I just have so much to say!!

Mara is such a talker, so I thought we would take some video of what she has to say to everyone. She also is a big ham and wanted some pictures taken.


I am trying so hard to sit up, but in 1 second I am going to tip over!


Don't you just love me!


Yum, Yum, my hands taste like chicken.


Hi everyone!


Don't you understand what I am saying? I said 'pick me up' not 'take my picture and laugh at me!'

God is in Control

I keep telling myself this every day, especially after yesterday.

Mara was seen at Children's Hospital yesterday for right facial palsy. If you look at any pictures of her crying hard, you can see that the right side of her lip does not open when she cries and her left side dips down. The cranial 7 nerve was damaged somehow and that has caused the paralysis (temporary?) of her face. We didn't tell many people because we didn't want anyone to worry excessively. She is doing very good and it is not impacting her eating or development that we know of. But...the neurologist has ordered a ton of testing to rule out how this may have happened and any other problems that may be associated with it. It may have happened during delivery from being in the birth canal too long, or from genetics or something else. The neurologist is a very thorough guy, so we are going to cardiology for an echo, ENT (ear, nose and throat docs), eye doctor, plastic surgeon, and a neuromuscular Doc, not to mention getting an MRI and chest x-ray done along with blood work (already done) and a developmental screening for in-home services. With this said, nerves do regenerate, but they take a long, long time and some may not regenerate at all.

Needless to say, this was all very hard for us to take in. It was like being thrown a curveball when you were expecting a gentle soccer kick or beach ball toss. But Mara did a great job with the blood draws and Trav took the rest of the day off to hang with her while I trudged back to work. As Trav said, 'we ate pizza (he did), we took out the trash (he did), we paid some bills (he did), we washed dishes (he did), we slept (they did).' I am jealous!!

I cannot reiterate enough, Samara is doing fine! She really is. Even with being so small, they are not worried, just thorough. But prayers for her continued health are needed. We believe that she will be healed from this but know that we have to be patient, and I am not good at that. I just keep thinking how kids might make fun of her when she is in school and it breaks my heart. "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding..."

On the happy side, she is rolling everywhere and won't stay still. She is gnawing at her hands every minute and working on reaching towards toys, all developmentally appropriate (there goes my social work-ese). She is laughing here and there, smiling tons, talks all the time (we had to hush her in church cause people were laughing), and is getting over her cold. All this in time for her 4-month-old shots next week! AAAHHH it never ends...

Not Fair

Things that aren't fair (insert 7-year-old whining noises here):

1) Mara got Trav and I sick.
2) My mom and sister Rachel are on the train right now heading to the Twins vs. White Sox game at the concrete Dome.
3) The Vikings might get Brett Favre at the END OF THIS PRIME.
4) Mara is still sick.
5) I have to work to make a living.
6) I am part Mexican but whiter than my Polish husband (sad during the summer).
7) My NEW Equinox had to go into the shop, with only 2500 miles, for new wheel bearings!

More later...Mara woke up... =o(

Sick Kid!

Poor Samara! She woke up at 1am Saturday sneezing and stuffed up with a fever, then the runs and coughing. So today we stayed home hoping she would get better, but things are getting worse. It is so hard to see her feeling so yucky, knowing there is nothing I can do. =( We are off to the Dr. tomorrow, so please pray that she gets better and doesn't develop anything worse!!

Mara's first county fair (and truck pull)

We went to the Racine County Fair last night to watch Uncle Nick in a truck pull. I don't know too much about this stuff, besides that some trucks are super loud and that Mara sleeps through it, even when I cover her ears. Anyway, we had a good time and left before the mosquitos came out to devour us.

PS: If you haven't notice, everyone is 'uncle' and 'aunt' even if not related. It is cuter that way!


Uncle Nick's truck.


Mara and I posing (she slept the entire time!).

My Toys

Mara had a chance to do lots of playing yesterday waiting for Daddy to come home. Mara was playing with what Trav calls the 'Psycho Duckie.' Anyway, she grabbed onto it for the first time and pulled it up to her mouth, also a first. Get the disinfectant ready, cause Mara is starting to gnaw on her toys!

Mara's vibrating butterfly, Fred.

The Psycho Duckie

Mara eating the Psycho Duckie.

Mara picking her nose after eating Psycho Duckie.

Mara pondering the picking of her nose.

Jump-a-roo!

What a great new gift Mara received from Uncle Chris and Aunt Meg! The rainforest jumparoo! Mara is a little young for it now, but that doesn't stop her from enjoying it! Thank you so much!

I love looking at my blue froggie!


You caught me not smiling! Try that again!


Now you got it right!!

Back to the grind

Work still bites, but to make the days bearable, Mara and I have lots of fun goofing around after I pick her up. Here are some pics and a video from the weekend and week of our little one.



Fresh and squeaky clean!



Chillin', watching TV (not a good sign!).



You and those glasses, Daddy!!



Hey! My hat finally fits!! Cool! I still look like a fisherman, so daddy says.




Mommy and I going for a walk. I don't think I am happy about it! Or maybe it is this ridiculous hat she makes me wear that makes me look like I have tails on the side of my head!

Our Weekend Update

We traveled to Alexandria for the Vickerman (Christi's paternal family) Family Reunion. We had a great time meeting many new faces, eating lots, playing and relaxing. Samara got to meet many people including her first local celebrity, Don Shelby, a close family friend. She mostly slept, but once she was at the lake, she was wide eyed and enjoyed watching the waves and feeling the wind. We took her for her first dip in the lake, but that didn't go over too well (insert screaming here).



Trav and Samara enjoying an after lunch nap.



My dad's cousin's wife, Pat, getting baby-holding practice in (her first grandchild is due in March!!!). By the way, what is my dad's-cousins-wife to me? No idea, so let's just call it auntie!!



L-R Top row: Leo, Roger and his wife Doris, Grandma Judy, Grandpa Archie (my stepmom and dad).
Bottom row: Gary, Pat and her husband Tom and Dorothy. Tom, Dorothy and Doris are siblings of Tom Sr., my grandpa's brother.



Trav and Samara hanging in the hotel room Sunday, spending quality daddy time before Daddy stayed back in MN for work =(



L-R Top row: Chad (son of Gary), Todd (son of Doris), Kris (daughter of Dorothy), Josh (son of Pat and Tom and expectant father!!) and Dawn (daughter of Doris).
Bottom row: me, Shannon (daughter of Pat and Tom) and Lane (son of Doris).

Travis in Action

This is delayed, but here is a link to video showing Trav in Action in Germany with the 70 meter pump.

http://www.putzmeister.com/about/video_library/index.cfm?v=5

You can watch the whole video and about 2/3 to 3/4 into it is Trav, or just fast forward through it. ENJOY!!