Update from today

Cody and I went to Syracuse today for our 6 month check up with Dr. Tatum. We went to check his ears and discuss his adenoids at the request of our ortho. His adenoids are large but at this time Dr. Tatum does not want to do anything about them. Our ortho is concerned due to growth. Cody is a mouth breather and when you breath primarily out of your mouth it can affect the way your jaw grows. However the adenoids give him extra tissue in the back of his throat to help with his speech. Dr. Tatum said he can "fix" a jaw much more easily than he can "fix" his speech. I agree. And there is nothing saying he will have a jaw growth problem. Only time will tell on that one.

He checked his ears and he said they are just full of wax. So what he could see was limited. He had the nurse do a tympanogram on him and the ear drum didn't move much. He believes the tube in the left ear is out and there is fluid. The right tube is either out with fluid or there is a hole in the eardrum. Right now he just wants to watch for infections. If we should get any then he wants to see us back and he'll have to do surgery to replace the tubes. If we don't have any infections then we see him in July for the team visit.

I did get great news though while there. Back a couple months ago, Cody went for a photo shoot. The team was interested in putting his picture in their brochure. I was very honored that they wanted to use it. After all though his smile does show off Dr. Tatum's handy work. So we did the pictures and was told they would see what looked best. Well today I was shown and then handy their new clinic brochure - and on the front cover is a great picture of my smiling boy! Here it is:

We were thanked for allowing them to use it. I contribute his smile to the wonderful hands of our surgeon. He "fixed" something that almost 5 years ago I never thought could be "fixed".

Meet my friend

While at work today I happen to be checking my emails - I know not supposed to be doing this at work - but I was! I got an email from a dear friend. A friend I met for the first time at the conference in Vegas. He spoke for about an hour and I just thought he was fantastic. So did Brett. Just this past July he came back to the conference and we got to "meet" again. This time it was different. He remembered me. I was amazed and shocked. He is a dear dear friend of the cleftAdvocate organization. He tells a story like no other. Your cheeks hurt when he is done talking.

Meet my friend - David Roche.

I'll share something from his website........
" make my living as a performer, speaker and author. The time has come for me to blog. For more info about me, please visit my website. And, oh yes, I have a facial disfigurement. And I am very funny."

The email you may ask.......the email was that David has a blog. You all know how I love to blog. Well now I am so excited that I can read David's blog. I've read his book - he amazing. He is an older gentlemen, like he said that has a facial disfigurement, he is married, he leads a truly fulfilled life, he is my friend, he will rather he realizes it or not teach me how to prepare Cody for the world.

As I read this post of his, I closed my eyes...I was sitting on the chair in the Ballroom at the Tuscany, David was talking....I was laughing - this is what he was telling us: http://davidroche.com/myface/2008/10/at-middle-school-2/#comments

Relaxing Sunday

Well our weather did a complete 180 from yesterday. Yesterday it was almost 60 and warm. Today it was very, very cold and as I type my car is now covered in snow! I knew it had to come sooner or later. We had a very relaxing Sunday. We got to see my brother as they headed back through to MD. Sad when they left as I am not sure when we are seeing them again yet. I'm thinking a trip to MD is in our plans shortly. After they left, we all vegged out. The boys played, I did what I normally don't do and sat on the couch and watched TV. Just didn't have it in me today. I did a little bit when I had to but all in all it was a very relaxing day. Which is soooo nice! But I had to get out the camera and take a picture!!!! I think this is my new favorite!

Dinner and a Movie

After the Bakugan tournament our afternoon quieted down for a little bit. We got some house work done, Brett went off to Walmart to get groceries, it was a very rainy yucky day out so we just chilled. Brett left around 3 as the football officials all got a bus and headed to Syracuse for the football game tonight. While I am sure the game won't be "wonderful" as SU isn't doing very good at all this year - it's still a fun night out with the guys! I am sure they are having fun.

So the boys and I had plans to go to a benefit dinner. A guy I work with has boys in the cub scouts. They were putting this Spaghetti dinner on for two fellow scouts that have lost their parents. The kids are in the 3rd and 1st grade. I can't even imagine. A very young relative is now the sole care giver for these two boys. So we were happy to go tonight and have a great dinner. A bunch of us from work all met and no matter where we are - when we all get together we have a blast.

Driving home I remembered back to toys-r-us and Dylan really wanting this Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas DVD. So I decided we would go and get it. He was so excited! We got home, got our jammies on and made popcorn. Put the movie in and just relaxed. It was wonderful! Just to sit on the couch, cuddled under the blanket with my boys and watching a cute movie. Priceless!

Bakugan Tournament

Today was the Bakugan Tournament at Toys-R-Us. We got there about 10:30 and the tables were full. They had to bring out more. Cody and Dylan sat down to battle and had a blast. After a little bit Dylan got tired of it and wanted to just go look at the toys with Tyler. Cody moved on to another little boy and battled with him. He said he won "9 times".....I don't think that's true but he was very into it. It was so fun to watch him.

Here they are setting up to play!

Bakugan Battle.

We have Bakugan!

What a day today was. It actually started last night when Brett told me that on Saturday there is a Bakugan tournament at toys-r-us. He had already told Cody and we have to go. Problem is - we don't have the bakugan balls. So I figured hey, if toys-r-us is hosting this tournament then they must have some of these balls in the store. WRONG! Them along with every other retailer does not carry these things. They are all sold out. I spent all day calling all over trying to find these. My mom even went to a store called "Made in Japan" and they didn't have them. I had basically given up. I have a friend in Ohio and she said she would look for me. I found one battle set on craigslist and emailed them but was waiting for a reply. Any way I tried though - we were not going to have these things for tomorrow. WRONG again! I got home and my mom had called one more local store....one I never shop at as it's downtown but that she loves.....and they had them! Yeah!!! We got a 6 pack. We are battling tomorrow.

Apparently though these Bakugan's are being considered the top toy of this holiday season. Unlike most top toy's (in my era it was the Cabbage Patch Kid) these are actually within a price range for families. Starting around $3.00 and going up from there. And as my luck will have it my friend in Ohio went right out shopping for me (thanks Liz) and she found me a 3 pack. Santa is "very" happy. Then the seller from craigslist wrote me back and said the mega battle pack is still available. It's a steal of a price. Yeah! I am soooooooooooooooooo excited!

Tonight though we did another kid favorite. We had a birthday party to go to for a little boy in Cody and Dylan's class at Chuck E Cheese. The minute you walk through the door is instant craziness. They had so much fun though. It was an all boys party as the little boy didn't want any girls invited. And a big step for my kids, they actually like Chuck E. Giving him high 5's and everything. Surprised me. We left and Cody said "I wish we lived here". Yah, I don't! We will have to price a Chuck E birthday party. It's just so crazy there with no real organization. I've got a little bit to think about that.

So we are off to toys-r-us in the morning to have a Bakugan Battle. I will have pictures for sure!

Pictures

Tonight we took all the Grandkids to Sears for their Christmas pictures. Let me just say - "phew"...it's over! I wore a sweater and shouldn't have. I was dying. Everyone did great! Well, once Tyler got whatever crawled up his butt out. The first few pictures were um very interesting to say the least. But then the photographer got the idea to bring out the frog that falls off her head and that was all it took! Duh, I could of told you that. But we got them done and I think Gimmie and Papa will love them!!!

I really hate to "give them away" but I have to share just a few. Enjoy!!!

The group shot. This was our first photo and the one Tyler had an issue with. By this picture I had basically promised the world. Look at all of those BOYS! Poor Karly.

My very soon to be 5 year olds. Figured I might as well kill two birds with one stone! Not 5 till January though!My little 3 year old. I told him the other night he was "my baby" and he told me "no I'm not..I a little boy".......Plus I figure since he wouldn't get his school picture taken - this is it! I'll take that smile anyday!Baby Jack. It's still weird that he is here and we can hold him. He's such a little peanut and his big cousins just LOVED him! Ah...a sleeping baby is the BEST! Don't you just want to kiss those cheeks!