the worst blogger in the world

...that seems to be me... ;)

Well, I just wanted to post real fast... Today is the day... Baby Aiden will be making his debut a little after 4pm (CST) today.
Austin will be staying with my grandma tonight for sure, Mike hasn't decided wether or not he'll stay just one night at the hospital with us, or more...

I'm nervous... Terrified... and Excited... but mostly just hungry right now... The boys are eating lunch, but becuase of the section today I can't have any... :( I'll be heading to the hospital soon to be admitted (at 2pm) and then the section is scheduled for 4.

I'll update as soon as possible and I promise to get some pictures posted.

Not Me Monday!

Well, its that time again...
Its been a while since I’ve actually participated in MckMama’s fun little blog carnival...
But I’m sure you remember it...

You know... it’s the one chance we get to tell all about those things that we certainly would never ever in our wildest dreams do... especially not to then publicly blog about it... where anyone could read it...

I thought you might remember it...

So lets see ....

Last week, I most certainly did not ask my grandma to start watching my son for me... (Which she volunteered for... by the way) and then wonder to myself if I was making a big mistake...

I was not surprised at all to come home Tuesday afternoon to a perfectly clean house... and to find many of my things rearranged.... I was not slightly irritated going through re-rearranging the things how I wanted them... (which might have been the reason they were that way) and explaining to my husband that it was ok if he put the things on his dresser back where he wanted them... that he didn’t have to leave it where she put them...

I did not spend the rest of the evening Tuesday sitting on the couch wondering what I should do, since all of my normal duties had been taken care of during the day...

I did not come home Wednesday to basically the same thing that I came home to Tuesday (including the re-arranging...)
We did not enjoy possibly the best Crock-Pot Chicken I’ve ever made...

I did not spend the rest of the evening Wednesday thinking that maybe my grandma watching Austin was the BEST decision I had ever made in my life...

Thursday was Austin’s IEP at school...
I did not cringe when my grandma said she wanted to go along (she needed to know where Austin’s new school would be)...
I did not spend the morning trying to come up with reasons why she could ride to the school, but not come in the meeting...
I was not terrified of what her input would be...
(We all know that as far as what’s best for Austin... she and I don’t see eye to eye... she’s the type that thinks do it for him... its too hard for him to do...)
At the end of the meeting I was not pleasantly surprised that she kept her mouth closed when it came to her views on things... and actually didn't have anything negative to say about the whole visit...


This weekend I did not have to re-arrange Austin’s bedroom.... My grandma did not take it upon herself to move his furniture around ... which of course did not leave Austin to have a breakdown after she left about where things had been moved to...

Hmmm... I guess that’s about all of my Not Me’s from last week...
Be sure to check out MckMama’s page for her Not Me’s as well as everyone else!
And add your own! It really is great therapy!!!

PreSchool

Tomorrow is Austin's first day of Preschool!!!
I'm really excited, I won't lie, I am a bit nervous about it... but over all I'm really excited! I think he's really going to enjoy it!!

Today we went shopping and picked up the rest of his school supplies...
It took us three stores to find a backpack... but I wasn't really surprised considering that the big kids started school over a week ago... but we finally found one that he loves... and we were able to find everything else he needed... I've already got his bag packed and ready to go...

Yesterday I tried his uniforms on him and washed them all, so they are all ready to go as well.
I think I'm going to get him dressed before I leave in the morning so that I can get some pictures of him... but I'm not sure...

So wish him luck tomorrow at his first day of preschool... I'll be sure to post about how his day went

LSU Fan Day

Last weekend we went to LSU Fan day...

We had a great time!

We were able to meet a lot of the players and coaches... got autographs, took pictures, and just enjoyed an early taste of LSU football excitement.

Here's my favorite picture from the day... Its Ausitn andCiron Black...

Austin’s IEP

Ok, So I’ve gotten a couple of questions about it... and I’ll do my best to post the answers.

Our state offers Early Steps for children under three with Development Disabilities... Austin was of course included in this because of his SMA.

Once he turned three he was tested to see if he could receive services through the school system... We had to go do a huge evaluation. They tested everything you could imagine from Hearing and Vision, to Gross Motor skills and fine motor skills, Cognitive ability, Speech, everything.

In order to receive services through the school system he would have to qualify in three areas.

He of course qualified for PT to work on gross motor skills (though just barely... I found out at the meeting that he wasn’t nearly as far behind for his age as we thought). They also decided to qualify him for APE (adaptive physical education) which kind of goes hand in hand with the PT. He also was qualified for OT... his evaluator told me that although she didn’t see a need for it now, there was no way to know whether he would or would not need it in the future so she qualified him based on the possibility of him needing it. He was also marked down for some in class assistance (if he would have been in school).

So he qualified...

Since he turned 3 in the middle of the school year, he wasn’t able to get into the preschool classes that they offered, but he was eligible to receive the services (PT, OT, and APE).

In April they called to tell me that they were making the list of preschool students for the next school year and a spot would be held for him if we wanted it... After thinking about it, we jumped on the opportunity to get him in.

Yesterday I met with his teacher to go over his IEP for this school year.

I was amazed at how much they were willing to do for him at just a simple request.

Some of the major points of the IEP:
Some one will be waiting at the drop off area to help him to his class and will carry his backpack if he isn’t able to... (I’m not sure if he’ll be able to, especially considering how long of a walk it will be).
Some one will be available to help him get to the cafeteria and to carry his tray to his seat at lunch time.
He will receive at least 30 min a week of each PT, OT, and APE. (he has certain goals in each area)
We will provide the school with an umbrella stroller (for now since he doesn’t have a chair) for his “bad” days when he is having trouble walking the long distances to certain areas of the school.

Other than that its just saying that he has the right to be in a class room of his peers and there were other areas for accommodations that would be made for testing and such things... but preschool doesn’t really have any tests... so that didn’t apply to his situation. It also states that he will be included in all activities ranging from Assemblies to Field Trips, and that accommodations will be made so that he is able to participate in the activities as needed.

There are goals in there for every aspect of his day... including on how to make him more independent and even to help him with things such as personal hygiene. Most of the personal hygiene areas that they will work on will be potty training related (which he pretty much his... even over nights... YAY!)

Other than that its pretty much just preschool stuff...
He’ll be encouraged to go to the restroom with as little assistance as possible (but there will be assistance if its needed)
He’ll be encouraged to feed himself with a spoon/fork and drink from a cup with no lid with as little assistance as possible... (and will as little spillage as possible... but again... he’s only three so they expect the messes).
He will receive instruction in small group form...
He will be taught to use scissors on his own with little to no assistance (of course with lots of supervision).

He will be in an ECSE (Early Childhood Special Education) class at this point. Mainly because the school system doesn’t offer class for 3 yr olds, they are only included in the ECSE classes if they are eligible for other services. However, they do divide the ECSE classes by ability both physically and mentally, so all the children in his class will be close to the same ability level as he is.


I’m very excited about the opportunity and I really think Austin’s going to enjoy it. He will be re-evaluated at least once every 3 years (to make sure that his needs are being met and that he is receiving the services he needs). However if either myself or his teacher notices something and feels that he should be re-evaluated before that time, we can put in a written request for an early re-evaluation and then one would be preformed at that time.

I think that just about covers all of it. If you’ve got any questions about a specific point just ask... I tried my best to cover all the areas of it, but I’m sure that I missed some points...

Update

Well, I guess I'm a bit behind...
things have been insanely busy around here... seems like I don't get a chance to catch my breathe somedays....

Austin is doing fantastically well.
I registered him for preschool earlier this month and today I met with his new teacher and we went over his IEP for the new school year.
It honestly sounds like its going to be a fantastic move for Austin. I'm getting excited about it!

I'm doing really good... Getting bigger and bigger everyday... but I suppose that's good since that means the baby is getting bigger and bigger as well...

Mike's doing great! He is healing up from his surgery like you wouldn't believe.

I had a doctor's appointment last week and we had another ultrasound... baby is growing right on track.
And we got the news.
Its a boy!

So in less than 4 months Austin will have a baby brother...

I guess that sums the las t month up pretty well...

4th of july

no news here... just a few pics

Some kind of luck.. and not the good kind...

I'm not sure what happened, but this last week as been one heck of a week... Its been one thing after another...

Tuesday morning on our way to work, we were stopped at a Red light... you know, like you're supposed to do? Well I'm not sure what happened, but the lady behind us ran right into us...
There is minimal damage to the car as far as we can see... but we haven't brought it into the shop yet to get an estimate...

I'm fine... I called my doctor and she wanted me to go in for an emergency ultrasound to make sure that the baby was alright... and everything looks fine...

Mike had a doctor's appointment that day as well.. a follow up to his ESI and to check on the progress of his loss of feeling/lack of stregnth in his leg... It had been getting worse so that led to an Emergency MRI... which we still haven't heard back from....

Wednesday our power went out... well it was Tuesday night/ Wednesday morning... So I got little to no sleep that night... It was so hot... and I was so worried about over sleeping... So that day was just pretty screwy....

Thursday was a sad day for the entire world... Michael Jackson died... but that's a whole other post... I'll post later about some of my memories regarding the King of Pop...


Friday, Mike's pants ripped at work, and I spent 20 minutes stitching a 6 in rip in jeans together by hand... My fingers still hurt...

Yesterday we thought the bad luck streak had ended... we had a pretty good day... We went out to lunch with a friend and then they played pool... and then we went to the movies... It was just what Mike and I needed.... we felt so refreshed...

Mike dropped me off at Momma's to pick up something she had bought for me... while he went to pick up Austin from his grandparent's house (they babysat during our little outing)... We were on our way home talking about how good our day had been and how the week had just been so weird...

...and then it happened...

You know right when you think nothing else can/will go wrong... and it always does?...

Yeah... that's what happened....

Our car died... in the middle of the road... The electrial stuff was still working... I didn't even notice that anything was wrong... Mike did...
We managed to coast our way into a parking lot... dug in the glove box and found the number to road side assistance... (thank god its still under warranty) and then proceeded to wait for the tow truck.... Mike's parents met us and his mom let us use her truck to get Austin home (it was nearly 10 pm...)

So now my car is at the dealership... waiting for them to open Monday morning, so that we can have some warranty work done to have whatever is wrong fixed... *sigh*

So now we are basically down to no car... Mike still can't drive his (its a standard) b/c of his leg... and I can't drive it... I never learned how...

I am so stressed out... I don't even want to think about what might happen next...

Saturday

Well, its Saturday...another week down...
I am 15 1/2 weeks pregnant... I've been feeling movemnet for a little over a week now...

Austin is doing great!
He's getting big, and is so smart!

The weather is hot... extremely hot... and I know its just going to get hotter...
We have been playing outside a little bit... but like I said its really hot... and I can't stand to be outside much lately...

Mike's still hurt... he seemed to be getting better, but this morning he's hurting about 20 million times worse...

My mom came by today for a visit and brought us some presents... Austin got some new paint pens... so he's having fun painting... It was good to see her...

Tonight I'm making burrito casserole... We are going to watch the LSU baseball game... I'm not feeling very excited about that, but that could be because I've got a horrible headache...

I guess that's about it... I'll try to post some pictures later!

Yummy

Last night we had burrito casserole for supper... It was fantastic!

TGIF!!

Its Friday!!
Can you believe it?

We've made it out of another week...

We don't have any plans this weekend... well I mean besides grocery shopping and cleaning... but that's just the normal stuff you know?

I've had an ok week... and by that I mean I've had a couple of days where I didn't feel like barfing all day... you'd think after all this time I'd be used to it... but I'm not...

Yesterday was Mike's birthday.. he's getting so old... lol

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Austin's been .... well.... Austin...
He's talking back, and arguing... and pushing all my buttons...
He's also been getting in trouble at school... *sigh*
although its nothing serious... Its just him and a friend lying under the table and not coming out when the teacher asks them too... It could be much worse... but its still a little frustrating...
What's funny is that when you ask him about it he QUICKLY explains that he doesn't feel good and can't talk about it right now... *rolls eyes*
He really is growing up way too fast!!

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I'm officially 12 weeks now... I have another doctor appointment on June 9th... seems like this one is going by much faster than it did last time... I'm still not feeling better yet... I did have a couple of days this week where I felt better... but it hasn't lasted...

I guess that's about it...

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I put up a Blog Frog widget... It shows all my visitors... I was SHOCKED to see that my first visitor since putting it up was MckMama herself... I feel so honored!!
I hope that you are still praying for her and her little MckMuffin... who is doing much better...
Although they have just discovered that he is still having SVT even now that he's home... Head over to her blog to find out more...

almost 12 weeks

I'm having such a rough time this pregnancy... I mean medically things are fine... but oh my gosh! I have been sick morning, noon, and night...

I feel horrible for my husband because most night I can't even manage to make myself cook... The smell of the meat makes me sick... nothing sounds good.... it all makes me want to puke!
Austin doesn't seem to mid... He would gladly eat "Cars Soup" every day... throw in the occasional grill chesse or Peanut Butter Sandwich and he's a happy camper...

Unfortunately (though understandibly) Mikey is not so happy... He's tired of eating out... or of having to throw something together... I get it... I really do... I'd be happy with a salad or carrots... or even a bowl of cereal... because nothing sounds good... except those things and chocolate...

Mikey is being very understanding... and he's trying really hard to help me and do what he can to make it all easier... I just wish that i could find a way to cook for my family... i'm tired of the junk food... I want to make a nice meal...

Other than that things have been ok for us... Mike hurt his back somehow... but he finally went to the doctor and got a muscle relaxer, so he's feeling better...

Austin twisted his ankle last weekend, but its doing much better now... not bothering him at all...

The puppies are all doing well... puppy things.... they are usually digging and covered in mud/dirt... which doesn't make me happy... but they seem to be happy....

I had a doctor appointment Tuesday... things are moving along just like they should be and I got to hear the heartbeat again! Such a wonderful sound...

Other news.... My momma wassick and in the hospital this week... but she is fine and back home now...

I guess that's it...

Mother's Day

I had a good one...
We went to IHOP and had breakfast... just what I wanted... :)

Austin made this for me at school

and I love it!!! I'm very impressed with how well he is coloring!

Here he is after we spent part of the afternoon swimming... yes I know he has no clothes on... but what would a Mother's day post be without a picture of my boy... He is after all what makes me a mother... besides... I had to sneak up on him to even get these pictures... so I'm posting them... you know since I had to work so hard to get them ;)

I am really excited because this weekend I had the first two flowers bloom on the lilies down by the driveway... I think they are just beautiful!

Mikey cleaned the house for me today... and it looks so nice... see

I know its only the living room... but its just so pretty! I wanted him to know I appreciate it!

I also got a patio Tomato plant today... I'm hoping it does alright... I can't wait to eat the yummies it will make!! So wish me luck... I don't have the greenest thumb... so I'm hoping I manage to get at least one or two off of it... we'll see I guess... Here's a shot just because I know you are all dying to see what exactly a Patio Tomatoe Plant looks like...

Well, that's about it...

I hope that all the mommies out there had a great Mother's Day!!

This is Insane

I just saw on Fox News about the "Swine Flu Pandemic"

seriously... explain to me how 300 confirmed cases over the world qualifies something as a pandemic...

Now I'm not great with words, so just to be certain, I did a bit of research... and by research, I mean I looked up the word pandemin to see what exactly it meant, because I thought it meant something horribly bad...

According to Merrian-Webster a pandemic is

Main Entry: 1pan·dem·ic
Pronunciation: \pan-ˈde-mik\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Late Latin pandemus, from Greek pandēmos of all the people, from pan- + dēmos people — more at demagogue
Date: 1666
: occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population

So again, I have to ask how the heck 300 confrimed cases of Swine Flu qualify as a pandemic outbreak... Ok, I'll give it the wide geographic area ... but it is certainly not affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population...

This is crazy!!

The media is causing hysteria...
People are seriously terrified that they are going to die...

More people die from the "regular" flu every year than people who had gotten swine flu so far... People don't panic over that... People aren't terrified then...

Yes I know that there are a large number of suspected Swine Flu deaths in Mexico, most of them have not been confirmed as of yet, and even then, people die from the flu every year... that's nothing new... pair that with the poor health care in Mexico and BAM everyone who gets it dies... I'm sorry... but I don't see how I need to panic over this...

Seriously, this is insane! I'm tired of hearing about it, and I know that by posting this in some way I am falling into to all of the hype over it... but I've got to get my opinion out there...

....SURPRISE....

___________________________________________

Yes I'm really pregnant...
Baby number 2 will be joining our family In Early December...
I found out in March, had an ultrasound earlier this week... Heartrate was 188bpm
everything looks good.

Monday Monday Monday!

We had a great weekend!
It was quiet... we didn't do much, but the weather was just beautiful!
We set up the pool and even went swimming for a few minutes... then realized it wasn't really warm enough to be swimming... but it was fun anyway...

_________________________

You may remember me posting about baby Stellan and his heart troubles...
Last week Stellan had surgery in Boston to correct his SVT, although the surgery was not successful (not 100% anyway) they have managed to control his SVT with a new drug...
I am so happy to announce that little Stellan is going home... he was discharged today, he and MckMama will finally be heading home to the Thawed Tundra tomorrow after 5 1/2 long weeks in the hospital...

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my oh my

Time sure does fly!

I haven't managed to update in so long!! I'm very sorry about that!

We have all been doing really well.

We recently went to the zoo, and just had Birthday cake in celebration of Momma's birthday...

The weather has either been beautiful or raining, so while its been beautiful, we've been trying to playoutside and things like that... Its been fun, and we've been enjoying the spring weather...

Suicide

I'm very dad to report that Dr. Kutner commited suicide last night...He was found by Dr. Foreman and Thriteen in his bedroom, with a gun shot to his temple...

I know that he was just a character on House... but it was still very sad... I'm not too ashamed to admit that I shed a few tears for him...

Its Finally Friday!

It may be Friday, but being the exciting mom that I am, we are sitting home...
I'm watching Austin do a puzzle (his new favorite activity) and I'm well... blogging...

The puppies are outside, and Mike just went to the store to pick something up...
Its quiet...and I'm enjoying that...

This weekend will be a bit hectic... Oreo needs to go back to the vet to have her stitches removed, Mike is going bike riding, I've gotta work, I need to run to the store to pick up somethings for Austin's Easter Party at school, and then there is all the house work that needs to be done... ceiling fans to hang.... and things to unpack (oops... did I just admit that there are still things to unpack?)...

Work has been crazy... very busy... so I've been pretty tired...

Over all things have been really great in our little piece of paradise...

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Oh and for all of those that have been praying along with me for Stellan, you'll be happy to know that he has been out of SVT and into NSR (the normal heart rate) for over 48 hours!!!

Go check out MckMama's blog to read more!

Well, Its been a little while... I've been really tired, and just caught up in a lot of other things...

One thing that's been really close to my heart lately is baby Stellan...
He is still in the hospital and still suffering from SVT... He still needs your prayers...
MckMama does too... She's at a point that i can't even begin to imagine... She is watching her sweet little baby boy suffer... she is away from her other children... and she needs prayers... so please continue to keep them in your prayers...

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Austin has been having trouble sleeping...
I'm not sure what's been bothering him... I just know that it is taking over an hour to stay in bed, and that's not even sleeping... that's just in bed... in turn he's been a monster in the mornings, and he's getting more tired through out the day... which is effecting his strength...
We are going to work on getting this fixed... I'm not quit sure what we will do to help him get into bed at an earlier time but we are going to try...

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All in all things have been going really well... we are staying busy, of course.... and it seems like our list of to do things will never get any shorter...

TGIF

Well, we made it through yet another week...

The weather has been really bad the last few days, and it should start back up tonight... but by tomorrow afternoon it should clear up...
We are fine.. .we didn't loose any power.. .not damage... everything is fine...

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We picked up Oreo last night.
We brought her to the vet first thing Wednesday morning... she had pulled off her wrap... but managed to keep the cut fairly clean...
The plan was to pick her up Wednesday afternoon... Well when we got there we were told she'd have to stay b/c she chewed out the staples and they hadn't fixed it yet...
So $100, antibiotics, lickgaurd, a round of staples, then stitches later...
We have our puppy back...

She's still licking at the stitches, so we've gotta keep the cream on it... but she's home...

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Tonight I'm planning on going out to eat with my very best friend...
I'm excited, but really nervous and slightly guilty feeling...
This is the first time jsut about that I will be going out with out Mike or Austin...
I know they'll be fine.. and honestly, I'm really looking forward to some girl time ;)

___________________

I'm asking again for everyone to pray for little Stellan... but while you are praying please pray for MckMama as well... Things seem to finally be hitting her... and she definately needs the strength the get through this... She had a rough night last night after watching her baby show no sign at all of improvement. You can read about how she is feeling here.

She is updating her twitter much more often than she is updating the blog because she can do that from her phone, so if you want the latest most up to date information on little Stellan click here.

A facebook group has also been created so that all of us can keep in contact with the others who are praying for little MckMuffin.

A Care Calender has also been started for the entire MckFamily... They are accepting cards, meals, gifts, and just about anything else you could offer to help out. MamaBear over at 4 The Love of Family is running this from what I understand. If you want to help out please leave her a comment here and she'll get the information to you so that you can help out.

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Thanks about all... I hope that you all have a blessed weekend! <3

...praying for Sweet little MckMuffin

Please continue to pray for Stellan today...I just where MckMama potsed that he went into prolonged V-Tach... To read more on Stellan's condition click on the picture, it will take you directly to MckMama's blog where you can see her latest posts...

Austin's a star!

Well, ok... maybe just in my eyes, but his picture was in the paper today! There was a small shot of him on the front page and then a LARGE picture on the front page of the People Section... of course they spelled his last name wrong... but it was him!!! :)

I was so happy to see my little man in the paper!!


________________________

I also wanted to ask for continued prayers for Sweet baby Stellan.... He is still in the hospital and still not doing well.... PLEASE PLEASe pray for another MckMiracle for MckMuffin...
As always check out MckMama's blog for more information or her twitter page for small updates.


________________________

As I was helping Austin get into his chair at dinner I look out the back door and saw Oreo had a huge gash on her leg.... I got Mike to come look at it... We called the vet and of course they were closed... but we left a message, and he called back...
He told us to put Neosporin on it, and then wrap it with gauze and bring her in for him to look at it and possibly stitch it up in the morning...
So Mike headed to the store and bought some first aid stuff for her and we jsut wrapped it up... Its actually worse than it looked... longer, deeper.... flap of skin hanging off...

No pictures because it was making me queasy... sorry...

She's wrapped up now, and that bothers her a bit... but hopefully she'll leave it on so that we can get it fixed in the morning...

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Austin's not feeling well...
I think he got the horrid sinus thing i had last week... but i'm not sure...
He told me that his ear hurt... and then that something else hurt to, when I asked what he pointed to his throat...

*sigh*

He's been coughing really bad at night and its been keeping him up... so I gave him some Night-Time cough medicine and some Motrin for his earache...

I'm hoping that he'll be able to get some sleep and maybe he'll feel better in the morning...

______________________

Alright, I guess that's it for tonight...

Don't forget to say a prayer for Stellan!

MckMuffin is sick again! and he needs your prayers!

Imagine my surprise when I logged onto MckMama's blog this morning eagerly anticipating another round of Not Me Monday's... I could wait to see what she and her Many Small Children had been "not doing" this week... As well as checking out everyone else's blog... I couldn't wait...

So imagine my surprise when instead I was greeted with beautiful Stellan's header and a blog post Titled "Stellan is in the Hospital with SVT"...

I know that many of you don't follow MckMama's blog... but the ones who do know that Stellan had SVT while MckMama was pregnant with him... and that they nearly lost him before he was even born... Then he was born completely healthy, and completely cured!

Well, now its time for us to help MckMuffin... He needs all the prayers that he can get... The are currently at the children's hospital in the PICU ...

We need another MckMiracle! Click on the button to follow the link over to MckMama's blog and read all about Stellan's story... Then take a moment to say a prayer for the baby boy...

11 laps (with a little help)

Austin did 11 laps at the Trike-a-Thon yesterday!
I can not even begin to tell you how proud I am...
I was worried he wouldn't even be able to get one lap...

now most of you know that Austin can't really ride a trike... his legs are too weak from the SMA to be able to do it alone... He is getting stronger and can get one full pedal.. but not nearly enough to actually push himself on the bike...

so you may be wondering just how my child was able to do 11 laps....


This is Sam, Austin's very best friend.


From what I understand, Austin fell, Sam ran over and helped him up, and then helped him do his laps.



God has truely answered one of my prayers when he gave Austin such a good friend like Sam. I can not tell you how much it warms my heart to see them together.


The newspaper was at the daycare to cover the story about Sam's brother Noah and the event. The photographer got some really great shots of Sam and Austin together, and even asked if Austin's pictures could be published in the paper! So the article should be in Tuesday's paper... We'll have to see if Austin makes it!!!

Trike -A- Thon

Austin is participating in a Trike-A-Thon today to benefit St. Jude.
His friend Samuel’s older brother, Noah, is a patient at St. Jude, so Austin is pretty excited to be helping his friend.
I was very worried about how we were going to handle the Trike-A-Thon... Austin is not quite strong enough to pedal the trike... He can however ride while pushing on the ground with his feet... and most importantly... I didn’t want him to feel left out while the other kids in his class were outside having fun...
I spoke with the DayCare Director, and she assured me that he wouldn’t be the only one who couldn’t ride a trike... she said every year they have kids that have never been on one before, and that if nothing else Austin could just walk laps if he wanted to participate.
Well, Austin decided that he wanted to bring his bike, but I don’t think he really understood because he asked if I’d help him pedal... and I told him I wasn’t going to be there...
I can’t wait to find out how he did!!!

And there is still time! If you want to sponsor him just send me an email and let me know how much you would like to give him (to give to St. Jude of course!)

I’ll update later and let you all know how he did and how much money was raised!

Tuesdays Tales

Its Tuesday!

We got to meet our new neighbors last night... they just started moving in Friday... Mike had met the wife, but not the husband, I hadn't met either... last night we finally met both and their two little ones...
They've got a little girl who is 2 and a little boy that is 8 months old... and a cute little puppy... I'm really thankful that they are as nice as they seem to be...

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I got a response about the interview I had at work... I didn't get the job... *sigh* i'm not really very upset about it... which is strange... I tend to be so emotional, that I'm surprised I didn't just break down... I know they guy who got the job, and when I found out he was interviewing, I really suspecting that he would be the one to get it... so yay for him! I'll keep looking... and eventually I'll find a new job...

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The weather was beautiful today...
When we got home from work we decided to go for a walk...
We were going to bring the dogs.... but Oreo dug a huge hole (or like 4) in the back yard.... so she didn't get to go for a walk.. (poor puppy) Valentine did go... and she tried to choke herself... but she eventually stopped pulling so hard... and we were able to enjoy the weather and the walk...

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I guess that's about all... Just another day in paradise.

Not Me Monday!

Its time for another not me monday... can you believe how fast these weeks are going by??? Niether can i!!

Just in case you are wondering what all the fuss is about with the whole Not Me Monday thing, head on over to MckMama's blog for all the details... Basically its an opportunity to help keep you sane... to give you a guilt free way to fess up to all of those things that may have happened to you last week... of course its not like you really did any of them ;)....


So the week started off, well like any other week...
I did not call into work last monday because Austin had a doctor's appointment that I totally forgot about... I also didn't decide to take the whole day off... and then proceeded to send Austin to preschool anyway and just enjoy the day with my husband... I'd never do a thing like that...
First off, i'm very organized and always remember to ask off for doctor visits... and I'd never send my child to preschool if I could spend time at home with him...

I did not some how manage to set my husbands car alarm off... i didn't know the car had an alarm... and since it didn't happen, the cause surely wasn't me sticking my hand in the rolled down window to unlock the door and then proceeding to open it... because like i said I did not set off the alarm...

This weekend I did not spend most of my time doing not cleaning... i always use my time wisely, and I'd never say play online while watching the dishes pile up... nope, not me...

While I wasn't playing online, because you know I was cleaning and such... I did not spend at least an hour on MckMama's page just so that I could see each one of the kid's headers... BTW they turned out awesome!!!


There, I did it... Can you? Check out what MckMama and everyone else didn't do this week...

For your veiwing pleasure

Here's a few quick videos for your veiwing pleasure...

Just another Day..

Well, its just another day in paradise...
Traffic was horrible this afternoon, so I was late getting to Austin which made us late getting home...
Mike is working 10s this week, so he isn't getting off until 5:30... he's still not home yet and its nearly an hour later... Which doesn't really surprise me b/c of how bad the traffic was...

Austin was starving when we got home and of course he wanted a Grilled cheese... so i made one for him... i had no idea how long it would be until Mike got home... so Austin had a grilled cheese, a carrot, and some chips....

I'm thinking Mike and I will do leftovers tonight....

That's about it...

....While Daddy was Away....

We played...

Then we stopped for a snack...

but the day ended with a smile!

...simple things...

You know... when it comes down to it, I'm really just a simple girl...
Its the simple things that make me happiest...

Right now I am making one of my favorite dinners... Shake-N-Bake Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, and Corn... I'm listening to my little boy sing "Little Monkeys jumping on the bed" and getting stuck in a loop...

And I couldn't be happier...

It really is the small things that count... when I sit back and think about what makes me smile...I'm always amazed at how I come back to the smiplest things of all...

Enjoying a dinner with my family, the smell of clean towels, watching my little boy learn something new, taking a bubble bath, baking cookies, all of those little things...

Sometimes life gets in the way, we end up tired and moody... that's when we really seek out those comforts... the simple things that make us happy...

Tonight my comfort is Pork Chops and Mashed Potatoes... I think its always been one of my very favorite meals... I'm feeling better just thinking about it...

I hope that where ever you are... what ever you find yourself doing... you take time to find some comfort...

A whole new life

Well at least it feels that way...
Things are really starting to feel normal in the house... it definately has become home...
I don't have as much time as I'd like to have to do things during the week... especially things like keeping up with this blog... I miss posting and keeping everyone updated...
Austin is doing fantastic... He has adjusted really well to all of the changes that have come his way... I am so proud of him...
His birthday was Saturday... we had a party at the house... and his best friend Sam from school came... with his brother Noah/aA
It was really a lot of fun to watch the boys play together... and come to find out Sam lives right down the street... so hopefully we will get to play more often!

Austin got a new swingset for his birthday!
Its really coool, Austin was so excited when he saw it...
he said "Mommy... I got a park at my new house... this is soo awesome..."
I was really glad to hear him so excited about it...
What made me even glader... (is that a word??) he can climb up the rockwall to the slide alone!!! I still can't believe it... by no means is it "easy" but he can do it!!! We also noticed that he is starting to be able to pedal his tricycle...I'm really thrilled about that...

I guess that's really all that has been going on around here... Just another day in paradise...

A quick picture post

From Megan La Rue Photography

Happy Birthday Austin

His birthday was Saturday and this is just a quick video from the party...
Pics will be up soon... ;)

Not me Monday!

You know the drill... Its Monday... that means its time to admit to all those things that you "didn't" do this past week... Its fun and great therapy, and of course, when you are done reading all about what I didn't do this week, head over to MckMama's blog and read all about what she and everyone else didn't do this week...

Let me start by saying this week was a long week.... and I'm so glad that its the begining of a new one!!

Let me tell you, it most definately was not me whole waited until Friday to clean house before Austin's party....

I also didn't decide to stop cleaning and go to Walmart instead... I didnt wait until the day before the party to go pick up ice cream and decorations... I was totally prepared for this party!!

I wasn't secretly dreading the party becuase it was the first time a lot of people were going to be seeing the new house... I didn't have it in my mind that everything needed to be perfect... I mean things already were perfect... ;)

I didn't volunteer to babysit my niece over night Saturday night after the birthday party... I knew I'd be exhausted, so no way would I want to spend the night chasing after another little one...

I didn't have a fantastic time with Austin and Alexis this weekend! It wasn't a blast watching them play together, and I wasn't glad that I didn't change my mind about the sleepover...

I didn't find out that Austin's best friend from school lives around the corner from us! And I am not thrilled about that...

I did not have to leave early today to go pick up Austin at Daycare becuase he was sick, and if that had happened, we surely didn't end up at home eating ice cream....

I did not miss 5 calls from Mikey telling me that his class ended early and I needed to go pick him up... the reason for that surely wasn't the ice cream that I wasn't at home eating with my sick boy...

I am not thrilled to finally have the new laptop...

Not Me Monday

Its time for another round of the not me's...

You know my favorite blog carnival hosted by MckMama Every Monday...



This weekend I did not thank God that I had to work so that I didn't have to help my wonderful loving husband sod the back yard...


I did not decide that I wanted Bar-B-Que Chicken and seriously contemplate asking my hardworking husband to stop putting the sod down so he could cook for me...
I had been home at least half of the day... I should have been cooking for him...
Instead I proceeded to cook the chicken on the Goerge Foreman Grill... and coated it in BBQ sauce... yummy

I didn't really really want to leave the mess for someone else to clean up b/c I was so exhausted... but then change my mind when I realzied I was the someone else who would end up cleaning it up... nope not me... I'm alway eager to clean up after dinner...


I did not watch Made of Honor and love every second of it, even though it was such a predictable story...



It wasn't me who SCREAMED Sunday morning when my precious little boy came in to wake me up... nope... not me... I also didn't laugh about it with him b/c I scared him....



It wasn't me who worked so hard to clean off the kitchen cabinets and finally found a home for most of what was up there... ok really I want credit for that one... so yes it was me! ;)



It wasn't me who went shopping today and bought a CHOCOLATE King Cake... nope not me... I also didn't eat two pieces of it in about an hour....

I also didn't type this up sunday night, so that I could have it posted monday morning... Nope Not Me...



Head on over to MckMama's blog to see what everyone else is Not up to...

A View of Paradise

Can you just imagine having this as for the view from your backyard?
Trust me ...
It really is paradise

HEAVEN'S VERY SPECIAL CHILD

A meeting was held quite far from Earth!
It's time again for another birth.
Said the Angels to the LORD above,
This Special Child will need much love.

His progress may be very slow,
Accomplishments he may not show.
And he'll require extra care
From the folks he meets down there.

He may not run or laugh or play,
His thoughts may seem quite far away,
In many ways he won't adapt,
And he'll be known as handicapped.

So let's be careful where he's sent,
We want his life to be content.
Please LORD, find the parents who
Will do a special job for you.

They will not realize right away
The leading role they're asked to play,
But with this child sent from above
Comes stronger faith and richer love.

And soon they'll know the privilege given
In caring for their gift from Heaven.
Their precious charge, so meek and mild,
Is HEAVEN'S VERY SPECIAL CHILD.


by Edna Massionilla
December 1981

~~~ I just wanted to share this... a friend shared it with me today in response to my One year ago post on a message board I go to... Thanks Manda Panda! ~~~

one year later

Ok, so one year and a day later...
Austin was diagnosed on January 25, 2008.
That day changed our lives forever... I wish more than anything that I would have been blogging at that time... I’d love to be able to go back and read some of those thoughts, and emotions that we were experiencing at that time... It was a horrible time for us... Completely devastating... Our son’s life changed in the blink of an eye...

I look back now, and sometimes I wonder how Mike and I made it through that... I shut down... I was a wreck... I remember just crying and crying for days on end... I was so upset... how could this happen... why me... more than that... why my child... what did I do in the past that was so horrible that my child had to deal with this...

And then slowly I started to realize that Austin was still .... Austin.... he was still my little boy... he was still the one that I loved so entirely... and he was still happy... sure ... his 23 month old self had no clue that he was different... he was too little to understand that...

The reality of SMA still hits hard sometimes... and I still tear up when I think of some of the things that he’ll never be able to do... and when I have to deal with people who just don’t get it... or with people who think they get how I’m feeling... but they don’t... how could they...

Overall, we’ve come a long way... and we are all three very happy... Its still hard... but honestly our life didn’t change... how could it... we were already dealing with the SMA before the diagnosis... it just didn’t have a name... Austin is actually stronger now than he was when we got the diagnosis... and he can do things that I never thought I’d see him doing... I am so proud of him and I can’t wait to see what his future holds...

He told me a few days ago that he was going to be “A rockstar” ... and I believe him... The child has a love for music like I’ve never seen in a baby... he’s happiest listening to the radio (or Pandora... or youtube... lol) singing along... Santa brought him a guitar for Christmas... and he loves playing music and singing songs...

Its hard for me to believe that it was just a year ago that we were getting this news that we thought had ended our life... If anyone told me then that our life would be like this now, I’d never have believed them... I would have never imagined that Austin would be in preschool... doing things that every other kid his age does...

I want to thank all of you for standing by us... praying with us... and helping us find our way to this life that we have now... I truly do live in paradise... and I really do love my life...

I wish I could find Missy’s email... or phone number... or something... she helped me so much... she was the second contact I made in the SMA world... and she chatted with me through email and IM for hours while I sobbed and cried about it... and I then she helped me realize that nothing changed... we just had a name for the reason that Austin fell so often... And she helped me meet other great families... through that I found the hope I needed ...

A month later Austin started the VPA treatment... and we haven’t looked back... I can’t tell you how excited I am about the promise of Stem Cell treatment... I believe with my whole heart that there is a cure... and that they are close to finding it...

If you have time please visit http://www.fsma.org/ donate if you are able to... or at least spread the world about SMA... so that Austin and children like him can get the cure that they need.

not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This week has been crazy... As you know we are right in the middle of moving...
That being said, of course I was well prepared and had everything packed...
When my inlaws arrived to help us move, of they absolutely did not have to help us pack at all... Everything was clearly labeled and I had a system to make sure that the most important things got to the house... and I did not have to wonder where I was going to put anything... I already had a plan...

On the subject of moving... I absolutely didn’t have to wear the same pair of pants EVERYday this weekend because it was the only pair I grabbed... and when I went back to pack up more clothes, I absolutely did not forget to load them in the car and only realize it once I was getting out of the shower.... nope, not me...

I also did not give in and let Austin stay in a pull up all day Sunday... I’ve worked way too hard to potty train him to just give in on something like that just because it would be easier to not have to worry about accidents while we were out shopping.. nope not me... I’d never do that....

I did not start to unpack the same box about 4 times, and all 4 times decide that I would wait until later... I mean, I know that it has to get unpacked...

Mike and I did not go shopping this weekend and spend $200 on dog houses, and then proceed to let the dogs sleep inside... nope... there is no dog hair in my new laundry room...

I did not buy a new toaster, and a $50 garbage can because “I liked them”... I just bought a new house... I have more important things to worry about then spending $80 on two items.... (good news... my new toaster matches my new applicances... well I mean, it would if I would have bought a new toaster... which I didn’t...)

We absolutely did not buy a new tv... nope... not us... I mean, there was nothing wrong with our other tv... and since we are really not the kind to just spend money on things we don’t need, there is no way that you would walk into my front door to see a brand new Sharp 42 “ LCD tv on our TV stand...

I did not silently shed a few tears when I went to bed Sunday night and think to my self “I want to go home”... I was home... It just seems so big and empty right now...

Most importantly I did not just waste half of my lunch break typing this up... nope not me...

What about you??

The last night

Well, today is the last night in the trailer... we close on the house tomorrow.... We are going to move a few small things over tomorrow, and we are planning on spending the night there... even if that involves sleeping on the blow up mattress...

I will take a bunch of pictures, but I don't know when I will be able to post them... we wont have internet hooked up until friday... and then the big part of the move starts Saturday... I'm excited and nervous and happy and sad... and scared...

I never ever though we'd stay here forever, but I'm feeling a little bittersweet about the move...

I just wanted to let ya'll all know where I was and what was going on before I disappear for a few days... just bear with me through the move... I will be back!

The date is set

Closing day is wednesday...
We have our final walk at 10am and then at 1pm we close...

I can't believe this day is here.. I mean its been a long road, but honestly it seems like just last week the house was a slab.... now we will be moving this weekend...

I'm thrilled... I can't wait... but I must admit that it is a little bittersweet... i mean, I will miss this place... I'll be glad to be gone... but this is where we started our family... this was where we brought home Austin from the hospital... I never ever thought that we would be here forever... its just a little bittersweet...

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Work is going a little better, I was pretty busy today... and I will be again tomorrow... then I'm off Wednesday... Things have just mellowed out a lot at work...
Emotionally I am feeling better as well... I am not nearly as stressed out... I mean, I won't lie, I am still anxous... but I'm feeling a lot better... just more peaceful... Not so emotionally spent...

Paradise is starting to looking sunny again.. the clouds have finally lifted....

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Austin seems to be adjusting well to preschool... He has had some set back with pottying... but today he didn't have any accidents... so that's awesome! I think with things being so weird at home (with the packing and no real routine anymore) and the new school is just a lot for him... but his teachers are awesome and are really working hard to help us out...

He is having a blast! And we haven't had any tears at drop off (yet...*knock on wood*) we did have a few tears one afternoon because he didn't want to leave, so that's nice... I'm glad that he is enjoying it so much...

He brings home his work everyday and its really cute to see how proud he is of what he has done...



I guess really that's about it... I am getting tired... and I still have a few things to do before I go to bed... so I'll try to update agian tomorrow...

not me monday

So, I ran across this awesome blog by MckMama...
and she host this fantastic thing every Monday... called "Not Me" Monday...

You know where you get to admit to all those things that you would never do...

So I figured I might as well give it a shot...

I did not let my (almost) 3 yr old son eat three scoops of ice cream after he didn't eat supper tonight... I mean, what kind of mom would do that?

I most certainly did not come home and not pack a thing... I mean, we are closing in two days, and I still have half a house worth of stuff to pack.. of course I didn't come home and just play on facebook and check all my blogs.... that would be a little irresponbile, don't you think?

I did not purposely not tell one of my co-workers that we are closing Wednesday just becaue I knew he had over heard me telling someone else about it... I mean, that would just be plain ole mean!

and while we are on the subject of work, it was not me who spent most of the surfing the web... wondering if the day would ever end... I mean, I had a lot of letters to get out... why one earth would I just spend the day online not working??

What have you not done today? or this week??
Come on... Confess... you'll feel better...

Bargaining?

Seriously... ?

When did my sweet little boy learn to bargain?
I’m sure it has nothing with me trying to bribe him to do things... but where-ever he learned it... I still can’t get over it...

I’ve seen him trying to trade toys with someone if they have something he wants... but last night has got to be the best yet...

It was bedtime ... and I told Austin it was time to go lay down...
He said he didn’t want to... we had been reading a book that had a picture of a monkey cooking pancakes so he decided he wasn’t tired, he was hungry for pancakes...

I knew better because he had eaten his supper already... and has recently gotten into the habit of getting out of going to bed b/c he was hungry...

So I proceed to tell him that it was really time to go to bed...

His response
“How ‘bout I sit in my bed, and you promise to bring me pancakes”

I was shocked!

I said “What baby?”

He repeated
“How ‘bout I sit in my bed, and you promise to bring me pancakes”

When I told him I was sorry but it was really time for bed he screamed “NO! HOW “BOUT I SIT IN MY BED AND YOU PROMISE TO BRING ME PANCAKES! Ok?”

*sigh*
He’s growing up way too fast...

Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy Funded Stem Cell Motor Neuron Replacement Program.

This was posted on FSMA's website December 30 ,2008
click here if you want to read it straight from them.

FSMA has invested significant resources in alternative approaches that show promise to cure Spinal Muscular Atrophy rather than just treat the symptoms. In particular, we have invested $1.5 Million to develop a motor neuron replacement therapy for SMA, and we have made significant progress with our investment.
Our initial investment in stem cell research in 2000 funded efficacy studies using motor neurons from mouse stem cells. Results show that this therapy can provide benefit to rodents with motor neuron disease: a highly significant finding. In 2005, additional FSMA funding lead to the first, highly-pure therapeutic population of human motor neurons for cellular replacement therapy for SMA. This program is now progressing on the path to IND in collaboration with the biotech firm California Stem Cell, Inc. (CSC), and leading research centers at University of California-Irvine, and Johns Hopkins University. These motor neurons recently completed a series of critical animal safety studies prior to advancing into human trials for SMA.
Motor neuron replacement is at the leading forefront of current scientific knowledge, and as such is very high risk. However, this approach allows for the possibility of replacing lost motor neurons and so holds great promise for the patients and families in our community.

“FSMA provided the first financial support for my research program investigating the development of high purity human motor neuron populations from stem cells, and their application to animal models of SMA. This work has grown into a multi-tiered program that now involves several funding agencies, an industry collaborator, a clinical collaborator and FDA relations. I will always consider FSMA my partner in pioneering this technology, and moving it towards human use.” Hans S. Keirstead, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Co-Director of the Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California at Irvine.
Pre-clinical efficacy studies have been completed, demonstrating correct localization of CSC motor neurons in the ventral spinal cord, cell growth from the spinal cord toward the limbs, synapse formation with target muscle and functional reinnervation leading to restoration of limb function in animal models of motor neuron loss.

Results of the Safety Study for SMA Type I Clinical Application:
The pivotal safety study, required to support an application to begin FDA clinical trials, has recently been completed. Although final data analysis is still in progress, there were no negative outcomes of this study, leading to the conclusion that motor neuron replacement will be a safe strategy in the treatment of diseases such as SMA characterized by motor neuron loss.
The purposes of this study were to evaluate the capacity of a motor neuron progenitor cell population to form tumors following transplantation into the spinal cord, to determine whether motor neuron transplantation would induce allodynia (increased pain sensitivity), and to evaluate the biodistribution and potential toxicity of motor neurons transplanted into the spinal cord.
Results showed:
-No mortality attributed to treatment with motor neuron progenitors occurred.-No tumors occurred that were attributed with the transplanted motor neurons.-No statistically significant differences occurred between the cell buffer (control) and treatment groups in the clinical allodynia (pain) assessments.-No toxicological profile differences between control and treatment groups.-No gross or histologic findings were attributed to the transplantation of CSC motor neurons.
Preparations for Clinical Trial Approval:
“California Stem Cell has developed methods for the manufacture of clinical grade human motor neurons. It is the intent of CSC to gain approval to begin FDA-approved clinical trials for the use of these cells in development of a cell replacement therapy for SMA Type I. CSC is now preparing for a final FDA pre-IND meeting to take place in the first quarter of 2009, keeping us on track for a formal application in the second quarter of 2009 to begin a Phase I/IIA clinical trial in SMA Type 1.” Chris N Airriess, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer, California Stem Cell, Inc.
Other preparations currently underway include: An external clinical trials coordinator has been engaged and medical community focus groups held to develop the clinical strategy for SMA trials; CSC manufacturing facilities and procedures have been audited for compliance with guidelines for clinical manufacturing.

Austin's in Preschool/

Yesterday was his first day... and it went really well...

He had a good time, and we even got some of his worksheets to bring home...

He had another good day again today... :) So far so good... This morning he was asking about Ms. Rhonda... so I'm half expecting a fuss tomorrow... but so far we've had two good days.. and here are some pics from his first day...

Before school:

His work from Monday:

And here is his finger painting from today

A Quick Trip

to the After hours clinic...

Result...

apparently he's just screaming in pain for the fun of it....

I was convinced that he must have had an ear ache... He was crabby and running a low grade fever... and when he woke up from his nap his ear was as red as a fire truck... and he was completely unconsolible... So we headed to the afterhours clinic...

While we were there he started perking up... and I assumed maybe it was the motrin I gave him before we went in...

Well, they checked his ears... nothing...
Checked his throat it was red...
ran a strep test...
nothing...

so he's fine... Just a crab.... poor babe...

Don't turn around for a second...

Because you may just find this...
I guess Oreo need a bath?

Preschool

So I breifly mentioned it in my last post...
Austin will be starting preschool Monday...
The decision of taking him away from Ms. Rhonda was really hard...
She has been nothing but wonderful to us, and so understanding and she has taken such good care of my little boy...
But there were times that I felt like there were too many kids... and I was really wishing that he was getting preschool... I work with him when I'm home... but I think he would benefit much more from a steady preschool...
Tuesday was his last day with her.. .she was closed Wednesday - Friday for New Years... it was a very bittersweet day... I cried... Ms Anne cried... and Ms Rhonda was even tearing up.... They said if he isn't happy he can go back... and I'm not worried about that... I really think he is going to enjoy preschool... and he gets along great with other kids... I'm going to miss Ms Rhonda and Ms Anne though... and I know he will too...

So I will try to update about his first day Monday night... I'm sure he'll be fine...

a new year

Its a new year...
Its January 1st 2009
The beginning of the year... a new start for some...

I can't wait to see what 2009 has in store for us...
2008 was a hectic year
It was the year that SMA entered our lives...
It was the year that we start building our house....
It was the year that we almost lost our niece....
It was the year that LSU football sucked for the most part....

This year really brought us closer as a family...
getting the devastating news that your child has a genetic disability that will likely get worse is absolutely heart breaking... I can not even begin to explain how hard it was the emotional toll it took on us was unbelievable...

We made the decision in May to start looking for a house... in June we found a new neighborhood coming up in a nice area with houses we loved... so we stupidly went to check them out... and realized that this could really happen... That we might really be able to own a house... one that was on the ground... so we talked to the mortage company and enrolled in a Home Buyers Club... and then in July we signed a contract to start building a house... although it isn't complete yet, its been a wonderful yet horrible thing to experience... I can't wait for it to be done...

As far as almost loosing our niece... My BIL and SIL split up... well she packed up while he wasn't home and to the baby back to GA where her family is from... After a few weeks he was finally able to get her and now has full custody of her... and we couldn't be happier for him!

Then there's LSU football... who knew I would be such a fan... I hate sports... but the Tigers got to me... and this year was almost painful to watch... they sure did end it right with the Chic-fil-a Bowl game... but gosh was the season miserable...

I am really looking forward to this year and what it has to offer...
We will be moving into our new home early this month... probably next weekend...
Austin starts preschool Monday...
We will be finding out more information about a possible Salt Lake City trip...
and only God knows what other wonderful things are in store for us.

I will continue to pray everyday for a cure for Austin and all the other kids... I will continue to help him get any therapy and treatment that may help him...

I hope that everyone had a good time last night... and that you all had your pork, cabbage, and blackeyed peas.... May the new year bring you and your family lots of joy!