Infertility and Me 2

If you missed the first installment of Infertility and Me you can find it here.

Our first decision was whether or not to pursue pregnancy or to concentrate on the care of the child God had already placed with us. It was a much more complicated decision than it sounds, because we were friends with the biological family and we knew that going for custody could ruin that relationship. We also knew that Youngest and Oldest had to be reunited. We couldn't allow them to be raised separately. We had already witnessed the emotional damage Oldest was undergoing and it was heartbreaking every time we had to send him back to his aunts. He would cry and latch on to us and beg us to let him stay. It was terrible.
After much prayer and several conversations with the boys' biological Aunt we decided we needed to focus on the children God had right in front of us. At the beginning of 2004 we asked their biological mom to transfer custody of Oldest to us so the boys could be together. Her answer shocked us. She said that she wished we had asked that a month earlier because she had already petitioned the court for the return of both boys. The answer surprised us because it seemed she was saying that she would have given us custody if only we had asked sooner. The court case started that Spring and about 6 months later, after all the parties had agreed, the court appointed us temporary custody of both boys. We were still under the courts rules of visitation with their bio mom and were attempting to work through the reconciliation plan put together by the court but the boys were together again finally. Bio mom wasn't cooperating with the reconciliation and wasn't being honest with court but we had no way of actually proving it until August of that year. She was arrested again, pregnant, with drugs in her system. We had known about the pregnancy although she had not told us about it and was trying to hide it. At the time of her arrest I went to see her to ask her to let us adopt the children. She said she just couldn't give them up. So we made the even more difficult decision to go for termination of her parental rights. At this same time we also learned that my father-in-law had throat cancer that was most likely terminal. It was a difficult time and there were few high points but in Jan of 2005 their bio mom decided to sign the adoption papers. That was a very joyous time int he midst of much turmoil. Dad had gotten worse and we knew that we were losing him. We saw Dad go home in March and in June the adoptions were finalized. It was a very emotional 2005 and the problems of conception were just not on the forefront. We knew we wanted to expand our family and at the time Oldest was 5 and Youngest was 3 so we didn't want to wait to long but for now we were just going to relax and grieve and enjoy our the family the Lord had blessed us with.

At least for a few months. The clock starting ticking again in 2006.

To be continued..........

Sources:
Just Mommies
4women.gov
inciid.org

Rain-X Review and Give Away

I'm in Georgia so around here we don't really get a winter. Recently we've had a good bit of rain though. Luckily I have brand new Rain-X wiper blades and some great rain-x window care. The rain-x window cleaner leaves your window not only clean but more easily able to repel water. The wiper blades are great too. I didn't even think I needed new blades when I was blessed enough to receive my rain-x package but what a difference these new rain-x blades made! I was ready to start singing "I can see clearly now, but the rain is falling". Don't worry I spared my dear family the trauma of that but I was really surprised by the difference.

Rain-x and Jody Devere, the President of the Women's Automotive Association International and CEO of the auto-advise site askpatty.com suggests using Groundhog Day as an annual reminder for you to change your wiper blades. Now, I know that Groundhog Day has passed but it still isn't too late. Clean visibility while driving is extremely important and can improve reaction times in poor weather conditions. In fact, according to a report released in June 2008 by sciencedaily.com, nearly a quarter of all automobile accidents occur in rainy and wet weather so making sure you have properly working wiper blades is important to help avoid accidents in poor weather conditions. By routinely checking your wiper blades and performing safety checks on your car you can help increase your safety while driving during inclement weather. Since winter is not quite over yet here are some tips from Jody DeVere to stay safe while driving in the rain, snow, sluch and ice:
• Conduct a regular walk around checking your lights, antifreeze, windshield washer fluid and wiper blades regularly
• Ensure your tires are properly inflated and have sufficient tread
• As the temperature drops keep your gas tank at least half full; the extra gas reduces condensation that can plug your fuel line with ice and stall your engine in cooler weather
• Create an emergency pack; items like a blanket, first aid kit, snacks, bottled water, an ice scraper, flashlight and a bag of kitty litter

So, now that you have all the neccessary information go out and check your wipers and make sure you are set for safe driving. If you find that it is time for new blades then leave me a comment telling me how often you check your wiper blades and you may win your very own rain-x latitude wiper blade set along with a rain-x visibility pack. If you aren't lucky enough to be the winner then head over to the rain-x site and order your own latitude wiper blades and they will throw in a Free visibility kit. The kit includes a 14-oz Foaming glass cleaner, 16-oz rain-x original treatment and a microfiber cloth.

The give away ends on March 6 at 9:00 pm est. The winner will be chosen by random.or and announced on March 7 and will have 3 days to contact me with their shipping information or a new winner will be chosen.

Music Ace Deluxe

Around here music is a big thing. We listen to music a lot and are often found singing our favorite songs. Both boys are even better than me (which is not saying much) at carrying a tune. I can make a joyful noise, but they are turning into decent little singers. Youngest has had some piano lessons and Oldest is interested in guitar so when we were given the opportunity to try Music Ace Deluxe I couldn't wait for it to arrive! The boys both really enjoy playing it. It has 36 lessons, 36 games and a doodle pad where the kids can make up their own music and then hear it when they are done. We have all really enjoyed this program and look forward to using it each time. I am even working into our homeschool routine. This is great in teaching them the parts of the music in a fun and interesting way.

Your child will come away from this wanting to learn more about music. It covers such a range that it is a great homeschooling tool but also a great game for any child. The children become familiar with different instruments and a range of musical knowledge. It also tracks each persons progress so you can see how well your child is progressing as he goes. I would highly recommend this product.

From the Music Ace Deluxe sight:

LESSONS
Thirty-six engaging, self-paced lessons that accelerate development of fundamental music skills and music theory. Lessons cover:

1. Introduction to the Staff	19. Notes Longer Than a Beat
2. Intro. to the Piano Keyboard	20. Below the Bass Staff
3. Beat and Tempo	21. Dotted Quarter Notes
4. Playing with Pitch	22. Half Steps and Whole Steps
5. The ABCs of the Piano Keyboard	23. Rests
6. Hearing Rhythms	24. Sharps and Flats
7. More Piano ABC's	25. Sharps and Flats on the Staff
8. The ABCs of the Staff	26. Syncopation
9. Basic Rhythm Notation	27. The Key Signature
10. The ABCs of the Treble Staff	28. Introduction to Major Scales
11. More Treble Staff ABC's	29. Sixteenth Notes
12. The Quarter Rest	30. Sharp Key Signatures
13. Below the Treble Staff	31. Three Sounds per Beat
14. Melody	32. The Time Signature
15. Above the Treble Staff	33. Flat Key Signatures
16. The Measure	34. The 6/8 Time Signature
17. The ABC's of the Bass Staff	35. Minor Scales
18. Above the Bass Staff	36. Introduction to Harmony

GAMES
Thirty six exciting multi-level games (one per lesson) sharpen music skills and improve retention of important lesson concepts. Colorful animated 3-D graphics, digitized sound effects, bonus points and high scores provide fun, interactive entertainment. Users can select novice or advanced difficulty settings.

MUSIC DOODLE PAD
This unique feature allows individuals to easily compose their own music using a variety of instrument sounds. These creative compositions can be saved and played back for others, showcasing the knowledge and skills acquired from the lessons and games. Users can also listen to and modify popular music selections from the Jukebox section of the Music Doodle Pad.

If your interested in this product it can purchased directly from Harmonic Vision,
http://www.harmonicvision.com for the MSRP of $79.95 or from other online
sources such as http://www.amazon.com, http://www.jandr.com and http://www.outpost.com (Fry's Electronics) for between $45 and $50.

Thanks to Family Review Network for this AWESOME opportunity.

Tuesday Tidbits

Ok this is a completely random post of things I've been up too lately.

• got taxes in and caught up bills. YAY!
• spent Saturday with scrapbook buddies and turned out 11 pages!
• have been helping my mom paint her shop so she can open soon
• trying to catch up on housework, not doing so great at that.
• school, school and more school but it is going well
• went to my nephew's birthday party and got to see my friends engagement ring. Am so happy for her and her Hubby to be
• have been taking my fertility treatments and having them wreak havoc with my emotions, I can only imagine what pregnancy will do to me
• am working on my next post for Infertility & Me to be up this week

Ok, see a lot of nothing specific and therefore I haven't been able to really post anything specific. I am working on my next infertility post though and will try to do better about updating.

Scanalog

I use to have this:

I have this:

Isn't that a huge difference! I have loved playing with scanalog and getting all of my things in order. I have gone through magazines finding the one article that made me keep the entire thing and then I scan it into my computer under the proper category and sub category and I'm done. It is great! Now I can take that stack of magazines to the library for other people to enjoy. It has really helped me out. I get The Old Schoolhouse magazine and Scrapbooks Etc. and Hubby gets Golf digest and both boys get magazines about animals so we end up with alot of magazines around here. It is great to be able to scan them into this software and group them together. Now if I'm looking for a new science curriculum I can type that in and find all my articles on science together. It is also great if I'm looking for scrapbooking storage solutions.

As a homeschooler I like to keep up with some of the schoolwork the kids do also so now I can scan that in and put it in categories such as Oldest's Math and we can go back and see how he has improved in math over the months. It has endless possibilities as to what you can scan and how you can group it.

Scanalog comes with 11 preset main categories. They are:

• Home Decoration
• Gardening
• Home Maintenance
• Food & Wine
• Travel
• Antiques & Collectibles
• Crafts
• Parenting
• Health & Beauty
• Career
• My Spirit

I had to get a bit creative to fit in the boys animal magazines and Hubby's sports stuff but it all worked out in the end. The only thing I wish was different is that I wish you could make your own main categories. Each main category is preset and has some sub categories for you already but their is plenty of room for you to add your own sub categories.
All in all I'm very happy with the program and am so glad to be rid of all those magazines.

If you're interested in trying this wonderful product you can order it at http://www.scanalog.com for $49.95 or for your chance to win a copy you can leave me a comment telling me what you would most like to use this program for. The contest will end on March 1, 2009 at 9 pm est. and is open to US and Canadian residents.

Thanks to Family Review Network for this opportunity.

Infertility and Me

Warning: Adult content.

Every mom or dad out there knows that you would do just about anything for your children but how many of you know just what you would do to have children. This is something I have been learning about myself. Hubby and I married 12 years ago and we knew that we wanted to have children right away. Well it just didn't happen. I quit working when we got married so that we wouldn't be relying on two incomes when the baby came but then it just never happened. About 3 years into our marriage I hit a really bad spot of depression. Every time I heard someone was expecting I hid in my room and cried. I was happy for them but it just hurt so much. Six years into our marriage we found out that I have PCOS. What is PCOS you ask well here's your answer, I took this excerpt from Just Mommies:

What is PCOS?

PCOS, or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, is a medical condition that affects women’s menstrual cycles, fertility, hormone levels, and physical appearance. Women with PCOS produce high levels of insulin. Researchers believe that excessive insulin production causes their bodies to respond by producing high levels of male hormones or androgens.

During the first half of a normal menstrual cycle, several follicles will develop. Each follicle contains an egg. As the menstrual cycle continues, only one follicle will remain. This follicle will produce the egg during ovulation. Once the egg has matured, LH levels will surge causing the egg to burst from the follicle. This is when ovulation occurs.

Excess male hormones produced with PCOS affect the production of female hormones necessary for ovulation. A woman with PCOS does not produce enough hormones to cause any of the follicles to mature. They may grow and collect fluid but none become large enough for ovulation. Some of these follicles may develop into cysts. Because ovulation does not occur, progesterone is not produced. Progesterone is what causes the lining of the uterus to thicken. A woman’s cycle will be irregular or absent without progesterone.

Symptoms of PCOS

• Irregular or infrequent menstrual cycles


• Infertility


• Increased hair growth on face, back or chest


• Multiple cysts on the ovaries


• Thinning hair


• Obesity


• Elevated insulin levels or Type II Diabetes


• Acne


• PMS or pelvic pain

Now I had regular cycles when I was young but as an older teenager I went on birth control and I had a terrible reaction to it. I gained a lot of weight and just didn't feel like myself so I went off of it. I was on it for a little over a year and after taking the pill I never was regular again. Now I can't say for sure that that is what caused my problem but I do find it suspicious that so many women of this generation have this same disease. I would love to know how many of these women were on birth control and what kind and how many were sexually active at a younger age. I have been told that it is hereditary but I don't believe that as no one else in my family has had trouble getting pregnant. My mom had difficulty keeping her babies but not getting pregnant. Anyway, I took birth control and was (regrettfully) sexually active before I should have been so I'm not sure if either of those are the cause but the fact remains that I have PCOS. Of the above mentioned symptoms I have all of them and I hate it.

Well after we found out what our problem was I started on Metformin to try to regulate my cycle and I also had to take provera to make me have a cycle. The Metformin was AWFUL and I eventually had to change to Actos because my system couldn't handle the side effects of the Metformin. After a few months on that treatment our Youngest was placed with us. When he first arrived it was strictly us helping out someone else and we had every intention of seeing him reunited with his family. So here I was with a 4 month old, babysitting 3 other children between the ages of 5 and 18 months and undergoing fertility procedures. Shortly after Youngest was placed with us I started Clomid. After only a few months I had to go off it because my hormones were everywhere and I didn't even like myself. We also knew, by this time, that reconciliation between Youngest and his mom wasn't in his best interest and since we were friends with the family we had some major decisions to make.

To be continued...........

Sources:
Just Mommies
4women.gov
inciid.org

Katherine Update

Here's the newest on Katherine. Thanks so much for all your prayers.

Just wanted to drop a quick note to let everyone know that we did get home as planned on Sat night. We had a good trip home, Katherine seems to be able to travel fairly well. We were very pleased overall with our trip to the NIH. Just so everyone is clear on the happenings and findings - we didn't get back any test results so far that leads toward a diagnosis for Katherine, but there are many more pending that will come back in the next 6-8 weeks. Also, beyond that, on a much greater scale is the genome analysis that will be taking place that could take several months to complete. We are blessed to have the actual scientist who developed a computer program to help locate "different" genomes to be the person who will be analyzing Katherine's genetic makeup. He will then look at all of her things that are abnormal and compare them to our genetic sequence. He will be mostly looking for things that show up in her genetic code that do not show up in our genetic code. To help see the significance of all of that - let me explain - the two scientists who first really mapped out the genomes had their genomes mapped out - there were 4000 differences between them. There will be differences - that's what makes us unique individuals - the importance is figuring out which differences are important and could be causing the health issues. He told us that looking at all the genomes is equivalent to taking a standard football field and examining each blade of grass individually looking for differences. In other words - it is tedious work!! We were able to take a tour of their lab on Friday, and saw many neat things - they were great at explaining what it all meant, but I'm afraid my retention of all the explanations isn't so great. We saw Katherine's actual skin cells that were harvested earlier in the week already starting to grow - that was neat. It has totally opened my eyes to research type studies - it was never very real or personal before, I guess - but wow! the wealth of information and knowledge these people have! I have a whole new level of respect for them.

Well, I said this was going to be quick! We have a lot of follow up to do with Katherine's local doctors to review recommendations that were made for her care. We have come to realize even more, that whatever Katherine has is truly unique. Even though there are tests still pending, she doesn't fit into the category of any "classic" type of disease. This will be an ongoing search that could easily take years to discover. Whether or not Katherine is still with us when that discovery is made, she is a pioneer in the field of pediatric genetics that will hopefully bring help to her and other children who may be like her. Keep the doctors and researchers in your prayers that they will not overlook any potential issues that should be investigated.

Thanks for praying for us and for our trip. Even though Katherine had several rough days there, we feel like it was important for them to see what she can do, both bad and good. We appreciate all the love and support each of you give!

Manifest Your Magnificence

As a mom it is sometimes hard to remember to focus on the good in our children. When you awake to find half the box of cereal poured into the floor, the toilet overflowing, toothpaste everywhere except on the toothbrush and two boys fighting over one certain hotwheel care when they are actually surrounded by thousands. Yeah, sometimes it's hard to focus. That where Magnificent Creations come in. They have a set of cards with positive thoughts on them to encourage strong self esteem in children. They also have a cd that children can listen to. I was able to try a set of the cards and we love them.
I started by pulling out two I thought would be good for each of my children. For oldest I used this one:

And for youngest I used this one:

They really enjoyed it. Then we played a little a game with the cards. I let Oldest randomly pick a card and then we each had to come up with something about each other that matched the card. For example: I am a Genius, Ideas come to me and I use them

Oldest said mommy is that way because I always come up with weird stuff to do like this new card came. :)
Youngest said Oldest is that way because he comes up with things for them to try on the trampoline.
I said Youngest was this way because he can take anything and make something out of it.

They really enjoyed doing that and wanted to use the whole stack in one day. I told them it was something we would do every other day and that satisfied them.
It really is more fun when you focus on the positive but sometimes a little help is needed.

This system of 64 cards or 1 cd was created by Susan T Howson. Susan has 20 years experience in education and leadership development in the social services sector. She has also been a catalyst for effective change by positively impacting people through her coaching, workshops, seminars and university courses.

We have some confidence issues with Oldest and I believe that using these cards regularly will help him to see that he is someone just as special as the rest of us. I would recommend trying these cards with your kids too. Or you can use the cd to listen to while driving or getting ready for bed. Either way I believe this system would be a positive investment. If you'd like to try it go here to order your own set.

Thanks to Family Review Network for this opportunity.

Katherine Update *NEW*

Received this update on WED.

Today has again been an interesting day here. We have met many new specialty "teams," and they have been doing just what we were hoping. Looking at Kat -- thinking hard and coming up with all sorts of things to think about and test for. Most are things that could be tested in her blood and her urine. Some are far fetched and some are "why didn't I think about that already?" Katherine, though, has not been behaving well. She has had quite the day today, having many seizures - 39 so far - and we have had to give her the "2nd line of defense" drugs to try to stop them. We really need your prayers that whatever is triggering these in her body will stop!

We will be seeing more teams tomorrow, and getting a few more tests done. Although there is a good chance that we may not come home with a diagnosis, the nurse practitioner explained to us today that Katherine's blood, skin, and urine would always be kept for further testing at the research lab. She would be looked at over and over again for many years, continuing to search until an answer was hopefully found. We have met many wonderful people here - as a nurse, this is how medicine should be practiced. Different specialties coming together, nurses being asked for their insight in the patient, all the minds meeting several times a day to try to provide the right care for the patients. It has been quite refreshing to see the ICU team meeting twice a day in a group to discuss Katherine and her needed care and "hashing out" various ideas. The research team and the consulted specialists communicate their ideas to each other through multiple emails. This is practicing medicine without all of the regulatory agencies and insurance rules hanging over their heads......but I will now step off my soapbox!!

Please continue to pray for specific needs....Katherine needs to stop seizing, she needs to be able to give more blood for some more testing, we need rest, and the teams need guidance and insight into Katherine's body. Thanks so much for your support!

And this one today:

Just a quick note to let you know how Katherine is doing. Today has been a much better day. She had some seizures during the night, but then finally stopped and rested. She has had some scattered seizures throughout the day, but today has been a much more normal day in her behavior. We know that you have been praying for us, and we appreciate that very much. She had 2 different lab draws today, and each one went well. This afternoon, my eyes were big as I saw about 9 different tubes that had to be filled. Thankfully, not all of them had to be filled to the top, but for a little girl who can hardly fill 1 or 2 tubes, this was a HUGE task. She was able to give all of the blood that they needed her to give - I was quite impressed with her and the phlebotomist, and then I remembered that this was something we had asked you to pray about. We should be finishing up all the consults and testings tomorrow, and then we will be released from the hospital. We are planning on spending the night at the Children's Inn, and then driving back home on Saturday. We pray for another good day tomorrow and a safe trip back the next.

Thanks for your continued prayers!

Please remember to keep this family in your prayers as they travel home. Updates will become less frequent as they get back into their normal routines but I will be sure to keep my wonderful readers updated as I can. I am also going to try to help get a blog set up for the family.

Katherine Update

Hi, just heard from Katherine's mom and wanted to pass it on to you guys.

Well.....our adventure has begun.....you all knew that we couldn't do this without a little bit of adventure didn't you? We had a great trip up to Bethesda on Saturday, made really good time, but then had quite the time getting onto the NIH campus. Evidently, they have recently changed how visitors enter campus on the weekend, and we were not told that the "normal" weekend check in ended at 6:00 pm. We arrived about 6:30 pm. After about 45 min of turning around many times, and being told by the same security guard that we were NOT entering through his gate (no matter who he talked to on the phone), we finally got to the right place for "after hours" check in and inspection and got settled in to the Children's Inn for the night. Katherine had a great trip up, and a decent night of sleep that night.

Sunday afternoon, we decided to take a quick trip into D.C. to see what we could see. The best way to travel was using the Metro (rail system) - it was a little extra challenging because of the wheelchair, and the elevator was out of service here at the NIH stop, so we had to take a bus up to the next rail stop so that we could take the train system into D.C. It's not the easiest finding the elevators - they're tucked in the oddest corners - but we made it. A shuttle had taken us from the Inn to the Metro stop on campus, and we were told to call for the shuttle to bring us back from the Metro stop when we returned. After spending about 3+ hrs in the D.C. mall area, we headed back -- upon returning and calling for the shuttle, we were told the shuttle quit running on the weekends at 5:30 .....something they had forgotten to tell us. They told us we would have to walk back to the Inn - a several mile walk, pushing Katherine in her chair, uphill a good part of the way in cold, windy conditions. Joe said no way - so they started thinking and called a fire rescue truck to pick us up. Of course, fire rescue trucks are NOT built to haul passengers in wheelchairs, but the guys were very accomodating and we figured out a way!

Then Monday morning.....we arrived at the NIH medical center to check in and Katherine started having seizures. She had not had any for 2 days, but decided to make herself a name quickly at a new place. She had about 11-12 within the first 3-4 hrs that we were there -something that's not that unusual for us, but something that makes medical staff VERY nervous wherever we go (except our wonderful 1st floor at SR!) Because only ICU has continous monitoring devices, it was decided by the powers that be that Katherine had to go there. We didn't protest too much, because we understand by now that this is a normal response. We assured them this wasn't that abnormal for us, but packed up and moved to ICU anyway. They were concerned about continuing any testing for Katherine with her seizing like this, but finally decided last night that this was her normal, and we should proceed. So....today we are still in ICU and will be at least until tomorrow, maybe later.....but things are going well, and Katherine is doing fairly well. She is still having some seizures, but seems to be slowing down a lot - almost stopping them.

It's great seeing all the different specialists come together to "think outside the box". There are already several things that they want to check Katherine for that had not been considered before. No one has just looked at her and said- Oh, I think I know what she has, but I didn't expect that. She has had a fine group of doctors taking care of her at home, and we have been commended many times on the good background testing we have already had done. But the coming together and getting ideas is exactly what I wanted to see happen. We see some more specialties tomorrow, and I'm sure more ideas will come of it.

Continue to pray that Katherine will quit seizing, she will give blood when needed, and we will all get the rest that we need. Pray that the doctors and nurses on her team will have insight and ideas to know what tests are needed and what treatments might be beneficial. Thanks to several people who helped us out in special ways before we ever even left town. Its encouraging to see the love that is so freely expressed to us. Thank you for your continued support and prayers.

KY Update

I spoke to my Nana this morning. It was sooooo good to hear her voice. She and Grandpa are buttin' heads because he doesn't want to rest and let his knee heel and she doesn't want him to overdo. Them buttin' heads like that is normal. They got back in the house this morning and at the time I called Nana said she was up to her neck in rotten food. They have an upright freezer along with their normal refrigerator/freezer. Her goal was to get the refrigerator/freezer cleaned out and to get to the store to get the essentials. She sounded good. It really helped me to talk to them. I haven't been able to sleep well because I've been worried about them so much. I thank you for your prayers and ask them to please keep coming. They still have a ways to go to get back to normal. They are on the list for repair men to get their house back in order and Nana is feeling pretty good. She is recovering from her fall and Grandpa is in a good bit of pain but is doing well.


I haven't heard from Katherine's parents yet about their trip but suspect it may be this weekend before they have a chance to update us. Mom isn't normally the only caretaker and it is falling on her and Dad this week without their nurses to help so they are probably exhausted with all the doctor appointments and mental overload along with just being tired from lack of sleep as Katherine has to be monitored 24/7.

You guys are awesome and I promise their will be some great giveaways showing up here soon.

KY, Ice Storm Update

Mom, heard from my Nana today. They got the inside electric hooked up but the main electric will take some time. They are also having difficulty finding someone to work on the roof and interior of their as there are so many in need right now. They are staying in a motel now and have a contenental (sp?) breakfast provided and can have other meals sent to their room. Yesterday they went to check on the house and arrived to find the police at their house and their neighbors. The neighbors had been broken into and had a significant amount of things including cash taken. My grandparents were not victims but it is one more thing for them to worry about. On top of that when they saw the police they quickly got out of their car and walked to the police and on the way Nana slipped and fell. She has a nice black eye and 12 stitches. Grandpa also went ahead and had his knee surgery today. It is really difficult for me to be so far away from them and I am praying I can work out a way to see them soon.
Thank you for your prayers and as you can tell they are still needed in abundance. I am also praying for all the other families affected in this storm system.

Pray for Katherine

This week (Feb. 7 - Feb.15) is a very special week for some dear friends of mine. Three years ago they were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. They already had a 2 year old son. At the time of her birth they had no idea the journey the Lord had in store with them. They are taking a trip this week to try and discover more about this journey. I am asking you, my wonderful and faithful readers and prayer warriors to read their story and uplift them in prayer throughout the following week as they seek answers to the many questions they have had for three years and as they prepare for the continuing journey ahead.

Katherine's Story:

Katherine was born in Sept, '05 after a good pregnancy and delivery. Other than mild jaundice and a good case of reflux, we came home with an apparently healthy child. The reflux continued, Katherine couldn't seem to gain weight, and so the story begins.....By 2 mos old, probably about 8-10 hrs a day attempting to feed, Kat still wasn't back to her birth weight and we were in the hospital for visit #1 (just in time for Halloween). After a surgery to fix an intestinal malrotation and place a g-tube (stomach feeding tube), we really didn't have many answers. An EEG (brainwave check) showed some irritability, but no seizure activity. Katherine was arching backward a lot and we were told to hold her to keep her calm so that she could gain weight - we did - about 20 hrs out of every day. My mom (who lives in Arkansas) came for a few months to help and my mother-in-law (who lives 45 min away) came often to help. I think I would have been committed to an institution if it weren't for their help during those early days. About six weeks later came another admission with frequent seizures and we spent our first Christmas at "The Scottish Ritz" (aka: Scottish Rite Children's Hospital).

The year of 2006, brought many learning experiences for all of us. We finally were approved in May to receive nursing help at home, and I finally got a few nights of sleep a week in a bed instead of on the sofa holding Katherine. We were in and out of the hospital multiple times because Kat's seizures just were not responding to the medications. We were told to prepare for her funeral because she wouldn't survive for long. In between all, we were seeing specialists, getting chomosomal, genetic, mitochondrial testing done, trying to figure out what this was we were dealing with. All testing came back normal - which at times is good, but eventually gets very frustrating. We gained more equipment and medications to the Stroup Care Home (the name we've given our house) - so advanced seizure care became available at home. At the end of 2006, we came very close to losing Katherine due to some severe "impossible" surgical complications and infections that developed. (Kat always does those "this could happen, but it really never does" things that are in small print on the medical consents). The year of 2006 brought more holidays at the Scottish Ritz including Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

The year of 2007 was fairly calm in many ways. We only had 2 hospital admissions, both relatively short, and Katherine finally stopped her arching and began sleeping more than being awake. Up to this point, we had gotten some relief with massive dosages and routines of medications, but most days still required many hours of holding to attempt to calm her (if she wasn't held or completely strapped down, she could injure herself with the severity of her arching - and strapping her agitated her more). Still no answers to her condition, but we did learn that the white matter in her brain was deteriorating somewhat (it was already very small and underdeveloped to start with). We did pass some milestones - Katherine saw her 2nd birthday, which most doctors agreed she would never see - and we got to have Christmas at home!! Actually, we were even doing well enough to travel to Arkansas to see my parents since they weren't able to come this way. The only holiday at the "Ritz" this year was Easter!

The year of 2008 was very blessed with few sicknesses and no hospitalizations. Katherine seems very stable in her own way and daily life is a mixture of feeding tubes, breathing treatments, seizures, suctioning, multiple medications, therapies, wheelchairs, etc. Life takes on a whole new meaning of normal, and blessings come in new ways. We continue to live life and are very involved in our church, we just, now, have to adapt to life a little differently. Katherine is not able to communicate in any way (except being agitated or calm), is clinically blind and deaf, and has no real control over her body. On good days, when she's not having many seizures, we feel she can see or hear a little - just glimpses - there's nothing physically wrong with either her eyes or ears that we can find, just her brain can't interpret what is coming in (basically a short-circuited wire due to lack of insulation). We are trying some hearing aids just to see if we can get any response from her with them. We have been accepted into a research study for undiagnosed diseases and are looking forward to hearing any ideas they may have. I am getting paid to work as a nurse :-) 1-2 days a week at our local hospital and homeschooling Christopher. Life is busy, but good - God supplies our needs - emotionally, physically and financially. We have a decent supply of help thanks to my mother-in-law, my sister, Connie, and a few friends who all have learned well how to care for Kat's needs.
At the end of 2008 Katherine had a few upper respiratory illnesses - bad colds, ear infections, etc that had her on antibiotics. Her number of seizures also seemed to be increasing somewhat, but we need to wait and see if that is because of the infections causing neural irritability or if that is happening even without the infections.

Katherine goes to school now 3 days a week for 3 hours a day. She has a nurse that comes on the bus to pick her up, takes care of her at school, and rides the bus back with her. It is still an adjustment sending her off and not knowing what is going on at therapy, etc with her - we have rarely missed being there for therapy appoinments with her until now, but we are seeing small steps of learning, such as holding her head up by herself for 10-15 sec at a time. She now has hearing aids, which help a little - it's hard to tell for sure, since she has little ability to give us feedback. A couple of times, she has given very definite feedback that she heard us - one time even turning her head by herself while on her stomach in the direction she hates! We're willing to keep trying the hearing aids for now to see if we can get continued feedback from her.

We have ordered and received some new parts to her wheelchair to help position her a little better -- more are about to be ordered, because some parts still aren't quite right -- but at least it didn't take 7 mos this time!!! She has moderate scoliosis development, and about the only thing to help her at this point is better positioning to keep her spine from further deformation.

We have heard from the research group in Bethesda, MD again. They do want us to come spend a week with them at some point. They have to organize all of Katherine's info, see which specialists need to look at her, and then organize when they can all be available to meet with us. That must be a pretty daunting task -- from our understanding, these are specialists that don't necessarily practice all the time at the research center, but come in as needed for patients at the center.

God has truly blessed our family this year. As we reflect back on 2008, we have not had a single hospital admission with Katherine. All of her illnesses have been able to be handled at home. In a time of economic troubles, we both have been allowed to keep our current jobs. We have been able to take a real vacation with Katherine (and other family members) to provide opportunities for sweet memories. It has been a good year. We look forward to 2009 to see what awaits us in the upcoming year.

Our prayer requests would be that we could find a "name" for Katherine's condition in this next year -- this would just make us feel better, and possibly help us watch for symptoms and concerns that we weren't aware of. Also, pray that we will have wisdom over Katherine and school. We like the therapy and interaction that she is receiving in school, but if that is what is causing her respiratory sicknesses, we must weigh the benefits of the therapy versus her infections and need for antibiotics. So far, we don't feel like we need to pull her out, but we are just being aware and trying to track how things are going in that area. We appreciate the prayers and notes of encouragement from you. Thanks so much!
The family had a HUGE answer to prayer when they were accepted into the research group in MD. They will be traveling this weekend, Feb.6, and will be gone for a week. The update I received from Katherine's mom concerning the trip follows:

As you are all aware, we will be traveling to Bethesda, MD for the week of Feb 8th to participate in a research study for undiagnosed diseases being performed by the National Institute of Health. We were very excited to finally get a date - we first requested to be part of this study last July, and had been given several tentative dates which had never worked out. We will be driving, which will be a long trip (about 12-13 hrs, I think), but no airlines can accommodate Katherine staying in her wheelchair on flight, she's too old for me to hold, and she cannot sit up without the support of her special wheelchair ...so we are driving! We will be staying on campus at a lodge provided for those with children receiving treatment at the NIH.

What I am really excited about tonight is that I just received a call this evening from one of the nurse practitioners prepping our case, and she told me among many other tests, that they will be testing Katherine for the markers of Cornelia de Lange Syndrome. We were told about this syndrome from our previous therapist, but never got anywhere with testing for it - insurance would not cover this test, and we didn't feel the need to save for it, since we never got very positive feedback from our doctors over the possibility of Katherine having this. I recently visited their site again (www.cdlsusa.org) and downloaded a new form that is more specific about symptoms they look for in clinically diagnosing it. Katherine clinically fits into the category of having Cornelia de Lange, even though she isn't a "classic" case. The marker only shows up in about 50% of the children who have clinical diagnosis, but they are working on finding even more specific testing to find more markers all the time. I am just glad that this testing is finally going to be completed, almost 2 yrs after first requesting it!!

Keep us in your prayers as the date arrives. There is much to do to prepare for the trip. It will be an exhausting time with all the testing involved, plus, since I can't take my nurses with me, I will be taking care of Katherine at night also -- pray that she sleeps well at night so that I can sleep too (and won't be too grouchy and groggy during the day). There are small details that have to be worked out like food for the week, etc, which I'm sure we will manage -- we have lived on PB&J sandwiches before for extended hospital stays. There are some cafeterias on campus, but it sounds like they discourage you from leaving campus much, due to tight security restrictions. We are anticipating what might be found so that we can better know how to help Katherine, at the same time knowing that we might come home without any answers -- but at least we will have tried!!
I have known this amazing family for several years and am daily amazed at their strength in the Lord even during such trials. They have been through many hospital stays and many tests which told them nearly nothing. As a parent I can not imagine the pain of not being able to help my child due to not knowing what help they truely need. I ask you to please uplift this family as they travel to MD for the testing and also for peace and calmness as they will be leaving Christopher with someone here so that they can be available for the numerous meetings in the week to come. Christopher seems to adjust well to staying with others, as he has had to for some of Katherine's hospitilizations, but it is still hard on the entire family. Thank you for your prayers and I will keep you updated as I am.

Here are some pictures of this beautiful girl and her family:

If you would like to send the family a note of encouragement you can leave a comment here or use the contact me button and send an email. I will make sure they get all correspondence.

Fruit Roll-Ups Winner

Ok I know I'm late AGAIN but the fruit roll-ups winner is

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

4 

Timestamp: 2009-02-05 03:22:53 UTC

Amy said... 4

I would love to make some for my son to take to his class for Valentine's. It would be such a unique and cool Valentine.

As always you have 3 days to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Awarded!

Sherrie from Boogers, Screams, Headaches, and Dreams gave me some awards. Now to be honest she gave me these first ones on Jan. 25th and I never got around to posting them. Then today she gave me the last two so I figured I needed to make the time to show some appreciation love! So check out the awesome awards I got.....

I am supposed to list five reasons why I think life is grand and pass it on to five other blogs.

1. I have a wonderful and hard-working husband who supports me in being a SAHM and a homeschool teacher to our two precious boys. (yes that is Sherries answer but it is so true for me too.)

2. I've been blessed beyond my expectations with two of the cutest, smartest, and funniest little boys. I cannot wait to see what they will accomplish in life. (yep, stealing again but hey we have alot in common.)

3. I have a great extended family that really show us support in many ways.

4. My salvation. That's got to be the grandest thing.

5. My friends, especially the ones who put up with me when they really just want to tell me to go away for a little while.

Here are the rules for this award:
a) List 10 honest things about yourself - and make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep!
b) Pass the award on to 7 bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap.



1. I love to snuggle but NOT when I'm trying to sleep. I can't stand to be touched when I'm trying to sleep and this drives Hubby crazy.

2. I love blogging and redecorating my blog but I hate doing the research to learn the new things. Amy normally does that part for us both.

3. One of my biggest struggles of faith is that we haven't been able to have biological children. I love my boys but the desire has never left for us to have more and we can't afford adoption again.

4. I am currently trying to conceive, and by trying I mean in the obvious ways but also with medical help.

5. I'm nervous about the next step the doctor wants to take with my fertility treatment but Hubby is all for it and my family is supportive.

6. I've been trying to figure out how to make our desire for more children and the difficulty we're having conceiving a part of my blog but haven't been sure how to work it in and wasn't sure anyone would really want to hear that story. So now you know, probably more than you cared too, but if you want to know the whole story of our 12 year struggle let me know and I'll consider writing about it in the future.

7. I got married five years before my brother, even though he is 4.5 years older than me. (Oh, and when I got married he still lived with mom and dad.)

8. Even though my boys are adopted their "real" aunt is one of my closest friends and their "real" grandpa is AWESOME. We see them regularly.

9. I borrowed my mom's laptop to see how well my wireless router worked and I may never give it back. I was suppose to return it last week and we forgot and I haven't mentioned it since b/c I so love being able to use it sitting comfortably on my couch, or wherever.

10. Amy and I have known each other since 4th grade and even though we grew apart for awhile we've been really close again the last 6 years. If I don't talk to her everyday I feel like something is missing. Seriously, just ask her, some day's she dreads hearing that phone ring. :)

Now, let me go ahead and pass these awards on. Be sure to follow the rules for both. So, grab them with pride and ENJOY THE STARDOM!

Ok I will pass these along to:

Amy
Gina
Becky
Melissa

Homeschool Paperwork Headaches

Ok, I know that here in GA I have it pretty easy when it comes to paperwork required by my state. Basically all I have to turn in is my intent and a monthly attendance report. Of course, I am notoriously late with my attendance reports, so in November my B.O.E representative called to tell me that according to my intent I started school in September and she had not yet received any of my attendance forms. So I began trying to fax them. I kept getting a busy signal and so called her back to see if I was dialing the wrong number or something. She confirmed the number but then informed me that she had no intent for me and she acted like she wasn't expecting any attendance forms from me because she didn't know I was homeschooling. I told her that she had called me about the attendance and that I was trying to send them but was having trouble with my fax going through. She said she was going to send me a new intent and to get the attendance in as soon as possible. I finally figured out that my phone line wasn't plugged into my fax (still don't understand why I got a busy message though) and so I fixed that and faxed the attendance. I couldn't find my intent so I couldn't refax that. At the beginning of December I got a form letter with the intent included with the words "This has to be filled out each school year" bolded and underlined and a handwritten not added at the bottom that said " I do not have a declaration from you for this school year". Well I have gotten busy and misplaced the intent and found it and then found it but didn't get around to it until yesterday. Yesterday I faxed my December and January attendance forms along with my new intent. Ten minutes later the B.O.E lady calls me to say she received my attendance and a new intent but that she didn't have my September, October, November attendance forms and that the dates on my intent are different. I had already explained that to her but I explained again that my original intent said I would start on September 24 but I actually started on September 1 so I reflected that change on the intent. I told her that I had sent her the September, October, and November forms and that they went through at 2:24pm on December 4th and that the new intent was because she said she had never received an intent from me. She acted as though she knew nothing about what I was talking about and asked if I could refax those "missing" forms. I laughed, said I could and that I was glad I wasn't the only one that wasn't good with paperwork. Not sure if that helped my case or not but I was a bit aggravated. Anyway, I am glad that I keep my forms and all my fax activity sheets that show when I sent a fax and who I sent it to and if it went through or not.

Family Update

My mom just called to let me know that my Grandpa had just called her. The phone is back on at their house but is still out in many places. Their power is not yet on and won't be for a little while. A crew has come out and cut the tree from their house and have temporary covers on the roof but because of where the tree hit (in their foyer over the stairs where a large ceiling fan is) there is damage to the electrical wiring and the power company will not reattach the main wires to their house until they have an electrician out to fix the interior wiring. Of course, at this time, it is nearly impossible to get an electrician. They are no longer staying at the shelter but have moved in with some friends. Grandpa is going to check in with the doctor today to see about whether his surgery is going to happen on Friday or be postponed.
They are both doing fine but are anxious to get their home repaired and get moved back in.

Thank you all for your prayers, please continue to uplift them as they still have a struggle ahead.

Veggie Tales: Abe & the Amazing Promise

Product Description

While on set filming, Bob the Tomato decides to respond to a fan's letter about "waiting", meanwhile everyone's patience is tested by spitting camels, a confused nurse, an easily distracted film crew, and a host of other laughable filming disasters! Join the comical chaos and calamity in Abe and the Amazing Promise that reminds kids that God always keeps his promises . . . even if we have to wait a while!

My family and I were recently blessed to receive this movie. Veggie Tales are a long standing favorite around here and we were not disappointed with the newest addition to our movie library. I believe patience is an important lesson for everyone to learn, especially children. I love that Veggie Tales makes this a fun lesson with a cute storyline and comedy. At the end of the movie they share with us a verse as always but this movie also includes a bonus verse. I love that my children can watch quality tv while enjoying the storyline and characters and also learning Godly characteristics. For other Veggie Tale products visit their official sit at Big Idea, I know you'll find something to love.

This great movie will be available everywhere on Feb. 7 and I would highly recommend adding it to your movie library.

Thanks to Family Review Network for this opportunity.