20 November 2011

Moving on...

For many reasons, the least of which is that Blogger is a blocked website at work, I am moving my blog to another location.

The site is: http://srapalmateer.wordpress.com/

I've posted once there so far...things have been a bit BUSY in the land of me lately. There may be more there by the time you have seen this!

So long from Blogger...hello Word Press!

09 October 2011

Latest on Mom

She is resting (as much as one can in the hospital) and working on getting better. He finally got the test results from the fluid that they drained on Wednesday. Negative for cancer cells!!!!!!! That was a HUGE relief for all of us. Mom still has a lot of fluid in her legs and it's not coming off quite as fast as the doctors want. They have increased one medication in hopes that it will help with that. If not, Mom might be doing dialysis on a temporary basis to help out her kidneys. That is not definite, but something the doctors are discussing.

02 October 2011

Catch up

So this is my first post since JULY and a lot has happened!

-We drove to FL. While there, DJP became very brave and actually put his head in the water at the pool! He also thought drinking the pool water was funny... We were also able to visit with friends on the drive home that we haven't seen in a few years which was nice.

-Our trivia team won the finals of Season 29! It was a huge surprise because we didn't think we had done well enough. However a big shout out to Jason's dad because he kept telling us that The Green Lantern is somehow related to The Lone Ranger and that was one of the four final questions. We were the only team who knew that!!!!

-School started again for both Jason and myself. Jason is working on a proposal to teach a seminar class on Baseball. I am getting used to having a new principal and going to a few new meetings. I will also be doing some curriculum writing this Fall for the Common Core Standards(adopted here in MD last year). DJP has also been to class with Jason due to an occasional babysitting issue. He likes to wonder around and even got himself up on a chair and sat at a desk!

-DJP is now 18 months old! He's weighing a hefty 27ish pounds and 33ish inches tall. He is picking up new words and sounds all the time. The newest from this week is "Gobble Gobble" because he likes to carry around the turkey from his FP farm set. DJP has learned to run from place to place and the number of bumps and bruises has increased as well! His latest stunt is climbing up the sliding board and sliding down on his tummy-no fear anymore!

-Mom was working on her follow up chemo treatments until this past Monday when she went back into the hospital. She is retaining fluid again (like she did 2 years ago) and the doctor is running every test possible. She's doing okay, just very tired because of all the monitoring and testing. She was moved to the oncology floor yesterday evening. Hopefully she will get more rest there. If you're reading this and didn't know sorry...I cannot call everyone! However if you would like to see/call Mom, let me know and I will give you contact information.

08 July 2011

NO!

DJP has added to his vocabulary as of this week the word that most parents dread hearing...


NO!

However, DJP has given the word 'no' some added enthusiasm: he says it with a smile and vivacious shakes of his head. Due to this motion, there is no picture (unfortunately)!

Just for good measure

Mom went to see the medical oncologist yesterday to find out what the next plan was to be.

What she found out was that she will be having chemo treatments once a week for two weeks and one week off for nine sessions, hopefully starting on Friday, July 15th. The doctor did warn her that she may experience more side effects this time (like hair loss). If all goes as planned, she will finish up in January 2012. This plan is just for good measure. What the doctors have found with pancreatic cancer is that once the chemo/radiation/surgery have been completed to rid the body of the cancer, another treatment plan of chemo diminishes the chances that the cancer will return.

Mom is upbeat about this and happy that she will not have to go to UMMC to receive her treatments. She can see one of her normal doctors (she has a list longer than Santa's) for her treatments. This means that she will be able to take herself.

06 July 2011

When Delilah cut Sampson's hair

DJP's hair was getting a bit long...that even he was pushing it out of his face!

BEFORE



DURING



AFTER
(Well...DJP was not very happy afterward and did NOT want his picture taken.)

And a big thank you to Ms. Clare (aka Delilah) for cutting DJP's hair!

27 June 2011

15 months


DJP is just a bit over 15 months old now. WOW! Time sure has flown! (And yes, he does know how to use the iPad and the iPhone!)

We had a well visit to the doctor today in which DJP did another first: he has been able to reach our door handles and pull them down (they are of the lever variety) but has not been able to pull the handle and open the door at the same time. DJP apparently wanted out of the exam room, reached up for the handle, pulled it down, opened the door and dashed out. Jason went to follow him. The receptionists got a big chuckle out of the spectacle. Of course, DJP went straight for the toy box and picked out a truck to push around.

DJP's current stats:
Height: approximately 32 inches (he becomes Mr. Squirmy Wormy when you try to lay him flat when he doesn't want to be flat)
Weight: 23 lbs 14 ozs (which doesn't seem to be a lot until you hold Mr. Squirmy Wormy)

DJP is also acquiring quite a vocabulary: Hi, woof, Ma-ma, Da-da, no (said with smiles), more (without the "r" and signing), Grandma (sounds like Ma-ma but different because he's not saying it to me!) and various other sounds that we have yet to decipher.

DJP is eating pretty well except for the fact that meat gets pushed away as do noodles and bread. Some new favorites are pretzels and Craisins as well as any freeze-dried fruit (justtomatoes.com has a wonderful variety) including cherries (which I think are the tartest things ever).

DJP enjoys having Ophelia around again (she has returned from Spa Grandma) and likes to lean in and attempt to give her kisses. Ophelia is not so sure about that and tends to shrink away as fast as she can. He also enjoys that the cat's water bowl is on the floor and becomes his own personal water table when Jason and I are not quick enough to stop him. I've never seen a bowl of water emptied so fast!

Speaking of kisses, the cat is not the only recipient of kisses from DJP. He will occasionally give Jason and me kisses at bedtime when asked but the cutest thing happened over the weekend. My mom was visiting and we told DJP to give Grandma kisses before going to bed. He not only went over to her and gave kisses but also walked over to me and to Jason and gave us each kisses before we took him upstairs.

DJP also went to his first Orioles v. Rays game. He spent most of it walking around with me or wandering around the open areas on the club level. We did take him out into the stands for about an inning and a half, but he was not fond of the music nor the cheers/jeers from the surrounding crowd. We did happen to bribe him a bit with some ice cream...

...and then once we left the game, it didn't take more than five minutes before he was asleep.

28 May 2011

Time has flown

...and so much has happened!

At the end of April, Mom had her scans done to see what was going on with the tumor in her pancreas. At the beginning of May, she met with her team of doctors and they determined that she was strong enough to go through surgery and recovery. However they did not know when the surgery would be done and only had about a 2 week window in which to do said surgery (due to when she finished her radiation and chemo treatments). The surgeon asked if he called one day would Mom be ready the next for surgery. She said she'd like to have this done by her birthday (May 18th). He said that he could do that for her.

We found out the Friday before Mother's Day that Mom's surgery would be scheduled for the Monday after Mother's Day. So we switched our plans around for Mother's day (because Mom couldn't eat anything solid after breakfast). We went to Bonefish Grill and had about an hour wait. Entertaining DJP was exhausting because all he wanted to do was walk up and down the sidewalk in front of all the stores and restaurants. He also made quite a few friends with his quick smile and wave. (Yes, DJP is walking...he started the week of his birthday with a few tentative steps here and there-much faster if you had a cellphone in your hand though and is now extremely confident and doesn't need to hold on to anything or anyone.)

On the day of the surgery, Chris, Tom and I went to be with her. We waited a long time for them to even take her back to get ready for the surgery but once they did things went quickly. We got to walk with her and the anesthesiologists until the elevators to the waiting area. The surgery was supposed to take about 6 hours however the surgeon was out talking to us in less than 5 because there were no complications and there wasn't a need for any blood transfusions (which the surgeon thought he would definitely have to do). While the doctor was talking with us, he was bouncy/giddy because of how well the surgery went and how well Mom did. Chris and I got to see her about an hour later. Her first question to us (still coming out of the anesthesia) was "Is is snowing?" Chris and I busted out laughing and the nurse just looked at us like we were crazy. We explained to her that Mom had been in the hospital in December and she was remembering that.

The day after surgery, I went to see Mom after work and found her sitting up in a chair with color in her face! Not what I was expecting after the gallbladder surgery! Each day she got better and surprised everyone, even the physical therapist because he thought he was going to have to help her out of bed and she did it all by herself! Jason and I took DJP to visit his Grandma on Friday for an hour or so. He did really well-definitely enjoyed pushing the buttons on the hospital bed that make it go up and down! By Saturday of that week, Mom had one of the drains removed, was off of some of her medicine and walking circles around the hospital floor that she was on (at her speed, not mine!). Before I left to see her that Sunday, she called to ask for me to bring a few items to her and that the team was still thinking about letting her go home on Monday. An hour later, I got to the hospital found Mom getting ready to go for a walk and she says, "I can go home today." Let's get everything together and make that happen. After all the paperwork was taken care of and Mom's stuff was all together, the nurse said she could wait for a wheelchair or walk out of her own accord. Mom said she could walk, so she did. She came home with me.

She's now at home and has seen the doctor again. She had the staples removed and was given the report on her surgery and the pathology of the cancer. I have not seen the reports yet myself, but Mom said that the tumor was 4.3cm and still had a few live cells. Some of the lymph nodes tested positive and the pathologist recommended more chemo and radiation. However the surgeon doesn't know what to radiate since there is no more tumor and is not concerned about the lymph nodes. Mom will meet again with the team later in June to see what happens next. She will be able to drive again in about a week and is supposed to resume her normal activities at once! All is good at this point! Many, many, many thanks to the team at UMMC and thank God for Dr. Alexander's steady hands during surgery! The team made life a bit easier during this difficult time for my family as did so many others who I will never be able to thank enough for their love, support and time.

07 April 2011

The Bell Rang

Mom finished her radiation treatment yesterday and was able to ring the bell in the lobby of the radiation oncology center at UMMC! (I mentioned this in previous post.)

Now the waiting begins until Mom can get her scan at the end of the month. During the waiting time, Mom has to gain 5 pounds (she lost 7 in one week during treatment) and be able to walk 1/2 mile easily. This homework assignment is so that if the team thinks surgery in an option that Mom will be strong enough to go through with the procedure. The team will meet to discuss Mom's case in early May.

Mom is in good spirits and anxious (as are all of us) for the next month to pass to know if the radiation and chemo shrunk the stinkin' tumor!

More to come in May!

28 March 2011

In the single digits

Mom's treatments are now in the single digits. She has 7 more to go and then she will be able to ring the bell in the radiation oncology department's waiting area. (The bell is to symbolize the end of treatment, or on occasion a round of treatment, and gives those still in treatment hope. The day that I took Mom to UMMC, two patients rang the bell and everyone in the waiting room clapped. It's pretty emotional because of what each patient and their family goes through.)

At Mom's appointment with the medical oncologist today, she learned that her white blood cell count had increased (good thing) and therefore is to increase her nightly chemo dose from two pills to three until the end of treatment. She also lost 7 pounds (bad thing) so she has to increase her meals from 3 to 5 per day. If the surgical oncologist decides that she is not strong enough to go through surgery then he will not perform the Whipple procedure. Mom is okay with the number of meals-she even said tonight that she has a bit of an appetite (good thing) and wants to eat rather than what she has been doing which is eating because she knows it's good for her.

After all the treatments are finished, Mom will have another CT scan in about 6 weeks. Once the doctors have the results, her team will meet and decide what to do next. Hopefully, the decision will be to do the surgery, which has a recovery time of 5-12 weeks. Please keep Mom in your thoughts and prayers while she finishes her treatments and that the doctors have the power to heal her.

07 March 2011

Messy

Our house is a mess. It's in a mess because we're getting new bamboo floors. The wood was delivered on Friday. The moisture test was done on Friday and we passed so that means work starts this morning. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Jason and I have been trying to get the majority of stuff put away so that the workmen can move the furniture more easily. We've been doing this since before we knew the work would start today. It's definitely more difficult to move things around with an 11 1/2 month old wanting you to play with him and not wanting to take his naps.

We made sure the recycling went out (so that was one less thing to worry about), made sure DJP's bag was ready to go so that Jason would not have to worry about that in the morning, and Ophelia is having a mini vacation at Spa Grandma (Thanks Mom!!!). You would think there wasn't much more to be done. HA! There were still the throw rugs to be picked up as well as the toys. The dishwasher to be emptied (since they're moving that). The pictures and calendar and magnets from the fridge (since they're moving that too). Of course, I forgot that there was stuff ON TOP of the fridge that needed to be moved too...Thank you dear husband for taking care of that!!!

We shall see how the progress goes...the company said that they would be finished in 2 days...updates later on that!

01 March 2011

Plan 2.5

Mom had her doctor's appointment and radiation treatment yesterday. She did not have her chemo treatment because both her white and red cell counts were low. So the newest plan is to have Mom take chemo pills (since they are a lower dose of chemo) two times a day each day she has radiation (Monday thru Friday). Hopefully the chemo pills will be delivered by Wednesday afternoon so that Mom can start taking them and see if there are any side effects that she can discuss at her next appointment on Monday with the doctor. If she doesn't get them by Thursday, she will have to reschedule her doctor's appointment for the next Monday. If the chemo pills cause Mom's red and white cells to remain low she will not do chemo at all and just stick with the radiation.

Another change, but still moving forward.

24 February 2011

The Count Down to a Year


DJP is well on his way to being a year old! One month to go... This year has flown by with all his milestones, which keep on coming.

The newest editions are that DJP can:
-stand on his own (tentatively but still on his own);
-plays well by himself and with others;
-can move cars, trucks and trains around without "throwing" them;
-can climb on various objects (like the IKEA container to get into a chair; the ottoman; on his parents to get onto the sofa);
-feeds himself apple, peaches, pears, puffs/O's, and bananas (these are his favorites);
-has tried strawberries, blueberries, kiwi and mandarin oranges (likes these);
-likes spoons-to chew on not to eat off of;
-enjoys pulling all his books off the shelf and then picking a couple to sit and 'read;'
-will sit and push a toy back and forth with Mommy and Daddy;
-loves to listen to '70s and '80s music and apparently his favorite genre is disco because he definitely 'dances' to it! He will even tap his knee (while sitting) to the beats;
-can turn on his 'seahorse' while in his crib to listen to lullabies (Thank you Counsins K & A) and also throws it out of the crib (the boy likes to throw);
-likes to cuddle with a few of his stuffed animals-a teddy bear with a rattle (Thanks, Aunt Rosalie), his 'Tub of Cubs' (Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa) and his Rays panda, Asta, which also plays lullabies (Thanks, Nina and Papa);
and
-has started to repeat some of the things that we say...one day I was playing with his toy camera (Thanks, Aunt Megan and Uncle Stan and Cousins G, J & L) and I started saying "Say Cheese!" What DJP repeated was something like "ay, chee!" We also think we've heard him say "nigh, nigh" for "night, night." However, these are not said on a consistent basis and could just be DJP getting the right sounds together at the right time. He has definitely become more vocal with different sounds including an ear piercing scream (Mommy's eardrums will never be the same again!) and using his hands to make all kinds of sounds.

Dry Run

Mom goes for her dry run of radiation tomorrow afternoon. This is where they walk her through exactly what will happen and to make sure that all the radiation markers are in the right place.

Mom is doing well both mentally and physically. She's been out and about-to the grocery store, to the eye doctor (for check ups after the cataract surgery which went very well), to the library and even cleaned off her own car after Monday's snow. (A neighbor plowed the driveway for her-Thank you, Mr. Gary!)

On Monday, Mom is scheduled to have both chemo and her first radiation treatment. Hopefully this will go smoothly and not be too long of a day for her. The last couple of times the doctor's office and phlebotomy lab have been super duper busy and Mom has had to wait and wait.

15 February 2011

New Plan

After a nice weekend spent playing with DJP, Mom went to see the medical oncologist yesterday. He and the team have devised a new plan for Mom's treatment. Here's how the new plan works:

Mom will go to the radiation oncology department to have her radiation markers reapplied (they had to be removed from the first time due to the gallbladder surgery). Then, on Monday the 21st, Mom will have her second chemo treatment. Hopefully the chemo will not cause any problems with the red or white blood cells this time and Mom will have a chemo treatment every Monday for about 5 weeks. On the 28th, Mom will have her first radiation treatment. She will have radiation treatments every day (except for Saturdays and Sundays) for 5 weeks.

Once these treatments are completed, the team will take another look at Mom's case and determine if she is ready for surgery or needs more chemo and radiation treatments.

Let's hope that this plan is the right one for Mom.

10 February 2011

Gone Cataracts Gone

Since Mom has had a hiatus from chemo while she waits for her white cell count to react (and hopefully improve) to the shot that she got a week and a half ago, she was able to have her cataract surgery.

She went in yesterday at 7:45am and was finished about 9:30am. Mom said that she could see better than she could before the surgery, but had a bit of the "halo effect," where objects have halos. That should disappear as her eyes heal.

Mom goes this morning for her surgery follow up and on Monday she meets again with the oncology team. More updates to follow when I know more!

01 February 2011

Low on the Whites

During Mom's visit to the medical oncologist on Monday, she learned that her white blood cell count was low. This is nothing new to Mom since both red and white cell counts have been on the low side for a few years now. However this does pose a problem. Due to the low white cell count, Mom was given a shot, Procrit, to help increase her white cell count. The doctor wants the shot to work so she will not see him again until the 14th. His main concern is that if Mom has a chemo treatment and then the next week her counts are low she cannot keep getting the shots because this will confuse the white blood cells (speeding up with the chemo and slowing down with the shot). So he said he was going to need to rethink her treatment.

The doctor is also concerned about the lymph nodes around the sternum. He think they have increased in size (from 3mm to 5mm) and wants to investigate more. There is some cause for concern with this development however Mom's cancer markers have not changed and there is no sign of spreading to the liver or the lungs (which are the first places pancreatic cancer spreads).

On a more positive note, the doctor does think Mom is strong enough to proceed with the radiation treatment. The oncology group of doctors will meet again, review Mom's case and come up with a new plan of treatment which she will find out more about that on the 14th.

26 January 2011

Update on Mom

Mom went to see the surgeon and the medical oncologist on Monday. The surgeon said she has improved and has regained most of her strength since the gallbladder surgery. She is also healed. YEAH!

The oncologist is pleased with her recovery from the surgery and actually set up her first chemo appointment for yesterday afternoon. Mom was a bit surprised by that, but also happy to have started with her treatment. She will currently be getting treatment once a week for two to three weeks and then a week off. The oncology team will determine if she can go for a third week depending on her white blood cell count since she occasionally runs on the low side anyway. They do not want her immune system to get too weak. The chemo drug is GEMZAR and is a higher dosage than originally planned since Mom is not doing the radiation at the same time.

Another plus with Mom's recovery is that the oncologist thinks that she is strong enough to start radiation. He is going to speak with the radiation oncologist to see what the new plan will be.

For now, all is well and back on track.

25 January 2011

Sick Boy

We're currently experiencing what it is like to have a sick baby. I'd give anything for it to be me and not DJP!


This all started on Sunday morning. DJP slept until almost 10am. That should have been my first clue. He was a bit fussy while I was changing his diaper and just seemed to want to lay down again. I thought he might be hungry (since he slept in) and took him downstairs to eat. He ate his yogurt and mixed berries and still was fussy. He just wanted to be held. (That should have been my second clue.) Then the eruption occurred. I was covered in baby vomit. UGH! Somehow I got DJP and myself back upstairs and with assistance from Jason got DJP undressed and into the tub. He was perfectly fine-not being fussy and enjoyed his morning bath (a treat since we bathe him at night). After the bath, DJP wanted to be held. He eventually fell asleep on me and I put him in his crib. Poor thing.

When he woke up, we decided to get him some pedialyte and he decided that he liked it and drank half a sippycup of it. DJP was still not himself and just kind of sat around with one toy and wanted to be near us.

At dinner time, Jason and I decided to give DJP bananas and rice cereal-easy on the tummy-just in case he was going to be sick again. Dinner stayed down and DJP played a bit more than he had all day. Whew...

Then Jason and I decided to give DJP his bottle of formula before bed. Let's just say that Jason got to understand how I felt earlier in the day... We did another wardrobe change for Jason and DJP and a bit more Pedialyte before the kiddo went to bed.

So far, we've had no more vomiting however there's another problem to deal with-diarrhea. Poor little boy... Our pediatrician is not overly concerned, gave us some warning signs and said the virus just has to work its way out. I hope it works its way out soon because Jason and I have had a hard time watching DJP go through this.

21 January 2011

10 Months

Our little boy is now 10 months old! How time flies!


Current observations of DJP:
*He loves all fruits (especially bananas, blueberries and apples), vegetables and meats;
*greatly dislikes rice pilaf and one other thing that I cannot seem to remember at this moment;
*still has 6 teeth (4 top, 2 bottom) and is currently teething with more bumps present on the bottom on both sides;
*is being more and more vocal each day with more complex sounds rather than just repeating "da da da" and "ma ma ma;"
*will occasionally vocalize "orders" to the cat whenever she is nearby;
*is walking along furniture and with his walking toys;
*has occasionally let go of said furniture and toys to stand on his own for a few seconds;
*has had his first "bloody" accident in which he fell and split his lip. He is fine and the swelling has gone down thanks to the teething rings;
*has been sleeping through the night (except for last night-he woke up around 4am probably because he was hungry-he didn't eat much dinner and then threw some of it up for no apparent reason);
*is super duper curious about everything (especially the remotes and phones);
*is definitely a people watcher (going out to eat and trying to feed DJP is its own Olympic event with head twisting, food on spoon balancing, etc.);
*has started to throw all of his toys-out of the crib, into his FP Speedway and just because he can;
*has learned to climb up on boxes (that are used to blockade an area for DJP in the basement; and
*has been enjoying his time with his daddy taking care of him during the week (Jason has done a FABULOUS job!!!!).

12 January 2011

Paying It Forward

I'm sure you've all seen the commercial were little acts of kindness are done while someone else is witness to the act and then they continue to pay it forward. After the start of the New Year on FB, a friend from high school posted about Paying it Forward of the handmade variety.

The deal is that if you responded to the post, they are to "pay it forward" with something handmade to you and then you are to continue in that vein. I decided that this was something that I wanted to do since I am a bit crafty and have two of those XL Ziploc bags (plus some) full of yarn. I have my five respondents to send handmade to already (check out status on FB) and have decided that once I have those finished (which will be a challenge with an almost 10 month old) I will post again, one project at a time.

Currently, I am about 1/2 way finished my first project. It's a pattern that I've wanted to complete, helps me de-stash some of my yarn and I love how it's turning out! I have two recipients in mind that the colors will fit perfectly...decisions! The decision might not be too difficult since I have enough of this particular yarn to complete two of this pattern...we shall see!

Once projects are finished and presented to their intended recipient, I will post pictures here as well as information on the patterns. (Finally, a knitting post!)

11 January 2011

Some Good News

Mom had another CT Scan done on Friday and got the results yesterday. There was some good news from that. The tumor is still encapsulated in her pancreas AND has moved slightly away from the blood vessel that the doctors were concerned about.

The medical oncologist wants Mom to start with chemo (probably at the earliest in two weeks) because he doesn't think she is strong enough as of yet to go through radiation. He will be conferring with another doctor Mom sees closer to home to see if he will be able to monitor the chemo and her blood levels (due to her being chronically anemic).

I went to visit Mom over the weekend and I took her on a small outing to the bank. She did very well walking and even got herself up on the curb (with a little assistance from the cane). Mom will be seeing a physical therapist starting today to help strengthen her legs as well as overall so that she will be able to do the radiation.

Every day that I speak to Mom on the phone, she sounds better and more like herself. She misses her grandson and will get to see him this weekend as we celebrate Christmas (since she was in the hospital for the official date).

04 January 2011

Latest on Mom

Mom had a follow up with the Oncology Team at UMMC yesterday. Here's what she learned:

*Throw out the low-fat diet from the gallbladder surgery; she needs to eat many small meals during the day filled with calories. The doctor said, "If you want ice cream, eat it!" He wants Mom to gain some more weight and he also said that eating more will help with losing some of the fluid that she retained after the surgery.

*Mom needs to move around and do stuff during the day. She is not allowed to just sit around and be waited on. The doctor said that she needs to build up her strength.

*She is scheduled to meet again with the oncology team next Monday and Tuesday to have a follow up appointment and possible get her scans done in radiation oncology. (The ones for this week were canceled.)

*She needed to have another blood transfusion yesterday because her red blood cell count was low due to being anemic. This is in place of the shots she was getting at the hematologist's office every two weeks.

*The doctors still are not 100% sure what type of chemo Mom will have but they are leaning more towards giving her IV chemo. This will probably start before the radiation since Mom is still recovering from the surgery.

That's all I know for now...

Happy New Year!

Jason and I (as well as DJP, if he knew) want to wish all of you a happy and healthy New Year! We spent a very quiet New Year by putting DJP to bed (a bit later than his usual time), having a wonderful dinner of steak (yum!), potatoes and green beans & almonds (my fav!) and watching two movies from pay per view on DirecTV-Easy A (about a high school girl who learns the effects of rumors and perpetuating them-very good!!!) and The A-Team (which wasn't quite the same but good for what it was).

New Year's Day was spent running some errands (must have more formula for DJP) and visiting with Mom/Grandma. DJP loved crawling around Grandma's living room and hallway but was intrigued with the door between the kitchen and living room (a pocket one) and that all the doors in the hallway were closed. You would think he wouldn't have much to get into. HA! DJP found the wires to the TV, etc. underneath an end table (he was not stopped by putting his diaper bag over top of the wires) and he also found that he could reach into Grandma's potted plants and find the dirt (so much fun to clean his fingers!)

Grandma gave DJP two Christmas presents-a stacker that has stars and plays music (he really loves to chew on the star at the top) and a stuffed puppy dog that plays music and talks about different body parts if you press on them (like the heart, foot, tummy, etc.). It even giggles when you press the tummy! We'll finish celebrating Christmas in about 1 1/2 weeks when Jason's dad and step mom come to visit. Hopefully, Mom will be feeling better and more like herself than she did in December.