Update After Surgery

Delaney before surgery
I'm sorry it has taken me so long to post an update. Delaney had her surgery today and came through fine. I was shocked by how long the surgery took and was in the waiting room pacing for what felt like an eternity. It was a relief when they finally let us back to see her. I can't get over how much pain she is in. Her face, mouth, and tongue is swollen. It wasn't so bad at first, but as the day wore on the swelling got much worse. She has been crying most of the day and the pain meds don't even seem to take the edge off. It scares me that she won't eat anything or drink much at all, but I know if my mouth was swollen and sore like that I probably wouldn't feel like eating or drinking either.
Her little tongue, right after surgery, already looked different. I know that's a good thing, since it was causing all the feeding and swallowing and speech issues, but man-oh-man I'm going to miss that little heart-shaped tongue! Like I said yesterday though, I can't wait to hear her start talking and calling me momma! I need to get back to taking care of my Laneybug now, but I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for praying for our little sweetie today. We really appreciate the love and support from all of you! God bless you all.

Delaney after surgery

Good-bye....Hello

Tomorrow morning we will say good-bye to a unique trait that we have grown so very fond of, and hello to a new normal. Our precious Delaney will be having surgery that, among other things, will change the shape of her adorable little tongue. We will no longer see the heart-shaped tip when she sticks out her her beautiful little tongue. No, after tomorrow's surgery, she will have a pointed tongue, just like everyone else. I'm ashamed to say that this makes me sad. I have always thought that her heart-shaped tongue was a feature that set her apart from everyone else. Don't get me wrong, I love everything about our sweet girl, but her tongue is just so very unique to me, as I have never seen anyone else with a heart-shaped tip.
The surgeon assures me that her tongue will look normal after the surgery is over. It will not change the shape of her mouth, or the way she smiles. It will simply enable her to eat better and swallow better. It will also make it easier for her to suck on her pacifier. She's always had to put her sassy in the right side of her mouth. It's always put me in mind of a cigar smoker with the way it hangs there to the side. We just thought it was cute. I had no idea it was the subtle hint of a mouth issue. We know now, and are willling to do anything that will make Laney's life easier. So along with fixing her tongue, they will also be removing some excess tissue from inside her mouth and near her tonsils. We hope and pray that this will be the first steps to resolve her speech issues. I long to hear my sweet girl call me "momma" for the first time!

So tomorrow, we kiss her little heart-shaped tip good-bye. I am more than ready for this surgery to be over and quite anxious to see her speech and eating improve. I guess losing a heart-shaped tongue is a small price to pay to hear that sweet little mouth form the words we've all been longing to hear her say. I am grateful that it's being fixed. I promise, I really am grateful.

But, I'd be lying if I said I'm not going to miss photographing this sweet little heart-shaped tongue!
♥♥♥♥

Please, if you will, keep my Laney in your prayers tomorrow as she is undergoing her surgery. This momma is not looking forward to letting go of her precious babe and placing her in the hands of a surgeon for 1.5 hours. I'm already looking forward to when I can see her after the surgery is over!

Please Pray

I spent most of the night praying for a way to get Laney to the hospital this morning so that she could go to her appointment. My prayers were answered this morning when my sister-in-law offered to lend me her car for the morning! Laney and I went to her appointment and are home now.
Dr. G (her ENT) said that her tonsils and adnoids are okay for now, but she has an extreme frenulum that will have to be repaired. Unfortunately, because the frenulum is so extreme and because of Laney's age and other health issues, we have to be admitted into the hospital for the surgery. So my sweet little Laneybug will be admitted Monday morning for the surgery. Please be in prayer for her (and us, as we are ALWAYS nervous when she is put to sleep!) on Monday. Her stomach surgery is scheduled for Friday (just 4 days later) at a different hospital) and the ENT said it would be perfectly ok to go ahead with that procedure, as well, but I'm considering rescheduling Friday. I think that's just an awful lot for Laney to have to go through in one week! I'd like to give her a reprieve between hospital visits. I pray that I am able to make the right decision for Delaney! Thank you all for your prayers for my sweet girl. I will let you know what I decide about the tummy surgery, as soon as I make the decision. Hope everyone is having a wonderful week!
♥♥♥♥Also, please be in prayer for my friend, Elaine, and her entire family. Her sister, Brook, is going through a medical crisis. I'm not sure what the diagnosis is, but I know that we all need to storm the gates of heaven on her behalf! Elaine, we love you and are praying that everything turns out okay for Brook. Please keep us posted!

Nevermind...

Earlier, I asked for prayer for Delaney's ENT appointment for tomorrow. Nevermind. I had to cancel the appointment because my car broke and left me and Laney stranded on the side of the road for over an hour today. So, back to not having a car, I guess, since we sure can't afford to fix it. I really hate all of life's little ups and downs!

Borrowing Troubles

I am nervous. Tomorrow, I am taking Delaney to an ear, nose, and throat specialist. Her speech therapist wants an ENT to look at her tongue, tonsils, and adnoids. She thinks that Delaney needs a frenectomy (her tongue clipped) and her tonsils and adnoids removed. I am so worried about putting Laney through yet-another appoinment that will result in surgery or testing. Poor baby is constantly being poked and prodded on! Please pray that all goes well tomorrow and that the ENT decides to leave her alone and not clip her little tongue. I think her little heart-shaped tongue is adorable and I love it (I love EVERYTHING about her though!) and don't want her to have a boring and normal-shaped pointy tongue. It's so cute when she tries to stick her tounge out at us! The speech therapist is worried that it is causing some issues with her speech and her eating. If that is the case, then I am more than willing to let them repair it, but I just don't want her to have to suffer any more painful procedures. I know that a frenectomy is a simple procedure, but it couldn't be painless! Please pray that the ENT be blessed with gentle kindness and wisdom. Please pray that Laney's tonsils are not a problem with her speech. I really don't want to have her tonsils out right now. We had such a horrible experience when Destiny had her tonsils out. Destiny's one day tonsilectomy turned into a 3 week hospital stay and I really don't even want to think about that! I know that comparing one child's surgery experience to another is just borrowing troubles, but I can't help it. I am such a worrier. Lord, please calm my fears and station your angels of protection around my little Laney! Please let the ENT have good news instead of a surgery recommendation!

Meet Our Furry, Four-legged Family Members

I wanted to introduce you to the "adopted" members of our family. Sugar will be 3 on August 29th. Honey will be 3 on December 30th. I'm not sure when B-Bob's birthday is, but I'm sure as Laney gets older, she will decide when his birthday is! We have another chihuahua named Tatertot, but for some reason I can't get a picture of him to load? He will be having a birthday on October 29th.
This is Laney's baby B-Bob
This is Honey
This is my Sugar
Sugar likes to sleep between Laney's legs!

A Song For My Laneybug

This is one of Delaney's favorite songs now. I just wanted to share it. I sing it to her when she's not feeling well. That's alot of the time lately.



Christopher Robin and I walked along
Under branches lit up by the moon
Posing our questions to Owl and Eeyore
As our days disappeared all too soon
But I've wandered much further today than I should
And I can't seem to find my way back to the Wood

So help me if you can
I've got to get back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
You'd be surprised
There's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh

Winnie the Pooh doesn't know what to do
Got a honey jar stuck on his nose
He came to me asking help and advice
And from here no one knows where he goes
So I sent him to ask of the Owl if he's there
How to loosen a jar from the nose of a bear

So help me if you can
I've got to get back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
You'd be surprised
There's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh

It's hard to explain how a few precious things
Seem to follow throughout all our lives
After all's said and done I was watching my son
Sleeping there with my bear by his side
So I tucked him in, I kissed him and as I was going
I swear that the old bear whispered
"Boy welcome home"

Believe me if you can
I've finally come back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
What do you know
There's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin
Back to the ways of Christopher Robin
Back to the days of Pooh

Life Is Good

I got a package in the mail today, with this sticker in it. This sticker is the first thing I noticed when I opened the box.
A few of the other contents of this "treasure box" included some art supplies for the girls to enjoy and some DVD's for them to watch. Also included was a signed card with a little cash stuffed inside. It was totally unexpected, but appreciated. I split the money 3 ways and let the girls put it in their piggy banks. Laney loves to feed her piggy!
But still, the thing that most caught my attention was the sticker, or rather, the words on the sticker.

Yes, Vicky, life IS good! Thanks for the reminder!

Feeling Blessed and Wanted To Share It

I have a blessed life. I know sometimes it seems like I only focus on the negative, but I think of the positive a lot. I have a blessed life. I have a life full of riches that are far more important than mere wealth. I have an awesome God who provides me the strength and patience I need to get through the not so awesome times. I have a wonderful husband, three exceptionally smart and beautiful daughters, one (now perfect) little angel waiting to be held on the other side of heaven, a beautiful and talented sister who loves my children almost as much as I do, shelter over my head, great transportation, and food to fill my family each day. I have an immensely BLESSED life. I have been blessed on so many different occasions by the kindness of others. I have wonderful friends. I have been blessed to be welcomed into a great community of loving and caring bloggers who make me feel like I'm someone important in their lives. Yes, I'm very blessed indeed.
I woke up this morning feeling great. My kids are happy, my husband is happy, and I am happy. This time, one year ago, I couldn't say the same thing. Bobby was recovering from his surgeries and we were living day-to-day with no idea how to make ends meet or pay the bills. School was starting and the girls needed so many things we were unable to provide. We had no idea how we were going to pay the electric bill (or any other bill for that matter.) Still, I had a very blessed life. The Lord provides (as I ALWAYS say!!) My wonderful and kind aunt (and her daughter, my cousin) decided to send us a package. In this package was a TON of clothing and school supplies for my girls. Beautiful things, hand-picked by them, with my girls in mind. They sent so many things that I remember crying as I looked through the boxes. New shoes, jeans, shirts, socks, paper, folders, crayons, pencils, you name it. It was everything they needed or wanted and it was such a relief for me, as their mother, to be able to send them off to school with everything they had desired. But even more than that, it was a fantastic and awesome feeling to know that we weren't struggling alone. We had someone willing to help us provide for our family when we weren't able to. Not long after, a remarkable woman who called herself "Aunt Deb" heard of our struggles and sent me a check. To be more specific, not just one check, but several. I never met her, or talked to her, but she was a kind christian woman who learned of our situation and wanted to help. We never knew when the money was coming, it just arrived in the mail at different times, but always at the right time. Always at a time when we really needed the help. I remember one Saturday, we woke up early and the house was freezing. Our heat had gone out over night and was broken beyond repair. I was crying because I didn't know how we were going to keep the kids warm or replace the heat. It seemed like all my hope was lost, but there, in the mail that Saturday morning, was a check from Aunt Deb. She was our own personal guardian angel. We bought a heater and the house was warm and my tears dried and we felt so very blessed to be cared for and loved by one of God's angels. Then, the floor in our bedroom fell through. Just like that, one day it was there, seemingly solid, and the next day, our bed was on the ground UNDER OUR HOUSE!!! It was horrible and it was scary, and once again, hope seemed lost. Do you know how much it costs to replace a floor? We don't. We have no idea how expensive it is to replace a floor because we didn't have to. I made a comment to a friend at the pharmacy I use and just like that-problem solved. I was just venting, lamenting my worries to a friend and she said, "Kaleena, don't worry, the Lord will provide!" And He did. A few days later, my friends at the pharmacy made arrangements to come in and fix the entire room. They got the materials donated and the labor donated and I got to help. The ladies from the pharmacy even came and helped me paint. The carpet people let me pick out my new carpet. It was awesome and it was way beyond my wildest dreams. To see these people, most of them strangers, come together to help my family, is something I will never forget. I have never felt so blessed. When it came time to dress Laney for the colder winter months, we were blessed again, with kindness from two lovely ladies who purchased brand new clothing. My Laney was the best dressed baby on the block last winter! When Christmas came, I was worried that my girls would have nothing to open on Christmas morning. I shouldn't have worried, because once again, the Lord stepped in to provide the help we needed. The girls' school took up a collection among the staff to assist us with bills and a little Christmas help. I'll never, as long as I live, forget the knot the welled up in my throat when I opened that envelope to find almost two thousand dollars! It was definitely enough to keep us stable until Bobby was able to get back on his feet. I will never know who made those donations, and they will never know how much it meant to us or how loved and cared for we felt. I have a blessed life.
The point to this story, well, there isn't really a point. I just have a blessed life and wanted to share some of my story with others.
A few weeks ago, I posted about a group called Pass It On, Baby! I am in the process of boxing up some things to ship to a family in need. Those lovely outfits that were gift to my Laney last winter? They will be enjoyed this winter by a little girl that needs clothing just as bad as Laney did last year. I am so happy to know that the beautiful clothing that Laney received from those two ladies will be worn by another beautiful little girl. It does my heart good to be able to pass along some of the help that we were fortunate enough to receive from others. If you haven't visited this blog before, I urge you to do so. I know that at one time or another we have or will all need a little extra help. So think about that. Let someone else help you if need be, then take that kindness, when you are able to and Pass It On, Baby!

A Wonderful Weekend

Once again, it's been a little while since my last post. I think my internet problem is finally fixed, so hopefully it will not take me as long to post now. I have so much to talk about. We've had so many things going on here in McNabb Land.
The girls are in their 2nd week of school now. This year got off to a much easier start for us this year! Paisley is excited to start her day and insists on being dropped off at school early every morning. She is so happy to get to school and see her friends. Wonder if that excitement has anything to do with a certain little boy that she goes to school with? This little guy tells her she looks pretty every day and swears he's going to marry her when he turns 8! Not sure why he picked 8 as the right age, but he seems to be sure that 8 is the perfect age for marriage. At least it gives us 2 years to plan the nuptials though!
Destiny is like a different child this year. My father-in-law drives her and my niece to school everyday. I can't help but think about previous school years and how hard it was to leave destiny at school. It was always so hard for her. Sometimes she cried all day. I would have to take her to school kicking and screaming and have to drag her out of the car every morning. I can't tell you how many times I had to pull her little fingers off the door handle and literally drag her thrashing and kicking body down the hall to class. The hardest part was when she was chasing me down the hall, begging me not to leave her. The teacher would have to restrain her in the class room to keep her from coming after me. I always made sure that she never saw the tears that were streaming down my face as I walked away-leaving her there and still hearing her screams as I exited the building. Its a relief to see her smile this year as she heads out the door to school. I don't know what is so different about this year, but whatever it is, I'm thrilled!
The girls were gifted with some pretty things to get them started in school this year. I feel so blessed to have met Verna. She sent each of the girls an outfit to get them started on the first day at school. It was so nice to be able to send them both to school wearing a new outfit (like all the other kids). Thank you again Verna, for blessing my girls with your gift. Paisley LOVES the little white skirt you sent and she has now decided that it is her favorite outfit EVER!!! Destiny looks beautiful in the blouse you sent her and that "peachy" (It looks like a peach color to me?!) color looks great with her skin tone. I will try to post some pictures of them in their outfits soon. Verna even sent Laney a dress to wear and it is just adorable!
Our new car has turned out to be a pretty good find. It has great air conditioning, drives like a dream, and is pretty comfy on a spur of the moment road trip. We took a drive on Saturday and it was a pretty fantastic and fun day. We drove to Cades Cove and took some pictures of the scenery and then drove on up through Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. We had a great time just walking around in Pigeon Forge, looking in the shops, and people watching. Turns out, Laney loves to people watch! We had a nice picnic in Cades Cove, saw some deer and bears, and even looked inside some old cabins. The girls really liked our impromptu outing and it was totally free (minus the gas money) so it was a great trip to take on a tight budget! Did I mention that it only takes $26 to fill up my gas tank? When I had my Explorer, it cost $60-70 to fill up the tank!!! The Lord provides, huh? I may just decide I like this new car better than my Explorer (except the Explorer had 3rd row seating and tons of extra space!!) and at least now I won't have a car payment because we traded my hubby's (wrecked truck) for the PT Cruiser. Even trade, can you believe it?! That means we will be saving $200 a month! I'm over the moon!
I got my surprise in the mail from the contest I won at Matters of the Heart! Thanks Elaine, that Target gift card was a great surprise! I love me some Target!!!
Anywho, this is turning into a novel, so I'll just post some pictures of our weekend outing and end this post for now. I'll try to come back soon and post some more. Hope ya'll are having a great week!

Do you see the deer? They were beautiful!

They were everywhere!

My smiley Laneybug!
Breathtaking!
It was a great day to be outdoors
A lovely old church
Love the mountains!!!
I could have stayed here FOREVER!
My sweet Destiny
My nephew, Austin

My niece, Carrie & my darling Paisley

Such a beautiful cloud-filled sky!

Hectic Days In McNabb Land

Once again, it's been a few days since I posted. My internet has been down for a few days and I am only now able to catch up on my blogging and reading. It's been a crazy and hectic time in McNabb Land!
My big girls had their first full day of school on Monday. Paisley was nervous about her new school building, but excited to see all of her little friends. She came home happy and smiling. She loves school and was thrilled to be in 1st grade. Destiny was pretty anxious about being in a new school, but was blessed with a fantastic and patient teacher. She has (so far) made the transition from Primary to Intermediate school ALOT easier for Destiny. We had a rough sunday night and tons of tears from destiny, but Monday went pretty good. I took her to school expecting a struggle and was pleasantly suprised that we didn't have a struggle. Last year I had to peel Destiny off of me every morning and was constantly called back to the school because she had fainted or was crying non-stop. Her teacher last year was awesome, but that didn't make a difference. She HATED going to school. She HATED being left there all day and cried all the time. These last 2 days, she's been like a different child! Whew, it's so much easier on me when she goes into that classroom with a smile on her face!
Poor little Delaney, on the other hand, is miserable. She wants her sisters to stay home with her. She starts whimpering when I drop the girls off at school and doesn't perk up until we pick them up at 3:00. She really liked having them home for the summer and I think maybe they spoiled her a little. I guess playing with mommy isn't as much fun.
♥♥♥♥I got my car this week! I am thrilled that I have a car again. I must say that it is a RELIEF to be able to take Laney to therapy again and drive my girls to school. It was really scary sitting here with no transportation. I was constantly running "worse case scenarios" through my mind. I could picture an emergency that required medical help and not being able to do anything because of no vehicle. I kept seeing myself calling 911 and no one answering. I think I worry too much. Anywho, I have a car again!!! It's not really a car I would have chosen if I had thr choice, but it is at least a reliable car, and it sure beats walking. Thank you to everyone who prayed for us these past few weeks. Things are starting to look up again.

It's Been A Few Days

It's been a few days since I posted. I've sat down with my laptop several times with so much to say, but I just couldn't seem to formulate a sentence of anything worth reading. I've been so sad lately. Feelings have been building up in my heart for such a long time and I've felt like I'm ready to explode. I've tried to find a positive in all this drama that is my life, and to be honest, I'm still working on that. Finding a happy place is hard when you have so much negative to dwell on. Forgive me if I ramble a bit.

♥♥♥♥My car.
The bank came Wednesday and took my car. I knew this was coming so it was not a surprise. I thought I was prepared. I cancelled my car insurance last week and stopped driving it. I knew they'd take it soon and I didn't want to wait until the last minute to remove my personal belongings. We started looking around for another car and thought we had actually found a prospect, but so far that's not working out as we hoped it would. I thought I was prepared. But I was wrong. They pulled up in the drive way and took my car. Watching them load it onto the truck was devastating for me. I was NEVER late on a payment! I NEVER missed a payment. I feel like I've been cheated. I started crying the second the tow truck pulled in and cried all night that night and most of the day the next day. I feel so awful.

♥♥♥♥My Laneybug.
She's been so cranky lately. She usually such a happy baby. It hurts me to see her feeling bad. The GI doctor at TCT Children's wants us to allow her tummy troubles to worsen. He says that sometimes they have to be symptomatic and the intestines have to be inflamed before they can go in the and whip this thing. He's a fantastic doctor and I trust him. He's great with Laney and has a good bedside manner. It's just the idea of letting her get sicker doesn't sit well for me. It was so agonizing to watch her waste away in the hospital when she first started showing signs of Hirschsprung's Disease. I was so afraid that we were going to lose her and I NEVER want to visit those thoughts again. I don't want to see her weak or lethargic. I don't want her to suffer in any way. What happens if she gets sick and the treatment doesn't work? What do we do then? I've been praying about all this and will continue to pray over this until I find my way.

♥♥♥♥My Big Girls.
School started today. They had to go for 2 hours just to meet the teachers. I wanted to keep Paisley home with me and just homeschooling her. As I mentioned in a previous post, I just don't feel good about her teacher. I prayed about it and decided to give school a chance. I'll send her for awhile and see what she learns and how she handles it. If things don't go well then I'll pull her out.
Destiny is having so much anxiety over going to school. She's in third grade this year and in a new school. In the town we live the schools are separate. We have Primary(k-2nd), Intermediate(3rd-5th), Middle(6th-8th), and High school. She's in intermediate now and scared. We were awake with her until after 2 this morning. She was crying and saying that she didn't want to go to school. She kept saying her tummy hurt and acting like she was going to throw up. She eventually had a full blown panic attack. Her little body was just shaking so hard! I'm shocked she didn't faint. She eventually cried herself to sleep. I tried to tell her that today was just a teacher day and she didn't have to stay at school, but it didn't make her feel any better. I hope that this year goes better for her than the past few school years have. I want her to like school and feel safe while she's there.
♥♥♥♥
My girls-all three of them-are the most important part of my life. I want them to be happy, healthy, and feel incredibly loved. I worry that I don't give them enough of myself. I want so much more for them than what I had growing up. I want to lead them by example.I pray that God will help me find peace of mind in all that I've been so worried about.

♥♥♥♥Delaney was getting into the bed last night. She has this teddy bear she carries around by the foot. We call him baby B-Bob. She found him and after picking him up, she threw him back down on the floor. I told her not to throw B-Bob down it will hurt him. I said "oh, poor B-Bob. Oh, he's crying!" She quickly picked him up, gave him a hug and was patting his back. Then she took him and laid him on the bed, covered him up with her blanket, and gave him a kiss. I stood and watched as she tucked him in and took her paci and lovingly tried to get her bear to take it. Then she kissed him one more time and laid down beside him to sleep. I was almost moved to tears at the all too familiar bedtime ritual. This is the ritual I share with her. I said a prayer of thanks to God for allowing me to see that moment, for allowing me to see the love she has for her "baby B-Bob." It's a wonderful feeling to know that she's learning what it means to love and how to display that love. It's an even better feeling to know that she's learning that from ME.

Laney Joy

Laney's tests are over and we are home again. Yesterday was difficult for my husband and I as we were faced with alot of information and even more decisions regarding Laney's health. The months to come promise to be a challenge to say the least.
We didn't make any concrete decisions yesterday regarding surgery on Laney's intestines. We are at a "wait and see" point right now. She remains in a state or chronic constipation at this point. (WARNING!!! TMI to follow!)
The doctor, during his initial exam, mentioned that Laney's "pipes" were clogged and that he could tell that she was in a great deal of discomfort. He asked permission to "irrigate the plumbing" to relieve some of her discomfort and we agreed. He also told us that she had some scarring "around her back door" where her skin had ripped in certain places because of her constipation. These were his terms (not mine) and it almost sounded funny hearing him say those phrase aloud while maintaining a serious expression on his face. Almost funny, but not quite, seeing as how he was speaking those terms in regard to my sweet baby. It was sad to hear that her little bottom has suffered so much. He also wants to repeat her endoscopy and colonoscopy soon (she's not had one since she was 2 months old) but didn't want to put her through anymore trauma yesterday. She had a voided-cysto-urethragram (VCUG) and a barium enema, as well as ultrasound on her stomach. He wants us to bring her back to do a procedure called Anorectal manometry. It sounded horrible! She will also have a pH probe (AGAIN) and a rectal biopsy.
In the mean time, we were instructed to increase her Miralax and use Pedialax as well as suppository as needed. The doctor said that if we can increase the use of stool softener, we can decrease the damage being done to her little bottom. Poor Laney already takes a ton of Miralax as it is, but I'll increase it anyway. The doc knows more than I do about these things.
I don't know the results of any of the tests they did on her yesterday or any of the lab results from the blood work, but I should here from the doctor as soon as the reults are in. Right now, we just wait. As usual.

On The Road

Greetings from the interstate! We are on our way to TC Thompson Children's Hospital with Delaney Joy. A doctor there is going to be running some tests on her stomach and intestines to find out if she will be needing her surgery sooner rather than later. This appointment was scheduled a few weeks ago for early September, but we called and had it moved to an earlier appointment because her tummy troubles have been just awful lately. Last night was especially rough. Laney was in ALOT of pain last night. Her stomach was so bloated and she just couldn't get comfortable. She was twisting and turning and screaming most of the night. I feel so helpless when she gets that way. I've been giving her Miralax EVERYDAY and it just doesn't seem to do the trick. Her constipation has been severe since she was a little over a week old and nothing that we try (just short of an enema) ever works. She is resting now, in her car seat (Praise the Lord for reclining car seats!!!!) and hopefully she will sleep for the duration of the car ride. Please pray that the doctors have wisdom and understanding today as they help us to decide the best treatment possible for our precious Laneybug. Pray that this hospital stay is a short one and that we are able to come home quickly to our Destiny and Paisley and that Laney handles these tests like a trooper.
I'll update on Delaney as soon as I am able. Thank you for praying with us.
♥♥♥♥In other news, we may have a new (used) car soon. We have a friend that is buying a new truck and he is no longer needing his old car (a chrysler PT Cruiser) so he has offered to trade it to us. The best thing about the PT Cruiser is that all 5 of us will fit in it! I've taken it for a test drive and it drives like a dream! Please pray that everything works out and we are able to get this car.

Calling All Home-schooling Momma's

Classroom lists have been posted for the upcoming school year. I was upset to learn that Paisley has been placed in a classroom with a teacher that does not have a good reputation. She is known as the teacher that brings her at-home problems to work with her. She lets her problems from home interfere with how she teaches her students at school. It has become such a problem, if fact, that the school has actually teamed her with 2 other teachers this year. The students in those three classes will have a teacher for reading, a different teacher for math, and yet another teacher for Language Arts. Paisley doesn't want 3 teachers. She just wants one teacher. I wouldn't find 3 teachers to be such an issue, if they were doing this in other classrooms as well. But they aren't. Paisley's class will be the only one like it in the school. I have a problem with that. If her teacher is not capable of teaching her class, why is she teaching? How will her inability to "deal" with her students affect MY CHILD'S education? The idea of this type of teacher makes me VERY uncomfortable.
I have decided to look into home school for Paisley (at least for this year.) I talked to the principal of the school about switching her to another class and he refused. He said if I didn't like it, I could withdraw her and find another school. I know that some of you homeschool your children. If you can offer me any advice or tell me where to look for a homeschool program that is suitable for a 1st grader, please email me at kaleenamcnabb @ yahoo.com (eliminate the spaces!) Thanks in advance for any info you can offer me!