Picture of the day

I can't remember where I came across this but I saved it because it's pretty funny.  I think we have all had a job/career at one point or another where we've wanted to say/do this...Enjoy!

Resignation letter

Dear Co-Workers and Managers,
As many of you pr ob ably know, today is my last day. But before I leave, I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know what a great and distinct pleasure it has been to type "Today is my last day."
For nearly as long as I've worked here, I've hoped that I might one day leave this company. And now that this dream has become a reality, please know that I could not have reached this goal without your un-ending lack of support. Words cannot express my gratitude for the words of gratitude you did not express.
I would especially like to thank all of my managers both past and present but with the exception of the wonderful Saroj Hariprashad: in an age where mis-communication is all too common, you consistently impressed and inspired me with the sheer magnitude of your mis-information, ignorance and intolerance or true talent. It takes a strong man to admit his mistake - it takes a stronger man to attribute his mistake to me.
Over the past seven years, you have taught me more than I could ever ask for and, in most cases, ever did ask for. I have been fortunate enough to work with some absolutely interchangeable supervisors on a wide variety of seemingly identical projects - an invaluable lesson in overcoming daily tedium in overcoming daily tedium in overcoming daily tedium.
Your demands were high and your patience short, but I take great solace knowing that my work was, as stated on my annual review, "meets expectation." That is the type of praise that sends a man home happy after a 10 hour day, smiling his way through half a bottle of meets expectation scotch with a meets expectation cigar. Thanks Trish!
And to most of my peers: even though we barely acknowledged each other within these office walls, I hope that in the future, should we pass on the street, you will regard me the same way as I regard you: sans eye contact.
But to those few souls with whom I've actually interacted, here are my personalized notes of farewell:
To Philip Cress, I will not miss hearing you cry over absolutely nothing while laying blame on me and my coworkers. Your racial comments about Joe Cobbinah were truly offensive and I hope that one day you might gain the strength to apologize to him.
To Brenda Ashby whom is long gone, I hope you find a manager that treats you as poorly as you have treated us. I worked harder for you then any manager in my career and I regret every ounce of it. Watching you take credit for my work was truly demoralizing.
To Sylvia Keenan, you should learn how to keep your mouth shut sweet heart.  Bad mouthing the innocent is a negative thing, especially when your talking about someone who knows your disgusting secrets. ; )
To Bob Malvin (Mr. Cronyism Jr), well, I wish you had more of a back bone. You threw me to the wolves with that witch Brenda and I learned all too much from it. I still can't believe that after following your instructions, I ended up getting written up, wow. Thanks for the experience buddy, lesson learned.
Don Merritt (Mr. Cronyism Sr), I'm happy that you were let go in the same manner that you have handed down to my dedicated coworkers. Hearing you on the phone last year brag about how great bonuses were going to be for you fellas in upper management because all of the lay offs made me nearly vomit. I never expected to see management benefit financially from the suffering of scores of people but then again, with this company's rooted history in the slave trade it only makes sense.
To all of the executives of this company, Jamie Dimon and such. Despite working through countless managers that practiced unethical behavior, racism, sexism, jealousy and cronyism, I have benefited tremendously by working here and I truly thank you for that. There was once a time where hard work was rewarded and acknowledged, it's a pity that all of our positive output now falls on deaf ears and passes blind eyes. My advice for you is to place yourself closer to the pulse of this company and enjoy the effort and dedication of us "faceless little people" more. There are many great people that are being over worked and mistreated but yet are still loyal not to those who abuse them but to the greater mission of providing excellent customer support. Find them and embrace them as they will help battle the cancerous plague that is ravishing the moral of this company.
So, in parting, if I could pass on any word of advice to the lower salary recipient ("because it's good for the company") in India or Tampa who will soon be filling my position, it would be to cherish this experience because a job opportunity like this comes along only once in a lifetime.
Meaning: if I had to work here again in this lifetime, I would sooner kill myself.
To those who I have held a great relationship with, I will miss being your co-worker and will cherish our history together.  Please don't bother responding as at this very moment I am most likely in my car doing 85 with the windows down listening to Biggie.

Sibling:  A SISTER OR BROTHER, RIVAL, BUDDY, PEST, HERO, ADVERSARY, UNDERSTANDING EAR, COMRADE, COMPETITOR, PLAYMATE, CONFIDANTE, CHUM, WARDROBE BORROWER, SINGING PARTNER, SHOULDER TO CRY ON, KINFOLK, SECRET SHARER, NIGHTMARE CHASER, KINDHEARTED DEFENDER, A CHILDHOOD COMPANION AND A LIFELONG FRIEND. ~Barbara Edwards Reamy

TIS' THE SEASON.....

Racing Season that is!!

After a brief 5 months off, this week marks the official first week of racing season for Dom's company Sunset Racing Events.  This Saturday is their 2nd Annual Showdown at Sundown race out at Lake Las Vegas and it is the first race of the season not to mention Dom's baby!!   I encourage you to come down and hang out.  Races start in the afternoon finishing by 8pm out in front of the Auld Dubliner Irish Pub.  There they will have a live Irish band, brawt worsts on the grill and beer specials.  With the weather we've been having you would be crazy to pass up a Saturday afternoon like this.  We look forward to seeing you out there.

sunsetracing.com

Zoe's Story

Oh our little Zoe Monster.....

Not much to tell here...not yet any ways.  We are still giving her the Zantac every 8 hours and mixing her bottles with half milk and half rice cereal.  She seems to have fairly good days or REALLY bad days.  I'm still debating on whether or not I want to allow them to change her meds to something stronger.  I'm leaning more toward yes only because good days are few and far between and she is taking the absolute highest dose allowed with the Zantac.  She managed to put on 9oz last week and we have begun adjusting to the vomiting episodes fairly well.  Although they too are beyond messy, time consuming and frustrating, we are able to go about our daily business as usual but with extra clothes, towels and burp cloths in tow.  It's not as scary now that we know what the signs are and can tell when the episodes are coming on.  It's often times walking a fine line between her eating and and getting dehydrated that is the most scary and frustrating.

She's beginning to stay up more throughout the day and Kadence is absolutely AWESOME with her.  It's pretty cool.  They really will be best friends.

TODAY SHE IS 1 MONTH OLD!!!!

Kady Update

We went back to Kady's G.I. doctor last week for a follow up.  Another Endoscopy has been scheduled for the 28th of April.  At this visit, he told us that Kadence DOES NOT have Eosinophilic Esophagitus (EE) after all....Who knew!!  Although this is good news, I find it to be frustrating at the same time.  I personally feel as if we are back to square one.  Why we were not told this 9-10months ago...beats me.  Quite frankly I'm too tired and frustrated to argue that fact now.  I want answers. The misunderstanding with the EE diagnosis (more like a non-communication to us on the doctors part) is that pathology at Summerlin Hospital here in Las Vegas said that she DID have EE based on the number of Eosinophils found throughout her guts.  Biopsies and lab work was also sent to Cincinnati Childrens Hospital (the leading hospital in EE research from what we are told) and their pathology reports said she DOES NOT have EE or stated that she had rare amounts of Eosinophils as in small or minimal.  The upcoming Endoscopy will tell us if her Eosinophil counts have increased, decreased or gone away completely.  The biopsies from this Endoscopy will go strait to Cincinnati for results.  I have no idea yet what any of this means or where we go from there.  Hopefully it will get us one step closer to where we need to be.

For now, we are starting her on more meds.  This one to treat the diarrhea specifically until we know what is causing it.  At least this way we can move forward with life...ie: potty training.

On a positive note...ALL tests for Cystic Fibrosis came back NEGATIVE!!!!!

Kady Talk....

i love how she calls her fish "bish"
i love that she introduces herself  as "I Kady, meet you" and tries to shake your hand.
i love how Dominic and I are "Daddy" and "other Daddy"
i love that when she asks for breakfast it's always "can cakes and mananas"
i love how every time she gets in trouble she says "Ahh, I sowwy, I tryning"
i love how she asks for "cakoosh" instead of "crackers"
i love listening to her talk and play with Zoe

i love that when she says Fox or Frog it sounds like......well, I won't say it.  I guess that one just makes me     giggle a little.

www.lifebymandyphotography.com

When I was a little girl, I used to believe that when you were born the angels began making a home for you in heaven.  And when it was finished and there was a place for you there, God would call you home.  I guess they were in a hurry to get Ethan.   He was such a light that God could only lend him to us for a little while.  The angels finished quickly and God has taken him home.   I hope he likes his new place and I can't wait to see him when I get there.  I bet the view is spectacular.

"God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, or sun without rain, but he did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way... If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to heaven and bring you home again....."

For Ethan, my precious nephew, my angel in the sky....

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Read Ethan's Story at:  

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ethanandrew

13 Rules to live by

1. I love you not because of who you are, but becasue of who I am when I am with you.

2. No man or woman is worth your tears, and the one who is, won't make you cry.

3. Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesnt''mean they don't love you with all they have.

4. A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.

5. The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside them knowing you can't have them.

6. Never frown, even when you are sad, because you never know who is falling in love with your smile.

7. To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.

8. Don't waste your time on any person who isn't willing to waste their time on you.

9. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wreong ones before meeting the right one, so that when we finally meet the person, we will know how to be grateful.

10. Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.

11.  There's always going to be people that hurt you so what you have to do is keep on trusting and just be more careful about who you trust next time around.

12.  Make yourself a better person and know who you are before you try and know someone else and expect them to know you.

13.  Don't try so hard, the best things come when you least expect them.

REMEMBER: EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON!

My theories are not always parallel to philosophers or scholars.

I do not articulate as well as some, but my intentions are always honest.

I have lived a life of sorted failure and repeated heartbreak. I should not be as intact as I am. I know that others have had worse I have taken those wounds and mended them.

 

I have taken my pain and grown better because bitter is not an option.

I am open to new ideas but my heart holds bearing on what I know is right.

The centrifugal force of my life is understanding. There is so much that I want and need to know but the absence will not silence me.

 

I will not be afraid to ask and I will not cease to search for truth.

I will always try to sympathize when you tell me I have hurt you.

I will always be open to the possibility that I am wrong because right is often a foolish concept.

 

I will not let my pride destroy my relationships.

I know that humility will make me a person of character.

I know that my path will take me in and out of learning experiences- I hope that I can always remember to gather the best of what is offered and move on a better person.

 

It makes me sad to know that it can't go on forever...yet thankful as I would not want it to.

My mother-in-law came across this and realized how much I'd love it...and I do.  It's good enough to share so I hope you all enjoy it as well.


The Birthright of Children
by Dr. Henry Turner Bailey


All children should know the joy of playing in healthful mud, of paddling in clean water, of hearing birds sing praises to God for the new day.

They should have the vision of pure skies enriched at dawn and sunset with unspeakable glory; of dew-drenched mornings flashing with  priceless gems; of the vast night sky all throbbing and panting with stars.

The should live with flowers and butterflies, with the wild things that have made possible the world of fables.

They should experience the thrill of going barefoot, of being out in the rain; of riding a white birch, of sliding down pine boughs, of climbing ledges and tall trees, of diving head-first into a transparent pool.

They ought to know the smell of the wet earth, of new mown hay, of sweetcorn, mint and fir, of the breath of cattle and of fog blown inland from the sea.

They should hear the answer the trees make to the rain and to the wind; the sound of rippling and falling water; the muffled roar of the sea in a storm.

They should have a chance to catch fish, to ride on a load of hay, to camp ou, to cook over an  open fire, tramp through a new country and sleep under the open sky.

They should have the fun of driving a horse, paddling a canoe, sailing a boat.

One cannot appreciate and enjoy to the full extent nature books, novels, histories , poems, pictures, or even musical compositions, who has not in his youth enjoyed the blessed contact with the world of nature.

Kadence Shiree

"Being a full time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs,

since the payment is pure love."

~ Mildred B. Vermont

Zoe Joelyn

Kady Update

The sweat test results are in for Kadence and they are NEGATIVE!!!!!  WoooHooo =o)  We are still waiting on the rest of her blood work and stool sample results to come in but I'm pretty confident that I can say WITH OUT a DOUBT that she DOES NOT have Cystic Fibrosis!!  We already kind of expected that she didn't, but given my family's history and our family's digestive/intestinal issues, it's good to have it completely ruled out. 

Now we just have to figure out what IS going on....

Zoe's Story

I realize the majority of you know something happened but don't know what happened.  I want to first off thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, positive thoughts and well wishes.  It means the world.  Here is the complete and full story of what exactly happened with Zoe that caused so much concern and panic.

Zoe was born Wednesday February 24th at 12:49 a.m. weighing in at 7.3lbs.  Immediately my doctor and the nurses could tell that she had swallowed more amniotic fluid than normal during delivery.  The hours following her birth she threw up A LOT...constantly.  All to be expected given the quantity of fluids consumed.   Because my milk had not yet come in, I was supplementing with formula.  The first day we must have soiled close to 20 shirts and blankets...NO JOKE!  The next morning her pediatrician came to check on her.  Her color was good, her billiruben counts were perfect, her weight was normal and we had a pretty good night with a lot less vomiting.  He and I both felt comfortable sending her home.  That another night in the hospital wasn't necessary. Because of the vomiting however, he wanted to see us in his office the next day.  Thursday afternoon was also good.  She had only 2 vomiting episodes.  So, Thursday night we were discharged and headed home.

We arrived home at 8pm.  At midnight I went to feed her and put her down for the night.  Immediately after her feeding she started vomiting.  This time it was different.  I could hear it in her stomach and throat and it was loud.  She was making awful gurgling sounds, coughing and choking.  This went on for an hour and a half while she continued to vomit every 15minutes.  When I laid her down  to change her diaper she stopped breathing and her body went STIFF as a board...this happened twice.  When Dominic said "I think we should take her to the hospital" I knew it wasn't my hormones causing me to be over emotional and panicked.

At 2 a.m., roughly 6 hours after we got home, we were back in the pediatric ER.  Immediately they started to draw blood and put an IV in.  She had dropped 1and 1/2 lbs, became jaundice, SEVERELY dehydrated and listless.  The Peds nurses tried 3 times to get an IV in Zoe and failed.  Her veins kept collapsing.  It took them over an hour just to draw the blood they needed to test her for RSV.  Afraid they were going to collapse any good veins that were left, a NICU nurse was called down to attempt to get an IV in her.  She tried 10 more times.  After sticking her repeatedly in the arms, foot, head and hands, she got the IV in her thumb.  By this time Zoe was so exhausted she looked like a rag doll. They could have poked her a hundred more times and she wouldn't have cried a bit.  She was then admitted to the NICU and incubated in an isolation room (because she had left the hospital for 6hrs, she was considered contaminated by NICU standards).  X-rays, blood work and testing began for any intestinal blockages and all sorts of other possible problems.  In the end, everything was right were it should be and working fine...for the most part.  She was diagnosed with an extreme case of reflux disease.

Almost all babies are born with reflux.  That's why they spit up.  RARELY is it so bad they have to be hospitalized for it.  Zoe's is one of those rare cases.  The fix is annoying but fairly easy and her reflux now becomes a laundry issue.  As she gets bigger she may outgrow it or she may need surgery. It all depends on her... how she grows, puts weight on and continues to tolerate her feeds.  Only time will tell.

So...for 4days we had to leave her in the hospital.  One of the hardest, most unnatural things for a mother to do. Something I wish no mother would ever have to do.  But after 4days, she's bounced back.  She's back up to her birth weight and with the help of meds and large quantities of rice cereal added to her milk....she was able to eat and stable enough to come home.  Yesterday we brought her home....for the 2nd and LAST time!!

Meet our newest member...Zoe Joelyn Guinto born 2/24/2010 @ 12:49a.m.  7.3lbs, 19.5inches.

"A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on."  ~Carl Sandburg

Just a few of the things Dominic loves....

Today was the last day of Kadence's Tiny Tumblers class.  She really loved it.  I love the fact that our Saturday morning routine for the past 6 weeks has been spending time together taking Kady to Tiny Tumblers.  What great memories we made.

 

 

 

Next on the list....Toddler Ninja's class.  I can't wait.

I just love the way kids think and their untouched imaginations.  This is a collection of Funny Love Quotes by Kids that I came across while browsing the web.  It put a smile on my face and hopefully it does yours as well.

Funny Love Quotes by Kids

Love is that first feeling you feel before all the bad stuff gets in the way.

When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.

When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth.

Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.

Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.

Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don't yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings.

Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.

Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.

Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss.

Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.

If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you don't like to play with.

Love is hugging. Love is kissing. Love is saying no sometimes.

When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still love you, they love you even more.

There are two kinds of love- Our love & God's love. But God makes both kinds of them. Love is important to God.

Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.

Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.

During my piano recital, I was on a stage and scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.

My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.

Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken.

Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.

Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.

I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.

When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.

Love is when mommy sees daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.

You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget, and it's good for them to get reminded.

Kady has a pair of pajamas with peace signs, happy faces and hearts all over them.  I think they are by far her new favorite pair of PJ's.  Ever since she's had them a heart isn't just a heart anymore.  Every heart she sees is now referred to as a "happy heart."  All thanks to her groovy new pajamas.

I love that she has her own unique name for certain things and that they make so much sense yet I'd never think of them that way.  It definitely makes me smile.

"When love is not madness, it is not love." ~Pedro Calderon de la Barca 

Dom and I don't celebrate Valentine's Day.  I personally have never been a fan of the holiday.  I think everyday should be like Valentine's when you're spending it with the person you love. Unfortunately it doesn't always work that way hence the reason for making a holiday for it.  Either way the reminder is there, to hopefully bring those who are in love closer together and make those with no one feel more miserable about themselves.  On the years when I had no Valentine, my parents were my Valentine.  They never let me down. Now I am fortunate enough to have 4 Valentine's and next year 5.  I love family traditions and am having fun starting some of our own...maybe it's time to make celebrating Valentine's day a new tradition. 

Happy Valentine's Day
from the Guinto's

Kady Update

This morning was Kady's CF testing.  We we're unable to do the blood work at the Hospital...weird, however we did do the sweat test.  Results were in yesterday afternoon but of course they wouldn't release them over the phone.  Hopefully Monday we'll be hearing from her doctor and most likely it will be a negative result. This week I'll take her to get her blood work drawn.  Whatever the results of the sweat test are I'm fairly confident will give us our answer. The blood work will just solidify it.  We'll keep you posted.

I love that we'll get to meet this precious package very soon....

Zoe Joelyn Guinto
10 days and counting...

 

Photo taken @ 35 weeks

www.lifebymandyphotography.com

"A mother's joy begins when new life is
stirring inside...
when a tiny heartbeat is heard for the
very first time,
and a playful kick reminds her that she
is never alone." ~Unknown

I love......my husband. our baby girls. being a mother. my family and friends. traveling. summer jazz on green grass Sundays. stars on a clear night. sweatpants and candlelit movies. skydiving. stick shifts and safety belts. mountain biking. dirt biking. scuba diving. canyon river rafting. ocean waves and sunsets on the beach. gymnastics. reading a good book or poetry. art. photography. yesterdays jeans. snow and snow skiing. water skiing. wake boarding. surfing. the smell of rain and a freshly mowed lawn. japanese sake with sushi. hippy eats. i-pod shuffle mode. acoustic tunes. open mikes. bar stools and kitchen conversation. laughing. street performers and city lights. 2am flafels in NYC. fine wine and napa vines. italian food. patio daiquiris. last minute weekends. soulful intent and meaningful actions. wet streets and noisy rain top roofs. tall tress covering outdoor hike ways. the roar of thunder and lightning storms. red rock mountains. the sound of falling water and trickling streams. hiking. fly fishing. camping and the smell of campfires. roasted s'mores. interior decorating. dogs. s.e.x. a good massage and adjustment. reflective thinking. Sunday dreaming. fierce love. life. soul. God...

Listen 
Observe 

Value

Encourage

"The art of love... is largely the art of persistence."  ~Albert Ellis

I love that I have the opportunity to master this art on a daily basis and people in my life that have the patience to let me.

Kadence received a bathtub baby for her birthday from one of our friends.  Baby came with her very own towel, slippers, diaper, tub toy fish and shampoo bottle.  What a GREAT gift.  Kady loves it.  What I love the most about bathtub baby is, watching Dom feel completely emasculated as he goes through the motions of drying baby off and putting her slippers and diaper on =o)  Not that I enjoy when my man feels emasculated but this is different...precious.   I know he feels weird doing it but he does it all for his baby girl, Kadence....that is true love.  I think she's a daddy's girl for sure.

"Let me tell you a secret, about a fathers love
A secret that my daddy said was just between us
He said daddies don't just love their children every now and then

It's a love without end, amen..."

George Strait 'A Father's Love Lyrics'

This post I am going to dedicate to Dominic.  REALLY, I would have none of this without him.  I'm not talking about the materialistic things and what not either.  What I'm talking about is the people in my life.  I can't make babies on my own. Haha!  Without him, I wouldn't have Kadence or Zoe.  I wouldn't have the wonderful in-laws that I do without him. I wouldn't have the friends I have without him, I wouldn't have my best-friend, rival, confidant or soul mate without him.  All of this is a part of my life because of him.  I love him for choosing me as his partner.  To help him build this life together.

"When we love, it isn't because the person's perfect, it's because we learn to see an imperfect person perfectly." ~Jessica

Kady Update

Went back to the Allergist today to rethink our strategy being the liquid diet so far has been a flop.  I'm  going to hang on to all the formula (100's of dollars worth) in case we need to revisit it in the future.  The meds he had mentioned previously that we could put Kady on are a year long commitment.  Not sure why, but once you start there is no stopping them for one full year and after that who knows what happens...not me.  We didn't discuss it because we aren't there yet.  We are back to a crap load of testing...oy vey.

First on the list....a full DNA or Genetic Testing and sweat test for Cystic Fibrosis.  We are VERY confident that she will test negative for CF however the genetic testing will be able to tell us what other gene mutations she has (being there are any) in conjunction with the CF mutation she already has.  When I say the CF mutation she already has, I mean that she is a carrier of the CF gene and that is a mutation.  I'm a carrier too.  That part is no biggie unless she marry's a person with the CF gene as well and wants to have kids.  But, there could be another mutation that is causing the chronic diarrhea.  That's what were looking for and the rest is just to eliminate all other possibilities.  If they do find another mutation, I don't fully know how it relates to CF exactly...at this point.  I was honestly on information overload.  I believe that even then, it doesn't mean she has CF.  I'm sure it'll all make sense soon.

Next, we are doing patch testing.  It's still possible that there is another food allergy that has yet to be detected.  Patch testing will pick up on different components of the same foods, plants, animals, allergens she's already been tested for that the skin test and blood panel wouldn't have picked up on.  For example, she's not allergic to peanuts according to the skin and blood test results however, she could be and the patch test would pick up on that.  So we leave the patches on for 3 days ( no bath) and then take them off and see what the results are.  I hope she's able to sleep well.

Lastly, we will be rescheduling a colonoscopy and endoscopy in about 2 months (after I have this baby...ugh) to see if the eosinophils in her esophagus, intestines and colon have increased or decreased in the past year.  Her's are at 16 and the magic # is 20.  Having 20 or more eosinophils in a cluster means it's food allergy related, 16 meaning it may be food allergy related it may not.  If they drop even lower that would be great.  You want 0 eosinophils.  In the meantime we will start her on Prevacid....remember she has the reflux also.  It's possible that her eosinophilic esophagitus(ee) is a reflux ee and therefore the Prevacid should help.  We will follow up with him the first of April, all testing will be done before then and then we can schedule the 2-oscopy's.

This weeks goal...get her in for the CF and sweat testing.  Test results take about two weeks to get in and GOD forbid they find something genetic worth looking into, I'd like to know before I bring Zoe home from the hospital so they can just test her while we are there.

Needless to say...yesterday was not a good day for me.  Other than minimal conversation here and there regarding Kadence and I as being carriers of the CF gene, I was hoping to NEVER have to hear those words spoken in regard to my children's health.  It brought back a ton of memories.  I guess it'll be good for peace of mind to get this out of the way.  I just hope nothing crazy pops up because I AM NOT prepared to deal with it and I know Dom would be even less so.

February is often considered a month of  L.O.V.E.  Without getting too sappy on you, as I blog I'm going to share the non-obvious bits and pieces of our lives that we love.  Otherwise every post this month would be about our families, daughters and dogs.  But, I'm sure I'll be sneaking in a post here and there about our 3 aforementioned loves anyways.  It's too hard not to.

What is Love ?

My favorite description of love is from the movie Captain Corelli's Mandolin:

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two."  -St. Augustine

A Memorable Birthday Journey....

We weren't planning on celebrating Kady's 2nd birthday for 2 days in a row, it just kind of happened that way.  Sunday was her actual birthday.  Dom had to work that evening so we did our normal Sunday routine.  Went out for breakfast and church.  The birthday girl decided she wanted "e-fries" for breakfast, so that's what she got...along with a bowl of fruit *wink.*  Monday morning we took her to the pet store to pick out a fish.  OH...how exciting!!!  It was for us at least, not so much the fish. Ha!  Let me take you through our epic journey to the pet store....

 

 

Yes...we dropped the bag of fish on the floor.

  

 

So...We decided not to name the fish since we were told at the pet store the first time round they usually don't live.  However, Kady decided to name them anyway..."Mommy" and "Daddy"...Thanks bug =o)  They managed to survive the first night, barely.  We'll just have to wait and see if  "Mommy and Daddy" can pull through the week.  Let's hope so!

 

  

Kady's vegan birthday cake!  My first vegan cake too...It was Yummy!