Kyle Medical update

Well, Kyle has finally kicked his vomiting habit. Thank the Lord. Course, I had to "figure" out his GI issues by trial and error on my own. He had been vomiting frequently all summer and early fall. It was a nightmare. Shoulda bought stock in carpet & fabric cleaner. Finally, we switched him to almond milk (off soy formula) in early to mid November. Well, he has hardly vomited at all for the last month. We went for his regular 2 year check up at the beginning of December. He weighed 24 lbs at that visit (10%) and 33.5" tall (15%-20%). At that time, the doctor recommended to send him to GI specialist and have him scoped. But, since he was finally doing better, we decided not to put him through that. I had him vaccinated against the seasonal & swine flu and varicella (late on that one).

He had to go into the dentist for the 3rd time to have his filling replaced in his front tooth. What a nightmare. He screams bloody murder! They have to strap him down on a board do keep him from flailing (I call it the kiddie taco) and the nitrous oxide gas (laughing gas) does not help ... he definitely doesn't laugh. The 2nd time we had it filled in was in November (6 months after the first time)... he got so hysterical it was really upsetting me and I started to sweat while he was being worked on. Being a doctor myself, I know this is one of the first signs before someone passes out... I hope it wasn't going to be me! After all that, it came out about 3 days later.... I couldn't believe it. So, we had to take him in again and do it all over again. Fortunately, they were much quicker this time and I didn't almost pass out. Knock on wood, it is still in...

Took Kyle in for recheck today... no weight gain, but hasn't lost any either. He is still doing well and seems fairly healthy except another cold. I hate colds. Never ending snotty noses, coughing and boogie-rags. Anyway, he got 2 more vaccines today since he is so far behind on all his vaccines. He got the Hib and DPT vaccines today. A little grumpy tonight, but seems to be handling it ok. I got way far behind on vaccines b/c he had such a bad reaction to vaccines when we first got him. Both times he was initially vaccinated... he was sick for a week. So, then, we only did one vaccine at a time. I was trying to catch him up, but everytime we went to the doctors.. he was sick. So, I had to get 3 vaccines a month ago, 2 vaccines today, and still has 2 more to go in another month. He seems to handle 2 vaccines at a time now. The only reason I had 3 done last month was b/c one was a intranasal vaccine and not a shot.

Knock on wood, we hope 2010 will be a healthier year for Kyle with less vomiting, diarrhea, colds, doctor and dentist visits... can that be his New Year's Resolution?

Christmas Newsletter 2009

Merry Christmas 2009!


Well, 2009 has been a year of ups and downs for us. Most importantly, our family is blessed to be together for over a year now with Kyle making our family complete. Overall, we are basically healthy. Kyle has had issues with food intolerances and allergic reactions, a SUPER-sensitive gag reflex when he coughs (not fun in public), never- ending colds, and two front teeth with cavities (which the fillings keep falling out of). But, who’s complaining?! The dentist wants to know… What is he doing that his filling has fallen out for the 3rd time? ”Uh, he is a hyper-active 2 year old boy, do I need to say more?” His idea of fun is jumping off of furniture and running around at mock speed. The only time he is still is when he’s sleeping and strapped down in a car seat (and then he talks, talks, talks). Wonder where he gets that from?! Kyle is a joy, but definitely all boy and loves, loves, loves cars. If it’s a vehicle, he loves it. He loves Cars the Movie (of course), matchbox cars, Chuck the truck, tractors, planes, clothes with cars on them, and Mac trucks (“Mac!”). And, he loves to push things and ride on the tractor with Dad. He has no fear and is doing gymnastics and loves to swim (he thinks he can- SCARY). If you are near a pool, you have to be on your toes or he will do a cannon ball jump in at mock speed. He makes the lifeguards nervous (exact quote).
Devin is doing well. She wasn’t ready for kindergarten this year being the youngest person in her class- and is going to preschool instead. That was a hard decision, but ultimately the right one for her. She goes to Bel Esprit and is building up her self confidence. She takes “Ellie the Bear” everywhere with her. She took swimming lessons all summer and loves it. She can now swim by herself - at least one less kid I have to worry about drowning! She loves to play pretend with her stuffed animals (truly a mini-me) and draw and write. She has been healthy (Thank God) and has a good sense of humor. She can also be a blabber mouth once she gets over her shyness and is comfortable with you. The kids still go to Miss Julie’s daycare while Mom is working.
Some of the struggles we have been through this year started with Jack losing his position at Hubbell last February. It was a shock and we have learned to live on less. Arizona has the highest unemployment and housing foreclosure rate in the country. Since our state is built on the housing market, it is in the pits. We are fortunate that I have a secure position at my veterinary clinic and we had “emergency” funds set aside. That has been a saving grace during these bad economic times. God must have been listening because Jack starts to work on December 15th at CCS Presentations Systems doing corporate sales.
My Dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 Glioblastoma (brain cancer) last April. I flew out to the East Coast for his emergency surgery to remove a tumor. It was quite a shock since he was playing golf and tennis the week before. He then had to go through aggressive radiation and chemotherapy. Our family flew out again in May to spend time with my parents and help them at home. Then, in July, he suffered a massive pulmonary embolism. I flew out again on emergency to be with him at the hospital. Miraculously, he survived and was finally able to go home again in August. Since then, he has been doing well but is still going through chemo. We are thankful he is doing well and is home with my Mom. Jack’s parents are also dealing with some medical issues (as we like to say… “Getting old isn’t for sissies”). But, we are thankful they are still able to live at home in their comfort zone and live close-by.
No big vacations this year and we are still trying to balance family and work. We are thankful for our family’s health and that we are able to get through these financial hard times. We are blessed to have our home, our friends, our animals, and our children.

Goofy Girl

Here are some goofy photos of Devin today... I was trying to get her to pose for a Christmas card photo.... needless to say, she thought she was being funny funny funny. Finally, got one at the end with some pleading...







Devin was very cute today & yesterday.... Yesterday, she told me she wanted to have 5children when she grew up and live with me. She said she would feed them, take care of them... but wouldn't always let them sleep with her (hmm... wonder where she got that?). Kyle was getting into trouble the other day and I put him in time-out. He started crying b/c he wanted his sippy cup... I said "too bad"... Devin chimes in, "So sad". I think I've heard that one before. Today, I dressed her for Miss Julie's and didn't notice her pants were "floods" till after Jack put her shoes on... Jack says, "Now, she just looks like Grandpa Hulse". Guess we are ready for a flood in Arizona. Also, we had lots of drama this morning b/c her big toe stuck out of her footsy pajamas from last year.... Oh my. Guess it's time for some bigger pj's... but Oh, the drama, drama, drama it created. You would have thought we had to amputate her toe.

Allergy woes

Well, we are back at ground zero. Kyle is having another allergic reaction. He started having mild facial rash/puffiness around eyes & fever yesterday afternoon. His temp went up to 101.8. Still has a slight fever today of 100.1. This morning, his face broke out in a rash again and it is pruritic. No rash on his body so far- and no facial swelling. Thank God. His diarrhea is finally under control- we switched to almond milk a few weeks ago (still on a little formula left over at Julie's).

Poor guy- this all happened yesterday on his 2nd birthday. We celebrated anyway and had some brownies for dessert and gifts. He got a toy lawnmower (loves to push things), a backpack- one with wheels that you can pull around (I went to 4 stores to find one "just like Devin's" - except blue)- gotta have what sister has- they fight over it all the time, a "Mac" truck, some toy trains and toy ambulance. Needless to say he has a theme of cars, or things you can push or pull.

I am typing this in his room right now hoping he will fall to sleep. Had to give him benadryl twice today and it makes him hyper rather than sleepy (Lucky Me) and he won't go down for his nap.

So, we have a doctor appt scheduled for next Tuesday to discuss his cough, vomiting and allergic reactions. Then, the following week, he has a dentist appt to have one of his fillings replaced that fell out. Then, the next week, he has another doctor appt for his "wellness exam and vaccines" for his 2 year old check up. Poor Ky-Ky. He flips out when he goes to doctor- it is so stressful for him and me. Is it wrong to want to put a shot of Bailey's in my coffee before these appointments?!

Vomit-ville

Yes, my house is vomit-ville. Kyle STILL vomits on a regular basis. It is both gross and frustrating- and sometimes even embarrassing in public. Let's just say we should buy stock in carpet cleaners like Spot Shot and Resolve. So far, all we can figure is he has a super- sensitive gag reflex. If he coughs, he barfs. It's that simple. Phlegm in the throat? Don't worry- he will get it out- he will cough till he pukes. He even knows when he is going to do it now and will grab a plate or a bowl or hang his head over a toilet.

He just got over a cold, and needless to say, because of his snotty nose, he had lots of phlegm. Lots of phlegm = lots of barfing. That was a nightmare b/c he felt fine otherwise but would start coughing and then vomit. He would do this at home, at daycare, at the gym, in the car.... SO GROSS. Basically, I call it "Vomit and run". He would literally start coughing, vomit, then be done and take off at mock speed again. It is a pain b/c I always have to carry extra outfits (for him and me). If he vomits in public, I can get dirty looks from other parents thinking I brought my sick kid out in public. But, he has never run a fever, had any changes in behavior or appetite. He literally can vomit and then want to eat the next minute.

We had all kinds of tests done including.... food allergy tests, CBC's, Chem panels, fecal cultures, fecal parasite testes, fecal WBC's tests... all came back normal. We tried Prevacid for GERD- no change. We tried a dewormer. I am at a loss.

Our pediatrician thinks he will outgrow it. I hope so. I really don't want to take him to a Gastroenterologist and have him scoped. He really gets freaked out with doctors b/c of all the tests he has had. I still think it is cough related. His cough is better now that the cold is over...but still has a slight cough when he gets up. I have a humidifier in his room.

Well, I guess I have to live with the "barf boy" until we figure out what causes it or he outgrows it. Hopefully, soon.

Halloween Fun

Kyle and Devin went to their cousin, Zander's, Halloween party last weekend. They had a great time dressing up and Kyle was a hit with his darling cowboy outfit. Devin was a leopard b/c she wanted to "roar"- even though she was a lion the last 2 years in a row. :) Since I drew whiskers on her face, Kyle HAD to have me draw something on his face too... so he got a mustache. One thing is for sure, Kyle does not like people in scary costumes. It FREAKS him out. My brother was a grim reaper and Kyle would cry and run from him for over an hour. Wouldn't even look his way. Halloween night is going to be interesting! He also got freaked out about the fake witch at the grocery store and started to cry. Now, Devin says she wants to be a "rock star" instead for Halloween. We shall see...

Mama Drama

Ok. My life is all drama and I just want boring. I like to call it Mama Drama. So, it starts out that I have been working or "on call" for 1 week solid. Ugh. So, finally Tuesday comes...my only day off. My horse, Chase colicks bad and I'm up all night with him. I didn't think he was going to make it... I had to run IV's, pass a nasogastric tube twice, and give him all kinds of medications. Fortunately, he made it through... So, the next night (my night off after working hard all day), one of my good clients and friends' horse suddenly goes into toxic shock and is dying. She calls me at home and I rush over. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything I could do but euthanize the horse and comfort my friend. Up again late. Took two beers to calm down my nerves afterwards.

So, today I took Kyle to gymnastics class this morning. He was doing great until his cough (from his cold) kicked in and that phenomenal gag reflex he has kicked in to full effect. He barfed all over himself, all over the bathroom (where I grabbed him and ran while he was barfing all over himself)and all over the toilet. Ok, we got over that, returned to class, sans nasty shirt, and then he did it again about 20 minutes later. I figured we better leave at that point. So,we went to pick up Devin from preschool. All is well again until we are driving down the road and Devin informs me she has to pee and she has to pee NOW. "Its going to come out Mom, you have to stop!" So, I do an emergency pit stop on the side of the road. At this point, I realize my daughter does not know how to squat properly and pees all over her shoes and pants by accident. Ok... we gotta go home so everyone can change. Then, we are off to the daycare so I can go to work AGAIN. Of course, when dropping the kids off, Devin has a complete temper tantrum b/c I forgot her backpack and left it at home when I changed the kids clothes... ya just can't win.

So, work was busy with lots of drama and now I'm home watching Grey's Anatomy trying to veg out. Kyle is in bed and Devin is watching her nighttime shows. Ahh... a moment of peace.... Course, I'm on call tonight, so ya never know...

Preschool Pictures

Devin's preschool had their Open House yesterday. She is doing so well there now. I am so happy we switched. All the teachers seem to really like her and she likes them. She gave everyone lots of hugs (she's a hugger). We got her 1st progress report. Overall, she got good marks... we need to work on her letter/sound association and lower case letters. She filled out a sheet on "all about me"... her answers were:
favorite color. green.
Favorite toy... pink bear (Ellie)
Favorite place...Grandma and papa's house
Favorite activity... drawing.
what i want to be when I grow up.. doctor.
If I could have anything in the world, I would want...another pink bear.
So cute.

Here are a few photos of Devin at Bel Esprit.

Devin is going to Preschool

Well, we survived the drama of not going to kindergarten this year. I don't know who was more traumatized... me or Devin. Since then, she has been having night terrors and walking in her sleep almost every night. We have gotten her to a point that we don't have to sleep in her room anymore. But, she usually wakes up almost every night...starts wandering around the house and talking nonsense. We have to walk her back to her bed and tuck her in. She "seems" awake... walking around, eyes open, talking... but she talks nonsense. Sometimes she has nightmares, sometimes not.

Well, I talked to lots of other moms and did some research. I picked out 3 preschools and then and went with Devin to visit them. We ultimately chose Bel Esprit. It is a private preschool in Litchfield. I really liked it there and their schedule is very flexible. So, we signed up Devin to start with 1/2 days on Tues & Thurs mornings. She started on Sept 1st. The first few times were rough, as expected. She cried at drop-off and didn't really want to participate at first. But, she has gradually improved every time and did not cry at all last week! This is a big deal for us. Plus, she is happy to go and participating well in class. I am so happy. I want Devin to have a positive school experience. This was definitely the right choice to wait till next year for kindergarten. She just was not emotionally ready for regular school yet. I'm so glad she is doing better... it is a huge relief.

Kyle allergy update

Well, Kyle's allergic reaction resolved. I took him to an allergist and the doctor thinks he had an allergic reaction to his cold virus. Go figure. They performed skin allergy testing on his back for 8 common food allergens including milk, soy, egg, peanut, gluten, etc... they all came back negative. He thinks Kyle's food problems stem from milk intolerance and not milk allergies. I would agree with that. He ordered a blood RAST test for peanuts to re-confirm he doesn't have peanut allergies... but we don't think so. Kyle has had peanut products many times before the allergic reaction. Haven't had the blood test for peanuts done yet b/c lab was too busy one day & finding the time.

In the meantime, my regular pediatrician had a bunch of blood and fecal tests done on Kyle including Celiac Disease panel, CBC, metabolic panel, fecal WBC, fecal cultures... they all came back negative. That was NOT fun getting the blood test.. Kyle cried from the moment he entered the lab office until we left. He is terrified of doctors now. Ugh.

So, basically after all this... we really don't know much.... just guessing and Kyle still has frequent bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. Both doctors did suggest considering a gastroenterologist specialist. I am not ready to go there. I am hoping we can figure this out ourselves and he will grow out of it.I know what the gastroenterologist will want to perform an endoscopy and possibly a colonoscopy of Kyle. I don't want to put him through that. He is basically a healthy, happy, growing kid. Most of his vomiting is correlated when he coughs... which he has had a chronic minor cough for months. He has a REALLY sensitive gag reflex and frequently vomits when swimming if he gets any water in his mouth. Lucky me... I have to hold him over side of pool if he starts coughing at all in the pool. He has vomited on the side of PUBLIC pools many times and its really embarrassing. I've even caught it once in my hands... yea, I know... gross! Better than in the pool though.

So, we are back to square one... I am currently keeping a log of his eating habits, vomit & diarrhea frequency... so we shall see... Hopefully, this too, shall pass.

Allergic reaction

Kyle had a severe allergic reaction to something this past week. The doctors think possibly from peanut butter... but he has had PB several times in the past without a problem. They say he can develop peanut allergies.. but we are still not sure. Anyway, it started on Tuesday afternoon about 3-4 hours after ingesting a PB cookie. He woke up from his nap with a rash all over his body & pruritic. The rash was actually red blotchiness all over. He seemed to feel ok and not running a fever- so I gave him Benadryl and he improved. On Wednesday morning, he woke up with the rash even worse and his left eyelid was swollen 1/2 shut and some facial swelling. I took him to Urgent Care and had him treated with antihistamines. They gave me script for pred if it got worse. Well, the rash never went away and got way worse that evening. I gave him more antihistamines & pred but his face started to swell up again. So, I took him to ER. The gave him more steroids and epinephrine. Since then his rash has slowly been getting better with intermittent hives all over his body. He is 95% better today with only a little itchiness. Unfortunately for me, Benadryl and pred make him like a kid on crack who drank a pot of Starbucks coffee. To say he is "wired" is an understatement. He is so jacked up - he just runs around the house bouncing off the walls. We had him rechecked by our regular doc on Thursday who has put in a request to see an allergist. In the meantime, he has ordered a bunch of tests which I need to do this week.... CBC, Celiac Panel, Metabolic panel, stool cultures, etc.... We are still having some issues of intermittent diarrhea & vomiting- so we are still trying to sort out all his GI problems. I'm attaching a few photos of the allergic reaction - didn't get a picture before ER b/c I was too panicked.

Kyle has Car OCD

Kyle has car OCD. To say he loves cars would be an understatement. He is CRAZY about cars. He loves to be in car. He loves to play with cars. He loves to hear cars. He loves to point out every car we see on the road, on TV, in a book, ANYWHERE. He loves car books and car movies. You have to acknowledge when he says "car" or he will say it over and over again... and louder and louder.. till you say, "Yes, Kyle, I see the car." When we first got him, he immediately found the only car toy in the house and wanted to play with it. :)He also equally goes crazy for any motorized type vehicles including trains, planes, tractors, and construction vehicles. He is all boy.

Kindergarten Blues

Well, Devin started kindergartent this past Monday August 3rd and stopped on Wednesday August 5th. They were 3 days of sadness, tears, and stress for both of us. Devin did not do well at kindergarten at all. She cried all day Monday & Tuesday. She cried so much on Tuesday that she fell asleep from exhaustion. She also would not eat or drink or use the bathroom at school. She had to go to bathroom so bad on Tuesday that she freaked out and the teacher had to rush her to the bathroom. Course, since they started school so ridiculously earlier here.... that it was still 110 degrees outside. Not good if you are not eating or drinking all day.

Well, Tuesday night she wet her pants at home and Wed morning she had diarrhea before school. She was so stressed out. We tried everything to convince her kindergarten was a good thing. I started prepping her months ago "talking about kindergarten". I took her twice to the school to check it out and visit a classroom. I bought 2 books about kindergarten and have been reading them to her the last few weeks. I requested her be put in her friend Cody's class so she would know someone. I walked her to class & requested to stay awhile (they wouldn't let me b/c its against their policy). I even resorted to rewards---if you try and give it a chance, I will give you candy/ice cream after school. Nothing worked. Jack & I drove her to school on Wednesday together and she just absolutely lost it when we went to her class. I was so upset to see my child so sad. I felt like my insides were being torn apart. We decided to go visit with the principal. She already knew about Devin from her kindergarten teacher. She agreed that Devin wasn't emotionally & socially ready for kindergarten class yet being the youngest in her class. She agreed Devin needed more time and we decided to withdrawal her from kindergarten.

Fortunately, Miss Julie's daycare still had a spot open for Devin. I am now looking into putting her in preschool twice a week to help prepare her for next year. The principal offered for her to visit school for a few hours a day a few days a week late next spring to help her prepare for school next year.

I am feeling more at peace now with our decision. My parents also held me back a year when I was in first grade b/c I was the youngest person in my class (also an August baby). Basically for the same reasons... sadness at school, not interacting well with the other children, not doing well in school b/c of being sad at school. So, I think this is the best decision for Devin right now.

Summer 2009 photos

Here are some pictures of the animals and kids this summer....

Summer update

Where does time go? I can't believe I haven't blogged for weeks.... work is slow and so is Jack's job. Money is tight. Ugh. Thank God we adopted Kyle last year when we had more money.

My Dad is doing ok... finished his first round of chemo/radiation... it pretty much kicked his butt. He is doing a bit better now. My brothers and sisters have been rotating to go see them and help out my parents. As posted before, I did a lot of yardwork in my parent's backyard. Katherine did the front yard work. Michael is doing all the finances. Katherine & Susan have cleaned out the garage and a couple closets.... Speaking of, my mom has saved every bridesmaid dress, prom dress, etc... that any of us has ever worn... just in case we need an 70's or 80's prom dress in our near future! :) We safety-proofed the house as much as possible... new toilet seats, handles on doorways, moved my Dad to downstairs study, hospital bed, etc... Eric & Krista are there now. We hired a lawn care guy, housekeeper for 1-2x per month and got them a handicapped parking sticker.

I am dog sitting for Eric's dog, Galaxy. He is a sweet dog... kids are sitting on him, playing with him. But, boy oh boy does he not like to go outside. He wants to sit in air conditioning all day. I don't really blame him... its hot and we live in Phoenix... but, I have to convince him to go just to pee! We swim with my dog, Bear, my yellow lab... but Galaxy wants nothing to do with water.

Speaking of swimming.. Kyle is an absolute maniac with no fear of water... he will literally jump off the side of the pool into the water for me to catch him. He can hold his breath under water and if water gets in his mouth.. he just spits it out. He is only 18 months! That's crazy. The boy is a little stunt man with no fear. He moves the furniture around the kitchen and climbs up on the counters and kitchen table when I'm not watching him like a hawk. Today, during Devin's swimming lesson, I wasn't paying attention to him when I was talking to Devin's instructor and he got mad and bit me on the thumb. Little stinker.... I yelped loudly and flicked him on the mouth!

I tried to go to gym again this morning (haven't with Kyle for a few months).... a no go. He did ok at the childcare for a few minutes... but then was crying a lot and they came to get me after 20 minutes. He was quite distraught. Poor guy. He does not like unfamiliar places and people and I have not been able to go to church or gym since we adopted him. I can work out at gym only when Jack is home and not working to take care of him. That makes it tough. So, I'm flabbier than I want to be! Ugh. Can't workout outside.. its too hot. Besides, I can't leave him to go running or riding anyway.

So, the world news is Michael Jackson and Farrah Faccett died this week. Two of our celebrity icons from the 70's & 80's. Jack used to have a poster of Farrah back in his "horn dog days" as he would say it... Who didn't?! I used to have a poster of Michael Jackson on my wall in high school... back when he was a black man. I really liked his music back then... had his Off the Wall and Thriller ALBUMS.. yes, albums. I can remember doing all the dances to his music videos on MTV (back when they actually played music videos round the clock and the Thriller video every hour) with my friend Virginia in my living room. Ahh... memories. But, then, MJ got weirder and weirder over the years and started changing his skin color (and no... vitiligo does not make you turn uniformly white!), looking like a transvestite, paying off child molestation charges, numerous plastic surgeries.... he doesn't even remotely resemble who he was in the 80's! People excuse his behavior b/c he is rich and famous and had an abusive father... but I think it is beyond that... I think he had a serious mental disorder. They have not gotten full results back yet on his cause of death... But, I'm sure they will say it was an "accidental overdose of prescription drugs that started with some incident from the 80's". No one ever says suicide... but that's what I think. Obviously, the guy (word used lightly) had issues with his race, gender, age and sexual preferences... he was one unhappy dude. So, we will see...

Urgent Care & Suturing a filly

Well- I finally broke down and went to Urgent Care on Saturday after work. I was DYING... my skin was so swollen, red , pruritic... I couldn't sleep or think or take it for one more minute. Initially the doctor thought it might be shingles...but since it was bilateral... I was diagnosed with a severe allergic dermatitis. Anyway, he gave me prescriptions for 4 medications. I went to pharmacy immediately.. and, yes, I will wait... I will be the person scratching herself like crazy in the corner! The next day , I felt about 20% better. Now, I feel about 50% better... but still itchy in new places every day. My rash looks better.. but not 100%. So, we will see if I have to go back to the doctor later this week...

I just got back from suturing up a filly (2 months old) who tore her shoulder open. Well, my friend is terribly sick with a high fever...so she sent her husband out to help.... Course, he is terribly afraid of needles and almost passes out when he sees them... so let's just say it was interesting. Plus, I had my 4 yr old daughter with me... Mini Me. She was eating a popsicle watching the surgery. :) Doesn't even phase her. Kinda reminds me of the Seinfeld episode when Kramer was eating Junior Mints while watching surgery.

So, I've gotten hooked on the new season of The Bachorolette.... cheesy fun. So, what's up with Tanner's foot fetish??? Weird... would freak me out a little. And, how about Dave, can anyone say steroid injections overload?! Gosh, the men have more drama than the women! I think they all just want to win..like its a contest/game. Kinda is really.

Well, Kyle has another cold. Can you say the boy has a very sensitive gag reflex? Everytime he gets too much phlegm in his throat he coughs till he barfs. Lovely. Gotta love it.

That's all for now...

I'm allergic to humidity

We just flew back East for 8 days to visit my parents. The plane ride was a NIGHTMARE. Kyle does not want to sit still and has a temper. Terrible two's hit at 14 mos old. The boy is smart and has got some serious opinions... I want to do it or have it now and don't stop me. :) Devin doesn't really have a temper (dramatic but not temper tantrums).... and is a peacemaker. Also, Kyle has no fear and a high pain threshold which means nothing is a deterent. It has been a challenge. By the time I got back from vacation (10 days straight with him 24/7... I couldn't wait to get back to work for some rest!) He was already put in time out this morning for throwing a shoe at Devin (purposely for no reason other than just to be bad). I love him but he definitely challenges my patience and temper. I thought I was more easy going... but I guess I'm not. Ok- I'm done venting. Thanks for listening. :)

My Dad is doing ok.... very tired and fatigued from chemo/radiation. I helped my parents with a lot of yardwork... got some terrible rash now from eczema flare-up or poison ivy or both. Ugh. I think I'm allergic to the humidity. I got a heat rash (in the 70's with humidity!!!). It felt like a 105. Anyway, Jack & I filled 80 large garbage cans of stuff from my parent's yard and he took to recycle place (10 trips) in his rental car. Haha. I hired them a yard guy to start this week.

Back to work and trying not to scratch my skin off....

Recent Photos

I'm a lame blogger

OK- I know I have not blogged in over a month. Let's just say it's been a rough 2 months. In late February, my husband got laid off from his job. So, that was a shocker. He just took a new job 2 weeks ago... in a totally different field. So far, he likes it, but time will tell if it's the right job for him.... Meanwhile, one of the vets at my practice went on maternity leave at the beginning of March. So, I have basically been covering almost all her work these last 2 1/2 months. So,I have been working full time since February.

And, on top of it all, my Dad was diagnosed with a brain tumor suddenly about 5 weeks ago while my parents were on vacation in Florida. My brothers and sisters and I rushed down to Florida for the emergency surgery to remove the tumor. It was very scary and very stressful. Jack stayed home and took care of the kids for 5 days while I was in Florida with my parents and siblings. The surgery went well and he was finally able to travel back to their home in Delaware 2 weeks ago. Unfortunatly, the biopsy results came back as a stage 4 glioblastoma. Basically, the worst and most aggressive brain cancer you can have. Very disappointing and upsetting. So, I am planning on going back East next weekend for 8 days to help them and give the kids more time with my Dad. He has only met Kyle once over Christmas. Jack will come for 1/2 the week. I am a bit nervous about the plane ride for 6 hours with the kids by myself. Kyle is a wild man and can't sit still... Benadryl anyone?!!

Also during the last 2 months, Kyle got Hand Foot and Mouth disease and the flu. I had to fly back to NJ to read in one of my college roomate's wedding. Kyle had 2 fillings done on 2 cavities in his front center incisors. That was a nightmare... had to wrap him up like a kiddie taco and he screamed and cried hysterically the whole time. And, we just had to find new health insurance.

Otherwise, things are going well... relatively speaking. Kyle is growing and saying about a dozen words now... ball, car, plane, pee, pea, bee, bye, mama, dada, more, ba (for bottle), pa (for pasta). He uses sign language for please, thank you and more. He has officially been a part of our family now longer than he was at the orphanage. Yea. Devin is writing well... very psyched to go to kindergarten in August. I signed her up for swimming lessons this summer.

I had a good Mother's day. I got to ride my horse Moon for 2 hours this morning with my friend Lynne. Then, we went to the movies and I saw the movie "State of Play" and ate lots of popcorn with lots of butter. Yum. Good movie, by the way. Then, I took the kids swimming. They are water crazy. Got a giftcard for a massage from Jack, and a handmade card from Devin. Plus, she cleaned her room for me... truly a miracle. :)

Busy, busy, busy

Well, it's been awhile since I posted. Life has been challenging in the last month and I just have not had much time to post. First, my husband lost his job about a month ago... so the recession has hit home for us. He has had a few interviews and a few jobs are promising, but no offers yet.

As for Kyle, he had about 2 months of colds... So, I finally took him to the doctor who said he was fine. On the positive note, he gained almost 3 lbs in the last few months... Well, anyway, he then proceeded to get a bad case of Hand,Foot and Mouth Disease. He was very sick for a few days and had fevers, drooling and not eating. He then recovered.... took him to his first dentist appointment this week. He has 2 cavities to be filled on his central upper incisors. I am not surprised, they have been etched and slighlty discolored since we got him. Well, they are cavities and I need to take him back next month. Should be a lot of fun... NOT. Then, this weekend, he started coughing again and just threw up and has another low grade fever. I just can't win. Ugh.

As for Devin, she has no cavaties... Yea. I recently switched her back to gymnastics from Dance class. She just wasn't into it. She does not thrive there and I don't think I will sign her up again. I think we will go back to swimming this summer which she loves. I did sign her up for kindgergarten and am waiting to hear if it's full or half day next year.

As for me, I have been working a lot lately. The other main vet is on maternity leave and I am very busy at work. Work has been stressful... more emergency work and over- booked days. Plus, I have had some conflicts with another vet we are rotating emergencies with and have a meeting set up with them tomorrow. Not looking forward to it. Don't really like conflict. I have a dentist appt and mammogram tomorrow too... so it should be a really fun day. NOT.

Well, gotta go. Even though Kyle is not feeling well... he is still up to mischief and hitting his sister for fun.

Vietnamese New Year Party

Just wanted to share a couple photos from Tet party we attended in Phoenix 2 weekends ago. Kelley, who adopted Henry, also from the Que Son orphanage, invited me. I just found out about this group a couple weeks ago... it’s a group of parents who adopted children from Vietnam. We went at last second... I brought me 2 kids, Devin & Kyle. I wanted them to wear their Vietnamese kimonos- but couldn't find them. Oh well. We had a good time and it was nice to connect to other local adoptive parents. They were from many different orphanages and agencies. Very interesting... I did not get a chance to have too many in depth conversations from other people (running after 2 kids). One parent just recently adopted in November. Her agency closed down before her adoption was final and she went by herself, without an agency or facilitator, to Vietnam. She had a terrible experience and said how corrupt the whole country is... she brought several thousand dollars cash with her and had to pay off many people to bring her daughter home. Hmm.... I wish I had a chance to talk to her more. She said she cried every day there. I can't imagine going to Vietnam without a facilitator/ translator or agency. Anyway, food for thought....

Kyle was sick for 4 days last week... running high fevers. He is better now. It is not easy when a kid is sick and both parents work. You can't take them to day care b/c you don't want to infect all the other kids. And, no other parents want them at their house, and all your friends are working. So, we juggled schedules and my friend Lynne helped us out one day. We made it work.

This past weekend we went to 2 gatherings. On Sat, I went to Alana's baby shower (the other vet in my clinic)at her parents house. Afterwards, she had BBQ and I brought the kids. It is exhausting to bring Kyle to parties where it is not kid friendly. I am constantly playing defense and trying to keep him from... falling into the pool with no fence, not stick his face in their old doberman's face, or stick his hand in their ash trays, or play in their dog bowl, etc... After 2 hours, we all were exhausted and had to leave before dinner. Oh well. The next day we went to dinner with Jack's relatives. Again, after a few hours, had to leave b/c Kyle was too tired and having a mental breakdown. The boy needs his sleep. If he doesn't get 14-15 hours per day he is GRUMPY!!! Well, it sounds like he is waking from his nap...

Kyle Officially adopted in Arizona!

Well, last week we went to court on Wednesday morning and finalized our adoption of Kyle in Arizona. We also officially changed his name to Kyle Le Hulse from Thanh Le Nguyen. Yea. Above is picture of all of us & our judge. She was very nice and asked if we would like a picture of us with her.

Kyle is doing well and now has 7 teeth coming in... so ibuprofen has been our friend lately. He is doing really well and very happy lately (except the other day when I didn't give him his 2nd nap and he had a tired "mental breakdown" before bed).

I have been very busy at work lately and did two seminars at our clinic last weekend. I work again this Sat morning which means I have worked or did something work related every weekend for the last 4 weeks. I need a weekend off! On Saturday, we have our social worker coming for our 6 month home visit. We have to send that report to our agency which sends it to Vietnam as part of our adoption agreement.

Well, that's all for now...

Giving Kisses

I just had to post about the great morning we had yesterday. When Kyle first woke up, he spontaneously reached out for Devin and gave her a big kiss on the lips. Then, they proceeded to give each other about 10 kisses in a row. They did it again this morning. It was so cute. They really love each other and play well together. Kyle has been giving me kisses for 2-3 months now. Then, he started giving Jack kisses. In the last month, he has been giving Devin kisses. It is a real milestone in his attachment and bonding with us. :)

Kyle is really starting to understand lots of things I am saying. I have been trying to teach him right and wrong and saying "your sorry". Sometimes he will hit at Devin... and I tell him it's not nice and to say he is sorry. He will walk over to her and put his head on her shoulder. It is so sweet. His personality is starting to shine and he has a bit of a sense of humor. When I ask him certain questions, he will swing his head back and forth for "no" and then laugh. I tell him he is silly. He gets a kick out of it.

Kyle is also getting 5... yes FIVE... teeth in at once over the last week or two... 3molars and the two upper canines (or eye teeth)... all just broke through the gums in the last few days. If you don't recall, he did this in September when he got 4 teeth in at once over a two week time period!

On the digestive problems, he has had no diarrhea for about 4-6 weeks now. Thank God. (Knock on wood). Maybe we can make some lead-way in his gaining weight now. He is still on soy formula as he does not tolerate milk, soy milk or lactaid.

We have our court date next Wednesday for our re-adoption of Kyle in the state of Arizona. We will also finally be changing his name officially to Kyle from his Vietnamese name. He will get a new birth certificate from Arizona. It will be a US Citizen born on foreign soil birth certificate. Yea.

My Kids are Crazy

Yup. My kids were completely wild tonight. Kyle is running around like a nut... trying to push all the furniture, trash cans, high chair and wagons around. He is always trying to climb on his kids chair and has fallen off and banged his head several times. His pain tolerance is very high (which is the exact opposite of Devin who has none)and pain is not a deterant for him. He will bang his head or hurt himself, cry for 10 seconds, and then DO IT AGAIN. He banged his head twice on the bathtub today... trying to stand up and jump all around and also fell off the kids chair once today. Plus, he hit his head yesterday and got a bloody lip this past weekend. He constantly has a new bruise on his forehead or an old one healing. Plus, he likes to push the envelope. He got a stool and stood next to the counter and tried SEVERAL times to play with the stove knobs. I said No several times... and flicked his hands... and he still wouldn't stop until we physically picked him up and moved him away. Then, he was off to the toilet (still with pee in it that Devin didn't flush) and played with that. Got him cleaned up and closed the toilet and door... Then, we got into the cat's water bowl and knocked it all over the place. Finally, I had enough of playing defense and put him to bed.

As for Devin, she is the "informer" and goes around either instigating drama with Kyle or informing me of his wrong doings... "Mom.. Kyle's playing in the toilet. Mom, Kyle is pullin off all the toilet paper. Mom, Kyle is playing in the cat's food. Mom, Kyle is playing in the trash can. Mom, Kyle just ate something off the floor." The list goes on. :) Devin had dance at The Little Gym today. This is 2nd week of new semester. Since this is a new class (although same teachers and same placce) she is being shy and reserved... as usual. But, this week is better than last week. She really likes the teachers and her confidence is slowly getting better.

As for me, I have been very busy at work lately. Our clinic hosted the Veterinary Management Group this weekend. I was out Thurs night, all day Friday & Friday night, all day & night Sat & Sunday. So, I didn't get to see the kids much. We had our first babysitter at home on Friday night. It went well and we will use her again. Kyle and Devin both liked her and no crying. This is good b/c Kyle does not except new people easily and won't let me leave him at church or the gym. He freaks out. But, he did well on his home turf. I am glad it worked out b/c Jack and I are going to try and have more "date nights" this year. It is our New Years Resolution to find more time for each other as a couple. That is hard to do with two toddlers. Anyway, the meeting was about buying/ selling a veterinary practice. It is in the planning stages for me to buy into my clinic as a partner this year. I hope it all works out.

Christmas & New Year's

Well, the holidays are over. It is so much fun to celebrate with kids. They bring the fun & excitement back into the holidays. Of course, the got too many gifts again.... we tried to cut back. But, they got a lot of gifts from friends and family. We have to say that Devin got a new bike for Christmas from Santa and she was very excited. Kyle got a lot of cars and likes to make the "car noises". We traveled back East to Delaware to visit family. We actually traveled on Christmas day. It worked out ok... got to see my parents, sister Vicki & family, and brother Mike & family. It was the first time they have met Kyle. Both kids did pretty well on the plane ... we are in "survival" mode during that time. Just try to get through it and entertain the kids. I also got a chance to see my friend Kathy from college and 2 friends Maureen & Char from High School. Kyle did well and adjusted to his new environment and new people better than expected. By the time we left, he was going to his grandparents and even gave grandma a kiss!

Speaking of kisses, we have had a few firsts lately... he is now "giving unsolicited" kisses to me (open mouth... but we are working on that)and giving solicited kisses to Devin & Jack. I know he is understanding more and more... he will come up and give hugs (he leans his head on you) if I say he has to say sorry. He does have a bit of a temper and thrashes his arms and yells whe he is mad. Thus, why he has to say he is sorry... he sometimes hits Devin or other people. He definately has become competitive with his sister and if I'm giving her hugs... he runs up and hits her,pushes her or pulls her hair and yells and tries to push his way into my arms. Even if I'm hugging him at same time, he does not want to share me. He thinks I'm all his! He can also give "high 5's now" and smile with a cheesy smile (see photo of him in car seat) when I point camera at him! He is figuring out I like to take pictures (got a new camera from my hubby for Christmas).

Devin is into "body parts" lately... who has them and what are they. She says she has a "china" and boys have a penis. It makes me laugh so much I don't correct her. It's actually kinda cute. She is big into pretend and playing with her animals. I think she is also going through growing pains in her legs... she says they hurt "on the inside Mom". I had them when I was young too. Did I tell you she cut her own hair a few weeks ago?! I knew it was going to happen sooner or later. A big chunk of hair about 3" wide was about 3-4" shorter than the rest of her hair. I asked her what happeneded and she said "I don't know". Hmmm... I finally got the truth out of her.

The kids enjoyed visiting their cousins over the holidays... Devin & Eben really liked to play together. He is a handful and I don't envy my brother Mike at all. He is a lifetime member of the time-out club. We shall see what happens with Kyle in the future. He definately is moer adventurous and has more of a temper than Devin. I think that is being a boy. People say boys are easier than girls. But, I really think girls are easier than boys... at least when they are toddlers. We'll see what I think when she is a teenager! :)