviously operating on a brain that has lost use of much of it’s synapses. 

Leaving the house is an adventure.  It takes a little bit more than 30 minutes to make sure I have everything that I need and to get us all out of the house and buckled into our car seats, etc.  I know I will get better at it the more I do it, but the first few times are going to be tough.  This is certainly not something that I considered when I decided I wanted more than one child.  Yes, I do still want more–might have something to do with the decreased brain function.   

I had to take Peepers to the hospital to have her blood drawn for her full work-up of tests.  I should have known the day was going to go badly when they call me back (they do infants with priority–sorry for all of you waiting longer than us as we quickly went back to registration) and there was once nice older lady training another older lady on the intake system.  What should have taken about 15 minutes ended up taking 45 minutes.  Minnow as so awesome.  I was so impressed with how he held it together since I was ready to jump over the desk and tell the lady the training could wait until they were working with someone who didn’t have two kids with her. 

Alas, we were given our paperwork and headed back to the lab.  They needed blood in 8 vials and I have to say that my little Peepers is just that–LITTLE.  Her veins are little–they had to do both arms to get all that they needed.  It was awful.  Not just because she was screaming and I could see the teenager she will become in that face with clenched fists–saying “I hate you Mom.”  It was heart-wrenching because I couldn’t do anything to stop her screaming–if she would have been able to she would have hauled off and hit me good.  So, I am holding Peepers down while Minnow is crawling between my legs crying because Peepers is crying and he wants me to hold him. 

Peepers was crying so bad that she was sweating as though she had just finished running a marathon.  Poor baby girl. Finally they are done and Peepers stops crying and everything is right with the world.  We stop at the cafe and get a soda and a treat for Minnow since he was so good and at this point we are about 90 minutes past nap-time.   So, we finally get out to my car which is really hot–as I had to park on the roof and my A/C isn’t functioning well at all.  I really need to get that fixed.  Minnow asked to go to McDonald’s.  I told him sure–he was such a trooper.  So we drive in our hot car to McDonald’s, I pull up in the drive-thru and stop to get my wallet.  MY WALLET.  Where is my wallet?  I am freaking out.  I empty the diaper bag–all the while my little Minnow is demanding his cheeseburger.  No wallet to be found.  I must have left it at the cafe at the doctor’s building. 

We drive all the way back, get both of my sleeping kids out of the car and go back-no wallet was found.  We retrace all of our steps, look in trash cans.  At this point, I am getting ready to lose it.  Really, I have lost my wallet?  I can’t believe it.  I have lost a lot of things in my life, but my wallet has never been one of them.  So, back at the car I am resigned to the fact that my wallet is just gone and I am really pissed at myself.  I open the passenger door to put something in the front seat and what do I see lodged between the seat and the floor?  Yes, my wallet.  I was relieved but also felt like a complete ass.  I woke up my kids and spent way too much time in the hot car and all because I am an idiot. 

So, my first outing was a disaster but I have to look on the bright side–the next one can only be better. 

First Real Trip To The Doctor

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 5 Comments

Peepers had her first official check up today at the docs.  We went in last Tuesday because she had come home with an ear infection and had a rash all over her belly and chest.  The ear infection has cleared up and the rash turned out to be eczema and that has cleared as well. 

She has gained a pound since our visit on Tuesday.  She still isn’t on the growth charts for weight, but is a respectable 40th percentile for height and nearly 50th percentile for head circumference.  She has hit all of her six month milestones and is quickly racking up her nine month milestones.  Now if only she would sleep more–but I know that will come and that she is adjusting and playing catch up. 

We go in tomorrow for a massive blood draw–for a laundry list of tests and then back on Thursday to read her PPD test and get a couple more “catch-up” vaccines.  She is a trooper and the doc is impressed again at the good health that my Ethiopian kids have come home with as well as their complete lack of developmental delays. 

I have accepted this current state of my life as the new “normal” and have decided that I must figure out how to cope.  I have figured out that the more I move the less tired I am–it’s that whole physics thing “a body in motion stays in motion…”

We are finding our stride and hope that it keeps up.