Dody’s days

Hi all.  This is the last time I will be posting to this site.  I have a new email address along with a new blog adddress.  Please place the changes in your address book and in your favorites.

Thanks for reading!

Dorothy

www.dodysdays.blogspot.com

garciaddge@gmail.com

Things are keeping me on my toes these days.  Most of my time is consumed with the kids right now, but mainly Evan and all of his Dr. appointments.  It has really become a full time job.  Check insurance for this appointment; call a Dr. for follow-up on another.  Each day is filled with much of that on top of running around to and from appointments, preschool and speech.  We are starting to get answers, but it seems to be quite a process.

When I made Evan’s heart appointment, I was told he would not need an echo unless the cardiologist decided to order it.  I questioned them since the geneticist told me we should get it done.  Well during his appointment we got a chest x-ray, and an electrocardiogram.  They heard a murmur of some sort, so now we have to wait for insurance to approve the echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart)  We don’t know at this point if the murmur is something or nothing, but 80% of children with VCFS have some sort of heart problem.  I guess I really won’t be surprised either way.

 Evan will be back on the private speech calendar starting Monday.  We are trying to get weekly appointments again, but they are currently bi-weekly since his therapist quit.  I loved this woman, as she is the one that really figured out this whole thing with Evan.  He also started special speech services through the school district a couple of weeks ago and goes twice a week in a group setting.  They are on a year round school type calendar.  It is set up like a preschool in some regards, and Evan seems to be enjoying it and doing well.  I really like this speech therapist.  He comes home with things to work on, which is nice since I don’t always know how to help him.  Also, on Monday, he will be getting a renal ultrasound to find out how his kidneys are functioning.

During all of this, I have been trying to potty train.  It is not very successful at this point in time.  I would love to get him there, but he has so much going on right now, I really hate to push it.  On the 9^th we will be going in for his Botox treatments, and leg casts.  I really hope this works for him.  David and I were watching him walk flat footed the other day which is a rarity, and it is so unnatural for him.  He walks oddly on the inside of his feet when he does do it.

We are currently getting bids on the house right now for new windows, siding, gutters, paint, garage doors, front door and cement work in the front and back.  It is quite a process to get this done, to wait and then figure out who to go with.  We are excited to get it done and give our house a face lift.  So many areas are beginning to have issues, and once you start with one area, it is hard to stop since it affects another area.  I am thankful we got a HELOC not too long ago that we can begin to draw on now that the interest rates are down.  I think that this will really make us stay here for awhile, since there really is no reason we have to move right now other than wanting to live in a warmer climate.  We can wait until the kids are older to do that, and move south like all of the other older folks do.

David is plugging away at his last 2 months of school for this year.  I am excited to have him around more this summer.  Grace is in her last 3 weeks of preschool.  I have both the kids signed up for swimming, tumbling and dance classes…which will be nice to get all of the extra energy out when you are a 4 year old and a 3 year old.  Until next time……………..

Twelve years ago today, David and I were married.  It is hard to believe it has been a dozen years.  We have been through so much together, and we have overcome several obstacles that have come in our marriage.  We were married at 19 in Puerto Rico , where David was stationed, with all odds against us.  We went through many years of David traveling in other countries during his time in the Marine Corps while juggling school.  When David was about seven years in, and stationed in California , we decided to start a family.  It was not God’s timing as I suffered a miscarriage.  About a month later, David became ill with Ulcerative Colitis, and was released from the Marine Corps about a year later.  We moved to Oregon with no jobs and no place to live to call our own.  David got sicker and sicker while trying to work on his degree at PSU and work a temp job.  I had a lot of jobs until I fell into property management.  David was too ill to work for several months as he was recuperating from 2 major surgeries.  Through all of this we stayed strong, and began to try to save every penny we could to buy a home.  We were finally able to buy a home in June of 2003.  A month later we found out we were expecting our daughter.  Things started to fall into place.  Grace was born in March of 2004.  David still had over a year of college left, but somehow we managed for me to stay home, while he worked and went to school full time.  Being a new Dad was a busy time with juggling so much, but if anyone could do it, it was David.  When Grace was 7 months old, we found that we were expecting our son Evan in June of 2005.  David would be done with school by then which was a blessed relief.  I would need a lot of help with having 2 kids close together.  Now he is back in school working toward his Masters.  Life is extremely busy right now with the kids, David in school and trying to get a remodeling project started on our home.  Twelve years, that’s what we have been up to.  I am so blessed to be married to the only person that can truly make me laugh, that deep down hearty laugh.  He has seen me at my best and at my worst.  He is the one person on earth that knows my heart and how every day life is more humbling for me then ever before.  I love you David.  Thank you for loving me the way you do.  Happy Anniversary!

On Thursday we went in to see the physical therapist and neurodevelopmental Dr.  Evan was a little overwhelmed at first since four Dr. types entered the room to check him out.  They were checking reflexes and how far his muscles stretch in his legs.  He can’t move his foot up in a 90 degree angle, only about 45 degrees.  The diagnoses:  short heel cords.  The solution that they would like to try is Botox injections in his legs to relax the muscles.  Then at night he would wear night plaster casts for a few weeks to give his legs the stretch they need.  They would be walking casts so he could walk in them.  I don’t expect Evan to like it, but if it gives him the chance to walk flat on his feet, we are all for it.  It is very safe, and it is the route that they like to take instead of surgery. (Lengthening the heel cord)  Some kids need treatments a few times, and others just once.  If children continue tip toeing it can be harder on them as they grow because the muscles just get tighter.  It can also cause a lot of injuries when playing sports.  The good thing is they did not seem to think that his tip toeing was neurologically connected.  We may find out more as he gets older and has an MRI on his head and neck.  But as of now, his tip toeing looks like it is connected to a physical problem.  I will let you know how the Botox plays out.

Death is never an easy thing.  When a person commits suicide it hits you on a whole different level.  That is not the way that God intends you to go out of this world.  It is a choice until the end.  You always wonder what a person’s final moments are when they decide to do it.  What pushes them over the edge?  Why do they feel like that is the only answer?  There are so many unanswered questions.  In the past year David and I have known 3 people who have taken their life.  A distant cousin of mine, an old friends’ mother and now one of David’s co-workers and friend took his life on Monday night.  I think there is still a lot of shock around the office.  David just spoke to him on Sunday.  David is now helping to pick up the pieces.  He took on all of this mans cases very willingly, and will actually be going through his personal belongings tonight.  This man’s wife works at his company as well.  I am not sure if she will return to work or not, although it is probably the best place for her to be loved and embraced since everyone knew and loved her husband.  I am praying for this family to find peace within, even if they never find the “answers”.          

Las Vegas ….or as my hubby would say lost wages!  No we didn’t gamble except for $3 on the penny slots.  But man, the prices have sure sky rocketed since I was there about 9 years ago.  We found out that 7,000 people move there each month.  There were so many new hotels this time, and they were all beautiful in their own right.  We stayed in a lovely Hilton Resort.  I was expecting to gain a few pounds coming home, but doing all the walking we did, I stayed about the same.  Yahoo!  The 1st day I had blisters on my feet so we headed to Nordstrom’s to get some new shoes.  At that point I didn’t care how much they cost since my feet were on fire and finding big shoes (or skies as my husband tells me) that fit is not an easy task.  But after almost 2 hours of trying on shoes to find the perfect fit for my swollen, blistered feet, I found a winner.  We were pretty boring on our trip, and I fought a lovely stomach virus and cold the entire week, but I powered through and it was a great time to spend with each other and not have to be on a schedule.  Leave it to me though, I was always up early.

When we arrived on the first day, we couldn’t believe the taxi line.  We waited in line for a taxi that was roped off like a ride at Disneyland , and it took 45 minutes to get a taxi.  Twenty five dollars later we arrived at our hotel, and we were able to check in a few hours early.  Then we hit the strip and began our walking…….  The 2nd day we discovered the monorail that goes from all of the main attraction hotels, which was great for getting around.  It was above ground so we got some great views while riding it.  That evening we went to a great Sushi restaurant called the Social House that over looked the Treasure Island pirate show.  During dinner we met a great Australian couple named Peter and Margaret who were in their early 60’s.  We spent the next 6 hours enjoying drinks, dessert and great conversation with them.  We exchanged information, so I will now have another pen pal.

Friday morning we went to the best buffet place for breakfast at the Paris hotel.  I went there several years ago and it was the most memorable part of my trip.  They have about 6 stations of various breakfast foods to try.  I wanted to eat more, since you feel like you have to eat your moneys worth in food.  It was as wonderful as I remembered.

Talk about weather shock, we left Las Vegas with 80 degree weather, had close connections on the way home, but made it without delay.  We came back to Spokane Friday night and then Portland on Saturday to snow.  How bizarre for the end of March.  Oh how I miss the warm weather!

The kids had a great time with my parents.  I was so glad it all went well.  I was fine once I was in Vegas, but I of course checked on them several times.  I missed them a lot and am so thankful that I have 2 wonderful children to come home to.  My mother got to witness “shades of Dorothy” through Grace.  I guess she does some things that I used to do, but she is not as naughty as I was.  Evan got that part of me.   He was of course into everything, but it was to be expected being at a new house to explore.

Now we are back to real life, and a busy week already.  David is back in the school grind, and Grace is finishing her last 2 months of preschool for the year. 

Our visit with Evan’s genetic counselor went well.  We now know what blood test he will have to have to rule out any other underlying conditions he may have.

Test	Frequency of recommended testing (given previous normal results and no symptoms)	Follow up for abnormal results**
Parathyroid Studies Total Calcium Ionized Calcium PTH 25-OH Vitamin D Alkaline Phosphate Phosphate	Annually AND prior to any surgeries AND during any severe intercurrent illness	Consult with specialist or Sick Kids 22q11 DS Clinic Team to determine appropriate management.
Thyroid Function TSH Free T4	Annually	Consult with specialist or Sick Kids 22q11 DS Clinic Team to determine appropriate management.
Haematology Platelets Serum Ferritin CBC with differential	Serum Ferritin and CBC: Annually Platelets: Annually AND prior to any surgery	For abnormal serum ferritin: Primary care physician to treat and monitor accordingly. For abnormal platelets: Consult with specialist or Sick Kids 22q11 DS Clinic Team to determine appropriate management.

We also need to be seen by a PT and a neurodevelopmental pediatric Dr. to check out Evan’s walking gait.  (Tiptoeing)  It may be a tethered spinal cord…or it could be something else.  He will probably get an MRI on his back to rule out a spinal cord issue.  He also needs an MRI on his neck and head, to find out how his arteries are all laid out since it could cause issues when he gets his pallet surgery.  He will also have an EKG to rule out heart defects since 70 percent of kids do, and a renal ultrasound on his kidneys to rule out any issues there.  Evan has a lot on his plate right now.  I am not going to say it is easy for any of us.  It could be a lot worse than it is.  We are just happy to know that we can get some answers, and then move on and not worry about the “what ifs” as much.  As David’s Aunt said, the Dr’s are looking for the problems, and we have to look for the solution.  That is the truth.  We appreciate all of your prayers.  It is a long road, but we know that God will carry us through.

We celebrated Grace’s 4^th Birthday last weekend, although she won’t be four until this weekend.  We had the party at OGA and all of the kids had a great time.  The kids got to bounce around and then have the typical cake and present opening.  I am not sure if Grace realized it was her party or not.  I think she gets more excited for other peoples Birthday parties then her own.  We will take her to Chuckee Cheeses on Sunday.  She just loves that place, and we only take them there for Birthdays or a reward like potty training.  So it is few and far between.

 

Evan was fighting a double ear infection, which is finally on its way out after getting a 2^nd antibiotic filled.  (Ear drops and oral)  Most kids don’t get ear infections with tubes, but Evan does.  It would be a lot more often and a lot worse without the tubes.  He actually didn’t sleep too horribly through it all, but was really cranky for about a week since he ran a fever for 5 days.

 

This week I am getting a few things ready for a garage sale that my sister in law is having.  I don’t have too much since I have been taking things to the resale shop and Goodwill, but it will be nice to get a few bucks for my junk.  I was going to put this stuffed dog that looks like it is sleeping but breathes in the garage sale.  When I revived it with batteries after pulling it out of the closet, Grace wanted to hold him and asked me what his name was.  David and I named him “Steve” because we always thought that would be a fun name for a dog.  You know “Steve and I are just watching the game”. Etc….So Grace just loved her new dog “Sneve”.  Now we may actually use “Sneve” for a dogs name someday because it was so darn cute and I don’t think that “Sneve” will make it into the garage sale.

 

Tomorrow Grace has a field trip with her preschool class.  David will go on it with her, which will be nice for them to spend time together.  They get to see how pizzas are made at a local pizza restaurant.

 

We have a busy few weeks coming up.  Next week David’s Aunt and Uncle will be in town from Florida .  We also have all of the usual stuff going on, and we will be seeing Evan’s geneticist.  We will be going to my sisters for Easter and the middle of that week; David and I are going to Vegas.  We will be exhausted once we get there since we will be waking at 4AM, but I am hoping for some cat naps on the plane so we can see a lot the 1^st day.  It will just be nice to have some quality time together.

 

 

Why do Girl Scout cookies taste so darn good?  There is nothing like a box of girl scout cookies to make you fall off the diet wagon.  I don’t like to say that I am on a diet, but I have been trying to make better lifestyle choices.  I always battle with my weight one way or the other.  Now that I am in my 30’s and have had 2 kids I think I have to watch it even more.  I really don’t eat that bad, except for the occasional sweet binge that I will tell you about.  But the biggest thing for me is that I have to exercise to see any sort of weight loss result, and truly maintain it.  I know people wouldn’t look at me and think I have a weight problem, but it is something I really do have to work at.  I am happy to say that in the past two months I have lost 10 pounds and about 3 inches throughout my body.  I would like to lose about 8 more, but really, I feel pretty good where I am at.  My biggest goal is to just stay consistent with exercising 4-5 times a week.  I have been doing my walking videos, and I do like them because they are lower impact for all of the aching joints that I have, and I still break a sweat since they incorporate weights, which is so great for burning fat.  This morning I woke up with a sugar induced hangover.  Yes, I sat down last night once the kids were in bed, opened up a box of Samoas (you know the caramel, chocolate, coconut ones) and devoured the entire box.  There was no self control what so ever.  I probably gained 2 pounds doing that, but I have to say that I did enjoy every bite.  I have limited my sweets a lot and haven’t been snacking on anything unhealthy, so this binge was well deserved.  But today, I feel yucky.  I feel sluggish for putting that much garbage in my body.  After really watching what I have been eating, my body feels very abused today.  Those darn girl scouts……why do they have to make such delicious cookies?  And why did David have to buy 6 boxes?  I think I will try to save my next girl scout cookie binge for next year and let the kids eat the rest.      

I think that I can officially be called crazy coupon lady.  I get such a high off getting a good deal anymore.  I think it is because there is always something to buy.  Whether it is for a gift, something for the house or clothes for the kids I am thrilled when I can get a great deal.  I go to great lengths to get on as many mailing lists and clip coupons every week.  My favorite is when I hit a sale and then also have a coupon.  I did this not too long ago at the Gap.  I was in desperate need of new jeans.  The jeans were normally $60 each.  They were on sale for $39.99.  I then had a coupon for 20% off if you spent $75.  I bought two pairs and walked out only paying $63.98.  What a bargain.  I hate spending money, especially on over priced things like jeans.  I only have a few choices when it comes to buying pants since I have to buy longs or talls…and I don’t want to wear frumpy old people clothes yet.  Other deals that I love are when I get $5 off a box of diapers using a store coupon, and then I can use a manufacturer coupon too.  Pretty soon I won’t be buying diapers, but until then, I like to save $6 a month.  If anyone hasn’t looked lately regular pampers are $32 a box…..ouch!  I also love getting deals for the kids like recently at Old Navy; I had purchased something, went home and did their online survey.  Next time I visited I got 10% off plus I hit a 40% off sale, so I got most of the kid’s summer clothes for 1/2 off.  I even got a label maker the other day with some Christmas money.  I had wanted one to have around the house for various anal projects I have to help me stay organized.  It was on the clearance table at Staples.  It did not have a price on it….so I had it priced and it was marked down to $15.50 from $169.00.  Wow!  It is pretty fancy, and I am sure I will never use all of the functions, but hey I have an awesome label maker now.

Off of the coupon kick, the kids are fighting a little fever/cold virus going around.  I have to say we have had a pretty good year thus far though.  Grace has her 4th Birthday party this weekend, so I am thankful that they decided to get it this last weekend and not next.  In the mean time I have been canceling a lot of things this week to get the kids on the mend.  It is hard to believe our little girl will be 4.  We are so blessed by her, and are amazed everyday of what she is getting more and more capable of.  Happy Birthday little Princess!

Well it has been a month since I blogged.  Not because there is nothing going on, but nothing too exciting anyway.  It has actually come as a welcomed relief.  It has been nice to have a little more down time.  David has been slammed with school and work but is keeping his head above water.  Grace is doing an awesome job in school and starting to write more and more letters.  She is always trying to spell everything now.  It is fun to watch her blossom and show early signs of reading.  She also has been cutting paper.  We go through paper, and more paper.  She likes to cut out different shapes and color them.  Evan is really doing well with his speech.  I have seen so much improvement in the last 4 weeks.  I am really happy to see it.  We still have a long way to go, but I will take progress over no progress any day.  I am pleased to say that I have done pretty well with keeping up on my workouts.  I have worked out 5 times a week most weeks, since the beginning of January.  I have been eating healthier, and I am starting to feel stronger.  My back has been feeling a little better too, probably because I am getting core strength again, and we have a new bed.  It seems like 2007/2008 has been the year of replacing things: a bed, dishwasher, couch, outdoor furniture…not all by choice, but because things were getting worn out.  We have been almost married for 12 years, so I think you just end up buying things when you reach the 10 year mark or so.  Most appliances, and couches, and beds only last 8-12 years on average now, so I guess it was time.  It seems like it will never end with the amount of work we still need to do to our home.  But we are trying to be patient and wait it out.  We really think this house will be a very desirable house once we can do some improvements, and the market improves again.