Home Skillet

We like to think of this as Zeke's urban phase.


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Zeke Videos

I'm a little horse (hoarse).

I've been hoarse since Saturday night. I wonder if I have the congestion/cold that Zeke is just getting over. Oh well. At least I feel ok.

We actually had SNOW Saturday night. Can you believe it?!?!

Zeke is doing better. His cough has decreased significantly. He finished his antibiotics. Here's hoping we're done with coughs and ear infections for a while!!

Zeke's first school photo

So, we didn't even know he was going to be having his photo done or we would've chosen a different outfit.  When I picked him up one day, his teacher said, "We did school photos today but Zeke didn't seem to like it."  I didn't think much about it.  Then today, the school's director told me she had the photos for me to review.  Before she brought them out, she said, "I just want to warn you.  The photographer showed up late and so the toddlers had their photos done right before nap time.  They were not happy about this.  We're having photos re-done on the 10th.  Anyway, here are Zeke's photos.  You don't have to buy any of them."  Well, I couldn't help myself...I burst out laughing when I saw them.  I mean, he looks so pitiful but of course, that's not why I laughed.  It's because his face perfectly expresses how I have always felt about school photos.  Between my cackles, I told the director that I just had to buy a sheet of these because someday, when Zeke is much older, we'll look back at these and we'll all laugh our heads off.  So, Zeke, I'm afraid that this is the start of a long line of school photos.  At least next time, we'll dress you better, buddy.

Zeke & Mom @ Gymnastics

Mizzou-Rah!

Take that, Cornell!!

Zeke eats!

If I Had a Rocket Ship, I'd Never Want to Land

Brad and I caught a glimpse of the space shuttle and the space station in the night sky yesterday. At least we're pretty darn sure that's what we saw. It's neat! Zeke was in bed by then and even so, I'm not sure he would've been impressed. It was just a small bright light moving across the sky.

What's floating my (Missy's) boat these days?
*Taking Zeke to the park when the weather is nice
*Watching the entire series of Freaks and Geeks on DVD (this is what we do after Zeke goes to bed)
*White cheddar breakfast sandwiches from Panera Bread
*Wearing flip-flops in March
*Preparing for a short weekend away in Vegas in April
*Contemplating the possibility of adopting from Ethiopia
*Survivor and waiting to see when "Coach" gets voted off
*Re-reading Duma Key by Stephen King
*Eagerly awaiting Twilight coming out on DVD this week!

Happy St Pat's!

It's time to sip your Shamrock Shake! We've got another warm day here and we're LOVING it! It was lovely yesterday and Zeke and I enjoyed being outside for a while before I had to teach my class. Zeke is now in "eating mode" and has had several meals in a row where he's eaten like a little pig. Thank goodness! Of course, I figure the pendulum will swing in the other direction at some point so I'm trying not to get too excited.

I've enjoyed having a few chances to look at Zeke clothing for the spring and summer. I think it's too early to go buying him a warm weather wardrobe because I hope he gets bigger between now and May. So, I'm trying to hold off. I have bought him a few cute t-shirts because I can buy those a little big. Pants are always the problem. He has a tiny waist so it's hard to get pants that are long enough for his legs and small enough for his waist. When shorts season arrives, that will make it much easier since length won't be an issue.

What Recession?!?!

That's a phrase we often repeat these days. We went to the mall this afternoon and it was packed. People were lined up at various stores to buy clothes, shoes, jewelry, you name it. The only bread line Americans are standing in is at Auntie Anne's. After the mall, we made a few other stops and we ended up at Jump Mania. They have those huge inflatable mazes and slides indoors. They have a small area for kids 3 and under in the back. We took Zeke back there and he seemed to have fun. There was only one inflatable for his age group and he didn't want to go in. He would've been the only one in there but he still didn't go for it. He did enjoy playing with all the Fisher Price toys they had scattered around in the baby area. Oh, and we got in free since he's under 3...that was nice.

Zeke had a good day yesterday at the doctor. He had gained 12 ounces since his last visit and he did NOT have an ear infection (Praise the Lord!) even though his nose is runny. This is a FIRST! So, the ear tubes are helping. He had a horrible night last night. I bet he was up 8 times or more crying and carrying on. He got some vaccines while we were at the doctor's office yesterday and I think he must have been fussy from those. Also, he's teething and I think that was bothering him last night. At any rate, he was NOT a happy camper. He woke up at 5AM...we all did. Ugg. Prior to last night, he had been sleeping through the night so here's hoping we can go back to that routine tonight!

Hoping for a Big Number!

We take Zeke to the doc this afternoon for another round of immunizations and we also will check his weight. He had been down last time because of his pneumonia. He has done ok with eating since then...but it's a struggle to get him to focus and eat. He did well at dinner last night and I think breakfast today went ok. FINGERS CROSSED! My mom told me that I was not a good eater when I was little. And thanks to others who have shared info about their child not eating as much as you'd like. We'll see what the scales show today!!

Eat, baby, eat

Zeke goes through phases where he won't eat much. He's in one right now. We offer and offer and offer him food, all kinds of food and he just won't eat a lot. This is especially frustrating because he's getting weighed this Friday to see if his weight is up. The last time we saw the pediatrician, she told us to put him on two "fattening" baby shakes a day. Well, we can't even get him to drink one whole one. We started using the shakes to wet his oatmeal, instead of water but that doesn't work if he won't eat his oatmeal. He ate it this weekend with the shake mixed in and seemed to like it but then rejected it this morning. Yesterday, he didn't even eat a whole meal, though I offered him one of his favorites: mac and cheese. Please pray that he will open his mouth and belly and will eat. I don't know what to do. We have avoided loading him up on sweets because we don't feel that's healthy for him but if that's how people fatten up their kids, maybe that's what we should do. We add butter to everything he eats and we mix in sour cream, when appropriate. Any ideas?!?!?!?!?! I am about to panic over this!!!! Last week, I weighed Zeke and he was below 19 pounds. But when I weighed him this weekend, he was over 20. I'm happy his weight was up this last time but I know that it could go down again this week, especially if he continues to be a picky eater. This is so frustrating. HELP!!!!!!!!!

Demotivators--Hilarity Ensues

Check this out. There are some really funny gems...among my favorites:

Procrastination: Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always pays off now.

Mediocrity: It takes a lot less time and most people won't notice the difference until it's too late. (accompanied by a photo of the leaning tower of Pisa)

Achievement: You can do anything you set your mind to when you have vision, determination, and an endless supply of expendable labor. (accompanied by a photo of the Pyramids)

Breaking Dawn

I'm so glad that when I drive in to work before 7AM, the sun is coming up. It makes it easier somehow to be awake. Take a look at Brad's cell phone pics from last night's gymnastics class with Zeke. Brad thought this would be a fun activity for him and Zeke on Monday nights when I teach my class. I love that they have this bonding time and look forward to being there myself in a few weeks when my students are on spring break.

A word about Zeke's birthmother: We sent her a photo album and Christmas card (no letter) and it was actually delivered on Christmas. Last week, we received a thank you letter from her in the mail. It was such a lovely surprise! It was in Vietnamese and a good friend helped us get it translated right away. Her words were so sweet and kind as she thanked us for sending her such beautiful photos of the baby. It just confirms my committment to send her 2 photo albums each year. I'm also working on finding someone to translate a letter into Vietnamese so she can know our impressions of Zeke and how he is doing. Each adoptive family ought to decide what's right for them and what they are most comfortable with when it comes to communicating (or not) with the birth family. I actually prayed that we would be matched with a child whose birthmother we would meet. I felt this would be such a blessing for Zeke as he grows up to know something about his birthmother and most importantly, to know that she loves him.

Zeke Goes to the Gym

Zeke is now enrolled in an eight week "gymnastics" class at Springfield Aquatic & Gymnastics Center.  It's more about being active than mastering the rings.

Zeke Eats!

Zeke LOVES blueberries and even tries to say "blueberries." He has done extremely well post-surgery. No complications and he doesn't seem to have any pain. He runs around and plays just as hard as ever. There is one big difference: he seems happier than he has been in weeks. I think it's because the pressure on his ear drums has been relieved. Here are some photos from this morning. Enjoy!

Zeke's adventure

Zeke is done with his procedures. All went fine. We'll be home soon.

Update

Zeke will have surgery on Monday. He's having tubes put in his ears. Please pray that all goes well. We will post an update once we come home, which should be late that morning or early afternoon. Zeke is pretty miserable right now because he has a stuffy nose, a slight cough and a definite ear infection. We started antibiotics yesterday. Poor doll. I just hate to see him sick.

Sunday night are the Oscars. As many of you know, Brad and I have our own Oscar Derby where we see who can accurately predict the most winners. Brad usually wins but I've upset him a couple of times. This is a fun tradition that we started back in college, before we were married.

Our latest guilty pleasure is ordering Pizza Hut for delivery online. You can get some good deals and they bring it right to your door. We've only done it a couple of times (including today for lunch) and the convenience is great.

Anyone else ready for flip-flop weather? We woke up to a light blanket of snow on the grass. It's already gone but it's quite cold. I'm glad this will be the last week of February. C'mon, March, let's see some SPRING weather!!

Another Adoption Miracle--Congrats to Vince and Alisa!

Check out their blog!! You can see a slideshow of their son, Micah. They just passed court today, which I believe now allows them to travel to Ethiopia to get Micah. Praise the Lord for this news!

What's That In Your Weave?

Only in Missouri, folks...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Other than having a bit of a headache, a
Kansas City woman is uninjured after a bullet fired at her ended up
tangled in her hair weave.
Police said the 20-year-old woman was in a convenience store
parking lot late Wednesday when a man flagged her down and told her
that her ex-boyfriend still loved her. She replied, "Well I dont
love him," then heard gunshots.
She said she looked behind the vehicle and saw her ex-boyfriend
firing a handgun at her. She stomped her accelerator and fled, then
turned into another parking lot and called police. She told
officers she recently had ended an eight-month relationship with
the suspect.
Police arrested the ex-boyfriend and his friend in a car.

More Zeke!!

Some Recent Zeke Cuteness

From his first Valentine's Day box from school to playing his kitty keyboard to running around with his lego box on his head to sporting his first pair of chucks (thanks Kel!), Zeke's been one busy little dude. Enjoy!

The Shack

If you have not read this book or heard of it, I suggest you pick up a copy. It will challenge your thoughts on God and the Trinity...and it will challenge you in a good way! I am about halfway through this book and I find it very moving and eye-opening. I've asked our pastor to hold a group discussion on this book since so many people in our church have read it or are reading it. Have any of you read it? You can read more about "The Shack" here.

Tubes

Zeke visited the ear, nose and throat doc yesterday. He recommended putting tubes in his ears. The surgery is scheduled for Monday, February 23. While I don't like the idea of Zeke having surgery, it's so good to know that the tubes will reduce the number of ear infections he gets. He's probably been on antibiotics more often than not since we got him because of the ear infections. Poor baby!! Pray that it goes well. Apparently, it's such an "easy" procedure, he'll be fine that afternoon and will be back at daycare the next day.

Zeke Teeth

More teeth are coming through, prompting Zeke to randomly yell out during the night. He just has one big scream and that's it until the next one comes a few hours later. Poor baby. We're contemplating a trip to KC tomorrow, spending the night and then back home Saturday evening. It's supposed to be (drum roll, please) 70 degrees in KC Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yep, that's prime Plaza walking weather. This has been an exhausting week for Missy--two trips to Jeff City. Blah. We need a little vacation.

Recent Z Photos

The many faces of Zeke...you will note that he's quite drool-y. He's got two new teeth coming in up top...maybe more are on the way. His daycare teacher, Miss Jan said Zeke was dancing today. We have seen hints of his desire to bust a move at home. He continues to be well (thank you Lord!). He goes Friday for his 15 month check-up. I hope that he is back up close to 20 pounds. He's becoming more picky at meal times. He still eats but he really, really wants to feed himself. He feeds himself at daycare most of the time so he wants the same privilege at home. We are having to re-strategize what we feed him to make sure he eats enough and eats good stuff.

One Year Ago Today

...we saw Zeke's sweet face for the first time. It was snowing like crazy. I was in my office. Our caseworker called to ask if we got the email she had sent. I said no. She said to hold on...then, I saw an email with a Vietnamese name at the top and a date (turns out it was his birthday). I asked if this was our baby and she said yes. I called Brad. He came over to my office and we opened the photos together. I remember being nervous and then when we saw the photos, just being in awe of his beauty and perfection. It's been a long journey from there to here...We are abundantly blessed.

Zeke Gets a Valentine

Snow

We had about 4 inches of snow fall over night. The roads were snow packed this morning but we had no problem getting to work and getting Zeke to school. He continues to improve, though he didn't sleep well last night. There was no coughing but he kept waking up and crying. I'm not sure what his damage was. He also didn't throw up yesterday! Thank the Lord for that improvement!

Sleet and other winter blah

It's a yucky day here with sleet covering everything. Brad and I made it in to work and Zeke made it to daycare. I've driven on much worse roads...in fact, it was worse yesterday when I was going home because there was black ice and people weren't slowing down. At least with white roads, people are much, much more cautious. I filed a short story with NPR on the weather...it will air during one of their hourly newscasts today. The university where I work is closed, meaning most people have the day off...I will probably leave earlier than usual since it's supposed to be a "snow day." Zeke did very well last night. He only cried one time and after being rocked, he went back to sleep. He hardly coughed at all! He did cough some when he got up this morning but overall, he is much improved. He is still barfing some--just last night, his dinner made a reappearance. I think he's feeling so much better that he's overdoing it on activity, getting worked up and coughing. We're going to have to keep him more calm so he doesn't cough as much.

Stay warm!

Happy Tet!

Tet is the Vietnamese celebration of the Lunar New Year. We are entering the Year of the Ox.

Zeke continues to improve. He's going to daycare today because he hasn't had a fever all weekend. He ate a really good dinner last night and kept it down. He really needs to gain weight since he lost almost 2 pounds during this ordeal.

You may recall that I posted information in December about a woman in the adoption community who passed away. Her husband sent an email with some updates. Please pray for this family. He's having to make some tough decisions but is trying to do what is in the best interest of the children they adopted. My heart still breaks for them all...

Pneumonia, Lunar New Year and other musings

Zeke was diagnosed with pneumonia this week. While I wish he weren't sick at all, I am RELIEVED to know what's been causing him to cough almost non-stop at night. Once we had the diagnosis, the doc loaded him up with meds and sent us home with a nebulizer. We have to hold a mask over his nose and mouth for 10 minutes while he breaths in the medicine. You can imagine how well he likes doing that. He already seems to be better and he coughed less intensely and less frequently last night. Praise the Lord!

We took Zeke to his first Lunar New Year celebration yesterday. He seemed to have a good time. There were lots of nice decorations and many adopted children. He was one of the youngest.

We've managed to see some movies in the last few months, including the Curious Case of Benjamin Button. When we walked out of the theatre, I said it was like Forrest Gump except it wasn't as good. Now, there's a funny video comparing the two films. It's quite amusing. Of all the Oscar noms announced this past week, we were most excited about Robert Downey, Jr. getted a nod for his performance in Tropic Thunder. When we saw the film last year, we said he deserved it but realized he probably would be overlooked. So, we were pleased he was nominated. However, he's not going to win...the award will go to the late Heath Ledger in Dark Knight. And Heath's work as the Joker deserves the Oscar. We saw Slumdog Millionaire which is the shoo-in for best picture. It was good but neither of us thought it was best picture worthy. Oh well.

Happy MLK Day, Inauguration Day and Birthday

I'm very sick. And today is my birthday. Yuck. Thanks to everyone who sent birthday wishes. I'm at work for a brief time today, then I'm headed to the doctor and then home to hibernate. Poor Zeke is getting better but is still coughing his head off. And poor Brad is having to take care of us.

I wanted to share this thought about MLK Day: This day honors a man who showed us that a single voice of love and truth rings louder than a thousand voices shouting hate.

And a thought on Inauguration Day: No matter what you think of Barack Obama's politics, his inauguration means so much for so many. It means a lot for my son, who doesn't look like the majority of people in this country.

Sicky Icky

Before Zeke had even finished his antibiotics, he had another cough and another ear infection (this new round started Tuesday). Last night, he didn't sleep well because he had a fever. This was very scary because it's the first time since we adopted him that he had a fever. He's not eating very well and he's quite fussy. He's on a new antibiotic and we have a referral to see a specialist in a couple of weeks to talk about putting tubes in his ears. I'm all for it if it will help reduce the number of ear infections he gets. Poor little guy. It's been rough on me and Brad too because if he doesn't sleep at night, neither do we. I had to leave the house at 5:30 this morning to go to Jeff City. I was pretty much chugging caffeine all the way up there. I'll be ready to collapse tonight. Prayers are appreciated!!!

Napster

So, Zeke went to "school" today for less than 4 hours. He'll do about 4 hours tomorrow. This is the prelude to next week's longer stay at daycare. I had a dentist appointment this morning (torture!) and so Brad dropped Zeke off. Brad called me to say Zeke was doing well when he left and started playing right away. Since things got off to a good start, I wasn't worried. Sure it was a new place but Zeke had been to the mothers' day out program at our church before. He was there 4+ hours and always did well. When I went to pick him up, literally every child in the daycare was on a cot asleep except Zeke. He apparently had a Zeke-style meltdown when naptime rolled around. They tried to lull him to sleep by rocking him, walking him around...nope. He was having none of it. So, they ended up letting him play quietly while the other children slept. He was not in a good mood when I came in the room but he was smiling by the time I got his coat on and we were leaving. He even waved bye-bye to his teacher, Miss Jan. She told me how much she enjoyed him and how she thought he was such a precious child. This is only the second time I've met Miss Jan but I really like her. She's a grandmother-ly lady with a soft voice and a kind smile. The moral of the story is that Zeke hates nap time, whether it's at home or daycare. He did get to a point at the mothers' day out program where he would go down for a nap with only mild protest. I feel sure that once he gets used to his new school, he'll sleep better.

Zeke went to his pediatrician today. It was a follow-up to the urgent care visit we had Saturday morning. During that fun time, Zeke had his chest x-rayed and was given a torturous breathing treatment. The docs at urgent care were concerned he might have pneumonia but he didn't. They sent us home with scrips for antiobiotics and inhalers: he had bronchitis and an ear infection. They gave us this crazy device called a spacer to use with the inhaler. Like the breathing treatment, it had a mask that had to be held over Zeke's nose and mouth but only for about 10 seconds or so. We made it a game so he was pretty good about letting us give him the inhaler. Today, the ped said that his bronchitis is gone (no more inhaler!) and his ears looked good. She also noted that he's had an ear infection every month since he's been home. One more and she's referring us to an ear, nose and throat doc to talk about putting tubes in his ears. I have no experience with them but Brad had them when he was little. If it means less pain and fewer infections, I'm all for it. Will keep you posted. For now, he's on the mend and seems to be doing so much better. Thank you Lord!

Back to Work Soon!

I start back to work a week from today. It will be really hard to be apart from Zeke during the day. Fortunately, I have arranged my work schedule so that I'm in the office 7AM-3PM. Brad will take Zeke to daycare between 8 and 9 and I will pick him up when I get off at 3.

Not that I have much "free time" since Zeke arrived but when I have a chance, I'm reading. After finishing the Twilight series this fall and over the Christmas holiday, I'm on to American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld (Curtis is a woman). It's great so far--I'm about a third of the way through it. It's very loosely based on the life of First Lady Laura Bush. I heard an interview on Fresh Air with the author and that's what sold me. If you're looking for a good book, I'd recommend it. I'd like to re-read Duma Key this February. That's the cool Stephen King book that came out last year and is set in the Florida Keys.

NEW VERSION! "Photogeraffic Pamentos" of Christmas 2008

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