Rylan's Journey Home

Oh yes, another eventful week in our house!  We had a flu bug make it's way to John and Cameron.  They both got sick last Sunday night, felt icky Monday, got better Tuesday, got sick again Tuesday night, but better by Wednesday.  I'm not feeling so hot again tonight.  I'm not sure if we ate something bad or if it is a touch of something?  It isn't the worst flu... just enough to make you feel kind of blah.....

So the other night I was giving the kids baths.  I got Rylan in the tub first because John and Cameron were playing in the loft.  Once he was all cleaned up with pajamas on I ran another bath and Cameron got it.  Rylan was really mad he couldn't get back in!  Well, once Cameron was out and wrapped in his towel he came to our bed to get his pajamas on.  Rylan came buring around the corner and as Cameron bent over (with the towel still on), he took a big bite of Cameron's right butt cheek!  Cameron let out the one of the biggest howls I've heard in a long time and proceeded to tell me, in between sobs, how much he didn't like his brother and he wasn't talking to him anymore!

Yup, that's another day at our house!  I feel like Cameron has gone a few steps backwards with Rylan... or maybe this is the new "normal"?  Any chance these two get to annoy each other, they do it.  I'll catch Cameron tapping Rylan's head until Rylan turns around and slugs him one.  Or Rylan will now ride his little tractor up to Cameron and ram him in the back.  I could go on and on.....  Today, both boys got a time out at the same time!  YES, BOTH BOYS!  We have two chairs in the living room and each now has their name on it (well not literally).  When I catch them hitting or being intentionally mean, they get escorted to the chair.  Rylan for 1-2 minutues and Cameron for 5 minutes. 

Ahhhhh, just as I got into my blog, I heard the door open upstairs!  John and Cameron are home and Rylan is about to fall asleep in his playpen.  Got to go, but I'll write more later!

This past week flew by again!  Last Friday we did have the doctor appointment for both boys.  That was the most un-fun event.  It started with Rylan being undressed, weighed, and measured.  He absolutely did NOT like the doctor one bit.  He screamed when the man was just looking in his ears!  I've never seen him react like that.  He probably knew what was coming.
Then it was Cameron's turn.  He got to wear a little blue gown, and I have to say, it was so cute!  He was taken to be weighed, measured, his eyes checked, and his hearing checked.  John went with him while I stayed in the room with Rylan.
The doctor informed us we have two very happy and healthy children!  Cameron ranks in the 90th percentile for both his height and weight.  Rylan is in the 50th percentile for height and weight (according to US Standards of course).  Our of curiosity I went back to compare Cameron's 18 month records to Rylans.  Cameron weight about 3lbs more and was about 1" taller.  It will be interesting to see how Rylan's height and weight progress.  So far, the kid eats almost everything!  One weird coincidence..... neither John, Cameron or Rylan like Macaroni and Cheese!  Isn't that strange!?
Anyway, after all the other fun and games were over I was informed Cameron would need 4 shots and Rylan the same.  I could have had a slight stroke!  Cameron caught wind of that and immediately ran for cover and hit under the stroller.  Then once the nurses came in and I removed the stroller, he wound himself up in the curtain that hangs in the room and refused to come out.  Only by the grace of GOD he eventually came out and resolved to sitting on John's lap.  He was up first for the shots.  One nurse went on each side of him and at the same time, gave the first shots in his arms.  Remember the kid in the movie Home Alone?  When he puts on the after shave and it burns his face.  That is exactly what Cameron looked like for about 5 seconds.  Then the second shot went into each arm at the same time and he belted out a scream like no other!  Poor Rylan is sitting in the stroller facing him watching all this.  Hello, someone can slap me there.  Well, Rylan started scrunching up his face and crying because Cameron was.  It was a funny cry though... almost like he was imitating him.  I pointed it out to Cameron and we all just started laughing hysterically!  Well..... up until it was Rylan's turn.  He was held down on a table by John and the two nurses went at his legs.  Two shots in each leg.
Needless to say by the time we left there we promised Chuck-E-Cheeses and Toys-R-US.  That was one time I felt no shame in spoiling them!!!!
Everything is going really well in our house!  I keep joking (well sort of) that I feel like we are a 3-ring circus most of the time.  We've got a pretty good routine down, but when it falls apart, it really falls apart!  We went for a drive the other day to Alma, WI to have breakfast at this place on the railroad tracks.  That went fine.  We got in the car and proceeded to drive up to Nelson, WI to the Creamery for Ice Cream.  John and Cameron go in.  From there on out it was all downhill.  They come out with our ice cream and have one heck of a time crossing the road.  It was busy.  Well, finally they were able to go and Cameron drops his spoon.  Cameron apparently was unable to bend over to get it with his one free hand, and cars were stopped both ways waiting for them, so John tries to pick it up.  He practically drops my ice cream.  In his frustration he begins kicking the spoon across the street!  Me, I'm laughing.  They get in the car and like usual, Cameron asks to sample everyone's.  And as usual, he decides he likes mine best!  It never fails, the kid always gets chocolate.  Always.  Then he decides he doesn't want it and wants mine.  So I'm driving trying to turn around to let him spoon a bit out.... when all of a sudden the scoop rolls right off the cone!  It's rolling across our backseat.  John is looking like a hot pot ready to boil over trying to turn around to catch my cone.  What am I doing?  Laughing!  Sometimes that is all you can do!  The day went on from there.....  We are never boring, that's for sure.
Rylan is still doing great.  In fact, he's begun to get his first "time outs"!  Yes, that's right.... mean mom!  He's picked up hitting and pinching from his older brother.  So now when they start to go at it, they both get time outs!  Typical sibling issues.... so yes, we're VERY normal!
Cameron on the other hand has regressed a bit.  He lives to do anything to annoy Rylan and his bad about keeping his hands to himself.  He likes to give him a whack here and there.  Not hard, but hard enough that Rylan knows what he's doing.  But does Rylan cry.... heck no.... he comes right back at Cameron to give it back!  Good for him really!!!  I was worried Cameron would damage Rylan progress by being "a typical brother" and he'd be packing his bags to go back to Guatemala, but no, he holds his own just fine.
Next week is my last week with an extremely flexible schedule!  I'll then start going back to work 2-3 full days a week.  The first week in June I'm back full-time.  I have to say, staying home with both kids is not easy for me.  Especially since it's been to cold to be outside and now it's been raining the past 2 days straight. 
My dream is to work part-time, and parent the remainder.... but I'll keep dreaming!  We need health insurance so it isn't even an option :(   Good thing is, I love my job and they treat me extremely well!

Arhhhh, this Friday is the dreaded doctor appointment for BOTH boys!  Cameron is going in for his 5yr checkup and SHOTS for Kindergarten this next Sept.  Rylan is going in for his first checkup.  I did receive a card from the attorney in Guatemala with the vaccinations he has received.  How legitimate it is, I don't know!?  He may have to receive all his vaccinations again.... but more than likely will at least have to have some done again.
I absolutely dread getting my children shots.  I have had a deep fear of needles since being a young child!  I know how they feel.  Especially Cameron.  He is old enough to realize what is coming and to scream at the top of his every loving lungs about it!!!  Rylan, well, we can pacify him with something until the needles goes in.  Then I'm sure he will hate whoever it is that is holding him.... and I can assure you, it won't be me!  I'm seeing a visit to Chuck-E-Cheeses after the appointment!  Poor kids, I'd take them about anywhere after such an icky afternoon.
Rylan continue to well in his adjustment.  I am so lucky!  He continues to be very energetic!  He doesn't watch any tv or cartoons.  He also doesn't sit and play with toys for a period of time.  He will grab a toy and check it out, then leave it and move on to the next thing.  We're practicing doing more one on one things so lengthen his attention span.  I can sit him on my lap facing me and sing "itsy bitsy spider" and he loves it.  We get good eye contact looking at one another, and he enjoys my singing (he's too young to notice how bad it is)!  We can also get through a short book without him squirming off my lap now.  So progress is being made.  I don't believe he is hyper at all..... just very active and curious.  I think with some work we can streamline his attention to something for more than 2 minutes!  Those of you who have met him know there is one thing he absolutely loves and that is music!  This kid will drop whatever he is doing and will start dancing when he hears music.  If in the car, he is thumping in his carseat!  If in the house, he drops his food or drink and starting jigging!  If we are in a store, he's rocking in the shopping cart!  He is actually quite a good dancer too.  He gets the arms, legs, head, and butt all going!  I wish I could post some video of him!
He is still adoring his older brother, Cameron.  Boy, did we find out just how independent Cameron had become once Rylan came home.  Cameron will get his own snack, get his own juice box, go to the bathroom alone, watch a FULL episode of a cartoon, etc, etc.  We could go somewhere and know that Cameron would stay by us without following him around non-stop!  We sort of became lazy parents in a way.  Not that we weren't engaged with our child, but he was starting to need us less allowing us to spend time doing our own thing in the house as needed (laundry, dishes, cooking, tv time, reading).  So that has been the balance for us.  Believe me, I'm NOT complaining one bit.  We completely understand how lucky we are that is the only change! 
I was sort of hoping hoping Rylan's energy would help me burn some calories!!!  So far, no luck.  He doesn't need encouragement to work me harder though..... trust me on that!

I can't believe my baby is 5 years old!  Where does the time go?  I have been so proud of him.  He has impressed me in many ways with the homecoming of his brother, Rylan.  His world changed overnight, literally, and he has been such a good boy!

I can remember every moment of Cameron's birth, without the labor pains of course ; )   The night we got the call from his birth mom's mother, we were asleep in bed.  It was 11:00pm and we were in the midst of the worst sleet storm!  She told us we didn't have to come but I can tell you one thing, that was a moment I refused to miss!  We threw a bag together....or "maybe" I had that ready to go since he was past his due date!!!!  We called our mothers and hopped in the car for what was the longest ride of our lives.  The highways were horrible.  At some points on the Interstate we were barely moving.  Semi trucks were pulled off the roads, we passed many cars in the ditches, and numerous accidents.... but we kept going.  What should have been a 3 1/2hr ride took us nearly 5hrs, but we made it!  When we got to the hospital we checked in with the nurses desk.  We told them why we were there and they told us to have a seat, they would let the family know we were there.  It wasn't but 5 minutes later they came to get us.  I nervously told the woman that I didn't think Alicia wanted us in the room.... she said it's ok, she asked for you.  My heart was in my throat, I was sweating and shaking.  I had never been that nervous or scared, ever!  I had no idea how to act or how not to act.  We followed the woman back and were then outside birth mom's room.  The door was cracked a bit so I could see in.  Just a minute later, I heard the loudest and deepest cry and caught a glimpse of Cameron coming into the world!  They took him aside to clean him up and nurse brought him right out to John and I.  She held him out to us  and said "hi mom and dad, here is your baby BOY"!  I clutched him tightly and cried.  I couldn't believe it.  After all the years of wanting and waiting, here he was.  OUR son!  I felt it.  I felt that feeling that I prayed so long to feel.  I was a mom!  I remember my cousin Mindy asking me what the first thing was I thought of when I saw him, and I said "my gosh he is huge"!  His little nose was sqashed from being born he was so big!  He had a mouth to match!  His lungs were SO powerful!  To this day, Cameron MUST be heard when he wants something! 
So on this day I can't forget Cameron's birth family too.  It is hard for me to express my feelings about them.  What was the hardest moment of their lives, was the most joyus of ours.  They gave us the miracle we prayed so many years for.  From the moment I held him, I knew it was meant to be.  There were some very tough moments for all of us finalizing the adoption in the weeks that followed.  Moments when I questioned whether it would really happen.... but I trusted.  I trusted in God's plan.  I truly did.  Everything about Cameron has been miraculous.  When I thought I could take not one more minute of the pain with not knowing what would happen, I turned it over to the hands of a higher power.  Miracles began to happen and we gained the strength we needed to move forward.  At 7 1/2 weeks old, Cameron legally became our child, although in our hearts he had already been from the start.
Happy Birthday Cameron!  We love you SO much!  We are so proud of you!