A NO-GO for Molly

After 3 1/2 months and three heartworm tests....Molly will not have to have the hw treatment!!! Her test last month came back with a faint positive and today's test was an even more faint positive....almost a negative. So our vet has recommended not doing the treatment. Saying that she may not even have any female worms in her system (oddly the female worms are the only ones detected by the hw test) and what is there are likely killing off. She'll be tested as her regular yearly test next May and hopefully we'll get the same results then as now. Been a crazy summer dealing with Molly drama. So glad it's turning out this way. Even though the preventitive company agreed to pay for her treatment.....still very glad she doesn't have to go through with it!

Blast from the past. Christmas picture of Molly and I several years ago.....pre-Izy. :-)



Post on Izy soon! ;-)

Already August

So just realized I didn't get a post in for July. Oops...but just a day late.

Isaac and I continue to stay busy. Not sure what all we've been up to....but nonetheless...seems like we're always busy. And we are both ready (as i'm sure everyone else is too) for cooler weather!!!

In just a few weeks...i will officially have a preschooler! Hard to believe for sure and even harder to believe that means kindergarten is a year away. Not looking forward to that day at all.

Jana and I took Katelyn and Isaac to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in Conway earlier this summer. This was the first musical we saw on Broadway almost 20 years ago. We love it and is special just because of that. It was a really nice production of it....just really good! The kids enjoyed it too. I was so glad. Isaac has in fact become a bit obsessed with it. (the music from it imparticular) Hmmm...like mother like son. :-) That's the cd playing in our car and has been since we saw it. He'll tell me to sing #6 when we're no where near the car/cd. I'm like...help me....which one is that. I think he has the numbers down. And we also have the movie so we've watched it a few times since the show too. Of course not as good....but still pretty good. And he'll talk about the numbers during it too. Right after the show...the actor who played Joseph walked over to where we were standing and spoke to us....and especially Isaac...asking him if he was on front row that he had seen him watching. Isaac was thrilled! He even mentioned it out of the blue the other day...that Joseph had spoken to him. And then got the sweetest little grin on his face. Of course that night....he was a little confused and was calling Joseph, Jesus. But now he definitely has it straight. A little bit of deja vu as that fateful night in NYC...after the show I spoke to that Joseph. We have no pictures or proof....just the memory of it. And i didn't get a pic of this Joseph with Isaac either. :-( But such a wonderful feeling...to get to share this special musical that i love with my son. So so happy he loves it too. And that at least for now....he likes musicals like his mommy!

Isaac and I are both excited for our much needed getaway/trip to the beach this week!

Molly is still hanging in there. Since i last posted she had another surgery to remove two more lumps...but neither of them were cancerous. Thank goodness! One was a hybrid cyst. And the other was something more or less caused from the first surgery. She is still wearing an Elizabethian collar because she keeps messing with her leg wound from last surgery. She looks pitiful. :-) I had decided to hold off on starting her treatment until September..when hopefully won't be as hot. She had to go in for another heartworm test last week required by the manufacturer...found out they were going to pay for part of the treatment!!!!! answered prayer! But then her test came back as a faint positive. that is...barely positive. so now...we are back in waiting mode. She will get tested again in a month and then if it is faint again (it was a different vet at the clinic that gave the first one and they did not note if it was faint or not...so can't base it on that) it may be that she won't do treatment at all. The vet feels like that could mean she just has a very few in her system. And with her showing no symptons....and being on preventitive.....they can't reproduce so would be just waiting for those to die. But if it's fully positive....then probably will go ahead and get treatment. Even though she likely doesn't have very many...the treatment is still the same unfortunately. But at least for me anyway...a bit less of a worry/stress during it...not as many to get rid of...not as many to potentially cause a clot, etc... What a crazy rollercoaster ride I've been on the past two months with Molly.


Here's a recent picture of my silly boy. (yes...he is getting big)


And a picture of Molly with her collar on.

Barely even summer yet

I heard on a commercial last week that it was the last full week of Spring. I guess since it has been so hot....I had forgotten it wasn't even summer yet. For that reason only I must admit i'm glad baseball season is over. It was SO much fun watching Isaac and cheering for him and his teammates. Really a lot of fun! Looking forward to next year already. I think we are going to try soccer in the fall. We'll see how that goes.

I know plenty of things happen for a reason. And even though i can see that plainly.....doesn't mean i always have to really like it. :-). I think i posted earlier about how excited I was to jog a 5k in Tulsa in July. It's a Dillon (adoption agency) 5K. My dad and i were to do it together. Well......did i mention July? Even though it wasn't even summer yet....I've already gotten too hot. Of all places at work...at an outdoor event. Granted it was very very hot. But good grief....so embarrassing! My doctor has SUGGESTED that i not do the 5K in July. I know it's probably the right thing....to skip it. But sure makes me sad. That race was/is special just because of what it represents. This was going to be THE race i did before turning 40. But i guess it wasn't meant to be. Officially i have jogged a complete 5K before hitting 40 and that was in May at the Woman Can Run 5K. So fast forward to June and now i know why i was able to jog that whole thing. Even though......still wishing i could do the Dillon one......i am still happy and blessed that i could at least do the one in May. So regardless...goal was met i guess. And now just to keep finding the time to keep jogging. Trying to figure out if we can do the St. Jude race in December, but not sure if it's going to work out or not.

This is the the first year I can mow with Izy at home. He entertains himself outside close by when i am mowing. Sounds silly probably...but is not....is actually a very huge thing. No more having to take off early to mow, schedule mowing for weekends when Izy would be at my parents. It's really hard to 'schedule' mowing.

We are set to see Cars 2 this Friday night! We've been looking forward to it for months well and especially since we started seeing it advertise. Izy knows right down to what kind of drink he wants. :-) I guess it will be a Mommy & Izy date night. Will be fun! Is so much fun doing things with my little Izy bug!

Been an interesting last several weeks to say the least. From some of the drama mentioned above to Molly.....my 7 1/2 year old beagle-bassett dog....who before Isaac came along.....was for all accounts my baby. :-) I hesitate posting this....but I guess I will. Molly went in for her routine yearly checkup and shots and in a matter of minutes i found out she had a tumor likely cancerous and also that she was heartworm positive. (even though she was on preventive meds). Needless to say....i was very distraught. Surgery and biopsy were scheduled the following week. And then another week+ passed before i got the results. Seemed like forever....i know i read online every chance i got about cancers in dogs and heartworms and treatments for both. Sounds strange maybe since i am talking about my dog...but the unknown was scary and the reading really just made it worse probably because i still didn't know anything. AFter what seemed like forever i got the biopsy results back and found out it was a mast cell tumor stage 1 which was the best news as far as it being cancerous i could have gotten. The vet thinks he got it all and now just have to monitor her more closely for any lumps, etc... So then we could finally discuss treatment for heartworms...which up until then.....that wasn't even being discussed until we knew what were facing with the cancer. She was supposed to start treatment last week for heartworms...but Molly is really allergy-prone and in the summer itches really bad and has to have steroid shots periodically to help with it and she was just miserable...because she didn't get to get one when she had her rabies shots, etc....and then if starting the hw treatment she wouldn't have gotten to get one then either...so i opted to postpone the start of the treatment (had to be 2 weeks) so she could get some relief and get a shot and feel better. Now she's been taking benadryl 3 times a day...so is fairly relaxed and not itching too bad. Now treatment will start next week. I am so nervous about it. It's really a scary/bad deal. Not to go into all the details (as i already pretty much have on everything else)...but she will get injections and then have to stay confined and not get excited or exercise or anything like that for 2 months. Molly's not as excitable as she used to be...but for those of you who know her...know she has her tail-spinning thing. So a little worried about that. She'll have to only go outside on the leash. Yes...that means even at her (during the night) times....ugh. Anyway....don't want to wish the summer away...but am wishing this goes by faster than i think it's going to and is not too painful or stressful on Molly (or me) and we get through it and Molly is all well!! My dad has sorta volunteered to help with Molly-detail....keeping her some too so i don't have to work from home every day. I would appreciate any prayers or good thoughts on this ordeal we'll be starting next week. :-)

Little Slugger

So couldn't help sharing this video from a few games ago. So proud of our Mets boys. They are playing well and I believe having fun. Tonight we won. Isaac and I talked about the game afterwards and agreed that if both teams tried hard/played well and had fun....then really no one loss. And he said Mommy....I have an idea (which is his standard).......we can win this time and the Cubs can win next time. I thought that was pretty good. I told Isaac he needed to pay attention during the game or i was afraid he was going to get hit by a ball......at one point i looked out in the field and he was facing the fence squatted down on his hands with his rear-end up in the air. he's done many things out there from sitting down to laying down to playing in grass/dirt to wanting Coach Brian (his outfield Buddy) to sing Wheels on the Bus with him (yes...true story).....but this was the first time for this stance. :-)



He was safe.....just hit in the 5th run so inning was over. :-)

Basketball

Isaac had his Shine Time TOT basketball season-ending performance over the weekend. Here are a few pictures.

Not participating.....a LITTLE nervous and not quite sure about being in front of the large crowd.


Here we go.....a little dribbling action.


All smiles afterwards with his trophy!

Picture of Isaac and me after the race. I'm wearing the visor Izy made and gave me after race.

555555555KKKKKKKKK

On one of my first posts on this blog first part of the year I mentioned some things I was hoping to accomplish this year. One of them was jogging in a 5K before i turn 40 later this year. I did it!!!! Last weekend was the Woman Can Run 5K in Conway. I had been going to the clinic this spring when i could...but even when due to scheduling conflicts i couldn't go...i kept up with the training schedule. I wasn't worried about time. And it's a good thing......as i really jog super-slow. :-) As it was even a few minutes slower than i was hoping for. Oh well.....i jogged the whole thing. And maybe next time i can cut a minute or so off. We'll see. Really great feeling of accomplishment since the last time I did the clinic was 5 years ago and at the end i wasn't ready to jog a whole 5K. But that summer kept 'training' and was ready definitely in October for the Race for the Cure. But oh my gosh....why didn't i realize that unless you are really a serious runner there is really no way you can 'jog' in the pack of 50,000. I was very very disappointed....can't even put into words. And was upset with myself for being disappointed too since i knew that's not what the race was all about. Then came 2007 and ISAAC! And now fast-forward to 2011 and knew if i was going to do it....had to be this year. My parents and Izy were all there at the finish line.....which was really nice! Even though i could barely breathe......i grabbed onto Izy and held my sweet bug! That was how I envisioned it! Bless his heart he knew mommy was jogging and he had been a part of the clinics and prep work....having to let someone else watch him at times so i could do it. And when i'd come to pick him up at school and be sweaty or in my 'other' clothes...he'd say...mommy did you jog? :-) Love that boy!

Up next is a 5K that i wanted to do the minute I first heard of it back in 2007. The Dillon 5K race in Tulsa for the children. Very excited to be a part of that! And my dad is planning to do it with me. He will walk and he walks faster than i jog. I know....sad but true. Hopefully we can meet halfway in the middle. :-)

I have a picture of Isaac and me after the race that i can hopefully post later.

Three Amigos

Earlier this month Isaac and I traveled to Arizona (first airplane ride for Izy since coming home from Vietnam) to visit our forever family friends. Ruth & Izzy live in Arizona and Susan & Teo from New Mexico also met there. Our three families hadn't seen each other since June 2009. So this was the second time since Vietnam. On this visit we also got to see Izzy's Aunt Debbie from California who traveled to Vietnam and finally got to meet Izzy's Bubba who also lives in AZ.

We had a great visit and all agreed we need to try and get together more often. So special watching our three kiddos play together, laugh together and just hang-out. And fun for the moms to get to spend time together too...for sure.

Isaac and I are so blessed by these forever friends....who because of that very very special 2 weeks we shared together.....are also family to us!

Turns out I didn't take that many pictures for some reason. But posting a few cute ones that i did get of Teo, Izzy, and Izy!

Baseball Season is Here!

Isaac's 6U team the Mets had their first game of the season on Friday night. They fought hard, but ended up losing by one run in extra innings. Isaac got to bat twice. Both times he hit the ball solid from the tee on his first swing. But he got out both times at first. The opposing team was pretty good at getting runners out at first. The first time up after Izy hit the ball, and everyone was shouting 'RUN', he made a semi-mad dash towards the pitcher's mound. By the time he was headed to first...was too late. The second time....he started off more in the direction of first base.

Out in the field.....well...let's just say I was happy and proud that he went out there each time he was supposed to. I had told him that it was ok if he got dirty playing baseball If you know my son...you know he LOVES to change clothes for any little reason especially when the tiniest bit dirty!! I told him getting dirty was ok because that's what baseball players did....it meant they were playing hard, etc... So as he's standing out in the field....i think he did everything but pay attention to the opposing team batting......He hung out (closely standing by) a little buy on our team. Isaac poured dirt on his own uniform. I think he spit some. And gave the other little boy high-fives with his glove. No balls really went in his vicinity. But again...i was happy that he was just out there willingly. :-)

We will get better at trying to pay attention i'm sure. But for a barely 4 year old...i guess it's not too exciting.....a lot of the time. All that said....it sure was fun watching Isaac and his team play ball. So fun to cheer for the little guys! Here's to a great baseball season where the boys all have fun!!!

Sharing a few pics of my little Met on his very first baseball game. Next game is tomorrow night! :-)


A pre-game snack!


Waiting for the game to start.





Out in the field.




Post-game snack.

So long 3

It's been a long while since I last posted. Isaac and I have been busy just with our regular routine. Plus this Spring we've added t-ball to the mix. Plus I'm trying to do the Woman Can Run clinic again. I first did it in 2006 and was determined to do it again this year....ever so slowly....in prep for being able to do that 5k.

Isaac is the youngest on his t-ball team. He's not really even old enough to play. They take a handful of 4 year olds (being 4 before May 1st). He's of course not really even sure what's going on out there. After the first two practices.....i was a little stressed i guess. Trying to remind myself he's not even 4 yet. So my biggest hope then was that he would just try really hard to pay attention to the coaches and listen. And have fun. He knows how to hit the ball somewhat. But catching is a different story. After Friday's practice......we were both so excited. Isaac especially when everyone was telling him good job. And when smiling...he told me...mommy i paid attention.... i listened. I was so proud....because he did...he really did. And was more himself....talked and had fun. Season starts in less than two weeks. One thing i know is....my little baseball player is going to be one cute little fella out there in his bright orange jersey! :-) And hopefully he will have fun and maybe learn a few things.....that will help him next year. And did i mention.....his team is the METS! What are the chances of that.

The good practice on Friday and so many other little things are reminders to me that my baby boy is growing up ever so quickly. And i'm not so sure i like that. I told him one day that i would probably cry when he started kindergarten...so he mentions that almost every day. Mommy are you going to cry when i start kindergarten. I say Yes...probably. Why mommy? :-)

Today as i type is the last day/evening that my little bug will be 3. That's right...tomorrow Izy will turn 4! WOW! He has promised me though that he will still be my little bug even when he turns 4. That's good.......really good. 4 sounds so much older than 3 doesn't it? Or maybe it's just me. I can't believe he will be 4. Time sure does go by so fast. Tomorrow Izy gets to chew gum for the first time. Well..sorta. thanks again Ninna. :-( That has been our deal. Long time ago i told him he couldn't have gum until he was 4 and it stuck. So i kept with it. Figured that was ok. He understands and will tell you what you do with gum when you are done with it and what you do not do. I know i know...all his little friends have probably been chewing it since they were 2. But like i said that was something he agreed on when i said it so we just kept it that way. Anyway.....we will have some gum tomorrow to celebrate.

With all the curveballs life throws you, all the uncertainties, all the stresses with work and everything......i try and remember to remind myself that bottom line is...i'm blessed. When you have a bad day.....you really have to remind yourself. But bottom line is....i am blessed....still blessed and always blessed to have this little angel-boy in my life and I get to be his mommy! God is good!

Here are a few recent pictures to share.

New Buzz Lightyear jammies.


Best pirate face.


Ready for baseball tryouts.


WAITING for the ball to come to him at baseball tryouts.


Taking a swing at baseball tryouts.


Eating dinner with celebration plate....celebrating the last night being a 3 year old.


Helping with birthday party favors. Last picture as a three-year-old.

Snow Days 2011

After being at home the past three days....with hopefully the last round of snow this year.....I think i may actually be ready for spring! Was able to work for the most part from home. Isaac did good. Very good considering everything. Not such a great feeling though....being at home and needing to work and also needing/wanting to spend time with the bug. But we survived. Even if the week did end in a trip to the doctor with an ear infection diagnosis and a marathon attempt to get his medicine. Oh well.....it all worked out. Thanks for the ride and company Papa!

A few pictures from our last few days.

Molly the Pirate and Isaac bonding.


mmmm.......not so hot-cocoa.



Izy sitting in box of Christmas bags I've yet to put up....while I'm working next to him in office.


Orange home-made gummi worms, fish, sea turtles, & octi.



Exhausted after working at home with mommy. Naptime in firetruck bed. And i might add the first time ever to sleep in firetruck bed.


Finally getting to go out and play in the snow!




Throwing snow at Mommy!


And of course in honor of valentine's day....tropical fusion gummi hearts.


Izy-approved.

Do-Ra-Me

Tried to post this to FB....but i don't think it's ever going to let me. Too cute not to share!

Crafty fun

Pictures from some recent (and on-going) craft projects.


Prep work. Breaking crayons getting them ready to melt.



Finished product. Beautiful heart-shaped swirly-color crayons...just in time for Valentine's day. Hope the kiddos at school like them.



A fun octupus made out of toliet paper roll. I did most of this one. But next time Izy will and we may even be brave and attempt to paint it. :-)

Lots of Glitter

We experimented tonight with glitter on a Valentine craft project I found online. Making Valentine cards using cookie cutters, glue, and glitter. Isaac did great! We both enjoyed it. A little ways into it he informed me he did use glitter at school....which i knew that was right and just forgot. Before we were done...he had opened what was left of one of the tubes of glitter and poured it on his shirt/pants. I'm surprised that that surprised me. :-) I'll get it all vaccuumed up tomorrow. No worries.....it was a fun, useful project and we still have a few weeks before the V day to practice some of the letters of his name....to maybe add to the cards.

Izy has been a little sniffly and coughing the past few days and seems to be worse tonight. He acted like he felt ok....and i kept asking him if he could breathe out of his nose. He kept saying yes..like i was crazy or something for asking. Thinking we may need more than just benadryl now though.

We always 'talk' when we lay down for bed. There has not been one night i bet in the past year or longer where Isaac hasn't said he wanted to talk or can we talk or let's talk or we're going to talk, etc... Really what he means is that he wants me to talk to him. He will answer questions, etc.... But i have to be the driver....which is fine. Usually i'm sooo tired. BUT...it is really too sweet that he wants to do this. We usually talk about what we did that day or what we're going to do the next day or anything upcoming or things like that. Tonight though I gave him a quiz on states....because earlier in the night when we were crafting and watching American Idol he heard Ryan say 'Tennessee'. And he looked at me and said...'Tennessee.....that's where Haley lives'. Haley is a new friend of his. Aunt Heather's niece...whom Isaac played with just one evening......before Christmas.....but he talks about her often. It's really sweet. He knew we lived in Arkansas and Aunt Marty lived in Texas. I had to remind him Ruth & Izzy lived in Arizona and Susan & Teo lived in New Mexico. For some reason he is obsessed with Utah. I have no idea why. He always mentions Utah when he sees a map of the US or states are mentioned or anything that reminds him of it. I don't know where he ever even heard of Utah. I don't think i ever mentioned it. Not sure if he heard it at school or something and maybe just likes the way it sounds or something. Was trying to explain the difference...well...not really the difference in town/state.....just that we live in AR, but we also live in a town within. Sometimes I hear myself saying these things to Izy and i am like yeah...right. I'm not even convincing myself that what i'm saying makes sense...how is my 3 year old going to get that. Oh well....again......that's just more of us 'talking' before we go nite nite. :-)

Finished product....

TOT

Isaac has been doing a program at school called Teams of Tomorrow (TOT). It's a program where the kiddos learn different basketball skills, motor development, etc... It's incorporated with music and different educational material. Tonight was the big performance at the Greenbrier gym. The first of their two performances this year. Back in August when i heard they would be performing at halftime of a basketball game.....i honestly couldn't picture my little 3 year old doing it....let alone even getting out on the court. BUT.....nervous and excited as he was...he did it!!! Isaac was out there with all the other little kiddos. They all did soooo good. Such a fun and entertaining show for all who were there to watch. Isaac mostly just stood or sat there on his red dot. But here and there he did a few of the tricks. Nonetheless.....I was so happy to see him out there! And was a fun evening!

Pictures of performance didn't turn out at all really.


But got this cute one after the performance.


And at Moo Moo's afterwards with his sweet little friend Lily. They've been friends at daycare since they were a year old. Here they are watching video of the big performance! :-)


And a trip to Moo Moo's wouldn't be complete without a horse ride.

Short weekends and sweet little boy

Why is it that the weekends always seem so short?! We had a nice weekend....but was just way too short. Didn't get to sleep in Saturday morning as i was so hoping. Did a very little bit of house work. Then a few games and a craft project. Next a birthday party to go to and grocery shopping. Isaac can now say he is not scared of anything at the Jump Zone. He has mastered all bouncy houses....the last being the mighty octopus (ship). He went down it 3 times! Sunday morning we actually made it church in Atkins and on-time. I was so proud of Isaac. This was the first week of religion classes/sunday school at church, and he let me leave his classroom immediately after start time and stayed in there the whole time without me having to be there with him! That's huge! Next week may be a different story...but i am hopeful and thinking this was the biggie. Now he knows he can do it and I think he did enjoy his class!

This little boy is all-boy....so was kinda funny when Kiddieville printed me off a picture of Isaac on Friday dressing up in a dress at school. My sweet boy. Is it possible for him to get sweeter every day?! (Oh...he's still 3 and we still have our moments....but the sweetness far outweighs THE MOMENTS). Now he has started this thing where when he wants something....he says...in the sweetest voice. PLEEEASSSSSE mommy.....PLEEEAASSSEE.......PRETTY PLEASSSSSEEE......WITH SUGAR ON TOP. (course i know where he's heard that) But is sooo much sweeter sounding coming from my sweet little boy than when i say it to him. That definitely puts a big smile in my heart. And so many other things he does and says. As he talks about daily, he's almost 4. He can't wait to reach that milestone so he can chew gum. (that's just what i told him way back when....and he accepted it....so i stuck with it. i know everyone else is already chewing gum and has been for a long while) But 4....that seems crazy to me that it's even possible for my Izy Bug to be that old. I want to just bottle up some of his sweetness and laughs and giggles and tight tight hugs and sweet kisses. :-)

Our saturday craft project - twizzler/cheerio bracelet.


Creating his masterpiece :-)

Welcome 2011

Wow...didn't think I would be able to post something on the first day of the new year. But the blog is up. Still a work in progress...but nonetheless is up. Wish I had someone that was really good at this kind of thing to set it all the way up for me. Oh well. -)

This year as with all other years I have the typical resolutions such as to lose weight. Maybe/hopefully this year I'll actually be able to accomplish that. But had a few other important ones this year as well. Jog(slowly) a 5k before i turn 40. YIKES! Get more organized. The new blog is a result of the getting more organized one i think. Hoping this will help in some way and that i can post at least a few times per week. Isaac does and says the funniest things and thinking maybe if i can jot them down here at least i won't forget. And lastly (but not really last) do more fun and quality things with my Izy boy!

Hope you'll check in from time to time and visit our blog.

Happy New Year 2011!


Why is it that when i say open your eyes he always seems to do the opposite.