My Funny Valentines

So, today Blake and Bryce sported their Valentine outfits for the 3rd time in the last 2 weeks, so I figured it was time I snapped some pictures. They were so silly, I was trying to get them to sit on their little Elmo couch together so I could take their picture; however, every time I said "cheese" Bryce would stand up. This in turn made Blake laugh so hard I am sure he peed, so of coarse Bryce kept doing it and they laughed so hard they were falling off the couch. I got one decent picture, but Blake's gum is quite visible :( He is obsessed with chewing Green Extra gum. He doesn't like the fruity gum, he only likes the wintergreen kind, which is great because it is sugar free (I'm such a MOM)!

Anyways, Tim and I have decided that Bryce has an eating disorder . . . meaning he wants to eat all the time. Seriously, he barely wants to play, he gets food out of the cupboard, goes to his highchair and cries to get in so he can eat. He brings bags of crackers and pretzels to us to give him some while he's playing. We are trying to control his snacking habits, but he is not taking to it very kindly. He throws himself down on the ground crying, it is quite sad. He has a healthy appetite, eats plenty of fruits and vegetables, enjoys meats, pastas, and potatoes, I don't recall a meal he has disliked. So, it is not that we don't feed him enough because we really do!! "He must be growing" everyone says, maybe true, but I am not kidding you when I say that if he isn't sleeping, he wants to be eating. This is a HUGE switch from Blake who NEVER eats, and when he does there are only about 4 items on his menu. I don't want to deprive Bryce of healthy snacks, but I definitely don't want him to become a Massive kid either :)

We have a field trip with our Mom's Club tomorrow to visit the Fire Station, I felt it would be therapeutic for Blake. He keeps asking me if I am going to cry when we see the fire trucks (remembering the morning of our fire) and I told him that the fire trucks make me happy because they helped us when we needed help. We'll see how it goes tomorrow!

Tim is out of town tonight and the boys are in bed early, so I am going to settle in and read a book. A wise friend recommended I take some "me time" and I think she is right!!

My Doctor Called!

"It is what it is."
"Life is what you make it."
"Every experience in life teaches you something about yourself."
And my favorite . . . "Sometimes life hands you lemons, but then you make lemonade. Of course, sometimes life pulls down your pants, runs a power sander across your naked butt, then pours lemon juice on your raw abraded buttocks. In that case, a cool citrus drink wouldn't really help, but darn it . . . you've got to hang in there anyway!" (a card given to me by my co-workers).
I am so overwhelmed lately, but these little reminders help me through the day and keep me strong for my family.
My Dr. called today and I am scheduled for a CT scan next week and then she is referring me to a Surgeon for treatment possibilities. I still don't have a definitive answer on what exactly I am dealing with, so I have to buckle down for a few more weeks of waiting and wondering.
Thank you again for your prayers and support, I truly appreciate it.

The boys are doing much better today and I will be going back to work tomorrow. So, hopefully we can get back into the swing of things around here.
Talk to you soon!

Oh, Peter Pan

The Dr. agreed that Bryce most likely was suffering from Salmonella poisoning along with a viral infection and Blake probably has the virus now. He ordered cultures to be done on both Blake and Bryce, however the treatment remains the same regardless. They do seem to be doing better today. Bryce, who is our smiley guy, is back to smiling in between his cranky sessions, and Blake's tummy problems are slowing down, he is just very congested. I think a ray of sunlight just broke through our Black Cloud!!
Just a note for all of you who live in Michigan . . . tomorrow is our first meeting for the 2nd Annual Genesee Baby Walk benefiting Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. As most of you know I am co-chair on this committee and will recruit shamelessly for your attendance. PLEASE mark your calenders for Saturday, September 29, 2007 to join us!
Enjoy your FAT Tuesday tomorrow!

Disney Fever

Well, we are home and I wish I could say we had a magical Disney vacation, but to be honest . . . it was miserable!!! Everyone felt fine the morning before our flight, running around laughing and playing. Then, on the second leg of our flight to Orlando, Bryce developed a boiling temperature and started throwing up all over. Our poor baby felt awful and the people around us were all gagging from the smell :( He also started wheezing and had a harsh cough, I gave him medicine and a breathing treatment with my nebulizer (under directions from our pediatrician). He was so sick, though, his temp. reached 103 degrees and he didn't eat, barely drank, and threw up 1-3 times a day our entire stay. We did have to have our laundry done at the hotel because Bryce nailed us too many times and we didn't have any clothes left. On Saturday he started acting like himself again despite the HUGE emesis in the morning, so we went to the park and actually had a very nice time. Blake had the time of his life and kept telling everyone he met that his brother is sick and keeps "puking all over". We made it home Sunday and Bryce did great the whole day, until he ate dinner, then he threw up again. It crossed my mind that there is a recall on Peter Pan Peanut Butter, and I have never bought anything but Jiff my entire life; however, last time I went to the store, they didn't have the kind of jiff I get, so I bought the Peter Pan instead. Yup, you guessed it, the code on our peanut butter jar matches the recall with salmonella. So, we have an appt. with the Dr. today at 1:25pm. Oh yeah, and when we got home we found out our refrigerator had quit and all the food had defrosted, made a mess, and smelled really BAD!

To top it all off, Blake was up sick all night last night and has "diareara" and "belly hurts". Needless to say they will both be getting a check up today. AND Mommy and Daddy really need a vacation from our vacation :) I have come to the conclusion that we are jinxed, anyone have any ideas to help us escape this black cloud that has hovered over us since November???

We did manage to get out and allow Blake some fun time, and we snapped some pics that actually make it look like we were having fun!

Twas the Night Before Disney

Twas the night before Disney and all through the house
A Flu bug was spreading, sneaky as a mouse
It started with Bryce and was not very nice
Then found Blake . . . we can't catch a break!
3pm our plane takes off for the sky
We hope to be better and ready to fly
What tomorrow brings, only time will tell
Our fingers are crossed we all will be well

If you don't hear from me after tomorrow we made it to Disney, but at this point it is not looking too good. Tim may be going without us :(

Uh Oh!

So, I got the results from my ultrasound report, and it seems I have a mass or "lesion" on the left side of my thryoid or parathyroid. He is recommending a parathyroid scan and a CT scan. I haven't heard back from my Dr., though, about which she would like to do next. My lab results were all within normal range. I am hoping she calls me back soon, I want to get all this over with as soon as possible!! Yikes, the longer I wait, the more my mind wanders to places I don't want it to go. To be honest, I am quite scared at this point, but I know how important it is to stay positive.
Thank you again for your prayers!

Update

I had all my blood work done Monday morning and haven't heard anything back from that yet, but I had the ultrasound and the tech said she didn't see anything abnormal. The Radiologist still has to do the official reading, but hopefully we get good news. I am still experiencing the pain, though, so we will see what the next step will be. My Doctor mentioned she wanted an CT Scan, but I don't have an order for that yet.
Thank you for your prayers and support, it truly means a lot to me.
On a happier note, we leave for Florida one week from today :) Blake is so excited; he is into role playing lately, which means that he is now going by the name of Donald, he calls me Minnie, Bryce is Pluto, and Tim is Goofy. Oh yes, it is so much fun here at the O'Mara household of fantasy play. On Sunday I tried on my dress for Sean and Erica's wedding and he said, "Mommy, you are a princess and I am your prince. Do you want to dance with me, Honey?" It is so funny, he has a great imagination and he carries it out for HOURS. He also has an Imaginary friend named "Derek". Sometimes Derek comes over to play, but usually he only talks about Derek being at Nancy's (their babysitter) house with him. Nancy, by the way, has never even heard of Derek. I LOVE imaginary friends, I was hoping one of the kids would find one. When I was little my mom said I had "Girlfriend" and "Cousin" (how oringinal, right?) and I would ask her to make lunch for all 3 of us, then I would eat it all. Yes, I have always had a healthy appetite. My brother's friends were "Dig It" and "TT Pon Pon" . . . I guess it is safe to say that he got all of the imagination DNA.
Bryce's new skill is feeding himself. He does really well, unfortunatley he wears most of his meal, but he is so proud of his new found ability. This is represented in the first picture. The next is Bryce and our God daughter, Lauren, isn't she cute?! The third picture is Blake and Taylor, my God daughter and Blake's girlfriend, in the tunnel of love. The last picture is Blake and Mason having fun over the weekend.

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Wow!! It is so very cold here in lovely Michigan, we are counting down the days until our Disney Vacation :) The temperatures are dropping, the snow is falling, and despite this we have been in Great Spirits :) You know when you are driving in the car by yourself, good tunes are blasting, you sing at the top of your lungs and somehow the drive just flies by because you are having such a good time with yourself? That is how our weekend has been. Everybody is happy and singing around the house, we had company (Ryan, Kristi, Mason & Brady) on Friday night into Saturday afternoon and had a wonderful time with them . . . now it is Super Bowl Sunday and we have vowed to get into our sweatpants, make some munchies and relax. Ah, Life is Good!
I do have one request, though:
I have a lump or some type of anomaly by my thyroid (in the front of my neck) that has been causing some pain when I swallow or talk since last weekend. My Dr. is concerned and ordered a complete workup. I am asking for your prayers, please. It is probaly nothing, but I am a worrier and could use all the prayers I can get. I will keep you posted. Thank you so much xo