random photos of my kids

silly boy:)

at the park

Coumadin clinic...wanna go home mom...

checking out Kanga and roo

Trashing his own room with the help of little sissy :)

My first day at school today August 21st , 2010

Mommy put them on time out since they fight over a keyboard.

A visit with the GENETICIST

Few month ago, one of GJ's therapist expressed some concerns about GJ's clubbing of his fingers. She asked me if GJ has a genetics problem, and I said that not that I know of. But already I knew  the reason of the clubbing of GJ's finger is because of the poor O2 circulation in his extremities, and it is very common to patient with heart disease. 

Anyway, since she recommended us to see an geneticist, we just go for it since nothing will hurt if we do. Also we were curious what doctor might say. To cut my story short, we did see the doctor after eight months of waiting and the verdict is in :)...he is normal... he might be a little weird looking is because combination of Asian and Caucasian features as the doctor says. So,  no worries !

The doctor was checking him. GJ is so used to see doctors that it is scary to know that he already know what the doctor's next move after talking to us. He also laid down by himself and patiently waited for the doctor to check him.

leaping for joy!

Thomas Backpack

Thomas and Friends Backpack

I made my preschooler a backpack after meeting with his teacher and told us that she preferred her student to have a bigger bags so that she can put in the take home folder. So, I been thinking of where should I get a backpack that just fit on my small little boy. My husband suggested to buy one, but if I buy a new one still bigger than he is. 

My final decision was to make one, and I used the pattern from the green bag lady website.

He likes it because he can see the train pictures.

another shot of him

... and of course my little daughter want to try it too.

Searching for some ideas on the web

Clip Arts

Yup! I found this clip arts via Google image. My son doesn't really comprehend so much if I tell him that he has a doctors appointment or heart cath or even going to school unless you take him to the place that he use to. So last week, we met his new teacher and he was curious about why we were there, but happy to see the same room that he was in to. I told him many time that he is going back to school soon and that day was just to meet his teacher. Today, I drove to school and took some pictures and the bus so that I can prepare him for next week by showing pictures. And clip arts is one way to use as a visual learning activity. I hope this will work...crossed my fingers.

Toilet Training ...

To some parents training their kids to use the regular toilet is probably easy. In my family, I tried to introduce the toilet to my four year old since he was two years old and screaming is what I always get. As I was taking the psychology class the instructor mentioned about not forcing the kids to toilet training because they will come to that phase that they will just want to use the toilet on their own. Well, I would say that it is true. After two years past my four year old boy just use the toilet freely, no forcing involved and no accident on his pants. If he feels that he needs to use the toilet he normally yells "pooooooopy" or sometimes I saw him sitting on the toilet on his own. He still have some adjustment to work on during the night,bur  he is getting the idea now. I haven't really work with him during the night since he still on lasix, and he pee a lot after giving that meds. Not fully toilet trained yet, but he is getting there :).
Now, since the word poopy gets my attention most of the time, my sixteen month old daughter uses this word to get my attention too. Not only that she will insist to sit on the toilet :) I guess that is a good thing so that I can toilet train her earlier than her brother.

The Update: Had a HEART CATH

It haven't been active here lately and to tell you honestly I lost interest in blogging :(. Anyway, just to update all my readers if any, my son had the heart catheterization three weeks ago. The result was amazing. GJ's saturation increased 10% after the heart cath. His sats is ranging from 91% to 96% ^_^ love it love it! Dr. Graziano close the fenestration in his tubing and that makes a big difference of the blood flow in his heart and lungs. I also witnessed the 100% saturation when he was recovering from the heart cath I took the picture of it, because I know I will not see that mark again. The nurse was actually the who noticed it the first time and I asked her if that number was a real one :) I couldn't believe it. But it was real.

 100 % Saturation :) it was like this number for less than 10 minutes.

So far, I've noticed a big changed in GJ attitude and activities. He is a lot happier now and less grouchiness. There are so much more to update about his health issues, but I just do have time to write. I have to clean the entire house after a long day with two active kids... it was a mess. I will try to update more later once I got my job done:) thanks and have a wonderful one!

School is finally over!!!

whew! Sorry for the long absent here in my blog... I just got something going on at home and with my kids.
GJ is finally on summer vacation. Yesterday was the last day of school and thankfully that he made the preschool. He will be back to school in August. I went to his school and thank the teachers and other providers that help my son at school. When I was in the room, I saw GJ was in front of the number board. I ask the teacher what he was doing, and she told me that GJ love numbers and pretending to be a teacher handing out name tags to his classmates. See, GJ never done that at home. If I seat with him to teacher him some alphabet and numbers...he normally run away from me. I guess at school is more fun to learn than at home.

Day 1 ( Monday):Last week of School

Today, I woke up early to help Ralph preparing Gj for school. Gerald was up a little early too. Normally, Ralph wakes up in the morning and do everything for GJ and send him to school, and I was still in bed sleeping. But anyway, today a little different :-) I took care of GJ from brushing his teeth, dressing up, and etc while Ralph prepared his back pack and food. I also gave GJ a quick shower this morning ( I normal gave him a bath before bed, but last night I was kinda busy and sent him to bed a little early without bathing). Anyway, Gerald is not a morning person because he screams a lot most especially the brushing his teeth part. Every single morning he screams. If we are neighbor you might not be happy with us because he is very noisy!

A call from his Teacher

Around 10:05 am I recieved a call from Gerald's teacher. She said that Gerald was kind warm and looks very tired. He also did not participate in thier circle time. So, I asked dad to picked him up from school. Ralph took his saturation and it was down to 75% but he look perfectly fine to me when he got back home. I think he run around to much and got himself very tired, and the teacher was just making sure he was fine. And he is fine.

Speech Theraphy

Another, in his therapy he had one of the great session that they have ever. No crying and less screaming. Jeremy (speech therapist) tried new stuff for him to do since for the past couple weeks GJ was not progressing well. But today was kinda different. Although GJ was still clingy to me, he did what jeremy told him what to do. So, over all the therapy was a great one!

Park Near by

I didn't know that there was a park close by to our house. As I mentioned to my husband that I want to do some walking everyday as my exercise, he told me that we can go to the park near our house. I was surprised because I didn't know that we have one. Anyway. we used my bicycle trailer to haul my kids and off we went!

Oh... they loved going out!

Kathlyn been walking for almost couple months now, and she want to try everything. She slide by herself and didn't even scared nor cry...good thing ;-)

Here she was down the bottom of the slide...

...then she started running :)

Meanwhile, brother GJ had finally overcome the fear of going down the slide. This is his big thing now..going up and down the slice too.

...and of course in the swing!

BBQ Day

Today, we had a nice BBQ food for lunch  cooked by my beloved sweetheart. After he installed the water line that goes to fridges, he went and do the BBQ thing. I prepared the meat and other stuff.

I was so hungry after we was done barbecuing and didn't even think to take the picture of the cooked meat =D...sorry :-). The meat was delicious! Thanks to hubby's help!

Gerald Jay Great Thrashing Moment

After taking a nap this afternoon, Gerald Jay was busy around the house. Not because he was doing something special today... he was thrashing the whole house.

 I was taking care of my laundry this afternoon when GJ woke up. I went into his room and saw him detached from his feeding machine and butt naked! Yup, butt naked because he took off his diaper! My living room seems hit by tornado. No wonder he was so quite!

Having Fun with my kids

 

We are just having fun!

Urgent Prayer please

Please pray for this little girl.
She is having a heart transplant right now. You can click her picture and it will direct you to her web blog.
Thank you so much! God Bless!

Therapy Today

Screaming and puking. That was Gerald did today during his therapy hour. If I could just do everything to help him how to talk I will do it. For the past few months Daddy was the one who is taking him to the therapy, since I have classes until noon and we have timing issues, so daddy was kind to take him to the therapy. Today, I did took both of my kids with me and Gerald was just too clingy to me the whole time I was in the room. So, I decided to wait outside and the more he cried and screams from the top of his lungs. Lucky, my daughter was very contented playing with my car key and she was quite. When I went back in the therapy room he was insisting to go home...poor guy! I just don't know how to just let him go with the therapist with out crying. He goes to school every morning and he loved it. I saw him many times at school and he never cry to see, instead he continued to play with other kids.

Every time we go to his therapy he always screams and forcing himself to puke! oh God help us!

Tube undone

Last night my husband and I were alternating changing Gerald Jay's bed sheet and blankets and adding more milk in his feeding because the tube kept separating from g-tube connector. And the milk where all over him and on his bed. I thought that it was the g-tube extension was kinda old and losing the elasticity at the end of it, so I changed it with a brand new extension tube. But that was not the case, Gerald can detached the tube by himself. So tonight ...

I taped the tube and 

the site where the g-tube and the extension tube connected is also taped! I hope this work for tonight!

Also, the wound that its in the picture it was the MRSA site. I hope that one is healing nicely. He had a fever last Friday afternoon but it didn't last long. He was back to normal activities. Tomorrow I will let the surgeon know about the fever...sounds paranoid but better be safe than sorry.

Early Father's day gift

It has been my wish for Ralph to have a nice grill in the backyard. We have our old portable charcoal grill that we bought six years ago, but it takes a while to lite up.
The other day while we were looking for a new stove at Sears, I saw the grill was on sale. I told Ralph to get one since it was on sale and we already in the store. And he did! He picked it up yesterday. On Wednesday, he will get to test his brand new grill..Kenmore brand but very simple and it has the feature that we need for bbq during summer. He will use the propane and not the charcoal anymore. Yeahhhh! I won't be afraid to ask him to BBQ some food for me ;-)
Also, I told him it was his early father's day gift ;-).

First School Photo

Taken last March 17th, 2010 at his school. I am glad that he smiled for his first school picture. It has been a year since Gj started the preschool. He likes going to school and riding the school bus! Great Job, GJ! Yeheyyyy

Graduation

My step-son graduated yesterday for his AA degree in Networking.

Congratulations BJ! You made it!

Skirt for my little princess

Aside from making shopping bags, I started making a skirt for my daughter.

My very first skirt made! It was not perfect, but I did it!

... and my model in her skirt. Now , if she can just hold still :)) 

I am learning! What do you think?

Green Bag Project

The other night, I started making some of the shopping bags. My goal this summer is to make 50 bags to send in the Philippines to give away to the kids and families who needs it.

I followed the patter from the green bag lady website here. She has the easiest pattern ever and it was not complicated to follow at all.

A week ago, I asked a friend to show me how to make the lining for the back to make it a little nicer in the inside part. I do not have the serger to make the edge of the seam look nicer, so I followed the tutorial from my friend website here  ( THANKS SIS CLAIRE!), but I forgot to lined up my handle on the same side and it was twisted oh boy!

But my second bag was all good! I am learning :) I am trying to make with different sizes because I want it to be more usable for children.

Also, I was meaning to make more bag to give away at the fund raising event on Saturday and Sunday, but I was not able to make some more :( because my kids were demanding and was busy for other stuff in the house.

Here is another one that I think is a good size for them. I made this one out of an old bed sheet that was given to me by a friend. I bought many fabrics, but I was trying to make it inexpensive as much as possible.

Thanks to Sis Claire for the tutorials and to the green bag lady for the pattern and for the inspiration.

Mended Little Heart Fund-raising Even at Fry's Electronics

I volunteered three hours today at the fund-raising event of Mended Little Heart Group through Fry's Electronics. I was there quarter to 9am this morning and helped other fundraiser to sit up what we need for the event ( it was mostly done by the employees of Fry's actually and the family that was in-charged. Thanks a lot to them.)

We started handing out the food at 10 am and the people just keep coming. I love it! It bring back memories of my childhood. I used to sale food when I was very young.

I left around 12:22nn and I was debating if I should stay longer to help them. However, I have my little princess who was not eating waiting for me to come back hayyyyy!

Anyway, thank you very much to all the co-volunteers that help in the event and to Fry's Electronics!

OVERALL, IT WAS A SUCCESS AND VERY REWARDING!