Thursday, May 31, 2007
More new photos!
Check the photosite again. I uploaded a few really cute ones. Well, I think they're very cute. Not biased or anything.
Tired AGAIN!
OK, so the little stinker kept me up again until 1:45 a.m. She slept a good portion of the day and would not stay awake for long periods of time in the evening. So I was up with her for a good long while in the quiet, wee hours. For a while, I read some emails and so on, and then I did some research online about my attorney here who's NOT RETURNING MY CALLS. Arrgh. I wrote an email with a link to the Alabama Bar Association's ethics page that talks about communication with clients. Not sure if she'll even read it. That was around 11:45 p.m. Then she had a pacifier and fell asleep. Put her down, lay down myself, then heard stirring. I lay there quietly, hoping for blessed sleep. But no, then it was crying. Got up, checked diaper. Tried pacifier again. Kept in bed. Walked around. Fed another bottle. Checked diaper. Tried pacifier. Went into bathroom to just hang out with her. At 1:30 a.m. we were talking. She was talking up a storm to me, alert as ever. I spoke back to her. Then at 1:45 tried the pacifier again and -- voila! -- success! I got to sleep until 7:30 a.m. with a couple of times waking up with stirring but no feeding or changing.
Today is Cami's 5th birthday. I am making her a cake in the shape of a castle -- she loves anything princess-y so this really made her happy. So I hope it turns out pretty. Marce's 40th birthday cake was ugly, ugly, ugly. But tasty!
We're having a baby shower over at church this evening. Should be fun -- we girls are going to have a good ol' time. And now... it's off to bed for a little spot of a nap.
Today is Cami's 5th birthday. I am making her a cake in the shape of a castle -- she loves anything princess-y so this really made her happy. So I hope it turns out pretty. Marce's 40th birthday cake was ugly, ugly, ugly. But tasty!
We're having a baby shower over at church this evening. Should be fun -- we girls are going to have a good ol' time. And now... it's off to bed for a little spot of a nap.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Photos, get your photos here!
If you'd like to see a whole bunch of pictures, just go on over to Photosite. That way I won't put them all in two places. The link is http://CLim101.photosite.com.
Weary, Weary, Eyes So Bleary
Everyone has been asking for the past few weeks, "How is Charlotte doing?" "How is she sleeping?" Natural questions, I suppose, but a bit hard to answer completely honestly. I generally respond, "Well, for a newborn." She wakes up at night to eat (her pediatrician observed that she probably "never refuses a meal") once or twice, depending on when you start the time period of "night." She doesn't often stay awake long after eating, allowing us to get to sleep again soon. That's typically how it goes. I've stayed up a couple of times for an hour or more with her but it's not been bad. Marce was up with her a few nights ago and then couldn't get back to sleep for three hours, while Charlotte slept just fine. She's pretty easygoing if she has a bottle and someone to hold her!
With my mom here this week, it has been somewhat useful having another set of arms and a couple of extra ideas. Mom thought a pacifier might be helpful because Charlotte just seemed to want to suck. My other girls nursed, and they all found a finger or thumb. Well, Marissa didn't stick with it as surely as Brianna or Cami. But they never took pacifiers. So I hadn't seriously considered one for Charlotte -- or at least, not seriously enough to put it on my shopping list. Last night, it went on the list, and I was tempted to just run out and get it at 9 p.m. Mom said, "Oh, no, it's not THAT urgent." Why did I listen to her? Why why why? I should have run out.
Today I went to the store and bought two pacifiers. That was after a long night of a little restless baby keeping me up until 1 a.m. She just would not stay asleep. This afternoon, after lunch and a little diaper change and some hanging out, she was ready for the test. Hey, she likes it! She likes it! Nap achieved, Mommy relieved.
I haven't had a night like that yet, so I suppose it's only fair it happen once, at least. Marce and I trade off nights, since neither of us is breast feeding! I like that part of it. I'm not always on call for milk. But there's a certain desperation that sets in in the dark of the night when the house is all quiet and asleep and a little, tiny, restless being that can't even talk is keeping you from the sleep that your body feels it has never had. I was up and down, trying different options to see if she'd go to sleep. And finally, it happened. At that point, I lay down and was restless myself for half an hour before I finally succumbed to a light night (during which I was awakened for feeding again at 4 a.m.) of dreaming about being up late. Horrible irony.
*On another note altogether, I do realize that many of you are wondering how in the world you didn't know about this new baby any earlier. I can only say, it surprises me a bit myself. It's not in character. The only explanation I can offer is that I have been (and still am) living in a bit of fear that it would all collapse. The birth mom signed off and that's all OK. But the birth father has been another issue. As far as I can tell (not being able to talk to my attorney for the past two weeks), it sounds like it's going to be OK, but one can never be sure. Nothing in life is sure, of course, and I know that perfectly well, but when something is so important, it is that much more scary. I was nervous for the month and a half before she was born about saying anything, really, lest I should jinx it somehow, and be emotionally a mess and financially a ruin. I then worried about being able to leave NC, then about the birth mom's time being up to change her mind (long past now). Now it's just the birth father. Not a completely done deal yet. I know about odds, and about how things "usually" go. That said, when I was pregnant with Marissa, and the AFP blood test indicated she had a 1 in 80 chance of having Down syndrome, I was assured by many people and clinicians that it was really just a small chance. I knew better, however. When the ultrasound and amniocentesis confirmed that she was the 1 in 80, I knew the odds were nothing. This may sound like pessimism, but it was simply that I KNEW. I then came to terms with it, and now it's all fine and dandy. And she is just a great gift to have in our family. No big deal, really. But then the "odds" made me kind of laugh. Anyway, you (most of you) know I'm generally optimistic and cheery and mostly faithful and hopeful. But my cautious and worried side came out in full force with this baby, and combined with it being a COMPLETELY different and new experience in our world of adding children to our family, I didn't say much. But don't expect me to stay mute for long. That's just not my style, natch! So please don't be offended that I didn't tell you. I didn't tell anyone. I hardly told myself! :) But now you will hear lots. And if something, by some wild, long shot, should go wrong at this point (very unlikely), I guess I'll have lots of support, won't I?
With my mom here this week, it has been somewhat useful having another set of arms and a couple of extra ideas. Mom thought a pacifier might be helpful because Charlotte just seemed to want to suck. My other girls nursed, and they all found a finger or thumb. Well, Marissa didn't stick with it as surely as Brianna or Cami. But they never took pacifiers. So I hadn't seriously considered one for Charlotte -- or at least, not seriously enough to put it on my shopping list. Last night, it went on the list, and I was tempted to just run out and get it at 9 p.m. Mom said, "Oh, no, it's not THAT urgent." Why did I listen to her? Why why why? I should have run out.
Today I went to the store and bought two pacifiers. That was after a long night of a little restless baby keeping me up until 1 a.m. She just would not stay asleep. This afternoon, after lunch and a little diaper change and some hanging out, she was ready for the test. Hey, she likes it! She likes it! Nap achieved, Mommy relieved.
I haven't had a night like that yet, so I suppose it's only fair it happen once, at least. Marce and I trade off nights, since neither of us is breast feeding! I like that part of it. I'm not always on call for milk. But there's a certain desperation that sets in in the dark of the night when the house is all quiet and asleep and a little, tiny, restless being that can't even talk is keeping you from the sleep that your body feels it has never had. I was up and down, trying different options to see if she'd go to sleep. And finally, it happened. At that point, I lay down and was restless myself for half an hour before I finally succumbed to a light night (during which I was awakened for feeding again at 4 a.m.) of dreaming about being up late. Horrible irony.
*On another note altogether, I do realize that many of you are wondering how in the world you didn't know about this new baby any earlier. I can only say, it surprises me a bit myself. It's not in character. The only explanation I can offer is that I have been (and still am) living in a bit of fear that it would all collapse. The birth mom signed off and that's all OK. But the birth father has been another issue. As far as I can tell (not being able to talk to my attorney for the past two weeks), it sounds like it's going to be OK, but one can never be sure. Nothing in life is sure, of course, and I know that perfectly well, but when something is so important, it is that much more scary. I was nervous for the month and a half before she was born about saying anything, really, lest I should jinx it somehow, and be emotionally a mess and financially a ruin. I then worried about being able to leave NC, then about the birth mom's time being up to change her mind (long past now). Now it's just the birth father. Not a completely done deal yet. I know about odds, and about how things "usually" go. That said, when I was pregnant with Marissa, and the AFP blood test indicated she had a 1 in 80 chance of having Down syndrome, I was assured by many people and clinicians that it was really just a small chance. I knew better, however. When the ultrasound and amniocentesis confirmed that she was the 1 in 80, I knew the odds were nothing. This may sound like pessimism, but it was simply that I KNEW. I then came to terms with it, and now it's all fine and dandy. And she is just a great gift to have in our family. No big deal, really. But then the "odds" made me kind of laugh. Anyway, you (most of you) know I'm generally optimistic and cheery and mostly faithful and hopeful. But my cautious and worried side came out in full force with this baby, and combined with it being a COMPLETELY different and new experience in our world of adding children to our family, I didn't say much. But don't expect me to stay mute for long. That's just not my style, natch! So please don't be offended that I didn't tell you. I didn't tell anyone. I hardly told myself! :) But now you will hear lots. And if something, by some wild, long shot, should go wrong at this point (very unlikely), I guess I'll have lots of support, won't I?
Monday, May 28, 2007
Inspired
I am inspired today to write in a blog that is user-friendly and on which my friends can comment. I have a website with a bit of a "blog," but which isn't postable (well, it could be, I suppose, but I haven't had time to figure THAT out, and this is easier), and I haven't done a good job keeping up with. But it's got my basic information on it. Well, now, almost.
The biggest news is we've just adopted. I'm going to publish a bunch of photos on a PhotoSite soon, but this is my first venture into blog territory for the word-y angle. I just feel like sharing tonight. Charlotte Regina Lim is the newest member of our family. She was born April 30 in Raleigh, North Carolina, to a wonderful birth mom whom I have come to respect and admire greatly. I had to stay in NC for two weeks until the two states cleared us to come home to Alabama. It was stressful not being with my family and having to constantly be in touch with lawyers about what piece of information was needed that day or hour, but it was rather relaxing to be there alone for a while. I was holed up in a hotel room and had no responsibilities other than taking care of Charlotte (and keeping in touch with lawyers...). My children were taken care of by friends and family and then by Marce (he was with me for 5 days and then came home). They missed me terribly, as I did them, but they survived just fine. I didn't have to cook or clean or do anything in particular. I slept when Charlotte slept and ate good meals and watched a few movies and meandered slowly around nice malls in Charlotte, NC. It was freeing not to have all the other responsibilities at the same time. Just me and my new baby.
Now she's not completely legally ours yet. We have to still go through the court and get the adoption finalized. But that will come. We love her and are enjoying her tremendously. The three older sisters are fabulous with her, and Brianna, who just turned 11, is a great help. She is very useful to her old mom, who's not getting any younger, by the way. I celebrated my 37th birthday in the midst of all this and it wasn't fun. Too much stress. But I don't at all mind being 37. I feel in the prime of my life, except that I'm not sleeping through the night all the time! But hey, I have plenty else to enjoy and appreciate. Sleep will come later, right?
You might be interested to hear that Charlotte is black/African-American, whichever you prefer to call her. So we are building a bit of a little U.N. I'm white, Marce is Filipino, our three older girls are mixed, and the new baby is black. I figure we need a Hispanic baby... or not. I think I've got my hands full right now. So we will probably have some interesting conversations over the years with Charlotte, and we have already had interesting conversations with perfect strangers (well, primarily me, as I wandered around in public with the baby). They have all been very supportive and positive. We are aware that there will be a few issues to address, but mostly, I don't think much about how she looks, except that she's cute as a button! She's just a doll.
She's my baby, however she came into our family, and I love her. She is such a blessing. I always said that when I had a new baby, I was meeting a perfect little stranger each time. This was the same -- I was handed a new little stranger to get to know. Just came a different way. But I didn't feel any different as I have gotten to know her. It's been really a neat experience.
OK, so that's the end of my inaugural post. There will be more to come, more often than not, I hope.
The biggest news is we've just adopted. I'm going to publish a bunch of photos on a PhotoSite soon, but this is my first venture into blog territory for the word-y angle. I just feel like sharing tonight. Charlotte Regina Lim is the newest member of our family. She was born April 30 in Raleigh, North Carolina, to a wonderful birth mom whom I have come to respect and admire greatly. I had to stay in NC for two weeks until the two states cleared us to come home to Alabama. It was stressful not being with my family and having to constantly be in touch with lawyers about what piece of information was needed that day or hour, but it was rather relaxing to be there alone for a while. I was holed up in a hotel room and had no responsibilities other than taking care of Charlotte (and keeping in touch with lawyers...). My children were taken care of by friends and family and then by Marce (he was with me for 5 days and then came home). They missed me terribly, as I did them, but they survived just fine. I didn't have to cook or clean or do anything in particular. I slept when Charlotte slept and ate good meals and watched a few movies and meandered slowly around nice malls in Charlotte, NC. It was freeing not to have all the other responsibilities at the same time. Just me and my new baby.
Now she's not completely legally ours yet. We have to still go through the court and get the adoption finalized. But that will come. We love her and are enjoying her tremendously. The three older sisters are fabulous with her, and Brianna, who just turned 11, is a great help. She is very useful to her old mom, who's not getting any younger, by the way. I celebrated my 37th birthday in the midst of all this and it wasn't fun. Too much stress. But I don't at all mind being 37. I feel in the prime of my life, except that I'm not sleeping through the night all the time! But hey, I have plenty else to enjoy and appreciate. Sleep will come later, right?
You might be interested to hear that Charlotte is black/African-American, whichever you prefer to call her. So we are building a bit of a little U.N. I'm white, Marce is Filipino, our three older girls are mixed, and the new baby is black. I figure we need a Hispanic baby... or not. I think I've got my hands full right now. So we will probably have some interesting conversations over the years with Charlotte, and we have already had interesting conversations with perfect strangers (well, primarily me, as I wandered around in public with the baby). They have all been very supportive and positive. We are aware that there will be a few issues to address, but mostly, I don't think much about how she looks, except that she's cute as a button! She's just a doll.
She's my baby, however she came into our family, and I love her. She is such a blessing. I always said that when I had a new baby, I was meeting a perfect little stranger each time. This was the same -- I was handed a new little stranger to get to know. Just came a different way. But I didn't feel any different as I have gotten to know her. It's been really a neat experience.
OK, so that's the end of my inaugural post. There will be more to come, more often than not, I hope.
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