Moments with Moriah

Daddy Letters

2012-01-18T20:45:00.000-08:00

Okay, so our awesome pastor, Jason Helveston, started this site called Daddy Letters. It is for Dads to write letters to their children, and to encourage one another on their journey of Fatherhood.

Here is my husband's letter to his kiddos. Grab a tissue. I definitely needed one...

One Thing That Lasts

Dear Moriah and Jadon,

I wanted to write to you so much sooner. Your Mommy and I keep a blog of your lives. (Well, to be honest, Mommy does most of it.) Anyway, just know I have been busy being your Daddy. Moriah, you were so cuddly tonight. During the weekend you seemed a little upset, but I felt as if you were trying to make me forget all about it. Well, you did a great job...you tend to always do that to me. I love you so much.
Jadon, you are my first son. You love it when I throw you up in the air. I even started to hang you upside down by grabbing your ankles. I never knew a boy could laugh so hard. When you wake up, you are so stoked on life. You push Daddy to do the same.
You both are pretty young right now. Mommy and Daddy don't sleep that much, but it's cool. You both are more than worth it. But I think you both need to know something that is very important to me. There is no way that I can begin to predict the path for each of your lives. I wish I could tell you what you will be doing twenty years from now. I wish I could stop all the bad days that you will face. But I just can't. I'm pretty young too, so I still have a lot to learn. But only one thing has proven to really last...
I know you already know about God. Moriah, I like to think that you see Him whenever you look up over my head, smile, and clap your hands. I think you are praising God. He is the one who makes you feel better when something hurts or when you feel lonely. Especially, when Mommy and Daddy can’t be there for you, we know God is. Jadon, God is the One who made you. When you were in Mommy's tummy, He is the One who thought you were wonderful. He stitched your personality to be a blessing to your parents. He is the One who made you feel love and peace. He still does. I think that is what makes you so happy.
If there is one thing that I could tell you to do, if I could urge you to do anything, it would be this...to love Him back and to do what He says because He cares for you. He is the only One that will be able to meet every single need you will have. Before you were born, He decided to do something pretty amazing. He decided to be a baby just like you two. He came so you would know that His love isn't just words or nice thoughts. He came so that you both could get to know Him...so you could be close to Him, closer than you are to your Mommy and Daddy.
My hope is you decide to get to know Him earlier than your daddy. That is what I ask him for. Jesus changed your Daddy's life when he was 18. It is hard to explain, you just need to experience it yourself. I am asking God to get your attention every day.
I really don't care about what you will do for a living. I don't care if you will be rich or poor, whether you will be star athletes or straight A students. The truth is those things aren't important. What matters is that you know God for yourselves. I believe everything else will fall into place. He will show you how to live. His love will carry you through everything, no matter how bad or good it might get.
And when Daddy has to go to heaven one day, I want to make sure you will be there with me.
I know this is a lot to take in at such a young age, but know that I love you both more than words can express. I know you will make mistakes. I know you will have good days and bad days. Just know your Daddy will be there every step of the way. I couldn't ask for greater kids. You both have been the greatest blessing in my life.
I love you,
Daddy

Look Out!!

2012-01-16T23:21:00.000-08:00

A twister has come through the Nelson household for the month of January!!!

I can hardly keep up with everything that has gone on, and that is continuing to take place.

Moriah and Jadon have become double trouble, and at times, Justin and I feel like we have twins.

They are both learning to eat

And move around more (I can't believe I have 2 kidz...I'm like a legit Mom now =)

Jadon finally got his own vent tubing because he wouldn't stop playing with his sister's

And Moriah has started back up at preschool with Nurse Sharon

Nurse Elaine is now doing evening shifts for us. Woohoo!! (please do not look at Jadon's disgusting bib)

Phew! These kids are running me and Justin ragged.

A brief medical update on Moriah:

She has a Cardiology appointment this week, and once the Anesthesiologist sees that her echo results are fine, they will proceed with doing an MRI on her spine. This is scheduled via Urology, so that they can see if this is the cause of her chronic UTI's. We have taken M to Urgent Care more than 10 times in the past 5 months for her UTI's =(

We are praying that this can be resolved...and soon!

We also have been busy meeting with families both at LPCH and CRC. We feel like we can always make time to give back and be a support. It's what so many of you did for us...

This Mama, Amanda, and her beautiful baby girl, Makyla, have been so very much on our hearts. Please join us in praying that Makyla can be strong enough to be off the ventilator so that she can go home. Amanda lives 2 hours away, works full time, is raising her older daughter, and is making several trips a week to be with Makyla. Their situation is a sobering reminder of what tough really looks like. Our family's heart and prayers are with Amanda right now, who is seriously the strongest Mama we know, as well as with Makyla, who has taken over the Diva role at CRC...look at that fabulous bow!

(Moriah was too much of a Diva that day to even be in the picture...but that girl was still rockin' her Pinkalicious tutu)

But, maybe she was being a Diva because she face planted at preschool and had swollen lips from an allergic reaction to pineapple? I probably would have been the same way.

I can't believe this little girl has her 4th Birthday coming up on January 23rd. Is this for reals?!?!

However, we will be postponing her party because we will be moving! And then Justin is traveling to Europe for work for several weeks.

Now can you see the Nelson twister? =)

Hope you have milder weather on your end.

Love,

Victoria

Item 11: Something Blue

2012-01-08T23:54:00.000-08:00

Oh Snap.

I can use Jadon's 6 month pictures for this one. Something Blue.

I'm still baffled by his blue eyes every time I look at him.
Whose kid is this??

6 Months Old

2012-01-05T22:20:00.000-08:00

My sweet boy, you are now 6 months old! And oh my goodness, you keep us on our toes...

You weigh 16 lbs and are 26 1/2 inches long. You eat 5-7 oz bottles, and 8-9 oz before you go to bed at night. You still wake up 1-2 times a night, but you give us at least one 6 hour stretch. Thank you.

Your hair is getting curly, and I love it.

You are the happiest baby, and laugh all day long. Even when there isn't anything to laugh about, you will still laugh. I love you for that.

You are eating baby food now, as you can see from the leftover sweet potato on your nose. It is official that you do not like peas.

Some of your nicknames: Jado, Brother Bear, "Genda Munda" which means Dirty/Yucky Boy in Punjabi, "Dadoo" which means Frog in Punjabi, and lastly, "Matsalay" which means White Boy in Malay

You can now get on your hands and knees and rock. We seriously better get ready. You have the same focus and determination as your sister, and I'm both intrigued and hesitant to see why God gave these strong characteristics to you as well...

You are grabbing everything in sight.

When we were waiting at the Doctor's office today for your 6 month shots, I had a huge wake up call. The room was filled with babies, several around the same age as you. All the babies were sitting very contently and quietly in their Mama's laps. And then there was you...

You were bouncing, grabbing, screaming, squirming, bouncing, grabbing, screaming, and squirming.

You are ALL boy, my son, and I know you are going to keep us very, very busy.

You will probably get away with any trouble you get into when you're older if you flash me this smile...I'm not going to tell you that though.

I love you with all my heart, Jadon. Thank you for making me feel like such a lucky Mama.

Happy 1/2 Birthday!

2011: A Year of Progress

2012-01-05T20:45:00.000-08:00

When I look back at 2011, I would definitely consider it a good one overall. Many great things took place this past year, and I want to recount a few things before I become old and grey and forget it all =)

One of the biggest blessings of our year is, of course, the birth of our baby boy, Jadon Marko Nelson. It seems like it was a different lifetime when he wasn't in our lives, and we couldn't imagine our days without him now. He has brought so much joy to this family, and Justin and I love watching Moriah and Jadon grow up together. Psalm 127:3 says "Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him." I couldn't agree more. We feel very blessed to have them both, and we hope and pray we raise them well.

Next up, I want to remember all of Moriah's great accomplishments of the year. When she was discharged from the hospital, her gross motor skills scored at a whopping age of 1 month old. Our sweet girl couldn't do much on her own, and she was 2 1/2 years old.

Over this past year, Moriah's skills have taken off. She can now
*Crawl
*Pull herself from sit to stand
*Sit - all by herself!!!
*Walk with the help of a walker (this is a work in progress)
*Eat her meals by mouth
*Sign "eat" and "all done"
*Perform Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Jingle Bells (the Batman Smells version)
*And attends preschool regularly with her Nurse.
She has blossomed beyond belief here. We are excited to see more smiles, songs, and standing from her in the upcoming year. Sorry. Alliteration overload. =)

Also, with the gift of a wheelchair-accessible van, we have been able to do so many more things together as a family. A few things I want to remember is going to Santa Cruz with M, while Jadon was still in my belly. It was our first big trip, and we were shakin' in our boots. She did just fine, and it finally made me feel a little bit normal being able to go out together as a family. The second biggest outing I want to remember was with Auntie Kaela, and we went to the kids' first theme park called Gilroy Gardens. It was the second farthest place we traveled to, and we had a blast that day. Lastly, our biggest breakthrough was our trip to Los Angeles!!!! The kids withstood a 7 hour drive down, and a 10 hour drive back (remind me to never ever travel the Sunday after Thanksgiving ever again!) After Nurse Shannon's husband, Eric, placed an inverter into our car to power M's water heater and vent, we have not had to worry about traveling long distances with our children. I cannot stress how much of a blessing this has been to us! Our trip to Los Angeles was so much fun, getting to spend time with the families. It was also very sentimental...I hadn't been home in years. It felt really good to experience the warmth and coziness of my mom's home, and have her take care of us. Don't we all need that from time to time? =)

As for Justin and I, our marriage has been put through the ringer and become all the more stronger because of it. We probably hit some of the lowest lows this year after having a second child. With the difficulties that come with having a medically fragile child on top of having a newborn, we quickly headed into a pattern of bickering...and many times I would have to stop in the middle of an argument and ask what it was that we were even arguing about...it was that routine for us. We were so sleep deprived and hardly spending time together, and as a result, our marriage suffered. But over the past few months, we have been able to recuperate, and be with one another again...whether it is for a quick cup of coffee or to eat dinner at the dinner table. We are processing, realizing even more things about ourselves -both likes and dislikes, and continuing to make the decision to love each other as best as we can each and everyday - even when he gets in the zone and tunes me out and when I become impatient with him =)
Maybe this was too much information to share on here, but I think about those of you out there who are living the kind of life that we are, and want you to know that you are not alone... I'm naturally more open about my issues, and it's every bit worth it to me if it helps someone out there feel better that we all have our issues!

And rounding off this year of progress, we have been able to start up an outreach ministry for families of acutely and chronically ill children. Not only are we doing weekly church services at CRC, we have had the opportunity to also serve families at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. We feel so blessed to be able to reach out and support these families either spiritually, financially, or offer advice from our own experiences in the hospital.

And with that, I will end my tangent on 2011.

Hope you all had a good one too! Cheers.

xo,
Victoria

Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T22:31:00.000-08:00

We had some pre-Christmas visitors with Papa (holding a sleeping Jadon)

and Pastor Jason and beautiful, pregnant Laura!

And then there was Christmas morning! Moriah and Jadon were obviously soooo excited.

Not.

We had a great Christmas breakfast, compliments of Maji and Nano

And then we took our Christmas pictures. Here is Moriah getting a shot to Jadon's face. That girl is too quick for us. Luckily, Jadon is tough and didn't even cry.

Daddy signing "no" to her...and Jadon looking like he got into a brawl. Sigh.

Once we got past the hitting of faces and pulling of vent tubes (yep, Jadon is doing that to Moriah), I finally got a good shot of them.

I seriously love these kids. It was Jadon's 1st Christmas and Moriah's 2nd Christmas at home.

I was cherishing every moment.

Our family picture

And of course a shot with these incredible grandparents. It was also Maji's first Christmas at our home. Maji skipped out on her annual trip to see her mom in Malaysia to be with us. Thanks Mom. I'm so happy you were with us!

Hurricane Jadoriah swept through our living room

Moriah playing with her walker that Nano and Maji gave her!

We had a delicious Christmas dinner that Maji whipped up

And we pretty much spent the whole day just hanging out with one another. Seriously, it was my most favorite Christmas ever.

I'm thanking God for everything...especially for the gift of His Son.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

James 1:17

Item 10: Childhood Memory

2011-12-26T22:05:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't done this in a while, but I thought that I would pick it up again when I could. I knew I wouldn't be able to complete this in 30 days. That's why I'm going by items. My blog, my rules, right?

So for item 10, I will discuss decorating for Christmas as my childhood memory.

When I was a kid, I felt like I was the only one excited for Christmas in my family...kind of like how it is now. Ha. I looked forward to picking the one gift I would open the night before, the orange that my mom would place in our stockings and the Happy Christmas sign we would have hanging over our fireplace (I think these are all English traditions). From a very young age, I was the one getting out the Christmas decorations and lights to decorate the tree and the front yard all by myself. Sometimes my brother would help me out, but we would usually end up arguing and then he would be like "Forget this. I'm outta here." Ha again.

I didn't care though. I was in my own magical Christmas world.

I really missed the point, didn't I?

Oh well.

I get it now, and I still get in my own magical Christmas world every year...when I can.

If I had enough lights and decorations, I would probably have made our house as brightly and "beautifully" lit as it is in National Lampoons Christmas Vacation...or in Elf.

But I don't.

So this is what I settled for.

This year, Justin bought our tree from Home Depot, and chose it within ten minutes of their closing.

He did a great job.

Sigh. I'm getting so sad to take it all down. The season has come to an end...and I can't wait to do it all over again next year!

And here's the Challenge if anyone else wants to do it. I got it from my buddy, Melissa, who did complete it in 30 days, and who is also an amazing photographer. Just look at my stuff though, and I will make you feel better if you're at all hesitant about doing it ;-)

Welcome to the 90's, Mister Banks

2011-12-26T11:20:00.000-08:00

Name that movie.

High five if you said Father of the Bride.

Justin and I say that line to each other all the time when we are totally behind the times

(despite the fact that it's the wrong decade =)

Anyway, back to my point.

This Christmas season, we had a slew of gifts that welcomed us to the 2000's.

The other day, we received a package in the mail from Kum Mike and Kuma Amy (Moriah and Jadon's Godparents). We heard them talking about buying an iPad for us, but thought they were joking. Our jaws dropped when we actually opened the package and saw this...

Holy cow. Oh my gosh. No way!!!

Then, my brother, Alex, and sister-in-law, Sarah, bought us this.

Holy Cow. Oh my gosh. No way!!!

And after an especially hard day with Moriah several days ago, and after crying about 10 times that day, my sweet, thoughtful husband insisted that I open my Christmas present from him early.

I protested.

He insisted.

So I opened...

Holy cow. Oh my gosh. No way!!!!

I would have never expected this in a million years!

I cried again.

And even though I was still sad about my day with M, this made it better.

I didn't realize I was so materialistic ;-)

(just kidding...I know that at the end of the day, these things don't truly matter)

But, seriously, I am in awe, and I can't believe anyone would do something like this for our family. It's also like the time the Stober family gave us an Apple laptop, which we use every single day. We are sooo grateful...and humbled. We do not take any of these things for granted...

We love you Mike, Amy, Alex, and Sarah.

I love you Justin.

Only if I could give back to everyone who has given so selflessly to us...I pray God blesses you guys for all of it.

These Peas are NOT Sweet, Mama

2011-12-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

I told him they were sweet peas. He didn't buy it.

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

*I continued to feed him because I thought his reaction was so funny. I wasn't seriously trying to force feed peas to my child =)

Take 2 Santa Baby

2011-12-21T11:00:00.000-08:00

We had to go back and see Santa again. Not only because he is now the flavor of the month for Moriah, but I had to get her in her cute Santa-esque dress for a photo op.

Unfortunately, round 2 photo was not as good as the first, spur-of-the-moment pose with jolly Saint Nick. First of all, Jadon just woke up from a nap, and had no idea what was going on. Second, Moriah was freaked out by what the ladies were doing in order to get a picture. And third, Santa seemed a little glum that day. Then I felt extremely pressured by Santa's very pushy Helpers to buy a picture that I didn't like. Oh well. Better luck next year.

We still had fun. I love Christmas.

And I love getting to enjoy it with my kids.

Here are some of my choice songs for the month

Along with some of my favorite movies!

And one of my all time fav's (my dream has always been to go to New York during Christmas time)

And I admittedly own all of these =)

Teta Jenna and Uncle Alexis

2011-12-20T20:30:00.000-08:00

We kicked off this past weekend by Justin and I going on our first date night in a long, long time. A couple of our very sweet, dear friends came over to watch the kids for us...and we were off! I don't know the last time he and I were able to go out and let loose like that (I'm 2 for 2 with going out this month...I've hit my yearly maximum already! =)

Then we had Teta Jenna (Justin's sister) and Uncle Alexis (her husband) visit!!! It was like Christmas morning in our home on Saturday. They brought over gift after gift after gift for all of us. This is a painting that Jenna did for Moriah, and it is totally going up on our art wall with Moose A. Moose and our family PopArt portait.

Alexis was an absolute natural with Jadon. Between the cuddles and feeds, you never would have guessed that he served with the U.S. Marines, and did three tours in Iraq. He is a total stud...plus, I know the kids will always be safe with him =)

And I was surprised to still find Jadon here after Jenna left...the bond between these two is so special, and is something that I could have watched forever. This little boy was spoiled rotten by his Aunt, and was soaking every bit of it up.

We were so fortunate that Jenna and Alexis were here this weekend because we ended up taking Moriah to Urgent Care Saturday night. Our sweet girl has been have chronic UTI's since August, and we have ended up in the ER or Urgent Care about every other weekend ever since. The next step for her is an MRI of her spine to see if this could be causing her to hold her urine. We were so grateful that Auntie and Uncle were here to watch Jadon while we were at the hospital with M.

Thank you guys for a great weekend. We had so much fun with you, and love you both very, very much. And Jenna, thank you for getting my husband some stylish clothes that he so desperately needed! (Jenna works for an incredibly talented fashion designer named Micah Cohen who created the brand Shades of Grey...thanks for hookin' a brutha up ;-) Love you guys!

BlogHer

2011-12-20T02:21:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have noticed the new BlogHer ads that I have up on my blog now (in the top right corner). You may not have noticed it since the blog looks so messy, and is totally disorganized. Ugh. Trust me, this has been driving me ca-razy!! (coming from someone who tries to be organized at all times). I've been shopping around for a new template, but haven't found one yet (I'm also open to suggestions...I want something clean-er). Maybe I'll get around to it in the New Year...

Anyway. I wanted to let you guys know that I decided to participate in their network (via invitation). I did it for a couple reasons, one being to continue to create awareness about Charge Syndrome, Moriah's Heart Defect (Tetralogy of Fallot with Pulmonary Atresia and Multiple Aorto-Pulmonary Collateral Arteries), and Ventilator-Dependency.

But, the main reason is because the blog profits from the advertisements that are posted here when you click on them. Justin and I have decided that all the money made from this will go towards our funds for helping families of acutely or chronically sick children. After everything we have been through, we are passionate about wanting to give back and serve these families.

Speaking of which, I also wanted to give any of you the option to donate to our Christmas gifts that we are doing for the CVICU families at LPCH. Nothing big or fancy, but I wanted to do $10 Starbucks gift cards for 20 beds. Maybe something more depending on the funds that we have available.
Please do not feel pressured. This is only for those who want to contribute, knowing that many of you are our friends who have spent time at LPCH. I remember running over to the Starbuck across the street from the Ronald McDonald House, and savoring that treat before I headed over to be with Moriah in the CVICU. That cup of yummy coffee was my little treat before I went into what felt like a war zone.

Again, if you want to contribute, you can click on the image below and donate, designating the amount for "Packard Plant."

OR...

you can just click away on the ads =)

We are also open to suggestions of more things we can do to serve the families.
Thanks guys.

Love,
Victoria

Christmas Crazies

2011-12-18T23:33:00.000-08:00

I've pretty much been taking all of Nurse Sharon's sayings because they sum everything up so well. We have been overtaken by the "Christmas Crazies."

I'm sorry I've been so M.I.A., but I figure you all have been bit by the crazy bug, too, and probably don't care that I haven't been updating.

I'll start off with something Christmas-y since 'tis the season...to be jolly. Boom. ;-)

We got done with one of M's Urology appointments at LPCH (saving this for another post) and so we decided to go by the Stanford Mall before going home. We came across Santa's Workshop, and we were standing off to the side, Moriah star struck and stalking Santa. Santa came over to say "Hi," and totally made this little girl's day.

Next thing, Nurse Shannon had her last day with us to have her baby soon. I am having such a hard time with this one because she has been with M since she first came home from CRC =(

But to make up for it, Nurse Sharon has joined our Latte Ladies club, and has taken the Day Shift with us. Yeah!!

And our night Nurse, Nelli, has taken the Evening Shift for us. Double Yeah!! Guess who is doing the Night Shift?

Now you know what my Christmas wish is =)

Next. We enjoyed seeing one of our favorite families, the Nguyen family, at Moriah's preschool Christmas Potluck. Henry gets to spend his first Christmas home this year. Triple Yeah!!

Last week, my Auntie Nina came to visit, and we had the most fun night out on the town! We went to Santana Row, and then invited ourselves to several company's holiday parties at Hotel Valencia. The more the merrier, right?

It was the first night I have been out like that in years. I would say the last time was in 2007, before I found out I was pregnant with Moriah. Even though I had a blast, I noticed I was feeling a lot of disconnect between me and the "regular" world. I truly am immersed in my own medical/Moriah bubble day in and day out. Which is understandable, but I had a little bit of a wake-up call to slowly re-enter society...this probably needs to be saved for another post so I will move on. Regardless, I love you Auntie Nina, and thank you for taking the time to be with the kids, and for spoiling all of us.

Lastly, I have enjoyed watching these two hit it off. It just melts my heart to see them like this.

Moriah is teaching Jadon the ropes, and here, she is teaching him how to "peace out" (I will teach her how to do the cool peace later, Melissa =)

And that is exactly what I am going to do right now. I am now overtaken by the Night Shift crazies, and I'm off to do M's meds, feeds, and nebs.

At least Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is on in the background. Now, that is crazy.

5 Months Old

2011-12-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

You are now 5 months old, Jadon, and you are seriously just a ball of love, snuggles, and sweetness. You are eating, growing, and developing more, each and everyday!

You had your first trip to LA, and once again, you proved to be the most go-with-the-flow baby...not only here, but especially when we are at all of sister's appointments. I always think how you were made so perfectly for our family.

You bring so much joy to our lives with your smiles, laughter, and silliness. You are blowing raspberries, making funny growling noises, and squealing at everything. Not to mention, your feet have become your new best friends.

See? You won't let go of them, and when we try to give you baths, you want to face plant into the water in order to get your feet. I just love your determination.

You are doing awesome push ups, in preparation for crawling. You are almost getting the hang of sitting by yourself but you still dive bomb to the side...you'll get there. We call you our little Tigger because you still want to bounce every second of the day. Also, our little Lion because you make the funniest growling noises.

Sometimes, I want you to stay my baby forever so that I can cuddle, kiss, and squeeze you all day long...and then other times, I can't wait for you to grow up, and to see the man you become. My prayer for you is to love God, first and foremost, and to be kind and loving to everyone around you.

Thank you, my sweet boy, for bringing such joy into our lives. Thank you for loving your sister the way you do. Thank you for being so patient with us. We love you with all our hearts.

LA Vacay, Part IV: Gettin' Our Fat On

2011-12-05T21:25:00.000-08:00

I'm not quite sure how it started, but I was saying this to my cousin, Ismene, all week. Ismene is my girl...and I mean she's mah gurl (hollaa) so she gets my sense of humor. Luckily ;-)

But anyway, our last full day in LA was spent wandering my parent's cutesy, quaint town. Being my family, our first stop was the ice cream shop, where my mom has been promising to take Moriah since she was little. We finally made it!

A little matchy matchy with the kids

My mom feeding M the most delicious organic strawberry ice cream

Auntie Ismene enjoying her nephew, who is very focused on something

Fun-ness

Boutique-ing

Ally way-ing

Hugging

Kissing

Making a pact

to come back and visit at least once a year because we all had the best time!!

We miss you, family, and we can't wait to do this all over again next year.

Love you guys so, so, so, so much.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was the end of our LA Vacation.

The end.

LA Vacay, Part III: Dinner at Baba's

2011-12-01T18:00:00.000-08:00

While in LA, we had a beautiful family dinner at Justin's mom's house. The last time we were all together was a few years ago so this was really special. I miss our moms' houses. They are both so cozy, and the moment you enter, you feel like you can stay forever...I wonder if I feel that way because they are our Moms? =)

Justin with the cute newlyweds, Jon and Vee. Justin and Jon still look like the Jonas Brothers.

Baba, me, Baca - the Master Chef, and Kuma Barbara - Boink Boink ;-)

I love this woman. Teta Vera has been such a wonderful support and mentor to me. She's got the biggest heart for serving and praying for everyone around her.

Teta Vera, Duder, Justin, and Moriah hanging out

Barbara and Danica getting in their snuggles with Jadon

Baba and Philippe. As you all might remember, Philippe was Moriah's Doctor from when she was an itty bitty in the NICU. Philippe has also been one of the biggest supports to Moriah, and we are forever indebted to him for what he has done for our girl (also, I have been meaning to do a post about the research he is working on to help children like Moriah. He is amazing!)

Baba, her children, and her grandchildren

The fam

Doing this post makes me want to move back home. I miss our families =(

But at the same time, I am so thankful we had this time to spend with everyone. It was short but sweet. Maybe one day we will be back in LA, but for Moriah's sake, we know we belong in the Bay Area. Justin and I will always be SoCal people at heart (unfortunately ;-) ), with the smog, over population, traffic, and all.

LA Vacay, Part II: Lazy Days

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

We pretty much took over my parents house when we got there. Maji and Nano had also been planning for weeks for our arrival, and had a crib set up for Moriah, and pretty much the whole downstairs set up for our family.

The bar in the living room was taken over by supplies

and medications

But, they didn't mind one bit, and everyone was just so happy to be together.

We hung out with Baba and Philippe

with Auntie Nina and Summer

with Foo Foo (where's Doo Doo?)

with Elmo

with Uncle Shindu

we did crossword puzzles with Uncle Brad

we compared baby pictures of Justin to Jadon. Carbon copies.

we sat around watching Moriah do tricks for us

we watched Indian movies about Babli and Bunty, which lasted about two hours longer than it should have

and we pretty much spent the time trying to chillax as much as possible

La Vacy, Part I: How It All Happened

2011-11-30T22:41:00.000-08:00

I have to say that this trip wouldn't have been possible without the help of our Nurses drawing up meds to last a lifetime, Eric installing an inverter in our car to plug in M's vent and humidifier, Papa and GG helping us with the van, and my Dad driving his own car to carry our truckload of medical equipment and supplies. We also have to give a huge shout out to My Best Homecare who is probably so irritated by how much we bugged them in order to get oxygen tanks for the trip. If you are in the Bay Area and you are looking for a fantastic supply company for durable medical equipment, they're where it's at.

A lot of planning, preparation, and participation from others went into making this happen.

Here is a picture of Nurse Shannon's hubby, Eric, sitting with a sleeping beauty

And here is the set up he created for our car. That black box (the inverter) is what powered M's vent and humidifier the whole time. That man is a genius, I tell ya.

We had no events driving down, thankfully. The trip took a total of 7 hours, and the kids did great. I just sat in the back praying the whole time =)

Yes, this was one of the most enjoyable trips I've ever had because it was with my whole family, but yes, this was also one of the most exhausting trips Justin and I have ever had. We will probably max out on doing these vacations 2/year...and then we will need a vacation to recover from the vacation =)

But seriously, thank you, guys, for making this possible. These memories with our children are ones that Justin and I will have forever.

And to us, this was priceless.

Our LA Thanksgiving. Boink Boink!

2011-11-30T10:57:00.000-08:00

The title says "Boink Boink" because Moriah was a party animal that night, staying up late to have fun and dance, and Justin's Kuma, Barbara, said that M took after her, and she did two fist pumps, saying "boink boink." First of all, I love that Barb did that. She comes up with the best phrases. I've been saying it to Moriah ever since because it is so true. She does take after Kuma Barbara with all the late nights =)

We had Thanksgiving at my mom's house, which turned out to be awesome. My mom always throws the best parties. Ever since I was little, I can remember the loud music and people dancing - yeah right was I going to bed. I would stand by my door and peek in on everyone having fun =)

From Left to Right is my brother Alex, my cuz's, Ismene, Summer, and Skylar

Auntie Vanessa and Uncle Jon meeting Jadon for the first time

Moriah showing off her new sitting skills...I never thought this day would come, but my girl is sitting up by herself. What?!

A family picture with Justin's side

A family picture with my sister-in-law, Sarah's, side

and a family picture with my side

My dad and Philippe

Auntie Nina, Skylar, Amy, Summer, and Izzy

Sarah and Alex - the bartender

Teta Jenna, Baba, Justin, and Baca

The Generations

The Chefs - but, now that I think about it, it was catered...Mom, why were you so busy in the kitchen?

;-)

Jon, Vee, Duder, Kuma Barbara, Cousin Danica

Nano and Maji with the kids

Foreshadowing for Teta Jenna and Uncle Alexis

Just Dance

Gettin' our fat on with chocolate mousse shots. This was another phrase Iz and I were saying all week

And more dancing. The night always ends with some Bhangra. Yep. My family is like Bend it Like Beckham and Monsoon Wedding.

Missy dancing it up

Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving too! Boink Boink!

CRC Thanksgiving Meal

2011-11-29T11:48:00.000-08:00

Before I write about our own Thanksgiving, I wanted to share about how awesome the T-dinner at CRC was...

We have to give a big shout out to our local Whole Foods for making all the yummy food, and for making it even extra special for the families. I seriously love that place, and if I could, I would buy all my groceries from there.

A quick pic of our own fam... I love how Moriah is looking at her Daddy and Jadon is looking at his Mommy. Okay enough of us. Introducing all the others now...

Mia's Family

Jackson's Family

James' Family

Makyla's Family

Juan's Family

Chatting it up

From our church, we had Pastor Jason and Laura, who are expecting their own bun pretty soon. Can't wait to meet you baby Helvie! =)

And we also had Brian, an elder at our church, and his beautiful wife, Nicole, helping us out. They pretty much saved the day since it was a little hectic for us trying to set up with our two crazy kids to take care of. Thank you guys so, so much!

As you can see, there was plenty of food for everyone, and the staff at CRC was able to enjoy the leftovers.

Thank you all for praying, and contributing financially to help make this possible. This was the only Holiday celebration that the families were able to enjoy with their kids. You can see it was a very special night for everyone.

Lots of love,

the Nelsons

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

Psalm 9:1

Hap Hap Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T10:24:00.000-08:00

We made it to LA safely!! Hey hey!

I am having way too much fun with family and won't be able to do any posts this week. I'm on my first vacation - with my kids!! - for the first time in almost four years. Ole ole ole, ole ole ole!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Will update when we get back.

Much love and many blessings,

Victoria (and Doo Doo aka Uncle Alex - since I am borrowing his laptop and he is sitting with me)

Giving Thanks and Giving Back

2011-11-16T07:26:00.000-08:00

This past month, we have been so fired up about being able to bless and serve other families with loved ones in the hospital. We were the humble recipients of your support while we were in the hospital so we know how appreciated it is during such a difficult time. You have no idea what a little note in the mail or a 5 dollar Starbucks card can do for someone in this situation!

Serving these families has become such a joy...and even a passion for us, and we want to do whatever we can to continue to help. In addition to providing care packages/cards for LPCH fams and doing the church services, Justin and I wanted to put on an early Thanksgiving dinner for the families at CRC this Saturday. Again, we understand what it's like to celebrate the holidays in a hospital...you are not home, you don't get to eat your mom's favorite home-cooked food...or you don't even get to see the rest of your family at all. And if you do leave, your heart feels incomplete because your child is left at the hospital. It's a pretty heart-wrenching situation...which is why we want to bring Thanksgiving dinner to them!!!

I wanted to throw it out there, in case any of you wanted to offer your help too.

We have contacted our local Whole Foods, and they will cater Turkey/Ham dinners for us at roughly $13/plate. We are estimating about 30 people to come.

The only way we have been able to bless these families is through all of your generous donations through the "JUST GIVE" button on our blog. It is located on the sidebar, and your donations must be designated for the "Packard Plant."

It always brings tears to my eyes to see such kindness and generosity for these families of children with acute and/or chronic illnesses.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for not only loving on us, but also for loving these families.

And thanks, especially, from a Mom who is thankful to have her baby home from the hospital but who wants to give back to those who are still there...

TGFF and S!!!

2011-11-13T16:10:00.000-08:00

My version of "Thank God for Fridays and Saturdays"
But I bet you all agree with me, right??

I love Fridays. They are my most favorite days of the week...especially when M doesn't have school and we get to go out and have fun. So, on Friday we decided to become mall rats since it was raining outside...I just didn't think about the fact that there would be a thousand other mall rats since it was a school holiday. Whoops. Finding ramp-accessible handicap parking on these days is tres mal.

But it was totally made up by the other fact that we ran into M's old Nurse from the CVICU, Nicole, and her cutie patootie son, Owen! Next to loving Fridays, I also love running into wonderful, special people like Nicole =) Look at my own cutie pie drool monkey at the bottom of the picture. He is such a good baby, tagging along wherever we go. I guess he doesn't have a choice in the matter, but he makes it so easy on us being a go-with-flow kinda guy. Love you J boy.

And to top of the mall rat adventures, M got to ride her first coin-operated kiddie machine. I really wanted her to go on the carousel, but it wasn't feasible with the vent/wheelchair. Instead, we settled on...

(wait. before moving on, let's talk about how cute this picture is with Shannon and her seven-month-pregnant belly and Moriah and her piggie tails. ok good. discussion ended.)

So, we settled on the rollercoaster!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free! www.onetruemedia.com

As if Friday wasn't enough fun, on Saturday Auntie Kaela came to visit from Colorado (can't get this to center properly)

And we all went to Gilroy Gardens Family Fun Park!!!! (better)

You bet your booty we went on the only wheelchair-accessible ride they had...the train ride! Don't get Justin started on the lack of wheelchair-accessible rides for kids. Apparently he is going to open his own theme park filled with them. I would so go, babe =)

Best seat in the house train

Here is a video of M on the train. Justin is admittedly the worst at filming, and I even felt like throwing up after watching this. Brace yourselves =)

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

I beat Justin and Kaela in the water-gun racing game. Yeah! In your face, Justin. So kidding. =) I'm not that competitive. Anyway, I won a pirate duck for Moriah, and Kaela and I are displaying it while doing our old lady face. I know I explained this way back when, but when we were in college we loved the part from Wedding Singer when the little old lady puts meatballs in Adam Sandler's hands. We are doing this in about 99% of our college pictures.

And again, while wearing crazy hats

M was psyched about the waterfall. Jadon was napping this whole time. I know it looks like we are ignoring him, but we aren't. He was just sleeping soundly to the sounds of flowing water.

Stopping for another photo op in the butterfly exhibit. Everything was just so beautiful here, I couldn't stop taking pictures...or asking Kaela to take pictures of us, hoping just one would turn out okay. Those of you with small people know how this goes. You have to take a million in order to get a good one.

Man, what a fun weekend! Now I can fall asleep and not wake up until next Friday, and then do it all over again.

Maybe these rides we've been going on this past weekend will prepare us for our 6 hour ride to LA for Thanksgiving. Ha...or not =)

"Think Poopy Thoughts"

2011-11-10T08:30:00.000-08:00

This is what Nurse Sharon has been telling Moriah ever since she had her Urodynamics study this past Tuesday, and I thought it was hilarious.

Thankfully, M's study went rather smoothly, and the Dr. was able to see that she is holding her pee, which is creating bacteria in the urine that is not emptied. However, the Doctor is hoping that M's constipation issues might be causing her to hold her pee. We, too, are hoping and praying that this is just it...otherwise, the other options for Moriah would be to cath her throughout the day in order for her bladder to empty properly or for her to have a surgery that opens her bladder so she will drain continuously. Both options sound horrible to me, and I am on a mission to clear this girl out daily to see if it stops these awful infections.

FYI: On Friday night, Justin was in Urgent Care with M to get her tested/treated for her 4th UTI in the past month. It continues to be the same bug every time, and it is not clearing properly.

Thus, operation crap cleanse begins. Sorry for those of you who get squeamish about poop talk. I think that once you get it stuck under your fingernails about ten times after cleaning up blowouts, all shame goes out the window.

We thank those of you who prayed for the study to go well. Prayers were answered, and Moriah handled the whole procedure amazingly!

We ask for continued prayers about this situation, hoping that the infections stop and that her bladder issues will be resolved.

Thank you all so much.

Love,
Victoria

HOPE Magazine Photoshoot

2011-11-09T08:51:00.000-08:00

We were honored for Moriah to once again be apart of the upcoming edition of HOPE Magazine. A couple weeks before we had Jadon, Co-Founder of the Children's Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition, Devon Dabbs, and Photographer, Mike Lee, from Focus 97 came to the house to interview and take pictures.

Mike took these beautiful shots of M and the family. We feel so blessed to have these memories captured on camera.

Thank you, Mike, from the bottom of our hearts for taking these. They are breathtaking. And Devon and Paola, thank you for your endless hard work in bringing awareness to these children whose stories ooze with hope, beauty, and inspiration.

Church at CRC

2011-11-05T21:39:00.000-07:00

Justin here...I want to thank everyone for the comments, emails and calls we have received from all of you. The past month seemed so crazy with Moriah in the PICU, and so many reached out to keep us going. It's awesome.
Even though we haven't met many of you in person, Victoria and I consider you family. There is something special when we walk alongside each other on this journey.
I wanted to give a heads up on what's been going on recently with our family. Awhile back I shared about our family's desire to be apart of starting churches for families that are going through the same trials we are. God has been the only reason we have been able to remain sane, and His love for us just keeps us going. We continue to get asked about how we get through the days as a family, and the only thing we are able to bring up is Jesus, and how His Message to the world has changed our lives.
Last week, God opened a door for a church to start at the Children's Recovery Center, the subacute facility that Moriah resided prior to coming home. It was awesome. According to the Bible, a church has more to do with the people. In the Greek, church literally means the called. I know I often think of church as a building, but in reality, it is the people of God, those who have put their faith in Jesus.
The goal of the church at CRC is pretty simple:
"¹² See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. ¹³ But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. ¹⁴ We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end." - Hebrews 3:12-14
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:35

We are gathering to encourage one another in God, to press on to put our hope in Him, knowing that His plans and purposes are greater than anything we can fathom. We appreciate all your prayers for these children and their families, and we are thankful that this will be a time for the families to come together and worship. God is moving.

Much love.

Confession: My Child is a Bully

2011-11-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Begin Scene:

Moriah: This is such a good day. I got home from preschool and Mommy is taking pictures of me and the new guy again.

Moriah: Doop de doop de doo. I think I'll crawl up to him and see what he's up to.

Moriah: Hmm. His arm looks like it needs a good squeeze

Moriah: Oooh, hee hee. That was so funny!

Me: Moriah!!

Moriah: Yeah, Mom?

Me: Be nice to your brother! You cannot pinch him!

Moriah: Aaw maan, nobody likes to have any fun around here...

End Scene.

*big, audible sigh*

The NeverEnding (Halloween) Story

2011-11-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

At this point, we have had the longest weekend of Halloween fun that has ever been had...

It all started on Friday when we went to the Pumpkin Patch/Petting Zoo at Moriah's preschool

(you can click on the small pictures to enlarge)

Both Jadon and Moriah loved the pony, Patches.

I love how no one is looking into the camera but me. I think I need to start staring into the sky to fit into pictures with my kids.

Petting, Nyak, the dog who is in Henry's class

It was overall a fun morning even though Moriah almost slept through everything, and just woke up for parts here and there. I tried to tell her that she would miss out on all the fun if she stayed awake all night but she didn't listen to me, and had to find out the hard way. Silly girl.

Then on Sunday, we had our church service at CRC (which was awesome, by the way!). In the afternoon, we made it to the CRC Halloween party, and saw all our friends again. From left to right are Henry's family, Jackson's family, our family, Makyla's family, and Sophia's fam. The kids were all so darn cute in their costumes.

And if you couldn't tell what Moriah was in the picture before, you can see now...she's a bumble bee!! Following closely with the yellow theme, Jadon was a banana (both costumes compliments of Kuma Amy, who was a whoopie cushion for Halloween...I love that Kuma).

So, bright and early on Monday morning, Moriah went trick-or-treating through the hallways of her school

I love how they had the kids hit the switches to say "trick-or-treat." For those of you who aren't familiar with a switch, it is a little device that records your voice, and it's activated by pushing the button. In this case, Maggie, Moriah's speech therapist, recorded herself saying "trick-or-treat" and the kids had to push it in order to get their candy. What great cause and effect therapy!

Again, with the switch in order to get her candy

This bee is getting herself some sugar (actually, there wasn't any candy, and mostly things like stickers and bubbles)

Moriah found Henry in the halls.

Oops, Henry, you weren't giving Moriah your undivided attention.

After a couple tugs, she got you to look at her =)

We rounded off Halloween day going to the Harvest Festival at our church

We were determined to win Moriah a goldfish, and she was giving her Daddy a good luck pinch on the cheek

When we got to the booth, she air high-fived Pastor Jason.

Justin nor I were able to throw the ping pong ball into the fish bowl. Sorry Moriah. We were pretty bad. We'll make sure to practice for next year.

We saw our friends, the Chang family, and the Tenny's. Baby Calvin and Jadon re-unite.

At this point, Moriah is getting tired and fights with the sweet lady who is trying to give her a nice bumble bee on her cheek. She pushes the brush away

And throws a fit with this poor lady. Sigh. Is there such thing as terrible threes?

The night has definitely come to an end when Moriah starts trying to peel her baby brother and eat him

We had fun with you Halloween, but we are ready to not see you again until next year.

The end. Finally.

4 Months Old

2011-10-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

Oh, my sweet, sweet boy, you are 4 months old.
You are now 13 1/2 lbs and measure 25 inches long!
Tall and skinny...just like your grandfather, Marko, who you were named after.

You eat 4-5 oz every 3 hours during the day.
You go to bed at 8 pm and you don't wake up until 4 am...thanks to the rice cereal we just started giving you at night.

You are the biggest smiler I know. All anyone has to do is look at you, and you smile. It warms my heart knowing you are that sweet and happy. I hope you stay that way forever.

You also melt my heart when you smile because I feel like I'm looking at your Daddy. Not only do you have his dimples, but you smile with your eyes too...

You've learned to use your voice, and you tell me lots of stories. You choose to be extremely loud during your sister's nap time everyday and I have to take you into another room so you don't wake her up.

You also like to play with your toys, and put them in your mouth. I don't know why I gave you a book to play with because you have your favorite buddies: Mr. Elephant and the Hungry Caterpillar. They crinkle crinkle when you squeeze and chew on them.

And if you could, you would probably stand every second of the day. Oh, how you love to stand and have us bounce you on our laps!

My arms were getting tired one day so I finally stuck you in sister's exersaucer for a couple minutes. You had a blast!

You are very much my little cuddler, especially if you're sleepy

And even though you're happy majority of the time, you let me know when you're upset. You have a bit of your sister's feistiness, which I love.

You are still my Mickey Blue Eyes (I had that movie on VHS, which you will one day learn about in your History class. I would make your Daddy watch that movie with me all throughout college because I loved it so much. He didn't enjoy it as much as I did, but oh well, Fuhgedaboooudit).

Thank you for being such an easy-going baby, Jadon. You bring so much joy to our lives. We love you with all our hearts.

What's Crack-a-lackin'

2011-10-27T22:37:00.000-07:00

A few things going on around here in the Nelson household...

First "the Yays"

1. We finally got a night nurse! Yesssss (Kip style). We've been without one for a month now, and Moriah has chosen this month to be when she has her night parties every. single. night. from 1-5 AM. My method of survival: 2-3 cups of coffee a day.

2. Jadon and I took our first mini road trip with Nurse Sharon to the wine country so that we could go to Nurse Shannon's baby shower. This cute boy is totally my little sidekick...even though we look nothing like each other. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that he is the mail man's kid. Ha. Justin hates when people say that. i.e. don't say that when he's around

We had an enjoyable time celebrating Shannon's baby! Plus, I found out that Jadon is a very easy-going child; he slept in the car and woke up in time to smile and flirt with all the ladies. Also, a fun tidbit is that Shannon's cousin who hosted the shower, Heather Pond, was on that reality show on NBC called Love in the Wild. Heather and Miles placed Second in the show...aren't they so cute?? And they're still together! Conclusion: You really can find love in the wild =)

3. We are having the very first CRC church service this Sunday! Things had to be postponed for a while due to our craziness...but we are finally making it happen captain. We cannot wait to serve the families, and try to provide a source of fellowship while they're there. I will most definitely keep you all updated on this.

4. The kids have been really cute lately. Moriah keeps losing her diapers because she's standing more and she is minus a butt. We need to get her that shape wear that has butt pads. And Jadon has been sporting this new bear outfit from Kuma Amy for those cold evening walks we're taking him on. Can't you see that he really, really likes it?

Also, in the evenings, Nurse Sharon has Moriah doing PT exercises in her "big girl" chair, and Jadon sits right along sister doing his PT in the Bumbo. We love that Nurse Sharon!!

Now, "the Boos."

4. As I'm typing this, I can smell Jadon's stinky poop permeating the whole apartment. That kid has some gnarly-smelling dumps.

5. Moriah has another Urinary Tract Infection. She was just in the hospital for one, and is now on another dose of antibiotics. The next step is getting her in for a Urodynamics study, however, it is a procedure that we know will not be easy for her, and we're scared that she will get so pissed off, and will hold her breath, and go into respiratory distress. However, I'm not going to let it get that far, and I will stop the study if it does. She can't be sedated for this because they need her bladder muscles to contract.
But, we are aiming high, and praying that everything with the study works out okay because it's going to be a matter of time before she gets another infection, and we want to find out what's going on in hopes that it can be resolved.

Would you guys join us in praying for this too?

Muchas Gracias.

Lots of love,

Victoria

A Bestest Friend

2011-10-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

I couldn't have done it without you, Ames. You have always been the bestest friend a girl could have...and now the bestest Kuma to my kids. I don't know what we would have done if you weren't there to watch Jadon while we were in the hospital with Moriah.

And in case you're wondering what bestest friend means, Urbandictionary.com ;-) says it's

"Someone who is there for you day after day, no matter what, somebody better than a bestfriend, that has never left your side from day they got there, you have the most and best memories with them, fall out over stupid little stuff and are friends again with the hour, take stupid photos, talk about everything, the one you can trust with your life. Makes you smile by thinking about them, never fails too make you laugh or smile and always brightens up your day, bestestfriends is a promise not a label and you prove too eachother its not just for a day its forever!"

Aren't you glad we have these great internet references, complete with spelling and grammatical errors, and seems like a twelve year old has written it? I sure am! They tell it like it is ;-)

We love you Mike and Amy! How blessed we are to have bestest friends like you...

Back in Bid-ness

2011-10-21T01:25:00.000-07:00

This was M's first day out of the house since her hospitalization, and she was back at preschool! Yeah!

As you can see, we have a whole new set up for her, which includes a vent humidifier so that she won't dry out. What's not so great about it is that it has to be plugged into a wall...until we can figure out how to make it portable. I'm the least handy/techy person so all that stuff confuses me. Then, her wheelchair has to be modified in order to hold the humidifier and battery. As if we didn't have enough to cart around! Whatevs. As long as we get to go to the Pumpkin Patch, we're good ;-) Plus, look how worth it this all is. Can that smile on her face get any bigger? She is so happy to be out of the house.

Nurse Shannon is super woman. She's got mad skills to push Moriah in her wheelchair (the thing weighs more than me. no joke), the vent stand, and her baby inside her tummy =)
Go. girl.

And to top off our day, we got to see Heenrryyyyy!!!

He and M go to the same school.

These two crack me up with their hands in their mouth.
Twins, I tell ya.

Today was also a special day for Henry. He was discharged from the Children's Recovery Center, and got to go home for the first time in years! We are so happy for the Nguyen family, and can't wait for the many more play dates these two will have...at home!! We love you Henry boy.

It's good to be back...

Learning To Share

2011-10-21T00:38:00.000-07:00

Trying to teach them the valuable lesson of sharing...

Bib from Jadon

Bumbo from Moriah

Just hope I'm not teaching them to have complexes =)

Picture Day

2011-10-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

Moriah had picture day at Preschool a couple weeks ago.

You bet I bought the biggest package, including the digital images! =)

How could I not? This girl is so adorable.

The Photographer was from Teddy Bear Portraits, and he did the most fantastic job of getting Moriah to smile. I thought Justin and I put on a variety show when we are at Doctor's appointments, trying to distract M from a painful procedure. But, man, the Photographer takes the cake.

And it was well worth it acting like a fool in order to get Moriah to smile... and to get doting parents to buy the most expensive package of their precious children (he was so sweet to get Jadon in on the fun. Too bad Jadon wasn't as amused as Moriah).

Oh nevermind. Here's a smile. This guy is a mere 3 months old in this pic. I wish I was prepared because I would have put this slobber mouth in a better outfit! Don't you love the drool glistening around his mouth? It adds character.

Don't worry Grandparents. I have copies for all of you.

On a side note, we are still recovering here on our end. Moriah is feeling much better, but over the weekend, her lungs were still dry so we got her on an oral steroid to help with the inflammation. Additionally, she's on some magnesium and potassium supplements because her electrolytes are still off. I hope this girl can go back to preschool as soon as we get a portable humidifier set up - she is going stir crazy - and so am I. If I watch one more episode of Caillou, Dora, or Elmo, I'm gonna scream.

Again, thank God my mom was here to help with J- boy. Our bodies shut down when we came home from the hospital. We're doing better now, but Justin and I are still feeling a little off, feeling a lot of different emotions...sometimes there are no more words to express fatigue and frustration.

I guess I'll just end there.

We thank you for the prayers.

Lots of love,

Victoria

Peace Out PICU

2011-10-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

Moriah was discharged from the PICU yesterday afternoon. When we got home, and got everything and everyone settled, Justin and I crashed...with our kids and Max =)

Our stay at the PICU reiterated why we moved across the state to be near LPCH. The care there is so family-centered, and the Doctors and Nurses welcomed our participation and input in Moriah's care. We love that hospital.

Moriah is still recovering and healing. She is doing okay today. Her lungs are still dry, despite being on the humidifier. I called the Pulmonologist today and I'm waiting to hear back about what we should do. I'm scared to suction her because I can feel the dryness when I go down, and that is what I felt before she started bleeding. We also have a follow-up Pediatrician appointment and lab draw tomorrow since some of her electrolytes are off. At this point, I don't want to take her out of the house, but I guess I'm still a little traumatized after Friday's incident. She's just so unpredictable!

I will continue to update as best as I can. Between Moriah's nursing duties, and this guy keeping me busy

we have our hands full =) Thank goodness my mom is here helping us out, and of course, our amazing Nurses... I seriously don't know what we would do without them!

Lots of love,

Victoria

Hey Rudy!

2011-10-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hey Rudy! Let's play a game of Udderball!

Okay, warming up...

Wait. What is that I see on my udderball?

Oh, nevermind. It's just my beautiful reflection.

Okay, throwing it your way, buddy. Get ready!

Throw it back now. I'm open. Whoops. My gown got in the way.

Now, I'm really ready...good throw! I got it.

Yeaaah! Team Geyling/Nelson wins!

Great game, Rudy. High Five.

But, my Mommy says that maybe next time we can just stick to a game of nerf ball, or just anything that keeps us out of the hospital and keeps our parents from getting more grey hairs.

I love you, friend!

So What The Heck Is Going On?

2011-10-11T17:02:00.000-07:00

Before I go into what is going on with Moriah, I thought I would share what I saw when I came to the hospital this morning. Ha. I guess she wore him out =)

Okay, now onto the medical mumbo jumbo:

We believe that Moriah had the tracheal bleeding on Friday because her lungs have been completely dried out, and suctioning irritated them to the point of bleeding. Since M has been going to preschool 5 days a week, and she is off the vent humidifier for longer periods of time, her lungs have been badly irritated.

"Why don't you use the HME?", you ask.

We do. It doesn't do jack for her. I guess it takes a critical incident like this to show it too because we've been saying for the past year that she dries out too much. The pulomonologist who we've been seeing during this hospitalization has been awesome, and is getting us hooked up with a portable humidifier (we thought that this didn't exist?!). I'm still not quite sure what all this entails, but I really hope it does the job because M loves preschool so much, and we have enjoyed being out and about with her, doing normal things. I would hate if we had to stay confined to the house because of this incident =(

Now, onto the infection. As you might recall, we have been dealing with UTI's back to back. This infection in the hospital turned out to be another UTI, and I think it's one that she has been fighting for a while. They finally found that the bug is sensitive to Keflex, so they are stopping her IV antibiotics, and are putting her on an oral dose so that we can hopefully go home soon.

As an outpatient, M will follow up with Urology, and will have a Urodynamics? test done. For her, this will have to be done under cardiac anesthesia, but we're willing to do whatever it takes to get some answers. These UTI's are getting serious.

They are wondering if she might have some bladder dysfunction, but we won't really know until they do the study.

During this time, we have been so thankful to have our friends help us out. Kuma Amy and Linnae came to visit the other day.

Also, thank you to Shannon and Sharon, who have been such a blessing to our family.
And lastly, a big thank you to all of you for the kind words and prayers.

We will continue to update.

Love,
Victoria

Item 9: Someone You Love

2011-10-11T16:21:00.000-07:00

Of course I love the two boys in my life, but I am here in the hospital with mybaby girl so it was a given to pick her for the "someone you love" picture.

Moriah is my firstborn, my sweet girl, and someone who will always hold a very special place in my heart.

She is an inspiration to me.

Always puts everything into perspective.

And no matter where she is, home or hospital, she tries to make the best of every situation...

Moriah, your life is an example to many because God is your strength.
"O LORD, YOU ALONE ARE MY HOPE. I'VE TRUSTED YOU, O LORD, FROM CHILDHOOD.YES, YOU HAVE BEEN WITH ME FROM BIRTH;FROM MY MOTHER'S WOMB YOU HAVE CARED FOR ME. NO WONDER I AM ALWAYS PRAISING YOU! MY LIFE IS AN EXAMPLE TO MANY, BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN MY STRENGTH AND PROTECTION. THAT IS WHY I CAN NEVER STOP PRAISING YOU; I DECLARE YOUR GLORY ALL DAY LONG." PSALM 71:5-8

The Week Leading Up to Hospitalization

2011-10-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

Like I said before, Moriah had a great week leading up to her hospitalization. We did have an appointment with Urology to try and address these UTI's she's been getting (will update more about that another time). After the appointment, we all went to the Stanford Mall, and I was able to squeeze in a haircut while Nurse Shannon and Kuma Amy took Jadon and Moriah to eat at a fancy smchancy restaurant (probably Amy's choice ;-) ).

Moriah and Daddy have been dancing a lot while at home...her new favorite thing is for us to blast the music when we're driving in the car so that she can sing along. Favorite: Lady Gaga

And the day of her bleed, she was so happy at preschool. M was showing off in her walker

And she was also showing Mommy that she has gotten over her fear of pumpkins...every year, she's had a serious case of pumpkin phobia. Her preschool teacher has helped her overcome her fear. Now we wont have to look like we're torturing our child when we finally do take her to the pumpkin patch.

I know we will get to this place again once she fully recovers from this setback. We are grateful that things had been going so well...

Moriah Admitted to the ICU

2011-10-09T21:17:00.000-07:00

I wanted to give an update to let everyone know that Moriah was admitted to the ICU on Friday.

Friday evening, we were right about to go out to dinner as a family when Justin and I noticed she needed suctioning. We suctioned, got some mucous, but noticed her breathing was still labored. I went back to suction once more, and at that time, she began to bleed profusely from her trach. These next moments were very critical and very scary...M de-satted to the 50's despite her oxygen being maxed out to ten liters, Justin was bagging, and I was suctioning all the blood out from her airway. We couldn't believe that just before, Moriah was singing, clapping, and laughing, and then the next thing we know, we were on the floor, praying to God that He would get us through this.

M eventually stabilized after we got out all the blood, but we rushed her over to the ER (we felt it was safe enough not to call 911. Also, the ambulance would have only taken her to a hospital that didn't handle her well in the past, and we knew she had to be at LPCH). Once we got to Packard, they admitted her because we were still suctioning fresh blood.

Overnight, M seemed to heal and ENT scoped her airway, only finding inflammation and irriation - no more blood. They began tracheal anti-inflammatory drops (cyprodex) and adjusted her breathing treatments. We were happy to think discharge was only a day away.

However, Saturday night, Moriah began acting extremely fussy and spiked fevers of 103. Despite the Tylenol and Motrin back-to-back, the fevers didn't break until 5:30 am. Everything has gone downhill since then.

She has been having pretty consistent fevers ever since, she just had a central line placed after all her veins were blown, and Justin just suctioned more fresh blood from her trach.

Our hearts are heavy.

It's so hard to be back here, watching Moriah fight, and to be re-visiting many bad experiences being in the same room that she was in for all those months in the hospital. It has been almost two years to date since her discharge day to CRC. We stayed out of the hospital completely for one year since being home from CRC, which is also almost one year to date.

This is so hard, knowing how well she was doing, actually living somewhat normal lives. On Friday, she went to preschool with Shannon, Kuma Amy and I visited her, and then we all went to Target to pick out Jadon and Moriah's Halloween costumes. We were supposed to go to the Pumpkin Patch on Saturday with Kum Mike and Kuma Amy =(

This is also a very different experience, now having my other baby at home. My heart is so torn. But I know Jadon is in the most loving hands. That kid is surrounded by so many beautiful ladies (you know who you are ;-) )

We are extremely humbled by the support we are receiving in order to survive this chaos. As always, we thank you from the very bottom of our hearts for the love and prayers...

We Heart Preschool...Especially This One

2011-09-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

Justin and I got to spend the morning at Moriah's preschool last week, and we were beyond pumped.

Anytime we get to see this girl in an environment that is outside of the home and the hospital, it that calls for a celebration (each time) in our book. Plain and simple.

Plus, I love the fact that this place is a little more equipped to handle my kid than the typical preschool

M is sitting in a Rifton? therapy chair here during circle time. They are singing the bubble song. I permanently have this song stuck in my head now. "There are bubb-le, bubb-le, bubb-les in the air..."

This is probably the cutest cubby I've ever seen in my life

Moriah's awesome Piggy backpack that her Papa got her and her wheelchair tray

The regular, fun toys...

And the therapeutic, fun toys...

This is a resonance box.

M has been in one in the past, used to amplify her sounds and movements. It's supposed to create a great sensory experience.

Let me just step out the door, and show you the hallways of this school.
Um, yeah. So freaking cool.
It's filled with therapeutic contraptions for the kids.
I'm still learning what half of them are, but it just makes me happy knowing how much this place aims to help children with disabilities

Back to M in her class. It's now snack time, and the kids work on feeding therapy.

It's so cute because they go around in a circle singing the "Hurray" song, cheering each of their friends on for eating. It can be tough work, ya know!

We are so lucky to have Nurse Shannon be at school with the Chunkamunk. She's able to handle all the medical equipment and make sure Moriah gets all the therapy in that she needs. Going in a walker now!

It's easy to see that Moriah's Teachers and Therapists love what they do. We are thankful that she is in such a great place!

I don't know who loves Preschool more. Moriah or her Mom and Dad? =)

3 Months Old

2011-09-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

Jadon, you are now 3 months old, and we can hardly believe it! There has been so much going on with your development this past month, and it's exciting to see.

You are eating every 3 hours, and are sleeping for mostly 6 hour stretches every night. Sometimes less, sometimes more - Daddy and I like it when you sleep more. Your legs are getting chubbier (yes!) and you are filling out your 3-6 month clothes, lengthwise.

You are interested in everything, taking in the whole world. This is the look of excitement you give when you have discovered something new.

You are now lasting longer on your tummy in addition to rolling from your tummy to your side. You have become the biggest drooler, and you do a fabulous trick where you almost let your loogie touch the ground...andthen youquicklysuckitbackupagain! Yuck.
You are so your Daddy's boy.

You are also discovering that your hands are good for somethin'

And you are also easygoing, tolerating Mommy dressing you up in so many cute outfits.

Eyes: Still Blue

And your hair still has a reddish tinge. We call you our "little white boy" =)

Your Favs:
Mommy, and being worn in the baby bjorn everywhere I go
Daddy, and when he makes you fly like Superman
Standing
Flirting with all the Nurses
Talking/Laughing
Being rocked to sleep
Bath
Your Not-So-Favs:
Waiting for us to make your bottle
Getting strapped into your car seat

We are thanking God everyday for blessing us with you. We know that He made you to fit in perfectly with our family.

We love you our sweet boy.

Item 8: Bad Habit(s)

2011-09-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

I have lots of bad habits so it was hard to only pick one.

My first:
Every morning, I have peanut butter on toast and coffee for breakfast. My coffee is no problem to make because Justin has it ready for me - I just pour it into a mug. My toast, however, is a different story. No matter how hard I try, I always burn at least one piece. Every. single. day. I swear it's because our toaster oven sucks. That, and I get easily distracted by a very handsome boy who smiles at me all the time.
I guess it's worth it not to miss those smiles. I just make sure to buy the really cheap bread.

My second:
There really isn't an explanation needed for this one.
I guess when it comes to my things, I'm not very organized. Whoops.

Item 7: Fruit

2011-09-18T22:14:00.000-07:00

This is my friend, Cassie.
She is not a fruit.
But, she is a wonderful hostess.
Cass (and baby Calvin) held a Creative Juices party that I oh-so-gladly attended last night, and the juices were definitely flowing with the yummy sangria that she made.

See?

These delicious, fresh strawberries were from the Downtown Farmer's Market.
We enjoyed drinking our wine, and crafting it up. I, however, just brought my laptop. I've accepted that I'm not crafty =)

Item 5 and Item 6: High and Low Angles

2011-09-17T20:27:00.000-07:00

Well, it's not going to get much higher than this because I'm short, but this is Moriah's shelf that takes over half the kitchen.

And this is Moriah's closet.
I think we are bursting out of the seams? seems? with medical supplies.

I have organization on the brain. We are trying to head to LA for Thanksgiving and I am preparing now. Sigh.

Back-to-School Night

2011-09-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

This past week, Justin and I officially felt like parents as we attended our daughter's first Back-to-School Picnic.
What the heck??? Is she really in school? Is she really going to be turning 4? I definitely had my moments while there.

The second we pulled up to her preschool, Moriah couldn't stop smiling and kicking her legs with excitement. I love the fact that she loves school.

Apparently, Justin loves it too because he spent an hour at the Parent's table learning about how he can sell the most wrapping paper to win a monkey that will look cool at his desk at work. Yeah. The monkey is for your child...

Nurse Shannon tells us that M's favorite part about school is looking at all the other children.

Since starting, she has gone from being scared of bubbles to popping them, from standing only 5 minutes in her stander to 30 minutes, from never listening to directions to following instructions, from only kinda signing to signing with confidence, and so much more.

Yay for preschool, and for all of M's awesome teachers and therapists!

Helping Hands

2011-09-12T22:09:00.000-07:00

In our case, it does take a village to raise our kids, and we always appreciate all the people who are so kind to help us out.

These are Jadon's girlfriends, Linnae, and her sweet pup, Emily. Linnae and Jadon have such a sweet bond because Linnae has been coming over to love on this little guy since he was born. She rocks, cradles, and swings him to his heart's content while giving Mommy and Daddy time to sleep or catch up on whatever things they need to get done. Knowing what a busy schedule Linnae leads makes it even more special that she is willing to sacrifice her time to help us out. In order for you to see what I mean, check out her design company Asiel Design

Amazing, right? She's a beautiful person both inside and out. We love you Linnae!

p.s. love these pics that I found on my camera of Jadon and Emily - you must have taken them when I was taking a nap =)

On to Nursing - which you all know we couldn't live without. This is our new Nurse, Sharon. We, unfortunately, had to say "see ya soon" (not goodbye) to Nurse Lauren, and Nurse Sharon has done an outstanding job learning all of Moriah's information, equipment, and quirks. Thank you from the bottom of our heart for loving our girl the way you do, Sharon. There are not many people who can handle her - or who we trust to handle her - so it is also a big compliment to what a great Nurse you are too!

Lastly, we have our Teta Vera who came a few weeks ago. Our Teta has been there since day one, and continues to be one of the steady rocks in our lives. Through all of the hospitalizations to now, she has ridden this roller coaster with us...and now we are coasting =)

We love you Teta!!!

Weekend Fun

2011-09-12T21:14:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Papa, GG, and Aunt Kristen all came to visit!

The 3 Generations - Papa, Jadon, and Justin

We all went on our usual walk to the park (we are so fortunate to have a beautiful park nearby and Justin and I love taking our kids here)

Since going to preschool, Moriah has become more adventurous and more aware of her surroundings. After watching the children run around and play, she signed for us to pick her up. So, we rolled her over to the grass, and took her our of her wheelchair. She had a blast!

I've never seen her enjoy touching grass so much...preschool is totally helping her overcome her sensory aversion

We just followed her with the wheelchair wherever she crawled. I'm sure we were quite a sight =)

Aunt Kristen was taking the pictures while at the park. She took a beautiful family picture except that I wish I brushed my hair and put on some make-up that day. Darn! At least my hubby looks handsome and my kids look cute.

We are still dealing with Moriah getting jealous of her baby brother. Here is an example. GG is with Jadon and she is trying to push Jadon away and make her way onto her Great Grandmother's lap. She did eventually =)

We had such a great time with you guys. We know the kiddos enjoyed all the love and attention you showered them with. We love and miss you, and can't wait to have you again!

Item 4: Something Green

2011-09-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

M was my inspiration today, totally decked out in green. Her top is from our favorite clothing line, Plum Pudding Limited.

Jadon complemented her with his accent green socks.

I love these kids.

p.s. I know that in this photography challenge, I haven't been taking fancy schmancy pics. It has really been a time for me to play with photoshop...which I'm now obsessed with!

A Sweet Day

2011-09-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

Today, Jadon and I met up with our sweet friends, Hannah and Luke at Sweet Retreat - I told you it was a sweet day. The frozen yogurt was absolutely delish and the company was even better.

I had this picture taken because it was such a special moment for me to have this Mama-and-Son date with my dear friends...it felt like a turning point in my journey of motherhood...for so many different reasons. And it is, once again, comforting having a friend like Hannah walking alongside with me. I love you H-Banana.

And since you can't see him in the above picture, here is a better shot of my sweet guy

Justin said that I was making him look too nerdy. Thus, he puffed up Jadon's hair into a faux hawk to make him look cool.

I combed it back down during bath tonight =)

And to top off the day, both my kids went to bed early tonight. Yes!

Goodnight and sweet dreams...

Item 3: Clouds

2011-09-08T18:24:00.000-07:00

So, you see, the "problem" with living here in California is that we have beautiful, clear skies, and every time I have been outside lately, there hasn't been a cloud in sight.

So, I decided to take a picture of the clouds from Moriah's Moose A. Moose picture that our dear friend, Dana Snyder, painted for her. It hangs above M's crib, so this is what she wakes up to every morning.

Labor Day 2011

2011-09-06T11:49:00.000-07:00

We clearly had a great Labor Day Weekend...

How about you?

The Next Rachel Zoe

2011-09-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

The other day, Moriah played hooky because her Cardiology appointment got canceled and it was pretty much too late to go to school. So, we went to the mall instead. It was the first time I went shopping with her. Little did I know she was quite the fashion expert, examining all the clothes, picking and choosing the ones she liked! I could only imagine what she was thinking...

No. Ew. I don't like that. Please get it out of my sight

Hmmm. But what is this???

It looks good...

It feels good...

It tastes good...

This is it. This is the one, Mom!

Thank you Moriah.

I just ask that you don't start saying "loves it" and "shut it down" =)

p.s. I only ended up with new yoga pants because several of my old ones had holes in them (told you I lived in them). They are only $12.50 a pair at Forever 21. Loves it ;-)

Item 2: What I Wore

2011-09-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

What I wore today

I wore a baby, a t-shirt, and yoga pants. I live in yoga pants and have about ten pairs.

Loooove them!

I know there will come a day when I dress up again...

**This was taken several days ago. I'm kind of a cheater. But in my defense, I pretty much wear a variation of this outfit everyday.

Item 1: Self Portrait

2011-09-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

Self Portrait

I look a little bug-eyed in this, but it was this or a picture with half my head chopped off. Bug eyes won.

Okay Melissa

2011-09-03T19:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, Melissa. I'm going to do it with you!

But instead of 30 days, I'm going to have to change mine to 30 items. I already know that I won't be able to complete this in 30 days so I'm giving myself a buffer =)

Here we go!

p.s. I love the photos you have taken so far. You are the one who inspires and encourages me, my friend.

p.p.s. Here are a couple o' gems that I found from way back in the day. Haha. Classic.

Preschool Teachers are Aaaawesome

<

Cool Peace. Out.

Putting the Cool Back Into Chronic

2011-08-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

chron·icAdjective/ˈkränik/

1. (of an illness) Persisting for a long time or constantly recurring.

2. (of a person) Having such an illness.

Dictionary.com

A long time ago, my friend, Amber Baker, made me aware of a blog about a family battling chronic illness with their son. I forget the son's diagnosis, but he was in a wheelchair and I think on a ventilator. Sadly, the boy passed away, and I remember sharing in the parent's grief and pain when they lost their beautiful boy. It was heartbreaking.

However, one thing that struck me about this family was their incredible attitude. There was a saying on their blog that they were "Putting the Cool Back into Chronic."

I remember reading it, and thinking "Yeah! That's right!!"

I loved that they were trying to have fun and live life to the fullest in the midst of their continual hardships. Not that they were making light of the situation, because there is nothing light or easy about having a chronic illness. But they were trying to live by faith, and see the hope and joy in the situation.

There are many times when I don't blog about the infections, the sucky Dr.'s appointments, the vomiting episodes, and the all-nighters that we are having with Moriah because they are constant. My sweet girl experiences something difficult almost on a weekly basis...it's what comes with the "chronic illness diagnosis." It is just plain hard at times, and I'm not going to shy away from that fact because I want other parents who are going through the same thing to know that it is OKAY to acknowledge your frustrations and pain...it's apart of the healing process. Anyone who discounts your feelings has NO IDEA what you might be going through, and they are probably so far removed from your situation. It is okay to let it out and cry whenever you need to...I like to say that the people who are always there for you through all of the messiness become your chronic friends. They are not going away, and they are there by your side no matter what (we've got several chronic friends who we love and cherish!)

But, thinking about that family "Putting the Cool Back into Chronic," made me realize that I wanted my family to do the same. I wanted us to live life as normal as possible, and to try to have fun doing it, despite the day to day grind of medical mumbo jumbo. Whether it's during the little moments or the big moments, my hope is to see the joy in all.

This video was taken a week ago, when Justin and I were up with Moriah because she was gagging and fighting another urinary tract infection. It was 3 something in the morning, and she was restless. However, the amazing thing about her is that she still tries to smile and play through her discomfort (she is our true inspiration). Justin and I were exhausted, and were trying our best to comfort her. Finally, I crawled into her crib, and laid by her side. Although Justin didn't catch it in the clip, Moriah starts talking and smiling, which make Justin and I laugh. We are totally exhausted and frustrated, but we start goofing off...I know I could have easily been upset at the situation, but we, instead, tried to make it fun - or as fun as possible when your child is gagging non-stop. I'm thankful we did because it's a small but sweet moment that I know I will remember.

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

And to be totally honest, I hate the ventilator. It's big, cumbersome, keeps Moriah tethered to a pole when she wants to explore...but it's also what is keeping my daughter alive. So, we are having to make do with what we've got, and make the best of our circumstances. Let's deck it out in pink and princess stickers. Let's put some spinners on her wheelchair (right, Kum Mike?) =). Let's put a trach on her doll so they can match. Let's go to the beach when we can!

It takes a lot of preparation and effort any time you step out the door with M because you have to prepare the meds, feeds, feeding pump, oxygen tank, nebulizer machine, suction machine, pulseox machine, and bring emergency kit(s)...but it's soooo worth it to see the joy on Moriah's face when these experiences actually come to fruition. Not to mention, it's therapeutic for us, as parents, when we get to experience these normal activities with our child and we're able to get away from the walls of our home and the hospital (our home away from home).

I know that doing all of this becomes quite the balancing act too - at least it is for Justin and I. While we continually face the challenges of Moriah's sicknesses, our own feelings of anger/frustration/fatigue, feeling like you live on a different planet filled with medical terms and people who wear nothing but scrubs in addition to trying to keep our marriage alive and keep ourselves sane...AND still have fun. It's not easy, to say the least, but we're trying to do our best.

And I don't ever want to act like I have it altogether because I don't. I don't know what I'm doing half the time. I absolutely couldn't be getting through all of this without God. I am constantly relying on Him to get me through my days...sometimes down to the seconds. He is where I get my hope from, first and foremost...and He is the one who gives me the eyes to see the good in the bad. When it comes down to it, He is the one who enables us to put any sorta cool into any of the chronic...

Upon ending, I just want to thank you guys for your support over the years. It is such a blessing to have your prayers and love, and we know that Moriah feels it.

Let's face it, we only get our coolness from all of you =)

Love you all,

Victoria

Who's Who

2011-08-28T16:03:00.000-07:00

About every other day of my life, I hear that Moriah looks just like her Daddy. I usually laugh and say "Oh yes." It's not worth trying to prove that she actually looks like me. The several times I did it, I was stared at as if I was crazy. People probably think that I'm lying when I say that I had some pretty gnarly curls too. No big (like that, Lauren?). I let it go.

So, once in a great while, I like to set the record straight for the newcomers in our lives who remind me that Moriah is Justin =)

1986-ish, Singapore

2011, Northern California

Boo.Yah.

She is so my daughter!

P.S. Check out my awesome ride.

Anyone want to be pulled into town? =)

2 Months Old

2011-08-26T19:37:00.000-07:00

Jadon, you are two months old today!

You have had quite the month, my sweet boy. In the beginning, you struggled with tummy issues, but we eventually got you on a formula that agrees with you. Phew! Mommy's heart broke seeing you upset.

You are officially a happy camper now, as anyone could see from this photo. You began smiling and cooing this month. It melts our hearts.

You continue to have such a sweet demeanor about you, and you enjoy your cuddles with anyone who will hold you.

You have been putting on some chub, and you are now weighing over 10 lbs and measuring 22 inches long!

You already have quite the personality, and will let us know what you want...and Mommy or Daddy better stop what they are doing the moment you're hungry and feed you or else you will let us hear about it! There's a bit of Moriah's feistiness in you. You also have your sister's awful trait of fighting your sleep. How come you guys do this??

This week, you and Mommy have enjoyed several hours of alone time while Moriah is at preschool. During this time, we just play and cuddle. It is one of my most favorite times of the day.

Your eyes are still blue, and your hair is still very light, but I think you are your Daddy's twin...and I love it.

Your Daddy wants to remember the fact that you giggled the moment you saw him come home from work today. It totally made his day!

We love you, our sweet son.

You Can't Fool Us

2011-08-25T21:12:00.001-07:00

All right, Moriah. You can't fool us.

Even though you protest having to sit next to your baby brother

And you try to pinch and bite him (as seen in this video)

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

We see you snuggling with him late at night when no one is watching. Or every time Mommy loads him into the car, you make me show him to you so that you can peek in on him. Also, the fact that you get tears in your eyes and have the biggest look of concern when brother cries...

It's okay if you want to put on this big show that you don't like him. But, just know, little girl, you can't fool Mommy and Daddy.

We know that deep down inside, you love your baby brother.

And you know what, our sweet girl?

Your baby brother loves you a whole lot too!!

First Day of Preschool

2011-08-22T21:25:00.001-07:00

Today was such a momentous day for Justin and I...Moriah had her first day of preschool. There was so much joy seeing our little girl hold onto her lunch box (filled with meds and g-tube feeds), and smile at the other children entering the room.

She was taking in every little thing

And while she is the only one on a ventilator in the whole school, she will show everyone to look past the vent and to see her for every bit of cuteness that she is =)

We are also grateful that Nurse Shannon will be accompanying her everyday to give Mommy and Daddy a piece of mind.

She has already made friends with her teacher, Miss Sarah, and we know that she will make friends with so many more. We cannot wait to see her blossom and develop!

Moriah, we are so proud of you! You have come very far little girl, and we know that this is just the beginning. We love you!

A Call to the Church

2011-08-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

Justin here. As many of you know, a few months back we started a ministry that is dedicated to serving families of acutely and chronically ill children. The hope has been for these families to come to know the love that Jesus has for every one of them.

Victoria and I have been overwhelmed by your generosity. Many of you have made donations, and so I wanted to let you know where these funds have been allocated, and discuss the amazing opportunity the Lord has opened up.

We have been able to help families with various expenses, from meals to gas to Starbucks gift cards. We've also been able to purchase resources like devotionals to encourage families spiritually.

Additionally, the desire of this ministry is to fulfill a family's spiritual needs while in the hospital, and have the church meet them in the midst of their stressful, chaotic circumstances, knowing that they can't go very far...well, a door opened this week to do just that!

Moriah stayed in the Children's Recovery Center for almost a year. We left last October, but we still maintain relationships with many of the other families. Recently, I got a response from the Children's Recovery Center where I proposed having a church service for their families in the conference room of the facility. We would stream a live webcast from our church in downtown San Jose to the CRC. They approved it this week!!

So what does this mean? It means families won't need to go far from their kids to gather as the church. In fact, it will be just down the hall. Children on ventilators will be able to worship with their parents, with nursing close by. I cannot tell you how many times Victoria and I wished to do this with Moriah on Sunday mornings.

I'm amazed at what God is doing. Many of you have been praying, and it is simply a miracle that this is able to happen. With all that to say, I am making a request for people to:

1. Pray, Pray, Pray: The launch date is September 18th. Pray for a harvest...

We want to be a huge blessing to the CRC. Pray for us to be able to serve and meet the various needs of the patients, families, staff and the facility.

2. If you have a desire to give, there are a few immediate needs right now:

*We want to provide coffee, bagels, fruit, etc. for the families every Sunday Morning. It will allow us to hang out with families and get to know one another better.

*We have decided to donate $100/month to the Children's Recovery Center. If we could do more, that would be awesome.

*There are families that live far away from the Children's Recovery Center, yet their children still need to be at the facility. We are looking to provide resources to these families so they can be closer to their kids.

100% of the proceeds will go to the needs of the families. No one is getting paid to do this. If you would like to donate, simply click here or click the widget in the upper right corner of our blog called "Donate Now." Please remember to designate funds to "Packard Plant" to ensure the gifts will be given accordingly.

I continue to be in awe of what God is doing. Every person who has read this blog has meant so much to us. Your hearts are huge. We love you all.

To God be the Glory...

A Day at the Doctor's

2011-08-19T08:51:00.000-07:00

So, the other day, Moriah and Jadon both had a Dr.'s appt.

Moriah needed a urine cath, blood draw, and TB test, and Jadon had his 2 month check up and shots.

Justin made sure to be there, however, he was only half dressed because he didn't want to get any spit up, poop, pee, or Moriah juice on his nice shirt for work. I told him he looks like he's in his pajamas and to put a different shirt on. In full Justin style, he grabs the first shirt he sees and it had twenty holes in it. I made him take it off, and just go in his pajama-like attire =)

In the beginning, Moriah was so excited that she wasn't the one getting anything done, and she was laughing and playing away.

Mr. Jadon checked out really well, except that he might possibly have reflux. We are trying him on Zantac, and will see if it helps. I ended up staying with Moriah through her procedures, and Justin went to the next room with Jadon for his shots. We are the ultimate parent tag team =)

And this is Moriah and Jadon's AWESOME Pediatrician, Dr. Foreman. We are so, so lucky to have someone brave enough to take on Moriah's difficult case- someone who has learned her history, communicates with all the specialists, is available in emergency situations, and constantly keeps up with all her medical needs. Dr. Foreman has been a wonderful Doctor to our children, and we love her for taking such good care of them! Thank you Dr. Foreman =)

Finding our Groove

2011-08-10T11:06:00.001-07:00

I think we are finally finding our groove. Things feel like they have calmed down a bit after Jadon's arrival, and I feel like I can finally catch my breath and enjoy my children.

Although we have had a couple bumps in the road with Moriah battling a cold and having to take her in to urgent care to get a urine catheter after suspecting she had a UTI, we did make it to the CRC Annual BBQ in the midst of this chaos.

She, of course, was ecstatic to see her buddy, Henry. Look at them holding hands. Aaaaw =)

Moriah has been such a great big sister and has been totally rolling with the punches through all of Jadon's fussy moments. Her only downfall is still the fact that she wants to rip his body parts off. We are closely monitoring her every move around him!

My first baby, Max, has been trying to get his time in with his Mommy whenever he can.

Can you see that my hands are full? =)

Otherwise, I have been trying to fill our day with fun activities, one of which includes walking to Coldstone's! (walking justifies eating the ice cream)

It's so much fun when I have a Nurse like Shannon to do these outings with me =)

And it's so much fun when you have two of the sweetest children in the world. I love you my sweet Jadon and Moriah. I am cherishing every moment with you...

And speaking of groove, Justin and I would listen to this song by The Temper Trap when I was pregnant with Jadon. Now, it has become one of our songs for him, and at times, we have found ourselves listening to it during our 3 AM feeds with him.

Enjoy!

P.S I'm trying my best to proof read my posts now. Ha. They have been a mess lately because I've been so tired when writing them. My apologies. Although, I don't think any of you really care.

P.P.S. There have been so many times I want to write back to those of you who comment, but don't have the time to do so. I just want to continue to thank you all for your kind words and support for our family. It really does mean a lot to us. Thank you...

Prayers for Callie Carver!!

2011-08-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends and Family,

We ask for prayers for our sweet friend, Callie Carver, who is having a rough recovery from her most recent open heart surgery. After surgery, chest tubes are placed in order to drain the excess blood/fluid from around the heart. Apparently, Callie's chest tubes started bleeding out, and ripped her aorta! She has had to have two more emergency open heart surgeries - one in the OR and one at bedside

We ask for you to keep Callie and her parents, Sarah and Will, in your thoughts and prayers.

Their blog is http://caringforcallie.blogspot.com/

We love you Carver Family. We are holding you close during this time.

Foo Foo and Doo Doo

2011-08-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my brother Alex and sister-in-law Sarah came to visit. They drove a total of 20 hours that weekend just to meet their baby nephew and to see Moriah.

While Uncle Alex was holding Jadon for the first time, Miss Moriah bolted towards him, and made sure that she was noticed as well

Can you see the "Look at me! I'm here too" on her face?

This is my beautiful sister in law, Sarah. In our family, everyone has unique names that Moriah and Jadon call them. Maji is grandma in Punjabi. Baba is grandma in Serbian. My dad likes to be called Nano. Justin's sister is Teta and his brother is Streets, etc. So, Sarah decided she wanted a fun name as well rather than being called "Aunt Sarah." Thereabout came the name Foo Foo. And just to tease my brother, I said he will be called Doo Doo =) He didn't like that.

Even though we didn't have any weekend nursing and Justin were worked to the bone, we somehow mustered enough energy to make a trip to Santana Row. We have the quite caravan with our kiddos.

We had lunch at the Counter. We ate out on the patio, and for some reason Moriah could NOT stop laughing. She went into a full on old-man-belly-laugh for ten minutes straight. We aren't sure what she was laughing at, but everyone around us was laughing because she was so cute...except for the fact that she kept setting off her vent alarm and scared the heck out of everyone around us. To be honest, I got really uncomfortable because I hated bothering those who were trying to enjoy their meal with alarms that sound like a bomb is going off. Yet, it was so cute to see M so happy. Still not sure how to handle that kind of stuff when we're out in public.

And to end, a nice family picture...except for the fact that I look soooo tired. Ick.

We love you Alex and Sarah! You guys were such a big help. Can't wait 'til you move up here ;-)

And Alex, you're in the clear. I took inventory of M's pillows. They are all there =)

Buddies

2011-08-01T13:31:00.000-07:00

Our friends Cassie and Chris came to visit us on Saturday with their 3 week baby boy, Calvin. Cassie and I were pregnant at the same time, and so it was so much fun seeing the little buns that were in in our ovens, and have them meet for the first time!

Here are the proud Mamas, Calvin posing for the camera, and Jadon sleeping through his first playdate =)

And the proud Daddies holding their sons!

What handsome baby boys

I'm going to enjoy watching these two guys grow together...and Cass, I'm so happy we're doing this together!

Big Sister and Baby Brother

2011-08-01T11:39:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Nurse Shannon helped me set up the background to take those 1 month pictures of Jadon. We decided to try and get Moriah to take some pictures alongside her baby brother. Phew! Getting a 3 year old who is ready to nap and a newborn to cooperate is next to impossible.

These were the best we got, but at least it's something!

And she's over it! See ya later Jadon...

Maybe better luck next time...or does it just get harder? =)

1 Month Old

2011-07-29T18:47:00.001-07:00

Jadon, you are 1 month old today. Hooray!

You are so adorable, I can hardly stand it

You are the sweetest guy I know next to your Daddy. In fact, you get your sweetness from him

Your eyes have yet to change color, and I'm excited to see what color they end up being. Most likely you will have beautiful brown eyes just like your sister.

You love having your hands up by your face, and you let us know that we need to swaddle you with your hands up. Even when you were in my tummy, I would tell your Daddy that I could feel your hands by your face!

You are such a sucker, and if you are not eating, you love sucking on your paci

You are a content, easygoing baby

And I love you so, so very much!

For Just A Minute

2011-07-27T21:55:00.000-07:00

Well, things finally calmed down for just a minute, which gave us enough time to get in our first family picture. Nothing impressive, but it definitely captures how things have been over here: hanging out at home in our jammies, Justin and I looking really tired =), baby in mama's arms, and Moriah looking cute as always, sporting the most awesome hair fro ever.

Sweet girl has been fighting a cold this past week, which Justin ended up catching yesterday. Jadon and I are the last ones standing, and we're doing our best to not catch it.

Justin returns to work tomorrow, so I'm on my own with the kiddos for the first time. I'm nervous! At least I have help with Moriah's care, but it's a little nerve-wracking to know that I'm now in charge of not one child, but two! Eek.

Sometimes I can't even believe I'm a mom. Is that weird? =)

Anyway, following up on M and Jadon...

She continues to be very intrigued with him, unsure about him at times, but she is giving him more smiles.

I think he's growing on her =)

And a side note, it is so funny to me how fair skinned and light Jadon's hair is. Total opposite of Moriah!

Thanks to those of you who sent the encouraging comments about me stopping breastfeeding. It was a very difficult decision for me, but one that I can now see was the best decision for the health of my family!

Lots of love,

Victoria

Don't You...

2011-07-24T12:45:00.001-07:00

love this double chin just as much as I do?! =)

Didn't have anything that was the exact size, but here is a little comparison to show what a peanut Jadon is. Too cute.

We are doing pretty well over here besides the lack of sleep and me just getting over round 2 of mastitis. Don't know what is going on this time since I never had it with M, and I pumped for 6 months with her. I made the decision to stop breastfeeding and pumping altogether. This was a very difficult decision for me and I cried for days over it. I really wanted to do this with and for Jadon, but I decided that me almost passing out on the floor from the infection was not okay, and that enough was enough. I wasn't available for either of my children, and the only reason I got through it was because Justin was home helping. I won't have that help when he returns to work, and getting sick isn't even an option for me. I at least know I tried and gave it my all. It's funny that after everything I have been through with M, I can lose perspective so easily and become completely depressed over not being able to breastfeed my child. Really? That's my biggest worry? I really had to kick myself and remember what's truly important to me, and that is that my children are happy and well.

Lots of love to you all,

Victoria

Miss Reagan

2011-07-21T12:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we had our dear heart friends, the Williams Family, visit while they were in town for a heart catheterization at LPCH (gotta love that hospital). Miss Reagan, who got an owie on her nose, has the same heart defect as Moriah, and we met them while we were at the Ronald McDonald House.

However, this was the first time that Reagan and Moriah met, and they became fast friends

Heart Warriors! Don't mess with these ladies - they have both had their share of surgeries and hospitalizations, and they will definitely show everyone what's up! =)

Reagan was so cute playing dress-up with Moriah's toys, and Moriah just smiled at her the whole time, loving her new friend =)

Thank you Jen, Rod, Nolan, and Reagan for a great night! We love you guys and we are saying continued prayers for Reagan.

Lastly, I wanted to introduce Moriah's wonderful new night nurse, Amaal. Amaal has been a great help these past few weeks, taking care of Moriah while we have been busy feeding Jadon all night (he has been cluster feeding, and waking every 1-2 hours to eat. Awesome =)

Thanks for checking!

Love you guys,

Victoria

The Name Jadon

2011-07-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share the story behind Jadon's name.

The day that we went to our Level II Ultrasound and Fetal Echocardiogram when I was 20 weeks pregnant, I was so nervous. Both Justin and I were. We had a lot of anxiety due to our past experiences, and I think I just about squeezed Justin's hand off during the ultrasounds because I couldn't relax. It wasn't until I heard both the Cardiologist and the Perinatal Doctor say that baby looked healthy...and that we were having a baby boy!
I couldn't tell you how many times I said the word "thankful" that day. I probably said about 100 times in the Doctor's office, and then about another 500 times on the drive home. When we got home, it finally sank in that we were having a boy, and I started looking at boy names. I decided to look at names of Hebrew origin to see if I could match Moriah's. And seriously, the first name that came up for me was the name Jadon. It meant "thankful." That was it. There was no doubt in my mind that our son's name was going to be Jadon.

We pronounce it Jay-dun, in case you're wondering.

Jadon's middle name is extremely significant as well because he is named after Justin's Grandfather, Marko. Although Justin never got to meet his Grandfather because he passed away when his mom was very young, his memory is honored daily in their household. We only hope that Jadon can be a man of great faith and of love like his Great Grandfather, and to be able to carry on his legacy.

This website provides the more detailed explanation of Jadon's name, which I have included here...

Jadon

Filed Under Biblical Names, Boy Names, Girl Names | 2 Comments

Name pronunciation: JAY-dun, JAH-DUN / YAH-dun
Origin of name: Hebrew
Meaning of name: Thankful; a judge; one judged by God; “God has heard”

The Story Behind This Biblical Christian Baby Name

There is one very brief mention of this name in the book of Nehemiah. A man named Jadon from a place called Merenoth helped to rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem was the holy city to the Jewish people, and this was a big deal, repairing the defenses and revitalizing this place central to the sacrificial system and holy celebrations of their religious beliefs and political identity as a nation.

Although Nehemiah gets a lot of the fame for this rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, there were many people who were a part of this grand and dangerous project. They faced much opposition, and the violence threatened against them was enough that half of them would stand guard with weapons at the ready while the other half did the building work. Even the construction workers kept a sword in their belts at all times, just in case.

Every person involved in this construction effort is a hero, including Jadon the Merenothite

Happy 28th Birthday Justin

2011-07-16T16:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to the most incredible Husband and Father I know!

It seems like just yesterday we were kids (I know, total goobtown =)

You've been the best husband a girl could ever ask for

And now you are the best Father to our kids

We are thanking God for you today, Justin.

We love you.

Two Weeks Old

2011-07-16T16:30:00.001-07:00

This past Thursday, Jadon turned 2 weeks old. I can't believe it.

I am so in love...

And I'm enjoying every single moment with my sweet guy...including the sleepless nights =)

Mommy loves you very much Jadon, and would do anything for you and your sister. You guys are my heart...

Just Hangin'

2011-07-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

I've hardly taken any pictures since having Jadon home. Things have been too crazy.

However, here are a few that were taken...

With Daddy, early morning

Baba took these of Justin and I giving him his first bath together

Daddy dunking him into water. Surprisingly, no tears from baby boy

And he came out in one peace. Success =)

Ha. That's it.

My biggest obstacle, besides lack of sleep, has been feeding. Jadon is a total chowhound, and eats A LOT for a newborn. I've really wanted to stick with just breastfeeding, but have had to supplement his needs with formula - plus, I was a little traumatized after the mastitis. I have spent my days pumping, formula feeding, breastfeeding, and washing bottles around the clock, and I'm burning out. My prayer is that I will get this breastfeeding down, and have enough for my hungry boy. I know it might take a while for everything to fall into place, so I am hoping that it will eventually. Any prayers over this would be greatly appreciated =)

Will try to write soon.

Love,

Victoria

Visits with Jadon

2011-07-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

The other day we were honored to meet Shannon's Mommy, Laura, who came to meet Moriah and Jadon! And now that Shannon is also expecting a baby (YAY!!!)...

they had Shannon's husband, Eric, hold Jadon for good practice. He's already a pro =)

And for the past two days, Baba came to help us out right after my parents left. It was so nice for Moriah and Jadon to get to be with their grandmother and for us to have her help! Don't mind how tired Justin looks here =)

Love you Baba!

She Loves Him, She Loves Him Not...

2011-07-13T18:42:00.001-07:00

First day home, and Moriah was stoked to have her baby brother there!

Days later, she's not so sure about him still being around...

Even though she now has a buddy to go with her on walks

She's kind over the fact that he is taking some attention away from her

Hopefully, soon this will all end with a "She Loves Him"

Then we will have to teach her how to be gentle, and to not rip his arm off when touching him! =)

The Biggest Thank You to Maji and Nano

2011-07-13T18:10:00.001-07:00

I've been thinking about this post for several days now because Justin and I have been so grateful for Maji and Nano's help. We absolutely wouldn't have been able to have made this transition home if it wasn't for my parents being up here for the past two weeks, doing all that they could to help us. From helping out with Moriah to cooking to doing laundry to taking care of Jadon when I was sick...we don't know what we would have done without them!

One of the sacrifices we made by moving to the Bay Area was moving away from family. This was one of the hardest things for us to do because having a little one with special needs already is a lot of work, and now adding a newborn to the mix - I sometimes wonder how we are going to do this. There is no doubt in our minds that we are doing the right thing to have Moriah followed at LPCH, but it's still hard to be away from them. I cried for days knowing they were going to leave, feeling scared and overwhelmed of not having them around for support.

So far we are doing okay =), but we just wanted to say THANK YOU to Maji and Nano for all that you have done. Moriah and Jadon thank you too.

We love you guys...

Fighting Infection

2011-07-08T12:58:00.000-07:00

So sorry for lack of posts. I have been miserable and fighting a bad mastitis infection since yesterday. Been having high fevers (103 degrees) and chills all day and all night, but my fever finally broke this morning. Went to the Dr. yesterday afternoon and got antibiotics. My mom and Justin have totally taken over, my mom is taking care of Jadon (not to mention doing all the cleaning and cooking) and Justin is taking care of Moriah. I'm just praying for strength and endurance for everyone at this point as we have also given our Nurses the past few days off so they don't burn out. Luckily we have a couple shifts covered over the weekend by Nurse Dona and our new night nurse.

Will update when feeling better.

Meet Jadon Marko Nelson!!!

2011-07-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

He entered this world on July 1st, 2011

at 5:31 PM via c-section

weighing 6 lbs 14oz and

measuring 19 1/2 inches tall

The proudest Daddy

Bonding with my baby boy right after surgery

So very loved by his whole family

Finally going home, and greeted with a celebration of fireworks!

We have to say the biggest THANK YOU to our most incredible, wonderful Nurses, Shannon and Lauren, who rearranged their lives, canceled weekend trips in order to be there with Moriah while we recovered in the hospital. We couldn't have done this without them.

We are so thankful...

Lots of love,

Justin and Victoria

Oh Happy Days

2011-06-28T13:27:00.001-07:00

Justin and I love when children laugh and smile. It is one of the sweetest sounds on Earth...and plus, it puts a smile on your face. Kids are the best!
There is absolutely no exception when it comes to our daughter.

She has been playing up a storm lately, and having so much fun.
Especially in the Blue Monster. We can't keep her away from it.

(Confession: during these last few days of pregnancy, I am guilty of letting her stay in it longer than she should - my cheeks are getting pink just thinking about it)

But we still try to get her out and about when the weather isn't too hot, and Missy can't hold it together when she knows she's going out

There was a bouncy slip n slide in our complex for all the kids, so we took M out to watch

Then Nurse Shannon took her to explore the plants and flowers which eventually went into her mouth...which actually makes me go off on a tangent: in Malaysia, they have sweet, rose-flavored syrup that you can add to your water - kinda like the American version of tang. I never really cared for it growing up, but for some reason, I've been craving it my whole pregnancy. I wonder if I can find it in a local Indian market? Hmm...which also reminds me that my home smells slightly like an Indian person's home. I just realized this a couple months ago, and asked one of our Nurses if she thought the same. She did. I think it's from all the Indian food that my mom brings up for us. It's probably seeped into our walls and carpet =) Now I'm on a search to find the most powerful air freshener ever =) Ok, end tangent here.

And since I started off talking about how happy M has been, I wanted to share a video that has been putting the biggest smiles on her face. We saw this on the Kids with Vents Blog, and ever since, Moriah has been hooked. It's super cute.

Enjoy!

Father's Day and 37 Weeks

2011-06-20T17:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to one of the BEST Daddy's I know. I love watching the bond between Justin and Moriah - she is such a Daddy's girl. I love watching him hold Moriah, and sing to her. It is one of the sweetest moments that I will always cherish, witnessing it since she was a newborn. I am so thankful to have Justin as the father of my children...I can never say this enough.

And here I am, 37 weeks pregnant, getting in some cuddles with my tired girl before bedtime. Poor thing. The belly is totally in her way so she can't sit very comfortably (I hear you Moriah), but I am taking in these last few weeks with my firstborn, knowing there will be a very different dynamic with the baby coming soon.

Love you guys!