Worth Quoting...

We decided to take a mini vacation during spring break. Six Flags has an awesome deal on season passes this year. Only 49.99. Since we had two recent vacation catastrophies and since Atlanta is about the mid point between us and my parents, my mom and dad and my sister and her family all got season passes hoping that it will prove to be a way to have a fun summer without costing us a fortune. So, we came down yesterday after church and went into the park for a few hours, spent the night, and went back in for the day today. It was a little cool but we bundled up and the longest wait we had was about 10 minutes. Mom and Dad and Denise and Donald came and we all had a blast. I didn't even bring my camera (purposefully) so we'll have to wait on Aunt Denise for pictures.

It's 11:16 p.m. At the moment, I am sitting in the hotel bed, which isn't all that comfortable but tolerable since I brought my own sheets (my weird thing about sheets has even more behind it when it comes to hotels. Don't want to be scarred for life? Don't watch dateline). When we wake Emma up in the morning, we always go in and say, "wakey wakey, eggs and bakey". Emma is sacked out on the other bed and Chloe is bouncing on the bed beside me saying, "wakey wakey". . I gave into to Chloe's desire to try Yoohoo and apparently, it has the same effect on her that it did on me as a child, something that seems similar to crack.. Note to self: Yoohoo for mom, hide yoohoo from Chloe..

So, while I'm waiting for her to crash from her sugar or chocolate high or whatever (what is in that stuff anyway?), I thought I'd note some things that they've both said lately. I found that when tried to relay them to my mother today I am already forgetting them so I thought I better get them while the getting is good.

Chloe--
She's starting to say things that let me know her wheels are turning..

The other day, I put her in her car seat, and buckled it. I went around and got in my seat and turned off the car and she said, "momma buckle". I would have buckled, I promise. But, she was sure to keep me straight. When Emma was about three, she started asking me if I had my Sam's card every time we got in the car. That should give you a little bit of an idea how many times we got to Sam's without my card.

She has also started frequently saying, "ah cha cha". I think she picked this up on the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I need to catch that one on video to do it justice.

The other night, I put her in her bed and she bounced across the bed and gave me several kisses. I then told her I love her (typical bedtime routine). She normally says, "I love you" back. So after about three times, I said, "Chloe can you tell me you love me"? Her reply.. "daddy do it".

Emma--
This one goes back quite a while but since my post on Disney World is still sitting half written in my drafts, I thought I'd go ahead and get this one down. While we were at Disney, some of our friends that live in the area, Tony and Susan and their two little ones came to visit us. By this point, Emma was deliriously tired and I had been thrown up on more times than I could count after rushing to DW after spending a sleepless night with Chloe in the hospital only to make it into the park at 4:00 p.m. on the first day. My tank of patience was empty and Emma was pushing newly discovered buttons. She often gets overly excited and when she does, we tell her to sit back and take five deep breaths. I gave her my normal, "Emma, I want you to sit back and take five deep breaths". It worked for all of two seconds and she was bouncing off the walls once more. So I said, "Emma, I want you to sit back and take five more very deep, very slow breaths". To which Emma said, "I took ten the first time".... Hey, at least she plans ahead.

We get to see them so seldom that we usually get to chatting and I forget to get a picture of us all when we do get together but I did grab my camera just in time to get this picture of Claire and Emma. They became buddies really quickly. They also have an adorable little boy that almost made me want to try for a third one. ALMOST.. I think I decided that we just have to find a way to see Tony and Susan more often.


I have now put Chloe in the pack n play where she is saying, "hop, hop, hop, hop...." While she "hops, hops, hops, hops"... It is now 11:34 p.m.

And this wasn't talking (which is a rarity for Emma) but today, we were very bundled up for our cold day. She was wearing both a jacket and coat. She took the coat off when we went in to eat lunch. Adam had informed her that she had pizza on her face. She started to wipe her face on her jacket sleeve but Adam stopped her just in time by saying, "Emma, don't wipe it on your jacket" in his common, "have you lost your mind" tone. She then picked up her coat and attempted to wipe her mouth on her coat. He handed her a napkin just in time and I was spared the heavy duty stain removal I would have had to do once we got home. And I immediately feared for my grandchildren who will very likely be raised by a politician which is perhaps, more dangerous than being raised by a preacher.

12:01 a.m. Chloe is sleeping soundly. Hopefully, soon, I will be too.

Blessings,
Dana

Update on Chloe.

The irregularity is still there. We have an appointment with a Cardiologist next Wed., the 8th at 2. I'm really kind of glad that the ped. could still hear it because if there isn't anything huge wrong, I think I'd feel more secure hearing it from someone that specializes in that area. And, if there is something more wrong, then we should be at that right place.

The ped did assure me that she wouldn't die immediately from something like what he was hearing. His exact words were, "she is not going to just drop dead, I promise". Doesn't sound like typical words that come from a doctor but that was answering the exact question I had in my mind.

Anyway, thanks for all the prayers. Hopefully we will know something more definite soon!

Blessings,
Dana

Chloe Annie....

She's really Chloe Anne, named after my mother. I don't know when I developed the habit of calling her that.

Not a whole lot of new information on her. She's still being her wild little self. No more fevers, no more rash so I'm thinking that at least that part of it was Roseola. We have a friend from church that is a nurse in the ER. He listened to her heart and could hear the irregularity. He said that it sounded like she had a sinus arrhythmia. Which I'm finding from all my reading is not that uncommon and usually isn't dangerous. He said that we will probably have to have an EKG and maybe even an Echo just as protocol. Which is fine with me because I would rather know she's okay than just guess that she is. And then if it's something more serious, I guess we'll know what direction to go.

Everyone keeps asking me how I'm doing.. I'm doing good. I've talked it out with God. On second thought, I don't know that it's my faith that is as much of a problem as my will to surrender. I know He is God, I know He has a plan but that doesn't mean I'm going to like it. And, if He lets something happen to my Chloe girl, we're going to rumble. That may seem blasphemous to you.. If it does, get off your high horse and read Psalms.. I've been sorting to through a whole host of emotions and I guess tonight's pick is feisty.

On a more serious note, When I re-read my previous post, I looked at the part about the church and then I looked at the part about Chloe and realized how random it all seemed and I want you to know that it was not. They are both very much connected.

I walked in there Sunday morning and I knew that my fears were going to be met with nothing but love and concern. One of our elders said the most beautiful prayer over her where he talked about all the things that have played out in my mind. He prayed for her future husband, and all the plans that He has for her. I got the sweetest e-mail from someone today. It seems as everyone else has it on their heart right along with us. I can't be certain where this path will lead but I know that we won't walk it alone. That kind of security means so much.

This video was taken before we knew anything about her heart beat. But now that I watch it knowing, I wonder if the problem could be not that she's not getting enough blood flow but that she's getting too much. At the end of most days, I'm the one that feels like a cardiac patient because of a full day of chasing her.

Blessings,
Dana

We need your prayers..

I haven't been writing much.. When this happens, I often get an e-mail from someone saying they have gone to my blog and have noticed that I haven't made a post in a while and have questions of whether we are doing okay. You can usually bet that if I haven't been on here, things are going really well. It's not always that something is going wrong that causes me to turn here. I try to also use it as a way to keep our families informed and to keep a record of the girls childhoods. But it is sort of a therapy for me. And, at times when life brings me to my knees and I'm trying to sort through a feeling, I have found that if I write it here, then people have the option to read it if they choose. And usually, instead of me burdening the wrong person with my struggles, it ends up in the right persons hands. And often, someone has chosen to listen, and the words that have been left here in response and the assurance that others have gone to God on my behalf has been the source of encouragement that has brought me back to my feet.

We're in a good place. I will try to explain the insanity that some of you have witnessed in me. Many days, I sit through church and I hear Adam talk of community and I cry because I now know what community really means. It may seem silly but they are tears of gratefulness, that aren't really all that different from the tears I cried when my girls were born. I am experiencing what I have longed for for so long. Church, in the way that God intended.. Not perfect people, but imperfect people that love me even though I am also imperfect. I've longed for it as much as I longed for love before I found it. We have been in ministry for over 10 years, and this is the first time that I've felt like I've been a part of a church instead of just an employee. We have met many wonderful people along the way. People that have molded us and shaped us. People that we will cherish forever. But, we have now met our church family and it is a wonderful thing to feel like we've come home. This may not be something that everyone knows they need. But, it is something that makes all the difference in the world once you have it. The things that laid heavy on my heart a year ago have shown themselves to have, "Worked together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose". He has, (as he always does), made good on His promise.

Life has been coming at us fast (as it always does) and I've been there, anxiously waiting to catch every pitch. Until yesterday when life (as it often does) threw me a curve ball. Before I rip into this, I want to say that I am very aware that I overreact when it comes to my children. A couple of years ago, I was giving Emma a bath and I noticed a large knot (okay, maybe it wasn't all that large but it seemed so to me) on her neck. Before I even had a chance to think of the minor things it could be, I had a child with lymphoma pictured in my mind and was asking myself how we could endure the agony that would come upon family in that situation. It turned out that she had some sort of infection and that a swollen lymph node is actually a sign that your body is doing what it's supposed to do to rid itself of infection. But, my children being hurt or sick is my greatest fear, and when they seem threatened, that fear grips me and it takes hold like none other. And it is in those times that I know how small my faith still is.

Two weeks ago, Chloe began to run a fever. She ran it for a couple of days. She had no other symptoms except that she was cutting molars. I gave her Motrin and the fever stayed down for about six hours and then it would spike again. When the fever rose above 103, I was no longer comfortable with letting it "run it's course" and made her an appointment with the PA at her doctor's office. She checked her ears and swabbed her throat for strep. When it was neither of those things, she resolved that it was something viral and told me that if she was still running the fever two days later, to call and make an appointment to have blood work done. We returned home and the fever never went back up. ... until two weeks later. Then, we had the same scenario all over again: High fever, no other symptoms. It started on Tuesday and she had her 18 month check up on Friday. The fever lasted for about 48 hours and on the day of her appointment, she broke out with a rash.. Illness explained, mystery over. Roseola. Except, according to the doctor, there was another mystery: an irregular heart rate. I asked a lot of questions.. Does it sound like a heart murmur?.. His answer, No. That is sounded more like it was fading on the second beat. Now that may not be as bad as it sounds but to a mother (or at least this mother), the words "heart" and "fading" are not two words I ever want to hear in the same sentence when referring to my child. I asked if the irregular heart rate could be because of the sickness, his answer.. "maybe".. I asked it the fever could be because their was something serious wrong with her heart, his answer... "maybe"... And the thing to do he said, was to "come back in a month and see if it was still beating irregularly". I think he must have noticed that I was on the verge of an emotional breakdown because when I commented that a month was too long to wait to see if there was something wrong with my child's heart, he quickly changed it to two weeks. He further explained that we had to give her body time to fight off the infection before we could know for sure.

I called every person that I could think of that works in the medical field. We have many medical people at church and I talked to several of them yesterday. One will be bringing his stethoscope to church tomorrow to listen to her heart. They all assured me that this wasn't all that uncommon and told me signs to look for in case of a bigger problem. She's not turning blue and she is not short of breath. She doesn't seem to be in pain. But my faith wasn't strong enough for me to just put her in God's hands and sleep last night. My mind turns to the "class C" antibiotic I was taking before I knew I was pregnant with her...Then to the nexium I began to take in my second trimester because I had lost 14 pounds and was beginning to lose my voice because of the problem I had with acid reflux (see, I have a great need to explain to you that it was something that was very needed). Last night, I waited until she fell asleep in her bed and I put her in mine and laid my head on her her chest. I knew I had no idea what I was listening for but I could hear her heart beating strong, and I needed to hear that. And with us being avid believers that our children should sleep in their own beds, she slept in ours, with my hand on her chest. At the moment, she is napping in her crib. As I have been writing this, I have broken away several times to check to make sure she's still breathing.

I pray that on April the 3rd, I come back here and relay to you that I am a silly girl that overreacts. I will do so gladly! But as small as this might really be, the next two weeks of waiting are going to be hard for me. And my faith seems shaky. So please, pray for her on our behalf!

Blessings,
Dana

Baby Evan

Check out the lips on this sweet little guy. I didn't get as many different shots as I would have liked because moving him kept disturbing his sleep. Couldn't you just eat him up?

Sweet Maggie

Maggie is really coming into her own these days. She's developing quite a little personality, smiling and giggling. She's been babbling some sounds that sound like words for a while now. She has "Mama" down and I could have sworn that she said "Emma" a few times this morning before Emma went to school. I've been working on teaching her to say "Dana" so watch out Bucky! When she starts to say "Dada", I'm going to claim it as "Dana". She's started fighting me a little on changing her diaper and wiping her nose. It sounds crazy but with my girls and also with Maggie, I was relieved when they started to those sort of things. In my opinion, the only thing worse than a strong willed child is a child without a will! She's still an easy baby and very laid back but I think it's a good sign of development when they get some ideas of their own.

I'm having a hard time getting pictures of her these days as she is on the move! But here are a few that captured her personality that I thought were worth keeping.

Signs of Spring

I go through phases where I take pictures like crazy and then I don't for a month of two. I think it mostly depends on the amount of pictures I have waiting on my memory card to be edited. I realized that it had been around Christmas since I got any pictures that I would call frame worthy so I thought we'd give it a shot today with the beautiful weather we're having. I guess I'm back in a picture taking kick with hopes of staying on top of them.. We'll see how long that lasts.









As I looked at these pictures, I began to wonder if maybe Emma looked like she has grown up more in the last six months than even Chloe. We went to a birthday party for one of her classmates yesterday and a mother of one of the boys in her class told me that he had asked her to get Emma's phone number and ask if it was okay for him to call her. Emma seems oblivious. I have to say, he's a cute little boy and smart and polite so at least she's attracting the right kind but still, I don't think I'm ready for this.. Someone please tell me how to make time stand still!

After the Motrin Kicks In

For those of you not on facebook where I posted these earlier today..

Chloe is having a terrible time cutting her one year old molars. After a terrible morning of non stop whining and me trying to remember why I opted to be a stay at home mom, I came upon this. She was so engrossed in her play that she didn't even notice me.... NOW I remember...

ATTENTION: DANA WILL BE ON HIATUS UNTIL SHE RETURNS FROM HER GUITAR HERO TOUR WITH HER HUSBAND

Chloe moves like lightning and Maggie is gaining on her so no time during the day and Adam got me addicted to Guitar hero so now every night after we get the girls to bed, we play instead of writing in our blogs. And I don't want any sas. My children will survive if I don't have every second of their life documented. Quality time with my husband is a good thing too. I did get some video of the girls though that I will try to get posted if I can pull Adam away from the guitar long enough to format it for me.

Now back to poisioning my head with that rock music.. No wonder I listened to country when I was a teenager.


Blessings,

Dana

February 2009