We are about to go trick or treating in a few hours, and I'm really hoping Lulu is going to have a lot of fun. She was able to wear her costume 2 times already, but has not worn the bottom part of her princess skirt that lights up and changes colors. I can't wait to see how it looks tonight! We had fun carving out our pumpkins and explained to her that she will see a lot of them tonight. I also tried to warn her that some people may look really scary, but that it's just a costume. We are meeting up with a couple and their kids that I've never met before (they are friends of Brad's), and I hope Lulu doesn't peeter out too soon. She usually does not take naps on the weekends, but I insisted today, and she is sleeping next to me on the couch right now.
Lulu made it through her echocardiogram last week! She was so good, but towards the end kept saying she wanted to go home. Fortunately, her heart looks good, so now she can be sedated for her fillings and an MRI. I still have to get her to an ophthalmologist. She is diagnosed with micro cornea of her right eye. I'm not sure if her vision is bad, but her visual/motor perception is really poor. She has drawn happy faces and other things either sideways or upside down. It's something we need to work a lot more on.
Lulu started swimming lessons yesterday morning at UNF (where I went to PT school). I used to swim there a lot and have such great memories of going to school there. After Lulu's class we walked on the trails and looked at the fish and turtles from a bridge over one of the lakes at school. It feels good going back there and I'm amazed at how much the college has grown. Lulu did great at her first lesson. There are three teachers and each one had three kids they worked with. I told the instructor about Lulu's right sided weakness and that she is still learning English. She said Lulu did great except for not understanding that she shouldn't kick her legs while trying to float! She gets so excited in the water, and I'm so glad they have lessons there since we can't swim at the community pools now. I am loving being a mom and experiencing all the 'firsts' in Lulu's life!
I hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween! I will post some pictures tomorrow!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Loving this time of year!
We had a great day yesterday picking out pumpkins and playing at the pumpkin patch. We have 2 large pumpkins to carve and last night we colored 3 little ones. After picking out pumpkins we had a nice lunch, then went to a park. I am so looking forward to Halloween this year. I never got in to dressing up for Halloween as an adult (at least not for awhile now), but am really looking forward to seeing Lulu dressed up and experience trick or treating with her. Brad and I haven't decided if we're going to dress up, although Lulu wants me to be a princess with her, and for Brad to go as Oscar the Grouch in a garbage can! Poor Brad!
Lulu had a great week at school last week, and did great at home as well. One day at school she saw a police horse named Chocolate that she got to pet, a police motorcycle, and sat in the front of a police car. When they turned the siren on she freaked out, and her teacher had to console her for 15 minutes. She hates loud noises! A couple days later the kids walked to an area where a helicopter was and got to see it take off. She was so excited telling me about the fast propellers as she was spinning her arm round and round, and telling me about the doors and the windows. Her teacher said she did pretty well and wasn't as upset with the helicopter noise as she was with the siren.
Last Monday Lulu had her first dentist appointment. I hated having to wait so long to schedule an appointment, but knew she wouldn't have made it through it until now. She actually did get frustrated, and kept telling the woman "no more!". Since she kept moving during the x-rays, they had to repeat them several times. But, she did get through it all, and unfortunately has 2 cavities. I knew for sure that she had one, which is pretty big, and she has another small one. Now she has to make it through an echocardiogram before they can sedate her to do the fillings. We tried having an echo our first month home, and she had a huge tantrum the second she was in the room. Since she understands a lot more English now, I'm hoping she will be able to complete it. I've already told her we need pictures of her heart like we had pictures of her teeth, and explained the procedure to her. I just need to make the appointment and hope it turns out well. She needs the echo to be sedated for her MRI as well.
Lulu had a great week at school last week, and did great at home as well. One day at school she saw a police horse named Chocolate that she got to pet, a police motorcycle, and sat in the front of a police car. When they turned the siren on she freaked out, and her teacher had to console her for 15 minutes. She hates loud noises! A couple days later the kids walked to an area where a helicopter was and got to see it take off. She was so excited telling me about the fast propellers as she was spinning her arm round and round, and telling me about the doors and the windows. Her teacher said she did pretty well and wasn't as upset with the helicopter noise as she was with the siren.
Last Monday Lulu had her first dentist appointment. I hated having to wait so long to schedule an appointment, but knew she wouldn't have made it through it until now. She actually did get frustrated, and kept telling the woman "no more!". Since she kept moving during the x-rays, they had to repeat them several times. But, she did get through it all, and unfortunately has 2 cavities. I knew for sure that she had one, which is pretty big, and she has another small one. Now she has to make it through an echocardiogram before they can sedate her to do the fillings. We tried having an echo our first month home, and she had a huge tantrum the second she was in the room. Since she understands a lot more English now, I'm hoping she will be able to complete it. I've already told her we need pictures of her heart like we had pictures of her teeth, and explained the procedure to her. I just need to make the appointment and hope it turns out well. She needs the echo to be sedated for her MRI as well.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Five Months since Forever Family Day!
I haven't been posting lately since not much is new. Lulu is still doing good in preschool and having more good days than bad. She still misses her foster family a lot. She mentions her younger foster brother every day. Whatever is happening at home or school, she refers to him as if he is doing the same things that she is. She talks about her other siblings as well and at times about her China mommy and daddy. I know it must be hard for her to not have any siblings around. I'm so glad she likes the dogs and that I can spend a lot of time playing with her. I'm going to sign her up for Playball at school and she will be starting swimming lessons soon at UNF. The pool is indoors and heated. The community swimming pools are now closed (although the weather is still warm), and she really likes to swim (with a swim float around her). I hope she is not terrified of having to put her face under the water. She practices a little in the tub blowing bubbles with just her nose and mouth.
My parents were in town last week since my mom did one of the local running races. Lulu only saw them for a couple of hours, but Grandma, Lulu and I had fun dancing to Madonna and coloring. Lulu loves to color and her coloring has improved tremendously. She also loves Madonna and we dance almost every day. If not at home, then bopping our heads and upper body in the car.
Brad is out of town this weekend and fortunately my sister came to visit. It was good timing since I don't think Lulu would have done as well as she did with Daddy being gone overnight for the first time. We went to the FCC monthly family dinner last night, and Lulu did better with joining the other girls at the craft table. She usually wants me to sit there with her. I'm pretty sure she is shy because of her English compared to the other girls who were adopted when they were a lot younger and can speak English clearly. My sister, Lulu and I shopped some before and after the dinner, and then again today. My sister spoiled Lulu, buying her a lot of fun fall and winter clothes and some new toys. I'm going to have a lot of fun shopping for Lulu for Christmas. I haven't really been excited about this time of year for a long time now. I also usually hate the time change, but I'm looking forward to it this year. I'm really hoping that it will make Lulu settle down sooner at night.
Lulu wants to be a Princess for Halloween! I imagine that's what most little girls want to be at her age. We bought a really cute costume that has little lights on the bottom of the dress. She already has a tiara, earrings and wand from Lynn and Pat, and I bought her some cute sparkly silver shoes. I can't wait to see her all dolled up. We've been talking to her about Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. We haven't made it to a pumpkin patch yet, but need to do it soon. I'm looking forward to us carving out pumpkins and going trick or treating.
My parents were in town last week since my mom did one of the local running races. Lulu only saw them for a couple of hours, but Grandma, Lulu and I had fun dancing to Madonna and coloring. Lulu loves to color and her coloring has improved tremendously. She also loves Madonna and we dance almost every day. If not at home, then bopping our heads and upper body in the car.
Brad is out of town this weekend and fortunately my sister came to visit. It was good timing since I don't think Lulu would have done as well as she did with Daddy being gone overnight for the first time. We went to the FCC monthly family dinner last night, and Lulu did better with joining the other girls at the craft table. She usually wants me to sit there with her. I'm pretty sure she is shy because of her English compared to the other girls who were adopted when they were a lot younger and can speak English clearly. My sister, Lulu and I shopped some before and after the dinner, and then again today. My sister spoiled Lulu, buying her a lot of fun fall and winter clothes and some new toys. I'm going to have a lot of fun shopping for Lulu for Christmas. I haven't really been excited about this time of year for a long time now. I also usually hate the time change, but I'm looking forward to it this year. I'm really hoping that it will make Lulu settle down sooner at night.
Lulu wants to be a Princess for Halloween! I imagine that's what most little girls want to be at her age. We bought a really cute costume that has little lights on the bottom of the dress. She already has a tiara, earrings and wand from Lynn and Pat, and I bought her some cute sparkly silver shoes. I can't wait to see her all dolled up. We've been talking to her about Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. We haven't made it to a pumpkin patch yet, but need to do it soon. I'm looking forward to us carving out pumpkins and going trick or treating.
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