tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72899180051970322692024-02-19T16:50:51.966-08:00Tiny TreasuresLisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.comBlogger224125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-16186009916704101492010-11-30T22:09:00.001-08:002010-11-30T22:15:39.662-08:00Free DIY Christmas Art Print<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW3n90LJ_DlTMTHHo-Ep3urX_JXjKXrR-Gau2A0l184C-14OFqVoE5xJfkgfSFD6YpxG2SOHALa6DNTvDhyphenhypheny8r9ymi-NLvwSS2nv6OC6jPaLFQyEN9T-FYXaX7IXSx3GZBmpko9UhHIuk/s1600/Christmas-art-print-banner.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 274px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW3n90LJ_DlTMTHHo-Ep3urX_JXjKXrR-Gau2A0l184C-14OFqVoE5xJfkgfSFD6YpxG2SOHALa6DNTvDhyphenhypheny8r9ymi-NLvwSS2nv6OC6jPaLFQyEN9T-FYXaX7IXSx3GZBmpko9UhHIuk/s400/Christmas-art-print-banner.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545592572211479250" border="0" /></a>I saw this adorable Christmas mantle decor today and wanted to share. Head on over to <a href="http://eighteen25.blogspot.com">eighteen25.blogspot.com</a> to download the files for the 16x20-inch art print AND the banner for FREE! They suggest having the poster printed at Costco and if you don't want to use up all the ink in your printer for the banner, you can send the file to an office supply store / Kinkos / FedEx and have them print it for you. So darling!<br /><br />They also have a link to their tutorial for how to make those awesome glitter trees with supplies from the Dollar Store. {Shhh...nobody has to know how cheap it is!} :-)<br /><br /><br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/LISAFR%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.png" alt="" />Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-20267341264304185142010-11-29T20:46:00.000-08:002010-11-29T22:03:53.593-08:00Flashback: October photos<span style="font-style: italic;">Talk about flashbacks:</span> this photo of James is from today...one of the new cabinets he's discovered houses Keith's Diet Coke stash.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-jJjFtT95__o8LxX-tbq2hBuoKKPFtfgN0T3SU-3BIcr78uqRBe5zda5FaViQuwY-T8fedL_Wmjko55S0l9Qiy1vC70-d3Miq8JB7QjAekohUFjhmIqoFsF4C5u0FI0-QEN1S2SYGLA/s1600/DSC_0016.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-jJjFtT95__o8LxX-tbq2hBuoKKPFtfgN0T3SU-3BIcr78uqRBe5zda5FaViQuwY-T8fedL_Wmjko55S0l9Qiy1vC70-d3Miq8JB7QjAekohUFjhmIqoFsF4C5u0FI0-QEN1S2SYGLA/s400/DSC_0016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545200336534857810" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhUFvqgqjxQaWsvYUf9jF1UnMSgIrtXxH9ZXWi-1Yh046MOL1bpJQGT5KTsOM_ZdDMxyC19QsGEYMTxGrhMiwK05alnmbmX_EGOvF0JnxixQhNKxsL9rpKVVK9N6TnpACt0v8Q23cwgM/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhUFvqgqjxQaWsvYUf9jF1UnMSgIrtXxH9ZXWi-1Yh046MOL1bpJQGT5KTsOM_ZdDMxyC19QsGEYMTxGrhMiwK05alnmbmX_EGOvF0JnxixQhNKxsL9rpKVVK9N6TnpACt0v8Q23cwgM/s400/DSC_0011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545200317467525666" border="0" /></a>Apparently the fascination runs in the family, because here's Maddie in November 2007...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZaC-dXDoe5Ghqfiwi8VrcI3si8RqmeLr0b6iRrT25WdsGeFVSsQ2FNVc82hEmmO1LClfwZlwwzSNhVRzveRdhD5iqeb1UjVS1YZJ0tzBWFK9k4rxAH5GNvsJE2B5t5_EIs1U0G3lmDw4/s1600/DSC_0109.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZaC-dXDoe5Ghqfiwi8VrcI3si8RqmeLr0b6iRrT25WdsGeFVSsQ2FNVc82hEmmO1LClfwZlwwzSNhVRzveRdhD5iqeb1UjVS1YZJ0tzBWFK9k4rxAH5GNvsJE2B5t5_EIs1U0G3lmDw4/s400/DSC_0109.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545201240594292162" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcTXSTgjDHNyVbhX3WHEe_2fQ9jJwrw5PZGx6NequOoL8K5ClavjNod3rF0mmYo9jvBzAS_paKBeUhzuoZA7PEQ10lRbsRanXyVN5zktS5ShTwqudELwuhWNyWQ0ybHs8Qf4UWPndTRk/s1600/DSC_0095.JPG"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQq5OljOpM6ejdq5f32f-qlv3qNNyOYly1IkP3j0dGdXP-zJEVCI9cIdX5JPrTyiAON2__7M4IscIPlk_OuIx1hYOS0wJO2N2ZAjAxnPoQp3RUWU_9PNuElf1cUgFAM5d_AAAcHN9u230/s1600/DSC_0096.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQq5OljOpM6ejdq5f32f-qlv3qNNyOYly1IkP3j0dGdXP-zJEVCI9cIdX5JPrTyiAON2__7M4IscIPlk_OuIx1hYOS0wJO2N2ZAjAxnPoQp3RUWU_9PNuElf1cUgFAM5d_AAAcHN9u230/s400/DSC_0096.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545201235132862258" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcTXSTgjDHNyVbhX3WHEe_2fQ9jJwrw5PZGx6NequOoL8K5ClavjNod3rF0mmYo9jvBzAS_paKBeUhzuoZA7PEQ10lRbsRanXyVN5zktS5ShTwqudELwuhWNyWQ0ybHs8Qf4UWPndTRk/s1600/DSC_0095.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcTXSTgjDHNyVbhX3WHEe_2fQ9jJwrw5PZGx6NequOoL8K5ClavjNod3rF0mmYo9jvBzAS_paKBeUhzuoZA7PEQ10lRbsRanXyVN5zktS5ShTwqudELwuhWNyWQ0ybHs8Qf4UWPndTRk/s400/DSC_0095.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545201229743434482" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTFtBwA_VnOOdvY3hAYjFLz4nUJ7qdbo0pb2CKVoq2JmNCTNmnxkb5dk3tRQB3BesSnIpRsf0JyY-YkIL6x3IaSCNmbIvQ1xNQBjhNLK5qW_CG8TERIJO3yEL2ye8Lv6icmgRPq_IV_E/s1600/DSC_0014.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTFtBwA_VnOOdvY3hAYjFLz4nUJ7qdbo0pb2CKVoq2JmNCTNmnxkb5dk3tRQB3BesSnIpRsf0JyY-YkIL6x3IaSCNmbIvQ1xNQBjhNLK5qW_CG8TERIJO3yEL2ye8Lv6icmgRPq_IV_E/s400/DSC_0014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545200330133998578" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPoCnf0R0-J4TzZbVrYvEY-fNEL8iH4fxyu6_HNAhRybrLE8Lba_UowWMATxvT9WL4Vb1YemWqTH3z39n7XSiNdPIn3vtq42DngG7tSggSbiQHrUsaIvyOk9U_bddjnAxyByZ_ewqpyBI/s1600/DSC_0012.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPoCnf0R0-J4TzZbVrYvEY-fNEL8iH4fxyu6_HNAhRybrLE8Lba_UowWMATxvT9WL4Vb1YemWqTH3z39n7XSiNdPIn3vtq42DngG7tSggSbiQHrUsaIvyOk9U_bddjnAxyByZ_ewqpyBI/s400/DSC_0012.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545200329371580626" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQFWVTuNye1EWBP_vqr7Ofrs3Sqxwvj6EnrJ0pccZuy98MvkEhxsfSlkgTkmSqiQ8FT1vLkeMYVvlyCSxGaPN2wC46S5Z2oRionInfqXhrvO-nPF-C84YZg5TtPHXRF_uMJJZYD3B7Y54/s1600/DSC_0018.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQFWVTuNye1EWBP_vqr7Ofrs3Sqxwvj6EnrJ0pccZuy98MvkEhxsfSlkgTkmSqiQ8FT1vLkeMYVvlyCSxGaPN2wC46S5Z2oRionInfqXhrvO-nPF-C84YZg5TtPHXRF_uMJJZYD3B7Y54/s400/DSC_0018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545200345435511794" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZhlnJM8KbK7OwDfwZMRtzzKgslv6HNsZePcQCujK74Jjkq1Fh3RYIVc3HcMEBtXDqMF5ZHHcVhd00jaUeR2-sqsvkGnRafoWe4NhcfWssPf6stue4IHp3EIOcHCbLPpXCbUVqn9rFeIQ/s1600/DSC_0119-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZhlnJM8KbK7OwDfwZMRtzzKgslv6HNsZePcQCujK74Jjkq1Fh3RYIVc3HcMEBtXDqMF5ZHHcVhd00jaUeR2-sqsvkGnRafoWe4NhcfWssPf6stue4IHp3EIOcHCbLPpXCbUVqn9rFeIQ/s400/DSC_0119-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545201245196224818" border="0" /></a>{Big Cheek grins run in the family...favorite photo of Maddie from Thanksgiving 2007}<br /><br />And speaking of getting into cabinets, he's getting into ALL of them now! Oh, such treasures to behold! Mommy just loves this game. {<span style="font-style: italic;">Why not just get cabinet locks, you ask?</span> All the normal ones that you have to screw in...they split the wood on our cabinet doors, so they're out of the running. I'm now looking for either adhesive ones or special magnetized ones! Anyone have a brand they like?}<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJe2Sp3dxMpG1XRChhIkhC7ysiAIAw1E-xkc7XlFckCDcw4I7m7BcZeFsftosh9bJ-1key9fsKql24SkTiBQg8GSUpTBENbulmgGMzmmNZpYmYQbjEhDArtTBv5tw-RoaGs-hmideHBCw/s1600/DSC_0134.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJe2Sp3dxMpG1XRChhIkhC7ysiAIAw1E-xkc7XlFckCDcw4I7m7BcZeFsftosh9bJ-1key9fsKql24SkTiBQg8GSUpTBENbulmgGMzmmNZpYmYQbjEhDArtTBv5tw-RoaGs-hmideHBCw/s400/DSC_0134.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545214841193901266" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7krbc0sp2Nbzz-xjWY7EuUzmtkneq_STe6NBZj8nNuhtD1SmJv5G8W60FPNRp8MKvlOh_RmLDSJr1eBMQmM8enj85FtT_jMjm4AwQkAns1VttONHnguwbqyzv3TmDSy9Tmo-qqKQ40Qw/s1600/DSC_0124.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7krbc0sp2Nbzz-xjWY7EuUzmtkneq_STe6NBZj8nNuhtD1SmJv5G8W60FPNRp8MKvlOh_RmLDSJr1eBMQmM8enj85FtT_jMjm4AwQkAns1VttONHnguwbqyzv3TmDSy9Tmo-qqKQ40Qw/s400/DSC_0124.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545214833832134818" border="0" /></a>. . . . . . .<br /><br />Lately Maddie's favorite thing to do is play on our king size bed. Within an hour of me making it in the morning, it's a mess. It becomes a pillow fort, she "rests" under piles of covers, she brings a stash of Polly Pocket dolls or bouncy balls or whatever else and hides them in all the nookes and crannies. Or she sneaks under the covers and watches Disney movies on the iPod Touch. She and James both love to wrestle and be tickled and be silly. {I finally captured some cute pictures of her! She's been in a stinker mood when it comes to photo-ops lately.}<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOq4wwlYfbWuiHPN54T0S5La0Q__F-IgB0acd3NiGIPq2Y4cwIFdbu6b35H1roFUZGsJiRqNg37foEGvCeXfdSvHYd8ZRCERvimJ0ewSsHyej5bwxDzRUh9rxK2bIGGBIgWeufJlsLeo/s1600/DSC_0049.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOq4wwlYfbWuiHPN54T0S5La0Q__F-IgB0acd3NiGIPq2Y4cwIFdbu6b35H1roFUZGsJiRqNg37foEGvCeXfdSvHYd8ZRCERvimJ0ewSsHyej5bwxDzRUh9rxK2bIGGBIgWeufJlsLeo/s400/DSC_0049.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545200752010999106" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYSAOJA9xumbceLoITFQFVcvikOeD7emtiLoEAB04hk5kh_Z4fH8xwhvRjmMMYSUpD7sPt5cwXeIYKnNl-acQ7a64bNf_XJdTp9OSyyrd_FQN_gqgroxw1Y8YVPJnzrwNE-L_WcIlR0Q/s1600/DSC_0047.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYSAOJA9xumbceLoITFQFVcvikOeD7emtiLoEAB04hk5kh_Z4fH8xwhvRjmMMYSUpD7sPt5cwXeIYKnNl-acQ7a64bNf_XJdTp9OSyyrd_FQN_gqgroxw1Y8YVPJnzrwNE-L_WcIlR0Q/s400/DSC_0047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545200750693094194" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbUPc0AgI1qsdsD2bj9VNAoyAPx1bilZAEREnFcgVBY_xi0b-k9ukFEEgA6ldudpGzIkOHG7hPTPTKD3N8nWFCAz-C6A5Zzskt6iO5GASx5r-CIsfCzlMqrKwLBd5FmCc2QNtDv_CUnw/s1600/DSC_0050.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbUPc0AgI1qsdsD2bj9VNAoyAPx1bilZAEREnFcgVBY_xi0b-k9ukFEEgA6ldudpGzIkOHG7hPTPTKD3N8nWFCAz-C6A5Zzskt6iO5GASx5r-CIsfCzlMqrKwLBd5FmCc2QNtDv_CUnw/s400/DSC_0050.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545200762890232130" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJo6LyZk1V7rKPYKlx9k_rU8YmxAH-pZYWbACo5YHMcHwtdbb4Q8DNavmhrnrameIou03Ue9pa7PhRIvgiLr-z-jiggHphNUZsBqza87pCfCIZj_4-rupLH15uT_NIZBSea0YtvT447A/s1600/DSC_0052.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJo6LyZk1V7rKPYKlx9k_rU8YmxAH-pZYWbACo5YHMcHwtdbb4Q8DNavmhrnrameIou03Ue9pa7PhRIvgiLr-z-jiggHphNUZsBqza87pCfCIZj_4-rupLH15uT_NIZBSea0YtvT447A/s400/DSC_0052.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545200774513305762" border="0" /></a>. . . . . .<br /><br />Getting back to October, we had our friends the Newells over for a playdate and pumpkin painting. We've been going to The Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island for the past few years together, but the weather was cruddy on the day we'd planned, so this was Plan B.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoX2Fp6Bf2N4rINDMfbjSC3aHA2Gt4ADwUvTg_e3-am9KMwWEqCuSY4Aa8UfSeawxNNilkqj-m1a8cGTr_nPpzV5HCDIOhr37M7zi_O9CA_sBOyM3aJ9xUhiX5U-SpOY_h6LRNI9dsa0/s1600/DSC_0048.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoX2Fp6Bf2N4rINDMfbjSC3aHA2Gt4ADwUvTg_e3-am9KMwWEqCuSY4Aa8UfSeawxNNilkqj-m1a8cGTr_nPpzV5HCDIOhr37M7zi_O9CA_sBOyM3aJ9xUhiX5U-SpOY_h6LRNI9dsa0/s400/DSC_0048.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545207776332619090" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJk49bxI-prr7-Neckhn3n5RuAA-JH6wFkEDh0w6FN4xHanJU_DbKAL-L5JFOaxeh44T_ZFI2w4-52llSI55ROOOT5HE1trcLwJ_wzXFZlreWuadxVWbRi19QYcDx8ADlhhkGT4ghGf4/s1600/DSC_0050-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJk49bxI-prr7-Neckhn3n5RuAA-JH6wFkEDh0w6FN4xHanJU_DbKAL-L5JFOaxeh44T_ZFI2w4-52llSI55ROOOT5HE1trcLwJ_wzXFZlreWuadxVWbRi19QYcDx8ADlhhkGT4ghGf4/s400/DSC_0050-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545207783271820034" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1t-2n4Ufn3LRhw28oh1GzInp-td3NH41kZYRUMomRnnr7MM16F3myCRAZxmjkznlosQpBF4_4zv75Yy4-JNVEE62VbMQztrs2Ck_RDQByrDOoLf9RUFNv-oDDytam551OXrcZMbi5HU8/s1600/DSC_0045-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1t-2n4Ufn3LRhw28oh1GzInp-td3NH41kZYRUMomRnnr7MM16F3myCRAZxmjkznlosQpBF4_4zv75Yy4-JNVEE62VbMQztrs2Ck_RDQByrDOoLf9RUFNv-oDDytam551OXrcZMbi5HU8/s400/DSC_0045-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545207770258090610" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2FTSdySdYLTpQEbPeNTIntQyuOuR4uUBl5P0RGJUVJ_pAgs5ZPB5W6IIhMkcBbqihhy31Vj-MYgn54HqpSpgheRCZigSOG5TEWhwM-S7Ktxf5I8TZ2nCLXk4g03ucIQOWwb7KY3nWaE/s1600/DSC_0038-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2FTSdySdYLTpQEbPeNTIntQyuOuR4uUBl5P0RGJUVJ_pAgs5ZPB5W6IIhMkcBbqihhy31Vj-MYgn54HqpSpgheRCZigSOG5TEWhwM-S7Ktxf5I8TZ2nCLXk4g03ucIQOWwb7KY3nWaE/s400/DSC_0038-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545207749916825842" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmK62SLI_PzW8OugskI4urtu951ff33Ha-_4HnKQMVHNPRnE2yWTKVlE6pkazWUn1hez3SSaHdq8Nas2X2luichhcGcZRt1muTMIehiE_HPse-SCOxU3re0JiEbdbwHOgIxsPFtlWTDTs/s1600/DSC_0064.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmK62SLI_PzW8OugskI4urtu951ff33Ha-_4HnKQMVHNPRnE2yWTKVlE6pkazWUn1hez3SSaHdq8Nas2X2luichhcGcZRt1muTMIehiE_HPse-SCOxU3re0JiEbdbwHOgIxsPFtlWTDTs/s400/DSC_0064.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545209569214515634" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">{it's always more fun when you can get your own snacks from the fridge!}</span><br /><br />The kids always have a great time playing together and its' fun to see all the new things they're able to do independently. James and Henry had the same due date, but as you can see, Henry has a <span style="font-style: italic;">bit </span>of a leg up on James in the growth department! :-)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfkCDBWQxDmPZvdeZFeE9OF4QazQohHJPoNHCFQdMu4cJavKGJAZwq_XL1JXIdcdeb3_EGX6LXJW_7iyU9sS8KWf1lqIW_4eCXCvrYFetjn1zb9emE2riKkKIOHRnWtnzO4QC7688SMs/s1600/DSC_0060-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfkCDBWQxDmPZvdeZFeE9OF4QazQohHJPoNHCFQdMu4cJavKGJAZwq_XL1JXIdcdeb3_EGX6LXJW_7iyU9sS8KWf1lqIW_4eCXCvrYFetjn1zb9emE2riKkKIOHRnWtnzO4QC7688SMs/s400/DSC_0060-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545209562951169970" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaxxktkNdQJ_QIyg21JiIJImmFy8Og0W-S66nuTmHxF98JhxVS7q8rriySkd7c1lmqZZZVdNfgNCXqQJ2jz5hx1ur9ihMcfLKKepJolsRXJf8_TbX4ImHiHYUIaaQqhp0WdTa356MTI8/s1600/DSC_0057-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaxxktkNdQJ_QIyg21JiIJImmFy8Og0W-S66nuTmHxF98JhxVS7q8rriySkd7c1lmqZZZVdNfgNCXqQJ2jz5hx1ur9ihMcfLKKepJolsRXJf8_TbX4ImHiHYUIaaQqhp0WdTa356MTI8/s400/DSC_0057-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545209547530653490" border="0" /></a>. . . . . .<br /><br />Most of the time Maddie just wants to do her own thing when she's playing, but sometimes she'll invite James to join in on whatever she's doing. Seeing them play together just warms my heart, especially since James lights up whenever he's around his big sister.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76FG-tnVEYEJ7PX1ZPBXxvRbF5NpNXrNDzjrrOq_mjEh1zomT4-LgQHeDKDKZy7o64FkS42hyT-4Q_XRUtPe0y8-e260kj-Z5LKGUoV5Vi2rXcmh9Us1EnhBicERvzJgl310RI7C3Zlc/s1600/DSC_0031.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76FG-tnVEYEJ7PX1ZPBXxvRbF5NpNXrNDzjrrOq_mjEh1zomT4-LgQHeDKDKZy7o64FkS42hyT-4Q_XRUtPe0y8-e260kj-Z5LKGUoV5Vi2rXcmh9Us1EnhBicERvzJgl310RI7C3Zlc/s400/DSC_0031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545207418022424034" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEishm66I_o_2INn8S3KcZyEVHl911OnlkD5AdnteCCMetWRuOTpXMHSZ1XReBz79cRxvlsFercGDvA1YVOwYcJ5nB59hEXCauAEkwlm8xePTjr-GirEJPFEljbu1CfYqAJAX7XkY_HYe5I/s1600/DSC_0026.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEishm66I_o_2INn8S3KcZyEVHl911OnlkD5AdnteCCMetWRuOTpXMHSZ1XReBz79cRxvlsFercGDvA1YVOwYcJ5nB59hEXCauAEkwlm8xePTjr-GirEJPFEljbu1CfYqAJAX7XkY_HYe5I/s400/DSC_0026.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545207416502693730" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4KYFYyQC-8nH-yzMh2QLHSsnaNQmwBpMH1_ziIPPcjuYKWR_ppkpzqCR6pxqy3c1zGII__1B8x382ImcB4IhmlC9N9YmDA3z3z_SY-bI1_klOcPJRQb_HVGNkh5RB5hB8jsiZ7VtcDM/s1600/DSC_0035.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4KYFYyQC-8nH-yzMh2QLHSsnaNQmwBpMH1_ziIPPcjuYKWR_ppkpzqCR6pxqy3c1zGII__1B8x382ImcB4IhmlC9N9YmDA3z3z_SY-bI1_klOcPJRQb_HVGNkh5RB5hB8jsiZ7VtcDM/s400/DSC_0035.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545207745193996690" border="0" /></a>{this is his "old-man-who-forgot-his-dentures" look...handsome, eh?}<br />. . . . . . .<br /><br />A highlight of October was watching Maddie hit a milestone--riding a bike! Her bike had been out at Nana and Papa's house for a long time, so she hardly ever practiced, even though we'd had the bike for probably a year. She'd tried when she was younger, but couldn't get the hang of peddling and would always high-center in the middle of her peddling stroke. So Nana and Papa brought the bike back home for her and, on a whim, she jumped on and tried it again--perfectly! She was able to peddle <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> look up <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> steer all at the same time! She was so thrilled. When the weather was nice, I swear we went on 3 bike rides a day. Too bad we'll have to wait until Spring now. It was the perfect activity to get out some of her pent-up energy.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim93d7RTMlPGC_C0vCyojiwzCWN-n5j3Ux9GzJr6fGOwGeG8k-mQFJy6JZqt6LyXYdeCOQXTMMTQCdeKD7aQ7vNQZXYQakVUhyphenhyphenwHjj-DcoNYXwPify1oTip_-r7R7wnF-p3FF8ohu8M4U/s1600/DSC_0014.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim93d7RTMlPGC_C0vCyojiwzCWN-n5j3Ux9GzJr6fGOwGeG8k-mQFJy6JZqt6LyXYdeCOQXTMMTQCdeKD7aQ7vNQZXYQakVUhyphenhyphenwHjj-DcoNYXwPify1oTip_-r7R7wnF-p3FF8ohu8M4U/s400/DSC_0014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545207391591366354" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCS-6SkoEHgdBkoH6aB7k9oGWc1vEkn5k7RpA5jCJTqbQR2mkjBDdyKIqOWzNOfzMCoKoU5CeCAlPdmYWV0kKuOT8zLuymHMp-aCn1W6Yz0mKliu-rKyaCnVSHHfKdxLKR5zXDF_84SbA/s1600/DSC_0018.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCS-6SkoEHgdBkoH6aB7k9oGWc1vEkn5k7RpA5jCJTqbQR2mkjBDdyKIqOWzNOfzMCoKoU5CeCAlPdmYWV0kKuOT8zLuymHMp-aCn1W6Yz0mKliu-rKyaCnVSHHfKdxLKR5zXDF_84SbA/s400/DSC_0018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545207396921258466" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wkFdVBYELB5771e9Ze_vblRoy5TAEy8tNvnoCh9nvb6kfUE6v77YHQkVFkQrQ3mmTT5Qj8-fw0tpCanVfSzpzVtTr0w1IHynNRe06czpx7z4BtvXclGy12Ggy9tGupiTSX1ol9wtfYI/s1600/DSC_0019-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wkFdVBYELB5771e9Ze_vblRoy5TAEy8tNvnoCh9nvb6kfUE6v77YHQkVFkQrQ3mmTT5Qj8-fw0tpCanVfSzpzVtTr0w1IHynNRe06czpx7z4BtvXclGy12Ggy9tGupiTSX1ol9wtfYI/s400/DSC_0019-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545207404086552514" border="0" /></a>. . . . . .<br /><br />Our next step with James will be a Feeding Clinic at Emanuel Hospital with a speech therapist an a nutritionist, probably sometime in December. He was doing okay with baby food purees, but then he got a cold for about 10 days and refused all solids and even some of his bottles. Since then his interest in food has gone downhill and I'm worried he's developing aversions to food. His doc said it's common for kids who have had a very delayed introduction to solids to develop a strong gag reflex and food aversions. James used to eat 1-2 Tbsp. of food a couple times a day, but now if you even touch it to his tongue he starts gagging or actually throws up. I'm worried that food is going to be a long, uphill battle with him. Please pray that he'd be able to get back on track and re-learn to tolerate textures and tastes. The one food he does still like is green apples, especially when they're shared with Daddy.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgmF0fbdNZT5LuS1hR-Y3KEoV_Fgp-KJV2u-kKPvwPHzaMyyCYQmm7sMcKTK6bgtd5IqHAaIx_SYscvMXcj_l4MUd3RadNjTN3eSCwQExVTS3b9ZnBn8hJeOuOvNH4zDdxhEv-z7kGS4/s1600/DSC_0078.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgmF0fbdNZT5LuS1hR-Y3KEoV_Fgp-KJV2u-kKPvwPHzaMyyCYQmm7sMcKTK6bgtd5IqHAaIx_SYscvMXcj_l4MUd3RadNjTN3eSCwQExVTS3b9ZnBn8hJeOuOvNH4zDdxhEv-z7kGS4/s400/DSC_0078.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545209573113685186" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5znh5kyKihbaaFKw3vyzwSqXPq9bnGJV3Q9UM7kvUAUCy7RjEKVxFOGXPTvqeM94SRoaaASMMmwoMOTRx1lmihpm1VX9mes3Y_cH9480m-Ha3hGVR85TTbfIiFVHoItcgvF9PVgvuY8/s1600/DSC_0083.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5znh5kyKihbaaFKw3vyzwSqXPq9bnGJV3Q9UM7kvUAUCy7RjEKVxFOGXPTvqeM94SRoaaASMMmwoMOTRx1lmihpm1VX9mes3Y_cH9480m-Ha3hGVR85TTbfIiFVHoItcgvF9PVgvuY8/s400/DSC_0083.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545209577009609586" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztInA0JAEEzoDy1OfT1bzaVqlkIzCS8TIdTBu7-pwWCDXMGcXE4B1FbKX2GOpKPHi1l6DJNHobMybU_Pxx4f-x9FFsQkxTtoKhDO17M38mucK1QQjh_BDtn-Ky7fzXpnQkeT2R6pf230/s1600/DSC_0087.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztInA0JAEEzoDy1OfT1bzaVqlkIzCS8TIdTBu7-pwWCDXMGcXE4B1FbKX2GOpKPHi1l6DJNHobMybU_Pxx4f-x9FFsQkxTtoKhDO17M38mucK1QQjh_BDtn-Ky7fzXpnQkeT2R6pf230/s400/DSC_0087.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545214817578443458" border="0" /></a><br />On a HUGELY GREAT note, James' doctor said that if his labs continue to look good and if he keeps similar pace with his TPN and formula rates, he could be completely off his TPN IV's within 6 months to a year! That would be AMAZING progress! We'll keep praying for that, as it would be a big benefit to his whole system, especially in terms of minimizing long-term liver damage that's common with TPN.<br /><br />. . . . . .<br /><br />I'll wrap up this October flashback post with one of my new favorite recipes. Ever had the pumpkin cream cheese muffins at Starbucks? I wait for them to arrive every year and love every bite. But you know what? <span style="font-style: italic;">These blow them out of the water! </span>They are absolutely delicious! I've been stockpiling canned pumpkin so that I can make them whenever the mood strikes...like how about tomorrow?! Truly, they are heavenly.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOo9D01Vb04Hnw0yJz-IXaFwSl2KSLgvIH_WZqjxNYXa7RoXQXzDhljJ1cwpcslTRlFhvjaaMsprwOWa0kFLTAIoPJlHkx8EzliyVsaRYBvNO-c-G6BC5rrj7Tha1wFtSsur0ZjoL57g/s1600/DSC_0020.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOo9D01Vb04Hnw0yJz-IXaFwSl2KSLgvIH_WZqjxNYXa7RoXQXzDhljJ1cwpcslTRlFhvjaaMsprwOWa0kFLTAIoPJlHkx8EzliyVsaRYBvNO-c-G6BC5rrj7Tha1wFtSsur0ZjoL57g/s400/DSC_0020.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545214826000919618" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins with Streusel</span> from Annie's Eats.<br />{<a href="http://annies-eats.com/2010/10/08/pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins/">click here</a> for the recipe...<br />and check out the rest of her recipes, too--they're all delicious!}<br /></div>Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-60847128375143605732010-11-23T20:33:00.000-08:002010-11-23T21:46:55.402-08:00Warning: Mass Update Ahead<span style="font-weight: bold;">Oh, you poor, poor neglected blog!</span> I can't believe it's already been a <span style="font-weight: bold;">month</span> since my last post. How lame is that?! Having a very active 1 year old and (now) 4 year old + loooooong hours of basement construction makes for very hectic days around here, so when 9:00pm rolls around and the kids are finally in bed, I finish the dishes and put away some laundry and tidy up the house, if I have an ounce of energy left it's usually a choice: upload photos and think of something clever to put on my blog OR lay on the heating pad and watch TV for 20 minutes / work on something crafty? Guess which choice has been winning out for the last month! :-) Add to that the fact that I've been pretty pathetic about taking photos and, well, there you go. I'll try to do a series of posts over the next week or so to "catch up"...since I have Halloween, my birthday, Maddie's birthday, then Thanksgiving and Keith's birthday this week! Whew! For Keith's birthday, he gets to travel down to Eugene with my dad and go to the Ducks game, relax, have a beer, go out to dinner, stay overnight, and then watch the <span style="font-weight: bold;">never-to-be-missed</span> Ohio State vs Michigan game on Saturday before heading back home. I bet the part he's looking forward to most is a <span style="font-weight: bold;">full nights sleep</span>! He deserves this break BIG TIME.<br /><br />After dinner tonight, Keith realized something we need to celebrate...<span style="font-weight: bold;">today marks the 1-year-anniversary of bringing James home from the hospital! </span>ONE YEAR! Can you believe it?! Last year on this day I was about 30% thrilled and excited + 70% panic-stricken and totally overwhelmed. I remember it took us a couple extra hours to get out of the NICU, then literally about 10 minutes after we walked in our front door at home, our home health nurse showed up with an IV pole and about 6 big boxes of medical supplies for our training session! I can't remember if it was an hour or two hours long, all I know is it felt like we were cramming days worth of training into a speed-crash-course. I felt like someone had just read me "How to Become a Doctor in One Afternoon" Cliff Notes and then shoved me into the middle of an Emergency Room. Looking back, I'm actually quite proud of Keith and I and how far we have come. Injecting meds into IV bags, hooking up machines, performing sterile bandage changes, drawing blood, administering IV antibiotics...these have all become second nature by now. We have now become "that family" who is the exception to the rule when we head to the hospital--we push hard to get out as early as we can, assuring them that we can do the needed medical procedures at home. And our docs have enough confidence in us that now they listen when we "push" and they argue with our home health services on our behalf to change the usual protocol. Lord knows I've never wanted to be a nurse {I've always hated going to the doctor!}, but somehow when it's for the good of your child, nothing else matters and you do whatever it takes. <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8KpwntX1QJY-FULhh_xB081DOe9-4cKNJr8olCqgFipabnesiTVXFtHj62H-tKASa5hlE7aHEekx_xhUXEteC9QvUq1ndVAd8iXyeQfnEfTPTB8oTyn3w1EAMTnyKnspDp5Z8J9Fs2Y/s1600/DSC_0027-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8KpwntX1QJY-FULhh_xB081DOe9-4cKNJr8olCqgFipabnesiTVXFtHj62H-tKASa5hlE7aHEekx_xhUXEteC9QvUq1ndVAd8iXyeQfnEfTPTB8oTyn3w1EAMTnyKnspDp5Z8J9Fs2Y/s400/DSC_0027-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542981613857772050" border="0" /></a>{Coming home from NICU: November 23, 2009...look how tiny!}<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJsqSY_8A3ZRaJBpWjM2e2OO79Z9N7yg19Dj9BjawzVf5bY35YWga_95aCpIVXqDsbppgsgdIfDt9vDk9LlbQXW7F95OFiUGjcr6PcgIi4BgjI5Dbbj8z40sMYUrQBsf80-MhKH5YistM/s1600/DSC_0024-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJsqSY_8A3ZRaJBpWjM2e2OO79Z9N7yg19Dj9BjawzVf5bY35YWga_95aCpIVXqDsbppgsgdIfDt9vDk9LlbQXW7F95OFiUGjcr6PcgIi4BgjI5Dbbj8z40sMYUrQBsf80-MhKH5YistM/s400/DSC_0024-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542981605319131890" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiImFx3BZoBe7MwBqFUWI-ODTez4TzApX7JBKuHUtHnRfypnOFEFo108uWugvg7qBClpsz4aR3422-KV8fFS_fd1aXgxGz9c5hIC3JgLCG9EC3jRkQDGqTbcbid5RSXz_ix023dMqLoKTY/s1600/DSC_0026-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiImFx3BZoBe7MwBqFUWI-ODTez4TzApX7JBKuHUtHnRfypnOFEFo108uWugvg7qBClpsz4aR3422-KV8fFS_fd1aXgxGz9c5hIC3JgLCG9EC3jRkQDGqTbcbid5RSXz_ix023dMqLoKTY/s400/DSC_0026-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542981618765521730" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXgyaX9gZ-cGjy0etKhP8hIt62_K0l2JuxvAXAS7mQj_W9W8bglcr99kAZP6jvbXyL2509cmymp4oVRBeBkIsmoAEiDVyuDlg018A4ElmV0Yx6GpNwmqqMwpSIoXryZr7ZeltU8m1WLo/s1600/DSC_0034.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXgyaX9gZ-cGjy0etKhP8hIt62_K0l2JuxvAXAS7mQj_W9W8bglcr99kAZP6jvbXyL2509cmymp4oVRBeBkIsmoAEiDVyuDlg018A4ElmV0Yx6GpNwmqqMwpSIoXryZr7ZeltU8m1WLo/s400/DSC_0034.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542981634708999378" border="0" /></a>{Thanksgiving Day 2009}<br /><br /></div><br />And look at our little buddy now! 19+ pounds and getting bigger every week. Happy as always.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8d9eELhFT9HEffCDQEWAPL_kh5c-PLZU0poOEUFIjfap3CndJoR3KtUQaYzyPe-_7V_UErDseaZB_GcbTT9f3___1XzOeiO5xoHgIcX9aqDCgPZkIfZA9rZLV4XokBYnxJ9ozX9cvs1A/s1600/DSC_0026-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8d9eELhFT9HEffCDQEWAPL_kh5c-PLZU0poOEUFIjfap3CndJoR3KtUQaYzyPe-_7V_UErDseaZB_GcbTT9f3___1XzOeiO5xoHgIcX9aqDCgPZkIfZA9rZLV4XokBYnxJ9ozX9cvs1A/s400/DSC_0026-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542980710741942530" border="0" /></a>{One year later: November 23, 2010}<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1P6hMvLOVm4O5N6L7BQ_wh0OFjphY6dzjP9lQ3RoUVbd3RSHOrMn7IP_DyMKkE0u-ZrvUgsW3ib2SyriyxJvqprUtY-XzQTZWS6aKi1Y2jW9JOOCMC5sgddnX26NLYMV-1Rh4i9t4CRo/s1600/DSC_0029-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1P6hMvLOVm4O5N6L7BQ_wh0OFjphY6dzjP9lQ3RoUVbd3RSHOrMn7IP_DyMKkE0u-ZrvUgsW3ib2SyriyxJvqprUtY-XzQTZWS6aKi1Y2jW9JOOCMC5sgddnX26NLYMV-1Rh4i9t4CRo/s400/DSC_0029-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542980712541344354" border="0" /></a>My mom has called him the Human Tornado because he never stops moving! He literally never <span style="font-style: italic;">sits</span> and plays. He's getting so confident with cruising walls and furniture that now he's doing it 1-handed and practically running at the same time. He's taken some steps and walked a few feet between objects, so now it's just a matter of time. He'll probably go straight from cruising to jogging! :-) Oh, another bit of good news...James' lab results continue to look great and his doctors just approved him to be off his IV nutrition for 8 hours a day instead of just 6...two extra free hours! Yahoo! That makes life sooooo much easier!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklYEBl-i_Yt_-H3vjmtWkZ2SkUYgLr8qmWbGowsaGBKkLi0BJQuEGXnsHbuvxHTbbikFFqE0HLEnTmlECZakspycQRJO7XDblss9UTTzECD_rxDg2nmPIaP-Y_H5ozbjEa3Y9RQB_Fg8/s1600/DSC_0023.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklYEBl-i_Yt_-H3vjmtWkZ2SkUYgLr8qmWbGowsaGBKkLi0BJQuEGXnsHbuvxHTbbikFFqE0HLEnTmlECZakspycQRJO7XDblss9UTTzECD_rxDg2nmPIaP-Y_H5ozbjEa3Y9RQB_Fg8/s400/DSC_0023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542980700217832354" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9INFCzJZ5NmG0Z2NQFwaDh8m4ZM4F8I5cWRXfzIRfyGYFoaL3nfjDYq-gyRTDvglwYNJZ6hSdn3RXJJ85gCjDZKRGf6SJj4FusoVJBYeSBfjIthBJ_bum2dA306QD6DEN947Z1bDxdAc/s1600/DSC_0021-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9INFCzJZ5NmG0Z2NQFwaDh8m4ZM4F8I5cWRXfzIRfyGYFoaL3nfjDYq-gyRTDvglwYNJZ6hSdn3RXJJ85gCjDZKRGf6SJj4FusoVJBYeSBfjIthBJ_bum2dA306QD6DEN947Z1bDxdAc/s400/DSC_0021-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542980698515837890" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vGE07HGMh1c-TkZaCZSBjqCtcJ0jqIF6jzEYJ0OLXhp6bQZEiiaSzmgYqurh75jn3rfoHO5LWzM1wQ_vbodm5Ybws4Rbqxk6S00efrVcWQ0SCXhcMiT4e8xH4XbH_a9D9Zlsw5kvCMI/s1600/DSC_0013-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vGE07HGMh1c-TkZaCZSBjqCtcJ0jqIF6jzEYJ0OLXhp6bQZEiiaSzmgYqurh75jn3rfoHO5LWzM1wQ_vbodm5Ybws4Rbqxk6S00efrVcWQ0SCXhcMiT4e8xH4XbH_a9D9Zlsw5kvCMI/s400/DSC_0013-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542980377625937314" border="0" /></a><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZWOTFhtAj8aiXlgZ_q_X7XZ76IrHuJJkBGr6WBNHkbB5RMQ7Igtc3p0QdTMWtI9GBAdryJ3QNqGFFF7g0KX31yhsHAlZI5VRPNELhKKcHr3nM2huOFhaFAvdS55kCELscd9WvynslxY/s1600/DSC_0020-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZWOTFhtAj8aiXlgZ_q_X7XZ76IrHuJJkBGr6WBNHkbB5RMQ7Igtc3p0QdTMWtI9GBAdryJ3QNqGFFF7g0KX31yhsHAlZI5VRPNELhKKcHr3nM2huOFhaFAvdS55kCELscd9WvynslxY/s400/DSC_0020-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542980688190484498" border="0" /></a><br />Maddie is doing great as well and I can't believe she turned FOUR at the beginning of this month. She's even beginning to act older most of the time. I do have to say, though, I feel really guilty for the lack of attention that gets paid to her on most days. When James is hooked up, you have no choice but to literally follow him around, since he has about 2 feet of slack on his lines. {It's funny, he now knows when his lines are pulling tight and he'll turn around and yank on them and then whine at you like, "Ahem, you are slacking on your job, here! I want to MOVE!"} Even when he's unhooked, he's a typical 1-year-old, getting into trouble at breakneck speed, and can't be trusted on his own for more than a few minutes. So Maddie definitely gets the short end of the stick. You know how verbal she is, so it breaks my heart when she comes to me teary-eyed and says, "Mom, I'm feeling really left out. Nobody is paying any attention to me!" Oh, if I could just clone myself, I could be such a better mother! Thank goodness for Nana, who comes over to help me once a week and also takes Maddie on dates every week and sleepovers at her house at least twice a month--she's our saving grace!<br /><br />Now on to some random photos, the only kind I seem to take lately: One gift Maddie got for her birthday was cute socks with designs on the top. And apparently she is bringing the 80's back as a trend-setter...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCe82USZmZTt573QJ3wplnEkLfIMA3KWZMmyPLytRAxuGbo4qFDvDLaaRRrhMFd32RT73svGHn0i3zAVZP0HQiCToqlQezv77BmN6hSG_rNyHZkA45ITHLD7bHbFio5Np5rHkoIB7ycwc/s1600/DSC_0012-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCe82USZmZTt573QJ3wplnEkLfIMA3KWZMmyPLytRAxuGbo4qFDvDLaaRRrhMFd32RT73svGHn0i3zAVZP0HQiCToqlQezv77BmN6hSG_rNyHZkA45ITHLD7bHbFio5Np5rHkoIB7ycwc/s400/DSC_0012-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542980356704703506" border="0" /></a>{"...because Mom, if I didn't tuck my pants in, then you couldn't see how cute my socks are!"}<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6xRmmt5dMpOeLfXzRvVWk0db1Ntoyjkz9lcFEp1O5bkrt6DVXAYYmTzhkqer7nwRjF4M7cI0gHWfpMvNVEkSxLMB42TYRfL3bp7jf_vTgP-nv4mY4eYeauAXJMuPPeVjR3g9B8P0pAsw/s1600/DSC_0013.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6xRmmt5dMpOeLfXzRvVWk0db1Ntoyjkz9lcFEp1O5bkrt6DVXAYYmTzhkqer7nwRjF4M7cI0gHWfpMvNVEkSxLMB42TYRfL3bp7jf_vTgP-nv4mY4eYeauAXJMuPPeVjR3g9B8P0pAsw/s400/DSC_0013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542980365198061890" border="0" /></a>{also notice the super-cool glitter shoes from Aunt Dana!}<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Today we had an exciting delivery...Maddie's new "big girl" carseat/booster! TWO cupholders and armrests and <span style="font-style: italic;">everything</span>! {Actually, this was WAY more thrilling for Mommy, since it means that James can upgrade to Maddie's smaller forward-facing carseat! He <span style="font-style: italic;">hates</span> his infant carseat and can literally make it about 5 minutes in the car content...then it's screaming for the whole rest of the drive. <span style="font-style: italic;">Fun for all, I tell ya!</span>}<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENzq5G_H8vplt_wa-VDZ9QFBoOJhm-K4X-AF2aJRlg6buFemx81xBH6zZTmbz5xYYUsKxZZYNur84ZaBHS99V-C-VO2D2erRnGs8UP2s0cRwc4rbtObjtVTOVM1WjkLb3LOy9m4fQv6I/s1600/DSC_0017-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENzq5G_H8vplt_wa-VDZ9QFBoOJhm-K4X-AF2aJRlg6buFemx81xBH6zZTmbz5xYYUsKxZZYNur84ZaBHS99V-C-VO2D2erRnGs8UP2s0cRwc4rbtObjtVTOVM1WjkLb3LOy9m4fQv6I/s400/DSC_0017-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542980395116800354" border="0" /></a>But you know how it is with kids...the actual gift is never what ends up being exciting. It's all about the BOX! Here's how Maddie spent most of her day...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzRVkwZbedl5H_mC_ThpO3S-bZVeqoGTSlKgtxiSFSazY__p86YAALTbbFRUaHaVr8-j9oq8PUQjm8nVRXJLuvXL0kjTlwAA-baLNt9ZrXwaDoTcJla6MLXkD7iqS_1seGUsXzFFPlRI/s1600/DSC_0015.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzRVkwZbedl5H_mC_ThpO3S-bZVeqoGTSlKgtxiSFSazY__p86YAALTbbFRUaHaVr8-j9oq8PUQjm8nVRXJLuvXL0kjTlwAA-baLNt9ZrXwaDoTcJla6MLXkD7iqS_1seGUsXzFFPlRI/s400/DSC_0015.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542980393228626162" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div>The basement remodeling job is speeding along and an end is in sight! Sooo exciting. Keith has worked tirelessly down there and has done all the plumbing and electrical himself {with a few bonus Saturdays with help from my dad--Thanks Dad!}. The heating/cooling system is done--with an AC unit! Awesome!} The furnace / hot water tank /washer & dryer have been moved into one central room. Insulation has been started. Drywall is scheduled to begin on Friday. When that is done, the concrete floors will be smoothed and stained chocolate brown with a glossy sealer on top. Hopefully within the next 3 weeks I'll have a paintbrush in my hand! It's going to be amazing to have that whole lower floor of our house finished--definitely a dream we've had for a long time. The space will include a media room, storage room, playroom/craft studio, Keith's office, laundry room and full bathroom. So awesome. We'll probably <span style="font-style: italic;">live</span> down there. :-)<br /><br />Whew, okay, I think I'm out of steam for now. Sorry for my long absence...hopefully look forward to more regular posts! :-) <br /><br />Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-80351225643412521362010-10-16T11:26:00.000-07:002010-10-16T11:48:57.405-07:00Getting back to normalSheesh, things sure have gotten away from me lately! Sorry for my absence...apparently getting back in the swing of things after a week in the hospital and my recurring back pain have taken a toll. :-)<br /><br />James got to come home last Saturday afternoon and, other than crankiness from breaking in two top teeth, he's back to his happy, active little self. Walking around the house with his car walker, climbing everything, crawling like a speed racer, cracking up at his funny sister. He's still on antibiotics and will continue to be for another week or two, until he can get his new central line placed in his chest. For now he has a PICC line in his arm, which seems to be working fine and doesn't bother him much. He's such a brave little guy. Probably the worst part of being hospitalized for him was that he couldn't get down and crawl and play like he usually does 24/7.<br /><br />Other than that, we're getting back to normal...starting to cook some favorite fall foods with apples and pumpkin, making decorations and plans for Maddie's birthday party in November, planning the next steps of remodeling the basement. So far we've put in a new front door, two new huge picture windows in the living room, and have framed in all the walls in the basement! We now have the shell of an open media room, laundry room, craft studio/playroom, Keith's office, full bathroom and storage room down there. The space is the full footprint of our house, so gaining all that living space will be HUGE! {I'd post pictures, but there's not much light down there aside from a glaring construction light.}<br /><br />My back is, well, let's just say it's "sensitive". About 2 weeks ago it was feeling great...no pain at all, I was cleared to lift James again, and I was feeling really good! But I think I overdid it and it was too much too soon. Especially after spending a week in the hospital with too much sitting and rocking, my pain came back and I relapsed. So now my therapist said no lifting again {we'll try a week like that and then slowly ease back into it}. When I felt the pain again, I was so deeply disappointed. Eight weeks of constant therapy and progress, gone in a week. Dang it! I'm still better than I was back in July, so I'm not back at square one, but it's still defeating. I know that I'll have lots of relapses, since that's just the way this injury works, but I was hoping to go longer than just a week! :-(Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-40370275897034470202010-10-08T20:54:00.000-07:002010-10-08T21:19:56.182-07:00Hospital Time AgainWell, we lasted about 3 months...we haven't had a long hospital visit since June, until this week. Around 4:30am Wednesday morning James started throwing up and had a fever. We waited until about 8:30am, called his doctor when his fever hit over 101.5, and then went to the ER. They got him hooked up to IV fluids and started him on antibiotics after they got some blood samples. His central line has been having problems not drawing out blood, so they actually had to poke him this time. :-( His central line has been showing some wear-and-tear damage and the plastic was starting to peel off, so when the lab results came back that he had another line infection, the decision was made to remove it. I got to the ER with Maddie in the afternoon and about 10 minutes later the call came in that he was being taken down to surgery right then. Spent a few hours entertaining Maddie in the waiting room until James was out of surgery and we were taken up to a room. He did great, but now has a PICC line {long IV} in his arm, which gets in his way a bit. He'll have that for a couple weeks until we can clear his infection with antibiotics and then go back in to surgery to have a new central line placed. Aside from infection, part of the problem with his old line was that it was put in when he was only 3 months old and about 8-9 pounds. Fast forward to 13 months old and now 18 pounds and the line was no longer in the right place...it had moved from a large vein in the heart into a smaller jugular vein.<br /><br />For the last few days he's been on antibiotics and we've been playing a waiting game with his labs. After surgery, his platelet levels dropped and so did his white blood cell count. His white blood cells have now stabilized, but his platelets are still low. We may get to go home tomorrow, but only if his labs show that the antibiotics have killed off the line infection. The docs were concerned today that there might have been a blood clot left over from where his line had been, but the ultrasound looked clear, which is a blessing.<br /><br />We'd love your prayers for James' health, but I also want to ask for prayer for my amazing husband, Keith. He is Superman...and super-tired man! Since my back is still sore and I just got cleared last week to do a *little* lifting of James {yep, it's been over 2 loooong months!}, Keith has been stuck doing hospital duty overnight and mornings + getting up with James during the night at home for months. The poor guy never gets a full night sleep! Sleep deprivation is literally a form of torture and he's holding up really well considering it all, but still. I need to regain my health soon so that I can be a better helper!<br /><br />We'll try to keep you posted. Hopefully James will come home this weekend and we can start getting back to normal again! For now he's content roaming the halls in his little red wagon with the IV pole tied on the back, waving to strangers and making them all crank their necks as they walk by, checking out all his cuteness and adorable curly hair! :-)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFMlGVtyEwCxQ-udFMy4n8oU_-L23DE2if6yFK0O2U8oIjjenR0c6gSUqCw34mRiCu_sGsVTupo37Xt6A783n0OYWXrBySbXnQtYJj8CrWIlhEu3FaLIOJJ1iptSUS1bvKzMfoGr0_4A/s1600/DSC_0050.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFMlGVtyEwCxQ-udFMy4n8oU_-L23DE2if6yFK0O2U8oIjjenR0c6gSUqCw34mRiCu_sGsVTupo37Xt6A783n0OYWXrBySbXnQtYJj8CrWIlhEu3FaLIOJJ1iptSUS1bvKzMfoGr0_4A/s400/DSC_0050.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525895423392639554" border="0" /></a>Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-82418386421833852762010-09-25T18:09:00.001-07:002010-09-25T18:21:49.856-07:00Look Ma, No Hands!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3jE1FBQDkPtBiv_D7-EcaEjUH6Hlh-TOjDJdJCpMMwrFHkMWxNNQI6Vybw4obJRafhhq7JSJ_ag9zUJZQ1uc79dCDKdziY43UYvJ5gZTeyoDGjdp81w8wjM5OnPItnvHIrZICKXM4zY/s1600/DSC_0057.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3jE1FBQDkPtBiv_D7-EcaEjUH6Hlh-TOjDJdJCpMMwrFHkMWxNNQI6Vybw4obJRafhhq7JSJ_ag9zUJZQ1uc79dCDKdziY43UYvJ5gZTeyoDGjdp81w8wjM5OnPItnvHIrZICKXM4zY/s400/DSC_0057.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521024538452358434" border="0" /></a><br />Yep, another milestone today for our Little Man. He's now comfortable enough to let go and stand alone while playing for up to 20 seconds at a time. Woo hoo! He's not stable enough yet to start taking steps, but just give him a couple weeks and I'm sure that'll be next! He's a super-fast crawler now, pulls himself up on everything and loves to climb the stairs. We're so proud of him! He lets nothing slow him down. :-)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVnwMJZAWhAIDJjqATsih18mRjHs8ElH9Hgw7xFAeBofoYdapxIjqpNqhcBKykx1stwtoFNjrkaRJRql-mibtduNne-ux143buoeMVXcwczdMIf4sqxlw4GiSFsdbYGdAemgYOOeOrh8/s1600/DSC_0039.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVnwMJZAWhAIDJjqATsih18mRjHs8ElH9Hgw7xFAeBofoYdapxIjqpNqhcBKykx1stwtoFNjrkaRJRql-mibtduNne-ux143buoeMVXcwczdMIf4sqxlw4GiSFsdbYGdAemgYOOeOrh8/s400/DSC_0039.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521023783248998002" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzN5wxpKWSe6IA3pasmgowafPRS6DEhRS3uhKUN9iAOYmzu8tdpXjZgm4A3VipJRKVKZVCYytZVcFS2lrDGUl1qE8oCNta3CtP3Ukgt5jRURoCew-uYPLxU-VEowaHDHbGVsYd1w_7DMI/s1600/DSC_0038.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzN5wxpKWSe6IA3pasmgowafPRS6DEhRS3uhKUN9iAOYmzu8tdpXjZgm4A3VipJRKVKZVCYytZVcFS2lrDGUl1qE8oCNta3CtP3Ukgt5jRURoCew-uYPLxU-VEowaHDHbGVsYd1w_7DMI/s400/DSC_0038.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521023777676189906" border="0" /></a>{oh, and he claps for himself--how cute is that?!}<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgIgnwK08OAjQthHiM8_jxd0H2mNEkcyHpWZBdo5b-42E43G4VLpCyJowfPFQF8O4m8JXYiTRCf4vgfMQk5rRV0-2vphSNZG2cw2unqKTfa6UxNjjhqa9YChQqv9YZZddpDlPSJ5rryA/s1600/DSC_0054.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgIgnwK08OAjQthHiM8_jxd0H2mNEkcyHpWZBdo5b-42E43G4VLpCyJowfPFQF8O4m8JXYiTRCf4vgfMQk5rRV0-2vphSNZG2cw2unqKTfa6UxNjjhqa9YChQqv9YZZddpDlPSJ5rryA/s400/DSC_0054.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521024529304085746" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ASnClxNNtnDIBqnKYirfQnYPjBhpnT6j99e1ohJ_Wlcu7zxD1hfKos-btib49QALtEPHJzIM0FMMW5QKlGdIp7ZP4HHONGNCuRRZrn2wVGdHyfBNvx5RkHiBnd3l-xeBvMtIlG-NGqE/s1600/DSC_0045.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ASnClxNNtnDIBqnKYirfQnYPjBhpnT6j99e1ohJ_Wlcu7zxD1hfKos-btib49QALtEPHJzIM0FMMW5QKlGdIp7ZP4HHONGNCuRRZrn2wVGdHyfBNvx5RkHiBnd3l-xeBvMtIlG-NGqE/s400/DSC_0045.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521023792612762514" border="0" /></a>{Are you checking me out?}<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWj4-OktBh01JPCzZ3Jfu-uX_6tzasdnBeLA9CKzZDSSHNQo2T2NA5qVsihNVBSA4-h4dXbgUuX-Tqc9hxZ4YGeXDj_Ry28sQEe7a47BMyG9A2HPb16NQarEwwVtvciYiRVKOF2Sckkc/s1600/DSC_0046.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWj4-OktBh01JPCzZ3Jfu-uX_6tzasdnBeLA9CKzZDSSHNQo2T2NA5qVsihNVBSA4-h4dXbgUuX-Tqc9hxZ4YGeXDj_Ry28sQEe7a47BMyG9A2HPb16NQarEwwVtvciYiRVKOF2Sckkc/s400/DSC_0046.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521023803606385842" border="0" /></a>{Hello, all my fans!}<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadIrbpv5YKCynBIPXdXM2SpA6yLMAln83ifnANWQS4FiFurrofrhdhglp10zyHsu7ycikKIcuCBoadA1P2GXL4hOdX9IU7EisxeMeR9Ohmm81p3ACjtHAjC6M4IyzO_DHGOBqbq7TAgo/s1600/DSC_0024.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadIrbpv5YKCynBIPXdXM2SpA6yLMAln83ifnANWQS4FiFurrofrhdhglp10zyHsu7ycikKIcuCBoadA1P2GXL4hOdX9IU7EisxeMeR9Ohmm81p3ACjtHAjC6M4IyzO_DHGOBqbq7TAgo/s400/DSC_0024.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521023767705292034" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9acs-8R7IKogDNdvs-CvfgUw48Q4S_WDdH7GzdTa-BVTFe8iK8sGu5T3ZSFk0NcFfMNZGvPbufFct7c5w1PaJZ5yflPRl9iV8b0tQ6k9aCU4LwVQEGTBjoR7IdgK8QWtF6CeFwSfwN8/s1600/DSC_0015.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9acs-8R7IKogDNdvs-CvfgUw48Q4S_WDdH7GzdTa-BVTFe8iK8sGu5T3ZSFk0NcFfMNZGvPbufFct7c5w1PaJZ5yflPRl9iV8b0tQ6k9aCU4LwVQEGTBjoR7IdgK8QWtF6CeFwSfwN8/s400/DSC_0015.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521025279494092274" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUyhgxN8AIOr0hitiLdObQYqWSJrzcR-1zULF09yghCw9Vaw074Q46RmFFKPu0jkQlgySju0VC9GpszJ_MobtnuwDWrVB0XZ3ZoPrTeu3UVoDjbCSVY6VnjUlTa7t5KyreewFEL-ztVY/s1600/DSC_0021.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUyhgxN8AIOr0hitiLdObQYqWSJrzcR-1zULF09yghCw9Vaw074Q46RmFFKPu0jkQlgySju0VC9GpszJ_MobtnuwDWrVB0XZ3ZoPrTeu3UVoDjbCSVY6VnjUlTa7t5KyreewFEL-ztVY/s400/DSC_0021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521025285244788386" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgX1Wg9egxqlugQrmXav8iTGb43SSbfUHrCMCBUMAxJRxcsxyYekmq1r6Bc3sl5JCvJLWptv4CsOg-eri5q5SUTBnZKYzl0rkr0TnBXOYpMHpiwyfwOz1epZSBsfDoWi-5mmpp9GQZC0/s1600/DSC_0053.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgX1Wg9egxqlugQrmXav8iTGb43SSbfUHrCMCBUMAxJRxcsxyYekmq1r6Bc3sl5JCvJLWptv4CsOg-eri5q5SUTBnZKYzl0rkr0TnBXOYpMHpiwyfwOz1epZSBsfDoWi-5mmpp9GQZC0/s400/DSC_0053.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521024524771714114" border="0" /></a>{James also loves to play sword fight with Daddy and Maddie!}<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWrZBoVc7jPADucaCb41qNYl9sAqnQkQWUon_ZBSkprLVUHQyFuyvdwTHBTmJ8xUYYA4GgePrDzdF0ClBcPAeXHHn3J_AC03Fzhn2EMTavRgGm-7Jv70tnhpe9naxXtYt3lcADwFiDdTA/s1600/DSC_0062.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWrZBoVc7jPADucaCb41qNYl9sAqnQkQWUon_ZBSkprLVUHQyFuyvdwTHBTmJ8xUYYA4GgePrDzdF0ClBcPAeXHHn3J_AC03Fzhn2EMTavRgGm-7Jv70tnhpe9naxXtYt3lcADwFiDdTA/s400/DSC_0062.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521024548311970850" border="0" /></a><br />Randomness...these pictures crack me up. Our beagle Lucy is just the best dog. She's so patient with the kids and {sometimes} lets them do funny stuff to her...like the other day when Maddie wanted to "make Lucy more comfortable" by piling about 5 layers of blankets on top of her AND giving her a doggie stuffed animal to sleep with. Lucy just rolled her eyes and put up with it all. What a good dog! :-)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_mkH31DuwzyI8nl60aPFo7M8rdJR2S8mXJFOf6gVVnuCX3mSMrDVaj556j9CtqswrlujlHU_N3uaVb6jCJscRFSB4ZAimfAPRNR3D7iHRYONr_4AKMAHmMRwWS5cueN1uHO42HCrC60/s1600/DSC_0016-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_mkH31DuwzyI8nl60aPFo7M8rdJR2S8mXJFOf6gVVnuCX3mSMrDVaj556j9CtqswrlujlHU_N3uaVb6jCJscRFSB4ZAimfAPRNR3D7iHRYONr_4AKMAHmMRwWS5cueN1uHO42HCrC60/s400/DSC_0016-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521025270143568306" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gNSXm3Oah5B8RLZFtj-0BMNzIWlODGq7jL_aRoorB7H5hTAKV7h4RgFlsYa4Hyi1R6DlhBrI7Z2PUlcpBfYqGhsC-paOsaGSmnMmf42zGjZjOFEpNY4sjeChex55_0O94YdfsxZ15Ug/s1600/DSC_0024-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gNSXm3Oah5B8RLZFtj-0BMNzIWlODGq7jL_aRoorB7H5hTAKV7h4RgFlsYa4Hyi1R6DlhBrI7Z2PUlcpBfYqGhsC-paOsaGSmnMmf42zGjZjOFEpNY4sjeChex55_0O94YdfsxZ15Ug/s400/DSC_0024-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521024561384765954" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5E4w7x1wXZtE4DqiWdtclC6EYMbr0Y7Jz4MpA_ShvlOv46XbQRfwxES124fnOvpn9IoF_j1euS0BgHCrBIQjFeUHyPGZIuZ-tbIk2mBNPJ_4Q-UoRfNNqmoynGvbX_PiLWacB10SImzM/s1600/DSC_0023-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5E4w7x1wXZtE4DqiWdtclC6EYMbr0Y7Jz4MpA_ShvlOv46XbQRfwxES124fnOvpn9IoF_j1euS0BgHCrBIQjFeUHyPGZIuZ-tbIk2mBNPJ_4Q-UoRfNNqmoynGvbX_PiLWacB10SImzM/s400/DSC_0023-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521025264704928642" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-62857813923140971242010-09-21T11:19:00.000-07:002010-09-21T14:10:18.848-07:00Gearing Up<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTL8FpFoTWkzHRlwDXkZxWW-HP2VoaPK2NNdARtOQQSruQ_xisQQoTTdAp9ZZFSEWyCZrDsKaHT_bI1oplFdmLA6gFro8UhPH9ykcvs9LqyQF7GHTYBbe-p7iz7HBOM4by-KHsVAmq8M/s1600/DSC_0033.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTL8FpFoTWkzHRlwDXkZxWW-HP2VoaPK2NNdARtOQQSruQ_xisQQoTTdAp9ZZFSEWyCZrDsKaHT_bI1oplFdmLA6gFro8UhPH9ykcvs9LqyQF7GHTYBbe-p7iz7HBOM4by-KHsVAmq8M/s400/DSC_0033.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519476474225050290" border="0" /></a>This morning marked another turning point...Grandma Darlene had to get on a plane back to Ohio. Back to her normal life and husband who missed her so much. Back to her daughter and other grandkids. Back to *free time* during her day and being able to go to the bathroom and eat <span style="font-style: italic;">whenever she wants</span>! Now that's freedom! :-) We were BLESSED beyond belief to have her with us for 7 whole weeks. She tended to all the kids' needs. She cleaned the house. She was my right-hand lady and now we have to gear up for a new transition. I STILL have not been cleared to be able to lift James. {Can you imagine not being able to lift/hold your own baby for 2 months?!} My back is slooooowly getting better with physical therapy 2x week and exercises I do multiple times every day, but it's definitely not responding as quickly as I'd like. I feel okay if I'm standing up, but can only sit for very short periods of time {5-10 minutes} and any movements related to lifting or bending over hurt, which impacts everything...diaper changes, cooking, doing dishes, cleaning, etc. So now we're on the hunt for a daytime babysitter. NOT the way I'd choose to spend money, but we don't really have any other options. I seriously think there should be some sort of insurance / worker's comp for MOMS who get injured!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FXSU8nIUWanbNGl8VUa40a3lsBoh6H-3miBP2ElLvIekOyFI48jlu5WTliVtUVIzUNGqFCq_elb3-SX_paQre-4VJkv1YgDfzERXRjGX_Ql57YaxZ1lGsOadGEci9rBj9T7181T36Ac/s1600/DSC_0072.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FXSU8nIUWanbNGl8VUa40a3lsBoh6H-3miBP2ElLvIekOyFI48jlu5WTliVtUVIzUNGqFCq_elb3-SX_paQre-4VJkv1YgDfzERXRjGX_Ql57YaxZ1lGsOadGEci9rBj9T7181T36Ac/s400/DSC_0072.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519476489549871650" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim9o1IyK9wY-B9cc4JrbqkWIvDQaragdA_oEuGMZcxB8E18QlFNhdPAHuPqcM2S-1if5W56yppdfpV6tLmLiEsM7OXntBuMDYHd7o_MP2Z_8KXBUReptJJ7vkbyaJ2A3rJzfd1CNBV4KM/s1600/DSC_0016.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim9o1IyK9wY-B9cc4JrbqkWIvDQaragdA_oEuGMZcxB8E18QlFNhdPAHuPqcM2S-1if5W56yppdfpV6tLmLiEsM7OXntBuMDYHd7o_MP2Z_8KXBUReptJJ7vkbyaJ2A3rJzfd1CNBV4KM/s400/DSC_0016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519475127987071490" border="0" /></a><br />James is doing awesome and continues to amaze us and his physical therapist with how quickly he is picking up on things! He is super active and always on the go, climbing over things, cruising all the furniture, using his toys or boxes as "walkers" to push through the house, climbing the stairs. He finally figured out real crawling this week, but sometimes still resorts to his default "slap/drag" method on his stomach. :-) Last week his doctor gave the OK for him to start SOLID FOODS...hooray! So far he likes applesauce, baby oatmeal and bananas. The first bite is always a <span style="font-style: italic;">blech</span> face, but then he warms right up to it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdLwYYtuF6LvLMtqZXxOY6IhCW-KxCIWia91gG-UgSKpjHh-4OmKgALFtQG6z8rcsbEvJEDrtiqn5aDwyhYfCIVTEQ3W_9DePjvRHuhk6tjM1km0sHLpYYj7gnzpLNGtXwGp2_ged4cI/s1600/DSC_0029.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdLwYYtuF6LvLMtqZXxOY6IhCW-KxCIWia91gG-UgSKpjHh-4OmKgALFtQG6z8rcsbEvJEDrtiqn5aDwyhYfCIVTEQ3W_9DePjvRHuhk6tjM1km0sHLpYYj7gnzpLNGtXwGp2_ged4cI/s400/DSC_0029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519476454675154034" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5cezS5SufR3SFknijju0eaMMRrM6pcpwSXHPFQwI1RuXXBMHTauAL9R2YQhzTPneQrjtQwRfp5gsvRDKQj453ZlUA6jCvoPNOgKbUSO_e4wludKWTI9rn_E2hFpBe7vKnM2ZJNX0jRQ/s1600/DSC_0028-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5cezS5SufR3SFknijju0eaMMRrM6pcpwSXHPFQwI1RuXXBMHTauAL9R2YQhzTPneQrjtQwRfp5gsvRDKQj453ZlUA6jCvoPNOgKbUSO_e4wludKWTI9rn_E2hFpBe7vKnM2ZJNX0jRQ/s400/DSC_0028-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519475130268196514" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHAkhqFcxj_7d-BrEoztEG-8IYq1cz_aaw_m4zOHpPn48VXr7xuFyzVNG9pFMnBDu529iWWas3nvbmQuzl7e0s1Vb70XSe3TO3GOKudD9YWgiHnki_UxQjBYwvWAXt6Cp3gHUZsfEtkPE/s1600/DSC_0017-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHAkhqFcxj_7d-BrEoztEG-8IYq1cz_aaw_m4zOHpPn48VXr7xuFyzVNG9pFMnBDu529iWWas3nvbmQuzl7e0s1Vb70XSe3TO3GOKudD9YWgiHnki_UxQjBYwvWAXt6Cp3gHUZsfEtkPE/s400/DSC_0017-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519476442468903874" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34H6hF-rkSguDxpA9TdgEqtvruKamKNx4BycjYcxuV00Kq2EFWMjzxa5n0aXHKaee3_muJX4zufP332q93WGAhPYFaRgXPZHBLDk37f3J1aawpL65UmJtL06QYaefrrWIZp9dulmp-cI/s1600/DSC_0024.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34H6hF-rkSguDxpA9TdgEqtvruKamKNx4BycjYcxuV00Kq2EFWMjzxa5n0aXHKaee3_muJX4zufP332q93WGAhPYFaRgXPZHBLDk37f3J1aawpL65UmJtL06QYaefrrWIZp9dulmp-cI/s400/DSC_0024.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519476467533962978" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">{hooray for food!}</span><br /></div><br />On a fun note, Maddie and I are gearing up for her 4th birthday, coming up November 2nd. {Now, if I could only pick a party day that works with everyone's schedules! I swear, football season and soccer season are huge buzz-kills when it comes to trying to plan a party with kids and adults!} Against all of my best Mommy persuasion, Maddie has picked a PIRATE theme for her birthday this year. Why, you ask? Because they have cool telescopes. <span style="font-style: italic;">{But couldn't we just get you a toy telescope without planning a whole party around it, Maddie? Apparently not.} </span>I guess Maddie is ahead of the curve because I've found quite a bit of pink girlie pirate stuff on the internet...who knew?! Of course, when you take skulls and crossbones and swords out of the equation {because that just crosses the line for 4 year olds in my opinion}, you aren't left with much. Pirate ships. Treasure chests. Treasure hunt. Palm trees. Oh, and <span style="font-style: italic;">telescopes</span> for spying all those approaching pirates on the high seas, for sure. We'll go with that. So here's something I made last night for the party out of an old shoe box, foam paper and some embellishments...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3GS9XLDIxAk6bMXX9OJlI5AqH6EVcAHeTFkQ_yo5a3kKb_828SGvyzic5qHmm7MEH9QujDoN_NWm-f9Ldg_6v9SbsLgPXGEyw6xsujE7o3OIJGK4GB7ULR7uZcRXmQfT0sCVJlHVf70/s1600/DSC_0027-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3GS9XLDIxAk6bMXX9OJlI5AqH6EVcAHeTFkQ_yo5a3kKb_828SGvyzic5qHmm7MEH9QujDoN_NWm-f9Ldg_6v9SbsLgPXGEyw6xsujE7o3OIJGK4GB7ULR7uZcRXmQfT0sCVJlHVf70/s400/DSC_0027-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519475100117021794" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikYmvPutQv-VfFtpExJGhLVHuwVUXYftPGNunz7BWz6xkXcdAUXqPOnl0uKCNxkm_dFRFlUhovoy7WfZXEsYm1q9fXAHJ7BGjnJfcalfDYo_XgqWJvLMylu0p2EqjOihWYPB7vI6X7es/s1600/DSC_0028-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikYmvPutQv-VfFtpExJGhLVHuwVUXYftPGNunz7BWz6xkXcdAUXqPOnl0uKCNxkm_dFRFlUhovoy7WfZXEsYm1q9fXAHJ7BGjnJfcalfDYo_XgqWJvLMylu0p2EqjOihWYPB7vI6X7es/s400/DSC_0028-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519475110257428770" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhogDGHpbtvImQsK9BXCZMAhyphenhyphenqhooJZiDFef7lzwFrRCKXWYotw179-HcFRXc5Udci9YWySzr-BlPXWYvVg6t0Eu_6K8ErAXxJNjzBIqVSKDPoqL-rG0gKoTEunKHeyaGed6YWBamZ7z0/s1600/DSC_0029-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhogDGHpbtvImQsK9BXCZMAhyphenhyphenqhooJZiDFef7lzwFrRCKXWYotw179-HcFRXc5Udci9YWySzr-BlPXWYvVg6t0Eu_6K8ErAXxJNjzBIqVSKDPoqL-rG0gKoTEunKHeyaGed6YWBamZ7z0/s400/DSC_0029-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519475112525318210" border="0" /></a><br />She loved it...mission accomplished.<br /></div>Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-64652400047683059162010-09-03T19:24:00.000-07:002010-09-03T20:03:13.518-07:00James' Birthday ScrapbookI mentioned in my post yesterday {scroll down for all the b-day pictures!} that I was hard at work last month making scrapbook pages for James' baby book...one layout for each month of his first year. Want to take a peek? <span style="font-weight: bold;">{Click on each photo to view it full-size.}</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7f1ng_gK14q8GV6vG8Lsuo3GOLYvv6RZHYv6b6xj1K6VmA95mbvellSK6_KTxOubtTw9tLNcN5qWfDSu41mxg-cz1KLXbk4idKPwxAK_PAdIoqCzJ6gkfCDMsD21zTBLJTGgISKA_TyA/s1600/DSC_0089.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7f1ng_gK14q8GV6vG8Lsuo3GOLYvv6RZHYv6b6xj1K6VmA95mbvellSK6_KTxOubtTw9tLNcN5qWfDSu41mxg-cz1KLXbk4idKPwxAK_PAdIoqCzJ6gkfCDMsD21zTBLJTGgISKA_TyA/s400/DSC_0089.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512882006619358018" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">{pregnancy}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4eAcZrqMApAex4PZQCnK3phN-em65S2Icg4aLzCj2ZLBZUxUmlfmo-KXtKMWHz73Rsut7WbuiRY_Q0_NuLG8kGLGAv2FJ1roQ01TCbT33YFcaauRLlFzCFgBYXR35hCS7_hRykcF288k/s1600/DSC_0086.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4eAcZrqMApAex4PZQCnK3phN-em65S2Icg4aLzCj2ZLBZUxUmlfmo-KXtKMWHz73Rsut7WbuiRY_Q0_NuLG8kGLGAv2FJ1roQ01TCbT33YFcaauRLlFzCFgBYXR35hCS7_hRykcF288k/s400/DSC_0086.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512881977658556018" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjjPS75l71xTmJfkYjkpDso16hu4wcPjEArEh8TTLyPORho_GKK4q5qqFbPGszO1ZIsTqB0mtT1kJxULV0V5vK19jfuhkOzKrIqwdtyEKBzZIasdXZnFCNK25BfKrDnvLhN2iFHSor2w/s1600/DSC_0088.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjjPS75l71xTmJfkYjkpDso16hu4wcPjEArEh8TTLyPORho_GKK4q5qqFbPGszO1ZIsTqB0mtT1kJxULV0V5vK19jfuhkOzKrIqwdtyEKBzZIasdXZnFCNK25BfKrDnvLhN2iFHSor2w/s400/DSC_0088.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512881994848148610" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXH8lB_7_RAnDOkc_5-z0HJhSjF9khAUHRSnzn8NsWjOKHGI9HTEYNUaUWvvAajN8N62H2irVEVux-x8QHR0YoirIMRXDeOmMsFmolrayNQoxdFppTmhUmLintxw5lQZbQ6cruTB1w1s/s1600/DSC_0087.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXH8lB_7_RAnDOkc_5-z0HJhSjF9khAUHRSnzn8NsWjOKHGI9HTEYNUaUWvvAajN8N62H2irVEVux-x8QHR0YoirIMRXDeOmMsFmolrayNQoxdFppTmhUmLintxw5lQZbQ6cruTB1w1s/s400/DSC_0087.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512881986738140498" border="0" /></a>{one month old}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPA5I3W10mnJ8s3M05yaeG-A3kaG8uiITlTs_BxyvcCnMcZG0XTVwig7R-DNI7Wu2EWKoCq2qAHwpETJSnvs69vTVjwCv8SNTNOMkBtbQlVXiumPI6D5ohndZZUG1AfOQ1Uwd3jrkg3M4/s1600/DSC_0085.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPA5I3W10mnJ8s3M05yaeG-A3kaG8uiITlTs_BxyvcCnMcZG0XTVwig7R-DNI7Wu2EWKoCq2qAHwpETJSnvs69vTVjwCv8SNTNOMkBtbQlVXiumPI6D5ohndZZUG1AfOQ1Uwd3jrkg3M4/s400/DSC_0085.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512885797151577586" border="0" /></a>{two months old}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6KsO3FaJy9jX4VjFYYutb2S6fPOJEdnnFuWf08QQxuRyHDD7fHbRGGTlMdEt6Vxz_oYRw62iV81tin2dGta4Rb5DTDSNGSpHrooSIxOdNZ-jOcv7zHBy9b6UIFhOz6rshAdePoLtkvWg/s1600/DSC_0083.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6KsO3FaJy9jX4VjFYYutb2S6fPOJEdnnFuWf08QQxuRyHDD7fHbRGGTlMdEt6Vxz_oYRw62iV81tin2dGta4Rb5DTDSNGSpHrooSIxOdNZ-jOcv7zHBy9b6UIFhOz6rshAdePoLtkvWg/s400/DSC_0083.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512881230472949762" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_eK43VVWOE9-oxha0TzxCH4CF79I5hfr6ee48wztWwI7TqkY32Om2mx1kFWsH17o1F7Yca3Ka1due19oL40JIv8CGi7cRbIgZPAfxEU5ghUw1E5Hvk6qNQAY8J_bp7qBm6B8fA0cEwA/s1600/DSC_0084.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_eK43VVWOE9-oxha0TzxCH4CF79I5hfr6ee48wztWwI7TqkY32Om2mx1kFWsH17o1F7Yca3Ka1due19oL40JIv8CGi7cRbIgZPAfxEU5ghUw1E5Hvk6qNQAY8J_bp7qBm6B8fA0cEwA/s400/DSC_0084.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512885787261705458" border="0" /></a>{three months old}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutR_miN7z8YACDNZ2yosFscL_wIfgX9mxHy6NCv5h_IZnMGwxd12jINxpkAg8H_fFmbLVFIiuc4y5snAJqyWZPou-kL-waXXDQMHjNpuwMK-lTrlHkJ5uDMEgVgraeAuPze-SYQWbEUo/s1600/DSC_0082.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutR_miN7z8YACDNZ2yosFscL_wIfgX9mxHy6NCv5h_IZnMGwxd12jINxpkAg8H_fFmbLVFIiuc4y5snAJqyWZPou-kL-waXXDQMHjNpuwMK-lTrlHkJ5uDMEgVgraeAuPze-SYQWbEUo/s400/DSC_0082.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512881219232155490" border="0" /></a>{four months old}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3w0NPeXfGJqXC6UvEa-2RLLbnm8U0s-Q5LkWzcZdwJUgtSqiiWGn5ZoUj3XUoYt6EPHJB81Wr1QgqNleJJv9VRddo8R7tzWK_P_2Jx2Du3ydjqIUGtQ6F7JJP23Qv8Rv8Ptnn6zECMA/s1600/DSC_0078.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3w0NPeXfGJqXC6UvEa-2RLLbnm8U0s-Q5LkWzcZdwJUgtSqiiWGn5ZoUj3XUoYt6EPHJB81Wr1QgqNleJJv9VRddo8R7tzWK_P_2Jx2Du3ydjqIUGtQ6F7JJP23Qv8Rv8Ptnn6zECMA/s400/DSC_0078.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512880903853369202" border="0" /></a>{five months old}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVSro6gMDs1ykLtoerNhqRV3GrpeTZRSQOf2j4xIIWzB9PrjxeiIg28asCYoX7sQ20Udrf-cgQ-FVF2fU1xDSIoKeZ5t82-xMIb1Kefe0VNGZ8c_hubrTU2PLOGfeylOPoyyVU6G4tAg/s1600/DSC_0077.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVSro6gMDs1ykLtoerNhqRV3GrpeTZRSQOf2j4xIIWzB9PrjxeiIg28asCYoX7sQ20Udrf-cgQ-FVF2fU1xDSIoKeZ5t82-xMIb1Kefe0VNGZ8c_hubrTU2PLOGfeylOPoyyVU6G4tAg/s400/DSC_0077.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512880894443257922" border="0" /></a>{six months old}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5V03CWg2U3-xRtZcljksqY03UwXXHuJ4tWjHt0xxK1QQgTSmoG09wxHuEAsrzJYCw3v5PpNcLtH9ksRQo5-4VHr3wt2Vyaym3G6S3IIvzpY2jej-VnaNLOaiuMXsv5-Nw-UPC67_vhmA/s1600/DSC_0075-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5V03CWg2U3-xRtZcljksqY03UwXXHuJ4tWjHt0xxK1QQgTSmoG09wxHuEAsrzJYCw3v5PpNcLtH9ksRQo5-4VHr3wt2Vyaym3G6S3IIvzpY2jej-VnaNLOaiuMXsv5-Nw-UPC67_vhmA/s400/DSC_0075-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512880888511442114" border="0" /></a>{seven months old}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGOinVOEMeN7QSyIs4rb943DKvpVWAGO6I6Fw1sHs2ZzgB8QRswJMLGRWKkvj0x4Zn2R5VmsiA7sC3u5RBxhyphenhyphenGPJ2_jGpmzYs9_5mppaHGJxaP0KmpaNi9XaLgA20vgQzTcHZPM5Vd5I/s1600/DSC_0081.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGOinVOEMeN7QSyIs4rb943DKvpVWAGO6I6Fw1sHs2ZzgB8QRswJMLGRWKkvj0x4Zn2R5VmsiA7sC3u5RBxhyphenhyphenGPJ2_jGpmzYs9_5mppaHGJxaP0KmpaNi9XaLgA20vgQzTcHZPM5Vd5I/s400/DSC_0081.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512881211169629042" border="0" /></a>{eight months old}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaNw9KutnfT10MqCIqPHO1kSGMxlWrzdUvB34bnqmp4ajz0kX7X54bLNhzC8BcuVVm_FnRPPf8SWYXiYj6hBafT3Bj7iE8E9zW_BkItb316IRayD4oUPeWLB9Tvlk6nX96yLX7V1xLDY/s1600/DSC_0074-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaNw9KutnfT10MqCIqPHO1kSGMxlWrzdUvB34bnqmp4ajz0kX7X54bLNhzC8BcuVVm_FnRPPf8SWYXiYj6hBafT3Bj7iE8E9zW_BkItb316IRayD4oUPeWLB9Tvlk6nX96yLX7V1xLDY/s400/DSC_0074-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512880877418262402" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhllOb8pTkVUMaoTNSuqzgnSn5NeVh81JarLhQeDwXujb3vupT4HR_cs9O3qUi22oKkOLq3lh-YvHLLesgR2Wj2S8FTBgolc7s8uXYbHMJX-3yp5c2lGwNMjsZKdKw4IsKsxqNze6zEdd8/s1600/DSC_0073-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhllOb8pTkVUMaoTNSuqzgnSn5NeVh81JarLhQeDwXujb3vupT4HR_cs9O3qUi22oKkOLq3lh-YvHLLesgR2Wj2S8FTBgolc7s8uXYbHMJX-3yp5c2lGwNMjsZKdKw4IsKsxqNze6zEdd8/s400/DSC_0073-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512880870435707554" border="0" /></a>{nine months old}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqJpteetCxmMx7QTGbRRN9G6SsHTCixPxCkN3RiunlXdnhZV9Dxv1VG6ORpPYPuWJT-fg2EcvqhQp-wXwF25bq7DQ4GRLdY5LwlcVGM717OXFb2Dg3vCOBNKbpGWF4xhk7BqEywyPpss/s1600/DSC_0072-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqJpteetCxmMx7QTGbRRN9G6SsHTCixPxCkN3RiunlXdnhZV9Dxv1VG6ORpPYPuWJT-fg2EcvqhQp-wXwF25bq7DQ4GRLdY5LwlcVGM717OXFb2Dg3vCOBNKbpGWF4xhk7BqEywyPpss/s400/DSC_0072-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512880473168204578" border="0" /></a>{ten months old}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyPjtCN36N4avx2hUlPH6tIWVdHwxsgjrosyYSF96eVyierf8mZ1fZpzyITFE81Eyv3-h4bllVaXNGtCKj2egDqaitsNfT7BD3N1XRoE8RXotn49Wl_N_rcu0C0Ha7_JuMh0qR8Xohqw/s1600/DSC_0064.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyPjtCN36N4avx2hUlPH6tIWVdHwxsgjrosyYSF96eVyierf8mZ1fZpzyITFE81Eyv3-h4bllVaXNGtCKj2egDqaitsNfT7BD3N1XRoE8RXotn49Wl_N_rcu0C0Ha7_JuMh0qR8Xohqw/s400/DSC_0064.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512879359826157202" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbFucfLX3CCQiO0vVGKD8KZR6MNivE9H69nZH06Lt8VIdwX7Ato3uxeQC6nLX3k80kCyYf9MI-ydfQfwesJW4iDe2pNKhEObc9IACgEwG4znPWeho2JRY8AQ36LsUNcu8MFSHTVZvcsU/s1600/DSC_0071-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbFucfLX3CCQiO0vVGKD8KZR6MNivE9H69nZH06Lt8VIdwX7Ato3uxeQC6nLX3k80kCyYf9MI-ydfQfwesJW4iDe2pNKhEObc9IACgEwG4znPWeho2JRY8AQ36LsUNcu8MFSHTVZvcsU/s400/DSC_0071-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512880456877293954" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqOCRIlOZKbZ24lykv9TO4VO83x0vK5L1maoe0idBZ62YkQ1762i2jaaLGgtrt5V5kiknBSzVMbXtOTdPlxtPvTfixdvfCwlGjA8twTKW9ZGNF_uNnBOy3pLDa31Aj93bhaHSKhNeUBI/s1600/DSC_0069.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqOCRIlOZKbZ24lykv9TO4VO83x0vK5L1maoe0idBZ62YkQ1762i2jaaLGgtrt5V5kiknBSzVMbXtOTdPlxtPvTfixdvfCwlGjA8twTKW9ZGNF_uNnBOy3pLDa31Aj93bhaHSKhNeUBI/s400/DSC_0069.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512880442414006914" border="0" /></a>{eleven months old}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq1idEwLg5u6ZN85bNfAi6Cw_OuChP19C-Oklajh8FCtvcMrSkJ9UL5_HRJRysWiElCl1Euh5oTvozuXGUxeiPXipKOkRE4PrAyxgBBCOrm7FqA0oQTG-u5eV6yjxiy8WYRHJqDlCVttY/s1600/DSC_0065.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq1idEwLg5u6ZN85bNfAi6Cw_OuChP19C-Oklajh8FCtvcMrSkJ9UL5_HRJRysWiElCl1Euh5oTvozuXGUxeiPXipKOkRE4PrAyxgBBCOrm7FqA0oQTG-u5eV6yjxiy8WYRHJqDlCVttY/s400/DSC_0065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512879367775421842" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kM1orTlwcIyKy74kDnqTZJx1FRK7uHIeOdajU_q7b3c_bYhRzBMTf1Z4j1dNJu0G7U2QzmzvQnxTbkUXpvPWyv1kniQw771XJED2-ZyES0pqpw8ac8PRZ7OBLKpQOdwFv8IoLsQtnGE/s1600/DSC_0062.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kM1orTlwcIyKy74kDnqTZJx1FRK7uHIeOdajU_q7b3c_bYhRzBMTf1Z4j1dNJu0G7U2QzmzvQnxTbkUXpvPWyv1kniQw771XJED2-ZyES0pqpw8ac8PRZ7OBLKpQOdwFv8IoLsQtnGE/s400/DSC_0062.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512879348168316066" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJyMXhIZYvlI9cCFNN_7HL6Z_ag_DL3oLRIPeeUVuNfXy4C_EeJ7vT8jGnUKV1YDYU0RpyH_BMRZ0YPeQtyliLIW7x78tvaUNFpQZgafxCMplV7bUhCjArEHG4vsrQnRr3LORDDkAmtI/s1600/DSC_0061.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJyMXhIZYvlI9cCFNN_7HL6Z_ag_DL3oLRIPeeUVuNfXy4C_EeJ7vT8jGnUKV1YDYU0RpyH_BMRZ0YPeQtyliLIW7x78tvaUNFpQZgafxCMplV7bUhCjArEHG4vsrQnRr3LORDDkAmtI/s400/DSC_0061.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512879340775840546" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iIDi1HcCIxX73qqtycn1DtJhnPxA0b6lJI0pm5ISiiB6wQmXZaAg6CEJ2LLH-M82Uz0ZG8KZRnxauXSiBQQI6SC35su1Bqo34UfbqjGQWxSH9na40k61f8nhy5DcayrtMCd743lzkFY/s1600/DSC_0060.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iIDi1HcCIxX73qqtycn1DtJhnPxA0b6lJI0pm5ISiiB6wQmXZaAg6CEJ2LLH-M82Uz0ZG8KZRnxauXSiBQQI6SC35su1Bqo34UfbqjGQWxSH9na40k61f8nhy5DcayrtMCd743lzkFY/s400/DSC_0060.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512879335120543074" border="0" /></a>{twelve months old}<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">"First Year" journaling reads:</span><br /><br />Dear James,<br /><br />You are now one year old. What an amazing milestone for you, little buddy. I am proud of all of us that we have made it through the last 12 months...or more appropriately, the last 12 months + 34 weeks. The dream to grow our family has had a lot of ups and downs over the last five years. We had your sister Madeline, miscarried twice, lost your brother Nicholas and had a very high-risk pregnancy with you. Too many doctor visits to count. Numerous ultrasounds. The doctors gave us little hope to hang on to. Every week they speculated at a new catastrophe brewing inside your little body growing in my womb. But your daddy and I had hope and faith in God that He would bring new life to our family, to make it complete...a little life that would be strong and whole and unblemished. You had to arrive in this world earlier than we'd have liked. our first few months were spent in the NICU, battling for your life and the health of your fragile body. I knew deep in my heart, even when you were still inside my womb, that you were a fighter! I'd chant to you, "You prove 'em wrong, buddy!" Daddy and I and countless others have been by your side, cheering you on every step of the way. No doubt it's been a bumpy ride this past year, but we never wavered from our goal--to watch you fight and overcome the odds. You have been blessed by the prayers of hundreds, if not thousands of people, to bring you to this point. You are a trooper. You are my hero. You are my cherished son.<br /><br />Love, Mama<br /></div>Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-40078602169737737332010-09-02T19:47:00.000-07:002010-09-02T20:53:41.806-07:00Happy Birthday, James!{James' actual birthday was August 31, so forgive me for being a few days late, little buddy!}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXCCEhA3EStBfqGlGsdRB57Gi1wl5hpGAlV0SMc-08fKNdDaxJNvVn3-Q44cL35FAOt51Rdv6JtxTFb-VY-g19henBVbklC05xevGvRcRN7JZEcCEGBO7LZp60oGvoErvV5Bwbk3T3ehc/s1600/DSC_0128.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXCCEhA3EStBfqGlGsdRB57Gi1wl5hpGAlV0SMc-08fKNdDaxJNvVn3-Q44cL35FAOt51Rdv6JtxTFb-VY-g19henBVbklC05xevGvRcRN7JZEcCEGBO7LZp60oGvoErvV5Bwbk3T3ehc/s400/DSC_0128.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512523804516602610" border="0" /></a><br />We celebrated James' first birthday with dear friends a couple of weeks ago. I had grand hopes and dreams for this party, with visions of Amy Atlas/Martha Stewart perfection dancing in my head. In my mind, every detail was beautiful, every handmade little touch was placed just right. The photography would look wonderful and the event would be such a hit that I'd submit the ideas and pictures to party blogs on the internet and be "published" for the first time! {Mind you, I was in the midst of constant back pain and on super painkillers at the time, so perhaps that fueled my delusions of grandure!} The reality was much different than my grand dreams. For one, it was 98 degrees that day AND we had winds of THIRTY-FIVE mph. This was a total shock, since we never, ever have wind around here more than a light breeze. {Of course, by the next day the crazy-hot winds were gone and all was back to normal. Ugh.}<br /><br />If I had a video of my mom, dad, Darlene and I trying to set up at the park for the party it would probably be pretty hilarious. How many grown-ups does it take to secure a tablecloth in 35 mph winds? That would be 3 people draping themselves across the table + one person frantically trying to tie the flailing cloth with yarn and Duck tape...and failing. One tablecloth blowing on top of the fresh birthday cake and getting covered with frosting. Tissue paper pom-poms rolling like tumbleweed across the park. Handmade birthday banners that didn't even get hung. Scrapbook pages slaved over, hoping to be hung in long garlands to honor every month of James' first year...instead Duck taped to a picnic table...and then tied over with twine when that started blowing off. Decorations mangled. Plates of food flipping up in the air. A birthday cake that was a puddle of cream cheese frosting on the outside and still frozen on the inside. Um, yeah. Pretty much a disaster. Sorry, James--Mommy tried her hardest! I really wanted this to be a great party, since we never got to celebrate Maddie's first birthday {she came down with a double ear infection!}...but I guess there's always next year...and many INDOOR party settings from now on! All that really matters is that our boy is happy and healthy and we get to love on him every day.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHhGOmyYlw3N2gC2C-816sVeJKsqzZxUz0LICqJ7O_bMrhynok1vnrW2fVB2aOtR1I54SJmJUHUNeZStg6Cb5mDx0Fb3UuO0lzBidlMPg1usiclGnRaaWh76JunaqeywNNhrjNbqb52E/s1600/DSC_0079.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHhGOmyYlw3N2gC2C-816sVeJKsqzZxUz0LICqJ7O_bMrhynok1vnrW2fVB2aOtR1I54SJmJUHUNeZStg6Cb5mDx0Fb3UuO0lzBidlMPg1usiclGnRaaWh76JunaqeywNNhrjNbqb52E/s400/DSC_0079.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512521283578184034" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">What's on the menu, you ask?</span><br />mini piggies-in-a-blanket<br />cheese & pepperoni pizza bites + pizza sauce {annies-eats.com}<br />chicken enchilada dip roll-ups {annies-eats.com}<br />veggies and ranch dip<br />rainbow fruit sticks {strawberry, orange, pineapple, green grape, blueberry, purple grape}<br />popcorn with white cheddar or kettle corn seasonings<br />berry lemonade<br />apple juice boxes<br />bottled water<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzx5x8cqWMwfCpByGQxWL4HjL_RCFZTrUoyc8m8QtlqUvaOfNYIU0ZImcP-i9fyGl78vlF1aLjn9rL2gihCV_SLC5rWwZNcHLXpGCto8Igm_FkmeozNN9WqUGKCR0pwsW6IDQYVHrkvN8/s1600/DSC_0086.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzx5x8cqWMwfCpByGQxWL4HjL_RCFZTrUoyc8m8QtlqUvaOfNYIU0ZImcP-i9fyGl78vlF1aLjn9rL2gihCV_SLC5rWwZNcHLXpGCto8Igm_FkmeozNN9WqUGKCR0pwsW6IDQYVHrkvN8/s400/DSC_0086.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512521323859231042" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qEMKyFADZHFDHFZo25Qmaep-lDvtOk86hu8NW50dZjZF5ZUQtfRJfuzJ5mWhhL4nEFDe6-Op4u5UtMmeUr6TcPbRk9UJFgH655O0ibQaAE7eqO4ehSJH8wtC4PZjariU5JnBZ2WhpDc/s1600/DSC_0085.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qEMKyFADZHFDHFZo25Qmaep-lDvtOk86hu8NW50dZjZF5ZUQtfRJfuzJ5mWhhL4nEFDe6-Op4u5UtMmeUr6TcPbRk9UJFgH655O0ibQaAE7eqO4ehSJH8wtC4PZjariU5JnBZ2WhpDc/s400/DSC_0085.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512521311831099138" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf5r2PervO9FtLhpht4h5ZGNgtUMGNZM86LcgwcBjYNleP_0nMvlp6EEtlzubRLfsUp4WQUD4th9YnLGSdqbh8zHXn8YFvU2L4kcMqCwyzeWdjYd7o23cMCoDDbCZyz1u_V6ZTCmdbp50/s1600/DSC_0089.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf5r2PervO9FtLhpht4h5ZGNgtUMGNZM86LcgwcBjYNleP_0nMvlp6EEtlzubRLfsUp4WQUD4th9YnLGSdqbh8zHXn8YFvU2L4kcMqCwyzeWdjYd7o23cMCoDDbCZyz1u_V6ZTCmdbp50/s400/DSC_0089.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512521868778687250" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSM9JA_wsMMbFiyYtMhqCCw72gX1I4l0zbYYbVCKhdpSqGAafLLwDRIeBpT83BgT6udG5KPTQSnvjLTJNutUs9TKIfPuhMxXv1csw3Hkpui-N6kNnLtmc_7IcigMZjUh7R9AYIxUON3s/s1600/DSC_0090.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSM9JA_wsMMbFiyYtMhqCCw72gX1I4l0zbYYbVCKhdpSqGAafLLwDRIeBpT83BgT6udG5KPTQSnvjLTJNutUs9TKIfPuhMxXv1csw3Hkpui-N6kNnLtmc_7IcigMZjUh7R9AYIxUON3s/s400/DSC_0090.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512521881577971106" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnsdeZZKZv9kQUy7KXnHS77BdN4qgquX_lvgVidrgz5wdSNK45F5Jb4chzrgRNzv3dB3_WEO3y9GICxjpayVwU2OIVW4WWZWWVn4b11ZsuiMbT_HIttnISwtLcPBLHNVjTkIUGvtk9ms/s1600/DSC_0021.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnsdeZZKZv9kQUy7KXnHS77BdN4qgquX_lvgVidrgz5wdSNK45F5Jb4chzrgRNzv3dB3_WEO3y9GICxjpayVwU2OIVW4WWZWWVn4b11ZsuiMbT_HIttnISwtLcPBLHNVjTkIUGvtk9ms/s400/DSC_0021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512518007149913314" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2GPMuPU1vbBpYabnJLXFl0tXPR4AB2Ez70Poovs9wwqxztP0YX_bWKpmbxDe7wR3RgSTyKE-uNljsmywHtHk2A-MKujPBNZ9v_JOv9F3Rtf-wewQ-IoUnug1QApEAbCFz4ofGakIOWFM/s1600/DSC_0090-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2GPMuPU1vbBpYabnJLXFl0tXPR4AB2Ez70Poovs9wwqxztP0YX_bWKpmbxDe7wR3RgSTyKE-uNljsmywHtHk2A-MKujPBNZ9v_JOv9F3Rtf-wewQ-IoUnug1QApEAbCFz4ofGakIOWFM/s400/DSC_0090-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512521870306002290" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheu9mKhskq_VxchXCLbOSiC-17OO4sc933wmI8QHo1TTnSK4svz5FLc0XNICl6FEtNAP4zRlRUNfR8H822ayWUqP9G7_SY1-OKDk4Gdzs780bzAgJ6uaepOjCkF9StcXo9a_Q7_TOH4E4/s1600/DSC_0038-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheu9mKhskq_VxchXCLbOSiC-17OO4sc933wmI8QHo1TTnSK4svz5FLc0XNICl6FEtNAP4zRlRUNfR8H822ayWUqP9G7_SY1-OKDk4Gdzs780bzAgJ6uaepOjCkF9StcXo9a_Q7_TOH4E4/s400/DSC_0038-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512518046477626386" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26Jr4Earyo5U8Cd4YU31gIrCTaOVmjnc04ZVWP2UI4EWuJw24Ht76jZwxGaK4f-wiv5NdL6_tS0QL6JDzSOVGLCJk_SCf19Fc11OQp4IlCnZ6SluWNh-VDSXOg6YwtLLG-k7JLMaDb_8/s1600/DSC_0091.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26Jr4Earyo5U8Cd4YU31gIrCTaOVmjnc04ZVWP2UI4EWuJw24Ht76jZwxGaK4f-wiv5NdL6_tS0QL6JDzSOVGLCJk_SCf19Fc11OQp4IlCnZ6SluWNh-VDSXOg6YwtLLG-k7JLMaDb_8/s400/DSC_0091.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512521887287071282" border="0" /></a>{LOVE this old-fashioned popcorn maker...we borrowed it from my dad's office!}<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9CDJkEtv_tbTgn25ty1B_dBBVVvjm6t7FrECjKhIqQPHfpBfBK0WhRrU6g0jQKGjz-hHQQ_j69RoPBiga1vFLR3l0LAnJMxEkcI52DLsYk30aJE-8nnN0K9QnFwVnOhFVpYj-39fuEE/s1600/DSC_0078.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9CDJkEtv_tbTgn25ty1B_dBBVVvjm6t7FrECjKhIqQPHfpBfBK0WhRrU6g0jQKGjz-hHQQ_j69RoPBiga1vFLR3l0LAnJMxEkcI52DLsYk30aJE-8nnN0K9QnFwVnOhFVpYj-39fuEE/s400/DSC_0078.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512518051175869506" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dessert Bar</span><br />rainbow layer cake with vanilla bean cream cheese frosting<br /><br />pretzel rods coated with white chocolate & rainbow sprinkles<br /><br />rainbow swirl "playdough lollipop" cookies {theidearoom.net}<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSeB7Cugh2_xJw4lDmPPuMrl9YfLueEh_A9Yne7nHH4RDW2Ci2-DVdiA2ZsoosSb4WLb3bl34SjW3V8JVzivy1uRmG81WzELfeKCAwVEtXBrnWQGES55lWabIi0-5m0wC3nKXRclvAWpg/s1600/DSC_0022.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSeB7Cugh2_xJw4lDmPPuMrl9YfLueEh_A9Yne7nHH4RDW2Ci2-DVdiA2ZsoosSb4WLb3bl34SjW3V8JVzivy1uRmG81WzELfeKCAwVEtXBrnWQGES55lWabIi0-5m0wC3nKXRclvAWpg/s400/DSC_0022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512518029425010498" border="0" /></a>{a close-up of the "Happy 1st Birthday James" mini flag banner on the cake...hanging on for dear life in the party photo above!}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6vde6bQHVKQN9-77GXGtR6AKoIL59dZAHOE7rLlSUyvI3gT0WCbC2CWzrCQxiPC1C37S7J4tw_R9dQMwbMxJi5rVdMSToHRU_2i1GfqHHBKiiQtErd102HM1Vu86NmtakoIQBEsa2OM/s1600/DSC_0148.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6vde6bQHVKQN9-77GXGtR6AKoIL59dZAHOE7rLlSUyvI3gT0WCbC2CWzrCQxiPC1C37S7J4tw_R9dQMwbMxJi5rVdMSToHRU_2i1GfqHHBKiiQtErd102HM1Vu86NmtakoIQBEsa2OM/s400/DSC_0148.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512522999642134034" border="0" /></a>{melting rainbow cake...not the prettiest picture, but very yummy!}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEiK-bbM7jtPRowy__uEhMdJ2yKGvLQAEG_hHjdVJUxcKjrfPikJXf0ZBJPMthlUY5BNjS81c60LA5-wu_KwrkP64DRGYyCuRYTK_c4pCLXT6UDBOqvhfeUDEG0jXqiDnkALsXa_zSak/s1600/DSC_0081.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEiK-bbM7jtPRowy__uEhMdJ2yKGvLQAEG_hHjdVJUxcKjrfPikJXf0ZBJPMthlUY5BNjS81c60LA5-wu_KwrkP64DRGYyCuRYTK_c4pCLXT6UDBOqvhfeUDEG0jXqiDnkALsXa_zSak/s400/DSC_0081.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512521296833436322" border="0" /></a>{Homemade party favors for each child: party hat, box of playdough and jar of bubbles}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4FCI1T2BpS0H-K1Z0zXwUpMcSGMHm3oZLGDoEQ-kTwvv2KySRXHZRY0pKru88e6x5BON-2RnmC7wqIZrWF_rYWrimX63Mx9gQ4lljr1iR-PWE5niyrnwB6IsnCnU4ce57nOI1tEc-oQ/s1600/DSC_0077.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4FCI1T2BpS0H-K1Z0zXwUpMcSGMHm3oZLGDoEQ-kTwvv2KySRXHZRY0pKru88e6x5BON-2RnmC7wqIZrWF_rYWrimX63Mx9gQ4lljr1iR-PWE5niyrnwB6IsnCnU4ce57nOI1tEc-oQ/s400/DSC_0077.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512521305613307090" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRyR-u3XxWg2wsDRqvatfsWUqod47MyXmWWlh0420YqYHwXzvJofEZjRq16YekAmOaDVIvnCgk2E0k6829n8rB88hJ7ZlO-YIn9eLT1k-KNVMkcj4_ovy_p6f1WQhKliPDd6h7M7b4hJ8/s1600/DSC_0037-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRyR-u3XxWg2wsDRqvatfsWUqod47MyXmWWlh0420YqYHwXzvJofEZjRq16YekAmOaDVIvnCgk2E0k6829n8rB88hJ7ZlO-YIn9eLT1k-KNVMkcj4_ovy_p6f1WQhKliPDd6h7M7b4hJ8/s400/DSC_0037-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512518035568903442" border="0" /></a>{rainbow tissue paper pom-pom decorations--aka: tumbleweed}<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvbSMukahjcfs6MvPbvieB8MW42hgG-b1BS8Qge5BMlfeYD4Ml4Jc2TvyVcVxLwChBB6IvsI6nF9g28IZSdcttftLNcrDHXypwoPfYezqivpq58gFiATZeVG92MgooFlFADMlzhoZfs8/s1600/DSC_0119.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvbSMukahjcfs6MvPbvieB8MW42hgG-b1BS8Qge5BMlfeYD4Ml4Jc2TvyVcVxLwChBB6IvsI6nF9g28IZSdcttftLNcrDHXypwoPfYezqivpq58gFiATZeVG92MgooFlFADMlzhoZfs8/s400/DSC_0119.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512522986377465506" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiiDe9bOOwvQBrjSrmhuwItYmz6NcQbSHelYPuIGQv97Q0voNIszakeWaHQN0kgr6v2_KGEMu8lsZpKNgm3KdOnW4AdglqNabLo6gs8CQwCmpdrVnVfFg9Dmu7g-a1t7dSINP7Gz3eHM/s1600/DSC_0122.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiiDe9bOOwvQBrjSrmhuwItYmz6NcQbSHelYPuIGQv97Q0voNIszakeWaHQN0kgr6v2_KGEMu8lsZpKNgm3KdOnW4AdglqNabLo6gs8CQwCmpdrVnVfFg9Dmu7g-a1t7dSINP7Gz3eHM/s400/DSC_0122.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512522994495829314" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEjFd9-5aDC-npCy2lYyj6vIIhYc9TWSIylDWaDv0BFPMabPcvwIuKzWwAe_Izx83s3ERzhQrc1wUph65JA9ECvBEUOx-HN842ReDTPHzwvZnR9jdN8RuzAVCrMegM0nT_MnC5K5fZA0/s1600/DSC_0126.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEjFd9-5aDC-npCy2lYyj6vIIhYc9TWSIylDWaDv0BFPMabPcvwIuKzWwAe_Izx83s3ERzhQrc1wUph65JA9ECvBEUOx-HN842ReDTPHzwvZnR9jdN8RuzAVCrMegM0nT_MnC5K5fZA0/s400/DSC_0126.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512523797117065826" border="0" /></a>{Bonnie with Maddie + Alli's girls, Ava and Macy}<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOgsazI6LfWThGJbpu0ekC-3A2D26vUiCkZwKz3yGAmDs0sYsi2hNMEHnX4Kou1KkdGdJ8jcp-VUqJ_s0YlTy2_9mV2T6kqan0t_fON0-RTvAmOR9FslHsJqQC3GZWWXCWL3EIZOURAc/s1600/DSC_0103.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOgsazI6LfWThGJbpu0ekC-3A2D26vUiCkZwKz3yGAmDs0sYsi2hNMEHnX4Kou1KkdGdJ8jcp-VUqJ_s0YlTy2_9mV2T6kqan0t_fON0-RTvAmOR9FslHsJqQC3GZWWXCWL3EIZOURAc/s400/DSC_0103.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512522970325464962" border="0" /></a>{my aunt Lee Ann + James}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOdoeFAmjxgufHw0TqW3J8OnI_NX_I6ql7yt6Oul3gbWeuB4o2mpaOozV11AJTuGSXZ8Of6skk1ARs06nuBh-aFy_bb04FnsOpUcFTTlQan9teg-I4XMer55JkXUUotHmpdy69nMMiXs/s1600/DSC_0145.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOdoeFAmjxgufHw0TqW3J8OnI_NX_I6ql7yt6Oul3gbWeuB4o2mpaOozV11AJTuGSXZ8Of6skk1ARs06nuBh-aFy_bb04FnsOpUcFTTlQan9teg-I4XMer55JkXUUotHmpdy69nMMiXs/s400/DSC_0145.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512523821459797778" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4B5chLPzuu1PE1Hkb8-vfymI1quYmV8QH5Ap5dgFMjYJUuN7QW-K6-kd6ChP-i02hYOTOF6j37WVVQ-BBazsoaqMb-9lNTy-VKZ_I3wXxr3M9QMNrm0cgCVzOPRxcTLrb-KGCSQ6Vi0I/s1600/DSC_0135.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4B5chLPzuu1PE1Hkb8-vfymI1quYmV8QH5Ap5dgFMjYJUuN7QW-K6-kd6ChP-i02hYOTOF6j37WVVQ-BBazsoaqMb-9lNTy-VKZ_I3wXxr3M9QMNrm0cgCVzOPRxcTLrb-KGCSQ6Vi0I/s400/DSC_0135.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512523812995480674" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY01bAI7-QNIsylZmypF07fEOOdskJLaaPmJwrwFHC8y_9iQnrHBV-nntDQnpC5ru9yvMCEWa0oPIIynacHyfj1iUii4R4-k-nh_9FwAMONjkth9pf-eEtrPfz-zgYpbp3LM-U8Ro5g2A/s1600/DSC_0097.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY01bAI7-QNIsylZmypF07fEOOdskJLaaPmJwrwFHC8y_9iQnrHBV-nntDQnpC5ru9yvMCEWa0oPIIynacHyfj1iUii4R4-k-nh_9FwAMONjkth9pf-eEtrPfz-zgYpbp3LM-U8Ro5g2A/s400/DSC_0097.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512521903346152610" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhynGpBqR9D7utZQBw1a3l-LdCOlSvjPO5fqDNZGmYTtaMmlPcVcqAaUounah838_E9pb4nfFXMCANmkiirB_WUCS29nWW6UNW_xHuJiSw3KAgutmpk-ZcpFFm-Qlyr1n2oqDsfSLqyH4/s1600/DSC_0111.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhynGpBqR9D7utZQBw1a3l-LdCOlSvjPO5fqDNZGmYTtaMmlPcVcqAaUounah838_E9pb4nfFXMCANmkiirB_WUCS29nWW6UNW_xHuJiSw3KAgutmpk-ZcpFFm-Qlyr1n2oqDsfSLqyH4/s400/DSC_0111.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512522979274619698" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBN4KSM1C5etCbo40j9hKk1kFl_1d2LapQ8MXJVB4J8dw_bMXc6oUCbnVq7-fPFnn64G45tpu3NtJCA7bsIi4oediOldLFWYutKWu_XbB7eGHW9ujBDteeJgD6tFTNuLvJO0q5xuvE2c/s1600/DSC_0152.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBN4KSM1C5etCbo40j9hKk1kFl_1d2LapQ8MXJVB4J8dw_bMXc6oUCbnVq7-fPFnn64G45tpu3NtJCA7bsIi4oediOldLFWYutKWu_XbB7eGHW9ujBDteeJgD6tFTNuLvJO0q5xuvE2c/s400/DSC_0152.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512523832577376930" border="0" /></a>Happy first year, buddy! You are such a joy to us. :-)<br /><br />P.S.--More tomorrow...close-ups of all those scrapbook pages in honor of his first year!<br /></div>Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-88861737570583182922010-08-23T20:31:00.000-07:002010-08-23T21:19:37.511-07:00Menu MondayLast week my new Cooking Light magazine arrived in the mail and, let me tell you, there are soooo many good lookin' recipes this month! CL has long been one of my favorite go-to places for recipes and I always look up the recipes online to see the ratings and comments other cooks have left about them...a good tip to save you from many mishaps! Shortly after the magazine hits newsstands each month, cookinglight.com puts up a webpage with links to a LOT of the recipes from the magazine {so even if you don't buy a copy, you can still make the recipes!}...<a href="http://www.cookinglight.com/food/recipe-finder/cooking-light-september-2010-recipe-index-00412000067954/">here is the list for September</a>.<br /><br />I've already made five of the recipes from this month and they all turned out fantastic {and kid-friendly too}! <br /><br />Meal #1: <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=2010994">lemon-splashed shrimp salad</a> {next time I'd add chunks of cheddar cheese too}<br /> veggies & dip<br /> cherries, oranges & grapes<br /><br />Meal #2: <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=2010998">spicy honey-brushed chicken thighs</a> {we all loved this meal...very quick, too!}<br /> green salad<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Quinoa Salad with Peaches </span><br />Bring 1.5 cups water or chicken broth to a boil in medium saucepan; add 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa {I used my favorite blend from Trader Joe's: Israeli couscous, red quinoa and orzo pasta}. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes {or follow package directions if using a different grain}. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir in 1/2 cup minced red bell pepper, 1/4 cup chopped green onion, and 1 sliced ripe peach or nectarine. Make dressing: 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 1.5 Tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, 1.5 tsp. honey, 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Serve at room temperature.<br /><br />Meal #3: <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=2011033">crispy ravioli with cherry tomato sauce</a> {mmm...I'd make this again in a heartbeat}<br /> <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1966710">roasted pepper & asparagus salad</a> {I saute the pepper, onion and tomatoes until tender...I like it better that way instead of raw}<br /><br />Meal #4: <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/slow-cooker-cuban-braised-beef-and-peppers-recipe-00000000025237/index.html">{Slow Cooker} Cuban braised beef with peppers </a><br /> cilantro rice<br /> {and for Darlene & me} roasted cauliflower & roasted fennel-spiced carrots<br /><br />Meal #5: <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1723429">Seoul-ful chicken thighs</a> {I cut down on the spices since I'm a wimp}<br /> marinated cucumber salad<br /> <a href="http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/morning-glory-muffins/">morning glory muffins</a> {think my husband will notice I'm trying to sneak in zucchini?}<br /><br />Meal #6: <a href="http://ellysaysopa.com/2010/06/29/chicken-shawarma/">chicken schwarma wraps</a><br /> Greek salad<br /> hummus with pita bread<br /><br />Ooohhh....and last week I needed dinner on the table PRONTO, so I made this <a href="http://annies-eats.com/2008/08/14/tortilla-and-black-bean-pie/">black bean-corn tortilla pie</a> that I saw on annies-eats.com, which is my FAVORITE food blog. I've made at least a dozen of her recipes so far and all of them have been scrumptious! <br /><br />On Saturday morning I made these <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=2011047">oatmeal pancakes</a> {added blueberries} for Maddie and she LOVED them...as in, she'd already eaten a bowl of cereal + stood at the stove with me and ate FOUR big pancakes as I cooked them. I call that a hit! :-) <br /><br />On Sunday my brother-in-law Travis is going to be visiting from London, so I'm bringing this <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=2011040">corn, tomato & potato salad</a> to the dinner party. Looks delish!<br /><br />Now I want to hear from you...what's on YOUR dinner menu this week? :-)Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-3902444596641338452010-08-18T16:21:00.000-07:002010-08-18T16:29:25.606-07:00Great News!Just in time to cap off our first year with James, he got GREAT NEWS at the doctor today!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0J1Da3n1dgDhk2FNOwpXGwys4oRhVqrpD4XeNo2DRl_9vmP-emriRpfoDhd1I90WLWTvOQAxXylZFiVD_9qM2m8oH4Ge2A2fJfPEM-mKyaS49busrwEkz5iEZaBc6TgTEUa4UISHKi10/s1600/DSC_0025.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0J1Da3n1dgDhk2FNOwpXGwys4oRhVqrpD4XeNo2DRl_9vmP-emriRpfoDhd1I90WLWTvOQAxXylZFiVD_9qM2m8oH4Ge2A2fJfPEM-mKyaS49busrwEkz5iEZaBc6TgTEUa4UISHKi10/s400/DSC_0025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506895904661579106" border="0" /></a><br />1. His bilirubin levels {which show how the TPN is impacting/damaging his liver & what gives him a yellow tint like jaundiced babies} are excellent and...his doc was amazed...are almost at the level of a NORMAL child! Praise God! This is wonderful news.<br /><br />2. His blood sugar levels are holding steady, so now he can be off of TPN and his G-tube formula for 6 hours {instead of 4} every day!<br /><br />3. He can go up to 3 bottles a day instead of two & in a couple weeks we can try one of the bottles with breastmilk! {We thought this wouldn't happen for many more months.}<br /><br />4. We are going to try increasing his formula rate in his G-tube by two milliliters each week instead of just one.<br /><br />5. He's almost up to 16 pounds. Still below the 3rd percentile on all the charts, but growing well.<br /><br />Yay James! :-)Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-39657497959355215062010-08-16T12:11:00.001-07:002010-08-16T13:03:32.415-07:00Learning to StandI tell ya, Mr. James is literally learning new things every day! I am just amazed by him. He's not letting any obstacles get in his way of being independent. Yesterday Keith set out a waist-high box and lured James to it with his new birthday toys...apparently a cell phone is just the ticket for getting him to learn new tricks! {Must be in the DNA...Maddie took her first walking steps while holding a cell phone that Keith and I were taunting her with!} James' physical therapist will be very happy with his progress when she visits next week. Now if we can just get him to bend his legs and sit down! :-)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsJu04-sozjO9B3YswzJCjbF8uA822DiD0a5-Ix5ZYjOeVxDduM_IKty5ay8CuH17lX01b43qhdTS6tcFolsw80JslPMnyta2Efapl7hA3soJhI2eCp97FX4BRZ_RQfOj_L5bzZTtOS0/s1600/DSC_0019-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsJu04-sozjO9B3YswzJCjbF8uA822DiD0a5-Ix5ZYjOeVxDduM_IKty5ay8CuH17lX01b43qhdTS6tcFolsw80JslPMnyta2Efapl7hA3soJhI2eCp97FX4BRZ_RQfOj_L5bzZTtOS0/s400/DSC_0019-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506096326784729490" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC04olLQVMU4XebPI84QfTOZTFv08T0XjUAZE6B8E1BmhoQFRcS1IYC1XhmiRhxoI15V9KcFlXqXLyzL5P7J2qMdz-oMQvINo7l24p63h9feNvHbnqOTlwwUSnFblVXhmY-2Vs54e-ARk/s1600/DSC_0020-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC04olLQVMU4XebPI84QfTOZTFv08T0XjUAZE6B8E1BmhoQFRcS1IYC1XhmiRhxoI15V9KcFlXqXLyzL5P7J2qMdz-oMQvINo7l24p63h9feNvHbnqOTlwwUSnFblVXhmY-2Vs54e-ARk/s400/DSC_0020-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506096335128488978" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA79IgQL-VwQ3z2uIS0TILhlECQhRHHxB9nYG-2ZZp94mAPP_jl2D-AiJGFHT8BIWiuPjVG-P14NBnnor9N7ev5aCwSbmkppHnxc2Hi5Akz2Cali5PSxCymbbpSAXTJqC6JWDUpzBTtUA/s1600/DSC_0021-3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA79IgQL-VwQ3z2uIS0TILhlECQhRHHxB9nYG-2ZZp94mAPP_jl2D-AiJGFHT8BIWiuPjVG-P14NBnnor9N7ev5aCwSbmkppHnxc2Hi5Akz2Cali5PSxCymbbpSAXTJqC6JWDUpzBTtUA/s400/DSC_0021-3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506096348271600242" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjImiruZU6Oz0xteIz2YGqqBWAGwvIZfb1o0Tsex8MlsXvIwrrD3uqLNqPm5RihdqeFKWk9vpTRJB3GeVved534R2oAiX8mryklvnQdNF5rZBCJuOzGsate_92T9n6Mg2H7csY-Gx8LTQM/s1600/DSC_0022-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjImiruZU6Oz0xteIz2YGqqBWAGwvIZfb1o0Tsex8MlsXvIwrrD3uqLNqPm5RihdqeFKWk9vpTRJB3GeVved534R2oAiX8mryklvnQdNF5rZBCJuOzGsate_92T9n6Mg2H7csY-Gx8LTQM/s400/DSC_0022-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506096361148984370" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7h0rBCpPjRnpjghxbk9b4Dp2i-3PZyvEspI64kHEteyoeQ2s6m8GLUtYBLndYV1d36n2ozO2mD9U_gkFmqR8jrxlOxLJhpaktXG0j_WirMHlLyAn7CIVbvdaeoMFF9UP-z8a4KLwPs4I/s1600/DSC_0023-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7h0rBCpPjRnpjghxbk9b4Dp2i-3PZyvEspI64kHEteyoeQ2s6m8GLUtYBLndYV1d36n2ozO2mD9U_gkFmqR8jrxlOxLJhpaktXG0j_WirMHlLyAn7CIVbvdaeoMFF9UP-z8a4KLwPs4I/s400/DSC_0023-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506096790344542658" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-u-BQNVMTsFtXwI7cKpKPQwWrrknO9g1FS15dlTv36_PQ1TZuWLgBovuQXAjPjNnZ57bRyhMW2ytzBa_CStY8KH7SAqZ2B9hGVp_4-Fc8xJGaiORm1PO__FtIxJABhh3sZGfvlrnFXg/s1600/DSC_0026-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-u-BQNVMTsFtXwI7cKpKPQwWrrknO9g1FS15dlTv36_PQ1TZuWLgBovuQXAjPjNnZ57bRyhMW2ytzBa_CStY8KH7SAqZ2B9hGVp_4-Fc8xJGaiORm1PO__FtIxJABhh3sZGfvlrnFXg/s400/DSC_0026-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506096798339787394" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSP3xHmDalMjcsgmVjWSsRBKEW1RVRIjc2L53ur5OE-o6GIMYZyNhUb9lSgpL0jKrLmj0QTMg8_qIyYJSAWrNzNC6aWhpgWeZl5DAEBFnQXdwmWY8xE1m3RDUlcJ-NSF80egCXHyoSkk/s1600/DSC_0016.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSP3xHmDalMjcsgmVjWSsRBKEW1RVRIjc2L53ur5OE-o6GIMYZyNhUb9lSgpL0jKrLmj0QTMg8_qIyYJSAWrNzNC6aWhpgWeZl5DAEBFnQXdwmWY8xE1m3RDUlcJ-NSF80egCXHyoSkk/s400/DSC_0016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506096315875910562" border="0" /></a>Oh man, we're in trouble now! :-)<br /><br />Speaking of standing, in the evening after his birthday party, Keith was standing James up on the changing table to put on a new outfit, James stepped on his stomach tube and ripped it out of his stomach {again}. He wailed, of course, but was smiling again within a few minutes. What would a birthday celebration day be without a trip to the ER {again}? The docs got it back in fine and you'd never know anything had happened. Our boy sure is a trooper.<br /><br />* * * * * *<br /></div>A couple weeks ago we got two new couches for the living room {on super sale at Macy's!}. Our dream couches were at Rejuvination here in Portland, but the price tag of $5000 for a couch/loveseat/chair was just too hard a pill to swallow. So I found these at Macy's instead and saved us thousands! Much better, considering they'll have to withstand the wear-and-tear of two kids and a dog for many years to come. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJX3PojAt9BgVwBwEWwG2gQIlQ9hgsrXIwZwmthRPljtz00eXa8xly0vIkohdVtJl7K_44mpmmE2j58ij-704BpwcmZaj7zwyNQxkCdiehgErbLefO6bysvhiMKtIKyXslO_uYaoz59A/s1600/DSC_0032-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJX3PojAt9BgVwBwEWwG2gQIlQ9hgsrXIwZwmthRPljtz00eXa8xly0vIkohdVtJl7K_44mpmmE2j58ij-704BpwcmZaj7zwyNQxkCdiehgErbLefO6bysvhiMKtIKyXslO_uYaoz59A/s400/DSC_0032-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506096811765052322" border="0" /></a>Nice rich brown leather with exposed stitching. Clean, simple lines and not overstuffed. Just the way we wanted it. It has the potential of making for a very classy living room set-up...until you pan back and realize that we apparently live in a daycare center...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Au0ANk4rwFOy1oVmwABG77W7znXWKJUekcDLbKOP93b8Naq7DnTrfvSYSPTnl5OSz-CP9lKsV70iGWq1Zs10TkwG8mMeDNOQLumArGTtrSl-3ziA2Eczk0RVGjIhLld4tM_kGkoQ3oA/s1600/DSC_0033-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Au0ANk4rwFOy1oVmwABG77W7znXWKJUekcDLbKOP93b8Naq7DnTrfvSYSPTnl5OSz-CP9lKsV70iGWq1Zs10TkwG8mMeDNOQLumArGTtrSl-3ziA2Eczk0RVGjIhLld4tM_kGkoQ3oA/s400/DSC_0033-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506096820373996578" border="0" /></a>THIS is why we're biting the bullet and have started construction on our basement this week! The first wall went up this weekend {we're starting with the laundry/kitchenette/storage room area on one far wall} and now there will be many months of banging and heavy machinery sounds in our future. When it's all done, the basement will include: laundry area, kitchenette with full freezer/full fridge/slide-in range, a storage room with floor-to-ceiling storage, a bathroom, Keith's office, a family room/media room and an open-concept office/studio for me. AND ALL THE KID TOYS WILL BE BANISHED TO THE BASEMENT OR THEIR OWN ROOMS! Hooray! That means we can finally reclaim our living room as a grown-up space that looks organized and presentable. Can't wait. :-)Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-26286311589392355672010-08-15T13:58:00.000-07:002010-08-15T14:18:01.717-07:00Learning to Walk...It's the New Crawling<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdFGhIUTXaVjQzVAuQAZDPDe3OH2PZvxIl8JyGw17V4yAPbZIm6gRK_m7gzwfyTIcpNtxJPAnkel5IIOUVvIHYHNtUFvcrZxDDKTOtahT4hB__cxg405zdGmuCVi1YC1zrQgzk1y1rfWo/s1600/DSC_0021-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdFGhIUTXaVjQzVAuQAZDPDe3OH2PZvxIl8JyGw17V4yAPbZIm6gRK_m7gzwfyTIcpNtxJPAnkel5IIOUVvIHYHNtUFvcrZxDDKTOtahT4hB__cxg405zdGmuCVi1YC1zrQgzk1y1rfWo/s400/DSC_0021-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505744949047896674" border="0" /></a>{It's official...the Cutest Boy Ever!}
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Georgia; panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" >James loves to be upright...standing, jumping, walking or climbing. Tummy time and crawling are okay, but standing up is so much better and you can get to what you want so much faster! If he wants it, he goes after it, with no sense of boundaries. Edge of the bed? I'll crawl to it and just keep on going. Cruising furniture? Sure, and then let me lurch forward or fling myself backwards at a moment's notice when something new catches my eye. Yesterday at his party, James was standing in Keith's arms and then two seconds later was doing a face plant into the ground! This boy is going to be a crazy go-getter when he's able to move independently! Mom and Dad are in for it!
<br />
<br /><o:p></o:p></span> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:100%;" >A couple days ago, Keith decided to teach James how to practice walking using a car toy we have. We've been putting it next to James when he's in his Johnny Jump-Up toy and he "walks" while holding on to it and pushing it around. He's been enjoying walking with an adult holding his hands, so Keith decided to put the two together. James was thrilled and not at all timid. He took to it right away and only lost his balance a few times, usually catching himself. Let me tell you, when he's hooked up to his IV's this is a 2-person job! James holds the car and we hold James, his tubes and the IV pole! As if teaching a one-year-old to walk isn't tricky enough!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:100%;" >
<br /></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibr6gf-ONe2WYgrIw_sDNKglWTxKalDnOw0ioSoRQlxaC9vAJ0zx8IuwsFE0wraxbLP2WHZt03BgwYVjLwDVBuBkeKVQlm9AibA2xSWxaKTrBFDdf_8vXwTI0WXS6INDqaojPWdNnzxks/s1600/DSC_0041.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibr6gf-ONe2WYgrIw_sDNKglWTxKalDnOw0ioSoRQlxaC9vAJ0zx8IuwsFE0wraxbLP2WHZt03BgwYVjLwDVBuBkeKVQlm9AibA2xSWxaKTrBFDdf_8vXwTI0WXS6INDqaojPWdNnzxks/s400/DSC_0041.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505746982175917858" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3l4zST_r1tmHNxmxVrgZ_ka9FG-IMGFtQCluAHZLFrY4ir18KU45f3PbXMAHqkbGxbuGSyh7LeU4DX1HdIE3TmnDHcS7lntbCdkUEH50WrKIV3HJq9cIxt4pfUHOOwe-jD8S4Yn6yc4E/s1600/DSC_0067.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3l4zST_r1tmHNxmxVrgZ_ka9FG-IMGFtQCluAHZLFrY4ir18KU45f3PbXMAHqkbGxbuGSyh7LeU4DX1HdIE3TmnDHcS7lntbCdkUEH50WrKIV3HJq9cIxt4pfUHOOwe-jD8S4Yn6yc4E/s400/DSC_0067.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505747225716297330" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcZc2ai22gVnsIyU6S8AJpxsbfFJdtsx-5Rk6BZB6EGIfLrnN39xD7IIk6hb9b8bNIJJ0-e6dF1WASG82JW7dwsGdnmXBDu4LJO57iq-6-OZnXYhK2inDvMUL-GwQij0K3_lPSOJEoJ4/s1600/DSC_0053.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcZc2ai22gVnsIyU6S8AJpxsbfFJdtsx-5Rk6BZB6EGIfLrnN39xD7IIk6hb9b8bNIJJ0-e6dF1WASG82JW7dwsGdnmXBDu4LJO57iq-6-OZnXYhK2inDvMUL-GwQij0K3_lPSOJEoJ4/s400/DSC_0053.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505747011727066146" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBksy5fTnSP7w47c3uC_DIsrBdg_aGpwmwHqM_ukR6SKIDdEJkSSYFtzga6MIeP1tK58n4Slb3z6k8ZwKs5OOeF0_Q3zLr96hrzLCZ0C3S_qJQUjyme0-OV1IycapHCWkw39VfgWcCEtw/s1600/DSC_0042.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBksy5fTnSP7w47c3uC_DIsrBdg_aGpwmwHqM_ukR6SKIDdEJkSSYFtzga6MIeP1tK58n4Slb3z6k8ZwKs5OOeF0_Q3zLr96hrzLCZ0C3S_qJQUjyme0-OV1IycapHCWkw39VfgWcCEtw/s400/DSC_0042.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505746984975342914" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGay0BMpGnOqX0XNOLTP2VSt9m-MI_TtO4nPbacN_aE3NZKvUWuxLOzgIPPtrOOTOGLLPbAkfdCw93rjlpRxMp1dw3nSIRUuuRZ8zEbHZ9oF6T3BxXiuKbbyuZSMlFlajUt6x7kyzogI/s1600/DSC_0058.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGay0BMpGnOqX0XNOLTP2VSt9m-MI_TtO4nPbacN_aE3NZKvUWuxLOzgIPPtrOOTOGLLPbAkfdCw93rjlpRxMp1dw3nSIRUuuRZ8zEbHZ9oF6T3BxXiuKbbyuZSMlFlajUt6x7kyzogI/s400/DSC_0058.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505747200895833202" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittU2Yj5hjwiuyXR05pJUTu1Wd5NSMkezDyE_uaMK8DqXngOi31mYqI7M_5TsBo_vv8MQmUNFEMnJ3kag5Dp0tCbDqKSEFjHjg4sv-WFMdk7VIKracn0rjQ_ZFOIdNNR02Hory8D0Jo1M/s1600/DSC_0047.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittU2Yj5hjwiuyXR05pJUTu1Wd5NSMkezDyE_uaMK8DqXngOi31mYqI7M_5TsBo_vv8MQmUNFEMnJ3kag5Dp0tCbDqKSEFjHjg4sv-WFMdk7VIKracn0rjQ_ZFOIdNNR02Hory8D0Jo1M/s400/DSC_0047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505746999607631490" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg843Uf4QprH9ngsQ_r08HprDGXaGlYzaZWTeqWiZN5U3hlX6rK7TtSESHOnIqpiKg7a2vY1jFU1EZRZARcslAMPI-CaSGpv03wuiW7pQyGWTFlE4jnBIrd6kTXH6nuvmLsORwEjD2OpGY/s1600/DSC_0061.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg843Uf4QprH9ngsQ_r08HprDGXaGlYzaZWTeqWiZN5U3hlX6rK7TtSESHOnIqpiKg7a2vY1jFU1EZRZARcslAMPI-CaSGpv03wuiW7pQyGWTFlE4jnBIrd6kTXH6nuvmLsORwEjD2OpGY/s400/DSC_0061.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505747204582474242" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6b9mSIxarLDpAEtqoBoYh0j1JpCE0BOAF60EciCg0QMiwPjIcAL8kep8kPWI3ipazis7dvxV6KN7NGvosoPdTvNUQlVVU9WTIxrwHVIx4Kw6bNGozAt2DGNhI7TQhi68A0F-lKsIMaCM/s1600/DSC_0050.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6b9mSIxarLDpAEtqoBoYh0j1JpCE0BOAF60EciCg0QMiwPjIcAL8kep8kPWI3ipazis7dvxV6KN7NGvosoPdTvNUQlVVU9WTIxrwHVIx4Kw6bNGozAt2DGNhI7TQhi68A0F-lKsIMaCM/s400/DSC_0050.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505747004236899314" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYm7rL3KHN2J-ZmoE27clpaUty4_kKJYG0cCJjYjLEdlAWIeLK-d_mt0wDhAvsiKTEEOlsZq0nl9NGWBXbKfVL5cOenxmV-vwBAgCfQXmleprfBpTjh_bT7JMEGtdeVE6n5H3wVmkaWQQ/s1600/DSC_0062.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYm7rL3KHN2J-ZmoE27clpaUty4_kKJYG0cCJjYjLEdlAWIeLK-d_mt0wDhAvsiKTEEOlsZq0nl9NGWBXbKfVL5cOenxmV-vwBAgCfQXmleprfBpTjh_bT7JMEGtdeVE6n5H3wVmkaWQQ/s400/DSC_0062.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505747213434581922" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevD3NyGNdTqlCXsqIwUc16XYk5kW-OwhU0YfEAGZqFzlmK3kLJE7XO4C8mZSQib7Yo_jZnbL0mXDfb0-7LqdPh_be3moElLXx9oIVcARwZb5oG01EN5MCm9rvQfkBp_Su4i1MmZVMRwE/s1600/DSC_0066.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevD3NyGNdTqlCXsqIwUc16XYk5kW-OwhU0YfEAGZqFzlmK3kLJE7XO4C8mZSQib7Yo_jZnbL0mXDfb0-7LqdPh_be3moElLXx9oIVcARwZb5oG01EN5MCm9rvQfkBp_Su4i1MmZVMRwE/s400/DSC_0066.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505747219073698418" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; text-align: center;">{like the Sumo Wrestler get-up for holding up his tubes?!}
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; text-align: center;">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Maa6F21YPS2La-R8md9mlwId61aH7WB80hmlyFZZqJc2INbZ90uzgcmg1bQRgb_jhazACF4eGt2O7A15-jyzRmX-T-eVpY0k99BuUiU70o1ORgFr7UbzzxvMFAt9bsCyRdYv-xZZ9x4/s1600/DSC_0068.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Maa6F21YPS2La-R8md9mlwId61aH7WB80hmlyFZZqJc2INbZ90uzgcmg1bQRgb_jhazACF4eGt2O7A15-jyzRmX-T-eVpY0k99BuUiU70o1ORgFr7UbzzxvMFAt9bsCyRdYv-xZZ9x4/s400/DSC_0068.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505747315068905106" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:100%;" >We've also been enjoying the company of Grandma Darlene from <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Ohio</st1:place></st1:state>. She was just out here for 3 weeks in May when James had his surgery and now she's out here for gimpy-old-me! Since I'm not allowed to lift much yet, including James, caring for him was not an option and neither was Keith taking off tons of work, so she generously offered to fly out and help us. What an angel! Maddie and James love having her here to play, take them on daily walks to the park, read books, play games, and put them to bed at night. She's already taught James how to say YAY and just today he learned how to clap! We wouldn't be making it without her. Thank you, Grandma!</span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWT0sVTXA8eUsf0J9KmNQAs7jtdBwb5shqUTBtTp8GtbR9Rptu6iop63YTC1tn-A1ZGPpTi-3HCQ-I-LwGb_HGn1rJvFaAYUP5LMWwHusNvHeJom3rZ83Tj80aRGtxj1IFmHDce-AbS3M/s1600/DSC_0071.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWT0sVTXA8eUsf0J9KmNQAs7jtdBwb5shqUTBtTp8GtbR9Rptu6iop63YTC1tn-A1ZGPpTi-3HCQ-I-LwGb_HGn1rJvFaAYUP5LMWwHusNvHeJom3rZ83Tj80aRGtxj1IFmHDce-AbS3M/s400/DSC_0071.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505744943441046274" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSY2MV7RBsq4LMAyOMSH3ttUwrhjoNMND-jHPecAibY7YHltILLpEAgR6PQ3NESBOqoQTocZuPbUsZBv-_INzCvOh5buaIpRTO-DvuUFb9b4o92NMo5IdUKPjZW7QcfUiQ209gh35WL7Q/s1600/DSC_0076.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSY2MV7RBsq4LMAyOMSH3ttUwrhjoNMND-jHPecAibY7YHltILLpEAgR6PQ3NESBOqoQTocZuPbUsZBv-_INzCvOh5buaIpRTO-DvuUFb9b4o92NMo5IdUKPjZW7QcfUiQ209gh35WL7Q/s400/DSC_0076.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505744943799976546" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmWVE1mL3AolbifBjWY2sGawY_I7KC-qJFg4WUmyTvAYU4WcL4S06ymHAJAwucXmKW8IRm0wOKGC7cCtjMB14bnkoIGsjXs5QJrolHZxEwOEYo3kNObrJj9AVfLjCdrGvBAueR2FWgMc/s1600/DSC_0033.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmWVE1mL3AolbifBjWY2sGawY_I7KC-qJFg4WUmyTvAYU4WcL4S06ymHAJAwucXmKW8IRm0wOKGC7cCtjMB14bnkoIGsjXs5QJrolHZxEwOEYo3kNObrJj9AVfLjCdrGvBAueR2FWgMc/s400/DSC_0033.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505744929567568994" border="0" /></a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zUbme-maR7QuuHC8OjCeR-9mjMTHa5y6eb9zvotgPKEFMYp22fmXYbd_1ektg0OvLUlfVUTPwaxlWE-dQGr3a6eJmgtgAJ6_rRIDsNgz1meivkJbaq4Vgjhp4hT3dsxViCLMLIGY9NE/s1600/DSC_0037.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zUbme-maR7QuuHC8OjCeR-9mjMTHa5y6eb9zvotgPKEFMYp22fmXYbd_1ektg0OvLUlfVUTPwaxlWE-dQGr3a6eJmgtgAJ6_rRIDsNgz1meivkJbaq4Vgjhp4hT3dsxViCLMLIGY9NE/s400/DSC_0037.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505744932372069650" border="0" /></a>{Check out Mr. Natural Curls! We just discovered them!}
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_M0SExn9SUrf-kpianRNXM40LmR3N1eItI1FYcFJWtGeKIJeE232NBmmziNDv4NijOuq5u-bYan-mWTOQMO3kmQTp20QCyctD6BZ5ECAfJHquZgSAQH86vj5WxCGin8NHs9WlFGXThY/s1600/DSC_0026.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_M0SExn9SUrf-kpianRNXM40LmR3N1eItI1FYcFJWtGeKIJeE232NBmmziNDv4NijOuq5u-bYan-mWTOQMO3kmQTp20QCyctD6BZ5ECAfJHquZgSAQH86vj5WxCGin8NHs9WlFGXThY/s400/DSC_0026.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505744702129189906" border="0" /></a>{James' favorite game with Grandma is Patty Cake. If she sings it to him, he calms right down and gets happy, even if he was just crying. That's how she taught him to clap this week!}
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhya_j9ua5hTXQesqBR-UV0osiOxYbWYm-OvsYTs6ROmikaOnH6Ig2CDW8DouNcbIFfvluOSbBYtIuARBdSOVd0g98jfllPxJ0awrqtZ1_PW9aO30ZlTB7ExlzQYMdtBi8b5CuAJ8Y-Hrw/s1600/DSC_0028.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhya_j9ua5hTXQesqBR-UV0osiOxYbWYm-OvsYTs6ROmikaOnH6Ig2CDW8DouNcbIFfvluOSbBYtIuARBdSOVd0g98jfllPxJ0awrqtZ1_PW9aO30ZlTB7ExlzQYMdtBi8b5CuAJ8Y-Hrw/s400/DSC_0028.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505744711309207074" border="0" /></a>{Maddie, apparently feeling left out of the photo session, decides to insert herself in the frame!}
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6DnBPbcSf0gH6AAi2f_BlAjcD5fwbFm8x-z80no0Ju_0a2RwNGKaqSmUpIuuGxXcntvsYEcJemjaDmEzFcPwfSEnZffRPHAFs8Pcw0PSoml8TrWfF9uhqku4oznnQZLm1XP9G9LnFT8/s1600/DSC_0014.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6DnBPbcSf0gH6AAi2f_BlAjcD5fwbFm8x-z80no0Ju_0a2RwNGKaqSmUpIuuGxXcntvsYEcJemjaDmEzFcPwfSEnZffRPHAFs8Pcw0PSoml8TrWfF9uhqku4oznnQZLm1XP9G9LnFT8/s400/DSC_0014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505744678089347522" border="0" /></a>{headed to the park...first time in the big stroller, which he's discovered is even better than the umbrella one because of its built-in "entertainment tray"!}
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjssln3FJgCtjQvpDkOf84QB6fMuxWotlsu0fCpHiXoXh_XPZMyE8heRzlDGMecC-JorZbELK3Vh4ixff-Nu-hQGCaBiMlJe0_-To-vPs7BJvqTVgqN8i490Jp8L0HuoJiQQmFuOq4a7Co/s1600/DSC_0021.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjssln3FJgCtjQvpDkOf84QB6fMuxWotlsu0fCpHiXoXh_XPZMyE8heRzlDGMecC-JorZbELK3Vh4ixff-Nu-hQGCaBiMlJe0_-To-vPs7BJvqTVgqN8i490Jp8L0HuoJiQQmFuOq4a7Co/s400/DSC_0021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505744686675328370" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fr0v0XbklfAQUDKkVw00GdzOSE5PxomcqKeyT7lnvQcORZg212uGifDJDAS0kegwf0yT-6M_b2VpX0P2-vmxyLZi0yKydppxXN4owFDn4HqreCB-FC3xM6rrC2HLbSxO_OzKt7IYidE/s1600/DSC_0022.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fr0v0XbklfAQUDKkVw00GdzOSE5PxomcqKeyT7lnvQcORZg212uGifDJDAS0kegwf0yT-6M_b2VpX0P2-vmxyLZi0yKydppxXN4owFDn4HqreCB-FC3xM6rrC2HLbSxO_OzKt7IYidE/s400/DSC_0022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505744695131565298" border="0" /></a>{Awww...the sibling love melts my heart!}
<br />
<br />P.S...
<br />Yesterday was James' 1st birthday party! Stories and photos to come.}
<br /></div>Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-44626478700044206272010-08-08T21:04:00.000-07:002010-08-08T21:45:58.586-07:00My Back & Party PrepFirst, an update on my back...and then it's time to show you sneak peaks of James' birthday party preparations! :-)<br /><br />My ambulance ride to the ER was about 10 days ago and the first few days of recovery were rough. The only position that felt half-way decent was to keep my spine straight...so either standing up or laying flat on my back. I spent a lot-- A LOT -- of time on the heating pad on the couch, only getting up to eat or use the bathroom. A few nights I couldn't even walk across the room to get to my bed, so I just slept on the couch. It was just too painful to move or put pressure on my right side, all of this while taking a lot of heavy-duty pain meds throughout the day/night. We're talking Ibuprophen, Valium AND Oxycodone. Boy, the meth heads wish they could have been in my house! Score! {Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is at all. It only dulled the pain, didn't take it away and didn't give me any "cool" feelings whatsoever!} <br /><br />A couple days ago I started feeling a tad better, so I'd alternate between periods of standing and walking {like a gimp} around the house and then laying down. Sitting usually still hurts, so it's limited. {Maddie has informed me that "eating dinner at the table while standing up is bad manners, Mama!" but when you're hurt you get a free pass.} :-) I'm feeling better each day, weaning myself off medication {today I've only needed one dose of Ibuprophen} and waiting until Tuesday to get the results of the new MRI that I had done last Friday. Then this Friday I'll go in for another nerve root block steriod injection in my back. Hopefully that'll help me get back on track. My mother-in-law Darlene is here and helps with everything, since I'm not yet allowed to lift anything over 15 pounds {which means James}. I sooo miss cuddling with my little guy! Keith has been SUPER DAD through this whole mess...today he even scrubbed the kitchen and living room and dining room floors BY HAND. When he cleans, he means business.<br /><br />I told him he's a better wife than me. He's putting me to shame!<br /><br />I'm such a lucky woman {like, times-a-hundred!} :-)<br /><br />Today my parents picked Darlene and Maddie up for church and then came over afterwards for lunch. James got to sit at the table with Papa and "eat" like a big boy...a teriyaki stick! One of the few foods he is allowed to have, since he just gets flavor from it and can't bite off any chunks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dI9YNwWIHkOKnJTqbZaa9eLFESxSUhLkAEMQABflglBedh8OC3Y58adDCNdJJ9mBquS7AWN6tdOIaHej7YPD4bY4G6-4FII-5Rz1O6r4G7FTRkM3RCpSqb7WXIj27SRgq259aLrxKPA/s1600/DSC_0017-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dI9YNwWIHkOKnJTqbZaa9eLFESxSUhLkAEMQABflglBedh8OC3Y58adDCNdJJ9mBquS7AWN6tdOIaHej7YPD4bY4G6-4FII-5Rz1O6r4G7FTRkM3RCpSqb7WXIj27SRgq259aLrxKPA/s400/DSC_0017-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503260886896607586" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZ_GdiMwkIqwgcg6mRCwNImjpKU97_aNg-aPPKcTzg_wFPZ9CxQgCK8FyYYIUvY6EHzIfxn0tnN6TVgy1lxFrIsd5hYjdjPgp6JDPsIGdZwV_B5OmjReiT99v3vcI4VuRDCy9amXoLdk/s1600/DSC_0015.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZ_GdiMwkIqwgcg6mRCwNImjpKU97_aNg-aPPKcTzg_wFPZ9CxQgCK8FyYYIUvY6EHzIfxn0tnN6TVgy1lxFrIsd5hYjdjPgp6JDPsIGdZwV_B5OmjReiT99v3vcI4VuRDCy9amXoLdk/s400/DSC_0015.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503260895391968754" border="0" /></a><br />Anyhoo...lots of time on "bedrest" = time to catch up on TV shows {I've just discovered Mad Men and watched the first 2 seasons over the past week!} and a few movies. It's also allowed me tons of time to keep my hands busy...very busy...doing crafty things and preparing for James' first birthday party next weekend! {His birthday is August 31, but with the holiday weekend and craziness of school starting up again, I figured earlier was better.} I'm good at some party things...decorations and food...and bad at others, especially games. So what's a mother to do? Have the party at a park & playground--built in entertainment! I'll post lots of pictures after the actual party, but here's some sneak peaks at my paper obsession and party decor so far. All the bright colors make me happy! :-)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlbPZLdIOvhqApJl9kEIHgEKt8elf_TepBgH9vQCxJ78nVHhyhKgg-tP2kiQOF9Q0-oDTvq-KRDARqFcBLty-GFFl8CO_IwfU-7v4xCEBfPhNJSMNun7LRptIXPupV7Tz-j3m5gN8Sgc/s1600/DSC_0008.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlbPZLdIOvhqApJl9kEIHgEKt8elf_TepBgH9vQCxJ78nVHhyhKgg-tP2kiQOF9Q0-oDTvq-KRDARqFcBLty-GFFl8CO_IwfU-7v4xCEBfPhNJSMNun7LRptIXPupV7Tz-j3m5gN8Sgc/s400/DSC_0008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503261364814684370" border="0" /></a><br />{<span style="font-weight: bold;">Project #1: </span>Rainbow layer birthday cake. Make batter using 2 white cake mixes. Divide into 6 bowls, approx. 1 cup each. Color with gel/paste food coloring. Pour each color into it's own greased cake pan. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Layer, frost, done! Imagine the kids' surprise when we cut into a white frosted cake and they get all the colors of the rainbow!<br />P.S.--like all the drug bottles in the background?}<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOgiJlO5qqSO6MLErw6Pw-ivSb8E2xQfhgfIxoUxA3MGeMnKEb8FsYtkxtV7WLbnzPSnBz0OssbMes4ECPrtWhMJ8Fb75GsMvaxeI37q-nV-yon8rOjnEvQAsSlJ-_Rk4zsdI626tlBk/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOgiJlO5qqSO6MLErw6Pw-ivSb8E2xQfhgfIxoUxA3MGeMnKEb8FsYtkxtV7WLbnzPSnBz0OssbMes4ECPrtWhMJ8Fb75GsMvaxeI37q-nV-yon8rOjnEvQAsSlJ-_Rk4zsdI626tlBk/s400/DSC_0007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503261354548720418" border="0" /></a>{Madeline is always a super-enthusiastic baking helper.}<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgPUhgdf7U9Xsq8bfo9-ssMNUAWFARmAD0kuL9xtn0PpiYYyZuLhyJxAj_R7adUD3J0E07TFPEPLMbrnSkmsF1djI6H938YQ4EA2k_RNBzc8S4BhFyqqN7aF7XSVfC1GyrgtTQIeXs-2o/s1600/DSC_0023.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgPUhgdf7U9Xsq8bfo9-ssMNUAWFARmAD0kuL9xtn0PpiYYyZuLhyJxAj_R7adUD3J0E07TFPEPLMbrnSkmsF1djI6H938YQ4EA2k_RNBzc8S4BhFyqqN7aF7XSVfC1GyrgtTQIeXs-2o/s400/DSC_0023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503261386552063986" border="0" /></a><br />{<span style="font-weight: bold;">Project #2: </span>Just a few days ago I saw this idea pop up on a couple party blogs...mini cake flag bunting. I've already made two other large flag banners for the party, so this fit in perfectly. It'll be the decoration on top of the cake. <span style="font-style: italic;">Isn't it just so dang cute?</span> It says "happy 1st birthday james". Love love love it.}<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Tqdi0WjgQnCCugpuWnr4CLyuX8V2-l0NQhPVn-DYmpRYFe8SnU7V93PpowBPpmEgHWXtv2PdxYTBsPzLIKemdonpYvl49oKMJkZ4cuO2zKQu11PQH8Icc4wO24tR0r6-WMRlaI2a5MU/s1600/DSC_0021.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Tqdi0WjgQnCCugpuWnr4CLyuX8V2-l0NQhPVn-DYmpRYFe8SnU7V93PpowBPpmEgHWXtv2PdxYTBsPzLIKemdonpYvl49oKMJkZ4cuO2zKQu11PQH8Icc4wO24tR0r6-WMRlaI2a5MU/s400/DSC_0021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503261375878143378" border="0" /></a>{<span style="font-weight: bold;">Project #3:</span> Apple juice boxes. Why serve regular juice boxes when they can look THIS cute?! Some red wrapping paper, one sheet of scrapbook paper and a few labels printed on my computer. That's it.}<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_k_UpNfeSwJhmX_eAM30df-MBs2qePUqGfT5nWjlfnjdzL9K2psF_hgwmD6rko3zCe6wE1N-2MzeU8oBEIhvxvu1vODIu427R1NAY6X1mz1A8zS-ZgNejAuqWubUwXXzDavphcest7Y/s1600/DSC_0018.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_k_UpNfeSwJhmX_eAM30df-MBs2qePUqGfT5nWjlfnjdzL9K2psF_hgwmD6rko3zCe6wE1N-2MzeU8oBEIhvxvu1vODIu427R1NAY6X1mz1A8zS-ZgNejAuqWubUwXXzDavphcest7Y/s400/DSC_0018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503261368601879266" border="0" /></a><br />{<span style="font-weight: bold;">Project #4:</span> One of the party favors...the other one is rainbow playdough...shhh! Yet another idea I saw on a party blog, but they used cute metal tins...which I did not have. But I did have these plastic jam jars! Want an inexpensive favor idea? Bubbles! {and come on, having your own jar of bubbles to blow at the park...how fun is that!} 6 jars: $3.50, 1 package pipe cleaners: 99 cents. Labels printed on computer, scrap paper, super-size refill bottle of bubbles & cut-down green plastic straws we already had: free}<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Now I'm so excited for the party! Maddie never got to have her first birthday party because she came down with a double ear infection, so James' party will seem double fun! <br /></div></div>Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-61920468673708071802010-08-05T21:30:00.000-07:002010-08-05T21:49:24.602-07:00Watch Out World, Here Comes James!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiaBUCaTeGCf8duoLe1I-o9tUyFix72qMHACYUyx-NiR9CEiyvtkzzJHhO7rlBUxWcngBL6H52VK7sfiPb33RaySPdwZ_isfbJG2XJlIlJN37OqvSks0H7gR3eVb9NnLlMgHKASeJws1o/s1600/DSC_0014-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiaBUCaTeGCf8duoLe1I-o9tUyFix72qMHACYUyx-NiR9CEiyvtkzzJHhO7rlBUxWcngBL6H52VK7sfiPb33RaySPdwZ_isfbJG2XJlIlJN37OqvSks0H7gR3eVb9NnLlMgHKASeJws1o/s400/DSC_0014-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502151381180771058" border="0" /></a><br />Mr. James has become a little daredevil lately. He's discovering new ways to move his body, to get from here to there, to explore his world and he's LOVING it! The last two days his new thing has been cruising furniture {with some assistance...especially when he gets distracted by some new cool thing and dramatically flings himself backwards to get at it! We're still working on the whole "where your body is in space" concept}. Now when we put him in his Johnny Jump-Up, we set either a walker or his Exersaucer next to him and he "walks" around them, pulls them to different locations, or spins them to get at what he wants. He is super excited when you stand him up and he races his little feet to walk the length of the couch...or from one end of his crib railing to the other...or across the footboard of our bed. He'd crawl over head-first if we'd let him! {Good thing he's not actually able to pull himself up onto things yet.}<br /><br />Throw caution to the wind. {Apparently caution is for GIRLS!} Just go, go, go!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIW2vE4mVt2yxW3ghq_XS1RDOwO4QPtogwyx1LPr-H8LgFRW9DYrRL815_0mc7pJ3ldBiv1urVv8gD6EjMkIk0YM4__egGq2W3uLIyaIl5dsszxHyerQCuIS8uw1sjjQQccET2lsflTc/s1600/DSC_0017.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIW2vE4mVt2yxW3ghq_XS1RDOwO4QPtogwyx1LPr-H8LgFRW9DYrRL815_0mc7pJ3ldBiv1urVv8gD6EjMkIk0YM4__egGq2W3uLIyaIl5dsszxHyerQCuIS8uw1sjjQQccET2lsflTc/s400/DSC_0017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502151624143582962" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RBX2tNkKpqzTNHW6hEW-n_4BJWalNMOm5S1QWIuDgZm5Jrc4p0PCIVb4bd21hc-jca1nJpTUtFaubwGIkSC8xKN_DZ1djJLjZn8ajIyD5y9TY28ytjAyzCTgscZCRHP7sF6tF74MCgA/s1600/DSC_0018-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RBX2tNkKpqzTNHW6hEW-n_4BJWalNMOm5S1QWIuDgZm5Jrc4p0PCIVb4bd21hc-jca1nJpTUtFaubwGIkSC8xKN_DZ1djJLjZn8ajIyD5y9TY28ytjAyzCTgscZCRHP7sF6tF74MCgA/s400/DSC_0018-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502151634388122274" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr82pXGvRGyQjIDfnDatU3b1aqMn8LplG8dh67ejat4jdTRaeGDNRZ2EMHBshf65gFn2WXUFH2X6lT9m70mJSm4Gd-M3DC0ZODnyLIVSdHAPlIefr18NRLLwYfYo-107Thxye62q_wx5o/s1600/DSC_0019-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr82pXGvRGyQjIDfnDatU3b1aqMn8LplG8dh67ejat4jdTRaeGDNRZ2EMHBshf65gFn2WXUFH2X6lT9m70mJSm4Gd-M3DC0ZODnyLIVSdHAPlIefr18NRLLwYfYo-107Thxye62q_wx5o/s400/DSC_0019-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502151638189914706" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqhQYBYmLCBBW-D-YaoyC3hzfOwOtqHW2hyphenhyphenVK72LIG_-W9u0gaNEmwC2-HMmNVPcCeoxHGfoiyJ1mYGCAFhOW_vmOGt4kmDsWJnMN-b52PYbO5uiAtEZ_x9K-56Sn0xZyK265s3Dadqw/s1600/DSC_0020-3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqhQYBYmLCBBW-D-YaoyC3hzfOwOtqHW2hyphenhyphenVK72LIG_-W9u0gaNEmwC2-HMmNVPcCeoxHGfoiyJ1mYGCAFhOW_vmOGt4kmDsWJnMN-b52PYbO5uiAtEZ_x9K-56Sn0xZyK265s3Dadqw/s400/DSC_0020-3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502151647898641490" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Today was also his first ride to the park in the "big kid" stroller, instead of in the front pack or the infant car seat/big stroller. He loved it, but he did find the red clip on the side and held onto it the whole entire ride...just in case of turbulence, ya know! <br /><br />He's starting to look so much more like a big boy than a little baby lately. OH, AND HE'S GETTING TWO TEETH! Had to be an over-achiever and get his first two at the same time. He's over 15 pounds now {still under the 3rd percentile for height and weight} and is so curious about the world around him. It just blows my mind to think that on August 31st he'll turn ONE YEAR OLD! Didn't we just bring him home from the NICU? :-)<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuoMspvbGhc8JScMyyZsT_XBSjUNqT0OwqDzZ3WJ4luL-ZiUkt1wIFY22rw4BRqPU8blJOIoUaDjKPE5pbduLS7FZ7Ew1i-VJX2GpbCOs61nbeZ2aBaH2R86kSAGIw2aTsZB68zJszC8/s1600/DSC_0005-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuoMspvbGhc8JScMyyZsT_XBSjUNqT0OwqDzZ3WJ4luL-ZiUkt1wIFY22rw4BRqPU8blJOIoUaDjKPE5pbduLS7FZ7Ew1i-VJX2GpbCOs61nbeZ2aBaH2R86kSAGIw2aTsZB68zJszC8/s400/DSC_0005-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502151362761126642" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKueZD3mg4dSDdeLV_6dveJrijtO7bB2KdWQLzwLJLpBRfBmLZhyKIiV83iByeDXDkXZQYkVBM4yZuQMzQDBI_npf_irAuFLTIai73cbGvIEw_xpH_5Ayhe-lQfE1rXTVF0c_QR6RgXRk/s1600/DSC_0003-3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKueZD3mg4dSDdeLV_6dveJrijtO7bB2KdWQLzwLJLpBRfBmLZhyKIiV83iByeDXDkXZQYkVBM4yZuQMzQDBI_npf_irAuFLTIai73cbGvIEw_xpH_5Ayhe-lQfE1rXTVF0c_QR6RgXRk/s400/DSC_0003-3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502151357374522146" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwEO7EFMUih96bCL592vnkVVQXP3dBjsviOHm46vs8ndSxLxurHf-1xzisVnd9mUMHLOuQ1q5KSKchJZIAhWI7b5aMBGudTrzXQUPwSsuTv7HXrABom5OVCD7CFqRrqHi4ubKelMuAB8/s1600/DSC_0009-3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwEO7EFMUih96bCL592vnkVVQXP3dBjsviOHm46vs8ndSxLxurHf-1xzisVnd9mUMHLOuQ1q5KSKchJZIAhWI7b5aMBGudTrzXQUPwSsuTv7HXrABom5OVCD7CFqRrqHi4ubKelMuAB8/s400/DSC_0009-3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502151370918345346" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FIq_eFtLnIRiS-C9TdVClaWSzvYH_c-v-lyYfeoswXIUViWkoOqknziZanMZuEfM7XHOONVc0ywg-2giLt64LSIqOpZCHiSZ0KxIK7FDTy1_Uaq9nd6wTTP2EFXkXSRJTJIb9_UQv_Y/s1600/DSC_0002-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FIq_eFtLnIRiS-C9TdVClaWSzvYH_c-v-lyYfeoswXIUViWkoOqknziZanMZuEfM7XHOONVc0ywg-2giLt64LSIqOpZCHiSZ0KxIK7FDTy1_Uaq9nd6wTTP2EFXkXSRJTJIb9_UQv_Y/s400/DSC_0002-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502151350952741474" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhzJVQLqksRIhBUMrHbdRqpaQpbjf5DRI2AWFP6SzdvYLMA0nKR1aA-4uljJOCSikVC7DYsRuGaPbphlgdvMRELUybXk8iDci5PhD9T3i6tMUZT_Rd5EvPRh9T58nxCxSpfZqapejF3E/s1600/DSC_0015-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhzJVQLqksRIhBUMrHbdRqpaQpbjf5DRI2AWFP6SzdvYLMA0nKR1aA-4uljJOCSikVC7DYsRuGaPbphlgdvMRELUybXk8iDci5PhD9T3i6tMUZT_Rd5EvPRh9T58nxCxSpfZqapejF3E/s400/DSC_0015-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502151623327953442" border="0" /></a>{Just had to include this "little old man who forgot his dentures" shot!}<br /></div>Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-51339400645553194702010-07-31T21:18:00.000-07:002010-07-31T21:47:16.446-07:00First Ambulance RideNormally when I'm talking about doctors and the ER and ambulance rides, I'm talking about James. But unfortunately this week it was MY turn to have my first ride in an ambulance! I've talked before about my ongoing back problems. Since May I've had a bulging disc in my back and a pinched nerve that have caused me much pain. I've been in physical therapy for about 6 weeks and over the past few weeks things were starting to feel better. My pain was almost gone, except for a few twinges here and there throughout the day. I'd scheduled a spinal injection at the request of my doctor, which was supposed to block the nerve that was sending the pain signals. I had that on Monday, July 19 and things felt really good for about 4 days. Then my pain level went up to about a 3 on a scale of 0-10. The next day it was up to a 5 and nothing was helping...Ibuprophen, my therapy exercises, heat, ice packs. Then three days ago was when it all went downhill. <br /><br />I was home alone with the kids at about 11am and had James up on the changing table. He's a mover and a shaker now, so he can't be left alone. All of a sudden as I stood there, my back exploded in pain and I immediately crumpled to the ground and cried out in pain. I was pretty sure that my bulged disc had just ruptured. Maddie was next to me, confused about what was wrong. {But not *too* concerned, since she saw me writhing in pain and said, "Mommy, I'm sorry your back hurts...now could you put on a TV show for me?"} :-) I was curled up in a fetal position, but knew I had to get James somewhere safe, so I clawed my way up the changing table, somehow got a diaper on him and his tubes contained, picked him up and laid him on the living room floor. By now, just a few minutes in, I knew I was in trouble. I had Maddie get me the phone and managed to dial Keith and tell him to come home immediately. I couldn't walk or move. It was the worst pain I'd ever felt in my life, even worse than being in labor. I felt like I was going to pass out, my whole body was shaking uncontrollably, and my arms and hands were tingling and going numb. It was all I could do to try and stay calm and do my "hee-hee-hoo" labor breathing/panting. <br /><br />The 20 minutes it took Keith to get home seemed like an eternity. The minute he walked in, I told him to call an ambulance. Poor Keith...he was trying to see what I needed, calling 911, trying to get Maddie dressed and James' bag packed {he was still hooked up to his IV's and feeding tube}. When the paramedics got here they had a bit of trouble getting an IV started because my veins were starting to clamp down. Thank goodness they got one in and they gave me Fentanyl, so within a few minutes that kicked in and I was able to calm down a little as they wheeled me out of the house on a gurney. The whole thing was a bit surreal. <br /><br />Once we got to Emanuel, the real frustration set in. Every other experience we've had with them regarding James has been pretty good. Apparently adults in the ER don't get the same treatment. A nurse took my vitals and then left while I waited...and waited...probably 45 minutes until I saw a doctor. Nobody checked on me or gave me pain meds or anything. Keith was in the waiting room with the kids and my mom was on her way, so it was jut me in the ER room. Long story short...the fentanyl wore off within about the first 30 minutes and, even after buzzing for a nurse multiple times without much response, I was left in the room crying in pain for over 2 hours. Nice customer service!! After Keith took the kids home, my mom came in to stay with me and bullied the doctors into getting me some morphine after about another hour. The doctor pretty much said that since I still had control of my bowels and I wasn't paralyzed, that even if the disc had ruptured there wasn't anything they were going to do {not even a new x-ray or MRI to confirm a diagnosis!}. Just get me some pain meds and send me home. How LAME is that?! <br /><br />So now I'm pretty much on bedrest at home, except for a few times a day when I can manage to hobble to the bathroom or kitchen. I'm taking heavy-duty pain killers {Valium, Oxycodone & Ibuprophen} but even that doesn't take away the pain...just dulls it a bit. All I can manage to do is lay flat on the couch and use a heating pad or ice packs to get semi-comfortable. Actually, tonight I've been off the couch for about an hour, which is a record. On Tuesday I have another appointment with the doctor who did my spinal injection, so I'm hoping they'll do a new MRI and have some treatment options {besides surgery}. <br /><br />I'd appreciate prayers for me and especially my dear husband who has been SUPER DAD the past few days, taking care of the kids and the cooking and laundry and cleaning and everything! He's my hero! :-)Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-84298491816335605902010-07-26T16:57:00.000-07:002010-07-26T19:56:51.352-07:00James Update<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmqnYuukAbLLpmn9Q_Z_efpBj-NzpEDc7d8zsNy9xYbeOt7yaJ-PhgUjQC80CsVFou5S7tNcMpajypbiZ54TpZYRz4xG4NX7quCIubbA0EnYc_-f-STAVdhdVJMHD3C2MlO3ISlahB6E/s1600/DSC_0044.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmqnYuukAbLLpmn9Q_Z_efpBj-NzpEDc7d8zsNy9xYbeOt7yaJ-PhgUjQC80CsVFou5S7tNcMpajypbiZ54TpZYRz4xG4NX7quCIubbA0EnYc_-f-STAVdhdVJMHD3C2MlO3ISlahB6E/s400/DSC_0044.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498371149138425026" border="0" /></a>{How could you not be happy when you see this face?!<br />You bring such joy to our lives, buddy boy!}<br /></div><br />It seems that Summer has finally decided to arrive in Oregon. These warm days bring with them all the fun that summer has to offer...camp-outs at Nana & Papa's {or at least the s'mores part!}, playing in the wading pool, daily trips to the park, cooking on the grill, picking fresh berries, and lots of hanging out with family. Our routine for the last couple of days has been that Keith will take Maddie and James to the park after he gets home so that I can have a break and do stuff like vacuum, make dinner, check email {or blog!}, etc. James loves to be outside just like his big sister and just this week has discovered the joy of the swings! Maddie was always a bit cautious about the swings as a baby, but James is "all boy" about them--he flings himself forwards and back, tries to chew the seat, grabs on the chains and grunts.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqokdq9MUmLXH_j3gc6H7wDprt2uLPPiasRW5SSuSeZiAEyMxOoLEyBJWmj_UmENtXMxgMzWn_21F6IZvJ0aYoZewgCtb-fuUvzD-udkTjJMAmoTwJZ0M5SRktZ6v0dK6JMbHO1hIihd0/s1600/DSC_0029-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqokdq9MUmLXH_j3gc6H7wDprt2uLPPiasRW5SSuSeZiAEyMxOoLEyBJWmj_UmENtXMxgMzWn_21F6IZvJ0aYoZewgCtb-fuUvzD-udkTjJMAmoTwJZ0M5SRktZ6v0dK6JMbHO1hIihd0/s400/DSC_0029-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498371528855029122" border="0" /></a>{heading out to the park today}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_JbIPypEDm5DKivWyNxBHhHrqFtNJgZCSHCBShu50Qm7RFIgn3KfIgtLJBmJhTyXWpDirHyxKXjV7UesxZtcJ-NlkQ56pr19n5cc_yuUmA12PXjRDpKx2A-P3Y2Rk6Gijiw8nDekWCUQ/s1600/DSC_0033-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_JbIPypEDm5DKivWyNxBHhHrqFtNJgZCSHCBShu50Qm7RFIgn3KfIgtLJBmJhTyXWpDirHyxKXjV7UesxZtcJ-NlkQ56pr19n5cc_yuUmA12PXjRDpKx2A-P3Y2Rk6Gijiw8nDekWCUQ/s400/DSC_0033-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498371537279725666" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Q3WmpjK7ic-GdMiRfUjnAm5lIBVClE_lgOk6ffyndmWr_NvxuAQGRvFBg31AHkYtzR-_OrsqNcU0foj7KT-74f6qrgVS2OyNa-rhjH2fRzNGxfnSHzjvPgrWQEx0WvA55A6EWg1Cmp4/s1600/Maddie_Feb07+031.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Q3WmpjK7ic-GdMiRfUjnAm5lIBVClE_lgOk6ffyndmWr_NvxuAQGRvFBg31AHkYtzR-_OrsqNcU0foj7KT-74f6qrgVS2OyNa-rhjH2fRzNGxfnSHzjvPgrWQEx0WvA55A6EWg1Cmp4/s400/Maddie_Feb07+031.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498371736862914002" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">{flashback: Maddie at 3 months}</span><br /><br /></div>James has become quite a mobile, active little guy over just the past few weeks. He's a pro at rolling and will roll multiple times when he's determined to get somewhere {which tangles him up in his tubes, so if he's on the floor we pretty much have to be there all the time}, he can get his knees under him and rock back and forth, and can crawl for a few paces. I'm guessing in a few more weeks he'll be full-on crawling!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxI64kspSWFLoDlfNb6rbjtDapKSsclWG08VnV1A3Vy3yS2ayMDVEw4P9L6zifqBb-vwBEfaEDBM2FIbX9nJRhBQQ1Gc097sU5wMaZovdpZYQmbnNyWGWS_AxEmYjin4DzIEroqYyrow/s1600/DSC_0030.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxI64kspSWFLoDlfNb6rbjtDapKSsclWG08VnV1A3Vy3yS2ayMDVEw4P9L6zifqBb-vwBEfaEDBM2FIbX9nJRhBQQ1Gc097sU5wMaZovdpZYQmbnNyWGWS_AxEmYjin4DzIEroqYyrow/s400/DSC_0030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498369073951401106" border="0" /></a>Right now he does an improvised crawl: he claws with his hands while pushing off one leg and dragging the other, like a half-army-crawl / half-swimming motion. Pretty amazing, considering all the tummy trauma he's been through. But he's determined to not let anything get in his way! Go James! We're so proud of you, little buddy! :-)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkbXU1MqeA7GZX5ZLtCZZfKH_J0qROgJAQycE0AIgRjdEIFe0nZH24vnb7e6oQD2999gs9YCx3B-GUFBTOZ0-ztrjaJ4v44zSkisoMdmsP-2SG2JogpS9N6-M984Zz4gksAB3QhgvVwE/s1600/DSC_0039-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkbXU1MqeA7GZX5ZLtCZZfKH_J0qROgJAQycE0AIgRjdEIFe0nZH24vnb7e6oQD2999gs9YCx3B-GUFBTOZ0-ztrjaJ4v44zSkisoMdmsP-2SG2JogpS9N6-M984Zz4gksAB3QhgvVwE/s400/DSC_0039-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498369084613789554" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxooWVeL_9eS6OWAkzx8Q6B5zB7UeL1AGOLpgommxBBLT8qOHQIGxIx0qlh4GolfmBnf4SfXE8Yh9GwBlIBKfXFHeVkfAUQ7wIauDN_xASSvNAQNQHyPxFOZPt8YGQooR9GzGCIm5pxUU/s1600/DSC_0018-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxooWVeL_9eS6OWAkzx8Q6B5zB7UeL1AGOLpgommxBBLT8qOHQIGxIx0qlh4GolfmBnf4SfXE8Yh9GwBlIBKfXFHeVkfAUQ7wIauDN_xASSvNAQNQHyPxFOZPt8YGQooR9GzGCIm5pxUU/s400/DSC_0018-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498369063798623554" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUDrGOHr-pNhiBcKkxvWjfSQCUtocUNwPXmhY1Xrb6JedQXHwrzdPCuM63QCxmwxF-j5Num0-TrXjT4FBtV1NGTOtlHH5FkZ4i8QAdqWx4HevPpc0z-F72vzeRCd8-CBQDk-1w0xGoTy8/s1600/DSC_0002-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUDrGOHr-pNhiBcKkxvWjfSQCUtocUNwPXmhY1Xrb6JedQXHwrzdPCuM63QCxmwxF-j5Num0-TrXjT4FBtV1NGTOtlHH5FkZ4i8QAdqWx4HevPpc0z-F72vzeRCd8-CBQDk-1w0xGoTy8/s400/DSC_0002-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498369042019044722" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2L2R8OXF7VG9LAD4ah7fyitbUwj-4xFz01Vg4bFXx-Yaedf5cTvT_IxKExBpKEOAfOOadlqA9upp2MOWHKd6nEfXJ8pV76_Ys9JQk5ZuCHxxh6JFB7zSt50WhsWr9SbMG1JdBt6-XeBU/s1600/DSC_0006-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2L2R8OXF7VG9LAD4ah7fyitbUwj-4xFz01Vg4bFXx-Yaedf5cTvT_IxKExBpKEOAfOOadlqA9upp2MOWHKd6nEfXJ8pV76_Ys9JQk5ZuCHxxh6JFB7zSt50WhsWr9SbMG1JdBt6-XeBU/s400/DSC_0006-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498369051303881170" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcD18B5b-GL_Caxvyvi8JLbqCFY0wbgKaF7mI6Jh_yVvJLoP4GNOjJWpjOXXart9ZwV5K_dr1_O33VYbyoPS7WjC9JTt3GSyopOtLWCxvjmqDduy14iN7BbM53zAGNTl40j5kRUFOMpkY/s1600/DSC_0020-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcD18B5b-GL_Caxvyvi8JLbqCFY0wbgKaF7mI6Jh_yVvJLoP4GNOjJWpjOXXart9ZwV5K_dr1_O33VYbyoPS7WjC9JTt3GSyopOtLWCxvjmqDduy14iN7BbM53zAGNTl40j5kRUFOMpkY/s400/DSC_0020-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498371522346047490" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMezXYHOIM-hWZXq_dCSK-OyB5Tz9i7uU5Tf5zWv1f_s04s5fXMb7wEnnhcg76ay0T48XWmJQBvx0Tn_65YZg_ieDG6edKZYNiwawUObl0cIhPehVdaR1QoxjvUekTeikt0LdFIyVLK0/s1600/DSC_0043.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMezXYHOIM-hWZXq_dCSK-OyB5Tz9i7uU5Tf5zWv1f_s04s5fXMb7wEnnhcg76ay0T48XWmJQBvx0Tn_65YZg_ieDG6edKZYNiwawUObl0cIhPehVdaR1QoxjvUekTeikt0LdFIyVLK0/s400/DSC_0043.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498371141085554706" border="0" /></a>{He loves this Johnny Jump-Up, which gives him great practice "walking", but we have to get creative with his tubes. He can get completely tangled in about 1 minute flat.}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcS07dXpuc5E_66nyBfuF3wXOqqV6tDL6qpx3l0_TvTZULog6sj18yEOiaboT2HwwXbuaz9t6f8lijqPNlyL4IB40813sqCwcFnaLK9tvEVID6HGbO0LKgbEY-NhH_u0V80pkj8phzCXs/s1600/DSC_0005.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcS07dXpuc5E_66nyBfuF3wXOqqV6tDL6qpx3l0_TvTZULog6sj18yEOiaboT2HwwXbuaz9t6f8lijqPNlyL4IB40813sqCwcFnaLK9tvEVID6HGbO0LKgbEY-NhH_u0V80pkj8phzCXs/s400/DSC_0005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498368587572714834" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZH8-kPH-ljhbtITF-n6BsfI6rSVXemqj33Az8AbZ75oMNuzh92_Xj7o5Oy7ilmdF2pFQRuGiySyAo941jCO-LcIZ40Tkz28TJBoyN9NLv06WW38tglTw7Jzqq3jBXv3aaa5v76qketM/s1600/DSC_0010.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZH8-kPH-ljhbtITF-n6BsfI6rSVXemqj33Az8AbZ75oMNuzh92_Xj7o5Oy7ilmdF2pFQRuGiySyAo941jCO-LcIZ40Tkz28TJBoyN9NLv06WW38tglTw7Jzqq3jBXv3aaa5v76qketM/s400/DSC_0010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498368601687154242" border="0" /></a>{Maddie is a great big sister and loves to play with James, teach him how to use new toys, sing him songs and give him loves. James gets the biggest grin on his face whenever she's around.}<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">* * * * * * * * * *<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">We had an appointment with the GI doctor about two weeks ago and I was asking about next steps in terms of James' feeding plan: when could we start him on breastmilk, tasting different flavors, cutting back on his TPN time, etc. Unfortunately, it will continue to be a very long road. Right now he gets 8 ml/hour of formula in his G-tube into his stomach and he gets to go up 1 ml per week. So far he's been tolerating this without a problem. I was hoping he could start having breastmilk for one of his two daily bottles, but his doctor wants him to be getting at least half of his daily calories from formula {approx. 25-30 ml/hour} before she'd consider that--so that means, at best, we'd have to wait another 3.5 months before trying breastmilk. Sheesh, the boy will be 14 months old by then! That means he could easily be 2+ years old before he's allowed to try even pureed baby foods. Can you imagine that? Even now, at almost 11 months, he's very aware of what we do and what we put in our mouths. I'm going to feel like the Meanest Parent Ever withholding food from my child. James' physical/occupational therapist encouraged us to ask the GI doctor for permission for James to at least be introduced to flavors, even though he can't really have food yet. So now he's allowed to try out new tastes and is so excited about it! Most babies start out with really bland things like rice cereal and oatmeal...not James! So far he's had teriyaki pepperoni sticks, teething biscuits, banana, fruit leather sticks and mango! The other day I gave him a mango pit to try sucking on and I think he was in shock. :-)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOy8llWtWiqQTM6MkUvhDOEDF4-4RndrxISO9xpimYOcGzGEcug2x09IKB0-WFPgI1WXHliGCvoAJ50spv1tSMwRWDdRajuCZZ5m4umA_X5h9Z5r4OG6utoB09GPfe2cHukGLCGWxHKc/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOy8llWtWiqQTM6MkUvhDOEDF4-4RndrxISO9xpimYOcGzGEcug2x09IKB0-WFPgI1WXHliGCvoAJ50spv1tSMwRWDdRajuCZZ5m4umA_X5h9Z5r4OG6utoB09GPfe2cHukGLCGWxHKc/s400/DSC_0011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498368609642326050" border="0" /></a>{first try...whew, that doesn't taste like formula!}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitr3wBVgYEVoaI-658ofIo01ajC7BMYtfc4YaB0FdQKRGamQES-3HI3bUN0MRVRmNHpzIW-haNlWwUgNu5tj41uYqwkzmTlU9I5S86EA3TodlXtT2Ynlk6_puHEuMAYYqDys5MXBt5_bI/s1600/DSC_0016.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitr3wBVgYEVoaI-658ofIo01ajC7BMYtfc4YaB0FdQKRGamQES-3HI3bUN0MRVRmNHpzIW-haNlWwUgNu5tj41uYqwkzmTlU9I5S86EA3TodlXtT2Ynlk6_puHEuMAYYqDys5MXBt5_bI/s400/DSC_0016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498368618073058882" border="0" /></a>{Hey, that wasn't half bad! Let's try that again!}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_zxRnfodYjAZQ8Kl2Ux3oneM23KXJISJ2bN74__wDD1MOkQDiPPrDSqu4NMaD49KySp4vDsrGUKfF4sZ-7YKZqz4C85_NDIHFSBjTGO2sMC605gbPBbHVtj2NfeCg9YOAnpasWZEjcU/s1600/DSC_0020.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_zxRnfodYjAZQ8Kl2Ux3oneM23KXJISJ2bN74__wDD1MOkQDiPPrDSqu4NMaD49KySp4vDsrGUKfF4sZ-7YKZqz4C85_NDIHFSBjTGO2sMC605gbPBbHVtj2NfeCg9YOAnpasWZEjcU/s400/DSC_0020.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498368626877305170" border="0" /></a><br />* * * * * * *<br /></div></div>The other night I came downstairs to this sight: James and Maddie curled up together on the couch, watching Mickey Mouse, which Maddie had picked for her before-bed show. James hardly ever notices when the TV is on, but for some reason he is mesmerized by Mickey Mouse. It's been Maddie's long-time favorite too!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6X8ZZa3c9MIFE4hYD_U2fJAZd3USVlBnFThpkNTNx7Yp_hvyRxxcSD-wppSxuIzFWftlb-VszEGpD0-GR2lorGnTGWccDKVKlf_NFzBR_BHxYeGuYtZ1uQ-po9T5-HyJVfJ1jIa3wNNM/s1600/DSC_0009-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6X8ZZa3c9MIFE4hYD_U2fJAZd3USVlBnFThpkNTNx7Yp_hvyRxxcSD-wppSxuIzFWftlb-VszEGpD0-GR2lorGnTGWccDKVKlf_NFzBR_BHxYeGuYtZ1uQ-po9T5-HyJVfJ1jIa3wNNM/s400/DSC_0009-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498371177475527154" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUfaYZcMU9N9DxC02lTl6oU-i6B-KszFYmMoh_T1NHoGpcSy9g49R1yXRSSBO-BjKKoRm0Qb7b4K-nh1c8kk_89kclOyisM9beuw1f2VGH6XUzuq36dVt6XwaerNQaM_v7bUW6VVzbGo/s1600/DSC_0003-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUfaYZcMU9N9DxC02lTl6oU-i6B-KszFYmMoh_T1NHoGpcSy9g49R1yXRSSBO-BjKKoRm0Qb7b4K-nh1c8kk_89kclOyisM9beuw1f2VGH6XUzuq36dVt6XwaerNQaM_v7bUW6VVzbGo/s400/DSC_0003-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498371166292360658" border="0" /></a>{The classic zoned-out TV look! Totally cracks me up.}<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYolpyppplWONV9t90ITkJCfsMfxnb1NHc9ef6Laec5KVAehHEC_M_CwDw8M9HKyY5ktO_j-SwEMoqJhiqmS-8T6AJQtpirMazcca9cO9ZDgdJ7jxKAtclR96pbjp0aqrgO8JtCgm1XfE/s1600/DSC_0001-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYolpyppplWONV9t90ITkJCfsMfxnb1NHc9ef6Laec5KVAehHEC_M_CwDw8M9HKyY5ktO_j-SwEMoqJhiqmS-8T6AJQtpirMazcca9cO9ZDgdJ7jxKAtclR96pbjp0aqrgO8JtCgm1XfE/s400/DSC_0001-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498371157484429506" border="0" /></a>{Snugging with Sister on the couch is the best!}<br /><br />* * * * * * * *<br /><br />I also have to give a huge THANK YOU to my parents for keeping Maddie overnight on Saturday AND watching both kids Sunday night so that Keith and I could go see a movie. Earlier in the week I'd mentioned my dire need for a date with my husband and my parents came through with flying colors! I know it was fun for them to see James for a more extended period of time and to watch all the new things he's learning.<br /><br />{When I told Keith I wanted to go on a date last week he got this blank look on his face and said, "A <span style="font-style: italic;">what</span>?" I said, "You know, it's this thing where adults go out of the house without their children and they can go to grown-up places and have an actual conversation without being interrupted every 2 seconds." He said, "Really? I'm not familiar with that concept." HA! :-) }<br /><br /></div>Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-45239020799576433632010-07-13T08:59:00.000-07:002010-07-13T10:11:26.444-07:00Homemade GoodiesWe've been sticking close to home lately, taking it easy on the long, hot afternoons and doing lots of fun projects...mostly in the kitchen! A couple of days ago I saw a blog post with a recipe for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sidewalk Chalk Paint</span> {which I'd never heard of before} and decided to make some right then and there with Maddie!
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwj2tpAkdJSOKZ82aeoS4vjRIXzbDQWxd-Xz997n7Zqk3XooULu5mLabS0cLMhRwufcgJGu3-k8kGY5ZZKatY2v3lZQ1MY3ruDJy824VFnzkUQmMJy6Ec4aOmIWwSYCZ42txHdPB-ix_8/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwj2tpAkdJSOKZ82aeoS4vjRIXzbDQWxd-Xz997n7Zqk3XooULu5mLabS0cLMhRwufcgJGu3-k8kGY5ZZKatY2v3lZQ1MY3ruDJy824VFnzkUQmMJy6Ec4aOmIWwSYCZ42txHdPB-ix_8/s400/DSC_0006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493424244319479778" border="0" /></a>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">For each color of paint you will need:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">1/4 cup cornstarch</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">1/4 cup cold water</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">4+ drops of food coloring </span> <span style="font-style: italic;">{darker would show up better on concrete, but I was worried about staining, so I kept it pastel}</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Stir everything together and repeat for as many colors as you desire! Easy peasy!</span>
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGVWPrpWWPGrde5Z7QN2UynafkntrgQ4buEZE29eoThKzForJpJfUAsgCy6IBrS5cMiGkWiEbPTxBtjU_ahyLiwy01OVMR40QDbv4obRkYV3QYml0zfq4ZBifzv47no6m1Elj7U_yrVM/s1600/DSC_0004.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGVWPrpWWPGrde5Z7QN2UynafkntrgQ4buEZE29eoThKzForJpJfUAsgCy6IBrS5cMiGkWiEbPTxBtjU_ahyLiwy01OVMR40QDbv4obRkYV3QYml0zfq4ZBifzv47no6m1Elj7U_yrVM/s400/DSC_0004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493424232265956306" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpszTxwqcDKVQWzaKJ5onSm7kVm880S289hNdIUkGH1oftoAsV_ZsJJql6Sk-0Ihr06uF7VFP-Ywm4hKsD4UJN2bKcO5xo3Oud_5HiSIvCkmyvboa2jzZGceieK9J4qREqLYMVOcg8hqc/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpszTxwqcDKVQWzaKJ5onSm7kVm880S289hNdIUkGH1oftoAsV_ZsJJql6Sk-0Ihr06uF7VFP-Ywm4hKsD4UJN2bKcO5xo3Oud_5HiSIvCkmyvboa2jzZGceieK9J4qREqLYMVOcg8hqc/s400/DSC_0003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493424222345265746" border="0" /></a>
<br /></div>It took about 5 minutes flat and then we had a picnic breakfast out on the front porch, lugged James' IV pole and exersaucer outside, and let Maddie paint away! Both my kids love to be outside, so I've been trying to get more intentional about being outdoors even when James is all hooked up.
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjClVJ_Wl1i3RmlthiaKI3Z9iWztmQohw7h6LfWBARez6PsUDbf0ACkDrzzZA0qY1OZQbZ9nLzw-GYoJ1uYXZFGQrDFQr6zIjsbvCASfkBH0gMluB_TzMlcvhYURMlaV3pW1ChrfGisr8M/s1600/DSC_0080.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjClVJ_Wl1i3RmlthiaKI3Z9iWztmQohw7h6LfWBARez6PsUDbf0ACkDrzzZA0qY1OZQbZ9nLzw-GYoJ1uYXZFGQrDFQr6zIjsbvCASfkBH0gMluB_TzMlcvhYURMlaV3pW1ChrfGisr8M/s400/DSC_0080.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493425477508152370" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rLEbJKT5cD3McTzXCstkQUFkybMklpo1vpzPcv5MYzlZWCNSKHDBN6SKb7oS0O3F_emO2G6PQMoA7Ik9CRqlyxxFaRPAn7BwpKEPmyXz29um23vmwMQZ0AK4py2fD_hptSZfSrk7T84/s1600/DSC_0079.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rLEbJKT5cD3McTzXCstkQUFkybMklpo1vpzPcv5MYzlZWCNSKHDBN6SKb7oS0O3F_emO2G6PQMoA7Ik9CRqlyxxFaRPAn7BwpKEPmyXz29um23vmwMQZ0AK4py2fD_hptSZfSrk7T84/s400/DSC_0079.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493425462896437106" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNRLLNaGpBW8ZIp-ogxHrwKrlk4YrzYpgJ5K2cF_GxjTo-oPsyE0sOvpnUaMPd8lpuuecqmUIL09_A1OO44C8f9oktLFiESvar_jvLwk_pv6Tt8d-QBXv1X07BX4MfbLwylrnbRd5-uw/s1600/DSC_0088.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNRLLNaGpBW8ZIp-ogxHrwKrlk4YrzYpgJ5K2cF_GxjTo-oPsyE0sOvpnUaMPd8lpuuecqmUIL09_A1OO44C8f9oktLFiESvar_jvLwk_pv6Tt8d-QBXv1X07BX4MfbLwylrnbRd5-uw/s400/DSC_0088.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493429655107550306" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbYXrHo8WBj0PBHapGIjNla4f3EvI1PPEELv1PuEHSfYUGqwnS_dPCsqcSJbd_FL49nkbB6RFG9wFB0Arbf6YNOyrsTlSMdINhpLYYfUE3fX-YIZvXn5zZTeDW3HCbe7I53UWfRwghmU/s1600/DSC_0089.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbYXrHo8WBj0PBHapGIjNla4f3EvI1PPEELv1PuEHSfYUGqwnS_dPCsqcSJbd_FL49nkbB6RFG9wFB0Arbf6YNOyrsTlSMdINhpLYYfUE3fX-YIZvXn5zZTeDW3HCbe7I53UWfRwghmU/s400/DSC_0089.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493429664046063474" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8EgxNbdtQE99DKlQcezbXfpG4uNo2R8uXvFACl-TTCs9oedvIit5G-oE6qG3VQmFEOIeJQhxzGSvr3RKJ7rTNoQr9ftShHFC0z-dA3hAhyphenhyphenT8toC-tvnRfRPmYTSZOakCfgd4oGFa8-g/s1600/DSC_0093.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8EgxNbdtQE99DKlQcezbXfpG4uNo2R8uXvFACl-TTCs9oedvIit5G-oE6qG3VQmFEOIeJQhxzGSvr3RKJ7rTNoQr9ftShHFC0z-dA3hAhyphenhyphenT8toC-tvnRfRPmYTSZOakCfgd4oGFa8-g/s400/DSC_0093.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493429685416703538" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnVnFKjOp1xXoHZFbVLJfXtMybPHdgcdj8iNyHEeBqbpLm_-1m0c2unnScqWdMaarPya_sXCkwx5mAXnxXiirX7vEVGKwuYLICD87460icDH30aK-0tf9RK2WOOhjASg-mJ8bAlz-DyM/s1600/DSC_0092.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnVnFKjOp1xXoHZFbVLJfXtMybPHdgcdj8iNyHEeBqbpLm_-1m0c2unnScqWdMaarPya_sXCkwx5mAXnxXiirX7vEVGKwuYLICD87460icDH30aK-0tf9RK2WOOhjASg-mJ8bAlz-DyM/s400/DSC_0092.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493429677172527138" border="0" /></a>Since last week was so stinkin' hot around here, Maddie and I decided to cool off with homemade popsicles! Another easy recipe...pureed strawberries, plain yogurt and pureed blueberries. The hardest part was waiting for it to freeze so that we could eat it!
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-9Fr1RMyier0hGWSwWqg9OTnln8RSvczivGZrVACEBNcN4zEl2p6-3SpPdHEi12bt8-WTegezKeYI4l2RL5F3KCSMGrQIPtOWAE6AJb1TOFfeuot30Xix9O1yhNXjlvEgY56irgB9Rc/s1600/DSC_0097.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-9Fr1RMyier0hGWSwWqg9OTnln8RSvczivGZrVACEBNcN4zEl2p6-3SpPdHEi12bt8-WTegezKeYI4l2RL5F3KCSMGrQIPtOWAE6AJb1TOFfeuot30Xix9O1yhNXjlvEgY56irgB9Rc/s400/DSC_0097.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493424204343563042" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZoBCfqKbl44qhyphenhyphenMzKSc5ZcSqYhSsfvXimdN9u9khGPrmrSAaQv8i5O9Axq6TOAUqZf0mK9SH_cDZTCgVo60u00xx26E0VGrpWnNgcyDk7adAsFUzZFHNdfLg4EYzEPciPVK47GgJJEAI/s1600/DSC_0100.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZoBCfqKbl44qhyphenhyphenMzKSc5ZcSqYhSsfvXimdN9u9khGPrmrSAaQv8i5O9Axq6TOAUqZf0mK9SH_cDZTCgVo60u00xx26E0VGrpWnNgcyDk7adAsFUzZFHNdfLg4EYzEPciPVK47GgJJEAI/s400/DSC_0100.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493424219175632882" border="0" /></a>
<br />One of my favorite parts of summertime is the abundance of berries! Over the years I've watched my mom make delicious homemade jam of all kids...peach-blueberry, blackberry, marionberry, strawberry, etc. She does the cooked jam, which for some reason intimidates me {the equipment, the time commitment, not getting the seal just right...I just couldn't bother with it}. But at the store I saw a pectin packet for making freezer jam and thought, "I could do that!" So this week I made my first two batches of jam...strawberry-blueberry. With just a few cheap baskets of berries and the no-cook recipe on the packet, I made a TON of jam that will last me all year! {Freezer jam is good for 3 weeks in the fridge or 1 year in the freezer.} This is a great project to do with kids. All you do is mash and stir and you're done!
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRIg357y6pATj1Pg-fTWQSUsLLdGDRo5TYY8NSBv_F21qjfqEl5Na-vHSHCS2loWWd09xv0_cKOus5cR8LGX2KfapoYrqKmsTNKR9EeMEPliaBBNaJj7wU2PAjXQm3QYn78K9jidtp-U/s1600/DSC_0032-3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRIg357y6pATj1Pg-fTWQSUsLLdGDRo5TYY8NSBv_F21qjfqEl5Na-vHSHCS2loWWd09xv0_cKOus5cR8LGX2KfapoYrqKmsTNKR9EeMEPliaBBNaJj7wU2PAjXQm3QYn78K9jidtp-U/s400/DSC_0032-3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493430208430345394" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbbxGQr7upCpl-ftvEtw9pNKurNacxh7KiEa7wv7wJWSrrt6HFZfnbx17_vUh8Gg6CU00rtDsL_nB7XrJk3yqBtkJ3CNNNuC7OOQHtjuupZbxHufxbGrq0rKNVneWdcRvWOy9bIoK2e4/s1600/DSC_0041.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbbxGQr7upCpl-ftvEtw9pNKurNacxh7KiEa7wv7wJWSrrt6HFZfnbx17_vUh8Gg6CU00rtDsL_nB7XrJk3yqBtkJ3CNNNuC7OOQHtjuupZbxHufxbGrq0rKNVneWdcRvWOy9bIoK2e4/s400/DSC_0041.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493429697141524658" border="0" /></a>
<br />Now, what to do with all that jam? I decided to make this Doctor Appreciation Week and spread the love! James' surgeon, GI doc and the pediatric nurses do so much for us {and they know us very well by now!} that I figured they deserved a little homemade treat for all their dedication and care. As a former teacher, I know what a thankless job taking care of {often cranky} kids can be, so anything to boost their spirits is always welcome! I just discovered a great new FREE online photo editing site called <a href="http://picnik.com/">picnik.com</a>, so I uploaded a recent photo of James, typed my comments directly on the photo and then had it printed at Walgreens...instant thank you card! Love it!
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfERY8DIkIEAEJAs4bY7c2aQuMB-vYM8K8yzRKKL48IYFSVIOwajQPK8gF1LS6czUdVsn3loN_R2RlHUABqL5yfilujHMhW6htiVa1NJgkZ_QksJuqqtrMzKtbhLFPLQxY7uom7NuuPdM/s1600/James_doctor_thanku_card.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfERY8DIkIEAEJAs4bY7c2aQuMB-vYM8K8yzRKKL48IYFSVIOwajQPK8gF1LS6czUdVsn3loN_R2RlHUABqL5yfilujHMhW6htiVa1NJgkZ_QksJuqqtrMzKtbhLFPLQxY7uom7NuuPdM/s400/James_doctor_thanku_card.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493426905542858690" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnmis8E0vfncaXxqkLyr0i-CMuySbYl92hNspoRNxqDVtQT_WibUtvII3yCE-2Hx-OSzVNqSYEefC7pVgc8F6qxXzpfh8q9HZ4sENvxsS5Up0wyxEMv5Qae6pAi9TbxQ0jtLQ-oJJdVE/s1600/DSC_0008.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnmis8E0vfncaXxqkLyr0i-CMuySbYl92hNspoRNxqDVtQT_WibUtvII3yCE-2Hx-OSzVNqSYEefC7pVgc8F6qxXzpfh8q9HZ4sENvxsS5Up0wyxEMv5Qae6pAi9TbxQ0jtLQ-oJJdVE/s400/DSC_0008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493425442006676610" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKebvAQ2Gva9CnL3U1E6gJWBljxvi1mHm1fPzZUdpWtLhfrUOLmibYXeMJw-bPV4IvsrGCWygh-_HOSbpM8XZ7etMW4YJERq_OHEsrF7OPZAFd2yJW1mJnegMj79eYyE-e4VAi1sYC0s/s1600/DSC_0009.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKebvAQ2Gva9CnL3U1E6gJWBljxvi1mHm1fPzZUdpWtLhfrUOLmibYXeMJw-bPV4IvsrGCWygh-_HOSbpM8XZ7etMW4YJERq_OHEsrF7OPZAFd2yJW1mJnegMj79eYyE-e4VAi1sYC0s/s400/DSC_0009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493425453107666770" border="0" /></a>I made these muffins to go along with the homemade jam {click on link for recipe}...
<br />
<br /><a href="http://bakedbree.com/lemon-ricotta-muffins">Lemon Ricotta Muffins with Toasted Almonds</a>
<br />
<br /><a href="http://picky-palate.com/2007/12/03/blackberry-cream-cheese-muffins-with/">Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins with Sweet Berry Drizzle</a>
<br />
<br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Strawberry-Banana-Coconut Muffins</span>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CLISAFR%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:.5in .5in 36.7pt .5in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Ingredients:
<br />1 cup whole wheat pastry flour {I didn't have pastry flour, so I used 1/2 c. whole wheat flour + 1/2 c. cake flour}
<br />½ cup coconut flour<span style=""> </span>{Bob’s Red Mill brand...in the health food section}
<br />¾ teaspoon baking soda
<br />½ teaspoon cinnamon
<br />¼ teaspoon salt
<br />1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
<br />1 large egg
<br />2/3 cup canola or grapeseed oil
<br />1 teaspoon vanilla
<br />½ cup sugar
<br />2 ripe bananas, mashed
<br />
<br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In a large bowl, combine flours, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and strawberries. In a separate bowl, light beat the egg. Mix in oil, vanilla, sugar and mashed bananas. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and lightly mix until all the flour is moist. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Divide mixture among 10 greased, paper lined or silicon muffin cups. Bake for<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>20 minutes or until golden on top and a tester comes out clean.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p>
<br />I've also been trying out lots of new dinner recipes lately and I'd love to share them with you. I have TONS of recipes in my "to try" file, so I'm pretty picky in terms of determining whether or not a recipe is "repeat worthy". Here are a few that made the cut in our house:
<br />
<br /><a href="http://ellysaysopa.com/?s=roasted+corn+polenta&searchbutton=go%21">Roasted Corn & Poblano Polenta with Shrimp</a> {or chicken or steak}
<br /><a href="http://pinkparsleycatering.blogspot.com/2009/09/rosemary-grilled-steaks-with-tomato-jam.html">Rosemary Grilled Steak with Tomato Jam</a>
<br /><a href="http://www.choosy-beggars.com/index.php/2010/05/25/grilled-chimichurri-pork-skewers/">Grilled Pork Kebabs with Chimichurri Sauce</a>
<br /><a href="http://annies-eats.com/2009/08/13/asparagus-with-tomatoes-and-feta/">Asparagus with Tomatoes and Feta</a> {I roasted the asparagus for 7-8 minutes at 400 degrees & added 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar to the tomato mixture as it cooked}
<br /><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Israeli-Couscous-with-Asparagus-Peas-and-Sugar-Snaps-359410">Israeli Couscous with Asparagus, Peas and Sugar Snap Peas</a>
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Tandoori Chicken Burger Wraps</span>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CLISAFR%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="Edit-Time-Data" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CLISAFR%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_editdata.mso"><!--[if !mso]> <style> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Little Days Alt"; panose-1:2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-2147483645 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -</style>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CLISAFR%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} p {mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:.5in .5in 36.7pt .5in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p>1 1/2 pounds ground chicken breast
<br />4 green onions
<br />3 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger
<br />2 Tablespoons lemon juice
<br />1 Tablespoon paprika
<br />2 teaspoons cumin
<br />1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
<br />1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
<br />salt and pepper to taste
<br />Naan flatbread
<br />cucumber
<br />cilantro
<br />red onion sliced thinly</p> <p><b style="">To make the Yogurt Sauce:<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p>1 small container fat free plain Greek yogurt
<br />1 Tablespoon fresh mint chopped
<br />2 teaspoons cumin
<br />1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
<br />salt and pepper</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Put the chicken and all of the spices in a bowl and mix well. Form into 4 patties.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Cook the Tandoori Chicken Burgers on a preheated grill over medium-medium high grill. About 3 minutes per side. Throw the Naan bread on the grill during the last few minutes.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Mix the yogurt sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Slice some cucumbers, red onions, and cilantro for toppings.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Top the burgers with a few sliced cucumbers, red onion, a generous handful of cilantro, and yogurt sauce.</p>
<br />
<br />and on my to-make-list for these hot summer evenings...
<br />
<br /><a href="http://bakedbree.com/thai-chicken-pizza">Thai Chicken Pizza</a> {California Pizza Kitchen style}
<br /><a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/05/deb-1-mandoline-0/">Cellophane Noodle Salad with Roast Pork</a>
<br /><a href="http://chaosinthekitchen.com/2010/06/cobb-salad/">Cobb Salad</a>
<br /><a href="http://annies-eats.com/2010/07/09/peanut-butter-ice-cream/">Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream</a>
<br /><a href="http://annies-eats.com/2010/04/28/mango-sorbet/">Mango Sorbet</a>
<br />
<br />Enjoy, everybody! More posts to come! :-)
<br />
<br />
<br />Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-35479129613380606302010-07-10T22:36:00.000-07:002010-07-10T23:07:34.819-07:00{belated} 4th of JulyI grew up in a family that loves traditions, which I hope to pass on to my kids as well. I'm not opposed to trying out new things, of course, but I also love the comfort and anticipation of knowing what events are to come. 4th of July is one of these times! I grew up in Springdale, Oregon...never heard of it? Gee, why not? Since it's all of about 5 blocks long? :-) You know, it's that 1/2 mile gap in between Troutdale and Corbett. Growing up, I wasn't a big fan of living in Hickville USA, but now that I'm older I can appreciate it a little more...it's a little piece of the peaceful country life but just 20 minutes from downtown Portland. Every year Corbett hosts the quintessential small-town parade, complete with cool vintage cars, kids on decorated bicycles, tractors, horses leaving their treats all over the road, etc. Last year Maddie rode with Papa on the tractor in the parade. This year Papa drove the Yurf Dog {a crazy name for an oversized wanna-be-dump-truck golf cart} and pulled a wagon for us to ride in. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtucEdb9EsW-XlCuCah-nJt4tkYkHyjH21VxLpMADpf9bNw5Bs3JAC8eirfc6M9GVRo7oSR6KdAVaf2Wmg-BDdldhn5hyphenhyphenep4r1tLsSD44FLjnbnOFKz9iu9YcdrluTfGc5OTLVGWcXxJg/s1600/DSC_0005-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtucEdb9EsW-XlCuCah-nJt4tkYkHyjH21VxLpMADpf9bNw5Bs3JAC8eirfc6M9GVRo7oSR6KdAVaf2Wmg-BDdldhn5hyphenhyphenep4r1tLsSD44FLjnbnOFKz9iu9YcdrluTfGc5OTLVGWcXxJg/s400/DSC_0005-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492522857763679874" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">{getting ready at my parents' house; our ride is all decked out with decorations,<br />candy, comfy cushions, blankets, and lots of kid snacks for the long ride}</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixWrWHamR-l82JedCdHEaCWxxJzBlFCRBfOKowYvFG2OCCEAt0vgybPCYfgk3qEm0bFxvWonvFyheL8-M1H2zfApJtLka5LUqHKuCGhqMfF2D7cyXp7VJyk642DOwNFX-2ctM7XG9vwXE/s1600/DSC_0001-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixWrWHamR-l82JedCdHEaCWxxJzBlFCRBfOKowYvFG2OCCEAt0vgybPCYfgk3qEm0bFxvWonvFyheL8-M1H2zfApJtLka5LUqHKuCGhqMfF2D7cyXp7VJyk642DOwNFX-2ctM7XG9vwXE/s400/DSC_0001-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492522843572415842" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEint_Snwq4XfiKx5bdDc6rtZS2srMgBZglLKz0hinOgQhi1lkwNY8SoH_ikWHHMUqOeHgwhUnlk2MSbA7QV0BRJE0BrHi7bX-UTWT1oxNN5Wylmrx6H_pCoDe8F-QvH4UUSffuu49y4_Ic/s1600/DSC_0003-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEint_Snwq4XfiKx5bdDc6rtZS2srMgBZglLKz0hinOgQhi1lkwNY8SoH_ikWHHMUqOeHgwhUnlk2MSbA7QV0BRJE0BrHi7bX-UTWT1oxNN5Wylmrx6H_pCoDe8F-QvH4UUSffuu49y4_Ic/s400/DSC_0003-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492522848463475506" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">{Maddie's buddy Lucy Newell, who wanted to ride with us...until the engine started and she freaked out and began crying and screaming to get out. Maybe we'll try again next year!}</span><br /></div><br />It was supposed to be filled with about 6-7 of our friends' kids, but lots of them chickened out at the last minute, so it ended up being me, Maddie, my cousin Thane from Seattle and his two boys Ethan and Avery. The parade is known for one thing...CANDY! I swear, the kids get more than at Halloween. {In fact, Alli's girls didn't want to ride in the parade because they'd miss out on the candy collection!}. Maddie and the boys were so gung-ho about the candy throwing that we pretty much ran out of the TEN POUNDS of hard candy I'd bought after, oh, the first 3-4 blocks of the parade! <span style="font-style: italic;">Note to self: next year buy *double* the candy! :-)</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTS3_J8S8qH8rze2d76Z0F7NKmy9Ft2V6rg-lrI2iT1l6u5-KWlVFlv2hdKl_BCMjLba2pFJJ3ioTarmCRWUdjOKXx3SfiAG5-U5SedMG9RZyo3Y-D256XECSY6S2rEcPAOxJmUCCsc1U/s1600/DSC_0008-3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTS3_J8S8qH8rze2d76Z0F7NKmy9Ft2V6rg-lrI2iT1l6u5-KWlVFlv2hdKl_BCMjLba2pFJJ3ioTarmCRWUdjOKXx3SfiAG5-U5SedMG9RZyo3Y-D256XECSY6S2rEcPAOxJmUCCsc1U/s400/DSC_0008-3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492522868809450978" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">{James' first 4th of July and my just-go-with-it husband sporting a very patriotic hat}</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0W3EDn-4oXUEZ2PkuPQ2b5ysaRuO0fbquWJVkCEMX5Hml-KOtNlOKIX5S1YBmb1o4iQh9Ulr9H5dWvrdkbND4DfI5sOxYS571I7JH5T80l9B2SmKID23t6MCk12Qj1ixXNYgFqo2DJOU/s1600/DSC_0012-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0W3EDn-4oXUEZ2PkuPQ2b5ysaRuO0fbquWJVkCEMX5Hml-KOtNlOKIX5S1YBmb1o4iQh9Ulr9H5dWvrdkbND4DfI5sOxYS571I7JH5T80l9B2SmKID23t6MCk12Qj1ixXNYgFqo2DJOU/s400/DSC_0012-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492522874586061042" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">{Alli's daughter Ava, who is always the Fashionista! Check out those shoes!}</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyk3FpbzgNWJxQamwxjDoLYte0gMM2YzFSV_cp6iGcyTUlaS0wQ2W3x9bu227Ts36ee9oF5oiV1xPzkFjvIv9b7ZDzFlFBmka1ce9Vo_1IklaZvmPZUXj1DzI0u-RjJWkcvnZM1X09H8o/s1600/DSC_0013-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyk3FpbzgNWJxQamwxjDoLYte0gMM2YzFSV_cp6iGcyTUlaS0wQ2W3x9bu227Ts36ee9oF5oiV1xPzkFjvIv9b7ZDzFlFBmka1ce9Vo_1IklaZvmPZUXj1DzI0u-RjJWkcvnZM1X09H8o/s400/DSC_0013-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492523125061126994" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">{Foreground: Alli's toothless daughter Macy :-)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Background: My cousin-in-law Amy (married to Thane) and daughter Hadley}</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuD9QFvQmGsC6GnOvU_x9-GDAhBVhtSkwE-s9S-87M-VtLhcc-uxIzEOPNBIZHX8cZI06rHvFd6myLLKs5A370H35H9Qnh-LCWdd1LVFzB-Kfwc22ALaIgRmr94JeadRk_i3X1ZFvo34/s1600/DSC_0017-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuD9QFvQmGsC6GnOvU_x9-GDAhBVhtSkwE-s9S-87M-VtLhcc-uxIzEOPNBIZHX8cZI06rHvFd6myLLKs5A370H35H9Qnh-LCWdd1LVFzB-Kfwc22ALaIgRmr94JeadRk_i3X1ZFvo34/s400/DSC_0017-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492523135411309506" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">{The parade has started--bring on the candy chucking!}</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMDmBLWmuWxN8jtuVWBYF-S7pYfVo4dc8ofFdFcIt6AGm8geGwRnQDOxaRwLTQvqHb7gjZv-gCL6tBWKImNEItuCSF3Fqd8OBogTPlOg2NR-ycr3lalz4YCOYYcI_2n0R8YE97jaZ1epg/s1600/DSC_0018-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMDmBLWmuWxN8jtuVWBYF-S7pYfVo4dc8ofFdFcIt6AGm8geGwRnQDOxaRwLTQvqHb7gjZv-gCL6tBWKImNEItuCSF3Fqd8OBogTPlOg2NR-ycr3lalz4YCOYYcI_2n0R8YE97jaZ1epg/s400/DSC_0018-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492523140936639938" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLbX0Z5okqSC1VDteTIvRaFQ16o4gh4tAItlj_W_1GeLRYcQvUD-TirTCb8CwQIemwf_vYOMUNGFqY1zmYCDShthsiqAev_VNQZUjmfZyWeN3hHK5PQ7h_J64sbOajegsh5whJ9OKYD_8/s1600/DSC_0019.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLbX0Z5okqSC1VDteTIvRaFQ16o4gh4tAItlj_W_1GeLRYcQvUD-TirTCb8CwQIemwf_vYOMUNGFqY1zmYCDShthsiqAev_VNQZUjmfZyWeN3hHK5PQ7h_J64sbOajegsh5whJ9OKYD_8/s400/DSC_0019.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492523146255321042" border="0" /></a></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmRDf9m8qh6SYnmzrqjG5kNE5Jpxzk_ou5VYwhGYP0zl1mmLbXG0vEdWyMcYsKNKeNc8dEHl1SvMWXaM5ljP-J67n7HcER0yhCs6fFwsHqulpedSWCmdN0cSpya-5wuD5yYLEZRfvgQM/s1600/DSC_0023.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmRDf9m8qh6SYnmzrqjG5kNE5Jpxzk_ou5VYwhGYP0zl1mmLbXG0vEdWyMcYsKNKeNc8dEHl1SvMWXaM5ljP-J67n7HcER0yhCs6fFwsHqulpedSWCmdN0cSpya-5wuD5yYLEZRfvgQM/s400/DSC_0023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492523149043525986" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9KcivFlfB2Cz_5Yo683YRr5q1eLQb75Npkb-BSPZOI3Vlc2d9gRSe_33Pp5qcRVL_XrzZEQTegMqQlKLwTozq6MJfTgWBIZCW0sp8CkawmpJ-4QpTSVblaom20HnyXM6zA5Tt4kUwuE/s1600/DSC_0029.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9KcivFlfB2Cz_5Yo683YRr5q1eLQb75Npkb-BSPZOI3Vlc2d9gRSe_33Pp5qcRVL_XrzZEQTegMqQlKLwTozq6MJfTgWBIZCW0sp8CkawmpJ-4QpTSVblaom20HnyXM6zA5Tt4kUwuE/s400/DSC_0029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492523241609373954" border="0" /></a>Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-17065719844426658382010-06-25T21:53:00.000-07:002010-06-25T22:34:10.804-07:00Bye Bye BabyOkay, so technically she's 3 1/2 years old, but today I got misty-eyed when I had to say goodbye to my "baby" girl at the airport. She was headed to Utah on an airplane ride with Papa, her first trip without Mom and Dad, and she'll be gone over a week! Oh, how my baby is growing up. Both of us have been in a state of half-excited/half-sad about this little adventure. This morning illustrated that perfectly. Upon waking up, she usually calls down the stairs, "Mommy! I'm awaaaake. Come and geeeet me!" but with the excitement of her trip on her mind, this morning I simply heard a joyful, "I'M READY!" {I fully expected her to open her door and see her fully dressed, packed bag in hand!} But about 30 seconds after I got up there she said, "But Mommy, I'll MISS you!" Awww...I know, sweet girl. I'll miss you too! I'm sure the rest of her week will be like this too...about 80% having an absolute blast and 20% missing Mom and Dad at the same time.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4ffPEbTtFI0KslfdKHHTif9DbSz9a4e3ssHU1vgxeWeOgkfQP3k6q_97jBTskGbr9cBtU6c5H2ksZyM6O7bY6F_KV3Z5OeGCPhEQ8IuRXXb_RSBCwRoza9QHsYSbPioleVfPMPG2BPI/s1600/DSC_0002-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4ffPEbTtFI0KslfdKHHTif9DbSz9a4e3ssHU1vgxeWeOgkfQP3k6q_97jBTskGbr9cBtU6c5H2ksZyM6O7bY6F_KV3Z5OeGCPhEQ8IuRXXb_RSBCwRoza9QHsYSbPioleVfPMPG2BPI/s400/DSC_0002-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486947316881718482" border="0" /></a>{Her bags are packed with the <span style="font-style: italic;">essentials</span>...Tina Ballerina & Curious George, books,<br />snacks, sippy cup, 2 presents for the plane ride,<br />and Keith's iPod Touch that he loaded up with about 15 Disney movies!}<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVsl4zS1QmdxORVuYbgV7EOUylVyOFprinJI5jfXwqbXaNO7GAvdEJ9vn-r237TENAuiFTAMHXvlrhJqgW3Xq-2iPKmIy_Wsy4Q6YAMDN7akqRyigpW77fwuPby4JHWPyUXO-L3hYz_ic/s1600/DSC_0003-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVsl4zS1QmdxORVuYbgV7EOUylVyOFprinJI5jfXwqbXaNO7GAvdEJ9vn-r237TENAuiFTAMHXvlrhJqgW3Xq-2iPKmIy_Wsy4Q6YAMDN7akqRyigpW77fwuPby4JHWPyUXO-L3hYz_ic/s400/DSC_0003-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486947329264314978" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeHKeFbD4EtYOjGszZfO7qNFLKGe8kajKFTCkezcSSOcc2T-A01Na2IT1yr2qGYTM72MpRBH5Yl-uAfJ7twyi8_vbgvNrNwT2b-ArSPev1djoxBfKk_Zsvg8qHUarxp1cg4Hq-6j_xeQ/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeHKeFbD4EtYOjGszZfO7qNFLKGe8kajKFTCkezcSSOcc2T-A01Na2IT1yr2qGYTM72MpRBH5Yl-uAfJ7twyi8_vbgvNrNwT2b-ArSPev1djoxBfKk_Zsvg8qHUarxp1cg4Hq-6j_xeQ/s400/DSC_0006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486947337567498802" border="0" /></a><br />In good news, James looks like he's on the mend, at least a little. He's been fever-free all day today and if he makes it through the night it'll be 24 hours without a fever. So it seems the antibiotics are kicking in. If he keeps this up, we'll stay through the weekend and then get to head home on Monday. He's certainly feeling better {as you'll see in the pics}, but today what he mostly wanted to do was be *out* of the room, seeing the sights and charming the people...he would actually cry when I tried to go back in our room! :-) I don't blame him. This time we're back in the same room we had post-surgery, so we've now logged close to 3 weeks in that room. {You know you're getting to be a regular when all the nurses know the names of everyone in your immediate family, plus your list of medicines, routines, etc!}<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViAI0nTW58VWC6gKDgyg89U4Ee1ZAL_-TcUdVTWEpImVOUD13W3tq6CWH3hC7idn-QvFIl25jj25ESQC4heEejfv_AC9GfDQ4IUQ_O8RqPmuT6P5v9ozjYgJE8UE2-i8eDOE3-5wrba0/s1600/DSC_0016.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViAI0nTW58VWC6gKDgyg89U4Ee1ZAL_-TcUdVTWEpImVOUD13W3tq6CWH3hC7idn-QvFIl25jj25ESQC4heEejfv_AC9GfDQ4IUQ_O8RqPmuT6P5v9ozjYgJE8UE2-i8eDOE3-5wrba0/s400/DSC_0016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486948593706397346" border="0" /></a>{The hospital has a supply of toys that they let parents borrow, which is so nice...makes James feel a little more at home, with the addition of his favorite Exersaucer!}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUyDBD6s7-ANvDKAtgAi2q8VEOgxHLBanxL7SbGQknn7xbvo4u4Y9iryYA3hQRKKH3Wy8sMj9lejvuJqb0zn-Xd1WLvBfr53V_8IY3KwQfPIxJtmOitH75PClUZN6jmImKN0KeqUC6KA/s1600/DSC_0028.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUyDBD6s7-ANvDKAtgAi2q8VEOgxHLBanxL7SbGQknn7xbvo4u4Y9iryYA3hQRKKH3Wy8sMj9lejvuJqb0zn-Xd1WLvBfr53V_8IY3KwQfPIxJtmOitH75PClUZN6jmImKN0KeqUC6KA/s400/DSC_0028.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486948610541766018" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkQahyOFVlkeeLROtVE-79Ksjzv2exg7t9j5AH7qAnJxvwuvOiOeoii_SSQMwsgpn1GBQYElwMGUj7hyphenhyphen3GKHtwKeYKxpTUf1NBJso2sEk51Yj4N8dxvJckH6WbU14iurLooN1fpYoUOc/s1600/DSC_0032-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkQahyOFVlkeeLROtVE-79Ksjzv2exg7t9j5AH7qAnJxvwuvOiOeoii_SSQMwsgpn1GBQYElwMGUj7hyphenhyphen3GKHtwKeYKxpTUf1NBJso2sEk51Yj4N8dxvJckH6WbU14iurLooN1fpYoUOc/s400/DSC_0032-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486948616275517682" border="0" /></a>{Our usual hospital stash: toys, books, and carb-laden snacks.}<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetXhKQAWyEkxDJYyeyLg8EJGBWOBeWIbwuxIfbghItLato1MUIAU4xCkBD_L7gNcIzOCteNy4wPNp7EEO8tSVTateiyCcxxLzoEzRfTzxsOcvQeijxA1Yv90SgaHEXpDaIFctVCkHdPQ/s1600/DSC_0018.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetXhKQAWyEkxDJYyeyLg8EJGBWOBeWIbwuxIfbghItLato1MUIAU4xCkBD_L7gNcIzOCteNy4wPNp7EEO8tSVTateiyCcxxLzoEzRfTzxsOcvQeijxA1Yv90SgaHEXpDaIFctVCkHdPQ/s400/DSC_0018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486948603233666130" border="0" /></a><br />On another note, I think I blogged awhile ago about my sciatica/back pain. I've been in constant pain for the last 7-8 weeks, from my lower back all the way down to my foot. I started physical therapy and last week I got an MRI of my spine and lower back. {This was my first MRI and can I just say that I <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> had to talk myself through it to keep calm! You lay down flat and are slid waaaaaay back into a plastic tube with about 8 inches of space all around you, so you feel like you're in a coffin--I had to *force* myself to keep my eyes shut!--for 30 minutes while the machine takes images, which sound like a hybrid of a bad 80's electric keyboard band and a jackhammer in your ear. If you ever need to get one, I say splurge for the OPEN MRI!} The results weren't great...I have a bulging disc in my lumbar spine region and a nerve root that is either being pinched or pushed out of place, thus causing my pain. So next week I get to see a specialist and have an injection in my back/spine and then I have to see a neurosurgeon to talk about treatment options. Apparently physical therapy helps with pain management, but does not cure a bulging disc in the location where mine is at. Please pray that I don't have to go through surgery for this!! :-(Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-5878306584990716742010-06-24T13:23:00.000-07:002010-06-24T14:00:28.451-07:00Deja Vu<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cYSadDAXlgf_i5vbt4JCTDctLzRUeMnbTlCyyTCj1goIF0Zgkjq3Ue8LcOaA2Y6D3O2m3Lr_ODvPnH1bu2CoRMc7U7P1Lkbwa0Fv0hX0-mRbB3Tx68IRxJK81CpwG3Z0YDehGq5Vzx0/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cYSadDAXlgf_i5vbt4JCTDctLzRUeMnbTlCyyTCj1goIF0Zgkjq3Ue8LcOaA2Y6D3O2m3Lr_ODvPnH1bu2CoRMc7U7P1Lkbwa0Fv0hX0-mRbB3Tx68IRxJK81CpwG3Z0YDehGq5Vzx0/s400/DSC_0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486444017493580178" border="0" /></a><br />I've been meaning to update my blog for awhile now...but apparently I'm only motivated to do it when it involves deja vu. Remember my last post about heading to the hospital {just 2 weeks ago} because James had a fever and we had to stay there for a week? Yep, it's happened again! Last night our home nurse came out to do a dressing change on James' central line, happened to take his temperature and shocked us when she said it was 101.8-102! I just thought he felt a bit warm since our house was hot and he'd been sleeping in my arms. Guess not. The poor kid was burning up. :-(<br /><br />We got to the ER around 8:30pm, had to do a blood draw/catheter urine sample/chest x-ray/start antibiotics, etc. and finally got checked into a room by midnight. James was wide awake and miserable and finally fell asleep around 2:00am. {Mommy was exhausted!} Today he's been really fussy and his fever actually got worse and was 103 this morning and he threw up once. His docs were hoping it was just a virus, like last time, but around noon we got word that his blood culture from last night had shown bacterial growth, so it's official: he has his first central line infection. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Not</span> the news we were hoping for. So far they're going to target the infection with specific antibiotics and see how that goes. If that works, we still have to wait for him to be fever-less for 24-48 hours before we can go home, so it looks like another long haul. Maddie leaves for Utah on Friday afternoon and oh, I had such projects in mind for my "free time" when James would be taking naps this week & my evenings after he went to bed. Dang. {It's no wonder I haven't updated my scrapbook or even printed out any photos since Easter!}<br /><br />Last week we took advantage of the weather {we did have like ONE sunny day, right?!} and went to the park as a family. James loved getting to be outside and you know what an outdoor lover Maddie is!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVyOsN3Nu0NNoGCu75nCsdu9xyioidw_9k8JJmBAyvVgmbyDZF0_xnsJK8JDj5kd0NLJiLbrdjI2wvagZYpAbrtMsIEu8yfbD1PniSqpL1Arm-kh-Qf19o9yz0E4RvwGcvWjk9pU-lHc/s1600/DSC_0053-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVyOsN3Nu0NNoGCu75nCsdu9xyioidw_9k8JJmBAyvVgmbyDZF0_xnsJK8JDj5kd0NLJiLbrdjI2wvagZYpAbrtMsIEu8yfbD1PniSqpL1Arm-kh-Qf19o9yz0E4RvwGcvWjk9pU-lHc/s400/DSC_0053-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486444751780364418" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJO00HTFxN6-HApn27vI6awXxt2CsiNR5tRiPmj9d7W7E3tG48zqikpZMkGnBG-CRRN9mmwNnEUZ0sKLzjaaJN2_PFqwurPzuhcG9qg0-wCp7TyoK_3Zcq99UUm9lk1A0ORcK2LHgBuw/s1600/DSC_0049-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJO00HTFxN6-HApn27vI6awXxt2CsiNR5tRiPmj9d7W7E3tG48zqikpZMkGnBG-CRRN9mmwNnEUZ0sKLzjaaJN2_PFqwurPzuhcG9qg0-wCp7TyoK_3Zcq99UUm9lk1A0ORcK2LHgBuw/s400/DSC_0049-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486444765190869570" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07eOZjdXoaf12mhjW9xQLTyli5vG2qiujEivJ6iiU3LENwoqwxhb2hUgrDpBZaiEvX8JykAV7LBHSCyssBjqDjrl9Ez3n07qZFxH6qM_g12CJLNjTlYuCRl4K7iK98Dv7Xeg1gIi4W4U/s1600/DSC_0064.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07eOZjdXoaf12mhjW9xQLTyli5vG2qiujEivJ6iiU3LENwoqwxhb2hUgrDpBZaiEvX8JykAV7LBHSCyssBjqDjrl9Ez3n07qZFxH6qM_g12CJLNjTlYuCRl4K7iK98Dv7Xeg1gIi4W4U/s400/DSC_0064.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486444464896590338" border="0" /></a>{Oh Mom, this is so embarassing!}<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgan9UY2naBJzwKVocpd_bD_7I4zwc27rgjIOIQJavSoagV5afKUAI-QI-LCLZ7HXCQQtkaHES2TpooebsfQSZoM24XWOhKazw1PjWMLsj7maRqpxYLqfbJznT1HoIvBpjWBFEpxtdqJnM/s1600/DSC_0059-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgan9UY2naBJzwKVocpd_bD_7I4zwc27rgjIOIQJavSoagV5afKUAI-QI-LCLZ7HXCQQtkaHES2TpooebsfQSZoM24XWOhKazw1PjWMLsj7maRqpxYLqfbJznT1HoIvBpjWBFEpxtdqJnM/s400/DSC_0059-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486444732509005650" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyibg2nLdCtBmkrjmkWuOzSob5-6qzj_zcgiko8vfzje1oDz54dNqqejOyfV9boI8m3e5HrgTfDj7Krqd-bIhmuM6NZxrRSX1K-8CFZrtVgaANMcKQTCNCWZnkov1WYHB8PJSa90jF9n8/s1600/DSC_0034-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyibg2nLdCtBmkrjmkWuOzSob5-6qzj_zcgiko8vfzje1oDz54dNqqejOyfV9boI8m3e5HrgTfDj7Krqd-bIhmuM6NZxrRSX1K-8CFZrtVgaANMcKQTCNCWZnkov1WYHB8PJSa90jF9n8/s400/DSC_0034-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486444789648645842" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vANr5ic2dd2ubce3EXVuVQq_dUzCcvv3O3N7iGiMwa5V9BLIx-4l416K3rz1bZyUwpF8vwGmlKYf_dfi1mR_vex1FrHeX8nOwdgM2H4ZMS0k23dsGvPs-Fw5YImJ2pv63g9dKt1NhNw/s1600/DSC_0068.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vANr5ic2dd2ubce3EXVuVQq_dUzCcvv3O3N7iGiMwa5V9BLIx-4l416K3rz1bZyUwpF8vwGmlKYf_dfi1mR_vex1FrHeX8nOwdgM2H4ZMS0k23dsGvPs-Fw5YImJ2pv63g9dKt1NhNw/s400/DSC_0068.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486445013048951602" border="0" /></a><br />Another day when it was "standard June weather in Oregon" {long sleeves, tights, boots and a hat}, Maddie tried out her new 99 cent Minnie Mouse bubble wand, which happened to work better than any of the other ones we've bought over the years--go figure!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQwFOsbMU2nU3sxmAv3j1T-B8Qi7TNYpHoDrZuizWvlu9I88QIaId0lUUpxjdExvqM5j00Gu0TVUfLVM6r7HW3YKyCgXk1D1rVDWgwofNirz6hE-B0LS982BGOJWkQg0GdfY6V0Uez6w/s1600/DSC_0029-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQwFOsbMU2nU3sxmAv3j1T-B8Qi7TNYpHoDrZuizWvlu9I88QIaId0lUUpxjdExvqM5j00Gu0TVUfLVM6r7HW3YKyCgXk1D1rVDWgwofNirz6hE-B0LS982BGOJWkQg0GdfY6V0Uez6w/s400/DSC_0029-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486444803786818386" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIvtZLjCWb9TItBI1Wkfx-nRBZb9vi9J9m7x1KKrBI34dDAbtJjNmQSncExrQgYKAmB3rt0j-GUMRdJt-PFIYJcCmVbHE-bhqcn8qaF8p-j8xEK3hMDUYstYES8nvbCP_zIK7JOyC6Nw/s1600/DSC_0017-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIvtZLjCWb9TItBI1Wkfx-nRBZb9vi9J9m7x1KKrBI34dDAbtJjNmQSncExrQgYKAmB3rt0j-GUMRdJt-PFIYJcCmVbHE-bhqcn8qaF8p-j8xEK3hMDUYstYES8nvbCP_zIK7JOyC6Nw/s400/DSC_0017-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486445002985713106" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQ1uYa18S6gh8jj3M0TElewHQ8his82Cqr2VggPobJCA0rudSiufv6_Bdy2ujfko2WRwk38lq-8hVxlMFYX7rltWamRvJafJoWrVDNCXKpUH-iMAm65K_tKAZh8JWiqw7MUbk98PUyLQ/s1600/DSC_0028-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQ1uYa18S6gh8jj3M0TElewHQ8his82Cqr2VggPobJCA0rudSiufv6_Bdy2ujfko2WRwk38lq-8hVxlMFYX7rltWamRvJafJoWrVDNCXKpUH-iMAm65K_tKAZh8JWiqw7MUbk98PUyLQ/s400/DSC_0028-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486444995617570130" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Yesterday {before we realized James was sick, since he was a fairly happy camper all day} we got our Johnny Jump-Up toy out of storage and James gave it a try...oh, the sweet freedom of "walking" and bouncing and spinning himself in circles! Just like his favorite Exersaucer, only better! He was lovin' it, especially with his camera-hog sister dancing up a storm to entertain him. Out of all of us, James will probably miss Maddie the most this week. He's her #1 fan.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDwkrzg8e31TuvU1_YYIDLTyin9Fi7aRtbHFusZUOfrk_g2CMW5ZiHY2hhN4saH6uNlqcSb7A8mTf_YA5VaMxhSOqlK7HXRfrcjRCxFQVLfUWrDg3nzccBpl_S8GK5NQaP71-rDzQc6MA/s1600/DSC_0008-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDwkrzg8e31TuvU1_YYIDLTyin9Fi7aRtbHFusZUOfrk_g2CMW5ZiHY2hhN4saH6uNlqcSb7A8mTf_YA5VaMxhSOqlK7HXRfrcjRCxFQVLfUWrDg3nzccBpl_S8GK5NQaP71-rDzQc6MA/s400/DSC_0008-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486444030598642514" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKSVaDvZ176kuM1Epc8fx1ncJZAiMbwJSoX3zZEE73QepWdYtPdeJK6IlbKBEZ1UXiNcISrurFI-bk3YcWqdmaeO63oNp94fynYSO-4j1jFbfKk7m3A4QaSmWBkoUajORj8I4EsnElC4/s1600/DSC_0006-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKSVaDvZ176kuM1Epc8fx1ncJZAiMbwJSoX3zZEE73QepWdYtPdeJK6IlbKBEZ1UXiNcISrurFI-bk3YcWqdmaeO63oNp94fynYSO-4j1jFbfKk7m3A4QaSmWBkoUajORj8I4EsnElC4/s400/DSC_0006-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486444028045707090" border="0" /></a><br />The many faces of James...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjksIV_IB6gK8UQXhSEf2Abl3MZiVqGNBSGqDHKc4JaRrZvkZT9LJgtuZl473ZHdKWBEBXj-5oZ4qMepmCYQk3jmGFy5Jt3OQhYB5sXwJNDNAQCV9UV-iMJeZKBHhAeHQ459ploAorBXQw/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjksIV_IB6gK8UQXhSEf2Abl3MZiVqGNBSGqDHKc4JaRrZvkZT9LJgtuZl473ZHdKWBEBXj-5oZ4qMepmCYQk3jmGFy5Jt3OQhYB5sXwJNDNAQCV9UV-iMJeZKBHhAeHQ459ploAorBXQw/s400/DSC_0032.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486444459167985554" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3d9c_NOSqLKRAK8Rk5Qs-z_pjnp82lmMowcjKZWYxx0SoMU6bguNCEhQlxK4nXgrgTzYLsLxo9b_IovHL0oi_eTbLX2TMS2M5aErGe15ZJC_oW04jVwXujXlyFGKqZ5FOGx4dHzUECR0/s1600/DSC_0018-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3d9c_NOSqLKRAK8Rk5Qs-z_pjnp82lmMowcjKZWYxx0SoMU6bguNCEhQlxK4nXgrgTzYLsLxo9b_IovHL0oi_eTbLX2TMS2M5aErGe15ZJC_oW04jVwXujXlyFGKqZ5FOGx4dHzUECR0/s400/DSC_0018-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486444448485469650" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKe-bpvjsLW7KIxHRkAHyA_g6o3TUCDeACuXM3X5WMjV6EHlXjxIvQBwUV2PHEsTp-xHRnDu3w6VMr098kXZKqiNAVN53Yb2zHiPZvYXUyuF6w9b_K4UPQX9vzpE76elNUUmHTxDVwEU/s1600/DSC_0015-3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKe-bpvjsLW7KIxHRkAHyA_g6o3TUCDeACuXM3X5WMjV6EHlXjxIvQBwUV2PHEsTp-xHRnDu3w6VMr098kXZKqiNAVN53Yb2zHiPZvYXUyuF6w9b_K4UPQX9vzpE76elNUUmHTxDVwEU/s400/DSC_0015-3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486444427761744082" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLshwSwUH1pQi48NwHcje2Jt9xOUViWxgC1h7JiAzuSaBrtPmoywtIhRfTtFKnYfgpfow1pPCcaBROqCQ5XtZGihQ0lGoapXHBF61LNC3Hwxj6WtmMZeJLqRTepVFAhugfccUAuJdyytg/s1600/DSC_0011-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLshwSwUH1pQi48NwHcje2Jt9xOUViWxgC1h7JiAzuSaBrtPmoywtIhRfTtFKnYfgpfow1pPCcaBROqCQ5XtZGihQ0lGoapXHBF61LNC3Hwxj6WtmMZeJLqRTepVFAhugfccUAuJdyytg/s400/DSC_0011-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486444039623327394" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yenjLmZ_AqVqF1fXNpgcdOnSnD0Qg1YKsAmWGKsGBUpHmy30tUtTIoAKbpuF58rFJxb8IAvjzKQf6skOsEtIuhpSO46vzIx5dWx3YlHx2H3JPKzFOUo2EZM36cCwrfC30iD4FUA9174/s1600/DSC_0012-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yenjLmZ_AqVqF1fXNpgcdOnSnD0Qg1YKsAmWGKsGBUpHmy30tUtTIoAKbpuF58rFJxb8IAvjzKQf6skOsEtIuhpSO46vzIx5dWx3YlHx2H3JPKzFOUo2EZM36cCwrfC30iD4FUA9174/s400/DSC_0012-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486444049382720018" border="0" /></a>{What the heck kind of face is that?!...click to see it bigger :-) }<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0n7fXRL2YWvB1icgO69B6VUfn_sixufbbUaVCShWtcVlw3em6ZhX7nMsBHSkOAYTtcBdbFI7ex-txiLKjtlJQRPykSCvbNi0SlYcUhIgxRecikp2T_ALZQoKf9WjXqBA48U1y1KcNK8I/s1600/DSC_0016-3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0n7fXRL2YWvB1icgO69B6VUfn_sixufbbUaVCShWtcVlw3em6ZhX7nMsBHSkOAYTtcBdbFI7ex-txiLKjtlJQRPykSCvbNi0SlYcUhIgxRecikp2T_ALZQoKf9WjXqBA48U1y1KcNK8I/s400/DSC_0016-3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486444432109607906" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-11579103321689997602010-06-09T00:24:00.001-07:002010-06-09T00:48:03.135-07:00Our 2nd HomeOh, how I wish that title meant "we just bought a vacation home"...how I'd love a little cottage on Lake Cour de'Alene one day...but instead it means "we spend so much time at Emanuel Hospital, it might as well be our second home!" Yep, you guessed it--we're baaaaaack!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.legacyhealth.org/images/Banner_Emanuel_New_Color.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 945px; height: 160px;" src="http://www.legacyhealth.org/images/Banner_Emanuel_New_Color.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />James had been running a fever of 99-101 and was just plain miserable {pretty much crying all day Monday, except when he was asleep}, so his doctors told us to admit him to the hospital last night...and now they'll probably be keeping him thru Friday, perhaps over the weekend too. Keith is taking the night shift {and all week off work, again!} and I'm taking the days. So far his labs haven't shown any infection, but they started him on antibiotics and he is still running a fever. We have to wait 72 hours for the cultures to be done growing and he has to be fever-free for 24-48 hours before they'll let us go home. It could be a central line infection {the one in his chest that delivers his nutrition}, which would be bad--they'd have to remove his chest IV and put a regular IV line into his arm or leg and another IV port somewhere else for access to blood-draws, then wait to replace the chest one for 6-8 weeks {that would be such a huge pain for James!}. I really hope that doesn't happen. It could also be as simple as a virus {I had a cold last week, so I'll feel really guilty if it's that!}, which hits him harder because of his sensitive system and shows up differently than it would manifest itself in you or me. Even if they don't figure out what the infection is from, we're still required to be there for up to 72 hours. The hard part about this is that if it were a normal baby, it could be something easy...like a cold, ear infection, urinary tract infection, even teething. You'd give him Tylenol and let it run its course for a few days. But since they always suspect a central line infection, which can get serious quickly, we always have to take these kinds of precautions with James.<br /><br />All this time at the hospital takes its toll on everyone. Keith and I take shifts, but whoever goes at night never gets much sleep and whoever goes during the day gets really tired of holding a {often cranky} baby and sitting in an uncomfortable chair all day. It's also hard to leave James alone, so you feel guilty even leaving for 20 minutes to go down to the cafe to grab some food. Needless to say, everyone's schedule is off {including Maddie}, my house is a mess and I'm pulling out meals from the freezer if I'm lucky...or else it's cereal for dinner. :-) Tonight I got home at 8pm, spent a little time on the computer, did some laundry, sorted through/paid lots of medical bills, started filling out paperwork for Maddie's preschool application, and then realized "oh, it's now 12:30 and I never even ate dinner!" Now off to bed so that I can bounce up in the morning and head back to the hospital. I know this will likely be our life {in and out of the hospital} for perhaps the next year, and it's a necessary evil, but I've gotta say--for a girl who's never really liked doctors but does love being at home and having a routine, I'm NOT a fan! :-)Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-2361371109752429652010-06-02T19:20:00.000-07:002010-06-02T19:46:20.110-07:00On a happier note<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQOfBjzYgNfh5zrrq306npyiE9iUYMCaHsZGRAwHRM6Tmbsx3t9RNRQNSUB1ruqincF534fNWEf2FPqeb7P7UqUN1rjrPfURNJMg1PC2vWoXs52giEHsoKyg96xWIWTsJy8nnCZUMtlY/s1600/DSC_0026.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQOfBjzYgNfh5zrrq306npyiE9iUYMCaHsZGRAwHRM6Tmbsx3t9RNRQNSUB1ruqincF534fNWEf2FPqeb7P7UqUN1rjrPfURNJMg1PC2vWoXs52giEHsoKyg96xWIWTsJy8nnCZUMtlY/s400/DSC_0026.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478370356956133282" border="0" /></a><br />In the midst of all the drama <span style="font-weight: bold;">{see post below on ER visit}</span>, we've managed to have some fun around here during the last week of having Grandma Darlene with us. Today my friend Cheryl brought her cute kiddos Lucy and Henry over for a playdate, which was fun for all! Lucy is about a year younger than Maddie and Henry and James had the same original due date, so Henry is now 7.5 months and James just turned 9 months old...but you'd never guess it by looking at them! Henry is a BRUISER!! He has 2 or 3 teeth, is in the 90th+ percentile size wise, sits up, and can crawl like a maniac. Oh, and he's about a whole head taller than James. You'd swear he was a 1-year-old! :-)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSeL9WozSH8QvjVhZehDb1bkJUAhslZVxuaaogAZAcOo5QVhtoAe5b1xO_eaWuZRue3w8QHTUzW1vbDSp1-CcZ2tGGfbxCfuuYstuP4xgErqhnkYU_9tExc2CQr3xuk_GYZO4GK3Q1zU/s1600/DSC_0023.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSeL9WozSH8QvjVhZehDb1bkJUAhslZVxuaaogAZAcOo5QVhtoAe5b1xO_eaWuZRue3w8QHTUzW1vbDSp1-CcZ2tGGfbxCfuuYstuP4xgErqhnkYU_9tExc2CQr3xuk_GYZO4GK3Q1zU/s400/DSC_0023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478370347340320914" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6ofoRpdINssopDn5uNET6gL1Vfn5Npte75IurLzEc-ZOXVuIo45rLdFlDaBkiqxJGREjyyiwySYvfc1xO9m1nSJ6nkzyT-JkvQMVD7CFqjXFPER2pUuhMAze6-UHK_4iX9NFKS24vN4/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6ofoRpdINssopDn5uNET6gL1Vfn5Npte75IurLzEc-ZOXVuIo45rLdFlDaBkiqxJGREjyyiwySYvfc1xO9m1nSJ6nkzyT-JkvQMVD7CFqjXFPER2pUuhMAze6-UHK_4iX9NFKS24vN4/s400/DSC_0032.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478370710449314994" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhAGVQ4wZudFqpTYa5iUKD6PW-PSxwlJxHeEyYPT4EFXktOjb3fnBdFV6veCUsUsFSsKQoRZKvgQg7Z6v36MqtUur7vqhSQy7TUJurbbIHmyjOII_Q-Go-pOdXWLSK0p3xbvqrBHLAF8/s1600/DSC_0033.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhAGVQ4wZudFqpTYa5iUKD6PW-PSxwlJxHeEyYPT4EFXktOjb3fnBdFV6veCUsUsFSsKQoRZKvgQg7Z6v36MqtUur7vqhSQy7TUJurbbIHmyjOII_Q-Go-pOdXWLSK0p3xbvqrBHLAF8/s400/DSC_0033.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478370719596912546" border="0" /></a>{This is James' "Hey, lay off of my toys, buddy!" look.}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsrs_cVZhf8_hQcg_8ty2wEUvehGPfF4OFRByS5PQsjOEmS3UmoR9pub07AjemNxmcHDEa2yOXk5Hyejqs2Evdg79HjiizyuBVNQmrrYrRWi4VUkPhBxXHPtoPKFXZQLl-4ye1zuQcIE/s1600/DSC_0037.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsrs_cVZhf8_hQcg_8ty2wEUvehGPfF4OFRByS5PQsjOEmS3UmoR9pub07AjemNxmcHDEa2yOXk5Hyejqs2Evdg79HjiizyuBVNQmrrYrRWi4VUkPhBxXHPtoPKFXZQLl-4ye1zuQcIE/s400/DSC_0037.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478370726028004274" border="0" /></a>{OK, so James' legs are a little bit bent here, but not much...<br />and check out how much bigger Henry is!}<br /></div><br />Lucy came in the door and made a mad-dash for Maddie's play kitchen and toys. I guess she'd already been planning out all the treats she was going to make once she got here! They played kitchen and Little People and "Jesus toys" {Playmobil figurines} and blocks and had foam sword fights. The only thing better would be NO RAIN so that we could go to the park! I think the next time they come over, we'll plan a "project" for the girls to do.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKjr2865JaC3Rf82wmuypqQm8wHKMm2ZUO9B4kQSxgPuu4qHxW8uP7adtN8uOgrwFTBNNaL8EW06g51hR_afykHg-XbTw4ppsar8vAL2TSKUnXt9WrCf-ZPb17hk2RItb9yn5agkIL6A/s1600/DSC_0057-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKjr2865JaC3Rf82wmuypqQm8wHKMm2ZUO9B4kQSxgPuu4qHxW8uP7adtN8uOgrwFTBNNaL8EW06g51hR_afykHg-XbTw4ppsar8vAL2TSKUnXt9WrCf-ZPb17hk2RItb9yn5agkIL6A/s400/DSC_0057-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478372903029466274" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbYBomivdX2sejI5GlkBmZ6IaqNVcFKxYnVhH1fF3ku1j1X78095wFhHJiHCE6K3q5q067h1ZzQaLeJS79Bm_B2JrvC7Gu_y8RJTbMgXtXopUI_IQt-WQRJiuhZRU6S3qHueixi8OaGw/s1600/DSC_0049.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbYBomivdX2sejI5GlkBmZ6IaqNVcFKxYnVhH1fF3ku1j1X78095wFhHJiHCE6K3q5q067h1ZzQaLeJS79Bm_B2JrvC7Gu_y8RJTbMgXtXopUI_IQt-WQRJiuhZRU6S3qHueixi8OaGw/s400/DSC_0049.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478370739178680658" border="0" /></a>{This pathetic picture is the best we could do for a group shot today. HA!}<br /></div><br />Today Maddie and I went to Fred Meyer to pick up a few things and found Crayola finger paints & the glossy paper that goes with it {I swear, I've been looking for MONTHS for that paper and no stores have had it!}. Maddie was totally into the finger painting and actually did a nice picture...until she discovered "blending" the paints with her whole hand, which basically turned the whole page into a sheet of mud.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2VLSpszfoSqGuZsILh5F2dWgHE5yj6IwVvqAS7LzYjg4t7FnYqoJ1un0bMs6kfKOJuXfVWGu7fSzVVwE9TS-Ft6DgbC9iDYPr3y9VIGqg2d_JTqhamsJtvTW-P9AdDLvdInpixfZutc/s1600/DSC_0058.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2VLSpszfoSqGuZsILh5F2dWgHE5yj6IwVvqAS7LzYjg4t7FnYqoJ1un0bMs6kfKOJuXfVWGu7fSzVVwE9TS-Ft6DgbC9iDYPr3y9VIGqg2d_JTqhamsJtvTW-P9AdDLvdInpixfZutc/s400/DSC_0058.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478370883862228178" border="0" /></a><br />We have LOVED having Grandma here for the past 3 weeks. She's incredibly helpful and is always willing to help with laundry, tub time, cooking, playing with Maddie and holding James all the time. We are so lucky to have her help! I'm going to be in withdrawls when she leaves, so I'm trying to get lots of things done this week!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVV-85JYmVLp88E8JFKrRI48ZVI4Wm0fAfSEbLNgboCLqBSDHtTlydkhw34Ep8dOBh5F5W8mvudWESidCQbaACxN7SEZ6nSS2XevEXSBxy3cH2JtlZGS6OsZlxFw9mi2FcXqpKeW1ig-0/s1600/DSC_0008.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVV-85JYmVLp88E8JFKrRI48ZVI4Wm0fAfSEbLNgboCLqBSDHtTlydkhw34Ep8dOBh5F5W8mvudWESidCQbaACxN7SEZ6nSS2XevEXSBxy3cH2JtlZGS6OsZlxFw9mi2FcXqpKeW1ig-0/s400/DSC_0008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478370326457694738" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_H7otK6f4soAhorK-pTruJGM3miqzL6vEgYWbMi_6oehSJafAguCQpjoxfUc2saf77OZw_MwJcBpmq-Ghyphenhyphen52OdUs9rTWK7cX9boppS2R_uBcjSS6Ks0foLAiw2MpdWRiOJ74kx5eHqs/s1600/DSC_0018.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_H7otK6f4soAhorK-pTruJGM3miqzL6vEgYWbMi_6oehSJafAguCQpjoxfUc2saf77OZw_MwJcBpmq-Ghyphenhyphen52OdUs9rTWK7cX9boppS2R_uBcjSS6Ks0foLAiw2MpdWRiOJ74kx5eHqs/s400/DSC_0018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478372894992369042" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYhWu4v0kyBU1DFJQXZmLPcM2mjEzHfh-PIDuLSkLHV5roHLO83M3UMFj2OXy_sYek4o88zRy3dODf79CtKeWjnCeozKW_9tyqBFUEGmbn9ffEsCgeUN1mWi78ks-t8oZxGjSCS-dYoSs/s1600/DSC_0017.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYhWu4v0kyBU1DFJQXZmLPcM2mjEzHfh-PIDuLSkLHV5roHLO83M3UMFj2OXy_sYek4o88zRy3dODf79CtKeWjnCeozKW_9tyqBFUEGmbn9ffEsCgeUN1mWi78ks-t8oZxGjSCS-dYoSs/s400/DSC_0017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478370339227396706" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGIJkBWLSNw7bz-PRoAHeMyCdBXZGjY1UGJDsevkk4fxpYmz9ukMJx95zYlATn9JYMKSAqd3raG6QXKrj_8fvuUz35u_WTQPG3C6AKJLN9nB-laWr3oqqJFVMsyHiZSVqU84Zf3cpSVk/s1600/DSC_0001-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGIJkBWLSNw7bz-PRoAHeMyCdBXZGjY1UGJDsevkk4fxpYmz9ukMJx95zYlATn9JYMKSAqd3raG6QXKrj_8fvuUz35u_WTQPG3C6AKJLN9nB-laWr3oqqJFVMsyHiZSVqU84Zf3cpSVk/s400/DSC_0001-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478372874310651426" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5BEUsQY5EhEzt2OjjlA72U9QDeF6JCTN6aurhokQTz0YQDLQ7TSjng93LzNLTVHH-3LTV6T1moppvMcLxSiYkY92lwHn1uezV9IW9JynyiUOdY0tWM3SncRtkmdnnfgpIrQ_AmK44UQ/s1600/DSC_0002-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5BEUsQY5EhEzt2OjjlA72U9QDeF6JCTN6aurhokQTz0YQDLQ7TSjng93LzNLTVHH-3LTV6T1moppvMcLxSiYkY92lwHn1uezV9IW9JynyiUOdY0tWM3SncRtkmdnnfgpIrQ_AmK44UQ/s400/DSC_0002-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478372889314436466" border="0" /></a>Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-78142594346644627862010-06-02T18:26:00.000-07:002010-06-02T19:16:55.277-07:00Back in the ER :-(So we came home from the hospital last Friday night and we made it about 72 hours before we had to go back again, this time rushing to the ER. I was setting the last things on the table for dinner when James, who was sitting with Darlene, let out a huge scream and started crying in pain. I thought perhaps he'd had a BM {those are still painful for him, since his system is so fresh} or gas, but when I went over to comfort him I had a shock...his stomach tube had been *ripped* completely out of his body! Oh my goodness. Get him to the changing table, search around for gauze and tape since he was leaking out of the hole, get him some Tylenol and drops of sugar water {works as a soothing agent on babies}, and wipe the tube with alcohol & seal it in a plastic bag. Keith, who is for some reason ultra-calm in the kitchen, says "Oh, I think you can just pop that one right back in." Um, NO! The end of the tube has some kind of anchor-looking-doo-hickey on the end of it and there's no way I'm shoving it blind into a surgical opening that's only 2 weeks old! I call the doctor, he confirms not to touch it--just go straight to the ER and tell them it's a time-sensitive injury. I run around, gathering the car seat and diaper bag and anything else we might need, then hop in the car with Darlene {who was kind enough to offer to come with me!}<br /><br />Once in the ER {which was probably a 30 minute wait and we were only the 2nd family in the waiting room...what do you have to do to speed up the "emergency" part of Emergency Room? Lots of blood??}, we had to wait another 40 minutes for the pediatric surgeon to arrive {one of the guys James had in the NICU}. He got supplies ready and then said, "I have to be honest with you. If I can't get a new tube in, we'll be headed for surgery tonight and there's a risk he could lose function of the stomach tube." NOT what a mother wants to hear! Luckily, he did manage to get it in, but within few minutes of him placing the tube {and James screaming bloody murder the whole time}, James started throwing up. Pretty much for 30 minutes straight. They needed to get an x-ray to make sure the tube was placed right, but he couldn't even lay down for a 1-minute picture without vomiting, especially when they were injecting dye into his stomach. So we had to take him down to do a live X-ray {like a live-action video/movie}and we discovered the problem right away. The doctor had been over-zealous placing the tube in James' stomach and had actually pushed the tube all the way into his esophagus and inflated the mini-balloon on the end of the tube up near his diaphram!! Holy cow, that could have been a disaster. No wonder he was throwing up and choking on his own spit. Once they put it in the correct place, James calmed down right away and pretty much fell asleep within 5 minutes. Now that it was 10:30pm and we were all exhausted, it was time to head home.<br /><br />The next day we had a post-op visit with James' surgeon, who had heard about the drama the night before. Although he wasn't pleased with what had happened, since the hole/track into his stomach had already been compromised, he decided to replace the tube with the final device called a Mickey button. Normally they wait for the hole to heal around the original tube for 6-8 weeks {just like it would in your ear after you get them pierced} so that the track was stable, but they decided to do it early and just let the hole heal around the button. My poor little guy *screamed* for probably a good 20 minutes after they put that in {I'm sure that skin is so raw now!} and I felt so bad that he'd had two days of such pain. On a better note, It's sooo much easier to manage than the 1-foot tube he had before. It's just a little round disk about the size of a penny that has a 1-1.5 inch tube that's inserted into the stomach with a balloon inflated on the inside to hold it tight to the skin. When we need to feed him, we take out the plug and hook up a short tube that hooks onto his feeding bag.<br /><br />Speaking of feeding, we are "testing the system" from now thru Friday and if he doesn't have any gagging/vomiting episodes, then we're going to try to start feeding him formula through the stomach tube again--yay! He hasn't had anything in his stomach for over a week now. He's now consistently peeing and pooing, so we know that things are now moving all the way through, which is a reassuring sign. Please keep praying for him as we start the feeding process and his stomach/intestines have to adapt to the presence of food again. His large intestines have never digested anything, so it will likely be touch-and-go.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxW_w54s-AXk8yvAoWkv7xN6F7kCN3_KLnD8AWmIZm-902QRRWjY_r5NQPuNg7RZMP_bLtuVMQLoppJ6but4ZmmvFqYk1uN3paT8f4a7OpaODCr5JuQxxQs2rKcXxT25kRay91xh67kko/s1600/DSC_0016-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxW_w54s-AXk8yvAoWkv7xN6F7kCN3_KLnD8AWmIZm-902QRRWjY_r5NQPuNg7RZMP_bLtuVMQLoppJ6but4ZmmvFqYk1uN3paT8f4a7OpaODCr5JuQxxQs2rKcXxT25kRay91xh67kko/s400/DSC_0016-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478365511334836914" border="0" /></a><br />I must say, with all the treatments and pain our precious boy has to go through, he is my HERO. He endures it all with such a calm and happy attitude, which is just amazing to me. He's teaching me a lot about how much all of us can endure in life and still come out happy on the other side! :-)Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7289918005197032269.post-38713392079179438192010-05-29T10:13:00.000-07:002010-05-29T10:51:21.598-07:00Our Boy is Home<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis4Wvow0qk5nRU_KT1IYNGOmey4N31Ybb2X8aItgDerWQuHzI7oEqB29gGK_bsqCA0q9BIg05_meIb3Lkw11Pn8pO0jiqs7UvV9KtKOMJMPJrawUnnr1byqGhwILx8aS2KDY-Zmf1PrqI/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis4Wvow0qk5nRU_KT1IYNGOmey4N31Ybb2X8aItgDerWQuHzI7oEqB29gGK_bsqCA0q9BIg05_meIb3Lkw11Pn8pO0jiqs7UvV9KtKOMJMPJrawUnnr1byqGhwILx8aS2KDY-Zmf1PrqI/s400/DSC_0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476746838351732786" border="0" /></a>
<br />What a huge relief to be home from the hospital! We were supposed to be discharged in the "early afternoon", which in hospital-speak actually means 6:00pm. Traffic from the holiday weekend was horrible, so the home care nurse who was bringing our supplies to the hospital and teaching me how to do the new stuff said it took her 2 hours to get to Emanuel from Beaverton. Ugh! Then they had forgotten some key supplies {hello, the pump for James' TPN!} so we had to wait another hour for someone else to bring them. Annoyances aside, we made it home and James was one happy camper! I was worried that being in the hospital so long would throw off his sleeping schedule at home, but apparently he's just as exhausted as the rest of us...I put him down at 8:30 last night and it's now almost 11:00am and he's STILL SLEEPING! Poor little guy.
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_jCJ6X5s0pIrwinSo7t1SVT0f5LiM6ooFRT_HCKSDMLm5TaII76LJXAnQqxRKKmZbZA2DT3ox58WjD81b6EfN7pO97ujb3V_hprF_Yo03u6hyTgdS-MeI9BeHFLac0oEpYR3KHNCq3k/s1600/DSC_0004.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_jCJ6X5s0pIrwinSo7t1SVT0f5LiM6ooFRT_HCKSDMLm5TaII76LJXAnQqxRKKmZbZA2DT3ox58WjD81b6EfN7pO97ujb3V_hprF_Yo03u6hyTgdS-MeI9BeHFLac0oEpYR3KHNCq3k/s400/DSC_0004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476746856234309858" border="0" /></a>
<br />While the surgery allowed us to get rid of some medical stuff {no more nose tube or ostomy}, it produced new tasks for us to do every day. He's still on an IV antibiotic every 6 hours around the clock until next week. He's now on TPN {IV nutrition} for 24 hours a day instead of 20, since he's not yet able to tolerate formula. He's putting out a lot of fluid from his stomach into his G-tube, so we have to measure and record that, add it up over 12 hour periods, and then give him doses of IV replacement fluids twice a day for 4 hours at a time. This wouldn't be so bad if we could do it like they do in the hospital...just hang an IV bag and let it drip...but since the volume we need to give him every 12 hours fluctuates, we can't use a normal pump. We have to calculate the volume he needs, use a syringe and needle to draw the fluid up from IV bags, and then change it out *every hour* in the pump...from 5am to 9am and again 5pm to 9pm. TOTAL PAIN IN THE REAR if you ask me! But you know what, we're doing it AT HOME! I'll take the inconveniences over being stuck in a hospital room any day!! Our docs said if this was any other family there's no way they'd send us home with all this to do, but we are a persistent bunch and have proved ourselves capable! :-)
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LnrficX4_xDvi3LBkDtK3p2B9M2fKm071-V3wQ6somGkY68U_2m2yEQA2t4wyTQH_vw8XGvYGZDeno1-5MESUFbivQ6aPJZR5tZqfinbDiczXfWU0rl9EYrcONEJAspctX6_397uXNQ/s1600/DSC_0009.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LnrficX4_xDvi3LBkDtK3p2B9M2fKm071-V3wQ6somGkY68U_2m2yEQA2t4wyTQH_vw8XGvYGZDeno1-5MESUFbivQ6aPJZR5tZqfinbDiczXfWU0rl9EYrcONEJAspctX6_397uXNQ/s400/DSC_0009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476746882651596162" border="0" /></a>
<br />As I laid in bed last night, my brain would just not shut off, swirling around all the new tasks and schedule and not wanting to miss anything. So I typed up a schedule. I've included it here so that one day I can look back and remember what these crazy days were like...
<br />
<br />
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CLISAFR%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Wingdings; panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:2; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 268435456 0 0 -2147483648 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Little Days Alt"; panose-1:2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-2147483645 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:.5in .5in 36.7pt .5in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:149487879; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:1706605088 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:; mso-level-tab-stop:.5in; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in; font-family:Symbol;} @list l1 {mso-list-id:1434593911; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:-2075867628 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;} @list l1:level1 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:; mso-level-tab-stop:.5in; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in; font-family:Symbol;} @list l2 {mso-list-id:1787918321; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:1521762290 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;} @list l2:level1 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:; mso-level-tab-stop:.5in; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in; font-family:Symbol;} ol {margin-bottom:0in;} ul {margin-bottom:0in;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} table.MsoTableGrid {mso-style-name:"Table Grid"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; border:solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-border-insideh:.5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev:.5pt solid windowtext; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapedefaults ext="edit" spidmax="1026"> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapelayout ext="edit"> <o:idmap ext="edit" data="1"> </o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><u><span style=";font-family:";font-size:26pt;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">James’ Medical Schedule</span><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u><span style=";font-family:";font-size:8pt;" ><o:p></o:p></span></u><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16pt;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">5:00 am tasks</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">diaper change & temperature</li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">measure G-tube output</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">add up 5:00pm to 5:00am total volume</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">determine 4+ hour amounts for IV replacement fluids</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">prep 4 syringes with fluids/red caps/prime tubing</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">record on chart</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">start 1<sup>st</sup> syringe in IV pump</li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">give antibiotic:<span style=""> </span>5 ml saline flush, push antibiotic for 5 minutes, 5 ml saline flush</li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <table class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align: top;">
<br /></td><td style="vertical-align: top;">
<br /></td><td style="vertical-align: top;">
<br /></td></tr><tr style=""> <td style="width: 71.4pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="95"> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >
<br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >6:00 am <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >7:00 am<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >8:00 am</span></b> </p> </td> <td style="width: 0.75in; padding: 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="72">
<br /></td> <td style="width: 240pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="320"> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">start new IV syringe in pump every hour</p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16pt;" >
<br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16pt;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">11:00 am</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">task</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">give antibiotic:<span style=""> </span>5 ml saline flush, push antibiotic for 5 minutes, 5 ml saline flush</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">give Actigall meds</li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16pt;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16pt;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">3:00 pm task</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">set out TPN and supplies</li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16pt;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16pt;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">4:00 pm task</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">prep TPN</li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16pt;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16pt;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">5:00 pm task</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">start TPN</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">give antibiotic:<span style=""> </span>5 ml saline flush, push antibiotic for 5 minutes, 5 ml saline flush</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">give Actigall meds</li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">measure G-tube output</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">add up 5:00am to 5:00pm total volume</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">determine 4+ hour amounts for IV replacement fluids</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">prep 4 syringes with fluids/red caps/prime tubing</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">record on chart</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">start 1<sup>st</sup> syringe in IV pump</li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <table class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr style=""> <td style="width: 71.4pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="95"> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >
<br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >6:00 pm <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >7:00 pm<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >8:00 pm</span></b> </p> </td> <td style="width: 0.75in; padding: 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="72"> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> </td> <td style="width: 240pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="320"> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">start new IV syringe in pump every hour</p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16pt;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";font-size:16pt;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">11:00 pm tasks</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">give antibiotic:<span style=""> </span>5 ml saline flush, push antibiotic for 5 minutes, 5 ml saline flush</li></ul>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ImLFW36Foi4rLGrPVrvvdOVV-FwPDpE3rG9jtATEg1yTkYNXB1RSEo-1TsdJXCrLgvmeWljPp3WYXF97plRrGG9wwI3EWL5DK9V08jAf_wzC8Nldd5o4I-S_4XDF7BEtiTNkJ-EAl1c/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ImLFW36Foi4rLGrPVrvvdOVV-FwPDpE3rG9jtATEg1yTkYNXB1RSEo-1TsdJXCrLgvmeWljPp3WYXF97plRrGG9wwI3EWL5DK9V08jAf_wzC8Nldd5o4I-S_4XDF7BEtiTNkJ-EAl1c/s400/DSC_0006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476746864779659954" border="0" /></a>
<br />{Check out my new tummy! Those scars are healing nicely. Wondering what that <span style="font-style: italic;">thing</span> is on the right side? Our surgeon's high-tech device for keeping the stomach tube from bending/pulling out...a bottle nipple! The tube is about 1 foot long coming out of that, with a "urine sample" cup on the end, then a diaper wrapped around it to catch the leaks. Glad this set-up is only for 6-8 weeks, when they'll switch it out for a flat little button on his tummy!}
<br />
<br />All the nurses who cared for James commented on what an adorable, happy little guy he is and we couldn't agree more! We love you, buddy!
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />Lisa Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15137773163024459940noreply@blogger.com6