One Year Anniversary

Dad,

It's been a whole year.

A whole year of us missing you.

A whole year since we heard your voice.

A whole year since we had your hugs.

A whole year since we had your kisses.

A whole year without your advice, jokes and laughs.

A whole year without you here for birthdays and holidays.

A whole year you haven't seen your grandchildren growing up.

You are missing it all and it hurts!

Holding Sonya for the first time!

Sonya got her first cast the day after you passed.

She dedicated it to you.

You with all of your grandchildren, my girls, one last time, only 3 days before you were called back home.

I knew since I was little that I would lose you to lung cancer. You didn't have it then, hell you were only diagnosed with it 6 months before your passing. I knew it though. Still, I thought we would have more than 6 months time after your diagnosis. You were too young. I know in my heart that you are watching over us! I want you to know that we miss you every single day, but we are glad that you are no longer suffering.

We love you Pop!

James W. Shelmire Jr. 7/31/48 ~ 4/1/08

Fun Day With My Buddy Simon!

Sonya had a special fun day with Simon today at the Delaware Museum of Natural History in Wilmington DE! Wilmington seems to be a good halfway point for us and the Greene family to meet up! Sorry about all the traffic you guys hit though Jenn! :) Sonya was very happy to see her computer buddy in person! I think she wasn't quite sure what to make of the experience! All week I told her we would be seeing Simon in person real soon and every time I mentioned his name she would point to our computer screen!

Simon is such a sweetie! He was all smiles over Sonya! What a ham for the camera too, he turns and flashes his adorable smile at the camera as if on cue! I think you did teach him that move Jenn! LOL! I grabbed some good shots of the kids playing together.... It was a bit tough to get them both in the same photo without seeing the back of one of their heads or a nice big blur across half of the scene! Our kiddos are on the move! Well, Simon is! Sonya just turns her head away from the camera as if on cue.... (too many pictures photographer mommy!).

Sonya really liked the leopards! She said "meow" a few times while checking them out!


OMG, I'm in a photo? That's right, I actually passed the camera to Ian for once!



Checking out the seashells with daddy.



Sonya sitting on the really cool glass floor with seascape beneath.

Reaching for those Elephant tusks!

Sonya and Simon had fun playing together in the little play zone.

They even shared nicely!

Awww! How cute are they?!

Sonya is taking a minute to chill.

"This is a really cool play table, what do you think Sonya?"

"It sure is Simon! I could play here all day with you!"


Sonya takes a stand and Simon speeds around her! (So fast that my camera misses him) Jenn must be one tired mom chasing after him all day! He is soooo fast!


Sooooo fun!!!!!!


This little cutie is so comical! He really loved pushing around his own stroller!


Simon, Sonya and their daddies.


Sonya, Simon and their mommies.



We had such a great time checking out all the cool exhibits and watching our little ones interact. What a great way to spend a dreary day! Jenn even got to sign Sonya's cast for Simon with x's and o's! :) Seeing Simon cruise around at the speed of light gets me so excited for how Sonya will be 6 months from now! Luckily, Sonya did not do any screeching today and Jenn, Jason, Simon and the rest of the museum can still hear! Maybe she will show you guys how it's done next time! LOL! We are looking forward to our future get togethers at Dr. Ain's office, The Philly Zoo, The Please Touch Museum, The Baltimore Inner Harbour and Aquarium, and all the other fantastic fun things to do in our area! Thank you Jenn, Jason and Simon for having a fun day with us! Sonya is just now giving her buddy kisses at the computer screen! Better later than never right?! LOL!

This Kid Cracks Me Up!

So, I was on Facebook while Sonya was taking a nap and I hear this behind me..... "Spspspspsp... Lucy!..... Spspspsps... Come here Lucy! Spspspsps...." So I turn around and this is what I saw......

Akela dug her Emille Ratatouille costume out of her dress up bin, put it on, held up the cat's toy and started to tease him! What cat could resist a giant rodent holding a catnip bag? I seriously laughed my ass right off! Future comedian?

Healing....

Well, today went smoother than I thought it would! Little Sonya slept pretty well last night and was playing all morning on our family room floor with her toys and with no complaints! She tried to crawl around a bit this morning but every time she attempted to she ended up crying! I'm not sure if this is because she is frustrated because she can't lift her heavy cast or if she is still in pain. It didn't sound like a pain cry. I better learn to decipher the difference though! Sonya gained a few signatures from her family already! She likes to look at them!

I took a quick trip over to Kohl's today while Ian watched the girls so that I could grab some clothing to fit over Sonya's bulky cast. Her "little" outfits are just not cutting it! I was in luck and found a few onesies that opened up and snapped all the way down the front! Yay Kohl's!!! I found a few larger (12 month) t shirts that looked like they would do the trick too as well as a light weight coat with larger sleeve openings! We of course had to get matching bottoms.... So now she has 10 more outfits to add to her extensive wardrobe!

Then later this afternoon this is what I saw my tough cookie doing.....

Yep, trying to crawl, no tears this time!

Nothing is gonna hold her back!

Sonya! Do you really need two of those?!

Whoo! That's some hard work! I'm wiped out!

I'm all smiles! Healing is going good already!

I've got some of my good luck signatures and my sister's will be adding some artwork soon!

Huh! That toy is all the way over there, is it?!

Zoe is doing good too! She feels better knowing Sonya will be ok and she was really happy to see how well she was doing today! Zoe fed Sonya her dinner tonight which was so sweet! I'll update you all again soon! For now we are all doing pretty good!

Fractured!

Well, it happened. We knew this was coming and that it was only a matter of time. Sonya had her first and second breaks last night just before bedtime. She was just crawling around the floor playing with her toys when her older sister Zoe came dancing along and accidentally stepped on her arm. The cry was piercing and I knew something was wrong immediately. I told Zoe that it wasn't her fault, it was just an accident, and that Sonya is very fragile. I took Sonya upstairs, woke Ian up and had him take a look. She wouldn't move her arm, it just dangled there limp. There was no bruising and it was hard to feel if something wasn't right in her arm. We decided on the sole fact that she wasn't moving her arm (not even for a lollipop!) that it was best to go to the ER. Ian stayed at home with the older girls and off I went with Sonya to the hospital down the street.

It was another slow night at the ER, thank God, and we got in really quick! We had the same doctor from our last ER trip "Sonya's Little Scare" and he remembered us! He sent us for x-rays immediately after feeling her arm, her shrieking in pain the whole while. Two quick x-rays was all it took and it was very apparent that she had fractured twice. Her ulna was broken almost at her wrist and her radius was broken close to the elbow. The doctor splinted her arm as she slept (some tough cookie I have!) and told us to return in the morning at 9am to meet with Dr. Lin for casting. They couldn't cast her immediately as time is needed to allow for swelling. If casted too soon and more swelling occurred after the casting they would have to remove it and recast so her circulation would not be cut off.

We slept chest to chest on the couch with her arm elevated on a pillow on my shoulder. Elevating was mandatory to keep most of the swelling down. It was a pretty rough night to say the least with Sonya waking every half hour crying in pain. No pain medications were prescribed, just Tylenol. Can you imagine?!

This morning we went back over for casting. Sonya was not happy at all about this and screamed the whole time. Apparently the doctor from the previous night was supposed to splint her entire arm, not just her forearm. Dr. Lin explained that by not splinting the whole arm she was able to rotate it, causing more pain. Dr. Lin is familiar with OI and wants to help us find an OI specialist as close as possible to us for Sonya's care. He wants to see us in his office (also right down the street) in one week for a follow up and he hopes to have some more info on a specialist at that time.

My heart is just breaking watching Sonya endure this agony. I can't imagine her pain. I think the reality of OI has just hit home, and hit home very hard for me. This may be the first and the second time she breaks but unfortunately it won't be the last. We have just started the first fracture cycle of many to come. Please pardon my language as I usually try to use the words "that stinks" when commenting on my displeasure. This is going to suck! And I really mean that.

Home from the ER with splint and teddy bear.

Home from ER with cast and not too happy.

Finally getting some sleep!

Dentinogenesis Imperfecta

Sonya had her first dentist appointment this morning with our local pediatric dentist and what we suspected was confirmed. Sonya has moderate to severe Dentinogenesis Imperfecta which is caused by her Osteogenesis Imperfecta. I'm so glad we have such a fantastic local pediatric dentist (he is just 10 minutes down the street!) who is willing to take care of her follow up appointments, unfortunately he is not equipped to put her under and perform her capping. We will be traveling down to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to meet a pediatric dentist whom our dentist referred us to and is knowledgeable in this field to perform her capping. Capping is necessary for her ASAP as her teeth are already showing signs of fast wearing away. If left untreated she will wear away her teeth by the age of 2. So far she has 8 teeth, 4 on top and 4 on bottom, all of which are affected. I am sooooo nervous about her being put under again, but this is what's needed and what is best for my baby!

For a little background here is some information on Dentinogenesis Imperfecta if you are interested in learning some more.

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is always associated with bone fragility. In addition, OI may affect the growth of the jaws and may or may not affect the teeth. About half of the people who have OI have teeth that appear normal, and their major concerns are routine care. However, the other half has a defect in the teeth called dentinogenesis imperfecta (DI), sometimes referred to as opalescent teeth or brittle teeth. These teeth may be misshapen, may chip or break easily, and will require special care. Oral cavity problems related to osteogenesis imperfecta may
include the following:
• A skeletal Class III malocclusion. The teeth do not correctly match up making biting difficult. This is caused by the size and/or position of the upper jaw or the lower jaw.
• An open bite. There is a vertical gap between some of the upper and lower teeth.
• Impacted teeth. The first or second permanent molars do not erupt, or they erupt out of the usual location (ectopic).
• Dental development. Tooth development may be delayed or advanced in some individuals affected by OI. OI does not affect the presence or absence of gum disease (periodontitis).

Major Parts of the Teeth
The teeth are made up of four distinct parts.

• Enamel is the outside part of the crown. It is the hardest substance in the body and the point of contact for chewing.
• Dentin is the substance under the enamel that forms the rest of the crown and surrounding the pulp chamber and almost all of the root structure. It is similar to bone.
• The Pulp Chamber is the inner hollow part of the tooth containing blood vessels and nerves.
• The Dentinoenamel Junction (DEJ) is the term for where the enamel and dentin are attached to each other.

Dentinogenesis Imperfecta (DI)


Dentinogenesis imperfecta can be part of osteogenesis imperfecta (DI type I) or it can be a separate inherited dominant trait without OI (DI type II). DI occurring with OI seems to run in families but can vary in severity from one member to another. DI has a variable affect on the color, shape, and wear of both primary and permanent teeth. If someone has OI and DI, all of their teeth may not be affected to the same degree. Teeth affected by DI have essentially normal enamel, but the DEJ and the dentin are not normal. The enamel tends to crack away from the dentin, which will wear away more quickly than enamel. The dentin makes the teeth look darker or opalescent. The dentin also grows to fill in the pulp chamber, causing a loss of feeling in the tooth. Affected teeth will have an increased incidence of fracture, wear and decay.
Dentinogenesis imperfecta may be diagnosed with the first baby tooth. If the tooth looks gray, bluish, or brown, DI should be suspected. Children should be taken to a dentist (if possible a specialist in pediatric dentistry) when the first teeth are erupting. This may happen as early as 6 months to 1 year of age. Radiographs, or X-rays, can be useful but may be difficult to obtain until the child is older. Sometimes there are changes visible on the X-rays that are not obvious just by looking at the teeth. Crowns appear bulbous and roots may be shorter and more slender than standard. Primary teeth are usually more affected than the permanent teeth. When, for any reason, crowns are not feasible, a “tooth color” dental material may be used, such as composites or glass ionomers in conjunction with composites. The sand abrasion method may also be useful because it removes carious dentine only and thus spares dental tissue. In any case, amalgam restorations should not be used because they impose an additional stress on the teeth.
General Care for People With OI Plus DI

Children with OI and dentinogenesis imperfecta need the same basic care children without DI, but they also need to be monitored for cracking, chipping and abrasion of the teeth. Special care will be needed even with the baby teeth. All of the teeth may not be affected by DI, and primary teeth usually are affected to a greater extent than the permanent teeth. Restorative treatment may be needed at some point. Regular care is needed so the teeth will last as long as possible and to prevent abscesses and pain. Brushing and cleaning has not been shown to cause damage, but will not make teeth affected by DI white. Sealants should be effective on teeth affected with DI as long as the enamel is intact. Older children and especially adolescents with DI are often embarrassed by their discolored teeth. Different types of veneers can sometimes hide the problem. Bleaching is not recommended because the discoloration is not in the enamel. If the teeth are wearing excessively, caps (also called crowns), will probably need to be placed on at least some of the teeth. Caps serve to keep the teeth in place and encourage proper development of the jaw. More specialized treatment may be more appropriate for permanent teeth.
Treating Malocclusions with Orthodontia or Orthognathic Surgery A malocclusion is an abnormal relationship between the upper and lower teeth, which creates problems with how the teeth come together. This may be due to the relationship of the upper and lower jaws to each other, the alignment of the teeth, or both. This type of problem includes crooked teeth, “underbite,” “overbite” and “open bite.” Treatment is usually provided by an orthodontist. The particular treatment plan depends on the specific problem(s) with the bite and the teeth. If the malocclusion is caused by skeletal discrepancies, then orthognathic (jaw) surgery may be required along with orthodontia. An orthodontist should examine each child with OI around the age of 7 years. At that time early orthodontic interventions in children who are developing a relatively small upper jaw compared to the lower jaw may help decrease the need for later orthognathic surgery.




Sounds like fun huh? Well, for now I am just praying that we get in soon to the specialist at CHOP and that the procedure goes well! Then I will be praying that her permanent teeth will be less severely affected by her DI. Thanks for your support everyone, as always I am so grateful that I have you all to lean on! Since you are all simply the best, here is your reward for listening.... Sonya photos!!!

I love bath time in the kitchen sink!

Woo Hooooooo!!!!!

Hey! Who put that washcloth there?

Rockin' the mowhawk!

Handful of bubbles!

Mommy!!! That's enough already! Now I look like Little Cindy Lou Who!

ReArRaNgEmEnTs!!!!

At the beginning of this month Ian and I decided that we needed to do some rearrangements of our sleeping quarters! Sonya has been co-sleeping with us since her birth... (almost 14 months now!) I know, I know, tsk.. tsk.. shame on me! For the first 5 months of Sonya's life she had the worst reflux problems and we resorted to sleeping for those first 5 months chest to chest, on an incline on the family room couch! Zoe had a really bad case of this too and was put on an apnea monitor for 6 months following the most terrifying blue baby scare ever when she was only a week old! That whole Zoe experience plus Sonya's reflux and at the time diagnosis of Campomelic Dysplasia (usually accompanied by respiratory failure) scared the hell out of me and I refused to let her sleep alone for fear that I would find her not breathing in her crib in the morning. After her reflux finally subsided we started sleeping side by side (great nursing position) in our bed. Ian works 3rd shift, leaving our house at 11pm and not returning home until 9am so there was plenty of room for Sonya and me to cozy up in our queen size bed. This worked great for the next 7 months!

Then Sonya had become the crazy wild night owl! It was like she had ants in her pants! She wouldn't stay laying down after nursing nor would she even have a hint of sleepiness in her eyes! I tried reworking the napping schedule among many other suggestions from family and friends but she just didn't want to go to bed at bedtime! This night owl wanted to party it on up until 3, 4, 5am!!! Then we tried to get her into her own sleeping space.. her crib. This wasn't working for Ian though. Since the crib was in our bedroom and Ian was sleeping at Sonya's bedtime 8pm (third shift worker Ian sleeps 4pm - 10:30pm) he wasn't too pleased to hear her retaliating war cry two and a half hours before his due awake time. Something had to be done!!!

The older girls up until this time had their own rooms. Our tiny townhouse only has three bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1 half bathroom with attached laundry room, a large eat-in kitchen and a huge family room (no basement or spare room for toys.... a nightmare!). Since we don't quite have the funds to buy a bigger single home yet (God, I really hope soon though) we decided to clean out some junk and move the two older girls in together and give Sonya her own nursery. Zoe had the smallest room so we moved her in with Akela into Akela's room and Zoe's old room became the nursery. So, you ask why not put Sonya in with Akela and let Zoe who is the oldest and has always had her own room (for 7 years) keep her own room? Simple, I do not trust Akela! That wild child would be jumping into Sonya's crib and partying it up with her! We couldn't room Zoe and Sonya together either... with the way Sonya has been carrying on at night, Zoe would be a zombie at school the next day! Not to mention as time rolls on there may be special equipment that Sonya will need ( crutches, special walkers, physical therapy tools and more) that will take up room. So it was decided, Sonya would have the smaller room to herself. The older girls have been rooming together now for over a week and we just finished Sonya's room today! We are hoping to have Sonya in her own crib and room starting Monday night! I'll have to update you all on that later! Enjoy the photos!

Zoe's and Akela's shared bedroom!

Akela's bed is on the left and Zoe's is on the right. Matching bed linens pillows and curtains are from Target. I love that store!


Zoe's 6 drawer captain bed.

Akela's white sleigh bed with trundle storage drawer.


Very cool stuffed animal storage found at Ikea for $4 a pop!


Akela's white dresser and 2 white wall shelves. The 2 racks to the left are from Marshalls Home Goods Store, one for each of the girls for their purses.

Zoe's Dresser and 2 wall shelves. The large bookshelf to the right is shared between the 2 of them. Two shelves for Zoe, two for Akela and one is shared.

The inside of the door has shoe pockets for Zoe and the outside has shoe pockets for Akela. The closet is evenly divided for clothes as well, however I still need to get the organizational racks and sectionals to tidy it up, so you are forbidden to see it just yet! Haha!

Sonya's room was so fun to decorate! We did a very unique theme in here! It's basically a mix of third world country crafts. Both of Ian's brother's were in the Peace Corps for years and they have brought back, as have we from visiting, many treasures.


Sonya's crib... Don't worry the pillows won't be in there with her. The flowered one is from Ikea and the white one is a family heirloom. The sheet is just from Babiesr'us.


The sun is Haitian metal art. It is made from a large oil drum lid. Ian's brother Ben worked for the US government and was stationed in Haiti for 3 years. The shelf holds her CD's, a garden gnome that Akela wanted her to have, and an old musical figurine "Doc" from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves from when I was little. On her chest of drawers is her sheepy bank, jewelry boxes and her very first cast dedicated to my father who passed away on April 1st of 2008.


The curtains are vertically striped, but it's a bit difficult to tell from the bright sun streaming in! I bought the fabric and sewed them up quite quickly and easily with no pattern. I just kind of winged it and surprised myself! The window sill decor are from Home Goods, the reed fish wind chime is from Kohls, the lantern with a flame less candle inside is from Target and the giraffe is a storage trunk for some toys that my mom had bought back when Zoe was a baby.

This is the relaxing nook!

The papasan chair I picked out from Pier One Imports and I just loved the cushion pattern! The white pillow with the appliqued woman on the front was made by my sister-in-law Laura while she was in the Peace Corps with Ian's brother Josh in Suriname (small impoverished country right above Brazil). She also made the sock monkey, Sonya's favorite buddy!

The hanging glass stars are from Home Goods and the painting was painted by a villager in Haiti and was brought back by Ian's parents when they went to visit Ben.

This quilt was made in Suriname by fellow Peace Corps workers to Josh and Laura for Zoe while I was pregnant with her!

Sonya already has an extensive collection of books, including Trudi and Pia and Little Squarehead. She loves Trudi and Pia! On her shelves are some knickknacks picked up here and there. I just noticed I still have to put her photos in the frames! Haha! The black and white polka dot vase is from Africa from when Ian's brother Ben was in the Peace Corps and stationed in Cameroon.


The butterfly rack is some more Haitian metal art made from a large oil drum lid. Again, the closet is off limits until I get it all organized! Haha! I just noticed that we still have a few crafted items from other countries that we have forgotten to place in her room! Well, I'll have to get those things in there this week! Geez! Thanks for checking out the girls rooms!!!

Just An Average Week!

So, it's been just an average week around here. Sonya discovered she can climb up on old Eeyore and ride him around the house! We've had old Eeyore since Zoe was little and he has stood the test of time! He is just the right size for Sonya, very low to the ground and she is just starting to take him for cruises around the family room!

She loves to give him kisses on top of his black tuft of matted down hair!


Just getting ready to mount Eeyore!

Woo hoo! Yay Eeyore!!!!

Hey there! You lookin' at me?

I love my Eeyore!!


Mommy made me this gigantic physical therapy play floor pillow! I played my little heart out and then............

I totally passed out on my pillow!

Mr. Sock Monkey says "Sshhh! Do not disturb!"


These days Sonya falls asleep just about anywhere except for her crib! She has been in denial about needing a nap or two during the day. She plays hard and rough and when she can't take it anymore you will find her passed out from sheer exhaustion in the most peculiar places!


Passed out on a pack of Pampers!!!!

Thanks for checking in! Hopefully I will have the girls bedroom makeovers complete by the end of this weekend and I will be blogging about it soon! Stay tuned!!!!!

Sonya's Little Scare

So most of you have heard of Sonya's little ER trip from Facebook. Here is the full story. She has been pulling up to stand everywhere lately and she was doing so at our laundry basket right outside of the laundry room (her favorite spot) at about 8pm when she lost her balance and fell hard on her knees and lower legs. Her legs both spotted up with purple bruises right away (10 minutes following the fall). She cried the hard, loud, complete with hyperventilating cry for about 40 minutes and I couldn't calm her down, not even by nursing her which usually does the trick, so I called Ian's parents to come over and watch the older girls (already in bed and sleeping) while Ian and I took Sonya to the ER. We have a hospital just two streets down from us so it was only a 2 minute drive (yay!) to the ER. We got in pretty quickly, it was actually a slow night at the ER (this almost never happens!) and the doctor had us go for x-rays right away. We were glad to hear that the staff was informed on OI and we were not suspected of child abuse, I did have her medical records stating her diagnosis with us just in-case. I decided I would be the one to go with Sonya for her x-rays as only one of us was allowed in with her.

I absolutely hated the x-ray technician! Even after she was notified by the doctor about Sonya's OI she was rough with her. I immediately objected to her lifting Sonya up by the ankles to position her over the x-ray plate she was trying to put under her legs. I again explained Sonya's fragility to the tech and she then proceeded to tell me she would have an assistant come in to help her and again she tried to position Sonya's leg, twisting it to an open frog-like position. I told her to remove her hands from my baby, that I would be her assistant and that I would be the only one to touch Sonya from this point on! She backed off at that point. Then I had asked for a lead shield for Sonya's reproductive organs. The tech told me they didn't have one that would be small enough for Sonya. I insisted she find something stating that I did not want my baby girl to become sterile! She replied "this is only going to take a few minutes." To which I replied "a few minutes to make her sterile? Get me a lead now!" Low and behold she did have a lead that would fit Sonya all of a sudden and fetched it. UNBELIEVABLE! I positioned the lead over Sonya's area and got her legs in position, all the while Sonya is still wailing wildly! The tech then didn't like how I had her positioned and still attempted to move Sonya roughly and in the process through the lead onto the floor stating that it was in the way! Can you believe the nerve she had?! I picked up Sonya and the lead and practically yelled at the tech "If you are not willing to do this my way for the pure safety and concern of Sonya then I want to speak with your supervisor! If you don't agree then I'm sure you will understand when I claim a malpractice lawsuit against your ass, I'm sure you don't want that do you?! Don't worry about evidence either, the bruises I'm sure will show up in the next 15 minutes!" I think this is about as ugly as I have ever got with anyone in the medical field! She ended up being cooperative with my demand and proceeded to verbally instruct me on how to position Sonya and left the room to take the x-rays. She only needed to do 4 with 2 different positions. Sonya immediately calmed down and passed out from sheer exhaustion in my arms afterwards. I went back into the room where Ian was waiting and told him what a B*T*H the tech was (excuse my foul mouth, but I really did tell him that).

We waited maybe 15-20 minutes (which was not bad) for the results. The doctor came in and told us that she didn't have any breaks not even a hairline fracture! He had blown up her legs on the computer screen to the size of my legs and he didn't see a thing except for her severe bowing! Great news! We were immediately relieved and the doctor then told us what to look for the next time we think she has had a break. "When Sonya breaks there will be no doubt about it" he said. She will automatically immobilize her broken bone. For some reason older children and adults try to move the broken part almost as if to test it, to see if it still hurts. Infants and younger children on the other hand have an instinct not to move it at all and so the broken limb hangs limp and floppy. She will also be inconsolable for hours on end. After 40 minutes I really thought that she had fractured... I guess it's going to be much worse of a cry when she finally does! The doctor did say that bruising plus swelling will engulf the area of the fracture most of the time. We were then instructed on how to wrap with an ace bandage and immobilize a broken bone before transporting her to the hospital (very helpful info!).

As far as broken bones go, they are going to be unavoidable for Sonya. With OI she can break just from everyday tasks such as crawling, getting up to stand, walking, hugging, high fiving, bumping into something and of course sports. I could pick her up wrong and break a rib bone on her or a bone could break during a simple diaper change. So far she hasn't had any breaks, which is great! Unfortunately I am "waiting" for the inevitable. I feel like I'm on glass... waiting for it to crack or hot coals waiting for the burn. It's going to happen and not just once or twice either, it's just a matter of time. I have met a bunch of people through the Internet, on Facebook, Myspace and support groups who either have OI or have children with OI. The amount of fractures/breaks sustained by people with Sonya's type average around 50 at the least by around 10 years of age. I'm still trying to grasp this as I have only had 2 broken bones in my life, my nose and big toe, nothing major such as a femur or rib bone!

Well, that's the scoop on what happened this past week. In other news we are working on redecorating the girl's rooms. Akela and Zoe are now rooming together and Sonya is going to be moving out of our room (she has been co-sleeping with us the whole time) and into her own room! We are just putting the finishing touches up this week and hopefully by the weekend I will be updating the blog with pictures of their pretty rooms!

Here are some photos so that you can all get your weekly dose of Sonya cuteness! She loves listening to older sister Akela's Choo Choo Soul CD, don't even get me started on the Wiggles!