Broken Angel

Where to start...
We did have a wonderful three-day weekend with the kids-we had some eating out, some crazy running around the house-inside and out-every day, Isabella's birthday party (and I got to catch up with Tiffany-due in February with her fourth adorable baby!), church, Mary Claire had BSI with her friend, and today we got to play with Veronica and her precious babies!  (well, they are four and almost two, but so cute-they are little, so they are still babes to me-like Ethan).

We had Mary Claire's endocrinology appointment-and we didn't go to Little Rock!  We switched a few months ago to an endocrinologist in Northwest Arkansas, and today was our first appointment back with him (it's been two years since we've seen him!).  He's not a pediatric endocrinologist, but he is close to us, and Mary Claire is older now.  We went over her health, her sites, a new lancet (but it was by One Touch, and we aren't switching till they have one that only requires .3 microLiters. In my opinion, .5 to .6mL is just too much blood!!) (and their strips are not consistent-it takes almost two strips-and sometimes six or seven-to get one blood sugar reading-you get errors, too little blood, etc.) (I've been doing this for 6 3/4 years-I know what I'm doing-and One Touch still sucks.)  Gosh, back on track.. then we talked about his kids, and his adoption a couple years ago, right before we went back to Little Rock.

He adopted two adorable little girls (sisters), and they are thriving.  We veered into adoption, foster care, friends and people he knows caring for kids of Northwest Arkansas.  He encouraged us to get trained on caring for foster children, and we could offer to take in kids with diabetes, since we are so familiar, and definitely not scared.  It is a lot to consider, but Mary Claire is praying for a sweet girl just like her, and we don't know how God intends to answer her prayer.  We are open.

We know a little girl who struggles with her diabetes, and her family loves her, but it's tough, and she's been in the hospital, and I just think, we could take care of her.  I don't want to ask her dad to give her up, ..BUT.  There are other kids just like her, and after repeated poor care, they are removed from their homes.  There is usually no one equipped to care for them!  Can you imagine adjusting to care of a new child plus a new disease?  It'd only be one for us.


Anyway, then we had to go to the lab to get Mary Claire's blood drawn.  She was not prepared for it, and she cried.  Two years is a big difference.  Two years ago, she got her blood work done-I thought she'd be petrified, but she watched them draw the blood!!  Today, she was low right before we went to the lab, and just cried.  I felt so bad for her, but it was something I couldn't do for her.  I had brought four tiny cookies (Nestle's Minis), two for each of us after the appointment (so she'd have good blood sugar while we were there!), and I told her she could have one of mine too after the labwork.  (Big Girl Momma giving up a cookie..only for my baby! heehee)  She still cried, and said she just wanted to go home.  (Broke. My. Heart.)  She made it through, and I actually watched the blood draw-it was much less scary/creepy than I thought it would be-no messy squirting, leaking out, etc.  Then she had to give a urine sample, and it made her cry too.  What a hard life for an eight-year-old.  One arm was broken and in a sling, and the other had a band-aid and cotton ball taped across it.  Both were sore, so I helped her use the cup and go to the bathroom.  Stressful Day for her.  Glad she is safe and warm in bed now.

On the adoption front..
This weekend we also requested information from Bethany Christian Services (local adoption agency).  Just this evening, I filled out the preliminary form.  If they liked what I wrote (and my info?), they'll send me the Bethany Statement of Faith, and the Personal Statement of Faith (I guess they are different?), then if they like those, they'll tell us when and where their next adoption informational meeting is. (it's top-secret, undisclosed to outsiders!)  I'll keep you posted.  We are praying for God's hand to be on it if His will is there.


I didn't submit the Waiting Child application to Great Wall of China from last week, since they all ask if you've applied with anyone else, when, and the results.  I don't think they'll consider us if we are already working with another agency, understandably.
Oh!  I totally forgot to tell you-I called Great Wall of China on Friday afternoon, and we had a misunderstanding over email before.  Ches is not too old to apply for a healthy infant from China!  It will still be a 54-month wait, but we can proceed.  We are debating on local vs. international adoption, and we'll see how it pans out.  We could really do both-since it'd be so far apart in time! :)

Ches went back to the dermatologist today, and got some things burned off his head.  They are only pre-cancerous, so not to worry.  They are hurting him, but we are so glad he's keeping up with them.  Wear Sunblock, young people!! (well, you old people should too. :)

Most Honest Quote This Weekend:
"I didn't break it this time."
Ethan to me after he slid down the stair rail with his huge fluffy dragon costume in his hand, raking off all the stuff in its way-a tall box with lock, bird cage, wicker balls, a glass lamp, and my angel on a stand-the one he broke the wing off yesterday doing the same thing.  I fixed it last night (using super glue and masking tape to hold it together overnight).

Extra Information:
I still have some Christmas garland and lights up.  I make green tea every day (and drink a quart a day!).  I love skinny cheetos (and throw away the fat ones-somehow, in my mind they have less cheese per square inch of surface area).  We are considering building again.  Mary Claire's A1c (three-month blood sugar) was 7.6-higher than I like, but okay.  It lets us know how much damage her blood sugar is doing to her body (blood vessels), and what her average is overall.