Wow! It's been a while and much has happened over the last 6 months, to the point where I'm not even sure where to begin! The beginning of summer was pretty great! We celebrated Noelle's third birthday in princess style and she was thrilled. We finally were able to get a second opinion at CHOP...however, it was on Andon's birthday. So, we packed up and headed to Philly as a family. He had ice cream for every meal and celebrated with a cookout once we got home!! CHOP was great! They have some great ideas about her lungs and if and when they can be fixed. The plan was to come home and run all the ideas by our home up pulmonologist and let him run with them. Unfortunately, Noelle got really sick in August. Her stomach completely shut down and she was admitted for 4 1/2 weeks at Fairfax. Finally, when they decided not to try anything new and really to have no solution...I made the tough decision to transfer her to CHOP. Within 24 hours, the docs had a solution and made the calls on how to fix it. We were home 6 days later. Just 4 days before Andon started kindergarten!! I was ecstatic!
Andon started kindergarten at our local public elementary school. Thank God I decided to register him with the public schools when I did. I lost the entire end of summer being at the hospital with Noelle. I didn't have time to shop around for a private school for him. I couldn't be more thankful. His teachers are wonderful and he is doing very well! He is a super smart kid and is exceeding the typical kindergarten goals. They have a behavior system that involves red, yellow and green lights to signify how the child's behavior was throughout the day. Andon always comes home with green lights, meaning great behavior. Andon also started Taekwondo in the fall as well. He is doing really well and enjoys everything about it, particularly screaming "hiyyyyaaaaa" while kicking or punching. He seems to be maturing way too quickly and continues to be obsessed with girls. He started writing notes and drawing pictures for the bus patrol within the first few weeks of school. He has now asked for a sleep over with her and I can't help but giggle at him. There is just something so cute about a 5 year olds pure innocence. He can now read and sound out just about anything and will correct me quickly if I try and sneak something by him. In fact, he frequently reads emails over my shoulder and reads the tv channels to know what's really on versus what I just say is or is not on. He is so bright, kind, friendly, sensitive and is just all around a terrific kid.
After Noelle got out of the hospital, she was able to start school on time as a much skinner Noey. The tummy issues resolved and life went on like normal. We now have a pretty good support system up at CHOP. We are in the process of transferring the majority of the care up there. Anything GI related will not be handled at Fairfax from now on. Noelle transferred schools and now goes to the same public school Andon does....which is super easy for me.
Both the kiddos are adjusting well to the new schedules and new germs. They have both been sick off and on since Halloween but we have been able to stay at home! This year seems to be flying by and is now just about over. We are really excited about Christmas this year and it will surely be the best year yet with the kids being a bit older. That's my update for now. It's late....I'll seriously try to be better about updating this thing!! Happy Holidays....to anyone that reads this..l
Xoxo,
Stacie :)
Monday, December 19, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Yay for Spring!!!
We could not be happier to see spring arrive in the Mikels house!!! It has been quite the sick winter around here and warm weather and sunshine are a welcome addition. We have had a pretty great couple of months and are really enjoying our new house. I must say, I have finally embraced living out here in Front Royal. I have found friends, a great church, and people that truly care about our family. Ross asked me if I wanted to move back to NOVA eventually and my answer was "No!" Our life is out here and we love it. Of course, I miss many of our NOVA friends...and don't get to see them as often as I want to.
Ross and I are still on the fence about Andon's Kindergarten placement. We have signed him up in the public school system out here...but are still weighing our options with private christian schools in the area. There are several choices...I just need to get out and tour them! Of course, we may keep him at Dynamic Life. We are just not sure at this point. It was bittersweet to register him for public school. It seems like yesterday that he was my little 6 lb peanut. Otherwise, Andon is doing wonderful. He is really progressing with reading and tries to read EVERYTHING...especially while we drive. I just can't believe what a big boy he has become.
As always, Noelle has the longest report. 2011 has been so amazing and so devastating for Noelle. She is progressing in every developmental area. She is really starting to talk and is now putting two words together "Dora Book," "No Mommy", "more please." She is such a big girl!! She is walking really well now, attempting to jump and attempting to run. Her Physical Therapist even said we could graduate to only using her orthopedic braces 50% of the time.
Unfortunately, her lungs seem to be struggling more and more. No one is really sure why...but she seems to continue to fight her lungs. Doing any type of gross motor really tires her out and makes her work extremely hard to breathe. Her lungs are the only aspect of her that is not consistently progressing. Last month, she was admitted for a Bronchoscopy. The docs did general anesthesia and went down her windpipe with a scope to see if there were any glaring issues with her airways. The study showed that she has slightly twisted airways which are smaller than usual. However, the docs decided that these abnormal ties should not hinder her breathing more than usual. So, we decided at this point...maybe her issues were vascular. We tried a trial of the medication called Sildenafil. Which is basically viagra (how many of you can say that your baby girl was on viagra?). We have had many laughs about it. To make a super long story somewhat short...it didn't work either. We were hoping that the increased blood flow between the heart and lungs would help her tremendously. However, after 4 days...we had to discontinue. She was much more out of breath than normal and her school was even calling me because they were even uncomfortable with her breathing. Even after coming off the medication, she has continued to struggle...so I'm not convinced that the medication made things worse. But who knows?!
This basically puts us back to square 1 with her lungs. Noelle goes back to the pulmonologist on Thursday and we are hoping to figure out when the trip to CHOP will be for our second opinion. It is time to get some fresh eyes and a fresh perspective on Noelle. Noelle could really care less that her lungs don't work very well. Unfortunately, this also means that she cannot self regulate when to stop. She will go-go-go until literally she is too tired to keep going. You can hear her wheezing across the room before she stops herself.
Great news...last month she also completed a 3 day EEG at Children's National in DC. This test showed that she does not have silent seizures!!!
So, that is basically where we are at. We are ready for summer and fun! We leave for the Outer Banks during Memorial Day week and could not be more excited!! Hope everyone is having a great spring!! I will try to update as soon as I have more information about our CHOP visit.
xoxo,
Stacie :)
Ross and I are still on the fence about Andon's Kindergarten placement. We have signed him up in the public school system out here...but are still weighing our options with private christian schools in the area. There are several choices...I just need to get out and tour them! Of course, we may keep him at Dynamic Life. We are just not sure at this point. It was bittersweet to register him for public school. It seems like yesterday that he was my little 6 lb peanut. Otherwise, Andon is doing wonderful. He is really progressing with reading and tries to read EVERYTHING...especially while we drive. I just can't believe what a big boy he has become.
As always, Noelle has the longest report. 2011 has been so amazing and so devastating for Noelle. She is progressing in every developmental area. She is really starting to talk and is now putting two words together "Dora Book," "No Mommy", "more please." She is such a big girl!! She is walking really well now, attempting to jump and attempting to run. Her Physical Therapist even said we could graduate to only using her orthopedic braces 50% of the time.
Unfortunately, her lungs seem to be struggling more and more. No one is really sure why...but she seems to continue to fight her lungs. Doing any type of gross motor really tires her out and makes her work extremely hard to breathe. Her lungs are the only aspect of her that is not consistently progressing. Last month, she was admitted for a Bronchoscopy. The docs did general anesthesia and went down her windpipe with a scope to see if there were any glaring issues with her airways. The study showed that she has slightly twisted airways which are smaller than usual. However, the docs decided that these abnormal ties should not hinder her breathing more than usual. So, we decided at this point...maybe her issues were vascular. We tried a trial of the medication called Sildenafil. Which is basically viagra (how many of you can say that your baby girl was on viagra?). We have had many laughs about it. To make a super long story somewhat short...it didn't work either. We were hoping that the increased blood flow between the heart and lungs would help her tremendously. However, after 4 days...we had to discontinue. She was much more out of breath than normal and her school was even calling me because they were even uncomfortable with her breathing. Even after coming off the medication, she has continued to struggle...so I'm not convinced that the medication made things worse. But who knows?!
This basically puts us back to square 1 with her lungs. Noelle goes back to the pulmonologist on Thursday and we are hoping to figure out when the trip to CHOP will be for our second opinion. It is time to get some fresh eyes and a fresh perspective on Noelle. Noelle could really care less that her lungs don't work very well. Unfortunately, this also means that she cannot self regulate when to stop. She will go-go-go until literally she is too tired to keep going. You can hear her wheezing across the room before she stops herself.
Great news...last month she also completed a 3 day EEG at Children's National in DC. This test showed that she does not have silent seizures!!!
So, that is basically where we are at. We are ready for summer and fun! We leave for the Outer Banks during Memorial Day week and could not be more excited!! Hope everyone is having a great spring!! I will try to update as soon as I have more information about our CHOP visit.
xoxo,
Stacie :)
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Fresh Start!
We are finally moved in and are loving our new smaller home! It was quite the process to move from a home probably triple the size of this house. But we love it! Noelle can get around the home with ease and doesn't have to be trapped in one room because of oxygen tubing. She can now pretty much roam the house with the concentrator in the middle of the house. One level living is where its at!! I LOVE IT! I can't believe we hesitated to do this! Our old house actually goes up for auction at the courthouse today. I'm happy to be done with it all. Our bankruptcy was officially closed this past week as well. It is a great feeling to have a fresh start financially.
Andon is doing great in school and is starting to read! He amazed me last night when he spelled out that he was ready for his B-A-T-H! He is really sounding out letters and sounds. His education at Dynamic Life has been amazing. I love them. We are considering keeping him there for private kindergarten because they have been truly a blessing for Andon. April 12th is kindergarten registration at the public school he would go to...so we need to make a decision soon. His school had a family night recently and he got up with his class and sang. I couldn't be any more of a proud mama! My boy is growing up before my eyes. I tried to sign him up for T-ball...but I was too late! :( Who knew T-ball signups occured in late January.
It's been a bit of a crazy winter here. Poor Andon was the first to get sick. He had a high fever and tested positive for the flu. It was a rough two weeks for the poor kiddo. Of course, he shared. Noelle was diagnosed with the flu and RSV and admitted to Fairfax for 6 days. I haven't seen her that sick in quite some time. She just slept all day and woke up and cried when people messed with her. 6 days for RSV/flu is not that bad I guess! :)
Basically, Noelle has been sick on and off all winter. Her lungs of course have taken a bit of a hit. Noelle's main pulmonologist (Dr. Fields) and I have been discussing getting a second opinion for a while now. We had started to consult with Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio. They have a great BPD (Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia-which is the chronic lung disease that she has) program. To make a long story short, we asked to come up there for an actual evaluation (per Dr. Fields request) and they stated that she had aged out of the program and they were not going to be able to help us. With that, we decided that if we were going to travel to get a second opinion...we were going to go to the best. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has the #1 Pulmonary rating in the country. So, we are in the process of trying to get in there soon. I'm not sure what the process is or how long we'll be up there...but I'm ready to go! There must be another reason for her rollercoaster lungs. One day she'll have a great day...the next day, she'll be working so hard and wheezing. It makes no sense.
The great news is....Noelle is progressing in every other way!!! She is really starting to babble and try to put words together. She can form the words with her mouth...but can't quite get them out. It's getting a lot better though. I would say her favorite words are, "NO!" "Mama," "Dada," and "BroBro," which is what she calls Andon. She is walking confidently and trying to jump (which is hysterical to watch!). I have an app on my iPod that has helped her tremedously and she can now identify her shapes and colors. She loves to play hide and seek with her brother! She covers her eyes and attempts to count (I say "one" and she says "dah", I say "two" and she says "dah", and so on and so forth). She loves to listen to music on my iPod...she LOVES to dance and shake her booty! She still has quite the strong personality. She now stomps her foot, throws fits and does other appropriate 2 year old actions. Noelle even went into her room and slammed the door in my face one day when she was mad. It wasn't funny at the time but I can't help but laugh when I think about it now. She acts like she owns the pulmonology office and gets highly offended if people pass her by without saying hi. She walks right back to her room and waves to everyone on the way. She is really a sassy girl. Noelle has always known what she wants...I don't think that will ever change.
I know God has a plan for our family and I put a lot of faith in that. It's not easy to raise a kid with special needs. She makes it fun a lot of times...thank God for her great personality!! She really can go with the flow much better than any kid I know. Sometimes much better than me...
Hope everyone is doing well. Noelle just layed down on the floor and is signing that she's tired. Better go put her down.
xoxo,
Stacie
Andon is doing great in school and is starting to read! He amazed me last night when he spelled out that he was ready for his B-A-T-H! He is really sounding out letters and sounds. His education at Dynamic Life has been amazing. I love them. We are considering keeping him there for private kindergarten because they have been truly a blessing for Andon. April 12th is kindergarten registration at the public school he would go to...so we need to make a decision soon. His school had a family night recently and he got up with his class and sang. I couldn't be any more of a proud mama! My boy is growing up before my eyes. I tried to sign him up for T-ball...but I was too late! :( Who knew T-ball signups occured in late January.
It's been a bit of a crazy winter here. Poor Andon was the first to get sick. He had a high fever and tested positive for the flu. It was a rough two weeks for the poor kiddo. Of course, he shared. Noelle was diagnosed with the flu and RSV and admitted to Fairfax for 6 days. I haven't seen her that sick in quite some time. She just slept all day and woke up and cried when people messed with her. 6 days for RSV/flu is not that bad I guess! :)
Basically, Noelle has been sick on and off all winter. Her lungs of course have taken a bit of a hit. Noelle's main pulmonologist (Dr. Fields) and I have been discussing getting a second opinion for a while now. We had started to consult with Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio. They have a great BPD (Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia-which is the chronic lung disease that she has) program. To make a long story short, we asked to come up there for an actual evaluation (per Dr. Fields request) and they stated that she had aged out of the program and they were not going to be able to help us. With that, we decided that if we were going to travel to get a second opinion...we were going to go to the best. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has the #1 Pulmonary rating in the country. So, we are in the process of trying to get in there soon. I'm not sure what the process is or how long we'll be up there...but I'm ready to go! There must be another reason for her rollercoaster lungs. One day she'll have a great day...the next day, she'll be working so hard and wheezing. It makes no sense.
The great news is....Noelle is progressing in every other way!!! She is really starting to babble and try to put words together. She can form the words with her mouth...but can't quite get them out. It's getting a lot better though. I would say her favorite words are, "NO!" "Mama," "Dada," and "BroBro," which is what she calls Andon. She is walking confidently and trying to jump (which is hysterical to watch!). I have an app on my iPod that has helped her tremedously and she can now identify her shapes and colors. She loves to play hide and seek with her brother! She covers her eyes and attempts to count (I say "one" and she says "dah", I say "two" and she says "dah", and so on and so forth). She loves to listen to music on my iPod...she LOVES to dance and shake her booty! She still has quite the strong personality. She now stomps her foot, throws fits and does other appropriate 2 year old actions. Noelle even went into her room and slammed the door in my face one day when she was mad. It wasn't funny at the time but I can't help but laugh when I think about it now. She acts like she owns the pulmonology office and gets highly offended if people pass her by without saying hi. She walks right back to her room and waves to everyone on the way. She is really a sassy girl. Noelle has always known what she wants...I don't think that will ever change.
I know God has a plan for our family and I put a lot of faith in that. It's not easy to raise a kid with special needs. She makes it fun a lot of times...thank God for her great personality!! She really can go with the flow much better than any kid I know. Sometimes much better than me...
Hope everyone is doing well. Noelle just layed down on the floor and is signing that she's tired. Better go put her down.
xoxo,
Stacie
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Hello 2011!
When is it not a little nutty around the Mikels house? We are finally in the process of our big move to the new rental home! YAY!! We are hoping the big furniture can be moved at the latest one week from today. We are all excited to get a fresh start. We go to Bankruptcy Court in about two weeks. We are planning our first and only "We went Bankrupt and are lovin' it " party!! Hopefully, this will happen sometime in February after we get settled!
Noelle has had some issues lately health wise. Her oxygen/nebulizer needs have increased and some nights we put her back on high flow to make her more comfortable. Steroids have been a great friend to her off and on forever...and they continue to be. She works so hard everyday just to breathe and has been sleeping and napping much more frequently. She has been much more fatigued that sometimes she has a hard time just climbing onto the couch...which she has been doing with ease since the summer. She really likes to snuggle on the couch instead of getting down to play. She has pretty much stopped eating by mouth completely. My least favorite is that she is back to gagging/retching/coughing.
Thanks to one of Noelle's nurses in the NICU...I was able to get in touch with a mom that had a kid much worse than Noelle. That child was transfered to a hospital in Columbus, Ohio because they have a special unit for kids with severe chronic lung disease. That child is now home and actually doing much better than Noelle. The statistics for Nationwide Children's Hospital are amazing. The readmission rates for this hospital are about 3-4%...where as the typical readmission rate from NICU's across the nation ranges from 33-40%. So its clear they know what they are doing. The pulmonologist and I both decided that it was time to try something new....
So we have been consulting with a great doctor in Columbus. She is making a few changes like switching her diuretic and increasing calories. The biggest change is that she wants to try Bipap at night. She thinks that if Noelle could just get some relief...things would be a lot better. Bipap seems to work really well up there. Noelle also has to go back and see the cardiologist and get an Echo (thats today). We are meeting with the sleep doctor to get the bipap hooked up on Thursday. My great hope is that Noelle will realize that it is helping and won't fight the bipap...yeah...its a great hope. For those of you that don't know what bipap is...it is very similar to CPAP (which people use for sleep apnea). It provides positive pressure so that she doesn't have to work so hard.
We are really hoping that these changes will provide Noelle with some breathing relief. If not, we will probably be going up to Children's in Ohio for a little while to let them take a look at her. I'm really hoping that things can be fixed at home!
Thats about it! Just a few updates about Noelle. I'll update again when we are settled in our new home! I can't wait (believe it or not) to be in a smaller space!! It'll be easier to decorate and CLEAN! :) YAY!
Hope everyone had a fantastic start to 2011!
xoxo,
Stacie :)
Noelle has had some issues lately health wise. Her oxygen/nebulizer needs have increased and some nights we put her back on high flow to make her more comfortable. Steroids have been a great friend to her off and on forever...and they continue to be. She works so hard everyday just to breathe and has been sleeping and napping much more frequently. She has been much more fatigued that sometimes she has a hard time just climbing onto the couch...which she has been doing with ease since the summer. She really likes to snuggle on the couch instead of getting down to play. She has pretty much stopped eating by mouth completely. My least favorite is that she is back to gagging/retching/coughing.
Thanks to one of Noelle's nurses in the NICU...I was able to get in touch with a mom that had a kid much worse than Noelle. That child was transfered to a hospital in Columbus, Ohio because they have a special unit for kids with severe chronic lung disease. That child is now home and actually doing much better than Noelle. The statistics for Nationwide Children's Hospital are amazing. The readmission rates for this hospital are about 3-4%...where as the typical readmission rate from NICU's across the nation ranges from 33-40%. So its clear they know what they are doing. The pulmonologist and I both decided that it was time to try something new....
So we have been consulting with a great doctor in Columbus. She is making a few changes like switching her diuretic and increasing calories. The biggest change is that she wants to try Bipap at night. She thinks that if Noelle could just get some relief...things would be a lot better. Bipap seems to work really well up there. Noelle also has to go back and see the cardiologist and get an Echo (thats today). We are meeting with the sleep doctor to get the bipap hooked up on Thursday. My great hope is that Noelle will realize that it is helping and won't fight the bipap...yeah...its a great hope. For those of you that don't know what bipap is...it is very similar to CPAP (which people use for sleep apnea). It provides positive pressure so that she doesn't have to work so hard.
We are really hoping that these changes will provide Noelle with some breathing relief. If not, we will probably be going up to Children's in Ohio for a little while to let them take a look at her. I'm really hoping that things can be fixed at home!
Thats about it! Just a few updates about Noelle. I'll update again when we are settled in our new home! I can't wait (believe it or not) to be in a smaller space!! It'll be easier to decorate and CLEAN! :) YAY!
Hope everyone had a fantastic start to 2011!
xoxo,
Stacie :)
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Repeat after me...change is GOOD!
We have had a few crazy months in the Mikels house filled with change, great news and not so great news! Let me warn you...this is going to be a long post. Grab a drink and a snack and then come back and read!
First off, I'm just going to come out with our biggest news. It is something that Ross and I have fought for a while now but have given into and it's a great feeling. Ross and I filed for Bankruptcy this month. Repeat after me...change is good! We are not proud about this...but have realized it is for the best. We have so much medical debt from Noelle being born early to my medical bills from when she was born. Of course, I had co-insurance...so I owed a considerable amount of my Emergency C-Section, emergency transport to Fairfax, emergency blood transfusions...I could go on for a while about the things we owed. I was forced to quit my job after she was born. We went from a pretty comfortable two income household to a strapped one income household. We were putting our basic bills on credit cards just to keep our home a stable place for our son who thought the whole world turned upside-down in 2008 AND 2009. Then, when I was forced yet again to quit my job in December of last year because Medicaid was threatening us...we hoped that we could make it work. We couldn't. Please don't misunderstand. We don't want pity, we don't want people to feel sorry for us...we are finally on a clean slate again and it feels great! You know me...I always have to find the silver lining.
Repeat after me...Change is good! So, next month...we are moving! We were so blessed to find a man who was willing to overlook our financial history and look at our story. He is going to rent us his single family home!! We know we are not irresponsible people or parents...and he totally takes our word. We were totally upfront and honest with him about what happened and he is happy to help out. I think he's also happy to take his house off the market and know that people are going to take care of it. We are excited. Andon and I went over to our "new house" and he was able to pick out his new room. Now, he wants a bunk bed to fit in his new room. I'm going to have to work on that one! It's time for a change...2011 is truly going to be a new start for us! Clean slate financially and a new house to move into. I'm excited about reorganizing and having less space to clean! :)
Little did we know that 2 days before filing for bankruptcy that Ross would get into a car accident. Ross was fine. He walked away without a scratch. THANK GOD! But our vehicles were the two things we were going to keep. To make a long story short, his truck was totaled. We owed more than it was worth...so we were down to one car. This was a rough day for us...but at least we still had my car. Luckily, Ross still had the rental car from his accident.
A week later, I was volunteering at the hospital and my car broke down as I was pulling into the parking garage. That night, as I'm driving my moms car back home...I had a stern chat with God. For crying out loud...we have been through enough. I wasn't selling crack on the corner...I was getting ready to volunteer my time at the hospital where my daughter lived for almost a year! I asked...no...I begged, for some kind of hope that things would get better. Call me crazy....just then....I saw a shooting star. I knew things would work out somehow. It was then I reminded myself that there are always situations worse than ours. We still had a roof over our heads, and for the most part...my family was healthy. There are thousands of kids in hospitals right now with families struggling. I should't ask for more...
The mechanic called and told me my transmission was shot. My poor car has almost 200k miles on it. We thought long and hard about what to do. At one point, the mechanic told us that it probably wasn't worth fixing. I said a prayer with my mother in law. That afternoon, the mechanic called back and said that the transmission wasn't bad...the computer inside was. YES! It was still a lot of money to fix....but worth keeping the car now! :) I joked with Ross that night...we were almost homeless and car-less....I don't think he thought it was funny! ;)
We were still trying to figure out how Ross would get to work everyday. I was uncomfortable with being at home with Noelle without a car. There are many days that I have had to run up to Fairfax spur of the moment because of her lungs and breathing. Out here, we can't really rely on 911. They would take her to the nearest hospital...and if it was a true emergency...they would take her down to UVA before Fairfax. One word describes that....EW! Ross is so blessed that his company gave him a company truck just until we can buy a new vehicle for him (we've been told about 3 months). THANK GOD...yet again!
Andon is doing great about all these changes. He is excited to move into the new house. Although, I can tell it stresses him out a little...he acts like he's excited! He has decided that he wants to play T-Ball or Football in the spring instead of Soccer. He is going to school full days now which he really enjoys! I can't get over the fact that my baby is going to Kindergarten in the fall. Time flies way too fast. Every time I blog, I wish I had more to say about him. I never want him to feel slighted...however, he is so healthy and so happy....it's a blessing that I don't have much to say about him!! He's just such a great kid!
Noelle has been hanging in there. Her lungs have already taken a bit of a hit this fall and winter. In part, because she goes to school and is exposed to many more germs than she can handle. School is WORTH IT! Noey has enjoyed school so much. After watching your kid in the hospital for months at a time and watch her almost die....watching her enjoy school is so nice! She is so excited on school mornings! However, she has been sick a lot! She has had 2 (almost 3) pneumonias. Luckily, she only spent one night in the hospital. High flow O2 has been our friend again recently, especially at night. The pediatrician kind of freaked me out a little at our last visit. He is the second medical professional to inform me that she might be "growing out of her lungs." I don't even know what this phrase means....but I think its crap. I keep meaning to ask the pulmonologist about it...but missed our last appointment due to the snow. Her lungs for the most part are the same or worse. No one really knows why her lungs are not improving. It's a mystery!
The great news is...Noelle is pretty much WALKING! She is so proud of herself! I'm so proud of her! She has come such a long way. To all the people that doubted her ability and strength....HAHA! She is stronger than most people I know! She gets really winded and sweaty when she walks...but she has determination like no other!
In other Noelle news, it looks like Noelle may qualify for the VA Neurological Birth Injury Fund. This is a fund that will provide lifetime support for Noelle and whatever her needs are. I'm not sure about the full scope of what is covered...but I've heard from other parents that it is a miracle! I didn't think that she would qualify at all because all of her head ultrasounds came back normal while she was in the NICU. Not to mention, all of her issues seem to stem from prematurity....not a birth injury. Fairfax had reported that her ultrasounds were all normal, showing no brain injuries and/or brain bleeds. I got in touch with this lawyer (who the birth fund pays to get children into the program...I won't have to pay her) who requested all of Noelle's records, including the head ultrasounds. She sent the ultrasounds to some expert radiologist. He came back and said that Noelle's head ultrasounds were abnormal from the start showing signs of significant oxygen deprivation starting from the first ultrasound on her birthday and getting progressively worse after. This proves that there was a birth injury from the abruption....therefore qualifying her for the program. I couldn't decide if I was excited to get into the program or upset because I finally proved my theory that something neurological was "off." I have been going back and forth with the neurologists....telling them that something was off. Whether it was seizures or tics...or something. No one ever believed me. I'm taking her to a new neurologist in January...and I'm bringing this up. All in all, this is good news and should provide us with relief.
We are super excited about the holidays around here! Even Noey seems to feel the excitement! Andon's school is doing a little concert during church on Sunday... and he is really excited to dress up for it!
I think that is enough news from us for right now! I'm sure there are spelling mistakes and bad grammer...but I'm tired and better get my butt to bed.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to anyone on here that still reads my updates! May your holiday be filled with joy and warmth of family and friends. :)
xoxo,
Stacie :)
First off, I'm just going to come out with our biggest news. It is something that Ross and I have fought for a while now but have given into and it's a great feeling. Ross and I filed for Bankruptcy this month. Repeat after me...change is good! We are not proud about this...but have realized it is for the best. We have so much medical debt from Noelle being born early to my medical bills from when she was born. Of course, I had co-insurance...so I owed a considerable amount of my Emergency C-Section, emergency transport to Fairfax, emergency blood transfusions...I could go on for a while about the things we owed. I was forced to quit my job after she was born. We went from a pretty comfortable two income household to a strapped one income household. We were putting our basic bills on credit cards just to keep our home a stable place for our son who thought the whole world turned upside-down in 2008 AND 2009. Then, when I was forced yet again to quit my job in December of last year because Medicaid was threatening us...we hoped that we could make it work. We couldn't. Please don't misunderstand. We don't want pity, we don't want people to feel sorry for us...we are finally on a clean slate again and it feels great! You know me...I always have to find the silver lining.
Repeat after me...Change is good! So, next month...we are moving! We were so blessed to find a man who was willing to overlook our financial history and look at our story. He is going to rent us his single family home!! We know we are not irresponsible people or parents...and he totally takes our word. We were totally upfront and honest with him about what happened and he is happy to help out. I think he's also happy to take his house off the market and know that people are going to take care of it. We are excited. Andon and I went over to our "new house" and he was able to pick out his new room. Now, he wants a bunk bed to fit in his new room. I'm going to have to work on that one! It's time for a change...2011 is truly going to be a new start for us! Clean slate financially and a new house to move into. I'm excited about reorganizing and having less space to clean! :)
Little did we know that 2 days before filing for bankruptcy that Ross would get into a car accident. Ross was fine. He walked away without a scratch. THANK GOD! But our vehicles were the two things we were going to keep. To make a long story short, his truck was totaled. We owed more than it was worth...so we were down to one car. This was a rough day for us...but at least we still had my car. Luckily, Ross still had the rental car from his accident.
A week later, I was volunteering at the hospital and my car broke down as I was pulling into the parking garage. That night, as I'm driving my moms car back home...I had a stern chat with God. For crying out loud...we have been through enough. I wasn't selling crack on the corner...I was getting ready to volunteer my time at the hospital where my daughter lived for almost a year! I asked...no...I begged, for some kind of hope that things would get better. Call me crazy....just then....I saw a shooting star. I knew things would work out somehow. It was then I reminded myself that there are always situations worse than ours. We still had a roof over our heads, and for the most part...my family was healthy. There are thousands of kids in hospitals right now with families struggling. I should't ask for more...
The mechanic called and told me my transmission was shot. My poor car has almost 200k miles on it. We thought long and hard about what to do. At one point, the mechanic told us that it probably wasn't worth fixing. I said a prayer with my mother in law. That afternoon, the mechanic called back and said that the transmission wasn't bad...the computer inside was. YES! It was still a lot of money to fix....but worth keeping the car now! :) I joked with Ross that night...we were almost homeless and car-less....I don't think he thought it was funny! ;)
We were still trying to figure out how Ross would get to work everyday. I was uncomfortable with being at home with Noelle without a car. There are many days that I have had to run up to Fairfax spur of the moment because of her lungs and breathing. Out here, we can't really rely on 911. They would take her to the nearest hospital...and if it was a true emergency...they would take her down to UVA before Fairfax. One word describes that....EW! Ross is so blessed that his company gave him a company truck just until we can buy a new vehicle for him (we've been told about 3 months). THANK GOD...yet again!
Andon is doing great about all these changes. He is excited to move into the new house. Although, I can tell it stresses him out a little...he acts like he's excited! He has decided that he wants to play T-Ball or Football in the spring instead of Soccer. He is going to school full days now which he really enjoys! I can't get over the fact that my baby is going to Kindergarten in the fall. Time flies way too fast. Every time I blog, I wish I had more to say about him. I never want him to feel slighted...however, he is so healthy and so happy....it's a blessing that I don't have much to say about him!! He's just such a great kid!
Noelle has been hanging in there. Her lungs have already taken a bit of a hit this fall and winter. In part, because she goes to school and is exposed to many more germs than she can handle. School is WORTH IT! Noey has enjoyed school so much. After watching your kid in the hospital for months at a time and watch her almost die....watching her enjoy school is so nice! She is so excited on school mornings! However, she has been sick a lot! She has had 2 (almost 3) pneumonias. Luckily, she only spent one night in the hospital. High flow O2 has been our friend again recently, especially at night. The pediatrician kind of freaked me out a little at our last visit. He is the second medical professional to inform me that she might be "growing out of her lungs." I don't even know what this phrase means....but I think its crap. I keep meaning to ask the pulmonologist about it...but missed our last appointment due to the snow. Her lungs for the most part are the same or worse. No one really knows why her lungs are not improving. It's a mystery!
The great news is...Noelle is pretty much WALKING! She is so proud of herself! I'm so proud of her! She has come such a long way. To all the people that doubted her ability and strength....HAHA! She is stronger than most people I know! She gets really winded and sweaty when she walks...but she has determination like no other!
In other Noelle news, it looks like Noelle may qualify for the VA Neurological Birth Injury Fund. This is a fund that will provide lifetime support for Noelle and whatever her needs are. I'm not sure about the full scope of what is covered...but I've heard from other parents that it is a miracle! I didn't think that she would qualify at all because all of her head ultrasounds came back normal while she was in the NICU. Not to mention, all of her issues seem to stem from prematurity....not a birth injury. Fairfax had reported that her ultrasounds were all normal, showing no brain injuries and/or brain bleeds. I got in touch with this lawyer (who the birth fund pays to get children into the program...I won't have to pay her) who requested all of Noelle's records, including the head ultrasounds. She sent the ultrasounds to some expert radiologist. He came back and said that Noelle's head ultrasounds were abnormal from the start showing signs of significant oxygen deprivation starting from the first ultrasound on her birthday and getting progressively worse after. This proves that there was a birth injury from the abruption....therefore qualifying her for the program. I couldn't decide if I was excited to get into the program or upset because I finally proved my theory that something neurological was "off." I have been going back and forth with the neurologists....telling them that something was off. Whether it was seizures or tics...or something. No one ever believed me. I'm taking her to a new neurologist in January...and I'm bringing this up. All in all, this is good news and should provide us with relief.
We are super excited about the holidays around here! Even Noey seems to feel the excitement! Andon's school is doing a little concert during church on Sunday... and he is really excited to dress up for it!
I think that is enough news from us for right now! I'm sure there are spelling mistakes and bad grammer...but I'm tired and better get my butt to bed.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to anyone on here that still reads my updates! May your holiday be filled with joy and warmth of family and friends. :)
xoxo,
Stacie :)
Monday, October 25, 2010
Spook-Tacular October!
The Mikels family has had a fantastic October so far!!! On October 3rd, we left for the beach for the week and had the best time a family could possibly have! We got to stay in a nice, big house (with an elevator...mind you!) and just had some really great family time. Many days, we get lost in the craziness of life, doctors appointments, school, etc... It was so nice to go away and just be able to enjoy each other!
If you have never been to the Outer Banks...leave NOW! It is a magical place! Our kids enjoyed waking us up to enjoy the sunsets together over breakfast. The beach was an everyday occurrence and Noelle really enjoyed napping on the beach. While it wasn't warm enough to go in the water everyday...it was still so enjoyable. Not cold yet not hot! Absolutely perfect! Andon enjoyed sandcastles and collecting sea shells. Noelle enjoyed watching the kite. Noelle refused to play in the sand until the last day. She must have known we were leaving because she not only played in the sand...but then completely immersed herself in sand while playing in it! It was so much fun to watch. Ross really enjoyed the surf and sound fishing and actually caught a lot! One of my favorite parts was being able to watch one of my high school girlfriends walk down the isle (in front of the sound sunset!) to one of my guy high school friends. It was like a mini reunion and was so much fun! We can't wait to go back to the beach sometime soon...hopefully!
In other Noey news, her eye doctor appointment went GREAT! Her eyes are looking fantastic and she doesn't have to follow up for another year! SCORE!
I took her for another opinion with a different Neurologist. As soon as he found out we were there for a second opinion, he shut down. He examined her and basically told me that he didn't need to see her anymore and that he agreed with the neurologist at Children's. Whatever. I'm taking her to see a different Neurologist at Children's in January. I want to be comfortable with my choices for her care...and I'm not comfortable with a doctor that doesn't even lay a hand on her during a neuro consult. He's a wack job and I'm not going back there. We'll see what happens with this new doc at Children's. I've received several opinions from different people and everyone agrees that something is off with her neurologically. Its not major...but something is just off. I'm going with my gut...
Her chest cat scan came back as expected. Dr. Fields said "her lungs just suck!" Well, nothing new there! We talked a lot at the last appointment about what life is going to be like for a while. Unfortunately, the lungs do the most amount of growing between birth and 2 years old. Now, that she is over 2 years....they will still grow but at a slower more steady rate until she is 18. So, we are probably looking at a long term oxygen solution, if not forever. I guess it doesn't really matter that much...we are so used to it by now. It would just be nice to one day be tube free. It's a great dream and something to pray about...
Andon had his first field trip of the school year to Cox Farms (the local mega pumpkin patch). I was able to volunteer...finally! I have to admit, after all the field trips I went on as a summer camp counselor and then as an administrator...this was WAY more fun! I love going on field trips with no responsibility other than my own kid!! We had a blast. It was a perfect weather day and we had some great kids and teachers with us. We brought home some pumpkins and tons of great memories!
So, I don't usually do news about me...but I'm pretty excited about this news. I have made the decision to go back to school to get my nursing degree. I'm sure most of my extended family thinks I'm crazy...but I'm really excited about it. Plus, I think it will give me some forced "away and me" time. I have a lot to learn...but I have a ton to gain. So, why not?! I'm going to start off very slow and just do one class a semester for a while. I have to get a few pre-requisites before I can apply for a nursing program. So, that'll take me a little while. Plus, financial aid is harder to come by when you are getting a second Bachelors....so I'm going to have to go slow and (somehow) pay out of pocket. If anyone knows about any great scholarships...please let me know!
Halloween is coming!! Andon has decided to be Superman and Noelle will be Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz (Because there is no place like home...)
Hope everyone has a wonderful rest of October and I'm going to try to update more often so the posts are not so long!
xoxo,
Stacie :)
If you have never been to the Outer Banks...leave NOW! It is a magical place! Our kids enjoyed waking us up to enjoy the sunsets together over breakfast. The beach was an everyday occurrence and Noelle really enjoyed napping on the beach. While it wasn't warm enough to go in the water everyday...it was still so enjoyable. Not cold yet not hot! Absolutely perfect! Andon enjoyed sandcastles and collecting sea shells. Noelle enjoyed watching the kite. Noelle refused to play in the sand until the last day. She must have known we were leaving because she not only played in the sand...but then completely immersed herself in sand while playing in it! It was so much fun to watch. Ross really enjoyed the surf and sound fishing and actually caught a lot! One of my favorite parts was being able to watch one of my high school girlfriends walk down the isle (in front of the sound sunset!) to one of my guy high school friends. It was like a mini reunion and was so much fun! We can't wait to go back to the beach sometime soon...hopefully!
In other Noey news, her eye doctor appointment went GREAT! Her eyes are looking fantastic and she doesn't have to follow up for another year! SCORE!
I took her for another opinion with a different Neurologist. As soon as he found out we were there for a second opinion, he shut down. He examined her and basically told me that he didn't need to see her anymore and that he agreed with the neurologist at Children's. Whatever. I'm taking her to see a different Neurologist at Children's in January. I want to be comfortable with my choices for her care...and I'm not comfortable with a doctor that doesn't even lay a hand on her during a neuro consult. He's a wack job and I'm not going back there. We'll see what happens with this new doc at Children's. I've received several opinions from different people and everyone agrees that something is off with her neurologically. Its not major...but something is just off. I'm going with my gut...
Her chest cat scan came back as expected. Dr. Fields said "her lungs just suck!" Well, nothing new there! We talked a lot at the last appointment about what life is going to be like for a while. Unfortunately, the lungs do the most amount of growing between birth and 2 years old. Now, that she is over 2 years....they will still grow but at a slower more steady rate until she is 18. So, we are probably looking at a long term oxygen solution, if not forever. I guess it doesn't really matter that much...we are so used to it by now. It would just be nice to one day be tube free. It's a great dream and something to pray about...
Andon had his first field trip of the school year to Cox Farms (the local mega pumpkin patch). I was able to volunteer...finally! I have to admit, after all the field trips I went on as a summer camp counselor and then as an administrator...this was WAY more fun! I love going on field trips with no responsibility other than my own kid!! We had a blast. It was a perfect weather day and we had some great kids and teachers with us. We brought home some pumpkins and tons of great memories!
So, I don't usually do news about me...but I'm pretty excited about this news. I have made the decision to go back to school to get my nursing degree. I'm sure most of my extended family thinks I'm crazy...but I'm really excited about it. Plus, I think it will give me some forced "away and me" time. I have a lot to learn...but I have a ton to gain. So, why not?! I'm going to start off very slow and just do one class a semester for a while. I have to get a few pre-requisites before I can apply for a nursing program. So, that'll take me a little while. Plus, financial aid is harder to come by when you are getting a second Bachelors....so I'm going to have to go slow and (somehow) pay out of pocket. If anyone knows about any great scholarships...please let me know!
Halloween is coming!! Andon has decided to be Superman and Noelle will be Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz (Because there is no place like home...)
Hope everyone has a wonderful rest of October and I'm going to try to update more often so the posts are not so long!
xoxo,
Stacie :)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
YAY for Fall!
I've probably opened this page and started a post about 5 times this week. There is so much to update everyone on.
First of all, I went ahead and signed off on Noelle's IEP within the county and she started special education preschool on 9/14. She goes Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30am-11:30am. The lead teacher in her class has TONS of experience and a Masters Degree. There is also a Speech Therapist in the classroom each day as well to work with the kids. On top of that, they have an aid and a volunteer. That is 4 adults in the classroom each day. The best part....there are only 3 children...including Noelle. What an AWESOME teacher/child ratio. I could not be more excited and the best part is...she LOVES it. Unfortunately, we did have to give up her home services with Early Intervention. It was one or the other. That was really disappointing because we really loved her home therapists and case worker. Luckily, we found a few of her therapists on Facebook so we are able to keep in touch.
The bad part about her going to school is, after 2 days attending...she was sick. I think she just had a small cold, but of course with Noelle the sky was practically falling. The poor girl couldn't breathe and had to go back on high flow oxygen for several days. A few days of steroids, a few frantic calls to the pulmonologist, an almost ER visit, a little bit of rest and sharing the cold with her brother has made her better and ready to go back to school tomorrow. Andon was able to go back today even though he was a day or so behind Noelle in getting the cold. I'm sure this is going to become a reality with Noelle and Andon both being in school. At least they share one thing...germs.
Noelle finally had her wheelchair delivered today!! It was so exciting! At first, she was very upset by being put in the chair...but when she realized that she could wheel around, she was sooo excited. We did find out that our house is slightly slanted and hard for a toddler to wheel around in. She's going to have so much fun wheeling around school with it!!
Medically for Noelle, we have several appointments coming up. About two weeks ago, Noelle choked on her dinner. It was so bad, I had to flip her upside down and smack her back to get the food out. I finally got her breathing again and set her back in her high chair. I turned around to rinse the chewed up food off my hands and when I turned back around...she was in what appeared to be a full blown seizure. She was shaking and convulsing and her eyes had rolled up in her head. I freaked out and tried to get her out of it...to no avail. She finally came out of it on her own. This episode lasted about 15-20 seconds. I called the pediatrician to see what we should do. After all, she just had a 24 hour EEG which was normal. The pediatrician said to put in a call to the neurologist and come in to the pediatricians office to just make sure she didn't aspirate her food from choking. I called the neurologist (who is not one of my favorite people) and the nurse called me back and said she believed she had a "holding breath episode" and she would be fine. The doc didn't want to see her...nothing! I was put off by this. We have been suspecting silent seizures for over a year and now she has had a full blown shaking seizure and nothing! The neurologist booked an appointment to follow up for January. I, personally, did not find this acceptable. So, I'm taking her to get a second opinion at a different pediatric neurologist on Wednesday. Thursday we see the pulmonologist again for a regular check up and to get results from the CT scan. Friday, we see the Eye Doctor for the first time in a year! I'm anxious about this one. Noelle has recently started to read books very close to her face and insists on getting about 2 inches from the television. We always knew she would probably have glasses...it might be the time.
We did get the results back from her sleep study. She does have mild sleep apnea and basically the pediatric version of Restless Leg Syndrome. They are going to check her levels of iron and hopefully treat with iron. The apnea is not enough to require anything additional. On average, she moved her legs 77 times per hour during sleep. Which apparently is crazy. This could be the reason for her extreme tiredness...her legs probably wake her up at night. The sleep study doc also said that there is some sort of correlation with the restless leg syndrome and developing ADHD. I wasn't surprised about that one either. Seriously, nothing to worry about today at least! Remind me about it before she starts kindergarten! :)
Andon started soccer last weekend and was so excited to see his friends again. Ross is the assistant coach and I think it helps Andon to stay on the field. Compared to his first soccer game last year....this year was no comparison. He knew exactly what to expect and ran out on the field. He has been trying a lot more this season as well. He actually chases the ball rather than just watching the ball! :)
Andon is really enjoying his school. He moved to a new classroom for kids that start Kindergarten in the fall of 2011. They even have little desks to do academic work. We are really lucky to have found this school. The school has led us back to church as well. After Noelle came home, we were told no group gatherings at all...including church. So, we figured if she can go to school now...she can go to church with us. Our new church is fantastic. I have felt so welcome each and every week we go. In addition, have really enjoyed the service. The church I grew up in was very traditional (and boring!) This church is not either. There is a live band, great music and great sermons each week. It is really something we are excited about. Ross and I always knew we wanted to raise our kids in a church and we have never really found the right one. I am excited to say...I think we have!
We leave for the beach next Sunday! Ross, Andon and I could not be more excited!! Noelle doesn't know what is going on...yet! We cannot wait to just be together and relax. I'm not sure we know what that is anymore. Between Ross working, me starting my own business, doctors appointments, therapies, and shuttling the kids back and forth to school...its crazy!
I know I am terribly behind on pictures of the kiddos...but I'll catch up after the beach! Or maybe at the beach...I'll actually have time! Hope everyone is enjoying September!!
xoxo,
Stacie :)
First of all, I went ahead and signed off on Noelle's IEP within the county and she started special education preschool on 9/14. She goes Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30am-11:30am. The lead teacher in her class has TONS of experience and a Masters Degree. There is also a Speech Therapist in the classroom each day as well to work with the kids. On top of that, they have an aid and a volunteer. That is 4 adults in the classroom each day. The best part....there are only 3 children...including Noelle. What an AWESOME teacher/child ratio. I could not be more excited and the best part is...she LOVES it. Unfortunately, we did have to give up her home services with Early Intervention. It was one or the other. That was really disappointing because we really loved her home therapists and case worker. Luckily, we found a few of her therapists on Facebook so we are able to keep in touch.
The bad part about her going to school is, after 2 days attending...she was sick. I think she just had a small cold, but of course with Noelle the sky was practically falling. The poor girl couldn't breathe and had to go back on high flow oxygen for several days. A few days of steroids, a few frantic calls to the pulmonologist, an almost ER visit, a little bit of rest and sharing the cold with her brother has made her better and ready to go back to school tomorrow. Andon was able to go back today even though he was a day or so behind Noelle in getting the cold. I'm sure this is going to become a reality with Noelle and Andon both being in school. At least they share one thing...germs.
Noelle finally had her wheelchair delivered today!! It was so exciting! At first, she was very upset by being put in the chair...but when she realized that she could wheel around, she was sooo excited. We did find out that our house is slightly slanted and hard for a toddler to wheel around in. She's going to have so much fun wheeling around school with it!!
Medically for Noelle, we have several appointments coming up. About two weeks ago, Noelle choked on her dinner. It was so bad, I had to flip her upside down and smack her back to get the food out. I finally got her breathing again and set her back in her high chair. I turned around to rinse the chewed up food off my hands and when I turned back around...she was in what appeared to be a full blown seizure. She was shaking and convulsing and her eyes had rolled up in her head. I freaked out and tried to get her out of it...to no avail. She finally came out of it on her own. This episode lasted about 15-20 seconds. I called the pediatrician to see what we should do. After all, she just had a 24 hour EEG which was normal. The pediatrician said to put in a call to the neurologist and come in to the pediatricians office to just make sure she didn't aspirate her food from choking. I called the neurologist (who is not one of my favorite people) and the nurse called me back and said she believed she had a "holding breath episode" and she would be fine. The doc didn't want to see her...nothing! I was put off by this. We have been suspecting silent seizures for over a year and now she has had a full blown shaking seizure and nothing! The neurologist booked an appointment to follow up for January. I, personally, did not find this acceptable. So, I'm taking her to get a second opinion at a different pediatric neurologist on Wednesday. Thursday we see the pulmonologist again for a regular check up and to get results from the CT scan. Friday, we see the Eye Doctor for the first time in a year! I'm anxious about this one. Noelle has recently started to read books very close to her face and insists on getting about 2 inches from the television. We always knew she would probably have glasses...it might be the time.
We did get the results back from her sleep study. She does have mild sleep apnea and basically the pediatric version of Restless Leg Syndrome. They are going to check her levels of iron and hopefully treat with iron. The apnea is not enough to require anything additional. On average, she moved her legs 77 times per hour during sleep. Which apparently is crazy. This could be the reason for her extreme tiredness...her legs probably wake her up at night. The sleep study doc also said that there is some sort of correlation with the restless leg syndrome and developing ADHD. I wasn't surprised about that one either. Seriously, nothing to worry about today at least! Remind me about it before she starts kindergarten! :)
Andon started soccer last weekend and was so excited to see his friends again. Ross is the assistant coach and I think it helps Andon to stay on the field. Compared to his first soccer game last year....this year was no comparison. He knew exactly what to expect and ran out on the field. He has been trying a lot more this season as well. He actually chases the ball rather than just watching the ball! :)
Andon is really enjoying his school. He moved to a new classroom for kids that start Kindergarten in the fall of 2011. They even have little desks to do academic work. We are really lucky to have found this school. The school has led us back to church as well. After Noelle came home, we were told no group gatherings at all...including church. So, we figured if she can go to school now...she can go to church with us. Our new church is fantastic. I have felt so welcome each and every week we go. In addition, have really enjoyed the service. The church I grew up in was very traditional (and boring!) This church is not either. There is a live band, great music and great sermons each week. It is really something we are excited about. Ross and I always knew we wanted to raise our kids in a church and we have never really found the right one. I am excited to say...I think we have!
We leave for the beach next Sunday! Ross, Andon and I could not be more excited!! Noelle doesn't know what is going on...yet! We cannot wait to just be together and relax. I'm not sure we know what that is anymore. Between Ross working, me starting my own business, doctors appointments, therapies, and shuttling the kids back and forth to school...its crazy!
I know I am terribly behind on pictures of the kiddos...but I'll catch up after the beach! Or maybe at the beach...I'll actually have time! Hope everyone is enjoying September!!
xoxo,
Stacie :)
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