We Won!!!

It was a landslide! Our little guys scored so many goals that we lost count. Ethan had a hard time getting into the game at first but once he did he LOVED it! He was running, arms flailing about, and really getting in there to kick the ball. He even made a goal. I really couldn't believe how well organized and how well these little guys did. Our coach is really great. A very patient, kind and excited kind a guy. He's treating all the boys to ice cream for their winning performance this afternoon. Isaak, I'd have to say didn't have as much fun as we did. Every time something exciting happened we would all scream which frightened poor little Isaak into tears. It was still so much fun! Hopefully Isaak will get used to all the excitement of soccer. We are very much looking forward to future games.











Just a side note about the weather. In case anyone was worried about Hurricane Rita hitting us, it didn't. Not even a single drop of rain. Last night it was cloudy and a little windy but that's about it. Today there is not one cloud in the sky, it is 96 degrees and the humidity is at 58%. We're just hoping for some cooler weather around here.

Little teeth

Here is a picture of Isaak's two very cute little teeth. (Picture courtesy of Ethan-he loves taking pictures with my digital camera). I think Isaak's top two teeth may be making an appearance soon. He's been awfully cranky these last couple of days. The only time he isn't is when he is chewing on something. I bought the coolest little gadget for him called the Fresh Food Feeder by Munchkin. It's a little teething ring with a net bag that you put fruit in and close. He just loves it. I put pieces of apple, melon, peach, grapes or frozen banana pieces in it and he chews on it and sucks all the juice out until there is nothing but a flat little piece of fruit fiber. The best thing about it is that I don't have to worry about him choking. The only bad thing about it is that it's really hard to clean. I found another version of it called the Baby Safe Feeder that comes with removable and replaceable little bags. We might try that next when this one is all chewed out.

Ethan had his first soccer practice/meeting last Sunday. It was pretty fun. Ethan is definitely the most friendly little guy with not one ounce of shyness. He was talking to everyone telling them about this new soccer shoes and how Grandma Cindy was visiting and his little brothers name is Isaak and on and on and on. During the meeting part, each child was asked to think about what they wanted their team name to be. Ethan picked "The Monkeys" and " The Scorpions". Other ideas were dragons, rockets, red devils, fierce jaguars, lions, tigers and bears- oh my, the list went on forever! After a long deliberation, the kids finally decided on The Scorpions as their team name. Their colors are red, black and white and their first game will be on Sunday. It should be very funny and interesting considering what practice was like. Ethan is the youngest one on the team and one of the few that hasn't ever played soccer. He mostly just watched bugs fly by and ran along with the team laughing and screaming. It's really gonna be a hoot. We will be prepared with digital and video cameras in hand. Lots of picture to follow.

Stitches are out!

Went to the doctor yesterday to get my stitches taken out -actually it was more like yanked out. OUCH! The nurse wasn't very nice about it. The doctor had nothing new for me. He always talks to his patients while speaking into a tape recorder (for easy documentation purposes) and stands in the examination room for a total of 30 seconds then starts backing up towards the door (still talking) while trying to make a quick escape. I barely was able to say, "What about the mayo clinic....?" He managed to stick his head back in the door saying, "There's nothing new. Been classified as Maffucci's. See you in 2 months." Gone. What a great guy. And did I mention that I waited an hour before I got to see him for a total of 1 minute!

Anyway, I'll be back to do another MRI and x-rays in two months. Then more MRI's and x-rays every 6-12 months for the rest of my life. Yippy! It's really for my own good. I am currently at the age when these tumors start becoming malignant in people with Maffucci's. I'm just going to try to be positive and continue my healthy habits and hope for the best.

Soccer Season Is Starting!!

Ethan has officially been signed up for soccer. We are so excited for his first practice and first game- we being mommy & daddy. Ethan isn't quite sure what it really means to play soccer yet. We are just hoping that he loves it. The whole idea of him running up and down a field with a bunch of screaming kids trying to kick a soccer ball around sound like such a wonderful way for him to burn off some excess energy. We can't wait. We've already bought a little soccer kit which included the cutest little soccer shoes, socks, shin- guards and soccer ball that you've ever seen. All we need is the team shirt & shorts and he'll be quite the handsome little soccer sport. Pictures will follow soon of course.

Support Breastfeeding!

Everyone that knows me knows how important breastfeeding is to me. I was fortunate enough to breastfeed Ethan for 14 months and am currently breastfeeding Isaak now. From breastfeeding my children and working in postpartum during the last year, I've become more aware of the importance of breastfeeding. It can be the hardest yet most powerful decision that a mother can make when she decides to breastfeed her child. More and more research is coming out giving important facts on the benefits of breast feeding. It is strongly encouraged and recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics(AAP) and the World Health Organization(WHO).

Currently, there are several states that do not provide legislation to protect breastfeeding mothers right to nourish their child where ever or when ever needed. One of these states being Arizona, my home state. Currently La Leche League and Lansinoh have teamed up to start the Breastfeeding Protection Initiative with the Encourage, Support, and Protect Breastfeeding cause bracelets . Funds raised for this initiative will help to educate and increase awareness about breastfeeding rights and legislation. For more information check out The Breastfeeding Protection Initiative and please consider buying a bracelet. Thanks

All is quiet

My sister, nephew and Dad left this last Saturday and I have to say that the silence is blaring compared to when my most handsome nephew was here tearing up the place with his most handsome cousin (my son) Ethan. I have to say that they had a pretty good time screaming and secretly jumping from the toy box to the bed then onto a pillow on the floor. You just knew they were up to something when it suddenly became quiet. They had a few misunderstandings but nothing major- Just what you'd expect from a 2 and a 4 year old who had to share a bunch of toys and their Memaw/Nan. So now we are quietly enjoying this warm and humid Labor Day Monday. Since my nephew Gavin left, Ethan has been keeping his Memaw (my mom) hostage in his room as much as possible. He just wants to play!

My Left Foot

Well, I had surgery on the 31st of August and all went well. Some pain (mostly incisional). I'm trying not to take any pain medication since it mostly makes me queasy and does little for my actual pain. My foot has a compression bandage on it covered by a boot for support. I'm allowed to be full weight bearing but I've been using crutches these first few days. From the cysts that were removed, I was diagnosed with Maffucci's Syndrome which is:

"(Angelo Maffucci, 1847-1903, Italian physician), nonhereditary condition with enchondromatosis, multiple cavernous haemangiomas and deformity. The radiological appearances of the bones are similar to Ollier's Disease but in addition there are soft tissue swellings around the bony lesions with multiple phleboliths".

Basically, I have the enchrondromatosis (tumors in my femur and tibia), multiple haemangiomas (cysts) but no deformities of my bones. Most known cases of Maffucci's syndrome show severe deformity of the bone that is affected. Unfortunately, my MD has not had very much experience with this syndrome. He states that there is a 100% chance of it becoming malignant some time during my life and that I will need long-term follow up testing to monitor its progression. From what I have been reading, there is only a 20-30% chance of this turning malignant. My MD is, however, sending my frozen cysts to the MAYO clinic to a pathologist who hopefully knows more about this syndrome.