Hand Wash Only

Nope. Not talking laundry here. Actuall, I referring to the way we do dishes here in Drosche Land lately.

About two weeks ago we suspected that our dishwasher was leaking. Upon pulling it out and inspecting it we found out that yes, it was leaking indeed. To top it off, it wasn't something simple like a hose or anything. Nope. That's now how we roll here. Instead, the leak was coming from some hidden, indeterminable place underneath the dishwasher itself. 

So, after discussing it and weighing the options, Amy and I decided not to have someone out to look at it. Realistically that would come with an exorbitant cost and would likely result in the confirmation that repair would be too costly, thus meaning replacement was the better option. So, not having the money to replace it immediately, we decided to wait. 

Enter the hand washing. It's not bad really. I mean this is how people washed dishes for how long until the dishwasher was invented?  Surely we can last a little while as we work to save up for the replacement. Right?  Right.

This all has just brought to mind how short-lived appliances can be. 7-8ish years seems to be the lifespan though. Our dryer is making a lovely screeching noise when in use and may turn in its notice before too long. Crazy.  If something had to give up on us, I'm glad it was the dishwasher since that is a cheap and easy fix.  Well, the waiting and saving up is cheap and easy. I've been in the need of a dryer before. It's not pretty. Relying on the sun and wind to dry out your semi-privately displayed underwear. Not pretty at all. 

So for now we are thankful for the little things like appliances that are easily replaced by manpower.  That and the realization that 5 people go through a lot of dishes and maybe we can reevaluate how we use dishes and be more conservative in our usage. The One-Cup-A-Day Rule will be in full effect this summer once we are all home.  That's a sure thing.

All is well, dishpan hands and all, in Drosche Land. 

Hormonal

No, not me.  Not Amy either.  I'm talking about the kids here.  2/3 of them.

Who knew they would grow up so fast?  Who knew times had changed so much since I was their age.  But, let's not get ahead of ourselves shall we.  Let's begin slowly.  One child at a time.

Stella.  Maybe you have heard about the term "threenager" or maybe you haven't.  Well, it is basically the term used to describe three-year-olds and their attitudes/hormones/drama and how closely related they are to an actual teenager.  Well, if this is true then Stella, who will be turning 3 in June, is on the cusp of this stage.  A pre-threenager so to speak.  

Maybe it is because of her age.  The "terrible twos" giving way to "threenager".  Maybe it's the fact that she is a girl.  Or maybe, just maybe, it is because I'm just a tad older at this point than I was with the boys.  Gasp!  Note, I said older, not old.  Not old.  Regardless, she has quite the personality and makes life, well, interesting.  She's opinionated.  She's loud (oh my girls are so much louder (and screamier) than boys).  She's my little princess.  Yes, despite all of these things, she has me (and the rest of us here in Drosche Land) wrapped around her little finger.  All she has to do is smile at me or hug me and my Daddy heart melts.

Next up.  Braeden.  Oh my.  The moodiness and drama begins in 3rd Grade now?!  Really?!  Well, it does here, and in talking to others we are not alone.  I guess 8 is the new 10?  He has always been emotional (gets it from me honestly) but this year it is at a whole new level.  Random drama for seemingly no reason.  Pouting.  Sighing.  Eye-rolling.  You name it, we've got it.  But again, deep down he is an amazing child.  Destined to be a big brother, he prides himself in caring for Stella and catering to her every whim, despite how it may inconvenience him.  He's totally addicted to sports of any kind and excels at them with practically no effort.  He makes me proud.

So, at times these two can make life frustrating and maddening, but at the end of the day I am so thankful for them both.  They are a true blessing and I know that this stage (no matter how long it may seem) will pass.  Years from now I know I will look back on these days and laugh at how crazy they seemed.  I'll probably even miss them, somewhat.  HA!

All is well, pre-teen and pre-threen included, in Drosche Land.

2014 Year in Review

Happy New Year!

We did something a little different this year in Drosche Land for New Years!  We'd been hoping to get out and do some camping over the Christmas break, but there were no available spots where we wanted to go. Oh well, life moves on. Then, as luck would have it, Amy found us a spot at our all-time favorite state park - Stephen F. Austin State Park. It's nearby, within 45 minutes, and is our favorite go-to spot. Lots of a great memories made and many more waiting to be made here. So we booked it and began packing and planning. New Years in our camper!  Beginning 2015 out in a relaxing way together as a family. Sounded just like what we needed.  So, yesterday we arrived and braved the cold weather to enjoy some hiking, playing outside, and a campfire where we roasted hot dogs, our usual first night out dinner. The kids went to bed early, as did Amy and I. A busy day outdoors made us tired so we skipped ringing in 2015 at midnight, opting instead for some wine to celebrate at about 9. But enough about this trip, I'll post more later. On with a review of what 2014 brought us here in Drosche Land. 

January

I joined a blog hop to review the Top 20 Photos from 2013. This was fun. I'll have to head over and see if Duncan is doing the same. Or maybe I will again anyway?  January also brought a month filled with adoption classes, twice weekly, as we continued the pre-adoption process. We learned a lot about both the adoption process and the foster care system through this.  We also were busy readying our house for the Home Study process. The weather in January 2014 was wicked, with many freezing days and even brought the city to a stop for some unprecedented Ice Days!

February

February was kicked off by the burglary of our home. Yikes. That was rough. Very emotional for us all as we dealt with the emotional and financial aftermath of such an occasion.  It was a bumpy road but we made it through. Definitely something we hope to never experience again. The adoption process halted to a crawl and we were getting quickly impatient with how slowly everything seemed to be moving.  One fun part of the month included Braeden landing his first, albeit small, part in the school Spring Musical!  We were so proud of him for even trying out and getting the part as an extra. A great accomplishment for him!  So much fun!  February also brought us through the process of having Jackson evaluated for ADHD.  We weren't vocal about the process at the time, but it was emotional and tiring.  Overall February was rough and we were all too happy to see it end. Crazy how such a short month can pack a wallop!

March

March started off ok. For about a month. Until we discovered that our beloved pet dog Lucy was diagnosed with cancer. It was untreatable and aggressive. We made the horrible decision to end her pain and suffering, but just beginning ours. She was an awesome dog. Amy and I got her when it was just the 2 of us in New Orleans. She was our first baby. We will always cherish her and the memories we have of her.  Spring Break brought us an awesome family trip to Dinosaur Valley State Park. We had a blast. It also made us realize that we wanted to trade up our small popup camper for an actual travel trailer. The process was long but we ended up with our wonderful Fireside where I sit right now blogging and listening to rain. Best decision ever!  We love it!  March also is when we decided to sign the boys up for swim team with their cousins!  Something new. Something fun. Well, looking back, not so much, but it seemed like a great idea at the time!  We also received Jackson's ADHD diagnosis and began the process of finding the correct dosage of medication that would help him. More emotional rollercoaster time for us but it was beneficial. The month was brought to a close by our first Home Study visit. It had been postponed once that month, but went well once it finally happened. We felt like we were getting the ball rolling in the adoption process, finally.

April

April brought another year for me to join the Blogging A-Z Challenge where I wrote about TV shows. Good posts. Good tv shows. It was a fun month for the challenge!  The month didn't hold much else for us. We continued the process of medicating Jackson, finally finding a doctor and dosage that we were happy with. Braeden performed wonderfully in the school Spring Musical and swim practices went on, although not as smooth as we would have liked. We did fall even more in love with the Fireside as we took her out on her inaugural run, with much success!  We also were in the home stretch of planning our summer vacation to Disney World as we made reservations for rides and food!

May

Braeden turned 8. 8?!  Seriously?!  Wow.   We also ended our brief foray into the world of competitive swimming after much frustration and miscommunication with the swim team Coaches. Ugh.  Our boys love sports and we want them to be active in something. That something just isn't swimming. I finally blogged about Jackson's ADHD diagnosis on Children's Mentak Health Day.  I'll continue to blog about it as it is an ongoing syndrome that we are always dealing with. But there's no shame in it. We are proud of him and will continue to support him and advocate for him so he is successful. May also brought some shocking news as our adoption agency brought up Fostering and Amy and I, after prayerful consideration decided to become dual track as we proceeded onward with the straight adopt/foster-to-adopt process.  Another school year ended, my first (and awesome) at St. Mark. I also won an iPad mini via a contest with my favorite station 104.1 KRBE!  Holla!  The month ended on a great note as things with the adoption were looking promising and Disney World was getting closer!

June

Stella turned 2!  What?!  2?!  Wow. She was, and is, a hoot and keeps us on our toes daily. Disney was the name of the game for the month though as we spent a week there!  We did Disney World hard and were bus every minute of every day. But we had a blast and enjoyed it all. We made it to every park and ate some incredible food. While we don't have a definite date set, we are always planning, prepping, praying about, and waiting for our next trip!  I led VBS at St. Mark again and had a blast, so much fun and I always enjoy it. We spent the rest of the month relaxing and resting up from Disney while we awaited the all-important adoption phone call!

July

A busy month to say the least!  We started off the insanity by purchasing a new truck!  I love her. My beautiful blue Ford F-150. She is an awesome truck and has been such an improvement as a tow vehicle over the Sequoia (who is also a great vehicle as well, just not the same as my truck!). We took the Fireside out again, pulled by my truck, on vacation with my family. A few problems with the air conditioning occurred but we handled it and all ended up well.  After vacation we adopted not one, but two miniature schnauzer mixes. Twins. We named them Mickey and Minnie because we were, and are, still on a post-Disney World vacation high. They are adorable and we love them to pieces. I will say though, that everyone's is right when they say house training small dogs is way different than big dogs. Much harder and frustration. But it is slowly improving.  Speaking of house training, my awesome wife managed to potty train Stella in just 3 days. This is when she did with both boys and she ended the fun with a 3 for 3 success rate!  She is awesome. We started running. No seriously, we did. I know, I can still hardly believe it. But thanks to inspiration from friends and my wonderful wife, we because runners. We started off very slowly. But have gotten much better and actually, gasp!, enjoy it. The holidays and colder weather have seen fewer runs from both of us but 2015 will bring a change to that as we are excited to get back in it and put some more 5Ks under our belt!  Oh and we got Fitbits!  LOVE them!  Then it happened. At the very end of the month. It happened. We got the call. 2 girls. In need of placement. We talked and prayed (both quickly because you have to be quick) and accepted.  It also changed us. Forever. 

August

August was a blur. We had 5 kids. The foster care process was a lot. Meetings. Doctor's appointments. Meetings. Amy pulled the lion's share of it all. I will be the first to admit that. She was amazing. I saw in her the determination that made me love her. Determination to get things done. Determination to do right by these two little girls. Determination to care for her family, no matter what life threw at her. She was, and still always is, amazing. In the midst of all of this, school was starting back up.  We now had 5 kids to enroll!  Amy celebrated her birthday in the middle of everything.  School started and all 5 were at St. Mark since we'd made the decision prior to placement to move Jackson over. They all thrived. We also had our first home visit with T & L's family. The one where we found out a family member was interested in pursuing custody of them both. Mixed feelings emerged. This wasn't what we'd envisioned with our adoption process. But we continued on, praying and trying (successfully and unsuccessfully) to let Him lead us.  I ran my first 5K!  The FoamGlow Run!  Initially it was supposed to be Amy and I but the girls couldn't be left with anyone other than the two of us so I ran with Amanda instead. It was awesome and I loved it. Amy and I are currently looking into 5Ks this year to do!

September

Just as suddenly as it had begun, it ended. T & L moved on from our care. They'd been with us for just over a month. About 5 1/5 weeks. It was an emotional process to say the least. We learned a lot. About the foster care world, about our biological children, about our friends and family, about each other. It drained us.  After it was all said and done we decided to halt any further movement with adoption. We don't know what lies ahead for us or where He is leading us. Our hearts are filled with love, compassion, and advocacy for adoption and the entire process. We just still aren't quite sure what the next step for us is. Other than waiting. Waiting. A word we'd come to despise throughout the adoption process but now one we turn to. Waiting. To see where He leads us, what He has in mind for us. Who knows?  We don't, but we have faith in the fact that He does. For now we just heal from the process and wait. But life moved forward and so do we. The boys were both enrolled in soccer for the fall!  Jackson through St. Mark and Braeden through a league near the house where he played on the same team as his cousin Austin!  Jackson turned 7!  7?!  Wow. Our kids are growing up too fast!  He is thriving at St. Mark and in my class!  He's also doing quite well managing his ADHD!  

October

October seemed to be pretty uneventful. I didn't blog much, life was busyish. Amy joined the Handbell Choir at St. Mark with her mom and is enjoying it!  She won't admit it, but she does and is quite good! Our Tuesday nights were overtaken with both boys' soccer practices and Saturdays and Sundays were both game days. It seemed as though we were always on the move. Halloween was fun, we had a themed- family costume with the cousins. All 4 boys were Texans football players, the 2 girls were cheerleaders (with adorable homemade tutus courtesy of my awesome wife), and Amy and I were referees (a simple costume consisting of a white tshirt, black electrical tape, and jeans!

November

I vowed to blog more. Life had gotten too much in the way and posts dwindled. 2015 will be different!  I had a birthday and Amy spoiled me with an iPhone 6 Plus and I LOVE it!  Soccer ended and the season was a success, the boys both doing quite well!  Amy and I hosted Thanksgiving for the first time at our house. With my family members far flung across the country that just wasn't happening. So Amy's mom and grandparents came and my parents and grandmother did also. It was so much fun to host rather than travel. Something I hope we get to do a lot more of!  Black Friday was a success as Amy's Mom and I continued our tradition of heading out to grab some deals!  The Christmas season began as our little elf, Englebert, reappeared!

December

I began the month posting about Santa and believing in the magic that is Santa. We lost Braeden's believe last year but this year everyone continued their belief, with Braeden helping to keep the secret!  We also announced that after Christmas Amy would be moving up to teach 4th Grade at Epiphany. Something totally new, exciting, and slightly daunting. We spent the first few days of Christmas break cleaning and prepping her new room and I know she will be incredible!  Christmas came and was a blessed day as we celebrated the birth of Jesus and spent time with family. It was so much fun to just stop and relax. The week afterward was spent doing more resting and relaxing, in addition to cleaning the house and reclaiming it from the post-Christmas clutter. That brings us to yesterday, the end of December and the end of 2014. More relaxing family time. Much needed and much enjoyed. 

So, that's 2014. A bit long but it's all there, mostly.  It was a whirlwind. A rollercoaster. One heck of a year. But we made it through and can look back to reminisce it all now, both the good times and the not so good times. What does 2015 have in store for us?  Not sure, but we can ruminate about that in another post. One dedicated to the new year!  

All is well, saying goodbye to 2014, in Drosche Land. 

All Aboard

Nope. No train ride here. I'm talking about potty training. 

See with Stella being 2 and the twin puppies in the house, 38% of us here in Drosche Land cannot consistently use the restroom at the right time and in the right place. But we are working on it. 

We began potty training Stella the week we returned from Disney and all has been going well. Very well in fact. She has been ready for a while so Amy and I were pretty confident that it would be an easy task. It's a little different with Stella though than it was with the boys. See, Amy single-handedly potty trained the boys in a few days. I just stayed out of the way and gave verbal encouragement to everyone involved. But with Stella, somehow I became fully invested in the process. At the beginning Stella really only wanted me to take her to use the restroom. This was surprising for both Amy and I, but we went with it. We are about a month in now and she is nearly fully potty trained. In fact, there is only 1 diaper left in the house and she has only been wearing them at nap time and bedtime, keeping them dry during those times. This will be the last diaper in the house for a while. That is of occur ruse, completely depending upon whatever placement we get. We could be totally thrown back into diapers. We will just have to wait and see. For now though, diapers are off the Costco list!

The puppies have also been surprisingly easy!  This is great because it's been about 3 years since we had a puppy. Both Lucy and Rex were extremely easy to potty train but the twins are younger than either of them were. Yet, they have proven to be fast learners. When Rex goes out, they go too and they have learned what to do when outside. Nor inside accidents are. Lessening and they are using the training pad somewhat. Plus, like I mentioned before, the accidents of 2 4-pound dogs are basically nothing so that's nice. 

Easy going as it has been though, we have been potty training someone for the bulk of the summer. Hopefully everyone involved will be fully (or nearly fully) trained by the time school starts. Then we will be back to 100% here. For a while at least. 

So, it may not sound like the most exciting thing, but it has been an adventure here this summer. Teaching everyone to go when needed in the correct location. 

All is well, in training, in Drosche Land. 

I'm Still Here

Well, I'd like to say that the reason I've been absent for a while was because we'd finally received that much-anticipated phone call. I'd like to, but alas that is not the reason. 

We actually did receive a phone call the day after we met with our DePelchin people. It was a placement call. However, CPS did not choose us so it was a no go. Since then we've been waiting and waiting and waiting some more. For that next phone call. The one where we will be chosen. Finally. 

It's an odd feeling actually. Technically the reason we'd receive a phone call is because children needed us because they'd been removed from their home for some reason. So really I feel guilty as I bemoan my waiting.  But I do. We knew the process was long yes. But I guess in my mind I'd imagined that once we got to the Matching process the wait would be over. Instead it has just changed to a different kind of waiting.  I don't do waiting well, as I have mentioned many times before, and am trying not to drive myself or Amy crazy throughout this whole process.

But life has gone on around the waiting here in Drosche Land. It is July?!  Wait, what?!  Summer is now half over, which is totally crazy. We've been enjoying a relaxed schedule and have been keeping ourselves busy. I have some other posts mentally being written about some of the goings-on here, and I still want to post more about the Disney trip, but I will get to those another time. This post was just to return to the blog and provide an adoption update.

Tomorrow we head on a family vacation with my family. Hopefully that is. Jackson was not feeling well at all this afternoon and threw up several times. Weird. So now we are in a holding pattern until tomorrow morning when we can reassess the situation and decide for sure.  So I'd better head to bed so we will be ready to go in the morning. 

All is well, 2 weeks of waiting and counting, in Drosche Land. 

Last Minute

You know how it is. No matter how much you prep and plan for a vacation, the day before is hectic and filled with a whirlwind of activity as you get ready to leave. 

Today was no different for us as we are leaving super early tomorrow morning for the drive to Disney.  However, our first errand handed us a nice little setback. See, we had to cool the fridge and put stuff in the camper. But the fridge wouldn't turn on. Ugh. Propane was ok so it had to be the battery. Next up, impromptu trip to Camping World to get it checked out. However, they were anything but helpful; providing us with only further frustrations. Luckily we were able to just drive up the road to Holiday World and turns out the battery just needed to be charged.  Score!  So it's there while we spend the rest of the day planning. 

I'm currently blogging from the waiting area at Kwik Kar (I LOATHE stupid spellings of business/product names, must be my inner teacher) blogging while The Beast gets her oil changed. Despite my loathing for the name, the place it close to home and the price is right so I can turn my teacher eye for a bit.  The Beast by the way is our name for the Sequioa. I wanted a name for her, I like naming cars. Weird I know. We couldn't decide on once so this one stuck. It fits. She's huge, she works hard, she puts up with a lot of Drosche Land craziness.  The Beast it is!

So, after this it's back home to finish cleaning and prepping food. Clothes are all packed and loaded into the camper so that's done. Tonight we pick up the charging battery and drop off Rex with my parents who are being awesome and dog-sitting for us while we are at Disney. Woo hoo!  Then it's early to bed so we can early to rise. 

Vacations are awesome and this one is going to be epic since it's our first Disney trip. But they are so much for to prep for, not to mention the recovery work that will come next week once we return.  Such is life. Everyone's vacations seem to be that way. Totally worth it though. Stay tuned for copious amounts of pictures!

All is well, Disney bound, in Drosche Land. 

Hard Pill to Swallow

Today, May 16, Is Children's Mental Health Awareness Day. It's the first.  We found out about it through DePelchin and their promotion of it via social media. It's a day to acknowledge and promote the awareness of caring for the mental health of children, specifically in the Houston area. You're to wear a green band aid on your head as part of it. As you can see from above we didn't get green band aids but I think our homemade ones are awesome. We also didn't put them on our foreheads, opting for arms instead. There is also the #healyoungminds to use and I do love a good hashtag!  But nonetheless this is a cause that we support and find valuable. It's also one that is now near and dear to us. For several reasons.

The first is obvious. Being smack in the middle of the process of an adoption (Home Study update post forthcoming) we have been made extremely aware of this. Of how so many children are affected through abuse, neglect, heredity, etc. The likelihood that the addition to our family via adoption will suffer from some form of mental health issue is practically 100%.  I mean, regardless of diagnosis, any child who has been through the CPS process will have issues strictly because they have been removed from their family into CPS custody, that's a given. Add on to that any possible diagnosis ranging from very mild to very extreme and you can easily see how this is such an important topic.  I am so glad DePelchin has begun and is advocating for this.  So there is one reason we are supporting today. 

The second reason is something I have been meaning to post about for some time. I just haven't gotten around to it. Working on the right words. The right time. The right information. I have been mentally writing it for a long time. I think that today offers the perfect platform to finally publish this post. 

If you know us or have been following this blog for a while you know that Jackson is our active child. He always has been. He's always been the one referred to as "active", "all boy", "headstrong", and "busy".  He's been this way since birth. It's just him. He's just Jack. However, as he got older the behavior didn't change or diminish with maturity as we thought it would. This year in Kindergarten it became more evident that he had troubles with self control, impulse control, staying focused, calming down. It also because evident that these troubles were slowing creeping into all aspects of his life, social, academic, emotional.  So, working heavily with his teacher this past fall we began the process of evaluation. You can probably guess where this is headed by now. 

It came as no surprise really when Jackson received his diagnosis of ADHD. We were expecting it. Not wanting it, but also realistic enough to anticipate it. Being teachers Amy and I have extensive experience with this. We know the signs and symptoms. We know the evaluation and treatment process. We've recommended and supported and advised numerous parents and students over the past decade. But it's different when it's your child. It's different when it becomes your reality. It hits a little harder. 

After the diagnosis we tried changing his diet severely limiting the amount of processed foods he ate. Artificial colors and flavors were nearly eliminated from our house. We also worked with his teacher to implement behavior modifications. These all worked. A bit. We noticed changes. A bit. However, it just didn't seem to be enough. So, despite our initial hesitations, we pursued the route of medication.

As we already knew, this was not a choice to make lightly. These medications are serious. The side effects are numerous and can be severe. But in the end Jackson deserved better. He deserved a chance to be just Jack again.  He deserved some help where he needed it. From the first day he was on medication a change was obvious to everyone. Even Jackson himself noticed and commented on it. I will spare you the details of our adventures with medications and dosages. Suffice it to say changes and tweaks were made. Side effects came that were undesirable. He is now on his 4th medication and doing well.  The morning routine of dispensing his medicine has become second nature to us all. It is just now another part of our life. Neither good nor bad, just us. 

As calm as things have gotten (as calm as they can here) we know this is not the end of the road for this. This is just the beginning. Changes will need to be made as he grows and develops. This is something he will have to work with forever. But we have made it clear to Jackson that he is not defined by this ADHD. He is Jackson and he always will be. Wonderfully made by Him. Special in his own way. He just needs a little help in calming down and focusing to make good choices. That's what his pill is for. However, we have also made it very clear that ADHD is not a crutch or an excuse for him. The pill only does some of the work to help him. He is still in charge. He is still responsible for his words and actions. He and the pill are partners, so to speak, working together for one common goal.

So. There you have it. Yet another adventure for us. One we've been experiencing for a while here in Drosche Land, just working through and understanding.  So, you can clearly see the way today's awareness hits home with us in 2 very big ways, and it always will.  I also want to point out the positives that have come from this adventure, other than the help provided to Jackson of course. We are eating much cleaner and healthier, avoiding processed and artificial ingredients as much as possible (although don't get me wrong, I still love me some junk food, but all in moderation). We've also been educated and enlightened. Knowledge and experience that can be carried with us always and used professionaly for growth and advancement. It's also strengthen our faith somewhat as we have had to rely heavily on each other for support as we pray and grow closer to Him as His plan is made known to us. So, it's not been an entirely bumpy road wever traveled.

I also have to give a shoutout to my wonderful wife. She is amazing and has done so much for our family through this. Researching, meal planning, going to doctors, praying, etc. She is one of the strongest people I know, although she will never admit it. Also, since Jackson goes to Epiphany with her, she deals with the he lion's share of this on a daily basis. She is awesome and continues to be so as we make this our new normal. 

Well, I think I've made this post long enough. I'm sure I'll talk about it more in the future and often. But for now I'm finished and my fingers are tired. So, thanks for reading!

All is well, #healyoungminds, in Drosche Land. 

Catching Up

Hey. 

Well, April is behind us now and all of the A-Z posts are behind us. It was a fun month and I am excited to have made it through my 3rd A-Z Challenge. But enough about that, I'll save the reminiscing for the upcoming reflections post.  This post is about what else happened in April. It was a busy month here and I wanted to be sure to share everything.  Hopefully it won't end up being super long, but I'm wordy and make no promises. Here goes.

Swim Team. Well we jumped in feet first with Guppy School in early April. It was hard at first for the boys. They both can swim, but it had been since September so they were a little hesitant. But we kept on, after all we'd made a commitment and we were determined to see it through. Daily practices are rough but we did our best. Sadly though Braeden ended up missing about a week's worth due to his involvement with the school play. Upon returning to practice this week he didn't seem to be in it at all. We'd had conversations with both boys throughout the month about trying hard and doing their best. Jackson seemed to be showing some improvement and worked hard. Braeden though was a different story. For some reason he just didn't want to try. We were surprised as he has always been the athletic one and has never had a problem trying sports. Swimming though must not be his forte. Despite our stance on quitting, we allowed him to withdraw from the team this week. The daily struggle and drama were just not worth it. For him. For us. For his coaches. He paid us back for the cost of his swimsuit and we have chalked it up to a life lesson, hopefully one he will learn from. Jackson on the other hand is still on the team, he wanted to stay so we are encouraging him to keep at it and try hard. Time Trials are this Saturday and thus begins our loss of Saturdays with swim meets taking them over. 

Speaking of the play, Braeden had a blast. Quite uncharacteristically he took this seriously and gave it his all. I heard great things about him from the teachers in charge of huge play. How he was paying attention, knew his cues, worked hard. It all paid off too last week as we proudly watched our little squire take the stage.  He's already wondering about trying out for the play next year, we've shelved that decision for revisiting. So April had a win-lose aspect for Braeden. 

Adoption. We completed our second Home Study visit and had anticipated our report and file to go before the committee about a week ago or so. However, we were once again reminded that not everything is on our timeline, but His. Due to illness and issues in the life of our caseworker, our file will not be presented until next Tuesday, and I will update once we know more. So we have been dealing with that. Sure it's frustrating, we've been in this process since September and are eager to get a placement and be finished. However, May is so crazy busy since we are teachers that it is also somewhat of a blessing because we know we will be through May before anything else happens. So we wait. Ugh, there's that word once again. Wait. But hopefully we can continue to be patient about it. 

What else happened?  Easter came and went. Stella was made for hunting eggs it seems as she went at it seriously. A toddler on a mission. I still haven't gone through all of our photos so hopefully there's a belated Easter photo post soon!  I served on an Accreditation team for another Lutheran school last week. Planning for and being out of the classroom for 3 days was crazy, but the experience was awesome and I had a blast. It is so amazing to get into other classrooms just to watch, observe, and talk to other teachers. Often this is far more valuable than any conference.  I hope to have these opportunities more in the future.  Oh, at St. Mark next year we are adding a second Kindergarten class and a former coworker, and great friend, of mine will be the teacher!  That was super exciting as she is Stella's godparent and it will be great to be on a faculty with her again after a year apart. We are already planning, along with the other Kindergarten teacher, fun things for next year. So there's some good news from April. 

I think that brings us up to date then. So, it may not sound like a lot but factor all of that into daily life, along with other stuff I'm sure I forgot to mention, and April flew by. As of now there are only 16 days left of school, gasp, and I don't know if I am ready to say goodbye to my students. Although, I never truly am anyway. These next 2 1/2 weeks will be a flurry of assessments, projects, cleaning, and fun. Just the way May is intended to be.  So, now that the catching up is taken care of, we can proceed with regular, current, posts about the adventures here. How was your April?  Busy?  Was it a blur or did you have time to slow down and enjoy it?  Regardless, I hope it went well!

All is well, caught up, in Drosche Land. 

Rescheduled

Well. Today was supposed to bring you a post about our first Home Study visit. 

A little over a week ago we finally heard from the person in charge of our Home Study. We were ecstatic. The appointment was scheduled for today, 11:00 - 4:00. A nice long time to get to know us, our home, and build a relationship that will help us to bring home outer daughter. 

We were cutting it close since it is Spring Break and we are reading out of town tomorrow to go camping, but the Home Study visit was so important we knew it had to be squeezed in. Last weekend we began cleaning and straightening everything. That way today would bring a quick once-over and we'd be ready. 

Then we got an email last night. Our caseworker had been out of town and unable to read through our file prior to meeting us. She would have to reschedule. Next Saturday was worked out. 

Argh. Bummer. Not what we wanted to hear. We did not want to push the process back for another week. But, it is what it is and we moved on. Next Saturday. Luckily we will be back from our trip with plenty of time to finish prepping the house and ourselves. 

So now we focus on vacation. Who doesn't love a vacation?  This will be the first Spring Break trip we've ever taken. With Amy being a Director for so long and Stella being so young still last year we have never gone anywhere so we are all pretty excited. Planning is done but packing is not so tomorrow morning will be a flurry of activity as we head out.  Which reminds me that I have to change out the laundry. So I guess I will say goodbye and get to that.  Stay tuned to upcoming posts on vacation, the Home Study, and another new adventure. 

All is well, change of plans, in Drosche Land. 

Last Chance

Ok February. You have one last chance to prove yourself. 

I thought January was crazy. What with all of its Adoption classes and Ice Days. Little did I know February was gearing up to be a beast of a month. Packed full of ridiculous life lessons (read the last post if you're confused as to what I'm talking about). 

So with just one week in this short month I'm hoping for the best. A quick turnaround. A saving grace. Something. Anything. 

For starters it would be great to hear something about what's next in our adoption adventure. We finished all of our coursework and paperwork in January and have been awaiting our entry into Home Study ever since. But that's all we've been doing is waiting and if you're slightly regular here or know me at all you know waiting isn't one of my strong suits. But maybe this week will bring an update and some forward movement. Maybe. 

It would also be great to be finished with the drama that has become the aftermath of our burglary. I won't get into details here. Trust me, you don't want me so. Nobody has time for that. Suffice it to say it has been an experience. One I hope to never have again, but an experience nonetheless. If there is one thing to take away from all of this it is to know your insurance policy!  I'm not kidding here folks. No matter how well you think you know what coverage you have. Check. Double check. Have your loved one check. You can never be too sure. Trust me. I've been trying to spread this little tidbit to just about anybody that will listen.  But maybe this week will bring an end to it all and we can move on with life and focus on other things. Maybe. 

Of course there is always the possibility that this last week will just be par for the course of the whole month. But I sure hope not. There's only so much you can handle at once right?  And I think we've exceeded our crazy quota for this month. 

So. It's been a rough month. One I'm actually kind of glad to say goodbye to. I just hope February tries to redeem itself this week. As for March. I'm not even thinking about that yet. Keeping it short-term here people. 

But truth be told things are slowly settling back down here in Drosche Land. Slowly, but they are. How was your February?  Uneventful?  Crazy?  Are you sad to see it go or are you ushering it out the door as quickly as possible?  Regardless of how it was, I hope these next 5 days go well for you too. Then we can begin to worry about March. 

All is well, one week to go, in Drosche Land. 

Enough Lemons Already

You know the saying. 

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. 

Well. Sometimes life just gives you lemons. And before you can make said lemonade, there's a knock at your door. Surprise. More lemons. Suddenly you're waist-deep in lemons and it seems impossible to find the juicer, much less the sugar. 

Have I stretched that metaphor thing enough. Catch my drift?

Well, I'll back track a bit for you dear readers.  See, about 2 weeks ago I was planning on posting. What?  I can't remember, but I obviously never got around to it as you can clearly tell from the silence on this blog over the past two weeks.  Things here hit the fan, and the fan was turned up full speed. But there I go again with another metaphor. 

Long story short our house was burglarized. Yep. Luckily it was while we were all at work. I beat Amy home that day and found out when I arrived. Needless to say, life has been pretty chaotic here in Drosche Land since.

There was the immediate drama you'd expect: shock, fear, the need to clean a totally trashed house. Then things sank in a bit more: the losses, trying to regain a sense of safety in your own house, the police and insurance reports, getting an alarm system installed, changing the locks. Now we are dealing with the long term: insurance, replacement of valuables, mourning the sentimental things that are irreplaceable.  Suddenly, a bushel of lemons right in front of us. 

But it didn't stop there. Nope. More lemons were delivered. Bank issues related to a charging error when the locks were changed.  Daily phone calls to the bank and locksmith. And the lemons kept rolling in. I was in an accident on the way home. Minor damage to our car and everyone is ok, but more lemons to deal with in the form of a second insurance claim opened. 

So that's where I've been. Obviously I haven't had a device to blog from due to the burglary  I love my iPhone, but it's just not feasible. Plus by the time I would even have time, I'm mentally and physically exhausted from sorting through the lemons.  I'm here tonight because my dear wife surprised me on Valentine's Day with a new iPad Air to replace my stolen iPad.

Before I get too deep into woe here I will stop to say that we have been thoroughly blessed these past 2 weeks. Yes. It's true. Sure, there were tons of lemons, but maybe the other saying is true. Maybe He doesn't give you more than you can bear.  Even though it may seem like it, truth be told we're ok. We have been blessed with amazing family and friends who have helped to clear out some of the lemons. I have an incredible wife who is an expert lemon juggler. Oh, and there's those 3 little blessings that I get to kiss good morning and good night each and every day. They make things better too. 

So, has it been hard?  OMG, yes!  Has it seemed insurmountable?  Um, yep!  But I think we are, slowly, making sense out of everything and coming through it. Sure, we still have a good sized lemon collection to deal with, but it is getting more manageable everyday. Soon, the pile will be gone and we can look back and be relieved that we made it through.  Our faith will be stronger and we will be wiser. Oh, and there will still be a refreshing lemony scent hanging in the air.

All is well, lemons included, in Drosche Land. 

That Bites

No, Stella is not trying out for the role of Quasimodo in an all-baby production of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.  Nope, the above picture is just another adventure in to the world of her many allergies.  This one was an allergic reaction to a mosquito bite.  We were outside for 5, yes 5, short minutes on Sunday afternoon and one of the little insects managed to bite her on the outside corner of her left eye.  Despite Benadryl and Neosporin, she woke up yesterday morning looking quite rough.

From the second we noticed the bite we were on alert. See, back in October during our ill-fated Columbus Day camping trip in Galveston (I don't think I posted about this now that I think about it, one of the many mental posts lost in my busy absence maybe) she was bitten many times as the campsites were swarmed with mosquitoes.  Her bites eventually swelled up and turned into a staph infection.  Ugh!  After about 3 weeks, many doses of Benadryl, and a special prescription Neosporin-like medicine later they were under control.  So when this newest bite happened we figured it might get ugly.  So we dosed and slathered.  But, again, it didn't help much.

A quick trip to the doctor yesterday afternoon confirmed that it was, in fact, just an allergic reaction and we could do little else for it other than wait.  So that's what we have been doing.  Luckily though she is used to having random mishaps and medical drama follow her and she hasn't slowed down a bit.  So much so that she got hurt at school today.  I guess having compromised vision from the aforementioned swollen eye affected her depth perception and she ran into a wall.  Poor thing!  Now she looks like this.

Luckily the swelling from the allergic reaction has gone down quite a bit today.  But she now sports a nice bruise on her cheek/eye area.  Oh well, such is life.  But my little girl is a trooper.  She has kept her perky spirits about her and has been as into everything as she usually is.  So that is a blessing and we have been enjoying her goofiness despite whatever malady befalls her.  

So, just another little adventure here in Drosche Land.  Another little health/medical issue for us to power through.  We're always kept on our toes here.  Always.

All is well, swollen but unstoppable, in Drosche Land.  

Recasting

Recasting.

Now, I'm (for once) not talking about TV and the type of recasting that brought us 2 Darrins on Bewitched (Dick York, the original was my favorite), 2 Aunt Vivs on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (the 2nd one?  Seriously?), or the 2 Beckys on Roseanne (3 changes when you count the one back to the first).  Nope, I'm talking about Jackson and his broken arm here.

Now the title makes sense right?  Although you're thinking about the TV shows now too right?  But back to the topic at hand.

Today was Jackson's appointment.  We'd been hoping and praying that the cast could come off.  Hoping and praying too, that both broken arms were healing well.  So, as it turns out one of the bones has fused back together and is looking great.  The other, the one that was completely broken through, is in line but not fully fused.  Amy was faced with the option of a 3-week period in a brace or a recasting.  She very wisely chose, after discussing with me via the phone, to recast.  The thought of keeping a simple brace on a very active 5 (soon to be 6) year old for 3 weeks and hoping and praying that it wouldn't break again was just too daunting.  So we went with the recast.

Luckily this time we could go with the waterproof cast!  Hallelujah!  4 weeks of bathing a  very active 5 (soon to be 6) year old boy with a cast has been exhausting.  Lately Jackson has been wanting us to smell the cast, insisting that it stinks.  We took his word for it.  He found it hilarious.  We found it ewwww!  

So, here we sit, facing 3 more weeks in a cast.  Thank goodness it is waterproof!  When all is said and done (hopefully this will be the final casting) we will have had 1 week in a splint and 7 weeks in a cast.  The idea of a brace is not off the table though once the casting comes off.  Just for added support and strengthening since the break was at the growth plate.  But we will cross that bridge when we get to it and I of course will keep you updated.  So, thanks for the thoughts and prayers.  They are much appreciated and needed.  I'll leave you with a picture of Jackson and his new cast, he chose red this time.  Also one of the cast he had removed!  I'm off to see if Bewitched is on Netflix or Hulu and practice my nose twitch.

All is well, roles recast, in Drosche Land.  

He was bummed at first but pleased with the waterproof status of the new cast!

Ewww.  Just that.  Ewww!

    

The Diagnosis - Part 2

Ok, so this post took a little longer in coming than I had originally intended.  But last week was VBS and time just got away from me.  Anywho, here we are.

Amy finally got ahold of the doctor's office and we received the remaining pathology results we had been waiting on.  Turns out her mast cells were high, but not terribly.  They were in the limits of an allergic reaction.  So, her doctor is thinking it is not Mastocytosis.  This is great news.  However, we still have a long road ahead of us filled with learning.

As I'd mentioned before she has now been diagnosed with an allergy to soy as well as the milk protein.  We also suspect that she may have an intolerance to gluten as well.  Ugh.  We've been monitoring her rash/hives, demeanor, and tummy issues (diaper fillings).  We're not totally sure, but have a strong suspicion.  So here we sit on the precipice of raising a child with allergies.  Now I know that her allergies are minor in comparison to others' but it is still a lot for us to handle having never experienced it before firsthand.  We are learning to research and read labels to ensure that she is not getting dairy or soy.  We are also thinking and praying about the gluten, trying to decide if we cut that out as well.  That is a huge undertaking so we are being sure to make as educated decision as possible.  I'll update on it more.

In the meantime Amy, my heroine, spent the better part of last week on the phone arguing/pleading/discussing/talking with insurance regarding the special formula that the doctor prescribed for Stella.  I'll keep it short, but suffice it to say it has been a difficult and frustrating journey and the insurance company was not much help at all.  Luckily, late yesterday afternoon we received word that it was taken care of and we would be receiving our first shipment of formula next week.  I have to give total credit to Amy for this all as she single-handedly took care of this last week.  It was rough, but she was awesome.  

So, that's that.  Things seem to be settling down a bit on this adventure as we learn how to live with a child with allergies and work around conventional thinking when it comes to eating and meals.  It's been very interesting and eye-opening though.  We are all eating healthier as a result too, so that's a plus.

Thanks for all of your thoughts, prayers, and kind words along the way as we have dealt with this.  It's been a long couple of months, but I think HE has finally brought us through it to the other side and we can now begin to breath again.  Thank you.  

All is well, learning, in Drosche Land.    

The Diagnosis - Part 1

So you've noticed by now the "Part 1" in the title of this post, if not look up a bit.  There it is.

I'll begin by saying that we don't have all of our answers just yet.  The pathology reports that will tell us the number of mast cells present will not be finished until the end of this week.  So hopefully by Friday we will have that news and a clearer, more conclusive picture of what is going on.  Until then we do know some things, not everything, but some things.

1 - It is an allergic reaction.

2 - Our GI doctor is proceeding with the diagnosis of Allergic Colitis.  

3 - The allergic reaction is most likely to soy.  Not totally surprising given the fact that 40% of people with a milk/dairy allergy also have an allergy to soy.  Stella falls into that statistic.

4 - Removing soy from her diet, along with the inclusion of a hypoallergenic (and expensive) toddler formula will get rid of the symptoms and colitis.  

That's about it.  We have always suspected that it was some kind of allergy-related issue, now we have some proof.  Colitis is not fun, but as far as colitis goes, allergic colitis is one of the lesser forms, mainly because it is reversible once the allergens are removed.  Soy.  Crap.  She's been on soy milk for months (since we learned of the milk protein allergy) and recently (yesterday) developed a love of tofu.  Oh well.  Just something else she can't have.

Excluding a whole other food source from her diet is not something we were looking forward to, but is a relatively easy fix.  However, in our brief research, we have found that soy is present in a lot more than you think.  The animal crackers we just bought for her to snack on because they don't have milk?  Yep, soy.  Crisco and vegetable oil, used instead of butter?  Yep, soy.  Fast foods (not that we eat a lot of it)?  Yep, soy.  So, the task ahead of us isn't an easy one.  Luckily we have been more adept at reading labels and enjoy researching so the learning curve shouldn't be too severe.

On a related note, and one I'd been meaning to blog about, we have decided to go (mostly) vegetarian for the month of June.  I have always wanted to but Amy has been a holdout until recently.  So far it has been great and we have been enjoying lots of new meatless meals.  I say mostly because we do allow meat on one day a week, sort of like a "cheat" day on a diet; just to ease in.  The boys haven't been as big of fans as Amy and I but we have tried our best to expose them to new foods while still making things available to them, like meats, so they can be happy.  Stella, though, has thoroughly enjoyed it.  She loved fruits and veggies so this was right up her alley.  Now, it looks like we may be eating like this a lot more often once June has passed.  Eating healthy isn't so bad and it's a helluva lot easier when you are also eating that way to ensure a family member's allergies are taken into consideration.  So future for that looks bright.

The one catch to today's news is that it isn't final.  Mastocytosis isn't totally ruled out yet.  That will be made more clear, hopefully, with the remaining pathology reports later this week.  Also, since it is such a rare disease and one that is very individual, there aren't super clear lines as to what numbers and levels should be in patients.  So, the reports may lead to more questions and/or tests rather than answers.  Hopefully not, but we will see.  

For now I remain positive.  We have answers, they may not be clear, but we have them.  HE has at least given us some peace of mind while we wait for the other results.  Thanks again for the continued thoughts and prayers while we brave yet another fun medical adventure.  Keep them coming and I will, of course, update once we know more.

All is well, with a few answers, in Drosche Land.         

The Procedure

I'll begin by thanking everyone for their thoughts and prayers for Stella's endoscopy and colonoscopy today.  They are much appreciated and felt.  However, please continue them as we are now playing a lovely round of The Waiting Game until test results come back, hopefully sometime next Tuesday.

But before I begin to fill you in, let me back up a bit so you get the whole picture of the goings on in Drosche Land for the past 2 days.  

Wednesday morning, 12:00 am.  Jackson wakes us up.  He's sick, throwing up.  Great.  Seriously?  Seriously.  He's also running fever.  Crap.

Amy has one last day of meetings on Wednesday so I am home with the kids again.  Wednesday is also the day we have to begin prepping Stella for her procedure.  But now Jackson is ill.  He spends the bulk of the day on a couch watching TV or playing on the iPad.  Totally uncharacteristic of Jackson.  To be still.  To be quiet.  Well, for longer than 30 seconds that is.  Braeden isn't doing so well either; he's super whiny and is also complaining of his head hurting.  Seriously?  Seriously.  Crap.

Per the doctor's orders Stella's last meal is lunch.  Now, this little girl loves to eat.  LOVES it.  So Amy and I are filled with trepidation about this from the get go.  However, that would prove to be the least of our worries.  This next part gets a little graphic so I'll spare you the gory details but trust me, you'll get the picture.

Amy comes home and we begin Stella on the prep (read: colon cleanse) for her procedures.  However, it isn't working as easily as we thought it would.  After a few doses she begins to refuse the bottle of juice/Miralax mixture because she's literally stuffed.  It's around this time that Jack begins throwing up again.  Yeah, seriously.

Calls in to the nurse relieve our fears, slightly.  Give the routine a break and then try again.  Check.  We do that and eventually it begins to work.  We stay near diapers and wipes for the rest of the evening.  Meanwhile, Jackson is continuing to be ill randomly throughout the night.  Lovely huh?  They don't tell you about these things when you're signing up to be a parent, do they?  

Long story short we all turn in at around 9:00 pm as we are all exhausted.  The boys on the floor in our room; Jackson due to the illness and Braeden due to the codependence and unwillingness to sleep in his room alone.  Whatevs, let's just all get some sleep.

Jackson is awake off and on all night long, throwing up more.  Stella wakes at 2:00 (yes dear readers, that's a.m.!)  She's hungry.  She's tired.  She's cranky.  She's tired of the results of the cleanse.  

My amazing wife manages to handle everything with fatigued grace and asks me to take over at 4:00 a.m. so she can grab an hour of sleep before heading to the hospital.  Check.

Our original plan was to take the boys with us to the hospital so we could be together.  Yeah, we should have known it wouldn't work but we thought we'd try.  As it turns out they don't let young siblings in, no shock.  Add to that the fact that Jackson is battling some wicked virus and there is no way they can go.  So I stay home with them while Amy braves it alone.  She texts me off and on while there to keep me in the look and to stay occupied.  I stay occupied with vacuuming, dishes, laundry, and Netflix.  

I'll pause here to briefly comment on my wife.  She is amazing.  There is something about being a mother that is completely different from fatherhood.  Amy is a natural.  I don't know how she does it but she does it.  All the time.  She survived and managed to make it through Stella's rough awakening from the anesthesia.

The results?  Well, we don't know much actually.  We know it's not ulcers.  We know there was a lot of mucus in her esophagus/intestines which could be due to mastocytosis.  We know her number of mast cells was elevated but still within "normal" range.  We know they took several biopsies whilst (cool word alert!) on their journey of Stella's GI tract.  That is what we are waiting on.  The pathology results from the aforementioned biopsies.  They will give us a definite answer of what is going on.  Mastocytosis?  Some allergic reaction?  Whatever it is, we will find out.  

So, we wait.  Ugh, more waiting.  It's never fun and it's never easy.  But here we are again.  HE is always working on us (me especially) on waiting.  HE is also working on reminding us that we are not in charge and HE has everything under control.  So Amy and I are focusing on that.  That and, as my wise wife put it, our beautiful perfect daughter.  Who, despite what the test results may bring to light, will always remain that way.

Once again, thanks.  Keep it up, and thanks.  On a happier note, now that Amy is finished with school and meetings, summer can officially begin!  We are very much looking forward to relaxation and family time.  It is much needed after the past 2 days.  Oh, and Jackson is doing better today (thank goodness).  Stella is doing well also but spending a lot of time resting, as we were told to expect.  So things may be, should be, hopefully will be returning to normal shortly!  That is, until the next adventure!

All is well, waiting, in Drosche Land.

GI

No, this post isn't about the military. Nor is it about a tiny action figure or the film franchise based on it.

Nope, I'm talking about the GI that stands for gastrointestinal. Not newly as exciting I know. But read on to find out.

See, Stella's been having some medical drama for the past few weeks. I've not blogged about it because we've been stressed over it and we've been so busy with usual May things that I just haven't gotten around to finding the time to sit and share. But here I am now.

See, a couple of months ago she began to break out in hives. All over. We freaked out. Turns out there isn't anything you can do other than to stockpile Benadryl. We had the blood allergy test done and it came back negative for everything. It's unrelated to her milk protein allergy so we were left speechless and wondering. Then a couple of weeks ago she had some serious trouble with diarrhea. See that's what I'm blogging about today, hives and diarrhea, adventures in Drosche Land come in all kinds. Anywho. Diarrhea. So we took her to the doctors to see what could be done about it because she was pretty miserable and we were at our wits' end.

Well more blood work was done and no answers were found. So, this past Thursday we took her to a GI specialist (see how it all fits in now?). We were totally expecting an answer related to am allergy. Maybe gluten? Soy? So knows. Something we could do something about. Turns out that wasn't the case. The doctor reviewed her entire life's medical issue and asked us tons of questions. He believes that she may have a genetic disorder called mastocytosis. I know what you're thinking, Amy and I thought the same thing too. Masto what? Well, in a nutshell, your body has mast cells that help fight infection and heal your body, they keep you healthy. But something you have too many and they get confused and misfire their histamines and group together and cause problems. Symptoms? Hives, check. Diarrhea, check. Prior allergic issues, check. Flushing of the face and neck randomly,check. These things, along with some other seemingly unrelated issued are what lead him to believe this.

The troublesome thing is that his mastocytosis is extremely rare. That and hearing the symptoms was like playing connect the dots with things we've been dealing with for the past year. Hmmmm?

There is no cure for it and treatment depends of the severity which is totally different for every patient. Nice. This Thursday she will have an endoscopy and colonoscopy to see what's going on inside. Regardless of diagnosis, these tests will give us an answer as to what the issue is. Invasive is not our first choice by far, but Amy and I feel that we must have answers. We're killing ourselves trying to figure it out.

It could be something else as well, we know, something like ulcers or colitis. But we shall see once Thursday comes. Until then, we are just enjoying the beginning to our summer. Praying trying not to worry. And enjoying the little blessing that turns one year old tomorrow! Her party was yesterday (post with pictures forthcoming) and it was awesome!

So, dear readers, keep us in your thoughts and prayers. For answers and best case scenarios. That's what we're praying for. That an peace of mind, patience, and faith. We know HE already had this no matter what, but it's sometimes hard to remember.

All is well, worried and praying, in Drosche Land.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

X = ?

I'm not sure what x is for today.  

There aren't many words that begin with x period, much less ones that pertain to my theme.  

Stella isn't the 10th child of mine, or even the 10th grandchild so that's out.  

I could describe Stella has having been xanthic when she was a newborn, but I've already blogged about jaundice.

She's not shaped like a sword, so she can't be xiphoid.  Nor is she a toungeless, clawed frog native to South Africa, so xenopus is out.  One of her favorite toys are wooden blocks, which are xyloid objects since they're made of wood, but that wouldn't make for an interesting post.  I've taken hundreds of pictures of her over the past 10 months, but I haven't xeroxed any.

So, I' not sure what to say today.  I could get cutesy and talk about how eXcited I was to finally have a girl.  Or I could once again talk about her cute, chunky, XXL arms and legs.  But I really wanted a word that began with an "X".  Oh well.  I should have foreseen this problem.  Sadly, last year's X post was more interesting I guess.  Although, once again I have to thank Google for helping me, and through me you dear readers, to learn some new words.  Even if it is only for a few minutes while I write this post!  

All is well, 24/26 down, in Drosche Land.  

M = Milk

Milk.

Seems innocent enough.  Well, at least it did until about 8 or so months ago.  When we discovered that Stella not only suffered from acid reflux, but she also had a milk protein allergy.  

Now, this isn't as simple as a lactose intolerance, not that that in and of itself is simple.  This is more complex.  This means no milk.  Of any kind.  In any thing.  Do you know how many things have milk in them?  Lots.  Trust me dear readers, lots.  We thought that over time it would get better.  But it hasn't.  We thought that maybe in small amounts, traces, she could handle it.  She can't.  Graham crackers.  She loves them.  They have milk in them.  Meatloaf tonight with Stovetop as the breadcrumb element (side note: delicious!), she couldn't have because the dressing mix has milk in it.  Anything with butter.  Nope.  Can't have it.

So we're having to become label-checkers.  At home.  At the grocery.  If we go out to eat.  Check.  Check.  Check.  It's not terrible, just a totally different lifestyle than we're used to.  But it's getting better.  We still have hopes that she will grow out of it.  Luckily the doctor agrees that it is likely.  We just hope it's sooner rather than later.

However, with Stella's first birthday rapidly approaching, we are finding that party planning, particularly in the cake area, is not as easy when there is an allergy involved.  Right now our plan is for her to have and angel food cake as it does not have milk in it.  Frosting-less of course.  Hopefully her second birthday will have a more traditional cake involved.  Only time will tell.  Until then we continue to check labels and look for milk-free foods and recipes.

All is well, 13/26 down, in Drosche Land.    

Seriously?!

Disclaimer: No Drosches were harmed in the events of the story I am about to relay.  We are all safe and sound.  So many prayers of thanks to Him for that!

Dude!  So you know how it is when you feel like you can't catch a break?  You know what I mean.  Well, as you can tell from the photo above, I'm having one of those times right now.  You remember the blowout from last Friday.  Well, we're just getting over that.  It seems like a distant memory after the events of last night.

So I'm on my way home with the kids.  I'm totally 30 seconds from turning in to the neighborhood.  Then bam!  Literally, bam.  You know how they (whoever they are) say that most accidents occur near the home?  Well they aren't kidding.  Trust me, it's true.  There I am sitting at a red light, the last light until I turn in to the subdivision.  The light changes to green.  The cars in front of me go.  I go.  The car next to me slams into my car whilst (don't you love that word, makes me feel better to use it) trying to get in front of me.  Seriously?!  Well, after the initial few seconds of shock I floor it after them to get their plate numbers in case they're running.  I mean, I'm all for a good chase, but I've got the kids with me this time.  Luckily they pull in to a parking lot.  I'm already on the phone with Amy, who's at home cooking dinner (by the way she was making phenomenal homemade mac & cheese).  She stops and heads our way.  

I get out of the car, after warning the boys to stay inside the car (you never know).  I walk around and see the damage.  Seriously?!  Ok, so I may have said something a little stronger than that but hey, this is a family friendly blog.  The front panel from the passenger door to the front of the car is dented and scraped and the bumper is cracked in the front.  Crap!  I go back to get my iPhone to start taking pictures.  I took a lot, I want full documentation.

Meanwhile the girl, literally a 19 year-old, is getting her information ready and has mumbled, "Sorry.".  I nod.  I'm still to upset to speak and don't want to get all crazy on some poor stranger, even if they did just open up a whole can of financial drama and craziness in my life.  I decide I'd better get my information out and ready.  I go to open the passenger door and it won't open.  Seriously?!  This time I actually did say that.  The door itself is fine so it must be something jammed or out of line on the inside.  Crap.

Amy shows up and Jackson immediately hangs out the window and yells, "Hey Mom!  We've been in a major accident!"  Leave it to him for some comedic relief!  Then he jumps out of the car to assess the damage in wide-eyed disbelief.  Amy exchanges our info with the other driver as I call 911.

Long story short the sheriff comes and gets it all handled.  She's ticketed for changing lanes at an "improper and unsafe time".  Sad for her, relief for me.  I mean, I knew it wasn't my fault, but now there's proof.  We part ways, this time I answer her "Sorry." with, "It's ok.  Have a good night."  I've calmed.

Later at home, after dinner, I call and make claims on our insurance and hers.  Thus begins the fun of repairs and dealing with the aftermath of an accident.  Fun.  Note:  You were supposed to read the last "Fun" in a sarcastic voice.  Feel free to do so now if you didn't the first time.

This is not my first accident, I was in one in high school.  But that was light years ago and I'm all grown now.  So technically, I've never done all of this.  Fun (yes sarcastic again).  Up first on the agenda is a rental, if possible, and if her insurance will cover our deductible.  Contact with both Adjusters will be able to answer those.  In the meantime we wait.  And pray that our run of bad luck has come to an end.  Especially where it involves drama of the automotive nature.

We shall see.  But again, everyone is safe so it's only material items and money that we need to worry about now.  Not that those things aren't more than enough, but at least we don't have to place and injury cherry on the top of our towering accident sundae!

All is well, seriously, in Drosche Land.