In the Clear!

We had Macyn's 2 month post-op checkup today and we have received some good news - we should be in the clear! 

The bumps we found on her incision site were thought to be stitches that were under the skin, coming up to the surface.

Also, we have 100 percent certainty that what Macyn had is Atypical Mycobacterium Avium (ATB). What happens is, once they removed her lump, they test it for both Tuberculosis and ATB. Once they narrow it down to one or the other (in this case, ATB), they send it off again to try and grow it. We have received results that they were successful in growing this strain that she had and there had 100 percent proof that she had what was suspected all along. 

It was a good relief to have all this positive information. The only thing that would ever come from this would be her incision - about 1.5" on her neck. I am willing to take that in exchange for a healthy, normal, kid. 

Its a great feeling to close this chapter in our lives and move on. I am so thankful for the wonderful doctors who took care of her so well, and treated her like one of their own. We are so thankful for the support of friends and families who prayed for us and had encouraging words during this stressful time, and are just so thankful how the Lord took care of us and completely healed her. So many blessings!

Bubble Baths: Then and Now

Since I was super achy from being sick, I decided to take a nice, warm, bubble bath. However, some things have changed about bath time since having a kid. Here is a little comparison:

 

Then: Nice, aromatherapy lavender bubble bath

Now: Dora Bubble bath in bubble gum flavor. Nothin' like smelling like bubble gum once you get out. How soothing!

Then: Soothing music, candles, ambiance lighting

Now: Sitting in the tub, then trying to remove most toys so you can actually sit down....and still having a foam letter stuck to your back

Then: Having some privacy, to really enjoy and relax

Now: Must take a bath wearing your swimsuit, as you will most likely have a crowd running in and out of the bathroom at all times.

Now: Child is convinced she had to get into the tub as well. I made her put on a swimmer because I didn't want to bathe in case she had an accident. She is now convinced that she "goes swimming with Mommy in the tub."

Disney on Ice

Since Disney on Ice was nearby, and Macyn is obsessed with Mikey and Minnie, we decided to purchase some tickets and have some fun! I bought the tickets about three weeks ago. There were 5 different price points for tickets, and I went with the second-to-cheapest tickets. We were on the 3rd row on the floor. I was amazed at how good of seats they were!

Anyways, Macyn woke up this morning and remembered we were going to "Mickey and Minnie on Ice." She picked out her dress at about 8:00 and said, "I'm pretty, Mommy!" She even put her boots on the right feet and she was ready to go.

We arrived at the events center about 1/2 hour before showtime. This gave us enough time to walk around and check out all the overly priced souvenirs. We did buy her a little Minnie Mouse for $12 - one of the most reasonable priced items, considering a snow cone in a souvenir cup was $15. Prices went up from there, so I thought the $12 wasn't so bad!

I was a little worried about how this would go since we haven't ever sat through an event this long and I was worried how many times she would have to go to the bathroom. She only had to go two times so I can't complain. A funny part of the night was when we sat down and she got to take her Minnie Mouse we bought out of the package. She instantly noticed Minnie was wearing bloomers under her dress and she exclaimed, "Minnie has underwear!" ;)

The show started with Mickey and Minnie coming out first, along with some monkeys. They scared Macyn a little bit, but she rebounded pretty quickly and before you knew it she was dancing, clapping, and laughing. She absolutely loved it! My favorites parts were the Little Mermaid and the Lion King. Here are some pictures from the event:

After the show we ate a quick supper, did a little shopping and came home. Macyn was completely spent and went to bed at 8:15. It was such fun time - so glad she sat through the entire show with no crying!

2 Years 4 Months

Our big girl is 2 years, 4 months - going on 14! She has quite the little miss attitude going on lately. She is quite the boss as well. Here are some common quotes she says to me:

"Don't look at me, mommy!"

"Don't touch me!"

"Go Away!"

"No blue sippy, the pink one!"

She mostly says these things in the mornings and when she is overly tired. But every time she tells me, "Love you Mommy," I seem to forget about all the naughty things she says to me. I just hope she isn't this mouthy when she's a teenager - keeping my fingers crossed! ;)

Her bedtime routine has become a marathon, usually taking an hour to get her to actually go to sleep. I have done a couple of nights of tough love, where I will put her back into her bed 20+ times, with her wailing, until she finally goes to sleep. Tonight it seems to have paid off, only 15 minutes of crying. I hope it keeps up and we will be tear free in no time!

Macyn continues to do really well going potty. She wears underwear, goes pee and poo, and tells us when she has to go. She stays completely dry all day - even during nap time. I really should try and potty train her at night, but getting up at night and changing wet sheets doesn't really sound to appealing....so we will stick to diapers at night for now.

Macyn has also learned how to pedal her trike. I have a video, but I haven't had time to upload it yet. Seriously, my little baby is not a baby anymore. A big girl bed, potty trained, a big personality, and now she can pedal her bike. Sigh. Before I know it, she will be making her own pop tarts!

Even though Macyn can be quite the terrible two year old sometimes, she has a very motherly personality and loves her babies dearly. She always tries to help out, and even cares about her "No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed," book. Whenever we read that one and she sees one monkey that has fallen out, she says, "kiss it all better," "aww...he have an owie," "Monkey needs mommy."

We love being Macyn's parents and even though she can be pretty naughty, we love her to pieces. I am sure when she goes to that first day of kindergarten, I will wish I had these days back where she gives you unconditional love, no matter how many times you put her in timeout. Love her to pieces!

My Valentine

This year we decided to go easy on Valentine's day gifts. DH and I each bought each other a card, and we went out to lunch. It was a pretty nice time, and I was happy with the simplicity of our day. We did decide to get Macyn a little something for Valentine's Day. She was pretty excited to open her present!

 

We bought her a stow in go Color Wonder studio set. It is a coloring book with markers that only works on the paper. It also clips on the outside of the box to hold it on car rides, etc. You can also put other items inside the box. It has already came in pretty handy! It is a little hard for her to get the marker lids off, but this is a nice, clean, and contained activity for her :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Medical Update

This past weekend I noticed something that looked like a bubble blister on Macyn's neck, where her incision is. I didn't think too much about it until I checked it again the other day and it now looks like a blood blister. I called the clinic and after talking to a nurse, emailing pictures, and hearing back, we are on an antibiotic. The Dr. doesn't think its anything too serious, but needs to check her in a couple of weeks just to make sure her ATB isn't growing back.

February 21 is 2 months post op - we were soooo close to being good to go! Gah! I just hope it isn't growing back and its a totally unrelated incident. Hopefully everything will be cleared soon so we can put this behind us. 

This kid keeps giving us more surprises. Even though all this medical stuff can be frustrating, we are so happy how healthy she is and that it wasn't anything extremely serious. We are so thankful for her health!