Woo Hoo!

I have a phone line and Internet service back!! We haven't had either since sometime Tuesday way early in the morning due to the terrible storm that came through. I must say, I believe a tornado hit Leeds (the city right next to us). There is a lot of damage and just to name a few things - a house is gone, one lady was killed by a tree falling on her house, and the new Leeds Softball field is destroyed! My friend took me through the path and let me just say, it was awful and can't even imagine what a 'bad' tornado would do. There was a BIG tree uprooted...just really sad.

Tomorrow officially starts Spring Softball season! We have practice from 9am-11:15am. We are one excited household :o) I found out how Courtney 'scored' at try-outs - out of 40 possible points - she got a 30!!! I'm so proud of her! There were only 4 girls who scored 30 or above and the highest score was a 34. Let me just say, softball must be definitely in her blood considering she didn't get to play for 4 weeks in fall due to her buckle fracture but did a heck of a lot better than some girls out there that have played for a few more seasons! She wants to learn how to pitch so we are going to let her learn. She tried at the try-outs and actually has the technique and the consistency but just has to work on the accuracy of getting the ball up and over the plate - not rolling on the plate.

I wish I would have known in January about the USA Olympic Softball team playing right here in B'ham - I would have loved to take her. Thankfully Jason knows some people so he's going to ask about tickets. Rhonda and I plan on taking Courtney and Lauren to a UAB softball game in March (right before Easter) if possible. Plus, we are saving money to let Courtney due to softball clinics during the summer which she wishes was sooner!!

CJ is just as excited about being at the ballpark as the rest of us. He already sees Hannah (Lauren's little sister) almost every day in car line but will definitely see her every day at the ball field. They are so cute together - fighting like an old married couple - it's just too funny!! I'm sure he'll be playing next fall - either Cap Ball or TBall - but we'll just wait and see.

That's all that's happening here. Just remember - softball practice and games take 5 out of 7 days so I'll be busy especially with being co-team mom with Rhonda. We have lots to plan and get ready for the season. I'm really looking forward to sharing this season with everyone - expect pictures :o)

Sorry!

I apologize for not writing sooner about Courtney's results. It's just been crazy and been taking care of her with the flu and trying to make sure no one else gets it!

All her tests came back normal so the only issue is strictly asthma!! That's wonderful news for us! I must say I was nervous about the Upper GI test and her drinking that stuff. Let me just say, they poured A TON of Hershey's Chocolate syrup into her drink. They made it like a milkshake for her. She stated the only thing she tasted was chocolate. The FUNNIEST thing...after she was done drinking her cup (it was much smaller than what I had to drink years ago) she told both the tech and the radiologist that it was 'refreshing'! That was a first for both of them. She was just so thirsty and hungry - it didn't matter :o)

She finally became fever free on Friday and was so excited to wake up this morning and go to school! Plus she was so ready to play and have friends over that she had Lauren come over Friday night and stay :o) It was really great to see her feeling like herself again.

She had softball try-outs yesterday and did excellent!! I'm so proud of her. She even gave a try at pitching and was consistently over the plate each throw (she was given 5) but was releasing a little to late so they all rolled but the key was consistently over the plate. She wants to work on pitching a bit now too (a bonus is the head coach was a pitcher).

We are going to paint the finish basement area tomorrow. Moving the furniture was interesting but not too bad. Jason started priming the walls on Saturday but will finish this afternoon once he gets home and start painting tomorrow since he is off. It's called 'Sea Wave' and I can't wait to see it on the walls :o) Of course, I'll take pictures but can't promise they'll be on right a way...LOL

Oh yeah before I forget...Courtney has to go back on March 25th for a check up with her specialist and will see if our plan of attack is working well for her!

Finally....

I finally took those pictures - after my camera batteries charged! Of course the pictures don't make the colors look like what they do when you are here but you'll get the idea :o)

Kid's Bathroom...the color is called Quacamole

The kitchen - It's Sweet Spiceberry (more deep red than orange like shown in the pics)

The Master bedroom - it's called 'Calabash' (it's brighter than we thought it would be but we like it!)
















And a quick update...Courtney went to the doctor's this morning and she has been officially diagnosed with the FLU!!! It's a wait and see game with CJ since he had his flu shot at the end of November (he should be covered but depending on what strain Courtney has, he still could get it). Keep your fingers crossed that only Courtney has to suffer with this! Luckily, she will still be able to do all her testing tomorrow too!

3 down...1 to go!

Jason and I have painted 3 rooms so far - the kitchen, the kids' bathroom and we just finished our bedroom. The only one left...the finished basement area. That'll take atleast 2 gallons of paint! We are leaving the family room and entry way to get quotes from a few people since I don't do heights and will not do the stairway area. Thankfully we have friends who know people that do painting - one is Rhonda's brother-in-law (I guess it would be ex but still participates in the family) and the other is Brandon (he helped us move here). With Rhonda and Kevin AND Brandon and Jamie - we pretty much have a connection with anyone here in Moody/Leeds area - they know everyone...LOL

Courtney has had a fever all weekend. Just not being herself. Hopefully it'll break sometime today as all her testings are on Wednesday. Thankfully CJ hasn't caught whatever she's got.

Softball try-outs have been moved from this Saturday to Sunday due to a pageant. So instead of all day Saturday - they'll be from 1-4pm on Sunday. Speaking of softball, Courtney had a blast at the softball camp a few weekends ago :o) I forgot my camera that day but will try and remember it for try-outs.

That's all that's been happening here. Will update once we know about Courtney and her tests on Wednesday.

Courtney's Specialist outcome...

Not sure if all of you knew but Courtney finally got to go see a Pediatric Pulmonary Specialist yesterday - in connection with her asthma and not being able to do much without being out of breath.

We had to be there at noon so I had to check her out of school at 11:15 to be able to get to St. Vincent's Hospital in Downtown B'ham. As soon as we got there, we had to get her to radiology for a chest x-ray. By the time we waited for that and got back to the dr. office - it was 1pm. We waited for a bit there and finally got called back. She did a few breathing tests (taking a deep breath and then pushing it out - like blowing up a balloon) and they tested her oxygen and her pulse. After all that, we went into the room to wait for Dr. Brasfield.

Once Dr. Brasfield came in, we ended up doing a extensive medical history of Courtney and then of her family and extended family. I hope I remembered everything! Anyways, she then examined Courtney. We know that her chest xray was normal - a very good thing and her breathing is in the normal range but basically on the line of being not good. I think it is like 1 away from being off. With her xray being normal - it limits the possible causes from 200 to about 9. Thankfully all but one causes can be tested...the one that can't is asthma. She is almost certain it's full blown asthma but wants to make sure nothing else is contributing to her issues.

With that said, we are doing a plan of action now. She is to use her Albuterol inhaler before any type of exercise or activity (bike riding, riding her scooter, jumping, etc) and she is now on a steroid inhaler (2 puffs in the morning and at night). We return to the office on Feb. 20th - to do further testing of her breathing to see if that is the right dosage of steroids to help her since they'll be in her for over 14 days (not by much but they will be).

Also on the 20th, we do all the other testing. Courtney will not be in school that day. We have to be at the hospital at 8am and her tests start at 8:30. She has to go through an Upper GI, a sinus xray, bloodwork (but I forgot what test they are running on that) and then after all that, will go to Dr. Brasfield's office for her Sweat test and her office visit (which includes her breathing test to check the steroid to see if they are working). By the time we leave there, we will have all the results of the tests and a new action plan to make sure Courtney will be able to enjoy the things she does and not have to worry about not being able to breath, coughing and chest hurting afterwards. This is our ultimate goal - for her to be able to enjoy being a kid without huffing and puffing :o)

Let me just say, I really really like Dr. Brasfield. She is very thorough and explained everything to Courtney too in language Courtney understood (not all medical terms). Now Courtney actually understands what is going on with her before her inhaler and afterwards. It helped that there were pictures too....LOL

I'll keep you updated with her appt. and testing once it happens.

Mickey Mouse has passed away....

Yep - you read that right...Mickey Mouse is gone!!

Where do I begin to explain...let's start from this morning.

1. Woke up and Jason decided to take Courtney to school since he had the day off. We decided to paint the kitchen since our last 'ant invasion' and the spray was on the wall. You can't clean flat paint. It got to the point we both couldn't stand it.
2. As he was beginning to leave, I told him that I would empty out the top of the china cabinet so we could move it forward to paint.
3. He left with Courtney as I sat in the kitchen closest to the sink and dishwasher (back towards that). CJ was in the family room playing with his cars.
4. All of a sudden....I saw a flash of something in the corner of my eye and I looked!!
5. OMG..there is a mouse in my house!! It ran in between (or underneath) the dishwasher and side cabinet. I SCREAMED!!
6. I ran out of the kitchen and to the front door (since it's glass and Jason and Courtney could see me as they were going down the driveway. I asked through the glass if he had his phone with him (Imagine me in the doorway putting the universal sign of phone to my ear).
7. He called me right away. By that time, CJ and I were both on my bed watching the entrance to the kitchen to make sure NOTHING came out. Jason just giggled and said that the mouse probably wouldn't come back out.
8. Jason returned and no more mouse. So he fed CJ breakfast and made himself breakfast (also went next to the dishwasher and nothing). I finally made it back into the kitchen and sat facing that famous area.
9. Yep...you guessed it....the mouse made his appearance AGAIN! This time - all 3 of us screamed!!! It was a fast little guy and went back into the same area.
10. I decided I would go to Lowe's and get something and Jason could stay home and be the 'mouse watcher' to make sure it stayed there.
11. While I was gone, Jason stated that he made his appearance quite often. He even tried to get out of the kitchen but thankfully CJ scared him back in!
12. We (I should say Jason because I wouldn't go near that area) put out the sticky traps because we tried the normal traps and it went off twice without getting mine or Jason's fingers!
13. Within minutes...Mickey Mouse past one sticky pad and went to the next. He then was stuck! He tried so hard to get out and I'm watching it a bit from the laundry room! No way was I going to be anywhere CLOSE to that area in case he got loose!
14. Jason couldn't take it anymore and he took another sticky trap and put it on top of him. Then proceeded to put the 2 traps and Mickey in a plastic bag. Our friend suggested throwing him over the 10 foot drop across the street - so there is where Mickey is...caught in between 2 sticky traps in a tied plastic bag thrown over a 10 foot cliff!
15. RIP Mickey Mouse!!

After all that excitement....we did paint the kitchen and it does look really nice. Finally finished up this afternoon and know that painting other rooms won't be far behind because this flat paint stinks!!

I sure hope I never have to deal with Minnie Mouse this week either! We still have traps out just in case and are going to put some in the garage and such. They are still building around us and clearing fields so I wouldn't be surprised if we don't. Just next time, I'm leaving while the traps are out and then Jason can deal with them when he gets home and can let me know when it's safe to come home...LOL

Another performance for Courtney...

Courtney has been chosen to take part in "NIGHT OF THE ARTS"!!

Moody Elementary School's Third Grade will present "Night of the Arts" on Tuesday, January 29th. It includes a tour of the Third Grade wing and a presentation of students' artwork. After the tour, everyone will go to the cafeteria for several examples of performance art and the night will conclude with awards be given. Courtney will be jump roping!! She is so excited. She does a few tricks (which I didn't even know she knew)! I believe one is called the 'cross-over' but what it is exactly - I don't know. I was never a huge jump roper. I hope to get some good pictures but not sure if that will happen. We'll wait and see.

We signed her up for Spring softball yesterday. Currently, Jason is signed up to be the assistant coach for her team. They actually have a softball camp on Feb. 9th and she can't wait. CJ is going to wait another season to play so we can work with him on a few things. He can't wait to start going to the ball park.

That's about all going on here.