Prayers for Paityn

I know I have mentioned Baby Paityn in pervious posts. She is a little gal from Olivia's Daycare with a SERIOUS liver disease. Basically her liver will not filter out the bad stuff, so her skin is very yellow, her eyes even yellower & she has been living between the Ronald McDonald house and Children's Hospital in Minneapolis for MONTHS. Her parents have both lost or quit their jobs due to her illness & last week they closed on their home in Fargo. So when they get out, they will be homeless & jobless!

The transplant team told the family that Memorial Weekend is one of the top weekends for transplants because of all the accidents & deaths around the country. So keep your family safe this weekend. It's scary to think of this fact for the rest of us & pray for a new liver for Paityn at the same time. She should have had the transplant months ago but she continues to fight infections & is not big enough according to the docs. They say it will be way to hard to find a liver 'her size' because she is so tiny (due to stunted growth because her body doesn't take in the nourishment she needs).

I wanted to share their last couple of updates with you. Please PLEASE keep this baby in your prayers. She needs a fighting chance, and the poor thing has been fighting so hard. We are sending off another shipment of toys to her today. I can't imagine my baby being cooped up with the same toys in a small room, so daycare and some people we know try to rally together toys & fun things for them to play with, and donate to the Ronald McDonald House when they are done.

Anyway...here are the posts from the past few days....

Sunday, May 17, 2009 11:45 AM, CDT
Well our hospital stay is not going at all like we thought it would. Paityn was doing so good the first night there that we thought we would be out in 48 hours when her blood cultures came back. However, that is not at all what happened. Yesterday morning when mommy showed up (mommy and daddy switch off nights at the hospital since she is such a bad sleeper) she found daddy holding Paityn and she was just in her diaper. Then was shocked and terrified at what she saw. When I looked at her bed it was covered in blood. Paityn threw up blood everywhere. It was the scariest thing I have ever seen. With Paityns liver failing it can cause varices in her esophagus which can break open and bleed into her stomach which is what the doctors think is happening. We got transferred over to the PICU yesterday and she got a blood transfusion and put on a med that will hopefully stop the bleeding. The doctors are really hoping this med does the trick because otherwise they have to scope her and they don't like to do that on kids under 1 yrs of age and they think she is too small for the procedure. She hasn't thrown up again but she has had some bloody stools so that is not a good sign. Lets just keep our fingers crossed that the bleeding stops and we get to get out of the ICU tomorrow. Thank you all so much for your continued love and support.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009 9:26 PM, CDT
We got out of the PICU yesterday and are back in 5B. Paityn is doing great! It looks like her bleeding has stopped. They started her NJ tube feedings back up today and she seems much more comfortable with her belly full. The doctors think that she is stable and as long as her night goes good that the will release us back over to the RMH tomorrow. We know that it is only a matter of time until she starts bleeding again we are just hoping and praying that we get the call before that happens. In fact Jason, Paityn, and I have all done a liver dance today in hopes that we will get the call!! You may all feel free to make up your own liver dance and do it for Paityn. Thank you all again so much for all of your kind words, thoughts, and prayers. You have no idea how much you all mean to us.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 5:10 PM, CDT

Looks like I spoke to soon last night. Paityn had another throwing up blood episode this morning an hour before we were going to be discharged. So it looks like she is still bleeding somewhere. There aren't too many options for us to prevent the bleeding and none of them are proven to work. Paityn is going to be scoped tomorrow afternoon to try and find out where she is bleeding from. She could be bleeding from her esophagus, her stomach, her intestines, or it could even have a bleeding ulcer. So we won't know what to do until tomorrow. Paityn has been surprisingly in a very good mood today despite what has happened. We are having a very hard time getting her to sit still in our little room. She also turned 10 months old today which is turning out to be very fun age. She truly is an amazing little girl and we are so proud to be her parents. Keep fighting my beautiful baby. We are so happy that you all have been supporting the liver dance. Keep on dancing your little hearts out. Its going to work!!! Also, thank you all so much for all of your continued love and support. You all are so amazing and we are blessed to have you in our lives. Looks like I spoke to soon last night. Paityn had another throwing up blood episode this morning an hour before we were going to be discharged. So it looks like she is still bleeding somewhere. There aren't too many options for us to prevent the bleeding and none of them are proven to work. Paityn is going to be scoped tomorrow afternoon to try and find out where she is bleeding from. She could be bleeding from her esophagus, her stomach, her intestines, or it could even have a bleeding ulcer. So we won't know what to do until tomorrow. Paityn has been surprisingly in a very good mood today despite what has happened. We are having a very hard time getting her to sit still in our little room. She also turned 10 months old today which is turning out to be very fun age. She truly is an amazing little girl and we are so proud to be her parents. Keep fighting my beautiful baby. We are so happy that you all have been supporting the liver dance. Keep on dancing your little hearts out. Its going to work!!! Also, thank you all so much for all of your continued love and support. You all are so amazing and we are blessed to have you in our lives.

Happy Anniversary Yaya & Papa!!

True love is a friendship set on fire....

Yesterday marked my parents 30th Wedding Anniversary! I’m sitting here thinking that Corey & I are pretty great because we are coming up on our 3rd Wedding Anniversary…but 30? Wow! Can you imagine being happily married for 30 years? What a milestone, what an accomplishment, what a commitment!

Being a biased daughter, I have always thought my parents the most beautiful, fun, perfect couple. I honestly believe my Daddy is the most handsome man on this earth and my Mom is the most beautiful woman. And together…they form this crazy beautiful connection. I feel the world is a happier, prettier place with them in it. I love you Mom & Dad!

With that said, I am so excited to tell you about all the wonderful food Corey & I made for their anniversary feast at La Casa Sorenson on Sunday evening! I made a 3 course meal…it was so much fun. All from scratch, all so delish. I even devoured the leftovers, and I don’t even like leftovers…it was that good (which makes for a whole other post on weight control & binge eating, LOL).

The Menu:
Wine: Cabernet, free refills
Appetizer: Goat Cheese & Shredded Goose Wontons (Baked)

*Goose that my hunting husband so graciously provided for our family last fall.

Soup: Garden Vegetable Puree
*I decided to make soup vs. salad this day. I chopped up carrots, asparagus, green beans, peppers, onions & garlic. Let them simmer for HOURS in vegetable broth & seasonings, pureed them with my magic wand and added a splash of ½ & ½….holy Moses this was so AMAZING. It was good without the ½ & ½…but creamier with it. I highly suggest this recipe. I think I even licked my bowl.
Main Course: Pork Chops with a Mango/Onion/Cilantro Chutney, Brown Rice with Olive Oil, Apricots, Onion, Parmesan & Garlic and grilled summer squash.

Yes we had too much food & too much wine. But man….it was tasty.

The best part about this was the leftover sandwich recipe we came up with!!! Last night we thin sliced the left over pork, toasted an Arnold Sandwich Thin Bun & topped it with: Lettuce, Mango Chutney & BBQ Sauce. My mouths waters as I type. A new family staple was born. Yum-O!

All this because two people fell in love!

More fun pics...

Smooching up her baby


Our new gragae sale swing! $2 Dolla make you holla! What a buy!


Reading, she loves to read, in her own language of course :)

Playing in a suitcase...this went on for hours, as you can see by her cool hair style :)

Where's Olivia?? She laid in here w/ the lid closed for 10 mins a time. Guess she not scared of small spaces or the dark like her Momma, LOL

Fun in Small Spaces

Olivia has been loving any sort of inclosed space! Laundry baskets, Belle's Kennel (her daily favorite) closets, trying to get into kitchen drawers, she sits in or trys to sit in any size container, boxes, etc....

Who needs toys?

Playing Peek-A-Boo w/ Daddy!

So sleepy, should I have a nap?

Closing the door...

I guess she also really loves to brush her teeth! Being in over 1/2 of these pics have her holding her toothbrush!

Have I shown you Olivia's 1 yr pics?

Since I can't remember if I posted these...here are Olivia's adorable pics we had taken over at Expressions by Ashton. Love, love, love their studio! I will never go elsewhere!

Fargo Marathon

This year I decided to keep myself busy & stay active I set my goals to run x1 5K per month, Starting with the Fargo Marathon 5K Fun Run, through October 2009...I have found my venues (running 2 in June due to the lack of July runs)...and started my training about 2 months ago

I have been LOVING IT. I have until this year despised running my entire life. But the calm it gives me now (maybe due to motherhood, or a screaming baby at home) has been invigorating. I crank my high volume IPod & hit the treadmill or pavement. I have only been running about 2.5 miles 3x week. But hey, that's better than nothing, right?

So I set my goals LOW, I wanted to run in the Fargo Marathon 5K Fun Run in at LEAST 45 minutes. About a 15 min mile, start off the season with a goal to 'run faster' at each event.

Well here's where the plot thickens. A few weeks prior to the run last Saturday I started doing some training outside. I ran my first 3.2 distance thanks to the map my run tool, and came home with a sore knee. So I threw some ice on it, stretched 'er out good, got some new shoes at the Dick Beardsley Store and kept up with my training.

I am so excited to say I ran the Fargo 5K in 34.04 minutes!

I am sad to say I haven't been able to walk right since. I didn't even have a hard time at the run is the frustrating part. I wasn't out of breath, I didn't have side cramps, my knees felt great....

It turns out I bruised the area between these two bones, possibly a 'stress fracture' on my left knee (to be re-checked next week). That's how 'hard core' I am. The doc said this sort of 'sports injury' (laughable that I have done anything qualifiable to a 'sports injury) is mostly seen in skiers. I would love to say I jumped off an awesome mountain ski jump, jarred my bones and had an awesome skiing injury...but no, I just ran 3 miles (3.2 actually) and look like an idiot walking!

But I am still proud of myself...and plan on keeping up with my running...just not for a few more weeks (hopefully only a few more weeks!)

My certificate of 'proof'! LOL

The Life of a Screamer....

Olivia woke up on Saturday happy as a clam. Talking to her dolls after a full nights rest. She was excited to see me! She was even more excited to see Daddy with her bottle in hand. She chugged her bottle while laying in bed with us watching Tyler Florence, our favorite Saturday morning tradition...and around 10am she started her almost week long battle with what I like to call 'naughty screaming'. Not the nice 'eeeee, I LOVE BARBIES' sort of scream the sort of "AHHHHH DON'T PUT ME DOWN, GIVE ME SOME FOOD, DON'T CHANGE MY DIAPER, PUT ELMO ON THE TV NOW" sort of scream....

Needless to say this past week has been one of the most challenging weeks of motherhood I have experienced. Yes she is teething....yes her daycare Momma called about an hour ago to say after nap today her ear was gunky again (we just finished meds for an ear infection)...but what do you do for a 'naughty screamer'. I am all for the 'excited screamer'....as I have been known to have this sort of personality...but the naughty screamer...IS NAUGHTY.

I have done everything. Time outs. Little slaps on the mouth (which worked a few months back...), I have threatened soap in the mouth...So I am crossing my fingers it is ear infection/teething related and after they are all cleared we will have our sweet talking, nice baby back.

Other than that, not much going on around here!

To all my Mom Friends!

Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back
to normal after you've had a baby.... somebody
doesn't know that once you're a mother,
'normal' is history.

Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by
instinct .. somebody never took a three-year-old shopping.

Somebody said being a mother is boring .....
somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a driver's permit.

Somebody said if you're a'good' mother,
your child will 'turn out good'....
somebody thinks a child comes with
directions and a guarantee.

Somebody said you don't need an education to be a
mother.... somebody never helped a fourth grader
with his math.

Somebody said you can't love the second child as
much as you love the first .... somebody doesn't
have two children.

Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother
is labor and delivery....
somebody never watched her 'baby' get on the bus
for the first day of kindergarten ..
or on a plane headed for military 'boot camp.'

Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her
child gets married....somebody doesn't know that
marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a
mother's heartstrings.

Somebody said a mother's job is done when
her last child leaves home.... somebody never had grandchildren.

Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her.... somebody isn't a mother.

"Hi's"

WE'VE HAD OUR 1,000 READER!

AND A FEW RANDOM FACTS : )

*Olivia is walking & almost running!

*She has started talking! Word of the week is "Hi's"...it's "Hi" with an s at the end for good measure, and SO ADORABLE.

We had our 1,000 blog visitor today! Wooo! And guess what? It just so happened to be my BFF Danielle...WOOT WOOT! I think I will have to send her a suprise 'prize' Danielle just so happens to have the same Birthday as our Dog Belle (and is Belle's Godmother). Belle just so happened to have been groomed this week. Who Olivia then spit up on her head and now needs another bath. Talk about degrees of separation folks!

Just a few "Friday Fun Facts" for ya!

Thanks for reading Danielle!!!