Happy Monday & Liver Results

I received a call from the GI team at LPCH and they received the results of Owen's labs. His numbers have come down, and they admitted they weren't super high to begin with.  They just wanted to be sure that he didn't have an underlying liver condition before proceeding with a heart transplant.  The good news is that we got the go ahead to move forward with listing him. 

A few minutes later, I spoke with the NP in the cardio clinic at LPCH.  She sent a message to Owen's cardios and they will meet on Friday at transplant clinic to make the final decision to list him.  They also need to discuss when to start and frequency of IVIG {Immunoglobulin Infusions}.  We haven't yet heard back from Boston on a 2nd opinion, but I expect to in the next week or so.  I supplied them with a lot of discs and medical records so it does take time. 

In the meantime, we are enjoying our last week of summer vaca with Kam.  I am working on a little Mommy curriculum to work on at home with Owen since Preschool is not an option while he is staying healthy and waiting for a heart.  I also need to do potty training boot camp with Owen.  He is so darn stubborn!  I know with Viagra 3x a day and lots of diuretics, it's not going to be easy, but we are going to give it our best shot.. again.

Speaking of Sis... doesn't she look so cute in her jammies and bed head?  I know she'll love me for posting this.  She is up on her crutches and the swelling is slowly going down in her foot.  The pediatrician's office said they are backed up and are not sure if they got the final radiology report from Phoenix Children's yet, so still no word on if she has damage or just a sprain.  We continue to ice, elevate and keep her off of it. 

Wednesday is the day we get to check out her new Jr High, get her schedule, buy her PE uniforms and school ID.  It'll be fun.  Owen can't wait to "check out her new school because I'm going there soon."  Or.. in like 9 years. 

Happy Monday.

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A Fall Down the Stairs

We spent Friday at Big Surf with the kids' cousins.  We had so much playing in the surf, riding the slides and splashing in the pool.  It may have just been our last splash of summer before school starts in about ten days.  Then again, we may just sneak in one more water park before then. 

We were wiped out, and all slept in until 10 this morning.  Totally unheard of around here.  We had a full day of relaxing planned, but Kam wanted to shake things up.  She was coming down stairs and I heard.. Thump thump wack.. followed by a scream.  Her ankle was twisted and swelled up the size of a baseball in about 30 seconds.  I carried her to the couch, elevated her foot and got it iced. 

An hour later, the swelling was just getting worse, but at least the Advil kicked in.  I ran her to Phoenix Children's Urgent Care for an xray.   They said there could be "possible fractures" but we won't know for sure until the radiologist does a final report and so I'll call tomorrow to get those results.  In the meantime, they gave her a air foot brace to keep her ankle stabilized and she got her first pair of crutches.  The nurse was a bit intense and wouldn't let us leave until Kam received and passed her crutches training.  She then gave us a lecture on flip flops.. seriously.. this nurse was off her rocker a bit. 

We got out of there after 90 minutes and headed home.  

Kam is home and laid up in bed.  She is keeping her foot elevated, iced, and we are staying on top of the Advil.  She is so bummed that she can't dance this week and I'm just hoping there is no serious damage done.  She gets to go to Junior High days this week on crutches, poor girl.  

Tomorrow we had big plans to finish our school shopping, but it looks like I might be shopping solo.   Such a bummer and not a good time, but Kam is young and strong.  She'll be back on her feet in no time! 

Mister Owen

There is no way for me to describe how hilarious Mr. Owen is.  He has us laughing all day long!  I was trying to get a quick photo of him this morning and these are the shots I loved out of our thirty second photo shoot.

This is his "look how sad I am" face when he really wants something and you say no.  Sometimes he can't get his bottom lip to stick out far enough so he'll roll it with his fingers.  Cracks us up! 

Oh his smile, laugh, and his swagger... we just adore it all!  I always say that Owen doesn't have a filter and the things that come out of his mouth.. seriously.. we are in so much trouble. :)

Look at that missing tooth.. I just love that smile!  How do you like his super cute Incredible Hulk tee?  A fellow blogger made it for him and he just loves it.  Thanks Jessica.  He was laughing so hard in the picture.

For the best face of the day.. I Love it!! I just can't help but laughing when I see this picture.  It shows his personality perfectly.  Such a goof ball!! 

I spoke with cardiology at Stanford yesterday and we are all set to go back in September.  We discussed starting his IVIG infusions, but more on that later.  We are still waiting to hear back from Boston on a second opinion and the liver specialist at LPCH so we can get him listed for his new heart.  Doesn't he look great though? 

We are just sitting back, unwinding and enjoying our long summer days.  I will be posting pictures of the kids bathroom that we recently redecorated on the fly.  It was a cheap redo and we all love how it turned out.

Oh.. my sister found out she is having a baby girl at her ultrasound today..so excited to have another niece!!  Maybe having another baby around will help curve my baby hungry craving for a bit.

Weekly Rundown

** I just read on yahoo about the shooting massacre in Colorado.  My heart and prayers go out to all those impacted by this act of horrific terror.  I am speechless.  I have been having a normal morning with my babies, cleaning house, and didn't even realize what horror was going on around me. 

Where did the week go?  I am still in shock that today is Friday!  I can hardly recall what we did this week.  Here is my rundown, mostly so I have these lazy summer days to look back on when life isn't so easy going.  Take today for instance... we cleaned house, put all the laundry away, paid the rest of our July bills and now the kids are vegging on the couch in their jammies.  Hello Friday.

We swam a little bit more this week since we got a break from the Monsoon storms.  Owen still hasn't lost his second tooth, but it's just hanging on by a thread.  Last night he insisted we rent a Spiderman game at Redbox for the Wii.  He was so thrilled to get home and play it.  Five minutes into the game I found him hiding behind the couch peeking over the top with the wii controller.  "I hate this game.. it is way too scary!"  I sat and watched for a minute and agreed with him.  Yikes.

Sweet story.. one evening this week, I left Owen sleeping on the couch when Daddy got home.  I ran to take the girls to dance and when I was on the way home, my phone was blowing up.  Carson had been trying to reach me {I was only gone 10 min at this point}.  He said that Owen woke up and was crying and said his chest hurt and he couldn't see.  I panicked and he was considering calling 911.  I told him to calm him down and I'd be home in a sec.  I ran into the house and he was calm and feeling better.  I asked him what happened and he said.. "My heart was just aching when I woke up and you were gone.. I needed your love.  My heart needed you."  So his heart hurting was him missing me.

We did try and get a jump start on school shopping for my soon to be Junior High student.  Word on the street is that girls in Jr High don't carry backpacks, but totes and hobo bags.  This totally ages me.. as well as me looking at binders and referring to them as 'trapper keepers'.  So we went on the hunt for a tote bag that was large enough for her binders, but not breaking the budget.  Tuesday was a total bust, but we made out like a bandit on Thursday when we found this cute striped Hurley bag at Ross  and this super cute Sak purse at Dillards.. both on super clearance and I stayed under budget and spent only $40!

Another huge obstacle this week was cleaning out Kam's closet.   I found these great hangers at Costco and I'm actually headed back for more today.  They are really thin and lined in velvet so nothing slides off of them.  I got a 35 pack at Costco for $7!  We then went through every single piece of her clothing and filled three bags of clothes she has outgrown.  This was all that was left and some of them are new school clothes.  She is at such a fun age to shop with, but it can be tricky to find school appropriate clothes, not too mature for a 12 year old, and keeping within a budget.  We scored big at Aero and I'm hoping Target won't disappoint either.

I have a HUGE thank you to give to Cheri over at iammommahearmeroar.net.  She chose Owen as her "For The Love" recipient this year and his transplant account has been increasing.  My heart is so full of gratitude and I am humbled by all the generosity of others.  Her super hero loving boys sent Owen the cutest little pen pal package and Owen is busy making one to send back to them.  I remember what it was like to get excited about packages and letters when I was little.. rather than the normal bills we get now.  Cheri also created super cute bathroom prints and is selling the files for download so you can print them too!  Go here to find out more.  If you are on pinterest, you have probably seen a lot of her amazing stuff already!

As far as Owen's health status.. we have been giving him the vitamin K supplements via GI at Stanford and will draw his labs to check his liver on Thursday.  If we get the ok from GI, he will be listed for a new heart immediately.  So I'm thinking we have two more weeks of freedom.  I am going to do my best to be patient and I just know that every time my phone rings, my heart will skip a beat. 

On a side note.. I sent off all Owen's medical documents and discs to Boston Children's to be reviewed by their cardio team and surgeon.  I am a bit anxious to hear what their opinion is, but ultimately, I am trusting my instincts on this decision.  There has been a lot of prayer on my part and I feel at peace with the decisions we are making so far. 

I hope you have a fantastic weekend.

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Puddle Jumping

I finally caught up on blogging our trip and we are back into our routine. On Saturday, we finally took Owen to see the new Spiderman movie he has been dying to see.  It did not disappoint.  The girls loved it just as much as Owen, but Dr Connors won the show.  Owen loves the Lizardman!

We walked around the outdoor mall by our house and did a little window shopping, but it was so sunny and hot.  Welcome back to the desert.  As soon as we got home and ate a little lunch, I got a warning on my cell phone about a flash flood warning.  I got a good laugh out of that because it was SO hot and sunny out.  Sure enough, just a few minutes later there was a full downpour.  It flooded our street and even hailed a bit. 

We are desert dwellers and obviously don't see too much rain, so the kids went crazy.  They couldn't wait to get outside to play in the flooded street.

We saw this little toady swimming around in the water.  Certainly not something we see everyday.

Tate, Kam, Ry and Owen had a blast. I'll never get over how little Owen's legs are.  They played outside for a while and then came right inside for a bath. All that icky muddy water was gross.

We rounded out our weekend with a lazy Sunday.  Owen was not feeling like himself and so we took a 3 hour nap on Sunday together.  I'm happy to say he is back to himself this beautifully, sunny Monday!  This week will be full of cleaning out closets, bathrooms and back to school shopping.  I am so sad that we only have three more weeks of summer vacation.

Palo Alto and San Fran

On Saturday, the 7th, we said goodbye to Carlsbad and made the eight hour road trip to Palo Alto.  The drive was long and there is a three hour stretch of farmland that is just so boring.  There is only one radio station in English and I call it ghetto rap.  Now Owen won't stop singing.. "Beez in da trap.. beez beez in da trap".. just one of the many awesome songs we had the pleasure of listening to on our long drive up the coast of Cali.

We arrived at our hotel around 4pm and they didn't have a room with two queen beds like we had reserved, so they bumped us to a suite.  The extra room was nice.  I have no idea why driving drains us, but it does.  We unpacked and relaxed in our hotel for a bit and Rustyn came down from San Fran to kick it with us.  He brought the kids gifts and we went out to dinner together.  

Apparently we are getting old because we showed up at dinner with all the old folk and when we got back to our hotel, all the young business guests were leaving for a night on the town.  We were just thinking of sleep.  I hung out on the patio with the kids and enjoyed the amazing Palo Alto weather until it was time to call it a night.

Sunday morning, we woke up and decided to run to Hobees for breakfast.  They had fantastic whole wheat protein pancakes.. so yummy.  They are famous for their blueberry coffee cake so we grabbed a slice to go and were on our way to San Francisco.

I checked the weather before we left and it said it would be warm and sunny, at around 78 degrees.  Ha!  I must have been checking Palo Alto and not San Fransisco, because it was so freezing!  We had plans to go to Pier 39 and use our free tickets for Rocketboat rides, the mirror mazes and the aquarium. 

First, we went to check out Rustyn's (Carson's bro) new place in the city. He had this really cool drawing computer and Kam was so excited!  She is an amazing artist and is just learning having never taken a real art class before. 

We decided it was freezing so we would just skip the Pier for the time being and went for a walk to the park a few blocks from Rustyn's place.

We were wearing shorts and tees, thanks to my lousy weather checking, but at least we had coats in the car.  We bundled Owen up good.

We played on the swings...

Fed the birds and ducks...

And walked around a bit to warm up.

We decided to meet Auntie Booj for lunch.  {Janesa is Carson's little Sis, aka. Auntie Booj}  We had yummy Vietnamese BBQ and walked through a few fun shops in the city.  We were going to go back to the park by Janesa's place, but it was just so cold.  We decided we'd hit up the Pier on our next trip to Stanford and dress accordingly.

The kids slept the entire 20 minutes back to Palo Alto and we ordered some light room service for dinner. 

We took the kids down to the hotel pool for a little swim before tubby and bedtime.

The next morning we were up bright and early for our day at Stanford.  I already wrote about our awesome {sarcasm} GI appointment and our appointment with Cardiology. We spent our last night in Palo Alto relaxing on the patio, packing up our bags and getting ready for our 12 hour drive back to the desert.  We had a great week together on vacation and know it will be our last for a while. 

When Owen is waiting for a heart, we have to stay put in case an offer becomes available.  There will be no more long trips to the beach or theme parks for a while.  I'm grateful that we had the chance to have this time together. 

Legoland

On our second, and last day in Carlsbad, we decided to head over to Legoland.  At the conclusion of Owen's Make A Wish trip in December, we were given a "Passport to the World" and included was free admission to a few theme parks all over the nation.  Legoland was on the list, so off we went for free!  We took Kam when she was 3 and she had a fun time, so we knew Owen would enjoy it now.   

The day started out overcast and turned out to be quite sunny and warm.  We started out on the wave runner rides, then had to skip one of the coasters since Owen was 1" too short.  Owen and I found these little planes while Daddy and Sis rode the coaster. 

After a few more little rides, including the dragon coaster, we headed over to the horses.  My kids are thrill seekers and like the big coasters so Legoland was a lacking in the "thrills" for us.  What we did love about it was that Owen could go on many rides on his own, which he enjoyed!  He went around this little horse track and kept yelling "giddy up.. yee haw cowboy!" 

Daddy and Kam were a little bored with the ride selections at this park, so they'll be using our free Six Flag tickets before the end of the year for a day of thrills!

We ate some BBQ at Knights Table and one meal fed our entire family.  The portions were crazy.  We then headed over to the Pirate Island.  Owen was anticipating all these pirate ship rides, so we were glad it warmed up so we could get soaked.  This ride is new... you ride in a pirate ship and shoot water at all the onlookers at the park.  On the flip side, they can stand off the ride and SOAK you on the boat.  It was a good time.

We rode the pirate ships and got in line for the giant boat ride that soaks you, but realized we were the only one in lines without swimming suits and backed out.

Kamryn loved these boats when she was little and we went on them several times.  The kids drive the boats and there are no tracks.  Owen and Kam were on for a long time as Owen had them stuck, twisted around and going backwards.  Kam would try to straighten the boat out and Owen would move her hand and say "I GOT IT!"

We did the firetruck challenge in Fun Town and then headed over to get Owen a drivers license.  He drove his own car and only got stuck three times, but almost made it around the track once.  He was so thrilled to get his license at the end!

We spent five hours at the park and pretty much saw and rode everything.  The Dino coaster and boat ride through mini land wrapped up our day.  It helped that we had his stroller tagged as a wheelchair due to his oxygen tanks, so we entered each ride through the exit and bypassed all the lines. 

Before leaving, we realized we also were given free tickets to the Sea Life Aquarium.  We thought we would just walk through on our way to the exit.  We are not aquarium people, so we just strolled through and touched a few starfish before heading to our car.  It was a fabulous day at Legoland, and best of all, it was free!!

We crashed at the hotel early and made some deli sandwiches for dinner at our hotel.  I did a load of laundry at the hotel and we packed up to head to Palo Alto early the next morning. 

"Let's Go to the Beach Beach"

We arrived home from our long road trip late, Tuesday evening.  I have been busy catching up around here and getting things in order for Owen.  I finally have time to sit down and blog about our trip! 

We decided to drive to Southern Cali on the Fouth of July in hopes of catching a firework show on the beach.  The drive to Carlsbad is only about six hours, but we were thrilled to arrive at our hotel!  We stayed at the Homewood Suites, which I highly recommend.  Not only do they have free breakfast, but they have free dinner.  We got settled into our room and I ran to the store to stock our kitchen.  When I got back, we went down to the dining room for dinner.  We decided against going to see the fireworks in San Diego since it was another 40 min drive and we were exhausted.  Turns out, it was a fantastic decision because the huge firework show turned out to be a 30 second show because all the fireworks shot off at once due to a glitch in the system.  Glad we didn't drive down for that!

We woke up Thursday morning and decided to hang out at our favorite beach in Oceanside.  It was only a 10 minute drive and we love the Oceanside Harbor.  For a few weeks leading up to the trip Owen would sing.. "Beach Beach, let's all get away.. they say, what they gonna say?"  {Starships by Nicki Minaj}

The kids and Carson ran off to play while I set up our area and sat down to soak it all in.  This is my view...Kam, Daddy and Owen playing in the sand.  I love the florescent green oxygen tubing that followed him all over the beach. 

The water was a few degrees above freezing, so we stayed out of the water and just played in the sand. 

The kids have always loved searching for sand crabs with Carson.  Off they went.

They brought back a bucket filled with little crabbies that Owen would let climb all over his hands.  He kept saying "Mom.. come on.. they tickle.  They won't bite or pinch.. just let them climb on you."  No thanks. :)

While we were playing with the little sand crabs, this giant crab decided to come up and say hello.  I was going to put my foot up to compare the size.. it was pretty big.. but I was too afraid it would pinch me.  Carson picked it up in the bucket and walked it down to the rocks. 

A rare picture of me from the trip.  I need to get someone else to take more pictures. 

I can't believe how big my baby girl is getting!

Kam made Owen a bunch of mud balls which he thought was fantastic! 

Kam and Daddy..

We ended up staying at the beach for a long time.  It was cool outside, totally overcast and perfect. 

We walked up to the Oceanside Harbor and had fish and chips at our favorite joint.  So unhealthy, but so delicious!!

Our beach day was a great way to start our vacation.  We got back to our hotel in time for dinner and just hung out in our room. 

Tomorrow... Legoland.

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