Hartgirlies

I'm Still Here!

2011-08-29T10:37:00.003-06:00

I got busy with life and Facebook ended up taking the place of some of my blog updates. I wanted to let anyone who is reading my blog for information on Portal Vein Thrombosis or the Rex Shunt procedure, I will be updating soon and adding new links. Please bare with me as I reconnect with the blogging world!

Merry Christmas Update

2008-12-22T05:46:00.008-06:00

Well, I don't think life is ever going to slow down, but I am ready for some much needed days off to spend with the girlies! Photography has finally slowed down and I am looking forward to some time to update my website and get caught up on some forums and such.

Our house has been very busy with 8 kids here everyday plus my own there is hardly any down time. Most days I feel I can really relate to the woman in the shoe! Add in the overgrown dog that looks more like a bear than a puppy and life is always interesting! She is doing better all the time, but I look forward to the day when she does not think it is amusing to run off in 20 below weather!

We took Aubree back up to Chicago for a check up with Dr. Superina last weekend. She is doing well and the ultrasound and blood work looked good. He is not quite ready to release her to once a year yet, but we don't have to go back until June. Hurray! I feel so blessed that we do not have to make so many trips to Chicago anymore! We planned on staying one night, since the girl's wanted to go to the new American Girl Store so 2 of them could spend some birthday money and we usually spend at least 7 hours at the hospital, but ended up extending our time away from home. I had the flu the 2 days before we left and Ashlee started in at midnight on Friday night. By 6 am Autumn was joining her in the bathroom and by that evening, Alyssa was the next victim. There was NO WAY we could throw those kids in the car! That would have been inhumane, not to mention messy!

We made it back on Sunday, 45 minutes before their Christmas program at church. Everyone was filling better, but Ashlee only stayed up on stage for a little while. Autumn had her first solo debut and did so well! She would not let me listen to her practice, so I was very pleased to listen to her sing! We had our Christmas Cantata at Westminster last Thursday and finished up at church last night. The children's choir sang one of the songs and they all looked so beautiful!

I feel a little behind, since I have not been able to bake ANYTHING yet, but I plan on getting caught up today. I have an extra school-ager this week, so I thought it would be fun for the girls to make salt dough ornaments. We haven't done it in years! After that we can start baking all the usual Christmas cookies and of course the cream cheese and beef pickles, which are a family favorite. This year we are focusing on a fancy hor'derve meal for Christmas. I think it will be so much fun. We always watch A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim. We always laugh at the same parts, one of which is "The pudding, Oh the pudding!" I thought my dad would get a kick if we made the Christmas pudding, but after consulting with my brother and finding out how involved it was, I nominated him and Karen to make it....don't know if that will happen or not, but I just can't fit it in with everything else! Besides, it would be a lot of work for pudding that no one would like! :)

These days I find it hard to find balance. I am sure every mother finds it hard to balance being a wife, mother, work, church and home responsibilities. I feel like we are always running and the girls are growing up too fast! My goal in the next few months is to try to slow down and focus on spending more time with just them. We fit it in where we can, but I really want to let a few more things go so I can spend more quality time with them. I have definitely reached the stage in my life where I don't mind if one of them crawls into bed with us, because I know that all too soon, they won't be doing that anymore. They are so precious and I am so blessed to have them.

God has continued to be so good to us. With the recent news that a family member has lost their job, I am once again reminded of His loving care for us. Things have been tight, but He continues to provide for us always.

I am looking forward to seeing some extended family over the holidays and meeting my cousin's baby for the first time! Our family is growing all the time and for once I am not the one "adding to the surplus population", as Scrooge would say! It has been so much fun watching the new babies arrive!

Aubree's Story At Children's Memorial

2008-10-21T18:07:00.002-06:00

I got an email today and Aubree's story is up on Dr. Superina's website. She is the cover story, so I guess that is her claim to fame!

Thanks to all of you who prayed for her over the years and especially during 2006. This surgery did so much for her and her other conditions have been rather dormant so we are just so happy to be back to normal life! Whatever that is! God truely healed her and I am so grateful!

Here is the link

Summer update???

2008-10-14T20:35:00.004-06:00

Ashlee's bad reaction to a bug bite....she seriously looked like the poster child for a prevent child abuse campaign.

Well, I have been CRAZY busy with hardly a chance to catch my breath. I am now going to attempt to "sum up" the summer and start of the school year as quickly as possible.

Aubree's health-I am pleased to say that Aubree is doing great! She has not even missed ANY school this year! We are scheduled to go back in December for the usual blood work and ultrasound, but for now she is doing just fine on the baby aspirin to to keep her blood thin and some nasal spray to keep the sinus symptoms at bay from the symptomatic Cystic Fibrosis Carrier thing. She was so worried about missing school since Jr High is a little more demanding and she did not want to miss anything. So far so good, except for that pesky computer class.

Someone from Dr. Superina's Office asked me to be on a parent advisory board in their Parent Wise program for parents of Rex Shunt patients. I am very excited at the opportunity to share the experience from a parent's point of view and help other parents in any way I can. I have already spoken with about 6 families since she had her surgery and I know how nice it is to speak with someone who knows what you are talking about! The procedure was still so new when Aubree had it done that there was really no one available to ask all of those questions. I feel so honored to be a part of it all!

Feeling Old- After a breast biopsy, being hospitalized with a lemon sized ovarian cyst and barely hanging on to my ovary and getting my wisdom teeth out, I REFUSE to start a category labeled "Shelly's Health Updates". I must be getting old or something, but I really just don't have time to stop my life for such nonsense! All I will say is, do your monthly exams and don't babysit all day in excruciating pain and then feel guilty for calling off 2 hours early to be hospitalized. Oh yeah....if you have your wisdom teeth out, DO call one of your friends on the way home so they can laugh at the way you talk, because when you can feel your mouth again it will not be so funny....and DO NOT babysit a bunch of kids the next few days after. They really do not want to see you sitting on the couch with that silly ice pack on your face while they play around you. Enough said.

The Dog-A horrible picture...that does NOT show her true size, but have you ever tried to get a horse with the energy of a kangaroo to sit still? I didn't think so...

The dog is a 70+ lb sweet, but curious puppy that is full of energy. We might even keep her if she stops chewing up my bath puffs....

School- Ashlee is adjusting to Kindergarten quite well although I must say I miss her company terribly. Not that I am alone, but it is just not the same without her here. Alyssa is enjoying 3rd grade and has made a new friend. Ironically her mother and I had several mutual friends and she also lives right behind us. Unfortunately they are moving up by Chicago in the next few weeks. :( We are planning to visit when we have to take Aubree and it will be nice to have another place to stay! Autumn is taking the responsibility of 5th grade very seriously and is playing the Viola. She has done fairly well with it and is good about practicing. She has been such a good big sister to Ash when she cried EVERY day those first couple of weeks. She has even played with her at recess. We have weaned Ashlee off of her, because I could tell she was getting weary. Now she has been staying in to talk with a girl that broke her leg and cannot go to recess. She remembers all too well what it was like when she broke hers! I thought it was so cute that she was asking if I thought it was OK if she went out to recess 2 days a week and stayed with the girl only 3 days. She is such a sweetie!

Work- Since school has started I have added more kids and am up to my eyeballs in little ones. The days have been busy and I can't seem to get laundry or other house cleaning things done as efficiently as I used to. Those chores spill into the evening along with the usual dinner, dishes, bath, bed time stories and getting ready for the next day. I have been so swamped with photo sessions! I am thankful for the income, but sometimes I wonder what I have done to myself! I am booked up clear to December 1st...overbooked some weekends, and have had about 2 sessions to edit by the time I take another one. I do love it, but there is just not enough time in the day. I forgot what it is like to relax....but who am I kidding? I am not a relaxed person! I cannot sit and watch TV without folding laundry, making hair bows, cleaning out a drawer, editing photos or fidgeting with something! I am looking forward to winter time and spending more time on crafty things with the girls. They LOVE playing outside and I never make them come in until they have to. They have never been couch potatoes and I want them to enjoy the weather while they can.

Well, that really sums up most of it. There was so much more time for blogging a when I was sitting in hospitals with Aubree all day, so I am HAPPY to say that I am too busy to blog!

Mini Post #5- Trip to Chicago Emergency Room

2008-06-07T20:16:00.003-06:00

I was really hoping that my last post under this catagory, would be our followup for her surgery, but I guess not! Well, we thought that Aubree was over her episodes of parotid gland swelling, but apparently that is not the case. She started having some swelling on the left side on Thursday. It was about pea sized, the by Friday it was dime sized, but not sore. By Saturday morning it was nickel sized and getting sore. Saturday afternoon we went to see my sister's new house and then her and her fiance took us to IHOP to celebrate. Aubree had been complaining of some soreness and when she tried to eat she started swelling. By this time it was over golfball sized and I knew that we were in trouble. We went home and I spoke to the Immunologist on call. She called her doctor, which I really appreciated since he understands the drama we have gone through with trying to diagnose this, and we both agreed that we would take her on Monday, because according to other episodes, it would still be there and we didn't think it warranted immediate care. Well, but Sat. evening, it was over appricot sized, don't you love the analogies, and she was feeling much worse. She had a really rough night. I stayed up with her until about 1 am and then went to bed. She came in at 4 am and it was even bigger, swelling behind her ear and onto her cheek and she could barely open her mouth.

The doctor that sees her now for her IgA deficiency, missing part of her immune system, has never seen her when she was swollen like this. We have been with him for about a year and she has not had an episode since then. He stated that the next time it happens he wanted to see her to determine for sure if it was her gland and not a lymph node. She was really feeling bad, so Aubree and I loaded up and headed off to Chicago. The on call doctor came in to see her and then called Dr. Fuleihan to get his opinion. He ordered some more blood work to test for autoimmune disease and to confirm that it was the parotid gland and then sent us on our way. The on call doctor was awesome. We saw 4 doctors while we were there and I was very insistant that someone talk to her doctor so we would not be starting at square one.

When we came home she started in with the fever, which is typical for her. We tried the usual comfort treatments of Motrin, warm packs and sucking on hard candy to get the saliva going out of the gland, to no avail. She started feeling better by Wednesday and is doing great now. She still has the fatigue, but it does not seem to be as bad this time. Her doctor called last night and stated that the tests did confirm that it was her gland, there was no sign of autoimmune disease and that her white count was not elevated so it was inflammatory not infection. He said that we were pretty much back to square one with the whole thing. He did have a fellow doctor from Israel that has done some studies on parotid swelling in IgA deficient patients and he is going to contact him to get his input.

This condition is the same one that she had all of the home IV's, chemo drug shots and steroids for and that ultimately ended up with us at NIH research hospital in Maryland. The only diagnosis we have ever gotten was Sjogren's Syndrome, which has since proven to be false. So far, research says that it is a rare inflammatory condition that has no treatment, cure or prevention. At least we know what to expect with it all, but I do wish we could make it more managable for her. There have been studies that indicated that some children grow out of it when they hit puberty, so maybe that will be the case. I hope so!

She is doing much better now, which we are so thankful for. We are so blessed to have such an awesome doctor. The on call doctor even called me with some research that she had found as well.

We are headed up to Chicago again on the 13th and will see her surgeon for her 1 year followup from her Rex Shunt. I can't believe it has been a year! She'll have the usual ultrasound and bloodwork and I think we will be cleared by him to only go up once a year from now on. Hurray!

Mini Post #4- Aubree's Divalicious Birthday

2008-06-07T19:55:00.007-06:00

Well, the next on the list of things to post about, would be Aubree's diva slumber party. We gathered 6 of her closest friends and did manicures, pedicures, facials and we had the famous Holly do their makeup. The girls were quite divafied and had a real blast. They kept Holly and I hopping, but we had a blast!

Of course, Chef Michael made dessert. What party is complete without a birthday trifle in a fancy parfait glass.

The best part of the whole thing was when Aubree opened her gift from us. We told her that she could get a cell phone when she was getting ready to go to Jr. High. Jr. High is further away from home and with the lack of payphones, we felt it best that she could have it to communicate with us. MY HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED! On one hand I find it utterly rediculous that a 12 year old has a cell phone. On the other hand, I remember countless calls to my mom from school, when I forgot something, needed to be picked up...she forgot to pick me up...etc. Well, she was opening her gifts, when I had Michael call the phone, that was placed in a purse inside one of the gift bags. All of the other little girls with cell phones reached for hers and Aubree kept looking around to see where the noise was coming from. The video tells the rest of the story. Turn up the volume to get the full effect.

You will have to follow the link here to the video since I can't get the silly thing to work right!

That was priceless!

Mini Post #3-Memorial Day Tradition

2008-06-04T18:51:00.008-06:00

Every Memorial Day we all go to the Memorial Day parade. I am not sure when we started going...I don't remember not going, but I do remember one special Memorial Day. We were standing on the side lines, my dad wearing some kind of Vietnow hat or something, when this guy came up to my dad with tears in his eyes. I may not have the story totally straight, but he seemed to remember my dad from when they were enlisted and he had tears in his eyes. He gave him a big hug and then pulled him off to march with him. I went too. I must have been about 11 or so, because I remember wearing my light weight Crusader jacket and my red and white piano key sunglasses.

Ever since then my dad has always marched in the parade and in recent years he has joined the American Leigon. A few years ago my sister got him a new uniform, complete with dress blues. He looks so hansome. He usually shoots one of the guns in the 21 gun salute. We always see some old friends and this year got a picture together with our dads.

I have always loved listening to his war stories and am so pleased that my kids understand the importance of honoring our veterans. For the past 12 years or so, we always take my dad to lunch. We usually go to Bob Evans, but this year we went to a Mexican restaurant...which we were ALL much happier with. :) Hey...it's his day! It is alway such a great way to honor my dad.

My little nephew, Anthony, got the honor of attending his first parade this year. He didn't even cry when they shot the guns.

Thanks dad!

Mini Post #2- Take Your Chef to School Day

2008-06-04T18:46:00.006-06:00

Aubree got to take Michael to school so he could deliver her birthday treats and give a talk about going to culinary school. She was so excited and the kids were too.

How cool is that?

Aubree also had her end of the year band concert. She looked so cute. I can't believe she is getting that grown up!

Mini Post #1- Take A Picture...It Will Last Longer...

2008-06-04T18:24:00.017-06:00

My first mini post is about my photography business. It has taken off running and I have been so swamped with multiple shoots every weekend and back to 1 am editing. I have had such a blast although I have barely had time for potty breaks.

Here are a few pics from some recent sessions:

These boys are always favorites of mine.

This was so much fun for me. Very vintage and the kids were absolute dolls! I got the rusted out Coca-Cola cooler from the curb, thanks to Amy's good eye, and added the glass Coke bottle that I found at a little Mexican grocery store. You know I have found more little hole-in-the-wall grocers since Michael has gotten his culinary degree.

And this session was very simplistic and straight forward for me. Just capturing kids being kids.

I have decided that I am WAY too busy to have a phography blog and that any template designs will have to wait for winter when I can catch my breath. I was going to do the whole sneak peek thing, like so many photographers do, but I found that I really work on editing things so quickly that it would really not make too much sense. I would rather get it all done more quickly than to stop with sneak peeks. It has been harder to keep up lately, but I usually have them done in 3 days to a week at the longest, so I suppose that is not too long to wait for now.

Where Do I Begin...

2008-06-04T18:15:00.003-06:00

OK. I keep telling myself that I am going to take a few minutes to update, post by post, what is going on in the wonderful world of the Hartgirlies. I have not, however, had a few minutes, let alone seconds, lately. So, here I am again, faced with the reality of group all of these posts together again. So I have decided to make mini posts. Straight to the point, without any Shellanigans. On to the posts...I will label them accordingly...

Young Love

2008-05-09T05:29:00.006-06:00

Just a quick post to say that I am alive! We have been incredibly busy lately! I have had 6 sessions in the last week and 1/2 and am trying to keep up with all the editing. The girls have had tons of school activities and we have been cooking church dinner for the past 5 Wednesdays. Maybe one of these weekends I will be able to actually relax! It is hard enough keeping up with the house since the 4 little ones and the puppy keep me very busy during the day.

Here are some recent pics of Ashlee and her buddy Zach. As you well know, Amy, his mother, and I have been best friends since we were 18 months old, so it is only natural that these 2 would have some kind of connection. For the last 2 years they have planned to marry and live on Zach's bunk bed. It will be a long term engagement. Hee Hee

We had so much fun. They look like they should be in Oliver or the Little Match Girl! I do love the serious poses and of course, grungy vintage style! They are so cute!

Mr. Nobody...

2008-04-18T05:39:00.002-06:00

We have a stranger in our midst. His name is Mr. Nobody. Mr. Nobody is a hardened criminal, messy pants and all around trail leaver. He is very sneaky, because at first glance, the crimes that Mr. Nobody commits, appear to be done by someone else. Ahhh, wise Mr. Nobody to plant evidence against innocent children! Below is a list of recent activity from the Mr. Nobody in our home.

1. Mr. Nobody wrote someones name, in cursive and an exact handwriting match, on the back of one of the van seats. It was assumed that the owner of the name, who just learned how to write in cursive, was the offender, but when confronted, the shocked expression and lack of words, seemed to point to Mr. Nobody. Framed or not, the owner of the name was punished by having to clean out the entire car. Trash and all! Told you he was sneaky. There was an incident many years ago where another hartgirlie's name appeared, engraved with a rock, on the side of our car....I'm sure he did it too, even though the apparent offender was the only child writer in the house at the time.

2. Mr. Nobody leaves other people's clothes on the bathroom floor after a bath. AND forgets to empty the tub! The nerve! Not only that, he plants children's shoes, radios, earrings and other items in the bathroom, to make it appear that the offending child is even messier. Why I ought to.....

3. Mr. Nobody, starts household fixer-upper projects and then leaves tools, screws and boxes lying around so that when a person gets up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, he....well, she, steps on sharps objects and wakes the whole house up when letting out a yelp of pain. I know...unbelievable!

4. Mr. Nobody loses the cap to the milk, then places the milk on the edge of the refrigerator shelf so it falls when an unsuspecting snacker opens the door. I think he actually collects them...

5. Mr. Nobody also leaves mysterious trails around the house. Trails that Hansel and Gretel could definitely follow back to the perpetrator. Shoes, clothes, jewelry, a pencil, books in the bathroom-only left their so the next person can enjoy them while they do their business. Who knew that he liked to read "A Sister's Wish", just like a bunch of sisters?

6. Mr. Nobody does not stop at the inside of the house. OH, NO...he plants incriminating evidence around the outside too! He had the nerve to leave Aubree's jacket, Alyssa's shoes, Autumn's bike and Ashlee's cup- a cup that should have never been outside in the first place, by the trampoline! Now who would have the gall to ride someones bike and not only leave it out all night, but leave the shed door open as well? Disgust! He also drew my innocent children's name on the sidewalk and left the chalk out all over the drive for someone to trip on. Now that's just taking it one step too far.

7. Mr. Nobody also likes to hide things. Keys, daddy's wallet, one shoe, one ea ring, your favorite sweater, the dog toys, sippy cup lids, important school papers...the list goes on and on.

8. Mr. Nobody likes to make himself a nice peanut butter and jelly sandwich...boy does he like jelly. He is kind enough to leave it all out on the table so the next person can have one too. I guess he does have a heart.

Watch out for this perpetrator in your home. His crime spree runs ramped. He is armed with the messies and can be quite dangerous...

Oliver Lives For A Day

2008-04-13T19:40:00.004-06:00

Ahhh...little Oliver (the guinea pig...if you don't remember). I have not had any comical stories for a while, so this should be refreshing.

Well, little Oliver lives in a plastic tub on top of Ashlee's dresser. When the girls are playing with Oliver, they bring the tub down and set it on the floor or table for easy access. Lily, (the puppy) who is looking more like a Gigantorella than a Lily these days, went in and knocked Oliver's tub over, spilling all of the contents. Alyssa cleaned it all up, placed Oliver back in his home, left the door to her room OPEN...this is key to the story, and went in the other room to play.

A few HOURS later, Ashlee noticed that Oliver was not in his cage. I said that he was probably in his little cardboard house, until I walked into her bedroom. Yeah...the cardboard house was torn into shreds and Lily was licking her chops. "This could be bad....REAL bad," I thought to myself.

Funny thing was, the cage was not even knocked over. How could Lily get the piggy out without knocking the whole thing over? I calmly begin tearing apart their room, in search of Oliver...or what was left of him. We searched under the dresser, but only found some missing Monopoly pieces. We searched under the bed, but only found a sock, a missing shoe (The match to one I had just thrown out because it was missing for months and did not even fit its previous owner anymore.), a dollhouse couch and a broken pencil. I tore apart Aubree and Autumn's room, thinking that Lily may have drug him in there. Nope. My room, under the couch, in Lily's cage. Oliver was no where to be found.

Autumn was spending the night at a friend's house and I had to leave to drop off some clothes for her. The subject of pets came up, as I was talking with the parents in the entry way and she asked Autumn if she had any pets. Hmmmm, I refrained from saying, "One guilty dog and one guinea pig that was currently MIA". I did not want to tell Autumn until I had to, since she is the one that would take it the hardest. I muddled through that conversation, without lying, thank you very much, and headed home. I searched some more, but still no Oliver.

Right before bed, I thought I heard a distant piggy squeak, but I dismissed it after not hearing it again.

Aubree climbed in bed with me, since she was not feeling well and Michael was still gone at work and I started to doze. Ashlee got up from bed, went to the bathroom and Aubree offered to guide her back to bed on her way to her own room.

By morning, I tried not to replay the visions that kept popping into my head. Visions of a deceased animal, rotting away in some obscure location, only to be found when the stench was a dead give away to his whereabouts. Visions of a sobbing Autumn, who would forever hold a grudge against the dog she loved, for destroying her little fuzzy friend. I just tried to focus on finding that little animal...dead or alive!

We stayed home from church, since Aubree still was not feeling well and Michael had to work today. My neighbor called and said that her son needed a ride to work, so I hopped in the car to take him. On the way home, my cell phone rang and the little voice on the other line had the most glorious news! It was Alyssa. She said that she and Ashlee were playing in their room and they heard some squeaking. They looked around and Ashlee spotted little Oliver on her bed, underneath a large stuffed pink horse and a blanket, surrounded in a pile of piggy poo. Hurray for Oliver! Not so much hurray for my daughter sleeping in her bed all night, surrounded by piggy poo.

He was unharmed and squeaking out his story for all to hear. He ate almost 1/2 an apple and had a looooong drink of water. He looked up at me and squeaked as if to say, "Can I have some more?" (His name IS Oliver...ha ha)

My theory is that Ashlee was holding Oliver and gently place him on the bed when she went off to do something else. She doesn't think she did, but she has been known to get slightly distracted on occasion. She must have left his little hideout on the floor and that's how Lily got a hold of it.

I am just so happy that he was safe and sound, by the time Autumn got home from her friend's church and I did not have to be the bearer of bad news. He is happily resting in his home on top of the dresser, with the other half of the cardboard box as his new hideout.

We had prayed that we would find Oliver the night before, so when we were talking about it today, Ashlee stated: "Yelp. God found Oliver and he put him right on my bed." Enough said.

So much for the adventures of Oliver...I hope!

Rules of the House

2008-04-13T19:38:00.003-06:00

I ran across this on another blog and I really like it! (http://kelseysmith.typepad.com)
I know that my kids really appreciate a clear view of what is expected of them. Just wanted to share!

1. We obey God.
2. We love, honor and pray for one another.
3. We tell the truth.
4. We consider one another's interests ahead of our own.
5. We speak quietly and respectfully with one another.
6. We do not hurt one another with unkind words or deeds.
7. When someone needs correction, we correct him in love.
8. When someone is sorry, we forgive him.
9. When someone is sad, we comfort him.
10. When someone is happy, we rejoice with him.
11. When we have something nice to share, we share it.
12. When we have work to do, we do it without complaining.
13. We take good care of everything that God has given us.
14. We do not create unnecessary work for others.
15. When we open something, we close it.
16. When we take something out, we put it away.
17. When we turn something on, we turn it off.
18. When we make a mess, we clean it up.
19. When we do not know what to do, we ask.
20. When we go out, we act just as if we were in this house.
21. When we disobey or forget any of the 21 Rules of This House, we accept the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
--Gregg Harris

God Doesn't Sweat the Small Stuff...

2008-04-08T21:34:00.002-06:00

I just have to share a funny story about the power of prayer. I have been having technical issues with a few things...I will not bore you with the details. I had been working on it late Friday night and much of Saturday trying to figure things out. It was computer/website related and it seemed when I got one thing worked out there was a new issue. I was really getting frustrated!

Sunday morning I tried to work on a few things before church, to no avail. I did make it to church in time to practice, let alone, robe for choir. Ha! I am usually asking them to hold up the show while I robe and get my music!

On the way home, I told the girls that I was going to do something a little unconditional. I told them that I was going to calmly lay my hands on my computer and ask God to help me fix the issues. Now, growing up in a conservative home and church, I don't know that the practice of laying hands on computers was something that would have ever been suggested, but I thought I would give it a whirl. Yes...I was that desperate!

I got home, went in the other room, closed my eyes and gently laid my hands on the computer. I began to pray. I prayed and prayed. I prayed for many things besides the healing of the computer and it was so refreshing! After about a half an hour...the website application was really sick, I opened my eyes and began tackling the task at hand.

Don't you know that by the end of that day, the problem was fixed! A problem that I spent all weekend working on...only to cause new problems! Hmmmm...do you see the analogy here?

I am not saying all of this to make light of the laying on of hands or to mock prayer in any way shape or form. But it really spoke to me about holding on to things and trying to fix them myself instead of just stopping to pray about them and letting the healer take over. This incident helped me stress to the girls that God is such a loving God that he cares about every aspect of our lives. Homework, stubbed toes, a big test, website problems...every little frustration that we face, He is there to listen and to guide us.

This story may seem a little funny to some, but you know, I cannot tell you the burden I felt lifted off of me when I shared my problem with God and asked Him for help. I am so glad that He is there to listen...and to stop me from throwing the computer against the wall!

Boring Everyday

2008-04-08T21:12:00.004-06:00

Well, it is time for an update. It has been crazy around the Hart home lately. With the addition of a newborn and a puppy all within a few days of each other, I have hardly had a chance to breathe! The kids are doing well and enjoyed having three sisters over for a sleep over last Saturday. It was a blast! Ahhh, how I LOVE sleep overs! They did not go to sleep until around 11:30 and I was up at 6:15, making chocolate chip pancakes. Why can't they spring out of bed that early with such energy on school days!

Lily is doing well, although we are trying to train her not to puppy bite. I really have to take some more time to train her on a few things. She really hasn't been a bad chewer, but she did steal a few rolls from a bag that Michael brought home from work tonight.

Harts-Bubbles+Oliver+Lily=Happiness

2008-03-25T20:56:00.008-06:00

I should have broken this up into numerous posts, but hey...I am posting! I'll start off with the saddest of news. The death of Bubbles.

Bubbles came to us at Christmas time. He had a hard shell, but was so soft and gentle on the inside, underneath all of that crust. Yes. Bubbles was a hermit crab. I say was, because a few weeks ago, Bubbles joined the crustaceans in the sky. I was alarmed by the news, when a teary eyed Autumn came into the room, cage in hand, informing me that Bubbles claw had fallen off and he was not moving. I suppose it is not good when any living creature loses a limb. I gently turned his shell over to have a peek, fighting off the urge to say "EEWWWWW!" Yes. Bubbles was indeed dead.

Autumn had wanted a pet for so long and she was so heartbroken. She loved to hold him and let him crawl around on her hand. I did not have quite the same affection for this bug-like creature, but hey...he was a little more tame than the ants in the ant farm. (See this POST)

Well, I knew that the girls really wanted a fuzzy pet, so last week we invested in a new, less scary, pet. Oliver, the guinea pig. I regret to say that we have not had much time to photograph Oliver, but we will post some photos soon. The girls have been thrilled and have been carrying him everywhere. I could even hold this pet, so all was well.

Then....it happened. We came home from an afternoon at the park to celebrate Victoria's birthday. (She just turned 15, but in this photo she looks MUCH older! TOO old!)

When we got out of the car, our neighbors were outside with....puppies. You know what is coming don't you? Yelp. He said that we could keep the girl puppy overnight to see if we wanted her. He stated that his brother had so many to give away and they were not going to be able to keep her. She looked absolutely terrified and was shaking. We couldn't just leave her to a life of homelessness! Michael agreed to let her stay the night, with minimal begging from the girlies, and I knew it was all over with when she climbed up on his chest and stared into his eyes with that sad puppy face. Yes, he's a softy!

Now, what kind of dog is it, you ask? A nice little Poodle or Yorkie? Oh, heavens, no! We here in the Hart family like to do things BIG. REAL BIG! She is a very cute Mastiff/Labrador mix, called a Mastador...there are at least 4 others, so it has to be a legit name. Hee Hee

I really have never been a fan of little yappy dogs. I have not been a fan of Labradors either, just because they are WAY too hyper and tend to be ill-mannered! The last thing we need, in a house full of 4 kids plus 4 others, 5 days a week, is a hyper, yappy dog! From what I have read about the breed, yes...all 4 of them, they tend to take after the Mastiff, as far as their personality is concerned. This is proving to be true, because she is a very calm dog. Unbelievably calm for a puppy. She has only had a handful of accidents, most of which were our fault for not paying attention, and has whined to go out since day 1! I have never seen a dog housebreak so fast! She seems to be really smart and has already learned to sit. She is only 5 weeks old, too young to even wean, so I think she is doing well. We named her Lily, instead of going with my mother's suggestions of Slobberella,Sampsonette,Brunobella,or Goliathana. Ahem...very funny, mom. Oh, yeah...she already weighs almost 10 lbs!

Now, there are a few of you, (Ahem...Sarah.) that think I have lost my mind. I assure you it was long gone BEFORE we got the puppy. And there are also a few of you (Ahem...mom) that have laughed at the fact that this dog is bound to be the size of a small horse, but with the price of gas nowadays, we could use a horse! And a cow, but that is a whole other subject.

Rest assured, we here at the Hart household, are doing just fine with our newly founded zoo. The girls still make sure that Oliver is getting just as much love as Lily, and one of them is always holding one of the animals. The babysitting kids have had so much fun with them too! They keep them well entertained and the kids have done a great job showing them gentle affection...except when they are trying to pick them up by their hind legs. :)

P.S. We are not planning to expand the zoo, children or otherwise, any time soon.

Spring Fever

2008-03-05T22:51:00.001-06:00

Is anyone else SICK of winter???? Holla! (Amy) We finally got outside this weekend and the girls actually ASKED to have their picture taken. HA! Aubree was wearing an outfit that she wanted some pics in and the other girls were just wearing every day attire. Alyssa and Autumn had so much fun throwing snow over a bridge.

We went back out again on Sunday when they were dressed in coordinating outfits so I could try to get some of them together. Yeah....I should have gotten some the day before and photoshopped the clothes in. There is always one that is a grumpy pants!

I have to be the only photographer mom that does not have their own kids pics on the wall! I finally got a few prints, but have not put them up yet. I have been collecting different sized black frames, some oval and some rectangle, but all with a vintage or grungy rustic feel. Hmmm....I'll take a pic and post it when I get them on my wall....in 2009.

Mommy to Mommy

2008-03-02T17:27:00.004-06:00

From time to time, mothers love to get insight from other mothers on what discipline techniques work well for them and what methods were an entire waste of time.

The past 11.9 years of parenting have been full of victories and defeats. There have been times I have lost the battle, but I am determined not to lose the war.

I will dedicate the following post to Jenny. :)

Well, lets see. Where to begin.

I guess I will start off by naming a few things that we have tried.

Charts:

Overview: There have been several charts in the Hart family household. It all started when Aubree was potty training. She had a potty chart. The goal was to stay dry for 5 days in a row and she could get the Tarzan movie. This worked well for her and she enjoyed her movie and it saved me from a future with 3 kids in diapers at once. (I had 2 kids in diapers for 4 years. Glad those days are done. Although, since I babysit, I fear I will never be free from the smell of dirty diapers in the trash can or the great task of potty training.)

Reward Charts:
These type of charts are pretty self explanatory. When the child completes a task, he or she gets to place a sticker on the chart. After the set amount of stickers are earned, he or she gets a reward. Ice cream, a date ALONE with mom or dad (This one is hot at our house.), a special movie, a little trinket out of a prize box, etc. We used this more when the older two were young and this method seemed to appeal to them.

Privilege Charts:
This chart is a personal favorite of mine and one method that we used for the past 2 1/2 years until our resent switch.

Our first privilege "chart" consisted of a packet I got at The School Shop. There was an ice cream cone for each child and 6 to 8 scoops of ice cream on top of each one. Each scoop had a privilege listed on it. The privileges were listed in order of importance; the least important on the top and the most prized activity placed closest to the cone. If one of the girls acted up, they got one warning. If the behavior continued, they had to take a scoop of ice cream away, thus losing that privilege. Each morning started fresh, with full scoops of ice cream on the cone.

Some of our privileges were:
Watching TV
Listening to Music/Story at Bed Time
Playing Outside
Playing with American Girl Dolls-If you lost this one, the dolls had to live in mommy's room for the day. This was our most valued privilege.
Playing with Friends
Playing with Art Supplies
Going to Bed at the Regular Time
Riding Bikes
Swimming

This chart was AWESOME! It really taught them that they do not have a "right" to be able to partake in fun activities if they are not acting appropriately.

The Privilege Chart Part II:

After our ice cream scoops became tattered and worn and the weather turned cold, making the swimming privilege obsolete, I moved on to sticky notes. Each child had a different color. The notes were arranged on the side of the fridge and each one had their own colored magnet. The privileges were reassigned, to reflect their changing interests and each child started the morning with full privileges. If they acted up, they had to move their magnet down one privilege. If they had gotten in trouble 3 times, for instance, the 3 privileges above the magnet were off limits, but they could still participate in the activities below the magnet.

We made a few privileges a little more specific. For example, the outside privileges were broken down into separate privileges: Riding Bikes,Playing Outside with Friends or Playing outside in general. Let's say Aubree was acting up and is down to the "Playing Outside with Friends" privilege. If all of her friends are riding bikes, she just has to sit and watch. She also knows, if she acts up one more time, she will not be able to have any friends over to play in the yard. This is utter misery and none of my children lost the outside privileges 2 days in a row.

Money Chart:

Now that they are older, we have tried to start giving them and "Allowance", so to speak. There is a catch. The girls do not get it unless their behavior has warranted it.

I made a chart with garage sale price stickers. Each child's row had stickers.
.25 .50 .75 $1 .25 .50 .75 $2 .25 .50 .75 $3
We used magnets to keep track of their place on the chart.

On the top of the chart, there was a section called: "That'll Cost Ya!" I took this phrase from the boys in my high school class. It was a favorite saying of theirs for a long time.

Every offence "cost" a different amount of money. A smaller offence, such as, not keeping your things picked up, might cost you 25 cents. A medium offence, such as fighting with your sister, might cost you 50 cents. A very large offence, such as lying or disrespect, will cost you 75 cents to 1 dollar.

When a crime has been committed, the girls had to move their magnet down to the appropriate dollar amount. They could also redeem themselves by earning money back by doing extra around the house or being really nice to their sisters.

This was a grand idea, but after several months it proved to be a little too hard to keep up with.

Consequences:

Our latest method is very cut and dry. You break the rules, you get ONE warning. If you don't stop the behavior, you pay the price...period.

Michael and I began by sitting down, alone, and outlining the rules again. We then went over what the list of consequences would be.

Our Rules are:
Be Respectful
Be Obedient-Obey Right Away With a Good Attitude
Be Kind
Room Clean Before Bed and Before School Every Day
Clean Up After Yourself
Do Your Homework Right After School With a Good Attitude (hmmmm, I see a trend here)

Our Consequences are:
No Computer Privileges for 1/2 Day
No Computer Privileges for the Whole Day
No Video Games
No Extra Activities-Birthday Parties, Having a Friend Over
Go To Your Room- (We are adding Supernanny's tip of having them write down why they were sent to their room and what affect their bad choices had on themselves and others. They are gonna LOVE it.)

After we got everything figured out, we presented it to the girls. They are usually pretty good about telling us what consequences would work for them. By getting them involved with the rule and punishment making process, they are more likely to stick with the program.

Another thing I try to do, is let them know the "why" behind the rule. Then they don't think that we are making rules just to have rules. Whenever applicable, I back it up with scripture, so they know that these aren't just my rules, but God's rules.

Things have been good with the consequence plan in place. We have been very consistent, which is the key to success, no matter what method of discipline you choose. Ashlee gets very excited when she hasn't gotten any consequences n a few days. I love to hear a 4 year old say consequences. It is too cute!

While I know I am not always the wisest parent and don't have all of the answers,(especially with the teen years fast approaching) I have learned much through trial and error.

Here are some of my lessons:
The most important thing I have learned is to make sure the plan is in place BEFORE presenting it to the girls. This saves future conflicts.

Once the plan is in place, stick with it! Even if you are tired or don't want to deal with the situation at the time.

Stay organized. I have to with all these bodies running around!

Network! I have also gotten a lot of ideas from other parents. It is really nice to hear what has worked for others.

Feel free to share what has worked for you!

Adventures in Parenting: Volume 3- The Four Year Old

2008-02-28T08:24:00.004-06:00

First of all, let me start off by saying, I am a pretty "no nonsense" kind of parent. My children know that our definition of obedience is "Do what you are told, right away, with a good attitude." Sometimes we struggle with the "right away" part and other times we struggle with the "good attitude" part. I cannot tolerate disobedience, although I deal with it on a daily basis. I have learned a few tricks, to be patient and cut my kids a little slack.

We have done well with our new bedtime routine and make sure we start about 30 minutes before we actually want them in bed, since we usually spend about 20-30 minutes reading and praying together. Nevertheless, Ashlee has still been really tired the last week or so.

One morning, we came up with a new way to make getting dressed more amusing. We came up with little phrases that we say while doing or after completing, each task to get ready for school. It goes something like this:

*Say, "Shwooooooop!" when you put on an article of clothing that goes "down"...like a shirt.
*Say, "Shwaaaaaaap!" when you put on an article of clothing that goes "up"...like pants or socks.
*Say, "EWWWWW Sparkle!" after brushing your teeth.
*Say, "Bling, Bling!" after putting on a necklace.
*Say, "HMMMMM, I look good!" after brushing your hair.
*Say, "Stomp it out!" when putting on your shoes.
*Say, "ZZZZZZip!" when you put your coat on.

This has worked pretty well for Ashlee and has helped her get excited about getting ready. It really heops on those tired mornings, when the "ejector" button on her bed has been malfunctioning. Yes, I've tried that too.

This morning, however, she was really not in the mood to get dressed. I knew she was tired since we were at church from 12 pm to 8 pm yesterday. She was at the meltdown point, so I put her in her bedroom, laid her clothes out and told her she had 10 minutes to get all her crying out and get dressed. After I shut the door, I heard a pathetic little voice cry, "But I don't know how long 10 minutes is!!!"

I replied by telling her that I was setting the timer and that I would knock 3 times on the door when she had 5 minutes left. After about 1 minute and 44 seconds...I gave her the 5 minute warning. (Isn't it nice when they don't know how to tell time?) She came out of the bedroom, 3 minutes and 23 seconds after the "timer" was set. She had her socks in hand and stated, "We didn't even do Shwoop and Shwaap." We proceeded with the socks and were able to move on to "Oh, Sparkle, HMMMM, I look good, Stomp it out and ZZZZZZZZip, with no further struggles. Ahhh, the joys of getting dressed in the morning!

After all this, she was in a great mood and skipped happily off to the car with daddy to go to school. Sometimes when she has trouble getting up, I'll tell her that she can have 5 more minutes of rest. This gives her the illusion that she is in control of when she gets up and usually does the trick. Our new little game has made getting ready quite fun and a little less of a chore.

Well, off to "Stomp it out" so I can take Aubree to the doctor!

Chef Michael Busts Out Another Great Meal!

2008-02-27T21:33:00.002-06:00

We cooked Wednesdy night dinner at church tonight. Michael served barbeque chicken, green beans,roasted potatoes, salad and I pitched in the raspberry chocolate brownies...complete with whipcream and fresh raspberries.

Michael arrived at church, promptly at 10:33 am to begin cutting and breading the chicken. I followed after getting Ashlee after school and the babysitting kids were really quite cooperative during our preparation. I was definitely the sous chef, sorry Ashlee-she is usually daddy's sous chef- and he really shined tonight. I love seeing him get involved with church and really feel comfortable in his surroundings. Can I just say that God is so good!

He is already talking about what he can cook at the next church function or Wednesday dinner. It is a great way for him to serve others and I think he has really found his nitche. It is such a satisfying experience for both of us.

I am going to begin ministering a little more with my photography and am so thankful that I have the ability to help out in a new way. I have taken a break from the 3 years that I have been teaching the preschool class on Wednesday nights, so I can be with Michael in the adult class, so I am excited to serve in a different way. We'll see how it goes!

No other news to report today. Just feeling God's love and peace in my heart!

Inspiration

2008-02-27T09:29:00.004-06:00

I ran across this on one of my photography forums. While this is a video on customer service, it actually has a great message about service in general. I know in the past week, I have had the opportunity to serve. It was such a wonderful feeling to serve others, or even offer. How many times have I ignored that tugging on my heart, when I know there is something kind I could do for others. This video has such a sweet message of how small things we do can make a difference.

I finally changed up some of the music on this blog. I ran across an artist named Jill Philips. I really like her folk sound and the message of her music.

We recently went to Winter Jam 2008, a concert that featured many different christian artists. Barlow Girls was one of the bands that performed. While their alternative sound might not appeal to all audiences, I really appreciated their wonderful testimony and message of modesty and purity. What a wonderful inspiration and roll models they are for teen girls. The girls also enjoyed a group called PureNRG. They have a Hannah Montana feel to their music and are really cute. I don't mind the girls listening to secular music, but I don't want the to become sucked in to obsessing over music and television stars. I know...we all did it, but how much time was wasted on thinking about and obsessing over people that we do not really know, will never meet, and will most likely end up throwing their life down the toilet like many other child stars? We love music in our household and I feel it is so much better to have the girls listening to songs that have meaningful messages of Christ. It is much more refreshing to listen to Ashlee singing "Our God is and Awesome God" than a Hannah Montana tune.

While I don't hold anything against The Disney Channel, it has been a recent annoyance that there are so many music videos, I find myself humming all the tunes. I feel that they have really gone crazy with the stardom of these actors. It's almost like a tabloid for kids! NO wonder that's all kids talk about! OK....I'll get off of my soap box.

The girls and I watched the most wonderful movie the other day. It was "Saving Sarah Cain". It was about a city woman that got custody of her Amish nieces and nephews after her sister died. I have always been interested in the Amish. Even though their beliefs are very different than mine, I marvel at their ability to stand up for their faith and separate themselves. The movie was produced by Foxfaith We have watched a few of their films and I really love their message. They are pure, but do not have that cheesy 1980's Christian film feel. Another one of their movies is called "The Last Sin Eater". It is very moving and really makes you think about what Christ did for us.

Well, I guess that's enought inspiration for today!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-15T00:47:00.004-06:00

Happy V-Day! The girl's had a lot of fun passing these out at school and I had fun designing them!

Why do I always feel the compulsion to put my girl's pics in order? I suppose it comes naturally, since they always stand and sit in order. It does make for an easy head count!

Lori! Check me out! 3 posts in 2 days! Look at me now! I guess this means I have to dedicate this post to Lori since I wuv her so much! ;0)

The Kid in the Beat Up Ford

2008-02-13T12:17:00.004-06:00

This post is all about my dad. My father is a very meek and mild man. He is one of the kindest people that I know and is always willing to do something for someone, regardless of thanks or credit.

For the past 25 years, he has worked downstairs in the 3 year old class at Children's Church. I had the pleasure of working with him when I was a teenager and it was a very fun experience for both of us. He drove the church bus for over 30 years and even gave my husband a ride to church as a child. Although they don't remember each other directly, they do remember good old Reggie, the Bus Captain and my dad does remember the house he stopped at. I don't remember seeing Michael at church when we were kids, but it would be interesting to look back and see how our paths crossed. I used to go with my dad on the bus route, so I am sure there was a time or two that we rode the same bus! How nostalgic!

Let me get back on track. My father received a letter yesterday and the return address read "The Kid in the Beat Up Ford". He thought it might be a Valentine's card from our family, because our second car, a family heirloom, (AKA The Biscuit) is a beat up Ford as well. When he opened the envelope, he found 2 $100 bills and the following letter:

Dear Sir,

About 15 years ago, I was I freshman at ISU with barely enough to make ends meet. That first November it was really difficult for me to scrape up enough change to head home for Thanksgiving, but I managed. After filling my tank the morning of my trip, I stopped by Kroger on College Avenue to pick up some snacks for the 5 how drive. I remember I barely had enough left over for a small bag of nachos and a Mountain Dew to keep me awake.

When I came out-of the store that Saturday morning, I was horrified to find that I had left my old Ford's lights on, and my battery had completely died in 15 minutes time. It was extremely cold and all of my friends had already left for the holiday. I put my hood up to look at the engine, hoping even an ignorant kid like me could somehow get the car started. I was outside for 20 minutes, chilled to the bone, trying to tinker with the engine and no one stopped to offer help or even looked at me twice.

Just as I was about to give up all hope, an older brown station wagon pulled up in the parking space across from mine, and a kind man in jeans and a red plaid flannel shirt offered to help me. I was so thankful I could have cried but college guys must remain macho at all times for reputation sake, so I held it back. You quickly assessed the problem and retrieved some jumper cables out of your trunk. As you were working, we made small talk and I remember you telling me you had just pulled into the parking lot to grab some ice cream and root beer as a rare treat for your kids, when you spotted me with my hood up and thought I could use a hand. After my car started, you asked my name, which I provided, I asked yours. Your last name was so unusual that I laughed and asked how it was spelled. You did not realize it, but I was committing it to memory.

We then shook hands and I thanked you for your help. Just before I was getting in my car, you took one more look at my old rusty car and beat up jacket, stopped me, opened up your wallet and handed me the only cash you had, a $5.00 bill. I refused but you insisted, telling me to take it since I had a long drive ahead of me and you never know when you might need a few extra dollars. I did, thanked you again and started to drive away.

When I looked in my rear view mirror, I saw you get in your car, and drive out of the parking lot in the opposite direction. You never even entered the store. That's when it hit me that you had given me the money you had originally intended to use as a treat for your kids. I reached in my glove box for a piece of scrap paper so I could write down your name before I forgot it.

Four and a half hours later, my gas tank was nearly drained and I was running on fumes. The gas mileage in my car seemed to get worse with every trip. It was only because of the money that you had given me that I was able to stop and get the gas I needed to get me home, instead of ending up stranded on the side of the road.
Later that night I tucked the piece of paper with your name on it in my keepsake box along side of some old baseball cards and some Indian head pennies, vowing to pay you back someday for your kindness. I must confess that as the years passed, I forgot about the incident until recently when my son developed an interest in baseball cards. As I was digging through my old keepsake box for my old cards, I ran across that crumpled old piece of paper and remembered my promise. I raced to my computer to look up the last name in Superpages.com and was excited to find you were listed, enabling--me to find your mailing address.

This brings me to this letter and the cash that accompanies it. You gave me all of the cash you had in your wallet that day, so I shall give you what I have in mine today in return. I have not signed my name or provided a return address in order to give you no choice but to accept this small token of appreciation for your kindness to a dirt poor college student several years ago.

Sincerely,

The Kid in the Beat Up Ford

This really spoke to my heart about sacrifices that I can make to bring God's love to someone. I remember the time when this took place and I know that money was tight and that really was all the money that my dad had to spare. I am sure when he came home, he didn't even share why we were not getting Root Beer floats.

What a wonderful gift he has given to his family. A gift that reached way beyond the kid in the beat up Ford.

An Overdue Report...

2008-02-12T17:48:00.000-06:00

Well, it has been almost a month since I have updated. I guess I am over due, Callie! This post is for you...since you had to hunt me down on Flickr!

Here is the short version:

Michael: He just finished his Associates Degree in Culinary Arts and is home from Chicago. He currently looking for work. Anyone need a personal chef? This year brings many new positive changes for Michael and our family. We are all happy to embrace it!

Shelly: I am still doing in home daycare and is about to welcome 2 new babies into the house within the next 6 months. My photography business has slowed down to about 2 sessions a month for the winter, but I have enjoyed the down time to watch some more tutorials, play with all of my prizes and make my girls stand outside in 20degree weather with no coats on, so I can take their pictures in fancy vintage looking dresses. I have learned that Ashlee CANNOT pretend that she is warm when she is really cold. Her expressions looked a little pained at times. (Put the phone down...no need to call Child Protective Services. We were only outside for short amounts of time.) This has been a good time for me to work on business cards and some other business ventures I am working on.

Aubree:

I never updated from our December visit to Chicago. Things went really well. Her spleen is shrinking, shunt was open and bloodwork looked good. They did find that she has another genetic defect called MTHFR. I will not spell it out...that is why there are letters for it. Anyway, it affects the way that amino acids are broken down in the body. It does make her prone to blood clots that can lead to heart attack, stroke or another round of thrombosis (what she just had fixed this summer). All in all, it is really nothing to be too alarmed about and just something to keep in mind. She will remain on blood thinners and we will just watch her.
She has been so healthy! She has really not been sick very much at all this year, even when the other kids were. I think that surgery did so much more for her than we ever thought possible. Our prayers for healing have been answered! We only have to go back to Chicago about every 3 months now! AWESOME! I'll be happy to call the realtor and let him know that our plans for an apt in the windy city have changed. :)

Autumn:

Autumn is doing just fine. She is beginning on a castle project for school and other than the flu and another mystery rash, she is doing just fine! I did a shoot with the girls the other weekend and got some really beautiful shots of her. She is such an awesome person. Always cheery, never complaining and very compationate. I am so glad that all our hospital trips are coming to an end. That was really hard on her, but she became such a strong little girl out of the whole ordeal.

Alyssa:

Alyssa had the worst virus last week. She ran a 103.5 temp for 3 days straight. She was so miserable, but is feeling much better now. She is working hard in school and is finally coming out of her shell. She has even been raising her hand in class! Monumental progress for shy Alyssa. She is growing so tall and lean, like her daddy.

Ashlee:

Ashlee is loving preschool. She has such an interest in writing and spelling words. She has the whole "op" family down...mop, pop, top, stop. I am going to start working on sight words with her. She loves books and wants to read so badly. None of my other girls showed an interest like this so early, so we are going to take it and run! Her preschool teacher is great and is really encouraging her.

Bubbles: Bubbles, the Hermit Crab, is doing very well. He enjoys hiding in his little house and is pleased with the new colored rocks that his interior decorator used in his habitat.

I have not posted much lately, because, frankly, it has been a long couple of months in the Hart household. God is greater than all our struggles and has continued to be the glue that binds us together, even when things are falling apart. We are starting the year off with many good changes and are all glad to have some stability and routine back in our lives. I am so thankful for God in our lives and continue to praise Him for the work he is doing.

One of the changes that all of us have enjoyed most, is our new bedtime routine. I used to tuck them in and say a short prayer, but we have extended bedtime to be a 20-30 minute family time. Michael reads a story, then one of the girls reads a story, then I read out of a family devotional book and we go around and pray together. Ashlee usually prays that Mommy and Daddy make good choices...I wonder where she has heard that before. The girl's usually add in something about school or sick friends. It has become a wonderful quiet time for us and has really helped them settle in to sleep. Alyssa told me the other day that she just loves going to bed now. Music to my ears.

It has been really nice spending family time together and Michael and I have made it a priority to spend more one on one time together too. What a wonderful gift.

God has been working in my heart too and I am so glad to be so close to someone so wonderful. Always there when I need Him, and ever present help in time of trouble. The giver of joy, hope and everlasting peace.

Shots, Flu, Computer Carnage and a New Website!

2008-01-14T22:01:00.000-06:00

Well, not really, but it sounded like a good title for the tale I am about to tell. Aubree and Ashlee had immunizations on Sat morning. After all of Aubree's medical procedures, I did not think anything about having her stay in the room while Ash got her shots. Well, I was wrong. Apparently, it is easier to get the shot yourself, than to watch your little sister get it! Aubree began to feel dizzy and ended up getting sick in the sink. She laid down for a while and felt a little better, so she went ahead and got her shots as well.

Later that afternoon, she ended up getting sick again and I realized she actually had the flu. Note to self: Don't give kids immunizations when they have the flu.

Ashlee was only a few hours behind her and she was violently ill. Even though the whole house is covered in wood floors, she still managed to hit every rug. After a long day of cleaning up bodily fluids, I finally got everyone tucked in to bed and sat down to work on my website. Things were not cooperating and so I decided to turn my attention to finishing up my devotional for church the next morning. It was about 12:30 and I was ready to print it off so I headed to the printer and plugged the computer in.

A little background. We did (clue) not have a desk to set everything on, so bills, files and computer equipment are strategically placed all over the house. One finds themselves running from this corner to that corner, in order to get any type of office work done.

Well, while trying to balance the computer on the piano, I began to print off the 8 pages I had prepared. I know, you are all shocked that I ONLY prepared 8 pages for a 15 minute devotional! Nevertheless, the printer got jammed. As I was trying to unjam the printer, the laptop slipped off the piano and landed ever so softly on the hard wood floor. OK, it was not really that softly!

It was one of those moments that you see in the movies, when someone is running in slow motion and screaming, "NOOOOOOOOO". I looked in horror as I turned the computer over and saw that the screen had broken inside and I could only view a third of the top left side. I did not curse (good thing I was working on a devotional) or cry, but I did begin to cringe at the thought of writing out 8 pages of devotional material. Ugh. I was very tired!

I proceeded to figure out that if I emailed myself the attachment of the document, I could log onto my email on Michael's computer and print it out from there. It was quite difficult to minimize the boxes and move them around to that small corner so I could see what I was doing. I finally got it emailed and headed off to print again. The printer developed a mind of its own and began rebelling against my every command! It kept telling me to "clear the paper jam", that was nonexistent and to "load paper" when it already HAD paper. After about 30 minutes, I finally got it all done. Isn't it funny that when we have some sort of ministry task to perform, Satan likes to put us in a non-Christian like mood?

On a brighter note, the computer WAS covered. Luckily I was smart enough to get the even-if-an-elephant-steps-on-your-computer-you're-still-covered insurance on it. I mailed it off a few days later and waited. It was actually a blessing in disguise, because even though I spent hours dragging every important document, program, editing tool and picture up to the little left corner of the screen to transfer them to my external hard drive, I was able to focus my attention to the website, since I could not edit any of my photo proofs.

I had a glorious Monday and almost hugged the toothless guy that dropped off my fixed computer. I REALLY missed my software! I seriously did a happy dance and kept screaming, "My computer's here!" The kids all looked at me like I was crazy...and they know by now, I am.

I was also able to get all of the website kinks worked out and up and running. "Yeeeeh,HAAAAWWW!" This is an awesome accomplishment, considering all of the obstacles along the way. This definitely has to be the BEST Monday ever!

Here is the link to check it out!
The official address is: capturedwithhartphotography.com
My new business email is: shelly@capturedwithhartphotography.com.

Sneak Peek!

2007-12-29T22:48:00.000-06:00

Splash page for Captured With Hart Photography Website

Just wanted to share a sneak peak of what is about to come in 2008!

My prizes are rolling in and every day has seemed like Christmas! I spoke with the people at the web template company, and they are going to let me have the website that I expressed interest in! It was on sale through the end of 2007 and I was going to reinvest some of the money that I had earned from my photography, but something was holding me back from completing the transaction. (You would not believe the work that I put into desining a logo that truly represents my style and meets my high standards!) That "something" was the Holy Spirit, because he knew that God was going to GIVE it to me! Don't you love how God just gives you things that you don't even think to ask for!

He has shown me his love so much the past few months and renews me daily! Our God really is and AWESOME God! He has even given me unexpected income by complete strangers purchasing my prize winning photo as artwork for their homes! Who would have thought! This only confirms that God is blessing me in this business venture and has clearly given me His stamp of approval to continue on. I can't wait to see what He will do in 2008!

Merry Christmas to...me!

2007-12-25T00:53:00.000-06:00

Reflections of Christmas Past

Well, things have been a little crazy around the Hart household lately. It has been a rough few weeks, but God brought me a little sunshine tonight. Isn't it cool how He does that...just when we need it most!

As you now know, I have started a photography business and I have enjoyed every minute of it! I have wanted to get a website going, but with at least 2-3 photo sessions each weekend, I have not had the time to put the time in to it. I even downloaded a template and almost completed it, but something always kept stopping me from completing it.

Well, I have been visiting this photography blog for a while now and they posted a contest. The photos had to be taken between Dec 19th and Dec 24th and the winner of the contest would be announced at midnight on Christmas Eve. The theme was "What Christmas means to you." This weekend I went over to my sister's house and was trying to come up with ideas. After brainstorming for a while we decided on "Reflection of Christmas Past" and she agreed to model for me. Good thing she is so good looking!

Saturday morning was a nightmare. We were having new flooring installed and I was kicked out of my house...for the 2nd day in a row, and the guys ran out of material, covered up 2 of my vents, my kids were tired of being drug all over town with nothing to do and I was crabby because I was thinking about all the work I had to do to put my house back together for company on Christmas Eve and Christmas. My sister was having a bad day as well and was late meeting us to find matching shirts for her and Aubree. Have you ever tried to find exact matching shirts, nice ones, for an adult and child...in a 30 minute time window? Impossible! After 3 stores, we finally found some and headed to a friend's house to take the pics. Thanks to Nick! The house was perfect and I really appreciate your time!

I felt rushed because I had to be somewhere, so I took about 20 minutes to snap some shots and hoped that one would work for the concept. I had 1 last photo shoot to edit before Christmas, so I did not even get a chance to look at the photos until 3 pm today...the day of the deadline! I finished the pic and really did not think that I had a chance at winning the contest. There are so many people out there that have tremendous talent, so I was just hoping for some kind of honorable mention or not to embarrass myself, at the least! I emailed my entry and continued on with Christmas and did not really think another thing about it! I would have checked, of course, but I got distracted with other things.

My family came over for Christmas, this evening and my parents were the last one to leave at around 11:15 pm. At around 11:30 my cell phone rang and I assumed my parents must have forgotten something. Aubree was still up and did not recognize the number. I answered and they asked for Shelly Hart....weird, I thought.
The conversation went something like this:
"This is Shelly."
"This is the payitforward blog."
(gasp!) "And you are calling me because...."
"Are you sitting down?"
"NO....I didn't...."
"You won the Big Kahuna 2007 Best PIF Photo Contest!"
Crying...screaming...more crying.....

I was so shocked that I could hardly collect myself! She asked me to send her a quick email about myself and the photo so she could post the winner by midnight. I could not even think clear enough to write! I was shaking and crying and my email had about 1000 typos! And yes....I even spell checked!

Here is the link to the site: http://payitforwardphoto.blogspot.com/2007/12/winner-of-big-kahuna-best-of-2007-pif.html

The last few weeks have been really hard for me personally, but God has shown his love to me in so many ways. An unexpected gift card in the mail, giving me 5 times back what I put in the offering plate and the list goes on and on. I just praise Him for the blessings He gives me and for letting me know that He loves me even when I am going through a rough time. He is good. SO good and I am so thankful that I am His.

I hope as you celebrate this holiday season, you can reflect on God's goodness and open your eyes to the many blessings he grants us daily. They are all around us if we just wake up and take notice.

Hart Family News

2007-11-19T11:31:00.000-06:00

Not too much to report. We took Ashlee back to Chicago to check the status of the toe tumor. The Orthopedic Oncologist said that it is healing up well and wants to see her in January just to make sure that it is healed up completely. It has been a slow process, but she is doing just fine! Crisis averted!

We have to take Aubree back to see the surgeon in December. It sure has been nice not having to go so often. She is doing so well and has not been so sick! Thank you, Jesus!

We have been so busy lately that I have hardly had time to catch my breath! For those of you who don't know, I have started a photography business and it has taken off very quickly! Counting the sessions I have done and future sessions, I already have 15! Wow! I never imagined that things would take off so fast. I am taking some classes through Heartland and enjoying every minute! I have learned so much and am learning more all the time. I have been so blessed to have this opportunity...especially with Christmas coming up! You can check out my work at www.flickr.com/hartgirlies. I am hoping to have a website together soon, if it ever slows down enough for me to work on it!

Michael is very busy with school. He is getting ready to finish up his internship and his Associates degree. He has a 4 day weekend over Thanksgiving and then off to get started on the Bachelor's degree! Poor guy has been going back and forth so much he hardly knows whether he is coming or going!

Baby Anthony is doing well and has gained a little weight. His biggest goal is to work on feeding from the bottle. Hopefully he will be able to be transferred soon. Please pray that God will grant strength to Jesse and Karen during this difficult time. It is so exhausting to have a child in the hospital so far away from home.

We are looking forward to a relaxing Thanksgiving weekend! I have SOOOO much to be thankful for this year!

Baby Anthony Update

2007-11-09T10:51:00.000-06:00

Baby Anthony is doing well and is off of oxygen and the bili lights. He is in an incubator and Jesse and Karen were able to hold him and feed him. They are talking about transferring him to Bloomington in about a week or so. I am amazed at how well he is doing and the huge leaps of progress he is making.

I know that some of the Pennsylvania relatives have had trouble viewing the pictures. I posted them on my flickr site as well. Click to view the link.

I was able to go to see him last night, alone, thanks to Chrystal, and I got to touch him and of course fit in a photo shoot. He is changing already and looking quite cute. He looked so comfortable laying there. I am definitely living vicariously through my brother and his wife. I went a little crazy at Wal-Mart. Yeah....I bought EVERY premie outfit they had...no joke! I could not help myself! Good thing Michael does not read this blog very often, or I would be SOOOOO busted!

Michael and I are going on a much needed date tonight. I can't wait! In between his classes and internship and my business with my classes and new venture, we have both been running on empty. It seems like he crashes on the nights that I stay up until 2 am finishing things up and I crash on the nights that he says up doing homework. I am definitely going to fit in some cuddle time tonight. AHHH, I miss the lazy life that we used to have. Things should settle down a little after the internship is over. The pour guy doesn't know whether he's coming or going!

Well, back to craziness!

I'm an Aunt....again!

2007-11-04T19:59:00.000-06:00

Well, this will be short and I will edit a corrected detailed version later. I'll just cut to the chase... Points:
1. My brother's wife Karen has been in the hospital for 4 weeks with early contractions.
2. She was not due until Jan 6th and was going to remain in the hospital until delivery.
3. Got the call from my mother at 2:53 am this morning, that her water broke and she was dilated to a 7.
4. Proceeded to St. Francis with my 4 sleepy, but excited daughter, at 3:13 am.
5. Passed my parents, who left earlier than I did...and stopped to drop off the dog, on the highway. (Hee hee)
6. Arrived to wait around 3:53 am.
7. Baby Anthony David Rimshas was born a little before 7 am this morning.
8. Shelly is so tired that she is afraid that she will fall asleep while blogging th...zzzzz...zzzzzz...zzzzzz....zzzzzz I have not kept up on this blog lately, but this is worth updating! Check back later for the detailed Shelly version!

Mysteries of the Tooth Fairy

2007-10-26T13:22:00.000-06:00

Alyssa lost a tooth last week...a seemingly normal occurrence for a 7 year old. She got her tooth ready for the tooth fairy like all of the Hart girls before her, but the tooth fairy "forgot" to come. The next night, she moved the tooth to a different spot, but low and behold, the tooth fairy forgot to come again! (The Tooth Fairy is extremely forgetful in our house.) By the third night, she was feeling GREAT anxiety over the Tooth Fairy and was almost in tears. I told her that I was sure the tooth fairy would remember this time.

Alyssa was still very upset. I tried to reassure her, but seemed to be getting no where! She has always had trouble expressing herself, but I finally got it out of her! She eventually shared that she was TERRIFIED at the thought of the "strange" tooth fairy sneaking into her bedroom in the middle of the night! She started sobbing uncontrollably and could not be consoled! I consulted with the other girls and asked them what they thought about me telling her the cold hard truth. They insisted that she would be too sad and disappointed, but I felt like I had to tell her so she would not lose sleep over the fear of an imaginary figure sneaking into the house!!!

I finally told her the truth. She stopped for a moment to look at me, but resumed crying and she STILL had trouble settling down! I ended up with her in my bed for the next two nights and we have forbidden any mention of tooth fairy talk in our house.

Who knew the vicious Tooth Fairy could be so fritghtening! Can't wait for Santa...

Crossroad's Retreat 2007

2007-09-26T20:54:00.000-06:00

Well, the moment you have all been waiting for. Drum roll, please. The slideshow from the Crossroad's Chapel 2007 Women's Retreat is finally here! The women you see in this film are not actors, but real characters. No names have been changed to protect the privacy of any of them. Sorry guys!

Lori did an awesome job of putting this thing together! It was a much needed brake from daily life. The women of our church have an amazing closeness and it was so awesome to get together with them!

God really taught me about trust and letting go this weekend. The camp site is beautiful and just another reminder of His beauty and grace. Enjoy!

Garage Sale Junkie

2007-09-17T22:48:00.001-06:00

I love Garage Sales! I would rather go garage saling than got to the mall! What a bang for your buck! I have gotten some good finds in my day, but this is by far, one of my favorites.

Alyssa and I headed out on Saturday morning, on a "date" to get Krispy Kreme donuts. We had not been on a date in a while, so it was nice and she was very excited.

On our way back, I told her that maybe we would stop by a few sales on the way home. She grinned from ear to ear, probably because she was thinking of all the wonderful treasures she might find. McDonald's Happy Meal toys, a 20 piece puzzle that ONLY has 3 pieces missing, some craft string, or maybe some dried out markers. (It is amazing what kids will try to get you to buy at a garbage, I mean, garage sale!)

Well, we stopped at one and she found her treasure. It was a rug with some large checkers to go with it. It was $1 and my girls are huge checkers fans, so I gave in. Then I saw it. An Ar moire that had doors on it and 2 deep shelves on the inside. It had 2 drawers in the bottom as well. HMMM, I thought to myself. It was laminate and the kind you put together yourself, but it was much better quality than K-Mart furniture. It had been a sage green color, but the owner had attempted to pain it black. The pain was peeling, but I thought, with some proper primer, it could be a diamond in the rough. It had a big $30 price tag on it. $30? I would have to pick up some paint...and the labor...I asked if she would take $15, knowing that if she said no, I would have saved myself a project. "Sure!" she said, with a smile.

Alas! The steal of the day! As we loaded it up in the car, another reason why I LOVE mini-vans, I saw a piece of fabric sticking out from underneath the bottom of one of the drawers. I pulled it out, thinking it was a forgotten sock, when I realized, it was a pair of white underwear! The ladies began laughing so hard and all I could say was, "I believe this belongs to you."

Alyssa and I scurried off for some black paint and sand blocks and we got started as soon as we got home. The other girls joined in, but Ashlee decided to just watch. I let them help me prime it too! We had a great time doing it together!

Old Dresser: $15.00
Paint: $8.99
Sanding Blocks: $1.99
Spending a Saturday on a project with your kids: Priceless

Another Day, Another Trip to Chicago

2007-09-17T20:58:00.000-06:00

Do you ever get behind on the laundry? I have two ways that I handle the piles of clothes in our house. (My babysitting families would probably beg to differ, since it always seems like I am folding mountains of clothes when they walk in.)

#1. Do 2 huge laundry days a week. Usually Monday, to catch up after the weekend and Thursday to get caught up FOR the weekend.
#2. Do 2 loads a day to keep caught up on things.
Well, last week I had finished my Monday laundry and gotten it all put away and then by Thursday all craziness had broken loose! I tried to get caught up, but it seemed I was getting no where. I, Shelly the diligent packer, did not pack until 3 hours before the trip. I know you are shocked. I was late packing, but I did get everything I needed for 6 people into one small suitcase! (Michael took the big one at the beginning of the week.)

We had an uneventful trip on Thursday the 13th, up to Chicago. Traffic was decent and the girls got a manicure, complete with nail design. They really enjoyed it, and for 5 bucks a head it was well worth it!

At least 2 of our poor children usually have to sleep on the floor when we stay in a hotel. Autumn is usually the sweetest to volunteer. We could not stay in McDonald House this time because of the time crunch to get the sheets washed and room cleaned.

After a good night's sleep, we got to the hospital early to get her labs done for her Immunologist and her surgeon and then headed to radiology. It took them 1 1/2 hours and a backup tech to find her shunt, because of all the scar tissue. Michael had to go up and check in because we were late for our appointment. We usually get right in, but they were running an hour behind, so it really didn't matter this time. There were some volunteers that played games with the girls and some football players from Northwestern came up to see the kids. We have signed posters, but I can say that the girls really did not get too excited about football players. Maybe if Aubree was a few years older she would have at least thought they were cute!

Dr. Superina said that her labs look good and her spleen is measuring a "2" when the last time it was a "7"! It was so nice to get good news! We were almost thinking..."So, now what???". He wants to see her again in 3 months and if all goes well, another 6 months after that and then just yearly. Did you hear me people, YEARLY! That is so awesome! For now, she just needs to continue with the blood thinners to make sure that the shunt does not clot. Easy enough! She has been getting some whopper bruises!

I have to call Dr. Fuleihan back about her Immunology labs, in the middle of October, to see what those tests revealed and what we are doing next with that whole thing. Some of the test had to be sent to Mayo, so they take a while. I have learned not to fret over long waits. Easier said than done sometimes.

On to Ashlee...well, what can I say. The "mass" seems to have gotten taller and the uneven edges appear to be spreading up her foot a little, but IT IS SO HARD TO TELL! I have looked at that thing so many times that I am not sure anymore! Michael is going to look at it again on Friday when he gets home so we can make a decision about calling. At one point I thought it had maybe gotten smaller, but it almost seemed to just change shape a little. If it is not smaller by Friday we will have to call him. UGH!

On to "normal" life. We had a Parent Connection meeting for Ashlee's preschool tonight. At the end of the night the activity was to draw a picture of a "hero" aka police, fireman, mail carrier etc. The parents and children were both to draw one. I drew a picture of a doctor...fitting, I know, but Ashlee had a different kind of hero in mind. A snowman. Now, Frosty was a good guy, but a hero? She started to cry. Not because Frosty was not a hero, but because she did not know how to draw a snowman! It was definitely bed time!

When we got home we read a few chapters of The Doll People. It is a story about a doll house family and their adventures. I think I like it more than the kids! Alyssa was the first one out, Ashlee had the giggles and I had to skip over the part about the spider crawling up the little doll when she was in "doll state", so Aubree and Autumn would not have bad dreams about bugs. All in all, it was a good ending to a pretty good Monday! Even though I was back to laundry again!

The Empty Nest

2007-09-12T18:56:00.000-06:00

Woe is me. I am experiencing my first run in with an empty nest. Ashlee started preschool this week and I am barely surviving. Even though I have 3 little ones at home, it still feels quiet and empty. It is a different experience, just having the little ones here without any of my own babies at home!

When we were on our way to preschool the first day, I was giving Ashlee/myself a pep talk:

M: Now you are going to be a good listener and try hard to practice your letters aren't you?
A: I know mom.
M: And you know that mommy will be back to pick you up in a few hours?
A: I know mom.
M: You are going to have so much fun!
A: I know mom!
A: Mom, I am a big girl so I can just go in by myself.
M: (Gasp!) But I will have to give you a kiss goodbye! (Choking back tears.)
A: You can just kiss me in the car!

Would it have hurt her to cry a little? Cling on to my clothes and scream, "Mommy, Mommy!" OK, I am being a little dramatic. I am really happy that she is so excited about going, but I am mourning the loss of my last little girl. AHHHH.

I did take pictures, of course, but I think she was done by the time I took the 5th picture inside the classroom.

Can you tell she was done with pictures???

And a picture of day 2...don't worry. I am stopping here.

This LIttle Piggy

2007-09-07T05:36:00.000-06:00

Ashlee and I had a nice quiet ride to Chicago on Wednesday. She fell asleep about 15 minutes out of town. She was so excited about staying in daddy's apartment. Other than the fact that it is on Michigan Avenue,and the fact that Michael is there, there is nothing too exciting about it. Don't get me wrong, it is a nice little place, but it is little indeed.

We met Michael at class, stopped by his place to unload the suitcase etc. and drove to the hospital to park the car. Then we walked to the subway station to take the train back to Michael's apartment. This was the best scenario since Ashlee was really tired and it would have been less than desirable to drag luggage, Dora pillow and blanket, backpack full of Ashlee's treasures and one sleepy Ashlee to the train station. I was surprised how well she tolerated the walking. It was surely a slower pace than when we take Aubree up there, but she trotted along, nevertheless. She is so fearless! She just walks right on the platform like she owns the place. She doesn't even budge when the train whizzes by. Michael has even taught her which stops are ours so she can listen and tell us when to get off.

When we went to the doctor on Thursday morning, he felt her "bump" and was rather puzzled. He took some more ex rays since the ones from St. Joe were not very good... surprise, surprise. The tech told Ashlee to say, "Cheese!" when she took the ex ray and Ashlee grinned from ear to ear. It was so funny! He isn't quite sure what the mass is, but the ex ray ruled out the possibility of a calcium deposit, mineral deposit or a foreign object. (Sorry Ashlee, no food.)

Dr. Yasko thinks it is a tumor and not a cyst. It is probably attached to the ligament, but he is uncertain if it is attached to the bone as well, because it is fairly stationary. He said it did not show the characteristics of a cyst, since it is so hard. He wants us to watch it for a couple of weeks to see what happens. If it stays the same after a couple of weeks, or grows bigger before then, we will have to call and he will schedule an ultrasound. The ultrasound will reveal if there is fluid in it. If there is not fluid and it is just a solid mass, they will sedate her and perform a needle biopsy to see exactly what the mass is. Depending on the results, he will treat it accordingly.

He does not think that it is dangerous to wait at this point. He said that if it were a cyst, the fluid could leak out and then it would dissolve, but since he thinks it is a tumor, they usually grow at a slow pace. He said that these kinds of tumors are usually benign and we can just watch it first before deciding what kind of invasive action needs to be taken. He said that we caught it in the early stages.

So, I guess we did not get our questions answered, per se, but we do feel a little more relieved now that we have seen him. Leave it to our kids to get something weird! We will just have to wait and see what happens! I have full faith that I will not have to create a separate category on my blog for "Ashlee's Health Updates".

We are all a little tired this morning. We made it home just before the kids got home from school. After homework we had an open house for Ashlee's preschool and Cirriculum night at Pepper Ridge. They are killing me with all of these events scheduled on the same night! At least there was a 30 minute overlap this time so we made it to everything. Welcome to life with 4 kids in school!

We also stopped by to see my friend Ann's new grandbaby. I can't believe that she is a grandma! Amber and Adam will make awesome parents, if they can ever get the baby back from Ann! He is so perfect for a newborn. I could not get over how beautiful he was! Congrats Adkins and Brown families!

The Computer, the Car Window and A Little Toe

2007-09-05T12:10:00.000-06:00

Well, this has been the week of broken things. First the car window decided not to work again, after I just supposedly got it fixed. I am happy to say that I was able to get it taken care of. It will be nice to go through a drive thru window without opening my door!

My computer also had some sort of major issue as well. I spent 3 hours on the phone with Dell on Friday night and was without a computer until the guy came to fix it today. You don't realize how much you depend on modern technology until you are without it!

And now on to Ashlee and her toe. About 10 days ago I found a bump on Ashlee's 2nd toe, right at the joint that meets her foot. It was very hard and I thought that it might be a bug bite gone bad. Well, yesterday I ended up taking her to the doctor to get it looked at. It has not gone down any and has actually grown bigger. I did not think too much of it, but Michael and I both thought that it was a good idea to get it checked out.

The doctor took an ex ray and called back today to say that it showed NO signs that her toe was ever broken. He did say that she needs to see a surgeon about getting it removed. He did not really say what he thought it was...just some kind of nodule. He gave me a number of someone in town, but told me that he was not sure if they would handle it.

I spoke to the nurse about it and she spoke to the doctor. She said that he felt like it might be too involved and that we should take her to Chicago.

I called up there and spoke to a nurse so she could decide if we need a general pediatric surgeon or an orthopaedic surgeon. She came back on the phone after checking and said that she would need the orthopaedic surgeon. I tried to see if we could get her in next week when we have to take Aubree, but she said that he wanted to see her tomorrow since the bump has grown. The doctor that she is seeing specializes in bone tumors and such so that probably explains why the doctor here did not take her case.

So needless to say, we are headed to Children's Memorial for Ashlee tomorrow. I was quite surprised that all of this escalated to this point. I am not really worried, but just a little at the concerned point. It will probably be something like a toe fuzzy gone bad. I am glad that we got it checked out, but I am now wondering what in the world it is??? A cyst? A fleshy mass? A bone spur? A calcium deposit? Ashlee's theory is that it is a piece of food that she swallowed that got stuck in her foot or that it is dried up blood that has gotten hard and can't get out. Where does she come up with this stuff?

Talk about a weird Wednesday! Off to pack!

Lithuanian Family Tradition

2007-08-23T21:41:00.000-06:00

Today was my dad's 61st birthday! I still picture my dad at 47!

My parents, brother, Jesse and his wife Karen (along with future nephew) and my sister, Holly all came over for a Lithuanian dinner. Yes, we are Lithuanian and proud of it!

My mom cooked some Kugelis (shredded potato and bacon dish) and Klatskis (a sausage meat filled ravioli type dish with creamy bacon gravy) and we had some other things as well. We have not had Lithuanian food for a family dinner since I was a kid! Lithuanian cooking is high carb, high fat, high cholesterol and high calorie...plus, very time consuming to make!

My dad has always been very proud of his heritage and instilled this in his children. My grandparents were first generation Lithuanian-Americans and they grew up in Westville, IL, a small town just crawling with Lithuanian culture. I have tried to pass this on to my children as well and keep in close contact with my Aunt Marj, who is 11 years older than my dad, to make sure that I keep the family story alive. She sends me all kinds of family memorabilia and has many interesting stories to share.

I have taken my kids to the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture in Chicago and have tried to stress the importance of knowing your roots. They all liked trying the ethnic food for the first time, especially the Kugelis, and it was fun to share this experience with them. We had a Lithuanian Christmas a few years back and my brother and I are planning some new additions to the festivities this year. It really makes history come to life.

I want my kids to have a real life connection and carry on our family history. I was fortunate enough to know my Lithuanian relatives and hear them tell their stories and speak some of the language. It is harder now that most of our Lithuanian relatives have passed, but I am very determined to spark their interest in Lithuanian culture.

This one's for you dad! Happy Birthday!

Song for this post: Beer Barrel Polka

High Schoool Girlfriends

2007-08-23T21:07:00.000-06:00

Well, Callie beat me to Facebook but I am bound and determined to beat her to the blog post!

Shelly and April

Every year, my friend April comes back in town to visit her family and her parents allow her to host and anual reunion of sorts. Rachele, Lisa, April's sister Becky, Jennifer and Callie all came with their kids in tow.

Jennifer Schrepfer, Lisa Mengarelli, Shelly Hart, Callie Branch, April Lacroix, Rachele Ackerman

We had a great time with all of the kids running around. Ashlee was the only one of my children that went with me and for once I had the oldest kid there! I will have to say it was quite refreshing not having to chase a little one around.

Shelly Hart and Jennifer Schrepfer with Aaron

Everyone's kids have gotten so big and we were able to celebrate Rachele's daughter's birthday. She was so cute and wanted us to sing to her again when we finished!

Kaitlin and her birthday cake

I finally connected with my blogger friend, Callie. She is married to a former classmate of mine and we have really never hung out in person. It was great to see her in the flesh!

Shelly Hart and long time blogger buddy Callie Branch

First Day of School 2007

2007-08-23T20:45:00.000-06:00

I will now join blogging moms across America in blogging about the first day of school.

My girls were so excited and we started the year out right by laying their clothes out the night before. Alyssa laid her clothes out with in manican form, complete with socks and shoes.

They woke up at the crack of dawn and were ready to go at 7 AM. We took our usual first day pictures and I walked them down to the bus stop. The bus came on time and I did not get a chance to pray with them! They came over to kiss me goodbye and all I could think to do was gather them together and say, "God be with you!" That sounded a little dramatic, but at least it was something to equip them for the day.

We did pray very specifically for each one of them the night before...for about 15 minutes. Things are off to a rolling start and I think we are going to have a great year!
Song for this post: Every Moment

Heart Attack of the Day

2007-08-22T20:16:00.000-06:00

I called today to see what time Aubree's ultrasound was scheduled before we see the doctor in September. My good friend Kelly (The bearer of bad rescheduling news.) said that she was not scheduled for an ultrasound, but an IR. I have never heard of an IR and inquired if she had to fast or what other preparations were needed for it. He transferred me to the IR scheduling department for answers to my questions. The scheduler informed me that the procedure was done under general anesthesia and that they would go in and check the shunt. Aubree was scheduled for an angioplasty afterward to fix any blockage they might find.

I about fell off of my chair! I am so removed from hyper-spastic planning mode that I was not prepared to hear such news. I poured over my folder full of the orders for tests for our next visit and did not see any indication that this procedure was necessary! I called Michael and he said that maybe it was routine to have her put under so they could fix any problems right away, rather than wait.

I called back again to talk to someone in the surgery dept. to find out exactly what this whole thing involved and she referred me to someone else. The "someone else" called me on the other line and finally cleared the whole thing up. She stated that she had a copy of the orders and it was indeed just for an ultrasound! Thank you, Jesus!

It made me realize how fortunate we have been to have a drama free July and August! Hopefully all is well with the ultrasound when we go back and I will not have to further investigate this IR procedure!

This makes the "Biscuit" drama look like a walk in the park. I think the lesson for this week is contentment and thankfulness. OK, God! I got it!

The Biscuit

2007-08-21T19:57:00.000-06:00

Oh my! Last night I had a bad case whining. Let me set the stage...

When I was on the way back from Chicago last week, I was driving in the left lane when out of the corner of my eye I saw something flying through the air. There was bumper to bumper traffic on the highway, but we were going a steady 50 miles per hour. Right after I caught a glimpse of the flying object, it hit my passenger side door. I let out a loud scream! The flying object was none other than a 65 MPH speed limit sign...and for the record, it appeared to be going a lot faster than 65. It made a horrible sound and then hit the ground. I just kept driving, because there was no way I could pull off anyway. My theory is, someone in the right lane must have hit it and sent it flying through the air.

The cool part of the whole incident is that I felt the urge to pray for safety before we left Chicago. I pray for many of our road trips, but sometimes I forget. The Holy Spirit was really tugging on me to pray before this ride home. If that sign had come up a few seconds earlier it could have hit my windshield and been quite ugly. God had his hand of protection over us that day!

All of this leads up to "The Biscuit". I am sure you were wondering how the title fit in. Only old "beater" cars that are at least 10 years old, earn nicknames. We have had many cars with nicknames. There was the old green something or other (The gear shift was actually 3 on the tree, if that tells you how old it was.) called the "Green Pickle" and the brown station wagon I drove in high school called "The Poop Mobile"-gross, I know. My friend, Maegan, has an old Buick called "Big Yellow".

Well, Michael's car is "The Biscuit". It is a lovely 1992 Blue Ford Festiva,(Cousin to the Yugo) complete with pink palm trees painted on the side. The car started with my sister, (She gave it the name, because she thought it was as "Cute as a little Biscuit". Whatever that means.) then was passed to my parents, my brother and then to us. If it makes it, Aubree will probably be the next proud owner. After it dies, we will probably have it stuffed and mounted for the mantle...and yes it would probably fit...even though we don't have a mantle. I used to tease my sister that it had a lawn mower engine and bicycle tires.

Needless to say, the van has been in the shop since Sunday and won't be ready until Friday. (All for a rear view mirror and some minor scratches???) We were going to try to get a rental, but it did not work out, soooo, came the case of my whininess.

Not only do we look like a family of circus clowns, stepping out of "The Biscuit", it is a little bit of a hot ride with no AC. My pride was getting the better of me last night and I was not looking forward to the discomfort of it all. I had a lovely little pity party for myself, you should have been there. I don't know what my problem was! I have really been through bigger things to complain about, but here I was, acting like a spoiled brat over having to drive the little blue car for 1 week! Michael has driven that car back and forth to work for years without a word.

Well, I prayed about my silliness and woke up in a much better mood. I confessed my sin to God and some of my friends and felt much better. We all piled in to head to back to school night and my sister was roped in to taking Ashlee to her preschool screening that was going on at the same time.

We laughed all the way there. "Not only is this The Biscuit! With all of us in here, it is like biscuits and gravy!" Aubree laughed so hard she almost lost it. We laughed even harder when we had the "air condition" up too high (AKA the windows rolled down.) and all of our hair was blowing like crazy!

With a couple of phone calls to Holly to help her fill out some forms, we made it through the night and celebrated with free ice cream coupons at Culver's.

As I reflected on my pitiful breakdown last night, I came to the conclusion that I am thankful for the little blue 15 year old car that is worthy of a nickname. God always provides for us, even if it is through "The Biscuit".

James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.
Well, I'm confessing!

Very Fitting Song For This Post: How Could I Ask For More

What Should Be On A School Supply List

2007-08-15T19:37:00.000-06:00

Every year it is the same story. There is always one or two obscure items on the school supply list that you can't find anywhere. This year it was Crayola Oil Pastels. Crayola what? I did not know that Crayola made such a thing. Apparently, neither did Wal-Mart.
Well, it got me thinking. There are a few items that I would personally add to the school supply list to ensure that my kids would have a great year.
Here goes:
One Hankie- Not for the kids, but for the kids to hand to their mothers as they get on the school bus.
Label Maker-To label hair bows, socks, each individual crayon and any other thing that ends up missing at school. How does a kid end up coming home with only one sock on???
A Tide Stain Pen-For those dreaded chocolate milk incidents at lunch.
A Book of Homework Excuses-To equip each student with better lines than, "My dog ate my homework."
A Quarter- To call someone who cares...oh yeah, I forgot. There are no more payphones and if you were to find one, it would probably only take debit cards.
A Kiss on the hand- When Alyssa was having a hard time leaving for Kindergarten, I used to put on my darkest lipstick and kiss her on the hand so she could take it with her. I am sure it lasted at least an hour...just long enough to start her day.
A Napkin- With a love note from mom, gently packed in a lunch box.
A pair of hand cuffs- Just in case.
An extra cheek- Just in case they have already turned both of them.
The breastplate of righteousness- To guard their heart.
The belt of truth- ONLY truth...and the knowledge to decipher things that are not.
Gym shoes-Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
Shield of Faith-To quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Helmet of salvation-For assurance.
Sword of the Spirit-The word of God.

Label Maker, School Supplies and One Sad Mommy

2007-08-15T19:12:00.000-06:00

I know that many of you will be astounded to know that I own a label maker. I had wanted one for such a long time and about 8 months ago I bought one. It is a sleek black label makin machine. Well, don't you know, after I bought it, I could not find anything that I wanted to label! I did label a few things, like the shelves that hold 4 sizes of diapers for the kids I watch, but after that, it went back on the shelf.
Ahhh, school shopping. After a LOOOONNNNGGG trip to Wal-Mart and a short trip to Meijer's to buy all of the school supplies we finally had everything that we needed to start the school year. During nap time, the girls and I laid out all of the supplies and begin dividing them up. I broke out the old sharpie and was ready to start labeling, when I had a revelation! The label maker! I could finally use it! Hurray!
I scurried to the garage and began printing labels like a mad woman. I got through all of Aubree's and half of Autumn's (complete with heart borders...very fitting) when the silly thing ran out of tape. I spent about 15 minutes looking for the refills and another 20 minutes trying to get the refill to fit into the machine. I gave up after that. I'm afraid that it was back to the Sharpie for me. I am sure Michael would say, "That's what you get for trying to act cool!" It is one of his favorite lines. You would think that after almost 12 years of marriage, he would realize that I AM cool! Right???
Well, all of this preparing for school has made me wonder how I am ever going to make it without my kids! Ashlee is going to preschool and it will be the first time that I will experience a little bit of an empty nest. I do get lonely sometimes at night when Michael is at school and now I will be lonely during the day too! Woe is me! OK, it really isn't THAT bad, but I have enjoyed having them home this summer. I hate to hear mothers that are so happy to get "rid" of their kids when school starts. I am, however, glad to get back into some sort of routine. We have been all over the place this summer so it will be good for us to get on more of a schedule.
I never thought I would be the "old" lady talking about how time flies and how fast the kids grow up, but here I am. Aubree is going into 5th grade, Autumn in 4th, Alyssa in 2nd and Ashlee into preschool. It will be the last year that they go to the same school together. A few years from now I will have the girls in 3 different schools! AHHHHH! OK, Shelly, take a deep breath.
I have already started praying for God's protection and guidence over them this year. I am praying that Aubree won't miss so much school and remain healthy, Autumn's confidence will grow, Alyssa will be able to grow out of her shyness and that Ashlee will enjoy spreading her wings. I am also praying that they will all be a shining light and that they will keep their hearts and actions pure when away from home. I pray that God will send them good friends and help them stand firm when faced with adversity.
My sister used to tease me because I am always taking pictures of all the "firsts". First tooth, first hair cut, first shoes, first time their nails were painted, first bandaid (Yes, I actually have Aubree's first bandaid. She was so little that it actually fit around her whole arm!), etc. etc. So here's to the firsts of the 2007 school year!

The Proof is in the Pudding

2007-08-09T19:30:00.000-06:00

For all you dedicated readers that are wanting to know what I have REALLY been up to...here it is. My master piece. Enjoy!

(Pause the music to the right before beginning the slide show)

Yes, I am the only dork who makes a slide show when they redecorate!

Got Milk?

2007-08-09T13:30:00.000-06:00

(Pause music to the right before starting the slide show)

Today I went to Ropp Dairy Farm with my girls, Payton, Mitchell (babysitting kids), my friend Alisa, her daughter Jaylen and her 3 foster kids. We looked like a preschool, but we had a great time! Little kids were everywhere and it was hard not to step on one!

They gave us a tour of the barn and they got to see some baby calves. One was just born last night! They had a chance to feed the baby calves and to climb on some hay bales. There was a pet turkey that followed our group everywhere and he was so tame! He loved to have the children pet him. Mitchell loved the animals at first, until he figured out the the turkey was taller than he was!

We finished up the tour with a trip to McDonald's playland. All went well and I am so glad that we were able to enjoy the morning! Even though our group included 4 2 year olds and an infant, it was so much easier to go out with another adult. The older girls were a huge help too!

Chicago Trip

2007-08-09T11:59:00.000-06:00

(Pause the music to the right before watching slideshow.)

Well, we took Aubree to see her immunologist and it was a long, but fairly uneventful visit. He tested her for allergies, which she DOES NOT have and then gave her the pneumococcal vaccine in hopes that it will boost her immune system. When she goes back in mid Sept. to see the surgeon, she will have some more blood work done to see if it worked and to see if she has built up and IgA antibodies. He took her off the preventative antibiotics that she had been on since January, that did not work, and if the vaccine did not help her, we will discuss the possibility of the gamma globulin infusion. The only problem with giving her the blood products is that it could cause thrombosis...as in portal vein thrombosis...as in...just had a Rex Shunt surgery to fix that problem already. He said it is rare, but he wants to make sure that it is our last resort so she does not have any complications.

Her apt was in the afternoon this time so we went to the Chicago beach. We told the kids that we were going to play in sprinklers at Lincoln Park Zoo. They did not complain, but they weren't all that thrilled since we went to the zoo every other day in June. We crossed the bridge over Lakeshore Drive and Ashlee was the first to see the sand. "Yea, we are going to the beach!" We love playing "mean" tricks on our kids.

They had such a good time playing in the sand, water and collecting seashells. The water was surprisingly clean for Chicago. I'm afraid it will be the only beach they will see for a while. It was so nice to have a family day!

Where in the World is the Hart Family???

2007-07-27T11:28:00.000-06:00

No, we are not MIA. Just CRAZY busy!

We have been hired to paint and repair my friend's duplex and rent it out! We spent Michael's week break cleaning and painting. It was a lot of work, but well worth it! Anyone need to rent a 2 bedroom duplex???

I have been in super cleaning and redecorating mode since we have been home. I think I am making up for all of the lost time we had preparing for Chicago trips.

We had a garage sale last weekend and made a ton of money by selling our old junk. I was in "pitch it" mode and was literally going around the house and ripping things off the wall to sell. I have had the same Americana theme for 7 1/2 years and I was ready for a change. I ended up with no dishes, no end tables and no curtains. Needless to say, we ended up using the garage sale money to fix up the house and replace some out dated items.

The girls sold hot dogs, cookies and pop and made $19. Not bad, except the fact that they had to split it 4 ways.

My favorite new item is a dry sink. I have ALWAYS wanted one and I am thrilled to have it! I repainted my living room "punch" wall in a lovely sage green color and have redecorated the girl's rooms. I wish I would have painted when I was rearranging their furniture! Their rooms are so small that it was challenging moving around all the ruckus of furniture!

I have had to move past my controlling mother decorating and have allowed them to decorate the way that they wanted to. This was a big step out of my rustic, shabby chic decorating style, but they were so excited to do things the way they wanted to. Aubree and Autumn's room is a surprisingly pleasant lime green color and is decorated with Wall Pops. I saw them in one of their friend's rooms and thought they were cool. They are a candy ribbon design with many different colors and it turned out very cool! They LOVE their new room and they have been doing a good job keeping it neat and tidy...and I am SO into neat and tidy!

Alyssa and Ashlee's room was a challenge! Alyssa is very indecisive and has a very hard time making decisions. I was pleasantly surprised when we went shopping for bedspreads and she picked the first one she saw. It was purple with monkeys on it. Now, keep in mind that I HATE anything that is cartoony or animated. This was worse than the lime green! Ashlee loves Dora and Dora has Boots the monkey, so it went with the monkey theme just fine. We picked a lavender color for the walls and a bluish purple for some stripes. A word of advise...NEVER paint stripes on the wall! It was a labor of love. We started on a Friday evening and did not finish until Sunday afternoon. It was quite painstaking, measuring all of the stripes, but it was worth it! We added some cheap, prepainted molding in the middle of the wall and it turned out great! I picked up some Dora wall stickers (Ugh) at a garage sale and we put the Dora ones by Ashlee's bed and Boots the monkey ones by Alyssa's bed. (Sigh)

It was a big step out of my comfort zone, but it was so thrilling to see the looks on their sweet little faces.

This weekend we fixed our swimming pool...again and then worked some more at my friend's duplex. I keep thinking that we are going to have a weekend for family fun, without huge projects, but it has not happened yet. Ah, one can only dream!

Poor Michael! Every weekend he comes home every weekend, only to be handed a list of "honey-do's". Like, cutting in the paint up by the ceiling, fixing the smoke detector, changing light bulbs, putting up trim, fixing the playground, working in the yard, etc. I really appreciate all of the little things...and not so little, that he does for me! He is really quite the trooper. Especially when he got up at the crack of dawn to help me move our couches out to sell at the garage sale, with his only comment, being, "Some things are better left alone."

HMMMMM, what project can I work on next. I would be lost without something in the works!

Little Known Facts About Me...Nobody Asked. Nobody Cares. I'll Tell You Anyway.

2007-07-12T08:09:00.000-06:00

I actually like sour kraut. (Must be the Lithuanian in me.)

I have a small piece of lead stuck in my leg from getting stuck with a pencil as a child.

My first car was a blue Z24.

I am a certified Lactation Counselor.

I almost won a car once by playing "Fear Factor" at the Saturn dealership. I made it to the last round and the three remaining contestants and I had to move worms from one bowl to another. The person with the most worms won. I came in a close second and was only 50 worms short of a car! Did I mention that I had to move the worms with my mouth???

I have a fear of bridges, because I know if my car went over the edge and into the water, I could never get all 4 children out safely.

In my lifetime I have had hamsters, guinea pigs, mice, dwarf hamsters, rabbits, Pugs, a Boxer, Schnauzers, a Beagle named "Bonehead", (Dumbest dog ever...hence the name.) lizards, toads, frogs, love birds, a dove, Parakeets, Coattails, Quaker Parrots (That we hand fed.), "Gracie" the parrot (That hated me and liked to attack and bite me), a newt, fish, a turtle, Sea Monkeys, and gerbils. Notice there is no Chia Pet. (Let it be known that most of these pets are from my childhood and the only pet we have now is from the "Littlest Pet Shop" or "Webkinz".)

I am afraid of heights.

I have always wanted 6 kids.

I love antiques.

My first "real" job was at Dabney's restaurant.

In 2002 I got a toothpick stuck in my foot and almost had to have it surgically removed. When I called into work, I got a worse reaction than "The dog ate my homework!"

I told my sister that she was left by the mailman. And she believed me.

My Great-Grandma Mabel owned a hat shop.

I like war movies and documentaries.

I have very strange dreams.

I used to teach restraint methods for the group homes at The Children's Foundation.

I have always wanted to live in a big old house in the country.

I have an Aunt Willie.

My grandfather was Mayor of the coal mining town that he lived in.

When I was 4 I played in tar from a freshly paved parking lot...and survived the scrubbing to get it off.

I have a brick from the Berlin Wall.

I HATE beets.

I love Carey Grant.

I used to write poetry.

I like non-fiction, better than fiction.

I would rather dress up and look good than be comfortable.

I love taking pictures.

I am very sentimental and have lots of "memory boxes". One time when we moved, a friend was helping to move some of them and he made an observation. "Memories are heavy!"

A Belated Birthday Update

2007-07-12T07:51:00.000-06:00

Poor little Ashlee did not get to celebrate her birthday until a month after her birthday! There was no time to pull one together. My sister invited the girl's and I to swim at her friend's apt. complex pool, so we decided to turn it into a birthday party. We got a balloon cake and my sister got some Dora hats and tableware. She did make the comment that there were not many people at her party, but we distracted her.

There was a hot tub at the pool and she is the only girl I know that had a hot tub party for her 4th birthday! The girls had fun swimming and it was a success. She got some playfood, Dora dollhouse accessories and a Chef hat, apron and pots and pan set from Chef Daddy. She loves to play Chef and says that Michael is a good "cooker".

Better late than never!

Summertime!

2007-07-11T13:16:00.000-06:00

OK. Is anyone tired of listening to "Mr. Clean"? It was cute the first 100 times I listened to it, but is now very annoying!

Just a quick update. (that I dedicate to Callie =) We have been very busy lately! It has been so nice having Michael home! He is off for his 1 week summer break. We feel like we have regular family life! I am going to be a mess when he leaves again. We have been busy working in the yard, trying to finish projects that we need to do together and have just started the daunting task of painting a friend's house for her before she rents it out. The girls have enjoyed being outside and playing with friends. We hardly spend anytime inside!

Not too much to report around here, other than the fact that we are enjoying summertime!

Yes, I'm Still Here!

2007-06-28T19:53:00.000-06:00

We have been busy since we have been home. We have all been so glad to be here and sleeping in our own beds...although MY bed was not empty for the first 3 nights.

We all had some kind of bad stomach virus that started with Alyssa, Aubree, Autumn and myself, while we were in Chicago and ended with Michael and Ashlee when we got home. I was up with Ashlee until 2:30 AM on the Friday and Saturday night, after our return. She has not been that sick in a long time!

Now, some would think, after a long trip out of town, unpacking lots of luggage, and being up for two nights in a row, one would take the opportunity to rest. Instead, I decided to begin rearranging the furniture in Aubree and Autumn's room. I knew that it was not going to be an easy task, but I was not prepared for how looong the process would be. I was really impressed with how much junk the girls got rid of. I finally finished about 11:30 pm.

I woke up the next morning to a dresser and toy box in the hallway and garbage bags full of stuff. That is when I started to rearrange Alyssa and Ashlee's room. This too, took longer than anticipated, but both rooms turned out wonderful and look so much bigger. I was to create better places for them to store things and Alyssa finally has a dresser instead of plastic drawers for her clothes. (Movin' on up, to the east side.)

From there, I moved on to the linen closet. I found a credit that I had from something I returned to Bed Bath and Beyond (when cleaning out my wallet=) and bought a new "baker's rack" type shelf to go over the toilet. This provided so much better storage and I was quite pleased with the results. After finishing that, I cleaned out all of the treasures that little Luc has hidden under my bed during nap time. You would not believe all of the things I pulled out! Slippers, lots of socks, buttons and thread, books, wrappers and toys. I finally finished all of these projects about 11 pm.

Keeping a small home (with lots of people in it)organized is challenging at times, but it is worth the effort! It is so nice to have the house in order and I was glad to have the chance to stop half way through and be able to leave it for the next day. I usually have to get everything done quickly so my house can be baby proofed for the next morning!

We have had some visitors and taken a few outings, but mostly have just enjoyed being home. The girls have played outside with the neighbors, when it has not been raining, and Aubree has been able to use many of her gifts and craft projects that she was not feeling good enough to do before.

Aubree has been feeling pretty good and I am still shocked by her fast recovery! She looks so good and we are glad that she has her spunky personality back. She does get tired very easily and is still not up to long outings. Her stomach and neck are tender, but she doesn't complain too much. Every once and a while she will ask for a pain pill. I think she is pushing herself too hard, but I am glad that she is trying to dive back in. I just try to keep things short and give her ample time to take it easy.

We were able to go to church last night and it was so good to be back! I was thrilled to be there and see everyone! Aubree and the girls were very excited too, but she wasn't feeling too well when we returned home and crashed on the couch.

I have enjoyed this time with just my girlies. We all really needed it to recover from being away so long! We are headed back to "organized chaos" next week.

Song for this post: Mr. Clean

A Word of Thanks

2007-06-22T23:47:00.000-06:00

As I looked back over the entries of the past weeks, I see how far Aubree has come. I remember each emotion I felt along the way and I am so thankful that she can count it as "done". I could not begin to thank everyone who had a hand in all of the happenings of this month. I will try not to leave anyone out.

I must start out, by first, thanking my Heavenly Father. He has been my spiritual "Daddy" and I have crawled upon His lap, many a time in the past year. Thank you, Father, for keeping Aubree safe in your arms and allowing her to fully recover. You know how much she means to me and have spared me the sorrow of not having her here with me. I have learned to trust you in a way that I never would have if I was not allowed to travel down this road. Thank you for allowing these trials to happen and for standing beside me each step of the way. Thank you for allowing Aubree to see your love and power, first hand, at such a young age. Thank you for guiding the doctor's hands and giving her the strength to get through all she had to. Thank you for keeping your promise never to leave or forsake us and for letting me truly feel your presence in our lives. Thank you for the blessing of Aubree and all of my children. They have all grown from this experience and will become better women because of it. Thank you for Autumn's tender heart. Thank you for Alyssa's compassion and for Ashlee's love. Thank you for giving me Michael to be right beside me every step of the way.

Thanks to Lois, Michael's mom, and to my parents and Ann, for taking such good care of our little ones while we were away. Thanks to Aunt Leannah, Uncle Jim, Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, Aunt Cyndi, Penni, Megan and her class and others that sent cards for Aubree. Thanks to Aubree's teacher for all of the wonderful gifts, taking the time to come and see her, and especially for the fashionable scarf. Thanks to my mom and dad for coming to visit Aubree and for bringing the girls. Thanks to Victoria's mom for bringing her to visit. Thanks to my neighbor for coming to see us, getting the mail and watering the plants. Thanks to Amy for the homecoming. Thanks to Grandpa and Grandma for financial gifts and to RMH for giving us a "home away from home". Thanks to the hospital staff for taking such good care of our daughter and a special thanks to Dr. Superina for his wisdom and skill. Thanks to our Crossroad's family for the prayer quilt and to Chris for the hankies. Thank you all for the uplifting blog comments and emails. They were truly appreciated and helped us feel less lonely.

A special thanks to all that prayed for Aubree. You were instrumental in her healing. God did not ignore our prayers and answered them according to His will.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).

"…The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (James 5:16).

There's No Place Like Home!

2007-06-22T20:17:00.000-06:00

We saw the first glimpse of a Bloomington/Normal water tower around 5:30 PM. I almost broke out in tears! Instead I started clapping my hands and doing a little happy dance in my seat! Aubree said, "Oh, mom. Stop being so dramatic!" Yes, she is getting back to her normal self.

Things went well at the doctor today. Aubree was really worried about the pool of blood. She thought that somethig would be terribly wrong and we would not be able to go home. Dr. Superina said that the ultrasound looked good. The pool of blood is still by the shunt, but he said that it should absorb on its own. She has to have 3 more weeks of no rough activity and then she should be set! We don't even have to go back for an ultrasound until SEPTEMBER. Yes, you read correctly...SEPTEMBER! What am I going to do with myself, without a suitcase in the living room! Leah, Maegan, Paul and Megan will not think they are at the right house without it! We do have to return in late July or early August to her Immunologist, but hey, that is a far cry from once a week for 2-3 days at a time! Halleluiah!

We got all packed up and literally lined the hallway with our luggage. All we had to do was wash our sheets, clean the room and we were out of there! There are 2 cleaning ladies at RMC that are from some Slavic country that chased us around, asking us when we were going to be out so they could make the beds for the next people. They are so sweet and very anxious to clean. I would hire them in a minute! They keep that place spick and span.

When we got home, I said that we would unload the car, but I WOULD NOT unpack anything until tomorrow. Well, I sit down to write this I have unpacked all but one little toiletry bag. I could not sit there and look at the mounds of things that I had to unpack. I know that Amy is shocked.

Speaking of Amy. When we pulled up, there was a big Welcome Home sign on the door. How cool is that! I have never had a Welcome Home sign before! We unlocked the door and were greeted by streamers. There was a note on Aubree's door and their room had more streamers and some balloons. There was a card on the table that said she had put some groceries in the fridge! I had just commented to Michael that we were going to come home to a house with no milk, bread or even a stick of butter and there was no way we were going to WalMart tonight. (I will admit...I really missed WalMart. Especially the fact that you can pull up and park to go in and the fact that you don't have to only buy what you and 4 little girlies can carry 5 blocks!) I opened the fridge to find milk, bread and so much more. Even icecream bars in the freezer! What a thoughtful thing to do! She got the key from my mamma. She said that our neighbors were checking her out when she was headed in. Not because she is a hot hottie (Which, of course, she is.) but, to see who was going into our house! I love our neighbors. She explained herself and spared herself a ride in a patty wagon. Thank you Amy, for being thoughtful enough to think of what I needed, before I mentioned it! You are not always so good at keeping a secret, but you got me this time...even with all your questions! That is why you are my very best friend!

We let the girls reconnect with the neighborhood clan. They came in droves. They set up the pool, but only splashed a little water since it was not that warm outside. Aubree got to talk with her best friend Melanie, that lives a few doors down. She really wore herself out. I should have made her come in, but I could not break her heart. She was mostly sitting and talking, but the kids were pretty good about being careful around her. They can be a wild bunch! She came in after a little while and said that her neck was starting to bother her, so we had Melanie in to watch a movie. We are all so glad to be home!

There IS no place like home.

Song for this post: Home (Get your square dancin shoes on mama!)

Things I Have Learned from a Rex Shunt

2007-06-21T22:38:00.001-06:00

No one really gets rest in a hospital.(Shocker)

Hospital food really can make you "sick".

Ashlee can make anyone laugh.

Mothers really are nurses.

On that note...I should have gone to nursing school.

Coffee can be addicting.

My family is loved.

I am an over-packer.

Thankfulness, thankfulness, thankfulness.

My mattress at home really wasn't as bad as I thought it was.

I miss dusting...OK, I lied.

Autumn is even more compassionate than I thought.

Prayer works!

Girls pack too much stuff.

Always have a thermometer in your back pocket.

There are no pink Hippos at the zoo.

Gorillas have a terrible odor.

Alyssa really needs cuddles.

There is no place like home.

My husband and I understand each other in a way no one else does.

Wheel chairs make good "stuff" holders...Ashlee holders too!

If you see a crater in the side walk, do not attempt to cross over it with a wheelchair...you will get stuck.

Walking everywhere really is more fun than driving.

Bored together is better than fun apart.

I was never meant to be a mother of just one girlie.

Sisters can be the best of friends.

God made doctors smarter than others.

No matter how old my children get, they WILL ALWAYS be my baby.

I am NEVER alone.

Determination can overcome many obstacles.

Faith can move mountains.

God is good.

Scars are a reminder of what God has brought us through.

He IS the great physician.

God really is in control.

His strength is perfect.

His mercies are great.

Aubree is braver than most adults.

Attitude makes all the difference. A complaining spirit accomplishes nothing.

The kindness and generosity of others can astound you.

Blessings lie around every corner.

Puking and Packing

2007-06-21T16:18:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the title. I found it "catchy". (And I thought I ran out of ideas.)The past few days have been busy and a little tiring.
Tuesday was fairly uneventful. We only went out, briefly, to have the girl's nails done, from our friends at P.S. Nails. Yes, they remembered me from last time, as the blubbering mother. They gave Aubree a manicure for free for being so brave and did the other girl's nails for next to nothing. Ashlee was so cute, sitting there like a big girl. We got to visit with some Residents from Children's that were in the salon. It was a nice little girlie outing.

On Tuesday evening I took the girls downtown. We were supposed to meet Michael so we could drop off Alyssa for the night. We left a little early for a short trip to look around at some shops. Autumn started complaining about a tummy ache when we got off the subway. We went into Water Tower Place to the food court to grab something to eat. I thought maybe she was hungry since we had not eaten in a long while. The food court is a little better than the one at home. There are many nice little "restaurants" to choose from and the HOSTESS (Ooh, la, la) gives you a "credit card" that you use to swipe at all the places you get food from. You just pay for everything on the way out. It is a genius idea.

Anyway, the hostess was just about to seat us when Autumn got sick all over the floor. The guy was so worried about getting it cleaned up that he was ignoring my requests for directions to the nearest restroom. You should have seen the look on the guys face. I have never seen someone's eyes come so close to popping out of their head! He obviously has no children. Autumn got sick a second time and he finally pointed me to the right direction. She was sick all the way down the hall. Needless to say, we got her, Aubree's feet and my shoes, all cleaned up and then headed out of the restroom. Autumn just wanted to lay down, but thought she might have gotten sick because she was so hungry and rode the subway on an empty stomach. (We usually only feed the kids on Mon, Wed and Fri. Maybe we should rethink that plan.) Well, we were not about to attempt to go back into the food court. The security guard asked if she was feeling better, but I really think he was sent to make sure we did not get back in.

We got into the elevator and headed back outside. We ended up walking back to McDonald's, right by our subway stop and getting the girls something to eat. This gave me time to create a new game plan. FYI, they do not have saltines or soup at McDonald's. Autumn tried a few bites of something and then laid her head on the table. She drank some sprite and I came up with an idea. It was only about 45 minutes or so until Michael was going to be out of class. If I took the girls back to RMH, he would be literally following me back to get Alyssa. I was not sure if Autumn was ready to get right back on the subway right then. Visions danced through my head...and they were not of sugar plums. ( Me, on subway, sick child, no barf bag, not good...) Autumn perked up a little and so we planned to go to American Girl and sit on the couch, while the girls looked around for a while. This would kill time and give her more time to regroup and then we could walk to meet Michael. Great idea...NOT. American Girl closes early on Tuesday...so does Disney Store...so does every other place to kill time with 4 little girls in downtown Chicago. We ended up walking down to a Bennigan's and sharing a dessert, so we had a place to sit until he got out. I must have looked a sight: ever so slightly stressed, hair slightly tossled, dew drops of perspiration dabbled across my forehead, ever so gently pushing Ashlee in the stroller. On one side, Autumn looking green and sickly, on the other side, Aubree- all hunched over with a scarf around her neck in 100 degree weather, and next to her, Alyssa-walking with an ear to ear grin, because she was so excited to be staying with daddy!

When Michael called I did not know whether to cry or laugh! Well, we got Alyssa dropped off and made it back off of the subway at about 10:15 pm. So much for making things "easier". Why do these crazy scenarios always happen to me? I guess I just would not be Shelly, without a little chaos...and this was not the least bit organized!

Ashlee love hippos. She was disappointed that there are no pink ones at the zoo.

Wednesday, we had a visit from one of my friends that brings her child up to Chicago as well. She was up here for an apt and so they stopped by and we went to the zoo together. (Again) We had a good time, but the kids were tired after they left. Aubree started running a little fever again and was not feeling very well. Autumn was OK in the morning, but started to have a stomach ache again by evening. She had a very sleepless night and was still not feeling well this morning.

I took her into Urgent Care (Ashlee, I guess it is your turn now)to get checked out. She has thrown up on 2 different occasions without being actually "sick". She has complained of a stomach ache other times too. I know she has been so stressed so I thought she should get looked at. They did a urine sample and an ex ray and did not find anything. They said that it could just be stress related, but to get her into a GI specialist up there if it keeps happening over the next few weeks, so they can do a complete work up. Hopefully when we get back to our "normal" life, she will feel better and things will stop. It is just really weird. Autumn really does not get sick too often.

Michael helped with all of the laundry while I took Autumn this morning. I got things all packed up...hopefully for the last time, for a while. I would be really surprised if something happened and we had to stay. Everything is looking good and we are all VERY ready to get home. It is going to take a UHaul, but I am ready! It took me about 3 hours to pack everything back up. How does one family accumulate so much stuff! We have 2 bags full of 14 pairs of shoes alone! Class shoes, tennis shoes, sandals, flip flops, heels, walking shoes. It looked like a shoe store in the closet!

4 suitcases, 2 small Dora bags, 6 blankets, 2 pillows, toiletry bag, school bag, 2 computer bags, 3 "personal belonging" bags from the hospital, and 1 very large purse

Well, Aubree's ultrasound is at 8 am and her apt with the surgeon is at 10:15 am. Hopefully we can come back, wash our sheets, load up and head out!

Song for this post: Homsick

How to Make It Through a Massage Without Laughing...???

2007-06-18T20:23:00.000-06:00

Here at the good old RMH, they have Massage Therapy students come and give massages every night. I have mentioned it before, but tonight's experience is worth sharing.

I strolled into the room, ready for my massage. There was a new face to greet me at the door. His name was Angel. (Very fitting, actually.) I hopped up onto the table as usual, but was unprepared for what was about to happen. You see Angel was a little further along in school than some of the other girls that had given me massages. He used a much more forceful touch and another move that caught me off guard...karate chops...lots of them. I was beginning to wonder if I had stepped into the wrong room for a minute. Was this the massage room or practice for Karate Kid part VII?

He started on my back and then moved his way down to my lower back, then thighs and legs. I had to fight the urge to tighten all of my under toned muscles, to make myself appear skinner. My cellulite started to wiggle and jiggle and I thought I was going to blub my way off of the table! Now, let the record show, I am not good at keeping my composure under certain circumstances...this being one of them. (Right next to laughing in church when I was a child, right Amy?) Luckily my face was down toward the ground, or I would have broken out into hysterics! I tried to focus on the serenity of ocean waves crashing against the beach, a trickling stream or even the 17 year swarms of cicadas, but nothing could keep me from wanting to laugh. I somehow pulled it together enough, until he made it down to my calves.

Now, all along, he was asking me how the pressure was. "Too much? Not enough?" When he started massaging my calves, my head lifted off of the table and I almost yelped! I did not realize they were sore until he applied "too much" pressure to them. He proceeded a little more cautiously and then finished the first half of the massage. Yes, it was time for me to turn over. (How much more of this could one girl take???)

I flipped over and smoothed the wrinkles off my face. Without the comfort of looking at the floor, I knew I was doomed. How was I going to keep a straight face now? I choked back a few laughs and started Lamaze-like breathing. (I tried to keep my lips from smiling, but temptation was getting the better of me.) Heavy Lamaze-like breathing. You see, the whole time I had been holding my breath periodically, without even knowing it. Partly out of not being able to relax and partly out of trying to hold in my laughter. He had quietly been reminding me to take deep breaths. So, by focusing on "Lamaze breathing" I think I fooled him into thinking I was only taking deep breaths instead of controlling a belly laugh.

After a while the breathing worked and I was able to relax a little and "enjoy" my massage. It really was wonderful. After he was done I felt like I had a nap, despite the urges to laugh or the embarassment of my flabbiness. It really was "Angelic"...even the "blubbing".

I even watched 3 other mother's children so they could experience the same torture...I mean treasure of this heavenly massage therapist. What are friends for?

Lincoln Park Zoo and Bake Night

2007-06-18T19:05:00.000-06:00

We made it to the Zoo today. We were trying to decide what to do, since it looked like it was going to rain. We have been to Lincoln Park Zoo about 342 times, but decided to make it 343 times. A trip downtown was totally out of the question, with subway stairs and too much walking. We discovered a Primate House that we had overlooked before and watched the Seals for a while.

The highlight of the hour long journey (Thank goodness, for FREE!) was eating blue raspberry snow cones. Ashlee, of course, opted for a Dora Popsicle, instead (Although she did stick her tongue out with the rest of us) We all sat down near a fence on the path and slurped to our hearts content. We laughed hysterically at every one's blue lips and tongue. It proves that the littlest things in life can be the most memorable.

(My hair is not so lovely in the heat and humidity =0)

It was bake night at RMH tonight. It is pretty sad when we have nothing to look forward to all day, but bake night! Ahh, the joy and rapture!

Finger lickin' good!

It was actually fun watching all of the house kids interact with each other. They made cookie cheeseburgers. (out of vanilla wafers, colored icing, coconut and peppermint patties) They looked like they had war paint on and were ready for battle, by the time they were finished. I am glad that my friends are not too shy and good at making new friends.

I don't know where Autumn gets her dramatic flare??

I Am Out of Catchy Titles...

2007-06-18T09:55:00.000-06:00

Not too much to report. Just, hurry up and wait! Even the blogs are boring!

We walked to the Nature Museum yesterday. They had a Robot exhibit where you could play with all sorts of Robots. There were also lots of interesting creatures for Autumn to gawk at and several interactive play areas. They had a beautiful butterfly garden up on the roof and there were more kinds of butterflies than you could count! They had another section where you could see the cocoons hatching. It was really neat!

Overall, the trip was a success, even though Aubree only lasted about an hour. Even with the wheelchair, she tires easily. She grows a little stronger each day, but if we try to go anywhere, it usually does her in for the rest of the day. She usually gets excited about going for a "walk", but we don't go too far, so we don't push it when she is done.

The girls have enjoyed making some new friends and playing at the house. There are not many older children here this time, but Ashlee has had her pick of little friends. She especially gets along well with a little boy named Cameron. (Watch out Zach! Don't worry too much. She has not made any mention of marrying him.) They have so much fun playing together and do a good job taking turns playing different things. They go back and forth between house, kitchen, Spiderman, and "The Happy Show". (I haven't quite figured that one out yet.) She gets very sad when none of her friends can play.

I am hoping that the week goes fast. We are getting a little homesick. I think Aubree will really crash when she gets there. It is harder to get rest around here, since there are so many families. There are quite a few distractions.

Removing Steristrips- Not on My List of Fav Things to Do

2007-06-16T17:14:00.000-06:00

Well, we got the results back from her CBC and everything looked good with no alarming patterns. Dr. Superina also said that we should go ahead and take the steristrips off, since dirt can become trapped in them. Aubree cried at the though of it, so we waited until this morning.

I was going to try the adhesive remover, but we decided to soak in the tub instead. She wanted to do the ones on her tummy herself, but after about 3, she got really grossed out and did not want to look at it anymore. I don't blame her! I was just following her lead! Well, after about 20 minutes and minimal whimpering, she was steristrip free! All of the tape removal has been worse than anything! She was not really pleased with how the scars looked, but really, the one on her stomach looks better than it did before! Kudos to Dr. S. for that!

We all walked to a nearby park today, even Aubree, and enjoyed the sunshine. It was hot, hot, hot, but good to get outside. We stopped back by for the wheelchair and then headed to the store for a "quart of milk, a loaf of bread, and a stick-a-butter". (If you watched PBS as a child, you might remember that one. Amy???) We just missed the torrential down pour and the kids enjoyed an afternoon of playing with some of their new friends at RMH. I hope the rain clears. Hopefully Aubree will feel good enough so we can venture out a little further to the Nature Museum, down the street, tomorrow.

Song for this post: Singin in the Rain

Go Cubbies!

2007-06-16T10:14:00.001-06:00

They had some Cub tickets at the RMH and Michael took Autumn. She was so excited that she could hardly contain herself! Michael was like a kid himself! It was a great opportunity to do something special for Autumn. It is hard on all of the girls when we are separated, but especially on Autumn. She said she was trying to be brave, but it was hard.

Michael said that Autumn woke up at 7 AM and was ready to go. They arrived at the ballpark and were able to see batting practice. They had really good seats, in between home and first. Autumn (and her big kid "brother" Michael) were very excited to share all of the details of the game. Her favorite part was when they hit two home runs in a row. How fitting that they won the game! (Finally, a post under "Everyday Life!)

Song for this post: Go Cubs Go

A Minor Setback

2007-06-15T14:19:00.000-06:00

Well, our walk outside, yesterday went OK. We were trying to keep it short for Aubree, but ended up being out longer than expected. Michael had to eat at a restaurant that had a hostess and evaluate it. I am sure his professor was looking for something a little more upscale, but with 6 people, one of which was not feeling like eating much, we settled for a diner...with a hostess.

After we returned, Aubree rested for a while. There was a youth group here from Tennessee, that fixed us a steak dinner. It was really nice to have a chance to talk with some of the other parents again. It, once again, made me count my blessings, that we have only had 2 big surgeries and not numerous ones. So many others have been here for months on end and their children have had to endure far worse things than a Rex Shunt!

Aubree did not have much of an appetite and was having more stomach pain last night. She woke up in the middle of the night with chills and was shaking all over. She did not feel warm at the time, but did feel quite warm when she woke up this morning. I, being the obsessive compulsive planner, forgot to pack a thermometer. Stop laughing, Amy! It is really hard to guage a temperature when you have no instrument to measure it with. I used the tried and true, "Let me feel your belly and your sister's at the same time" method. I had her take a shower and it seem to cool her down. She has also been complaining of increased pain in her right side.

I had to call Dr. Superina's office about her ultrasound anyway, so I spoke with the nurse about the "fever". She said it would probably be best to have her looked at. Of course, when we got there, she did not have a fever. (How many times have I rushed these kids in with 110 degree fever, only to find that they are reading 96 degrees and doing cartwheels by the time we get to the doctor's office?!) Dr. Superina said that she doesn't look sick enough to be in the hospital, but maybe she might have picked up an illness during her stay. With the IgA deficiency, she does get infections all the time, so it would not surprise me if that was the case. He did a CBC and said that she should drink more fluids. They had a hard time taking her blood and had to stick her twice and dig around a little, so increased fluid intake is a must. We will just watch her pain level and return if she has a fever of 100 degrees or more.

You think that I would be able to make it more than 1 day without having to return to the hospital for somebody! I guess that is life with 4 girlies!

Song for today's post: One Step Forward

Walking on Sunshine!

2007-06-14T10:06:00.000-06:00

We are off for our first walk/ride in the sunshine! Aubree says she is ready to go for a walk outside. She is feeling a little cooped up. I'll let you know how it turned out!

We all slept well, thanks to Carla Thomas' gift of Ramona books on cd, and had a lovely breakfast together. When I woke up to check on Aubree she was lying flat on the bed without the 1000 pillows to prop her up! That, in iself, is good progress. She hasn't been waking at night for a pain pill and we have gotten all of the new meds added in to our routine. (AMY- I did get a new pill box. I know you were wondering!) She is even wearing a REAL dress today!

Well, we are just waiting for daddy to finish up some homework and we will be on our way! It is a beautiful day, so we can't wait to be out in the sunshine!

I am adding a new feature to my posts: Song for this post. In case you haven't noticed, I have been adding songs that apply to the post of the day. For example, the Cheeseburger song when Aubree could eat again. That way, if you are viewing previous posts you could play the song from the playlist that goes with it. I might put a generic song on if there is not a particular song that applies, but it has been fun and uplifting! Enjoy!

Song for this post: Walking in the Sunshine.

Ronald Sweet McDonald

2007-06-13T16:29:00.000-06:00

The girlies are coming, the girlies are coming, the girlies are here! I was so happy to see them and as you could imagine, there were plenty of hugs an kisses to go around! I got them all unpacked and Michael helped with laundry. The girls have settled in well. They were all very quiet when they saw Aubree and checked out her ouchies. Ashlee was afraid to touch her, but raced to her side when I told her she could squeese her hand. Alyssa and Autumn privately said that her neck looked worse than in the picture, but they handled it well. I just think they were worried about their sister. It was so good to see them all back together again! There is nothing like togetherness!

Aubree slept well last night and felt much better after her shower. She was able to lean against the shower chair and stand the whole time! She was walking much better today, although she still walks like the hunchback. She IS able to move a little faster and get up and down a little easier. She is not as sore as she was, but tires easily and her sisters have been good therapy for her. They have kept her distracted and busy. She rested a little in between "playing".

I returned to the hospital with Alyssa today. She had a cut that needed to get looked at, but all is well and she will be just fine. It was weird taking Alyssa and not Aubree! We whizzed past intake with no detailed health history to share! It was really a nice time that we got to spend one on one. I really can't make it one day without some crisis!

When we came back we ate lunch outside. It was a beautiful day outside and Aubree enjoyed seeing the sunshine. Thanks to Ann for sending the scarf. No offence, but she really did not think it was too stylish. =) Does anyone know where we can get some silky, cute, stylish, fun scarves for an 11 year old who is really too cool to wear one? We just need to keep her inscision covered so it will not scar worse than it should. Help me out here guys!!

She is feeling tired tonight. She got a light massage that made her feel a little more comfortable and I got a complete massage that made me feel like a human again! It was heavenly. The girl that did the massages had over 70 surgeries here at Children's as a child and wanted to give back.

Song for this post: We Are Family

Hospital Bingo

2007-06-12T16:05:00.000-06:00

Aubree continued her lucky streak and won a Build-A-Bear during Hospital Bingo. They had a band there called De Sol. They played some cool music that appeals to everyone and had a Latin feel. They sang a special song for everyone that won. It was really fun and boosted a tired Aubree's spirits. The band took some pics and visited with the kids. They were very genuine and caring. The lead singer gave Aubree his autographed guitar pick!

The Band and The Bingo Guy

De Sol

Aubree picking her prize

WARNING!!! This is loud! Turn your volume WAAAAYYYY down before playing!

The CT angiogram looked good overall, but the one thing that was concerning was a golf ball-sized pool of blood by the shunt connection. They said that this could be reabsorbed on its own, but we need to watch her. If she has pain that will not subside or if her belly becomes distended and firm, we have to rush back. This kind of thing is why we have to stay in town. She will have some more ultrasounds to look at the problem. The shunt is open and flow looks good. I still have some unanswered questions, but I am sure I will get more answers along the way. One of her ultrasounds showed that her heart was slightly enlarged. I don't think this should be too much of a concern, but they did note that it was different from her scan in March 2007.

Getting the central line removed was not very fun. She started to panic some more, but calmed down with some deep breathing. Some of the stitches were stuck, but she made it through. Part of the problem was that she did not realize that it was stitched in. This caused her some anxiety about having them removed. Thank heavens she does not have to have any removed from her other incisions! They would probably have to put her under!

We made it back to RMH just in time for dinner, but she was so pooped that she did not eat much. We got her into bed with 1000 pillows and she is settled in with a movie. She was nervous about lying in a regular bed. Today when she had her scan she had to recline flat and it really hurt her. I hope she gets lots of rest tonight. She will have her first shower and get her hair washed tomorrow. She is nervous about washing the incisions, but I know she will feel so much better when she is done.

Off to rest!

Destination, RMH

2007-06-12T09:01:00.000-06:00

It looks like today WILL be the day. We are waiting to do the CT angiogram this morning. She should be able to get her IV and Central Line out sometime this afternoon. She is still getting one IV med by IV now. There is much debate over whether or not she needs a new IV for the scan. We will have to see. Sometimes I would like to get all of these teams of doctors in the same room and let them communicate with each other! It would be like WWF Wrestling! I could sell tickets. Hmmmm, a good way to make some cash while I am gone.

She had a good night. We did not get much sleep, because they were working on her new roommate until 4:30 AM with the over head light on. We did crash for a few hours after that. I am looking forward to a "real" bed. The mattresses at RMH are actually nicer than ours at home! How luxurious!

Several people have been asking about an address for cards, etc. Here it is. We should be there until June 22nd.
Aubree Hart Room201
C/O Ronald McDonald House
622 W. Deming
Chicago, IL 60614

That's all for now. I will update when I know anything!

Song for this post: Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Tick, Tock...

2007-06-11T18:18:00.000-06:00

OK, so maybe I jumped the gun a little. Two out of three teams of docs said that she would go home tomorrow, but now they are using words like, "possibly" and "depending on". Things are still looking good, but I like to hear words like, "definitely" and "Only a natural disaster would stop you from walking out the door, tomorrow."

They pushed the CT scan back until tomorrow. Here's the deal: They originally scheduled an ultrasound, which she would have had to fast for 8 hours for, but they switched it to a CT scan. Since she had to have an empty stomach, they had to schedule it for tomorrow instead of today. Only thing is, after further investigation, one does not have to fast for one's CT scan. So in other words she could have had it today, but since it was too late when they figured it out, she has to wait. Bummer.

What is with these people anyway? She did not eat or drink for 5 days, then we are pushing fluids and trying to eat more, only to have them take it away. It is rather ironic. It really would not matter, because she still isn't eating too much now anyway.

They stopped all IV fluids today and we are strictly on oral meds now! COOL! No more pole to drag around! They left the lines in, but it is so nice to be free! She even slowly spun around...just 'cause she could!

Victoria's mom brought her up to see Aubree today and they had a good time playing in the playroom. Victoria was quite good at coloring Pooh Bear on the computer, even though she could not get Elmo to work. (Ha, Victoria) It was good to visit today.

We played "Bodyparts" in the playroom this afternoon. (No, it is not a hospital version of spin the bottle, Maegan.) It is kind of like Bingo, only with organs, bones and muscles. If you get all of them on your sheet, you win a prize. They go over the location and function of each body part when they call one off. Aubree won a Littlest Pet Shop set. She was elated. (They do give "loser", I mean "everyone's a winner" prizes to every kid that does not win. Kid's that are too sick, can watch on a closed circuit TV station and call in when they win. Then they bring the prize to them. This is the first time that Aubree has not been too laid up to go into the actual toyroom. She was interviewed, when she called off her card! Movie star, at last!

Hopefully rounds are early, CT scan is early, and we find out if we can go home early. I NEED my other babys! I miss them terribly and want them to be with us NOW! Love you, Autumn, Alyssa, and Ashlee!

Tomorrow, Tomorrow...

2007-06-11T06:08:00.000-06:00

Good news! The surgical team came in this morning and said that she could probably leave the hospital tomorrow evening! They will do a CT scan, instead of the ultrasound, (since it gives them a better view of the vessels) this afternoon. She asked if she would need another IV for the CT scan, but then realized that she already has some! She lucked out again! That central line has been so awesome. It saved her probably over 50 more pokes at least! It is a bummer to have it sown into her chest, but ah, the joy of having your blood taken in your sleep and not even knowing it.

The pain team came around and said that they are going to try some norco, by mouth, for pain. One of the other drugs they could try is percocet. I could not help but smile when I thought of how I felt when I took it after my c-section with Ashlee. I was so out of it! I cannot believe that they would give that to a mother, and say, "I know that you cannot even hold your head up straight or keep your eyes open, but here's your new baby. Go home." They will disconnect the pain pump after she has had her first dose, but will leave in the central line in her chest and the other IV until she goes home. (It is always good to have a back up plan)

She will leave the hospital on baby aspirin and the persantine, to thin her blood. She will have to take it easy, of course. (Sorry, girlies! No WWF matches with daddy for a while.) They will start those orally today, to make sure she can tolerate them.

We had a little scare last night. She got up to go to the bathroom at around 8 pm and when she got back into bed, she felt really dizzy and her right side hurt really bad. Her heart rate and respirations elevated and she looked very pale. She was in obvious pain and was moaning a lot. They paged the on call dr and he came in and looked at her. He said that everything looked OK and that it is a very huge surgery to recover from. She was just having a bad moment. We were relieved that she was OK, since she seemed to go down hill fast. She finally fell asleep and had a very peaceful night.

Well, that sums it up for now. Another busy day ahead!

Song for this post: Tomorrow

Food, Glorious Food

2007-06-10T18:17:00.000-06:00

Aubree ate a few bites of mashed potatoes, mac and cheese and roll. It was a good transition. She was not really interested too much, but she knows it is important, so she tried. So far so good! I think that I am going to go on the Aubree diet. No food or drinks for 5 days---without hunger! Wow, sign me up! She has lost some weight and her tummy looks so much less distended than it has her whole life. She has always had a round belly, even though she is not big, due to the PVT. It is crazy that it has gone down, even with the swelling from the surgery. Maybe it is the new tummy tuck! From the size of my tummy, I must have a very LARGE clot in MY portal vein! Hee Hee!

She has also upgraded to the REAL potty! (I feel like I am the proud mother of a 2 year old with all of these updates! She is going to be mortified someday.) Her intestines are waking up and she is able to get out of bed more easily now. She really wore herself out today and with the added trips to the bathroom, has been out of bed quite often.

They will do another ultrasound in the morning to make sure the shunt is open. They are weaning her off of the IV fluids and she took them very seriously when they told her that she had to drink lots of fluids. If all goes well in the morning, they will wean her off of the IV meds and transition her on to oral meds. This is an important step on the way to RMH! They will leave the IV in her hand and the central line in her chest, so they can draw labs and reattach the IV meds if necessary. It will be a transition off of the IV PVC pain pump, but she did so well getting off of the continuous flow, that I think she will do well.

She is so much more of herself today and teasing Michael right and left. She claims he started it, but I am not so sure. She always keeps the prayer blanket on her tummy to keep some pressure on it and places her hands over it for a hug, when she has to move. I commented that it really seemed to be working out well for her and she said, "Well, they did pray over it, mom!" Only logical that it should work! The prayer quilt has preempted Lamb Chops. Lamb Chops was made for Aubree when she was a baby and has been with her for every surgery, and every trip to Chicago, Peoria, Springfield, and Maryland. It has seen her through many CT scans, MRI's, HIDA scans and sick days at home. She took Lamb Chops into surgery with her, but has not asked for it since. (Out with the Lamb Chops, in with the prayer quilt!) Lori, you should feel so honored that you coordinated a gift that is so special, it has become more important than an old friend. That is really something. Now, don't get me wrong, we will still keep the old faded Lamby around, but I think the prayer quilt will have great significance in her life. Thanks a bunch!

Song for this post: His Cheeseburger

Laughter, the Best Medicine

2007-06-10T14:33:00.000-06:00

My cousin Rob's wife, Penni, keeps sending Aubree funny stories and jokes to make us laugh. Last night I was having a little bit of an "AAAAAHHHHHHH!" moment. Autumn threw up all over my friend Ann's floor and was crying because she did not feel well, Alyssa cut her ankle pretty bad and Aubree was really hurting and tired. I read this story and laughed so hard that I literally almost cried! What a stress relief! Calgon, take me away! Thanks, Penni!

She also put a quote at the end, and it describes Aubree to a "T". I had to steal it and post it at the top of my blog.

"When you have a "I hate My Job" day, try this. On your way home from
work, stop at your pharmacy and go to the thermometer section and
purchase a rectal thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson. Be very sure
you get this brand. When you get home, lock your doors, draw the
curtains and disconnect the phone so you will not be disturbed. Change
into very comfortable clothing and sit in your favorite chair. Open the
package and remove the thermometer. Now, carefully place it on a table
or a surface so that it will not become chipped or broken. Now the fun
part begins. Take out the literature and read it carefully. You will
notice that in small print there is a statement, "Every Rectal
Thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson is personally tested".

Now, close your eyes and repeat out loud five times, "I am so glad I do
not work in the Thermometer quality control at Johnson & Johnson."

Road Kill

2007-06-10T12:24:00.000-06:00

Aubree looks so much like herself today! She was awake most of the day, yesterday so she fell asleep easily. It really made a difference taking her off the continuous flow of pain meds. The narcotics were giving her so many bad dreams. I came in from going to the restroom and she swore that she almost fell out of bed. At that point, she could barely wiggle her big toe, let alone, fall out of a huge bed with guard rails!

When she sat up in bed and tried the breathing thingee, she blew over the squirrel and almost to the bottom of the bird's nest! Road kill!

Dr. Superina's assistant is going to check and see if she could try some crackers later today. She ate a little juice bar for breakfast and then had about 1/4 cup of broth for lunch. She even fed herself! If I were her, I would have milked it so Michael would have fed me again. Maybe I should try that! She is drinking a little more too. She is starting to make some jokes and smile more.

She got out of bed by herself at 4:30 am. She had been holding it for 14 hours! That has got to be some kind of record! She had a hard time, but she finally accomplished it. She was so tired, so I don't think that helped. At about noon, she got out of bed a little easier and got into the wheel chair. My parents came and she was able to walk down the whole hallway, on to the elevator and down to the playroom...only to find out it was closed for lunch! We went back upstairs in the wheelchair and then she was able to walk a lap around the floor. She is doing so well! She is quite proud of herself and this morning she was beginning to plan out her day. (Wonder where she gets that from???) She said after she plays for a while, she will take a little nap, then go for another walk, then sit in the chair, then watch a movie. There you have it!

They are playing in the toy room now...only problem is my dad is making her laugh! Another thing that has not happened since Tuesday! We are starting the week off right!

It is so good to hear her talking again! I was really missing her conversations! Things are looking good. She is making progress every day. Now, we are just waiting to get her up moving around better, bowels to get moving along and for her to tolerate food so she can be on her oral meds. She is already on 5 and they will add the 2 more blood thinners. They will wean her off the pain pump and the heprin and we will stick around to make sure that there is no clotting after she is off of that drug. Overall, she is doing SUPER!

My Baby is Walking!

2007-06-09T16:34:00.000-06:00

Aubree got out of bed and the goal was to walk around the bed to the chair. She felt pretty dizzy when she sat up, but she dangled her legs and then too the plunge. She walked around the bed and said that she was OK, so we walked to the door. Then we just kept walking down the hall to the movie closet. When she got there she was REALLY dizzy and we stole someones wheel chair to get back to the room to sit in a chair. It was really slow going, but we had all day, so who cares! I was really proud of the way she pushed herself waaaaaay beyond what was expected of her. She is so determined and never gives up. Note there are no pics of her standing or walking...it took 3 of us to manuever around all of the equipment and keep her from falling!

Aubree's teacher and her husband came to visit us this morning. They were even sweet enough to bring my camera charger so you can all have more gorgeous pics of Aubree! Mr. and Mrs. Thomas stayed with Aubree so Michael and I could go back to the RMH and do some laundry. Michael had no clean socks left! It was really good to see someone from home. I was beginning to feel like this hospital was on the moon and not in Illinois! Aubree was so blessed to have Mrs. Thomas as a teacher this year. She took such good care of her. She even kept her out of P.E. for a month, to be sure she would not get hurt and delay the surgery! The best thing about the visit was the fact that Carla got her to eat a little juice bar. That was a huge step in the right direction. She was not even really wanting to drink water, so hats off to the teacher! Sometimes it just takes someone besides mom and dad to encourage things like that. Thank you to the Thomas family for saving the day. It really meant a lot to Aubree. (And Michael's feet...and my nose!)

Aubree in the playroom

This afternoon we have upgraded from the bed pan to the potty chair. This is a huge leap as well, and a good way to get her up and moving more. She got into the wheel chair since she was up and then we took her to the playrooom. It was a great distraction for her! We played a whole game of Sorry (that she won---even without us letting her!) painted some very "modern" artwork (her hands were still shaky) and then played a computer game. When we got back she was pooped and we only made her walk back from the door to the bed. She was trying very hard to do it on her own, so we just stood bye, holding her hands of course, and let her. She was almost able to get all the way up by herself. She rested a while after that.

The docs came in and removed the gargantuan piece of tape and bandages from her tummy. The wounds are covered in steri-strips like her neck and were not bleeding any longer. She was very nervous about getting it off, but 1 doctor, 1 nurse and lots of adhesive remover got it off within 5 minutes. I personally think they should have put her under for that. Those were the most cries I have heard all day! Tape hurts, people! Especially really sticky tape that is covering your whole abdomen! She has not been up to walk since it was removed, so we will see how that goes.

Dr. Daddy, pushing Aubree's pain pump (I thought he was a chef???)

Michael was able to feed her a few bites of broth this evening. Hospital broth always looks so scrumptious. No wonder the girl doesn't want to eat! He is so sweet and patient with her. He is so gentle when he helps her move and is very quick to rush to her side. I know in her eyes he is Superman.

So, from here on out, it is just recovering! She is still not blowing too high on the thingee, but she is sitting up more...and the walking should help clear her lungs as well. Every thing is really looking great. She has made soooooo much progress since yesterday and is interacting with us more and smiling more today. It is so good to hear her talking again. It has been far too quiet and I have missed talking with her! Slowly, but surely, we are getting our girl back! Thank you, Jesus. (That hankie prayin' church is wearing off on me, Holly!)

LIfe on the 6th Floor

2007-06-09T07:12:00.000-06:00

Well, they did remove the bandage off of her neck. It has internal stitches, then is glued and covered with steri-strips. Those will just stay on until they fall off. We just have to be careful not to touch the area so it will not get infected. From day 1, we have been washing our hands and using hand sanitizer, like crazy.

She did move to the 6th floor, yesterday evening and it is much more cheery up there. Things are a little quieter and there is a window that lets in the sun. Even though it is not on our side, it helps us feel brighter.

We got her up in the chair again, without drugs or therapy, and she even took 3 tiny baby steps, with 2 of us helping. She looks so miserable when she is sitting there and keeps nodding off the whole time. She has been able to move her head and legs around a little more in bed and is so proud of herself when she does. She wants so badly to please everyone and is trying so hard. My heart just swells with pride at her attitude. She never complains, only softly cries a little or asks for help. She has become good at using her pain button before she has to move or when she is hurting more than usual and it has become a mental and physical comfort to her.

The goal is to get her up and walking today. The doctor really did not say much else. She did drink a few sips of sprite last night, but has not wanted anything else. She has not had anything since then. She has to be one of the only kids I know, that would turn down popcycles, juice and jello, after being withough food and water for 4 days. She really just isn't feeling up to it. The new struggle, will be to get her to start eating and drinking again.

I would like to take her to the playroom, in a wheel chair, of course, just to get her out and a little more alert. It would distract her and help her stay sitting for longer periods of time.

Everything is just a waiting game now. We are just trying to make a little more progress each day. God is good and has given us such strength and comfort. He has been there to make Aubree stronger each day. He is so faithful and renews us each morning...after I have had a shower to try to wake up! =)

Music Therapy

2007-06-08T15:24:00.000-06:00

We got Aubree up into a chair, with the help of the ativan and a music therapist. The therapist came in with a guitar-looking electronic keyboard. She could change keys and Aubree would strum part of it to make music. The cool thing about it was that no matter what she strummed, it was always in key and sounded beautiful. It really calmed her. The ativan really did help to calm her, but it made her very dizzy and slurred her speech. She could barely lift her head. The therapist got out her own guitar and played and sang softly to her. It was a wonderful distraction and she was able to stay in the chair for a little over 30 minutes. It took at least that long and Michael, the nurse and I, to get her there. Too many wires were in the way and she was just dead weight. When Michael picked her up to place her back in bed, she was trembling. She was able to rest for a little bit and even lift her torso a little.

We had her use the peek flow meter while she was sitting and she made it past the turtle and a little above the mushroom. Her first goal is to make it to the squirrel, but she should really be at least up to the bird's nest. We tried to get her to cough, to no avail.
She has been keeping the prayer quilt folded over her belly and has us put a little pressure on it when she has to move or try to cough. We tried to get her to hug a pillow, but the blanket is just the right size to do the job. Stitched in love to cover her stitches!
She keeps tilting her head to the left because the tape from her bandage is really pulling. I am not sure that they will want to adjust it, since it is protecting her from infection. She might just have to deal with a crick in her neck.
I just found out that we are going to move out of the PICU on to the 6th floor. It is the liver and kidney transplant floor and all of Dr. Superina's other patients go there. We had better get a packing! Ahhhh, packing again! (At least I did not bring much here)

Baby Steps

2007-06-08T12:16:00.000-06:00

Well, she is gradually getting into a sitting position. As you can tell, by the look on her face, the elation from getting the NG tube is over. She is not thrilled to be sitting at all. I got "the look of death" at least twice. She did make a joke when a buzzer went off after I took a picture. She said the buzzer meant that I was in trouble because there are no pictures allowed in ICU. She has been having some borderline panic attack moments, so we just try to calm her. She usually is compliant, but wants to keep putting it off. "5 more minutes, PLEASE, Mommy!" We have come to the conclusion that it is better to give her 5 or 10 more seconds and then "Just Do It!". We have been pushing the button to raise the bed while she is sleeping, so she does not have a chance to think about it. It seems so mean to do it that way, but it really saves her anxiety.

They have ordered her a 1 time dose of ativan, to calm her for the big move of dangling her feet over the bed, and walking, just enough to get into a chair. They did not want to give her something too strong, because she does not need anything long term...just enough to get her over the hump. The anesthesiologists from the pain service, keep stopping by to check on her pain. They have really tried to keep her comfortable. It took a while, but they did not give up and kept trying to add more drugs until they helped her.

Her inhilation reading is below 200. It should be 1000, they would be happy with 750 and would settle for 500. She just blows into it and it raises a ball, to measure how much air she is filling her lungs with. She is still taking very shallow breaths and not coughing. The bottom of her lungs are still not being filled, which still puts her at risk for pneumonia. We are actively trying to get her up more and she is using the peak flow several times an hour to work on it. They are not real happy about the progress in this area, but if we get her up and moving, hopefully we can prevent her from getting worse.

I hope she can claim the promise of John 14:27-
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Headed in the Right Direction...

2007-06-08T07:51:00.000-06:00

Before tube removal...

After!!!

That was the best smile yet. It was a little forced and did not last long, but I was so glad to see it! She was overjoyed to get that tube out of her nose. It has really made her sore and inhibited her ability to talk. She is still quiet, but is more comfortable when she does try to speak.

We moved her up on to her side and I was able to give her a back massage. She was so anxious about it and her heart rate and respirations went way up. The nurse and I tried to talk her through it and make sure that she knew everything we wanted her to do. Part of the problem is that she is too tense and that really hurts her incisions. We did some excercises with her legs to try to build up her strength. Once we were finished moving her she was really pooped out. They are going to have a music therapist come this afternoon to help her to relax. She is definitely having pain when she moves, but she really gets herself all worked up and worried that it is going to hurt too bad for her to handle. As stoic and tough as she is about pain, I am sure it must be pretty bad for her to be that worried about it. We will continue moving her throughout the day. Once we get her sitting up and able to handle lifting up for a bed pan, we can take the other Catheter out.

No More Miss Nice Nurse...

2007-06-08T06:34:00.000-06:00

The docs came for rounds this morning and said that some more tubes can come out. They removed the IV from her left arm and they are going to take the tube out of her nose. She has not spoken, but she did ask about getting the tube out this morning. This will be fabulous, because her throat has become really sore and is her biggest discomfort when she is lying still. They will also let her try sips of water tomorrow.

They are going to have her do more of the breathing excercises and start coughing more. They are going to focus on getting her to take deeper breaths, sitting and maybe even walking today. (I really don't see any walking happening) Her lungs are sounding really rattly and they are concerned that if she does not start moving more, she will develop pnemonia. Her breathing is very shallow and she is not getting air down to the bottom of her lungs.

They are stopping the antibiotic today and will not restart it, unless she shows signs of infection. They are planning to remove the urine catheter, which makes me a little nervous, since, at this point, she could still not lift up enough to us a bed pan. She has a lot of progress to make.

Her ear was hurting in the middle of the night and she started running a little fever around 100 degrees.

Today is going to be a challenging one for both of us. Lots of tough love. She is really anxious and guarded about moving, but we really have to push her so she can get stronger. She was up quite a bit last night, but I was able to rest some. I really did not have a choice. My eyes were involuntarily closing!

We really need God's strength today to help her accomplish all of the things that she needs to do. She is very compliant, but still very weak and in a lot of pain. Pleas pray for her anxiety level today as we have to push her to do unpleasant things and that I will have strength and the words to say to encourage her to start moving more.

Looking Up!

2007-06-07T17:38:00.000-06:00

Dr Superina came in today and said that her ultrasound looked great! (He even posed for a picture, even though I am sure he really did not want to.) Tip: if you double click on the pics it makes them larger. The shunt was open and there was no sign of bleeding or clotting. This is the best news possible. We really should not have to worry about blood clots or bleeding any more. Dr. Superina was very pleased that there were no signs of bleeding since she was still oozing quite a bit when they closed her up. The next thing that they will be watching for is ascites. Ascites is extra fluid build up in the abdomen. When they made the incision, they cut through lots of lymphatic channels. These channels can continue to leak "lymph" (watery fluid) after the incision is closed. They will just watch for swelling in her abdomen.

We were so fortunate that we live so close to Chicago and have the best surgeon possible for Aubree's condition. I appreciate his straightforward approach and absorb everything he says like a sponge. He did comment again about the notes I was taking. I can't help it! I don't want to miss a thing! I really value the time that he has taken to explain things to us and all of the knowledge that he has. Needless to say, we are very impressed and hold him in high esteem.

They will repeat an ultrasound on Monday the 11th to make sure that the shunt looks good and will do a CT scan sometime next week to take a closer look at things.

There was a chance that she could have gone to the regular floor tonight, but she is still on 3 PVC pain pumps. That is too many pumps to move to a regular floor. They are not as familiar with those narcotic drugs on that floor. They are really full up there and she gets one nurse to herself down here. It is really just as well, because they will be more vigorous in getting her to move around when she moves and she will be more ready for that by morning.

She is doing so much better tonight than she was this morning. She is much less puffy and has been able to really sleep for much longer periods of time. She has been moved from side to side more frequently and it has been much easier than earlier today. She has still not been able to sit up, but I am sure that they will work on that tomorrow.

Our nurse Nikki, gave her a massage to work some of her muscles, so they would not get too stiff. She also calmed her with some relaxation techniques. It was really wonderful and she took such good care of Aubree today. She did everything she could to make her comfortable.

Aubree was able to get the arterial line out of her wrist and was taken off the oxygen. Her sats drop to about 93 when she is sleeping, so sometimes they just placed the mask up by her face for a while instead of the tubes up her nose.
She is still in pain when she moves around, but since she has been on the higher dose, she has been able to get more comfortable. The thing that bothers her the most, when she is still, is the nose tube. She will probably have to leave that in until Saturday or Sunday. Ugh! After she gets it out she can start drinking a few sips. She hasn't had anything since Tuesday so her throat is really dry. She spoke a little this afternoon, but has only said a few words since about 2 pm.
She is resting now and I hope she will sleep well tonight. They should not have to mess with her as much as last night, so she should be able to.

Pictures of Progress

2007-06-07T15:34:00.000-06:00

I know many of you are probably wondering why I would post pictures of my sick child on my blog. Let me explain...

It was actually Aubree's idea. When she had her special picture day at school, the first pictures she drug out were the one's that were taken of her as a baby. She wanted to share with everyone at school, what her life story is all about. Those pictures are part of who she is. It really helped some of the kids that were giving her a hard time, understand why she misses so much school. Many of them thought she was just having fun in Chicago. Trust me, this is not our idea of fun.

On a side note, Aubree wanted to share the picture of the "attempted" smile to let everyone know that she is OK.

I remember the first days that she was in Peoria as a baby. She was only 3 weeks old and we weren't sure if she would make it or not. I wanted to take pictures of her. After all, she was my baby. I felt really funny about it, but a nurse reassured me that it was Ok and actually very helpful. She suggested taking at least one picture a day and then comparing them. Each photo would reveal some kind of progress that was made. There would be some kind of equipment, tube,or IV that would be removed. Maybe her eyes would be open, she would be sitting in a bouncy chair, or even smiling! This really made it bearable and documented that part of her life. If I did not take any pictures of her during that time, I would have missed her whole summer!

Aubree has taken many pictures, like these, along the way. All of those earlier photos helped her prepare for this surgery. She was able to ask questions about different tubes, and see how much better her scars are now, compared to back then. It helped her realize that she came out of it once and would come out of it again.

So, although it may seem a little weird, we really don't look at it any differently that pictures of Autumn's broken leg, or the pictures that Lisa M. (Who had toxic shock syndrome and suffered many surgeries and much scarring from it.)shared with me. Pictures taken, when she was at her worst. It is just a chapter of Aubree's story. Who she is. And better yet, it is a testimony of what God has done to bring her out of life threatening situations. Sometimes we forget how bad things really were and all of the miracles that He performed. The pictures are a reminder that nothing is impossible with God.

Don't worry, I will not be posting any pictures of gross, half healed scars. This is a "G" rated blog and I would not want to lose any readers. But there you go. Just in case you were wondering.

Rest, and an Attempted Smile

2007-06-07T12:52:00.000-06:00

The increased pain meds seemed to have helped a little. She actually slept for a little while, instead of just closing her eyes. She did not even wake up when they removed the tape from her central line and cleaned it. We will be moving her to her side, so that will let us know if the meds are really working. Up until now, she has not been able to handle much movement.
She has hardly said a word, but last night she did ask me if it was raining outside. The oxygen that they are giving her is mixed with water and it sounds like rain drops. It has been too quiet.
So far, the increased dose has not made her too much more nauseous than she was, but they are adding Narcan to the Zofran, to stop the nausea before it starts. It is drug that is usually used to reverse the affects of narcotic overdoses, but when given in small doses, it can help with the side affects of itching and nausea, from the Dilaudid. (pain med)
She is still on a high dose of Heparin and they will not even let her so much as brush her teeth, as to not cause any risk of bleeding. She will switch over to Coumadin before we go home and will be on that for 3-6 months. Good thing she is not a daredevil like Autumn! We would be in big trouble!
There has been a lot of commotion around here today, with different drs, nurses, etc. in and out. Everyone is saying different things about what tubes they expect to remove by the end of the day and how much movement they want her to do. Right now, all of this is on hold, until we get the pain at a bearable rate.
Aubree's day nurse remembered her from when she first came out of surgery. She said that Aubree kept staying, "Please, Ma'am, could you cover me. Please, don't do that ma'am. Excuse me, ma'am, my arm is stuck." She said that children are usually not that nice when they come out of surgery. I guess she had them all in stitches, because she was so polite. Once a lady, always a lady.

Morning Has Come

2007-06-07T05:54:00.000-06:00

Aubree had a pretty uneventful night. Her blood pressure was still running high, due to the pain. The pain team doctor came in to check on her several times. He left her on the same steady dose of Dilaudid and told us to make sure to keep hitting the pain pump. All of her labs look good and she woke up a little bit more.
She had a bad dream that she fell off of her bike and hurt her stomach. It startled her awake and she jumped. That did not make her feel well. She had the same dream again this morning. She probably does feel like she got in a really bad bicycle accident.
I tried to lie down about 12:30 last night, but there was a lot going on, with buzzers beeping, blood draws and drs. in and out. Needless to say, I probably slept for a little over an hour all together. I left for RMH, to shower and get ready, at 4:40 am, to make sure I was back for 6:30 am rounds. I felt so much better after getting cleaned up and I think I am still functioning on an adrenaline rush. Michael came back with me.
The Fellow Doc came in this morning and said that the goal for today was to remove the arterial line (in her wrist) and the catheter (for urine). She will have to remain on oxygen until she is coughing and breathing deeper. Her breathing is shallow now and they have a machine that she will have to do exercises with to help her breathe more deeply. The drain tube, down her nose into her stomach, will remain in until her intestines wake up a little more. (Either later today or tomorrow). She won't be able to have any food or liquids until then. She has no desire for anything at this point, so that will not be an issue.
They also plan to get her sitting up a little more. If they are able to remove the cath, she will have to use a bed pan. She is a far cry from sitting up that much now. She is a candidate to go upstairs to the 5th floor because everything is pretty stable.
Everything except her pain, which is a big issue. They tried to raise the head of the bed about 2 inches and she became extremely uncomfortable. She was only able to stay like that for about 4 minutes, before she panicked and asked to be moved back down. Another Doc from the pain team just came in and raised her steady dose and her PCA pump dosage of her pain med. He is hopeful that this will help get her pain under control. Unfortunately, it could make her more nauseous again. She is still on the Zofran for that, but can only have it every 6 hours. She was still quite nauseous through the night and slept with the pan right by her head. I could tell when it was coming on, because she would frantically start grabbing for it.
They have a lot of huge goals for her today. The nurses agree with Michael and I that it is a little soon, because she is still in so much pain. We keep hearing different things from different people, but the pain issue has to be addressed first, before we can move on to removing tubes and sitting up more. They have moved her a couple of times through the night and when they did it was really hard on her. She had a look of panic in her eyes. It does help drain more of the bile out of her stomach when she moves, though.
She keeps saying her stomach is very tight. They have not removed her dressing and are not sure whether she has staples.
She is a mess of tape. The piece that holds her nose tube in is stuck in her hair. That will be fun to get out. It reminds me of when she was a baby and I would sit there meticulously with adhesive remover to save every strand of hair that was stuck to tape from the IV's in her head. She still ended up looking like an old man...bald on top, with a ring of hair around the sides and back. I finally gave up and started placing hair bows on top of the IV tubing. She was naked, so I had to have some way to make her look like a girl!
I will update later on the progress of the day. I think it will be a hard one, but God will give us all strength to get through, hour by hour.

Technical Jargon

2007-06-06T23:08:00.000-06:00

Warning: This is going to get technical and boring, but it will help me keep things straight and will hopefully help some of you understand what is going on.

List of tubes and equipment:
IV- one in each hand. Administers glucose fluids.
Arterial line- in her wrist. Takes her blood pressure second, by second and they can use it to draw labs.
Central line- looks like a round disk with a tube coming out of it and is sewn into the upper right part of her chest, by her collar bone. They administer meds through this and take her central venous pressure (how much fluids she has in her body).
Catheter- for urine.
Drain tube- down her nose and into her tummy. Drains excess bile and allows air to escape to relieve pressure.
Oxygen- in her nose.

Medications:
Ancef- antibiotic
Protonix- for reflux
Heparin- to thin her blood
Dilaudid- for pain control
Zofran- for nausea

Her stomach does not appear to be bleeding any more than it was and her hemoglobin looks OK. They are drawing labs, every few hours to make sure there is not too much internal bleeding, especially since she has to be on Heparin. They are still trying to get her blood pressure down. It is running between 155-170 over 82-90. (It was running close to 200/107 when she first came out of surgery.) They would like the top number to stay within the 125-145 range. They don't want it to get too low or it will be bad for the shunt. Her fluid saturation is low as well. They need to keep her well hydrated so that the shunt will stay open, but if they give her too many fluids, her blood pressure will go up even higher. Catch 22 again.
They are continuing to monitor her very closely tonight and will do an ultrasound in the morning to check on the status of the shunt.

So for now, our main focus of prayer is:
*Internal bleeding will stop
*There will be no clotting in the vein
*They can get her pain under control
*Her blood pressure will go down

Getting Settled In

2007-06-06T20:45:00.000-06:00

We got to see Aubree at about 6 pm this evening. I was anxious to be with her and was praying for 2 things as I walked down the long hallway. Lord, give me strength and Lord, help me not to get sick. When we walked in it was really hard to brace ourselves for how bad she looked. We knew about almost all of the lines and tubes that were in place and have been through this (and more) when she was a baby, but it really is something that we could not prepare ourselves for...no matter how hard Shelly, the planner, tried.

When we walked in, we saw she was very swollen and puffy and full of tubes and equipment. She was (and still is) hooked up to many monitors and machines that administer meds and monitor her heart rate, respiration's, oxygen saturation, blood pressure and fluid levels. They were able to remove the ventilator when she was in the recovery room, which was a huge blessing.

It brought back so many memories of her as a baby. She had the same exact expression on her face that she did in the ICU back then. It is the most helpless feeling to see your baby girl, lying there in pain and being unable to do anything about it. Michael had a really hard time with it. She is such a daddy's girl and he is always the first one that she calls for. She did not speak, but barely fluttered her eyes when he gently kissed her on the forehead. She would mostly lie very still and struggle to open her eyes every now and then. She was getting very nauseous from the pain meds and would motion for the "bucket" or to have me put the blankets on or off. She was very clammy and flushed. When she finally did speak, she only said, "Excuse me, my stomach hurts." Every time that she was asked if it hurt she would say, "No". She has always been very stoic with pain and has to be forced to take pain medication at home. I was instructed to push the pain pump, every 8 minutes, so she could receive the meds.

It still amazes me how brave she is and how she does not have a complaining spirit. She just went through a very serious, complicated and literally gut wrenching surgery and she is barely admitting that she is hurting! I think we could all learn something from that.

Last, but not least...Believe it or not, I forgot to ask the doctor about the gallbladder. When we spoke with Dr. Superina, it was a very serious moment with lots of new information, so it slipped my mind. (Sorry Rob.) The nurses could not find it in the notes, but I will ask at rounds tomorrow morning. My guess is, with all of the scar tissue that was in the way, the fragile varacies invading the territory and the fact that he had to separate the organs that were "stuck" together by scar tissue, he did not have a chance to look. The mystery of the missing gallbladder might be, just that. A mystery.

She Made It!

2007-06-06T15:24:00.000-06:00

She is out of surgery! We just met with Dr. Superina and he said that things went well. He was surprised by the amount of scar tissue from her previous surgery and had to give her 1 unit of blood because it bled so much when he was opening her. He said that she was very "stuck" inside. There was scar tissue everywhere and her stomach was literally stuck to her liver. They were able to stop most of the bleeding, but she is still oozing some. She is on high doses of blood thinners to keep the vein from clotting. She may have to have another transfusion because of the bleeding, but he said he would rather her be bleeding than clotting. If she bleeds too much they may have to perform another surgery to stop it.
The new veins that her body made have 2 large sources going to the right side of her liver. The blood flow from these sources is still not what it should be. The place where they put the shunt goes to the left side of the liver. It appears that there is little, if no, communication between the 2 sides. Almost like she has 2 separate livers. He is hopeful that as the flow improves, it will cause the veins to widen on the left side and make the blood flow to the right side. Her flow is between 3-400 cc's per minute right now and normal is between 7-800. The division of the liver may explain why the flow is only half of what it should be.
The next 3 days are critical to see if the shunt will work. The worst complication would be a blood clot. If the shunt clots off, it means that there is something wrong with the liver and they will operate again to try to fix it. He said he cannot think of anything that he would do differently to make it work properly, so if it clots, he might not be able to do anything about it. They would most likely perform the splenic shunt at that time.
The other complication, like I said before, would be bleeding. They will be monitoring her closely and we will know more about the success of the procedure tomorrow.
She is still on the ventilator and we have not seen her yet. They should be able to remove it soon and once she is settled in ICU, we will go back with her.
We are elated that things went well and are just preparing ourselves for the recovery process. Pray that we will have strength to help her through this and that she will be able to get comfortable and rest.

2:50 pm update

2007-06-06T13:52:00.000-06:00

The nurse just called to say that the harvest of the jugular vein was a success. They are now in the process of placing the shunt in her liver. It will be a few more hours for that to be completed and once it is working well with no leaking or blood clots, they can begin sewing her back up. She has lost some blood and they have some blood waiting in the OR for her. (She has not needed any blood yet.)

The nurse will call back in a few more hours to let us know when the shunt is in place.

Psalm 147:11 The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his
unfailing love.

1:15 pm Update

2007-06-06T12:17:00.000-06:00

Good news! We just got an update that after they opened her up, there were not as many adhesions as they thought. They WILL be able to proceed with the Rex Shunt! This is so awesome! Such an answer to prayer!
They are starting to harvest the vein from her neck now and we will receive another update in about an hour or hour 1/2.
We are not out of the woods yet, but I feel very relieved. It had been a while since out last update and I was wondering what was happening.

My heart is steadfast O God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and make music. I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. Psalm 57:7-11.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1: 9

11 am Update

2007-06-06T11:04:00.000-06:00

The nurse called for the update. All of Aubree's lines are in place and they are draping her to get ready for surgery. She went to sleep just fine. She has an arterial line in her wrist, a central line in her right chest cavity, and an IV in each arm. She is on the vent and is hooked up to various monitors. Things should be underway by now and we should have another update around 12:30 pm.

I lift my eyes up to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and creator of earth. He will not let your foot slip. He who watches over you will not slumber; Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand; The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm - He will watch over your life; The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121

Surgery Is Underway

2007-06-06T09:41:00.000-06:00

We arrived at the hospital at 7 am this morning and got checked into the OR exam room. Aubree was supposed to go in at 8:30 am, but things were running behind. Dr. Horn, the anaesthesiologist, came in and spoke with us about her part in the surgery. Aubree picked a cherry flavored mask. She has had many different flavors in the past, but this is her favorite. She laid there calmly on the bed with her 3 dolls, Lamb Chops blanket and new prayer blanket. I gave her the prayer hanker chief and she neatly tucked it in the waistline of one of her doll's nightgowns. Her only sign of nervousness was her frequent trips to the bathroom.
Dr. Superina spent about 15 minutes talking to us about the procedure and about his observations from all of her scans. He stated that for some reason, he was not aware that she was IgA deficient. (I think I am going to get it tattooed on her forehead) He stated that they have 2 units of blood that are washed and 2 on standby. They have frozen plasma coming form Connecticut, (maybe from an IgA deficient donor??) that should be here by this afternoon. He said that it is not recommended for IgA deficient patients to receive plasma. I think if it comes down to it they will just have to give it to her. They also have platelets ready to go, but her last count was not as low as it had been, so she might not need them.
We will not hear anything until between 11:30 am and noon. It will take them at least that long to get all of the lines in. She will have a central line installed in her upper chest area, close to her collar bone. It is a surgical procedure to place the line. This will save her many pokes from blood draws and provide a steady vein for them to use for meds etc. She will also have an arterial catheter. This catheter will be placed in an artery in her wrist and allow them to monitor her blood pressure and blood volume. She will also have 2 IV's and a catheter for urine. She will be on a ventilator during the procedure and there is a 50 % chance that they will be able to take her off of it before she wakes up.
They will cut along the 6 inch horizontal scar that she has along her belly (from a previous surgery) and extend it to the other side of her tummy. They will also make a vertical cut in between her ribs, so they can open her up. He said that the scar is usually higher up, but they were forced to use the existing scar.
Dr. Superina said that her scans revealed that she the large varacies that she has, have grown up all around the scar tissue around her bile duct. They follow it up to the liver. These veins grew this way because she was so young when the damage was done from the bile duct leakage. They call this a cavernous transformation and he said that he has not seen one that has as many vessels as hers does.(These vessels formed as the body's way to get blood back to the liver, because of the blockage)
The area that they would like to attach the shunt to, is very close to a large group of cavernous veins. There would be a very high risk of bleeding, so he is going to attempt to attach it to another area. The left portal vein looks good, but has a "hiccup" in it. He needs to see if he can get around the "hiccup" and connect to the other part of the vein. They will cut into the liver to do this.
Before they remove her jugular vein, they will open her up to see if the Rex Shunt is even possible. If it is not, they will proceed with the Splenic shunt. (They would take a vein from the spleen and connect it to a vein in the kidneys.) This would help the vessels go down as well as her spleen size, but it not the preferred procedure. It would not restore blood flow back to her liver.
The main concerns at this point are internal bleeding. They are working in an area that is full of swollen blood vessels. The amount of scar tissue is also an obstacle. If he is able to get around the scar tissue, he will look for her gallbladder, otherwise, he is not going to go digging for it. His theory is that maybe they had to remove part of it when they placed the drain tube and the rest of it shriveled up.
He is optimistic that the Rex will work, but is uncertain until he opens her up.
Michael and I are both quiet and reflective. I was feeling a little nauseous and a bit of a pit in my stomach, but am holding on well. Aubree's peaceful countenance is a gentle reminder that God is right beside her all the way. She is one of the most courageous people I have ever met. God has given her such strength, peace, and grace.

3 Million and One!

2007-06-05T21:59:00.000-06:00

A few hours after I got done unpacking...we got into a larger room. That officially makes it 3 million and one times that I have packed and unpacked.

It is actually the same room we were in the last time we were here. It has definitely been a Deja Vu type of day. We realized that Aubree was wearing the exact same outfit that she was wearing the last time she had her pre-op testing. Many of the same families are here, so it kind of feels like we never left!

It was a huge blessing to be in the larger room and ready for the other girls when they come. It gave us something to do to pass the time. We were all a little wiped out today and able to rest. Aubree and I had a good time at the movie with a few of the other families, while Michael went to class. He is feeling better tonight and had an enjoyable lab class. They made roast duck, beef stew and an apple pastry with made-from-scratch caramel sauce. He did however, have the nerve, not to bring any of it back for us to try!
He was still gone when we returned. Aubree and I had a mini-food fight with chocolate pie. (I know that you are shocked to hear that I was the one that started it) I treasure moments like that. I love shocking my kids, by acting utterly silly when I am supposed to be acting properly. She has been a hyper ball of giddiness tonight! She was finally able to settle down and go to sleep.

I got a call from a sobbing Autumn and Ashlee tonight. They are having such a rough time being away from all of us. I feel so torn and cannot wait until they can join us. Time has to feel so slow at home. My parents have done a good job of trying to keep them busy and I am so thankful for their help. My friend Ann is going to whisk them away for a weekend of fun. Ann has been so good to us and my kids adore her. She is just the kind of person you need when you are feeling down. She can nurture and take care of anyone! Bless you, Ann, for loving on my girlies when I can't be there!

We got the confirmation call tonight that we have to be there at 7 am and surgery will start at 8:30 am. I don't think that it has really set in that this is really going to be THE day. I am sure it will sink in more when we get there tomorrow and they begin to get her ready.

It has been a long road to get to this place. They first noticed part of the problem when she was 18 months old and was officially diagnosed at age 4. I remember them telling us about the side effects of the varacies that would most likely peek at puberty. It seemed so far off then. How time flies! But, with time comes more knowledge. They didn't even use this surgery to fix things back then! All of the steps leading up to this process, the visits to hospitals in Peoria, Springfield, Maryland, and Chicago, have been ordered by God. And while this surgery will not solve all of her medical problems, I know that he will finish the good work that He has started in her, and never forsake us at any time along the way.

Less Than 24 Hours...and Counting

2007-06-05T10:52:00.000-06:00

Aubree and I did not sleep too well last night, but Michael was able to get some much needed rest. He feels a little better this morning, but his stomach has started hurting again. He is resting now.
We went for her blood work today. I am always so obsessive compulsive about her medical issues. I asked them if it stated that she was IgA deficient on her orders. It did not. The lab tech brought up a member of the blood transfusion team and I shared the information with her. She praised me for double checking, because this means that she will need washed red blood cells instead of the run of the mill blood transfusion. See, it pays to be anal-retentive sometimes! I am so glad that I am or she could have suffered serious, even lethal complications. Most of the time I am trying to keep my mouth shut, but I am glad, for once, that I opened it!
My friend, Kelly, the doctor's assistant, (the same one that was the bearer of bad news last time around) called this morning to see if we had the blood work done. Of course it was no surprise to him that I was on top of things. He told me that Dr. Superina was in the building, and nothing short of being hit by a car, would stop him from being there tomorrow. I told him that he had better not talk like that and I did not want him to call me with any more bad news. He said if Dr. Superina did get in an accident, he would put on a white coat and perform the operation himself. That was reassuring...
We are still waiting on the call from the OR schedulers for our specific time. We are unpacked (for the 3 millionth time) and are just taking it easy today. The RMH gave us free tickets to a special previewing of "Surf's Up", the new penguin movie. I debated not going, since we might get back kind of late, but we were unable to wind down the last time she had her surgery, so what's the difference? Being distracted is better than laying there with our eyes open for hours!

Rain and Traffic

2007-06-04T20:15:00.000-06:00

I called Ronald McDonald House at around 5 pm, on the drive up, and they had a 3 person room available! I was so thrilled. It really makes things much less complicated.
It took us 4 hours to get to Chicago. We ran into 5 spurts of rain storms and some really bad traffic. Aubree got really car sick and I was unable to pull off the road. We made it by the 8 pm check in deadline and then we went to the grocery store before we went to park the car. We finally walked back to the house at about 8:30 pm.
Michael got out of class early and met us. He was sweating and he looked really pale. His stomach is acting up again. He took some medication and went to bed. Please keep him in your prayers again. I am sure that it is no coincidence that his stomach is hurting the same way it was the last time we were here. I am hopeful that he will feel better in the morning and that he won't worry so much.
We will go in the morning to have her blood cross-matched again and then use the rest of the day to get settled in.
Well, off to bed. I'm pooped!

Deja Vu

2007-06-02T13:29:00.000-06:00

OK, so maybe we aren't taking THAT much stuff, but it feels like it! We are taking the van instead of the train this time, which is a blessing in itself, especially when I am taking more things for when the other 3 girls will join us. We had to bring to much stuff for the 3 1/2 weeks we will be gone. Vans are good "stuff holders".

The past 2 weeks have gone by very quickly and I find myself repeating everything that I the first time we left! We are leaving at 3 pm today (the 4th) and her surgery will be on Wednesday, June 6th. So far, we have not gotten into the Ronald McDonald house yet. I am sure it will all work out, but it will be quite inconvenient if we have to stay at Michael's apartment. (Hey, at least we have a back up place to stay!) Hopefully we can get in by tomorrow night so we can all get lots of rest before the big day.

We will not have a definite surgery time until they call on Tuesday the 5th to confirm, but we will most likely have to be at the hospital by 6 am. If we stay at Michael's place, we will have to start walking to the subway at about 5 am! At least he will be with us to beat off any subway ax murderers!
It has been an enjoyable, lazy weekend full of "normal" family life. I am really tired today and am not feeling the best, but I am sure it will past. I am REALLY calm and I don't think that it has set in that Aubree is really going to get it done this time! She is a little anxious and was up and ready by 6:15 this morning. The car is packed and I am just waiting for the girls to come home from school.
I am emotionally ready for this, but I am dreading seeing her in so much pain. It will be a rough couple of days, but it will get better as time goes by. We are good at counting today as better than yesterday. There have been many times that she has gone to school, when she really felt bad, just because she felt better than yesterday. She is really tough and never feels sorry for herself. She is a fighter and is really good at pushing herself. These characteristics will really come in handy when they will be pushing her to get up out of bed to sit and walk, during the first couple days of recovery.
Thank you for your continued prayers. I will update as soon as I have any news.

Getting to Know You

2007-05-30T21:17:00.000-06:00

I have had the pleasure of getting to know God better, day by day. What an honor to know Him in such a personal way! No need for any intercession from others, special rituals or burnt offerings. I can talk to Him, any time, any where. There are so many attributes of God, it is hard to know where to begin exploring His personality. In my quest to know Him more, I have picked out just a few of my favorites.

God is Faithful.
Faithfulness is God's attribute of UTTER DEPENDABILITY, the antithesis of everything fickle & fluctuating. How many times have we had friends that promise to stand by us, only to have them turn on us. Or even worse, how many times have I been that kind of friend. God IS faithful to the bitter end. He will do what He says He will do!

God is Incomprehensible
Incomprehensible is “not capable of being comprehended, something that no limits can contain. That in itself is both overwhelming and exciting to me. My God is so powerful beyond measure that my little human brain cannot begin to understand it. I am so glad that He is; thankful that my God's majesty cannot be contained. God’s essence is hidden from us and beyond our ability to understand. We are finite, limited beings. The finite cannot fully grasp the infinite. How empowering to know that His glory, grace and power are immeasurable! (I just got goose bumps!)

God is Longsuffering
Gracious me, am I glad for this one! I cannot count the times that I have failed Him. (With my attitude, actions, selfishness, pride, words, critical spirit- just to name a few) He chastens me and patiently waits for me to come back into His fold. He forgives all of my inexcusable, unforgivable sins...again and again and again. What if He was not so loving and merciful to us? Where would we be without His arms welcoming us back, even when we have botched things up for the 2 millionth time? The next time you are tempted to seek revenge on one who has wronged you, recall the infinite patience and longsuffering He has granted to you! Ouch! That one hurts!

God is Love
I have a plaque on my wall that reads: "Remember the day's blessings, forget the day's troubles". It reminds me to capture each act of love that He bestows upon me daily. Look for evidences of God’s love for you all throughout the day, and remind yourself often that you are the object of His endless love. Endless love. What a joy to know that He will never stop loving us, regardless of how much we fail Him. When you open your eyes it is so easy to point out blessings of love in our lives.

God is Sovereign
God is the sovereign good of all who love and obey him. Boy, have I learned this over the past few weeks! Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe trials, I believe that Sovereignty has ordained my afflictions and that Sovereignty overrules them. God is in control of the whole universe. He does not need us to tell Him how things should go or what He should do. Sometimes we do not understand why He does what He does, but in the end, we have to grasp the concept that it does not really matter. What matters is, when we feel like we are in a carriage being pulled by run away horses, we can rest assured that He is holding the reigns.

Prayer Quilt

2007-05-29T20:07:00.000-06:00

I received, yet another act of kindness on Sunday. My friend Lori, gave me a gift for Aubree. It was wrapped up in pretty light blue paper, with a sparkling bow on the top. I was told that it was from the whole church and that I was not to open it up until I got home. I drove 90 miles an hour, because I could not wait to open it! (OK, not really, but it sounded more interesting.)
When we got home, Aubree gathered around and we opened it together. Inside the box, was a beautiful, hand made quilt. Aubree opened a card that was signed by many of the children and members of our church. I opened another card, from Lori, explaining the significance of the quilt.
It was a prayer quilt, sown by a lady in our church. There was a colorful pattern on one side and a picture of a little girl on the other. There were knots of yarn, sticking out all over the quilt. Lori had enlisted someone to sew the quilt and several other to tie the knots. Each time a knot was tied, a prayer was said for Aubree. She took it to church, the Wednesday we were stuck in Chicago, and had all of the children and some more members to tie a knot and say a prayer.
I stood there, speechless, as I ran my fingers over the knots. I was astounded by all of the prayers that were said for my daughter. I felt God's love pour over me.
Thank you Crossroad's family, for embracing us as your family in Christ, and showing us what His love is all about. Thank you Lori, for scurrying about to get this thing done and Marjorie, for taking the time to sew this quilt in love. Thanks to Garnet and Peg, for joining in to tie and pray.
Things would never be this easy, without the support of our church family. I am so glad that my girls have a place to grow up, where they are surrounded by loving, Godly people. You have truly made a difference in our lives.

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:15-16

The Latest News

2007-05-23T10:42:00.000-06:00

I got a call from the hospital to pre-register Aubree again and an email from Dr. Superina's nurse practitioner, stating that she will not need another physical, just a blood cross-match, the day before the surgery. She said that the Pediatric surgery team is ready to take care of us and that she will be moved to 5 west, when she is out of ICU. Nothing too exciting, just waiting again.
Our church service was such a blessing on Sunday. We had a special speaker that really touched on what God was already doing in my heart. He shared that the nature of God is to bless us and we need to pour those blessings out on others. Crossroad's Chapel is the perfect place to see how God's people can impact the lives of others.
I have really been praying this prayer for my own life. I really want to be a light to those who do not have the pleasure of knowing Him the way I do. Please continue to pray that God will use me, at home, but especially during our stay in Chicago. I pray that he will send someone into my path that needs to be uplifted and that he will use me as His vessel to pour out the blessings He has given me.

New Surgery Date

2007-05-18T16:53:00.000-06:00

We just got a call from the surgery scheduler and her new surgery date is June 6th. We will leave on the night of the 4th, so we can be there the morning of the 5th to get her blood cross-matched again and have another pre-op physical.
With all of the drama this time, I think we will be that much more prepared for next time. She will definitely be prayed up!
My dad came and got us this morning, because the train was going to be over $80, since it was the last minute. It was good to spend some time with him and we hit really good traffic! I rearranged the suitcases and we are all packed up again. I think that I am going to permanently have a suitcase in my living room! It really adds a nice touch.

The Best Laid Plans

2007-05-17T07:21:00.000-06:00

In my moment of emotional instability, I was unable to update about the appointments, yesterday! You will all be happy to know that I am fully recovered and do not expect to have any more outbursts of exasperation in the near future! Hee Hee
We met with her immunologist and he said to continue with the 4 medications that she is on and that we will meet again after she is fully recovered from the Rex surgery. He told us that the next time she gets an infection, she should be put on antibiotics for a month and that he will give her another immunization shot when she returns. If she continues to get infections over the summer, he will give her the immunoglobulin blood products to boost her immune system.
That is pretty much it. Nothing too exciting. He agreed that we need to deal with one problem at a time.
I just spoke with Dr. Superina's nurse and she stated that Dr. Superina is not able to get a flight until 2 pm today. She is working on switching some things around and is trying to reschedule her for June 6th. (Ashlee's birthday) She should know for sure by the weekend.
We are going to stick around here today with Michael, since he has class tonight, and probably take the train home tomorrow.
I am feeling much better this morning, since the Lord was so merciful to give me a great nights rest. Joy always comes in the morning. God is good all the time. All the time God is good.
Thank you for your continued prayer. I have accepted the fact that, while God could have intervened and brought that man to Chicago, sometimes the answer is "No". No is OK! He knows the "why" of it all and I trust that He has other plans. We will just have to wait and see what He has in store for us.

You Are My Strength When I Am Weak

2007-05-16T19:50:00.000-06:00

I was sitting in a massage chair, with my feet in a pool of water, when I got the call. The man on the other line, calmly stated that Dr. Superina was stuck in New York, due to some bad storms, and would not be able to fly in for Aubree's surgery. My heart dropped into my stomach and I began to panic. I told him to call me, even at 2 am, if anything changed. I asked about rescheduling within the next few days, and he said that his schedule was full, even into next week. I got off the phone and bitterly wept. I just had my eyebrows, and other parts of my face waxed (sorry for that information, guys) and had makeup running down my face. I must have been a sight, because the ladies at the nail salon gave Aubree her birthday pedicure for free!
After we left, I called Brandi immediately to ask the church to pray this man into Chicago. My words were choked up in between my sobs of disappointment. I shared that I did not know if I could go through all of these emotions again. Brandi, my mother, Aubree's teacher Mrs. Thomas, Ann, Maegan and others, all told me that God has a reason why. I KNEW this in my MIND, but my heart was having trouble catching up. I was not angry or questioning God; I was just having trouble understanding. We got into the Ronald McDonald house, we were offered a bigger room so Michael could stay with us, within hours of asking, the girls were all taken care of, Aubree's physical was good and she had no infections, (which is a miracle in itself). I could not fathom that things were going to fall apart at the finish line.
After talking to a few people, I went up to my room, shut the door, and cried out to God. I shared that I knew He had a reason for this, but I was having trouble working through the emotional trama. I knew where I needed to be, but I could not get there. My faith is strong through Him and I have been blessed with the ability to give things over to Him very quickly. It almost scared me that I had all of these desperate emotions that I could not hand over to Him! I read my Bible and then literally, laid on my face before Him. I began praising Him for all of the blessings in my life and how He has taken care of us. I praised Him that He saw Aubree in my womb and has ordered her steps, even before I knew she was there. Through my praise, I felt His spirit move over me like a warm ocean wave.
I prayed that if it was His will, he would part the clouds as in the day of Noah, and stop the rain, but I also prayed if the answer was "No", I would accept that and know it was all in His perfect plan. I prayed for the Holy Spirit to intercede on my behalf and that He would say the words that I could not express.
Aubree popped in and said that there was a dinner and so I went into the kitchen with her. I decided at that point, I would fast and pray, so I could focus all of my energy on my relationship with God. There were two couples that sat next to us. I saw them pray over their meal and then they started a conversation with me. We all joined hands and they prayed over the situation. God was so merciful to send me other Christian strangers to lift me up when I was down. After prayer, we began to praise Him for all of His goodness. I went back to my room and prayed some more.
I cannot tell you how much better I feel! He has restored peace to my soul and comforted me when I feared I was at the end of my quickly fraying rope.
Now I can honestly say that I KNOW I can handle this through His power! I can face all of these emotions and whatever else comes my way, because my strength is made new in Him. I WILL praise Him in this (literal) storm.
I have sent an email to the nurse practitioner about the possibility of rescheduling in the next few days. I will phone her in the morning to discuss the new surgery date and we will make our plans from there.
Isaiah 41:10 - Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Job 5:9
He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles.
Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

We Have Arrived

2007-05-16T04:47:00.000-06:00

We made it! Our train was 30 minutes late leaving Normal. We were supposed to arrive at about 8:40 PM, but did not make it in until about 9:30 PM. (Good luck being on time Mrs. Thomas!) It all worked out Ok, because Michael got out of class early, so he could meet us at Union Station. Good thing, because 2 Hartgirlies can pack a lot of stuff! We got settled in at about 10:45 PM and I was blessed with a great nights sleep. Aubree was out in about 2 minutes, arms outstretched, with a doll on either side.
I kept the girls home from school yesterday, for National Hartgirlie Day. We went to the pottery place and made a platter together. It was a quiet reminder, that I am NOT an artist. We went to the park for a picnic with my friend Amy and Ashlee's future husband, Zach. It was so good to talk to her and she gave me a Willow Tree figurine. It was an angel that had her hands folded in prayer and there was a tree with many branches on it. She said that she could picture Aubree as the trunk and all of the prayers as the branches, connecting to her. Thank you Amy, for that beautiful picture.
We have the apt. for her physical this morning, bloodwork and then the apt. with her immunologist this afternoon. We are going to kill the time in between to go to the American Girl store so she can spend birthday money and a gift certificate from her teacher. She is so excited. All of her teachers pitched in and got her pj's for her and her doll, as well. She could not wait to settle in and wear them last night! Aubree is also going to get a manicure and a pedicure today, for her birthday. A girl has to look good when she is going in for surgery!
I will update tonight if we find out any other information. Keep praying!