No Labs Till After Israel

Shayna did labs on Thursday.  Friday I was told we won't need to repeat them until we get back from Israel a full 7 weeks from today.  We have never gone more than 4 weeks between labs and this is such a world of difference from last year I can still hardly believe it.  Last year we did labs the morning we were leaving and were in the car on the way to the airport when we got the "ok" from Pittsburgh to take her to Israel.  (Our back up was Nahum and Shayna would go to Pittsburgh for a biopsy while Elijah and I went on the Israel with N & S just meeting us there when they could.)  I'll just have her roll in the dirt a lot next year as well:

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Summer?

It's been such a crazy warm end of winter/early spring my brain couldn't figure out what season came next.  I kept having to remind myself that summer was on the way not winter.  Now that it's almost May, which seems like it should be warm, it's so much colder than March.  I got used to be outside all day (we even had the kiddie pool out for a while) so now my brain doesn't know what's going on.

Elijah spontaneously started to do sign language back to me last Tuesday after I had been so sporadic with my usage that I didn't think he'd get anything.  Well, I asked him if he wanted to eat and he gave me the "eat" sign then walked to his chair.  Later on I asked if he wanted more or was all done and he gave me the "more". His favorite by far is "eat" as he uses it all the time and repeats it back to me whether I ask him in Hebrew or English.  "All done" needs a lot of work.  All he has to do is wave both hands in the air (and occasionally will) but instead "waves" his hands all over his tray which then sends all his food flying.  "Potty" is the one sign he's seen the most and will come over to me when I ask him if he needs to go by using the sign but he prefers to yell at me while crawling up my leg if he has to go and needs to initiate the communication.  (If he's in his chair, he'll puff out his belly, slouch, and yell.)

He also said his first recognizable word on Tuesday while he was putting rocks in a cup at the plant nursery I love to frequent, "rocks, rocks".  He said it again Wednesday at the mail box while scooping up the rocks there.  That was what confirmed what I heard the day before was for real.  Unfortunately, I haven't recognized him saying it again.  (He's said "Ima" and "Aba" for months now but either as a game (Him: "Ima" Me: "Elijah" Him: "Ima" repeated a few more times then he'll laugh and come hug me or run off gleefully.) or in distress.)

Shayna is a wonderful big sister.  She loves to play chase with him and even slows her running so he can keep up or she can chase him for a while.  It amazes me how sensitive a 3-year-old can be to a little one's needs.  She still loves to wrestle/push him over on the beds but now she makes sure he has turns push/climbing on her as well. She's been super sweet offering him to "nurse" if he accidentally gets hurt in their rough housing (nursing is his main antidote to pain).

She drew her first recognizable picture at school: the earth (I'll scan it and add it later).  She's also starting to color pictures in coloring books.  The whole penguin and 1/2" around it will be orange but watching the progress has been wonderful.  She still loves to paint and will produce 4-6 new paintings a week.  I'd love to keep them all but have, thankfully, been able to toss at least 3/4 of them in the recycling.  The others decorate many of the walls in our house (her own personal art exhibit).

I joined the local triathlon coaching group again (TriAdventure).  I enjoy swimming with them twice a week and running with them every other week.  It's all evening activities so I can only do about 1/2 other wise it cuts too deeply into family time.  It won't be until August 5th that I do my first triathlon (a local one in Christiansburg) so I'm taking my time and just enjoying myself.  When I hit 13-months post-partum, I felt a big change in my body, like it was finally returning to it's normal chemical and muscular state.  It's fun and not painful to jog, I have more energy in general, and only need a nap 2-3 times a week (usually after a rough couple nights).  My Hebrew II class is finishing up this week with a final next Sunday.  I doubt I'll pass, but I feel well grounded in the language so am comfortable continuing my studies on my own (the book is also the best language book I've ever had).

Enjoy the pictures:

Sedar 2012

Easter Saturday

Easter Monday: She really got the gist of hunting for eggs this year and she's got a good eye.

Easter Monday with Lynn and 3 of her 7 grandkids.

Our new yard/grass and my 2-hour clay hole for...

...our new 20' Sugar Maple.

Happy Birthday Shayna!!! and Much, Much More!

Shayna had a wonderful, double (shared with her friend Maryn) birthday party complete with indoor jumpy house, blowup twin slides, balls all over, and a bubble machine.  It was quite a magical time for all the little ones there in fact.

Jumping with Addison and a ball-boat of girls.

Breaking bubbles and blowing out candles.

Super fast sliding and special guests our Pittsburgh Grandparents Gerry and Judy.

Shayna continues to be her spunky self even though we continue to be sick and get ear infections (Shayna had her fifth (1st with tubes) and Elijah his first last week).  We've had 5-6 colds running though the family and one stomach bug so it's been a rough winter.  However, her labs were AWESOME last month; the best they've been since the beginning of last August.  They were so good, we were given our first 4 week reprieve since last April!  She got ear tubes put in the Monday Grandpa Michael was here (one of the many reasons I flew him out) and they have made a world of difference.  The spunky, fun, mischievous Shayna replaced the winey, clingy Shayna once all the pressure was relieved.  She did get the one ear infection last week but it had been almost 5 weeks since the last one when we'd been going 1.5-2 weeks between infections since December 11th.  We'll do labs next on Monday and will see her pediatrician Thursday to get all her three-year-old statistics and for him to tell us how wonderful she is (something we have yet to tire of hearing).

Shayna loves to show her independence by doing many tasks on her own.  She's learning how to put on her own socks and shoes, she loves it when we ask her to take her dishes to the sink after eating or help put things on the table for dinner, she will even redo things that we absentmindedly do for her like hanging her coat up.

Elijah WORSHIPS his sister.  Nahum and I get big smiles but he's just beside himself with joy whenever Shayna shows up.  It's amazing the abuse he takes and keeps on laughing.  Shayna's favorite game is "knock the baby down" which he willingly follows her into my room to play.  As long as both kids are laughing and there are no odd thunks, I let them be.  His current favorite game is "empty all unlocked cabinets" which means pots, pans, and tupperware all over the kitchen, and sometimes the house.  It would be "throw anything I can in the toilet or just try to climb in myself" if Nahum and I weren't so well trained at keeping those shut after the first couple mishaps.

He's at an age now where little things he does remind me of little things that Shayna used to do, stacking bowls, playing in the shower, putting things in containers then taking them out.  It's fun to see the similarities and differences and the little reminders of Baby Shayna.  He's starting to mimic some of my sign language too.  He says "all done" or "more".  He's also enjoying learning to use a spoon and fork.  I hand him the spoon or fork with food on it, he puts it neatly (most of the time) in his mouth, once the food is removed he holds it out for me to take and fill up again.

Nahum is at a conference in Charlottesville, VA starting today and he'll be home late Tuesday only to go again the following Sunday to Berkeley then Chicago to give talks.  He's just finished several hectic weeks of work by submitting 5 proposals last Friday and finalizing the hiring committee's decision (he's the head of the committee).  It looks like we'll see another astrophysicist at Virginia Tech next year!

I'm plugging along.  Waiting to be finished being sick and taking care of sick kids so I can get back to real workouts and fitness goals.  My mom Melinda gets into town next Saturday.  I'm hoping I'll be well enough then to kick start my spring training while she's here to help with the kids.  I'm loving all the hard work I did last November in the garden watching all the beautiful crocuses bloom and anticipating all the snow drops, daffodils, tulips, and irises plus all the trees I've planted over the last three years.  It could be a glorious spring.

 Feb 20: our first real snow of the season.  Shayna thought it was great! Elijah wanted to go back inside.

Feb 21: I have two kitchen helper now as Elijah loves to see what's going on (and "help") these days too.

Happy Birthday Elijah!

Elijah was born at 10:55pm today.  It has been a beautiful year with some only a few minor medical challenges.  Elijah has been such a mellow, happy, and inquisitive little fellow that keeps us on our toes.

Year In Review

Feb 6, 2011 born at 9lb 9oz, 22", spends first 1.5 days in NICU due to SVT at birth

2wo:  goes into SVT at pediaticians office, we spend the next week in the PICU,

          Wolf-Parkinson-White (WPW) diagnosis 

2.5wo: first smile of recognition to his Ima

2.5mo: first laugh

3.3mo: first international trip (to Israel)

4mo:    rolled from belly to back (more than once)

6mo:    sits on his own

6.5mo: gets 2 bottom, front teeth

7mo:    crawling and pulling to standing

7.5mo: gets 4 top front/side teeth in one week

10mo:  first steps

11mo:  walking well, likes to say, "uh-oh" when dropping things or soiling himself and "I-Ma" or 

           "ma-ma" when distressed or wanting me

1yo:     runs after sister (she's still much faster)

We'll go to his cardiologist tomorrow to see if we can get a decent EKG reading (it's kind of hard to get a baby to lay still) to see how his extra circuit is doing.  On Thursday we'll get his growth statistics and our first "well" doctor's visit in the last dozen.

Grandpa Michael came out to help me get my sanity last week so I could try to write a post on Elijah's first birthday (and enjoy life in general).  He tidied toys, folded clothes, washed dished and wrangled kids all week plus took care of Elijah while I went with Shayna for ear tubes last Monday.  It was such a wonderful week, we all wish he were here for another.  Here are the kids helping Michael workout.

Sick of Being Sick

Shayna's been sick, I've been sick, Nahum's been sick, both kids have been sick, I've been sick again twice, both kids have been sick again, and Nahum went to Austin, TX for a week.  We've had 3 types of cold/flu, Shayna's had 3 ear infections, and Elijah's getting over a viral pink-eye.  We're all finally starting to get better.  Shayna and I are well and will go to a birthday party today while Nahum stays home with Elijah as his eyes were just slightly gunky this morning.

Needless to say, I've been exhausted and, while many amazing things have happened, I've only had to energy to watch in amazement and wish I had the energy to write.  Here's a video of the most amazing thing of all: Elijah learning to walk during his 11th month of life on his own.

I hope to do a real update in the next week once I've recovered from caring for sick kids.

Watching Elijah

It is an absolute joy to watch Elijah and I have been fascinated by him these last three months more than I am normally.  He is learning and doing so many new things each day.  He picks up a new skill one day, practices it and the next day has incorporated it smoothly into his repertoire of play.

12/25/09

When Shayna was Elijah's age (9m 4w), it was Christmas day and our 2nd full day home from the hospital post transplant.   I was finally feeling like we had a normal child but I was still terrified of medicine time.  When I recall that time, this is the picture I think of.  I had just collected the clean laundry from the basement with Shayna, carrying them both upstairs in the basket.  I never noticed before but that yellow piece of paper on the floor is her daily medicine schedule that'd I'd been discharged from the hospital with.  At the time, just that smile was an amazing miracle to see.

With Elijah, I've been able to watch a baby who can solely focus on discovering his world because his daily needs are always being met and there is little question of survival.  Learning to feed himself at 7-months to now refusing to let me feed him at all.  He figured out how to tip a sippy cup up to get more water in only 2-3 days.  Scooting to crawling to crawling away and getting stuck under things.  He crawled under a friend's coffee table to get a toy and got stuck.  He crawled under his crib to explore a box and got stuck.  Most recently, he crawled down the grassy hill in front of our house to our neighbors' yard and under their car just to see what was was there and got stuck.

10/22/11

12/4/11 (car noted above is not in this picture)

10/21/11

 I like it when he tries to take toys from his sister because he's so passive when she takes things from him.  I can only remember 2 times when he's yelled about toy taking.  Usually, he just finds something else with which to play.  He longs to be fast enough to play with her.  I can easily see them chasing each other around the house in a couple months as he already tries so hard to run after her.  They recently found a game they can play together: crawling between the couches chasing each other.  The carpet keeps thing from getting too slip and the crawling slows her down a bit.

10/9/11

We finally had to put the plants up high because he had taken to crawling over to them, looking one of us in the eye as we said, "no", then digging a fist full of dirt out of the pot and stuffing it into his mouth.  He likes to do this outside too except he's a little pickier as he'll dig out a pile of loose dirt before selecting the tastiest looking specimen.  My favorite is when he finds dirt clods to chew on.  I'll have turned my back for two seconds and the next thing I know he has a clay-coated mouth and smile.

His walking has progressed from wanting both hands held to only one.  Last Tuesday he took his first steps on his own but still prefers to hold our hands to walk.  What he really wants to do is run and as he just can't on his own he flatly refuses to walk without assistance by sitting and yelling in protest.

10/28/11

He loves the water and shows no fear.  A recent trip to the pool which has a wide ramp entrance had him crawling into the water up to his eyes when I would fish him out and put him back at the top only to watch him do it again.  If I run a bath in either house bathtub, he stops whatever he's doing, listens, scrambles to the side of the tub, and squawks in delight at the great treat we have obviously created for him.

Most of all I like his smile. It lights up his whole face and lights up the room. It's one more way I can see how he enjoys everything in his life and it's a joy to watch him live.

11/26/11

Happy 2nd Liver-versary

It's actually the 3rd Liver Day for Shayna since it seems like one should count transplant day as the first.  Last year it was easy to remember that night I spent holding my feverish (due to meds) baby girl before her father and her would be linked in the most unusual way: a shared liver.  This year so many good things have happened that the memory is starting to take on the fog of time.  She's also growing up as each day makes it harder the see the baby and more evident of the beautiful little girl coming into her own.

Here's this year's liver postcard.  I sent the first batch out Tuesday and will be sending more tomorrow.  If you don't get one in the next week and want one let me know.

The back says:

"December 1st marks 2 years since transplant and Shayna is doing wonderfully well.  This latest year of healthy living has brought many new things to Shayna's life.  In February, she got a baby brother whom she adores.  In the spring, she went to Israel to meet Saba, Savta, and the rest of her Israeli family for the first time.  She spent many happy hours at the park with Saba and the beach with Aba and still talks about playing with her cousin Ben.  This summer she learned how to peddle a bike and now enjoys riding in circles in our garage. She stated pre-school in the fall and is making many new friends.

Some things have stated the same.  Shayna still loves to swing, the higher the better. On warm fall afternoons we still like to feed the ducks at the duck pond.  Saturdays still bring our ritual farmers market visit with running, playing, climbing, and tasty treats.

Life continues to be good for Shayna and the rest of her family. We hope this celebratory note finds you near the end of another beautiful, healthy year as well.

Much love,
Shayna, Patricia, Elijah, and Nahum"

Facebook has some fun Thanksgiving pictures and here's a great video to show you just how much life explodes from Shayna.