Ten Years with Dad's Liver

There's not much I can say that hasn't already been said. Thank God that Anthony has done so well with the left lobe of Mark's liver (said it...at least a million times!). Thank God that Mark has not experienced any complications himself (said it!). Thank God for the wonderful doctors, nurses, aides, techs who have taken care of Anthony over the years (said it!). Thank God for our family who supported us and who keep on supporting us (said it!). Thank God for our friends who have stood  by us and walked this crazy transplant journey with us (said it!). So now I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves.

2004

2005 

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Daniel, Chapter 3: 89-90
"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his love is everlasting.
Bless the Lord, the God of gods, all who fear him, give praise and thanks to him, for his love is everlasting!

Touring DC

So it's taken me a little too long to update the rest of the photos, so I'm just going to put a few up here (OK - 16). I want to update with some pictures of our trip to Alabama to ride on the Polar Express, too, so I'm going to do that right after this. Lots of pictures to catch up on!

Remember this photo?


Here he is, two years later!


Riding the Metro (aka: THE TRAIN, MAMA, WE RIDING THE TRAIN)


Anthony had the Metro map memorized by the time we had ridden it twice.


We got to go to the zoo, too! We saw lions (most important), elephants, tigers, orangutans, and found this adorable hat for my littlest lion!


After the zoo, we took the boys on a tour of the Capitol Building. Anthony recently finished a Social Studies unit on the US Government, so this was exciting (and boring) for him!


He did enjoy telling our tour guide that he knew all about the Capitol, though!


We went to the National Archives after the Capitol to let Anthony see the Constitution. We got a little bored waiting in line, so Anthony and I horsed around.




The next day, we went to the Natural History Museum to see the dinosaurs again. Here's another throw-back photo:


And two years later:


After seeing the dinosaurs, we got some popcorn and had some little friends who asked us to share.


That evening, we celebrated Mark's aunt and uncle's 50th Wedding Anniversary. It was such an honor to be there to congratulate them. They are truly a beautiful couple, and an inspiration for Mark and me on what true love is.


My mother-in-law (standing, on the right) with her sister, Carmen (standing on the left) and their sister-in-law, Ina (seated).


Mark, his brothers, and some of their cousins:


Pat and Ina, Charles and Carmen, Mike and Margaret:

Branching Out

I remember when Anthony was about three years old, he began to add more and more people (and animals!) to his list of prayers at night. If we had seen an aunt, uncle, or cousin that day, they were added to our list, and usually were left on there for quite some time. We offer a standard prayer for "all of our family and friends" at the end of our usual litany, so I guess he never felt bad when he would eventually drop off a particular person. He knew they were covered! Now we're back to our standard list that we started with years ago.

Benjamin and I pray the same prayers at night as I do with Anthony. But what I've noticed about Benjamin is that he hasn't been willing to branch out from the standard list. Even if I add someone, or (God forbid) forget someone, he lets me know that it's not OK and we have to start over. Prayers can sometimes last a long time in Benjamin's world.

Tonight he totally surprised me. Mark's cousin, his cousins wife, and their two (grown-up) daughters are visiting and Benjamin has fallen in love with Allison ("Aslison") and Simone ("Mone"). Tonight they were added to his list...but not only were they added to his list, they rated the top spot (usually save for Mama and Daddy!). I think he's going to go into shock when they leave on Sunday. Thankfully, we'll be seeing a lot more of them because "Aslison" will be teaching locally through Teach for America.

I'm OK with giving up top spot in the prayer list for these two - they have played with both boys and totally worn them out! :o)

On Being Patsy

There's one person I rarely mention when I talk about Anthony's journey to transplant, and I'm not really sure why. My mother's cousin, Patsy, is an RN. When we found out we were heading to Omaha, Patsy drove to our house (an hour away) to talk to us, and to offer herself to us. To be honest, it was more like, "You need me. I'm coming." She didn't ask if we needed her, knowing we'd probably tell her no...she just said, "I'll be there."

Mark and I arrived in Omaha with absolutely no clue as to what was going on. It was like we'd been teleported to some foreign place and we had to forge our own path. Patsy arrived a few days after we did, and she was truly a breath of fresh air. Mark left to go home five/six days after we arrived, and I thought I was going to die when he left.

The day Mark left (February 14), Patsy and I were in the hotel room at the hospital, trying to organize (she's great at that) and figure out how best to go about a daily routine. All of a sudden, the fire alarms go off, and a "Code Red" is called. I looked around and said, "If we need to go, we HAVE to grab the lap top!" Patsy looked at me and said, "Um. And Anthony?" DUH. She kept me laughing...and with her awesome humor, kept me sane.

Before she came up, Patsy called, "Do you need anything?" I had just spent a sleepless night with a fussy baby; I didn't want to wake Mark because he had spent the previous night up with Anthony...so I just plopped Anthony in the stroller and we walked, and walked, and walked. So when Patsy asked what I needed, the only thing I could think of was a small coffee pot and Community Coffee. She didn't laugh, didn't ask if there wasn't something more important than that...she just went out and got a coffee pot that percolated straight into a travel mug, and a few bricks of my Dark Roast Community Coffee. I tell you, that first sip was like liquid gold.

Throughout her week in Omaha with me, Patsy made sure I had not only what Anthony needed, but what I needed, too. She found someone to take her to a store so she could buy a proper tub for Anthony. She brought me coffee to Anthony's room every morning. She made me take walks, go to the cafeteria to eat lunch, take pictures, sleep a full night in the hotel, and talk openly about how I felt about what was going on. She listened. She got Anthony to take a few ounces of formula by mouth when all I could do was hold the bottle to his mouth and cry.

If you told Patsy today what a wonderful person she is because of everything she did for us (and believe me, I've told her!), she would probably say, "I did nothing more than was needed." But I've learned something: my family is awesome. When they're needed, they go above and beyond to answer the call. I've seen how wonderfully supportive my family is; and I've learned that we're the exception to the rule...we are NOT the norm. There are so many parents that struggle through the illness of a child without support from anyone. That is so sad.

Because I can't imagine how I would have survived my first week in Omaha if it weren't for Patsy.

Some Idea

Mark's aunt, who has suffered with cancer for some time, passed away on Friday. Mark's two brothers have come in for the funeral; we picked up Parrain (Marshall) at the airport yesterday, and Matt drove in from Georgia on Friday.

We didn't tell Anthony that his two uncles were coming to town, instead we let him be surprised with their arrivals. We drove to the airport to pick up Parrain, and Anthony was so excited to see him.

On our way to Mark's parents' house, we told him there would be another surprise there for him. I asked him if he had any ideas of who could be waiting for him at Nana and Grandpa's, and he said, "I have no ideas in my body, Mommy."

So Mark said, "You don't have any inklings of who could be there?"

Anthony responded, "I won't have any inklings until I'm taller, Daddy!"

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Tomorrow we will say goodbye to Mark's Aunt Mary. While her death was not a shock to our family, the loss still hurts. Please keep our family in your prayers; tomorrow and the days to come will be hard.

Killer Dog

Last night we were outside playing at my parents' house when a kitty cat pranced into the yard. She's obviously very friendly, and loved to rub on Anthony's legs while he pet her.

My grandmother has a miniature Schnauzer named Ta. She's a cute but very high-strung dog...and sometimes doesn't act light the brightest bulb in the box.

When the cat noticed the dog in her fenced-in area, she wandered over to investigate. She put her nose right up to the fence, and peeked in. I expected Ta to go nuts. I mean, hello? Cat? Dog? Territory? Anyone? Well, Ta just quivered in her cage.

It's no secret that my dad's not a fan of cats...especially when they decide to make his backyard their home. So he got up, put the leash on Ta, and let her out of her area. We all assumed this would work to scare the cat out of the yard.

Ta got close to the cat and said, "Bark, bark, bark!" But it was almost terrified sounding, rather than TERRIFYING sounding. The cat hissed once, took a swipe at Ta, and that was it.

All this time, Anthony was standing near my dad and growling like a dog. I think the cat was probably more frightened of the formerly friendly human.

I think the cat is here to stay, Dad. Sorry. Next time, get Maw Maw a Doberman.

Prayers, please

UPDATE:

Aunt Carmen did not have a heart attack. She does, however, have pneumonia in her right lung. She will stay overnight for observation and antibiotic treatment. Her fever has already broken and she is feeling much better.

______________________________________________________

Mark's Aunt Carmen (Margaret's sister) and Uncle Charles are in town this week and next. This morning Carmen woke up with chest pains, fever, and was talking nonsensically. Margaret and Charles are with her at the hospital now. An echocardiogram and chest x-ray have been done, and they are waiting on those results. Carmen will be admitted for observation overnight, and depending on the results of the tests run may need to stay longer. Please keep Carmen, Charles and Margaret (and the rest of us!) in your thoughts and prayers.

Love, Laurie, Mark and Anthony

PS: Anthony is home this week with diarrhea again. We've been off milk for two weeks now and he is still having diarrhea. We may be taking him back to the pediatrician this week.

Birthday Celebrations

Yesterday Mark, Anthony and I, along with Mark's parents and two brothers, visited Mark's (paternal) grandmother for her birthday. We ate at a good restaurant and then went back to her house for cake. Below are pictures that prove that I had nothing to do with Anthony's genetic makeup:






Front row: Matt, MawMaw, Mike
Second row: Mark, Laurie, Anthony, Marshall, Margaret

Mark's family let me carry Anthony for nine months, but it's time you all know the truth...he is 100% Mark. He looks like Mark, acts like Mark and will probably even talk like Mark. It's mildly depressing, but since Anthony is so damn cute, I guess I'll keep him. Plus, I can give the ole gene pool another try with the next kid, right? :)

Today we will go to my parents' house for my cousin's birthday party. The celebrations won't stop!

One last thing before I go: my cousin, Patsy, and her family have pretty much lost their house in New Orleans. I got an email last week from Patsy asking me if I could help locate their cat, since they were not able to take her with them when they left. Well, this morning I got another email from Patsy saying that Killah is alive, and is getting some TLC at a vet in New Orleans. Killah decided to ride out Hurricane Katrina at Patsy's house and made it for three weeks without them! I think they need to change her name from Killah to Suvivah (that's Survivor for all you non-New Orleanians). What a great cat!

Love, Laurie, Mark and Anthony

Coming up in Anthony-land:
The same old, same old...
Monday - Friday: day care

Boogie Baby

Nana, Anthony and I attended a baby shower in Carencro, LA today. Margaret's niece was due to have her baby at the end of October, but delivered at the beginning of September instead. She still had her shower (Yay!), so we got to see her open our gifts, and got to see pictures of precious Luke Joseph. For being 8 weeks premature, Luke is doing wonderfully! The only assistance he is receiving is coming in the form of an NG tube (I'm familiar with that!). No vent, no oxygen, not even blow-by! He gained 3 ounces yesterday to bring himself up to 4 pounds 1 ounce. I'm sure he'll be home fairly soon. Please remember to keep baby Luke and his parents, Val and Josh, in your prayers.

One of Margaret's other nieces has a daughter who just entered the third grade. When I say that Elise is smart, I'm underexaggerating. This child is brilliant. And she's also a great kid. Anthony was bored with the present opening, so she took him to another room and played with him. She found out that if you find something that makes music, Anthony will dance. And I'm talking, terrible white boy dancing. But it's SO cute. So, for your viewing pleasure, Anthony dancing (that's Elise in the background):



Please notice the adorable blue boots I bought him. They're even better in real life.


Love, Laurie

Life, For Us, Is Getting Back to Normal

I wish I could say the same for a lot of my family. For most, this is a starting point. Homes will have to be rebuilt, new cars will have to be bought, wardrobes will have to be replaced. The good thing in all of this, of course, is that they're all safe. Everyone is alive and safe.

For me, this week brought a return to class. The semester will be extended a week instead of making the professors (and students) cram more learning into the same amount of time. I'm actually glad for it, as I'm not a good "crammer". I was glad to go back to school this week...to get some normalcy back into my life.

Anthony also returned to his school this week. He's not so happy about it, but he'll get used to it again.

Labs were also this week. As usual, everything is wonderful there! I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever lose my anxiety over waiting for the labs to be faxed to me. I get so nervous, when all I have to do is look at Anthony and can see that he's fine.

We had friends from Jefferson Parish stay with us for a couple of days. Their home is fine, but without power, water and sewage, it's impossible for them to return home yet. They got the things they need and will spend the next month or so in Lafayette with family waiting to go home. I'm glad they stayed with us, as we hadn't seen them in months and their baby girl is getting so big! Lily is beautiful and so happy. Anthony loved to walk up to her and say, "Baby!" He seemed so amazed that Mama and Daddy brought him such a cool "toy" to play with. Lily was just as enthralled with Anthony, too. She would stare at him until he noticed her and then she'd break out in a huge grin. Flirtation at its best, I suppose!

Mark's work schedule has changed a bit. He had been working long days Monday through Thursday and getting off at 11am on Fridays. Now he'll work "normal" hours through the entire week. Work for the State's Department of Labor is going to be hectic with all the unemployment claims coming through their office! He's still on the IT side of the DOL, but he knows how to process claims and I'm wondering if he'll be recruited to help out there.

Well, that's all for now! I'll post an Anthony picture soon.

Thanks for checking in on us! Please remember to keep all of the victims of Hurricane Katrina in your thoughts and prayers.

Love, Laurie, Mark and Anthony

Coming up in Anthony-land:
Thursday and Friday: Day Care
Saturday: Cousin Val's baby shower
Sunday: Probably a visit with Maw Maw, Paw Paw, Maw Maw Peck, Aunt Emilie and Uncle Steve and Aunt Darlene (lots of people!!)

They're All Finally Safe

Mark's Uncle Noah is out of his house in New Orleans. He is at the New Orleans airport trying to find a way to Thibodaux (where his mother lives) and then he'll get to Baton Rouge from there. He is the last of our relatives and friends that we had not heard from. Thank God he's OK!

Tomorrow I will go to Metairie with a friend who recently moved there. She is being allowed back in to get her belongings. We're hoping this will be a "quick" (in relative terms) trip, and a safe one. I've got gloves and masks, water bottles, and will pack food for a day. Hopefully we'll be in and out in the span of tomorrow with no trouble from looters. There will be National Guardsmen all over the place, I'm sure, but please say a prayer that we can get her things and get out safely.

I'll update again tomorrow.

Love, Laurie

Cynthia's Story

Mark's cousin, Cynthia, has made it out of New Orleans and is at her uncle's house here. She is safe with her mother and sister. Mark's uncle has not been heard from, but it is presumed that he is still in their home in New Orleans, hopefully safe. Please continue to pray that Uncle Noah makes it out safely, or that he remains safe in his home.

This is Cynthia's survival story she told to me today:

Cynthia works in a hospital in New Orleans as an x-ray technician. She "evacuated" to her hospital to help with the relief efforts before the hurricane came. Once the storm passed, she and other hospital workers along with patients and families were trapped in their hospital. People died daily from lack of medicine, lack of food and water, lack of anything and everything. The morgue, along with the pharmacy and the room that housed the generators was on the basement floor. The dead were moved to one part of the hospital while those that lived were kept in another wing.

Once she and a few others realized that most members of the staff were leaving, they also left. They were told to leave via the ambulance ramp at the ER entrance and that boats would pick them up there. Once they were picked up by the air boats, they were dropped off at a location in New Orleans and told to wait there; buses were coming for them. After eight hours, they were picked up by another boat and brought to the New Orleans Convention Center. At the Convention Center, they realized that if they entered the building, they would probably not survive the night. So the seventeen of them (with a baby and a toddler) waited out the night just outside the Convention Center. Three times they fell into a huddle when guns were fired nearby.

In the morning, she and her group bribed a man (with the $500 they had among them) with a Rider truck to bring them to the West Bank of New Orleans where they knew they would be moderately safer, plus they knew the hurricane had not done as much damage there. They were brought to the West Bank and were dropped off there. They were told they could not stay there, but once the authorities they spoke to realized they were from the Convention Center, they were advised to find a way out of the city completely for they were no safer on the West Bank than they had been back on the other side of the river.

Luckily, they escaped by finding two people in two separate SUVs that were heading to Baton Rouge. She arrived in Baton Rouge around 3:30 yesterday morning and called a cousin of ours. She was finally at her aunt and uncle's house and is fine.

I'm giving you the raw facts, the basics of her story. There is so much more involved there, including the fear of not knowing what was happening to the rest of her family as her mother and sister were at another hospital in New Orleans living their own nightmare.

Please, please, please...continue to pray for everyone affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Hoping All of my Family is OK

I know where Patsy, Suzanne, Michael, Aunt Dot, Darlene and Steve and their families are. We don't know where the rest of the families are. Andree and company, if you read this, drop a comment or email me a phone number where I can reach you. We're desperate to know that everyone is safe.

I know that David (Patsy's husband) made it out of New Orleans safely. I don't know about Conrad (Patsy & company's brother). Jane? Are y'all alright, too?

Also, we haven't heard from Mark's uncle Noah and his family.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOU'RE OK. We're praying, and will continue to do so. Please offer your prayers for everyone affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Oh, and, every looter should be shot. Unless all they're doing is going for water/food/baby stuff, they should be shot.

Hurricane Katrina

New Orleans and all surrounding areas are evacuating. We're safe here, so we're not moving. A lot of family is from New Orleans, though, and I'm sure they're getting out by the car load.

Katrina is purported to be bringing all kinds of devastation with her power. I'm hoping our friendly weathermen are wrong. New Orleans can't handle huge dumpings of rain, and that's what is about to happen here.

Please keep my family in your prayers. The ones in New Orleans are leaving, not knowing what they'll return to. I'm sure that has to be a pretty scary feeling.

Love, Laurie

Random Laurie Fact: This is the first time I can recall being aggravated that a hurricane was coming. In college we'd get excited at the thought, and go buy all kinds of alcohol. Now my first thought was, "Damn! Class is going to be canceled." Weird growing up, you know?

Nothing New

There's nothing new to report. Anthony is doing great! His Grandpa swears he said "Chicken" yesterday, and he's said "Dada" a few more times (Mark still hasn't heard it, though). He's eating like crazy, and his 18 month shorts are finally getting to be too small for him. I've got a few 24 month shorts set aside, so I'm hoping those will do until it's cold weather time.

School starts for me tomorrow. I've got my Biology class from noon until 2:45 tomorrow afternoon and I can't wait! I've already read the first chapter and outlined a bit of it. Biology has always been one of my favorite classes, and I'm anxious to start this "higher learning" Biology.

Nana and Grandpa got home safe and sound from Midland, MI. They brought quite a few gifts for Anthony; the best among them was a pair of shoes that very closely resemble his father's revered Samba shoes. Anthony looks incredibly cute in them, and incredibly grown up. I'll get a picture soon.

We spent most of our weekend with the Chiassons, and then had my dad over for lunch today. My mom and grandmother spent a long weekend in St. Louis, MO at a cousin's wedding, and my dad left this afternoon to pick them up at the New Orleans airport.

That's all for now...not interesting, I know. Sorry.

Thanks for checking in on us!

Love, Laurie, Mark and Anthony

Coming up in Anthony-land:
Monday: Mommy starts school!
Tuesday and beyond: stay tuned!

Lovely, Lovely Labs

Four things:
1. Labs are great. His liver is happy, happy, happy. We'll stay on monthly labs.

2. ENT said his ears are great. Tubes are still in place and doing their job. We'll see her again in February 2006 (unless something needs to be taken care of before then).

3. Anthony didn't get any immunizations today. He got his 12 month immunizations in April (when he was 17 months old) and he can't get his 18 month immunizations until 6 months after his last set. So we'll go back when he's close to 2 for a check-up and he'll get his 18 month immunizations then. The 2 year immunizations will be six months after that, and then he'll be caught up.

4. Anthony's speech isn't where it should be. The pediatrician feels like this could be a case of Anthony not being ready to talk yet, but wants us to get Anthony evaluated for speech therapy anyway. The good news here is Anthony can follow two-step instructions (Get your socks and bring them to Mama, please!) without a problem. His cognitive abilities are there, he's just not talking. So we'll have him evaluated and hope that there's nothing seriously wrong.

This weekend was a quiet one. We ate dinner (crabs again!) with Mark's family on Friday (see the pictures below of Anthony enjoying his pool). Saturday we did yardwork, cleaned the garage, and rotated my tires. After a nap (for me!), we attended church and then went to dinner with Mark's parents. We spent the day with my parents on Sunday and they watched Anthony in the evening while we went to Flemings Steakhouse for dinner. We have been trying to go out to eat there since Mark and Matt graduated in May, but each time we plan to go something else comes up (Anthony's sick, my parents can't watch him, etc). The dinner was SO GOOD. The special we each ordered (well, except Marshall who go Maco Shark!), came with a salad, side and dessert. Well, you can imagine what MY favorite part of the meal was! The key lime pie I had was just divine, but I would rather expound on the deliciousness that was Mark's dessert. He (and Mike) got the Chocolate Lava Cake. 'Nuff said, in my estimation. It came with the cake, chocolate sauce poured into the center of the cake, two scoops of Blue Bell vanilla ice cream plopped into a waffle cone-like dish. IT. WAS. SO. GOOD.

This week should be mildly uneventful. Anthony will go to day care Tuesday - Thursday. I'll drop him off at Mark's parents' house Friday morning, and they will leave for Destin for a weekend beach trip. Mark and I will follow after work Friday (we both get off around noon). Mark and I will return on Sunday, and Anthony will come back with his grandparents on Monday.

My sister, Emilie, comes home from her internship in Atlanta on Sunday! My parents are going to Atlanta on Friday to help her pack up her things and to bring her home.

Well, thanks for checking in on us! I'll put up some pictures of Destin when we get back!

Love, Laurie, Mark and Anthony

Coming up in Anthony-land:
First trip to the beach!

And it's Back to the Daily Grind...

Everything is almost back to normal in Anthony-land! Mark and I are back to work this morning, and Anthony is spending the day with his Maw Maws. My mom and grandmother picked him up from me this morning at work, and then took him off to do their weekly Wal-Mart run. He loves sitting in the buggy and people watching, so taking him is never a chore.

If all goes well and Anthony's wound stays closed, I'll take him to day care on Wednesday. He'll spend the day with Nana tomorrow, though, since I'm still a little concerned about his incision.

While Anthony was in the hospital his Prograf level began to run a little high. At first we assumed it was because he took his Prograf Saturday night (June 12th) at 7:30 after having not eaten since 2:30 that afternoon. Not eating will cause him to absorb more of the medicine than he normally does. But the level was re-run on Monday after two days of good eating (like normal). The level was up from the previous draw. So we decided (I thought Omaha was on board, I learned today they were not) to lower his Prograf dose from 0.5 mg twice a day to 0.5 mg once a day. After two days at that dose, his level dropped back into the range Omaha would like (it was 3.5 this past Saturday). We've remained at the 0.5 mg once a day dose, and will re-draw labs tomorrow. I'm going to have the full range of labs (CBC, Chemistry panel and Prograf level) drawn since I'm nervous about the liver and how it's reacting to the lower dose (or better, how the immune system is reacting to the lower dose). Is the immune system recognizing the liver as foreign? Is Anthony in danger of rejection? I don't know, and that's why I'm having the full range drawn.

Saturday night Mark and I attended Mark's 10-year high school reunion. While we had a good time, it certainly wasn't worth the money we paid to attend. We surely didn't drink $100 worth of alcohol, and the food wasn't diverse enough or good enough for that amount, either. But Mark did get to visit with his old classmates, and if he's happy then I am. We'll do the same thing next year at my 10-year reunion.

Sunday was spent mainly with Mark's family. We had planned on going to brunch with my family in Lafayette, but the thought of getting in the car for a trip again was just unbearable. I so badly just didn't want to go anywhere. I'm lucky to have such a good family who understands that! I'm sure we'll see the Lafayette bunch soon. And Anthony got to go to the LSU lakes yesterday to feed the ducks. He was mildly impressed. I was fascinated with the little ducklings, though! It was really cute to see the baby ducks following their mamas to the bread. My parents and grandmother stopped by on their way home from Lafayette, so we got to wish my dad a Happy Father's Day, too.

As usual, I have pictures to share:
Chillin' at Nana and Grandpa's


Giving my sleeping Daddy a good bye kiss:


Feeding the ducks:


Thanks for checking in on us! I'll update again tomorrow when I know how Anthony's labs are! I won't have his Prograf level back until at least Wednesday, but at least I'll know how his liver is doing!

Love, Laurie, Mark and Anthony
Coming up in Anthony-land:
Tuesday: a day with Nana
Wednesday: a return to day care? Stay tuned!

We're on the Mend

Well, Anthony has now made two full days at Day Care. I told his teacher yesterday afternoon (when she asked how long Anthony had been in her class) that I wasn't counting the number of days he missed on my calendar...I'm counting the number of days he's there! Poor kid! Hopefully this week will be another "all weeker".

We've got a busy June coming up! This Friday, Mark and I will attend a couple friends' wedding rehearsal supper and then take Anthony with us to their wedding the next day. The following weekend, a friend of mine from grade school is getting married (on Saturday the 11th). The weekend of the 17th-19th, Mark and I will attend yet another wedding on the Friday. Saturday we'll take Anthony to "Family Day" at our old High School for Mark's 10-year reunion, and Mark and I will go to the coctail party that night. The next day is Father's Day, and it is also my parents' 34-year wedding anniversary. My grandmother's birthday falls right in there, too (on the 18th?), so we will go to Lafayette that Sunday for brunch. After that, we're done for a week or so.

July Fourth will be right around the corner after all of that hoopla, and we're going to Dallas to spend time with my mom's brother, his wife, their daughter and the two "big dogs". I'm really excited about going; I always love spending time with Uncle Paul and Aunt Stephanie, and we always have a nice relaxing time out there. It's been a family tradition to go to Dallas for the Fourth for a long time. I'm glad that we continue that even now that I've got more family to incorporate into my holiday planning.

Maybe August will be our "quiet" month. I start school at the end of August, but I don't think we have anything planned for the month yet. Maybe a wedding? Maybe some friends coming in to stay for a long weekend? Who knows!

Well, no picture today...SORRY, Stacy! But I'll put another one up soon. Anthony's sure to do something cute enough for me to blog this week.

Thanks for checking in on us!
Love, Laurie, Mark and Anthony

Coming up in Anthony-land:
Friday: Spending the night at Maw Maw and Paw Paw's so Mommy and Daddy can go to that rehearsal supper
Saturday: A wedding!!
Sunday: PEACE AND QUIET?!?!?

A Quiet Afternoon

It's a quiet afternoon here at work. I'm alone in the office this week as my boss is on a cruise and my coworker is in Bay St. Louis. It's usually nice to be alone for a while in the office. I can catch up on my filing and stuff. But I've got no filing to do! I'm sitting here begging the phone to ring so I'll have something to do! Ah...only two more days of this!

Anthony has been home from Day Care so far this week. I think he got a little stomach bug and shared it with Mark. Anthony and I spent the day with Mark's mom on Monday. Mark was home sick and I didn't want to expose Anthony any more than he already had been. Anthony spent Monday night, all day Tuesday, Tuesday night and all day today with my parents. I can't wait to see that little face this afternoon when Mama brings him to me! I miss him!

Anthony's ear infections are cleared up. There is still a little (not infected) fluid in his left ear, so I will bring him back to the pediatrician on June 3rd for a quick look. I really am hoping the fluid will have resolved itself by that point. Another ear infection means more antibiotics. And more antibiotics means more diarrhea. I can't take another turn of that so soon!

I'm hoping to take Anthony back to Day Care again tomorrow. He did manage to complete a full week last week, but that's the only one he's done in the four weeks there! I'm sure the director thinks Anthony's either a really sick child or that I'm making this up!

My dad's 60th birthday is Friday! He was really surprised to see (almost) all of his brothers and sisters in Atlanta this past weekend! We're having another gathering here on Sunday to celebrate again. Trust us Cajuns to extend the partying as long as possible!

Not much is happening in our little world. I'm holding out for July 4th! We'll go to my uncle's house in Heath, TX for an extended weekend visit. We love Dallas, and always enjoy visiting with my aunt and uncle. C'mon July!

Well, thanks for checking in on us.

Love, Laurie, Mark and Anthony

Coming up in Anthony-land:
Friday: Paw Paw's birthday!
Saturday: Maybe a visit to Mark's grandmother in Thibodaux?
Sunday: Paw Paw's Birthday party!
Monday and beyond: Stay tuned!

A Heavy Heart

Last night I received a call from my mom. My dad's best friend passed away at 7:00 last evening. Mr. Darrell had been sick, suddenly, with a lung issue. He had been throwing up some blood, and an emergency surgery was performed to remove his right lung. He was sent home from the hospital this past Wednesday, I believe, and was expected to make a full recovery. Unfortunately, he began to feel poorly yesterday so his wife took him back to the hospital. From that point, no one is sure yet what happened. It is assumed that the threw a blood clot and died from complications from that.

What really gets me is that Mr. Darrell had so much to live for! Why did God choose to take him early? I know it's not my place to question God (and it seems I've done so much of that lately), but I'm angry. Mr. Darrell leaves behind his wife, four children (three married, one a freshman in college), and a grandson. Why would God choose now? His family deserves to have him with them. His grandson deserves to have his Opa (German for grandfather).

And at the same time, I realize that this could have easily been my father. Mr. Darrell was in good health before this lung incident. My father is in good health, too. What makes him any different from Mr. Darrell? The thought of losing my father now is unbearable.

I know one thing. I'm going to cherish every moment I have with my dad. Hug your dad today (or as soon as you can) if you're lucky enough to still have him on this Earth.

Rest peacefully in the loving arms of Jesus, Mr. Darrell. You will be so missed here.

I love you, Daddy.