Victories

This turtle must have been watching the Saints win in overtime last week.

This baby bear can go down the slide all by herself!

Snack Time

A friend of mine sent me some amazing nature photos, so I'll share them bit by bit over the next few weeks.  I love how these two egrets (at least they look like egrets to me) seem to be sharing a laugh.

Daisy seems to be doing fine.  She has been very spunky and easy to anger lately, but we have concluded this to be a good thing, normal growing up stuff.  She has always been so easy to get along with, but that may be because she was too weak to think otherwise.

We have all enjoyed the opportunity to get outside the last few days, although that seems to be ending for now.

Yesterday I was getting caught up on some yard work.  Daisy and Teddy were playing in the sunshine, but Zoe had gone back inside the house, and I wasn't sure what she was up to.  But my feet were muddy, so instead of investigating, I gave it some time.

After a while I spied her coming out to the back patio, tray in hand.  She had prepared a snack for everybody, tailored to each person's preferences.  For me she had made half a PB sandwich, for herself, PB and raspberry jelly and for Teddy, butter and apricot jelly.  For Daisy a bowl of Pirate's Booty and for each of us a cup of apple juice, mine on ice.

My first thought when I saw the food was, "Uh oh, sticky kitchen floor mess."  But I was wrong.  Besides, we were all a bit hungry and this looked good!  She set the whole montage up on her art table and called us all over for snack time.  Just like AW would have done.  

Her art table was in a sunny, protected spot that felt warm and safe.  I had turned on some jazz music on the patio earlier.  We sat and enjoyed our snack, laughing and smiling, and for a moment time just froze and everything was perfect.

Grumpy Daisy

It has been a very rainy few days here.  Roads are closed and streams are over their banks.  We have a small garden pond just outside the kitchen window.  I took this photo this morning as the steady rain pitter-pattered while Daisy slept.

She did not have a good nights sleep, and therefore neither did AW or I.  Our quiet little angel has slowly transformed into a terror in the wee hours of the morning.  She decides she would like to get up and go downstairs, and will not take no for an answer.   AW was trying every trick she could muster to get Daisy to simmer down, but her cries only became more desperate and cutting.  Finally we just held her in the dark, letting her struggle and scream, until her frustration gave way to sleep.

Now it's not like we haven't seen this kind of thing, just not with Daisy.  In that light I suppose it may be a good thing.  That doesn't make it any less unpleasant.

Her tummy seems better, but to me it still seems like something is bothering her.  We shall see.

We hadn't seen the sun in about 10 days, and this afternoon Zoe looked out the window, "Daddy the sun is shining and there is a rainbow!"

Rainbows are pretty rare around here, but in this case I was able to just open up the front door and take a photo.  Enjoy.

A Little Concerned About Daisy

AW has been concerned about Daisy for the past few days.  That is, more concerned than usual.  She's probably just got a stomach bug, but since we got back from Mexico her appetite has not been quite normal.

She has also been a little lethargic lately.  We have seen a little dip in her weight as well.

If it was one of the other kids we wouldn't worry, but with Daisy there is always this fear lurking that there may be some degenerative condition waiting to rear its ugly head.  Now AW is getting me a little worried.

Oh, I am sure it is just a little stomach bug.

Anyway, today was another rainy day.  Zoe went to a birthday party with mom while I took Teddy to a movie.  Not much else was accomplished.

I promised I would tell how AW got the black eye.  In Manzanillo, the last port of call on our Mexican Riviera cruise, we took the kids to a big public beach that we had read about.

In Zihuatinejo, we were able to walk from the port to the beach, but Manzanillo is a large city and industrial port, so our ship was docked in an area not unlike the Port of Oakland.

Anyway, this was not a quiet bay of a beach, but more like an open ocean beach that you would find in California.  You know, with waves?

I was just getting settled in with a cold one under an umbrella when I noticed AW and Zoe walking out into the surf.  We had bought a pink inner tube floaty for her, and AW was trying to get past the break line so they could float around.

Just about the time they reached the wave line, an unusually large set churned up, the first one clobbering both AW and Zoe in a wall of water.

Now AW has very strong motherly instincts, and her first thought was to not lose her grip on Zoe.  Apparently she pulled on Zoe so hard, just as the wave hit, that Zoe's head slammed into AW's eye hard enough to raise a big welt.  The welt, over the next few days, spread around her eye and changed into many different colors, many of them quite beautiful.

One night I convinced her to try to make up the good eye to match, rather than try to cover up her multicolored sore eye.  It worked pretty well, and was actually kinda sexy.

Bright Eyes

Brianna Gives Hope

If you have followed Daisy from the beginning, you know that she began her life 18 months ago with very low tone, respiratory distress and a preliminary diagnosis of a genetic disorder known as Trisomy 18.  To read about Daisy's first days, click here.  After several surreal and grief filled days, the chromosomal tests came back, and Daisy was found to be negative for Trisomy 18.

Daisy did not have an easy road from there, but there is no doubt that she has made amazing strides and beaten the odds.  Daisy is a living breathing miracle and a testament to the power of prayer and love.

I have often wondered how things may have gone differently if she had in fact been Trisomy 18.  I shudder to think.  I do know that AW and I had resolved to do right by Daisy, as a team, no matter what came her way.

I recently ran across the blog of the mother of Brianna, a beautiful baby girl that was born in 2007 with Trisomy 18.  I scanned back to the first entries, made shortly after Brianna was born.  I was struck by the many similar experiences described by Brianna's mother.

For instance, she writes of how the doctors approached them shortly after Brianna's birth.  She thought they were wrong, that the baby would be fine.  In another post she describes how she accidentally pulled out Brianna's gastric tube.  The same exact thing happened to me and I reacted the same.

The name of the blog is Brianna Gives Hope, and if you take the time to read through it, you will cry.  The mother of Brianna is a hero.  She was incredibly courageous and positive.

AW and I had a good cry after reading her writings.  I have thought about how I feel about Brianna's family's experience and how it relates to our own.  I can't help but wonder why we have been so blessed, why we got to keep our baby, why she has overcome.  It doesn't seem fair.

Brainna's mother considers herself blessed as well.

Good Vibes

My oldest son Carter, cruising the beach

I noticed that there was a group on the cruise traveling together.  On several occasions I had noticed members of the group having a great time.  I think before Daisy was born I would have been less likely to notice, but since she was initially diagnosed with the genetic disorder Trisomy 18, I have developed more of a soft spot for people with such challenges.

I am not sure where they were from or how many were in their group, but many of them were apparently born with Down’s Syndrome.  Down’s is a genetic disorder in which there are three of the 21^st chromisome (Trisomy 21.)  There are only supposed to be two of each of the 23 sets of chromisomes.   Trisomy 18 children who manage to live a while can have similar features to Down’s Syndrome.

After the Legends show, we came out, still in costume, to greet our adoring fans.   One young man in the group yelled to me, “Elvis! Elvis!” 

I smiled and waived.

A moment later I received a tap on the shoulder by a woman in the group.  “Could you please pose for a picture with my friend?”  It was the same young man.  He was a big guy,  Down's Syndrome with a great big smile and thick glasses.

I put my arm around him and she snapped a few shots.  “Thank you, Elvis!”  And he wrapped me in a huge bear hug.  I wish I had that picture to post.

Daisy sees through my disguise

The King

On the second night of the cruise we wandered into one of the many lounges on the ship.  It was karaoke night.  The host announced that on the final day of the cruise there would be a special show featuring guests in the role of various legendary celebrities.

I play a little guitar and enjoy singing for my kids, and those who encourage me.  And I have been known, with the proper mixture of alcohol and encouragement, to sing a little Karaoke.  The host explained that they would be doing male auditions for Garth Brooks, Elton John, Ricky Martin, Frank Sinatra and Elvis.  In the back of my mind I was thinking I might try Garth of maybe Sinatra.

The first audition was for Elvis, and several people auditioned.  They were all terrible.  I guess I was just a little impatient, so I went ahead and auditioned for Elvis Presley, and was selected.  Okay...

They gave me a little MP3 player with a little mixed up version of Jailhouse Rock and Hound Dog, and I was in the show.  The rehearsal would be on the day of the show, which was the final day of the cruise.  It wasn't until that day that I took the time to listen to the song and try to memorize it.

Now, we've all heard Jailhouse Rock a million times, but have you ever really listened to the words?  I hadn't, and in all my life I have never had such a difficult time memorizing a song.

The show came on that night to a packed showroom.  I donned my ultra tacky "Elvis Comeback" costume. (Ironically, I am the same age that Elvis was when he died.)  The lights came up, I stepped out onto the stage with the roar of the crowd.  The live orchestra hammered out the intro, and I....flubbed the words.

I pulled it together for the second verse and saved the performance, hamming it up as well as I could.  It was great fun.

Acapulco and Zihuatinejo

A sailboat and Acapulco.

We glided into Bahia de Acapulco just after breakfast on the third morning.  The city was a beautiful sight from the water, but once on shore it was clear this was no paradise.  Fortunately we did not make plans to go to the beach, because I later heard reports of smelly water and strange things floating around.

Once off the ship, we made our way through the barrage of men offering rides to various attractions.  We  were told that the further we walked, the better the deals would get, so after about a block with our entourage of 13 people, we made a deal to take the kids to a water slide park.  It wasn't very cultural, but the kids loved it.

That evening in Acapulco we had dinner on the boat, just the grown-ups.  This photo was taken from the upper deck.  We went to bed that night, and the next morning we woke up in a small bay.  Zihuatinejo.

Zoe having fun in Zeewatt.  Daisy Daddy, Daisy and our ship in background.

Here we would have our family beach day.  Zeewatt is smaller, cleaner and friendlier.  AW and I agreed that some day we shall return to this place. It was here that Carter met a young lady that he would spend a lot of time with over the next few days.  AW found a hand woven wool rug and bought me an authentic mexican shirt to add to my wardrobe.  I played with the kids in the small waves and dug in the sand.  This was Daisy's first warm beach, and she managed to eat very little sand.

Daisy getting her toes in the sand in Zihuatinejo.

Heading South

 Taken near Bakersfield from 11,500 feet.  We finally left the fog behind after that.

Just out of the airplane in San Diego.  Note Daisy wandering under the tail.

One thing I as a bit worried about was the possibility of getting sea sick.  I am not prone to motion sickness, but I once spent the day on a fishing boat in rough water, bent over the side every twenty minutes.  Since then just the mental image of a boat in the ocean has made me feel queasy.

We sailed out of San Diego Harbor as the winter sun began to set, and that evening as we steamed down the coast, I could tell that we were in for a smooth ride.  The swells and the winds were both pushing us along, but I wondered what that meant for the trip back.

We spent the next two and a half days at sea, eagerly awaiting our arrival in Acapulco as the cool, dry California air gave way to the balmier, warm, moist air of the tropics.

I read somewhere that Carnival is considered the "Walmart" of cruise lines.  This did not seem like a compliment.   This, and the cheap price, helped me to keep my expectations low.  I envisioned a ship full of 300 lb. americans lining up to a buffet trough of mediocre food in cutoff jeans and tattered t-shirts.  I packed accordingly.

I showed up the first evening at the dining room in jeans and a t-shirt, glanced across the room, and realized I had made a mistake.  This very respectable looking crowd, many elderly, but also many families, some with small children was well dressed and fit.  Fortunately, while packing, I had at the last minute thrown in a sport coat and slacks.   They were put to use for the rest of the week.

San Diego Harbor

Arriving in Acapulco behind a Princess Ship

Cruizin'

We arrived home from our 8 day Carnival cruise yesterday.  In my last post I promised to take lots of photos and post from Acapulco.  Well, I did take lots of photos, some of them good ones.  Getting online for free proved to be a challenge.  There was access on the ship, but the one time I used it to check email it cost me thirteen dollars and it was quite slow.  I am out on a flight charter today and have not taken the photos from the camera to the computer, so expect the next post to be photo-ful.

The day of our embarkation (cruise talk for getting onboard) turned out to be clear weather in California, that is except for the thick blanket of fog covering the central valley.  We loaded up the plane with fuel, luggage, booster seats, snacks, books, toys and all six of us humans.  As we unloaded the car, several people in cars came by, slowing to ponder how all that stuff was ever going to fit in that little airplane.

We taxied out through the grey, lifeless air, launching the airplane on instruments.  Thirty seconds later we cleared the cloud layer and blinked our eyes to bright sunshine.  From there we made good time non-stop to San Diego's Montgomery Field.  On the way, we enjoyed views of the fog-laden central valley, the snow capped Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi ranges, and the west end of the Mojave Desert.  We swept over the congested LA Basin in minutes, pointing out landmarks as we began descending for San Diego.

I had arranged a van to take us to the ship, and there it was, waiting for us as we shut down.  Fifteen minutes later we were giving our bags to the porter and walking up the ramp.  Now of course I am making it sound easier than it was, because Teddy was wound up tighter than a three day clock.  That boy can pull a disappearing act in a crowd faster than you can turn your head.  Now Teddy has a case of stranger anxiety, which can be embarrassing, but turned out to be a blessing at times.   Twice he slipped his hand from our grasp and wandered through the sea of legs, only to be stopped by a passenger or employee, causing him to scream "Let me go!" at the top of his lungs, alerting us to his whereabouts.

Once aboard, we found our two cabins, which were side by side but not connecting.  I then had the opportunity to get acquainted with this monstrosity of a boat.  I had never been on a cruise ship.  I guess the reason being that I considered this "floating hotel" concept to be simply ridiculous.  I don't even generally choose big hotels when I travel, much less one in which I can't get out without getting wet.

So why now?  Kids.  It's the same reason I am willing to eat at Applebee's while I wasn't a few years ago.  This all inclusive trip for six people for eight days was less than $500 each.  Traveling with our kids can be all work and no fun for the grown-ups, so if that turned out to be the case, at least we hadn't broken the bank in the process, or so I surmised.

All I really wanted out of this trip was the chance to relax, and the prospects seemed promising as Camp Carnival was willing to accept Teddy and Zoe for several hours each morning and afternoon.  This promised to be even more attractive to Z & T, because once onboard we would be cruising with another family with a girl and boy the same age as ours.

Both AW and I are exhausted from our vacation.  AW has a black eye and I still feel like the earth is moving under my feet.  It wasn't quite as easy as we had hoped, but it must have been a good trip, because I have several good stories to relate, so check back in for some fun photos and a few laughs.

We Set Sail Tomorrow

Zoe lost her first tooth yesterday.  Here she is with AW, showing off her empty space for the camera.  She put it under her pillow last night and Tooth Fairy #262 came and picked it up, leaving Zoe two whole dollars in its place with a personal note.

This was especially amazing, because Carter was also assigned Tooth Fairy #262 when he was losing his baby teeth.  We inferred from this that #262 has been assigned to our whole family, which is fine with me as she obviously cares about us very much.

Tomorrow we will hop in our little plane and fly to San Diego.  The trip will be about 3 hours, which is preferable to the 11 hour car trip.  From there we will take a cab to the cruise ship dock and set sail for the Mexican Riviera!  I will not be able to post every day, but I will take lots of photos and will check in from Acapulco in a few days.