A Really Tough Day....

Yesterday was a very tough day for the entire Bay Area. Four Oakland officers killed in the line of duty were laid to rest. These deaths definately hit very close to home for our family. This was a routine traffic stop and G makes these everyday. I am so proud of my husband and what he does everyday protecting our state, our community, our citizens and our family. Another reason these deaths hit close to home is that these were Oakland Police officers. My uncle was an Oakland Police officer for many years and retired as a Leutenant. He knew these officers and was especially close with Officer John Hege. I know yesterday was especially tough on him. The video shared here is quite long, but the first 10 minutes is my uncle speaking on behalf of and to his dear friend and brother in blue.

I want to take a minute to thank these officers for making that ultimate sacrifice. One they knew was always a possibility, one they hoped they would never have to make, but one they got up and went to work everyday prepared to make.

Yesterday was also Princess J's 2nd birthday, but I'd like to save that for another post.....

Take A Guess!

Princess J and Little J are excited to be having a new baby brother or sister. We've started a little online game for everyone to make their guesses from everything from the gender, arrival date, and all the vital information. Take a guess!

Dear Guido's Dad....

Dear Guido's Dad,
Sorry if the name I'm calling your son offends you, but you never said his name while you were at the indoor playground with him today. As a matter of fact, you never once talked to him, even when he talked to you. You were the only parent not interacting with your child at said playground. You were the only parent not parenting your child at the playground. I know you were watching him, when he came up and pushed Princess J out of his way to play with an item that she was already playing with. Too bad you didn't take the time to tell him about sharing or being nice to others. Your child, while probably close to the same age as my daughter was twice her size and made her cry twice. I hope his mom is a better parent than you, otherwise I fear that your child will be the class bully and not have many friends.

Peace!

Thank You {DORA}!

Princess J is a very strong willed little girl. She is really testing her independence every single day. She only wants to do what she wants to do and only when she wants to do it. This little girl knows how to throw a temper tantrum!

We have been trying endlessly to get her to give up her bottle and move to a sippy cup. She has wanted no part of it. She has thrown them. She has sat there and looked at them. She has played with them, but she has never ever taken even one sip out of one. We have bought endless types to see which one she would like. We even put her bottle nipple on one sippy cup to try and transition her over. Even that didn't work. The other day, I went to the dreaded Wally's and as we were walking down an aisle picking up some cups for Little J, she spotted Dora......on a sippy cup! She pointed and pointed and pointed until I grabbed one for her. She held on to it with all her might! So, that afternoon, I put her milk in it and OH MY GOD! She drank from it! It took her a bit to get the hang of it, but she did it!!! I have not given her a bottle since!!! Let's keep our fingers crossed that she continues to love on this sippy cup! I'll be out to get a few more tomorrow. I only bought a 2 pack, because I didn't want to throw away anymore money on a useless sippy cup.

Next hurdle will be to get her to be more interested and less picky about food.

Just Some {FUN}

Not much new is going on here. We're just always crazy busy. I know it's only going to get busier too! YIKES!

I can't believe that our little Princess J is going to be 2 this month! Where have the last 2 years gone? Her favorite things on TV right now are Ni Hao Kai Lan, Little Bill and Dora! She loves to sit and color....she can sit and color for over an hour! I got my little crafty girl! Yay! She also loves to sit and look at books. Her favorite place to sit is down at the end of our hallway and just look at all her books. It's so stinkin' cute! This little one has so much energy too! It's almost impossible to keep up with her! She loves dropping brother off at school, but now she especially likes picking him up. They have a great playground there and we usually go about 10 or 15 minutes early so she can run around and burn off some energy. Usually, she's pretty mad when it's time to go though. She's very good at throwing a temper tantrum....good thing I'm good at ignoring it! LOL! This little girl is very adventurous and has no fear either! She can take a fall and get right back up, dust herself off and get right back to exploring! Sooooo much fun!

She's got daddy wrapped around her little finger too! She knows just how to melt his heart in an instant...well, I guess that means she's got me wrapped too!

Little J is doing really well too! He is in desperate need of a haircut! He's had a pretty good cough for a couple of weeks, so we went to the pediatrician on Monday, thankfully, it's just a virus and she's sure it will pass in a week or so. She gave us an antibiotic prescription just in case he starts getting a fever or gets worse, but she's pretty sure we won't need it. He had his check-up with his neurologist also this week. He's doing so well! We're so lucky we have such good doctors for him! We'll see her again in 3 months before the new little one arrives and then go back to our six month intervals. I just felt better having an appointment before the new one arrives as kind of an insurance policy that when the new one arrives we won't have some crisis.....something that always worries me. I know I'm ready to handle any seizure situation that might arise with Little J, but it's the thing that freaks me out and scares me the most. OY!

Easter is coming soon, so I need to get out and get their Easter outfits for their photos with the Easter Bunny. I love taking the kiddos for their annual photos with the Bunny and Santa. It's a lot of work, but the outcome is soooo worth it!

Serious Blog Neglect!

Wow! I've really neglected this blog lately....

Hello? Is anyone still there? Is anyone still checking in?

Thankfully, for the most part everyone has remained healthy. Little J and Princess J have had a few colds and coughs since my last post, but overall have just been keeping this mommy really busy.

Little J has been really busy working on his skills. He's still in loves school and is just really thriving there. I've never in my life seen a kid so happy to go to school each and everyday. I've also never seen a kid get so upset when you drive by his school on the weekend and he doesn't get to go! LOL! His therapies have been going really well. We just transitioned to a new OT and she is amazing! There was nothing wrong with our previous OT, she went on maternity leave. Our new one though, works so well with Little J and I've never seen him work harder! His PT is going very well also....last weekend, he took his first two independent steps! It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen! We're waiting for more, but know it may be awhile.

Princess J is learning to be a big escape artist now! There is no containing this little girl anymore! She is a true diva and lets you know she's in charge! Her most favorite thing currently is to go pick up brother at school early and play on the preschool playground! It's so much fun to watch her run and explore!

Now, for the reason this blog has been so neglected.....I just have not been feeling well. It's been a crazy time, but will be so worth it in the end! Our little duo of Little J and Princess J are going to become a trio! Our new little arrival should be here sometime around August 8th! We are so excited and overjoyed at the addition to our family!

I hope to have some new photos to share in the next couple of days....so please don't give up on my lil' blog! :D Thanks for checking in with us too!

{FABULOUS!}

What a completely fabulous day! There is nothing I LOVE more than spending some fun time with my husband and lil' munchkins! We headed out to the beach this morning, just for the nice drive and to check out some of the small beach towns nearby. I can't believe it, but this was Princess J's first excursion to the beach! What a bad mommy I am to wait this long to take her! She was in heaven at the beach! She took to it like a fish in water! I had to drag her off the beach kicking and screaming....literally. Let me just say, that it is a long walk in sand, with a toddler kicking and screaming with hands, body and feet covered in sand.

The best things ever today, Princess J discoverd her shadow. It was so stinkin' cute watching her check it out and point and poke at it. I'm glad I had the camera out and captured her checking it out.

The other best thing, was watching Little J walk with daddy out to the ocean. He was so happy to be out there and it just really warmed my heart to see him so steady on his feet. While he still doesn't walk on his own, he is becoming so much more steady on his feet, that it is pretty easy to walk with him holding one hand for support. It gets pretty tiring on the arm, but so worth it to see him working on it.

Princess J pretty much brought most of the beach home on her sweat suit. She was covered from head to toe in sand. We were smart enough to bring extra clothes for everyone. She loves the sand, she had a grand old time digging holes and throwing sand everywhere. She loved running down to the water and having daddy chase her around. She had no interest in her personal papparazzi, as everytime I tried to get her to look at me for a photo, she pretty much ignored me as obviously the sand and water were much more entertaining. I can't believe I actually took 145 photos today. I just keep snapping away hoping to get that photo with her actually looking at me! LOL!

After we left the beach, we decided to drive up to Half Moon Bay to get some lunch. We went to this yummy little Mexican restaurant called Tres Amigos. We had some yummy tacos and chips and salsa. Everyone was so super friendly there! We drove through downtown Half Moon Bay and then headed home. I can't wait to go back when it's a bit less crowded and just walk around downtown. It is so super cute! I think we left at the right time though, as we were leaving, the traffic coming in was brutal. The drive in and home were perfect and easy.

We had such a fabulous day! We were exhausted though when we got home, got everything cleaned up and the kids in and out of the bathtub. Whew!

I know......

Total blog neglect. Not to mention neglect of all the people who stalk my blog looking for photos of their precious grandchildren. I have no excuse except to say life is a little hectic right now, I've been a little bit lazy and well I just sorta took a break. If you are still sticking with me, I hope you are not disappointed as this will be a photo filled post.

This will also be a Princess J filled post, as that as of late her character has been in rare form. On Friday, Princess J and I headed out to the mall to look for something for Grandma, that she requested. As we walked around the mall, in and out of a few stores, this little girl was letting me know what she liked and didn't like. If the store had nothing to do with her she wasn't interested and screamed at the top of her lungs! It was cute in the first two stores, but by the third one I was a little miffed with her. Thankfully, the mall was not that crowded. Anyway, we made a stop in Baby Gap. She was having a good time here. We found her a cute pair of silver sandles for spring/summer. I always love their little silver shoes, and they always seem to sell out fast. She always gets lots of compliments on her silver shoes too. Anyway, as we were strolling around she managed to find a cute little pair of sunglasses. She would not let go of them for anything. Thank goodness they were pretty cheap, because she wanted those things, and I did too! I thought they would be so cute for summer and photo oportunities. LOL!

As you all know, her favorite show is Little Bill. I love listening to her laugh at all the funny parts...and she seems to laugh at the same parts when she watches re-runs. Her favorite thing now is to imitate what she is seeing on the screen. Today, one of the episodes had Little Bill and his friend taking a long walk to the bathroom at school. As they were walking, they pass the music room, and Little Bill and his friend beat on their chests to imitate the drum sound. There was Princess J right along with them in front of the TV pounding on her chest. LOL, it was so funny and she was so stinkin' proud of herself.

She also received a special package from Switzerland today! Grandma made her a beautiful quilt to help teach her the months of the year. Also inside was a beautiful authentic dress from Austria (I think that's where it's from right?) I can't wait to try it on her and take some photos! Little J also got an awesome sweatshirt! Perfect for those cold mornings going to school! Anyway, Princess J is loving playing with the box now! I think she was trying to pack herself up for a visit, because she put her cell phone, her hairbrush and a couple of toys in the box and then sat in it.

Little J is doing really well also. He is still LOVING school! He gets so excited when we get to school everyday. He is making tons of progress in lots of areas. He really is on the verge of walking. He seems more stable ever single day. Now if we could just get him confident enough to let go of us, he'd be running circles everywhere. I can't wait for the day I have to chase him on his feet too! I know it will be exhausting, and there will be days that I wish for the time when I could put him somewhere and he would stay, but I'm just so excited for the day he will reach this huge milestone! :D

Enjoy the photos!!!

{Please Pray}

Please pray for my sweet friend Michelle and her beautiful children. Michelle's husband passed away last night. I am just so sad and heartbroken right now. Marshall was such an amazing man, such a wonderful dad and I know he was Michelle's hero and best friend. Please pray for strength and comfort for Michelle and her family during this very difficult time. Love you Michelle.

SANTA!!!!!

Yay for successful Santa visits!!! Little J was invited by the UCP of Golden Gate (United Cerebral Palsy) to attend their annual holiday party. What a shindig that was! I took my camera, but didn't even get one photo taken...I know shame on me! Anyway, they had gifts for the kids, lots of food, lots of activities and Santa photos for the children invited to the event. Little J was head over heals for the Raiderettes that were there as well. Everytime one of them would walk by us, he would giggle really loud and put on all the charm he could muster. I think she might have had a little crush on him too, because she made sure to talk to him everytime she came by! So super sweet! I have a photo of Little J with the Raiderettes, but of course instead of looking at the camera, Little J is staring at the girls. LOL!!!

Since Little J had his photo taken with Santa at the party, while he was in school during the week we took Princess J for her visit to the mall. I was totally expecting her to scream just like last year. She was too adorable though. She let me put her on his lap, and she just kept looking at him. She then started putting her hands in front of her face like she was hiding from all of us. It was so stinkin' cute. Then Santa pulled her hands down and held them and sang "itsy bitsy spider" with her. The ladies taking the photos somehow made her laugh and they were able to capture her little smile just perfectly.

(I'll have to figure out how to fix the size of Little J's photo, so look for an update later)

{Catch Up!}

Wow! Time sure has flown by since my last update. Sorry to those of you who look forward to photos of the kiddos daily. Life has been outta control lately! Everyone in the house had been sick. It just seemed to get passed around from Little J, to me, to Princess J and to daddy and then seemed to start all over again. Yikes! Little J ended up getting some antibiotics, since he had a fever and was sick, got well and then got a fever all over again. His pediatrician said that it could either be a whole new illness or the original one getting more complicated so we played it safe and got the antibiotics. We were suprised to look through his file and find that this is the first time he's ever had any. Wow! What a healthy kid. Awesome blessing.

After Little J ended up being sick on the day we had planned his class party, we got him back to school and had his party. It was soooo much fun! I just love all his aides and teachers! All the kids in his class are just so stinkin' cute too! Just love them!

We've been in Christmas prep overload around here too. Trying to get all the pressies ready for the kiddos. Princess J is fascinated with all the decorations and all the crowds at the mall. I can't wait to see her open presents on Christmas!!!

We also got our visit to Santa in too! Those photos deserve their own post, so you'll have to wait just a little longer to see these great photos!

As of today, we are officially done with our major Christmas shopping. The last few things we need are at the grocery store, so I'm not counting that. I'm so glad to be done! Now we're just anxiously awaiting for Grandma and Grandpa Wells to come join us this week. Hopefully the weather will allow them to get her as planned on Monday. Yay!

Tomorrow, I think I'm gonna bake some cookies and do a little creating.....

Enjoy all the photos!

Happy 4th Birthday Little J!

WOW!!! I cannot believe that Little J is actually a 4 year old! While I can't remember life without him, it still feels like yesterday that I brought him home. It's been a wild and crazy 4 years with lots of ups and downs. We've been through so much with Little J in the last 4 years, that it seems like a lifetime.

Little J is such an amazing blessing. He is the purest heart and happiest boy you will ever meet. He has shown us the true meaning of unconditional love, perserverance, and never giving up.

We kept his birthday today pretty low key. He went back to school today and had his usual therapy appointment. His class made him a birthday card and we'll be having a birthday party in his class for him on Friday. At home, we made his favorite meal, Spiderman macaroni and cheese and Mickey Mouse Chicken Nuggets. Then he got his ice cream cake. He was all over that and enjoyed it.......a bunch! He enjoyed it so much, he needed a bath afterwards! Princess J isn't as fond of the macaroni and cheese dinner, but she loved the cake! :D

More Auey Santos Magic!

Awhile back, I posted that Princess J had a little mini photo session with a local photographer and member of a mommy group I belong to. I am so happy that we did this! Auey is an amazingly talented photographer and a total sweetheart! Recently, I linked you all to her blog where there were a couple of photos of our princess, and now I am so happy to be able to share these two photos with you all here. These are the two from our session that I decided to purchase, but there were so many more I wanted! I had to contain myself since we are planning a family photo shoot with Auey sometime next month. I know I'll really want to go crazy then!

Please go check out her blog Photograffiti by Auey Santos and her official photography website Photograffiti.

Thank you so much Auey for sending the shots so I could share them on my blog!

Got Christmas Tree?

We do!!! Princess J had fun exploring it in the dark with all the lights on!

I am so excited for Christmas this year! It's going to be so much fun!

{Ha! We Were First!}

We had our lights up and turned on first in the neighborhood! Christmas is here and the kiddos loved all the lights! Yay G!

Happy Turkey Day!

I have so much to be thankful for. I know that with Thanksgiving, maybe that sentence is a little played out, but honestly, I should probably start every day by telling myself this. This year for Thanksgiving, we spent it at home, just the four of us. We had a full turkey meal with all the fixings and lots of leftovers! It was a lot of work to cook all of that, but it really didn't feel like work while I was doing it. We were supposed to go on a neighborhood walk this morning, but all the kiddos are still sick. Princess was up at 1am and just unhappy (screaming included) until about 3am. We watched two fun hours of Sesame Street...thank goodness for On Demand television! She was super sleepy when she got up, so the neighborhood walk was shelved. So far, we've been lucky enough to be able to have one humidifier and switch it between the kiddos, since generally they are not sick at the same time. This time, no such luck, so it was off to KMart for me today. I got in and got what I needed and got out. The place was super packed! I guess that KMart is the only big store doing Lay-A-Way now, so the line for that was HUGE! Yikes!

I am so thankful for above all, my sweet and amazing family! I couldn't ask for a better husband and father for my little ones. No matter what, he always puts us first. He is always willing to put his desires aside to make things easier for me and for whatever the kiddos need. I hope he knows that what I really want is for him to realize his own dreams (he knows what I'm talking abotu here) and that I'm willing to work extra hard and give things up to support him in that. As a matter of fact, nothing would make me happier than to see him do this something that he's been talking about since we met. I LOVE YOU G!

Little J has had an amazing year! When he was diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome, we were devastated. Angelman Syndrome really does make life hard, challenging and frustrating sometimes...okay a lot of times. Little J faces so many challenges and frustrations and he does it with such amazing grace and fearlessness. He NEVER gives up. He keeps trying things over and over, no matter how long it takes him to master. We recently had a follow-up in San Diego with several doctors and professionals that had evaluated him just one year ago. One of the professionals said she was so impressed and amazed my his progress. I must be thankful to his therapists (Sheri and Wendy), his teachers and aides (Janice, Sandy, Connie and Aaron) and his doctors. Everyone just supports him and never gives up on him. This kid just brings a smile to my face every day.

Princess J is just one little character. She is such an independent little girl and knows exactly what she wants and you'd better not try to get in her way. She's not afraid to "voice" her opinion! She cracks me up to no end. After watching the struggles that Little J goes through, seeing all the accomplishments of this little girl is just amazing! She figures things out so quickly and just keeps us on the move all of the time. She is so caring for Little J too. Whenever Little J drops something, she will make sure to pick it up and give it back to him. She gets really upset when he gets in trouble (that goes both ways though, when she gets in trouble he gets really upset as well) I love that they "look out" for eachother! She really is just a sweet blessing and we are so lucky to have her.

I am also thankful for my extended family and my friends. Our families do everything they can to support us. Sometimes we are overwhelmed or just plain tired and may not say it enough, but we are thankful. I am so lucky to have recently reconnect with many good friends. I am so thankful that those of you who I have reconnected with have been so supportive of Little J, your commitment to try and walk with us at the next walk-a-thon is so greatly appreciated. I love seeing you, even if sometimes it's only on Facebook.

My Alpha Phi sisters....you are true sisters and I love you guys soooo much!!!

We have been greatly blessed and we are thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

{Show Me Your Fork Skills!}

Our little Princess has been trying to spread her independent little wings lately. More and more she is not wanting our help with feeding. She usually finger feeds everything, but tonight I decided to give her a little fork and see what she would do with it. For a little while she was just holding it and finger feeding. I went about feeding Little J and kept watching her out of the corner of my eye. She kept looking at the fork and looking at her food. Finally, I went over and guided her hand with the fork in it and put her ravioli on the fork. I did this wither her a couple of times and then went back to help Little J with his dinner some more. All of the sudden, she starts using the fork for every other bite! She was so proud of herself and would clap evertime she would do it! It was so funny. After her dinner, I went to take the fork from her since it was cookie time, and she tried to eat the cookies with her fork. I don't remember how she ended up with two forks, but it was so funny.

Meanwhile, everyone has been sick around here. I think Little J brought a cold home from school and it is slowly making its' way through our family. We are ready for Thanksgiving, it will just be the four of us this year. I can't wait to make our nice little family turkey dinner! I already made the green bean casserole so tomorrow I just have to make the turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes. We'll be having a Pumpkin Cheesecake for dessert from the Cheesecake Factory! Yummy!!!!

Missing Friends....

I've been so lucky recently to be reconnecting with high school classmates as well as college friends and especially my sorority sisters. Recently one of my sisters has been posting old photos, so I stole these from her, since I'm lazy about scanning my own, but will get to it soon.

Anyway, 2 years ago my sweet sorority sister and friend Courtney Andreas Gray passed away after a battle with a rare form of Leukemia. I am so sad that I lost touch with her after college and that we never got the chance to reconnect. I am also sad that I wasn't there to be a support for her or our other friends when she was courageously battling Leukemia. I had no idea until it was too late. I remember reading the email from my sorority sister Verna. I was shocked and sad that day.

Thankfully, I have lots of good memories and fun times with her to look back on. I still miss her, but I'm so thankful that I've been spending time with Verna and Annie lately and that is something that I won't let change ever again.

So, take today and find those old friends you've been thinking of. Get back in touch with them and catch up on old times and make some fun new memories.

The photos above are of a fun cruise that Annie, Courtney and I took together in 1995 I think. Love these girls!

Thinking of Courtney today and always.

Post it like you stole it.....

and that is exactly what I did! I stole this from Jen's blog. The idea is that the things in bold are things you've done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (you don't want me to do this again...trust me!)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (Dutch ancestors/not Filipino ancestors)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke (something else you don't want to hear again)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (At Burger King :D)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (A very long long time ago)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (My brown Barbie!)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (From Burger King...the same day I was quiting no less! Already had another job at Baskin and Robbins in High School!)
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (A few times in High School)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (Two!)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit (not as someone being sued though)
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day (many times!)

San Diego....Al a Carte!

This was a quick trip to San Diego. Not much time for fun, since we had lots of appointments today and a few more tomorrow before we head home.

Little J has done really well down here. He is such a trooper! He had to be at his first appointment at 7:30 this morning and his last appointment didn't end until 2:30pm. They've taken blood, tons of vitals, asked lots of questions and poked and proded Little J to no end. Tomorrow will be a little more of the same. For those of you who don't know, Little J is participating in a couple of studies at Children's Hospital in San Diego. One has been a suppliment study and the other is just a natural history study for Angelman Syndrome. With such a rare disorder, I think it's important (as long as it's not medically risky) for Little J to participate in the quest to find a cure and treatments. While I'm not expecting miracles, there isn't anything wrong with hoping for them. Some of you donated to Little J's walk-a-thon team and this is where the money goes. To research and studies to help find a cure!

The airplane photos are of our flight out of Oakland. Little J was a bit of a wildman on the plane. He quickly figured out how to undo his seatbelt and he made my drink fly in the air when he kicked my tray! Crazy kiddo! There is also this cool ball contraption in the waiting room at Children's Hospital, Little J was fascinated by it. We actually sat there watching it for 30 or 40 minute, so not like Little J! This hospital is huge and it's getting bigger as well! Inside the main hospital is a McDonald's! There is also a Starbucks and a Quiznos inside one of the nearby satelite medical offices. Wow! If only Children't Hospital Oakland had all of that!

After our appointments, Little J and I went back to the hotel room, where he tried various times to escape from our room! If I hadn't locked the deadbolt, Little J would have been racing down the hallway!

Tomorrow we have a few more appointments and then we head to the airport for our flight home. I can't wait to get home and see my hubby and Princess J! This is the very first time I've been away from her since she was born, and I've missed her little face and sassy attitude.