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Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Three of a kind

Before Ana came home I bought three O-balls for the three children.
I have wanted Ana to work on hand eye coordination but haven't been able to get a good setup for her to do that.
Until I thought of this...
For the first time I have seen her really exploring an object (though not really using hand-eye coordination).

Of course , both boys needed leashes for their O-balls...
But porgies was a little disappointed by his somehow...
No accounting for taste, I suppose.


He has since made his peace with it...


I am glad I got three of them!






Saturday, March 28, 2015

Thanks for praying!

The yucky stomach bug seems to have run its course. Took is better, Papa is better, Ana is better, and after Porgies had an overnight stay at the hospital with lots of IV fluids, he is better too.
Praise God!

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

So, the prize for first post-adoption ER visit goes to...

Not Ana.
Poor Porgies has gotten the stomach bug so badly that he had to go in for an IV to rehydrate a little bit. Please pray that he recovers quickly!

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

2 months home

Well, Ana is spending her 2 month-versary throwing up because she got the stomach bug that Took brought home... Where do three year olds find these things, anyway? 
Please pray that her body is able to heal and that she doesn't end up dehydrated in the hospital!


Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Interesting

If you have not read Susanna's update on Katie, please do. 

We had older adult friends over for dinner last night, and I remember thinking "Ana's acting really weird".  I strongly suspect she was attention-seeking.  Although I was holding her on my lap or shoulder for most of the evening, she was much more wiggly and turned away much more than she might on a normal evening.  Unfortunately, we did not guard her well enough, or prepare our friends for this (really-shouldn't-be-unexpected) hazard.  So she got some pats and caresses that I would prefer she not have gotten from (effectively) a stranger.

We have explained to people at church a bit about our bonding concerns, so there have not been problems from that quarter, and people have been very supportive while appropriately distanced.

Interestingly enough, she does not attention-seek from college-age kids, praise God (as we continue to lead the church college group in our home).  She must never have interacted with young people at the orphanage (I certainly did not see anyone younger than me when I was there), so perhaps she never developed a habit of trying to lure them. 

Our family has been so thankful for the Musser's honesty and clear engagement with post-adoptive stuff, and I continue to be convinced that we pretty much have it easy because God is carrying us.  Our job is not to squirm, fight, or try to wiggle away.  Sounds familiar, no?

Thursday, March 5, 2015

And We Shall Be Changed

(This was originally posted (slightly altered) on my poetry blog one year ago.  I have had little time for composing new reflections on glory and beauty in the past months, but this one attempts to express our hope inexpressible and full of glory.  Our family is tired, but God renews our strength.  Here, then, is a song to that hope that pulls us onward in Christ.)  

Threshold-welling water washes down
from Mount Zion, springs unfed but from the throne
yet welling ever brimfull to a river
running deeper in its channel as it goes,
and irrigating, giving life to trees
themselves so full of life even their leaves
make well at last; no fig-leaf garments here,
but glory,
Father-Son-and-Spirit-glory,
bathing bruised feet,
refreshing saint-souls wrenched and wracked,
and wiping every tear away.
There gathered, to the last, at last,
each and every-one named, claimed, redeemed,
assembled guests to dine and die no more,
the roar of many waters (harpists, singers, loosed at last)
Hallelujah!
Lord God Almighty Reigns!
Here friends, all family, found and bound to Christ the elder brother,
all arrived at any hour,
from there and anywhere,
(and all at once we shall be changed)
don glorious dinner-jacket,
and sup, dine, feast,
all hail the host, and toast
the bridegroom beautiful,
who sought, bought, and brought his bride
to his love-bannered banquet-table.
And we shall be his people
and God himself be with us as our God.

- Papa

Monday, March 2, 2015

Medical update

We saw orthopedic recently, and are debating the merits of hip surgery first vs. spinal surgery first. Neither is an emergency, both need to be done.

We did a head MRI today and saw a neurologist to check out the "hydrocephaly" diagnosis on Ana's file. Turns out that there is no hydrocephaly worth mentioning and her brain looks stable and fairly healthy. Praise God!