The Darling Girls

The Darling Girls

Sunday, July 5, 2015

First and Last Day

Kelly had her last day of First Grade and Drew had her last day of Pre-School:

This was last fall, on their first day of school...

July? Already?

Can't believe it's July already!

   All girls home for the summer, "bigs" are traveling to see friends, working summer jobs and have projects for school.
   "Littles" have been off for 1 or 2 weeks, depending who.  Kelly has done a beach camp, and a Nature camp and loved them both.  But her real interest is turning out to be music.  Rocked her first piano recital, and actually likes to play music (a new event in our household, where piano practice had to be enforced).  Drew is done with Pre-School and got to join in on the Nature camp where she had a ball.  Both will do the typical swim lessons and beach days...oh the life!
   We finally, finally finished remodeling our pool.  It was 25 years old and in great need of help.  This photo is taken out back, where we hope to spend most of our summer.
  Happy summer!

Sunday, April 26, 2015

"Can't, I've got Crew."



Our family seems to have a connection with rowing; or "Crew".  Ron rowed for UCI, I was a coxswain, it's were we met.  Cory found rowing on her own, in high school where she was on the team for 4 years, and was recruited by Cal to be a coxswain there, where she was on the team for 2 1/2 years.  Jamie rowed for 4 years in high school, and was recruited by SDSU where she is ending her 2nd year on the team (NCAA DI).  She's ending it on a great note I might add!  She has made "Scholar-Athlete" for the second year and has just won a silver medal at WIRA (the Western Championships) in a 4, that she was Stroke seat in!  
   The title of this post is the saying on a popular T-shirt in the rowing set, because it is all you ever say when you are on Crew...you can't do anything outside Crew, because it takes up ALL your  time.  But it is a wonderful  sport, that requires you to act as a team like no other, it demands amazing physical strength and finesse, and it is done on the water in beautiful places.  You can see why we all seem to like it.
So, this is to celebrate Jamie, and all her incredible hard work, both physical and mental.   We are so proud of you.  Go AZTECS!




SDSU's Scholar-Athlete Awards Banquet. This is the Women's Crew Team on the stage




Jamie and her 4. Usually rowers are all very tall, but Jamie is good, so she can hold her own with the tall girls, while she looks like a coxswain.

Friday, April 10, 2015

Bone Graft

  This post might be a little too "yucky", or medically detailed for many of you...but I post it for those interested in the Cleft lip/cleft palate side of our journey...so don't say I didn't warn you haha!

   One of the many surgeries that Cleft Palate kids usually have to do is to fix the cleft in the bony ridge that your upper teeth sit in, called the Alveolar Ridge.  After the lip has been fixed and then the palate, most doctors usually wait until somewhere between 7-9 years old to fix this ridge.  The idea of yet another surgery on your child's mouth is hard, so you don't usually rush into it.  Usually. 

   Kelly had a consult with a Orthodontist in October, and a follow up in March.  The March appointment held a surprise: the Ortho felt we should see what an Oral Surgeon said about a bone graft soon.  The trip to the Surgeon had the same result...bone graft soon.  Wow, we assumed this would be at age 8 or 9, but after hearing that she needed it before end of summer, and that the graft would mean no swimming for 8 weeks, I decided to put it all in high gear and get it done during Spring Break.  
YIKES! 
   See the bone graft needs bone... so they open up the hip bone, scrape out all the available bone there, and then open up the maxilla, both lip side and palate side, and put the bone in there.  Sew up the hip then the mouth: both layers of skin (palate and floor of the nasal cavity) back up and send you on your way.  Oh, and take out a tooth or two (two for Kelly).  This will give the adult teeth that haven't come in yet, bone to come down through and anchor to.  It also closes any remaining holes in the mouth that air can escape through during speech.
  Kelly went in Wed. morning and we were released that same day (5:00pm) and while she was very sore and swollen, she is doing better and better by the hour.  Dr. says she can go back to school next week, play, just not run or play rough.  She is on a liquid diet for a week, then if all is well move to a very very soft diet .  The surgeon was very pleased with his work and feels it should be a success, but we won't know for sure for a month or two.  I'm just glad to have it over and hopefully done....and allow Kelly to have a great summer swimming!







  You can see the cleft on the mid to left side of the x-ray.  
  The tooth sitting right in the cleft, up high, that is horizontal was removed.

This is post-op, poor baby, SO swollen....  

One more, very large, step closer to being "done" with all the cleft treatment.



Saturday, March 21, 2015

Chinese New Year

We don't do much, but we do go to the same restaurant every year, and invite friends.  This year Ron's partner and his wife joined, friends of Cory's from Chapman and "uncle" Joseph.
Lots of food and fun!