Ally's Heart - take 2

I have amazing news!

I know all of you are not religious, but Ben and I are so moved by the amazing grace we have received that I must share the details from my heart. I am a part of MOPS which is a "Mothers of Preschoolers" group at my church. We only meet twice a month and I have only really just begun to make friends there. Well, the group was meeting at the exact time Ally's appointment and they did a prayer for Ally's heart.

Remember that Dr. Ramos said the diagnosis would be one of two things, a hole in her heart (the most common) or a leaky valve. After a long, quiet, dark and otherwise uncomfortable test using an ultrasound machine. Dr. Ramos was amazed to find NOTHING wrong with Ally's heart, nothing abnormal, nothing unusual, nothing that shows any signs of ANYTHING!

Ben was almost in tears (sorry Ben) I had chills and was speechless (amazing in itself). Dr. Ramos read my mind's questions when he continued unprompted, saying...she will not be limited in any way, physically, she can play sports, immunity, she is healthy and strong, developmentally, she will continue grow with no worries. He went further to say, she will grow up, get married, have children, and her heart will be PERFECT. He used the word perfect repeatedly. You all know me well, and he answered all my questions without me needing to speak. He truly is an amazing man with incredible bedside commitment.

He said we will never need to return to his office unless her pediatrician recommends it.

I am so thrilled to be passed this obstacle. I am amazed that GOD has granted us this peace and truly feel that HIS presence was with Ally through that day.

I already feel more confident as a parent for her, I feel that she has made me stronger and has taught me so much already!

THANK YOU for your thoughts and prayers, we are so appreciative! Hug someone you love today and be THANKFUL for you health and theirs!

Trick or Treat!

Halloween is a tricky time for me, I love all the visits to our door and for most part really enjoy seeing all the kids get dressed up - as you know we dress up most everyday here at our house! I struggle with how scary it can be for kids, especially Natalie. She thinks she is so grown up at 4, and she is REALLY independent and thinks she can handle so much more then she can. She came up with two terms this season that makes lots of sense. Do you celebrate a "Happy Halloween" or a "Scary Halloween"? We celebrate a happy one, with pumpkins, and scarecrows, and turkeys, and such - definitely an artificial fall! NO crazy demons, or scary guys, as Natalie calls them. They are scary! and that is something I don't want to teach my kids!

You think as a parent you get the choice in the matter, but in reality you still have to address the worldly ways - do I ignore her questions, or explain we do things differently...it is so hard. Things I never thought about while I swaddled and nursed and sang lullabies.

I was thrilled to take the girls to our church carnival this year. Finally, Natalie was old enough to wait in a line and play a game and enjoy the festivities. Well, our church didn't host their carnival this year, instead they had a concert. We did end up having a great day. Our cousins, Ian, Sandy and baby Gracie came to carve pumpkins and roast seeds, and enjoy some all day cooking! The little ones, Allison and Gracie were bugs. A ladybug and a bumble bee. Too cute! Natalie's costume this year was over the top! I say "never again!" She selected a fairy, Silvermist, from the new Tinkerbell movie. Well, I couldn't find a costume for it so I thought I'd try my hand at the old sewing machine and make her costume. Simple enough...NOT!

The pattern was $15 alone - RIP OFF!

The fabric about $30 - can you see where this is going?

A wig was required - probably THE most exciting part of the costume - $15

Orange paint dropped all the way down the front...

Natalie saying, "Don't worry mommy, it is still beautiful"

=Priceless

Ally's hand me down ladybug costume - FREE!!!!

Natalie at 4 years old

Natalie at 4 years old...my neighbor Stephanie, took these randomly after an afternoon at the pumpkin patch. Natalie had changed her clothes and had run over to ring the doorbell of Matt and Austin. Steph grabbed her camera and I got an email.

I looked at them and shuffled them away. They weren't a significant time, or day or outfit, or any other special occasion. Just a weekend in her life of being 4.

I since looked at them and examined them and finally found what Stephanie saw. A PERFECT example of Natalie at 4. These shots show exactly what Natalie would love to do everyday of her life. Wear princess shirts, have her face painted, show off her "I did it myself haircut" and bug the neighborhood kids "to get out here and play!" I love Natalie at 4, I love having a 4 year old.

Ben and I were pretty weirded out by imagining ourselves as a parent of a 4 year old. No longer a baby, or toddler, but a 4 year old kid. Wow, that sounded weird. Well, here we are and it is pretty cool. You can really enjoy spending time with a four old.

Natalie LOVES life and I love that about her because I LOVE life and she has to get that from me. She has a great sense of humor, she is creative and spunky (I wish I could get Punky Brewster on DVD). She loves food, and treats, and rides, and shopping, and traveling, and her family and friends. She loves swimming, and gymnastics, dance and singing. She is an awesome kid! I have to admit I have had my struggles as a parent, figuring out that I can't "turn her into" the perfect child. Well, after 4 years of being a mom, she is the perfect child! She is Natalie, and I hope this world is ready for her! I love you sweetie, keep throwing me the challenges, because slowly but surly you are turning me into a pretty good mom!

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

I have wanted to take out our builder grade 10 foot long mirror since BEFORE we even moved in. Somethings have to wait and wait it did for over four years until I got my honey do wish list taken care of by our fix it friend Larry.

He came in thinking I

was crazy. But before he was through his wife and one other person were already planning on him doing just the same thing.

It really is a simple fix and makes such a difference. The room seems taller and even though we choose inexpensive fixtures and mirrors it looks much nicer then the builder

grade we had.

Here is my dilemma...what goes in the middle between the mirrors? Ben is thinking a third mirror, I am thinking some open shelving for perfume bottles and pictures. Some facebook friends have suggested sconces...

We will have to keep looking...until then it is one less Honey Do on the wish list...

P.S. Since Ben took my linen closet to store the wine, I have been suffering from an ill

equipped, poorly utilized laundry room. Well Larry helped me out there too...I LOVE spending time doing laundry now...I know I'm weird.

***Here is a during picture...sadly I can't find a before..

Back in the tent...

We managed two quick camping trips this month. We had a hectic month for traveling so they were single parent camping trips which made it VERY adventurous.

While Ben was in Mammoth on a BOYS only fishing trip, my wonderful group of MOMS planned a family trip and I knew I would have back-up so I braved the wilderness as a single mom and pitched my own tent for the girls and me. We had a great time, I only wish Ally slept more. 3:30AM was a little early to get up but I hung in there and made the best of it!

We met the group on Saturday in Idyllwild and had a "bring your own meat" pot-luck. I was grateful for the dads who did come who BBQ'd my chicken. The temperature dropped and the fire was going strong. We laid out all of our treats and filled a whole table of desserts, cakes, cookies, smore's so much good stuff!

We had story time by the fire and then a movie in Nina's Expedition. Camping is so different with portable DVD's...

Morning was rough - Ally was up most of the night. Natalie sleeps and snores like her dad while camping - Lucky girl! We had oatmeal and my favorite - percolated coffee..

We packed up before lunch, Ally was tried again - surprise surprise, so we headed home to rest up and clean up. I was proud to be so adventurous to go camping alone.

Then, after another trip of Ben being gone, I was able to sneak in a girls weekend away with my two dear friends...while I was gone, Ben packed the girls up once again and met up with two families at Lake Perris. They had a great time camping with daddy, and of course as he would have it, Ally slept most of the night. The girls played with their friends and Ben bragged about using the small tent again...such the minimalist. I am curious to see how much help my friend was (the only wife on the trip) she probably gave Ben a few reminders...wipe the noses, wash the hands...etc...

Camping is so fun! We enjoy it so much. Next year the girls will be just that much more independent and soon we may even get to go on a hike...

New Shoes!

Learning how to balance hand me downs is something that is TOTALLY for to me! My sister and I are 16 years apart, hand me downs didn't work for us. But, with two girls only 2 1/2 years apart, hand me downs are a part of the Strader Girls. What exactly do you pass down?

Pajama's, play clothes, dress clothes, shoes? When do you buy them their own and when is the left over in the closet ok?

I have been learning...oddly the girls' seasons are flipped...so what was summer clothes for Natalie couldn't be used as winter clothes for Allison...so Ally got LOTS of new clothes...the basics worked but not the seasonal stuff. Now that Ally is in shoes (attempting to run..too cute!) I am finally getting around to buying her her first pair of NEW shoes just for Ally to run and play...

Sadly, when I went to the store I bought a 4, after all that is the size of the hand me down shoes she was totting around in so it must be the right size. Well, every time I tried to put the new ones on she cried and tugged at her feet. She never actually got to wear the shoes...and I finally made it back to the store (several months later). Had her sized by the nice girl with balloons and she was a size 6...WHAT? A 6? Well no wonder the 4's made her cry...

So now she is happy as a clam in her NEW size 6 shoes..all for Ally! She still loves the old stretched out size 4's from Natalie's hand me down bin. But for when it counts she can strut her stuff in her new ones bought just for her!

Natalie on the other hand is always sporting some new shoes...I think her feet start growing the minute we leave the shoe store. Plus we have the wide foot, Fred Flinstone problem so I can never just buy the cute and cheap shoes. I am the mom at the counter special ordering the extra wide and am only given 2 or 3 choices of styles, woe is me! On this same shoe outing (when Ally got her new size 6's) Natalie left the shoe store sporting a new pair of running shoes, also used for biking, playing , hopping, skipping and all the other umpteen things she is busy doing all day long. I was having a lucky day because they had wide shoes in stock! Yeah for me! And to top it off, her friend Hannah, got the same shoes, even though she isn't a wide foot! What is better then two friends shoe shopping and leaving the store for lunch bouncing about in matching pink running shoes!

Shoes, shoes, shoes - one of the many benefits of having Ben's 3 girls...

Ally meeting with Dr. Ramos

Ally has waited so long to see the pediatric cardiologist. Much to my dismay with the endless insurance hurdles and disconnected while on hold phone calls we finally had a pleasant experience. We were called in this morning by Dr. Ramos himself, not a nurse! We were so happy to have a hands on doctor, he was direct and honest. He was simple and humble. Can you tell that I liked him?

Ally did too! She was pretty fussy in the waiting room and we even broke the No Food or Drinks rule by sneaking her grahams (Daddy did this part, you know me and breaking rules). She laid so peaceful and calm for the doctor while he intently listened and checked her pulse. She wasn't hassled or scared so content like she has a heart specialist listen everyday.

Dr. Ramos explained that it was most likely a hole in her heart or a leaky valve, which is THE MOST COMMON heart defect a child has. There is no treatment or reason to treat for that matter. She may simply heal all on her own or she may live her entire life with this hidden defect. He says it will not hinder her, it may never even affect her life. Just a little something that will always make her different (and special).

We return in two weeks for a Cardio Echo Gram. It is done with an ultra sound machine and will show the doctor exactly what is happening inside Ally's heart. Ally is not at any risk for anything she is perfectly healthy! But, we must be aware of what is causing her heart to sound so special. Keep us in your prayers and we will keep you posted.