WE ARE HOME!!! We got DISCHARGED!!!

Alexa had a great night, O2 levels were normal the entire time,and they felt she was well enough to get out of the hosptial! What a great present!!!

Im so extatic I could burst!

As we were leaving the floor (Alexa decided to walk instead of take the carriage) the entire staff stood at the exit of the floor and sang happy birthday-Alexa was walking off the floor as they were singing it and she ran by them saying Thanks everybody Im outta here! it was so cute. I pray I dont have to go back there till the last day of Chemo! I will go to say thanks and goodbye! But hey one day at a time right?

Then we arrived home to a GORGEOUS bouquet of flowers from Diana (BIG THANK YOU!!! Most beautiful bouquet and ballon ever) bunch of cards, and packages! OMG! You are all so sweet. Thanks to all of you for the well wishes, thoughts and prayers. We still arent fully out of the woods-we dont want a relapse!!! We have email birthday wishes, and messages on the phone! You are all just amazing and bring tears to my eyes. I hope to replay top you all, but thought Id post ONE HUGE THANKS here!

I have a TON to do today, and tomorrow but promise I will post lots of photos-most likely Monday-ish. Please bear with me Im in overload!

Then its a doctors visit Tuesday and Chemo on Wednesday! YIKES!

Its a gorgeous day and God has truly blessed us!

Just wanted to let you all know the awesome news!!

See ya later! And thanks again!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEXA!!!!! I LOVE YOU!

Hello stamping friends. I have alot to share-and really want to say that I truly get energized by all the wisdom you share, or thoughts, and hugs or prayers you send.

THANK YOU AGAIN.

OK so where do I start-

Well the o2 levels keep dropping at night. There was just an epiphany amongst the doctors after my pleading with them to figure out WHY can she look amazing ALL day AND night but only at night her O2 levels fall so low-and she looks still HEALTHY?? Im was like there HAS to be a REASON. These things dont happen for NO reason!

DING! The lightbulb lights up-and they order labs (waiting for those results) one of the meds she is on can affect this type of thing!

HELLO! Why was this not a thought SOONER???

So we will see what happens with that. That result can seriously inmpact future thought on her O2 levels

Alot of people asked “what the NORMAL O2 saturation is ”

well

90-100% is “normal” generally above 96% is better.

Alexa has been 71-75% at night. You will notice MOST people from about 92% -88% start to get blue in the fingers and around the mouth, 71% um yeah usually WAY BLUE-I would FREAK OUT if this happened-like so much so I dont care what state you live you would hear my screec of PANIC.

Alexa is as pink as a piggy-perfect. Now that my friends is WEIRD. She is one big walkin puzzle piece.

They also agree that due to her heart surgery her O2 levels may normally fall during the night and her body has learned to compensate for that.

So we will see.

Now for the totally AWESOME news-next best thing to going home-

They are giving us 2 DAY passes to go home!

What does that mean you ask? It means that Alexa can go HOME for a few hours during the DAY-tomorrow-where I will then stay at home to prep for her party on Sunday, while her “Pretend dad” (LOL! aka-her biological father-sorry if you knew him or the story you’d get my horrific sarcasm he is quite the jerk) will take her back to the hospital for the night, and she can come home again Suday, for the day in time for her party, then go back Again after. UNLESS by soome miracle she does well enough to be discharged, but Im not even getting too hopeful with that right now. Ill take the little piece I can get right now, and that is giving Alexa her much anticiapted and well deserved day!

Now what is the day pass thing about you ask? 

Since she is perfectly fine during the day, and I am super mom (LOL!) they trust me with her. No pessure right? I can take her home for a few hours. This is not a light thing and not regularly practiced. But when dealing with kids like Alexa when special occassions arise they do their best to let them have as normal a life as possible while getting treatment.

So yeah!

Now for the brownie comment.

I unfortunately am a stress eatter. Being one is a vicious cycle-cause you eat the HUGE MOIST CHOCOLATELY yummy brownie and you feel “happier” till 8 browne hits you in the rear-litterally and nothing fits, then you are depressed again-causing you to eat yet another fine fattening dessert. Now your clothes are snug and definitely NOT happy. All the hard work you did to lose the last bad gain of pounds is out the window!

So by now you will see I found the most amazing brownies here at the store, and instead of snuggles from Jason I am eatting those. WHY OH WHY! I really wish I were a stres anorexic cause then I would look HOT!!! Pre-baby sexy! LOL!

Thank God Jason loves me like I am right? I am very lucky 😀

OK its getting late. I have suffered serious migraines today-most likely stress related-go figure. I was trying to lay down and get some rest, and Alexa wanted to go to the playroom. I was quickly informed “C’mon Mom, let go! You are SO lazy!!!”

KIDS!

I cannot wait to post-the photos and Smilebox of Alexa’s party. Thanks again for the prayers!

Where do I start. Thank you again for the well wishes, emails, thoughts and prayers.

Sorry its late. I ran around all day on less than 3 hours accumulated sleep.

Good News-Ambers murmur is fine! Thank GOD!!! Thank you for prayers and concern-at least I have answers and can rest on that.

More good news-Why seriously focus on the “This hospital stuff sucks, and being here for Alexa’s brithday would suck worse” type attitude. Im over that! I am sitting here looking at her sleeping-and and just plain ole thankful! PERIOD!

You know why? Cause there is much worse a situation that I could be in. She could not be with us. Im am blessed that despite the rollercoaster we are mainly on the UP, compared to too many. So what if we are stuck here. BIG DEAL.

It will be OK.

I believe that. I have to believe that. We will have a next week! And thats all that matters.

SO all in time we will go home and resume our new type normal, we have come to know over the past 1 1/2 years. Whenever her little body is ready.

So PLEASE keep Alexa in prayer for her lungs to clear and let her be free from needing oxygen.

And thanks for “listening” to a crazy sleep deprived, and thankful mom ramble about her new found attitude. One I do usually adopt but this time was late in the game.

Tomorrow is another day.

Ill let you know what happens.

Oh boy, am I ever bummed.

Alexa had a rough night last night, and her oxygen levels were hovering at 75%. Needless to say we will NOT be coming home today. I should have remembered that the minute you get all psyched to go home something comes up.

I hate being here for so many reasons.

God only knows what else she can pick up here as well.

I just saw the doctors this morning since we arent going home. I just found out we may be stuck here till at least Friday!! The family next door to us is dealing with the new reality that their 3 yo little boy has Cancer. So they are busy with them-understandably

This is old hat for us-I remember sitting where she is today. Looking at the long scary road ahead.

I am thankful we are 1 year and almost 7 months into our 2 1/2 year treatment.

Alexa has overcome many obstacles before, so I remain prayerful, and hopeful for my baby, and hers, and every-other person going through this.

There are alot of kids with Cancer on the floor this week-you can see winter is near. We ALL dread this time of year for just this reason-long scary hospitalizations of unknown consequences.

OK Im off now-Alexa wants to go to the playroom, and Im upset. The later we get home the less I get done for her party, and Im just stressed.

Amber had a heart murmur detected and has a cardiology appointment tomorow for tests, that I wont be able to make, and that is really stressing me out.

OK pity party over.

WOW are you all the bestest group of people a girl could have!!! I so appreciate the prayers and support. You have NO IDEA how much it helps me get through. This entire 1 1/2 year process thus far, has aged me 10 years-I swear.

I have excellent news-prayers are really workin!

How many people pray for their child to have a bacterial infection? Seriously?

Well when you child cant effectively fight a VIRUS- you do.

Alexa looks AMAZING today!! Like a whole new girl. Antibiotics are workin and her immunity levels have sky rocketed-in a good way, so much so that they are testing to ensure her immunity level is where it says it is. The test called IVIG. So lets pray that God is showing his power.

If her immunity is LOW then they want to attempt to SAFELY administer IVIG to her. Alexa had an anaphylacitc reaction to that last time they attempted it-like serious!

So Im not too sure Im down with that-even attemptig it again is reall scary, so they may have to get through me FIRST cause Im not thinkin thats gonna happen.

BUT lets see what happens first.

She has gone back to being demanding and ordering me around for 3 different flavors of ice cream and all that fun stuff!

Needless to say, if  all stays well, no fevers, she can get through the night without O2 then we can go home tomorrow!!!

YEAH!!! Im still going abit nutty here-not havin any good coffee! You know me and my Dunkin Donuts. I hardly slept at all-the chair by day bed by night does not cut it. No complaints-it could be worse, I know.

Also an update of the CHaD fundraiser-they were hoping to raise $25,000, and they raised $34,000!! Yeah!! And to all of you who may have participated-thank you!

ll let ya know!

LONG STORY SHORT 

Well the much anticipated possibility has happened-Alexa has gotten pneumonia and here we are in the hospital at Dartmouth Hitchcock.

She started to take a turn early this morning-and lo and behold she has pneumonia in her right lower lobe.

Her breathing is labored and she has fevers on and off. She went from OK to so not ok in just 2 hours. She has been so out of it all day, and when she is awake is miserable and vomitting tons of mucous-

Last year when this happened it was a NIGHTMARE, as we have to depend on Alexa’s own immunity to fight this-something that is already compromised by her Cancer and Chemo treatments

We are hopeful she will be OK for her big Princess party this weekend. The doctors are doing their best!

She is on some “big gun” antibiotics, but they are thinking its VIRAL-

Please say a prayer for Alexa, that she recovers quickly, and does OK.

Needless to say I have NO IDEA how long we will be here-and I cant access my photos from here, so no eye candy.

Im so stressed right now-where s my Vanilla Bean and Kahlua Chiller when I REALLY need it?

If you get bored give me a call here! LOL! Alexa is sleeping pretty much the entire time. I forgot how utterly boring and exhausting this is.

Ill keep ya posted! Just need to hope Alexa’s counts fight this nasty bug.

Well here is the much promised Smilebox of Amber singing the Apple Poem she learned in Pre-school! After we went apple picking she sang it the whole ride home in the car. I knew I had to find a way to share it with everyone.

Truly a MOM moment.

Im not afraid to be one of those parents who GUSH over their kids! Dont we ALL think our kids are the cutest on the planet? So here I am saying it-she is adorable and would make the cutest commercial EVER! LOL!

Hope you like it. I know this is one of those moment that will be so precious when she is all grown up. You have to love the little kid voices they have.

If she stays this cute Im in BIG trouble.

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

Thanks for lookin!

 Here is my card in Paper Crafts magazine page 16!

Good morning everyone. I haven’t stamped much this week-still in a little FUNK of emotions-but since Football is on later you can bet I will be in my stamp room! Ill be looking around my world for inspiration. We are going Apple picking as a family, so I hope I have energy later!

Alot of you have asked for my recipe for the Vanilla Bean Chiller Kahlua-

Well I wish there was a secret but its really JUST a drink mixer from Tastefully Simple! Unfourtunately it was a seasonal item and they dont carry it now! Yes bummer!

I would just use the mix, milk, and Kahlua blended with ice for a smoothie.

But I have another thing I LOVE that is just as yummy

TGIFridays Mudslide mix-with a packet of Mocha Blended iced coffee mix (by Archer Farms found at Target in coffee isle), Put in blender with milk, and ice-and YUMMMY!!!

I have one every weekend these days! JUST ONE!! Im a lightwieght and no one wants a hangover with 3 kids.

SO-Yesterday was an awesome mail day! I got the box from Mary Jo-thank you! She sent Alexa some cards, and her medal for the walk she participated in. How truly awesome of her!

I also got my issue of Craft’s n’ Things October 2007, and I have 2 Halloween themed items in there using Fright Night! Ill give a small peek!

On page 25- Bug Potion #9-

Click thumbnails for larger view. The #9 is by Green Grass -essentials monograms

Im not going into all the details as they are in the magazine.

How cute is that??? In the magazine they filled it with jelly beans. Now the Bug Potion #9 is the actual recipe for SLIME!

All you need is

 3/4 cup of cornstarch

1/3 cup of water

and 5-7 drops of food coloring

 add plastic or slimy bugs if you wish

 mix together, let stand 3 minutes. Its a wakcy slime recipe! Let me know if you make it!

I mixed up the directions for the theme of bug potion.

So its sounded cool.

My other project is Bag of Spiders page 13

 Another cute Halloween treat. See details in magazine. I hope to post them later this month-when its OK!

Ok Im off for the day! Enjoy.

 Click Sketch to view larger image. This is a real “rough” version so you can get creative an add whatever you wish. I thought a sentiment block would be nice in the upper left corner-but for my card didnt have one that suited the “cause” GASP! Is it possible that I NEED more stamps? Maybe I didnt look hard enough? NO! I need more sentiments-for sure! Feel free to share some of your faves with me here today!

Well as you all read Tuesday was a tough day for me. Really tough. Put me in quite the FUNK! Alexa STILL has her cold-but is STILL hangin in there! Thanks for the prayers!

Amongst my many emails I found one asking for help. I do my best to participate in things for good causes as much as possible!

So, Bee  , knowing about Alexa, sent me an email a few days ago about a girl Victoria. Victoria is in high school, and has Cancer-what a tough age to get Cancer! Not that its OK at any age, but as a girl, remember all the drama in High School? Having no hair amongst the many other challenges of CANCER AND TEENHOOD has to be so tough!

HELLO remember puberty and all the crazy changes and hormones up and down-add Cancer to that.

The goal her teacher has set out to achieve is to get her (Victoria) cards from EVERY STATE in the US! Well here is one from New Hampshire!

More info on her story can be read here- and there is some blog candy involved-Blog Candy for Victoria

Victoria’s Address

Victoria Enmon
1205 Red Bud Circle
Orange, TX 77632

So for my Saturday Sketch I challenge YOU to represent YOUR state and make Victoria a card! We all make cards for NO REASON! Why not brighten a teen girls day? I realize this info was also on SCS for the color challenge. BUT some people dont read the challenges! So now you can see it here!

It doesnt have to be with my sketch although that would be kinda cool! LOL! Just send one if you can.

 Feela Bella from New Hampshire!

OK I think TEEN cards are difficult! You dont want them to be like-“Um, like yeah, How old does she think I am three?!”

So my Bella’s to the rescue! See her bandanna? Cute huh? Made using the 1/4 ” circle punch. Only punched a quarter of the way.

Julie Masse read of my Bella plight and sent me a bunch of images! Isnt that sweet? Thanks Julie! I may be ordering SOON cause some of the newest ones are pretty irresistible.

I have been using my Bella’s alot these days. And boy was I ever greatful this one arrived when it did! I think she is TEENISH dont you? In all honesty if I had this stamp I would have omitted the curls. Oh well. Maybe Ill put her in my cart.

This is jammybella I believe. Julie also stamped the sentiment for me. It was perfect.

Ya know I colored this with my Copic’s! The ink did run a bit-not sure what type ot was stamped with but its ALL GOOD!

I hope she likes it! Patterned paper is SU!

Thanks for reading.

If you try the sketch link it here! Id LOVE to visit you, and see your take! As Im sure would the readers.

See ya back here tomorrow. I swear I have the cutest Smilebox of Amber. Such a proud Mommy Moment! I have lots of stamping to do. I got a project accepted by Paper Crafts that they need me to re-do! LOL! I guess they liked the idea but it wouldn’t fit their color scheme. So I was given the colors that it needs to be remade in.

Now you know how the pages all REALLY flow! No matter- Im extatic. It was the only thing I sent it. Plus their magazine all flowing like it does adds to the entire look.

I was also told by Lisa S. that I have a card in the newest Paper Crafts on page 18! I dont have my copy yet, so I will have to check it out!

Thanks Lisa for letting me know!!!

OK Im off!

YEAH Its Friday! That means Vanilla Bean Chiller and Kahlua for me tonight! 😀

Sorry its been a rough week, and I deserve it :D.

Thanks for all the wonderful comments on Alexa’s Dress. She loves when I read them to her. I cant tell you HOW MANY times she has made me sit and show her that video already.

The RSVP’s are rolling in-and Im freaking out! I have such high expectations for this party-I hope I can meet my own ideals. I think cause Alexa didnt get the party of her dreams last year the pressure is ON! LOL!

I also got alot of emails asking WHERE in MA I am from originally. Well we moved ALOT-but mainly Lowell, Chelmsford, Dracut, Tewksbury area! LOL!

Now to the post!

This week’s challenge was EMBOSSING! You dont realize all the method’s/types of embossing there really are!  

In case you want to keep up with what I do for these, I added a Blogger’s Challenge to my categories. Every week we are given a challenge to do. We all TRY to post them on Fridays! You can easily play along-just link your creation here, or any of the others Blogger’s Challenge members (see sidebar).

So it seems like EVERYONE is having a baby. Maybe cause Im DONE having mine? So I really need some baby cards for the next few months. This challenge is perfect!

I have had this idea for quite some time. The execution of what was in my head, fell into place perfectly!

NO BABY THEMED STAMP SET? NO PROBLEM!

I decided to do dry embossing-FREE HAND! WAHOOOO!

 Baby Bottles!

Are these not the cutest EVAH?! OMG! I LOVE THEM! And ya know what-the took about 12 minutes to make ALL THREE!!! HELLO! Holy awesome mass produced baby of any gender idea!

Here is a pic of each one-just click to view closer

The blue was the very first one I did. I did NOT like how I had the bottle lines go down to the bottom. So I put a stop to that on the next 2.

I got this way cute ribbon from American Crafts at Michaels. Sentiments are from So Many Sayings by SU.

I know you want to hear HOW I made these dont you?

EASY GIRLS!

Card fold is at top- bottle is 3 inches wide by 5 1/2 inches tall. This is from White cardstock

Use a ruler, and your embossing style to emboss (from the back) in straight and even lines. EASY!

Cut the banana cardstock 3 x 1 1/2. Round the corners

Use KEYTAG punch to pop out a “nipple” Cut it in 1/2 then you get 2!

If you used the Playtex bottles as I did then this is what a bottle looks like to you too!

Adhere the nipple behind the rounded corner end and adhere to top of card.

Cut a colored bottle “rim” 3 1/4 x 3/4.  Use your embossing stylus to make the ridges. Just trace the top and bottom, and then make the lines.

Attach to bottom of nipple piece.

Wrap around ribbon, stamp sentiment of choice. DONE!

What do you think?

Now if I can only bring myself to actually mail these out instead of making a whole new card for my friends when their bundles arrive.

My good freind Tracey is due to POP any day. We dont know what she is having. Once she names the baby I told her I will make her a collage name frame for the new addition! So since I’ll be workin hard figured I could most likely get away with sending this one to her 😀 Whatever she has! My guess is a boy!

We shall see.

Come back later cause its Saturday Sketch time! I made a card for a little girl who is also battling Cancer! So, you will see the sketch ,and get linked to her story. This card helped me get out of my FUNKY mood. What better way to recharge the mo-jo than to make a card for someone in need!