No worries

I just wanted to make sure no one got too worried if they see some strange chic with my kiddos. That would be me! I got my hair completely whacked and colored today. In the back, I think I got about 12 inches cut off. Seriously, my hair was down to my bra line (always the ultimate goal in high school) Now it is ABOVE my hairline on the back of my neck. I have NEVER, EVER had my hair so short - she actually had to use the clippers on my hairline, which is a first. It is an inverted or concave bob, I think. So, the front is alittle longer than the back. I was looking for styles and printed off a Jenny McCarthy pic and that is what I was going for. I don't think she angled it quite as much and mine is shorter than Jenny's - but I really like it. It is colored brown - basically back to where it should be.

This all came about because I had bought a home highlighting kit and did a horrible job. It wasn't so bad in the front where I could see and reach, but the back was spotty, I missed sections up at the top and I couldn't stand it. So, I had to get it colored and then I figured since my hair was in a ponytail every single day, I might as well try something new. (check the ISU family pic from 2 posts ago - not cute!)
So, I will attach a pic of the inspiration and if you can picture it shorter, much darker, and with my face - that would be me.

BTW - Jackson cried about it and I had been warning him for weeks that I was wanting to cut it. He is obsessed with my hair, has been since a baby - he would put himself to sleep by playing with it and he never grew out of that. Poor kiddo.



So, that was off-topic, but I just needed to warn y'all.

Otherwise all is well. Tarik rolled from back to tummy on Monday and is getting pretty good at sitting for several seconds. I am still having a wonderful time at home with Annalise and Tarik. I totally dread going back to work. Katie and Jack are having a fun week at school. It is homecoming week and they dressed up - crazy hair day, pj day, cowboy day, dressup day (since it was picture day) and tomorrow is black and gold day. Here are a couple pics.









Lastly, but not leastly, Happy Birthdays to my wonderful Sister, Elizabeth and mother-in-law Cheryl!!!

The Perfect Weekend!

Hello all. I am back from Washington and wanted to take a brief moment to share some non-adoption, non-family news. I have had a desire for what I call the Perfect Sports Weekend for a very long time. Basically all the teams I love win and those that I am not partial to, lose. (I am trying to say that nicely since I have family and friends who may root for those teams and I don't want to make anyone angry.) Suffice it to say, this has never happened for me before; at least that I can remember. Maybe it is because I like bad teams and dislike too many good teams. For what ever reason it has been a dream unfulfilled,...until last week.

Iowa State - Won
Iowa - Lost
Packers - Won
Vikings - Lost
Cubs - Won*
Cardinals - Lost

In a word - Nirvana!

*A quick note. The Cubbies played three games against the Cards. A double header on Saturday and one on Sunday. They took two out of three so I think that counts.

Nap time

Both Annalise and Tarik are asleep, though I am sure Anna will be waking up soon. So, just a quick update. Gary is in DC for a few days. My parents came yesterday for awhile so I wouldn't go crazy. Not that I can't handle it, but it is nice to have some help and an adult to talk to.

Katie and Jack both had AWESOME soccer games this past weekend. I think they both soccer 2 or 3 goals. They are having tons of fun. We also are signing them both up for scouts this year and they are very excited about that.

Annalise is still being a wonderful big sis'. Always tickling Tarik's toes and marveling at him, saying 'mr tarik is so tiny' - with the cutest little voice. She has decided to bite him a couple times, not sure what that was about. I think they were both kisses that turned into bites, once on the thumb and once on the cheek. Poor baby. She got in major trouble the second time, so I am hoping she is done with that. (Katie was a big biter between 1 and 2 years old, I had bruises all the time, along with some of her best pals at daycare - it was not alot of fun. I don't think Annalise will develop into that though.)

And Mr Tarik - he gained 1 lb, 7 oz in 2 weeks!!! He was 14 lb, 1 oz at his appointment last Wednesday. He was still making up alittle weight from his loss in Ethiopia, where he was at 13 lbs on August 15th. He is doing well, contining to do alittle more each day. He was full of smiles right before his nap, talking and gurgling. He is a sweety pie.

Lastly, go Cyclones. They miracloulsy won against the Hawkeyes last Saturday. Here is a pic of our family cheering them on!

Welcome to the crazy life

The 4 cousins (booty order - Ben, Tarik, Quinn, Lucy - 7 weeks apart)



(mommies and babies)



Great-grandpa and grandma with newest grandchild

It has been 2 weeks and 1 day since we got home and I can't believe it has been so long. And at the same time it seems like forever since we were in Ethiopia.
Here is a quick replay of the last couple weeks.

We were all feeling pretty good that first week after we got home, once we got caught up on sleep. (I really felt like a walking zombie that first Sunday and if I had stopped moving, I would have fallen asleep wherever I would have been standing/sitting.)
Then on that Friday, I almost fainted at the store. Like seriously had to make a sudden move to a bench and then ended up laying on the floor, otherwise I would have went down. I came home and had lots of 'tummy' troubles. I slept most of Friday afternoon and Saturday. I don't take naps, ever, so this was weird and I slept and slept. Vomiting, icky stuff. Miraculously, I felt tons better on Sunday and Labor Day. We spent those days introducing Tarik to the Mangrich's and Krob's and had a wonderful time! But then on Tuesday and into Wednesday, I was back to the icky stuff and just felt plain awful. In the mean time, Gary started feeling bad on Wednesday but trudged into work for his first day back on Thursday. Thursday night he was sick as a dog, a very sick dog. He went to the doctor on Friday. Tarik has been feeling great throughout all this, but his diapers were alittle weird and pretty stinky - more so than a usual BM. So, I took in a sample and he has Clostridium Difficile, or c-diff. Gary too. They are both on meds now. But since my symptoms are gone, my dr said they wouldn't treat me. It seems odd that Gary and I would have such similar symptoms and I don't have it, so we will see what happens. (BTW - poor G - the meds he is on causes a violent vomiting reaction with alcohol and he has to avoid it for the 7 day course of meds plus an additional 3 days!)

So, you think that is it?!?! Nope, Jack came home with a note on Friday saying Strep is going around 1st grade. Guess who got it? Oh yeah, Jackson! Poor kiddo!

But now to the star of our show! TARIK! He is growing and changing every day. He is now finishing those bottles like a champ and easily getting in 30 ounces a day. He is grabbing toys, loves the kick-start gym, can supports his weight on his legs - at least for a few seconds at a time. He coos and squeaks and squeals - sounds like R2-D2 from Star Wars sometimes. It is so cute. We have gotten a few laughs out of him, but that has to been when he is in his best moods. Lots of smiles (when he wants, which is not when the camera is ever on and available!). What a little joy he is.
And alot of work! Despite being an extremely easy baby, it is still alot of work. Part of that is because I have terrible mommy-guilt if I am not holding him or interacting with him at some level anytime he is awake. I was that way with all my kids. When they are awake I want to hold them or sit by them and talk to them while they play or have them in a chair by me so I can look at them while I am cooking. And with him, I feel it is even more important due to his rough start at life. I have to catch up on all that lost time. Lost time with him and me as mother and son. As well as lost time just for Tarik to experience things. I hope I am not over stimulating him, but I just feel like he needs alot of interaction.

Tarik has regressed in one area, the first few days we were home, he woke up once a night, but the last few nights it has been twice. That is tough, and I am so tired and will do anything to get back to sleep that I feed him. Not sure if that is what he needs, but it works. I did spend 35 minutes walking around the house with him last night but it didn't work, so I just fed him anyway. And that just makes me thing, 'if I would have fed him right away we could have been to sleep that much sooner'. So, I need to get that figured out. I have never been good at the let them cry it out methods...

I am trying to make sure we spend some one-on-one time with all the kids to be sure that we don't have any jealousy issues. Not doing too bad so far. I do have to share some of the funny things Anna has done though. Tarik is a big thumb sucker, so Anna has decided to stick her thumb in her mouth a few times, just to get alittle attention. When I am holding Tarik, she loves to climb into my lap too and say, 'Mommy have 2 babies' (and I assure her that I do have 2 babies). She also likes to lie next to him on the play mat and play with his baby toys. And - the best - she insists on taking a bath in the plastic baby bathtub. I let her once, should have taken a pic, it was like an elephant trying to squeeze into the regular bathtub.

OK, I guess that is it. In general things are going pretty good now, between illnesses and I really am thinking those are behind us now. So, if anyone was wanting to visit and needed an invite. Here it is, please feel free to stop over, just don't look at the house - it will be a mess.