celebrating time!!!

We are home...time for Christmas parties and fun, thankful laine is doing better, she was able to open more presents last night which was fun. She slept really good and I did too. She is wearing a cute little backpack that runs a pump for her IV. Thank you all for your prayers. Will keep you posted. Lots of follow up appointments and lab work and home nurse visits but we are home and thankful.

home!

Well tonight we are officially home. I can not wait to sleep in my own bed. It is going to be wonderful!!!! Laine was so happy to see Paige and play with her Christmas toys. She had a blast opening more presents. Jeff and I opened presents too which was fun. Her home nurse came to see her and explain the IV pump ( I use inpatient pumps and not familiar with the home pumps). She will wear a backpack until Feb 5th. She has antibiotic medication running 24 hours a day. She is walking on it but it is sore and hurts at times, but at least she is walking! She had not able able to walk since last Tuesday so obviously we are so happy. Looking forward to some family night.

PICC Line and one step closer

Laine had a PICC (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) line inserted last night and looks like we are getting another step closer to getting home. She was very funny coming out of sedation last night...apparently I had 2 heads and dad had 2 mustaches. I am hoping that all goes well today. She will need home IV antibiotics for 4-6 weeks and weekly doctor appointments and lab work. I am taking FMLA but am hoping to work when I can. She still has a fair amount of pain in her lower leg and it is making walking not a fun experience. Please pray for her leg pain and also that should would not require any more surgery. It is possible for the infection that is still there to settle in areas again and cause an abscess as her leg heels. It isn't totally uncommon for the surgeon to have to open her leg again. But something we are praying doesn't not have to happen. I am missing Paige so much...my heart is hurting for her. She has had a lot of fun with friends and family, but ready for her own bed now and to see her sister and us. The plan is this afternoon we will be switched over to her home IV pump. It is a continuous pump that she will wear as a little fanny pack. Hopefully tonight we will get to be discharged. Please pray for infection to clear and no recurrences ever, protect her body from infection, heal her leg, and for our family getting settled back at home. We will also have medical bills and co pays and I don't want to even think about that mail arriving. ugggg. But God is good and so many are praying for her and healing and we are so thankful for that.

fever free!

fever is gone and she is eating well and drinking again. she wants to play and be active. except her leg really still hurts around the ankle and she doesn't want to walk on it. docs are still coming up with a plan for her. Her incision on her leg looks great. A little red still but improving. We are hoping that in the next day we can get plans made to head home. Thank you for you prayers.

perking up a bit

Well today Laine is perked up a bit because her sister was able to come and spend time with her. During the night she had leg pain and still is not able to walk on it. But she is talking and wanting to play a little in bed which is a huge improvement from Friday when she layed in bed and slept all day. The surgeon will see her today and her doctors already made rounds and are developing a plan for her. She most likely has either a staph or strep infection in her lower leg and has changes in her bone called Acute Osteomyelitis. She may have had either organism with the cold and cough a few weeks ago and the bacteria was in her blood and settled in the vascular areas of her growth plate in her Tibia bone. She still had fevers during the night and they are making some changes to the antibiotics based on the cultures sent from surgery yesterday. We should have final culture results on Tuesday and that may help to confirm which antibiotic will work the best. Because she is still having fevers she can't have a long term PICC line (central catheter for long term antibiotics) until she is fever free for 24 hours. If she still has bacteria in the blood causing the fevers it can cause a the PICC line to become infected as well. In the morning she will have more labs done to check her inflammation and White Blood Count. That should tell us if she can have a PICC line placed tomorrow or Wednesday and then we should be able to start the antibiotics for home and then maybe toward the end of the end she may be able to go home. At least that is the plan for now. Will keep you posted. God has been so good to us and helping her feel a bit better and our family and friends are so supportive.

surgery this morning

Well last night the ortho docs came to see laine and thought she may need surgery in the next day or so...then rounded on her again this morning and decided they didn't like the way her leg looked and she wasn't much better on 3 antibiotics for the last 4 days. The docs decided surgery would happen today....800 this morning we found out surgery was at 900. We have so loved our doctor who pushed for testing and surgery this weekend.

Laine had an incision of the tibia bone where the infection was, and cleaned and debrided it and the culture and samples were sent to lab. It could take until Tuesday to get the results. She will continue on antibiotics through her IV, but probably needs a longer term IV line called a PICC line placed in the next few days, as she will most likely need IV antibiotics long term (4-6 weeks). We will be here for a while still. God is good answering our prayers about having surgery ( a good thing....she feels better since they open her leg and cleaned it, fever is better, and the surgeon was able to get samples to send to lab). Today she actually ate dinner and this was the first time in a week she had an appetite. She has been a trooper and been handling being in the hospital over Christmas, infection, surgery and all this really well. We should know more this week about the plan. Paige is doing well considering we have been with Laine a lot but she has been so mature and not acted too disappointed. She has been staying with family and having fun with her cousins and rest of the family. They all have been such a blessing to us...thank you family and friends.

Please, please pray...

Our 4 year old has been sick since Monday and in the hospital since Tuesday. For those reading previous posts she was admitted to the hospital due to high fevers, vomiting and also not wanting to eat which can be an issue with her VLCAD condition (read side bar for more info). She was actually sent home and within one hour of being home she started limping while trying to play with her sister and kitty. After I looked at her leg I noticed an area that was swollen had a rash and was painful to touch (that was not there prior) and she was again readmitted. The rash continued to spread up her leg and triple antibiotics have not helped. She had an MRI today and it revealed an area of infection called Osteomyelitis. In children bacterial infections can settle in the bone after having an illness from a few weeks ago. (She had a cold and runny nose and occasional cough 2 weeks ago). Some of that bacteria probably settled in her bone and over the last couple weeks and started showing us something was wrong. It isn't common for it to happen like this.

We really could use all your prayers.....she will need iv antibiotics for 4-6 weeks, maybe surgery and I will need to be off work most likely for an extended time to stay with her. But our God is faithful and gave us great doctors who ordered the right tests for her. thank you

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone!

back in the hospital

uggggggg. we are back here. it seems like an infection has settled in her leg and she won't walk now. She still has high fevers despite IV antibiotics. We are still waiting on blood cultures. Her white count was very high. Still won't eat. So we will be spending another night here at the Children's Hospital.

But we have a great God and can celebrate the birth of Jesus. What a gift. Our family is so supportive and making this time for paige fun and santa knows where to find her tonight. This evening we can be thankful for much He has given us. Time to turn some Christmas tunes on. Good night.

trip to the hospital....

say a little prayer for laine...we are in the hospital. she has had the same virus her sister had last week. for laine any illness can be an issue with her metabolic issues (see my sidebar for more info). I am hopeful for just a day or so stay (please jesus let us be home to celebrate your birthday). 104.2 temp today and not eating, gets her a direct admit to the hospital. i am so glad we have wonderful doctors who work so well with her.

crafty days

I love these days to listen to Christmas music and bake and do crafts...Paige helped me make some of these for family who visited us last week for a Christmas gathering. I just took a 6X6 piece of chipboard and covered it in different christmas papers. I then added scrapbooking supplies like stickers, brads, ribbons and decorated them. I made about 10 in all. Hoping our friends and family enjoy putting their families picture on it for the holidays.

Santa can have the glory

Remember my post from a few days back???? Well I think this might be the last year of magic for Santa as far as Paige is concerned. Next year she will be the 4th grade and 9 1/2. Not sure I am getting another year of her believing in him. She is only young once right? I love the innocence of this year ....So I am rethinking my plan. Santa can have the glory. The DSi can come from him. In fact, I want it to come from him. To read the other post go to Why does Santa havta get all the glory.

our 2009 gingerbread house

Monday afternoon after Paige got home from school we got our gingerbread kit out and had fun making a big mess. But remember.... is was fun. Laine and Paige had fun placing all the candy on the roof and windows. I love the bright colors of their decorating. I didn't eat any of the house because as they decorated the house, they were licking their little fingers. They had a good time sampling their work. Happy Holidays....

nutcracker show

Last weekend my sister and I took our girls to see the Nutcracker. I remember my own mom taking me to see the production back when I was younger and enjoying it. The girls really liked the show. The show started at 2:00 which right at the beginning of normal naptime for Laine....but she did great. She did dose off during the second half. She was put to sleep by the mesmerizing orchestra sounds! Paige could not get enough of the Dew drop Fairy. Rainbow tutu of coarse. What a fun Christmas memory!

blizzard 09

back to school today...lots of snow at least 8-10 inches here between wednesday and thursday. paige is better from her virus and laine has stayed healthy...fun in the snow on a beautiful day...

we have the best friends!!!! and papa!!!

last night paige started with a sore throat and during the night had a fever....so she stayed home with me today. but laine had preschool and paige soooooo didn't want to go anywhere. i have such a sweet friend who helps me so much. my good friend (tricia...who I can't hyperlink cuz she does have a blog...but I blog because she was in the "Know" a few years back and i first heard about blogging from her) picked up laine for school and brought her home, brought paige crackers and gatorade and then all of us lunch.

We had soup last week and I used all my saltines up! of coarse! so papa (grandpa) stopped by the store and brought paige gingersnaps and sprite and saltines. Today was suppose to be a grocery day while the girls were at school, but tricia and papa were such a blessing....its is cold here in michigan and not wanting to venture out with this little sick one.

paige has perked up a few times during the day and played on the computer and helped me wrap a couple presents. we are having my cousins and their families here on saturday and have presents to wrap... check, tables to set up...check, cleaning...check, laundry...check, played with the photobooth on my computer...check and taking care of my sick one and praying laine doesn't get it...check

why does Santa hav'ta get all the glory

I was having a conversation recently with a friend at the gym while with were both getting our workouts in....and ya'all she just cracked me up I tell you. See, I was sharing the story about how Paige wants a DSi (expensive hand held video game), and an American Doll. I told Paige that I didn't think that we would buy both for Christmas.....to which she replies..."that's OK mom....I understand....You and Dad can get the DSi and Santa can bring me the American Doll. (Jeff is saying seriously????She still believes????? I think it is just precious my 3rd grader still believes and my husband who probably never believed in Santa....not so much I will post more about that later) any hoo.....

Well then grandma came over, and Paige marked up the American Girl catalog with her wishes and now Grandma is getting the Doll. So Paige says she is asking Santa for the DSi.....So that leaves me a few other presents on the list for us to give. I was telling my friend this whole story to which she says......"Heck NO.....at our house Santa gives books". Which just cracked me up. Her and her husband always gave the great, most wanted toys...Santa....well he gave books. So I am thinking Santa is bringing socks.....and books....and maybe a new shirt.....Definitely not the DSi....that will come from mom and dad.

Christmas sleeping

we put christmas lights in the girls room after Thanksgiving...both need night lights so they love..love...love the lights this time of year.

elf yourself

check out my video above....the girls thought it was so fun!!!

Christmas lights

Put Christmas lights inside your car and drive around town with a 4 year old and an eight year old and you are bound to have fun....(My Jeep has an outlet inside it)...It is so fun! So hard to take pictures with lights though:(

Polar Express

So last night we went to Barnes and Noble Storytime and they read Polar Express and had tickets and hot cocoa and cookies and craft. There was a coloring contest and our artist (Paige) was very excited because she loves to color and draw. So she tells her sister that she was going to win the contest. And the crying began. So now Laine is upset because she says she doesn't want to be a loser...she wants to be a winner too. So the only way we can get her to stop crying is Paige whispered in her ear that if she wins she'll share the basket of goodies (polar express on CD, hot cocoa, a game, a santa hat, jingles bells). It was very generous for the winner.

So then I see Laine talking to the storyteller.....And I was panicking...cuz i pretty much knew what conversation Laine was having. She walks back to us and I asked her what she was talking to the reader about (she knows the reader from storytime each week...Ms Rhonda) and Laine proceeds to tell me that she told Ms Rhonda that her sister was going to win the coloring contest because she was the best colorer. Oh great! I said Laine there is lots of other kids who are working on their project and coloring and Paige might not win. "Oh yup she will"...Laine says. So then later....much to my complete embarrassment Laine is again talking to Ms. Rhonda. She just was laughing and so sweet about it. Paige says "oh great... Laine now I'm going to lose because you are being so annoying". But Paige really did win. She really did have the best coloring job. I saw the other pictures and I do really think Paige deserved to win. When we were leaving Laine was so sweet and telling Paige "I'm so proud of you...I knew you would be the winner". Paige was so happy carrying her basket and did indeed share everything with her sister when we got home......ahhhhhh Christmas memories.

Dec 4 fun

I love this picture of the girls decorating a gingerbread house from last year. We plan to do it again this year. I usually get a kit because I think gingerbread is hard to make....sometimes it is too soft and other times hard as a brick. Tonight the girls are helping me make Christmas cookies. I have a Cookie Exchange at our church on Saturday and have some cookies to get done. We also are going to Polar Express Storytime at Barnes and Noble....can't wait for a Peppermint Mocha... yea!

This little light....i'm gonna shine

Laine singing just puts a smile on my face...(put the music in the sidebar on hold to hear her) Enjoy

Dec 2

All I need to say today is peppermint mocha.....Starbucks is good but Caribou Coffee is the best... Go here if you really need to be tempted :)

dec 1

I am so looking forward to Christmas, I love to post every day this month...usually it isn't a full post...maybe a picture or maybe a link to something fun I have seen for the Holiday season...Check out the site elfyourself.com. it is cute and easy to use...

i'm thankful...and happy thanksgiving

i am thankful for a good many things both simple and some more complex. i am thankful for (most importantly)...my family...my husband and my daughters who live in this house with me and make my life complete, content, and bring me joy just doing the daily things.
I am Thankful
that i can watch my daughter get on the bus and she waves and waves until she can't see me anymore, i get to spend many mornings with laine either driving her to preschool or going to storytime, for my husband who works hard and is patient and loving to me and our daughters, my mom who does extra special things for my sister and i even though we are grown up, my mom who helps when laine is ill or has appointments out of town, for my friends at work who make me laugh, for my sister and her family who live in our same neighborhood, our church, good friends who helped finish the basement, awesome babysitter for laine on the days i do work, that Ikea is really not that far from laine's doctors, for laine's doctors, for my job, to have my morning coffee, my pandora jewelry, for great in laws, for days at work that i don't have to clean up poop or pee or puke, christmas lights, summers at the beach, building sand castles, that jesus cares about me, snuggles in bed on saturday mornings when the kids, our finished basement, my new scrapbook room, that when paige laughs her nose scrunches up so cute, that laine dances for me, i really could go on and on but tonight i have my girls and hubby at home and we are going to watch a movie and play some games and that is more important.

christmas book 2009

I am doing a christmas book 2009 that was inspired by Ali edwards idea. Go here for more info. I plan to write traditions, take pictures, and journal during the month of December in my book.

being a little crafty

These are some books I have made for my daughter's teachers for Christmas. It was so fun making and decorating them. Looking forward to my scrapbook room getting done soon.

basement

we have been working on finishing our basement for the last year and a half and doing all the work ourselves. Yea! We got the carpet installed this week. I have a alot of decorating to do but here is what we have done...the only thing left is the ceiling. Maybe this winter that

would be a good thing to work on.

busy fall....

We have been busy here and having fun with the awesome fall weather this month. We are working on finishing our basement for the last 1 1/2 year. We have done all the work ourselves and proud of the work. I will post some pictures soon. This week carpet was installed. I will have my own scrapbook room. oh yea! There is a family room and playroom and office too. I promise I will post some craft projects and also some basement pictures soon.

PS dear "pink" friend....
where, oh where did you go? miss your stories and pictures. i know you are out there...

happy halloween

peacock paige and tinkerbell laine

fall photography

i love..love..love..black and white pictures and found this overlay that with a little photoshop magic turns this into a classic picture as if through a viewfinder. Paige and Laine with their cousins Quinn and Chase (who I have to say are the nicest teenage boys to 4 and 8 year old little girls). My girls love hanging out with them and they are so sweet to them. We are thankful for our family.

happy fall

Fall

Well we have had a fun fall. Soccer games and piano lessons and girl scouts along with school have kept us busy. Laine, Paige and I went to the apple orchard this week and picked apples and had yummy fresh cider and donuts. Oh...but I forgot my camera. Bummer. Lately I have just wanted to snuggle my kids and play games instead of blogging. I need to find a happy medium. I had no words to say for a while last week after finding out about my friends daughter. She has cancer and needs a miracle. Please pray for her. You can visit her at Caring Bridge website and then visit regancapps site. She is 8 and has cancer spread throughout her little body. She is in the hospital getting radiation and chemo. join me to pray for her will you?

no words...

There are no words to say when you have a friend is dealing with her daughter's fight for life. There is nothing to say....so hard to comprehend...I am heartbroken... that my friend's sweet little 8 year old can go from having joint pain last Friday...to have bone cancer with multiple broken bones, lung lesions and and given less than a 10 % chance of surviving.

Life is precious...I am sure today that I will not care if the house is clean...or if i have gotten enough sleep. Or if a bed is not made. I will not nag...or scold...or yell.

I will choose to love, and encourage and hug and snuggle and welcome my 2 sweeties that want to crawl in my bed at 6:00am when I want to sleep. I will welcome them with open arms...We will not watch the clock...we will enjoy our day today and have fun...we will make memories...

Thank you God for today...Pray for little Reagan...she is in pain and needs a miracle.

just one jesus...

Yup...I am guilty...I did indeed pray "just one Jesus". I prayed that as Paige plays soccer for the first time (except for pee wee league at 3) that she would make just one goal. Just one Jesus. I never knew how full my heart would feel upon learning of her scoring her first goal. I had to miss this weekend's game due to having to care for the sick and dying. Yup...because being a nurse has upsides and downsides....working some weekends is not one of the fun ones.

I regress....anyway.

She called me at work after the game and was so excited. Her team won and she scored one of the 5 goals. She is the smallest and shortest and maybe even youngest girl on her team. But she felt sooooooo proud. She said to me "mom the other girls gave me hugs and high fives". She felt part of the team. Thanks pink panther girls for being so encouraging to my girl that day.

To you Paige. I am proud. Not just because you scored a goal. But because you have to work hard. You have to run harder and faster than those long legged girls. And because you tried a new sport to be active and get exercise. And To be part of a team to contribute to. And because you cheer you teammates and are a good sport.

Thank you Jesus for the goal.

We will be praying for more this season too!

UT fan

isn't she the cutest little football fan you ever did see???

first day...

of third grade...i am excited for you today paige...i look forward to all you will learn and all you have to offer. friendship, knowledge, skills, fun, maturity. good luck today dear one. i will miss you. love mom

goodbye summer.... hello fall...here come changes

We are looking forward to the fall and the fun activities and schedule and routine that comes along with going back to school. I am looking forward to watching Paige play soccer...learn piano....girl scout meetings with friends...and learning in school. Laine is in Preschool (first day was today and Paige starts school next week) and they both may attend Awana at church. I love fall air here in Michigan that is cool and crisp on our way to the bus stop in the mornings. We love to attend our high school football games on Friday nights and cheer for our team. Hello Fall, we are ready for you.

I will miss the fun memories of the summer...sleeping in and having my 2 sweeties join me to snuggle...trips to the waterpark, vacations, the beach, playing with neighborhood friends, a baseball game, trips to the zoo, and cookouts and making smores in the firepit. Oh, summer I will miss you...

Changes for our family too. We are currently trying to find a new church. We have been at our church since high school and it is hard to think about change. But it is something my hubby and I are both feeling (and praying about too) like it is time to attend somewhere else. We will miss the people. But we are looking forward to connecting to new people and are visiting churches now.

Goodbye summer, hello Fall and here come changes.

simple things...