GIVE BLOOD

Okay, I am going to hop onto my soapbox for a few minutes. I proudly gave blood today. I gave blood for a few reasons: I have had several people close to me need blood transfusions, we had a blood drive at work, and most importantly, I am O negative. What this means is that anyone in the world can receive my blood no matter what their blood type is. It is also the most common type of blood used on premature babies, which of course is huge to me!

I received an e-mail the other day telling me how hospitals are at an all time low in blood supply. In fact, there is not any O negative on hospital shelves. You know what that means, I am screwed if I need blood! Fortunately, all of my children are O negative but none of them are old enough to give.

So I ask you today, make an appointment to go and give blood! Do it for your friend or your parent that has needed a transfusion at some time. Do it for that little bitty baby who did not choose to be born too soon.

I am making a commitment to myself to give 5 times a year starting now. You can give 6 times a year if you have your days exactly right. I will make it happen! Can you? Call 1800GIVELIFE

Okay, done for now...

Fall Stuff

After working the last 3 weekends, it was so nice today hanging out with the kiddos and doing "fall stuff". First we did caramel apples followed by carving pumpkins. The kids did well and really enjoyed eating the caramel apples. We didn't however get through to Owen that you eat the apple part too, not just the caramel and chocolate on the outside.









Thanks to my cousin Kate, we also enjoyed pumpkin seeds.For the first time in my life, I actually liked them! Here is the receipt that she had shared:

2 cups of seeds
1 cup of sugar
1 egg white with a tbsp of water
3/4 tsp of cinnamon (i think you should use more, maybe a tbsp)
3/4 tsp of nutmeg
1 tsp of salt

Mix seeds with egg white. Mix in other ingredients and spread on a cookie sheet. Bake at 275 for 1 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.

They are excellent! Thanks Kate!

Cousins

I was so priveleged to be able to go and meet my amazing niece this past Sunday. She is just what I need in my life~cute, well behaved and ready to be spoiled! After spending a little over a day with her, I think she looks a lot like the other female babies in our family. See for yourself...


Allison - my sisters' baby



Janie



Abby - my brothers' baby

Is it that time again?

For some reason I had myself convinced that we were done with the whole asthma thing. We haven't had to do a breathing treatment in at least 6mths. In fact half of our medicine was expired. And then it started last night...Owen coughed the entire night. We were up several times but I never thought that he was wheezy. Maybe it just wasn't on my mind. This evening he has been wheezing and coughing a ton. I did one treatment and a steroid about 5:30p. We put the kids down to be at 8pm and listened to Owen cough until he threw up. Then we did another treatment. Looks like tonight will be a long one...and I'm bummed that we are not done with the asthma stuff!

Allison Rose Schmitt

I am the proud aunt of a new niece, Allison Rose Schmitt. Doesn't that just have a ring to it? And a namesake? I am still just blown away. No clue that they were even considering my name. Secretly, I was kind of hoping to be the middle name but I would have never admitted it. Truly, there isn't a better honor. Unbelievable! Anyway, enough about me!

My sister had this precious little girl on October 6th, just two days after my sister and my birthday. Yes, we have the same birthday! Actually, we have the same anniversary too! She weighed 7lbs, 13oz. Isn't she just simply precious?

The fam is all doing well. Big brother Joey isn't quite sure he is too fond of her yet but I am sure she will grow on him. I will head down to Columbus next Sunday for the night so that I can meet this new and fabulous addition to the family. I can't wait to eat her! Congrats Sissy and JT!


PS - How does my sister look so incredible after just giving birth?

Weak Legs?

I guess the Mitchell Family needs to work on our leg bone strength or maybe just our luck! I received the dreaded phone call last Thursday at work that Janie had "maybe" broken her leg on the playground. My first question~ which part of her leg? Knowing fully well that there is no way that I can live through another femur and body cast.

Since I am 40 minutes from her school, I called my girlfriend to run over there (she lives across the street). The big debate was whether to call an ambulance. It doesn't sound like the need for an ambulance however they could not move her at all. She was screaming in pain and unable to move her leg. Over the phone, we decided that an ambulance was necessary. I arrived just as they we inserting an IV for some pain meds and then we were off to U of M Hospital. Mind you, it had been exactly 6mths since we headed there with Owen.

So the outcome...two broken bones in her Tibia. She is in a long leg cast (picture to follow) for 1 month. She will then move to a short leg cast for two more months. Yes folks, 3 months total. Owen was only 5 1/2 weeks!

The crazy thing is that we ended up with the same Pediatric Ortho as we did with Owen. She is fantastic and about dropped a load when she walked in. As I told the principal, I am just glad that it was on her time and not mine! I don't need CPS after me.

She is doing fine. The first few days were rough as she had a lot of pain. We ended up back at the ER on Friday night after she fell on her crutches. She spent the next two days on bed rest and is now supposed to use the wheelchair for the first week or two.

I cannot say enough about the support that we have received from Janie's school. They were with her and supportive to me through all of this including evening calls from the principal and old teachers. They have made appropriate accommodations without me having to even ask at the school. We feel so fortunate.

My friends have been generous, caring and super supportive as always. My boss is amazing and fine with the fact that I must leave work early every day to pick her up from school and sometimes come in late.

I am not sure what the reasoning is but luck does not seem to be on our side. I do realize however that once again this is just a minor set back and we will get through it!


This is how we wash the hair!