Birthdays

Aidan and Cian both had birthday's back in November. Aidan turned 9 and Cian turned 7. Cian had a bowling party and Aidan had a laser tag party. We have been having lots of trouble with our camera (and hoping Santa brings another one for Christmas!), but we just got it barely functioning again so I can post pictures.
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Cian happily opening gifts on the morning of the b-day.

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Waiting for the guests to arrive.
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Maeve's first bowling experience. We weren't even planning on her playing when one of the boys didn't show up. She loved it!
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Aidan, as usual, taking things seriously.
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Siblings and cousins take a break as they watch Maeve's ball S.L.O.W.L.Y roll down the lane. I think Maeve single handily added 45 minutes onto her lane's time.
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Getting ready to cut the cake.
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Sadly, this is the only picture I took at Aidan's party. I know--greatest parent in the world award is coming my way. I again blame the camera for breaking (I think) or the bad laser tag atmosphere for picture taking. Either way, you will have to take my word for it when I tell you he had a great time with a big smile on his face.

Recent pictures

Here are some left over pictures from Thanksgiving (actually we just charged our camera, so we can post the pictures)
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The boys at Thanksgiving brunch.
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The girls looking gorgeous as ever!
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We went to see ICE! at the Gaylord Texan. It was themed after Charlie Brown this year. Very cold, but very cool.
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We got one semi-decent picture of the kids together. Thankfully we had our Christmas cards done this summer because this was not a good day for picture taking.
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Dave and Cian all bundled up for ICE!
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The kids in a sleigh. Maeve constantly looks like she is trying to escape.
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Some of the very cool sculptures.
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Aidan's class from his Christmas program last night.
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Cian's class from the program.
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What a sad day

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I didn't know Elizabeth Edwards or her family, but my heart goes out to them today. Such a loss for our world!

Halloween

Another Halloween has come & gone and this was a great one. Perfect weather and fairly cooperative kids. We love Halloween around here and this year was no different. We decided not to host a houseful of guest this year for various reasons and it was nice to have a more low key night. The neighborhood shops once again hosted their trick or treat event so most of the candy in our house came from them. We did hit the rounds and made it about 3 blocks this year, which is our longest outing yet. Maeve actually participated just a little bit this year. She was more interested in eating the candy the.exact.moment.she.got.it. Not doing so caused a few tears, but I think she now gets the point that it is not a meal, so much as a treat.
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This year we had a scream character (Aidan), Woody (Cian), Batman (Fintan) and Jesse (Maeve). Our cousins- sailor girl, iron man and princess were also on hand to celebrate!

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Our Toy St0ry crew.

Chiefs

Aidan, Cian and I had the chance to go to the Chiefs' game this past Sunday with my dad, brother and niece. We had such a good time and what a great game. The boys love football (they seriously got nothin from me!) and even if you didn't love football, Chiefs' games are just fun. Unfortunately Aidan started not feeling well during the game (which resulted in 3 days of fever and vomiting, but that FUN is for another post!) and it was Halloween so we couldn't stay the whole time. We loved tailgating and everything red Sunday entails. Can't wait to go again!
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All decked out in our gear!

Cian's soccer

I did a horrible job of getting pictures of Cian during this soccer season, so I had to cram them in on the last game. Unfortunately the game was a slaughter with Cian's team not on the winning side, but they played really well. He had such a great season and really enjoyed getting to know these boys. We are looking forward to the Spring league already.
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The Casts are Off (Before and After)

Maeve has had her casts off for about a week and a half now and things are going pretty well. We have run the emotional roller coaster this past week regarding our decision to do this surgery. See, the to-do or not-to-do surgery for cleft feet is difficult to make as a parent. This is not a common defect in North America and little information has been published to support one decision over the other. Of the research that has been done, the recommendation is to close the clefts (as much as possible) prior to the child's 3rd birthday. The goal of the surgery is a little bit cosmetic and a little bit comfort. Maeve's function (walking, running, climbing, jumping etc) was perfect before the surgery. She did not need this procedure in order to improve any particular function. Her biggest issue was that her feet were very wide. Based on her x-rays and the way her clefts were formed, her feet would have continued to spread as she grew. There was already some shoe fitting issues (we had to buy a 1/2 size larger to fit her left foot) and her left foot really rubbed on the outer portion of the shoe. Eventually this would have caused some issues. As far as cosmetic, Maeve's feet are never going to look "normal" and we are okay with that. We love her feet and her hands and every other part of her just as we love the individuality of our boys. At the same time, we know growing up is going to be difficult for her at times. We will give her as much strength as we can, but also realize she will have to face some difficult questions and experiences. One goal of the surgery is to close the cleft a bit and give the foot a more "normal" appearance. Maeve's clefts were pretty deep and wide to the point that someone would be able to see the cleft if she were wearing certain (what I call "girly") shoes. Again- this was okay with us, but we wondered if this would be okay to Maeve. Our hopes for the surgery were that with some of the cleft closed, she would have a little more control over with whom and when she shared her feet.

We agonized back and forth over the decision to make for Maeve. It was difficult because we didn't want to *wait* and miss our window to do the surgery, but also didn't want to rush into something that wasn't right for Maeve. Then we made our trip to St. Louis and met Maeve's surgeon. He was wonderful and had experience with cleft feet. He was very encouraging about the outcome and really put our fears to rest. Obviously, we decided to move forward.

The surgery itself went well. They had to do more bone reconstruction than they were expecting, but hopefully it all prevents her from having to have any future surgeries. Originally when Maeve's casts were removed, Susie and I were taken aback. We knew her feet would not look *normal*, but we found ourselves staring at her feet thinking they looked exactly the same. Funny how not seeing something for 5.5 weeks allows you to forget. At the same time, Maeve was super tentative to walk or bear any weight on her feet. We somewhat expected this, but not to the extent that it occurred. Maeve was in lots of pain for a few days and moderate pain for about a week anytime she attempted to walk. She was back on narcotics for about 5 days. Of course in our minds we were thinking, "she will never walk again and we have forever changed her life!" Thankfully that was not the case and things have slowly returned to normal. Maeve is walking much better--almost pre-surgery-esque and starting to jump and slightly run. She is in zero pain and I think most of her previous pain was probably related to fear and sensitivity rather than actually bone pain.

As we get more used to her new feet, we are very happy with the results. Her feet are actually straight and slide right into shoes. No more squeezing and cramming. She could probably use an entire size smaller in her shoes. She still has clefts in her feet, but they are much smaller and the bases (or rear) of her feet are normal. I think she will be happy with the decision we made.

The important message we would like to get out about this "special need" is that it is completely manageable. The decision to pursue surgery is each individual parent's to make. At one point we were talking with our adoption agency and the rep told us that only one other family has even considered a child with cleft feet since Maeve. They can't get perspective parents to even look at the children's files. I don't get it. This is so easy (really it is!). Aside from this surgery, we don't even think about Maeve's differences. She is such an amazing child and I am so thankful our lives were matched. I hope someone else is out there and maybe reading this post, considering a child with cleft hands and feet. DO IT!
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Pre surgery.

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Post surgery.

Some updates

We have had quite the Fall around here and I haven't had much of any time to jot down on the activities. Aidan and Cian have been playing football (A) and soccer (C). Both are wrapping up right now and they both have had great seasons. Aidan has scored two touch downs, but more importantly he has LOVED every minute of this sport. Cian scored a goal at his last soccer game (no pictures...sad) and he was thrilled. Both boys have also made some unfortunate trips to the ER. Cian fell into a wall (maybe was pushed by a brother, but surely it was by accident!) and became the proud recipient of two staples in his head. Lots of blood (heads are bleeders), but surprisingly little pain. Aidan then broke his left pointer finger during football practice. He only needed to wear a splint for 5 days, but it is still quite swollen and he can't bend it well. It is interfering with his violin!
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Mr. A (#23) looking oh-so-serious as he lines up.
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Back in early October we celebrated Maeve's 3rd birthday with a Dor@ celebration. She loves her some Dor@ and was happy to accept all related gifts. It was a fun night and perfect weather for the kids to be outside.
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I think she actually understood what was happening this year. The cake was a work of love from Mommy. And by "love" I mean hours of stress and cursing (jk)!
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Birthday girl ready for the party to start.
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We have also visited two pumpkins patches. I personally find pp's to be lots of money for little reward, but maybe I am just a stick in the mud. The kids had a good time. The first patch was way better than the second.
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Fintan posing with the swine.
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Aidan growing and growing.
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We attempted some pictures of the kids. Maeve's casts were not cooperating and neither were the children. These scenes always look picture perfect, but they are actually muddy, wet and pumpkins vines/stems have thorns. How did I never know this? Anyway, this was the best picture we got and we didn't waste a lot of time getting a better one.
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Last weekend we had our Trivia Night at up the kids' school. It was a great event and this year's theme was "As Seen on TV." Our table went as characters from Cheers. We had a blast and though we were beat out by the Jersey Sh0re table (grrrr!), it didn't damper our night.

Three Weeks To Go

We are 2.5ish weeks post surgery and have about 3 more weeks in casts. It couldn't get here soon enough. Maeve is doing wonderfully, but the immobility of this whole situation is a challenge. She is getting very comfortable watching TV and being carried everywhere! She never complains about her casts and almost accepts them as things that will be here forever. It is too funny. We were expecting constant complaints about them, but after the first few days she has never really mentioned them again. It is almost like they have always been there. She also never complains of itching or discomfort. This is all good, because it is making the time much more bearable. She is completely off the pain medication (acutally has been for about a week). Unfortunately this surgery has completely set back the potty training and she has no interest now. Thankfully we heard from her new preschool and they will let her start once the casts are off potty trained or not. This is a huge relief because we were starting to worry about where she was going to go for that one day per week. It looks like everything is falling into place.

The boys are all doing great too and the Fall has proven to be a super busy time of year around here. Aidan is doing flag football and absolutely loving it. He talks about it all the time and wishing for more practices and games. We haven't really seen this from him regarding other sports, so it is great to watch. He has always liked everything and asked to play different sports, but never really LOVED them like football. Cian is playing soccer and also really enjoying it. He is on a new team, but it is working out well and he is playing well. His coach is great with the kids so we are enjoying the experience too. Fintan is (kinda) playing soccer. He is technically on a team, but has yet to participate in it at all. We are seriously considering pulling him out of it. We never started the other boys this early, but Fintan really wanted to play so we thought, Why not? Once it started, he cries the entire time and refuses to do anything. We are getting really frustrated with his behavior and he is worrying about it all week long (when is the next game!!!). It is just not worth it, so I think we have learned that Kindergarten might just be the year to start sports for our kids. Anything before that just doesn't seem to work out. Oh well.

Aidan and Cian have also started cub scouts again. They both really enjoy it so that is good. This year we are selling popcorn, so if anyone wants some let us know!!
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Maeve has taken over our den/playroom as "her room."

What a difference a Day Makes

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The princess is back on her thrown and directing traffic all around her. Susie asked her today if she needed a bell and Maeve responded with a quick "No." Screaming "MOM" is apparently much more efficient. Our new pain medication routine is working well and Maeve had a pretty good night. She still is asking us constantly to take her "socks" off, but hopefully as her pain gets better those request will (might/hopefully) decrease. She is non-weight bearing for the next FIVE weeks so the next challenge will be keeping her down. She has already tried to stand up a few times, so this will be interesting.

Home

We are home. Maeve had a horrible day and we are quite frustrated with the care we received from Shriners right now. I'm sure our perspective will change over the next few days, but for right now we are happy to be home. Pain control is a huge issue, so the next few days will be tough!

Surgery Complete

After a very long day, Maeve is out of surgery and in her room. They had to cut into the bones on both feet and place pins so she is in plaster casts on both feet. They are not over the knee as we thought so that is good. The MD is very happy with the outcome and he says the feet look great. Maeve will be in the casts for 5 weeks.

For now she is doing okay. Not too much pain and hopefully will get some sleep tonight. Her IV came out this evening and because she is drinking well they didn't put it back in. The down side is that she hates the pain medicine so the IV would have come in handy. Susie is with her tonight so we will see how the night goes. Thanks for all the prayers today!!

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Getting checked in and not too sure about all this.

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Hanging out in the play room. This is one of the last smiles Maeve gave us during this trip.

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In the recovery room. She still had the epidural block at this time, so life was still pretty good.

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Maeve's Surgery

We (Susie, Maeve and I) are in St. Louis for Maeve's big surgery tomorrow. She is having her cleft feet repaired. We are very excited to get this completed and yet nervous for her and for the unknowns that are out there. Hopefully all goes well tomorrow and she has a quick recovery. She should be in casts for about 3 weeks. We will have more information tomorrow and will update the blog throughout the day. If you think about it, please say a prayer for Maeve tomorrow morning!
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A New Year begins

A new school year has started and everyone seems settled into their surroundings. Aidan started 3rd grade. He is playing flag football and we are still deciding on swim team. I depends on how much time we have between all the sports. Cian is in 1st grade. He is playing soccer and really enjoying everything. Fintan is in Pre-K three days a week. He is still going through some adjustments as some of the kids have changed in his class. He is having some moments of "I'm trying very hard not to cry" as we walk into his classroom. He does well at school, but it is hard breaking to see him sad in the morning! Hopefully he will feel more comfortable soon. Maeve is enjoying some peace in quiet at home and getting some quality one-on-one time with us!

The weather has changed (at least this week!) to a very comfortable temp outside, so we are enjoying the break from the heat!

Reunions

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We headed to Dallas this weekend to have a family reunion with Susie's siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and anyone else who cared to join in. We had a great time and enjoyed everyone's company. We can't wait for the next one!

Hilton Head Island

We just returned from a wonderful week on Hilton Head Island. I think it is our favorite place in America!! I love beach vacations and Hilton Head is beautiful!! The kids had a blast playing in the sand, boogie boarding, hunting for shells and biking. It was a super relaxing vacation and we are ready to move there!!! Unfortunately that won't be happening because apparently it takes a job and money to live on an island--neither of which we have. What a rip! So I guess we will just have to settle for a yearly vaca there!

Another great part of the trip was an opportunity to meet up with two families from our China travel group. One family lives on HHI and the other family is from Salt Lake. We all planned it so we would be there at the same time and it was great to see them and their little girls again. Amazing how much they have changed in the past 16 months!
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Aidan and Cian catching some waves

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Maeve relaxing at Steamer Seafood Co.
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Cian searching for shells at "the drop off." (Really it is just a place that leaves behind all kinds of ocean life when the tide rolls out)
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The boys down by the water, looking for crabs at The Old Oyster Factory.

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Maeve modeling her swimsuit

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Fintan and Maeve hanging out after a bicycle ride

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Aidan and Madeline at The Salty Dog Cafe. This was right after our amazing Dolphin Cruise. We were lucky to get right behind a shrimp boat that was dumping the days catch (or at least the shrimp that were worth keeping). We saw about 20 dolphins gobbling up breakfast!

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Maeve enjoying the waves.

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Maeve and Fintan enjoyed a game of jumping the waves. All work was done by Daddy!

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Cian getting some board time
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The China girls and dads. (Chelsee, Sarah, Maeve)
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The China girls and the moms. It was awesome to see these guys again and reconnect. We are looking forward to our next reunion.

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Cian and Fintan at the Pirates' Cove putt-putt

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Aidan and Cian gathering some shells at Dolphin Head park