Audrey's favorite mentor is having surgery in the morning to repair her g-tube site (it never healed well after removal).  It's possible she could be released same day but scary nonetheless.  Send her some thoughts for an easy time with anesethesia, the vent,  healing etc.  It's been awhile since the Dudley's have had to be back in the hospital situation and I'm sure it's daunting to say the least.  Go Kylie girl, you superstar you!

 

We went on our first adventure today--Six Flags!  In. the. rain.  It really was fun despite the permeating wet; there's nothing like wet socks and shoes ALL day.  The boys had a blast and Ethan rode his first and last ("maybe when I'm older I'll try one again") "BIG" rollercoaster, the Flashback; and Jason nearly conquered his fear of costumed characters by giving Sylvester an air high five instead of running away petrified.  Greatness!   I will try to get pictures up soon, I haven't downloaded yet. 

 

Welcome home to Sharon and family!  My superhero friend did this--yes, she really ran FIFTY SIX miles in 11 hours 53 minutes and 37 seconds.  It's beyond my imagination.  They've been gone for a month and we can't wait to see them.  Congratulations Sharon, you RULE!

I just have a second (literally) so the pictures are going to have to tell the story...Jason turned 3 Sunday and had an fantabulous-if-I-do-say-so-myself pool party on Saturday.  I can't believe my baby is 3.  I realize that Audrey is the baby of the family but Jason was supossed to be (Audrey is our bonus baby) and I spent his entire first year knowing that he was and trying to cherish every baby second with him.  His 2nd year is a blur to me and I hate that.  His 3rd year has been better but poor guy gets less than his rightful third of me.  He's quite a kid though-- independent, funny, beyond cute, and oh so busy!  Happy Birthday sweet boy, I love you so much!

 

Fun times for the Miller's this week, daddy is off and so inbetween doc/dental visits and garage cleaning we are going to try to have some fun family adventures. I'm scared already!

 

Talk soon,

Jenn

 

 

Jason Hawkins called this morning when he saw it on his commute and then Jenny emailed and then Jen sent the picture above!  It's SO cool, LOVE it!  We would have loaded everyone up to go see it too but I have the nastiest sinus infection ever and feel as if my brain may explode any minute.  Please call/email me though if you see it and tell me what you think--for those of you in Dallas, it's at Walnut Hill and 75 (east side, you see if you're going north), and at the southend of the Tollway just before you exit to 35.  The print ad was in the Medical Directory of D magazine this month--a FULL page ad, it was pretty strange seeing us that big in a magazine, the paper was a quarter sheet in newsprint--full page, sharp quality is a whole other ballgame. 

We'll be waiting for bus sightings as well as the "boulevard banners" soon!

 

Gotta get this head to bed, I'll update more later this week.

 

 

The very good news, as Pete happily notes, is that HB1919 got signed into law. Take that, TAB! This is very good news for many families across Texas today. My thanks to everyone who contacted their state rep to help push this through or the Governor to urge him to sign it. Y'all done good!  copied from Off the Kuff

 

 

Super Cheer!  THANKS to all of you who called/emailed yesterday!

 

Nate's birthday was a general success too.  Jason had a fever most of the day (Audrey had it the day before and Ethan before that) so we had to change plans but it was a much better occassion than our anniversary last week.  I'm hoping Father's Day goes a little better even. 

 

 

Have a great day!

J

Nate turns 34 in a few hours, it's his first birthday without his mom.  Feel free to email him birthday wishes and a reminder that he's married to the greatest woman ever, it apparently slips his mind now and then (yes, he really is blogging again much to my dismay)--our tenth anniversary last week was a bust to say the least.  Happy Birthday and Happy Father's Day honey!

 

Now, a call to action...as is RIGHT NOW (if you're reading this before June 17th), follow these directions pasted from an email from my dear Stacy:

Dear friends and family,

  Jeff and Jackson made the news yesterday for a very important news story.  See the video clip here 

Gov. Perry is sitting on a bill (HB1919) that will greatly impact many families affected by autism.  Please consider contacting the governors office by phone, fax,  or email.  It takes less than two minutes by phone.  The governor's deadline is June 17th.  Please contact his office and let him know you are in support of HB1919.  We are holding our breath.

·  Office of the Governor Main Switchboard: (512) 463-2000
[office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST]

·  Office of the Governor Fax: (512) 463-1849  

·  or by email at http://www.governor.state.tx.us/contact

In a nutshell, this bill will allow for insurance to cover intervention and treatment to help children of autism ages 3-5. 

Gratefully,

Stacy

 

 

Seriously, PLEASE go contact our governor RIGHT NOW, if you're not from here, say you're considering moving here if he does the right the thing!  The financial burden the Crowes and thousands of other families face just to give their child the best chance possible is beyond ridiculous.  ALL of Audrey's therapies are covered right now by insurance, ALL of them at nearly 100%; Jackson's aren't and the costs are astronomical.

 

I've got to go watch the end of the Spurs game now but promise to find more time to blog soon.  Thanks SO much for all of your kind comments from my last post, I can't tell you how much they mean to me.  Now, if I could just find time to respond personally!  I'm working on it.

 

Love,

Jenn

I've come here a few times in last 2 weeks to write my final entry, I'm not really sure why but I just didn't feel like I had much to say.  CDH wears on me lately, I read that 3 babies died in less than 2 weeks.  Then last week we had a virtual bomb go off in our family.  It's not my story to share but please send some positive thoughts to Nate's sister.

So, to all of you who have emailed or called to check in on us...we are fine (the kids are outstanding) but our hearts are heavy and time is a precious commodity around here with school being out.  All that said, I don't think I could actually give up the blog; I need you!  Audrey needs you!  Speaking of, I have great things to share about her and perhaps focusing on positives will give my spirit a boost...

 

She's MOBILE!  She's been flirting with crawling for awhile, but is now full-on, moving room to room, and starting to get into things!  She's pulling up everywhere too.  Last weekend we had to move her crib down from the newborn position finally!  She's SO proud of herself, it's just delightful to see her face light up with accomplishment.  I will try to post a video clip sometime next week after we get back from San Antonio. When she first started logging some distance she would be soaked with sweat from the effort but already in just 2 weeks she's only sporting a "glow" after serious jaunts!  She's back on breathing treatments right now too from a cold/allergies that we just can't get a handle on but you'd never know it if you didn't see her all the time, she's so happy and fiesty and silly and sweet, I could go on and on!  Her cough is causing lots of vomitting too but I swear as soon as she's done she's giggling again or squawking at her brothers--Jason has met his match, let me tell you!   And, in big news for me (and our whole family--you know when mama's happy, everyone's happy)...we have a nurse again!  Because of Audrey's dependence on tube feedings and respiratory issues, she qualifies for a state program that gives us nursing hours. It's SO wonderful to have help!  We were able to use the same nurse we had in March too so that is even better.  We find out on Monday how many total hours we get, but for now it's 14/week; but it could go up significantly with another program.  Her and I had to spend a night in a nursing home as part of the program which is a WHOLE other story but we did it and we have help now!  We even got to attend Caprice's FABULOUS Surprise 40th birthday party!

 

The boys are good.  Jason is wearing underwear these days (about a month ago he says, "I don't wear a pull-up anymore, I wear underwear", oh, good call!), and only wearing clothes he approves of--yesterday it was madras shorts that didn't include ANY orange in the color palatte with a blaze orange polo and navy socks pulled up to his knees, last week we finally broke him of wearing winter clothes EVERY day.  Seriously, he went out to ride his bike one 90 degree day with a hat and gloves on.  Oh, this kid!

Ethan is already done with my summer plans, "this is boring, I just want to play Xbox" or watch a show or go to six flags/minature golfing/bowling/to see Dylan/out to lunch etc etc etc  I would have never thought my kid would be an ingrateful little spoiled brat but he sure sounds like one lately.  I'll take suggestions on that.  I haven't been on top of planning our day though so hopefully with some better planning and a bigger craft box, I'll be liking him more soon!  Beth made a real simple household scavenger hunt this week that was a big hit, so feel free to send me some of those type things--my brain is shot!  He had a GREAT kindergarten year though and has really turned into quite the reader/fact finder/question asker (today's was, "mom, how did the first human get here if there wasn't a mom and dad here for him?"/problem solver/ etc.  He's SO great with Audrey too, NOBODY gets her to laugh as deeply as he can and he gets the biggest kick out of it.  LOVE his heart, love it.

 

Alrighty, I'm done.  We're doing the Komen Race for the Cure tomorrow as a family.  I'll post new pics after if I have a minute.  Picking up our stuff for it was a slap in the face for me; HOW. is. Penny. NOT. here. how?  My dear cousin was recently diagnosed too, please send Nancy and her family some thoughts.  Then, this morning I got an email about another friend of a friend with who has relapsed.  Breast Cancer sucks people, it needs a cure             along with Autism, hemangianomas (Allison has a bronch on Monday), childhood cancer, and of course CDH.  I'm not saying there aren't a million other maladies that need fixing but my own personal world has been touched by these and that's enough for one person, MORE than enough. 

Talk soon!