Dora Head

Hello!
Well, so much has happened in the last month.    First off, Love Boy had counts of 300K!!!!  Whew.   We do not go back unless we see odd bruising (this boy bruises for he has no fear!) and/or the petechial rash.

I had a car accident with the kids one morning while taking them to school.   :(  We are all fine, but dealing with insurance peeps and driving a rental is just not me.   I miss my car, but again...we are all fine.  There was a slight scare for Love Boy was bleeding from his mouth, but all was good for his numbers were too!

I bet you are wondering what the heck I mean by Dora head.   That comment makes me laugh just to type it.  :)   You see, I sell AVON (BTW, purchase by 12/15 from http://www.mbullington.com/ and 10% of your order will be donated to Tiny Handprints.   http://www.tinyhandprints.org/) and they have a hair scrunchy!   I am growing my hair out and I tell you that I did not have enough hair to have a nice pony tail.   So, I bought one and that puppy matches my hair exactly!   Wearing a piece like that is not my style....I feel so "Wendy Williams.'   I normally take my hair off and leave it in the bathroom, but one night I was just pooped and ripped it off and placed on the bar.   I picked up Honey Bunny  and while carrying her past the bar she pointed and said, "I want the Dora head."   What?!!?   What the heck is a Dora head?   Looking at the bar I see my hair piece.   I laughed so hard!   Below is a picture...you tell me....is my hair piece the Dora head? 

I am digging what Boots is doing in the background.  Really, I have a lot going on here with Elmo, Dora head, Dora, alphabet mat and my shoe...  :)

Love,
Michele

Exhausted!

This weekend was just busy!  The zoo and the circus...here is how it went....

Saturday night, the zoo.  We left at 4:30, walked around a whole bunch and we left about 8.  Honey Bunny got to spend the evening with two of her BFFs...she was happy.
I was smart this time...I took Love Boy's costume off and put him in his pjs and night time diaper before leaving!   We got home and just carried him up to bed.   JACKPOT!  (It too me having two kids to be smart enough to do this....:)  )  Honey Bunny literally sat on the bed while hubby put her pjs on her.  She went straight to sleep.   So did I!

Sunday afternoon, the circus.   I first have to say it was a really nice show.   Honey Bunny got to see one of her BFFs two days in a row!   I will say...it was long.  Who knew the circus had an intermission???   News to me...   Now, Love Boy is about 14 months old.   He did not nap very well and he was a mess for a good hour of the show.   He finally fell asleep on me towards the end.   I will say he was so good in the evening while I made dinner because of that little catnap.  Honey Bunny however, did not nap at all.   She was really good at the circus except towards the end she was getting cranky.  I was getting cranky!   We head home about 4:30 or 5 and she fell asleep.  No big deal for we would wake her.   Got home and I started on dinner while hubby worked on the yard.   Honey bunny stayed in the car and slept through all blowing and collecting of leaves!   Finally hubby got her about 6 and we thought she would eat and then go to bed.   She wanted to go to bed then!   She slept until 5:30 this morning!

Hubby and I were so worried about her.   We both checked on her several times thoroughout the night.   She woke up happy, having to pee, hungry AND she asked if she could brush her teeth!   That made me laugh out loud for her mouth had to be yucky.   She ate and went on to school.  

A 'bad mommy' moment did come over me though....she was dressed when she went to bed last night.   I could comb her hair she could be ready to go...for a split second I was tempted not to change her clothes!   I know, I know...bad mommy, but I DID change her outfit.  :)

The next couple of weekends are going to be busy too.   Hope to go to a pumpkin farm, maybe see motorcycle racing, SIDS race (which I plan to walk...no running for me), then birthday parties to jewelry parties to Thanksgiving!  Whew....it is all good.   We are all well and I am so blessed.

I wish all of you the best and hope you have great weekends to come too!
Love, Michele

Milk Earrings

I first want to state some good news!   Love Boy went to doctor on Friday and his numbers were 130K!!!   We are not out of the water just yet for they are still low, but we are getting there.   I felt his numbers were up and I am so glad.   I hope they stay up there and get a little higher!

Now, about my milk earrings.    I have this pair of earrings (attached a picture) that I bought to go with a specific shirt that had white beads on it.   The very first time I wore those earrings, Honey Bunny asked me why I have milk in my earrings?  :)   I loved those earrings from that point on and I call them my milk earrings.

I have been trying to make a point to have lunch with Honey Bunny one day a week.   Today was that day and I wore my milk earrings.   I sit at the table with the kids and the little boy behind me looks and asks, "Why do you have milk in there?"   He thought I had milk in my earrings too!   The minds of 3 year olds...

Love,
Michele

State Fair redo...

So, it turns out I DID win at the state fair!  I won second place for Gail's cookies!   How did I not know you ask???   Here is how it went down...

Friday morning got up at the crack of dawn and started the pie and cookies.   Joseph was just fussy, so I took him to school and picked up Honey Bunny's BFF...my second HB.   Brought them back home while I finished getting ready and let the pie finish cooking.
HB wanted to go to the zoo!  She stood in the hallway while I finished getting ready.   Honey Bunny could not understand why HB did not want to play!  HB was so cute, every other minute she asked, "When are we going to the zoo?"   :)
Pie finished and I packed up the cookies and pie and headed to the fair with 2 three year old girls in tow.    Take the goodies in and the girls were so good.   They played in the big open area as I stood in line to check in.   It took forever!!   That is the one thing I hate is that check in.  I got up at the crack of dawn to make cookies and a pie and some ladies bring in at least 20 different items!   Breads, cookies, cakes, pies, candies, bisquits, you name it...they had made it!   So, I got behind one of those ladies.....
Got my two little items checked in and took the girls to the zoo.  As I stated in a prior post, we got soaked!  :)   It was still a wonderful time.

I dropped HB off and it was still early yet.   I decided to take Honey Bunny back out to the state fair and check the results.    I get there and I had to walk up a big hill and of course, Honey Bunny did not want to walk.   It was mighty hot and humid due to the rain earlier...but I carried her up there.   I go in and see my pie did not win.  That puts me in a bad mood....  I then see my bag of cookies with no tag on it!  I then start cursing in my mind!  Pretty much I thought they did not even try mine for the tag was missing.   I stormed out with my Honey Bunny kind of frustrated that my day ended that way.

I even went to the fair that weekend.   I sneered at the first and second place chocolate chip cookies....ummm, I did not recognize my own cookie and I did not even check the tag....duh....

What happened was they took my tag and was placing the winning cookies in the case.   That is why my tag was missing!  Jeez, I felt silly.  I still feel silly.  The fact that I did not even check the tags on those cookies when I saw them.   Lesson learned...be patient and next time I am going to ask if any tags are missing!  :)

Love,
Michele

Breakfast of champions...

I made breakfast this morning like I always do and I always ask Honey Bunny what she would like.   I mostly decide for her, but in those cases I can swap up, I let her do it.   Since I work from home, I have the luxury of having breakfast with the kids and I try to prepare something every morning.   This morning was eggs w/cheese, blueberries and waffle for Love Boy.  
Anyway, I asked this morning and hesitated for she normally asks for strawberries and we did not have those.   I got ready to state we had blueberries, peaches, applesauce...anything but strawberries.   
Here is how it went:
"What would you like for breakfast?"
No answer....
"Would you like some apple yogurt and waffles?"   (BTW, I bought some whole milk organic yogurt in vanilla flavor and I add cinnamon applesauce...to die for!  :)  )
She shook her head no.   Here it comes I thought....strawberry request...
"I want pizza and chocolate."
HA!
I am still laughing about that.   She did settle for the waffles, apple yogurt and blueberries.   I think I am going to go get her some pizza sticks and make some chocolate pudding and for dinner....it is pizza and chocolate!   Yummy!
Love,
Michele

Is that you??!!!

Love Boy is learning how to walk.   He has officially let go and does the 'zombie' walk.   The other night while sitting at the table, I listened as he walked down the hallway to see his sister.   It was a sweet sound especially since he was calling for her.   Well, kind of yelling for her!   He loves her so much.  I have found he really does not like closed doors.   He allows his door to be shut for sleep time, but after that...doors better be open!   Kind of reminds me of MTC....letters from the past that I miss.

With the zombie walk comes shoes!   My mom bought him some sandals and they are so cute.   He has been wearing them and things are good...except one thing.   His feet stink so bad!!!  I mean, STINK!   I take those shoes off and I wondered what that awful smell was.   I checked his diaper and realized those little feet smell like the sewer!   They were so bad that I had to actually put the shoes outside and air them out!   They stunk up the entire room. How can this be!?!?   My cute, sweet little Love Boy has feet that could pass for a bad bottle of vinegar!   I blame the hubby.   Poor Honey Bunny has a stinky feet problem too.   Of all the things to get from their daddy, they get stinky feet!   Well, at least they got his pretty eyes.  I am hoping for his teeth and good eyesight too.    Come on straight teeth and no glasses!!! 
Love,
Michele

I am still here!

Whew...what a crazy couple of weeks!   I have a few moments and I needed to post some updates. 

First, Love Boy's numbers are still low.   The last we checked they were below 60.   UGH.   This has been going on for about 2 months now and the doctors are wondering if this is a case of chronic ITP.   That makes me sad, but it is something we can live with and cope.
From there, we are not checking his blood weekly!   Yay!!!   The numbers were not showing any improvements and we were not gaining anything from the results except they are still low.....and what to do with that??   So, we go monthly now.   If any symptoms crop up, I take him to be tested.   Trust me, I know those symptoms...bruises and that petechaie rash.

Love Boy just got over a virus.   Really, those can be tricky with ITP.  When you get a virus, your body kind of 'slows' down to fight the virus, so the production of platelets will slow down.   For those of us with normal platelet levels, that is no big deal, but with ITP....that can be tricky.  While his platelets are low, every time he gets sick we have to watch for the symptoms for we do not want to dip down below 10....that is the bad number...   Again, he is good and I feel his bruising has gotten better.   I hope to post good news after the monthly checkup!

Second thing....I entered the fair again this year and got NOTHING...bastards...  :)  No really, I will keep trying like I do every year.  I have many ribbons to my name and I am happy about that.   I know I am a good cook...I have ribbons to prove it!

Lastly, I took Honey Bunny and one of her BFFs to the zoo on Friday.   Those girls were perfect.   We dropped off stuffs at the state fair and then headed out there.   It was cool and overcast...just comfortable weather.   We ate lunch and then the rain came.   It was NOT stopping.   I did not have an umbrella and if I did, I could not hold it and push a double stroller anyway!    I ran to my car, pushing a double stroller with 2 screaming girls in the pouring rain!   They totally enjoyed it.   Honey Bunny stated, "Do it again Mommy!"   No....I am not doing that again....   :)   I was soaked.   So were the girls, but not so bad since they had cover from the stroller. 

Well, that is about it for a recap.   More to come soon regarding Love Boy and the zombie walk and Honey Bunny and her friends!

Slave work :)

First off I want to say that Love Boy went to the doctor and his numbers are up!   YES!!!!!!!!!!   Now, he can go to school and I hope we can get back to some normal schedule.   I will miss him during the day...

So, today I slaved.   I made homemade lasagna.   I used to make it all the time, but my hubby taught me how to make spaghetti sauce.   Hence, I then used that for the lasagna.   This morning I got up, made breakfast and then made the meat for the sauce.   That sauce simmered in the crock pot all day and then I took that sauce and made the lasagna.   Yep....homemade sauce for my homemade lasagna.   I have to say..it kicked ass.

I am now waiting for the blueberry pie to cool.   Yes, I made a pie too!   So, today I slaved in the kitchen.   Why?  I love to cook.   I have been so worried about Love Boy that I really have not been able to cook like I wanted.   Good news means good food I guess!   I had to practice the pie anyway for I am entering that in the state fair.   I sure hope I win!

My point is...we all have things that mess up our routine.   Things will work out and you will be able to do your version of 'slave work' soon!

Love, Michele

P.S.  Thanks to my hubby for making coffee.  I said that I did not want any, but he knew better and made some anyway.   I love you!

Honey Bunny and her purse

I normally hang my purse up so no children can reach. Honey Bunny had a pee pee issue and we had to run to the potty as soon as we got home the other day. I threw my purse on the floor in her room.   What was I thinking!?!?!?   My purse all alone at the mercy of the children!!

As I worked the kitchen, Honey Bunny came to me with a wad of paper.   She stated she needed it for 'her purse'.   I asked where she got it and she stated my purse!   I then realized my purse was alone and ran back there to save it.  The only thing taken out was the bunch of reciepts that I had in there.   Not my chapstick, not my wallet, not my phone, but my trash!   I checked the reciepts to make sure nothing important and let her have them.    She proudly put them in her purse and was so happy to be like her momma.

What lesson did I teach her?  Not really sure except hang on to reciepts for a little while for you might need them?   I do think the saying of "one person's trash is another person's treasure" is appropriate for this story.  She treasured my trash!  :)

Love, Michele

Hunt for Blue bunny...

I have a shelf right above Love Boy's changing area. I have some stuffed animals on there and he has GOT to have them. There is a blue bunny up there and I simply will not let him have it. For the Juris peeps out there, that bunny was from my office....   There is no reason why I will not let him have it except that I taped it down so it would not fall.  I think I really want just one little stuffed animal up there to look nice.  :)

So, he gets all the other stuffed animals...green bunny, puppy, Titans mascot, etc....but he is not getting that blue bunny.  I have to say that he is determined to get that bunny! He reaches. He grunts. He fusses. He has yet to give up!

Keep trying Love Boy...you will get that blue bunny some day!  I will cave to your sassiness!   :)

Love, Momma

Here we go!

I decided to take some time to write out some of my thoughts. Not really sure anyone will care or even want to read. However, I hope this helps someone smile. You gotta smile once in a while!



So, my Love Boy has ITP. You can look that up. It is long and is scary sounding. To sum it up, he has low platelets. Why? We just do not know. This started a month ago and we just keep going and checking each week. He is out of daycare for the threat of hitting his head is high and well...he can bleed. He bruises just by looking at him...not really, but I swear he can! It is very scary. :(

I have to go to Vandy's Children's hospital. I go to hematology/oncology and I really was not expecting what I saw. All these children were sick. They were getting treatment and it was the infusion center. O.K. I was NOT expecting this. My baby does not have cancer, but all these children did. They were missing hair or swollen or so ill they could not even walk. As I stared at these sweet children, I realized there was no sadness. I wanted to cry my eyes out, but no one was sad? I am amazed by these children and their strength. I am amazed by their parents and their strength. I have learned from them in just these few weeks.

One of those lessons happened today that made me to be amazed by these children even more. I have a cold and I surely did not want to make anyone sick! So for the blood work check, I wore a mask. As I focused on Love Boy another little boy stared at 'me'. I kind of felt uncomfortable for I really wanted to look back, but he had no hair and ....it was just uncomfortable. I walked by him as his stare was intense and I finally made eye contact. With such concern on his face he said, "Are you o.k.?" Am I O.K.?!?! I wanted to ask him 1000 questions if he were o.k., what was wrong with him, etc... This little boy had so much going on in his life and he asked 'me' if I were o.k.? For this visit, I stood out in the waiting area. People stared at me. This sweet little guy was worried about me. I assured him I was and that I simply had a cold. He was pleased with my answer. :)

I understand why I was uncomfortable. I want to know if those children are o.k.? In reality, some are not but they are trying to beat their illness. To that little boy, thank you for your strength. God Bless you and I pray you beat your illness and I will not have to see you again for no more treatment will be needed.

Love,
Michele