Hi Ho Hi ho it's off to Indiana we go.....

Happy Halloween

I know it's been a few days since I last posted, Ok, more like an eternity, but we've been extremely busy with doctor appointments, dentist appointments, school, you name it, we've done it!

Last Thursday, my mom and I packed up the kids in the family truckster, aka - the suburban, and headed out east to Indiana to see Matt's family. Now, I know your thinking to yourself, "Cindy and her mom? Where's Matt?" Right? Ok, we'll let me tell you. While my mom and I struggled in the car, with 4 kids under the age of 5, for 7 hours, my dear husband decided he would FLY, because he had to work on Thursday! Bitter, not one bit! My mom and I had a great time with the kids screaming, yelling, fighting, throwing things......


Anyways, My MIL put us up in a hotel for 3 nights (Thanks Kathi!!) which was perfect. The kids were able to swim, then go over to her house, then come back for a swim and a nap.....It couldn't have been any better. We really had a great time. Thursday night when we arrived, the hotel we stayed at rented rooms out to the local businesses so kids could trick or treat in the hotel, instead of outside. BRILLIANT!
The lady at the front desk told us they had 440 kids attend this year! WOW. It's such a cool idea, more places should do that.


On Friday, we hung out, went to the park, and just laid low. Saturday from 12-5p, the K-mart in town also had a special wing-ding for the kids. There were games, and prizes, and CANDY!!!!! My MIL warned me about all the fun stuff going on ahead of time so we were able to have the kids costumes with us. They had a blast!!!


The kids also lucked out and got to do Christmas early, since we won't see them around the holidays.


No trip to Indiana would be complete without seeing our favorite "cousins"!, We dropped Matt off at the airport, and headed back west. I finally got to see Molly's new house!! It's beautiful! She really has busting her hump with unpacking and getting things organized! Looks good Moll! Thanks for lunch! Can't wait to see you again in a few weeks!

Thanks everyone for such a fun "mini" vacation!

Watch for a Halloween entry tomorrow!

I finally got a call today!

A couple of months back I had signed up with the Jorge Posada foundation to become a mentor for a family going through the ups and downs of craniosynostosis. For you that don't know, Jorge Posada is the catcher for the New York Yankees. He has an 8 yr old son who has cranio. This poor child has been through 8 surgeries to repair his synostosis. It just breaks my heart to hear that he has been through so many surgeries. It's been a long haul for the Posada family and thus the start of the JP Foundation. They are there to help families through the ups and downs.
So, anyhow, I had filed my mentor form with them a few months back, and today, I finally received a call. I had done one other sponsorship with a family out in Oregon who had twins, but only one child had cranio, but through a different site. It was real rewarding. Nothing like helping a family though a tough time. Their daughter has recovered from surgery, and is thriving.

I am very excited to meet this family that I have been matched up with. I am keeping my fingers crossed that their child will heal 100% and go on to live a happy and healthy life.

I will keep you posted.

On my death bed and barely surviving.....

with a cold! I will post soon, I promise!

Just what a mother of 4 DOESN'T need

Ok, so yesterday Riley came home from school with the dreaded note - SOMEONE IN HER CLASS HAS LICE!!! (did your head starting itching right away when I said the word LICE? Mine sure as hell did!) YUCK-O! Just what I don't need. What is it with lice? Why do they insist hangin' around our kids? My mom has told me "lovely" stories of when I had it. GROSS! Who has time to bag everything up, clean from ceiling to floor, and hope to god your other children don't get it??? NO - I don't have time for that! Little nit - you come anywhere near my daughter's head and I will blow you into little smithereens. So, as the over protective parent that I am, I sent Matt to the salon where Riley and I get our hair done to pick up a preventative shampoo and conditioner. They claim that it helps your child from not getting lice so, we'll see about that. I am so freaked out about it that I even jumped on the band wagon and used it this morning. Although, I have heard adults are less likely to get it. Oh yah, I also kept her home from school today because of it. Am I crazy??? I just don't want that crap anywhere near my house! I can handle preemies, I can handle surgeries, LICE - Hell no! My body just itches as I write about it. So my mom thinks I'm crazy for keeping her home today, but seriously, she only goes to school M-F, I am considering pulling her out anyways (that's a whole other post), so really, Am I crazy for keeping her home? I am sure Keegan's school would appreciate us not getting it and giving it to them, right? Oh well. I'll just be psycho about it!

Since when do they get to decided what's best for our kids?

Has anyone had any issues with their insurance company on what they will and won't cover for medical costs?
Since when do the insurance companies get to decided what is best for our children?? We'll, for our family, and our issues with Craniosynostosis, they DO think they know what best for our kids. The battle with the insurance companies is never ending. For many, the Ins. companies like to label our kids surgeries as cosmetic. Cosmetic, can you believe that?
This is a post from my friend, Kaci, who also has 2 children with craniosynostosis. Kaci was our sponsor, and was my "shoulder to cry on" when Carson and Cooper had their surgeries.

"When a condition such as craniosynostosis can cause intracranial pressure and can have life long permanent effects on a child: their hearing, vision, learning, social interactions, .... it has a significant impact on their well being. When you live with a child(ren) that has the condition and has lasting effects from it, it affects the whole family. When we hear that families struggle to get coverage for their child's surgery, it amazes us when they list the reason: "Its cosmetic." Maybe the insurance company should travel to the hospital and visit the children who have the intracranial pressure diagnosis and see what impact it has on their life and what it can cause as a result and maybe they'd not be so quick to make a "cosmetic" decision. Insurance companies need to be open minded that there is a possibility that these kids can have surgeries into their teens (as they hit the next major growth spurt), no matter how slight the risk is for surgery. And again, its not cosmetic. But even if you consider that point alone, without all the damage of ICP, isn't a child's self-worth and the psychological aspect of their life worth something? This isn't a cosmetic "nose job" that the celebrities get. Craniofacial problems are more than cosmetic; they affect more than looks."

It's so true, It affects more than looks. For the children with cranio, it affects their brains - if there is no room for the brain to grow, the brain gets damaged. Their hearing, their vision - if their is a a slightest bit of intracranial pressure, it can affect all of these areas. So, how can these surgeries be considered "Cosmetic"? They are not asking to have a bigger or smaller nose, they are not asking to have a boob job done, they are not asking to have a face lift.....these are considered COSMETIC! All they are asking is to give their brain a little growing room, or so they can swallow with out gaging. I don't know about you, but I would consider these types of surgeries NECESSARY!
If you feel as strongly as I do about this, please go here to read and sign our petition.

Here is a picture of my 2 sets of twins (the 2 younger sets ) and a cousin and her 2 sets of twins.
One of her oldest daughters (who is holding Cooper) has a cleft palate and lip. Within our family, that's 3 kids right there that needed the help of craniofacial team.

Please sign. Thank you.

OMG

Ok, yes I know, 2 post with in 30 minutes of each other, but I just had to mention this...I'm so excited.
Ok, so we had our modeling pictures done with Allie from "Proud to introduce", and we just got them back yesterday. They were phenomenal! I was very happy with it! I can not wait to frame them and hang them in my house.
Ok, so back the "I'm so excited" part. Allie used 3 of our pictures on her website.
Go here: http://www.proudtointroduce.com , then click gallery (Children) and look at the smaller pictures under the main one, 2nd from last, (on that page) is the one of Riley and Keegan head to head, then if you click Black and white (children) she used the one of Riley and Keegan in the grass and the one of the 3 kids walking away with Cooper behind.
How exciting is that?????
I just think it is totally cool!

New experience

Keegan went on his first school field trip, and Oh, I got to come along!! Oh my goodness, Keegan was so excited. His class had study apples all week, and on Thursday, they went to an apple orchard. It was a lot of fun.
Here are our pics-

Out with the old, and in with the new

It's been over 1 year now, and I know I left you all hangin' on what happened with my 1 yr weight loss goal.

September 14th was my 1 year Weight loss anniversary, and just like that, it came, and it went. I was very disappointed with my self that I did not reach my 100 pound goal. Actually, I got as close as 96 lbs, but then it was like I was on a roller coaster. I went from 96, to 90, to 94, to 92, to 95. I just haven't been able to great a good grasp on it the last couple of weeks. Disappointing? I know!!!

So, at 95 pounds down, 4 shirts sizes, 4 bra sizes, and a whopping 7 pants sizes....I present to you - The old and new me.

A little something to go with the pictures. Enjoy
Click here.
10,000 Maniacs - These Are Days