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We're back!!  We had a fabulous time in FL visiting with Mickey.Mouse and the gang.  The week flew by and I had wished we had more time there.  Eriks reaction to finding out we were driving to FL instead of IN was priceless.  I'm hoping to upload the video tonight or tomorrow and post it here. 

The weather is much colder now - 32 degrees!!!  That is a far cry from the 86 that it was when we left the resort parking lot.  At least we didn't go back to snow like my parents did.  Their high today is 18 degrees but I don't know it will reach that.  It's 10 degrees now!  Brrr...

Back to laundry and putting stuff away.  We're decorating the house this weekend for Christmas and it needs to be clean and organized before we do that.

Another Visit to the House of Mouse

We are off to Mickey's house in Florida again.  We'll be gone for 8 days and I can't wait.  This is the 1st time we've been there during the Christmas season and it will be a great experience for all of us.  Eriks has no idea we are going.  It is a surprise.  We will tell him in the car tomorrow as we are driving there and I will get it all on video to post here.  My parents are going with us and it is their very 1st trip ever.  I know they can't wait.  I can't wait to see them there with their grandkids.

Back to packing.  See ya next week!!

Post Surgery

Emi's surgery went well.  There were ups and downs and it was a long 24 hrs in the hospital.

 (On goofy juice.  This is one of the photos after she spent some time falling backwards into the pillow and laughing.)

Before surgery they gave her Versed (aka goofy juice) which really did make Emi goofy.  I hate to use this term but there's no other way to really describe it - she was like a drunk little person.  She'd try to take a few steps and stagger.  She was sitting on the gurney and bonked head first into the pillow and began laughing.  We laughed too and seeing us laugh, she did it repeatedly.  She was a huge entertainer while we waited.  However, that being said, although the Versed made her very happy before surgery, it made her extremely agitated after.  She could not be consoled for the life of us.  When we did calm her down, she'd sleep for about 15 to 20 minutes and it would start over again.  She also refused to open her eyes so she couldn't see that she was back with mom & dad.  Trying to put her down in the hospital crib was a big no-no.  She started to alligator roll and would get caught in the IV cord and other monitors they had.  It was not only hard on her but exhausting on us.  She finally started to open her eyes around 10 pm and calmed down a bit, but it wasn't until about midnight that she finally settled and slept for the next 6 1/2 hrs.  So for further reference, if she needs any more surgery as a child, no Versed!

 (The 1st photo is still on goofy juice.  The 2nd is her finally sleeping.  They had to put the IV in her foot and I think that was part of the problem.  They used these protective sleeves on her that I think were also making her very mad.)

Saturday morning she woke up and was a much happier girl.  She started drinking and eating even though she was swollen and likely hurting still.  Because she was eating and drinking they sent her home.

 (In the 1st photo here's a happier girl than the night before.  In the 2nd, she's giving herself shots with the syringes they used to get oral medicine into her.  We brought them home and she and Eriks like to play with them together.  Too cute!)

 Now that we've been home about 2 days she's a happy little girl who is sleeping a lot still but isn't that interested in food.  She is eating yogurt & jell-o but that's about it.  So we started making her drink Pedia*sure so that she gets the nutrients she needs still.  She's still swollen and I'm sure that's probably why she isn't eating a whole lot.  But things are moving in the right direction so that's what is important.

We are heading to San Antonio tomorrow for Thanksgiving with Lane's parents.  It's been awhile since we've been to visit them so I am looking forward to it.  I just hope we can keep Emi entertained on the airplane.

Tomorrow Is the Day

Emilija is free of cough and congestion and we should be proceeding with surgery to fix the palate tomorrow.  Unfortunately it's going to be a mid-afternoon procedure and my poor baby can't eat after midnight.  So it is going to be one rough day for her.  Thankfully we can give her clear liquids, jello and popsicles until 10 am so hopefully that will give her tummy the illusion of having food in it.

I'm nervous and excited at the same time.  I just want her to be better and to not have a hole in her mouth and will be able to learn to talk.  I'm so looking forward to more than just babble coming from her.  I can't wait to hear her say Mama & Daddy.  But most of all I'm looking forward to hearing the words, "I love you" following every kiss she gives me. 

Eriks is having a really hard time dealing with Emi's surgery.  He broke down at dinner tonight.  He's my sensitive one.  He's the worrier.  We've already given a heads up to his teacher and the principal about the surgery and that he might be quite sad and fraught with worry. 

I'll try and check in tomorrow night to give an updates on how the surgery went.  I'm hoping that she's only in the hospital overnight.

No Surgery Yesterday So Instead Here's the Lunch Recap

The Dr's determined that if Emi was their kid, they wouldn't do the surgery.  They said that likely there wouldn't be an issue but her congestion put her in such a gray area, they wouldn't risk it.  We didn't need her in the hospital for 1-2 weeks with pneumonia.  So it has been rescheduled for next Friday.  That is a relief.  I don't think I could wait another month or two.  Emi is getting better.  She's doing breathing treatments and getting antibiotics and cough medicine.  She actually sounded better yesterday than she did the day before and better today than yesterday. 

Last Friday we met a great group of gals and their amazing daughters at Cheesecake.Factory for lunch.  The girls we met were PM & Low-Low, Lisa & Briana, and Lisa & Maisie.  We had a blast.  The food was yummy and the company was the best!  The kids definitely had a good time.  Maisie and Briana were the oldest girls and Low-Low and Emi were the youngest.  Low-Low is only 2 1/2 months older than Emi.

Maisie and Briana playing a game on an i*Phone.  This photo is so cute!  One of my favorites of these two cuties!

 

Above and below are 2 photos of the 4 girls together.   They are all so cute together.  It's amazing that the 4 of us big girls were blessed with such awesome and beautiful little girls.  I really hope that even when we move away from Georgia we will have these special people in our lives.

 

 

Of course my kid is the only one not looking at the camera.  Something more important got her attention.  Such a great photo of the mommies with their girlies!!!

Surgery Tomorrow

Maybe.  Surgery is scheduled for 9:55 tomorrow morning but Emi has some congestion and a cough so they may listen to her then send us home if they don't like what they hear in her lungs.  I understand the precautions they want to take but not having the surgery really stinks since we've had to wait over 2 months for this.  I want this to be over because I want Emi to start speech therapy and assume a normal life without a hole in the roof of her mouth.

It's been crazy trying to get ready for this.  We had a great lunch on Friday with some girlfriends and I have photos to post.  Hopefully I'll get around to doing that by this weekend.

Halloween 2009

Our house is now flu free.  Eriks will return to school tomorrow (thank goodness!) and there will be peace once more in this currently chaotic house.

Both kids went trick-or-treating last night in the very cool, drizzly weather.  I had hoped for a much better All Hallow's Eve but at least it wasn't pouring.  It still would've been better if the kids had been out in 58-60 degree weather.

We carved our pumpkins yesterday morning.  Why?  Because we procrastinated.  With the sickness we didn't even buy them until yesterday morning.  But I think we got our pumpkins pretty cheap waiting until last minute.  So I took a picture of the inside after I had taken the top off and a picture of the finished products.  I wish I had been able to get a photo of work in progress but the kids were...well...kids and both were causing trouble.

Lane only took the kids around the block while I stayed home and passed out candy.  We had tons of candy here at the house and they were both content.  I know Emilija didn't really understand what was going on but she sure did love her costume.  I'm sure next year as she approaches age 3, she'll be more into it.  Eriks was almost 3 before he really began to enjoy it.

And this last photo is for my mom.  She & my dad sent the kids Halloween goody packages and Eriks absolutely loved this funny sucker.  So we snapped a few photos of him being silly with it. 

Piggy Flu

 (this picture was just too cute not to post)

It's hit our house.  When we took Eriks to the pediatrician yesterday he tested positive for flu and the doctor said that 97% of the cases the office has seen have been swine flu.  Since he has symptoms more typical of swine flu and not seasonal flu she's pretty sure that's what he has.  I called my doctor yesterday and asked what she wanted me to do because I have some underlying health issues that make me a high risk case.  She's prescribed Tami.flu as a preventative.  I don't have any symptoms yet.  Thankfully.  But I'm going to be taking a 1/2 dose for 10 days to keep me from getting it.  We're keeping an eye on Emi and thus far she's OK.  And so is Lane.  Eriks is almost over it.  Yesterday, he was acting like he was perfectly healthy.  Talking to people who know other people who have had kids with this strain of flu, this is about how their kids were too.  Sick with high fever for the first 24 hrs and then a slight fever for about 1/2 a day and then nothing.  Still highly contagious though.  Eriks only has a 4 day school week because of parent-teacher conferences tomorrow.  He was at school on Monday but got sick in the afternoon and came home with a fever of 103.  Tuesday fevers were in the 100-102 range.  Yesterday 99-100 (a.m. only).  Today, nothing - 98.1.  So he's been out of school the rest of this week and will return to school on Monday with lots of makeup work to do.  At least he'll be able to go trick-or-treating Saturday.  That was what he was most worried about.  I'm so glad he's not getting sick with it today because Halloween trick-or-twould bereating  absolutely out of the question and he'd be super upset.

I thought we'd avoid all this piggy flu stuff but apparently not.  Oh well.  At least it's not as bad as I had feared it to be which is really good.  Besides the fact that my daughter has developed an aversion to eating, we're OK here.  All of a sudden Emi has decided she doesn't want to eat.  She was having some issues last week moving her bowels and I'm not sure if that's why she doesn't want to eat.  She might be afraid of getting stopped up again and having pain in her tummy.  I figure that when she's ready and hungry enough, she'll eat.  In the mean time, I'll probably get some Pedia.sure to supplement to make sure she gets nutrients.

Hope everyone's kids are staying healthy.

Photos of the Kids

I had some miscellaneous photos to post.  Most of them are of Emi but one is of Eriks.  The 1st two photos that include Eriks and Emi were taken last weekend at Steak.n.Shake.  We went to run errands after church and before we made a dangerous trip to Sam's-Club we figured we needed to eat lunch 1st.  Emi loves to color.  She may be the artist.  Eriks is liking drawing more now but when he was Emi's age, he wanted nothing to do with it.  Emi on the other hand will sit and doodle for a long time.

The last 3 pictures are of Emi with a pigtail and bow in her head.  When she came home she had very little hair.  You can go to the old blog here and see what she looked like when she came home.  I was worried it would never grow.  It is still short, but it is growing fast and is now long enough to put the top part in a small pigtail and clip a bow.  Yesterday she was wearing blue & white.  The colors of our favorite NFL team who are currently undefeated.  It was so cute.  Most of the time she leaves it in her head but she also thinks it's fun to pull it out from time to time.  I think she's so cute with bows in her hair. 

Friday Halloween Playdate

While Eriks was away in school all day.  We got invited to a girls get together at Lisa & Briana's home.  Also at the party was Angela and her girls - Haylee and Laney, Lisa S. and Maisie and Amy and Mary Lin. 

The girls played for awhile and then we did crafts.  Emi is too small to do it on her own, but I had her help beat down the stuff we were gluing with her hand.  She was more interested in other stuff but what do you expect from an almost 21 month old?

The lunch was fabulous both for the kids and the adults.  Emilija devoured her PBJ and fruit.  The adult lunch was so good too.  I made one of my favorite snacks - Swiss & Bacon Dip.  It was a hit.  The dip was a favorite among our bunco group back in Little Rock and the recipe can be found here.

I do not like my little point and shoot but didn't feel like dragging my DSLR with me so unfortunately I didn't take many photos.  I did make treat bags for all the kids that were a hit too.  I like being crafty and so when I get the chance to make something cute, I do (see photo above - aren't they cute?)  Oh, I did not make the veggie skeleton.  That was made by Angela.  Just posted the picture because he was too cute not to.