Thursday, September 30, 2010

{{{{backin up here a bit}}}} Annabelle's First Day of Preschool!



I still can't believe that my sweet and spicy Annabelle started preschool on September 15th!

Where did that time go...

The first two days were extremely hard for her and she cried (as I did too)

BUT

By day three, she (and I) were doing great and she is LOVING her new school (while I still miss her like crazy).

Now it is just me and my Primo - unitl next year's school season...

Saturday, September 25, 2010

{after 11 years of marriage}



We are so truly blessed and extremely in love...!

And three kiddos later ~ as my dear husband is always saying ~ We still 'got it'!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

5 kiddos +1 weekend = 100% FUN

{{{{more photos from our Labor Day weekend with The Fitch Family}}}}





















OK here was our attempt to get a photo of all our kiddos over Labor Day weekend!
With one 5 years old, two 3 years olds, one 2 years old, and one 14 month old...Getting everyone to smile ~ at the same time ~ AND looking directly at you ~ wasn't easy....
BUT
We sure had fun trying!!!!

Monday, September 13, 2010

Labor Day Weekend!

Last weekend we had a HUGE surprise!



Our AMAZING friends ~ The Fitch Family {Al, Lori, Hannah, and Sophia} came down for a visit!



Needless to say, we all had a WONDERFUL time!!!!!















{{{{can't wait to see them again in October!!!!}}}}

Saturday, September 11, 2010

{just photos}






















Thursday, September 9, 2010

me and MY KIDDOS!!!!!!



Just a rare photo taken of me and MY KIDDOS on our way out the door {to have supper} at OutBacks's!

It was a day I felt fully refreshed and ready to take on...anything!

See, earlier that day that my sweet husband arrived home around 1PM (instead of his usually 5PM) and sent me to the SPA for an afternoon of peace and quiet...

Seriously ~ does it get any better ~ I don't think so...

Anyway that quiet afternoon at the spa did rejuvenated me enough to take on a busy night out with all of us at OutBacks's!

{{{{just don't tell me sweet husband that I would have went out to supper anyway ~ spa or no spa}}}}

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Our Precious Little Man

It has been almost two months since we arrived home as a Family of Five! In my opinion, these past two months has just flown by. Already school has started for Francesca (Kindergarten) and Annabelle will be starting Preschool on the 15th. Where did our summer go...

When I look back, I realize that so much has happened over this past summer. Back in the beginning of June, my very loving grandmother {aka G.G.} passed away. While the news was heart-wrenching, we knew it was only a matter of time before she was called back home. The day before she passed away, we found out from our agency that we would be traveling for our Benjamin within the next 2-3 weeks. Well, we left for China on the 23rd of June and didn't return home until July 10th.

Once we did return home, it seems like everything has been "out of our control".

First off, when I tried to add Benjamin to our health insurance policy, our provider gave us major problems and set backs. After three weeks of battling with them, we finally received notice that he would be added!

-but during this time -

We were rushed from one doctor's office to another to seek out the best medical treatment for our son.

After several visits, and too many to count conversations with our Pediatrician, Dr Cindy Fishman (who we all just love) and one of the top pediatric surgeons of the Washington DC area, Dr David Powell, we all decided that Children's of Washington DC Hospital was the best choice for our son.

So the appointments began...

And we were told that according to the information provided and from what we are all seeing, Benjamin's fistula problems was never corrected and from this he could be experiencing some major health problems...problems with his bowels, problems with his GI system, problems with his spine, a possibility of dwarfism, and most of all problems with his kidneys....worried that if he gets a kidney infection (because of the poop that is still passing through his kidneys) ~ his kidneys WILL shut down. Currently he is one medication to try to prevent this but nothing is full proof.

Since getting this news, our precious little boy has spent a night in Children's emergency room due to a 103.6 fever that we could not get down. Finally after a day of tests, consultations, and prayer - Benjamin's fever broke and we were sent home.

- but -

As we wait for more tests to be ordered, we find ourselves at the mercy of our insurance carrier to approve this tests.

So for now, we are sitting and waiting.

We are currently giving him Fleet enemas every night to try and clean out some of the poop that can NOT pass (it was discovered that his rectum is extremely smaller than normal size) through his rectum. If this doesn't work, he will be given a colostomy bag...which will be in his near future regardless seeing how he will be having surgery to correct his multiple fistulas. We are still not sure of when the surgery will take place but I am sure it will be soon.

As all of this was being "thrown our way" our bond as a family of five has grown extremely strong! Annabelle is loving the fact of having a little brother (to boss around) and she and Benjamin are known in our household as "Frick & Frack" because you rarely see one and not the other. Francesca is loving the fact of being the Big Sis in the house and she has truly been a HUGE help to me with the two younger ones.

So now that I have filled you all in on what's been going on with our little man ~let me share a few photos with you all!

Isn't he just so handsome!








I mean ~ seriously ~ I could just eat him up!



And those tiny {very tiny} toes...A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!


Friday, September 3, 2010










While I am no professional or even an experienced photographer, I do LOVE taking photographs! Back in July, the kiddos and I were invited to Brookside Gardens to see their amazing Butterfly Exhibit ~ and while I wasn't 100% sure about venturing out with three kiddos for the first time on my own - I did.

Thank You Kelly, Jameson & Elise for inviting us along! We sure all had a wonderful time!!!!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

First Day of School {for Francesca}

I know it has been ~ forever ~ since I last posted to our blog but that is all about to change....





While I do have a few posts waiting to be published, I am going to start with the most recent...





Our oldest Francesca 1st Day of School at Kindergarten! (which was August 30th)





Where did the time go...





Last thing I remembered was her being placed in my arms in a extremely crowded room in Nanchang Jiangxi Province China back in November of 2005...





I can't believe that she is this little lady that stands before us all today!





She truly had an amazing first day of school (while this Mama did not) and she has been super excited about going back - ever since (while this mama is still having a hard time letting go)...



Enjoying her breakfast before the big day!



Daddy even went into work late that day just so he could see his baby girl get on the BIG yellow bus...



Grandma even came in for the BIG day!



And while we waited for our time to come to venture outside for that BIG yellow bus, I decided to draw matching hearts on Francesca's and my hand :-)

As mention before, school and yes even that BIG yellow bus have been a success!

And while I do have so much more to share with you all {about our amazing beach vacation, our newest addition Benjamin, Benjamin medical status, and life as a family of five} I am going to have to save that for another day...