Tuesday, July 27, 2010

our second cast...it's green!

we went from pink to green last week.  molly's first cast fell off her arm at the daycare on wednesday.  it was quite the scene...just completely fell off her arm!  we went to the doctor on thursday and he did want it recast-ed for a week to promote further healing.  so i just wanted to document her color scheme, even without her cooperating for pictures! ha!

Monday, July 26, 2010

grandma

my grandmother is 88 years old.
she is one of my favorite people of all time!
her doctor recently took her driver's license away from her because
of a recent episode in the car where she got lost and drove around for 3 hours
and ended up an hour away from home
in a gas station 
at 11:00 at night!
I've known he was going to do this for a while, but didn't know how to tell her.
a car marks independence
she said she's been driving since she was 12 years old
i wouldn't doubt it
she was the oldest of 11 kids, she probably had major responsibilities at 12 years old
so when the doctor gave me this paperwork to send to the state department of safety i just 'sat' on them
hoping it would go away.
but, this weekend mom and i told her she couldn't drive
the department of transportation expects her to send in her drivers license within 20 days
when i told her that her doctor said she couldn't drive anymore 
 she called him a jackass!
it was priceless!
she still has spunk!!

Sunday, July 25, 2010

america, we've got talent!


who needs silverware when you have crayons??

a friendly reminder

Christmas, it's only 5 months away...are you ready?

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

thanks everyone!

thank you all for your prayers and kind emails.  i'm at home and doing well after my procedures on tuesday morning.  they removed some endometriosis and an ovarian cyst.  i'm feeling good, but very sore in my abdominal area.  we stayed with mom for two days, but by this afternoon molly was really confused and was ready to go home!  so we came home, bathed, had story time, and she was ready for bed.  she was so happy to be home!  she just squealed and squealed when we drove in the driveway!

this afternoon molly's cast fell off her arm in the middle of daycare!  it was so shocking and kind of funny.  all the kids just said..."molly's arm came off"!  i guess 10 days is all it needed!  we wrapped it up and put a sock over it just to protect it b/c i know it is sore.  but it looked pretty good, but still needs to heal a lot.  i know she feels better not having to carry that heavy cast around!

so next week i will have a follow up appt. and the following week molly will have a follow up appt. and we should be finished with doctors for a while!

Sunday, July 18, 2010

more doctors and a "little" surgery

this time it's my turn for a surgery.  Tuesday morning I will go into the hospital to have a laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, and a D&C to find out if I have endometriosis.  For years the doctor has suspected I do, but I've been able to manage the pain each month sufficiently.  Recently it has become worse and I've also had break through bleeding between cycles which is a symptom.  When I recently has a pelvic exam the doctor said my uterus doesn't feel smooth like it should which could also be a sign or symptom that I have endo. 

Endometriosis is when your 'girl parts' rust from the inside out!  The scary part about it is that if the endometriosis continues to grow out of control it can attach itself to other organs and cause damage.  So Tuesday morning my doctor will be able to see what is going on inside of me and I'll be anxious to hear a good report.  The D&C will be able to "clean up" the inside of my uterus if it is in fact growing in there.  If it is growing outside of the uterus she can remove some of it, depending on where it is located.  She said she has to be careful not to damage other organs (colon, bladder, etc.) by trying to remove what may be already attached  to something.  Sounds a bit tricky, but I have the best doctor and I know she will be great!

I've been a bit nervous to hear the results for the last two weeks just because of what else it could be...why does your mind take you there?  I honestly could handle hearing about anything except...'you have cancer'.   She didn't lead me to think it could be and I'm sure it isn't.  But, people in my family tend to go in for procedures and come out hearing about the big "C". 

So I'm getting the house all cleaned up and organized before I pack Molly and myself up for a little getaway at mom's house.  I'll be staying with mom for a few days because I can't pick up Molly for 24-48 hours after the procedure is done.  I didn't think I'd feel like shampooing the carpets and doing deep cleaning after this, so I've been busy this weekend.  I wanted the house to be all clean when we come back home later this week.  Thanks for your kind thoughts and prayers for me on Tuesday!!

Friday, July 16, 2010

another cast off...one to go!

Today marked one week since Molly's surgery.  The doctor said that after one week I could removed the "soft cast" that was on her foot.  I was going to leave it on unless Molly complained about it, but after her nap today she woke up and seemed irritated at it.  So off it went...she's suffered long enough.

here's a look back to the progression:
first we had three "casts"...one real, hard cast on your right hand and two soft casts.  You "chewed" through the cast on your left hand after the first night.  Those two fingers have healed nicely this week and have not seemed to bother you at all.  We've kept band aids on them all week. 

Next you had your total right side "casted", but it did not slow you down at all!  By Sunday (after your Friday surgery) you were running around like normal.  The only thing you missed was water play and bathtime.  We have stayed in a lot this week because it has been so hot outside! 
Today after I "de-casted" your right foot we soaked your feet and put band aids on and tennis shoes that are about 1.5 sizes too big.  You were so happy!
Molly helped with the process and seemed to love every minute of it!
Fruit chews help to distract you a bit.
Lots of layers...
a little foot soak...this must have felt so good!  (oops, didn't realize you got your pink cast wet!  bad mommy!)  You had a little rash all around your ankle that was very itchy.  So the water felt really good.
You kept looking down at your feet, like what just happened??
After all of this you wanted me to take the pink cast off too!  So smart!  But, sorry the doctor will have to take care of that one!   I'm so glad you are healing and feeling so well!  You are so tough and brave to have gone through so much in 7 days...or really 22 months! ha!

{Now, I realize I'm switching my voice around in these blog posts between talking to you, my readers and talking straight to Molly.  I guess she will eventually be reading these one day so it is all really for her, but I keep switching.  Sorry if that is confusing...you get the point!}

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Upcoming CSN Store Product Review


I'm thrilled to be able to do a review for CSN Stores! CSN Stores has over 200 different stores to choose from and over 1 million items, including beautiful dining room tables, children's furniture, and cookware! They offer competitive pricing that you can't find on other retail online stores. Their vision is to be a household brand name, and I'd say they are pretty close as they are in the top 3 online U.S. retailers of home and office goods!

You may remember way back after the holidays I was able to do another review for them.  This time my review is for something for a certain little girl living in my home now...let's just say she has a big birthday coming up and I had no problem finding something on one of their toy websites that I knew she'd love!  So stay tuned for a great reviewz

So, I can't wait to show you what I chose to review from CSN Stores...stay tuned!

Monday, July 12, 2010

Today I "bathed" Molly and washed her hair while she laid across the kitchen counters.  I was curious as to how she would respond to this new "sponge" bathing technique we will be using for two more weeks, but she did really well. I put her in a cute and comfy outfit that I bought for this occasion...doesn't everyone need pretty lounge wear when they are recovering from surgery??? 

With her hair all clean, a new outfit, and a new bow she must have felt like a new woman!!  She continues to do really well and plays here and there all day long. 

Sunday, July 11, 2010

healing...

everything is going well with molly.  she is healing nicely and hasn't seemed to be in any pain since surgery.  she is ms. independent, as most toddlers are, and has found a way to walk pretty well even with her casts weighting her down on one side of her body.  one bandage, on her left hand, was just wrapped to help healing and wasn't a full cast.  the dr. wanted it to stay on for at least a week but i walked in to get her this morning and she had taken it off:(  her fingers look really good on that hand.  that is the hand he only had to separate two fingers (her middle and ring) from the bottom.  they were already separated on the top.  so it was the least invasive procedure and appears to be healing.  i have been able to keep a band aid on them today and she kisses them frequently! ha!!  she is determined to eat by herself, so not that hand is free she is able to pick up and hold things better.  although i tried to insist she let me feed her to keep the fingers clean, she just wouldn't go for it!

yesterday we had lots of visitors and molly loved the extra attention.  today is just me and her.  i'm trying to take advantage of these moments to build attachment and continue to teach her to trust me and depend on me, as her mom and not just run to anybody to satisfy her needs.  she's usually pretty good at that but when she is overwhelmed by adults she tends to go to anybody. 

aunt nancy getting some molly time in yesterday!  molly LOVES nancy, she is our neighbor, not really our aunt but it just seems appropriate.  
today, getting around nicely on her own.
happiness!
as you can see molly is very fashion conscious!  here she is sporting her new bracelets from aunt ambre.  

now i'll give you a little glimpse of the wonderful pictures i have from our photo shoot with Angela Crutcher.  She is a wonderful photographer and if you live in the Nashville area I highly recommend her!
  You may have noticed the picture on the wall to the right.  This is one of them...so adorable!  Here is a closer look:
and this is one in my foyer
there are so many more, but these two are the big sizes I ordered and you can see them pretty well with a picture.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Surgery Day

Molly's surgery went very well today.  We got to the hospital this morning at 9am and her surgery started at noon.  It lasted about 3 hours and she was in recovery for about an hour.  We were home by 4:30 p.m. and now she is resting in bed.  I hope she sleeps well tonight, but just in case it's a difficult night I'm heeading to bed also to et some sleep earlier than usual. 

She is very confused as to why she has a cast on each hand and her foot.  She is very sad about it and they are so heavy and uncomfortable  they have constrained her mobility quite a bit.  She will keep the casts and bandages on for 2 weeks and then she will enjoy some much deserved freedom when we have them all removed! 
Total cuteness before surgery!!
She was not happy with all of the doctors/nurses coming in before surgery

Finally at home...trying to rest comfortably

These are some quick videos I shot before surgery.  She was so cute and funny after they gave her the 'funny' medicine I had to capture it.  The battery on my camera died, but I had my flip with me so I did document some of the day.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

when your day doesn't go as planned...

i intended to say home today and prepare for molly's surgery tomorrow
but then i swayed myself into going out shopping...you know just for a few things thinking we would be confined to the house for a while
i received molly's pictures from the photo shoot last month
all i can say is...gorgeous!  
now i have lots of great pictures and fewer walls than i thought to display them!
i needed some frames of certain sizes and i thought i could work on hanging them while we are 'house confined' this weekend.
so i got molly all dressed up (of course) and off we went to shop.
i didn't plan on staying gone all day...but one thing lead to another and all i can say is i spent too much and somehow came home with even more pictures than i already had!!!!!!!!
she obviously just had her pictures taken a month ago and i spent way too much...but am sure i'll do it again.  the photographer coming to the house was so worth it, really.
but today i was reeled in by the $9.95 sign at one of those photo places near a mall.
molly was looking rather cute and was in a good mood and i thought i'll just walk in and see if they can take her picture in this cute dress b/c after tomorrow she will have both hands and one foot all bandaged up.  
and so i did, they did, and i did ...spend more than $9.95...but not more than my monthly mortgage so i'm keeping it in perspective!
now i have about 387 pictures to frame, put in albums, and send to friends and family {who already have started accumulating their fair share of Molly pictures}
the professional pictures are breathtaking and i don't have images i can post on the computer for you to see, but they are exactly what i wanted to capture our life at home.  total perfection.
the pictures today are just relaxed, off the cuff, in a "staged" setting, not usually my top pick for pictures, but still gorgeous...i think it's the subject in the pictures
i'm so in love!
if you are around her for any amount of time you will know why.
she's all my dreams come true.
now you can take a look and see why i couldn't leave any of these behind...

if you are a family member...don't worry you have plenty of pictures coming to you! ha!  if you are not related, but would like to join the "Molly fan club"...please sign up by leaving a comment and I'll have an autographed picture to you soon.  Seriously...when I got home I looked at all of this compilation of pictures and thought "what was i thinking"?  i guess you can count it off as a new mother thing.  i don't want my home to become a shrine...but, we got lots o' pictures!  i'm just sayin'!!!

so now, my little model is nestled in bed getting her much needed sleep before her surgery tomorrow morning.  I'll update as soon as we are settled in at home.  I better start doing everything on my list that did not get accomplished this morning!  It's going to be a late night!!
Pray for my baby tomorrow...surgery is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. and should last about 3 hours.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

lunchtime

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Happy 4th!

Happy Independence Day!
We are having a fun weekend with friends, neighbors, and family.  We kicked off the holiday Friday night with fireworks, hot dogs, homemade ice cream, and 4th of July cake thanks to my wonderful neighbors!!  I wondered what Molly's reaction would be to her first fireworks show...

She stayed close to mom or me, but otherwise enjoyed the show.  She never cried  from the noise at all!  Such a trooper!
She was up way past her bedtime, but of course who could sleep with the party going on in your own yard?  She loves parties, entertainment, company of any kind! 
We had quite a show...
this was fun..it is a kind of lantern that "floated" through the night sky when it was lit.  we were a little concerned it may land and cause a {small} fire, but we assume the flame went out and all is well!

tomorrow we are continuing the celebration with my grandmother who is 88 years old and quite the firecracker herself!

We have other reasons to celebrate this weekend too!  Yesterday Molly got her Certificate of Citizenship from the Department of Homeland Security!  Now I can apply for her social security card and birth certificate.  More paperwork...but I'm so happy to be at this point!  One thing I did to celebrate her US citizenship was to request a US flag be flown over the US capitol on May 13th (the day we came home from China and the official day Molly became a citizen)  and I also requested a Tennessee State flag to be flown over our state capital on May 13th.  We have received both of those flags, neatly folded, with an official certificate stating the flags had been flown in Molly's honor on May 13th.  Anybody can request a flag to be flown for any occasion on either the state or national level. You just have to contact your Governors office or your State Senator's office in DC.  You can do both of these requests online if you are interested...just google it!  So I have placed the flags in her special keepsake chest along with all of the mementos from China that I will gradually show her throughout her childhood.  I want her to know that while we honor and cherish her homeland of China, she is an American now and she joins a whole country of citizens who are lucky to have freedom!

Today is our second month anniversary!  It's hard to believe we have only been together for two months because I can't imagine my life without her any more!  She's doing so great and adjusting very well to our new normal. 

We are only 6 days away from her surgery and I'm not looking forward to it, but yet will be glad to have it over with.  I hope you and your family have a great holiday!
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