Let's lighten the mood, shall we!

My sweet little baby Cameron

The conclusion from Cameron's Doctor visit today was what I dreaded to hear. He has Hemihypertrophy and will have an ultrasound to check his kidneys next. Here is a link with some great information if you wish to find out more about this. This seems to be a "take it day by day" thing. So, for now I am fighting back tears to get thru it. No matter what he is happy, loving and growing otherwise normal baby. With any luck or the power of God, this will be isolated to his arm. I was told if his leg grows a certain length too long he will need corrective surgery.

http://www.hemisupport.com/

Can you feel the love?

The bond between these two is so cute, I just had to share! Going to Dr. appt. tomorrow to have Cameron's arm looked at again. Will post tomorrow to keep this updated.

Collin gives me a nice smile.

Well, Collin is doing great! He is enjoying preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays and always talks about one particular girl in his class. He is always bossing Cooie around causing lots of loud ear shattering screams. Collin is still like he was as a baby, just loves to laugh. I am so happy he is over his sickness. We are still "waiting" for an appointment for an allergist who seems months booked out.

It's been too long!

Boys are doing pretty good. No ER visits this week. I have tons of Dr. appointments for Cameron. We are taking him to see the Dr. tomorrow about his arm. I have this horrible feeling that it is Hemihypertrophy and in many ways I have not wanted to proceed because I don't really want to finalize the diagnosis. It must be done and what ever it is I will always be there to help him. I am posting the b & w pic for you to see the size diff. in his left arm. The size has been increasing as well as his leg but not as much.

The boys enjoyed a day outside...YAHOOOOOO!!!

Connor's new booboo (ER visit # 7 for the last 12 months)

Connor fell today and was given derma bond stitches on his cheek. For a special reward for being so brave he picked out "another" froggy to add to his collection. He is feeling better now! I however don't want to go back to the Emergency room EVER!!!!

My other Logo color and update on my fellows!

So here are some pictures from today. Cameron was feeling rather "cheeky" so I got some funny faces. This is no joke, when Cameron see's Collin he just lights up. They have a special little bond. It's great, I can tell Collin to make Cameron happy when I hear him getting fussy. It buys me an extra 2 minutes or so.

Connor woke us up 2 nights ago with a bloody nose. I had an idea that he might have put something up there. Tony could not feel anything so we all went back to bed. Later the next day I saw something silver up his nose. It was a screw! We got it out safely and I am now wondering what Cameron is going to put up his nose. Collin had a dehydrated pea, Connor a screw and Cameron to be announced. BOYS are CRAZY!!!

Health wise, Collin is mucho better. Still need to see an allergist to see what is was for sure. Cameron is still in the works. We are having to really ride the Docs to do anything since Children's pretty much said he would be seen for an MRI at 1 yr. So no one in yakima wants to find out what the problem is. It's very frustrating. I ordered some special formula to see if he is having an allergic reaction to his food. When that arrives wish me luck in feeding it to him. He had rejected all the other special formulas. It's just a waiting game right now. All I know is all the boys are doing great and that makes me one happy mama!!!!!!

I am SUPER excited about my new logo design, thank's Indie Jane from two peas!!!!

Click on image to view the logo up close, isn't it the cutest?!?!?!

Cameron's 5 Month old photo's

Update on Collin and Cameron

We had a mold inspection done on the house just to be sure that was not a factor. No mold to be found. We saw a new Dr. yesterday who seemed really anxious to help us get to the bottom of his lingering joint pain. We meet with her again on Monday at 1:30 to discuss her findings.

Cameron's left arm and leg are 1/2 inch larger compared to the other side. It looks more and more like Hemi Hyper-trophy to me but I also need to find a Doctor we are comfortable with. I am changing the boys doctor because I found out yesterday that he is not a pediatrician. I have been taking the boys to him thinking he was. Cameron is happy and growing so he is doing great right now.

I found this organization of photographers who photograph for familes of terminally ill children. After reading all the heartache of taking home a child to pass away in your arms, I realize just how lucky I really am. Although, it's been hard I must remember someone out there has it worse than I do.

My little Valentine!

W A R N I N G ! Rude skate boarders with attitude.

As you can see, Collin and Connor have taken up sk8 boarding! Thank's to uncle Steve for the boards.

I think Collin and Cooie are going to be right handed, what do you think? FYI they were totally posing for the camera with fingers up the nose......boys will be boys.

We are home from Collin & Cameron's Children's Hospital visits

Here's the scoop on the Children's hospital appointments for Collin and Cameron. Collin had his appointment with a Kidney specialist (Nephrologist) to determine if we were in fact dealing with HSP. He said Collin "thankfully" does not have HSP. This is great news. Kind of strange since he has had so much pain in his joints. Looks like some sort of allergic reaction. So, now I move forward with other "specialists" to figure out what he is allergic to. Even though this is a better diagnosis I still am worried about him and what he is allergic to. More blood work was also done and results can be expected in about a week to determine other cancers not prev. checked for.

Cameron is still a bit of a mystery. He was seen by "the" Dr. for the N.W. on cases of an Orthopedic nature. He ruled out tumors or anything cancerous. He said it could be Lymphatic and after an ultrasound was completed that was ruled out. There is a possibility that it's Hemi Hyper-trophy (one side of the body grows larger) and that is really scary to me. So, I will be seeing the Dr. about the next step in figuring out if he has this. Otherwise, Children's said they want to do an MRI at 1 yr of age as they need to put him to sleep.........: (

He mentioned this could also be something that corrects itself as he gets older. I am still not at ease, but happy that they were not concerned and did not feel urgent about it in the slightest.

Here are some pictures of my poor babies. They both have been through so much. I just feel so thankful to have you all keeping them in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks so much.

Looks like it's Cheeky Monkey Photography, but keep voting!

Keep posting your votes, it's really helping me. I am anxious to start all my business cards and price sheets. Cheeky Monkey is fun beacuse while it isn't really "photo" related it has been in my life since Collin arrived. Also, I am mostly interested in Children's Photography so it's a fun name for kids. Here's a shot of Collin, Cooster and Cameron's current footwear. I must post some of the silly pics I have of the boys in just undies and these boots. It's just about the cutest thing you ever did see. Or at least in my opinion. Cameron looks so cute in these little booties and everywhere we go people just smile at his tootsies.

I finally captured Cooie and here are the pics.

Hey everyone! I am so happy today because Cooie was in such a cute mood. Active and fast, but cute! He was so fast that unfortunately some of my favorite shots limbs are cut off. I guess I can't complain since I actually got something. Taking pictures for me is helping me forget about everyting else.

My therapy is this little guy!

Collin is recovering from HSP (Henoch Sohonlein Purpura)

The doctors either have a hard time communicating to me or I am just not understanding the words that come out of their mouth. They say he has Hives one day the next it's HSP and so on. So, today he has HSP. I have copied below a web page about HSP. Thankfully, Collin seems on the road to recovery. He still has the rash but the joint pain has subsided, which was horrible. His kidneys don't seem to be affected. Really, it's a waiting game. I am not sure, why are all the problems with Collin and Cameron so strange. They don't see too many of these cases and are completely odd.

What is HSP?Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP or anaphylactoid purpura) is a form of blood vessel inflammation or vasculitis. There are many different conditions that feature vasculitis. Each of the forms of vasculitis tends to involve certain characteristic blood vessels. HSP affects the small arterial vessels called capillaries in the skin and frequently the kidneys. HSP results in skin rash (most prominent over the buttocks and behind the lower extremities associated with joint inflammation (arthritis) and sometimes cramping pain in the abdomen.
What causes HSP?HSP occurs most often in the spring and frequently follows an infection of the throat or breathing passages. HSP seems to represent an unusual reaction of the body's immune system that is in response to this infection (either bacteria or virus). Aside from infection, drugs can also trigger the condition. HSP occurs most commonly in children, but persons of all age groups can be affected.
What are symptoms of HSP?Classically, HSP causes skin rash, pain in the abdomen, and joint inflammation (arthritis). Not all features need be present for the diagnosis. The rash of skin lesions appears in gravity-dependent areas, such as the legs. The joints most frequently affected with pain and swelling are the ankles and the knees. Patients with HSP can develop fever. Inflammation of the blood vessels in the kidneys can cause blood and/or protein in the urine. Serious kidney complications are infrequent, but can occur. Sometimes a biopsy of skin and/or kidney is used in assisting the diagnosis, which is typically made based on the clinical findings.
Symptoms usually last approximately a month. Recurrences are not frequent, but do occur.
What is the treatment for HSP?While HSP is generally a mild illness that resolves spontaneously, it can cause serious problems in the kidneys and bowels. The rash can be very prominent, especially on the lower extremities.
The treatment of HSP is directed toward the most significant area of involvement. Joint pain can be relieved by antiinflammatory medications, such as aspirin or ibuprofen (Motrin). Some patients can require cortisone medications, such as prednisone, especially those with significant abdominal pain or kidney disease. With more severe kidney disease, cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) has been used to suppress the immune system. Infection, if present, can require antibiotics.
What are the consequences of HSP?The prognosis for patients with HSP is generally excellent. Nearly all patients have no long-term problems. The kidney is the most serious organ involved when it is affected. Rarely, patients can have serious long-term kidney damage or an abnormal bowel folding called intussusception. A few patients have recurrences of symptoms for a couple of years after the onset of the illness.
Recent data shows that HSP in adults is generally more severe than in children. Adults have more severe kidney involvement and can require more aggressive treatment. The ultimate outcome, however, is usually very good for both adults and children.

Collin is feeling so much better!

Thank you all for keeping our little Collin in your thoughts and Prayers. He is better today and getting his energy back. He told me his legs are working and he is fixed. It is so great to see him walking. You have no idea how scary it was to see him in that much pain. Now, I hope things start to look up around here.