A Day at the Barn

Today was a special day. I didn't know how much it would mean to me to share a barn with my son. It was unexpectedly awesome.

I spent a lot of time at barns when I was young. 4th grade is when I got the horse bug, and I was pretty obsessed for a few years. Outside of school, it was pretty much horses and volleyball.  This carried through college when I spent a couple of years on our school's equestrian team competing at other universities. For our school, it was a club sport but the competitions were funded by the school, and we got to travel to huge universities and spend days at their awe-inspiring barns and equestrian training centers. One year, I was the team manager which my brother-in-law branded as equestrian team cheerleader to irk me. It's still a thing. 

Anyway, today was so cool. I got to spend a few hours at a stable with some students and their families--and Tyndall. 

The smells. The dirt. The manure. The hay. The leather. The tack. It was so very familiar yet not. Because we are in Thailand, and everything is different on this side of the world. Yet not. Because the horses/ponies/dogs of the barn were so very familiar. 

You know what else? My dad often made the trips to be at my horse shows. I have several special memories of him watching me ride. And today I got to watch Tyndall ride, and it made me feel close to my dad. I'm tearing up even as I post this. It was so unexpected but delightful. A day I will treasure for a long time. 

Tyndall? He was okay. He was proud that he was brave to ride the pony. He liked the cool stuff he got to wear, especially the gloves. He was nervous and wanted me to walk beside him. I did for awhile but then let him go by himself. Then he was bored and wanted to go faster. Or get off. He tried to get off, but then it was his turn to go into the trotting area, so he decided to give that a try. When the instructors and leads had the pony trot, he liked it but his hat was too big and flopped around a lot. He was ready to be done after that, so I let him be done. He was more excited about petting the horses and the hedgehog that my student Nut brought to the barn and the barn dogs. Tyndall is definitely a lover of animals. I'm so very thankful for that! 

Flagler Family Asia Adventure! Part 1-Thailand

Stephani and Steven arrived in Thailand late on May 26th. Their flights were smooth, and all their luggage arrived with them, which made the reunion at the airport extra sweet!
We came right back to GES where our friend Sarah was staying with Tyndall who had been too excited to sleep!  So he got to have some aunt and uncle snuggles in the middle of the night and stayed up a couple of hours because everyone was so excited.  We ate nachos and Face-Timed Mark and the girls and eventually settled in enough to get some sleep.  

Matt and I were still working the next day, but we took Steph and Steven to P'Nee's for lunch and to 7 for drinks and for a tour around the school.  When we were done with work, we took them on a tuk-tuk to the pier where we caught a water-taxi to KhaoSan Rd.  

At KhaoSan, Steph and I got fish pedicures. And we did some shopping and lots of snacking (coconut ice cream, fruit shakes, waffles on a stick) mostly while walking around in the rain.  For dinner, we met the Boydas at the robot restaurant at Central Westgate then had Coldstone.  Tyndall and I caught a ride home with the Boydas, but Steph, Steven and Matt went back to KhaoSan for more adventures.  

The next day was a Saturday and Matt and I taught our last Joy Club.  Steven and Stephani went exploring at BigC that morning while we taught.  For lunch, we went to SamSep, which is a restaurant owned by one of our student's family.  The food is delicious, and we ate a ton of it! Stephani said it was the best fish she's ever eaten. After lunch, we went to Chatachuk Market to explore but got lost and turned around more than usual. (It's the largest outdoor market in the world where we have gone quite a few times but still manage to get turned around, especially if looking for something specific.)  Amidst the wandering around, there was still lots of shopping and snacking.  After JJ, we came back to get Tyndall and then went to The Mall for dinner.  We just ate at the food court there and were going to get massages, but they didn't have any availability.  And then we were going to see a movie, but that didn't happen either.  So we came home to get ready for our next adventures.  

Sunday we took it easy in the morning while we packed for the upcoming travel.  We went to check-in to our hotel downtown Bangkok where Matt and I had an Adoption Seminar.  After checking in, we went to Beirut for Lebanese food.  Though we had a slight sidetrack at "Le Beirut Cafe" which is more French food, we eventually got pointed downstairs to the real Beirut, and it was sooooooooooooooooooo good.  I had heard about this place for years, and yes, it is worth the hype.  So, we all ate a ton of food to the point where we were too miserable to do much else.  But we headed to Siam Paragon to walk around.  That was such a cool thing because I had envisioned going there with Stephani and Steven for so long.  As expected, the luxury hall was ogled over, and the car stores (in the mall!) were drooled over by Steven.  From there, Tyndall and I head back to the hotel, and the siblings went on a tuk-tuk food tour which they all loved!  They went to a few different stops for different types of food but also got to visit different wats (temples) and learn about Bangkok history in between food courses.  

Monday, Matt and I were in Adoption training from 8-5.  We were a little bummed that this training fell during Steven & Steph's visit, but it also worked out because it meant Tyndall got to have some special time with them.  While we were in training, they slept in, had breakfast and then explored Siam Paragon on their own.  They went to the aquarium, had high tea, and did shopping.  Apparently Tyndall was a perfect angel.  We met up after training at Terminal 21 and ate dinner at Sunrise Tacos and then had leg massages (and a manicure for Steven) across the street before heading back to our hotel.  

Tuesday, Matt and I still had training, and Steven and Steph were sick of malls.  So they arranged for a Grand Palace tour with transportation by boat.  But there was some mixup (and probably tourist trap), so they didn't end up doing the Grand Palace but saw some of the temples downtown and went to some markets where Steven had some pants tailored.  

After the training and waiting around for said-pants to be ready, we made our way back to GES. Sadly, we got back after most of the local restaurants had closed, so we had a hodge-podge of a dinner while we packed for Cambodia and Malaysia.  

Tyndall James is 3 Years Old!

I wrote his last milestone update half his life ago.  That's crazy.  And, now he's 3.  So, I was due for an update. I love looking back on these already, so I assume they'll be really special 10, 20, 30 years from now.  When he's my age.  Oh dear.   That will happen soon enough, but for now, he's 3.  

On a boat on our recent trip to Chiang Mai

Nicknames:  T, T-man, T-baby,  Bubba, "Kendo", "Tindon"

Favorite things to do:  Play outside, play trains, watch Play-Doh videos on YouTube, watch shows, go on adventures, drink milk, play with friends, go to Nursery, "ride" his tricycle (he is just now starting to pedal instead of scoot), read books, play hide & seek

Looking through a new book on Christmas morning

Favorite books:  We're Going On a Bear Hunt, Jamberry, God Is Bigger than the Boogie Man, God made You Special, A-Z Alphabet book, 5 Little Monsters, There's A Nightmare in My Closet, Jesus Storybook Bible, (and lots of other books about construction trucks and animals) 

His Bedtime Buddies

Favorite toys:  CinnaBear! (might even be his best friend), other stuffed animals (Pig, Shark, Octopus, VanillaBear, Monkey, Cocky, etc.), matching game, cars, Play Doh, train set, play kitchen, dinosaurs, Connect 4 in Daddy's classroom, games on Mommy's phone. 

Favorite TV Shows/Movies:  Peppa Pig, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Frozen, Despicable Me 1&2, Play-Doh videos on YouTube (especially DCTC), Jake & the Neverland Pirates, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, The Lion King, Curious George, Spongebob, Horton Hears a Who

Favorite Foods:  PB&J sandwiches, eggs, cheese, fruit, broccoli, protein shakes, chicken, fruit shakes, rice, noodles (Apparently he eats a lot at school but not too much at home.), ice cream, quesadillas

Friends:  Boyda boys (Keaton, Landon & Trevor), Ezra, Emma & Ellie, Rooney, Alisia, Sa, Meacha, In-In, Shita and many more! 

Ring-around-the-rosie with the Boyda boys

Basket swing with Ezra and Keaton

Favorite Sayings:  What is this?  Why?  I want to hold you.  Let's go outside.  Will you play with me?  Can I have some?  Why?  Can I watch ...?  I want to play a game on Mommy's phone.  Let's play...  Why?  "I Tyndall James Flagler", There's monsters in there?  Why?  Monsters can't get us here.  That's not scary.  Why?  No, thank you.  

silly face on the swing

Things he doesn't like:  Fireworks, Thunderstorms, swimming, being told "no", bugs, 

Things that happened while he was 2:  Kept going to MMO and made good friends with Khyla, Capers, and Aaron.  Went on the boat with the Petersons.  Spent lots of time with family and cousins Hailey, Kayte and Sadie.  Loved our back yard at our old house and playing in the yard with Zoe and neighborhood friends.  Started bilingual preschool at Papa & Gigi's church.  Had 2 visists to the ER because Mommy thought he ate some Tylenol (same week). Went to BeBe's house for July 4th weekend.  Moved to Thailand.  Started going to Thai nursery 5 days a week.  Went to Thai ER for falling 5-6 meters off a ladder.   "Helped" Mommy teach an English club for 3 year olds on Saturday mornings.  Loved going to church nursery and playing "Play-Doh".  Fed giraffes.  Performed in first Christmas program on a big stage. Rode on an elephant.    

Hanging with Hailey right before we moved

with Grandma in July

with Sadie in the moving boxes in July

first tuk-tuk ride

playing with Ezra after school

with Daddy in Thai style

first elephant ride

This has been a big year for our boy!  I love watching him grow and his personality develop.   He has handled an international move like a pro!  For the most part, he jumps right into things and is quick to make friends.  He's fearless, adventurous, and brave.  He loves trying new things.  In Thailand, his blonde hair and fair skin really stand out from a crowd, and Thai people are quick to notice him.  I've lost count of the number of people who have taken pictures with him, touched him, kissed him, and asked to hold him.  He handles it well, for the most part, but can be grumpy about it sometimes.  We are discovering that he is a true extrovert by getting charged up from being around people.  He looooooooooooooves being around people and laughing and making others laugh.  He keeps us giggling and moving! He is not a boy who likes to stay still, especially outside.  Thankfully, he can also enjoy relaxing, chilling and watching some shows or snuggling and reading books.  Recently, he has started saying, "I need a break from..." whatever he's doing and then he will change gears.

Christmas Eve 2015

Even this last month, his growing vocabulary and skills are blowing me away.  He can say all and recognize most letters of the English alphabet and even say most of their sounds.  He can also do the same for a few Thai letters, though Mommy and Daddy don't work on those as much at home (since we don't know them yet ourselves).  He can count to 10 (most of the time) in both languages too!  It's fun to watch him learn and grow! He is currently mastering going to the potty exclusively and riding his tricycle. 

He is kind.  He is loving.  He is fearless and brave.  Others describe him as wild and busy.  We are thankful to the Lord that he is healthy, strong-bodied and strong-willed.  Well, at least, people tell us we'll be thankful for the last one eventually.  For now, he keeps us laughing, busy, tired, but full of joy.  And we remain incredibly grateful to the Lord for creating and sustaining his life and choosing us to be his parents.  

Happy 3rd Birthday, Tyndall James!

Birthday cupcakes at dinner on 12-28-2015

NICU Days

Special Care Nursery aka NICU

He was born at 34 weeks gestation weighing 3 pounds, 3 ounces.  He spent his first 16 days in NICU.  

We've almost been home for a week.  Already, the NICU seems like ages ago, but I never want to forget that special time.  It was truly a gift to have that week to love on our son and cheer him on as he overcame several challenges from being a preemie. 

When we met him, he was 3 pounds, 5 ounces.  Soooooo tiny.  But also so perfect.  God had protected him from so much!  He had already changed from IV feedings to tube and bottle feedings.  He was getting every 3rd feeding through his tube but the other two through bottles.  He was in the incubator most of the time and only allowed out for 20-30 minutes per day. He was hooked up to a few monitors but nothing major.  The times we got to hold him were very special but went by way too fast.  

At the beginning, there was no realistic time expectation for how long he would be in NICU.  We thought it would be a certain weight that he got to, but it was more based on milestones.  He needed to be able to have only bottle feedings, to maintain his body temperature in the open air and to pass the 'car seat test'.  The car seat test meant that he had to be in his car seat for 3 hours without having any of his vitals cause concern.  We heard that it could be anything from 1 to 4 weeks before he came home.  We prepared ourselves to be with him as much as possible but also to have to cheer him on from Charleston to save our time off work.  

Starting late in the second day, we were able to do his bottle feedings in 'open air'.  So, it was extra time we got to spend holding him and learning how to help him eat.  From the little research I had done on preemies, I knew that bottle feeding could be a major concern.  I was so relieved that he didn't seem to have any problems with the 'suck, swallow, breathe' aspect of feeding.  It also really helped to have the nurses right there to coach us through it. His only problem was getting tuckered out part way through his bottle.  

His first bottle in the open air wasn't the best experience.  It was only a little over 24 hours after meeting him.  We had been with him a lot-- touching him, talking to him, letting him know he had a family.  When the nurse said I could feed him, I was so happy!  I felt sure he would eat like a champ with his new mommy.  BUT, he didn't. He wasn't able to finish his bottle, and I got really discouraged.  They gave him the rest through the feeding tube, and I felt like I had failed.  The nurse was so kind to give us a realistic perspective... she just helped us realize that he may have been overstimulated by all of our 'loving on' him in such a short amount of time.  She helped us realize that his most important job at this stage was to eat.  She suggested we start leaving him alone for the hour before he eats.  We took her advice to leave the hospital for a couple of hours, and my sister met us and Mom for an early dinner.  By the time we got back, it was time for the next feeding, and he DID eat like a champ!  But the first feeding had been a good reminder and a good jolt of perspective.  We learned that rest is really, really good for this little guy.  

The next day, he started to do exclusively bottle feedings.  We started learning more tricks to help him stay awake during his feeding time.  We also continued to let him rest an hour before each feeding, and he ate really well. 

After being with him for 3 days, we came back to Charleston to work for a couple of days.  It was hard to leave him, but we knew he was in good hands.  We also knew we wanted to save our time off for when he got home.  While we were home, he transitioned to 'ad-lib' feedings where they let him eat as much as he wanted every 3 hours.  He did a fairly good job at eating a consistent amount, which the doctor was very pleased with.  
By the time we got back to him, he had begun to transition to open-air, which meant he had gained enough weight to start to maintain his body temperature.  This was huge!  

Open air!

Our last couple days in NICU were just a matter of everyone getting comfortable and settled into a routine.  Once he had transitioned to bottle feedings and open air, we started preparing ourselves to bring home this little one...  He passed his car seat test on Sunday, so we knew it wouldn't be too long before we could bring him home... but it was still a surprise to get the call from the doctor late Monday morning that said he could be discharged that day!  It was going to be a little scary to not have the nurses there and not have monitors to reassure us of his breathing.  But God gave us peace.  

Tyndall exceeded expectations and came home weighing 3 pounds, 15.6 ounces at 16 days old.

Discharge instructions!

Other things to remember from the first few days in NICU:

• Wonderful Nurses: Sara, Kathy, Amy (x2), Karen, Sherri, Mary, Dametriel (for a few hours), Cindy (our discharge nurse), Robbie (while we were back home)... Seriously, the nurses made that time so special.  They answered our questions, listened to our adoption story and taught us how to best care for our son. 
• Scrubbing-in.  I would like a scrub-in station at my house.  
• Chad, Christina, and Miracle.  Friends we made in the NICU.  Chad was born at 30 weeks and explained to us what it meant to be a 'wimpy white boy' in NICU. 
• First stay at Hampton Inn with Mom and trip to Babies R Us.
• Second stay at Ronald McDonald house
• Visitors at the hospital: Mom/BeBe, Valerie, Papa, Gigi, Uncle Steven, Aunt Steph, Eddie, Frances, and Phyllis Jenkins
• Photography session with Casey at Blissful Photography on Discharge/Adoption Day (a friend from college)
• Kangaroo Care
• Nurse Marlena... the only nurse we met who cared for him his first week.  She said she prayed over him and prayed for his future family... very special! 
• The waiting room... where we spent a lot of time checking email, uploading pictures to a private Facebook album for family to see, and writing blogs that had to wait to be published until papers were signed.  (Also where we signed the papers and made everything official that we already knew in our hearts to be true.)