I'm completely wiped out and Olivia is in her bed screaming at me so I shouldn't write long. It has been a crazy summer! Ups and downs for sure...

Emma is going in Friday to remove the packing in her ear. It will be a short 15 minute surgery but it will be in the operating room. Her biopsy came back and there is no cancer. They were very baffled by the tissue but they seem to think they know what it is and it was good they removed and might have less a chance of coming back. Her next surgery for the other ear is scheduled for August 19th.

We took Emma to the emergency room Sunday night. She was just struggling to breath - she had a cold - and needed a little help from her friend - oxygen. We were in the ER til 1:00 a.m. then admitted. We were discharged the next day. I came home to Loren bawling because she said her ear hurts. So off I took the kids to the doctor and she had really bad ear infections in both ears. So as of today I think we are on the upswing.

Loren's face is healing. I know the scars should look better over time.

Alyssa is going to have an MRI. The doctor thinks it might be time for her open heart surgery to replace her pulmonary valve. The x-ray showed her heart is enlarged more and they can't let it go too long being too big. It will stretch out her muscle wall so much that it won't bounce back and they need it too. So the MRI will tell us exactly how big it is and then we will decide. The one day I dread more than any other is telling Alyssa she needs open heart surgery. Not sure how I'm going to go about that one.

So that is where we are and I need to get off of here and take care of my littles.

Thanks for hanging in there with me through the lack of writing and posting pictures. Once school starts I might have some more down time to update. We'll see...: )

Emma had surgery in July on her right ear. The four hour surgery ended with the doctor coming out and saying that they removed tissue but they don't know what it is. They sent it to the lab and have gotten back the pathology reports. The nurse called today and said they can't tell us the news, the doctor has to and he is on vacation for another week and a half. So she was going to see if the other doctor in the practice could let us know on Monday. He is Alyssa's doctor and knows us well so hopefully we can get a report on Emma's surgery and hearing exam and get a report on Olivia's CTscan. Emma seems to be healing well. It's over a week and she is still draining blood from her ear. Today she was holding her ear and kind of pouting. After that it started draining again.

Loren got bit by a dog last weekend in the face and had stitches in two different places and they glued the 3rd spot. She is doing fairly well but needing extra attention. I think we'll be dealing with some scars but only time will tell.

Alyssa had her chest x-ray, echocardiogram and dr. visit with the cardiologist today. Her heart is enlarged more. They want to do a MRI as that is the most accurate way to measure how big her heart has gotten. The concern is as her heart takes on more blood and that chamber walls increases to hold the blood, they don't want that wall expanded too much for too long. Like a rubberband they want that wall to bounce back. But if it is expanded too much for too long, it might not have that elasticity. So a MRI will let us know if we need to start the pulmonary valve replacement process. We will be getting a call from the scheduler on the that date.

I think I covered all four kids this time. : )

Emma is walking everywhere and climbing everything. She walks a little more on her toes so she will be starting physical therapy. She is starting music therapy and is already in speech therapy.

Emma got an owie on her leg the other day...so she sat down and lifted her leg and she kissed it herself, got up and walked away.
Olivia and Loren were playing with a ball and Loren took it away from Olivia. Emma stood observing from a few steps behind. After she stood there, watched and thought...she walked over to Loren and hit her on the head, turned and walked away. It was hilarious!!!

Olivia likes to throw tantrums and can be a handful and yet is the funniest, snuggly person.

Alyssa is getting so tall and is so grown up. I can't believe she is starting 1st grade.

Loren is cute and she knows it. She talks like she has an accent, especially with the word "not". All her c's or k's are spoken as t's. So she says, "Tan you tiss me?" Then I kiss her and then she says, "Don't tiss my nose" and giggles and smiles. Such a cutie!