Anna's ASD Repair

Ok, I wanted to write about the big ordeal so we can look back on it later and so Anna will know what excitement she had when she was 4!  It all started when she went to our pediatrician for her 4-month checkup and Dr. Bowman thought he heard something unusual.  He referred us to Dr. Blair Robinson at Carolina Children's Cardiology, associated with UNC Children's Hospital.  Dr. Robinson's wife is a pediatrician who used to work with them, so they usually refer patients to his group for heart murmurs.  There are 7 doctors in the practice; 2 of them specialize in the catheter procedure that Anna ended up having.  They did an echocardiogram at our first visit and determined that she has an atrial septal defect - hole between the top two chambers of her heart.  We saw him every 6-12 months since then - most times (other than the terrible 2's - and 1's - when she would not cooperate), they got an echo in the office to monitor the holes.  At one point, they thought there was some tissue growing over the hole, but not completely.  He had said to count on having a catheter procedure when she was 4 or 5 to cover the hole.

We went back this November, and he said that it would be ok anytime to schedule the repair procedure.  They typically fix them when the kids are 4-5 years old, before they start school, but when they are a little bigger and it's easier to work on the heart.  We looked into our insurance coverage and determined that it would save us $900 to get it done in 2014, since we are going to hit our out-of-pocket maximum anyway.  So, we consulted with Bob's work schedule and Grandma A. and got it scheduled for December 11th.

So, we got to UNC hospital bright and early on the 11th, only hours after Bob returned from a work trip to Denver.  Grandma had gotten here the evening before and was here with Erin.  We got checked in on the first floor of the Womens hospital, then waited for Susan, the cath lab nurse, to come get us.  She got Anna's height/weight and vitals, then got us situated in one of the two observation rooms in the peds cath lab.  The anesthesiologists (one main doctor and a fellow) came to examine her and talk about what they would do, and then we overheard Dr. Robinson talking on the phone about the hospital being completely full and having trouble finding a bed for her to stay overnight (which was the plan; he generally keeps kids overnight to make sure that the device doesn't slip and that there aren't any issues with bleeding.  So, he came in and told us that the three options were to reschedule, do the procedure and go home for the night and return the next day, or use an available PICU bed and bill the regular rate. We (and he) voted for the PICU bed, and another nurse in the cath lab called her son who worked in the PICU and got the bed situation straightened out.  Then, Dr. Robinson showed us some demo devices (and said that it costs about $6000 just for the 1" device itself!), asked us if we had any more questions, and did a little exam on Anna.  Then, we were set to go!



She let the anesthesiologist carry her, her dog Bogie, and Sleep Sack back without any tears, and they came back to report that she went to sleep just fine around 8:30am.  She liked the TV screens in the cath lab.  We got a snack and waited for awhile, and then the anesthesiology fellow came out around 10:00am saying that it was going well.  Then, around 10:45, Dr. Robinson came out and said that he was able to get the device in!  We were SO relieved because he had said before that there was a 10-20% chance that the device wouldn't work if the hole was in a bad place or was too big for any of the sizes of device that he had, etc.  But, it worked!  He said what she actually had (they put a camera down her esophagus to get a good picture and to guide them during the procedure) was many smaller holes instead of one large one - "fenestrated" is the term for that - and that he used a special design of the device that is better suited for that sort of defect.  He said it was slightly difficult to find a hole in the correct place that was big enough for him to put the device through such that it would cover all of the holes.  He said his colleague who also does this procedure looked at it too and they discussed putting in two smaller devices, but in the end found a good place to put a single 25mm device, which is called an Amplatzer Septal Occluder, of the "multifenestrated" "cribriform" type.  Here is some information from the manufacturer: https://health.sjm.com/~/media/SJM%20Health/ASD%20Answers/ASO_ACO_PatientGuide_MM00310_05_2.ashx

He said that they were currently infusing the heparin antidote (Vitamin K), and once that was done, they had to remove the catheter and then hold pressure for about 20 minutes to the site.  They made two very small X-shaped incisions in her right groin area; one was for the catheter and the other was an arterial line to measure her blood pressure throughout the procedure.  They brought her back out around 11:30am (I think), and she slept for about 30 minutes or so, then woke up very CRANKY with a really red face.  She tried to drink some juice, threw up a couple of times, then got some Zofran and slept from about 12:30-1:30pm.  The nurse was concerned about her flushed face, but the anesthesiologist said it was probably due to either the IV contrast and/or all the anesthesia meds.  The hospitalist pediatricians came in and examined her, asked us some questions, and admitted her to a now-open bed in the 8-bed CICC (children's intermediate cardiac care, I think)/bone marrow transplant unit on the 5th floor.  Anna threw up one more time, and then started perking up and the flushing went down, and she was totally back to normal by 2:45pm.  Then the fun began of trying to keep her calm!  Luckily we didn't have to keep her lying flat by that point.



We moved up to her room between 3:30-4:00pm and got settled there, then Anna was able to get up and walk around to the bathroom (even though she didn't mind using the bedpan in the cath lab), she ate 2 packs of fruit snacks and a cookie, and then we visited the floor play area, which is where we were when Ella and her family visited around 5:30pm.  She enjoyed the visit very much!



Then we ordered her dinner, which she mostly just ate fries from, around 7:30pm.

She calmed down and slept from 9:15pm-7:30am!  She got 2 doses of antibiotics, and that was it!  She was a really easy patient, I think.  She had a chocolate muffin, bacon, and yogurt for breakfast, got an EKG, then the doctors made their rounds, and then she got her final echo.



Then, Dr. Robinson came by around 9:30am and said she looked and sounded great - since her device was threaded through such a small hole, there was no risk of it slipping like it can do in a larger hole.  We waited for a little bit on the nurse, then got unhooked and out of there by 11:00am!

So, it was quite an adventure, but she really did wonderfully.  She was so brave and hardly cried at all ,other than coming out of anesthesia and when the nurse took the tape off of her hand from her IV.  We kept asking her if her leg hurt, and she has always said no.  Dr. Robinson said it would probably feel like she had a shot in the leg for a few days, but she never said that it hurt.  We are so proud of our brave girl, and also equally grateful that this procedure worked!  She will take 1/2 of a baby aspirin daily for 6 months and needs to get an antibiotic before any dental work in the next 6 months.  Other than that, she is as good - or better - than new!  We have a follow-up this Friday, one in 3 more weeks, 6 months, and a year.

Her room doors had the Frozen characters painted on them:

November!

Ahh, November - my favorite month of the year.  The weather is perfect, and there's Thanksgiving.  What's not to love about a holiday full of yummy food?!?  We ladies had a great month, relatively low-key before the onslaught of Christmas hits us.  Daddy had a very busy month with week-long trips to both Paris and Berlin between other trips in October and December as well.  We had lots of excitement on the 4th when sweet nephew Cooper Edward was born!  He came one day early and is just perfect and adorable.  We love him so much!  We ladies couldn't stay away and had to go visit him that Friday and Saturday before Bob got home from his trip.  The girls were mildly interested in holding him, but that was about it.


The 7 grandkids!

The rest of the week was fairly calm other than fighting a losing battle with our downstairs heater that finally got fixed two weeks later.  Luckily, it wasn't too cold most of that time and I enjoy the cold!

Bob was home the week of the 9th, and we enjoyed our time together.


Veteran's Day out and about for the girls!

We also had Bella's annual check-up (checked out good for an old girl, just needs to have her teeth cleaned - $$$) and Anna's 6-month cardiology checkup that week.  They were able to get good pictures and ultrasound because she did perfectly (first time with no crying!) and determined that it is time for the hole between the atria to be repaired.  We have that scheduled for next Thursday, December 11, so stand by for updates.  We will have to stay one night at UNC hospitals, and we are really hoping that this catheter procedure will work so they don't have to do open-heart surgery.

Bob jetted back overseas on the 15th, and we ladies had a fairly busy week with dog-sitting for one neighbor and mom-sitting for another.  Luckily, both behaved themselves.  Anna and I also went to our first of two puppet shows at the library in a month:



Anna also had 2 playdates this month with a boy from her class, much to Bob's chagrin.  Fortunately, Weston is a very sweet little guy and it seems that Anna is the front runner of the 5 girls who are vying for his attention at preschool!  Both girls had fall festivals/Thanksgiving feasts at their respective schools on the 21st, which I enjoyed attending!


Anna is hiding in the corner in a pink dress.

Daddy got home that evening, and we had a great time on Saturday at Josh and Kati's house for a pre-Thanksgiving dinner!  We also went to our first Wolfpack basketball game of the season that Sunday, which the girls greatly enjoyed (the concessions).  Good thing our wonderful neighbors gave us the tickets, because we managed to spend $40 in food!



We went back to Concord for Thanksgiving, which was lots of fun too!


Pie prep before heading to Concord

It is always so nice to spend time with our family there, and we also went to Cooper and Cole's house on Friday to spend more time with them.  We got our plans finalized for Beach Trip 2015, which we are really looking forward to!


Cousin Advent Wreath craft time

We got back from Thanksgiving and got our Christmas decorations up.  And so it begins...

Six

Our baby girl is now 6 years old!  As I say every year, it definitely does not feel like it has flown by.  I am grateful to have had the chance to stay home with her in her early years, which I think makes the time tick by at about the right speed for me.

I try not to gush too much, but we are so very proud of Erin.  When we think back on the progress that she has made in her short lifetime, we are blown away.  She has gone from being a 3-year-old who could not talk, wasn't potty-trained when other kids were, and was almost totally anti-social to being a 6-year-old who chatters constantly, doesn't give the bathroom situation a second thought, and has many friends who love her.  She is one of the sweetest kids I know, and has never intentionally been mean to anyone.  She is very independent, driven, and caring.  I could go on and on, but Erin exceeds my expectations on a daily basis - we could not be more proud of her, and we are so hopeful for her future.  Oh! She's smart too - she can read Level 2 books (when she wants to) and has an incredible memory.  Her conduct and reading/spelling skills knock her teachers' socks off.  Math is more challenging for her, but she is doing great there too.  For a kid who could barely hold a crayon 2 years ago, her handwriting is right in line with her classmates', and she is able to complete all the worksheets, cutting/pasting, and other assignments that this crazy kindergarten curriculum throws at her.  I know that daily life is not always easy or comfortable for Erin, but her meltdowns and complaints are so rare now compared to years past, which makes me even more amazed and proud of her.

She won't get to the doctor until early December, so we don't have that update yet.  We can, however, give an update on her multifaceted birthday celebration!  Erin was so excited about her birthday this year, so we were more than happy to oblige.  That turned out to mean four celebrations - first, a weekend in Concord from October 10th-12th, where we had a fun visit to a pumpkin patch, playtime at "Ansley's house" (also, Logan and Ben live there with their parents), birthday pizza lunch with Frozen cake, visit to Cole's new house, and the Hound Dog Hustle.  Busy weekend!






















Her second celebration was taking mini cupcakes to her kindergarten class on her birthday, the 23rd.  We also celebrated at home that day, with a special donut and bacon breakfast and her dinner/treat request of spaghetti and Halloween cookies.  Mommy tried really hard to talk her into a nice dinner out, but this tired girl just likes to stay home after her busy day at school.







Her birthday finale was a "small" tea party with her neighbor friends, which I think she really enjoyed.  It was just a snack, pink lemonade, and (Pretty in Pink) cupcakes, then playtime, but that's all that Erin wants.  Give this girl some food and turn her loose, and she's happy.  I was happy to not have to come up with any elaborate games or entertainment!







So, that's our Erin.  What else - she has been off of the melatonin for several months now and is sleeping like a champ - from 8pm-6am even on weekends, but I'll take that any day of the week.  We do keep some on hand for the occasional rough night.  Now that she can tell time, I think when she does wake up, she just goes right back to sleep instead of having a party in her bedroom like before.  She is not taking any iron/fish oil/B6/magnesium now.  We just weren't seeing any difference and felt bad subjecting her to the bad tastes.  She continues to go to occupational therapy one hour a week after school, and that seems to be helping her a lot with working on sensory needs, as well as fine motor skills.  We are waiting patiently for our Daisy Girl Scout troop to get started, so we can hang out with some friends outside of school.  She also wants to try a regular dance class, but I'm not sure that she or I are ready for 3 activities!  We may give it a try after the holidays.  Otherwise, we spend a lot of time playing with neighbor friends, pretending school, reading, listening to music, walking, and jumping on the trampoline.  Erin is our down-to-earth child, and is so sweet and happy.  We love her so much!

October!

October was a busy month, as it always is, with Erin being tracked out of school for the first 3 weeks, her big birthday, and Halloween.  I am also behind on giving a 6-year update on our big girl, but that will be next!  We started out with a bang by getting the kids' flu shots on the 2nd.  This would not normally be notable, but for us it was due to the fact that nobody cried.  First time ever that we have gotten through vaccinations without tears!  Anna may have sniffled a little, but quickly recovered...no holding screaming kids down, no sweat or tears on my part!  We are all growing up.  We 3 ladies had a fun afternoon at Phillips Farm on the 3rd, which has become an annual tradition for us.  It's a really fun place in Morrisville/Cary with lots of activities for the kids, hayride, and pumpkin patch.  

We had a busy morning on the 4th with our family pictures at Bond Park (I haven't been there in about 10 years!), then Anna's "away" soccer game across the street at St. Michael's.  

We also had a busy day on Sunday with Atrium class, then I got to go to Concord for Dale and Maria's baby shower while Bob and the kids (and neighbor friend Laney) went to Erin's dance class and the parish picnic.  Lots of fun, and a beautiful day!

Erin and I went to Anna's preschool on the 6th to help with a painting project, which triggered an ongoing rant by Erin regarding going back to preschool.  I think she was upset that she never got to go there, or else she was just jealous of all the fun they were having while she is working so hard in kindergarten!  

House news - we got our water heaters replaced on the 7th.  Our neighbors had theirs leak and cause a great deal of damage over the summer, so we thought it was about time to have ours replaced since they're 10-11 years old.  We went from two 40-gallon tanks to one 50-gallon tank.  He said it probably won't be enough to fill the whirlpool tub, but considering we haven't used that in 4 years, we probably won't miss it.  

We had a great time in Concord over the 10th-12th for Erin's birthday celebration, trip to the pumpkin patch, and Hound Dog Hustle!  We always have such a great time with everyone there. 

 

Erin and I went to Defy Gravity on the 17th for her last morning of track-out, and we both really enjoyed it.  We went to the state fair on the 17th and had a great time.  Erin finally succeeded in talking us into painting her room on the 18th (well, Bob) while we ladies went to Erin's pre-K teacher's baby's first birthday party.  We now have dueling electric pink bedrooms!  

Erin went back to school on the 20th with little protest, thankfully.  It's so nice that she enjoys school this year and doesn't complain constantly about going!  I think she really enjoys being with kids her age who are much more verbal and interactive.  She is learning a lot and having fun!  We had a super fun day on the 24th with Erin's class field trip to the Stevens Nature Center/Hemlock Bluffs in the morning, bowling for Caroline's birthday in the afternoon, then movie night at our neighbors' house.  Whew!  We had a few of Erin's little neighbor friends over on the 25th for tea, which she enjoyed quite a bit.  We also had a great visit with Grandma F. on the 26th!

The week of the 27th, we got prepped for the big day on Friday...Anna's class had silly hat day/fall harvest party, so we made Rice Krispie treat pumpkins to send in.  Erin's class had book character day, so Erin got to wear her beautiful tutu from Grandma and Grandpa A. and bring in a book that we conveniently had about a ballerina.  Then, of course, was the big night out trick-or-treating.  We had a pizza party with lots of neighbor friends, then the kids went out.  They had a great time, but Anna enjoyed handing out candy just as much!  Our kitty cat ballerina and (human) ballerina had a great time!  Stay tuned for our big birthday update!

September!

September is a nice month here in NC.  It starts out like summer, but there is hope for cool weather by the end of the month.  We had a great month with some fun adventures.  We started out the month with a nice Labor Day, not doing a whole lot.  We had Jimmy and Danny over to play on the 2nd where we all got to witness quite a hail storm, then Daddy left for California on the 3rd, for a quick 3-day trip.  Anna started her second and final year of preschool on the 3rd at Sunrise UMC Preschool.  Mrs. Paige is her teacher, and Mrs. Mary Kay is her assistant.  Anna got lucky and has friends Laney and Caroline both in her class this year...the trio we refer to as "The Trifecta".  She is enjoying preschool so far, and we can all tell a difference in going from 2 days a week last year to 3 days this year.  She's been learning a lot and having fun!

Mommy had a super fun weekend from the 5th-7th when college friends Joanna, Kelly, and Amanda came to town to visit and stay with us.  I haven't seen them in 6-10 years, so it was so nice to catch up on everyone's lives and adventures.  They have had more adventures than me, but that's ok!  Erin's class had a Letterland parade on the 5th, which Anna and I got to watch.  Erin also had dance class on the 6th, Anna had soccer, and they both had a great time at neighbor friend Ella's birthday pool party that day too.  My childless friends got a taste of parenthood and managing kids' schedules over the weekend!  We ladies went to the NCSU football game the evening of the 6th, which was lots of fun and perfect weather.  We finished the weekend with a nice brunch on Sunday with Liz, which was a big treat for me too.  Lots of fun!

The week of the 8th was fairly low-key, just settling into school x 2 for the 3-1/2 weeks that I enjoyed some freedom before Erin's track-out.  Same for the week of the 15th.  We had Grandma and Grandpa A., Uncle Jerry, and Aunt Debbie (and doggie Rylee B.) visit on the 13th after Anna's soccer game.  That was lots of fun!  We also had neighbor friend Alexia's birthday party on the 20th, which was fun with a big bounce house, face painting, and yummy snacks.

The girls started back in Atrium on the 21st, which they (especially Erin) had really been looking forward to all summer.  Their class has 10 kids this year, 4 more than last year.  Two friends from last year have returned, so they were happy to see them again.  We watched neighbor black lab puppy Ruby a few days during the month...she is very sweet and cute, but we definitely appreciate our easy old girl Bella!  Friday the 26th, we adults celebrated neighbor Ms. Kate's 40th birthday party and enjoyed catching up with some neighbors we don't see that often.  Saturday the 27th, we had soccer in the morning, and then Mommy and Daddy went to Greensboro in the evening to see an Eric Church concert with Uncle Chris and Aunt Leslie.  Maggie babysat the girls, and everyone had a great time!  The 4 of us had a fun afternoon at Harris Lake Park on the 28th.

That pretty much rounds out the month.  The 26th was Erin's last day of school for 3 weeks, and she's been enjoying mostly hanging around the house and generally decompressing from the stress that is kindergarten.  We had a teacher conference on the 29th, where she got an excellent report.  We could not be more proud of our big girl, who also lost her first tooth this month (she pulled it out herself after Mommy and Daddy both tried and couldn't get it)!

August!

Well, summer is almost over!  We had a nice month of August, mostly hanging around here with our big girl starting kindergarten at the beginning of the month.  Erin's first day was July 29th, but she only went one day that week with a few other kids in a small group.  We got to meet her teacher on that Friday, which eased Bob's and my fears somewhat about this big scary change for all of us!  Her teacher is new to the school, but has taught elementary school for many years. We met a friend of Erin's from pre-K that weekend for lunch, and the girls had such a great time together!  We also got to catch up with Ms. Liz and Mr. David on the 4th...2 meals out equals a great weekend in my book!

Erin started full-time school on Monday the 5th, and though we couldn't get much info out of her for the first week, she started coming home the second week and will "pretend school" where she is the teacher and her stuffed animals are the students.  It is very fun to watch, and we learn a lot about her day that way.  Apparently, there are a couple of kids who are quite the handful...we have heard a lot of "Shania, sit down!", and "Hunter, take 2 minutes".  We laid low that week, letting Erin adjust to school.  She seems to be adjusting well, and will have her first track-out starting September 29th.  We still have doubts about our decision to go with public school, but I do think the frequent track-outs every 9 weeks will help her keep from becoming overwhelmed or burned out.

We had a rainy weekend of the 9th and 10th, but enjoyed getting some things done inside the house, and Erin and I went to our neighbor's daughter's pottery open house, which we both enjoyed.  The rain finally stopped mid-day on Sunday, and we went to Meet the Pack at Carter Finley.  The girls were underwhelmed, but we parents enjoyed it!



Poor Erin had her first two sick days of the year on the 14th and 15th, with some mystery illness with no symptoms, but she was definitely wiped out.  She was mostly better by Saturday and back to herself on Sunday.  We had visitors on Sunday, Yannis and Sofia, and enjoyed catching up with them.

The girls braved the dentist on the afternoon of the 18th, and by a sharp turn of events, Erin did perfectly and Anna screamed the entire time.  This is a total flip from last time.  Both got stamps of approval - Erin by the skin of her teeth (get it?) with some staining, but the spots were not cavities, whew.  Naturally, we celebrated afterward with ice cream.  The girls had their last swim lesson on the 19th, where we bid a fond farewell to Becky until next May.  They definitely made good progress with being brave in the water, putting their heads under, and working on kicking and strokes.  The individual lessons seemed to work well for both of them, and they were a lot cheaper than going to the Y!

Anna's soccer career debuted on Saturday the 23rd, a hot and humid morning, but she did well and followed the pack most of the time.  She reported to enjoy it, but it was too hot.  They were off over Labor Day weekend, so we hope that this coming Saturday morning is less hot for her.  Then we had a fun (again, rainy) afternoon at our neighborhood pool party, though it was cut short by a storm.  Erin did get about 30 minutes on the inflatable slide, so all were happy.  We had lots of fun on Sunday the 24th when we went to a Durham Bulls game with our buddies the Mannings!  The rain had passed and it was a beautiful, cool evening.  Mommy thought to bring coloring books and crayons, so we were all able to enjoy being there!

Anna and I had lots of fun for 3 days last week watching friends Caroline and Joshua while their mommy helped get the preschool ready for the invasion of kids.  We got to meet Anna's teacher on Friday, which was fun too!  Anna is the big girl on campus this year as a 4-year-old.  We had a nice Labor Day weekend hanging around here, running errands, doing projects, and watching our Wolfpack squeak out a win for the first game of the season.

All in all, it was a great month, and we are all learning to adjust to kindergarten...it is not what it used to be!  Apparently we don't have many pictures from the month, but it was a good one!

July!

Whew, we survived July!  It was hot...but not too hot...and full of lots of fun!  Bob was off work through the 6th for the company shut down, and he stayed busy selling the Mustang, completing our wills/etc., installing our spiffy new TV antenna and Roku box and subsequently getting rid of cable (oh, the freedom!  and the money saved!), and lots of other odd jobs around the house.  We ladies hit the pool a couple of times and supported his endeavors whenever possible.  Erin and I went to neighbor friends Ella's house for a fun cookout on the 4th of July, but poor Anna was home with a fever and a cold.  We have circulated a couple of viruses in our house over the past month - nothing too bad, but it's never fun to be under the weather.

The week of the 7th was the long-awaited, much-anticipated Disney princess dance camp week!  The girls and I learned that dance camp is not all fun and games!  They worked really hard learning lots of ballet positions and a cute little choreographed dance to (of course) a song from Frozen.  This was Erin's first time in a regular dance class, and she really did great...even better than Anna who was too tired from working so hard!



Erin's gymnastics career has temporarily (or maybe permanently) ended after listening to her complain about going for the past couple of months.  They ended their year at the end of July, so we wanted her to finish out the year.  Of course, now she says she wants to go back!  We were really proud of her for sticking with it for a whole 12 months.  She worked very hard and really got stronger!



Bella decided to get an eye infection, so we ladies took her to the vet on the 14th, which ended up being quite entertaining for the girls.  I love that it is so much easier to take them places now!  We also got Bella's nails trimmed another day, which made the little doggie mommies quite nervous.  Bob went to Germany from the 16th-22nd, and he really enjoyed the time he got to sightsee this pretty area of the world.  Grandma A. came up for a few days while he was gone, and we had lots of fun together!  We finally tried out Playnation, an indoor play area, while Grandma was here, and it was a big hit!

We got to meet a few of Erin's new kindergarten classmates on the 19th, which really seemed to put her at ease regarding the big change in her life.  She had lots of fun!  Otherwise, we stayed busy with library trips, church, the Y, pool, playing with friends, OT, and swim lessons while Daddy was gone.

Then, the big finale for July, was our big Mystery Trip, as named by Bob...he wouldn't tell me anything about where we were going until after we took the kids to Grandma and Grandpa A.'s in Concord on the 23rd, stayed the night, and got to the Charlotte airport on the 24th.  We went to Jamaica!  It was crazy and definitely a big surprise, but it was so nice of him, and was so much fun!  We stayed at a Couples resort in Negril, and it was all-inclusive and really, really nice.  It was quiet and laid-back, and just beautiful!  We had lots of fun snorkeling, paddleboarding, kayaking, and floating in the beautiful ocean and pools.  It was awesome!



We got back on the 27th and all came back home on the 28th.  Erin had her first day of staggered-entry kindergarten on the 29th and seemed to have mixed reviews, though the teachers said that she did great!  Tomorrow is her first regular day/week in her class, so we'll see how the week goes.  Our big girl is growing up!

June!

For those of us on the crazy year-round school calendar, June is a weird month.  It feels like summer, everyone else is in summer mode, but yet it's still the last month of school (at least for Erin's track).  So, it can be hard (and busy) when we want to do lots of fun summer things in addition to school.  So, we had a great and busy month and ended it with a really fun trip to Indiana!

We started out on the 1st with the girls' last Atrium/Sunday school class (so sad, now they have to sit with us at Mass until September, BUT they are enjoying our new experiment of sitting in the front row!) and a fun picnic at Harris Lake with my St. Andrew's mom's group.  We had perfect weather and it was lots of fun!  Anna and I went to a puppet show at the library on the 3rd with friends Caroline and Joshua.  We hadn't been to one in awhile, so that was a fun treat.  We had neighbor friend Ella over on the 5th and all went to swim lessons that afternoon.  We met Aunt Pam, Jimmy, and Danny at the YMCA pool on the 6th, and Uncle Dale, Aunt Maria, and Cole came to spend the night on the 6th on their way to their beach week and stayed until lunchtime on the 7th.  It was so great to see them...we miss them so much now that they're back in the Charlotte area!

Speaking of swim lessons, they are going really well.  Each girl gets a half hour private lesson a week with a lifeguard at a nearby pool.  Her prices are cheaper than the group lessons at the Y, where the kids seem to spend most of the time sitting at the edge of the pool anyway.  Erin started from being wild and not listening to Becky at all in May, to swimming about 6 lengths of the pool with help today!  Anna still spends the majority of her session running her mouth, adjusting her goggles, and going to the bathroom, but manages to get a little practice kickboarding and jumping in too.

Daddy went to California the week of the 8th, and we ladies stayed busy with our usual routine.  I was able to check window washing off my list while Anna played at Ella's house on the 9th, and she came back here on the 11th.  We've enjoyed having lots of fun with her this month!  We had a nice Father's Day weekend at home, just being together.

Erin had her pre-K graduation on the 20th, and Grandma and Grandpa A. came up for that.  Erin did so well with singing the songs and receiving her diploma.  It's sad to me that she is done with this class after being there for almost 3 years, especially when I think about all that the teachers have done for her and how much progress she has made, but she is more than ready to move on to her next adventure in kindergarten.  She spent each morning in the month of June in a kindergarten class, learning their morning routine and participating in academic work.  Towards the end of the month, she didn't want to go and complained a lot, but we think she was a little overwhelmed by the work since the kids were at the end of their year, plus she seemed a little sad about graduating from her class and was also burned out in general.  Anyway, we nervously await for her to start The Big K on July 29th and hope we made the right decision by keeping her at Middle Creek!

I got to cash in my Mother's Day gift on the 21st with a trip to the beach with my friend Mary Kathryn.  We had a really nice time there and got a nice quiet dinner without any kids!  Anna, Ella, her mom, and I went to Marbles on the 23rd, and we played at the YMCA pool with Jimmy that afternoon.  Anna and I also met her preschool friend Anna W. and her sisters at the YMCA pool on Wednesday morning.  Now that most kids are out of school, that pool has gotten a lot more crowded!  We prefer our neighborhood pool; even though it isn't as shallow, it's much less crowded and closer to home - plus, we can have inflatable floats there.  Erin's last day of pre-K was the 26th, and we all (except her) cried a little bit over that.  Her teachers have been truly phenomenal and are some of the most patient, caring, and creative people I have ever met.  They have a very hard job, but seem to do it so easily and are happy doing it!


















We ended the month with our big trip to Indianapolis for my cousin Brad's wedding...we drove up on the 27th, had the wedding on the 28th, drove to Cincinnati to see the aquarium on the 29th, and came home on the 30th.  So, it was a quick trip, but lots of fun, and the ladies did awesome!  They really are good little travelers.  We got all our stuff in the Accord, which ended up being nice since it was easier to reach the kids, and of course it gets much better gas mileage.  Mommy and Daddy thoroughly enjoyed the aquarium, but the ladies were underwhelmed.  They did, however, really like the Crowne Plaza in Indianapolis, which was an old train station and train cars that had been converted into a hotel, as well as the Embassy Suites in Cincinnati complete with happy hour and breakfast buffet.  Both hotels had indoor pools that were really big hits too.



So, that was June.  I don't have many pictures on the computer, but will upload some from my phone to the Picasa site soon.  Bob was off work this past week for his company's shut down and got LOTS of projects done at home, but that will have to wait for July's post, since they happened in July.  As I say every year, summer is not my favorite time of the year.  Kids wake up early, everyone is tired, and it is so hot!  But, this summer has been more fun now that the girls are more independent, and we've really enjoyed our pool time since they are swimming better.  We've also had a couple of breaks from the heat and humidity that have really help my morale.  July is shaping up to be a great month with both kids out of school and some more laid-back days!  The girls have a dance camp this coming week every morning, which we are all pretty excited about...and we plan to have lots more fun together before Erin't first day of kindergarten on the 29th, which she is none too happy about at the moment!

May!

We had a busy and fun month of May!  May seems to be "birthday month" for nearly everyone I talk to, and for us it is no exception.  We started out the month with our usual routine, including a fun outdoor concert with neighbor friend Ella on the 2nd.  Daddy got a fun surprise on the 3rd with a weekend of camping fun with 3 of his old college friends for his birthday.  The weather was perfect and I think they had a fun, mostly sober time...from what I am told!  We girls had a nice weekend too, picking strawberries with Erin's class, going to Ms. Tara's 40th birthday party, and doing our usual Sunday thing.  We had our big transition meeting with Erin's teacher on the 5th to get things ironed out for next year, which went well.  We had Daddy's birthday on the 7th, complete with his choice of birthday dessert - blondies.  

Erin's school had field day on the 9th, which was lots of fun and only a little bit hot!  We had a fun day on Saturday celebrating Uncle Dale's graduation with his MBA!  We partied at our house, which was lots of fun.  We are super proud of Uncle Dale!  I had a nice Mothers Day on Sunday, just hanging around the house and enjoying the nice weather.  Daddy left that day for a "fun" week in Atlanta for a conference, but he did manage to have some fun in between all the work.  We girls held down the fort, including Part 1 of Anna's birthday celebration at preschool on Thursday.  All of Anna's birthday celebration can be read about HERE.  We headed to Concord on the 16th for Part 2 of the celebration, and had lots of fun with everyone there!  We were back on the evening of the 17th for Atrium on the 18th and Part 3 of the birthday, which was more fun!

The week after the birthday was busy with Anna's last week of preschool, including a school picnic on Thursday, her 4-year checkup, her last dance class/observation day, first swim lessons, and Bella deciding to have 2 infected cysts open up on Friday, requiring a trip to the vet.  We're almost done with her antibiotic, cleaning, and packing regimen, and both spots look good.  I think she's bump-free for now, so we should be in the clear with these infections for awhile.  The 24th was our busy morning with Bellamy's First Communion at the cathedral in the morning, then Danny's first birthday party at lunchtime!  Both were lots of fun!  Then we headed to the beach for a nice long weekend of fun in the sun.  Poor Daddy the mountain man is outnumbered by beach girls around here!  

We stayed until Tuesday afternoon, then sadly headed home.  Anna had a playdate with a preschool friend on Wednesday, where we all melted in the heat and grumbled about the impending summer.  Anna got to eat lunch with Erin on Thursday in the school cafeteria for the first time, and she enjoyed admiring the girls' fashions (oh dear).  Friday was lots of fun with Erin's last-ever Family School Partnership Day, which we had at our neighborhood pool!  6 of the 9 kids came, and all but one loved the water, but even the one eventually got in and had fun.  It was lots of fun!  Saturday the 31st was our long-awaited neighborhood yard sale...I always get so excited about yard sales, but we only sold about $55 in stuff.  Liz and David brought stuff and did much better, making about double of that.  We also sold our neighbors' bar stools for them.  Following that was the customary Goodwill trip, then Daddy fixed the a/c noise in my car while we girls went to the girls' swim lesson and then to our neighborhood pool party.  Lots of fun and a busy day!

So, summer is officially upon us, like it or not.  I'm going to go ahead and say that I'm ready for fall!  We have been having fun at the pool and are looking forward to our trip to Indianapolis/Cincinnati at the end of the month...and of course, our preschooler's graduation!  Erin has started spending more time in the kindergarten class and has quite an air about her now!

The photo uploader isn't working right now, so I will try to remember to add some later...if not, HERE is the link to our most recent pictures!

Anna is 4!

Well, our sweet, smart, sassy little Anna is now 4 years old.  In true Anna fashion, she managed to get around not being allowed to have a big party by having 3 little parties.  It started last Thursday when I took princess-themed cookies to her preschool class.  She assisted in making them, and they were a big hit!



 Friday, we went to Concord for her birthday celebration with Mommy's family on Saturday at lunchtime.  We had a fun pizza party complete with a beautiful Frozen cake, again that she helped make.  She had lots of fun with everyone and loves all of her wonderful gifts.







Then, on her actual birthday, got got her present from us



and also had her neighbor friends over for a little Frozen-themed tea and cookie party, which was lots of fun.  It was so funny to see all the little girls trying to be on their best behavior!





So, it was a fun birthday weekend for our little princess, who can only be described as a princess.  We really think that she lives in her own personal fairy tale/musical.  Anna does not feel dressed unless she has a dress-up princess dress on over her clothes, complete with glass slippers and crown (sorry, TIARA) at the minimum - ideally, jewelry and hair adornment are included as well.  She loves the attention that she gets in her get-up and does not seem to mind being extra hot or uncomfortable in it.  We try to not let her leave the house in it, but she has worn it to the occasional store or Erin's gymnastics class where there are large groups of people around to admire her.

I know I wrote this last year, but Anna is such a delight.  She is very emotional - usually happy - and very enthusiastic about life in general.  Some (Mommy) might call her needy, but she just loves to be involved with what we are doing and likes to have attention at all times.  Where Erin is more happy to play on her own and use her imagination, Anna likes to have people around to interact with.  She did well in her first year of preschool this year, with a good report (stamp on her hand) every day and no mention of discipline issues.  She can be shy at first, but quickly opens up and then does not stop talking.  She is already a master of manipulation and can manage to outsmart both of her parents without blinking an eye.  Some of her interests right now are art (coloring, painting, chalk, play-doh...she is a painter and a sculptor), cooking, reading, princesses, princesses, and princesses.  She is about to finish her dance class for the year, which she enjoyed.  Her imagination has really started developing, and she loves to play pretend games with her little friends, which is so sweet.

Physically, she seems to be doing well.  She is not the eater that Erin is, but she seems to go through the typical cycles of eating well and then not so well.  She continues to be a camel, drinking like crazy.  We aren't too concerned about it, but do keep an eye on it.  She still wears a diaper at night, but we expect that to go away in the near future.  She will have her check-up tomorrow, so we'll get some more stats on her then.  She definitely towers over a lot of kids her age.  She continues to have the ASD/heart defect, but we're off the hook with the cardiologist until October.  They may talk about surgery at that time, which we are really hoping will be the minor catheter procedure.

So, there's our Anna.  She is a joy and we treasure her every day!  While we fear for the teenage years, we are excited to see her grow and learn more this year!