Round 2 at the doctor, a trip to the zoo, and something really gross...

On Saturday Sarah and Andrew made their first trip to the zoo. We went with the Perrymans and the Sweets. It was so wonderful to be away from the house for the day visiting with friends and not have to think about laundry, dishes, or other kid-related messes. Of course, getting out of the house with all the essential supplies needed for a baby and a toddler is no small task. I've actually learned to pack the night before and still allow 2 hours in the morning to get everyone ready. That way I'll only be 3o minutes late. :) Okay, being on time has never been my strong suite. Sarah's favorite things at the zoo were: the fish (aquariums), the one black goat (not the white ones) at the petting zoo, the mulch near the line for the train, and the snacks in mom's bag. Sarah became quite attached to the black goat for some reason and wouldn't pet any other goat in the fenced area. She would cry and run back to the black goat every time we tried to get her to pet the other ones. Well, I have to backtrack for a second to lead up to the most eventful part of our zoo trip.

On Friday I went back to see my doctor, this time for an allergy-caused sinus infection. She put me on a round of antibiotics and a drug to loosen up the congestion. Friday night my nose started to bleed (not totally uncommon). Michael and I were having a conversation so he followed me to the bathroom. When I took away the kleenex a fat blood clot over 2 inches long came out of my right sinus. This has never happened to me before, so we both freak out a little.

Back to the zoo. I was telling Natasha about the creepy nose bleed when my nose just starts gushing again. She ran with me to the bathroom where my nose just continues to gush. Then, more huge clots came out of my right sinus. Of course, in front of everyone waiting in line to go to the bathroom. You know how well blood in a public place goes over these days! I felt like a leper or some unclean thing. Natasha just jumped right in and helped me clean up. She actually washed and dried my shirt while I waited in the stall. Now that is a true friend! :)

Sarah is growing up so fast now....and it seems like it has accelerated since bringing Andrew home. Her language is still pretty delayed, although the vocabulary she understands seems to be about normal. She is saying a few new words: hi, eye, bow, and bye. Like a typical toddler, she is really into telling us "no." Only, she can't say the actual word, so she just shakes her head instead. And Sarah can take apart our house faster than I can tell her "no." She still loves the role of big sister and she thinks she should be the one to hold and feed her baby.

Andrew continues to keep us on our toes. We are trying to learn to distinguish his different cries and accept the fact that babies sometimes just cry no matter what. The reflux (or Gerd) is better some days than others. He still continues to be fussier at night. God knew what he was doing when he provided me with a night owl for a husband. In a few months most of the reflux and general fussiness should work itself out. He is gaining weight and his face is really filling out. He has such a cute face and I can't wait to see what his smile will look like.

In other family news...our congregation just voted on Sunday to call Michael as an associate pastor at our church. Here is a brief tidbit from Michael's blog that explains a bit of what has gone on in our lives the past 8 months.

In just under eight months, we’ve doubled the size of our family, adding two children under the age of two by way of adoption. As if the first transition wasn’t enough, amidst preparations for our second adoption I was also in search of where the Lord might be leading me (us) for my first call to ordained ministry. We had sleepless nights. Tears were shed, especially as doors began to open in other parts of the country. The distinct opportunity to move became a reality and we had some gut-wrenching decisions to make. In the end, a door was opened to remain in Tulsa and transition into a new, emerging and evolving position that will be much better articulated in hind-sight than it ever will be going forward. It involves ministry to youth, college-age, and young adults in an age where the church universal struggles to articulate and flesh-out what this looks like, but this is another post altogether.

You can check out our church at www.firstchurchtulsa.org (if you want). I'm hoping that after I post a few pictures Andrew will let me get a few hours of sleep.