Epilepsy: Walk for CURE

Check this out... (page 3 & 5)

http://www.towncourier.com/clients/towncourier/UrbanaCourierPart1.pdf

Today

I am 40 years old....

A Celebration

Today Grandpa turned 75. We all surprised him! Family came from Massachusetts, New York and Virginia. We had a great lunch at Positanos in Bethesda. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA!

More Trouble....

That's Jenna standing on a chair to reach the lamp, then there's Jenna trying to get up the stairs by standing on a box to get over the gate, and then there's Jenna through the kitchen window trying to get outside to play with her sisters in the backyard. Jenna has unlatched all the child-proof cabinet locks and has found cabinets I didn't even know I had. She's got all my cabinet contents turned upside down, inside out. She's trying to turn the stove on. When Jenna has something she isn't supposed to have, she runs up to show you, and then takes off running and laughing. Jenna's also has learned that the tv is on a lot, and will be the first in the morning to get the remote to turn the tv on and off, and if that doesn't work she can go over and push the buttons on the tv to make things happen. Pheeewww........ I think I need a break!! I don't remember Amelia and Ava this all over the place.

Epilepsy: WALK FOR CURE

Check this out....
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=103937

Epilepsy: WALK FOR CURE

On Saturday May 8th at 8:45 am, our family will be walking to benefit Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE). The Walk will be at the Middletown Park Shelter in Middletown, MD. I am helping my good friend Colette with getting the word out for this Walk. Her daughter Anna and our Andrew have suffered with daily seizures for most of their lives.

I have also set up a page for Andrew on the CURE website. His page is: http://cure.convio.net/goto/Andrew

The Website for CURE is: www.CUREepilepsy.org.

Colette has arranged the entire walk, refreshments and entertainment. Please come out and join us!!

12 month check up

Doctor today for 12 month check-up. Jenna weighs 19lbs 12oz (25%) and is 30.5 inches tall (85%). This is the curve she has been on for awhile. Doctor still wants me to keep up with vitamin iron drops due to Jenna's blood being slightly below normal. Everything else checks out great! Jenna is due back at 15 months. At this time Jenna has three bottom teeth and 2 teeth coming in on the top. She's walking faster now - almost running, climbing the stairs when allowed and into EVERYTHING. She says baba, mama, daddy, who-dat and ma. She's very easy going, but still acts shy and even will cry a heartbreak sounding cry with some people. She's sleeping better at night, but still up once or so, but at least she goes longer stretches and is rarely awake during the night. Her two naps seem to be working now towards the one afternoon nap. She still is most amused by Ava and her silliness. She'll crawl over Drew, steal his cup and ride on him like a horse. Amelia really would rather be doing other things than play with Jenna, but when Amelia gives Jenna the time, Jenna loves it. Jenna loves to play where the girls chase her and make the loop through the kitchen, they all get super silly over that one. Another favorite thing for Jenna is to pull things out of places, wipes out of their box, pots out of the cabinets, books off of shelves...etc....I think that sums it up......Where did this past year go?

Sanibel & Easter

Last week our family spent the week with Grannie and Uncle Jon at my mom's Sanibel timeshare. I have been visiting Sanibel since 1973. Sanibel is my favorite vacation spot. I love it! I'm enjoying now that I am a mom showing the kids the beach and the search for shells, and watching all the unique birds and wildlife. As a family we walk the same beaches I did as a kid, my kids collect their treasures and bring them home just as I did, we swim in the same pool with families where the kids that I swam with now have their own kids. I just love it, and I know Dave and the kids are right there with me!

We drove in "Big Red" once again and knock on wood we made it! Our van is very comfortable, but old looking and sounding. It's done the trick so far! We stopped in Georgia on Friday night, and got to Sanibel on Saturday afternoon. The kids spent hours in the pool meeting tons of kids. Amelia wanted goggles and now is swimming all over the pool under the water. We took our morning walks for coffee and shell hunting on the beach. Amelia and Ava loved to come back from their shell hunting to sort through their shells and separate them by type and Ava by color. We all enjoyed showing Jenna the pool, the sand and ocean. Dave went fishing and caught a few, while Drew and I sat in the surf as we love to do, and the girls gathered all the coconuts on the beach and threw them back into the bay - over and over again! I do think Jenna enjoyed most exploring the condo and how many coffee tables she could crawl under and how many toys she could beat up against or try to stuff into the VCR, or bang on top of the coffee table, or pull clothes out of suitcases, or plugs out of walls, or you name it....she did it!!!.........

We did take it easy in the sun and enjoyed our time with Uncle Jon and Grannie. The girls decorated eggs and had an egg hunt. Jenna turned one on Friday. She enjoyed her cake - maybe a little too much - vomiting throughout our last night there. I don't know if it was ocean water or too much chocolate, but by morning she was fine and did fine on our drive home. We drove home on Saturday and arrived home Easter Sunday. Amelia did want to come home only to see if the Easter Bunny came, but when we turned off to our exit after a zillion hours in the car, Amelia was the only one to be disappointed that we were now home. Amelia has her extensive shell collection to remember her trip by, while Ava has her tiny, but all pink shell collection for her momento. Happy Birthday to my baby Jenna and Happy Easter!

Came home to find a letter from Ava's 3 year old pre-school class that she has missed 19 days of school this school year and could the staff there do anything to help us get her attendance back on track? Hmmmmmm.......

(I couldn't decide on my photos - I know there are a lot! )

Happy FIRST Birthday Jenna!

Jenna turned ONE on Friday, April 2nd while we were vacationing in Florida. The girls of the family were up bright and early and walked to the beach to watch the sunrise. After spending the day in the sun, Jenna had presents to open, a special birthday dinner and a chocolate cake. The pictures above show some of Jenna's special day.

HAPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BABY!!