Oh, my how time flies!

Well, I had a very busy summer and had no time for updates. I guess since I starte posting on Facebook, I kind of forgot about my blog! So....the last post I mentioned that we've thought about adopting again. We went to the seminar and attended one meeting about adopting from Foster Care, and then put it aside for the time being. Towards the end of May, I went to the doctor because my shoulder had been bothering me for about 9 months, and I had been taking some pain medicine, but it wasn't really getting any better. After an MRI, it was declared that I had a torn tendon! So, off to the orthopedic doctor I went! It was determined that I would need surgery to repair the tear, which was 3/4 torn through. I took the month of July to get ready. I cleaned the house, purchased frozen meals, arranged for help the first week after surgery, and prepared my daughter for the fact that mommy would be in a sling for four weeks and won't be able to do a lot of things. The big day came on August 1. Surgery went well. My month in the sling went pretty fast, although learning how to do everything left handed was fun. I am now almost nine weeks post-op and have been attending physical therapy now for about six weeks. I have attended physical therapy for three days a week. Just this week, the PT said I would no longer need to be stretched out because my range of motion is normal, and I would only need to come and do my exercises. He also sent a request to the doctor stating that I would only need four more weeks of therapy. However, when I saw the doctor today, he said that I only need about three weeks of therapy and only once a week! Since the PT gave me exercises to do at home, there's no need to go to the therapist three times a week, when I can do many of the exercises at home. YAY!

So, I'm back to "normal" in some ways. I just have to build up my strength. My right arm is still very weak, and I still have trouble reaching behind me, but all other motions are back to normal. I think it was wise to focus on preparing the house for the surgery and also to keep a low profile after the surgery. Now, we can concentrate on our decision to adopt again!

Basically, we can't afford another international adoption. Even domestic adoptions are out of reach. I know there are grant programs and such, but I'm not sure that's where God is leading us this time. We have been considering adopting from foster care. We have some friends that have adopted through foster care, and we will schedule some meetings with them to kind of feel out the process and ask some questions. We will be taking our time, however, and it might be another two years before we finally have a child. We do need about 33 credits of PRIDE training through DCFS, and they have to be taken in consecutive weeks, so about 9 weeks or so. Not sure yet on the details. So, I looked at the schedule for DCFS training in our area, and most sessions in our area are done already. That's ok because we have to have a completed homestudy before we can begin the program. Perhaps by the time we get the homestudy done, it will be a new year, and we can start the program then. Like I said, we're not in a huge hurry, but we've both agreed that we can start, so it's just a question of finding the right agency and scheduling the home study.

So, now about Grace. She loved her preschool year, and she graduated in May. We had a fairly good summer. The weather wasn't great, and I spent a lot of time preparing for the surgery, but we did get to the zoo a few times and she was able to go to parks and play outside and such. We also went to Indiana to visit family a few times. August was hard. After the surgery, I was in a very bulky sling that attached my arm to my side so I couldn't move my shoulder. No driving and no lifting for me. I tried to take her to the park a few times. Mostly, though, we stayed around the house. She weathered the time well, though. She's very independant, and she was able to dress herself, and take herself to the potty. She was very willing to help me in any way she could, and she very sweetly prayed for me every night. I owe my quick recovery to her prayers.

Well, I must stop for now. Time to make dinner! I'll try to update more frequently, especially as we start the paper trail for another adoption!