Open wide

The boys had their first dentist appointments on Tuesday and they were troopers. Ezra volunteered to go first and Addai was more than happy to let him! Neither of the boys had ever had any dental work but we explained what was going to happen and the dental hygenist was great. She said she had never seen so much plaque build-up on any child before. Not really what you want to win first prize at but hey, we'll take it. It took a full 30 mins for her to chip through the tartar but both boys teeth look great now. The dentist didn't see any decay but said Addai will definitely need braces in the future. We asked him if he agreed with the boys ages. He said he thought they were pretty close dentally. Ezra has his 6 yr molars but hasn't lost any teeth and Addai has lost his four bottom teeth but doesn't yet have his molars. Like I said, these boys are night and day.
Ezra's ears are so much better and we are so thankful that they have recovered so well. We return to the doctor on Friday to see if both infections have cleared up.
We are truly amazed with the progress the boys have made in this short month home. They are speaking more clear "American" english, eating American food with more ease, playing like real brothers, and just basically blending right in. Ryan and I are also equally amazed with our new Liberian English prowess. We had watched a video online about Liberian rap prior to leaving for Liberia. We couldn't even believe at the time that the boys that were singing were speaking any form of English. We re-watched the same video today and caught almost every single word. It is just unreal how your mind and your ears adapt and we find ourselves speaking to the boys more in Liberian English at times than in American English!
I always have to include at least one comical kid story, so here goes. The boys take a nap everyday anywhere from 1 to 2 hours long (jealous anyone?!). Well today after about 40 mins I heard something in their room. Ryan was walking past right then so I asked him to peek in on them. He stood at the door for a few minutes and gave a slight signal with his head. Come to find out Addai had been caught in the act! He had climbed the ladder to Ezra's bed and had Ezra's Yertle the Turtle midswing towards Ezra's head! That little booger. Just as Papa opened the door Addai looked back and Ezra was saved from Yertle! Back to bed he went and Ryan came away from the door barely able to suppress full out laughter!
Ryan and I still can't belive how blessed we are by these children. Hope you also get a good chuckle from their many antics!
In Christ's Love,
Steph

Oops!!

So the boys hair has been getting long and we took it upon ourselves to cut it, as you can see. Papa took the first swipe on Addai when we realized that the clipper guard was a little too short to say the least. Well then mohawks it is, all around. Kinda forgot that our social worker comes in 2 days for our follow-up appt to the adoption. Hope she has an open mind or is gullable enough to think it is a "tribal" thing!

The boys are okay with the haircuts and Papa goes to get his mohawk done in a few days. Ezra really requested a star and Addai a cross, but hey we only have so much talent in this house!

Finally found a food that at least Addai is crazy about, PB&J. Go figure. I gave him one half sandwich at lunch figuring it would go over like a lead balloon. When he had finished, in record time, he asked for 2 more!

We watched The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe from the Chronicles of Narnia tonight. I have read a few of the books but have never seen the movie. It was really great and the boys seemed to enjoy it. About 3/4 of the way through we paused the movie and explained to them the parallel the story has with the Bible. They really know their Bible stories and I think they really understand a lot of the meaning behind the movie. It also made it less scary for them to put it into these terms, Jesus versus Satan.

Ezra's ear infection is getting better and his hearing seems a little better. We follow up with the doctor in about another week and are praying for his hearing to return to 100%.

That's all for now from the Lew Crew. I am sure there will be new adventures tomorrow to report!

Steph

Vitameatavegamin Anyone?

That title is a shout out to my wonderful Aunt Cindy, a loyal "I Love Lucy" watcher (I think that show has been in syndication for, what, 50 years or so?!). It is also a small hint about my latest kiddo story. I know you can't wait!

First off, we went for a follow-up doctor's appt today to see how the boys bloodwork came out. Both boys are free from any of the major problems sometimes seen in children from this part of Africa. No HIV, no hepatitis, only 1 parasite that we are taking meds for, and no sickle cell traits. We found out they are both slightly anemic and Ezra has a trait which will make him anemic throughout his life. On the bright side, a multi-vitamin with iron should be all it takes to help keep their hemoglobin up.

So this is where the title comes in. I started the boys on a chewable vitamin tonight because of the doctors recommendations. However, being the clever new mom I am I told them it was candy. They both popped it in their mouth and began to chew. Boy am I smooth. I turned around to Ryan as I walked away and gave him the 'ole wink-a-roo. Another fight with the boys avoided right? I didn't get three steps, or very far into my victory dance, when Addai pipes up "We call these vitamins Mama". Ryan could not contain all out laughter at this point. BUSTED!!! I guess this is what you get when you adopt 5 year olds, they already know most of the tricks of the trade!

Okay, one more funny Addai story and I promise to let you go. Eating today at Taco Bell, my Valentine's request, and I give Ezra his medication for his ear infection. Did I forget to say that what we thought were hearing problems turned out to be a double ear infection which even turned the docs stomach? We had suspected this but couldn't get into the doctor and he had no symptoms besides a lack of hearing, but I digress. So, Addai says he wants some of Ezra's meds and I tell him no because there is nothing wrong with his ears. He waits a few minutes then gets my attention. "Mama", he says, "my ears are hurting." Mama replys "No son they are not, now keep eating." To which he promptly replies "Eh?". I say "Keep eating", to which he says "Eh?". I think you see where this is going. He continued this charade for the next 30 minutes, even pretending not to hear the cashier at Wal-Mart! Such a sly cookie, but no he didn't get any of Ezra's meds. Okay, I'm lieing, but it was only 1 drop to see what it tastes like. What can I say, I'm a softy sometimes believe it or not.

All you readers, please continue to pray for our transition as a family. These boys bring us the greatest joy, but as any parent knows there are also struggles. You can't help but second guess yourself, especially knowing all these little ones have seen and gone through in their very short lives. Pray that we parent them the way God wants us to and that they see Christ in us daily.

In Christ's Love,

Mama

Settling In

Not much news on the kid front. We went snowmobiling on Friday after getting about 4 inches of new snow, supposed to have been 8-10 but oh well. The boys had a lot of fun and we even gave them a little bit of throttle time. Let me just say they are at an age called FEARLESS and it scares this Mama. They went full throttle all the time but we always had a hand near the brake just in case (that was a disclaimer statement for my mother, HI MOM!). Ezra had a small collision with a tree while sledding. We forget that there is still a language barrier. Ryan had warned the boys to "jump off" if they were headed for a tree or any large inanimate object! What we failed to realize is they had no concept of what jump off meant so as he was careening downhill towards the tree and we were screaming the magic words he had a clueless grin on his face. Luckily he was unharmed but the neighbor boys sled was ruined. Chalk that up to another lesson learned, and boy are there plenty of those!

The boys continue to make us laugh. In the van (seems to be a funny place so far) the other night the boys were singing the songs they had learned at the orphanage. They sang for a solid 30 minutes and I think the repetoire was running thin so they started singing songs they weren't so sure of. One, two buckle my shoe, three, four pick up sticks, five, six kick the lion, or something like that! As Ryan was trying to correct the boys with the right words Ezra continued to sing incorrectly but just louder. Addai tried to correct Ezra and finally gave up yelling "Be Quiet" to which Ezra responded "Addai, you're confusin' me!". Ryan was laughing so hard he was crying and had to pull over on the side of the road.

Currently the boys are playing with Playdoh unsupervised, seems safe enough right?! Gotta go!

Ups and Downs of Parenting

Last night we had one of our first real challenges with the boys. Dinnertime has been a struggle lately and especially Ezra does not want to eat what I have been making. The boys even requested that Papa do the cooking from now on!! Trust me, my cooking has not been that bad.
So last night we sit down to eat and immediately Ezra says he doesn't like the food. He hadn't even given it a chance. Then Addai jumps on the bandwagon and is picking at the food on his plate. So after about 1 hour we decided they were finished. We made them throw the food in the trash, or as they say "junk it" and go to bed early. I know they are adapting to so many things right now and some may feel that they simply aren't accustomed to our food. But we truly feel they are just trying to see where Mama and Papa will draw the line.
Needless to say it broke this Mama's heart to have to follow through with this discipline all night. I wanted to call my Mom even though it would mean an "I told you it always hurt me more than it was hurting you" lecture! But I toughed it out and so did the boys, and thankfully God grants us the opportunity to start everyday anew.
Today the boys were absolute joys and pushed us much less. We really had a great day with them. We went to my place of work and the staff there had a huge Welcome Home party for them. The department was decorated with streamers and balloons and the boys couldn't wipe the silly grins off their faces. They were showered with gifts and to top it all off they presented each boy with a brand new bike! We were blown away by their generosity to say the least. Thanks girls!! (and guys).
After the party we went to the boys first doctor appointment. He thinks they are doing really well and we agree. They then had to go get blood drawn. We explained on the way there what they would be doing and Addai said "I will cry" and Mama said that is just fine! Ezra of course then had to say "I will not cry". Have I mentioned these boys are like night and day?! They both got the labs done and neither one cried. They are troopers and Addai is so brave. He even volunteered to be first.
One more kid story then I will stop boring you. On the way home from church tonight Ezra said he had something in his shoe. Now with the boys' accents it is no small task to figure these things out. Once we did it sounded like he was saying he had a duck in his shoe, he was actually saying dirt. So then Papa says is it saying "Quack, Quack" and from the back of the van Adddai pipes up and says a dog doesn't say "Quack, Quack", it says "Woof, Woof"! So basically no one in the car was understanding anybody else in the car which makes for a very interesting conversation, especially when it involves 2 five year old boys. Ryan and I were cracking up and had tears in our eyes. Addai says "Why are you laughing at us" and we say because you are funny. He thens says "We make you happy?" and we both chime in a resounding "Yes".
The ups and downs of parenting. I wouldn't trade it for anything!!

First Sunday

Well we survived our first Sunday back at church. It was really a blessing to be back around our church family. They have been so supportive throughout this adventure. When we were in Africa we knew they had us covered in prayers and that they still do. What a feeling that is.

The boys and I had a rocky start this morning. When Papa is gone it is 2 against 1 and Mama is left to fend for herself!! I managed but could tell I was certainly outnumbered and out-smarted by those 2 boys!

It was funny at church to see people's reactions to the boys. We had a congregational meal after church and after eating the boys went to play in the nursery. I went down after a little while to check on them and the nursery was full of children and adults just watching the kids play. You could see the joy and delight that Ezra and Addai bring to those around them. It was great to see people so amused at the smallest things!

The boys are down for a nap now (praise the Lord for small favors!) and I am catching up around the house and promising to give myself a few minutes to read and sip hot cocoa. We'll see if that dream comes to fruition.

Bye for now.

Our Journey To Becoming a Family

Our adoption journey began in July of 2006. My husband and I attended church that day and heard a message from a visiting minister. He briefly spoke about orphanages he had visited in Africa that were literally overrun with children. Ryan and I had been married for 5 years at that time and yearned to have a family of our own. As time went by it seemed we would not be able to have biological children. We had discussed adoption but just weren’t sure if that was the way the Lord was leading us. As we spoke to each other that evening we both realized we had gotten the same calling from that pastor’s message. We were convinced we were to adopt, and specifically from Africa.
At this time in our lives we had a foreign exchange student living with us so we decided to hold off on starting this very time consuming process until she would return home. In September we sent out the first documents and chose an adoption agency. We found Acres of Hope in Wisconsin and began to pursue adoption. This agency deals only with adoptions from Liberia, Africa. This is a country that was founded by freed American slaves in the 1800’s. It is a country that has seen many years of civil war and resulting poverty. In Liberia there is very little running water, electricity, or opportunity.
It wasn’t until January of 2007 that all of our paperwork was completed and we were ready to accept a referral. Throughout the paperwork process we had discussed adopting 2 children but prepared our paperwork to accept 3 children, just in case.
On the day we were “paper ready” I called our agency and the office director began reading me a list of names to choose from. All of the children on this list had been waiting for some time and many were what is considered an “undesirable” age for adoption. I had originally planned on adopting 2 children under the age of 3 but God had different plans for our family. As she read me the list 3 names stood out vividly. They were twin boys age 4 ½ and a girl age 2.
When Ryan came home that night I looked up the waiting children’s list online and had him look at the names. I prefaced this by saying I had picked out 3 particular children. Needless to say, a shock to him that we might adopt 3. After a few minutes scanning the list of about 14 available children, Ryan chose the same 3 I had chosen. That sealed the deal and we called our agency. The adoption process had now officially begun and we expected that in no more than 9 months, and hopefully less, we would travel to Africa to bring home our 3 children. Unfortunately, that was not going to be the case.
About 3 months into the process I got a call from the agency and was regretfully informed that our little girl’s family had returned to the orphanage and taken her home. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is best for a child to be raised by their biological parents when possible. However, I feared for her health as she had been brought to the orphanage at the age of 2 weighing only 16 pounds and very malnourished.
We were devastated by this loss but not deterred in our efforts and conviction to adopt from Liberia. I spoke with the agency about the possibility of adopting another girl and 6 weeks later we received the referral for a 2 ½ month old baby girl. We were excited and ready to continue down this already bumpy road of international adoption.
While waiting for the adoption and paperwork to be completed in Africa we set about filling our time. We held multiple fundraisers that were well attended by our family, friends, and community. Even though God calls us to adopt, and it is a very worthy cause, it is also very expensive. International adoption can cost from $10,000 to $30,000 per child. We got the rooms ready for the children and child proofed our house. I also read countless books on adoption to prepare for whatever may be.
After 12 full months of waiting, so much for 9 months maximum, we were going to Africa to bring our children home. When we arrived in Africa on January 12th the orphanage nurse informed us that our baby had been sick for about 1 week with a high fever. She told us not to worry and just to control the fever. As she knows from living in Africa babies can often become sick with Malaria. In fact our baby had already been hospitalized once with a case of Malaria. She had tested her and the test was negative.
The next morning we met our children for the first time. Words cannot describe how overjoyed we were. The boys were sweet and affectionate, the baby a precious chunky little girl of 9 months. We played, bonded, and started our life as a new family.
By the 3rd day with the children the baby seemed to be getting sicker. We took her to the hospital and sadly found out that she did indeed have Malaria. The test had been wrong and now we had a very sick baby. I spent the next three days by her side in the hospital. Unless you have traveled to a Third World Country you cannot imagine the conditions we found at the hospital, one of the best in town. As my child laid in the hospital bed fire ants climbed the walls of her crib, cockroaches scampered across the floor, electricity was intermittent at best. We were truly foreigners in a foreign land with a very sick baby that we already loved dearly.
Unfortunately, on her fourth day in the hospital our baby girl passed away and went to be with the Lord. We give thanks that we were able to hold her, parent her, and more than anything fall in love with her before she left this world. We know that God had a plan for her and for us and we must believe that He will not give us more than we can bear. That same afternoon we had a funeral service for her and she was buried in her native country, never to see the beauty and prosperity of America.
This time of great sorrow was bittersweet. While we grieved the loss of our daughter we were in awe of the joy brought to us by our new sons. We were blessed to finally know the kind of love a parent has for their children.
We returned home to a huge group of family and friends on January 21st and our life as a family is now in full swing. The boys continue to bring joy to our lives and we cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for us and for them.
We thank you as a community for your prayers and support throughout this journey. Adoption has brought us the deepest joy and the greatest sorrow but we are so happy to have followed the Lord’s leading for our lives. He doesn’t promise us it will be easy, but He does promise us He will be with us throughout the journey, good or bad.