Thankful Thursday.....

The people over at RSBR have been urging people to write 'Thankful Thursday' posts, which is a pretty cool tradition. So, I'm jumping on the optimism bandwagon and following suit. Plus, this is just that time of year when it's necessary to take a few moments out of your busy, hectic schedule to really think about everything we are blessed with. So many of us get so stressed out and crabby during the holidays (just ask any of the checkout clerks at your local Target, they've got GOBS of stories) that we tend to forget what this season is all about......so, here goes;

I am thankful for the release this blog has given me.
I am thankful that there are people who actually read it and are learning about CF.
I am thankful there are people who are organ donors. (Hint, hint. There's an icon over on the side of this blog.....it'll take you 2 minutes MAX!)
I am thankful that there are self-diagnosed 'non-profit junkies' in this world.
I am thankful that 2 of them run the entire Iowa chapter of the CF Foundation.
I am thankful that my daughter calls everyone honey.
I am thankful that my son knows what a 'random act of kindness' is.
I am beyond thankful for the men and women who have dedicated their lives to researching and developing drugs that will eventually lead to my daughter's cure.
I am thankful that I have a husband who 'gets me' (most of the time, anyway).
I am thankful to be an aunt AND a great aunt.
I am thankful to have a baby goddaughter.....she is absolutely breathtaking.

And, finally, I am thankful for all of my friends and family for everything you've done for us throughout this past year. I am thankful for every penny you donated or raised. I am thankful for every supportive word spoken. I am thankful for all of your prayers. I am thankful for every single one of the emails and Facebook messages I've received with words of encouragement. I'm thankful for the shared tears and the shared smiles. I am blessed beyond belief.....

As we gear up for the New Year and another year of fundraising, I want to share a video we made for Rylan. Please feel free to share it with anyone you'd like who may want to help our efforts. 2011, I have a good feeling about you.....

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

My Not-So-Little, Little Boy.....

I am amazed that THIS is how my now 5 year old, 56.4 POUND 'little' boy, 1st came into this world. He came 8 weeks early and weighed a whopping 4.1 lbs....he was 18.5 inches long and looked like such a wrinkley old man :) But his Daddy and I thought he was the most beautiful, sweet, angellic little being we had ever laid eyes on. He was immediately whisked away to the NICU and stayed there for 46 days. I came home to shower every few days, but beyond those few hours at home, I never left his side. Daddy had to eventually go back to work, but his mind was never 'fully' there. He would bring his laptop to the hospital and work from there as much as he possibly could. The two of us slept on a little cot that was made for someone more like Chewy on Chelsea Lately.....but we were petrified to leave him.



I remember the day we finally brought him home and how quiet the house seemed. We were so used to the hub bub of the NICU and all the heart monitors and O2 machines beeping, when it was finally just the 3 of us (plus the 4 legged furry older brother) it just all seemed so surreal. Barry and I took turns watching him sleep in the bassinet just to be sure he was still breathing.....

Fast forward to today.....I had to take Kohen to the pediatrician the other day (it felt so strange to make the appointment for HIM, instead of his sister!) and when he jumped up on the scale and I saw the 56.4 lbs come across the screen I about lost it. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN???? When did he get to be so big??? He was literally just 46 lbs, I am SURE of it. Wasn't that just last month?? No, maybe it was at the beginning of summer??? I can't remember. But all I know is he is now a boy. He is 5. Granted he has been for awhile, but it just hit me like a ton of bricks. I looked at his hands and almost cried. He doesn't let me hold them anymore of course, so I hadn't noticed how big they really are.....

I wish I could remember the last day I bounced him to sleep in his nursery while he laid across my stomach looking up at me. I wish I would have realized it would be the last time. I wish I remembered the last time I heard him call 'MAMA, AARRRREEEEE YOUUUUU?' from his room in the morning waiting for me to come in and get him up. I wish I would have realized in that moment that I needed to really listen to his little voice and cherish it because it would be the last time he would say it in just that way.

You know what started this sappy post? Finally packing away the summer clothes that don't fit him anymore. And of course, since I was getting all sentimental, (and being the girl I am) I decided to get even more emotional and pull out his box of baby pictures.....

Potty Training Tool!!!

Updates GALORE!!! 1st and foremost, clinic called last week and we got yet ANOTHER culture back that was negative for pseudomonas!! Thank you, God, for this 'little' reprieve. I know how quickly those nasty bugs can sweep in, so I'm just thankful for each and every day that is (for the most part) cough-free.....

This last week has been a VERY eventful one in the Mack house! We are officially pacifier-free AND little Miss Rylan is wearing big girl undies! (Maybe instead of saying it's been an EVENTFUL week, I should say it's been a week full of mishaps, messes, and tantrums??!) I will spare you the adorable pictures of little naked buns running away from the camera and down the hallway, and leave you with this picture instead.....

These cute little monster slippers have been THE BEST tool in getting her potty trained!!! She is one of those sweet little beings that could care less if her pants get soaked, if the barstools get soaked, if the carpet underneath Daddy's office desk gets soaked, if her brother's lego airplane that was placed a little too close to her gets soaked, etc.....BUT, she REFUSES to have her new little monsters slippers get soaked. And what would be the 1st things to pool up if she doesn't make it to the bathroom in time? Yep, you get the point.....so, if any of you are knee deep in potty training (and carpet cleaner), I URGE YOU to add new slippers to your child's wish list!!! You won't regret it! And if for whatever reason they don't work for potty training your child, you'll still end up with some REALLY cute pictures that will haunt your child for the rest of their life!!!