Yan's test results!

I thought I would post an update for everyone that prayed for Yan's tests. I just got off the phone with the neurologist...they did not catch any seizures during the test (which they really didn't think because she appears to have them very infrequently). However, they noted some "Slow posterior background"...which means some slower brain activity during the resting phase. He said that this is typical of kids with Down Syndrome or other developmental delays.

He said, they could either proceed with admitting her to the hospital for a 48-72 hour test (yeah, cause that would be so much fun), but that since they are coming so infrequently they could still not get anything. If they found them present they would recommend medication. So, he/I opted to monitor. I just don't think that I want to put her through that again, and I don't really want to try medication for something this infrequent. I hope that is the right decision...I guess I will just have to wait and see. Thanks for the prayers!:

Smarty Pants!

Tonight Yan and I were doing a puzzle...it was a weird "lock" puzzle and you had to figure out how to open and shut various locks to see the picture underneath. She was opening all of them and then wanted me to count them with her. She used to count with me all the time; but has lately been pointing and just wanting me to count. She started switching things around and pointing different ways after I had said, "One, two..." so I just stopped to see if she wanted me to stop. She looked at me with this "Hello, c'mon mom, we've been through this a thousand times" look and said "THREE"! :-) Love her!!

Must. Get. Sleep!!!

Oh, it was one of "those" nights. I tossed and turned in bed until I finally fell asleep at about 12:30, then woke up every hour after that. Then, my darling daughter decided to wake up (and not go back to sleep) at 4:00am...I.am.sooooooooo.tired.

I have an interview this morning, then an appointment with a consignment sale this afternoon, then we're supposed to start a short VBS this evening. I'll be honest, I don't know that we'll make it this evening.

I tried to get Yan back to sleep this morning (of course now that it's time to get ready and go she keeps signing "sleep, sleep" ;-) and let her crawl into bed with me. Do you know how babies will put their hands up and touch your face to kind of "explore"you. Well, this morning, while lying in the dark, Yan just put her hands up and ran them all over my face, then leaned over and kissed me on my forehead. What a pumpkin! I love her to pieces...even if she does exhaust me sometimes! I'm blessed!

Our Special Shopping Trip

I meant to post last night, but was too tired. Yesterday "Harris Teeter" (local grocery store) started triple coupons for three days (they do it about once every three months and triple up to 99 cents...so you can save mega dough).

Anyway, Yan and I were making our rounds and were going down an aisle. I was pushing the cart out of the aisle as a woman came and blocked me, at first I thought she was with a friend and they were bantering, but then realized that they were in the middle of the fight. Their discourse went like this:

Woman 1: You better BACK OFF and stop following me!
Woman 2: Oh no, cause I'm PRESSING CHARGES!

Then I see taser in woman 2's hands...it then occurs to me to finally back off and get away before Yan or I get hurt. Thankfully a manager came out a back door and was able to "assist them". Alledgedly, woman 1 ran into woman 2 with her cart-leaving a mark. So woman 2 whipped out her taser and fired it at woman 1's cart...thankfully getting the cart and not the woman.
Does it scare anyone else that people are carrying tasers with them to bargain shop???? Geesh, I'll be careful who I run my carts into from now on! :-)

Yan's Day 'O' Mall Fun!

Since I had to go to the mall for the haircut, I figured we could make a day of it. Some wonderful friends sent Yan a gift card for "Build-A-Bear" a couple of months ago...but we hadn't had a chance to use it. So, she got to go and pick out a creature. She picked out an elephant, and named him (big shocker) "Barney Cullimore" (okay I added the Cullimore, she just constantly says "Barney". She had a great time stuffing him, giving him a heart and an elephant sound, and a very thorough airbath. She loves him!

While going down the see through elevator, we saw a huge speedboat that they had on display in the mall. I kept saying, "Look at that boat". She was ooohing and ahhhing. Then when we got out, she ran to the boat and said clearer than ever, "SEE THAT BOAT"!! I was so proud-a 3 word phrase...so, I made her pose there too!

Then we went to ride the carousel at the mall and play on the indoor playground. She had a blast and was literally so happy that she skipped and bounced from place to place! Thought I'd share a few of the pics! Thanks for looking!

Remembering...

Today would have been my parents 35th Anniversary. Tomorrow is the 9th anniversary of my dad's death. Days like today are still hard. It's amazing to me that it's been so long, some days it just feels like yesterday. Some days it feels like decades. But after all this time, I still miss mom and dad so much. I would give most anything to sit over coffee with them one more time...to watch them meet and play with their grandchildren. To just give them one more hug and kiss and tell them that I love them.

If your parents are around...no matter what-let them know that you love them.

My little Fighter!

My daughter is a fighter...I realize that this is what helped get her through open heart surgery and so many other situations and will probably take her far in life; but today, it has worn me out. We went for the EEG this morning. I had told that dr. that she would not be cooperative, but no, he said that the nurses are great and used to it-they would take care of it.

2 hours of almost solid kicking and screaming. She was wrapped in 3 blankets, had 3 people holding her (I was one) and she still managed to get her hands out the top. By the end of it, she had like an abrasion on the top from thrashing her head on the towel, and had burst blood vessels all over her face from screaming. She finally stopped screaming and they were able to do the strobe light part and the quiet part, but she would never go to sleep.

This was not some rinky dink hospital...this was Vanderbilt Children's...the nurse looked at me and said, "Who knew that one 7 year old LITTLE girl could be so strong?" and then said, "I don't mean this in a bad way, but she is THE worst patient that I have EVER had! NEVER let them schedule another test without sedation!" :-(

She is so sensitive to every touch and every move-I feel like a horrible mom for making her go through it-but it was not painful. I try not to ask them to sedate her because of her heart condition; but will have to from now on. I'm going to go give her a bath, because she's covered in electrode glue, and then we are going to bed!

Swimming, Summer busy-ness and more tests!

Well, it has been a crazy busy time around here. It seems we have been running hither and yon lately. However, we have enjoyed lots of summer fun. Last Saturday, we had a blast at a neighbor's cook-out and pool party. Yan has grown fond of their big pool and swam for a quite a while (she even tackled the slide into the pool...as long as I was in the pool catching her ;-) After swimming for a while, then eating, she went inside to cool off. Before I knew it, she had 5 grown adults (yes, I was one of them) upstairs in the playroom holding hands, singing "Ring Around the Rosie", "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "I'm a Little Teapot". I was cracking up! She's just a magnet for joy!

I didn't get any pool pics that day, but did take a short video of her in her little blow-up pool. Excuse all the background noise, we don't live in the middle of the interstate, as it might seem...but it certainly is close-by and loud!! I will try to get a "talking" video this week...Yan is saying so many 2-3 word phrases to me, I love it!!!

Yan is going in next Friday for an EEG to try to determine if she is having mini seizures. If you can keep her in your prayers, that would be great! Have a great day! Jenn

Little Miss Smarty Pants!

I know it's not a huge deal-but it delights me to no end when I see Yan thinking and planning things.

This evening I was fixing dinner, and she was watching a recent found treasure from a ts for the first time, "Elmo's World". It ended and I was trying to get her washed up for dinner, but she was running around trying to gather things. I know when this happens, she has some "plan" and try to at least let her complete it if we're not rushed. She gathered her piano, wastebasket and snowglobe and brought them out to the living room one by one. I didn't get it-until it was all set up...then I was cracking up!!! She is too funny!

The cover of Elmo:

Her set-up: