Dexter left a few minutes ago to catch his flight in Nairobi! It has been a long, long journey to get us to this point, but the end is finally here. It is hard to believe that at this time last week he didn't even have a ticket to the US yet. (And, it took ten hours to book that ticket. Drama.)
On Monday he has his interview at UMDNJ, and on Tuesday his Bench Test which is a clinical test of his skills. Fortunately they told him exactly what he'd be asked to do, so he's been preparing and practicing. There are about 16 people total who will be interviewed and tested those days. I don't know about him, but I would be a nervous wreck! He is fortunate that he has been doing dentistry for a long time now, and has worked with an American dentist for most of that time...he's already familiar with the American equipment, which I think gives him a leg up on the others. Please continue to pray that all goes well and smoothly for him those two days.
UMDNJ starts in March which, in case you are not aware, is in five months. If we get accepted we'll have a lot to do in a short period of time! I can't quite wrap my mind around it just yet.
Kyalo and I are home alone for a full week. We have some activities planned to fill the days, but the evenings can be quite long (and lonely!) so pray for us that we get along, and that it all goes well.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
baby week: baby gear
My friend Erica had decided that this should be "Baby Week" where
mothers chime in with what they found helpful to have when the baby came
home. Obviously, I'm a little late in joining the game since it is
Wednesday, but I thought I'd chip in with my ideas.
This is my list of "essential" baby gear to have for when coming home from the hospital (or soon there after) and for the first few months. Living in Kenya means I had to stock up when I was home in November, order things online for my parents to bring in January or April, and then just live with what I had. I do feel very fortunate that I was give a ton of stuff for our baby as either gifts of hand-me-downs. We hardly spent any money preparing! :)
In no particular order, here's what I had and loved:
Soothie Pacifiers:
I wasn't planning on getting a pacifier - it wasn't one of the things I stocked up on or even really considered. Erica sent me a two-pack of these Soothie Pacifiers which came with my parents when Kyalo was about 4 days old. I figured, "what the heck" and gave them a try. They ended up being such a huge life saver...especially when out: shopping, in church, in the car, etc. I could also give them to Kyalo to help him fall asleep. Love them. He doesn't use a pacifier nearly as much now, but those first few months were really great. I wish he hadn't kicked the habit quite so soon...
Burp Cloths:
This is probably a no-brainer, but I really did use a lot of burp cloths. I'd recommend getting cloth diapers and using those as they seem to work well. I used them for everything. They worked as a nice little pillow in the carrier, a rag, something to protect my clothes from spit-up, and an easy solution to the mess that he made regularly.
Baby Carrier:
I really, really wanted an Ergo because they're supposedly the best, but they're also over $100, so when I was home I found one in Marshall's for about $15.00. This was an infantino front pack. I don't think they make that particular kind any more, but I loved it. Since Kyalo was 8 pounds at birth I was able to use it right away. Afternoons were dicey around here, so I would put him in it and we'd walk the Kijabe hills. When I was home this summer I got another infantino carrier - one that has the weight down on the waist. I love it. I got it at Target for $35.00 I think.
Cloth Diapers:
They're not for everyone, I know, but I'm glad I got a pack of cloth diapers. I agonized for months over what to get - there are just so many options nowadays. I finally settled on bumGenius diapers because they seemed easy enough. I have 18, which last about a day and a half...then I wash them and hang them out to dry (no dryer here) and so I have to have some disposables on hand as well. I like knowing that I'm doing a little to keep the baby footprint down a bit. Maybe I'll get more some day, I don't know.
Car Seat:
I wanted to get a really good car seat because I live in Kenya where road traffic accidents are one of the leading causes of death here. The available seats here are pretty expensive and not that sturdy. I wanted the best! I stumbled on a friend's Facebook page once where she was thinking about getting this car seat: the Britax 55 Roundabout. It is a convertible car seat - can go up to 4 years old or something. I liked that it meant only buying one car seat, and that it would last a long, long time. Plus it has very high safety ratings. It took Dexter a day to install it before we went to the hospital. That baby is not going anywhere! Now, while I was home my mom borrowed the infant car seats (the kind that you can take out while the baby is still sleeping) and that was very nice, too. But for our situation, I'm glad to have this one.
Baby Cot:
A friend lent us their baby cot (which was actually a part of their stroller) and that was a huge help, too. The first night home from the hospital I put Kyalo in his crib and he just looked so small I couldn't bear to leave him in the room alone. I put him in the cot between us for a couple of weeks - which was nice since I was recovering from the C-Section. We took it to friends' houses so Kyalo had a place to sleep, and put him down for naps there for a while, too.
Musical Mobile:
This was a gift at my baby shower, and it turned out to be a hit with Kyalo. It plays music, and turns around, and he was fascinated by it. I loved it because it gave me about three minutes to do something (run to the bathroom, heat my tea, change clothes, check email), and because it helped him to fall asleep. We used it so much that one day it broke! I'm trying to figure out how to get a replacement of the piece that broke.
Vibrating Chair:
According to Fisher Price, this is an Infant-to-Toddler Rocker. But it vibrates, so I call it the vibrating chair! This was a gift from my mom and it continues to be a great place to plop Kyalo. He doesn't always love it, but it could give me 5-20 minutes to get things done. It has a detachable piece that has hanging things on it. I attached that around 3 or so months and he enjoyed hitting at the things. One even has a pull down piece that plays a bit of music - it felt like a bit accomplishment when he figured out how to do it himself. It is nice that it will grow with him for a while.
Baby Monitor:
Another gift that I'm glad to have! Our house is fairly small, so I didn't think I would need a monitor, but it is nice to have when I'm doing things in the kitchen to be able to hear him right away. It helps to have it at night as well because when I'm really really really tired it helps me to hear him. The base in his room has a night light, and the part that I carry around has a wave-meter type thing so I can see just how forceful he is. I'm fairly sure the one I have is British, so I won't put any links to it. But I think they're a great piece to have.
Prayer and Patience:
You can't buy those, obviously, but you need them, more than anything I think! Patience comes and goes for sure. Prayer seems critical, too. I like to pray over Kyalo while nursing (esp in the middle of the night as it helps me not be so bitter :) ). You can really never have too much prayer and patience.
And that's my list. It probably isn't all-encompassing, but it is a start. What would you tell someone? What did you have?
This is my list of "essential" baby gear to have for when coming home from the hospital (or soon there after) and for the first few months. Living in Kenya means I had to stock up when I was home in November, order things online for my parents to bring in January or April, and then just live with what I had. I do feel very fortunate that I was give a ton of stuff for our baby as either gifts of hand-me-downs. We hardly spent any money preparing! :)
In no particular order, here's what I had and loved:
Soothie Pacifiers:
I wasn't planning on getting a pacifier - it wasn't one of the things I stocked up on or even really considered. Erica sent me a two-pack of these Soothie Pacifiers which came with my parents when Kyalo was about 4 days old. I figured, "what the heck" and gave them a try. They ended up being such a huge life saver...especially when out: shopping, in church, in the car, etc. I could also give them to Kyalo to help him fall asleep. Love them. He doesn't use a pacifier nearly as much now, but those first few months were really great. I wish he hadn't kicked the habit quite so soon...
Burp Cloths:
This is probably a no-brainer, but I really did use a lot of burp cloths. I'd recommend getting cloth diapers and using those as they seem to work well. I used them for everything. They worked as a nice little pillow in the carrier, a rag, something to protect my clothes from spit-up, and an easy solution to the mess that he made regularly.
Baby Carrier:
I really, really wanted an Ergo because they're supposedly the best, but they're also over $100, so when I was home I found one in Marshall's for about $15.00. This was an infantino front pack. I don't think they make that particular kind any more, but I loved it. Since Kyalo was 8 pounds at birth I was able to use it right away. Afternoons were dicey around here, so I would put him in it and we'd walk the Kijabe hills. When I was home this summer I got another infantino carrier - one that has the weight down on the waist. I love it. I got it at Target for $35.00 I think.
Cloth Diapers:
They're not for everyone, I know, but I'm glad I got a pack of cloth diapers. I agonized for months over what to get - there are just so many options nowadays. I finally settled on bumGenius diapers because they seemed easy enough. I have 18, which last about a day and a half...then I wash them and hang them out to dry (no dryer here) and so I have to have some disposables on hand as well. I like knowing that I'm doing a little to keep the baby footprint down a bit. Maybe I'll get more some day, I don't know.
Car Seat:
I wanted to get a really good car seat because I live in Kenya where road traffic accidents are one of the leading causes of death here. The available seats here are pretty expensive and not that sturdy. I wanted the best! I stumbled on a friend's Facebook page once where she was thinking about getting this car seat: the Britax 55 Roundabout. It is a convertible car seat - can go up to 4 years old or something. I liked that it meant only buying one car seat, and that it would last a long, long time. Plus it has very high safety ratings. It took Dexter a day to install it before we went to the hospital. That baby is not going anywhere! Now, while I was home my mom borrowed the infant car seats (the kind that you can take out while the baby is still sleeping) and that was very nice, too. But for our situation, I'm glad to have this one.
Baby Cot:
A friend lent us their baby cot (which was actually a part of their stroller) and that was a huge help, too. The first night home from the hospital I put Kyalo in his crib and he just looked so small I couldn't bear to leave him in the room alone. I put him in the cot between us for a couple of weeks - which was nice since I was recovering from the C-Section. We took it to friends' houses so Kyalo had a place to sleep, and put him down for naps there for a while, too.
Musical Mobile:
This was a gift at my baby shower, and it turned out to be a hit with Kyalo. It plays music, and turns around, and he was fascinated by it. I loved it because it gave me about three minutes to do something (run to the bathroom, heat my tea, change clothes, check email), and because it helped him to fall asleep. We used it so much that one day it broke! I'm trying to figure out how to get a replacement of the piece that broke.
Vibrating Chair:
{4 days old}
According to Fisher Price, this is an Infant-to-Toddler Rocker. But it vibrates, so I call it the vibrating chair! This was a gift from my mom and it continues to be a great place to plop Kyalo. He doesn't always love it, but it could give me 5-20 minutes to get things done. It has a detachable piece that has hanging things on it. I attached that around 3 or so months and he enjoyed hitting at the things. One even has a pull down piece that plays a bit of music - it felt like a bit accomplishment when he figured out how to do it himself. It is nice that it will grow with him for a while.
Baby Monitor:
Another gift that I'm glad to have! Our house is fairly small, so I didn't think I would need a monitor, but it is nice to have when I'm doing things in the kitchen to be able to hear him right away. It helps to have it at night as well because when I'm really really really tired it helps me to hear him. The base in his room has a night light, and the part that I carry around has a wave-meter type thing so I can see just how forceful he is. I'm fairly sure the one I have is British, so I won't put any links to it. But I think they're a great piece to have.
Prayer and Patience:
You can't buy those, obviously, but you need them, more than anything I think! Patience comes and goes for sure. Prayer seems critical, too. I like to pray over Kyalo while nursing (esp in the middle of the night as it helps me not be so bitter :) ). You can really never have too much prayer and patience.
And that's my list. It probably isn't all-encompassing, but it is a start. What would you tell someone? What did you have?
Monday, October 10, 2011
a small problem
I have a slight problem. In the last week and a half, I have baked: snickerdoodles, zucchini brownies, carrot cake (with and without nuts), and to celebrate Dexter getting his immigrant visa, a new recipe called "Angel Cakes."
Thursday seemed like a big milestone, one that couldn't go unmarked and uncelebrated. My mom gave me a very fancy cupcake cookbook a few years ago, and I've always been intimidated by it. I took a look through it and found a recipe that: a) looked manageable enough, b) I had all the ingredients on hand, and c) it looked like something Dexter would like. The Trifecta!
They are a simple butter cream batter, dipped in melted chocolate and then dipped in shredded coconut. They taste something like a Bounty/Mounds bar. Y U M.
I had wanted to write "congratulations" on them, but did you know it has 15 letters? I had 11 cupcakes to work with (one broke, and I *had* to eat it; poor me) so I needed to get a little creative.
I had fun making this recipe, thinking about how much Dexter would like it. He doesn't love a lot of chocolate (I can't understand), so I thought this recipe would be just right for him. I think he had four the first night, so I'd say I did pretty well!
Thursday seemed like a big milestone, one that couldn't go unmarked and uncelebrated. My mom gave me a very fancy cupcake cookbook a few years ago, and I've always been intimidated by it. I took a look through it and found a recipe that: a) looked manageable enough, b) I had all the ingredients on hand, and c) it looked like something Dexter would like. The Trifecta!
They are a simple butter cream batter, dipped in melted chocolate and then dipped in shredded coconut. They taste something like a Bounty/Mounds bar. Y U M.
I had wanted to write "congratulations" on them, but did you know it has 15 letters? I had 11 cupcakes to work with (one broke, and I *had* to eat it; poor me) so I needed to get a little creative.
I had fun making this recipe, thinking about how much Dexter would like it. He doesn't love a lot of chocolate (I can't understand), so I thought this recipe would be just right for him. I think he had four the first night, so I'd say I did pretty well!
{happy}
(Don't worry, Kyalo didn't have any).
And now I have an urge to play Scrabble. Who's with me?
Thursday, October 6, 2011
just like that
Today Dexter took the missing documents to the Embassy and, just like that, he was granted the visa!!! He or I will go pick up his passport with the visa in it on Tuesday afternoon. For all the stress, drama, confusion that this process caused (or, let's be honest, that I caused), the actual interviews seemed to be straightforward and much easier than I would have imagined. (Anyone seen the movie "Green Card"? I was anticipating all kinds of detailed questions like they dealt with!). Thank you for your prayers, as always.
An interesting wrinkle in the story is that this morning Dexter received an email from UMDNJ saying that they would have to give away his interview spot because they didn't think he was getting his visa. He responded immediately asking them to hold his spot, and I think we might even call later just to see what magic we can work. But seriously. UMDNJ sent that email eleven hours before he was granted the visa. I'd call that cutting it close. Pray with us that it will all work out.
We should also be hearing from University of Louisville today or tomorrow, so we're excited about the options ahead of us.
An interesting wrinkle in the story is that this morning Dexter received an email from UMDNJ saying that they would have to give away his interview spot because they didn't think he was getting his visa. He responded immediately asking them to hold his spot, and I think we might even call later just to see what magic we can work. But seriously. UMDNJ sent that email eleven hours before he was granted the visa. I'd call that cutting it close. Pray with us that it will all work out.
We should also be hearing from University of Louisville today or tomorrow, so we're excited about the options ahead of us.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
a good start
Today was the long-anticipated day! Dexter was up and out by 5:45 this morning for his drive to the embassy. I was snugly tucked in bed because I was not allowed to go to the interview. I guess he had to be able to do it all on his own.
It was a long day of mostly waiting, but it went reasonably well. We had a lot of extra stuff (photos, letters from friends - thanks, friends - extra documents to show our relationship and our intentions for going to the US), which they didn't even really look at. What they did want, though, was original copies of his birth certificate and our marriage certificate. We had the required certified copies that the check list mentioned. Nothing was mentioned about bringing originals, so this is a tad frustrating. I'm also frustrated that I didn't think for him to bring them with him, "just in case."
Otherwise, it seems all is well! He will bring the originals back on Thursday and then. . . he'll get the visa? I'm actually not too sure at this point. We'll live in hope.
I will continue to keep you posted. It seems really positive at this point.
Thank you for your prayers.
It was a long day of mostly waiting, but it went reasonably well. We had a lot of extra stuff (photos, letters from friends - thanks, friends - extra documents to show our relationship and our intentions for going to the US), which they didn't even really look at. What they did want, though, was original copies of his birth certificate and our marriage certificate. We had the required certified copies that the check list mentioned. Nothing was mentioned about bringing originals, so this is a tad frustrating. I'm also frustrated that I didn't think for him to bring them with him, "just in case."
Otherwise, it seems all is well! He will bring the originals back on Thursday and then. . . he'll get the visa? I'm actually not too sure at this point. We'll live in hope.
I will continue to keep you posted. It seems really positive at this point.
Thank you for your prayers.
Monday, October 3, 2011
six months
In the midst of all the craziness with the green card application, Kyalo's kept on doing what he's supposed to: grow! Today, he turned six months. I feel like it should be SIX MONTHS!!!! because it feels like such a big deal to me. It has been six wonderful, challenging, rewarding, fabulous six months. I'm not sure if I ever mentioned this, but I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the whole motherhood thing. Immediately, though, I loved it. Kyalo does make it easy, and his smile can brighten any bad day, so that helps.
Today we had the monthly adventure of getting weighed and measured. Getting measured is always a challenge. First, I have to request it, then, a nurse scurries off to find the tape measure, and then the measurement seems to be off. This time it came in under the previous month's reading, and then when done again, seemed too high. Oh well, can't win 'em all, I guess.
Kyalo learned to sit while he was in the US. It is still a skill he is learning to master, but every day he gets a little better. Not pictured: toppling over, conking head, screaming. You're welcome.
It is hard to believe it has only been six months. It just keeps getting better and better. He's not sleeping through the night just yet (and last week he was waking up four times. Bad Kyalo), but other than that, I'd say he's perfect and brings us nothing but joy and happiness! :) He recently ditched his pacifier which is good because I didn't especially want him to be dependent on it for too long, but bad because there are times I wish I could use it to calm him down.
Tonight, we gave him some food - sweet potato fries and a few stalks of steamed broccoli. He seemed to enjoy the potato, but, if the fact that the broccoli ended up immediately on the floor tells us anything, I don't think he was too much of a fan. This Baby Led Weaning thing could be fun - but also a little scary. The book assures us that choking is not really a risk, but it is hard not to wonder. . .
Tomorrow, I think we'll try banana.
Exciting times in the Mulandi house!
Today we had the monthly adventure of getting weighed and measured. Getting measured is always a challenge. First, I have to request it, then, a nurse scurries off to find the tape measure, and then the measurement seems to be off. This time it came in under the previous month's reading, and then when done again, seemed too high. Oh well, can't win 'em all, I guess.
Looking surprised to be 7.8 kgs {17.19 lbs} and 69 cms {27.16 inches - maybe}
I didn't do a good job getting pictures of him in his chair. This is the only one. He was pretty tired and fading fast, so I was trying to do a lot while I could...
It is hard to believe it has only been six months. It just keeps getting better and better. He's not sleeping through the night just yet (and last week he was waking up four times. Bad Kyalo), but other than that, I'd say he's perfect and brings us nothing but joy and happiness! :) He recently ditched his pacifier which is good because I didn't especially want him to be dependent on it for too long, but bad because there are times I wish I could use it to calm him down.
Tonight, we gave him some food - sweet potato fries and a few stalks of steamed broccoli. He seemed to enjoy the potato, but, if the fact that the broccoli ended up immediately on the floor tells us anything, I don't think he was too much of a fan. This Baby Led Weaning thing could be fun - but also a little scary. The book assures us that choking is not really a risk, but it is hard not to wonder. . .
Tomorrow, I think we'll try banana.
Exciting times in the Mulandi house!
tomorrow and tomorrow
Tomorrow is the day! Tomorrow morning, at 7 am Dexter goes in for his immigrant visa interview. It is actually a two-day affair. Tomorrow he drops the paperwork off and then, if all looks okay, he will be asked to return on Wednesday for the official interview. At least, that is what I think is going to happen.
We have been working on this process since March, and nothing about it has been easy. I was feeling pretty good about things today: Kyalo slept for two hours (thanks, baby!) and I was able to organize our mountain of paperwork into something that we can actually present to the Embassy. But Dexter just brought to my attention the fact that maybe we don't have all the forms filled that we need. This is not good at 8:36 PM the night before. The directions don't really make it very clear to me, and at this point, we're just going to have to go with what we have and hope and pray that all goes well.
Please continue to pray for us and especially Dexter as he has to leave here tomorrow morning by 5:30 (ugh). I would be so nervous if I were going in for the interview, and would probably get answers to questions wrong, so pray for peace of mind, clarity of memory (dates are not our strong suite), and honesty of answers.
And of course, pray that he gets it!
I'm ready for this to be over and done with. Plus, we have interviews in the US awaiting.
Thank you.
We have been working on this process since March, and nothing about it has been easy. I was feeling pretty good about things today: Kyalo slept for two hours (thanks, baby!) and I was able to organize our mountain of paperwork into something that we can actually present to the Embassy. But Dexter just brought to my attention the fact that maybe we don't have all the forms filled that we need. This is not good at 8:36 PM the night before. The directions don't really make it very clear to me, and at this point, we're just going to have to go with what we have and hope and pray that all goes well.
Please continue to pray for us and especially Dexter as he has to leave here tomorrow morning by 5:30 (ugh). I would be so nervous if I were going in for the interview, and would probably get answers to questions wrong, so pray for peace of mind, clarity of memory (dates are not our strong suite), and honesty of answers.
And of course, pray that he gets it!
I'm ready for this to be over and done with. Plus, we have interviews in the US awaiting.
Thank you.
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