And the winner is, GABBY!

So, my child that is always the last to awake every morning, Gabby, was the first up this morning. Her way of getting us up was to start unwrapping presents! And not just hers, but EVERYONES! When Christian found her, she had opened 5 of his, 4 of Alina's, and 5 of her own! Oh the joys of an almost 3 year old!

Our Christmas was truly amazing! The kids were spoiled, and I had nothing to do with it! But don't tell them that, haha!

I am humbled!

Well, as those of you who read this on a somewhat regular basis know, Chris and I got some pretty hard news to take about the baby that is currently growing inside of me. We go back again in January for more testing (ie: another fetal echo, and maybe an amnio). The past few days have been truly amazing to me. When the people at the store Chris works at heard about the problems with the baby, they jumped in right away, and got going on getting some help for us. Christmas for our kids has been cover 100%, Christmas dinner was given to us, we have received an abundance of gift cards to use for meals on our numerous trips to and from Halifax, and they say they are not done. We have also been given a computer for Christian! It is not knew, but is a very nice refurbished computer (that a lady I talked to while in the hospital with my kidney infection set up for us). I was also very blessed to talk to Dena in a conversation that I expected to only cover a confirmation of our plans for Christmas dinner. In that phone call, Dena asked me if I would mind if she worked on getting people to help out with the girls during the day and meals for the family while I am a resident of the IWK. While Chris is not so good at accepting help, I know that he is in for a lot more than he can handle when I am away. I have actually been looking into asking someone to take the girls in day and night while I am gone, because he really does work a lot. It is a big task to take on, as I will be gone at least a month, maybe two, maybe even longer. It all depends on how the baby takes to the surgery, and if more surgery is needed. So again, I am humbled by the generosity of both friends and strangers alike. I can't begin to thank people enough for all that they have done for us in this holiday season. My kids are getting an amazing Christmas, one that Chris and I could not have given them this year! Merry Christmas everyone, may your hearts be filled with Joy in this time of celebrating our Saviors birth!

So this is Christmas

Well, Christmas is almost here, and I was talking to Gabby about Christmas. I asked her why we Celebrate Christmas, and her response was "Jesus needs birthday cake too!"

Just thought I would share!

My baby's heart...

Okay, so I have been a little secretive about this information since the first discovery of the problem. Mainly, I kept is quiet because I did not know enough about it to continually answer questions with "I don't know." My ultrasound, and appointments yesterday really helped Chris and I to understand a little better about what we are in for. Our baby has been diagnosed with SVAS which stands for "Supra Valvar Aortic Stenosis." Basically, where the Aorta meets the left ventricle there is a narrowing of the aorta. Above the narrowing, there is a balloon affect. What is the problem? Well, the blood can not flow properly with this narrowing. Think of it at a water hose. If you pinch a water hose while the water is on, it stops the flow and then when you let it go, the water bursts out really fast. That is what is happening in baby's Aorta. So, what's next? Well, the pediatric cardiologist told us that the chances of it fixing itself are 0%, but it could stay the way it is, or get worse. We are hoping for tit to stay the way it is. If it stays the way it is, we are looking at one surgery where they will put a patch into the narrowing that will force it to push out to the normal shape. If it gets worse, it could put pressure on the baby's brain, causing developmental problems, and learning disabilities; and more surgeries. It's a lot to take in, and I don't know that I was ready to hear it all, but I did. So, I go back to Halifax in 6 weeks for another ultrasound and review from the 12 million doctors we have met with. At that time, they will be able to tell us if it is getting worse, or if it is staying the same. So, pray that it does not get any worse! Also, I will be delivering in Halifax... this means that I have to move into the hospital when I am 36 weeks along. At this point, they do not want to schedule a C-section or induction, they want us to let things happen naturally. Depending on the outcome of the next ultrasound, that may change. This is really hard on Chris, because I will be in Halifax, sitting in a hospital, twiddling my thumbs; while he is back on PEI working, taking care of the kids, cooking, keeping the house clean, the laundry done, etc..... and he might not make it there for the birth. It is about 3 hours from our house to the IWK, with tolls totaling $51 per trip! So each time we wants to come visit, we are looking at the $51 in tolls, the $50 in gas, plus the millage on the car or van..... I am sure everything will be okay... and we continue to pray that it will be. If you could all team up with us in prayer, I would really appreciate it. As soon as we have chosen a name, we will let you all know!

Tomorrow might be the day....

That we find out the gender! Chris and I decided that we should find out this time. Since there are possible complications, we chose to find out the gender so that we could name the baby. I (along with many others) find prayer more powerful with a name. So, hopefully my next update to you will be a name (and gender) for baby #4! Chris and I will be going to Halifax either tonight or tomorrow morning. My first appointment of the day is at 1:20pm (Atlantic time). I hope to have more info for you soon!

It's that time again!

Okay people, it's time once again to guess my baby's gender. We have not had any luck in previous ultrasounds, so we are kind of hoping for some cooperation from baby at the next one. It will either be this coming Wednesday or on Christmas eve. If the doctor can do it this coming Wednesday it would be much better, as we have to travel to Halifax for it. But we will do what we have to do. There is only one baby. Is it a boy, or another girl? Please use the Poll to the right to give your answer. Also, feel free to comment to this message as well.

*For those viewing this on Facebook, you can comment to the message or visit my blog to use the poll!*

Introducing!

Baby #3 (for me) #4 for Chris :)

Oh, on a side note. I am home from the hospital. My kidney infection is getting better. I spent 5 days in the pediatric ward, because Maternity was over full! Pediatric and maternity are in the same area, and share the same nurses, so I was not far from where I should have been. They were constantly checking baby. I went to the IWK this afternoon for another ultrasound. The results were both positive and negative, but more positive. I will fill you in more as time moves on. Pray for baby.

Tammy~ they could not find the problem with Chris, but he is having an ultrasound on his gallbladder, they think it might be the cause. Right now he is just taking Zantac (sp) and dealing with it.

An update, on me this time...

Hey guys, just a quick update for those who are reading this still... I am in the hospital (as of Sunday night). I actually brought Chris in because he was having major abdominal pains and was throwing up everything (sorry about the tmi). While I was here anyway, I asked them to check me for a UTI because I was having trouble peeing (sorry for tmi again) and I had a fever of 102.5. Well, it turned out I have a Kidney infection, which also explained the problems in my back. I have been on IV antibiotic since Sunday late night and am now also getting iron supliments because my iron came back very low. My parents are keeping Gabby for us right now, and Chris still has Alina (Charlie {my lil bro}) keeps Alina during the day. It was funny, because the ER doctor called our family doctor and said "I have 2 of your patients here, and I am admitting the one that I did not think I would be admitting, and sending hmoe the one I thought I would be admitting." Chris brought Alina to see me this evening. She just sat in my lap looking at me for a good 5 minutes. Then she wanted daddy! Ugh, I hope she is not mad at me! Thanks for your continued prayers.

Will she be an artist?

Gabby has been expressing herself with drawing for quite some time now. Ever since her attempt to give us a work of art on the living room wall with pen, we have resorted to her only drawing being on her magna-doodle. I wanted to share with you all one of her recent works of art, keeping in mind she is 2, and not an art major in university!

When I asked her who was in the picture, she said "Daddy, Mommy, Bubba, Gabby, Alina & Baby!"

I am still trying to figure out why Alina is the only angry one... lol... maybe Gabby is showing me how she felt when Alina came along.... nonetheless, I am proud of Gabby! I think she is doing great as an artist, I mean, it's in her blood... her daddy went to university to study art!

Not much new, that's a lie!

Well..... we have had a lot going on! And I mean a lot! The girls keep us very busy. Alina is almost walking... she stands around, and when she sees that you see her, she plops down as if to say "just kidding, I can't stand up!" It is so funny! She is also doing very well with a straw cup! She is growing up way to fast! I don't like that! Gabriella is, well, a two year old, and then some. We are going for a 2 hour appointment sometime soon to let the doctor better understand all the things she does. He will be trying to figure out if her thinks it is more than just "toddler behavior"! The pregnancy is going well. I am 16 weeks, and 6 days along. I get my only ultrasound (unless I pay for 3D/4D) on November 20th. They do not tell you the gender, even if you want to know here... so this will be our 3rd surprise... We are hoping for a boy, but will be happy regardless. And this is the end! No more kids for us! We are done, Done, DONE! We are both getting fixed! I will update again soon. Sorry it has been so long!

Our Wii died :(

So, our Wii is officially DEAD! We bought it in May of this year, so it is not even half a year old. I am pretty sad though, because now I can't do my Wii Fit! I spent about an hour on the phone with Nintendo today. Well, it is still under warranty, so I am shipping it out on Monday... she said it will take 9-12 days from when they get it to have it fix (or replaced) and mailed back to us. So, a couple weeks without the Wii... more cleaning time... And, I have to find another way to keep this girlish figure, HAHAHAHA!

Yes, A REAL POST!

Well... I sure don't do well for keeping this up, now do I? I try to keep facebook up to date, but I just seem to forget about my blog. Life is going, okay for now. The girls are doing pretty well. Alina started getting the spots on her bum that Gabby has been getting for about a year now.... it is not fun, because Alina, my bath loving baby, now hates the bath! It must hurt when she is sitting, because she screams when I put her in there. Right now she has one so bad that she has to be in paper diapers! It was bleeding and gooing really bad, and I just don't think the cloth diapers would do her much good with that. She is going to the doctor today to have it check out. I am worried as to what can be causing them. We thought it was something in the old house... because Gabby's cleared up almost right after we moved... but a couple weeks ago one showed up on her tummy. It is so frustrating that the doctors can't figure out what they are or what is causing them. Other than that, they are doing good.

This pregnancy must be going well, because I still don't feel pregnant! I have a tiny belly, it is quite cute... but I have no pregnancy symptoms... and I am NOT complaining! I have been loosing weight, rather than gaining... and in most cases, I would be okay with that... but not during a pregnancy. They determined that I have a hyperactive thyroid, which accounts for the weight loss, and they are trying to determine now the best treatment. I have a job interview this afternoon. Nothing big, it is at Wendy's... but hey, it's a job, and we could use the extra income for winter oil and Christmas for the kids. Plus, they offer awesome benefits!

Well, that is about all I have for you. Check out my facebook for pictures. I should be adding some soon!

What's new?

Well, we have been extremely busy, that's for sure! The kids keep me busy most of the day, and I regret that I have to wait until a sleepless night to update you on the happenings of us. However, I have found that not many of you really mind all that much, as I have very few visiters that read my updates. Nevertheless, I update for those that do.

Alina's bum thanks me for all the hard work and time that I put into cloth diapering her. Chris is not really on board with the idea, so it really is me 100%. She is growing up so fast, I just can't believe it. Tooth number 3 and tooth number 4 are working their way into the top front, and boy does she let us know that they are coming! She is so close to walking it is not even funny! She loves to clap, laugh, growl, and say "mamamamammaa". Her newest "word" is nigh-nigh" and she really does start saying this when it is time for her night time bottle. I can't believe that she is already 9 1/2 months! Time goes by so fast!

Gabriella is a little stinker! She has been 98% potty trained since March. It is frustrating that all of her accedints are not at all that! They are purposful, and does in spite of me. She will "poop" on the floor on purpose just so she will get that little bit of extra attention, and it is driving me batty! I try so hard just to ignore the bad behaviour, put her on the potty, and clean up the mess; but sometimes, I can't help but fuss at her! She is a very smart girl, singing her ABC's, counting to 15 in 3 languages (english, french and spanish) and even recognizing all of her letters, numbers and colours! She loves to sing "the itsy bitsy spider", "twinkle twinkle", "row row row your boat" ad many more. She is a funny little girl!

Christian has been doing a bunch of babysitting this summer, and even saved enough money to buy gutair hero 3 & the gutair. We ar pretty proud of him. He will be in grade 7 this fall! He skipped grade 5 last year, and did excellent in grade 6! He is, however, a typical 11 (almost 12) year old, and can be a bit of a handful. He helps out, some, and expects a lot, but also knows that he can't have everything that he wants. This summer has been all about learning that you have to earn the things you want.

Chris and I have been working through a lot od issue this passed year. The move from Texas did a number on us, and then adding in a new baby and no job for Chris for the first nine months was not to helpful. We have been on the upward slope though, and are greatful for all the thoughts and prayers that have been sent out for us!

Well, I guess that is about all for our update. I do have one more thing, totally off topic. Please check this out and get an idea of what may parent shave been up to for the past 2 1/2 years here on PEI.
Kitchen Witch Write-up

Win some cloth diapers!

Hey cloth diapering momma's! I know you are out there! Check this out and win some free diapers and other goodies! http://blog.thenatureschild.com/2008/06/beat-heat-summer-contest.html

A Sad Day

I know I don't post on here much, but today I just felt the need to vent. Not your everyday vent either. I got word today that a dear friend lost his life on Monday. His name was Jim. Jim was introduced to me last summer at my parents' Tea Room. Jim quickly became a regular, and we saw him almost every day, sometimes twice in a day. He was always challenging my brothers to make something too spicy for him to eat. Jim's favourite drink was "Teamanaide" which is half a glass of ice tea and half a glass of lemonade. Everyone on staff knew to get that as Jim walked in the door. Jim also enjoyed all the Tex-Mex things on the menu.

Over the winter, Jim took ill. He had pancriatitis. He never really got better. Just as he was starting to plan his trip back to PEI for the summer, he died of Cardiac arrest. Jim will be truely missed. In his honour, my parents will be adding "Jim's Teamanade" onto the menu.

What's Happening?

I figured that I should update you all on what is going on with us. Our lives are about to change again, however this time, it is a good thing! Chris got a letter in the mail on Friday that he was approved to get a work visa for this job he was offered. The employer took the time to do all the necessary paperwork, and waited for the government approval. Chris and I and the girls will be taking a trip to the border (Woodstock/Houlton) tomorrow. This will be our van’s first BIG trip. It is about a 4 hour drive to the border from our house, and then a 4 hour drive back home. Plus any time spent at the border, stops for gas, eating and bathroom…. It is going to be an all day trip.

We are excited that this has gone through and that Chris will be able to go back to work, and we can stop worrying about how we will pay the next bill!

Alina will have her first physical therapy session this Friday. It was supposed to be last Friday, but we went to the wrong hospital, so it had to be rescheduled. I am in hopes that Chris and I can quickly learn the steps we need to take to help Alina strengthen her neck muscles.

Gabriella had to go to the hospital again this past Friday. I noticed during her bath that her girly area was swollen on the left side, and there was a grape sized purple lump on the lip. We took her in, and they did an ultrasound on it. The doctor put her on antibiotics, hoping that it will clear up, but he thinks we will have to have it drained (which means she will be sedated). It is a large absest that is filled with a puss that needs to be drained. It showed up rather quick, because she takes a bath every night before bed, and I only noticed it Friday night. With her being 99.9% potty trained, we don’t see that area much.

Christian is doing well in school. He still has all A’s and B’s, but one C in Social Studies…. He says it is because he has never had Canadian History before. His teacher says it is because he is rushing to be done quickly. I think his teacher is on the right track.

Well, that is our “little” update. Here are a few recent pictures... Gabby dressed up like Christian and Alina just chillin'

Holy WOW, March is half way gone!

Oh my goodness! Time has been flying by. You'd think that staying home all day, almost everyday of the week would make time go by so slow. The girls keep me very busy these days. Alina is sleeping less, but also does not eat as often! She does a lot of lying around on the floor playing. Gabby, is being the "needy" child lately. We spent the evening at the ER with her Thursday. She had a 103F fever, and so I made the call to take her in. Turns out she has a bladder infection. Well, it makes since, she has been doing so well potty training, that she is starting to "hold it" too long! So she is on antibiotics for that. Alina just finished taking antibiotics and doing breathing treatments for RSV. My little baby does not like have that mask held to her face, but she was a trooper! She is back to normal and playful as can be!

Chris will hopefully be starting his new job soon! He will be working at Cavendish Farms. It sounds like a good job, and he was told he will have a job there as long as he wants it. Meaning, he better want it!

We had our van delivered to the house on Friday. We have insurance for it on Friday, but we had to wait until today to go get the plate, and now we can officially drive it! It has been a HUGE pain in the butt getting this taken care of, but we are now we have it all taken care of!!

Well, I think that is it from our neck of the woods.

Alina's Neck & Something special for Christian!

Okay, I forgot that I have been really bad about updates, so I didn't even think about the fact that I had not mentioned her neck. Well, at her last pedi appointment, I pointed out that her head was very flat on one side, and that when ever I would try to turn her head the other way, she would SCREAM! He looked at it, and felt her muscles in her neck and said that it seems that the muscles are not developing correctly, so he has ordered an ultrasound on her neck. The ultrasound is on Monday and after that they will determine what physical therapy is needed. We are counting our blessings that this is the only thing we have to worry about with her now!

On another note, Christian came home from school yesterday VERY excited! He showed me this letter form the principal. He along with 14 other students from his school was selected to go on an all expenses paid ski trip to Quebec during March Break. It is sponsored by Tim Horton's. They will go skiing, and then go to the Parliament house in Ottawa. They also get to go to an NHL game while in Ottawa. He is so excited, and we are so glad he was selected. This gives him a fun, and educational thing to do over March break! So, yeah for Christian!

We're getting a mini-van

Well, not a whole lot new for us, but I thought I would post an update just to see if anyone still reads this besides my mom. We are doing well, as well as we can anyway. We keep pretty busy with the girls and all, but we would love it if CHris could get a job. I enjoy having him home so that I don't have to clean the house and cook dinner and take care of the girls, but there is a such thing as being around each other too much!

We are soon to be Mini-van owners! We finally found a van, and we will be sucking it up and driving the family ride. This will give Christian room to stretch his legs, rather than being crammed between 2 care seats. He has been a good sport about it, but he is not getting any shorter, he is actually taller than me (I know that does not take much!). So, as soon as we have it, I will get pictures up so you can see. We are very excited!

Alina's MRI went GREAT! She is okay! No problems! The only thing left to deal with is her neck. She will soon be starting physical therepy to stregthen the muscles so she can turn her head to the left.

Gabby is 2! She turned 2 on February 16th. There are pictures on my dropshots account. www.dropshots.com/tinymommy81

Other than all of that, nothing new... haha!

An unplanned, involuntary MIA

OMG! I am so glad to have power back! We lost power around 11pm on Monday, and have been without up until around 12:30ish PM (Atlantic time) today (although looking at the time, I guess it was yesterday now). We live in good ol’ PEI Canada… and there was a major ice storm here. The first two nights, we roughed it out here at the house… but once the no heat factor kicked in, and we were down to about 50 degrees F, I decided it was time for us to pack up the kids, and the dog, and head to the motel in the only town with power! We called just in time to get the only room that had just come available! Talk about lucky! So we spent the past 2 nights there, and that was a totally crazy experience. We had a devil of a time getting Gabby to bed at night, and she kept going into the little kitchen and turning on the oven! She also seemed to have a crazy fascination with the toilet there…. It was easy for her to flush, so she made sure and flushed it every chance she got!

When we returned home, our land lords wife was storming over to the house (BTW I really can’t stand her). She started yelling at Chris and telling him that he was basically a moron! She said that we were “negligent” and the pipes had frozen while we were gone, and the plumber was there fixing the problem. Chris went inside to talk to the plumber. The plumber told him that “no, the pipes did not freeze, you drained the pipes and turned off the pump!” Chris was so happy to hear that! Because he knew he had done everything that he should have done! I spoke to our land lord and he told me that next time we leave like that, just to let him know we are leaving, and tell him if we have drained the pipes so he knows.

So, another adventure under our belts! I have pictures from our little “vacation” to the hotel. I will post as soon as they are uploaded!

Still here!

Wow, it has been a while since I posted, so I guess I can give you guys a bit of an update. I don't get to use the computer as much as I used to. The girls are keeping me VERY busy! When one doesn't need me the other does, but they usually want me at the same time, all the time! I am sure many of you can relate to this! We still don't have any answers on what the deal is with Alina's "dimple" on her back. We are waiting for a call from Halifax to go for the MRI.

Gabby is growning like a weed, as is Alina. These kids don't stay small for very long. Gabby's vocabulary is incredible! She knows most of her body parts, and points them out on EVERYONE! She is very fond of the word "no" but does not overuse it. She has recently started nodding her head to answer yes. She loves to sing the "backpack" song from Dora! I can't believe how much she has changed in the last 6 months!

Christian is doing well. Since he skipped the 5th grade, and was put right into 6th grade, he has still maintained an A/B average in all subjects! We are so proud of him!

Chris is still hoping to find a job.... It would help if his immigration paperwork were approved already!

I think that is about it.... I am planning a trip to Halifax, just me and the girls... I want to see Ceri's twins, and catch up with some other friends in Hali as well!