It has been a very busy week. Getting used to the time change again and then heading back to work after a week off and finding out that NOTHING got done while I was gone has kept me busy. Monday my head was in the clouds all day as I was wishing I was still on vacation.
Tuesday I slowly started to come out of it. We took Cody back to the hospital to have another round of blood drawn so they can test his thyroid more. He was funny. As I was talking with him about it he told me that he would do it but wasn't going to be happy. I completely agreed. He doesn't have to be happy about any of it.
Today Tyler went to the doctor for his 3 year physical. He did great. He's right on track and growing up. He weighed 32 lbs and is 35 1/2" tall. For weight he is in the 50th percent tile but for height he's in the 5th. Stop laughing - my kids aren't going to be tall. Only chance of that is if they take after their Uncle Kevin.
The doctor and I also discussed Cody's blood work. It appears that his TSH level has come down from a 9.4 to a 6.something. Which I guess is good but the normal range is 0.4 to 4.0 - so he is still above normal - just not as far. So the doctor said he would talk it over with the pediatric endocrinologist and see what he says. He said they might just recommend re-testing in 6 months. Here is where I have a problem with this all. The TSH is the Thyroid Simulating Hormone that is produced by the pituitary gland. In Cody the gland is having a hard time pushing this hormone. My question is why? Why is Cody having a hard time? Most other 4 year olds don't have this problem. Then why wait 6 months. How about 2 or 3. While I love our pediatricians, this is the same doctor that had me keep Tyler on antibiotics for 3 months while Tyler had constant fluid on his ears - which then has caused him to have severe articulation problems. So - a part of me does not want to wait. And knowing me, I will probably call the endocrinologist and see about getting in to him for a consult. Because in the mean time Cody keeps complaining about being tired all the time. His constant complaint is not normal for his age.
And to top it all off - my poor sister has 2 sick kids. Guess they have the virus hand-foot-mouth. So both Connor and Karly are sick and really not feeling good. Then my mom calls me today and says that Cody is running a fever and is on the couch. Hoping it's not that as it will run through the other 2. Time will tell. (Tash, how is Rae feeling?)
And on all of this - I have been swamped preparing for our Lucky Smiles picnic. OMG - this is like throwing a wedding all over again. I have 400 invitations to stuff tonight. Guess I should probably go do that. The worst part is waiting to hear back from people. The people that have responded the quickest are those that can't come. So I hope the fire department and Shriners get back to me ASAP as my mind is whirling. More to vent on that later - off to stuff!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
More on Vegas
So hard to believe that the weekend is ending and it's back to work tomorrow. I've been unpacking since Friday when we got home and still have things to do. I realized that I never wrote anything about the reason why we went to Las Vegas - and that was for the conference.
The conference was wonderful. So many great speakers. Brett and I were especially interested in dental and one thing we know is every team does the repairs a little different. It was great to talk with dentist in Las Vegas that has the same timeline as our team here. Always reassuring! We got to hear a lady from the CDC talk. While she informed us that they are working on finding what causes a cleft - after her hour long speech they really aren't much closer to finding out why! Sometimes that is the hard part to swallow - why? But you can't live in that. Then we listened to 2 authors speak. Both had a craniofacial condition - one spoke of her journey and the other used his humor to tell his story. The he taught us how to tell our story. They both have published books so I am so anxious to find some free time and get reading. There was a doctor from the University of Florida (first mistake according to Brett) that spoke about VPI. While this doesn't pertain to Cody he was still interesting to listen to. Although he was older and got off topic quickly. Must be a Gator thing! :)
What the conference also brought was time to reconnect with "old" friends and make new ones. Seeing as though we have gone for 2 years everybody was anxious to meet Cody and Dylan. They on the other hand was not so sure about everything. Very overwhelming to 4 year olds to have a lot of strangers come up to them. They warmed up in their own ways. The boys attend Kids Camp while we were in the conference. They cried when we dropped them off but only for a minute. Another Mom went to check on them for us and they were fine. They never fought us about going so I knew it was just that initial separation. They did crafts and played games! They are still talking about it so I know it wasn't all that bad.
I however, thoroughly enjoyed seeing my old friends again. Some of these ladies are more friends than the friends I have. I guess only because we truly understand each other. Debbie, Joyce, Robin, Karen, Gina, and many others. Thank you for a great week! Karen was my god send....she checked on the boys for me, she loaned me some Valtrex for my cold sore that just had to make it's appearance while on the trip. I'm super excited for our family day in August to see Debbie again and for her to meet my family!
We had a great time - Brett ended the conference by spending it with the gang out by the pool until 3 am drinking some cocktails. To bad we only see these people once a year but it certainly doesn't feel like that. It feels like we see them once a month! That is what family is all about and I consider them all our family!!!
I can wonder all I want "why" we were given a child with a facial difference but I know why in my heart!
The conference was wonderful. So many great speakers. Brett and I were especially interested in dental and one thing we know is every team does the repairs a little different. It was great to talk with dentist in Las Vegas that has the same timeline as our team here. Always reassuring! We got to hear a lady from the CDC talk. While she informed us that they are working on finding what causes a cleft - after her hour long speech they really aren't much closer to finding out why! Sometimes that is the hard part to swallow - why? But you can't live in that. Then we listened to 2 authors speak. Both had a craniofacial condition - one spoke of her journey and the other used his humor to tell his story. The he taught us how to tell our story. They both have published books so I am so anxious to find some free time and get reading. There was a doctor from the University of Florida (first mistake according to Brett) that spoke about VPI. While this doesn't pertain to Cody he was still interesting to listen to. Although he was older and got off topic quickly. Must be a Gator thing! :)
What the conference also brought was time to reconnect with "old" friends and make new ones. Seeing as though we have gone for 2 years everybody was anxious to meet Cody and Dylan. They on the other hand was not so sure about everything. Very overwhelming to 4 year olds to have a lot of strangers come up to them. They warmed up in their own ways. The boys attend Kids Camp while we were in the conference. They cried when we dropped them off but only for a minute. Another Mom went to check on them for us and they were fine. They never fought us about going so I knew it was just that initial separation. They did crafts and played games! They are still talking about it so I know it wasn't all that bad.
I however, thoroughly enjoyed seeing my old friends again. Some of these ladies are more friends than the friends I have. I guess only because we truly understand each other. Debbie, Joyce, Robin, Karen, Gina, and many others. Thank you for a great week! Karen was my god send....she checked on the boys for me, she loaned me some Valtrex for my cold sore that just had to make it's appearance while on the trip. I'm super excited for our family day in August to see Debbie again and for her to meet my family!
We had a great time - Brett ended the conference by spending it with the gang out by the pool until 3 am drinking some cocktails. To bad we only see these people once a year but it certainly doesn't feel like that. It feels like we see them once a month! That is what family is all about and I consider them all our family!!!
I can wonder all I want "why" we were given a child with a facial difference but I know why in my heart!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
A couple pictures
Just a couple pictures to tide you over till I get all of my pictures downloaded from my camera. These were taken professionally at the shark reef. They aren't real sharks behind us - but the family shot does resemble the tunnel that we walked through. More to come later....
People
It is amazing to come into contact with so many different people. I mean we all do this on a regular day to day basis but this trip seemed so different for us that I couldn't help. I mean we are pretty used to the whole "are they twins"? question and in Las Vegas it was no different. The only time I didn't get that was at the conference as everybody knew we had twins and so nobody asked.
So here are some of my encounters with people on this trip. It starts with the taxi drivers. Some of them speak to you others just find out where you are going and you ride in silence. There are so many different taxi companies in Las Vegas. We found that one in particular asked us to buckle the boys for their safety. As they weren't in car seats. I made them in every taxi but some requested it before I even got in. Which I am thankful for. If you've ever ridden in a taxi in a big city - you know why!
While at the buffet in Mandalay Bay.....well let me first explain that their was a Harley Davidson dealership convention in this hotel, so biker dudes everywhere.....we were in line and 2 Harley couples were in front of us. The boys were um being boys and this couple asked "are they twins"...we said yes and they told us they are expecting twin grand babies. I said congrats! Then they said they were going to observe and not to say a word. We just laughed. Having twins is great - but! :)
My last encounter with "people" was at the airport. We experienced two different types. We were standing up waiting to board. On Southwest you board in 3 different groups - A,B,C. If your boarding pass isn't in the A group and you have kids 4 and under then you board after A and before B. So that was our case. So as we waited for A group to board there were these 2 older ladies that stood next to us. I was standing back about a footstep from Brett and the boys. This lady could do nothing but stare at the boys. First at Dylan then she would lean in to look at Cody. Then I just watched as her eyes stayed fixed on Cody. I was going to say something but didn't. I mean don't stare - it's so rude! Ask a question if you really want to know something. The worst thing for anybody to do is stare. UGH! Thankfully we ended our trip on a positive experience. After our plane landed and people got off (we were waiting to board this same plane), I had the boys in the bathroom. This guy got off and set his bags down by our stuff. After he returned from the rest room he sat down and enjoyed a quick sandwich and waited to board our plane again. He boarded before us. After we got in our seats the stewardess came back to us with a pack of gum and said "the gentlemen that sat next to you at the airport wanted to make sure the boys had a piece of gum for take off". I was so moved. That was soooo nice of him. I wondered how I could thank him but we didn't sit close. So as luck would have it - he had forgotten his wallet on the plane and was coming back on the plane to get it when we were getting off. So I got to say thank you in person. Brett and I talked and we realized this guy reminded us of Brett's Dad. About the same height, age, had clothes on like Jim would wear, this guy was probably a grandfather himself.
So here are some of my encounters with people on this trip. It starts with the taxi drivers. Some of them speak to you others just find out where you are going and you ride in silence. There are so many different taxi companies in Las Vegas. We found that one in particular asked us to buckle the boys for their safety. As they weren't in car seats. I made them in every taxi but some requested it before I even got in. Which I am thankful for. If you've ever ridden in a taxi in a big city - you know why!
While at the buffet in Mandalay Bay.....well let me first explain that their was a Harley Davidson dealership convention in this hotel, so biker dudes everywhere.....we were in line and 2 Harley couples were in front of us. The boys were um being boys and this couple asked "are they twins"...we said yes and they told us they are expecting twin grand babies. I said congrats! Then they said they were going to observe and not to say a word. We just laughed. Having twins is great - but! :)
My last encounter with "people" was at the airport. We experienced two different types. We were standing up waiting to board. On Southwest you board in 3 different groups - A,B,C. If your boarding pass isn't in the A group and you have kids 4 and under then you board after A and before B. So that was our case. So as we waited for A group to board there were these 2 older ladies that stood next to us. I was standing back about a footstep from Brett and the boys. This lady could do nothing but stare at the boys. First at Dylan then she would lean in to look at Cody. Then I just watched as her eyes stayed fixed on Cody. I was going to say something but didn't. I mean don't stare - it's so rude! Ask a question if you really want to know something. The worst thing for anybody to do is stare. UGH! Thankfully we ended our trip on a positive experience. After our plane landed and people got off (we were waiting to board this same plane), I had the boys in the bathroom. This guy got off and set his bags down by our stuff. After he returned from the rest room he sat down and enjoyed a quick sandwich and waited to board our plane again. He boarded before us. After we got in our seats the stewardess came back to us with a pack of gum and said "the gentlemen that sat next to you at the airport wanted to make sure the boys had a piece of gum for take off". I was so moved. That was soooo nice of him. I wondered how I could thank him but we didn't sit close. So as luck would have it - he had forgotten his wallet on the plane and was coming back on the plane to get it when we were getting off. So I got to say thank you in person. Brett and I talked and we realized this guy reminded us of Brett's Dad. About the same height, age, had clothes on like Jim would wear, this guy was probably a grandfather himself.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Fun on the Strip!
We went to the strip 2 nights. With the conference going until 5 every day and with the time change that meant it was 8 our time the boys were so tired. So we went Monday night for our first time. They tried to walk and take it all in. It was over whelming to them. Heck, it was to us our first time too. These hotels are like mini cities and walking through them isn't quick. So on Monday, we got dropped off at the Flamingo Hotel & Casino. We were quick to find the outside landscape and take in their beautiful fountains and then of course - flamingo's! Once we found our way to Las Vegas Blvd....we quickly walked up 3 casinos to Treasure Island. We waited not long for the Pirate show - and they LOVED it! We had to hold them each on our shoulders which probably ticked the people off behind us but oh well. We asked if they had a viewing area for kids and they said no. So on the shoulders they went. They loved every aspect. The girls on their ship - the guys come from behind the crowd on another pirate ship - they squabble and then the girls sink the guys ship (literally, it goes under water) and the guys swim to the girls ship. Now for the adults enjoyment - the eye candy is fantastic! The girls are all beautiful and in bikini's and the guys are super buff, tan and (gulp) you get the picture! After the show we found our way to the gift shop where the boys got to spend their money and the whole taxi ride home they talked about the show. Once we got back to the hotel it was all pirates!
We went back to the strip on Wednesday night. This time we went straight to Mandalay Bay to see the Shark Reef. Dylan loves sharks - he was a shark for Halloween, he has shark swim shorts and towel, he loves shark week on Discovery channel (which starts Sunday). We tried so hard to show him a shark last year in Niagara Falls but the huge exhibit they spoke of - was um very small. One nice thing was 4 and under were free. We were given what looked like a tv remote and as you came upon the exhibits you punched in the number and it was like a little guided tour. So we saw a yellow alligator - that was cool. Some other fish - then we walked through the tunnel. The first tunnel was filled with smaller sharks and other fish. Then we came into a viewing area and we saw some jellyfish (that was cool as the tank was full of them), a petting area where you could touch a sting ray. So I did - the men of my family were all to chicken! What a cool feeling that was - they are so slimy feeling. Then we got to the next viewing area. It looked like a pirate ship had been sunk and at the front of the ship was nothing but glass and all of these much larger sharks, stingrays, saw sharks, a huge (and I mean huge) turtle. The sharks swam in front of us - and above us. It was awesome! Then we went back into another tunnel (same tank) and they swam around. The boys loved it! We loved it! Worth every penny. We got some good pictures and then of course they take professional pictures of you - and we got those too. I'll have to scan them.
After the shark exhibit we went and ate at a buffet. Las Vegas is known for their fantastic buffets and this one wasn't any different. The food was great and you could get just about anything. It was a little pricey - $26.99 an adult - luckily 4 and under was free. So we did luck out with their age. Glad we did it. We ended up getting a really friendly waiter - his name was Tom - and he was super funny. The boys had a favorite drink for the entire trip (chocolate milk) and he brought them 2 right from the start. Cody found his favorite - pizza, and Dylan enjoyed the meatballs - and then they both got a huge chocolate ice cream cone.
So that was our strip experience. If we had had an entire day to just do the strip it would of been better. We wanted to take them to the Mirage but the volcano was under reconstruction and closed down. So that will have to be for another time. The time change was tough and they were tired early. Next time we'll have to do circus circus but most of the rides are for older kids.
More to come later.............
We went back to the strip on Wednesday night. This time we went straight to Mandalay Bay to see the Shark Reef. Dylan loves sharks - he was a shark for Halloween, he has shark swim shorts and towel, he loves shark week on Discovery channel (which starts Sunday). We tried so hard to show him a shark last year in Niagara Falls but the huge exhibit they spoke of - was um very small. One nice thing was 4 and under were free. We were given what looked like a tv remote and as you came upon the exhibits you punched in the number and it was like a little guided tour. So we saw a yellow alligator - that was cool. Some other fish - then we walked through the tunnel. The first tunnel was filled with smaller sharks and other fish. Then we came into a viewing area and we saw some jellyfish (that was cool as the tank was full of them), a petting area where you could touch a sting ray. So I did - the men of my family were all to chicken! What a cool feeling that was - they are so slimy feeling. Then we got to the next viewing area. It looked like a pirate ship had been sunk and at the front of the ship was nothing but glass and all of these much larger sharks, stingrays, saw sharks, a huge (and I mean huge) turtle. The sharks swam in front of us - and above us. It was awesome! Then we went back into another tunnel (same tank) and they swam around. The boys loved it! We loved it! Worth every penny. We got some good pictures and then of course they take professional pictures of you - and we got those too. I'll have to scan them.
After the shark exhibit we went and ate at a buffet. Las Vegas is known for their fantastic buffets and this one wasn't any different. The food was great and you could get just about anything. It was a little pricey - $26.99 an adult - luckily 4 and under was free. So we did luck out with their age. Glad we did it. We ended up getting a really friendly waiter - his name was Tom - and he was super funny. The boys had a favorite drink for the entire trip (chocolate milk) and he brought them 2 right from the start. Cody found his favorite - pizza, and Dylan enjoyed the meatballs - and then they both got a huge chocolate ice cream cone.
So that was our strip experience. If we had had an entire day to just do the strip it would of been better. We wanted to take them to the Mirage but the volcano was under reconstruction and closed down. So that will have to be for another time. The time change was tough and they were tired early. Next time we'll have to do circus circus but most of the rides are for older kids.
More to come later.............
We are Home!
We are home. Got home later this afternoon. We were all super excited to see Tyler. He has been a little love bug all day. I missed him so much! He had a really fun week with my Mom.
So much to share about Vegas! We had a great time - a couple stressful moments - but for the most part a wonderful time!
I have a ton to share! Lots of pictures! I am going to try and break it up though as I could write a book and I am super tired. The time change was hard to adjust to!
So much to share about Vegas! We had a great time - a couple stressful moments - but for the most part a wonderful time!
I have a ton to share! Lots of pictures! I am going to try and break it up though as I could write a book and I am super tired. The time change was hard to adjust to!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
This is it....
My last night on the PC. I work all day tomorrow, will get on the Internet right at 5:10 pm tomorrow and print our boarding passes, come home get my gang and off to Cuba we go. We fly out on Saturday at 5:10 pm - landing in Las Vegas at about 7:30.
I am pretty much all packed. The boys have more than enough stuff. I probably took way to much. The middle bedroom is filled with suitcases. I gathered the boys backpacks and filled those with goodies. Just have to get a couple more snacks tomorrow and we'll be set.
We got the conference lay out today. I am so excited as we are at a new venue this year - the place looks really beautiful, good size rooms, pools, etc. I can not wait to see all our old friends and meet new ones this year. This will be an amazing opportunity for Cody and Dylan. Even though they are 4, this will open their eyes that the world just isn't filled with "beautiful" people. That there are some that look different. Cody looks different. I want my boys to know that the world "beautiful" has many meanings to it and it's not what is on the outside that counts. However - all of these kids are beautiful plus they have an amazing spirit and personality!
So I am enjoying my quite night as I know the next few won't be so quite. Not to mention I will miss Tyler to pieces. It's already hard to think I'm leaving him behind. He will have much fun with my Mom but a part of me still feels bad for leaving him.
So for the next week - be thinking of us in sunny, hot, very hot, Las Vegas! I will have lots to share and many pictures when we return!!!!
I am pretty much all packed. The boys have more than enough stuff. I probably took way to much. The middle bedroom is filled with suitcases. I gathered the boys backpacks and filled those with goodies. Just have to get a couple more snacks tomorrow and we'll be set.
We got the conference lay out today. I am so excited as we are at a new venue this year - the place looks really beautiful, good size rooms, pools, etc. I can not wait to see all our old friends and meet new ones this year. This will be an amazing opportunity for Cody and Dylan. Even though they are 4, this will open their eyes that the world just isn't filled with "beautiful" people. That there are some that look different. Cody looks different. I want my boys to know that the world "beautiful" has many meanings to it and it's not what is on the outside that counts. However - all of these kids are beautiful plus they have an amazing spirit and personality!
So I am enjoying my quite night as I know the next few won't be so quite. Not to mention I will miss Tyler to pieces. It's already hard to think I'm leaving him behind. He will have much fun with my Mom but a part of me still feels bad for leaving him.
So for the next week - be thinking of us in sunny, hot, very hot, Las Vegas! I will have lots to share and many pictures when we return!!!!
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