"The Man With the Yellow Hat"

So, Ryan is usually our family blogger but I actually have a moment to share a random thought.

Today as Kylie and I were watching Curious George I had a profound thought..."If only I could be like the 'Man with the Yellow Hat'!" Ok, before you think I'm crazy listen to my explanation.

For the sympathetic mothers out there who have watched Curious George, you might remember that he is the owner of George (the monkey) who seems to create frustrating circumstances due to his curiosity. Well, as George creates messes and mahem (like children often due...are you seeing the metaphore yet) the "Man with the Yellow Hat" always remains quite calm and patient. He's always coming up with clever ways to deal with George and his messes.

As a mother with two little ones who are often like George the monkey, I wish patience came as easy as wearing a yellow hat! Maybe some day right!

Too Serious

Just wanted to share a recent photo of our cute girls. However, they are way too serious...bedtime must be right around the corner!

Out of Surgery

A few moments ago, the doctors wheeled Stephanie back into her recovery room from the surgerical room. She is required to lay flat for a couple of hours, not moving her right leg, where they used a catheter to insert the PFO device.

A 12mm device was used to cover the 10mm hole. They used a larger device than the hole to ensure that it is closed and secured. He indicated that the process is similiar to screwing a cork into a hole. You want it to be tight, he said. Overall, the surgery went perfectly, with no complications. Yeah!



Following her 2-hour rest period, she will be able to eat, drink and walk around. Assuming she is feeling ok, we will be cleared to go home.

At home, she will be resting and taking some antiobotics, plavix (blood thinner to prevent clots) and baby aspirin.

Three months from now, she will several tests to learn if the tissue has healed around the device properly. If all looks good, she will continue with the baby aspirin for an additional 3 months to prevent any clotting. At the 6-month mark, she should be off all medications and be returned to normalcy.

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. They were answered today.

Click to play Make your own Smilebox

D-Duck, Aurora & Cinderellllla

Yes, you guessed it. We just returned from a week at Disneyworld. Other than the heat and humidity, we loved every minute.




Over numerous trips to the Magic Kingdom, MGM Studios and Epcot Center, we managed to ride and visit almost every attraction. We even managed to spend half a day in the Animal Kingdom, Disney's newest park.



The highlight of the trip had to be the Pirate and Princess Party on Saturday evening. Disney closes the park at 7pm for patrons with regular admission and extends the park hours until early the next morning for a special celebration. It included a special parade, treasure hunt, smaller lines at most of the attractions and a 360 degree park firework show that was incredible! And, the best part was seeing Kylie's excitement over her new "Belle" dress that Bompa and Gamma Hansen bought her. Her face tells it all.



Overall, we had a "magical" time. And for Kylie, it was a chance to see D-Duck (aka. Donald Duck), Aurora (Sleeping Beauty for those of you unfamiliar with Disney Princess trivia) and Cinderellllla (Kylie's first favorite princess for whom she knows the words to 'A dream is wish your heart makes...'). However, she was still a little young to visit with the Disney character's she sees everyday on Playhouse Disney (JoJo, Goliath, June & Leo from the Little Einstein's, Snow White, Jasmine, Goofy, etc.). She burst into tears when they came near to say high, but would look with great interest and called their names at a distance.





Now, it is back to reality. Next week brings Stephanie's surgery and sometime in September a move into our new home at Daybreak. We had our 4-way walk-through today. Drywall will be installed tomorrow. Yeah!

Nervous, but hopeful

A couple of weeks ago, we posted information concerning the latest news about Stephanie's health. A date has now been set for the surgery - Tuesday, August 21st.

We are all a little nervous about this upcoming event, but also comforted in knowing that normalcy may soon be around the bend. Over the past several months we have visited numerous hospitals, clinics and labs with the hope of finding an answer. Perhaps this is the golden ticket!

The surgery is usually a same-day surgery. For the first week, she will be limited to lifting items less than 10 pounds. Now she finally has an excuse to have Dad hold Abbey! Finally, Steph will have some time to get a little rest and relaxation. We all know it is well deserved.

Please keep her in your prayers and thoughts.