It's been 2 years since I have posted here.
A lot has happened.
First, let me explain why it has been so long...
In the last few posts, we made the announcement that we would be adopting from Africa. The same week that we got our approved home study, we also received the news that we were pregnant with our 5th pregnancy ...and we also started to notice some very challenging behavior from our then 3-year-old. We made the decision to slow down the adoption process while we were pregnant and trying to rule out any major issues with our oldest.
I can't believe that was 2 years ago ...and wow...it has been a very full 2 years.
First, let's talk about the joyful addition :) Maggie is a delight! I had a very smooth pregnancy with her, and she was born on December 20, 2013, just 2 days before her due date :) We had been praying for a full-term pregnancy and that I would go into labor on my own. I was a couple of centimeters dilated for the last two months of pregnancy, and well ... I was also HUGE!!!! #hugebellymessyhouse
On the day we welcomed Maggie to the world, my water broke at 12:19 AM. I rushed Stan out to the car because my contractions were only a couple of minutes apart and very intense. We checked into the hospital at 1:05AM, and she was out at 1:29AM, only seconds after the doctor walked in. It was incredible! And horribly painful ...and I am pretty sure I yelled at every human being in the maternity ward before she came out and then sweetly apologized after she came out. The doctor's first words about her were, "Wow! She's a chunky baby." 8lb 13 oz chunky! But she was perfect :) She was pretty intense, but a good baby.She had some pretty significant growth issues from the start and lost about a pound before we left the hospital. She landed back in the hospital at 8 weeks for failure to thrive (like her sisters) at 8 weeks. She had some abnormal liver enzymes, but we only stayed in the hospital for a few days, and her issues self-resolved after a couple of months.
Maggie started walking at the ripe old age of 9 months (Lord help us!), and she was my heaviest 1 year old, weighing in at 20 lb at her 1 year check up.
Now, onto our other developments ...
Abigail, our now 5-year-old, has been in Occupational therapy and speech now for about 9 months for some developmental delays. While she is the smartest kid I have ever met, some of her physical and social development has not been ideal. Her behavior is also a pretty difficult challenge, as behavior tends to be with gifted kids. I have now been to 2 neurologists, a psychologist, and her pediatrician several times to determine what is going on with our sweet little girl. We have some answers, but we are seeking a 3rd opinion before declaring those answers accurate. That 3rd opinion will come from the best developmental pediatrician in our area ...who has a 12 month waiting list for an appointment.
Life has been filled with major adjustments over the past 2 years during this discovery process of the special needs we have in our family. We are quite honestly lost in a muddle of opinions and ideas about what should and shouldn't be done. And my husband and I are not sure what to do next. So those of you who pray, please remember us! :)
Another very bright spot has made it's way into our life this year! Last April, I started a Mary Kay business, and I have fallen in love with the company and what I do. I get to sit knee to knee with women and get to know them and teach them about skin care and also get to know them as real as real can be! It makes my heart happy to get a chance to make another woman feel special and to help enrich her life. And my business is going well! Very well! I am 1 month into the qualification process for my first free car!!! A Red Chevy Cruze! This has been such a positive, confidence-building experience in my life this year, and I can't believe I have the ability to do what I do.
