1st Day of School Pics...

School Days Have Begun!

I love his lunch-box...
1st day!!

Kayla from behind on her first day-waiting for instruction...

waiting patiently with little 'sis' who wants
to be a big girl too and go to school...

Kayla's 1st day of school posing

Our Wonderful Kiddos!

Cat Scratch Fever

ISabel has been Fever Free all day!! Praise the Lord!

Cat Scratch Fever...
It all began 3 weeks and one day and one night ago.
Isabel was struck with a 104.5 fever on a Saturday night. It was pretty high around the clock for 2 1/2 weeks straight. I was popping in IB prophen and Tylenol. After the first few days into the virus we took her in to the doctors. We were told to wait it out and see if the fevers would go away.
By that Thursday they weren't gone. So we took her in again. So they did further testing-red and white blood cell count. Thankfully that was normal and clear!
Once again we were sent back home thinking this was viral-still keeping watch.
Fevers were still high and around the clock.
Thankfully too Isabel was responding well to the Meds. It was as if she was totally fine when she was on the them-just when the fever hit it took a lot out of her.
Though more waiting...
One evening as Stefan and I were sitting in the living room; Stefan was quietly praying for her and specifically asking the Lord to make things clear for us. Well, not even 5 minutes later, our kitty Oreo came around Isabel and began to play with her hair. All of the sudden Stefan said, "Cat Scratch Fever!!" I turned and, "What?" He said, " I bet you that what it is!"
"What's that?" I say.
He quickly got up and began researching the symptoms online. He said, "yup, symptoms match pretty well."
So he called a friend of ours who is a doctor-"thanks Heather!", and asked her. She also looked it up, and said that seemed to be a good guess.
So we went back to the doctors to be tested for it-which is a blood test. Our doctor was pretty certain that all this was viral.
We continued on giving Isabel Meds, while the fevers seemed to be lowering and becoming less frequent. We had her prayed for constantly!!!
This past Monday we actually and finally received the results of all the blood tests they did.
It wasn't Lyme Disease, Mono...etc...other blood testing they did.

It was
CAT SCRATCH FEVER
So Stefan was right...that was the Lord!!! The Lord made it clear and answered our prayers!

Isabel is now on Anti biotics now and doesn't really have anymore fevers. At the most 99.0.
So we are so grateful to our Lord for revealing the answer and walking us through this really difficult trial of the unknown.
God is so faithful...
One of the areas that I know for a fact for me is laying down my children before the Lord. Completely handing them over to God, knowing that He loves them more than I ever could.
IT was so hard for me not to worry...many phone calls and questions were made to ask for prayer, encouragement to trust in God and not freak out.
Again I was holding onto to Christ with all I had and yet, God in His mercy and kindness, was always there walking through this with us.

Praise God and to Him be the glory for her healing!!!

Thank You for Your Encouragement Regarding Izzy...Day 9

Day 9 of the Fevers...

Once we give the IB Profen and Tylenol (alternating)-we seem to be back to normal...it's just when the fevers hit. She is getting pretty tired of taking the meds...more like frustration.
So thank you for your prayers and Lindsey thank you for your encouragement.

I pray that one day soon we too will all wake up and this totally gone!!

In faith...!

First Off-Isabel's Fevers...

On a major note, for the past week we have been walking through a faith building experience (for me mostly). Isabel has been having Fevers of about 103.5 for the past week. Last Tuesday we took her into the Doctor', found out it was a viral infection. Then on Friday took her back again, they did all the necessary testing, which was extremely difficult for me. I struggle greatly with fear when it comes to the health of my kids and or/anyone in my family/myself included. This fear has become worse over the years. Yet, God is at work and walking me through this situation, ultimately for His glory and my good! Growing pains...
YET-Praise God-all the blood-test results came back normal that she had on Friday.
Again we were told this was a virus.
We are waiting for the urine tests to back, we should get those results today.
Lastly, a friend of mine who is a doctor took a look at her and told me that she was doing great-despite the fevers-that everything else about her looked fine. So in hope again-I trust the input that the Lord has placed in my life...it gives me hope and encouragement to persevere in trusting in the Lord for the health of my baby, yes, but ultimately trusting in the Lord for who He is, in the Truth of His Word, and what He says He can do! I'm learning, slowly, but I am learning!!
God is kind and good!

Please if you think of it to be praying for the fevers to go away completely!
One last thing...
As Stefan has also encouraged me, he said, "You know, when Kayla was little you would have just thought this would have been her teeth coming in."
(Meaning Stefan remembers teething very well, where as for me? Well...)

Low and Behold I have been aware of and watching; she has two molars coming in at the same time...!?
As a Mom of 5, I should have a sense and a good memory-right? Oh so wrong...I think as each child entered the world, I distributed several of my braincells among them.
all worth it though!!!!

If I recall correctly-teething can be pretty bad and YES, I do believe fevers can accompany that...every kid is different and I don't remember any of my kids having that high of a fever with teething, though I have heard of it happening.

So maybe all of this is because of her teeth???

We shall see!!

Fun Shots of The Littlins'

Waiting for Daddy to buy his shoes...

Waiting for Daddy to look at cars...
real cars or should I say trucks...

Having fun in the McD's ladies room...

waiting for shoes again...

Isabel See's, Isabel Does...

I tell ya, life just flies by!
All the Chillins are getting bigger and growing!!
Isabel being the youngest loves to mimic her older sister now. So anything Ava says or does, so does Izzy.

Here are the girlies...as you can tell...Isabel loves to be a big girl!!

The Dahl Family Returns...Picture Set 1...

OK, so to start off with here is Isabel...
One day during my wedding planning, I had to go meet with
the pastor of the church where the wedding took place. The pastor being such a kind and gentle man said it was fine for Ava and Isabel to frolic about the sanctuary, while he and I talk.
So they did...
When all of the sudden I turn around , and low and behold, Isabel is smearing this bright red lipstick on her little face!

I quickly gasp at the sight while thinking, "Where in the world, did she get that lipstick?"
(though we have plenty at home)...
I knew the girls didn't bring any with them...

Quickly we figured out,
a lady from the church had left her lipstick behind in the pew...

Oh yes; to only end up in the hands of miss Izzy!!

A very funny sight indeed!

(Isabel in the bathroom where I quickly rushed her!)

Yuck!!!

I had to post this so I'd remember.
I just rescued Isabel from the tub, who was fully clothed with a stinky poopy diaper.
Prior to this lovely incident, I decided to let the water run to fill the tub. When of course I go into the bathroom to discover, a naked Ava in the tub, but a fully clothed-diapered Isabel, both girls floating in a sea of poop water. Yea...
Both girls also have these adorable animal mitten washcloths-one being a frog and one a duck.
So as I am quickly trying to drain the mucky water, Ava responds,

"My froggy is really freaked out Mommy!"

Don't worry-they are now in a tub of lovely, lavender soapy water...ahhhhh...

The joys of motherhood!!

Isabel and Mommy's Day Out...

I had a wonderful Mommy's day, with just Izzy and I. As the day progressed I didn't quite follow what I had in mind. I went to get my hair cut and Izzy got hers cut too. Then we went to the mall for some girl time. It was so sweet to have Isabel all to myself. She was very quiet at times and then there were times when she would point at something and babble to me. I could hold her and cuddle her without being interrupted by a mess to clean up or having to answer to, "Mommy".
Not that I am complaining about messes and always answering to, "Mommy, Mommy", but I really treasure it when I am alone with each of my kids.
It makes it all the more special that this kind of occasion doesn't happen all the time.

Here are some pictures of Isabel...and her special day with Mommy...


My first haircut

"I was doing real well too..."

until...

"The lady found some food in my hair-Mommy didn't wash my hair!"
"OWWW!"

"It hurts!"

"The lady gave me lots of lollipops when it was all done
because she felt bad she pulled my hair."
"Now I'm happy..."
(sniff...sniff)

"Mommy took me to the mall and she ate lunch. I didn't, I wasn't hungry.
I wanted to go on the merry-go-round but she wouldn't let me.
So we went here..."

"I kind of liked it...but I wasn't so sure.
Mommy put me on this thing and so I watched the other kids
play."

and I watched...

and I watched...

"Mommy took my picture and then we went home,
because I wasn't doing anything."

"I had a fun day with my Mommy!!"

RICE EVERYWHERE!!

So I let the little girls play with some rice...
and.....
this is of course what happened! Rice, Rice everywhere-in the dining area that is.
I like to let Ava play with dry rice at times. So I will give her measuring cups, and a pan, so she can play cooking with it. Well, needless to say, Isabel thought this would be fun too and began to fling rice as far as her little hands could throw. Yet, Mom stayed as calm as a cucumber. Ava as a matter of fact took the broom and began to sweep the gigantic mess all by herself!! What a HUGE helper she was!! For this I gave her much praise and the rest of the family sang the "We're proud of you" song to her. Which she quite delighted herself in as you can tell by the pictures below. Thankfully we got most of it cleaned up before Daddy arrived home!

Note Ava has her shoes on this picture. This is what she told Mommy,
"Mommy I need to put on my shoes so I don't get 'rices' on my feet."
And so she did...