I'm allergic to humidity

We just flew back East for 8 days to visit my parents. The plane ride was a NIGHTMARE. Kyle does not want to sit still and has a temper. Terrible two's hit at 14 mos old. The boy is smart and has got some serious opinions... I want to do it or have it now and don't stop me. :) Devin doesn't really have a temper (dramatic but not temper tantrums).... and is a peacemaker. Also, Kyle has no fear and a high pain threshold which means nothing is a deterent. It has been a challenge. By the time I got back from vacation (10 days straight with him 24/7... I couldn't wait to get back to work for some rest!) He was already put in time out this morning for throwing a shoe at Devin (purposely for no reason other than just to be bad). I love him but he definitely challenges my patience and temper. I thought I was more easy going... but I guess I'm not. Ok- I'm done venting. Thanks for listening. :)

My Dad is doing ok.... very tired and fatigued from chemo/radiation. I helped my parents with a lot of yardwork... got some terrible rash now from eczema flare-up or poison ivy or both. Ugh. I think I'm allergic to the humidity. I got a heat rash (in the 70's with humidity!!!). It felt like a 105. Anyway, Jack & I filled 80 large garbage cans of stuff from my parent's yard and he took to recycle place (10 trips) in his rental car. Haha. I hired them a yard guy to start this week.

Back to work and trying not to scratch my skin off....

Recent Photos

I'm a lame blogger

OK- I know I have not blogged in over a month. Let's just say it's been a rough 2 months. In late February, my husband got laid off from his job. So, that was a shocker. He just took a new job 2 weeks ago... in a totally different field. So far, he likes it, but time will tell if it's the right job for him.... Meanwhile, one of the vets at my practice went on maternity leave at the beginning of March. So, I have basically been covering almost all her work these last 2 1/2 months. So,I have been working full time since February.

And, on top of it all, my Dad was diagnosed with a brain tumor suddenly about 5 weeks ago while my parents were on vacation in Florida. My brothers and sisters and I rushed down to Florida for the emergency surgery to remove the tumor. It was very scary and very stressful. Jack stayed home and took care of the kids for 5 days while I was in Florida with my parents and siblings. The surgery went well and he was finally able to travel back to their home in Delaware 2 weeks ago. Unfortunatly, the biopsy results came back as a stage 4 glioblastoma. Basically, the worst and most aggressive brain cancer you can have. Very disappointing and upsetting. So, I am planning on going back East next weekend for 8 days to help them and give the kids more time with my Dad. He has only met Kyle once over Christmas. Jack will come for 1/2 the week. I am a bit nervous about the plane ride for 6 hours with the kids by myself. Kyle is a wild man and can't sit still... Benadryl anyone?!!

Also during the last 2 months, Kyle got Hand Foot and Mouth disease and the flu. I had to fly back to NJ to read in one of my college roomate's wedding. Kyle had 2 fillings done on 2 cavities in his front center incisors. That was a nightmare... had to wrap him up like a kiddie taco and he screamed and cried hysterically the whole time. And, we just had to find new health insurance.

Otherwise, things are going well... relatively speaking. Kyle is growing and saying about a dozen words now... ball, car, plane, pee, pea, bee, bye, mama, dada, more, ba (for bottle), pa (for pasta). He uses sign language for please, thank you and more. He has officially been a part of our family now longer than he was at the orphanage. Yea. Devin is writing well... very psyched to go to kindergarten in August. I signed her up for swimming lessons this summer.

I had a good Mother's day. I got to ride my horse Moon for 2 hours this morning with my friend Lynne. Then, we went to the movies and I saw the movie "State of Play" and ate lots of popcorn with lots of butter. Yum. Good movie, by the way. Then, I took the kids swimming. They are water crazy. Got a giftcard for a massage from Jack, and a handmade card from Devin. Plus, she cleaned her room for me... truly a miracle. :)

Busy, busy, busy

Well, it's been awhile since I posted. Life has been challenging in the last month and I just have not had much time to post. First, my husband lost his job about a month ago... so the recession has hit home for us. He has had a few interviews and a few jobs are promising, but no offers yet.

As for Kyle, he had about 2 months of colds... So, I finally took him to the doctor who said he was fine. On the positive note, he gained almost 3 lbs in the last few months... Well, anyway, he then proceeded to get a bad case of Hand,Foot and Mouth Disease. He was very sick for a few days and had fevers, drooling and not eating. He then recovered.... took him to his first dentist appointment this week. He has 2 cavities to be filled on his central upper incisors. I am not surprised, they have been etched and slighlty discolored since we got him. Well, they are cavities and I need to take him back next month. Should be a lot of fun... NOT. Then, this weekend, he started coughing again and just threw up and has another low grade fever. I just can't win. Ugh.

As for Devin, she has no cavaties... Yea. I recently switched her back to gymnastics from Dance class. She just wasn't into it. She does not thrive there and I don't think I will sign her up again. I think we will go back to swimming this summer which she loves. I did sign her up for kindgergarten and am waiting to hear if it's full or half day next year.

As for me, I have been working a lot lately. The other main vet is on maternity leave and I am very busy at work. Work has been stressful... more emergency work and over- booked days. Plus, I have had some conflicts with another vet we are rotating emergencies with and have a meeting set up with them tomorrow. Not looking forward to it. Don't really like conflict. I have a dentist appt and mammogram tomorrow too... so it should be a really fun day. NOT.

Well, gotta go. Even though Kyle is not feeling well... he is still up to mischief and hitting his sister for fun.

Vietnamese New Year Party

Just wanted to share a couple photos from Tet party we attended in Phoenix 2 weekends ago. Kelley, who adopted Henry, also from the Que Son orphanage, invited me. I just found out about this group a couple weeks ago... it’s a group of parents who adopted children from Vietnam. We went at last second... I brought me 2 kids, Devin & Kyle. I wanted them to wear their Vietnamese kimonos- but couldn't find them. Oh well. We had a good time and it was nice to connect to other local adoptive parents. They were from many different orphanages and agencies. Very interesting... I did not get a chance to have too many in depth conversations from other people (running after 2 kids). One parent just recently adopted in November. Her agency closed down before her adoption was final and she went by herself, without an agency or facilitator, to Vietnam. She had a terrible experience and said how corrupt the whole country is... she brought several thousand dollars cash with her and had to pay off many people to bring her daughter home. Hmm.... I wish I had a chance to talk to her more. She said she cried every day there. I can't imagine going to Vietnam without a facilitator/ translator or agency. Anyway, food for thought....

Kyle was sick for 4 days last week... running high fevers. He is better now. It is not easy when a kid is sick and both parents work. You can't take them to day care b/c you don't want to infect all the other kids. And, no other parents want them at their house, and all your friends are working. So, we juggled schedules and my friend Lynne helped us out one day. We made it work.

This past weekend we went to 2 gatherings. On Sat, I went to Alana's baby shower (the other vet in my clinic)at her parents house. Afterwards, she had BBQ and I brought the kids. It is exhausting to bring Kyle to parties where it is not kid friendly. I am constantly playing defense and trying to keep him from... falling into the pool with no fence, not stick his face in their old doberman's face, or stick his hand in their ash trays, or play in their dog bowl, etc... After 2 hours, we all were exhausted and had to leave before dinner. Oh well. The next day we went to dinner with Jack's relatives. Again, after a few hours, had to leave b/c Kyle was too tired and having a mental breakdown. The boy needs his sleep. If he doesn't get 14-15 hours per day he is GRUMPY!!! Well, it sounds like he is waking from his nap...

Kyle Officially adopted in Arizona!

Well, last week we went to court on Wednesday morning and finalized our adoption of Kyle in Arizona. We also officially changed his name to Kyle Le Hulse from Thanh Le Nguyen. Yea. Above is picture of all of us & our judge. She was very nice and asked if we would like a picture of us with her.

Kyle is doing well and now has 7 teeth coming in... so ibuprofen has been our friend lately. He is doing really well and very happy lately (except the other day when I didn't give him his 2nd nap and he had a tired "mental breakdown" before bed).

I have been very busy at work lately and did two seminars at our clinic last weekend. I work again this Sat morning which means I have worked or did something work related every weekend for the last 4 weeks. I need a weekend off! On Saturday, we have our social worker coming for our 6 month home visit. We have to send that report to our agency which sends it to Vietnam as part of our adoption agreement.

Well, that's all for now...

Giving Kisses

I just had to post about the great morning we had yesterday. When Kyle first woke up, he spontaneously reached out for Devin and gave her a big kiss on the lips. Then, they proceeded to give each other about 10 kisses in a row. They did it again this morning. It was so cute. They really love each other and play well together. Kyle has been giving me kisses for 2-3 months now. Then, he started giving Jack kisses. In the last month, he has been giving Devin kisses. It is a real milestone in his attachment and bonding with us. :)

Kyle is really starting to understand lots of things I am saying. I have been trying to teach him right and wrong and saying "your sorry". Sometimes he will hit at Devin... and I tell him it's not nice and to say he is sorry. He will walk over to her and put his head on her shoulder. It is so sweet. His personality is starting to shine and he has a bit of a sense of humor. When I ask him certain questions, he will swing his head back and forth for "no" and then laugh. I tell him he is silly. He gets a kick out of it.

Kyle is also getting 5... yes FIVE... teeth in at once over the last week or two... 3molars and the two upper canines (or eye teeth)... all just broke through the gums in the last few days. If you don't recall, he did this in September when he got 4 teeth in at once over a two week time period!

On the digestive problems, he has had no diarrhea for about 4-6 weeks now. Thank God. (Knock on wood). Maybe we can make some lead-way in his gaining weight now. He is still on soy formula as he does not tolerate milk, soy milk or lactaid.

We have our court date next Wednesday for our re-adoption of Kyle in the state of Arizona. We will also finally be changing his name officially to Kyle from his Vietnamese name. He will get a new birth certificate from Arizona. It will be a US Citizen born on foreign soil birth certificate. Yea.