Carmel Apples

One of our family's favorite traditions, started by Ron, is to make carmel apples a few weeks before Halloween.  This usually involves many kids, neighbors and lots of sweet stuff.  This year was no different and we did it the one weekend Cory came home since she left.  It was great to see her, and really good for Kelly and Drew to spend time with her.
The house was full of people, the kitchen sticky from top to bottom, Taylor Swift was blaring, and the little ones squealing....a great day.

Summer fun

 

Yeah Summer!

It's been a long and often diffucult summer but we also had a lot of fun.  We decided at the very last minute that we really needed to, and could, get away as a family.  So the best fitting option for us turned out to be a cruise to Mexico.  We have never cruised before (honestly were never interested); bareboated, but not cruised, but with Long Beach so close (no airfare for 6, let alone travel time) all food taken care of (yeah!) and having some kind of activity for 2 yr olds through 20 yrs olds, it had something for everyone in our family.  Can't say that we are big fans of the big boats, but it was a great way to spend time together and get away from it all.

Cory and Jamie have had a busy summer, Cory worked and helped out with the littles and all the Dr. appointments we've had.  Jamie has been working out, relaxing after her Jr. year and spending time with her sisters. 

Kelly stumped us, and her doctors, by coming down with Henoch-Schonlein purpura, a childhood vasculitis in early July.  It's an autoimmune disease that forturnately usually goes away by itself in a few months, and usually has no lasting damage.  It took a long time and many tests to confirm, and it did cause a lot of "down" time for her this summer, but she's doing great now, and we hope to be done with it. 

Drew continues to amaze us with her developement and recovery from her surgery in June.  It took awhile to make sure that all her systems were fine and untouched by the surgery, but everything seems to be perfect and she continues to be the "wild woman" of the house.  She is still in her Developemental Delay therapy group, but is about to be kicked out, due to her not needing it!  She has started Speech Therapy with Kelly's first SLP, Chelsea, and loves it.  I think this will be needed for quite awhile, as it's her worst delay and her speech has not improved nearly as rapidly as the rest of the delays (which are now gone).  Her behaviour is true blue two, a wonderful thing to see her act like a typical, annoying, loving, demanding two yr old.

School starts for Jamie and the littles in a few days, Cory returned to Cal a few weeks ago, so the routine is about to settle in.  What a summer!

 

Drew has surgery

As a few of you knew,  Drew had to have a benign tumor removed from her tailbone area. 

She was born with a Sacrococcygeal Teratoma, and this was either a recurrent, or residual, growth from the original growth (also benign) that was removed in China when she was born.  After several doctor appointments here, a MRI, and CAT scan needle biopsy, the doctors said it needed to come out.

We were supposed to go in last Friday, but ended up being admitted on Thurs evening. This was because we were supposed to do a complete "colon clean-out" by Thurs evening...but getting a 2 yr. old to voluntarily drink 1-2 liters of "Golytley" (think prep for colonoscopy) was just not possible. She was a trooper, and didn't mind the not eating part, but chugging the nasty stuff just wasn't happening.  Our surgeon wanted her to do this in case they had to invade the colon during the tumor removal. Anyway, by 4:00 we had only gotten down 1/2 liter, so the surgeon said we had to be admitted to do the rest by NG tube.

I'll not go into the dreadful details of the next 12 hr.s after being admitted, but it was not a night to remember. We were mentally and physically exhausted after it all, Drew was completely traumatized (rightly so) and we were almost happy to move on to surgery.

The surgeon told us that the duration of surgery and recovery depended on what he found once in. After almost 5 hrs of surgery, the Dr. was happy to tell us that it went as well as could be hoped for; no invasion of the colon, tumor removed, and the added surprise of finding some of the tailbone was still there. The coccyx was supposed to have been removed during the first surgery in China and the MRI here confirmed that....but I guess MRIs are not the final word...actually looking at it was. Anyway, the last of it was taken out, and Pathology confirmed it was indeed coccyx and the mass benign. Drew was stitched and glued up and after a few hours in recovery we went off to a regular room, skipping ICU. The Dr. said it went "perfectly"...how often do you hear that from a surgeon? Of course he also used the term "carve" when describing what he had to do, but I focused on "perfectly"!

We stayed in a private room after the surgery thankfully, which was to everyone's benefit, as by this time Drew had developed a hysterical reaction to any and all medical people entering the room (which happens constantly). Her recovery was very slow at first, too drugged, too many tubes and too weak and sore to move or eat. Monday at 8 am she still hadn't put weight on her legs, or sat up, but by 11:00 am that same day she was walking around the halls of the floor and by 2:00 was trying to climb out of the crib. We were released at 3:00, home by 4 and she is now starting to eat, is off the narcotics, and really her only restrictions are no baths or straddle toys and she still doesn't want to sit (too sore). She tires easily but is sleeping well and by next week I don't expect to see any signs of the rough 5 days she spent at CHOC...other than a fresh but nicer scar on her little bottom.

We are so thankful for all our friend's and family's support, care and love and very thankful to have that behind us!

 

Drew's Video, finally.

   With an awful lot of help from Ron, and using the photos that he and mostly Jamie, took while in China and at home, I've finally put together a video of our trip to China.  It includes meeting Drew, our visit to her orphanage, the rest of our time in China and the first few weeks home.  
   Many of the photos will only have real meaning to our family, and the video is  long (9+ minutes), but I think I captured our experience (or MY experience) as much as I could, seeing as I'm hopelessly computer challenged. And while Jamie and Ron did a great job on the photos, nothing can really show the reality of the "gotcha" experience or adoption trip.  This is a taste of it for others. and a good reminder for our family.
   When you hit "play" you should take the time to pause it, and then click on the little gear icon at the bottom... This adjusts the quality of the picture.  Change it from "360p" to "480p" and the photos will be much nicer.  Crank the volume (only cause I love the music) and enjoy, I know I did making it.  
  Here's to you DrewZ. 

Easter!

                                                        Humpdee Dumpdee

I love the eggs....they say so much:  the "minion" is Cory's; the modern, graphic ones are Jamie's; the Humpdee Dumpdee is Kelly's, and the crushed one is Drew's....too funny!

It was a wonderful day with the whole family together.

Not what you were expecting

This post is a little different.
For the past 6 years, Cory and Jamie have been involved with an amazing group called "Invisible Children".  The group has been wonderfully sucessful in changing the lives of many many children in Uganda and this year they hope to bring an end to the suffering.  An actual end.  Please view this video, it's 30 min.s long, so plan to sit, but it's worth it.   Just click the link.

http://vimeo.com/37119711

Sunday on the Sand

  Sunday at Crystal Cove with Grandma and Grandpa for breakfast and fun.  Drew and Kelly had a great time getting sandy, picking up shells, poking sea creatures, and chasing birds.  It was a beautiful day and wonderful to just enjoy a slow morning.
   Drew will be starting a group "global therapy" group of small kids this week, thanks to Regional Center.  We are now working on getting a Speech Therapy referral too, so life will be even busier with more appointments.  Drew has finished up with some major medical tests (MRI, CAT, bloodwork for each) and we'll be getting more results back soon.  So far so good.