Everyone Needs a Good Laugh

I just had to share a little snipit of Rhylan's Giggle. I think it is so infectious, I just had to share (ok, Brayden's laugh is also infectious). I hope it brings a smile to your face too......

Thanksgiving 2007

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Jason's family. We went down on Tuesday night and came home on Friday to get some things done around the house (huge home improvement projects in progress.... pictures to follow soon). It was a short stay, but very much enjoyable.

Brayden and I had a "date" on Wednesday, and went out to lunch, to see the "Bee Movie", and take care of a little holiday shopping while Grandma babysat Rhylan. We had a great time, although, I must say that Brayden isn't the best movie date-- he insisted on sitting at the opposite end of our row from me, rather than sitting next to me!!

After the movie, Brayden and I went and picked up Rhylan, and took off to the mall with Aunt Tera and Cousin Dylan so that the kids could visit with Santa. I must say that the Santa there might very well have been the most disgruntled Santa out there- just didn't seem too enthused to see kiddos, much less make small talk with them. Oh well, regardless, we got pictures (via my camera, since apparently the "elves" don't work at that mall except for a few weekend hours) for Grandma to have of her 3 grandsons. I am pretty sure that Brayden and Dylan had more fun playing in the little rides at the mall than they did visiting Santa!

HG in the news

Back in April, Dr. Phil did a show about Hyperemesis Gravadarum (the pregnancy disease that I had during my pregnancy with Rhylan). This was the first public "showing" of this disease and the impications that it can have. Since that time this horrible condition has been getting much more notice. This past week it made the NBC Nightly News, as well as their morning news show the next day. It isn't much, but 2 minutes of attention to such a life changing, rare, un-noticed condition, is a step in the right direction.

When I was diagnosed with HG, I had never heard of it, much less thought that I would live through it. Since that time I have made it through as a stronger person, with a stronger family, and a beautiful little miracle to show for it.

If you are reading this blog, it means that you are here because you are connected to our family in some way. I ask of you to just click the link below and join us in just a brief glimpse of the past year of our lives. Not to dwell on the bad, but to celebrate the good that has come out of it. Yes, there were times that were truly touch and go, but we are here as a wonderful, happy, family of four.... there are others out there that are not so lucky.....

Visiting Family

I took the boys to my hometown last week. My aunt, Bonnie, was visiting from California (very spur of the moment), so we went to see her, and the rest of the family. It was great timing, as my sister had 2 days off of work, so we were able to spend a lot of time together. She and I are best friends and don't get to see each other nearly as often as we would like. Brayden absolutely adores both Bethany, and her husband, Jason (aka Auntie Boo and Uncle Zerbert)... and the feelings are very much reciprocated! They are pretty much second parents for our kids- they love them, are great with them, and are the first to jump in to help with them, or even discipline.

It was wonderful to be able to visit for an entire week of family, old friends, and relaxing. I never thought that I would say this, but I wish we could move there- or at least in the vicinity. I really kind of felt a sense of sadness coming back here on Thursday. There is so much to do there- shopping, great restaurants, wonderful parks and family oriented activities, close to the city, and the biggest factor, family and true, life long friends.

Here are a few pictures from the week:

Auntie Boo getting ready to give Rhylan a bath (boy, was it nice to have a second "Mommy" giving me some time off!!).

Auntie Boo and Rhylan taking a snooze

Brayden and Rhylan hanging out

Brayden doing Karoke at one of our favorite Japanese restaurants (ok, I cheated, this was actually taken during our last visit, the week before- but it was too cute not to put in here!)

Bethany grew up as a competitive ice skater and continues to coach, part time. She is a wonderful skater, but even more wonderful with her ability to teach children in a loving and embracing way (she is a second grade teacher). Brayden has been begging for her to teach him how to ice skate for quite some time, and we finally had time for him to go during this last trip. At first he was really scared, but once we got him on the ice, he did pretty well. He didn't move too quickly, buy never fell, and by the last lap was going without holding her hand. I was quite the proud mommy as I watched him- he had a very proud great grandma and great aunt cheering him on from the side as well!!

Rhylan's Tree

Our Park District has a Grow With Me program for babies. If you sign up within your baby's first year, they will plant a tree in a neighborhood park to "grow" with your baby.

Rhylan had his tree planted yesterday. Brayden was in school, so he couldn't go, but Mommy, Daddy, and Rhylan braved the ferocious wind and cold to attend the planting. It was really neat to watch them plant this "baby" tree and know it will be there for him to always see. He also got a T-shirt and a map of where his tree is to commemorate the planting.

We did this when Brayden was a baby too, and now our boys have trees growing next to each other in the park down the street from our house.

Halloween.... it is finally over!

November is now here, and another year of Halloween festivities is just a memory.... until next year.

This past Tuesday, we met up with other members of my Mom's Group at another nursing home to have the children visit the residents. This was the first time that we had ever visited this home, and I think I will be arranging visits there again next year. (I organize the nursing home visits every year- it is just something that really means a lot to me.)

Here are 4 of our group's newest members getting ready to go on the Trick or Treat Parade.

Halloween Day Brayden had his class party at school, and wanted Rhylan (aka "Bubby") and me to join him. He decided to give the Fireman Costume a rest for that party, and instead dressed up as a Ghostbuster.

On our way home from his school, I had to stop at the store to pick up something- he was in luck, the grocery store was doing a "Monster Walk", so he was able to participate in that. Then we got home and got ready for trick or treating. We went with a couple of friends (and ran into a couple more!) to the recreation center and then to a local church.

It was a busy Halloween season, but Brayden really enjoyed it this year- and we had a lot of fun watching him having so much fun with all of the activities that he participated in.

I am not a fan of using this blog as a venue to draw attention to ailments or complaining. But, this is just too darn weird not to share!!

Our Halloween evening had actually not gone as planned, and we ended up at convenient care. When we went to get Brayden changed for the night, we noticed that he had HUGE welts on his legs. He had also had a reaction to a tattoo on his face (a picture of the tattoo can be seen in my post from the other day- the last picture, where he is with a couple of friends). It had started turning red around the tattoo, so I removed it with a little baby oil and a cotton ball a couple of days ago. The next day it was really red. The doctor noticed it when we were in for Rhylan's check up and said to keep an eye on it and come back in if it got any more red, inflammed, or any fever. Well, it was more red when I picked him up from school yesterday. So, we went to convenient care to play it safe before he was around anymore kids during trick or treating- and they really had no answers for us, other than he "probably" was allergic to some unknown thing, and again, if it gets worse to come back to the doctor.

This morning the welts were larger, and all over his body, his face looked worse, and he was running a low grade fever.... so, back we went. The doctor that we saw today was absolutely stumped! He called him a "dermatological mess". He is thinking that the welts are possibly severe hives, and the face is (as I suspect) a reaction to the tattoo, that he equated to a severe 2nd degree burn, that has become infected. It is weird though, because where the tattoo actually was is fine, it is the area around it that is affected- it looks like a rug burn, and then redness around that. (In the clear spot, you can clearly see the outline of the pumpkin shape that had been there- weird!) He isn't sure if the welts and the face are connected to one another, and doesn't know why they would be, but at the same time has no answers for them individually either. He prescribed a couple of different things, and we are keeping our fingers crossed that they work, and that Brayden is more comfortable soon. Poor little guy- Leave it to our family to have some crazy ailment that can't be figured out!