Uncle Derek

When Derek got home in May from serving an LDS Mission in Indiana he only stayed in Idaho for a few weeks before moving to Arizona for a job.

It was in July when he finally got to meet his 1st niece, Celes.

Derek moved back to Idaho in August and Miss Celes has not been so sure she likes him...she will stick out her little bottom lip and then just cry.

The other day while I was canning I told Derek he needed to feed her and hold her...just for a minute.

I went in to see how he was doing and this is what I found.

 I think Celes had settled into liking her Uncle Derek.

WE HAVE DONE OUR PART

I know that when Kira and Sergio left their family
and friends in Argentina it was difficult for all of them.

I know they had to wonder when they would see Kira and Sergio again.

I remember when Kirk and I left Kira in Argentina what mixed emotions I had. I knew Kira was happy, she had a just married a guy who adored her. His family and friends already loved her and she loves Argentina.
I totally understood, I wondered when I would see them again.
I certainly did not think it would be as soon as 6 months.

Sergio's visa will let him stay in the USA for 6 months.
After my heart transplant, Kira was named my "care-giver".
About 2 months later Kira told us that she and Sergio would like to stay here in the states.
So we got on line to see what we would have to do.
Mind you, Kira is a US Citizen and Sergio is her husband and here on a visitor's visa.
This is how naive I am...
I am thinking no problem...we will fill out the I-130 form and put it in the mail...
Right...WRONG! 
Thanks to some very good advise we found out that you do have to submit the I-130 form BUT that is just ONE of many.

This is the COVER SHEET to all the forms, information and FEES!

We started on the papers the first of August...with all the "stuff" that is required

we finished today.

I am just glad it is done.

This has been a really emotional process for me.

I know that we have until the first of November until Sergio and Kira will have to return to Argentina if  Sergio's status is not changed to Permanent Resident.

It scares me...Their little daughter is due the end of January.

Kira would have to make a 24 hour plane ride and then a 15 hour bus ride to Tucuman.

 She would be 7 months along.

And if the baby is born in Argentina while waiting for Sergio's status change

guess what...they will have to do ALL of this paper work again for the baby.

I laugh now...almost a mocking laugh when someone says,

but Kira's a US citizen...wouldn't that make the baby a US citizen too? UH NO...

ask Homeland Security...

she is a citizen to the country she is born in.

But, we have done our part,

and now we have to rely on our faith that we have done it the right way

and because of that it will work out.

FOR SALE

Do you remember these?

No, I still have not listed them...

Silly Hu?

Do You Have A Place...

...you can drop in and always feel like you are

I am a really strange person...

I just do not like to go to other people's houses. I LOVE a house full...if it is at my house. This even goes for some of my dearest friends and family. I do great at my siblings homes...but that is about it.

But, this is one of the few places I can drop in on and I am as comfortable as if I were at my own home..

 When I get to the front door...even if nobody is home at the moment...I feel comfortable and at peace.

 This home is my sister-in-law, Pennie and her husband Tony's.

Kirk and I made a quick trip to Idaho Falls for a missionary homecoming.

I was hoping that Pennie was home from her trip she had taken with her younger sister.
I called to see if she was home and she was, she arrived back in Idaho late last night.

I told her we were in I.F. and wondered if we could stop by.

Like I even had to ask.

I am so lucky not only do I have amazing siblings...
But my in-laws are wonderful.
I know that Pennie seldom has time to look at a blog, so she will probably never see this post.
But, none the less...I will and I will feel grateful each time I do.

 She let me raid her flowers for seeds for next year!

They are almost as beautiful as her.

Thanks, Pennie for being such a pillar in my life.

I love you more than you will ever know.

Look at HER grow

Do you remember this picture? Kira was 15 weeks along.

 5 weeks later check out the feet and toes!

Kira was able to have a 4D ultra sound.

 It felt like we were looking right at the little girl who will join our family in 4 months.

I can already see her daddy in her face.

Ñoquis,Gnocchi, No-Keys

I have said many times on my blog what an amazing cook Sergio is.

Last night for dinner he made Noquis or Gnocchis with Chicken and tomato sauce for dinner.

 Gnocchi's are made from potatoes or "papas" as Sergio calls them. and yea..I don't know what else. I should have stayed in the kitchen while he made the dough. He rolled them into a long rope and then cut 1 inch pieces off. Kira then used a fork and rolled them into their shape. Oh my gosh...it was so good!

I wish I could post a recipe but...well he doesn't use recipes for anything.

 But, I did watch as he cooked them...camera in ready position...

We he was ready to cook them, they were added to slightly boiling water (with salt and bay leaves add).

 As they cooked they would come to the surface.

 When they had all surfaced they were removed

 and place directly on the plate that had your fresh tomato sauce.

Then another layer of sauce and your chicken

 

It was served with french bread



and it tasted Divine!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LINDA

If you have ever visit Linda and her blog, you have probably been a recipient of her kindness.

My sister, Lene is who told me about Linda and her thing about cupcakes. I wish I could remember the story of the 100 cupcakes, but that is what first drew me to her blog.

What has kept me going to her blog and having her for a friend is because

I truly Love this lady.

I like seeing what her Friday Question will be each week.This summer Linda and her husband along with Jake changed their travel plans so they would go through Utah and I would be able to meet her face to face. I WAS SO EXCITED!

We joked that 3 Blogging friends from Arizona, California and Idaho had to travel to Utah to meet! (though 'Lene has been able to hang out with Linda several times in AZ)

Linda, as you said we are Sisters by Heart.

Happy Birthday my dear friend.

May it be as amazing as you are.

WHAT A WHINER!!!

I was just reading my past few posts...

What a whiner!!!!

Sorry about that...

I would love to blame it on the meds or the trips to Utah or anyone but me...

I need to kick myself into an attitude adjustment.

Watch for it to come....

REJECTION...

re·jec·tion (r-jkshn) n.
1. The act of rejecting or the state of being rejected.
2. Something rejected.
3. Medicine The failure of a recipient's body to accept a transplanted tissue or organ as the result of immunological incompatability; immunological resistance to foreign tissue.

This past week has been strange with a lot of different feelings.

The thoughts of my body not being kind to my new heart has really been emotional to me.

I knew and I still know that having a new organ can and WILL bring some types of rejection.

I have not had my head in a hole in the ground.

My rejection is not TERRIBLE....by any means. It was just a real reality check.

This his how they grade rejection levels:

Acute Organ Rejection - ISHLT Grades and Treatment
Grade
Patients Status
Early (less than 3 months)
Late (after 3 months)
0
Stable
No changes
Standard immunosuppression
1A
Stable
No changes
Standard immunosuppression
1B
Stable
No changes
Adjust drug doses
2
Stable
No changes
Adjust drug doses
2
Unstable, meaning:rising CVP and PCWP, decreasing EFarrhythmias and other symptoms
Increase drug dosespossibly add 100mg prednisone TID
Same as for early treatment
3A
Stable
Increase drug doses100mg prednisone TID
Same as for early treatment
3A
Unstable, meaning:rising CVP and PCWP, decreasing EFarrhythmias and other symptoms
one gram IV prednisoneIncrease drug doses
Same as for early treatment
3B
Stable
one gram IV prednisoneIncrease drug doses
100mg oral prednisone TID
3B
Unstable, meaning:rising CVP and PCWP, decreasing EFarrhythmias and other symptoms
ALG, ATG, or OKT3 for 7 to 10 days
one gram IV prednisone for 3 days
4
Irrelevant
ALG, ATG, or OKT3 for 7 to 10 days

My rejection numbers have been "0" and "1A"...

See not bad....

Even my labs and biopsy came back great...but my echo was not as good as it should be.

Am I grateful for amazing doctors who are so aware of something that was just a blurb on on echo.

So, tomorrow I am back to Utah for another Cath Lab, an Echo and Clinic.

Oh how I hope and pray I am back home tomorrow...

and just in case...I am packing an overnight bag.

3 Homes

I am kind of feeling like I have 3 homes...

Our Home on the River (Where I always want to be)

The apartment (though I HAVE given the keys back)
and the condominium (it is called that because of the COST of a nightly stay)

I had a "regular" clinic visit on Thursday at 8:00am with my heart failure and transplant doctors, a "regular" Biopsy and a "regular" Echo. I planned on being back at my home on the river by 5 or 6pm. I never go any place with out a overnight bag...but I did, I feel great. Kira and Sergio made the road trip with me and they didn't know you always travel with an overnight bag.

Well, my echo was not quite as good as they wanted it to be...showing some slight to moderate heart rejection. The doctors caught me just as I was leaving to tell me I was going back to the Cath Lab for a right heart cath...and then I would be admitted to the "Condo" for 3 days as they put me on a VERY high dose of Steroids. It takes about 30 mins for the IV to be done and then I am hanging out on the 4th floor.

It amazes me that I had any rejection as I have been feeling SO GOOD...it has really impressed on me how important these weekly Dr. visits are, and NEVER travel with out an overnight bag AGAIN.

I still feel great, and can not wait to be on the river again. The life is amazing.

Constitution Day

On September 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met for the last time to sign the document they had created. The National Archives and Records Administration celebrates this important day in our nation's history by presenting the following activities, lesson plans, and information. We encourage teachers and students at all levels to learn more about our Constitution and government.

Do you know who signed the United States Constitution?

Go HERE to find the answers

If the first person you wanted to say was John Hancock,

wrong that is the Declaration of Independence

Think of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and James Madison

I still know the Preamble of the Constitution from this SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK Video...

I sang it to pass my HS Civics Class...REALLY

Wordless Wednesday

I just have to say I LOVE this web site for canning instructions. It has easy step by step pictures and easy to understand instructions.

http://www.pickyourown.org/index.htm

http://www.pickyourown.org//peachpickingtips.htm

September 14, 2010

In April of this year Mary RC made this cool tool button for me.

I still look at it and it makes me happy.Yesterday I was looking at different things on Cafe Press...If you have never been to their website you really need to check it out.

These are a few of the shirts I fell in love with.

Happy 4 months post my heart transplant and I am so happy.