Long Winter Week

Did this week seem to last FOREVER to you?  It did for me for the following reasons:

1. It's February and the 4th month of winter in Virginia.

2. Its been gray outside ...blah.

3. The upper airway disease in the kids fight the cold air (again for like the 4th month in a row) and it seems we've been hooked up to a nebulizer every 4 hours...(for like the 4th month in a row)...

4. The anticipation for spring is in the air, but no spring in sight except for in the Target candy aisle.

5.  Friends were in the ER this week.

6.  The kids have been stuck inside bored of their toys, getting into things which equals getting into trouble!

Enough of that.  There have been lots of positives this week as well!  In fact I made a top 11 list of great things about this week.  And the positives far outweigh the winter blues.

1.  Brigg LaBarbera got a name and blessing in Jodi's ward in San Diego!  Uncle Rocco in LA was in the circle too!

2.  Austin and I went on a date this week and I got a sitter for Ash.  We saw  The Spiderwick Chronicles.  Ever since the Cheerios box had a paperback Spiderwick book in it, he's been so looking forward to the movie!  It was good, however a little violent and mature for a 5 year old.  After our movie, we went to Austin's favorite restaurant that he picked  which is Cracker Barrel.  After perusing the toys for 45 minutes, we got seated.  After they sat us close to the smoking section and Austin coughed himself into a bronchial/gagging spasm and people were staring at us across the restaurant, we finally ordered.  He ordered a "big boy" root beer.   That means we want it straight up-served in the bottle!  After a few manly swigs, he poured some for me in my cup and asked, "Would you like a cup of Joe?"  What?!? It was hilarious! I  don't know where he comes up with this stuff!

3.  Uncle Grant (Uncle Julio) received two very competitive job offers this week and accepted one with Frito Lay.  Congrats Grant!  He'll be based out of Miami as a Marketing/Sales Leader.  Bienvenidos a Miami Granny!

4.  Ashley did her Munchkin Movers tots class.  She loved it!  Although she seemed  to be the biggest one, there were 11 kids and Ash enjoyed every second of being around other little tots!  Her favorite activity was the 'cuckoo clock' and we throw her in the air when the clock strikes a number and yell 'cuckoo'!  She would say More! More!

5.  Jonathan came back this week from the African trip.  One of his stops was Tanzania and there he bought me some JEWELS!  Some beautiful deep blue/purple stones called Tanzanite that are mined directly there in Africa.  They're beautiful!  I can't wait to set them.

6.  He was home for 24 hours and now he's in Beijing, China. Sniff sniff.  The man's been to  14 COUNTRIES IN 6 WEEKS.  And is Condoleezza slowing down? No.  

7.  Austin scratches my back and tries to massage my back with his little pudgy fingers when he gets something good.  It's like that's how he says thank you-a  little back scratch!

8.  We had the opportunity to play with Lottie Crowley on Wednesday when Gabe was at her class.  It was fun being with her.  Ash called her Blottie.

9.  With the kids getting what I call 'cabin fever' we've played  TON!  Dart-tag, all of our board games, hide and go seek, PSP, building blocks, imaginary games, dress up, the list goes on!  It's been great actually doing all these things with the kiddos instead of having them build blocks by themselves and then showing me what they've made as I'm busy doing something upstairs.  I wish I would have done this more.

10.  On Monday it was actually a beautiful day.  We got Wendy's and went out on the deck and enjoyed a picnic lunch.  Very fun!

11. Almost 3 years ago when we first moved back from Africa, there was  nice little dwarf that worked at Target that Austin was quite afraid of.  This week as we were leaving, he looked at her on his way out (and I thought, oh great-don't stare) but Austin finally said 'she looks beautiful'.  At first I chuckled all the way out the doors, but then on a mature note, I thought I wish I had the childlike quality of seeing people for who they are and not just what they look like or how tall/fat/short/ they are.  It made me want to be more like our Savior.  Don't children always bring out that side? 

Let's pray for some good old sunshine this last week of February!

Love,

Angie

Valentine Week

This week was filled with candy hearts and a red hot fever.   Last Valentines week Austin had the stomach flu.  This year he had a 4 day fever of 103.  As soon as his broke, Ash's started. Yeah!  

Jonathan is in Africa with the President and Sec State.  Dar es Salaam, Tanzania today and tomorrow he gets to go to our old haunt-Nairobi!  He will be at the Embassy and is looking forward to seeing some of the FSI's that are still there.  We left and Austin was only 2!  Jonathan's going to show pix of how our little guy has grown.  It's amazing how even 3 years ago, how much simpler life was.  Before we had Ashley, before we knew of any illness Austin had.  Wow.  I told my brother Grant that while I was in Nairobi for those 2 years, it was like a 2 year volunteer camp.  The amazing things I got to see, do and people I met.  Then Grant said, for you Ang it was like a 2 year fat camp (since I'd lost about 50 lbs of baby weight that I'd gained with being pregnant with Austin while I was in Africa!)  Leave it to Grant.  

We keep in touch with a lot of friends we made there, we keep in touch with the locals there as well.  Phanice our househelp/nanny and Michael our driver/gardener.  Even people from the church there.  In fact, the Sitati family from our branch in Nairobi are mission Presidents and were the ones that translated the LDS temple sessions into Swahili.  Even though there's a lot of political unrest in Africa and specifically Kenya right now due to the re-election, I love the people.  I feel bad for them, the situation they're in, and know that due to the parliament and government that rules, the people really can't get ahead.  I pray for them and hope all the aid the US gives will go to the right places/people.  

The kids' favorite babysitters in the whole wide world are Maggie and  Megan (whom we adore!)   Megan sat the kids on Valentines and Ashley got all dressed up like a princess and of course Austin got all decked out as a Pirate to show off.  

Austin loves to help me cook, set the table and run little errands for me.  Ashley loves to be mommy's "helper" and assist me in tasks around the kitchen,  laundry etc.  A lot of the time I am hurrying to get dinner ready and cleaned up and when the "help" it normally means spilled food, a huge mess, half the silverware out and dirty and sometimes glasses broken.  But I just need to remember that I won't have a 5 and 2 year old that want to be with mommy all the time.  

I will miss these times when they're older and don't care to be around mom at all, much less help with dinner/setting the table.  Over the past little while I have been savoring the time I have to be with  my kids.  I love being a stay at-home mom.  I love it that my kids always want to know where I am-even inside the house (yes, that includes even when I'm going potty).  I used to get bugged.  But why?  They think I'm the best thing in the world.  I know they'll grow up and that's the Lord's plan.  Life is short and I'm savoring every second of motherhood.  I love my job.  

Angie

2 quick Austinisms:  "Stay out of my puberty Ashley!"  (instead of "property")

Also, he was tormenting Ashley the other day and suddenly she retaliated and started chasing after him with a pretend sword screaming bloody murder.  He actually looked fearful even though she's a quarter his size.  He was yelling mommy!  But I shook my head no.  As he's running circles in the living room away from Ashley he says, " I guess I deserve this don't I."

I had to chuckle.  

Surgery Date

We received a date for Austin's surgery.  April 8.  

Mid March I'm going to visit family in  Charleston and Florida and my mom is driving back with me and will stay with Ashley while we're at the hospital with our little buddy.

We will be at DC Children's Hospital.  Austin will be in ICU the first night (due to his tracheomalacia-to make sure he's breathing okay after his stomach surgery) then in the pediatric unit for the next 4 nights.   Please continue to keep him in your prayers during that time.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  

Love,

Angie

Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day!  

I love Valentines Day.  The treats , making the cards, the boxes for the kids, it's all so sweet!

I have the opportunity to help out with Austin's Valentines Party today at school!  There will be treats, games, and prizes.  The only downer is that my little Valentine is under the weather.  He has a nasty little cold.  He gets breakfast in bed whenever he's not feeling well.  We'll see if he feels any better to go later today.

Jonathan and I are going out to dinner at our favorite celebratory restaurant, Ruth's Chris steakhouse to celebrate the lovey dovey day.  He  surprised me with 3 dozen red long stem roses delivered to our home!  He is quite the romantic--especially  for a man with the name of Duane!

Enjoy your Valentines Day!

Love,

Angie

The New Beast!

We turned in my leased BMW X3 last week.  Sniff sniff.  It was such a fun little sporty SUV to zip around in.  But, functionally, it wasn't that great for me.  It was very small.  So on Friday... we bought a 2008 Honda Odyssey! It's black, tan leather interior, EX-L, capt/bucket seats front and back, navigation system, DVD, 6 disc cd changer, heated seats, and all the bells and whistles the mini's provide.  I've gotten so much hassle about buying a mini-van over a Tahoe or other type of SUV.  But I just figure your car is only as sexy as the person driving it!  And I LOVE my minibeast!  So do the kids.  Austin throws on his headphones to watch movies, Ashley kicks her little feet without bumping the back of my seat, they have their own air/radio controls back there.  It's great!  

It was also my buddy Gabe's 30th birthday this week!  Happy B-day Gabers!  Awesome party! We love you!

One of the best parts about my new car, I have my personalized Goose plates. :)

Munchkin Movers

So Ashley signed up for this class called "munchkin movers" and it has been cancelled twice now.  But every Wednesday, we get dressed up ready to move and groove.  She has more princess/ballerina/"shay shay" clothes as she calls them (?) and she loves to wear them all day long!

Austin had lots of his buddies over this week to play.  He was finally over his respiratory problems and loved playing outside (it got up to 72 degrees!)

Brigg LaBarbera, (Christian and Jodi's son is now 2months old.  Happy Birthday big Brigg!

I had Bunko this week and won a little Valentine heart!  It's so cute!  And learned how to make truffles and toffee at our enrichment activity.  Fun week!

Smokin' Hot

Austin is doing great this week.  After a solid 24 days of the horrible respiratory issues, he's no longer coughing.  We're still working to get a specific date for his surgery in April.  I will keep you posted.

This week has been filled with funny little sayings by the kiddos.  The things kids say!

Austin: (While playing an eye spy game at a restaurant) looks around and sees the tortillas smoking.  He says, "Eye spy with my little eye something smokin' hot."  I say, hmmm, the tortillas!  He said, "No, my mommy is smokin hot!"  Is it sad that it gave me the biggest ego boost?  Anything you want for Christmas dear.  It was just so funny to hear those words come out of my sons mouth.

Austin: During the testing before a parent teacher conference at his preschool, the teacher asked Austin to read a sentence.  He said, "Mrs. Burch, what are you thinking?  You know I can't read!"  Luckily I found out that Austin was in the top third of his preschool for reading.  Phew!

Ashley: We have a new picture of Jesus on our wall and whenever we walk out, Ashley looks up and says Jesus!  It's really sweet.  Well, sometimes if I get upset I'll say "Oh Gees."  But Ash thinks I say something else.  So when she gets upset she'll yell out "Jesus!"  All the time!  

Ashley:  She loves to do anything Austin does.  Color out of the same book. Use the same crayon.  Pee in the same toilet he just used.  Eat the same snack, same color, etc.  Austin is patient 90% of the time, the other 10% he's had it.

We feel very fortunate to have a week free of illness.  Also, that Austin bore his testimony today in chuch.  

We're saddened at the passing of President Gordon B. Hinckley this past week but know he's in a better place with his wife and our Savior.  

We hope Jodi and Brigg have a wonderful stay in warm San Diego the next few weeks!  

Love,

Angie

SCARY Week

So this week has been extremely stressful for

 the Toler's.  Austin  stopped breathing on Wednesday night.  He was in the middle of one of his coughing spells and just stopped coughing and grabbed as his throat like he was choking, and he was.  His eyes were bulging out of his head, and he was writhing around like he was drowning on his bed.  It was horrible.  Jonathan was in South America and I was about to call 911, but realized before he passed out I had to do something.  I carried him downstairs and we went out on the deck and the freezing air opened his throat and he started coughing hysterically again.  I gave him more steroids and many steam tents.  The next day the Dr. needed to see Austin and we also went to our pulmonoligist.  Both Dr.'s TOLD me that Austin HAS TO GET THE SURGERY that will stop his relux.  What is happening is that Austin's upper airways (lungs are fine) but he has such inflammation on his upper airways and scar tissue from having erosions and burns on his esophagus due to servere reflux that whenever Austin gets any kind of respiratory cold/anything, his airways close up it's like trying to breathe through a straw.  Then his cough forces even more stomach acid up and he aspirates the acid into his bronchial tubes.  So what he had the other night was a layrngospasm where the acid has inflamed the larynx/vocal cords too much and the throat just slaps shut!  It was horrifying.  I never want to go through that again.  I called Jonathan the next day and he was on the next flight home from Bogota, Columbia.  All the Dr.'s said that at this point, we can't "not" do the surgery.  It's now a life or death situation and we've prayed about it and feel good about it.  It's not fair that a 5 year old boy is going through this much.  On steroids every month whenever he gets any kind of cold, his airways are like straws, not to mention Austin's infamous "cough" that he does chronically.  We know there's a risk with the procedure, but at the same time, they say we're making him worse by not doing it.  And if he has another laryngospasm it could be acute death sydrome.  

Heavenly Father is watching out for us and we know it.  I think he was really trying to tell us that Austin needs this procedure after we'd already made up our minds we weren't going to do it.  Jonathan and I both agreed that we'd give him the surgery if it came down to a life or death situation.  And unfortunately it came to that.  

The surgery will be at DC Children's Hospital and will let you know when it's scheduled.

To close on a positive note, we're so thankful for our kids and for our Heavenly Father.  Times get rough, but they're rough for everyone.  We're thankful for our gospel and the truth and closeness it gives us.  In times of adversity it's easy to throw in the flag but that's not what the Lord wants us to do.  We're thankful for our friends and family and the support you give us and our kids.  

THANKS YOU GUYS!!!  

Love,

Angie

Middle East

Jonathan got back from  a long trip with President Bush and Sec Rice.  It was the first time he'd been in Iraq and thank goodness all was well.  The first day in Riyadh rockets were fired at the motorcade.  Yikes.  During the trip they went to Dubai and pictured is him on top of the hotel where Tiger Woods launched golf balls and Andre Aggassi played a tennis match up there.  There's no fence at the top!  I'm glad he's back and I have him home for....uh ...3 days.

This week Austin sings the beach boys song "Help me Rhonda, help help me Rhonda" But Austin's lyrics are, "Help me momma, help help me Momma".  It's so funny to hear him sing that when he needs me!

We went to the House of  Bounce this week with our friends and enjoyed expending energy and having fun.  While we were there, we looked outside it was a crazy wintry snow fall!  Total surprise!  The kids had a ball playing in it the past few days.  Austin gets all bundled up and goes out for 20 min.  Then comes in and sheds all clothes, only to want to go back out 10 minutes later.  The process repeats itself over and over.  Ashley of course has to go out too.  She hates wearing hats and coats.  Just hates it!  So she'll go outside, shed her clothes and gets cold and sits and cries and waits for me to get her because she's freezing.

Ash went poo on the potty a few times this week!  I haven't started potty training yet but it's great that she'll tell me when she needs to go!  On Friday Ash and I had a mommy-daughter outing and we went to the Freedom Center for a free swim time with our friends Gabe and Lottie!  Such fun!!

Austin developed a cough the night we got home from the House of Bounce...it's always fun when he gets a cold.  Because with his GERD, a cough lasts for 3 weeks instead of 3-7 days like a normal kid.  Such fun! 

 

That's the excitement around here.  It's getting chilly...our consumption of hot chocolate has gone up 100% around here.

Stay warm!

Love,

Angie

Memoirs of a Geisha

The Geisha to the left is outfitted by her Uncles and Pop!  Thanks guys!

Jonathan flew out on Air Force One  this last trip.  He's in the middle east for the past week and will be until Wed.  No fun.  Those are the trips I worry about.

I have been trying to eat better since the holidays.  That's no fun either.  But it is a nice feeling when your cute jeans fit instead of feeling like Wranglers.  Dr. Phil once said something and it stuck with me (as I'm holding a Reese's pb cup...)  "Nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels."  So true!  I don't normally like to tout Dr. Phil, but this quote has helped me out in my darkest dieting moments.

Austin and I went down to Children's Hospital on Friday and had a consultation with a GI surgeon there and we chatted about the pro's and cons to the stomach surgery that would take care of Austin's reflux problems.  Unfortunately, the morbidity rate is 10-15% and that's something that I just can't swallow.  I called Duane in Kuwait and we both felt that right now it's not time.  The surgeon definitely thought he needed it, given his history, the amt of meds he's on now to take care of the reflux.  But I just didn't feel like it was a slam dunk.  I was very surprised because for a couple years, we were heading in this direction.   He's doing great on his new medicine right now even though it's an extremely high dose.  So it's like we either fix it with surgery, or keep him on these meds all his life.  Which is the greater evil?  It's so hard.  

Austin started a little pee wee football class on Friday as well.  He now loves to run with the football cradled in his hands and I try to get it out.   He doesn't like to be tackled, but he likes to tackle me.

Ashley has been a funny little munchkin this week.  She loves to kick a foam soccer ball around the house (a birthday present of Austin's -thanks Shelese and Mandi!) and Ash thinks its hers.  Today we went to Long Park and played ball and ate a picnic lunch.  We had a great time!  Although is was quite cold.  The weather is getting chilly here.  

Much love,

Angie

Happy New Year!

So this posting is a little late....Happy New Year!  I  rang in 2008 with my dear friends here in Gainesville, VA.  Truly one of the best New Years I've ever had.  Duane celebrated 2008 with my brothers and Dad at the Rose Bowl.  They all had a boys trip to watch USC win.  It was a lot of fun!

There has been a lot of fun/action/adventure in the past 10 days!

I hired our first maid service "Rosalita's" to come once a month and deep clean...ahhhh....

When one of the coldest days here (12 degrees) our heater broke.  The house was 48 degrees and I had everyone bundled up.  Jonathan was gone so I called a heating service.  $400 later, we had heat.  And got down to the bottom of the problem....the batteries in our digital thermostat died.  Ugh!

Austin has started getting Ashley out of her crib in the mornings and changes her diaper! This doesn't occur every morning , but when it does, it's heavenly and buys me a little more time.

I started working out again after my holiday "sabbatical".

Austin and Ash yell BATTLE and they start throwing things at each other and the first to cry loses.

Austin was wiping his nose and told me that he had something special for me.  I asked him what, and he said "Snot lotion".

Austin has been making breakfast for me the past few days.  It's a special sandwich made of Hershey syrup, oreo's, m&m's, and 4 layers of 12 Grain bread.  Good morning!

Austin's been "stocked up" so an xray told us.  We had our special "cleanout" with him drinking magnesium citrate.  That night we had a lovely "poop slumber party" where only he and I got to watch movies and be cleansed out!  The plumbing is now working properly.

Austin will do things around the house and say, "Like father, like son."

Austin got the Air Hogs for Christmas (Thanks grandma and grandpa!) and he and Ash both love the remote control helicopters.  They come whizzing by my ear, get tangled in my hair and smash into the side of my head many times a day.  But the kids love them.

Austin was leaving preschool the other day and a girl told him bye and he said, "Boys Rule, Girls Drool."  I had to laugh out loud!  

Ashley will help me cook, throw things in the trash, assist in any way and says "Help Mama!"  She loves being my little helper!

Ash painted her toenails for the first time this week!  I was painting them for her and of course says, "I do" and grabbed the little wand and went to town.  There is polish from the base of her little sausages up past her toenails.  Pretty pink feet!

Ash loves when visitors come to the house.  She grabs her toys and shows them off.  She grabs things in her room and runs downstairs and grabs more to exhibit her goods.  

Ash has been very "tactical" recently.  She loves to pinch the cheeks of people smaller than her.  She also "pats" heads, sometimes harder than she should.  Austin never hits her back so I don't know where she's learned it!  We're working hard at not hitting.  She's brought Austin to tears many times!

The January thaw here's been nice.  Beginning of January, and for three days its been upper 60's, low 70's.  It was a spring teaser, but we sure enjoyed the warm weather!  

We took a trip to Ikea in Woodbridge with Erika, Cam and Gavs and had a lot of fun!

I hosted my monthly BUNKO party at my home last night and we all had a surprise baby shower for Allison.  Such fun.

Finally, Ashley has been showing tremendous potty interest for a few weeks.  She's been telling me when she needs to go pee-pee.  We'll go and she actually goes!  I'm just terrified to actually start the potty training (which she's really doing by herself right now thank goodness) because she's so tiny and is all over the toilet.  It's so much easier and cleaner if she just goes in her diaper!  But, she obviously can do it and I must buckle down and be consistent!  (Thanks Cherilyn for the potty protector idea!)

Have a great week!

Angie

Trachea Size

The above pictures are of the size of Ashley's trachea.  The first one was a close-up further down.  Uncle Grant left and we're so sad!!  Well, Ash is doing great right post-surgery and we're so thankful!

There's something to say for mothers-intuition.  The neighborhood kids were playing outside and I had my window open listening.  The kids all had sticks, pretend weapons in their hands playing.  As I was starting to put away Christmas things, I felt like I should listen again.  I looked/listened out the window and at that moment a neighborhood boy said, "Who needs pretend guns...my dad has a real gun!"  They all had that glimmer in their eye like, "oh wow".  At that moment I jerked the door wildly open, talked to Austin about the situation and lectured the neighborhood kids.  I'm sure I'm a hit with the kids.  Oh well!  Tough tooters!

Ashley has been 'Elmo-ized'.  She can't get enough of "Emo's Christmas Countdown" that we fortunately or unfortunately recorded.  Over and over and over again.....

Happy New Years Eve!!!

Angie

Tracheomalacia

On Wednesday, the 27th we took Ashley in to Reston Hospital for her 2nd tubes placed in, an adenoid ectomy, and a bronch oscopy.  (Picture taken Pre-op).  After the surgery taking and hour and  a half longer than thought, Jonathan and I were scared in the waiting room. Our Dr. finally came out and explained that while under anesthesia, Ashley had a few scary/rocky moments.  We were horrified and he went on and explained that Ash has the worst tracehomalcia he's ever seen (this is coming from a top 10 DC Pediatric  head and neck surgeon).  Instead of her trachea being the size of a quarter and round, it's like you cut a tiny rainbow or crescent out of a quarter and that's the size of her throat all the way down.  So during the anesthesia due to her abnormal narrow trachea, she started having bronchial spasms and they couldn't get air into her.  They started pumping it through her lungs but it wasn't working because the tube wouldn't fit down her throat.  It was way too narrow.  He showed me pictures and didn't give me all the gory details of what happened in the operating room.  I'm glad I didn't know everything.  I'm just so thankful that Ashley was given a blessing before her procedure.  I know that's what help guided the Dr.'s in there with her.

So with her severely mis-shapen trachea (birth deformity which Austin has as well, just not bad as Ash-we actually though his was worse because we saw his pictures and thought nothing could be worse than that.).  I'm just surprised she hasn't choked more on food.  The Dr. said he's not willing to do anything to open or spread out the trachea because she's a happy girl who can run around and is not failing to thrive due to not eating.  

With tracheomalacia, it's a 'narrowing of the airway.'  So a chronic cough and upper respiratory disease are side effects.  Also, acid reflux makes the trachea sound worse.  Anytime she coughs it has that distinct "bark" and anything at all that triggers anything in her narrow airway makes her cough.  So we've accepted the fact that she'll just bark and we'll love our little goose no matter what!  Both our geese!  Austin and Ash.  Maybe that's why I've had the nickname Goose all my life....I'd only grow up to have kids that honked like Geese!  Ha ha  ha.  What are the chances that both my kids would have the exact same issues?  Wow.  I truly feel blessed though with their condition.  Things could always be so much worse.  

So that's Ash's news this week.  Austin has loved wrestling with Grant while he's been here, playing with his new Christmas toys and having his friends Bree and Hannah come over to share them.  He's also into setting the table.  He loves to get out the linen napkins, put silverware on the table and wrap the napkins in a special Austin design and top it with a napkin ring.  He's so proud of his napkin creations!  He also is practicing manners.  Saying things like, "I'd be glad to" and "Mommy, did you think first before you did that?" Not quite as cute.  He loves to chase Ash around and have her squeal.  Ash loves to be the center of attention.  In fact, to turn attention toward her if she's not getting any, she'll make up a boo boo and say, "Owie Mommy/Daddy!"  So we kiss it, and life goes on.  She takes off running again with her pseudo-boo boo.

New Years is right around the corner!  Grant and Duane leave tomorrow morning  for the Rose Bowl for a few days.  I'll be ringing in the New Year here in DC!

Happy 2008!!!!

Love

Angie