Lucky Little Levi

Hey There! I just wanted to share a Ko Olina sunset, an afternoon at Abby's and two darling babies. Little Levi is the son of our dear friends Abby and Zeke. He's a lucky baby to have been born into one of the coolest families around. And I'm a pretty lucky mama cause I get to take my baby out for play dates with the Lyon's Fam.

Holey Moley

So...I was hoping to use this blog for more than just Blakely. While Blakely may be my favorite blog topic, I also want to share other random, and possibly joyful posts. ;)

Tim and I are finally taking care of those few things that always get pushed to the bottom of the list. One being mole removal.

Now, I'm certainly not worried about skin cancer, because why worry? That doesn't do anything good. But, I figured it couldn't hurt to make sure that all is good with our skin. After all, we get more sun exposure than we want right now (not that I'm complaining)!

I know, TMI. I'm rambling about our moles. But, I genuinely want to share some helpful tips. Oh, and I asked Tim if I could take a picture of his back to show off the cool stitches and cauterized burns that we now sport, but he said no. He thought that was a little weird for the blog. He's probably right. :)

I read that most people have, on average, more than 10 moles and less than 40. Some moles are congenital and some moles develop as we grow. Most of the time we have all our moles by the time we are 20 years old!

Here are the ABCDE's for detecting "suspicious" looking moles--the kind you might want to ask your doctor to check out (from everdayhealth.com):

• A for asymmetry: A mole in which one half of the mole does not look like the other
• B for irregular border: A mole with a scalloped or poorly defined border
• C for varied color: A mole that consists of multiple shades of black, brown, white, red, and/or blue
• D for large diameter: A mole that has a diameter larger than that of a pencil eraser
• E for evolving: A mole that's size, shape, or color changes over time
• New moles: A mole that develops, especially if it appears after age 20
• Bothersome moles: A mole that bleeds, itches, or is painful

For some non-weird pictures of what to look for, go here: http://www.aad.org/public/exams/abcde.html

The Case of the Missing Thyroid

Tim took Blakely to see our wonderful Pediatric Endocrinologist yesterday. We are so blessed to have such fabulous medical support here on Oahu. We also know that we wouldn't be in the same peaceful place if it weren't for the amazing prayer and love support from our friends and family!

When I think about Blakely's congenital hypothyroidism, I think about how incredibly fortunate we are. Really. I'm not just saying that. Of course, every parent hopes and prays that their baby is born healthy. I didn't want Blakely to be born with a lifelong condition. In fact, I was shocked to find out that she was indeed missing (or severely lacking) her full thyroid. But, now that five months have come and gone, Tim and I are grateful for the daily reminder of God's power and plan.

Tim or I grind up her synthroid every morning and dissolve it in breast milk. It's not possible to forget that Blakely's development is hinged on this wonder drug. I think about it every single morning. And I'm so glad I do. Here is just a quick list of all that I praise my Jesus for:

•  Hawaii (like most US states) test infants in the hospital for hypothyroidism.
• Oregon (I'm assuming OHSU) found the results and faxed back B's bloodwork ASAP.
• We got hooked up with an awesome speciliast via our amazing pediatrician.
• Our insurance (thank you HMSA) does a nice job covering some of our lab fees and doctor visits.
• Although insurance doesn't cover Synthroid, it's not too expensive.
• Congenital Hypothyroidism is NOT life threatening!!!
• With consistent and accurate treatment, the prognosis for "normal" development is good.

Blakely was ten days old when we found out about her condition. We are blessed. A few days after her diagnosis, my dad, Tim, Blakely and I spent a sunset at Ko'Olina. I truly believe that God gave us one of the most show-stopping sunsets possible. It was like His "rainbow" for our little family. His promise is to take care of Blakely and guide her development according to His will. She's in the best hands possible. I know, without a doubt, that she will be exactly who she is meant to be.

For now, while I have a front row seat to her growing up, my heart is overjoyed because I have a constant reminder of God's faithfulness and love.

Oh, and about her appointment yesterday. She's doing just fine. Her "numbers" are still a little skewed and we are going to cut back on her dosage. Overall, our doctor thinks she looks "good." And that's enough for me! "I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds my tomorrow."

p.s. My dad had a pretty radical "God encounter" while driving to the airport (to catch his flight to see us). God reassured my daddy that everything would be okay with his new grandbaby. Of course, this spoke to my heart too. If you see my dad, ask him about this story sometime.

Congenital hypothyroidism in a nutshell (according to The Mayo Clinic): "Congenital disease. Approximately 1 in 3,000 babies in the United States is born with a defective thyroid gland or no thyroid gland at all. In most cases, the thyroid gland didn't develop normally for unknown reasons, but some children have an inherited form of the disorder. Often, infants with congenital hypothyroidism appear normal at birth. That's one reason why most states now require newborn thyroid screening."

how sweet it is

to be together with family...

Wowy! It's already been a month since I traveled last. Blakely and I flew to LA to meet up with Tim and my mom's side of the family. All of my extended family live in LA. Unfortunately, it's a RARE occasion that we all get together. I love it when we do. Nothing on this earth is sweeter than family and friends.

I was pretty happy to introduce Blakely to her loved ones!

And we're off. LA or bust!

Don't get too used to this fancy shmancy plane, Blakely. They aren't all this new! Not bad for a coach seat. Thanks, Hawaiian Airlines. I'll fly your spankin' new planes any day. p.s.

Little Miss Thang on the changing table in the teeny tiny airplane bathroom! It all works out. And this is already Blakely's second flight across the ocean. Lucky girl. :)

Have you ever wondered how a mom flying solo uses the ladie's room while hanging onto her munchkin? Here's my demonstration. Kind of cramped quarters, but it works out. Thank goodness for the Ergo. :)

My lovely Grandpa with my lovely baby!

Four generations. How blessed I am!

Baby B and my cousin's new babies. They are all within a few weeks of each other. Check out the size on Blakely! More to love, right?! :)

My good-lookin' mama with her grandbaby! Check out B's cute little gut!

Chillaxin'

My family! <3

Aunty Tori xoxo

My sweet Grandma and her three newest great-grandchildren.

and so it begins...

Almost ready to start the first bowl of rice cereal...here we go!

It's all so new...

This stuff's not too bad...thanks mom and dad!

And...she's done!

After reading up on how to make my own baby food, I decided to buy the rice cereal so that Blakely would get the added iron. This is the suggested brand in the book, Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron (more on that book later).

Did You Know 4.0

What I Know to Be True

Aloha Family and Friends,

I just finished creating and posting a weekly wrap-up for my online class. I always leave them with a quote. Today I found a neat quote from a Gatorade commercial I thought I'd share it on my blog as well. Happy Sunday everyone!

"It's not where you're from; it's where you're going. It's not what you drive; it's what drives you. It's not what's on you; it's what's in you. It's not what you think; it's what you know."

Here are a few things I don't have to "think" about; I just know them to be true:

This world is not my home

Time spent wasting is not time wasted--Go to the beach! (adapted from Emerson)

They won't remember what you said, they won't remember what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel. (Maya Angelou)

The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.

(Mark Twain)

Spend the afternoon; you can't take it with you! (Annie Dillard)

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count, but the life in your years. (Abraham Lincoln)