New Orleans

I am feeling so badly for the victims on Katrina. It pains me to see innocent people suffering...especially the children. I am going to donate blood tomorrow. The Red Cross is having an urgent drive in our town. It is the least I can do. Want to do more....

~Chef

Reset

So, most of you know that I have had a tough month. I am happy to see August end. We are ready to turn the page and reset. September is going to be better...much better. Ben has come through yet another challenge. I love this kid so much. He is my life. I made this layout as a tribute to him.



We are coming into my favorite time of year. Autumn in New England is just stunning. I absolutely love everything about Autumn. Leaves changing, school buses, cool weather, Halloween, apples, sweaters, Thanksgiving, and family. I am going to pledge to myself to reset and enjoy this time of year and enjoy my life.

~Chef

It's a miracle....

My son was released from the hospital on Monday of this week. He was battling pneumonia that knocked him on his butt. He is doing much better now and isn't coughing as much....hopefully, he is almost over it. Thank you all so much for your supportive emails and comments.

On a side note.....
Due to my son's prematurity, he has always had trouble with eating. Textures and tastes often cause him to gag and vomit. The bulk of his calories have always come from a high-calorie milk or formula based drink. He took breastmilk for the first 8 months and then we switched him to formula and then to cow's milk with extra calories added in. He also suffers from severe reflux and has always had stomach issues. Well, we recently switched him from cow's milk to soy milk (at the suggestion of one of his doctors and therapists) and we already are seeing an improvement. He is more interested in solid foods and he hasn't vomited in over a week! Last night, he ate roasted chicken and mashed potatoes (albeit very small pieces). This morning, he ate scrambled egg and toast! It's a miracle! He never would have eaten this before. I am remaining cautiously optimistic. I have seen him take 2 steps forward and 1 step back before. But I am just hoping that this GI improvement continues.

In other good news, Ben's early intervention team has approved him for more hours of therapy per week to address his sensory integration and motor planning problems. I cannot wait to get started.

Chef

Just when you think life is tough enough.....

IT GETS TOUGHER!

Just got back from the ER. Benjamin has been nursing a cold for the past two days. It worsened overnight and today he was struggling to breathe normally. We took him to his pediatrician and they called an ambulance and took him to the hospital. They gave him a nebulizer treatment and started him on antibiotics. Turns out he has the beginnings of pneumonia. :(

Poor little guy....he has fought so hard everyday since he was born. I wish he could catch a break.'

I am going to try to get some work done this weekend if Ben stays settled. I feel like I have been MIA for so long. Oh well.....more later.

~Chef

Life can be tough.

So, I haven't been very active on the boards and blog lately and I thought I would explain why. Last week, before we went to Vermont, we went to Children's Hospital in Boston for a developmental check up for Ben (we go there every six month because he is in a preemie program that tracks his progress). Well, the team is concerned with his development and they want him to be seen by a developmental MD.

What does that mean? Well, he is 2 years old (22 months corrected) and he still isn't talking. He seems to be stuck in a rut in a couple areas. They suspect that he may have a sensory integration and motor-planning problem. I won't go into what that means...it is a bit complex....but the point is, I have been overwhelmed with appointments with specialists and therapists.

It is so hard being a parent. So much of it is filled with joy and happiness, but there is almost as much filled with anxiety and fear about your child's health and well being. I just haven't been able to get to my computer and scrap and finish my next kit. Life feels so off kilter. I want it to get back to normal.

Anyway, I just wanted to pop in a let you all know where I have been.

More later...

Susan

I went to Vermont and all I got was this lousy.....

Broken Finger!!!!!

Well...not really...I do have some great pictures and memories...but....I broke my finger yesterday in the lake playing catch with a water-logged nerf football. Didn't realize the nerf football sucked up so much water....making it really heavy and hard. It caught the edge of my pinky...and snap! Luckily, it is a small fracture so I only have to wear a splint....not a full cast. But it defintely gets in the way of typing and scrapping.

Going to spend the rest of the night catching up on email and such. Just wanted to give you all a quick update. I will check in later.

~Chef

Infant Follow Up Today

Just popping on to give a quick update.

My son is in an Infant Follow Up program at Children's Hospital in Boston. They follow preemies through several years to track their progress and respond to their health needs. We have to go into Boston every 6 months for a follow up. It is a pain in the butt to get downtown and park....but the worst is getting home at rush hour. Ugh!

Anyway...hoping that all goes well today. However, I suspect that they may be concerned about his language delay. The good news is he is already working with a speech therapist and we think he said the words, "more bubbles" this morning (we were blowing bubbles).

Tomorrow, we head to Vermont and I will be offline for the rest of the week. Getting some much needed rest and relaxation.

Talk to ya later,
Chef