SURGERY PART 2

Well here is the update from surgery #2. Jayton did extremely well. A lot of lip swelling, worse than the first surgery. But, they did have his mouth clamped open twice as long. Jayton's plastic surgeon used the tissue created from the implanted tissue expanders (surgery #1) and re-vamped his palate. In doing so he no longer has a fistula from the two teeth that were removed from his palate in the spring. Then his plastic surgeon also lengthened his soft palate. Jayton will be on his blended diet until Oct 17, then will move onto a soft food diet. We are going back to Portland on Nov. 20 to see if what they expected to accomplish was accomplished! He currently has stitches the whole length of his palate (which will dissolve) and if you can believe this! Jayton never once took pain meds! He amazes me in his courage, strength and does not let his surgeries get him down. He has a long road ahead of him with more surgeries but I think this was a nice lil speed bump along that road.

Just out of surgery.....and getting ready to drive home- look how swollen his poor lips got!

All the stitches in his mouth....also the mouth rinse he has to do after he eats anything has dis-colored his teeth...

Surgery part 1

Well we are home from part one of Jayton's surgery......I am exhausted- mentally! He is currently napping. Says that he is not in pain, but I am not sure if he says that just because he will not drink the Tylenol with Codeine? He takes his antibiotic GREAT! Thank God! and he also has to rinse his mouth 3 times a day & after meals with a prescription mouth wash. Jayton is also on a blended food only diet for 4 weeks! I feel so bad for my lil guy. We then leave again on the 16th for part two of his surgery which is on the 17th....... so that is a quick update!

poor, poor blog!

My poor blog has been so lonely! No good excuse here for the lack of entries......

Today was the first day of school- wow! Summer is officially over when school starts. Ashlyn is in the 5th grade and Jayton is in 1st. They tell me the first day was great. Jayton loved hot lunch today and poor Ashlyn got blisters from her new shoes. Those were the highlights!

Jayton is having two surgeries next month. One September 10 & then the other the following week on September 16. The first surgery is to place palate tissue expanders in his mouth that he will have in for a week to prepare for his next surgery. The second surgery is to use the tissue from the expanders to repair the fistula in his hard palate, and then they will to have what surgery to lengthen his soft palate. The will be Jayton's 9th & 10th surgery......he has not had what we consider a 'major' surgery since he was 1 yrs old. The others have been fairly minor, although they have all required anesthesia. It is unfortunate that the surgeries could not have been scheduled while he was on summer vacation. So he will be at school for a couple weeks for the 1st grade and then miss at least 6 days for the surgeries. I am anticipating that the recovery is easy and he will not miss much school other than those few days. The not so fun part is the soft food diet he will have to be on.

I think our camper is also officially done for the year- no new camping trips planned. So sad..... I LOVE camping!

With fall approaching that means Halloween is a coming! WOO HOO! I have too many costumes ideas simmering in my head to decide which I want to be- Got the perfect idea lined up for Jeff- you will have to wait and see.........

I guess this is good for a quick post for now!

LOOKS FUN!

Creative Friday-

Well, I did a layout last night.....it has been awhile since I have had the time. But since my blog is titled Lv2Scrap-n-chat! I had better share this layout because I do love 2 scrap!

Bind it All gift

I made a little mini album with my Bind it All yesterday to send to a friend that is having a baby girl. I love that I am getting the hang of the Bind it All.....

4th of July

It was a BUSY 4th of July weekend..... we went to Elk River on the 4th to have a BBQ with family and watch the fireworks. While there we participated in the parade through town. This is just a one family parade that my Aunt & Uncle have each year. They dress the part and throw candy & beads.....we had 'Born in the USA' blaring as we walked. It was pretty fun to be a part of it all.....I hope everyone else had a happy 4th!

Mini photo shoot..........

Here are a few pics that I took of Jayton last night.....I failed as as parent to get pictures of him when he turned 7- so these are it.....which should I send out?!

Neglect!

I have totally been neglecting my poor lonely blog.....I have been very busy with lots to share but finding the time to post is the problem! I really need to take some pictures of the kids Disney albums that I have finished (a year after the actual trip). I almost have Ashlyn's new shabby chic bedroom done & need to post pics of that too......we also went camping, Jayton finished t-ball and I am getting back into exercise mode. With the long weekend coming up I hope to get caught up in my neglect. Until then here is an adorable pic of Jayton & his friend Emilee while we were camping, they had no idea I took the picture- too cute!

JUST A LETTER......

Today in the Lewiston Morning Tribune there was an article regarding the Spokane Shriners Hospital and the fact that they are on a list of sites being considered for closure. I was so saddened by this news since the Shriners organization has been such a benefit for Jayton. Although we are seen at the Shriners Hospital in Portland I would hate to see families who are seen in Spokane face the hardship of a closure. Most people are unaware that this organization is funded by donations only! The healthcare that is provided at the hospitals is free- but more important than that is the services they provide. With us living in a rural area and basically having only one plastic surgeon to turn to for Jayton's care I was so thanful that Shriners came to us and offered the BEST for him in terms of someone who has done several cleft related repairs and had the experience under their belt. So if you support the Shriners organization please write a letter of support for the Spokane site and send it to the organization's chief executive officer or the Chairman of the Spokane board............ thank you! I will get off my soap box now.

Ralph Semb
Shriners Hospitals for Children
2900 Rocky Point Drive
Tampa, FL 33607

or

Ken Boni
12758 Emerald Drive
Hayden Lake, ID 83535

A new 'do' & T-ball too....

Ashlyn decided that she has had enough of her long, un-managable hair & wacked it off! I think she looks adorable and a perfect length for the hot days of summer!
Also, T-ball season is here! This is Jayton's 2nd year of T-ball and you can tell that this year he has an idea on how to play the game. The team he played Tuesday night was hysterical! Everytime someone on Jayton's team hit the ball EVERY kid on the other team ran for the ball and then dog piled fighting for possesion.

Dance recital 2009

Taylor Swift.........

oh me oh my....

.....my life is busy, busy, busy! T-ball has begun for Jayton with two practices so far this week. Ashlyn is still in dance until her recital May 22, then we are done for the summer. Saturday I had my annual yard sale that is so much work I wonder why I do it every year- oh yeah- 'cha ching $$$'! Sunday I washed every window inside & out- I think we have like 15 windows! Then I trimmed bushes and sucked up pine needles and debris from the river rock! Monday I felt so old- I ached from the weekend chores....... I took tomorrow off to go with Ashlyn's class on their rendevouz. I guess we will milk a goat? make butter, rope making, candle making a wagon ride & who knows what else!? Then right after school Ashlyn & I are heading to Spokane for the Taylor Swift concert!! woo hoo! Saturday my best-est friend ever is having her baby shower- this is her first child and I have gone crazy buying her things. Can't help it, baby things are so adorable! Anyway, that is where I have been and what I will be doing. Busy, busy! I cannot believe school is almost OUT! which means summer is near, but what the heck?! it snowed in Moscow! Where is the darn sun? I am going to have to use my tanning bed more to cure my spring blues!!

Happy Birthday Jayton!

Today Jayton is 7 years old. I cannot believe how fast he has grown up!

teacher appreciation week

This week is teacher appreciation week and here is what I made for the kids teachers.......

For Jayton's kindergarten teacher (this is her 1st yr. of teaching!) I covered a wooden perpetual calendar with school paper. Used my cricut to create the numbers and used stamps to create the months. Jayton signed his name on the back. I think it turned out cute!

For Ashlyn's teacher I made a wooden 'grandkids' album. (They have these wooden albums at CPS in all different words- cabin, love, travel, fishing, etc. etc.- they can even create custom ones too.) Anyway, her 4th grade teacher has two grandchildren that she adores and I thought this would be a fitting gift that was not the typical apple/school type since she has been teaching many years. The Fancy Pants paper was a perfect fit for the wymsical feel.......

CRAFTY KIDS

Yep my kids are pretty crafty & pretty imaginable too! For art week at school kids created animals, any animals they wanted using mostly recycled materials. I have to say this was a way cool idea and you can tell all the kids had a blast doing it! Jayton made a lady bug, well the whole class made lady bugs but they are just in Kindergarten. Anyway, Jayton won best of class (1st) out of the Kindergarten classes! Too cool, he was so excited & surprised.

*click on pic to see it larger

Ashlyn made a chicken. She was going to make a kangaroo but it just developed into a chicken & WOW what an awesome chicken it was using an old bleach bottle, pieces of a butter tub and paper plates. She did some paper mache', a little paint & some feathers. Well, Ashlyn won best of class (1st) too for the 4th graders & she also won best of show out of the whole school. I am a proud momma! She did so awesome with no help at all from me! They did it all at school. Their projects are going to be keepers!!!

* click on pic to see it larger

what'z up?!

Today Jayton colored his Easter eggs. Ashlyn didn't really want to and she was staying with a friend and Jayton DID NOT want to wait until tomorrow to do them!

Tomorrow I plan to zip up to Moscow and get a few things for my scrappin' weekend! Then hurry home so I can start packing a little. I do not want to take EVERYTHING! Seems like I always end up taking more than I need. I also need to create a play list on my Ipod of music for the scrappin' weekend!
I have been going to Zumba with Cori- it is so FUN! It does not feel like exercise to me since I love to dance. I am getting use to the hip action. Got some new moves for our Halloween Party!
I hope to have a yard sale SOON! I have so much stuff to get rid of. I am just having a hard time picking a weekend to do it.
That is all I have- for now!

New column to check out.......

You need to check out this new link.....It is a new column called Friday Findings that Georgia from Adornit has announced that she will be having on her blog- Every Friday she will share something unique whether it is decor, something to read, craft related or even home decor. I love this idea..... today's finding is a magazine called BOHO. I have never heard of this magazine and I am excited to find it & purchase something that someone else finds GREAT!!!.....so check out her Friday Findings.

acrylic MOM album

I created an acrylic MOM album for CPS who will be at MOMS WEEKEND @ WSU this weekend... I whipped it out last night after Zumba! I will also have a wooden word album to share soon that I am giving as a gift. Almost complete.........