Busy Busy Busy & Surgery Surgery in the future.....

We'll start the post out with some levity!  Miss Amie found a hidden kids make-up kit she got for Christmas last year (but I didn't let her play with before it "disappeared")....so we had to set some rules.  She couldn't get into the make-up before school or going anywhere & we had to wash our face real good before bed!

As you can see - she LOVES her make-up!!

This week has been BUSY & not so much fun!

Tuesday started with Amie's 6 month cardiology appointment.  We were pretty sure it was going to be bad news.....and unfortunately we got more than we bargained for.  :(   Her aortic valve is definitely showing signs that it is getting too tight.  But unfortunately, her aortic arch is also showing signs of dis-satisfaction as it is starting to show signs of aneurysm.  We are hopeful that it is just slightly dilated because of the extra pressure the bad valve is causing.  Either way she is headed to the cath lab in January/February.  :(

She has become an expert at making spiderman goo out of the EKG stickers!

On the way home she fell asleep - but that was exactly what we needed her to do, because she had to go sleep deprived on Tuesday night for an EEG on Wednesday morning.

Darwin stayed up with Amie until midnight & then I got her up at 4am - oh yes, she was quite happy to get 4 hours of sleep!!!

At 6 we went to breakfast.....Amie, Chicken Nuggets (the name she gave her bat) & I had a great breakfast at Perkins before heading back to Peoria!

She did fantastic with the wrap this time!  And only fussed and mussed a little.  At one point a "mean" tech came in and said, "Miss Amie if you don't stop whining and moving, I'll make Momma leave the room & I'll stay in here with you!"  LOL - it worked!!  Within about 15 minutes from that threat, she had finally fallen to sleep!!

Immediately after the EEG we had to race back to Galesburg (no time to wash the hair!!  I laughed thinking what people must think with all the grease marks that looked like blood on her head and hair!)

We had to get back to Galesburg because Darwin was doing his second lithotripsy.  Depending upon how it went depends on the next course of treatment.

This picture is because he had "checked into buffalo wild wings" on his facebook status when he checked into the hospital.  So I took the picture & then he said he had his margarita going into his veins via IV!!  LOL - he doesn't even drink margaritas!!  :)

Amie promised Daddy he could have one of her tootsie rolls when "he finished his water (ie the IV)"!!

Unfortunately, the second lithotripsy was no more effective than the first & Darwin will be getting scheduled to go to Peoria to have a percutaneous lithotripsy (a cut will be made into the kidney and a special small lithotripsy will go directly to the stones from the inside), then the fragments will be suctioned out the best they can and he will have a tube left hanging out of his back (a neph tube) for a period of weeks.  Hopefully, he can get back on his old meds and slow down the stones again!!

On a brighter note - last weekend, Darwin (and Amie) redid the valances in the sunroom!  I picked out the chocolate material - but I am still debated on the wall color.....I think I'm going to go with a green (I am really liking the chocolate/green combination), here are a couple of green ideas:

Anyway - they got the valances done - so I guess I better figure out what the wall color is going to be!!

Here's Miss Amie being a big helper! 

And here is the final product of the valances.

And not that we are busy enough - we also finished up a mission at work to put together 15 gift bags and 15 baskets of goodies for 15 disabled adults in Tim's disabled apartment building!!  My department rocks!!  :)

I do promise that I will do a better job of putting together posts!  This fall really took some funk out of me with the DCFS fiasco in regard to Aubree.  We hear that she is doing well, so that is really good.  And if it is meant to be that we will be her parents....it will happen.

Merry Christmas to everyone!  God Bless you in the coming new year!

Gonna get back at it!

I've been kind of in a funk for the past few months - first with the whole Aubree mess.  I still don't know what God has in store for us, or if she will ever be a part of our lives.  But I have gotten to the place that I understand it is out of our hands & to trust that whatever happens happens.

We've had some other very difficult things to deal with, but now that we are looking towards the sacred Christmas Holiday Season, I am feeling more positive and better about things.  I have a ton of catching up to do, and will try to get some it done soon (I haven't even posted Kylee's birthday which was in September!!)

But for today I leave you with this!  Two years ago visiting Santa was so traumatic, I wasn't sure we'd ever get Amie to understand that Santa was an OK guy!  This year (learning from past experience) - we asked the fearless protector Kylee to visit Santa with Amie!!  Success!!  You can see a little body language hesitation, but she went right up, sat on his lap and told him what she wants for Christmas!!  And was polite and didn't interrupt when he spoke with Kylee!!!  YEAH!!

Give All Your Worries and Cares To God

This summer, while we were in Tennessee, I saw this adorable Precious Moments.  She reminded me of Amie because of how much Amie loves those darn dandelion seeds & prefers her hair long instead of up in a bow (like I like)!  :)

And then I read the bottom of it!  How perfect!  At the time it completely touched me because we were only a couple of weeks from her cardiology appointment that reminded me that we are teetering so close on needing the valve ballooned.

And now of course with the rollercoaster of emotions we've been on from the games that the State of Illinois has played with our hearts this just continues to mean so much to me.

My sister says, "Let Go......Let God"  But that is so much easier said than done!

Dear Aubree

Dear Aubree,
My hope for you is that the State of Illinois has made a good decision.  I hope you are in a happy, loving family.  I hope that you continue to grow and thrive.  I wish they had not sent our hearts through the muck and mud while they played with your future.  Know that your older half-sister is asking questions about where you are & not understanding what little I am telling her.  I am hopeful that while she grows, her heart will not know the ache of not having you in her life.  That with a little time and distance from the one week that we thought you were coming to live with us and be a part of our family, she can not obsess over where you are.

My heart had already started to love you with the possibility of having you as a daughter.  But I have to accept that it must not be meant to be.  God has the answers, and I struggle constantly with not knowing why things happen!

Fun and not so fun at Monkey Joe's....

So - we've been dealing with this anxiety now since the middle of July - throwing up a lot, chewing on her fingers, won't go anywhere without being able to see us - all because of a dumb fire alarm that woke her up. 

Well we thought taking her to Monkey Joe for some fun would help her feel better!  She really loves Monkey Joe's - she just doesn't do so well being away from us or with a lot of other kids and noise.

Everything started out fantastic!  But about 10 minutes into it - she fell and the drama took over.  She thought she was going to throw up and wanted to leave immediately.  Epic fail!

I think the key is to have at least one peer that she knows so that it is not so dramatic for her.  She wants to go to Chuckie Cheese - so we're looking to find a time when we can "borrow" Kylee to enjoy some pizza and fun!

Happy Birthday Reese!

So my niece's son Reese had a birthday in August & true to form - she acted like a freakin' idiot!!

Dear Reese - I wish you didn't have a sociopath for a mother!  And I wish that the services that are in place to keep you safe actually did keep you safe.  Until you are safely away from your mother - I hope and pray that your pain and suffering is minimal!!  :(  I am sooooo sad about these precious boys & the grandparents that have done everything they can to keep them safe & a system that believes a sociopath.

Interestingly - this same protective agency has not even contacted the 15 people that witnessed the fit that Tabetha threw that day.  Why you ask?  Because according to Tabetha - we are all the ones that are crazy and she is the only sane one & evidently they buy it!

More fun with Morgan!

Amie is really starting to play with Morgan!  She won't kiss him yet - but hey - baby steps!!

Before you know it - Morgan will think Amie is as great as Amie thinks Kylee is & vise versa!!

First Day of Kindergarten (year two)!

Amie started her second year of kindergarten in August!  Because of her delays, we put her in the 4 year old kindergarten class last year.  She did really well & is in about the middle of the pack of kids one year younger than her!

So - we're off to another year!  Over the past two-three weeks before kindergarten started, Amie has had a huge increase in anxiety.  While we were on vacation, a fire alarm went off while she was sleeping and now she is afraid of almost everything.  :(  One of the things we see is a lot of finger chewing.

Seeing "Mrs. Quack" - not her real name, but that is what Amie calls her!  :)

Amie in her new class!

She did not want me to go, I told her I'd go outside with her.

And once she could get flying away on her swing she was in a much better place!!  That is one thing that she loves to do, especially when she's feeling anxious!

Happy Kindergarten Baby Girl!!