Rylan's Journey Home

For those of you following the story through my blog of Sean and Sonja, and their daughter Kayla and also Mark and Anna, and their daughter Libby, we have exciting news to share!

Unfortunately these two families shared the same horrid agency as us.  It has been a long, hard battle getting our kids home!  Each process lasting right around the 2 year mark!

Anna, with one of her sons, just traveled to Guatemala to bring home her daughter Libby!!!  She arrived back in the US very late Friday night into Saturday morning.  Congratulations Anna, Mark, and family!  Words can't even begin to express how happy I am for you!  Anna and I (along with Sonja) took our first visit trip together to see our kids back in May 2007.  It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life!  Sort of like when a child is born, getting to hold and see them for the first time.  It was a pleasure getting to spend that time with Anna and her daughter Libby.  Anna, you will always be special to me and I am so proud of you for fighting so hard to see this through! 

Sean, Sonja, and her parents left for Guatemala yesterday morning!  They are going to bring Kayla home!!!  They have their Embassy Appt this Wed, and will come back home on Friday night.  Sonja and I met because we share the same local homestudy agency and we attended a meeting together.  After waiting in the domestic adoption program together with no luck of a placement here in the US, we then switched to the International Adoption Program together.  It was then we got referrals from our horrid placing agency.  Sonja and I live just 20-30 min apart.  We hope to remain in contact for long time.  Our kiddos share a birth country and rich birth history.  Seeing our kids together and making a total of 3 trips to Guatemala together, we've made a lot of memories!  This family has a hold of our hearts and we hope now that one journey has ended, another will begin!  Congratulations to you and your family.  You'll be getting Kayla exactly 1hr from right now!!!  I'm watching the clock!

As for me, we're as crazy in this house as always.  I was going to post more of an update, but I had better get going.  It sounds like a heard of elephants are running across the floors upstairs.  So unless my two boys have invited in wild animals from the woods outside, they are having a grand ole time being unattended!!!

Well, after such a week filled with up and downs with Cameron and his behavior, last Friday we tried a new daycare.  It is a daycare center with kids between 3-5yrs old.  Our regular daycare mom Mindy had the day off, so I needed someone to watch the kids anyway.  I was nervous about it, just like a kid with the first day of school!  I also felt sad.  The routine we'd got used to for the past 5yrs was breaking up.  I longer knew personally who was taking care of him during the day.  To my surprise when we got there the first day, he hopped out of the car and went in willfully and happily!  WOW!  I worried ALL day long.  When I went back to pick him up he was cheerful and rested.... I could tell his day when well!  We talked about it and he decided that he would go back.  I then talked to Mindy who was gracious enough to agree to releasing him so that he could try it.  With only 4 weeks left to his summer before we go on vacation, then onto Kindergarten for him, we were excited!
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday came with great days!  John and I both commented on how he seemed like a different kid.  We know they have very, very strict rules at this daycare center.  They also make the children have rest time.  They go into a seperate room on cots around 12:45 and are expected to remain there until about 2:30!  Well, I was hearing each day how Cameron hated it.  He wanted me to get him before rest time.  I knew he wouldn't like this part.  He hasn't had naps in quite awhile.  Not that he doesn't need them every now and then, but he HATES them.  Sometimes when I know he needs one we hop in the car to run an errand and he's out like a light!  That's my trick with him and its worked for a long time.  Anyway, Thursday morning came.  Because of the naps he'd been staying awake later at night.  Probably not going to bed until 10pm or later!  Most nights he's out by 8:30am as we get up very early!  I hadn't realized how much he hated that rest time until Thursday morning.  I knew he was overtired from the late night on Wed.  We got to the daycare and he sat perched in his car seat asking "mom, where are we going?"  Silly question but I knew the challege was coming.  I said inside to daycare, come on let's go!  He got out and took my hand.  We went inside where I told the teacher we forgot his blanekt.  She said no problem Cameron, you can choose one of our blankets for rest time!  I felt him clench my hand tighter!  Uh Oh.  I then encouraged him to put his lunch on the cart, and to go with the teacher to get breakfast started (he's always the first kid there).  He refused to let go of me.  For the next 10min I begged him to go.  PLEASE Cameron.  You'll have a good day, blah blah blah.  At least I think that was all he was hearing!
The teacher came around the corner after seeing what I was doing wasn't helping.  She went to take his hand and he shot out of the place like a bolt of lightening!!!  Before I even got out the front doors of the building, he was in the car, buckled in, holding the seat, and crying hysterically.  I told the teacher that I would need to get him calmed down and hopefully we'd be back.  I went so far as to promise to pick him up at lunch time so he wouldn't have rest time!  Nothing was working.  I got in the car and drove to Mindy's to drop Rylan off.  Once inside she knew, she knew because we were late that Cameron was in tow!  Thankfully she took him!!!!  You could see the relief on his face.  Like he was home again!
He had a real good day that day.  I had to call the school to put him on drop in status.  Friday came and he went back to Mindy's.  He was a bit naughty again even after knowing Mindy was doing us a favor!  We've come to the conclusion that he must be kept busy.  He needs schedule and activity.  He needs kids his age.  He needs a break from his brother.  He is creature of habit and routine.  His needs have changed now that he's older and adding a little brother has made them more immediate.  He is a great kid!  Smart, SO smart, creative, immaginative, happy, and completely adorable!  We have three weeks left.  3 weeks!  If we can make it through these last weeks in one piece, I will be one happy mother!  It's going to take lots of extra efforts for all of us, lots of patience, and lots of rearranging our schedules if need be.  I don't want his last 3 weeks to be terrible, or to be torturing his daycare mom.  So we'll do what we can to make them happy.  If that means mornings at the daycare center, then afternoon at Mindy's.  So be it.  Call mom, the taxi, and I'll do it! 
Who knew?  Who knew that I would ever turn into one of those mothers who would be happy and exited about school starting!  I swore I would never be!  But I am.  Kindgergarten can't come fast enough.  Seriously, if he could go tomorrow I'd be the first one at the school doors.  Not because I want to get rid of him, but because I now see exactly how great school is!  Structure and routine, my child thrives off of it.  He needs to be around peers his own age.  I'm sure with that will come another set of problems.  I caught him calling his brother a crotch the other day!  A crotch?  I don't even think he knows what this is, and we certainly don't use the word here.  Urgggg...... let the week begin.
And to those of you wondering about our friends waiting to bring home their children from Guatemala..... Anna is there now picking up Libby!  She and I went to Guatemala (with Sonja) in May 2007 to meet our children for the first time.  After an extremely long adoption process, she is bringing her home!  Sonja and Sean have the 2nd DNA results on a Fed Ex truck in Guatemala as we speak!  They should be delivered Monday, and then will get their Embassy Appt within 1-2 days!  I would say within just a week or so, they'll be heading to Guatemala too!  Kayla is coming home!  WOOOO HOOOOO!  Just a couple more kids from our agency to go, and they will all be home.  A miracle.  Who would have guessed that we as adoptive parents would have made this happen?  No one knew what the heck they were doing, yet our love and determination got us through.... and one another!  Congratulations Anna and Mark, and Sonja and Sean - I am thrilled for all of you!

It's Sunday night and the weekend is nearly over. If I could have every day like it was yesterday - I'd have a dozen kids and quit my job! Seriously, both kids were such good boys! A few minor scraps here and there, but nothing that would compare to some of the days we've had lately. Saturday started out with going into my mom's house. We had a web cam with Rylan's former foster mother in Guatemala! It was great to see her, and they loved seeing Rylan. We were on for about an hour and this time the call ended in tears for them, not me. When Rylan was still in Guatemala, it was me who had a hard time holding them back. I feel for them, I really do. I know they poured a lot of love and hard work in our little guy, and I will always be grateful! After the call we had some lunch and I decided to put Rylan down for a nap there. My dad was staying home, so make the two people taking naps! John was working, so it was my mom, Cameron and I. We went to La Crosse, WI and I dropped my mom off at the mall. I surprised Cameron with a Railroad Show that was going on! We've been to it every year, and he loves it so much. It so SO hot! We spent a couple hours there touring a train and walking through the swap show. We then went back to get my mom, stopped at Toys-R-Us for a small treat, then Wendy's to eat. Cameron couldn't have been better! No complaining, no sassing, no fighting, he ate great, and fell asleep on the way home. In fact we got back around 5:30pm to get Rylan, and Cameron never got up! We got home and he went right to bed and slept until 6am this morning. Rylan got some nice playtime in (uninterupted by his big brother).... it really was such a relaxing time. Today. Well, that is another story. Both kids were up at 6am and were hell on wheels! I'm not kidding. If it could be fought over, they did it. Hitting, hollaring, pushing, attempts at biting.... you name it! It was hot again, so we did stay inside most of the day. Rylan had a short nap, which didn't help the situation either. I'm trying my hardest to understand how to help these two kids meet in the middle. Rylan, well he can get pushy and can irritate Cameron. I understand some of Cameron's anger. But mostly, it's Cameron. He has zero patience. I know, at 5yrs old what can we expect? I have to say, I expect more than this though. I'm trying really hard to stay consistent with time outs and taking toys away. I'm trying to jump in before a fight escalates. I'm trying to understand how much of an adjustment this really is for not just us, but Cameron. Most of all, I'm trying NOT to loose my cool. Cameron's behavior is following through to daycare. My daycare mom is my cousin and she lives block from where I work, and where my mom lives. It can't get much better for us really. But I think of combination of things are happening. First, all this. It's overwhelming for Cameron, it really is. Then at daycare most days he's the only boy his age. The rest of the kids are either 2yrs old or younger. Then girls 5-9 years old. He's sort of stuck in the middle with nothing to do but find trouble. We are thinking of switching him to a daycare center for the rest of the summer (5-6 weeks). Maybe that will offer more kids his age, more of a structured day, and time away from Rylan. It may help him starting kindergarten this September too? My fear is that it would make it worse. I seriously want to cry when thinking about it. It breaks my heart to see him struggle because I know he is a GREAT kid! I know what he is capable of. I only hope my choices help him, not hurt him. I can't do nothing and hope it gets better because I have a daycare mom that will be driven to the nut house! It's bothering me so bad that I worry about it all the time, and most importantly, I need to help Cameron. I just don't know how. Urgggg.... I knew we'd have some adjustments period. I just hope and pray that we start getting more good days. That we can find the right balance. Never in my life would I have dreamed parenting would be filled with so many ups and downs. You love these little beings so much it hurts! You want them to do better, and be better than you were. You want so much for them. I love my boys and am very lucky to have them. We just need to find the right way to get over the speed bumps! I have feeling after we pass this one, there's going to be many, many more to come!

I had the interesting question asked of me the other day.  "Mom, how do babies get out?"  Well, babies grow in tummy's until they get nice and big.  Then when it's time for them to come out, the lady whose tummy they are in will go to the doctor.  The doctor will help get the babies out.  "Mom, how do they do it?"  Well, the babies come out the ladies bottoms.  "Mom, was I a big baby?"  Yes, a very big baby with very big lungs!  "Mom, did I puke on dad?"  Yup, you spit up and coughed at the same time and blew it all over daddy's face (a favorite story of his that happend to be caught on video by me)!  "Mom, did I poop on you?"  Yup, all over me.  I was changing you and apparently when I lifted your legs, you weren't done yet (another favorite story of his that John caught on video)!  Cameron, did I answer most your questions about babies.  "Yeah, I think so." 
Whew..... the 5yr old mind is satisfied for now!!!!   But I should have know.  Just a few minutes later..... "Mom, how do the babies get in ladies tummy's?"   Hmmmmm..... let me think on that one!  Luckily it makes sense to him that God works miracles and he puts them there.  I can hardly wait for the next round of questions!

Happy Birthday Baby Boy! It still amazes me that finally, we can celebrate something together! We missed his first birthday and lots of other irreplacable holidays... and as long as he is home, it will never happen again! We made up for lost time by throwing a nice big party. Lots of family, friends & neighbors stopped by for some good food, drinks, and fireworks to end the night. The weather cooperated and kids had a lot of fun! Our baby, 2yrs old.... WOW!

First, I need to start this post off by saying congratulations to Sean and Sonja, our friends!  Their daughters case finally exited PGN after 7 months!!!  They started the adoption of their daughter in November 2006, just a month or so after us.  They have had an incredible journey faced with so many challenges.  So CONGRATULATIONS to you both!!!!  I can't wait to see Ms. Kayla home in Wisconsin!  Rylan misses his girlfriend!
To Terri, who just came back from visiting her daughter Abbie in Guatemala.... my heart breaks for you!  Terri's adoption was started even before mine and Sonja's!  She has endured more ups and downs than any family I know and is still facing the trials of getting the process started under the new laws of adoption in Guatemala.  Her blog link is on the lower right side of mine.
Summer is in full kick at our house!  The weekends are full of activities, and Rylan's 2nd birthday is approaching on July 15th!  I look at him and can't believe the amount of time that has passed.  What a little character though!  Last night when he was getting into the bathtub he ran to the potty.  I plopped him on and he went pee pee!  I was shocked!  Normally I put him on and he wiggles down.  Kuddos to his big brother who is showing him the ropes!  At least he does teach him something good once in awhile ; )
Cameron's been having a bit of a rocky road lately.  His listening skills are putting everyone to the test!  He's got a little mouth on him too!  We're working really hard at having patience... some days we do better than others.   We've made another reward chart which really seems to help.  We'll see how it goes, but for now, he's added a few gray hairs to everyone's heads!
Never a dull moment at our house, that I can guarantee you!  The other night Cameron came out of our bedroom while watching cartoons with a disgusted look on his face.  It was storming and we have satellite.  I said what's the matter?  He said "that damn satellite isn't working again"!  Hmmmm, wonder where he gets that word grandma farm?  Or he was overly excited in the car the other day and said "oh crap, look at that car.  Holy shit, he can't go there"!  I did address that one and said "Cameron, that isnt' a nice word".  His reply, "what mom, crap isn't bad".  He didn't even realize what he said, so I didn't pursue it.  Hmmm, grandma truck, wonder where he gets that word?  Don't get me wrong, it isn't that he has a terrible potty mouth.  Just every once in awhile he blows you away with something out of nowhere.
I can happily report that Rylan's new word is Cocoa Puffs!  It's Cameron's favorite cereal, so of course Rylan loves it too!  Thanks Cameron for teaching him something other than swear words ; )    

I finally have had the chance to post some new photos!  I have many more to add, but this is a start.  Scroll down this page and watch on the right hand side.  You'll see a heading "Album".  Right under that are the new pictures!

I promise to add more as soon as I can.  I still hate this blog as it will not let me post pictures here in my daily journal!

It's been awhile since my last blog post!  After Cameron's sickness, Rylan got sick, but not with the same thing.  He had double ear infection with a mouth full of some sort of sores.  Almost like Kanker Sores!  It was an extremely unfun few days.  Non-stop crying, no sleeping, no eating or drinking.  I felt SO sorry for him!  I'm happy to say everyone is much better now and "was" just getting back to normal life!  Before I get on with the rest of the story, let me say that we discovered our little man has quite temper sometimes!  Last night at my mom's he screamed for what seemed like forever.  Teeth, ears, tired... we tried to guess what it might be.  Finally after starting to be driven out of our minds, we gave him a piece of the chocolate cake he eyed up when we first got there.  Like a light switch, he busted out a smile and dove in.  That was it.  Happy as a clam after that!  My dad was giving a corn dog the other night and put him in the high chair (my parents were watching him for a bit).  Well, Rylan screamed his head off!  Banging his hands on the high chair and just having quite the fit.  Finally my mom noticed what was going on after my dad was up in arms (literally).  The kid didn't want a corn dog broke up in pieces.... he wante the ENTIRE thing on the stick.  Problem solved, tantrum over!  My dad had to pick up the pieces and assemble them back on the stick!!!!  John's comments last night - "we are going to have our hands full with this one".  Let's hope he begins to talk real soon.
So, I'm back to work full-time and it was going well for about 1 day.  The boys were better and routine was falling into place.... that was until they closed the Interstate Bridge!  All I can say is what a nightmare.  This bridge connects Wisconsin (where we live) and Minnesota (where we work).  Our total commute of 45 minutes each way a day just doubled into a 1 1/2hr commute each way, each day!  The closest bridges are that far away from us!  I work at 7am so this means that I have to be leaving with myself and the boys ready, in the car, by 5:30am!  Then look forward to much unhappiness in the car for 1 1/2hrs, the usage of an extreme amount of gas and then do it all over again in the evening!  One day of that and we packed our bags and stayed in Winona, MN for two nights where we work. We got a great rate of $50/night that included tax and breakfast.  It still means that we had to spend the money to do it, but at $50.00/night we would have easily been spending that on gas in one day with John and I driving in seperately (because we must).  Last night we made the commute back home and were happy to be here!
Starting next Monday they have arranged a water taxi service.  I'll have to drive with the kids to a pick up site (local park or school) and get on a shuttle.  The shuttle will take us to the base of the bridge and the Mississippi River.  We then wait in line and get on to be taken across to the Levee in Winona.  From there I'll have no choice but to walk to a car that we'll have waiting (my mom's probably), load the kids in and take them to daycare, and then myself to work.  First off, this sounds better than spending the money in gas driving.... but it will take a lot of work, patience, and practice to get the routine down.  I'm hoping we'll save some time.  The first shuttle is at 6am and we'll be in line for it.  I'll let you know how it goes!
The bridge was closed because of problems found with the gusset joints on a recent inspection that was completed.  The findings in a report are supposed to be ready in 2-3 weeks.  Based on that report we'll find out if it is repairable and how long it will take.  Speculation is that repairs may take 2 months at a minimum and traffic will remain closed over the bridge during that time.  Everything is up in the air right now.  I just hope that it does reopen.... and SOON!  By the way, this shuttle/ferry won't work for John.  He needs to be in Winona earlier than that, so he'll be living at my mom's a couple nights a week at least (who lives in Winona), and then maybe driving the last 3 nights of the week.
What did I say, if it's not one thing.... it's another!  Here we thought we were starting a nice enjoyable summer.  Both kids adjusted to each other, me back to work, school is out, and for once a normal routine.  Hmmmm.....  It just doesn't appear the word normal goes with our lives anymore.
I promise to post new pictures of the boys soon!  I still want to redo my blog, taking off some of the older stuff.  Unfortunately I have a older computer and dialup, so I have to do it at my mom's.  But I will get it done soon!

Just a note to let everyone know that Cameron is much, much better!  After a very rough week, and then a complete weekend with lots of rest, last week he was turning the corner.  The fever, vomiting, chills, etc all seemed to slowly go away.  His appetite came back, and thankfully the Scarlet Fever started to go way too!  That was horrible!  All I can say is that to watch your child scream in pain for 1-2 hours because his "underwear area" was burning him so bad... I could hardly take it.  The hot spots on the body were bright red in color and looked like a severe sunburn.  He couldn't even stand underwear on it was that bad.  He still has areas where the rash is healing, and some dry patchy areas of skin on his face, but it is 95% better than it was!  We are still noticing that he seems to tire more easily than before and with that comes whiny and crabbiness, but I think he'll get to 100% total health soon.
Tomorrow he starts Little League T-Ball with his first practice.  He is saying he doesn't want to go, so I'm trying not to talk too much about it.  He's nervous that he won't know how to play the game.  We'll sort of show up there tomorrow, and I hope he decides to try it!  His last day of school is Wednesday with dismissal at 10:30am.  They then have a goodbye ceremony where his class will "graduate" from pre-school!  So this week will be busy full of his activities.
Rylan continues to do extremely well!  He is picking up new words every day; peek-a-boo, thank you, shoe, feet, cow, water/aqua, mommy, mama, daddy, pappa, grandma, puppy, nice puppy, choo choo.....  He is still sleeping all night long - praise the LORD!  We couldn't have been luckier.  He just fits right in and it's like he new he was coming to us.  He is a joy!
Rylan and Cameron will be in full-time daycare starting next week.  Rylan again has adjusted well and loves it at Mindy's, so I have no worries about being back to work!  Although just as the weather is getting nice here :(
Things at home have been going well.  Cameron continues to have his struggles sharing his toys with his brother, but he also has consequences for bad behavior now.  When Rylan first came home I was more passive about it, but it's time to let him know that Rylan is here to stay!  He commented to me the other day "Mom, send him back to where ever it is you got him"!  Ohhhh yeah, he's a 5yr old little pistol some times!  Really though, it's been more about me getting my routine down.  Realizing I can't do everything in a day, and that house cleaning will wait.  Changing just that has made a world of difference in how our day goes, and how the boys get along.  It doesn't say much for my house though!
I hope everyone has enjoyed the long weekend, and has celebrated Memorial Day in some way.  Today is my dad's birthday, so we spent it here at my mom's outside (and eating DQ Ice Cream Cake)!  Tomorrow is back to work.  No fun getting up two kids and having to be to work at 7am (throwing in a 45 min drive each way).  So far I've not been late...  Keep your fingers crossed I can do this everyday now!