Can I Be Picky?

So I got a random voice mail on my cell phone from Sloan today. They have never called my cell before, so it was strange. The message told us that Brady's scans have been scheduled for August 10th and 11th. Wow! Unfortunately, we just can't do those dates. I feel slightly bad for being so picky, but hey, this is summer and we have plans! My sister and her family will be here that week and we only see them twice a year. That week is just not an option. I called them back and thanked them for their timeliness, but asked them to please reschedule us for either of the next two weeks in August. They need to coordinate with anesthesia and MRI again, so they will get back to me. I guess I figured I would be in on the discussion regarding when the scans were, but they probably don't have a lot of parents telling them no! Either way we will be squeezing in our trip sometime after the Brady Bash and before our Lemonade Stand!

All 6 of us took a fantastic walk after dinner tonight. We got ice cream at our favorite spot (Santinos...remember my love for their pizza? Well they added ice cream a few years ago...pitter patter goes my heart!) Then we walked over to the new park in the village. It is just a paved path through a small wooded lot, but it is lovely. We let the kids run around and explore. Matt and I sat in awe and fell even more in love with our kids:)
A few things I learned on our walk....

Eli takes the longest to eat ice cream (by about 10 minutes).

Brady can climb in and out of the wagon now all by himself...AMAZING!

Cara has no shame about singing Twinkle Twinkle at the top of her lungs as we stroll through town, completely monotone of course.

Allie likes ice cream! She got her first taste tonight!

Eli likes to hold mommy's hand as he rides in the wagon.

Brady can kill a tiny caterpillar with his bare hands. He also will cry after he does so, and at his mommy's request, say to the caterpillar, "Sorry caterpillar. Feel better." And then blow it a kiss...

Cara likes to look at bugs, but only at a safe distance.

My children are truly amazing creatures to just sit back and observe...they take my breath away!

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Don't forget! You are invited to our Brady Bash! Saturday August 15 at 4pm. Please come to our house and join us as we celebrate Brady's journey and his life! We want to join together to say thank you to our friends, family, and community for all of their support!!! Please email me and let me know if you can come mwilliams91@rochester.rr.com
ALL ARE INVITED!

As many of you remember, the Ronald McDonald house provided us with lodging both at Strong Hospital in Rochester and in NYC during both of Brady's surgeries. We have never forgotten how invaluable being able to stay so close to Brady was during those touch and go times. At the Brady Bash, we would like to collect food items to donate to the Ronald Mc Donald House at Strong. Several people have offered to bring something to the party. In lieu of bringing a dish to pass, please consider helping us collect items for the RMH! I have contacted a friend who is on the board at the RMH and she told me that they are in most need of small packs of snacks, convenience food items, and anything that can be quickly grabbed and eaten in a hospital room. Ideas: boxes of granola bars, animal crackers, pkgs of cheese or pj crackers, chips, trail mix, cans of tuna, soup.

If you are coming to the party, would you please consider bringing one or more items to donate to this VERY worthy cause. We are going to collect the items and deliver them along with a letter thanking the RMH for being there for the Williams family! Thank you for helping us give back to this amazing organization!!!

Barf-o-Rama 2009

You are all going to start thinking I'm nuts over here, but this is all true, sad to say it, totally true. Matt and I went to my MOPS meeting tonight because it was couple's night. We had a GREAT time and really needed the "us" time. We got home at 9pm and by 9:30 both Brady and Eli were throwing up in their cribs. It is now 11:25 and they have been going strong for 2 hours. Brady has thrown up 6 or 7 times and Eli 4 or 5. I totally freaked out because of Brady and his immune system. I called the hospital right away to see what we should do. Our doctor said that because his blood counts still haven't dropped yet, that he should be okay. (just as I'm tying, I had to take a break because Eli threw up again). Matt and I are so exhausted...mentally, physicialy, in every way possible. Our days have been so chaotic since we have been home. I was "lucky" today and spent the day with my mom cleaning out my grandma's clothes from her house. Although the mental break was refreshing, coming home to this just makes me feel so depleted.

Thank goodness Matt is finding the humor in it all. He made me laugh several times as we worked together to handle the puke, poop, and massive amounts of laundry. What would I do without him? Thank God one of us is strong when the other is weak.

Edited to add: Just listened to a voice mail from a dear friend out in New Mexico. She wanted to let me know that her and her family did something in honor of Brady and our family today. They took pizza, cookies, and other goodies to their local Ronald Mc Donald House for the families that are there(check out the bottom of the blog to see why this means so much). They don't know anyone there, they did this to bless others in honor of my little boy. I SO needed that right now...what an amazing way for God to speak to my heart tonight. That totally reminds me of the lyrics to the Casting Crowns song "Praise you in This Storm"

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus:
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

Goodnight for tonight...thanks Julie