A Little TLC

That's what Charlie has been in need of this past week. So much so that he decided that he needed a short stay in the hospital just to get enough of that TLC!! We had Charlie's well-child check on Tuesday afternoon & everything looked great. No worries, no concerns. Wednesday morning his nose was running a ton but he was acting fine. By Wednesday afternoon, I thought he was getting a whopper of a cold so I stayed home with him while the rest of the family did the church night activites. Charlie was up tossing and turning all night and was coughing much more than he had. I gave him a nebulizer treatment that morning and laid him down for an early nap. When he woke up, he was having trouble breathing & I could hear him wheezing. I decided to call the doctor and thought I should just have him looked at but was really thinking they would just tell me it was just a cold. We got there & they listened to his lungs and took his oxygen levels. In 10 minutes they had us over in the ER to get some oxygen and start the tests going to see what was going on. After 2 blood tests, chest x-rays and an RSV test, they decided to admit him for pneumonia. His white cell count was pretty high & his oxygen levels kept dipping down at times. I was so glad that our regular doctor was in the ER that day!! She wanted him on IV antibiotics and fluids since he was also dehydrated. I stayed with him in the hospital while Brian bopped in & out so that he could be with the other kids. By Friday morning, he was doing so much better! He started having smiles for us again & his oxygen levels had stayed up while he slept so we were good to go home. His white cell count wasn't as far down as our doctor had wanted so we did have to do 1 more round of IV antibiotics before we went home & now he is on low dose medicine for the next week. We also have to do his breathing treatments 4 times a day for the next week or so. Charlie was so happy to be home & went right for his toys & started playing. He gave us quite the scare with how fast he got sick in a short amount of time! We are so glad to have our happy Charlie back!! Here's a picture of him on Thursday having 1 of his treatments. Not that I want him in 1 anytime soon but he did look kinda cute in the little hospital gown!

He's Two Wheeling It!

Many of you on Facebook have seen this video again but I'm sharing it here too. Charlie has just taken off with walking & I'm sure he will be running soon! Just what I need! Being outrun by Jackson & Charlie! Oh, and don't mind the saggy diaper! This was right before bedtime & I didn't want to spoil his good mood to change him!

What?!?! People Still Read This?

I really don't know if I have anyone still reading here. It's not because I don't have things to write about but you need something called time to still type and that is few and far between these days. We went straight from AAU volleyball with Emma to soccer season for the 3 oldest kids. These schedules are brutal and there are a couple weeks where we will only have 1 night at home. I guess I better get good at packing sub sandwiches. I also need to build up my arsenal of things to keep the kids occupied during the longer games. Everything is fine if the weather cooperates but we all know that spring weather in Iowa can be unpredictable. I thought movies would do the trick but my older boys were soon trying to play ninjas in the way back of the van before the movie even started playing. Yeah, you are correct......that didn't end well.

About a week before Charlie's birthday, we got the chance to talk with Miss A on the phone!! I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful it was to talk to her. She is just as wonderful as we remember her and we have since talked several times on the phone. She loves Charlie so much and cares very deeply for him. I ask for your prayers on this relationship that we are starting. I can see so much potential for this to be such a blessing on both our ends but we also know that things can be tricky navigating this part of the process. We just pray that God blesses our new relationship and that we can live out a Christ-like example to her.

Well, I know very well that I could be writing this strictly to myself by now but I really do want update more often. All the kids are growing up so fast & I'd love to have some of our life experiences documented here. Until next time!!

Happy Birthday Charlie Jace Asanti Gulker!!!

1 Year ago, our lives were blessed by your entrance into this world, Charlie Jace!! I can remember almost every detail of that day like it was yesterday. I remember sitting anxiously in the hospital lobby by the water fountain, waiting for any kind of news. Our caseworker, Michelle, showed up & said we could go up. She then got a text & gave us the news that you were born!! You weighed 6 lbs 7 oz & were 18.5 inches long! I couldn't even imagine how tiny you were! We followed Michelle up the steps & started zigzagging through the hallways. We had no idea where we were & then we turned the corner. I'm sure time stopped for me for a few moments & then things moved in slow motion until we were right by your side. You were in the bassinet right next to the window & we just fell in love instantly! I wanted to scoop you up & hold you forever! We got to stay in the nursery for a while & got to feed you your first bottle. Your daddy tried to tell me not to get attached but I knew at that moment, I was looking at my son & the love was instant. We tried the many different names we had talked about & you were a Charlie right from the beginning. We marveled at how God had formed you so perfectly & we were amazed how wonderful His ways are! He knit you together in your first momma's womb because you, Charlie Jace, are fearfully & wonderfully made! He set you in our family & we couldn't feel more blessed to be your parents!

Where I Was

1 year ago, we were on our way to where Charlie was going to be born. I have been so sentimental lately. I seriously can't believe he's going to be 1 already! Tonight I had the wonderful pleasure of talking with the woman who gave Charlie life. It was so great to hear from her & I'm sure it was the first of many phone calls to come. She loves Charlie so much & I'm so grateful that he will know that. Only 3 more days till Charlie's birthday & I'm sure to be a mess. We are so blessed to have him in our lives & I can't wait to celebrate him!

I'm Procrastinating

Isn't bad that i'm typing a blog post just to get out of folding the 3-4 loads of laundry sitting next to me?? I can complain about never getting anything done anymore but I know I can play just as big of a role in that too. Charlie is taking a nap & Jackson is playing a new game on his Nintendo DS. I'm now sitting at my computer, sipping my coffee and now typing this post.

I have been finding it difficult to manage my time lately. This has been made more evident when I'm doing my Bible study about God wanting all of me and not just a small part of me. I know this to be true but I have been failing miserably. I make the excuses of wanting "me" time when it seems like all day I have 5 others who want "my" time. It hasn't helped that Charlie has been sick with a nasty cold & I think I literally held him for 7 days straight! He's now doing better but he found it quite nice to ride on my hip the entire day so he follows me around until I put him in his favorite spot, my arms. Ok, I guess a part of me loves that he wants to be near me constantly! He loves his momma and the feeling is very mutual!

Back to prioritizing my time! I need to do it. I need to shut out all other distractions. TV, computer, phones, etc. Anyone have any good ways to keep myself accountable?

Reminiscing

Today was 1 year ago that we received THE phone call Charlie's birthmom had chosen us & she was due in a couple of weeks. We were on our way to get our fingerprints re-done since they expire after 1 year. I was very frustrated with the whole adoption process at this point & really questioning what God had in store for us. We knew that there were 2 birthmom's that were sent our profile that week but we knew it could be a while before we heard anything. It came as a total shock to me when I saw the number show up on my phone! Miss A had gotten our profile book that morning & we got the call just a couple hours later. She said she just knew it was us. When I answered the phone, we were only a couple of miles away from where we needed to be & Alexa was in the car with us. Brian & I had agreed after our failed adoption that we were going to keep our next situation to ourselves as much as possible. With her in the car, I was trying to get as much info as possible from the agency & tell Brian that we were chosen without Alexa knowing. Yeah, that didn't work. She caught on right away but we told her that she had just wanted to talk to us first. I'm still surprised they got my prints without getting smudged because my hands were shaking so bad! I was excited & scared out of my mind all at the same time. I didn't want to get my hopes up like last time but we also had a better feeling from the beginning this time around. The next 3 weeks were a major roller coaster but we all know how it ends. with a beautiful little boy, Charlie Jace, who will forever be our son!