Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Just the 4 of us, at home, relaxing, eating, relaxing, eating....We did the Fried turkey (a Jonathan Charleston Special) green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, oyster dressing, cranberry jello salad (thanks mom for the recipe!)  

Prior to T-giving, Austin had his preschool Thanksgiving program.  My friend Erika watched Ashley so I could spend all my attention on Austin!  He said his lines perfectly!  We then enjoyed a class "Bread Share".  He was so proud.  I was too.  

Ashley hasn't escaped this week, she's tried, but I'm onto her!  She now can count to 5, but tries to count to 10 with missing numbers.  She still wants to play with everything Austin has/plays with.  Forget her toys, whatever is in Austin's hand, needs to be in her hand as well.  Austin is a team player and gives in...most of the time.  

Also this week we had an appt with Austin's gastroenterologist.  Before we decide to get the surgery done (nissen fundoplication) we are trying one last round of medications for 4 weeks. But even if they work a little better than what he has been taking (which isn't working) the Dr. said he would be on them for years and years.  He's just not getting any better.  The Dr. thought the surgery was a good idea because his acid reflux is so severe.  One of the worst he's ever seen at this age.  The problem we found out through many bronchoscopy's and endoscopy's is that his sphincter between his stomach adn esophagus won't contain anything.  That muscle flops open and shut and no matter how much meds we give him to reduce the acid in his stomach juice, the juices are still flying up into his esophagus and lungs uncontrollably. It burns his esophagus and causes extreme wheezing, hoarseness and asthma/bronchitis. And at age 5, this sphincter muscle should be strong and he should've outgrown anything by now.  So, all of Austin's Dr.'s and Jonathan and I have decided we'll most likely have his surgery done in January or February sometime at Children's Hospital in DC.  That's one of the top 10 pediatric hospitals in the nation with Dr.'s skilled in gastroenterology problems.  It's a 4 hour surgery. This is longer than anything he's ever done before.  It's scary, but after 5 years of poor Austin suffering and 3 years since we've been in the states and 8 anesthesia's later, we finally know what the problem is-a muscle that won't contain the contents of his belly!  We'll keep you posted. 

Jonathan is busy at work this time of year.  Palestinian peace talks with the President and Sec State and all 51 UN delegations coming in to DC.  

I am starting my Christmas shopping now!  I partook in Black Friday (not at 4 am) but later.  But this year I am comfortably doing most of my shopping online.  

Above is a picture of my brother Chris, Jodi and baby Brigg!  He's week old today!

31 days till Christmas!

Love,

Angie

The Escape Artist

First, a congratulations is in order for my big brother Christian and his sweet wife Jodi!  They had their baby boy 'Brigg Joseph LaBarbera' yesterday weighing in at 9 lbs 11 oz!  That's quite a feat for such a petite Jodi!  Way to go!

Trick number one!  

Starring Ashley the disappearing toddler.  At the Freedom Center during Austin's gymnastics class, I peak in the window of his classroom and didn't have my eye on Ashley for 5 seconds.  The next things I knew I looked around and POOF!  Gone.  I looked in all the classrooms, ran down the hall yelling her name, nothing.  No Ash.  After 30 seconds of searching, and people walking around, my heart is now pounding, tears welling up in my eyes and now I'm screaming in this rec center for my daughter just knowing she's been picked up and out the door by now by some stranger.  1 minute later, an older gentlemen opened the mens restroom door and asked me if this little girl was mine.  I ran inside not caring if men were using the restroom or how many were in there.  Ashley had pushed open the mens bathroom door, opened a stall and locked herself in.  I thanked the man, crawled underneath the stall, open the door and took note of the very freshly used toilet she had chosen to stand by.  I then vigorously washed our hands (still in the mens restroom).  

Disappearing Act II: 3 days later at Kohls Dept store, both kids were holding onto the cart.  I leaned down to pick up a gravy tureen and POOF!  She was gone.  I immediately called her name but nothing.  I figured if I'm calling her name, she knows where I am and can hear me.  So If I just look for her, I'll find her quicker.  The first 10 seconds I am speedily walking through the store, then 20 seconds I am running through aisles, then after 30 seconds, the tears, panic and worry well up inside me again knowing she'd been kidnapped by now!  Meanwhile, I told Austin just to stand right there and hold onto the cart.  Finally I saw Ashley running.  No, sprinting as fast as she could away from me.  To where?  Anywhere but near me.  I ran up behind her, and before I captured her, she saw me and started to giggle in her hot pursuit-probably thinking how fun it was to escape, even for a little while.  

Disappearing Act III: Austin had a couple of friends over (Bree and Hannah) and they were all downstairs in the basement playing with toys and they were being nice and including Ashley.  I was cleaning upstairs when the doorbell rang.  I opened it and our neighbor from across the street was holding Ashley.  She said, "Do you know this little girl?"  My heart sank as I grabbed her.  The neighbor told me that she was taking her dogs out and noticed Ashley was petting a cat on someone's front patio for about 5 minutes and that she was alone and it was 45 degrees outside.  Good golly.  She had unlocked and opened the back door, and we'd left the garage door open because we were playing outside earlier.  She escaped!

One week, 3 escaping attempts....my heart can't handle another one!

This week was Austin's real birthday-Nov 13.  He turned  5!  He already had a wonderful pirate birthday party but on his actual bday, we went to Chuck-E-Cheese's, had spiderman cupcakes and ended the evening at home with a "treasure hunt" (what else could a pirate want?)  What did he find at the end?  A real treasure chest! 

Austin's also saying funny/gross things this week and laughing at his own jokes (which then makes us giggle).  He's saying things like "my lips smell like eggs" and looking in his mirror and saying, "do you want a piece of me?" and singing Christmas songs to himself which really isn't to himself and people in stores look at him and smile.  He also reminded me this week, "Jesus is the boss of you mommy."

Ashley's comments this week are, "No Way!" and "O-kay" really emphasized and starting to sing the dumbo song "Baby Mine, Don't You Cry."  She also loves jingle bells over and over again.

Ashley started a tot tumbling class last week at the Freedom Center.  Austin takes the gymnastics class after her. They both love tumbling around! 

Happy Thanksgiving!  Gobble Gobble!

McDonalds Birthday Party

Austin celebrated his 5th birthday a few days early this year.  Last night he had his Pirate birthday party at McDonalds Playplace!  What could be better?  His buddies, a pirate theme, a treasure chest cake.  It was so cute because this was the longest I'd seen Austin giddy for for longer than like 5 minutes.  He normally gets excited and claps his hands together and his cheeks just dimple in happiness.  This lasted the entire time at his birthday party.  It was so nice seeing him so happy!  

This week Ashley has been so feisty.  If something doesn't fit her right, she'll yell "NO WAY" or sometimes she'll say "oh my" or "is that funny?" when what she did really wasn't (like throwing a cup of juice on the ground.)  She ran to the front of church today and almost got on the stand.   She was sorely disappointed when I intercepted and she didn't make it.  Although she gets lippy during the day, at night time I am the only one that can hold her and put her down to bed.  She cuddles and says, "love yew".  It makes the sassiness seem so sweet suddenly and not maddening like a few hours earlier.

Austin also asked about pee holes this week in girls and boys.  I explained things appropriately and his questions he had he retaliated back were colorful.  Austin ended the conversation by saying, "well my pee hole is called big weenis."

Isn't it great having a boy?

Angie

Ashley's Endoscopy

Also this week, Ashley had her first endoscopy.  She has the same barky cough as Austin does and she's had it for as long as she's lived as well.  She's on the same high-dose acid reflux medication and her endoscopy done on Tuesday confirmed our suspicions of our coughing, hoarse and wheezing baby girl.  She, like her big brother, has severe GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease.)  We tried everything on Austin to get down to his problems but now at least we know what she has and what we'll be in store for.  

Since Austin has experienced this and no medications are helping his severe case, his specialists agreed (as did we) that it's time that we do the necessary surgery to take care of his GERD.  The procedure is called a fundoplication.  It's where they tie the upper stomach around the esophagus so that no acid can go past the sphincter that doesn't  hold any of his stomach acids down. (Which in turn burn his esophagus, acid goes into his bronchial tubes/lungs and he has a constant cough, and is wheezing and exaccerbates his asthma.  So we're hoping to get the procedure done in the next couple of months.  We've done everything we can through drug therapy all his life but now is the time to take care of this.  

Unfortunately, Ashley is so young, they won't go ahead and do the surgery like Austin's getting done before they run more tests when she's closer to 4 or 5.  I just know what Austin's been through and little sister is in the same boat.  

We'll let you know when the surgery is scheduled for for our little guy!

Love,

Angie

Maggiano's

Some of my dearest friends Abby, Kendra and Lynn whom I met at the American Embassy in Nairobi all came together this week!  We had a wonderful time.  Abby came with her son Clayton.  Abby now lives in Ottawa.  Lynn lives here while learning Russian before their family  moves to Muldova, and Kendra came from Beaufort SC.  It was so nice hanging out again!

Abby's son Clayton is just adorable.  We all met up at in McClean on Thursday.  First, we checked out Filene's Clothing store. There were some deals there-but there were also 6 children under 5 running around the store.  So the shopping part didn't last too long.  We then went to Tyson's Corner and got the kids McDonalds while the ladies found a Chipotle.  Lynn was deflowered at Chipotle as she'd never had it before and LOVES it.  We then shopped a little more....

The next night we all got sitters for the kiddies and the just the ladies went out to Maggiano's Italian Restaurant.  We ate the yummy cuisine until the mushroom stuffed Ravioli was in our esophagus!  Yummmm  We then just stayed and sat and talked.  

The next day we took a spinning class and figured thr 516 calories burned merely burned off a few calamari.  Then Abby let Austin help her make his Treasure chest birthday cake!  He loved helping, decorating and putting candy necklaces and chocolate coins in the chest.  It was truly amazing!  

Condi and Johnny

Special Agent Toler has been a traveling fool recently.  Different locations, wherever Condoleezza goes, he's there.  Here are some cool photos taken while in Turkey.  I like how in the above photo she's holding the umbrella for him.  (He was holding it).

He just came back from Texas (home sweet home) where he was with Ross Perot and the President.

He's home now.  Not for long.

Halloween!

On Sunday evening we went on a scenic drive up the Shenandoah Skyline Drive. It was beautiful and we picked leaves and saw some gorgeous sights that Virginia has to offer! The leaves are really turning into their vibrant colors so it was nice to enjoy fall in full swing!

Also this week was Austin's school field trip to Pumpkinville, in Leesburg, VA. It was fun to let the kids run around. They enjoyed the slides, hayride and to pick their own pumpkin!

Of course we carved our pumpkins this year. While carving, Austin says to me, "Mommy, Jesus is the boss of you. I love him so much. He can tell you what to do. And you must obey him." Yes, Austin. I do.

For Halloween this year, we went with our friends the Bensons. Ginger and I walked the kids around in a wagon and Ashley was the one who walked house to house while the other 3 big kids sat in the wagon, got up at the next house, sat back down, etc. Ash was in full force for her first trick or treating adventure! She loved it and wouldn't let anyone hold her candy. She would say, "tank-you" after each morsel was dropped in her bucket and she would smile as she walked back to us.

Pop came to visit this weekend! He had a conference in Maryland and we went up with him and stayed at the hotel and had a ball! We had dinners together, and we were able to catch up and have a great time. While in Maryland, I was much closer to my buddy Lynn (who lives only an hour from me but hard with all the little ones we both have to get together!) So we were able to visit Friday.

Austin and Ashley loved it that Pop took them swimming in the hotel pool. Also, he brought up the luggage cart and took them for rides! Needless to say, Pop had to leave today and we were all upset. Ashley was yelling "Poppy! No go!" as he was driving away. Sniff sniff.

Halloween is over, I put up the decorations and we're ready for Thanksgiving. We have a lot planned before the next holiday!