Updates amongst other things............

Well, we went to Children's Hospital on Tuesday and had Matthew's tests done. NO SEDATION! Did you hear me? NO SEDATION! The lady was quite impressed with Matthew and how well he listened and what not. So.....they tried him in the machine to see if he would keep still. They packed his head tightly with gauze and pads, wound him in a cocoon type of lead lining (because they only needed his head for pixs) and started doing the tests. Matthew did GREAT for the first test. NO PROBLEMS! He laid on his stomach for that one. Then? He had to shift onto his back.

He was good for quite a while. But....maybe the last 10 minutes of the second test, he could see the machine turning and shifting and see the "fastness" of the spinning part of it and he started to cry and get scared. Hey, it was 30 minutes by then! HE DID GREAT! He's only 3!!! I was worried they didn't get what they needed on the second test, but they did. They called in a radiologist to make sure the pictures were good and we waited in the waiting room. About 5 minutes later, the technician came out and said everything was ok. OH YEAH............Matthew got a new blanket and beanie baby before we left! The technician gave it to him for being so good. It's a handmade blanket, full of Nemo type of turtles on it and a beanie baby crab. He was really surprised (as was mom and dad).

Other than that......Rebecca has moved up into the last year of preschool. She's showing signs of "boredom", which isn't really good in my eyes. She's smart. TOO smart! I can't tell you how many people tell me she speaks very well and eloquent for a 4 year old. She does. Now mind you, she lacks in some other areas, like listening skills, but it's getting better. I cannot believe that next March we will have to sign her up for kindergarten!!! Matthew has moved into the 1st year preschool class at their daycare. They do so many projects, so many outings, so many christian oriented things. I like that. Rebecca has been prayer leader so many times. She gets mad at herself if she doesn't listen and they take that away from her (it's a priviledge thing.....). OH does she sulk!!

I have to admit....we got her yearbook from daycare and she is THEE shortest person in her class. Matthew is taller than her. She knows she's short. But the cognitive realization of it isn't there just yet. I'm kinda glad though. We'll tackle that when it happens.

Both kids have bikes now. Both can ride. I need to post pictures now. I know. They will come.

Crazy daddy and Momma Kooky are ready for another vacation! Need money, will travel! :o)

Well, that's enough for now. Keep us in your prayers. Especially Matthew. We will know his results of his CAT scans (done in 3D) soon. We'll let you know soon.

Momma Kooky

Update on Matthew

Well, we got the call from Children's Hospital. Matthew goes in for his CAT scans on Tuesday morning EARLY! (As Crazy Daddy says, "before the birds are farting".) :o)

He will be put under anethesia. The whole procedure will take between 15 to 30 minutes, but they will keep him until he wakes up and his vitals are normal to go home (appx. 2 to 3 hours later).

We've explained to Matthew what will happen and he thinks he's going to see Dr. Murthy, so I hope he is down there in the sedation area for surgeries. *fingers crossed* Matthew truly likes Dr. Murthy. They are best buds to Matthew.

Other than that, we wait. We have to wait about 7 to 10 days after the CAT scans are done and we have to see Dr. Pena in the Upper Marlboro office to go over all his scans. The good, the bad and the ugly, if there are any! We are praying that Matthew is just a ok! We know his eustationary (sp?) tubes are messed up, especially on the cleft affected side, but other than that, we have no clue!!!

I'm writing to you as one massive thunderstorm just went by, hail and all, and now, it looks like another one is on it's way! (hail was as big as marbles) Boy did that hail sound wicked on the house! And the lightning?! Good grief. Still have power though! YEAH SMECO! Awesome! YEAH DISHNETWORK! You go guys!

Please pray with us for Matthew's scans to be ok.....pray that whatever is causing his hearing loss, we can get it fixed! Somehow.....someway! AMEN!

Momma Kooky

HOT! HOT!! HOT!!!!!!!!!

It's dang HOT over here in our neck of the woods!! Too hot to even blog! It is 95 degrees and it FEELS LIKE 105! Did you read that right?! YES YOU DID! 105 degrees! ENOUGH ALREADY! *just venting*

Momma Kooky

Update............. Children's Hospital

Well, today, Matthew had his 6 month check-up at Children's Hospital. We prayed that there would be NO MORE SURGERY anytime soon. So far, so good. Except for one disappointing thing (at least to mom). We were told by audiology that Matthew is losing more of his lower/mid frequencies in his left ear. (Both actually, but more so in his left ear.) Audiology informed ENT and then we went from audiology to ENT. Well, Matthew has to have an intricate CAT scan done to figure out if his ears are ok. (Definition = Meaning, his ears/ear canals are not deformed in any way or anything is "wrong" in there.)

When will the CAT scan be done? Have no clue! They will get back with us because Matthew has to be "put under" in order to get what they need. Can you imagine a 3 year old holding still for up to 30 minutes???? Matthew is good, but not THAT good. He did really well today at Children's. ALOT of waiting, they were sooooooooooooo backed up!!! I've never seen so many children waiting who were CL/CP, burns, disfigured, etc. God knows my heart went out to every single one of them.

Dental checkup was good. Matthew has one less tooth.......DUH! It was taken out last surgery, February 1st. Other than that? That went well.

You know about audiology already. Speech went well. They are impressed that Matthew is in speech already and is learning so well and so fast!!!

ENT, you know about that too. OH yeah, they pulled 2 wads of "gunk" (wax) from Matthew's ears and the tool that they used Matthew bearly felt anything whatsoever! It was great. No screaming! No fighting! Everyone in ENT was surprised at Matthew. They love him! Everyone said how "cute" he is! (OF COURSE!);o)

After that? The plastic/reconstructive surgery. We saw Dr. Byojian? (spelling). Matthew was SO VERY, VERY, VERY disappointed. He asked the doctor where Dr. Murthy was! Where's Murty? Momma? Where's Murty!? hehehehehhee....*s* Dr. Ananth Murthy and Matthew have such a good relationship! Matthew loves him!!!!! He looks for him every single time we go to Children's!!! (Mom and Dad like him too.):o)

Then came Genetics............nice lady. Asked us as many questions as we couldn't answer! LOL (because we don't know alot about Matthew's background/family once he was born) We were told that he has a 3 to 5 percent chance of giving his children a cleft palate/cleft lip. Not bad, but still.........it was nice to know about that.

Psychology saw us. Weird little man. Asked weird questions. Then found out that Crazy Daddy snores and that was the end of poor Matthew!!!! Can you say, HUH?!?!?! What in the world?!?! Anyway, I was glad to be over with him! Just weird.

After all that............all my mommy brain could comprehend was that Matthew was losing his hearing! Yes, we don't know if it's permanant. Yes, we don't know if it's conductive. Yes, we don't know if it's a thing he was "born" with, or just happening. We don't know if he will need a hearing aid. We don't know if a hearing aid will work. We don't know if he'll need surgery. We have no idea! That's the scary part at the moment.

He hears me, Momma Kooky, just fine. Crazy Daddy? Not so fine. Daddy has a lower voice than Mom. So, what does this mean? We wait. Wait for the scan. See what we are dealing with and proceed from there.

God knows, please, please pray for Matthew! I just don't want him to lose his hearing! He's had 3 audiology tests performed on him and all of them are worse and worse. *not good* His right ear is ok. It's his left that is the problem.

Until we know, all I can say is stay tuned and please keep him in your prayers. Please.

Momma Kooky

Ahhhh Vacation.

On an impulse we decided to get ourselves out of town for Memorialday weekend. The destination chosen was Williamsburg, Virginia, where the amusement park "Bush Gardens, Europe" is. The kids loved the rides and the words from them the whole time was "I want to do it again." Here are a few pictures of them having fun.

We love the horsies.

If you don't know it, Ladybugs are concidered lucky in China, so of course the kids had to do the Ladybug ride.

When the children was just a tad to short for a ride, momma kooky or daddy crazy had to join in on the fun.

Isn't this every parents dream from time to time??

PLEASE PRAY for the people of SICHUAN, CHINA!

Our Matthew is from Sichuan, China. We picked him up in Chengdu, China last March 2007. The city was so beautiful, so serene, and the people there loved seeing a "double stroller" filled with two Chinese kids, with 2 Americans.

Please pray for the people of Sichuan and Chengdu, Chongqing, Wenchuan and Duijangyan. They were all affected by this monsterous Earthquake! We have been trying to gather any piece of news about Chengdu and Matthew's orphanage. We have heard this from Half-The-Sky........(the program which helps some of the orphanages in China) Yibin SWI and Chengdu SWI are OK! They suffered minor damage, but NOTHING like building collapses and such. THE CHILDREN ARE OK!!!!!!! I know personally, in the Yibin SWI, there are disabled children in there. THEY ARE OK! Thank GOD!!!

But there are many others, schools, hospitals........who did not fair so well. Please pray for them! Just take a moment, right now and pray for them! Please!!!

Momma Kooky

Another class, another dollar..........

You say? What in the world is she talking about? My Calculus class. I will admit in front of everyone that I did not pass my class! That's right, for the first time since entering the public school system way back in *covering mouth and saying 1974* I failed a class. Calculus of all things. Big deal? Yeah, it's a big deal, but I've totally released myself from this class and the heartache/headache its caused me since January. I'm taking a break from school for a bit. I need it.

Crazy is still in school. Just a few weeks left. I hope he passes his classes. We are focusing more on him anyway. Getting his Engineering degree for better paying jobs!!! :o) He's doing well, so he keeps saying to me. He's been putting up with me and my "antics" of being mad, sad, totally hysterical because I couldn't get a problem done right to save my life!!! You know the drill........ain't it great to be of the female population?!

The kids? Rebecca is being her normal self. Diva, looking for a reason to have just any "tude" for any reason. You'd think she was in puberty already! *did I say that?* hehehehee.....*s* Na, she's ok, but testing the limits and boundaries of mom, dad and little brother EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!!!!!!!!

Matthew? He's the one I am worrying about just a tad. He's had 2 asthma attacks in a very short time and isn't recouping from them like he normally does. He has an appointment with an allergist today at 2:30pm. He's getting the full scratch tests done and a few more things.........he won't be happy, I'm sure, but it just has to be done. Since last week, he's been wheezing just about everyday, coughing, runny nose, red puffy eyes.........it's just got to be allergies! I hope it's just that easy, you know? If this is triggering his asthma, this will be easy to deal with. If not, I have no clue! We've had to get more of his nebulizer meds because he's going through them so much. His pediatrician is monitoring him via us calling her but come this afternoon, she wants to know every result of his allergy test. ASAP!

Say a prayer for Matthew. Please. He's struggling. Seeing your baby struggling to breathe is NOT, and I mean, NOT a nice thing to see! His wheezing is kinda heavy too. We should know more today! Lord willing!!

Other than that........new job is going GREAT! I love it! Still do after 2 months!

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, the big, BIG news! We are going on vacation! YES! First one in a MAJOR long time! We are going to WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA! I can't wait! I can't wait! Did I say I can't wait?!?! So psyched about it.

Besides praying for our Matthew's health/asthma. Please pray our paychecks go up! We are finding it harder and harder to pay for gas these days. I'm sure you are too, but man, somethings just got to give! And soon.........A raise would be wonderful!

Kooky