UPDATE...............

Well I think I have learned just about everything this past week about PPD tests, results, treatment, you name it!! It has been one emotional week for me as my mind has been a whirl wind as I find out more and more information. The best news of all though....Faith's chest x ray is normal....perfect....just fine!!! I knew this. I just knew it would be fine. But still there is that little part of you that worries...well what if? We went in Friday for the results and to talk things over with the Dr. and I was able to breath a sigh of relief.

So now it is on to treatment. I received numerous individual emails from parents that are going through the same exact thing or have already gone through this. It is so comforting to know that others are going through this. Makes it all a little less scary. So to those of you that emailed me and were willing to share your stories I thank you so much! We have decided to treat Faith with the antibiotic. Short version of our decision is that the Dr. feels pretty certain she tested positive due to having the vaccine , however there is no way at this time we can be 100% sure of this. Yes, there is a chance she was exposed to the virus and it is because of that chance that we feel it is best to treat her for it. Believe me we have gone back and forth on our decision especially with the treatment being 9 months of antibiotic's, but when we look at the overall big picture, 9 months of taking medication is so worth it to reassure that our precious girl stays healthy!

And now onto other things!!!!! This precious little girl of mine starts Kindergarten this week!!!!! Ohhhh, my aching heart!!! Please pray that I get through the week without being too much of an emotional wreck!:o We have been busy getting school supplies together and Faith picked out her new back pack for school. I was planning on ordering one from Lands End, but the excitement of picking one out at Target was just too much fun!! ( I thought I was going to break down and cry right there in Target as I watched her try them on! Daddy even got choked up!) She tried several on and she was very proud of the Hello Kitty one that she decided on. She even found a binder to match it perfectly! I will start posting now on Faith's blog so you can read all about Kindergarten there! (you can find the link to her blog on the right side) I will be going private eventually with her blog so if you would like an invite just let me know. It will take me awhile to send out invites with everything we have going on right now. My sister gets in tomorrow for a week visit and she will be bringing one of her foster girls. She and her husband are foster parents to currently 5 children ages 7, 6, 4, 4, and 2 months. She will be bringing her 4 year old little girl with her. Faith is really looking forward to this! An exciting week ahead for us.......................

My brave little girl................

On Friday Faith went in for her yearly examination and she was given the PPD skin test. She was given this test at a year old in which it came back positive. Her Dr.s then called it a false positive due to her having the immunization. We were expecting this at that time. We were also told that her tests may always come back positive. Well we went back to the Dr. today for the reading and again it is positive. Her Dr. now wants it treated as a true positive. She says the immunization would no longer be in her system and it can not be treated as a false positive. She was given a chest x-ray today in which we get the results back on Friday. She also wants to start antibiotic treatment which will be a pill everyday for 9 months. I was a little surprised by all of this as I really was not expecting for her to be treated for it. Has anyone else been through this same experience in which their child's test comes back positive? I'm nervous about her being on an antibiotic for 9 months if it really is not necessary, yet we do not want to take any chances. I'm finding this all a bit confusing and wondering if in fact Faith should have been treated for it when she was a baby. The Dr. now wants the entire family tested for it so I made our appointments for Friday when we go in for Faith's follow up appointment. If anyone has anything to share on this I would really appreciate it!!
Faith has been SO brave with all of her appointments, shots, and tests. We went in for a simple routine examination to get her already for Kindergarten and we had no idea she would end up needing more tests. Other than this PPD thing she is doing excellent! She is growing and thriving and one smart little girl!
She is now 42 inches and 40 lbs. Her Dr. says she will probably be about 5'4-5'5 as a grown-up.
Here are some pictures I took of Faith showing off her new Matilda Jane dress. Notice the spot on her dress? Seconds after putting the dress on she spilled something on it. I'm afraid she takes after her Mommy with this one. Between the two of us our clothes always have something on them.

At first Faith refused to wear this dress. She just does not like dresses! Then I told her she could wear pants with it. Her face brightened up and she said, "OK I love it!" I found these pants she is wearing that go with another outfit of hers and I think they look really cute with the dress.

Will keep everyone posted on the PPD testing!!!!!!

Lego Land Memories.......

No, we didn't take another trip to Lego land! As I was going through my summer photos trying to get them all organized I realized I never did post our Lego land pictures from our trip back in May. I want to make sure and have these here for the kids. They had such a great time! It really was amazing the things in the park made out of Legos!

Faith had to have one of these "name art" paintings.......it did turn out really cute.

We're here!!!

sitting on the welcome sign.....................

Reed about to go on the Indiana Jones ride

This makes my tummy feel funny but it sure is fun!

This was a really cool fun ride!

Dean and Reed coming up with a creation

Here's Reeds!

checking out the Star Wars characters

Here comes our little King!

and there she goes

the fierce dragon

the Kings thrown

The King gets carried of course! (Faith loved this crown:)

Reed swallowed by a shark...........

oh no! Faith too!

Mommy and Faith on the patrol helicopter......

Faith checking out the Mirage

It was amazing to see these buildings made from legos!

San Fransisco Chinatown

Daddy found a buddy to hang with!

Faith wants to bring this dog home! No Faith, we don't need another one!

Faith waving from the train ride

Faith in the dino dig.......she found a dinosaur egg!

trying to hatch it!

Faith takes on Darth Vader!

Faith loved sitting on these letters.

This Weeks Odds and Ends.......................

It's been kind of a crazy week around here and I am SO glad it is Friday! Dale has been gone all week on an east coast business trip and gets home today! Both Faith and Reed came down with something and they were not feeling well for a few days. Faith was running a high fever and just really tired. At one point her fever spiked to 104 and I about panicked. It broke right away as soon as I gave her Motrin.....this was the first time it ever got that high.
By yesterday everyone was feeling better so I took them to see the movie WallE. The kids liked it and I REALLY liked it. I thought it taught a good lesson and one that even adults should see.
Now we're down to 2 weeks before school starts back for Reed and Faith. They start on July 31st as it is a year round school. I am finding myself an emotional wreck because of it. I can't believe my baby is starting Kindergarten! I'm not ready for this!!!! I am so happy and excited for her, yet my heart is breaking. Maybe it's because I missed almost that first year of her life that I feel this way. I need more time with her! Or maybe it's because she is the baby and I'm not ready to have them all in school! I remember being emotional when each of the boys started Kindergarten too, but I don't remember being this bad....maybe I was?? Thank goodness Kindergarten here is only half days and she'll only be gone 3 1/2 hours. I think that's what is helping me keep my sanity:) Silly I know! What am I going to do when they start college!!:O

I'm starting up a new blog called "Journey Through Life With Faith" You can find the link here ~Journey Through Life With Faith~
It will take me some time to get started and I will eventually be making this blog private. I've been doing some thinking this week as several of my blogs that I read have had to go private due to rude comments. I've always been a little nervous about having a blog that isn't private so I am careful about what and how much I share. I would like to have a private blog where I can share a little more so "Journey Through Life With Faith" will give me a place to do this. I will continue to keep this blog open for awhile. I've really been enjoying meeting new people that I know had this been a private blog I never would have been fortunate to meet:)

Well need to go feed 3 hungry kiddos, take 2 restless dogs for a much needed walk, and clean 1 messy house!!!!! Thank goodness Daddy gets home today....Mommy needs a break:0

It Isn't Summer Without VBS.....................

We had a fun and busy week last week with all 3 in Vacation Bible School. This was the first summer having the 3 of them at the same VBS together so it was a special moment for me:) The past 2 years the boys went to one that was held in the evening and they did not offer it for the real young kids so Faith went to the one from her preschool. Well this year they all went to the VBS held at the church where Faith attended preschool. Dean actually helped teach (2nd/3rd grade) and I am SO proud at what a great job he did. He put all his heart into it and he really enjoyed himself. The theme was an amusement park type theme called "Sonworld". Reed's class even went on a field trip to Six Flags! I had so much fun this week watching the 3 of them singing, learning, and having fun together! I know with the boys getting older days like these are going to be fewer and fewer so I also found myself a bit emotional. I also can't believe this was Faith's 3rd year attending this VBS! I was looking back at pictures of her first year and she was just so little..................

Faith's very first VBS 2006

the pout!


VBS 2008........................................!!!!!!!

Ticket please?
(They had the entire church decorated like an amusement park.....really cute. Here is Faith in the ticket booth)

The 3 of them dressed in their T's................

and ready to go!

It was a great week at VBS!!

Faith was really worn out by Friday with waking up early every morning and all the excitement from the week. We also had a few days of 110 temps (yep, I said 110!!! It was SIZZLING HOT!) and it was very draining!

A Boy and His Dog.......................

What are little boys made of?
Frogs and snails, and puppy dog tails...................

"Every boy should have a dog!"
Especially a Beagle!!!:)