McDaris Family Blog

Cadenne quote

2011-11-09T09:26:00.000-08:00

Oh my.... this kid cracks me up and I think she's too smart for her own good.

She was just looking at the Wii's list of players and said, "We are the 'A Team!" All of us have As in our names! (Tricia, Brian, Karissa, Abigail, Zachary, Cadenne, Susan (my cousin) and Emma (our neighbor).

Now we just need Mr. T to join our group.

"First name Mr, middle name 'period', last name T!"

Zach's Art Gallery

2011-10-22T13:09:00.001-07:00

Just some fun! Zach decided to make his little sister the subject of his artwork:

Eyelashes and Pigtails:

The artist was inspired by Cadenne's love of "jewels" and cute hair. This whimsical portrayal of the subject was the first attempt by the artist to capture his sister's personality.

Boogers and Beads:

The theme of the pink pearls continues, as does the desire for cute hair. Note the brush stuck to the subjects head. The artist also wants you to note the presence of boogers in the subjects square nose.

Cadenneuss (AKA Cadenne meets Dr. Seuss):

Do you like it with a string?

Do you like it full of bling?

Yes, I like it with a string.

Yes, I like it full of bling.

I do so like pink pearls and glam.

I do so like it, Mom-I-am!

Fat Lip and No More Tears:

Sometimes one just gets a fat lip and cries. But the tears do eventually go away! : )

2011-10-19T11:25:00.000-07:00

Cadenne to Susan:

"Susan, I know how to spell my name: C-A-D-E-N-N-N-N-E."

(Long Pause...)

"Did I say a lot of Ns?"

Zachary...

2011-10-18T23:23:00.000-07:00

Almost 4 years ago, Cadenne was born. Almost 4 years ago, Zachary was 20 months old... a baby who developmentally was learning how to trust the grown-ups in his life. Almost 4 years ago, his parents were suddenly practically non-existent in his life. Comparatively. I mean, he visited us at the Ronald McDonald house, and we were at times able to come home and spend time with the kids. But life as he knew it was turned completely upside down. He was used to a mother who was with him all the time. He was a real "mama's boy." His little smile would light up the room. He was a truly happy child.

Something shifted soon after we brought Cadenne home from the hospital. He was fussy and discontented. His sweet little personality was somehow altered, and it pains me to admit that I didn't notice it at the time. It is only in retrospect that I realized just when the change took place.

He has never ever recovered. This past summer, we figured out that he has severe trust issues. It is really hard to describe exactly what he is going through, but I can give an example. This past summer, we were preparing to go on a camping trip. We had the kids all excited about it... We had talked about it for weeks, planned meals, purchased supplies, and packed everything up. Literally, everything was piled up in our living room. When the kids went to bed the night before, we reminded them that we were going to leave for camping first thing in the morning. Well, the next morning, Zach came running into our room excitedly, asking, "Are we going camping today?" (Here I should mention that we are very much the joking family... we tease the kids good-naturedly and we all have fun with it.) In reply, I said, "Nah... We decided not to go. Maybe next week." I am not kidding when I say that the poor little boy BURST into tears. Unconsolable. It was at that moment that I realized what we were dealing with.

Sometimes this manifests as disappointing tears. Sometimes it manifiests as vein popping fits of anger, when even HE doesn't know why he's upset. Honestly I find the behavior frustrating. This is very different than anything I've ever had to deal with as a parent. But beyond the frustration with the behavior, I am really sad at the idea that we are in some way the cause of this. He probably felt abandoned all those weeks during the time when he was supposed to be developing trust in those who are supposed to love him most.

Logically I know that I did what I had to do. Which baby needed me more? I had no choice but to be with Cadenne. I knew the statistics... that NICU babies with parents by their sides had a better chance at life. It was a hard choice even at the time. I missed the other kids immensely, but not being able to drive, (due to my seizure) I was pretty much tied to the Ronald McDonald house 45 minutes away.

I just never thought that 4 years later, Zachary would still be suffering from it.

This morning was rough. He worked himself up in to a frenzy because his bed didn't look perfect. I told him that it looked fine, and that he needed to finish getting ready for school. I can't even describe how angry he was. I even had to send the two older girls on ahead because he just was too out of control to walk to school. We eventually calmed him down and prayed with him, and by the time he got to school, he was his little happy-go-lucky self. It is crazy how quickly his moods swing!

I hope and pray that the Lord will continue to grant us wisdom as we learn how best to help Zachary through this and learn to trust us again. I want my little boy to know that I love him unconditionally and that he can't do anything to change that. I want him to grow up knowing that he is safe and secure... that though we may fail him as parents at times, that Jesus will never fail him.

Zachary, I have made and will continue to make mistakes along the way. But Mama loves you. Please never, ever doubt that.

Kidney update...

2011-10-16T16:01:00.000-07:00

I took Cadenne for her ~~spa treatment~~ kidney ultrasound yesterday. When I told her I was taking her to the hospital for a test, she literally jumped up and down saying "YAY!" for a few seconds before pausing to ask, "Wait, are they going to cut me?"

When I assured her that they were NOT going to cut her, she resumed with her enthusiastic cheers. When the time came, she hoped up on the table, pulled up her shirt, and was very still... Does this girl know the routine or what? She expressed momentary concern that the technician was going to see her "underwears," but I assured her that he wouldn't!

While she lay there waiting, she said, "I'd be more comfy if I didn't have my shoes on." Um, diva much? :)

She has these ultrasounds once a year or so to determine how her left kidney is growing and functioning. I reported in November of 2009 that her right kidney was 4.5 cm x 3 cm and that her left kidney was 3.7 cm x 1.7 cm. Yesterday they measured 8.3 cm x 3.9 cm x 4.0 (right) and 5.2 cm x 2.2 cm x 2.0 (left) So in 2009 her left was about half of the right, and now it is a third of the size. (Well actually if I multiply in the depth, it looks like it is a fifth the size, but I don't know how they calculate it!) Of course, the ultrasound hasn't been read by a radiologist, so I have no idea what the "function" is yet. She has an appointment on October 31st with the nephrologist. We should be able to get more clarity then! :)

Writer's block...

2011-10-12T21:31:00.000-07:00

So I confess that it has been so long since I have written in this thing that I now feel like I don't really have anything to write about! Of course, I have four children, all of whom are amazing in their own little ways :) but for some reason nothing seems blog-worthy. I've been doing so many mini-updates on Facebook for the past few years that it is hard to think anything more than one liners! So I thought that I'd just jump in anyway and let it come to me as I go! :)

We are a good 6 weeks into the school year. It is hard to believe that I now have three kids in elementary school! Karissa is in 6th grade and loving it! She is enjoying diving into pre-algebra in the hopes of being placed into full-fledged algebra as a 7th grader! I didn't take algebra until 9th grade! It is hard to believe how far ahead she will be by the time she graduates from high school!

Abby is in 3rd grade and is looking forward to multiplication and cursive writing. She is following in her sister's footsteps with her love for reading. She is reading at an end of 6th grade level! :)

Zachary has started kindergarten and is loving it! The sun rises and sets on his teacher as far as he is concerned. Several of her phrases have made it home with him. He also convinced his teacher that he had 11 toes one day. When asked why on earth he'd do that, he grinned really big and said, "I was just tricking her!" Mrs. M. is in for it! :)

Cadenne has started a little school of her own. Three other moms and their little girls have gotten together with us, and we take turns teaching every Thursday. Cadenne LOVES it, and if you give her the opportunity, she will recount every school session in great detail! :) She is doing great health-wise and keeps us cracking up on a daily basis!

Brian is still working for the city of Orange as an equipment mechanic. He is approaching the end of his third year. He also does car repair on the side, so if you need any work on your vehicle, I know of a good mechanic!

My cousin Susan and I have been working together on selling stuff on eBay. We've learned a lot in the last year and it is starting to pick up! :) We'll see!

One big piece of news that I was meaning to share following my last entry is that we are pursuing the goal of becoming foster parents. We have a burden to help take care of orphans, and eventually maybe working with pregnant moms in crisis. In order to begin the foster process, we legally have to be in a 5 bedroom place. The state doesn't allow mixed genders to share a room if either of them is over 5. Children over 2 can't share a room with an adult, and we also can't have more than three kids in a room no matter how big it is! We have a lot of work to do before we are in a position to get into five bedrooms. :) For one, we need to pay off some debt. That is actually our hugest obstacle right now. Please join us in praying for this! Our hearts want to do this tomorrow, and we know that God will provide! :)

Well look at me... I managed to get several paragraphs out of my now inexperienced fingers. Over the course of the next few months, I hope to transfer some of my Facebook statuses to the blog. Don't get too excited in you suddenly see a billion posts from me over here!

Update on us...

2011-04-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a reeeeaaaalllly long time since I've given any real update on our family. Things are busy, but we are doing well! We are about to embark upon a fun new journey. I'll save that for my next entry, as I should update on the goings-on in the McDaris house first!

Karissa is 11 years old and in 5th grade. She has grown to be very tall. I think I will be looking at her eye to eye in the very near future. She is doing very well in school and is an avid reader. Currently she is reading at the mid-8th grade level. It is difficult to keep her in books that are BOTH age-appropriate and level-appropriate. There aren't many books in existence that bridge that gap! Our church places 6th graders in the middle school group, unlike the school system, where she will still be in elementary school. I love that she will be in middle school in church first!

Abby is 8 years old and in 2nd grade. She has also grown a bunch. She has certainly followed in her sister's footsteps in school, and is reading a good three years above grade level. She has also begun to show interest in drawing. I'm amazed at some of the drawings she has done. Abby definitely did NOT get that gene from ME! :) Her use of color and perspective is (I think) very good for her age! She and my niece, Emily have been pen pals for the last year, and she definitely looks forward to mail coming her way! :)

Zachary is 5 years old and looks forward to entering Kindergarten next year. He loves spending time with his Daddy. In fact as I type this, he has just returned home from a long bike ride with Brian. They rode to the post office and back... a 4-mile round trip! Zachary is a beginning reader and has recently become very interested in Star Wars. I'm learning every day what it means to be the mother of a 5-year-old boy. He has a very intense personality which has both it's pluses and minuses. I pray that he will someday use his passions for good and not evil. :)

Cadenne is doing marvelously! She is nearly 3.5, and has gone almost a year and a half without any surgeries or meds! She still sees the nephrologist every 6 months to monitor her smaller kidney, which isn't really growing much. It doesn't cause her any issues, though. I'm at an interesting point with her. It seemed like in the first couple of years, I couldn't look at her without remembering everything she'd been through. Now, I'm catching myself going almost a whole day without thinking about it even once. She's doing that well. It's not that I forget what a miracle she is... it's that if I don't see the scars, I forget that she actually had a rougher start than any of the other kids. Speaking of her scars, she refers to them as her "pwetty, pwetty scaws." I, too, think they're beautiful, and I hope that she always thinks so, too. They tell a beautiful story! She is finally on the charts in weight, too! We're excited about that, after having struggled to get weight on her.

My cousin, Susan, moved in with us in July, and it has been so fun to have her here. I think we all have forgotten what life was like "before Susan." :) The kids enjoy having "Susan dates" to places such as the library, PetSmart (to visit the kitties) and Disneyland. (annual passes) Susan and I have begun a little Ebay business together, and we are having fun learning that as well as making a little extra money. (It has served as a little fund raiser to help us raise some money for our church's new youth room, too!)

Brian is still enjoying his job with the city of Orange. He is once again on light duty, due to having one of the plates in his arm removed. (From his motorcycle accident in November 2009.) We all enjoy his schedule with this job, as he's home every day by 4:00 and has most Fridays off! He is traveling to Sacramento for work in a couple of weeks, and I am excited to be able to go with him! Susan is graciously taking the kids for the week! (Pray for her! hehehe)

Check back tomorrow for more news on our next adventure!

It's good to be back! :)

Silliness with Dr. Suess

2010-05-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

"Just suppose you had no nose! Then you could never smell a rose... or pie, or chicken a la king. You'd never smell a single thing."

Early to bed...

2010-05-03T18:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is only ten after six, but I sent Zach to bed because... well... he needed to be there. Cadenne just put herself to bed just because. Anyone see me protesting??? NOPE!

Opening Day!

2010-05-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

I think I forgot to mention that Karissa is on a baseball team through the city of Buena Park this year! Today was her first game. The rules are a little bit different. The kids get 5 pitches. They can call "time" if they have control of the ball and are in the infield. This means that the runners can no longer advance.

She had a great game! For a kid who has never played before, I was pretty impressed! She hit the ball every time she got up to bat! She did a pretty good job fielding the ball, too!

I kept threatening to stand up and say, "That's my BABY GIRL" every time she got up to bat. I refrained, though one time I said it loud enough to get a grin out of her. :) I will post pictures!

A few Cadenne-isms

2010-04-20T12:27:00.000-07:00

1) I'm in trouble. Just heard Cadenne practicing the phrase, "But it's not my fault" over and over again. She wasn't talking to anyone or referring to a situation. Just a random phrase. Where do they get this stuff?!?

2) I think Cadenne has a ''short complex.'' When she hears anyone so much as utter the word "baby," whether directed at her or not, she makes a point of saying, "I not a baby. I'm a KID."

More sickies!

2010-04-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

Now CADENNE is sick. UUUGH.. She's reminding me every ten minutes, "I siiiiiiick." I have a stethoscope, and so far her lungs are clear.... Such is life with four children. They seem to tag team it!

An original composition...

2010-04-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

So today on Facebook, I asked everyone for ideas on how to get a four-year-old boy to stop singing a song that he made up. In context, Zachary's new song was fine. In public, however, it would make people scratch their heads and wonder what on earth was going on in our house!

We had just been reading a book about beavers.

His song: (sing it to the tune of "Skip to My Lou")

Beaver, Beaver

Dam, Dam, Dam

Beaver, Beaver

Dam, Dam, Dam

Beaver, Beaver

Dam, Dam, Dam

I like your Beaver Dam, YEAH!

Such talent.

Edited to add Video: (unfortunately, the tune had completely mutated by the time we got it on video, but nonetheless, he's been singing it nonstop!)

Without further ado.....

Cadenne funny...

2010-04-11T18:46:00.000-07:00

Cadenne just proclaimed, ''I'm a patient person.'' I'm not sure if that's commentary on us (that we're so very difficult to endure) or if she has just developed a new character trait! haha

New family pastime?

2010-04-07T19:53:00.000-07:00

We've been looking for some fun things to do as a family that would be free or close to free. Brian found this online, and we thought we would give it a try! It is "geocaching." Basically, someone hides a box somewhere and uses a GPS device to log the exact location. Then they post the coordinates online for people to use to find the box. When you find the box, you sign a log, and then report online that you found it. Some boxes have a trinket inside that you can exchange for something of equal or greater value.

This is similar to something called "letterboxing," where you use clues to find a hidden box. A letterboxer usually has a stamp that they stamp into the log once they find it. Typically it is a hand-made or at least custom-designed stamp that is unique to them. We only did this once, and then my seizure/Cadenne's diagnosis came, and life went crazy for awhile!

We actually attempted to find 4 geocaches tonight, and were successful with 2. The kids were so excited! We will definitely do it again!

Easter with the McDaris Family

2010-04-04T22:13:00.000-07:00

The loooooot!

Having fun on the trip to Grandma's house!

She can hardly wait!

Cute grin!

My big girl!
Poor Abby is putting on a happy face... she really isn't feeling 100% yet and ended up taking quite a nap in the afternoon.
A group picture ~ Cuteness!
...and goofiness!
She found one!
...and so did he!

We had one elusive egg that we couldn't find. You can't see the egg in the picture, but when Daddy finally found it in the "rough," all the kids had to come see! It somehow got deep into the grass!

Update on Abigail

2010-04-03T22:53:00.000-07:00

Abby seems to be doing better. She has a lot more energy today. (That means she only took one nap instead of four!) She also didn't have her evening fever for the first time in several days. She still sounded crackly at the doctor today, but I do think she's on the mend. I have no clue where she got this sickness! We don't know anyone who is sick. I'm guessing school! So far Cadenne has been fine. We've done or best to keep the two girls away from each other. Cadenne's had pneumonia before, but it wasn't as bad as Abby's is, and I worry that if Cadenne got it as bad as Abby, that she would need to be hospitalized. Anyway, I think things are looking up!

Sicky

2010-04-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

Abby has pneumonia... Two injections and a filled prescription later, they decided it was okay for us to go home. Her oxygen level fel as low as 87% at one point... was averaging 92%, but would go up to 95% after she coughed. Because it went up after she coughed, they let us go on the condition that she get rechecked tomorrow morning. If it hadn't done that, we would've been looking at hospitalization.

The poor thing is just miserable! She is so listless and pretty much sleeps all the time. She has lost weight from her already too-thin frame, too. Oh, and the antibiotic shots were PAINFUL! I felt really bad for her!

Please pray that she feels better soon! She SO hates missing school!

...and now for the rhythm section of the family!

2010-03-31T19:55:00.000-07:00

Look at this girl shake her booty! :)

Cadenne potty training

2010-03-29T19:53:00.000-07:00

Cadenne, sitting on the little potty, asked me to close the door so she could have some "piracy."

ARRRRRRR

Genealogy Quest

2010-03-23T07:04:00.000-07:00

Of late, I have been working on putting together our family history... investigating the stories of the lives of people that we really don't know much about. I've been poring over census records, draft registrations, birth, marriage, and death records, and many other documents in the effort to find clues to the past! I've made some pretty interesting discoveries!

One of my mom's line goes back to the Mayflower and to Edward Doty, one of the first trouble-makers in the new land. Does that surprise anyone? hehe

Another I have traced back to 5 BC... through dukes, emperors, and kings! I'm having a lot of fun. I'm a puzzle person, and this project is very much like a huge puzzle!

Happy 4th birthday, Zachary!!

2010-03-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

He's so excited that this day is finally here!

Nephrologist Visit Today

2010-03-11T21:14:00.000-08:00

Today we went to see Dr. Prime (Cadenne calls him Dr. Kind, which is rather appropriate... he has a wonderful "bedside" manner!)

We discussed the results of Cadenne's most recent kidney ultrasound. I'm ecstatic to report that Cadenne's smaller kidney has grown more than her larger kidney in the past six months. "Dr. Kind" thinks it is trying to catch up! Yeah!

Zachary funny...

2010-03-10T13:14:00.000-08:00

I was just informed by my son of the reason babies finally come out of their mommies' tummies. He says it is because their tummies start rumbling, and they say to themselves, "I'm hungry. I better get out of this place RIGHT NOW." hehe

(He also claims to remember having such a hunger and making such a decision!)

Happy 7th birthday, Abigail!

2010-03-03T08:33:00.000-08:00

My sweet girl is so grown up! She is so excited to be going to school on her birthday!

RSV shot #5...

2010-03-02T16:11:00.000-08:00

Cadenne had her next-to-last Synagis shot today! Boy was there DRAMA this month!! I was shocked! My happy-go-lucky-take-things-as-they-come" girl became a basket case while I undressed her for the scale! She calmed down while they mixed the medication and started to entertain the room a bit, but the shots... OH MY! One more, and we should be done FOREVER!

One fun thing is that one of the Synagis nurses, Abby, turned out to be a nurse that worked with Cadenne's nephrologist up until a few months ago. Abby was SO excited to see Cadenne! She actually teared up when I was telling her how well Cadenne was doing

Cadenne conversations

2010-02-27T20:18:00.000-08:00

Me: (teasing) But Cadenne, you don't like ice cream!

Cadenne: Yes I is

Socks, socks, and more socks...

2010-02-26T14:51:00.000-08:00

Someone should invent a new socking device. You know, one that keeps feet warm and not stinky, but doesn't involve socks. I cannot wait until flip flop season. Not because I long for summer or anything, but because the sock to person ratio goes waaaaaaay down. Folding socks is NO fun. NO fun.

Party!

2010-02-26T12:44:00.000-08:00

(post coming soon)

Wacky Hair Day!

2010-02-25T11:11:00.000-08:00

The kids had a wacky hair day at school... so we let our creative juices flow!

Karissa:

Abby:

Zachary funnies...

2010-02-24T07:55:00.000-08:00

Z: "Mommy, I made my bed, but the blanket still has some sprinkles in it. Would you help me get the sprinkles out, please?"

sprinkles=wrinkles

Happy Birthday, Karissa!

2010-02-23T12:27:00.000-08:00

A decade ago I was gazing at the face of my firstborn child for the very first time. These ten years have gone by SOOO quickly!

Karissa is such a fun-loving, happy-go-lucky little girl. I am so blessed to have her in my life!

Her much-waited-for party is on Friday! We will be doing a "fake slumber party!" Should be fun!

Little sicky...

2010-02-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

Cadenne has been running a fever of 103.5, and often just conks out at random times!

I took her to the doctor yesterday, and as it turns out, she has a sinus infection. Her lungs are completely clear, so at least this thing is isolated!

She's lost a pound in two weeks. She talks about being hungry all the time, but has been refusing everything after one bite. She just isn't feeling well. The only thing she will willingly eat is peanut butter. "I hun-gee. Peeduh buttuh on a 'poon?"" A kid can subsist on peanut butter, no?

Cadenne has bad 63 doctor's appointments since her initial release from the hospital, four hospital stays, and three surgeries. 41 of them were in the first year, and we're on track to cut it down by at least another half this year! Woohoo! Praise God for her good health!

Language development

2010-02-12T11:52:00.000-08:00

I think Cadenne just communicated that she has a headache. She told me she had a booboo. I asked where... she pointed to her eye (which has been sort of goopy)

I then said, "You have a booboo in your eye?"

She said, "Yesh, and head. Boo boo head. Boom, boom, boom."

Each time she said "boom" she banged on her head. I think she was trying to tell me that her head was throbbing.

Poor thing! I guess I never thought about the fact that little ones could have headaches!

Home made valentines...

2010-02-12T07:17:00.000-08:00

Someone remind me to NOT start this type of project the NIGHT BEFORE a Valentine's Day party next year!

We were an assembly line of cutting, gluing, and writing. 60 big squares, 180 folds, 180 little squares, 120 triangles. Stickers were part of the original plan, but I decided that we'd had enough insanity!

Zachary funnies...

2010-02-10T12:24:00.000-08:00

Keeping in mind that Abigail has had a lot of loose/missing teeth lately....

Z:
My toe is wriggly.
(Long Pause)
Is there a TOE fairy?

Zachary Songs #1

2010-02-08T13:00:00.000-08:00

Zachary LOVES to sing, and often, he will wake up in the morning wanting me to sing a particular song with him. This morning, I had a tough time figuring out what he wanted. He was quoting the lyrics that he knew, which happened to be only four words: "He raised heaven glove." Perplexed, I put it out to he Facebook community and asked for assistance. Within 30 minutes, we had it figured out:

Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God.

Z-man was delighted to have a singing partner once again!

Good-bye CRIB!

2010-02-05T09:48:00.000-08:00

We put the crib away for the last time this morning. Cadenne is now in a "big girl bed" and is quite pleased with herself! Though it is a little bitter, it is mostly sweet. We are so thankful for her thriving life and her continued growth!

Evidently we have a "social" eater...

2010-02-04T09:13:00.000-08:00

This morning, Zachary decided to sleep in a little bit. I made Cadenne her oatmeal, then started doing dishes leftover from last night.(Yeah, I know. Just didn't feel like doing them after dinner!) I suddenly start hearing some whimpering. I turned around and ask Cadenne what was wrong. This conversation followed:

C: "Zachy eat wif me." (insert saddest face you've ever seen...)
Me: Honey, Zachy is still sleeping.
C: (points to all the empty chairs) Peepo eat wif me. (more frown...)
Me: You want someone to eat with you?
C: Yesh.
Me: Okay, let me make my food and I'll sit down and eat with you.
C: M'kay. Day-doo, Mommy. (Happy again..)

Dishes could wait.

RSV shot #4...

2010-02-02T17:17:00.000-08:00

I took Cadenne for her fourth RSV shot today. Earlier in the day, I was upfront with her and told her we were "going to the clinic to get a shot today." As we were leaving, she looked up, poked at her leg, and said, "Shot?" I told her that yes, we were going to get a shot. We were on our way to the car, and she said, "Two shots?" She remembered! She wasn't upset about it at that point.

We arrived at the clinic. When we walked in, one of the moms asked, "Where is your son? He was sooo funny!" LOL Infamous, he is.

I got her ready to get weighed, and stood talking to another mom for a few minutes waiting for one of the nurses to have a minute to get her on the scale. After she was weighed, she turned into "little miss energy." It was a busy day at the injection clinic, so Cadenne busied herself running around and around the tables, each time tagging my hand, saying, "Tag, yo' it!" and then saying to everyone else in the room, "Na na na na na. Yo' can't ge' me!" Toward the end of the wait, she let out the occasional, "TWO shots. Wooo hoooooooooooo!" (In the high pitched girly voice.) My kid is a NUT.

Yes, she cried during the shots and afterward. I guess the brave face only gets you so far!

Halloween 1980...

2010-01-31T10:26:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine from my elementary years posted this picture on Facebook today... People tell me that Karissa looks just like me and they have a hard time believing that this picture is not her... I don't see it. What do YOU think?

Picture...

2010-01-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

Our little artist! This is her preferred position for coloring/drawing/writing. Usually her tongue is hanging out, too!

The "terrific twos" are upon us!

2010-01-22T08:22:00.000-08:00

Cadenne's new favorite phrases:

''I non't want tooooooo''

"I do self. Biiiig helpo"

and of course, the all-too-popular, "No!"

Storm watch, 2010!!

2010-01-19T10:43:00.000-08:00

The sun did not shine.
It was too wet to play.
So we sat in this house
All that cold, cold wet day.

The storms! Oh, the storms! It has been an interesting week here in Southern California. Floods. Tornado warnings. (and touchdowns) Mudslides. Little earthquakes. Thunder. Lightning. Mandatory evacuations.

My kids have never seen such weather. Rain, yes. "Water assault," as my cousin Beth aptly named it, no. I don't even think they'd seen lightning... at least not that they can remember. The news showed people kayaking in the streets of Long Beach!

Karissa's main complaint? "I don't LIKE inclement weather schedule!"

Quick one: Cadenne

2010-01-17T19:34:00.000-08:00

Cadenne just brought out a pair of Zachary's undies, INSISTING that she wear them! LOL

Ways to make a mama's heart melt!

2010-01-14T11:09:00.000-08:00

Me: I looove you, Cadenne!
C: I wuv you tooooo!
Me: I love you three!
C: I wuv you fo'!
Me: I love you five!
(long pause)
C: I wuv you mo'!

Quick one: Zachary

2010-01-12T08:18:00.000-08:00

In case anyone is wondering, Zach's dump trucks now have names. One is Frank, and the other is Coco.

I have been informed that they're both boys.

2010-01-11T23:45:00.000-08:00

Cadenne LOVES to watch the Leap Frog Letter Factory movie. Unbeknownst to me, she actually was internalizing it. I happened to figure out one day as we were on our walk that she actually had learned the sounds to all of the letters. As we were walking along, there was some big green (clearly written) graffiti on the sidewalk that said "ASBF." She pointed to the "S" and said, "Ssssssss." Shocked, I pointed to the other letters, and in turn, she said the sounds of them, too. She knows them by sight, when you ask her, "What does a ___ say?" For about half of them, if you say the sound, she'll tell you the letter.

Here's a video... She still gets mixed up on G/J sometimes, and X is hard...The others she pretty well has down pat!!

Quick one: Cadenne

2010-01-11T20:19:00.000-08:00

Cadenne: "Hot chockit? Dwink it? Ahkay!!!!"

Quick one: Zachary

2010-01-07T12:35:00.000-08:00

Upon being informed that he had a giant booger in his nose, Zachary's face lit up and he said, "I want to seeeee it."

Then as he RAN back to the bathroom, he pumped his arm and said "YESSSSSS!"

Quick one: Zachary

2010-01-06T10:36:00.000-08:00

Zachary is on a roll...
He wanted to watch "Rescue Heroes," so I asked him if he promised he would play with me after he watched the show.

He said he needed a kiss first, gave me a kiss,and then gave the thumbs up signal and said, "You're ON!" Goofy boy.

RSV shot #3...

2010-01-05T13:25:00.000-08:00

So my kids continue to entertain at these appointments. This time, though, apparently Cadenne's comedy act was over, and it was time for Zachary to take over. I wouldn't normally think that these appointments would be worth a blog post each month, but the stories crack me up! I just needed to preserve them!

From the time we entered the room, Zachary had a bouquet of questions....

What is that?
Why are you doing that?
Why do you have to weigh the babies?
Why do you use a needle?
Why is the needle so big?
Why do the babies cry?
Why do you have to hurt them?
Who is she?
Where do you live?
What kind of car do you have?

....and so on and so on. He was literally rattling off questions back to back. The other moms in the room and the nurses were laughing hysterically because each of the questions was so random!

Just when I thought he'd asked the last possible question, he starts looking over where the nurse is sitting, wrinkles his little forehead, and says, "Why are you checking your e-mail right now?" The other nurses started cracking up, saying, "YEAH! Why ARE you checking your e-mail right now? Don't you have work to do?"

Cadenne did fine with the shots this time. Nowhere near as dramatic as last time! :)

Quick one: Zachary

2010-01-05T11:00:00.001-08:00

Only MY children would notice that the string cheeses are numbered.

Zach: Mommy, can I have the highest number? (the ones in my hand were 5-8)
Me: "You can have the 8."
Z: "Is that the highest?"
Me: Yes.
Z: "What number are you giving Cadenne?"
Me: 7.
Z: I LOVE 7s. Can I have that one?

...then later:
I asked him how his "7" was, and he said, "Oh, I decided to keep the 8." Crazy kid.

Oh, and I've just been informed, and I quote, "Well, you are the Mommy and you can decide you want me to do it if you want."

Quick one: Zachary

2010-01-05T11:00:00.000-08:00

I have the sweetest little guy!

We were leaving the grocery store, and Zachary ran up to open Cadenne's door for me to get her in. Then while I was strapping her in, he ran around to open his door, then ran back to open my door. I thanked him and said he could go get into his seat.

Z: "I'm waiting for you to get in so I can close the door for you."
Me: "Well that is so gentlemanly. Did you learn that by watching Daddy?"
Z: "Yes, but Daddy isn't here, so I hafta do it." ♥ ♥ ♥

I know, I know...

2010-01-03T12:19:00.000-08:00

I haven't been good at keeping this here thing up to date. I think my brother is right. Facebook is so much more convenient for the quick every day posts.

This past weekend has been really hard. Our friends, Kevin and Teresa Gaynor, said good-bye to their precious baby, Averi, at 28 days old. Averi was born with the same defect as Cadenne had at birth, and fought just as hard as she did. We prayed so hard for this little one... as if she were our own. I hung on every text message and Facebook update for those 28 days. Though she was here only for a short time, the Lord used her to accomplish much in the lives of those who loved and cared about her. Families have been strengthened and people have been changed. Such a legacy.

Averi is with Jesus now, but leaves behind a heartbroken Mommy, Daddy, brothers, and sister. Please keep them in your prayers.

Yesterday was her memorial service. Brian and I had the privilege of working on a slideshow celebrating beautiful Averi's life. I know a lot of you were praying for them throughout this. I thought I'd share this with you.

Sad news...

2009-12-29T11:51:00.000-08:00

I'm heartbroken to report that Averi Hope Gaynor passed away yesterday. She is safe in the arms of Jesus. Please pray for her family... Kevin, Teresa, Alex, Kylie, and Ian. May they feel peace and comfort in these coming days which will be so difficult.

Brian, the kids, and I will be making the trip to Northern California for the memorial service.

Merry Christmas! :)

2009-12-25T14:49:00.001-08:00

In our family, we have the 3 gift tradition. Each of the kids get one gift for "fun," one clothing gift, and one gift that will help them learn more about God. It helps us to keep limits on things so that we don't get out of control! (Of course it still took 2 hrs to open because of grandparent gifts, aunt/uncle gifts, and gifts to each other... oh, and IMMEDIATE needs for wardrobe changes. (ahem, Zachary & Cadenne...)

Seeing what's in the stocking!!

Zachary's first "Webkinz"

Brian read the Christmas story out of the Jesus Storybook Bible. (HIGHLY recommend this Bible! No watered down messages there! The above website has a different story every week on "video.") Notice the Lego manger scene created by my creative children. My favorite part is the shepherd and wise men bowing down. (Even though I know that the wise men weren't really there....)

Karissa with her new book: Passion Hymns for a Kid's Heart. It is a devotional for kids that also comes with a CD! She is going to be working with me to teach the family some new hymns!
Barbie clothes for Abby...
Cadenne's first wardrobe change. She got a lot of clothes for Christmas, and every single time she opened something up, she wanted to put it aawwwwwwnnnnn.
Her little "MP3 player." Ok--so it plays 4 different classical pieces, but she thinks it's an iPod. LOL
Zachary with his Army set...
Roller Blades!!!
Karissa with everything she got...
Abby...
Zachary...
Cadenne...

Video: Cadenne vs. In-n-Out

2009-12-22T23:12:00.000-08:00

:) She actually finished the majority of the insides of this burger, believe it or not!

No-TV week...

2009-12-21T12:24:00.000-08:00

We declared this past week a "TV-free" week. With all the sickness in the house, the kids haven't felt much like doing anything... so I got really lax about allowing TV. Typically they watch about 30 min-1 hr a day, and I could see that all the extra TV was causing problems when it came to try to get them back into the normal swing of things. We thought that if we took it away altogether for a week, that the 1-2 show a day thing would be easier for them.

When Zachary was told about this plan at the beginning of the week, he proclaimed, (very dramatically, of course!) "Well NOW you've just broken.my.heart."

I'm happy to say that no one died. No one went into convulsions. By day 3, there was really no "battle." We played games, baked, played together. It was fun!

(And Mommy and Daddy had the TV off all week too, although it really wasn't planned that way. There was nothing to watch! LOL)

Quick one: Zachary

2009-12-17T08:14:00.000-08:00

Murphy's law...

1) The ONE day that I have to be somewhere (at Abby's school to help with their gingerbread houses...) the younger two decide to sleep in.

2) The ONE day that he can *make* a gingerbread house, Zach declares, "I don't WANT to make a gingerbread house. Candy isn't healthy for you."

Yes, I'm glad he listens to me, but this is making the morning very difficult!!!

Cadenne's newest phrase...

2009-12-12T23:33:00.000-08:00

She's been saying "Okey dokey" in a sing-songy little voice all morning! Too cute!

Karissa Super Saturday

2009-12-12T12:32:00.000-08:00

date saving post...

Try NOT to smile at this! ツ

2009-12-10T19:35:00.000-08:00

I didn't take her for 2-yr pics... so I just decided to take them myself. Here are the many faces of Cadenne Hope!

Just something beautiful

2009-12-10T07:40:00.000-08:00

RSV shot #2...

2009-12-08T13:25:00.000-08:00

So last month, when she got this shot, she merely looked at me with her lip out and said "hoort me," followed by DAYS of proclaiming, "Dotter hoort me" while pointing to the site of her shot.

This time, she was fully aware once we went into the room of what was going to happen. She had that "concerned" look on her face as she looked around and asked why this baby or that baby was there. When it came time for her shot, she had the "look of dread" on her face. After watching all of the other babies get their shots, she knew that she was likely there for the same reason. I think it was in that moment that she started planning her response.

After the shot, I got her dressed and told her it was time to go. She got off of my lap, walked straight over to the very nurse that had administered her shot, pointed at her, and said, "You HOORT me." She then crossed her arms, stuck her lower lip waaaaaay out, and put her head down. It was everything I could do to not laugh at her, and the nurse told her she was sorry while scrambling to find a sticker for her. She finally found it and gave Cadenne a grape smelly sticker. Cadenne took it, looked at the nurse, smiled, and said, "Dat doo! Bye bye!" (Dat-doo = "Thank you")

Hey, at least she doesn't hold a grudge!

Tired out birthday girl...

2009-12-06T23:40:00.000-08:00

She refused to take her new jacket off... :)

Happy 2nd birthday, Cadenne!

2009-12-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

Our little miracle is officially two! We had very low-key festivities at Grandma's house. Here are some pictures of her day!

First, our new 2-yr-old asserted herself as she saw all of her siblings eating an apple "whole." She wouldn't hear of having hers cut up!

Sibling picture/goofiness!

So I'm not Duff.

But my little girl doesn't care one bit! She loves me for who I am! heehee

A little taste...

A big taste....

OK, so it was a reaaaalllly big taste!

This is the LIFE!

Present time!
She's SOOO excited about clothes! (Yes, she's a GIRL)
The angle on her face isn't great, but if you look closely, you can see that she's grinning from ear to ear! (She's actually SQUEALING with delight in this pic!)
Big brother helping her learn how to ride her trike...
and the new jacket that she would SLEEP in if we let her. (No joke.)

The stacking and unstacking game...

2009-12-03T13:45:00.000-08:00

This kept her occupied for more than 20 minutes. She'd stack them as high as they'd go, then take them off the top and start another stack. On and on and on.

The things that fascinate them!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T12:52:00.000-08:00

We had a nice time with my parents and aunt up in Dunnigan, CA for Thanksgiving. It was nice to just be together and relax! My mom needed new pictures on the wall of the older three kids, so we went ahead and took some...

On Friday we went up and spent some time with my brother, sister-in-law, nieces, and brand new nephew! What fun to get all EIGHT kids together! Even more fun trying to get all 8 kids to look at the camera at the same time! LOL

On Saturday,we had time to get together with Kevin and Teresa Gaynor (an expecting CDH mom... we went to the same church in jr high/high school) and hubby today... We enjoyed our time with them and hope to be a supportive encouragement to them in the weeks to come. Please pray for the whole family and baby Averi as they're about to start the journey we began almost exactly two years ago!

All of the relaxation of course lead to the dreaded inevitability of......

Thanksgiving traffic!

Ridiculous. A 6.5 hr trip turned into 10.5 hours. At one point we were absolutely STOPPED on the freeway... as in we could've had the emergency brake on... for a good 15 mins. Drivers are a lot ruder when there's a lot of traffic on the road. It is baffling to me when they just presumably spent the past few days being THANKFUL. Oh well. It is what it is, and we are home safely... albeit exhausted, but safely nonetheless!

Still, someone remind me that the Sunday after Thanksgiving is not a day I want to be anywhere close to the road! LOL

11th anniversary!

2009-11-21T13:09:00.000-08:00

Today, Brian and I celebrate our 11th anniversary! It's so hard to believe it's been that long! Wow!

Happy Anniversary, Brian! I love you even more today than I did on that day in 1998!

Post-Surgical appointments...

2009-11-19T20:14:00.000-08:00

Both Brian and Cadenne had their surgical follow-ups today. Cadenne has been given the free and clear. She doesn't have to return unless we have a problem! Surgeon said she looked great, and in fact joked with us about how "his" incision looks better than the other Kaiser doctor's incision. A little friendly camaraderie, I guess!

Brian's went well, too. The surgeon is very pleased with how his arm looks. He got his stitches out, but still needs to be careful about not using it to lift things.

Quick one: Karissa

2009-11-15T13:19:00.000-08:00

This morning Karissa got a little bee in her bonnet and decided to make pancakes for us for breakfast. She did a pretty good job. They were a little thick. She gets an "A" for effort and enthusiasm. Of course we ate every last one. :)

RSV Shot #1 & A couple of Cadenne health notes...

2009-11-10T23:11:00.000-08:00

First, we found out that Cadenne was going to be getting the RSV shots again this year. Initially we were told that she wouldn't be because she is too old. I was so happy to get the letter in the mail the other day saying that it had been approved! This is not a vaccine. It is a medication that protects preemies and kids born with certain defects from developing complications from a very common virus that is (in normal children) very benign.

They dose this medication according to weight. Cadenne had her first "naked" weigh-in today in a long time. She is 22lbs, 13oz! This of course meant that she had to have TWO shots! She was little miss sunshine when waiting in the room, but her entertainment came to a sudden end when they administered the shots. Poor thing! She cried immediately, then stuck her lower lip out as far as it would go, looked me in the eye, and said, "Hoort me." It was the saddest thing ever For the rest of the day she kept saying, "Dotter hoort." She's always been a trooper at the doctor before, so hopefully this experience hasn't changed that!

We also had a repeat ultrasound of the kidneys done. She has this done every three months to track the growth (or lack thereof) of the left kidney. Of course the technician isn't allowed to say anything, but I could see that there is still a big discrepancy between the two kidneys. When the tech was doing the measurements, I could see that she found the right kidney right away and that it measured 4.5 cm x 3 cm. When she switched to the left side, she had a very difficult time finding it. Part of this is due to the fact that all of her anatomy is messed up. We had to have her turn on her side and then on her tummy to find the kidney, and when she found it, it measured 3.7 cm x 1.7 cm. She also measured a gland (?) in the center of the kidney, and the right side was double in size compared to the left. I don't remember what her previous measurements were, so I'll have to wait to hear from the doctor.

Halloween!

2009-10-31T23:18:00.000-07:00

There were lots of festivities today! We went to the local mall for free facepainting, balloon twisting, story time, movie, & popcorn... It was really fun! The face painting was amazing, and the balloon twister was pretty talented, too!

The following were taken on my cell phone, so not the best! Story time!
Zach's painting...
Abby's...

We came home to make caramel apples together...lots of sticky fun! In the evening we headed to church for a fun night of pizza, crafts, learning about the reformation, and fun sharing costumes with friends.

Ninja Karissa (She had a "hand" painting earlier rather than a "face" painting.)

Abby the fairy.... She of course wanted her bangs up so that she could see the painting on her forehead!

Zachary as the black and white Spider Man (We couldn't find the traditional costume anywhere!) Incidentally, for those of you who remember him declaring that he wanted to be Spiderman when he grows up, he's now declared that he can't be Spiderman because he already pretended to be him for Halloween. His current career dream is to be Batman. His subsequent question was, "Mommy, who is Batman?" LOL

We taught her to make a little scrunchy bunny face. It's an improvement upon the "meowing" that she was doing when we first put the costume on! :)

And of course a bunny needs her carrots...

Finally, went to Biola to Trick or Treat in the dorms! Holy candy, Batman... I think we should've gone through with just 1 kid! Seriously... We came home with 7.2 pounds of candy! Yikes!

Cadenne's age is always so interesting to watch trick or treat. At first she had no clue. She had her little basket. The first time someone gave her a piece of candy, she threw the basket down and started opening up the candy. She was done and satisfied. Five minutes later, she knew EXACTLY how this deal worked and diligently walked up and down the dorm floors saying please and signing thank you. She's serious about her work:

The theme for the event was "Candyland," and each of the floors adopted a different Candyland character, and there was a door decorating contest. Here's one example...from the "Gramma Nut" floor. This door took Veggie Tales and adapted the veggies into nuts...
Little bunny's tail...
The loot....

Fashion Disaster Day

2009-10-29T18:03:00.000-07:00

As with all schools, the student body occasionally has fun "spirit" days that the kids can participate in... usually by wearing something whacky.

Today was "Fashion Disaster Day." As the name implies they were to don clothes that were absolutely ridiculous together. The girls had a blast putting their outfits together, and I'm proud to say that I was in charge of hair. :)

Just for fun, I dressed Cadenne up similarly to surprise the girls. She definitely had the sense that we were doing something really silly, and had fun doing it!

The unfortunate thing is that the girls were two of a total of THREE people participating! They were bummed that more people didn't do it, and felt a little silly being dressed that way when no one else did. They still had fun, though! :)

Sickness abounds, and Wellness abounds still more!

2009-10-27T16:41:00.000-07:00

These past 3-4 weeks have been full of sick kids. Of course they didn't all get sick at the same time, or even with the same thing. Zachary had croup the first week. Then Abby had a horribly high fever for about five days. Toward the end of the five days, Karissa got a fever for a couple of days. The three of them were better, and then of course Cadenne comes down with something!

Because the other kids had been sick, I have been really diligent about taking her temperature every hour on the hour. She literally went from 98 point something to 102 point something in about an hour. That brought about the scariest moment I've had at home as a parent. She started crying out in the middle of her nap, and it was not her normal cry. I went back to check on her, and she was laying perfectly still, yet surrounded by a clear liquid. Her hair was soaked. I wasn't sure if she had been sweating or had thrown up or what. It had no odor, so I determined that it was saliva. It wasn't that that alarmed me, though. She was not acting right. I picked her up, and she was completely stiff and unresponsive. Thinking that she'd likely had a febrile seizure, I gave her a minute or so, but she still didn't perk up. I decided to call 9-1-1. At that time, I didn't know what I was dealing with and whether these types of seizures can be harmful. (Now I know that they normally aren't... and that it was likely the quick spike that caused it... not that the fever was all that high.)

So the paramedics came out and pretty much confirmed that I did the right thing, told me to keep the fever down, etc. etc. It was scary! The next day we took her to the doctor where it was confirmed that she did have Influenza A. (They don't test for the swine flu unless the person is hospitalized, but our pediatrician said that given Abby's symptoms the week prior, it is almost certain that she had the bacon fever, as we call it around here...) Anyway, she did fairly well with it, considering her medical history!

The great news is that we went back to the nephrologist today, and her blood pressure was GREAT. As a result, the doctor removed "hypertension" from her list of "current" diagnoses! I love that they're dropping like flies! :) I need to follow up with getting another ultrasound done on her hyperplastic dysplastic kidney, and we'll probably have those every 3 months to monitor its condition.

No more OT

2009-10-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

With some sadness we said goodbye to Carol, Cadenne's wonderful OT earlier this week. She has been such a blessing to us, and we are so thankful that she is the one that was matched up with Cadenne! Cadenne loves her! It is amazing to us to remember where Cadenne was developmentally when she first started OT compared to where she is now! According to Carol's report she is completely caught up with every area ahead by a couple of months in a few areas, and ahead by 6 months in one area.

There is no way I would've been able to come up with a gift that would've been able to properly thank her, so we worked on making a card in the form of an "explosion book." The girls wrote notes to her, Zachary dictated one to me, and we put Cadenne's handprint on the back. It was fun to make!

THANK YOU, CAROL! :)

Don't feed the Monkeys!

2009-09-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

SO... We woke up this morning and literally had nothing to eat for breakfast. This thankfully wasn't out of poverty and lack of ability to keep our kitchen stocked. Just a byproduct of sheer laziness and a busy weekend to boot. Plus, those who know me well know that I like to play this little game with myself called "refrigerator limbo." (How low can you go? How creative can you get with meals before you absolutely HAVE to go to the store?)

Seeing as the kids wouldn't be gung ho about eating ketchup for breakfast, (well maybe Cadenne would, but ewwwww) I got dressed, had Zachary get dressed, and got them into the car to head to the grocery store at 7:30.

I'm not sure what I was expecting at that hour. I think I thought it would somewhat resemble a ghosttown. ...That maybe it would be a few business people dropping in to grab some nasty potato salad at the last minute to take to some work potluck. But that was not the case. There were actually a LOT of people there!

"GREAT!" I thought. Now my kids are usually fairly well behaved. The grocery store, though, is special to them. It is that place that brings out the "not so best" in them, if you know what I mean. It is normally just a bit more chaotic than I am comfortable with, so I was anticipating that times ten, as I was now bringing two children to the store that had not even been FED. I braced myself for it, resolving to be extra patient and understanding.

You know what? They were little angels the entire time. Zach was cheerful and talkative. Cadenne was going back and forth between giggling and sucking her fingers. They were pleasant and "helpful." We actually had more fun in the grocery store than we have ever had before. Maybe I should "not feed" them more often!!

I've added a new link in the CDH blog section...

2009-09-10T12:37:00.001-07:00

Someone who attended the same youth group as I did in high school is pregnant, and her baby was just diagnosed with CDH. Please join me in praying for baby Averi and her parents, Kevin & Teresa, as they begin this phase of learning what is to come.

It is very strange for me as I think about the CDH statistics... They say 1 in 2000 or 1 in 2500 babies have this defect. A few months ago, a granddaughter of a family in my parents' church was born with it, and about a week ago, I found out about Averi. That makes 5 babies (including Cadenne) that are either friends or friends of friends of mine that have been born with this. It seems weird that I know of 5 in my limited circle, yet I don't know anywhere close to 10,000 or 12,500 babies.

I am grateful for the opportunity to help others through this process, though. It definitely makes everything we went through with Cadenne have purpose. Anyway, the link on the side is Averi G. if you would like to follow her story. Thanks!

6 of 6: First day of school

2009-09-08T22:06:00.000-07:00

Note: If you go to the "1 of 6" post, you'll see the general update!

Another note: (or question, rather....) Are you happy, Mom? Heehee

This year, Abigail is in 1st grade, and Karissa is in 4th! As is our tradition, I made homemade muffins for breakfast. This year was "Cinnamon Streusel." YUM! Everyone gets them, school age or not! :)

The girls in front of Abby's classroom... all ready to go!

Karissa started off in one class for the first two days of school, but there was a mix up in paperwork, and when they got it straight, they realized that Karissa had qualified for the GATE program. This necessitated a teacher switch. Because of the mono, she has yet to actually spend a day in that classroom! Hopefully Thursday!

5 of 6: Just some random pictures!

2009-09-08T21:57:00.001-07:00

A little brother-sister love.....

Cadenne playing with Carol, her occupational therapist! Seldom is Zachary NOT in on the game.
This is the new silliness that Cadenne has discovered. She actually likes to do this on the couch so she can watch TV through her legs. I haven't been able to catch that on camera yet, though! She's soooo funny! (In case anyone's wondering why she's always in a diaper.... it was HOT this summer! Hey--it's the only time in her life that it will be socially acceptable to run around naked!)

4 of 6: Swimming with friends!

2009-09-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

Throughout the summer on Wednesdays, we were invited to some friends' neighborhood pool, where the kids swam with lot of kids from church, and everyone ate. The kids looked forward to it every week, and we looked forward to some adult conversation with good friends! :)

Perfect sized pool for little Z-man, who by the way, is going to be Spiderman when he grows up.

3 of 6: 4th of July

2009-09-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

4th of July weekend, we went to a church picnic. After getting ready, I took the opportunity to take some "19 month old" pictures of Cadenne: (I think if you click you can see more details. Not sure.)

Here are some random pictures of the picnic and of "firework fun with Daddy!"

All tired out!

2 of 6: Swimming Lessons

2009-09-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

In the first 4 weeks of summer, Abby and Karissa took swimming lessons. Believe it or not, for those who knew me (and my family), this was their first time being enrolled! Karissa flew through 4 levels, and Abby passed 1. (She is a little more fearful of water) Both girls struggled to float. Hopefully next year, Zachary can take lessons, too!

Here are each of the girls waiting for their turns. This particular school divides the classes with lane lines, and the beginner classes each take one end of the pool. They put these stands a certain distance away so that the kids can sit and wait for the teachers.

The last day of the class, all of the classes get together and play, "What time is it, Mr. Shark? Some of the teachers are sharks, and when they say, "3:00," the kids have to take three steps. When the kids get closer, the answer to their question is eventually "LUNCH TIME!" and the teachers turn around and try to catch the kids as they swim back to the side of the pool. Kids who are caught become "sharks."

Finally! Post 1 of 6: Update

2009-09-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

I know haven't been around lately, and that certain people (ahem, MOM) have been bugging me to do a post for the longest time. It's pretty sad that the last post was Abby's kinder graduation, and she started first grade last Thursday. I'll do a quick update and then do a few posts with billions of pictures from our summer. Please don't hold me to that, Mom. It's called hyperbole. Oh wait, you're familiar. ☺

Cadenne is doing GREAT. Her nephrologist just took her off of her blood pressure medication a few weeks ago, and so far, so good! She is continuing to grow and develop right on schedule... so much so, in fact, that she does not qualify to continue with occupational therapy! We only have one more session. While we're thrilled that Cadenne is doing this well, it is kind of sad for us to be saying good-bye to Carol, who has become part of our extended family.

Zachary enjoyed having his sisters home this summer. He, too, is doing well. We've been working hard with him at bedtime. Ever since Cadenne came home from the hospital, he's been an "uneasy" sleeper, and he's had a really hard time settling himself down. During a visit to Grandma and Papa's house, we discovered that he really likes this pillow mist stuff that my mom has. We're going on 4 consistent weeks of happy bedtime! YAY! Those of you on Facebook know that he had an accident with his finger a few weeks ago in which he partially severed the pinky finger of his left hand. It was reaaalllly ugly. An ER visit, 6 stitches, and 10 days later, it is looking pretty good. He has lost his fingernail, but other than that, it'll be just fine!

Abby has had a nice, even-keeled summer. No injuries, no sicknesses! She has become an AVID reader. She will plow through 4 chapter books ("Magic Treehouse" and "Petal Fairies" books are among her favorite!) in one day! I think she's planning on giving her sister a run for her money in the reading department. She started school on Thursday and has Miss Hagmann as a teacher. She has been talking about being in Miss Hagmann's class since she was three years old, so she is very excited that it's finally happened!

Karissa has had a couple of bumps in the road this summer... During her first week of swimming lessons, she rebroke her front tooth. (Yeah, she's talented.) This meant that she had to get a crown put on it. I was sort of sad to see her lose her adult tooth at the age of nine, but they really did a great job matching it. She was just diagnosed with mono on Saturday... two days after school started. She's been pretty sick the last few days, but we are hopeful that she will be able to go back on Thursday.

I think that's it.... I'll post a bunch of pics and do posts with them, as well. I have a lot of catching up to do!!

Signed in for another post....

2009-06-18T09:10:00.001-07:00

But this conversation was occurring just as I was starting the post, so I scrapped it started typing this as it played out:

Z: I want to be the king of the house.

K: You can't be the king. Daddy is the king.

A: Daddy is the BEST king. You can be a prince!

Z: I don't WANT to be the prince! I want to be the KING!

A: You're a little boy. Little boys can be princes. Princes are handsome. Much more handsome than females.

Z: But I want to be KING.

A: Kings have to wear itchy stuff. Do you like to wear itchy stuff?

Z: No.

A: Then you don't want to be king. Their stuff is REALLY itchy!

...conversation continued with Zachary insisting that he wants to be King.

Eh, son... NOT gonna happen!

Post 4: Abby has "graduated" from kindergarten!

2009-06-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

We went to a very simple ceremony for the kindergarten graduation of Abby's class. After they walked in, the teacher welcomed us and said, "There's no pomp and circumstance for this one since that is for high school and college graduations!" I rather appreciated that, as I remembered from my middle school days, and the huge controversy that surrounded the promotion. There was debate about whether we should have worn caps and gowns. I remember one mother moaning about "this could be my child's last graduation," and thinking how utterly SAD it was. Way to give your kid something to work toward! UGH! Anyway, that said, I think sometimes kindergarten "graduations" are a little... okay, a lot... overdone. Just a little pet peeve of mine. But this one was perfect!

It was held in the library, and on each table was a program and a little letter from Mrs. Corbett. You can feel free to skip over this part if you want. I just wanted to type it in so that it is in some way preserved!

Dear Parents,

I give you back your child, the same child you confidently entrusted to my care in September. I give your child back pounds heavier, inches taller, months wiser, and more mature than before our year together. It has been my privilege to watch personalities unfold day by day and marvel at the splendid miracle of each child's development. I have thrilled at each new achievement, each new success, and each new expansion of self. I give your child back reluctantly for, having spent months of times together in the narrow confines of our classroom, we have grown close, having become a part of each other.

Ten years from now, if we meet on the street, your child and I, a light will spring to our eyes, a smile to our lips, and we shall feel that bond of understanding once more. We have lived, loved, laughed, learned, enriched, and intertwined our lives together this year.

Remember that I shall always be interested in each child. I'll be most happy to share in all the joys and sorrows of what the future has to bring.

Love,

Mrs. Corbett

Here are the kindergardeners after they sat in their seats. Luckily our girl was put in the front! :)

Waving to mom... a little "deer in the headlights..."
Listening...
Singing a medley of nursery rhymes for the parents. Here it is "Pease Porridge cold..."
Clapping for classmates as they receive their certificates...
After receiving her certificate...
Chanting the "First grade Bugaloo" (I have a shy one who won't boogie in front of people. Wonder where she gets that from?!?)
Afterward they had a reception with food and drink, and time to take pictures. Here is her perfect attendance award that was missing the other day...
...with Mrs. Corbett. Abby made the card that Mrs. Corbett is holding. It's a painting that says, "Me and my (title) teacher." No idea what (title) means. LOL She decorated the outside with things representing what she had learned this year.
Abby and Mommy...
Abby and Daddy...
Our NEW 1st grader!!!

Post 3: Park FUN!

2009-06-12T15:37:00.000-07:00

Since the awards assemblies are pretty much "boring" for the younger two, I thought I'd let them play at the park for a little while. Tons of pictures, and I won't do too much explaining!

Guess who's learning to climb UP the slide?

Meet the world's newest daredevil!
Is that a little finger chub we are starting to see? A different kind of dimple?
Climber....
... vs Climber
Sand Hater...
... vs Sand Hater
Up....
"Gotta go..."
"Seriously! Later, Mom."
"What? I do not yet have autonomy?"
"OK, I guess I can come back and grace you with my presence!"
...and that's our trip to the park! :)

Post 2: Karissa's & Abby's award assemblies.

2009-06-12T15:07:00.001-07:00

Wednesday was a very busy day. I got the girls off to school by 7:15, got the younger two ready to go out, and walked to the school for Karissa's awards assembly, which started at 8:50. We walked home, hung out for a few minutes, and then went BACK to the school for Abby's awards assembly, which was at 10:20! I took Cadenne and Zachary to the park for a little while (see next post!) and then returned to the school to pick Abby up at 12:20!

These were the trimester/year awards. I didn't get pictures of everything, and some of them, due to distance and lighting, didn't turn out very well, but they'll do! :)

Here's Karissa waiting for the assembly to start:

Perfect attendance... In actuality, she didn't have perfect attendance, which is likely why she has this befuddled look on her face! I know she missed one day, and I only remember it because she agonized over the decision to stay home because she'd miss her perfect attendance award. In the end, she decided to stay home because she was feeling just that bad. I did bring the mistake to the attention of the teacher, but she said the office must've goofed, and she wasn't gonna take it away. (Which Karissa and I would've been fine with!)
This is her gold medal for Accelerated Reader. She's already determined to get double gold next year now that she sees what the prize is. (Dinner at Claim Jumper)
A better shot since I could get closer!
Karissa with the school principal, Mr. K.

With her 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Sweet.
Abby sitting with her class waiting for things to start:
Getting her award from Mr. K.

"Civic Duty" award for her good choices and actions:

The better shot:
With her teacher, Mrs. Corbett, on whom, by the way, if you ask Abby, the sun rises and sets.
Ironically enough, Abby DID have perfect attendance, and she didn't get an award. She ended up getting that award today at her kindergarten graduation. :)

This is just a funny game. While the teacher took remaining pictures with the kids who received awards, she walked them over, sat them down, and said the words, "Quiet game." "What is the quiet game?" you may be asking. Well, the kid in the front is looking for a quiet person to be the next teacher. That person gets up and takes his place. Then she looks for the quiet person. On and on it goes, and they LOVE it. It's hilarious!!

Post 1: Devotional Art

2009-06-12T14:31:00.000-07:00

I am hoping to manage to get 4 blog posts done today. That means I don't have to post anymore for a whole month, right?

As part of our family devotions at night, we've been doing some fun art projects in response to the stories we've been discussing in Genesis. Here is a sampling of some of the things they have done!

These first three are based on the story of Joseph, when his father gives him a coat of many colors. His eleven brothers are jealous and end up selling their brother into slavery. They destroy the coat and bring it back to their father, making it seem as if Joseph was killed by a ferocious animal.

We gave the kids finger paint, and they painted their representation of the coat of many colors:

The older girls were much more "planning" oriented. They felt the need to draw it out first!
Cadenne got in on the fun, to. I think she has a special gift. Don't you agree? I am considering putting this one up for auction at the next art auction we hear about! :) She thinks paint tastes pretty good, too.
These next ones are playdough interpretations of the story of Joseph interpreting dreams in prison. He was put in jail because the wife of Potipher (Pharoah's official, the captain of the guard, who had purchased Joseph) accused him of "trying to be her boyfriend," but in reality, she was really just mad because Joseph refused to "be her boyfriend." (wink)

Anyway, while Joseph was in prison, God used him to interpret the dreams of two of Pharoah's former servants.

In the first, Pharoah's former cupbearer saw a vine with three branches. The vine budded, blossomed, and ripened into grapes. Pharoah's cup was in his hand, and he squeezed the juice from the grapes into it and gave it to Pharoah. The interpretation of the dream was that the cupbearer was to be restored to his former position within three days. Joseph asked that when that happened, the cupbearer would remember Joseph and speak favorably of him to Pharoah.

Here, Pharoah's baker dreamed that he had three baskets of bread on his head. The birds came and ate the bread out of the baskets. Joseph's interpretation, which indeed come to pass, was that the three baskets represented three days. Within three days, he would be hung from a tree, and the body would be eaten away by birds. Here is Karissa's albeit gruesome interpretation of that story:

Three days later was Pharoah's birthday, and on that day, both dreams came true. The baker was hanged, and the cupbearer was restored to his position. The cupbearer, of course forgot Joseph. Here is Pharoah's birthday cake, courtesy of Zachary.

The scoop on today's appointment

2009-06-08T21:48:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned on Facebook, Cadenne had a repeat renal and bladder ultrasound today to check the status of her kidneys. I thought I'd give a brief account of the appointment. Keep in mind that the techs aren't allowed to discuss what they are seeing... but I've been at this long enough to know what I'm looking at, and sort of to interpret what I'm hearing! :) BUT all of this is MY interpretation, so we'll have to wait for the radiologist to read the study. First, she did the bladder scan. She observed that Cadenne's bladder was FULL. She was able to get some pictures that she normally isn't able to get in a child of her age, but she was laying REALLY still looking at the monitor, so it made the tech's job easy! She noted a couple of "jets," and I have NO idea what those are. Some of you medical people can help with that, probably, but the tech got a pretty good shot of one of them due to Cadenne's stillness.

She then moved on to the renal scan. The right side was a piece of cake. She breezed through it pretty quickly. Moving on to the left side, she was having trouble. First off, Cadenne started to fuss... so I got out the trusty lollipop. (thanks to my friend Marissa for the idea! It completely settled her down. We could've done ANYTHING to the child, and she wouldn't have cared!)

In short, the tech was having trouble finding her left kidney. After awhile of trying, she asked me what Dr. Prime had said about her smaller kidney... whether he thought it would shrivel and go away or whether he expected it to catch up. The doctor had not covered that with me. Her last scan was for baseline purposes, so he didn't get into any of that! The tech then left to go get the report from last year's ultrasound to make sure she was looking in the right place. When she returned, she said she was. SO, she kept looking, and eventually, I heard, "Oh, THERE it is! That little thing there."

So... the shrivel question, plus the difficulty she was having finding the kidney tells me that the left side is still small, and perhaps even smaller than last year. I looked back at last year's post, and it said that the right kidney measured 6 cm, and the left was 4.2 cm. I have an appointment with the nephrologist next week to discuss the results, so I will try not to speculate much until then!

Anyway... that's it! I'll keep you informed as I learn more! Tomorrow is Cadenne's 18 month well-baby check with or regular pediatrician. I can't wait to learn how much she weighs now! :)

Abby's field trip to the zoo... LOTS of pictures!

2009-05-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

YES!! Don't fall over... I did TWO posts in one day!!! OK, revive yourselves... 3, 2, 1....

I had the privilege of accompanying Abby on her class field trip yesterday. We went to the LA Zoo! Another mom and I were put in charge of 5 kids, including our two. Piece-a-cake! Special thanks to Brian's mom for taking care of the youngest two overnight so that I was able to go. Abby thanked me several times for going, so I know that it was really meaningful for her to have me along! The weather was pretty good for the zoo, too. Not too hot (well except for the kid who had five layers... yes, FIVE layers of clothing on. But that's another story!)

Here are some pictures!

Waiting for the bus!
On the bus! Our group included the kids in the front row, Abby, and the little girl next to her!
Eating lunch to get ready for our long walk! They were saying, "cheetah" here... I think I must've taken the picture on the "ah" part of the word rather than the "chee" part!
The meerkats. Abby's theory on why they're called "meerkats" is that they dig like cats and they look like they're looking in the mirror.
We dispelled the notion that ostriches are pink.

We were the giraffe group. How cute is this picture? The kids observed that giraffes have black tongues.
Abby heard that chimps live in family groups and wondered if there was room for her. hahaha
Looking at the tiger!
Actual size of tiger paw!
Taking a rest...
IMPRESSIVE wingspan!
Mommy/daughter shot... gotta prove I was there! :)
Waiting for the bus again!
What a fun day! The teacher counted 6 sleeping kids and one sleeping parent on the way home. :)

CDH sisters!

2009-05-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we had the chance to meet up with the Nelsons. Nayeli Nelson is 7 months old, and was born with CDH like Cadenne! They were visiting from Northern California, and we were able to meet up for lunch on Sunday. It was fun to share stories and watch the girls stare at each other! :)

We look forward to getting together again soon!

Here's the whole gang! From L to R... Nayeli's grandma (sorry I forget her name, Elizabeth!), Shane, Elizabeth, Nayeli, Cadenne, me, Karissa, and my mom!

...and just the mamas & babes!

Favorite Things: Abigail

2009-05-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

For this one, I asked Abby to tell me what her favorites are!

My favorite food: Ice cream.

I see a theme developing here. My children are such health nuts.

My favorite place to go with my parents: Grandma & Papa's house

She talks year-round about the "pool" and how "lucky" Grandma & Papa are that they can go in the pool anytime they want! All of the kids love to go though... Lots of crafts, fun cooking projects, and a little extra TLC! We wish we could go more often!

My favorite toy: Barbies

My favorite colors: pink, purple, red, and blue

(and these are the exact shades. She picked them out!)

My favorite thing to do: Play on the computer

She has a cat named Silverlocks and a goose named Snowy on the online game "Webkinz."
She also enjoys playing Hoyles games for kids and TuxPaint.

My favorite TV show: Tom & Jerry

My favorite outfit:

She actually has a hard time choosing a favorite. She is my little fashionista. I have no clue where she gets it from, but I have a feeling she's gonna be the kid that is going to want to have the manicures, pedicures, etc.

My favorite song: "This little light of mine"

(This is not Abby... thought that was fairly obvious, but had to mention it! :)

Favorite Things: Zachary

2009-05-13T19:56:00.000-07:00

Second in a series of FOUR! Continuing to document the "favorite things" of each of our kids in various categories! I tried asking him, "What is your favorite _________?" But the only answers he gave were whatever he had just played with, eaten, etc. So I guess overall, he is just a fan of "the moment." But Brian and I finally put our heads together and came up with a good list of things that represent the things that Zachary loves! :)

Favorite job: Helping Daddy!

It doesn't matter how or what... if Daddy's doing it, Zachary wants in on it!

Favorite "Do-it-Himself" project: Making oatmeal

Here are some instructions just in case you want to make it at home:

Favorite reward: "Tickles." (AKA Temporary tattoos to the rest of you!)

Favorite Color: Blue
Zachary equates blue with being "boy-dy" (opposite of girly) as evidenced in his choice for his birthday cake.

Favorite outing: Knott's with Daddy!

Brian recently got a great deal on Knott's annual passes for himself and the three older kids. He alternates between taking the kids on their own and taking two at a time. Each of them get their own special time with Daddy, and Zachary LOVES to go to the "special park!"

Favorite outside activity: Riding his bicycle!

The weather has been really nice lately, so the kids have been spending a ton of time out on our driveway riding bikes. Zachary loves to have "races" with his sisters. (Gee, I wonder where he got THAT from! LOL)

I honestly think that Zachary asks for grapes every single time he goes with me to the store! :) The boy can't get enough!

Favorite dessert: Ice cream!

I don't think this needs any explanation! :)

Favorite funny face:

A video of Cadenne walking...

2009-05-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

Not her best as far as number of steps, but you can see her "almost" stand up on her own as well as take a few steps, change direction, and take a few more! She also blows kisses at the end, and I guarantee you, they are just for YOU! :)

NEWSFLASH!! This just in....

2009-04-30T20:11:00.000-07:00

We interrupt the recently scheduled series to bring you some exciting news!

Cadenne was just sitting on the kitchen floor and pushed herself up to standing without touching anything but the FLOOR! This is HUGE! Just wanted to let you all know! :)

Favorite Things: Cadenne

2009-04-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

I thought for the next 4 entries I'd share what each of the kids' favorite things are. Since the older ones, who will be part of the process, are at school, and we have to have SOME sort of order to it, I'll start with the youngest and move to the oldest!

So dear little Cadenne... hmmm... let's start with food!

Favorite FOOD~~Apples/Applesauce!
Hands down, her very very favorite thing to eat is applesauce/apples. She knows exactly where the apples are in the fridge, exactly in what container applesauce is kept, and well, let's just say that there is NOTHING wrong with her hearing! She can hear someone ~~saying~~ thinking about saying the word "apple" two rooms away! I think she would live on apples if we'd let her. :)

Favorite PLAYTHINGS~~Do siblings count?

Cadenne is a funny duck. She doesn't really play with any of her toys if the other kids are around. If they are here, she is smack dab in the middle of whatever they are playing, and seems to fully understand the gist of the game. She is now saying their names--Kess, Abby, Zat--and has learned that she can get their attention by pointing to them and yelling their names out.

Favorite PERSON (other than family, of course!)~~Carol

Carol is Cadenne's Occupational Therapist. She visits our home every Tuesday to work with Cadenne on building her core strength with the goal of having Cadenne be very controlled in her movements and ultimately walking. She will be 17 months old next week, and of those 17 months, Carol has been working with her weekly for about 13 months! Each week, Carol is greeted with a huge grin! It is fun to see her develop new skills! I just have to share a quick story from yesterday's visit! Carol always has toys with her in order to aid in therapy, and has set tasks that Cadenne is working on. When Cadenne successfully does one of her tasks, Carol will exclaim, "Good GIRL!" Well yesterday, she had said that phrase several times, and then one time, after Cadenne had performed the task, she (for whatever reason) DIDN'T say it. Cadenne stopped what she was doing, pointed at Carol, and said, "Guh GOO!" Carol cracked up!

Anyway, suffice to say that we love Carol, and it is obvious that Cadenne loves her, too. They work really well together!

I should probably insert a little update on how she is doing! She is very close to walking. She is regularly taking 4-5 steps between things and has on a couple of occasions taken up to 12 controlled steps. So we know that she can do it. I would imagine that in the next month or so we will have a walker. We also are working hard to get her to gain weight. As we've shared before, she burns a ton of calories just breathing. It is no surprise that it is going to take much more food than a typical baby eats to pack on the pounds. Everything is cooked in butter, and we add oil to almost everything! We have no other health concerns, and absolutely no "long-term" concerns. She is doing great!

Moving on....

Favorite "UNUSUAL THING FOR BABIES"~~ The hair!!!
Both of the other girls would take ponytails out of their hair three seconds after they were done. I think most babies do! Not Cadenne. These particular pigtails stayed in all day long. (The bows slipped out a couple of times, but not because she was bothering them!)

I could go on and on. She's just an all-around happy girl. She loves to be tickled (and to tickle herself), she loves to giggle, she loves to take baths, she loves to go for walks. She loves to talk on the phone, she loves to be in the nursery at church (now that RSV season is over!), and she loves ice cream. Really, I don't think there is much that she doesn't love!

So that's Cadenne. Next up: Zachary!

Our Easter Sunday

2009-04-13T20:34:00.000-07:00

He is risen!! :)

We started our Easter Sunday by closely examining what had become of our cookies! When we got up, the seal had been broken! ;) Upon closer examination, we noticed that each cookie had cracks, and when we broke them open, they were HOLLOW, signifying the empty tomb. (Incidentally, for anyone who wants to do this next year, they actually are pretty yummy!)

We then went to church, where we were blessed with a wonderful sermon by Dr. Thoennes. It isn't online yet, but when it is up, I'd encourage you to listen to it! You won't be disappointed!

We then went over to Brian's mom's house for some family time! Cadenne learned how to climb stairs...

...and apparently she's working out outwitting us. She's not quite there yet, but she has the impish grin for sure!

We then went on to have a fun Easter Egg Hunt in Grandma's backyard! A fun time was had by all!

We must've sounded like we were having fun, too, because a cute little intruder poked his head through the fence to see what was going on!

Finally had a successful attempt at getting 4 children to look at the camera at the same time! :)

Easter Story Cookies!

2009-04-11T22:50:00.000-07:00

We also made Easter Story Cookies together as a family! The above link gives a rough outline of what we did. We changed a few things, as some of the symbolism seemed off, but it will give you the idea! We read Scripture throughout the process!

We smashed the pecans with the mallet to represent Jesus being beaten by the Roman soldiers.

In this bowl are vinegar (representing the last drink Jesus took as well as the bitterness of our sin), salt (representing the tears of his followers), and egg whites (representing life), and sugar. (representing the sweetest part of the story... that Jesus loved us enough to die for us)

As we mixed this mixture, it turned bright white, representing our now clean heart as a result of Jesus' death on the cross.
We then put the nuts in the mixture and dropped teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.

We then sealed up the oven just like the soldiers did the grave, and we left them alone. The kids went to bed without having any cookies!

Zachary was especially sad about not having any cookies tonight. Brian explained to him that Jesus' followers were sad to have to leave him in the tomb as well.

To be continued tomorrow morning!