Pneumonia
We are settling in to our new home, it's amazing. Our home! Kajal is thrilled, although she is still too afraid to sleep in her own room. It's one of the few rooms in the house that really looks pulled together. I was standing in the doorway admiring the way I'd draped the canopy of her four poster bed and Kajal looked up at me questioning.
What are you smiling at Mom?
Your room, it's so beautiful. Isn't it?
Oh yes, Mom, it's really beautiful.
What a great room to cuddle up in. To feel safe in. Hey Kajal, wouldn't you like to sleep here?
I'm going to Mommy.
You are? When?
When I'm married. When I'm 30.
What are you smiling at Mom?
Your room, it's so beautiful. Isn't it?
Oh yes, Mom, it's really beautiful.
What a great room to cuddle up in. To feel safe in. Hey Kajal, wouldn't you like to sleep here?
I'm going to Mommy.
You are? When?
When I'm married. When I'm 30.
(I may have mentioned to her at some point that she needs to wait until after 30 to marry)
Uh oh.
Uh oh.
Kajal, I think maybe you should give it a try sooner.
Oh, no, I don't think so Mom.
But it's so safe and cuddly, so pretty, just think about it, okay, Kajal?
Okay, Mom. I know, I'll sleep here when I'm 10.
Hmmm. Well, that's still a long time away. How about when you're 8?
She thinks about it then stamps her foot. You're tricking me Mommy, that's soon!
Her birthday is indeed just a few short months away. At least I've planted the seed... we'll see what happens from here.
We put up our Christmas tree and Kajal oooohed and ahhhhd as she unpacked each and every ornament. True joy.
My sister and her family came up from Florida to share Thanksgiving with us and it was beautiful having family in our new home for Thanksgiving. Kajal and I had developed bronchitis and been fighting it for 2-3 weeks. Last Friday her symptom got worse and I made an appointment to bring her to the doctor the next morning. Within moments of meeting with the Doctor she was put on a breathing maching to medicate her lungs and we were sent to the emergency room.
A few hours later Kajal was diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia. As she walked through the hospital corrider with a mask over her face, tears from fear, streaming down her face... my heart was full of hurt and love for her. It's amazing how love grows, stronger and stronger with every experience, every experience... good and sad.
We celebrated two years November 21, on National Adoption Day. Two years since the day we came home from India together. It's amazing. We celebrated by attending a candlelit ceremony in a historic park in Summerville, our new home town. I shared our experiences with other adoptive parents and we met some new friends we hope to see again soon.
But this past week Kajal has been curled up at home, missing school, taking medicine and healing. When we went for a follow up Doctors visit, I was diagnosed with pneumonia as well. I hadn't known that it was contagious but this type, bacterial, is. Thank goodness my mother hasn't got it.
Kajal and I take turns breathing into the nebulizer (a breathing machine that sends medicine into your lungs) and we've both been staying in and taking it easy.
What really amazed me is how sneaky the illness is. I never realized that pneumonia could come on so quickly but I've since learned that a child could have what appears to be a chest cold and cough for just a few days when it could turn into pneumonia. As an adult, I didn't feel that bad... I just had a terrible cough that was hard to shake and was a bit tired.
Kajal's missed a week of school and we're hoping she'll be allowed to return by mid next week. She's been amazing about doing schoolwork at home, her focus is incredible.
My mother's incredible with her, they sit and do homework together and I can hear them laughing and goofing around from across the house.
We are so blessed. Kajal has even started to embrace her cultural history. Before she got ill she started asking if she could wear some of her special Indian clothing to school (salwar kameez) and went to school wearing bindi's. She is truly flourishing in her new school and the class she's in, an all girls class, seems to focus on building positive socialization skills between young girls. She's had no problems with bullying and seems to radiate with positive energy when I see her around her classmates. No shy or retired child her, she exudes confidence and silliness. Just like little girls should.
We still miss Boston, alot. And all those we love but as we slowly build our new life here in South Carolina we are so grateful for all that we have and all that we are, together.
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