Logan spent both hours today in Sunday School with Ryan! After his initial look of fear, he decided that the classroom looked like too much fun to sit and cry, and he jumped in with both feet. Both teachers said he did wonderfully, playing with the other children during playtime and listening quietly when it was lesson time. It's fun to see him proudly showing off his papers from class time, and he's even tried saying the memory verse!
Ahhhh....progress.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
finally some sun
AHHHH...summer in Seattle. Does it get any better than this???
And some video of the crazy crew in the pool...
And some video of the crazy crew in the pool...
good news and bad news
Well, yesterday was a good news/bad news kind of day. Logan did amazingly well during his eye exam, especially when you consider that there's no easy way to prepare him for what's going to happen. I was impressed...
The good news is that Logan's vision is "within the range of normal for a preschooler." That was nice. He does have some mild astigmatism, but not enough to correct at this point. The doctor felt that putting him in glasses would cause more problems than they solved at this point. She did ask to see him again in a year to monitor his eyes, but thinks everything looks fine. The bad news? Well, the bad news is that Logan doesn't have any vision issues, so the things we're seeing (walking into things, tripping continually, struggling with surface changes while he walks...ie carpet to wood flooring and uneven sidewalks) are likely motor skills related. The biggest reason that's bad is because while he has an evaluation on July 8, actually getting him IN for therapy is harder. The waiting list for both speech and PT is long.
And that was the last of the "bad" news yesterday. While Logan has, in fact, qualified for speech therapy, they are so busy that he's on the waiting list. On the bottom of the waiting list. And they didn't think he'd be able to get in until fall, when they would prefer that we seek school district offered services. Sigh. I guess I can look at the good side--he won't be frustrated with being asked to do things he's not physically capable of doing, and we have more (plenty??) of time to determine whether we want to pursue the VPI surgery. I have several calls in for answers, so we'll see what comes of it.
One other bit of good news from yesterday: Logan is now officially a US citizen. Well, he was officially a US Citizen the moment we landed in the US, but now we have the paperwork to prove it! So this morning, I'm off to Social Security to get him an SS number. Wish me luck! That can be one of the "bigger" challenges for an internationally adopted child without a state-issued birth certificate. Government.....
The good news is that Logan's vision is "within the range of normal for a preschooler." That was nice. He does have some mild astigmatism, but not enough to correct at this point. The doctor felt that putting him in glasses would cause more problems than they solved at this point. She did ask to see him again in a year to monitor his eyes, but thinks everything looks fine. The bad news? Well, the bad news is that Logan doesn't have any vision issues, so the things we're seeing (walking into things, tripping continually, struggling with surface changes while he walks...ie carpet to wood flooring and uneven sidewalks) are likely motor skills related. The biggest reason that's bad is because while he has an evaluation on July 8, actually getting him IN for therapy is harder. The waiting list for both speech and PT is long.
And that was the last of the "bad" news yesterday. While Logan has, in fact, qualified for speech therapy, they are so busy that he's on the waiting list. On the bottom of the waiting list. And they didn't think he'd be able to get in until fall, when they would prefer that we seek school district offered services. Sigh. I guess I can look at the good side--he won't be frustrated with being asked to do things he's not physically capable of doing, and we have more (plenty??) of time to determine whether we want to pursue the VPI surgery. I have several calls in for answers, so we'll see what comes of it.
One other bit of good news from yesterday: Logan is now officially a US citizen. Well, he was officially a US Citizen the moment we landed in the US, but now we have the paperwork to prove it! So this morning, I'm off to Social Security to get him an SS number. Wish me luck! That can be one of the "bigger" challenges for an internationally adopted child without a state-issued birth certificate. Government.....
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
That's what I like about you
For all of us, adding a 3 year old has been a challenge. He's delightful for sure, but it has not been a totally smooth, seamless path. Last night I was struggling and decided to put together a list of all the great things about Logan, so that I can SEE it when we're having trouble.
Logan...
*makes Ryan laugh like no one else can.
*and Ryan play together like they've been together since birth. It's fun to watch.
*willingly eats just about anything put before him. In copious quantities. :)
*sleeps all night every night. Without fail. And, without any trouble falling asleep. A story, hug, and kiss, and he's off to dreamland.
*understands nearly everything he's told. His receptive language is amazing!
*is very bright and curious.
*is a problem solver.
*loves to help. Everywhere he possibly can--like laundry, dishes, and cooking--and some places he can't. Yet, anyway. Yesterday we were leaving for basketball, and he wanted to help. So, he grabbed Momma's car keys, went to the garage, got in the car, and was ready to drive. Fortunately, I was only 3 steps behind him...
*is fully potty trained. Day AND night. Never underestimate the value of that.
*wants to learn, and wants to please.
*has no sensory issues, no oral sensitivities, and no attachment issues.
*has a quick smile and an infectious laugh. And we see (or hear) both frequently.
I know there are many more, but that short list is a start. As I listen to he and Ryan laughing and giggling their way through the new tunnel maze now occupying our dining room, I am so grateful we have added him to our family. He is a delightful addition!
Logan...
*makes Ryan laugh like no one else can.
*and Ryan play together like they've been together since birth. It's fun to watch.
*willingly eats just about anything put before him. In copious quantities. :)
*sleeps all night every night. Without fail. And, without any trouble falling asleep. A story, hug, and kiss, and he's off to dreamland.
*understands nearly everything he's told. His receptive language is amazing!
*is very bright and curious.
*is a problem solver.
*loves to help. Everywhere he possibly can--like laundry, dishes, and cooking--and some places he can't. Yet, anyway. Yesterday we were leaving for basketball, and he wanted to help. So, he grabbed Momma's car keys, went to the garage, got in the car, and was ready to drive. Fortunately, I was only 3 steps behind him...
*is fully potty trained. Day AND night. Never underestimate the value of that.
*wants to learn, and wants to please.
*has no sensory issues, no oral sensitivities, and no attachment issues.
*has a quick smile and an infectious laugh. And we see (or hear) both frequently.
I know there are many more, but that short list is a start. As I listen to he and Ryan laughing and giggling their way through the new tunnel maze now occupying our dining room, I am so grateful we have added him to our family. He is a delightful addition!
Ye of little faith...
...is apparently a very accurate description of my faith. It's just not big enough. When Logan saw our pediatrician, we all agreed that he needed an eye exam to rule out any eye problems related to his clumsiness. I waited until we went to Children's to pursue it because I hoped for a recommendation of a pediatric ophthalmologist. They gave me some recommendations, but some of them are not on our insurance plan, so I was back to finding one on my own. This morning it occurred to me to check on the website of another hospital in town with extensive pediatric services. Lo and behold, they have several pediatric ophthalmologists, and they all take our insurance. So I called, hoping to get him in before his physical therapy evaluation on July 8. Well...no surprise at all, but God is bigger than that! Logan will see the eye doctor TOMORROW MORNING at 9:30.
One more issue checked and hopefully ruled out. That will leave us with simply the speech/hearing issues to deal with. And today, that feels like plenty.
One more issue checked and hopefully ruled out. That will leave us with simply the speech/hearing issues to deal with. And today, that feels like plenty.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Craniofacial Clinic visit
Logan did amazingly well! It was a very long day, and I'm glad it's over. Ryan thoroughly enjoyed his playdate with his cousin, which is a good thing, since we would have been hard-pressed to entertain TWO little boys in that exam room all day.
Most of the visit went much as expected. Logan was more participatory with this speech/language pathologist, but her findings matched those of Miss Laura. She loved what she saw in Miss Laura's evaluation and will work with us and her to help Logan progress with his speech. The pediatric dentist was elated to learn that we have a great pediatric dentist here in town that we use; he's someone Children's is very familiar with and enjoys working with. They'll happily consult for us with Dr. Tom and Dr. Jared. That's wonderful, since Dr. Tom is pretty close to perfect in my mind! Anyone who will see all of my crew at one time has my vote--and that office will. I can take all of them in to get their teeth cleaned, and the whole crowd will be done and we'll be out of there in less than an hour. Plus, our orthodontist is willing to work with Children's for Logan's orthodontia, which means we can do all of those things right here in town. The social worker and nursing care coordinator were very helpful and will be great resources for us as we move forward. It will be nice to have such great people on our side!
Our second to last visit was with the plastic surgeon. Up to this point, we were thinking that we would not have to be back for about 9 months, which was nice. This doctor was very direct and very clear about his thoughts for Logan's care. He believes (and we agree, given his explanation and diagram) that Logan needs surgery, and sooner rather than later. It will be interesting to see how his opinions are integrated into the team approach to care. He feels very strongly that Logan has an insufficiency in his palate repair that requires an additional surgery in order for him to be able to make sounds correctly. He showed us the physical evidence in Logan's mouth while Logan made sounds that led him to that conclusion. He believes that while speech therapy will be very helpful, it will only frustrate Logan UNTIL this correction is made because he cannot yet physically make the sounds we are asking him to make. He would prefer to run a few additional tests now and schedule surgery soon if the tests agree with his opinion. I don't know whether the rest of the team will agree. I think both of us would like to have Logan do the additional testing sooner rather than later. I'm thankful we have an excellent pediatrician who can help us make this decision. If we had to make a decision right now, both of us would schedule his surgery as quickly as possible so that he isn't any more frustrated than necessary. But we'll see...
Our last visit was with the audiologist. We expected that Logan would have a BAER hearing test (where he would likely be sedated, then hooked up to an EEG type machine to determine his hearing) but that's not what happened. Like a trooper, Logan walked into the room, allowed them to hook him up with the ear pieces, and played games with the assistant. He did amazingly well, performing the tests nearly textbook perfectly! If only the results had been textbook perfect as well. One test (a tympanogram) indicated that he does, in fact, probably have fluid in his left ear. The second tests showed that he has some low frequency hearing loss in his left ear. A portion of the test indicated that it's not only his eardrum that is the problem, that there are some inner-ear issues as well. The audiologist thinks that tubes may help but that because there's something else going on too, we may not see the improvement we hope for. It will be interesting to see what happens next in this area. Because of his age and history, they would not wait to insert tubes in his ears; it's simply a matter of scheduling his visit with the ENT and moving forward. The other results complicate things a bit, and the scheduling is a significant issue as well. Right now, the ENTs are booking first appointments in SEPTEMBER. Please pray with us that God, who has opened so many doors already, would open one more so that we can move forward with Logan's hearing!
It was quite interesting overall, and not as overwhelming as it could have been. In the big picture, he'll have several surgeries before he's 13, but nothing we hadn't expected. Right now, it's these first few months we're more concerned about, making wise decisions about his palate insufficiency and his hearing.
So now we wait for the final reports and recommendations, and the opportunity to schedule a visit with the ENT. Then we get to make decisions! :)
Most of the visit went much as expected. Logan was more participatory with this speech/language pathologist, but her findings matched those of Miss Laura. She loved what she saw in Miss Laura's evaluation and will work with us and her to help Logan progress with his speech. The pediatric dentist was elated to learn that we have a great pediatric dentist here in town that we use; he's someone Children's is very familiar with and enjoys working with. They'll happily consult for us with Dr. Tom and Dr. Jared. That's wonderful, since Dr. Tom is pretty close to perfect in my mind! Anyone who will see all of my crew at one time has my vote--and that office will. I can take all of them in to get their teeth cleaned, and the whole crowd will be done and we'll be out of there in less than an hour. Plus, our orthodontist is willing to work with Children's for Logan's orthodontia, which means we can do all of those things right here in town. The social worker and nursing care coordinator were very helpful and will be great resources for us as we move forward. It will be nice to have such great people on our side!
Our second to last visit was with the plastic surgeon. Up to this point, we were thinking that we would not have to be back for about 9 months, which was nice. This doctor was very direct and very clear about his thoughts for Logan's care. He believes (and we agree, given his explanation and diagram) that Logan needs surgery, and sooner rather than later. It will be interesting to see how his opinions are integrated into the team approach to care. He feels very strongly that Logan has an insufficiency in his palate repair that requires an additional surgery in order for him to be able to make sounds correctly. He showed us the physical evidence in Logan's mouth while Logan made sounds that led him to that conclusion. He believes that while speech therapy will be very helpful, it will only frustrate Logan UNTIL this correction is made because he cannot yet physically make the sounds we are asking him to make. He would prefer to run a few additional tests now and schedule surgery soon if the tests agree with his opinion. I don't know whether the rest of the team will agree. I think both of us would like to have Logan do the additional testing sooner rather than later. I'm thankful we have an excellent pediatrician who can help us make this decision. If we had to make a decision right now, both of us would schedule his surgery as quickly as possible so that he isn't any more frustrated than necessary. But we'll see...
Our last visit was with the audiologist. We expected that Logan would have a BAER hearing test (where he would likely be sedated, then hooked up to an EEG type machine to determine his hearing) but that's not what happened. Like a trooper, Logan walked into the room, allowed them to hook him up with the ear pieces, and played games with the assistant. He did amazingly well, performing the tests nearly textbook perfectly! If only the results had been textbook perfect as well.
It was quite interesting overall, and not as overwhelming as it could have been. In the big picture, he'll have several surgeries before he's 13, but nothing we hadn't expected. Right now, it's these first few months we're more concerned about, making wise decisions about his palate insufficiency and his hearing.
So now we wait for the final reports and recommendations, and the opportunity to schedule a visit with the ENT. Then we get to make decisions! :)
our crew
A new picture of our entire crew...
clockwise from top left: Logan (3), Emily (15), Brent (19), Hailey (17) holding Ryan (3), and Victoria (13)
clockwise from top left: Logan (3), Emily (15), Brent (19), Hailey (17) holding Ryan (3), and Victoria (13)
Sunday, June 22, 2008
tomorrow is a BIG day
Tomorrow morning bright and early we head out to drop Ryan off with his Aunt Patty (thanks Patty!!) so that we can spend the day at Children's Hospital in Seattle. Logan has an appointment with the Craniofacial Clinic, a multi-disciplinary team approach to treating cleft palate and cleft lip patients, as well as children with other craniofacial issues. Of all the places at Children's Hospital, it's the one clinic we've been to before. Hailey was evaluated and deemed perfectly healthy in January 1992...
We'll have a busy morning: visits with the speech/language pathologist, the social worker, the craniofacial pediatrician, the pediatric craniofacial dentist, the pediatric plastic surgeon, the craniofacial nursing care coordinator, and the audiologist. Please pray that things will go well, that Logan will cooperate and give/show the people the things they need to see and hear to help him, and that Ryan will do well with his cousins. Logan's first appointment is at 9am; his last is at 1:30pm. We know the 1:30 appointment will take about an hour, since it's a brain wave hearing test. He'll be sedated for that particular part of the visit. It's one of the areas of big concern since Logan failed his initial hearing tests once we got home. We're hoping for definitive answers and the ability to move forward. Once all the visits are finished, the team will meet to discuss their findings. They'll determine a course of treatment if necessary and either directly provide or oversee all the services Logan needs. We're grateful for such a great team so close to home and are looking forward to hearing what they have to say.
Logan's speech evaluation came back this week, and Miss Laura has recommended weekly speech therapy. So, Tuesday morning bright and early I'll be calling to set up a schedule. After seeing HIS frustration this week, I'm ready to get started!
Thanks for your prayers!
We'll have a busy morning: visits with the speech/language pathologist, the social worker, the craniofacial pediatrician, the pediatric craniofacial dentist, the pediatric plastic surgeon, the craniofacial nursing care coordinator, and the audiologist. Please pray that things will go well, that Logan will cooperate and give/show the people the things they need to see and hear to help him, and that Ryan will do well with his cousins. Logan's first appointment is at 9am; his last is at 1:30pm. We know the 1:30 appointment will take about an hour, since it's a brain wave hearing test. He'll be sedated for that particular part of the visit. It's one of the areas of big concern since Logan failed his initial hearing tests once we got home. We're hoping for definitive answers and the ability to move forward. Once all the visits are finished, the team will meet to discuss their findings. They'll determine a course of treatment if necessary and either directly provide or oversee all the services Logan needs. We're grateful for such a great team so close to home and are looking forward to hearing what they have to say.
Logan's speech evaluation came back this week, and Miss Laura has recommended weekly speech therapy. So, Tuesday morning bright and early I'll be calling to set up a schedule. After seeing HIS frustration this week, I'm ready to get started!
Thanks for your prayers!
pictures...
Okay, I promised pictures. Thanks to my friend Colleen for sharing with me, since I don't generally take a camera when we go out.
A little "brotherly love" going on...
left to right: Jake, Linlee, Rachel, Logan, and Ryan. Like I said, it was fun seeing the faces of people watching us while we ate lunch. I still think they were more amazed by the 5 preschoolers behaving themselves. :)
A little "brotherly love" going on...
left to right: Jake, Linlee, Rachel, Logan, and Ryan. Like I said, it was fun seeing the faces of people watching us while we ate lunch. I still think they were more amazed by the 5 preschoolers behaving themselves. :)
Friday, June 20, 2008
one month already
We've been home one month already. Some days it seems amazing it's been that long already; other days I wonder how many years have passed since we got off the plane. Fortunately, those days are far fewer now. Good days are more the norm, and I LOVE it! We're settling into a good routine, Logan is understanding (and following) the directions we give, and he's beginning to speak English. It's funny-- he's probably been speaking English for a long time, but we're just too dense to understand. Yesterday, he came running up to me and began talking. Excitedly. So I stopped fixing dinner, got down to his level, and listened carefully. Or so I thought. As he was speaking, I was trying to figure out what he might be telling me. When he was done, I was in the dark. (Not unusual. Mom's not that quick these days.) So, I told him to try again, that Momma couldn't understand Chinese, that Momma wanted to know what he was saying, so could he show me. Instead, he gave me this look that very clearly said, "You MORON!", heaved a huge sigh, and started over. Slower, this time, for the ob
viously dumb lady in the kitchen. Still nothing registered. So (stupid me!) I asked him again to try it once more. Even more slowly and deliberately, he repeated himself. When I didn't immediately respond, he shook his head in total disgust and walked away muttering to himself. What he said, I don't know, but I'm sure he thinks it was in English. Probably was, too, given how difficult he is to understand. Speech therapy will help--Miss Laura has some awesome goals for him and I can't wait to get started. I'm finding that IF I listen carefully and he repeats himself several times, I can sometimes figure it out. Then the light goes on--THAT'S what he's been saying. He is always so excited when we understand--his face lights up like someone turned on a light. We'll get this...eventually. :)Overall, it's been an amazing, challenging, humbling experience having Logan in our home. I feel like I've been sanded with 40 grit sandpaper on a power sander--everything I "knew" has been put to the test. But, I've survived. As painful as it's been, it's also been a time of growth. Today in the car I was listening to the radio. Mercy Me's "Jesus Bring the Rain" came on, and I thought about how true the words have been the past 6 weeks. The chorus says:
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise you
Jesus bring the rain
Jesus bring the rain
It was followed immediately by Casting Crowns, singing "Lifesong." The second verse says:
Lord I give my life
a living sacrifice
To reach a world in need
To be Your hands and feet
May the words I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to You
And it struck me. In a nutshell, that's what makes every single day, every irritation, every frustration, every sweet smile, sticky hug, and slobbery kiss worthwhile. God has called me to this, and to do anything less would be dishonoring to him. A dear friend asked last week how things were going. I debated for a bit, then gave a brutally honest reply and said it was the hardest thing I'd ever done. But, because I knew God hadn't called us to this to abandon us, I would keep walking in faith--there is simply no other choice. The response to my honesty blew me away: "... Oh gosh, Jenn, you are a star - you are living the work of God in such a profound, profound way, and you challenge me to do the same." Those words were so encouraging and have carried me through some bad times this week. Because after all, living the work of God is my goal. If doing so and being honest about the struggles challenges someone else, even better.
Pictures tomorrow, I promise! We had a great play date (or "hot date" as Ryan calls it) with our friends Rachel, Linlee, and Jake and their moms. My camera's not available, but the other moms took great pics. The kids had a ball on the playground, and it was fun seeing people do a double-take while we ate lunch: 4 caucasian women eating out with 5 Chinese preschoolers ages 3 and under. I'm not sure what attracted more attention, the fact that we had all these Chinese children, or the fact that 5 preschoolers could be so well-behaved at a restaurant for lunch. It was fun.
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