Week 37

I'm sorry, it's been a long time since our last post.  Ethan did not bear weight for 4 weeks but once Dr. Paley gave the green light he was up and at it again.  He has been doing great with PT and getting around.  He is once again running bases around our living room and doing all the fun things boys do at his age.  It's wonderful to see him run and see that his leg is getting so strong.  He has started  riding a bike and that brings us great joy.  He is looking forward to T-Ball in the spring and so are we.   We are scheduled to go to West Palm Beach for a 3 month follow-up at the end of October. 

Eyal and Sofia are waiting to get the green light to bear weight and they are so ready!  Abby is doing great too.  She is now in Florida and I'm sure she is loving the beach! Lily is in Florida this week and she is also doing great!  The Class of 2012 are all near the end of the 1st lengthening journey!!!























The first picture is of Ethan at PT and second picture is at home. 

Post-Fixator (Week 27)

We had a great time visiting our friends prior to the big surgery day!  We went to dinner for our favorite places and walked on the pier!  It's beautiful and hot in WPB in July!  We visited our PT friends and told them how much we missed them!!  It's nice going back and seeing all the familiar faces!!!

Surgery was on the 9th and we've not had any sleep since.  I love the fact that we are not caring around 3.5 pounds of metal but gosh....could you cut Mommy/Daddy a break!!!  PLEASE!!! 

I feel so bad for Ethan, he is having to wear an abductor pillow (AKA Sponge Bob) between his legs while he sleeps and lets just say that equals lots of sleepless nights!  The first week was pure torture.  The abductor pillow is to help secure his hip.  Not only was he not sleeping at all but I was having to rub his foot for 99.9 percent of the time!!!!  On Saturday,we talked to Servando and he suggested we remove the pillow and see if that helped with the pain!!   I don't know if it was the lack of sleep or not wearing the pillow but we slept better that night.   Last night, it started again!!!  WE DID NOT SLEEP.  I'm sure they are muscle spasms and I hope in few weeks we will be free of night pain/spasms!! 

On a better note, he is having great days!  He has not had pain medicine since Wednesday of last week and the wounds were completely scabbed by Friday but we wrapped a couple of more nights just in case.  He is in great spirits during the day and ready to get up and run, jump and do all the things 4 yr olds do!

Abby Girl had her fixator removed on Monday and she is doing 100 times better than Ethan.  Her recovery has been a breeze! Lucky for her and her mommy they are not having to use the abductor pillow and she has not had any sleepless nights!  Lily was given the green light to bear weight and she is doing awesome!!!  Mariel is on her second cast and 2nd month of casting!  Poor baby, I'm sure she is ready to get that off!

I'm eager to see how our other friends do in the next month or two when they say goodbye to the fixator.

Thank you for all the prayers and support during the past seven months!!!  We are near the end and we are eager to get it all behind us. 



Pre-Surgery...Goodbye, The Incredibles!!



Abby stopped by to visit on Thursday!



Saturday...playing with his cousin Nanu!

Summer Fun (Week 24)

Ethan is having his fixator removed on July 9th.  We are super happy and counting down the days!!!  It's been fun but we are ready for it to come off.  PT has been a ton better but still wishing we were doing PT in Florida.  I sure miss Ms. Yvette and Ms. Emily!!!   He is working really hard on his heel toe motion and bending the knee.  He is also getting around without the walker but that will change come July 9th. We are hoping that it doesn't take him long to get back on his feet after the month off from not bearing weight. 

Daddy is still doing pin cleaning and I'm enjoying the time off!!!  What are we going to do with that extra hour after the fixator comes off?  I can assure you we will not miss it for a second!!!  We are also looking forward to visiting the community pool!  Going out to dinner and not worring about rushing home for stretches and pin cleaning.  We are going to have fun!!!

Lilly had her fixator removed a few weeks ago.  Mariel had her fixator removed over a month ago and she is also doing well.  Sophia, Claire and Eyal don't have a date for removal.  Abby is scheduled for the week after!  I'm sure they are more than ready.  We sure miss our friends.  We are all getting closer to the finish line and all very excited. 

Ethan and Abby have had 2 play dates since being home.  They are still engaged.  You can see the video on my Facebook account. 

Please say special prayers for our friends Emily, Aubrey and mommies!  They are having a challenging time and will get more challenging as the days go by.  Please pray for strength for the mommies and the kids as they continue the lengthening procedure.

Liddy is going home and has been a rock star!  She gained 6 inches!!!!  We are sad we wont get to see her but happy she gets to go home. 

I will let you know how the surgery goes and how our month long of not bearing weight!  Fun stuff but it's all worth it if that means that we are getting closer to the end of our journey.

Thanks again for all the love and support!

Home Sweet Home (Week 19)

We arrived back to Dallas on the 5th and it's been non-stop since then.  Our flight landed at 10 AM and it took an hour to get home from DFW!  Dallas of course, welcoming us back in style!  Nothing better than being stuck in bumper to bumper traffic.  As we drove into the city, I kept telling myself "Why did I want to come home?".  Where are the palm trees, the beach and the green grass!  I thought Dallas had been getting lots of rain.  Why is everything dead?  We did miss daddy and he is not moving to Florida so we have to come home!  I missed my king BED without Ethan!!!  It's so good being home and not having to share a bed with your son and a fixator!!!!

I spent the first week trying to un-pack and organizing the house and going to work and organizing my case load!  UGH  Wishing I was still in Florida and not having to deal with reality!  My advise to all the moms/dads is to stay in Florida as long as you can because it's hard to get adjusted.  Ethan went to school immediately on Monday and Mommy was off to work! The first few days back to work were super hard.  Not only was I exhausted from cleaning, unpacking and packing!  (Inner thought "I sure do miss the beach!")  Ethan's school has been great and the kids are so sweet with Ethan!  They welcomed him back with open arms!  He is a happy kid!  My Ethan is back!!

It took two PT evaluations before actually getting on someone's schedule!  Torture pure torture!  If I had known how hard it was going to be we would have stayed in Florida!  We had the evaluation the first week we got home and he had his first PT appointment last Friday.  Almost two weeks later!!!  Last Friday was his first actual PT and daddy is now in charge of PT, Pin care and stretches at home!  Am I wrong for giving him so much responsibility?  I think not. I've spent 4 months taking him to 2 PT's a day, pin care, stretches, feeding him and making sure we get the 8 CM we needed.  I think I'm due for a vacation.  Don't you think?  Don't ask daddy because he disagrees!

Friday's PT was pure torture for daddy.  Tuesday came around and he said it was beyond insane!!! His actual words were "I don't have the patience for this and your son is beyond insane".  My actual words of wisdom to him were "Get over it and deal with it! You have to be patient.  It's new people new place and his routine has been changed again!" I admit, I laughed when he told me!  Of course, I got grief later that night for not being supportive.  But I reminded him that I dealt with this type of behavior day in and day out for 4 months straight!!!  Yes, he came and visit but he was able to walk away and not have to deal with it until his next visited!  I guess I'm being a little hard on daddy but I just wanted him to experience a little of the craziness I had to go through!  We had a big talk with Ethan when we got home  and explained to him how important it was to listen to his new therapists.  We told him that the biting, kicking and screaming had to stop.  Wednesday's PT was 90% better with the exception of the last stretch!  Can you guess which stretch it was?  Yes, belly time!  He is getting 76 degrees in bending and of course 0 degrees with knee bar so we can't complain too much.  He is also keeping a natural bend at about 50 degrees.  Stretches at home are a breeze.  I've done a couple since I got home and he is 100 % better. He still feels tight but I guess that's normal. Ethan will have PT every Tuesday-Friday hopefully they can add Monday soon.

Since, being back home we've partied every weekend with birthday parties and now this weekend if Ennis National Polka Fest.  Abby is coming home so we are eager to see her and Charlie!  I went for my first run and I realized it will never be the same.  I MISS my runs to the beach, soaking my toes into the sand and looking at the blue beautiful ocean!

A few weeks ago our friend Emily and Aubrey had surgeries.  As we get near the end and they are just starting, and I get a lump in my throat just thinking how hard that first month was.  They are both doing very well and we can't wait to see them.  Mariel had her fixator removed on Monday and has been casted.  Lilly will be next in line to have her fixator removed.  I think she is scheduled for the first week of June.  She is also doing very well.  Sophia, Eyal and Abby will probably go before us but we are happy as long as his bone gets super strong!  Graham is doing well and happy to be home.  Liddy has gained 4 inches of the 6 she wanted to gain!  We will not be able to recognize her when we see her again.  We miss our missing our Quantum House family that's for sure.

Ethan had his appointment with Scottish Rite and his first monthly x-ray today!  It looks great!  The bone is looking great! 

Thank you once again for all the love and support!

WE ARE DONE LENGTHENING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Week 16)

The right X-Ray is his initial on January 10th and the left is the one from today! Look at all that new bone!!! Need I say more!!! It's week 16 and we are DONE with the lengthening. We are super excited and we can't hide it. We are going home!!! Did you hear we are going home!!!  We just talked to daddy and he said SATURDAY is the day!!! We are going home!!!

Ethan's appointment went super!!!  He gained the 8CM we wanted to gain and we are done with the lengthening. His hip is looking good and bone ossification is also looking good! It's just amazing and every time I look at the X-rays or his leg I just get a lump in my throat! All the hard work has paid off!! We are looking at even legs and even sooner the removal of fixator!!!

Thank you Jesus!!! We are looking forward to going home but sad to say goodbye to Liddy, Abby and Graham. Graham also received good news today and will be going home in two weeks. Abby is also done lengthening and will go home after her brother Charlie finishes school. Liddy has gained 2 inches already!! That goes to show you that Dr. Paley is making miracles happen on daily basis.  Eyal went home last weekend and Sophia left on Sunday.  We sure miss our friends but glad everyone is getting to go home.  Looks like the initial Class of 2012 is all done now and soon will be returning one by one to get the fixator removed.  Lilly will be back in a month to have her fixator removed and I'm sure Claire will follow along with Sophia, Eyal and Abby.

Last week was Ethan's Birthday and thanks to a group of volunteers he had an amazing Star Wars Birthday party! He was super happy and with great smiles. On his birthday Abby received the great news to stop lengthening!!!  

We are praying that PT gets easier as we start our none turning days at West Palm Beach and that by the time we make it home we are looking at easier days.

Thank you for all the prayers and moral support you have provided us during our lengthening months!

Near the end of Lengthening (Week 14th)

The finish line is so close that we are super eager to go home. When we decided we would go forth with this adventure we never imagined what the end would feel like. As the months have gone by there has been some good and some hard times but seeing what we've gained makes it all worth it. Ethan is making great bone. The Doctor said we've gained 6.5 cm out of the 8 we are going for (X-ray shows 74 mm but you deduct 10 percent for magnification). He said we have 2 more weeks of turning and hopefully we will reach our goal and get to go home. Ethan is not wearing a lift and from the looks we are even but we have to go with what the doctor tells us. :(

As far as PT goes its harder. I don't know if it's due to recent surgery or just that his body has had enough but it's like the first 2 weeks of PT and pin cleaning. To my surprise the new pin sites (3) are super healed nothing like the initial surgery. He was back in water therapy within a weeks time. Today, after PT and as we are walking out Ethan tells me "Mommy I'm sick of you!". I have to admit I smirked and ask him to repeat it again. I told him if you are sick of me you don't want to know how I feel! It's been super tough two weeks. He refuses to do therapy and cries for his daddy and grandma non-stop! How I envy daddy right now!!! He is such a nice guy and probably put on the highest pedestal! While I'm the bad guy torturing him on a daily bases. It hurts and I get frustrated but somebody has to do the dirty work! Don't get me wrong we do have great moments when he tells me "Mommy I LOVE YOU" or "I love you cutie pie!!". Those moment I hold near my heart and those moments erase the nasty stabbing comments.

This week I've started to push him a little more. He has not used his wheelchair and I started working with him to gain courage and stability without the walker. Let's just say the first day was super challenging! I'm sure the neighbors were near calling security. He is having such a hard time bending the knee. He is super tight and super scared. Ms. Emily and Yvette said the tightness is due to both the surgery and the length we've gained so t's all normal!!!

The class of 2012 is slowly finishing and going home. Lily has been gone of about 3-4 weeks. Claire left this week and Eyal might be going soon. Abby is still turning 2 times a day to help with foot pain and tightness. Abby and Lily are still having foot pain. Abby and Lily are not sleeping at night. Please pray for them.

Please pray that PT gets easier because ever since our last surgery (2 wks ago) it's been a bit challenging. Please pray for mommy because I've also had some challenging moments!

Post-2nd Surgery (Week 12-13)

Where do I start? First of all, Ethan did extremely well after surgery. I have to share our pre-op discussion with happy juice. The surgical nurses found Ethan to be super cute and wanted to be his girlfriends. Of course, he said no, he said “I have a girlfriend” with a huge smile on his face. They asked him how old was he and one of the nurses proceeded to tell him that since he was 3 he was allowed one girlfriend per year. He was three and therefore he was allowed to have 3 girlfriends. It was super funny!!! All this took place as we wheeled Ethan back to the operating room. Once in the operating room, he proceeded to tell the ladies that he only has one girlfriend name Marissa. It was super cute that even drugged up he confirmed that he was one girlfriend kind of guy. The ladies kept insisting he could have 2 more girlfriends but he was not on board. Eddie had been the one that walked him to the operating room and today was my day! I managed to hold all my tears back and gave my baby kisses before walking out o the operating room. Later, I thought how great it was to be distracted by them and not fully focused on taking my baby back to the operating room. I was sure he was in great hands but the 4 hour surgery felt like an eternity. My dad was pacing back and forth making me nervous. At one point he even asked what was taking so long. He was super eager to see Ethan. About an hour later they allowed us to see him. He woke up hungry and devoured a popsicle and had about 3 apple juices. We got to go home the same day and I was hoping I wouldn’t regret it. I didn’t, Ethan did great once at home. He was not happy about pin cleaning or stretches but its understandable. We had PT appointment the next day that I was not fully prepared for. It turned out not to be so bad. He was pretty tight but hoping that by Monday he would be better.

The weekend was fun because daddy made it in on Friday!!! Ethan was so happy to be with daddy that he forgot all about the surgery and additional pins. We ended up spending Easter Sunday at the beach! It was a bit cold so we didn’t get in the water but we sure enjoyed seeing the locals enjoying the cold water.

Week 13:
Tuesday, was a little hectic to say the least. Ma (my mom) slipped and fell at water therapy. She banged her self pretty bad but thankfully no broken bones or fractures were shown on the x-rays. UGH, I can’t handle another patient! ;-) She is doing well but still in a lot of pain. Hopefully, by Monday she will also feel better and we will all be in our way to recovery and better days. Our friend Sophia had surgery on Tuesday. She needed to have her hip secured and nerve decompression. She had already planned to go home on Sunday but since she had surgery she will have to stay at least another 2 weeks. She is doing well. It’s amazing how resilient kids are. They amaze me on a daily basis.

We celebrated Abby’s Birthday on Wednesday. She is now 4 and Ethan is also eager to celebrate his! She was super cute in her full blown Strawberry Shortcake costume. Abby is doing better this week but still having issues with both straightening and bending. Mommy is sure praying for no surgery but hopefully they will be done in a few weeks. They started 2 day turns last week and that seems to be helping.

Patty Mac’s invites a family from Quantum House every other Thursday for dinner and treats them like VIP’s. On Thursday it was our turn. We ate so much but it was all worth it! The owner brought over his grandson Preston to meet Ethan. Preston sat and showed him his games on his IPad. Ethan was so happy and excited about his new friend that he said Preston was his new best friend. LOL

This week has gone very smoothly at PT minus the temper tantrums. He is not as tight and stretches are going pretty easy.

It’s Friday and we are eager for Monday!!! We will know how we have progressed since our last x-ray/surgery day and hopefully get a definite day of departure!

Have a great weekend and I will let you know how Monday goes!! Please continue to pray for all the class of 2012!!!

Prayer Request!!! (12 weeks)

Today, we had our hip x-ray and Dr. Paley confirmed the one thing that I was not prepared to hear. Ethan's hip is dislocating and will require another surgery to secure the hip. Not only is Ethan getting more pins but he will also get the decompression done. What does that mean to mommy? More pin cleaning, more sleepless nights, more discomfort for Ethan, and more chances for infection. I think, I turned green when Dr. Paley uttered the words "surgery tomorrow" he didn't have to say anything else. Dr. Prince looked at me very sympathetic and I really wanted to run to him and get a big hug. I needed comforting but I managed to composed myself and started asking John questions. How I wished Servando was the one to break the news. I managed to compose myself tell I got to the car. I cried and still crying not because I'm worried about surgery because I have full confidence in Dr. Paley and team but because this shouldn't be happening. We should be on the end of the race and near the finish line. I'm so ready to go home!!! They said this wouldn't slow us down but I just can't imagine.

On a brighter note Ethan is making beautiful bone!!!!

I have to get some much needed rest. Please pray for Dr. Paley and team, for Ethan and for mommy and daddy. Surgery is set for 11 AM tomorrow. I will keep you updated.

Good night!

5th Post-Op (11 weeks)

Our last 2 weeks have been pretty fun. We went to International Polo Club for St. Patty's day. We had Class of 2012 pics with Dr. Paley. We went out to Juno Beach to see Melba get released into the ocean. Ethan was able to see Fletch the Loggerhead mascot which he loved! On Sunday we went to Lily's for some pool and fun time!

As far as work goes....the week of the 12th we got to 80 degrees in bending. At this point the knee bar is still an issue. He cried for 30 min to an hour. On the 15th he had restless night but not crying at night. The week of the 19th and we still having knee bar issues. Finally, i decided that maybe he should wear it more so he had it on from 3-6:30 PM. He cries for about an hour but finally he is fine and playing Mario. Stretches at home look good and we are from75-83 degrees. On the 20th he didn't wear the knee bar during the day but we had a good stretch and no crying with knee bar at night. I really hope he has better nights in the days to come. He is so ready to go to Texas that he is being such a sport about it all.   He is eating a lot better and even willing to wear his knee bar during the day.

The past two weeks Ethan has told me he doesn't love me right after PT at home. He tells me to get away and go back to Texas. I have to be strong but it hurts to hear those words! I told him today that it hurts me when he says that so I hope he stops it! However, I don't blame him! PT is no fun that's for sure!!! Ugh, I'm so ready for it to be over!!!!

We had our 5th Post-Op appointment today and for the most part all looked great. Bone looks beautiful and we are at 5.5 CM of our 8 CM goal (14 days he gained 13 mm.) The x-ray showed a gain of 61mm total in 70 days in but they tell you that the x-ray is magnified so it shows more than actual gained. Servando and Prince are concerned that the hip might be moving and therefore Ethan will need to get x-rays on Monday. Please pray it was just a bad hip view and that the hip is not starting to dislocate. We are still alternating between 3/4 and 4/4 turns and since it's working we will continue!

As far as the rest of the Class of 2012 goes, we have Lily going home on Friday and Mariel going home next week. Sophia has an appointment this week but I'm sure she is also finished at the end of the week. Abby girl is having serious pain at night due to our friend the knee bar. Eyal is doing good but also not liking the knee bar. Elenore will also be done soon and getting to go home but hating the knee bar. Claire might have a broken pin but they are continuing with the lengthening. We hope she can get to her goal of 8 CM. Our new friend Jesse is having a bad first week of PT and Liddy is home but in some pain. She starts PT this week so please add her to the prayer list.

All fun and games at Quantum House but we are all working really hard to rich our goals. Continue to pray for all the little troops and Mommy's and daddy's. Please also pray that Ethan's hip is not dislocating!

Good night and thank you for all the support and prayer!!!

4th Post-Op (9 weeks)

Its been super busy two weeks. We are doing land and water therapy Monday-Friday and he is loving it. Still disliking the last 2 min of PT but none the less 90% of the time all smiles. I'm fortunate to have such a happy kid/class clown. He walks in doing the chicken dance and doing silly faces just to entertain anyone that's watching. As we enter the PT waiting room we see our friends all dreading the last 2minutes of PT. Our little friend Mariel throws up every day. She has so much anxiety that she just can't help it. Bless her them both! Ethan has his bad days were he doesn't want to participate but they are very few. I personally don't like those days but shouldn't complain too much. He is so cute when he sees his friend crying prior to PT he says "He is having a bad day, right mommy." My baby is too sweet!!! Two days later he tells me that he is having a bad day! UGH Poor baby!!! Every time he is having a bad day he tells me he wants to go back to TEXAS!! How I wished it was that easy!!!

Daddy and Grandma flew in and Ethan of course soaked them up. We went to Loggerhead Marina and took Grandma to the beach. I of course took a much needed semi-break. Wished it was longer but I'll take what I can get. LOL Grandma and Daddy only stayed for a few days but they were so glad to spend time with us. We probably wont be seeing daddy tell we get to go home.

I started running last week and let me tell you nothing is better than soaking in the sun and the beautiful beach. Yesterday, I couldn't resist, I walked along the water and attempted to run! It's a tough work out but worth it.

We had our 4th Post-Op appointment on Monday and we received a good report card. We are at 48 mm out of 80 mm (he has gained 48 mm in 57 days). Hopefully by the end of the week we will be over 50 and getting us closer to our goal. Ethan has been doing fairly well this past weeks. Last 2 weeks we went from 3/4 turns and that helped with flexibility. We went from 60-70 degrees bending to 70-83 last week. He had another post-op appointment on Monday and they told us to alternate between 3/4 and 4/4 turns. Hopefully, that will help us get closer to our goal.

Ethan is having a hard time when we put in his knee bar at night and when we take it off in the morning. The knee bar is to straighten out the knee. It also stretching everything out and making it hurt for at least an hour and a half. Some kids don't wear it all night so we are very fortunate.

All the kids are doing great. I think our friend Lily is done and Sofia is probably going to be done by the end of this two weeks. Abby, Sofia and Eyal are having x-rays on Friday so we will know how they have progressed but I willing to bet that they are at least 10 mm ahead of us. Since we were doing 3/4 turns that put us back some.

Thank you for all the goodies Ethan has received! He is enjoying them and loving getting mail. Please continue to pray for us. I hear that the more we lengthen the harder it gets!

Week 7 and Post-Op Appointment

Time flies when you are having fun. We are super busy every day. If we are not doing PT, stretches, water PT, Pin cleaning, play time or sleeping we are trying to relax. Ethan continues to have good nights. We are not getting up in middle of the nights so very thankful for that. He started to complain about knee bar going in. It hurts for the initial 20 minutes that it goes in but once he has his Valium and pain killer he is OUT!!! We are at 60-70 degrees but praying we gain at least tell 80-85 degree in the next few weeks. Overall Ethan is doing great and we hope that we continue at this pace!!! Mommy through her back out and is trying to recover so hope that it will feel better soon.

We are at week seven and we have gained 36 mm. We had our appointment with Paley and since Ethan is super stiff and hard to bend (knee) we will be starting our 3/4 turns instead of 4/4 turns. He wants to see if going slower will help the healing of the muscles and allow the knee to bend 90 degrees. We sure hope that works!

Daddy and Grandma are coming to visit this weekend so we will let you know what we manage to get into.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Say special prayers for Ethan to get more flexibility.

Sorry for the short update but Ethan keeps me busy.

Week 5 and 2nd Post-Op

Things have not changed much we are still running on empty most nights. Schedule is still full and we are going full force. After 3 trips to the mall we located a shoe that would work with his AFO. Note to self and to all the parents, Nordstroms are great when it comes to getting two different sizes shoes. I'm not sure if they do it world wide but the do it at West Palm Beach, no other store will allow that. You would be forced to buy two pair of shoes if you needed two different sizes. Ethan was needing a size bigger because he has the AFO. We eventually found the shoes at Sears after hitting every shoe store in the Gardens Mall. He is in a extra wide size 9! On Friday, we dropped it of at Nobles Shoes and Monday morning we got a call that it was ready!!! Very nice shoe lift with 5.5 CM. If you recall, the last shoe lift that we had did not work but it was also a 8 CM lift! In 4 weeks of lengthening we have managed to remove 2.5 CM!!!

This weekend was so much fun. Not only did daddy come in town but Ethan had a great weekend despite the weather. The girl scouts cooked dinner for us on Saturday and danced with Ethan. They gave him so much attention and he loved it. His new friend Kayla was super sweet to him. She played with him and made him the happiest kid! I will post a video later so you guys can check it out!

Today, we had are 2nd post-op appointment and things are going great! He gained 26 mm so far! My lil superman is almost halfway through this procedure. We didn't get to see Dr. Paley because Eddie and I had to rush him to the airport but Dr. Paley told my parents that everything looked excellent!

I met Ashley and her family today! Kayle is super cute and as happy as my little Ethan! It's always nice meeting people that we can relate too.

All the other kids got a great report card today so we are on our way!!! Keep us prayed up as we continue this journey!!!

E-Rod's Angels are having a fundraiser tomorrow in Ennis at Mexicano Grill. Pictures with your sweetheart from 6-10 PM. They will also be selling flowers and giving away candy. Thanks to my family for organizing the event and to Mexicano Grill for their support! Good night!

Week 4 of PT and Excellent Week

It's been a very good week. Ethan’s water therapy is really paying off. Not only is he enjoying it but I think it's giving him strength and courage to do other things. We are sure that he will be swimming by the end of this week. He holds his breath under water and swims to the bottom of the pool to retrieve toys and only comes up for air for a second. He is so competitive that he doesn’t give up!! I’m so proud of my little SUPERMAN!!!

My parents have been here for a week now and it’s been really nice. Last week Ethan loved having his uncle Junior here. They raced, watched movies and played Mario. What more could a kid ask for? Every morning he would wake up asking for his uncle Junior.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned it but Ethan has become a MARIO (Wii) lover. I can’t pry him away from that MARIO. My trick has been only allowing him 5 games per day; 2 before water therapy, 2 before dinner and 1 after dinner. I think it’s still a lot but I have to start somewhere. He was normally spending all day long playing MARIO so we are making progress. Ethan was a child that spent 50% of his time running around playing baseball, soccer and playing hiding seek. The other 50% of the time was spent reading books and watching his shows. Mario has taken over his life since we have been here at the QH. He has only picked up a book a hand full of times and mommy doesn’t like that. He doesn’t participate in any other activities nor does he want to play if it’s not MARIO. It’s amazing how things can change over night.

PT has been going well. I hope we either progress or stay at this level. He is reaching 85-90 degrees and now wants to be more active. He is playing the Sports Wii, playing soccer, walking on the treadmill and playing basket ball. He is also walking a lot without his walker and his balance gets better every day. We finally got his AFO today but now the shoe lift needs to be adjusted. UGH!!! Not only do we have to remove layers (LOVE IT) but we need to get a new shoe because the AFO doesn’t work with the shoe we originally got a lift on. A $50 shoe is ruined because they had to cut it to get the AFO in the shoe. We will have to go shopping for a new shoe that has a flat sole, no lights no added features just a flat sole and wide!

Saturday, Abby came over to do stretches with Ethan. Jennifer got some great pictures of them holding hands! It was super cute! I will post them later!

Today, we celebrated Charlie’s (Abby’s older brother) birthday. We had a great cake compliment of our house mom MJ. It was beautiful and yummy!!! Abby, Eyal and Sophia are all doing well. All the kiddos are walking well and doing great. Our little friend Lily had surgery today to relieve the tension of a pinched nerve and during the surgery they got some bad news. They will not lengthen for 8 CM they were trying to gain. The nerve is being constricted to a point were no further lengthening would be possible. They will also have to do 2 land PTs a day. Something no parent wishes on a child not only because it’s painful but because PT is limited in most cases and out of pocket expenses is ridiculous. Please say a special prayer for Lily and her family. That God gives them the comfort they need and that the nerve and muscle lengthening to the planned goal of 8 CM.

Week 3 of Pt and Progress Report...

We've had a great week with the exception of daddy going home on Tuesday. Over the last few days we've been to the beach twice. We went to Juno Beach to watch the wind surfers, to Jupiter beach and to Dubios Park. I LOVE it! Can't say the same for Ethan. He screams "don't jump" every time he sees us near the water. I'm not sure why he is so afraid of the water but hope he gets over it soon!!! The weather here has been perfect!!!

Pt is going well with the exception of the last 5 min. I think I've learn to toughen up but I still get choked up every once in awhile. He started his water PT today and LOVES it!!! He will have land therapy in the morning at 10 AM and water therapy at 3:00 PM. I was hoping that with all the PT I would be excused from PT at home but that's not the case. :( Today, he had land PT with Ms. Emily and they played the Wii and basketball before starting the stretches!

Yesterday, we had our first of many 2 week appointment. We got a great report!!! He has 13mm of new bone!!!! Yes, 13mm!!! We are super hyped about our great news. Abby has also gained 13mm. Our friend Eyal as well but he will require another surgery tomorrow. He is having nerve issues that need to be addressed. Sophia is lengthening both her femur and tibia and has gained 22mm. Lily has gained 15mm but she is also having nerve issues. Please continue to pray for all our troops!!!!

I will report back next week!!! Good night!!

Week 2 of PT and our 3rd week in Florida

Ethan has been more active this week. He has been racing with Steve and Abby! Good thing he is super competitive because that always gets him on his feet. PT is still horrible but it's only the last 10-15 min. If we could do without the last 2 stretches (bending of the knee) we would be A'sing this. Ms. Ivette is great with Ethan and he doesn't mind seeing her but always very vocal about disliking the knee bending. Pin cleaning has become a breeze. Mommy is still paranoid but over all we are during wonderful with pin cleaning.

Today was our first water PT. Ethan was totally against it when we arrived. He told us how he hated to swim. Yeah right, you know that's not true at all. He put on a fight for about a minute then once in he was swimming like a fish!!! He LOVED water PT!!! I think we will be doing more swimming!

All the kids are doing great! Every day we see progress but of course we all have our bad days. Ethan of course is still waking up at 3 AM and 5 AM because he is either uncomfortable or in pain. I hope he gets to sleeping better soon. He tosses and turns the entire night but good thing he is doing naps everyday.

That's our weekly update. The weekend is almost here and we will have time to go out and catch some vitamin D. I love Florida in January!!! It's beautiful everyday!!

Thank you for the continuance prayers!!! Talk to you soon.

Physical Therapy Week (AKA - Pure Torture)

This week started out so good. Ethan was actually doing better and then PT started. Did I tell you, I cried the first day before the actual PT started. Well let me tell you again! It's zero fun listening to the kids scream. Not only Ethan but all the other kids prior to Ethan's session. My heart aches for all the kids during PT! It's tough but mandatory! I get it, no PT equals major injuries but why does it have to be such torture? Why?

On a better note, all the kids are doing so good! Peer pressure works like a charm! Today Sophia said "I want to show off that I can walk!" then you hear Ethan say "me too!". He took about 10 sets even though he was aching some. We got his walker today and tomorrow we will get his shoe lift! I hope that with his shoe lift he will gain that needed support and encouragement that he needs to take off and become active.

Pin care is much easier now that he is allowed to shower! I've been a little paranoid about pin cleaning. So much that I texted Servado and attaching 8 or so pictures! Every day one pin worries me more and more but he assure me everything looked fine but I can't help but to worry!

Ethan is eager to start water therapy but probably won't be for at least another week. He loves to get picked up by the bus that takes us to PT. He also enjoys bubbles and picking up pine cones from a tree on our way to or from PT. We had an art teacher come by today and guess what Ethan painted? His pine cone and it's blue his favorite color. He also loves to play the Wii (Mario Bros).

Today, we met Mary and Meriel as we finished up with PT. Meriel did not disappoint me. She is as feisty as I imagined! I didn't get to chat long but look forward to visiting with Mary tomorrow. We are having a pizza party tomorrow and Meriel and Lily will be joining us!


I'm not looking forward to PT tomorrow or even doing it at home this weekend! Please pray that Ethan continues to be strong and that his pain subsides. Also, that I get the strength I need to continue this journey!

Thank you for the continues prayers and support. Good night!

Weekend and First Day of PT

We had a great weekend for the most part. Ethan is more mobile in and out of the wheelchair has been getting easier by the day. He played cars with Charlie on the floor and had lots of play time. The only thing that has not changed is pin site cleaning still sucks but sucks a little less after the shower today!!! He started his PT and it went well. He wasn't crazy about bending the knee but hopefully that will get better. We also started lengthening today so the more we turn the harder it will get in PT. Everyone is doing great. Abby is walking already she even wants to run! Wished I could bottle her spunkiness and give some to Ethan. Ethan refuses to walk and doesn't help that we don't have a walker maybe after we get one it will be easier. Maybe after seeing all the other kids walking he will get encouraged. This is the only time pier pressure is a good thing.

I had to run to the restroom to compose myself after listening to the agonizing cries/screams coming from the PT room or as I call it the torture room. UGH!!! Can't wait tell this is behind us that's for sure!!!! My neck is in knots and I'm super stressed. We were thinking we had an infection and that added additional stress. good thing it was just me being paranoid! Tony was getting the "I'm about to kick your butt" look that some of you have seen on more than one occasion. The funny part was that he knew that! I guess he will know the real me soon!!! All I think about when I see him is "TONY TONY has done it again!" I guess I'm dating myself! LOL

Abby, Sofia, Eyal and Lily are all doing well. We've all started PT today so lets see how the rest of are week goes.

Please keep praying for our little guys and of course all the mommies and daddies. We are praying for a break and better days!

3 Day Post-Op (Discharged Day)

Eddie had a bad night last night not because Ethan was not doing well but because the nurses and techs came in every 2 and 4 hours. The vampires showed up around 4 AM but they only pricked the finger. I think Eddie was relieved because he was so not looking forward to the multiple pricking. Ethan was up and ready to watch his cartoons at that time. When I got to the hospital they had already had breakfast and they were ready to go home.

Dr. Paley and John (PA) came by before noon to tell us we were being discharged. Yes, we were eager for those words!!! The bad thing was that we still needed to get Ethan's fixator fixed. The bar is too high up so high that it was bruising his ribs. John sent over Tony's partner (can't recall his name but I'm sure I will know it in no time) that told us that they will have to get something to solder the excess. He returned later with a new bar and that was the end of that. Good thing because the soldering was making me nervous. Ethan decided to take a nap after lunch so we had to wait on him and on his last round of meds before we could get discharged.

Three of the Fantastic Four got to go home. Abby, Eyal and Ethan were all a home and finding things to do at the QH. Eleanor played with Ethan and told him all about her fixator. She is so cute and her English accent is even cuter! Ethan is so lucky to have a house full of great kids. They are going to be great friends as they grow together. Sophia has one more night in the hospital but hope to get discharged tomorrow. Lily is doing really good and she will more then likely be discharged tomorrow as well.

Abby was the first of the three to get her pin sites cleaned today. It was not fun for her or her parents. Hours later she is still not happy about the cleaning but after a while she was happy and in the playroom with Ethan and Charlie. Eyal was next tonight and he was also a very unhappy and vocal child. It's just plane torture for the parents. I can't wait tell this gets easier for everyone!!!! Including me!!! Ethan was the last one to get his pin sites cleaned but we made a deal that we were going to be strong like Superman. He fought it at first but then ended up being the little Superman he is. All was going well until the last pin site got wrapped. That's when he had enough!!! I think he was talking in tongues! Right after I finished he was fine and ready for his mila (milk)! After the mila he was telling me that I hurt him really bad. I explained to him that I don't do it on purposes. That this is a necessity and that very soon this will all be over. I explained that after all this he will not need to wear his helper leg and that with his fixator he will be able to run like lightening. At that point he decided to name his fixator "Lightning McQueen" because it's going to help him go FAST!

Our first PT is Monday at 9:30 that will also be our first lengthening day. Everyday we will lengthen 1 mm (10 mm equals 1 cm). Ethan has 3.38 cm discrepancy so if you do the math we will need at least 35 days of lengthening given that we don't have any hiccups on the way.

Tomorrow is Saturday, so lets see what we can get into. I want to get him out so he is not bored with being at home. I sure can use a little running. Maybe I will get up and go for a run on the beach trail.

Thank you for all the prayers! Good night!

Day 2 of Post-Op

After a long 5 hour nap he woke up at midnight complaining that he had pain so they gave him his Valium and that not only helped with pain but woke him up. He was singing "la la la la laaa sing a happy song..." (from Smurfs's Movie) which made me happy!! He was giving me kisses and telling me he loved me. Also, something I love to hear. My happy energetic night owl is at it again! About an hour and half he started to complain that his belly was full and hurting so the nurse had to come in to help with manual extraction of his urine. Around 90oz later he felt relieved. Did you know kids with PFFD sometimes have issues with the urethra? In June, Ethan went to see his pediatrician for his 3 yr exam and we told her that he was a left shooter (when he pees it goes to the left) and she referred him to a urologist that confirmed that he had a small urethra. He will have to have surgery later this year to get his pee hole enlarged. It's a day surgery but still not looking forward to it. I guess it will be his year of surgeries! During our appointment with Dr. Paley, I brought it up to the PA and he told us that it was common with PFFD kids. He said that sometimes it can be a super large hole and many other sorts of birth defects that require surgery that PFFD and Urethra issues went hand in hand.

At some point early this morning we fell asleep but we were waken at least every hour by the nurse. I didn't mind because we have been blessed with some great nurses. At 5:30 AM the vampires showed up. Thankfully, they only pricked him once today! I made a point to tell them about his experience the day before and pleaded that they didn't have a repeat.

At 6:30 AM he started to complain that his belly was hurting and they extracted another 50oz of urine. I hope this catheter gets removed soon! Even though I don't look forward to sitting him on the potty!

I made my rounds today and the "Fantastic Four" are doing as expected. Lily is also doing well and as always as cute as can be. Elenore stopped by to bring Ethan a gift this morning. She is so cute and sweet. She said she is eager to play with Ethan and the other children once they go home (QH).

The catheter and epidural was removed around 2ish. As always he was a super star. The nurses love my son not only because he is so strong and courages but because they see his kind heart.

Around 4ish Tony makes his way to our room to illustrate the pin site care:
1) You remove old gauze (these things were on tight and were very hard to revome)
2) You soak a pack of individual gauze. Pour the saline in the middle of the package. (I counted to 5).
3) You take the gauze and unfold. Then you fold it long ways (12 inches by one inch of width) to work with. You take the gauze in your non dominate hand. Make sure that the gauze is in the inside of your palm.
4) You start to floss or "shoe shine" each pin to remove any and all gunk (blood or drainage that has accumulated). Applying some pressure to the skin to help remove any gunk. Those pin site are really close together that even my skinny fingers are having a hard time manoeuvring through them. You can always use tweezers to help pull the gauze through each pin crevasse.
5) Inspect all areas to make sure nothing is left behind.
6) You take your gauze and make 2-3 inch layers (that will cover one area of pins). You twist the part you will start weaving through pin sites. Under, over around as tight and close to the skin as possible tell all the pins are covered.

During the process of pin site cleaning Ethan was not happy and was crying "it hurts" and saying "Stop...stop!". Ethan has 10 pin sites that we cleaned and had to cover. Some kids have 10 sometimes more. If you calculate just cleaning each pin site is at least a minute per pin site and that doesn't include the removal and the applying of new gauze. I think the entire process was 15-30 minutes or at least it felt like it. By the time we finished everyone (Ethan, Eddie and I) were dripping in sweat. I managed to contained myself even if inside I was full of anxiety.

Wow, how will I manage to do pin care every day??? That was beyond torture for both of us! I was fine up until Tony walked out and then I lost it. I hope this part gets easier! I think my eyes are swollen from all the crying! I don't think any parent is ever ready for this! I have to tell you that I still have a love hate relationship with this fixator and that might not ever change.

After pin care the PT ladies came by and got him to sit off his bed to work his way to the wheelchair. Sitting was not bad but when they asked him to stand up and walk a few steps to the wheelchair that was super tough! He was not happy at all but that only lasted a few minutes. Once, we made it to the playroom he was fine. Singing and playing the bangos! It was karaoke time in the playroom and all courtesy of Ethan. He sang "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" about 3 times, "The Wheels on the Buss" and "ABC's". Later on we went outside to blew some bubbles. He loves bubbles and is getting very good at blowing super large bubbles. We went back to the playroom to play on the Wii before heading to the room to have dinner. We stopped by to check on Abby who was doing great. He did much better tonight with dinner. He actually ate more than he had in the last two days.

Well it's bed time again. Let's hope he lets Eddie sleep tonight and that the vampires only prick him once in the morning! If all goes well we will be discharged tomorrow afternoon.

Good night and thank you once again for all the support and prayers!

The Day After

It started at 5 AM when the vampires arrived. As you recall in my superhip updates I named the nurses (drawing blood) vampires. One, because they came before the sunrise and two, because the multiple pricks. He was pricked 7 times before they could find a vein. You think that wouldn't be an issue but 7 times is just ridiculous! Ethan complained about pain for the majority of the day. Before lunch time the PT nurses came by to get Ethan out of bed. They sat him up and put him in wheelchair to take him to playroom and that was super tough.  He cried it hurt and to take the fixator off.  Once settled in the play room he was fine.  He sat and played for 2-3 hours.   We played with the train set, cooked in the play kitchen, played matching games, read a few books and played Operation Silly Game. He loved Operation as much as I did growing up. Sophia was already in the play room when we arrived. She was happy playing the same games. On our way to the room we stopped by to visit Abby girl. She was as happy as the day before. She named her fixator "Princess Girl" and she is going to pretend it's pink. Wished Ethan was on that same happy juice she is on! Maybe we can bottle it and share with the rest of the Fatastic Four because her thee partners are not as happy about the fixator as she is. The nurses brought him to his room and moved him back to his bed. He cried that it hurt as they put him back in bed.  He is not eating much  but is drinking for the both of us. Around 5ish he got to feeling better even allowed me to flex his foot with zero fuss. He has been sleeping since 6ish and its now 9:30. I've seen Lily and she is also not happy about the situation. Hope all the kids have a better day tomorrow. Please pray that tomorrow they only prick him once and PT is not horrible for all the kids! Thanks for the prayers and good night!

Surgery Day

We were up and early by 6 AM. Abby was already at the hospital when we arrived at 7 AM. She was playing around with her brother Charlie. We tried to get a pic of the two of them but Ethan was not cooperating. He so not a morning person. Wonder where he gets that from? LOL. Abby got her happy juice around 8ish. Of course, we were still waiting but Ethan was doing fine. He kept telling us he was ready to go home. The nurse brought over daddy's scrubs and Ethan started to write his name on them. I proceeded to write "I love daddy","I love mommy" and "We love Ethan"! He is too funny, played the entire time we waited. We saw Eyal walking in and he also looked very happy. The only thing was he woke up asking for water. Something he had never done. It's like they know something is up.

Our time has arrived and it's 10 AM (EST)! Our little guy did not want to be wheeled or carried back to the surgical room. He wanted to walk and of course no one argued or questioned his decision. He proceeded to walk as the nurses, daddy and the anesthesiologist followed him towards the surgical room. Eddie said when he arrived he stopped dead on his tracks and Eddie had to carry him to his bed. He allowed the mask to be applied and out he was. He is such a brave little guy and we are so proud of him!!!

We went back to the waiting room to join Abby's mommy and daddy. I think having each other gave us comfort and strength because we were all doing very well. You could feel the spirit of God holding us and her pastor praying over us I know made a huge differnce.

At 11 AM Dr. Paley came out strolling in with a full smile! He told Abby's parents that all went well. They will finish her up and you can see her in an hour or two. He gave us the same grin and said Ethan is next. As he walked back he tripped over a backpack. The last thing we need is for him to get hurt. I told him "Be careful, don't get hurt we need you.". As a parent there is nothing better than to see Dr. Paley enter the room with a smile from ear to ear!

We are playing the waiting game Eyal's parents are now waiting with us. Lily and her parents stopped by to check in on us. We also met patient number two Claire that is set for tomorrow. Lily is set for 8 AM but I'm not sure about Claire and Andrea (not sure if it's Andrea or Alexandria) Please keep them in your prayers as well.

It's about 12:30 PM and Abby is out of recovery and headed to her room. Hooray for Abby!!!

At 1 PM our stunning Dr. Paley walked in to tell us he is done and that all went well. They removed his hardware from his hip and installed the fixator. They will finish him up and should be able to see him within the hour or so. Thank God for giving us such wonderful Paley team and thank God for our tough little cookie!!!

At 2:30 PM the waiting period started to make me a little anxious. An hour felt like 5 hours! UGH!!! I'm ready to see my baby is what kept running through my mind.

At 3:15 we are called back and see our sweet angel's face for the first time. He looked good not swollen like he did after superhip. He looked very peaceful. Once they settled him into his room I saw the fixator for the first time. You can say I'm intimidated by it. Not sure how I feel about it just yet. I'm between excited and full of anxiety.

It's 4 PM and he is still sleeping. Abby is up and loving her fixator. I walked into her room and she tells me "Dr. Paley broke my leg and I didn't even hurt." "Look at my fixator it's mine.". I asked her if it hurt and she said "no, not at all." with a big smile on her face. Love that little girl and all her spunky attitude.

At 5:15 he woke up and requested Popsicle and apple juice. He is in denial and not wanting to look at the fixator. Ethan has had 2 Popsicles and 3 juices. I think someone is hungry! I know I am!!! Meanwhile Abby is wanting to stand up and go. Eating and wanting to go home! LOL

It''s 9:30 PM and we just saw Sophia going into the room next door. The "Fantastic Four" are all here and doing well. Let us pray that the vitals stay good over night and our lil troopers are feeling much better in the morning. Our friend Lily is set to star with her lengthening at 8 (EST), Claire and Andrea are set sometime after her. I wanted to ask to keep them and her parents in your prayers. It's tough being a parent at this moment and prayer will be their only calming medicine. Thank you to everyone for all the prayers and support!!! I'm blessed to have such wonderful friends and family!

Good night!

Here we go....

Sunday was great. We got up late but not as late as I would have wanted given that the morning person(Eddie)didn't let us night owls (Ethan and I) sleep longer. We went to the beach and it was great! Ethan didn't care too much for walking in the sand but I loved it!!! Can't wait to be able to run by the sea!! We went back to the QH and the kids were all playing together. Enjoying the last couple of days of normal life.

Monday, we had a 9 AM pre-op appointment. All went well, Dr. Paley's appointment was quick and fast. X-ray looked great and Dr. Paley confirmed that Ethan's discrepancy was about 3.38in. We are hoping to gain all 3in at lengthening. It's going to be amazing come April. Today, we met Lily who is scheduled for lengthening on Wednesday. She is the cutes little girl with curly blonde hair. She is the same age as Ethan but looks a year older. Her mom Jaime and I had been Facebooking each other but it's nice meeting in person. As you can tell our PFFD family keeps growing.

Tomorrow, we have Abby set for 8:00 AM, Ethan at 9:00 AM, Sofia at 10 AM and Eyal at 11 AM. As you can see we are all going to be in major need of prayers and support. It's going to be a tough journey but at the end of the day it's going to be well worth it. To see our babies with out a lift or prosthetic is just going to be beyond amazing.

Thank you for all the continuance love and support!

Good night and hope to update you tomorrow. I promise to post pictures as soon as possible.

Home Sweet Home

We made it to WPB around 8:30!!! So glad because I don't think I could stand another day in the car. To my right was Ethan playing his games on the i's and in front was Eddie playing some boring music! LOL wished I was riding shot gun but knew Ethan wouldn't have none of that. We stopped in Tallahassee to have lunch at Jalisco's and it was yummy! Eddie was eager to make it to a resting spot and get ready for football but I pressured him to put the metal to the petal and get us to WPB. I was so glad he listened because tomorrow I will sleep in!!!

When we arrived at the QH guess who greeted Ethan with a hug and a kiss? No other than our Abby girl! It was such a Kodak moment too bad I had my hands full. The "old married couple" is reunited again!!! Abby pulled the wagon into the playroom and said "look what surprise we brought for you!" Ethan the gentle man he is pulled Abby in the wagon that her family left him when he had superhip in 2010. After a few spins they decided to crash Charlie (Abby's much older brother) and Susan (Jennifer's friend) Sorry board game. Charlie did not want any part of that game but Susan was a trooper and played by the toddlers rules!! It's funny how the men (blue for Ethan and red for Abby) were in one area about 1-2 squares from each other. After about an hour and a half of fun it was time to say good night and the "OMC" [old married couple] gave each other hugs and kisses. It was super cute!

We have a full house! First, we have Eleanor who had surgery 3-4 weeks ago. Sofia, Abby, Ethan and Enyal who are scheduled for surgery on Tuesday and they are all sharing one house! Ethan keeps saying it's Abby house. LOL

Eleanor is doing great! She was showing me how she can walk and sit and stand up by herself! It's very heart warming to see her doing so well! We are eager to meet Enyal, Lily and Mariel! Tomorrow it's going to be a lot of fun!!!

As you can see the prayer list just grew! Thank you for your continues prayers. Good night!

10 Hour Road Trip

We had a great road trip today! We are so proud of our little guy! At first I was a little worried because we hadn't made it out of Lancaster when Ethan asked if we were there yet. I honestly didn't think we would go 2 hours without having to stop but so glad I was wrong. Ethan played with my IPhone, Eddie's IPhone, Eddie's IPad and we sang "Take me out to the ball game" about 10 times if not more! We played with Mr. Monkey (Marissa's good luck gift) and Max the Doggie (Ms. Dottie's Christmas gift)!

So here is our check list:
Texas - Check
Louisiana - Check
Mississipi - Check
Alabama - ?
Florida - ?

Three down 2 to go!!!

Abby, Charlie and Jennifer made it to WPB after some hiccups but thankfully are enjoying the beautiful beach! Charlie had to make his stop to sink his toes in the sand and ended up waist high in the ocean. You Go Charlie! Live it up!!! I plan on doing the same when I make it to WPB just because that might might be the only chance I get to sink my toes in the sand.

Well it's bed time but will write again tomorrow.

P.S. Please continue to pray for good health, safe trip for all the families traveling to WPB including Toby and Jamie and her family!

The Clock is ticking!

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year!!! That God blesses you with an amazing 2012 filled with health, love and prosperity.

Only 8 days tell surgery day. Today we started packing! Ethan's toys and books, check! Now what about the other stuff? Shorts, shirts, jeans, workout clothes, shoes, towels, swim suites, socks, meds, toiletries, ect!!! What's too much? I'm going to be gone for 4 months! Hopefully less but for sure 4 months. I hear, WPB has Target, Wal-Mart and Costco but if I have it why buy it! Good thing I bought some space bags! Love those thing they really do work!!! I can pack a lot more clothes but what about my shoes?!?! I know, I can only pack 4 pair! The running shoes, the flip flops, the pumps and the sandals! Wish me luck with that!!! LOL

I just finished reading Mariel's Blog and all I can say is wow, our time is near! Every mommy I've talked says the same thing! The first two weeks are the worst!!! I get it, the first 2 weeks will be the worst days of our life's but how do we prepare for that? How are we going to get through the tough times? I definitely need to learn to meditate or maybe I just need some meds! I know I will be doing some serious praying that's for sure!!

Abby has been on antibiotics so we hope she is feeling better and is as ready as we are! ;) We will see you guys soon!!!

Thanks again to my family and everyone for the encouraging words and support!!! We are truly blessed to have such wonderful friends and family! Special thanks to our Misa Family!!! You guys are awesome!

Please, Please And Please keep us prayed up!!! We will need it!!!

Good night!!!