Record Rainfall

Last weekend Georgia had record rainfall. It seemed like it rained for days without stopping. Several counties including ours, Cherokee, are now eligible for federal aid because of all the destruction from the rising waters. Luckily we did not experience too much damage to the house. Our basement filled with some water in spots but nothing too serious. Also, since our basement is unfinished, there was not a lot that could be ruined by the water. I know many people who are having to replace carpet and drywall. My car didn't like the hard rain and collected some puddles in the floorboard, but hopefully it is something I can just air out.

Here are some picutres I was sent from last weekend. The first couple are of the main street we live off of - Towne Lake. The rest are from one exit down from us - Hwy 92. The last is a picture of Six Flags amusement park. This isn't near us. I just think it's amazing to see the rollercoaster surounded by all the water!

The silver lining

On August 11th, 2009 I was picking up the kids from The Hall's where they sometimes go for an hour or so during the week. Everything seems normal as usual. The kids are happy to see me and Matthew is running around joyfully. We start heading to the car and Emma races down the stairs. Matthew is taking his time on the steps as usual but then all of a sudden he stops. I turn to see what the hold up is and he is kind of in a daze. I ask him if he wants me to carry him down the stairs but I get no response. So I just pick him up and that is where it all began.

All of a sudden he vomits on my shoulder. I put him down and he gags and does it again. I kneel down and try to talk to him but he is just gagging. Then I realize he is very pale and does not look like he is breathing. I see that his lips are turning blue so I run upstairs and take him inside. In the house, Cheryl confirms my fears that something is terribly wrong and calls 911 immediately. I lay Matthew down on his side in case he throws up again and I start talking to the 911 operator. Cheryl has Emma sent to another room to play with her daughter Macy so that she is not involved in what is going on. By this time Matthew is starting to breathe but they are very light very shallow breaths. His eyes seem to roll back every once in a while as he is trying to catch his breath. Somehow I've managed not to freak out completely and am trying to soothe Matthew who is slowing getting back to his normal self. I've done a great job of staying calm until I continue talking to the 911 operator. I know that they are supposed to ask you the same questions several different times and different ways to make sure they have all the facts straight, but after the 5th time she asks me "Is he breathing?" the tears start rolling down my cheeks. Within minutes there are paramedics, police officers and firemen in Cheryl's living room. Matthew is still lying on the floor. He is breathing normal but he isn't getting up and he keeps blinking long and hard. Finally, after the policeman tries to ask Matthew questions he gets up and clings to me. Then it’s like nothing ever happened. He is responsive and breathing just fine. Just to be sure all is well we take a ride in the ambulance to the ER to get checked out.


Matthew is breathing 100% now and uses his full lung capacity to scream and cry the whole way to the hospital because he doesn't want to be buckled into his seat. He gets his vitals checked and gets yet another catscan to add to his collection. We hang out at the hospital for a few more hours to find his catscan is normal but his neurologist wants him back on his seizure medication. This is news that I am not thrilled about but as I see Matthew running around the ER with a big smile on his face I know that I need to focus on the silver lining. So much worse could have happened that day. What if he had his episode while I was driving or before I had arrived? What if it was more severe and he had gotten hurt? We were blessed that everyone responded so quickly and that in the end he was safe and we were going home.

Today he had an appointment with the neurologist. He met with Kathie Teta at Child Neurology Associates near Scottish Right. We are told that the best thing would be to keep Matthew on medication until he is seizure free for 2 years. I know this is what the initial plan was supposed to be. But his previous doctor felt that since his progress had been so good and his EEGs showed only some spikes and no full blown seizures that we could try him off the meds. It breaks my heart to know he will be on this medicine for the next two years, but once again.....the silver lining. It is only twice a day. It is only for two years. It will help prevent/control any future seizures. It could be so much worse.

So next week he will have another EEG and then after that another MRI to make sure nothing else is going on that the doctors need to know. I have been trying hard to focus on the silver lining of these gloomy clouds. It’s difficult to do but it's a lot easier when I see Matthew's big smile!

Matthew in the Child Neurology waiting room.

Lights Camera Action!

As requested by several people, I have posted a video of Emma singing the song she sang at the Talent Show the other weekend. Sorry the picture isn't very good. I am not the best at using our camera. Now imagine her singing this in a cute dress with a piano and a microphone. Isn't she sweet!

Here are the words in case you want to sing along:

"I'm so glad when Daddy comes home, glad as I can be

Clap my hands and shout for joy and climb up on his knee

Put my arms around his neck, squeeze him tight like this

Pat his cheeks and give him what? ...... A great big kiss!"

Emma learned the Pledge of Allegiance in PreSchool. Thought this was appropriate to post today on 9/11.

No more cribs

Matthew spent this entire week sleeping in a big boy bed.

On Labor Day, Ben took down the crib we've had set up for 4.5 years now. First for Emma, then for Matthew. It was kind of sad seeing it get put away. I plan to re-decorate his room since it seems so empty now without the crib. Maybe some fun sheets and some pictures on the wall.

Ben set up the simple twin bed that he had used when he was a boy and thru his teenage years. It is actually part of a set of bunk beds but we only set up the single bed. Matthew seemed indifferent about the change. He wasn't excited about it, but he wasn't afraid either. The first time he slept in it, he didn't cry but he did wake up sooner than usual. Overall, I have been extremely impressed at how well he has transitioned into the new bed. This entire week he has not once gotten out of his bed in order to escape from his room. He has not woken up in the middle of the night to sneak into our bed. He just lies in his bed with his best bud Blue like he did in his crib. When we tell him its time to go to sleep he shuts his eyes super tight to show that he is ready. He is such a good boy!

Emma seems more excited than Matthew. She helped me to put the sheets on his bed and asked to read to him in his bed the other night. My babies are growing so fast.

Big Sister Emma reading to Matthew and Blue

Happy Boy!

Growing up so fast

Don't judge a book by its cover...

Well, it happened! My sweet little Angel of a daughter bit a boy at school last Monday. With her big little temper I have been preparing myself to receive some news from her Preschool about her being agressive with other children at some point. BUT I wasn't expecting that she would actually BITE someone! Emma is almost always polite and kind beyond compare. But since birth she has had a temper that she is still learning to control. Her side of the story is that the boy was trying to take something away from her and not being nice about it. Giving her the benefit of the doubt it kind of makes me proud that she is strong enough to not get bullied. Is that wrong? She is so small in stature and she looks so innocent that I think she appears on the outside to be an easy pushover. I guess that boy learned not to judge a book by its cover! She has never been one to just stand there when she feels threatened. We are constantly reminding her to use her words to defend herself when she needs to or to just walk away from the bad situation. We had a long talk with Emma about the incident at school and she promised to be nicer and not hurt others. She even asked the teacher the next day if she could go apologize to the little boy. I know this was an isolated thing that I shouldn't worry about. Emma is one sweet little girl. She gives a million hugs and kisses to all her friends and family members. She is always ready to help others or to make someone laugh. On Friday with her weekly report we had a personal note from the teacher that "Emma did a great job coming to the teachers for help if she had a problem." As for the boy, Emma said he got in trouble the other day for not listening and for putting a bunch of toys in his mouth.

My sweet and innocent biter.

Talented Emma

Friday night our church had a talent show for the Primary kids (ages 4-11). I was in charge of getting it all together and was intensely pleased at how it all turned out. I had lots of kids signed up to participate and each of them did a fantastic job.

Of course Emma wanted to perform and after debating between dancing and singing I convinced her do to one of the songs she sings so well "I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home". I don't know where she gets her confidence from. I was deathly shy when I was a little girl and am still not thrilled at having to speak in front of a crowd. Even as I hosted the talent show and was up on stage introducing the children I found myself stuttering and jumbling my words in my nervousness. But Emma is absolutely fearless. When it was her turn she got up on stage, sang her song beautifully, took a bow and sat back down like it was nothing. Maybe it was nothing special too her, but it was a wonderful moment for me. Every day Emma impresses me with her talents, courage and aptitude. And she is only 4! I can only imagine what the future will bring.

Good to Hear

The Pediactricians were a little concerned when Emma failed her hearing test in her left ear twice. I wasn't there for the tests but apparently they use some sort of device that shoots sound waves or something in the ear and it then measures what goes thru and what doesn't. After the first time they told us to use mineral oil to clean the excess wax out of her ear but she still failed when they tested her again. They then suggested we use Debrox to clean out her ear. They referred us to an ENT to see if there was something more than just wax build-up causing her to fail the tests. I guess those last drops must have worked or our Pediatrician really messed up the test because the ENT said that not only could Emma hear but she was off the charts. She has exceptionally good hearing and passed all the tests in both ears!!

Due to Matthew's history and the fact that the test at the Pediatrician was inconclusive for his hearing, we went ahead and had him checked at the ENT too. He was so good to listen to what the doctors asked him to do. Ben asked him if he was having fun and he replied "No......mean", but he seemed to enjoy the little games they used to test what he could hear. They told us that Matthew passed all the tests and that he was one of the best behaved 2-year olds that they've ever seen.

It was another good week with good news from the doctors. One more important visit coming up and then I might be able to breathe a little easier again. I am definitely relieved that their hearing is okay because now I know for sure that they can hear me every time I tell them "I LOVE YOU!". Which is very very very often.

At the ENT

Matthew's "Mean" face.