Restless Night

Last night, our realtor came over at 8pm. We signed many, many papers to put an offer in on a property we found. We've been searching for a few months now, for a one story home, with more space and more of a yard. Our realtor left here at 10pm, which is very late for us! While completing the paperwork, Amelia and Ava came down from their room. Super proud Amelia lost her second tooth (bottom center). We went to bed, while the girls were still awake and giddy in their room. We couldn't fall asleep either. We were very restless thinking about our offer, and with that offer being accepted having to prep this house for sale. The tooth fairy paid a visit at some point in the night...it's all a blur.... Jenna had a different kind of night - waking up screaming at 1:15am. This was odd, so I went in and sat with her in the rocker. She was perfectly content in my arms, but did not want to get out of my arms for 2 hours. We were all restless last night, but not Drew. He slept soundly. He had his restless night the night before - up until 3am.

We were hoping to hear something today about our offer, but the offer did not go in until late today, so maybe tomorrow. Could be some major changes coming soon...

Party Girl

Yesterday we celebrated Grandma's 70th Birthday at Legal Seafood in Bethesda. We had a great lunch with grandma, grandpa and Steve's family. We then went to grandma's house for cake. This picture was taken of an exhausted Jenna sleeping with her daddy here at home after all the festivities. It's rare for Jenna to sleep on anyone's chest - she's just too busy for that....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO GRANDMA!!

Jenna's Favorite Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc2jsjnt-HY

First Day of School

The kids started school TODAY! Drew is in middle school with his new teacher Ms. Anne, Amelia in 1st grade with Ms. Brown and Ava returning to Montessori pre-school with Miss Heidi. The kids did great this morning. This afternoon, Ava reports having a great time, Amelia was all smiles when I picked her up, and we are still here at 4pm waiting for Drew to come home to see how he did!

Relief....

The kids start school on Monday and to finish up with our Back to School List...tonight I took the older girls for haircuts. The standard inch or two cut for Amelia. For Ava - I asked the stylist to go shorter to Ava's shoulders or even higher. I never know with Ava what will make her happy fashion wise. She's pretty particular about her "look", so I was nervous and watched her very closely for signs that she might freak out right there in the hair cut chair. The first picture I took was her as she was getting her cut. Can you tell, if she's happy or not with her "do"? I sure couldn't. So, we waited extra long it seemed while Ava got her hair blown dry and even styled. She came off her chair with a huge smile, but still you don't know with Ava until you're outside alone. So out we go and still smiles, as you can see in the second photo. Amelia even gave her the thumbs up and asked her, "What did the guy do Ava, give you more hair?" Pheeeeew! All was right with the world tonight!!

Family Adventure - MAINE!!!!

I've been asking Dave to take us to Maine and Acadia National Park for awhile. With some free hotel nights accumulated, Dave with a lot of vacation time to use, with summer winding down, and cheap gas for "Big Red" a plan easily fell into place.

We left last Saturday - the 7th. I love how excited the kids get for our trips. Not only had they been asking for days "when are we leaving", but the night before, the girls came in our room at about 11pm and said that their beds were made - they were going to sleep on the floor and were ready to go. I've asked them this summer to start making their beds and to get dressed themselves before they come down for breakfast, so with beds made they thought they were one step closer to Maine! We left bright and early and after hours of I95 NE traffic through Connecticut arrived at our first destination - Hope Valley, Rhode Island (home to Ken, Cassie, Amanda & Kenny). The kids loved their time with their friends -playing in the pool, with the pets and riding the go-cart -oh yes, and their first sleepover with Amanda. Dave and Ken spent the night hanging out by the infamous fire pit. We had a great time.

We woke up Sunday morning, hung out and left for N. Conway, New Hampshire. We made good time, did not see a moose and arrived at our hotel with attached water park. The water park was Amelia's favorite part of the trip. She went down slide after slide and loved it. Jenna took a spill on the kiddie water slide - falling backwards down about 5 steps into about a foot deep of water. She landed face up and was under water until Dave rescued her in about a milliseconds time. Jenna was no worse for the wear, but we were freaked and that was it - no more pool for Jenna. At night, we set out for a moose hunt again, but no moose! The next morning we climbed (yes Drew too) up a rocky mountainside to check out the overlook which looked down on the town. After this treacherous feat we left for Maine!

We had lunch at a lake in Maine and arrived at Bar Harbour, Maine to find our hotel room reservation was incorrect, so we were upgraded to the property "Blue Nose Inn". I was worried to see only steps to get into the location and asked the front desk attendant if any buildings had an elevator, she said yes that we would be "very pleased" with the King Suite we would be staying in. I kept this tidbit from Dave, so he was super pleased to see all the space. The King Suite, (aka sparkly hotel) was awesome! Two rooms, sparkling chandeliers, a fireplace, huge bathroom and a view three stories up,overlooking the harbour. Awesome! We did eat a "fancy" dinner in the hotel restaurant overlooking the bay. Amelia had her first taste of lobster - which she declared was "chewy". We hit the spa swimming pool and then crashed after such a long day. A favorite for Dave and I, waking up before the kids and each sneaking out separately to enjoy a quiet cup of coffee as the sun rose over the harbour - really, really beautiful. We also watched as the 3000+ passenger cruise ship as it pulled into port. When we were all awake and ready to set out, we decided to head to the town and walk around. We had breakfast and went on a two hour nature cruise. We saw seals, birds, eagles, dolphin, caves, cliffs and Acadia National Park from a different perspective. After the cruise, we drove through Acadia, purchased Drew his Acadia National Park pin for his jacket (he's collecting them as he criss-crosses the country touring National Parks) and had to head about an hour away to our hotel in Bangor. I think I now need to spend more time in Acadia!!!

The hotel in Bangor unfortunately did not have a pool. We survived the night though walking outside in a very, very slight rain with our umbrellas to the nearby Toys R Us - where everything was SO COOL!

We left Bangor Wednesday morning and stopped in Freeport, ME at the LL Bean store. We continued on to our final stop in Hartford, Connecticut. More pool time and then back home. One last stop we hit the Crayola Factory in Easton, PA. Here Ava did tell some boys she met who she was, and that she was on an "adventure". Home by 4pm with a very upset Amelia traveling accross the state line into Maryland from Pennsylvania shouting "KEEP DRIVING TO VIRGINIA - I DON'T WANT TO GO HOME TO MARYLAND!!!!!!!!!"....

hip & spine

We took Andrew to see his doctors at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore back in June for a follow up in their Cerebral Palsy clinic. I haven't taken Andrew to see these docs in about two years due to my pregnancy, and really because I don't get anything out of these appointments. It was time, and we did need to go.

Here's what we were told:
After a hip x-ray (standard procedure) I was shocked to find out that Andrew's right hip is completely out of the socket - "a complete right hip dislocation". I had heard of other children with this issue, but it was completely off my radar as an issue that might come up with Andrew. This type of thing is commonplace in kids like Andrew who do not walk, and do not use their muscles properly. Right away the doctors asked was Andrew in any pain? Well.. not that I could see or tell. I can tell when Andrew is in pain, but I couldn't tell you for 100 certainty. We were given two options for treatment - Option #1- hip reconstruction which would involve cutting bone, reshaping bone, pins, casts and the works. Andrew would be hospitalized for several days with a pretty intense surgery and afterwards be put in a heavy cast from chest down to feet. It would not be guaranteed that this surgery would fix the problem forever. We were told there is a large chance that the hip would come right back out of the socket even with the surgery. Option #2 - was to wait and see. Andrew could go through life and never show any pain and be fine with his hip this way. There are people with this condition living through it without issue. There is a chance though with the bones rubbing together that Andrew will develop painful arthritis. With Andrew not walking and probably never walking, and him not showing any pain, this surgery didn't seem like the way to go. The doctors said to come back in 4-5 months for another x-ray and assessment, and also for a bone density scan which would check if Andrew's bones were weakening -(another concern for kids with issues like Andrew). Hard to believe that Andrew's bones would be weak- he drinks nothing but milk, milk, milk......

The other issue of concern is Andrew's spine (scoliosis). We were watching this in Andrew. At last visit several years ago Andrew did have a slight curve, and we were told to watch it. With Andrew's growth, the x-ray that was taken in June (taken on a hard chair that Andrew was not sitting in with any kind of support) the curve was showing to be 67%. Which is hugely alarming. Anything over 70% is major and can effect Drew's organs - especially his lungs. The doctors at Kennedy said we would also follow this closely and next time take the x-ray with Andrew lying down. The optimally x-ray is sitting, but Andrew cannot sit on his own. To help this issue, the doctors can operate on the spine, by fusing the spine together which would get in the way of Andrew's growing. Andrew is at the age where his growth should be taking off. The doctors did offer that we see an Orthopedist to be fitted for a TLSO (Thoraco Lumbo Sacral Orthosis- Body Jacket). This would not improve the scoliosis, but would offer Andrew better posture and couldn't hurt. Andrew was measured for his body jacket. We did pick it up the other day. Andrew is to wear it an hour a day, increasing an hour per day until he is wearing it whenever he is in his wheelchair throughout the day. Fun....

We did take Andrew to a doctor at Children's this past week to get a second opinion. X-rays were taken again. The hip was the same. The doctor there thought that even with surgery Andrew's hip would likely pop out again. He agreed best bet would be to wait and see - no surgery. His team does though do several of these surgeries a week. The doctor did touch Andrew's leg and actually thought his hip joint was very loose and with a bit of tugging right there in front of us, he thought he actually popped the hip back in place! ( No worries - Andrew did not flinch while the doctor touched his legs.) The doctor also was very concerned with the scoliosis. He did take the x-ray lying on the table where the curve was only 17% and Andrew's spine was very flexible. I'm told that was good, but this doctor was very, very concerned with that 67% reading on the x-ray at Kennedy. So, for now we wait several months and check on the hip and spine then. At this time, Andrew seems no worse for the wear with the whole thing.... just another worry for Dave and I................

16 months

Jenna at 16 months old is becoming more and more independent. She wants to eat in a regular chair and use her spoon and fork herself. She'll resist you if you try to sit her in her high chair. She knows how to help you dress her -moving her arms and legs into her clothes. She climbs all over the place - chairs, tables, stools, steps....She LOVES to run around with her sisters and scream a high pitched screech to get their attention and signal to them it's time to RUN! We've been at the pool a lot this summer and Jenna is definately enjoying that. We've tried her swimming alone with her floaties, but she doesn't have that down yet. My mom says Jenna is "one tough cookie", which does describe her for sure. She's right there with her sisters on our outdoor water slide and slip and slide - slipping and sliding and getting right back up again to go again. When Andrew needs a toy, she'll run to get him one of his favorites and put it on his lap. The dishwasher isn't as much fun anymore, but anytime Jenna hears the click of the stove she comes running. She's scared of the food processor -even seeing me get it out from the cabinet starts immediate tears. She will go get her book or baby when you ask her too. She's cute feeding her baby and really now enjoys looking at her books with you. She still loves her animal sounds and can mimic a cow and sheep for sure. She'll say "bubbles and pop". Jenna isn't as leary of our family and new people anymore, so that is nice. Jenna is down to one nap a day around noon and sleeps for a few hours which is a nice break for me. Her nights are going pretty well. Still goes to sleep great at 7:30pm, but will cry out around 1:00am now and then up at between 5:00 - 6:00am. Off now to clean up the CD's that Jenna has taken down off the shelves.....

What's This?

Tonight at dinner a certain someone was eating grilled zucchini and didn't seem to be appreciating it - with only one bite eaten the rest had miracuolosuly disappeared. Then...right there....it hit me..... "open the drawer", I said to this certain someone. This is what was found.... a block of Lunchables cheese, fruit snacks, vitamins, ham, lettuce, bananas, fish stick and the rest of that zucchini - all dried up......We had no idea. Pretty sneaky - even getting past our resident Criminal Investigator.... :)