Li'l Swimmer and More

Katie Mei has taken to water like a little duck. She's just the right height that she can stand in the pool without aid, and she seems to be perfectly comfortable even when the other kids are splashing all around her. She's taken a couple accidental dips when her face has gone under, but she doesn't get upset and cry.

In this video she was pushing her fish around on a float, and Merrilee started coughing in the background. Katie Mei decided to mimic her for the rest of the video.

This is pretty much more of the same, but she's too cute not to show another video.

Merrilee has been doing very well in her gymnastics class, but unfortunately we're not allowed to take photos during class. A couple weeks ago I was talking to a friend during class and looked up just long enough to see Merrilee dangling in the air. I grabbed my cell phone and managed to snap this photo from the parents' waiting room doorway. Not a great photo, but I was so impressed that I had to at least try to capture the moment. Seconds later, she let go and dropped into the cushioned pit below.

And finally, a photo of Jacob with his handsome smile. Daddy took Jacob on a little vacation to NC this week. See you next week, Jacob!

Hugs,

Petrie

Good-Bye, Grandpa John

Jay's dad passed away last night. It wasn't a total shock to us; he's been in and out of the hospital a few times already this year. His health, or what there was of it, was failing. But no matter how prepared you are for a death, it's never easy to let go and say good-bye.

John, or JB to many of us, was a bit of an enigma. He put on a show of being tough and mean, but he was a tender, caring man when he was put on the spot. There are family stories of how he provided Christmas gifts for a child who wasn't his own, but was in need. He offered advice to Jay throughout his healthier years whenever Jay called on him, especially when Jay and I were first married and were trying to get ourselves established. He could cook too; JB would whip up a great pot of chicken and dumplings when we came to visit, and often made the potato salad for our family reunions. There are so many sides to this man, whom I only knew for 22 years. Unfortunately, when I first met him, his health was already declining, so I never got to know him in his more robust days. But I do love to listen to the family stories.

My two older children remember their last visit to Grandpa John in 2007. Merrilee has prayed for him and laments his passing. We will miss him, and I am thankful I got to know him.

Good-bye, Grandpa John. We love you and will cherish the time we had with you.

Love,
Petrie and the kids

Nothing new going on

I don't have anything exciting and fun to add today, but wanted to just post a few photos from the past couple weeks. I don't feel motivated to blog lately; I think I'm getting tired and need some time of refreshment, but that's going to have to wait a few more weeks. Merrilee has one more week of school and then we're going to call an end to first grade. She can finish the few pages in her math book over the summer, and can read her one last reading book at her leisure. She reads so much for pleasure now that I don't see much benefit in forcing her to read that last reading book according to a schedule.

Since I last blogged, we've had warm days and cold rainy days. The kids have been able to get in the pool a few times and the water was really beginning to warm up, but after the past two day of rain and temps in the 60s, the water is cold again. This is a very frustrating spring as far as weather goes. Even my vegetable garden is suffering for it despite all the rain.

Anyway, here are a few photos to keep my blog audience coming back for more.

Sunny day--crafts outside

Rainy day--Katie Mei helps Jacob work the joystick on his V-Tech game

Sunny Day--Jacob still can't blow up balloons, but he sure can fill them with spit!


Rainy day--Play-doh makes mighty fine jewelry for a two-year old

Sunny Day--Getting used the the cold water in the kiddie pool.

Hope to have better blogging entertainment for you in the next week or so.

Love,

Petrie

Who was bored this weekend? Not us!

We had a busy weekend with Daddy home. There was a lot to do. I didn't get photos of all of it, unfortunately. I missed the father/son moment of Daddy and Jacob painting the door frames outside, and failed to take photos last night when we got together with friends for dinner. But we did get photos of the air show and the first dip in the pool!

Katie Mei loved the air show. She is the first child we've had who actually watched the airplanes and jets with delight, and pointed to them and paid attention. The loud engines didn't bother her and she seemed quite interested. She really enjoyed the giant lemonade she shared with me. It was hot and sunny on Saturday and we were all slathered in sunscreen, but I was still a little hesitant to keep her out in the sun too long. Some of the meds she takes make her sun-sensitive. So we stay only a couple hours and saw the Blue Angels on the drive home.

Once we were home, the kids wanted in the pool. I was surprised that it was warm enough since we had just filled it the day before. But it was quite pleasant for the hot weather we had, so we got in. I had to get out to take photos, and Merrilee did a great job as Big Sister, holding on to Katie Mei and pulling her around in the water. Katie Mei was a little hesitant at first with the depth, but once she was comfortable with me holding her hands she started to bounce and kick her feet. I think she's going to be very happy with the pool in a few more weeks.

Among other weekend accomplishments, Jay and Jacob power washed the sidewalk and front porch as well as the deck, and painted the trim around the front and back doors. I replaced some older, ungainly plantings in the back yard with some roses and fresh mulch. And Merrilee and I finally got her room organized with a set of cubes and cubbies. I felt more satisfaction with getting the plethora of toys off that bedroom floor (it's been covered since December) than I felt with any of the other odd jobs I managed to get done this month.

And today I went to the A Beka book sale and ordered Merrilee's language/reading/phonics/spelling books for next year. Mission accomplished. AND I happened to remember to pick up Katie Mei's prescriptions from the pharmacy. On the drive home we saw that Mr. Sevak was still at his vegetable stand so we stopped and got some fresh strawberries. So I've done it all and feel as if I've covered the bases today. Now I just wish I could sit back and read a book. Alas, it's not going to happen. Katie Mei took her nap in the car in the garage while we three ate lunch. And once I tried to get on the computer, Katie Mei woke up and was ready for her lunch. My day is no longer my own (as if it ever really were, right?).

So now we hunker back down for a string of rainy days and more homeschooling. Jacob is painting, and Merrilee is once again honing her skills in phonics. Katie Mei is sitting here in my lap drinking milk and sucking her thumb as she pulls a thin strand of my hair out of my skull. I don't know how it started, but since she's been home from the hospital, she likes to lay her head against my chest, grab a few strands of hair in her fat little fist, and pop her thumb in her mouth. It's not so bad if she grabs some strands that aren't attached at the back of my neck.

I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Love,

Petrie

Four Months Later...

We haven't been bored, and we haven't been lazy. We certainly haven't had any uneventful days, and we haven't been able to sit down a read a book uninterruped. We've pretty much been up to everything else. Doctor's appointments, scraped knees, spilled milk, surgery, 832 diapers, chest x-rays, blood transfusions, barrettes and pony tails, wet kisses, and tons of hugs. You know...the usual. If you have a baby as special as ours.

Katie Mei is now IN YOUR FACE fun!

She lives life with gusto, whether it's hiking herself up the ladder on the slide, toppling down the staircase and bonking her head, playing badminton with Merrilee and Jacob, or eating Zesty Taco and Chipotle Ranch Doritos with Mom rather than messing with those sissified Oreos that the other kids eat. She hasn't got time for naps, though Mom tries her darndest every day to get her to take one. We're lucky if she gets an hour in each day. And night time...you can forget about a good night's sleep anymore. We're on a roll to see how many nights she can get Mom out of bed six or eight times. Last night was a record nine times. What does Mom need sleep for anyway? All she does is sit around making Merrilee learn stuff, put toys out in the backyard to play with, boss the kids around, and drink coffee. It's not like Mom actually gets up and goes running or exercises or anything.

(Warning on potty seat: "Never Leave Child Unattended!" ...Oops.)

And the food. The girl can put away some food. But it has to be the right kind of food. Like cheese sticks. Yeah...cheese sticks and ham. Lots of cheese and ham. But not that sissified flat square of yellow cheese. No, that's for babies. Only the straight, white SALTY cheese sticks. And ham. Not peanut butter and jelly...that's for kids. Just ham. Lots of SALTY, greasy ham. Mmmmmmm. And Doritos. Spicy. Of course.

She hates the cat. At least she wants us to think so. You have to sneak up on 'em to see the love.

Now water, that's another story. Give her water, make it plentiful, and it's a hit. She does not limit herself to the tub.


I don't have much else to say. Actually, I do. Life is a whole new ballgame with three, and this newest addition has rocked our world. I can only stick my tongue out at those folks who were naysayers about us adopting a baby with such "serious" heart conditions. Those who warned us that we were getting ourselves in over our heads...you were right! Our lives will never be the same! And we're serious!

Love,
Petrie

Heads Up--I'm moving our blog address

I originally started this blog as a way to keep long-distance family and friends updated on us. Then, I shared the address with a few other people I trusted who were interested in Katie Mei's adoption and subsequently her surgery.

Since both the above events are now concluded successfully, thanks be to God, it is time to move back into our own private little world of just family and close friends. It has also come to my attention that some folks have shared my blog address with others outside my small circle without my permission.

So I'm going to be changing the URL of this blog and giving the address to those with whom I originally shared it. The privacy of my family is a high priority, and though I do share this blog with people outside the family, I keep the circle of readers small and limited to those I know and trust.

I will do my best to pass the new address on to everyone I want to have it, but chances are I'll miss a couple of you. I plan to share the new address with family and close friends via email by next Friday (May 22nd). If you don't hear from me and thought you would, chances are I've just messed up and unintentionally left you off the list of people to email. If you think I've messed up, then please don't hesitate to contact me and ask for the new address. I really don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. But if you got the address through a third party who did not have my permission to give it to you (i.e. someone on a Yahoo group), and you're not someone I'm regularly in contact with, then chances are you're here just out of curiousity and we're strangers to you in reality, so you won't miss us too much anyway.

Hope this doesn't step on toes too badly, but as I said, my family's privacy is of great importance to me.

Blessings,
Petrie

First trip to the beach

The end of last week proved to be beautiful, so we took advantage of finished homework and lovely weather to head to the beach on the base Friday. It was Katie Mei's first time getting her feet in the sand and water, and she really wasn't too impressed. It's not the best beach because the sand is pretty rocky, and even my winter-tender feet didn't like it, but I tried to keep her to the softest sandiest spots.

She whined a bit and wanted me to pick her up when the water washed up on her toes, but after she was given a shovel and bucket and shown how to use them, she didn't mind just squatting down in the sand and digging away. We did have one incident where she managed to get sand in her mouth...a lesson learned the hard way. I don't think she'll do that again. And just for the record, she was okay after we washed the sand down with a little juice.

After playing in the sand and letting me take a hundred photos, she finally got to sit on the picnic blanket and eat apples and cheese crackers. That seemed to make it all worth it for her. Merrilee and Jacob really enjoyed the day, too, even if they weren't the center of attention this time.

After about an hour, the clouds started rolling in. It was time to pack up and head home. We got home just about an hour before Jay came home, and we had a great weekend of hanging out with Daddy, working and playing outdoors in the backyard, and eating yummy dinners cooked on the grill. We can't wait for more fun days like this!

Petrie