"It felt good to hold a miracle"

This came out of my mother's mouth on the way home from meeting baby Sadie Grace. And I can't get it out of my head. So well put. I did not want to put this little baby down!!! She is so tiny & petite, a true miracle. It was a very emotional visit. I got to see the 7x7 album of Sadie's ultrasounds that Tracy made before she gave birth to Sadie. Tracy said to me "I didn't think I would need a bigger album". She then said how she already has over 300 pictures of this precious little girl and is very anxious to start a 12x12 scrapbook for her. I can't imagine how she is going to do this. Her husband goes back to work tomorrow and her 3 boys are starting school. I want to help the family out so much and every idea I could think of was pretty much impossible. Tracy's husband Brett and their 3 sons all have food allergies, so there was no way I could help w/ sending meals and so I thought about helping w/ the shuttling of kids to & from school but they live about 40 minutes away and I have 2 of my own who are still in carseats so pretty much no room in my vehicle. I thought about helping w/ laundry & cleaning but Tracy informed me that her husband hired a cleaning lady to come to the house. And all I could think of was how Tracy kept talking about Sadie's scrapbook when I spoke w/ her. I know this means so much to her to get these happy & thankful memories into an album. So, I decided to make her a pre-made page for Sadie's album. That way Tracy wouldn't have to fuss so much w/ the creative side of scrapbooking and wouldn't have to take too much time away from Sadie. She holds Sadie night & day and this baby is never put down!!!! The doctors said how it is easier for Sadie to breathe in an upright position and this will put less stress on her heart. I knew Tracy wouldn't have time to do this scrapbook by herself and I could only make so many pages too. Then I got to thinking about the scrapbook website I belong to and all the talented ladies that are on there. So, I asked for help and so far 9 wonderful, talented, thoughtful, generous women are helping me make pages for Sadie's scrapbook. I am so touched by their generosity. I can't thank them enough for their kindness. I've always wanted to make a difference in someone's life. I really think w/ the help of these ladies that Tracy will be so overwhelmed w/ love knowing that there are people in this world that she doesn't even know that are thinking about her family and her precious daughter. I'm simply overjoyed w/ emotion. I will be real busy working on this project for Tracy & Sadie but I will update as much as I can. But before I go, let me introduce you to baby Sadie Grace...

Test Results

I actually got the results on Monday and I've just been so busy making a gift for my friends new baby that I haven't had time to post. Anyways, Abby's level was a 17 from the last venous test and now it's a 12!!!! Yah!!! So, we just have to keep giving her the iron and we have another venous lead test scheduled for Oct. 23rd. The Social Worker also came today for a follow up and she is just so pleased w/ how smoothly everything is going. She also said she sees no need for another appt and she'll just call me sometime in October to see how things are moving along and then she'll want an update on Abby's level again. I'm just so pleased w/ the results. Well, I really need to get these gifts done - I'm going to see my friend Tracy's baby tomorrow night!!! I am so excited. Baby Sadie is a true miracle. She's very sick and wasn't expected to even be here w/ us but here she is and she's a week old today!!! Such a blessing to their family that they are getting this time w/ her. Sadie has a disease called Trisomy 18 and for the past 5 months we've all been praying so much that she would be o.k. The doctors didn't expect her to survive the delivery, or to be able to breathe on her own, or to even eat. Well, our prayers were answered because she can do all of those things!!! Prayer is a powerful thing. If you have a minute, say a prayer for baby Sadie and her family. Believe in miracles because they do happen. :)

Where does the time go?

I've been a very very bad blogger. Sorry I've been busy - sort of. Well to give you a little update on the lead situation - my aunt & uncle have one more estimate to get and that company is coming this Saturday. Then they can pick one company, apply for the loans and get it done!!! Abby goes for her blood test tomorrow. To think it seemed so far away and now it's only a day away. Probably won't get the results until Monday though. Other than that, I've been packing away knick knacks that I don't want broken while they delead. I'm starting to take pictures down off the walls and pack those away too. It feels like we're moving but we're not. I just can't wait for it to be all over and done w/. In the end the girls will be safe and I'm hoping our oil & electric bills won't be so high w/ better windows. That will be an added bonus!

On a lighter note, Emma took a pair of scissors and cut some of her hair today! I saw it drop to the floor and thought I was gonna die!!! Thankfully, I can barely even tell where she cut it off. I guess it'll make a good scrapbook page for me to do. I saved the hair so I guess I'll just have to take some pics now. Kids, huh? Hid the scissors really good this time, too.

I love this girl!!!!

I found this picture of her on my camera from our little shopping trip yesterday. This is my niece Amanda. She cracks me up. I always have such a great time when we're together. She's really more like a little sister to me than a niece. We did well on our trip to Old Navy. I'm not sure her mother will feel that way when she sees how much money she owes me. lol. But she didn't give us a limit so Amanda pretty much got everything she wanted. And we managed to fit it all in the stuff & save bag. I splurged and bought myself a pair of jeans and t-shirt too. I so desperately need jeans. I can never find any I really like. And I REALLY like these jeans. Only cost me about $20 after the discount. Pretty good deal I thought. I managed to get everything done yesterday but when I went to pick up the girls at Mema's they were sleeping!!!!! I was like "Ma it's 4:30pm!!!!". She didn't seem to care. So, I let them nap until around 5:15 and I had to get them home. Let's just say it was not pretty. But I had a hair appt. at 6:30 so hubby got to deal w/ it. Part of being the Daddy I told him. :) My hairdresser chopped my hair off again. It grows so fast and I was getting bored. I got my roots done and I still wonder how they manage to stain my forehead in the process. I hate that!!!! I think I like the cut though. We'll see after I try to style it today. Need something easy, don't have time to fuss too much. Well, when Rob gets out of work today I think we're heading over to his friend's house. The girls will probably go swimming again. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that they don't get sick!!!!

It's Friday!!!!!

Yeah! It's Friday! I've always liked Fridays. I guess cuz when I was in school it was the last day of the week and when I worked it was the last day of the week. ha,ha. But for some reason, even though I don't go to school anymore and I don't work (outside of the house) anymore I still like them. Getting moving today and taking the girls to their Mema's house. They will be spending the afternoon there while I take my niece school shopping. I have a 20% off stuff & save bag from Old Navy and it expires today!!!! So, I will have the privelege of reliving the school shopping experience. I miss school shopping. Oh the days when I had a new wardrobe every September. I miss those days - I don't miss actually going to school but I miss the clothes. I have to then squeeze in some grocery shopping, pick up the girls at Mema's, make supper, and then I have a hair appt. at 6:30. Can I do it? I guess it all depends on how long it take a 17 year old girl to pick out new clothes. I could always go to the grocery store after my hair appt. right? Well, I need to get moving so Happy Friday everyone!

Does it ever end?

So, the girls have been sick again. Abby started on Tuesday afternoon. Out of nowhere at 3pm she had a 102.1 fever. I'm starting to wonder about this. Never any other symptoms just fever. The heat and humidity here has been awful. Been staying inside and keeping the girls as comfortable as possible. To make matters worse Abby threw up all over the two of us Tuesday night. Poor Rob got to clean up the mess while Abby and I took a bath to get cleaned up. And then of course her fever spiked again right after the bath. Emma started w/ the fever Wednesday morning. She was completely fine until around 9am and she fell asleep watching Little Bear on t.v. Sure enough, I felt her forehead and she was burning up. I checked her temp and it was 102.6!!!! What is going on?!!! My mom thinks it had something to do w/ them going swimming at a friends house over the weekend. Can you really get sick just from going swimming? Rob had taken them while I worked at the garage sale on Saturday afternoon. Other than the fevers they're o.k. It was Rob's birthday yesterday. He's 32 now. We had a small cake - just the four of us. The girls got him a huge bag full of his favorite munchies - peanuts, slim jims, spicy sausage stuff. He loved it. And we'll be going out to eat and the movies for his birthday. That's planned for the 12th - it was the soonest I could get a sitter for the girls. We so desperately need a night out together. Can't wait. Abby's feeling much better this morning. All she's wanted to do for the past two days is watch Strawberry Shortcake videos. She's so darn cute. I love Strawberry Shortcake so I'm not complaining. Emma's still sleeping at the moment. Poor thing still has a fever. Still going to take it easy today. Had a killer rain storm last night. Didn't do much to cool things off but it'll be a little less hot today. They're saying just in the mid 90's. As far as the lead issue goes, we got the report back - it pretty much just states exactly what the woman told us when she was here. My aunt has already faxed it to a couple of different companies to get estimates. She'll be setting up appts. for the them to come see the house as soon as they review the reports. Just waiting to hear back from them now. Things are looking pretty good. I should probably start taking everything off my walls - less to do later I guess. Still finding stuff to sell at another garage sale. Ahhhh... Clean Sweep, so nice to finally be able to "let go" of some stuff. I can't wait until I can hang up new pictures in the house. Pictures of the family - that's the plan. That's the kind of art I would like on my walls. Still planning it out in my head. Maybe I'll even make some scrapbook pages to frame. That's a thought.