A Long Road Ahead...

Cancer is a word that my sister and I grew up with. Our mother dealt with Cancer when we were 1 and 3. She had Hodgkins and fought it and won. Some of my earliest memories are of her fight. But never in my mind did I ever think that we would have to face the monster again. Until last Wednesday, when mom went in to a doctor appointment to finally get someone to check out the pain she has been dealing with for over 6 months. By that afternoon, we were checking her into the hospital, and being told that she may be sick again with a new cancer. The doctor said he was 98% sure and he said this fighting his own tears. He was the same doctor who had told a young mom over 30 years ago that she had the very treatable Hodgkins. But this time, the news is not as encouraging. He suspected that she had Multiple Myeloma. We had to wait until late Friday to hear from the Oncologist that it was in fact, Multiple Myeloma. This cancer is treatable, but not curable. It will be something that she has to fight for the rest of her life. And, eventually, it could claim it.

At this point, we are waiting for information on a chromosome test that they had to run. It will determine just how likely the treatment is to actually work. That will affect the possible prognosis. Mom is recieving Chemo. The type of Chemo that they are giving her is not supposed to cause her to lose her hair. She is still in the hospital this morning, and is expected to come home today.



She has a long road ahead of her. But I take comfort in knowing that God is in control of this and all situations. And everything happens for His glory. It doesn't seem fair that he allowed this to happen to Mom for a second time in her life, and that she and dad have this tough road ahead of them. But our bodies are imperfect, temporary, and bound to this earth. We aren't getting out of here without pain. There is something good that will come out of this- though it is hard to imagine- I dare to believe that there is a reason for all this suffering, though I may never know what that is. This song has been an encouragement for me in the last week. It is called "Before the Morning" by Josh Wilson



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIhoI7qQ_Sc

Lindsay and Leslie's Popsicle Stand

Today was the community garage sale- so Lindsay and Leslie really wanted to have a popsicle stand. They sold popsicles and sodas. They are pretty good sales girls. They are raising money for a Nintendo DS- something they have been saving for since Christmas- Mommy and Daddy really hope they have enough to get them before our big trip to WA so they will have something to play with on the trip! :-)

11 months old!

This is really going too fast. I wish there was a way to slow time down!

Lucy Jo turned 11 months old today. She has had a very busy month. We have been to the DR several times this month for weight and ear infection related issues. As for her growth issues. We don't have any answers, except to say that her blood doesn't indicate any problems. She is gaining weight at a better pace now but her height is still slow. I really am not worried about it much. I just think she's a little petite girl. Lucy had been dealing with ear infections this month, going through two rounds of antibiotics. Still not sure if it is all gone yet, but we have to go to the DR to have her checked out again. (Like we haven't been there enough?!)
Lucy has been reaching some important milestones this month(another reason not to be worried about her size). About 3 weeks ago, she began walking independently. No help, standing up from the middle of the floor and taking steps. Now she walks everywhere! And gets into things! She also discovered that she can get up the stairs pretty quickly, like before mom notices, scary! Lucy Jo is also sporting 2 more teeth, making it 4 in all. These teeth mean that Lucy has been enjoying a bigger variety of food, and boy, does she like food! In this food adventure we have discovered that Lucy is allergic to eggs. So we will be avoiding those for her for a couple of years. We have also discovered that Lucy LOVES the pool, she is a natural fish (well, if I let her actually swim!). Finally, Lucy is becoming quite proficient in her signs. She uses please, more, and all done (which works for night night and good bye too). I am pretty sure that in the last few days she has even attempted to say please while signing it, making please one of her first words! Before Mama and Dada- such a polite little girl!

Results of the tests

Well, we have most of the results from the horrid blood test. Everything has come back normal! There is one more test that had something to do with growth that they had to send out. But Thyroid, blood gas and anything else they tested came back normal. She's just an itty bitty for now. Who knows, she could surprise us and be our tallest kiddo. Only time will tell, and I'm in no hurry!

This was definitely not my favorite

Took Lucy to get her second blood test at the hospital today. The worst part was not the hour and a half wait (apparently I showed up at lunch time, which I didn't know until I finally got in). It was the holding my baby down while she cried and seeing a needle stuck in her arm as her arm turned blue from the turniquet. It seemed to take forever for the 3 techs to get the blood they needed for all of the tests. I am sure it was only seconds but before it was over I thought I was going to revisit my lunch. It was excruciating to see her face as she looked at me pleading to save her from the mean needle lady. It was not my favorite, and I hope I never have to do that again, ever.

I hope to get the results of the tests in the next couple of days. I am confident that everything is fine, the Doctor just wants to rule out any problems, me too.

Lucy Blood Tests

Just letting friends and family know that the Dr is running blood tests on Lucy Jo. I am not totally sure what it is they are looking for. But what triggered the tests was Lucy's stalled height growth. Her weight is improving but her height pretty much went unchanged over the last few months. They ordered blood tests last week and most of them came back normal but they are concerned about her electrolyte numbers. So, we have to take her in to the hospital sometime in the next week to get this special blood draw that they only do at the hospital. I'm not totally concerned because I don't know what to be concerned about...I guess ignorance is bliss. Just worried about the finances, as usual. Then I remember who is in control, He has provided in the past, and He won't stop now.

Lucy Jo is 10 months old!

Wow, that month went by fast! Lucy Jo is already 10 months old! Can't believe we will be celebrating her 1st birthday in 2 months!
My sweet girl is trying to walk! If you haven't already seen Lance's video of her first steps you need to check it out here: Lucy Jo Takes her First Steps. She is even more steady now and will try to walk away from things now. She will pull up and walk right out into the room, then sit down. Lucy has also started to use her signs! The older girls didn't catch on to the signs until 12 months. But Lucy Jo is already using "all done." Which is very useful! She also waves good bye. We have also started to try to teach her blowing kisses, so far she just smacks her mouth, but she's getting there. She is beginning to understand the word no (she even gives her head a shake when we say it), though I wish she would understand what obeying this command means sometimes! Especially when she is screeching. This is a new thing for us Bauslaugh's, the older girls did not screech, it is definitely not my favorite. Lucy Jo has also acquired another tooth in the last week, she now has two on the bottom front and one on the top front. She has a yucky habit of grinding the the top and bottom, it gives me chills just thinking about it!

We have had a busy month, here are some pictures:
Lucy Jo at the Dallas Arboretum

Lucy and her Sister's reading.

Lucy gets a ride in her new backpack.

Not walking, but still funny!

Resurrection Weekend!

We had a three day weekend thanks to school and work taking Good Friday off! Friday morning we all got to go with Leslie to Kindergarten Round-up. Basically, we just turned in registration papers and got to visit Mrs. Merchant, our favorite Kinder teacher! We are praying that Leslie will end up in her class, just like Lindsay did. Leslie was more than ready, she wanted to bring her letter worksheets that we do at home to show the teachers and she wanted to bring a backpack so she could start school now! It was also nice that we ran into 2 friends, one from Church and a friend through Girl Scouts, who are going to go to K at the same school next year. It was definitely different being one of the "experienced" moms this time around. I told one of the first time mom's who was fighting tears that I wouldn't lie to her, it is one of the hardest things ever, but I survived, and she will too! I am hoping that the first week of Leslie's Kindergarten won't be as traumatic as Lindsay's was!Saturday we spent the day cleaning and fixing some things around the house. Lance also spent a good part of the day smoking his first meat on his new grill. It turned out really great! We had too much meat for just our family so we invited some friends over from down the street. It was a very pleasant Saturday. The one hic-up was when Lindsay announced that there wasn't an Easter Bunny in front of all the little ones. Oops- It's really something we've never discussed. I guess we never told her there was or wasn't one. We never really put effort into keeping up the Easter Bunny charade like we do Santa Clause. Hopefully she didn't ruin Easter for the little ones!Sunday we did the traditional Easter egg hunt. The girls did very well. This was the first year we got to really hide eggs. It was challenging but they found all 30. Lucy just enjoyed watching the big girls and checking out the eggs. She has been feeling a little down with her teeth coming in so she was kind of mellow . We went to church, heard a great message that Lindsay really got into. Leslie even got up and sang with the kids at the front of the church! Something we have been trying to get the girls to do for a while! It was very exciting. She just decided she didn't need Lindsay to go with her to be brave. You can't tell from the picture but she was doing the hand motions and singing right along, though a little timidly. After Church we had supper with Aunt Debra and then just played for the afternoon. It was pretty Laid back!

I have to admit that Friday was so busy with Kindergarten round up and grocery shopping and house cleaning that we almost forgot it was Good Friday. I suppose many people go through life too busy to remember what Christ did for us. We almost missed it! Don't miss it! It's not about a religion, rules, tradition, its about a relationship with a God that exists and cares about what is going on down here. Though sometimes, it can seem like He doesn't care. Like so many innocents are suffering. The truth is that God knows, cares and grieves for our situation, but there is a reason for all, and as He allowed His Son to suffer for all of us to be reconciled to Him, he allows the suffering we see and hear about every day, for a bigger purpose than we can understand.

Lucy Jo Is 9 Months Old!

It is going WAY too fast! Little bit is already 9 months old! She is getting more independent by the day and has popped a couple of teeth in the last couple of weeks! Which has made things very "interesting" to say the least.
Since she is now 9 months old, we had a 9 month check up. I have been concerned about her growth since she is truly just a little mite. 2 weeks ago we had a weight check at 14.1 lbs. She grew less than a pound in almost 3 months. So, I spent the last two weeks trying to get her to eat more and get more calories doing it! We did accomplish an improvement of .9 lbs. So the Dr is happy that she is improving and now that she is at 9 months and has a few teeth in her mouth, she is starting to discover the world of table food! Everything else at her 9 month appointment went very well. She is VERY active, which is probably one of the reasons she has a hard time putting on the pounds, she just burns it all off.
Things that Lucy does all the time now:

• smiles very easily
• gets ticklish under her arm
• plays peek a boo with you
  
• claps when you say "clap clap" or she just hears clapping
• pulls her self up on furniture and cruises around
• does not sit still for much, including diaper changes!
• LOVES her big sisters
• Says Da da and ma ma and we "think" she is starting to attach those words
• Sort of waves good bye- but it takes lots of prompting
  

Girl Scout Powder Puff Derby and 3 on 3 tourney

We had a busy Saturday last week. First, we had Lindsay's GS troop Powder Puff Pine Car Derby which was lots of fun! Just like the boy scouts but with lots of glitter! :-)

Then, we went straight from there to the church for the 3 on 3 tournament that Lance helped organize. They also had fun things for the kids so we just had to stop! The girls' favorite thing was the big giant ball (or human hamster ball), I had to tear them away from it!

A busy Spring Break!

Lindsay started Spring Break with her Girl Scout Troop making their cars for the Powder Puff derby all pretty and sparkly (while the dads made them fast!)
Grammie, Papa Jim and Auntie Heidi made a trip out to see us and then we all drove down to see Bobby in Austin and then a day trip in San Antonio
The Texan Bauslaugh at the Alamo.

We ended Spring Break with 6 inches of snow in our back yard! What a crazy week!

A few of new milestones for Lucy this week.

Lucy needs to slow it down a little for her momma. There is literally something new every day.
Earlier this week, Lucy started pulling herself up on the baby walker to actually taking steps with it. She is also very speedy in her crawling and keeping us on our toes! I should mention that this also means that she has a few new bruises on her noggin as well. Of course she finds things that she is not supposed to play with much more interesting than her actual toys!
Lucy also poked a tooth through today. For the last 2 weeks I have been very teething suspicious, but nothing to show for it until today!
Finally (and most fun) Lucy is clapping! She will play pat-a-cake and loves to clap when someone says "Yay!"

It's been a busy week for her. :-)

Lucy eating a biter biscuit for the first time:

I had better be careful!

Leslie has informed me that she is watching me. She says she wants to know everything about being a mom so when she grows up to be a mom she knows what to do. This is VERY convicting. Hopefully she remembers the good stuff, and not the screw ups! :-)
Tonight we were making dinner and she was helping. I opened a can of beans to drain and rinse and put in the chili. I turned around to get rid of the top when I came back the entire can (juice and all) was in the pot with the other ingredients. I kept my cool, said "oh well, I guess it will be a little runnier than usual." Leslie said, "When I'm a mom, I'm going to say that if my daughter accidentaly puts something in that doesn't go in the pot"
Whew! Passed that test!

A few days ago, she came to me a little worried, "mom, what if I forget everything about being a mom?" I told her she could call me. :-)

Bragging on my Lindsay

We are so proud of Lindsay girl! She has been working hard this year in school. At first, 1st grade was a little of a struggle for my girl. She struggled mostly with reading, writing, and getting her work done. In recent weeks, it has been like a light switched on. Lindsay is reading like crazy and liking it! She used to only read what she HAD to, now she chooses to read and seems to be enjoying this new world that is opened up to her. She also wrote two pages of a story she made up for fun the other night. Well, today we got a note from her teacher that said this:
"Lindsay is on a roll! She's working faster & reading faster & writing more! Hooray! Ms. S."

Way to go Lindsay!! We are so proud of your hard work and determination.

Lucy Jo is 8 months old!

Today marks Lucy's 8th month. She is growing up so fast! Though not growing out. :-) She is long and skinny, continuing to make clothing her a challenge. Over the last month, she mastered real crawling and in recent weeks, pulling herself up on the furniture. The last few days have been tough for her, trying to push a tooth through gums is hard work. She has also developed a bit of a clogged tear duct, causing her to wake up looking like the cutest cyclops you've ever seen this morning. For now, it is just irritating and causing swelling. If it doesn't get better, we may take her into the DR. As for sounds, Lucy is pretty much sticking with Da Da Da and Ma Ma Ma (not really connected to people though) and she has learned to click her tongue, always entertaining. Lucy also seems to have learned to play peek a boo when she has a blanket handy. In the food department, Lucy loves anything that chef Gerber offers. She loves her veggies as well as her fruits.

Lucy has funny sleeping habits

The other day I checked on Lucy Jo in her nap to find this:

She had fallen asleep crying. I guess that she was standing too. Of course, I had to lay her down after taking these pictures (she moved her head between pictures) and that totally messed her up. She never went back to sleep. :-(


Isn't her little hand cute?

Look out world...

Lucy pulled herself up on the furniture for the first time on Tuesday. Seems early to me but honestly I can't remember when the big girls did it for the first time. This girl is determined. I'm thinking she will be walking a month earlier (at least) than Lindsay and Leslie (Both started at 11 months exactly). Here we go....

More Snow! More Snow!

Record Snowfall in Dallas! Over 12 Inches in 24 hours!

Snow! Snow! Snow!

Big fluffy white stuff is falling from the sky! No Snow day though! And the PERFECT snowball/snowman making snow. So after dropping Lindsay off at school, Leslie and I went to the back yard to mess up the perfect snow and make ourselves a friend. Hope she doesn't get sick from not having a hat on!! Tsk Tsk mommy should have made her wear it!