Braska Bear

I’ve spent far too much time lately on blog designs, learning html code for adding fonts (and downloading TONS of fonts) to various parts of the blogs, changing the html code to create various three column formats, and adding post dividers.  Some of these fun new things can be seen at here at Braska’s blog , and the layout changes can be seen at Dashlyn’s blog .  I’m working on several makeovers for other friends, and I’ll link to them when they’re done. It’s really becoming addictive to marry my digiscrapping obsession with learning the html and css coding.  I could do this for hours a day, and occasionally do if I have a chance, but I’m neglecting other things.  Everything in moderation…  but wow, it’s so fun to see things take shape, and to make the blogs feel like they’re different instead of the cookie cutter Blogger thing.  Not that it’s bad to be basic, but I like to be unique.

Today is Auntie Skye’s Birthday! She’s married to Mommy’s brother, Uncle Jody. (And Happy Birthday to Miss Ashli, too, since she was born almost at the same time as Auntie Skye.) Auntie Skye has been a part of my family almost as long as me. She came to see me after my heart got fixed. We stopped to visit her house when we would come to town, back when we still lived in our old house. She came to my birthday party when I was 2. I got a really great numbers book that I still play with every day. And we had one of my birthday parties at her house when I was 3. Hope you have a fun day, Auntie Skye!!

Today I woke up and I didn't feel good at all. My nose was all clogged with alot of really gross stuff, and I couldn't breathe. So I didn't sleep very well and I was grouchy. Mommy checked my temp-a-chur and it was 100.8. She said that wasn't very good for me. We went to see Dr. Az this morning, since she worked on Saturday today, and she was really nice. She told Mommy we can get me over this gunky stuff and make my nose all better. She said I have a sinus inf-ex-shun. And I just finished my medicine for the other stuff yesterday! So I have new medicines, and Dr. Az says that she is gonna get me all better, no messing around! Mommy likes that idea. (Mommy note: Dr. Az is in the same group as Dr. A, our regular pediatrician, but she was who was in on the Saturday shift this morning. She always is great, and I keep thinking we might switch. She agreed that amoxicillin is useless for Braska, apparently, and so we're going to hit with the bigger guns and go ...

Yesterday after I took my bath to get all that yucky stuff out of my hair, we went to pick up KiKi from Uncle Patrick’s.  When we got home, before Mommy even got me out of my seat, I said “Go pLLLayground pLLLease**!”   Mommy was so surprised that I just decided to go to the playground all by myself.  She thought about it for just a minute and then said we could go! Yay!  So we turned right around and went to the playground to have some fun.  I just LOVE to swing. It’s my favorite part.  Can you tell??  I always tell Mommy, “Push pLLLease! More push pLLLease!” Kinlee wasn’t sure about the swings again, but got happy after a few minutes.  She wanted to go run around more, so so didn’t swing very long. KiKi is learning how to take her shoes off, too. See, she is practicing. Mommy says she is also practicing throwing a fit.  I don’t see her throw anything, but she does yell and flop on her belly. I figured I’d...

Auntie Rachel and Uncle Patrick went on a trip last week for a wedding with their friends to a place that sounds kind of like Turkey and Cake O’s.   They got us some cute shirts so we took pictures today for Auntie Rachel.  But we were kind of silly so Mommy gave up getting a good one. This is KiKi’s shirt so you can see what it says.

Mommy came to get us this morning before me and Daddy even got up.  Daddy was still asleep on his little bed, but he woke up when Mommy came in.  He got in bed with me for a couple of minutes while I was trying to stay asleep because he thinks I’m cute, even with all my wires.  This was me with all my stuff on. I didn’t want to wake up.  I was still sleepy, but Miss Donna said she needed to take my wires off. This is Miss Donna and Daddy looking at my messy hair.  There was a lot of sticky stuff in there.  A lot! I came home and had a bath to clean out my hair, so it’s all ok now.  Miss Donna told Mommy and Daddy that I was the best kid she has had in a year!  Even the big kids aren’t as good as me, she said!  The doctor will call us in a few days to tell us about the sleeping test, but Miss Donna said they got lots of good stuff on me.  She doesn’t think I have a big sleep problem, though.  Mommy will t...

I’m home, after dropping Braska and M off at Children’s.  We got her all set up and wired up, and she did SO well.  I didn’t think she’d tolerate all the sticky things and leads, but she didn’t flinch.  Well, until they wanted to use one that would hook around her lip.  Nope, that was not going to happen.  Thankfully, her super nice tech Donna had another cannula without that hook, so all was ok. Here’s a pictorial version of the process. The little TV with Sprout on it was the saving grace.  She stayed focused on that and didn’t mind the rest of the action happening to her.  She was happy that Daddy was in p-jammies to and was ready to snuggle. The final look, cannula and all. A hug from Mommy before I left for the night.  She was plenty tired. Last minute adjustments.  She had leads on her legs, chest, face, and head. Ready to sleep, Daddy close to make sure she went do...

Tonight I get to sleep at the hospital even though I’m not real sick or anything.  They’re going to watch me sleep and see if they can figure out how to help me feel better and sleep better and breathe better.  Daddy’s going to stay with me all night, too, because Mommy isn’t very good at sleeping at the hospital.  KiKi is staying with Auntie Rachel and Uncle Patrick so Mommy can take us down tonight and pick us up really early tomorrow morning.  See you tomorrow! Love, Braska

Mommy opened the front door this morning so we could look outside.  She locked the window door so we couldn’t fall out.  But she didn’t make sure it was latched, I guess, because in a few minutes this is what I saw.  I told Mommy “KiKi go bye bye.”  We caught her before she got away. Don’t worry.  And Mommy checked the door a bunch of times after that.

We’re watching Sesame Street this morning and I just love this song!  It’s about school, and Mommy just thinks it funny.

3/21. Three copies of chromosome #21. Get it? Are you doing anything "extra" special?

Me and KiKi found a shirt when we were at the mall walking with Mommy a few weeks ago that we wanted. It was really cute and it said that me and KiKi were BFF's. (That means best friends forever, if you didn't know.) But Mommy said we couldn't buy the shirts. So she made us one kind of like it... now we just have to get our summer stuff out and find some shirts to put it on. Isn't it cute??

Since we have been so sick lately, we haven’t taken many pictures.  And we have been sitting on the couch since we don’t feel like playing much.  So I helped Mommy make a page for me.  Someday we’ll put them all in a book. KiKi is coming home tomorrow, and I hope we feel better.  Maybe we’ll take some more pictures in a few days.

Braska and KiKi have been at Grammy’s since Friday afternoon.  I was supposed to go get them on Monday morning.  That didn’t happen because I got progressively more sick over the weekend.  I started antibiotics yesterday morning for a bacterial infection after seeing my doctor, but I was not diagnosed with strep.  This morning, Grammy said Braska needed to be seen, so she packed her up and brought her home. Braska obviously didn’t feel well. She has had fevers of about 100+ and 101 the last few days, but it went away with Tylenol, so until today, we let it go.  She had a bit of a rash starting to pop up by the time she got home, and we headed for our afternoon appointment.  She has fluid in both ears, which we knew would be the case, and the ears are partially infected.  But the real problem is the throat, which is very red and swollen.  Even her cute little voice is raspy and hoarse. The rapid strep test came back positive.  So Dr. A came ...

This week I don’t have to go to school. I guess we get to take a week off to have some fun with Spring.  But my mommy got sick a few days ago, so I went to Grammy’s for a few days with KiKi so Mommy could get better.  The bad news is that I got sick anyway, but it’s probably not the same as Mommy has.  Grammy’s taking me back to my house today so we can go to the doctor after lunch.  My ears are hurting again, and I’ve been kind of hot.  I hope they get to fix my ears soon, but Mommy says I have to wait til after next week when I get to go to the hospital so that doctors can watch me sleep.  Then they will tell Mommy and Daddy about my sleeping and decide what to do about my ears and some other stuff. KiKi is staying with Auntie Julia while Grammy takes me home, and then Grammy and Papa will bring her home in a few days.  Mommy can’t drive the car since her eyes are all icky and she can’t see very good.  So Grammy will take us to the doctor a...

Mommy and I are trying to tell lots of people about Zoe. She lives far away and doesn't have a mommy and daddy. Mommy told about her more on her blog , so you can go read about it there. Her birthday is almost the same as mine! Grab This Button Grab This Button From the Reece’s Rainbow site: ~Beautiful blonde hair and a glowing personality. She is healthy , with no heart condition. She is fully functional...walking, active, many words, able to eat and dress with minimal assistance, and an orphanage favorite. ~She is facing the institution, please consider adopting Zoe! ~More photos available, please inquire. ~We have many children waiting in this same orphanage who can be adopted together. Children in this orphanage are not held much past the age of 4, so we need a family quickly. Here's what we want to ask you... 1. Prayerfully consider if Zoe might be waiting for YOU specifically. Do you have a place in your family for her? You may not feel you have much to offer, but is a f...

It was warm enough this week that we didn’t have to wear coats, so after nap on Wednesday we went to the park with Mommy.  KiKi had not ever been on a swing before, and I wanted to show her how much fun it is!  At first she didn’t think it was so good. How can you not like to swing???  I love it!!!   She got a little used to it after a while.  She started to think it was fun too. There was a big place to walk and a handle all the way up and down it.  So I walked up and down and up and down a lot!  KiKi was on the other side, playing on the squishy stuff.  She was walking too, but sometimes she sat down for a minute.      It was a very fun day, but Mommy says next time Daddy has to go too because we can get away too fast from her, and we never go the same direction!