Referrals, new orphanage, Babushka

Big adoption news- Our agency has issued 9 referrals! Congratulations to each family who received a referral. It's been so exiting to share the journey with so many wonderful families.


We learned that our agency has signed on with an additional orphanage Kingdom Vision International.


Today, I was wondering what (BOC) son #2 will call Rob's mom. Igor has always called Rob's mom Babushka. Babushka is called Me-Ma by her other grandchildren. Can you see our Ethiopian son calling his grandmother Babushka? I cannot see. Well, I can see it but it makes me laugh... it's quite a sight in my mind. Maybe it will make perfect sense when BOC gets here but right now it doesn't. Rob thinks it will look/sound a little funny at first but Babushka will stay Babushka.


Tooth update: Thursday I met with the periodontist. The I periodontist confirmed that I have significant bone loss due to the infection. I will need a bone graft. heavy sigh. The entire process, including a new tooth, will take 6-8 months. The bone graft and tooth extraction is scheduled on May 6 unless they get a cancellation. Yep, it's a long time away. If the infection flairs up again he'll get me in on a emergency basis.
I've decided to find another dentist. The periodontist and dentist will work closely together over the next few months. I've seen my current dentist 3 times and we just don't click. So, the dentist search is on! I will have to find one quickly in case I have more tooth troubles.

A decision has been made

I know this is not not adoption or Igor related... I feel like I must share since I've droned on and on about my tooth and the "great pain". I appreciate the comments on my blog and via e-mail. They have given me another picture of tooth extraction, one not so scary.

This morning I was in the shower (where all my great thinking happens), when my dear dentist Dr. R popped into my head. He was my dentist for many, many years before we moved down south. He knows my teeth and the troubled tooth very well so I decided to give his office a call. To my surprise the receptionist connected me to him right away. I said I was having a problem with a tooth. Dr. R said, "I've been waiting for this call." He knew this pesky tooth was going to cause more trouble, he just didn't know when. It was so great to talk to him and KNOW he was giving the straight scoop. After discussing the last week's activities he said, "Don't spend another dime on that tooth. Have it pulled. Be thankful that you've had it this long. It's time to say good-bye to this tooth." I needed to hear this from my trusted dentist.... so, I have distanced myself from the pesky tooth. I will not refer to it by number any more, it's just a pesky tooth. (yes, I really am this weird)

I met with my local dentist this afternoon. He agrees that the tooth should be pulled. Tomorrow, I will cancel the apicoectomy which was scheduled for next week. Thursday I have a "consult" with a periodontist. Since the tooth and root is oddly shaped, it must be pulled by a specialist. There are many more details such as; bridge or implant, but I am trying not to get ahead of myself. I will take it one day and one dental bill at a time.

Easter, referrals & tooth #13 & 14

We had a lovely Easter. After church we went to Rob's aunt's house for dinner. She made mac and cheese for me! It's easy to chew. Igor had his final egg hunt with his cousins. It's funny because he doesn't like candy but he loves to look for eggs!


Playing with Great MeMe (Rob's grandmother)



The "great pain" finally reached a manageable level on Saturday night after a second antibiotic was prescribed. Today, I was able to weasel my way in to see the Endodontist. (I had an appointment for April 1 but I couldn't wait!) The endodontist prescribed a third antibiotic (stronger) to help save the bone above my tooth. He said 14 and tooth 13 are in cahoots. The endodonist checked 4 molars and he says it's 13 that's causing the infection 14 is causing other trouble! He recommended having a second apico on 13. There is a 50% chance that the apicoectomy would be successful. ugh, 50%?? I want more than 50% chance... Other options are- pull the tooth and get a bridge or pull the tooth and get an implant. None of the options are great or pain free.



My mother and husband think I should have the troubled tooth pulled and move on. I have thought about it.... There is something about having a tooth pulled that is, well, just plain scary to me. Picture drills, pliers, a whiskey bottle, you know, you've seen tooth extraction in cartoons and in old westerns. SCARY!!! Have you had a tooth pulled (other than wisdom teeth)? If you have, please tell me, was it as scary as I think it is?? It's okay to say "YES"! I need to hear the truth.



Yes, for those of you who clicked on the apicoectomy link, I know that an apicoectomy isn't a walk in the park but I've had an apicoectomy so it's "known" to me. There is a 50% chance of it being successful. I have to make a decision quickly or risk bone loss above the tooth. I have another dentist appointment tomorrow. I hope to make a decision in the next few days. I have scheduled the apicoectomy for April 2 in order the "save the date" .



Right now I need to check out some blogs! My friend and adoption pal Susan called to say 3 referrals were issued today! Yippee!! I cannot wait to read more. Details to follow.

Egg Hunt, 14, Spring's birthday and Maundy Thrusday

Our church's Easter Eggstravaganza was last Saturday. There were lots of fun things to do including a Egg Hunt. Igor loves to hunt for eggs. We invited our neighbors and children from Igor's nursery school. The children and parents had a wonderful time.






Creating an Easter bonnet. Dad is a great sport for wearing the bonnet!


Hunting for Eggs

14's Last Harrah

14 must know that the time is up; 14 is doing all he can to make me miserable. I called the pharmacist this morning because I had another sleepless night and I still feel "great pain". The pharmacist said I must be on the antibiotic for at least 72 hours before I begin to feel relief. He said an abscessed tooth is the hardest infection to treat. 14 should be calming down tomorrow. Today will be another day of protein shakes for me. Please pray that the antibiotic will work quickly and I will feel sweet relief.

Spring's Birthday

At Nursery school we said good-bye to winter and hello to spring. The children sang songs welcoming in spring time. (my camera batteries were dead so I don't have any pictures of the program!) The children made a carrot cake from scratch. It smelled sooo good but I didn't/couldn't have a bite. Igor happily ate cake for both of us!

For several weeks each child has been very busy at nursery school. The children painted heavy paper which was cut, folded and glued into a basket. Eggs were blown and dyed; then soil and seeds were added. Each child made a bunny from sheep's wool. They are so cute! A baby chick and flower seeds were added to finish the basket.

Our Maundy Thursday service was the Passover Seder. A Messianic Jewish Pastor from Israel shared the Passover Seder tradition and the last supper. You may learn more about The Chosen People Ministries or the Passover by checking out their website.

Fire drills and a referral... but not the kind I wanted

Monday there was a fire drill during speech. Igor was so scared. Yep, it was worse than the last time. The twenty minute drill felt like hours watered with tears. Igor's speech teacher was wonderful. She gave him head phones so the noise would not be so loud. After the fire drill she took him to the playground. She did this to reinforce that school isn't a scary place. I was certain Igor would refuse to go to speech today. To my surprise he did not object (too much). However I had to promise it would be a day without a fire drill.

Last night I couldn't sleep. I had a terrible toothache. By morning three teeth were aching along with my sinus cavity. Thankfully, the dentist was able to see me first thing this morning. The verdict- I have an infection in tooth #14. I wanted to cry but I was too shocked to cry.
I thought, not tooth #14 (aka "14")!! This tooth is BAD NEWS!! 14 and I have a love hate relationship. I love having a tooth in this spot but over the last 6 years 14 has caused trouble. Every couple years 14 gets infected resulting in great pain. Along with pain, 14 impacts our cash flow. 14 has had a several filings, two root canals, a crown and an apicoectomy. I thought I was done with 14's high jinks. I was wrong. It appears that 14 has one root left and it is infected. No one understands why this tiny root was not previously removed. The fact is it's there and it must be removed or 14 will continue to cause me great pain.

I wanted to have a talk with 14. I wanted to say, "14 don't you know we are adopting?? Why are you acting up now? Haven't you caused enough trouble over the years?" But then I remembered 14 is a tooth not a person. heavy sigh...

Today, I was given a referral. However, this referral was not an adoption referral. I was given a referral for the endodontist! On April 1, 14 and I will be meeting with the endodontist. I'm quite certain that a second apicoectomy will be scheduled after the appointment. Perhaps this will be the "end" of 14's mischief. Here's hoping the next referral we are given is for a child, our son, not a specialist.

A game of tag

Well, I have been "tagged" my by adoption gal-pals Susan and Jill. Yes, that's right, I was tagged, it's like the children's game... but they did it via my blog. So the rules are - I am to tag 5 people and I can't tag Susan or Jill. I am to tag my friends by leaving them a comment on their blog letting them know I tagged them and why. Also, I'm to direct them to my blog for instructions. I'm to notify the tagger (Jill and Susan) when I post my list so that they can enjoy reading the responses.

Here are 10 things about me:
1. I love watching the TV show LOST with my husband
2. I don't allow Igor to watch TV because I don't want him too be exposed to it yet... cruel, I know
3. I love waking up without an alarm clock
4. I was born in Nebraska
5. I miss my Freddie Mac friends (sniff, sniff)
6. I do not have any first cousins
7. I would love to go back to Japan
8. Yikes, coming up with 10 things is hard.... I love saying "yikes" and it cracks me up when Igor says it.
9. My in-laws got us hooked on the game Quiddler
10. I'm not sure who to tag....

Well, this tagging business is work! I must ponder who to tag....

Igor's friends visit and making a "cake"

On Monday, Igor's best friend and his brother from up north came for a visit. I think this picture sums up the day.



Yes, that is the ceiling right above their heads. There is something about playing on the top bunk... it's so much fun.


On Tuesday Igor wanted to cut the grass. I thought he wanted to pretend to cut the grass but no, he really wanted to cut some grass. We got out his scissors and he cut grass for about 30 minutes. The grass was an important ingredient for the "cake" he was making. Other ingredients included; a sprinkle of sand and leaves, golf balls and dozen toy cars. We "baked" it over night.

On the adoption front: we heard that 9 children were moved to our agency's transitional home! This means referrals might be issued as early as this week. We won't be in this batch of referrals but we are looking forward to some dear families receiving news of their little ones.

Conference Call, Easter Eggs, and Caramel Corn

The conference call with our agency was very informative. Our agency hopes to have relationships with two more orphanages by the end of the month! We learned that our wait may be longer than we thought. I have an e-mail into our Family Coordinator in order to learn more.

I received a huge order for caramel corn last week. I made 5 gallons of caramel corn over the weekend. I should have taken a picture. Imagine 80 cups of popcorn, it's a lot of caramel corn.



Saturday we dyed Easter Eggs. Nana sent Igor a gourmet Easter Egg kit. I have never seen anything quite like it. It includes markers, ribbons, appliques... this is not the PAAS Easter Egg kit I grew up with! In order to use all of the cool stuff in the kit we will be making Easter Eggs again this week and next. Do you think Igor understands that he will be eating boiled eggs everyday for lunch over the next few weeks??

Hospital visits and more

Igor has a surrogate Grandmother, here in town. Her name is Estamae. She is in her 80's and loves, loves, loves our son. Igor is pretty fond of Estamae, so they get a long quite well. Estamae fell on Tuesday night and was taken to the ER and then admitted to the hospital. When I told Igor that Estamae was in the hospital and his dad planning to visit her he said, "I want to call dad and go with him to pray." I made the call. Igor explained why he was calling and Rob agreed to take him along.

I wondered, would anyone at the hospital stop Igor from going into Estamae's room? He is is only 5 years old. Nope, they walked right through the hospital and in to her room. (Maybe it helped that Rob has a hospital badge??) Estamae was upset that Igor was seeing her "banged up" but she also was happy to see him. They visited a bit and then father and son prayed. What a sweet, sweet moment.

"Tomato" update- we missed the tornado drill at school! Tomorrow we could be under another tornado watch... Based on the weather man's assessment of the situation in the morning, Igor and I may have another discussion about tornado's and our emergency plan.

Random topic- Did you know that some baby bottles, sippy cups, pacifiers, etc can harm your baby/children? There are certain types of plastic items you want to stay away from. My favorite blog with research on BPA free products is http://zrecs.blogspot.com/ . Check out their new BPA Wallet Card. The card is easy to carry around and reference when you are shopping!

Adoption reminder- Tomorrow we have the conference call with our agency. I am very excited. I hope to hear good news. I'll keep you posted.

Why are the "Tomaotes" coming mom?

Igor cannot say the word "tornadoes", he says "tomatoes." Today he said "tomatoes" a lot.

After school, Misha came over to play and have dinner with us. Igor had been watching the sky all day asking if big storms were coming because it was cloudy & windy. Right before dinner we headed to the grocery store. I had the radio on when the emergency broadcasting system alert sounded. There was a tornado alert for just north of us. I thought, I didn't deal with this on Monday at speech, we may have to deal with it today.... this time for real.

We returned home and there was another warning, this time for our county. Our house has an open floor plan, we do not have any interior rooms or hallways. Rob and I discussed where we should go if the sirens sounded because the hall closet (our default plan) could not hold all four of us. We talked to the boys about the tornado warning and the plan if the tornado sirens sounded.

This led to a rash of questions from Igor. Why is the "tomato" coming? Are "tomatoes" nice? can they hurt you? Why did the radio make that weird sound? Did God make "tomatoes"? Why did God make "tomatoes"? If you have a preschooler, you know the list goes on and on.

Luckily, the sirens did not sound and the warning expired. I'm praying the test sirens don't go off tomorrow during speech.

Fire station, tornado drills and shots- ouch!

Today was a busy day! I made a huge batch of caramel corn. If you ordered caramel corn over the weekend, it will be mailed tomorrow.

After nursery school, Igor asked if we could drive by the fire station. The garage door was open when we drove by so we saw the pumper truck. Igor asked if we could go in. We had a few minutes before speech so I said sure. Before we went inside Igor asked if the fire alarm was going to go off while we were there. (He still remembers to the fire alarm going off during speech in January.) I told him that I did not think so. The fire fighters walked Igor around and gave him a new hat. I was so proud of him for going into the station. Since the fire alarm, he has been too scared to go inside the fire station.

When we arrived at speech, Igor's teacher informed me that some time this week the tornado siren is going to sound so the children can practice hiding under their desk. I decided not to inform Igor of this event. It could happen any day this week; we go to speech twice a week so what are the chances it will go off while we are there?

After speech Rob and I went to get our Hep B & Meningitis vaccines. Igor wanted to go with us. Igor told the nurse he did not need any shots for Africa because he was going to stay at Babushka's house. Then he asked dad if he was going to cry. I almost cried when I was presented with the bill! OUCH! Our insurance does not cover the vaccines.

The nurse was very gentle but my arm is very sore. It probably hurts because we went to the church and helped clear away some trees that had been cut down. Rob and I have follow up appointments at the end of the month to get a second round of shots.

Our Agency has hired another Family Coordinator! She starts next Monday. This is great news for the Ethiopia program.

RENOVARÉ Weekend

This week Rob and I had the pleasure of meeting Richard Foster and William "Bill" Vaswig. My dear friend Liz introduced me to the Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth several years ago. We read the book as part of our small group. It was nice to meet the man who re-shaped my thoughts on prayer, fasting and solitude, to name a few disciplines.

The conference was awesome. If it is coming to a city near you, I highly recommend it. A bonus was Bill Viswag was able to pray over our dear sweet boy. Words cannot explain the experience.

Six AWAA families are in Ethiopia right now meeting and picking up their children! I've been checking their blogs for pictures and updates. I'm looking forward to our turn in Ethiopia.