Hallelujah, I Love Her So

Katie Mumbi has a new best friend - MBWA MILLIE.  

She went from:

• screams of terror to...

• being somewhat okay if Millie was on a separate floor of the house to...

• being somewhat okay if Millie was on the same floor of the house but staying in her bed to...

• inching ever so slightly closer to Millie lying in her bed to...

• giving Millie a treat

   

to...

• reading a book to Millie on the sofa

to...

• letting Millie talk to Joseph on the telephone

   

to...

• accessorizing Millie with Auntie Erin's necklace 

   

to...

• sitting on Millie

   

to...

• giving Millie LOTS of kisses 

   

And now Katie Mumbi won't leave Mbwa Millie alone.  Millie seems to have decided that the extra goodies on the floor are worth being "loved on" by a 2 year old.

-B

This Boy

We finally have a diagnosis on poor Natty's skin ailment.  He has a RAGING case of ringworm.  He has also passed it along to everyone but Daddy.  So now we have four of us on oral anti-fungals and five of us on prescription topical anti-fungals twice a day.  The dermatologist indicated that Nat's ringworm was challenging to diagnose visually because it is so deep in his skin.  But the culture was very conclusive.  It is supposed to take four weeks to culture ringworm.  This is what Nat's culture looked like after only two weeks:

One of the challenges with his ringworm is that it is in his scalp.  Evidently, that is the hardest place to cure ringworm.  The systemic drugs (which he will be on for months) should help.  The topical drugs should also be a little more effective since we gave Nat a new 'do:

Yes, that's right!  My baby boy is sporting a 'frohawk.  Tip has been admiring the different hairdo's of Ghanian-Italian soccer player Mario Balotelli and is hopeful that Nat will be able to keep the 'frohawk going for a while.  I do think it is adorable but I'm hoping for a full head of hair again for Nat's baptism in the Fall.  In the meantime, this definitely buys me more "alternative" mom credibility at Cartwheels and Coffee in Carytown.  And Nat always looks ADORABLE!!!  Ringworm and all!

-B

What Goes On

Both kids love air conditioner grates.

It's fun to be the little sister.

Nat is all smiles.

And he has mastered crawling.

Katie enjoys visits from Liz's friends.  But she enjoys Liz's ice cream even more.

Katie in her cutest church dress.

Yash helped Katie play dress up in tissue paper.

An awesome Congo style headwrap

The shape sorter is one of Natty's favorite toys.

Big brother, Little brother

Nat was styling in Jack's sunglasses.  He was showing off for Ella.

Katie is definitely warming up to Mbwa Millie. 

Fixing A Hole

Today marks THREE WEEKS of us being home as a family of six.  The little ones are doing AMAZINGLY WELL.  Really!  It is incredible how well they fit into our family and how happy they are to be here.  And for the most part the rest of us are doing really well too...for the most part...

Our first few days at home were pretty quiet and low key.  Jeff and Liz were both sick - but thankfully Erin had stocked us up on all of the supplies we needed so we could lay low.  We did take Katie Mumbi and Nat to the pediatrician and I was really grateful to have Jeff there even though he was feeling puny.  It was a good weekend to do nothing anyway since Liz had exams.

Our first full week at home went really well.  Liz and Tip both had to finish out their last week of school and Jeff only worked a few days.  So that meant I had some nice quiet moments with the babies but then was also able to get out and about with some help from Daddy.  Liz didn't have an exam on Wednesday so she was also a big help.  I even successfully took the babies to Tip's 8th grade graduation/awards ceremony.

Our second week was definitely more exciting for the babies because Liz and Tip were home!  Katie LOVED having the constant source of entertainment.  Liz was preparing to leave for two weeks at the UVA Young Writers Workshop so she also had a lot of friends come visit - all of whom love to play with Katie Mumbi. We even went to church and out to brunch for Father's Day.

But this past week has been more of a challenge.  We continue to have issues with Nat's skin and have had numerous doctors appointments as we investigate how to help him heal (we are now waiting on culture results).  Liz also had a doctor's appointment and Tip had an orthodontist appointment.  We discovered that our third floor shower has a leak and now there is a hole in my bathroom ceiling.  Jeff has to demo the floor of the third floor shower and rebuild it.  Liz left for the UVA Writers' Workshop.  A very large storm (possibly a small tornado) blew through and knocked out power for a night.  It also knocked down a HUGE tree from the wetland which is now on our smashed fence and in our yard.  That will be another project for Jeff - who really just wants to spend time with the kids.

On top of all of that Nat is sick.  This poor child has been on antibiotics for almost three weeks for his skin and now he has some sort of yuckiness going on his body.  I think it is a virus.  He has a low grade fever but it has gone as high as 102.  He is not sleeping well, not eating well, and is generally out of sorts.  Katie Mumbi also has a low fever and is a little fussy.  But she isn't nearly as pitiful as Nat.

So...right now we are just trying to hold it all together and get Nat healthy.  If I keep up us fed, bathed, and in clean clothes I choose to count that as a successful day.  And I may be relying on frozen dinners and "The Princess Diaries" in order to achieve that right now.

-B

All Together Now

-B

Back In The US(SR)

We are home!!!  All is going well.  There's not much time to email, update the blog, or send pictures but I will get to that once we have a routine that works.  The photo is from yesterday right when we arrived home (after almost 24 hours of traveling).  We all feel a lot better to be clean and rested today.

The little ones are doing great!  They adore Liz and Tip and Daddy.  They did not adore their trip to the pediatrician this morning.  All was okay until we started with the needles.  Katie loves my cooking.  She does not love Mbwa Millie (yet).  I am more jet lagged than they are.

Hugs from Virginia!

-B

PS I Love You

The good news (great news, really) is that we have both visas!!!  Our children have permission to immigrate to the United States.  I have the coveted sealed brown envelopes in my possession and I'm guarding them closely so that they remain sealed until I hand them to US Customs and Immigrations at Dulles.

The bad news comes from back home.  My dear Granddad passed away yesterday.  He was a great man. The best, really.  I am so proud to have named my first son after him.  And I am so proud to be his granddaughter.  I wish I could be in Texas as the family gathers to honor and say goodbye to Granddad.  

Unfortunately, we can't just hop on the next plane and go home.   We must first get an "exit permit" from the Congolese government for our children to leave the country.  Our agency and our in-country coordinator are trying to appeal to the office in charge of the exit permits so that I can have exit permits in hand by noon tomorrow and fly home Sunday.  But I have been cautioned to not get my hopes up.

I'll keep you all posted.

Love from Congo,

-B

Eight Days A Week

Yes, I've been in Congo for 25 full days now.  That doesn't seem like a long time but it sure feels like a long time.  I've adapted pretty well and just have a whole new standard for what is normal.  Here is my top 25 list for things that have become my new normal:

1. cold showers where I get wet, turn the water off, lather up, turn the water off, and rinse as quickly as possible
2. for a treat, heating some water in the hot pot and then using a cup and the kids' baby tub to pour the same warmish water over and over to take a "bath"
3. washing hair twice a week (in the morning, hair only, head hanging upside down under the shower)
4. maintaining a certain level of body odor
5. wearing the same clothes multiple days in a row (without washing)
6. filtering almost 4 gallons of water every day (thankfully, Dad does this)
7. washing dishes in a bowl
8. using hand sanitizer every time I touch unfiltered water
9. mopping our bedroom floor with wet wipes
10. comforting my children when they smack their heads on hard tile (and then checking to make sure their pupils are dilating)
11. letting my children crawl on and eat food off of a dirty bar room floor
12. letting my daughter run around in a yard full of broken glass and under trees where falling durian fruit or massive (and not tasty) avocados could knock her unconscious
13. speaking niceties in French 
14. letting other people put their hands all over my kids even when I don't want that and the kids (okay, only Katie Mumbi) don't want that - it's a cultural thing
15. not leaving our compound unless with an escort
16. toast and sometimes a tasty nugget (hardboiled eggs) or sometimes a nasty nugget (sardines) for breakfast EVERY single day
17. take-out chicken and fries from the market
18. delivered salami pizza from O'Poeta (and something totally inedible when they get the order wrong like last night)
19. feeding my daughter Cheerios and "milk" (made with toddler "Go and Grow" formula) each and every day
20. using a much needed bathmat to clean up the spilled "milk" when the Cheerios bowl tips over
21. drinking a beer after lunch so that my doxy doesn't make me vomit
22. looking like a leper because I either am allergic to the bites of African mosquito or I have ringworm (not sure which but I think it's the mosquitos - could it be a combination of them both?)
23. not shaving my legs or armpits 
24. having my kids scratch so much that they look contagious
25. watching a movie almost every single day with my baby and toddler (NOT something I would do at home)

I wonder how long it will take for me to adjust back into my American life?  I'm guessing that I will be able to convince someone to fetch an iced vent non-fat Caramal Macchiato for me on my first morning back. That should help!!!  And I think within 30 minutes of being home I will be upstairs taking a nice long shower and shaving my legs!!!!  Liz, please plan on hanging out in the bathroom with me and Katie Mumbi since she probably will stay close by me for a while as she makes the adjustment.   She may even want to hop in and out of the shower with me.  Jeff, you'll be on Nat duty.  He will be having a ball trying to crawl on carpet!  

I don't know when I am coming home...but I am COUNTING on being at home, in Richmond, with my family of six, and my caramel macchiato two weeks from today.  I'm praying for sooner, but counting on only two more weeks in Congo.

-B

P.S. One thing that will never become normal is not seeing, hugging, and kissing Liz, Tip, and Jeff each and every day.

The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill

One more day here in Congo must mean one more day closer to coming home.  That is categorically true, right?  Even if living in Congo is starting to feel like the norm?

Everything is good with the kids.  Katie Mumbi is doing a lot better with our new policy of limited outings and limited time with other people.  I have her on a pretty strict schedule it is working our nicely even though she fusses at nap time sometimes.  Dad and I have to eat lunch in shifts, though, because the lunch hour at St. Anne's is right at the beginning of Katie's nap time.  She and I really are communicating SO WELL and that is just completely unexpected.  I do still use a lot of Swahili but she is also understanding a lot of English.  She repeats English words after me all the time but yesterday she used her first English word independently.  Nat was going for a toy or food item she had (I can't remember which) and Katie shouted out a very clear "NO".  Nat continues to get stronger and more active.  Interestingly, his formula consumption has decreased to a more normal (six 8 oz. bottles a day) level.  I am definitely approaching the end of my formula supply but another family with our agency is traveling at the end of the week and they are bringing me SIX more canisters of Similac!  Thank you, Sheresa and John!!!!

Dad and I are both feeling healthy right now and the lunches at St. Anne's have been delicious.  Saturday we had a Phillipino chicken soup with rice, Sunday we had lamb, potatoes, and au jous, and today we had super tasty fish and a soup with basil.  Breakfast is still mostly toast but I also have a mid-morning meal with the kids that is a bit more protein rich.  And for dinner we alternate between take-out chicken from Hassan's or delivered pizza from O'Poeta.  It's working well.

Today we ventured out to the Western Union at the Memling Hotel.  I had to call Jeff to get the needed code but then I was able to get my cash without any difficulty.  The bills all looked nice and new and I've already used them to pay my to-date bill here at St. Anne's.  Katie Mumbi had a later nap today because of the Western Union outing but she handled that extremely well.  Nat was just a cuddle bug through the whole event.

It is a very good thing that we have David and that David has a driver.  This morning Father James told us that all of the transportation workers in Kinshasa went on strike.  They are protesting (an increase in?) the government tax on taxi drivers.  Because St. Anne's has a car and a driver they sent their car out all morning to fetch St. Anne's employees and bring them to work.  And then I saw Father James this afternoon meeting with a bunch of employees to plan the strategy for getting everyone to work tomorrow. This hasn't impacted us so far...but another mom (newly arrived from Canada) needed to get to the DHL office today and wasn't able to get there.  Her agency person failed to show up and going independently by taxi was impossible.

We did get a visa update today and expect another one tomorrow.  David checked with the Consulate this morning and they told him that they had been unable to reach the courts in Lubumbashi.  So David gave them a new phone number (which he said he called first to verify) and that they should be able to get through today.  This is all a part of their investigation that they are conducting.  David said he would go by the Consulate again in the morning and get another update.  I hope that actually happens.  But for me and Dad tomorrow is just another day here with the kids at St. Anne's.  Maybe we will mix it up a bit and watch "The Princess Bride".

-B

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

The kids and I are really starting to settle into a routine here in Kinshasa.  This is a nice side benefit of our extended stay here and will hopefully make our transition to the States easier.  Now that we don't have any appointments to go to all we do is live life day after day here at St. Anne's.  It's working pretty well for us...but I am still eager to come home!!

I've had the kids for 16 days now and Nat has already changed so much.  He is still a happy, cuddly love bug but now he is much bigger and stronger. He was right around 13 pounds when I first held him and now he must be pushing 15 or 16.  He looks so much healthier.  Two weeks ago he was very content to sit or be held and now he has places to go and things to do.  He can now roll over and he is even starting to work towards crawling.  He sleeps well all night long (from 7:30-ish to 6:00-ish) except when he wakes up (three times) to guzzle his bottles.  During the day he is more of a snacker and cat napper.  He does eat a decent amount of baby food and he also takes one nice long nap in the afternoon. I'm glad he still has that adorable gummy smile but I do think I see a tooth just under the gums on the top right.

Katie Mumbi is still trying to figure out which end it up.  When we are out of our room Katie has moments of being a regular two year old out and about with her Mama.  But she sometimes has moments where she shuts down and doesn't want anything or anyone to touch her or talk to her and only wants Mama.  She also has moments where she is loving running wild, playing rough and loud, and up in everyone else's space and not listening to Mama at all.  When she gets out of control or shuts down we have a system of taking some time where Katie sits in a chair and I wait for her to make eye contact so we can communicate about what is going on.  Oddly, the language barrier isn't much of a barrier at all.  I speak enough Swahili, she understands enough English, and we both understand each other's hand gestures so I am pretty confidant that we are communicating very well with each other. 

Because we are still working with Katie on developing self control we tend to stay in our room most of the day.  Yesterday we were planning on joining the other Love Beyond Borders families here in Kinshasa for a special dinner out at Maman Colonel.  We were told to be ready at 4:00 pm.  Kate was having a good day and the stars seemed to be aligning for us to be able to join the gang for dinner out.  But then our driver was an hour late...and by that time Katie Mumbi had been waiting for an hour with shoes on and backpack on (her choice).  And then she started to have a bit of a meltdown.  So I decided that we would be better off staying "home" and having dinner and a movie night in our room.  That turned out to be the right choice.  Dad went to Maman Colonel and reported back that the drive out there was 30 minutes long and it took an hour to get food.  He had a fine time, and Katie Mumbi was much happier eating Chef Boyardee in our room while we watched "The Proposal" and then afterwards had a dance party to "It Takes Two", "Mr. Blue Sky", and "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)".  We actually had a great night and both kids were sacked out by the time Dad arrived home with Mama Colonel leftovers for me.  

It also was probably better that the kids and I didn't go out last night because (good grief!) I'm sick again. This time it is a sinus infection that is working it's way down into my lungs.  I had heard that Kinshasa can set off people's breathing issues so I did come prepared.  I do NOT want to get pneumonia in Congo.  So last night Dad gave my his flonase and this morning I started on my Zithro.   I basically napped all day today and I do feel much better.  I'm still going to hit the sack early tonight, though.

It feels like we didn't do much this week to work towards bringing the kids home...but I think we are actually getting closer and closer.  I heard that the Consulate has received the kids medical reports (the last bit of paperwork) and they are making the calls they need to make to Lubumbashi as they conduct their investigation.  I am REALLY hopeful for the visas to be issued NEXT WEEK (please keep this in your prayers).  

I am pretty sure I can handle another week and a half here thanks to my fabulous in-laws taking care of my big kids for the next week, my awesome husband who is doing great in his domestic "stretch-role", and our SO APPRECIATED care package from Erin.  I am now stocked up on movies, Starbucks Via, and most importantly those toddler fruit/veggie tubes that my little kids love to suck down several times a day.  Plus, we have new books and the cutest ever socks which are totally useful for keeping Katie Mumbi from scratching herself until she bleeds (yes, we are using them on her hands!!!) as she goes to sleep.  Also, the Italian adoptive parents here made a little bit of a ruckess about the food offering at meal times last weekend...and all week we have had GREAT lunches at St. Anne's.  Now they even have a menu board at breakfast so you can see what is being served in advance of signing up for meals.  But if this stretches past May then I am going to need a BIG TIME care package of Similac Sensitve, more toddler fruit/veggie tubes, a new bar of soap, a proper comb and brush for Katie Mumbi, a lot more Starbucks Via, some more Chef Boyardee, and "Mary Poppins" and "Babe" for the wee ones.  I'm really hoping we are home before then!

King Nat

-B