Just Breathe

Christmas War

2011-12-27T11:10:00.001-06:00

This year's Christmas celebration was a war.....A marshmallow war!

To add to the festivities, I made everyone a PVC marshmallow shooter.

These little launchers can pack a punch with a mini marshmallow.

John was a little "ganged" up on. At one point he was even using Ollie as his shield.

Dad even got in on the action. We laughed so hard my stomach was aching.

Thats Mitch's head....he had 2 guns! Row walked around, oblivious to the war, picking up the marshmallows and eating them.

Looks like we have a new tradition!

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer.....

2011-12-22T11:18:00.000-06:00

Is by having a party and dressing up in your tackiest attire!

Last weekend was our 4th annual Tacky Christmas Sweater Party. It was a blast, as always!

This year it was held at the Power Plant in downtown Andalusia. We found this to be an awesome location (with the exception of a plumbing problem) and hope to have it here in the years to come.

Our wonderful friend, Will (pictured with his super sweet fiance', Julie) was the DJ for this year's event and did a fabulous job!

He even prompted a few "dance offs".

I will not list the names of these dancers......

you know who you are!

It's always fun to see the sweaters that are worn.

Our group has quite the collection of sweaters and swaps them out each year.

*If you have a Christmas sweater you would like to donate to our collection, please let me know.

Everyone Loves A Parade

2011-10-13T08:09:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago Andalusia High School celebrated Homecoming. This time of year is always exciting for me. I love fall! Football, cooler weather, leaves changing color (not to big on the falling part-mess!), fires, sweatshirts, chili, and the list goes on!

The best part about Homecoming is the parade, short as it may be, OP loves it!

This year Row joined us.

We loaded the kiddos up in the wagon and headed the long trek to E3N St (maybe 100 steps ;).

Baby sister, Lesley, celebrated her 10 year reunion. That's her cute self right above the "of ".

I believe they had a great time!!

Ollie wore her cheerleader outfit and cheered and waved to everyone that came by. To this day, she still talks about the band.

Bubs, aka Jeffery, joined us and helped out with our little big guy..Row. He's a hand full!

Me and Boogie, enjoying the day.

I am so happy to share these moments with Ollie.

Hopefully, she will be a 3rd generation AHS graduate.

Go Bulldogs!!

Little Big Girl

2011-09-07T20:53:00.001-05:00

I recently looked at my baby and realized, she's not a baby anymore. It's like it happened overnight, seriously! Although at some times she drives me crazy with all the talking and questions, she is the most precious thing I have ever seen and I thank God for her everyday!

The other night, while laying in bed, she turned to me and said, "Mommy? I lub you." She does this often but it is usually only after I say it to her first. She is also quite capable of having complete conversations. It's surreal. She can tell me about her day and what she did and who she saw. Everyday I am blown away by what a little big girl she is.

Ollie recently began ballet lessons. She loves to dance. Just last week, as the other girls were entering the studio lobby, she would walk up to them and while doing a small jig would say, "Hey! Are you weady to dance? You wanna wok and woll?" So funny!

Ollie also began preschool. She is in a "Pre-three" class. It meets once a week for 3 hours. She has never been anywhere without a relative. In order to leave I had to sneak away and it broke my heart. Just to think about her turning around and her momma being gone, tore me apart. Apparently she cried quite a bit on her first day but I hoping she will adjust soon.

As of today Ollie can spell her name, count to 11 and sing the entire ABC song. She loves to dance and sing, popsicles, her kitty, swimming with her swimmies (she's really good) and her mamma. Her favorite shows include Barney, Elmo and Spongebob. She copies EVERYTHING I do....even the bad stuff. Some favorite foods are boiled peanuts, goldfish, fruit loops and gushers. She wears a size 12-18 month in the waist (still a little big) but needs closer to a 3T for length. She is not pottytrained!! She knows what it is and has gone in the potty several times, she just refuses to do it on a normal basis. She says to me, while patting her diaper, "I no potty, I just tee tee in my biper." Duh, mommy!!

Either way, she is my favorite little person, my sunshine, my heart and soul and I cannot imagine life without her!

Lynsey

Making Deals = Home on Wheels

2011-09-07T19:51:00.000-05:00

Let me elaborate....

At the beginning of Spring, John and I were having a conversation. I wanted a camper! We love camping, as seen in my last post, but I really wanted to be able to take Ollie. A tent in the middle of the woods won't quite cut it when trying to transport a little one, all her stuff and most importantly her medications. Not to mention we're getting a little old for the tent....me anyway! After much begging, John stated that if my parents sold their condo, one in which we visited often, we would get a camper. Well, low and behold, one month later, the condo sold. Sad. Very sad! On the up side, CAMPER!!! I really don't think John believed it would sale so quickly or that dad would really let it go. After much searching the world of campers, we came across one we just had to have.

We wanted to stay small so that it's easy to transport but wanted enough room for us as well as maybe some camping company. It's perfect!

We took our first trip to Navarre. John was working in Gulf Breeze so it was convenient for him and fun for me and O. We opted to spend a little extra and scored a spot right on the water. The weather was awesome and the view was even better. It was so nice to enjoy a vacation with all our belongings, linens, shower kitchen, beds and TV all packed in. Basically a home away from home!

We cannot wait for our next trip!

I Dream of Ginnie

2011-08-04T11:16:00.000-05:00

We recently made our "annual" trip to Ginnie Springs. I use annual lightly because we were not able to make our trip the summer of 2010. This was, however, mine and John's 3rd visit and everyone agrees that once a year is a must!

Ginnie Springs is privately owned and is a world-renowned dive destination and campground located just outside of High Springs Florida.

The park consists of seven crystal-clear, freshwater springs within over 200 acres of woods all along the banks of the Santa Fe River.

Each day, the 7 separate springs discharge hundreds of millions of gallons of crystal-clear water that is a constant 72 degrees, year round.

Although this may sound like the perfect family vacation, let me remind you that this is a privately owned park, not state. This means alcohol consumption is rampet and very few rules apply (great selling point for us ;). I wouldn't take kids unless you want them coming home with a new "French" vocabulary.....just saying.

This year our good friends Hal and Laura returned with us and new to the springs, Martin and Courtney also came along.

After 3 years at the springs, we have become accomplished campers! Our campsite was the envy of others.
Hal and Laura brought their pop up camper complete with a quite run generator and AC. John and myself "roughed" it in our tent, hopefully for the last time since we are currently in the market for a camper.

The nights by the river are nice and breezy and we actually got a little cold in the wee hours of the morning. Unlike our trip 2 summers ago, the weather was perfect! We endured a little sprinkle the last night we were there but other than that it was sunshine all day long.

The only bad part of our trip, besides LOUD neighbor campers, was the newest resident of Ginnie.

Upon check-in, we were notified of the presence of an 11 foot alligator that had taken up home in the Santa Fe river and supposedly lived very close to our favorite camp spot.

Just kidding!

There was an 11 footer somewhere around the property but luckily we never saw him.
The Florida Wildlife People came out on Friday and took care of him....*hint-I don't think he was relocated!

Woulda made a great purse....

All in all, the trip was awesome, the company was a blast and the weather was amazing!

Can't wait for next year!!

Upload

2011-07-14T18:36:00.000-05:00

The past few times I have attempted to blog, I quit mid-post because the amount of time it takes to upload sends me over the edge. However, I am trying again….

First and foremost, I would like to introduce the newest addition to our family, Miss Lilah Belle DuBose.

My brother in law, Jep and his wife, my sis in law, Valerie, recently welcomed little Lilah into the world. Fortunately (due to a scheduled induction), John, Ollie and myself were able to make the trip to Birmingham to be there for the birth. I will not go into much detail, you can catch up on Jep, Val and Lilah here, but I will say that Val is my hero! ;)

Lilah Belle is the most beautiful little thing I have ever seen! She’s perfect and I cannot wait to visit and love on her again!

This past 4^th of July, we spent the weekend at the Gantt Lake. Our wonderful friends, Hal, Laura and their little one joined in on the fun. Unfortunately, I did not capture any pictures with the Lairds (Hal & Laura) but I did manage this picture of baby Murphy. I love this kid to pieces!!

Our days at the lake were spent swimming. The water has been super clear (for Gantt anyway). Lately Ollie has been swimming up a storm while wearing her swimmies! We do, however, have to keep a close eye on her because those skinny little arms can easily slip right out of her swimmies.

She has become a "river rat" and even tried out the slide (with daddy of course)

and rode the Polaris with me (John took this picture...terrible!)

Here are a few more from the holiday weekend...

Floating with ShuShu.

Eating boiled peanuts with LeeLee.

Last I leave you with a few pictures taken by Leigh Ann O'Neal who owns Nanabell Art Photography.

Much love to all!

Kicking CF Booty

2011-05-23T20:06:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday, Ollie’s Army participated in Great Strides. Great Strides is the CF Foundation’s biggest fundraiser and takes place all over the country. The mission of the CF Foundation is to assure the development of the means to cure and control cystic fibrosis and to improve the quality of life for those with the disease.

This year’s Great Strides was super special because Ollie was able to participate. As most of you know, Ollie was hospitalized in 2009 for 2 weeks and was unable to attend the walk. The 2009 Great Strides took place in Crestview and our team raised close to $15,000. The large amount of money we raised was mostly from our first Gantt Lake Poker Run and although Ollie’s Army did not walk in 2010, we were able to make a considerable donation that year as well.

As I said before, this year was very special. The walk took place at the Montgomery Zoo and even though it was uber hot, we had a really good time. Although we walked ALOT, it was not an actually walk. We did a scavenger hunt with clues that lead us to different animals. At each stop, we got a sticker which was right up Ollie's ally. That girl loves some stickers!

I am so proud of my little Ollie. She is so smart and so good. She loved the animals and could tell you just about what each one was. We were able to walk out on an overlook and feed the giraffes. She wasn't really much about getting too close. A baby giraffe came up and ate some of the grass we were provided. He was so cute and so tall....even as a baby.

Even though we had an amazing day, I was constantly reminded of the severity of this disease. Everyone with Cystic Fibrosis was given a rose pin to wear showing others who was who. Although CF is not contagious it is extremely important for those with the disease to not come in contact with each other. This, to me, is very sad. This disease is very rare and only about 5-6 CF’ers were present yesterday. The bonding that helps people cope in other diseases is impossible with CF. Even if they are healthy and no infections or bacteria are present, it is dangerous to be in close contact for the risk of having something in which they are unaware of is high. At this age, Ollie is not aware she has CF let alone know to avoid those that do. I find it very neat that one of my nieces is “best friends” with a girl that has CF. She was able to attend the event yesterday and is the cutest and sweetest thing I’ve ever seen. I could tell that she was somewhat nervous about being around others with CF but as the day progressed I think she was grateful to see all the others that understand and experience the day to day life of a CF’er. She spoke to Ollie (from a distance) and I hope that they can become friends via e-mail one day.

We are so blessed to have such a wonderful support group and with their help Ollie's Army raised over $4,500.00. This was an amazing achievement! Thank you to everyone that came and participated in this year's Great Strides and a big thank you to everyone that donated. I realize with our economy, money is hard to spare so I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support! Overall the Foundation raised over $20,000.00 at this event. Yay!!

I am even more confident today, that a cure will be found. Thank you all!!

Much Love,

Lynsey & Family

Whew!

2011-05-16T11:30:00.000-05:00

Now that I have a little down time, he's a post of what we've been up to.

Ollie Pearl turns 2!

On Wednesday May 4, Ollie turned 2 years old. We had a small gathering with family at our house and grilled burgers and enjoyed birthday cake. My mom made the cake, which was delicious, and I decorated it.

Ollie received some awesome gifts (not too many!). From her Shu Shu and Pop Pop, she got a new flat screen TV for her bedroom. (My mom, aka Shu Shu, was terrified her old HUGE TV was going to fall on her.)

With a new TV, I rearranged O's room and it looks so grown-up! She now has a "big girl" bed and the baby bed has been stored away. I have to take a moment and brag. I picked up her new toddler bed at an antique/flea market for a whopping $5. I little pink paint and it's brand new!

From her Poppa Jim and Momma Jackie she received a dress up trunk full of cutesy princess outfits. She has been sporting these for the last few days. So cute!

Her Sissy, Mitch (whom she worships), and Row, Ollie got a pink t-ball set. She hasn't quite figured out how to swing the bat to hit the ball but she love placing the ball on the tee, over and over.

Unfortunately all of our family couldn't visit with us on O's b-day but being short notice and in the middle of the week, it's very understandable. She is super loved by everyone and they all called to tell her hello! She even got a Yo Gabba Gabba radio in the mail from Uncle Jep and Aunt Val. She loves it!

*Note to Jep & Val- I can't wait to buy Lilah noisy toys! ;)

The weekend after Ollie's birthday was the Andalusia Junior Woman's Club's 2nd Annual Three Notch Market. I was chair of publicity was the event and also had a booth. Although I do not have any pictures from the day, it turned out to be a great time and my "Sassy DuBows" booth did very well. With my profits, I treated myself to a new Kindle but that's a whole other story.

Last week I had Anatomy 202 finals. I ended up with an 87.9 in the class! I am so happy it's over and am dreading summer term which starts next Wednesday. Micro-Biology-YUCK!

This past weekend, and the wrap-up of all the craziness my life has been these past few weeks, was the wedding of one of my Oldest and dearest friends. Jennifer Lee and Philip McClung finally tied the knot! The wedding was beautiful and the reception was amazing!

Now, I'm off to enjoy the easy going, nothing to do day with my girl!

EGGS

2011-04-17T20:36:00.001-05:00

Today we participated in our church's annual Easter Egg hunt. This year was so much fun and several little ones attended and searched for eggs. We went last year (picture below) but Ollie, being just shy of 1 year old, was not walking. She enjoyed last year's hunt from her wagon and her daddy managed to find her a few eggs for her basket.

This year, because she has never hunted for eggs before, we had a few practice rounds last night. She caught on really quick and LOVED finding eggs. The best part is that as she is running around searching, I just dip into the basket and toss eggs here and there. With every turn she is so excited to see more eggs and the hunt goes on and on. The church hunt was no different. She was ready to go!

I was a little worried that she wouldn't be able to get many eggs with the bigger kids hunting too but it turns out that our little pratice paid off. She is an egg hunting queen and came home with a whopping 46 eggs.

The weather could not have been better and the Springdale Estate makes a beautiful backdrop for pictures.

Here are a few from our morning.

Ollie and William checking out "baby sharks".
We asked them to hold hands and Ollie said "NO!". Her daddy was proud. ;)

Sissy and Row. He was too precious in his sailboat romper.

Ocean got quite a bucketful of eggs. He was very handsome in searsucker pants, a polo and a yellow belt. That kid's got style!

Asher demonstrating how to find and carry lots of easter eggs at one time.

FUMC's beautiful children. (Thats lil Row in the front- What a sweetheart!)

And last, me and my sweetie!

Happy Easter!!

L.O.L.

2011-04-16T13:37:00.001-05:00

LOL x 2 = Laugh out loud and Lots of Love!

This past week, being Spring Break (for my school teacher sister), we decided it was a must to hit the beach for a few days. At one time, with this particular group, it was known as a girl trip and although it mostly was (me, Ollie, Lesley, Mom, Leanne) we've added a new member to the bunch; Row Man!

He fit in pretty well but if he's anything like his daddy, I doubt we will be enjoying his company in a few years. He will have turkeys to hunt!

Anyway, we loaded down Lesley's 4-Runner with 2 babies and 4 adults along with beach chairs, coolers, toys, etc. Needless to say the ride was somewhat of a discomfort, we made it to the condo in Cinco Bayou safe and sound. It just so happens that our story and picture made the Florida panhandle's Daily News! CrAzY!

(not this picture)

After a little shopping and some yummy dinner we ventured in for the night to rest up for a big day at the beach.....boy was it!

It was really fun to hang with the sisters and mom and the 2 little ones. We had a blast!

Ollie proved to her "ShuShu" that she is a definite beach babe and played in the water and sand the entire time. She absolutely, 100% LOVES the beach.

She even let us bury her in the sand...I couldn't believe it!

Once our day at the beach turned a little too hot, we headed back to the condo for a dip in the pool and to enjoy the bay for a bit.

The bay is perfect for Ollie and Row cause there are no waves (unless a big boat comes by) and the water temperature is a little warmer.

I am really proud of my Ollie. She is so sweet to Row (unless he grabs her toys) and gives him hugs and kisses all the time. Although she can be quite the brat sometimes, her sweetness is oh so precious!

For instance:

Is this not the cutest picture ever!!!

So stinking precious!!

I just wish I could get her to smile in a picture with me....

To wrap it up, we had an amazing time and O has yet to quit talking about the beech. Thank you Mom for being such a sweet and wonderful mother and for taking care of us and our little ones! You are the BEST mom a girl could ask for!

I love you!!!

Bring it on!

2011-04-04T09:46:00.000-05:00

Let me start by saying that as I type this post, Ollie (along with her daddy) is sound asleep.

We had a BIG weekend.

Since our trip to Mexico Beach a few weeks ago, Ollie has talked nonstop about the beach. She is constantly saying, “Let’s go to da beech”. So, we did. What can I say, I love da beech too! We are very fortunate that my parents have a condo in Ft. Walton (sadly, it is for sale) and OP loves to go there. Not only is it located on Cinco Bayou, has a nice little pool, is a short drive to the beach, it has access to the bay, where O and I love to hang out, look at fish and catch crabs. On this particular trip, my good friend Christian joined us, along with her husband Bob and sweet son, Asher (OP calls him Cash), who is just 5 months older than Ollie.

Oh, the funny conversations between these two!!

Saturday morning we got up and ready to hit the beach. This year was much easier. We no longer had to tote a huge tent along with Ollie and all our beach stuff. Although Ollie can now walk herself down to the water, she felt the need to stop and talk to everybody on the boardwalk along with pointing out every bird in the sky. Needless to say, it took us a while to get there.

Once we got there, this is where Ollie stayed. Right at the water's edge (with daddy very nearby). She laughed and hooped and hollared all day. She was great entertainment for us and other beach goers as well.

Luckily, the water (and weather) was clear and beautiful with small waves. She had a blast.

On the other hand, this is where Asher stayed. Close enough to see the water, but far enough that he wouldn't get wet. He loved playing in the sand and with the beach toys, just not real big on the water.

This picture illustrates the distinct personalities.

Ollie has begun roleplaying. The set of pictures below is of her pretending to leave.

She say's bye bye daddy. See you later.

Come here, I give you kiss. Muuuaaah!

Love you.

So sweet.

If this weekend was a sign of the summer to come, BRING IT ON!!!

Lynsey

2011-03-29T11:32:00.002-05:00

Free photo slideshow personalized with Smilebox

Andele to Mexico!

2011-03-16T09:17:00.000-05:00

Beach, that is!

John recently had a job to oversee in Port St Joe, so naturally, Ollie and I decided to tag along. We had never been to Mexico Beach, Port St. Joe or Cape San Blas. It was beautiful, quaint and super family friendly. We stayed at a hotel in Mexico Beach called El Governor. It was right on the water and had a heated pool to boot. Our room was on the forth floor and the view was magneficient.

I should mention that J and I got lots of exercise going up and down the stairs. Ollie has developed a fear of elevators and screams for the entire ride. We thought it would be best to not torture the other vacationers and get a little exercise in as well. Ollie and I spent most of our time out on the balcony watching the birds and the sunset all while playing with stickers (her newest obsession). Although on Friday the weather was beautiful, the wind was killer.

We did venture down to the beach where Ollie played for a straight hour. She had so much fun but I'm afriad that the runny nose she has suffered from this past week is due in full to playing in the cold water.

Ollie also got a new pair of sunglasses for the trip.

ROCKSTAR!!!

I recently got a new camera and had lots of fun taking pictures from my beach chair.

This is one of my favorites.

After the beach, we hit the heated pool.

With the wind blocked from the building we had nothing but sunshine.

Much to our surprise, Ollie let us put swimmies on her and actually swam a while all by herself.

I think this is pretty impressive for a 22 month old.

Later that day, while J was working, I put Ollie in an old dress

I purchased from the Emporium (Flea Market) in Andalusia.

It has an old look to it and made beautiful beach photos.

I got a little carried away taking pictures and Ollie was in no mood to cooperate.

We had a great getaway and I cannot wait to take another beach trip with Boogie and J.

We leave you, Mexico Beach, with this:

2011-02-16T08:23:00.000-06:00

I love the playground -

I feel so free

To run around

Between the trees.

I can dance

And I can shout.

I can prance

And jump about.

I can swing

The whole long day.

My feet touch the sky -

Up, up, away!

I can spin

On the merry-go-round

Until I’m dizzy,

Then slow me down.

I can climb,

I never stop.

Like a mountian lion,

Straight to the top.

Ding Ding....

2011-02-11T17:15:00.000-06:00

Round 2
In the fight against Cystic Fibrosis.

I am forming a team to participate in this years Great Strides walk for Cystic Fibrosis.

Although my life is hectic and I feel like I have no time to accomplish anything, I have decided to sign up for another CF walk. Our last walk was in Oct 2009 and Ollie's Army raised over $14,000......CRAZY!!!! The CF foundation has been begging for Ollie's Army to return (I wonder why? ;)) and I finally gave in. It is at this time that money for CF is greatly needed. A cure for my sweet OP is on the horizon and the funds are needed to make it possible. This years walk will take place at the Montgomery Zoo...YeeHaw! It will be much bigger and more organized than the Crestview walk (it was the first year for C-view). Most of you have kids that would love an afternoon at the zoo and what better excuse to go than to go and raise money for CF. Please take the time to register and be part of the "Army". If you have any questions feel free to contact me. I look forward to walking and raising money with all of you and am blessed to call you friends!

*To sign up, simply click on the great strides widget at the top right hand corner. This will take you to our team page and there you should click "join my team". It's super easy and convenient.

Much Love,
Lynsey

New Alabama License Plate

2011-02-09T08:57:00.001-06:00

Help make the Fighting Cystic Fibrosis license plate an official license plate for the state of Alabama!

In order for the state to produce the CF license plates, 1,000 must be pre-sold by April 2011. For an investment of less than $5 per month, you can help raise over $41,000 for cystic fibrosis!

The cost is $50 & $41.25 of that amount directly supports the fight against CF, especially transitional care for CF patients at Children's Hospital of Alabama and UAB Hospital. Transitional care bridges the gap between child & adult patients and encompasses all areas of need including staffing, space, equipment, and research as patients approach adulthood and beyond. Plus these license plates are a great way to increase CF awareness. Just think of the impact it will make when we have 1,000+ CF license plates on cars driving around the state!

FREE FOR FEBRUARY

Now through February 28th you can get free CF license plates! Please take advantage of this offer by getting license plates for all of your vehicles and recruiting friends and family to get CF tags. We need your help in getting our number up! Thanks to our sponsor who is allowing this promotion to run for the month. To get your free tag(s), please follow the steps below.

To download the limited Power of Attorney form click here.

Fill out the form and mail it back to the address listed. (The form must be notarized before sending back.)

To receive the free plate(s), please make sure all forms are postmarked by Monday, February 28th.

After we visit the DMV to purchase your CF license plate, we will mail your receipt(s) back to you.

In order to take advantage of the free CF license plate offer, you must use the Power of Attorney form. Should you wish to visit the DMV yourself, the cost of the license plate will be the regular price of $50. If you want to purchase the plate at your local DMV, follow these steps:

Visit your local county DMV office.

Tell the representative that you would like to purchase the Fighting Cystic Fibrosis License Plate

Fill out the form, pay the $50 fee, and keep the receipt they give you

You'll be notified once 1,000 plates have been sold, and your plate is ready!

The sooner we reach 1,000 plates, the sooner we can have them on our cars, so please get your license plate today!

If you have questions, please contact us:

Phone: 205-871-9140

Email: stephanie@lapsforcf.org

I Need To Smile....

2011-02-09T08:33:00.000-06:00

And when the sun is out, I've got something I can smile about.

Although as I sit here and type this, it's freezing outside,

we did enjoy the sun a few weeks ago and took pictures to prove it.

Introducing Aubie and BooBoo. Ollie takes these 2 everywhere.

I bought her Aubie (tiger) when she was hospitalized over a year ago

and her daddy let her pick out BooBoo (pink bunny) at TJ Max a while back.

Out of all the cute stuffed animals, Ollie wanted this ugly bunny that,

as it turns out is a dog toy.....seriously!

Right there on the paw it says "my pet's pet".

Unfortunately at this moment BooBoo is M.I.A. Oooops!

The weather was so nice, we went for a little boat ride.

Family time.

Pop Pop letting Ollie be the captain.

This kid loves some popcorn! Looks like she's guarding it from ShuShu.

WATER!

With such nice weather, who could resist a little ice deam.

You want to see a "little Lynsey", try and take away her ice deam dome. WOW!

Back to reality.....lets figure out what to do today.....inside.

Booooo for cold weather!

Lynsey

Shake the Devil Off

2011-01-30T20:25:00.000-06:00

I recently read a book called Shake the Devil Off by Ethan Brown. This book is based on the true story of Zack Bowen and Addie Hall of New Orleans, LA. I heard about this couple on a ghost tour that John and I took on my birthday "scare-a-thon" celebration. Although the story of this tortured couple is sad and super gruesome, I have been obsessed with their lives as well as the history of the "Crescent City".

We learned from the tour that Zack's ghost haunts the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel. That's all I needed to hear in order to do a little paranormal research and get the whole story. Although I will not elaborate (if you are interested you can read the book-highly recommend), I will say that Zack, an Army vet, killed his girlfriend, Addie, during an argument over a New Orleans Apartment. Several days after Addie's murder, Zack jumped to his death from the eighth floor balcony of the Omni Royal. Zack now spends his days apologizing to guests of the hotel.

Let me also mention that this couple was highlighted in several new papers across the country for their refusing to leave their beloved city during Hurricane Katrina.

Although the story of Zack and Addie intrigued me, I was fascinated by how in depth the Arthur got about the city's crime and crooked politics. I found it very interesting to hear of all these bad things (along with the good) of a city that I hold so dear.

NOLA is a city of spirit and magic and of a faith so strong, even a hurricane could not bring it down. The folks of NO have the ability to "shake the devil off". When someone dies (usually because of murder/crime) they have a parade and shake it off.

The best way to get rid of the bad is to do a little dance and shake the devil off!

On A Roll.....

2011-01-21T19:26:00.000-06:00

Blogging again.....

I've been told to give updates (and pictures) more often, so here goes:

I have been meaning to take a picture and blog about the most fabulous Christmas present I received.

This beautiful table was handmade by my dad (please ignore the cord). The best part is it has a history. The table top is actually an old mantel that was in our house before we began renovating. The legs are made from pilings left over from an old porch. Dad sanded down both the pilings and the mantel and stained them. The finished result is gorgeous! I love this table and will cherish it always.

Don't call child services just yet....

Ollie actually loves to do everything I do.

She impersonates me constantly,

from talking on the phone (holding it between her shoulder and head),

to washing the windows and turning the water on in the tub and checking the temperature.

Yesterday turned out to be a pretty nice day so I decided to clean out and wash my ride.

O was determined to help.

I had trouble stopping her once the car was clean and now

have little dirty circles to prove it.

Because Ollie loves to impersonate me so much, she got a little broom for Christmas. I had the wonderful idea of tapping a swiffer to it and vola, an instant dust magnet. Might as well be doing some good while sweeping back and forth. I will say that I have seen less dust bunnies....

She's awesome help.

Ollie recently had the opportunity to pick the first lemon (yep, it's a lemon) from our neighbor's greenhouse lemon tree. She was totally amazed and can now distinguish lemons from apples. Thanks for the learning experience Mr. James.

For any "out of town" readers, the cute little house in the background is ours.....

Precious, right??

Ollie is such a cheeser.

She has finally begun to push herself around on her radio flyer. The funny thing is that she pushes herself all around the house and sings, all while giving her two favs, BooBoo and Aubie a ride.

Life is good, very good!

Lastly, to all my friends (or not friends) that are running, Yay!!! I am very proud of you!

My advise is that when your body and lungs think they cannot take anymore, push on a little farther. You'll surprise yourself that by pushing just that little bit, you're able to keep going and going. Think of it as a hill, it's hard work and determination to get to the top but once you're there it smooth sailing.

Get up, get out & run!

Peace!!

Squat!

2011-01-21T14:04:00.000-06:00

Thats about what I have time for these days.

Although Ollie and I stay home during the day, we stay super busy. I am currently taking Anatomy & Physiology 202 and my teacher this semester is real big on busy work. I am hoping that in doing all this busy work I have a good chance of making a good grade (still patting myself on the back for my B+ in A&P 201) but it does take away from study time. It's also super hard to find time to accomplish all my assignments. Between keeping up with a 19 month old, running a household, plain ol running and spending time with my husband, I have very little "school" time left (let alone blog time).

Moving on, A few weeks ago Ollie had an appoitment in Birmingham and all checked out fine. She has grown (in height and weight) and is now in the 22nd percentile, up from 16th. Yay! We also heard from O's Pulminary nurse a week after her check up and Ollie remains Pseudomonas free. If I am counting correctly, that 15 months straight! SUPER YAY!!

I have been wanting to share a little of Ollie's verbal skills. She can talk up a storm and does so from sun-up to sun-down....seriously. The other night while watching American Idol, Ollie stood in front of John and sang. She couldn't stand the fact that her daddy was watching other people sing. As the contestants got louder, Ollie got louder. Her songs make no sense but she has been singing quite a bit about sunshine. Maybe she'll become a songwriter/singer one day.

Below are some of Ollie's favorite words & sentances (aka; the things shes says all day).

Momma Daddy Wo (cousin-short for Rowland) Sissy (Lesley)

Shu Shu (my mom) Pop Pop (my dad)

Midge (Mitch, and she says this for all tall bald guys-sorry Midge)

Leelee (Leanne)

Aubie (she is obsessed with Aubie but her die hard Alabama fan dad taught her that Aubie say "roll tide").

Wo Tide (roll tide) nak (snack) baba (bottle-this is what I wake up to)

duce (juice) Wo wa (Lola-dog) Dinky (dog) O tay (OK-usually used instead of yes)

dold (cold) brrrrrrr (following told) outdide (outside)

peas (when she wants something or when she just wants "peas")

dank ew (thank you) hey (everytime she see you) dum iiiinnnnn (come in-knock at the door)

hellwo (hello) wing (swing) side (slide)

And the cutest is everytime she hears John's boot hit the porch late in the day, she yells "Yay! Daddy!!"

So sweet.

She can also name pretty much all animals and tell you what they say. It's pretty impressive until you get to Aubie and she says "Roll Tide".

And, she is making sentances, like dank ew mama, dum in pop pop, dum ear Wo wa and I dold, brrrrrr.

She's quite the little ray of sunshine on these dreary days.

Fast As Christmas?

2010-12-28T20:11:00.000-06:00

I have decided to ban the term, "Slow as Christmas". It's silly!

Although time does fly (when you're having fun), we had an AWESOME Christmas! Ollie still doesn't totally grasp the whole "Santa" thing, but she had a blast playing with all her new toys. John and I decided to enjoy our last Christmas of sleeping in (if 7:00 is sleeping in). We gave Ollie her breakfast before we actually got up and went to see what all Santa had left. Ollie was too cute in her little bunny slippers and pjs. When she entered the living room and saw all the new toys she froze.

She stood in amazement and just looked at everything. I had to explain to her that this would not happen often...just once a year. We had a blast! Mom and Dad came over for breakfast and played with O and her new things. This was the second year I made breakfast for the family and I am hoping it becomes a little tradition. Lesley, Mitch and Row left Christmas morning for Wetumpka to have Christmas with Mitch's family. Although the whole family didn't get together Christmas day, we did enjoy Christmas Eve with everyone. Mom made dinner and we opened gifts. This year was so much fun having two kiddos.

Jumping back to the weekend before......

We did Christmas in Elba and Enterprise.

John has a really big family and it's hard to get us all together.

The 4 brothers have a little tradition of jumping in the pool every Christmas (above photo).

Although Christmas in Elba is somewhat chaotic (with 11 adults and 7 kids) it's lots of fun!

And if you are wondering what Santa brought me......I got a watch. Not just any watch!! It's a runners watch and tells distance, speed, time, calories burned and more. I love it. According to last night's reading I ran 6.06 miles at an average speed of 5.1 mph. Yes, I ran for an hour. Whoop whoop!

Who says 31 is old??

Lynsey

My Latest Adventure

2010-12-05T18:38:00.000-06:00

I've always been a "do it myself" type of gal and I recently tried my hand at making quilts. Because quilts take alot of planning and time, I wanted my first quilt to be for my mother. Although I am not a perfect seamstress, all I had to do was follow instructions. This includes choosing fabrics, cutting, sewing and piecing the quilt together. Because I do not own a quilting machine, I found a sweet lady in Pleasant Home to quilt my finished quilt top. It came out beautifully. I started small and made a lap quilt. My mom LOVES it and I am officially hooked on quilting. Now if I could just find the time..........

Lynsey

You Read Right....

2010-11-02T14:07:00.002-05:00

Second place baby!

I have been training for a total of 9 weeks now and just recently ran in my first 5K. As most of you know, I have never been a runner. I always wanted to be but couldn't even make it 2 blocks down the road. I decided I was going to give it a try, after all, I enjoy a challenge. Well, I did it. I ran in and finished my first 5K and did it in a mere 31 minutes. For those not familiar with a 5K, it's 3.1 miles. Our course was pretty tough with the last mile being mostly uphill. It also took place (like most runs) in the morning, a time in which I am not so full of energy. I have no problem running at night and ran 3 miles just last night without even becoming out of breath, but something about the sun and the cool crisp air and no coffee and I thought I was going to die. I actually ran past my house with less than a mile to go and seriously thought about running inside and quitting. I stuck with it and am oh so happy I did. It's official, I'm a runner. Yay! And to top it off, a 2nd place trophy to prove it. I guess I should add that I wasn't second place in the race, I was second place in the women's group and narrowed down even more to the 30-34 age category. Who cares! I got a trophy and it proudly sits on my mantel.

Lynsey

Housewife, Desperate to Run-Take 2

2010-10-22T18:27:00.001-05:00

A funny thing happened on my run last night. For those not facebook stalking, I have made it up to 4.5 miles. I was very impressed with my ability to get through 3 miles on Tuesday night, only to be ecstatic to make an entire 4.5 miles last night. When I left the house to run, I only prayed I could repeat the 3 mile trek. After I made it 3 miles I began heading home. I was running down 3rd Avenue from E3N and I just passed my house. Yep, just decided to keep going. It was at this point that my second wind kicked in. I had never really been a believer in "2nd wind", especially while running (Too bad it took 3 miles to get it). Anyway, I just thought I should run to the High School and back home (3 blocks, one way). Well, I got to the High School and made a right and kept running. It was CrAzY! It's funny cause a few posts back I talked about wanting to be like Forrest Gump and here I was, running and running and running. Every time I would get to a good point to turn and head home, I went to opposite direction. (I jus kep run-nin). After I had been gone from home for close to an hour (yes, running the whole time), I thought it would be best to go home before John sent out a search party, after all, he thought I was only running 3 miles. Turns out I ran 4.5 miles. I'm not going to lie and say it was easy. It wasn't, nor was it hard. It was more gratifying than anything. I actually recall smiling for most of the last mile.

Just to recount, I have trained for 7 weeks. You would be surprised at how fast your body can catch up if you just keep pushing through.

Get up, get out & Run!!

Peace Out!

Lynsey (A.K.A. Forrest Gump)

My Fair Lady

2010-10-22T13:13:00.000-05:00

There once was a child named Ollie Pearl,

Who went to the fair as a little girl,

She thought balloons were so funny,

And loved baby bunnies,

But the best part was riding the Merry Whirl.

The end.

Happy Fall Yall!

CF Check Up

2010-10-20T22:51:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday Ollie had her 3 month CF checkup. At this particular visit, it was scheduled that Ollie's CF Doctor do a Pulmonary Function Test (PFT). PFT is a way of measuring lung function, specifically the measurement of the amount (volume) and/or speed (flow) of air that can be inhaled and exhaled. Because O is just a toddler, the test is accomplished by gathering the info while she is asleep. He tried this before a few months ago but gave O a lil bit too much of the sleepy medicine. It not only knocked her out but gave her the hiccups as well. Having the hiccups made it absolutely impossible to get any reading of lung function. This particular day was a little better. I had a hard time getting her to drink the nasty stuff and because they gave her so little, it took a while to rock her to sleep. As I rocked her, I could tell she was getting a little "drunk". The little smile and an occasional giggle through her paci gave her away. While the test was being preformed, John and I waited in the lobby. Good thing too cause I'm not sure how well I would have held up watching them close up my child in a mini tanning booth looking thing only to force air into her tiny chest and take measurements. We all survived and the test was over before we knew it (mainly cause we both fell asleep). O's CF Doctor then preceded to tell us that little "Sassy" was a fighter even in a sedated sleep. Apparently she squeezed her vocal chords shut every time they tried to push the air into her lungs. He was, however, able to get one reading he felt was accurate (they prefer to get at least 3 good readings to get a good happy/medium but we'll take what we can get). As it turns out, Ollie's lungs are functioning in a normal range. I won't bore you with all the numbers but after doing a little research myself, it looks as though those numbers are actually on the upper end of normal. This is an awesome feeling! We can now feel sure that her lungs have not been damaged but also know there is nothing hiding deep down in her lungs, untraceable with an everyday culture. Speaking of culture, the one they took that day came back negative. Pseudomonas free for 11 months! Yee Haw! We must be doing something right! Praise God!

On a lighter note; Ollie is now doing her own breathing treatments. When it is time for them I simply tell her to come do her treatments. She drops everything and happily runs for the recliner to get set up. She holds her own nebulizer and mask and is dang sure to put it right up to her face. Although this is a wonderful break for J and myself, it's a battle once the treatments are over (she gets furious when I shut off the machine-I'll try to get that on video for you-crazy, I know!) Lets just pray she continues to always be this happy about treatment time.

Little Man Down

2010-10-07T17:44:00.000-05:00

I would like to kill the little man that lives inside my ipod and tells me when to "run"!

I think he lies about the time.

Housewife, Desperate to Run

2010-09-29T20:10:00.000-05:00

Just to let you all know that:

a) I haven't given up (had my butt handed to me in the middle of E3N St)

b) I am alive and well! Kicking up dust, actually.

Today started week 5 of Couch to 5K. I would like to say that it is easy and that anyone can do it, but that would be a lie. Many of my close friends (and family) know that I am the kind of person who finishes what I start....even if it kills me! Something about pride? I don't know. I would also LOVE to say that each week it gets better.....BullS***!!!! Every week the amount of time you are suppose to run increases and not just little by little. You gotta think that if this program works in just 9 weeks, you gotta work for it. At first I totally believed that I would advance quickly (which I have) and that one day I would just start running like Forrest Gump and keep on going the whole 3 miles (which I have not). Not going to happen. I have, however, come to learn that this whole running thing is totally mind over matter. Even when your legs feel like rubber and your lungs are about to explode, don't stop until the "little man" says so! And, if you got it in ya, keep going. Your body will let you know when you absolutely have to stop. Possibly by shutting down completely or by projecting puke. ;) Today my run consisted of run 5 minutes, walk 3, run 5, walk 3, run 5, cool down. I did it and even ran at least an extra minute at the end (mainly cause I was ready to get home and running gets you there much faster). I will say that I feel great! I have yet to loose any weight, but have also yet to gain any. Although I weigh the same, all my clothes fit differently...better. My legs are much more toned and I can tell I am stronger. Whether it be chasing Ollie around or walking up stairs with bags of groceries and without getting winded. Anyway, I hate to go on and on. I just hope to inspire you to give running a try. Be strong! You have to, cause this defiantly isn't a program for the weak.

Peace Out & again I say:
Eat My dust!!

Lynsey

Wally & The Dream Park Adventure

2010-09-26T19:48:00.000-05:00

I recently had a long talk with my dear husband about the lack of quality time he spent with me and O. Laying around the house watching cartoons does not count as time well spent. I spend all day with Ollie and try to come up with fun things for us to do. Those fun things must fit somewhere between treatments, naps and my study time (I am going back to school and currently taking Anatomy, but that's another story). All this being said, John started working on his "family time" this Saturday morning by taking us to Dream Park. If you have never visited the Dream Park, you are truly missing out. This is an amazing play place for children. Heck, I even enjoy playing and climbing and sliding (note the leg shot below).

Ollie and I have visited once before and our experience wasn't all that grand. Besides the fact that it was very hot and I had no help, I discovered some, u-hem, "leftovers" from a teenage night of fun....YUCK! Anyway, the trip this Saturday was a lot of fun. Ollie found a playmate in a 4 year old little boy named Ashton.

He was super cute and oh so sweet to her. I can still hear him calling her, "Wally, I'm over here!

Wally,Wall-eeee!"

They played together for at least an hour before little "Wally" ran out of gas.

Overall it was great! Can't wait to see what John has planned for next time!

Spaghetti In My Pocket

2010-09-26T19:12:00.000-05:00

Tonight we had spaghetti. John fixed Ollie a plate and put it in the freezer to cool. We do this so often that I think O actually believes her food is "cooking" in the freezer. Although John didn't want to give her the plate (he thought it would be best of he fed her), I wanted her to enjoy her meal like the big girl she is. Ollie loved it! She used her fork and smiled and ummmmed through the meal. She drank her tea all by herself too. We actually thought she had eaten everything on her plate, only to find the majority of it in the pocket of her bib. Oh well. She enjoyed it and so did we!

The following is a little video of dessert. Yum!

Cooking Up A Cure

2010-09-21T20:51:00.000-05:00

For Cystic Fibrosis

The Ollie's Army Cookbooks have finally arrived! Yay! They are super cute and have recipes from all our friends and family. The book also has pictures of our many supporters-mostly Ollie's "little" friends. I have several books and would ~~like~~ LOVE to sell them ALL! You can get your cookbook by stopping by my house (when someone is home) or going by Salon Utopia or Vicki Popwell Photography (both in Andalusia). For those in Elba, contact Beth (mother-in-law). She has several available for purchase. For those who want a book but are unable to visit any of the places listed, you can order online. Books are just $15 and shipping is an additional $5. For more information on how to complete your order, simply press the "buy now" button on the left, under the picture of the cookbook. If you have any questions feel free to contact me. Until then, Let's all cook up a cure!

Love to all!
Lynsey

Introducing R E T

2010-09-16T20:25:00.000-05:00

Rowland Edward Thorn

My beautiful nephew entered the world today!

My phone rang at 5:00 this morning and although it took me a while to reach it, I knew exactly what was going on. My sister, Lesley was in labor! 2-3 weeks early! Row was ready!

Being that it was so early in the morning, it took a little while to find a volunteer to come watch Miss O. Luckily I have some great family and cousin Beth Covin (Pebworth) came over. As soon as she arrived I was out the door fearing that I could miss out on something. (Isn't it silly how we forget that babies take forever to get here).

I wanted to be there. Lesley is my baby sister! My best friend. I had to be there!

As it turns out, her water had broken around 3:00 this morning. All of this was totally unexpected. Lesley was so calm, laughing and joking throughout the day. She handled labor like a seasoned champ. Around mid morning her contractions became stronger. It wasn't until around 11:00 or so that she finally reached 5 cm and was given an epidural. Once I knew she was comfortable and resting well, it was off to the cafeteria to grab me and mom some lunch. We'll just like the old trick in restaurants, if you want your food to come, get up and go to the restroom, babies work the same way. Go grab a sandwich and bet your bottom dollar that before you can even get a bite in, the baby starts making headway-literally. As soon as I got back her contractions became closer and the ball really began to roll. This same thing happened to me while in labor. My doc decided to go eat lunch only to be called back to deliver O before he had the chance to eat. CrAzY!

Moving on and push came to shove and Row made his debut at 2:15PM. He weighed exactly 7 lbs and is 20 1/2 inches (Ollie was exactly 7 lbs and was 21 inches). Almost the exact same size! CrAzY again!!

It's a sister thing-we're cool like that!

Fortunately being "cool like that" got me a first class ticket in the delivery room.

I LOVED every minute.

Row is the most beautiful baby. He melted my heart the first moment I saw him and I am totally in love. I am so grateful to my sister for allowing me to share her moment. Today was the second best day of my life (right behind Ollie's birth).

For those of you questioning my wedding-BOO! Great day too but this is a new life people!

I am so happy for Lesley and Mitch and so happy that mom and baby are doing great!

Thank you, Lesley, for being such a amazing sister. I am so proud of you!

I love you!

Ollie loves Row too! She was so curious. She gave him a kiss and called him bebee.

The following is a short video of Row being cleaned up by the nurse.

Sweetest sound in the world!!

Jogging Momma

2010-09-14T19:05:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to take a minute to post a quick update on the "Couch to 5K" status. Although most of you probably don't care (check back later for Ollie news), some of my readers are genuinely interested in how the training/torture is going. This week started week 3 of the program and boy did it start off with a bang. Throughout last weeks runs/walks I was only up to running 90 seconds and walking 90 seconds (the first week was run 60 seconds, walk 90 seconds). Beginning yesterday I was to run 90, walk 90, run 3 minutes, walk 3 minutes then repeat. 3 MINUTES!! Whoa! I was not expecting that. Some of you may be laughing at my inability to run long distances but I challenge you to make snide remarks once I complete the program. Even though I huffed and puffed during the 1st week at just a mere 60 seconds, I am proud to say that I ran the WHOLE 3 minutes both times! Apparently it works! I feel good and am starting to understand why running is so addictive. I am so excited about the weeks to come! Stay tuned for more info on my training.

Peace out and eat my dust!!

Couch to 5K

2010-09-06T21:58:00.001-05:00

For the most part this blog is dedicated to family life. I will start off by saying that Ollie is great. She is growing, talking and getting into everything (to be expected of a 1.5 year old). I wanted to take an opportunity to blog about myself and the goal I have set and hope to accomplish. I am really hoping that by putting it in writing for all the world to see, I am not able back out....we'll see.

As most of you know, I have been an avid walker for many years now and have always enjoyed the time to myself. Being a stay at home mom can be pretty stressful at times and a walk around town gives one time to think and process thoughts without the usual tug of the shorts or Dora song blasting loudly in the background. Although I have always been a walker I have never quite mastered the art of running. Secretly, I have always longed to be a runner. I have always been jealous of people that could run long distances and appear to actually enjoy it. I have even read that running gives one a high and I believe it! Although I have yet to experience that so called runners high, I have received the same endorphin effect from chocolate....it basically makes you genuinely happy. Until now, running did not equal happy! It equaled knee pain, shortness of breath and the urge to puke. Although I still experience those negative feelings, things are looking up. I recently started Couch to 5K. Let me start by saying it should be named experienced walker to 5K. I am only on my second week and it is tough! Basically, it is a 9 week training program that conditions one to run. At the end of 9 weeks, one should be able to run a 5K (3 miles). Each week your running time is increased until you are able to run continuously for 3 miles. For those that have an i-phone or an i-pod touch (what I use) there is an app on i-tunes available for purchase. The cost of the app is just $2.99 and it completely walks/runs you through the program. You are able to easily download your own tunes to the app via i-tunes. The app tells you when to walk and when to run, when you are halfway there and for how long to warm-up and cool down. It is awesome! Although I am pushing my way through it right now, I feel confident that it will be worth it in the end. Hopefully I will become a "runner" and get that so called high from doing it! I am thinking that after this blog, I am unable to back out! I love a challenge!!

Future Andy Cheerleader

2010-08-26T20:38:00.001-05:00

This evening John, Ollie and I, along with the Grimes family, Hunter Ginny and William,

walked down to the Andalusia square for a little Bulldog pep rally.

We knew the kids would enjoy it with all the commotion

including drums, music and cheerleaders,

so we loaded our wagons and strolled on down E3N St.

As soon as we heard the band start up little Ollie started dancing.

We pushed our way through the crowd (imagine free food and kids gone wild)

and managed to get a spot right up front. At this point Ollie had to get out of the wagon.

What we witnessed next was the cutest/funniest thing I do believe I have ever seen.

Ollie actually danced and cheer along with the girls.

When they clapped, she clapped. When they danced, she danced.

When they danced "low", well, Ollie danced low.

I knew my kid was observant, but I never knew she would actually follow along.

It was crazy!! She's just under 16 months!!

I did manage to get this short video clip.

It wasn't the best dancing/cheering she did, but still pretty dang cute!

Since we got home, she hasn't stopped cheering.

She claps and mumbles words and raises her arm.

I am definitely seeing cheer leading in her future!

She get it from her mama!! ;)

Fall Is In The Air

2010-08-25T18:08:00.001-05:00

And with that, T-shirt time!

I got a jump start on my Fall tees this year and I hope you get a jump start in placing your order :).

Here are some (just made) for you to view and choose from.

Halloween/Fall pumpkin, $15.

Turkey Girl, $18.

Turkey Boy, $18.

Auburn Shirt, $12.

I can also do them in Alabama.

I will post a picture if a Bama fan orders one.

Burp cloth, $5.

Auburn or Alabama.

Shirts are available from size 6M to size 7. They are white, short sleeve. The brand I use is Rabbit Skins and they hold up very well. They do, however, run very small so I suggest ordering 1-2 sizes bigger, depending on the child. I also recommend you buy a large enough shirt to fit a turtleneck under during cold weather.

I have come up with a 2 "Fall" packages for convenience and savings.

Option A- 1 turkey shirt and 1 pumpkin shirt (both with or without name/initials).

$30.00

Option B- 1 turkey shirt, 1 pumpkin shirt and 1 Auburn or Alabama shirt (all with or without name/initial).

$40.00

*I will be happy to work with you on other combos, but prices may vary.

Also keep in mind that the fabric is different for each shirt. I like all turkeys to be unique.

For orders, please email me at lynseydubose@gmail.com.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Mama needs a new pair of shoes...seriously!

FREE!!!

2010-07-28T13:12:00.000-05:00

Pseudomonas free that is!

Last Thursday, Ollie had a checkup at Children's Hospital in Birmingham. Her regular doctor was out so we were seen by the CF head honcho doctor. We had met him before but were totally unaware of his mannerisms. As most of you know, all doctors are different. Some beat around the bush, some only tell you what they feel you need to know and others scare the hell out of you (basically tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth). Well this particular doctor was a scare the hell out of me type of guy. That being said, our visit was a little out of the ordinary. Although Ollie looked and sounded great (she has moved up to the 36th percentile-from the 10th when diagnosed), we were told that if the culture from this visit came back Pseudomonas positive, they would consider it "colonized". WHAT!!! This would mean that the Pseudomonas was there for good and we could only give her meds and treatments to contain it. He also said that if if came back negative, it would mean the Pseudomonas was eradicated. YEEHAW! Basically we were at a crossroad. Not the worst case scenario, but a relatively "bad" one considering her young age. There are several CFers living and doing fine with Pseudomonas now, but the longer we keep her lungs clean and clear, the better. Well, I received the call about an hour ago and her culture is clear. Clear, clear, clear! Praise God!

Live, Love, Breathe!

Hot Child in the City...

2010-07-27T20:22:00.000-05:00

Running wild and looking pretty!

Woo Hoo!

Come on, Mom. Let's go!

Yay! We're finally outside!

Play time!

What's that over there?

Ok, enough with the pictures. Seriously!

(Just thought I would break it all down for you.)

Lynsey

Happy Anniversary

2010-07-21T11:37:00.001-05:00

Three years ago, John and I were married in a small ceremony overlooking Gantt Lake.

Our wedding was followed up with an amazing trip to Jamaica.

We swam.

We ate.

We kissed.

And we sat in the water

so a Jamaican man could take our picture

and then charge us an arm and a leg to purchase it.

In the years John and I have been together, we have been on many adventures.

The Bahamas.

Atlantis.

Snorkling.

The top of Mountians.

The haunted lighthouse of St. Augustine. My favorite, of course!

And our greatest adventure of all.

OPD

Through it all, we have been together, and I couldn't ask for anything more.

I look forward to many more adventures!

Boogie and the Beach

2010-07-13T15:28:00.001-05:00

A trip to the beach was all we needed!

John has been working at Eglin Air Force Base for the past few months but starting this week, he will be there 3 days out of the week. Although Eglin is relatively close to home (especially compared to most of his other jobs) Ft. Walton is much closer. Lucky for us, my parents have a condo in Cinco Bayou. Ollie and I decided we would make life easy on John and stay at the condo for a few days. We shop and swim and have a big time. Ollie loves it! The video below illustrates why O loves it so much....CARPET! She has been walking all over the place with no fear. Although she looks somewhat like Frankenstein, we are super proud. Our little Boogie is quite the entertainer!

Lynsey

Gimme 3 Steps....

2010-07-07T19:19:00.001-05:00

Gimmie me 3 steps baby!

Ollie is finally walking.

We'll, she is taking steps, but doesn't that classify as walking?

She has finally become brave enough to walk

back and forth between people,

always ending it it with a laugh

and clapping for herself.

We are so proud of our little Boogie!

She is such a big girl!

(sorry the video is so dark-we don't use a lot of light)

Live,

Love,

Breathe!

Hangin Tough

2010-07-01T18:22:00.002-05:00

~~Blogging is tough.~~

Finding time to blog while chasing a 14 month old is tough.

As I type this post, Ollie is rubbing her cheesy lips all over my clean shirt.

We just indulged in a few Doritos.

Ollie is almost 14 months old now.

She has 5 teeth and her back ones are starting to make their debut.

She ~~cannot~~ will not walk. She insists on crawling...everywhere.

Wood floors, concrete, bricks, dirt, everywhere.

She has great balance and can go from sitting to standing all by herself. She can walk really well while holding onto your finger, she just hardly does.

She started crawling at 6 months, so she's been doing it almost a year now and boy is she quick!

They say that the longer they crawl, the better hand-eye coordination they have and the better readers they will become. If this holds true, she should be reading any day now.

Ollie is also quite the talker.

I have no idea what she is saying but she sure does.

Her favorite word/thing right now is bird (buurrd). To her anything that flies is a buurrd. The other day, while eating lunch, a fly flew over our table and Ollie pointed to it and said buurrd.

Her favorite show is still Dora the Explorer and she's fond of Jack's Big Music show as well.

Her sleeping schedule sucks and we need a bigger bed!

To say she is into everything would be an under statement.

Case in point;

I have been working really hard on our annual poker run fundraiser. Several of the Ollie's Army items are stored in the attic and I needed to get them down. I pulled down the 12' ladder and headed up into the HOT attic leaving Ollie playing in the living room. I could hear her banging around and saying, "mama". As I searched through the many boxes of junk, I could still hear Ollie talking so I knew she was OK. As I made my way over the boxes I again heard "mama", only this time much closer. To my surprise, Ollie was at the top of the ladder! I about pooped my pants! I did however remain calm, not shouting, but talking softly. The last thing I wanted to do was scare her into letting go. My mom asked me how I got her down the ladder and all I can say is it's true about adrenaline in emergency situations. I don't remember going down. I had so much adrenaline I could have flown down.

On a CF note:

Currently all is well!

No news is good news!

Ollie continues to have breathing treatments twice a day.

She is on albuteral (to open lungs) and Pulmozyme (preventative maintenance).

We are also taking part in the Hyper tonic Saline study and Ollie receives HS twice a day. This is a breathing treatment as well. We are not sure if she is actually receiving the HS or if she is just inhaling a low salt content placebo. We will not know until the end of the study which lasts 1 year. Not knowing kinda sucks but someone has to do the study in order to make progress in the battle against CF.

These breathing treatments are followed up with chest PT's.

These combined take about 45 minutes in the morning and 45 minutes in the evening.

Not so bad.

Ollie has been Pseudomonas free for 8 months now!
Woooo Hooooo!

~~LIFE IS GOOD~~!!!

LIFE IS AWESOME!!!

Beach and Birthday for Big Girl

2010-05-10T09:02:00.000-05:00

When Ollie was born people would always tell me to enjoy her while I could because time flies. I blew it off, thinking that time would continue to go by the same as it always had. Boy was I wrong! There are not enough hours in the day to squeeze in enough kisses let alone get everything done that needs to be done. I cannot believe that a year has passed since her birth. The only good thing about time passing so quickly is that it all gets better everyday.

Ollie becomes more fun with each passing minute. We can see more personality (which is mine made over so it might not be the best trait I could pass on) everyday. She is a, well, we'll just say "determined" little girl. She is very independent and gets mad when you attempt to assist her. Ollie is quite the climber. The other day I walked into our living room to find her sitting on the bottom shelf of our book case. She can also now climb up and down stairs. Ollie has yet to take any steps and doesn't seem to be interested in walking any time soon. Why should she when crawling gets her from point A to point B in record time. The only problem is I now have to stain stick the knees of all pants before washing, but that won't change even once she is walking.

With all this beautiful weather, we have been visiting the beach. Turns out, Ollie is a beach babe, just like her mama. She plays in the sand all day and doesn't seem to mind when it gets into those "sensitive" areas. Ugh!

Ollie also loves the water. On this particular day, a small sandbar formed right off the beach allowing a small pool of water free of waves to form. Although the water was super cold, we couldn't keep her out of it.

On her birthday, Ollie got her hair cut. Lindsey did a wonderful job and even little O sat through it like a champ. No more mullet!

For her birthday celebration, we had a few friends over for a little fiesta. Everyone enjoyed chips and dip, juice pouches, ice cream and cup cakes. Ollie and friends played in little pools filled with balls, a sprinkler and water table.

We all had a blast! Our family is truely blessed to have such wonderful friends.

It's A Great Day To Be Alive

2010-04-19T07:52:00.000-05:00

This past week has been a long one. It was off to a bad start when I came down with a terrible stomach bug on Sunday and was out of commission until Wednesday. It then moved on to John who was sick through Friday, only to be followed up by Ollie getting it. Ollie is a trooper. She was sick all day Saturday and by Sunday, even though she was still running a slight fever, she was ready to go play. So were we!

John, along with my dad and our friend Hal played in a golf tournament (and won) in Elba. This is a tournament in which they play in ever year. The best part about this particular tournament is that Hal's wife and my very good friend, Laura comes to visit. Laura and Hal are our friends from Freeport and we miss hanging out with them (we're working on getting them to move here).

It is mine and Laura's little tradition to go antique/junk shopping. Of course we hit Peterson's for a little wheelin and dealin and also the new 3 Notch Emporium where Lesley and I have a booth. If you have yet to visit the Emporium, I suggest you go, but that a whole nother post.

On Sunday, since Ollie was feeling better, we headed up to Gantt Lake for a little boat riding. It was a beautiful day. Ollie loves the water but HATES wearing a life jacket. I am still working on finding one that is a little more comfortable (I am open to suggestions).

The life jacket is "on" her.

All in all, we had a wonderful day and we are looking forward to more.

We're too Busy...

2010-04-10T09:50:00.000-05:00

Playing outside!

The weather has been so beautiful lately and our family loves to play outdoors. Ollie recently got a little red wagon (passed down from her older cousins) and we have been taking rides in it several times a day. She loves riding in that wagon and is quite the dare devil standing up in it as we stroll along. Although Ollie can stand up while holding onto something, she has not yet taken those first steps. She actually couldn't care less about walking. She can get from point A to point B rather quickly by crawling so if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I would love for her to begin walking. I'm not trying to get her to grow up too quickly, I just think by her walking, it would make my life a little easier. I wouldn't have to scrub the knees of her pants quite as often. She could finally wear the dresses that I made her (she can't crawl in dresses). All in all, I'm thinking that she wouldn't get quite as dirty. Oh well.

Besides riding the wagon, Ollie's other favorite past time is water. She helps me water my flowers and tends to get more water on her than the plants actually get. Yesterday, I had so outdoor painting to do (if you ride by, check out our new pinned in house along with new flower beds) and John was working on our new brick walkway. I wanted Ollie to be outside with us so I got out her new/old swimming pool. Just a word of advise; At the end of each summer, Wal-mart puts all summer stuff (pools, floats, toys, etc.) on clearence. Last year, at the end of summer, I bought Ollie's pool on clearence for just $3.00. It's a $30.00 pool! Be sure to keep your kids in mind at the end of this summer and go ahead and splurge on their next year's summer toys. This time next year you'll be glad you did. Anyway, she loved it. She played in the water for an hour while I painted. She had so much fun and is beginning to get a little suntan. I do believe we will be out there again today.

Happy Spring!

Ghosts and Spirits and Orbs. Oh My!

2010-03-11T09:23:00.002-06:00

In my last post, I wrote of our trip to the big easy. Here you will find a few of my favorite ghost stories of the French Quarter with pictures to boot. If you are easily scared or grossed out, please ignore this post. I will not be held responsible for nightmares.

You've been warned!

The LaLauire Mansion (The Haunted House)

1140 Royal Street

In the middle of the French Quarter in New Orleans sits a rather large, yet unassuming house. For all the dull grey colouring on the outside, the house has a very dark history. It is allegedly the most haunted house in New Orleans, yet no one has ever been allowed to investigate because the current owner (Nicholas Cage) forbids visitors, despite not wanting to even spend the night there himself. What Mr Cage cannot hide, though, is the story behind the house. (We learned on our tour that Nicolas Cage lost the house just recently due to back taxes.)

History:

The year is 1831. Dr and Mrs Louis LaLaurie have been married for six years when they purchase the mansion situated at 1140 Royal Street. It is said that the Lalauries were worth around 600 million dollars. Basically, they were the Bill Gates of the 1800's. The couple is prominent in the social circles of the day; Delphine throws lavish parties where she invites some of the most prominent people in the city.

Two years later, a different picture of Delphine emerges after several neighbours witness her whipping a servant girl in the mansion's courtyard. The reason? The young girl, probably no more than 12 or 13, was brushing her mistress' hair and hit a knot which infuriated Delphine. The child ran to escape Delphine's wrath and "fell" over the balcony to her death. The neighbours complained as there was a law in effect in the city which prohibited the cruel treatment of slaves, but all legal matters were addressed by Judge Jean Francois Canonge, a friend of the LaLauries. All of their slaves were confiscated, but other friends of theirs bought the slaves and returned them to the LaLauries.

In 1834, the most graphic scene would unfold one night during one of the famous parties given by Delphine. As is custom with the houses of the day, the kitchen was set apart from the main house. The night of the party, firemen are called to the home to put out a fire begun in the kitchen. When the firemen arrived, they found two slaves chained to the stoves; the fire apparently begun by them to attract attention. The fire managed to spread to the house and when the firemen went into the house, they were met with the most unimaginable horrors.

Quote:

According to the newspaper, the New Orleans Bee, all of the victims were naked and the ones not on tables were chained to the wall. Some of the women had their stomachs sliced open and their insides wrapped about their waists. One woman had her mouth stuffed with animal excrement and then her lips were sewn shut.

The men were in even more horrible states. Fingernails had been ripped off, eyes poked out, and private parts sliced away. One man hung in shackles with a stick protruding from a hole that had been drilled in the top of his head. It had been used to “stir” his brains.

The tortures had been administered so as to not bring quick death. Mouths had been pinned shut and hands had been sewn to various parts of the body. Regardless, many of them had been dead for quite some time. Others were unconscious and some cried in pain, begging to be killed and put out of their misery.

Tales of the horrors that had been encountered within the house quickly spread and the enraged citizens gathered outside the home ready to mete out justice themselves. While it is said that Madame LaLaurie was the instigator of the tortures done to the slaves, it is certain that her husband knew and turned a blind eye.

Unfortunately, the LaLauries were never brought to justice. They fled that very night and were never seen again

There are appropriate six or maybe more ghosts including Madame Delphine LaLauire. Sounds of footsteps, unexplain noises, screaming, and phantoms are common in and around the Mansion.

Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop

941 Bourbon Street

It is said that Jean Lafitte was born of the French aristocracy on the island of Santo Domingue and had fallen into a life of piracy when he and his brother, Pierre, attempted to escape Spanish dominance in the Caribbean. Sometime before 1808, the brothers Lafitte turned up in New Orleans where they established themselves as blacksmiths, opening the infamous Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop that still stands at the corner of St. Phillip and Bourbon streets in New Orleans’ French Quarter. Soon, however, it became clear to many who shared the brothers’ “entrepreneurial” spirit that the shop was merely a cover for the smuggling and piracy operations that were already underway.

Lafitte is known equally for his heroism in the Battle of New Orleans and for his acts of piracy throughout the Gulf of Mexico. He is remembered in Louisiana as a “privateer” who braved the waters of the Gulf and other pirates of the Caribbean to supply Louisiana and a growing United States with food, cloth, material resources and even slaves in the desperate economic times of the late 18th century.

Scorned in life by a thankless nation, driven to an anonymous death, it is said Lafitte will never rest until his honor is restored and he is reunited with the woman he loves!

The shop was built in the 1720's and the bar is still open, since 1772 which is the oldest bar in the United States! Today, the bar is considered to be one of the most haunted bars in the country! The ghosts of soldiers, spies, pirates, and a lady in black. No one knows who is the lady in black and she is probably looking for her lost soldier or just perfers to stay in the bar and not move on. .

The Ghost of Julie

732 Royal Street

High on the steep gables of a Royal Street townhouse, a naked, olive-skinned ghost woman paces and trembles, but only on the most blustery of December nights. Or so legend says.

The Octoroon Mistress, as the apparition is known, was the courtesan of a wealthy Frenchman. Her bloodline - one-eighth African-American, seven-eighths white - begat her the racial title octoroon. Her real name was Julie.

Back in the days when New Orleans brimmed with Frenchmen and slaves, society's strictures made it all but impossible for a white man to marry a woman with even the smallest tendrils of African roots. So the Frenchman kept Julie - who, they say, was young and gorgeous - as his mistress.

Julie yearned to marry her European nobleman. He either declined or evaded the issue. Their relations soured. Desperate to prove her love, Julie spent a night on the rooftop of the four-story walkup at 734 Royal St., either at the Frenchman's behest, or of her own vehemence. It was a frigid and wet December night. When the Frenchman found her in the morning, Julie lay naked on the slick slate roof. She was dead.

These days, Julie's ghost seems to have abandoned the lonely rooftop. She now haunts an art gallery that is directly below her once happy home. She is a bit of a mischef and will appear when her name is called. Apparently she didn't want to play last weekend because we never saw her.

I did find the above picture online. Check out the apparation in the bottom right window. Is it Julie?

Last, here are a couple of haunted places in which I would love to stay;

(I don't think John would go for it)

The Andrew Jackson Hotel

The Andrew Jackson Is Located 919 Royal St. In The Heart Of The Haunted French Quarter. The Hotel Offers A Charming And Relaxing Atmosphere With 18th-Century Furnishings And Spacious Guest Rooms.

Haunted New Orleans legend tells, that this was the site onthis site which the hotel now sits was once the site of an old New Orleans all-boy’s school. The school was destroyed in the great fire of New Orleans ,1788. Five boys were said to have perished in the blaze. And still haunt the present building.

Over the years, guests have reported hearing children playing in the courtyard in the middle of the night, despite the fact that the courtyard was deserted (at least by the living!)

Other guests have reported sighting a ghostly figure resembling General Andrew Jackson walking through the hotel.

Le Pavillion Hotel

A paranormal research team identified four ghosts at LePavillon including a 19th century teenage girl, a young aristocratic couple from the 1920’s, and a dapper gentleman from the same era who likes to play pranks on the cleaning staff. This hotel was built in 1907.

Often called "The Belle of New Orleans." Le Pavillion offers turn-of-the-century charm in the heart of downtown New Orleans. Twenty foot Italian statues representing Peace and Prosperity greet you at the Poydras Street front door. Inside this spectacular grand hotel you'll find crystal chandeliers, historic antiques and several lively ghost.

Noteworthy, among the hotel's impressive collection of historic antiques, are a distinctive portrait of a lady of the French Court that hangs in the Crystal Room. Two stipulations to the hotel's purchase of the painting were that it would never leave New Orleans and that it be the only painting of a woman in the room where it was to be hung.

The hotel also boasts the largest gas lantern in the United States, which hangs burning at the front porch.

Proudly sitting in our Castle Suite, is a magnificent hand carved marble bathtub, which was a gift from Napoleon to a wealthy Louisiana plantation owner. A similar tub that had belonged to Napoleon is housed in the Louvre.

At one point a few years ago the hotel management hired paranormal investigators, who identified several ghosts in the hotel. one group found four another say they documented over 100.

Strange noises in the night apparitions of figures standing at the foot of different beds. Bed sheets being tugged into the air after midnight, and disappearing items only to turn up in odd places. One guest visiting for a large medical convention held in New Orleans last year gave an account of a old gray haired woman sitting on the side of his bed, he said he felt the weight of her body on the bed and her cold hands stroking his head and saying "I will never let you go." he turned on the light and she faded away. And Yes, He checked out within the hour.

Paranormal investigators have deemed this one of the most haunted hotels in the Crescent City.

BEWARE! Hidden by the luxurious décor are many tales of eerie occurrences and ghostly happenings. It is said that the entire cleaning staff refuses to go on a certain floor.

To anyone planning a trip to New Orleans, I highly reccommend the Haunted History Ghost Tour. The guides are great storytellers and will keep you on your toes and begging for more. You learn the history of New Orleans including the stories of the 2 great fires, the cannibolistic indians that once resided in the swamps, the mystery of the baby bones found beneath the church and much more.

The entire experience was completely facinating and I can't wait to visit again!

Live, Love, Breathe & Ghost Hunt!

Who Dat?

2010-03-10T10:50:00.000-06:00

Last Friday Lesley, Courtney and I headed down to New Orleans to meet up with several friends, all gathered to celebrate the upcoming marriage of our dear friend Meg. Once we arrived and were settled the celebration began with a lingerie shower. Meg received several very cute outfits and from the realistic ones (such as myself) a cute PJ set. ;) The night was spent with wonderful friends and stories so funny I was sore the next day from laughing so hard.

The next morning we got up early and got ready for a big day exploring the "big easy". As most of you know, my sweet little sister (AKA Sammi) is expecting. She also has never been to New Orleans. Because she was unable to "partake" in the bachelorette party I felt it was my responsibility (because I made her go in the first place) to show her a good time. Well, that I did. Lesley, Courtney and I had a WONDEFUL time! For those of you who think that New Orleans is only Bourbon Street and beads, you are sadly mistaken. New Orleans has much to offer. So much in fact that we left a little disappointed that we were unable to see and do it all. Guess that means another trip soon.

We started our morning at Cafe Du Monde for a world famous beneigt. Althought we waited for close to an hour, it was worth it. The beneigts were delicious!

We then headed down the Riverwalk and did a little shopping followed up with lunch at The Crazy Lobster. Once we got our bellies full, we visited the French Market for more shopping. That place is CrAzY but many a deals are there to be found. Ollie got 2 t-shirts. The rest of the afternoon consisted of the following, shortened version; yogart, shopping, back massage, shopping, sight seeing and more shopping. We had big plans to go to the aquarium and the IMax Theater but unfortunately both were closed upon our arrival (who knew they would shut down at 5:00 PM, on a Saturday!). We did get the opportunity to stop and rest at Jackson Square while enjoying some "local flavor". These guys were not only super talented but extremely funny as well.

As night fell, we journeyed back to the house to touch base with the other girls and freshen up. Once we had put on some warmer gear, we headed back out for an 8 o' clock date with the ghosts and spirits of the French Quarter. By this I mean a ghost tour complete with the history of New Orleans along with visits to infamous sites of murders, trageties, fires and mysteries. This was right up my ally and although Lesley and Courtney were a little concerned to begin with, we all learned alot and had an awesome time. I would highly reccomend a history tour of any kind while visiting New Orleans.

(Be sure to check back later for a new post with a few ghost stories and pictures from our tour.)

All in all, our trip to New Orleans was a blast and I cannot wait to visit again.

I'll end this post with:

Who dat, who dat, who dat, who dat! Who dat say they gonna beat them Saints!

Just In

2010-02-24T14:44:00.001-06:00

From MEXICO!

This past Christmas, my mother in law, Beth, gave each of her children and children in law, along with her grandkids (with the exception of Ollie and Drew- both under 1 year) a cruise.
You heard right, a cruise for Christmas!

We all boarded the Carnival Fantasy this past Thursday and went for a little ride to Cozumel, Mexico. We had a blast with the whole family (all 16 of us)!

The boat was super nice and had lots to offer.

We enjoyed drinks, discos, karaoke, spacious decks, pools, all the food you can eat including sushi, slots and my new favorite, (much to John's dismay) roulette.....I only lost $100....in 4 days....playing alot!

On Saturday we enjoyed a BEAUTIFUL day on shore with plenty of sunshine.

Me, John, Jep and Val rode a large cataraman out to a reef and snorkeled.

Jumping in the water. (Thanks Val!)

Once we had chilled on the beach long enough to get sunburned shoulders,

and the boys had defeated the "iceburg"

we headed into town to check out the shops and lunch at Carlos and Charlies.

A word of advise: skip the shops. They all offer the same thing and it is all CRAP! The Drug stores are pretty amusing. They offer several prescription drugs...WITHOUT PRESCRIPTIONS! Crazy Mexicans! Who knows what those drugs actaully are!

Carlos and Charlies was so much fun! A little loud, but fun! Drinks are sold by the yard and bills are written in pesos. Ours was over $3400 pesos! We tried to wash dishes but they didn't need the help. Besides, we would have had to wash for a week to make up for our bill. For those who are wondering what that converts to, around $263.00 (don't get ahead of yourself, there were 5 of us).

All in all, our vacation was amazing! Thank you so much Beth! We loved it!

(Kylie and Beth)

(Kristian, Amy & Kaitlyn)

Maybe next time we'll swap and buy our own cruise and you could just pick up the Onboard Expense Account....WOW! We could have bought 6 more cruises for what we spent on the boat.

(Diet cokes are expensive! ;)

A little camera happy!

Dinner. BethAnn, Heather, Jayce, John and Me.

(Jayce and Jerry)

(Amy & Kyle)

Posing with Fredrick on our last night at dinner....missing half our our crew due to a "bug".

This one is for giggles! Oh yeah we did!

Although we had a wonderful time, the best part of all was getting home to this little angel.

We missed our Boogie more than words can express!

On A Roll

2010-02-17T20:16:00.000-06:00

No Pseudomonas! Whooo Hooo!

Ollie's culture came back negative for any bad bacteria in her lungs.

Thats 3 months in a row.

Praise the Lord!

Thank you all for continued prayers and support.

We are very blessed with a beautiful, smart and healthy little girl!

Enough said.

Live, Love, Breath!

Love is in the Chair

2010-02-14T16:16:00.000-06:00

This Valentine's Day is super special! My heart has definately increased in size due to the love of my daughter Ollie. It is truly amazing how much one can love a child. John and I both have been hit by cupid and are totally in love with O.

We decided to go low key on ourselves this Valentine's and splurge on our sweet little Boogie. We got her a pink "big girl" chair with her name on it. She adores it! She sits up in it and claps with joy. She also stands beside it and pushes it all around the living room. She looks so grown up sitting in her chair. Too cute!

So, as you can see; Our love is in the chair!

And, as a SuPeR Valentine's Day surprise, my parents gave me and John a Keurig coffee maker. We LOVE coffee and are so excited about this gift. We got mom one this past Christmas and I would look forward to spending the night with her and dad so I could make coffee in her Keurig. Now I can have a cup anytime! Thank you mom and dad for the wonderful surprise! We love it and we love you!!!

XOXO

Live, Love, Breathe!

No Family Like Snow Family

2010-02-12T18:23:00.000-06:00

This morning we awoke to snow. Loads and loads of snow. It snowed for hours. I have never in my life seen so much "real" snow. It was a beautiful white world outside my windows. Ollie didn't really care, nor did she understand what all the fuss was about so once she was down for a nap, Lesley and I went outside to play. Leanne came over too! We had a blast! The boys sat on the porch watching us make snowmen (and snow-women and snow-babies).

The neighbor's dog, Buddy, even came over to play (he showed us why we should avoid yellow snow).

Although this was our first big snow adventure, me and sister can make some pretty dog-gone good snowpeople. We started with just 1 snowman and then went on to sculpt 2 more to complete the DuBose family.

What a great and beautiful day!

If only snow would just stay snow and never turn to slush.

Don't Kiss Your Honey....

2010-02-12T17:37:00.000-06:00

When your nose is runny, cause you may think it's funny but it's snot!

On Thursday Ollie had an appointment in Birmingham for a monthly checkup and a pulmonary function test. She has been battling a head cold with terrible congestion and a runny nose...like constantly licking her upper lip runny. A pulmanary function test is done to see how well the lungs function. With this test, doctors are able to see if there is an area of the lungs that needs attention and can treat it before it becomes a problem. It can also tell us if we are on the right track and doing all we can to keep Ollie healthy.

The appointment was for 8:30 AM so we headed up Wednesday night and spent a little time with John's brother Jep and sis in law, Valerie. Of coarse our visit mainly consisted of sitting around Ollie, facinated by her reactions to Dred (their almost 100 lb pitt bull). We had a good time hanging out and O loved scooting around their house, chasing after the dog and exploring new things.

The next morning prior to our checkup was a little hectic. Ollie couldn't eat within 4 hours of the pulmanary test. We decided to wake and feed her at 4:30, which went better than expected. She drank an entire bottle and went right back to sleep. Once we arrived at the clinic, we were taken right in to begin the process of the test. Good thing too cause lil O was starting to get hungry.

In order to get accurate readings, Ollie needed to be asleep. She was given a siringe of some nasty stuff to drink. It took a little coaxing to get her to drink it all...YUCK! She was OUT in less than 5 minutes. When I say out, I mean like, head wobbling backwards and all. She was taken back to the exam room to begin the test and we were sent to the lobby to wait. The good part was that we met with her nutritionist during this time (something we do at every checkup). After a about and hour and a half, we were called back to talk with the doctor and to see Ollie. As it turns out, the test could not be done due to hiccups. The runny nose made her snore a bit as well.

The funny part was that she was so doped up from the magic sleeping drink. She would spill milk all down her chin and laugh about it. She was really funny!

Although her test could not be done, her checkup went very well. Her weight gain is good and her lungs sound good. We should get the results from her culture sometime next week. Pseudomonas has stayed away for over 2 months now and we hope that this culture will be negative and O continues to live bacteria free.

What Will You Do Today?

2010-02-06T20:47:00.001-06:00

~~I've had a great day~~! I've had a wonderful day! (besides the fact that my sewing machine is acting up) It's been a really good day. If you only read this blog for Ollie updates, then go ahead and skip this post. This is merely a random post of my thoughts....and thats kinda scary....

I made new friends today. As Ollie and I were leaving wal-mart I was listening to the news. It was mentioned that some girls were set up outside WAAO selling raffle tickets and that the proceeds from these raffle tickets were to be given to the CF Foundation. What? I had to go and see what was going on. As I walked up and introduced myself I noticed that one of these girls looked very familiar. Well, turns out I had seen and talked to her before, on several different occations actually. Her name is Megan and her son has Cystic Fibrosis. Megan and I met the day our babies were being tested for CF. This was the day we sat in denial for 3 hours waiting for the result of the sweat tests (the test that confirms CF). We spoke breifly that day but our minds were elsewhere. As time went on, Megan and I saw each other occationally at checkups. We spoke but never exchanged names or details. As it turns out Megan is from Montgomery and has family here. Her family wanted to raise money for the CF foundation. WOW!

I made 3 new friends today. Friends that are fighting the same war. What a wonderful feeling! Now, not to pat ourselves on the back, but, turns out Ollie's Army is well-known round these parts. Our little "gang" has made quite an impact. Megan confessed that everywhere they went to raise money and awareness, they were asked if they were with Ollie's Army (she had no idea what Ollie's Army was). Funny huh? Guess we got the CF thing pretty covered around here.

Another reason today has been so good is because of people who care. People who go that extra mile just because. I learned today that someone special cleaned the nursery of the church we have been attending. I am talking scrubbed every surface and cleaned every corner. They also bought new sheets for the crib. This was all done to prevent illness. This was done to protect Ollie. I am truly moved. We are not even members of this particular church but already feel like family.

To wrap up this random post of random feelings I will say this; It is so easy to make a difference, big or small.

What will you do today?

Think about it.

God Bless.

Live, Love, Breathe!

Raffle tickets are still for sale. Tickets are $5.00 and all proceeds go to the CF Foundation. 3 winners will be drawn Friday morning "live" on WAAO. Prizes include Valentine Baskets with gifts ranging from t-shirts, food, gift cards, manicures, candy and much, much more. If you would like to purchase tickets please let me know.

Get Back!

2010-02-01T16:13:00.003-06:00

Because Ollie has been taking her medications mixed with food since she was 5 weeks old, she is a pretty experienced eater. She loves food and lately we have been letting her try new things. Some of her favorite foods include, sweet corn casserole, sweet potatoes, English peas, chicken and stars, turkey and rice, macaroni and beef and cereal puffs. Although she loves table food, it's not a whole lot of fun having her hang on our legs at the dinner table whining for food...it's kinda like having a little puppy. Ollie also enjoys feeding herself and does quite well picking things up. The other day at wal-mart we were exploring our options when we came across these:

I figured, whats the harm?

As you can see, O loves them and is not willing to share. Remember how I said "like a puppy"? Well, let's change that to a bulldog! She's a sweetheart but when it comes to food- Get back!

Crash Course

2010-01-21T20:30:00.013-06:00

I know, I know! I've been hearing it for the past week-Why haven't you blogged lately? Well to answer that question is quite easy.....Ollie, A.K.A. Boogie Monster! I've recently added the monster. Come on over to my house and see her around 6 or 7 at night. The time when she should be winding down she is a total MoNsTeR!

Anyway, here is a little crash course of what Boogie has been up to:

Ollie is pulling up and standing. She's doing quite well but has yet to master the sitting back down part. All day I am sitting her back down only to be followed by her pulling right back up. It really stinks at night when she pulls up and cries because we can't just tune her out. Knowing that she is scared and can't get back down we are in and out of her room until she falls asleep. (I am open to suggestions)

Her favorite toy (of the day, this particular day anyway) is this little activity center. She will stand up at it and bang away. I am now hearing (and other moms will understand this) blue, yellow, 1, 2,3, green, a,b,c, 4, 5,6, blue, red, yellow, l, m, n,o,p, up, down, open, close, hello, blue, red, green, 1,2,3,4,5,6, bye, bye, red, 1,2,3, lights on, lights off. Yeah, it's that random cause she just bangs away at it and to top it off, it's usually accompanied by her shouting, BYE, BYE, BYE, BYE, MA,MA,MA,DA,DA,DA,DA.

Moving on.

Ollie has finally made her way up to what we refer to as "big girl bath". No more whale tub. She loves playing and splashing around. Looks like lots of trips to the pool and beach this summer...we've got a little fish on our hands!

Ollie has also made new friends. This is Sally Seahorse and she gets SUPER excited everytime she sees her.

Ollie is now drinking out of a sippy cup....well a little anyway but were working on it. Sometimes she loves it, other times she wants her bottle. I will be so happy when I no longer have to wash bottles...UGHHH.

Lately I have been trying to exercise more as well as spend quality time with O, soooo I've combined the two. Today Ollie had her first trip around the nature trail. She LOVED it...I mean seriously! Smiling the whole time. Guess there will be more walks in our future.
She also takes part in my home workouts. I have to use her play mat for my knees and sit ups and she makes sure to crawl over, plop down on the mat and clap. Guess she's letting me know that it belongs to her.

And, you can't go to the nature trail without a quick stop at the Dream Park. However, it was roped off but don't fret. Being the rebels we are, we marched on in like we owned the place and played on the swings for a little while.

Dang, alot has been going on...let's speed it up

Playing in sheets.

Putting hand prints in concrete (in our new drive might I add-whoop, whoop!).

Looking adorable in her new pink monkey PJ's from Aunt Sherri.

And I can't have a post without a video clip.

Here are some of O's dance moves. She loves music and loves to clap. When she hears any kind of music, she will stop mid crawl sit back and dance and clap. She also claps during car rides. It's pretty cute.

Whew! That only took me like 4 days to finish!

Now, if you made it this far into the post, you are a pretty dedicated Ollie follower so I need your help. I am currently working on a cookbook as a fundraiser for Ollie's Army and I need recipes. If you would like to share you recipe, please e-mail me at lynseydubose@gmail.com. Cookbooks will have pictures of Ollie and friends as well as many recipes from the community. This is a really easy way for you to help us cook up a cure for CF. Ads are also available for purchase. Please contact me for details.

Live, Love, Breathe!

Easy Breathing....Well, Easier Anyway

2010-01-13T17:16:00.007-06:00

WhooooHooooo! John and I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of this bad boy! It's an AeroChamber Plus and it makes inhaled therapy sooooo much easier. We haven't had the opportunity to use it on Ollie because they failed to send the albuterol inhaler with it, but from the demonstration we received at O's last doctor's visit, albuterol can be administered in 2 puffs as opposed to 10 minutes of inhalation with a nebulizer. YeeHaw! Anything that makes our daily routine easier is a breath of fresh air....literally. Although this treatment will take the place of the albuterol solution for now, we will still use the solution as needed for cough or wheezing...which so far has never occured! Whoop! Whoop! It's not that we are complaining about her treatments, because we will do WHATEVER it takes to keep her healthy. It's just mainly sad for her (you try holding down an 8 month old and give them around 45 minutes of inhaled treatments twice a day when Dora only holds her attention for a little while and all she wants to do is play). We also heard from her doctor on Monday and Ollie's pseudomonas is still gone. That's 2 months which means no more Tobi (inhaled antibiotic) for the time being and we can move forward with the Hyper tonic Saline Therapy research! Hootyhoo! Excuse all the excited expressions, but most of you understand my response to something cool like this. BOOOOYA! On a more serious note, this is all thanks to you who have helped raise money and awareness for CF. With your time and donations, this research and the new AeroChamber is made possible. So, Thank You, YOU ROCK!!!

2010-01-08T18:38:00.006-06:00

Ollie and I are both so excited that John will be home tonight (weather permitting). As I type this blog, he is in the air somewhere between Vegas and The ATL. Yay! John has been away from home since Tuesday morning and we have missed him bunches. He and his brother Jerry, flew out to Vegas Wednesday morning where they met up with some friends and did a little gambling. Thursday morning, in a rented car, they drove on down to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl. He had an awesome time, especially since Alabama won!

He are some things Ollie and I have done since he's been gone. As you read this, keep in mind that I am an AUBURN fan through and through but I did cheer for Alabama last night. Why is the world would I want Texas to win. Ollie has been practicing on clapping skills and I had good intentions to send this video to John before the game. Ollie is decked from head to toe in Alabama...even her socks. And, for the record, her shirt says something to the liking of "you'll be crawling too, when the Crimson Tide is through with you".

This morning Ollie and I decided to make a surprise for daddy as a "welcome home, we love you". We made John a chocolate cake with cream cheese icing. Just to add to color I put an Alabama "A" on it. It is taking lots of strength to keep out of it. Yummy! As the cake baked I feed O. She ate so much food tonight. Sweet peas and squash and sweet potatoes (all with loads of butter). She then topped it off with a cookie. As she ate her cookie, I added icing to the cake. She finished the cookie and was getting a little fussy so I improvised (she needs to gain weight, right?). I will probably regret this later.

Of course, next it was bath time. Wow! She was a mess but LOVED every minute of that icing. She is also saying who she loves the most-Mama.

The Alabama Cake. YUMMY!

Do you remember when I said I would probably regret this later? Well, below is later. :)

Now, hurry home daddy so we can get some hugs and eat some cake!

CF Checkup

2010-01-07T09:14:00.003-06:00

On Wednesday, my mom, me and Ollie ventured out in the cold and headed to Birmingham's Children's Hospital for a CF checkup. Since our last visit in November which took over 4 hours, I have been dreading this visit. Well, to my surprise, it all went very well. Although the visit did take around 2.5 hours, we had plenty of time with Ollie's doctor and nurses and received a good report. As many of you know, at our last appointment, Ollie's culture came back negative for pseudomonas (bad bacteria that grows in lungs of cfers). She has remained on an array of antibiotics to keep this bacteria from growing. At our visit they did another culture to see if it has stayed away. I did find out from O's doctor, that pseudomonas could still be present even with a negative culture. Boooo! He feels that if this culture is negative it is a good sign that the bacteria has left the building. Even so, Ollie will always at risk for pseudomonas. At each visit we meet with a pharmacist, an RN, a social worker, nutritionist and her doctor. We go over her current prescriptions, diet, weight, questions and upcoming treatments and studies. This was the first visit in which they were all pleased with her weight gain...thank goodness. We have been adding butter to everything she eats to make it high in calories and yummy too. Lucky kid! It has paid off. Ollie now weighs almost 16 lbs and is in the 21st percentile, which is wonderful considering she was in the 3rd when she was first diagnosed. Yay! More good news we received was that we can now use a different treatment method for administering albuterol (inhaled medicine for opening airways). Instead of the nebulizer that takes around 10 minutes, Ollie will get an equivalent dose through a puffer. This alone, will cut down her treatments significantly. Wooo hooo! Other than that, we are waiting and praying that the pseudomonas stays away. If so, we will have the opportunity to participate in an inhaled hypertonic saline soluntion study (basically a breathing treatment inhaling high doses of salt). Because CFers don't have normal salt transport in their body, this treatment is suppose to help break down mucus in lungs, therefore helping with breathing and reducing the risk of lung infections. I'll keep you posted on the study. Other than that, she is wonderful! Told you it was a great visit!!

Santa Baby

2009-12-30T20:49:00.008-06:00

This, being our first Christmas with Ollie, has been the best holiday of my life. I realized it with Halloween and the excitement I felt with showing off my beautiful little chili pepper....holidays will never be the same! Ollie is a blessing and I find myself loving her more everyday.

We had a WONDERFUL Christmas! My family (myself included) went just a little overboard on the Christmas presents (Lesley was the worst of all, outdoing Santa!). Although Ollie LOVED every minute of opening presents, she most of all enjoyed the wrapping paper.

Second to the paper, she loves this new pink car her sugar and pops got her. We take walks (drives) at least once a day. O is a serious little driver and keeps her hands firmly on 10 and 2. Although she doesn't smile much, she does squeal with delight during her drive. O also received a HUGE Dora doll, which she loves, a princess rocking horse, a glow worm, a choo choo train, an Ernie doll, and a barking dog, just to name a few. It is apparent that the adults had more fun than she did!

With this new, but small, addition to our family, we all have changed....me especially. I always knew I would make a good mother, but never in a million years realized the impact that becoming a "ma ma" would have on me. I guess, with the 2009 year ending, it's got me all sentimental. I now understand what one means when using the term, "time flies". It truly does. Before I could even grasp the concept that someone actually "looks up" to me, I find myself looking up to her. Even though she stands (well, on her knees anyway) a mere foot off the ground, I look up to her! She has thoroughly changed me and my family....for the better!

With all that gushy stuff out, let's get down to Santa. I'll put it so everyone understands- "Toys R Us threw up in my living room!"! Ollie now has just about everything a child needs to survive. Actually, that's a lie. She really needs none of these things to survive. I, on the other hand, need them all! The more entertainment she has, the more I can achieve, therefore, the happier I am, and, everyone knows the old saying, "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy". SO TRUE! If you need a toy, or if your child receives a slightly used toy in the future for their birthday, just know these 3 simple words, reduce, reuse, recycle.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Love to all!

I'll post again next year!

For the Crazies in the Keys

2009-12-08T19:46:00.004-06:00

Ollie's Sugar and Pop along with good friends Larry and Sue are currently hanging out in Key West (apparently dad took this picture). I get a phone call from them at least once a day asking how Boogie is doing. I also get a text message/picture from Larry everyday letting me know how/what they are doing. We'll just say they are very entertaining! :) Even though they are having an awesome time chilling on the beach and riding bikes around the keys, they miss Ollie bunches. Well, she misses you too and so do we. This video is for you mom, dad, Larry and Sue. Come home soon and help us keep up with this little one. The name Boogie has never meant as much as it does now! We love you!

P.S. We have the perfect name for Ollie to call Larry. Since Sue is Suenomi, Larry can be Larebear! Love it! Let me know what yall think.

Big Crawler

2009-12-07T12:35:00.002-06:00

Ollie is finally crawling! Watch out world. She has been able to pull herself around the livingroom for a while but can now venture ALL over the house via crawling. SCARY! Time to purchase those baby gates. She is still a little shakey and those hands slap the floor with every move. She totally cracks me up cause I can see in her eyes that she is totally proud of herself. I am too! Below is the first video of my baby crawling. Enjoy!

Bye Bye

2009-12-03T06:59:00.002-06:00

Ollie has said very few words and mostly it's just babble. Once she learns a new word/sound she says it over and over again. The word of the week is bye, bye. Last night she was in some sort of mood. She absolutely would not go to sleep. Instead she played on our bed, babbling and giggling at herself. It was defiantly past her bedtime and we were exhausted but hearing her and watching her cracked us up so much we allowed it...for a short while. Of course as soon as the camera came out the talking stopped but we did manage to get a short little bye bye. She's just too silly!

Christmas Times A Coming...

2009-11-30T14:24:00.002-06:00

And every kid needs a cute little Christmas T-shirt. I am taking orders for these little t-shirts now. The price is $15 and this includes monogramming. I am open to working with you to get the exact color, style or size you need. The more you order the more you save. Spread the word!

More styles available.

Thankful

2009-11-30T12:10:00.006-06:00

Before I became a mom, I was thankful. I was thankful for life and most all that came along with it. Before Ollie was born, I had no idea just how thankful I could be. I am beyond thankful. My cup runs over with thanks. I thank God everyday for my Ollie and everything she does. She is my little hero, my sweet angel and my funny boogie baby! Life cannot be much better (well, unless there was a cure for CF, but I think you all know that)! I would like to take a moment to list the things in which I am thankful for.

Ollie-Just a smile from this small creature brings joy to my heart.
John-My husband, my best friend, the world's best daddy.
Family-without them I would be lost.
Our Home-A house is made of boards and beams but a Home is made of love and dreams.
My Friends-all my friends and for the new friends I have made.
My community-who comes together to give support and strength in times of need.
Children's Hospital-who finds a solution even when you think the battle is lost.
Singer/brother-what can I say, I love to sew!

I have a million other things to be happy for, I also have a million other things to do. So, moving on....

Here are a few pictures taken on Thanksgiving day. Of course Ollie was sporting her handmade turkey shirt, along with matching pants (handmade, might I add) and hair bow (yep, made it too). Me and the singer are tight!

Jump Start

2009-11-16T11:13:00.005-06:00

I have decided to get a little jump start on the Christmas t-shirt orders. My turkey shirts were a huge hit and I hope that the Christmas shirts are an even bigger one. Above are the Christmas shirts I am offering. These shirts are still in the works. Completed shirts will have stitching around each applique, names, etc. All shirts a white (I do not have color shirts in stock at the moment), short sleeve and run small. Please order at least one size bigger than normal. Most shirts are $15 and this includes monogramming. If you live in Andalusia, you may place your order though e-mail or may obtain my e-mail address through comments. This will eliminate any shipping charges. If you will need your shirt shipped, please order through my Etsy store. You may visit my Etsy for more details. I am taking orders at this time, so order today and your child will have a Christmas shirt to wear all December. I am offering savings on multiple orders (within the same family). Prices are as follows: 1 for $15, 2 for $28, 3 for $40, 4 for $50. This is for shirts of equal value. I hope you all enjoy!

Dog Gone Dead Batteries!

2009-11-09T16:41:00.002-06:00

A little funny to brighten your day....

As O drank her morning bottle I piddled around the kitchen, unloading dishes, cleaning counters and drinking coffee (yes, she has finally accomplished the holding of her bottle-due to my demanding practice regimen). I noticed she was getting quite upset and went to the dining room to investigate. Her bottle was empty and she was not happy. I assumed she was still hungry so I fixed her a few more ounces. She sucked those down as well. Next it was a little play time on her mat to let her food settle before treatments. At this point I go to my room to finish getting ready. As I came out I heard splashing. Hmmm? Low and behold my child is in the middle of the living room floor with a HUGE pile of milk (AKA spit up) surrounding her. As O moved her hands through this uh, spit up, in a circular motions only to be followed up with slapping and splashing, all I could do was laugh. I hope you have a visual. My camera was dead! Gross but funny!

Child Prodigy

2009-11-08T19:05:00.004-06:00

Ollie has been working very hard on her crawling skills. She is able to move her knees a little but hasn't quite been able to move her hands along with her knees. She's quite the spinner though. She will turn all which a ways on her play mat to get to different toys. Her favorite toy lately has been this little piano. Here is O getting down- baby style.

It's Official:

2009-11-04T13:12:00.003-06:00

I've become an Etsy junkie! I just love making things! Before Etsy, I just tucked them all away and really didn't know what to do with my creations. Lately, I have been trying to teach myself to sew and I am pretty proud of my accomplishments. I've decided to start with applique. You can view some of the things I have to offer by clicking on the Etsy button on the sidebar. If you are interested in ordering a "turkey" shirt, let me know via e-mail before purchasing. I can save you the shipping. These shirts are super cute and monogramming is available as well. Above are the "boy" colors, but these are cute for girls as well. I am about to do one for girls so you can see what those look like. The girls colors include, brown, pink and lime. 90% a fabric used is designer fabric and is absolutely gorgeous! Every kid needs a new Thanksgiving shirt. Order one today!

Good Friends = Good Times

2009-11-04T12:58:00.004-06:00

The night before Halloween we hosted a party for newly engaged Meg and Chase. It was Halloween themed and so much fun. We had great decoration, delicious food and even better company.

This idea of a pumpkin bonfire came from a better homes and garden magazine. When I first saw the picture I loved it but figured it would be impossible. The hostesses all came over to the house the night before and dug into the pumpkins. I had no idea pumpkin carving took so much time and they stink pretty bad too. Anyway, with the help of some talented young ladies, we accomplished a bonfire that just may have been better than the magazine's.

The sweet couple themselves. Congats Meg and Chase! We love you both!

Teeny Halloweeny

2009-11-04T12:50:00.002-06:00

Halloween was so much more fun with Ollie. This was her first Halloween and thanks to great friends she had the cutest little costume, warm too. O was a chili pepper! She was precious. We battled our way through all the trick-or-treaters on the square and made our way to see Vicki for a "professional" photograph of Ollie's outfit. She was a very serious chili pepper and would not smile no matter what we tried. Guess it's hard work being this cute. I know the pictures will be classic no matter if she smiled or not. If Halloween was this much fun, I can't even begin to imagine Christmas! Ohhhh, I am SOOOOO excited!! (Good thing cause it's just a few weeks away!)

I Love The Popwells!

2009-10-22T11:15:00.002-05:00

As you see there is a new picture of Ollie courtesy of Vicki Popwell Photography! Her work is magnificent! Ollie was actually in a terrible mood that day and cried and cried. With the assistance of Ninny, some beautiful photographs were captured. Thank you Popwells for the wonderful work you do! I look forward to receiving my new prints as well as Ollie's 6 month pictures!

Two Weeks in Hospital Equals:

2009-10-19T12:30:00.002-05:00

NOTHING! I am so upset! I received the phone call this morning to confirmed that the 2 weeks of IV antibiotics was a dud! The pseudomonas is still there. How in the heck is this happening?! Up until now I was so confident that we were getting somewhere. That we were beating CF. Boy was I wrong. It is so frustrating that with everything we have done and continue to do, this stupid little bacteria will not go away. UGHHHH! O will continue with inhaled antibiotics on and off for the next 6 months. She will also be adding yet another medicine to her long list of daily pills. Hopefully this will do the trick. Did I just say hopefully? I am so out of hope. There is no more light at the end of the tunnel. All I see is black. Please pray for Ollie. I can't even find strength in that anymore.

So Happy to Be Home

2009-10-15T22:02:00.005-05:00

Just a word from the experienced-Do not take your home for granted! My family made it back safely from Birmingham today. We have spent the last 2 weeks cooped up in a little hospital room. Ollie has been receiving antibiotics through an IV to kill the bacteria that WAS residing in her lungs. No longer! I say this with great faith that the treatment was successful. We should know in a week if the pseudomonas is gone. Even if it has left the building for now, we must pray that is has left for good! It could come back at any point forcing O to take inhaled antibiotics to rid it once again. Our hope is to steer clear of that vicious cycle for a long time. The following video is of our precious, sweet, angel baby in her tub the first night back home. She has been an extremely happy baby today. Just the sight of her fan, bed, bouncy seat and extended family has had this kid jumping for joy all day! Thank you again for all the prayers and support. We hope to see you all very soon (like at the foot ballgame tomorrow night).

*Just a warning: This kid is VERY happy!

You might need to adjust your volume to avoid a headache!

In 24 Hours....

2009-10-14T08:26:00.002-05:00

We're going to:

Make like a tree and leave!
Make like a banana and split!

Today is our last full day here. We all woke up in a little better of a mood today cause come tomorrow we are out! Yay! Free at last! Ollie really doesn't know any different but I'm sure she misses her always visiting family and friends. She misses being outside. Swinging. Bouncing in her jumpy seat. Her bed. Her home. She just doesn't realize it yet. I hope we don't have a lot of trouble getting her back in her old routine. We have all been cooped up in a small room together and she is always right under our noses. Maybe she will not be traumatized being alone. Our stay her at Children's has not been terrible but I miss my life. The time has kinda flown by and I am thankful for that. I'll just be thrilled to wash clothes, clean my house and enjoy the Fall (my FAVORITE season of all). I will also enjoy kissing the right side of my baby's head. It has been covered in tape for 2 weeks. Thank you all for your prayers and support throughout our stay. Please keep Ollie in your thoughts as she continues to fight off this mean bacteria. Pray it is gone and stays gone!!! See you all soon!

In 24 hours we're going to make like a family that has been locked up in a small hospital room for 2 weeks and GET THE HECK OUT OF HERE!!!!