COULD COOP POSSIBLE HAVE ONE MORE THING WRONG.....

This week has been great so far to follow a great weekend! Our mornings and evenings seem to have been a little less busy this week which is a nice change. Each morning after the kids are dressed, hair done, teeth brushed and breakfast ate they have fallen into a new routine. Raelynn and Cooper sit on the couch and watch cartoons. It is really quite sweet to see them sitting there together. Sometimes Raelynn tells Coop what is going on and sometimes they just sit holding hands watching. Raelynn laughs at the cartoons and Coop laughs too. It also gives me a minute to skim the paper, eat a banana and load the car which is wonderful. This morning was much the same but Realynn decided Coop needed to start reading. She took him to the book shelf and picked out one of her old favorites. She told him he could have it now because she was getting too big for it. It was as if Coop thought this was the coolest thing to get a book from his big sister. He read it all morning and even insisted that we take it to Lisa's.

When Coop and I got ready to leave Raelynn still had a few toys out and I told her before she and Daddy left for school the toys were to be picked up. She looks at me and says, "I understand Mom, I gotcha, I'll take care of it." I thought I was going to crack up. When she is in trouble I always sternly tell her what she needs to do and I always end it with, "Do you understand me?!" I guess she wanted to make sure I knew she understood before I started to lecture. She is too cute! She and Daddy had fun last night too. He made her bath towel into a sack and Raelynn thought that was great!

Sorry I cut off your head Terry :)

Yesterday Lisa calls me at work and says, "You don't have any pictures coming up do you?" Uh oh, who got hurt now? Raelynn had fallen and hit her eye on the railing of the stairs. She was fine and there were no pictures scheduled.....so I thought. I get home and empty Raelynn's bag and there was a note from school. Pictures, Wednesday April 1st! I couldn't resist but to call Lisa and we had a good laugh.


Today Coop had another hearing screening. He had one a couple weeks ago and had failed it in his left ear. Well of course today he fails it in both ears. So our thought that we may make it an entire month without seeing Dr. Kelley vanishes. We are scheduled to go in tomorrow. If he cannot find anything such as fluid or wax that caused the failing test then we get to go to an ear specialist. So we know more about the human heart than any normal person should know, we have learned more in depth facts and procedures related to infant's eye development than most first year optometry students and now we may get the privilege of learning the ins and outs of the human ear. Who needs med school when you have Cooper!!! I say this all with great humor as the poor little guy just can't catch a break. Just FYI, his little teeth are cricked too. He is so darn cute though.........





So now I am off to work on finances, the fun stuff like paying bills, Yipee!

OBSTACLES ARE OPPORTUNITIES IN DISGUISE...

"Obstacles are Opportunities in Disguise" have you ever heard anything more true and appropriate! I read this the other day and thought to my self how true this was and how much I wanted to continue living my life with this in mind. Over and Over throughout my life I can think how this has applied. Most recently and probably most evident of course is Cooper. His heart defects are definitely an obstacles but the opportunities it has given all of us is amazing.

The kids are doing great. Cooper has finally started sitting at the table without crying the whole time. He still is eating minimally but it is getting better. Raelynn is proud of him for using a plate but says he still really needs to work on his manners.

This morning Cooper comes walking down the hall with his pants in his hand. Apparently they fell right off, poor little skinny boy! It gave us a good laugh though! Raelynn is becoming quite the little lady. This morning she told me she needed a good healthy breakfast. When I asked her what that would be she said "I think a cereal bar and pancakes will do unless you want to whip up some bran muffins." Ok, well first what does she know about bran muffins.....this is not something I have ever "whipped up" and second since when does she worry about eating healthy. As we speak she is on the elliptical and doing push ups and sit ups. She said she needed to start exercising to keep growing and be big and strong and so she could stay in shape to keep playing with Cooper and I. The girl really is too much!

Unfortunately the Hawks lost last night so our basketball fun is over. The good news is there is no snow on the ground yet! Also we found out some fun news for the summer. First, Raelynn is going to participate in a horse show circuit in the Halter Class this summer. I am still learning all the lingo so I hope that is what it is called that she is going to be doing. She is going to be very excited and I like that she is going to be exposed to something she wouldn't necessarily be by Terry and I. Not to mention it will be more fun time with Aunt Bonnie. Bonnie is going to tell her this Sunday and I think she will be very excited. Second, Steph is going to work for Tom this summer and will stay with Terry and I. I am truly excited about this. I think it will be fun to have her around but it will also be such a relief to have someone I know will learn quickly and work hard and be great with the people. It just makes it so much easier already knowing our new employee and also being comfortable with her. Anyway, I am looking forward to it and hope it will be a great benefit for the agency. I think Tom is alreay wondering what he got himself into, really can you imagine two of us, heeheehee! It is going to be great!

Today we are getting the finally preparations made for the bowl-a-thon next weekend and trying to get the basement back in order. It should be just a perfect Saturday :)

MY SECOND POST IN ONE NIGHT....

I hope you all took time to read my previous post. We can really make a difference!

What a week we are having. I think I mentioned in a previous post that I was suffering from a tooth ache. Well, that tooth ache led to a dentist visit on Monday morning, then on to a specialist on Tuesday who performed a root canal. I had heard horror stories about rood canals but it was nothing after how bad my tooth had been hurting! I feel so much better now. Our bank account isn't feeling so good, but the tooth is great :) I still have to have a crown put on it next month but it is all much better.

Today we met with an attorney to write a will. He was great and made the whole process seem pretty simple. The decisions on where the kids will go if something happens to us and then where they will go if something happens to those people and so on are a little stressful though. I cannot imagine anyone taking care of them except Terry and I. Anyway, it gives us a lot to think about but I am so glad we are getting it established.

Tonight was Family Reading Night at Raelynn's preschool. We went to her school in PJs and had snacks and just sat around reading stories. Terry had a Cooper's Cause Golf Tournament meeting so it was just Cooper, Raelynn and I. We had a great time. We read about 4 stories and then Raelynn and I decided to make one up on our own. It was about a blue giant with no eyes that lived in a spooky cave and scared her imaginary friend Kaka. It was so funny! Cooper made some new friends as well and besides being all over the place, he was really pretty good. He also loved the chocolate chip cookies Raelynn's class had made. We got home a little late but it was a fun night.

Just one more day until the Hawks play!!!

HELP US PASS LEGISLATION.....

Please read below and if you can take a few minutes(It took me less than 10 minutes) to help support this legislation, please do. Keep in mind, we were told that if Cooper had been born as little as 10 years ago, there would have been nothing they could have done to save him. This shows how important research is to aiding those with Congenital Heart Defects.

Dear Members and Friends of Mended Little Hearts,

I am very excited to inform you that The Congenital Heart Futures Act was introduced in the Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday March 17th! This bill calls for increased funding for research, a national registry, and funding for a national awareness and public education campaign.

Mended Little Hearts, along with our partners in the National Congenital Heart Coalition, need your help to get this important piece of legislation passed! Please take a moment to read the information below and find out how you can help and send an email to your representatives today!

In the Senate, Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois led the charge joined by Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi. In the House, the bill's lead co-sponsors were Representative Zach Space of Ohio and Representative Gus Bilirakis of Florida. We are thrilled that this groundbreaking piece of legislation has already received bipartisan support. To learn more about the bill visit http://durbin.senate.gov/showRelease.cfm?releaseId=309944

So what's next? Like any piece of legislation, the Congenital Heart Futures Act has to get majority support in both the House and Senate in order to be passed. Please email your Senators and Congressman today to ask them to become a co-sponsor of this legislation, which is bill S. 621 in the Senate and H.R. 1570 in the House. It just takes a minute - here's how you do it:

1) Go to http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov/ to look up your representatives and their email addresses

2) Draft your email. - Please see the attached template to get you started.

3) Make your letter personal to you. The attached template has a place to add two or three sentences about why this legislation matters to you personally, and offers some samples to help get you started.

4) Send your email. Be sure to include your full mailing address as well as your email address. Don't use US mail, since thanks to the anthrax scare it now takes many weeks for mail to arrive in Congress.

That's all there is to it!

If you are a constituent of Senators Durbin or Cochran or Representatives Space and Bilirakis, we encourage you to email or call their office and let them know how much you appreciate their leadership of this effort.

Need more information? Contact Amy Basken amybasken@charter.net or Jodi Lemacks jodi.lemacks@mendedlittlehearts.org with any questions.

What amazing progress!

Amy Basken
National Advocacy Chairperson
Mended Little Hearts
www.mendedlittlehearts.org
(608) 370-3739
amybasken@charter.net

This is the sample letter:
Dear [Lawmaker name here]

I am writing as a member of the Mended Little Hearts to ask for your help in making a brighter future for all those born with heart defects. On Tuesday, March 17th, the Congenital Heart Futures Act, legislation calling for research, surveillance, and education in congenital heart disease, was introduced in the Senate by Senators Durbin and Cochran and in the House by Representatives Bilirakis and Space. I am writing to ask you to co-sponsor these bills (S. 621 and H.R. 1570) and help all those born with heart defects live longer, healthier lives.

Congenital heart disease is this country’s number one birth defect and kills twice as many children as childhood cancer. Although many children now undergo successful heart repair, most will require special life-long care and face high risks of developing additional heart problems. But up until now there has been virtually no federal investment to address the research and education needs of the 1.2 million Americans now living with congenital heart disease.

[2-3 sentences saying why you care – some examples:
From an adult patient:
Since being born in 1956 with a complex heart defect, I have undergone 4 open heart surgeries and am currently on disability due to my heart. I have struggled to get the information and care I need to take care of my rare condition, as doctor after doctor answer my questions with, “we just don’t know”. The federal government should use my tax dollars to do the research to get those questions answered, so that both today's adults and tomorrow's children get better care.

For a parent:
My daughter was born with a complex heart defect and underwent three open heart surgeries before she was three. I want to be hopeful for her future, but right now I know there is a severe lack of research, awareness, and resources available to help us help her do well as she gets older. Please help me help my daughter survive to become a healthy, productive parent and grandparent.

From a health care provider:
As a doctor taking care of congenital heart patients I struggle to find the information and resources I need to help these patients thrive. These patients face high risks of developing additional heart problems as they age, and we have limited information on best treatment strategies. Many health care providers are unprepared to care for their complex life-long needs. Please help me protect this pioneering and vulnerable population
]


To sign on as a co-sponsor of the bill, House Members should contact Dan Farmer with Rep. Space at (202) 225-6265 to discuss support of H.R. 1570. Senators should contact Sara Singleton with Senator Durbin at (202) 224-2152 re: S. 621.

Thanks in advance for your help in securing a future for all those living with congenital heart disease.

Sincerely,

[name]
[full mailing address]
[email]

A NOT SO GOOD ENDING TO A GOOD WEEKEND....

So spring break has come to an end and it is back to school and work tomorrow. Our week was awesome with Aunt Karli here. She was a huge help and the kids love her although Cooper was ready for her to go. On Saturday it was as if Coop knew we were taking her home. He would not go to her, give her kisses or anything. When she tried he would actually push her away. It made us all laugh except for maybe Aunt Karli.

Saturday morning we got up and Karli, Raelynn, Cooper, Chandler and I all headed to Manhattan to spend the day with Steph. Mom had came up on Friday and would then take Chandler and Karli back home. Saturday was pretty fun. We spent most of the day shopping which of course is great. After shopping we headed back to Steph's house for dinner. Steph was so stressed out with all of us there for the first time at her new house. She freaked out because it was a little warm in the house, she didn't know what to have for dinner, it was getting late and her perfectly clean and organized house was a mess. I loved watching it. It has taken me years not to freak out about the exact same stuff. She was constantly picking things up and wiping off cabinets and on and on. This is the exact same stuff she used to yell at me for and tell me to just relax! Hahaha! It's not as easy to do and she once thought. Anyway the real fun started when we finally left Manhattan a little after 8pm. I was taking a friend of Cassidy's back to Lawrence with me, she is 12. I always miss my exit out of Manhattan so as always Cody (Steph's Boyfriend) had to talk me out of town. Finally we were on our way and then I remembered I really needed gas. We pass a sign that says Topeka 21 miles and according to my car I have 27 miles until I am out of gas. I am a little nervous but we make it. I get out to get the gas and cannot find any of my credit or bank cards. I had them all in my pocket while we were shopping because who can carry a purse along with a cooler for their son's milk and a diaper bag. I search my pockets, the cooler, the diaper bag....everywhere. No cards! I am trying not to panic since Kaitlyn was with me. I have no cash. They do not accept checks....hmmmm....I am 4 miles until I am completely out of gas. I find a quarter under my seat but really doubt that will get us too far. Then I remember I have this credit card that I never cancelled but we never use, thank goodness. So I charge my gas to this random credit card and we are back on the road. Kaitlyn's Dad calls and he has came into town at the completely opposite side of town. Needless to say we did not get home until a little after 10pm. I was thrilled to get home too because since last Tuesday I have had this awful tooth ache that just seems to get worse by the day. I have been living on Ibuprofen until I can get to the dentist this week. Then this morning I had to help with Sunday School so Raelynn and I were off at 9:15am. I had 12 3 and 4 year olds all to my self. It is always so interesting to see how different the kids are. After that Raelynn and I stop and buy groceries and then it is home to change and head to a bridal shower. It was for Raelynn's teacher. It was a lot of fun. I had checked earlier in the week with those hosting it as to whether we could have fun with the gift and they said of course. So yesterday we picked her out some "grown up PJ's" as Raelynn would call them. Raelynn's only comment was that she thought they were pretty but was worried her teacher would get cold! It gave us a good laugh! Anyway, I finally was home by 4pm and happy to hear our Hawks won! We were outside playing when Terry came out and said he needed my help which is never good. I walk inside and find out that a water pipe broke and flooded our basement. Great! So we spent the rest of the evening cleaning that up and thanks to our fabulous neighbors they played with Cooper and Raelynn and helped us move the stuff out of the standing water. So now our basement is completely a mess and smells "wet" which is disgusting.

I am ready to start a fresh week and hope I will be able to visit the dentist soon as I am running out of the strong prescription Ibuprofen I had left over from when I had Cooper. All in all we had a great weekend and will start counting the days until Raelynn, Cooper and I get to spend the whole day together again!

WHAT A WONDERFUL ST PATRICK'S DAY....

St Patrick's Day was fantastic! Cooper's Cause had a float in the parade so it was a big day for us. I had never even been downtown for the parade and come to find out it is a huge event!!! I think the 80 degree weather helped the turn out as well. We had to check in at 11am and the parade didn't start until 1pm. I was a little worried about how the kids would hold out but it ended up being a blast. Cooper and Raelynn had friends there to play with and we all just hung around until it was show time. The parade was crazy long and we ran out of candy long before the end but we will know for next year. Raelynn stood up on my lap waving at the crowd with both hands the whole time except for the one time I looked up at her to find her picking her nose! Of course I was mortified but hopefully only a few hundred people saw her. Anyway, as the parade progressed Coop started throwing kisses to the crowd which of course drew some attention. We had friends walking behind the float handing out the candy and they were the real troopers. That was a long way to walk. They also had kids in a stroller and wagon so I think they got their work out for the day. It really turned out great and I am so happy we did it. Thank you again to all of you who helped. You guys are awesome!

WHY DON'T MOMMIES GET SPRING BREAKS.....

So we were headed back home from our weekend out west and Raelynn verifies that she does not have school this week. Then she asks what we are going to do. I let her know that I still have to go to work and she looks at me completely disappointed and said, "Why don't Mommies get Spring Breaks?" I didn't really have a good answer for her and I thought her idea was fabulous but assured her that grown ups just don't get Spring Breaks. If only kids ran our country, everything would be simpler.

This weekend was great. Our weekend started Friday about 1:30pm. We took Cooper to visit Dr. Kelley for the rest of his immunizations and synagis shots. As always they started the appointment by weighing him. Unfortunately I was running late from work and did not make it for the excitement but when I got there; Cooper, Dad, Raelynn and the nurses were all eager to tell me that Coop weighed in at 17lbs 9oz and had grown 1/2 an inch. What a weight gain, almost a whole pound in one month. For Cooper this is amazing. We were all thrilled. The rest of the appointment went well and we were on the road to Scott City a little after 3pm. Steph road along and the kids did great until about 20 minutes outside of Scott City. 6 hours in the car is just more than anyone should have to handle!

Saturday was Chandler's birthday party. We all had a great time and got to see Sherri's new house as well. It is a great house and they all love it. The kids played and played all weekend. Raelynn played until she dropped literally! On Sunday Terry installed carpet in one of the rooms. As any job Terry does, it took longer than expected and we didn't leave Scott City until around 5:30 pm. Karli is on spring break too so she came back to spend the week. We got in a little after 11pm. It made for a very short night.




Today, Karli and the kids had a great time together. They love their Aunt Karli and she loves them. They did crafts, went to the park, took naps, bathed and and had dinner ready when I got home. It doesn't get any better than that!


Tonight we decorated our float for the St. Patrick's Day Parade tomorrow!!! I am excited and it should be a lot of fun!!

QUICK POST.....

We are headed out to Western Kansas for my nieces birthday this weekend. I am always excited to see my family so it should be a good time. Tonight I let Raelynn pack her own bag which was hysterical to watch. She had a reason for everything she brought and even packed toys for Coop. She remembered everything too. She made sure she had matching outfits and shoes. She remembered PJ's and undies and socks. It was really fun to watch and listen. She is so like me!!! I tried to let Coop help too but he had more fun pulling everything out of the suitcase which in turn made me crazy. He also thought it was entertaining to move things that were in the pile to be packed to the pile that needed put away. Needless to say it took me quite a while to get Coop packed.

Tomorrow we will leave right after Coop's doctor's appointment. He goes in for a weight check and synagis shot and I am just hoping this will be the last synagis shot. This morning Coop was more purple that we had ever seen him. It actually startled me when I saw his hands. I was getting pretty use to the discoloration but this morning was just scary. If you have ever seen anyone with severe frost bite that is kind of the color he was, more black than purple. Raelynn saw him and reached out to hold his hand and said to him "I'll hold your hand Coopy, I don't care what color it is." She is so sweet. By the time I got him to Lisa's he was looking better and before long his color was back. After his nap he was purple again, but not quite as bad. This all is a constant reminder that our little Cooper who seems so perfectly normal right now is still not all fixed. I hope he hangs in there until the doctors are ready for his next surgery!

I HAVE A CONFESSION.......

This is probably the hardest post I have ever made, partly because I am embarrassed and partly because I feel like I have given in, but I have to post about it because I am so excited. Let me start at the beginning....for months now I feel like I have been trying to keep everything in my life perfectly organized and well kept just as it was before I had children. I can't seem to let go of the fact that the house must constantly be cleaned and every project must be complete. Along with this I have been trying to manage working full time, working on the foundation, aerobics, helping with preschool, swimming, tumbling and raising 2 amazing kids. Now I am well aware that thousands of people do this every day and what I am doing is nothing special. I even have friends that have went back to school and are probably managing more than I am. The problem is I have been beating myself up on the weekends. I want to spend time playing and learning with the kids because during the week we get very little time together and what time we do have is just a constant timed schedule of evening events with little room for any extras. In saying that, I also cannot seem to let the house work, laundry, finances, scrapbooks, grocery shopping, or any of the other stuff go. I find myself constantly telling the kids, "yes we'll do "that" as soon as Mommy gets done "cleaning". I hate that I do this. A few months ago I tried letting things go a little. I forced myself one weekend to not clean. This did not work at all. I just felt grouchy and could not relax because in the back of my mind there was this constant voice telling me I should be doing this or that. Trust me I realize I am a little OCD but a person is what they are. So since this didn't work I tried cleaning the house during the week after the kids went to bed. So each night I would do 2 loads of laundry and clean 1 to 2 rooms. This was working but I would start at 9pm cleaning and then head downstairs to do the other stuff I always did at night. Before long it was 1 or 2 in the morning and I was just going to bed and then up at 4:15am to go work out because oh yes this is another thing I just can't let go. So there I sat wondering what else I could do. I had to learn to let go and enjoy my time with the kids because there is so much we need to do together and we only have 2 days a week to do it. Not to mention summer is coming and then there is yard work and the park and more swimming..........and it goes on and on. I started thinking about getting some help and no I don't mean a therapist. I kicked around the idea of having someone help me clean. Please don't think I am lazy. I actually thoroughly enjoy cleaning but this took up a whole day of our weekend because it is impossible to clean quickly with constant interruptions. So for almost 3 months now I have been thinking about this. I have a friend who cleans homes and I knew that if I were going to ask anyone it would be her. I felt like first she knew I was crazy and second I thought if I didn't think she did a good enough job we could talk about it and she would understand. So after a very long talk with my Mom about the situation and her strong encouragement I emailed my friend to see if we could talk and see if we thought we could make something work. We do not have any extra money in the budget for something like this so I knew it would mean sacrificing somewhere else, but if it helped I thought it might be all worth it. So that brings me to today.....today was our first day of having our home cleaned by someone other than me. It sounds crazy but I was really nervous to come home. I wasn't sure what to expect. What if I couldn't even tell she had been there? What if I had to go back in and do things here and there that she missed? What if I just wasn't comfortable with it? What if it was just going to cost too much for us to make work? After work I had errands to run and didn't get home until around 7pm. I walked in, took a few steps in and almost started to cry, really. Things sparkled. The floor was spotless. The couch that usually has Poho (our dog) hair everywhere even right after you clean it, was spotless. The carpets were vacuumed and trashes emptied and my laundry had even been changed! The mirrors shined, the fans were dustless, the stove gleamed....I could go on and on. As the night went on I began to searching to find something she had missed, but fortunately I found nothing! It was awesome! I cannot even tell you how excited I was. When Terry got home I drug him from room to room showing him the things she did, he just smiled. Raelynn got excited too. On Sunday she and I had made cookies together and I had told her that we got to do that because Mommy didn't have to spend so much time cleaning. So as I was bragging about how great everything looked Raelynn says, "Does that mean we get to make cookies every weekend!" I know this all may seem really silly and crazy to some but I just cannot tell you how much difference this is going to make for us.

To my friend, thank you! You are very much appreciated!

A DEAL TOO GOOD TO PASS UP.....

I received an email today from Molly that I just have to share. Our local Super Target and the KC area Super Targets are running a promotion.....

Great News,
Target is doing a special promotion for their optical services until 4/29/09. Children 12 and under can get a free pair of glasses. They need to bring in a valid prescription for glasses from their doctor and Target will let the child pick from about 40 different frames. They will place their best lens in the frames which are non-glare and scratch resistant.

I called Target today and it is all true and there is no catch. I am taking Cooper in next week to get a second pair just to have on hand for those times he rolls over his good pair and we are waiting to go get them readjusted. I just thought this was too good not to share!

IS IT REALLY ONLY MONDAY...........

The alarm goes off 4:15am. I am up and out the door. I am starting a new workout routine today. I am not teaching aerobics this semester so that if Cooper does have a procedure in April or May I won't have to worry about someone covering for me. The morning starts great. My new workout is hard and I am ready to get myself back into shape. I get home 6am and follow my normal morning routine; sweep floors, change loads of laundry, get Coop's bottles and meds ready for the day, into the shower out and ready by 7am. Then I head to Raelynn's room to wake the monster. I am pleasantly surprised because after over 12 hours of sleep the monster wakes up giggling. Awe, what a relief. Raelynn gets up and dressed and hair done and breakfast and teeth brushed. Now for Coop. Same routine; up and dressed, hair done, meds and teeth brushed. Coop's color is not so good so we check his O2 level. It is low 76. Off to Lisa's we go and then onto work by 8:30am. It is a usual Monday at work.....crazy! Lisa calls about 10am and has a fever. Ok so back to Lisa's to pick Coop up. Backup babysitter is full and cannot take the kids. Cooper and I head back to work. 11:15am off to pick Raelynn up from preschool and drop the kids off with Terry for a few hours so I can get a few things done back at work. Raelynn has a dentist appointment for tomorrow so as long as I have to be missing work I change the appointment to today at 2:30pm. Terry brings the kids back to the office at 2:15pm. I thank God I have a patient and understanding boss and then head to the dentist. Then we head to the pharmacy to pick up the multitude of prescriptions for Cooper, Terry and I. Cannot believe how much money was just spent at the pharmacy and the dentist!!! Finally get home and find a message waiting. Cooper's Synagis medicine is ready to be shipped but they need me to call and pay the copay....$554. Well at least now the money spent at the dentist and pharmacy aren't looking so bad. Manage to shut my jaw that just fell to the floor and try to remind myself to just be thankful I have him to by the synagis for.

That was my Monday....from that point on it was all paradise. The kids were fighting and making messes everywhere and I made dinner and laughed at Raelynn's constant yells of "Cooper William Keefer" and Cooper's constant tormenting made days like today all worth it. As we all sat at the table eating dinner the door bell rang. I paniced at who that might be considering the house was a disaster, I was in my pajamas and my hair was all pulled back in a manner only seen by my family. I went to the door and there was Molly, Coop's therapist from Tiny K. How could I have ever forgotten we had an appointment tonight! So in complete embarrassment I let her in and just made her promise to never tell anyone the mess she walked into or the way I looked. She just laughed ans assured me it was no problem.....of course, what else would she say :)

Our day and evening went much much better with Raelynn. She acted very well and we went to bed promptly at 8pm. It was great to have her back and I just hope I will see more of the "good" Raelynn! As for Coop he had went the whole day without a nap and still was all giggles as we got him ready for bed too. They are both so rewarding! The trying times are all worth it!!! Checked in with Lisa and she is feeling much better and ready to take on the kids tomorrow....Yipee!!! Normally I would say "so luckily tomorrow will be back to normal" but in this family "normal" is not a very defining word so I will just approach tomorrow that it will be another day full of challenges and chaos and rewards greater than any I have every experienced before. So bring on Tuesday and lets see what I can learn from it!!!!!!!

NOT OUR BEST WEEKEND......

I am experiencing frustration in a way I never have before and get this....it is with Raelynn. My normally perfect child has been awful! I don't know what is going on with her. She is being defiant and winy and I just don't know why. I am doing everything as perfectly as I can. I read about parenting all the time and I am applying everything I have read. I am being patient and consistent and everything else I can be. I hope it is just a phase and nothing is wrong. Last night she wet the bed. She has not wet the bed since the day we put her in panties. I don't know what to think. Tonight I was virtually in tears. I had asked her yesterday what she wanted for dinner tonight and she wanted to make pizzas. I bought everything she wanted on the pizzas. When we got home she didn't want to help make them, that was fine. I made them and when they were done and it was time to eat she informed me she didn't want cheese on it and refused to eat. I talk to her and she just tells me she is so tired and that is why she is acting badly. She also puts the blame on her imaginary friend, KawKaw. She said KawKaw bothers her all night and she can't get any sleep. So tonight I sent KawKaw home and put Raelynn to bed at 7pm. She fell asleep immediately so there is no doubt the girl was exhausted. I was talking to a friend about it and she said that when her daughter went through a growth spurt the same thing happened. There is no doubt Raelynn is going through a growth spurt as the jeans we bought her for Christmas are already too short and shirts too small. I just hope this is the case. That same friend also reminded me she is 3 1/2, this is what they do. That may be the case but I always think what Terry and I do in response helps shape who she'll be in another 10 years and that is why I wish I better understood where this is all coming from We are going to back up her bed time and cut out a little of her extra activities for awhile. It tears me apart to see her like this. I realize this may be normal but as any parent knows, when your child is hurting you are hurting too!!!

So then there is Cooper, generally my trouble maker. Instead he now is this completely amusing and inquisitive little boy. He is getting to be so good and fun. This weekend he took on our stairs. I was watching him around the corner and he launched a ball down the stairs as usual. However this time he decided to go after it. He sat down and went down the stairs backwards as if he had done it a thousand times. He got the ball and headed right back up. He is eating more things every day. Tonight we think we caught on to something. He was eating chocolate chips (yes I know completely unhealthy but remember this is Cooper, our main focus is to get him to eat anything) As long as I gave them to him with my fingers he ate them but as soon as I put one on a spoon he quickly denied it. Earlier in the day I experienced the same thing with pineapple. So I think we are going to start trying some more foods and give them to him on my finger. This may prove to be extremely messy but if it teaches him to eat we are all for it.

Saturday Raelynn had her last day of tumbling and the first time we got to go in and observe. She really enjoyed it. She received a recognition certificate and I got a lot of pictures, mostly of her biscuits but pictures all the same.



This is Cooper at tumbling.....

LAWRENCE GIVE BACK CARD.....

If you live in Lawrence I hope you will check out the Lawrence Give Back Card. Below is a short description:

An exciting program is now being introduced in Lawrence whereby Checkers and 17 locally owned restaurants will donate a portion of every food purchase to the local Lawrence charitable organization or school selected by cardholders. The restaurants will donate 5% of the food purchase and Checkers will donate 1% of food purchases.

….PLUS, cardholders also get the same percentage rebate in the form of reward points on all purchases loaded onto the card for use with future food purchases at Checkers or any of the participating restaurants!

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP COOPER’S CAUSE FOUNDATION GET DONATIONS
• Pick up your FREE Lawrence Give Back Card at Checkers or any participating restaurant or from Cooper's Cause Foundation.

• Activate your card in 30 seconds, designating Cooper’s Cause Foundation as the charity to receive the donation your card will generate. You can activate online or leave the activation form at Checkers or the restaurant.

• Then use your card every time you shop at Checkers or dine at the participating restaurants.

That’s it. It’s that simple!

These locally owned, independent businesses have stepped up to the plate to help local charities raise needed additional funds. Let’s say ‘Thank You’ by shopping at Checkers and dining at the following restaurants:

 Pachamamas Restaurant & Star Bar  23rd Street Brewery  J. B. Stout’s

 Marisco’s

 Paisono’s Ristorante  Bambino’s  Johnny’s Tavern  Zig & Mac’s

 Set ‘em Up Jack’s  Bigg’s BBQ  La Parilla  Zen Zero  TEN

 Buffalo Bob’s Smokehouse  Genovese  Local Burger  Global Cafe

For more information please go to www.lawrencegiveback.com!

We are so excited to be working with this group and they have been wonderful to us. Please help support the foundation just by showing your card when you eat at one of the participation restaurants or shop at Checkers!

WHAT A GREAT WEEKEND.....

My Aunt Barbara from McDonald, KS came to visit us this weekend. I have to say I was a little cautious about her visit because it has been years since she has been able to leave the farm. However, things went great. The kids were able to bond with her and I think she had a great time too. She pitched right in with meals and even got Cooper up on Monday morning while I finished getting ready for work. I was really happy to spend some real time with her.


Steph came up as well and we always enjoy her company. It is funny how now Steph is so grown up and working so hard to take care of her responsibilities and budget her money. I must say my little sisters have been very spoiled but she is doing great. I love having her close and I think we have really been able to become friends this year. I can't wait for Karli to make it down this way too. Hopefully she'll have sense enough to come a little further east than Steph did, hahaha!

Cooper is really becoming quite the comedian. He thinks he is hilarious! Tonight it seemed like he was on high speed all night chasing us around the house and looking for something new he could do to make us laugh. He is really getting quite a personality. Terry and I sat and watched him after Raelynn went to bed and were remembering how things had been just 9 short months ago. Looking back on things, Cooper was really a mess when he was a "baby". Before his 2nd surgery he cried all the time and with the vigorous feeding and medicine schedule we really were struggling. Terry said he remembers walking around with Cooper just trying to keep his crying to a whimpering and thinking he had no idea how we were going to make it through all of this. Now we look at Cooper and are so thankful for the strength and patience we were given. I can't help but think it was during that time that Terry and I really figured out the whole parenting thing. Not that anyone really "figures" it out, it is a constant learning process but I wonder if we would cherish our family like we do now if we would not have went through those tough times. I am so thankful really that we did because Terry and I learned to work together, patience, love and so many other things. I just know that we are extremely lucky and I am not sure what we had done in the past to deserve everything we have received but I do know I am doing everything I can to show how thankful I am now and pass on our great fortune.

Cooper is going through that attachment time. He cries every time I leave him and although I am thankful he loves me, it breaks my heart. Walking out of Lisa's is probably the hardest thing I do every morning next to rolling out of bed at 4:15am :)
Raelynn is also going through a phase. She is choosing words like, "no", "fine" and any other short phrase to let me know she does not agree with me or that she is participating but not willingly. Obviously I am not a huge fan of this so we had to have a little talk about respect. I told her we needed to find different words to let me know how she feels without disrespecting me. I give her examples to use and try to remind her when the situation arises. We have been doing this for about a week now. It is not aweful by any means but I just think these things need addressed quickly and sternly. Tonight she was being pretty cranky when we were getting ready for her bath. I was attempting to help her get undressed and she started to tell me "No!". She stopped herself and very calmly said, " I would like to get ready for my bath myself." I could not have been happier. I thanked her for her politeness, kissed her on the cheek and told her when she needed my help just let me know and left her to get undressed herself. She was smiling at how nicely it had worked and I was celebrating on the inside that maybe she is getting it! Oh how such small victories seem so amazing!

GAME DAY PHOTOS!