Sign of the Day!

Okay, this may be my most favorite sign ever -- I looked it up and it's FUN to do.  Even the signing savvy guy looks amused ...


This is for my friend, Mel, who after two surgeries in the last two months and (I'm assuming) a lot of anxiety and worrying -- has been *Officially* declared -- Cancer Free!!

YAY!!  CELEBRATE!


So happy for you, Mel!  Let me know when you're feeling up to going out to dinner to celebrate!

Karly's Cancer Update - 3 years later

Karly & I drove down to Children's Hospital in Milwaukee yesterday for one of her routine visits with the oncology team.

Would you believe it has been:

• 3 1/2 years since she was diagnosed with cancer (Nov 2007)
• 3 years in March since she finished chemo
• 3 years this month since she finished radiation treatment

Amazing.  It does seem like a lifetime ago, but still ... it also seems like it JUST happened.   (If you're new here, I wrote up a brief recap once of Karly's cancer journey.)

Anyway, they no longer do CT scans on Karly, but they do ultrasounds (to minimize additional radiation exposure).  The ultrasounds were all great!   They're tricky though -- one requires her to have eaten no solid food since the night before, and the other she has to drink a TON of water so her bladder is full.  So as soon as she's done she has to use the restroom -- and then we have to eat!

After a quick lunch, we were off to get her bloodwork done.   She's such a pro -- she doesn't even need me to go back with her.  It was very quick, they just drew one tube to check electrolytes and minerals.  Would you believe her electrolytes were great?  She was very hydrated ;)

The number one thing they look for with the bloodwork is her calcium level.  The type of tumor she had presents oddly -- with high levels of calcium.  That was their first big clue that it wasn't a benign teratoma (as we were hoping), when the tumor was first found and treated.

So yesterday we met with the after care team.  It's called the "Next Steps" clinic, and for children like Karly -- who are done with treatment and looking good and moving forward.  We met with a nutritionist, psychologist, social worker, and a nurse practitioner.  They all think she's doing great.

It was interesting, too -- they gave me a little business card sized summary of Karly's treatment history.  Now we know what her total doses of chemo and radiation she's been given and can share that with doctors in the future.  Not sure when it will come in handy ... but it's interesting.  

We knew already what side effects to watch for from the chemo, and the only 'red flag' we've hit so far is with cardiology.  One of the chemo drugs is notorious for causing issues with the heart.  At Karly's last echo (in January) the cardiologist said her heart is okay, but the vigor of the pump is not the same as what it was at her previous echo.  For now, it only requires a watchful eye and follow-up care.

So, yesterday was a long day, a gray and rainy day, and thankfully very dull.  I love it when we get through a whole day of clinic and there are NO SURPRISES!

Will you vote, please?

The Classy Awards are the country's most prominent recognition of philanthropic/charitable organizations each year.  Reece's Rainbow has made the Top 25 Finalist list for Most Innovative Use of Social Media, and we need your vote to WIN!  

We are very excited to be nominated for this award in particular, because it is our use of social media formats that has totally transformed this ministry in the last 2 years.  The power of our newly designed website, family blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and now our IPhone and other phone apps have truly catapulted RR into a position of even greater life-saving influence.  We harness social media in a focused effort to save money on overhead so we are able to maximize all donations for the benefit of the children and our committed families.

The official description of this category is:  "Awarded to the charity whose submission demonstrates the most forward-thinking, creative, and effective use of social media to spread the organization’s message or to build financial or personal support. The nonprofit that wins this Classy Award will be one that embraces new social media technology and seeks to build upon that technology in order to further its organizational goals."  500 children in 5 years is nothing to sneeze at, folks!   MAKE THIS COUNT!

YOUR VOTES will give RR the opportunity not only to WIN and raise media visibility, but to give a more detailed speech/presentation at the Awards Ceremony in San Diego in September.  People Magazine was BIG, but the Classy Awards are even more valuable to the future of this ministry!

This will be HUGE media exposure for RR, right ahead of the Buddy Walks and our Christmas Angel Tree, so we really need your help please! And if we WIN, it will mean a $15,000 prize for our Voice of Hope fund! 

*** It only takes one minute of your time to click on this link, scroll down to "Innovative Use of Social Media", vote for Reece's Rainbow, scroll back up and hit submit my ballot.   That's it!    Unlike other contests, YOU ONLY GET ONE VOTE so MAKE YOURS COUNT for our waiting children! ***

http://classyawards.stayclassy.org/classy-awards/voting

Please share this with all of your friends, family, Facebook, blog, everywhere!   

THANK YOU and HAPPY VOTING!   Don't put it off, just do it now and pass it along!  The children thank you! 

Bath Time

Brian told Ruby & Lil it was time for a bath ... and Ruby went and plopped herself into her baby doll bath tub.

posing for Mama

Lil had to check out what in the world Ruby was up to ...

and then Lil turned to Daddy and made the funniest face!
She squished her cheeks in with one hand and made the silliest noise -- the picture is fuzzy but I wanted to put it here anyway, to share a snippet of how these girls are both so entertaining!

A boy and his bug

Can you see the caterpillar?

Me, neither.  But it was there!

And then we found another, itty bitty one.  And then they both went missing ... likely during the time he gave them fresh leaves.

Little Notes

The hat is a pale green -- it's baby versions of the Packer colors, green & gold.  It's not blue, it's way to early to find out if we're having a boy or girl.  I'm not sure if we will find out ...


I'm just 16 weeks ... due in early January.  Everything looks great so far!


Boys names are hard.  Am taking suggestions ...

Cautiously Hopeful ...

I bought this cute little green hat at the fundraiser we went to last week.

We are excitedly awaiting our newest family member -- to be joining us around the New Year!




Also, this is why I haven't been blogging much lately.  Not only am I really tired (and thankfully now past the nauseous-all-the-time part) but I'm AWFUL at keeping secrets!

A Full Year in America

This past Sunday was Lil's one year in America anniversary!  She's been an American citizen for a full, amazing year -- and I'm realizing I've gotten really bad at taking pictures lately.

Albina Update

Remember little Albina who had a donor match her grant in May?

She has a family :)

WI Family Auction

Did you know there is yet another WI family adopting a child with DS?  That makes ... several!

They are adopting a little boy from China, but they can't share his picture yet.

Anyway, the Prevost family had to cancel their golf outing, but they have items to auction off!  It's very local stuff -- tickets to the Dells, Bucks, Brewers, Timber Rattlers.

PLEASE VISIT THEIR AUCTION!

A year ago today...

One year ago was Lilya's "Gotcha Day" and she left her orphanage for ever!!

You can read about that day last year on Lil's adoption blog!

Newly Home

Remember when we had some super house guests in June?

Well, after lots of traveling around the world, their family is together, home for good -- with new baby brother finally home from Ukraine!  I snuck over to the airport on Saturday to see him for myself!

You can see pics of Jonathan's homecoming at the airport on their blog.

Ruby Update

I realized recently that Ruby hadn't had a 4-year-old checkup yet (for her birthday way back in May!), so we went off to see our beloved pediatrician, Dr. B.

Rubes is now 35.5 inches tall (ALMOST 3 feet!) and 31 pounds.

On the Down syndrome growth chart, she was around 50th% for both height and weight.  She grew almost 2.5 inches in the past year, and gained about 6 pounds!

Overall, she's doing wonderfully and Dr B was very happy with how well she's doing.  Ruby did a great job following directions and was super adorable and chatty for her visit.  

Swingset advice, please?

I think we all know by now how much Lil loves to swing.  I mean, she LOVES to swing -- and she's really great at it.  Ruby is getting so close to swinging on her own, too -- but she still needs a boost and a push to get started.

So, here's my dilemma.  We have mulch in our yard, and under the swings.    We also have 2 little girls who prefer NOT to wear their shoes... even when I send them out in their shoes, they ditch them.  (Which reminds me, their shoes are still outside... )

The mulch does help  keep away the prickly weeds and helps with the mud when it rains.  But we need something better.  

There's a place in the area that sells recycled rubber for play areas -- but in my head, that would get really hot.  I don't know where I get that idea from ... but the playset is in full sun, so we do need to consider that.

So, I'm taking this to you, oh wise people of the Internet.  Please chime in if you have any advice for what to put under the swings and around the playset that would be kind to little feet.  

(Mel, here's your sign for today -- swing!)

And to thank you for reading my odd post about my back yard ... cute pics!

Another silly way to swing ....

which gets even cuter when this happens --

I love these girls :)

Uno!

We play a lot of Uno around here ... and Ruby has recently started playing with us.



I don't think Braden was playing Uno when he was 4.

But Ruby knows her colors, and can match her numbers ... and she's determined to be a part of everything that goes on around here.

Lil's not as into it as Ruby, but she's a pretty darn good player, too -- here she is telling Dad to play a "yellow" (Mel, that link is for you!  It's the sign for Yellow!  I was listening last night ;)

Braden is thrilled the girls play the game, and not just try to grab the cards & run off anymore!

Beach Baby

Ruby's first Push-up 

Honoring Levi

This is one of the things I love about the Down syndrome community -- the love for these kids, and the compassion for others.

Please keep little Levi's family in your thoughts.  Levi was very loved, and his family is so generous to support others, even in their time of loss -- You can read the full story here:  Honoring Levi



The baby girl, Olivia, that the Herrington's are adopting?  She's in our Lil's former orphanage... can't wait to see her join her family!

Parenting Fun

Braden is grumpy today.  

I told him, "This is why I told you to go back to bed when you got up early this morning.  You didn't get enough sleep last night!"

He said, "It was only HALF night.  Half of when I slept was night, half was morning."


I stand corrected.