June 2009

Can you see the sparkle in his eye...

and on his dollar??? Mason lost his very first tooth and he was so excited that the tooth fairy left money with fairy dust on it!

Reason number 4,172 I love being a mommy: Tooth Fairy MAGIC!!

I'm ready...

to get back into the swing of things. Often times, I internally complain about laundry, cleaning picking up, dinner, etc. This past week had a couple of road blocks and I can't tell you how much a load of dirty laundry appeals to me right now.

I went to see the doctor about my bloodwork and I'm not thrilled about the results. I have a coagulation disorder: my plasminogen levels are too high, my protein S is low and I have two copies of a DNA mutation (C677T) that puts me at risk for heart disease. RIGHT! The same disease that killed my mother at age 49. A little hard to swallow.

The elementary version (the one I understand) is this: (1)my blood is too thick. (2) I have genetic mutations that put me at a higher risk of cerebrovascular disease, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction and venous thromosis. OK, so I lied when I said I understood it all! They did more testing last Friday to see if I have elevated homocysteine levels. I will get those results some time this week. I started taking a daily aspirin to help thin my blood and future tests will determine whether or not I need Coumadin. I am also going to schedule an appointment with a hematologist.

Last week was hard. I'll be very honest. I have lots of scary thoughts about following the timeline of my mother's life. But I refuse to let these blood count numbers run my life. I will choose to be enlightened by it all. I've often wondered if I would have heart trouble. I am almost a spitting image of my mom in so many ways. I am thankful for that and will accept the hiccups as they come along!

Other than that, life is so good! I booked our flight to Cape Cod this morning...let the serenity countdown begin!! We could use a little get-away right about now!!

Praying for Stellan!!

Running...

I enjoy sharing all of the good stuff with you! And as I always try to keep a "half full" outlook on life, the past couple of weeks have been somewhat difficult! And I can't exactly pinpoint why - I don't think it's just one thing. Do you ever have times in your life when you can't make your brain slow down?? I've had two weeks of 'running'! And I'm not talking about the good kind of running that creates energy for the body! I'm talking about the kind that drains it! Here are my random thoughts...

* I miss my mom! This is a constant battle, but this month has been really hard so far. The flowers are blooming, butterflies are frolicking...and I could use a Jacque Moore talk. She ALWAYS provided me with a lot of comfort!

* I've prayed so hard about school. I don't know which direction God is leading me. Every time I make a decision, I feel something pulling me in the other direction. Am I searching too hard? Will I make the right decision for Mason?

* My Gracie needs to get better! I think we are on the road to recovery...our appointment with the urologist is scheduled for April 30th. Answers...I would love answers!

* Citigroup is constantly on my mind. I have a love/hate relationship with that place! I will forever be in it's debt...it's where Mike and I met...and it's Mike's hard work at Citigroup that enables me to be at home with our children. But have you seen the news???

* Most of you know, I've had ongoing health issues...the kind that doctors can't figure out! I really have had enough of all of the guessing games! I do know that I have an auto-immune disease. My body is attacking itself...and I feel it! I did just find an amazing doctor who promised me that we would figure it all out...together! What a relief!! My antithyroglobulin antibodies should be under 40 and they are over 550 (and have been for three years). I gave LOTS of blood last week and hopefully I will have some answers this week. I'm sure it's nothing more than a quirky thyroid issue, but it does create some extra madness in my brain.

* My family wants a dog...and I only want a dog if it's perfect. I don't want it to shed, poop on my carpet, stink, bark, etc. It sounds silly, but it weighs heavy on my mind. My children deserve a pet...and the fish (who's on it's last fin) just isn't cutting it anymore. We are waiting on some information about a 2 year old schnauzer...maybe he's "the one".

So, I hate for this to become a "poor Heather" post...cause that's not what I'm looking for. But it does help me to lay it all out there. If for nothing else than to give it up to God! It is my faith that sustains me...and talk about being forever in debt! I am so thankful to Him for all that He has done in my life. I've been through a lot the past three years...and yet my faith has grown so much because of it! And so while my brain is overflowing with concerns...I do feel blessed! I am grounded. I am hopeful. I have God on my side. I have good friends. I have a phenomemal man standing beside me. I have two AMAZING children. I have a very special angel looking out for me. Life is so good...my glass is more than half full.

Thanks for letting me vent!! The running has become a slow jog!

Happy Easter!

Bunny Hop!

Gracie had ballet this morning and I saw some of the cutest bunnies I've ever seen!! The girls were so cute with their bunny ears and the attempt at the Bunny Hop made me smile...inside and out!!