Happy Birthday to me! - Update on Matthew too.

Well, it's come. Number 38. Am I feeling it? A little bit. I need to catch up on the blog about Matthew.

In the past couple of days I have been fielding calls from our pediatrician, the local health department and one call from the CDC! Why you ask? Our son, Matthew. Most of his tests have now come back and two of them were NOT good. He has giardia, which we've already established, but he also has shigella - sonnei (non-fatal). This one is HIGHLY contagious and spreadable. Mommy and Matthew, for the most part have been home doing stuff. (If you want to know about shigella, visit the CDC site and search for it, YOU'LL FIND IT.) Right now, the local health department will NOT allow Matthew to be put into daycare until there is a NEGATIVE test result. AND.....the whole family has to be tested for both lucky diseases!! Nice huh? I don't think so, but I am thankful my son is OUTTA the orphanage that he was in!

The giardia comes mainly from contaminated water and the shigella is most likely from FOOD (but can come from water). We are trying to get Matthew straightened out. He shows NO symptoms of anything. (As our pediatrician put it, he's been there so long, his little body is use to it by now.) I've been speaking with ALOT of parents who are going to Matthew's orphanage and they are going to pick up their children with lots of antibacterial wipes and other precautions. Most likely, although I hope not, their kids will come back positive with these diseases also. I wanted to get the word out quickly for those traveling soon. I think I have.

One thing with adoption, you get the good, the bad, and the ugly! Our first adoption was hard in the fact that our Rebecca kicked, cried, screamed her way into our hearts for 3 days (and didn't eat, or go to the bathroom or drink either). With Matthew? It's the total opposite..........except the extra health issues. Other than that, we are good!

Matthew's vocabulary is growing and especially his understanding!!!!! Now mind you, when we say things to him, we add gestures to it. Like.....if you say yes to him, you shake your head in a YES way (up and down). NO-NO is moving your head from side to side.......HE KNOWS NO-NO really well and can say that!!! hehehehe....*S* We are still working on DADA or BABA but it's a VERY hard consinent to say. There is so much air intake from his fistula! *kinda frustrating* Matthew is thriving and loving his room now. LOVES the cats. Loves his daddy (waits on the couch for him to come home and then jumps up and down) and waits for his jei-jei (big sister Rebecca) so they can tear up the house momma just cleaned! :o)

Even with the health issues, we are doing well. Thank you some of you for listening to me. (Toni, Kathy) I tell ya, sometimes talking just soothes the soul. Having a child with rare bacterias that no one has ever heard of and us being the ONLY one's in the county to have them (so says the health dept.) well....ain't we special! *ugh*

Matthew's Mommy