8 is great!

Cristian is officially 8, well, as of 2 days ago. His birthday party was Saturday after the game. Most of the kiddos from basketball went and Vidal's dad and family and my mom and grandmother came. It was a nice, small birthday and so much less stressful than some of his other parties. The moms of the kiddos from basketball are all SOOOOO nice. It's a really great group this year. His birthday was Monday and we took him out to lunch. Honestly, I felt rather bad for him because his daddy worked all day and just got back right before bed time. Logey had to go on his machine early because we were going to Corpus the next day. His present that i ordered didn't get here in time. I think it just felt like any other day to him. We also had to get Logey's blood work done that day. I think when his present comes in the mail I will go get him some sushi and make him a cake and we can relive his 8th birthday. As an adult we're used to our birthdays being just any other day but for a kiddo that's not fun.

piece of cake on his actual birthday.

some of the kiddos at his partyhis Pokemon birthday cakeone of the gifts from his friend Bryce.

Ack, this pic is sideways, Oh well.

One of those good mama days

Today I feel like I had a good mama day. I fed the kids lunch, took my dad my old phone that he wanted to give my dad's boss's son, and then took the little people to the park. They had a really good time. We went last Monday too. Then we came home and got them in the tub and Logey on his feeding tube since he's decided again that eating is for the birds. I even pumped a few times in there again since he is too cool to eat with his mouth. I made dinner and did ALL of my dishes. Even the ones I was hiding in the dishwasher. I feel very accomplished today. I even put up like 1/12 of the clothes I need to fold and put away. Baby steps, right? One day I hope to grow up and be a real mom that his is all together. The weather has been awesome lately! We've been in the 70s-80s with a nice breeze. All of this nice weather makes me want to get started on a garden. i'm sure I'll love it and enjoy it until it's summer and too darn hot to be outside. I also took Logey to his first solo Gymboree class last week. He loved it! I'm hoping I can start taking him every week if his health stays well. Next week I'm starting to go to a Bible study hosted by one of the mamas from HOPE and I'm really excited about it. I've been feeling like I need some ME time so hopefully this will help. We are also starting co-op soon so that should be fun. I'm looking forward to it too. I like being out and about--most of the time anyway. I'm just hoping Logan doesn't give us any surprises in there. Tomorrow we have an appt with Social Security to review his case. That's kind of terrifying. Before I had Logan I always wondered why they would give you Social Security for a child who obviously wasn't working before. How terribly judgemental of me! Now I get it. Well, I'm off to go do more grown up things like MORE laundry. But, on the good hand, I can the Bachelor while i do it. Jason makes folding laundry SOOOOO much more exciting! Here's a pic of Logan enjoying our day at the park.

11 months old!

Chance meeting?

A few minutes ago I went to answer my door after 2 rings. I was thinking it was probably our mailman. So I took Logan to the door since he had been nursing and answered it and saw a new mail lady bringing our packages. (Thanks Regina! Logey loves his pacis and wow at the amount of books!) Well she says, "Oh, are you trading me that beautiful baby for your packages?" And I told her, "well I would but he's a lot of work." And she said, "oh, I can handle anything, I have a 12 year old." And I said, "well, he's a sweetie, but, he's on dialysis." And she said, "Why is that sweet baby on dialysis?" Anyway, so the conversation goes on and on and apparently her mother had diabetes and was on peritoneal dialysis and died of an infection of her catheter. She said, "Too bad my kidney's too big our I would give you one." And I said, "Well actually when he gets a kidney at 10 kg, they'll be giving him an adult kidney." She said, "well let me know, I would love to give him one." And I told her he was A+. She said she was O+ and so would likely be a match. Get this, her name is Lilli. If we ever have a girl our plan was to name her Lily after my grandma. I was talking to Marilee and didn't get the significance until she said, what was her name again? I literally got chills.

Splish, Splash

We're having fun in the bath! Logey got the okay to take baths so long as his catheter is never submerged and it's only on days we have to change it anyway (3 times a week). So, he took a bath and then followed that by a shower and had SOOOOOO much fun! He wasn't scared or anything. Maybe it's because he was born in the water. Who knows? Anyway, here's a pic. I can't believe he's almost 11 months old. This year has gone by crazy fast. He is now at almost 17 lbs. My goal for him is 18 1/2 lbs by his first birthday which is 5 weeks away (?!?!?!?!) so he had best get to eating. He's now over whatever little tummy bug rocked our boat eating like crazy and not puking so hopefully he can make my goal. Come on 22 lbs!

Santa pic

I added more Christmas pics since Christmas got away from me. I decided here was as good as any place to put them. Spring seems much more calm so far.

Logey bear in his Christmas PJs.

The big boys enjoying some Christmas "sprite"--okay, so it's really sparkling apple something or other.

Big boys with their Nativity they painted for Tia Pancha

Leave it to my boys to have to pee outside while looking at Christmas lights.

Our family while looking at Christmas lights. Pay no attention to the scary looking mom there.

We didn't do the mall Santa this year since I didn't want to expose Logey to so many germs. But, we found one at the Night of Lights we go to every year. So, we had to get a Santa pic. This is probably going to be the only one for a while where no one cries. I'm sure Logey will probably cry next year.

waiting in line for the bouncy house. it was so cute, they were hugging unasked. a rare occurrence lately.

posing for a pic at the "wishing well"
Santa and the little people

Jaden mad waiting in line. Lately he crosses his arms and says, "That's it! I quit."

Logey bear in the hospital with peritonitis. we had some clowns come to visit.

Post hernia surgery update

Bear and Dr Zia (His NICU dr--we saw him in the hallway and had to say hi)

Santa was in the cafeteria a few hours after Logey bear's surgery so we needed a pic

crashed before surgery somehow pics came out backwards, oh well.

Playing with the toy looking like such a big boy!

Logey bear's surgery went well. We got there Tues and hooked him up for dialysis. Annoyingly enough I forgot his drain bags so I had to call the dialysis nurse on call first. : ( Poor Geraldine had to come out in 40 degree weather after she just got home from work to bring them. Well, I guess it's good because we're going out of town for a week in January and now I know I won't forget anything, LOL. Surgery was Wed morning. We were waiting forever because they had to access his mediport and it takes a special nurse to do it. But, once he got in he was only in surgery for about an hour or less. Though, when your kiddo is in surgery the darn clock NEVER ticks, or so it seems. He woke up super quick after Dr Almond came in to talk to us. We got some not wonderful news from Dr Almond after the surgery. Logan doesn't have a vas deferens on the left side. Since the left side is the side that he does have the kidney on there is a good chance he doesn't have one on the right either. What this will mean for him is that he may not be able to have children. There is not technology at this point to collect sperm without one. But, in 20 years, who knows. Okay, I looked it up and take that back, LOL.

[treatment

If the vas deferens are absent surgery cannot correct the problem, however there are surgical options to retrieve sperm from the body. MESA (microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration) is a procedure that retrieves sperm from the epididymis. A testicular biopsy can also be performed to retrieve sperm for use in IVF and ICSI to assist fertilization. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is the preferred assisted reproductive treatment. ]

Anyway, also this is sometimes an indicator of cystic fibrosis. : ( At this point they've told us not to worry about it. Though, since his PKU did show a positive for cystic fibrosis and he has had a sweat test come out positive, it's a bit hard for a mama not to worry. Those are a lot of coincidences.

He did do great with the surgery. Afterwards he wanted to play really quickly and he hasn't shown too many signs of discomfort. I swear, little people are so resilient because if I had surgery even a simple one like this I would not want to be up and crawling around and trying to learn to walk. Well, onto the pics. : )

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UPDATE to my UPDATE--Logey bear is doing great 4 days after surgery--has it seriously only been 4 days???? that's nuts. He weighed in at a whopping 16 lbs 11 oz. WOW! that's like a 2 lb gain in 2 weeks. Thank God for his appetite being back and also for the one can of pediasure every night. It is making a big difference. I was reluctant to add it on but it hasn't taken anything away from our nursing relationship. In fact, it's just making me enjoy life a little more since I'm not pumping all darn day. Have I mentioned that I hate pumping?

Sweet mama

My friend Regina is hosting a fund raiser for our family. It was so sweet of her to do. She is extremely generous and if anyone is wanting to try some cloth diapers, you get a free one for practically every donation. I still don't feel as if we're one of "those" families that needs donations but then looking at impending bills and Christmas coming up, I guess we are. Anyway, just wanted to post this here, not necessarily to solicite donations but more to highlight a mama with a great store.

http://www.babeerockz.com/item_326/Logans-Story.htm

Party!

We went to Vidal's uncle's birthday part today. It was fun. The boys had a blast looking for fish in the pond. We don't see his family often enough, just for get togethers. So it was good to see everyone. His cousin Ivan and Ivan's wife Erika have a baby that is 6 weeks younger than Logan. He's cute. He makes Logan look so small though. Logan looks so big and chunky until I put him next to a chubby baby and then I start to worry. That's it, we're only going around skinny babies from now on! : ) Well, here are some pics of our day.My 16 year old SIL-Daniella, Baby Julian, Logey, and my FIL--poor Logey was in desperate need of a nap by then. You see him eyeing Julian like, what the heck man?

Cristian very dramatically throwing out his fish. He was so sad that we couldn't keep them. Somehow one died in the process and he cried for about 15 mins saying he killed the fish and how horrible he was. : (

My boys : )

Me and my boys--excuse the eyes closed

Tia Juana and the boys--Logan was beyond tired.

Weight update--Appt update

Logey had a drs appt on Thurs. It went really well. He was 14 1/2 lbs (6.6 kg). Dr A was very content with his weight gain and said to just keep up the good work and do whatever we were doing that was making him gain weight. : ) So, for now, nursing is in the clear. For 2 1/2 weeks he's been getting 1 tbsp of protein powder a night per dr's orders because dialysis depletes protein and his levels were really low. He also said that once he hits 7 kg (about 1 more lb) that he will start on the paper work to get Logan on the UNOs list. The sooner he gets on the list the better since it's about a year wait. Thank God for dialysis. At first, it seems to scary and foreign but once you get used to it, it's not so bad. And, it saves his life so really, who can complain about that, you know? Hopefully Vidal or some other family member will be a match, but, if we can't find one, at least we know we're going on the list soon! He has an appt on the 7th so I'm really hoping he'll be 7 kg by then. Grow Logey grow! We have about a year left (hopefully) on dialysis until he's about 18 months and 10 kg. We still have a long road ahead of us but this seems like such a great milestone.sleeping Logan--he's on dialysis and his feeding tube in this pic.

This is his "corner" the blood pressure machine and dialysis machine are in the back.

head, shoulders, knees, and toes....

happy baby!what mom?

Fourth of July pics

Our 4th of July pics, I didn't get to add them during that time because life went crazy on me. But, I still want them on here, so here they are.All the kiddos in their 4th shirts after dinner

This was the 4th pic since we had to get a pic of ALL 4 of the "big" kids holding Logan--you can tell Cristian is SOOOO done with the picture taking

the kiddos watching the fireworks--and Kayla watching me : )

Logan looking mortified in his hat

oh, well that's why, he was sleepy

Weight update : )

Logan is now 14 lbs 1 oz. He's had quite a big jump since he started dialysis. He even got sick twice during that time and still managed to climb steadily. He's getting protein powder in with his breastmilk at night now--through the feeding pump that won't stop beeping. He gets 10 oz of breastmilk mixed with 1 tbsp of protein powder, it seems to be helping. Bulk up baby boy!

Beeping......

I swear if I hear one more beep from the feeding machine, I will throw the darn thing. We can't take it in until Thur since it's 3 hrs away so I just have to deal with it for now. Everything else is going decent. Marilee and Regina (cousin and friend) both nominated me for a raffle for a hotsling and I actually won! I'm so excited. I wanted to try one when Logey was smaller. Luckily he's a small guy so hopefully he'll still fit nicely. He loves our moby and I really want to get a babyhawk at some point. Anyway, here are some pics of my little guy.enjoying the computer, like mommy.

nah, mom, I'd rather look at you.about to go for a walk, loving his stroller.First time sitting in a "restaurant" high chair (it was just whataburger) see how scared he looks of all the germs. He got taken out about 2 seconds later, LOL.

APPT

Logan had a drs appt yesterday in Corpus so Vidal and I took him up there and back and we took Jaden with us for the entertainment value. Cristian had his last day of camp so he stayed home with nana. Poor kiddo, he got sick while he was there and threw up and had diarrhea but he didn't tell anyone because he didn't want them to send him home because he was having so much fun. Logan's appt went fairly well, his weight was exactly the same though, unfortunately. Dr Al Akash wants us up there Monday morning to begin dialysis training. I hadn't expected it to come so quickly but really there never is a good time to take your little one in for dialysis. It's not look it will get any easier, ever. Some day we will adjust. It doesn't sound nearly as scary as it once did. Dialysis used to seem like the worse case scenario and honestly I've now realized there are scenarios far worse than dialysis, scenarios I don't even want to contemplate. We got the boys pictures taken today and they came out great! I am really pleased with them. I wish I could post them now but they won't be on JCPenney.com for 3-4 days. Well, I guess, on to the pictures. Unfortunately I didn't get to get any of Jaden at swimming this week. My camera is running out of battery and I can't seem to find the charger in all this mess. Oh well, on to some pics. : )

Logan ready for some food--this was on Sunday just before his first bite of bananas. (sorry I can't turn it the other way, I haven't figured out how to do it on this computer so just turn your head to the side)
Logan and Papaw
Logan and Jaden (He's such a little white boy--his hair is like strawberry blond)

Hurricane pics

Vidal out in the rain in the beginning--the wind was blowing like crazy Logan's not scared of a little hurricane On his feeding that nightCristian's not scared either--at least not in this pic Jaden either--though I think he ended up sleeping with me that night.Cristian, Kayla, and Rana after it was over. Luckily we were just rained in. Other parts of our area got it pretty bad. My poor mom was without power for 3 days.
Our flood--Thank God for good drainage. : ) We only lost power for about 3 hours the next day while they were fixing everyone else's. And I just realized you can see my neighbor's house, hi Dina!

Logan Update

Well, our little man is doing fairly well. He had a drs appt on Tuesday and it went well. He was 12 lbs 5 oz, naked which represents almost a lb gain on their scale. : ) He is doing great with the overnight continous feeds. He's almost sitting up and this week learned how to roll over both ways. He's moving quite a bit now. He started eating banana on Saturday but I didn't give him any yesterday since he had some diarrhea. I don't think it's related to the banana, I think he may have a bit of a stomach bug, AGAIN. I had a bad stomach virus this weekend. It was horrible, I was dizzy, nauseated, and really achy. Yesterday Logan and I stayed in bed ALL day, that's how bad I was feeling. But here it is 6 am and I'm feeling much better. Which is great because the boys have their first day of swimming lessons today. Well, Cristian went through 4 weeks of swimming earlier in the summer but this is Jaden's first day ever of lessons. We moved Thursday of last week and let me just say, moving sucks, especially when you are infested with a plague of mosquitos because of a hurricane the week before. I still don't know where anything is, including Vidal's shoes that he will need for work in about an hour and a half, hmmmmmmmm......

these were from the week before we moved, this is my cousin's husband Chuck, with Logan

the girlies with Logan and Chuck

Logan wearing his new outfit his aunt Marilee bought for him from Tammie at Paint Me a Rainbow

and the apple on his butt : )