COWS!!!

Somehow somewhere in the past few weeks Lynlee has found a love for cows. I'm personally blaming Aunt Heather! HaHa. She talks about cows all the time. She wants to see them every time we get in the car. Cows, cows cows..... So on Saturday we took Lynlee to find some cows.. And oh we found them. We actually were there right before they were feeding or milking shortly after being there they moved the cows off the hill and in the barn right in front of us. She was beyond excited...

Now where are those cows?

(Her cow face!!) (There they are!)

There they are!!

We printed this picture and she carrys it everywhere!

More cows and more cow face!!

Ryan and I laughed that if you would have told us 3 years ago the most exciting thing about our Saturday in a few years would be looking for cows and finding them we might have died laughing..
It was by far the best Saturday we've had in a long time!

Normal... we are getting there!

Things feel so normal now that it almost makes me normal. And for once I don't mean our "normal" I mean normal normal. Let me see if I can explain.  For over 2 years we've fed Lynlee through a tube.  We've measured medicine, had to feed her every 4 hour, and freaked out while she slept, etc.. That's all we've ever known. That was our normal everyday life. Well for the first time ever I feel like we are getting closer to the normal that everyone one else knows.

I know that I would never wish the things we've went through, the things Lynlee has went through, or still goes through on anyone, but I do know that I'm very thankful for the things it has taught us. We take nothing for granted! I know people say that, but we don't. Every meal that Lynlee eats is still a huge deal. Every new thing she does someone (not always you guys) gets a picture, call, or text. She is making huge strides.  And without all of this she would have been normal and I wouldn't be up blubbering about yogurt, spaghetti, chicken, etc, etc..

Lynlee's eating is going so great.. She went from not eating to eating over 3 meals a day. There have been days we'v'e only used her tubes for meds and liquids.. Drinking is still no there, but Rome wasn't built in a day right. The other night before she went to sleep she asked for something. She took Ryan to frig and showed him she wanted yogurt, sat on the couch and ate it. I know this is every day life for most of you, but to us well this is a miracle.  She melts my heart every time she takes me in there moves food around, turns around the yogurt to where she can see the kinds we have, etc.. I could write for hours on watching her eat, what she eats, oh the list could go on. But I'll spare you and just share a few pictures...


Yogurt is her favorite.. Eats 1-2 containers a day.

I know that "most" 2 1/2 year olds climb, run, jump etc.. Well even though Lynlee walked she never really did most of the other stuff. She struggled really. She seems to have become more agile (I'm hoping this is the correct word, it's way past my bedtime!) She is doing all of the them now.. And sometimes almost giving me a heart attack. I was getting my shoes on and using the bathroom when I walked out and saw this..

So I did what any mom would do.. RAN, locked the door and took a picture!  It was scary but I was sooo excited that she knew that she needed to be to open the door and plus she climbed up there all by herself.. The doors are now locked at all times!

We have very exciting, wild Friday evenings these days... See going topless :)

Lynlee totally cracked me up all day long. She wanted to wear a bib all day???? So we went to see cows (pictures to come!) and she wore it the whole time. She woudn't even take it off to put the other one on at dinner.. HAHA.. Here are the two bibs!

All in all this week was good. Her EBV count wasn't great.. It was worse. We made a med change and do labs in two weeks. I'm not going to lie I was scared. I was afraid we would be in Pittsburgh right now with a PICC line getting IV meds.. I'm afraid if the med change doesn't help this will be our next step. Prayers please..

Yes, it's late.. After midnight. I got very side tracked today. Got online to order something and spent 1 1/2 hours on Amazon?? Oh I can't wait for the stuff to get here. I'd tell you what I'm soo excited about but it would ruin the surprise!  And as you can see I'm very easily side tracked/ chatty tonight!

So this momma is off to bed... We are hoping for a fun family day tomorrow!!!



Wordless Wednesday: Randoms :)

Our life is pretty random these days. We don't leave the house a lot.. Here's some pictures of "normal". Man I love her!!

Her room is finally done:

Besides the sign and the pictures the fan is one of my favorite items in the room!

Having fun with dad! 

 Finger Paint in the tub!

By far the prettiest thing I've ever seen :)

Happy Wednesday!

Monday.. Nuff said

It's Monday. It definitely feels like a Monday around here. I'm mentally and physically tired.

On Saturday Lynlee and I got up and ready and headed to Harman with Heather. The craft show/bazaar was fun and the potato bar was yummo!! However the highlight of the trip had to be Lynlee seeing the cows. She talked about them all evening.. Tried to moo like them!! A trip back is definitely necessary!

Yesterday was a ummm different day I guess I can say. We decided to get out of the house and take a trip to Clarksburg. We had some gift cards from Christmas to use and needed a day trip somewhere. However, Lynlee was in rare form. She started crying before we even got there and the kid loves to travel. She said she was hungry so we went to eat. The whole thing was a fight. Her food was hot, she wouldn't let me blow on it and help her, she wanted to do it by herself... do you see where I'm going with this. I've never been so close to walking out of a restaurant in my life. She just wants what she wants when she wants it.. I hear this is typical 2 year old stuff.. And the whole ordering food is new to us and she just wants to eat.. Sigh...

Long story short we passed on the mall hit up a few stores and came home.. She is was in very rare form. She was a tired toddler and we were two aggravated parents.

After we got home last night I checked my email and had one from a lady that had found me on the UCD group on facebook. Asking about Lynlee's story and transplant journey.. As I sat there and told her about it  all those memories and emotions came back.. I try not to go back to those first day. They are so hard. The days of fear and the unknown were the worst days of my life. I know it's good to go back every now and then so I don't forget (if that's possible). And I know that unfortunately this won't be the last time I told Lynlee's story to someone that has a child with this disorder. It's just our beginning.

As I laid in my bed last night crying because of the emotion of the day and the fact that I'm so thankful she's still here with me, I felt like a terrible parent. I had been very impatient with her yesterday. She was just tired and I wasn't great. I wish I could take yesterday back and be a better mom to her.  I was texting Heather (have I told you how great she is!) when she told me.. that one I'm not a terrible parent she needs discipline and..... that it never fails something brings us back to where we need to be.. and that it was okay to go in there and sleep with Lynlee and hold her tight.

And she's right. Every single word of it.. I swear God knew I needed Heather in my life long before I did.. Isn't it crazy how people end up in your life and you don't know what you have ever done without them...

I didn't get much sleep last night. After all of that Lynlee needed blood work this am so I kept pushing water in her all night (the advantage of the G-Tube) so her veins would be good and hydrated. We left for blood work around 7:30-7:45 and as we were driving I told her we were going to the hospital for blood work. She stuck her lip out quivering and huge tears dropped off her cheeks. I'm not going to lie. It tore me up. I pulled into the parking lot of the hospital crying. Hating life, hating the hand we were dealt and asking God why my sweet baby girl is going through this. They got her blood with two sticks.  And as long everything is okay we will go again in a month. We've tried a few different times telling Lynlee were she is going and then not telling her. She actually does much better when I tell her even if it does break my heart.

On another note most of her labs are back and everything is perfect.. The EBV (the main reason we had labs today) won't be back until Wednesday and then her prograf will be back Thursday.

We have a pretty low key week a head of us which is a good thing. Lynlee took a 3 hour nap today and is still running on full steam so bed time isn't going to come as early as I would like tonight.

But that's okay.

This & That..

I feel like even though I've blogged this week I haven't really said a whole lot.. And the truth is we really don't have a whole lot to say. Which is a good thing! We were laughing last night that the biggest thing that happened yesterday was the fact that Tim Tebow got traded to the the New York Jets. Crazy how our life went from ammonia checks, to a liver transplant, to now having noting else happening that we've resorted to caring about Tim Tebow. HAHA.. But I wouldn't trade it for the world. ..

All jokes aside things really are that boring around here. Lynlee has some nasty allergies that some Claritin is already clearing up. No blood work until next week. Our new addition is finished.. Lynlee's room will be 100% done tonight when her pictures come today. We are still amazed in the 70 and 80 degree weather we are having in March. We've broke out the shorts and been enjoying every single minute of it.

Lynlee's eating is getting better. The past few days have been a littler here and there from the sneezing, coughing, mucus, well you get it... But last night she ate so much chicken that I told Ryan this time 3 months ago we would be life flighting her to Pittsburgh for. It never gets old watching her eat! 

And that's about it... So here's so more pictures until next time!

Pockets! HaHA

How am I supposed to not be happy at this face??

Her first DQ ice cream cone. A huge success followed by a bath!

I think she's finally got the concept of Easy.. Those cats have lived a rough life!

:)

And last.. Our Pinterest project for the weekend. Whoever thought of this was pure genius. Now Lynlee can stand on the stool and reach the water. Yes it's the little things that really make a difference.

Wordless Wednesday: New Ride

At the birthday party we went to on Saturday there was a small battery operated 4 wheeler.. And the birthday boy himself got a new battery powered Jeep. For much of the party Lynlee didn't want anything to do with them.. However, by the time it was over she was on it riding around. I'm not sure who enjoyed it more. Her or Ryan... Who am I kidding. We all know it was Ryan...

So you guessed it.. Lynlee had to have one too.. Last night in the house she was more mad than anything that she kept running into the walls.. But outside she was having a blast! Miss Independent does not like for me to help her steer or do anything at all. It's going to be interesting!

Yes, that is the dog she's going at.. He's life is about to get harder!

This picture cracks me up!

Don't even ask what the gloves are for. She wears them all the time! haha

Stoping for a pose

Taking a ride to Aunt Kristies

My favorites from a beautiful weekend!

We took these pictures on Saturday evening. I've been trying to decide which ones to put on here for Wordless Wednesday.. And I can't get rid of any more. Each one of these pictures make me smile. I hope they do you too.. Oh and I'm not that crazy. I know it's not Wednesday but I have something else in mind for that post!