WOW...what a MONTH!

This has been a crazy month full of a lot of ups and downs. Our life is never short of "interesting" things and this month was surely proof of that.

Many of you may remember that in December Mikayla ended up with another ear infection that turned into yet another medical ordeal. After four rounds of Rocephin shots, it was obvious that even the very strongest of antibiotics were not going to clear up her infection. I have actually been very worried about her resistance to antibiotics for a long time but didn't quite know what to think. Well....her pediatrician, who I have said often that I love and trust, said that her obvious resistance was very concerning and that her constant yeast infections and ear infections, that never clear up (we have been to specialists about it) makes him lean towards the fact that Mikayla may have an autoimmune disorder, in fact he mentioned the possibility of cancer. That is news that as a parent you don't take real well! We had blood work done a week later because it took me a week to gain the mental strength to have it done and face the results. We just got the results back and I am so, so happy to report that it is NOT cancer. However, Mikayla does have very elevated immunoglobin (sp) levels that are indicative of her milk allergy. What was explained to me was that her milk allergy is likely worse than we anticipated and she can no longer have even traces of milk because her body is spending all it's immune defense "fighting" the milk in her system and it's tearing down her immune system.

Well this made me feel awful because I thought since she seemed to tolerate milk in things like cookies and crackers that she was OK with them and that she just couldn't have large quantities. Well....I was very wrong. It was very much effecting her body and making her sick and I didn't even realize it:-( Her immune system at this point is near non-existent and we HAVE to get that changed. My pediatrician is currently researching the best option for us and her at this point so please keep her in your prayers. If she would catch a serious illness, like the Pneumonia that Alec had a few weeks ago, it could kill her. She has no immunity to fight it and her body does not respond to antibiotics. So this is very, very serious. Please pray for her. PLEASE.

And I want to say THANK YOU to those of you who talked me off the ledge when I was dealing with this.

I don't want to make this post longer because it's already pretty long. But, I will say that student teaching is going wonderfully! I have Mikayla to daycare and Alec to before-school care by 7:45 am! What a change for ALL of us. I get home around 4-4:30 each night except on Tuesday because I have class that night. Between making sure my kids get the attention they need from me at night and writing my lesson plans, I am one busy person right now. My supervisor comes each week and sits in to watch me and it makes me SO nervous. But, she thinks I am doing really great so that makes me feel much better. I have three more weeks at this current placement before I move on to my special ed placement. Graduation is just around the corner in April! And hopefully WARMER temps are too! GEEZ....enough with the snow already!

OH...and by the way...today marks TWO YEARS EXACTLY that Mikayla has been a citizen and resident of the United States of America! We flew home to Cleveland airport and were greeted by friends and family that snowy, cold day. Happy Homecoming Mikayla! Your family loves you more than could ever imagine!

Brother and Sister hanging out


She looks "big" in the picture :-(

She loves to wear this because she loves the hood!

This was so funny. I told Mikayla...."go get a picture with daddy" and he was laying on the floor. So she crowded in on the floor and Alec joined in too!

Alec was Star Student this week!!!!

Lazily watching Dora

I see you daddy!

Major snowstorm here last week!!! Alec loves playing in it!

Alec wrote this to me:-) It's says "I love my mom."

Close up:-)

Here he had just wrote "mom cooks cookies." I tell him sentences and he writes them to practice his invented spelling and phonics. He wrote the I love my mom on his own though!

Cute little man!

We took the kids to Build A Bear last week. Mikayla wanted the monkey and she LOVES it. I just couldn't get a good picture of her and camera was on some weird setting. I am still figuring out this Nikon.

Alec and Kayla

Alec picked out a Panda Bear :-)