Monday, June 20, 2005

Falling out of bed...

First Mama then Dub. Dub is a light sleeper and wakes several times a night. He just sits up and whimpers, and then if I pat him on the back, he goes right back to sleep. But I'm afraid he'll wake up Lena. So last night my mommy ears were turned on and when I heard him whimpering, I rolled over to get up and pat him, I fell out of bed. I was sleeping so hard, I couldn't remember where I was, and thought I was still in the hotel in my own twin bed instead of sharing half of a double bed with Kevin. Guess I was too close to the edge. Not that it's really a bed. It's a box spring with a 1" mattress on top. I think a bed of nails would be softer. Then I remember the email pictures that went around showing the mudpits our troops have to sleep in, and I'm very grateful for the 1" mattress.



In Umit, the toddlers sleep in little beds that have tall side rails that keep them from falling out of bed. Here in the apartment, we have twin beds (as we do at home). You can see from the picture, the rooms have these really weird walls that look like a wagon wheel. The third time Dub woke up whimpering, I went in to pat him and couldn't find him! I heard the whimpering and looked closer in the dark and realized he had fallen out of bed and was wedged in the opening created by the wagon wheel effect. I yelled for Kevin because I couldn’t move the bed and he came running in. Lena woke up whimpering. It took about 10 seconds to rock everyone back to sleep.

Today (Monday) we all have the crud. The kids have had it since we got them and their little coughs are so bad a precious friend who is an RN on Mercy Ships suggested we get some amoxicillin since the pharmacies are not restricted like in the US. That was adventure! It took 4 tries to get someone to speak English (there is a US Flag and a Kazakh flag painted on the side of the building, so I assumed SOMEONE spoke English!) I told her I needed amoxicillin for my 3 year olds. She barely understood and tried to tell me about dosages and tablets. When I asked for liquid that really started something. She finally ended up giving me 10ml of something and was told to add it to .5L of water and the dosage was ½ tsp every day. I typed it into a Russian/English website and it came back vitasepen. Sound familiar to anyone? They seemed very nice, but I’m not comfortable giving my kids strange medicine unless I’m sure it’s the right one.

We finally got the TV working here, and D&L watched some Russian cartoons while Papa rotted in bed with this crud. Believe it or not, they were bored with TV, and proceeded to cooperate in burying all their toys between their 2 blankeys. It was like watching a small colony of ants put their respective skills together to land all their worldly possessions on one blanket, then wrap them up in that blanket, and then cover this all up with the other blanket. I sat and watched the whole thing while listening to their toddler conversation in Kazakh. Quite amazing to see them speak to one another in Kazakh (or their version of it) and acknowledge one another’s ideas and implement them.



For no reason we can see, L&D would not eat dinner. Mama made roasted chicken breast with “smashed potatoes" and carrots. She tasted it and it tasted fine to her. They are both a little sick and Lena has a 99 degree temp, so perhaps they’ve lost their appetites. Either that or they don’t like Mama’s cookin! I think Dub was mad about something but we couldn’t figure out what. He just kept mumbling the same thing over but we have no idea what it was!

We’re figuring out the bedtime ritual, but Dub still fights it every step of the way. As soon as he realizes that the lights are out, the toys are put away, and mama and papa are done reading them a soft, quiet story, he starts freaking out. Unfortunately, we have no idea what’s behind this, or if it might be the same thing that wakes him up in the middle of the night screaming (other than falling out of bed, that is). Eventually, he let’s Mama rock him to sleep, and he’s out. We continue to struggle with implementing good habits now versus realizing that these kids have had their world shaken and they need every ounce of love and touch they can get. It’s a tough line to draw, and we’re only learning by trial and prayer.

Please pray that we will all get rid of this crud, so we won’t be shut-ins the whole time we are in Almaty. We all walked to the market (3 blocks) today, and we were all toast by the time we got back. Lena and Dub just shut down and would not walk, so Mama and Papa had to carry one of them each, along with an armload of groceries. OY!

And we continue to thank you for and covet more of these wonderful emails and blog comments. We’ve been away a long time, and it’s still a thrill to see a new name at the end of an email! Keep ‘em comin!

Blessings,
Kevin, Angel, Dub & Lena

PS - unfortunately, the few pics we took on the train didn't really turn out, probably because we were so exhausted, rather than from the movement of the train. Here's one that gives you the general idea.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

AKD&L:
Welcome to the first experience of children giving Mom and Dad the crud. I am so sorry you are not up to yourselves but with ton's of prayers I know you ALL will be feeling better soon. Besides it would be wonderful if you were home in your own beds also. I know Z will give you good direction with care for the children. We pray for your safety and that you will wrap things up soon and return home to all (your church family)of us.

Take care, feel better and kiss the babies.

The Bruce's

Anonymous said...

Sorry about the crud and the lack of sleep, but I would like to weigh in on the rocking bit. I am a firm believer of rocking kids until they are too big for your lap. Some of my sweetest times with my sister as a baby were sitting in her room listening to my father sing hymns and VMI figh songs lulling her to sleep. There are at least a dozen of songs that I learned listening to him sing her to sleep. I would sing her camp songs (change the tempo of course) and country songs and worship songs, it was wonderful. Often she would still be awake when she hit the bed, but it was a great affectionate time and very bonding. I would love for someone to sing to me and rock me to sleep! We all would sleep easier! And it is Biblical :) Zephaniah 3:16-17 "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing!" What a promise for your precious ones!!
Katherine Garnett

Anonymous said...

Hey guys-
Sorry to hear you're not feelin' well... Guess we've found something else the little monkies haven't been exposed to... all the grimey little germies that live outside Umit! Look on the bright side. In a couple of months you'll all have immune systems of steel. :-)
Take care of yourselves, and give the littlest patients a hug and kiss from us.
All our love,
El and Jess

Anonymous said...

Welcome to the world of sleep-deprived people, aka parents. You will make it. To me it seemed the very mostdifficult part of being a parent. Once you get to Atlanta and get on a regular routine, it won't be quite as bad. I love following your experience. I've encouraged Papu/Roscoe/Sonny to write a book because he has such a way with words. Now....Kevin/Angel ARE writing a book. Aunt Tincy

Anonymous said...

What a blessing you and your children already are to so many!
Thank you for your efforts in posting each update and photo!!!

I did a several-hour marathon and re-read every post from the very beginning through about March or so, (got busy & distracted around then, and didn't get to keep caught up), then, for the first time read every single post you've written since then, up through the night I was reading, this past Friday - (you posted WHILE I was reading . . .it was so cool. I was in tears, of course (Mommy's are made backwards, you know - we cry when we're happy!) - I just could hardly take it all in, and I had read every single post . . . and it dawned on me the hour and date, clicked "refresh," and your just-posted-post came right up! It was TOO COOL!) . . . - I consider the scrapbooks/memory albums I am working on for our girls to be precious gifts for them, for their children, etc., but - WHOA, NELLY! This story - the precious record of every step, with your love for the children and your desire to live each day with God shining through all the way - has got to be right up there with the most beautiful and precious gift two children might ever receive!! Wallace and I have a 6 yr. old and an almost-2-year-old, and, though many miles away, I must report that I've said, "Oh, yeh," more times than I can count, as I read each post and the accounts within of the children's verbal, physical, sleeping, eating, and other activities. Good news is: You AND they, are normal (Whatever that is!) :-)
Your motherly and fatherly instincts are serving you, and the children, very well!
Hope you ALL are feeling much better very soon!
Smiles and blessings from friends in your PC Family (Go Hose!) -
Jennifer Bateman Bonner ('92)