I haven’t written too much lately on life here at home, so I thought I would give a quick update.

Things are good…we have settled back into our nice routine now that school has restarted. KNOCK ON WOOD, we have not had any of the “yuck” that is going around…pink eye, throwing up, nasty colds, etc.

Belane did have to have minor surgery this morning…she had ear tubes put in. She did great…SO much better than I expected her to do. I was much more traumatized than she was (and I am only half kidding). I know that the ear tubes are no big deal and a super fast and easy procedure (our Amanda has had them put in three or four times now), but I was so worried about giving her over to the doctors while she was awake so they could take her back to the OR...

I was worried about her being scared and being in pain… is there anything worse for a parent than seeing your child scared and in pain??

But, she was a total trooper.

We got there early this morning, and she was not nervous at all when we got there. She thought that the hospital gown (complete with little elephants) was great…and loved that they gave her a bracelet with her name on it (she’s really easy to please!) She was hungry (couldn’t eat after midnight) and regularly asked me for “Cocoa Puffs”. Funny enough, she doesn’t even like Cocoa Puffs, but that is what she calls all cereal. But when I would tell her she could have Cocoa Puffs in a little while, she accepted that fine.

She was happy and playing…oblivious of the three or four SCREAMING children in our general area. She started running back and forth through the curtain that blocked off our little waiting cubicle and playing peek a boo with the nurses and anyone else who walked by.

She was so comfortable and having so much fun with everyone, that when the doctor came to carry her back to the OR he said, "Can I pick you up?" she said, "Ok". I told her I would be right there and off she went without a tear.

Even though they said they would come and get me once she was awake, they let me go back before she woke up. It turned out to be a very good thing, because she went from a deep sleep to wrapped around my neck in about 0.7 seconds. She literally leapt out of the bed and wrapped herself around my neck. She never did cry though, and she has been eating and drinking and playing fine now.

It was less than thrilling to be back at the hospital after only getting Maggie out of there less than amonth ago, but it was short and much-needed.

Phew. Glad that is DONE.

I also have to say that our small town ENT took it right in stride that she is HIV+ and acted like it was no big deal. I appreciated that a lot.

Belane is doing great otherwise…no side effects at all from her meds, and she is talking more and more all the time. She does this funny “cave man talk”.

Example…

“Mom, me, cup, please” or “Dad, bye bye, later, home” or the every popular “Marcus, ouch, me”. It cracks us up. I would say that she understands just about everything we say to her though, and she is just an unbelievably smiley and happy kid. She is still sleeping with us at night, and I have a nice big long post almost ready for one of these days on adoption and sleep. :)

Everything else is same old…the other kids are all doing great (they really are the best bunch of kids ever). I was asked to speak in May at the annual fundraiser for Chances By Choice, and I am really excited about that. I was also asked and am working on writing an essay about Belane’s adoption for a book of adoption essays. Like I said, busy but good.

More soon and thanks for reading.