Brilliant.....AND Nurturing!

Jason started teaching Alexandria, a couple weeks ago, how to write her name. Ever since then she has been obsessed with writing letters. Never a bad thing. She has this fort builder that she got for Christmas, and look what she did with the pieces!



I know she didn't put the letters in order to actually spell her name, but she did include each letter from what we have taught her (we have only taught her to spell ALEX because ALEXANDRIA is a little long!). I had to stand up on the arm of the couch to get all the letters in one shot. I just can't believe how smart this child is. She is not even three yet! I know I am bragging, but I don't care. She is my child and I have a right to brag, what mother doesn't?

Also, I finally got to babysit for Noah. I haven't had a chance to have him all to myself yet. Not that I don't like to have Jenny around, because I really do, but it was a lot of fun to take care of Noah on my own. I little taste of what it might be like to mother a boy. Just a little taste though, Alex actually hogged him pretty good. Her Mommy instinct kicked in full blast today, and she was really protective and nurturing to Noah. She helped feed him, she looked after him in the back seat of the car while we took a ride to bring Anna to school and Grandma to radiation, she got me his diaper and wipes when I needed them, she rocked him in his carrier to get him to fall asleep, (we could probably ignore the fact that she woke him up right after he feel asleep because she wanted to play with him again), she got him toys to play with, held him.....the list can go on. So much fun! I just adore this little boy, and obviously so do my girls. Adorable, just adorable!











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I might not post again until next Thursday night. I am working on a Montage for Anna's 6th transplant anniversary, coming up on the 6th of March, that I will post when I'm done, along with an update about how clinic goes on Thursday too! We have a long day next week at Children's. We have to be there at 7:30 to have an ultrasound, then go for labs, then breakfast at McDonald's (inside the hospital), transplant clinic and we have to schedule for a biopsy (routine) and talk to the doctors about the withdrawal study I have mentioned in the past. Then we are going to stop on the way home to have lunch at Jason's cousin's restaurant.
Wish us luck!

Treatment has started

I love my mother in law. She means the world to me and I hate that she has to go through cancer treatment.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in October and she has had five surgeries since her diagnoses. I would have never imagined it would take this long to start radiation, but they wanted to make sure they got all of the nodes that the cancer would travel to. She also needed time to heal between surgeries and before she could start radiotion. While I know that she has a good prognoses, all of this has really taken a toll on our family. Stage 1 is a really good stage to be at (if you have to be at one), and no chemotherapy is great! But the fact remains that she still has cancer, and she is tired of all of this already, and treatment has just started....TODAY! Going everyday for 5 weeks is going to be hard for her.

She doesn't deserve this. Nobody ever deserves this. We need to find a cure.

A good friend of mine who lives in Seattle is doing The Breast Cancer Three Day this year in honor of my mother in law, mother to Jason, wife to Bill, and Grandmother to Mary, Anna, and Alexandria. Lynne.


We love you so much Ma! Go on and fight cancer's but!

Just a little obsessed?

Noah again!!!!!!!!

He is feeling much better!

Take a look at the little angel.

I can't get enough of him!

Can I have him Jenny?

Welcome Baby Sophie Lynn!

Yes, all my friends and relatives are having babies!


My friend Michelle had a baby girl yesterday at 1:30pm.
Sophie Lynn weighed in at 7 pounds 12 ounces, and 21 1/2 inches long.
Mommy and baby are doing very well!
Big brother Hunter and big sister Maya are very proud!


I went to the hospital to visit today. She is a very pretty baby!
I just love newborn babies, and I started thinking, maybe just one more! Then I got home and realized that the three I have are more than enough, they don't stay newborns for very long, and I just love my girls (plus the fact that I am done with diapers). I'll just keep letting my friends and relatives have the babies, I can enjoy them, and hand them right back!







********Update on Noah********

Noah went home last night with a take home nebulizer because he still needs treatments. He is feeling much better!

Prayers for baby Noah

I got a call this morning from my friend Jenny's mom today saying that 4 month old Baby Noah was admitted to the hospital last night (I have mentioned him in a few posts). He spiked a high fever last night and was wheezing quite a bit. He had been sick for a few days, maybe almost a week now. My understanding is that he has a viral or bronchial infection of some sort. They are doing nebulizer treatments every couple of hours. The doctors are also wondering if maybe he has asthma like his older brother. Jenny is exhausted. Noah has not been getting much sleep so that means she hasn't either. They might be able to go home today if the need for the nebulizer can go for four hours in-between treatments.

Just wondering if anyone reading this can say a little prayer for Jenny and Noah. I know how hard it is to have a sick child in the hospital no matter what the severity of the situation is.

**********************update******************************

Noah is staying another night. Mike came to the hospital after he got off work so Jenny was able to go home and take a shower and eat something other than chips.

Wow! I have been slacking on this blog! So sorry everyone!

There is not much to report, so this is just an entry so that you all know that we are all alive and well!

This cold weather has been kicking our buts! I can't stand the snow at all, and we have had a couple of below zero days. It's brutal! Winter in Chicago is not an easy thing to deal with. I can't wait to be able to just have the girls slip on their sandles and just walk outside. It can take so long to bundle all three up to go out.

School has been keeping me busy too. I am studying my butt off! It's not easy with three little ones who want/need my attention. I have been feeling really bad that I have been spending so much time with my nose in my books because my girls are not used it. Also my house is not looking so hot either because when it's all said and done the last thing I want to do is clean my house!

A post would not be a post without a picture or two, right?! Remember when I posted almost four months ago that my best friends baby and my niece were born a day apart from each other? Well, I never had a picture of my niece to post because my camera died out that day after taking so many pictures of Noah (Jenny's baby whom I went to visit first that day). I finally got to see baby Christina last week for the first time since I saw her in the hospital when she was born. We were over at my brother's house for a few hours and this baby didn't cry, or even fuss once! She is so good, she just sits there and takes everything in! What a doll!





Christina's big sister wanted nothing to so with having her picture taken!

Snow Day!

I don't understand, when I was a kid growing up, I didn't get a snow day! Not once! Not even when it was waist deep! And, we would always walk to school in it. It was so much fun!

Last night we got about 10 inches of snow. I got a call from the school at 5:30 in the morning (automated) saying that all of our district schools were closed for the day. It didn't matter to me, I had no plans for the day and it was nice to be able to stay home and relax without having to bring the kids back and forth all day. The girls are playing out side in the snow. It's been about an hour already and now it is snowing again! Fun! They wanted me to play with them but I only got as far as taking a few pictures. Anna was too busy to turn around and stop what she was doing for a descent picture, but I got Mary and Alex! The little hams. I just didn't want to actually go out in it, so I stood at the patio door to take these. I know, I'm a party pooper.

You won't believe this child!

I know this is hardly an update, but none of you would ever guess what Anna just did!

She pulled her tooth out with a pair of pliers!!!!!!!! Trust me, it is nothing I allowed her to do, but how could I be mad at her. When she came out of the bathroom she looked so proud of what she did. She had a tooth that was loose (from only this morning) and it was bothering her, she pulled it out. Problem solved. Would else would she do?

Maybe I will have a little dentist on my hands!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today is Jason's 32nd Birthday! Happy Birthday Jason! We celebrated last night at his parents house because we have so much going on today. Among-st other things, Jason's mom is going for yet another surgery today! This will be th fourth since she was diagnosed to have lymph nodes takes out. They wanted one last one taken out about two weeks ago and they did it, but when she went to see her oncologist last week he felt the same one he wanted removed last time. That means they removed the wrong one, so now they want that same one removed. This time the oncologist circled, with pen, where the lymph node is that he wants the surgeon to remove. So, 32 years years after giving birth to Jason, she is going in for surgery. Poor lady, she is so sick of this already, and she hasn't even started the treatment yet. She is supposed to go on Wednesday to have her first radiation treatment, I don't know if that will have to be postponed or not. Please pray all goes well with that.

Yesterday before we celebrated Jason's birthday Mary and I went dress shopping for my friend Jenny's wedding. She isn't getting married until December, but we want to get as much done now as we can. Anyway, dresses are a big deal, it will take a few trips to figure it all out I'm sure. Jenny has eight brides maids, including myself as the maid of honor, and Mary as a junior bridesmaid. Anna and Alex will be in the wedding too, they will both be flower girls! It's going to be fun!

Tonight Jason's good friend Victor took us out for dinner at Joe's crab shack for Jason's birthday! This is our most favorite restaurant! This time, instead of the regular kids menu stuff, Mary and Anna had snow crab! It was so fun for them to crack open the crab legs, and take the meat out, a lot of work too! Alex had the mac and cheese though. I was surprised that Mary and Anna wanted the crab and ate it too! I thought maybe they just wanted it so that they could crack the shells open, but they ate it up! So cute! We had a lot of fun. Thank you Victor!

Alexandria using the Potty!!!!!

Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This has me so excited. We have been trying for so long to potty train this child and it has finally stuck with her! Over the past few days she has had only a few accidents. Last night she fell asleep at 6 o'clock in the evening, slept through the night until 7 this morning and she stayed dry! No accidents today so far also (knock on wood). I took her to the store with big girl Disney princess pants on and she kept dry while we were out! I thought of putting a pull up on, but I figured why not try our first trip out without a pullup and see what happens. She is doing really good, and I have let her decide when it's time to go instead of asking her to try every 30 minutes. Looks like we are almost there! So excited, no more diapers for me to change!!!!!!!!

Happy 2008!

Hope you all weren't too worried about us! No, we are not still sick, although while we were it was a pain in the butt to get rid of, but it's all gone and everyone is back in health. We had a busy 2 weeks while the girls were on Christmas break from school. It's hard to update when everyone is home and we have to share one computer! Today the girls go back to school! Thank you God! Mary and Anna where at each others necks for two weeks. You would think with all the new things they got for Christmas they would be occupied. We actually didn't do very much of anything for these two weeks, some of it was trying to feel better and doctor appointments, and who gets what medicine at what time while trying not to mix up the bottles.

Last week we got to have my good friend Jenny and her two boys over. That was fun, the girls had a good time, and I got my baby fix! Baby Noah is almost three months old and as cute as ever! He is giggling a lot, always smiling and just such a happy baby! Jason was home this time so he got to see what it was like to have some boy children around! HA HA!

Brandon doesn't like the camera, so that's why he is not in any of these pictures. Sorry Jenny. And for some reason nobody likes to take pictures of me at all!







I still have yet to see my niece Christina since I visited them in the hospital after she was born. Whenever I make plans with my brother they get canceled for one reason or another. I hope to have pictures of her too soon. She is just one day older than Noah. I might get a chance this coming Friday. I had to make an appointment for Anna at the dentist at Children's because I noticed that one of her larger filling fell out! Now she has a big hole in one of her teeth, and that can't be good. My brother's house would be basically on the way home, so I'll keep my fingers crossed that we can keep this date and I'll remember my camera.


Also, in news for Jason's mom. She had some of the lymph nodes, along with the mass in her breast, removed. Three surgeries. The first was before she was diagnosed, she had the lump removed and it was found to be cancerous. That was back at the end of October. Then, she had surgery to remove some of the lymph nodes on that same side. That wasn't done until after Thanksgiving. Then she had one last lymph node removed last week that showed up. All of the nodes were found to be non cancerous! This is very good news! That means the cancer didn't spread to them, and now she is classified to have stage one breast cancer. She will start radiation treatment next week. It will last for 4-5 weeks. I think she will have to go daily, and I am not sure how long each treatment lasts for. I know she is not looking forward to this, but she is so grateful that she will not have to do chemotherapy right now. This is good news, and we are all so grateful. Lynne is also in very good spirits and she is ready to fight cancers butt!

As much as I hate making new years resolutions, this year I did. I don't' usually keep them, but I will try so very hard this year. My goal is just to keep every eating healthy and getting exercise. That shouldn't' be too hard, right? Diets aren't easy, and that's what I usually shoot for. A lifestyle change should be lots easier. Actually it already has been! Keeping a nice big bowl of fruit out to snack on seemed like it would not have worked, but I did it and it is a hit! Everyone loves it, and it curbs your appetite while giving you something sweet as well. My fridge is stocked with yogurt and veggies, and diet soda instead of regular. My meals are more balanced, and I haven't used my deep fryer in weeks! Everyone is really taking to this and it is a lot easier than I thought it would be. I am having a ball taking recipe ideas from my cooking lite magazine! It is fun to have a healthy, tasty meal and learning new ways to make healthy foods taste great! The only thing that is challenging is the exercise part. Jason and I have had only one day when we were able to do this. We can't leave the kids in the house by themselves, Grandma isn't always feeling well enough to have them over, and it's hard to walk with sidewalks full of snow. We walked for 2 and a half miles the other day and it wasn't easy. The day after it was 60 degrees outside, beautiful, but my shin muscles were hurting to bad to walk. I know it sounds pathetic, but I really don't get exercise, so this was really different. I know once I get past the achy muscles and learning the right way to breath I'll be just fine. My goal right now is to be able to run for two and a half miles without running out of breath.

Anyone else doing the healthy eating thing for their New Year resolutions?

Sorry for the lack of updates. I have been sick, again. Oh boy, am I sick and tired, of being sick and tired. This has been going on since Thanksgiving, and it keeps getting passed around. I was sick on Christmas, and went to urgent care the day after. I have a sinus infection, Bronchitis and pink eye. I had a breathing treatment and was sent home with antibiotics, Robitussin with Codine, and some eye drops. I don't think I have ever had such a bad sinus infection before. It was so bad I couldn't even lift my head off the pillow in the morning. And the coughing is so bad sometimes I can't catch my breath and sometimes vomit. I have been through 5 big boxes of puffs plus with lotion and Aloe in three days and I still look like Rudolf the red nosed reindeer! It's terrible! Jason went to urgent care after I came home from there. We had to take turns. He also has Bronchitis, not a sinus infection, but strep throat! The girls are fine, I can't believe it. I am so glad though, but I feel terrible that I was miserable during Christmas and Christmas break for them. The house is a terrible mess! I promised them that we could host play dates here while they are on break from school but now that's a no. Maybe these antibiotics will kick in and by next week I'll be feeling much better.

Anyway, I want to post some Christmas pictures. We still did manage to have a nice Christmas day. I felt the worst the day after, so I am thankful that I was able to do stuff with the girls.



Here are some pictures of the girls decorating the sugar cookies the Saturday before Christmas.






Here are some taken on Christmas eve and Jason's parents house. Alexandria took a nice long nap, which did not help her to go to bed early enough that night for Santa to arrive early. Mary and Papa doing a crossword puzzle together, Mary playing some Christmas music on her Viola for us, and Anna made the programs for Mary's performance! Jason and the girls putting out the milk and cookies for Santa, and then myself and the girls!











Santa came!!!!!!

Cats love Christmas too!


Anna got what she asked Santa for!




Mary got what she asked Santa for too!



All three must have been on the Nice list!





Playing on Chirstmas day!






Grama and Papa come to visit too!

Santa and stuff

So sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I decided to take a little break from the computer in general. Things are going ok. The girls can't wait for Christmas break. We have some things planned, so it'll be nice! Jason and I went shopping for the girls gifts from Santa yesterday. It was the first time we went shopping this year for Christmas, and It'll be the last. It is really disappointing to see such crabby people throughout Toys R US, and even more annoying that the workers act as if your pulling their teeth to help you. I know they get bombarded with questions and have to deal with some mean and rude people, but it doesn't give them the right to treat ALL of their costumers that way. Oh well, we got what we needed to get for them and we were done. I will not be going over there again, and it's not just because we don't have any more money to shop.

We also went to the mall to visit with Santa! That was the high light of the day/season. Alexandria was supper excited to see him (from a distance anyway) and the other girls kept rehearsing the way they would tell him what they wanted. The only thing I could get out of Alex was that she wanted a blue present with big ribbons. Here is how the conversation went:

"Alex, what are you going to ask Santa for?"

"Ummm.....get me presents!"

"OK, but what kind of presents?"

"My OWN presents!"

"Ok, of course your own, he will get Mary her own, Anna her own, and you your own, but what do you want your present to be?"

"Ummm....a blue one with....big ribbons!"

"Ok, how about when you take off the big ribbons and blue wrapping paper, what do you want to be inside?"

"Ummm....a present for me!"

I gave up, she doesn't care I guess. We went through the Toys R US big book and she pointed to every single thing on every single page. So, I will have to make sure Santa's present is in blue wrapping paper with a big bow. Not too hard. Anyway, we only waited 30 minutes for Santa, and we were the last people he saw before he went on his break for dinner. Thanks to my good friend Michelle, we got free pictures because she knows the people who take the pictures for Santa. Otherwise, I wasn't going to buy them. I think it is terrible that they won't let people take their own pictures anymore. I think they will start charging people to just have their kids sit on Santa's lap! It's terrible, I think, to not let people take their own pictures. Oh well, it's all about the money now. Alex wouldn't sit on his lap, she was so excited to go see him, but once we got up there she was scared, she cried and wouldn't sit on his lap. I did expect her to, but oh well. Once we left to view the pictures and he got up to go to dinner, she was all about him again. Waiving and calling out his name and everything. Oh well, she still had fun!



If I don't post again until after Christmas, don't' worry. I will be busy for the rest of the days with cookies and grocery shopping and all that!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Tis the season!