My Honey B

A few pictures

2009-03-21T06:58:00.004-04:00

Just a few pictures since I haven't updated my blog in months. Dale made Devin that bed, isn't it gorgeous!

2009-03-20T15:12:00.000-04:00

Got Snow?

2009-03-20T14:40:00.002-04:00

2009-03-12T06:59:00.002-04:00

Hello!

2008-10-21T06:47:00.002-04:00

Hello to those of you who still check my blog! I was going to write a little note to say that I just can't keep up with my blog anymore now that I'm selling on Ebay and that I was just going to delete it all together but changed my mind. Though the updates will probably be few and far between I'll try and find the time to update you all on the family when I can.

Hope all is well with everyone! I am going to make a point to take some new pictures of the kids this week so I'll post them here and send out an email!

PhotoHunt

2008-09-27T06:00:00.004-04:00

PhotoHunt

Dale had taken this photo while in Northern Maine several weeks ago. This is the view not far from his father's camp where we hope to build our own camp someday.

Weekly Winners

2008-09-14T07:26:00.010-04:00

Sep 6th-13th

I am so sorry I haven't updated my blog in weeks. I just don't have one free minute in the day lately. I thought I'd post a few recent pictures of the kids and some of The Blue Angels that were here in Brunswick last weekend for the Great State of Maine Airshow. They were amazing as always. :)

You can visit the other winners of the week here.

2008-08-27T18:21:00.002-04:00

I am as busy as ever but I will try and update my blog asap. Must be terribly boring for those of you who check my blog to not read an update in weeks! lol

We start a new therapy schedule with the kids next week and I will have Tuesday, Friday and Saturday off, yayyy!

Weekly Winners

2008-08-17T05:55:00.012-04:00

Aug 10th-Aug 16th

On Friday we went to the Great Falls Balloon Festival with my sister and her family. It was quite a site to see and made me thankful my feet were firmly planted on the ground. Yikes!

To view the bigger version just click on the photo and as always, check out the other winners of the week here. :)

PhotoHunt

2008-08-16T06:41:00.003-04:00

PhotoHunt

"colorful"

We went to the Great Falls Balloon Festival yesterday and this is one of the many photos we took. More to come tomorrow for my Weekly Winners!

PhotoHunt

2008-08-09T05:04:00.003-04:00

PhotoHunt

"Dark"

Another one of my favorites from our vacation in the Outer Banks.

Weekly Winners

2008-08-03T05:13:00.003-04:00

July 27th-Aug 2nd

Asa always, Lotus hosts the other Weekly Winners on her blog. Go check em' out!

PhotoHunt

2008-08-02T10:19:00.002-04:00

PhotoHunt

"Clouds"

I had a tough time just picking one photo this week since I have so many great sky pictures from our vacation in the Outer Banks!

Check it out!

2008-08-01T05:51:00.002-04:00

I know I sound like a broken record but Ebay is keeping me busy!

Check out my new store when you get a minute!

http://stores.ebay.com/Amys-Coupon-Clipping-Service

A huge thanks to my pal Karen for the awesome logo she made!

Camera Critters

2008-07-27T06:41:00.004-04:00

We visited the aquarium in North Carolina during our vacation and this was one of the little critters we saw.

Weekly Winners

2008-07-26T20:16:00.004-04:00

July 20th-July 26th

Mr. Innocent

Or not... ;)

Keeping an eye on her brother

A red bellied spider in Maine? Hmmmmm

Isn't this the most perfect spider's web you've ever seen?

Victim of a nasty thunderstorm

Reflections

Morning Dew

More Weekly Winners can be found at Sarcastic Moms blog!

Weekly Winners

2008-07-20T08:32:00.005-04:00

July 13th-July 19th

Nothing spectacular again this week, sorry! I do have some pictures of the kids during their therapeutic riding, I know I haven't shared any photos yet. They both enjoy it so much!

Please check out the other winners here!

PhotoHunt

2008-07-19T07:12:00.003-04:00

PhotoHunt

"What IS that?

I thought this photo of my son was perfect for the theme this week! Can't you just imagine him asking himself "what is that?" Lol!

I'm alive!!!

2008-07-16T06:44:00.007-04:00

My blog has been neglected lately along with my kids, my camera, the housework and my poor husband! Why you ask? The answer is Ebay!!!

I have often thought about selling coupons (you can't actually sell coupons but rather your time to find, sort, clip and ship them) on Ebay and finally decided to jump in with both feet. I'm so glad I did because in the past 15 days I've made well over $200!! It is perfect for us, I am able to bring in as much money as a regular part time job and still be home with the kids! AND, not only am I making money but I'm also saving a bunch having all of these coupons to use! I have high hopes that this turns into my own little business that I can easily run right from home. I even put Cody to work clipping coupons and separating the pages of the inserts. It's very addicting too, I've been digging through the closet looking through the bags of kids clothes I have to see what else I can sell ;)

I also wanted to say I have a new found respect for moms that work in and outside of the home and also raise a family, how in heck do you do it!? This is taking every ounce of my spare time which I had none of to begin with I might add. ;) I am now getting up at 4:30-5:00 in the morning so I can have an hour or two to clip and sort my coupons before the kids wake up and staying up an hour later in the evening so I can do the same.

PhotoHunt

2008-07-12T05:47:00.002-04:00

PhotoHunt

"Support"

This was a tough theme for me, I looked through all of my photos and could come up with nothing extraordinary. I settled on this photo of an old tree that looked as if it was barely being supported by the ground beneath it.

I also wanted to add that I know I have been terrible at updating my blog this week. My adventures in selling on Ebay has really taken off and it's kept me busy. More about that later........

Camera Critters

2008-07-06T07:26:00.003-04:00

My photo this week is of one of the many African Cichlids we have in our 125 gallon aquarium. I'm assuming this fish is a he cause he has a real attitude and can be quite the jerk to his other tank mates. ;)

No Weekly Winners

2008-07-06T06:24:00.003-04:00

No weekly winners from me this week. I haven't so much as picked up my camera except to take pictures for my Ebay auctions. I'll be back next week!

PhotoHunt

2008-07-05T05:27:00.003-04:00

PhotoHunt
"pointed"

Check out those pointed ears! :)

CVS

2008-07-04T20:24:00.011-04:00

I almost didn't go to CVS this week cause there wasn't anything I just HAD to have. I did decide to go though and got some great deals! Here are my scenarios:

Trip #1

Transaction #1

4 bags of Lifesavers- on sale B1G1-$2.19 for 2

2 Coppertone Water Babies-$9.98

- $5 ECB's

- 2 Q's for the lifesavers that were B1G1- made them free!

My total oop was $5.45 but I earned $10 ECB'S

Transaction #2

1 CVS Pantyliner- $.99

1 CVS Cleansing Towelettes-$2.99

1 Physician's Formula mascara-$7.99

-$2 CVS Skincare Q

- $10 ECB that I earned in trans #1

Total oop-$0.00- Earned $9.98 in ECB'S!

Trans#3

2 pks. Stayfree-$8.98

1 CVS Pantyliner-$.99

1 lollipop for two year old- $1.49(not pictured)

2 Sure deodorants-$5.98

1 Ringpop-$1.49 (not pictured)

-$1 Sure Q

-B1G1 Sure Q($2.99)

-B1G1 Stayfree Q($6.49)

-$7.99 ECB

Total was negative so I threw in the ring pops to save the hassle.

Total oop was $1.01- Earned $5.49 in ECB's!

I received an email from CVS with a $4/20 coupon plus I had $3.49 in ECB'S that were going to expire so I headed back for a second trip. They were out of a lot of things so I had to throw in the diapers o bring my total to $20.

Trip #2

1 CVS diapers- clearance for $4.75

2 CVS Pantyliners-$1.98

2 Sure deodorant-$5.98

1 Physician's Formula mascara-$7.99

-$1 Sure Q

-B1G1 Sure Q($2.99)

-$3.49 ECB

-$4/20

Total oop-$5.90-Earned $12.97 ECB'S AND got a coupon for $5/25 and a $.50 ecb for my spring spending!

My total oop was $12.36 BUT I earned $38.94 in ECB'S!!!!!

2008-07-04T11:07:00.000-04:00

We had an appointment yesterday with Brooklyn's geneticist. The first thing we discussed is that she has had no head growth since January. No head growth= no brain growth. :( I'm becoming more and more worried that she isn't going to progress much from where she is now which makes me so sad for her and for us. And of course the question is why isn't her brain growing normally?

At our last visit she asked if she could bring Brooklyn's photos to a seminar out of state for undiagnosed children. Unfortunately nobody there had any ideas as to what she may have. Another dead end.

After taking a few more measurements of her face and examining her she said that she had a few more tests she wanted to do. One was another test related to Rett's Syndrome and the others I'd have to go look at the paperwork cause I have no idea what they were. We had her blood drawn and she had a urine bag yesterday that just did not work so I'm going to have to go to a lag and get some more and maybe try them at night when she isn't moving around so much.

Maybe these tests will be our answer though I'm not counting on it. It is so depressing, I feel like we just go around in circles over and over again.

Oh, and you want to hear something funny! Remember the woman I saw at Dev's therapy who had a sense it was chromosome 36 that we should have tested further? Well when I asked about it she said there is no #36 chromosome. We have 46 chromosomes that are arranged in pairs. Therefore, we have 23 pairs of chromosomes. When they preform genetic tests they test each pair. Since the 23rd pair of chromosomes is the sex chromosome, there are only 22. Duh! What a quack! lol

Weekly Winners

2008-06-28T21:05:00.008-04:00

June 22nd-June 28th

When out for a walk I decided to venture into my Grammie's (Aunt Cindy's) backyard and see what photo opportunities I could find. The field of uncut grass and the beautiful perennials were busy with moths, different types of insects and bumblebees which made for some great pictures!

Lotus hosts the other weekly winners, be sure and take a look at all the other great photos!

PhotoHunt

2008-06-28T06:37:00.004-04:00

PhotoHunt

"bright"

My entry this week is a view from the deck of the house we vacationed at in Nags Head, NC. I love how the calm ocean waters reflect the bright rays of the sun as the days begins.

Freebie!

2008-06-28T06:15:00.001-04:00

I love CVS!!

2008-06-26T07:34:00.026-04:00

I have really been trying to get back into couponing to save us a few pennies here and there. I'm also in the process of switching to cloth diapers for Brooklyn to save us money but that is a whole other post. ;) Anyways, part of the trick is having multiple coupons and stocking up on items when there is a good sale. I got lucky and asked my newspaper carrier what he did with all the extra coupon inserts from the Sunday paper (thanks for the suggestion E!) and since he just threw them away I asked if I could have them. For a few weeks now he's been dropping off tons of inserts which has helped me score some great deals! Most of my shopping has been done at CVS but I did send Dale to Walmart with a stack of internet printables and his total was $34 and he walked out of there paying $4.00! There are a few sites that I visit on a regular basis to learn about what sales are upcoming and to see what money saving scenarios others are doing. Hot Coupon World is a forum that has some great articles on how to get started using coupons. It also has separate forums for every store imaginable that show the current and upcoming sales, coupon match-ups and money saving (and sometimes money making) deals. A Full Cup is another discussion forum that is similar to HCW. My favorite place to visit is Money Saving Mom's blog! I find reading her site takes much less time since you don't have to go from forum to forum, all the deals are posted on one page and are easy to read through if you are short of time. I also check Taylortown on Wednesday, it lists what coupons are coming out in Sunday's paper so you can match up the coupons with the sales. Freebies 4 Mom is another great blog that posts links to Freebies, big surprise, eh? ;)

I got a great Freebie today that I signed up for at Wal-Mart.com. They always have some awesome free stuff and it only takes a minute or two to fill out your information. Today I received a good sized sample of Men body& face lotion,well I should rephrase that and say it was a good sized sample. I made the mistake of leaving my opened mail on the island for little hands to grab while mommy wasn't looking. As always, click on the picture for a better look. ;)

Guess I'm happy it was free. ;)

Here are a few CVS deals.

On Sunday I only went once and did one transaction.

1 Bounty 8 pk.- $5.49

1 Bounty 8 pk. -$5.49

1 Charmin (12 rolls)- $5.99

1 Charmin- $5.99

1 Colgate toothpaste- $2.99 ( you earn $2 ecb's AND I had a $1.50 coupon)

- $1.00 Q off Bounty

- $1.00 Q off Bounty

- $1.00 Q off Charmin

- $1.00 Q off Charmin

- $1.50 Q off Colgate

- $2 ECB'S

- $3.98 ECB'S

My total was $11.47 OOP (Out of pocket) but I earned $12.00 in ECB'S!

On Tuesday I did two transactions:

1 Mega pk. of Pampers- $13.99

1 Colgate Toothpaste- $2.99

1 CVS Band Aid- $1.99 (free after ecb)

1 CVS Aftershave- $2.59 ( money maker after coupon)

1 Pk. Oral swabs (needed them for B)-$3.47

1 Huggies Body Wash- $3.49

- $1.00 Q for Huggies

- $1.50 Q for Colgate

- $2.00 Q for CVS Brand skincare

- $2 ECB's ( from trans. #1)

- $10 ECB's (also from trans. #1)

My total after coupons was $12.75 OOP but I earned $10.00 in ECB's again.

Transaction # 3:

1 Pkg of CVS brand diapers that I noticed were on clearance- $ 4.75

1 Huggies Body Wash- $ 3.49

- $ 1.00 off Huggies

- $ 6.99 ECB's

Spent $.32 and earned $2.00! :)

I did a Dove shampoo deal a few weeks ago. The shampoo was on sale Buy 1 get 1 free and they were $4.99. I had $2.00 off 1 coupons which I was able to use 2 of.

6 shampoo @ $4.99=$29.94

- B1G1= $14.97

- 6 Q's for $2.00=12.00

My total was $2.97 for 6 bottles of shampoo! That is $.49 a piece and I did the deal twice. ;)

My stock pile is slowly growing.

Camera Critters

2008-06-22T09:12:00.003-04:00

This photo was taken last summer after a much needed bath. We went for a walk in the woods to allow him to "airdry". ;)

I don't know what it is about German Shepherds but I think they are the most regal looking dog.

Weekly Winners

2008-06-22T07:09:00.007-04:00

June 15th-June 21st

He looks innocent, doesn't he?

Don't let him fool you. Mommy has learned never let him eat his breakfast while I clean up the bathroom.

Or to turn your back long enough for him to take off his diaper, pull the stool over to the sink and start to wash your dishes.

Purple Beauty

Perfect hearts

Pizza anyone?

Happy girl

My fur baby

Be sure to check out the other Weekly Winners over at Sarcastic mom's blog. :)

A letter to my son

2008-06-21T10:41:00.011-04:00

Cody,

Seems like yesterday when I brought you home from the hospital. I remember being so surprised by your red hair when you were born. I knew there was a chance of you being a red head but since your father and I had dark hair I never dreamed that you would have anything but brown hair. You were so tiny and so perfect. I was in awe, this little person was mine, all mine, to love and care for for many years to come!

You made being a young mom easy. You were always such a happy baby and I loved you so very much. Before I knew it you were walking and then talking and then it was off to preschool. When you were about 3 years old you got your glasses. After months of patching your eye and going from doctor to doctor we finally learned that your eyesight was bad. The first time we took you for a ride in the car with your new glasses you just stared out the window for the longest time. How nice it must have been for you to finally be able to see the world!

The years went by so quickly. I remember your toothless grin after you lost your front teeth. I remember you in your karate class and how proud I was when you achieved your new belts. I remember how sad you were when your best friends, twin boys named Justin and James moved away. I thought my heart would break. I remember your favorite thing in the world was The Power Rangers. I bet you watched their movies hundreds of times.

You did wonderful in school. You always has good report cards and the teachers spoke of what a joy you were to have in their class. Once you entered high school though things began to change. Your social life became your first priority and your grades slipped. Soon after that came smoking pot, smoking cigarettes, a car accident, drinking with friends and cutting class. Eventually you withdrew from school with the promise to earn your diploma through night school.

Today is your 18th birthday. You are no longer the sweet little red haired boy with virgin curls, you are a man. A man who needs to be responsible for himself and make positive choices in his life. We have said some harsh things to one another over the past year or two. I hope you know that my words are said out of frustration, worry and love. It makes me sad to see the road you are paving for yourself. It's going to be a hard one, one I don't want to see you travel down.

There have been many times over the past few years I have wanted to just give up on you but how can I do that, you are my son and I love you. I don't ever want to give up on you cause I know one day you will see the mistakes you are making and you will turn your life around. I pray for that day Cody cause you are smart and you are a good person and you have the potential to make so much of your life. You just have to do it.

Happy Birthday son. I will always, always love you very much.

PhotoHunt

2008-06-21T06:23:00.004-04:00

PhotoHunt

"Water"

In the spring the rivers in Maine are almost always swollen from the melting snow and rain. This year we ventured onto the Swinging bridge to get a senic view of the raging waters of the Androscoggin River. We were standing on the bridge looking down into the river when I snapped this picture. If you click n the photo for the larger view it looks much better. ;)

I'm excited!!!

2008-06-20T06:53:00.002-04:00

We met with the director for therapeutic riding on Monday to see if we could get Brooklyn enrolled in their program. The meeting went great and I am so excited, not only is B going to ride but so is Devin AND Danyelle is going to volunteer there! Woot! I was afraid that they would say Brooklyn was too young because their website says ages 3 and up but she said the younger the better. I brought up Devin having speech therapy and asked if he would be able to ride and she said "absolutely!" He will love it I think, I can't wait to see the look on his face the first time we set him upon the horse. I can just see his little grin in my mind.

Our first day is this Sunday. I know Kathi said they will start B out on a miniature horse at first to get her accustomed to the movement and the rhythm and eventually she will ride the bigger horse. Not sure about Dev, I think I may ask that he be started out on a smaller horse too just to be safe. I am thrilled though, riding is supposed to be so beneficial in all areas of development for the disabled, I really hope she benefits from this! I will be sure to take a ton of pictures! ;)

I don't think I posted about her eye dr. appointment. She still has Strabismus which basically means her eyes deviate. We have another appointment in October and if they don't correct themselves by then he said to plan on doing surgery on the muscles of her eyes.It makes me cringe just thinking about it but I think the surgery is relatively simple and recovery time is short and painless. I was relieved when he said he didn't recommend patching her eye at this time. I went through that with Cody and it isn't much fun.

Weekly Winners

2008-06-15T10:17:00.014-04:00

June 8th-June 14th

I haven't had time to get out and take pictures this week with both of the kids being sick. Since today is Father's Day I thought I would share some of my favorite photos of my husband and the kids.

And in memory of my father who passed away 8 years ago. Love and miss you very much Dad.

PhotoHunt

2008-06-14T07:31:00.005-04:00

PhotoHunt

"Emotions"

I'm sure many folks had their reservations when we announced I was pregnant again when Devin was only 5 1/2 months old. She was born three weeks after Dev turned one and although we have since learned that B has some health issues and is special needs, they still have a unique and loving relationship. :)

2008-06-12T15:03:00.003-04:00

I will be scarce for a day or two. My laptop AC cord fried and both of the little kids are sick. Dev has ear infections in both ears and B has one ear infection and pneumonia. It's been a busy week to say the least.

2008-06-09T10:41:00.002-04:00

I thought I would say hi and gab about what I've been up to since we returned from vacation since I've been so terrible at updating my blog with posts that don't contain pictures. ;)

All the kids are doing good. Danyelle has been taking dance lessons and has her first concert this Saturday. I'm excited to go and she what she has learned over the past few months. Tuesday afternoon she had an orthodontist appointment to see if she needs braces for an overbite. Turns out she will need them and will have to wear them for 2 years. She isn't happy about it and I feel bad that she will be self conscience about them especially since she will be entering high school. High school, can you believe it!? Where do the years go? I never dreamed I'd have two in high school and two in diapers! lol Anyways, we are waiting to hear how much our insurance will cover, if any, and then she will have x-rays and have them put on. On the way to her appointment after exiting the highway I was stopped at a yield sign and was rear ended by the guy behind me. Scared the shit out of me I tell you. Thankfully it didn't do any damage but it made us late for her appointment. He hit us so hard it knocked all the change out of the cup holder and pushed the console back about a foot. My neck felt fine after it happened but for a few days after it was very stiff and sore.

I got a call from Boston saying our insurance won't pay for B's Neurology visit (which we already knew). If I understood them correctly when we were seen for the first visit at the Neurologist there was still a chance that it would be covered but since they have since found out it will not be covered they aren't charging us for the visit but won't see her again unless we pay for the visit upfront which is $500-700. Really pisses me off actually, we did agree to pay for the visits but they said payments would be fine. So, I asked if Dr. Hawash could call me to discuss her EEG results and what a big surprise it was to hear they hadn't even gotten the report or the scan from Maine Neurology. I f'in hate that place, every single time we see them they don't do what is expected. I did hear from the Dr. yesterday and she said that she has a immature brain pattern which is expected considering her delay. I mentioned that the Dr. here called it Static Encephalopathy and she said it wasn't static, it was underlying. I understood that static was a good thing because it isn't progressing but now I don't know. I asked her if her brain would get wore and she said exactly what everyone has said, we won't know, we don't have answers, it all depends on Brooklyn's progress, blah, blah, blah. It is so discouraging not knowing what the future holds for us or for her.
Tomorrow we see her eye Dr. again for a follow up. I'm not sure if the amount of time her eyes deviate has gotten more frequent or not. It certainly happens often so I wonder if there is a chance he will want to correct it surgically. We are still working hard at therapy. Lisa told me on Friday that she found a crawl assistant which hopefully will allow us to maneuver her arms while it supports her trunk so she will learn what her arms need to do in order to crawl. She got the lift put in her shoe last week and we are trying to get her used to that. I broke down and cried yesterday after she fell over from a sitting position for the third time. Sometimes it is so hard to be positive when you watch her struggle just to sit up on her own.

Dev is definitely a 2 year old. lol Lately he's been taking off his diaper several times during the day so we've introduced the potty to him. To my surprise he's been peeing on it several times a day when I ask him if he want to go. I don't think we will be done with diapers for awhile but it is a start, right? Speech therapy is going ok I guess, no great progress to report. While we vacationed with my sister he did pick up to words from her little boy, no,no,no and bubbles. It is strange how he has learned from a child and can't seem to imitate adults when we try and teach him things. I suggested to his therapist that maybe we could try a group session with him or to include another child to see if he picks up new words from them. She agreed and is going to try and work it into her schedule. He is signing like crazy though and I only have to show him new signs once or twice before he knows them. It's pretty neat.

Cody will be 18 in a week. He's been talking a lot about what he needs to do to make some positive changes in his life. First he needs to work on getting his GED and now that he is 18 that needs to be his first priority. Second, he needs to work on getting his permit which we've sent in for so hopefully he will have a date soon. And third, he needs to find a better job and work full time and start saving some money for a car. He wants to go to a community college and can start that process once he gets his GED. I have told him that he is going to start paying rent if he's going to live here. I was undecided about charging him rent, if he was making an honest effort to get his GED, to save money and to better himself it wouldn't be an issue but after the crap he has pulled over the past few years I think he needs to learn some responsibility and I'm hoping it shows him that he does need an education if he wants nice things in life . I've thought about setting the money aside for him so he has savings for a car but I don't know. What would you do?

I've been spending time trying to get back into couponing which means finding the deals online and making numerous trips to the store. I am so happy, I contacted my newspaper carrier and he is going to save and drop off the extra coupon inserts for me! Yayyyyy! Yesterday I went to CVS and bought 2 Fab laundry detergents, paper clips and 2 dove shampoos and paid a penny! At Walgreens I bought 2 All laundry detergents, 2 packages of tinfoil and 8 pkgs. of Band Aids and spent $8.02 which should have been a dollar less but for some reason one of the $1.00 off Band Aid coupons wouldn't go through. I sent Dale to Wal-Mart on Friday with a pile of coupons that I printed off the internet and the total was $31.00 and he paid $4.00 after coupons!

I've also been trying to get motivated to begin WW again. Haven't I said that a million times? I haven't been writing down my points as I should but have been sort of keeping track of them in my head and as of this morning I had lost 2 pounds! I wish the kids didn't have so many therapy sessions so I could fit an exercise routine into my day and still be able to shop, clean, cook and spend time being a mom. There isn't enough time in the day.

Weekly Winners

2008-06-08T07:55:00.005-04:00

June 1st-June 7th

I have been slacking on the picture taking this week and some of these are from the week before. Shhhhh. ;) The pictures aren't very exciting unfortunately, maybe next week will be a better camera week. ;)

My brown eyed girl

Boy does he look like his father in this picture!

Pretty in Pink

Do you know how hard it is to photograph a busy bee?

Very hard!

Lilacs are finally in bloom here in Maine

Creepy crawlies taken by dh

The ever sarcstic Lotus hosts the other Weekly Winners, check em' out won't you?

PhotoHunt

2008-06-07T12:17:00.005-04:00

PhotoHunt

"bad hair"

I was tempted to share a high school photo of my seriously bad hair do, you know, the teased, crimped, stiff as a board cause you use a whole can of Aqua Net hairspray hair do but I figured I'd spare you all. ;)

This is Brooklyn's morning do. She usually has some pretty interesting hair first thing in the morning.

Camera Critters

2008-06-01T08:24:00.004-04:00

I haven't participated in CC for a few weeks due to being on vacation with my family but I am joining in again!

I've never seen a hummingbird up close so this spring we decided to put a feeder on the kitchen window. To my surprise this little guy (or girl) has become a regular visiting 10-12 times during the day and is such fun to watch. :)

Weekly Winners

2008-05-31T21:19:00.010-04:00

May 25th-May 31st

I am guilty of sharing photos that weren't taken this past week, I hope I am forgiven. ;)

We went on vacation to the Outer Banks of North Carolina last week. All of my pictures are from our trip. These are some of the best out of hundreds that dh and I took while there. I hope you enjoy and don't forget to drop by and see the other Weekly Winners over at Sarcastic Mom's blog!

PhotoHunt

2008-05-31T14:10:00.004-04:00

PhotoHunt

"Self"

I've been avoiding getting back into blogging since returning from our vacation, not sure why that is. *scratches head*

I do need to sit down and write about the absolutely wonderful time we had but my crazy schedule has resumed and I can't seem to find a few minutes to put my thoughts down into words. I do have some awesome pictures to share tomorrow for the Weekly Winners Meme. :)

This week we are to share a photo of ourselves. Pictures of me are few and far between but I did recently take a few self portraits to use for an avatar on a photography forum I'm on. :)

MIA!!!

2008-05-15T06:11:00.003-04:00

I have had a crazy busy week which is my excuse for not posting to my blog. We are leaving tomorrow for our vacation to the Outer Banks of NC, I can't begin to express how excited I am! A week of sitting on the beach, enjoying a few adult drinks ; ) and spending quality time with my whole family. Yesterday Dany and I met my sister at the mall and we got a pedicure and manicure! I haven't had my nails done in years and never had a pedicure so I'm feeling quite pampered this morning. :) I have so much to do today and a few errands to run but thankfully Dale is home to help out.

I will be able to check in during the week and hopefully will be able to get my Weekly Winners up!

See you on the 26th!

Camera Critters

2008-05-11T17:10:00.004-04:00

This week my critter is my 18 year old cat Mocha. Despite being blind in one eye she still acts like a kitten.

Weekly Winners

2008-05-11T05:48:00.008-04:00

May 4th-May 10th

Many of this week's winners were taken by my most fabulous husband. I adore that he has embraced my hobby and has discovered that he is pretty talented when it comes to photography! Just one more reason to love him! ;)

All of the bird shots and the one of the fish were taken by him. If I wasn't so lazy I would have uploaded the pictures off the camera cause he's been busy taking photos all week.

Happy Mother's Day!

And my shots for the week.....

No flowers this year on my weeping crabapple tree? Hmmmm

Hugs from big brother

Tiny beauty

The reason I have gray hair

Off in dreamland

Show some love the other winners over at Sarcastic Moms blog!

PhotoHunt

2008-05-10T10:24:00.002-04:00

PhotoHunt

This week there is no theme. We were asked to share a photo of our choice so I decided to share my current favorite picture of my youngest daughter.

Don't forget to visit all the other photohunters at tnchicks site. :)

Thursday Thirteen

2008-05-08T18:31:00.005-04:00

Thursday Thirteen

2008-05-08T18:31:00.004-04:00

Thirteen things that made me smile today!

1. A first time visit from a hummingbird on the feeder in the kitchen window. Its been up for weeks now and this is the first time I've seen one that close! What pretty little birds, I hope he/she returns!

2. Getting a picture of the hummingbird even though its not the greatest of pictures.

3. The rent check came just in time for our vacation! I shouldn't spend it but it's nice to know it's there if we need it!

4. My naked two year old. Devin has stripped down to his birthday suit about 10 times today and runs in pointing to his privates. You can't help but laugh!

5 My oldest son Cody being a total nerd while I'm trying to take his picture.

6. Dany finally getting her room cleaned! She has a floor believe it or not!

7. Dale talking about having another child. How crazy is that?!

8. Miss B. Just seeing her little face makes me smile.

9. Not having to cook dinner. After cleaning up the kitchen the last thing I wanted to do was cook a big meal.

10. Thinking of our much needed vacation. One more week we will be heading to the Outer Banks!

11. An appt I had this afternoon was canceled. I really didn't feel going anyways so I was happy to get the call.

12. Only getting one bill in the mail! Woot!

13. Finally getting around to doing T13. I almost didn't bother. :P

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

EEG results

2008-05-07T06:03:00.004-04:00

It totally slipped my mind to post Brooklyn's EEG results for those of you who read my blog!

We saw my favorite Neuro last Wednesday *inserts sarcasm* to discuss her 24 hour EEG results. The visit was short and I still dislike that place with a passion. She read a bunch of medical stuff off which made no sense at all. She left the room to go talk to the Dr. and when she returned she said they looked at her MRI images again and her scan was consistent with her brain abnormalities. They said she has Static Encephalopathy which means permanent and unchanging brain damage. They did not detect any seizures so that is good news. It's confusing to me though, when you Google the term it basically means Cerebral Palsy which is what I thought she had in the beginning but that Dr. told me she did not have it. Now that is the diagnosis based on her EEG? I just don't get it. I'm anxious to speak with the Neuro in Boston to see what she says. She also said she felt strongly that she did have a form of Rett's Syndrome. We did test for it and it was normal but there are so many variations of it that often times the tests do come back normal even though they do have Rett's. I've been feeling down about hearing once again that my daughter is brain damaged. After talking with her PT about it on Friday she said "static" is actually a good thing, meaning she won't regress or get any worse. She said the brain is an amazing thing and that she has seen many cases where the brain overcomes areas where it is compromised and that B has made such tremendous progress already in areas where she was behind. She said it was good news rather than bad. Easy for her to say huh?

Also, her PT told me on Friday that she wanted to hold off on getting braces for her legs, in fact she said she may not need them at all. We've been working hard every day at standing and she is needing less and less support from me and seems to not try and bounce like she used to. She will still require a lift in her shoe though once I get out and get her a pair. I pray she walks someday though I know it's probably years away. She's almost 1 ½ and still isn't crawling. Oh, and that is another thing the PT mentioned was getting a crawling assistant. Not sure what sort of equipment that is but I'm sure it supports her body weight as someone physically moves her arms in a forward motion. Moving her arms is the only thing stopping her from crawling. She is strong enough cause she is up on her knees all the time, it's just figuring out what she needs to do with her arms.

We have a meeting with her team of therapists in the 13th and I've been pushing to have therapeutic riding added to her therapy plan. Her PT agreed that it is highly beneficial and that it helps children improve their skills in all areas, PT, speech, motor and trunk control etc. I really would love to see her be able to do that! Flying Changes is located right in Topsham too so that would be perfect for us!

She will begin speech therapy again and thankfully she will be coming to the house. We meet this morning at 9:15. Between her and Devin we have 6 sessions a week! Crazy, crazy, crazy!

2008-05-04T17:12:00.000-04:00

As Dale sits here in stitches I have come to the conclusion that I can not stand Larry the cable guy. How in the world anyone can find him humorous is beyond me. He has the fakest Southern accent and listening to his annoying voice is like finger nails on a chalk board to me. And yeah, he is especially funny when he says Git R Done every 5 minutes. That's all.

Camera Critters

2008-05-04T13:50:00.005-04:00

I snapped this picture a few weeks ago. Doesn't the dog look thrilled? lol

Weekly Winners

2008-05-04T06:41:00.008-04:00

April 27th- May 3rd

The birdy house that hubby built

Devilish grin

Brother and sisterly love

Spring sunset

Ohhh those eyes!

Only in Maine lol

Got lobster?

Shining sun

Reflections

Hermit crabs?

Visit the other Weekly Winners at Sarcastic Mom!

PhotoHunt

2008-05-03T11:19:00.001-04:00

PhotoHunt

"Time for mommy to wash my face!"

Thursday Thirteen

2008-05-01T11:28:00.004-04:00

This week there is an alphabet theme for T13. We were asked to choose one letter and post 13 words that begin with that letter to describe ourselves. I picked the letter F......

Fertile- Pretty self explanatory, I certainly have no trouble getting pregnant. lol

Family Oriented- Spending time with my family is my favorite thing to do.

Funny- Well at least I'd like to think so anyways.

Fantastic- See above answer.

Frumpy- More so then ever I am frumpy. I'm back into mommy mode and make-up, tanning and getting my nails done just doesn't happen anymore unfortunately.

Fat- As must as I'd love to deny this word describes me, it does. I really need to do something about it too.

Friendly- I'm a very friendly person and am pretty likeable I think.

Flirty- But only when I'm single.

Fun- I'd like to think I'm a fun person to be around, though my teenagers may think otherwise. ;)

Faithful- I am and will be faithful to my husband.

Feisty- Been known to be feisty at times.

Fish addict- Not the kind you eat, the kind you keep in aquariums. ;)

F-word- It may not describe me but it does describe what comes out of my mouth more often then it should.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

"How I met my honey!"

2008-04-29T20:04:00.005-04:00

How could I have almost forgotten to post my honey story!?

My story isn't very exciting. Basically once Dale and I hooked up one weekend we've been together ever since and that was almost four years ago. Well I guess there is a little more detail than that I suppose so I'll share the short story. ;)

We met for the first time in March at a benefit dinner for a local girl who was killed in a car accident. He was the sound man for the band that played, though I tease him and call him a groupie. ;)

After being married for 14 years and recently divorced I was enjoying, probably a little too much, my new found freedom. After the club closed a group of us went back to my best friend's house to continue the party. Dh was there with a few of his friends and we talked some but I was sort of involved with someone else at the time and he got "offended" as Dale put it when he would talk to me. After that night I didn't see him again until October when the same band played at the bar again. We hung out for most of the night drinking, talking and flirting with one another. I was still in the same relationship (and I use that term loosely) as when Dale and I first met but it was going no where and I knew that, meeting Dale just forced me to move on sooner. That evening my life with Dale began. He came back to my friend's house with us and we danced and played cards and ended up spending the weekend together. I can remember feeling sad when Monday came thinking he was going to go back to his apartment in another town, back to his job and his life and I'd never see him again. Those things did happen but I saw him again, and again and again and it wasn't long before we decided that living apart wasn't what we wanted. Guess you could say we moved pretty fast but it's been truly wonderful.

4 years later we have two beautiful children, have completely remodeled the home I grew up in, are going on our first family vacation and have an absolutely amazing life!

Oh and before I sat down to write this I asked Dale to recall our first night together. He said I bought his drinks all night, got him drunk, took him home and held him captive all weekend. lol

And I'm in love with this man? Yep! :)

I haven't had a chance to read the other stories at this cool blog but once the kiddos are asleep I'm going to make my way through Mr. Linky!

Weekly Winners

2008-04-26T19:29:00.007-04:00

April 20th-April 26th

I have to brag that not only do I live in one of the most beautiful states but also in the most beautiful of areas. We aren't far from the coast so the ocean is just a few miles away in any direction. Since the weather has finally warmed up some we've spent some time at the water. All of my weekly winners this week are of the gorgeous scenery. Sorry there are so many sunset shots, I took over a hundred pictures that night and all of them are awesome!

And no captions this week either. ;)

More Weekly Winners can be found over at the newly pregnant Sarcastic Mom's blog.

PhotoHunt

2008-04-26T07:35:00.003-04:00

PhotoHunt

"Unique/Funny signs"

I've had this picture for some time and when I looked ahead at the Photohunt themes I knew this picture would be perfect! This was sign was at one of our local restaurants. I think somebody skipped the lesson on homophones! lol

Check out the other PhotoHunt participants at tnchicks site.

2008-04-25T17:31:00.001-04:00

Today has been one of those days! You know, when you just want to run far, far away and never return. Devin has been skipping his nice long nap during the days since we've been busy doing outside things this past week. I figured today he would be able to catch up on some much needed rest.

Wrong.

I did manage to get him to sleep, only to have Brooklyn wake up from her nap and start screaming when she saw me walk by her crib which of course woke Dev up. I tried for another hour to get him back to sleep but he just would not settle back down.

Oh well, my house really didn't need to be cleaned anyways. *snorts*

The afternoon has only gotten better. The microwave I thought was broken, turns out it was just locked. Cody had his permit test today and I thought he had a ride there. He phones at the last minute letting me know I have to bring him. Great. I had some adult company for a change that I had to run off so I could rush to get him there by 3:00. Once we were there I realized I'd forgotten some paper work so I dropped him off and had to run alll the way back home to get it.

He fails the test, which I'm not surprised about. I never once saw him open the book to study. Of course he has every excuse for why he didn't study but that's not why he failed. The questions were stupid, the correct answer couldn't have been the right one, blah, blah, blah. Typical. He knows everything. Why study?

Once I'm home I try, with no luck, to get B down for her nap. I gave up and just pray that I can get them both in bed and asleep for the night by 7:00 so I can unwind with a few drinks of the adult kind. Oh yeah, Cody needs a ride to work at 7:00 so it will be after that I guess.

Our vacation can't come soon enough. I am ready for a break.

2008-04-22T21:45:00.001-04:00

The weather has been beautiful so we've been spending a lot of time outside which is why I haven't updated my blog in what seems like forever!

Today we met with a specialist about B getting braces for her legs and it looks like she will need them. We need to get prior authorization from our insurance and that takes about a month. Once that is taken care of she will get fitted with casts and then braces. I will talk more with her PT about it more on Friday but from what I understand she won't wear them all the time, just when we are working on her standing. It makes me sad for her that her handicap will now be so obvious but I know that they will only help her to walk and that is our goal.

We were supposed to be going to Boston for an appointment on Thursday with a Metabologist but I received a call today from Children's letting me know our insurance is refusing to pay for this visit as well because B's pediatrician's office can't seem to get their shit together and get the proper paperwork sent where it needs to be. The woman I spoke to said they may cover it if they have the 30 days that is required before the appointment takes place so I'm waiting for a call so I can reschedule. Since we are paying for the other 3 appointments we've already had I figured what's the harm in waiting a bit. I'm sure she doesn't have a metabolic disorder, she'd be very ill from what I've read. Plus, we are short on money and the few hundred dollars we'd spend in Boston can be used for other expenses.

Not much else to say I guess. Been a long and busy day and I'm ready for bed! I did get some fantastic pictures over the past few days and can't wait to share them for my Weekly Winners on Sunday!

Camera Critters

2008-04-20T10:14:00.007-04:00

After looking through my photos this morning I realize that wow, I have a lot of "critter" pictures! lol

This week I introduce you to my parrot Mickey. He is an African Grey who talks, screeches, peeps, clucks, squeals, squawks and poops up a storm. Anyone want a bird? ( just kidding of course)

Weekly Winners

2008-04-19T21:08:00.008-04:00

April 13th-April 19th

Lost

Thought

This little piggy had roast beef....

SPRING!!!

I spy a ladybug

How cool, no pun intended. ;)

Baby Blues

It has been a slow week with the camera so my pictures are blah. I'm hoping to get out today and photograph the river near my home, the waters are high and will make for some great pictures! The rest of the fabulous Weekly Winners can be found over at Sarcastic Mom.

PhotoHunt

2008-04-19T10:38:00.004-04:00

PhotoHunt

"13"

This week really had me stumped. You'll just have to take my word for it, there really are 13 oranges in the bowl. ;)

EEG results

2008-04-16T21:17:00.002-04:00

I got a call finally about B's EEG scan. They said her scan was abnormal but it didn't show any seizure activity which is good news I guess, though I am unsure she actually had one. She does have delayed maturation of her EEG pattern and I have no idea what that means. She said the Dr. wants to discuss the results with us so we have an appt on the 30th.

I meant to post about this a few days ago but have been busy.

While at speech therapy with Dev on Monday I met with a therapist who does energy therapy through touch. It really was intriguing and I wish she was able to fit B into her schedule. Anyways, it was really bizarre how she was able to diagnose some of her problems just by touch. Keep in mind she had no prior knowledge of her MRI results and this wasn't a "real" appointment, we just talked at Dev's appt and she said she'd look at her so she wouldn't have access to her records through CDS. So she has B laying on the floor and has both of her hands on either side of her head. She looks at me and says, " Has she had an MRI done because the signals from her corpus callosum aren't as they should be, I suspect that her cc is either missing or underdeveloped." I tell her that yes she in fact has had an MRI and that the images did show her cc to be very thin. Then I told her that the report said she had volume loss on her left hemisphere which she said she knew and could "feel" and then said the grooves in her brain were also larger on that side. Her MRI report said There are prominent sulci (which are the grooves or tunnels in your brain), particularly on the left compared to the right. The corpus callosum is also decreased in thickness throughout its entirety which would be consistent with volume loss in the left hemisphere.

THEN, as we sat there longer she said "36. Has #36 been tested?" I was confused and asked what she meant. She said, "For some reason chromosome 36 keeps coming to my mind."

I am blown away. I mean, do I take her seriously? Maybe run it by our geneticist when we see her in July? I have been thinking about this the past few days and am really curious about that type of therapy and what she said to me.

I also heard from our case worker today and she got a ruturn call from Flying Changes about getting B enrolled in theraputic riding! I am so excited and hope she meets the requirements of the program, I think that would d wonders for her :)

Thursday Thirteen

2008-04-16T20:44:00.002-04:00

Mood swings, conflict and tears. Thirteen things I just don't understand about my teenagers.

1. Why I have to ask them 100 times to pick up after themselves and they still don't do it. And I nag????? No, say it isn't so!

2. How they can hangout in their messy bedrooms when you can't even see the floor. Would drive me insane.

3. Why they can walk around all over the place with their friends but when they are 1/4 miles down the road they call for a ride home cause it's too far to walk. Can you say lazy?

4. Why I have to remind them constantly to close the bathroom window when it's 30 degrees out after they open it cause they're hot.

5. Why my daughter always forgets something when going to a friends house and calls asking me to drop it off to her. Happens every single time she goes somewhere and I now refuse to go back out again.

6. When they don't understand why I won't wake a baby up to bring them somewhere. Bugs the heck out of me and they still ask!

7. Why they leave 5 chips in the bottom of the bag and deny eating the whole bag when accused of doing so. Does this happen in your house too?

8. Why they can't bear to shut down the computer to save some life on our hard drive. Heaven forbid they not have an away message on AIM.

9. Why they take 3 sips off a can of soda, set it down and then get a new one cause they can't remember where they set it.

10.Why my daughter prints off so many pictures that we run out of ink. Never fails, when I try and print a coupon is when I discover it.

11. Why when a school project is due do they wait until 7:00 that evening to tell me they need to run to the crafts store to buy supplies. Grrr!

12. Why they think just because I drive a mini van I want to pick up their 10 friends cause they don't have a ride.

13. How they can be sweet and loving one minute and sassy and rude the next.

Project Yellow

2008-04-15T14:27:00.004-04:00

Project Yellow: Take 5

Just when I thought there was no more yellow to be found!

I may have one or two more yellow photos to post but I am anxiously awaiting our next assignment! Don't forget to take a peek at all the other PY'ers.

2008-04-14T16:43:00.002-04:00

Angry doesn't even begin to explain how I am feeling at the moment.

Some may remember how unhappy I was with the Neurologist we saw here in Maine. We have since gone to Boston and the Neuro we saw there ordered a 24 EEG scan to be done on B to determine if she is having seizures. Rather than make us travel all the way to Boston to have the test done it was scheduled to be done here.

Oh joy.

Last week I waited anxiously the entire week to hear from the doctor about her results.

Monday went by, Tuesday went by, Wednesday went by..... you get the picture. No call. Nothing.

I call them on Friday. He is off that day. After explaining who ordered the test to be done, that it was a 24 hour scan not a 20 minute one, the dates she had it done etc. she tells me that there is no notes in her chart stating to notify the parents of the results.

Are you freaking kidding me??? Ahhhhhhh!

I specifically said, more than once, that I wanted to be called once the scans were read!

Unreal.

So this morning I miss their phone call. I called back, left a message. I get a call this afternoon and say hello three times when I answer. Nothing. Hang up and call back and I get the answering machine. WTH??

I call again and finally speak to the receptionist. She informs me that she did speak to Dr. Numbnuts and that he has read the wrong scan because there was an error and someone elses EEG was scanned onto B's report!!

WTH??? How on earth can a mistake like this be made? She sounded very unsure about whether the scans can be recovered or what actually happened. I am so pissed it isn't even funny. I will not put her through that again and now I'm not even sure I can trust the results. Who knows who's EEG it may be. I swear I hate that office.

Camera Critters

2008-04-13T18:12:00.006-04:00

Yes, yes, another photo meme! I'm going to have to actually sit down and blog about something, I'm getting too fond of just posting photographs. ;)

This one is called "Camera Critters." Each Sunday you post a picture of any critter, be it a cat, dog, mouse, insect or wildlife. Just click on the header to learn more about this new fun meme!

Here is my 7 1/2 year old ~~pain in the ass~~ wonderful German Shepherd Tyson. The photo is a bit underexposed but it's still a great shot. :)

Weekly Winners

2008-04-13T06:01:00.012-04:00

April 6th-April 12th

Dirty Paws

I've got myself a new hoe, back hoe that is. (hubby's caption btw, he thinks he's funny)

14 going on 20

Silly smiles

I found a sign of spring!

Watching over Devin

Cheesecake for breakfast?

Visit other Weekly Winners here!

Project Yellow: Take 4

2008-04-12T14:41:00.002-04:00

Project Yellow: Take 4

I think this photo of my son's feet is my favorite in this project. For some reason he won't let me put on both slippers, just this one. Not to mention it's way too small for him now but he dug it out of one of his drawers and insists on wearing it. ;)

Project yellow has really taken off! When I first joined just a few days ago there were only a few participants and now it seems everyone is joining in! Come check us out!

PhotoHunt

2008-04-12T06:24:00.002-04:00

PhotoHunt

"Twist(ed)"

I had a tough time finding anything "twisted" so noodles it is. I was going to post a picture of my husband because he is slightly twisted but didn't know if anyone would appreciate my sense of humor! Happy Photohunting!

Project Yellow: Take three

2008-04-11T16:56:00.003-04:00

Project Yellow: Take Three

The yellow excavator and dump truck operated by my two year old. :P

Come join us at Project Yellow, it's loads (hee, hee get it?) of fun!

Good morning!

2008-04-11T06:17:00.000-04:00

It's early. 5:10 am to be exact. I just made a cup of cinnamon hazelnut coffee, hung the "Do Not Disturb" sign around my neck and turned on my laptop. I'm finding that in order for me to have a few minutes of "me" time in the mornings I need to force myself to wake up before the roosters crow, or in my case before the crows crow, ;) and before the kids are up for the day. For the longest time it was 6:00 but it has become earlier over the past few weeks. Mornings are my favorite time of my day though so I'm really not complaining. I can think without distractions and sort out what I need to do, forgot to do or haven't done yet. This hour of quiet time keeps me sane, or close to it. It has become my favorite time of the day. :)

Have I mentioned how quickly an hour goes by?

Project Yellow

2008-04-10T20:33:00.003-04:00

Project Yellow: Take Two

I've discovered that there isn't a lot of "yellow" in Maine when spring has yet to arrive. I was surprised to find a few dandelions growing in the yard despite the chilly temperatures.

Check out the other project yellow participants at Anna's blog.

Thursday Thirteen #2

2008-04-09T20:48:00.013-04:00

My Thursday Thirteen this week is about all the delicious treats I have given up ( or am making an honest effort to give up, hey I'm only human ;) ) in an effort to lose some weight and be healthier.

1. Ben & Jerry's, my one of many weaknesses. Oatmeal cookie chunk is sinful and New York Super Fudge Chunk is the best cure for a chocolate craving.

2.Chips of any kind. Must force myself to buy the Baked Lays instead of Cape Cod kettle cooked chips. They just ain't the same.

3. My favorite carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. So good, yet so fattening. Maybe someday. :(

4. Burger King. Well I haven't exactly given it up but I do try and choose something with fewer WW points. Tough cause I love the BK Stacker but I survive.

5. McDonald's. See above. : /

6. Sugar in my coffee. I've used Splenda for a long time now and actually don't mind it.

7. Extra cheese on my pizza. I think the cheese is the best part so of course I order EXTRA! Not anymore, just regular old pizza for us. Blah!

8. Smooth and Melty Mints. If you haven't ever tried these morsels, DON'T! They are sooooo good! I had them at my sister's house and found them in the unwrapped candy section of my local grocery store. I can't eat just a few either so I was eating a bag full of them every week. Bad news.

9. Chocolate in any form. I can't say I've totally given it up but I'm trying. ;)

10. My alcoholic drink of choice, Coffee Brandy and milk. I now try and have something with less sugar and calories such as diet soda and rum. I wasn't drinking much though cause I was nursing but I know I can easily fall into the few drinks a week routine if I don't watch myself. ;)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Project Yellow

2008-04-09T17:24:00.006-04:00

I stumbled across this wonderful blog called Anna Carson Photography and not only does she have some fantastic and creative photos, she also has a fun challenge called Project Yellow that I'm going to join in on.

My first contrbution isn't the most creative of pictures but today has been crazy. Tomorrow hubby has the day off so I'm going to take my camera and go searching for some "yellow." ;)

Project Yellow Take 1:

2008-04-08T21:40:00.000-04:00

Blog etiquette, that is the question. What are the do's and don'ts of the blogging community? Are there unwritten rules that I have yet to learn? I am a newbie blogger, if you will, and that is something I have wondered about for some time now.

My first question is about comments other bloggers leave. If they ask you a question, do you comment back to them on your own blog or on their blog? Maybe by email? And if you reply to them on your blog, do they normally visit your page again looking for a response?

I am also confused about adding blogs to your blog roll. There are a few blogs I like to visit regularly that aren't on my blog roll and I haven't added them because I'm not sure if that is something you ask permission to do? And if I don't add them and continue to lurk on their blog, is it considered "stalking?" :P

I need some feedback from the experienced bloggers, pretty please! ;)

2008-04-07T17:53:00.003-04:00

Today Devin had his first speech therapy session. I expected him to be very shy, and he was, but not as bad as I had imagined. The first few appointments are just so he and his therapist can get to know each other and since we are going twice a week I hope he becomes less and less shy as he becomes more comfortable. She had some concerns about him having low tone in his face and asked us to introduce an electric toothbrush to him to stimulate his mouth. He has one and I had forgotten until my sister reminded me today that he kept sticking it down his diaper. lol I have no idea where he would have learned that trick from. Anyways, she suggested we practice blowing bubbles, using a horn and massaging his face, basically the same things we were told to do for Brooklyn. She also was concerned about his constant mouth breathing, though I told her that may be due to him just getting over a cold. She said she would watch him over the next few appointments and we may need to think about having his tonsils and adenoids out. Let's hope not, poor Cody had his removed when he was just a bit older than Dev and it wasn't much fun. I told her that he jargons all day long and she said she'd need to hear him first but it may be that he has trouble with phonics. I am just so glad therapy for him is underway. I want him to talk so badly! He is saying a few new things; he says "choo, choo!" when he sees a train and does many animal sounds. And he says "Sure!" He has been signing "bird" all the time too which is so cute to see. I'm really going to make an effort to learn some more signs, I know I will need to know them for B too so I just have to sit down and memorize them. His therapist suggested a show called Signing Times that kids are supposed to really enjoy. I may look on Ebay for some DVD's.

And Cody's butt is finally healing. At his appointment today the Dr. said it was looking much better and thought we'd only have to change the dressing for a few more weeks. That has become my job, oh joy, but I guess it's better than having to bring him to the doctors every afternoon. I can't believe his surgery was a month ago today and we are still having to tend to his bum. It stinks, hee hee. No seriously, it really does stink. Not his butt, but the wound. It's mean but I hold my breath as I change the gauze, it is really that bad. His Dr. is a hoot though, Cody had gone to church with a girl last Sunday (yes church!) and he was telling Dr.S about it and he laughed and said that Cody was probably praying to god that his butt healed. Was pretty darn funny at the time. lol

Some of you may be wondering how Dany is doing. Seems I don't have much to say about her since she behaves herself for the most part and isn't sick or in therapy. ;) She is doing well in school and brought home her permission slip for classes she's taking next year as a freshman. I can't believe she is going to be in high school, how on earth do the years go by so quickly? I hope she continues to do well in school, I worry since Cody's shenanigans began once he started 9th grade, I really hope she doesn't do the same. She is a social bee, always with a friend or going here or there. She and a few other kids have their own dance group and they have been practicing at the library after school so that has kept her busy and out of trouble. *knock on wood*

No word on the results of B's EEG yet. I was hoping today we would hear something but I kinda figured it wouldn't be until the middle of the week. I know they are probably busy but I'm a worried parent and I want to know what the scan showed. Guess I won't hold my breath waiting for their call, I'll save that for when I'm dealing with Cody's rump. ;)

Weekly Winners

2008-04-06T07:17:00.005-04:00

March 30th-April 5th

My Honey B

Night sky

Ack, baby spiders!

No sign of spring here

Sad shadow

Tiny Hand

Eyelash Envy

Other Weekly Winners can be found here, check em' out!

PhotoHunt

2008-04-04T21:17:00.007-04:00

PhotoHunt

"Glass"

This is what's left of a windshield of a vehicle my oldest son was in. Thankfully all 7 teenagers survived this accident with minor injuries.

2008-04-04T06:45:00.011-04:00

Brooklyn had an ambulatory EEG scan done for 24 hours to see if we could determine whether or not the staring spells she is having are seizures. What a terrible couple of days for both of us. When the electrodes were being glued onto her head she screamed harder than I've ever heard her cry before. It was heartbreaking to hear her so upset. They wrapped her head up with gauze and tape and sent us home with the machine in a little backpack. That night all she did was cry, I think we (as in me and B, course Daddy was snoring away) may have slept a total of 2-3 hours. I'm sure she was so uncomfortable and she certainly let me know it! Having them removed was just as bad but much quicker thankfully. The glue is still stuck all through her hair and looks like a bad case of dandruff. They recommended I brush through her hair with a fine toothed comb which of course makes her cry so I'm not going to bother. We got quite a bit of it out yesterday, the rest will just have to work its way out. I *think* we were able to catch a few spells but since they only last 10-15 seconds unless my eyes were on her constantly they were easy to miss. The whole scan will be read though so even if I wasn't able to push the button quick enough to mark the spell it will still be detected. I am not fond of the neurologist here in Maine and he will be reading the EEG and then faxing the info to Boston. I asked that the whole scan rather than just his report be faxed that way her Neurologist that we see at Children's can see the scan for herself. He is also off today so we won't learn the results until next week.

I snapped a few pictures of her while she was sleeping. That only lasted about an hour. :(

She also had her 15 month appointment yesterday afternoon. Her pediatrician was very happy with the progress she has made. She was 23.5 lbs, 32" long and her head was 18 inches. She agreed to write another letter to our insurance to try and sway them to cover our trips to Boston, if not, we will be paying for them ourselves. She had three shots and of course cried but she was fine soon afterwards. She slept so good last night, was in bed by 7:00 and slept until 4:30 this morning! She was awake for about 30 minutes and fell back to sleep. Poor girl has had a rough couple of days, I hate putting her through so much. :(

Thursday Thirteen #1

2008-04-03T18:23:00.009-04:00

I'm joining in on another meme called Thursday Thirteen! Each Thursday I will blog about some random subject that I hope my readers will find somewhat interesting. ;)

Here are 13 things about me that I know you just are dying to know.

1. I have lived in the same town my whole life, 36 years to be exact.

2. I have wayyy too many gray hairs that I absolutely hate. I'm going to be forced to color my hair religiously I guess.

3. I have a terrible potty mouth. I am really trying to watch my language but habits are hard to break.

4. I love taking pictures, especially of my children.

5. I once had a really hot sports car that I traded in for an Explorer. I will regret that decision until the day I die.

6. I was working towards my Associate Degree in Veterinary Technology and hope to someday earn that degree.

7. I remarried and decided to start another family when my youngest child was 12. I now have 4 kids ages 17-1 and dh and I are seriously considering another in the future.

8. I've had long curly hair for many many years and the last few days I've been wearing it straight. Wow, what a difference!

9. I have pets, lots of them. A dog, 2 cats, a parrot and two huge aquariums full of fish and yes, they often drive me nutty but I love them.

10. What I really wanted to blog about was thirteen things that my husband bought himself this past month cause I'm really ticked off at him for spending money that we shouldn't be spending but I won't be a nag. ;)

11. I love Harley Davidson motorcycles and can't help but to gawk when I see one drive past. I miss the days of riding with a buddy of mine.

12. I've had several piercings but the only ones I currently have are in my ears.

13. I'm a Ben & jerry's addict though I'm very proud of myself, I have kicked the habit for now. ;)

SMW assignment

2008-04-02T08:22:00.002-04:00

SMW blog assignment # 2 is to write about springtime. Yes, I know I never even completed #1, I'm working on it. Still. : /

After snow fell AGAIN this week I really have a bad case of spring fever and wonder if we will ever see warmer temperatures! Aside from the melting snow that causes muddy lawns I don't think there is anything I don't love about spring. The birds are happy and singing, the trees are budding and the flowers are blooming. The days become longer and the air just has that fresh spring smell about it. I love being able to open up the windows in the house to get rid of all that stuffy air. Once the dirty snow banks that I get so tired of looking at disappear, the beginning of a nice green lawn reveals itself and everything looks so new again. I'm excited to get the kids outside to play this year. Daddy is going to build Devin a sandbox that I'm sure he will love. And Miss B I hope will be crawling before the summer is over. It would be nice to see her enjoy the warm days as well. I'd also love to start walking once the weather warms up. I have probably said that for the past 5 years but I have good intentions, honest. ;) I know Dev & B would enjoy it and now that we only have one dog to bring along it won't be such a chore. :)

Weekly Winners

2008-03-29T20:42:00.006-04:00

March 23rd-March 29th

"Look Mom, the dog has Brooklyn's shoe!"

Sleeping Beauty

No gold at the end of this rainbow!

Perverted Chef

Scrumptious Salad

I wasn't going to participate this week because I hadn't picked up my camera until yesterday thanks to a lovely stomach bug. I managed to squeeze out a few shots though. Check out the other Weekly Winners here.

PhotoHunt

2008-03-29T08:03:00.006-04:00

PhotoHunt

"High"

Ominous thunder clouds on a humid summer day.

2008-03-28T14:24:00.004-04:00

I know I said I was going to be positive when thinking of B's challenges but today I'm having a hard time.

Her PT told me today that she wants to get her fitted for braces for her legs. Not right now but in the near future. An appointment was made today for April 22nd to see a specialist at CDS. Right now B's disabilities aren't really obvious to most but with her wearing braces it will be. I'm not prepared for the stares and the whispers when we are out in public. I know it is petty to feel this way but I just can't seem to help it. If only I could look on the bright side and be happy that they are going to give her the support her legs need to stand and hopefully walk. Some days it is just so hard to be optimistic about it all. :(

Ladybugs!!

2008-03-25T18:45:00.002-04:00

Over the weekend I noticed a cute little ladybug in our bathroom. He was a little dusty which made me wonder where in heck it came from it being the middle of winter in Maine. He (or she) looked to be enjoying himself in the sunshine coming through the window and since that is probably the only bug I don't mind I left it alone....... kind of.... ;) I wanted to get a neat picture of him so I poked at him a few times to try and get him to move but he wouldn't budge. I noticed some greenish/yellow stuff around him and I wondered if I had poked him a little too hard and killed him. I was telling Dale about it and he guessed I had literally scared the shit out of him. :P

Feeling bad that I may have squished the poor little thing (I didn't poke him that hard, honest!), I went to check on him later that afternoon. He was perfectly fine and sitting beside him was another ladybug! So today I checked on Mr. & Mrs. Bug and they've apparently been very busy cause have since had two ladybug children! lol

I'm so curious as to where they are coming from, especially since it's still pretty chilly out so I Googled facts about ladybugs. Wow, the things you didn't know about these little creatures! Here are some cool facts:

-A ladybug beats its wings 85 times a second when it flies.

-If you squeeze a ladybug it will bite you, but the bite won't hurt.

-Ladybugs hibernate in cold weather.

-Ladybugs won't fly if the temperature is below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

-When the temperature is about 59 degrees Fahrenheit, lady bugs become active.

-Ladybugs chew from side to side and not up and down like people do.

-A lady bug lets out a yellowish liquid when it is mad. The liquid has a bad smell to its predators. (whoopsie, sorry!)

- A lady bugs top flying speed is about fifteen miles per hour.

-The eggs of a lady bugs are not visible to the naked eye.

-Ladybugs grow to adulthood in about 3-4 weeks.

-All ladybugs are born black.

How neat is that!? I also learned that they like humid places and that our homes are normally very dry in the winter and often times they die of dehydration. I set out a little bowl of water for them on the window sill. :P

Weekly Winners

2008-03-23T15:29:00.008-04:00

March 16th-March-22nd

Devin's mad face

Another 5 pounds. ;)

Miss B

One last Kiss

Learning to blow bubbles

Ummm can't think of a caption lol

I think I need to dust

Last night's creamsicle drink

Take a peek at the other Weekly Winners at this great site.

PhotoHunt

2008-03-22T06:48:00.004-04:00

PhotoHunt

"Metal"

The Black Bridge in Brunswick, Maine.

2008-03-21T16:17:00.004-04:00

I meant to post these pictures last weekend. Devin had given me a hard time when I tried to get him down for his nap so I let him stay up. Dale took him shopping and sent me these pictures from his phone. ;)

2008-03-19T18:09:00.001-04:00

Our appointment went well I think. I liked her much better than the Neuro we saw here in Maine.

Brooklyn had fallen asleep in my arms in the waiting room so she was asleep for much of the visit. It worked out well though because it gave us time to discuss all the issues we are having. She looked over her MRI images and explained to me that her brain has formed correctly, it's just not developing correctly. She said she does not have Microcephaly and that her head is within the normal range (30%). Her corpus callosum is too thin which we knew already. She said she does have low muscle tone (hypotonia), not so much in her arms but severely so in her legs. She said her legs are like wet noodles which of course makes it impossible for her to walk. I asked if her delays were caused by the fact that she has low muscle tone or because of her callosum disorder and she said neither; her delays are caused by her brain as a whole. Her entire brain is underdeveloped. We spoke in depth about what I believe to be seizures that she is having and she wants to do a 24 hour EEg test on her. I questioned whether or not they would need to be treated because they are so short in length that they don't seem to be affecting her much and she said if it shows that she is having them, she definitely wants to treat her for them. She said they very well can be slowing her progress and once they are treated we may see her progress much quicker then she is now which would be wonderful. I told her that for both of her EEG's she was sedated and she said they absolutely do not sedate their patients for EEG's. That was one of my big issues, how would she have a staring spell/seizure if she was sleeping? She didn't have the records from the geneticist her in Maine but wanted to see what tests had been done already, more specifically, what metabolic testing had been done. As far as what Brooklyn's future will be like, she couldn't say. She said a few milestones to work towards were, sitting unassisted by 1 1/2, pulling to stand by 2 and walking and trying to communicate by forming words by 3. She felt she was delayed by 8-10 months. She also said to be as aggressive as we could be with therapy and never ever give up hope. She examined Brooklyn after she woke up and said she was so happy that she got a chance to see her awake, that she is alert and happy and very social. She said she sounds much works than she looks and that was very nice to hear. I told her that the Neuro up here said he didn't need to ever see her again, that it was basically my call and that I could make an appointment in a year if I wanted to. She totally disagreed and said she can't believe he wouldn't want to follow up on her, which is exactly what I thought! She will be seeing her every 3-6 months and we have an appointment with her in June. She also wanted us to see a Metabolic specialist at Children's so we have another appointment on April 24th. And we are just waiting to hear when her 24 hour EEG test will be scheduled. I am so glad I followed my gut instinct and insisted we get a second opinion.

On the way into the hotel at 5:00, the day before our appointment, I get a message from the Neuro department in Boston saying that they just received a message from our insurance saying they will not cover any of our appointments at Children's. So, we will be paying out of pocket for each visit we have. Totally sucks but what can you do? I had an appointment with our case worker today and she is going to make some calls to see what she can do. B's pediatrician also said she'd do whatever needed to be done to help us out so I am going to call her as well.

Update on Cody: Well, the day he had his stitches out he fell on the ice and tore his incision back open. I had to bring him into the Drs. on Fri, Sat, Sun and Mon. so they could change the packing. We went today and the blood clot is finally dissolving, thankfully but he has a few more weeks of healing time. The Dr. insisted I look at the wound as they cleaned it out. I have seen his bum but not the actually incision and wow, I can not believe how deep it is! It is like looking down into a well is the only way to describe it. He is just miserable too and complains non stop about not being able to work, not being able to sit, not being able to see his friends. I will be as happy as him when this is over.

Weekly Winners

2008-03-15T20:07:00.009-04:00

March 9th -March 15th

One colorful Omelet

Camera Shy

Puuurrrrfect Paws

Purity and Hope

Just Ducky

Beans that don't make you toot!

Got Fly?

( This is a picture I took a few years ago but it is too neat not to share.)

You can see other Weekly Winners here.

Photohunt

2008-03-15T07:53:00.005-04:00

Photohunt

"I Spy"

I spy....Devin spying on me! :)

What a nightmare!

2008-03-14T06:46:00.003-04:00

Poor Cody, this whole surgery has turned into a nightmare. The surgery went well and he wasn't in much pain afterwards which was good; I was worried that it would be extremely painful for him. Monday I brought him in the have his stitches removed and the weren't ready to come out yet so he wanted us to come back on Wednesday. At Wednesday's appointment he removed only the top stitch and told us that there is a gap about 2 inches long that open. He packed it with dressing because it has been bleeding continuously and had us come back on Thursday. Well at yesterday's appointment he removed the rest of the stitches and told us that there is a golf ball sized blood clot that has formed inside the area that is opened. Keep in mind, this incision is his entire butt crack. He gave Cody instructions to sit in a bath of Epson salt as often as possible and to use a heating pad when he could. He said that if the clot doesn't start to dissolve on its own he will need to have surgery again to remove it. Ugh.

So this morning he hollers to me to come bandage up his butt again. It is bleeding, and badly. He tells me that last night he fell on the ice onto his bum and it hasn't stopped bleeding since. Loooovely. So, I will be calling the Dr. this morning after therapy and I'm sure he will need to be seen. Again. I'm hoping it is the clot that is bleeding but since his stitches were just removed and he was told to skip his gymnastics class,;) I'm worried that it has torn open again. I have never ever seen such a terrible bruise either, his whole entire butt is dark purple. Poor kid, I know he is so sick of this and just wants it to heal, and so do I, I'm kind of tired of looking at his ass crack. ;)

2008-03-11T07:36:00.002-04:00

"We are lucky," my husband said to me this weekend. Curious as to what he meant I turned to him to see his eyes welled with tears. Our local radio station was raising money to benefit The Barbra Bush Children's Hospital where B stayed for 5 days in October. The families of the children were sharing their stories on the air and he had been listening to them while working in the garage. Many of the children were/are very sick, much sicker than B. One mother even talked about having to make the heartbreaking decision to take her child off of life support. I know I spend a fair amount of time feeling sorry for myself and for B and for everything we will have to endure in the years to come, but it could be so much worse. At that moment I realized Dale is right, we are lucky. Instead of focusing on the child Brooklyn will never become, I am going to make sure she reaches her full potential and becomes the person that God intended her to be. Instead of feeling down after reading the simple milestones that are her goals for the upcoming months, I am going to celebrate each and every milestone she's worked so hard to reach, because even those carry the fullest of meaning. Instead of worrying about the future and all of the uncertainties, I am going to embrace this journey we are on, as emotional and challenging as it may be. I am going to take one day at a time, one step at a time and try to be positive. Brooklyn is a beautiful little girl and her smile warms my heart. She has taught me patience, perseverance, and an appreciation for life that I'd never had before. She is happy and thriving and despite her imperfections my love for her is unconditional. I should be thankful, and I am.

For those of you that don't know, we are going down to Boston again on the 17th for an appointment with a Neurologist.

Weekly Winners

2008-03-09T06:58:00.021-04:00

March 2nd-March 8th

Lost in thought

Frozen H20

Frozen berries

Portrait of a dog

Sinful

Light of My Life

It was a busy week so I didn't get much of a chance to play with my camera, hopefully next weeks winners will be a bit more exciting! Don't forget to take a peek at the other Weekly Winners here.

Party!

2008-03-08T22:25:00.016-05:00

It's a party, the 2008 Ultimate Blog Party hosted by 5 Minutes For Mom has begun! Since I'm sorta new to blogging I thought this would be a fun way to introduce my blog to others and make some new friends and maybe even win a cool prize! How fun! Grab a cup of coffee (if you can find a clean mug lol) and make yourself at home.

Who am I you ask? I am a sahm of 4 and wife to an amazingly hard working hottie named Dale. My children are 17, 14, 2 and 1. My two oldest are from my previous marriage of 14 years. I would have never dreamed I'd be starting over 11 years later but I did and I love it! I'm a friend, a sister, a daughter, a chauffeur, a psychiatrist, a cook, a maid, and a teacher. Whew! Once upon a time I used to be called Amy, now I'm better known as Hun, Mom or Mama.;)

When I'm not folding laundry, vacuuming up dog hair or changing poopy diapers I enjoy blogging, photography, my house full of pets, reading, and trying to talk myself into exercising and eating better so I can lose weight. Again. I am a true Mainer at heart and have spent all of my 36 years (yikes!) here in this state. I had originally decided to start blogging to keep my family and friends updated on the news of my youngest daughter Brooklyn. If you stick around you'll be hearing a lot about her and our journey in finding the genetic syndrome that has made the first year of her life such a struggle.

That is me in a nutshell. Welcome and thanks for visiting!. :)

And btw, do you know how long it took me to write this post? Too long. lol

2008-03-07T20:37:00.006-05:00

PhotoHunt

"Different"

My daughter's beautiful eyes.

I always wonder if they will stay a different color.

2008-03-06T21:47:00.005-05:00

Today I planned on blogging about how proud I am about the accomplishments Dale has made in his career and about how wonderful I think he is and after our conversation this morning I'm going to do just that. ;)

I will admit that I was a bit worried about Dale's work ethics in the beginning of our marriage. When we met he was working a half assed job under the table with one of his drinking buddies. When things became serious between us he got a job as a carpenter with a contractor in our town. After working there for a year he was let go. I was pregnant with Dev at the time and worried about how we were going to survive on just my rent check. Weeks went by with no luck and finally he got a job manufacturing log homes. He liked the job but after a year we realized there was no room for advancement and he knew he needed to look elsewhere for work.

My BIL had just retired from the Navy and at the time was working as a human resource manager at Lowe's. He encouraged Dale to apply for a job there, promising to put in a good word for him. Dale applied and was hired, but the position wasn't what we had hoped for. It was only a part time position working in the tools and hardware department but he decided that he'd work his way up once his foot was in the door. During this past year he has been promoted 4 times and is now a commercial sales specialist. In November he took a entry management training program so hopefully he will become a manager of one of the departments before the year is through. My lumberjack, as I used to call him, now gets up in the morning and puts on his khaki pants, his button down shirt and his dress shoes and heads off to work. On Tuesday night he attended our town's planning board meeting to introduce himself and pass out his business cards in hopes that the contractors will bring their business to Lowe's. I think it was then that I thought wow, he has really come far.

Today I realized again how wonderful my husband is. Life has been pretty crazy the last few months and despite all we are up against he still talks about having another baby. Though I wondered how Dale would adjust to being a parent, he has made me proud once again by proving that he is willing to work hard, not only at his job, but at learning his role as a father. I think I'm pretty fortunate that he is my husband.

2008-03-03T14:43:00.001-05:00

Just a little vent.......

Why is it people feel they have the right to comment on the number of kids you have? I mean really, how rude, I would never dream of saying something to anybody about how many kids they chose to have. I ran into a high school friend yesterday at Wal-Mart and after asking me if Dev & B were mine she exclaimed " Do you ever plan on stopping?" and laughed. Then my oldest daughter piped up with "I know, really, 4 kids!" in that sassy teenager tone. Now I know the comment was meant in jest but I'm sensitive and it rubbed me the wrong way. They are MY children and it was MY personal choice to have them. Nobody is footin the bill, nobody else is raising them, caring for them, responsible for them etc.What is so wrong about having 4 kids? I LOVE being a mother, always have, and despite the road not always being a smooth one I love all of my kids very much and each one is a blessing to me. And to be completely honest, if B was perfectly healthy we would probably have another!

And btw, Miss Dany got an earful from me to say the least.