Hope your New Year is filled...

...with dreams as big as castles that are filled with sweet fairy dust!!!



These are two of the favorite gifts from Christmas. A set of blocks from Grandpa Helsing that will allow our boy with the neverending imagination to build just about anything his heart desires and a fairy outfit (and tent) from Great Grammie Ferra that is our little diva's heart's desire.

Wishing you all the best in the New Year!

Merry Christmas!

From our house to yours!

My boy can't wait.

Today we celebrate a year surgery free. We canceled a surgery that was scheduled for this past Monday. It wasn't critical...it can wait...this Christmas we will celebrate without bandages and pain meds. It can wait because my boy can't. He's growing up and he deserves to remember a Christmas that includes Santa and no pain. It will wait.

Really...that long!

Has it really been that long since I posted!?! Wow. Life for the Carnahan's has been a little crazy to say the least. We celebrated Chloe's 2nd birthday, I underwent a schlew of medical tests (the results of which I'll recieve at an appointment today), the kids and I headed to Illinois to visit family for Thanksgiving, I spent a long weekend in South Beach Miami with friends, we are preparing to sell our house in February to return to "country" living, and we haven't done a lick of Christmas shopping. That's life in a nut shell. Things are going really well. I cannot believe how quickly this year has flown by...somewhere in the beginning of 2007 I said that I felt like this was going to be our year and without a doubt it has. The kids are both doing really well. This is the most stable I have felt in a long time. I suppose that has led to the lack of posts...everything seems to be coming up roses for the most part. Somebody pinch me. Kidding! I'm just relishing in the loveliness of my life...it's busy but momentarily wonderful and I'm counting my blessings. A friend shared a saying with me a few days ago that I've been rolling around since then...Love the life you live. Do I ever.

Trick-or-Treat

Happy Halloween from the Fire Ninja and Flower Fairy.




A lolli on the way to Nana's.



The loot!

Biliary dyskenisia.

Is what I have. My gallbladder is not working like it should or something and so my liver isn't processing things like it should and they are sending me to a general surgeon - I'm assuming to have it removed - who can't see me until Nov. 6. I'm going back to the doctor tomorrow in the meantime to figure out how to get through until surgery. Today is a bad day...the only solution to avoiding pain is not eating right now. Hopefully it will subside soon.

An unexpected slow down.

I haven't been feeling well for the past month now and it turns out that my gallbladder has decided it needs to take life a little easier. It's working, just slowly and I have yet to discover what that means for its future. Apparently, since turning 30, my body has decided to start acting older. Life has been just as busy as usual and I've been working hard at just trying to keep up. For this girl that goes nonstop, this slowing of the insides has been bringing me to a crawl and I'm frustrated more than anything. I'm just plain tired. It's one thing when life slows down. It's another when you slow down and life just keeps going. Unfortunately, I have pushed some of the nonessential items to the side in order to keep things going, such as posting here.

On to some updates.

Colin lost his dear Philbert a few weeks ago and we dealt with the devastation of losing something so loved. We have since aquired 2 new turtle friends who have yet to be named. We are waiting to discover whether they are male or female which won't happen until they are a little bigger. It turns out, after a discussion with the store owner who sold us the turtle, that Philbert was indeed a Phyllis.

Colin also had an appointment earlier in the month with the Craniofacial team which was very promising. The asymmetry in his face seems to have slowed. He is currently at a 7-8 degree difference, which is actually rather minimal in the whole big picture. His upper palate is still too small to accommodate his teeth and will have to be expanded. If he loses more teeth in the next 6 months, he will have the expander placed. If not, we will wait things out another year. The Singulair has been so helpful for him. No more coughing fits, although we had to fight for weeks with insurance to get them to cough up payment.

Insurance, insurance, insurance...we just recently discovered that Jeremy still has coverage with his past insurance...long ridiculous story in which the blame mostly lies in our lap but nonetheless our newest insurance has retracted all payments since January and we are now fighting to get things resubmitted and taken care of as well as removed from our credit history. Thank goodness for insurance, but it is really draining me these days.

Chloe is fantastic. She was evaluated for her speech and is average, which is a relief. My child is average. It is such a shame that we, as parents, constantly fall into the trap of comparing our children. We compare them to each other and with their cousins and others in their peer groups. It really is terrible. Colin talked late but took off as soon as he begin. I have spent the past 6 months trying to figure out what was "wrong" with her. I am now forcing myself to drop the issue. She is fine. She is better than fine. She is a sweet genious without a voice. It'll come to her. I just need to give her the space to find it. She is still as in control of this house as ever, but she makes us all laugh daily. She really is a joy.

So, minus the gallbladder and the unexpected crawl my body has forced me into, life is good.

This fall has been extraordinarily busy. I am not complaining. Life here is full and happy. The kids are doing great. Chloe started gymnastics and Colin joined the Cub Scouts and is playing tennis...so we have been on the run. School is going really well for Colin. He loves his teacher and is enthusiastic about learning, of course.

A few Saturdays ago, Chloe had a day full of first. I have been meaning to post these pictures.

Her first day at gymnastics. (Colin acted as our photographer. He did a great job!) She loved being in the class but had little desire to participate. As you can tell from the pictures, we "participated" from a distance. We began the class with songs, which included a "marching" song. Once Chloe mastered the march, she proceeded to march for the rest of the hour. I am happy to report that she has become more involved each week. :)



We then headed out for our first haircut. She is such a diva. She knew exactly what she was there for and had no issues with having it done. She loved every moment of it...such a girl.



And, finally...her first lollipop! yummy! By the time we got home, she was a beautifully sticky mess.

Changes to the banner.

It's perfectly simple: Dad, Mom, Boy, Girl, Dog, Fish, Turtle, and Frog. What more could you ask for? We've lost the fish...yes all of them...and the frog left us a while ago, yet, I'm attached to our site's banner so it will not be edited. Colin's decided to replace his fish...yes all of them...and the frog with 2 newts (water salamanders). That is as soon as his mom takes the time to clean out the tank...ewwww. Oh, and don't worry...old Philbert the turtle is in for the long haul. I'm sure he'll pass us all by. Do they allow turtles in dorms??

Quote of the Day.

"A train of thought is a good thing as long as it is on the right track." No idea who said this, but I simply agree.

A duh moment and a revelation.

We all have to have them occasionally...

X-ray revealed constipation. Proof, once more, that my boy is getting older. Not because of the issue at hand so much as me being totally unaware of it. Gone are the days that I know every tidbit of his life down to the timing and consistency of his pee and poo. Sigh and a laugh. So, we started him on MiraLax a few days back, a small dose mind you, and ended up heading in the opposite direction of not being able to go. MiraLax does not usually cause this, so I've been racking my brain trying to figure it out...until today. Duh! He's been on an antibiotic for almost a week. Duh! Duh! Duh! No idea why it took me so long to figure it out. So, needless to say, bathroom is a go for now...we'll have to reassess at a later date. Although, I personally believe that all these poo problems were the cause of our pee issues.

And...on to my revelation: I had a revelation the other day, that it is quite possible that I am the only person that reads this blog on a daily basis (besides Nat and Alicia -- which is about the same as me reading it since they are really the only 2 that know the true ins and outs of my daily life other than me...and Jerm, of course and my Dad cause a direct e-mail is sent every time I post)...so I've decided to treat it like a diary. Simply because it's weird writing to an unknown audience...so going forward, I'll be treating my blog like a diary as it has become unbelievably therapeutic for me...my own warped therapist of sorts...

So, if you don't care about my kid's poo...tough luck. I wasn't sharing for your personal experience but for that of my own and prosperity...in my reference of this unexpected journey that is my life. (Although if you happen to be someone other than the above mentioned, I'm glad you're reading and hope you continue.) It's important for me to share my experiences to help me deal with them. Otherwise, my thoughts wander aimlessly in my stuffed mind and end up squeezing out -- "POP" -- at the most inopportune moments. Much better to let it all flow here for the sanity of those closest to me.

Nat said it best the other night as Colin and I struggled with cream and pull-ups before bedtime (we happened to be chatting post bathtime): "I bet you didn't think you'd still be dealing with this now." Nope sure didn't.

I never expected to be raising a child with a single medical issue, let alone numerous medical issues. Applying diaper rash cream at 7, sitting in doctors office waiting rooms day in and out, watching my child undergo more medical treatments in the blink of an eye than I will EVER experience in my lifetime. I never expected to spend my nights fretting about what the next appointment will bring, what the next week at school will bring, what the next day's unbelievably difficult question will be from my sweet boy. I never, ever expected myself to become a mom who feels so crazy sometimes that she wants to hold onto him tight and not send him out into this cruel, cruel judgemental world full of judgemental people who just don't see how unintentionally hurtful they can be. There are days I drive myself crazy with the thoughts that run rampant in my extremely overfilled brain...a brain that holds it all...the complete and unedited medical history of my boy with this unexplainable syndrome that eats away at my heart.

Too cool for school.

Apparently, now that Colin's a big 2nd grader, he's too cool to have his mom take his picture on the first day of school. He was annoyed at me during the entire picture taking extravaganza. Hate to break the news...he has years and years and years left of this ritual. Monday started the new school year. Colin was excited to be back with his friends. I believe each day he was finding me a bit more boring and Chloe a bit more aggitating. So, we have our nice long afternoon naps back and routine. I love, love, love routine. I crave it.


After returning home and being drilled about the first day and his new teacher, he responded with only the most important facts: 1. His teacher is louder this year than his teacher last year. 2. She gives out FREE candy. (As opposed to the candy he has been paying for all of his life.) and 3. Recess is still the best part of the day. The end. He had nothing more to say.

In the morning, Chloe was waiting for the bus with Colin...and discovered shadows!! She was so funny. She just kept pointing and saying "dis" (this). But, my response of "mommy's shadow" was severly inadequate prompting a "naaaohhhh!!!" (no)and urgent, shrilly "dis!" We went rounds about that one for a while until I finally gave up...one day I will learn that fighting with this child is pointless. She has it all figured out.

Tonsilitis.

So, that's a new one. Colin's actually never had that before. We had our ENT check up on Thursday and is on antibiotics for the tonsilitis. Everything else looks good and we are setting the ball in motion for another repair with a full thickness skin graft of his left ear. He has requested that we put it off until December over Christmas break so he won't miss school. He had a dentist appointment and his jaw is still shifting...3 mm total. We see craniofacial again and September, so we'll have to see what they say about the shift and the tonsils. They have concerns for removal because of his paralyzed palette...increase of infection and such, but ENT has concerns of continual infection becoming a new issue...so time will tell I suppose.

A Boy's Weekend.

Amusement park, baseball game, power plant...it was a boy's weekend. Last Saturday Jeremy's employer sponsored a day at Lakemont Park and the Altoona Curve. We decided to leave Chloe at my mom's to spend the day with Colin. It was his first real-deal baseball game and he had a blast...double-header and all. After a full day of roller coasters and waterslides, we had all intentions of leaving before the end of the 2nd game...he would have none of it, and I quote "what's the point of watching if you don't know how it ends." True, true.



Sunday, Jeremy made arrangements for Colin to tour the plant with him. It was his day off and Colin's always been really interested in seeing what Daddy does. So he put on his "work clothes" and all of his gear, including a belt to hold his flashlight and new boots bought specifically for the occasion. As he was waiting for Jeremy to finish getting ready, he sat back on the couch, crossed his arms behind his head and propped his feet, boots and all mind you, on my coffee table, and I quote "I look just like my Dad, huh?" Yes, yes you do.

The day included a tour of the plant, candy, "driving the bulldozer," and $5 in pay from Jeremy's boss. Needless to say, he came back covered in coal and happy as a clam...what's not to love about 4 hours at a power plant with a bunch of dirty men. I have my own thoughts on that.


As Colin was removing his play clothes to don his work clothes...Chloe decided she was going to work too. She demanded that I help put his shorts and t-shirt on her. Funniest part, other than the stubby little-person look it gave her, was that the shorts fit around her waist without issue. She cried so hard when they left her behind, poor baby, and refused to take the clothes off the rest of the afternoon. She even wore them for naptime.

I'm a liar...7-year check-up.

Just to clear the air...I'm a liar. Colin only gained 7 pounds this year. Not 10. :) and he grew 2 inches. So he's in the 50% for his weight!! and 75% for his height!!! I can't believe that! They started him on Singulair for a weird daytime/playtime cough that they're presuming to be his asthma, and we have to head to get an x-ray of his abdomen early next week because his belly is hard, presumably constipation, although he is showing absolutely no signs of being constipated. But with history and such, they want to be sure. Especially with the continued bedwetting and increase in peeing. Which leads us to calling neurosurgery, which our pediatrician is going to do for me on Monday to see what the next step is...do we wait it out to see if it gets any more frequent...perhaps it's a typical 7-year-old thing (waiting too long to go, too many drinks too late), which of course is possible. Nothing too weird about a kid peeing a lot other than where we were 8 months ago. So...75% CRAZY!!

Holding at 30ish.

It's been 6 months since spring checkups at the specialists, so today was the first of the fall visits. Can't believe it's here already. Colin's ortho doctor said he is holding at 30ish degrees. He said it's all still a jumble, lots of hemis (hemivertebrae) and pieces. Like I was expecting the bones to have miraculously returned themselves to perfectly full and shaped vertebrae. Although I admit, I've had a dream or two that ended this way. But, he's been holding at 30ish for over a year now. Although that can change at any point. Nothing is predictable with congenital scoliosis and he again warned us of that. It could change drastically overnight. How is that possible? It just is. Growth spurt, compaction or fusion of bones, blah, blah, blah. So, I'll continue to live with my anxiety in this regard and he'll see us back in 6 months. He ended the visit with the following comment: "He's in good condition for the condition that he's in." True. True. and still pondering that. I hate this "condition" that he's in.

California dreaming...and soaring...

I have been blessed in my life through my father's fortune and hard work. His life in the Army led him to a variety of different places and my sisters, brother and I were fortunate enough to get to share experience things and see places most people spend a lifetime dreaming about -- summers sailing on the ocean, afternoons swimming under waterfalls in Panama, romping on black-sand beaches and playing with monkeys and the typical summer fun of amusement parks and museums. This summer I saw in Colin's eyes the way I used to feel when visiting my father. Amazement at experiences in a life that feels unlike your own. My father's hard work post-military retirement has enabled him to live a comfortable life in California and, like any good grandpa, he was more than generous with opportunities while we visited.


Our flight arrived on Friday evening. After attempting to locate a piece of lost luggage (to no avail) we hopped on my Dad's plane (he reaffirmed his pilot's license a few years back) and flew (see pilot Chloe above) to his weekend home in Mendicino County. It was so nice there (see the view below). Some of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen. It was so nice to watch Colin and my nephew Tanner (below as well). The joy of being on those beaches and with each other and their Grandpa (who, of course, is the best of all grandpas).







Chloe actually ran a fever for the first 4 days but by the time we headed back to my Dad's house in the Bay area, she started to come around...a virus of sorts the emergency room doctor told me. It never fails...emergency room on vacation. We haven't been on a vacation since our honeymoon that didn't require a trip to the emergency room. A few years ago...we made 2 trips. I think a lot of her sickness was brought on from missing daddy and "home." She spoke her first sentence while there: "Daddy at home." Well, it was a little more like "Daee ah ome."

Wednesday, we flew to Disneyland for the day...yes, I said flew. Amazing. The boys had so much fun and Chloe got to spend the day being spoiled by her Grandma. It was on of the most fun days I have had in a long time and Colin can still talk for a good 40 minutes straight about it. It was unbelievable. Flying to Disney for the day...who does that?


The week also consisted of a whole lot of great food, a good bit of nice wine (not for the kids of course), Go-Carts, mini-golf, Chuck E. Cheese, a place called the Jungle, which is like Chuck E. Cheese on overload, and more McDonald's and Burger King than my child should ever see in a week. I also got the chance to hang out with Rachel, my bestest ever of friends for an evening. She recently moved to Treasure Island and is so close to my Dad. It was soooo nice.

To top it off, my dad and his wife recently added a new member to their family, a toy fox terrior named UV...I thought Colin might try to sneak her into a suitcase to bring her home. He is so in love. (Notice the matching shirts below.)


I count the blessings in my life daily. I have been blessed richly and experiences like our week in California leave me in awe wondering how it came to be that this is my life. My kids are blessed to experience all of these wonderful things and I am so thrilled that they have been given the opportunity! I am so happy with what I have and even more so...who I have. Thanks, Daddy!

Our pistol slinging pirate.

Things have been crazy busy since getting home and I haven't had the time to post. Thought I'd pop on to share my newest favorite picture of queen bee, the diva herself...as a pistol slinging pirate.

The Best Says...

We are already recieving the best care in regard to Colin's ear. Turns out, our doctor spent a few years training with the doctor here in the Bay area, who said he really felt that our current ENT doctor has done an excellent job. He had a few recommendations for further revision but really thought that we were on the right track. It's good to have a professional affirm that we have made a good decision in regard to our choice in doctors. It has brought some peace of mind.

The kids are having a blast and I have a ton of pictures that I'll post once we return. It has been a busy, fun, busy, exciting, busy, busy week.

In 6 months...

We will have another MRI of the total spine conducted. That was the conclusion of today's call from neurosurgery. Nothing has changed drastically, which is great. The syrinx (fluid-filled cavity in the spinal cord) has not increased in diameter, which is great. But, it is still rather long, which is concerning for a possibility to retether. So, we will continue to watch for signs of retether and monitor it again by MRI in another 6 months. Not bad, not great...but not bad.

Happy Birthday, Colin!

Happy Birthday to my boy! The past 7 years have flown by. I can't imagine a life without you. The day you were born was the most significant day of my life. I spent our first evening alone, after everyone went home, examining your little fingers and toes. It was completely amazing to me to see all of the traits of your Daddy, who I loved so much, on my little tiny baby. You had his exact toes, just littler, his exact fingers, just littler, his exact leg shape and nose, all just littler. So amazing. I am so proud of everything you have already become. You are my life, my heart, my everything.

Do you know how much I love you? I love you more than the stars in the sky, more than the fish in the sea. I love you more than anything or anyone, anywhere.

Happy Birthday, sweet boy!

My boy is a rock star!

Arrived at the hospital at 6:45 this morning to prepare for sedation for the MRI. The full spinal MRI can take hours and, obviously, a 6-year-old isn't normally expected to be able to lie completely still for the amount of time needed to retrieve the pictures.

Colin's tears over the last few days haven't been over the MRI itself, but the sedation. The sedation used is slightly different that that of surgery and for whatever reason usually nausiates him, which is odd because the surgery sedation usually doesn't (usually).

He asked me, in front of our nurse, why he had to be "put to sleep." The nurse explained the need to lie still and Colin responded that he could do that. So, they let him give it a try. If you've never had an MRI, here's a quick explanation: You lie on a bed that slides into a really tight tube. The entire time they take pictures the equipment makes sounds that reminded me of mack truck jake breaks and honking mack truck horns times 50. The sounds continue the entire time...you have to remain completely still or they have to repeat the process for adequate pictures.

Colin did it!!! They plugged his ear, prepped him. Told him to relax and rest if he could. I am so proud and was so relieved! They didn't have to repeat a single image. I watched him the entire time...he flinched at the first sound and after that stayed completely still. Although, he admitted after the fact that he wiggled his toes once and opened his eyes twice. :) What a relief. Even the technicians were amazed. What a big boy. I sat there watching the entire time contemplating if I thought that I could have laid there that still. My conclusion: Probably not. He never ceases to amaze me.

Praying hard for the results to come quickly and to show, well...nothing.

Happy Birthday, Jeremy!

From here on out...29 forever, right?!? Love you much.

Bye go the carefree days of summer...

Thursday will end our "carefree" summer months. I work hard to avoid scheduling appointments/procedures/surgeries in June and July. It's important to me to give Colin a break from it all...shoot...to give all of us a break from it all. So after over a month with nothing more than dentist and regular pediatric checkups, we head to Children's Thursday for a full spinal MRI. They will be looking to see if his cord has re-tethered and how it has healed internally. They'll also recheck the neck bones to look for increased fusion and to make sure that the bones are not compromising his spinal cord. Please pray hard for Colin that all is well.

Up until a week ago I was confident that it everything was well. From the date of surgery until last week -- over 6 months -- we were completely bed wetting and urgency free. Last week, we had two major bed wetting episodes and he has been "running" to the bathroom more. Amazing how a little pee can make a mom's mind turn. I have been working hard at trying not to think about the negative possibilities of anything to do with GoldenHar syndrome...to be honest...I have been failing.

The break from appointments in nice but returning is always hard...and returning with the first one an appointment with anesthesia makes it even more rough. He is dreading it and it brought him to tears yesterday. I hate this for him...I wish I could endure it all in his place.

Last fall rocked our world. After YEARS of running through lists of could happens, we were slapped with many that did happen in a matter of months...

I used to look forward to appointments. One more thing I could check off the list...one more appointment we'd made it through without any of the things that "could" happen. Now, I seem to be anticipating "routine" checkups months in advance. My mind has been filled with worry about the future and I can't seem to get my thoughts to avoid the negatives. It makes for long nights.

God said..."I'll lend you my child..."

I'll lend you for a little time a child of mine, He said ...

For you to love while she lives ... and mourn for when she's dead. It may be six or seven years, or twenty-two or three, but will you, till I call her back, take care of her for me? She'll bring her charms to gladden you. And shall her stay be brief, you'll have her lovely memories as solace for your grief.

I cannot promise she will stay, since all from Earth return. But there are lessons, taught down there, I want this child to learn. I've looked the wide world over in search for teachers true, And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes, I have selected you.

Now ... will you give her all your love ... nor think the labor in vain? Nor ... hate me when I come to call ... to take her back again?

I fancied that I heard you say ... “Dear Lord, it will be done! For all the joy Your Child shall bring, the risk of grief we'll run. We'll shelter her with tenderness. We'll love her while we may, And for the happiness we've known ... forever grateful stay.

“But shall the angels call for her much sooner than we've planned, We'll brave the bitter grief that comes ... and try to understand.”*

I will spend the rest of my life striving to give my children everything that Alivia's parents managed to provide to her in just over 2 years. There are many thing in this world I struggle to make sense of and this has been added to the list...

Sweet peace, sweet Livi.



(*author unknown)

Please, God! Heal Alivia.

1 John 5:14-15 tells us, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us -- whatever we ask -- we know that we have what we asked of him."

Please pray for Alivia. She has been moved to intensive care. I know that many who read this don't know her. It does not matter. She is a baby; she is sick; she needs healing. Please pray for that. Nothing short of a miracle will do.

My heart is aching for their family. Please, God.

My Two at the Zoo.

Colin's favorite was of course the aquarium. He loved the shark tank especially. He loved it all though. Surprise, surprise. He is as obsessed as always with animials. Chloe was relatively unimpressed by all of it. She was more excited about her Capri Sun and cookies...the elephants got an "ooh" and she squealed at a few fish, but otherwise, she was just along for the ride.

Chloe's Celeb Encounter

Chloe had her first run-in with a Steeler this weekend. We had a chance encounter with Steeler Alan Faneca on Saturday after participating in an Epilepsy walk in memory of Julie McCormick, a friend from high school.

I asked Mr. Faneca if he would kindly sign my kid. He did. :) It must have tickled because she was giggling and wiggling. So funny.

Myself, Chloe and Natalie. It was a nice day, yet bittersweet. Julie is very much missed and I would much rather have done the walk with her. Regardless, our team did a pretty good job raising money for the cause.

What a start to summer.

Jeremy hasn't been feeling well. Colin has something going on again...cough, stuffiness...allergies/infection/cold...I don't know. Chloe is cutting her 7th tooth, which we are thrilled about (starting to wonder if she might not get anymore), yet she is miserable and I think might have some of what her Dad had earlier in the week. Not exactly the start to summer we had hoped for. Oh, well, either way...it's here I suppose. They all just better suck it up. I have my beach gear ready. :) kidding, of course.

Contentment

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” ~Epicurus

So true, so fitting.

Time for summer!

Pray for Alivia.

Please pray. Today is her 90th day in the hospital. She has developed a secondary cancer and is not doing well. This is a plead from one mommy for another. Please pray for their baby, even if you don't know her. Just say a quick prayer that the Lord will heal Alivia and provide them with the miracle they are desperate for.

Quote of the Day.

"I'm like a dandelion, jack. You can cut me down; I'll just grow right back." - Kid Rock

This song randomly loaded on my ipod from Jeremy's music list, and I ended up listening to it today while I was walking. That's how I feel right now. Amazing how different things are this year...I think this is our year. Things are going so well. Remind me of how I feel right now if things change later on, kay?

Once the bad times pass, they really are just a distant memory. No matter how rough anything seems, once it gets better, the pain of it all fades quickly. Hard to see when you're mucking through it, but it's great to reflect after the fact.

All smiles here.

Mother's Day Revisited.

Last Sunday was spent running around and celebrating and recognizing our moms, so we didn't really get to celebrate as a family. So today, Jeremy and the kids treated me to lunch. So nice to relax together for a bit.

Colin got to spend the night at Mark's last night, which is always a ton of fun. He also got to visit with Grammie Carnahan for a while in the evening as well. It must have been an exhausting day. He asked if he could relax in bed for a while. :) He's been in bed since we got home from lunch.

Things have been going so well for us healthwise, so I have a prayer request for someone else. Two-year-old Alivia is 80+ in the hospital for a bone marrow transplant. It has been a rocky road, and although she is healing, she has faced a lot of challenges. Their family needs prayers for her complete healing and their continued strength. Please take a moment. Hospital time is like a warp zone, and at this point I'm sure they feel like they have been their for years rather than months. Please pray that they will be home together soon. Thanks.

Summertime and the livin' is...

Crazy. Baseball started this week, school is finishing up, Chloe is getting teeth (hopefully)...and this all explains why it's been a week since I posted. Colin is loving coach-pitch ball this year. He's so excited about it. He can't wait for school to finish up and has started counting down the days. Chloe is attempting to add more teeth to the few (6) she has and is a little unhappy about it all. Poor girl. I've been working like crazy and debating starting work with a second service in addition to the one I am currently working with, so I've been testing with other companies in my "spare" time. ha! I want to get things down pat with work before school is over so that I have a schedule that'll work around swimming and park time. :) We'll see how that goes.

Well, the kiddies are waking. Time for another full day!

First sinus infection of the year.

Took Colin to the doctor today for a persistant cough, which of course is a sinus infection. But, I wanted to note that this is his FIRST infection of any kind of the year! That means 5 months straight of a healthy little boy, who by the way is not so little anymore. He weighed in at 52.5 pounds today! That is a full 10-pound weight gain since July of last year!

The joys of home ownership.

Had a leak...led to mold...removing mold...discovered termites...treating termites...more mold discovery...removing mold...broke pipe...repairing pipe...had to turn off water...turned water back on...water was brown...went to flush hot water tank...discoverd a rusting-out bottom...replaced hot water tank...problem with vents...carbon-monoxide is creeping into our home...so,

now I guess we'll call the chimney repair man.

Anybody wanna buy us out? We could use a landlord right now.

Checkup for Colin. Other updates.

Today would have been a surgery day, but instead we went to the Pediatrician for a checkup. His unaffected ear is looking great. A very thin membrane has formed over the hole in his eardrum and the doctor is confident that it will get thicker over the next month. He also found his tube in there. Colin thought it was pretty cool...and small. :) We have to continue using plugs for a while to make sure that he does not get any water in there. It is still as risk to re-rupture. So excited! He might get to swim this summer without the worry of earplugs!!!!

Work is going great for me. I'm starting to get a routine down, which is nice, and I'm feeling less nervous about it. So far I'm edging on $500 for my total earnings in less than 3 weeks! Yippee! More than I expected getting started. Supposedly, you continue to increase your income for the first few months, so I'm even more excited about the months to come. So far, the hourly rate I'm earning is continuing to increase while the amount of time it takes to finish my work is decreasing.

It's only Tuesday, and we've had quite the week. Jeremy started to pull out the cabinets in our laundry room yesterday afternoon, in order to remove the now moldy drywall from behind them...the cabinets had been built around the pipes. Ugh! And in the process of getting them out, one of the pipes sprang a mini leak. And, of course, in the process of trying to fix the mini leak, it turned into a major leak...the water to the house had to be shut off, and in the end, we called a plumber. Then, today, I didn't realize that the drainage pipe for the washer and dryer had to be cut as well and hadn't been capped yet, and I started a load of laundry. And left to take Colin to the doctor. So, when Jeremy returned home...we had a basement full of water. So, he spent this afternoon sucking water out of the carpet and capping the drainage pipe, so that I don't create any more messes. :) And, it's only Tuesday.

Sometimes I really wonder about the odds of the things that happen around here on a daily basis.

Neuros and IEP

Colin's neurosurgery appointment was uneventful just as promised, and I am not complaining. He is healing fine and showing no signs of a redeveloping syrinx or tether. They will schedule him for the followup MRI sometime in June/July.

The IEP meeting went fine. Colin is doing really well. They have been working with him on lipreading this school year and he has made a lot of progress. They will begin working more aggressively, both in private sessions and the classroom on self advocacy. Colin has a lot of difficulty speaking up when he is having issues such as being able to hear, etc. Mostly because asking someone to repeat or letting them know that he has difficulty means he has to call attention to himself, which he does not like at all. So, they will be working to make him interact more one-on-one in situations with adults he is not as comfortable with around the school so that he can become more comfortable engaging in conversation with them going forward. I know this might seem silly to some of you, but it really is a big deal. It is extremely important for him to overcome his shyness to some extent so that he is able to convey to the adults around him when there are inadequacies in his learning environment so that he doesn't fall behind simply because he is missing information and the instructor is unaware.

But, all-in-all, he is doing really well. He is reading on grade level and his teacher bragged about his outstanding problem solving strategies. She said he looks at problems in a way that none of the other students do. Extraordinary...no doubt!

Annual Spring Colds...sniff.

We all have colds. Jeremy and I for some reason seemed to have gotten the worst of it. Lucky us. Jeremy has been fighting it all week, and yet, has continued to go to work. He even worked double shifts the last 2 days. Love you! Thank you , thank you, thank you for always working so hard for us. The transition to this new job has been difficult financially, to say the least, and Jeremy has worked as much as possible, even 80 weeks at times...without so much as a single grumble.

My first full week of work went well. A little busy and a lot of hectic with the sickness and all, but I'm happy I chose to do this. I think it's going to be a great thing once I really get the hang of it.

Colin has a checkup with the neurosurgeon on Monday, which will be uneventful. They can't really tell us to much about his spinal cord from and external review, so the doctor will pretty much run down a list of questions, which we'll answer and she'll check how he's healing post-op...which is just fine. Most likely, we'll also discuss and start the scheduling process for his June MRI.

Next Wednesday is his IEP meeting...no idea what that stands for, honestly, at the school. To review the work his IEP teacher (not her title by the way) is doing as well as what the school can/is/isn't doing in regard to his unilateral hearing loss. This will be routine as well. Just a yearly, have to, kind of thing. My main topic of discussion: The routine letter generated by the school requesting my assistance in making sure Colin is missing as little school as possible. You know, it is difficult for them to teach the required curriculum if regular attendance is not encouraged on the homefront. If his absences are medical in nature, please provide the necessary document to prove so I know it was a mass generated letter, but it steams me nonetheless. The school is well aware that his absences are medical in nature. We do our best to make sure he misses as little school as possible. And, I still don't understand why, being that his counseler, nurse, his teacher, and the principal all received copies of the letter...I don't understand why one of them wouldn't have pulled it, noting that he does have a medical condition requiring obvious routine care. I know it's stupid, but when you are working so hard to be the best parents you can and juggle it all...it really sucks when someone questions your ability to do just that. Even if it was unintentional. I'm done ranting. It's been bothering me for weeks.

This week has been long and exhausting to say the least and ending it sick stinks.

Easter Pictures.

It appears that I didn't have my flash on Easter morning, so most of the egg hunt pictures didn't turn out. Here are some from the day.







Our obsessively clean baby, picking fuzz, etc. from her feet. :)


Notice the pistol. Ha! :) She was aiming at Colin of course.

I've been neglecting my blog.

No idea why. Just have been. So this post will be a schloo of updates.

The main man doc from Cali e-mailed me back. He is very interested in taking a look at Colin to assess the situation. He may provide the same answer as our current doctor, but it will be peace of mind if nothing else. Now we have to work out insurance logistics...ugh...and figure out when to schedule the appointment. We already have a visit scheduled with my Dad in July, so that'll probably be it. Hate to wait that long, but obviously can't really just take off to Cali. I'll cancel the May 1 surgery for now...and figure the rest out later. Never got around to calling local docs for a second opinion yet, still on the to-do list.

I have lots of cute Easter pics, I'll post those tomorrow. The kids of course had a wonderful weekend and the holiday itself was great.

Chloe is adding word after word and finally says Ma Ma!!!!!!! Yippee! So happy. She also says a dun (all done) and pup up (puppy). I love it. She is so sweet.

I haven't actually started working yet, but tomorrow is supposed to be the day. Wish me luck!

April Showers Bring...

Termites. So, when it rains it pours. We found out on Tuesday that we have termites in our basement. We've been having a little leaking in the corner of our laundry room, so Jeremy went down to remove the carpet and assess the situation. His discovery: Termites. The pest control guy came to verify Wednesday, and they will begin treating before the end of the month. Between the water and bug damage, we will be replacing a great deal of drywall, trim, and obviously the carpet will need to be removed. We will most likely also have to have a new floor poured to eliminate the cracks causing the leaking, and the list goes on. Yuk.

I Got a JOB!

In less than a week from getting my final results, I received a job offer! And, it happened to be with my #1 choice of companies to work for! And they offered me a little more money than I was expecting! So, I'll be working on an oncology account, which I think will be okay. It happens to be an area that I struggled with in the course, but I'll take that as a challenge. I'm so excited to get started! Jeremy and I are going to spend the day getting my office set up and ready to go. Interested in being an MT? Check out this site. In exactly six months, I completed the course and got a job from home! I'm so happy I decided to do this! I'll never have to go work in an office again! Yipee!

Measles...what?

What are the odds? The vaccination Chloe got to keep her from getting the measles, gave her the measles. It's obviously a milder form, but the measles nonetheless. Here are a few pictures. The bumps are hard to see, but there are hundreds there. If you double-click on the picture, you can see them better.




She doesn't seem too bothered by the actual bumps, she actually hasn't really even noticed them. Although she definitly is sleeping a lot and is a little crabbier than usual.