Well, we are beat. We ended up being out for about an hour on the trick-or-treat circuit. But it went very well. Alysa was exhausted, but she did really well, b/c she was outside. That's all that matters to her. Kayla had a rough time at first. Cried with the first trick-or-treaters that came to our house. She is afraid of "characters", so she was scared of the kids in costume. She cried at the first few houses, then she calmed down and was good once she figured out they gave her candy. The kids never had candy b4 tonight, but she was excited to get it. After a while, she was walking up the houses and even did a few w/o me by her side. :)

Of course, she's been asleep for 10 minutes and she already woke up with a nightmare. Yikes! The poor kid. All the spooky sounds and decorations and kids in costume. Hopefully that's the only one of the night.

Jerome and I made out with a lot of chocolate goodies, since Kayla can't eat anything she got tonight. But we got her plenty of safe chocolate and candy, so she won't miss out on anything.

Here are a couple pics of my little ones in costume.

Alysa - our little flower


Kayla - Dora the Explorer/Star Catcher (who knew Dora had curly hair)


Both of them


Trick-or-Treat


Hope everyone else's Halloween was just as fun!

Alysa hit a very big milestone this week. She is officially off the Bottle. For a while now, she has had very little interest in it. She was only on 2 bottles a day and it would take a good hour t get the whole thing in her. Kayla didn’t start holding the bottle herself until we started to transition her to a cup at a year. Well, Alysa is apparently more independent and started in September. So we had to lay her on the floor for her to drink her bottle. But she wanted to get up and walk around. So she would be walking around sucking on the bottle, but holding it like it’s her straw cup, so she was getting nothing out of it. So Friday, I just didn’t give her a bottle. She was perfectly content to take that hour b4 her afternoon nap and b4 bed walking around with her cup. So Wala! No more bottle. She takes a few ounces less, but I know that will build up as she gets more adjusted. But it is less of a struggle now.

It’s both exciting and very sad for me to say that I have mailed out the application and deposit for Kayla’s Montessori School. I am always excited to welcome each new phase and stage of her life and development. But I can honestly say I am not ready for her to go off to school. She’s getting so big. Ok, granted, we have 10 months left. But still… It’s now set in stone. My Baby is growing up.

And of course, all of this is compounded by her Dairy Allergy. It’s terrifying to let her off into the world w/o me following her around to make sure she comes in contact with NO dairy. But I feel confident that this school will take it seriously. There will be a meeting closer to the start with the Director and teachers. They will need to know ALL the details of what can/can’t be done, etc. But they seem to be “on the ball” and from the discussions I’ve had with the Director, I’m comfortable that they take it seriously. So there will be nothing left for us to do, but jump in with both feet. We will give them all the tools they need to keep her safe and will trust in their ability unless they show us otherwise. And of course, our fingers are crossed that she will outgrow this despicable allergy b4 she starts preschool.

We are excited she’ll be going to a Montessori school. It is what I always planned for my kids. Jerome, not so much – but the whole idea of preschool is new to him. But he’s learning about the Montessori Philosophy and I know he will see the wonderful benefits of it first-hand as Kayla’s independence and learning capabilities blossom there.

They are growing up so fast and I'm not sure we're ready for that. But we are so enjoying every bit of it...

I wanted to wish Happy Birthday to two very special friends. Dawn and Angel. Dawn’s birthday was yesterday. Her and I met while we were going through Infertility. She was a wonderful support to me during that time – and I hope I was to her as well. Her oldest and Kayla are 7 months apart. Then, we found out we were pg with our 2nd on the same day. She had done IVF again and Alysa was the Shocker of a Lifetime. So it was unexpected. They are 3 weeks apart in age. She is now pg with #3 – her Shocker of a Lifetime and I couldn’t be happier for her.

Angel and I met in college. We hit it off right away. We were roommates – placed together by chance. Everyone there thought we’d known each other for years. We just clicked and could finish each other’s thoughts the first weekend. We have been Best Friends ever since. We are going away this coming weekend to Lancaster for a Girl’s Weekend Shopping Extravaganza. I can’t wait. The trip was initially meant to be as a celebration for my 30th this past April. But her b-day is TODAY, so it’s a mixture. Our Lancaster trips are special to me. It was our last trip there, 3 years ago, that I was in the midst of my IVF that ended up giving me Kayla. She even gave me an injection. Now there’s a TRUE FRIEND! And to make it more fun, I won $100 in our football pool at work (the 2nd week in a row). So I have some extra, guilt-free $ to spend.

Happy Birthday girls! I love ya’s!!!

It was a long weekend for us. First, Blogger wouldn’t let me republish my Blog ALL day Saturday, which is why my Photo Hunt did not show up until Sunday morning. Very frustrating. And of course, we are all still sick. But at least we are finally on the mend. Well, all of us except Jerome, who just got it on Saturday. I’m still congested and have a lingering cough, but my sore throat is GONE. Yay! Alysa and Kayla both still have some runny nose and lingering coughs as well. Alysa still won’t eat much, but I’m holding off panic mode until she’s better. Colds also make reflux worse, so it might be too much for the Prevacid to “keep in check”. Fingers crossed she goes back to normal when it’s all gone.

Kayla was well enough for Gymnastics on Saturday. Jerome was off, so he took her. She had so much fun. Then, Sunday her runny nose came back some. Ho hum… Had the family over for dinner Saturday for Jerome’s 10 year Cancer-Free Anniversary. It was a nice time. Sunday my Mom was nice enough to come over and give me time to rest. I actually got to take a nap – 2.5 hours worth. That was wonderful!!!

Yesterday, was a low-key day. Kayla and I did some Halloween crafts. She made some sponge ghosts and a spider with her hand. I made some cut-out bats and a black cat. We will finish by putting the eyes on today. Then we made cookies. Of course, she wouldn’t go near the hand mixer. But she enjoyed putting the cookie balls on the stoneware. And she loves licking the bowl and of course eating the cookies. I've uploaded some pics below.

So today is Halloween – it’s Alysa’s 1st. I’m looking forward to trick-or treating tonight. I will definitely post pics tonight b4 I head off to bed. Every time I tell Kayla we’ll be going trick-or-treating. She says, “Abuela’s house”. Can you tell she’s been watching the Dora Halloween episode? We all ready for Kayla too. I made all my final phone calls on the candy we had gotten. So we have a pretty good selection of safe candy and chocolate for Kayla. All dairy-free. Yay! She’s actually never had candy b4, but she’s had chocolate. So we’ll see if she even likes candy. We’ll have to see if she even will go up to someone’s door. LOL I’m sure we’ll get the usual – her fussing and whining from being scared, then she’ll snuggle me and say “It’s ok” to comfort herself b4 I even get a chance. Hey – don’t all mothers want their kids to know how to “self-sooth”?

Jerome took off today for Halloween, so it’s a good day at our house! I hope everyone has a fun Halloween, I know we will!

Painting ghosts...



You can see she doesn't get the "place 2 inches apart" concept...

This Bike trailer was Jerome's Father Day Present this year. Kayla loves it. They have a great time going on bike rides together. And it fits 2, so when Alysa is old enough, it will be great times for the 3 of them.

Appetizer
Create a new candle scent.

Clean Baby Scent – that fresh and powdery smell of a baby after a bath.

Soup
Name one way you show affection to others.

I am constantly giving my girls hugs and kisses. And the best is when Kayla comes up to me with her arms up and says “Mommmy hugs?”

Salad
What is your favorite writing instrument?

Definitely the computer/e-mail. I really can’t stand to write anything out the “real” way.

Main Course
If you were given $25 to spend anywhere online, from which site would you buy?

Either eBay or Amazon.

Dessert
Are you dressing up for Halloween? If so, what are you going to be?

Nope, no costume for me, unless you count dressing up as a Mommy. My girls will be the only ones in costumes. Kayla will be Dora the Star Catcher and Alysa will be a Flower.

Click here to view more Friday's Feasts.

I'm going to make this short because I'm still not feeling great. The girls seem to be on the mend at least. I'm the one taking forever. I had absolutely no voice yesterday and today I'm getting sinus pressure and my ears hurt. Lovely. Saw the doc and so far no ear infection - that's something at least. But of course, I have to wait it out. But since they are still somewhat sick and since I'm coughing a ton still, I'm going to have to have them miss a 3rd week of gymnastics and kindermusik. I'm not too happy about that. But what are you doing to do. Plus, Alysa is developing a cough now, so who knows what that's about. Her cold is done with?

They have a Halloween party Saturday morning, so I'm hoping we're all well enough to go to that. Then that afternoon, my parents and the IL's are coming over for a casual celebration of Jerome's 10 years Cancer-Free. It will be nice - that is if it's not cancelled - Jerome is getting a sore throat now. Ugh!

But on a happy note. I can safely say that the increase in Prevacid did the trick with Kayla. She is eating great now - even though she is still slightly sick. Last night she had a ton of Kielbasa adn tonight she ate the meat off a whole thicken thigh. Dinner is usually her worst meal, so I'm ready to do cartwheels. So that means, next week I can call her doc and tell them she is doing better and I will NOT be giving her the appetite enhancer. I'm so glad we dodged that bullet.

Ok - it's now off to bed I go. I obviously haven't been sleeping as well, so I need to get a head start tonight.

Thirteen Things ALWAYS in My Honda Odyssey Longaberger Basket full of toys EZ Pass Tag My prescription glasses – regular and sun glasses Maps – NJ, PA, West Virginia & Ohio Double Stroller Umbrella Stroller Baby Bjorn Shopping Cart Seat Cover Diapers – size 3 and 4 Wipes Portable Booster Seat CD’s – Kindermusik, Raffi & most importantly the Dora Soundtrack 2 Car Seats Links to other Thursday Thirteens! Tracie Chelle Y Janeen

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And we seem to be getting worse. Kayla and I both have this awful hacking cough. My throat is killing me, so I imagine hers is too. That's why last night, I gave in and let her have an OJ Ice Pop for dinner. Unfortunately, she wouldn't anything else to go with it. Well, at least I hope it helped her throat. Alysa still has a fever - 102.4 today. So she's miserable and not napping well. Not that I can blame her. Although I had hoped to take a short nap today. She's actually upstairs in her cirb now. She's laying down and just moaning - very sad and pathetic.

Well, I can only hope that the girls are well enough to go to their classes on Friday. I would hate for them to miss 3 weeks in a row. Kayla always asks to go to Gymnastics. The poor thing.

I hear some silence now - crossing my fingers it's a good sign. She'll fall asleep just in time for Kayla to wake up. :)

So I have been tagged by someone other than my sister. I think I'm moving up in the Blogging world. :) Janeen tagged me and I'm supposed to write 9 weird things about me and then tag 9 other people. Well, the 9 weird things about me were surprisingly easy - or not so surprisingly. :) But I still don't have 9 people to tag, so I'll have to wing that one.

1. My left thumb is double jointed.
2. I can touch my nose with my tounge
3. I love to dip doritos in onion dip (when I used to be able to eat Doritos that is)
4. I’m “49%” Italian, yet I don’t like tomato sauce
5. I love liverwurst
6. I am Jerome’s 2nd wife; I was a guest at his first wedding; my date was my boyfriend of 5 years who was also Jerome’s friend; AND Jerome and I are both still friends with him :)
7. I am perfectly comfortable giving myself a shot
8. My sister and I used to mix oj and milk as kids – it takes like a creamsicle – Yum!
9. I love the smell of manure – it reminds me of home (I grew up across the street from a dairy farm)

So, I will tag my sister, Christine. I am FINALLY getting to tag her. As for the other 8 people. Anyone who reads this can feel free to jump in. Please post a comment to me if you decide to do it so I can check it out.

I came upon Canon's story at Janeen's blog. His story made me cry and hug my girls even tighter.



Please, keep his family in your thoughts as they deal with a tragedy that no parent should have to endure.

What's worse than taking care of 2 kids when one of them is sick? Taking care of 2 kids when BOTH of them are sick. Poor Kayla can't win. Just when she gets over the Virus, she gets the cold Alysa had last weekend. Then today, Alysa decides to sleep in until 8:30! Ordinarily, I'd do a happy dance (now if only both of them could do that on the SAME day). But, she was fussing in her sleep on and off since 5am. So at 8:30 when she started fussing, I went up quietly to check on her. She was laying there looking at me, looking quite miserable. I picked her up and she was quite hot. So now, she has the virus (101.4 fever). So far, she has not been sick (knock on wood). But she's your typical miserably sick baby. Didn't want to eat much for breakfast and was all cuddles. I admit, I enjoy that party. And by 9:30, she was yawning and rubbing her eyes. So I put her upstairs and she was asleep within minutes.

So I have 2 miserable kids and I'm stuck in side all day. Yay! :) And of course, I woke up with a sore throat and cough. Can't beat that, right?

Wish me luck on this long-long day...

This has been circulating around and I also wanted to share. Click here to see Dove's new Campaign for Real Beauty's Film entitled "Evolution". It's a real eye opener. I can only hope that Jerome and I are able to instill in our girls that they are beautiful JUST AS THEY ARE!

I came across this Meme. So yes, I'm a day late, but it's my first time and it's really something I can get into.



I can just imagine she's dreaming that I would put the camera away.

You can view more Scavenger Hunts or join in here.

Ok - so it's Saturday, but I had EVERY intention of doing this last night. So I figured, why not???

Appetizer
What is your favorite beverage?
Milk - and I miss it, as I am lucky to get one glass every 2 days with Kayla's dairy allergy.

Soup
Name 3 things that are on your computer desk at home or work.
My computer, 7 Longaberger Baskets, Papers/Bills

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how honest do you think you are?
I would say 9 - I am a firm believer in honesty - but I'm also realistic.

Main Course
If you could change the name of one city in the world, what would you rename it and why?

Yikes! Um...that's really tough and I can't think of any I would want to change. But I can tell you that most likely all the Eagles fans (I am not one of them) around where I live would probably jump at the chance to change the name of Philadelphia to "Eagles Country". :)

Dessert
What stresses you out? What calms you down?
Being late - definitely being late. Even with my kids, I'm just about ALWAYS on time, if not early. Hugs calm me down and playing with or reading to my girls.

Try out a Feast of your own.

I know it's been a few days. Kayla has been sick, so I haven't had much time. And I meant to come on last night to do another Feast, but I crashed when they went to bed. So here I am...

Thursday morning when I got up to go to work, Kayla was still sleeping (so was Alysa). When Kayla woke up, I went in to get her and I hear her say, "Oh no, Kayla. What did you do?" Well, let's just say I knew what she "did" just by the smell in the room. She had thrown up. And in case I hadn't known that, her next statement was... "Kayla spit up". And boy did she. It was ALL over the crib, the floor - quite nasty. She must have thrown up some time during the night (and more than once). But she NEVER cried. So I feel awful for not knowing, blah...blah...blah... So we cleaned it all up, etc. She had a fever and so on. Luckily the stomach part had past, but we are still dealing with the fever, although so far today, it's only low-grade. But she's still cranky on and off.

But Thursday, she was so wiped from her tummy and the high fever (we avoided giving her tylenol or motrin since we didn't want to upset her stomach any further) that as she was watching tv on the couch, she fell asleep. Now, anyone who knows Kayla, knows she does NOT sleep anywhere but her bed. So we knew she wasn't feeling well. Here is a pic of her on the couch - I love how they look when they are sleeping...



Now, as for the rest of the Kayla eating bit. Here's the latest. So far, we are holding off on the new medicine. I want to give the Prevacid a chance to work again. Now that will be extended b/c of her being sick. We spoke to a new Nutritionist (hers moved) and we are going to give her a food diary for 3 days (this virus is messing that up) and then she will tell us where she stands as to what she's taking in vs what she needs to take in. We may also switch from soy milk to a soy pediatric drink - it's the soy equivalent to Pediasure. It has WAY more calories and fat than soy milk. But of course, it's much more expensive. Fingers crossed that insurance will cover part of it. :)

Ok - so that is the latest. Fingers crossed that the rest of us don't get sick...

I wanted to thank Jerome, my husband for being an amazing father. In marriage it’s easy to take each other for granted in the day-to-day routine. Well, Sunday while at a birthday party for our niece and nephew, he showed me again, what a wonderful and attentive father he is.

On Sunday, at the party, Jerome was playing with Kayla outside and running up and down the hills in BIL’s back yard. They were having a lot of fun. There was this little girl, maybe around 3 or 4 who was running around near them. At one point, Jerome was running up the hill with Kayla and the girl went up to join them, she said something to Jerome and he in turn said “come on" to her. But then, she reached out and grabbed a hold of his hand. Now, normally this would not be an issue. But for us, it is b/c right after Jerome had to go wash his hands b/c of Kayla’s allergy. She of course had been eating at the party and he could then not touch Kayla b/c she most likely had dairy on her hands (and it’s not a chance we can take). Subsequently, as she came back up to us to ask us to “help” her run up the hill, we had to nicely decline. Now had her parents been with her (we don’t know her or her family), I would have nicely asked them if they could wash her hands, explained why and then we would have been comfortable with her playing with Kayla - w/o any worry as to her touching us or Kayla. But they were not. Now, we would never have ignored her and we were not, we just would not “help” her as she wanted to hold our hands. And we simply told her that we were playing with our daughter and helping her climb the hills. Jerome at one point told her that he was playing with his daughter and said “why don’t you ask your Daddy for help?” Her response? He said no. And to make it harder, she kept asking us and would say “I want YOU to help me”. It was heartbreaking. Later, we saw her near what we assume was her father. And where was he? Glued to the TV screen they had outside with the football game on.

It really helped reaffirm how lucky I am and most especially my girls are to have a father like Jerome. He ALWAYS puts them first. And most importantly, he WANTS to play with them and enjoys it. It has nothing to do with obligation. He changes poopy diapers out of obligation, but he plays with them out of desire! And at that party, I felt so very lucky that majority of the time, he was out there with his daughter playing, rather than leaving her to entertain herself. I can only hope that he set an example for the other fathers. After all, aren’t parties like these about family? And what closer family bond exists than that between a parent and child?

Thank you hon from both myself and our girls!

Here are a couple pictures of them at the party...

So, my sister tagged me yesterday with the Word Meme. It looks like fun, but she knows this type of creativity is not my strong suit. But I'll give it a try. Just don't blame me if my definitions are not too witty. :)

Nival - Your navel after going through a full term pregnancy. They just never "look right" again.

Satrapy - The mindset that tells a woman that she looks fantastic in a completely horrid and outfit that doesn't fit (i.e. showwing off a tummy roll).

Dalmatic - The ability for a Mom to carry a baby, a Toddler, a diaper bag, a purse, a cooler full of food, a bag full of toys for the car and whatever other necessities you need, AND being able to navigate the doors of the house and car and get said kids INTO the car. All without dropping anything or anyone.

Wapiti - That mysterious cycle on the washing machine and dryer that eats 1 sock out of a pair. Do we pay for this feature???

So, now on top of having to creatively think of the above definitions, I must now come up with my own 4 words. I'll take a page out of my sister's "book" and go to the dictionary as well...

culotte

jequirity

uintaite

etymon

Now, I'll tag anyone else who wants to jump in... Hey - cut me some slack - I'll get comfortable enough to tag specific people soon enough. :)

So about 3 weeks ago, Kayla decided to barely eat again. She has cut her food intake in at least half. And for a child who was Failure to Thrive and is still borderline, that is a very scary thing. A week after she cut down on her eating, she started with night wakings. So it's been a long few weeks. She has been checked out by her Pediatrician and she's not teething her molars, nor does she have an ear infection or anything else obvious. And she'll tell me she's hungry and beg to eat while I'm cooking her food, but then she'll eat very little. So last Friday, her GI doctor increased her Prevacid and we're hoping that works. I have also spoken to her Feeding Therapist (who she no longer sees). She was going to think on it and get back to me. Well, her GI doctor's office called last night and told me that they want to put her on a NEW medicine. This one is an appetite enhancer. I can tell you that this makes me very unhappy. No one wants to medicate their kids, but of course, I will do what needs to be done. I have not problem with her on the Prevacid b/c it's obviously needed and it made a world of difference last Spring. But I'm afraid of artificially increasing her appetite. Will it mask the symptoms of a bigger problem? Is this really the best course of action? So I planned today, to leave a message to have the doctor call me back. Then last night while I was putting the girls to bed, her Therapist called to say she had spoken to the doctor earlier that afternoon. So now I'm wondering if this new course of action came out of that conversation.

Unfortunately, I won't know until I catch up with her today. I can say that my stomach is in knots and I can't imagine heading down this slippery sloap again. So this would mean that Kayla is on a Calorie Supplement, Prevacid AND an Appetite Enhancer. Will it ever end?

Now, I do trust her doctors and her therapist, but that doesn't mean I run on blind faith. I won't put her on anything w/o making sure I understand 110% what it's for and why, etc. So while I am waiting to talk to all the parties involved to get all my answers, I will start on the quest of finding out the details on the medication, as I have to call the Pharmaceutical company to verify that it has no dairy in it. Yes, we truly have to check EVERYTHING. You'd be amazed how many medications have dairy in the ingredients.

Wish me luck - I will post later with any findings from today's "rat race".

And I'll also be back later as my sister was kind enough to tag me.
:)

Well, Jerome took a vacation day today because we had our Niece and Nephew's (on his side) 1st birthday party. But first, in the morning, I took Kayla with her little friend and his Mommy to a Fall Festival in a nearby town. It was a lot of fun. Kayla painted a pumpkin and made a duck mask. And she got her hand painted by a Clown. This is shocking since she tends to be afraid of anything "character-like". But of course, I had to hold her the whole time.

We ended up leaving Alysa with my parents during the birthday party b/c of her cold. She was miserable and I felt would be better off NOT missing her nap. Plus as a Mom, I can't say I'd be thrilled with a 10 month old and their runny nose chewing on all the toys. So it was better for all.

The party went very well for the most part. We of course did our "anti-social" bit. It's very difficult b/c we have to isolate ourselves a bit b/c we can't have Kayla near the food or people with food. And these functions tend to revolve around food. But luckily BIL and SIL have plenty of space outside, so Kayla had some stress-free hills to run up and down. I of course got a few rude comments about the whole "can't touch Kayla w/o washing up first" bit. But we deal. I should get a medal for biting my tounge. So I just smile and slowly move Kayla away from the offending person. It's hard, but Kayla REALLY can't come in any contact with anything dairy, anything with any amount of dairy in it or anyone or thing that has touched dairy. I actually got tonight - "well, I haven't eaten anything made by a cow today". Um...ok? It makes me wonder how someone can be so condescending when they don't know what they are talking about?

Anyway - overall it went well. BIL actually surprised me (not the one who's party it was). He made chili for the party. He told Jerome and myself that he made the chili dairy-free and was going to put it out w/o the sour cream on the side. It was very sweet. I was touched. And he commented how hard it was to find a dairy-free margarine. Welcome to my world... :)

So the kids are now in bed and I'm beat. I'm going to relax a bit while Jerome finishes up closing the pool - yes, we're a bit behind.

And I'll try to remember to put up a few pics tomorrow.

So Kayla, as any big sister faced with a baby sister who can move and try to play with what she has, has a habbit of pushing her. Fortunately, she never hits her and she does not push to hurt her. But she will simply put her hand on her head and push her down so she can no longer reach whatever toy Alysa is trying to get at. Of course, we deal with these with time outs and explanations. And actually, the pushing has toned down a bit. Now, one of Kayla's ways of "getting rid" of Alysa, is to put her body right next to Alysa's and slowly ease her out of the way with her body. So that's next to tackle.

Well, today, I was cleaning up the kitchen from breakfast and I hear Alysa whining. This isn't beyond the norm, because Alysa has a cold, so she's miserable. But I walk in the family room and there is Kayla standing at our Dancing Monkey Bandstand toy with Alysa sitting on the floor behind her. I know what's going on here. Kayla is blocking Alysa from the toy. But I can't do too much b/c I didn't SEE anything. So I go over and just talk to them to "ask" what's the problem. Kayla comes over to me (leaving the Monkey wide open for Alysa). So then we have Alysa, standing at the Monkey happy as a clam. Kayla goes up to her, stands really close (getting ready to edge her out) and what does Alysa do (remember, she's just over 10 months)? She looks at her sister, puts her little hand on her side and pushes Kayla. Kayla, so taken by surprise, actually falls to the ground.

Now, I have to say, I was so glad to witness this. It really was hysterical. It took every ounce of willpower I had to NOT laugh outloud. And I would never wish either of my girls to get hurt. But since I knew Kayla was fine, all I thought was - "Good for you Alysa". Of course, Kayla whined and I had to be "fair" and I told Alysa that she can't push her sister. But I'm thinking that Alysa "fighting back", will do way more towards curbing Kayla's pushing than any time outs ever would.

That's my feisty 10 months - who is also fully walking by the way.

I've been wanting to do on of these Friday's Feasts, so here goes...

Appetizer
Approximately how many hours per week do you spend reading other blogs?

Not as much time as I'd like. Probably 2 hours a week? Between the kids and part-time job, I don't have as much time to read or write my Blog as I would like.

Soup
Your community wants everyone to give one thing to put into a time capsule. What item would you choose to include?

I would put the remote to my car. It's one of those ridiculous things I just can't live without. I just love not having to use the actual key to get in my car.

Salad
What is the most interesting tourist attraction you've ever visited?

The USS Arizone Memorial in Pearl Harbor. It has a huge impact.

Main Course
If you could give an award to anyone for anything, who would it be and what would the award be titled?

The Best Friend Award - I would give this to one of my friends. She is the only one who truly stuck by me from beginning to end through my Infertility. I was pretty depressed for a while. She's the only friend I was super close with b4 AND after. I have other friends now that are amazing as well, but those friendships grew either during or after my Infertility. So I am thankful for her for sticking by me and putting up with me through a very difficult time.

Dessert
What do you think your favorite color reveals about your personality?

My favorite color is Lavendar. It's a paler color - hey it matches my skin tone. :) Maybe it reveals that I'm shy when I first meet someone - but it can be brighter, which could show that I can be outgoing when I am comfortable with people.

I enjoyed my first feast. If you did too, you can check out other feasts at Friday's Feasts.

October marks a very special month for DH (aka Jerome, aka J) and I. And it’s not how long we’ve been married (that is 5 ½ ) and it’s not how long we’ve been together (that is 9) and it’s not how long we’ve known each other (that is 15). This month marks 10 years that J has been clean of Cancer.

In April of 1996, J got married to his first wife (grrrr…). Right after, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Six months of high doses of chemo followed. His last treatment and subsequent clean bill of health followed on October 31, 1996. He was monitored for 5 years after that with annual blood work and cat scans. He is still monitored with annual blood work. Each year that he is healthy is a blessing and something we are extremely grateful for.

Ten years is a HUGE milestone – as the longer he goes without a reoccurrence, the higher the odds that it WILL NOT come back.

Our daughters are too young to understand what this month means for their father, their mother and most importantly them and our family. But one day, they will. They will know what their father went through and he will share with them all the wonderful doctors and nurses who helped to save his life. They will understand that without these people and the support he received from family and friends, he would not be here and neither would they.

We are extremely grateful every day for our family. But this month, I am especially grateful for J’s life and that he was given the chance to be the wonderful father that he is.

Congrats hon!

As I'm working on getting back to full swing here, I found this list on Christine's blog (I'm behind on reading too). I thought it would be fun. The ones in italics are what I've done...

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you’ and meant it09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (and survived the crush afterwards)
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days1
26. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

If you decide to copy and paste this list on your blog, drop me a line and let me know!

Yes, I have been missing this past week. Last Monday (Oct 2) Kayla thought it would be good to STOP sleeping through the night. So it’s been a very looong week. She has slept through maybe 2 nights since then. We are hoping she is teething her 2 year molars, especially since she has not been eating much the past 2+ weeks. So this week I am going to take her in to see her doc. With her history of failure to thrive, we can’t wait it out. The next step will be seeing her GI doc and maybe upping her meds for reflux. We shall see. I will give her Ped a call today and see what she says. She is due in for a check-up on Oct 30th, but that is 3 weeks away. I’d like to have some brown hairs left by then.

So I apologize for not being here this past week. My goal is to do some catch-up over the next few days.

Well, I took the girls to a meeting of the local chapter of The MOMS Club today. I figured it was a good way to meet more Moms with kids Kayla and Alysa’s ages, plus they are all local to me. They had a craft today, so Kayla got to make a Halloween picture and a jack-o-lantern magnet. She had a lot of fun. And of course, after the craft was done, she wouldn’t leave my lap. Makes for a very crowded lap since Alysa was in the Baby Bjorn. But after a little while, we went over to see what the other kids were doing. As soon as she saw them running around having fun, she ran off to join them. At that point, I got an occasional “Hi Mommy” as she ran past me. It’s good to see her able to enjoy herself away from me, especially in a room full of strangers.

And as I was talking to the two women in charge of the group (one was previously told of Kayla’s allergy), they asked questions about it (genuine curiosity). Then they asked how they can accommodate her with the type of snacks they should/should not put out. I was very touched by their gesture. I am looking forward to meeting all the Moms in the group and Kayla and Alysa having more fun with their new friends.<>Here is a picture of her with her craft.

So, Halloween is this month. And I'm the type of person who plans ahead. I have known Kayla was going to be (her idle) Dora the Explorer since last spring. She's in love with Dora, so it was a no-brainer. Now, I'm not the creative one in the family, that would be my sister. But the costumes they have for sale of Dora are just, well, yucky. The material is horrible and it's just not cute. Plus, how easy, is a Dora costume? Last spring, I found orange shorts and a dark pink top. I got her yellow socks over the summer and she already has Backpack that she can wear. Viola! She can do without the wig - she wouldn't wear it anyway. And I figure, just in case, I'll make an iron-on with the computer that says Star Catcher on it.

So, that leaves me with Alysa's costume. She'll be almost 11 months at Halloween. I have some of Kayla's old costumes that I could recycle, but I wanted their costumes to go together. As they get older, they may not let me do such cutesy things anymore, right? So I figured I'd make her a Star to go with Dora the Star Catcher. Cute and easy, right? Hah! Even my sister, the creative one is having a hard time helping me figure out how to make a 10 month old a star. I've searched and searched the internet for (a) star costumes up for sale and (b) how to make a star costume. Um...can't find either. The closest I found was making the star out of card board for front and back with shoulder straps and draping it over her. This may work, but I'm not sure it will for an 11 month old as we'll have to carry her most of the trick or treating. And no one makes a star costume??? So I already had yellow pants for her and I found a yellow top today, but they are 2 different yellow's, so now what? I have to decide if they are good enough. (here are the 2 pieces...)



I can buy the matching pants, but the shirt was $12.50 as the ONLY place I've found yellow this fall is Gymboree and the pants are $16.50. That would be $29 for just a shirt and pants, not to mention the other things I need. I thought home made saved you money??? So the search continues and so does the brainstorming.

If anyone has any ideas on how to turn an 11 month old into a star, please, let me know. I could use all the help I can get.