Still no Blazer

So - the transmission shop (reputable shop too - our family has had 7 transmissions redone there!) - so this is what we've been through since we got stranded on the side of the road to Oregon:

Transmission pump blew.  They replaced that and the fluid pressure was pretty high.  That would make the pump blow again.

We had a check engine light - error code 43 which is the knock sensor.  Well after researching knock sensor issues - seems like that can retard the timing, make the whole engine sluggish and put extra pressure on the transmission.  We had that fixed.  It turned out to be a piggy tail thing off the back of the sensor that was broken, so that didn't cost too much.

We took it back to the transmission shop after having that work done, because they wanted to see if that was the cause of the high pressure in the transmission.  Turns out that wasn't it.

We took the Blazer back in on Tuesday, April 14th.  It was nice that Don was in Seattle because Dusty was able to call him up and ask for a ride back home.  I didn't have to interrupt my work at home day for this errand.  I am not being callous, I am being responsible.  It's hard for me to justify having a telecommute day when I'm not there to get any work done, right?

So now it has been a week and a half or so... and still no rig.  Apparently, they think there may be a crack somewhere.  Mind you - we've been told we need a new computer, a new chip, a new valve in the trans and everything else in between.  So the shop is going to check for a crack on Monday.

Monday starts a busy week for us.  Brogan has follow up doctor appointments for his lungs, and then on Wednesday for his heart for a cardiogram and an ultrasound.  He was born with a hole in his heart, so we are very concerned and anxious to find out if it is closing itself up like they thought it would of if there is a problem.  He is a strong baby, but I worry when he gets super active.  I don't want anything to happen to my little love.  

I'm remaining optimistic - what else can I do?  All will be fine and work itself out and we will get our Blazer back, and our son will be fine.  Our daughter is feeling so much better too.  I am blessed with the gifts of love and family like I never had when I was a child growing up.

Still no teeth and sick big sister

Brogan is a hearty eater!  He wishes he had teeth so he could eat some real steak.  We get him Earth's Best Organics and also Gerber meat.  He loves his meat.  He eats a good balance of fruits, veggies, entres and meats AND he eats well!

He's such a strong baby, he will demand you give him your hands when he is on the floor - from his tummy he will grab your hands (with you grabbing his and keeping him secure), and he will walk himself up from a laying on his belly position to a full standing up position.  From there, the huge smile appears and he takes good steps, then wants to push back and forth with his arms and have loads of fun!

This was so cute:  He got ahold of one of his socks yesterday.  He draped and pulled his sock around his foot.  He KNOWS where his sock is supposed to be.  It was awesome.  

So - SISSY is really sick.  It started Saturday night with a temperature.  Sunday was worse, and Monday was no better.  Her temp was up to 104 by Monday night.  Tuesday I took her to the doctor and with a urine sample, determined that Audrey has a bladder infection.  Her temperature was still on the rise - up to 105.7 this morning.  She had a dose of the perscribed medication Tues night, and Wed morning (this morning).  The doctor did tell us it would take about 24 hours for the medicine to start working.  We have been giving Audrey tylenol of course to keep the fever down.

Poor girl.  Last night, Dusty asked her if she wanted to roast a marshmallow - she LOVES this.  Dusty had the barbeque going, and that's where they roast them - Audrey said no thanks, she just didn't want to get out of bed.  Dusty came out of her room saying "that girl is really sick".  Yes she is.  She didn't eat the ice cream I gave her for "dinner".  She didn't have more than 3 sips of the milkshake that came with her happy meal and she didn't eat any of that - Tuesday after the doctor's visit.  

We've all been worried - Brogan has been extra grumpy - to show his worry about big sis.  He loves her so much, and is upset that she's home and not happy/playing with him.  Mommy and Daddy have some worry bothering them - and Brogan is an extra perceptive child.  

Things seem on the mend.  Now if I can only get my blazer back from the transmission shop!  Then we'd have at least more than one vehicle!  

The Road Trip That Wasn't

Sweet Baby Boy

Packing for our trip - two adults, one 6 year old and a baby.  Oh and a dog.  

So we had 3 sets of pajamas, at least 3 changes of clothes (5 for the 6 year old and extras even for the baby), dog food enough for 4 days and tons of BABY FOOD... cereal, fruit, vegetables, dinners (like risotto with vegetables & cheese) AND meat.  Brogan is definitely a carnivore.  

Diapers, can't forget the collapsible bowls for dog water & food, chips to snack on, a brownie, and of course Audrey's MP3 player, portable DVD player and the handheld Leapster II game system.  

... and - that's not even the half of it.  All boxed and bagged and packed in the Blazer, away we went Thursday morning on the road by 10 o'clock.  That's pretty good considering all of the beings we had to get ready for this adventure to Grandpa and Grandma's house!

The morning journey went well.  Brogan slept (he had a full tummy from breakfast), Audrey watched a movie.  Dusty and I visited, and listened to music.  The Blazer has no radio, but at Audrey's request, we had brought along my iDog - and we had everyone's MP3 players - so I plugged in Dusty's and we got to listen to music.  NICE.

We stopped just a bit past Toledo, WA for lunch.  Brittney had her potty break and water.  Brogan had a big lunch and a cookie.  Audrey ate almost all of her huge cheeseburger and we all got a chance to use the restroom and generally took our time.  Dusty went over and gassed up the Blazer, let Brittney out again for a potty break and then we all loaded up to continue on.  We were all quite happy.

Then, just as Dusty was getting up to speed, merging on the Freeway - NOTHING!  No GEARS.  No transmission!  He steered us over to the side of the freeway safely where he tested the other gears.  No reverse.  Nothing in 4x4 mode.  Just nothing.  The engine was still running, and we both thought this was a nice thing, a bright note.  

The two of us (parents) were ready for tears.  WHAT DO WE DO NOW?  I don't know.  "Call the insurance company?", I said.  I thought we had some kind of roadside assistance or towing on the policy for the Blazer.  

We were both thinking, would a tow truck be able to take us all?  Is Dusty going to have to hitch hike home?  Will there be a seat for Audrey?  Will she have to get home somehow with Dusty?  What about the dog?  Then - what about our VISIT with grandpa and grandma?  They haven't seen Audrey in two years, and have never seen Brogan.  We were so disappointed and very very WORRIED for our little family.

At least we found out that in the state of Washington, you CAN ride in your vehicle that is being towed as long as you have your seat belt on.  I wouldn't feel too comfy, but I did know that Brittney was safe and OK.

Before Dusty called the insurance company, he called his Step Dad to find out if he was in Oregon or Seattle (like, can you come get us?).  Interesting enough I heard Don's voice through the phone raise a few octaves; "I thought you just had that fixed!".  Yes, so did we dad.  I just understood everything you've said without having speakerphone on!  Wow.  UG.  Well he was down in Oregon, way way south so no help there.

The insurance company - after fumbling around a bit and dropping the call during the transfer to the towing company -  did come through.  Only they would cover just hookup and towing to the nearest shop which was 22 miles away.  Oh and now there's a whole other bucket of worms - but at any rate, our warranty is only good at the shop it was fixed at in Issaquah.  Normally, our warranty would get us fixed in just about every state.  BUT - since the man that sold us the Blazer went and drove off with the Blazer using his extra set of keys, without paying Mike, and now Mike is trying to honor a warranty , but he never got paid the first time around.

To put everyone's mind at ease - I just signed us up for Triple AAA.  

So 457 dollars and change got us to Issaquah.  I have to say the tow truck driver was a really wonderful guy.  There was also a "back seat", thank goodness so we could all sit in the cab.  Brittney was fine in the Blazer.  The driver had six grown daughters and some grandchildren and really was sweet with our kids.  He didn't use any foul language either.  He was just so nice.  So the ROADTRIP back was pleasant.

HOW do we get home then?  I called my wonderful friend from work - Ritesh.  He has often told me if I need help, please call him.  I felt bad taking him away from his family, but was so kind when he rescued us and got us all home (even the dog).  We were tired, and the kids were hungry and he was so kind to come get us and take us all home.  If he ever needs help with anything, we will certainly be there.  We've always been there.  He has a beautiful 5 month old son and is the happiest dad ever (next to Dusty that is).  So his boy Daksh has inherited a few toys from Brogan.  

Well, the 457 dollars and change took our trip money away.  You know, we just don't have money laying around to waste so we will have to plan to make the trip again in a few months after saving up.  

I do have to say that the transmission shop's owner was very sad for us.  When he found out the whole story - the whole family stranded, he was very apologetic and he fixed the transmission for parts and didn't charge labor.  I picked it up today and am very glad to have my baby home.  He said it is mechanically sound and will be fine now.  I hope so.  

Is it 5 o'clock YET?!

Well, it's got to be 5 o'clock somewhere!  What a Doll!

Brogan and the Noodle

Brogan is going to get THAT noodle!

My babies

So sweet together... I am so proud of my babies.  

Audrey has been more interested in her baby brother as he becomes more interesting.  He moves, he looks and smiles and squeals in delight at the things she does.  Oh, this big sister has declared her love for her baby brother and no one in the world will be able to call him names, hurt his feelings or upset him in general without dealing with HIS BIG SISTER.

And now for something I think you'll really like...

Hmm, or not.

Scrambled Eggs!  Wow Mom!

Isn't that how it always goes.... after the initial shock though, he seemed to really like his scrambled eggs!

Snow Day for Audrey

Brittney and Audrey playing in the snow together.  

After daddy ran over her snow dog with the Monster Blazer on accident, here is Audrey being bossy and saying "Can you make sure this doesn't fall off of here?".  She did remember her manners, but bossy as ever.

Stinker Faye - bossy as ever.

Taking Brittney's ball away... AGAIN.

What a stinker and what a sad dog.  Brittney's just waiting for that ball to drop!

More Snow fun!

Dusty couldn't resist - he remembers driving his ol' Toyota up hills.

Looking good here.

Daddy Help!

Well he's playing... and he knows daddy will help him out!

.

He was mad, then daddy did help him out!  I don't know if that made much of a difference, altho it did get Brogan closer to the balls that he wanted to grab hold of.  

Great Smile Baby!

Such a sweet heart! He loves mommy.

Stay a baby as long as you need to

I've got a friend whose daughter had a baby a week before Brogan was born.  When I saw the beautiful pictures of her granddaughter, and the cute toothy smile and wow she was sitting up and wow standing (cruising) up... I was so surprised to find out my son is so far behind!  To us he is just a normal baby, doing baby stuff.  It's been 6 years since I had my last baby.

My friend's granddaughter has 6 teeth and my son has no teeth.  My son can't even sit by himself unassisted but he is very strong and is doing things his own way.  I'm so proud of his accomplishments and so proud of him every day!  He really cruises around and even though he isn't crawling, he devises a plan of "rollovers" to get to where he wants to go.  I think that shows great intelligence and forethought.  My son has Down syndrome.

I love my baby son and I think he is so beautiful and I am very proud of him for all that he does.  I feel very blessed to be graced with this extraordinary soul.  I do believe that Brogan was sent to me as a gift.  He is a special soul and mother earth or father, or some power knows that I will cherish this child no matter what.  

His sister grew up so fast and Brogan is taking his time.  He's my baby son, and maybe he is getting spoiled extra because he is our last baby - and his sister spoils him extra because he is her baby brother... and he is my son - my SUN, my love.  

Boys are a little slower than girls I've read, but this boy - he is special and wonderful.  His family will adore him and help him - we will help him work hard; exercise and get those muscles moving!  Sissy and mommy made up a cute little baby exercise song too. 

He has great facial muscles, heck look at the dimples when he smiles.  I worked for a week AFTER we finally got him home from the hostpital and the NICU to breast feed my baby.  This is great oral therapy.  It was hard, because he may have been drinking mommy milk - but idit didn't matter what nipple it was coming from at the time in the hospital.  We wanted him feeding well and at home.  I figured we could work on the rest, and we did.  Brogan likes his boob, and his milk and even now when he's eating 5 solid meals a day, he always wants to nurse when I come home... and always wants to nurse when it is bed time.  Come on moms just don't give up.  It may be hard, but try.  It is a special time when you can put the whole world on hold because you are feeding the baby.  It is a closeness you will never feel in your lifetime after this baby is weaned.  

LOOK at his long pretty hair curling over his ears!  He loves his mom too.  
I  Cherish my beautiful son.

At any rate Brogan is a baby and he will be a baby longer than other babies.  I've accepted that.  I think I am enjoying this lingering in babyhoodland for my own selfish reasons.  I am a working mom and missed out on so much of Audrey's babyhood and she just grew up so fast.  Brogan is just giving mommy a chance to enjoy every little thing that I missed, right?  OK I'm not delusional here, but I can put a positive spin on my son's developmental delay, can't I?  I just love Brogan and will forever and he has a great and loving family.  He is so sweet and wonderful, I wouldn't wish him to be any different than he is.

I love you son - your Mom.

Early Support - Helping Every Child Succeed - UK

A UK Site:  http://www.earlysupport.org.uk/decMaterialsZone/modResourcesLibrary/HtmlRenderer/Dev%20journal%20Downs.html

I think the UK must be leading the way in Ds... or I'm sadly not finding the latest interesting info on the internet for Ds.  I did like their website very much and I've found some other UK sites with more caring information than could be found in the US.  Please see their Early Support News:

http://www.earlysupport.org.uk/decNewsZone/modResourcesLibrary/HtmlRenderer/News1.html

I downloaded the entire 11 step Journal, I'm excited about using this, I hope others will be.

Gentle Brittney

We have this wonderful "mutt" reddish cattle dog type DOG that I swear will purposely come over and sit on you making sure to place her little doggie elbow right in the center of your bony unprotected foot. 

This is the same dog who will step lightly around the baby and not ever even bump into him or harm him in any way.  She is very cautious with her little friend.  Brogan loves Brittney and he smiles whenever she comes to lay down beside him.  She lets him touch her fur, play with her ears and grab her tail.  She kind of draws the line when he touches or grabs for her feet and will get up and walk away.

My husband took this picture of a tired "played out baby" in his play area and his gentle guardian Brittney.  You can tell she's not sleeping, just sucking up some "baby love".

The View from Our Kitchen Window

From my kitchen window I see - a steep hill covered with brush staring back at me.  Every once in a while though, I get the pleasure of seeing these guys napping and eating on the hill.

Here you can see the "arm" of my kitchen faucet... 

Here is one of the babies taking a nap on the hill.

From my kitchen window you can see how close they come to the house.  It's a surprise some days to look out and see a deer grazing right next to the house!

Finally - a new rig

So we thought we bought a Dodge Durango two weeks ago, until the bank decided not to approve of my loan.  What?!  I sent them all of the information they wanted - but the GAP insurance company would take 30 days to take care of the claim.  Even though they faxed the Dodge dealership the information they requested, even though.... blah blah - just didn't matter in the end.

I thought we were approved when we drove off the lot with the Durango.  Apparently I was mislead.  So, today I had to take it back to the dealer.  

We'd been looking on Craig's list for a vehicle to buy when we found out about all of this.  Dusty got ahold of the person selling a Chevy 4x4 that I liked.  

I asked Dusty last night to please get the deal done and get me into the rig today!  Otherwise, he'd be driving me to work early in the morning and then dropping Audrey off to school.  That's a whole lot of inconvenience for my kids and my husband.  More than I want to put them through.

Dusty got the deal done today, and I have this beautiful monster truck to drive.  It goes right up our driveway with no problem!  I love it!  I think it's gorgeous too.

Goodbye old friend

Roscoe

We lost Roscoe this last weekend to intestinal cancer.  He was a great dog, and the family loved him and all of his quirks.  Audrey is sure that his soul is sitting on her shoulder.   The vet was very gentle with him and he passed quietly. 

Goodbye Roscoe, I will miss your wheezing at night, I'll miss your excited "talk" and your hard head when I stepped over you.  

Always and Forever

I was probably 14 years old the first time I heard this song.  It was probably at the skating rink.  I thought to myself if I could find a person to sing this to with all of my heart I would be happy forever.  It's taken me forever, but I've finally found that one person - Dusty.  Now, because of Dusty and my children, I can sing it to my heart's content, and no one boos.  I'm not the best vocalist, but my husband and my children do love it when I sing to them.  I love this song.  I have loved this song since I heard it the very first time so long ago.

One of my most favorite and the best loved songs in the world, this is the Original and the ONLY version worth hearing:

Johnnie Wilder, Jr. (Johnnie James Wilder Jr. 3 July 1949 – 13 May 2006)^[1], was the co-founder and lead vocalist, of the international R&B/funk group, Heatwave. Heatwave wasa a  popular group during the late 1970s, with hits such as "Boogie Nights", "Always and Forever" and "The Groove Line" on which Wilder sang co-lead vocals.

In February 1979, a van struck Wilder's car, paralyzing him from the neck down and hospitalizing him for a year.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Wilder went on to record other albums with the group and later began a gospel career, singing a cappella on albums My Goal and One More Day.

He died in his sleep on 13 May 2006 at his home in Clayton, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton at the age of 56. The cause of his death is unknown.

Forever and Ever Amen

Just Us

Here's our average every day fun evening.  We play with the baby and we play with Audrey.  Audrey, Dusty and I read a lot of books together too.  We're pretty boring, but I love this video.  It's JUST US.