Finally...Another Post!

Sitting like a big girl on the couch.


Napping on Mom...doesn't happen often!

Switched to Dad...with Lexi!

Love those smiles and bright eyes!

What a face!

I apologize now for taking so long to post again. I'll tell you what, it is getting crazy around here. We are all getting ready to head back to school, practices for softball and football are starting, and then you just have those commitments that pop up now and then. Honestly, I haven't had time to sit here on the computer and I miss that! Bear with me because I think I will only have time to post about once a week. But don't worry, I will keep you all informed of any news!

As most of you know, I'm back at Rockridge teaching math. And truthfully, I missed it with all my heart. I absolutely love my job and needed to go back. Of course, I hate waking up early and the morning routine of getting everyone up, dressed, and fed, but for my mind it is the best thing. I need something else to focus on. Don't worry Miss Alayna, mom hasn't forgotten about you, but she needs to have some balance in her life! This year I'm teaching 164 high school kids Geometry and Algebra II/Trigonometry. That is a record number of students for me! My smallest class has 25 students and my largest is 31 in my last period of the day. UGH. Say a prayer for me okay? I have to turn this into a positive though. At least that is reflective of our great math staff....we aren't scaring anyone away. The state does require 3 years of math now to graduate, so I'm sure that plays a role too. But I like to think it's because they all love us math teachers! So, I'm dreading all those papers to grade. When will I find the time? I'm just very blessed and grateful that I'm able to return to work. I'm sure in some cases it would not be possible.

Alayna is still doing just fine. She had her first cold about 5 days ago. Actually, 3 of my 4 kids came down with a bug...probably because they sensed school was around the corner. Anyway, I had her sleeping in her bouncy seat in the crib for 2 nights because she seemed to breathe better elevated. I gave her some nice warm baths and put Vicks vapor in the tub below her. And of course, we closed the bathroom door to make it nice and smelly in there. It did seem to help her. She seems to be getting over it and I hope we don't have to make another pediatrician visit. I worry a little about the winter. 1p36 kids immune systems are somewhat known to be "weaker" than normal. We'll just have to keep on everyone about hand washing!

We have been experimenting with her "thickness" of her bottles. Lately, Dana and I have been cutting back on how much rice we add to each bottle. She is accustomed to taking about 4 tablespoons of rice per 4 oz of formula. So it's usually 1:1. (Had to throw that ratio in there...brushing up on my math skills!) Now she is getting about 2 tablespoons per 4 oz of formula. So it's more like 1:2. I'd love to see her take a normal bottle someday. This is just a step closer to that.

We are still working on rolling over and sitting up. I hope she can sit really good by next summer so we can take her to the Muscatine Aquatic Center. She already has 2 new swimsuits (thanks Grandma Diana) and we hope we use them alot! Lexi is talking about it already. She can't wait to sit and play with her in the water. I think this would give us all a bit more freedom to get out of the house during the summer time. I found it a bit difficult keeping all of them entertained under this roof day after day. The pool is great because of all the activity. We look forward to that next summer.

We made our reservations at the Holiday Inn in Jacksonville, Florida. We'll be leaving Moline on Thursday, November 1st and returning on Sunday, November 4th. Dana, Alayna and I will be attending the 1p36 Deletion Syndrome Conference with many of the members from our support group on the Yahoo website. I am so excited you guys! I can't wait to meet these people and their children of all ages. I want to be able to put a face with the emails that I read and respond to everyday. They are the nicest group of people I've ever met. Everyone is so supportive of each other and helpful. They are coming from everywhere in the United States and at least one from overseas. I feel blessed to have this group. As much as people try to "understand" what we are dealing with and going through, they just can't because they aren't in the same situation. That is why the group is nice because we are all dealing with the same issues.

Again, thanks for reading the blog and caring about Alayna and her progress. I learn something new nearly everyday either from her or the people from the Yahoo group. This has truly been a learning experience for everyone who knows us. I appreciate the continued prayers. Please don't stop them! They are working and she is staying healthy and growing stronger everyday.

I personally am doing good too. I would say that I'm accepting things much better at this time and I'm beginning to enjoy these moments more. If that makes any sense? I'll be honest and tell you that I haven't had a breakdown for quite awhile. I'm sure there will still be days where I feel a big cloud is hovering over me, but I hope they are very few. The best method for me is day to day. If I find myself thinking into the future, I try to back up quickly because it worries me most. I guess I can say that I've accepted the "right now", but I'm having a hard time accepting the "future." All in due time....right?

One more thing. I do have to say that I've never seen Alexis and Drake so compassionate as they are right now. They've turned into very caring, hugging, kissing kids. They are constantly talking sweet to Alayna, telling her how much they love her and how cute she is, and wanting hugs and kisses from Dana and I. It's neat to see them caring about someone else as much as they are.