Post-op Update

Reese had her post-op appt. today with ENT. It has been 3.5 weeks since her surgery. The doc was quite pleased with what he saw. I requested one more hearing test to confirm that the tubes fixed that issue.

The last test that she failed miserably in November showed that she could understand words spoken at 25 decibels. Today she understood words at 5 decibels. I am quite pleased with the success of the surgery. Her hearing is better, which means her speaking volume is better, and her speech enunciation is better too. great news all around.

But, the most exciting part of the appointment came when they were checking her vitals at the beginning. She weighed 39.6 pounds. Awesome! I asked them what she weighed at her last appt. on December 20. She was 36.6 pounds. Yea, do that math.... THREE POUNDS in a month!!!!

I can't believe her body has responded so well to being gluten free. The gluten was prohibited her body from absorbing all the nutrients from her food in the past.  Now that gluten is out of the way, her body is catching up and filling out. This makes this momma happy!

Brady's Life By Brady

Not quitting my day job

I love this job, I know I tell you all the time, but I just am so stinkin' happy these days...

I read this article today

http://www.danoah.com/2014/01/how-to-be-a-better-parent-according-to-small-children-vol-1.html



So I asked my girls, "What should mommy change to be a better parent?"

I was ready for something off the wall, comical maybe.



Check out these replies...

Reese: "I don't know, oh, I know, give me more hugs!"

Done, and done.

Brady: "Don't change anything, Mommy!"

LOVE THIS GIRL! Love these little pats of the back I get.

Did your boss give you praise today at work? Mine did!

Peace out diet soda

The '2013 me' told many a person, I know I am addicted to diet soda, but I am okay with that. It is my only vice. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't like coffee, you get where I am going. I need a vice, and diet soda is that.

Then I started realizing I don't really like fountain soda. It is too irregular for me. I need consistent predicatble taste so I started drinking only bottled/canned soda. But I was sticking to my guns, this girl loves diet soda. This girl is okay with drinking 4-5 diet sodas a day.

I also started realizing I eat more with my snack when I have a diet soda. I want to be eating food the entire time I drink my soda...YIKES! Oh well, I am not obese, diet soda you are still my staple.

Then about 2-3 weeks ago, it hit me, I don't really LOVE the taste of diet soda. It is truly a habit not a desire. WOW, what a thought, oh well. I don't care I am sticking with it.

Then about one week ago, I realized I drink soda for its convinece. If I had to get a cup out everytime I wanted it and pour it or dispense it, I would NOT drink it 4-5 times a day. I want to open the fridge and immediately have a beverage. RIGHT THEN. Oh my goodness, when did I get so lazy? Wait, I am not lazy, I am chasing three kiddos and lucky to get the 2 seconds to grab that can out of the fridge.

So what if water was that convinent? What if I could just grab a water out of the fridge and drink in two seconds. Well, duh, there is bottled water. Nope, I refuse to pay money for bottled water. Okay, so I am sticking with my diet soda habit.

Four days ago, I ran out of diet soda. I have not had one since. We had some leftover water bottles from Reese's birthday party. I drink from those, throw them in the dishwasher and refill all at once in the morning.

This girl right here has not had a diet soda in FOUR days. Not long you say, think of this, that is 20 diet sodas I have not drinken. That is one and a half packs of diet soda. I have been drinking about 6 bottles of water a day, wash and reuse. This is great people, hence my 'toot my horn' blog post.

On a side note: I have to be real, I am a mom of three youngins, I still need caffiene to make it through the day most days. I allow myself ONE of Karl's regular sodas. I don't eat when I drink it. It has 140 calories. That IS enough to hold me over for a couple hours. I have found I don't even really want to finish the entire 12 ounces. One day, I didn't crave it at all. CRAZY people CRAZY!

So there it is, My name is Christy, I am diet soda addict, and I have been 'sober' for 4 days. See you at the next DSA meeting.

Bucket List 2014

Here it is. The bucket list for the year. Part of this is sculpted from what we know we already have planned, which honestly I consider cheating, but we are going to have an awesome year!

-Grow own food (Christy)
-Go strawberry picking (Christy)
-Go to 2nd grade (Brady)
-Go to kindergarten (Reese)
-Go to the Children's Museum (Brady)
-Start running (Elli)
-Go to DC (Karl)
-Go overseas (Christy)
-Go to the Great Wolf Lodge (Brady and Reese)
-Go see Pop Pop's fish (Reese)
-Have a Kid free weekend on our Tenth wedding anniversary (Christy)
-Attend an air show (Karl)
-Bike/run/play at Mt. Trashmore (Christy)

2013 Bucket List COMPLETED

This post is a few months behind, but I can proudly say we kicked the bucket...list in the behind! We had it completed in late October.

I orginially made this list right after our move to get us excited about the new possibilities in this new town. Remember this list was created over a year ago.

Here it is:

-go on a rocketship (Reese)

We visited the Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton, VA in September. We explored all sorts of air vehicles including rocketship. We also got to see a rocket take off from our front porch one night! We kept the girls up so they could witness this extraodrinary event.

-go swimming (Reese)

-Perform an Ariel show with my doll (Reese)

This is not the Ariel show pictured... but we get 'shows' on a daily basis. No really, EVERY day. Sound of Music is the most recent theme of most shows.

-go for a hike (Brady)

No hills in our hikes, but we do enjoy the mile walk through our neighborhood (base). 

-go to the zoo (Brady)

-go to where Felicity lived (Brady)

The older two girls were treated to a couple trips to Colonial Williamsburg last year. They enjoyed learning about the differences in life and culture, including tea and curtsy lessons.

-go to the Botanical Gardens (Christy)

Among our multiple trips to the Botanical Gardens to play in the World of Wonder kids' garden. We also explored the Christmas light display during the Polar Express event. The girls also got their first taste of hot cocoa.

-go to the Great Wolf Lodge (Christy)

-go to DC and watch the Giants play (Karl)....

This one wasn't completed in its original form...instead Karl go to see the Giants play in San Diego, even better right!?!?!

-go see Kaddie's (now better known as Pop Pop) fish (Christy)

-go to the Children's musuem (Reese)

-go to the Aquarium (Brady)

-eat Cheesecake Factory cheesecake (Karl)

You know he ate this too fast for me to grab a picture of it!

We did so much last year, much of which is not even listed on here. Glad that we were able to kick the bucket...list!

Stay tuned for the post previewing this year's to do list.

Hard Knock Life

Daddy is out with the two older girls. Mommy is home with the little that is refusing to nap. Mommy needs to plan the week's dinners and the subsequent grocery list. Mommy needs thirty minutes hands free.

Guess what the little did for thirty minutes straight... Yep, sat in one spot reading books and this momma was hands free.


Gosh, such a hard job I have raising three girls. And man that one year old, off the wall ... In awesomeness that is!








Baby girl, you make this job too easy!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

New Beginnings

Today was surgery day. The day this awesome warrior had been dreading.




















There was a lot of talk about normal emotions to feel before. And normal 20/20 retrospect tells you that those emotions were silly. Yesterday she was scared, today she delighted that there was nothing to be scared of.

4:00 AM wake up call for 5:15 arrival... people, not even Hardees was open for breakfast, yes, that early. Also, this momma forgot to factor that the 'nightly' construction work that closes the tunnel would still be in effect too.

All is good we made it there just in time to...wait.

But there was televsion, good luck letters and emails, ipads to pass the time. Afterall, this was her self proclaimed 'SPECIAL DAY' and she gets to watch television ALL DAY LONG!

Let tell you about the 'loopy' medicine they give...versed...so that they can give the IV. She had me and five doctors cracking up. She informed the nurse that she had two noses. She would try to sit up just in time to fallover. She had the goofiest grin that would make anyone smile. And when the surgeon himself (all 6'6"of him) picked her up to carry her to the OR; she looked at his faces and looked like a love sick disney princess that had finally met her prince. She giggled and then snuggled into his neck. I slightly felt like I was watching her at a college party...yikes. I walked away from her to the waiting room with a huge smile on my face... I needed that. 

The procedures went well and she recovered from general beautifully...phew!

 Around this point the medical corpsman asked me if she has had several surgeries. He said she was taking it like a pro. Luckily, she is no pro, just awesome beginner's luck. We will take it. NOT A TEAR WAS SHED...by anyone.

We paraded out of that hospital six hours later. Twirls were twirled upon arrival at home. No pain meds, eating normal by 3:00. THIS GIRL KICKED SOME SERIOUS RECOVERY BUTT!

Goodbye tummy troubles. Goodbye fluid filled ears.

So now onto new beginnings. Onto keeping the stereo at reasonable decibels. Onto the gluten free diet adventure.  Wish us luck... this is a untraveled path for us and we may need to stop for directions along the way. Luckily we know some people we can call.

Social Media brings me to Tears

in a good way. Both Facebook and Google+ did a year in review. Not sure how it picks the important events to add but either way I LOVED both compilation.

https://www.facebook.com/yearinreview/christy.deweesorthner

and

Letter of Intent

The recruiters have made home visits.

The coaches extended their offers for scholarships.

 Official visits to the campus are completed.

Verbal commitment made.

National Letter of Intent signed.

Team Daddy's Girls officially has the #1 ranked national recruit.


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It is beyond adorable to watch this relationship blossom and GROW! If Karl puts his shoes on, Elli bolts (at lightning speed) to his side and reaches her arms up. He is NOT allowed to leave the house without her. The 3 AM wake up calls sound like this "DADA, DADA, DADA". If she is hurt, his hugs do the trick.

I will have to say, I think she made the right decision. This is by far the youngest any Orthner girls have commited to Team Daddy's Girl, but it really does seem to be a great fit.

Orthnerism brought to life

In the van, about two months ago, Reese and I had a conversation along the lines of this:

Me: Reese, how do you want your hair this time?

Reese: PINK!

Me: laughing No I mean how LONG do you want your hair.

Reese: For one hundred million thousand days I want pink hair.

That wish never left her imagination.

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Fast forward to December

Why not let her get pink hair. The stylist said they have semi-permanent dye that lasts about 6 weeks. Her hair is already blonde so it is a 20 minute job. I say why not? It is just hair.

 Here is her first peep in the mirror. I would say she is pleased!

A little before and after line up

 Gosh, isn't she purty!