UPDATE

So here is a quick update - 

Nick - In his 6th week of classes - I could not be more proud at his determination to finish his degree. He juggles family life, work and school and makes it look effortless. 

Taylor - Just when I thought school was not helping any, she comes home and writes her name almost perfect and I cried - now, to some this is not a big deal, but MY daughter can write her name. She is doing something on time and for that I am grateful. We have dropped down to once a week for therapies and go to ballet once a week - She enjoys dancing and I am pleased when I see her actually trying. 

Addyson - oh my where do I start? This spit fire ball of energy has truly left me speechless. She is fully potty trained and for that I praise God. I honestly do not know how it happened, I didnt use a magic wand or reward to get her to potty - she just did it. We have been doing preschool prep for the last four weeks and she is doing amazing! 

Me -

 Well lets just say I have been chugging along. I am thankful for all the support over the last month. I needed it and while most of you do not know why, lets just say God has a strange sense of writing things on the wall. I have realized that I do not need approval from anyone. I am almost 25 and I am living my life the way I want to not to make anyone happy but myself. 

Tomorrow we go to yet another eye Dr appointment and I can only pray it brings good news.

xoxoxo 

Janine

Patience is a virtue

This post has been sitting in microsoft word waiting for the right time to post -

As some as you know, I decided about a month ago that obtaining a Master's in Psychology was not really where I wanted to go... Don't get me wrong I love love love psychology and always will, however as the time came for Taylor to have her first Summer Break, I knew that I had to make a decision... Spend the whole summer stressing over every term paper and final exam or spend it with my two beautiful daughters getting lost at the beach and in the sun. I prayed hard about this decision - as I really was torn, I am career and education driven... often I have joked if I could make school a career I would. As the session came to a close for the spring, I was faced with a challenge that was greater than I could have ever imagined, Taylor's eye surgery... Seemed simple in my own head - I thought shoot surgery,  the next week she would be jumping and playing and talking like normal... I was wrong - VERY wrong.

I quickly emailed my advisor and set up a meeting with him... Deciding to drop out of a master's program with a scholarship at stake was no easy task... I do want everyone to know, it was the RIGHT decision... Taylor and Addyson are only young once, as much as I would like to think that they would look back and be proud of me for accomplishing my Master's degree - I didn't want that to be the only thing that they remembered... Oh, we couldn't go to the park because mommy had to write a paper... etc.

I do not know where my education or career future is and that is perfectly okay - I feel that at this time, God has called me to be a mother and a wife. I plan on finding a job, but the more I look into daycare and gas prices the more I realize that it really is not financially possible to do at this time...and that is okay.

I write this blog for one of two reasons, one to keep everyone updated and the second reason so we might have some sort of record of what was going on that particular day/month/year.

As a few ( very few) of you know, recently I met a new friend - her daughter has Mitochondrial Disease... When I explained to her what was going on with Taylor, she informed me that it sounded like Mito... I admit when she told me this - I had absolutely NO idea what it was nor how a child gets such a disease. As soon as I got home the researching started... Family and Friends, Taylor fits the symptoms almost perfectly, it is scary. We have an appointment in March of next year ( i know forever a way..) to discuss everything with a developmental pediatrician who also agrees with our suspicions.Taylor has always tired easily, always had issues regulating her temperature especially in the summer... i am sad to say I thought it was normal. I thought we crammed too many therapies on her and she was just "tired." Taylor has many vitamin deficiencies which is a key symptom in Mito. At this time, Nick and I ask that you pray with us and for us, for Taylor that we get this figured out sooner rather than later.

Nick is returning to school to finish his Associates. Taylor goes back to school August 19th and Addyson and I will keep chugging along.

Love to all of you!
Janine

To my mother's....

Tomorrow marks an important day, Mother's day 2013. I am fortunate that I was blessed with TWO wonderful mothers, often times I tell people I had a mommy who raised me from a baby till when I was 10 and then I have a special mother who raised me through my teenage years and continues to raise me well into my adult years.

High School Graduation, I hope she can come when I graduate with my Masters.

When I became a mother on April 15, 2009, I remember Mum being there with me until I was out of recovery and into a room of my own. She cried with me, held me and told me it would all be okay when they rushed me in for an emergency C-Section, she even laughed with me where it was appropriate. Most importantly though she was there for me when I became a mother, something that may seem small had the biggest impact on my emotions and my love for her. She is always available to call/text/FB message/FaceTime/Skype whenever I needed advice on how to deal with a particular situation. She was even there when I found out I was pregnant again, this time with a second daughter, There was a fear in my voice, that I am sure she heard when I called to tell her the news, but none the less she was there comforting me, reassuring me, and even reminding me that this was a choice I had made.

 This was our trip to Texas to see Mum Taylor is almost ONE here.

Here is a pic taken in the parking lot after Taylor was born


When I was admitted to the hospital to deliver Addyson, Mum was on the first flight that she could get on, She made it for Thanksgiving and even though Addyson was not born while mum was here, she was there when the Dr. came in and told me that Addyson's lungs were to immature to deliver, she held me why I screamed and cried that I was going to be pregnant forever - even made me take pictures with her, to savor the moments we got to spend together one last time before she moved to Australia.

 Photo in the hospital while pregnant with Addyson

Photo taken when Mum visited while I was pregnant with Addyson

When Addyson was born, Mum saw her on Skype ( I will forever be grateful for Skype) thank you Auntie Raekhel, for making that happen. In less than a year, Mum will meet Addyson for the first time - three years later.

So here is to you Mum, A toast for sticking it out when I was a horrid teenager, oh and yes I was that teenager ( we are in trouble with two girls...) A toast for teaching me how to cook, do laundry and clean the house. A toast for always having advice, even if I do not want to hear it, A toast for believing in me when I did not believe in myself. A toast to your engagement, for finding happiness after daddy. A toast for a reunion super soon where you will get to see your beautiful granddaughters and me. Finally a toast for just being you.

I love you.