Addicted

After our crazy Friday night, I came home exhausted.  I decided a big change needed to take place.  I am so tired of feeling sluggish, tired and just plain old.  So I did something about it!  I haven't gone to the gym in years!!  I workout at home on occasion, but nothing challenging and I certainly don't push myself.  I woke up Saturday, threw on my workout clothes and off I went.

I decided to try the new gym by our house because they have tons of group classes and I know I am motivated by classes.  I realized I forgot my wallet after I was inside and I wasn't about to go home.  No excuses.  I went inside and the nice kid at the desk let me go ahead and try out the Zumba class that was about to start.  I walked in just as the teacher was starting and the only spot was front and center. Awesome.  I shook my stuff for the entire hour and before I knew it, the class was over.  I felt amazing!

Tired.  But Amazing.

Sunday morning was Hip Hop and I was so excited to try out this class!   The teacher was INSANE .. all caps!  She was non stop .. go go go.. and I was soaking wet.  I ran into a fellow heart mom, literally, ran into her.  Then I ran into a fellow dance mom from my dancing days.  The class was intense and again, I left feeling so great!

Monday was exhausting and Carson was running late.  I had a million excuses why I shouldn't go, but I laced up my shoes and off I went.  As soon as Carson ran in the front door, he was greeted with a kiss and an 'adios amigo'.  I went to another Zumba class and was surprised to find the Hip Hop teacher was instructing.  My first thought was walk out of the room and no one will notice.. Ha.  I settled into a spot off to the side and oh my goodness... killer workout!!

Tonight is another Zumba class with a new instructor and I just signed up for a Ballet Fusion class for Tue/Thur nights.  If this schedule doesn't beat me into shape, I don't know what will! 

I am addicted!! 

I hope my gym addiction sticks and that I can shred some pounds.  I'll post some before and afters as soon a I start seeing those "after" results.  Whenever that shall be.

There hasn't been much more going on around here.  I am working on some fall crafts to transform our house for Halloween.  I really need to splurge on a Sillouette or Cricut.. any advice on one vs the other? 

I did get a call from my Nephrologist and it turns out there are no cysts on my kidney.  They did find fluid pockets on the kidney so they are sending me to a urologist for further testing.  I'm not too worried.  I have a cardiology appointment on Thursday to further investigate this "murmur" that the Nephrologist was sure he heard.  Again.  I'm not worried. 

We continue to countdown to Disneyworld.  We started movie theme nights this weekend and my kids loved "The Little Mermaid".  We ate sushi, cuddled on the couch and enjoyed watching an older disney movie.  We have a whole list of movies to watch before we go!   I got a call from Owen's wish manager and the airline tickets have been purchased and so I got the go ahead to reserve his portable oxygen for the plane.  Everything is moving forward.  We are just 2 months 1 week away!

DBacks Performance

Last night we were at the sold out, crowd roaring Diamondbacks game! Kam and Gi were dancing for pre-game entertainment and they had so much fun!!

We had to arrive at the game an hour before the girls' were set to perform.  So after an hour of hair and makeup, we grabbed Gi and were on our way downtown.  The girls were wired in the car so we cranked up the radio and let them go crazy!  Owen felt pretty cool too!  I put him in his "Lil Bro" shirt to show his support for Sis.. then realized those were the exact colors of the Giants..our competition at the game.

We parked, ran across the street, through security and then realized we had to be on the other side of the ballpark.  Run, we did, all around the ball park until we found the other 100 sparkly girls!  I love that Kam and Gi get to dance together this year.. they looked so cute.  After I put Kam's stage make-up on I thought she aged about five years.  She totally doesn't look like my 11 yr old baby. 

The girls' lined up shortest to tallest, starting with the teeny 3 yr olds, and Kamryn was the third from the tallest.. even with the girls well into their teens.  My mom, dad, Rog, Sis, Bro-in-law and Liv all showed up to watch the girls' dance!  Kam was only a little embarrassed to have my mom and dad taking pictures while uncle Rog took video.  Ha.  The girls went down to the field and did their thing and it was awesome!!  Kam and Gi both got some long close up shots on the Jumbo Tron and were so adorable!!  I got tons of video but it's taking forever to upload.  As soon as they were done performing we had to rush to our seats for the National Anthem.  Then the first pitch of the game!

We ate ourselves sick at the ballpark.  Hot dogs, pizza, brats, nachos, ice cream and soda.  We were all so sick and a bit goofy!

We love the handicapped seats on the main concourse so we can keep Owen in his stroller.  Good call.  Owen would sit up and watch the play, then lay back and play his iPad.  This continued the entire time.

He didn't miss the bobble heads coming up to say hello.  He loves the bobble head guys!  Who doesn't?

We left at the top of the sixth inning.  Both kids were exhausted!!  Carson was sick from his super awesome dinner, Kam had a long day of school then dance, and Owen had enough excitement for one day.  So we peaced outta there before the Dbacks took the game home!!  They made it to the playoffs.. go Dbacks!!

After a day full of Gymnastics, Speech therapy, doctors' appointments, pedicures, hair/make up, getting downtown by 4:30, performing, ballgames.. we had a full day.  After baths and Pj's we all crashed hard!  It was a great night!!

Orchestra Concert

Kamryn had her first orchestra concert of the year last night.  It wasn't their usual "formal" concert that takes places at the high school auditorium, but was more of a casual program.  The orchestra teacher talked about goals and expectations for the year. 

Kamryn played a little duo melody to one of the songs and did a great job.  Her posture and positioning are awesome!  She is loving the violin so much.  In just eight weeks of private lessons, she is 3/4 of the way through her first Suzuki book. 

Owen and Daddy were bored waiting for the concert to start.  Don't kill me for posting this babe.:) There were a few more pictures on my camera that were hilarious!! 

This is Kam and her best friend "wizbet", as Owen calls her.  I love that Kamryn surrounds herself with good friends. 

Her next concert is on the 5th of December, but we will be at Disneyworld.  I talked to her orchestra teacher last night and she gave her a free pass.  She is a little sad to miss the concert, but I'm sure that Disney is a good enough trade off!

After the concert we went to Swirl It for some FroYo.  It was totall yucky last night with stale Oreos and Brownies.  Next time, we'll go to Water n' Ice for some Thrifty ice cream cones. 

You did a great job Sis.. we LOVE you!

Polycystic Kidney

I was born with Polycystic kidney disease which resulted in my right kidney being removed at birth.  It is extremely rare to have only one kidney affected by the cysts, but I like to be different.  There were never any followups done on my healthy kidney other than pediatrician appointments. 

My maternal grandfather died of kidney failure, my maternal grandmother is in kidney failure and my mom now has "stuff" going on with her kidneys.  I figured since genetics are definitely not on my side, I should make an appointment with a Nephrologist.  I really don't like picking Nephrologists out of an insurance book, but I rolled the dice and got Dr U. 

My appointment was this morning.  As soon as I said I had a Polycystic kidney at birth, he went a little nuts.  He pulled up a bunch of websites on the computer in the room.  He said most kids die by the age of 10.  Awesome.  I'm 32, so I must be fine.  Then he started reciting all the different types of kidney disease and failure.  Then continued to tell me that if I do have PKD affecting my left kidney, that there is little that can be done and my children will need to be checked as well.  Seriously?!

After agreeing that we should start with some labs, urine analysis and an ultrasound of my kidney, he kinda went crazy one me.  He said that a major side effect of PKD is brain aneurysms, so he would probably be ordering an MRI.  He wanted to know if I get headaches.. nope.  But I appreciate that he fully scared the crap out of me.  Then he went on to tell me that he needed to check my liver and then listened to my heart.  He said he heard a murmur.  That's crazy!  NO one has ever heard a murmur and they have listened for it many times.

As I sit there listening to him completely shocked, I hear him say.. get these tests done fast.  He wants to see me back in two weeks.  Then we will know.  I'm sure I'm fine.  There are no symptoms.  He wants me to get an echo done stat to check on my "murmur", which I am sure I do not have. 

The question of the day... is this doctor just totally paranoid because he has never heard of someone having ONE Polycystic Kidney?  Or should I be freaking out? 

I am getting all the tests done this week and will see him on the 6th.  If everything is fine...I'm good!  If not.. I am 99.5% sure I'll be getting a second opinion before we start checking for brain aneurysms, cardiac complications and liver biopsies. 

Well.. perhaps I will just go ahead and call a cardiologist and schedule an echo now.  I was going to do that anyway.  It can't hurt.
What a morning.  I need a nap.

Busy busy

I have been so busy and I cannot believe that September is half over. When I walked outside this morning, the weather was perfect! For just a moment, I got a glimpse of fall and it put me in such a great mood. It's warmed up to about 98 since then, but fall is just around the corner. 

Fall just happens to be my favorite time of year and Halloween is always so much fun!! My kids start talking costumes early, like August early, and Owen is set on Spiderman. I was thrilled when Costco got them in stock last month and grabbed one before they disappeared. Kamryn likes to make everything a challenge.. like the year she wanted to be Catwoman. This year she decided she wants to be Princess Zelda...

The costume is intricate and beautiful, but you can't buy it anywhere but Ebay for something like $299! Not happening. Since neither of us sew, we thought it would be a great idea to finally open her new fancy sewing machine she got for Christmas and break it in. I have no idea how to thread a needle or load a bobbin, but we will figure it out. I found an "easy sew" pattern for the basic dress and another for the vest.  Then there is the issue of how to make armor, the tri-force and the crown. We'll let Daddy figure that stuff out. Ha. Wish us luck!

I have finally settled on and made reservations for our extended stay at Disneyworld.  When I settled on one resort, I'd get a pin code in the mail for an even better discount.  We are staying on site at a super nice hotel, with free Disney dining and 2 extra park passes for a steal.  I almost feel guilty it's such a great deal!  I told you there are more surprises to come and there are.. I will share as soon as I can. 

Kamryn has her first performance at the Diamondbacks game coming up and we are all so excited.  We got amazing seats just above first base.. the closest we've ever been to the action.  My entire family will be there since Gigi is dancing as well.  It should be a ton of fun!
Owen needs new shoes to accommodate his new orthotics we should pick up in another week.  Any suggestions on what shoes work with orthos?  He keeps picking out any shoe that lights up, it doesn't matter how hideous it is, he wants light up shoes.  At least I can go cheap on shoes since the ortho is the insert and provides all the support... a few pair might be in order. ;)

Time to run to Violin, then Dance.  Two and a half weeks til' Fall break and everything comes to a stop.  We all need that break! 

Cardiology Appointment

Owen had a cardiology appointment with his favorite doctor today!  He is always so excited to go to cardiology and today was no exception.  He was weighed at 32.5lbs and his height is 39".  His blood pressure was okay at 70/40 and sats averaged 79% on 2 liters of O2. 

Dr Stock said his liver "is up" which is good news.  I finally figured out that having the liver just under the ribcage is "normal".  When his heart is not working as well and his pressures are higher, it pushes his liver down.  So we like to hear that his liver is up!  Owen looks great clinically.  He has a lot more energy the last week, so things are looking good.

The only change today is the need to increase his medications.  Stanford wants Owen on max doses of Sildenafil and Lasix at least one month prior to his cath on Feb. 8th.  Currently, Owen is on 2.5mg of Sildenafil, three times daily.  I need to increase that to 15mg, three times daily.  So a quick increase at a rate of 2.5 mg every few weeks should get him to full doses by the end of the year.  I will watch him for low blood pressure and GI issues as those are the common side effects. 

We have another cardiology appointment with Echo scheduled for November 6th.  It will give me peace of mind to know things are okay before we jump on a plane and fly cross country to Orlando for Owen's Make A Wish trip.  

Speaking of Make A Wish.. I have everything finally planned out.  I am still going back and forth on how much I want to spend on a hotel for our extended stay.  I am tight with money, but at the same time, this is a big trip and I want to go big or go home.  Ya know? 

We have a big Make A Wish surprise that I'm not ready to reveal yet, but let me just tell you that it is pretty amazing!!  You will be blown away. :)

Orthotics

Since Owen had a significant delay in walking, at 3 yrs old, he has weak muscle tone and a poor gait.  Over the last few months of Physical therapy, he has improved so much.  Unfortunately, he still pronates inward, so much that the outside of his foot doesn't make contact with the floor.  After a lot of discussion with Owen's PT, we decided that foot orthotics would be a good idea. 

We had an appointment with the orthotics specialist yesterday and Owen was so excited!!  We told Owen we were getting special shoes that will help him walk better.  When his muscles get stronger, he'll be able to jump, climb and run like a superhero.  He thought that was pretty great!   Owen was first evaluated and he had a pretty long "get to know you" conversation with the orthotic specialist.

We decided to go with the SFOs.  The orthotics will go just above his ankle bone to support his skinny ankles that roll in.  The new "shoes", as Owen calls them, will slide into his tennis shoes and they will provide all the support he needs.  After we decided on the right orthotic, it was time to get casts made of his feet so they can be custom fit.  Owen asked the specialist a million questions during the process.. questions I would have never thought of.

They make a real cast of his foot and mold it as it is drying.  It was pretty cool. 

After it was almost set, but still soft enough to cut, the cast was cut off his foot.

After that was done, it was time to get down to business.  Owen had to decide what pattern/design/color he wanted on his new orthotics.  Without hesitation, he decided to go with Spiderman.  He was holding a pair that were just made for another little guy.  These ones are huge compared to the size   Owen's will be.  His are going to be lower on the ankle and way smaller.  He is so excited to get his new "comfy spiderman shoes" as he calls them. 

Speaking of PT. This morning we spent an hour doing gymnastics! I can't even describe how much Owen loves it! I need to take some videos next week since we are starting twice a week sessions. This week we tried the "big gym" rather than just the preschool section of the gym. There were so many different trampolines and surfaces that are so great for him. I raced him through the dirty, gross, foam pit again and again. We raced on the tumble tramp and built houses with mats. Owen has never worked so hard. It was awesome!!

I also wanted to post a quick update on my post on Dress Code.  Kamryn's principal and school nurse apologized to her for how things were handled.  That's all I wanted.  They are also implementing a new system where the parent is contacted in those circumstances.  The teacher that originally stopped her and took her to the nurse refused to apologize and told the principal that she was not wearing a vest and only had on a spaghetti strap tank with a bra showing.  Hmm.. she wasn't wearing a bra and she did in fact have a vest on.  I will choose to pick my battles on this one and I have emailed those that apologized and thanked them.  Problem solved. 

Dress Code

When I picked up Kamryn from school today, I was shocked to find she was in a too tight tee with no bra. When I asked her where her clothes were, she said she was stopped at parent drop off by one of the 'on duty' teachers. The teacher told her that her clothing was "inappropriate" and that she needed to go directly to the nurse. Not only did this cause her to be late to class and she received an "unexcused" tardy, but the nurse couldn't find anything that fit. Instead of calling me, because that would make sense, they let her go around school in a too tight tee. District dress code is "no spaghetti straps", but you can wear a shirt over or under. The straps at your shoulder have to be 2" wide, which hers were actually about 3" wide. So yes, she was wearing spaghetti strap tank with a bra built in, but she also had a vest that covered her shoulders. Partnered with a pair of bermudas, she was following code.

Perhaps I am mad for no good reason, but if she had no bra on and you put on a tight tee, isn't that more inappropriate and embarrassing than what she was originally wearing? Another issue I have is that she has worn this outfit many, many times in the past. On a daily basis, Kamryn has four to five teachers, and never has her wardrobe been an issue. Ugh. I'm finally cooling down. I will tell you that my blood was boiling.

I sent her back to the nurses' office after school to change back into her clothes and to give the nurse back her way too small, dirty-white shirt. I wrote an email to the principal, the teacher that approached her this morning, and also the district. All I want is a phone call in the future so that I can drive over to the school with a change of clothes. Of course, I don't forsee that happening because she follows dress code and causes no issues. What about all the girls wearing booty shorts, so short that you can see cheek? What about the girls that roll their shirt up to expose that little bit of belly? What about the boys that are cussing on the playground or causing fights? You think I'm kidding don't you. Kids these days are a changing! It's not pretty.

I have a modest girl who gets perfect grades, works hard, listens well and doesn't cause trouble. Why single her out? Not cool. I am done venting. All I'm saying is that it better not happen again.

CD Winners

Drumroll please.

The winners of Sanctus Reals new album, Every Falling Tear, are...

 Carolina Carters!!

Exciting!! I'd LOVE to get my hands on that cd! :)

Michelle hs!! 
I love this giveaway! Good luck to everyone!

Erika!!
What an awesome giveaway!  Thanks so much!

Congratulations to these three winners!!!
Email me within 48 hours at andreanicolesimmons@hotmail.com.
 If you didn't win, the album is set to release tomorrow, September 13th!!

Thank you all so much for participating.

Hope you all had a great weekend. We are having a rough start this beautiful Monday.

Every Falling Tear -- Giveaway

I first heard about Bowen Hammitt a year ago.  He was to be born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, the same heart defect as Owen.  News of his blog spread like wildfire because his dad is kind of a big deal. He is the lead singer of the Christian Rock Group, Sanctus Real.  Matt and Sarah (Bowen's parents) set up a blog, and I always look forward to their updates.  The Hammitts have also created the Whole Hearts Foundation to help families affected by Congenital Heart Defects.  I am so exited to see great things they do!

Sanctus Real is set to release their new album, Every Falling Tear, on September 13th! I had the pleasure of listening to the album and it is amazing!  I can tell how much Bowen's special heart influenced Matt's writing of this album.  All of it is so great.

My favorite song on the album, hands down, is All Of Me.  Listen to this song and I dare you not to cry. 

I am so excited to be hosting such an amazing giveaway!!

I will be giving away THREE copies of Sanctus Real's NEW Album, Every Falling Tear!! 

All you have to do is leave a comment on the blog.  It's that simple.

I'll let you in on another little secret.  There are two other blogs hosting the same giveaway.
You can leave a comment at each of their blogs for additional chances to win!!
 Jill's @ The Real Life of a Redhead and Stephanie @ When Life Hands you a Broken Heart

That gives you THREE chances to win and there will be THREE winners from each blog!!

Go.  Comment.  Now.

Winners will be announced on Monday, September 12th!

Comments will be closed September 11th 11:59PST.

Have a great weekend!!

Never Wake a Sleepy Boy

You know that saying.. "Never wake a sleeping baby?"

  Last night I didn't listen. Owen hadn't taken a nap all day. After a day full of therapy, flu shots, violin lessons and potty training, Owen crashed at 5:00. At around 7, I couldn't decide if I should wake him up or let him sleep through the night. While Owen isn't a baby any longer, this saying can also be applied to kids. He woke up grouchy, sweaty, and hungry. He cried as I rocked him until he puked all over. Poor guy. Then he decided he wanted dinner and it was then that things turned a little uglier. He realized we had already eaten dinner.. WITHOUT him. Apparently, that is a sore subject with Mister Owen. I warmed up his plate of food and he refused to eat it until Daddy got back from dropping Kam off at dance. He sat at the table and picked at his food for a good 30 minutes until he returned to his "normal" self.

The rest of the night he was sweet as can be until around 11:30 when he shocked to hear it was time for bed.

When in doubt.. never wake a sleeping boy. Never.

We are back to our regular naptime today. Owen drifted off with his nerfgun on his chest and red bulls close by. Before he drifted off he said "Mama.. I love you SOOOO much! Like that much."

Labor Day, Flu Season, and More

Today is Labor Day! It also happens to be my Mom's birthday.. Happy Birthday Mom!! It's also the beginning of fall.  We are so sad to see our summer come to an end, but we have a lot to look forward to in the fall.  It is supposed to storm and shower in the desert today and we might actually see double digit temperatures later in the week.  This has been the 2nd hottest summer in Phoenix's history!

With cooler temperatures, comes cold and flu season.  Owen always likes to kick start the season with a cold and looking back on previous posts, it is definitely a tradition.  We have spent the entire weekend feeling icky.. shivers, stuffy, achy, and just plain tired.  I keep thinking we'll wake up tomorrow and we will all feel better.  As soon as that day comes, we'll all be getting our yearly Flu shots.  We usually stay pretty healthy in the winter so hopefully we will keep with that trend. 

Last week ended with a play date with Owen's speech therapists.  Owen and his good friend had "preschool time" with the three therapists and it was really fun!   I've been working at home with Owen on his basic preschool concepts.  We talk about the weather and draw pictures in a journal.  Then we practice writing his name and do little worksheets working on counting and letter sounds.  Owen is so smart and picks things up really quick.  He certainly has no learning delays, which is fantastic! 

Speaking of learning.. we had a meeting with the school district this week.  Owen qualifies for integrated preschool through the school system due to his speech articulation and gross motor skill delays.  The meeting was set up to determine what home bound services he can receive since the option to attend preschool is not an option right now.  It turned out to be nothing that we expected.  They won't offer an IEP (individualized education plan), but rather an ISP (service plan).  He already gets services through our private insurance.. Physical therapy, speech therapy and feeding therapy.. so he doesn't need services through the school system.  I asked about the preschool curriculum and also kindergarten prep and was a little taken back by their response.  "We don't have a curriculum."  They continued to tell me they don't offer a home bound education plan until the student is in 1st grade.  When I asked what they do in preschool, I was told they "Play".  That is great and I think you can learn  a lot through play, but I also think there should be some sort of lesson plan involved in an education setting.  Long story short.. we'll just continue doing what we do at home and definitely be moving into another school district  when Owen gets older.  Kamryn has been on a boundary exception to another district since 1st grade.. but I had hoped the school district would have improved since then.   At least we know. :)

Kamryn continues to rock at school!  She is loving her final year of elementary school and still shares every detail of her day with me.  I love chillin on the couch with her after school as she replays her entire day to me.  I hope that never changes!

Owen continues to potty train.  We bought big boy underwear and he had an "accident' pretty soon thereafter.  "Uh oh.. Mom.. I pooped on Nemo!  It's okay.. accidents happen!"  True.  They do.  It turns out he does better with diapers than in underwear.  I like to use underwear, then slip a pull up over it.   The idea is that he feels the wet against his skin in the underwear, but I don't have a ginormous mess on the carpet because the pull up catches it.  So far so good!  The last two days have been a little rough because he doesn't feel good, so it's easier to just lay in bed than to exert the energy to go to the bathroom.  We'll attack the potty training a little more aggressively when he feels better. 

One last bit of exciting news..

I got a call from Owen's wish Manager on Friday!  He is booking the trip in the next two weeks.  The actual Make A Wish portion of the trip is 7 days and we will stay at Give Kids the World!  I have heard some pretty amazing things about it!!  We have the option to extend our stay out of pocket.  We decided an extra 4 days would be more than enough and so I have been working on that portion of the trip.  It turns out that Disney has FREE dining the four days that we are extending so all the table service restaurants are selling out fast.  I created a very basic itinerary with LOTS of downtime for Owen, as we don't want to overdo it with him.  I am still searching for a great hotel deal, but I was able to make most of our dining reservations since we will be eating for free at Disney those four days!  If anyone has suggestions of restaurants, hotels or anything else Disneyworld related.. please do share! :)