Jacob’s Cardiology Appointment

We had Jacob’s cardiology check-up today and everything is going well. There is a slight murmer – which is caused as blood slips through his pulmonary a bit quicker, and that is fine – apparantly it is very normal for Transposition patients and Jacob’s is better than most. He also has a mild leak of the aortic valve. It has increased some, but isn’t anything to cause concern. If it worsens a lot then at some point something will be done, but the cardiologist didn’t see that happening.

Jacob has no physical restrictions and doesn’t have to go back for another cardiology check-up until he is 6! Another two years! Yippee!

The doc was impressed with his energy – which Jacob has A LOT of. They double checked his oxygen (mainly because part of Jacob’s lip looked blue – but his has looked like that off and on since he bit through it and had to have stitches. When it decides to look purplish/blue it is also cold to the touch. Kinda wierd.) and it was perfect – 98-100.

He trooped right through his echo, though I think Thomas the Train helped a great deal in keeping him still. All in all, a great trip to the cardiology office today. 🙂

P.S. I think we finally have this boy potty trained!!! WOOT!!

That’s Just Goofy!

I was in highschool when I was dubbed with the nickname of Goofy. Partly due to my love of the silly character, and partly due to my own klutzy goofiness. At one point I found in the newly opened Wal-Mart in the neighboring town a backwards goofy watch. It was love at first sight.

The number ran backwards, the clock ran backwards, it was unique, and different, and, well – Goofy! It was perfect. I saved my hard earned babysitting money and bought one. I wore for all through college, and on my mission, where it became quite the novelty as children poured over this strange watch.

When it broke, my husband tracked down a new one for my birthday off of e-bay. The other day I had removed it to wash dishes and had forgotten to put it back on. Elizabeth came to me a short time later with a very puzzled look on her face.

“Mom,” she begins. “There’s something wrong with you watch. I think it’s broken.”

I immediately feel upset with myself that I had forgotten to put it back on. “What’s wrong with it?” I ask as she brings it to me.

“Well, it looks like it’s running counter-clockwise!”

I begin laughing immediately and remember the fun times I had as children on my mission made the same surprising discovery. As I strap it safely onto my wrist, I sit Elizabeth onto my lap (she’s getting so big – I don’t think that will be lasting much longer) and begin to explain to her the mechanics of a backwards goofy watch.

Born to Be a Chef

I had to tell Jacob the other day that he could put the toy pots and pans on the real stove. “But I need to cook dinner,” he explained. I proceeded to let him cook on the counter beside the stove and watched as he stirred his pots of plastic fruits and vegetables.

He is fascinated by what I do in the kitchen, always wanting to “holp” and forever underfoot, but i try my best to not get impatient and find simple tasks for him to do. Some times he sneaks into the kitchen when I am not looking and interesting things result. Apparantly he had spent some time the other day unnoticed in the kitchen, because when I returned home from my quiet writing/editing time at a quaint local bookstore, my husband told me to go look at the stove.

I panicked at first. My mother has one of those glass top stoves, and I was terrified someone had managed to damage it. “No, the stove is fine, just go take a look,” he insisted.

I entered the kitchen and there, sitting tucked partway beneath our cow-shaped tea kettle was a glodenrod-yellow sheet of paper. I examined the red scribble on the paper. A simple arrow pointed to the tea kettle with the words, “Look inside” beneath it. I picked up the kettle and pulled off the lid. As I peered inside, I cascaded in laughter.

There floating in the water were various plastic fruits and vegetables. I think a certain little boy was playing a chef that day.

He’s Four!

It seems so hard to believe that Jacob is four years old today. It is amazing to me to look back at his journey.

2005

2006

2007

2008

And now it’s 2009 and he is 4! Wow! What a celebration. Happy Birthday kiddo! I can’t begin to say how much you have enriched our lives.

(he was supposed to have his cardiology appt. yesterday – but we had to re-schedule do to illness – he and James have RSV – but we caught before it got really bad. Both boys are improving greatly. More about that in another post. His cardio appt. will be on March 31)

I Should Have Been a Pole Vaulter

Maybe I was in another life. hah! So, this is what happened. A few weeks ago the kids had a school talent show. Dorothy decided she was singing in it and Liz wanted to play the piano. It isn’t a really well organized thing and kids run around willy-nilly and you can hardly anything, but hey, its fun.

It is also a silent auction, so at one point I was walking back towards my family, seated on the floor, after having browsed past the tables showcasing the baskets and items up for auction. Paul had both boys on his lap, and Dorothy and her friend were sitting a little in front of him.

I could tell my marvelous husband was struggling with both boys, so I offered to take the baby – walking up between him and the two girls. He hands me James.

You know how when someone hands you something rather large and you suddenly feel like you are two close to that person and you take an unconcious step backwards? Well, that’s how I felt and what I did.

I realized, with horror, that I was standing on my Daughter’s hand – all my weight standing. In order to get off her hand I need to move my right leg so it was more underneath me. As my leg moved back it met an obstacle – Dot’s friend. Before I knew it I was falling backwards – baby in arms, camera around neck.

The first thought that flashed through my mind was “I can’t fall on her” – she has cancer it would kill her – or just break every bone in her body – since they are weaker because of the chemo and treatments and stuff.

So I jumped. I twisted my body to the side, shielded the baby and held him in front of me and jumped backwards – up over the little seated girl. Yup, I am that good. I landed flat on my back – well more on the left side of my back as I had the baby in my right arm and was holding him up higher so he wouldn’t hit the floor. The camera, still around my neck, crashed on the floor and bounced.

I lay there half laughing, thinking, “This only happens to me.” and “Thank goodness most everyone else is too engrossed in the talent show to notice what just happened.”

The baby was fine – he wanted to go for another fun ride, in fact. Camera was fine *whew*, and the little girl – we hoped was fine. I cleared her mostly – but caught her shoulder. The grandparents were panicked about me (I did kinda hit my head when I landed) and I insisted I was fine. (Though the next couple days were excruciatingly sore ones)

Turns out the little girl was fine except for a broken shoulder. I felt horrible, the parents and grandparents assured me it wasn’t my fault and they were amazed at my ability to high jump backwards. The awesome news is that the should is healing fine without surgery or pins or anything – such a relief. 😀

I have to say though, I think this is a sport I should leave to the professionals – they have those cushy little cushions to land on!

Calling Readers – The Forbidden Fairytale

I am ready for readers! I can’t describe how much it helps to have extra eyes read over the manuscript and catch all the flaws that I have become so accustomed to seeing that I am blind to them. 😀

My goal is to have the manuscript ready by the end of April, so I need a few willing readers who can get it back to me within a couple of weeks. With that being said, here is the gist of the story:

When Gladys’s parents die she is separated from her sister and sent to live with a distant relative, Duke Conomor. The Duke lives alone in a dark foreboding chateau and upon her arrival shows her to a forbidden room she must never enter, and yet he asks her to wear the key around her neck and to never remove it. Mysterious things keep happening in the castle and the forbidden room is constantly tempting her, the Duke is cruel, and everyone things she is going mad. Well, everyone except the handsome apprentice lawyer and his friend.

Anyway, I obviously need to work on my pitch, but if you would like to give it a read, drop me an email or comment. Thanks!