Wow, I can't believe I have not posted since February! I am amazed that over 4,000 people have viewed our blog and hope that I haven't lost any "fans" despite the lapse in recent posts. It is indicative of the craziness going on in our lives these past few months. So far 2010 has been a little rough for my entire family with the passing of my Grandmother and Dani's unexplained illness. We are hoping the "excitement" dies down soon and are looking forward to a summer filled with lazy days by the pool and surf time at the beach. I'll try to get everyone up to speed without this being a 5-page post.
Where to begin . . . It has been 7 months today since we first held little Dani (who is not so little anymore) in our arms and became a forever family of 5. She is now 21 months old. As many of our friends and family know, Dani has had several episodes of facial swelling which have required her to be hospitalized for anywhere from a day to almost a week. She has seen almost every Pediatric Sub-specialist there is at Children's Hospital, undergone 2 CT scans, 2 X-rays, 2 Ultrasounds and even had her blood shipped to a lab in France, and still no confirmed diagnosis for the cause of the swelling. The good news is that after the last in-patient stay it was determined that whatever the reason for Dani's swelling it was not due to an infection. That meant no more IV antibiotics and no more hospitalization for her episodes. Even during her episodes of facial swelling, Dani is her happy, normal, VERY active self. She is not in pain, has no fever, no loss of appetite and is seemingly unaware that her face is dramatically swollen. We are grateful for this, as it would be very difficult to see our baby in pain. I will continue to update the blog with regards to her condition, but for now, we are enjoying everyday with Dani and are continually amazed at how she has blended into our lives as if she has always been there. A BIG thank you to everyone who visited us while we were in the hospital, brought toys to keep Dani occupied, prepared meals for us, and helped with the boys. We are truly blessed to have such great friends and family.
As for the boys, both Dustin and Dylan are 3 short days away from the end of the school year. To say that they are excited is an under statement! Lacrosse season also came to and end a few weeks ago, for which Chris and I are VERY grateful for. We love watching the boys play, however; with practices and games for 2 boys and having a little one who does not sit still, we are happy the season is over.
Dustin has had a very busy couple of months. In addition to being a starting defender on the Varsity Lacrosse team, he took a course through the American Red Cross and the City of San Diego and is now a certified life guard for the City pools. He is CPR and AED certified. He also successfully ran for Junior Class Vice President and won! He begins his "term" in the Fall. He also landed a part time position at the South Coast Wind an' Sea Surf shop in Pacific Beach. Very ironic since his Dad used to work there 20 years ago! Unfortunately, during the last Lacrosse game he fractured his wrist and was in a cast for 4 weeks and then had to have surgery on his foot to have a cyst removed. He is healing nicely from both injuries and looking forward to getting back in the water on Father's Day.
Dylan was also a starting defender for his Lacrosse team and is looking forward to joining his big brother at a Lacrosse camp this summer. His time in elementary school comes to an end this year as he moves on to middle school. It feels like just yesterday I was taking him to preschool!
I think I have covered most of it. I am going to do my best to post at least once a week. I have said this to many of you already but boy is there a difference between 2 kids and 3! Chris and I naively thought that the addition of Dani to the family would be a piece of cake given that our boys are older and don't require the same care as little ones do. Boy were we wrong! Between work, two boys in sporting activities, school, homework, tutors and Dani's numerous doctor appointments and hospitalizations, our lives are busier than we could have imagined. We wouldn't change a thing however; and we are all adjusting to our new life as a family of 5.
