Update to the post below

I just got off the phone with a UAMS coordinator for DHS. Got all those initials? She works for UAMS hospital, but she is in charge of all the foster kids with DHS to make sure they get all the services they need. She was VERY nice. He just recently had a PACE evalution.....(I don't know what those letters stand for) but it is an all around evalutation that they do when they come into care, and then he will have to go back for that in 6 months I think. He was not with us when he had that evaluation, and I haven't been given any real info on him except what Christie told me, so she said she would mail me a copy of his evaluation. Then, she asked me if he is holding his head up. She said that at his evaluation, (that was done 2 days before we got him) that it noted no head control. So I was so proud to be able to report to her how he has been pushing up holding his head up, and I was also able to report that his reflux has gotten SO much better too. Yey for Baby Zachariah!!!!!

Today

This little boy is changing everyday. Just this week his mood has improved so much, and he has been so alert. It is exciting to see his personality come out....(you know, besides Mr. Discontent). He had the best day yesterday...very happy and alert all day. And then, last night, he slept from 11-5, Clay got up and fed him at 5 and he went back down, and slept until 10:30!! Now tonight he will probably be back to up every 3 hrs again, but I was proud of him!! Haha his eyes are a little swollen today from all that sleeping!

We bought him this chair last week, and he really enjoys it. This is the only place he will stay content for any length of time if I am not holding him and he is away. He sat there about 30 mins last night just watching us.

His latest thing, when I am holding him against my chest, he pushes back. I made the comment last night that it would be great if someone could stand behind me, and take pictures of him b/c he looks totally different from that angle. Well, since the person I was speaking to about it didn't show any interest in my photography needs, I had the idea today to prop him on the arm of the chair, and it had the same effect. I love it when babies are trying this at the beginning, and they concentrate so hard, and they are bobbing all around...it is so cute!



This one makes me laugh out loud. He is looking at me like, "how many pictures are you going to take???" Son, you just don't know where you live, do ya?

Wordless Wednesday

Our first day with him

Here are more pictures from our first day with him that I had on my little camera. Thank you Leah for making sure that he has pictures taken with his "momma"!

He LOVES a bath. Everytime I give him one he is so happy just splashing around. The other night, he cried for over 2 hours, and I finally gave him a bath and it calmed him down instantly. This was his first one here...you see my 2 big helpers? They are right by my side everytime I give him a bath, fighting over who will help....then they fight over who will help me with his diaper and dress him afterwards. (I only stepped back long enough to take this picture)

We only used this little one a couple of times, as I realized he wanted more room to spread out. I Now run about 2 inches of water in the big tub and lay him on his back and he loves to flap those arms.

WIPEOUT!

Does anyone watch this show?? Leah has gotten us hooked on it. I think this is the only show we look forward to watching as a family now that we don't have cable. Tonight when I announced it was on, I heard a loud shout out of WOO HOOOOOO from Leah.

Before Baby Z came along, I would get up during a commercial to do something, get distracted, and never end up back at the tv. It is so very hard for me to sit still to watch tv. Well now, he likes for me to hold him so much, plus, I am so tired, it is very easy for me to just sit there during an entire tv show, but I like that. During the evening, I am right there in the middle of everything going on with the kids instead of fluttering around the house.

The last 2 weeks, I have watched the entire episode of Wipeout. And I guess b/c I am so tired, it has made me laugh so hard, it has brought me to tears. I know it is b/c I am delirious, I can feel it. Once I start laughing, I cannot stop. I was just boohooing last week....freaked the girls out. This week, when I started it again, Rachel said, "oh no, not again!" It is just so stinking funny to me!! Normally, I don't like things that the announcers say trying to be funny, but even that is funny to me on this show. I just laugh at everything on there. Yep...it is probably my need for sleep. Is it really that funny??

Random things about school

1. The first day of school, Rachel came home so excited that her and some other girls were looking through people's lunchboxes, and she was naming me off so excitedly all the things that were in there.

2. I love picking them up from school and listening to their excited chatter about all that they did at day. They inform each other all the times they spotted the other one during the day...who waved, who ignored the other one...it is so funny.

3. Our neighbor across the street is in Noah's class. And, they have discovered there is another boy in their class that also lives on our street too.

4. Everyday after school I get the lowdown on each child Noah plays with...which Star Wars character they like, and which Episode is their favorite movie. Noah has turned into a true Star Wars nerd. Every word out of his mouth is about Star Wars. (Last night, Leah was asking me what divorce is, and as Clay was explaining, Noah broke into an analogy about how it is like Star Wars, and the battle of the Sythe.....yep, he is a true nerd...)

5. I worried that I shouldn't hold Noah back into the 1st grade as it might be too easy for him. Things are easy right now, but he likes that. Leah on the other hand....just breezes through everything, and does seem bored, and this is the grade she is suppose to be in.

6. Going through their papers every night takes me at least an hour.

7. We spend 2 hrs a day taking them to and from school.

8. Those 3 hours would have been more than enough time for us to do our schoolwork each day. But the relief I feel in not having to fight with them to do that 3 hrs of work, is such a relief right now.

9. Their handwriting has improved by 100% in just a week. Now why wouldn't they do that for me? That is what set me off into the frenzy that put them in school.

10. I miss them terribly. It is so quiet at this house, I just about can't stand it. And, my social status has change. I am no longer a homeschool mom. or a preschooler's mom that stays home. I guess I am a stay at home mom of a 2 month old...that isn't mine.....but I don't know a single other person that is like that. I feel just as alone as I did when Noah was born. I don't like it.

11. Yesterday, Leah's school papers were full of praises. Leah is a smart girl...Leah is a great reader....100%...good job, smiley faces all over her papers. And then, on the paper I had do sign, a note to me that Leah needs to practice her cutting. Her CUTTING? Seems I forgot about teaching her that in kindergarten when all she wanted to do was learn to read. Leah just about got hostile with me about it...stating that it was b/c the only person I ever let cut was Rachel. Sorry baby....I thought you knew how to cut.

12. Running errands yesterday, Rachel said to me, "momma, that stop sign is an OCTOGON!" Yep Rachel, you now know something that I forgot to teach your brother and sister.

Belated pics from Noah's b-day

I am really behind posting these pics b/c I have been so slow to load my camera to my computer. These pics are from Noah's b-day. All 3 kids love to help me cook, but it can be pretty overwhelming for them to all 3 want to help at the same time, so I made a rule that just one gets to help with another's cake. Rachel made Leah's cake, Leah make Noah's, and Noah make Rachel's. It worked pretty well except Rachel did still try to be right in the middle of it. I think Leah really could have done the whole cake by herself. She is really good in the kitchen, and really enjoys it.

And, b/c I am such a horrible cake decorator, I just let her have at it, and she even wrote his name on there. Truly, I think she did better than I would have.


I was very proud of my girls. I took them to the store, and they spent all of the money that they had on his gifts from them, and they didn't even ask to buy anything for themselves. It was very nice to see how generous they were, and to see their excitement in knowing they had spend their own money on him.