We have a diagnosis!

The genetic doctor said we have FAE. We were expecting this diagnosis. He is going to send a letter this week stating the diagnosis and the other items we discussed. I discovered this with the help of counselors early on in the placement. He is also concerned about other syndromes we may be dealing with. Ugh! Both girls had blood work done that will take about 4-6 weeks for results. A full body x-ray was done on Beth. He said we only had to do one child because they are twins. I am confused a little bit about this because they are fraternal. I may have misunderstood what he was testing for. Anyway, hopefully we will have results from x-rays pretty quickly.

This morning I received an email from Kari Fletcher. She is a well know advocate for FAE and other related disorders. We had spoken with her about a month ago about FAS and our children. She is speaking at a permanancy conference in our state Thursday. She was checking in with me to see if I would be able to attend. Wow! How cool of God!! The day after we get a definate diagnosis, I get an email from Kari. I called her immediately to find out the details and to ask her opinion about our diagnosis. She said the FAE kids are sometimes the hardest to parent. They have average IQ's and they often don't look affected. These kids often do okay until their early teens. They begin falling behind academically and have a hard time processing their difficulties as they get older.

So, after speaking with her I contacted my state worker and told her what information I received from the doctor and asked about the conference. Anyway, I have arranged to be at her conference with all of the state workers that make these decisions on Thursday. We will all hear the same info at the same time!! I am so excited. She spoke in May at our state foster parent conference and I was unable to attend. I can't wait to hear her speak.

I sent an email to the state workers which includes the decision maker for my assistance request. She replied stating she will re-evaluate our case after the paperwork is received from the doctor. Yea!! At least she is going to reconsider. Hopefully after hearing Kari speak tomorrow, she will reconsider.

This will hold up the finalization again. I am okay with this because we need everything handled before we finalize.

God is in control!!! He is bigger than any of this!! I am so blessed that he has worked out every detail so I can attend this conference three hours from my home!! Now I just need the strength and energy to make it through the week. Tomorrow I will be out of town again with Beth and Ann for different testing and orthodontic appointments. I am so glad we homeschool because it travels!!!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! Philippians 4:13

Hard

Ann and Beth have appointments Monday with a geneticist in a large city about three hours from us. The state didn't approve requested items because we don't have a diagnosis. We already had the appointment scheduled, thank goodness. The state notified us Thursday of their decision.

I am having to complete forms for the appointment on Monday. It is very hard for me handle my feelings as I read back over their birth records and family history. I have such mixed emotions. The feelings and thoughts are so different than four months ago. When I read the documents before, I knew the girls were ours, but didn't know them yet. They are now my daughters and this makes me angry as I read. How could parents make the choices they did when two precious children were involved. This is what addicitions can do to you. I wonder why things weren't followed up on by DHR. I can't change the past, I just have to deal with it and move forward. I will press forward reviewing their history as I prepare for our appointment. I hope we get answers and not receive the run around again. It is hard to find a person that will diagnose.

Ann sucks two of her fingers. We have tried many things to help her stop. We have painted a yucky polish on. It worked for a few days and that is all. We have been putting band aids on her fingers. When she didn't have them on, they went straight in her mouth. She said she only needed one band aid, so we started only using one. I discovered this morning that she has been moving the band aid so she can suck them. She was watching TV and I saw her with them in her mounth. I checked her fingers and she had moved the band aid up so she could suck them. I was not happy at all!!! Intentional defiance!! I know it is an addiction that she has, but she knew exactly what she was doing when she moved the band aid. I told her I would be putting the band aids on both fingers and I will check them. The other girls told me they could hear her moving the band aids at night. Ugh!! Her days of sucking her fingers are numbered. We are having an appliance placed in her mouth Wednesday so she can't suck them. I hope it works. My husband says she won't be able to take it out, so it should work. I hope so!!

Sisters...having fun!

A friend of mine sent me these cute pictures of the girls from the pool this summer. I thought I would share them with you. It reminds me that even though the girls argue and fuss, they really do love each other. Once again, I wish I could show their beautiful faces. When the adoption is final, I will be posting many pictures WITH faces.

What a glorious Day!!

Beth getting in the water to be baptized.


Beth listening as they are talking with her about baptism.

Ann getting used to the water. The heater must not have helped too much. Ann listening to the questions as they prepare her for baptism.

My husband and the elders praying over Ann after her baptism. They prayed for Beth also, but I didn't have a picture without her face showing.

Morgan about to be baptized. I love the way she is looking at her daddy.

Morgan is so happy about being baptized. She asked Jesus in her heart when she was 4 1/2 but never would get baptized. How neat of God to plan it so all of my girls would be baptized on the same day.

Morgan being prayed for after her baptism.

Before the girls were baptized, various members of our church body shared scripture and words God had given each of them. One thing shared by a friend of ours was the connection between being adopted into God's family and being adopted into our family. She reminded them they are all princesses of the King. It was so neat for someone else to share this with them. The friend is 19 and babysat Morgan for many years when she was younger. It was very sweet.

Sorry!

I will get the baptism pictures posted soon. I just haven't had time. Well, I started one time and loaded five pictures and then they disappeared. I haven't started again. I have some precious pictures.

We started school yesterday. T, A, and M did well. Ann and Beth struggled some. Beth is doing great so far today. She has "turned her brain on" today. It sure makes things easier on everyone. Ann is not focused today. We use office chairs in our school room so the height can be adjusted for each child. Well, after too many warnings, she lost hers because of the constant spinning and twisting. She almost ended up in her bed after I took it away because of the pouting and tears. Later, she was lying on the table...ugh! She got it together enough to make it to break. I am about to go teach more so we will see how she is acting. She will not get it back until tomorrow.

Please pray for us, we have some spiritual warfare going on with Beth. The world calls it something major, but we believe she has a music or praise and worship calling on her life and therefore we are having to fight for her. Please intercede for her and me as well as we fight with and for her.

Baptizing tomorrow!

We are baptizing all three girls. It has been totally crazy around here. My parents are here and my husband's parents are here. We are having 22 people for lunch tomorrow. I think I have everything ready. The girls are loving the attention, but behaving well.

We are going to start school Monday, ready or not. I know I can open the math and grammar books and begin. I can also probably begin literature. I believe it will help everyone to be back to more structure.

Ann is being referred for auditory processing testing. I am glad the doctor suggested this. I really didn't know where to begin to get this done. We have wanted this done for a while.

I spoke with my state social worker yesterday. I am given the impression that she believes everything I have told her about my girls. She is going to push them to make some decisions next week regarding our subsidy. Once that gets made, hopefully we can finalize the adoption. I am more than ready!! I am ready for them to be totally mine where I can make decisions and not worry about what the state thinks.

The state has decided they shouldn't have been placed on my private insurance after all. They don't legally have our name. The doctor's office couldn't use two last names so they can't file on two insurances. What a mess!! I am going to call our insurance company Monday and see if we can get them retroactively removed. What a mess!!

Busy Times

This week has been really busy. My sister-in-law and her three boys were here Sunday afternoon until Monday. She was able to finally meet the girls. All 8 eight of the children played well together. We were able to plan our Disney trip. We are going to go in September. We will have about 2 days with them while we are there. It is totally unbelievable the cost to go to Disney. We were able to find a newly renovated hotel for abouyt $78 a night and it includes a full breakfast. Well, the included meal is worth at least $50 more dollars. We found a resort for not much more but it didn't include breakfast. We couldn't pass up the breakfast being included.

Monday night we had a swim team end of the year party. The kids had dinner and cake and awards. They all seemed to enjoy the party.

Tuesday we had counselor appointments. Everything was good until they started talking about insurance. We aren't sure if they are suppose to be on my insurance and Medi*aid or just Medi*aid. They have been added to our private insurance, but should they have been since we aren't their legal parents yet. Their name hasn't changed. One more mess to figure out. I am so ready for this two be final so we can just live our lives!

Today Tucker had his wisdom teeth removed. He did well, but always has blood pressure problem in recovery. It takes him longer to be able to leave. He had done well today. I hope he continues to improve.

The girls are doing okay. They revealed some new things to the counselor yesterday that were surprising to me. I am digesting these things and hoping they aren't really a big deal. The couselor did suggest Auditory Processing Testing for Ann. We weren't surprised about this at all. I am almost glad we now have this referral. Which insurance do we use?

I am hoping to start school again Monday. I am hoping to get prepared over the next few days. Our life has been so busy, I haven't been able to get my act together. We will have school next week and then the next week we have three doctors appointments. Two about three hours away, one on Monday and one on Friday. One on Wednesday about an hour away. Will this ever slow down?

All three girls will be baptized on Sunday. We are very happy and all grandparents will be here for the big day. Beth and Ann are new Christians. Morgan was saved a few years ago but has been afraid of being baptized. Now that she is the big sister, she isn't missing out. How sweet of God to work it out so they will be baptized together. My husband will baptize them with our preacher and elders around him. How awesome!!