Reunion Pics!

I know, it took me so long to get these ready for you, but here's the reward for your patience - pictures from the recent reunion!

 

 

 

 

Checking out the Coasties boat...

 

Fire Engine...

with the Police dog

Me and my girl Taryn!

On to the fun and games...

with the Phillies Fanatic...

And the rides...

 

 Meeting Cinderella!

 Head and shoulders above the rest for the group shot!!

Summer hair

It's been crazy hot here lately, so Scott gave Toby a summer haircut!!

Silver lining

Last Monday afternoon we headed to the swim club with friends, but it was just enough time to get sunscreen on and arm band inflated before the first roll if thunder.

The kids didn't even get their feet wet before we had to clear the decks.  We ate lunch and then waited, and waited...

After an hour or so they said they were closing the pool as the storm was still going!

The kids found a little relief as we collected our stuff to leave!

And we headed home.

They reopened it about 45 minutes later!!

A few family pics!

This is the group picture from this year's reunion.  I've circled us in red so you can find us!!

 

Here's an excerpt from the news article accompanying the picture:

More than 250 children who received prenatal care at the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and their families, attended a reunion Sunday for former patients of the specialized unit.

The 17th annual reunion brought together more 1,300 people from 16 states.

Doctors at CHOP’s Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment performed their 1,000th fetal surgery earlier this month.

The center opened 18 years ago to perform highly complex surgical interventions that involve repairing birth defects in the womb.

Only about 4,000 fetal surgeries have been done worldwide, meaning a quarter of the procedures have been performed at CHOP.

“Although birth defects remain the leading cause of infant mortality in the United States, we have been able to develop and share innovations that help advance treatment for these defects, relying on tools, techniques and experience not available 30 years ago,” said fetal surgery pioneer Dr. N. Scott Adzick, the center’s medical director and CHOP’s surgeon-in-chief.

What's important.

This morning in the car Emma said that a couple kids laughed at her yesterday when she said "all you need is faith, trust and pixie dust!"

Clearly this is an odd thing to say, so I didn't react too strongly!  But since yesterday she learned that God's love helps us to stand strong I went there...

"Em, who is the most important person to you?"

"God."

"Okay!  How about a human?!"

"You." (Good answer!)

"Who else?"

"Daddy, Toby, Nanna..."

"Okay, what do they think of you?"

"I'm awesome."

"Right!  And God"

"He thinks I'm awesome too."

"Right!  Because he made you , just the way you are.  Now whenever anyone laughs at you, just remember that the people who count think you're awesome, and that's what matters."

Family pic

I have a lot of pictures from Sunday's reunion at the hospital, but here's one for now - I think you can tell how hot it was!!!

Reunion

Today is annual reunion for the department of fetal diagnosis and treatment at the hospital.  I always look forward to this day, and I stopped to think about why.

The doctors and nurses of the department and NICU have treated many children before, and since Emma.  And while they may remember Emma (not least because of frequent visits and I'm Facebook friends with several), it's more than that.

We all know, or should, that intense experiences will bond people together.  Although these professionals are doing their job, handling many situations like ours, for me it's different.

This team, dare I say family, were by my side for one of the ( if not THE) most intense times of my life.  I will never know how much of a role they played in keeping Emma alive, one can only assume.  But I do know how they kept me going, supported me, and cared for me. 

So this is a really special day for me.  I'm not sure the team quite gets it, but I hope the joy of seeing Emma is complete.

Chip off the old block

This weekend the kids got to go in Mr. Jim's Bobcat!  They were so excited.

After they each drove it around for a bit, I asked them if they had fun...?

Toby: No.  It was scary.

Emma:  YES!!  It was so much fun!!

Not Jane Fonda

As I've referenced, 5 weeks ago I started doing Insanity, an intense home workout program that lasts 60 days.  (You might have seen the infomercials, I borrowed it off a friend!)

I have not worked out in years, and never at such a high level, so it was quite a shock to the system.  But I committed to do it, 6 days a week, at 5am - before the kids get up.

I'm not sure if I really thought I could stick to it, but I have, and am now 5 weeks in and feeling great.

It seems to have inspired the kids, especially Emma, who is really pretty lazy (or weak if you want to give her an excuse!).  She's been trying to get involved as well, to where I got her a workout outfit!!

There's nothing she won't try!

Jogging:

Insanity:

And Pilates!

ENT

Emma had a check-up with ENT recently. She was really looking forward to the hearing tests, which we always referred to as games.  She declared ENT to be her favorite doctor!  I guess not many kids know there are many different specialties, but I felt encouraged that the only negative association she has with doctors is shots, and that's normal!  

As it turned out, she was not due for the tests!  One tube has fallen out and is sitting in her ear canal. The dr tried to get it out but Emma was furious, not accustomed to things in her ears!

The other is almost out.

The dr said they both look good and no cause for concern at this point.  We'll return in 5 months and probably get the hearing tests, but the real test will be over the winter to see if the fluid builds up again.  Emma's physiology does seem to predispose her to ear infections, so there's a good chance the tubes will need to be replaced.  

Until then we keep our own check by whispering "do you want ice-cream?" at random times!  I also discovered yesterday that Em is a pretty good lip reader, so we have to bear that in mind.

Quote of the Day

The kids get up really early nowadays.  They hear me exercising between 5-6am and want to join me.  I prefer to be alone, not least because Emma likes to comment on how easy it is, or even the trainer on the DVD, "he's taking his shirt off - whoa, look at him!"  

Emma has a rule that she is not allowed out of bed before 6am, but by 7am most days they are both usually up and full of energy.  Thankfully, working out 6 days a week is great for my attitude in the morning, far less snapping and rushing.

This morning Toby was in a mischievous mood.  He was supposed to be in his room getting dressed, when I heard a crash...

Me: "Toby?"

Toby: "Nothing!"

Quote of the Day

It's 12:45am!

Em:  Mom?

Me:  Yes? (Expecting to hear "can I come in your room?" Or "I need a drink.")

Em:  I love you.

Me:  I love you too.

Then she apparently fell back to sleep!

Real life

The kids felt the need to sit and watch the blimp flying over the US Open!  I guess it's better than TV.

(It's a small object flying over the cluster of trees at the end of the street.  You can see it better in person!)

Grown-up stuff

This week has been a fun new adventure, well, really the completion of one.  Some five years ago, on my first Mother's Day and 18 months after buying our house, we spent the day digging out the old neglected flower beds and pulling some giant bushes from the yard.

Since then, on a semi-annual basis we have weeded the empty beds, and even put mulch down last summer.  But no plants!

Scott has done a fine job of keeping the lawn manicured, but it's all looked a but unfinished.

On Monday we decided it was time to put down roots (no pun intended), and live in the moment, where we are.  That meant finally investing a few bucks (ha - plant sellers are modern day thieves!!) and some hard graft (that's "work" for the non-Brits!).

We accomplished a lot on Monday afternoon, not least because one of our friends came to help, and her kids kept ours out of the way mostly!

The rest we finished up on Wednesday, by which we had 29 new plants and spread 80 cubic feet of mulch!  We installed a few pavers for a nice seating area and some stepping stones for under a tree swing that is in the planning stage!!

Our neighbors have all been complimentary about our work and it's been so nice to drive up each day.  Of course, with our first heat wave coming before the end of May, and Cicadas waiting to emerge (dug up a few live ones - nasty!!!), our water bill is sure to spike a bit!

It's all been worth it and I'm even sitting outside without coercion!  I'm already planning the patio for the back so we can eat out and entertain!!

Here's a couple of fun comparison shots...

Before

After

Before

After

 

And here were some of the antics while we worked...

Yes, they're princesses, making "sand" castles!!  LOL, it was useless trying to stop them.

The kids are enjoying the watering part too:

Toby had a fun weekend!!