Survived.

Well,we have officially survived our first week together on a "normal" schedule.

I was a little nervous about Erik going back to work. Even though we don't generally get a lot of time together,he had 6 weeks of leave for the adoption,so I got kinda used to having him around. ;)

However,all good things must come to an end,and Monday morning happened quicker than I would have liked. On a slightly funny note,Erik's alarm went off at 4:00am,and as usual,I got up because hearing the alarm always makes me have to pee.You know you feel me,ladies. So,after I came out of the bathroom,I noticed Erik was laying on top of his PT's (army uniform) on the dresser. I got back in bed,and waited a few minutes before I realized that he was dead asleep. Poor guy! I've never seen that happen before,but it's a rough adjustment getting up that early.

All things considered,our week went well. We are busy,and when I say that,I mean b-u-s-y. I am going non-stop during the day,and there is constantly a child calling for me,either by name or cry. Right now, Pacey trumps the girls because he needs the most attention,but even he has to wait sometimes when a butt needs wiped. :)

We went to the hospital twice this week for blood draws. Pacey had an extensive list of labs that needed to get done,and we decided to break it into 3 visits,so we wouldn't hurt his blood count. The first draw (last week) went well. The second draw (Tuesday) was terrible. First,they couldn't find his good vein. They started declaring he was 'cold'...They were able to get about half of what they were hoping for,but they had to do a good bit of digging. I was getting so upset for him,and of course he was squalling like a stuck pig. They thought they were going to stick him a second time,but uh, NO. You get one stick and that's it. Then they needed to do a heel stick for one of the tests,and that took 3 times before they got it. They just kept saying that his body was too cold. There was also a snafu in which the lab sent the wrong vial for one of the tests,and then refused to take the blood in the vial,even though it was there mistake.Yes,I went down to the lab. Yes,mother bear came out. No,it won't be happening again. Thankyouverymuch. So,today (Friday),we went in for our 3rd draw,and you better believe I had the kid bundled like a Ukrainian. He had on one regular outfit,and then a thick fleece sleeper over it,with hands and feet covered,including socks. Then,I put a blanket over him in the car,and fitted it to him. Once we got to the waiting room,I tried to move his body,especially arms,around as much as I could to get his blood going. I'm sure the other people waiting were annoyed by me,but we were getting our Superman on! And,it worked. His vein was hearty,and we got the exact amount of blood we needed to finish all of the blood work. Triumph!

We are also back to homeschooling. I was seriously dreading it,because I knew Big Sis was going to have a heck of a time getting back into her routine. She did not disappoint,either. Whoa. It was rough. At one point,I had to make her write capital N 30 times because she claimed not to remember what it looked like. N N N N N.....I gave her ample time to come up with it,but when she couldn't,writing it out was the only way to help her remember. She also learned a very hard lesson this week. One day a week is 'work-by-yourself' day. She has a packet of work,put together by me,that she is to work on and complete independently. It's nothing difficult,but it's usually 5-6 things relating to what we're working on in school. So,she chose her day to be Thursday. I told her that morning (we had to go to the hospital for an X-ray on Pacey's hips...yes,come to think of it we did spend a lot of time at the hospital this week...) that she would get to choose what time she wanted to do her packet,but if it wasn't done by outside time (4:00),she would have to forfeit playtime and finish it. She understood,and we got home from the hospital at 11:30. I laid her work out,and reminded her again what the rules were. Around 2,both of the littles went down for nap,and I even gently suggested that now would be a good time to do her work...Can you see where I am heading with this? At one point,I came out of my room and she was wind-milling through the house like a maniac,and then wrestling around on the floor. I knew it wasn't going to be good,but at that point,I had done what I could,so I let it go. Sure enough,at 4:00,she decided to do her work. I got the littles up,and when we got ready to go outside,the consequences hit Julianna like a brick. She was hysterical. Erik just happened to walk in the door during this,too. I really felt so bad for her,but it was by her own choice that work was not done. So,she had to stay in and do her work,and by the time she finished (6:00),it was time to eat,and she missed her outside time for the day. I believe she learned her lesson,though only time will tell.

And,dare I neglect to leave out my little Tillie Boo and not put a tidbit in about her. She is alive,although it mostly hinges on her adorableness. Otherwise,she might not make it. Being 3 is tough,but she's learning she must be sweet,or her day won't be nearly as fun as she would like.

Oh,and let me just say that as a reward,I made myself a huge hot fudge sundae and enjoyed every bite as I congratulated myself on living to see another week. I hope to write more soon,but if you have any questions,leave a comment and I will be glad to answer!