Our Christmas Card

We've cut back on the number of people we are sending Christmas cards to this year. Once our list reached about 65, we started to wonder just how many people would miss our not sending them out. Call us horrible, but with all the ways we keep up with people electronically these days, the cards just -- well -- don't have the same place they once did. So, honestly, if you aren't receiving a card from us this year, consider yourself one of our closer friends! And if we offend you in the process, please let us know so we can make sure we get you one next year. In the meantime, here are two versions of it for you....

Baked Potato Soup Recipe for a Friend

I offered this recipe to a friend of mine (Hey, Jules -- you finally got on my blog!) and thought I might as well post it here for anyone else who is interested. It came from a friend of mine in Tennessee. I was not a fan of any cream soup until I tried this one. Now I'm sold on this and make it in large batches (it makes MORE than enough -- I cook it up in the largest of my three crock pots) to freeze or eat on all week when it snows or ices. I've also been known to heat up some chili too and have a feast!

8 cups peeled, chopped potatoes (I use Russets most of the time but sometimes use reds. I also cut them in 3/4"-1" cubes and throw in a handful of the peels for good measure, texture, and iron.)
3 cans chicken broth (I use Swanson's.)
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use HT brand usually, but sometimes Campbell's. Personally, I think it needs the regular sodium and the full fat!)
1 package cream cheese (I use HT brand usually, sometimes Philadelphia brand. This one can be low fat if you really feel the need, but remember that it is a cream soup!)
1/2 cup chopped onion (Green onions are good here, but any kind is fine.)
3 tablespoons bacon bits (I cheat and use the ones you buy in the salad dressing aisle. We don't usually keep bacon in our house and I don't want to buy a whole pack just for this soup.)

Blend cream of chicken soup and cream cheese together. Pour all ingredients into crock pot. Cook on high for 6-8 hours.

Our Thanksgiving

For those who haven't heard, we had a clogged main sewer pipe on Wednesday that just got unclogged yesterday (Saturday). We had to take our youngest in to the ER on Thursday night @ 2am (ended up just being a bad case of croup, but they checked for pneumonia, gave him a steroid injection and also a breathing treatment. We had an overnight guest Friday to Saturday (yes -- without functioning plumbing), and now our oldest is screaming bloody murder about ear pain and the doctor's office will not change the prescription that he wrote about amonth ago from an eardrop I can't get in to one that is the same thing (just without the decongestant) to one that I CAN get. And then to top that all off, P still has the 102 fever, and I seem to be running one at about 100. Sigh -- anyone else have a great story like this to tell?

My son, the future economist.....

I'm not sure what new there is to say... we have an absolutely brilliant child on our hands.....

Here's how a recent conversation went:

C: “Mommy, the price of gas went up … Why?”
Me: “Well, C, it is something called supply and demand. If there is not enough of something that lots of people want, sometimes the price of it goes up.”
C: “Oh.”
(next day – price of gas went from $3.59/gallon to $3.49/gallon)
C: “MOMMY!”
Me: “Yes, C.”
C: “The price of gas went down!”
Me: “Yes, C, that is right.”
C: “So that means that there is too much gas and not enough people want it???”
Me: (Amazed at his astute propensity towards economics at only three years old) “Ummm…. Yes… pretty much that is right…” Then to test his concept transference…. “So what would happen if there was too much cotton candy and not enough people wanted to buy it?” (I was fully expecting a typical child’s answer like “I will eat it all” or “they should stop making so much of it….)
C: “Well, they would have to lower the price, then. So more people would buy it.”

America's Funniest Home Videos, Here They Come!!!

Is it me, or does this just get funnier and funnier the more that you watch it? I took the boys to the pumpkin patch at their school this morning. C ran around like he'd never seen pumpkins before. P had fun drumming on them. They finally both settled down at the same pumpkin, and .... well.... this was the result!

Blue Ribbon Winner

Wow -- I think I am still in a state of shock! My marinated vegetables won first place at the Dixie Classic Fair in their Lowe's Foods Good for Your Family cooking contest. They called out third place, then second place, so I gave up on winning. Then they really did call my name. Really...... !!! So here is a pic of the winning entry with ribbon, as well as the recipe below.

Summer Sweet Marinated Vegetables

Recipe makes approximately 18 servings of ½ cup each.

Ingredients:
One 15 ounce can early June petite peas
One 15.25 ounce can golden sweet whole kernel corn
One 15.25 ounce can white kernel corn
One 14.5 ounce can French cut green beans
One 15.5 ounce can dark red kidney beans
One 2 ounce jar sliced pimientos
½ red onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cucumber, cubed

½ cup canola oil
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon water
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon paprika


Heat oil, vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and paprika in a medium saucepan on the stove until the sugar and salt dissolve. While heating the marinade, drain all canned vegetables, discarding the liquid. Combine the drained vegetables, onion, pepper, and cucumber in a large bowl. Pour the marinade over the vegetables and stir. Keep in the refrigerator to marinate overnight.

More of C's "Exciting" Modeling Career

C is on the HATCH website's front page video!!! It's long, but he has some pretty good shots in there!!! I like the one jumping up and down. http://www.hatchearlychildhood.com/default.asp?cookie%5Ftest=1

Mother-in-Law to Be Appointed by President Bush

OK -- so she did not get top billing on the list, but down at the bottom -- yes, that small paragraph at the very end -- is her appointment. It may be tucked down there at the bottom of it, but when have YOU ever been in a White House Press Release?

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/09/20080909-5.html#

P's Birthday Cake

I love it! My sister-in-law made it for us. Can you say talented?????

P's crawling! Watch out world!

It's been a while since I entered anything here in the blog. I guess that's how it is when you have kids, huh? Other things just get in my way and I don't update like I "should." (Who determines "should"s anyway?)

It's hard to realize that he's almost a year old. Last year at this time I was very pregnant..... here's a picture taken exactly one year ago.....

OK -- so P's crawling now. Here are two videos.... enjoy.

Enough to Melt a Momma's Heart

Today in the car my conversation with "Little Bit Bigger" went like this:

"C, does Mommy love you?"
"Yes."
"How do you know that I love you? What is it that Mommy does that lets you know that she loves you?"
"She makes me try to o-bey."

It was enough to bring tears to my eyes. He's getting it -- he's really getting it.

Ever wonder what you did to make things go wrong?

Today D, the boys, and I took a trip to "Ye Other Ole Home Improvement Store" to get some items that we did not get yesterday. We were thrilled to find a light fixture for our den -- http://tinyurl.com/66yxmv -- (the one that is in there right now is far too small) but when we went to put it up today there was a scratch/scuff on the exterior surface of the globe. Strike one. Sigh -- back into the box it has gone for another trip out to Lowe's. In addition to that, D was going to update the handle on our toilet (go figure -- aren't there more noticeable improvements that we could make????) and for some reason the new one is not sitting tightly enough or something like that..... Strike two. He then was going to put the new toilet seats on but something else happened. Strike three..... so the projects are over for today.

4th of July -- My Little Patriot

How can you not be moved by this picture?

Car Seat Covers

Well, since P has officially outgrown his infant car seat, we will be moving him to the toddler/convertible car seat. Of course, we have a car seat cover for C's, and we were thinking we would just buy another for P -- problem is that I cannot find one like C's ANYwhere. Apparently they do not make them anymore. Worse news? C's is starting to need repairs, as the edges are fraying pretty badly. The worst news of all? If you look online for anything close to what I am looking for, you will see that they can run anywhere up to $118. Yes, $118. Good news? The $118 cover comes with free shipping..... And well it should for that cost!

Most of the ones that I see are about $80, so Mommy decided she would start looking for a pattern and fabric to make her own. I found one that I think is just fitting for us -- http://www.makethemyourself.com/ -- or specifically http://www.makethemyourself.com/toddler.html. She also has patterns for the Robeez-type leather shoes. You gotta take a look!

By the way, I also found the fabrics that I will make them in. For C I will use a pirate theme (maybe http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.jsp?CATID=cat3162&PRODID=xprd509607&source=search) and for P I will use Eric Carle's Very Hungry Caterpillar (http://www.fabric.com/quilting-fabric-shop-by-category-children-39-s-cotton-fabrics-the-very-hungry-caterpillar.aspx). I may be biting off more than I can chew, but I'm so excited.

Time to switch out car seats

Today at the doctor's, P was 17.8 pounds. Woohoo!!! Of course, we also found out that he is 27.75" long. The car seat we have had him in only is "good" for kids under 26". Oops.... Better pull out the new one! I'm looking for a car seat cover for him and ran across this lady's stuff on etsy.com -- I gotta get in touch with her! http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5348263

C and D in the pool

The water temperature was too cold for my blood, but C and D thought it was at least okay.

Decluttering -- can I really be having fun??? Part 2

Today I took six boxes of stuff to a consignment shop -- and did not come back with anything new. They took everything but about 6 items. Fantastic to me!!!!!! I even let go of a punch bowl set that I had bought in 1986 as a preteen. I don't know why I bought it then (at Woolworth and with my saved allowance money), but maybe it was something that I cherished and that made me feel more "grown up" to own -- sounds crazy but that's the only thing I can remotely think of. Like owning it really made me any different. I've used it since then, but not recently, and I have punch cups that go with my vintage party tray sets. I don't need it to tell me that I am all grown up now (my two munchkins do that quite well, thank you!) so.... off it went.

I called a collectibles place in town to see how interested he was in our vintage Fisher Price toys. He wants to see them, and seemed quite interested, so now I just need to find a date to take those down to him. I'm hoping maybe he will want the NASCAR collectibles that D is ready to part with. If we can clear those three categories of items out, I will have "reclaimed" (that's how my mom terms it) about 28 cubic feet in our house -- at least 12 for the stuff gone to the consignment shop, 6 for the vintage Fisher Price (maybe more), and about 10 for the NASCAR stuff.

In addition to all that (yes, we have been working hard to get things organized), we have placed all the outgrown or not needed kids' stuff in an area to price and "unload" at the kids' preschool consignment sale. If it bugs me too much before then I will take it to the consignment shop or the kids resale clothing place just to clear it out. At present, that pile is (no joke) filling up the room underneath a curved staircase in addition to a 5x3 area in our basement. Maybe another 60 cubic feet????? You know, the smaller the child, the bigger the equipment -- why is that?

Then there are some items that are going to be Freecycled. Things like collectors tins, gardening chemicals (not keeping these around since I have little ones!!!!), mismatched glassware, craft supplies, etc. I think I honestly have three or so paper ream boxes of those tins to get rid of...... and a big bag of fabric/yarn...

Long Time No Blog

Sigh -- I guess I've been far too busy.... life got busy, I guess. A high school friend emailed me a week or so ago and asked me if everything was okay -- she missed reading my updates. I took that time to mentally note that I needed to get back to blogging, so here I am.

This was the month for dentist visits and thus bills. D went in for his regular checkup and has had to veneer his tooth that he chipped while a child. That takes two additional appointments -- three if you count the appointment to get the color matched. C went to the dentist for a checkup and had to go back to get a cavity filled (a tooth did not form correctly in utero, he chipped it on something hard, and a cavity set in). I had a checkup and had to have a filling (first one in about 20 years, if I remember correctly). That makes seven visits to the dentist .... not to mention we think P is teething. I guess only time will tell for that, huh?

We recently got back from a visit on Hilton Head. It was our last leftover banked week from our South African timeshare, and it was SO well worth it. D's parents came from Nebraska, and his "East Coast sisters" came for part of the time. If you ever get the chance to stay at Island Links, do it!!! This is the second year we have been there, and I can honestly say that I am so tempted to buy there. Well, except for the $995 annual maintenance fee for the three bedroom unit. OUCH!!! It's a good ways from the shore itself (about a 25 minute semi-brisk walk) but that is no problem. The walk is beautiful and almost 100% shaded. Possibly the best part about it, though, has to be the pools! There is a fountain-thingy for the kids (the one that shoots streams of water randomly), a large pool that has a kiddie area that has a sloped entry (like walking into the ocean) that also has cool water features and neat "big pool" areas, and a smaller "lap pool" that is mainly for adults. What is absolutely amazing is that the pools are so warm that you have absolutely no adjustment when you enter them. You could almost work up a sweat in the pool if you swim. You think I am joking, but try it yourself and you will know I'm not. Of course, another highlight for me is that we were there during the gardenia blooms that encircle the pools and hot tub. At twilight, the experience was heavenly. The air temperature was just right, the slight breeze blew the fragrance of the gardenias across the pool as you leisurely swam. See http://www.rebamanagement.com/view_resort.php?ID=06222005054625 or http://tinyurl.com/3t5bx4 for pictures/description.

OK -- that's enough in this posting.... More update later...... honest......

Priceless Pasta

Early this afternoon, C got into the pantry and found an open box of uncooked ziti noodles. After telling him "no" and "put those back" about three or four times, he disappeared into the other room, so I thought it was safe to turn my back to the pantry. I was wrong. He had disappeared into the other room to get his sand bucket (never been used for sand). He proceeded to pour all the ziti noodles into the bucket.

My first thought was to fuss at him. After all, that was a "good 44 cents' worth" of food that he had gotten germs all over and that I would not be able to cook to feed the family. And then I thought about the mess that he would likely make with them that I was going to have to clean up. Albeit, he did not drop even the first noodle on the ground!

I chose to react on the outside differently than I was feeling on the inside. I wanted to shout; I wanted to yell; I wanted to grab everything from him and put it back in its rightful place; I wanted to throw away the "ruined" noodles and have a slight pity party about how my child was not minding me.

Instead, I did the opposite. I hugged him, sat down on the kitchen floor with him, dug my hands into his bucket of noodles, and made the loudest noice I possibly could, swirling the pasta around, picking it up and letting it fall back against itself and the bucket, and pouring it from hand to hand. He loved it, and it was a wonderful time of mommy/son bonding. He even decided it was a time that HE could use to teach Mommy about counting and sharing!

So what if I can't serve that pasta tonight? (OK -- I probably could because I would be boiling it long enough that it would likely kill the germs, but I'm not going to....) So what if I did not intend to have spent less than 50 cents on a toy that wasn't really a toy? It's like those credit card commercials -- that time with my son really was priceless.

C's Singing

C is so funny! He is in the stage where he thinks he knows the words to songs but doesn't. Right now he sings, "Bringing is the sheeps," instead of "Bringing in the sheaves" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bringing_in_the_Sheaves). It's cute, to say the least!

P's appointment today

Whew -- our "little bit" has gotten a little bit bigger.... by almost two pounds since he was last seen at Dr. P's. He's gone from 12.85 pounds to 14.65 pounds. He's still not on the chart, but he seems to be making up ground on the curve. I also got a slight surprise when the doctor told me that he really did expect them to find something when he referred us to the specialist, but he was glad that everything came back normal. Of course, he is not even half as glad as we were!!!! We're scheduled for another appointment in four weeks. Keep eating, Little Guy!

Photo Shoot

OK -- It's official... or close to it. I've now taken my pictures for my modeling comp card (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comp_card) with Carolina Talent (http://www.carolinatalent.us/home.htm). Today was a long day but I had a blast!!!! I had to bring lots of outfits (three per season and then some others "just in case") and they only chose three from all of them. I think that was perhaps the hardest part. Then makeup (by Chris Lanston -- see http://www.chrislanston.com/c1.html -- a real hoot to work with!) and hair -- LONG waits due to the number of people waiting -- followed by shoots at the various locations. I'm anxious to see how the final product turned out. In particular, I am interested in the shots that were taken with P as a prop. I'll post some here when I get the proofs back. The most surprising thing may have been that the stylist straightened my hair. I hadn't seen it that way since 7th or 8th grade! (Of course, then he could not get it to do what he wanted for the 2nd or 3rd looks!)

Haircut.... finally!

OK -- I finally got my hair cut! I was just pregnant the last time I got it cut, so that is about a year ago..... It was getting just way too long. I thought about all the possible Jeff Foxworthy-type comments... "You know your hair is getting too long when .... " (you mistakenly tuck it in your pants instead of your shirt tail, you get it caught on door handles, you look up and wonder who just brushed against your "bum", you have to change your arm position to finish braiding it, etc.). I found a group that I will be donating it to (http://www.beautifullengths.com/en_US/wigshelpingwomen.jsp) instead of Locks of Love. They need about six ponytail donations to make their wigs (compared with 20-30 for wigsforkids.org and 6-10 for Locks of Love). Their wigs go to women fighting cancer who have hair loss. Part of me feels a connection to these women based on my grandmother's leukemia and D's Gma's former breast cancer. I also want to give it to a group that doesn't do just children's wigs.....

Enjoy these pictures.... before, during, and after.....

Oh -- funny...... Mom told our hairdresser that I might cry. Yeah -- whatever!!!! I mean, it is a little sad to think about since it is pretty much one of the last three things I have from the pregnancy. The other two are the scar and P himself! I have this sneaking suspicion that I don't need the hair to remind me of either of those! Still, I am glad that I can give this to a group that will use it.... It's REALLY healthier than I even realized it was. It feels good to me to run my fingers through it, so I can only imagine what someone who has lost their hair will feel about it when they can do the same.

Praise God! I can sleep much more restfully tonight! The results are in from P's sweat chloride test. It too is negative, meaning no cystic fibrosis. I still have not heard from the doctor, but I one of the nurses took pity on me to look at the chart and give me the result. For her, I am forever grateful.

I'm not sure at this point that we are looking at anything short of a miracle! We only know that God has heard the cries of his children and has answered. Thank you for witnessing this miracle with us.

More later......

All Bloodwork Normal, UA Normal

I almost cannot type. The nephrologist literally just called. "Good news! He doesn't have nephroblastoma. The results of the tests are normal." I started tearing up.... nephroblastoma is a kidney cancer (http://www.upmc.com/HealthManagement/ManagingYourHealth/PersonalHealth/Senior?chunkiid=22835)

"Do you mean all the tests came back normal? The TSH, the CBC, the urinalysis?"

"Yes, the venous blood gas -- all of it."

We serve a MIGHTY, MIGHTY God!!!! Now we wait for the CF results.

Long Day, Optimistic Outcome -- Long Post!

Today started with dropping C off at preschool, then heading to Brenner for our appointment(s). Arrival time: 9:20 am. Little did we know it was going to be a long "morning". How long? Departure time: 2:00 pm.

After a weight (woohoo -- he's 13 lbs. 2 ounces!!!!), a height check, and an attempt to get a blood pressure -- try having an infant sit still!!! -- the nurse (someone I know from my high school church youth group) put a urine collection bag on him. We met with Dr. Murray (pediatric resident) first. She took a history, examined him, then went to find the nephrologist, Dr. Nagaraj. She also let us know that P would be getting bloodwork done: a CBC with differentials, a phosphorous, and a complete metabolic panel. (The CBC and the metabolic are repeats.) Dr. N came in (nearly a half hour later), did his own exam, and gave us his impressions. He said he doesn't think it is the kidneys, but also noted that there are some possibilities. As soon as he gets the results he will call us. There is a possibility that the numbers from P's bloodwork were off due to lab error, meaning that they drew a pediatric-sized sample in an adult tube and did not process it immediately in-house. In particular he thinks that is the case for his low CO2 level. He added at my request and the resident's approval the TSH/T4 to check the thyroid since our pediatrician's office did not have enough blood to perform the test the first go-around. He also added the venous blood gas screening. Overall impression of both doctors? Very caring and thorough, as well as comforting.

At that point we checked in with the person doing the CF screening (sweat chloride test). She had already had to bump us to a later spot (we were supposed to go at 10am but it was already 11:30am). She had someone in there so we went to have the labs drawn. I have to say that I am sure the phlebotomists there are good, but the one who drew his blood at our doctor's office was able to get a clean stick, while this one had to probe around. I felt so sorry for him!

After the bloodwork, I went down and got something to eat, and D went to get C at school to take him home where my aunt was going to watch him. D then went in to work while I finished up with P. The sweat chloride test was very easy and perfectly painless. The person doing the test said that last year they tested 300 people and only 3 were positive -- 2 of those were adults. The youngest that one can be tested is 2 days old, and the youngest that she has tested was 3 days old. She also said that she has tested someone who was 76! In addition, I found out that there are 1,500 mutations of the cystic fibrosis gene -- wow.

Again, your prayers are GREATLY appreciated! We have felt your faithfulness and are humbled as we have felt God's peace in what could be a tremendously stressful time of waiting and investigation.

When It Rains, It Pours

Ok -- today started out just fine. A little early, but fine overall..... We went to Concord Mills for the morning. All we bought was an Eddie Bauer jacket for me. Of course, it was a great deal -- $187 originally, but $57 with tax! Now I can get rid of my old children's size Old Navy coat that is about six years old. This new one is waterproof (fantastic since I do not have any form of raincoat), wind resistant, and breathable. It's a winter jacket but the lining is a zip-out vest. I would have preferred a different color than black, but black was all they had, so black it is. I can handle that for the great deal I got.

We started back home and I started to feel some lower back aching. By the time we got home I fed P, spoke with Mom (Mom and Dad are in Germany right now) and then my aunt for a good while on the phone, and then went upstairs to take a nap -- I was feeling crummy. I woke with a 101.37 degree temperature, chills, and body aches. So much for my going to the Easter church service tonight! Now I'm praying I feel good enough to go with D and P on Monday. I'm taking it one day at a time ... I may feel perfectly fine tomorrow.

When it rains, it pours..... better get out that new coat.

Greateful for Prayers.... Good Day Today

I have had a wonderful prayer warrior who has been ministering to me the past few days. She emailed me asking for specific requests, so I thought I would share this excerpt from my email back to her with the rest of you.....

Will you thank our Father for His perfect peace that has been with me all of today? I've been graciously "cuddled" by him. Today has been a day that has felt normal -- no fear, no worry, no anxiety, no frustration. I'm grateful for the rest.

First request: I want no extra germs to come home with us from the hospital. That may be one of my top concerns that is very likely to occur without our Lord's intervening.

As for additional specifics, I'd personally like the right doctor who will know the right tests (if any) to perform in the right order to get the right diagnosis (or even that he be "normal"). I don't want extra tests to be run that do not need to be run just for the sake of running them (or the sake of science). I want the least invasive and least traumatic tests -- as long as they give us answers. I want no reactions to what they feel they need to do. I want a boldness to ask the questions that I need to in order to get answers that I may need -- but the ability to do it in a way that is not confronting to them.

Thanks to all of you for reading, for praying, and for ministering to us.

Results Back

We have the results of the urinalysis back. The specific gravity is low (which means that his urine is dilute), the potassium is off, and the sodium is low. It's my understanding that is all they tested, so we are batting three for three in the abnormal results for that testing. They are sending us to a pediatric nephrologist at Brenner Children's Hospital on Monday now, in addition to the sweat chloride test. When the nurse gave me the results, she said that our doctor "really does not know" what is going on. I probed a little further and asked if it was that he suspected but did not know was really the case, or that he really had no clue. She confirmed that it was the latter -- he really cannot give any more insight than what he has given......

I'm again back to the place of waiting. I'm trying to find comfort in it, but I'm not yet to that point. That's just the honest truth.

C's Egg Hunt

In all of this craziness with P, I can't forget about C. Today was his school's Easter Egg hunt. In traditional C fashion, he opened each egg immediately as he picked it up, dumping the contents into the basket and then throwing the empty "shell" back on the ground. Oh, the poor kids who came behind him, only to find empty eggs! At least for their sake he lost interest after about four of them and moved on to the slide! I did manage to get some good pictures of him playing on the playground.....

No News Must Be Good News

Well, we did not hear from the doctor's office regarding P's urinalysis. I'm going to assume that no news is good news at this point.

I was speaking with an online friend of mine who is a Nurse Practitioner. She was looking up the blood work results in her books to cross reference them. I feel better after hearing from her. She even said that the results may just be showing that he's trying to fight off a virus (like maybe the Hand Foot Mouth Disease that a child had in the PMO class he's in ... hmmmm.....). Of course, that would not explain the lack of weight gain. She also does not think it is cystic fibrosis. She did note that maybe it could be thyroid.... (Of course, that is the test that the doctor ordered but the phlebotomist could not get enough blood for.)

I have felt the love and the prayers of so many people, and that is so unbelievably comforting. The body of Christ is truly a family, and I have seen how, when one member hurts, others feel the impact. The Executive Vice President of my college even came over and stopped in my office to sit down and pray with me. Dozens of you have sent emails of support, and I am so unbelievably grateful. Thank you.

Little by Little.....

P and I went to the doctor this morning at 9:30am. The doctor went over the results of the blood work. Fourteen of 36 tests came back low or high. Some were further out of the acceptable range than others, but that is still an awful lot to have non-normal. He noted that he spoke with a good friend of his who is a pediatrician. She thinks it is something to do with the kidneys, and mentioned that if it is then it is likely fixable.

He then talked with me about what the next round of testing will be. He wants a urinalysis done to check for renal (kidney) problems. OK -- I can at least laugh a little at the collection of the specimen. It's a bag that seals around his .... ummm.... private parts to collect the urine. Praise God he is not a girl -- it's a lot harder to get that from them, I would imagine! The other test is a sweat chloride test to check for cystic fibrosis -- see good info at http://www.medicinenet.com/sweat_chloride_test/article.htm and http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/sweat_chloride/glance.html. The likelihood of CF is small, since he doesn't exhibit other symptoms, but this is a "rule out" test that the doctor said "must be done". And I know I will be glad when it comes out negative.....

The sweat chloride test is now scheduled for Easter Monday @ 10am at Baptist. Please pray for us to rest in the meanwhile. Everyone is still saying do not make any modifications at this point, and that they will let us know when we should worry, if at all.

To top it all off, when I dropped him off at school after the appointment they called me and told me that he has a 100.7 temperature. Sigh...... Likely that is from the shots, but it's just one more thing to add to my list today.

D and I really appreciate your prayers.... I'm doing okay. I have my moments of peace and my moments of tearing up. Crying is good sometimes..... and so is snuggling with my little boy.

Knowing nothing more......

Well, I got the test results back from the doctor's office today. I called about 3pm and the person who answered it said something like "the nurse is not ready to release those results yet." That was different from what they had said when I called at noon and they said that the nurse and doctor were not in. I knew at that point that the results were not good.

I know for sure that his hemoglobin is low, meaning anemia. The value was 10.1 instead of 13. The nurse said other tested levels were elevated and that they felt the need to do more testing. The first of these will be a urinalysis. I'm guessing that they are going to check renal function/kidneys.

There is part of me that wants to call up the doctor and ask him if he thinks that we are looking at something serious. The other part of me wants to still live in that dream of a perfectly healthy child. So we wait until tomorrow. (It's a good thing that God reminded us that tomorrow will have enough worries of its own.)

A Mommy's Heart Is Bruised, or Is It Crushed?

Have you ever known something but did not want anyone to come out and say it? Or, worse, write it? Well, that is what happened today at the doctor's office. Both boys had well child visits, and so off we went. By the time we walked out of the office and got in the car my tears were flowing.

We've known P was small and not gaining weight at a "normal" rate. He's also not sitting up, which is another concern. Today the doctor officially put "failure to thrive" on his form as a diagnosis. (Info at http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_fit/nutrition/failure_thrive.html and http://www.emedicine.com/PED/topic738.htm may help you here.) There's a difference between hearing it and seeing it right there in front of you. There is something that gets you in the gut to know that there is a label like that in your child's permenent folder.

So what did they do? Drew blood. I had to stand there and watch my 6-month-old child get stuck as they draw out two vials of blood from his tiny arm. Eyes looking up at me full of tears, pleading with me to "make it stop, Mommy, make her stop". Mine full of tears as I try my hardest to reassure him that he will not remember it, that Mommy hates it as much as he does, and that it really is for his own good. All the while reminding myself that there are some moms out there who are having to go through this much earlier in their children's lives than I am.

Dr. P was great -- he told me there was no need to worry at this point.... that he would tell me when to worry, if ever at all. We should get the results Monday. Monday cannot come soon enough.

What a Party!

C is finally three.... for good! Today we had a party for him and it was a blast! Friends and family crammed into our home for sandwiches, chips, fruit, cookies, and cake. I'm so thankful for everyone who came to share with us.

He got some really thoughtful and fantastic gifts. Everything from a doctor kit to puzzles to gift certificates for BounceU (one of his favorite places in the world, I think!). Of course, I thought it was funny when he started passing out the gifts to others like we had him do at Christmas. It was a little hard to explain that the presents were from those people, not for them!

I wish I had had the video camera in my hands and rolling. We had gotten the cake out to take pictures before we forgot and cut it. C crawled in the seat and was trying so hard to get his little fingers in the icing, but people were telling him not to touch it. Apparently it all got overwhelming for him.... He leaned forward and took a BIG bite out of it! (I guess we have let him watch too many "funniest home video" episodes recently, huh?)

C's and My Mall Trip

For his birthday, Build-A-Bear Workshop sent him a coupon for a free animal (well, $12 credit towards one). Daddy watched little brother while Mommy took C for the experience. It was one I was so glad to have. It's not very often that I get to be alone with C. Anyway, he chose a turtle that would remind you of Franklin from the kid's book. The turtle even has a shell that is a backpack -- pretty cute! (His first choice was a pink spotted leopard, but Mommy ruled that one out!)

Once we finished our fun there, we were leaving and walked by a trampoline/bungee jump kiosk-thingy in the mall. C had been so well behaved that when he asked to stop and watch, we did. He was pretending to jump with the kids as they bounced. Somehow I found myself asking if he wanted to do it. (I can't remember if he said something first or whether I could just tell that he really wanted to do it.) I had read the sign and it said for 25 pounds and up (he's 34 pounds or so) and for all ages. I guess I don't have to share any more besides these pictures.....

Big Boy turns three!

Oh, my... C turns three today, and Mommy can't believe it! It seems like I cannot remember life without him.... Our little joy...... Of course, this morning was interesting. How would you like 2/3 of a bottle of baby lotion on your carpet at 8:15am? Yup... C went into P's room while I was feeding P and found a bottle of lotion. It went in a nice puddle on the carpet and happened to "bless" some clean, folded clothes. Sigh.....

On a funny note, C was saying something about the Easter bunny this morning. (I had the boys' Easter baskets out in the foyer.) He was asking where the Easter bunny was. I told him that the Easter bunny was like Santa Claus and was at his house. He asked "Where is the bunny?" about three or four times, and I answered him each time. I finally had to tell him that I was not going to answer his question again if he asked me "Where is the bunny?" -- that I had already told him where the bunny was. He then proceeded to ask me, "Well, where did he go?" Grrrrrrrrr... I guess this is the questioning stage, then, isn't it? At least I have a child smart enough to ask the same question in different words.

Donna Reed, here I come!

Hehehehe.... I have now officially done something I never thought I would do.... I made cookies for C's birthday. Mind you, these are not just any cookies.... They were hand decorated sugar cookies. And to top that all off, I made the dough and the icing myself. (Pat, pat, pat -- my back needed it.) The inspiration was a fellow adoptive mom and her cookie-making ability. Here are hers..... She also shows you how at http://tinyurl.com/2fqahy. She has more pictures (like those at http://tinyurl.com/yttkvp) that are just amazing.....

Anyway.... mine turned out pretty well for the first try. They tasted really good if that matters. I used the recipe at http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Thick-Cut-Outs/Detail.aspx?src=etaf for the cookies (I substituted 1/2 tsp Haitian vanilla instead of the 1 1/2 tsp regular vanilla) and I used the recipe at http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sugar-Cookie-Icing/Detail.aspx?src=etaf for the icing. This one I really had to adjust, though. I used Haitian vanilla instead of the almond extract since a girl in C's class is allergic to nuts and when I did a double recipe per the instructions it was waaaaaaayyyyyyyy too thick to pipe through a bag! I don't remember exactly what I ended up with, but probably close to 1/4 cup of milk and 3 Tblsp corn syrup in the end. I basically got it the consistency of Elmer's glue. It held its place pretty well when squeezed through the bag, but it did not hold its shape -- if that makes any sense. Anyway, here are the results! (Oh -- If you are looking for cookie cutters, check out http://www.cookiecutter.com and http://www.wineandcake.com for a really good assortment!)

What is it about illnesses and Friday afternoons? and other ramblings for the day....

Does anyone else have the problem that you only get sick after the doctor's office is closed? Well, P started getting what I thought was his first cold on Friday ... at 4pm. He kept getting worse and last night about 2am started a croupy cough. At 5:30am Darren brought him in to me to nurse and he (the little one) kept me awake until we all got up. I called the doctor's office and they were able to work him in.

It turns out that he likely just has a virus that has irritated his throat -- drainage, basically. It's great news! So now all we have to do is keep a humidifier in his face, put him in the bathroom when we shower, and keep him hydrated. We've tried giving him sweet potato (that was Saturday -- he would not keep it in his mouth at all), but I guess we will go for apple as our next food to try so that we can try apple juice. Oh -- and he is only 12.45 pounds -- which is the same as he weighed about three weeks ago. SIGH! Mommy is also still trying to get her weight or at least stabilize it. Today I was 100.4 pounds with shoes on and thicker pants. DOUBLE SIGH.

I tried again today (third time is the charm, right???) to order our annual photobook through Snapfish. I have a 2005 and a 2006 one. This was the 2007 one. I've tried to order it twice now and both times they have cancelled the order because of an apparently corrupt photo. Today I again deleted then uploaded the two that they said were corrupt. Keep your fingers crossed for this, will you?

One other thing to write about today... D has helped me in the decluttering. Yesterday we went through most of my Tupperware and put things in boxes... sell versus keep. I have a LOT of Tupperware that I want/need to get rid of. If there is something that you need, let me know! I'll make you a good deal on it!

Valentine's Day

Ahhhh -- the joy of having a Hallmark card in your hands. This Valentine's Day we "celebrated" in an unorthodox way. Maybe it was the unexpected snow that we got yesterday, or maybe it is just us, but we were supposed to go to a Couples' Banquet at church tonight and I ended up going as a single. Of course, it was D's idea in the first place -- honest! We had booked Mom as a sitter but she was sick yesterday and I was not able to get a replacement (OK -- I gave up after calling 9 people). I had a good time with lots of laughs, but I still wish D had been there with me. We will try to celebrate another night, I am sure.

Back to the snow -- C had a blast eating it. D took him out in it last night and this morning. I took him out this afternoon. He loved eating it (no yellow snow, thanks!) and throwing snowballs at me. That kid has an arm!!! He also made a snow angel with Mommy and a tiny snowman. Fun, fun, fun!!!

Good for the Tongue

What a smart little guy we have! "Tuffy the Tooth" came to C's school today and played a game with them. All the kids were given a picture of something to eat. The point was that they were supposed to show it to the class, tell what it was, then have them guess whether or not it was a healthy snack by answering the question, "Is it good for the teeth or bad for the teeth?" C got a picture of a cookie. He stood up, held it up, and told the class it was a cookie. When asked if it was "good for your teeth" or "bad for your teeth" they all answered that it was good for their teeth. Miss Chris said, "Oh, no. Cookies are sweet. They are sugar. They are bad for your teeth." C, without missing a beat, said, "But they are good for your tongue!"

Decluttering -- can I really be having fun???

OK -- so I am a pack rat. I admit it. There's just SOME function that each piece of junk (albeit "important" junk) serves or has the potential to serve, and thus I need to hold on to it, right? I mean, if I drop it off at my local Salvation Army or Goodwill store, they will sell it for only 50 cents to someone else just looking for a bargain and not really needing it. I can give it to Storehouse for Jesus, of course, but they are out of my way....

Interestingly enough (go figure), I don't have a house that is the Better Homes and Gardens/Martha Stewart showcase that so many, including me, want. I can remember my mom saying that my room (and house) should be kept in a state that I would be glad to welcome Jesus in to it. My smart aleck response was that if He walked into my house and saw it in pristine condition He would know that I had been spending too much time in the house and not enough time out doing His work! We all know that was a cop out answer, but it was also the honest truth.

Do I like my home being a clutter-filled mess? NO. Do I know how to get it uncluttered? Well, sort of. I at least know the principles behind it. I just can't ever seem to be able to successfully do it. I feel the desperate need to get it done, but can't find the time to follow after that desire. I keep telling myself that I am smart enough to be able to figure out a way for me to do it, and then I get depressed and defeated or beat myself up about reasons I can't seem to use my brilliance to actually DO it.

The list of excuses goes on and on...... hopefully now it is finally time for a real change....

I've been the recipient of FLYLady (www.flylady.net) emails for quite a while (OK -- maybe even 2 years... I can't remember) now, and never really have caught on to her system. Marla (FLYLady herself) lives in Brevard, NC, oddly enough, and is an inspiration to an unbelievable number of people for whom her emails have literally changed their lives. Some are so devoted to her and her "Control Journal" that I wonder if she has a cult following! Anyway, she seeks to inspire people to have those clean and "pleasant-to-be-in" homes, and she does so through emails designed to motivate, convict, and move you to action. She has zones to clean (one per week), missions to do, and habits to create (one per month). This month's habit is decluttering for 15 minutes per day -- including weekends. I'm trying it this month...... hoping and praying that all those people who tout her system are right.

Oh, back to the habit to form -- the decluttering.... I'm thrilled to say that I have spent some time in the basement this past week decluttering some things, in fact, I've spent more than my 15 minutes per day, except for missing one day when I was not feeling well and was just worn out (so worn out that I really could not follow her "I-can-do-anything-for-15-minutes" mantra). Now, the declutterings don't officially count in the world of FLYLady because the items are not actually out of the house yet, but I'm working on it. I have plans to get the 18 (yes, 18) formal gowns that I decluttered first to the consignment shop to see if they want to take them, then to the mall for the YWCA prom dress collection. Any that they do not want I will throw away, I guess. My thought behind that is that if two places did not want them, likely Goodwill would not either! Of course, you never know what people want...... bell bottoms came back in style, even if only temporarily!!!! In addition to having the plans, I have someone who is going to ride me until I really DO get them there!

In addition, Darren and I are also moving things around in the basement (mainly Darren is doing the moving, which is then motivating me) so that we have a space for items that need to go out of the house. That too is divided up into donate and eBay sections. Now to get to the clearing out, as we discussed earlier.

Perhaps I should also mention that I cleared out another foot or so of clothing that I will take when I take the dresses to the consignment shop. Those more "business-y" pieces that they don't want I will donate to our Shugart Women's Center for their clothing distributions. This was done literally on a grab-what-you-know-can-go basis. I know I could get rid of more, but as I adjust to this new way of doing and thinking, let me go slowly.

So, why have I told you all this? Well, the next time you see me.... please don't ask what I have decluttered in case I haven't done it. I am not really wanting to face any disappointment of this failing again. At the same time, if you are reading this blog and want to encourage me by telling me how wonderful I am doing (so far I am planning to post every time I declutter), then feel free to do so. I guess I need to take pictures of the house so that I can actually see the progress. I bet I won't recognize the "before" shots once I get to the point that I can take the "after" ones.....

Oh, the joys of teething.....

Waaaaaaaahhhhhh...... Waaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh.......... Waaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh! That is about all I heard for two hours straight this afternoon and then another who-knows-how-long tonight. It was P, and still is. We've tried teethers, cold cloths, Baby Oragel, Infant Tylenol, teething tablets, feedings, swaddling, rocking, bouncing, swinging, baby-wearing, snuggling, holding in many different positions, even massaging with a toothbrush (that got the best response). I sure hope those teeth come in soon, or Mommy may not have any hair left! Still, like his brother, he tries to smile through it all. Tonight he even giggled -- yes, giggled -- at Mommy.

C is acting all crazy. He's still throwing food and silverware/cups on the floor. He cries at the drop of a hat and for no reason. You should see the crocodile tears!!! Maybe I will try to get a snapshot of it -- it's hard not to laugh at it at times. He's still working on potty training, and he's doing overall fairly well at it. We have the Pull Ups with Diego (Dora the Explorer's cousin) and he tells us, "Diego doesn't want to be wet. I keep him dry."

D found out that they just laid off quite a few people at his work today. We both feel very blessed that he was not one of them. To God be the glory for that!

Photos taken at Bethabara

Today was a picture day, for sure. I had some Glamour Shots taken for the fun of it (free 8x10, free session, free makeover coupon, thank goodness!) then went to Bethabara Park and had some taken. Darren and the boys had fun running around while I shot with a local photographer, Mike Renegar, who wanted to shoot some pics to update his portfolio. Here's one he got.... I was quite pleased.

Valentine's Photos

So what do you do when you have a nearly-three-year-old son and a 5-month-old son, love pictures, and have a friend who wants to have pictures of her 11-week-old son? Well, if you have ever tried to juggle kids at your local WalMart portrait studio, you will know why I was more than thrilled that we own a photo cube and I can have a makeshift "studio" here at the house! Here are two of my favorites that we took yesterday. The rest of the 220 pics are on Snapfish for your viewing pleasure....

Should've done it sooner!

It's amazing that we have not created a blog before now, considering they are free and that we have friends literally all over the world (and family in multiple states) who are interested in what goes on in our family. Oh, yeah -- did I mention all my contact with the internet???

Anyway, now that we have two boys who are the cutest little boys in the world, I thought it was about time to start one. Who's to say how often I'll be updating it, but at least we can say we have a blog now! More to come, of course!