Well, here we are...

It's another week, and well, the news has not been so good.

My husband's best friend, Brack, passed away Friday evening. Earlier last week, Mike went on a early morning walk and found him him sitting in his pick up truck hunched over the steering wheel. He walked up to him and woke him up, he was disoriented and from what Mike said, wasn't doing so well. He helped him into the house, sat him down in his chair and made him some coffee. He woke his wife up, she had no idea he had left the house. Mike told her he would start coming to check every morning to make sure everything was locked up around the house and that Brack was inside (he takes his walks around 5-5:30 in the morning). She felt better knowing there was going to be another set of eyes on the place. Thursday, Mike got the call that Brack had been placed in hospice in Downtown Fort Worth, he was becoming a threat to himself with falling and not being able to communicate anymore. She told Mike to come up that day to see him, she wasn't sure if he would make it through the weekend. I wanted to go up with him, but by the time his last class let out (he was subbing for another teacher in the evening), both kids were in bed asleep after a hard day. We planned to go up together Friday night. Mike said he was sedated and not responsive. His wife, his ex-wife and his sister in law were all there, his daughter was booking a flight to come in from California. Friday at 5:30, Mike got the call that Brack passed away. He went directly up there to support his wife and the rest of the family. The funeral is Wends. at 2. He's been so strong though this, I know he is hurting. They have been buds for over 20 years. I keep telling him it's OK to break down and if he needs to, do it, but he said he needs to stay strong right now for Brack's wife.

Along with this news, we had a pedi. appt. with the kids doctor, Marshall in for his 15 month check and Madeline in to get a referral to get her back into Occupational Therapy. Marshall is doing wonderful, 21 lbs, 29 1/2 inches tall and healthy as can be.

Madeline was a different story. Wends. when I picked Madeline up from school, her teacher pulled me aside and said she is having a problem focusing, sitting still and keeping from fidgeting. I have always known she was a active child, but she described Madeline as having the activity level of a hyper-active boy. I didn't realize it was that high. I know her teacher last year for their pre-school program had a heck of a time keeping her busy doing something. Anyway, while we were there at the doctors, I mentioned this too her and she said she's always known Madeline has a higher than average activity level, and was waiting for the day I would bring it up. (I was like, Thanks, kinda my 1st kid, I was thinking this was in the "normal" range). Anyway, she said she thinks it is time for Madeline to get a diagnosis on paper. She's been in therapy (either speech, occupational, physical or all at once) since she was 9 months old. With her starting public school next year, she will need a IEP and we were already denied one (eval when she was 3 and aged out of Early Childhood Intervention) because she was academically advanced. They knew there were other problems when they did the eval, but since it wasn't directly affecting her learning capabilities, they were not going to offer services. With a on paper diagnosis, they cannot deny her services and this will help her with not being labeled a "problem child" with her activity level, her outbursts of gibberish/noises, and the list can go on. I knew this day was coming, but I didn't want it too. She's going to be labeled. She is already a special girl and would have had to have a 504 due to her medical issues, food allergies and Celiac Disease. I know in the long run this will do nothing but benefit her, but it still hurts. I was in hopes, that with us catching everything early (her speech, her developmental delays, her sensory issues, etc...) that the therapy would help her catch up and she would adapt with the help of the therapy services alone before this would happen. I knew it wouldn't, but that tiny little hope is always here, and now I feel it's been crushed. I sat down to fill out the paperwork this weekend, she's been referred to the Child Study Center for her evals (her doctor recommended a eval on the autism spectrum and also ADD/ADHD). Having to fill out her history, going through the therapy reports, her medical records, everything hitting at once, it was like having to re-live some of it all over again. You are searching and searching for the right documents, find it, then sit down to read it, for the hundredth time. You know what it says, but there maybe a chance you missed something, so you read it again, then it brings you back to that time when it took place. I right now have mostly everything filled out and will hand deliver the application this week to them and then hurry up and wait. The front office said they receive a average of 30 applications a month and their review board has to go over each one, and if any information is missing, it's kicked back to start the process all over again (talk about insult to injury). I am triple checking everything right now before it gets turned in. After the review board, you should hear something within 6 weeks to set up a eval with the developmental pedi, psychologist, therapist and then to actually get in to do the eval could take months and months to get into a spot. I feel like I am running a up-hill battle, hoping to make it to the top and not to be kicked back down to the bottom. In the long run, this will benefit my girl, that is what keeps me going.

What a week!

We have been busy, busy, busy - lots of pic this week!

Last Thursday I got a call from my kids GI saying the results of Madeline's X-Ray were in, she was "backed up" and either he could admit her into the hospital to clear everything out, or that we could try at home with some Magnesium Citrate, we decided to try it at home first, and lets just say, this was done over the weekend - it worked without a hitch (thank goodness because I didn't want a stay in the hospital with her, she is really sensitive to things and I believe that would have hurt her greatly :( ).

Friday, Madeline had a eye appointment and Marshall got his first haircut. I am in shock that my baby boy is now 16 months old and it was time for a haircut. He did good, he was brave and didn't fuss too much.

Madeline's script for her glasses changed again, it went up this time due to she's been complaining about headaches and her eyes hurting when she's reading(from a +3.00 for the left and +3.75 for the right to a +4.00 for the left and a +4.75 for the right). We have ordered her new glasses and they should be here this week. The script is still less than what her eyes actually are due to they want her to still use her own focusing powers.

Saturday, a girlfriend and I went to a fiber spinning meet up. It's been over a month since I have spun, it was nice to get away for a few hours and hang out with other spinners and knitters. I did take some of my fiber that I got off my spindle there to show off. Once I am done spinning all of the fiber, it will be turned into a sweater for Marshall for this winter. I finished for my daughter this past week and took it to show off as well. (I am working on the skirt that goes with it - this is going to be her 5th birthday outfit. The pattern is out of Fairy Tale Knits book and the outfit is called Mermaid).

To top everything off, Madeline had her 1st day of Kindergarten at the private school she attends. She is going 2 days a week for the school year. She was a little timid at first, though she was there last year in their pre-school program. Different teacher and different room.

Ready to go to School!

Oh wait, this is a different class room!

I think I'll hide in my cubby for awhile.

There we go, time for circle/rug time and starting the school year off right.

And because Marshall was so cute Saturday night helping me put up groceries....(which means he takes things out of the cabinet, put things back in, takes them out, puts them back in - you get the picture)

Life

Life isn't fair. The good are taken to early, too soon.

I needed a break today from the house and kids, when Mike got home, I headed to the post office to mail off a couple of packages to friends and a customer of mine. Leaving the post office, I headed to CVS to pick up my daughter's script, knowing I didn't have my credit card or debit card - something told me to go there.

When I pulling in, I ran into a old co-worker that Mike and I both use to work with. It was the normal of hey, how are you, how are the kids, etc....then he drops news on us. A friend of ours that over the years, we have lost contact with, just kept in contact with the normal annual Christmas cards, was in a motorcycle wreak 3 weeks ago and passed last Thursday. What happened, he didn't have all the information, but a blood clot of some sort. His funeral was this morning. He admitted he didn't even think to call us and apologized, but no apology needed, when someone passes, that is not your first thought to call everyone they could of possibly known to let them know. We said our goodbyes and I headed in with the last $5 I had in my pocket to buy a card for his wife. Something told me to go there knowing I didn't have enough to pick up my daughter's script, I now knew why.

Richard was a loving man, a giving man. Mike and him went for a few motorcycle rides together, I would join them up at the local bar-b-que shack for a drink every once in awhile. He was full of life, always happy, loved his wife dearly. He was a good man, a honest man, a happy man. Why taken so soon from this earth, I don't know.

I guess this is hitting hard. We lost a neighbor, Dan, a couple of weeks ago to ALS, he fought a long hard battle. He never questioned why him, he accepted the disease and lived his life to the fullest. I couldn't go and visit him in hospice, I cannot keep my emotions in check, Mike went for us as a family a few days before he passed. He was another good, honest and loving man, would give the shirt off of his back to help a stranger and never ask why.

My husbands best friend is living on borrowed time. He contracted Heb. B from a blood transfusion in the late 80's, early 90's after a accident at his work as a electrician. He needed a liver, was on the waiting list for almost a year. This past Dec., he got that call, a liver that matched. He asked, I am not sure why, but he asked who it was from, the doctor disclosed it was from a 16 year old in a car accident. Brack couldn't take it, he said that the liver needed to go to another teenager with their whole life ahead of them and if there was any on the list closer to the child's age, there was 2 teenagers, so one of them got that liver from what he understood. He was back on the list. Miraculously, he got a call the next month, another liver, from a older person was available, he accepted. The day of the surgery, everyone was in high spirits, happy. The surgeon opened him up, then closed him up without the liver. Brack was eaten up with cancer, there was nothing that could be done. He was given 6 months to live. 6 months. His wife called me in tears, telling me the news. I had to pass the news to my husband, that his best friend was dying. Brack is still with us, living on borrowed time. His last wish is to get his old truck back up and running, "Blacky" needed a engine and some other work. Mike has been helping him get Blacky up and running again, fitted with a new engine about a month ago (he wanted the old one rebuilt, but the re-builders have messed around and not done it, so Mike ordered a reman engine from Chevy to get his baby running again). It hit hard about two months ago when Brack asked Mike to sign his will, as a witness, he of course accepted. Brack's daughter has visited, he went out to California to visit her. It's a torturing waiting game. His wife is spending every moment she has left with him. She says some days are better than others, he is sleeping a lot now and just waking up to eat. He is a good man, he's a loving man and full of life, even now. He is the person my husband always told me that if something happens, to call Brack, he would make sure everything would be OK. I wish we could do the same for him.

I am in tears as I am finishing this, Mike is in the kitchen giving Madeline her routine meds. and she is getting ready for bed. Marshall is in bed asleep....I hate ending on a sad note, but not sure what else to say other than I guess there is a reason and plan for all, I don't understand it now, maybe I will one day.

My poor baby boy.....

We have food allergies that run in the family. Marshall has had the same reactions that Madeline has had, so he went dairy, soy, wheat/gluten and egg free and everything cleared up. The kids GI wants to re-test him on the 19th and called a few days ago telling us to start giving him things we suspect. It's been hard. I had a pit in my stomach going to the store to purchase items for him to take his food challenge with, I guess call it mommy's instinct.

Eggs was first, wow did he love eggs, I scrambled them for him with some coconut milk. They unfortunately didn't like him. His reactions are not immediate but delayed. The next day we got the results of what eggs does to his GI system. Not pretty at all.

Cow's Milk was next, the one that really got too me. My daughter goes into anaphalaxis shock with dairy, so I was sitting with him with the epi pen ready, just in case. The good news is that he didn't go into shock, but he did break out in a full body rash, the worst around his face. His poor cheeks looks like someone slapped him on each side, he looked very pitiful.

Next was Wheat/Gluten given in the form of multi-grain cheerios. Buying cheerios felt strange, I haven't purchased them in over 5 years. I cannot tell if he had a reaction between the eggs still working their way out of his system or not, but he's got gluten in his system now for the testing.

Soy has been last, in the form of soy milk. He refuses to drink it. I had to mix it in with some coconut milk to hide the taste of it. Again, like the wheat, I'm not sure if he's having a reaction or not.

We're suppose to continue this until the day of the testing. I feel so bad for him. I don't think I'm going to continue with cows milk, I took picture, even if the tests come back negative, we know he is having some sort of reaction to it. I am going to see if the GI can run both the IgE and IgG testing this go around as well as the Celiac marker again since gluten is now in his system.

Madeline will be getting her blood work re done. All of her reactions are immediate. Thankfully, we've never had to go this far, hers have always shown up, even when she was in the NICU the dairy and soy showed up and later on the eggs showed up as well as the Celiac marker.

A girlfriend of mine is going through the same thing, at least we know we're not crazy, because we sure feel like it.

On another note, Sassy our oldest girl rat, she has a breast tumor. She's going into the vet on Monday to get that looked at as well as a suspected upper respiratory infection that she is on antibiotics for. The rats vet is amazing. Thursday night is when I noticed her making noises and having troubles breathing. Their office was closed. The vet gave me his personal cell number to call in case something like this happens. Rodents go downhill extremely fast. I called him, left a message and he called back 20 mins. later. I had some left over antibiotics from her last ear infection and he said to start on that and he'd call the office and have them refill her script for me to pick up the next day. He was true to his word. I have never ran into such a caring vet. We are so lucky to have found him.

OK the quiona pancakes are about done, time for breakfast here.

I'll leave y'all with another picture of the girls, the power of SQUISH (all 4 of them piled into a hamster ball). Ariel is on the left, Sassy on top, Julie is next to Ariel and Butterfly is on the bottom. I have the ball tied to a corner of their cage for them to play in, apparently they like to sleep in it as well.

So, it's past midnight...

I am just getting finished up for the day. Dishes are going, diapers are soaking in the washer, husbands clothes for the morning are in the dryer. Dogs are asleep (snoring to be exact) and the rats are running around playing, just a few hours ago they were all curled up asleep. Both kids are in bed and it's quiet in my house except for the couple of appliances that are running so things are ready to go in the morning.

I look over at my old dog, Nuch, he's been through a lot these past couple of weeks. He got a abscess on his side that the vet had to go in, clean and put a drain tube in for a little over a week. Antibiotics, pain meds, drain tube flush (antibiotics and peroxide mix) then a shot of antibiotics because he wasn't tolerating the oral, and he's doing a lot better. He's 17 years old. He's my heart, I've had him since I was 16 (and I'm not 29). I keep thinking this will be his last year with us, but it doesn't look like it. He's got a lot of spunk still. His hearing is going and his eyes are glazed over from cataracts, but he's still a happy old man that plays with the kids and very attentive, especially when food is involved. There will never be another dog like him again. He's my boy!

Honey, our female dog, she's just rotten. She's all dog, there is no other way to explain it. She has the look of a black chow chow, but the smarts of a lab (and anyone that has been around labs knows they are not the Einsteins of the dog world). She's a wonderful companion for my old man. Though she's not as tolerant as he is too the kids, she has realized that they mean food, so she'll follow them around in hopes of something getting dropped. She's getting up there in age as well, estimated to be around 13-14 years old (rescue dog). Truthfully, she's more my husbands dog than anyone elses.

Here is a picture of Nuch (little blond dog) and Honey (the black one behind him)....they have been shaved for the summer since this was taken (earlier this summer) and the yard has also been cut - LOL.

The rats, what can be said. Sassy is our oldest girl. She's loving, licks like a dog, comes to her name and adores the kids. When you have a little pet that lets the baby pick it up without biting him, you know you have a one of a kind. She's had her trials since we got her back in April. She's had a ongoing ear infection that has required 3 rounds of antibiotics & vet visits and a trip a hour away to a vet that knows his stuff about rodents. She's got a permeate head tilt now due to the ear infections, but she's a happy girl. Butterfly, Julie and Ariel are all fairly new to the house, brought home last month from the local rat rescue, all the girls were born in April. Butterfly's name suits her, she's a jumper. She actually prefers adult company rather than the kids, but she does like it when Madeline feeds her treats. Julie is as laid back as any animal can get. She's a cuddlier and is just as happy sitting in your lap being petted as she is riding around on your shoulder. Ariel is timid. She's taken a lot of work to get her to come out of the cage in less than 30 mins. She now runs to the door in hopes of being picked up for the girls free range time. When we decided to get rats back in April, I would have never guessed at what wonderful pets they really are. They are all litter trained, love eating oatmeal every morning and are adorable when they pile up to go to sleep. The little creatures have captured everyone in the families heart (even my husbands) and we spoil the girls!!!

Madeline & Sassy

A rat pile (how they all sleep)

Anyway - that is our little zoo that we have here. Just my ramblings of the day.