Poor Panther

Today Dain and I dropped off Panther (as you can see above, the world's best napper) to get spayed and de-clawed. Poor thing didn't know what was coming. We'll pick her up on Christmas Eve. Hopefully I'll be able to keep Dain mostly away from her while she heals! Butters has been looking for her all day.

Surgery Follow-up

Yesterday was Dain's 2nd follow-up appointment for his surgery. Here he is playing with the Dr's toys while we were waiting for his eyes to dilate. (By the way, it is NOT easy to force a toddler's eyes open for eye drops when he is squeezing them shut as tight as he can and screaming at the top of his lungs!)
Here's Dr. C (the surgeon) checking his eyes. He was a big boy and wanted to sit in the seat all by himself.
Dr. C was pleased with Dain's progress and says he's healing very well. We have to continue giving him eye drops at home 3 times a day until his stitches dissolve. Dr. C told me that's when the pink goes completely out of his eyes.
On a side note, I had to completely un-decorate then re-decorate the Christmas tree today. A toddler and a kitten are a very fatal combination! Needless to say, we are waiting until Christmas Eve to actually put gifts underneath it!

Cold, Cold Cold!

When we got up this morning, the outside temp was about -8 F, with the windchill at -14 F. Brrrrrrr!!!!! I think the high today was 5 above zero. Would have stayed in but I had to see the eye doc at 8 am this morning! We decided not to go play outside today. Unfortunately, we're expecting more of the same tomorrow. Good time to just bundle up and cuddle with the hubby, Dain and the kitties! (Who, by the way, as you can see below, are really good cuddlers!)

Dain and his surgery

On Thursday, Dec 4, Jeremy and I got up at the crack of dawn (acutally, earlier than that) to get Dain to the surgery center by 6:30 am. He enjoyed running around and saying hi to everyone in the waiting room before it was his turn to get ready for surgery.
Here are Dain and I gearing up for the surgery. I was holding him to keep him calm while the nurse took his stats, etc. He would not keep the hat on, but thought it was funny that I had to. He did enjoy playing with the heart monitor/oxygen monitor that clips over his finger.
When they were ready for him, I carried him to the OR (which is why I had to wear the gown, cap & booties.) Then came the hardest part for me. I laid him on the operating table, held his hands and talked to him while the anesthesiologist got him ready for general. Then the Dr put the mask over his face. After a minute of fighting, he was out. Then I had to leave. It's not easy leaving the life of your child in the hands of someone you just met.
Jeremy and I hung out in the waiting room for a little over an hour. When they called us back, Dain was already awake and not too happy!

Dain had to wear shields over his eyes all that day and night. We took them off the next day and never have been able to put them back on!

(We tried once, and you would think it was the end of the world.) At his next day post-op, Dr. C said that he looked great and was doing very well. We have another appointment to see her next week. I'll keep you posted.

Now Dain is doing really well! We have to give him eye drops 3 times a day, which he totally hates, but otherwise he doesn't even seem to remember that he had surgery. His eyes are so much straighter and he such a happy boy! (This picture was taken a few days after the surgery).

Dain's Surgery

Hello, blog followers! (Or should I say, Erin?) :) Well, Dain's surgery was this past Thursday, Dec 4. The surgery went very well and Dain did great. Just wanted to let you know. I will post more details and some pictures later on.
Thanks for all your prayers and support.

It's good to know

Well, I found why I miscarried 3 weeks ago. My doctor just called and she told me that I had a partial molar pregnancy. Basically now I have to get my HCG (human growth hormone) levels tested weekly for the next 3 weeks, then have monthly tests after that for a while. We also can't even think about trying for another baby for a minimum of 6 months. Please click on the link I've provided for some good information in non-medical terms. It helped me to understand what happened.

It is also helpful to know why we lost the baby. This baby would never have made it - it had too many chromosomes.

It's good to know.

Halloween Pictures

Why Dain doesn't need to go Trick-or-Treating....

Where's all the good stuff?

Shiver me Timbers!

Hello? Oh hi! There's no candy left here! Go to the next house please!

Yesssss! Jackpot!

Introducing Panther!

Remember the poll I posted about 3 months ago after our little Tigger died? Well, we decided finally to go with the majority vote. Which was... get a new kitty for Butters!

Meet Panther, the newest member of the family! We just got her on Thursday, Oct 30. She's about 3 months old. Isn't she cute?

Sad Announcement

Dear Friends and Family,
On Wednesday, Jeremy and I lost another baby (making this our 3rd loss). I was about 8 1/2 weeks pregnant. While we struggle with understanding why these things happen (and to us, 3 times) we also are holding firm to the faith we have that we will get to meet our 3 lost babies when we get to heaven. God just decided that He would rather have these little ones home with him rather than subject them to the pain and sorrow of this world for which we are grateful!
It also makes us so much more thankful for Dain, and for what a miracle and gift from God he truly is.
Thank you all for being such a loving and caring "family". Please think of us and pray for us as we grieve the loss of yet another little one.

It's been a while...

Ok, wow! I just realized how long it's been since I posted anything. I'm sorry! Guess things have just been really busy for me lately. Here's an update on our lives:
Jeremy went hunting for elk this past weekend. Unfortunately, there were no elk to be found. I'm sorry that we won't be enjoying elk steak, elk burger, elk summer sausage, etc. this winter. I was so looking forward to it!
I've been keeping busy! I have MOPS twice a month, plus a MOPS committee meeting once a month. I also joined my church's weekly women's Bible study of Ruth, which I have really been enjoying. I watch my niece about once a week, and still do a little bit of accounting work on the side. I've also been getting back into some of my hobbies - cross-stitching and sewing. I'm currently working on window treatments for my bedroom and for Dain's bedroom. All this plus being a full-time mommy!
Dain's doing great. We had his CT scan today and it went well. They had to use general anesthesia to keep him still. He had a bit of a hard time waking up, but recovered pretty easily. What a champ! We should know soon when his surgery will be scheduled.
Dain has recently decided his two favorite phrases are "uh-oh" (used at some of the right times, but mostly just for fun) and "thank you." Thank-you is used whenever he hands us something. Kids are so funny!
I will post pictures soon.

Dain's eyes

Today was our 1st consultation with the ophthalmologist, Dr. C. She did a very thorough examination of Dain's eyes, including dilation. There was one test she did with prisms to measure the extent of Dain's crossing. 1 is perfectly straight, with 50 being as bad as you can get. Well... guess what, Dain measured a 50.
Technically, Dain has what is called Strabismus, which means the 2 eyes don't line up. The form of strabismus he has is a mixture of Congenital and Accommodative Esotropia (eye turns inward). He also has a chance of developing Amblyopia, (or may already have it) which means that he sees better out of one eye than the other (thus the patching to prevent it).
Dr. C said that with patients in the 30 - 50 range, she typically recommends surgery. So, here we go! So far we haven't nailed down the time-frame for the actual surgery. However, Dr. C wanted to do a few more measurements to make sure that his degree of crossing stays steady. She has also recommended that we get a CT scan done in order to rule out the minute possibility of any neurological problems that could cause the strabismus.
Please pray that God will give us wisdom in moving forward, and for peace for Dain's mommy and daddy who are a bit apprehensive about the prospect of their little boy having any kind of surgery.

More pictures of Dain

Respecting and Remembering 9/11

This evening the TV happened to be tuned to the History channel. There was a program on (it's actually been running for 20 minutes as I write this) called "102 minutes that changed America." It is footage from that awful day 7 years ago. I made it through the first 15 minutes of it and had to turn it off. Watching it made me feel as I felt exactly 7 years ago when we watched it live on TV. My heart is in my throat and I still have wet tears on my face.
What happened to the righteous anger that we had 7 years ago? What happened to our passion for justice? Why should terrorists, who have no consideration for the right to live of the thousands of people they killed that day, be granted "rights" today?
On one hand, it is very hard to remember what happened that day. No one likes to re-visit the pain, the tears, the incredible suffering and death that took place. However, maybe it can serve to rekindle that passion, that anger, that love of our country!
Today, let's take some time to remember those who unwittingly lost their lives because of terrorists, those who willingly gave theirs to save some that would have otherwise been lost, and to pray for all the families that lost someone because of that terrible day of tragedy.
Let's also look forward to the future... the bright, beautiful future of living in this country, this gift from God, who has said, "Vengeance is mine."

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I saw this book at Costco, then heard lots about it, so I decided to give it a try.

I really enjoyed this book.

The story is about a young man who suffers a major loss and then finds himself working with a circus. At the circus he meets my favorite character of the story, Rosie, who also excited my sympathy.

There were parts of the story that I did not like, such as animal cruelty and a "sex scene" which is why I rated the book a 4.

However, the story puts an interesting spin on life during the Depression.

I enjoyed reading it very much and have already passed it along to another reader.


View all my reviews.

New Pictures

Well, we broke down and bought a new digital camera. We've been using one that we bought 6 years ago for approx. $400, and it doesn't do half of what a $150 digital camera does today. So I played with the new one quite a bit and got some cute pictures. Enjoy!

Dain in our front yard by the flower bed. He practically posed for this one!

Our one and only kitty, Butters. Doing what he does best... being cute and cuddly. Oh yeah, and sleeping. He does that a lot.

Goofing around outside.

This is a rare moment indeed... Dain is not pulling Butters' tail, and Butters is not running away. Yet.

Silly boy!

Heeeee's Baaaack!

Hooray!
The little terror we traveled with to Nebraska(aka Dain) is gone! Back is the sweet little boy we're used to. Laugh and play all day... with the occasional mishap... Welcome back, son! At least for today. :)

Lisey's Story by Stephen King

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Although this book had a very slow start (it took me a few days to actually get into it), once it got going it was captivating. Stephen King once again strikes with horror... only this time it is the horror inside the human psyche. It is a very dark novel, but provides light at the end of the tunnel. I would recommend this book to someone who doesn't mind dark reading and has the time to invest in a good book.


View all my reviews.

Road Trip, Labor Day and pictures

Well, yesterday we got home from a short road trip to NE. We went for Jeremy's childhood friend Brandon's wedding on Saturday, in which Jeremy was a groomsman. I was designated as Dain-chaser. Dain was not a very easy kid to travel with, and we caught our first glimpses of the two's, which seem to be starting a bit early! He learned how to throw a tantrum to a captive audience (in the car) which gave Mommy and Daddy a headache! I'm so thankful that the trip is over! Unfortunately, there were no pictures taken in NE.

Today, after a nice long sleep (even Dain slept in till almost 8 am) we decided to go to the zoo since Jeremy has the day off. We met up with my parents and 2 of Dain's cousins. Here are a few pictures from it:

I guess this is from Jeremy playing with the camera or something.

Here's Dain with Grandpa on his first Carousel ride ever! He was a bit unsure but liked it by the end of the ride.

Jeremy and Dain at the playground at the zoo. Dain loved the slide!

Dain and Jeremy watching the grizzly play underwater. What a cool exhibit!

I need your opinion! :)

Well, with the unfortunate and untimely passing of our cat Tigger, Butters has been pretty lonesome. Jeremy and I are kicking around the idea of getting a kitten for Butters. However, we are unsure as to whether or not Dain would kill it. :) He tends to abuse Butters pretty well, but Butters is a BIG cat and Dain can't really hurt him. I do spend all day with Dain, so supervision with a kitten wouldn't be too hard and it would be a good way to teach him how to be more gentle. What do you think? I posted a poll and would love your opinion!

Updates

Hi, I'm back! Sorry about the long lag of no blogs. We had Jeremy's dad visiting from CA and Jeremy's grandma visiting from MD. Both stayed with us for about 2 weeks so I didn't really have a lot of free time. We had a nice time visiting. Dain had a blast having 2 more people around to play with. I think right now he's kind of wondering where they went, just as he was getting used to having them around. Here's a picture from when we went to the zoo on Wednesday, the first sunny day we had during their visit.

Dain's eyes: On Tuesday, we saw Dr. P. He has recommended that we have a consultation with a surgeon to discuss the surgery Dain will need. We're not in a hurry, and have time to "shop around." However, he did say that if the surgery is done before Dain turns 2, he has a better chance at developing better binocular vision. I'll keep you updated, as we haven't heard from Dr. P. that he's ready for us to make the appointment yet.

Tigger: Due to some questions about my prior post (remembering Tigger), here's what happened (I won't share too many details). To preface, we live on the very edge of town where there is still quite a bit of wildlife around. Tigger didn’t come home Thursday morning, which happens sometimes. Thursday night we still hadn’t seen her. Yesterday (Friday) morning, Jeremy looked out window and saw her in the small field behind our house. He went outside and took a closer look… it looked like the coyotes got her. I ended up burying her after Jeremy left for work – I didn’t want to leave her out there all day. Needless to say, I cried most of the day yesterday and I think it will take me a while to get over losing her.

Well, to brighten things up, here's another picture of Dain with yet another new toy. :) His aunt Carrie recently bought a motorcycle as her Master's Degree graduation present, and Dain thought it looked like something she should have gotten for him .

Tigger

Tigger - April 2002 - August 21, 2008

Goodbye my sweet Tigger, my baby girl. I miss you so much!

Cooling Off

Thankfully, the last few days have cooled the weather down a bit. We've had rain, and yesterday only saw the sun for maybe an hour! (This is unusual in the area where I live, where we get 300 days of sun a year.) The downside is that all the rain we didn't get in July saved itself up and dumped on us within the span of 3 days. Well... we're always thankful when we get it! At least I haven't been lusting after the neighbor's AC unit lately. :)

Dain's new favorite toy

Dain has a new favorite toy... he kept playing with it at bedtime tonight. Guess there's more than one use for everything! He thinks it's more fun than his real toys!

Here's Dain without his glasses, right before bed. :)

Swimming Time!

Today Dain and I went swimming. The weather continues to be in the high 80's to low 90's. We don't get to go every day but love it when we can! Dain has gotten more and more comfortable in the water. He loves it now! Here are some pictures from today.

Playing in the kiddie pool.

Taking a break for a snack!

Remembering a friend

Yesterday I went to a memorial service for a friend of mine who passed away earlier this month, Martin Jollie (known as Jollie). He passed away from cancer. I knew Jollie from working with him at Mission Training International . He was an amazing chef and a good friend. He watched out for me like a big brother. He always made sure that whatever lunch was being served, there was an option for my specialized diet needs. He leaves behind his beautiful wife Jennifer and his 4-year old son Derek. It is not known whether he decided to make a decision for Christ in the last days of his life. He was 2 months shy of his 40th birthday when he passed away.

Oh, boy!

One thing I forgot to mention yesterday is that Dain figured out how to open doors. Uh-oh! I think he's actually had it figured out for a while, he just hasn't been able to reach the handle (we have levers instead of doorknobs). Yesterday, he got up on his very tippy-toes and just barely caught the handle... and found out that the door opened when he did that! Oh, man. Now there's going to be no way to contain that kid!
Jeremy and I have been hooked on the Wii - especially Mario Kart. We've been playing it so much that now I dream about it. In fact, at this moment Jeremy's playing while Dain's napping!

Random Updates

Well - here I am. I'm sorry it's been a while. Things are always crazy around here, but at the same time not much actually happens! :) Here are my updates:

Dain (& glasses): Dain saw Dr. P today and although his eyes are more straight than they've been in a while, Dr. P is concerned we will never get them fully corrected with just eye therapy. He pretty much told me today that surgery for Dain is inevitable. :( It kind of makes me feel sick to my stomach to think of Dain in surgery! However, Dr. P is VERY conservative and would not even say this unless he truly knew that was the only way to fix things. Bummer!!!!
Otherwise, Dain is still charming the socks off every lady (and most men) he meets. He loves spending most of his time outdoors, either at the pool or at home in the sandbox. He likes to walk around the neighborhood and meet the neighbors, with Mommy in tow.
He's got most of his molars in now. But he's started drooling alot, and I noticed now he's getting his canine (bi-cuspid?) teeth in.

Jeremy: not a lot to report there. Jeremy is still really enjoying his new job and is excelling at it. He's been playing in a summer competitive baseball league and really enjoying it! He also went fishing a couple weekends ago and brought home some trout. I don't like fish, so we gave them to my parents. :) He longs for the day when Dain is old enough to enjoy camping, hiking and fishing one-on-one with Daddy.

Me: still working 2 small ministries (accounting work) during nap time, which provides a little extra income but not much free time! I've lost 35 lbs now, which means that I have 25 to go. There IS light at the end of the tunnel! I've been enjoying an expanded wardrobe as this week, I went down a size and am now officially in my pre-pregnancy clothes! Took me long enough! :) I've now officially got a tan on my legs after spending time at the pool this week with Dain. It was in the 90's this week. Thankfully things have cooled down a bit with some rain. Can't say I haven't been lusting over my neighbor's new A/C unit though!

Extended family: Remember my nephew that was born at the end of May? Well, here he is with his daddy Josh. Thought this picture was too cute not to post.



Cats: somebody left this on my back porch today. I don't know who it was, Tigger or Butters... but soon after I took this picture the mouse disappeared...

Mommy Diaries Book Review

The Mommy Diaries: Finding Yourself in the Daily Adventure by Tally Flint

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I received this book from MOPS in my membership packet for the upcoming fall semester. I really enjoyed the stories from many moms - who go through the same things I go through as the mother of a toddler. There were also moms who go through things much worse than I can imagine... and it made me thankful. I think the best thing I got from this book is that you can learn from every situation and you can control your attitude!


View all my reviews.

Pictures from March

I know these are a bit late... but my aunt just emailed these to me. They're cuter than the ones I took. They are from Dain's 1st birthday in March.

Cake Time!

With Grandma C.

Playing with Cousin Bree.

Chillin' with Mommy.

About the Pets...

We have two cats: 6-yr old Tigger, the female, and almost 2-yr old Butters, the male. They tolerate each other. :)
At our old house, Tigger was an outdoor cat, so she was also a hunter. When we moved into our new house 1 1/2 years ago, we had her declawed and kept her inside because of coyotes around here. We also got Butters right after we moved in and had him declawed as soon as he was old enough - and he's always been an indoor kitty.
Well, this summer, we decided to start letting them outside during the day since the coyotes seem to have mostly disappeared.
Lo and behold, our declawed Butters is a mouser! And, I have actual proof of it right here.

Here he is guarding his mousie already dead).

Tigger had to investigate... I don't think she believed that he actually caught a real mouse...

Here he is wild-eyed and starting to play with the mousie before eating it (pictures I did NOT take.)

He's still playing...

while Tigger looks on in disbelief.

Daddy and Dain just thought it was all a lot of fun!