We've sprung a leak

Typically this is not so great. In a faucet, it is irritating. In a boat, a bit of a nuisance. In a tissue expander, probably bad. We'll see Monday morning.

Things that are sharp

Since we moved into the house, I made a 'Things that are sharp' drawer to keep things corralled on the baby's behalf. Now that baby is tall enough to reach into those drawers something had to be done.

So kalai suggested making a barrier to keep baby's fingers safe. She can only reach into the very front of the drawer so I cut an opening into a cereal box, and pointed the sharp ends inward. Yay, simple fix until she grows another few inches.

Drama

We just completed a fill at home. Unfortunately the port that is exposed is leaking a bit from where the needle went in. If this doesn't stop leaking in an hour or two, it looks like we may have to drive into Cleveland to get this addressed. Here's to hoping the leak will stop, and this port will make it through the rest of the expander process.

First sandwich

This should make life a whole lot easier, one more thing to add to the short list we hope. After all noodles and peas have to get boring day after day.

Chillaxing with the dog

I'm not sure the dog likes it so much though

I love ziggy!

Luckily he is gentle.

I love thrift shopping

Why not take a nap with the big kitty.

I am a decoration

holding steady

The port on Sophie's head is holding steady, thank goodness. It really eroded in the last week but is still within the non-surgery range.

In other toddler noise, grandma and grandpa got the xmas decorations up and she is wearing the carpet threadbare going between all of the animated singing snowmen and penguins. This will be the most fun holiday season yet, as her awareness is there to get pumped about every decoration and present.

Cracking up

Uncle dave cracks me up!

Smells a little crazy

Swissvale smells a little crazy today. Every third person seems 2 b talking 2 themselves. And there isn't a blue tooth in site!

Port update

We just got back from cleveland. The port is exposed however we are going to keep moving forward and hope it is stable. We'll just have to keep antibiotic cream on it 24/7 and hope the hole doesn't enlarge or become infected. The only option if they would do surgery on it would be to externalize the port, which carries as high of a risk of infection as the current situation does.

Bottom line, no operation before turkey day, thank God.

Puppet slippers and cuteness/prayer request

Sophie just had a playdate. What a weird word, I think it should be called a scheduled maelstrom. I love it cause she ends up sleeping well, but it tires the adults and dogs just as much. It is nice to hang out with auntie k too, who gamely ate my weird lunch of pasta a spaghetti squash.

Note sophie's feet, these are puppets that aunties k & e got for her to play with.

Prayer request. I am 99% certain she has a port eroding through her skin, and if that is the case, we will be looking at surgery Monday. I feel so bad I ever started this process on my poor baby.

Game on

A dear friend is in from out of town, on game day. E just made mozzerella for the first time, sophie is making dough. Let's home the game is as good as the pizza!

We are friends!

The kids were so cute at the park yesterday. This weather we have been having is so great, being able to play outside has made all aspects of toddler control easier.

The girls got over their collective case of the 'mines', held hands and had a great time. So did big mamma h and aunti k. :)

Tucking daddy in

Home today

Yay! We are NOT on our way to Cleveland. The infusion supplies should be here by noon and the nurse between 4-5pm.

The only thing I'll miss about the trip to Ohio is lunch in little Italy :)

Future track star

Man this kid can go! Which lead to a lovely 2 hour nap
:)

Zelda the duck

Friends of the family's pet,

Swing swing

Yay good weather! Thx 4 the pic auntie kalai.

update update

The home health care nurse is coming to our house every other week! Watch our carbon footprint shrink!

Medical Update

People have bucket lists. On them are things like: skydive, go to Australia, eat sushi at Nobu, make out with old flame, have a baby. All very normal. What I never had on mine, but now has been added inadvertently is: perform medical procedure on your baby's head using a butterfly needle. Wait a minute, didn't I choose a non-medical career for a reason?

With my partly shattered psyche I am trying to keep things in perspective. Sophie and I spend 6 hours in the car to Cleveland plus another hour or two in the hospital every Friday, my parents coming along for support and company (THANK YOU!). This is all very exhausting and we realized this is going to be going on for over a year and with winter heading to the Northeast any day now, I decided to learn to do the expansion procedure at home some of the time.

We may have found a home care nurse who would take this responsibility from me, but that is still up in the air. I am crossing my fingers for that option to work out.

Surgery for removal of the first round of expanders has been scheduled for March 8, 2010. We'll likely have a 2 month rest and the do it all again. Prayers for good health and job security (ie. medical benefit retention!) through this long period of medical treatment are appreciated.

Fwd: papa nick's lil angel

Octopus

'I hug him' , sophie.

Potty training.

Although I could do it, I will not post pictures for this one. Heather and I decided to try having Sophie go diper free today. Thus far the score card is 2 pees and 1 poop with 0 accidents. If anyone really wants pictures, I can provide them.
Is this the end of diapers(oh please oh please)

Happy birthday uncle matt

She has been practicing singing happy bday in honor of uncle matt's bday. This spontaneous singign has been going for days in 10 minute spurts.

Sophie craps out on the walk

Dress up

Why not wear every accessory in the closet?

Dog hug

Sophie loves Ziggy, and Ziggy doesn't mind Sophie too too much.

more Halloween pics

Halloween was super fun this year. It seems like we are able to stretch out holidays to 3 days each. This means Sophie starts to think that recieving gifts everyday is normal (per bday), that dressing as tigger and getting candy from every house you pass is normal (per halloween), or that sporting a handle bar mustache at 2 is ok. But that is what makes being a kid great.