Random Ramblings

Yes I'm alive. We had some family in town for the last couple weeks. Such a great time. We ate good food and played games and did cannonballs in the pool at 10 pm. Good for the soul, times like that.


Adoption Update

We got an email from our China contact letting us know that Talitha will be in Shanghai on Thursday for the surgery. The surgeons will evaluate her when she gets there so we don't know the exact date of the surgery. But it's got to be soon, right? Cause she'll be there and all. Yup, logic. Maybe it will be Friday. Then July 5 will be my and Noah's birthday and Tali's heart day. How many balloons can we cram into one day?

We're excited and nervous and so wish we could be there with her. It will be so much easier for her when we travel if she's already had the surgery.

Side note: In Tali's referral, it stated that she turns blue when she cries. This makes sense as she has VSD (ventricular septum defect) and there is a hole between the ventricles. Essentially the oxygenated blood is mixing with the unoxygenated blood. So when her heart rate or blood pressure rises (like when she's upset), her oxygen levels drop. So today Kate colored a picture of a princess in her coloring book and gave her a blue face. She said it was like Talitha when she cries. I asked if the princess had a heart problem and Kate replied "No, it's just magic."

We'll keep you updated on her surgery. Any prayers would be appreciated.

Toddler Idiosyncrasies

Noah is having trouble going to sleep these days. He'll crawl right out of his bed and start wrecking havoc. I'll walk in 20 minutes after I put him down to find the closet light on and books strewn all over the floor. Noah will have taken his pants and diaper off and put on his little crocs. He will be rolling around on the floor. Then he will cry and flail about when I put him into bed. There is no use reasoning, this I know. But I still try. "Noah, this is inappropriate behavior." "Don't you want to be well-rested for your tantrums tomorrow?" "Aren't you exhausted from spitting an entire apple onto the floor in tiny little chunks at lunch today?" Things like that.

"Childhood goes by so fast" is the mantra I repeat to myself through clenched teeth. While taking an aspirin. And washing it down with Merlot.

Body Piercing

A friend of mine got a nose ring and it's so darn cute. I've always liked them but it just didn't feel right for me to get one. I'm not a person who can pull that off. My friend asked why I couldn't and I responded that it wouldn't go with my sweatpants (I jest of course. They're yoga pants).

Plus I imagine that flus and colds and such would be rather pesky with a nose ring.

If I had a pretty sparkly nose ring, that would mean that I would have to kick it up a notch regarding the rest of my appearance. First you get a nose ring, then you start wearing make-up on a daily basis. Maybe you'll seriously considering not wearing your hair in a ponytail but actually putting thought into your hairstyle. It's a downward spiral to looking good. Pretty soon you're brushing your teeth every day and not picking at your scabs. Where does it end? I get tired just thinking about it.