What's Happening With...

2009-09-19T05:42:00.006-04:00

Hi Everyone! We hope that you had a great week and enjoy this weekend!

I will start off with Paul's doctor's appointment this past Tuesday. He gained a couple more pounds and is pretty much at a healthy weight for him. He had to give a ton of blood since he is near his one year anniversary - I think he said something like 27 vials! He is participating in a study so I think a fair amount went to them. He was also supposed to get some vaccines and a 1 year bone marrow biopsy - but since he was waiting for a few hours they spared him. He will have to make another trip down in a week or so to get those done. This past week he has been working outside quite a bit. The weather has been perfect for that!

Vinnie is still hanging in there the best he can. He has been starting to experience nausea throughout each day. He can't even get the anti-nausea pill down. We need to go to the pharmacy today to try another prescription but in liquid form. The only step after that is a suppository but he has been staunchly refusing it! :P His jaundice had slowly been going away but seems to be returning. He was seriously as yellow as Homer Simpson! No joke. Hopefully it doesn't get that bad again because then he starts itching.

Alayna is loving school and all her little friends she has made. I think all they do is art projects there! Each day she comes home with several new masterpieces showcasing the letter of the day or whatnot. I have been debating moving her up to 3 days a week. I am sure she would love it.

Last night all us girls went uptown to Mont Vernon's Barn Dance. It is held in a barn (duh) on a farm that is owned by the town. I had never been before but my friend dragged me out so the kids could kick up their heels. Therefore I dragged my sister with me. :D Alayna learned the chicken dance and had fun people watching.

My parents will be arriving this Monday. We are all looking forward to seeing them again. It has only been a couple of months since we saw them last, but it sure feels longer than that. My mom is packing a cooler of frozen green chile and tamales! I really hope that airline doesn't lose that bag! Having my mom here will be a big help getting Alayna's birthday organized. With Vinnie being sick I have flip flopped back and forth on doing a party or not. So I have left myself little time but we are going to try and pull one together. The invitations will be going out next week! So mark your calendars for October 10th!

Talk soon!

I will never forget...

2009-09-11T21:50:00.004-04:00

It doesn't really seem like it was 8 years ago that that terrible day happened. My memory isn't very good these days - but I certainly remember everything about that one. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has been affected.

I would also like to wish my wonderful parents a Happy Anniversary! 44 years ago two crazy kids got married. I am so thankful they still are - and happily too!

This last week went by pretty quickly. Alayna has been doing well at preschool and we have the start of a major art collection. I think we have a miniature Van Gogh on our hands! And as you can tell from her chipper smile - she is pretty excited to head out in the mornings to see her friends and Mrs. Maureen.

Paul has an appointment coming up on Tuesday down in Boston. He will probably be getting more vaccines during this visit. Coming very soon will be September 27th - one year since Paul's transplant! That is an exciting milestone for sure!

Vinnie is still hanging in there - although he is getting awfully confused about things. He won't remember his diagnosis or tests he has had. He is forgetting peoples names and if someone was visiting him in the morning - by the afternoon he will forget that it happened. He is rapidly losing weight. At the most he might be getting in 300-400 calories per day. He gets nauseous sometimes , but mostly he just can't get it doen he says. He sticks with applesauce, ice cream, and jello. I have tried getting him to drink protein/calorie shakes but he just won't. I know this is part of his disease and the path he will follow - but it is still hard to see him so emaciated. Thankfully he still isn't experiencing much pain.

Alayna's best friend Annelina is having her 3rd birthday party next weekend and it is going to be a princess party. So I decided to try my hand at making a tutu for the occasion! I have been whipping up several of them with the tulle I had on hand. I am anxiously waiting my order of more tulle!

This week we have also seen a nice drop in the temperature. We are all loving the change of season's. Hope you all have a fantastic week!

And so it begins...

2009-09-02T20:38:00.006-04:00

Like so many others before - our little girl had her first day of preschool on Tuesday morning. Alayna woke up bright and early in a very good mood. Her daddy made her a delicious pancake breakfast, and off she went. She is in the morning class with her BFF Annelina.

Paul and I went to pick her up and were so delighted to hear she had a great day and even painted a beautiful picture.

She is only gone two days a week for a total of six hours - we love having this newfound free time - but also miss her like crazy. The old adage is so true, they grow up way too fast!

Vinnie is still doing about the same. He tries to eat a couple of meals a day but he mostly sleeps. He seems to be in good spirits and has his dry sense of humor in tact. In addition to a hospice nurse visiting twice a week he also has a nurse aid that visits on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She washes his dishes, makes his bed, and was even able to get him in the shower on her last visit! Mostly she helps wherever she can to give us a little break. I am not sure what she gets paid, but it can't be enough! :P

Have a great rest of the week!

On this day...

2009-08-24T23:17:00.002-04:00

As of August 25th it has been 3 mths since my last post. And in exactly one month from now - Paul will be celebrating one year since his transplant! So much was the same for so very long. Paul is continually doing great! Alayna is still getting bigger and smarter. And I always have my plate full of things going on.

Currently, it is overloaded with Vinnie. For those of you that know and those that don't know - Paul's dad was admitted into the hospital late last week with many severe symptoms. He underwent bloodtests, MRI's, CT scans, ultrasounds, and an endoscope down his throat and into his pancreas - bile duct area. The final tests will come back tomorrow (Tuesday) but the GI doctors and the Oncologist have told us at the very least Vinnie has Pancreatic Cancer. But it may also extend further into his gallbladder. He is currently at home having made the decision to not undergo any kind of treatment. We do have one more scheduled visit with the Oncologist this week to give him time to think about his decision. He is already very weak and unable to move around on his own. He has hospice care scheduled, but I will be his primary caregiver.

Please keep us in your prayers as I know that the road ahead is going to be long and arduous

The BIG unveiling!

2009-05-25T22:29:00.015-04:00

First off I would like to send our love and a big congratulations to our friends Scott and Michelle down in Virginia. Early this morning they welcomed their baby girl, Crystal, into this world! Yay! :)

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Ok! Now on to my shop! Paul finally finished the tank enclosure on the coop and got it all painted so it matches. You can see it on the far right of the first picture.

Next is one of the only before shots I remembered to take.

And now!

Anita's workspace and display area is on the far wall. We have a middle table to share and then mine is closest. Paul built these tables for us! Thanks babe!

And my display area is on the right as you first walk in.

My current jewelry selection is pretty sparse. I better get making some more soon!

And finally all the wondeful windows where we get tons of light.

Just need to fill the propane tanks and we are ready to go!

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Tomorrow we head down to Boston for a checkup. Hopefully he has maintained or even gained more weight. I have been feeding him some delicious white chocolate covered strawberries. Yum!

wow!

2009-05-21T13:03:00.007-04:00

Time flies! Apparently it has been about 6 weeks since my last update. Sorry!

Paul is fantastic. At his last visit he gained 5 pounds. He is the main chef around here now. He got an early Father's Day present and is using it to cook most of our dinners. He aspires to be a barbeque chef like Bobby Flay. :P As I speak he is outside working on more projects - currently a small enclosure attached to my glass studio to house the oxygen and propane tanks. But in the last week alone he has cut down a pretty big tree in the backyard, mowed the lawn twice, made several trips to Lowe's, and many other various things. And the last we heard... Staring in June we will only have to go to Boston once a month for Paul's checkups!

Alayna is starting to talk so much more. Her vocabulary seems like it is doubling all the time. Her favorite activites are digging in the dirt outside, coloring with sidewalk chalk, and going over to her cousin Eden's house to play. Very soon she will have 2 more cousins to play with. My parents will be here in about 3 weeks and will be bringing Thomas and Alissa along for the visit. We are all looking forward to that.

And I am finally getting the chance to just relax. I had been going like crazy preparing for my show in the Mont Vernon Spring Gala. The Mont Vernon Artisans hold a sale during that day every year and I was glad to be a part of it. Luckily, I was the top seller that day! I sold several of my wristlet keychains and 8 dolls! Yay! Here is a picture of my setup.

Alayna is down for her nap and when she wakes we plan on going to the Amherst Farmer's Market to score some produce for our dinner tonight! It is a beautiful, balmy 90 degrees here! Love it. Take care everyone!

Where to start...

2009-04-07T21:36:00.014-04:00

Apparently it has been quite awhile since I have checked in on our blog and let you all know how we are doing.
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Paul is doing so great. His energy is returning more and more each day and there have been almost no issues to speak of. His appetite is really good too. At his last visit he was told he would be getting his central line (Hickman) removed during his next visit. He will have some anesthesia as his line is grafted in his body now. Just one more step on the road to recovery!

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Alayna is doing good and keeping busy with her activites. She loves the warm days that we have occasionally seen this Spring. It has been really rainy and windy the last week though.
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And I have been making a ton of dolls and jewelry.

I have finally perfected all the small details of my dolls so now I can just match up gorgeous fabrics and sew! I have been making necklaces, bracelets, and earrings with all the beads I have made during class. I even have Paul doing the wire wrapping for me on the hanging earrings. :P Here is my jewelry tree with some of my creations.

This pair of earrings is an example of Paul's handiwork. With the hoops I just place whatever I want on them and that's it. With the ear hooks, they come seperate from the actualy dangly part. I thread on the pieces onto a thin wire (headpin) and then Paul actually connects the two pieces together. He does a great job!!

The stone on this bracelet is one of my favorites. I call it my jolly rancher shape.

So if you have made it to the bottom of this post after all my pictures - thank you! I am sure I bored you, but I am so proud that I actually made this stuff. :)

great news!

2009-03-25T11:14:00.005-04:00

Paul gained 4 pounds! It is weird because it didn't seem like he ate much, especially compared to the previous 2 week period when he gained nothing. He is also going to stop taking one of his medications that is supressing his immune system. This could be a critical time while we see if there are any reactions to his new marrow. With his immune system suppressed it couldn't fight the transplant even if it wanted to. So we will keep our fingers crossed that nothing happens.

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I made a new blonde doll and I experimented with some new design changes. I used appliques for the eyes and mouth instead of all handstitched and then machine sewed around them. I can get more consistent results this way. I also tried an arch stitch from my machine for the eyebrows - but the jury is still out on that. :P

I also made a cute tutu for one of the other dolls.

Bound to happen...

2009-03-23T13:23:00.009-04:00

So after last weekend when I was all gung ho on the chicken coop/glass studio and all of the work I did on it that I wouldn't typically do... of course I didn't leave unscathed. The entire week I was fine until Friday. I was out running a couple of errands and all of a sudden it felt like something was in my eye and it was watering like crazy. About 20 mintues later I drove half way across town to my eye doctor and my eye was still watering and was hurting really bad. A couple of doctor visits later, with numbing drops, dilating my eye, flushing it, having to wear a protective eye bandage and 2 days of not being able to open my right eye - only to find out there were some very tiny insulation fibers stuck in my upper eye lid. My cornea was getting scratched and that is why it hurt so bad. Luckily it is about 90% percent better now. Still a little soreness and blurred vision - but it will heal. :P So no new pictures of that because I haven't been out there. Paul however, has wired the outdoor fixture, the junction box, and 4 outlets. Thanks babe! :)

I have a project coming up for the Mont Vernon Artisans that I will be incorporating a handmade doll. I had been wanting to try and make one for quite awhile so this gave me the little push that I needed. So far I have made 3 of them. The first one I won't even show you a picture of - that bad! But I was able to see where I needed improvements and changes. So these 2 little girls are the latest ones.

During my last glass class I started working with borosilicate glass. That is a much harder and slightly more difficult rod to work with as opposed to the soft glass I had done previously. But all the effort is so worth it! The colors turn out amazing. There are different reactions depending on how hot you fire it and where you place it in the flame. Here are just a couple...

I also made a set of earrings that turned out really nice. I will have to share those later. So if you couldn't tell - I've been busy! Tomorrow is hospital day. Have a great week everyone!

Moving forward...

2009-03-17T12:01:00.003-04:00

So Paul took a big step yesterday and ventured out into the world! He was given the ok to go into one of his favorite stores - Lowe's. We needed to pick up some things for my glass studio and Paul couldn't wait to go there. Sorry the picture isn't the clearest, but it was taken with my phone.

And I also have a sort of before picture of the studio. In it's former life it was a chicken coop. A nice chicken coop! I didn't get a picture of it full of stuff but this is while Anita and I were working on it. We did a majority of the insulating with a little help from Paul and Anita's husband Dave.

At the end of the day we got a majority of the wood paneling up too. I even used the circular saw myself to cut several pieces! Look out Bob Vila! :P Next up will be finishing paneling and then painting!

I should be in bed...

2009-03-15T03:42:00.005-04:00

But I can't sleep. So I will give you all the latest and greatest around our house.

Paul had his appointment in Boston this past week. His numbers are rising and he is doing well, although he didn't gain any weight. I thought for sure he would have been up a couple more pounds! He has been doing some physical activity so he might be burning off more too. With the weather warming up he is itching to be outside getting things done. And he is - just more slowly and with more breaks. :)

Alayna has been a busy little beaver. Every Thursday we have our kids Jamboree class at the Y. It is a child/parent class that we joined with Anita and Lina. She has been twice so far and is getting the hang of it. After our last class we also had an appointment to tour a local preschool, Little Einsteins. It seems early to be thinking about this but there are only 2 spots I would want her to be, Montessori or Little Einsteins. And of course they are coveted schools with limited openings and waiting lists. I put down a deposit to hold her place for Fall until I can tour the Montessori. Our little girl is growing up so fast! Makes me sad.

And I have been making beads like crazy! I don't have any pictures to post of them, unfortunately - my sister has been snatching them up as quick as I can make them. :P My instructor sent me a message saying she had seen my latest batch and they turned out awesome. I am really excited to see them this Tuesday. My class will be ending at the beginning of April so I am probably going to set up my own little studio here at the house. I will take pictures of that soon too.

We hope that you are all doing well and enjoy your (hopefully sunny) Sunday!

You're how old?!

2009-03-09T09:40:00.003-04:00

Today is my babycakes birthday!

We woke up this morning to several inches of snow! After the gorgeous weekend we had and the majority of our snow melting, I was hoping it would all be over. No such luck. But I made waffles this morning for the birthday boy. And hopefully I can head out later to get him a calorie laden cake!

Full bellies...

2009-03-04T18:58:00.008-05:00

Tonight for dinner I made a really delicious pasta bolognese and was so excited when Paul finished his whole plate! He also ate 2 breadsticks. This is the biggest meal he had had in months! And then for dessert he even had a little slice of strawberry cheesecake. :)
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Last night I was able to go to open studio at the arts center and make some more beads. I will get those when I go to class tomorrow night. But while I was there... I got most of my beads from last week! Have a looksy!

The bead above is the best one I did. You can't tell from this picture but it looks kind of like a marble. I used 3 glass rods - aqua, brown, and clear. It also turned out well in that it is symetrical - which is quite tricky for a beginner like me!

If the bead isn't turning out quite right you just get the smashers and make it flat! :P

These beads are ok - but I don't care for the coloring. I like it better mixed with clear which I figured out towards the end of the class. And the single black bead is too small to be a focal bead but would go good mixed on a bracelet.

This flat bead also looks better in person.

Wishful thinking...

2009-03-03T07:13:00.001-05:00

Well, we are once again buried under snow and the temperatures have dropped. In hopes of Spring soon arriving I changed the wallpaper of our blog. Think warm!

Lots of firsts...

2009-02-27T10:46:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was a really busy day for us.

We had a couple early morning appointments at our house for different things and then at 11:30 was Alayna's first class at My Gym. It is similar to a Gymboree class. It is a classroom enviroment but an active one. The first 5 minutes were free time and the kids got to run around and check everything out. Then it was circle time and that is where things got rough. It was already Alayna's nap time so when I tried taking her away from the equipment and with everyone else - she wasn't having it. She had a mini meltdown so we stepped outside for a bit. Then we tried going in again and I knew it wasn't going to work. So next week we are going to try an early morning class and see if that works better for us.

I am also looking into Pre School's for her in the Fall. Since she stays home with me I am trying to get her socialized and introduce her to different situations. She is very outgoing and plays great with other kids - she just doesn't listen to the teachers in the ballet class we went to or during circle time. I am sure some of it is her age but also that she hasn't done anything like that before.

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And last night was my first class of bead making with my friend Anita! I was really excited to go! Anita had already taken the classes at this arts center last year and she does great work - she even sells her beautiful beads! I don't consider myself very artsy - but I sure had fun! These are all the rods of soft class that we worked with.

There are 8 people in the class of all levels. You work in front of a propane torch and heat up your mandrel and glass rod until it melts. Then you twirl the glass on the mandrel and *try* to make a bead. You can make all sorts of shapes and use tools to help manipulate the glass. It definately takes practice.

And here is the lovely bracelet I made last night.

Just kidding. All of those beads were made by the instructor, Marta. :P but I can't wait to see how mine turned out next week. They get dried in the kiln overnight and when I go back I get to see them! Stay tuned...

Do we have a winner?

2009-02-25T07:54:00.003-05:00

One of my adorably cute bunny shirts is being featured and given away to one lucky winner over on Simply Sentimental, the blog! Click for your chance to win!

Up 2

2009-02-24T20:07:00.004-05:00

Today was our day down in Boston. There is nothing better than having a quick trip down there, a good visit, and a quick trip back home. Paul gained 2 pounds and everything else is great. It must have been that cookie dough ice cream cake I got him from Cold Stone Creamery!

I have been up to my ears in orders from Alayna's Closet. It is so nice to see them coming in. My Easter Bunny shirts and outfit are selling really well. And I was even featured in this blog because she loved her shirt so much!

I still have several days until I have completed all outstanding orders. so back to work I go!

It's snowing again...

2009-02-22T17:33:00.005-05:00

We have just been plugging away, doing our thing, and waiting for Spring. Not much new has happened around here. So no news is good news I guess!
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Alayna did go to her very first ballet class this past week. Eden and Annelina also took the Baby Dance with Me class.

It was only 30 minutes long and I think I spent half of it chasing Alayna around the room. The moms stay in the class and interact with the kids and music. There are some basic steps thrown in, although the class is pretty unstructured. Mostly the girls all looked so adorable in their tutus! Here is Alayna and Eden doing their first Arabesque en Barre.

This was only a trial class and I am not sure we will be signing up the girls just yet. Alayna especially doesn't understand the whole classroom setting and I don't know if it will benefit her. But boy is she just delicious in her ballerina outfit!

Have a fantastic week everyone!

Etsy :: Treasury West List

2009-02-18T08:02:00.000-05:00

Check out Alayna (and my shirt) being featured in this Treasury on Etsy! Leave a comment and it might make it to the front page!

Etsy :: Treasury West List

yum!

2009-02-17T18:08:00.003-05:00

Today I had to take Buttercup and Hannah to the vets for their annual checkups and I decided to stop and pick up dinner. A few weeks ago the doctors gave Paul the ok to eat takeout pizza. He hasn't wanted to try before since his belly was still nauseous. But now that he is doing well and eating atleast 1 or 2 small meals everyday - I thought I would give it a try. I brought home a couple of take and bake pizzas from Foodees, and Paul had one small slice of each! That is so good to see!

Small steps. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T12:06:00.006-05:00

Today is going to be a quiet day at home for us. The weather is pretty chilly and windy outside.

Alayna and Eden have already received many wonderful gifts, cards, balloons, flowers, and candy from us and other family and friends.

I also wanted to let you all know about Paul's appointment this past week. It was moved to Thursday and went really well. My good friend Anita watched Alayna for us so I could go in with Paul. He still weighed the same as the last two visits, 184. But he was given the go ahead to start eating raw fruits and vegetables. This whole time he has been on a neutropenic diet, which means everything has to be cooked, and he couldn't have any thin skinned fruit or vegetables. But he has been craving a salad. So I went to the grocery store and stocked up and made him his first salad. He ate it up and best of all - kept it down! He also changed one of his medications - as far as time and taking it with food - not Ensure. So far it seems to have made all the difference in the world. He isn't feeling nauseous in the late afternoon and is eating a small variety of meals. If he keeps up his eating at this pace, I am confident he will have weight gain at his next appointment! Keep your fingers crossed!

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And I wanted to wish my niece Ellae good luck in her tournament this weekend! She is a tremendously talented goalie for her soccer team and they are in Phoenix for a competition right now.

And everyone else - Happy Valentine's Day !

Hugs and Kisses! muah!

Wishing you...

2009-02-14T12:03:00.000-05:00

Much love, Paul, Amanda, & Alayna!

Isn't she cute?

2009-02-07T13:32:00.008-05:00

Paul keeps telling me that he keeps checking the blog "to see how he's doing" and there's nothing there... So I guess it is time for me to update it! :)

Paul is doing good! His demeanor and attitude around the house is pretty much his usual self. Which is fantastic, but he is still back to drinking Ensure's about 90% of the time. He hasn't thrown up lately but he is still nauseous enough to not want to eat solid foods. And of course his energy level is not the same yet. Hopefully by the time the weather starts to warm up a bit more we can all venture outside for some exercise and building Paul back up to where he needs to be.

Alayna and I have only been out a couple of times this past week. The weather was brutally cold out and with whipping winds it was darn right miserable. On Thursday Anita and took our girls to The Mall of New Hampshire and let them run around inside. They had a ball in the Disney store and we also took a ride on the carousel. Can you find us?

And last night my sister, Anita and I decided to go out for our first ever girls night out! We went to dinner to Texas Roadhouse and then went to Leda Lanes for some candle pin bowling fun. I haven't been in a couple years so I was kind of rusty *cough cough*. Can you see how fast I am gong with my sweater flapping in the wind! :P

My sister staring down the pins...

Anita had the best bowling form out of all of us.

Unfortunately we never even got close to 100 in the 2 games we played. There is always next time!

Happy Day!

2009-02-01T11:12:00.004-05:00

So I am excited to report that there has been a stay on the new CPSIA law regarding items for children 12 and under! They are pushing the compliance date from 2/10/09 to 2/10/10 - so I have one more year to stay open at the very least. During this time they will be working on exclusions that would make it not so black and white. Yay!

In celebration, my newest outfit perfect for Easter egg hunting in the cool New Hampshire weather...

I haven't quite decided on the carrot on the jeans (it is temporarily taped on). I think it is cute to go with the bunny but Paul said he doesn't like it. What do you think? I am working on this outfit for a special customer of mine - but it will soon be available in Alayna's Closet.

Oh! I guess since today is SuperBowl Sunday I have one thing to say... Only 23 more days until Spring Training begins!! Can you tell I don't like football. :P

Have a great day everyone!

One year ago today...

2009-01-30T10:38:00.004-05:00

While we are digging into the photo archives - here is Alayna exactly one year ago.

Her hair has grown so much longer and she was just teetering around - having learned to walk a couple weeks before that.

I often say that I can't wait until she is 3 and then she would be out of her "terrible two's". But I also would like to just keep her this age forever. She is already growing up too soon.

Photo tag

2009-01-29T19:55:00.004-05:00

My friend Jen tagged me with this photo challenge and how could I refuse? I've been instructed to post the 6th photo from the 6th folder in my photo archives. So...here it is!

This is the day after Alayna was born. We were still in the hospital just staring at our baby girl. I didn't let her out of my arms for long.

Hmm... I am supposed to tag 6 more people but I don't know that many who have their own blog. So I tag:

Jenn O.

Kayla & Michele

Anita

Hospital Day

2009-01-27T19:46:00.002-05:00

Paul had his appoinment today in Boston. Everything went really well and quick. But the best news is we don't have to go back for 2 weeks! Yay!

We got home kinda late but I made a fantastic Spinach Lasagna and we all enjoyed some. We are hunkering down - a big snow storm is on it's way!

Where's Alayna???

2009-01-26T20:35:00.004-05:00

As I was cleaning out Alayna's room she decided to take all of her shoes off the bottom shelf and crawl in for a nap! It was kinda cramped for her but she made it cozy with her blanket and pillow. :)

Sunday adventures

2009-01-26T15:23:00.008-05:00

So yesterday Alayna and I joined my sister and Eden, and my friend Anita and her two girls, Hannah and Lina. We all piled into one car and headed to Carrabba's for a nice lunch.

Then we made our way over to the Verizon Wireless Arena for Mickey and Minnie's Magical Adventure - Disney on Ice! We had fantastic seats in the second row. As all the characters skated by we could actually feel the wind.

Here are the 2 year old girls starting with Alayna the youngest, Annelina, and Eden the oldest.

My sister and Eden.

Alayna's favorite parts were those with Mickey and Minnie and Ariel.

It was a really fun show and we all loved it! Thanks to Anita for sharing these pictures with me. I forgot my camera in the car!

Happy Weekend!

2009-01-24T22:04:00.003-05:00

Well the weekend is already half over. But tomorrow will surely be a great day. I will tell you about that later.

Paul's appointment this week went really good. He gained 2 pounds and found out we may starting going every other week as of February. The doctor also told him he could eat take out pizza if he wanted. We haven't done that yet - Paul is still a little leary. He is especially so because it seems he is somewhat lactose intolerant now - he wasn't before. But he is doing good, keeping busy with his new favorite show - Dexter. We watched season 3 on Showtime but I had ordered the first 2 seasons for one of my Christmas gifts. Great show.

It has still been quite cold up here but we haven't had a snow storm in over a week! :P

My sister and I have been in talks planning Eden and Alayna's birthday parties. For those of you who made it to Alayna's 1st big shindig - this years is right up there! It will definately be a celebration for her turning 3 and for Paul being 1 year out from his transplant. So mark your calenders - 10/10/09!

I will be back tomorrow with info about our exciting day...

Shops like mine may become extinct...

2009-01-18T20:31:00.005-05:00

I have been hesitant to post about this subject - just for the mere fact that there is so much about it I don't understand. Essentially, due to the overwhelming amount of recalls affecting items our children come in contact with, CPSIA has passed a law to protect them. While that is a good thing in itself, like a blanket it covers everything they come in contact with - toys, jewelry, clothing, etc. Testing for lead must now be performed on every component that goes into a product.

Take this $45 outfit of mine for example...

Under the new law total cost including testing will be ... $2985.00 That's $70 per component for lead and $350 per component for phthalates.

$70 Shirt
$70 Jeans
$70 Polka dot fabric
$70 Swirl Fabric
$70 Ric Rac trim
$70 Grosgrain ribbon belt
$70 Thread
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$350 Shirt
$350 Jeans
$350 Polka dot fabric
$350 Swirl Fabric
$350 Ric Rac trim
$350 Grosgrain ribbon belt
$350 Thread

And that is just for one outfit of mine! Obviously large corporations can afford to be compliant with this new law, I can not. So unless there are some amendments made, February 10th Alayna's Closet will be closed for business. Thereafter it would be illegal for me to sell my clothing. There is alot more info on this subject that affects everyone. If you would like to see many more links click on the bear.

I've been bad...

2009-01-17T08:46:00.002-05:00

Real bad. I have to confess I haven't kept up at all with any kind of baby book for Alayna. I think it may be in a closet downstairs. Sometimes I will watch Alayna doing something or saying something really cute and I'll think to myself - I don't want to forget this, I need to write it down. Inevitably, I never do. I didn't really think about any kind of New Year's resolution. But I think that will be mine. I will make a concerted effort to resume her baby book and start scrapbooking again. I have fallen too far behind.

Today's memory...

As I sit in my room typing away... Alayna is awake in her room talking to herself. My sweet baby girl is counting to 10 and then clapping after she gets there. So adorable!

in the middle...

2009-01-15T11:24:00.007-05:00

Here are some pictures from Alayna's photo session at the Picture People. These aren't the best shots - but they aren't the worst ones either! She was having a bad hair day, so pardon the funky bangs and crooked pig tails. :P

Have a great day!

Almost Valentine's Day!

2009-01-14T12:43:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone! Apparently I have been on a little bloggins break. It has already been one week since I posted last. Time flies!

I will start with Paul. Yesterday was his appointment in Boston. Everything is well except that he lost another 2 pounds. He is just about at his lowest weight that he's been at throughout this while thing. Yesterday I made pizza and he ate a small slice of that. This morning I made pancakes and sausage. His had extra butter and syrup. He finished more than half so that is good. I just took this picture this morning. He is all snuggled up on the sofa watching tv while it is below zero outside with the windchill!

On Monday I took Alayna to the mall to try and get some Valentine's pictures taken. After our last outing and failed attempts at nice shots, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of ones that turned out super cute. While we were waiting for them to print up - she took her weekly train ride. She is starting to get daring and go from the front seat to the back seat while it is moving.

And I am busy working on orders in Alayna's Closet for Valentine's. While I am still trying to put away Christmas stuff! :P

Just say cheese...

2009-01-07T21:30:00.003-05:00

So first of all, Paul's appointment went well yesterday. They are still waiting for the second portion of the testing from the biopsy to come back so we don't know the results of that yet. He lost 3 pounds. His stomach has been a little queasy this past week. Most meat products (chicken, pork) are not agreeing with him. So we need to try and make up those calories elsewhere. I found some power type bars at the supermarket that are over 400 calories each. So if he can just add one of those per day in addition to his ensures and stuff he can make up some of the difference. And, at this point, they have him scheduled for weekly appointments through February. I think I am going to call the doctor to see what is up with that. Paul asked the nurse who he saw but she just told him to ask Dr. Koreth next week. ugh.

Today I got the itch to get going on Alayna's Valentine's Day cards. She doesn't like to cooperate when I try to get her to smile. It is just about a miracle if I get one on cue. It mostly goes something like this...

Or this...

I take what I can get before she runs away. :P

It's about time..

2009-01-05T20:50:00.005-05:00

That we joined the 21st century!

Paul, Alayna and I finally got cable installed today. The 4.5 years we have been living here we just had the basic 5 channels you can receive with an antenna. But with Paul being homebound for awhile it seemed like a good thing for him to have. That plus I was tired of hearing all the court shows he would watch! :P He has already been setting the DVR for all his favorite shows.

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The other exciting thing I wanted to share --- Paul's hair is finally growing in! It has taken a very long time but it's coming back. He is really proud of his "cop mustache" he has on his upper lip. It really is just extra dark looking 5 o'clock shadow. :o) I will try to get his attention long enough from the tv to snap a picture to show.

Tomorrow is hospital day. Talk later!

Bring it on!

2009-01-04T01:35:00.004-05:00

So we hope that you have all had a fantastic beginning to 2009. Paul and I both agree that this will be a great year. It has to be, right?

It has been bitterly cold here. With the wind blowing we have been in negative numbers. Brrr.

I happened upon a gem of a song by one of my favorite groups. I can count on one hand how many concerts I have been to in my life - including The Wiggles! After I graduated high school and lived with my sister in Albuquerque for a short while, I had the chance to go and see KISS (with makeup). Loved it and had a fantastic time! This is one of my favorite songs from Ace Frehley... This is for our favorite family members in Long Island! :)

Enjoy.

My eyes are really heavy...

2008-12-31T20:56:00.006-05:00

And I don't know if I will be awake at midnight to wish you all...

I am hoping that 2009 brings my family and yours - peace, health, love and happiness!

Family and Friends!

2008-12-30T21:22:00.003-05:00

Please visit my shop blog and tell me what you think on my newest design. Thank you!

Paul's appointment went well today in Boston. No weight gain - but no loss either. I will have to keep trying to feed him whatever I can. :)

Everyone is doing good here in NH. We are expecting another snow storm this week. Most of the snow from the last one is gone.

Talk soon!

Back to my craft room...

2008-12-28T14:04:00.008-05:00

So my self imposed vacation from Alayna's Closet is over. I took a small much needed break from thinking about my shop and what to make next. I will be reopening with some new Valentine's shirts and outfits. Who doesn't love hearts?

Yesterday my sister and I took the girls to the mall so they could run around a bit and we could check out any after Christmas bargains. Of course we had to visit the train again. The girls love it. And lately they love walking around holding hands. It is super cute.

We were told by the "conductor" that they will soon be offering frequent traveler tickets. I think we will have to invest in one of those.

If you noticed our new countdown banner at the top of the column - you will see how long it is until our vacation next December to Disney. We are starting off with a 4 day Disney cruise and then go to the park for a few days after that. We are really looking forward to it. The last time Paul and I went on vacation was in February of 2000! So we are really overdue. And I have never been to Walt Disney World so I think it is about time. And I have been thinking about really important things... Like what I am going to dress Alayna in! :P Jenn should appreciate my efforts, being a Disney fanatic herself.

Have a terrific week everyone!

Not a kid anymore...

2008-12-27T21:10:00.006-05:00

Christmas is always a magical time. But not as much as when you are a kid yourself. Alayna was finally able to open as many presents as she wanted. Everything she opened was her favorite -until she opened the next one.

We ended opening gifts on Christmas Eve so we could spread it all out. My sister had more presents down at her house and those were opened on Christmas Day. The biggest hits for Alayna were her Mickey Mouse digital camera and her piano. Now she can jam out with her dad on his keyboard that he received.

Paul loved his Lego set from Santa. There are tons of pieces in it so it will help to fill all of his free time. If put together correctly it should actually move!

As for myself, I love the birdhouse that I got from Paul (you can see it on my mantle in the first picture). And I can't wait to use the Cricut Expressions I received from my sister and Eden!

We hope that you all enjoyed a joyous Christmas Day as well!

Only one more sleep...

2008-12-24T13:19:00.003-05:00

And then it's Christmas! But for us, the fun begins tonight when we open our stockings. We always open them on Christmas Eve. I am making a really yummy Mexican stew for dinner tonight, Posole. Traditionally it is served on New Years - but it also is traditional to use pigs feet and other yucky parts! :P It is basically pork loin shredded in a red chile broth with hominy. It is very good and something my sister and I grew up eating. My mom always made mine without the red chile, just as I will do for Eden and Alayna now. Tomorrow will be our turkey dinner we didn't get to enjoy on Thanksgiving.

Also, Paul's visit went really well yesterday. He gained 2 pounds and so far all the results from the bone marrow biopsy have returned negative! That in itself is a wonderful Christmas gift.

Paul, Alayna, and I want to wish all of our family and friends the best holiday possible. Merry Christmas!

Buried...

2008-12-22T23:45:00.004-05:00

I don't know the official measurements of the snowfall but it is alot! After the first storm Friday and Saturday we had another large one on Sunday. I would say atleast a foot and a half total if not more. All I know is it was knee deep and higher than the door sills on our cars. If you can tell anything by this picture - there are 2 steps up to the front door which are completely covered.

The weather was pretty windy and not good to be playing out in - but I bundled up Alayna so we could walk down to my sister's house. Hannah is loving all the snow! Buttercup - not so much. It is definitely more than wiener dog high.

We hope you all had a nice warm weekend. Christmas is only 2 more nights away!!

The snow has started to fall...

2008-12-19T19:46:00.006-05:00

By the time this storm is over we are supposed to have 12+ inches of snow on the ground. It looks really pretty until you have to shovel it! :P

Since we were housebound this afternoon my sister and Eden came over so the girls could paint some ornaments. They both had alot of fun painting several masterpieces each.

And then they enjoyed Alayna's new favorite snack - crinkle cut carrots.

I can't believe that Christmas is just about 5 days away! I didn't get all of my decorations out, and I haven't yet baked the cookies we exchange with our neighbors every year. But I have mailed out all gifts, everything is now wrapped and under the tree, and our house is nice and toasty warm thanks to my darling husband and his vigilance with the fire. :) Alayna can't wait to get going with all of the gifts. Everyday a new one catches her eye and she unsuccessfully tries to open it. Soon baby girl, soon.

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

A few tidbits...

2008-12-17T19:19:00.006-05:00

Today I was finally able to make it out to Bedford to pick up our ornaments that we painted almost 2 weeks ago. I was really excited to see the finished product.

Alayna actually painted 2 stockings - 1 red and 1 green - but I already sent out the red one to my parents before I could take a picture. So without further adieu...

And the little penguin that I painted...

I think they turned out very cute and I can't wait to take Alayna again.

In winter weather news, it started snowing last night and finally stopped about noon today. We received several inches of fluffy powder and then some sleet on top of that for good icy measure. And this weekend we are supposed to be having a much larger storm. Alayna is all set with her snow pants, boots, jacket, mittens, and hat! I will take some pictures of our little abominable snowman in all her glory. :)

Oh!

Last night I was driving into the back of our property to park Paul's truck behind the house. Guess what was scurrying past my headlights and making a dash for the woods. A coyote! We have heard them in the distance late at night but haven't seen an actual coyote since 4 years ago. Hopefully there aren't any more sightings...

2008-12-16T19:51:00.008-05:00

Today is Tuesday - so that means hospital day. Paul was dreading it even more than usual because he was scheduled to have another bone marrow biopsy today. Everything went well though and we should know the results in a couple of days. Paul said they took 22 vials of blood. More than usual thanks to a study he signed up to be a part of awhile back.

I took this picture this morning - can you tell how much thinner Paul is? I know it is hard with his jacket on, but his face is the most noticeable. His energy level is getting a teensy bit better. And I have high hopes he will be enjoying Christmas dinner with us. :)

We can see the light!!

2008-12-14T17:07:00.003-05:00

Our power was restored about 3 o'clock this afternoon! Something so basic that you just take for granted - electricity is a wonderful thing!

Have a fantastic week everyone!

In the dark...

2008-12-14T06:42:00.009-05:00

Not long after my last post - we lost power again. This time is it has lasted much longer. It has been more than 3 days and we are still in the dark. We do have a generator so we can plug in up to 3 things. It alternates between the fridge, a lamp, a small tv, and now (luckily) the modem. We have the fireplace going like usual so we stay relatively warm.

Here are some pictures of the morning after the ice storm.

The lowest branches of this tree are usually about 10-12 feet off the ground.

My poor duck family encased in ice.

Eden's daycare was closed - so she got to spend half the day with her mom at work and then the rest of the day playing with her little cousin, Alayna.

We were actually lucky in that all of our trees still stood after the storm. There were so many trees around town that snapped from the weight of the ice. I don't know when we will have power again - but I sure hope it's soon.

Stay warm everyone!

Unforeseen Forces...

2008-12-11T21:19:00.004-05:00

Today was an icy, gray day. The temperature was hovering at freezing and as it rained - it froze.

Alayna and I had to go to the pediatricians to get her booster for the flu vaccine. She was happy going in...

And she was just as happy going out. What a good girl. Barely a tear and then she got a Santa sticker!

Christmas card time is here!!

I am usually so good with sending cards out. This year I have failed to send out thank you cards for Alayna's birthday (they are sitting on the dresser in my bedroom) and I have failed to send out Halloween cards (never bought them). So I am extra determined to get the Christmas cards done before it's too late. I did buy 2 sets at the Picture People over the weekend and hope that I have enough. Tonight I decided to tackle them and get it over with. While I am writing cards out the power goes out about 3 times - thanks ice tree branches! Then while I am in the middle of filling out envelopes - I don't have as many as I need for all the cards. They only gave me half the amount of envelopes. Ugh. I think there are unforeseen forces working against me. :P

Tomorrow - A through the middle of O will have their cards sent out.

One of my favorites... Baby It's Cold Outside

2008-12-10T00:57:00.004-05:00

I love hearing this song... Although I prefer the version by Dean Martin.

One of my sister's favorite movies...

Was it good for you?

2008-12-09T23:40:00.010-05:00

This past weekend that is.

On Saturday my sister and I hired our neighbor Arianne, an extra sweet 16 year old, to watch Alayna and Eden while we went with Anita to tour 6 historic homes in Amherst. Every year 6 homes are decorated for the holidays and you are able to tour each of them. It is really fun to see inside homes you wouldn't otherwise see. Afterwards we enjoyed a nice lunch. Then we went home for a brief time to regroup and met up again to go to a local craft fair. Anita and I were actually scoping out the scene to see if we would like to participate in it next year. There were many different artisans, including a couple from our Mont Vernon Artisans. I even found a couple of Christmas gifts.

Then on Sunday my sister and I took the girls to Pheasant Lane Mall to have their pictures taken at the Picture People. What a nightmare! Eden was first up and she cried the whole time. So then we try putting Alayna up there to show her what to do - and Alayna cries! Ugh! We wanted to have individual pictures done and then some together. When the photographer left to let us calm the girls down - they decided it was a good time to play.

They have this big jumpy thing inside the mall where you are harnessed and you jump up like 3 levels. It looks like alot of fun. Alayna was totally into watching that and taking train rides.

So - Paul is doing really well. He is making much more of an effort to eat and his energy level seems to have risen a bit. Today we had his doctors appointment and the good news is that in January they think he will go to every other week appointments! The bad new is, despite his appetite increasing and eating more solid food, he still lost weight.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In anticipation of seeing Jenn's tree - I will show you mine. I decided to get another tree this year. It is in a really pretty pot and more slender - which is a better fit in our cramped home.

I think I am just about done shopping, now I just need to wrap everything. :P

A special day!

2008-12-05T13:41:00.005-05:00

Today is my friend Heather's birthday! Happy Birthday Heather! Heather moved up to New Hampshire from New Jersey 2.5 years ago. Luckily for me she moved into the house next door.

Today is also my friend Barbie's birthday! Happy Birthday Barbie! Barbie is my good friend from New Jersey. We were in the the same hiring class at Comcast. I love and miss her dearly. :)

Today is also Paul's and mine 8 year wedding anniversary! Happy Anniversary Babycakes! Paul and I were were married at the MGM Grand Forever Grand Wedding Chapel. It was a beautiful night and I wish I could find some pictures to share with you. I loved my dress!

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Today during Alayna's nap I was outside trying to get all the greenery up. I only got half of it done. I typically like to have wreath's on all the front windows, 1st floor, 2nd floor, and attic. Paul of course usually does it for me. But I thought I could handle it. So I bring the ladder around and put it up against the house. I think I only made it 4 steps up and decided I wasn't going any further. :P I didn't think I was afraid of heights? Oh well. Unless they magically float up to the upper windows I will just wait until next year.

Here is the front door.

And the breezeway door.

Can you see the bows I made? I am very picky about my reds and I couldn't find a nice one so I went with green. It looks really pretty in person - but they kind of get lost in the photos. I will try to get a better shot of the whole front of the house, but the sun is behind it right now so the picture wasn't coming out good.

Fun with paint!

2008-12-05T13:25:00.011-05:00

Yesterday Alayna and I got together with our Thursday pals, Anita and her daughter Annelina to visit a local paint your own pottery place. We wanted to go and have the girls paint ornaments. I thought this would be a nice gift from Alayna to her Daddy and to her grandparents.

She really enjoyed washing off the ornaments she picked out, stockings. That girl loves water! She is always messing in the dogs water bowl.

She did like painting them , but decided painting the paper covering the table was more fun.

Lina painted a big beautiful heart ornament. Doesn't she look so cute in her smock?

After Alayna was done I gave her a wipe to clean up. She was good and only got a little on her sleeve.

Oh! And she decided to paint the chair too. She cleaned that up also. :P

We have to wait a week to pick up our pieces - I can't wait to see them!

Busy, busy, busy

2008-12-03T09:30:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we made the trek down to Boston. Alayna took a nap in the car so since she was rested I decided to venture into the hospital and find Paul. He was in the waiting area, which was incredibly busy. so Alayna and I went to visit the gift shop. They had a bunch of things going on in that area, they even had a lady singing Christmas carols. She really had a nice voice. We picked up a couple of ornaments and a stuffed penguin for Alayna.

When we made it back to the waiting area Paul was already in a room. We actually got to see Dr. Koreth today, the head transplant doctor. I was getting kind of frustrated prior to that because we hadn't seen him for the past 3 visits. But he checked Paul over and read the lab results and everything looks great.

We have a really busy week coming up with lots of events and appointments. I am trying to finish up my Christmas shopping too. And I am also trying to locate a special ornament for Alayna for this year. I think I have decided to get a Mickey Mouse one. She Loves Mickey now, or Mick as she calls him. Anywhere we go and she sees him she yells out "MICK"! So I guess a trip to Hallmark is in order. Our Christmas tree is up but I still have several trips up and down from the attic to gather the rest of the decorations for around the house.

Enjoy your day!

Last month of the Year!

2008-12-01T19:31:00.009-05:00

December is here! I can hardly believe it. I can now break out my most favorite Christmas cd! Soon it will be 2009. A new year for growth, hopes, and dreams.

So yesterday was our little wreath making party. And of course it decided to start snowing for us. So if we weren't in the mood to begin with - we sure were then.

We worked fast and furious for about 2 hours until all of our hands were freezing. It was a brisk 31 degrees outside. We were in Heather's screened in porch. As you can tell from this next picture we take our wreath's very seriously.

I still have about 5 more wreath's to make to finish up the ones for my house. I will take a picture of them when they are all done. But I have to show you Heather's most adorable wreath with a little owl nestled in. Love it! It was a perfect New Hampshire afternoon.

After that I watched Eden for my sister all day long until about 11 that night. My sister went to the New England Patriots/Pittsburgh Steelers game. She has been a Steelers fan forever and was so happy to finally go and watch her team and they won!

Paul kept an eye on Alayna for me most of the day. He is finally trying to eat small bits of the dinners I serve. I would just like for him to stop losing weight! But he is doing well overall.

Today Alayna and I joined our friends, Anita, Annelina, Heather, and Owen at the library for music class. They kids all had so much fun singing and dancing.

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And then afterwards we ate lunch and made a special trip to Target. Alayna picked out her own little tree for her room. I also got her a stocking so I can tuck little treats in it for her to find.

It has been a busy last few days. But tomorrow it is back down to the hospital in Boston again. I will keep in touch!

It's only Saturday

2008-11-29T21:11:00.003-05:00

It feels like so many days have gone by since Thanksgiving even!

Thanksgiving dinner was provided by Stop and Shop, courtesy of my sister. Both of us agree - we won't go that route again. We thought it would be easier since it was just us girls eating. Paul still has no appetite so he rested at home.

After our meal my sister and I planned out our day of shopping on Black Friday! Yes, we were among the crazies out at 4 in the morning. My friend Anita joined us as we hit up Wal Mart, Target, Circuit City, Michael's, and the local County Store. Then we capped it off with a fantastic breakfast. By 10 in the morning we were shopped out - plus my car couldn't hold anymore! Fun times!

Later that afternoon we all gathered in our backyard to make wreaths. Anita and I have become addicted to creating these beautiful grapevine based wreaths. I have made 2 so far and will be making some more tomorrow at my friend Heather's house. I will share pictures after then.

We hope you all had a wonderful day gathered with family and friends!

Still so much to be thankful for...

2008-11-27T00:11:00.004-05:00

Evne though it seems that this past year has been full of hardships and illness, there is still much to be thankful for.

Paul, Alayna and I want to wish you all a wonderful day filled with fantastic food, family, and friends!

Totally my fault!

2008-11-17T19:40:00.004-05:00

Ugh. I was finally sorting through Alayna's monstrous pile of summer clothes and cleaning out her closet today. She was in her crib reading her books and coloring. It was nearing her nap time and she was lying down and closing her eyes. So I quietly slip out and she falls asleep. I, myself, was incredibly tired today. So I also took a nap. I wake up a couple hours later and hear Alayna chattering away in her room. I go in to get her and to my surprise I find...

She was very proud of her work. She also drew me a nice abstract piece on her sheet and pillow.

So my dad is still in the hospital and is expected to be there for the rest of this week. They inserted a PICC line today and will continue giving him antibiotics. Apparently they said he has a staph infection that has entered his blood stream. He was lucky he went in when he did otherwise he could have gone into septic shock and died. This is really distubing information to hear and is hard to deal with from so far away.

Paul has his weekly appointment tomorrow in Boston so hopefully things will go smooth with that as it has been.

I am pretty busy with orders in Alayna's Closet. I even sent my first package out to Hawaii this morning. I am so grateful for this little escape that I have as it keeps my brain from thinking about things too much.

This is for Addie... I haven't taken a picture of my do yet. I still might but I think there is too much red! :P Love ya! ~A

Happy rainy weekend!

2008-11-15T12:18:00.003-05:00

Today is the most perfect rainy, foggy, dreary day to stay inside safe and warm with your loved ones.

I just wanted to update you on my dad. The tests came back negative for MRSA! That is really great news! I am still not sure why he had an infection in his back - but they are still giving him many antibiotics and he will remain in the hospital for a few more days. Thanks again for all the well wishes.

Paul is doing good also. His sense of humor is slowly returning - much more dry than before! :P I need to take a picture of him to post since I haven't in awhile. He is really thin. I had to buy him some more jeans because his others just fall off him even with a belt. We are hoping he starts eating soon since Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I can't believe the holidays are upon us!

Christmas Eve is 40 days away!!! Have you started Christmas shopping yet? I have only purchased a couple things for Alayna and Eden but nothing else. I better get on it.

Thanks so much!

2008-11-13T21:09:00.009-05:00

Thank you everyone for all the thoughts, prayers, and kind words sent out to my family. Times have really been trying - but we will get through them! There isn't any update on him today. They are still waiting for the cultures to come back. So in the meantime he is enjoying a (not so)lovely stay at San Juan Regional Medical Center.

Today Alayna and I decided to escape the house and went to The Butterfly Place with our friends Anita and Lina. It is just over the Massachusetts border. The girls had a great time seeing all of the butterflies flitting about. They also have a koi pond in there and little Chinese Painted Quail running around.

This is a really cool looking glass winged butterfly.

While I was holding Alayna this really big, beautiful, blue Morpho butterfly landed on her arm. She just looked at it for a long time and then it flew away. I think Anita may have snapped a picture of it. I will try and post that later. ** updated to include pic ** Thanks Anita! :)

Another favorite was these giant Owl butterflies. I don't think we actually ever saw any of them flying around. They were all busy eating bananas.

I've been lucky...

2008-11-12T21:17:00.002-05:00

Up until Paul was diagnosed with Leukemia, I really haven't had a close family member experience any kind of illness. My grandpa passed away almost 15 years ago. So it has been a good run. But now - I feel like my luck has run out. It is very hard to know that people you love are hurting and there is nothing you can do.

I hate that my dad is in the hospital. He has always been so strong, someone you don't think anything will happen to. They are testing my dad for MRSA. He is in an isolation unit. He sounded in good spirits when I talked to him this morning. But then when we were saying our goodbyes and I told him I love you - his voice cracked. He started to cry. That is the worst.

It's getting cold!

2008-11-11T22:28:00.008-05:00

The days are so short and there is still so much to do! I thought I was ready for Fall but it looks like we are quickly moving towards Winter.

Paul had his appointment today and it went as good as can be expected. All of his numbers are where they should be and are improving each week. Yay for that!

Alayna and I went in to the hospital with Paul today so I could get a flu shot. I don't have a primary care doctor (luckily I don't ever really get sick) so they gave me one down there. I was totally fretting it - I HATE needles! I think I work myself up and make it worse than it really is. Yesterday Alayna got her flu shot at her Pediatrician's office. She also received a booster from another shot. One in each arm and my baby girl didn't even shed a tear. She is so tough. :P Certainly not like her mama.

A little bit of sad news though. My dad is in the hospital in New Mexico. He was having some seriously crippling back pain for the last week and after going to several doctors and urgent care - he was admitted into the hospital today. Late this afternoon he was taken into surgery. They believe he had some sort of infection. He came through ok and we are now waiting for results from the samples they took from his fluid. I really wish I could be there for my mom and dad.

Umm, what else. My show this weekend went well. I had fun and bought more than I made - that's for sure.

There were 19 different artisans from Mont Vernon. Half of us were in the community room in the new fire house and the other half were across the parking lot in the town hall. I was with the lucky bunch in the fire house.

My booth was right next to my wonderful friend Anita - who makes the most beautiful bracelets and her own boro glass lampwork beads.

The next showing for the Mont Vernon Artisans is for Spring Gala. Definately looking forward to that!

2008-11-07T09:01:00.004-05:00

Goodness! It has been another week since I last posted.

First, update on Paul... He is doing really well. His whole demeanor has lifted a bit. He is still on a mostly liquid diet - smoothies, Ensure, soups - but occasionally I can sneak him some of the dinner I have made. His doctor appointment went well on Tuesday. His numbers have gone up so no transfusions have been necessary. And he has been watching Alayna for me more and more which has been a giant help!

I have been getting ready for the Mont Vernon Artisan Art Show and Sale this weekend. So I have been sewing and stitching and cutting and packaging, and everything like crazy the last week! Yesterday a reporter from the Union Leader even came over to take some pictures to use for an article. You can read more about it here. I will have alot more pictures to post after this weekend is over.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

Trick or Treat!

2008-10-31T19:55:00.006-04:00

Just wanted to let you know Paul had his platelets checked down in Boston again today and they went up - so no transfusion. Yay!

We got home in plenty of time to rest up for this evening. Paul had planned to try and go with us but he was still pretty worn out so he opted to stay home. So us girls headed up town to try and scare up some candy. Alayna was dressed up as Abby Cadabby from Sesame Street.

Eden looked adorable as a 50's girl in her poodle skirt.

We lasted a little over an hour trick or treating. We didn't get to all the houses but the girls were getting tired and so were we. But of course when we got home - Alayna was ready to dive into her candy.

She got a few licks of her lollipop and then I wisked my little fairy off to bed where she promptly fell asleep. We hope you all have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Fantastic day!

2008-10-30T19:56:00.007-04:00

I am back with pictures from the Wiggles!

But first, I am so thrilled to say that my sister's adoption of Eden will be finalized on Monday! She has a conference call with the judge in New Mexico and it will finally be done! We are so happy for my sister and for Eden! :)

So today my sister got out of work about noon and we met at home and headed out for our girls day. We stopped for lunch at Bugaboo Creek really quick since we were all hungry. And then we went to Manchester. Parking was really close and easy and only $15. We got inside and to our seats about 2:30 for the 3pm show. The girls got little light sabers to keep themselves entertained until everything began.

Our seats were actually pretty good. I guess that's what you get for being ready to buy them the minute they were available!

It was a really great show. Alayna and I only knew about half of the songs - but she was pretty mesmerized with everything happening. Here is my baby girl putting on the cheese for the camera.

We all had a really great time and can't wait to go again!

They won, they won!

2008-10-29T22:49:00.002-04:00

When Paul and I lived in New Jersey we went to Phillies games as often as we could. There aren't many players left with the team that I remember - but I am so happy they won!

Hello everybody!

2008-10-29T16:54:00.004-04:00

Paul had his appointment in Boston yesterday. His platelet levels fell pretty significantly since last week so we need to go back on Friday to have them checked again. The Physician's Assistant said there was no cause for worry that it does happen. So we will see how things go on Friday. Paul was able to make the appointment for earlier in the morning so we still have time to come home and go trick or treating up town. Since Mont Vernon is spread out they hold trick or treating on the Main Street. All of the original old houses participate and decorate their houses and give out candy. We are all looking forward to going.

So I just have to say that Alayna has really caught on to potty training. She never used to tell me when she had to go but she lets me know when she has to go poo poo now. We don't always make it on time but we are on our way to no more diapers! Yay!

I will be back with pictures to post after our day with the Wiggles tomorrow!

This is Alayna's favorite Wiggles song right now. She shakes her little hips - it looks sooo cute!

Double date...

2008-10-27T00:39:00.005-04:00

This Thursday me, Alayna, my sister, and Eden have a date with 4 guys.

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We have tickets to go and see the Wiggles at the Manchester Arena! Alayna has been boning up on all her Wiggles grooves so we should be set for a fun afternoon!
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Our weekend has been quiet. My arms are super sore and about to fall off from all the raking I have been doing. And my fingers are stiff from doing 10 of my paisley dinosaur shirts in 2 days for my upcoming show.
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And Paul is slowly, slowly getting better. Everyday is a small step to him being well.
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Hope you all had a relaxing weekend!

My, my..

2008-10-23T20:35:00.003-04:00

Time is passing so quickly! We are amidst some beautiful Autumn days and they are slipping away fast.

It appears I haven't updated the blog since Saturday! Let me see if I can remember everything that has happened. Paul had his first check up with Dr. Koreth since being released from the hospital. Everything went really well and he didn't even need any transfusions. He will go back to the doctor this next Tuesday, which is good news in itself. We were originally told he would be going back to Boston twice a week. Paul's stomach is still very sensitive and we've had some accidents to clean up. He is still eating very little.

I am happily watching my Phillies in the World Series! Staying extra busy with Alayna's Closet, and preparing for a Mont Vernon Artisans Show and Sale in November. I can not believe Halloween is just about a week away! I haven't even gotten together cards to send out. Most days my head is swimming with so much going on! I really have to apologize to those dear family and friends who so sweetly sent Alayna a gift for her birthday. Typically I would be so on top of getting out the thank you cards within a week. It has been over 2 now. :( I will still be sending them out so please forgive my lateness.

Until then, here's my sweetie in another Alayna's Closet original.

Slowly...

2008-10-18T21:56:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone - the weekend is here already.

Paul has been home for 3 .5 days now and it is getting a little bit easier as each one passes. He slept nearly the first two days he was home. He gets really wiped doing seemingly easy tasks. He has gotten sick a few times, mostly while trying to get down his magnesium (horse) pill. He isn't eating anything of real substance yet. He is living on New Hampshire's own Stonyfield Farm yogurts and smoothies and Cocoa Pebbles.

I have been trying something new for Alayna's Closet - you can read more about it and check out the pictures here.

We hope everyone has a restful Sunday!

Paul's home!

2008-10-15T21:08:00.004-04:00

Alayna and I were able to pick up Paul at the hospital this morning. It was so good to see him.

It has only been a couple days since I saw him last but he looks much thinner. In the last week he lost 10lbs. The whole month he was in the hospital he lost nearly 30 pounds. Not much agrees with his stomach unfortunately. Guess I will have to get creative in the type of foods I make to entice him. But the doctors did say it would be awhile before his "taste" for things comes back. We don't have to go back to Boston for a visit until next Tuesday. Until then he is on a steady diet of about 20 pills daily.

We just want to thank everyone again for all of your love and support during Paul's sickness. We truly appreciate it all.

Getting antsy...

2008-10-13T17:13:00.003-04:00

The doctors have said Paul will come home on Wednesday! I am not putting all of my hopes out there in case there is some delay. But I HOPE he comes home that day! Alayna and I are very excited to have him home again. He is doing good today, although his feet are quite swollen. Dr. Ho said it was just water retention and should go away on its own.

My parents left early this morning and the house is quiet. Eden's daycare was closed for the holiday so I watched her for my sister. I was also able to clear out of the attic some baby things of Alayna's to give to one of her friends at work. I am so glad someone will be able to use them.

I have been asked by several friends in town to join them in the Mont Vernon Artisans. I have always declined because I don't think of myself as an "artisan". But I finally decided I would give it a try. Tonight is my first meeting with the group and I am nervous. Although I am glad I will have my friends, Anita, Heather, and Jennifer there to offer support. Wish me luck!

Happy Birthday Alayna!

2008-10-10T20:28:00.007-04:00

Yesterday our sweet girl turned 2 years old. Originally I wasn't going to have a party since Paul is in the hospital. But then I really felt Alayna should still have a little gathering for her friends to celebrate. I only decided this late last week - time was short and I thought a Halloween theme would be good. My mom and I had fun decorating the house and making all kinds of food to go with the theme. You can see more pictures of the party here. Thank you to all our thoughtful friends and family who have sent Alayna such nice gifts. She really loves opening all of the cards and presents. : )

A couple of things about Paul. His right line in his chest was getting infected so they had to pull that out. That was the line they were giving him nutrition in so he has had to start trying to eat small meals. He is doing good with soups and Ensure drinks. He has thrush in his mouth and gums which still makes eating a difficult task. But - he is doing well. so well that the doctors think he will be released to go home during this next week! They have mentioned Wednesday or Thursday. It will be so good to have him home. I have a checklist of things that need to be very well cleaned before he gets home. My parents are leaving this Monday so that will give me a chance to organize and clean.
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I am staying the night nearby tonight one last time while my parents are here. Paul is taking a nap and the sun is shining on a beautiful day in Boston! Have a great weekend everyone!

Sorry to make you worry...

2008-10-07T12:23:00.004-04:00

I just got a phone call from Aunt Mary - she was concerned because I hadn't posted any updates on Paul in several days. Nothing has happened I have just been very busy. Thank you for worrying about us Aunt Mary! :)

So first off, Paul is doing well. He has had a rough time with his throat which caused him to be nourished through his IV. He hasn't had food or much of anything to drink for almost a week. The food bag is about 2.5 gallons and he gets it during the night. I always ask what he is having for dinner - sometimes it's lobster. :P But as of this morning he is feeling much better and may be attempting to actually eat something in the next day or two. He has received a few bags of blood and platelets. This is the ENT doctor making sure Paul's throat wasn't too constriced to impede breathing. Thankfully it was ok just very swollen and irritated. Paul wasn't too thrilled with having the scope threaded through his nose down his throat. But he was a trooper.

This past weekend all of us went and stayed in Boston. I was able to get two rooms at the discounted rate. My parents and sister took the girls around Boston to the Children's Museum and to the Aquarium while I was able to spend time with Paul. In the evenings I was able to head back to the hotel. The girls enjoyed the heated pool with Grandma.

Hi all...

2008-10-02T13:04:00.004-04:00

Paul is doing good except for his throat still. During the rounds this morning the doctors said they will send an ENT doctor to check Paul out. He has been coughing up some bloody phlegm today. Paul still isn't able to eat much more than a yogurt or applesauce so they started him on liquid nutrition through his IV. He is also getting a blood transfusion today as his red blood cell count is low. And the inevitable - his hair is falling out again.

Work on our septic system is finally getting done at home. They started yesterday and should be done by tomorrow. Our whole side yard is a giant hole now. I am on Paul's Mac so I can't post pictures - it is a complete mess!

Thank you so much!

2008-09-30T22:04:00.002-04:00

Paul wanted me to pass along his thanks to those of you that have sent him cards. We really appreciate you thinking of him and he enjoys reading them.

He is hanging in there - doing ok, except for his throat. Another side effect to deal with but he is unable to swallow or talk much. They gave him pain medication last night but it only worked for a short while. So now they gave him a button to push when he needs a little help dealing with the pain. I forget the name - the only thing that comes to mind is like a morphine drip. Today he had to force down one of those Ensure drinks. Hopefully this subsides soon.

So far, so good...

2008-09-28T20:41:00.002-04:00

Paul has been doing really well with his new cells. He hasn't been sick, he's eating good, and getting plenty of rest. He is starting to get little red bumps all over his body, although that was kind of expected. The doctors said the most common reactions present themselves in the largest organs. The skin is the largest organ, so therefore the rash. It isn't too itchy yet, hopefully it stays that way.

The last couple of nights I have been staying at the Hampton Inn. It is a really nice hotel that is located fairly close to the hospital. They have a shuttle several times a day that I can catch to and from. I have really appreciated being so close to Paul without the drive. But I have missed my baby girl terribly. I can't wait to get home tomorrow afternoon to see her.

It's here!

2008-09-27T03:13:00.003-04:00

The cells have arrived after their long trip from Germany!

As of 2:54 am the blood started to flow and Paul is going to be a new man. Well hopefully the same man - but healthy! It will take about 15-20 minutes to finish. Thank you God and thank you to the wonderful man who has so generously given us this chance at a new life for Paul. After a year we have the opportunity to contact the donor. I think Paul, Alayna, and I will be making a trip to Germany soon. : )

waiting and playing...

2008-09-26T19:55:00.002-04:00

Paul and I in the middle of a rousing game of Uno. Still waiting for his cells to show up sometime this evening.

Getting closer...

2008-09-26T11:43:00.002-04:00

I am packing my bag and trying to spend as much time with Alayna as I can before I head down to Boston. I will be staying with Paul until Sunday. The stem cells will be arriving a little after midnight tonight and will be given to Paul in the hour or two after they get to the hospital. They said I can sleep in the chair in his room tonight so I can be there for the transplant. And then the next couple of nights I will be nearby. The transplant itself is expected to be pretty anti-climactic. Paul is loving the fact that his donor is German. He is already half German and perhaps these cells will replace his Lithuanian side from his dad. :P

The current score...

2008-09-25T08:05:00.002-04:00

Wombats 2 - Wassell's 3!
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Paul had set a trap behind the guesthouse before he left for the hospital. He would check it all the time while he was home but nothing ever wandered in to it. So yesterday my dad was working around my sister's place and heard some rustling. A woodchuck was in the trap! After many consults with Paul on what to do with it, my dad opted to release it miles away from our property. Hopefuly he doesn't find his way back! I think there is still one more living under the guest house now.

2008-09-24T21:11:00.004-04:00

So we found out that Paul's bone marrow will be coming from a donor in Germany. The transplant will now take place on Saturday. I was able to move my hotel nights to stay the weekend with him. We talked on the phone with him several times today. He is still feeling sick but not throwing up as much. They have him on alot of medications, so he speaks almost with a slur - he is very drowsy and groggy from the drugs. I will be heading down again tomorrow morning.

But today I needed to take Alayna to her Pediatrician for her 2 year check up. My girl gained 4.5 pounds and grew 2.5 inches! We decided to stop at the park on the way home...

More of the same...

2008-09-22T20:21:00.004-04:00

Paul is still feeling pretty bad. He is taking all the medicine he can but is still throwing up many times a day. He was able to eat a little bit of dinner tonight and a popsicle but nothing else all day.

Paul's room is pretty small but he doesn't do alot of walking around. The air is filtered and anyone who comes past that glass wall needs to wash their hands, put gloves on, and wear a mask. Any time he passes that wall to go to radiation or anything he also has to wear gloves and a mask. Actually - after wearing that mask all day long I still feel like I have one on.

The transplant is scheduled for Thursday or Friday evening depending on when it is taken from the donor. They will extract it from him in the morning and a representative from the hospital will transport it directly back and it will be given to Paul. I will be staying at a nearby hotel on Thursday and Friday night so I can spend as much time with Paul. I will post when I know the exact date.

Last round of chemo...

2008-09-21T18:06:00.002-04:00

Paul received his first dose of chemo last night. He was not feeling well this morning and ended up vomiting. He will get another dose tonight. Tomorrow he will get 2 treatments of full body radiation, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I hope he feels ok after all of that.

I have Paul's contact info for those that have asked. The only things not allowed on that floor are any kind of food or flowers/plants.

Brigham and Women's Hospital
Paul Wassell 6A- room 18
75 Francis St.
Boston, MA 02115
617.732.6010

Worst night ever!

2008-09-20T11:26:00.004-04:00

Oh my gosh!

I am so happy to be in my own home safe and sound.

So we waited FOREVER yesterday to get Paul into his room. They still had someone in there so Paul didn't get in until about 9pm last night. It was a super long day! On this floor they do not allow any overnight visitors so I couldn't sleep there. At 10pm I picked up my car from valet and started on my way. I know I have told you before about the never ending construction in Kenmore Square. Well apparently my tire picked up some sort of stray metal piece because I heard some sort of flapping on my tire. I had pulled over once and didn't feel anything and my tire didn't look flat. So I drive further down Storrow Drive and the flapping was still going on and I was getting scared. I pull over again and feel all around the tire and felt a piece of wire or something. I was on a one way section so I kept driving hoping it would stay put. Nope. As soon as I got on 93N whatever was making the flapping noise worked it's way out and my tire started going down. I could only drive on it for a 1/2 mile or so and I had to pull over. The car was starting to pull. Luckily I was next to a really wide breakdown lane on the still very busy Boston highway. I am freaking out. I call Acura roadside assistance. I give him all my info and ask him if he can call the police too. He tells me that they didn't have an extra unit to send over. So as I am talking to him a box truck pulls up behind me. I am thinking to myself - that was way too fast to be roadside assistance. I ask the guy if their help would be there already. He says - ma'am I haven't dispatched anybody yet. Crap. So this truck sits back there for 5 minutes or so. I am debating my options. I opted to call 911. Five more minutes go by and that truck is still behind me. Their door opens, someone gets out. I can see the cop car pulling up and that person gets back in their car and takes off real fast.

Long story short (too late, right?!) Thank god the cop got there and was able to stay until my very new to town cousin, Robert, was able to come and sit with me until assistance got there which wasn't for another hour. I didn't get home until 2am. So tired.

Waiting...

2008-09-19T11:57:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone. Paul is in the procedure room getting his lines inserted.

This is him before they wheeled him away. He will have 2 double port lines put in. He is expected to be in there for and hour or so and then he will go into recovery. Once a bed is available on the Oncology floor he will be admitted into a room.

His radiation was quick and again went well this morning.

The first day

2008-09-18T21:25:00.004-04:00

Everything went really well with Paul's radiation today. It really seemed to take very little time and all of the staff was super nice and accomodating. They let me go in the room with them while they settled him in. There is a really thick door and wall that you have to go past. He had to lay on a table and wear this specially made mask. The clip below shows what it looks like. It went over his head and was then fastened to the table to prevent him from moving. They have music playing in there and just told him to relax. He will have another session tomorrow morning at 8:15.

After that he will have his Hickman lines inserted and then he will be admitted into the hospital.

Thank you so much for all of the emails and phone calls! I will post Paul's room information when we get him settled in. We really appreciate everyones thought and prayers. : )

It begins...

2008-09-18T07:03:00.002-04:00

Today is the first day of radiation for Paul. He will receive one dose this afternoon about 4pm. The session will last about 20 minutes and will be to his head only. He will have subsequent treatments for the following 4 days. Today is outpatient and he will be able to come home. He will be admitted tomorrow. He is really nervous and we are just trying to keep his mind off of it. Please say a prayer for him.

10 years...

2008-09-16T22:15:00.006-04:00

Today Paul and I celebrated our (not real according to Paul) anniversary early.

On October 1, 1998 we had our very first date at Olive Garden in Scottsdale. So every year we return to Olive Garden for dinner. Since Paul will be in the hospital during that time we decided to celebrate it now. Surprisingly, Alayna's favorite part of the meal was the salad.

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Afterwards we headed to the mall to let the girls run around the play area and walk off our meal.

And of course my mom and I had to hit up my newest most favorite kid's store.

Tomorrow Paul will need to visit a local lab to have some blood work done. Again it is to check on his liver function. If everything is where they want it to be he will have his 1st dose of radiation on Thursday afternoon at 4pm.

Ta dah!

2008-09-11T21:13:00.010-04:00

I am not sure if that is how it is spelled but...

The window is in! Only one trip to Lowe's was required and very little blood was shed but it's done. One window down - about 20 more to go. Here is the progression.

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* I feel I must add this disclaimer! Please excuse our crazy overgrown bush. We haven't had the chance to prune it! : )*

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Today was also my parents 43rd wedding anniversary. So in celebration we went to Mikata, our favorite Japanese steakhouse.

Here is my pretty girl all ready to go.

And one of the things they typically do - and Alayna's not so pleasant reaction to it. We don't know that lady in the background...

Afterwards we all enjoyed some delicious ice cream from Brewster's. Can I just say that the pumpkin pecan cheesecake that I had was D - lite - ful!!

2008-09-10T20:11:00.006-04:00

Paul has been working on his log splitter for I don't know how long. It has been his nemesis. I think he is finally getting close to getting it done though. He is really happy about that. Tomorrow Paul and my dad plan on replacing one of the windows in our house. We had purchased a replacement window a couple years ago but it never got done. I hope to show some pictures of the completed project. If all goes well we will order more and get them all done.

Today Alayna and Eden were invited to a 2nd birthday party of their little friend Annelina.

They had so much fun playing with her and with Owen.

Lina is 4 weeks older than Alayna and Owen is 2 weeks older than Alayna. They got to make their own little pizzas and ran circles around the house. Then they got to enjoy traditional Norwegian birthday cake. Anita, Lina's mom is from Norway.

Forgive me for sharing...

2008-09-09T15:46:00.001-04:00

But my little girl just went poo poo on the potty! Twice even, 5 minutes apart! :P I will spare you the picture my mom took though.

So which do you want first???

2008-09-08T23:41:00.002-04:00

The good news or the bad news?

Bad news - Paul's liver enzyme levels have decreased significantly compared to last week, but are still elevated. His bilirubin numbers are also too high for their liking. Radiation and transplant have been postponed another week.

Good news - Paul is feeling well and we will have him home for another week, although he is anxious to get this going. I need to go to the pharmacy in the morning to pick up a new prescription for him which should hopefully help in lowering the numbers even more.

I guess no one said this whole process would be easy, right?

Action packed weekend...

2008-09-07T18:36:00.013-04:00

Tomorrow morning bright and early Paul and I will head down to Boston for blood work. We are hoping his liver enzyme levels have decreased. Someone from the hospital did call to let us know that the biopsy showed his liver as inflamed, which is good. They said that points towards the blood thinner as the culprit.

As a final hurrah before Paul enters the hospital this next week we did all we could this weekend. On Friday in celebration of my Dad's 61st birthday we all went to dinner at his favorite restaurant, Texas Roadhouse. Alayna loved the fact that you could smash the peanut shells into the floor! Her dad showed her that trick.

Afterwards we went to the hotrod car show they hold every weekend in the same plaza parking lot. My mom loves purple so she gravitated towards this car. Do you see anything that shouldn't be there?!

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Then on Saturday we went to the annual Seafood Festival in Hampton Beach. Paul is the only one who likes seafood but we all enjoy walking around sampling all of the other goodies. We all had bites of lobster rolls, sausage and peppers, caramel apples, sweet potato fries, apple crisp, and fry dough! Yum! All the girls rode the train on the boardwalk.

Alayna and Eden had their faces painted. Eden was good and left her heart alone - but Alayna would wipe each time the girl went to get another color for her flower.

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And of course we had to take a stroll on the beach. The water was slightly cool but nice on the humid day. Alayna and Eden loved having the waves wash up onto their toes.

Today was the most mellow. Paul, my parents, and I attended an estate auction a few houses up the road. I had never been to one before so I was excited to see what it was like. While we were there we ran into several neighbors and friends. We only lasted a couple of hours and left with nothing. Paul and my dad watched football the rest of the afternoon and us girls went shopping. Ahh! And now we rest!

What did you do this weekend?

Help has arrived!

2008-09-03T21:05:00.004-04:00

My parents flew into town this morning after traveling all night on the red eye. Alayna was really happy to see them. It is so good to see them and their help with everything is really appreciated.

As for Paul - they have pushed the transplant back one week while they wait for results. This buys us more time with him at home, which is good, but we were in transplant mode. Also the results were negative on his last bone marrow biopsy. No cancer!

*updated with pics from the airport!*

The waiting game...

2008-09-02T14:39:00.002-04:00

So Paul did his blood work this morning and it showed that his liver enzyme levels had actually risen. They stopped the blood thinner last week so Dr. Wadleigh thought it would go down. He then had to do an abdominal ultrasound. They didn't see any problems with that - they were really looking for any kind of blockage. So he then had to go to Brigham to have the liver biopsy. He was very apprehensive about the procedure, as they were doing a transvenous biopsy. He wasn't happy and didn't want any needles going down his neck. But he made it through and is resting in the recovery unit now. He has to stay at the hospital for 6 hours and then I can go and pick him up.

So now we must wait for the results of the tissue sample to come back before they can proceed with the transplant.

Breaking News...

2008-09-01T19:12:00.001-04:00

This just in -

Wombats 2 - Wassell's 2

Now back to original scheduled programming.

Wombats on the loose...

2008-09-01T00:09:00.002-04:00

Well they aren't actually wombats - but that is what I call them. There are atleast 2 if not more fairly large woodchucks running around our property and living under the chicken coop and the guesthouse. Hannah got in a tiff with one of them one day but since then she runs away afraid of them. They actually run towards the dogs hissing at them! Buttercup is 10 pounds and these things are bigger than her. So Paul has been trying to "get rid of" them in a not so PETA friendly way. He hasn't had any luck yet. By my count, it is wombats 2 - Wassell's 1.

We have been enjoying a relaxing weekend. The weather has been really nice, pretty warm but a slight breeze. My sister and I went to Michael's today. She is joining the scrapbooking world! After that, all us girls met up with Paul at Chili's for lunch. Paul has been working on cutting down the big oak tree by the pool. And I have been working on witch shirt after witch shirt after witch shirt! I have sold nearly a dozen of them so far. That makes me really happy as she is completely my own design.

Well - we hope that you are all enjoying the long weekend. Take care!

So here's the scoop...

2008-08-29T23:15:00.003-04:00

Paul went in today and had bloodwork, a lumbar puncture and a bone marrow biopsy. They went about as well as you can expect. He didn't have much pain afterwards and he felt good overall. The bloodwork showed his liver levels a little high so they gave him a prescription to have blood drawn from a lab near our home. Dr. Wadleigh believes it is a side effect from the blood thinner he is on. Dr. Koreth (transplant dr) wants to keep the levels in check or it will postpone the transplant.

This afternoon, someone from the hospital called because they want Paul to go in to Boston on Tuesday for the bloodwork followed by an abdominal ultrasound. And then he may possibly have to have a liver biopsy. Dr Wadleigh told him to stop the blood thinner and we are all hoping that his levels will go down as a result.

My poor babe! He has been poked from one end to the other inside and everywhere. This is just one more thing he doesn't need.

A lovely day...

2008-08-28T19:54:00.004-04:00

Today we packed up the car with Alayna's little red wagon and took a trip to the Farmer's Market in Amherst. They hold it in the park right by the village center. It was a beautiful day to walk around and see what everyone brought to sell.

We picked up lots of goodies and Alayna enjoyed munching on her apple.

We have to leave very early in the morning for Paul's appointment in Boston. They called to change it to 8am - very early! But hopefully his 2 procedures go well and he isn't in too much pain afterwards. I will give an update tomorrow. Take care everyone!